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Encouraged

September 22, 2015Writing, , 2

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The last couple of weeks have been odd.

On the one hand, it’s been a very long time since I’ve been this frustrated, discouraged, and exhausted with my volunteer job. I was overwhelmed and frustrated in summer 2013 when I first took the job, but I expected it then. I mean, I was still in the midst of my long, dark tea-time of the soul (thanks, Douglas Adams, for that phrase; I use it often), and so pretty much everything was frustrating, overwhelming, discouraging, etc. But I got over that and had a pretty good couple of years… until recently. Let’s just say that it’s become crystal clear that it is time for me to step down as a leader. Either I am really not a good fit for this job, or else I’m just really, really tired. It’s probably a bit of both.

But on the other hand… I have experienced a new surge of encouragement from the world of Christian artists. (more…)

School, Yarn, and Books

September 15, 2015Personal, Uncategorized, , , 4

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The last two weeks have just about killed me.

School is officially in session for all four kids. The youngest started on September 1, the freshman started on the 8th, and the junior and the 7th grader started on the 9th. And it’s been quite a ride so far. The oldest three went from a small private school to a large public high school and medium-sized public middle school. All the kid activities are in full swing, too. Lots of changes–lots of stress. We’re still working on settling everything down.

On top of those things, our freezer is dying, and the kids’ bathroom has a leak somewhere around the bathtub. We haven’t found it yet. I’d move, but the quality of the neighborhood has taken a nose dive, and I don’t see it improving any time soon. Plus, moving with four kids just really isn’t appealing at all.

But the biggest thing is that I seem to keep bumping up against conflict every time I turn around right now. (more…)

Changes… Again…

August 15, 2015Writing, 4

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I hope this is the last time I have to tell you guys there are changes. But to be candid, I doubt it. Life is, after all, an exercise in change and adaptation.

This time, the changes are good… I hope.

To backtrack a bit…

I had to do a bit of soul-searching again this summer. I went to an American Heritage Girls convention, and it was fantastic. But I came away challenged to evaluate the position of AHG in my life, and it didn’t fare well in the long run.

Don’t get me wrong. I love AHG. (more…)

A CBA Hero

July 23, 2015Writing, 2

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My friend Jamie Greening recently shared this picture on Facebook:

Christian publishing

First of all, HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! It’s funny because it’s (sort of) true.

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The Truth

July 16, 2015Uncategorized, Writing, 2

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Summer is always interesting. They call it “summer break,” but I think that only applies to the kids. I have never been busier. I went straight from the frantic pace of school year-end ceremonies, activities, parties, field trips, and the like to the frantic pace of summer. It’s been non-stop since mid-June. I’ve had three campouts (well, the third one is this weekend), one trip to Indiana, doctor’s appointments, vacation Bible school, recharter work for my AHG troop, and the usual everyday minutiae to keep me inundated for over a month now.

Needless to say, writing has taken a backseat. Well, more accurately, writing is a tin can dragging from the rear bumper of a rickety trailer at the end of a car moving at breakneck speed down I-5.

However…

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Reluctance

May 18, 2015Writing, 8

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At the risk of repeating myself . . .

Here I am again, five months after my last post wondering how this much time went by. I have to be candid—I pretty much forgot I even had a blog. Apparently, when you finally remember you have a blog after months away from it, you have to clear a lot of spam. A LOT of spam.

Things have changed a bit. When I first published this website and blog about a year ago, I had every intention of returning to freelance commercial writing. (more…)

Managing the Limp

December 1, 2014Personal, Writing, , , 4

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So fall is almost gone.

Clearly, I have not managed to get back on the blogging bandwagon at all since emerging from my cave. Forgive me. I will make this a goal in 2015: “Blog more than once per season.”

Today I am busy catching up on administrative work for my two volunteer positions, but as I work on the mundane, I’m also meditating on my faith journey of the last two years.

For those who don’t know, I had a bit of a “crash” in August 2012. (more…)

Begin Again

September 8, 2014Business, Personal, Writing, , , , , 2

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Well.

It’s September.

How did that happen?

I don’t know what happened to my summer. It blew by in a whirlwind of errands, appointments, campouts, projects, events, and kid ferrying endeavors. What quiet moments I did have were spent largely on volunteer work. (more…)

I Am “N”

August 10, 2014Personal, , 0

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letter N“If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.” – John 15:18-19, NASB

This is a hard post for me to write.

It’s not because I’m ashamed of what I am. I’m not.

It’s not because I fear retribution. I don’t.

It’s not because I think I will lose business or audience. I might, but I’m okay with that.

No, this is a hard post for me to write because I’m a nice person.

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Changes

July 25, 2014Writing, , 12

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“We write to taste life twice.” — Anais Nin

Review

I don’t know where the time goes.

It’s been more than two months since I posted anything here. There are dozens of reasons for my lapse, but they can largely be summed up in one word: motherhood.

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