Encouragement and FREE STUFF!

One of the reasons I was so transparent with you about 'where I am'  yesterday was my desire to always be completely honest and transparent -- even to you, internets, who may or may not comment and let me know you are there. Another reason is purely selfish -- I thought you may have some kind words to give a little pat and help me back to the right direction. And you didn't disappoint.

It just makes me think of the body of Christ. I love it so. I love that my task as writer is to encourage and enlighten and do whatever God would have me do that, Lord willing, bolsters you in your walk with Him. Yet when I grow weary or the clutter and noise from the world crowds out what the Lord would have me say, it is you people, you wonderful people that I theoretically encourage, that lift me up and set me on my way, thus enabling me to do my job. 

That is how His body works. Love it.

¹¹It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, ¹²to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up ¹³until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

 ¹⁴Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. ¹⁵Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. ¹⁶From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. Ephesians 4:11-16

Now that you have encouraged me, I leave you with the opportunity to win some FREE STUFF! Scoot over to SassafrasSweet's blog and check it out (I sent you to her Etsy shop not too long ago) and enter to win some free dish towels. Easy as pie!

The following song really is more my current theme song with everything -- writing, whatever. I just had to put a little distance between Ephesians and Miley Cyrus in this post... What does it say about me if a kid who was born two days after I got married is singing my theme song? Hmmm.... it may be a sad statement about me, but I do love the song:

Off Track

So.

Once upon a time, I put it out there.

My dream, my goal, my hope, my idea.

No one laughed (audibly).

But the next month I got a record number of migraines. Hmmmm.... 

And I started drowning in a cycle of migraines and figuring them out, then once I found some relief from migraines I went on a medicine to PREVENT a migraine that instead gave me a headache EVERY day (but it wasn't a migraine!). Can you say irony? 

Also, how great do you think it is to be MARRIED to someone that truly has a headache EVERY day??? Yes, indeed, we were livin' the dream over here!

Lo and behold, this week I look up and realized that the end of (now) this month is a writing conference I'm attending. A writing conference I have scraped and saved to be able to getto  register for, that my parents generously bought me air fare for, that I had grand plans to go to with book proposal in hand. 

I don't have a book proposal in hand. I don't have a book inside my head. I'm doing good to still have my head attached at this point, I figure.

I'll be honest. If I didn't already have loads of my own money and other people's sunk into this conference, I wouldn't go. I have this week that I will be finishing swimming lessons and next week I will be on a mission trip with Ashley. I'll be back in town for a few weeks, then here's my conference!! Yay! or not...

I think I even signed up to have either my writing or one of my talks critiqued by a group of my peers, but I don't even know which I signed up for right now. Susan has finished getting ready for hers (which is what made me remember that was even part of the conference). 

So, I'm off the writing track. I feel lost as lost can be in trying to nail down this dream of mine. After battling my health, I feel like I'm starting completely over which would be fine, but now I realize I have to go to a conference. Yes, I'm supposed to learn at the conference, but everything in me is already screaming at me, "You don't belong there! You aren't really a writer! Poser! Imposter! They're all going to know you don't belong!" 

So.

Once upon a time I had a dream. I think I still have it.

And Another...

Spellcheck, Anyone?

Riley's Random Fact for the week...

Did you know?

In the 1996 edition of Webster's Dictionary, there were 315 misspelled words.

Missing Family

I am blessed with family in many ways. Many of you know my parents are avid blog readers and my biggest cheerleaders. Troy's dad is a blog reader, if not a frequent commenter (he's an email commenter).  I am loved and supported by family near and far, but there is no blood family near. Since I went 500 miles away to college over 20 years ago, I haven't really lived close to my own blood family, and in the 8 years we've lived in this town, we have been away from any of Troy's family, as well.

Another way I am blessed with family is my church family. They are pretty awesome and are my cheerleaders, too. But they aren't my family.

This weekend we had some church family over for dessert to celebrate Troy. In the middle of getting ready for them to be here, I just really missed real family. I wished that Troy's dad could be here for the celebration, and I wanted my own parents to be here to join in, as well.

Julie discussed this recently when they had a very exciting event in their family, as well. 

Sometimes you just need family nearby. There's just no substitute.

Forty Things I Love About Him

1. The way he rubs his right temple when he's lost in thought.

2. The cleft in his chin many of you don't know is there because he keeps it covered in fur so often.

3. He's interested in EVERYTHING: history, science, music of any genre, whatever. 

4. He's a counter: tiles on the floor, frames on the wall, probably how many crutch moves from couch to bathroom. A little Rain-Man-esque, but I love it.

5. He sees a better me than I see in myself, which causes me to be a better me: wife, mom, person, child of God. 

6. He's a word person, too. He leans more toward alliteration. 

7. Spelling nazi.

8. He's methodical. Everything: coffee, dinner, getting dressed, going to bed, all has an order. I think about being methodical. Then I think about something else and forget.

9. He FUH-reaks out when I cry and will pretty much do anything to make it stop. Girls, we all have this power -- the trick is to not abuse it. Keep the tears to a minimum and they hold amazing power...

10. He has continued to mature and grow in the time that we have been married. 

11. My favorite thing he has learned: not to take himself so seriously.

12. Sometimes he's just gotta have some chocolate...

13. If chocolate won't do, there better be ice cream.

14. He really does appreciate that I try to feed us fairly healthy around here.

15. He's pretty low maintenance in the entertainment department like I am: we're good with a night at home and a DVD.

16. His beautiful bass voice.

17. When he uses that beautiful voice to lift praises to the Lord.

18. Boots and blue jeans.

19. Suit and tie. Lookin' awesome either way.

20. Between guns and motorcycles, he enjoys expensive, dangerous hobbies (this isn't a part I love). He is adamant and unyielding in handling both safely.

21. Love of guns and motorcycles notwithstanding, he has a secret soft spot for babies and puppies. 

22. He isn't a financial risk taker and takes seriously his role of providing for his family.

23. He gave up a job that would provide lots of material things for his family, but was keeping him from being who he knew he is called to be.

24. Nothing on this earth will calm my soul as much as his touch.

25. He's a fun dad.

26. He's a fair and firm dad.

27.  He has a horrible memory. Honestly, this has caused a problem or two as you may imagine. But he also doesn't remember one time that I have ever embarrassed him or hurt his feelings. I kind of envy that.

28.  He can hang with my family.

29.  He makes me laugh at the most unexpected times in the most unexpected ways.

30. He has allowed God to teach him compassion up close and personal and to have a heart for the broken.

31. He's ambidextrous.

32. He loves to learn. 

33. He is proud of our children for the skills they possess and the gifts God has given them;  He wants them to be the best them God has made them to be. He has never pushed what he thought they should be or do on them.

34. He knows me. REALLY knows me. The deepest, craziest part of me.

35. He loves me anyway.

36. He has enjoyed providing food for his family 'from the land' -- deer, quail, fish, etc.

37. NEVER has he brought me a deer/ quail/ fish/ etc. to clean or deal with or left me a mess after cleaned one.

38. The sound of my name when he says it.

39. Like me, his favorite way to worship is by being outdoors in God's gorgeous creation and marveling at what He made. 

40. God's word is his True North -- the only accurate measure of right and wrong. Bottom line, it's why I picked him.

Thankful for you, thankful God sent you to me, thankful God left you here last week, thankful to celebrate another year of your life on this earth.

Happy Birthday!

Book Review: Perfect Fifths

I picked up this book in the library because I knew I had seen a positive review of it... somewhere. I brought it home and tried to wade through it. I'll be honest:I still haven't finished it, and am not sure I can (I'm almost 200 pages in, though, so I think I can at least speak with authority about its mediocrity). 

I finally realized that I had seen the review in one of my writing magazines, and re-read the review. It's the fifth in a series, and I haven't read any of the rest of the series. I was happy to see that many of the reviews on Amazon thought this was the weakest of the series -- it at least validated to me that I'm not crazy or deluded or whatever.

I also cannot recommend the book because of my 'honor the Lord' banner up there. Not only does the character's lifestyle not do that, the language doesn't come anywhere close. The 'F-bomb' takes a break for a few pages throughout the book, but it's enough through the book to be wearisome.

Oh, in re-reading the review, this series is SUPPOSED to be for young girls! Great morals... or not. 

Overall, thumbs down. Don't bother.

What's Your Favorite

For some reason, the family talked turned to School House Rock last night. This is one that Roxanne always mentions:

Which one is your favorite?