- Published on
As a Christian, I feel, deep in my soul, the need to share the good news of Christ with those that haven't experienced the same peace and love I've been blessed with. It is with this desire that I debate about the messages of my books. Do I share a strong message of Christ's faith and love, showing a strong testimony with powerful images and transformed characters? Do I scatter the pages heavily with verse and song praising Jesus Holy name? Or do I write from the viewpoint of a non-Christian, communicating the message of God's word in a way that will provide guidance without making them uncomfortable. Friends have told me that it would be advisable to make them uncomfortable. This will help them grow. But in the case of a book, I don't know how fruitful that seed will be. I consider Jesus' own messages, many of them parables with which God's message was communicated without preaching or judging. Stories from the heart of God's own son that don't talk of a huge transformation, or a falling to your knees redemption, but simple message for simple men.
I wonder of the seeds I plant.
I wonder of the seeds I plant.
- Published on
I am not a fan of winter. Hence, the reason I moved from Wisconsin to Florida so many years ago.
But there are dabbles of winter weather down here in the south. Occasional frost warnings, temperatures that may or may not dip below freezing, people bundled from head to toe. That last one? That's me. Head to toe in five layers. From the moment the thermometer hits 60 until the very day it pushes back up to 80 you won't be able to find me. I'll be a walking laundry basket.
In order to uphold my positive attitude clause (ABC - Always Be Cheerful) I will make a list of all the good things about winter. Wish me luck.
- My husband loves the cool weather. (that way one of us is always happy)
- Ugly Christmas sweaters. (yes, I wear them until February, who says we can't celebrate all year round)
- I can wear all of my pretty scarves (not necessarily all at the same time - well, maybe that)
- Hearty soups and stews
- The cold kills the bugs (not that I'm into killing things, but those mosquitos last year almost turned me into an ax murderer)
- Looking at the weather in Brainerd, MN and realizing it could be worse - a lot worse.
Now that I've covered most of the good points, I will stop beating around the frost covered bush and get to the main point. During winter, many living things go dormant. They shut down and gather the strength they need to go out into the world and once again be magnificent.
God has truly given us the gift of dormancy and as I push closer to 50 in age I've found that it's a necessary part of my life. When I was young I used to be able to work and play all day and night and I did them both hard. But now, I've found that my favorite activity is sitting on my back porch watching the water birds float gently in the pond, the sunlight decorate the swaying Southern pines, and the anoles skitter through the bushes. Most of the time I write or read. But there are those times I become dormant as the foliage in winter. Not thinking, not knowing, not caring. Only being. These are becoming important times. Moments when my overactive mind can heal itself and compartmentalize.
Do you remember those old computers that you had to defrag once in a while when they got bogged down? That's exactly what I compare it to. I love to defrag. To shut down this crazy brain and set it straight again.
Therefore, even knowing that winter is cold and dead, I understand that there is purpose for it. Yes, there are so many more analogies I could go into, but I'm not getting paid to be National Geographic blogger, so this is pretty much my only thought on the subject today.
Keep in mind, during those moments when you are cold and dead, it may just be God providing a moment for you to recharge - for however long it may take. But give Him the glory in it always. And He will bless you.
But there are dabbles of winter weather down here in the south. Occasional frost warnings, temperatures that may or may not dip below freezing, people bundled from head to toe. That last one? That's me. Head to toe in five layers. From the moment the thermometer hits 60 until the very day it pushes back up to 80 you won't be able to find me. I'll be a walking laundry basket.
In order to uphold my positive attitude clause (ABC - Always Be Cheerful) I will make a list of all the good things about winter. Wish me luck.
- My husband loves the cool weather. (that way one of us is always happy)
- Ugly Christmas sweaters. (yes, I wear them until February, who says we can't celebrate all year round)
- I can wear all of my pretty scarves (not necessarily all at the same time - well, maybe that)
- Hearty soups and stews
- The cold kills the bugs (not that I'm into killing things, but those mosquitos last year almost turned me into an ax murderer)
- Looking at the weather in Brainerd, MN and realizing it could be worse - a lot worse.
Now that I've covered most of the good points, I will stop beating around the frost covered bush and get to the main point. During winter, many living things go dormant. They shut down and gather the strength they need to go out into the world and once again be magnificent.
God has truly given us the gift of dormancy and as I push closer to 50 in age I've found that it's a necessary part of my life. When I was young I used to be able to work and play all day and night and I did them both hard. But now, I've found that my favorite activity is sitting on my back porch watching the water birds float gently in the pond, the sunlight decorate the swaying Southern pines, and the anoles skitter through the bushes. Most of the time I write or read. But there are those times I become dormant as the foliage in winter. Not thinking, not knowing, not caring. Only being. These are becoming important times. Moments when my overactive mind can heal itself and compartmentalize.
Do you remember those old computers that you had to defrag once in a while when they got bogged down? That's exactly what I compare it to. I love to defrag. To shut down this crazy brain and set it straight again.
Therefore, even knowing that winter is cold and dead, I understand that there is purpose for it. Yes, there are so many more analogies I could go into, but I'm not getting paid to be National Geographic blogger, so this is pretty much my only thought on the subject today.
Keep in mind, during those moments when you are cold and dead, it may just be God providing a moment for you to recharge - for however long it may take. But give Him the glory in it always. And He will bless you.
- Published on
It has taken many years to learn the art of coordinating busyness. It will take many more, but will never be perfected. Mistakes will be made. Judgments will falter. But it is always pressed upon us and we must act according to each unique situation as well as current mood dictates.
Last week I looked over a calendar journal that I'd had kept from when my children were in grade school. I'm not a keeper- not a hanger on of sentimental items. But I happened to find this one in the back of a file cabinet while cleaning. In it, I was reminded of my busyness at that time. I was the volunteer coordinator for the school PTA, I was troop leader for my daughter's Girl Scout troop, I was a substitute teacher, I volunteered for my son's soccer team, I was in the church band, I taught Children's church on Sundays during the sermon. The list goes on and on. I was exhausted just turning the pages of the thick journal.
How did I manage it all? I must have been so stressed out. But then memories come back. Yes. It was hard. At times it was stressful. But it was such a happy time too. We had fun. We spread our wings and stretched our legs and enjoyed every moment.
Now I look at the current calendar on my wall. There are very few events listed. My 17 year old son has a few church activities that he loves, but I step back and let him have fun without me. Because who wants their mom hanging out when he's goofing around with the guys? My daughter is in college while holding two jobs. So she's more like a figment of my imagination at this point. All this being said, my calendar is empty. Yet I'm still happy. My career takes up at least 60 hours of my time a week, so the rest of the hours are precious. I've learned to say no without feeling guilty. I've found time to write my books. Time to relax. It's a very different life. But still happy.
Recognizing the many blessings that God gives us in each portion of life is a gift in itself. I am so very grateful for every one of these moments. Whether they be cheering my preschool son in a soccer game, standing in front of the grocery store with my daughter selling Girl Scout cookies, or relaxing on my back porch with my laptop and a cup of coffee. Each is God's blessing - and I am thankful.
Last week I looked over a calendar journal that I'd had kept from when my children were in grade school. I'm not a keeper- not a hanger on of sentimental items. But I happened to find this one in the back of a file cabinet while cleaning. In it, I was reminded of my busyness at that time. I was the volunteer coordinator for the school PTA, I was troop leader for my daughter's Girl Scout troop, I was a substitute teacher, I volunteered for my son's soccer team, I was in the church band, I taught Children's church on Sundays during the sermon. The list goes on and on. I was exhausted just turning the pages of the thick journal.
How did I manage it all? I must have been so stressed out. But then memories come back. Yes. It was hard. At times it was stressful. But it was such a happy time too. We had fun. We spread our wings and stretched our legs and enjoyed every moment.
Now I look at the current calendar on my wall. There are very few events listed. My 17 year old son has a few church activities that he loves, but I step back and let him have fun without me. Because who wants their mom hanging out when he's goofing around with the guys? My daughter is in college while holding two jobs. So she's more like a figment of my imagination at this point. All this being said, my calendar is empty. Yet I'm still happy. My career takes up at least 60 hours of my time a week, so the rest of the hours are precious. I've learned to say no without feeling guilty. I've found time to write my books. Time to relax. It's a very different life. But still happy.
Recognizing the many blessings that God gives us in each portion of life is a gift in itself. I am so very grateful for every one of these moments. Whether they be cheering my preschool son in a soccer game, standing in front of the grocery store with my daughter selling Girl Scout cookies, or relaxing on my back porch with my laptop and a cup of coffee. Each is God's blessing - and I am thankful.
- Published on
One month ago I began work on a short novel that focused on a man who wanted to escape his life. In the beginning of the book, he is walking through his flooded house, recently devastated by a hurricane. Little did I know that I would be experiencing a hurricane within the next several weeks.
But while the main character of the book uses the storm as an opportunity to escape from his oppressed life, I found the hurricane a revealing insight into how much people love the lives that they are living.
Many who were asked to evacuate decided to 'hunker down' and ride out the storm. They didn't want to leave their belongings, their comforts, their every day 'normal' moments. To leave was to surrender a large part of yourself to something out of your control - Hurricane Irma.
Now that the winds have subsided and the waters are receding we feel blessed. Blessed in knowing that God has graciously bestowed on us these wonderful lives. Another moment of being reminded that we should never take these things for granted.
I sit in my backyard and feel the sun on my face and the breeze in my hair. I watch the dragonflies dance over the pond and the anoles skitter happily in the bushes. And I thank God for his goodness, his great reminder of his mighty power, and his ability to provide peace before, during, and after a storm.
But while the main character of the book uses the storm as an opportunity to escape from his oppressed life, I found the hurricane a revealing insight into how much people love the lives that they are living.
Many who were asked to evacuate decided to 'hunker down' and ride out the storm. They didn't want to leave their belongings, their comforts, their every day 'normal' moments. To leave was to surrender a large part of yourself to something out of your control - Hurricane Irma.
Now that the winds have subsided and the waters are receding we feel blessed. Blessed in knowing that God has graciously bestowed on us these wonderful lives. Another moment of being reminded that we should never take these things for granted.
I sit in my backyard and feel the sun on my face and the breeze in my hair. I watch the dragonflies dance over the pond and the anoles skitter happily in the bushes. And I thank God for his goodness, his great reminder of his mighty power, and his ability to provide peace before, during, and after a storm.
- Published on
It's okay if you don't like Malcolm Atherton.
Malcolm is one of the main characters of the Data Driven series. He represents many of the ways that life goes bad. But it's just a beginning for him. Spoiler Alert: He will change.
Malcolm Atherton is an angry, swearing, self-centered, alcoholic that only cares about his own interests. It isn't until he meets Julianne that he begins to develop an awareness of what he's missing. Unfortunately, it takes three books for him to finally give everything up.
Now, be patient with me for a minute while I change subjects. I'd like to tell you about tomatoes.
Do you know how a tomato turns red?
There are a multitude of factors that God has put in place in order for a tomato to turn from green to red.
- The temperature must be between 50 and 85.
- The soil pH must be between 6.0 and 6.8.
- The moisture of the soil is critical.
- Sunlight must be direct at least eight hours a day.
- The wind cannot be so strong as to carry the ethylene gas away from the fruit.
- And, of course, I don't have to mention the battle of the pests.
God has put all of these things in place to make sure that the bright red fruit is available to us. What a blessing!
So many things could go wrong, it is a wonder the little tomato ever survives to maturity. And everything must be in the proper order. A tomato cannot turn red unless it has reached the mature green stage.
What does this have to do with Malcolm Atherton? He needed to turn green before he could reach his final goal of turning red. Throughout the series he is slowly learning who God wants him to be.
Source:
Rhoades, Heather. "Learn What Makes A Tomato Turn Red." Gardening Know How. Gardening Know How, 19 Sept. 2016. Web. 04 July 2017.
Malcolm is one of the main characters of the Data Driven series. He represents many of the ways that life goes bad. But it's just a beginning for him. Spoiler Alert: He will change.
Malcolm Atherton is an angry, swearing, self-centered, alcoholic that only cares about his own interests. It isn't until he meets Julianne that he begins to develop an awareness of what he's missing. Unfortunately, it takes three books for him to finally give everything up.
Now, be patient with me for a minute while I change subjects. I'd like to tell you about tomatoes.
Do you know how a tomato turns red?
There are a multitude of factors that God has put in place in order for a tomato to turn from green to red.
- The temperature must be between 50 and 85.
- The soil pH must be between 6.0 and 6.8.
- The moisture of the soil is critical.
- Sunlight must be direct at least eight hours a day.
- The wind cannot be so strong as to carry the ethylene gas away from the fruit.
- And, of course, I don't have to mention the battle of the pests.
God has put all of these things in place to make sure that the bright red fruit is available to us. What a blessing!
So many things could go wrong, it is a wonder the little tomato ever survives to maturity. And everything must be in the proper order. A tomato cannot turn red unless it has reached the mature green stage.
What does this have to do with Malcolm Atherton? He needed to turn green before he could reach his final goal of turning red. Throughout the series he is slowly learning who God wants him to be.
Source:
Rhoades, Heather. "Learn What Makes A Tomato Turn Red." Gardening Know How. Gardening Know How, 19 Sept. 2016. Web. 04 July 2017.
- Published on
I'm currently working on no less than nine books.
There's a historic tome that I'll never finish, a continuation of the Data Driven series, a lighthearted suspense-romance based in Thailand, two young adult novels that are surely not angsty enough for the under twenty crowd, a book that is a little too similar to the Maze Runner series (James Dashner totally stole my ideas out of my brain), a salty romance that will never have enough 'sexy' in it, and even take-off on Peter Pan.
My goal this summer was to write at least 10,000 words a day.
I've done a pretty decent job of keeping up with my ambitious goals, but as you probably already know, my FitBit challenges continue to get in the way of a good 'sit-down-and-write' session.
So I'm going to leave it up to you, the dedicated nonexistent readers of my blog, to determine which one I should work on. Let me know how you're feeling:
A - Reminiscent
B - Suspenseful
C - Romantic
D - Frightened
E - Confused
F - Lost
G - Sexy
H - Dreamy
I will pound out 10,000 words for every vote I get.
How's that for inspiring?
There's a historic tome that I'll never finish, a continuation of the Data Driven series, a lighthearted suspense-romance based in Thailand, two young adult novels that are surely not angsty enough for the under twenty crowd, a book that is a little too similar to the Maze Runner series (James Dashner totally stole my ideas out of my brain), a salty romance that will never have enough 'sexy' in it, and even take-off on Peter Pan.
My goal this summer was to write at least 10,000 words a day.
I've done a pretty decent job of keeping up with my ambitious goals, but as you probably already know, my FitBit challenges continue to get in the way of a good 'sit-down-and-write' session.
So I'm going to leave it up to you, the dedicated nonexistent readers of my blog, to determine which one I should work on. Let me know how you're feeling:
A - Reminiscent
B - Suspenseful
C - Romantic
D - Frightened
E - Confused
F - Lost
G - Sexy
H - Dreamy
I will pound out 10,000 words for every vote I get.
How's that for inspiring?
- Published on
One of my editors was gracious enough to give me a Fitbit as a gift.
I was concerned that my enthusiasm for acquiring a gazillion steps would put a damper on my writing career.
Interestingly, it has provided insight for discovering my dedication to the art of authorship.
You see, I teach second grade. Not only do I teach second grade, but I have an inclusion classroom with more than a handful of hyperactive students. I absolutely adore these students that are enthusiastic, excited about life, and ready to rock and roll at a moments notice, so working with ADHD kiddos is definitely my cup of tea. (Plus the fact that I'm a mild bit 'over-enthusiastic' myself - so we all appreciate each other's special gift).
Now, having provided the backstory, I shall get into my reasoning for explaining this. I average about 18,000 steps a day. (Someday I aim to acquire the 33,000 steps of that mail lady in New York, but we shall leave that for another time). But that 18,000 step average is devastatingly weakened by the amount of steps I don't take on Saturday and Sunday (cleaning, writing and church days).
I would like to point out, firstly, that cleaning toilets and scrubbing grout do not provide nearly enough steps as they should. Having said that, I am now going to make a confession (the whole point of this blog - the climax, if you will). On Saturday, I sit on my butt and type at my computer for hours on end. There, I said it. Whew, the pressure of keeping that secret wrapped up inside was killing me.
Recently, my husband began binge watching a television series made in Turkey. The show isn't even in English, but he can't stop watching it. My daughter wasted four days of her life watching the entire Parks and Recreation series. Well, I don't give them a hard time, because I appear to have my own problems with binging. Have you ever heard the term "Can't put down a good book." Well, I can't seem to put down my books. I doubt they're good, because I don't ever sell any, but I love writing them so much!
So, there you go. Confession made. Explanation of my low Fitbit step average explained. Judge if you will, but I'm going to continue sitting on my butt.
With a smile on my face.
I was concerned that my enthusiasm for acquiring a gazillion steps would put a damper on my writing career.
Interestingly, it has provided insight for discovering my dedication to the art of authorship.
You see, I teach second grade. Not only do I teach second grade, but I have an inclusion classroom with more than a handful of hyperactive students. I absolutely adore these students that are enthusiastic, excited about life, and ready to rock and roll at a moments notice, so working with ADHD kiddos is definitely my cup of tea. (Plus the fact that I'm a mild bit 'over-enthusiastic' myself - so we all appreciate each other's special gift).
Now, having provided the backstory, I shall get into my reasoning for explaining this. I average about 18,000 steps a day. (Someday I aim to acquire the 33,000 steps of that mail lady in New York, but we shall leave that for another time). But that 18,000 step average is devastatingly weakened by the amount of steps I don't take on Saturday and Sunday (cleaning, writing and church days).
I would like to point out, firstly, that cleaning toilets and scrubbing grout do not provide nearly enough steps as they should. Having said that, I am now going to make a confession (the whole point of this blog - the climax, if you will). On Saturday, I sit on my butt and type at my computer for hours on end. There, I said it. Whew, the pressure of keeping that secret wrapped up inside was killing me.
Recently, my husband began binge watching a television series made in Turkey. The show isn't even in English, but he can't stop watching it. My daughter wasted four days of her life watching the entire Parks and Recreation series. Well, I don't give them a hard time, because I appear to have my own problems with binging. Have you ever heard the term "Can't put down a good book." Well, I can't seem to put down my books. I doubt they're good, because I don't ever sell any, but I love writing them so much!
So, there you go. Confession made. Explanation of my low Fitbit step average explained. Judge if you will, but I'm going to continue sitting on my butt.
With a smile on my face.
- Published on
When someone has questions about God and his will in our lives we go to the bible. My most recent book is overflowing with theological questions and I'm spending more time in the word, but feel overwhelmed. It's not that I don't have the answers; it's that I now have too many. There are so many things I'd like to include in the book, but I'm pretty sure that rewriting the entire book of Romans in my next novel could be plagiarism. Plus, the story line of the novel may get a bit lost in God's word. While I'm all for getting lost in God's word, I do have a book to write.
So, having said that, I am trudging along, attempting to skim off any verses or theological teachings that aren't absolutely crucial to the text.
Which is hard.
Because isn't the everything in the bible crucial?
So, having said that, I am trudging along, attempting to skim off any verses or theological teachings that aren't absolutely crucial to the text.
Which is hard.
Because isn't the everything in the bible crucial?
- Published on
I wrote a book.
I prayed.
I wrote several more books.
I prayed more.
I published them on Kindle Direct Publishing and became an amateur ebook author.
Wow.
I know. I can't believe it myself.
Actually, that's a lie. I really do believe the part where I wrote books. I do, after all, have a ridiculous imagination. It's the fact that people were actually willing to read the books that blew me away.
Of course they were just friends and family, but hey, those are the most important people, right?
So, here I am two years later and have progressed from amateur ebook author to amateur ebook author with a PAPERBACK book on Amazon.
Yes, you heard it right. That first book is now available as a real, tangible, made out of trees, book.
So a friend of mine tells me, "You're a real author now. You need to get an author page and blog to try to drum up sales.
I'm not sure how I'm going to do this blogging thing between teaching, cleaning up after my endlessly messy husband and teenagers, and working on my next novel, but here I am - blogging.
So, beware. This is the very first, and what may be the very last, blog I ever post.
Let's hope we can actually sell a couple books!
I prayed.
I wrote several more books.
I prayed more.
I published them on Kindle Direct Publishing and became an amateur ebook author.
Wow.
I know. I can't believe it myself.
Actually, that's a lie. I really do believe the part where I wrote books. I do, after all, have a ridiculous imagination. It's the fact that people were actually willing to read the books that blew me away.
Of course they were just friends and family, but hey, those are the most important people, right?
So, here I am two years later and have progressed from amateur ebook author to amateur ebook author with a PAPERBACK book on Amazon.
Yes, you heard it right. That first book is now available as a real, tangible, made out of trees, book.
So a friend of mine tells me, "You're a real author now. You need to get an author page and blog to try to drum up sales.
I'm not sure how I'm going to do this blogging thing between teaching, cleaning up after my endlessly messy husband and teenagers, and working on my next novel, but here I am - blogging.
So, beware. This is the very first, and what may be the very last, blog I ever post.
Let's hope we can actually sell a couple books!
- Published on
While my daughter and son aren't thrilled, I am very excited about heading back to school.
Pretty soon we'll be engrossed in Books of the Month, deliberating over our next writing piece and developing strategies that will sharpen our operations and algebraic thinking skills.
Expanding our minds used to be so mundane, rote, and less than fulfilling, but now - with the push towards collaborative learning, higher level thinking skills, and concrete examples, we can truly feel the reality of what we're learning.
I've only been teaching for eight years, so the newness has not worn off quite yet. I've taught kindergarten, first, second and third grades. I have worked with students challenged by emotional and behavioral challenges, children on the autism spectrum, and kids that are labeled developmentally delayed. Through learning about all of the amazing differences in the minds and bodies of these children I have discovered that I can make a difference.
Not one child was left behind, each one learned, each one experienced joy and a feeling of accomplishment. They grew... and so did I.
I am so very thankful that I've had the opportunity to work with such amazing kids and I'm looking very forward to a new, exciting school year full of challenges and days that will never be mundane.
I'm touching on a book that features a teacher that works with children with special needs. I will keep many of my personal cherished moments close to my heart, but some will surely make it into the book. I hope the writing will display the act of teaching in a positive light and show that it is an important job for those few teachers filled with love for these kids.
Pretty soon we'll be engrossed in Books of the Month, deliberating over our next writing piece and developing strategies that will sharpen our operations and algebraic thinking skills.
Expanding our minds used to be so mundane, rote, and less than fulfilling, but now - with the push towards collaborative learning, higher level thinking skills, and concrete examples, we can truly feel the reality of what we're learning.
I've only been teaching for eight years, so the newness has not worn off quite yet. I've taught kindergarten, first, second and third grades. I have worked with students challenged by emotional and behavioral challenges, children on the autism spectrum, and kids that are labeled developmentally delayed. Through learning about all of the amazing differences in the minds and bodies of these children I have discovered that I can make a difference.
Not one child was left behind, each one learned, each one experienced joy and a feeling of accomplishment. They grew... and so did I.
I am so very thankful that I've had the opportunity to work with such amazing kids and I'm looking very forward to a new, exciting school year full of challenges and days that will never be mundane.
I'm touching on a book that features a teacher that works with children with special needs. I will keep many of my personal cherished moments close to my heart, but some will surely make it into the book. I hope the writing will display the act of teaching in a positive light and show that it is an important job for those few teachers filled with love for these kids.