Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Happy Fun Girl: I'm Gonna need to see some Proof.
Happy Fun Girl: I'm Gonna need to see some Proof.: One is the loneliest number? I'm pretty sure it's 23. That's how many books I found out I've sold in three months. "I'm sorry. Did I mi...
I'm Gonna need to see some Proof.
One is the loneliest number?
I'm pretty sure it's 23.
That's how many books I found out I've sold in three months.
"I'm sorry. Did I misunderstand? Did you say 53?"
Lame as even that would be.
"No, 23."
Wow.
I'm pretty sure more than 23 people told me they bought the book.
So, if you, faithful readers and friends could please just scan and email me your Proof of Purchase, that would be awesome!! :)
It's not that I don't trust you.
I just might need to see some proof.
Perhaps something about 40 proof at this point?
Just kidding.
I am excited that this Labor Day weekend I have my first reading/book signing at Barnes and Noble, La Cantera location here in San Antonio.
It's Saturday the 1st at 12:30 if you're not barbecuing with family.
Bring your proof of purchase, or just buy a copy there!
I will be reading, "Pig's Big Adventure" followed by a quick craft and then I'll be signing books after that.
I looooove crafts!!!
How fun is that?
Big kudos to Barnes and Noble for buying extra books and putting it all together for me!
I appreciate that so much and it truly is the one store I could spend all day in just relaxing and reading.
Several years ago, my friend Sheryl and I went to Chicago on a girl trip and she set out on a mindful mission to find the perfect pair of Levi's while I sat in total, comforting bliss at B&N, watching the snow fall, my hands securely holding a hot mocha latte and a book by Mitch Albom, "The Five People you Meet in Heaven."
Every few hours she would come back and see if I was really okay or wanted to go shop with her.
"I'm soooo good," I replied.
"There is no place I would rather be right now than here."
I just walk in that amazing store and want to open every book, insert nose and irreverently inhale deeply like Mary Katherine Gallagher does on a nervous armpit rampage!
I love the smell of books almost as much as the smell of fresh made bread.
Speaking of bread, I've made $9.40 on my beloved children's story.
Good thing I've said all along, "It's not about the money. I just want people to enjoy the story."
Mmmhh?
It's not about the money??
Truly. Money isn't everything.
The greatest gift I ever received was given freely to me.
And I'm not talking about the dead animal teeth Galen.
Indeed, a price was paid.
I was bought with a price and Jesus is my proof of purchase.
But where is the proof?
That's what faith is all about.
"It is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1
We have to keep believing, even when we have no proof.
I'm also going to look in the pudding......just in case it really is there.
I'm pretty sure it's 23.
That's how many books I found out I've sold in three months.
"I'm sorry. Did I misunderstand? Did you say 53?"
Lame as even that would be.
"No, 23."
Wow.
I'm pretty sure more than 23 people told me they bought the book.
So, if you, faithful readers and friends could please just scan and email me your Proof of Purchase, that would be awesome!! :)
It's not that I don't trust you.
I just might need to see some proof.
Perhaps something about 40 proof at this point?
Just kidding.
I am excited that this Labor Day weekend I have my first reading/book signing at Barnes and Noble, La Cantera location here in San Antonio.
It's Saturday the 1st at 12:30 if you're not barbecuing with family.
Bring your proof of purchase, or just buy a copy there!
I will be reading, "Pig's Big Adventure" followed by a quick craft and then I'll be signing books after that.
I looooove crafts!!!
How fun is that?
Big kudos to Barnes and Noble for buying extra books and putting it all together for me!
I appreciate that so much and it truly is the one store I could spend all day in just relaxing and reading.
Several years ago, my friend Sheryl and I went to Chicago on a girl trip and she set out on a mindful mission to find the perfect pair of Levi's while I sat in total, comforting bliss at B&N, watching the snow fall, my hands securely holding a hot mocha latte and a book by Mitch Albom, "The Five People you Meet in Heaven."
Every few hours she would come back and see if I was really okay or wanted to go shop with her.
"I'm soooo good," I replied.
"There is no place I would rather be right now than here."
I just walk in that amazing store and want to open every book, insert nose and irreverently inhale deeply like Mary Katherine Gallagher does on a nervous armpit rampage!
I love the smell of books almost as much as the smell of fresh made bread.
Speaking of bread, I've made $9.40 on my beloved children's story.
Good thing I've said all along, "It's not about the money. I just want people to enjoy the story."
Mmmhh?
It's not about the money??
Truly. Money isn't everything.
The greatest gift I ever received was given freely to me.
And I'm not talking about the dead animal teeth Galen.
Indeed, a price was paid.
I was bought with a price and Jesus is my proof of purchase.
He's the receipt I'm handing over to the big Customer Service Center in the Sky.
Sometimes I feel like I'm standing in an endless line at the counter waiting for it to be my turn.
I can hardly contain myself from just wanting to overzealously keep hitting the silver button on the bell ringer thingy.
Sure I start off patient and polite, with just a one finger, "Ding."
No response.
A little more loudly, but still ever so dainty, "Ding, ding..."
Nothing.
More muscle behind the pointer this time, "Ding, Ding, Ding...."
Seriously?
Then in a moment's rush, you just full on palm slam the entire ringer....
"DING!!! DING DING!!!!!"
"Hellloooooo!!!! I'm standing here!! Waiting!!!!! Yoo-Hoo!!! Can I get a little service here please??"
Not saying it's right, I'm just sayin.'
My patience runs out quick sometimes.
I feel like I have been patient considering all things.
Thank God, Jesus is my proof of purchase, not my perfection, but only his.
My product really is blemished.
Actually, the picture is blurry.
I was believing for better.
But where is the proof?
That's what faith is all about.
"It is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1
We have to keep believing, even when we have no proof.
I'm also going to look in the pudding......just in case it really is there.
Monday, August 27, 2012
Happy Fun Girl: Was that the Recess Bell?
Happy Fun Girl: Was that the Recess Bell?: Whatever happened to recess? That's a question I ask myself often as an adult. Today is the first day of Back to School and as I've drive...
Was that the Recess Bell?
Whatever happened to recess?
That's a question I ask myself often as an adult.
Today is the first day of Back to School and as I've driven past many school playgrounds lately, trying to familiarize myself with all of the new neighborhoods, I'm saddened by the apparent loss of one of my most favorite childhood recreational fixtures.
The seesaw.
Whatever happened to the seesaw?
I suppose due to safety mom precautions and numerous law suits they have had to be dismantled.
But I still loved them.
That wonderful feeling of gliding nearly effortlessly, up and down, up and down.
Over time, we became brave enough to ride with no hands, no feet, backwards or even semi-standing.
Seesaw surfing I think it was called.
Anything we need to know about life, we can learn from the seesaw.
For example, be careful who you trust.
Haven't we all gotten on, with a sibling or a "friend", who suddenly and unexpectedly jumped off just when you were enjoying that wonderful, glorious moment in the sky?
Up in the air, smiling and laughing only to suddenly be plummeted to the earth with an unexpected crash to the ground.
It takes your breathe away.
Literally.
Of course, you are always hesitant to ride it again with that same friend for fear of not knowing if they will jump off again and leave you dusting off your new red shorts and plucking gravel out of your backside.
As I've been thinking about the seesaw this past weekend, God has been reminding me of something important.
We have to stay balanced.
Too much of anything is not a good thing, even if it is "The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie" recipe in the whole world.
But also, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
We are given instructions to work six days and rest on the seventh.
Summer slacking aside, of course.
Spiritually, emotionally and physically, balance is important.
I can tell when I'm tired because I start to get a very short fuse, or yes, even cry over ketchup on my Big Mac.
There is a lot going on right now with many of us.
Natalie and I have completely changed our lives in the last month.... and not in a 'summer lovin' had me a blast' kind of way.
But everything is new.
And with back to school, comes the welcome routine and a fresh start.
A chance to better organize my day and practice better time management.
So, I pull out my new organizer and start to schedule the day.
I try to figure out how and when I am going to get my God time in, (though he's forced to listen to me ramble on and on all day long) make breakfast for Natalie, walk the dogs, get to the gym, avoid a massive traffic jam, put in a full days work, get back on track with my writing, pay bills, prepare for an important speaking event this week and um, perhaps breathe somewhere in between.
I'd also like to squeeze in learning to speak Spanish and play guitar better.
My lazy couch time is really going to suffer if I plan to live a purpose filled and new, more balanced life.
One of my favorite Go To books in the bible is the book of Proverbs.
Everything you really need to know is actually there, and not on the seesaw.
If you're like me....it too will leave you picking gravel out of your backside.
I do that a lot.
I can also get really out of balance if I think too much or try to figure things out that only God knows the answers to.
This morning, I stumbled upon Proverbs 3, "The Message" version which really just tells it like it is in language that I can clearly understand. Sometimes it will go so far as to say, "Are you stupid?" :)
"Dear friend, guard Clear Thinking and Common Sense with your life; don't for a minute lose sight of them. They will keep your soul alive and well, they'll keep you fit and attractive. (does this mean I can skip the gym?) You'll travel safely, you'll neither tire nor trip. You'll take afternoon naps without a worry, you'll enjoy a good night's sleep. No need to panic over alarms or surprises, or predictions that doomsday's just around the corner, because God will be right there with you; he'll keep you safe and sound."
I guess this means, contrary to my crybabyness lately, God is actually NOT going to jump off the seesaw of my life and I can just enjoy the ride...hands free!!!
That's a question I ask myself often as an adult.
Today is the first day of Back to School and as I've driven past many school playgrounds lately, trying to familiarize myself with all of the new neighborhoods, I'm saddened by the apparent loss of one of my most favorite childhood recreational fixtures.
The seesaw.
Whatever happened to the seesaw?
I suppose due to safety mom precautions and numerous law suits they have had to be dismantled.
But I still loved them.
That wonderful feeling of gliding nearly effortlessly, up and down, up and down.
Over time, we became brave enough to ride with no hands, no feet, backwards or even semi-standing.
Seesaw surfing I think it was called.
Anything we need to know about life, we can learn from the seesaw.
For example, be careful who you trust.
Haven't we all gotten on, with a sibling or a "friend", who suddenly and unexpectedly jumped off just when you were enjoying that wonderful, glorious moment in the sky?
Up in the air, smiling and laughing only to suddenly be plummeted to the earth with an unexpected crash to the ground.
It takes your breathe away.
Literally.
Of course, you are always hesitant to ride it again with that same friend for fear of not knowing if they will jump off again and leave you dusting off your new red shorts and plucking gravel out of your backside.
As I've been thinking about the seesaw this past weekend, God has been reminding me of something important.
We have to stay balanced.
Too much of anything is not a good thing, even if it is "The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie" recipe in the whole world.
But also, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
We are given instructions to work six days and rest on the seventh.
Summer slacking aside, of course.
Spiritually, emotionally and physically, balance is important.
I can tell when I'm tired because I start to get a very short fuse, or yes, even cry over ketchup on my Big Mac.
There is a lot going on right now with many of us.
Natalie and I have completely changed our lives in the last month.... and not in a 'summer lovin' had me a blast' kind of way.
But everything is new.
And with back to school, comes the welcome routine and a fresh start.
A chance to better organize my day and practice better time management.
So, I pull out my new organizer and start to schedule the day.
I try to figure out how and when I am going to get my God time in, (though he's forced to listen to me ramble on and on all day long) make breakfast for Natalie, walk the dogs, get to the gym, avoid a massive traffic jam, put in a full days work, get back on track with my writing, pay bills, prepare for an important speaking event this week and um, perhaps breathe somewhere in between.
I'd also like to squeeze in learning to speak Spanish and play guitar better.
My lazy couch time is really going to suffer if I plan to live a purpose filled and new, more balanced life.
One of my favorite Go To books in the bible is the book of Proverbs.
Everything you really need to know is actually there, and not on the seesaw.
If you're like me....it too will leave you picking gravel out of your backside.
I do that a lot.
I can also get really out of balance if I think too much or try to figure things out that only God knows the answers to.
This morning, I stumbled upon Proverbs 3, "The Message" version which really just tells it like it is in language that I can clearly understand. Sometimes it will go so far as to say, "Are you stupid?" :)
"Dear friend, guard Clear Thinking and Common Sense with your life; don't for a minute lose sight of them. They will keep your soul alive and well, they'll keep you fit and attractive. (does this mean I can skip the gym?) You'll travel safely, you'll neither tire nor trip. You'll take afternoon naps without a worry, you'll enjoy a good night's sleep. No need to panic over alarms or surprises, or predictions that doomsday's just around the corner, because God will be right there with you; he'll keep you safe and sound."
I guess this means, contrary to my crybabyness lately, God is actually NOT going to jump off the seesaw of my life and I can just enjoy the ride...hands free!!!
Monday, August 20, 2012
Happy Fun Girl: Sylvester Stallone I am not.
Happy Fun Girl: Sylvester Stallone I am not.: There was a funny thing I saw on Facebook today. It was a list of fun things to do if you wanted to add some excitement to your daily routi...
Sylvester Stallone I am not.
There was a funny thing I saw on Facebook today.
It was a list of fun things to do if you wanted to add some excitement to your daily routine.
Things like, "go into Lowe's with a bucket of Lego's and ask the manager if he wants to "build something together."
Or run into a grocery store and ask what year it is.
When someone replies 2012, you then run around like a madman yelling, "It worked! It worked!"
Get it? Like a time machine?
That's funny because my daughter has been trying to explain to me why we can't DVR in "real time."
"You can't go forward in time...Seriously, come on mom, you're not that stupid."
I beg to differ.
The suggestion that got me laughing out loud was to follow joggers around in your car blaring "Eye of the Tiger."
I'm not sure why I find that so amusing.
I suppose because I can picture it in my head and I can see the look on their faces....that's hysterical!
And yet very motivational at the same time.
"Rising up to the challenge of our rivals...and the last known survivor...."
When I think about Eye of the Tiger, I think about boxing.
Which also reminds me of a "game" we used to play when I was a kid.
You know when someone grabs your arm forcefully and starts hitting you in the face with your own hand?
"What are you hitting yourself for? Huh? Whatcha hitting yourself for?
That's pretty much what I feel like doing when I screw up.
It's a milder version of Fletcher kicking his own butt in "Liar, Liar".
I tend to want to just beat myself up.
Today I woke with Romans 3 in my head, so I looked it up....Praying that it wouldn't be the "woe to you ya wicked sinner" verse.
Oh Thank God!
It is where Paul is talking about how God is faithful, even when we are not.
"No one is righteous...not even one."
He is right, when we are wrong.
"But God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law....we are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are..."
Does it mean we quit wanting to come up higher? No.
At first I typed "trying" to come up higher.
I don't know about you, but the harder I try, the harder it gets.
So I just have to give it up and turn it over to the one who is really able.
Do we stop wanting to live a life that more glorifies God?
I don't. I want to do that every day.
But I fail. A lot.
But still, God promises to continue the good work that he started in us...even if it takes a really, really, really long time.
In boxing, if the referee counts to 10 and the boxer is still down, the fight is over.
But Jesus steps in and stalls the count.
God is not standing there anxiously waiting to get to 10 and see us lose in a final knock out round.
Thank God!
I don't have to keep smacking myself in the face.
I don't have to throw on a burlap sack and sprinkle ashes all over my body walking around for days like the coming of the Zombie Apocalypse.
Downcast and outcast.
Conviction and condemnation are two totally different things.
The holy spirit convicts us when something is off.
If you're seeking and sensitive to God's leading, you can't get away with jack.
It makes you uncomfortable.
"Geez Louise!!" I say while trying to hide and sneak a smoke.
"Can you just go sit on someone else's balcony for a few minutes?"
"I will never leave or forsake you," is the loving whisper I hear back.
Alrighty then!
I will accept the conviction...but not the condemnation that makes me feel like I should be spending the rest of the day giving myself a toilet swirly.
When my day in court arrives and I appear before the judge, I will totally be saying..."I'm a madman your honor.....a desperate fool at the end of his pitiful rope."
It was a list of fun things to do if you wanted to add some excitement to your daily routine.
Things like, "go into Lowe's with a bucket of Lego's and ask the manager if he wants to "build something together."
Or run into a grocery store and ask what year it is.
When someone replies 2012, you then run around like a madman yelling, "It worked! It worked!"
Get it? Like a time machine?
That's funny because my daughter has been trying to explain to me why we can't DVR in "real time."
"You can't go forward in time...Seriously, come on mom, you're not that stupid."
I beg to differ.
The suggestion that got me laughing out loud was to follow joggers around in your car blaring "Eye of the Tiger."
I'm not sure why I find that so amusing.
I suppose because I can picture it in my head and I can see the look on their faces....that's hysterical!
And yet very motivational at the same time.
"Rising up to the challenge of our rivals...and the last known survivor...."
When I think about Eye of the Tiger, I think about boxing.
Which also reminds me of a "game" we used to play when I was a kid.
You know when someone grabs your arm forcefully and starts hitting you in the face with your own hand?
"What are you hitting yourself for? Huh? Whatcha hitting yourself for?
That's pretty much what I feel like doing when I screw up.
It's a milder version of Fletcher kicking his own butt in "Liar, Liar".
I tend to want to just beat myself up.
Today I woke with Romans 3 in my head, so I looked it up....Praying that it wouldn't be the "woe to you ya wicked sinner" verse.
Oh Thank God!
It is where Paul is talking about how God is faithful, even when we are not.
"No one is righteous...not even one."
He is right, when we are wrong.
"But God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law....we are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are..."
Does it mean we quit wanting to come up higher? No.
At first I typed "trying" to come up higher.
I don't know about you, but the harder I try, the harder it gets.
So I just have to give it up and turn it over to the one who is really able.
Do we stop wanting to live a life that more glorifies God?
I don't. I want to do that every day.
But I fail. A lot.
But still, God promises to continue the good work that he started in us...even if it takes a really, really, really long time.
In boxing, if the referee counts to 10 and the boxer is still down, the fight is over.
But Jesus steps in and stalls the count.
God is not standing there anxiously waiting to get to 10 and see us lose in a final knock out round.
Thank God!
I don't have to keep smacking myself in the face.
I don't have to throw on a burlap sack and sprinkle ashes all over my body walking around for days like the coming of the Zombie Apocalypse.
Downcast and outcast.
Conviction and condemnation are two totally different things.
The holy spirit convicts us when something is off.
If you're seeking and sensitive to God's leading, you can't get away with jack.
It makes you uncomfortable.
"Geez Louise!!" I say while trying to hide and sneak a smoke.
"Can you just go sit on someone else's balcony for a few minutes?"
"I will never leave or forsake you," is the loving whisper I hear back.
Alrighty then!
I will accept the conviction...but not the condemnation that makes me feel like I should be spending the rest of the day giving myself a toilet swirly.
When my day in court arrives and I appear before the judge, I will totally be saying..."I'm a madman your honor.....a desperate fool at the end of his pitiful rope."
Friday, August 17, 2012
Happy Fun Girl: Fighting on the High Seas with Wenches & the 5 P's...
Happy Fun Girl: Fighting on the High Seas with Wenches & the 5 P's...: ABCDEFGHIJKLMNO....P! Growing up, my little brother would recite the alphabet starting at the top of his head, moving his pointer finger do...
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