Real Life is Better Than Fiction

This post is a little bit different from the norm, but maybe there is someone out there that needs it today. Do you remember important dates like when you bought your first car or house, your first kiss or your wedding and when your kids were born? Do you record milestones of children in baby books? Do you remember what was going on in your life when prayer became real to you? A lot of us prayed as children just because our parents did, but there needs to be a time when your prayers made a difference in your life. I remember when it changed for me. We found out my mother had cancer. The doctors gave her thirty days to live. Imagine discovering that you have to cram the rest of your life into thirty days! Naturally, I prayed for God’s healing. I believed God could heal her and didn’t want to believe that He would do anything else but make her well again. She was a beautiful, Christian woman and still had children to raise. She was too young to die. Everyday I prayed...

The change of seasons brings about the need in many people to change other things. Some people change out their wardrobe. Some people change the decorations in their home. Me, I look forward to cooking recipes appropriate for the new season. I love soups and stews in the winter and salads in the summer. What about when it comes to reading and writing? Do your tastes and choices change with the seasons? Do mine? I’m not sure my tastes change; I ALWAYS love to read and write. There is something about summer that makes me want to read more. Perhaps it’s because I can easily take a book outside and enjoy my guilty pleasure: the sun. I find that I do more writing during the winter months while I curled up under a quilt near the wood stove. I do like to read Christmas stories during the holidays to help get me in the mood. Here’s a link to one short story to help you get in the mood for the holidays. It’s entitled Christmas at Martha’s House and it’s only $.99. Just click...

Today is the day that we find out who the winner is of the Kindle! But first, I would like to take the time to thank you all for your support of Belonging . Many of you read my book before it was published, to give me feedback. You know who you are and you are irreplaceable to me. I am fortunate to call many of you dear friends and your friendship is something I will cherish forever. There are those of you who purchased books. Unfortunately, I don’t know all of you by name as Amazon does not give me that information for sales. You are priceless. Thank you for your multiple purchases. Thanks to all of you who have shared information about my book with your friends, family members, and followers on Facebook, Twitter, blogs, etc. There is nothing that helps get the word out about books than good old word of mouth. I often buy books that others have recommended to me. I hope others do the same when hearing of my books. And now, without further ado, the winner of the Kin...

I have a lot of friends (of all ages) who are new moms or have very young children. Many are enjoying motherhood, but feel stressed at times. We all want to be that perfect mom and raise perfect kids. There’s one thing you can stop stressing about right now. You already know you aren’t perfect and your kids won’t be perfect, either. I enjoy babysitting little ones once in a while and I love working with them at church. But when I see parents exhausted from midnight feedings and from chasing toddlers around all day, I think, “I’m glad that’s not me”…anymore. I’ve reached a new stage in my life. I love being a mom and loved watching my children grow up, but I’m almost completely to the other side of that. I know from experience that being a mom can be stressful. I’ve dealt with boys peeing on things that weren’t supposed to be peed on (fortunately he’s outgrown that stage!). I’ve dealt with the teenage girl drama: the door slamming, the dreaded “I hate you,” and “You love he...

Nature is another thing that encourages and inspires me to write. I can watch a child run through a field and all of a sudden I have a new idea for a story. The scenery in Belonging is not from my imagination; rather, it was from my childhood. I loved growing up out in the country. The world seemed so big and so small at the same time. The wide open farmland surrounding my house made it seem big. Knowing absolutely everyone who lived around me made it seem small. So, in honor of my childhood home, please enjoy the scenery below. Share a pic of your childhood home. Share it anywhere you please, just be sure to tag me in it so I can see it. You never know, it might give me inspiration for a new story! Click on the book cover to go to Amazon to purchase the book. Don't forget to leave your review to be entered in the Kindle giveaway contest. Quote from Belonging : The weather took a turn and Shelly could not resist the sunshine that beckoned h...

Me in "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" I love music! I was taught how to play the recorder, the piano, and the guitar, although I haven’t played any one of them in quite some time. I used to sing in chorus at school and took part in the musical, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown my senior year in high school. I enjoy listening to music when I’m hanging around the house cooking, cleaning, or sewing. I always have the radio on in the car when I’m driving. Music moves me. Songs give me ideas for writing. Because of that, it seemed natural to make a soundtrack for Belonging. Follow this link to hear the songs that put me in the mood for writing this book. C lick on the book cover to go to Amazon to purchase the book. Don't forget to leave your review to be entered in the Kindle giveaway contest. Quote from Belonging : Shelly put in a CD and turned the volume up loud. Classical music came blaring out of the speakers. Shelly had always loved how ...

No matter how long I live, seeing God at work in my life will never cease to amaze me. Years ago, (I’m not quite sure how many, but it’s been a lot!) I met this sweet, young woman at work. After Katie and I got to know each other we realized we had a lot in common – except for our taste in baseball teams. I like the Yankees, she prefers the Red Sox (Bummer! This is her only flaw as far as I know.) We both grew up in “the north.” We enjoyed walking and would often go walking after work. Eventually, Katie went back home to Maine and we lost touch – that was before the days of Facebook.) Then, several years later, my husband started talking about a new lady at his work, whose name was also Katie. Only when I met “his” Katie at the company Christmas party, did I realize who she was. Yes, she had gotten married (after she began working for the same company as my husband) so her last name changed. But, she had been to our house for dinner when she and I worked together. My husband’s...