Ruth L. Snyder's Blog, page 14

2015 Writers’ Blog Hop Week 2

 

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Redefining Disability Week 2: How do you view the concept of disability?

 

 

To be honest, the word disability irks me. I find it irritating that we use this word with its negative connotations to talk about fellow human beings who just happen to think, act, or look different than some of the rest of us.

As a parent of five beautiful children who all have some qualities which differ from the general population, I pursued diagnosis of “disability” to obtain access to the services my children need to be successful. I know other parents who have firmly rejected any sort of diagnosis. I don’t blame them. Sometimes the stigma attached to the label isn’t worth the dollars you are able to access with the label.

Why is it that we focus on the negative qualities of these individuals? Why can’t we focus on the benefits, the special abilities they have? Both of my daughters are extremely creative and artistic. Perhaps they wouldn’t have these qualities if they didn’t also have the other qualities that cause so much struggle and consternation some days. One of my sons is a gifted storyteller. Another son knows more about vehicles than 90 percent of adults. Memorizing facts is another gift.

Why is it that the general population is allowed to hide their weaknesses by focusing on their strengths, but the people who already struggle are forced to focus on their weaknesses, sometimes to the detriment of their passions and strengths?

I look forward to your comments and suggestions

One of the benefits I enjoy most about writing and blogging is meeting other people who share my passions. One of my blog hop participants is Rose B. Fischer. Last year she started a Redefining Disability Challenge. This year she is continuing to invite people to join the challenge by blogging about a set of questions she developed. I’ve decided to join this challenge and most Mondays will be answering one of her questions.

Redefining Disability Week 1

 

One of the benefits I enjoy most about writing and blogging is meeting other people who share my passions. One of my blog hop participants is Rose B. Fischer. Last year she started a Redefining Disability Challenge. This year she is continuing to invite people to join the challenge by blogging about a set of questions she developed. I’ve decided to join this challenge and most Mondays will be answering one of her questions.

 

My first up close and personal introduction to disability came sixteen years ago with the birth of my amazing niece, S. Due to complications at birth, she lives with Cerebral Palsy. She uses a computerized communication system similar to PECS, and has also learned how to send and receive text messages. She is dependent on help for all of her daily needs, but she now owns a motorized wheelchair she can control with movements of her head, and uses it whenever she can.

Her parents describe her as a disabled person with an able-bodied mind. Nothing is too challenging or difficult for her to at least try. She is a vivacious person who is limited only by her uncooperative body. If she can find a way to do something, she will.

Twelve years ago twin boys began educating me about the very personal challenges of special needs children and their families. L1 and L2 were born at 27 weeks gestation and spent the first four months of their lives in a neo-natal unit. A nurse who worked there at the time informed me the nurses took only four hour shifts with them because their needs required so much care. The doctors did not expect them to live. We met the boys months later when they were placed with us. We were told they had global developmental delays:

Crawled at 18 months
Learned to feed themselves at 24 months
First steps at 27 months
First words at 4 years of age

Several months after we adopted the boys, we learned they also have Trisomy 15. The first pediatrician who saw the twins predicted they would never be able to walk, talk, or feed themselves. We are grateful they have achieved all of those skills and more. However, we find we still have to work hard to advocate for their needs to be met.

L1 is very friendly and outspoken (even blurting out answers in church) and loves anything to do with animals. He constantly tells me I’m the best Mom in the whole world. L2 tends to be more of a loner, but is a real tease who loves to push his brother’s buttons until he gets a reaction. L2’s passion is vehicles – he knows all the makes and models, whether they are 2-wheel drive, 4-wheel drive, or all-wheel drive, etc. I’ve learned more about vehicles in the last few years than many guys

When the twins were five, we were able to adopt their brother. J also has Trisomy 15, but has fewer obvious challenges. His abilities are scattered, so sometimes people think he is capable of more than he is, which leads to frustration on both sides. He is passionate about hockey and has an amazing ability to remember facts.

Our youngest daughter was born with moderate hearing loss and is extremely near-sighted. A heart condition was diagnosed, but disappeared within the first year of her life. D is full of spunk, but very shy. She loves to help both Mom and Dad.

Writers’ Blog Hop – My Writing Goals for 2015

Welcome to my 2015 Writers’ Blog Hop! This week’s topic is writing goals for 2015

When I reviewed my writing goals from 2014, I noted that I had a few unfinished projects:

Twitter Manual for Writers
Sequel to Cecile’s Christmas Miracle
Olga’s Discovery – full length novel

I thought these would top my goals for 2015. However, a week or so later, I joined the BOOT%20CAMP: KindleIn30 Challenge" target="_blank">Kindle in 30 Challenge with Kristen Eckstein. One of our first assignments was a brain dump where I set the timer for 10 minutes and jotted down anything and everything I could write about. Next I put the topics together into groups (e.g. marketing, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads). I wasn’t overly impressed with what I had come up with, but I wasn’t able to continue the process until the next morning. When I woke up, I was amazed at what happened. By writing down all the topics, I had cleared my brain and made room for my creativity to kick into high gear. I realized I could create a series of non-fiction books combining several of my interests and passions.

This year, I will be focusing on writing, publishing, and marketing a series of books (31 Days of . . . ) on Kindle. Each book will cover a specific topic. My first book will be Hope: Reflections to brighten the Dark Days of Life. In these books I will combine devotional thoughts, Scripture verses, quotes, and photographs I’ve taken. With my Brain Dump topics (Praise, Encouragement, Thankfulness, Prayer, Joy, Love, Peace, Comfort, Healthy Eating, Family Fun, Leadership, Time Management, Parenting) I have enough titles to publish a book a month and still have some topics left over. We’ll see how far I get!

Once I get the books published on Kindle, I’ll see about getting paperbacks printed as well. I need to decide whether I’m going to publish these as individual books or in groups.

If I find myself with time left over (which looks highly doubtful at this point!) I may return to some of the projects I was going to work on in 2014.

What are your writing goals? Please share them in the comment section or join the blog hop and link in below. On your mark, get set, GO!

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Must Read: Fellowship of the Burning Heart

I’ve decided that I will read some classics in 2015. Fellowship of the Burning Heart came highly recommended, so I purchased a copy. It sat on my table until a few days ago when I picked it up and started reading it.

Fellowship of the Burning Heart is a collection of 10 sermons by A.W. Tozer. The collection is edited by James L. Snyder. He has done a great job of keeping the integrity of the sermons while making them a joy to read. In his introduction, James L. Snyder says:

“When you finish reading these ten sermons, you will come away with a reverence for God and an appetite for the sterling spirituality he (Tozer) advocates in his preaching. One thing is certain: you will never be the same after exposing yourself to ‘Platform Tozer.’ I know I’m not.”

The book includes a short biography of A.W. Tozer written by Snyder, some pictures of A.W. Tozer, a study guide, and the ten sermons:

How to Pray for Revival
In Everything by Prayer
Believing Prayer
Prepare by Prayer
He Must Increase
Hearing is a Divine Art
Manifest Presence – Something Else
Presence Everywhere
Three Faithful Wounds
The Way to Paradise

Here are some quotes to whet your appetite:

“Never underestimate the power of prayer. And remember that without it, you cannot win. With it, you cannot lose.”

“The Bible always tells the facts…It tells you that you’ll have eternal life now and lots of trouble and hardships and thorns and cross-bearing in this world and glory in the world to come and eternity with God. If you’re man enough to put up with the thorns and the crosses and the hardships and the hostilities, you can have the crown.”

“God is God. He made Heaven and Earth and holds the world in His hand and measures the dust of the earth in the balance and the sky; He spreads out like a mantle. The great God Almighty is not your servant; you’re His servant. He’s your Father; you’re His child. He sitteth in the heaven and you’re on Earth. The angels veil their faces before the God who cannot lie.”

“Von Hugel said about Pierre Gure, the great saint, ‘The reason Pierre Gure’s writings so incessantly and habitually bless and help so many people is that Pierre Gure refuses – absolutely refuses to write anything until he is blessed himself. He wants the oil of God upon him, flowing, or he won’t touch a pen,’ I think that’s beautiful.”

“Now remember, you can have all your plans you want and you can get the help of all the advertisers and all the modern mechanical gadgets, but when it is all done, you’ll fall short unless first God is glorified in the midst of His Church.”

This book will challenge you, encourage you, and force you to examine the Scriptures.

My Prayer for 2015

Happy New Year! As we step into 2015, here’s my prayer:

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for the gift of a new year. Thank you that you know what each day will hold and You will guide us, strengthen us, and enable us.

Help us to be still and know that You are God (Psalm 46:10).

Help us to listen for Your voice, instead of being distracted by the turbulence around us.

Help us to feed on Your Word so that we may serve from a full heart and mind.

Help us to cast our anxieties on You, knowing that You care for us (I Peter 5:7).

Help us to be obedient to Your calling on our lives, no matter how seemingly insignificant.

Help us to glorify You in all we think, do, and say.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Several days ago, I signed up for Kristen Ekstein’s Kindlein30 Challenge. Yesterday, I learned a new technique (from the challenge) called “Brain Dump”. Grab a piece of paper and a pen, set the timer for 10 minutes, and write down everything that comes to mind.

Kristen explained that often our creative ideas get “stuck” behind our to do lists and other things that are swirling in our brains. I tried it and this morning I was delighted with the ideas that spontaneously came. I now know what I want to focus on as a writer this year: a series of books that combine many of the topics I jotted down yesterday and showcase my photography while focusing people on Scripture. It’s so obvious now!

My first book will be 31 Days of Hope with pictures of winter beauty. I’m excited to get started. Stay tuned for further details!

Blog Hops in 2015: Come join the fun!

Thank you to those who gave input into the type of blog hop you would be interested in participating in. I’ve taken the feedback I received and compiled it, deciding to run several shorter blog hops in 2015. Look over the topics and let me know which one(s) you will participate in by sending me an e-mail. I also need to know which day works best for everyone to post – leave a comment below. (Most posts will be made the same day, but the link will be live for a week.)

General Writers’ Blog Hop

#1 Writing Goals – share what you’re planning to work on this year (Week of Jan 5th)

#2 Writing sample – share a sample from your current Work in Progress (Week of Jan 19)

#3 Favourite character – this can be a real person or a character from one of your fiction stories (Week of Feb 2)

#4 Lifelong learner – Writers need to be continuously learning. What did you learn in 2014 that helped make you a better writer? (Week of Feb 16)

Social Media Blog Hop

#1 Favourite Social Media Site – Tell us where you spend most of your time/energy and why (Week of Mar 2)

#2 Graphics for social media – Share your favourite source/app (Week of Mar 16)

#3 Scheduling posts – How often? Do you use a program like Hootsuite? Other tips? (Week of Mar 30)

#4 Content of posts – What do you share? Where do you find content? Ratio of promotional/other? (Week of April 13)

Parenting Blog Hop

#1 What do you find most challenging about parenting? What helps you get through the tough days?(Week of May 4)

#2 What parenting tip would you give to new parents? (Week of May 18)

#3 Share a family tradition with us (Week of June 8)

#4 Share your favourite holiday destination and/or how you make long family trips more enjoyable (Week of June 22)

Bloggers’ Blog Hop

#1 Share your goals/mission statement for your blog and why/when you started blogging (Week of July 6)

#2 How do you engage your readers? (Week of July 20)

#3 Where do you find your blog graphics? (Share your favourite sources/apps) (Week of Aug 3)

#4 Share some blogs you guest post on and why (Week of Aug 17)

Christian Writers’ Blog Hop

#1 Share your testimony with us (Week of Sept 7)

#2 Tell us about your favourite writing conference and how it improved your writing (Week of Sep 21)

#3 Share how your world view affects your writing (Week of Oct 5)

#4 Share a book which impacted your spiritual life and writing (Week of Oct 19)

Writers’ Marketing Blog Hop

#1 Share your most recent published book/article with us (Week of Nov 2)

#2 Share a marketing idea that has worked well for you (Week of Nov 16)

#3 What advice would you give to someone who is wanting to market a book or article? (Week of Nov 30)

#4 Which websites/groups/social media sites have you found helpful? In what ways? (Week of Dec 14)

If you have any concerns or questions, let me know. I’m looking forward to learning with you in 2015

Merry Christmas: O Holy Night and some thoughts about Christmas

Merry Christmas! O Holy Night is my favorite Christmas carol, the first one we sang at our Christmas Eve Service in Glendon last night. Due to spending time with my family, I haven’t done the research like I did the previous 11 days on my musical countdown to Christmas. However, I did find a beautiful version to share with you.

I’d also like to share a few thoughts about Christmas that have spoken to me in the past week or so:

From In Touch Ministries (Daily Devotion)

“As we lay our praises at the foot of the manger, let us not forget that He came so that we may lay our sins down at the foot of the cross. This is Jesus’ Christmas gift to you.”

On Facebook from Taber’s Truths:

“Gone to Dad’s to prepare a place for you. Be back to pick you up soon, Jesus.”

From a little gift book called Practice by Practice, written by a fellow Canadian author, Kathleen Gibson.

We’ve had dreary weather all week – fog, cloudy skies, and . . . beautiful hoar frost. We had a few hours of bright blue skies and sunshine last Friday and I snapped the pictures below. The beauty took my breath away – and I was almost late for my Music for Young Children Sunshine class in St. Paul, because I kept stopping to take more pictures!

A farm near St. Paul, AB.

 

In St. Vincent, AB

 

A view in our yard.

 

A scene from the Christmas play at the Glendon Community Church

 

Whether you are spending Christmas overseas away from family and friends, or in a busy noisy household, my prayer for you is that you will focus on the birth of Jesus Christ and the salvation we have because of His birth.

I’ll be taking a break from blogging over the Christmas holidays, but will be back in 2015. Watch for more details about some blog hops I’ll be hosting! You may also want to hop over to the InScribe Christian Writers’ Fellowship Blog on December 29th to read my monthly contribution there.

 

Musical Countdown to Christmas: Do You Hear What I Hear by Noel Regney & Gloria Shayne

It’s Christmas Eve! As you make last minute preparations, take time to still your heart and mind. Read the Christmas story from Luke 2 and listen to your favourite Christmas carols. Enjoy this second to last musical countdown to Christmas.

Who were Noel Regney and Gloria Shayne?

Noel Regney was born August 19, 1922 in Strasbourg, France
Studied classical music at Strasbourg, Salzburg, and Paris
Drafted into the Nazi army even though he was French, but became a deserter
Settled in Manhattan in 1952, working as a television music arranger, composer, and conductor
He met Gloria Shayne in Manhattan while she was playing the piano in the dining room of a hotel
They married a month after they met
They composed many songs together. Usually Gloria wrote the lyrics and Noel wrote the music.

The Story behind Do You Hear What I Hear?

Written in October 1962
A plea for peace during the Cuban Missile Crisis
Regney wrote the lyrics and Shayne wrote the music
The lyrics were written after Regney watched babies being pushed in strollers in New York City
Sold more than a quarter-million copies in the first week it was released
Bing Crosby recorded the song in 1963
The song has been recorded many times since

Here’s a version with some sand art

Historical Context

Written during the Cuban Missile Crisis (threat of nuclear war)
First recorded on November 22, 1963 – the day  United States President John F. Kennedy was assassinated
American Express introduced credit cards in the United Kingdom
Pope John XXIII died
Martin Luther King delivered his famous speech, “I Have a Dream”
The Beatles released their first album

Looking for more details?

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/01/nyregion/noel-regney-songwriter-known-for-do-you-hear-what-i-hear-is-dead-at-80.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No%C3%ABl_Regney
http://emailsanta.com/christmas-songs/do-you-hear-what-i-hear.asp
http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/1963.html

My Gift for today:

Leave a comment below for your opportunity to win a paperback copy of the San Francisco Wedding Planner Series II.

 

Musical Countdown to Christmas: I Wonder and I Wander by John Jacob Niles

 

Welcome to Day 10 of my musical countdown to Christmas. Remember to enter a comment for your chance to receive my gift of the day.

Who was John Jacob Niles?

Born in Louisville, Kentucky in 1892
Learned music theory from his mother and began writing music as a teenager
Served in the first world war
Studied music in France after the war
Sang opera and then toured the United States with Marion Kirby
A historian, song-writer, and recording artist
Traveled across the Appalachian Mountains to find folk music
Felt it was his duty to collect, preserve, and revive American musical folklore
Created dulcimers
Farmer
Wrote several books on music
Called the “Dean of American Balladeers”
A Contemporary of Joan Baez, Burl Ives, and Peter, Paul and Mary
There is a John Jacob Niles Center for American Music at the University of Kentucky which displays a number of instruments he crafted

The Story behind I Wonder as I Wander

On July 16, 1933 John Jacob Niles heard a little girl (Annie Morgan) singing a song he’d never heard before. She was dirty and wearing tattered clothes, but sang the song beautifully. The tune caught his attention because of the haunting melody.
She told him it had been passed on to her by her mother who heard it from her mother, etc.
Annie Morgan repeated the song seven times for Niles in exchange for a quarter
John Jacob Niles took the fragment of song he collected and used it to compose I Wonder as I Wander, consisting of a melody of four lines with three different stanzas
He completed the song on October 4, 1933 and first performed it on December 19, 1933
Listen to the recording below of I Wonder as I Wander as recorded by John Jacob Niles

Historical Context – What happened in 1933?

It was the worst year of the Great Depression
One in four people was unemployed
Adolf Hitler opened the first concentration camp at Dachau
A loaf of bread cost 7 cents; The average labourer earned $20/week
The Prohibition was repealed
Strong winds formed dust bowls in the Midwest
The vaccine for diphtheria was introduced in the United States

Looking for more details?

http://www.john-jacob-niles.com/
http://theartisticchristian.wordpress.com/2014/12/04/i-wonder-as-i-wander-a-hauntingly-beautiful-reminder-of-christmas/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Jacob_Niles
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Wonder_as_I_Wander
http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/1933.html

My Gift for today:

Enter a comment below for an opportunity to receive the 1,000 piece puzzle.