Lessons Learned from Miley Cyrus

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I know how the title sounds and I also know you’re ready to find me hidden in a metropolis of Denver and crucify me. But read the post first. There is value in it. I think, at least.

A couple weeks ago I heard this song (you can watch it here) and the lyrics struck me. If you can forget for a moment who is actually singing the song and just think about the words, they make a powerful impact.

It’s not about the mountain, it’s all about the climb.

How often do we look at a mountain we want to scale and can’t wait to crest it? Reach that point of accomplishment. The point where we can look back and say that we made it? That we made the job promotion? Moved away from home? Got married? Had kids?

What is your mountain?

Because there is one more after that. And another after that. And another after that.

The lyrics to this song really struck a cord with me: It’s always going to be an uphill battle. There is always one more mountain. We reach the one we’re climbing, happy and content…until we see the next mountain.

And suddenly we are never done. Never reached the end, because every time we look up from the mountain we think will fulfill all our desires, we see the next dream. The next goal. The next want.

I thought moving away from home and working in a field I love, being around close friends, would solve all my desires and problems for right now. I thought I’d be happy and content. (And don’t get me wrong, I’m very happy where God has me). But now I see the next mountain. And the next. And the next.

I would like to think finding Mr. Right and making him mine would solve all my problems and I’d be content. But then I’d probably want to be out of the city and living in the country. Then I’d probably want to have kids and the cycle goes on and on.

There is a lesson to be learned in this song by Miley Cyrus, and yes I think it’s a spiritual reminder. A reminder that we always want something more. Something beyond what we have here and now. But when we’re always focused on the next mountain, we miss the lessons we’re learning right now. We miss the steps we are having to take to get us where we are going.

And we forget that it’s all about the climb. It’s all about the lessons we’re learning. It’s all about the journey.

It’s a theme I seem to need to relearn every other day. It’s an easy one to forget and let slide. It’s all too easy to get caught up in the view on the horizon, instead of what God has in front of us today. (though I don’t think there is anything wrong with enjoying the view—within the will and patience of where God has us now).

So I encourage you to listen to the song. Soak in the words. Think about how to apply them to the life you’re living now. Are you racing towards the next mountain instead of enjoying the climb in front you?

You only climb this mountain once.   

Romantic Comedy to Love ~ A Bouquet of Love by Janice Thompson ~ Review

A story well worth the time to giggle over, A Bouquet of Love is a sweet and simple story with some zingy (and zany!) characters sure to entertain and make it very worth the reader’s while-at least this reader!

Cassia and Alex are a yummy couple—and I don’t say that just because their loyalties lie around good food and restaurants, though the strong clash between the Pappas and Rossi’s certainly make for some comedic and tension worthy moments.

I love a good romantic comedy. Elements of the ridiculous coupled with a duo you can cheer and root for, not to mention plenty of opportunities for comedic relief, the book was great at keeping me on my toes and still laughing.

Sometimes it’s just nice to relax with a book that will take you away. Remind me of the sweet and the hilarious. Remind me to take that time and find the laughter and joy in a day. And oftentimes it’s found in the hands of a book like this. A laughable, enjoyable, funny romantic comedy set around a hilarious and boisterous family we all love in the big Rossi clan. Because really, who doesn’t want to sit around and stuff themselves on cheesy pizza and watch the love between a cute couple? Pass me another slice!

This review is my honest opinion. Thanks to the publishers for my copy to review.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Cassia Pappas has found herself in a nearly impossible situation. She wants to spend her time

immersed in her new job at a Galveston Island floral shop, arranging blooms and brightening occasions with her lovely creations. But her huge Greek family–especially her father–has other ideas. They’ve all relocated to Galveston to open up a new family restaurant location on the Strand– directly across the street from the Rossis’ popular pizza place–and they want Cassia’s full participation.

To make matters worse, as Cassia is trying to develop a strong professional relationship with Galveston’s premier wedding coordinator, Bella Neeley, her own father is intent on stealing all of the Rossi family’s faithful customers. Not exactly the best way to get into Bella’s good graces!

Still, at least Alex, that hot delivery guy from the nursery, is always hanging around the flower shop . . .
Fan favorite Janice Thompson gives readers one more romp with Bella, Galveston, and the bustling wedding biz in the final installment of her popular series. Anyone who loves quirky families, loads of laughter, and tender romance will find themselves hooked.

Giveaway! Beyond I Do by Jennifer Slattery!

Welcome to Writing for Christ Jennifer Slattery, it is great to have you here! So you’re a writer? What made you decide to start creating characters and story world?

To be honest, initially, writing wasn’t even on my radar. It started as a means-to-an-end; creating dramas, curriculum, newsletters, etc. for ministries I was involved in. One afternoon, however, as I was running and praying over a short story a children’s director asked me to write, I realized, “Hey, I really enjoy this!” So I began to piddle around with it, for personal enjoyment, really. Years, and many nudges from God later, I clued in to the fact that this is what He created me to do.

What is the one title that has significantly impacted your life?

Not a title as much a series: The Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers. The extreme, devoted faith of the slave girl Hadasseh made me want to develop and display the same level of faith. However, the book does have some graphic scenes that, at times, were quite disturbing. But even so, the overall message was strong enough to keep me reading despite this.

If you could get a do-over when it came to learning this whole thing called writing, what would you go back and tell yourself?

Hm… I’m not sure. I’ve seen how God has used everything—every hurdle, set-back, and step forward, to grow me and move toward where I’m at. So I don’t think I’d want a do-over as much as a reminder to surrender, trust, and keep moving. A reminder to enjoy the journey, knowing He is faithful to always perfect those things which concern me.

5 preference questions:

Homemade or take-out? Oh, this is tough. If I’m not feeling well, take-out for sure. But I kinda prefer the taste of my own cooking.

Email or snailmail? Email just because it’s quicker so I can respond to urgent needs. But oh, how I love getting cards from my special friend. I have a spiritual mentor that often sends a card with a verse written in it. Though she sends plenty of texts and emails, too.

Online shopping or Black Friday deals? Neither! For me, shopping is very relational, and I either like to go with my hubby, my teenage daughter, or a special friend. But I would never subject myself to the craziness of BF. Well, except I did once, for my daughter’s sake. (She wanted to try shopping on that day once. Yeah, that was all it took. Hahaha.)

Books or movies? Books! I have very little patience for movies, especially today’s movies which seem to have ten minutes of fighting followed by five minutes of plot then ten more minutes of fighting.

Note-taker or memorization? Both? I’m working really hard on trying to memorize Scripture. But I think and process through my hands, so…

Yes, I’m asking you to play favorites…which of your books is your favorite, published or unpublished? And if this is your debut novel, has your favorite been published yet?

This is my debut, and well… my favorite novel is always the one I’m currently writing, but the one I got goose bumps on more than one occasion from God’s clear and very specific guidance; that one will come out in 2015. It’s about a fifty-one year old, menopausal realtor, a widowed railroader, and three precious children abandoned by their mother. Here’s the back cover text:

A hurricane forces Jacqueline to evacuate. Looking to begin again—and reconnect with her embittered daughter—Jacqueline heads north. Reconciliation is hard, but she has a handsome new friend to lean on. Most importantly, she knows God is standing beside her.

When her daughter rejects her, three children abandoned by their mother open their hearts. But can God use a woman who dashed the hopes of her own child to bring hope to someone else’s? 

Places for readers to learn more about you?

They can visit me at my personal blog, http://jenniferslatterylivesoutloud.com or at Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/JenSlatte

Thank you for being with us today!

Thanks for having me!

Readers, enter to win Jennifer's book here!

Please leave an email address! If I draw your name and there is no email, you will not win.

For extra entries:

~Be a follower

~Be a subscriber

Contest is only open in the U.S. and void where prohibited. Chances of winning are based on the number of entries and winner is draw from a non-biased third party- Random.org. I am not responsible for any lost or damaged items for said prize.

Thanks for coming by to enter! Contest ends on August 22nd

Attn Readers! If you're struggling to leave a comment on my blog, please email your comment entries (in ONE email) and I will submit it for you. But PLEASE only do this after you've failed to leave a comment. My email is: caseym.writer(@)gmail.com 

Why I Don't Believe in Long-Term Dating

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*I do not pretend for this post to be all things to all people. You probably won't agree with me and have good reasons why long term dating worked for you or someone you know. I don't write this post to pick a fight. I write this post and my strong feelings on this from my stance as a single girl. I still welcome your comments and constructive (kind) criticism*

I don't believe in long term dating. 

I actually don't believe in dating at all, but rather this concept called courting, but that's another post for another time.

Why don't I believe in long term dating? It's not so much a matter of not believing in it, because there are good and valid reasons why a couple have not married yet. My challenge is for all the other reasons. A couple questions always tend to come to mind when I run into these couples who are still dating after being together for years.

• Are you not committed to each other? Why haven't you made that decision of commitment or you are just hanging in there, someplace in the back of your mind, are you waiting or hoping for someone better?
• Which leads to my next question: are you thinking you are settling by marrying this person? If you do, then why are you still together? Why are you still investing your heart? 
• Is there no sexual attraction? The couples I run into, the circles I tend to make friends in, are waiting, holding themselves pure for their future spouse. Are you just great chums and like to hang out, or are you actually serious about this getting married thing? They why aren't you? 
• This isn't a question of whether or not you might love someone. I think if you spend a great deal of time with them, call each other "boyfriend" and "girlfriend" you probably at least profess to love them. So are you spending your time getting to know this person, for all intents and purposes interviewing them to see if they could be your future spouse?
• There is something to be said for spending a great deal of time with a person to know who they are. The character of that person. And there is also something to be said for realizing this could be the person you could marry and spend the rest of your life with. You might "get to know" someone by hanging out and doing social things together, dating etc. But you don't get to know the character of someone in most social settings. Do you know how this person is going to respond in a tough spot?

Our society is a dating culture. We're not--as a whole--a culture that commits. We like soft and unsure over hard answers and being accountable for our actions. It certainly doesn't make people like myself very popular. Why can't a guy and a girl "just be friends"? Why can't they just date for the sake of dating?

Because you are spending time, getting to know, investing in someone else's husband. Someone else's wife. 

If we think this person could be our spouse, why aren't we investing more of ourselves in that person? Why aren't we being more serious about finding out if we're good together, starting this thing called life? 

Are we a generation frightened of commitment? Or are we just lackluster in our drive?

Recommended Most Definitely ~ The Butterfly and the Violin by Kristy Cambron ~ Review

There is something truly beautiful about this Auschwitz story. I know you are thinking what I was: how in the world can a book about a terrible German concentration camp be a beautiful story? But it was. And it surprised me, in a good, good way.

Weaving present day and history is not always the easiest thing to do in fiction. But the two blended so well. Between Sera’s passion for this piece of art and Adele’s passion for her music, there is much room for parallels and symbolism.  

Sera and Adele are two extremely strong and vulnerable heroines. To watch them walk through their struggles is heart breaking and yet manages to put all the pieces of your heart back together by the time the story has come to a close.

The voice of the words on the page sweeps you away. I was enthralled and wanted to take each little bit slowly to soak it all in. Again, it’s a topic you do not think could be painted with grace and beauty and yet it is. And in that beauty, is great heartbreak for the reader to realize just what all is behind these

 words. The stories behind these people who truly lived through Auschwitz (though this book is pure fiction).

Over all, I admire the book and its ability to tell a great story. Recommended most definitely!

This review is my honest opinion. Thanks to the publishers through Litfuse Publicity for my copy to review.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

More about the novel...

"Today." Sera James spends most of her time arranging auctions for the art world's elite clientele. When her search to uncover an original portrait of an unknown Holocaust victim leads her to William Hanover III, they learn that this painting is much more than it seems.

"Vienna, 1942." Adele Von Bron has always known what was expected of her. As a prodigy of Vienna's vast musical heritage, this concert violinist intends to carry on her family's tradition and play with the Vienna Philharmonic. But when the Nazis learn that she helped smuggle Jews out of the city, Adele is taken from her promising future and thrust into the horrifying world of Auschwitz.

The veil of innocence is lifted to expose a shuddering presence of evil, and Adele realizes that her God-given gift is her only advantage; she must play. Becoming a member of the Women's Orchestra of Auschwitz, she fights for survival. Adele's barbed-wire walls begin to kill her hope as the months drag into nearly two years in the camp. With surprising courage against the backdrop of murder and despair, Adele finally confronts a question that has been tugging at her heart: Even in the midst of evil, can she find hope in worshipping God with her gift?

As Sera and William learn more about the subject of the mysterious portrait--Adele--they are reminded that whatever horrors one might face, God's faithfulness never falters.

*~*CONTEST INFO*~*

Welcome to the launch campaign for debut novelist Kristy Cambron's The Butterfly and the Violin. Romantic Times had this to say: "Alternating points of view skillfully blend contemporary and historical fiction in this debut novel that is almost impossible to put down. Well-researched yet heartbreaking. . . ."

Kristy is celebrating the release of the first book in her series, A Hidden Masterpiece, with a fun Kindle Fire giveaway and meeting her readers during an August 7th Facebook author chat party.

 One winner will receive:

• A Kindle Fire
• The Butterfly and the Violin by Kristy Cambron

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on August 7th. Winner will be announced at The Butterfly and the Violin Author Chat Party. Kristy will be connecting with readers and answering questions, sharing some of the fascinating research behind the book, hosting a fun book chat, and giving away some GREAT prizes. She will also be giving an exclusive look at the next book in the series, A Sparrow in Terezin!

So grab your copy of The Butterfly and the Violin and join Kristy on the evening of August 7th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 7th!

Giveaway! In Perfect Time by Sarah Sundin!

Welcome to Writing for Christ Sarah Sundin, it is great to have you here! So you’re a writer? What made you decide to start creating characters and story world?

Characters who wouldn’t leave me alone. I was (still am) a pharmacist. I had no plans to be a writer. Then a story idea—the characters, really—struck me. I had to tell their story.

What is the one title that has significantly impacted your life?

I read Rick Warren’s A Purpose-Driven Life at the same time God was calling me into serious writing, and it really helped me to see God’s purpose in my life and to set my priorities to reflect those purposes.

If you could get a do-over when it came to learning this whole thing called writing, what would you go back and tell yourself?

To relax and enjoy the pre-published phase. If it’s God’s will, it’ll happen in God’s timing. I knew this, but to really relax in it would have been wonderful.

5 preference questions:

Homemade or take-out? Homemade. Unless I’m on deadline J

Email or snailmail? Email. But please don’t text me.

Online shopping or Black Friday deals? Neither. Brick & mortar stores, but NOT during big sales.

Books or movies? Books.

Note-taker or memorization? Note-taker, list-maker, color-coordinated-chart lover.

           

Yes, I’m asking you to play favorites…which of your books is your favorite, published or unpublished? And if this is your debut novel, has your favorite been published yet?

I have three kids. I love them all equally, they have their own strengths and weaknesses, and they drive me crazy in their own unique ways. It’s the same with my books. Right now, my new release, In Perfect Time, is probably my favorite. I’m feeling nostalgic for my Nightingale series after working on my new series for the past year.

Places for readers to learn more about you?

Website: http://www.sarahsundin.com

Blog: http://www.sarahsundin.com/blog

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SarahSundinAuthor

Twitter: http://twitter.com/sarahsundin

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/sarahsundin

Thank you for being with us today! 

Readers, enter to win Sarah's book here!

Please leave an email address! If I draw your name and there is no email, you will not win.

For extra entries:

~Be a follower

~Be a subscriber

Contest is only open in the U.S. and void where prohibited. Chances of winning are based on the number of entries and winner is draw from a non-biased third party- Random.org. I am not responsible for any lost or damaged items for said prize.

Thanks for coming by to enter! Contest ends on August 15th

Attn Readers! If you're struggling to leave a comment on my blog, please email your comment entries (in ONE email) and I will submit it for you. But PLEASE only do this after you've failed to leave a comment. My email is: caseym.writer(@)gmail.com 

Homeless

There is more than one way to be homeless. 

It's not always the typical image that comes to your mind when you think about the person sitting on the street corner, his or her home a cardboard box next to the Dumpster down the street, hopefully out of the biting wind.

There are different kinds of homelessness.

There is the kind that leaves you standing empty and alone in the middle of a crowd.

There is the kind that fully surrounds you even though a roof is over your head, food on a plate in front of you and people that care about you.

I've come face to face with a different sense of homelessness this week and I've had to rely more strongly on my God to pull me through.

I have a great place to live. Don't get me wrong. I have people who care greatly about whether or not I arrive home after work or my late night Bible Study (I've turned into such the partier since moving out here. Read: not). I have people who have generously opened up their home and their lives and invited me in.

So why am I writing a post about being homeless?

Because I am. But in a completely different sense of the word. 

Living in the in-between is hard. Harder than I expected. Harder than I planned. It's difficult to surrender and allow yourself to submit to a different season of life. And this season is definitely very different. I'm not fully independent...and yet I am. I'm not truly living on my own...and yet I am. 

Surrender takes on a whole new meaning when you are living in the in-between. It's a different kind of consideration for those around you. It's different to know what you have around you, truly isn't yours...and yet it is.

The other day I talked to my sister who has moved into my cute little bunkhouse. My

My bunkhouse. :-)

home on my parent's property. This was my space. My room. Was. Was. Was. And it's hard to give that up. To hand that over. Because having it there, I always knew in the back of my mind, if I had to, I could always go home.

And I still can. My parents would welcome me back with open arms. But I'm moving on. And that's hard. And while I have a very safe, warm and loving place to live now, it's not mine. Not yet. I can't paint the walls. I can't change the setting. I can hang things on the walls, but it's just a room, in a house.

And I realized in the midst of this, that life is always going to be some level of in-between. Some level of homelessness. There is always going to be something that is going to be difficult and I'm not going to like. The question is: what am I going to do with that? 

Am I going to let God guide me, walking more closely in tandem with Him? Or am I going to continue to mourn what I don't have? The changes that I have to make to become more fully the woman that He is making me to be? 

It's my choice. I just have to decide to actually make it. And live it out. 

Are you in a state of homelessness?