Cara C. Putman's Blog, page 127

Celebrating Freedom

Happy Fourth of July! I don't know about you but every day, I am so grateful to be from the United States. There are things I don't agree with (Mandatory health care), but I am always thankful that I was born and live in the United States of America. As you celebrate with family, friends and fun, I wanted to share some thoughts on freedom. What's your favorite quote or verse: 



Webster's 1828

Exercise: I think I can, I think I can

I don’t know about you, but I often have grandiose dreams
about the exercise goals I can accomplish. Then reality sets in and I have to
acknowledge I am a mother of four – two of whom are small. And I don’t have a
gym membership.



Even so, physical fitness is important to me. When I don’t
find a way to wedge it into my days, I get grouchy, stressed, and depending on
the day ansty. If I’ve

E-Books: Still not convinced..

Within about a week in May I purchased a refurbished iPad2 and found myself with an iPhone (courtesy of my husband). I dutifully loaded them with the Kindle app and books determined to give reading on them a try. I love to have books with me everywhere, but when I had a Kindle, I really didn't use it. For some reason it just didn't click as an enjoyable reading experience for me.

The iPad is

Learning New Skills: German Anyone?

Don't ask me why...but I must have been bored because in January I decided to learn some German. This from the girl who at one time didn't want to learn any languages then took ten credits of Spanish and twenty credits of French in college...don't ask!

The kids and I have been working on it together. After lots of research we selected the Rosetta Stone program. I like it, but the immersion

What are you reading right now?

I'm often sharing books I've read or am reading with you. Last week I read Randy Singer's Directed Verdict (Amazing legal thriller!), Angel Eyes by Shannon Dittemore (A YA This Present Darkness), The Girl in the Glass by the amazing Susan Meissner (FANTASTIC!!!!! and preorder it now for its September release), and First Date by Krista McGee (very fun YA with a chic lit voice.



I'm almost

Have I Disappeared?

What a question to ask, right?

Have I disappeared?



Am I living my life in a way that when people look at me they don't really see me? Instead, they see fruit in my life that points them straight to my Savior? That what they do see of me is offered as a sacrifice to for my King's glory?

I'm in a place right now where I am literally asking this question on a daily basis. Now I need to sit and

Looking for a Writer's Conference? Come to ACFW

In a couple weeks I'll start one of my favorite times of the year, running first time orientation for the ACFW conference. A few years ago we realized that approximately a third of our attendees any given year were first timers. I'll never forget my first time at conference in 2005.

I went with a fellow writer from Indiana -- a gal I'd met once or twice -- yet, we became fast friends in the

Summer Getting Long Already?

Sometimes family togetherness can get a bit smothering...so what's a family to do?

I wish I had a bullet-proof plan. I don't. But here are a few things I do...sometimes with more success than others.

1) Pray. God longs for our families to be places of peace. Which means our enemy wants the exact opposite. So be sure to pray for extra patience and grace. Need to stop and do that myself!

2)

4 Tips for Traveling with Kids

School is out so that means it's time to travel as a family. No matter how big or small your family is, any time you had children to the mix, it adds to the packing joys. And the traveling angst. So here are a few ideas that help our family as we're on the go.



If you are stopping on the way, pack one bag with everything you'll need for that night. That way you don't have to unpack the entire

Summer Reading Suggestions

It's the time to grab books and head to the pool. Last week, I read two books in very different genres. Bonnie Calhoun's novel Cooking the Books is a very enjoyable debut novel in the P.I. genre. Lena Nelson Dooley's Maggie's Journey is an engaging historical romance.

Sloane Templeton's life is chaos in Cooking the Books. Her mom's died, she's running a business she doesn't want, and she longs