Candy Marie Bridges's Blog, page 3

What a Beagle has to do with Patience and Perspective

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I asked my daughter Sarah if she would like to do a guest blog for me this week and she agreed. She did a great job. Here are her thoughts on what a Beagle has to do with patience and perspective. Enjoy.

 

Scritch, Scratch, Bang. These are the muffled sounds I have been hearing all week as I have been trying to wait patiently in the front bedroom. I am a busybody and it is challenging for me to sit still and even more difficult to be confined to one room. But this is where I have been spending the first five days of my fall vacation waiting for the brand new tile to be laid throughout our house.

The Beagle, A.K.A. Chloe, has also been confined to the room with me. Her confinement consists of her crate or her doggy bed in the closet. She has not complained about sitting around all day. On the contrary, she seems to appreciate the safety her crate and the closet can provide. She also manages to squeeze her tubby beagle-self underneath the bed, an even smaller space. It is interesting how perspectives can be so dramatically different in the same situation.

There are many times in life that we have a certain perspective of a situation based on our personality, experiences or lack thereof. When you think about it, our perspectives are extremely limited. Those who have had the opportunity to travel, see, or experience many of the facets of this life may disagree that their perspective is limited, but compare your perspective with that of God and it is incomparable. As I read today’s reading, I couldn’t help but think about how God questions Job and gives him a small taste of His perspective:

Jb 38:1, 12-21; 40:3-5

The LORD addressed Job out of the storm and said:

Have you ever in your lifetime commanded the morning

and shown the dawn its place

For taking hold of the ends of the earth,

till the wicked are shaken from its surface?

The earth is changed as is clay by the seal,

and dyed as though it were a garment;

But from the wicked the light is withheld,

and the arm of pride is shattered.

Have you entered into the sources of the sea,

or walked about in the depths of the abyss?

Have the gates of death been shown to you,

or have you seen the gates of darkness?

Have you comprehended the breadth of the earth?

Tell me, if you know all:

Which is the way to the dwelling place of light,

and where is the abode of darkness,

That you may take them to their boundaries

and set them on their homeward paths?

You know, because you were born before them,

and the number of your years is great!

Then Job answered the LORD and said:

Behold, I am of little account; what can I answer you?

I put my hand over my mouth.

Though I have spoken once, I will not do so again;

though twice, I will do so no more.

There are many moments when we need to put our hands over our mouths and appreciate the moment that we are experiencing. We need to take it into perspective that God’s perspective trumps ours every time and He is always looking out for our best interest, whether we are a Beagle or a busybody.

 

 

 

 

Book News!

Congratulations to the two winner of the Goodreads Giveaway.  Michael from Las Vegas and Janelle from Pennsylvania each won a copy of my book, Meet Me In The Mountains.
This week I am reading Chapter 9. Listen below as I share my experience with riding in a hot air balloon over the desert in Arizona. Was it a smooth ride, or…………then again, maybe not.

 

Chapter 9  -  Staying Afloat

 

 

What Kind Of Stubborn Are You?

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Good, Bad, or Both



Both family and friends used to tell me how stubborn I was as a child. I guess I will admit that I can  still be a bit stubborn (tongue in cheek). 
For example, When I want to accomplish something or I have a goal to reach,  determination and self motivation take over.  When  road blocks appear, which they often do, I decide how to build a bridge to get over the blocks or a tunnel to get under them.


I have been known to make mistakes while choosing to be stubborn.


I then have an opportunity to decide whether or not i will correct my mistakes by starting over, continuing or quitting.  All of These choices can be humbling, but learning through them leads to becoming as matthew kelly says and to quote him, “A better version of myself.”








 The definitions below apply to both good and bad in regards to being stubborn.

 

The definition of the word Stubborn is: Obstinate and Unyielding
The definition of the word Obstinate is: Determined and Stubborn
The definition of the word Unyielding is: Resolute and Steadfast



 
A good Stubborn
holds fast to positive outcomes by thoughts and actions that ultimately lead to a better you which in turn creates good examples for others. 
My Good stubborn example:  as a young mother determined to stay home with my kids during their school age years. My husbands income was not enough to get by, so I chose to figure out how I could stay home with our kids and also bring in an income. This involved me being steadfast in creating my home based calligraphy business. It wasn’t easy. The hours were long and sleep was a luxury, but in my stubbornness, I reached my personal goal and was able to do both.


A bad Stubborn
can be vindictive, unforgiving and selfish. It can eat you from the inside out and the result will be a more hardened, bitter and unpleasant you.


I can be bad stubborn also. Especially when an argument ensues. My bad stubborn wants to get back at you with choice words and make you pay for hurting me. Most of the time and Thankfully, my good stubborn beats the bad stubborn up by prompting me to look a quarter of a mile down the road in my mind and see that the outcome of bad stubborn is not what I really want.
Why?
Because bad stubborn doesn’t offer inner peace. The self absorption steals it from you and reacts by putting walls up or reacting without love. This can be be cause of a hidden hurt, an addiction  or insecurity.







 Have you ever wondered if God is stubborn?

 

Hmmmm. I really don’t know.  I do know that The Bible says God is Love.
So perhaps Gods Love for us is nothing short of
” Good Stubborn Love?” 
Unyielding, Resolute and Steadfast.
 
Book News

 

This week I am reading Chapter 8 of my book. The title is, Arizona Here We Come!  I am one third of the way through the book and reading it aloud really triggers past memories for me.
I would love to know if anyone is listening to me read the chapters each week aloud? Please let me know.
Still working on the Kindle version of my book with Createspace. Patience, Patience and more Patience. Let’s say, Stubborn Patience.
The Goodreads giveaway is coming to a close. Just two more days to sign up to win a copy of my book Meet Me In The Mountains.

Chapter 8 – Arizona Here We Come!

They are right on schedule

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I can hear them now as I type. They are surrounding us screaming outside somewhere in the distance. 
The sun has yet to make its morning appearance.
I first blogged about this just over a year ago which was when I initially started blogging.   I want to re post my thoughts on these heavyweights because they fascinate me.

 

 

So who is screaming and why?

My short story explains it below.

It was before the sun came up around the second or third week in September when I heard high-pitched screaming. It hadn’t been more than nine months that I lived here in the beautiful mountain town of Pine.  The sounds frightened me and I seriously considered calling the police.  As I lay in bed listening to the inconsistent high-pitched screams, I decided to pray about what I was envisioning in my mind.  Dear Lord, please protect and save the person who is screaming. Please stop the abuser from hurting them so they can be helped. I had no idea what direction or exactly where the screams were was coming from. My heart ached thinking that someone was screaming in desperation. The sound eventually stopped and I was glad, but the next morning I heard it again, and again I prayed, Dear Lord, please send someone to help that person who is in pain or being hurt.  I thought to myself, why doesn’t the person get away from their attacker?  I also thought perhaps I am not as safe as I assumed here in the mountains where supposedly crime was minimal or non-existent.
As was my ritual, I got out of bed and turned the TV on to hear the morning news where  I quickly learned I wasn’t the only one concerned about the sounds I heard.  Other people were calling in to the police to report the screams. Interestingly, the police knew exactly who the screamers were and there was absolutely nothing they would do about it.  They allowed this behavior to carry on and told the callers it was normal to hear the screams in this area this time of year.  They assured us newbie mountain people not to worry. They informed us that it was elk rutting season.

This is when the big over sized males make high-pitched screaming noise to attract a mate. The official name is bugling.
Bugling Shmugling.

 

Sorry, but what my ears hear sounds like teenage girls screaming at a Justin Beiber concert.

If you click on the picture below, you will hear what I heard.

 

It’s been seven years now that I have lived in the mountains and like clock work the big four legged boys are looking for a mate. This yearly rutting ritual is alive and well.

 

I can’t help but think each time I hear the September bugling from the Elk of my innocent ignorance when I first heard the sounds.

 

I also think of God and wonder if He just thought He would mix things up a bit and create a sound that would be so unbecoming of such a huge male creature… just for the fun of it.

Book News!

There is only one more week to enter the Goodreads Giveaway to win a copy of my book, Meet Me In The Mountains. Enter to the right.
Got a very nice review this week from a lady who claimed my book is witty, inspiring and heartfelt.
Still gently fighting with CreateSpace to reformat my book into the Kindle version. The paperback is complete and selling for a discounted price of $15.00. You can purchase it here on my blog or at https://www.createspace.com/3717023  Its not easy to do a Kindle conversion when your publisher goes out of business. It will take time and something I am always learning………..Patience.


This week I read Chapter 7 from my book.  The title: A note in the drive thru.

There’s a great movie out. I watched it three times in one week.

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Preview
The first time I saw the movie was with a Deacon friend, his wife and my book study group. The second time I watched the movie was a few days later with my daughter and her husband.  A couple of days later I watched it with my son and his wife.
Are you wondering what the title of the movie is? Are you wondering why I saw it three times in one week?
The title of the movie is, “October Baby”, and I watched it three times because I wanted to share the inspiring message with my kids.”
This touching movie is based on a true story. It focuses on one young woman’s struggle with accepting the news that she was adopted and, more importantly the survivor of a failed abortion. It’s her unexplained illnesses and emotions that ultimately lead her to find out the shocking news. Hannah, the lead actress, like many who are adopted insists on finding her birth mother. In doing so she must deal with the consequences along the journey.
Hannah is driven to find answers that will satisfy questions about her past, but the answers she finds are not easy to accept.

 

--------------- It's what we do with those answers that matters most. ---------------

This non preachy movie depicts the truth of how one person’s choice based on selfish motives ultimately involve more than just the one making the choice.
Why?
Our human nature fights it.
Our selfishness and pride don’t want to go there.
The most powerful word in the movie is forgiveness. You will have to watch the movie to see where and to whom this word applies. Please don’t assume the movie ends when the credits start rolling just after the last scene. You will be touched and inspired at what follows. The movie is now out on DVD  and October Baby has recently been released as a novel.

See the trailer below:

http://youtu.be/3pxeDBnZYu4

 

Purchase the book at:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1433678470/ref=rdr_ext_tmb

Book News!

 

The Goodreads giveaway will end in two weeks. Enter to the right of the blog to win a copy of my book, Meet Me In The Mountains




CreateSpace now has my book for sale. The price is now just $15.00 for the paperback version.


CLICK ON THE IMAGE OF THE BOOK BELOW.




In addition, you can also purchase the book on my website for the new lower price. http://www.amenchristiancalligraphy.c...


Meet Me In The Mountains is currently being formatted to the Kindle Version on CreateSpace and will be available soon at an unbelievably low price.

 

This week I read Chapter 6 of my book below.

 

 

There’s a movie spouting an “F” word. I watched it three times in one week.

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Preview
The first time I saw the movie was with a Deacon friend, his wife and my book study group. The second time I watched the movie was a few days later with my daughter and her husband. They heard an “F” word also. A couple of days later I watched it with my son and his wife. They too, were exposed to an “F” word.
Are you wondering what the title of the movie is? Are you wondering why I saw it three times in one week?
The title of the movie is, “October Baby”, and I watched it three times because I wanted to share the inspiring message with my kids.”
This touching movie is based on a true story. It focuses on one young woman’s struggle with accepting the news that she was adopted and, more importantly the survivor of a failed abortion. It’s her unexplained illnesses and emotions that ultimately lead her to find out the shocking news. Hannah, the lead actress, like many who are adopted insists on finding her birth mother. In doing so she must deal with the consequences along the journey.
Hannah is driven to find answers that will satisfy questions about her past, but the answers she finds are not easy to accept.

 

--------------- It's what we do with those answers that matters most. ---------------

This non preachy movie depicts the truth of how one person’s choice based on selfish motives ultimately involve more than just the one making the choice.
The “F” word in the movie is a word that many, including myself struggle with at times. Why?
Our human nature fights it.
Our selfishness and pride don’t want to go there.
It’s a humbling word. The eleven letter “F” word is forgiveness. You will have to watch the movie to see where and to whom this word applies. Please don’t assume the movie ends when the credits start rolling just after the last scene. You will be touched and inspired at what follows. The movie is now out on DVD  and October Baby has recently been released as a novel.

See the trailer below:

http://youtu.be/3pxeDBnZYu4

 

Purchase the book at:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1433678470/ref=rdr_ext_tmb

Book News!

 

The Goodreads giveaway will end in two weeks. Enter to the right of the blog to win a copy of my book, Meet Me In The Mountains




CreateSpace now has my book for sale. The price is now just $15.00 for the paperback version.


CLICK ON THE IMAGE OF THE BOOK BELOW.




In addition, you can also purchase the book on my website for the new lower price. http://www.amenchristiancalligraphy.c...


Meet Me In The Mountains is currently being formatted to the Kindle Version on CreateSpace and will be available soon at an unbelievably low price.

 

This week I read Chapter 6 of my book below.

 

 

What a Whirl!

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Mary R. Fetchel
My Nana

 

That’s what my Nana used to say when she heard or saw something new and modern in the world that was difficult for her to accept.  Her intent was to say the word, “world,” but she would unintentionally say,“whirl.”  New technology like a cell phone, sophisticated gadgets and instruments in a car, or blatant immorality would often spark the phrase, “What a Whirl!”  Hearing her say this when she was alive, always made me laugh and today, I find myself repeating her words more and more.

 

 

 

The past few weeks, I’ve watched and listened to the speakers during the Republican and now the Democratic convention.  As I watch the reactions of many people in the audience as they listen to their party’s supporters, there is a fury of passion as promises and blame fire up uncontrollable shouts of agreement. Some of the people remind me of the young teens and women we have seen in those old tapes crying over Michael Jackson or Tom Jones or Elvis as they stand screaming and shivering reaching their hands out begging for a touch from their idol.  I haven’t seen any person in particular going to that extreme, but the passion in their shouting and jumping and sign waving is close.
I wonder if they are in their right minds or if it’s the electricity in the air duping them to act this way.  One thing I know for sure.  As the candidates propose their solutions to us, people are caught up in the excitement which boils down to one word. 
—————     HOPE     —————
Hope that their candidate will be a bold leader successfully bringing each of us and our nation more happiness, peace and prosperity.
Each of these worldly solutions are just that and will never be fully quenched on this earth. There are degrees and seasons when we will experience happiness, peace and prosperity no matter what chaos our nation is in. This comes from within.


There is one very interesting similarity so far with each candidate. Both Romney and Obama have admitted their opponent is a good and loving, devoted husband and father and that each of their wives are supportive and loving, along with being caring and devoted mothers. Isn’t this interesting?
If it’s true and you take just these two facts alone and create a world full of the same, Oh what a whirl…. or shall I say, “world.”  it would be.

 

BOOK NEWS !

 

The Goodreads giveaway is still underway. Please sign up to win a free copy of my book, Meet Me In The Mountains.
Still waiting on Createspace to complete the changes to my book. Since my publisher went out of business, I am republishing independently and have deleted their info and logos from my book. I have also added a QR Code to the back of the book. This is pretty cool. Hope to have it finalized by the end of next week.
Listen as I read one chapter from my book each time I post a blog. Below is Chapter 5. You can listen to previous chapters by visiting my past blogs.

 

 

 

Motivation Through The Eye Of A Storm

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We are already hearing about the inevitable hurricane season that’s approaching. Every August and September, folks who live on the east coast prepare for the worst scenario as soon as they hear of an approaching hurricane.

For several months, I’ve had the Faddis family on my mind.

Their lives are currently within the eye of a storm and they can’t stop it.  Chris Faddis’ wife, Angela is battling the end stages of colon cancer. Her year and a half long fight has shaken many asking the question, why?  Why with two small children, and what should be, a whole life ahead of them, do they have suffer with this cross?  The clock is ticking as Angela awaits her fate now in hospice. We never give up hope though in healing through prayer.

Almost like a TV reality show, we are updated about Angela through her husband Chris. His postings on social media like Facebook allow us real time news about the family. Why is Chris continuing to share this heartbreaking storm with us?  Why is he involving the whole world in his suffering?

 

———–   I believe it’s for two reasons.   ———–

One, because Chris has sought out the powerful prayer support from any and all for his wife and children.  He knows the power of prayer and also believes that even if his prayers are not answered as he or others would like, he humbles himself and rests in the faith that God hears his and everyone’s prayers and accepts the fact that God’s will and Glory will prevail through it all.

What an example!

The second reason is because he needs the financial support and help to press on through this storm.  As Chris takes care of his two small children and chooses to be by Angela’s side while in hospice, he is unafraid to ask for help. I believe our world is full of people who can and want to help and are just waiting to be asked. They have the ability to offer assistance financially, prayerfully and in other ways.

Since I have experienced a major storm in my life with my husbands wrongful death, I truly can say that I understand how hard it is to ask for help. It is humbling. Pride get’s in the way.

Chris has put his pride aside and humbled himself to ask for help. This week, we have launched a Fundraiser for Chris Faddis and his Family. It’s called:

--------------- "The Faddis Family Coffee Fundraiser." ---------------

As a way to help Chris and his family, we are donating every penny of profit from the coffee fundraiser to help with the enormous medical bills and other needed expenses. Please consider buying some gourmet coffee from us as we campaign together in helping this family.  There is a place on the order page of the web site to leave a message for the family and we will send all the messages along with a check at the end of the fundraiser.

There are other ways to donate to the family also with various fundraisers Chris has started which you can find on his Facebook pages.

Here is the link to ours.  http://www.amenchristiancalligraphy.com/Faddis-Family-Coffee-Fundraiser-HIS-COFFEE-Gourmet-Roast-Coffees.htm

If you prefer to download an order form for the coffee so you can take orders from your work, school or church, please email me at calligraph@aol.com and I will send you the form. Thank you for your support in advance!!!

 

Book News

 

The goodreads giveaway is still going on. Enter here on the right side of the blog to try for a chance at winning a copy of my book.

I have chosen CreateSpace as my new independent publishing company.  My book has been unavailable through amazon for several weeks as the Publishing company I originally had has gone chapter 7. Of course it is available here on my blog.
There is hint that I will be writing another book soon. Can you guess what kind it will be?
I welcome all comments, suggestions and feedback about my blog and book.
I am reading one chapter from my book each week on my blog.  Below is chapter 4.

 

 

 

A Few Bumps On The Road And A Sign From God

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I can pretty much guarantee you will experience bumps on the road of your life. This usually happens in one of two ways.








1. Without warning
or


2. you see them coming

 

Life can be going along just great and all of a sudden, BANG!, something intrudes, impedes and challenges us. Perhaps it’s an argument with a family member or a spouse or an illness that befalls us or a loved one. Maybe faith or finances dare us to reconsider our actions. How about depression or loneliness?
God knows I’ve had my share of these types of bumps, and believe it or not, they still come up. Just when I think life couldn’t be better, bumps, or drama appear on my road. Drama from friends, family, the businesses and even my own drama.

 

One of the latest bumps on or in my road appeared this past week.

 

I got the unfortunate news that my Book publisher went out of business!  That would fall under number one above.
So what am I going to do about it? Should I end it all with my book and stop further printing, promotions and marketing? Should I consider writing my memoir an accomplishment that I felt led to do and now close the door?  I thought about this option and not being totally sure what to do, I decided to ask God for a sign.


What did I ask?


Please let me know what to do lord. I hate wasting time. ( By the way, He hears that from me all the time..) This is not a life or death bump in my road, but I still desire some help and guidance.

 

So have i got an answer yet?
I believe so. it came about by a daily reflection I read about giving our all in all we do. Most importantly though, i strongly felt the lord was telling me, “Candy, your book is about your life story.  but more importantly, your book is about me and your faith and trust in me. Hurting people need hope and when this earthly life brings about boulders and mountains in people’s, lives, your story is a witness to them that leads to my love, peace and acceptance.  As you say in your book, Press On!
So with that, I say…

Okay Lord… You Win.

 

What do we do when pebbles or even boulders appear?
1. Accept that they are there.
2. decide how and when you will deal with them.
3. know that life’s bumps can make us stronger and when we have the mindset to  learn from them, our road will eventually be smoother….Until the next set of bumps come along.
4. Don’t be afraid to ask for help and guidance from those you trust and love.
5. Pray

 

---------------- So what's up with the skates? ---------------

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned my plan to ride my roller skates around the driveway on my birthday. Mind you, I have not put on my skates for over thirty years. I am about thirty pounds heavier also. So irritating.  So on my birthday, I did just that. I was wobbly and a little unsure, but kept myself upright while singing the disco song “Oh, I love the night life, I got to boogie on the disco ’round, oh yea. Please don’t talk about …” Okay you get the idea.

Gliding along carefully watching for pebbles in the driveway. I enjoyed listening to all eight bright orange wheels humming as I skated. After a couple three rounds in the driveway, I then decided that the wooden floors in the house were safer. No possible bumps. I just had to stand up straight and keep my balance while rolling along. A couple trips from the kitchen to the front door and back was all I needed to realize that…

Hey, I still got it.

 

 

 

 

BOOK NEWS!

 

The Goodreads giveaway is underway. You can enter to the right of this blog to win a copy of my book.
FREE COFFEE through the end of August. ! All orders placed for the paperback version of my memoir,  Meet Me In The Mountains will receive four blends of HIS COFFEE.  Holy Grounds, Be Still, Raise the Dead, and Vanilla from Heaven. We are getting great feedback about the coffee and book.  http://www.amenchristiancalligraphy.com/A-Memoir-By-Candy-M-Bridges-Meet-Me-In-The-Mountains-Paperback-MMITM-PAPERBACK.htm
You can click on the player below to hear me read chapter three of my book. The first and second chapters are found at the bottom of the two previous blogs. The link for chapter one is here: http://candymariebridges.com/its-almost-time/
The link for chapter two is here: http://candymariebridges.com/my-dream-about-rush-limbaugh/

 

Sew I guess I’m a Cheater and a Chicken Eater

No worries. I am honest, faithful and happily married.

That being said,  still…..
 
 I do cheat

 

Especially when it comes to sewing.
I’ve had fun this week installing custom curtains in the big meeting room of the retreat house. The colorful fabric I have been working with is called ”Cheater Fabric.”  The reason it’s named, Cheater Fabric, is because the fabric squares are printed to look as if each square has been intricately cut, pieced and sewn together. Hence the name.
We consistently host quilters and scrap bookers and they enjoy our place while creating amazing life-long keepsakes. The amount of hours taken to lovingly work on their treasures is priceless.
I am sure what I have done this past week is an abomination, especially to the art of quilting and sewing. I hope I have not offended any quilters and/or sewing aficionados by dumbing down their precious art form.
What I have done is a reflection of my sometimes rebellious personality. I cheated and rebelled by hemming fabric for the curtains I made with a product called Stitch Witchery. It’s a thin translucent rolled tape-like substance that fuses the fabric together with the heat of an iron.  A sewing machine isn’t needed to create a hem.  In addition, I did NOT use curtain rods. Instead, I had my husband cut thick slices from the trunks of smaller dead pine trees. These are used to drape the fabric from one piece of wood to the next across the top of each window. I dog-eared the wood slices to the wall with one of my favorite power tools. A nail gun run by a compressor. I love power tools and attaching the fabric to the makeshift tree trunk rods via nail gun is so Toolbelt Diva-like for me.
I chose a fabric pattern to fit the theme of scrap booking and quilting. Hopefully our guests will keep their eyes on their projects though and not look too closely at my work. If they do, at least I gave them a laugh. Or……….maybe an idea.


I do not regret my sinfulness and rebellious actions by hanging the new curtains the way I have. I am even tempted to post them to Pinterest. Should I?

 

Now… as for the Chicken issue?

 

As far as the Chick-Fil-A drama this week, I must say I was amazed at seeing the lines of cars in the drive thru at the two Chick-Fil-A  restaurants we passed by on Wednesday.  I seriously got a knot in my throat from witnessing all the people supporting the decision of one man to voice his entitled free speech opinion about the moral values he chooses to believe in. This being, that marriage should be between one woman and one man.
I have thought this through as much as my brain can wrap itself around the issue and have come up with this analogy. If a gay bar owner who is also gay publicly shared with TV, Radio, or Internet news his belief in supporting gay marriage, I am sure many gay people would support and applaud the gay bar owners belief and this could accelerate temporary or permanent support of his or her business in the gay community.
Straight people most likely would not be frequenting gay bars. Especially those whose moral absolute does not believe in the Gay lifestyle.
That aside, it is the gay owners right to voice his opinion about his personal belief. I think they call this,
“Free Speech.”
If you don’t like or support the gay bar owners belief and want to show it by NOT visiting the Gay Bar, then that’s your right and you send a message. Comparably, if you don’t agree with one man’s opinion about his personal belief about marriage between one woman and one man, then… don’t eat more chickin. I seriously could vent about this for days, but I better get back to my lunch.  Would you please pass me a leg and a wing.

 

It seems as though I just celebrated my birthday and here another one is just a few days away. My choice would be to just skip it. My husband has repeatedly asked me what I want to do for my birthday. I thought about it for a minute or two and I think I shocked him with my answer. I told him that I wanted to dig out my roller skates from 1978 and roller skate around the driveway. Stay tuned.

 

Here’s my roller skates from 1978. Notice the orange wheels. Cool huh?

Book News!

I have started a new giveaway on Goodreads. Two of my books will be given to two lucky winners. Enter to the right of this blog.
Free Coffee with every paperback book purchased on www.AmenChristianCalligraphy.com
Chapter two of my book is ready for you to listen to below. Please leave comments or feedback.

[contact-form]

 

My dream about Rush Limbaugh

 

 

I often wake in the morning thinking without a doubt that what I was just dreaming is true. And then as I come to full consciousness,  I realize it was just a dream.  I had one of those realistic dreams this morning.

 

I was dreaming about
Rush Limbaugh.

 

Okay some of you are rolling your eyes and others are curious. I see you. I don’t listen to Rush. My husband was listening to him yesterday while we were installing window shades. Rush was passionately voicing his thoughts on the topic of the day.  I honestly don’t remember. I was busy measuring and using the nail gun. I’m sure hearing his voice was the reason for him being in my dream.

 

So what was my dream about?

 

I dreamt worked for Rush during an afternoon remote radio spot being held at an intersection in Mesa Arizona. He didn’t know me since I was just one of the many worker bees on his staff. One of his higher up employees, also working there knew me and she felt I needed to be introduced to Rush, so she introduced us during a commercial break. Immediately after the introduction, he asked me a little about myself. I shared general info including that I recently wrote a book. He sounded interested and wanted to know what the book was about. In my dream, I felt pressed for time in telling him details of the book, so instead, I told him I would write a few notes about my story. I proceeded to scribble on a yellow Post It note. The more I wrote, the more I felt my writing was illegibly messy and incomplete, so I chose not to give him the piece of paper.

Sadly, I missed an opportunity to make him aware of my book with the hope he would spread the word about it. I decided I’d mail him a copy of my book instead including neater written note reminding him of our brief conversation during the remote radio show.

I then woke up and for a millisecond, was so happy Rush Limbaugh was going to read my book.  Can I get an OY VEY? 

What a silly dream huh? 

With that being said, this is the first week I am going to start reading my book to you. Why would I do this you might ask?  Why would I give my story away?  Because from it, I hope to capture your interest so you will tell others about it. Word of mouth is the best advertising. I hope you will consider purchasing a paperback version or e reader, nook, etc. for yourself, a friend, family member or a book club. This will be a 25 week commitment for me. I’d love to dialogue with you in regards to the questions at the end of chapter. This will involve your feedback and comments.

I am still amazed when people approach me after reading my book and tell me they have a crazy grandma or an aunt or a mother that sounds just like my Nana.  Or they tell me that they too, struggled with their wedding ring after their husband died. Or they share their heartache having to live with an alcoholic father as a child. There are many stories I share about my life and some connect more deeply than others.

The challenge is deciding what we choose to do with our lives when life throws us unfair situations. Where do we go for answers, solace and inner peace? This is what my memoir is truly about. Even though the book has an ending, my life still goes on and I experience daily challenges that I have to work through deciding how I will accept them or do something about them with faith and action.

 

 

My story is not the worst of the worst. We all experience the highest of mountains and the lowest of valleys at times in our lives and sometimes they force us to decide how and whether we will overcome them. This ties in some with the awful news we heard this past week.

The senseless murders in Aurora, Colorado

 

My heart was filled with compassion when I heard the news about the innocent lives taken by a man who exhibited pure evil.  Many people this past week are facing emotional decisions because of the shootings at the Aurora, Colorado movie theater. Even the shooters immediate and extended family and friends will question the disturbing and illogical murders. How will they process their anger and their hurt?  Will they and the victims family and friends eventually take this awful tragedy and make something good from it?  I am sure it doesn’t seem possible now because it’s too soon. It hurts too much. It’s so not real. Let us remember them in our prayers and ask for healing that defies all understanding. A healing found only by abandoning our own understanding and giving it all to the Lord.  Yes it is so hard to do. It is so unfair. It is so not right. Our world is laced with evil and hate. But there is still good and love. It’s so black and white to me. One conquers the other and brings peace. I am sure you know which one that is.

 

Book News!



4 free blends of HIS COFFEE.  Be Still --- Vanilla From Heaven --- Raise the Dead --- Holy Grounds.




The biggest news about my book this week is that I will start reading it here on my blog one chapter a week. The recordings will only be found here under “Book News” until I finish reading my book.  I hope you enjoy listening and I look forward to your feedback and answers to the questions. No part of the recording may be reproduced, copied, altered or sold in any manner or format. This week I will read the Preface, Foreword and Chapter One.

 

  I will choose one question per chapter each week. There are more in the book.

Question

 What activities do you remember sharing with your friends as a child