Deep in the Heart of Texas

We're Texas bound and by the time this blog comes out - we'll be up to our necks in research material - at least that's the plan.

The next series I plan to write (it will release God willing in fall 2010) will be set in Texas. I lived there 2 years as a child and still say some of my words with a drawal. My memories of Texas at that time are generally good despite the fact that we were dirt poor. We ate a lot of black-eyed peas and hushpuppies (my mom called them Shut-up Dogs) and ham and beans as this was the least expensive food to be had. We learned to love grits and to pick pecans and to pray extra hard during tornado season because Texas isn't big on basements due to the soil.

There were other things that come to mind. I remember we had an awesome church, and for fun we often went and parked at the end of the Dallas Love Field runway and watched the planes take off over our heads. Had we any idea of the danger of course, we never would have.

The biggest thing I remember about Texas is how much God grew my faith. There were really awful times when we didn't know where our next meal would come from or whether there would be money to pay the various bills, but we would pray and God always provided. To the 8 year old child I was - it was amazing and exciting to see God work in that way, so I will always remember Texas fondly for those lessons.

Anyway, I'll be exploring East Texas this time around and trying to endure the heat and humidity and would appreciate your prayers.

Tracie

His Eye is On the Sparrow...

I'm a little stressed. I always get a little stressed when a deadline is right around the corner and I'm not where I want to be in the story. It doesn't happen often--usually I'm pretty far ahead of schedule--but due to a variety of issues, this time I'm not. The deadline is two weeks away and I still have quite a ways to go to meet it.

But what have I caught myself doing? Bird-watching.

It's so hard not to! I shared some pics last week of the nest of baby robins on my windowsill. Well, those little birds have grown daily. They've gone from unattractive and featherless to plump, fully-feathered, and downright cute. Tuesday evening we had a torrential rain--what my husband calls a "toad strangler." The skies just opened and dumped buckets of water. I jumped up from my computer and raced to the window, fearful the nest would be swept from the windowsill. And what did I see but the mommy robin sitting on the edge of the nest, providing protection from the rain with her wings. I have to admit, I got a lump in my throat.

I shouldn't have been surprised, I suppose, that the mama would shield her babies from the storm. She's met their every need since the day they hatched from the pale blue shells of their eggs. She feeds them, shelters them, protects them (if you get too close to the nest, you run the risk of a quick swoop-attack). Watching the mother care so attentively for these babies reminds me of a hymn my folks sang in church when I was a little girl ("His Eye is on the Sparrow" by Civilla Martin). The lyrics, in part, follow:

Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come,

Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heav’n and home,

When Jesus is my portion? My constant Friend is He:

His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free,

For His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

God obviously planted an instinct in that robin to meet her babies' needs. And if God went to that much trouble for lowly robins, then won't He feed me (the words I need), shelter me (the place to work), and protect me (focusing my thoughts)? I can trust that He's equipped me with what I need to meet the challenges of this ministry to which He's called me...including deadlines.

I'm pretty sure it won't be long and those little robins will be ready to spread their wings and fly. I'm equally certain the words I need to complete this manuscript will find their way from my fingertips to the computer screen. His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches (and equips) me...

God bless you muchly as you journey with Him! ~Kim

A peek into the crowded nest...these little guys need bunkbeds! LOL

Bed Dressing

Now, I know you’ve heard of oyster dressing and cornbread dressing, and maybe you’ve even heard of apple and sausage dressing. But today we’re going to talk about bed dressing. With Stephanie Grace Whitson’s permission, I’m going to share a little of her knowledge with you about historic bed dressings. As Tracie told you in one of her posts, Steph gave us a great talk on textiles and bed clothes so that we would properly dress our beds when we’re writing our historical fiction.

The Colonial whitework quilts, all white with an elaborate design created by quilting white fabric with an intricate design--and often stuffed from the back to give elements of the design a 3-D effect, are simply gorgeous. I can’t imagine how they managed to keep them clean. I shiver at the thought of someone plopping down on one of those quilts while wearing dirty work pants. I also liked the redwork quilts, formally known as outline embroidered quilts. There were many intricate designs, and even the faces of presidents had been embroidered on a few of them.

When I was young, a neighbor had a quilt frame set up in her basement and I quilted a few times. I’m not sure why she agreed to let the neighbor kids work on it. Probably because she thought she’d never get it done. But I do remember it was fun sitting around talking and observing the skills of the “older” women—who were probably thirty or thirty-five. I still have aspirations of learning to quilt one day. I just have to figure out when I’ll fit it in. As for now, I’ll simply enjoy the beauties I get to see at quilt shows.

As writers of historical fiction, Steph’s presentation gave us insight to some wonderful information and even caused me to once again wax poetic—I know, I know, you’re all screaming, please stop that before folks quit reading poetry. Bear with me one more time, and I promise I’ll stop. On second thought, I better not make a promise I can’t keep.

You should always remember when dressing your bed
That fabric is relevant, so don’t’ be misled
You'll create a terrible historic crimp,
If before certain dates you choose the wrong print
So don’t be misguided, to the books you must go
Or ask Steph Whitson and she’ll present a great show!

If you happen to be feeling a bit of 'bed dressing envy,' I can completely understand. But don’t dismay! You can go to Steph’s website at http://www.stephaniegracewhitson.com/, send her an email, and she can quote you her fees for coming to speak with your quilting or women’s groups about textiles and antique quilts. She does a couple of fabulous presentations ("Calico Trails" and "Nebraska's Sod House Homemakers and their Quilts") and her antique quilts are eye candy for those who love bed dressings. As most of you already know, in addition to her fabulous quilting skills and knowledge, Steph also writes wonderful historical fiction. A Claim of Her Own is her latest release—a wonderful read!

Blessings on your day, even if you don't make your bed! ~Judy

Sailing along

I’m a little late posting today but with good reason… 

I’m on vacation with my family and we’re having a completely marvelous time. Last summer we booked a cruise for our entire family (including my parents and my brother and his family), but with mom’s cancer diagnosis and subsequent surgeries we weren’t sure it would come through. But the doctors delayed her chemo for two weeks and we set sail this past Sunday from Port Canaveral.

Right this minute we’re leaving the port of Labadee, Haiti after a day of parasailing and (sweaty hot) fun in the sun. I went parasailing with our son, and he and I had a blast…

Then my husband and our daughter took off…

And they had fun for about 20 seconds then the boat malfunctioned and they ended up going para-dunking instead!

Once I knew they were okay I start snapping pics of the rescue. :) 

Here are a couple more pics. One of me and mom on the ship, then another of mom and dad outside the dining room. The pics are small but try clicking on them to make them larger (sometimes that works).

 

 

 

I just finished exercising (too much fabulous food on this ship) and I’m off to clean up and get ready for dinner and more fun family time. Tomorrow we go zip lining through the jungles of Ocho Rios, Jamaica. This is such a beautiful part of God's creation. I'm counting my blessings to be here experiencing it and to be sharing this time with my family.

Until next time,

Tammy

Creation and Creating

Before I post anything else on this Memorial Day, I want to say a word of thanks to all of our men and women in uniform. This holiday was first established to honor the Union soldiers who died during the Civil War, but after WWI it was changed to recognize American casualties from any war. To those serving our nation today, may God keep you safe, grant you victory in your mission, and bring you home to your loved ones soon. Please know that you are appreciated and supported by the majority of Americans. (Photo is of Poppet on our patio on Sunday of this holiday weekend.)

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About five years ago, I participated in a systematic theology study with a group of novelists. We used Wayne Grudem's abbreviated version, Bible Doctrine, and I loved reading the portion on the Doctrine of Creation:

It seems that God created the universe, then, to take delight in his creation, for as creation shows forth various aspects of God's character, to that extent he does take delight in it.

This explains why we take spontaneous delight in all sorts of creative activities ourselves. People with artistic, musical, or literary skills enjoy creating things and seeing, hearing, or pondering their creative work. God has so made us that we enjoy imitating, in a creaturely way, his creative activity. And one of the amazing aspects of humanity — in distinction from the rest of creation — is our ability to create new things. This also explains why we take delight in other kinds of "creative" activity ... Even children enjoy coloring pictures or building houses out of blocks. In all of these activities, we reflect in small measure the creative activity of God, and we should delight in it and thank him for it."

Wow! As a writer, I certainly could relate to what Grudem wrote. I enjoy creating something new, but it wasn't until the past fifteen years that I truly came to understand God made me to enjoy imitating His creativity.

What do you enjoy creating? Do you realize that God takes delight in your enjoyment of creative endeavors? Go ahead. Get out those crayons and coloring books or that set of building blocks and make something today!

~robin

Women of Faith

I had the most amazing time last weekend in Billings, Montana at the Women of Faith seminar. My mom and I went for the all day Friday and Saturday event and man were we blessed.

The theme this year is A Grand New Day! On Friday we heard Dr. Henry Cloud, co-author of the Boundaries book and many others. Stephen Arterburn was supposed to be the speaker, but he couldn't make it as his wife had just given them a new daughter. Even so, Dr. Cloud was incredible. He had some powerful things to say about how we need to stop being so hard on ourselves when we mess up. He said we always tend to use the 3 P's when we do something wrong or make a bad decision.

1. We make it - Personal = "I'm a loser, I should have known I couldn't do this. Why did I even try?

2. We make it - Pervasive = "I can't do anything right. It's not just this one thing, I'm always messing up everything."

3. We make it - Permanent = "I'll never do anything right - I'm always going to be a lost cause - I'm hopeless."


I thought how true. So often we punish ourselves in ways that God would never even consider. We condemn ourselves and write ourselves off, even when others are understanding and say "It's not your fault" or "It happened that way to me, too."

There were others there that weekend including Sandy Patti. She brought me to tears with her singing and testimony. Having grown up with music as a strong focus in our family, I find its power to be so compelling especially in spiritual areas.

I could go on and on, but instead I just want to encourage you to check out the website for Women of Faith (http://www.womenoffaith.com/)
and see if you can't get yourself to one of their events. The messages are awesome and amazing healing takes place without you even realizing it.

Tracie
PS: Today is my mom's 70th birthday! Feel free to wish her a good day at JRButler522@aol.com

A "Tweet" Treat

We're coming up on ten years in this house. Every year up 'til this one I've enjoyed watching a cardinal pair build a nest in the spirea bushes at the back of our yard, but for some reason this year they didn't return. I really missed them, too, and lamented about it. Maybe that's why God treated me in a similar fashion: a robin chose to build her nest right on the windowsill outside my bedroom window.

Hubby noticed the nest and its four pale blue eggs while I was in Minnesota. Then when I was in Pennsylvania last weekend, the eggs hatched. (Try taking pictures through two sheets of glass and a screen...they don't come out so great! *sigh*)

What fun I've had peeking at the baby robins each day! They sure aren't very pretty little things at first--no feathers, heads bobbing on scrawny necks, seemingly all open mouths and feet (kind of like teenage boys...lol). Yet the mommy doesn't seem to mind. She's so attentive, huddling over the nest to keep them warm at night, spending her day collecting worms and bugs to drop into their always-eager mouths. She doesn't much care for me peeking, though. Whenever she spots me peering out the window, she zips away to a nearby tree branch or power line to scold and flap her wings in dismay. The message is clear: Leave my babies alone!

I try hard not to intrude often, but I'm amazed at the changes I see daily. The babies seem to double in size and feather coverage each day. After only three days, I can already get a glimpse of the kind of bird they're going to be. And already I'm thinking of the day they'll be fully fledged, ready to spread their wings and leave the nest behind. It's exciting, but it's also a little bittersweet. I think I'll miss them.

In the meantime, I'm enjoying witnessing this mother's dedication to the care of her babies. Her main goal is to see to their needs. And her reward will come the day they find the ability to take wing.

There's a quote often seen on Mother's Day cards: “There are two lasting bequests we can give our children. One is roots. The other is wings.” This robin mommy is well on her way to giving her babies wings. I hope I'm peeking the moment the babies find the ability to fly. I think I'd like to see them soar...

God bless you muchly as you journey with Him! ~Kim

Beautiful Zooful Day

Beautiful weather arrived in Kansas on Sunday. Picture perfect. Not too warm and not too cool, with a light breeze rather than a gusting wind. Our daughter declared it a perfect afternoon for visiting the zoo. She is here visiting—that’s her on the left. I point that out because I didn’t want you to have trouble figuring out which one was me. We look so much alike, I thought it could be confusing. Anyway, we decided a trip to the Topeka Zoo was in order. I truly could not remember the last time I’d been there, but it had been a long time.

I always have mixed emotions when I visit zoos. I’m delighted by the opportunity to see animals I might only view on television or in a movie, but I also feel sorry for them and wonder how they must feel in their confined quarters with hundreds of people strolling by to stare at them. Knowing how different their lives could have been outside of captivity, always gives me pause. The giraffes appeared pretty content, and the little black bear climbing a tree didn’t seem to mind his habitat too much. I can’t say the same for one of the eagles—from the look in that bird’s eyes (which you really can't see in my tiny picture), I wanted to keep my distance. I thought of the beauty of seeing eagles soar and then looked at the size of the bird’s cage. He’d never soar. In fact, he’d never truly fly. There was little doubt he was angry. On the other hand, his counterpart, a much larger eagle appeared unaffected by the cage. He seemed willing to accept his lot in life—he’d adapted.

Those eagles reminded me that we’re much that way. When faced with a problem, there are those who lean on the Lord and face their difficulties head-on. Others are angry and unwilling to acknowledge, adapt or change. I must admit that during my life, I’ve tried both ways. I can attest to the fact that acceptance and leaning on the Lord has always provided a more pleasant outcome. There’s no problem that He can’t see us through if we’ll only learn to lean on Him. I’m still not certain about zoos, but I’m thankful for God’s wondrous imagination and creativity that continue to delight me.

May you always delight in His handiwork. ~Judy

All graduated

The Alexander house was hoppin' this past week. Between our daughter's college graduation and family and friends coming in, and parties and cooking and more travel yesterday, etc... life was a total blur. But it was a wonderful blur. Lots of sweet moments tucked away in memory (and some captured digitally). Here are just a few...

Our daughter after graduating from Belmont (our son is soon to follow, only two short years away). That's my sweet mom, June, tucked in between me and my family.

Something funny... 

When Kelsey got back to her seat after receiving her diploma, she took a peek at it and realized that the Belmont Mansion (an 1850s antebellum mansion around which Belmont University was built) is upside down. Permanently! So she has to get a new diploma cover.

My mom, June, and Kelsey (mom's appetite is returning, a great thing!, and we stuffed her full of food this weekend. Kelsey kept track of what she ate. ;)

My dad, Doug, and Kels (they're laughing because my dad opted to stand on a stair so he would be taller than Kels, for a change)

We had wonderful week together and are looking forward to a family vacation in the next couple of weeks. We weren't sure mom would be able to make the trip with her recent cancer diagnosis, but she's able, so it's full steam ahead for us all! More on that next week...

Now off to catch up on life. But you know, as behind as I am now on so many fronts (in addition to missing the Bethany House historical authors retreat last week), I wouldn't change a thing about the past few days. 

I'm so blessed with my family. Are we perfect? Oh, LOL, soooooo far from it (just ask my kids, on second thought...don't! They'll tell the truth!). But we love each other without end and are here for each other, no matter what. And most importantly, we're walking this road hand-in-hand with the Lord. 

And that's something for which I'll be eternally grateful.

~Tammy

Love Those Audiobooks

I love to listen to audiobooks when I'm in my car or taking my dog for a walk. So I'm always delighted when one of my books comes out as an audiobook. Thus, it goes without saying that I was thrilled to discover three more of my books are now available as unabridged downloadable audiobooks at a very reasonable price: $14.99 each. (By comparison, my other three unabridged audio titles run from $36.95 to $77.75.)

The latest audio releases are A Carol for Christmas, Return to Me, and When Love Blooms. Eventually, these new audiobooks should also be available from Audible.com (hopefully soon), but as of the writing of this blog post, they can only be found on Symtio.

Do you know about Symtio? Symtio is the first multi-channel digital media platform for retail. With Symtio, customers purchase eBooks, audiobooks, and soon music and movies, in-store and download them from anywhere they have an internet connection. It’s the link between digital media and the retail experience. (FYI, if you don't have a local Christian bookstore or your bookstore doesn't offer the Symtio experience, you can purchase directly from the Symtio site.)

Symtio takes gift cards to a more personal level. Giving a Symtio digital product card says you’ve thought about your gift, much as when you used to give bound books or music. While Symtio products have the feel and convenience of a gift card, the difference is that you’ve hand picked and purchased a specific product with the recipient in mind.

More and more people are transitioning to the ease and convenience of digital media. Music came first, but eBooks, audiobooks, and movies are quickly gaining popularity as well. The key difference with Symtio is that by making its products available for purchase in retail stores, customers can shop the way they always have while still taking advantage of the digital revolution.

Here’s how Symtio works:

1. Purchase. Customers purchase a new book in the form of a Symtio product card at any store where Symtio products are sold—this is the tangible element that keeps the retail experience familiar. When customers make their purchase, the card is activated at POS in our system and ready for download. To see a list of participating stores, check out our retail locator.
2. Download. From the comfort of home or a local coffee shop, customers download their new digital product from www.symtio.com. They simply enter the unique 16-digit PIN found on the back of their Symtio product card and then they will be guided through an easy process to the right file type they need for their player.
   
3. Enjoy. Once the digital file has been downloaded customers can enjoy their new book on digital devices such as an iPod, Zune, Sony Personal Reader, PDA or personal computer (either Windows or Macintosh) depending on the type of file they choose to download.

Do you enjoy listening to audiobooks? If so, what have been your favorite audible "reads" of the past year or two?

~robin

Minneapolis Madness

Oh let me tell you - when you get more than one writer together in the same room - you never know what is going to happen. We had more fun than any group had a right to when we gathered in Minneapolis. Just to remind you there was (Back row from left to right) Cathy Hake, Judy Miller, yours truly and Kim Sawyer, (in front row left to right) Stephanie Whitson, Julie Klassen, Nancy Moser and Lauraine Snelling (who was down in her back for most of the trip and I know would appreciate prayers). We all write historical stories for Bethany House so research is near and dear to our hearts.

I know Judy has talked about the costume warehouse. That was an absolute hoot! Stephanie Whitson gave us the most amazing workshop on quilts through history. Sadly we all had to learn that the stories about the underground railroads being mapped out with quilts hanging from porches and elsewhere simply wasn't true. There is no documentation for this anywhere except through some fictionalized stories written well after the fact. And this is taught as true history in school!

Cathy Marie Hake, a nursing veteran with over 30 years of experience gave us an amazing workshop on historic medicine. We learned so much - especially about medicines. Goodness but they were doping themselves left and right in the 1800's. One of my favorite was a bottle of hooch called, SAVE THE BABY. As Cathy put it, what mother worth her salt wouldn't invest in a bottle of that? Well, when you looked closer the ingredients were things like Laudanum, Chloroform and Tincture of Cannabis. Hmmm, wonder what you were saving the baby from?


There were a great many giggles over books to help with martial needs. We were more sober when examining a surgeon's field kit. Getting sutured in those days involved a thick curved needle (think of one the size of a leather punch) with a finger loop on one end. The surgeon would push the needle and thread through, then grab the thread and push the needle back out because it couldn't go through all the way. You can see the needles in the picture below. Made you glad to live in this day and age of smaller needles and painkillers.


Well now I'm home and it's back to work. Oh, but here's something fun for you. It snowed like crazy yesterday and although it melted right off and didn't last - we're supposed to get more snow tonight. I'm thinking spring just might come to us around next August.
Tracie

Topping it off

I love hats. Always have. Haven't always had the courage to wear them, but have always loved them. In fact, in my room right now are two stacks of antique hat boxes, all filled with vintage milinery acquired over several years of jaunts through antique stores and flea markets. My closet shelf is cluttered with modern boxes of hats purchased to match my Christmas and Easter outfits. Lots and lots of hats. But I'd never seen a collection like the one at the Costume Rentals Shop in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which I visited with Bethany House fellow authors Tracie Peterson, Judy Miller, Julie Klassen, Stephanie Whitson, Nancy Moser, Lauraine Snelling, and Cathy Hake.

Six 4-tier racks, each at least 20 feet long, held hats of every variety and description. No matter what character you wished to portray—Pilgrim or prairie wife or Victorian matron or rabbit or pirate or even an ice cream sundae!—there was a hat to help you fit the part. I'd never seen so many hats!

Of course, several of us couldn't resist trying on some of the more interesting ones. Tracie donned a purple feathered monstrosity worthy of a Broadway extravaganza. Julie chose a demure prairie bonnet. Judy was daring enough to wear the ice cream sundae hat, and Cathy selected a lovely veiled headpiece appropriate for a Spanish Doña.

As we tried on hats, I observed something interesting. When the hat hit the person's head, the wearer's personna suddenly changed. A silly hat brought out an impish grin; a serious hat a more regal bearing. When the hat came off, the person returned to being just Tracie or Judy again. It was as if the hat imparted its personality onto the individual who chose to wear it...

I truly hope I am never guilty of wearing a "Jesus hat"—popping on His personna and then taking Him off at the end of the day or the end of the event. I want to wear Jesus in my heart, where He can permeate my entire being today and tomorrow and every day to come.

Matthew West, one of my favorite Christian artists, wrote a song called "Going Through the Motions." I heard it for the first time on the K-LOVE cruise last January, but I've thought about it a lot. (You can watch a thought-provoking video with this song as the foundation here.) When performing in theatre, you "go through the motions" of portraying a character for the duration of the play's run. But as Christians, it's best to avoid "going through the motions"of serving our Lord, or we miss the true joy that comes from pouring out our all for Him.

One last picture of Tracie and me just being silly (I would NEVER wear that hat to church! lol). Sometimes it's fun just to be silly. :o)

God bless you muchly as you journey with Him! ~Kim

From Corsets to Bloomers

You know that feeling after a family reunion when you’re exhausted and can’t take another minute of all the chatter and reminiscing, but you wouldn’t trade a moment? Well, that’s the kind of tired I experienced upon my return from Minneapolis on Saturday. Spending the week with fellow authors, Tracie Peterson, Kim Vogel Sawyer, Lauraine Snelling, Cathy Hake, Nancy Moser, Stephanie Whitson and Julie Klassen, and members of our Bethany House publishing team had been much like a family reunion. We laughed together, cried together, rejoiced together, and prayed together. We attended workshops, meetings, field trips, book signings, and fellowshipped.


One of our field trips was to Minneapolis Costume Rentals. This shop has supplied some of the dresses for the models on our book covers. The manager, Alicia Wold, and her assistants gave us a first-class tour. We were like kids in a candy store when we walked in and saw row upon row of vintage and reproduction clothing. There were hats and gloves galore, shoes of every shape and size, and gowns of glorious fabrics.

As I wandered down an aisle, my gaze locked upon a row of corsets and underpinnings hanging overhead. Since I’d already blogged about corsets, I knew it was providence. I felt assured that you, dear readers, actually wanted to see and hear more about underwear. I snapped a picture and continued onward until our tour guide directed us to the shelves of boxes along the back wall.



I stopped in my tracks, amazed by the sight.
Boxes of bloomers—what a delight!
There were fancy and colored, lace and white.
My heartbeat quickened at the wondrous sight!
I yanked out a pair, held them close to my hip.
Dismayed to discover that they wouldn’t fit.
These bloomers with shortened tie-string tension
Required a body of much smaller dimension.
Though I could not don any pair in the lot,
I held up these bloomers for one parting shot.
Kim and Tracie can show you the shoes and the gowns.
As for me, I’m quite pleased with these bloomers I found.

Isn’t it marvelous how the most insignificant things can give us pleasure and delight? What brings enjoyment to each of us may be very different, but one thing is certain: our true joy is in Jesus, the one who willingly died for us, the one who loves us like none other.


May you always delight in Him. ~Judy

Infinitely More

It's 2:00AM on Tuesday morning and I'm still up writing. I can see the moon through the slats in my office window, Jack is asleep in his bed, the house is wonderfully quiet--and I just realized I haven't even begun to think about my post for today, and I hit the ground running first thing in the morning.

So, you're getting "off the cuff with Tammy at 2AM." A frightening prospect, I realize...

A friend from Colorado recently blessed me with his gift of photography and I'd like to share some of his giftedness with you. I often dwell on his pictures of Colorado (especially the mountain and lake scenes) for inspiration when I'm writing. Delmar has a real gift for capturing glimpses of God's beauty with a lens.  Let's see if you agree...

Kansas Grassland

Nearly Sunset over Lake Arrowhead

Nature at its Cutest

Storm over the Rockies

(for more Delmar pics, click here)

My daughter and I drive to Chattanooga on Wednesday to meet my parents for lunch and to "trade out" mom for the week. :) Dad's meeting us (at the halfway point from Atlanta) so that mom can come early to stay with us for a few days before Kelsey's graduation from college this weekend. Don't get me started on our daughter graduating. I'm not sure where the last four years have gone much less the past twenty-two.

I'm so looking forward to time with mom and dad and with family and friends, to three generations cooking in the kitchen together, to watching Kelsey wheel mom around in her wheelchair as we shop on Thursday, and to treasuring more of life's precious moments. And...to going to bed.

But first, I need to finish this chapter I'm working on, and as I do, I'm keeping this scripture in mind:

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever. Amen.

Ephesians 3:20-21

So grateful it's all about His power, and not mine.

Tammy

Change My Heart, O God

Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; then stick to the path and stay safe. Don't get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil. (Proverbs 4:25-27)

Wow! Good advice. I'm in the midst of line edits and running way behind on getting them done, which also means I'm behind on the next deadline too. At times like this, I start feeling like a chipmunk in a wheel, running, running, running and getting nowhere. Do you ever feel like that? And too often the stress I feel begins to bring out in me traits that I'm not real fond of. Does anybody relate?

I know I am rotten through and through so far as my old sinful nature is concerned. No matter which way I turn, I can't make myself do right. I want to, but I can't. When I want to do good, I don't. And when I try not to do wrong, I do it anyway. (Romans 7:18-19, NLT)

I wish good old fashioned willpower was enough to change me to be and behave the way I want to be and behave. But I know that if Paul — one of the great apostles, one of the most brilliant of minds, one of the most faithful followers of Christ — couldn't change himself by sheer willpower and determination, then surely I cannot — as I keep proving, time and time again. It's God Himself who changes me as I remember to look to Him.

Lord, change me. Change my heart. I want to be more like You. I want to worship You with all that I am — the words that I write, the words that I speak, the thoughts that I think, the way I treat others, the way I treat myself. Burn Your words into my heart and my mind. Put a guard over my tongue and a watch over my thoughts. Let me reflect Your beauty to this world. Apart from You, there is no beauty for You are the Creator of Beauty itself. Help me to look straight ahead, to mark out a straight path for my feet, to stick to Your holy path. Amen.

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I hope you had a great Mother's Day. For my birthday/Mother's Day, I was with my 95 year old mom, my two daughters and their husbands, and all six of my grandkids. On top of that, Boise had a perfect spring day — sunny skies with temp in the low 70's. Just doesn't get better than that. Here's a picture of me with my grandkids. To see a larger version, visit my Write Thinking blog.

~robin

Fun in Minneapolis

I'm here in Minneapolis at a writer's retreat with some very dear friends - including our very own Judy Miller and Kim Sawyer. This retreat also involves some other wonderful Bethany House authors - Cathy Marie Hake, Lauraine Snelling, Julie Klassen, Stephanie Whitson and Nancy Moser. To say we're having fun would be an understatement. I hope to share more about that part of the trip next week. This week, however, I wanted to share some fun Cathy and I had last weekend when we first arrived in town.

Along with our hubbies, we went to the Minneapolis Museum of Art and enjoyed the Art in Bloom show. This was where various artists created flower arrangements that matched up or accented the colors and settings in some of the museum hotel.

There were some doozies to be sure, and the art museum itself was so wonderful.

I'm sharing a few of my favorite photos with you here.
First is this incredibly interesting painting of a woman? I swear it looks like a man in drag, but bless him/her anyway - the flowers accentuate the lovely colors in the painting.

Portrait of Sarah Allen nee’ Sargent by
John Singleton Copley painted between 1762-1770







Then there was Mrs. T in Cream Silk - I don't remember the artist, but I dearly love this old woman. Isn't she elegant and lovely?








Last but not least there was this amazing piece done completely in flowers.


What fun! We have been having a great time exploring stately homes in St. Paul, art, wonderful restaurants and of course - anytime you're with Cathy Hake - you must antique shop. I'll share more next week!

Tracie

In Honor of Moms Everywhere...

To the left is picture from Easter of my daughter, my mother holding my granddaughter, and me--four generations...

With Mother's Day around the corner, Judy thought it might be fun to explore the history of this celebration. I was surprised to discover it's a rather new holiday, coming to popularity in the early 1900s. Below are the "highlights" borrowed from www.womenshistory.about.com:

Anna Jarvis was the power behind the official establishment of Mother's Day. She swore in 1905 to dedicate her life to establish a Mother's Day to honor mothers, living and dead.

In 1907 she passed out 500 white carnations at her mother's church, St. Andrew's Methodist Episcopal Church in Grafton, West Virginia -- one for each mother in the congregation.

May 10, 1908: the first church -- St. Andrew's in Grafton, West Virginia -- responded to her request for a Sunday service honoring mothers.

1908: John Wanamaker, a Philadelphia merchant, joined the campaign for Mother's Day.

Also in 1908: the first bill was presented in the U.S. Senate proposing the establishment of Mother's Day, by Nebraska Senator Elmer Burkett, at the request of the Young Men's Christian Association. The proposal was killed by sending it back to committee, 33-14.

Anna Jarvis worked full-time writing letters to politicians, clergy members, business leaders, women's clubs and anyone else she thought might have some influence. She was able to enlist the World's Sunday School Association in the lobbying campaign, a key success factor in convincing legislators in states and in the U.S. Congress to support the holiday.

1912: West Virginia became the first state to adopt an official Mother's Day.

1914: the U.S. Congress passed a Joint Resolution, and President Woodrow Wilson signed it, establishing Mother's Day, emphasizing women's role in the family.

There's no denying the importance of a "mom" in our lives. For both of my parents, Mother's Day is rather bittersweet because they both lost their mothers when they were still children. Perhaps that's why it's an extra special holiday to me--I know how fortunate I am to not only have my mother but to have a close, loving relationship with her. Mom is more than my mother--she's my friend, my encourager, my advisor, and my biggest prayer warrior.

One of the greatest pleasures of becoming an adult was beginning to see my mother as a friend; one of the greatest pleasures of seeing my daughters come into adulthood was having our relationship transcend from mom/daughter to friends. The mother-child relationship is unique to all others.

I'll close with my favorite quote about mothers: "A mother holds her children's hands for a while...their hearts forever."

Wishing you a wonderful Mother's day.

God bless you muchly as you journey with Him! ~Kim

Pondering Legacies

In Tracie’s post of April 24, she mentioned events in history that had happened on that particular day. One of them was the formation of the Eastman Kodak Company. Since she didn’t take me up on my suggestion to tell you a little about George Eastman, I decided to do it myself. She probably thought it might bore you, but I’m not giving you readers a pass! That's the front of his home, but it's a bit difficult to see through all the trees.

In The Broadmoor Legacy, the latest series Tracie and I co-authored, the family is from Rochester, New York. They also owned a palatial home in the chain of islands situated in the St. Lawrence River near the Canadian border, known as the Thousand Islands. And yes, one of the chefs of yesteryear takes credit for the salad dressing. If you haven’t read the series, it is set in the late 1890’s, a time of extreme wealth for some entrepreneurs in this country.

George Eastman was one of those wealthy entrepreneurs who lived in Rochester—on East Avenue, a street lined with grand homes. East Avenue is also the street where the Broadmoors lived. At least if they’d been real people that’s where they lived. Hope that makes sense! When we were conducting our research for this series, Tracie and I visited Rochester and took a tour of the Eastman home. George never married, but his mother lived with him. Because she was wheelchair bound, he had the house constructed with her bedroom situated where she could see the magnificent gardens from her window.

The house, furnishings and gardens are a testament to the money Mr. Eastman made in his lifetime. He was an astute businessman, and he seemingly enjoyed his life and his wealth. An organist came to his home each morning to play the huge pipe organ while he drank his morning coffee. As the picture reveals, he also enjoyed bringing home trophies from his safaris. If you look closely, you’ll see the organ in the center near the rear wall in the "elephant" picture.

I take great delight in visiting old homes and viewing the grandeur, but it sometimes makes me ponder my own legacy. My worldly possessions certainly won’t compare to someone such as George Eastman. But as a Christian, it is my fervent hope that I’ll leave something more important than stone and mortar, fine jewels, or money. More than worldly possessions, I want to leave seeds of faith that have been planted for the Lord.

May you find rich soil as you plant seeds for Him. ~Judy

P.S. I made that Strawberry Punch Bowl Cake that Tammy tempted us with last week. Since I'm not a southern gal I didn't have a punch bowl or a trifle dish, but I didn't let that stop me. I have a big ole Tupperware bowl, so I just used that. Except for a slight plastic taste, I think it was just as good. I renamed my version the Redneck Strawberry Tupperware Cake.