Archives for July 2009

Summer Fun — My "No Real Post" Top Ten

July 8, 2009 by 11 Comments

Time for some summer fun with my blog. Since writing meaningful posts twice a week can be a challenge at times, I’m giving myself permission to kick back and just have some fun.

Actually, Mike Hyatt, CEO of Thomas Nelson, handed down that permission with his 8 Blog Tips from Tim Ferriss post. Tip #7 encourages bloggers to keep it fun, and I love it when I find advice that’s not too technologically challenging for me to follow :)

So today I give you my Top Ten Reasons (some might call them excuses) for No Real Post:

10. I’m a gal who’s always up for some fun.

9. Vacation is next week so might as well start it a few days early.

8. Counting on this not taking as much writing time as a real post.

7. Agent Rachelle Gardner did it so I figure I can, too (thanks for the idea, Rachelle!).

6. Waiting to see what news story the media will beat to death next.

5. Making time to avoid writing by arranging my paper clips and the like (writers will understand this!).

4. Marathon Man has finally crashed, and now I can’t think for his snoring.

3. Trying to lose 3 or 4 pounds so I can splurge on vacation — am dark chocolate and Peanut M&M deprived and too on edge to concentrate.

2. My competitive nature just wanted to see if I could hang with David Letterman.

1. Too busy celebrating — just found out about a Harry & David store near our vacation destination! Chocolate truffles, here I come!

So what would be on your Top Ten list for taking a break from your regular routine? Go ahead — have some fun! I give you permission :)

“Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy…” Psalm 126:2a

p.s. See how I couldn’t resist giving you something meaningful from the Word of God? Can’t help it — it’s who I am! :)

Filed Under: advice, blogs, fun, summer

Remembering Those Who Aren’t So Free — Persecuted Christians

July 5, 2009 by 2 Comments

131909627_f67ae7dc8b_zAs we celebrated the birth of our nation this past weekend and enjoyed the privilege of living in the land of the free, I couldn’t help but think about those who are not so free. Those around the world living each day in nations where their governments restrict — or allow the restriction of — their freedoms. Among them are persecuted Christians.

It’s almost beyond what our minds can grasp. Since here in America we’ve always known the freedom to worship as we please, we can’t imagine what it must be like for fellow believers and followers of Christ who in some nations risk their very lives by any public show of faith in Him. Many die — some at the hands of their own families.

Those who don’t lose their lives are often imprisoned or beaten. Many are rejected by their communities as well as their families. Their livelihoods are threatened as no one will do business with them. Most cannot meet openly as a church or freely have a Bible in their possession. You can learn more about the plight of persecuted Christians through The Voice of the Martyrs, a non-profit inter-denominational Christian organization involved in assisting our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ around the world.

We can also learn more by staying in touch with missionaries in nations where religious freedom is restricted. Our church body partners with a missionary couple who minister to other missionaries throughout North Africa and the Middle East. It suddenly puts a face on the problem when we hear first-hand some of the atrocities our brothers and sisters endure.

It seems fitting that as we rejoice in our own freedom of religion, we take time to remember and pray for those who long for such freedom. God’s Word tells us about persecuted people of faith in Bible times and says, “the world was not worthy of them…” (Hebrews 11:38). I believe the same could be said today.

Join me today, won’t you? Let’s remember… and pray!

“Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.” Hebrews 13:3

Flickr photo by Bertoz, Creative Commons License

Filed Under: America, church, holidays, international, prayer

Keeping It Real…Rejected but Pressing On

July 1, 2009 by 5 Comments

308472054_269c94fa37Remember the celebration I threw for myself a couple of weeks ago? You know, the one where I told you about my recent successes on the writing front? Well, it didn’t take long for that run of good luck to come to a screeching halt. Today I’m keeping it real and fessing up to the other side of a writer’s life — rejection.

In the 2 1/2 weeks since I announced my good news, two rejections have torpedoed me back to reality — and they’ve arrived in record time, I might add. Those of you who are my Facebook friends might have caught the rejection report about the piece I submitted to a back page column of a major women’s magazine. That one came back so fast the mailman had to run to keep up with it. Given the fact the magazine guidelines required snail mail and it had to go to New York and back, I seriously don’t know how it had time to make it to an editor’s desk. Shoot, I think it got rejected in the mail room.

Don’t worry about me, though. I know rejection goes with a writer’s territory and am well experienced with it, in fact. I’m not getting down — not yet anyway. However, if rejections keep arriving at the rate of one per week, I can’t guarantee how long my positive attitude will last :)

Writers must put on perseverance every day. It’s a basic part of a writer’s wardrobe. It ranks right up there with hard work and a teachable spirit. I wouldn’t want to venture out without the vital accessory of encouragement, either. I certainly appreciated the mini pep rally several of you gave me via Facebook when you read my rejection status report. Encouragement is the sweetest medicine I know.

Who else needs the encouragement to persevere today? Let me be the first to offer it. After all, perseverance works. Without it, I could never have had that little celebration a couple of weeks ago. Without it, this blog post would never have been written. Remember, the Lord gives us the strength to persevere. How about it? Let’s press on together!

“You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” Hebrews 10:36

*Flickr photo by footage, Creative Commons License

Filed Under: fighter, perseverance, writing
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