Becky Wade's Blog, page 39

Inspired by Scripture

Thank you, Lord, for the godly mothers who have shown us your ways and taught us your paths. Today, we remember and honor our mothers and those who have been like mothers to us.

This Sunday feature is brought to you by ClashVerseoftheDay.com. You may sign up to receive a beautiful photo with Scripture in your inbox each morning or view the verse each day online.

Sisters Trip to Mexico

In November of 2021, I traveled to Scottsdale, Arizona with my husband to celebrate my 50th birthday. My two sisters and my parents joined us there. I LOVED marking the occasion of my birthday with such a memorable trip.

Scottsdale in 2021

When my sister’s 50th rolled around recently, we had the perfect reason to take another mini-vacation. This time–Cabo, Mexico! I grew up in California and have lived in Texas for more than twenty-five years. But though I’ve spent most of my life in states that border Mexico, I’d never visited. Until now.

L to R: me, the birthday girl Kristen, our youngest sister Carrie

We were only there three nights, but we made the most of our time. The resort where we stayed, Esperanza, was lovely. Great location. Yummy food. Fantastic customer service. Beautiful villa. We especially enjoyed their…

Pool and……spa……and ocean views.

We went on a few adventures outside of the resort, also.

My brothers-in-law (pictured above) love sport fishing. On an early morning fishing trip they caught four marlin. (!!) The time we went out with them, the goal was simply a relaxing ride along the coast. We ended up seeing two whale tales! And this guy followed us into the harbor…

We went to Flora Farms and had an AMAZING meal in their open-air restaurant.

After a tiny bit of shopping, my brother-in-law scored a serape branded with his favorite team. He’ll be dressed in one-of-a-kind merch for their next football-watching party.

We left Cabo yesterday afternoon.

Mexico won me over on this trip. I’d love to go back in the future!

However, the part of the getaway I treasured most was time spent with my sisters and our husbands. There are many gifts in this life. Travel is certainly one. But the people you love, the ones who know you best… those are the very best gifts of all.

Have you been to Mexico? If so, what are your favorite spots?

How Authors Stay Sane

Hi friends and happy Wednesday. I hope your day is off to a fantastic start. 

Writing is not easy.  I believe Hemingway said it best in the following quote. 

“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”

While writing is a joy for me and a passion, that doesn’t negate the rough days or even rough seasons. The times when you have a word or page count to make, and the words just won’t come, or they simply drip out, and it takes all day to get them done. The worst is when you don’t get them done, so you have to return to your desk after dinner or on the weekend to make up the words. The first draft is always the hardest for me, and writing is definitely an emotional rollercoaster for me. My hubby got this for me. He says I write “Tangled style,” and I absolutely agree. Here’s a sneak peek inside my chaotic writer brain. 

Once I finish my first draft, the revision stage is much better, but even it has deadline time. I try over and over again to avoid this, but this sums up my approach to deadlines. 

The last hurdle for me, but certainly not least, is my chronic disorganization. I try to have ducks in a row—I really do—but I have come to realize that I have squirrels, and they’re at a rave. 

God bless my virtual assistant. She keeps me sane. And speaking of sanity…I’m going to share my top five ways for staying sane as a writer. 

My virtual assistant is a gift from Heaven. She deals with all my disorganization and last-minute freakouts and amazingly keeps me on track with blog posts, newsletters, social media, you name it. She does it all, and I’m blessed. 

Writing can be solitary and isolating if you let it. I go out of my way to make connections and am blessed by a wonderful mastermind group of authors, friends I write with daily over Zoom, and dear author friends.  

Readers who go above and beyond. I shared about these three of Dare You to Read on Instagram, but they are the most amazing people. I’ve actually dubbed them Author-Support. They’re beta readers; they send gifts just to bring you joy, let you crash at their house, and hand-sell your books—not kidding. These three ladies are a tremendous blessing that keeps me going even on the rough days. 

My editor and agent. Without either of them, I’d still be dreaming of being published one day. My utter gratitude goes out to both Dave and Janet. Not only do they keep me sane, they somehow managed to keep me on the publishing path and help coach me in the right direction. And, lastly, coffee. Yes, coffee. Without my daily Java, I doubt I’d be able to write a coherent sentence. Thank you to my sweet VA and friends who get my Starbucks, send me gift cards, or, better yet, meet me for a coffee date. Everyone has their thing, as I like to say, and coffee is mine  

There are my top five ways for writers to remain sane. I hope if you’re a writer, you got a glimpse of hope If you’re a reader, know you are treasured. You’re why we write! 

Question: 

Readers: How do you like to support the authors you love? 

Writers: What’s one thing that keeps you sane on this crazy journey? 

Blessings, 

Dani 

In Memory of Mandisa

This is a post I originally published on August 30, 2011, long before I had the joy of meeting Mandisa in a Bible study we both attended in a friend’s home here in Nashville a handful of years ago. As everyone says, she was—and still is—the real deal.

I’m heartbroken over her passing, but her openness and transparency encouraged me then, and still does today. I originally entitled this August 2011 post, The Night Mandisa Nearly Got Me Killed, and she and I laughed about it years later once we met, and I shared the experience with her.

The Night Mandisa Nearly Got Me Killed

It’s dark. I’m tooling along the path. Got a later start on my evening walk than I’d planned, and I’m totally zoned into my iPod music when I look up and, from out of nowhere, this HUGE boxer is charging straight for me. Six feet away at best. I have no idea how loud I screamed because my earbuds were in and all I could hear was Mandisa belting out “What if we were real…”

But what I was thinking at that moment was, “Real nothin’, I’m about to die!” Look at this ferocious creature! Just look at him!

Well okay, that’s not the exact dog. Mine was much meaner looking. And bigger. Much, much bigger. And his jowls were flapping and he was barking and, well, it was scary. Thankfully, the lit end of a cigarette followed close behind him (attached to the dog’s owner). “Oh he’s really friendly,” the guy said. 

Uh-huh… He looked really friendly as he was going for my jugular. But…that’s the night last week that Mandisa nearly got me killed.

God’s been introducing––and reintroducing––a theme in my life over the past few months, one that I didn’t notice at first. Not even when writing A Lasting Impression. The theme of that book wasn’t truly clear to me until after the first draft. Then God revealed it. Authenticity. And living beyond myself. And He’s had my attention ever since.

One of the songs I was listening to on repeat that night as I walked our neighborhood after dark was The Truth About Me from Mandisa’s album entitled What if We Were Real. Here are some of the lyrics…

You say lovely, I say broken
I say guilty, you say forgiven
I feel lonely, you say you’re with me
We both know it would change everything
If only I believed the truth about me.
I would sleep better at night, wake up with hope for another day
I would love…even if it costs me
Take a chance and know I’m gonna be okay
I would dare to give my life away…

Then as I read in my quiet time a couple of days later, God “whisper shouted” these words into my heart as I read Paul,

“For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”

Oh to be able to say that. “I am already being poured out…” To live with that kind of conviction. That kind of surrender. And it makes me question, Where am I being poured out like that in my own life? What parts of my life—and heart—are still corked tight and hidden away, kept for myself on the shelf?

Authenticity. Living beyond myself. Themes God keeps whisper shouting to my heart, and I’m listening. I’ve got such a long way to go, but He’s shaping me, slowly but surely.

Where are you being poured out today? And into whose life or lives? Do you ever hear or sense a “whisper shout” too? If yes, please share, and we’ll encourage each other in this journey.

Oh, and one final warning: DO NOT google “image of adult white boxer.” Suffice it to say, I should have included the word dog in my search when looking for a picture of a boxer for this blog. Oy!

[End of blog from August 30, 2011]

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for this dynamic, joy-filled, gospel-gorgeous sister in Christ who we all first fell in love with even without meeting her. During this time of grief and loss, please comfort her family and friends and everyone who loved her, Father. Holy Spirit, pour fresh hope into hearts as only you can. And give us the courage and strength to live authentic lives and lives beyond ourselves for your glory, Jesus, only and always.

Did Mandisa’s music, life, and faith encourage you in your journey? Were you one of millions who first “met and fell in love with her” on her original audition on American Idol?

Both of those get hearty “Yeses” from me.

Blessings on your Tuesday, friends,
Tammy

Mary Had a Little Lamb . . . and so did I!

I don’t know if you saw the hilarious picture of lamb cakes that was going around on Facebook . . .

This photo makes me laugh every time I look at it. But because I love baking, I decided I had to make a lamb cake this year. Only I wouldn’t make it at Easter, but at Passover . . . and I’d bake a cake with no yeast, baking powder, or baking soda, so there would be no leaven. (Pound cake fits the bill.)

I thought it would be easy . . . and boy, was I wrong! I gave it a good try, but by the time I was finished, I was exhausted . . . which might have also been caused by my baking macaron shells at the same time. My kitchen was crazy!

Anyway, here’s my lamb cake. My icing was too dry, which I soon realized, but I was too tired to empty the piping bag, wet it, and start again. Then I ran out of icing (oops), then the brown icing wasn’t dark enough, and I was too tired to unbag the icing and start again. Do you recognize a theme here?

In any case, next year I’ll have a better handle on it. In the meantime, if YOU want to bake a lamb cake (the grandkids loved it), you’ll have to find a cake pan on ebay, as Wilton seems to have discontinued it. You can find them on Amazon, but the price is ridiculous. I think I paid about $15 for mine on eBay. But it’s a fun tradition, pound cake works great, and it’s a great way to remind our people that Jesus was our passover lamb.

Have you made a lamb cake? How did yours turn out?

Angie

Inspired by Scripture

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Slow & Steady Gets It Done

On Wednesday, D’Ann made mention of graduation (and gifts for graduates). I’m guessing she was thinking of 18 and 22 year olds, for the most part.

A decade ago this month, I attended my oldest daughter’s college graduation. She’d had a long career as a flight attendant (close to 20 years) but was ready to stay home, so she went back to school to prepare for a career change.

Now, it may have been the acknowledgment during the ceremony of the oldest graduate in that class or it may have just been the reminder that I couldn’t keep saying, “One day…” But I went home, got online, and I enrolled to take classes at my local community college.

You see, while I had some classes under my belt from years before, I never earned a college degree. I married and had kids instead, something I do not regret because health issues in my twenties might have kept me from ever having kids if I’d waited. But a college degree was still a bucket list item—and it was going to get harder and harder to cross it off the list if I didn’t get with the program.

I have always loved learning and have done so all my life, primarily as an avid reader. I must say, attending college classes as a senior citizen has been a fun experience (we are the first to turn in assignments!). It helps that I’m not doing this in order to begin a career. When a student attends college for the fun of it, there is no pressure about what to do and when to do it. You don’t rack up a lot of credits fast when you do it the way I have (one or two classes per semester, other semesters no classes at all), but slow and steady will get it accomplished. Eventually.

I’ve taken some great classes. Others were a little like pulling teeth. I was glad to get the math requirement out of the way, and although I don’t care much for science, I managed to find a couple of courses that held my interest. (My daughters are both science majors. They didn’t get it from me.) Two of my favorite classes had to do with film studies and another favorite was History Through Biography. And a paper I wrote for an English class ended up being published in the back of one of my novels, You’ll Think of Me. You can read that essay, Missing Daddy, Missing Pieces, here.

Selfie in 2014 | Selfie in 2024
Still learning . . . Slow and Steady

All that to say, the end of the journey is in sight, and if it weren’t for my book deadlines and the need to make a living, I could finish up this year. That won’t happen. It’ll likely be 2026 before I can check this item off my bucket list. So I’m just going to enjoy the elective classes I have yet to take. Again, slow and steady will get me there. And, I should mention, it is almost guaranteed that I will be recognized as the oldest graduate whenever that happens.

No gifts required.

~robin

Fan Fiction Contest

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One of the characters in my latest book – If the Boot Fits – is a young boy with a vivid imagination. Fergus Ellis is the hero’s youngest brother, and he never goes anywhere without his pencil and tablet. He names the animals around the house and dreams up adventures for them that he jots down in his tablet. He has dubbed the family milk cow Mrs. Merriweather and has set her up as banyard maven. Throughout the novel different people (especially ther hero and heroine) introduce new animal characters into his story world and help him come up with adventures for them to experience.

I had so much fun with Fergus in this story, and readers have clamored for a bonus story about Mrs. Merriweather and her barnyard friends as written by Fergus. I love the idea, but I just don’t have the time to write one myself. So why not turn it into a contest?

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Several years ago, I ran a fan fiction contest asking readers to write a romantic epilogue pairing Chloe and Duncan from To Win Her Heart. I received some fabulous entries, and the winning epilogue has been posted on my website as bonus material for the last twelve years. You can read it here: http://karenwitemeyer.com/epilogue-twhh.html

I decided to try that again with a Fergus story. If you have read If the Boot Fits and if you enjoy writing, I’d love to invite you to submit an entry. Fergus is a bright ten-year-old boy, so we will be looking for a children’s story. Here are the official details:

RULES

Write a children’s story about Mrs. Merriweather as if you were Fergus Ellis. (Bonus if you incorporate details Fergus was already considering in If the Boot Fits.)There are no word count parameters, but children’s stories are typically short, so I’d expect something between 1,000 – 2,000 words. If you go a little shorter or longer, that’s fine.DEADLINE: May 18, 2024Send your story to me as a Word doc attachment to this email address – karen@karenwitemeyer.com

PRIZES

The winner’s story will be published on my website.The winner will receive two autographed books of their choice from titles I have in stock. (If the winner is international, we will come up with an alternative prize.)

I can’t wait to read these stories!

Once I have chosen the winning story, I will run an illustration contest as well so that we can add 2-3 images to the text. The illustrator who wins will receive the same prizes. This is going to be so fun!

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What were some of your favorite children’s stories that featured animal characters?

I used to love the Frog and Toad books, and all the Richard Scary books with pigs and hippos, and worms all living in Busytown together.

The Merry Month of May

It’s May, y’all. And you know what that means? Sooooo many gifts to buy!

End-of-year- teacher gifts, Mother’s Day, graduations, weddings, babies—all the things. So I thought I’d share with you some of my favorite bookish gifts since, in my opinion, bookish gifts are suitable for all occasions! 

Bookish tea towels—great for Mother’s Day, weddings, teachers, or a hostess gift!  

Elizabeth Wade Studio

I know, these are prints, not tea towels, but I’ve given away all the tea towels and don’t have one for me! But they are the same type of print.

I love her story maps–and they are so unique on tea towels! Practical, fun, and lovely. I try to keep a few on hand for unexpected occasions. They make a great gift for a hostess as well. And BONUS–if the sale is still going on, buy three tea towels and get one free with code MOM!

Stickers and Mugs and T-shirts—all great for teachers, graduates, and moms!! 

A Fine Quotation

My husband adores his Lord of the Rings mug and his wood-cut Winston Churchill quote bookmark (which I couldn’t find to take a picture of. He must have his book with him!) from here, so if you have male teachers or graduates who need a gift, check it out. I also love the stickers (can you tell which on is theirs from the picture below?) as well as my “Bookshop Connoisseur” t-shirt (which is now discontinued, I believe.)

Piper and Ivy

I have stickers from here on my Kindle cover as well, and I want to get one of their shirts soon! But they have a wide range of bookish (and plant) items.

Art (in various forms)—these are all Etsy shops with perfect gifts for Moms, babies, weddings, hostesses, and teachers!

Mary DeMuth Art

Lovely scripture and other quotation paintings. (The colorful bouquet on my kindle cover has 3 verses from Psalm 126 written around the flowers.) She also has lovely prayer cards, scripture cards, journals, etc. Great gifts for any occasion!

Gardanne House Art Co

Lovely oils in various sizes. Some landscapes, but also some individuals of plants and veggies and insects that would be cute in a home or a baby room. I haven’t bought one of these yet, but I know this lovely young woman, and her Instagram posts of her as she paints fascinate me. 

Greeting Cards—for any occasion!

Mary DeMuth Art

Lovely cards and packs of cards from her watercolor originals.

Bookology Co

Cards that look like old library check-out cards but with a quote from a book or person. They also have other fun things like journals made out of old book covers.

Do you find May as busy (and expensive!) as I do? Where do you shop for unique gifts for all the occasions?

Inspired by Scripture

This Sunday feature is brought to you by ClashVerseoftheDay.com. You may sign up to receive a beautiful photo with Scripture in your inbox each morning or view the verse each day online.