Archives for October 2010

Getting Lost

October 31, 2010 by 3 Comments

“[Paul] was…praying one day in the Temple, lost in the presence of God…” Acts 22:17, The Message Remix

Oh, to be lost in the presence of God as we pray… How precious are those times when we’re so caught up in Him and in our communion with Him that everything else seems to melt away.

Don’t you wish that every time of prayer could find you lost in the presence of God? If you’re like me, though, other things compete for and distract from the kind of undivided attention, love, and devotion needed to be truly lost in His presence.

Instead, you may find yourself lost in the presence of the worries of the day or simply the details of certain pressing tasks. Or perhaps, like me, as you quiet your mind and approach a time of prayer, you have a tendency to become too introspective and get tied up in yourself rather than caught up in God.

Such are the challenges of spending time in prayer. If you struggle with similar problems in prayer, don’t give up. Join me in training our eyes to look away from the worries and the details, to look away from self. Let’s turn our eyes to Jesus and keep them there. Let’s go get lost in the presence of God.

“But my eyes are fixed on you, O Sovereign LORD; in you I take refuge…” Psalm 141:8

*Flickr photo by kelsey_lovefusionphoto

*The Life Notes Subscriber Appreciation Giveaway is still underway. Details are in my Oct. 10 post and sign-up is to the right. Don’t miss out on the chance to win a $25 gift card to Barnes & Noble!

Filed Under: challenge, prayer, worship

Cool Weather Comfort

October 27, 2010 by 11 Comments

The cool-weather months of fall and winter call for comfort food, don’t they? When I was growing up, nothing spelled comfort quite like walking into the house on a nippy day and being greeted by the aromas of cookies baking or a pot of chili simmering in the crock pot. And not only did it spell comfort, it spelled home.

Certain foods — and the feelings associated with them — are so dear to us that they naturally get handed down through the generations as we try to provide the same homey comfort that we experienced as kids.

I don’t do recipes too often here on the blog, but I thought it would be fun (and potentially yummy!) to share recipes of some of our favorite cool weather comfort foods. If you don’t have time to leave a recipe in the comments, just jump in and tell us about one of your favorite comfort foods.

I’ll start it off with one of our family’s favorites during the fall and winter months — homemade chili. It’s super simple and very tasty. And yes, it’s a recipe of my mom’s. On behalf of another generation, thanks Mom :)

Crock Pot Chili

Brown 1 ½ lbs. (or more) ground beef. Drain grease and put beef in crock pot.

Add:
1 lg can tomato juice (46 oz)
½ t. garlic salt
1 t. onion salt
2 t. chili powder
1 can chili w/ beans

Cook on low all day or on high for 4 hrs. Serve with crackers or fritos and cheese – or whatever suits your fancy!

Before I let you go today, how about a little food for the soul? Remember, the Word of God spells comfort no matter the season. I recommend partaking daily, but for now, here’s a taste:

“I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” Psalm 18 1-2

Flickr photo by House of Sims’

*The Life Notes Subscriber Appreciation Giveaway is still underway. Details are in my Oct. 10 post and sign-up is to the right. Don’t miss out on the chance to win a $25 gift card to Barnes & Noble!

Filed Under: autumn, comfort, home, memories, recipe, Word of God

Need Inspiration?

October 24, 2010 by 5 Comments

Anyone in need of some fresh inspiration? Some new strength to continue on your life’s journey? It’s as close as turning your face — and your heart — to the heavens, to the Creator of our beautiful world, to the One who longs to be a Father to us all.

Over three years ago now, about a month into my blogging life, I shared “Autumn Inspiration” with you. I thought it might be a good time to share it again. May it bless you, refresh you, and remind you where to turn for all the inspiration you’ll ever need…

Autumn Inspiration

A walk through the woods
On a clear autumn day
Renews my spirit
As I walk and pray.

The countryside is brightened
By the sun’s gentle rays,
And the leaves are at their autumn best
For a few more glorious days.

I drink in the beauty surrounding me
And thank our Father in heaven above
For the endless miracles in nature
He’s created with power and love.

The God of this magnificent world
Is surely able to meet my needs,
As even now I head back home
Refreshed and walking where He leads.

“O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” Psalm 8:1 NIV

*Flickr photo by Nicholas_T

*The Life Notes Subscriber Appreciation Giveaway is still underway. Details are in my Oct. 10 post and sign-up is to the right. Don’t miss out on the chance to win a $25 gift card to Barnes & Noble!

Filed Under: autumn, beauty, creation/creative/creator, poem

Go Big

October 20, 2010 by 5 Comments

Are you a risk-taker? I tend to choose a safe bet over a gamble, but every now and then it’s good to take a risk. There are times we need to go big. Times we need to try to jump the sun.

In a recent blog post, Hope Clark, founder and editor of FundsforWriters.com spoke about writers remaining in their comfort zones, writing what’s easily published, and dodging the big magazines. She also spoke about being proud of writers who dare, and it reminded me that I need to try to go big sometimes.

Since I had noticed just such an opportunity in another of Hope’s blog posts a few weeks ago, I decided to give it a try. So this afternoon I submitted an essay to The Smithsonian magazine for their back page humor column.

Now, I know it’s a long shot. I know there is only one back page per month and that my seasonal piece will have an even smaller chance of acceptance than most others. I also understand that many times you have to have the right connections, and I certainly don’t have those. But I also know it will never happen if I don’t try. Things don’t get published that don’t get submitted. And who knows? Nothing is impossible.

Is it time for you to take a risk? Is there an area in your life right now where you need to try to go big? Maybe the time has come for you to take a long shot, too. Don’t find yourself regretting some day what you were afraid to try today.

And remember, we have a heavenly Father for whom nothing is impossible. So join me, won’t you? Let’s go big with God. I bet we’ll make Him proud.

“Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” Mark 10:27

*Flickr photo by aramolara, Creative Commons License

*The Life Notes Subscriber Appreciation Giveaway is still underway. Details are in my Oct. 10 post and sign-up is to the right. Don’t miss out on the chance to win a $25 gift card to Barnes & Noble!

Filed Under: challenge, unplowed ground, vision, writing

Self-Editing

October 17, 2010 by 4 Comments

self editingThe life of a writer includes many things. Things like hours and hours of solitary work, the inevitable rejection letters, the thrill of finding just the right word or phrase, and the common pitfall of giving in to distractions in order to avoid the daunting challenge of getting started on a new project. But one other thing that’s a huge part of the life of any writer is revising or self-editing.

At FCW this past week, Vicki McCollum, one of our members who is a freelance editor, presented a workshop on self-editing. She pointed out a number of things we need to look for when going back through the first drafts of our manuscripts. Believe it or not, none of us get it right the first time around.

Thank goodness with the written word we have the opportunity to cut and revise until we produce our very best work. We can go back and catch things like grammar and punctuation errors, repetition, clarity problems, and the dreaded cliche’. And as we grow more experienced as writers, we can catch some of those things before they ever make it to our computer screens or notebooks.

But what about with the words we speak? Too often, we don’t get it right the first time around, do we? We have a long list of times we’ve spoken too soon or responded carelessly and ended up hurting someone’s feelings or just looking foolish. There might have even been times we did think about what we wanted to say and chose to say a hurtful or wrong thing anyway. And we all know another word for doing wrong things, don’t we? Yes, it’s sin.

I guess writers aren’t the only ones who need to practice revision and self-editing. Unfortunately, we can’t go back and catch the mistakes we’ve made with our tongues, but we can apologize when needed. A little verbal revision can at least attempt to cover over the original foot-in-mouth moment.

And thankfully, as we grow wiser and more in tune with God’s Word and ways, He’ll help us catch some of those mistakes before they ever leave our lips. He’ll help us gain victory over a careless or cruel tongue. He’ll help us learn to self-edit. Will we be willing pupils?

“Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” Proverbs 12:18

*Flickr photo by Esparta, Creative Commons License

*The Life Notes Subscriber Appreciation Giveaway is still underway. Details are in my Oct. 10 post and sign-up is to the right. Don’t miss out on the chance to win!

Filed Under: challenge, sin, victory, writing
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