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As a young child, I can remember my precious mother telling me this little rhyme that she had learned as a child:
Make new friends
But keep the old.
One's worth silver,
And the other gold.
I'm thinking there's even a little tune that goes along with this rhyme---that would be easy for children to learn. It's a fun little rhyme, but so, so TRUE.
My friends are very important in my life, and I consider them among my greatest blessings. But as blessed as I feel with the friends I have, I still enjoy making new friends too!
That's exactly what happened this past weekend when I attended the American Christian Fiction Writers conference in Dallas, Texas. I met some precious ladies (and a few guys too) from all over the United States (and Canada)---and already have been in touch with a few of them (thanks to the wonders of modern technology and computers!).
Although I always learn so much about the craft of writing at these conferences, the friendships made are just as important to me. So I'm sharing one of my photos from this year's conference---showing myself with some of my precious Oregon friends. These ladies are such a blessing in my life---even though we live on opposite sides of the country!
A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24
The month of September has always been a favorite of mine. As a young child I eagerly anticipated my birthday, counting down the days and looking forward to a yummy cake! My precious Mama also had a September birthday (only a few days after mine) so that made the month even more special for our family. Now two of my three children have September birthdays, so I've joked over the years and commented that the month of September is "like Christmas in our family!" ~ Of course now that my children are all in their 20s, I find that I become sentimental during this month. I tend to "relive" memories in my mind--the excitement of their births, the fun birthday parties when they were very young, and all the happiness the month of September always seemed to bring. ~ Even though life is different now that I'm not planning childrens' parties or shopping for toys, September can still be a happy month as we celebrate each birthday with thankfulness. ~ And who knows....maybe one day I'll have a grandchild with a September birthday!
Christian fiction authors Judith Miller and Tracie Peterson have written a book series that I highly recommend--especially for those who enjoy historical romance! "Bridal Veil Island" is the series title, with the first book titled: To Have and To Hold and the second book is: To Love and Cherish. I highly recommend both books, but have to say the second one is my very favorite.
Set on the Georgia coast in the late 1800s, To Love and Cherish features believable characters, romance, adventure, and even a hint of mystery---it's wonderful! ~ Being a Georgia native myself and frequent visitor to our lovely coast, I was especially pleased with the job these ladies did on this book, and now I'm eagerly looking forward to the third book in this series: To Honor and Trust.
With all the medical "adventures" I've had, one might think that an appointment at the dentist office would be nothing. Not so! For some reason, going to the dentist causes more apprehension for me than the times I faced major surgeries. ~ So after scheduling a routine appointment last week (check-up/cleaning) I was filled with dread. I kept telling myself it was silly for me to feel so nervous; even my oldest daughter reassured me the appointment would be fine. But I knew I didn't want to walk into the dental office shaking like a leaf, so I prayed. And prayed. Sure enough, a sense of calm and well-being actually came over me that morning--even as I sat in the dentist office chair! Thankfully my appointment went well, and although I do have to return for some *little* cavities, it's nothing major. ~ I was thinking about all of this today, and was again reminded of how we should pray and lean on the Lord for ALL things in life---not only the "big deals" but the little things too---even things we might feel embarrassed about bringing before our Lord! I'm convinced that He cares about ALL aspects of our life, and wants us to call out to Him. And that's the "tooth"!
I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. Psalm 34:4
As a Christian, I've often read/heard how very important it is to stay "immersed in Scripture". As I grow older and hopefully a little bit wiser(?) I see just how super important that is! Many folks would agree that our world today seems more evil than ever. Even supposedly "good" people are led astray, and of course the news is filled with reports of crime, violence, and rampant sin. Yep, our enemy the devil is doing his best to gain a stronger hold on our world. But as Christians we must continue fighting this---EVERY day. One way is to stay focused on WHO we serve---and since I serve my Lord and Savior Jesus I have to keep focused on HIM. For me personally one of the best ways to do that is to keep myself immersed in Scripture. Everyday I read my Bible, but I've realized I need even more help. So I've written some verses of Scripture and placed them in various places around my house. I've found this really helps me, because I have constant reminders of WHO I'm serving and how I'm supposed to live. Does this make me a wonderful, sinless person? NO! But....I'm striving to serve the Lord and stay immersed in His word---and I realize I need all the help I can get! May we Christians always stay immersed so we can help shine His light to a hurting world. ~ Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven. Matthew 5:16
I don't know why, but I've always enjoyed trivia! Maybe it's because in this day and age when we're bombarded with so much bad news, it's fun to focus on information that is totally random (even if you don't think you'll ever actually need that information, haha). ~ So below I've listed some assorted trivia "facts"---I have not actually checked to determine if these are indeed accurate, but I did locate them from reliable sources. :)
TUESDAY TRIVIA
52% of Americans drink coffee. (*okay, I'm surprised this number isn't higher!)
A chimpanzee can learn to recognize itself in a mirror, but monkeys can't. (*so don't bother buying your favorite monkey a mirror for his/her next birthday!)
A cow gives nearly 200,000 glasses of milk in her lifetime.
Berry College (in Rome, Georgia) has the world's largest college campus. (Wow!)
American and Russian space flights have always included chocolate.
One plain milk chocolate candy bar has more protein than a banana.
A sneeze can exceed the speed of 100 mph. (*hmmmm...don't let your sneezes get any traffic tickets!)
~ ~ ~ Hope you enjoyed this bit of trivia today! ~ ~ A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance. Proverbs 15:13
Christian author Keli Gwyn has written a novel that I am loving! A Bride Opens Shop in El Dorado, California is Keli's first book, but I feel certain this author will have many, many more published books in her writing future. ~ I'm not quite finished reading it yet (*confession--I'm a slow reader*) but am thoroughly enjoying this fun story. ~ Set in California's Sierra Foothills in 1870, this charming romance is keeping me turning pages to see what happens next....In fact, I interrupted my reading to post this quick blog, but am about to dive back into the story! ~ And just for fun, I've posted a photo of my cat Delilah as she "PAWSed" to take a look at Keli's book---and yep! Delilah thinks it's a PURR-fect book to read.
Also, THANKS to everyone who visited the other day when I posted my interview with sweet Keli. A special THANK YOU to Keli Gwyn for taking time to answer my questions, and CONGRATULATIONS to Amy Campbell, who won the drawing for a copy of Keli's book!
