*Repost: This article first appeared here in October of 2010
My pastor on Sunday used this phrase, "It's not a dress rehearsal", referring to life. Whatever it is we want to do for Christ, we have one life to do it.
I really held onto that. There's no do-overs, there's no practice. This is it. My husband, my children, my ministries, my role in these relationships-- it's all a now or never/ do or die kind of thing. And time is ever slipping away. So I've been pondering this the last few days...
The difference between a dress rehearsal and the real show is that the real show brings a sense of urgency; a sense of intensity, concentration, and focus. THIS IS IT, DON'T BLOW IT. So these words bring with them the call to action-- to not put off those things you talk about wanting to do, like daily devotions, weekly family times, volunteering, studying the Bible more deeply, or having a heart-to-heart talk with your kids/spouse/loved one about Christ. Don't say "some day I'd like to do this". Do it now. The heat is on.
But you know what else is different between the show and the rehearsal? During the live performance, the show must go on! If you flub a line, hit a wrong note, or miss a cue, you don't cry or walk off the stage or even break character- you keep going. You don't have the option of wallowing in self-pity over your mistakes- you're in the middle of a show! Someone is watching! In rehearsals you might stop and examine the mistakes and even berate yourself or others to getting it right next time, but when Opening Night arrives there is no time for that. It's part of the rush of excitement that is experienced by performers. There's urgency, focus, on what is coming, and freedom in forgetting, what is past. It's the only way to make it through a show. It's the only way to live for Christ. What a freeing concept! Yes, I only have one shot to live this life the way I aspire to. But sweating my mistakes along the way will only hinder me. Focus. Then forget. Focus. Then forget. Repeat as necessary!
"Forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things wich are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."
~Philipians 3:13
Friday, October 28, 2011
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Rockin' the Party at COTT!
*guest post by Delia Latham
It's been a bang-up bash all week at Clash of the Titles. We've been blog-hopping for treasure, and a couple gals found the loot!
Congratulations to our game winners!
And the fun continues all the way through Nov. 4th. Our doors are open and we have a whole pile of party hats just waiting to be worn. Bring your votes and come on down!
In the midst of all the fun and games this week, we had four authors at swordspoint with TWO Clashes. All four entries were outstanding, and each possessed strong winning qualities. But, as in any race or competition, not everyone makes the finals.
We chose a single winner from each Clash. These two went head-to-head on Saturday…and only one will proceed to the finals and duke it out for the COTT Laurel Award.
This week's Clash WINNERS are:
Clash #3:
Clash #4:
CONGRATULATIONS, ladies!
These two went head-to-head on Saturday…with only one proceeding to the finals to duke it out for the COTT Laurel Award.
That one is....
Cyber-hugs and sincere thanks to Anne Patrick and Margaret Brownley! These were tough decisions and difficult votes to make. You're ALL winners!
More games and more exerpts are up for grabs this week, so don't miss out. Stop by COTT and play.
*Delia Latham is the author of the Solomon's Gate Series and a Blog Alliance Correspondent for COTT
Monday, October 24, 2011
Rockin' the Party at COTT!
*guest post by Delia Latham
It's been a bang-up bash all week at Clash of the Titles. We've been blog-hopping for treasure, and a couple gals found the loot!
Congratulations to our game winners!
And the fun continues all the way through Nov. 4th. Our doors are open and we have a whole pile of party hats just waiting to be worn. Bring your votes and come on down!
In the midst of all the fun and games this week, we had four authors at swordspoint with TWO Clashes. All four entries were outstanding, and each possessed strong winning qualities. But, as in any race or competition, not everyone makes the finals.
We chose a single winner from each Clash. These two went head-to-head on Saturday…and only one will proceed to the finals and duke it out for the COTT Laurel Award.
This week's Clash WINNERS are:
Clash #3:
Clash #4:
CONGRATULATIONS, ladies!
These two went head-to-head on Saturday…with only one proceeding to the finals to duke it out for the COTT Laurel Award.
That one is....
Cyber-hugs and sincere thanks to Anne Patrick and Margaret Brownley! These were tough decisions and difficult votes to make. You're ALL winners!
More games and more exerpts are up for grabs this week, so don't miss out. Stop by COTT and play.
*Delia Latham is the author of the Solomon's Gate Series and a Blog Alliance Correspondent for COTT
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
COTT Kicks Off Tournament of Champions
Before I get to today's post, let me put in a special plug for today's game on COTT. I'm sponsoring the game and giving away a $25 PartyLite Gift Certificate. So please play!
And now, here's my guest post for the day:
*Guest post by Jennifer Slattery
Last week, Clash of the Titles launched their first annual Tournament of Champions with two clashes and four talented authors. In Clash one, CS Lakin, author of Someone to Blame, and Marianne Evans, author of Heart Crossing, went head-to-head in a nail-biting, literary duel. In Clash two, our very own Gail Pallotta, author of Love Turns the Tide, competed against Clare Revell, author of A Season for Miracles. All four excerpts rocked, and this was a tough call, but you, our faithful readers chose two Tournament of the Champions' finalists.
Those finalists were Marianne Evans and Gail Pallotta.
Exciting stuff, and yet, the games weren’t done. In the next round, COTT staff cast their votes, and once again, one writer rose to the top and will advance to the next round.That author is…
Marianne Evans!
And here’s a glimpse of what a COTT champion excerpt looks like:
“Collin Edwards stood before the funeral assembly. Heat crawled up his body. He clutched the edges of the podium where he stood and cleared his throat. The gesture was in vain. His throat constricted so much it hurt. Before the altar, just to the right, rested a flag-draped casket.
He looked down, at a piece of paper upon which he had crafted the words to a eulogy…” (Read more of Excerpt B here.)
About the novel,
Heart Crossing:Collin Edwards, a former parishioner at Woodland Church, has renounced God without apology, his faith drained away in the face of a tragic loss.
Daveny Montgomery cares deeply about her relationship with God, and the community of Woodland . Lately though, she's been in a rut, longing for something to reignite her spiritual enthusiasm.
A beautification project at Woodland seems the answer for them both. Daveny spearheads the effort and Collin assists, but only with the renovations, and only because he wants to know Daveny better. Despite his deepening feelings for her, even stepping into the common areas of the church stirs tension and anger.
Can Daveny trust in Collin’s fledgling return to faith? And can Collin ever accept the fact that while he turned his back on God, God never turned his back on him?
We’d also like to congratulate our prize-winning readers:
Join us this week for more fun and prizes as four more authors jump into the ring hoping not only to advance to the next round, but ultimately reign as the Clash of the Titles’ champion of champions! Remember, every vote counts! Each vote gets your name thrown into the hat for our fab-tabulous grand prize give-away comprised of fourteen novels!
Visit our Tournament of Champions page for a complete list of prizes.
***Jennifer Slattery is the marketing manager for Clash of the Titles. She writes for Christ to the World Ministries, the Christian Pulse, and Samie Sisters and has written for numerous other publications. She also works for Tiffany Colter, the Writing Career Coach, as a professional manuscript evaluator and publicist. You can find out more about her and her writing at her devotional blog, Jennifer Slattery Lives Out Loud. You can find out more about her critique and publicity services at Words That Keep.
***
Monday, October 17, 2011
My School Monday: Driving on Fumes
It seems to be a recurring theme with me these days. Being overwhelmed. Drowning. I know I've missed some posting days and I apologize for that. I wasn't even going to have anything for today but I decided to pull back the curtain on what I'm feeling at the moment. It is 12:45 am on Monday and below is an excerpt from an email I just sent to my husband:
I'm awake in the middle of the night, feeling sick with stress. I'd dozed off but then startled awake and couldn't get back to sleep. It seems every area of my life isn't getting the time and attention it should. Tomorrow I have a dr appt in the morning which will cut into school time, and my meeting with the ES (Education Specialist) is this Thursday (can't believe it's been 4 weeks already). We're only half way through the Anne study guide when I expected to be done by the next meeting. I haven't done "school" with Trevor in a long time. Nothing is getting the time from me that it should. Not any of my kids, not the house, not my blog or my other writing, not the worship team, not my pets, not my friends, not you, not myself, not even God.
It's been almost a year since Trevor last went to the dr, I am way overdue for my exam, let alone I need a chiropractor, Kait never got a school photo, Trevor hasn't had his taken in a year and a half, I just feel nauseous right now. There's so much on the list and I don't know where to start. Last night I went to bed feeling peace, and earlier today I had peace. Now that peace is gone and I don't know why. I don't know what the priorities are when I can't fit it all in. I mean, I only have like half hour a day to do anything it seems. I think I'm failing at school. I really wish I could just focus on Kaitlyn (homeschool) every day but that's not life. I also wish I could solely focus on Trevor (toddler) or solely on writing every day too. It just doesn't work that way but I can't seem to figure out how it works at all. Reese's (the dog) stupid shots and papers are probably twice what they started out as, Brandon's library bill is still hanging over our heads, I have to put some time into fundraising for Brandon's DC trip or something, Amy is getting her hacking cough and needs to be healthy in time for her big spelling bee Friday, oh and I have to get everyone's halloween costumes rounded up not to mention it's time to do the Samaritan's Purse thing for operation christmas child. I never sent my friend her birthday card. there's dirt smudges on the door jamb of the garage door among myriad other places. We didn't get lunch meat for Brandon's lunches this week and we're low on snacks. And I can't BELIEVE we never even called to see how Sandy was feeling (after her back surgery).
I don't even know what should be on my to-do list for tomorrow besides my appt and the usual school stuff. I have a feeling we won't even finish every subject. It's the end of the year and we should be squeezing in those other appts before our deductible resets but when is there time for that? I'm completely freaking out right now and trying to avoid a melt down. I don't have time for one.
***
This is all on the heels of what I'd hoped was a lasting new-found peace in enjoying life while we're living it. Found after reading Ecclesiastes (great book). What happened between noon and midnight? I have no idea. But I can't seem to organize my thoughts on anything and therefore nothing gets done. My friendships fall by the wayside as I struggle to get through math and science at the very least. If that's you, please know it's not the way I want it. But right now, I'd do anything to have back the hours of sleep I've lost.
I'm awake in the middle of the night, feeling sick with stress. I'd dozed off but then startled awake and couldn't get back to sleep. It seems every area of my life isn't getting the time and attention it should. Tomorrow I have a dr appt in the morning which will cut into school time, and my meeting with the ES (Education Specialist) is this Thursday (can't believe it's been 4 weeks already). We're only half way through the Anne study guide when I expected to be done by the next meeting. I haven't done "school" with Trevor in a long time. Nothing is getting the time from me that it should. Not any of my kids, not the house, not my blog or my other writing, not the worship team, not my pets, not my friends, not you, not myself, not even God.
It's been almost a year since Trevor last went to the dr, I am way overdue for my exam, let alone I need a chiropractor, Kait never got a school photo, Trevor hasn't had his taken in a year and a half, I just feel nauseous right now. There's so much on the list and I don't know where to start. Last night I went to bed feeling peace, and earlier today I had peace. Now that peace is gone and I don't know why. I don't know what the priorities are when I can't fit it all in. I mean, I only have like half hour a day to do anything it seems. I think I'm failing at school. I really wish I could just focus on Kaitlyn (homeschool) every day but that's not life. I also wish I could solely focus on Trevor (toddler) or solely on writing every day too. It just doesn't work that way but I can't seem to figure out how it works at all. Reese's (the dog) stupid shots and papers are probably twice what they started out as, Brandon's library bill is still hanging over our heads, I have to put some time into fundraising for Brandon's DC trip or something, Amy is getting her hacking cough and needs to be healthy in time for her big spelling bee Friday, oh and I have to get everyone's halloween costumes rounded up not to mention it's time to do the Samaritan's Purse thing for operation christmas child. I never sent my friend her birthday card. there's dirt smudges on the door jamb of the garage door among myriad other places. We didn't get lunch meat for Brandon's lunches this week and we're low on snacks. And I can't BELIEVE we never even called to see how Sandy was feeling (after her back surgery).
I don't even know what should be on my to-do list for tomorrow besides my appt and the usual school stuff. I have a feeling we won't even finish every subject. It's the end of the year and we should be squeezing in those other appts before our deductible resets but when is there time for that? I'm completely freaking out right now and trying to avoid a melt down. I don't have time for one.
***
This is all on the heels of what I'd hoped was a lasting new-found peace in enjoying life while we're living it. Found after reading Ecclesiastes (great book). What happened between noon and midnight? I have no idea. But I can't seem to organize my thoughts on anything and therefore nothing gets done. My friendships fall by the wayside as I struggle to get through math and science at the very least. If that's you, please know it's not the way I want it. But right now, I'd do anything to have back the hours of sleep I've lost.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Congrats to COTT Clash Winner Tanya Stowe!
Divine gifts have been a topic of much dissension down through the ages. Some folks believe God bestows certain gifts on his children others firmly believe He does not—or at least that He might have long ago but He certainly doesn't today.
We're not here to argue the point (although for the record I do believe in divine gifts!).
That said it has been proven time and time again that certain people have specific abilities that others do not. Not learned skills which is the ability to do something because one has deliberately set out to master that particular challenge. I'm talking about inherent abilities that one naturally possesses usually from birth.
That's the kind of mind-boggling gift Tanya Stowe tackles in Tender Touch, the excerpt from which won the most recent COTT Clash. Lacy Butler is graced with the gift of healing…but she refuses to use itbecause it didn't save her mother. Pretty commonisn't it? We never seem to want the gifts God tries to bestow on usor we'll take the gift (Thank you very muchFather!)but we want to use it in our own wayfor our own purposes. Tanya does a fantastic job of bringing Lacy around from total abandonment of her gift of healing to an acceptance of God's will and God's way to use…GOD'S gift. Here's a snippet from Tanya's Tender Touch excerpt:
The sudden comfort overwhelmed him. He wanted to close his eyes and slip away. But his blurry gaze focused on his rescuer as he unwrapped the muffler. He wanted…needed to see this man’s facethe man who had saved his life. He forced himself to watch as he pulled off the floppy gray hat.
Royce blinked. His foggy mind was playing tricks on him. A longgolden braid fell from beneath the hat and lay across the man’s shoulder. He slipped off the coat and beneath was the slender shape of a woman.
His man...his midnight visitor was a woman! Shock filled Royce’s mindand his head flopped senselessly sideways.
We asked Tanya if she learned anything about God's character through Tender Touch. Here's what she said: “Instead of learning something about God through this bookit is a reflection of something I learned about God from life. I’ve had some personal experience with faith healing and I wanted to write a story that reflected those truths. Of courseLacy’s gift is highly dramatizedbut the basics about how God heals are true.” (Read Tanya's interview)Of her experience on COTTTanya says: "This was the most fun I had in an interview in a longlong time. COTT does such a good job. I really appreciate this opportunity."
Readers loved the Tender Touch excerptas well—and we loved their comments:
“I feel like I’m already hooked on reading the book.”
“… made me want to find out more about the mysterious midnight visitor man who turned out to be a woman. Both of these were great and it was hard to choose one. Can they both win?? !!!”
"Know ye not that they which run in a race run allbut one receiveth the prize?"
Currently we're in the middle of the exciting Tournament of Champions which will be in high gear from Oct. 10 through Nov. 4. Don't miss it! Past Clash champs duke it out for the final prize with each of them offering an excerpt that will hopefully have you panting for more. Head on over and see what it's all about.
* Delia Latham is a Christian wife mother grandmother sister and friend as well as an author of inspirational romance and women's fiction. She wears each hat with pride but treasures most of all her role as a princess daughter to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Congrats to Tanya and a huge thank you also to her very worthy opponent Shawn Grady.
Monday, October 10, 2011
The Tourney Has Begun!
Woo Hoo! It's finally time to party down with the COTT Tournament of Champions! Please watch this promo video I made. It's not perfect but I hope you like it anyway. I'm the hostess this week, so I personally invite you to come on over and say "hi".
Friday, October 7, 2011
Fiction Friday: In The Desert
Ready to write some flash fiction, party style? I'll give you the first line, and you take it from there! Make sure and read the comments to see where the story is going, and then have some fun! This post will be open all weekend. Can't wait to see what you all come up with!!
Alone in the desert, Arielle Davies shrivels and cracks in the baking sun. Tongue thick, and working like sandpaper against her bleeding lips, she sinks to her knees in the sand--a million points of fire searing into her legs.
"God," she croaks, her voice scarcely discernable to her own ears. How much time had passed? And how much longer before she'd die?
***
Alone in the desert, Arielle Davies shrivels and cracks in the baking sun. Tongue thick, and working like sandpaper against her bleeding lips, she sinks to her knees in the sand--a million points of fire searing into her legs.
"God," she croaks, her voice scarcely discernable to her own ears. How much time had passed? And how much longer before she'd die?
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
COTT Blog Alliance
As most of my readers should know, I'm not only the overseer of the COTT Blog Alliance, I'm also a member! Starting this week, I'm going to be introducing my readers to other members of the alliance (more of a family really) and I do hope you will show your love by visiting their blogs. Up first are Joanne Troppello and Carrie Lewis!
* Guest post by Gail Pallotta
* Guest post by Gail Pallotta
MEET OUR PARTNERS
After an early morning workout Joanne Troppello sits at her computer near two big windows. Working from an office in her home in the northeast, she “loves getting plenty of sunshine.” She munches on her breakfast as she starts one of five weekly blogs. Her focus is “to connect authors and readers.”
This prolific writer also schedules giveaways and one-time events. Past specialties include two internet festivities, The Royal Wedding and Summer Blog parties. On the books—a Christmas Blog Party. Get ready for the fun.
Joanne likes to spotlight newer, unknown authors in addition to networking with all authors. Writers’ opportunities include Monday interviews and mid-week guest blogs. Two Fridays out of the month she does book reviews. The other two she interviews guests in her Reader’s Corner. One of her favorite things is hearing from readers. She says, “They are who we write for, and we want to write stories that appeal to them with characters that stay with them for a long time.” Joanne says her readers “really like commenting on blog postings and hearing back from authors.”
An author of two books, All Romance ebooks best seller Mr. Shipley’s Governess and Shadowed Remembrances, Joanne writes in the mystery and inspirational genres. When she isn’t at her computer, she loves spending time with her husband and family.
To discover lots of fun activities for writers and readers visit Joanne at http://joannetroppello.weebly.com/
This prolific writer also schedules giveaways and one-time events. Past specialties include two internet festivities, The Royal Wedding and Summer Blog parties. On the books—a Christmas Blog Party. Get ready for the fun.
Joanne likes to spotlight newer, unknown authors in addition to networking with all authors. Writers’ opportunities include Monday interviews and mid-week guest blogs. Two Fridays out of the month she does book reviews. The other two she interviews guests in her Reader’s Corner. One of her favorite things is hearing from readers. She says, “They are who we write for, and we want to write stories that appeal to them with characters that stay with them for a long time.” Joanne says her readers “really like commenting on blog postings and hearing back from authors.”
An author of two books, All Romance ebooks best seller Mr. Shipley’s Governess and Shadowed Remembrances, Joanne writes in the mystery and inspirational genres. When she isn’t at her computer, she loves spending time with her husband and family.
To discover lots of fun activities for writers and readers visit Joanne at http://joannetroppello.weebly.com/
***********************
Artist, writer and blogger Carrie Lewis paints portraits for her day job and in her leisure time. Her favorite subject is horses. Easels, paintings and portraits-in-progress abound throughout her Kansas home, including some in her office.
She’s written for as long as she can remember, finishing her first complete manuscript in eighth grade. She says, “I’ve been dividing my time between the studio and the writing desk, and God has seen fit to keep me at home.”
Saving Grace, Carrie’s WIP, “…is a cross between speculative fiction, suspense and Old Testament prophecy.” As far as the WIP and what Carrie normally writes, she says, “It’s so far outside the box....I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to get back into that box.”
An active blogger, Carrie posts three times a week. Her topics include writing tips, reports on stories she’s working on, the way we write, and the things we write about. She recently started putting up a weekly writing prompt. It’s “been fun and uses images, colors, sounds, all sorts of things.” For her readers she hopes to share what she’s had to “learn the hard way so that those who follow might not have to learn the same way.” She wants to “encourage writers to heed the promptings of the Holy Spirit when deciding what to write, especially if the story they have to tell is outside what most of us think of as popular fiction.”
When we stop by Carrie’s blog, I imagine we’ll see some of her horse paintings as well as her writings! What a treat. Visit her at http://writing-well.carrie-lewis.com/
* A COTT Blog Alliance Correspondent, Gail Pallotta recently published her first romance, Love Turns the Tide. When she isn't writing she likes reading, swimming, and getting together with friends and family. Gail wants to write books of faith that show God's love.
She’s written for as long as she can remember, finishing her first complete manuscript in eighth grade. She says, “I’ve been dividing my time between the studio and the writing desk, and God has seen fit to keep me at home.”
Saving Grace, Carrie’s WIP, “…is a cross between speculative fiction, suspense and Old Testament prophecy.” As far as the WIP and what Carrie normally writes, she says, “It’s so far outside the box....I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to get back into that box.”
An active blogger, Carrie posts three times a week. Her topics include writing tips, reports on stories she’s working on, the way we write, and the things we write about. She recently started putting up a weekly writing prompt. It’s “been fun and uses images, colors, sounds, all sorts of things.” For her readers she hopes to share what she’s had to “learn the hard way so that those who follow might not have to learn the same way.” She wants to “encourage writers to heed the promptings of the Holy Spirit when deciding what to write, especially if the story they have to tell is outside what most of us think of as popular fiction.”
When we stop by Carrie’s blog, I imagine we’ll see some of her horse paintings as well as her writings! What a treat. Visit her at http://writing-well.carrie-lewis.com/
* A COTT Blog Alliance Correspondent, Gail Pallotta recently published her first romance, Love Turns the Tide. When she isn't writing she likes reading, swimming, and getting together with friends and family. Gail wants to write books of faith that show God's love.
***********************
Get ready ...
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