Sticks and Stones...

I never have liked that little rhyme, because for the most part, it isn't true.

Words are very hurtful, and they can never be taken back. Do you think before you speak? Another ouch. (Yes, we're ALL guilty.)

We've dealt with a situation for a while now where a family has lied about us and said some very negative things. Oh, not to our faces, but to other people. And when we've gone to these people that have said the ugly things to ask them about it, they've always said there isn't a problem. The only thing we can do, is forgive them and move on. But those words, those lies were still said. They can't be taken back.

People are motivated by many things to say what they do, but I believe, it comes down to pride. Competition, jealousy, arguing a heated topic... it all leads back to pride. Everyone wants to be right. Everyone wants to be the most popular. Everyone wants to be liked. So, how do we combat this ugly monster?

The Bible say this:
Proverbs 10:19 (NIV) - "When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise."

Proverbs 10:20 (NIV) - "The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked is of little value."

Proverbs 10:31 (NIV) - "The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but a perverse tongue will be cut out."

Proverbs 11:12 (NIV) - "A man who lacks judgment derides his neighbor, but a man of understanding holds his tongue."

Proverbs 12:18 (NIV) - "Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing."

Proverbs 12:19 (NIV) - "Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment."

Proverbs 15:2 (NIV) - "The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly."

Proverbs 15:4 (NIV) - "The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit."

Proverbs 17:20 (NIV) - "A man of perverse heart does not prosper; he whose tongue is deceitful falls into trouble."

Proverbs 17:28 (NIV) - "Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue."

Proverbs 21:23 (NIV) - "He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity."

James 1:26 (NIV) - "If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless."

James 3:5 (NIV) - "Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark."

James 3:8 (NIV) - "but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison."

These are just a few of the things the Bible says about the tongue. I'd encourage you to do a search on your own to see how many times our great God tries to get our attention about our speech.

Are you an encourager? Or is your speech filled with negativity? Do you always have something nice to say? Or are you always pointing out everyone else's faults? Do you ever ask people to stop their gossip? Or do you join in for the latest juicy news? Tough questions - but they need to be asked. Each one of us needs to ask them every day -of ourselves.

I've had a lot of people ask me how we've handled this situation. Well, it's a tough answer - I've kept my mouth shut, and I'm working on forgiveness every day. And I should say, GOD has kept my mouth shut, because I certainly couldn't do it. I can't tell you how many times I've wanted to go give them a piece of my mind, or defend my family, or defend the TV show and station that the Lord blessed us through. But - the Lord hasn't told me to do that. I often wonder what other people think, if they are to hear the ugly lies -- but HE gently reminds me that I shouldn't care what other people think. People will find the truth if they truly look for it. And this Scripture keeps coming to mind:

1 Peter 3:9-11
"Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. For, 'Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech. He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it.'"

So, what kind of shape is your tongue in? Mine needs a lot of work, too...

Let's lift one another up and encourage one another to guard our speech (and our minds.)


All Scripture Quotes taken from:
New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

How Many Pages? Our New Reading Contest!!

I have had a LOT of interest in the reading contest I challenged you all to last month.

So, here is another reminder and more info.

Keep track of the title, author, and number of pages for the books that you read.
And ALL books count. If you are a pre-school teacher and read a stack of books each day to your students, they ALL count. Keep track of them! The non-fiction, self-help books that you read, Bible Study books, novels, books you read to your children, AND there will be a special prize for those who read through the entire Bible during our year-long contest!

There will be winners for:
Most Books Read
Most Pages Read
Most Variety of Authors Read
and those who read through the entire Bible AND one of the above.

So, get to reading!

I've had hundreds of emails from you all saying how inspiring it is and you love the idea - so pass it on to your friends. I will be telling you all about different authors and books for the prizes as we go along. Stay tuned! It's sure to be a fun year!

The contest will end the last day of June, 2009!

Feel free to email me through the website, or post a comment with any questions you may have.

I know someone who read thousands of pages on their vacation to get a jump-start, and another lady is reading picture books to her child every day and keeping track, so let's do it!

I would also love to hear from all of you about how you are doing as the year progresses - And would love to use some of your testimonials.

I need to hurry up and post this as my battery is dying!
Have a wonderful day and read, read, read, READ!!

Please! Turn Down the Music!

We live in a neighborhood that is under construction (in fact, we were the first house in the neighborhood) - a LOT of construction.

This morning, I was editing the chapter I wrote yesterday, and music blaring from the home-site behind us kept interrupting my train of thought. Let's just be honest, it was driving me nuts. We've had a serious issue with this, and I don't know how many times I have calmly driven around the neighborhood asking the various workers to turn down their music. We homeschool, my husband works at home, and I write at home--we are home all the time. (I know, we're not the average family - but that's a long story in and of itself) :) Anyway, I got so aggravated that I actually opened the door and yelled out, "PLEASE!! Turn down the music!"

Yes, I know, highly intelligent - since the music is so loud that I can hear it inside my house, how on earth were they supposed to hear me? So, I drove around the block and walked up to the site. I asked them nicely to turn down the music. That didn't go over well with the workers. Or the guy in charge. He looked at me like I was the meanest person ever (he probably thought something else, but let's not even venture there). One guy yelled from the upper floor, "It's a job site!" To which I replied, "it's also my home." I won't tell you the other choice words spoken to me. They weren't very nice. I asked him to please turn down the music.

Fuming inside, I climbed into my truck and drove back home. I wanted to do something about it. I wanted the annoying noise to stop. I wanted to be able to work in my own home in peace. And...I realized my attitude stunk, even if I had been treated poorly.

So, what did I do? I made cookies. And then I brought them a plate of those cookies. Did it make anything better? I don't know. It didn't bring world peace, and as I'm typing this - music again reverberates through my walls. It's taking me twice as long to get my thoughts down, but I'm still trying to accomplish something. Do they think I'm a nice person? Probably not. Do I care? Not really. Not anymore. I realized I'm responsible for me, my attitude, and my actions. Other people see those attitudes and actions, and what are they going to see?

I know what I want them to see, but also understand that I have a long ways to go before I am "mature and complete" like it states in James 1.

Perseverance...
Must...
Finish...
Its...
Work.

Maybe I should go make some more cookies.

AnnaSophia

A few months ago, I had the privilege of meeting another incredible Mom. I had spoken to their group and she approached me afterward with this precious, beautiful, little baby girl in her arms.

The baby girl is AnnaSophia Berry.

I'd like to ask you all to pray for AnnaSophia and the Berry family. AnnaSophia has gone through more medically in her tiny life than most of us will go through in a lifetime. She is now awaiting a heart transplant.

Mary, (AnnaSophia's mother) and I talked for a long time that night. There was such a connection, as we bonded over God's love and blessings on our children- through the most trying of circumstances. Mary and her family are heavy on my heart.

So, would you all pray with me for the Berry family?
To read more of this incredible story, go to:
www.ourannasophia.blogspot.com

Promises, Promises by Amber Miller

I'm pleased to be a part of my good friend - Amber Miller's - blog tour!

Amber Miller is a new author with Barbour Publishing's line: Heartsong Presents.

Her first title: Promises, Promises released to the book club in February and is in bookstores now in July! AND -- the second title in her Delaware Brides series - Quills and Promises - releases this month to the Heartsong Presents book club and will release later in stores! There will also be a third installment in this delightful Delaware series.

Promises, Promises is filled with romance, historical detail, and a touch of humor. The first chapter will reel you in and keep you baited until the end. An enchanting tale, I'm sure you will enjoy this book! If you are not a member of Heartsong Presents, there are purchase details below.

Promises, Promises
Publisher: Barbour/Heartsong Presents
Release date: February 2008 through Heartsong Presents; July 2008 to bookstores and online retailers
Genre: Historical RomanceSeries: Delaware Brides, book 1
ISBN: 9781597899390
Ordering link: www.ambermiller.com/books.html

Quills & Promises
Publisher: Barbour/Heartsong Presents
Release date: July 2008
Genre: Historical Romance Series: Delaware Brides, book 2
ISBN: 9781602600492
Ordering link: www.ambermiller.com/books.html

Blurb: Promises, Promises

Has God forsaken Raelene?

What kind of God would take a girl's family and leave her alone in a wild land where women have no voice? When Gustaf Hanssen promises Raelene's dying father that he will take care of her, he finds himself bound to her happiness, her success, and her well-being in ways he never imagined. To keep his word, must Gustaf really oversee all of Raelene's affairs, find her a husband, and maintain her farm, while she does nothing but scorn him? Can God reach through Raelene's pain and self-centeredness and give her the love that awaits, if only she will accept His will?

Blurb: Quills & Promises

Innocence paired with wisdom beyond her years-- With these traits, Elanna Hanssen unwittingly captures the attentions of Major Madison Scott. Her honest desire to understand the war fascinates him, and he resolves to get to know this perspicacious young lady better. When he is called away to fight the French and the Indians, they begin a correspondence, cautiously baring their hearts to one another. Elanna has never known emotions like these before, but she is drawn to the integrity she sees in her major. When a writer for the first newspaper in the colony questions the major's credentials and activities, however, will she allow her heart or her head to rule? Can true love grow over such distance and around such obstacles?

Author bio:
Amber Miller is an author and freelance web site designer who lives with her husband in beautiful Colorado Springs. They don’t have any children yet, but they do have a vivacious puppy named Roxie, who is half Border Collie and half Flat-Haired Retriever. Already nearing 65 pounds, she keeps them on their toes. And with her penchant for rising at 6am on the dot, Roxie is giving Amber and her husband a good taste of what it's like to be parents. Amber has sold four books to the Heartsong Presents line of Barbour Publishing with the promise of two more before the end of the year. She is currently pursuing an expansion into trade-length historical fiction as well. Other writing credits include several writing articles for various publications, five short stories with Romancing the Christian Heart, and nine contributions to the book, 101 Ways to Romance Your Marriage. A born-again Christian since the age of seven, her faith in Christ has often sustained her through difficult experiences. She seeks to share that with others through her writing. Read more about her at her web site: http://www.ambermiller.com/.

check out the rest of the BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE!

Shirley Connolly (July month-long feature) - http://apenforyourthoughts.blogspot.com/

July 7 - Margaret Daley (bio) http://margaretdaly.blogspot.com
July 7 - Dawn Kinzer at From Dawn til Dusk, Musings of a Night Owl http://dawnkinzer.blogspot.com
July 8 - Donna Moore at Write by Faith http://writebyfaith.blogspot.com
July 8 - Kim Woodhouse at God's Grace, Love & Forgiveness http://www.kimberleywoodhouse.com
July 9 - Margaret Daley (interview) http://margaretdaly.blogspot.com
July 9 - Amy Riley at The Friendly Book Nook http://thefriendlybooknook.com
July 10 - Jenny Blake at Come Meet AusJenny http://ausjenny.blogspot.com
July 11 - Rose McCauley http://rosemccauley.blogspot.com
July 11 - Shauna Sturge at The Coffee Stop http://shaunasturge.blogspot.com; Long and Short Reviews http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.com
July 12 - Carolyn Strawder at Quiet Time with Carolyn http://www.quiettimewithcarolyn.com/Serenity
July 14-19 - CAN! blog spotlight http://canblog.typepad.com/canbookmarketing
July 14 - Martha Rogers at Martha Writes http://marthasbooks.blogspot.com
July 15 - Leslie Sowell at A Little Bit of Sunlight http://www.footprintsinthesand.us/blog
July 16 - Novel Journey / Novel Reviews http://noveljourney.blogspot.com / http://novelreviews.blogspot.com
July 17 - Eileen Astels at A Christian Romance Writer's Journey http://eileenastels.blogspot.com
July 17 - Cheryl Wyatt at Squirrel's Treehouse http://scrollsquirrel.blogspot.com
July 18 - Cara Putman at Cara's Musings http://carasmusings.blogspot.com
July 18 - Tyora Moody at CB Reviews http://www.faithwebbin.net/cbreviews
July 19 - Stacy Johnson at Vader's Mom http://jeffstacyandvader.blogspot.com
July 21 - CFBA blog tour date (various blogs) http://christianfictionblogalliance.blogspot.com
July 21 - Camy Tang at Camy's Loft http://camytang.blogspot.com
July 21 - Jennifer AlLee at Musings on This, That & The Other Thing - http://jenniferallee.blogspot.com
July 21 - Trish Perry (interview) http://www.trishperry.com
July 22 - CFBA blog tour date (various blogs) http://christianfictionblogalliance.blogspot.com
July 22 - Cindy Woodsmall at the Plain Talk Blog http://www.cindywoodsmall.com/category/plain-talk/
July 23 - CFBA blog tour date (various blogs) http://christianfictionblogalliance.blogspot.com
July 23 - Delia Latham at The Melody Within (review/interview) http://themelodywithin.blogspot.com
July 24 - Margaret Chind at Creative Madness http://cherryblossommj.blogspot.com
July 25 - Delia Latham at The Melody Within (guest blogger) http://themelodywithin.blogspot.com
July 25 - Christa Allan at Fictionary http://cballan.wordpress.com
July 26 - Paula Moldenhauer at Grace Reign http://gracereign.blogspot.com