Month: February 2018

My Faith

5 minute Friday — BEAUTY–The beauty of a cup of water given in Jesus’ name

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“I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward.”
 Mark 9:41

There is BEAUTY in thinking of and in doing for others.  From the greatest of tasks to the the smallest of tasks, acting in kindness towards others matters and it is BEAUTIFUL.

In the last several weeks I have been the recipient of several refreshing cups of water.

  • Snowpants, lent to me so that our family could have a beautiful day on the slopes near our home (Yes, there is skiing in Indiana.  It is called Perfect North)  
  •  A handwritten note to tell me that someone was praying for me
  •  An invitation from a friend for coffee and conversation
  •  A text message, sent to say a friend was prompted to pray for me

                                       

You may not think it’s much, but when you are the recipient of such blessings, it means the world.

I pray that God rewards each person for the kindness and beauty they showed me.

Now its my turn to go out and do the same for others.

Who’s thirsty? 

Author life

Shout out to students! (And one in particular who helped me with this blog design)

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A big shout out to one of the students in my S.M.A.R.T period —you know who you are— 🙂 who helped me attach my banner to this Blogger template. I have been wanting to get my banner the same over all of my social media outlets. Twitter, Blog, Facebook, and Instagram. But I lacked the know-how.

Each Monday I have a group of students that gathers for what is called S.M.A.R.T period. Essentially a study hall/ or homeroom where we may take care of essential announcements, standardized testing, and the like. One day, as we were talking about school scheduling, he showed the class something that he had created for the school catalog. A brilliant web design. To put it mildly, this student has a bright future in anything/everying tech related!

So over the next few weeks I worked up my courage to ask him for help. He not only knew what to do, he had the issue solved it within a matter of minutes.

I am forever grateful!

Students.  Technology is their thing.

What I learned:  Don’t be afraid to ask them for help!

Book Review and Author Interviews

Introducing…Easter Love Letters from God by Glenys Nellist

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This wonderful new book in the Love Letters from God series is another treasure, helping children to understand the depth and significance of the Easter holiday.
It is divided into 7 sections emphasizing different elements of the Easter story, each with a note to the reader from God, helping to apply each lesson to his/her life.
The sections are:
King of Kings–the Ride into Jerusalem
What Love Looks Like–Washing Feet
The Secret Supper–Last Supper
The Gloomy Garden–Gethsemane
The Darkest Day–Crucifixion
The Quiet Cave–Burial
The Super Surprise–Resurrection
I loved the depiction of Jesus showing what love looks like, washing the disciples’ feet.
I loved the pages that described heaven and how to get there.  
And most of all I loved the description of God working inside the tomb. 
“But inside that quiet cave God was working. If you tried to peek inside, you couldn’t see anything. If you stood outside and put your ear to the big stone, you couldn’t hear anything. If you tried to imagine what was happening, you couldn’t. But inside, God was doing something utterly amazing. Something only God could do.”
I love Glenys’ writing because although it is written for children, I still find a take-a-way for myself as an adult, too.  
I am in a season of waiting for God.  I need to believe that even though I can’t see it, hear it, or imagine it, HE IS AT WORK!  
Thanks Glenys, for your writing. It touches and encourages souls of all ages.
I would highly recommend buying this book for any little readers in your home!
Glenys is the coordinator of Children’s Ministry for the West Michigan Conference of the United Methodist Church. She is Zondervan children’s book author of twelve titles including two popular series: Love Letters from God and Snuggle Time. Glenys is a writer with a passion for God, her family, and children’s ministry.
Glenys on Twitter: @GlenysNellist

Author life

Whole30…I’m on day 15!

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My husband and I are on day 15 of the Whole30.  It has been a very interesting exercise in will power!

And an education in cooking and buying new products to use to cook!

My favorite dishes so far that we have tried:

Pineapple Firecracker Chicken  served over Cauliflower fried rice.

Lemon Thyme Roasted Sole and Asparagus

Chile Lime Fish Taco Bowls

Pizza Potato Skins

Foods I miss:

Not that many, really.  Mainly my snacks.  15 days to go!

Author life

I joined a critique group

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I joined a writing critique group that meets twice a month. I have attended twice so far. I really enjoyed getting to know other authors, hearing about their writing journeys, and listening to what they are working on.

Last night I even shared something I have been working on since my trip to Prague.  The seed of the idea started then, but I have been tweaking and revising it off and on. I think it is almost ready.

It was such an encouragement to hear the feedback and ideas from the authors in the group. And helpful!

I can’t wait to attend again. I highly recommend critique groups!