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March 1, 2009 @ 3:33 pm | Filed under: Books,CFBA Reviews

Feeling Lost? Need Directions?

Author Shares Six Tips for Finding Your Route

(Orlando, Florida) Have you ever wished you could look into the future and obtain better insight in order to make wiser decisions for your best outcome? So many times, results from poor choices could have been avoided if we had seriously considered the direction of God’s guidance for our lives, instead of trying to figure things out on our own. In her book, Direction: Discernment for the Decisions of Your Life, Cheri Cowell presents six questions readers should ask themselves when facing important decisions. Through observation and exploration, she examines each question and shares examples of how others–from Bible times to present day–have used these questions to find God’s way in the story of their lives. From career options to medical decisions to relationship questions, Cowell’s instruction and guidance helps readers learn how to make confident choices as they seek God’s direction on the road of life.

Paperback: 192 pages

Publisher: Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City

ISBN-10: 0834123355

ISBN-13: 978-0834123359

Cost: $14.99

Cheri Cowell, a popular conference speaker and writer, uses her experience in ministry to encourage and equip Christians seeking answers to the unspoken questions of faith. She is earning a degree in theological studies at Asbury Theological Seminary in Orlando, Florida, where she and her husband, Randy, call home.

For more information, see: http://directionanddiscernment.com/index.html

Blog Tour Questions:

Obviously, the search for God’s will is a topic of interest to many Christians today. What would you say is the most common misconception about seeking God’s direction for ones life?

I encounter this same question every time I speak on this topic. The answer is what I call the Myth of the Path of Relative Ease, which says when we finally find God’s perfect will we’ll be on easy street. Easy Street promises smooth sailing and a peace-filled life. But I’ve learned this is anything but biblical. The Bible tells us we can’t use an ‘easy life’ as a road-sign pointing to His way. In fact, His way promises to be a bumpy road filled with potholes and dangerous cliffs. The exciting thing for us is when we learn to walk in His ways, we’ll have a Companion for the journey who knows the dangerous curves ahead.

In Direction, you write about the process of determining if something is God’s will or not. You say to test it against the character of God. How can we know what the character of God is like?

I don’t presume to know all there is to know about who God is, but when looking for the leading hand of God, it’s important to know how we see that hand. Some see God’s guidance as that of a loving Father showing His child the best way to live so as to protect from harm, others know Him as a Best Friend who shares all that’s needed to make wise decisions. Then there are those who see God as a Guide, almost like a whitewater rafting guide who’s been down this rapid before and can show the way.

When you are personally faced with a big decision to make, what’s the first thing you do?

LOL, I think I’m like most people. I have well-worn paths I retreat to, and some are not healthy. I’m afraid I tend to talk it out with friends instead of first talking to my Best Friend. I’m fear-filled first instead of crawling up in my Father’s heavenly lap and seeking His heart on the matter. And yes, I also rely on the common road signs most of us have relied upon when making big decisions—Bible reading, prayer, open & closed doors, and the sense of peace we’re to have when walking in God’s light. This last list sounds like a good thing, but I’ve learned there’s a good way to do this and a not-so-good way. The not-so-good way is the one that says these road signs are to point me to God’s perfect will. The ‘good way’ is to use these same road signs as a means of drawing closer to the heart of God instead of looking for a hidden will. It is in this position, close to the heart of God, where we are best able to hear from God.

Sometimes we think we only need to go to God about the big decisions in our lives. What evidence do you have from God’s Word that He is interested in every decision?

I call this the Too Big and Too Small God problem. When we make our God so big, He becomes aloof and distant. When we buy into this lie we only go to God when the decision is big enough. Such decisions often find us at God’s door begging for direction such as, “Who am I supposed to marry; should I take this job and move my family; or is it ever okay to take my loved one off life support?” These are indeed big decisions that require a Big God, but if we’re only going to God when a situation is big enough, we’re missing most of life. Most of life is lived in the humdrum of everyday decision-making. It is the ordinary day-in-and-day-out little things like, “’Do I run this yellow light; do I tell her how I really feel even if it means losing a friend; or do I pick up the phone and call that person I’ve been thinking about all day?” where the little things add up to become big things. Satan tries to tell us these are the small things a Big God should not be bothered with. This is one of his favorite tools. He used these same lies with Jesus during His temptation in the desert, but Jesus knew they were lies. We, too, need to learn to identify Satan’s lying tongue.

You’re continuing your education at Asbury Theological Seminary. What are you hoping to do once you finish your degree?

It is my prayer to write and speak biblical truths more effectively. I am so blessed to have this opportunity to earn a Masters in Theological Studies. As I gain more knowledge, I’ve seen my writing and speaking gain power and conviction.

When a Christian is totally consumed and overwhelmed by the stress of making the right decision, it is tough to put everything in perspective. Are there some practical tips you can share so that he/she can still continue with their everyday life?

Certainly. My first suggestion is to take time to be alone with God. Our God-time is often the first casualty of a stress-filled life, but this is precisely the time when we need Him the most. Next, find some help. The Christian life is not to be a solitary event. Even Jesus went to the Garden with four friends. Share with a handful of committed Christians your struggles, ask for practical help if necessary, and then invite them to lift you up in intercessory prayer. This last step is forming what I call a Clearness Community. Through this Community you will hear God’s voice more clearly than any one of us can discern on our own.

How is Direction an extension of your own personal search for God’s will?

As I answer these questions I’m sitting in Tennessee in a vacation cabin where my husband and I are seeking God’s direction about a potential move here from our home in Florida. My friends have teased, “You know, there’s this really good book you should read…” Their levity allows me to keep things in perspective as we weigh the options, seek the leading of the Holy Spirit, and trust in a God who walks with us no matter what decisions we make.

BONUS MATERIAL

Toughest Decisions

You’ll Ever Make

* Is he/she the right one for me (to marry)?

Scriptures: Hebrews 13:4, 1 Cor. 7, Gen. 2:18,21-25

* Is this the right job/career-move for me?

Scriptures: 1 Cor. 3:10, Romans 1:8-13

* Do I believe God is who He says He is?

Scriptures: John 12:42; John 6:35; John 8:12; John 10:9; 11; John 11:25; John 14:6

* Which daycare/school/aftercare/babysitter is the best choice for my son/daughter?

Scriptures: Ephesians 6:4, 1 Timothy 3:4, 5:10; Deut. 11:18-19

* Which church do I join? On the flip side, should I leave my church and find another?

Scriptures: 1 Cor. 1:10, Romans 12:5, 1 Cor. 10:17, Romans 16:17

* What treatment options for my/my loved one’s life threatening disease (cancer, leukemia) should I pursue? Which doctor should I choose?

Scriptures: 1 Cor. 12:9, Ex 15:26, Psalms 133:3, 147:3

* Do I/Can I forgive that person? Can I ever forgive myself?

Scriptures: Matthew 5:44, Ephesians 4:32, Matthew 18:21-35, Colossians 3:13

* Do we pursue infertility treatments or accept that children are not a part of God’s plan for us?

Scriptures: Prov. 31:28; Genesis 30:1-3,22; Acts 18:1-3,18,19,26

* How do I/we care for my aging in-laws/parent(s)—home healthcare/nursing home/move them to my/our home?

Scriptures: Proverbs 17:6, Romans 12:10, Eph. 6:1-3

* Should I take my loved one off life-support?

Scriptures: Psalm 116:15-16, 1 Cor. 15:20-22, Rev. 21:1-4

* Should we go into debt for…? Is it okay to file bankruptcy? What if we lose everything?

Scriptures: Proverbs 19:1, Mark 12:42, Romans 3:18, Exodus 22:25-27

Cheri Cowell http://www.directionanddiscernment.com/

Tags: blog tours, book reviews, direction

1 comment

February 5, 2009 @ 9:44 pm | Filed under: Books,CFBA Reviews

Take a break from whatever you’re doing, sit down for a few moments and focus your thoughts and your heart on one or two of the prayers in this book. You’ll be thankful that you did! Marion Stroud’s prayerful meditations will take you to the Father’s feet with the honest concerns of your own life.

In Dear God, It’s Me you will find six sections that cover every aspect of a woman’s life: A Woman Within, A Woman and Marriage, A Woman and Her Children, A Woman at Work, A Woman Who Cares, and A Woman Growing Older. The topics range from A Bride’s Prayer on the eve of her wedding to Feeling Unwanted and such concerns as Blue Monday, Mid-Life Crisis, After Chemotherapy, and Bereavement. Singleness and marriage, parenting and career, caring for others and growing older … with imagination and inspiration Marion Stroud offers prayers for every season of a woman’s life.

Meet Marion through the Q&A below and then leave a comment and be entered into a drawing for a free copy of this awesome book!

What are your own private times with God like?

If I’m totally honest about my quiet time, they can be very erratic when I’m under pressure. In an ideal world I would follow the contemplative tradition where I read, allow time to sit and listen to what I sense God might be saying, write it down in a journal and then pray about it. But, if I follow that pattern there’s the temptation to think that if I haven’t got, say half an hour, then there’s no point in starting. That’s wrong of course. I don’t refuse to speak to my husband or children if I haven’t got the time for a heart-to-heart. So I try to put an hour aside once a week and ideally, half a day, once a month for a longer time of contemplation.

On other days I may use a devotional guide that might give me a short passage or even just a verse to think about. Writing the key point on a card and keeping it in my pocket means that I can remind myself and talk to God about it during moments. Catherine Marshall spoke of nuggets like this as being like vitamin pills that we should take daily with or after meals and that’s a goal for me this year! I also try to walk for 30 minutes first thing in the morning on weekdays–the theory being that I get my exercise before my body is awake enough to object! I have five post cards in my pocket on which I’ve written various topics and people to pray for. Most days I will pray for these things as I walk–but I try to bring praise and thanksgiving to God first.

Women go through so many experiences during the different seasons of life. How can a transparent prayer life with God help them to cope?

I remember when my father was dying with cancer. I had five children at home at the time, ranging in ages from 18 to 8. My two older children were doing public exams, which would decide their future academic path. I felt as if I was being torn into a dozen different pieces! I wanted to help my mom, be at home for my husband and children and support my father. A friend pointed out that I didn’t need to try and be God’s little helper. I couldn’t protect the rest of my family, or control the pressures they were facing. What I could do, however, was to take all these pressures and heartaches to the Lord, tell Him how frazzled and unhappy I was feeling (He knew anyway), and leave Him to deal with my needs and feelings and those of the rest of the family. It was like taking a really heavy bag to the foot of the cross and then just leaving it there. It was the “leaving it there” that was the key.

The prayers in Dear God It’s Me, and It’s Urgent! are very real-to-life. It’s almost like you can read the minds of other women who run to God with their own urgent life situations (big and small). Why do you think God is pleased to hear these very raw prayers?

Jesus was always very honest when He spoke to people. Jesus knew what was in their hearts and He didn’t mince His words. God knows exactly what is going on in our lives and just as we can only really help a loved one if they are honest, so it is with God. He truly knows the best and the worst about us and loves us just the same. God already knows the underlying truth to our raw prayers and it is only when we acknowledge that truth to Him that we are open to hear His response!

How do women’s prayers change as the seasons of their lives change?

Older people sometimes find it hard to remember things and my husband reckons that this is because the “bank vault” of our memories is much fuller! It’s a bit the same with prayer. When I was young I knew what it was like to have the concerns and joys of being a “‘young mum” and sleepless nights and toddler tantrums loomed large in my prayers, while prodigal teenagers only happened to other people! As I’ve got older I can remember both the tantrums and the teenage stage but am also grappling with caring for the elderly and praying for those with serious illness. So the scope of my prayers widens. I have children and grandchildren, for whom the tantrums and teenaged years are still very much “today,” but, I have the concerns of my “today” to pray for as well. I can quite see why older people need more time to pray as they have so many things to pray about!

You can feel incredibly weighed down by all this need. Sometimes I just have to remember to follow the suggestion of a friend of mine. She focuses on just one or two of the most urgent things and then pictures herself putting the rest of her concerns into a basket. She may picture the basket as one of those gondolas attached to a hot air balloon, and as she releases it, it floats away and she has no further responsibility for it–the wind of God’s Spirit has taken over. At other times she pictures it as the basket in which Moses was cradled as an infant, hidden in the reeds. She leaves it there, knowing that God might prompt her to do something to provide an answer to her prayer but in the meantime, He has it all in hand.

How can reading prayers be a comfort to women as they deal with their own life issues?

I see these written prayers as providing words where there are no words. When crisis times arise, you may feel that you just can’t voice your own feelings. Knowing that someone else has travelled on the same journey and survived, is an inexpressible comfort. It may also give you insights into what friends might be feeling and facing, when you haven’t had personal experience of that particular situation, so that you can be more supportive of their needs.

Discuss an example of an urgent time from your own life that became the inspiration for one of these prayers. How did God respond?

There have been an awful lot of urgent prayers in my life. But the one I remember most vividly, perhaps, is when our youngest son ran away from home. His three older siblings, who, the previous year had all been home-based the year before, were now at college university or travelling, and we had gone from a family of seven to a family of three in a few short months. I lay in the bath, with tears pouring down my cheeks, asking the Lord where we’d gone wrong. And God reminded me of the feeding of the 5,000 and the fact that the disciples were told to pick up the fragments of food that remained because nothing is wasted in His economy. Our older children had been relatively easy as teenagers, and without this experience, and the issues and events that surrounded it, I would have had a very different view of raising children. But now I was faced with a challenge. I could allow this experience to crush me, or, I could learn from it and share what I’ve learned with others. I chose to do the latter. It wasn’t easy but it has been a very valuable lesson for the many other crises that have beset my path since.

You’ve written quite a few books that have been read by women both in Great Britain and America. How do you find writing for American women different from British women? What are some similarities and universal truths that bond women from these two different continents together?

My American friends tell me that we Brits are more polite; I think that we’re more cynical! But when all is said and done, we’re all sisters under the skin! Britain is a much more secular society than America, and so what I write for a British audience would assume less faith or even familiarity with God and what He offers. But we share a common need for food, shelter, belonging and living a life that has meaning and purpose. We all love our families and struggle to be the best person we can be. We all realize that this is a tough call because we’re so aware of our weaknesses and failures.

Obviously there are a number of cultural differences. Even the words we use can mean different things on either side of the ocean. This is why a wise editor included a glossary in Dear God It’s Me. One of the words in the glossary refers to “Marmite.” Perhaps this is just as well. I shall always remember when a visiting American friend picked up a pot of Marmite. Marmite; a dark savoury spread, and spread it thickly on her toast, thinking that it was chocolate spread. Her horrified expression as the yeast extract hit her taste buds will remain with me forever!

Remember – leave a comment and you’ll automatically be entered for a chance to win a copy of Marion’s book at the end of the month! Stay tuned…

1 comment

September 27, 2008 @ 4:25 pm | Filed under: Books

A SCRAPBOOK OF CHRISTMAS FIRSTS

(Leafwood Publishers, October 2008)

A wonderful new gift book, A Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts, is available in October for Christmas giving. Today, I’ve invited the six coauthors to share their unique story of how they came together to publish this exciting book full of stories, recipes, tips for simplifying the holidays and so much more (click on bookcover to see the trailer!).

First, let me introduce Cathy Messecar, Leslie Wilson, Brenda Nixon, Trish Berg, Terra Hangen and Karen Robbins. Thank you for being here today, ladies.

Karen: Thank you for the invitation.

You are from three different areas of the country—Texas, California, and Ohio. How did you all meet?

Terra: We all six joined The Writers View, an online group for professional Christian writers. Trish and Brenda met in person in 2004 for lunch, I understand, and on 9/18/04, after reading a post Brenda sent to TWV, I sent an email to Brenda, asking if she would like to join with me and walk alongside each other, as a Barnabas group. Brenda said yes that same day, and suggested Trish too. Very quickly Cathy, Leslie and Karen joined in and our stalwart band of six was formed. Living in California, I was so happy to find 5 Barnabas writers in other states so we could bring together a wealth of different viewpoints and expertise

Brenda: Actually, We haven’t met. We’re all great colleagues and friends via the internet. Four years ago Terra and I formed a dyad to support each other as Christians who write in the secular markets. Along came Trish, Cathy, Karen, and Leslie (not necessarily in that order) and we formed a close knit bond of support, creative energy, and professional accountability.

Karen: I met Trish through an online forum called The Writers View and she invited me to join the group.

Trish: Although we belong to the same Yahoo writing group, we met one by one online. Eventually, the six of us decided that since we all write as Christians for a secular market through magazine articles and newspaper columns, we could support and encourage one another.

Leslie: Though we met virtually through The Writers View, I have been blessed to give and get hugs from Trish (at a MOPS conference), Cathy (in the area on business) and Karen (in town for a writers’ conference). I can’t wait to meet Terra and Brenda face-to-face, though I feel as though I already know them!

How did you come up with the idea to do a book together?

Brenda: The book is Cathy’s brainchild. She mentioned the concept of telling stories of events that happened for the first time at Christmas and sharing holiday historical tidbits and recipes and each said, “If you need any help, let me know.” That offer morphed into each of us equally contributing and co-authoring A Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts.

Trish: Yep, Cathy came up with the idea and the title, and asked us if we wanted to join her on this project. Of course, we said Yes!

Terra: Cathy mentioned the idea for a Christmas book to the group, and someone (I think it was Leslie) suggested that maybe our group could all write the book together. Cathy agreed to lead the way on the project. The earliest email I have on this is from 9/7/05, which shows that this has been a three year collaboration from idea to publication.

Karen: (Chuckling) Terra is a librarian and keeps our historical records by saving our e-mails.

Leslie: Actually, Terra, I wrote that comment (in a group e-mail) kind of tongue-in-cheek. Cathy, the ultra-sweet person she is, took my joking at face value and here we are. However, I believe God prompted the passion and ideas we all bring to the project and that He will do mighty things as a result of our collaboration!

Why did you decide on a Christmas theme?

Brenda: It was Cathy’s concept to write a book centering on Christmas.

Cathy: For several years, I’d been thinking about Christmas as a threshold to introduce Jesus to folks who aren’t familiar with him, and I love a simpler Christmas with the emphasis on family, friends and doing for others. I knew of some families who had experienced “firsts” at Christmas—reunions, losses, special surprises—and I wanted to collect those stories.

Terra: Cathy’s idea immediately resonated with me because Christmas books are “a way past watchful dragons,” as C. S. Lewis wrote. Many people won’t buy a book about being a Christian, but will buy a holiday and family fun book, thus the “past watchful dragons.” People who want to grow in their faith, and people who have no faith but celebrate Christmas will buy our book and hopefully be led to put the focus back on Christ for the holiday, and for their lives.

Leslie: Though Cathy birthed the idea, the rest of us quickly hopped on board. Not only is Christmas special to me—especially now that I have a family of my own—but also that particular holiday cries out to be simplified, to return to the meaningful aspects of celebration, and to lose some of the hype and commercialism.

Tell me a little about what is in A Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts? What is your favorite part?

Cathy: I like that you can read one chapter in about 15 minutes and, with all the different suggestions, it feels like Christmas Eve. Makes you want to set up the nativity! Many of the suggestions for family activities can be adapted for any family get-together.

Karen: There are heartwarming stories about things that happened for the first time at Christmas. For instance, one of my stories is about the first Christmas with our adopted children. And the book is pretty. When I first saw the colorful pages and drawings, I fell in love with the illustrator’s work.

Brenda: I don’t have a favorite part – I love it all!

Terra: I like the way the parts are woven into a seamless whole, like a patchwork quilt, that is stronger and more beautiful than the parts.

Trish: It’s like everything you ever wanted to know about Christmas, all the best tips and recipes, and neat stories all wrapped up in this perfect little package.

Leslie: I love reading the special stories, hints, recipes—whatever—and imagining the precious family time that precipitated each moment. Plus, the book is gorgeous, beautifully printed, truly something to be proud of. And we are.

I’ve heard that the book is really a nice gift book; can you tell me a little about the format?

Cathy: Yes, it’s a hardbound book, full color interior. The layout makes it easy to read. It has a definite scrapbooky look on the interior. Different logos identify sections, such as an oilcloth-look Christmas stocking appears beside the “Stocking Stuffer Tradition” (help for connecting family members), and the “Cookie Canister” recipes are on a recipe card, and the back ground of “A Gift For You” is a gift box with bow. It’s a classy gift that they can be placed on a coffee table or in a guest bedroom during the holiday season.

Brenda: I like to describe it as a Starbuck’s sorta gift book. It’s high quality, crisp, and practical.

With six different personalities and areas of ministry, how did you manage to put this all together and still remain friends?

Karen: We pray a lot for each other and it helps that none of us have an over-inflated ego.

Cathy: There were no squabbles. Surely, we had differing opinions, but we knew that any of us could suggest an idea for this book and that each idea would get fair reviews from others. We actually voted on some aspects—everyone in favor say, “Aye.” If you’ve ever watched women at a Dutch treat luncheon when they divide up a meal ticket, it can be intense as they split the ticket down to the penny. As the project came together, I was in awe of my gracious coauthors, unselfish women who respect each other.
For some decisions, we did a round robin—things like book title and chapter titles and what categories to put into the book. Then, as compiler, I’d send out a list of needs to The Word Quilters, that’s what we call ourselves. For instance in a section we call “Peppermints for Little Ones” (hints for children’s activities), I’d put out a call, and the WQs sent in their hints, and then I put them into appropriate chapters.

Brenda: (Smiling) Are we still friends? Seriously, we each have our own platform, ministry, and family life, and those interests kept this project in perspective – it was important but not the only thing on our plates. No one was so enmeshed in this project that she campaigned for her own way. We never had a bitter disagreement or insistence to be “right.”

Terra: We are each other’s biggest cheerleaders.We offer support and ideas for our separate writing projects and for personal prayer requests. I love these ladies, and I have only met one of them in person. So far, Karen is the only one who has met each of us, and one day we hope to meet in person, in a circle of friendship and love.

Trish: I think we are all very flexible and forgiving. We do have a variety of personalities here, but God has worked amazing things through our little group.

Leslie: Though I have seven non-fiction projects in various stages of completion, I could not be more thankful that this is the one to reach publication first. I am truly blessed to have worked with these women, learned from them, watched as they’ve poured heart and soul into crafting a product that will impact lives for the Lord.

Where can my readers get a copy of SOCF?

Cathy: The coauthors will all have a supply, plus our publisher, Leafwood Publishers, will have plenty of copies and discounts for buying five or more. Or they can be ordered at most online stores or by your local bookstore.

Karen: And anyone who leaves a comment here can be entered in a drawing for a free book and a gift basket worth $200! For a list of its contents, check our blog, A Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts. And while you’re there, leave another comment and increase your chances of winning!

Tell me more about your blog.

Karen: We started our blog in July and it is accumulating a wealth of information about Christmas. Each of us posts one day a week following the theme for that week. Watch for new recipes, tips, ways to simplify, stories, etc., similar to what is in our book.

Leslie: Ooh, ooh, let me answer this one. I’m probably the newest to blogging among the group, but I LOVE it. I’ve enjoyed posting and receiving comments back from readers. What an amazing adventure having an online voice can be! This blog will focus on a different theme each week—anything from tips to avoid overeating during the holidays to how to give a guest room special touches—and expand on the material in the book. I think readers will get to know the authors’ individual personalities and connect on a more personal level. Plus, they get that many more ideas, information, inspiration (!) at no additional cost.

WQs: As an added bonus for inviting us to your blog, we’d like to pass along this Christmas tidbit to you and your readers:

Enjoy a blessed Christmas this year! And thanks for inviting us to share our book, A Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts, with you.

Tags: Books, Christmas

3 comments

July 23, 2008 @ 8:19 pm | Filed under: Books,The Writing Life

Tags: authors, novels, writing

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February 15, 2007 @ 1:45 pm | Filed under: Books

Brilliant men are often strikingly ineffectual; they fail to realize that the brilliant insight is not by itself achievement. They never have learned that insights become effectiveness only through hard systematic work.
—Peter Drucker
__________________________
I’d like to believe that I’m fairly intelligent. Certainly not brilliant, but more than capable of absorbing, retaining and putting to use the various avenues of information that come my way.

So I get the day’s headlines from my MSN homepage rather than the black-and-white print of the Daily News. What can I say? Put anything in colored, vibrant fonts and you pretty much have my attention. Once you have it though, I learn a lot.

Oh, and I stay current with pop artists and legendary greats, alike, by flipping through an occasional issue of People. Guilty pleasure? Sure, but I also live in a world that is ruled by standards set by the entertainment and political industries and this keeps me abreast of changing cultures, moods, and gives me a "heads-up" about the world my kids are about to enter as adults.

I listen to, read about and – eventually write on – subjects that fall at both ends of the spectrum in today’s headlines. When it comes to literature I like to read, well…that ranges from biographies on political figures to the latest chick-lit published in the CBA world to an occasional suspense drama. I’d like to say I’m well-read.

Just like I’d like to say I’m intelligent.

But I had an experience last summer that made me wonder…

I joined a few writer friends over a year ago in a book club adventure that we were *sure* would be an eye-opening experience for us. It was, just not in the way we expected.

As you probably know, Oprah’s book picks concentrate on the great classics. Last summer she chose three of William Faulkner’s works for the months of June – August. These were her words: Dear Reader, I’ve always believed that you cannot call yourself a real reader unless you have read some of Faulkener.

She went on to say that "his brilliance makes you feel more brilliant." Wow. What high commendation…

Wonderful, we thought. It just so happened that all four of us had managed to escape all of our collective literature classes without having ever cracked open a Faulkner book. So it was with great anticipation that Nathan and I made the trek to the book department at Wal-Mart and purchased the three-book collection. (Note: thank goodness we purchased it here for a mere $19.97 – you’ll understand why later)

Back home, I could hardly wait to tear away the crunchy celophane wrapping and then lovingly finger the three-volume set. I love the feel of new books.

As I Lay Dying, The Sound and the Fury, and Light in August.

Three masterpieces just waiting for my reading pleasure. And to top that, not only would I be reading great classics, but I would absorb so much literary knowledge from one of the great literary minds of the turn of the century.

Right? You’d certainly think so. Hope so…After all, Oprah said…

I began to read As I Lay Dying that very afternoon. After one hour of solid reading it was clear I was in big trouble. I’d been prepared for the challenge – reading the masterpieces are always a bit challenging. They inspire you, provoke you, nudge you into a new and higher realm of thinking and reasoning. But this book just puzzled me. Not only could I not keep up with which character was doing what and when (by the way, no publisher would allow this type of writing to sit for ten minutes on their desk today), but I also found myself horribly depressed by the subject matter.

In a nutshell, this book is Faulkener’s harrowing account of a family’s odyssey across the Mississippi countryside to bury Addie, their wife and mother. The book opens with Cash, one of the several sons, constructing the casket that would house their mother’s dead body.

After she died, of course. For the time being, the sick and ailing Addie sat in a window, scarcely two feet from where Cash worked, watching as her son prepared for her demise.

I continued to read, but I have to admit, I was no longer sure about this book I’d been so excited about. Still, I read on. I mean, how could I admit to my other writing friends that …I didn’t get Faulkener? Wouldn’t that be a blatant admission of ignorance? Or, at the very least, an indication that maybe I was a bit spoiled to easier reads?

I finally confessed. I couldn’t stand it any longer. I either just don’t "get" this classic, my email admitted it all, or maybe I’m just a dunce.

I was flooded with relief as the emails began to drift back to me. No one else got Faulkener either. This made me sigh in relief. And really made me think about brilliance and about each one’s definition of that term. As one of my writing friends said, "Don’t you just have to wonder if maybe the people who say this is brilliant don’t really get it either? LOL It’s like one person said it was brilliant so we all have to agree."

Oprah had told us Faulkener was brilliant. And I don’t argue that he was for his time and his place in the world. But I learned an important lesson on that summer afternoon.

Don’t set your intelligence level according to what Oprah claims is the norm.

Faulkener himself said this: "Read, read, read. Read everything–trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You’ll absorb it. Then write. If it is good, you’ll find out. If it’s not, throw it out the window."

Now that, folks…is brilliance!

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February 12, 2007 @ 8:00 am | Filed under: Books

But not by TV.

This week is scaring me, and it’s just now 8:30 on Monday morning! I have three major exams this week: Psychology, Am. Lit, and Texas Government. If you overlook the part where I’m two chapters behind on my reading in Psych, one chapter behind in Government, and have about half a novel to finish before Thursday for my Lit class, then it’ll all probably be okay. But factor in this very prominent truth and…well, I’m scared.

BUT…

I was up at 4:45 this morning, drinking a cup of half-caff and making a detailed to-do list for today. I know it can all be done, including the word count, if I’m diligent and focused. So I’ll try to ignore the rain and the way it makes me just want to go lie down somewhere and I’ll sit and read, write, and study, knowing all the while that in five short days (’cause come on, aren’t they getting shorter?) this crazy, crazy week will be history.

And hopefully I’ll have a few A’s and a nice word count to show for it.

I’m posting the current word count for those of you who have asked in the past week or so. You’ll notice the pace has slowed. This tends to happen as I "lose" some words as I go back and rearrange some scenes. I’m anxious to see the number begin a steady rise again!

I’m off to begin The List. If you miss me this week, just know I am memorizing parts of the brain and Erikson’s stages of development, finishing the last few remaining chapters of Pudden’head Wilson, spending some time with Faith & Marshall and the whole Finding Faith gang, as well as lavishing some attention on my guys here at home.

Have a great week, friends!

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January 26, 2007 @ 11:51 am | Filed under: Books

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January 19, 2007 @ 5:13 pm | Filed under: Books

I swallowed a healthy dose of self-discipline each and every morning this week. Between that and the super-glue that I applied to both my backside and my desk chair, I somehow managed to write my daily word count, even on days when I had classes. I’m thinking a party’s in order, what do you all think?

Here’s the kicker. Now that I *know* it can be done, I’m having to deposit all my really great-sounding excuses right where they belong – in the proverbial trash can. No more blaming homework, or laundry, or projects, or grocery shopping, or… (Are you getting the picture yet?)

Beginning a story for me is like trying to decide how best to eat an elephant. It’s overwhelming, and feels nigh near impossible. You’d think the fact that I have six more completed novels behind me that I would have figured out by now that the new story is, not only possible, but very probable.

But there is just something about a big ‘ol blank page that sends me reeling every. single. time. This week was no different. So I did the only thing I knew to do. I talked to God and told Him how I felt about it all. I know I’m supposed to write. I know I’m supposed to write THIS story. And in the way that only He can, He gently nudged me forward.

I began to type. I allowed the story to form in my mind and then did my best to capture it on my keyboard. Soon that blank page was filled and a new blank page scrolled in. By the time I had hit page five or six I no longer viewed or thought of the pages as empty. My God truly amazes me.

Today is Day Five of Finding Faith and the word count for this week is 5252. While this is still the very beginning, my heart is rejoicing tonight. I’m also feeling a little sheepish. ‘Cause it’s official, folks – I’ve been a slacker!

It turns out that I CAN do a couple loads of laundry, write, attend a few classes, write a couple of papers, and be a loving wife, mother, daughter, and friend.

I think my guys are in the other room right now wondering if I can add COOK to this list. Who do they think I am? Wonderwoman?

Oh, all right. I’ll see what I can whip up…

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January 18, 2007 @ 3:07 pm | Filed under: Books

As you know, I started Finding Faith this week. For those of you who read Saving Grace, you might remember Marshall, Grace’s childhood friend from her days at Sycamore Manor. This is the story of Marshall and Faith.

Faith Chandler, thirty-two, wakes up one morning to one of the greatest fears known to women. An illness she feels ill equipped to handle. Immediately, her mind and emotions begin a tug-of-war, one invoking rationalization, the other – sheer panic. An enthusiastic junior high school English teacher, Faith’s future – the one she thought she had forever to plan – seems suddenly overcast. Desperate to create some kind of logic out of the myriad of emotional chaos, Faith begins the journey to find answers to her past. This journey leads her to the front door of Sycamore Manor.

Thirty-six year old Marshall Morgan finds fulfillment in his work. The CEO and director of the teen pregnancy home founded by his late grandmother, he takes pride in what he’s come to view as a ministry of sorts. Still, there’s a vacancy in his heart, a place for a special woman that the Lord has yet to reveal to him. And then…there is his secret, the one he intends to share with no one, except the woman who will one day become his wife. When petite, dark-haired Faith Chandler walks through his door, searching for answers to her past, he wonders if – at last – he is meeting the woman who will make his life complete.

As always seems to happen, I become very emotionally involved in my characters’ lives. I can’t really explain how this happens. Believe me, on Monday when I started this story, I was still clueless to a lot of bits and pieces that were still missing from this story. I always begin a story with faith of my own. Faith that somehow, sometime, the story will come together and will ultimately be the book it was intended to be.

Today is the fourth day of writing and already Marshall and Faith are speaking to me. I’m feeling their issues: her fear, his lonliness, and the sparks of hope that alight whenever God places someone in our life to help illuminate the path of uncertainty.

The song, I Will Praise You in This Storm, by Casting Crowns, has been on my mind since Monday. I can’t seem to get it out of my head so, quite simply, it has become the "theme song" for Marshall and Faith’s story.

I hope it speaks to you as much as it speaks to me…

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January 15, 2007 @ 5:07 pm | Filed under: Books

Today I started writing Finding Faith, the sequel to Saving Grace. Trying to merge a writing career with a full-time college schedule, plus family and household responsibilities has proven to be more of a challenge than I’d thought.

Still, I’m determined that it CAN be done. And, for today anyway, I’m elated to have defeated the "blank page" and finally have clocked out the day with a little over 1200 words. Not bad when you consider that I would stare at the blank opened page in Word for a while, then browse some of my favorite blogs, then go back to pondering the blank page, then surf a few scrapbooking sites. I know, I know…I was bitten in a large way by a very mean, very determined procrastination "bug."

I don’t know why the beginning of a story frightens me so. The intimidation fills me with fear and this overwhelming feeling of "I’ll never be able to do this again!" I admire writers who love the beginning processes. Me, I’m more of a middle-story gal. I like the smooth-flowing continuity of characters and plot-lines. I feel safe there, and in control. But the beginnings and the endings…wow, they can really knock me for a loop.

Anyway, I’m going to try to hold myself accountable to you, my readers and my friends, by logging my word count once a week. That way, you can see the progress I’m making and also the mood I’m currently in concerning the story. Let me tell you though – the moods can vary from "Gee, I love this writing life!" all the way to "I wanna drop-kick this computer right out the back door!" So…if you’re brave (and don’t live right outside my back door) then you’re cordially invited to help hold me accountable to this story. This tracking meter is set to 50,000 words but the book will actually have closer to 90K. So my initial excitement at seeing that I’m 2% there (!) was a bit premature.

For now, I’m going to put on my shoes and go out for a celebratory Sonic Diet Coke. I conquered the blank page and if that doesn’t call for my all-time favorite crushed ice and beverage of choice, then I surely don’t know what does!

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Psalm 139:14: "I will praise thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are thou works; and that my soul knoweth right well."

Life is a marvelous journey, and I hope to show you glimpses right here!

In no particular order, Staci is a novelist, wife, runner, mother, teacher, reader, student, friend, and diet Coke connoisseur. She loves to learn about all sorts of things and then share bits and pieces of it all here, hence "glimpses."