Saturday, July 28, 2012

The Winners Are...

The Winners Are...


Yes, you read the title correctly. When my Sweetie was picking the winning names out of the hat, this morning, God directed me to give away two copies of "Red Letters" through Dawn's Dialogue. 

Therefore, we have done just that and with no further delays the winners are:


I will be in contact with both today to get their snail mail information to send their copies of 
"Red Letters" out on Monday. 

Thanks to everyone who followed Dawn's Dialogue this week. We truly appreciate each and everyone of you. May we connect this week instead of merely communicate. 


Friday, July 27, 2012

"Wrecked" by Jeff Goins Releases August 1st...

I have been given the pleasure of reading a preview copy of Jeff Goins new book, "Wrecked." The book will release on August 1st. Just mere days from today. 

Wrecked by Jeff Goins


Jeff Goins has one of the few blogs that I read each and every day. I have done his Writing Challenge and am currently participating in his 12 week blogging course. His work challenges me to grow. His soon to be released book, "Wrecked" is proving to give the same results of challenging me to grow. Jeff's writing is easy to read and engaging. On August 1st, when you can get extra goodies go and buy this book. 

Here is a little about the book:

Goins defines wrecked as, "having a transformation that goes beyond mere word---to be introduced to another way of life, to follow in the footsteps of a teacher who is calling you through the eye of a needle." Those who are familiar with Scripture will know Goins is referring to Jesus. 

Through examples of other people's lives, Goins not only defines wrecked through this timely book; he further gives examples from his own life and others of what being wrecked looks like. 

As I mentioned above, time and preparations for the She Speaks conference and my own writing have kept me from my goal of finishing "Wrecked." However, I am excited to continue the journey of "Wrecked." 

The "Wrecked" website says it best:

Wrecked is a book about the life we’re afraid to live—one full of radical sacrifice and selfless service. It’s a look at how we discover fulfillment in the least likely of places.
This is a guide to growing up and learning to live in the tension between the next adventure and our daily commitments.

We all need to be wrecked, to allow the pain of a broken world to slam into our comfortable lives—and let it change us. But that’s just the beginning.
Wrecked is a journey of unbecoming, covering the stories of people whose lives have been turned upside-down in the best way possible—and what they decided to do afterwards.
Jeff Goins leads the charge, sharing the experiences of missionaries, storytellers, and entrepreneurs whose lives have been beautifully ruined by a larger purpose.
Will you be brave enough to join them?

Purchase your copy of "Wrecked" at Amazon by clicking below:




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Thursday, July 26, 2012

Reflecting on She Speaks 2012...

 She Speaks Graduate

It has been three days since returning from She Speaks 2012. 

Upon arriving on Friday afternoon, it was a 6 hour drive from Virginia, I checked into the hotel and the conference registration table.  I went to my room to change out of my driving clothes and actually thought this is too overwhelming. See, there were 650+ women all descending upon the Embassy Suites in Charlotte, NC. 

The thought crossed my mind, "I just want to leave. I can't do this." However, the following thought immediately came, "I can't let down the people who believed in me and raised the monies for me to attend." With this second thought, I sat down on the couch and had a talk with my Abba. 

Here are a few of the highlights of this past weekend:

  • Martha Cullison Miller praying with me. Thanks Martha! 
  • Meeting and hugging the necks of many of my SS Sisters from online (I didn't get to see everyone there just wasn't enough time). It became like the game of "Where's Waldo" at She Speaks. One example: Not meeting Dana Pittman from Purpose Writing Group until the last worship session on Sunday morning. I was a few minutes late, came in with Rachel Washington and found seats. Lo and behold, the woman I sat beside was no other than Dana Pittman! 
  • Having dinner with Suzanne Woods Fisher: She has such a sweet spirit. Check out her Amish fiction books here.
  • Glynnis helping me understand on Saturday night that I need to be completely healed before God can use what happened to me. Thanks Glynnis and her friend, Danita talking to me before heading to bed on Saturday night. 
  • Hearing great speakers and teachers. Whitney Capps: I have tons of notes from your talk on Sunday morning. 
  • Having Julie Sunne for a roomie. God took two complete opposites and put them together. He has a wonderful sense of humor and we got along wonderfully. 
  • Getting to sit with Liz Curtis Higgs and seeing how humble she is with all the knowledge God has given her. She spent 5 years in the book of Ruth. I actually bought her new book, "The Girl's Still Got It" and had her sign it. Thanks Miss Liz for showing me that I do miss teaching. 


I am sure there will be many "Ah-Ha" moments as my, menopausal & tired brain continues to process the tons of wonderful information poured in this weekend at She Speaks. She Speaks was a big step for me. I know that God still has a purpose for me. I just need to seek Him to see how my teaching will look now. It will be different for I am different than I was a mere year ago. I am just thankful God is not done with me yet. 



On another front, I am doing a give-away. I will be giving away a copy of Tom Davis' book, "Red Letters"

To enter complete one of the following two steps:
You can do both if you want to :-)
  1.  Click in the box on the right margin to follow my blog through Networked Blogs.
  2. Leave a comment on this blog.


It is that simple!
 We will be picking a winner on Saturday, July 28th. 

Thursday, July 19, 2012

To live is Christ...Remembering Cheyenne


"For me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain"

I am studying Philippians during my quiet time right now. Philippians 1:15-21 is where I am camping right now. I have tons of questions but after starting to pack for She Speaks and preparing to write this week's blog something occurred.

Each week, I go to my iPhoto to find a picture or two to go with my blog. Tonight, I saw my album titled, "Cheyenne." Many readers of this blog did not have the pleasure of knowing Cheyenne during her brief time with us. Cheyenne went home to be with our Lord on July 28th, 2010. She touched many lives in her brief time here.



I had the pleasure of knowing Cheyenne. I babysat her and her little brother for a brief period of time. Her family went to our church. Her parents were in a bible study with me.

Her family visited with us at our home church right before they found out she had a rare form of cancer. They initially thought she had injured herself on a trampoline during a stop on the way back to Oklahoma. Their living in another state made it that we did not see her during her illness. 
Cheyenne truly understood the meaning of "For me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain."
This young in physical age but mature in her faith walk pre-teen had two memorial services. One in Oklahoma and one in North Carolina.

 I remember talking to a young woman at the NC memorial that a few years before had been in a college class with me. This young woman told me, "I never met Cheyenne but heard about her through a family member's boyfriend. Watching how brave she was and how much she loved God brought me back to God." This touched me. When people saw Cheyenne, they didn't see a child with cancer. No, they saw Christ. 

I want to live my life like Cheyenne did as a Third Line Christian. Pastor Craig Groeschel describes the Third Line Christian as "I believe in God and Christ's gospel enough to give my life to it."  

This person lives with the attitude I'm willing to give my whole life to further God's kingdom. 

I desire nothing more than I desire all of God. 

This is exactly how Cheyenne lived her life. 

We still have the challenge nearly two years later...Are we willing to be like Cheyenne and be a Third Line Christian?

On a side note: I am traveling to She Speaks 2012 tomorrow. Pray for all 650+ women that are converging on Charlotte, NC. God has also opened the door for me to meet with an agent and a publisher while there. I want only what God has for me. Thanks for your prayers. May we desire nothing more than we desire all of God. Be a Third Line Christian.

Finding a deleted post & recovering it (Dissapa-What: It is Back)...

After accidently deleting the below post from Blogger, I had the opportunity to learn something new. You can see a cache screenshot of your blogs on Google. That is all I got this post back. You can learn how to by following the link below:



Dissipaton:

While reading Ephesians 5:14-32 this morning, I came across this verse: 

"And do not be drunk with wine, which is a dissipation;" 
---Ephesians 5:18a

The word dissipation caught my eye, for I truthfully did not know what it meant. Over to Google, I headed to type in "define dissipation." What popped up was not what I thought dissipation might mean. Google's first pop-up says, "1. Dissipated living (it irks me when someone, even Google, uses the word or a form of the word in the definition) and 2. Squandering of money, energy, or resources." God prompted me to focus on the second half of the definition.

Particularly, to ask myself what money, energy, or resources am I squandering? Am I watching TV when I should be writing? Am I fighting and arguing a point that will not matter in 100 years, or even 10 years? Am I utilizing the resources (one of them being time) God has placed in my life? I just read a blog post today, discussing how the blogger utilized the people in her online writing group to receive information to ensure her book's details were accurate. She did not squander her resources. Here is a biggie...Am I acknowledging that everything, even my money, belongs to God? This past week, I had to make a couple decisions. One being whether God wanted me to become part of an online writer's group and the other concerning a part-time writing job. 

Photo Credit: Google Images


Each of these decisions required me to look at money, energy and resources. As mentioned, one of our resources is time. God gives 24 hours each day. No more or less. Do we spend it wisely? This subject of time would be an integral part of the decisions I had to make. The online writing group would take time and energy. The part-time job would take time, energy and involves money. The part-time employment looked good. It required attending and reporting on council meetings, which were being held at night. The majority of the writing could be done at home. Plus, the extra money would be sweet. It looked really good...at first glance.

 However, it would require me to be in the newspaper office for 6 hours every Monday. This last requirement would be the deal breaker. My darling hubby works night and his schedule is Tuesday-Friday. He is off on Sunday and Monday. On Sundays, we are at church and spend time with family. Therefore, it is on Monday that we are able to run errands and then spend time with each other.  The newspaper editor would not budge on the Monday, so I graciously declined. For me to give up Mondays with my Sweetie would be squandering one of the resources God has given me...time. Some may question, "Wouldn't it be two resources...time and her hubby?" However, I don't consider my Sweetie a resource but a GIFT.  

Photo Credit: Google Images


All of this made me think long and hard before making my final decision about the writing group. The decision's deadline being today. Yes, it will take time besides the 90 minutes per month on the actual call. Yet, in the long run the benefits and accountability by a group of Sisters in Christ were determined worth the time. I made the commitment to this group for the rest of this year. When I looked at all aspects of the group, God made it apparent this would not be squandering.  
Instead it will be Him blessing me.

Have you been squandering your money, energy and/or resources? 

Join me in taking to the Father. Let's declare together:

Father, give us focus (my one word for 2012) and help us not squander what You have graciously supplied to each of us. May we fruitfully use our money, energy and resources for Your glory.  
In Jesus Name, Amen. 

Then our loving Savior can accomplish the second half of verse 18:

"be filled with the Spirit,"

and then we will participate in verse 19:

"speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord." 


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Tuesday, July 10, 2012