How are you changing the world with your choices? Think on this question for a second. How would you answer it? For me, it's more than just my writing. It is when I'm writing about my daughter and sharing my inner most thoughts and feelings on her dedication website (www.mommysangelinheaven.com). Whether my words were to only ever touch one person or millions, I know that in the end I have to be myself. If I am people will be able to see that through what comes out onto the page. I feel freer … [Read more...]
What if money were no object
That isn't a hard one. I know there are the typical answers like traveling the world, or buying your dream house or car (or both :) ). But that is more materialistic than what I'd want to do. First, I'd want to start the scholarship program in my daughter's memory. For those of you who don't know me very well, my daughter had severe classic autism. And finding good teachers who not only want to teach but want to teach child with autism and also have the patience to do it at the same time are … [Read more...]
The Journey with Jean Davis
Please welcome this weeks guest Jean Davis for The Journey. She answers the question: How have you seen God work in your writing journey? Ben cheats. I was at a meeting of a Christian writers’ group a few years ago. We’d been given a writing prompt with fifteen minutes to write. I didn’t want to read out loud the drivel I’d come up with. But when it was Ben’s turn, he received accolades. “That’s great, Ben! You wrote that just now?” someone asked. “How did you do that? Your piece … [Read more...]
Helping Others
When you help someone else how does that make you feel? For me, I get a warm, fuzzy feeling inside. It lets me know I'm doing the right thing. If I were to do something for only self-satisfying reason, there isn't that good feeling that comes with it. You feel kind of icky after it's all said and done and you've had time to think about it. I always think back to Mari and her time in the hospital. On the day the "Doom and Gloom Squad" sat us down one final time to tell us that our beautiful … [Read more...]
I’m Back (Man It’s Been A Long Time)
Well, who knew that my break would have taken me this long. Since my last message we have moved to Anchorage, Alaska. Our nephew has gone back home to live with his biological mom. And now I'm back into my writing. It's been so exciting as I completely rewrote out a new outline for my book as I figured out how I needed to proceed forward. I've just started writing out the new scene's and rewriting several of the ones I already had as the book takes on a new turn. I'd like to start a writing … [Read more...]
Moments Where Prayer Is Needed
In life we have so many different types of moments that forever touch us in some way. Some are those happy moments that you remember with a smile on your face. And then there are those that when you look back bring tears to your eyes. You couldn't stop the tears if you tried. I have a friend. Her sister's little girl over a year ago ingested toxic soda, or better known here in the US as a dry powder crystal type Draino. When I found out, I of course hoped that somehow the little 2-year-old … [Read more...]
Day 119: Stillness
For me, I like to write in complete silence. No TV on. No music playing in the background. This is what works for me. My mind is clear. The words flow forth. I tend to get distracted if anything is happening around me. Writing in silence helps me to be a better writer. It’s the stillness around me that helps my creative juices to really flow forth. Sometimes as a parent we need that stillness, or quiet time, away from our children. It’s not that we don’t love them or don’t want them. We just … [Read more...]
Day 107: A Love Story
Great loves of our life. Depending on the person, there can be many great loves or only a few to maybe only just one. For me, my first great love is for my Heavenly Father in heaven. It is through Him all things are possible. My next great love is for my husband Keith. In my childhood there were many kinds of abuse that happened to me and as a result shaped who I am today, or at least partly shaped. I don't have the greatest self-esteem. I have issues with letting go of control. I don't … [Read more...]
S is for Serious
Seriously, Mari was anything but serious. Autism. In and of itself is some pretty serious stereotypes. Children with autism don't show emotions, especially smiling and absolutely no laughing or giving of hugs. Eye contact. It doesn't happen. Concentration. Almost nonexistent. There are others as well but these ones are typically at the top of the list. I smile because not only did Mari have severe classic autism (on a scale of 1 to 10, Mari was between an 8 or 9), but she broke the mold … [Read more...]
Day 72: Writer’s Remorse
To write truthfully sometimes we have to write things we may not want others to know but are important to be true to who we are as a writer. When I think about this it kind nails me to the wall. My past isn't pretty. And it's not from anything bad I've done personally, but instead what has been done to me as a child. I think of my mom and every thing she went through as a child. My Granny and Grandpa partly raised me as a child. However, how they were with me was completely different than … [Read more...]
