I want to be a bestselling author and I want my books to be read all around the world. - I will continue to maintain a strict weekly work schedule and stick to it without excuses.
- I will query and solicit publishers for at least two new contracts this year.
- I will complete two new novels by the end of the year.
- I will promote my book on a daily basis through online activities, mailers and starting a newsletter.
- If I have a book in print by the end of the year, I will strive to promote it with every avenue I have available to me.
- I will continue to network with other authors, build friendships and grow with the publishing industry.
I want to be the best mother, best wife and best friend of all time. - I will wake up everyday wondering what I can do to help others. I will do something daily for my husband to let him know how much I love him. I will do something daily for my son to let him know how much I love him.
- I will make quality time for my son every single day.
- I will take special care to stay in touch with family and friends.
I want to change the whole world for the better by helping everyone I come into contact with, by influencing everyone around me and through a positive attitude and a smile. - I will continue to write a daily blog about faith, family and love.
- Any need I see, I will fill if I am capable of doing so. If not, I will help to find someone who is capable of filling that need.
I want to be closer to God than anyone else has ever been while still on Earth. - I will read the Bible on a daily basis and pray daily.
- I will seek God's advice before all decisions in my life and keep Him involved in everything I do.
I want to master my emotions, have peace and be in control of my own happiness. - Health is an important key to happiness. I will make a conscious effort everyday to make good food choices, take daily vitamins and exercise three to five times a week for my health.
- I will choose happiness every single day, multiple times when necessary.
- I will choose to forgive those that hurt me and let go of any anger I feel.
- I will choose to be flexible to change and roll with the punches in 2009.
I'm ready!!! 2009 is going to be a great year!!!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008 Some Lyrics to Inspire for the New Year! Artist: Montgomery Gentry
Song: Some People Change
Album: Something To Be Proud Of: The Best Of 1999-2005 His old man was a rebel yeller:
Bad boy to the bone.
He'd say: "Can't trust that other fella,"
He'd judge 'em by the tone of their skin.
He was raised to think like his Dad:
Narrow mind full of hate.
On the road to no-where fast,
Till the Grace of God got in the way.
Then he saw the Light an' hit his knees an' cried an' said a prayer:
Rose up a brand new man; left the old one right there.
Here's to the strong; thanks to the brave.
Don't give up hope: some people change.
Against all odds, against the grain,
Love finds a way: some people change.
She was born with her mother's habit:
You could say: "It's in her blood."
She hates that she's gotta have it:
As she fills her glass up.
An she'd love to kill that bottle,
But all she can think about,
Is a, a better life, a second chance,
An' everyone she's letting down.
She throws that bottle down.
Here's to the strong; thanks to the brave.
Don't give up hope: some people change.
Against all odds, against the grain,
Love finds a way: some people change.
Thank God for those who make it:
Let them be the Light.
(Let them be the light)
(Some people change.)
Here's to the strong; thanks to the brave.
Don't give up hope: some people change.
Against all odds, against the grain,
Love finds a way: some people change.
Some people change.
(Some people change)
**This lyrics came from www.cowboylyrics.com**
Tuesday, December 30, 2008 A book recommendation - My Sunshine by Catherine Anderson This romance just made my heart melt! The heroine in this story suffers from aphasia because of a brain injury many years ago. Her name is Laura. She has trouble speaking long words. She has trouble counting. She sees some numbers and letters backwards. Despite everything, she has managed to live an independent life and hold a job.
She has accepted that men will no longer be interested in her because of her speech problems. She never expects to find love again.
Enter our hero - Isaiah - a veterinarian with a warm heart that needs a good woman to take care of him because he stays so busy that he simply forgets to take care of himself. He overlooks the heroine's bad speech and sees her big heart.
The story was just a little slow to get going, but it was so worth it. I loved the story. It is incredibly sweet.
Monday, December 29, 2008 2009 Resolutions - Think BIGGER! There are so many things I want to accomplish in my life, things that will take a lifetime to achieve. Some goals need more than a year to see completion. So, I've decided that this year I am making a list of life goals. Then, I'll write my list of resolutions for this year to start working towards my big plan. - I want to be a bestselling author and I want my books to be read all around the world.
- I want to be the best mother, best wife and best friend of all time.
- I want to change the whole world for the better by helping everyone I come into contact with, by influencing everyone around me and through a positive attitude and a smile.
- I want to be closer to God than anyone else has ever been while still on Earth.
- I want to master my emotions, have peace and be in control of my own happiness.
Do those goals sound too big? Why? Think BIGGER. I would rather wish for everything and get some of it than wish for nothing and get all of it. Come on. Think big with me this year. Then, think about a few realistic and small steps to how you can start to move toward those life goals in 2009. Take it one step at a time...all the way to SUCCESS. Time is all we have. Let's plan well this year and use that time wisely. That's my plan! Keep watching for my New Year's resolutions!
Sunday, December 28, 2008 A Smile Every Sunday A pregnant woman boards a bus. After taking a seat, she notices a man smiling at her. She feels self-conscious and changes her seat, but he seems even more amused.
She moves a third time, and he starts to giggle. On her fourth move, he bursts out laughing.
They both get off the bus at the next stop. The pregnant woman is furious and demands an explanation. "What exactly is so damn funny?"
"I'm sorry, ma'am," replies the giggling man. "But I couldn't help noticing you're pregnant, and when you first sat down, you sat under an advertisement which read 'Coming Soon: The Gold Dust Twins.' Then you sat under an ad that read 'Sloan's Liniments Remove Swelling.' Then you moved under a deodorant advertisement which read 'William's Stick Did the Trick.' And I just couldn't hold it in any longer when you moved a fourth time and sat under a tire advertisement which read 'Dunlop Rubber Would Have Prevented This Accident.'"
Saturday, December 27, 2008 Loss is so much harder this time of year... The hardest question in the world to answer is probably one of the main problems with faith. Why does God let bad things happen to good people? On the news yesterday, I was shocked and appalled to see reports of several different shootings on Christmas day. What is that about?!?! Was it greed? Was it overwhelming sadness? Was it desperation? Were drugs to blame? It is so tragic to see that sort of violence on a day meant for love and companionship. It breaks my heart that some people might not have had someone to share the holiday with. Some people may not have had any presents, or family, or anyone to love them, no one to give them a hug and a smile. Lonely should never be a word used on Christmas day. A family in my community lost everything just before Christmas when their house burned - a great loss right at the holidays. So, why would God let something like that happen to them? I don't have an answer. Whereas some might ask why he let it happen, another might see that it was truly a blessing that no one was inside the house when it caught fire. Perhaps God chose that family because He understood that our community would pull together for them. Perhaps He was teaching us all that it is not objects and things that should hold value in our hearts. I just don't know. The truth is that we never will know. That's what faith is all about. Only God can understand the grand scheme. Only He knows why. Joyce Meyers told a story on one of her television shows about a man that had lost a son to illness. He raged at God for taking his son. He wanted to know why. Later, when he went to Heaven, he asked God, "Where were you when my son died?" God answered, "I was here, in the same place I was when My son died."
Friday, December 26, 2008 Did you celebrate yesterday with the true meaning of Christmas? Were you a Santa yesterday? Christmas is about celebration, love, and kindness, a day for Christians to spread joy for the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. How did you spread cheer this year? My family had a wonderful Christmas. My husband wrote me an amazing love letter and put it in my stocking. It was positively beautiful. He called me a wonderful wife and a wonderful mother. He said he admired my relentless ambition to follow my dreams. He said he lives to see me smile. I melted inside with his words. It was the perfect gift. He brought me joy. I am so very blessed this year.
Thursday, December 25, 2008 Merry Christmas! Be a Santa today! Adventure with Grandma*
I remember my first Christmas adventure with Grandma. I was just a kid. I remember tearing across town on my bike to visit her on the day my big sister dropped the bomb: "There is no Santa Claus," she jeered. "Even dummies know that!"
My Grandma was not the gushy kind, never had been. I fled to her that day because I knew she would be straight with me. I knew Grandma always told the truth and I knew that the truth always went down a whole lot easier when swallowed with one of her world-famous cinnamon buns. I knew they were world-famous, because, Grandma said so. It had to be true. Grandma was home, and the buns were still warm. Between bites, I told her everything. She was ready for me. "No Santa Claus!" she snorted. "Ridiculous! Don't believe it. That rumor has been going around for years, and it makes me mad, plain mad. Now, put on your coat, and let's go." "Go? Go where, Grandma?" I asked. I hadn't even finished my second world-famous, cinnamon bun. "Where" turned out to be Kerby's General Store, the one store in town that had a little bit of just about everything. As we walked through its doors, Grandma handed me ten dollars. That was a bundle in those days. "Take this money," she said, "and buy something for someone who needs it. I'll wait for you in the car." Then she turned and walked out of Kerby's. I was only eight years old. I'd often gone shopping with my mother, but never had I shopped for anything all by myself. The store seemed big and crowded, full of people scrambling to finish their Christmas shopping. For a few moments I just stood there, confused, clutching that ten-dollar bill, wondering what to buy, and who on earth to buy it for. I thought of everybody I knew: my family, my friends, my neighbors, the kids at school, the people who went to my church. I was just about thought out, when I suddenly thought of Bobby Decker. He was a kid with bad breath and messy hair, and he sat right behind me in Mrs.Pollock's grade-two class. Bobby Decker didn't have a coat. I knew that because he never went out for recess during the winter. His mother always wrote a note, telling the teacher that he had a cough, but all we kids knew that Bobby Decker didn't have a cough, and he didn't have a coat. I fingered the ten-dollar bill with growing excitement. I would buy Bobby Decker a coat! I settled on a red corduroy one that had a hood to it. It looked real warm, and he would like that. "Is this a Christmas present for someone?" the lady behind the counter asked kindly, as I laid my ten dollars down. "Yes," I replied shyly, "It's .... for Bobby." The nice lady smiled at me. I didn't get any change, but she put the coat in a bag and wished me a Merry Christmas.
That evening, Grandma helped me wrap the coat in Christmas paper and ribbons (a little tag fell out of the coat, and Grandma tucked it in her Bible) and wrote, "To Bobby, From Santa Claus" on it -- Grandma said that Santa always insisted on secrecy. Then she drove me over to Bobby Decker's house, explaining as we went that I was now and forever officially one of Santa's helpers. Grandma parked down the street from Bobby's house, and she and I crept noiselessly and hid in the bushes by his front walk. Then Grandma gave me a nudge. "All right, Santa Claus," she whispered, "get going."
I took a deep breath, dashed for his front door, threw the present down on his step, pounded his doorbell and flew back to the safety of the bushes and Grandma. Together we waited breathlessly in the darkness for the front door to open. Finally it did, and there stood Bobby. Fifty years haven't dimmed the thrill of those moments spent shivering, beside my Grandma, in Bobby Decker's bushes. That night, I realized that those awful rumors about Santa Claus were just what Grandma said they were...ridiculous. Santa was alive and well, and we were on his team. I still have the Bible, with the tag tucked inside: $19.95. ===============================
He who has no Christmas in his heart will never find Christmas under a tree. MERRY CHRISTMAS **Thank you to Shannon for sending this to me.**
Wednesday, December 24, 2008 One day until Christmas...Wow! How did it get here so fast? A little known fact about the 12 days of Christmas..
There is one Christmas Carol that has always baffled me.
What in the world do leaping lords, French hens, swimming swans, and
especially the partridge who won't come out of the pear tree have to do
with Christmas?
Today, I found out.
From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality, which the children could remember.
The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.
Two turtledoves were the Old and New Testaments.
Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.
The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.
The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.
The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.
Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit: Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.
The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.
Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control. The ten lords a-leaping were the Ten Commandments..
The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.
The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in The Apostles' Creed.
So there is your history for today. This knowledge was shared with me and
I found it interesting and enlightening and now I know how that strange
song became a Christmas Carol...so pass it on............... if you wish. **Thank you for sending this to me Becky.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008 New Christmas Poem
TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,
HE LIVED ALL ALONE,
IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF
PLASTER AND STONE.
I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY
WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,
AND TO SEE JUST WHO
IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.
I LOOKED ALL ABOUT,
A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,
NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS,
NOT EVEN A TREE.
NO STOCKING BY MANTLE,
JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND,
ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES
OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.
WITH MEDALS AND BADGES,
AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,
A SOBER THOUGHT
CAME THROUGH MY MIND.
FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT,
IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,
I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER, ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.
THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING,
SILENT, ALONE,
CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR
IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.
THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE,
THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER,
NOT HOW I PICTURED
A UNITED STATES SOLDIER.
WAS THIS THE HERO
OF WHOM I'D JUST READ?
CURLED UP ON A PONCHO,
THE FLOOR FOR A BED?
I REALIZED THE FAMILIES
THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT,
OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS
WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.
SOON ROUND THE WORLD,
THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,
AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE
A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.
THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM
EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR,
BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS,
LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.
I COULDN'T HELP WONDER
HOW MANY LAY ALONE,
ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE
IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.
THE VERY THOUGHT
BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE,
I DROPPED TO MY KNEES
AND STARTED TO CRY.
THE SOLDIER AWAKENED
AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,
'SANTA DON'T CRY,
THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;
I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM,
I DON'T ASK FOR MORE,
MY LIFE IS MY GOD,
MY! COUNTRY, MY CORPS.'
THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER
AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP,
I COULDN'T CONTROL IT,
I CONTINUED TO WEEP.
I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS,
SO SILENT AND STILL
AND WE BOTH SHIVERED
FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL.
I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE
ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT,
THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR
SO WILLING TO FIGHT.
THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,
WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE,
WHISPERED, 'CARRY ON SANTA,
IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE.'
ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH,
AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.
'MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND,
AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT.'
Thank you to Fran for sending this to me.
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