I'm going through a whole new season of my life ... and it's one of reconnecting. This year I've met FOUR 1/2 sisters I hadn't met before. (FUN!) But I also have been trying to reconnect with people who mean a lot to me, but I haven't talked to in a while.
I've called up cousins I hadn't talked to in ages. I've reconnect with friends from high school, one from the cheerleading squad and another who was in some of my classes.
The other day I also decided to call a friend out of the blue. Jamie was the first teen mom I mentored. She is an awesome person and I was even there when her daughter was born! Margo is five now, but they both still have a special place in my heart.
Anyway, I called Jamie and we're having lunch tomorrow. It was so great to talk to her, and it has reminded me NOT to get so busy with "stuff" that I forget to reach out to the people I care about.
So, how about you?! Is there anyone you can reconnect with? Someone that's a positive influence in your life? Someone you've missed being around?
Yesterday a great fall bloggy giveaway started. As of Monday night at 10 p.m., more than 350 blogs were participating. And everything is free! I don't know about you, but I love free. I love surprises. I love the feeling that something good could happen. The giveaways are heartfelt. Others are amazing. Many are hand-crafted and absolutely gorgeous. So where do I find these wonderful gifts you ask?
There you'll find the list of participants. Pop through the ones that catch your eye. All you have to do for most of them is leave a comment asking to be entered. Sounds like a great way to start Christmas shopping to me.
And while you're at it, pop by my blog to be entered in the drawing for an autographed copy of Canteen Dreams http://carasmusings.blogspot.com/2007/10/bloggy-giveaway-canteen-dreams.html . I promise next week I'll have a more traditional post, but I had to share this with all you moms. Many of the giveaways will take you to blogs of other moms, and I've enjoyed glancing through them. There are some great blogs out there. Happy hunting!
Book titles: Bloggable: Fifty of the best MOMMY chronicles found on-line Bloggable: Fifty of the best MARRIAGE chronicles found on-line Bloggable: Fifty of the best FRIENDSHIP chronicles found on-line Bloggable: Fifty of the best HUMOR chronicles found on-line
Concept: The best blogs now in a book!
This is a book that will compile the best of the best inspirational blogs on the world-wide-web. Submissions should be inspiring, faith-filled, and based on true experiences—no fiction, please. Think of comment-worthy blogs readers forward to their friends.
Blogs must be previously published on the Internet and submitted by the author. If you have a favorite blog you've read, pass on these guidelines and encourage the blogger to submit!
1. Send submissions to tricia@thegoyers.com as an attached WORD document in 12-point Times new Roman font. (Up to three submission per blogger.)
2. Please include the author’s name, your blog address, and contact information on the first page of every submission.
3. Blog submissions should be non-fiction, ranging in length between 300-1200 words.
4. If your blog is published in this book, you will be paid $50 upon publication and two free copies of the book.
5. Please include a link to your story published on the Internet.
6. When you submit, you will be asked to sign a release form, giving me permission to use your blog. Submissions will not be considered until the release form is signed and returned.
The Forever Quest is geared exactly to boys 8-14. It's an ongoing adventure story, an allegory of the armor of God, with a new episode posted every Monday morning. There are already 20-some episodes online, so he'll have quite a bit of reading to catch up to the current episode. He can get started here by clicking on the book: http://www.theforeverquest.com/
I know they’re important, especially now that I’m teaching my kids at home. It’s right up there with love language. I need to learn how to speak to and teach my kids in a way that is easy for them to grasp.
So how do you figure out a child’s learning style? Take me for instance. Okay, so I’m not 12 anymore, but I had to laugh when I took a learning style test. I answered yes to both of these stsatements “I need to hear instructions” and “I need to read instructions.” Now those two options are supposed to be mutually exclusive, but for me they aren’t.
I take voracious notes when sitting in a lecture or listening to a sermon. I always remember twice as much that way. But just reading or just listening isn’t as effective. I need to interact with the material both ways. So me thinks I’m visual with auditory leanings. Then I look at another test and think maybe I’m a kinesthetic learner. Yikes!
Then there’s my daughter. I’m trying, really I am, to figure out how she learns best. She’s almost a fluent reader, but at this point 90% of what we do is auditory, because I’m still reading aloud to her. So I have to quiz her to see what she absorbed. Fortunately, she’s got a quick mind and good recall. But when it comes to math, I often have to visually demonstrate principles to her.
So what’s a parent to do? How have you learned to work with your child/children’s learning styles to make them successful in the classroom and life? For an interesting summary on learning styles, check out this page. And here’s a great chart from Cynthia Tobias to use with your child’s teacher.
My friend Camy interviewed me for her blog. Be sure to check out her new book, Sushi for One! Oh...and I have to let you know that she gives away Christian fiction all the time and right now she's giving away an iPod Nano! Hurry on over and visit the contest page on her website for more information.
1. What's your favorite chapter in My Life, Unscripted and why?
My favorite chapter is the one in which I share my salvation story, because from that moment my life is forever changed. It's Chapter 15 ... Titled Fantasy: Truly Out of This World.
It's amazing that I'm now able to share all my mess ups without totally freaking out. In fact, I share them because I also share the HOPE found in Christ.
2. What movie(s) would be your life?
The Parent Trap--I met FOUR sisters last year. The Princess Bride--God rescued me when I was trapped by the enemy. A Walk in the Clouds--God gave me my husband John as a gift to me and my son, Cory.
3. What movie(s) would be MY life, in your opinion? :)
Camy Tang's life ... Evan Almighty. God told you to do something BIG for Him. You followed ... And now you have monkeys like me following you around :-)
4.You and me are Thelma and Louise (well, without the abusive husband and bad family lives). Where would we go on our road trip and why?
Oooh, let's go back in time to 1940 San Francisco. We can write an Asian, historical story about amazing women who do great things for the war. Sound good?!
5. All the ice cream in the store has melted. What do you do and why? I clean it up! I wipe everything down ... I'm a neat freak. My husband's afraid to get out of bed at night because he's afraid I'm going to make the bed while he's gone!
You're off the hotseat! Any parting words?
I love Camy Tang! I'm thrilled God put you as a supporting character in my script!
All of us have a problem with comparing. How do we deal with it? (Revised from Tricia’s book Generation NeXt Parenting.)
1. Discover your passion . . . and be okay with it. I love this passage I read recently in the book Rise Up With a Listening Heart: “Looking for renewal in our lives, sometimes we miss the obvious: where our real passion and love lie. Grace is present there. How easy it is to follow other people’s scripts, busying ourselves with books and seminars detailing how we should become fulfilled and renewed—and all the while ignore what really energizes us. Why are we so afraid of following our deepest passion? Perhaps we fear failing . . . Hope allows us to accept the risk of committing all our energies to what gives us life, confident that wherever it leads us will be worth the effort.” [i]
Just as each of us realize our kids are special and unique, we need to accept this for ourselves. We won’t do everything well, and we shouldn’t expect ourselves too. “Be sure to do what you should, for then you will enjoy the personal satisfaction of having done your work well,” says Galatians 6:4, “and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. For we are each responsible for our own conduct” (NLT). As long as I can stand before my Maker and see pleasure in His eyes, why do I wonder about what others think . . . or worry I don’t measure up? When I seek God, do what He asks, find joy where my passion lies, and feel His pleasure, then comparisons won’t matter.
2. Cultivate a Quiet Heart. Marketers make us feel inferior as they flash images of ideal parents, ideal people, on television screens and in print media. Instead of being content with who we are, we make mental lists of what we are not. Instead of being content with what God has given us, we chide ourselves for not doing more and being more.
“God, I’m not trying to rule the roost, I don’t want to be king of the mountain. I haven’t meddled where I have no business or fantasized grandiose plans,” says Psalm 131:1-2. “I’ve kept my feet on the ground, I’ve cultivated a quiet heart. Like a baby content in its mother’s arms, my soul is a baby content.” (The Message) I remember the peaceful smile when one of my children cuddled deep in my arms, feeling the warmth and peace, and listening to my heartbeat. We need to do the same. God’s arms are open to us, and He wants nothing more than for us to be content there. We don’t need to be king of the mountain, queen of the slim and beautiful, prince of the popular, or princess of grandiose plans. Through prayer and focus on God, our quiet hearts will remind us He is enough.
3. Conform to Christ. “Conforming to the image of God is a long and steady process of internal change as we abide in Christ. People simply do not change overnight, nor can they be forced to do so,” write Neil Anderson and Robert Saucy, authors of The Common Made Holy. “Abiding in Christ is being yoked to the gentle Jesus (Matthew 11:29).” [ii]
When our eyes are focused on Jesus, then we will view the people around us in our peripheral vision at best. We may see things that need to be changed in order to be more like Jesus, but the good news is they will be things we aren’t expected to accomplish in our own strength. When Jesus points out areas we are lacking, He will also be faithful to guide us and empower us as we join in step with Him.
Chapter 21 [i] The Monks of New Skete, Rise Up With a Listening Heart (Yorkville Press, New York, 2004) p. 37 [ii] Neil Anderson and Robert Saucy, The Common Made Holy (Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, Oregon, 1997)
Every year almost one million girls from ages 13-18 give birth to a child in the US. Do you happen to know one of these young women? Perhaps you know more than one. If so, I wanted to let you know of some FREE stuff that can help.
First of all, I have a FREE curriculum for people who are interested in gathering young women together for support and encouragement. You can download it and make as many copies as you need. It gives you ideas for either weekly or bi-monthly meetings: http://www.triciagoyer.com/cmsdocuments/LifeInterruptedDG.pdf
You can also find out more information for starting a group at: www.MOPS.org/teen MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) provides many resources--many of them FREE to the young moms.
If you aren't interested in starting a group, but you know a pregnant or parenting girl, consider buying her a copy of Life Interrupted: The Scoop on Being a Young Mom. I also have a new book for teen girls, My Life, Unscripted. It would be a great resource to help a young women SCRIPT better choices for her future. My Life, Unscripted has discussion questions in the back--perfect for a group setting or individual reflection. You can find both at: http://www.triciagoyer.com/
There is one more way you can get FREE books into the hands of young women. Consider asking local churches and Christian businesses to "sponser" a book. This which means they buy a book, write a message in the front, and donated it to the your group or to the young women you know. It connects those who want to give with those who need the help and encouragement.
Ever wonder how God could have a purpose for you? Then take heart...
For years doctors have thought the appendix had no function in the body. I can remember in high school talking about the organs that scientists used to think were unimportant, but that we now know serve a purpose. About the only things left on the unknown list were the appendix and wisdom teeth. Now, I don't know that I'll every understand wisdom teeth! Ouch!
But researchers at Duke have hypothesized a purpose for the appendix. USAToday carried a great article on the research. According to their theories, the appendix serves as a back-up system for the good bacteria that our bodies need.
Personally, I find this fascinating. If you believe that God created life and humans like I do, then you know there has to be a purpose for everything. And I love the way He slowly reveals it over time. Each year He peels back another layer, yet the mysteries of the world are still limitless. He is so much bigger than we could ever imagine and His creation is amazing.
Even something as small and unimportant looking as the appendix as a divine purpose. And if God cared enough to make sure that even that tiny organ had a special job, then He certainly will do the same for you. All you have to do is read Jeremiah 29:11 to see that.
Cara C. Putman Canteen Dreams -- October 2007; Sandhill Dreams -- May 2008 and Captive Dreams -- September 2008 (Heartsong Presents) Deadly Exposure -- June 2008 (LI Suspense) The Law, Life & Books: http://carasmusings.blogspot.com Original Writer for Jake Tremaine at Scenes & Beans: http://kannerlake.blogspot.com
Through a break in the clouds I caught a brief glimpse of sunlight while heading out to get some last-minute groceries. I was pushing myself to do this one final errand for the day, exhausted and only half aware as the streets slid by. The sky was drearily overcast, the kind of unbroken gray cloud cover typical this time of year. But driving west the gray haze suddenly broke open to reveal a beautiful sight. The clouds were fantastically lit from behind with the sun blazing radiantly through them.
I was mesmerized, staring ahead at the unexpected vision, waiting for the traffic light to turn so I could. In my mind-numbed condition, even my thoughts were reduced to monosyllabic grunting. “Nice sky” grappled with “Need food”. A notion, fleeting as a sunbeam in Syracuse, surfaced. “What if?” it asked. “What if? I didn’t turn left, didn’t go to the store, but instead kept on going straight and chased after that beautiful sunset?” How far could I travel before the sun was swallowed up by the night? My car could never move fast enough to keep it always before me. Wishful thinking. But I realized that it was based on a deeper longing within me. The endless gray skies I drove under seemed to mirror the dull grayness I felt inside myself.
When we run on empty we tend to grasp at anything to keep us going - even wishful thinking. A simple sunset moved me so much, but I know that its beauty pointed to something greater, to Someone greater. In the beauty of nature God often allows us glimpses of Himself to draw our sight upward and onto Him.
I came across a phrase in an article recently that really hit home: “Living careless and prayerless.” You can’t expect to drive on the spiritual scenic route without finding your purpose and meaning in the Lord. I wanted to chase after that sunset, that intangible thing, because I had lost my focus on God. But I know that if I put my whole heart and mind into seeking Him, then my attitude should surely follow. As I truly follow the Son.
I must be bored (not) and rich (totally not)...because I'm having another contest!
Yep, that's right...a C-O-N-T-E-S-T!
(Details on the OTHER contest -- for teens! here!)
This contest runs from September 16 through October 26 !
Here's the SCOOP!
Did you live your teen years unscripted? Or did you think it through and make wise choices? Write a sample script from your teen years (I know--scary!) and post it along with information about my book on your blog! Your script could be where you make a good choice ... or a not so good one. Also share how God's Word helps you as you script your life today!
The person with most creative blog post during the tour will win a gift basket which includes starbucks coffee, amazon gift card, an itunes gift card, and more. There will also be 5 runner up small gift baskets.
Oh...wait! There's one more contest! Ha!
If you sign up for my newsletter here between now and Oct. 12, you'll be entered to win all of my fiction books (6 books!)
I've just returned from the ACFW conference in Dallas. My head is still spinning with everything I learned, the opportunities that presented themselves, and the wonderful people I got to meet.
This conference was unique because I was responsible for parts of it and presenting. Now, I'm an attorney, so talking is never a problem. Hand me a microphone and away I go.
The challenge is making sure I have anything meaningful to say!
Each ACFW conference I've attended has had an unique flavor. In Nashville, I was the newbie soaking in every detail and technique I could. Dallas 2006 I received my first contract and spent the rest of the conference waiting for everyone to figure out a huge mistake had been made.
This year, at Dallas 2007, I was in a new position. This time I had four contracts, but no books out yet. I still have tons to learn, and my goal was to introduce myself to a couple editors to learn more about their houses' needs and get permission to have my agent submit a proposal when I finally complete it.
God blew me away. There is huge potential coming out of this conference. So big that I am humbled -- trusting God knows what He is doing. Trying to hang on for all I am worth.
And He has challenged me to step back and take time in the next two weeks -- while I wait for my agent to return -- to dream with Him. God has blown past my original dream of writing a book that somebody would read. Now I need to discover His next dream for me.
You see, I don't want to step one centimeter outside of His will. I want to run with Him into whatever the future holds. Even when I feel unworthy and unprepared. I think He's trying to get me to realize those are the best spots to be. Then I have no choice but to rely on Him. How cool is that!
At the core of it, this weekend was about God telling me to dream bigger than I've dared. When was the last time you dared to dream? And not just dream, but the kind of dreams that almost seem presumptuous to think? I truly believe we don't ask God for enough. He wants to do so much in our lives, but we are often content to ask for a crumb of cake when he wants to give us the entire bakery.
If you're still reading, please pray that God would flood me with wisdom and creativity like I've never experienced. Thank you!
Cara C. Putman Canteen Dreams -- October 2007; Sandhill Dreams -- May 2008 and Captive Dreams -- September 2008 (Heartsong Presents) Deadly Exposure -- June 2008 (LI Suspense) The Law, Life & Books: http://carasmusings.blogspot.com Original Writer for Jake Tremaine at Scenes & Beans: http://kannerlake.blogspot.com
This was sent to be my freind Vonda and I thought I'd share it with you:
Sarah Anne Sumpolec and I are co-directors of an awesome opportunity for 16-18-year-olds and we’re trying to get the word out about it. It’s a subset of the new Gideon Media Arts Conference and Film Festival for adults, but this is specifically for teens. Since it’s about teaching teens how to promote a Christian worldview through the media (screenwriting, directing, producing, television, movies, radio), and your new book was about the scripting of their lives, I thought perhaps you might mention it somewhere along the way.
As you’ll see below, the window of opportunity for the students to apply is October 15 through December 15 for the April 2008 conference, so we need to get the word out ASAP.
It’s truly an opportunity for committed teens to learn from some of the best in the Christian media arts industry.
The Gideon Media Arts Conference and Film Festival—Where Art and Purpose Meet
The Gideon Media Arts Conference and Film Festival (www.lifeway.com/gideonmediaarts) is a five-day conference for anyone interested in promoting a Christian worldview through the creative/media arts. Within this conference, Sarah Anne Sumpolec and I are honored to be co-directors of the Gideon Intern program for students 16 to 18 years old. We are excited about the opportunity for selected students to learn from some of the most notable Christian leaders in the movie, television, film, radio, and church drama industry. Participation in this program will be by invitation only. Applications will be accepted October 15 through December 15.
We would appreciate your help in getting this information to Christian and homeschooling students across the country. Please feel to contact me with any questions.
Tricia Goyer is the author of thirty books including Songbird Under a German Moon, The Swiss Courier, and the mommy memoir, Blue Like Play Dough. She won Historical Novel of the Year in 2005 and 2006 from ACFW, and was honored with the Writer of the Year award from Mt. Hermon Writer's Conference in 2003. Tricia's book Life Interrupted was a finalist for the Gold Medallion in 2005. In addition to her novels, Tricia writes non-fiction books and magazine articles for publications like MomSense and Thriving Family. Tricia is a regular speaker at conventions and conferences, and has been a workshop presenter at the MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) International Conventions. She and her family make their home in Little Rock, Arkansas where they are part of the ministry of FamilyLife.
Tricia Goyer here ...
