Archive for August, 2006
August 17, 2006 @ 3:53 pm | Filed under: Uncategorized
1. Your eldest might be leaving the house but, consequently, so is a lot of his "stuff." 
2. You get to see how your kids really feel about each other, in the face of separation.
3. You drive out of the driveway with three in the car, knowing it’ll just be you & Pops pulling back in later that night.
4. You get to take a blank dorm room and help transform it into a pseudo-suitable new home. And, while I know it will never be quite the same as home, I have to say that I’m very happy with his new digs. I think he’ll be quite content here.
5. After a "quick" run to Wal-Mart (for last minute essentials & such) and $150 dollars later, Pops finds himself putting together a shelf…
6. …hanging posters and pictures…
7. …and setting up the computer. (Yep, that’s Phil Collins on Nate’s screen saver.)
8. You get a glimpse of what your son’s new study environment (I’m feeling very optimistic) will be like…
9. …where he’ll sleep…(the Monty Python poster has hung in his room at home for years and was one of the few treasured things that made the move.)
10. You get to meet new people, like his roommate, Michael. Quiet and thoughtful like Nate, we’re hopeful that our earlier fears of an Oscar and Felix pairing were premature. And you meet Michael’s parents and learn that you’re part of a much bigger club of Moms who are proudly – yet hesitantly -pushing encouraging your young to leave the nest.
11. You and Pops take him out for "The Last Supper" – for his favorite food (Mexican – wonder where he gets that?) and you try to make the meal last…for a long time. (‘Cause you know what happens after dinner.)
12. You hug him tight, hold him close, and tell him you love him and that you’re amazingly proud of him.
13. And then <big gulp> you watch him walk away, right smack into his new adventure.
August 15, 2006 @ 9:56 pm | Filed under: Family
…until Nate moves to college! The countdown has begun…
7:00 a.m. – One last morning to sleep in at home with the family…
11:00 a.m. – One last laundry lesson with Mom…
Noon – One last lunch with the grandparents, great-grandparents & cousins…
4:00 p.m. – Packing for the move…
8:00 p.m. – Nate’s favorite dinner: Mom’s spaghetti, Caesar salad, & brownies!
It was a wonderful day.
And it’s the beginning of another wonderful chapter of your life, Nate! I’m proud of you, and I love you.
Mom
August 15, 2006 @ 9:55 pm | Filed under: Family
(My prayer for Nathan as he leaves home.)
1. Thou shalt be happy.
2. Thou shalt use thy talents to make others glad.
3. Thou shalt rise above defeat and trouble.
4. Thou shalt look upon each day as a new day.
5. Thou shalt always do thy best and leave the rest to God.
6. Thou shalt not waste thy time and energy in useless worry.
7. Thou shalt look only on the bright side of life.
8. Thou shalt not be afraid of tomorrow.
9. Thou shalt have a kind word and a kind deed for everyone.
10. Thou shalt say each morning — I am a child of God and nothing can hurt me.
August 13, 2006 @ 11:41 pm | Filed under: Travel
Laughter is a tranquilizer with no side effects. —Arnold Glasow
_______________________________
The North American Ladies Conference was everything I’d expected…and much more.
I was there to help promote Saving Grace, and that, in itself, was an amazing and phenomenal time.
I was able to meet many women who had read my other books and was privileged to talk to them about lots of things.
What they like in fiction. God. Their friends. Scrapbooking. The topics were wide in range and topic, but they all thrilled me.
So I arrived in Louisville expecting to meet new people and form new relationships. And I arrived excited about seeing some of my "old-er" friends.
But what I wasn’t necessarily expecting was the massive amount of laughter that would be involved and how that laughter – combined with the marvelous teaching and preaching – would change me.
Forever, I believe.
_______________________________
You can’t deny laughter; when it comes, it plops down in your favorite chair and stays as long as it wants. —Stephen King
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My roomies – Mom, Dawn, and Rochelle – made my time at NALC a time that I will never, ever forget.
During the Thursday morning service I was SO tired. I would yawn, then Rochelle (sitting next to me) would yawn. Then me. Then Rochelle.
I promise, for at least twenty minutes this went on and, I have to admit, my mind was adrift, desperately trying to grasp anything that would help me make it to the end of the sermon without completely falling out into the floor.
And then – somehow, some way – the speaker’s voice drifted into my consciousness.
"And He said, ‘Let them sleep!’" She, of course, was referring to the drowsy disciples in the Garden. "Sleep on! Sleep on!"
I blame it on my extreme state of exhaustion, but whatever the case, this struck me as hilarious and I began to laugh uncontrollably.
Which prompted uncontrolled laughter from Rochelle. I promise, for at least twenty minutes…well, you get the picture. But it DID wake me up and, at a conference, isn’t that what’s most important?
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Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face. —Victor Hugo
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This picture best exemplifies our spiritual experience during this conference, don’t ya think?
Uh…NOT.
This is us, collapsed on the floor of the Marriott, in yet another fit of laughter. These women made me laugh like I haven’t in years.
I was reminded that laughter truly does, "doeth the heart good like medicine…"
I’m so grateful for the opportunity to have attended NALC. The Word of God was new and fresh and opened the eyes of my heart to truths that sometimes become hidden behind the things of Life that tend to bog us down.
Things like not believing the lie, realizing that I have power in God, and the reminder that I – even me, one woman – can make a difference in my world.
And I came home, energized and rejuvenated, ready to do just that.
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The NALC photo album and montage are in the left-hand side-bar.
August 10, 2006 @ 2:57 pm | Filed under: Thursday Thirteen
- No cooking. (Unless you count making coffee in the hotel room each morning.)
- No cleaning. (Except for when your friend insists on straightening up the bed – what’s up with that…?)
- Diet Coke and shared desserts. (Who knew that something called spumoni could taste so good?)
- Morning Starbucks stops (This is an absolute given.)
- Understanding one another’s in-bred need for occasional bubble baths and two minutes of uninterrupted solitude.
- Diet Coke and shared desserts. (cheesecake at Champions Bar & Grill!)
- Tylenol A.M. (’cause you didn’t take it until 1 a.m.!)
- Uncontrolled laughter in the middle of a sermon. (Come on, don’t TELL me that’s never happened to you!)
- Diet Coke and shared desserts. (a midnight [almost] walk to the Shell station for DC when the hotel only serves <gulp> Pepsi products!)
- Hearing a song during altar service and knowing it was God’s gift – meant just for your friend.
- Non-intentional stalking and "picture girls."
- Learning new words and their definitions! (ex: Pat; boogie boys; spumoni)
- Diet Coke and shared desserts. (Or maybe it’s just the friends who share your passion for the Diet Coke and who don’t mind asking for two extra spoons to do the sharing.)
August 9, 2006 @ 10:14 pm | Filed under: Books
A few weeks ago I received a book in the mail that totally captivated me. Coldwater Revival, by Nancy Jo Jenkins, a fellow ACFWer. Nancy’s debut novel is full of southern charm and laced with whimsical lyricism that captures your heart on the very first page and doesn’t release it until the last paragraph fades from your memory.
If you’d like to win a copy of this book for yourself, please leave a comment for me and you’ll be automatically entered into a drawing that will take place on August 18th.
About the Author:
(in her own words)
I’m a southern girl, born in Texas and have lived here all my life. I come from a large family. My daddy’s parents had fifteen children, thirteen of whom lived to adulthood. There were seven sons and six daughters. A baker’s dozen, so to speak.
My grandparents sent all seven sons – plus one grandson – off to fight in World War II. All returned safely, though my dad suffered back injuries when his ship was attacked in the South Pacific. Our annual family reunions usually pack in around two-hundred and fifty attendees.
Family has remained a strong influence in my life. Perhaps it was my family background that precipitated the writing of Coldwater Revival. I remember many get-togethers where love and laughter flowed like honey, but where there was sometimes a bit of “scrapping” going on, as well. Maybe it was during one of those rowdy gatherings that the seed of Coldwater Revival was planted in my heart.
I taught grade school (special education and second grade) for twenty-one years, and I absolutely loved working with children. Now I have beautiful grandchildren to dote on. But during the last ten years of teaching, I dreamed of the day I could write the stories that God had placed in my heart.
Coldwater Revival is one of those stories. The Falins are a farming family who lived in rural Texas in the 1920’s and 30’s. Emma Grace’s story is one of love, tragic loss, forgiveness, and survival.
About the Book:
Just three weeks before her wedding, Emma Grace Falin has returned to her hometown of Coldwater, Texas, consumed by a single, burning desire. She must confront the guilt and shame of a devastating event that has haunted her since childhood.
THE INTERVIEW:
Q. How long did it take you to write Coldwater Revival?
A. I perceived the idea for Coldwater Revival in June, 2003, and completed the manuscript in March, 2005.
Q. Tell us about your journey from writer to published novelist.
A. During my teaching career, I dreamed of the day when I could write the stories that continually swam around in my head. I didn’t know at the time that it would take me four or five years of attending workshops, conferences, retreats, lectures, and of studying tapes, books and other materials before I was ready to put my newly-acquired knowledge to use, and begin writing the stories that God had prompted me to write. In March, 2004, at the Mount Hermon Christian Writing Conference, I submitted a book proposal to Steve Laube (Literary agent), and Jeff Dunn, (Acquisitions Editor) for RiverOak. Both gentlemen asked me to send them all I had written on Coldwater Revival, which at the time was 109 pages. During the summer of 2004, both men offered me a contract. My book was published by RiverOak and released in May, 2006.
Q. The agony and healing Emma Grace went through are so real. What personal
experiences did you draw from to portray Emma Grace’s feelings so well?
A. There was a time in my life when I suffered with depression, though it was not due to a death in the family, as Emma Grace’s was. At the time, it seemed that I was in a daily knock-down, drag-out fistfight with sadness. I was truly blessed in that I was never prescribed any kind of medication to treat my depression, which proved to be relatively short-lived. But I did receive counseling, which was just what I needed to win the battle with this debilitating condition. During that time of depression I endured many of the symptoms that Emma Grace suffered through. Excessive sleeping was about the only symptom we did not share. There were times when I couldn’t swallow my food, and times when I could almost touch the face of that same blackness that almost overwhelmed Emma Grace. Her sorrow and guilt were difficult scenes for me to write, and I found myself crying each time I wrote about Emma Grace’s sadness and the continual ache in her heart.
Q. Emma Grace loses all desire for life when her brother dies – not eating or talking, just living in the blissful cocoon of sleep. Do you have any advice for folks who are in that dark place right now?
A. Communication was the key that unlocked the door of depression for me. Communicate with God, even if the only words you can utter are the words, "Help me." But I also benefited greatly from talking to a certified counselor; one who was trained in helping people express their pain, their needs, their fears. I hope that anyone who feels sad and lonely for an extended length of time, will contact their pastor, or someone who can direct them to a Christian counselor.
Q. Emma Grace’s grandmother lives in the city while the rest of the family lives in the country. Why do you think she didn’t move out to the country with the rest of the family long ago?
A. Granny Falin immigrated from Ireland to America with her husband and son when Emma Grace’s papa was just a lad. This family shared a dream about their new country. It would be a place where they could find work and prosperity, raise their family, and put down roots. Even the Great Hurricane of 1900 couldn’t wash those dreams from Granny’s heart. Though her only remaining child lived a hundred miles away in the rural township of Coldwater, Texas, Granny could never leave Galveston. The island and the sea that surrounded the island were her home now. It was where the ashes of her husband and three children were buried. It was the home she and her husband had dreamed of during their desperate years together in Ireland. If she left Galveston and moved to Roan’s home, she would be giving up the dream she had shared with her husband.
Q. Papa and Elo have a tough time showing their emotions. Elo, especially, is so hard to read in the book. Why do you think some people hole up inside themselves rather than sharing their emotions?
A. I believe we are born with a portion of our personality already deeply embedded within us. Some people are reticent to express their feelings and emotions, while others have no problem whatsoever in expressing what they feel or think. I have known many individuals who are like Elo; people we sometimes refer to as "the strong, silent type". Papa and Elo are powerful protectors and providers who waste little time and effort on words. Both of these men feel that "actions speak louder than words". Added to that is the fact that Elo feels extreme discomfort when his mother and sisters are emotionally distraught, therefore, he maintains a rigid demeanor, in part, to provide a stable link in the chain that makes up his family – The Falins.
Q. Do you have other books coming out soon?
A. Thank you for asking about my upcoming books. I’m about to submit my proposal for a novel entitileld, "Whisper Mountain". This story takes place in the early 1900′s in the Great Smoky Mountains. It is the story about lost love, and a desperate woman’s journey to fill the void that deprivation and loss have left in her heart. The story has elements of mystery, intrigue, murder, and of course, romance. I’m very excited about this story. I’ve also begun writing a sequel to "Coldwater Revival" which will parallel both Emma Grace’s life after 1933, and the adventurous trek Elo begins when he falls in love.
August 9, 2006 @ 3:30 am | Filed under: Uncategorized
August 8, 2006 @ 8:00 pm | Filed under: Travel
Tomorrow morning I’ll catch an early flight to Louisville, Kentucky, and will attend the North American Ladies Conference.
I’ll be in town to promote Saving Grace, which is making its debut to reading audiences there. So tonight I’m feeling lots of things – excitement, dread, joy, hesitation…
See, this part of the job – the promoting part – is kind of tough for me. I love to write for people and I do like to know what they think. But not necessarily face-to-face, you know what I mean?
However, with each book I’m learning a little more how to navigate these waters and I’m sure that the next few days will be full of good times and new friends.
And, best of all…old friends!
A great part of this trip is that I’ll be in excellent company. Not only is my mom and friend, Rochelle, traveling with me, but Dawn is meeting us in Louisville as well. Woohoo!
Since her big move to Indiana last year, we now only get to see one another a couple times a year. This week will be a joyous reunion for a happy group of friends.
While I don’t know exactly what to expect during the next few days, I’m pretty sure it will somehow involve early morning coffee, Diet Coke, and Mexican food.
Hey, what can I say?
I know what qualities to look for in my friends!
August 7, 2006 @ 11:55 pm | Filed under: Uncategorized
A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.
Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups – porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite – telling them to help themselves to the coffee.
When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones."
"While it is but normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. Be assured that the cup itself, adds no quality to the coffee in most cases, just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink."
"What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups… and then began eyeing each other’s cups."
"Now consider this: Life is the coffee, and the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of Life we live. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee God has provided us."
God brews the coffee, not the cups……….enjoy your coffee!
August 6, 2006 @ 7:51 pm | Filed under: Uncategorized
"The Mother-child relationship is paradoxical and, in a sense, tragic. It requires the most intense love on the mother’s side, yet this very love must help the child grow away from the mother and to become fully independent." —- Erich Fromm
_________________________
I sat in church this morning and fought back tears the entire time.
Was it a touching service, you ask? A moving message, maybe? Was God speaking to my soul, was that it?
Most likely, yes, to all the above. I was touched, moved deeply by a message, though not that of my pastor. And yes, God was indeed speaking to my soul. As only He can.
Eighteen-and-a-half years ago I entered through a sacred portal and became a member of an equally sacred breed of women. It was a secret society of sorts, and I have to say that I was admitted with no training, very little knowledge of duties and requirements, and absolutely no clue about what future dues might be required of me.
I became a mother.
Since then, I’ve been on a journey to learn all that I can about this noble calling and what it means to hold the title ‘Mom.’ I’ve run the gamut of emotions and – really, honestly – do so on any given day or occasion. Joy, sadness, exhileration, pride, anger, disappointment, back to joy again.
Been there, done that. Have the T-shirt to prove it.
What I’ve learned is that these emotions are a direct result of something even larger. L-O-V-E. The love that I have for my children.
They now tower above me in height, and their deep voices no longer resemble the little boy babble my mind refuses to forget, but…when they say my name, "Mom"…well, they are my little boys all over again.
And now I find myself at yet another sacred portal and I’m hanging back a bit, balking, but knowing I will walk through soon enough, and quite sure that I’m just not up for it yet.
I wonder if I’ve imparted enough wisdom, shared enough truth, endulged enough ambition, loved enough to last a lifetime…
What hurts the most is knowing that regardless of the answers I come up with to my own questions, time is up. Ready or not, my first-born is leaving the nest in a mere ten <gulp> days.
Even as I wrestle with the pain of cutting the apron strings (whoever came up with that saying sure knew what they were talking about) I struggle with guilt over my feelings.
Other mothers are sending their sons off to foreign soil to fight for our country. Still others are saying a much more final good-bye as disease or tragedy claims their family.
I’m sending my boy to college.
That’s a good thing, for crying out loud. Something to be celebrated, something to be cheered.
And yet the tears have begun. With a heart full of parental pride, I am the one cheering loudest, I am the one with the party hat and celebratory dinners. I am his Number One Fan, and that will never change.
But I’m also aware that a phase of our life is changing and the landscape of our family will never again be quite the same. I’m sending a boy off to college but he’ll come back a man.
While I know that he will continue to turn to us (at least I hope he will) for advice and reassurance, I also know that the good sense, integrity, and honesty that we’ve attempted to instill in him will be what anchors him from this point on.
And, most importantly, his relationship with God.
I pray that he remembers the lessons we’ve tried to teach him. I hope that he treasures the many lengthy lectures I’ve felt "led" (I’m sure he’s coined it something else entirely!) to give him over the years.
I trust that he will take the past groundings and disciplinary actions and each learning curve he encountered and use those times as reflection points and make sound decisions based on the knowledge he learned in those moments.
But if he can only remember and employ one thing, I want that ONE THING to be his relationship with God. I’ve always told my boys that everything in life has a way of working out if you just continue to TALK. TO. GOD.
Talk to Him.
About everything, and about nothing. An open line of communication with the One who loves them most is my wish for Nathan right now and through the coming years.
As his mother I’ve instilled this. And now, as hard as it is and as many tears as it’s taking to plow through this adjustment period, I know I have to grow still in my spirit and trust that those lessons have long since taken root and that fruit will one day blossom in Nathan’s life because of one very simple – yet vital – thing.
He continued to talk to God.
