Ruth L. Snyder's Blog, page 19

How Big is Your God?

There is a lot to be discouraged about in this world. We don’t have to listen to the news long to hear about wars, violence, destruction, and every sort of evil. Instead of focusing on the negative, today I’m choosing to focus on God. I hope you’re encouraged as you join me in celebrating our God.

Stuart Hamblin captures it well in his song, How Big is God?

Though men may strive to go beyond the reach of space

To crawl beyond the distant shining stars,

This world’s a room so small within my Master’s house

The open sky’s but a portion of his yard.



How big is God, how big and wide is His vast domain

To try to tell these lips can only start,

He’s big enough to rule His mighty universe

Yet small enough to live within my heart.



As winter chill may cause the tiny seed to fall

To lie asleep till waked by summer’s rain;

The heart grown cold will warm and trod with life anew

The Master’s touch will bring the glow again.



How big is God, how big and wide is His vast domain

To try to tell these lips can only start,

He’s big enough to rule His mighty universe

Yet small enough to live within my heart.

Here are some more encouraging quotes:

“Everyone who believes in God at all believes that he knows what you and I are going to do tomorrow.” C.S. Lewis
“THE STATE OF YOUR HEART DICTATES WHETHER YOU HARBOR A GRUDGE OR GIVE GRACE, SEEK SELF-PITY OR SEEK CHRIST, DRINK HUMAN MISERY OR TASTE GOD’S MERCY.” Max Lucado
“What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear. What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer.” Joseph Scriven
“ONLY GOD CAN FULLY SATISFY THE HUNGRY HEART OF MAN.” Hugh Black
“Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just.” Thomas Jefferson
“THE WORSHIP MOST ACCEPTABLE TO GOD COMES FROM A THANKFUL AND CHEERFUL HEART.” Plutarch c. A.D. 100
“There are three stages in the work of God: impossible, difficult, done.” J. Hudson Taylor

 

 

Back to school for our kids equals back to ? for parents

For the past 8 years I’ve had the privilege of editing a newsletter for foster, adoptive, and kinship families in north central Alberta. Often I write short pieces for the newsletter as well. (If you’d like to see current or past issues, go to the north central CFSA website. This is what I wrote for the September 2014 issue:

BACK TO . . .

September. For many of us this means back to school, back to a busier schedule, back to music lessons and sports. I’ve been reminded lately that caregivers usually think of themselves last. While you are helping your children prepare for all the activities that September brings, make sure you reserve some time to think about ways to “recharge” personally or with your significant other. Here are some ideas I’m implementing or going back to:

Starting the day with something relaxing. For me this means getting up early for some quiet time to read my Bible, pray, and do some writing.

Choosing healthy habits. I’m continuing on with my health and fitness journey. During the summer, some of my habits slipped. Going back to a regular schedule makes it easier for me to be more consistent in sleeping, physical activity and healthy eating.

Setting boundaries. I’ve been thinking about what is truly important to me and have started to say “No” to some things.

Taking a break from technology. I’m choosing not to use any technology after supper.

Nourishing your creativity. I’m being more intentional about taking walks, making up stories, reading about new things, and trying new things.

What are you going back to?

 

On my writing “To do” list

 

As my children head back to school, I’m taking stock of my own “To do” lists. Here’s what I have on my list so far:

Get my children successfully started in school.
Start my Music for Young Children classes. I’m still putting my schedule together for the fall, so if you want to register your child, contact me as soon as possible. I’ll be offering some classes through the Bonnyville and St. Paul Parent Link Centres as well as teaching at home.
Writing

On my writing “To do” list:

Write consistently for my blog. I’m still aiming for 3 times a week: Monday – writing related posts, Wednesday – what I’m learning in my walk with God, Friday – healthy eating/fitness posts.
Submit monthly to 3 sites: Helping Hands Press (published on the 11th), A Beautiful Life (my first post will be published on Wednesday, August 27th), InScribe Writers Online (published on the 29th)
Organize my thoughts and notes for a workshop on blogging I’m presenting at the InScribe Christian Writers’ Fellowship Fall Conference on Friday, September 26th.
Finish Olga’s story – I’m over 40,000 words into my novel, but need to get it finished, edited, and off to the publisher.
Put together 10 devotionals for a new Uplifting Devotionals series. I’m excited to be working with four other Canadians on this project. Once the contracts are signed I’ll give you some details. This is scheduled to be released by the end of October.
Write my story for the San Francisco Wedding Planner Series (Number 3). You can purchase any of the stories in series 1 or 2 from Amazon. Series 3 stories will be released bi-weekly, starting on September 4th. My story will be released on November 20th, and the complete series 3 bundle will be released on November 27th.
Write a Christmas story for a Christmas bundle. Again, I’ll be collaborating with four other Canadians.
Twitter manual for writers – This project is in the middle of being revised and edited. I’m planning to have it published early in the new year.

What’s on your “To do” list? Let’s cheer each other on!

It’s Here! The San Francisco Wedding Planner Series 2 Complete

Life couldn’t be better. Heather dreamed of being a nurse for years, a goal that motivated her through years of study. Now she’s a dedicated obstetrics nurse, dating the most eligible bachelor at Northwest. Heather is enjoying making new friends, learning new skills, and building her career. She’s also enjoying spending time with Jonathan. Her relationship with her mother is better than it’s been for years, although Christmas is a bit awkward. Heather’s dream world suddenly turns into a nightmare when she’s instructed to do something that goes against everything she believes. Will she remain true to her morals? Or will she sacrifice everything she thinks she believes to keep her dreams intact?

The author team of “The San Francisco Wedding Planner”, Jen Cudmore, Ruth L. Snyder, Patti J. Smith, Sheila Seiler Lagrand, and Mishael Austin Witty, thought it would be fun to highlight the main characters from the series and tell a little piece of their backstory.

Each story in Series II focuses on a different character: Bryan Tate, MD, Gloria, Indigo, Skye, and Heather.

The time frames of each story vary from the day, the week, the month before we meet the characters in “Volume 1- The Initial Consultation”.

Sit back, relax, have some fun, and get to know the cast and crew of “The San Francisco Wedding Planner” series a little bit better.

If you want to know more about the authors in the series please visit them at: bit.ly/1qt7aXz

Available from Amazon.ca or Amazon.com

Having fun with words

Words are essential to writers, who need to find the exact nuance to help readers picture what we’re describing with our words. According to the Global Language Monitor, there are about 1 million English words.  Most dictionaries only have 200-600,000 words in them. The average high school graduate has a vocabulary of  approximately 45-60,000 words.

Although I’ve been able to get some writing done this summer, I have spent most of my time relaxing with my kids, enjoying time with relatives, and trying out some fun quizzes.

Today I thought I share some of my fun with you. Try this quiz and see how many “words of the day” from Dictionary.com you know. These kinds of quizzes are a great way to expand our vocabulary. If grammar is more your thing, try out this quiz on subject-verb agreement or the syntaxis quiz.

There are even quizzes to help you figure out what type of writer you should be.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this departure from my usual blogs. If you try out a quiz, let me know how you did and what surprised you. Feel free to share links to other quizzes you’ve tried and enjoyed

 

 

Sharing stories with our children

This week in our Proverbs 31 online Bible study, I especially appreciated Lysa Terkeurst’s questions and suggestions at the end of Chapter 24: Do They See Jesus in Me? Here’s a summary for your benefit:

Think back over your life and pinpoint some specific moments that made your heart leap for joy. Write them down, so that you can review them when you’re facing difficulties.
Share your happy memories with your children and husband
Review your childhood and write down at least one memory where God’s hand was evident
Write down a time Jesus was very real to you recently
Pray, thanking God for the special moments in your life
Write a prayer celebrating parenting and confessing your shortcomings to God. Ask Him for strength to make any changes you need to make.

I hope you’ll take time to do some of these exercises.

Moments that made my heart leap for joy:

Visiting my Grandparents in Three Hills (Grandma Beam’s desserts were legendary!)
Visiting my Grandparents in Gibbon (It took no time at all for 50 or more relatives to gather!)
Using wax paper to make the circular slide beside Grandpa & Grandma Beam’s more slippery
When my dad made a special trip to visit me on my birthday while I was attending Bible College
Surprising my parents when I was one of the speakers for my Bible College graduation
Finding a place to order an out of print book when I worked in customer service at Prairie Bookroom
Working at Whitney Lake Bible Camp
Getting rid of all the piles of files on the credenza after I started working as a legal secretary
My first date with Kendall
Our wedding day
The day we brought Grace, our oldest daughter, home
When we received an adoption order in the mail
When Kendall was able to compete in the Yamaha competition in Toronto
The day we met Luke and Levi
The day Jayson arrived home
When Luke and Levi said “Mom and Dad” after 4 years of signing
Winning the Northern Lights School Division school board bi-election
Bringing Dorothy home
Winning first place in the God Uses Ink contest
Taking a walk and capturing beauty with my camera

As I thought about these moments that made my heart leap for joy, I realized that every one has a story behind it. I also thought about how I should be more intentional about sharing these stories with my children. There are some things we have put into place to help share the memories:

I have made a wedding album as well as a photo album for each child. We often pull out these albums and talk about things that happened and how God has blessed us.
We have adoption parties for our children. On the anniversary of the date a child’s adoption order was signed, we have a party. The child gets to pick who comes to the party, his or her favourite food, and where the party takes place.

What about you? What makes your heart leap for joy? How do you share stories with your children?

 

You must be rich: Common misconceptions about authors

Last week at a family reunion, someone asked, “Are you rich now that you’re a famous author?” I laughed and answered his questions. Since then I’ve been thinking more about the question and how I would answer if asked again.

Yes, I’m rich:

I have freedom to make decisions about my daily life
I have enough money to do many of the things I want to do
I have a family who loves me
I have clothes to wear, food to eat, and a house to live in (unlike 1.4 billion people who live on $1.25/day or less)

Am I making hundreds or thousands of dollars from book sales? NO

Here are some facts about authors that may surprise you:

Many authors lose money or barely recover what it costs them to get a book published and distributed
Most authors have a “day job” because they don’t make enough from their writing to live on
Writing a book is the “easy” part. It’s a challenge to get books published, marketed, and sold

Authors wouldn’t bother to write if money was their only objective. There are many other ways to make money that are easier, faster, and more predictable. Authors write because:

It’s something they have to do, almost a compulsion
They enjoy the process of writing – it’s therapeutic for them
Writing enriches the author and those who read
Writing is art
Many writers see what they do as a ministry

I’m thankful I have the opportunity to be an author, but not for the reasons many people may think. Are you suprised?

When you need encouragement

 

Sometimes we just need to step back from our every day life and take a deep breath. Some days we need encouragement, a fresh perspective. If that’s where you are today, this post is for you.

1. Take time to read God’s Word and let it nourish you. Here are some of my favourite passages:

Psalm 37
Isaiah 40
Matthew 5
Romans 8
Philippians 4

2. Take a walk outside and enjoy the beauty of creation. Here is some of the beauty I found on a recent walk around our property.

 

Miracle of new life displayed in a bean sprout

 

Fragile beauty of bluebells

 

A favourite pathway of mine

 

3. Read encouraging words. Here are some blogs I find encouraging:

A Holy Experience by Ann Voskamp
A Beautiful Life, a group blog
Riding on Abba’s Shoulders by Bethany Boring
Journey to Hope (TWR Blog)

“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26

Do you have other things you do when you need encouragement? Share them with us

How do I say, “I love you” so you hear me?

My husband and I recently celebrated our 22nd wedding anniversary. (The above picture shows some of the roses my husband bought for me as part of our celebration.) For some people twenty-two years seems like a very long time. For others, we’re just getting started.

I’ve been reminded lately that we are still two very different people with different ideas, different ways of doing things, and different responses. Often I do things for my spouse the way I’d like him to do things for me. The problem is, he isn’t me. And if I expect him to appreciate what I’m doing, I’ll be disappointed.

Most of us are familiar with Gary Chapman’s book, The Five Love Languages. He explains that there are five main ways people tend to express and want to receive love: words of affirmation, acts of service, physical touch, quality time, and gift giving. If you are still figuring out how to say, “I love you” in a way that is meaningful to your partner, have him or her do The Five Love Languages Quiz and share the results with you. Once you know what love language your partner “speaks,” check out How to be Romantic and do something for your spouse that will communicate your love to him or her in a way he or she will understand.

Today my husband and I had a conversation about the roses he bought for me. He thought I liked the fact that he bought me flowers, period. And I do enjoy their beauty. However, for me, the note he gave me with the roses was more important than the roses. (Can you guess what my love language is?) After twenty-two years, we can tell you many things about each other, but we still have more to learn

Something else that we’ve been learning is to be more intentional about demonstrating our love for each other with daily habits we can consciously insert into each day. It’s easy to start taking our spouse for granted. Life gets busy, kids require time and attention, and it’s all too easy to put our marriage on the back burner. We’ve found it helpful to:

Greet one another cheerfully every morning
Kiss and hug each other throughout the day
Make time to talk to each other each day
Reserve time to do something together that we both enjoy (date night)

How about you? Have you figured out how to tell your spouse you love him or her in a way he or she understands? What do you and your spouse do to keep the spark alive in your marriage?

 

Name the Novel contest

My current work-in-progress is a historical fiction novel with elements of romance and mystery. Here’s a brief synopsis:

Twenty-two-year-old OLGA TYMCHUK, a newly graduated teacher, looks forward to marrying her fiancée, VIKTOR in July 1959. However, before they marry, Olga is committed to teaching for a year in Gillmore, Alberta as a requirement for the bursary she received in university. Viktor and Olga are separated when Viktor accepts a challenging job as a scientific researcher for the National Research Council in Ontario.

Olga feels deserted when Viktor leaves for Ontario. He promises to write often and gives her a ticket so she can visit him at Christmas time, but Olga feels like she’s losing Viktor. Olga still needs to work through the loss of her father, who died in a tragic tractor accident when she was fourteen. Olga’s afraid she’s going to lose Viktor just like she lost her dad. She’s still angry with God over her father’s death and doesn’t know what she’ll do if Viktor is taken from her too.

Teaching is more of a challenge than Olga thought. Although Olga misses Viktor, her work keeps her motivated. Olga develops a strong relationship with many of the students in her class. However, one student, little JIMMY, seems determined to cause trouble no matter what Olga does to reach out to him. Olga discovers sometimes her students teach her more than she teaches them.

A week before Christmas, Olga and her brother, STEFAN, use the tickets Viktor provides and take the train to Ontario, their first trip outside Alberta. When Olga tries to contact Viktor, she discovers he has been involved in a serious accident at his workplace. Olga and Stefan spend most of Christmas vacation at the hospital visiting Viktor. Olga and Viktor have time to talk through many issues and discuss wedding plans. Although Viktor received severe burns, his body is healing well. Olga and Stefan say goodbye to Viktor and return to Gillmore.

The train arrives back in Gillmore and Olga is handed a telegram which contains information that turns her world upside down and sends her on a quest for truth about what happened. In the process she discovers many things about herself, God, and true love.

My working title for this novel is Olga’s Discovery. The publisher I’m working with has indicated I need to come up with a more captivating title. Some other options that have been suggested are: Enduring Love, This Fierce Love, Unending Love, Undying Love, When Love Abides, All My Love Olga, Forever My Love, and Love That Won’t Let Go.

Please help me name my novel by commenting with your choice of title. If you have an original title idea, share it. I’ll send everyone who participates by August 31, 2014 a free electronic version of the first chapter. If your title choice is used by the publisher, I’ll send you a free autographed paperback copy of my novel when it’s published (hopefully in 2015). I look forward to your feedback