Lisa M. Buske's Blog, page 30

Meet Today's Podcast Guest...Elaine W. Miller

Oh my goodness, Elaine and I had fun during this interview. It took a days to record, well, a few sessions over a couple days. We had a lot of laughter and phone calls. You will hear some of the laughter, joy, and conversation during the interview. Elaine's spirit and joy are contagious. I'm thankful she found time in her schedule to do this interview with me. Elaine shares her word and verse for the year, and then we dive into talking about her new book, Praise the Lord and Pass the Chemo: A Hopeful Response to a Hard Reality . 

Sit back, relax, and enjoy the podcast. We encourage you to share the podcast, this interview, and Elaine's books with all your friends and family in need of hope as they battle cancer. As a caregiver, I find this book a blessing too. It's a must read for all.Click on the triangle below to listen to our interview...Meet Elaine...

 Elaine W. Miller is a popular international author and speaker (and cancer survivor) known for sharing biblical insights with warmth, enthusiasm, and humor.

A Member of the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, she has brought a splash of serenity to audiences for over 25 years. Elaine is the author of four books, Praise the Lord and Pass the Chemo: A Hopeful Response to a Hard Reality, We All Married Idiots: Three Things You'll Never Change About Your Marriage and Ten Things You Can (available in English, Spanish, and Bosnian), Splashes of Serenity: Bathtime Reflections for Drained Moms, and Splashes of Serenity: Bathtime Reflections for Drained Wives. Her work is published in Sanctuary—A Devotional Bible for Women as well as several magazines.

Elaine and her husband, an ordained minister with the Christian and Missionary Alliance, have led many marriage retreats and counseled numerous hurting couples. For many years they traveled to Europe as Pastoral Care Couple to missionaries there.

Residing in upstate New York, Elaine and Dan enjoy a beautiful life and ministry together. Three married children and 13 grandchildren complete their joy. 

Ways to connect
​with Elaine today...Website & Blog
http://www.splashesofserenity.com/www.splashesofserenity.com/

Email
SplashesofSerenity@yahoo.com

On Facebook: Click Here

Twitter
@ElaineWMiller Click on any of the book covers for a direct link for more information and to purchase your copy today! If you'd like an autographed copy of Elaine's books, visit her website and click on the "Bookstore" tab.  Thank you for listening to our interview on today's podcast,
leave a message of encouragement & thanks here for Elaine.

T.O.P's Tuesday: Let's do the Hokey Pokey

T.O.P.'s Tuesday got its name in honor of my sister, Heidi M Allen, known as the Tower of Power during her high school volleyball days. T.O.P. One of her favorite things to do during volleyball, because it was a song she and her team did to bond and intimidate the other teams. They were more than a team, they were a volleyball family and each time they hokey pokeyed, they laughed and increased the energy in the gym.

After Heidi's kidnapping, I still remember the volleyball team coming to the Command Center and doing the Hokey Pokey in Heidi's honor. An amazing group of young ladies.

The day Where's Heidi? One Sister's Journey released, some of her friends came to my book release party and we did the Hokey Pokey together, Heidi was with us in spirit.

When I saw this comedian's AC/DC Hokey Pokey, I had tears in my eyes. Heidi was a big AC/DC fan so it's only fitting to share this in a new year's T.O.P.'s blog, remembering the fun-loving, dedicated, and family/team oriented sister I was blessed to be raised with.
Now that you've laughed, let us Hokey Pokey... Is there a song from childhood
​that brings you joy and a smile?
Share in a comment below...

T.O.P.'s Tuesday: New Logo - What do you think?

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you had a fun evening with family and friends ending 2018 and ringing in 2019. Our family spent it quietly at home. I'm one of those, "it's safer to stay home on New Year's eve" people. I don't know when it happened, but I've gotten old in my thinking when it comes to some things.

My new podcast logo has been posted on my podcast page, click here, for a bit now but thought I'd share it today as one of the first T.O.P.'s Tuesdays in 2019. If you haven't taken a few minutes to listen to my podcast yet, you should. It is fun to record and the "Keeping it Real" sometimes cracks me up so much, you might hear a laughing snort. This might be too real but oh well, reality is more entertaining than making things up. Or at least to me, and my listeners agree.

My podcast, Livin' with Lisa: Keeping it Real can be found on twelve podcast platforms now:
*AnchorFM
*Apple Podcasts
*Google Podcasts
*Spotify
*Breaker
*Castbox
*Overcast
*PocketCasts
*PodBean
*RadioPublic
*Stitcher
*TuneIn

If you don't have one of these podcast apps on your phone, you can also click on the link above and listen through your computer. In addition, the most current podcast episode is available to listen on my website, in the upper right hand corner. 

If you like what you here, share it with your friends and family. If you share via Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram...be sure to tag me so I can say thank you and interact with you and your friends.

Thank you all for your encouragement, support, and time! You are all blessings I count and thank God for in my prayers. Have a wonderful 2019 everyone - share joy, love, hope, and encouragement with everyone you come in contact with. It will help to make the world a better place, don't you think? How are you keeping life real?

Meet Today's Podcast Guest: Jeanette Levellie

​This past week I enjoyed a fun conversation with Jeanette Levellie, and my cheeks hurt from laughing. I've "known" Jeanette for a few years through social media, after reviewing her book, Two Scoops of Grace, here on my blog. Click below to listen to her visit on my podcast, Livin' with Lisa: Keeping it Real. You'll not only want to heck out her books but you'll also smile a  lot as Jeanette's joy is contagious. If you can, leave a comment for Jeanette after you listen, and let us know what you enjoyed most. Have a great week! Listen to her interview on my podcast clicking the triangle below:For more information, to buy, or download one or all of her books - click on the cover below for a direct link to Amazon.
​Be sure to leave a review for her on Amazon too - this helps us authors, and future readers! Thank you! To contact Jeanette for  speaking engagements or other questions, please email her at jeanette@jeanettelevellie.com

To find her  Personal Facebook page

Her  Facebook Author page

To follow her on  Twitter

To follow her on  Pinterest

Her Amazon Author's Central page

Her  Goodreads page

To follow her on  Google+
Thank you for listening to the podcast, checking out Jeanette's books, and for leaving a message of encouragement for her!
​Have a great day!

Opportunities...An Opened Door or Something You Create?

A favorite aspect of my podcast is sharing a quote each day. For 2019 I gifted myself a new book of quotes, one quote for each day.

Each Friday on the podcast I do a segment called, Faith Filled Friday. This morning, the quote for January fourth paired with my message on opportunities. I love the way God works when we are open to see Him leading us.The quote I shared from Chris Grosser, "Opportunities don't happen, you create them." As I read this, my head started to shake left to right. It contradicted the message I planned to share. It only took a few seconds to decide the next step, move forward as planned. It was an example of the message I planned to share today.

The verses for today are Ephesians 5:1-16, focusing on verses 15 and 16. Opportunity is defined as "1) a favorable juncture of circumstances and 2) a good chance for advancement or progress." according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary. Keeping this in mind, we don't create our opportunities but instead accept our circumstances and access the to move us forward, when it 's God placing the opportunity before us."Be very
careful, then,
how you live—
not as unwise
but as wise, 
making the
most of every opportunity, 
because
the days
are evil."
​
Ephesians 5:16 - 17 NIV" So be careful how you live; be mindful of your steps. Don’t run around like idiots as the rest of the world does. Instead, walk as the wise! Make the most of every living and breathing moment because these are evil times."
Ephesians 5:16 - 17 VOICE"Therefore see that you walk carefully [living life with honor, purpose, and courage; shunning those who tolerate and enable evil], not as the unwise, but as wise [sensible, intelligent, discerning people], making the very most of your time [on earth, recognizing and taking advantage of each opportunity and using it with wisdom and diligence], because the days are [filled with] evil."
Ephesians 5:16 - 17 AMPI encourage you to listen to today's podcast. We can't create an opportunity. Opportunities are unexpected and out of our control. When an opportunity is placed before us, the only way to know if is God opening a door or the latter, is to be reading our Bible.

There was a time in my life when I focused on creating my next step, thanks to my faith and age, I've learned opportunity is placed before us, not created. Have you learned this too?
What opportunities has God placed before you today?

My One Word for 2019

To celebrate the new year we are revisiting the importance of choosing your one word and Bible Verse to guide you through the new year. I couldn't remember when I started to do this so I used the search engine on my blog. 2011 was the first year I selected a word and verse to guide me through the year. Thankful for the blog, if it was a hand written journal, I'd still be looking.

On the flip side, I can't find my bookmark that has every year's word on it, I can't remember which Bible or book I left it in. When, and if, I find it, I'll update the blog. Until then, enjoy previous blogs about my one word and the words I chose.

Tomorrow I'll share my Bible verse for 
Previous "One Word" I've posted about:
Click on the word to read the blog associated with the word

​2011 - The First "One Word" and why
2011 - "Faithful"
2012 - "hope" 
2013 -
2014 -
2015 - "Courage & Strength"
2016 - 
2017 -
2018 - 
2019 - RENEWAL Information about “Word of the Year”

Tips for choosing your word:
https://www.inc.com/megy-karydes/5-tips-for-choosing-your-word-of-year.html
 
According to Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Word_of_the_year
 
Word of the Year generator:
http://www.wordoftheyear.me/
 
2018 Words of the Year:
Oxford Living Dictionary – Toxic
http://www.wordoftheyear.me/
 
Cambridge Dictionary – Nomophobia
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6540355/Cambridge-Dictionary-reveals-word-year-Nomophobia.html
What is your word for 2019? Why this word?
Share below or call the station ~ 315-288-6962

Say Thank You Saturday: December 29, 2018

A few things I'm thankful for this week:

*The breath in my lungs

*Quality time with family

*Safe travels while visiting family and friends during the holidays

*Running Water

*Electricity

*Heat in our home

*The ability and joy to bake

*For new business ventures: Avon & PURE
(click for a direct link)

*Inspiration from God for the next book

*For this vacation that offered time for sleep, laughter, renewal, and direction - bring on 2019!
What are you thankful for today?

"Mind Games" by Nancy Mehl...A MUST Read

​"Kaely Quinn's talents as an FBI behavior analyst are impossible to ignore, no matter how unorthodox her methods. But when a reporter outs her as the daughter of an infamous serial killer, she's demoted to field agent and transferred to St. Louis.When the same reporter who ruined her career claims to have received an anonymous poem predicting a string of murders, ending with Kaely's, the reporter's ulterior motives bring his claim into question. But when a body is found that fits the poem's predictions, the threat is undeniable, and the FBI sends Special Agent Noah Hunter to St. Louis.
Initially resentful of the assignment, Noah is surprised at how quickly his respect for Kaely grows, despite her oddities. But with a brazen serial killer who breaks all the normal patterns on the loose, Noah and Kaely are tested to their limits to catch the murderer before anyone else–including Kaely herself–is killed."
About the author: Nancy Mehl

http://www.nancymehl.com/
http://suspensesisters.blogspot.com/

​Check her out on Amazon - click here

Twitter: @NancyMehl
​
Instagram: #nancymehl My Review and Response: First I need to thank Nancy Mehl and Bethany House Publihers for sharing Mind Games with me. The book arrived about two weeks ago and I couldn't wait to start reading. I sat on the couch after dinner that evening and then closed the book because I couldn't read it. Don't misunderstand, it's not that I couldn't read it BUT that it was so well written and engaging I knew it would keep me up all night. I closed the book and counted down the days until my vacation, as difficult as this was.

On Christmas morning after the dishes were done and everyone was chose their mode of relaxation, I picked up Mind Games and got lost in a great book, engaging characters, suspenseful plot, and was on the edge of my seat with each turn of the page. It is such a good book, my family chuckled a few times because I was talking out loud (to the characters) or had sound effects as the suspense built. Have I told you how good this book is? It is.

My only negative is actually a HUGE positive, as I neared the end of the book there was a knot in my stomach. I held my finger on my page and looked to the cover and noticed something I missed when I first received the book...book ONE!! UGH! I CANNOT WAIT for book two. I told my daughter she needed to read the book next, her response is priceless, "I'll wait until the next one is out, I don't want to feel like you are right now.", then she smiled, 

Nancy Mehl doesn't let her readers down. Her books are available in print, on Kindle, and on Audibles. Check them out. You can follow her via Amazon and through her website. All these are listed above. My favorite series before the "Kaely Quinn Profiler" series was Nancy Mehl's, "Road to Kindgom", series. Thankful she has so many well written and suspenseful books to chose from. Take a moment to visit Nancy Mehl's site and check out her books,
you won't be disappointed. If you like suspense, you'll enjoy her writing!

TOP's Tuesday: We Don't Get Over It...We MOVE FORWARD

This past week our nephew lost a fellow officer while on shift. This loss has effected his entire unit, neighboring units, and the families of all in the area. My husband spent time talking with his nephew. He's military as well as PD, losing a fellow officer in the line of duty has a deeper impact then serving on a tour of duty.

We think of the United States as safe and on some levels our military anticipate possible losses when serving overseas but not once they are home. We have no words of encouragement or hope for our nephew and family during this difficult time, yet the most important thing we can do is listen and pray. We've never met this officer or her family yet the loss and pain heard in our nephews voice hurts all the way to New York.

This loss for the Louisville PD will have a long term impact, our thoughts and prayers go to them all, especially this officers family. As I think about the transition and pain the department is experiencing, and the community, I'm reminded of a few things.

Our law enforcement and rescue personnel put their lives at risk on a daily basis, something I, we, might take for granted. I understand the risk and danger our nephew is in as he patrols yet to hear of his fellow officers death, my breath is taken away. We need to pray for our military, law enforcement, and rescue personnel...they risk their lives daily to keep us safe. The loss in Louisville has brought new awareness to a small town girl in New Haven, New York.

A special thanks to all who risk their lives on a daily basis.
We aren't designed to "get over it", 
we're wired to become stronger
and move forward!
You are strong...
How are you building your endurance?

T.O.P.'s Tuesday: Nothing New to Report Here

My apologies to my blog followers, and a HUGE THANK YOU to those who continue as my faithful followers and readers. My posts have been intermittent, to say the least. As you know, I've been trying to better manage, "juggle", my crazy schedule. 

My grandmother used to say "You have the same amount of time as everyone else, it's how you spend it." I used to roll my eyes at her, I actually rolled my eyes typing it to share with you. This made me laugh. Why did I (do I) roll my eyes you might wonder, yes? Simple, she was right! We all have the same 24 hours in a day, 168 hours in a a week, and 8,736 hours in a year.
How are you spending your time? Your hours? I'm a fan of reflection, which most of you know. I don't ask you anything that I don't ask myself first. Why so much contemplation and thought about my time? Simple, I don't seem to have enough time to get everything done. Each time I say this aloud I can hear my Gram's words echo in my head, "You have the same time as everyone else." Grr...so if there are things I don't have time to do BUT I want to do them, I need to repriortize.

I have the same twenty-four hours and a limited number of these hours are spent awake. I'm taking a look at my schedule. My plan is to list my weekly commitments, ways I "sharpen my saw", and the things I wish I had more time to do. THEN I'm going to organize the items on the lists that are a choice versus required. Then, priortize what needs to stay on the list, what should stay on the list, and the thing(s) I wish could make it to the list.

This will be a process and a few hours of well-spent time in the long run. There are things I really enjoy and wish I had more time to do and then there are a handful of things I'm doing but someone else could probably do, if I was to pass the baton, if you will. 

Have you ever felt this way? Is this a process you need to do to? 
What's New with You?
Do you have a minute ​to share in a comment below?
Why wait...reprioritize your schedule now!