Ellen Gable's Blog, page 112

You Should Get Married Again – David and Posie

Today I'm posting another excerpt from Come My Beloved: Inspiring Stories of Catholic Courtship. This one is entitled, "You Should Get Married Again," and it tells the powerful and poignant story of David, a widower and Posie, a widow:

Posie: As part of my discernment, it just worked out that someone anonymously gave me this amazing gift of a trip to Medjugorje in 2004. I was so thrilled, and felt so confirmed and cared for that someone would do this for me. On that trip, part of my discernment was "God, show me; Our Lady, show me. If you have anyone for me, tell me. If you don't, tell me that, too. I'll follow wherever you want me to go, whatever life that you ask of me."

During that pilgrimage, I really felt God saying to me, "Give me your heart and I'll give you mine. I'll give you a new heart." It was sort of like my heart had been broken by losing my first husband, and He wanted to heal it, and really did. I experienced a very deep healing, which was a really profound spiritual experience for me. But there weren't any concrete answers, other than that, just that my heart was healed, that I was whole, and I had this heart that was Jesus' heart. How can you really love again with a broken heart? It was very shortly after I got back from Medjugorje that David came back into my life as friends.

Whenever I thought about the idea of getting married again, I knew it would have to begin with friendship, and be built on that foundation. I just couldn't imagine getting into the dating scene, and I couldn't imagine ever falling in love without it being based on mutual faith and trust and sharing of our deepest values. I began to realize what a precious and rare thing that is.

When David came along, I was really glad to see him again, because we had been quite close as families, but as you can imagine, we'd known each other as married to someone else, so of course I didn't fall in love with him back then. It really showed me how love is from God. When He wants to manifest what we call "falling in love," He can do it. But it's not the way it's often portrayed in movies, where these married people are so attracted to each other, they end up having an affair because they cannot resist it. I think that would really be 'falling in lust.' I think of falling in love as more like falling into God together, and allowing His love to be made manifest between us. It's still a very powerful attraction, as I was to find out.

David: The last year of Anna's life was a very intense time. So when Anna did pass away, I was really burned out. Anna died in February of 2003, so when I did come up to our family cottage the following summer, in June, I was looking forward to just being in nature and resting. I wasn't in the mode of wife-hunting by any means. I just relished the thought of some down time, and my children came up now and then through the summer. So we had some good quality time with the children, good tears. Then in the summer of 2004, the Lord just somehow chose that time for Posie and I to meet once again and begin our courtship.

Posie: There was one night – it was the Feast of the Assumption which has always been a really powerful feast for me – he made me dinner again. And there was something electric going on in the air, but we weren't really talking about that yet. It was just something unspoken was going on. I was trying to figure out if I was imagining it or not. But when I went home that night to my house, my mind was going around and around and I couldn't sleep. I think it was fairly early the next morning, I drove back to the cottage because I just had to talk to him. I just had to ask him. I figured I've got nothing to lose because if there isn't anything going on in his heart, then I'll just carry on the way I have been going; we'll be friends. But if there is something going on, then maybe we can talk about it. I had gotten to the cottage and he was already out sitting by the water. I went down and I just spoke from my heart. I said, "It just seems like I'm falling in love with you and I don't know what to do and I just have to say that."

I remember thinking, it's getting real now, speaking from the heart, being vulnerable and yet not jumping to any conclusions, trying to do it gently. But then the topic was opened, and we started talking more about a relationship and what was going on and yes, there was something happening and what is this? Neither of us had any other relationships since our spouses had died. I remember one time, probably a few days after that, when we saw each other at Mass, I invited him back for brunch. We were sitting on the porch and he said, "Hmmm…that would be 14 children…" This was sort of the first time we started to talk about marriage. He was really genuine and sincere: "…how would we do that?" Then gradually, we talked more and more about it. We started to talk about marriage and what that meant and how it would happen, and how it would impact our families. Then we started talking about the timetable of it all. We didn't want to wait around too long. We knew how short life can be.

David and Posie Douthwright were married in December 2004. Together, they are the parents of 14 children. The complete version of their courtship story is included in Full Quiver's book "Come My Beloved: Inspiring Stories of Catholic Courtship."

Copyright 2011 Full Quiver Publishing

Sunday Snippets – February 5

Join me and other Catholic bloggers at RAnn's Place for Sunday Snippets where we share our posts from the previous week.

Here are my posts:

NFP Video I posted a cool video on NFP.

NFP Goes High Tech My recent post at Amazing Catechists on "Virtual" NFP Classes.

Our Fairy Tale Romance

An excerpt from my book, Come My Beloved: Inspiring Stories of Catholic Courtship. This one tells the story of Regina Doman (author) and her husband, Andrew Schmiedicke.



A Child Will Lead Them This is an excerpt from a new Christian historical romance by songwriter Elizabeth Schmeidler. She's offering a free Kindle copy to one of my readers, so if you're interested, click on the post link and leave a comment before Monday, February 6.

7 Quick Takes Friday – Sacraments Edition Some favorite sacramental memories…

Atheist Meets Catholic Prince Charming Another excerpt from my book Come My Beloved: Inspiring Stories of Catholic Courtship. This one is Robert and Sarah Reinhard's fascinating story of how they met and fell in love. Sarah is a popular blogger and author of two books.

Copyright 2012 Ellen Gable Hrkach

Photo copyright Ellen Gable Hrkach

Atheist Meets Catholic Prince Charming – Robert and Sarah

The second in a series of excerpts from Come My Beloved: Inspiring Stories of Catholic Courtship recounts Robert and Sarah Reinhard's journey towards marriage and the Catholic faith.

Sarah: By the time I was working at the country's largest John Deere dealership after college, I was cynical and rather atheist. God had proven that He didn't exist as far as I was concerned. Though I had been raised Christian — mostly Methodist, with some non-denominational charismatic varieties thrown in — I was convinced that reason and logic disproved the supernatural.

Robert: I had been raised Catholic, attended Catholic schools from first grade to graduation, and so I never knew any different. It was an irrevocable part of my life.

Sarah: We had many long conversations over the back parts counter at the dealership, when Robert looked at me and was actually interested in what I had to say (instead of where listening could lead). I found out about his faith life after I had been on a date and bared parts of myself no one else had really cared to hear about; I found out quite by accident. We were on the phone, planning a hiking date for a Sunday, when he said, in his typically no-nonsense way, that he couldn't get to my place before 10, because he went to 8:30 Mass.

This is the man who couldn't talk before about 10, getting up to go to church? Just what was so special about Mass that he would want to go? Well, I didn't care enough then to pursue it beyond a little smile at the fact. But as we continued to date, six months, then a year, I did get curious. What was so special about Mass? How could it be better than time spent with me?

Robert: I had only just started attending Mass again. I had gone two or three years without it and had been far from regular for the ten years prior to that.

Sarah: His mother was very devout and very excited about her faith. Yeah, I thought, she's just that way. Some people like to sew, she likes to be Catholic. It's her thing. Big deal.

I had decided to go and see what Mass was all about. The colorful stories about Father Pat enticed me and, I reasoned, they have a book that tells you what to do – they must be pretty organized in the Catholic Church, and I value organization a great deal. That first Mass, and for about the next year, Robert held my hand and sat with me and encouraged me. He didn't ever say anything about me joining the Church. He didn't ever express that he did or did not prefer that his future wife be Catholic. He didn't have to.

I used to justify that, rationally and logically, God was a silly notion that was both irrational and illogical. Come on! I would cry in my mind, this makes no sense and besides, none of these defenders of God's use rational or logical arguments. In my upbringing, I saw the stalwart Methodists and the charismatic Baptists. I spent a good part of my before-bed prayer time wondering if I should be speaking in tongues, as the Evangelical non-denominationals insisted we should. It didn't take long for me to wonder why it was so wonderful to be saved…and saved…and saved. I was saved at least three times, telling Jesus that He was welcome in my heart. But what if being five made that not count? My mother recounted a story to me where, when I was three, I had asked Jesus into my heart. But at twelve, knowing that I certainly hadn't held up my end of the "good Christian" bargain, I asked Him again. Because, you know, you can never be too saved, can you? And if you can be saved more than once, how do you know which one counts for good?

Robert: I, for my part, kept silent. I had my own struggle with the Catholic faith. As well, my older brother and I were the main providers for our family for ten years before I met Sarah.

As Sarah wondered about the value of the Catholic Church, I found myself coming home. I sat with her at Mass and felt the comfort of the routine and the ritual. I woke up early on Sunday mornings because I desired that peace. My life had been a maelstrom as my parents struggled, but the Church remained unwavering, and I found I needed that. In the years directly following my coming home to the Church, my family would weather some major storms, including my parents' divorce and annulment and the death of a baby.

Sarah: By the time I had decided to step foot in a Catholic church, there was a part of me that recognized that the relationship we were building was worth something as silly (I thought then) as marriage. So many people divorced, so many families torn apart: wasn't your family comprised of more than just the many step-families you might have accumulated? After I met Robert and the thought of marrying him occurred to me, I was alarmed. Was I not a contemporary thinker, freed of such antiquated ideas as marriage? Hadn't I experienced divorce twice in my own family, and hadn't I seen how much havoc it wreaked, how much pain it caused, how much hurt it sowed?

I had been attending Mass for a few months when our priest gave a homily on Mothers Day about Mary, our Mother. He talked about how we all have a mother who is unconditional, who is waiting for us, who understands our trials and tribulations. His words spoke to my soul, and for the first time, my hard heart melted. Unprepared for this, I began crying, and then sobbing. I had to leave the sanctuary. I perched on the steps to the choir loft in the vestibule, and after the recessional at the end Mass, Father asked me if I was okay. I could only nod. What was this Church?

Robert and Sarah Reinhard have been married for seven years and have three children. Their entire courtship story is included in my book, "Come My Beloved: Inspiring Stories of Catholic Courtship."

Copyright 2011 Full Quiver Publishing

7 Quick Takes Friday – Sacraments Edition

Join me and other Catholic bloggers at Hallie's Lord's blog (she's guest hosting for Jen at Conversion Diary) for 7 Quick Takes Friday. I'm a little late in posting today because my internet connection has been intermittent. Anyway…better late than never!

Today's 7 Quick Takes includes a favorite memory from each of the Sacraments.

From the Baltimore Catechism: "A sacrament is a sign instituted by Christ to give grace." As human beings with a tendency to sin, we need the sacramental graces to help us get to heaven. I remember one religion book comparing the sacraments to rungs on a ladder (and of course the ladder goes to heaven). Frequent use of the Sacraments of Penance and Eucharist are essential.

1. Baptism:

I love baptisms…it's one of my favorite sacraments. As a cradle Catholic, I obviously don't remember my own baptism, but I do remember my youngest sister's christening and all my sons' baptisms, as well as the baptisms of the many god-children we have. If I had to choose one memory, however, it would probably be the baptism of our unborn baby in June of 1993. Our baby was lodged in my fallopian tube. At the time, the doctor didn't give us any other option except to remove our baby from my tube. It was a heart-wrenching decision. On the one hand, we desperately wanted our baby. On the other hand, our baby was growing quickly and causing me to hemorrhage internally. Although we sought spiritual direction, our faithful priest wasn't sure of the moral way of dealing with an ectopic pregnancy. (Note: Back in 1993, ectopic pregnancies were still very rare.) I eventually ended up in emergency surgery. While I was lying on the table being prepped, it occurred to me that our baby needed to be baptized. So I asked one of the nurses if she would "do me a favor." She responded, "Sure." I then proceeded to tell her how to baptize my baby once the baby was removed from my tube. While I wasn't awake when she did it, when I woke up, she told me that she had done what I had requested. This small act of kindness consoled me as I grieved the loss of this little one.

2. Penance

When we were a young married couple, we used to go to Madonna House in Combermere, Ontario for spiritual direction. Confession would usually take an hour or more, not because we had so many sins to confess, but because it often evolved into spiritual direction. I always came away from those lengthy "confessions" with a deep sense of peace and resolve. Confessing your sins to a priest is like whispering into the ear of Jesus. Many people dread confession and for some, it is their least favorite sacrament, but I have found that frequent confession increases humility and gives tremendous graces.

3. Communion

Holy Communion or the Eucharist is one of those amazing sacraments that can be experienced over and over again. One of my favorite memories is receiving Communion for the first time as a married woman (photo at #5).4. Confirmation

I have fond memories of my Confirmation (above). In sixth grade, I transferred to a new parish school in Philadelphia (St. Richard's) where the children received their confirmation in 2nd and 3rd grade. Since the students in my class had already received their confirmation, I had to join the second and third graders to receive this sacrament. I was 12 at the time and the other students were 8 and 9. Being short, I didn't look at all out of place. Beyond that memory, I do remember the actual confirmation (photo). My godmother couldn't attend so an older student acted as my sponsor.

5. Marriage

No brainer here. My wedding to James (photo above) was one of the most memorable days of my life. Spiritually, I was still very new in my "re-version," although I do recall feeling tremendous joy that day. One of my favorite moments of that day was when James and I received Communion under both species. My novel, Emily's Hope, is the fictionalized story of my "re-version" and how my husband and I met.

6. Sacrament of the Sick

I have had the Sacrament of the Sick administered to me several times, but the one that sticks out clearly in my memory is the time that our friend and spiritual director anointed me during my pregnancy with my fourth son. I had begun having debilitating migraine headaches to the point where I couldn't function. After he anointed me, I no longer suffered from migraine headaches.

7. Holy Orders

I've attended a few Masses where a group of young men became priests and they were beautifully moving ceremonies. My favorite part was when the young men lay flat on the altar. The last time we attended a Mass where a group of men were becoming priests, my toddler said (loudly), "Why are they going to sleep?"

For more Quick Takes, visit Hallie's Lord's blog.

Text and Photos Copyright 2012 Ellen Gable Hrkach

Fiction Friday – A Child Will Lead Them

I haven't posted a Fiction Friday excerpt since November because I've been participating in 7 Quick Takes Friday.

However, today I'd like to share the beginnings of singer and composer, Elizabeth Schmeidler's, new novel called "A Child Will Lead Them." I'll be posting a review soon. And…if you leave a comment before Monday, February 6, you will be entered to win a Kindle copy of this book!

A Child Will Lead Them

Maine, 1908

Victoria stumbled as her booted foot found yet another muddy hole in the near-flooded path. Icy sleet pounded mercilessly against her head and face, yet remarkably, she was hardly aware of the pain it was causing. The howling of the gusty wind seemed to envelop her screaming voice and the realization that Cammy might not be able to hear her calling intensified her fear. Still, she continued forward into the dark and unending woodland before her.

In the back of her mind, she knew she should have gone for help, but the severity of the storm had made her panic at the thought of her three-year-old out in the woods alone.

It had started out as such a lovely day—cool, but sunny. Cammy had been thoroughly delighted to go with her mother to town and deliver hand-sewn garments to the mercantile. As usual, she had waited patiently in front of the display case for Victoria to finish the transaction. In truth, she had been staring at the lovely little baby doll in the display case for as long as Victoria could remember, though not once had she asked for it. Victoria had been saving up for quite some time so that she could give her daughter a rare treat for her upcoming birthday, but impulsively decided to surprise her with an early gift. Grinning, she bent down and whispered softly into Cammy's ear, giving her consent to purchase the doll.

Flashbacks of the glorious smile Cammy had given her surged through Victoria's mind, and no amount of time or darkest storm could erase the picture of her daughter's joyful face. The memory of how Cammy had then showered Victoria's face with loud wet kisses was nearly her undoing; the pain it caused blinded her with a greater intensity than the raging storm.

"Dear Father in Heaven, be with me now, and lead me to my baby!" she sobbed. "Be with Cammy, Lord. Protect her with your mercy!"

By now, Victoria's legs felt numb from the cold. The temptation to despair nearly overwhelmed her, but her maternal instinct and faith demanded she carry on. She ignored the numbness and willed her legs to continue onward. Though the sound of her voice seemed to immediately be swallowed up by the storm, Victoria cried out yet again. "Cammy, where are you? Cammy…Caammyy!"

Where could she be, Lord? Why did she leave the house when I told her to stay put? Oh, Lord, Mr. Brackman's land goes on for miles…it is almost too dark to see…

In the next instant, Victoria found herself face down in a puddle of muddy water. Sharp pain sliced through her forehead; frustration and fatigue threatened to engulf her. She rolled over and made an attempt to get up, only to feel herself slip again. As she reached up to brush her heavy hair away from her eyes, her fingertips came in contact with a warm wetness.

I am bleeding.

Leave a comment before February 6, 2012, to be entered to win a free Kindle copy!

Copyright 2011 Elizabeth Schmeidler

Our Fairy Tale Romance – Andrew and Regina

It's February again! Like last year, I'll be posting excerpts from my book, Come My Beloved: Inspiring Stories of Catholic Courtship.

The following is an excerpt of "Our Fairy Tale Romance" and tells part of the story of the courtship of Regina Doman and Andrew Schmiedicke.

Andrew: At 25 years of age I was already a lonely bachelor. After a number of failed relationships in high school, college, and after college; after a number of journeys, adventures, and failed business and employment ventures; I found myself back in Michigan, looking for a job, and feeling…well…like a failure. And a bachelor.

Regina: The Steubenville Youth Conference had been a source of conversion for me when I was a teen, and even as a youth group leader, it was a lot of fun. But by Sunday, I was hot and exhausted, not to mention a little rumpled from sleeping on the ground and having lost my luggage. During one of the sessions, I saw Mike (future brother-in-law) come into the tent followed by a guy wearing a white dress shirt and jeans of the palest faded blue. His longish dark hair was hanging over his eyes. I rolled my own eyes. Clearly, the guy didn't know how to dress. I was introduced to Andrew Schmiedicke and we shook hands, but given how loud the music was, we didn't have a chance for conversation. We agreed to meet at Bob Evans for brunch.

Andrew: When I spoke with Regina, she was dressed in a blue denim jumper with a white t-shirt, and her hair was a little messy. Regina was very easy to talk to, but I didn't feel the slightest hint of a romantic interest. I suspected she might be one of those girls who didn't care about her appearance very much.

But we had a great conversation about simple living, and the proper use of technology. In fact, we talked pretty much non-stop the entire time, while Mike and Alicia sat listening with smiles on their faces. It was clear Regina and I had a lot in common, especially being writers, but I really didn't feel attracted to her.

Regina: After the weekend in Steubenville, I could admit that I found Andrew Schmiedicke very intellectually interesting. I began to be curious about him, but I wouldn't say I was attracted to him. In the weeks after our meeting, my thoughts became consumed with the plans for my sister Alicia's wedding, which was taking place in January. This was our large family's first wedding, and Alicia and I had already spun out all sorts of plans to make it unique, romantic, and fun. Since I was always involved in party planning for our family, (and I was the maid of honor) I had a lot to do.

Alicia wanted to do things for Mike too, and that meant we had to involve the best man in the wedding who just happened to be… you guessed it, Andrew Schmiedicke. This gave me an excuse to call Andrew fairly frequently. We would chat on the phone while I bounced ideas off of him, and explained the sort of things our brothers wanted to do for Mike for the wedding: we wanted the groomsmen to throw him a "bachelor bath" party which was the male version of a shower: it involved the men of the wedding party praying and honoring the groom-to-be—after soaking him to the skin in a watergun attack. Andrew was keen to help out and take the lead, so plans were made.

So I was thinking about Andrew, but not romantically. I was glad he was happy to be a partner in the goings-on of our large, enthusiastic family. I was thinking of him that summer, when our family and a dozen other families made our typical joint vacation down to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Those ritual family vacations were almost a retreat, with daily prayer times together, skits, dinners, and beach games. Many of the girls I had gone on vacation with for the past ten years were dating and almost engaged. I was still (sigh) single.

My usual strategy was to hang out with the young married couples. I had always had friends of all ages, and I had no problem chatting with moms, holding babies, and playing with kids. One night when I was sitting on the couch in the beach house of one of my friends, I was watching a young dad play with his toddler son, and I thought to myself, You know, that's what makes Andrew Schmiedicke different from these other guys I've dated. I bet he's the type of guy who would be a good dad.

Those words had scarcely finished running through my head when one of the moms, Jane, looked at me keenly. "Regina, who are you thinking about right now?"

I blushed instantly. "Uh…" I faltered. "Just some guy I met this summer."

Looking intently at me, she said, "He's the one for you."

Andrew: My attempts to get to know some of the other Catholic girls on campus went nowhere. What was particularly frustrating was that I was attending a Catholic university where there were so many vibrant and wonderful girls. Couldn't one of them be the one I was looking for? And yet, it seemed that the elusive "she" was nowhere to be found.

Still, I was getting periodic phone calls from Regina regarding plans and events leading up to Mike and Alicia's wedding in January. I found that Regina, the oldest of ten, had a lot in common with me as the oldest of eleven children. We discovered that we both came from large and rather devout Catholic families. Our occasional conversations were pleasant, but didn't seem to go beyond that.

The week before Thanksgiving, I expressed my frustration to Father Giles. He told me to ask Jesus to bring the young woman into my life who was to be my wife. So I did. "Lord, if you want me to marry, bring the woman into my life!"

Regina Doman and Andrew Schmiedicke's entire courtship story is included in my book: Come My Beloved: Inspiring Stories of Catholic Courtship which is available on Amazon in paperback or on Kindle. For more information and to see a book trailer, check out Come My Beloved's website.

Text copyright 2011 Full Quiver Publishing and Andrew Schmiedicke

Photo copyright Andrew Schmiedicke

NFP Goes High Tech

My latest column at Amazing Catechists is about Online NFP Classes:

A few weeks ago, we taught an NFP (Natural Family Planning) class. Earlier in the day, we looked over the notes. That evening, we logged onto the teaching website. We tested the audio and video. We uploaded the slides and videos to the whiteboard, then waited for class to begin and for the eight registered couples to log on and join the "virtual classroom."

Welcome to NFP in the 21st century! We don't have to leave our home to teach NFP and student couples can learn NFP in the comfort of their own homes. They can see and hear us on the audio and video. If students have questions, they use the chat function.

For us, it's been the answer to a prayer. Three years ago, after teaching NFP for 24 years, we were frustrated at the lack of interest in couples wanting to learn NFP. We felt fortunate to be teaching one or two couples a year. We had this enthusiasm to share our knowledge of NFP with others and wished there were more interested couples.

In the past 27 years, we have traveled all over Ontario to teach NFP classes. The most recent was three years ago when three different couples all inquired about the possibility of learning the sympto-thermal method of NFP in the Greater Toronto area. For the first two classes, we agreed to meet at the halfway point (each of us traveling two and a half hours) and for the last class, James and I traveled down to Toronto to teach Class III. It was an expensive venture, but we didn't want to miss the opportunity to teach NFP to enthusiastic and interested couples. However, I told James that I wish that we could teach NFP online.

I didn't have to wait long for my wish to come true.

A few months later, we discovered that our NFP organization, the Couple to Couple League, was looking for teaching couples to pilot a new online NFP teaching course. We immediately said yes and have never looked back. Since then, we have taught more couples in the past two years than in the previous 15 years.

The obvious advantage of online NFP classes is convenience. Most of the couples we've taught enjoy the convenience of not having to leave their homes and get a babysitter, although a few couples have missed the fellowship with other student couples.

One obvious disadvantage is when the internet isn't working properly. It's also hard for us as NFP teachers to judge whether a particular student is grasping a certain point because we can't see facial expressions. In a large group, it's necessary to test the couples frequently to make sure they're understanding. And…it's not unusual at least once during each class for some sort of technical malfunction to happen.

For the most part, however, it's been a joy to teach NFP to so many couples, couples who may not have been able to learn otherwise.

Natural Family Planning is safe, effective and morally acceptable. Learning NFP has never been easier or more convenient. Materials and course fee are required to take the class.

If you're interested in registering for an upcoming virtual online course: http://register.ccli.org/virtual

If you have any questions, concerns or comments, please feel free to email us at info@fullquiverpublishing.com or leave a comment below.

Photo and text copyright 2012 Ellen Gable Hrkach

Informative NFP Video

Sunday Snippets – January 29

Join me and other Catholic bloggers at RAnn's Place for Sunday Snippets where we share posts from the previous week.

If The Morning I shared the lyrics of a pro-life song my husband wrote when he was a teenager. The words are incredibly beautiful and it's hard to believe he had this sort of wisdom at such a young age. The lyrics are included in my book Emily's Hope.

God Messaging: Will You Accept the Friend Request Book Review My friend, Dana, who blogs at Catholic Working Mom, has written a beautiful series of essays in this newly-published book. You can buy her book at Amazon.com in paperback and on Kindle.

Wordless Wednesday – Venice For Wordless Wednesday, I posted a few photos from our trip to Europe in 2007. One of my favorite places in Europe was Venice. I especially enjoyed the beautiful outdoor art treasures.

7 Quick Takes Friday For 7 Quick Takes Friday, I shared a post about my son turning 16, my late grandmother's birthday, a moment that God allowed me to stop and watch the sky, a cartoon, a Skype book club appearance and the CWG Blog sharing my recent bestseller news.

More NFP Humor Another NFP-themed cartoon.

For more Sunday Snippets, please visit RAnn's Blog.

Copyright 2012 Ellen Gable Hrkach

More NFP Humor

Cartoon copyright 2010 Full Quiver Publishing/James and Ellen Hrkach