Sweet Giveaway

Since February is almost upon us, I thought I would kick off the Valentine's season with an extra sweet giveaway. And no, I'm not just teasing you with a picture of Godiva chocolates -- the giveaway is for a $10 Godiva gift card! It's just enough to get you a few pieces of heavenly delight. If you get into the store and decide you need more, you're on your own after the $10 limit :)

To be included in the drawing, all you need to do is leave a comment on this post by noon Feb. 13th and follow these guidelines: Be sure to include your name as well as an email address if I don't know you personally. In your comment tell me your favorite chocolate treat or dessert. If chocolate is not your thing, you won't be penalized :) Just go ahead and mention your favorite sweet indulgence. I think mine is our family's chocolate sheet cake with homemade ice cream. I will announce the winner sometime between noon on the 13th and noon on Valentine's Day. (I sure have fun with these giveaways -- hope you do, too!)

I got to play a part in a different kind of "giveaway" on our mission trip to inner city Ft. Worth. Meals, clothing, and toiletries are given away regularly at Beautiful Feet, but our team always brings extra items to give away -- full care packs, gloves, Bibles, etc. This year a group of ladies had made tote bags with shoulder straps, and I got to help hand those out between Sunday morning services. The bigger ones, more like duffel bags, proved to be quite a hit because they were large enough to hold a pillow, blanket, and a back pack -- a very important feature to those who are homeless and have to carry everything they own.

Everyone showed great appreciation for these duffel bags, but one gentleman in particular touched me deeply with his reaction. After receiving his bag, he sat down and watched as we gave out the others. He had the biggest smile on his face and kept saying "What a blessing this is! What a blessing this is!"

I think this man's biggest happiness came from seeing others receive their bags. What he didn't realize is how much I felt humbled and blessed to be in his presence and the presence of so many other inner city folks who freely praised and worshiped God in spite of their impoverished situations. What a treasured experience to fellowship with this part of God's family -- my family -- and to be a blessing to them.

Why not try a giveaway yourself during this month for love? Is there someone you could bless in a special way? Don't forget -- when you do this, you are also blessing God.

"God...will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them." Hebrews 6:10

*Flickr photo by janineomg

Beautiful Feet

We just got back from our mission trip to Ft. Worth. Whew! As you can imagine, we're pretty tired, but I thought I would take a minute to let you know that things went beautifully. Imagine a team of over 90 people going 90 miles an hours from Fri. evening until noon Sunday, reaching out in love to homeless and inner city folks while also helping with construction projects and other needed jobs at the mission. What a rewarding experience. People told us that we blessed them, but you know how that goes -- we feel like we're the ones who got the bigger blessing.

A few years ago after one of our mission trips to Ft. Worth, I wrote a poem about the inner city church where the team serves. Hope you enjoy seeing Beautiful Feet through this poem. In the coming weeks, I may share a few more glimpses of the trip, but for now, here's a taste of what we experienced this weekend.


Beautiful Feet

There’s a place in Ft. Worth called Beautiful Feet
A place known by all who live on the street,
A hot lunch for free can be found there each day
After food for the soul is served up some way.
You see it’s not just a place, instead it’s a church
Where many find themselves beginning their search
For some shred of hope, a way out of their pain,
For love and acceptance instead of disdain.
Beautiful Feet is a light in a dark lonely world
A beacon of hope like a flag unfurled
For God’s people show love to one and all,
For Jesus is the One upon whom they call.
There are those who serve faithfully day after day,
And those who come yearly to work, share, and pray.
Each one sees God’s power heal and redeem,
The lost and the hurting become part of the team.
Each year Kansas comes the talk is who is blessed more
Those in Ft. Worth or the Kansans galore.
They truly feel like family, the bond is oh so sweet
For God is the Father at Beautiful Feet.

Wise Counsel

I've heard some top-notch speakers at my Fellowship of Christian Writers meetings, and last night was no exception. Jan Dargatz kept our pens flying for a full hour as she shared insight from the publishing world. Jan is a full-time freelancer, author, editor, and educator who also writes under several pen names.

Without trumpeting her own success or dropping names, the anecdotes and examples she shared from her real-life experiences soon revealed that she has worked with several very well-known people, helping them to develop and write their books. After she finished speaking, she fielded a few questions. In answer to the last one, "Have you written any plays?", she began telling us about a time she was asked to write a passion play for some folks in Texas. Long story short, she wrote the original script for The Promise. You have perhaps seen it on stage in Branson, but it has also played in large venues around the world.

I consider myself very lucky to have heard Jan teach last night. She alerted us to "10 Pits To Avoid on the Way To Writerdom". The question now is "what will I do with what I heard". Will I just be excited that I got to hear a successful person in the publishing world give us 60 minutes worth of priceless advice, or will I carefully look over my notes and begin to apply the wisdom she shared to my own life as a writer?

God's Word tells us that "...wisdom is found in those who take advice." (Proverbs 13:10b) Maybe you can help keep me on my toes by asking me sometime what advice of Jan's I have followed. How about you? Has someone given you advice that you need to act on? I encourage you to take advantage of the wise counsel you've received.

Are you curious about Jan's list of 10 pits for writers to avoid? I'll give you the bare bones version without all the sub-points and then challenge you to think about how they might apply to your own field of interest or a problem you might be faced with right now. I hope you find them helpful in some way:

1. Unrealistic expectations about publishing.
2. A failure to read.
3. A failure to write.
4. Lack of having a real thought focus, a clear idea of what you want to say.
5. Start editing too soon.
6. Not having a good editing/mentoring coach.
7. Dismissing a job as being too insignificant or unimportant.
8. Working for an author who doesn't have a clear focus and a strong desire to finish the job.
9. Working for dual authors or even two members of the same family on different projects.
10. Discouragement (the biggest pitfall of all).

**On another note, Don and I are leaving early Friday morning with a team of folks from our area to serve at the Beautiful Feet mission in Ft. Worth. Would you keep us in your prayers as we reach out to the inner city and homeless population there? We'll return Sunday evening. Thanks!

Making It Off The Boat

Our daughter Kelli returned this past week from a few days in Mexico with her boyfriend and his family. While we were freezing our tails off in the Midwest, she luxuriated on the beach, enjoying sunshine and 80 degree temperatures. As you can imagine, they all dreaded coming back to face work and winter once again.

While in Mexico, Kelli enjoyed a once in a lifetime experience. She and Lance went snorkeling off the second largest coral reef in the world. Everything they saw amazed them, from the crystal blue water to the tropical fish to a stingray hanging out on the ocean floor. From the way she described it, it had to be the highlight of their trip.

What amazes me is that she experienced it at all, given the fact that she never quite learned to swim -- even though I dutifully made sure she took lessons. (I don't have any room to talk, though. I, too, am afraid in water over my head.) To participate in this adventure, she braved 7 ft. and 11 ft. depths while wearing a life jacket. Before she could do that, though, she had to make it off the boat. She couldn't quite bring herself to jump in the way they were instructed, but she finally managed to just slide off the side. She spent the first five minutes hyperventilating but finally relaxed and learned to use the snorkel. After that, she had the time of her life.

Kelli had to face a few fears to live this bold new adventure, and I'm pretty proud of her. I may need to remember her courage this coming weekend when Don and I go to inner city Ft. Worth on a mission trip with a group from our region. No, it's not the first time we've gone on the Beautiful Feet mission trip, but believe me, new experiences await us every time we go. And yes, nerves enter the picture from time to time (at least for me!) as we reach out to the homeless and inner city folks there. Like Kelli, though, after taking a few deep breaths and whispering some prayers, we have the time of our lives.

Is there something you've been needing, wanting, or feeling led to do but can't quite make it off the boat? If you can't boldly jump out of your comfort zone, try following Kelli's example and just slide off into that new territory. Take a friend if you need to. Definitely whisper a prayer and remember the psalmist's words "When I am afraid, I will trust in you." (Psalm 56:3) If you don't try, you may be depriving yourself of one the best experiences of your life.

I'd love to hear about the times you've had to overcome fear or nervousness to tackle something new or step out of your comfort zone. Was it worth it? And Kelli, if I messed up any of the details of your story, feel free to set the record straight with a comment :)

Life Stories

Since we're supposed to get some snow tonight, it's the perfect time to share a snowy word picture. Ole Hallesby said, "As white snowflakes fall quietly and thickly on a winter day, answers to prayer will settle down upon you at every step you take, even to your dying day. The story of your life will be the story of prayer and answers to prayer."

What a beautiful picture and, more than that, what a glorious thought. Imagine it for a minute. You're standing outside while snow is falling all around you. (Go ahead -- make it the big snowflakes that look so picturesque.) As you delight in the wonder of it all, you begin to see it in an even more amazing way. The snowflakes aren't snowflakes at all but answers to prayer. In that moment, you see the true beauty of your life, and you feel rich.

It makes you think about all the people who have prayed for you over the years, doesn't it? Parents, grandparents, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, husbands, wives, children, friends, pastors, teachers. Even strangers may have prayed for you when they saw you in a tough spot or heard about your desperate need. And let's not forget Jesus. Scripture tells us that Christ Himself is at the right hand of God praying for us (Romans 8:34). How blessed we are, living lives filled with the fruit of their prayers.

And don't forget, in the same way, you have blessed the lives of others by praying for them. Some of these blessings you get to witness while others you may never see. Think for a minute. How many people have you touched through prayer? How many life stories are your prayers a part of? How many people have shaped your life story? Mine has been shaped by many of you.

I don't know about you, but I don't think I'll ever look at snowflakes drifting down in the same way again. I'll be seeing your prayers. And I'll be thanking God for you.

*Flickr photo by sarniebill1

Beautiful Support

I know this is going to sound odd to some people, but I see a unique beauty in the naked trees of winter. Many would describe them with words like stark, drab, or depressing. I, on the other hand, think they have a beauty all their own when winter strips them of their leafy glory.

Don't get me wrong. I love the leafy glory of trees as much as the next gal. Watching trees bud out and turn green in the spring holds a special excitement for everyone I think. Summer then brings lush, full trees to pleasantly fill our landscapes before autumn arrives and sets them ablaze with color. I delight in each of these seasons and the changes they bring to trees.

I just happen to think trees are beautiful in winter as well. Some might think it's like looking at skeletons or something, but I see what looks like arms and fingers reaching for and pointing to God. I love looking out and seeing the intricacies of the branches. Winter allows us a view of the support system of the leaf laden trees we enjoy the rest of the year. Without the drab looking branches, there could be no beautiful leaves.

When I see winter trees I'm reminded of other support systems in our lives. Just think about our bodies and all that's working together beneath the surface to keep us up and running. The same can be said for just about every company, group, or organization you can think of.

Consider the church. Many programs and people are highly visible, but there are just as many or more that are serving behind the scenes. And it's the behind-the-scene-type activity that makes it possible for the more visible ministries to take place. Everyone needs to do their part to keep things running smoothly -- and more than that, to enable growth.

What role are you filling in your church (or life in general)? Are you a part of the highly visible, leafy-glory category, or is your role a part of the vital support system that's needed? Maybe a little of both? Just keep in mind that neither is better. Both are needed and valued. "Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms." (1 Peter 4:10)

Now go out and take another look at the winter trees. Beautiful, huh?

*Flickr photo by OakleyOriginals

Deep Cleaning

Have you ever put off going to the dentist? Who hasn't! Don finally went in last week after a several year absence. Blame it on not having dental insurance, being too busy, or just not thinking of it at an appropriate time. Now he's wishing he'd gone in like he should have. By the way, I have his permission to share this with you :)

So what's the result of a "vacation" from dental care? More visits back to the dentist unfortunately. He has two cavities and needs periodontal scaling and root planing done (technical jargon for a deep cleaning procedure). The way I understand it, when you don't have your teeth cleaned regularly, tartar and "debris" (yuck!) build up and push down between your gums and teeth. Eventually you'll either need this deep-cleaning procedure done or face the prospect of periodontal disease. Translation? Your teeth could fall out!

So now Don has three more appointments on the calendar. He decided he wants to keep his teeth :) Since he basically has had healthy strong teeth throughout his life, it's been a long time since he's had to endure anything more uncomfortable than a routine cleaning. What's in store for him now certainly won't be fun -- but don't tell him that!

You know what else can build up and cause us problems if we don't take care of it as we should?There are probably many answers to that question, but the one that springs to my mind is sin. Yep. Sin. If we fail to deal with sin, soon one has a way of leading to another and then to another, etc. Or we might even harden our hearts to the voice of God so we don't have to root out the sin that He's trying to speak to us about. Before we know it, we are avoiding Him and trying to do things our own way. And we all know what a mess that can lead to.

The Bible tells us that "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9 KJV) Problem is, sometimes we just don't come to Him for that cleansing. By the time we are finally ready to turn from our sin and ask for the forgiveness He offers so freely -- and is so freeing -- a deep cleaning, just like at the dentist, is needed. And this deep cleaning will probably not be much fun either.

It can be hard to fess up, there can be consequences, and sometimes wrongs need to be made right. Remember, "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." (Hebrews 12:11).

My advice? Don't let things build up -- whether it's plaque on your teeth or sin in your life. It's so much easier to deal with things early on. By the way, it's been almost 16 months since I've been to the dentist to get my teeth cleaned. I now have an appointment at the end of the month. Who do you need an appointment with? God's calendar is wide open.

Truffle Anyone?

Since my last post dealt with the somewhat weighty issue of goals, how about a change of pace? I think a little lighter fare is in order today. Let's talk chocolate. Keep in mind, though, if you indulge too much, it will quickly become a weighty issue as well :)

I admit it. I have a sweet tooth. And that sweet tooth absolutely loves chocolate. Since watching my blood sugar has become a bit of an issue the past couple of years, you can imagine how that lifestyle change has cramped my style. Lucky for me, though, dark chocolate has been proven to be good for our health, and even peanut M & Ms, Snickers, and low-fat ice cream (in small amounts) are acceptable on the gylcemic index. You better believe these little treats help me make it through the day.

No one knows my chocolate weaknesses better than my family and close friends. Since I like to "celebrate" when I'm with them, I would say there are even times they have seen me pretty much obsessed with working some chocolate into the day's events :)

During a holiday shopping outing with my friend Teri during mid-December, I got to thinking about chocolate truffles. Not just any truffles, but the ones with chocolate filling as well. We then, of course, had to start looking for them. We finally found some in Dillard's, and they were even dark chocolate. (Okay, they probably weren't 70% cacao, but still...) We stood and talked about buying those truffles for probably 10 minutes. Neither of us needed to eat a whole box of truffles, though, so we even considered buying a box and splitting it. End result? We couldn't bring ourselves to let loose and do it. Instead we headed back to Godiva (yes, back -- we had already been there, of course), and Teri bought us a couple of singles. We really live on the edge, huh? :)

Now if you think that's the end of the story, you don't know me very well. I couldn't get that box of truffles out of my mind. So...when Don and I went back to T-town after Christmas to shop the after-holiday sales, you can be sure we weren't leaving town until I checked to see if Dillard's still had those truffles. I figured they'd be on sale after Christmas, and who could pass them up then?

We had lots of stops to make (as usual), traffic was crazy, and we had tickets to a late-afternoon show. We had only a short amount of time to spend at the mall, but I was determined to make it to Dillard's to track down those truffles. With the clock ticking and my thirst for truffles propelling me forward, I led Don in practically a dead-run. At one point, he asked "Why can't we just walk leisurely like the rest of these folks?" He obviously didn't understand the importance of my mission that day.

I knew exactly where to go when we reached the store. On my first run-through of the Christmas goodies on sale, I didn't see them. I kicked myself and moaned to Don about how I missed out because I wouldn't get them when I saw them a few weeks earlier. But then there they were, just over on another table. I gasped and grabbed them in sweet relief. The truffles were mine at last :)

Know what was even sweeter than eating that first truffle when we got home? Taking them to Dennis & Teri's on New Year's Eve like some kind of conquering hero :) She was equally as excited as I was, and we even took pictures. Yes, we were slightly crazy that night so you won't be seeing those photos :)

Bottom line? I've been thoroughly enjoying my truffles -- one a day, a bite here and a bite there. Sometimes you've just gotta let loose and live. I love it that the Word of God says that God "richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment." (1 Timothy 6:17b) He must have known how much I would love chocolate. How about you? What little thing do you delight in? Go ahead, indulge a little -- and enjoy!

Got Goals?

I hope 2008 is off to a great start for you. Have you had enough time yet to break that New Year's resolution? :) I've never really gotten into that whole resolution thing, but I do think setting goals helps bring about positive changes and accomplishments. Resolutions seem so "all or nothing" and more or less set you up for a certain fall whereas goals are simply something you are working towards.

Last summer a speaker at one of our Fellowship of Christian Writers meetings challenged us to make goals, get them down on paper, and review them regularly. I took her up on the challenge, and it has been so beneficial for me. This blog, in fact, is the fulfillment of one of my goals. There's just something about making a desire "official" by calling it a goal and actually writing it down that has a way of spurring you on to work towards its accomplishment.

Let me challenge you, while the year is still fresh, to formulate some goals of your own. Be sure to write them down and review them often. Your goals may be work related or purely personal or even a combination of both.

Author Mary DeMuth ( http://www.marydemuth.com/ ) shared some helpful insight on setting goals with those of us in The Christian Writers View2 online community recently. With her permission, I would like to share her post with you. I hope you find it helpful as you work on setting your own goals for this year. You can make them SMART ones with a little thought. Mary's post is written with writers in mind, but the principles can be applied by anyone. Her post is as follows:

Specific

Measurable

Attainable

Realistic

Timely

When setting writing goals for 2008, here's a nifty acronym to help you. (I'm sure many of you have heard of this. For more specific information you can click here: http://www.topachievement.com/smart.html )

1. Be sure the goal is specific. "Write a book" is unspecific. "Finish my nonfiction book about office politics" is specific.
2. Be sure it can be measured. "Write queries that sell" cannot be measured. "Write five queries a week" can be measured. You can cross that off a list.
3. Be sure it can be attainable. "Write the Great American novel" is probably not attainable if you've just started this journey. "Write a spotlight piece for my local newspaper" is more attainable.
4. Be sure your goal is realistic. "Write an article a week that sells for big bucks" is not realistic. Consider what you sold last year, then up the ante a little.
5. Be sure your goal is timely. Be sure you put a time frame on your goal. "Write my novel by June 2008" is timely. "Write a novel" is not. -- Mary DeMuth

Back to me now -- helpful thoughts, huh? Another helpful thought can be found in God's Word. "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal..." (Philippians 3:14b). Yes, reaching a goal usually involves some straining and pressing on, but the victory is surely sweet. I would love to hear about some of your goals so feel free to comment away!

*Flickr photo by Eleaf