Filled with Fear or Firm in Faith?

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Sometimes it’s a pleasant surprise. In the midst of writing and heading to speaking engagements, God whispers a call to a different task. Mine was a mission trip to Bolivia and Peru. A special visit in many ways for me as Bolivia happens to be my birthplace. The weather was beautiful. A shower of blessing upon blessing poured upon me. And the folks whom I ministered to shined joy into my days. But in the middle of doing good work, a bad glitch appeared.

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When It’s Time to Regroup

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Sometimes in our writing career, we get blindsided by an unexpected event that temporarily throws us off course. It could be a family situation, a medical diagnosis, or a job loss.  Whatever the situation, we suddenly find ourselves facing a circumstance that diverts our full attention from our writing.  What can we do?

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Getting rid of stress

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Who loves classical music these days? My six-year-old granddaughter does. And Mozart is one of her favorite composers. She plays his music over and over again. The other day, she pulled my hand. “I love it. C’mon, Nana, let’s dance.” Dance? It’s not salsa, I thought. I smiled and shuffled a bit, trying to follow the beat and move with grace. But not my little princess. She twirled, jumped, wiggled, stomped one foot, then the other, and moved from here to there. Then when it was over, she was out of breath but said, “Let’s do it again.”

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How to craft happy endings

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Have you ever worked on a piece so much that you practically memorized it? That was me when, for the umpteenth time, I rewrote the first chapter of the novel I had completed. The story, engaging and the characters, sassy and insightful. The end product was, well, in my opinion, pretty wonderful. Then it happened. I got it back from the editor. I swallowed hard and my shoulders drooped with disbelief. The whole thing was riddled with corrections, questions, and endless suggestions for improvements. I cringed, but accepting the changes was imperative because the editor had in mind a great…

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How to find reassurance

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“Over a hundred years? Who in the world wants to live that long!” my friend said as she read the story of the man who has been documented as living the longest in modern times—a Bolivian man, reported to be 123 years old. His story perked my interest because this toothless man and I have two things in common: we’re both from Bolivia and we both eat Quinoa.

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LOVING A PET CAN SAVE A LIFE—by Christine Lindsay

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  Unless you’re allergic, it’s a funny thing about pets—they have a way of weaving hearts together. From the time my daughter graduated from high school until well past university, she struggled big time with depression.  In fact, she was so severely depressed during her school years she began cutting herself….

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Biting the Bullet

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Writing often comes by the sweat of one’s brow. Had I waited for inspiration throughout my writing career, I would have written few words. Most of what I’ve written over the years has come from sheer perseverance and a strong determination to get the job done.

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Helping turn the corner of pain

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  I’m dancing in my blindness and rejoicing in my disability. Crazy statement, isn’t it? But I think you’ll agree with the reason I have joy dancing in my soul. First, my friend, who has been there for me for years, always answers, “No problem…that was easy,” each of the dozen times I ask her to format documents, to post these blogs, or perform research for me.

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How can I be courageous?

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It was the strangest thing. My pillow was lumpy. What in the world? I thought as I reached inside the pillowcase and pulled out several of my favorite scarves one right after the other—my red, green, and lavender. “Young lady,” I called out to my six-year-old granddaughter. I lifted one in the air. “Did you do this?” ”Uh, uh…yes.” I frowned. “Haven’t I told you that if you played with them, you must fold them and put them back where they belong?” “Yes.” “And haven’t I told you that we must have a place for everything and…” She completed the…

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