Go ahead, say it:)

Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas! I've said it as many times as I possibly can to any and all. What a joy! 

"For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord."

Luke 2:11

Go ahead and say "Happy Holidays" if you want. It means "Holy" day, anyway, so you can't keep Christ out of Christmas if you wanted to. But why would you want to? He loves you, offers you freedom and eternity and you're gonna say, "Uh, no thanks." Really?

Well, yeah, really. I, for one, say 'no' to him often in my choices, attitudes, lack of gratitude. Still He loves me, knew me from my mother's womb, knew how I'd fail Him, knew all that but still made my salvation possible. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whosoever believes in Him, will not perish, but have everlasting life." Reallly? YES!!

 

God Bless YOU! 

Easy Peasy

Tomorrow's the big day. I'm looking forward to being with my family. We've grown so much that this year we're all pitching in to rent a place so that we can celebrate comfortably together. The older I get, the more simplicity becomes my mantra. This year I ordered our dinner. It seemed extravagant until I added it up. The cost of purchasing all the ingredients for our traditional meal was way more than what I paid the restaurant.  Less expensive and easy peasy is always a good thing. We'll still make some of our extra favorites, but the lionshare of the time will be spent loving on my family.

May your day be filled with grateful worship and love, full hearts and stomachs. From our home to yours, a most blessed thanksgiving. God Bless you:)

Fights Like a Girl

Met a terrific lady today!
Jamie Batson dropped by to check out the library meeting room and make plans for her book signing on November 25th. Don't you love her pink boxing gloves?


 This is an irreverent, often humorous look at breast cancer through Jamie's eyes as she progresses through this life-changing disease. It is brutally honest and frankly describes the events and processes faced by a survivor.

I'm halfway through this awesome read and am mesmerized by the ordeal she went through, and the humor and insight with which she deals with it. I'm glad I met this wonderful woman. Her book signing will be at Fort Stockton Public Library, Monday, November 25th from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

Pressed Down, Shaken Together

Bundles of Joy

So this is what I've been preoccupied with these last several months. Scarlet Laine Hamilton born October 13, and Isaac Nathaniel Ontiveros born October 27. We couldn't be more proud or grateful. Grandchildren numbers 8 and 9!

Talk about the windows of heaven opening! Our family is reveling in

baby love. 

Want to get your childhood sense of wonder back? Sit and hold a baby for a few minutes. Watch them pucker their lips as they wake up stretching. Thrill at a dimpled grin that delights as they dream. Is there anything softer than baby skin?  

 "There's really nothing quite so sweet as tiny little baby feet." Unknown

"A baby is a little bit of heaven on earth." Unknown

Children are a gift from the Lord;they are a
 reward from him. Ps.127:3

"Granny wuvs you, you widdle darlin' sweetums poo." Me

Overcome, we give thanks.

Two, Count 'em, TWO!

Say hello to Sarah Day Hamilton and Jessica Day Ontiveros. These two daughters of mine are due within a few days of each other. I'm been reflecting on all the love poured out on these two by our friends and families.

Our great friend, Kay Boswell, otherwise known as the Shower and Tea Party Lady, along with a host of friends and family, blessed my girls with the most amazing showers.

Sarah, due October 5 and expecting a girl (Scarlet), her first,  was given a sweet tea party shower.

 Jessica, due a few days after Sarah, and expecting a boy (Isaac) was given a Mother to Bee Shower.

Jessica, with her son Micah and daughter Lily.

 I'm a very blessed woman:

Me and My Girls (Not Shown: My handsome son Nathan)

Randy and I will have nine grandchildren by Christmas, and we couldn't be more exited and grateful. Thanks to Kay and friends, and to the awesome husbands who loaded all the presents at the end.  

My love colored glasses are clouding over thinking of the many blessings we have. Above all, thanks be to God. Makes me think of this:

What are you looking at through love colored glasses today?

See Things Differently!

My little friend Peter clapped his hands with excitement as he talked to my husband. "Do you want to see what I'm going to wear to church tomorrow? I'm going to look so handsome!" And he did:)

Don't you wish we could get a little of that enthusiasm back, the kind we had as kids?  Everything was wonderful, exciting, and there was so much to look forward to.

The only real difference is that we stop expecting wonderment and awe. The tremendous joy of little everyday things disappears. It's all about how we look at life. We begin to magnify problems instead of solutions. We forget to be grateful and thankful.

I'm purposing to look through my love colored glasses and magnify the ONE who is in control, who works all things together for our good, who loves us so much He gave his life for us.

"Do you want to see what kind of day I'm going to have? It's going to be amazing!"

What are you looking at differently today?

I had a wonderful time talking about Washout Express at a Rotary club meeting last week. Such fun people! They were abuzz with plans for their fundraiser, the ever popular Cruise Party.  I'd never been to a Rotary gathering before. I absolutely love this from their Guiding Principles:

The Four-Way Test

The Four-Way Test is a nonpartisan and nonsectarian ethical guide for Rotarians to use for their personal and professional relationships. The test has been translated into more than 100 languages, and Rotarians recite it at club meetings:
Of the things we think, say or do

1. Is it the TRUTH?
2. Is it FAIR to all concerned?
3. Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
4. Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

and they added a 5th one at this meeting:

     5. Is it fun?

LOVE IT! That relates to my Love Colored Glasses platform so well, and mirrored the talk that I gave. 

I smiled as I drove back to work. Had to take a few minutes to sit and listen to the rain gracing my car.  Rain is an event where we live. We thank God for it.

So...what are you looking at differently today?

Bittersweet Giveaway

My agent, Terry Burns of Hartline Literary Agency, represented Dianne Price, author of  the Thistle Series. Ashberry Lane released the first of the series, Broken Wings, just a week shy of her passing on to Glory.

Ashberry offered Dianne the contract knowing she had terminal cancer, and did everything in their power to get that first book out.

We all knew they were pretty much dropping everything to get this done for her. I had the privilege of visiting with her on Facebook a few weeks before she died. I was inspired and amazed at her humor and faith. She joked with me about it being bath day and feeling so wobbly she might drag the nurse down with her.

She told me that bed baths are called "cat licks" in Scotland, and we shared about Oregon where she lived. I'd lived there too as a child. I knew this was a kindred spirit. One of her greatest joys, flying, is one of my greatest fears and I'd hoped to share that with her. But God called her home. I know we'll be friends in Heaven.

 You can read more about Dianne and her books, and excepts as well,  at this Ashberry Lane link. I'll be giving away an e-version of her Broken Wings on Monday, September 16. Just leave a comment between now and then, and I'll have a drawing. Blessings, prayers and hugs to Dianne's family.

Beloved Author Gone - Her Books Live On

Celebrating Fall, 2013

I celebrate Fall in a big way, I love it. I don't exactly live where there are leaves that change colors. Actually not a great area for leaves, or trees for that matter, but I still love Fall! So Snoopy kicking a big pile of leaves is my PC wallpaper, and I've downloaded a falling leaf screensaver. I made cinnamon toast (shared with my grandson who looks like Opie Taylor) and drank coffee from one of my many Fall themed coffee mugs given me by my best friend.

So celebrate with me. Post a few of your favorite Fall things. Photos, poems, recipes, memories. Join the party. Well, gotta go flip my Thomas Kincaid calender to Sept. 1.


Ah, this month the painting is called "Courage". This is a 2004 painting. This is what he said about it.

"In Courage I use a vocabulary of personal artistic symbols to convey this message: God rewards our perseverance with His gift of courage. A storm-tossed sailboat has come within sight of a lighthouse; the beacon of divine love will guide it to shore." Thomas Kinkade

Two Platform Lessons

I read a great blog post last week by Karla Akins, author of The Pastor's Wife Wears Biker Boots. It got me to thinking about my marketing journey regarding my debut novel. It was suggested in much of my research that you ask for endorsements, and aim pretty high. What could it hurt? I wanted my message to reach as many folks as possible. So I got brave and asked some pretty big names for endorsements and reviews. I also asked some  lesser known authors and reviewers. Here's what happened.

The famous, high profile authors responded to me within a few days. The answer was "Sorry, no," but I received warm congratulations and well wishes. (Apparently, when you reach a certain pinnacle of success, your name doesn't belong to you anymore, or at least that was the case for one of the authors.) The emails were from assistants. That didn't bother me at all. They responded, and wished me well. The messages might have even been automated, but it didn't seem that way.

The lesser known folks DID NOT RESPOND. Now I will concede that there could be many reasons for that. This is not a rant or criticism, but it just illustrates a point. Who do you think I'm still a huge fan of, and who do you think not so much? The response I received solidified the message of the authors who responded. The lack of response caused me to lose a little faith in the message of those that completely ignored me.  Let it be noted that everyone with whom I have a relationship, whether multi-published or not, online or in person, said Yes!.

So the lessons I've learned in this journey so far are:

1. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

2. Relationship - build relationships with people who need your message and/or who can help get your message out there.  

Here's a link to Karla's post: You're Doing Twitter and Facebook all Wrong

What say you?

Happiness is....

Charlie Brown was popular and my favorite when I was a kid. I wrote a poem in the fifth grade called "Happiness Is" inspired by the Peanuts cartoon. I don't remember much about it, except that it ended "and at schoolwork, doing your best." I got to go to the office and print it on a poster to be displayed in the school foyer. The idea of making an impact with writing stayed with me. 

I thought we might reconstruct that poem together. So what is your one liner to go with 

Happiness is.....? Go! I'll post the results later in the week.

You're So Beautiful to Me

 I thought you all might like this sweet poem written by a friend of mine, Windy Lanzle


YOU'RE SO BEAUTIFUL TO ME

With dirty clothes scattered round my feet,
And toothpaste globs dripping down the sink,
I hear the words, "You're so beautiful to me."

With dark circles round my eyes,
And extra padding round my thighs,
I hear the words, "You're so beautiful to me."

When supper is boring or not there at all,
When shoes crowd the doorway, or laundry fills the hall,
I hear the words, "You're so beautiful to me."

When my eyes grow dim and my face becomes lined,
When hearing becomes an effort and my teeth aren't mine,
Whether you're still here with me, or have been gone for some time,
I know I'll still be hearing,
"You're so beautiful to me."

Here's Windy with an outfit her husband bought for her birthday. He said that if God can put those colors together, why can't he??  He sounds like a keeper. But I know this little lady...she is a jewel, so I think her hubby is just as blessed, don't ya think?

 

Heav'n Rescued Land

 Ran across this post from a few years ago...still feel the same way.

 "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord..." Psalm 33:12

I don't have a Bucket List, but I do have a list of dreams.  One of them came true on Saturday when I was asked to sing the National Anthem at the Permian Basin Fire Convention.  (I almost got to sing at a Maverick's game once, but that's another story.)

It was a tremendous honor to sing The Star Spangled Banner.  Normally, only the first verse of Francis Scott Key's masterpiece (which is a bear to sing by the way) is performed at public events.  I wish we could also sing the last verse:

Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n-rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust"
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave! 

I do believe that the success and freedom of our nation will be determined by God, and the extent upon which we trust Him.  I'm not going to start waxing political, but I'm just sayin'.  May we be "heav'n rescued", and "blest with victory and peace".  We praise you, Father, the "Power that hath made and preserved us a nation".  Have a blessed week.