When the Pressure’s On, Stay Loose

Posted on July 6, 2019 by writinginoverdrive

by Jim Denney, adapted from
ANSWERS TO SATISFY THE SOUL:
Clear, Straight Answers to 20 of Life’s Most Perplexing Questions

Bob Griese quarterbacked the Miami Dolphins to three consecutive Super Bowl appearances, including two victories (VII and VIII), and an undefeated season in 1972. Twenty-five years later, Bob’s son, Brian Griese, led the Michigan Wolverines to an undefeated season and a win over Washington State in the Rose Bowl. Today, Brian is a color commentator for ESPN College Football. I interviewed Bob and Brian just a few months after Brian’s Rose Bowl win. 

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L to R: Brian Griese, Jim Denney, Bob Griese, in North Carolina

We sat in the study of Bob’s golf villa in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. As we talked, Bob and Brian told me about the father-son discussion they had in a Pasadena restaurant, just a few days before the Rose Bowl.

Bob told his son that day, “There’s no pressure on you. You’ve gotten to where you want to be. Now just go out there and have fun.”

“I’m gonna have fun, Pops,” Brian replied, “but I’m also gonna win the Rose Bowl.”

“I wanted Brian to stay loose,” Bob told me. “I didn’t want him feeling a lot of extra pressure just because it was a big bowl game. I told him to approach the Rose Bowl like any other game of the season. If he did that, I knew he’d be okay. I said, ‘The Rose Bowl is just a football field like any other. It’s a hundred yards long and fifty yards wide. You don’t have to throw the ball any different than you’ve been throwing all year.’”

Brian took his old man’s advice. He stayed loose. He had fun. And despite throwing an early interception, Brian led the Wolverines to a 21-16 comeback victory over Washington State. It was Michigan’s first national title in fifty years. Brian went on to succeed the fabled John Elway as starting quarterback of the Denver Broncos.

BobGriese1967Purdue

Bob Griese, quarterback, Purdue University, in 1967. Photo: public domain.

Brian always had the most fun when things were tough. “Sometimes I set up to throw,” he told me, “and all of a sudden this big lineman’s paw comes outta nowhere and rakes across my facemask. Right then, the pressure is intense and I have to make some crucial decisions. The pocket is collapsing, and the defensive line is charging—but that’s what makes it fun.

“One time we were losing to Ohio State. I subbed in after our starting quarterback was hurt. I knew the Ohio State defense was tough, but over-anxious. They were thinking, Griese is just a backup quarterback. We’ll chew him up and spit him out. I mean, they would have loved to get in there and bury me. So I thought, Fine, let’s have some fun with this.

“Anytime a defensive lineman or a linebacker blitzes, he comes at you so fast that any little move you make, man, he’s going to fly right past you—and it makes them look terrible. And it’s funny! I’d say to them, ‘Hey, you’ve got to learn to lay back, man, because you’ll never get me that way.’ And they’d say, ‘I’ll get you next time, Griese! Next time I’m coming from your back side!’ But they didn’t get me. I just kept having fun with them, and by the end of the game, we’d won it.

“There was a game against Iowa in Michigan Stadium, and I really struggled in the first half. I threw three interceptions, and Iowa got two touchdowns off those interceptions. At halftime, we were down 21 to 7. When we came out to play the second half, Coach Carr took me aside and said, ‘This team is depending on you, Brian. They’re looking to you for leadership. So have fun out there—but bring us back.’ So we went out there and had some fun. First thing we did, we went right down the field, a 67-yard, eight-play drive that ended in a touchdown. After that, I was fine. And we won the game.

“To win, you have to be confident—and confidence comes from not taking things too seriously. When I play football, I know I can play this game. I never think, What if I make a mistake? I look at it this way: It’s just a game. I’m going to go out and have fun. That takes the pressure off. Sure, you’ve gotta be serious about winning, and your teammates have to know you’re serious—but at the same time, you have to have fun in order to be cool and calm and not get rattled in the pressure situations.”

That’s great advice for any endeavor—whether in sports or writing or the performing arts or business or ministry. Yes, approach what you do with a serious desire to compete, to do your best, to excel. But don’t forget to have fun. When the pressure is on, when the pocket is collapsing and your opponent is blitzing you, don’t panic. Instead, loft a quick prayer for wisdom and boldness—then enjoy the adventure. 

If you have fun at what you do, you can’t help but succeed. True success means accepting the challenge God has called you to and joyfully living the adventure of faith.

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.” 1 Corinthians 9:24

_____________________________

Answers-SoulANSWERS TO
SATISFY THE SOUL:
Clear, Straight Answers to 20 of Life’s Most Perplexing Questions
by Jim Denney 

(Kindle Edition: $2.99)

“Read this book and save yourself a lifetime of searching and wondering. The answers you seek are all right here!”
—Jack Canfield, author of Dare to Win and the Chicken Soup for the Soul series

“Grab an arm-load of Answers to Satisfy the Soul! Buy one for yourself, one to lend out, and a dozen to give as gifts. You’ve got a lot of friends who need this book!”
—Pat Williams, author of Character Carved in Stone

“If you are on a quest for success, happiness, love, meaning, or God, this book is for you. Whatever you seek in life, Answers to Satisfy the Soul will speed you on your journey.”
—John C. Maxwell, author of The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership

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What a Birthday–243 Years by Yvonne Lehman

Posted on July 5, 2019 by Vicki Hinze

 

What a Birthday! 243 years.

(No, not mine!) our beloved country – America!

Wonderful to celebrate in the back yard with family members, eating BBQ, hot dogs, corn on the cob, slaw, watermelon and topping it off with banana splits and games – while 2-year-old Rory waves the flag.

 

 

God bless America!

He has!

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INDEPENDENCE DAY! by Vicki Hinze

Posted on July 4, 2019 by Vicki Hinze

Independence Day

By

Vicki Hinze

Independence Day is on the near horizon. On Monday, we’ll gather with family and friends and neighbors. We’ll picnic and grill. We’ll watch fireworks explode, maybe shoot off some ourselves, and celebrate the day off work. But do we and our kids know what exactly we’re celebrating?

Recently, I watched man-on-the-street interviews on a college campus. Asked who America fought for its independence, only one person of those asked could answer correctly. Only one.

This was admittedly shocking, but then in many institutions, the study of American history is an elective. The study of civics is elected. How can students grow to informed citizens when they have no idea about their roots, the country’s fabric, or the way the government works?

Realizing the deficiencies should concern us all. And it should set us all to thinking. Noted philosopher, Socrates, considered independence the ability “to find yourself, think for yourself.” Elbert Hubbard said, “Freedom cannot be bestowed—it must be achieved.” Both make valid points that are worth some thought this Independence Day.

In America, thanks to the efforts of our forefathers who established this nation and all who have sacrificed so it endured, everyone in America is born free. Everyone has rights that protect his or her freedom. But in everyday, practical life, whether or not one remains free is up to the individual.

Freedom and independence are Linked

One can’t be truly free while being dependent on another. Whether you rely on an individual or an entity to, say, house and clothe and feed you or to pay your dental bills, once you are reliant you are no longer self-sustaining or self-reliant or independent. You are no longer free.

Costs of Dependence

With dependence comes costs. You rely on and are subject to the terms and conditions of being reliant. There are rules you are required to follow to be given what you need.

You can do this. You can’t do that. You must fit within these perimeters. If you do fit, you get what you need. If you do not fit, you don’t. That’s not freedom.

Embracing those “requirement” rules results in an absence of freedom. And that absence, if embraced, takes people to a place where it’s like stepping on a treadmill and, once on it, one can never step off.

Perhaps that truth is the root of the saying, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.”

An example. You collect a check from the government each month. You can’t work. If you work, you lose the check and the medical benefits that come with it.

You’re dependent, subject to the rules for getting the check, but once you step on that treadmill, you’re stuck on it with no way off. If you work, you lose what you have. If you don’t, you’re stuck where you are for the duration. It’s a lose/lose situation.

That isn’t independence or freedom. That limits you and what you’re able to do and to achieve. Freedom, on the other hand, limits us only by our imaginations and our willingness to make efforts and take risks.

How Rare is Independence?

Personal freedom and independence isn’t a new concept, but in the world, for people to be free is rare. Most citizens of the world live under heavy restrictions.

 

  • Only 14% of the world’s people have access to a free press
  • Only 30% have religious freedom
    •  According to Religion News, 5.3 billion people live under harsh religious restrictions. Retaining your right to choose your religion and whether or not you practice it, requires independence.
    • The majority of the world’s women live oppressed
      • Restrictions on women. In many nations/countries women do not have the same rights as men.  In many nations/countries:
        • Women can’t be educated
        • Women can’t drive
        • Women can’t go out on the street unescorted
        • Women can’t work
        • Women can’t choose their own clothes
        • Women can’t choose their own path in life
        • Women can’t choose their own spouse, or whether or not to have a spouse
  • If women step out of their designated role and rebel against the rules imposed on them, they’re beaten and/or arrested and, in cases, executed—even if/when expecting a baby.
  • In some countries, who you become and where you become it are dictated to you by others.
    • The governments decide where you live, where you or your children go to school, what jobs you may apply for, where you are assigned to work, what you are permitted to study and where, and such personal decisions as how many children you are permitted to have.

 

Founded on an idea, America has none of these restrictions. Its republic is and since inception has been reliant on its people to value their freedom, liberty, and independence. Americans must respect and desire freedom and independence and value personal liberty—and be willing to fight to preserve their rights.

canstockphoto6890178Benjamin Franklin, a founding father and patriot, once responded to a woman named Mrs. Powel, asking what the founding fathers had created—a republic or a monarchy. “A republic,” Franklin said, “if you can keep it.”

The founders knew that independence and freedom didn’t just depend on creating that republic but also on maintaining it. Constantly guarding and protecting it. That due diligence is the responsibility of each and every individual in each and every generation.

It alone warrants American History and Civics being mandatory studies for all students. To do your due diligence, understanding the rare privilege and rights you have and knowing how your republic works is essential.

Use It or Lose It

If you enjoy choosing your life, your school, your work and want to continue to make those choices yourself, then defend your freedom and embrace your independence. Be self-reliant.

If you enjoy choosing your faith or the absence of it, defining yourself and what is important to you, deciding the kind of life you want to live and the kind of person you want to be, then take to heart the words of Steve Jobs: “Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.”

If you enjoy speaking your mind, voicing your opinions, expressing yourself, then defend your freedom and independence.

The Bill of Rights is the heart of individual liberty, personal freedom. To, as Socrates said, think for yourself and as Hubbard said, achieve freedom.

Freedom, like independence, isn’t a one-shot-and-you’re-done deal. Both freedom and independence must be guarded and maintained. Otherwise, those who seek power will seize both. Evidence of that reveals itself clearly in World History (which our students aren’t required to study, either).

Throughout history, when one seeks to control the masses, the first thing that must be squelched to successfully “transform” and bring everyone under One’s control is any freedom of choice. Get rid of God and substitute the government in His place. Remove the ability of people to defend themselves, to oppose being seized. Force people into relying on government, and then begin nudging the public to fall in line with One’s desires by making not falling into line painful.

High costs, hunger, restrictions; demeaning, ridiculing, demonizing—any and all that can be done to control people and their actions, behavior, conduct.

Historically, there is always a high-intensity move to control thought. This is how you should feel about this and that, and if you don’t, you’re abnormal, radical or racist. You’re … choose your own awful adjective. All of that isn’t about being fair or just or right, it’s about controlling others.

The natural inclination, for Americans especially, is to consider that type of manipulation unthinkable. It couldn’t happen here, some say. But the truth is it can, does, and is happening here. America only works if its people engage and stay engaged in its own affairs.

Many citizens of other nations have considered them losing control of their own lives unthinkable. But when we look at what actually happened to them, we see they did lose control—and many lost it by making the same mistake: They became apathetic, self-absorbed, wrapped up in their personal lives and they tuned-out on their own national interests.

Leaders seized that opportunity, seized power and control, and filled that power vacuum. Then came the nudging, which was inaccurately deemed to be misunderstandings. Surely Castro, for example, wouldn’t take away people’s private homes and businesses. But he did. And once he did, it was too late. The people had already lost too much and had nothing left with which to fight for themselves. That’s the cost of apathy and the cost of denial.

Who and Why We Are

This Independence Day, we need to remember who we are and why we are.

We need to remember that we are first and foremost Americans. Far too often, we think of ourselves as Republican, Democrat, or Independent. That’s a divide-and-conquer strategy politicians use to get elected. It is not an American First strategy.

This country was founded by those who wanted to be free to choose, free to pursue their own visions for their lives, free to worship as they desired without fear of retribution or execution. Pull out a copy of the Constitution and read it. A copy of the Bill of Rights. The Declaration of Independence. Get acquainted, reacquainted and connected.

Your independence is not something to take for granted. If you do so, know that you do so at your own peril. Look around at how women fare in most of the world today. Is that what you want for yourself? For your daughters and granddaughters?

Americans are so accustomed to exercising their own will that they’ve lost sight of the concept of not having that right or privilege. They’ve fallen to PC police in a way that would stun those who came before us. Do what I want done, the way I want it done. Think what I tell you to think or forget tolerance. I’ll shout you down, demonize you until you fear opening your mouth about anything. I’ll own you.

Is that what Americans want?

I seriously doubt it. But if they don’t want it, then they can’t do the same thing those before us did with apathy and denial and expect a different result. History will repeat itself.

Independence. Remember what it costs, and choose what it means to you.

If you fail to, you risk waking up and finding your independence and liberty and freedom is gone—a faded memory.

America, the idea, was not established for that. Founders didn’t pledge their lives, treasure and sacred honor for that. All who have sacrificed and shed blood to keep Americans free didn’t sacrifice for freedom to become a faded memory.

They did their part to establish and maintain freedom for this nation’s people. Not select people in it. Not its government. Its people.

The question on minds this Independence Day is, Will we?

 

canstockphoto23328229

Did You Know: On the Declaration of Independence

In 1776, the Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia. On July 2nd, twelve of the thirteen colonies voted to adopt the motion put forth by Richard Henry Lee for Independence. Thomas Jefferson drafted the statement. Two more days passed with debate and revisions—86 changes—before, on July 4th, the Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence.

 

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Freedom

Posted on July 4, 2019 by Bridget

Happy Independence Day! Today in the United States of America we celebrate the birth of our country in 1776. Although our country’s initial freedom occurred over two centuries ago, today our freedom is just as significant as it was 243 years ago. The people of this country still have many liberties that are not found across the globe. For example, we have the freedom to worship in church and we have the freedom to vote.

What is freedom? According to Merriam-Webster it means the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action; Liberation from slavery or restraint or from the power of another; The quality or state of being exempt or released usually from something onerous; Unrestricted use; Etc.

But when I think about freedom, I also think about Christ. For those who believe and accept Jesus into their lives, they have the ultimate freedom. Freedom from sin, freedom from death, freedom from the chains of the enemy. We were once enslaved to our flesh and sinful nature. But our old selves died on the cross with Jesus, and we became new creatures.

There are many Bible verses that talk about this freedom we possess. Here are just a few:

  • For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. – Galatians 5:1 ESV
  • Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. – 2 Corinthians 3:17 ESV
  • So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. – John 8:36 ESV
  • And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. – John 8:32 ESV
  • For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. – Galatians 5:13 ESV

Reflecting on how we have been set free makes me feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. What an awesome gift we have! But that’s not all. Notice above that one of the definitions of freedom was unrestricted use. As Christians we also have unrestricted access to our Father. We can call on Him at any moment of any day, and He will always answer. How amazing that we can go to Him in prayer at any given time!

No matter what country you live in, I hope you will take a moment today to thank God for your true freedom through Jesus!

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Growing Wild

Posted on July 3, 2019 by jrcoggins

I am pleased to announce that we have gone green. Or organic. Or wild. I am not a professional gardener, so I am not sure of the precise term.

What I mean is that we have converted the big flower garden in our backyard to a wildflower garden.

For years, we tried to maintain a conventional flower garden, but we found it too expensive to keep buying new flowering plants. It seems that most of what we planted died and had to be replaced.

This was especially true of flowers labeled “annual,” which we took to mean that, once planted, they would regrow every year (since “annual” means “every year”). But this was not the case. These flowers would do alright the first year—especially if we poured some water on them from time to time. This seemed to help them grow for some reason, even though there are no nutrients in water. But, in subsequent years, they would not regrow. It became too expensive to keep buying new plants every year.

Next we tried to turn the garden into a rock garden. We scattered pebbles and even good-sized stones throughout the garden. These didn’t die, but they grew very, very slowly. In fact, the growth was imperceptible. After several years, none had grown into rocks.

So we bought a book called An Amateur’s Guide to Wildflowers. Now, whenever a plant starts growing naturally in our garden, we pull out the Guide and try to identify it. We then put a stake into the soil beside it, identifying the species. The wildflower garden is doing extremely well. We already have flourishing beds of taraxacum officinale (dandelion), ambrosia artemisiifolia (ragweed), sonchus oleraceus (sowthistle), digitaria sanguinalis (crabgrass), rhus radicans (poison ivy), and amaranthus retroflexus (pigweed).

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Happy 4th of July!

Posted on July 2, 2019 by Kristin

The Fourth has always been a fun time for our family.  From the time my kids were little, we would go to their Grandma’s house in Sacramento, ride our bikes and park under the huge fireworks display in California’s capital city. It was quite a sensory overload and I’m sure we may have scarred one or two kids.

As the kids grew up, the siblings would go off together with their friends and celebrate on the top of Hunter’s Point.  It’s a scenic place that overlooks the entire Bay Area from downtown San Jose all the way to the Bay Bridge in San Francisco.  They go up there with a bunch of glow sticks and flashlights to watch the fireworks.  I loved how they made it their own holiday and carried on the family tradition.

This year my second son is deployed with the Marines.  He won’t be here for fireworks,  and shouts of “Murica!” but I’m not going to let that stop me from rolling out the hot dogs and donning my American flag clothes!  (My sons like to compete as to who can have more America wear each year.)IMG_3770

I feel so blessed to be born in America.  I can read my Bible freely and attend church without fear.  That’s the best tradition — dressing up like a flag just adds to the celebration! I hope your family has their own traditions and you enjoy your freedoms this week.

 

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The Nemesis by Nancy J. Farrier

Posted on July 1, 2019 by Nancy J. Farrier

The cylindropuntia bigelovii, or teddy bear cholla, sometimes called a jumping cactus, is my nemesis on my walks. Those little segment that glow with an iridescent radiance in the early morning and look very cuddly, are in fact spiny beasts that hide and giggle with glee when they can attach themselves to your foot or leg. Well—maybe they don’t giggle audibly, but I think they do gloat a little.

Once a cholla segment touches your shoe, the spines go through like they’re swimming through butter and pierce your foot. At that point, there is no walking on until you get to a place to sit down and remove your shoe. The pain is intense enough that you stop right there and do your best to remove the critter. I carry a knife with me at all times when I’m hiking in the desert. I know other people who carry a comb to get underneath the segment and pop it out of the shoe or skin. Tweezers are helpful to have on hand too.

I have to admit—sometimes I grumble about the cholla in my shoe/foot. Or, worse, in my dog’s foot or leg. I wonder why these cacti are even out there. Imagine my surprise when I walked by a cylindorpuntia bigelovii (I love that name. lol) and there were tiny pink things among the spines. 

Watching the ground for wayward segments, I moved closer until I could see they were small flowers amid the stickers. Fairly pretty flowers. I took some pictures and went on my way pondering the lesson learned. Even my nemesis had a redeeming value. Hmmmm. There’s a point to consider.

When I read, or write, a book, the best antagonist is not just a horrible person. They usually have a redeeming trait. For instance, I recently read The Marsh King’s Daughterby Karen Dionne, a psychological suspense. The father in the story does horrific acts and is an antagonist you want to hate. But, in the midst of the story, he also has moments of tenderness, which makes him a multi-dimensional character, giving you conflicting emotions when you think about him.

In life, I have come across people who were difficult to be around for one reason or another. Seeing that tiny flower on a prickly plant reminds me that even the prickliest person has a redeeming quality or part of them. That quality may only show up for brief moments and you have to be watching to see the flash of beauty. 

Whether a prickly plant, a book character or a real person, I have now learned to watch for the beauty among the spines. I find if I’m looking for the positive instead of focusing on the negative I find those bits of redeeming value much easier. When I am honest, I realize God looked down on my prickly, spiny persona and saw something He loved. I need to do the same to others.

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How to Turn Dreams Into Reality

Posted on June 29, 2019 by writinginoverdrive

by Jim Denney, adapted from
ANSWERS TO SATISFY THE SOUL:
Clear, Straight Answers to 20 of Life’s Most Perplexing Questions

In April 1914, when C. S. Lewis was fifteen-and-a-half, he went with his father and brother to the Belfast home of Joseph and Mary Greeves. Their youngest son, Arthur, was three years older than Lewis. Years earlier, a doctor had misdiagnosed Arthur with a “weak heart.” As a result, Mary Greeves coddled Arthur and made him spend most of his days in bed as a semi-invalid. 

Lewis-Wardrobe

“The Searcher,” a statue in Belfast, Northern Ireland, by Ross Wilson, depicting C. S. Lewis looking into a wardrobe. Photo by “Genvessel,” used under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

Lewis went to Arthur’s room and found the young man reading. The book in Arthur’s hands was Myths of the Norsemen by Hélène Adeline Guerber—one of Lewis’s own favorites. Lewis and Arthur bonded over their shared love of Norse eddas and sagas. For the rest of his life, C. S. Lewis regarded Arthur Greeves as his closest friend, next to his brother Warren. Both dreamed of being writers, and they exchanged many letters filled with literary ideas, plans, and opinions.

Greeves and Lewis lived very different lives. Greeves was spoiled and pampered by a worrying mother. Lewis had lived a very hard life since age nine, when his mother died. That’s when his father shipped him off to the Wynyard School in Watford, England—a place Lewis remembered as a house of horrors and punishments, ruled by a brutal man who was later arrested for the cruelties he inflicted on the boys at Wynyard. Perhaps the hardships in his life motivated Lewis to focus intensely on his career goals.

Arthur dreamed of being published and shared many story ideas with Lewis, who repeatedly told him he had a great talent for writing. Yet Arthur never seemed to finish anything he started, and he never managed to get published. Again and again, Lewis coaxed Arthur to finish his stories and submit them for publication.

“You have plenty of imagination,” Lewis wrote Arthur in 1916, “and what you want is practice, practice, practice. It doesn’t matter what we write . . . so long as we write continually as well as we can. I feel that every time I write a page either of prose or of verse, with real effort, even if it’s thrown into the fire the next minute, I am so much further on.”

Three years later, when Lewis was discharged after serving in World War I, he again wrote to Arthur, urging him, “Do get on with the writing: as you said yourself, it at least needs no physical energy and I am sure you only need to stick at it.”

In time, C. S. Lewis became one of the best-loved authors of the twentieth century, famed especially for Mere Christianity and The Chronicles of Narnia. But Arthur lived his entire life without being published.

Lewis devoted himself to a focused, daily regimen of writing. Arthur wrote only when he felt “inspired.” Writing for publication is a dream for many people like Arthur. But the dream only becomes a reality if you stick to it, focus, and never give up.

 

Fear of the Blank Screen

Many writers, when they face the blank screen of their computer, see something baleful, glaring, and hostile, like this distorted image. To achieve your writing dreams, you have to look the blank screen in its single eye, you have to begin writing, you have to keep writing, and you have to persevere until the work is finished. Original photo by Andrew PMK, altered by Jim Denney, used under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

The world is full of people who dream of writing that novel or building that dream house or starting a business or launching a singing career. “Sure, I could do that,” they say, “and someday I just might.” But they never do and they never will. They keep their dreams in a shoebox, tied up with string, shoved under the bed—because they lack the courage to put their dreams to the test.

When I first decided to take the plunge into fulltime freelance writing, I knew it would mean no more regular paychecks, no employer-paid health insurance, no retirement plan, no paid vacation. I talked to a couple of other writers who had each been in the business for ten years or more, seeking their advice.

One told me, “You happened to call me just as I’m quitting the freelance life and taking a job with a publishing house. Jim, I just couldn’t take it anymore. My advice to you is this: Don’t even think of fulltime freelance writing unless you have at least a year’s worth of living expenses saved up.” 

The other writer I talked to had more than five million copies of his various books in print—and he did all his writing in his spare time. From 9 to 5, he headed up a nonprofit organization. He told me, “Don’t quit your day job. Do your writing evenings and weekends, and make sure you have a regular paycheck.” Not much encouragement there, either.

I corresponded by email with a Hugo- and Nebula-winning science fiction writer, one of the top names in the field, and he told me how the bank had repossessed his house during his first couple of years as a fulltime writer. So he couldn’t offer much encouragement—but he wished me luck.

What should I do? Should I listen to those veteran writers who advised me (with excellent justification) not to even consider such a foolish move? Or should I pursue my dream? I knew I had the discipline and experience to be a writer. I had already had a few books published while writing part-time. So I took the plunge.

And it was tough—incredibly tough. Worse than I imagined it would be. If I had it to do over again, I would do everything differently. But I survived and eventually thrived as a writer.

The key to success in writing or any other endeavor is focus. You have to focus on the work at hand, regardless of distractions and interruptions. You have to focus on moving forward, no matter what obstacles are in your way. You have to focus on your goals, despite rejections and setbacks.

Richard Hooker spent seven years writing his Korean War comedy novel M*A*S*H. It was rejected by twenty-one publishers before William Morrow & Co. published it. The book became an immediate bestseller and spun off a hugely successful movie and TV series—but it wouldn’t have happened without intense focus and dogged perseverance.

Mystery writer Donald Westlake used to paper the walls of his apartment with rejection slips. The day he sold his first story to a magazine, he celebrated by ripping those rejection slips off the wall—all 204 of them. He became one of the most successful writers in America—but he never would have gotten anywhere without an intense focus on his dreams.

So what are your dreams for the future? What is God calling you to do with your life? It might be a novel or a nonfiction book, or a new church or an after-school program for kids, or a run for public office, or a new business on the Internet. All you have to do is focus on the dream God has given you, work hard at it every day, and persevere, persevere, persevere. 

For how long?

As long is it takes for that dream to come true.

_____________________________

Answers-SoulANSWERS TO
SATISFY THE SOUL:
Clear, Straight Answers to 20 of Life’s Most Perplexing Questions
by Jim Denney 

(Kindle Edition: $2.99)

“Read this book and save yourself a lifetime of searching and wondering. The answers you seek are all right here!”
—Jack Canfield, author of Dare to Win and the Chicken Soup for the Soul series

“Grab an arm-load of Answers to Satisfy the Soul! Buy one for yourself, one to lend out, and a dozen to give as gifts. You’ve got a lot of friends who need this book!”
—Pat Williams, author of Character Carved in Stone

“If you are on a quest for success, happiness, love, meaning, or God, this book is for you. Whatever you seek in life, Answers to Satisfy the Soul will speed you on your journey.”
—John C. Maxwell, author of The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership

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Nora’s Review of… BECOMING US by Robin Jones Gunn

Posted on June 28, 2019 by Vicki Hinze

 

 

Becoming Us

By Robin Jones Gunn

(Book 1 – Haven Makers series)

Publisher: Multnomah

Release Date: May 7, 2019

ISBN# 978-0735290754

320 Pages

Topics:  Friendship, Sisters, Domestic Life, Infertility, relationships,

 

About the Book:  From the author of the best-selling Christy Miller and Sisterchicks series comes a refreshing novel that celebrates the gift of friendship.

Five young women, including beloved Gunn characters Christy Miller and Sierra Jensen, gather for a simple Christmas party and soon become unlikely best friends. Told from the viewpoint of Emily, a timid young mom going through a difficult season of life, the regular gatherings provide the much-needed community she’s longed for. As the women begin sharing their life stories in Becoming Us they are endeared to each other and find ways to challenge, encourage, and help each other become the nurturing mothers they wished they’d had when they were growing up. They see themselves as Haven Makers and unite to be remembered for what they do and not for what was done to them.

 

Nora’s Review:  This author brilliantly blends together fun, realistic situations with characters I instantly cared for, intermingled with a natural spiritual thread – it’s a winning combination. Emily’s family is looking for a fresh start in California. It’s a chance to make decisions without either of their families breathing down their necks. Life has thrown them for a loop. They are hurt, weary and seek a new perspective on how to do family and life. Emily and Trevor’s twelve-year-old daughter Audra loves California and quickly makes friends. Trevor works at a car dealership his family owns and Emily works at a coffee shop.

 

Emily gets invited to a Christian woman’s book club of sorts. She goes but is very guarded about what she shares. She doesn’t want to get close to this small group of women because she might be moving back to North Carolina if things didn’t turn around soon for Trevor at the dealership. Things weren’t going according to the plan.

 

This author has a gift of making readers feel part of this group who admits they struggle as they do their best to walk out being a wife, mom and Christ follower; it’s not easy. They call themselves The Daughters of Eve. Emily was amazed and refreshed to meet a group of real, ladies accepting her with open arms, filled with love and grace. She could finally breath, (not having to live up to relatives’ expectations, and dealing with their manipulative ways.) Emily was encouraged to see wisdom blossom in her friends, husband and daughter as they seek insight, healing and understanding of themselves, God and others through prayer.

Family can be complicated, messy and a struggle. I enjoyed reading about these ladies doing life together through tears, laughter, love and grace all gifts given from old dear friends one to another. Blessings and lessons are scattered throughout the novel as they usually are in this authors’ books.

 

Themes talked about in this novel are marriage, parenthood, family, forgiveness, hope, God’s mysterious timing and ways are so much bigger than us. I liked that this author naturally points readers closer to God in each season of life discussed. I was encouraged and inspired, by the characters just as I was when I read the SisterChick novel. I highly recommend this story for a wonderful read and one that would be great for your next book club pick with discussion questions at the end of the book.

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the Publisher/BookLook.  I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

 

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins! http://www.bookfun.org
The Book Club Network blog http://www.psalm516.blogspot.com
Book Fun Magazine https://www.bookfun.org/page/past-issues-book-fun-mag

 

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Midyear Reflection

Posted on June 27, 2019 by Bridget

Reflection is one of my favorite things to do around the beginning of the year. I like to look back on the year that has ended to see the wonderful events that sprinkled the year. This could include accomplishments, fun things I did with my family, or blessings from God. And I also like to look at the year in front of me, deciding what I want to focus on in my spiritual walk, what goals I have, and in what areas I hope to grow.

I recently listened to an episode of The Next Right Thing podcast in which the host, Emily P. Freeman, talks about how she likes to take time for reflection at the end of every season. So at the end of May, August, November, and February, she will look over the past three months. I loved the idea of having several reflections throughout the year. This might be an opportunity to see what’s working, what’s not working, what changes you might need to make, and so on. But I decided to tweak it just a bit to do a midyear reflection instead of the seasonal reflections. And since we are already at the end of June, halfway through 2019, this is the perfect time to do just that.

I have a journal that I try to write in each day. It is mainly a gratitude journal. Each evening I like to write down at least five things that I am thankful for. Often times what I choose to jot down are events that occurred in that given day. It could be something seemingly small, but meaningful to me, such as when my husband empties the dishwasher, mows the lawn, or any other number of things that he does around the house. They are things that can easily be taken for granted, so I find that writing them down nurtures gratitude. I also might write down big events, such as my niece’s wedding which occurred last month. Keeping a gratitude journal is a helpful way for me to see the blessings that filled each day. And this is what I used when going through my Midyear Reflection.

If you don’t have a journal like this, you could look through things like emails, text messages, photos on your phone, etc. If you routinely read your Bible, you could also look through it to help you remember what you have been learning in your studies. And of course you could always use your memory to recall different events that occurred over the past several months. In the podcast I mentioned, Emily stated that her resources for her March-May reflection included her to-do lists, quotes she jotted down, photos, current events, and work / life milestones.

I actually enjoyed taking the time to look back over the things that filled my days during the first six months of this year. And I learned a few things along the way. Here are just a few things that I learned from my midyear reflection:

1 – In the day-to-day grind, it might feel like you are getting nowhere. But when you look back, you will see that you were really taking baby steps and just didn’t realize it. For example, I felt perhaps I was not changing in my spiritual walk. But looking back on the events of the past few months, I can see how I have grown in this area.

2 – When you stick with something, it pays off. In our society, we expect instant results. But that is not how God designed the world. When we plant seeds, they take months to harvest. The same is true for many things in life. When you start an exercise plan, it takes time to see results. In the same way, when you begin spending time with God, you might not feel like a new creature on day one. But over several months time, you will see that you have been transformed.

3 – When you pray, you can be certain that God hears every word. Looking back on my prayers from the past few months, I can see how God has answered me. His answer might not always look the way I imagined it would, but that doesn’t mean He didn’t answer.

4 – Some things in our lives are joyful, other things are unpleasant, and then there are things which are actually both joyful and unpleasant. That surprised me, but it’s true. There were events that occurred over the past months which brought smiles and stress, at the same time.

5 – When we are present in life and intentionally look for God everywhere, we will find Him. One example happened at a funeral we attended recently, which was held in a very old church. As we waited for the service to start, I picked up an old hymnal and opened it up to a random page. I knew God was speaking to me with the hymn that I stumbled upon. It was one that I had never heard before, but the words held a lot of meaning for me. I continued to flip through the book and came across some old hymns I recognized. And then I discovered one called Tell Me the Story of Jesus, which I had heard on a modern Christmas record by Kim Walker-Smith. Prior to flipping through this hymnal, I didn’t realize it was an old hymn.

These are just a few things that I learned from my midyear reflection. Will you join me and do a midyear reflection as well? If you decide to, then please let me know how it went. I’d love to hear about it!

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Quick to Hear (by Hannah Alexander)

Posted on June 25, 2019 by alexanderhodde

KODAK Digital Still Camera

Have you responded to someone in anger recently? I don’t know about you, but I am in constant battle with my tongue. It tries hard to get away from me, and sometimes I don’t stop it in time. Kind of the way these baby pronghorn skitter away from me when I show too much interest in them. Yep, my tongue is like that.

The word picture of a wiggly pink tongue hopping away down the road might be a funny sight, or it could be gross. Creepy, even. For me,  it’s scary. That’s because there have been too many times in my past that I have allowed my tongue to destroy a critical interaction. A person can say pretty much anything, as long as it’s not out of anger or spite, and be forgiven. Silliness can be overlooked, but when someone says a harsh word in anger, that isn’t so easily forgiven or forgotten.

Our little house church has been studying the book of James this past month. There’s a lot to dig out of this book, and we’re only on the second chapter. We ended one of our Wednesday night sessions with homework: we were to meditate on the verse, “Be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger,” which is found in James 1:19.

I have a tendency to open my mouth before engaging my brain. It’s something most of us have to work on, sometimes for our lifetimes. If we cannot contain our words of anger, we are capable of leaving a path of destruction behind us in the lives of others, and in our own lives. We can lose friends, jobs, lose our own selves in the words we let loose on others.

If you’ve read my recent posts, you know that I love the outdoors and the wildlife. So I have been learning from my experiences here.  For instance, wild horses don’t stick around if you speak too loudly–sometimes not even if you speak at all. They’re wild.

KODAK Digital Still Camera

In my quest to get as close as possible to these to beauties, I’ve had to hold my tongue, or at least speak very softly and gently. Even whisper. And I know better than to make a full frontal assault.

So I’ve wondered to myself why I can be gentle and move slowly with these wild animals, and not control myself as well when it comes to human interaction.

And you know what? When I’ve done just that–treated human beings as I would the wild horses–in most cases it works!

You see, these horses aren’t the friendliest animals. They’re curious, sure, but they don’t want close contact with a human being. Can you blame them, considering the way some people behave? Humans can treat me the same way these horses do by using their words to keep me at a distance. If I respond harshly with words of my own, it would be the same as waving my hands and shouting at these wild animals. It will offend them. Remember that a soft answer turns away wrath. The good thing about the horses is that they don’t plot revenge as a human might do.

I’m curious. Have you had the experience of controlling your tongue–sometimes in very difficult circumstances–and had the pleasant result of a better reaction from an angry person? Or have you witnessed this well-controlled behavior in others?

 

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The Ripple Spreads Wide

Posted on June 24, 2019 by Vicki Hinze

Vicki HInze, The Ripple Spreads Wide, Christians Read

 

Define lucky. I can’t speak for all, of course, but lucky is defined differently for different people in different situations. Sometimes luck is luck, and sometimes it is the result of some pretty intense effort—though, not necessarily on the exact same thing.

You’ve likely heard me say before that your effort might not open “the” door, but it could open one that leads to “the” door. Let me give you an example. 

Before I sold my first book, I volunteered to do interviews with editors and agents for a writer group’s newsletter.  I’d done quite a few of these interviews when I did one on an editor who liked it and shared it with other editors in her office.  One of those editors said, “I like her writing.” The editor I’d interviewed told me about the conversation and suggested if I had a book to submit to that second editor I do it.  I did and submitted, and she bought the book.

Who would have thought that a non-fiction article would open “the” door?  The interviews took effort, but each one was a learning experience. I did the work, but I gained knowledge and insight from the work, too.  That was a win. That on this interview the editor liked it and showed it to the second editor—that was lucky. But unless the “unrelated” effort had been made in writing the non-fiction article, the opportunity would not have been there for the “unrelated” novel door to open. 

That’s what I mean when I say, what you do might not open “the” door, but it might open “a” door that leads to “the” door.

Then there is the impact of what you write on readers.  Often, when an author writes a story it is on a wing and a prayer that it will help someone, somewhere, in some way.  Maybe to show them a challenge that was resolved constructively. Solutions exist! Maybe to take their minds off their troubles for a while. (Don’t underestimate the value of that! Or the value of pure entertainment!)  An example.

You are in a hospital room, sitting at the bedside of someone you love. Your loved one is dying. In and out, and sleeping a lot, but you fear leaving the room for fear you won’t be there when needed.  You have a book in your hand.  For a few minutes, you escape all the grief and fear and upset in the hospital room and take respite in the story. How much is each of those minutes of respite worth?

I had such a story relayed to me by a reader. I’ve never forgotten it. And to this lucky author who wrote the story in which in that reader found a few minutes’ respite, I can tell you the value to me:  priceless.

We write our books and set them free in the world to do what they will for those they touch.  We know that not all readers will like them.  But we also know that some readers will love them. And we know that regardless of what kind of story is written, it will be a story that ends up in someone’s hands at the time when they most need it for whatever reason is significant to them.  That makes us all lucky authors.

Bear in mind that especially early on in authors’ careers, most hear “no” a lot more than they hear “yes.” They hear “revise, edit, rework, rewrite” far more often than “this is great” and frankly that no-to-yes ratio pretty much holds true throughout authors’ writing careers.  There’s always tailoring to be done. Perspective and focus shifts to be made to best suit the needs of the publisher, who isn’t typically looking at one book but how each book fits in with all the other books published. 

Some authors resent the process. Lucky ones don’t. They grasp early on that publishers spend a fortune to figure out what sells well for their publishing house, their imprints. Selling books is their job, so naturally they do all they can to craft and shape and license books that appeal to their readers. Actually, editors’ careers depend on them doing this, and doing it well.

The lucky author is one who has a gifted editor who sees the author’s vision and enhances it without writing a totally different story—their own vision of the book. It’s amazing how well this merger typically works because it is a complex creative process. The best editors have that gift—to see the vision and enhance it. They are not frustrated authors. Any author who has such a gifted editor is lucky. These are matches made in Heaven, where the best talents of the author merge with the best talents of the editor to produce the best possible book with the brightest prospects for mutual success.

Authors who have readers who invest in them are very lucky.  Readers are open about what they like and what they don’t—their preferences. But authors often don’t ask readers’ opinions, and that is a missed opportunity for “luck.” One of the best lessons learned is to ask questions and to really listen to readers’ answers. They often have outstanding feedback and they share the most amazing stories and ideas.

Now many authors complain about the time it takes to be active on social media. And it is time consumptive. No author can actively engage on all the different platforms—not and have time to write, much less have a life.  But an author can choose a platform or two that is compatible with the author and be active on it. Why do it?

First, you get to know the absolute best people.  You’ll see the best in humanity.  Is the worst there? Yes, but you are free to not engage, or to set your own terms on engagements. By interacting, you stay more current on the situations people are facing.  Many are the same and change little from generation to generation. But how people react to them changes often. 

You get to know people, and they get to know you. Sometimes you goof around with them, sometimes you share stories from your life, and they share stories and bits of their lives. Attachments grow to bonds, and investments are made by the author and the readers. There are a lot of good people out there. We hear about the jerks often, but the good people…they awe and humble you. They inspire you.

I post a lot of quotes. Have for years.  I have always loved quotes. They’re short and to the point, and others like short and to the point also.  I expected people who enjoy the things I enjoy would chat and visit.  I didn’t expect so many of them to be amazing human beings. We celebrate together, cry together and support each other. Oh, everyone runs into a jerk now and again, or someone having a rough a day who blows off some steam, but those should never dampen enthusiasm. They’re a blip on the screen compared to all the good.  

Understanding all this, I still did not expect the enthusiasm over a really short post I did where I was celebrating finishing a new book.  It went something like, “Yay—it’s finished!  The new book is done.  Color me happy!”  Something that that. Not exactly earth-shattering news, but genuine elation that a project had been completed.  That’s something an author typically celebrates alone.  Well, that little post set my phone to pinging like crazy. All kinds of people were congratulating me on finishing the book. Many took the time to include animated gifs. It was exciting to have people celebrating with me. It was humbling, and honestly, I was awestruck by their generosity of spirit. Taking time from their lives to join in on something that was important to me. 

For many, this might not seem like a big deal.  But it was huge to me. It is huge to me. Anytime anyone gives you their time, they’re sharing something significant to them. Something they can’t get back. Something precious to them.

That’s why I was humbled and awed.  And grateful. And that’s why I’m the luckiest author in the world.

I could go on for hours with stories about all the ways authors are lucky. But the bottom line is pretty simple—and very consistent. Some authors make their luck, some stumble into it, some go door-to-door seeking “the” door more than the old Kirby vacuum salesmen.  Most authors experience a combination of types of luck over the life of their career: a little of all possible kinds of luck.

I suppose I’ll close with this:  you see the value in being open to all kinds of luck.  Not just for authors, but for you, the human being living your life. Maybe you hadn’t seen how important you, your comments, your feedback, and your posts are to those who read them. And maybe you hadn’t grasped how much your interactions with others mean to them—but now you do.

I hope that’s the case. If you’ve gained insight, you’ve defined lucky.  My wish is that you apply these things to you and your life and that your bottom line is you consider yourself lucky. And since I wish (and dream) big:  I wish that you see the wisdom of investing in making others feel lucky, too.

Whatever you do, remember that the ripple spreads wide and it goes on and on…

Blessings,

Vicki

 

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Why Does God Allow It?

Posted on June 22, 2019 by writinginoverdrive

by Jim Denney, adapted from
ANSWERS TO SATISFY THE SOUL:
Clear, Straight Answers to 20 of Life’s Most Perplexing Questions

In the 1981 movie Time Bandits, the satanic Evil Genius (played by David Warner) wreaks enormous carnage and destruction on the world. After the smoke clears and the dust settles and the Evil Genius is vanquished by the Supreme Being (Sir Ralph Richardson), it’s time to figure out the moral to the movie.

A young boy questions the Supreme Being about all the death and devastation: “You let all those people die—just to test your creation?”

“Yes, you really are a clever boy.”

“Why did they have to die?”

The Supreme Being shrugs. “You might as well say, ‘Why do we have to have evil?’”

“Yes, why do we have to have evil?”

“Ah! I think it’s something to do with free will.”

War

We live in a world in which free will runs riot. Evil people kill and maim and torture their fellow human beings, yet no bolt of lightning crashes down from heaven to stop the evildoers or punish them.

Atheists say the existence of evil proves the impossibility of God. The argument goes like this:

  1. If God exists, then meaningless pain and evil cannot exist; a good and powerful God would not allow it.
  2. We know that meaningless pain and evil do exist.
  3. Therefore, God does not exist.

Sounds logical. Yet we, being limited human beings, cannot possibly know with certainty that God doesn’t have profoundly good reasons for giving us the terrible gift of free will. Suffering that seems meaningless and pointless to us now might have meaning in the eternal scheme of things.

In People of the Lie, psychiatrist M. Scott Peck writes, “Free will is the ultimate human reality. . . . Evil is the inevitable concomitant of free will, the price we pay for our unique human power of choice.”

When we look at the history of wars, slavery, genocide, violence, and other assorted horrors, we find ourselves wishing God would revoke our terrible freedom and end all this slaughter and suffering. Wouldn’t it be better to be robots than to endure a world of such horrors? Yet God refuses to violate human freedom. He will not force us to be good, even to prevent a holocaust. 

BibleInitial-Book

As Christians, we know that Jesus, God in human flesh, has entered into our suffering. He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. He took into Himself the very worst agony that evil men can inflict on a fellow human being. And He calls us to take up our cross and follow Him, becoming conformed to His likeness, accepting the injustice and sorrow that this world inflicts, and becoming Christlike wounded healers in a sick and dying world.

There is an old parable that underscores our responsibility as Christians:

A man goes to God in prayer and complains about all the suffering and injustice in the world. “God,” he says, “why do You allow this to go on? Why don’t You send help?”

“I did send help,” God replies. “I sent you.”

_____________________________

Answers-SoulANSWERS TO
SATISFY THE SOUL:
Clear, Straight Answers to 20 of Life’s Most Perplexing Questions
by Jim Denney 

(Kindle Edition: $2.99)

“Read this book and save yourself a lifetime of searching and wondering. The answers you seek are all right here!”
—Jack Canfield, author of Dare to Win and the Chicken Soup for the Soul series

“Grab an arm-load of Answers to Satisfy the Soul! Buy one for yourself, one to lend out, and a dozen to give as gifts. You’ve got a lot of friends who need this book!”
—Pat Williams, author of Character Carved in Stone

“If you are on a quest for success, happiness, love, meaning, or God, this book is for you. Whatever you seek in life, Answers to Satisfy the Soul will speed you on your journey.”
—John C. Maxwell, author of The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership

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Nora’s Review of WE HOPE FOR BETTER THINGS

Posted on June 21, 2019 by Vicki Hinze

 


We Hope For Better Things

By Erin Bartel

Published by Revell

Release Date: January 2019

ISBN#978-0800735661

400 Pages

#CivilWar, 1960’s, Rascal conflict, historical fiction, Time/slip story Thought Provoking Historical

 

BOOK BLURB:When Detroit Free Press reporter Elizabeth Balsam meets James Rich, his strange request–that she looks up a relative she didn’t know she had in order to deliver an old camera and a box of photos–seems like it isn’t worth her time. But when she loses her job after a botched investigation, she suddenly finds herself with nothing but time.

At her great-aunt’s 150-year-old farmhouse, Elizabeth uncovers a series of mysterious items, locked doors, and hidden graves. As she searches for answers to the riddles around her, the remarkable stories of two women who lived in this very house emerge as testaments to love, resilience, and courage in the face of war, racism, and misunderstanding. And as Elizabeth soon discovers, the past is never as past as we might like to think.

REVIEW:I’m blown away by how this debut novelist Erin Bartel took on this difficult subject matter and by the way she handled it with sensitivity and respect as she showed racial tension on many sides in different time periods. It was eye-opening and touched my soul. This story as you get to know three strong women in unimaginable situations. The author takes readers through the Civil War, including the underground railroad, through the violate time period of the Civil Rights movement, showing the Riots in Detroit in 1967 and revealing parts of Martin Luther speeches to crowds. My heart hurt for the men, the women and their struggles. It’s also sad to know we still deal with them today.

 

This journey starts out in current time with Elizabeth Balsam a woman who has lived on the edge, doing what it takes to get the next heart-stopping story. That is until her whole world flips upside down. Which gave way to her meeting with Mr. Rich and his son Linden. They show her original never published pictures of the Detroit riots 1967. Elizabeth’s interest is peaked at maybe finding a great story in the mix, but when Mr. Rich wants her to track down a long-lost relative of hers for permission to use the pictures, she doesn’t know if it’s worth it. Was Elizabeth hoping against hope there would be a story she could run with? She has nothing better to do so she tracks down her Aunt Nora Balsam Rich and is amazed by her generosity and willingness to talk with her. Problem is the main thing Nora wants to talk about is Mary and Nathaniel Balsam and what they went through in the Civil war.

 

It took me several chapters to finally get the characters figures out as to who was who and what timeline they fit in (like Aunt Nora being in two-time lines messed with me. LOL!) I have to say I was a little confused as I wondered how these ladies were connected and where this all was headed. But when Nora Balsam Rich started talking about her house, how it was used in the Civil War and then how she got the house they were currently living in the 1960’s; things started to take shape for me. I got it.

 

Nathanial told his young pregnant wife he was enlisting in the service he would get his friend to help with the farm while he was away at war. Mary’s husband sends her a freed slave named George who helps with the farm in a tremendous way all the years Nathanial is away. Readers get an up-close and very personal look at how white people were treating freed slaves in the north. Oh, they were happy they were free, but they wanted them to live permanently somewhere else. The author even shows how the church treated Mary and her freed slaves, very sad but true to history.

 

I enjoyed the depth of characterization and the way the author showed the hardship created by racial discrimination issues in different timelines that could have been the end of them, but it wasn’t. I liked how the author showed how each woman faced these challenges head on and sought strength and courage from God and a few good friends. Each woman is passionate about staying the course and being true to what they believe, who they love, and what they were meant to do. No matter how hard their families, friends and society made things.

 

This is a remarkable, a deeply passionate, eye opening story that will touch your soul, and have you look at today’s headlines in a new light. Just like it did for Nora in the 1960’s. She really didn’t get the magnitude of the situation until she was in the thick of things. I like how this author has helped readers walk in these ladies’ shoes to grasp a bit of what they faced day in and day out. Giving you compassion and a clarity you might not have had before reading this story and meeting these three strong willed women, the men who loved them as they do far more than they ever imagined was possible.

 

I highly recommend this thought-provoking, time slip story for a book club pick. There is so much to talk about. This is a novel you won’t soon forget. This is a must read.

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the Publisher.  I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

 

Nora St. Laurent

TBCN Where Book Fun Begins! http://www.bookfun.org

The Book Club Network blog http://www.psalm516.blogspot.com

Book Fun Magazine https://www.bookfun.org/page/past-issues-book-fun-mag

 

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I Have a Problem …

Posted on June 20, 2019 by Bridget

… With Books!

I am a book lover. I always have been. Even when I was a young child, I had those hard books with the gold binding. As I grew up, no matter where I went, I always had a book with me. In the fifth grade, my friends and I made our own mini library and would share our books with one another. Up until my early twenties, I was good about reading one book at a time. Now it’s a free-for-all! I start one book, but then I get so excited about another book and I will start it too. I might have five books (or more) going at any given time.

One unfortunate problem of mine is that I am a slow reader. Or at least I consider myself to be. Maybe I am just impatient and want to get to the next book on my list. Either way, this means I often listen to audio books as well. But I still have numerous audio books going at any given time as well. When I began writing this article, I had four audio books that I started and six new ones waiting in the wings.

And another problem of mine is that I don’t like a lot of clutter, so most of my actual reading is on a tablet. I know that many of you are thinking that books aren’t clutter. I know, I know! I used to have shelves and shelves of books. But due to living in four different houses in the past decade, this caused me to donate many of my books to the library.

But I still love books and when I hear about a good book, I just have to have it. So I now have well over a hundred books that I have purchased but not read yet. Yikes! So in an effort to reel in my obsession, if there is a book that I would like to read in the future, I will download a sample of the book on my tablet. A few days ago I had eleven such samples sitting on my virtual book shelf. Ah, but then the clutter issue set in, so I deleted them. However, I already have four new samples sitting on my shelf.

Please tell me – Am I the only one with this issue? Or do you agree that there are just too many good books and too little time?

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