I love Montana. I arrived this afternoon to a glorious view of the Montana big sky. The big round and warm thing in the sky was a welcome sight after leaving a dark and rainy Seattle. We haven’t seen the sun a whole lot this winter.
I’m here for a writing retreat at my sister Kathy and brother-in-law Denny’s house. Their last name is Goodheart. That name is so very fitting. They are good-hearted Montana folk.
I always feel like a princess in my room at their house. I have a desk to set up for writing. I sleep in a huge king size bed with a cozy down comforter. The stars extend to forever in the midnight sky over their hot tub. I love it.
I have a deadline for my devotional book so I’m excited to work on that this week. Thoughts have been brewing in my journal and in my heart for many months. Now I need to organize them in the format needed for this book.
My book is a called Caregivers Devotions to Go. It will be published in January 2010.
On my last writing retreat at the Goodhearts, I created the book proposal for this book. Now I get to actually work on the manuscript. There is just something so good about this place.
Being here makes me miss my mom. She lived here for seven years. Many of the devotions I’m writing involve stories about her caring heart. She was an amazing caregiver as mom to her ten children. Many friends and neighbors affectionately called her “ma”. She was a wonderful caregiver to the hundreds of students she taught for twenty-six years. As grandma, she loved and cared deeply for her twenty-six grandkids. She only got to meet some of her great-grandchildren but she loved each one.
The last time I saw Mom alive was here in Billings when she took her last breath on October 20, 2007. Even in her death she cared enough to hang on so we could fly from Seattle to be with her. She held on until just a few hours after we arrived. Just like her. Always caring for the other guy.
As I write for my devotional book this week I plan to pay tribute to the caring legacy she left for her family. I only wish I had her editing expertise to scribble red ink all over my manuscript. I miss the excellent craftsman she was when it came to telling stories. She was ruthless when it came to typos. I miss that too!
God Bless Your Heart!
Gigi
I read a quote today by Corrie Ten Boom. “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.”
That statement rings in my heart tonight as I thank God for a good report for my sister Shelley. Although she is still in the process of receiving total healing for her recently diagnosed breast cancer, the news today was something to celebrate.
She had a biopsy on her left breast after an MRI revealed there could be a problem. Thank you Jesus….it was clear. Now we are going to believe for total healing from the cancer found in her other breast.
Tuesday night Shelley and her family joined my home group for a night of prayer. We focused our time on lifting Shelley’s situation to the Lord and asking for healing. I trust that God will continue to answer this prayer when Shelley has surgery on Tuesday to remove all the cancer from her body.
I will continue to lift her in prayer trusting this unknown future to a known God.
When you trust God, everything about your life becomes more joyful and more manageable. Quote by Neil Clark Warren.
My question today is who do you trust?
God Bless Your Heart!
Gigi
Last month during an author’s training session I was struck by a comment Jean Ann Duckworth made when describing her One Person. This is the person you are writing to when you consider your audience. She said something like “Every day that I don’t write is one more night she lays in bed and cries because she needs to hear what I have to say so she doesn’t feel alone.”
This thought has been resonating in my head all month. There are so many hurting people who may need to hear our story. A few weeks ago at my home group we went around the room and shared what is going on in each of our lives. There is so much grieving and pain in this world that it can be overwhelming sometimes. But I have a secret – there IS hope!
So I write. I write in order to give hope to mom’s who have babies born with severe birth defects to tell them that there is hope in tomorrow.
I write in order to help people understand that even though these kids look different, they are really more like you than you think.
I write to share with moms of sons so we can learn from each other’s stories. I love to write about my two boys.
I write in order to share the things I’ve learned along the twenty-two year journey I’ve traveled as a mom.
I write to encourage others.
I write every day in my journal to document the happenings of my life because I cherish the 74 year old journal my mom wrote in when she was a teen. I learned so much about her from what she wrote. Now that she’s dancing in heaven I hear her voice in the written words. I miss her.
I write with the hope that the people who read my work will be blessed.
I can’t get that One Woman out of my mind. Who is she? Will I ever meet her face to face? I sure hope so.
She needs to know she is not alone in feeling forgiven for the stupid decisions she made in college.
She needs to know that the rocky times in her marriage will get better.
She needs to know that grace for the moment comes when we ask for it.
I write so I can help young teen women stay off the ugly detour I took in my youth.
Mostly, I write to point to the HOPE of Jesus.
Really, He’s the only answer. 🙂 So I write…
This weekend we celebrated with our future daughter-in-law Kelsey at her first bridal shower. It was so much fun to see her college and work friends. I was so blessed by “homies” from our home group and my sisters and nieces who joined in the celebration. We all had a great time.
I love being included in all of the bride’s activity. I only have two boys so I’ll never have a daughter to shop with for a wedding gown. But Kelsey graciously let me come with her and her mom while she tried on dresses. And boy did she find a beautiful gown. I promised I wouldn’t tell anyone what it looks like but I will tell you that she looks like a princess.
Boys don’t tell their moms much about the wedding. So I really appreciated Kelsey filling me in tonight at dinner on all the sweet little touches they will have during their ceremony. It’s going to be a glorious day. I cry just thinking about it. God is so good.
It’s hard for mom’s to let their sons go. At least it is for me. Zane is my first born son. He is a jewel. He used to crawl on my lap and snuggle. I loved to rub his back when I put him to bed. I’d sneak out of the room when I thought he was asleep. Just as I got to the door I’d hear his little voice. “Mommy, you aren’t done yet. One more time please.”
I miss that time. It seems like hundreds of years ago. In a couple weeks Zane will turn twenty-two. Oh how I’ve been blessed these twenty-two years. Incredibly blessed.
Zane is home for spring break. He has the flu. I don’t like him to be sick but I rather like taking care of him. When he asked me to get him more Advil and water the other morning, I stopped to think. This is likely the last time I get to take care of him when he is sick. Kelsey will do that for him when they marry. Another transition. A passing of my caregiver hat to someone else. So I’ve savored the weekend of pampering my first born.
Being mother of the groom is harder than I thought it would be. But the wonderful thing is that he is marrying a treasure. So I’m gaining a beautiful daughter instead of losing a son. I like the sound of that. God’s favor is definitely on this marriage. They have honored each other and honored God all through the years they have dated. To God be the Glory! I’m so proud.
Hi. Welcome to my blog. This is my first entry.
Since I’ve kept a journal for over 35 years I think this blogging thing is right up my alley. I generally like to write with a pen in hand. There is just something about seeing the words appear on the paper as I write. It flows freely from my thoughts to my hand. I have stacks and stacks of journals where I’ve penned my thoughts over the years.
Blogging on the computer will likely flow just as easily since I’m a writer. I type rather quickly so I can get my thoughts down probably more quickly on the computer than in my journal. I hope this becomes a place where I share my thoughts about life, writing, speaking. You name it.
Most of all I hope the readers of my blog walk away encouraged. I love being an encourager. So stop back from time to time for a note of encouragement.
I am working on writing a Bible study about transition. Aren’t we always in some sort of transition? I find myself right now in the midst of transition into an empty nest with Gabe in college and Zane preparing to marry this summer.
I’m curious to hear about some of your transition experiences. Take a moment to send me a comment on my webpage if you have any transition stories. Changed jobs recently? Got married or divorced? Had a new baby? Moved to a new house? Has a health issue caused a transition in your life?
Share your transition story with me and I might use it in my Bible study.
I woke up this morning at 3:30. The words “embrace transition”, “embrace change” and “embrace hope” kept rolling around my head.
As I think about the story of my life, God continues to remind me that I must embrace the changes that come my way. I must remember that God does indeed work all things together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.
I am a writer because I want to share the hope I found in the many transitions of my life. The stories of the lives God has allowed me to touch keep me writing and sharing the testimony. I want my writing to touch the wounded hearts of my reader and bring them to a place of hope and peace.
We need to hang on to hope. America is in transition. Many of us are facing new challenges. But I want to assure you – There IS hope.
When I was a young seven year old, my dad died of cancer and suddenly I was called fatherless. But God reminded me that He is my Father. My hope in God the Father has sustained me through many transitions.
In fifth grade we moved from our tiny little three bedroom, one bath home to a spacious four bedroom, two bathroom home with a covered porch and a climbing tree in the back yard. This transition was fun because all ten of us felt like we lived in a mansion. We no longer had to cram seven kids in one bedroom. We finally had a shower. My hope in God the Provider has kept me in peace in difficult times. He always provides. It might look different than I expected, but He always provides.
My heart was broken many times in my life because of the death of family and friends. I attended too many funerals before I went to college. I also experienced the death of relationships that meant a lot to me. My hope in God the healer of broken hearts is always very real. It still is very real. I often embrace that hope.
When I felt like a failure because my first marriage lasted only six months, my hope in the Redeemer carried me through some very trying years wrought with poor decisions and difficult consequences. He never left my side. Hope was only a prayer away.
My youngest son Gabriel surprised us all when he was born with an unusually formed body. I hung on to hope with a death grip as I saw my future with uncertain eyes. God never left my side during these years, even though I tried desperately to do things my way. After Gabe was born I spent two years of striving at work and at home before God really got my attention. I finally surrendered everything to Him. Hope sustained me all these years as we have walked through the challenges of raising a son with a disability.
Oh I still try to do things my way every now and again. But each day I’m reminded of the hope that has carried me through the years. When I seek direction from the Word of God and pray for His instruction, I never doubt that He will lead me where He wants me to go. I just need to embrace that hope and follow his direction. Detours are no fun!
I am in another major transition in my life. Gabe is now living in the dorm and doing very well at the University. Zane will graduate from WSU in May and marry his sweetheart, Kelsey in June. Our transition to the empty nest has been challenging because I’m no longer needed as much by my precious boys. But it is also very good.
I enjoy my time with Steven more than ever before. We actually have time to talk about our hopes and plan for our dreams. He is a lot of fun and we are growing closer every day.
Embrace Hope. I like the sound of that. I know God will give me the grace to maneuver each curve in the road. He’s already proven to be a good guide over the last fifty years of seeking His will. I’m the one who drives off the road and into the ditch when I keep my eyes off Him. But there he is to pick me up, brush me off, and set me back on track. I love that about Jesus.
I pray you will embrace hope for whatever is going on in your life. I opened my Bible to Psalm 119 this morning and God spoke to me in the entire chapter. But these two verses have been resonating in my heart all day long.
49 Remember your word to your servant,
for you have given me hope.
50 My comfort in my suffering is this:
Your promise preserves my life.
Yes, there is hope. I pray you embrace it today. God Bless Your Heart!
Whew. What more can I say? We arrived home from the Christian Writer’s Guild conference in Colorado Springs. The Write for the Soul Conference was held at the beautiful Broadmoor Hotel. This place was absolutely indescribable.
I am excited to take what I learned at the conference and improve my writing. It was such a blessing to hear Dr. Gary Chapman, Dr. Don Hensley, Sammy Tippitt, Karen Kingsbury, McNair Wilson and Pastor Bill Oudemolen. Each speaker added a wealth of information and inspiration over the weekend. We were delighted by Randy Atchison as he entertained us playing every key on his Steinway throughout the weekend. This morning’s worship was a fun with the Colorado Cowboys.
It was a highlight of the weekend to have a chat with one of my favorite fiction authors – Karen Kingsbury. We met her husband Don. She encouraged me to keep writing because the world needs to be blessed by Gabe’s story. Now how is that for inspiration to get it finished!
The continuing education classes and workshops were so informative. I’ll be anxiously awaiting the arrival of my MP3 copy of the conference sessions.
My appointments with book and magazine editors were very successful. I’ve been asked to submit my book proposal to two editors. Several magazines are interested in my articles. Yee Ha!
So I’ll be busy fine tuning my proposal and writing query letters to better explain the article titles I presented.
The main thing about this conference was that God get’s all the glory. We all write for the glory of God and to bring the message to a hurting world. Isn’t that the way it is supposed to be? Amen!
I probably won’t be able to sleep tonight with all the thoughts rolling around my head of things I need to edit or write….but I know I am called to write to the broken hearts and place their hand in God’s hand.
They named me The Caring Diva! I was recently blessed when a box arrived on my door step. Inside I found 250 new business cards – a gift from the publisher of my devotional book. Extreme Diva Media is a fun company and they publish awesome books. Jean Ann Duckworth, the main Diva of the organization gave me the name “The Caring Diva”. I like the sound of that.
So I thought about ways to show that I care. This week I’m going to a writer’s conference so I’ll be bringing along my stash of cards. I love to have them with me so I can write a quick note to a new friend or a waitress or bellboy. It’s a simple way to show that you care. I challenge you to do it this week. Jot a note to someone who needs to know you care. Happy Writing!
Gigi is now a member of the Northwest Christian Writer’s Association Speaker’s Connection. This is the perfect place for you to find an excellent speaker for your event. Check it out at www.nwchristianwriters.org