Greetings from Amarillo!

Gary and I returned last night from sunny, (not-windy), Scottsdale, AZ where I attended an Author school workshop.  I must say, when the wind blows at 40 mph here, I really miss Scottsdale in a BIG way!  The Author School was a fantastic way for several of us authors to learn new and innovative ways to market our books.  Dee and Liz gave us mounds of information that my mind has not yet untangled, but it will soon as I begin to look back through my notes.

I met some incredible people, 3 Canadians, Charles, Shannon and Gwen; a precious couple from Nevada, Phil and Lois and Mary from right here in Amarillo! (Who shares the same birthday as me, what are the odds?)  In the picture to the right:  Here we all are outside our beautiful hotel.  God has such a great way of putting people in our lives that I know I will see again someday.  I love that!  Charles Whyte wrote Blue Jean Millionaire, which you can get on Amazon.com.  A great "come-back" story you won't want to miss!

Ironically, while away at Author School, I learned via email, that I was not one of the 30 finalists for the Women of Faith Book writing contest. Bummer.  But, the good news is, I can move forward with my original plan and begin the publishing process with Dee and Liz at TAG Publishing right here in Amarillo.  I have to say, I am quite spoiled having my publisher right here, just 10 minutes away.  I feel I have a great advantage to being able to run over to their office if needed.  I realize everything could be done via phone and email, but there is something so valuable to having the "human element" while writing/publishing a book.  Dee and Liz, thank you for your hard work this past weekend to bring us a great Author School!  Kudos to you both!

Okay, so now it's back to "real life"....ironing Gary's shirts that have been piling up for over two weeks!  Here's how I turn that into a positive, I park my ironing board right in front of the TV and watch all the taped shows that have accumulated over time...minus the commercials!  Here we go HGTV and TLC!

Hope you have a great President's Day Monday and fabulous week as well!

Horse Therapy

Greetings on this Friday Evening,

Was it not an absolutely beautiful day, beginning about 2:00 this afternoon?  After having a Birthday lunch with my friend, Twilla, who turned 29(?) today, :)...I had the privilege of some horse therapy at Horse Play at Mesquite Ranch www.horseplayatmesquiteranch.com with Becky and Frank Foster.

For over a few years, my love for horses continues to grow to an insatiable degree, but the Lord lead me directly to Becky and Frank Foster as a volunteer and I have enjoyed every moment I've been able to spend learning from Becky and in the presence of those horses.  They are Tennessee Walking horses.  That didn't mean much to me when I first learned it, but I now know, they have a special gait and are simply the most gentle horses I've ever been around.  Becky and Frank are Equine Therapists and conduct sessions with children and adults by the use of the horses as metaphors to life's little (or big) obstacles.  As a client might try to get the horse to go over a barrel, without touching the horse, they find it's not as easy as it seems.  Just like life's obstacles aren't as easy as well.  After the exercise, the clients and Becky and Frank join together and "process" the feelings associated with the inability to get the horse to cooperate and complete the task, if in fact, the horse didn't.  However, many times, the clients are able to persuade the horse to go over the barrel, (or whatever the task might be) and then process the feelings/emotions/attitudes of the success of that.

Horses are unbelievably intuitive.  There is no fooling them.  If they sense you are frustrated, they dig their heels in the ground because they know they have the upper hand, now.  If you aren't assertive with them, they won't budge.  Then we get mad at the horse because we couldn't get them to complete the task like we wanted.  Isn't that just how we are in life?  I can so relate to that.  So many times, I haven't asserted myself towards someone, they overstep my lack of boundary and then I get frustrated with THEM!  Sounds silly as I write it now, but I've seen myself do that over and over.  The good news is, I'm quite aware of it now and it doesn't tend to happen nearly as often.


I encourage you to go onto their website listed above and check out their mission and vision.  They are changing lives in many of our at-risk youth and teaching them positive coping skills and lessons on life that they might not have ever learned otherwise.  This is one of the most incredible ministries I've been involved in and of course, it does meet a selfish need of mine to be around horses.  Becky also gives horse riding lessons, individually and for groups.  Let me just say, she has taught me an amazing amount of horse training on the ground and riding. She is more patient than Job! Today, I got to ride Bria (I call her my horse) for the first time.  She's only been ridden twice before by Becky and today, I had the incredible opportunity to climb up on her and sit tall on the saddle as we gently rode in the round pen today.  She did wonderfully!  Then, after I dismounted and walked away, she followed me.  Becky says that's the sign that she now sees me as her "leader."  When I turned around and she stood there three inches from my face, I couldn't help but feel an immediate bond with her.  She's truly an incredible horse, so gentle and laid back.  I long for our next "session."  Even if I just groom Bria, I feel I've had some awesome therapy.  It's indescribable.  If you're interested, email me or the Fosters.  They are the most likable people you'll ever meet and so eager to help others. 

There is something so majestic about horses and I can't seem to find the right words to explain it.  God created an amazing animal in the horse and I long to understand them more deeply.  Thanks to Becky and Frank, I've been given that opportunity. :)

 “Do you give the horse its strength  or clothe its neck with a flowing mane?  Do you make it leap like a locust, striking terror with its proud snorting?  Job 39: 19-20 NIV

Don't Buy the Lie!

Greetings!
While I'm studying the Book of James TWICE this semester, God has been loud and clear on some things He's wanted me to take care of.  James is a convicting book if you just read straight through it, but when you actually dig down deep into the depths of the meaning behind the book, well. . . it's downright uncomfortable!!  Beth Moore mentioned last night in her video, and I'm paraphrasing: "How long has it been since the Word of God caused you to change something about yourself?"  Wow.  Just that one question brings conviction to me.  My answer was:  "This morning!" :)

In a ladies Bible Study I'm in on Tuesday mornings we are studying James, chapters 4 & 5 with Chip Ingram.  Just those two chapters have enough instruction on "right" living, that if we never studied anything else, we could certainly live more righteously by applying the wisdom from those chapters.  So, while I was listening Tuesday morning to Chip's video, he asked: "Is there anyone you need to seek forgiveness from?"  I knew immediately there was.  That person had been on my mind several times over the past two years and I KNEW God wanted me to seek forgiveness.  But I delayed.  Fear of rejection.  Just fear.  But then last night, the conviction came again and there was no denying, God was not going to allow my disobedience to be comfortable one more day.  "Okay, Okay, God!  I will call tomorrow."

I did call, today, and I met with this precious person face to face.  Thank goodness, she had not been offended by me, but I still needed to apologize for not coming to her sooner and allowing the enemy to cause divisiveness, even if only perceived, in the Body of Christ.  That's what James talks about.  How we Believers are divided amongst ourselves and how the enemy wins when that happens!  The lies he tells us are so believable, we buy them.  Or I did, anyway.  I am now determined to take the facts to God, weigh them carefully and if there is still an issue, go to that person quickly to resolve whatever the problem is--even if its just a perceived problem.  I will NOT let the enemy talk me out of it!

I was wearing a distorted set of lenses and could not see the truth.  His cunning deception worked on me and I am humbled to have to admit that.  However, as with all his schemes, once brought to the Light, he loses his power immediately.  Ahh, sweet revenge on him:  when he plans something to harm us, and God turns it around for good! 

I pray you are not wrestling with anything from the enemy, but if you are, rest assured, he wants you to be paralyzed in fear.  Don't buy the lie.  He can't tell the truth, but God's truth can and will set you free!

The Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

2 Corinthians 3:17

Birth Announcement/Preannouncement

Wow!  I can hardly believe I am typing this post, but I just have to declare:  It Is Finished!
"What's finished?" you might wonder....THE BOOK!!!  Well, I say it's finished, at least my part of writing is finished.  I can not tell you what it feels like to have that 5-6 year old baby birthed!  I've said this before, and I'll repeat myself, I've never been pregnant and can only imagine what it feels like those last few months, but I believe I felt pretty close to that in my efforts to complete this manuscript.

   
Wrong Place at the Right Time
      How a Dose of Humility Lead to Victory

Interestingly, I was perusing the internet and stumbled onto a book writing contest with Women of Faith and Westbow Press. . .Hmm? I thought.  I read through the rules, etc and there, at the very bottom read the deadline for the contest:  January 31, 2012 11:59 EST.  What?  I couldn't believe it!  I had three days left to complete-complete my manuscript if I wanted to enter.  So for three solid days, I read, re-read and tweaked until I was able to finally give birth to one of the most challenging, yet rewarding endeavors I've ever tackled.  I was thrilled to have the opportunity to enter, even though I know its a long shot!  The grand prize winner receives a complete publishing package from Westbow Press with the option of Thomas Nelson Publisher to pick the book it up!  If I'm not the grand prize winner, that's okay too, since I have a great publisher right here in town who wants to publish it as well.  I feel it's a win-win situation, so why not give it try, right? :)

Now, let me update you on some real "birth" news. . . Gary and I are going to be grandparents!!! Yes! That's right, Bree and Daniel are expecting their first child in August!  We are so excited!  We're calling ourselves: SuSu and Poppy.  I guess we'll be called whatever comes out of the precious one's mouth, but for now, we're going with S & P!  I cannot wait to have a grandchild; everyone says its better than parenting.  Since I missed the parenting segment, I'm going straight to the best part!  I'll keep you posted when we learn if its a boy or girl. (Girl probably, surely, I hope!)  I know I will love whatever we have, but I sure do have big dreams of dressing up a little girl in some cute leopard outfits!  I don't think a little boy is going to like those outfits one bit!

God is so good and so faithful.  It's amazing how much He loves us, and we can only imagine a tiny bit of that love.  I hope you're feeling it today! :)