Regina Jennings's Blog, page 9

People Watching on Canvas

Do you people watch? It’s a favorite hobby of my husband’s. I get a bit nervous, afraid I’m going to get caught looking too closely or eavesdropping. I’d much rather find inspiration watching people who won’t complain – people who are dressed in elaborate costumes and have a colorful story to tell. No, I’m not talking about Vegas performers, I’m talking about some of the great paintings of the past.

No surprise my favorite art tells a story. The scene leaves you to imagine what happened before...

The Schedule Deficit – Running in the Red

[image error]Concerning finances, I have no complaints when it comes to how God has provided for us. We have enough to live on, to give and some to set back. Yes, the early years of our marriage were difficult. Yes, we had times when we didn’t know if we could make ends meet, but for the here and now our daily needs are provided for. Am I saying that God has gifted us with an income so large that we can’t think of any other way to spend it? Of course not.

God’s great gift in this case hasn’t been a large i...

The Truth About Writing – Tell People You’re Scrapbooking Instead

[image error]Writers aren’t treated fairly. Do you want proof? Just compare writing to any other hobby.

Do you golf? How many people have seriously asked if you are trying to make the PGA?

Perhaps you run to stay in shape. Does anyone question how many dollars an hour you’ve made jogging? Do they ask when they’ll see you in the Olympics?

But pity the honest soul who admits to spending time with paper and pen. Suddenly they must have career plans. Suddenly any success less than Suzanne Collins’ or J. K. Rowli...

What Were They Thinking?

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Aunt Nancy, Mom, Becky, Meena, Trina and Me at the site of the Boston Massacre

Last week I went on a trip with my mom, aunt, sisters and my sister-in-law to Boston and Plymouth, a wonderful opportunity to participate in one of my favorite past-times…daydreaming. I love standing at historical sites and imagining the thoughts and emotions that must have overwhelmed the participants.

For instance, were the British soldiers afraid for their safety as they stood in front of the State House amid a mo...

The Beautiful Failures of Freedom

[image error]While watching the Olympics we’re often given a glimpse into the daily routines of the athletes – the hours of practice, special diets, and focused training they receive. I’m always interested in the spots that focus on the training camps of the Communist countries. They appear successful in producing the constructed, the designed, the model competitors we often see on the winners’ stand. And I wonder could we accomplish more if we were more focused on producing winners? Could we reach greate...

Decrease Your Memory

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Bailey Craig vowed never to set foot in Yancey, Alaska, again. She has a past, and a reputation – and Yancey’s a town that doesn’t forget.

If you haven’t read Dani Pettrey’s bookSubmergedyou should. It’s a page-turning, heart-racing read. And as thrilling and fast-paced as it is, it takes the time to fully explore the main characters’ inner conflicts and faith journey.

When you readSubmerged you are instantly sympathetic to Bailey. She made many mistakes as a partying teenager, but after she mo...

The Smart Momma’s Facebook Pledge

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All mothers talk about their kids. We brag, we whine, we ask for prayer, but they are our favorite topic. And ifwe occasionally share Too Much Information we know that the handful of friends who heard us will forgive and pretend to forget.

Unfortunately social media doesn’t work that way. You might have only vented to one friend in real life, but online it could be read by hundreds of people. Your unguarded confession could come back to haunt you…and your children.

And so, in the interest of pr...

Describe Successful

Listeningto politicians it can be difficult to discern between opponents. Both sides often claim to want the exact same outcome, and to only disagree on how to get there.

I Have My Doubts.

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Yes, every American politician would claim to want a peaceful, prosperous America, but if you ask them to define define their view of peaceful and prosperous you might be surprised.

Recently I was reading Jeff Shaara’s Rise to Rebellion (highly recommended) and one scene involving Benjamin Franklin in Ireland...

The Only Gifts You Can Give…

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(Picture by Jay Weidenbach)

We encourage giving. All giving. If a can of soup shows up in an empty pantry, we consider it mission accomplished. After all, it doesn’t really matter how it got there or who gave it, does it?

The other day I witnessed a exchange that I’ve seen a hundred times, usually with my own children. I was at a bank and the teller offered the little girl in front of me a lollipop. She accepted and then piped up, “Can I have one to take home for my sister?”

Charming, thoughtful...

Spam Me…

[image error]I didn’t know what to expect when I started my website nearly a year ago. The whole internet game was new to me. What surprises would blogging hold? Would I stay up late every Thursday night chewing pencils and praying for inspiration? Would my sisters read it for the sole purpose of reporting back to mom? Would I dispense my wisdom to a grateful populace breathlessly awaiting the next post?

Evidently the answer to all three of those questions is an unequivocal “YES“.

Although I expected my aud...