Our Christian Walk

Delicious!

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There comes a time in all our lives when we have to tackle that dreaded, never-ending problem of losing weight and getting in shape. If you are one of those that has never been in that situation…I am happy for you, but I honestly don’t have any understanding of that! So this post is for those of us that are struggling…and it really hits this time of year…spring. Not only are the flowers in bloom, but the weather is warmer and we want to be outside, not wear bulky clothes, ride a bike, swim, and just have fun in the sun. And of course shedding that winter skin usually involves shedding a few pounds…or a lot, whatever your situation is.

The biggest temptation for me is…chocolate, and probably ice cream. But chocolate beckons with its velvety appearance and the mind remembers that glorious taste and texture. Believe me…gathering the pictures for this post was pretty daunting. But so far I have only looked and not touched.

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Yes, I do miss chocolate…very much…but I know it is for the best. The priorities in my life have become more about the long-term benefits of health and the wonderful ability to spend time with grandchildren…without puffing like a freight train. The satisfaction of chocolate doesn’t seem to be as fulfilling as it once was. The call of biking through a canopy of trees on a smooth road on a spring day seems much more enjoyable. And someday, maybe even the swimsuit will be able to come out of the moth balls!

Am I doing this all on my own? No, I have several family members that are being tortured as well. I guess misery loves company, or something like that! But a verse that comes to mind over and over is:

Philippians 4:13  (NASB)

13 I can do all things [a]through Him who strengthens me.

This verse is short and sweet and says a mouthful. Rather like chocolate for the soul!

 

Writing

What’s In a Title

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Yesterday I posted on The Aroma of Gasoline In the Morning. If you don’t recall that title…it’s for a very good reason. I didn’t have one! I was checking this site this morning and noticed there were a lot of views on my post from yesterday. So I thought that was pretty special…always nice when people check in and see what’s happening. Then I noticed the number on the post. What?

I’m sure all of you will agree that a title is a pretty special thing on a story. Without a title…well, you don’t know where you are going. If you write a story of any kind, or even a report, a title is good. You may even be able to get by without a cover. Your marketing may become even more difficult, but you could swing it. But a title…you need one.

A title becomes intriguing, makes you want to investigate further. Whatever your content is on your report, magazine article, or novel…you want to give the reader a clue.

So thanks to all that checked out the post yesterday, and a very special thanks to everyone that actually read it to see what it was about! One reader had asked if I was promoting people sniffing gasoline early in the morning. Uh, no, probably not a good idea. But as I replied, it has always had a strange fascination for me. Not entirely bad, but not great either. I wouldn’t want a perfume with notes of gasoline in it! Have a great Tuesday!

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A Quick Thought

The Aroma of Gasoline In the Morning

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Seriously! It’s time to let off a bit of steam. If you’ve been keeping up with me…you probably know I don’t watch TV, rarely watch the news, don’t have a cell phone currently, and no, I’m not a hermit! I listen to Sirius radio so I don’t have to endure commercials or advertisements. I like my life pretty clutter-free and streamlined.

So, when my husband and I were at the gas station this morning, and I heard the news running over the speakers…that bothered me…a lot! It annoyed me on many levels, but I will only go into one on here…for now! After all, I will need other topics to post about at some point!

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Seriously…we have to hear the news report, and commercials while we pump gas? Now I do understand why they thought this was a good idea. Especially in the morning. But what is happening to our choices in this life? Most of us have a radio in our car, and we can listen to the news while we are in it. If you miss something, believe me, if it’s important, you will hear it again…and again…and again. You are not going to miss out! So, to be pushed to listen to the news while pumping gas, annoys me. Music would be nice in my humble opinion, but not everyone likes the same music. And again, most of us have a radio, CD player, MP3 player in our vehicles. We can wait for the maybe ten minutes it takes until we get back on the road to enjoy our tunes.

What’s wrong with maybe just standing there, going through your list of activities for the day, hum a little tune in your head…your choice of music. Inhale the smell of gasoline in the morning and listen to the traffic go by. Use some of your other senses…and don’t be barraged by the state of the world. Why do we have to have noise, information and general confusion 24/7 in this world today? I really dislike the term…but chill!

So, the picture at the top of this post is where I want to pump my gasoline. I want to get out of my 1957 Ford Thunderbird…convertible, of course, and red…absolutely! I want to pump my gas as I stand beside that great car, and let the breeze blow my hair as I listen to the sound of the birds, maybe a radio in the station playing a great oldie. I will then go to the pop machine and get a nice, cold Coke, take a sip and then get back in that car and continue my travels. I will have the top down…of course, and I will be listening to some great tunes. Just the ribbon of road before me, with the wind blowing through my hair.

This is Monday. Make a decision to make it a great week. Take a few minutes to just pump your gas, listen to the birds sing and smell the breeze. Take a deep breath and enjoy just being alive. All the hassles will still be there when you are finished…believe me! The pictures below are for the car lovers out there. Have a great day!

Our Christian Walk

Just Be…Content

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That moment when you are so very thankful for all that you have. Life is hard. We struggled with relationships, parenting, finances, friends, and all the ‘stuff’ we are supposed to do to be a ‘good’ person.

Set it all aside for a moment…and just BE. Be happy for those relationships, those people that tolerate you, and love you no matter what. Be thankful for your children, know matter how discouraging and trying they may act at times. Be thankful for your employment and those co-workers that drive you crazy. Be thankful for friends that help to bear your burdens, and keep you accountable. Concentrate on those things in your life and quit striving for the bigger and better…continually. Be content.

If we abide in Him, life isn’t such a struggle anymore.

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A Quick Thought

I’m a Little Blue Today

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I don’t have a cell phone, and most of the time that is perfectly acceptable to me. There is a huge part of me that loves to leave the house…and not be accessible to anyone. Of course, if my husband is with me, that is not the case. For a while I had a tracfone, which was great in case of an emergency, or to leave a simple message. Please get milk on the way home, Taco Bell for dinner sounds great, etc. If we are on a trip, I will use my husband’s phone to text, or talk to our children…until I get car sick. But generally, I’m not too attached to the cell phone idea.

But today, one would be nice. I’m in the midst of spring cleaning at our house. The first of April and the first of October our house gets a good go-through. Windows and curtains are washed, those awful mini-blinds that collect dust from nowhere are cleaned, bedding is switched from winter flannels and heavy blankets to cottons and light blankets. In the fall it is reversed. Ceiling fans are cleaned and switched to hot or cold weather settings. There is nothing worse than to turn on a ceiling fan that has not moved for several months. Those dust bunnies get the ride of their lives!

So today, I have been washing my kitchen dishes. No, not the ones in the cupboard, but the ones I use to decorate with. Our kitchen is an ivory color and I have blue and white dishes from Cracker Barrel that I have on the walls and shelves. I also have blue and white Currier and Ives dishes from my maternal grandparents. They are special to me because we had Sunday dinner on them. Now they adorn my kitchen. I love cobalt blue and I have several items to accentuate all the other items I just listed.  So, as all those dishes dry on the counter, I am posting this.

Now is when I wish I had a phone…not for the talking, texting aspect, but for the camera. Because who owns a camera anymore? And if you do, you are probably a photographer or a wannabe. Do they even develop film anymore? I would take a picture of my walls and shelves and share them with you. Because when all those dishes are just washed, sparkling, with the light shining through the cobalt…it’s really pretty!

When my husband gets home from work, I will have to borrow his phone. No, I don’t need to make a call, but next time…I will share the pictures with you! Happy Saturday everyone! Get out there and enjoy the day!

P.S. I actually have the above biscuit jar. This one is on Amazon.

A Quick Thought

A Volatile Force

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One more day and it will be that time of year again! For me, April 1st marks the start of tornado season in Kansas. Yes, I understand that they are possible any time of year, and we have had a few surprises over the twenty plus years we have lived in this area. One night in particular comes to mind. We were eating supper on February 29, 2012 when the sirens began their loud and long howl…scaring us all into the pantry. No, probably not the best place to weather a tornado with flying cans of food, but our best interior room! This same tornado went on to Branson, Missouri and caused extensive damaged.

I’ve always heard that the general tornado period for this area is April through June. Those are the months of greatest activity. So, I watch with dread as the calendar creeps to April 1st each year, and sigh with relief when July 1st arrives. If we had a basement, maybe the stress level would go down a bit. If we ever move to another house, that will be a HUGE criteria for me!

We have been very blessed in this little town where we live. Tornadoes come in from the west, usually, and then take a more northern route just on the outskirts of our little place on the map. I have been very thankful for this, many times over the years.

So, as the season commences, I pray. I pray for those that will be involved, for those areas that will be hit, because every year there are so many. I pray for patience and peace…and for the ability to accept come what may. In the bigger picture beyond Kansas…that prayer applies as well.

Stay safe and enjoy this exciting time to come. It’s spring!

A Quick Thought

Snow on Daffodils, etc.

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By now, most of the nation has heard of the wildfires in Oklahoma and Kansas. Yes, they were close to us…about an hour or so away. One day last week, the smoke was very bad from the fires, drifting northeast and blanketing many small towns. Thankfully, no fatal injuries have been reported, and with the snow on Easter Sunday, I think the fires are out.

Snow on Easter Sunday. Growing up in Colorado made this a possibility many times. But, it would always melt quickly and then we would be back on the road to spring. Yesterday morning brought more snow to our area than we had seen all winter. And it was beautiful! By the end of the day, it was all melted and back to the 50’s again, but it was wonderful and surprising while it lasted.

So, last  night after Easter dinner and all the candy, etc. we went on a walk. There is an area my husband likes to walk…mainly because it is more secluded, with trees lining the road and not so busy. I really do like those aspects of that route as well, but early in the morning, or close to dark is a bit nerve racking for me. You never know what may be lurking in the cover of the trees, be it animal or human. His preferred walking area is the rail trail about a block from our house. Again…not my choice for the above reasons. In the summer, the poison ivy is rampant and I only have to hear about it to start itching and break out in a rash.

These pictures were taken a week or so ago on our walk along the route my husband prefers. It was a beautiful spring morning, and I wanted to capture that. I love walking beside the lake. Each time we go, the lake is different, depending on the sun, time of day, and wind. Water is unique in that way.

And no, there was no candy for me. For three weeks now I have had no carbs or sugar and only non-fat dairy. Yes, the day was difficult…but I have felt so much better, it has been worth it. Now to just keep away from all the left-over stuff! Have a great Monday!

A Day to Remember

Happy Resurrection Day!

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Tomorrow we celebrate Christ’s Resurrection. Remember that it’s not about the bunnies, the eggs or how much chocolate you eat. It is about what He has done for us. This song I am sharing from libbyallensongs says it very simply. Tomorrow, as you enjoy your family and friends, sunrise service, egg hunt and way more chocolate than you should…remember what Christ sacrificed for us. Most importantly, remember that He rose again and is seated at the right hand of the Father!

No infringement intended. Only sharing a song. Please go to libbyallensongs for more of her music. Thank you!

Writing

Inspiration

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Every writer has a kaleidoscope of images sifting through their mind as they write. For me, reading and writing as always been as a sort of ‘movie’ playing in my head. I see the characters…their hair color and clothing, and the setting of the story. It could be a certain season or a city,  a house, or all of the combined. If music is mention, that song plays through my brain, the tune very clear. I would imagine that it is the same for most people, or books would not be so popular! Writers just take it a bit further.

I have known writers that keep pictures of their characters above their desk. It could be an actor, or just a picture that evokes that character. Sometimes they have pictures of the house, the town or whatever season it is pinned near their writing space to keep them in that ‘scene’. I personally do not keep pictures of my characters, but they are in my mind, very clear and precise. I DO keep many notes on each character. If there is a house, I draw a floor plan and either draw or find a picture that is similar to that house.  If there is a town, I have a layout of it.

So it was with Rubyville. I had a wonderful time taking lots of pictures of my ‘Rubyville’. I also had lots of help. Thank you to all my family that contributed their skills in this process. No, the town is not on the cover, and our youngest’s desire to have a horse in a paddock didn’t make it either. But it was a lot of fun creating it. I will have those pictures I painted, framed and put up in my office…and I will always have a visual of Rubyville for each season. And yes, that is an inspiration to me.

After writing the first two books in the series, Julia Ryan created the covers. Now that has been an inspiration to me! She has captured the Barton family women, the essence of each story. I see those colors, the flowers…and it inspires me to write. They make me feel happy and put a huge smile on my face. I think you will agree. www.DesignByJulia.com

Writing

A Place to Call Home

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Where do you call home? And is that a particular country, state, city or rural community you live in? This question has many answers…and here is a bit of academics thrown at you on a Monday morning…there are many sub-points. I used to groan and open up my notebook when the teacher made that comment when I was in school. You knew the deluge was coming!

Much to my very excited surprise…the new cover is here on my blog this morning!!! Yippee!!! I thought I was going to have to do something…but Amazon was one step ahead of me. Ta-da…and it’s done! And isn’t it just gorgeous!? I LOVE this cover and I am SO excited to see what Julia Ryan is going to do with the next three! Please be advised, if the back cover is still showing blue and white, rather than a continuation of the front cover, it will change. I am still waiting for that, and they said 3-5 business days. The back cover is just as gorgeous as the front cover. Julia did an excellent job! Thank you, so very much, dear friend.

I began the Rubyville series out of a desire to remember all the small towns across Kansas that sit abandoned and hopeless looking. It seems so very sad to me that these places are only remembered by the elderly and when they are gone, most of the memories will be as well. These towns dot the Kansas landscape and they were once vital, thriving communities. Many people called these towns home at one time. Their houses were there, they shopped and collected mail, went to church on Sunday morning. Sometimes, more often than not, generations of a family resided in this one town for all their lives. They called that town, ‘home’, and they were very content to live out their days there.

The Rubyville series follows the women of the Barton family. William Barton founded Rubyville in 1863. He was in the railroad business…very lucrative for some during that time period. The series of books follows his daughter, Annabella and the next three generations as they live their lives. The books concentrate on the strong women in the family, after all, this is Women’s Christian Fiction! Yes, they each venture outside the confines of Rubyville, but they always return…wanting A Place to Call Home, A Place of Refuge, A Place to Heal and A Place in My Heart.

So where is your place to call home? Is it only a location on the map, or a place in your heart with special memories of family and friends? I know mine is that special place in my heart…and it doesn’t really matter where it is on the map.

Be sure to check out Julia’s site here: Julia Ryan / www.DesignByJulia.com

You may purchase my first book, To Thee I’m Wed through Amazon, as well as Rubyville, A Place to Call Home. These two books are also on Good Reads. The second book in the series, A Place of Refuge, is coming soon! So be on the look out! Thank you to those that have been so supportive by purchasing my books and leaving reviews! Reviews are cherished by an author, and give them feedback from you, the reader. So PLEASE review! It is greatly appreciated. Have a fantastic week!