Lillie Ammann's Blog, page 135

Mother’s Day 2012

Happy Mother’s Day!

May each reader enjoy a special day:

If you’re a mother, may you be honored and pampered by your children.
If you have a mother, may you enjoy special time honoring and pampering her.
If your mother is no longer with you, may you recall special memories of your times together.
If you know a mother without a family, may you stand in the stead of children for her and make her day meaningful.
If you are estranged from your family, may this be the day you forgive each other and start a new loving relationship.

Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. ~ Exodus 20:12 (ESV)

ALMIGHTY God, we give you thanks for mothers who love and care for us and entrust our mothers who are so dear to us to thy never-failing care and love, for this life and the life to come; knowing that thou art doing for them better things than we can desire or pray for; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

photo credit: aesop

Related Posts:Happy Mother’s DayHappy Valentine’s Day 2012Happy New Year 2012!International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted ChurchThanksgiving 2011Powered by Contextual Related PostsMother’s Day 2012 was first posted on May 13, 2012 at 8:40 am.
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Fibromyalgia Awareness Day 2012

[image error]About 30 years ago, when I was in my mid-30s, I was experiencing fatigue and pain throughout my body. My old-time doctor attributed it to overwork and stress. One day I picked up a women’s magazine and read a cover story about fibromyalgia. The article, which showed an outline of a body with specific tender points indicated, stated that having most of these tender points was a sign of fibromyalgia. I had almost every one of the tender points, and when I read that fatigue and widespread pain throughout the body are symptoms of fibromyalgia, I was convinced I had found the answer to my problems.

I took the article to my family doctor. He said he wasn’t really sure that fibromyalgia existed, but he would refer me to a rheumatologist. The rheumatologist told me that I was lucky because my fibromyalgia was so mild. He said most of his patients were either bed-ridden or confined to a wheelchair, and since I was ambulatory and able to hold down a job, I should be thankful. Then he went on to prescribe a powerful drug that had been in the news because of its potential danger to cause heart attacks. If my fibromyalgia was so mild, why did I need such a potentially dangerous drug? I left, threw the prescription away, and never went back to the rheumatologist.

Through the years, I have managed my pain with over-the-counter medications, and on the rare occasions when that didn’t control the pain well enough to keep me functional, I would get a short-term prescription for stronger pain relievers. I seldom mentioned that I had fibromyalgia because I know so many people with the syndrome have so much more difficulty than I did. I’ve never posted about fibromyalgia awareness before—perhaps I felt like my “mild” fibromyalgia didn’t qualify me to speak about the condition.

However, in the last couple of years, my symptoms have been getting much worse. I’m on several prescription medications from my family doctor (not my doctor from 30 years ago who has long since retired) and have now accepted a referral to another rheumatologist. I’m writing this post is at the very end of the calendar day on Fibromyalgia Awareness Day because I have been in bed with heat and massage and pain pills for most of the week. I guess now I’m qualified to talk about the condition.

According to the National Fibromyalgia and Chronic Pain Association:

Fibromyalgia (pronounced fy-bro-my-AL-ja) is a common and complex chronic pain disorder that affects people physically, mentally and socially. Fibromyalgia is a central nervous system illness and is also referred to as a syndrome rather than a disease. Unlike a disease, which is a medical condition with a specific cause or causes and recognizable signs and symptoms, a syndrome is a collection of signs, symptoms, and medical problems that tend to occur together but are not related to a specific, identifiable cause.

Fibromyalgia, which has also been referred to as fibromyalgia syndrome, fibromyositis and fibrositis, is characterized by chronic widespread pain, multiple tender points, abnormal pain processing, sleep disturbances, fatigue and can be accompanied by psychological distress that comes with all chronic illnesses. For those with severe symptoms, fibromyalgia can be extremely debilitating and interfere with basic daily activities.

You can find more information on the association’s website.

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with fibromyalgia or suspects they have it, learn all you can and take appropriate action. Medication may be needed, but lifestyle changes, such as managing sleep, diet, and exercise, can also help.

Each individual needs to find what is most effective for him or her. My next step is to lose weight—being overweight doesn’t cause fibromyalgia, but I know from experience that I tend to have less pain when I weigh less. The severe pain I have been experiencing should be a good motivator to get serious about losing weight!

Do you have or do you know someone who has fibromyalgia? If so, do you have any tips about dealing with this condition to share in comments?

Related Posts:Healing Miracles: Part 1—Why Am I Surprised?Healing Miracles: Part 2—Remembering and LongingNational Stroke Awareness Month: Stroke Risk Factors and SymptomsMay 2012 Is Stroke Awareness MonthWorld Alzheimer’s Day 2010Powered by Contextual Related PostsFibromyalgia Awareness Day 2012 was first posted on May 12, 2012 at 11:47 pm.
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A Bad Conference Experience

Attending writing conferences can be an excellent way for writers, both new and experienced, to learn new skills and improve their craft.

Recently a writer friend asked on Facebook if anyone had ever been to a bad or unprofessional conference, and, if so, what made it bad or unprofessional. I responded with an experience I had at a national conference I attended not long after I started to write.

The content of the conference was fabulous and very professionally presented. However, it was held in a luxury hotel in New York City, and the meeting rooms were on three floors connected by escalators. Unfortunately, at the time I was on a motorized scooter and at least four other attendees were in wheelchairs or scooters. Obviously we couldn’t use the escalators, but the two upper floors of the conference levels had no other means of access.

Workshops were held on all three floors with only a few minutes between each session. I wasn’t able to attend the specific workshops I wanted because I had no way to get to the right floor, so I had to pick workshops that were held on the one floor I could reach. I still learned an incredible amount, even if it wasn’t exactly what I had planned to learn.

At the end of the final conference day, I was so exhausted I could barely sit upright on the scooter. The elevators were so crowded I couldn’t get the scooter in. Although others had to wait a while, eventually everyone else got on the elevators, leaving me alone on the second floor.

I sat there for almost an hour before I finally got the attention of a hotel employee setting up for an  event and told him I had to have help or I would collapse. He said he would send help but no one came. Finally I went back where he was working and asked for help again. He called security, and after what seemed like an eternity, a security guard finally arrived and led me through the kitchens to the service elevator and got me back to my room.

The registration form for the conference even asked about special needs, and I had plainly indicated that I required handicap access.  So it wasn’t like someone shouldn’t have been prepared for those of us who couldn’t handle the escalator/elevator situation.

No matter how wonderful the workshops are, a conference isn’t very useful to attendees who have no access to the meeting rooms.

photo credit: dasu_

Related Posts:What I Learned from My First Vacation in a WheelchairVirtual Writers ConferenceInternational Freelancers Day – September 24, 2010Overcoming Writer’s BlockHappy Labor Day 2010!Powered by Contextual Related PostsA Bad Conference Experience was first posted on May 8, 2012 at 2:03 am.
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National Day of Prayer 2012

[image error]Today is the annual National Day of Prayer to “to mobilize prayer in America and to encourage personal repentance and righteousness in the culture.”

Visit the website to learn about local and national prayer events.

Here is the official national prayer for today from the NDOP website:

2012 NATIONAL PRAYER

Dr. David Jeremiah – NDP Honorary Chairman

Heavenly Father,

Every good gift and perfect gift comes from You. You are a faithful God and Your mercy endures forever.

You have promised to bless the nation that trusts in You. Our currency proclaims “In God We Trust,” but in our culture we are far from You.

In the words of the prophet Daniel, “We have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments.”

We come before You once more, seeking Your forgiveness and mercy. You, O God, are our only hope… Hear our prayer and, for Your honor’s sake, shine Your face upon this nation.

Give our leaders the desire to seek Your wisdom and the courage to follow Your guidance… and watch over the men and women of our armed forces as they sacrifice for the cause of freedom.

We give You thanks for all You have done for us, and we earnestly pray that You will help us become, once again, a nation whose God is the Lord.

In the name of Your Son, and our Savior, we pray this prayer.

Amen.

Related Posts:National Day of Prayer 2011National Day of Prayer: For Such a Time as ThisNational Day of PrayerNational Day of Prayer 2008Global Day of Prayer 2009: 10 DaysPowered by Contextual Related PostsNational Day of Prayer 2012 was first posted on May 3, 2012 at 2:52 am.
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May 2012 Is Stroke Awareness Month

May is . As I’ve written about before, I had a stroke 20 years ago, and I don’t want you or someone you love to go through that.

To learn what stroke is, risk factors, prevention, how to recognize when someone is having a stroke and what to do about it, and more, visit the National Stroke Association website and read some of my previous posts:

May Is Stroke Awareness Month
National Stroke Awareness Month: My Stroke – the Beginning
National Stroke Awareness Month: My Stroke – The Next Three Days
National Stroke Awareness Month: My Stroke – the Aftermath
National Stroke Awareness Month: Stroke Risk Factors and Symptoms
Stroke Awareness Month  2011

Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States and a major cause for long-term disability. If you don’t want to be a part of those statistics, educate yourself about stroke during Stroke Awareness Month.

Related Posts:Stroke Awareness Month 2011May Is Stroke Awareness MonthWhat I Learned from LimitsNational Stroke Awareness Month: My Stroke – The Next Three DaysNational Stroke Awareness Month: Stroke Risk Factors and SymptomsPowered by Contextual Related PostsMay 2012 Is Stroke Awareness Month was first posted on May 1, 2012 at 5:35 am.
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Internet Evangelism Day 2012

[image error] Today is Internet Evangelism Day.

According to the website:

Digital media have transformed the world in the last 15 years. We have entered a new ‘digital communication culture’ where all the rules for effective communication have changed. Even offline!

There are 2+ billion web users, and over 4 billion people use mobile phones (increasingly these are web-equipped). The Web is not just another means of communication, but a hyper-medium that subsumes, links together, and enhances all previous media.

Read more at Internet Evangelism Day.

Under Creative Commons License: Attribution

As I mentioned in My Reading Plan Was Random; God’s Wasn’t, I read a number of Christian nonfiction books during  Lent that I thought were randomly chosen. Yet they all emphasized that every Christian has a call and an absolute obligation evangelize. My husband and I have some health issues and don’t get out much, so the Internet is my primary connection to the world.

Although my original focus for this blog was writing, editing, and publishing, through the years, I have discovered it offers a wonderful opportunity for me to share my faith. I believe that Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, the Life—our only salvation and the only way to Heaven, and I want  you to see you in Heaven!

Related Posts:Devotions for Lent … or AnytimeAsh Wednesday 2011Blogging Milestone: 1200 PostsDo You Plan to Read the Bible in 2012?Religious Freedom Day 2012Powered by Contextual Related PostsInternet Evangelism Day 2012 was first posted on April 29, 2012 at 5:36 pm.
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Book Review: A Bride’s Dilemma in Friendship, Tennessee

A Bride’s Dilemma in Friendship, Tennessee by Diana Lesire Brandmeyer


My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I met Diana Brandmeyer online several years ago when we both had books with the same electronic publisher and have been a fan a long time. While I was predisposed to like Diana’s latest book, historical romance isn’t a favorite genre for me, so my review is as objective and unbiased as humanly possible.

I love the characters, especially Heaven, Angel, and Travis. My minor complaint about the characters is that I wondered for about halfway through the book how old Angel was. At various times in the story, I guessed her age to be younger or older than it actually was when it was finally mentioned. I hope to read more about Annabelle and Jake in a future book.

The faith message is intricately woven into the story so that it teaches but doesn’t preach. A strong woman’s struggle to be independent, a discouraged doctor’s desire to avoid medical failures, a pre-teen’s will to live a normal life in spite of a disability, a father’s attempt to provide a safe future for his daughters, a guilt-ridden soldier’s efforts to withdraw from society, and a jilted young woman’s plan to run away from embarrassment combine in an intriguing story in post-Civil War Tennessee. Add a little humor, and you have a real winner that will appeal to fans of Christian fiction, lovers of romance, readers who enjoy history of Civil War times, and those who like to read a love story that acknowledges physical attraction but focuses on emotional connection.





View all my reviews

Related Posts:Book Review: The Yellow Rose by Dawn ColclasureReview: A Self-Publisher’s Companion by Joel FriedlanderBook Review: Four Part Harmony by Barri BryanBook Review: Halley’s Bible HandbookMy Reviews at GoodreadsPowered by Contextual Related PostsBook Review: A Bride’s Dilemma in Friendship, Tennessee was first posted on April 26, 2012 at 5:41 pm.
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My Reading Plan Was Random; God’s Wasn’t

This year for Lent I gave up reading all fiction (Christian and secular) and all secular nonfiction and read only Christian nonfiction. I did not have a reading plan of specific books or topics. I simply read free Kindle books in the order I downloaded them, as follows:

The Disciplined Life (Ebook Short) by Calvin Miller
The Questions Christians Hope No One Will Ask: (With Answers) by Mark Mittelberg and Lee Strobel
Not God’s Type: A Rational Academic Finds a Radical Faith by Holly Ordway
The Rule of St. Benedict by St. Benedict
Philippians: The Fellowship of the Gospel (Preaching the Word) by R. Kent Hughes
Suffering and the Sovereignty of God by John Piper and Justin Taylor
What Is the Gospel? (9Marks) by Greg Gilbert and D.A. Carson
Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference? by Philip Yancey
Craving God: A 21-Day Devotional Challenge, based on Made to Crave: Satisfying Your Deepest Desire with God, Not Food by Lysa TerLeul
Raising the Dead: A Doctor Encounters the Miraculous by Chauncey W. Crandall
Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream by David Platt
Hell Is Real (But I Hate to Admit It) by Brian Jones
God’s Story, Your Story: When His Becomes Yours by Max Lucado
Why, O God?: Suffering and Disability in the Bible and the Church by Multiple Authors
Listening to God (Life Principles Study Series) by Charles F. Stanley
Friendship with Jesus by David L. Miller

Considering that I chose the books simply because they were free, it would seem that the readings would be random and disconnected. But even when my choices are random, God’s plan isn’t. There were a few overriding themes among everything I read:

God blesses us so we can bless others, not so we can live the American dream.
We can communicate with God through prayer, reading His Word, listening to the Holy Spirit, and learning from other Christians.
God is sovereign—He is in control of everything. He can heal physically if He chooses, but if He allows us to suffer, He doesn’t explain Himself to us. Even if physical healing doesn’t come in this earthly life, spiritual healing is always available.
The heart of the Gospel is the substitutionary atonement of Jesus on the cross. It is all about Him, not about us.
God’s Word is true—He means what He says, and His Word tells us that Heaven and Hell are real and that accepting Jesus Christ as Savior is the only way to end up in Heaven and not in Hell.
Each of us as Christians has an obligation to witness to others so they have the same opportunity we do to spend eternity with the Lord. If we loved unsaved family and friends, we will be more concerned about their eternal life in Heaven or hell than being embarrassed about taking about faith.
Christians should expect to suffer and experience trials and tribulations as Jesus Himself told us we would, but sufferings are part of His perfect plan working together for our good, even when we can’t understand.
We need to show compassion and God’s love to others who are suffering, both individually and corporately.

Of course, there is much more to learn from these books, but I was struck by the unity of themes among so many disparate and seemingly random titles.

You can read my reviews of all of these books on Goodreads.

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The Pattern of a Story

Recently, I gave some advice to an author whose manuscript I am editing. I thought other writers might find it helpful, so I’m posting the message here (modified slightly to change references to his story).

The hero’s journey, or monomyth, is a basic pattern of stories from around the world through history, identified by Joseph Campbell in The Hero with a Thousand Faces . Later, Christopher Vogler wrote a memo for Disney Pictures giving guidelines for using Campbell’s monomyth, and this seven-page memo grew into the book The Writers Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers.

There are several other variations of the monomyth developed by other writers.

What follows is my own simple adaptation of the stages of the journey that can be applied to most genres of writing:

The protagonist begins in her normal world,. A young woman teaches school, but her real passion is running marathons—the only thing that makes her feel competent and complete.
Something dramatic happens that propels her on her journey. Her best friend and running partner dies unexpectedly. Although the death is officially deemed to be due to natural causes, the teacher suspects something more sinister has happened.
The protagonist resists the calling. Busy with her teaching and preparing for an upcoming marathon, she doesn’t have time to investigate her friend’s death. Taking time away from training to find out what happened to her friend might result in her losing the marathon she’s set her heart on winning. Besides, she’s not qualified—she has no experience or training as an investigator. In addition, she is afraid for her own safety.
Finally, she realizes she is the only one who can fulfill her destiny. She accepts her calling and begins her journey. The teacher realizes that everyone else believes the official version of her friend’s death as a heart attack while running in the heat. She is the only one who suspects murder, and thus is the only one who can bring the killer to justice. If she doesn’t take action, her friend’s murderer will go free, possibly to kill again.
Along the way, the protagonist encounters obstacles and a lot of conflict—physical, mental, and/or emotional. She has some setbacks and failures—the teacher goes down many blind alleys trying to find what really killed her friend. Medical professionals and law enforcement personnel won’t cooperate in providing evidence. Her friend didn’t seem to have any enemies who would have wanted her dead. Leads that seemed promising fizzle out.
Then there is “Black Moment” when it seems that all is lost. There does not appear to be any way out, and she is destined for failure. A doctor produces a medical record that shows the friend had a heart condition that would make running dangerous, but she kept it secret so she could participate in marathons.
The protagonist finds a solution to the crisis and achieves victory. The teacher finds that the medical record is a forgery, and discovering why the record was forged reveals the motive for murder. Finding out who created the forged record leads to the solution of the crime—proof that her friend’s death was murder and arrest of the killer.
At the end of the journey, the protagonist has changed. She is no longer the person she was back in her normal world before he received her calling. The teacher realizes that doing the right thing is more important than winning marathons. She has gained a new-found confidence in her abilities other than running. She has developed a passion for friendship and justice equal to her passion for running.

A good story includes conflict and change. If everything goes smoothly and the hero encounters no obstacles, the story will bore the reader. If the hero is exactly the same person at the end, the story will not satisfy the reader.  So, for a story that keeps readers’ attention and satisfies them at the end, make your hero’s life difficult and challenging, and in the process help him to grow and develop character.

photo credit: soozafone

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Blogging Milestone: 1200 Posts

[image error]When I started blogging in June 2006, I didn’t envision  that in less than six years, I would write 1200 blog posts. My blog has evolved in ways I couldn’t imagine. I thought I would be writing about writing and editing and publishing, and I didn’t expect interactive communication.

The blog has always been primarily a hobby for me, although I do hope that people will learn about my books and my services and that those who are interested will buy my books or use my services. My first goal, though, is to write what I want to write about the subjects I want to write about. Looking through my archives, I see that there are far more Christian posts than posts about writing. I’ve shared more personal information about my stroke and my husband than I anticipated, and I’ve written about causes that are important to me.

Perhaps what surprised me the most has been the interactive communication that has developed in the comments section. I have loyal readers who comment every month, and I have people who drop by to read one post. My 1200 posts have generated more than 11,000 comments from readers as well as an equal number of responses from me. I enjoy and appreciate reader comments and look forward to many more.

Thank you for reading some of my posts. My associate, Jan McClintock, and I are beginning a redesign of my website and blog. I’m excited about some new additions but some things will stay the same. What do you like most about my blog that shouldn’t be changed? What would you like to see improved or updated? I’d appreciate your feedback. After all, my blog wouldn’t be much fun if I just talked to myself—I can do that without a blog! Although I blog for fun, my goal is to provide inspiration, education, and entertainment to my readers. The blog—content, appearance, and functionality–is all designed for YOU.

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