This and That

Nothing profound has happened in my life lately, therefore I've decided to write a completely nonsensical blog just for the heck of it.

Things that make me laugh...

1. My son Michael. He knows exactly what to say to make me smile.
2. Adam Sandler movies. He cracks me up
3. Kristin Billerbeck's Ashley Stockingdale books.
4. Susie Warren--love our hour long phone conversations just when I need a lift.
5 Reba on the WB

Things that make me cry...

1. Karen Kingbury books
2. The sweet presence of the Lord
3. When my friends hurt
4. Lifetime movies
5. Rejection letters

Today I worked on Leave it to Claire rewrites for my editor. Looking forward to sending this off (again) by Tuesday night. Hair appt. on Tuesday morning (trying to decide on style and color. I have ideas from freakish to conservative and can't decide which I am this month. Big decision.)Dentist appt. on Wednesday, and then starting my next project on Thursday of next week for Heartsong. I'm starting to think, okay, this is doable, when I get an email from another editor telling me copyedits are coming for another book. Oy vey. Being a writer is a lot more work than I ever thought it would be. Especially now that i have a great agent who is getting me lots of work. So once again, I had to pull up my calendar and adjust my schedule. My first tendency is to freak out. How am I going to fit one more thing into my already impossible schedule? But guess what? God knew before He allowed these contracts, that everything would converge at once, and I have to believe that He's got my back. So I'm doing the work. Doing my best. Trusting Him to do the rest. Was that profound? I can't help myself. :)

Simple Things

So I'm sitting in my kitchen, listening to the sounds of my boys as they clean their room (under threat of forfeiting evening television), my daughter as she walks in the house from feeding grandma's dog, across the street. I am smelling dinner cooking (something that hasn't happened in a couple of weeks) and I am in awe.

I used to do this every day. Before I got a career. I was a housewife, mom, and resented being unproductive. God didn't created us to be that way. But after a week of staying at mom's to finish a deadline, working over the weekend on edits, and getting right to work every morning as soon as my feet hit the floor, I'm taking a few minutes to enjoy these simple things. The sound of laundry washing, water dripping, dogs barking. I'll fold laundry later and smile. Oversee after dinner chores, and be glad. Watch American Idol with my son, the only one who will watch it with me, and I'll savor the time together. I'm grateful for the few hours God has given me to enjoy the simple things in life.

Tomorrow, these things might cause me stress. At this moment, I relish them.
What a wonderful world.

A Line in the Sand

My heart aches over Terry Shaivo today. Her husband made a choice, a costly choice. It reminds me so much of Deb Raney's book A Vow to Cherish. A man with a choice to make...remain faithful to the wife of his youth, or turn away because of her illness, selfishly turn to another woman and forsake his vow to love, honor, cherish, protect until death.

I'm so glad Deb's book is being re-released.It's timely. This case will be fresh in the minds of folks who might try to justify Terry's husband's actions. Terry Shaivo is hopefully in the arms of Jesus, but she should still be alive. I believe her life was stolen because of selfishness.

There is a line being drawn in the sand. Jesus is separating sheep from goats. If the Terry Shaivo case weighs on your heart and you would like to see an example of Godly love, go out and buy A VOW TO CHERISH by Deb Raney. (maybe Deborah Raney). It's powerful. It's also a movie. But the movie (although good) doesn't do the book justice.