Balancing God and Life, Part 1: Intro

When you hear me say “balancing the demands of life,” what comes into your mind?

“Balance is impossible, what’s the point?”

“I want to crawl into a hole and die”

“I am perfectly balanced in every way. What’s the big deal?”

“I’d much rather read about Fitness Friday Girl gaining weight. I’ll be back in a few days.”

“I don’t have time for this girlie nonsense, next blog please.”

“HELP!”

This is what comes to my mind



Maybe it’s just me, but the concept of balance in life often seems unattainable, at least for the long-term. I go through seasons where I feel well-balanced, only to have some element of my life change, throwing me off balance again. Sometimes it can be something as large as a relocation or a small as an uncooperative child. Or a small, uncooperative child. Whatever.

I do not believe it’s God’s plan for us to constantly feel overwhelmed with our responsibilities. It’s oppressive. It’s distracting. It’s disheartening. I believe it’s one of the many tactics of the Enemy to make us ineffective. For me, being off balance keeps me from hearing God’s voice. When I can’t hear His voice, I can’t do His will. And, voila…I’m ineffective.

This is why I’m doing this series. I figure is this is an ongoing battle for me, it must be an ongoing battle for some of you, too. Because Satan uses the same tactics on all of us…he’s so NOT creative.

Which brings me to a few Balancing Basics:

~Balancing the demands of life is a continuing effort~

~Balancing the demands of life requires constant adjustment~

~Balancing the demands of life requires a certain mindset~

~Balancing the demands of life requires good time management~

~Balancing the demands of life is different for each person~

~Balancing the demands of life requires an eternal perspective~

~Balancing the demands of life is necessary if we want to hear God and accomplish our eternal purpose~


Over the next several posts, we’ll unpack each of those Balancing Basics. We’ll talk about priorities and prayer, mealtime and ministry, friendships and faith, computer time and communion with God, the secular and the sacred.

We’ll also talk to some of my favorite people, who I think do a great job of keeping all the plates in air, and discover some of their balancing secrets. Some of this will be very spiritual. And some of it will be surprising practical.

Oh, I’m so excited, I can hardly stand it.

As we begin, I'd like to hear from some of my other favorite people...YOU. Tell me, what hinders YOU from living a balanced life?

Happy Second Birthday, Baby Blog!

Happy Birthday to you, my little Cyber Child. It seems like just yesterday I was sitting at the kitchen table dreaming up your title. And now look at you...you're all grown up.

I'm sorry if this embarrasses you, but I went into your photo album and found some of your baby pictures.

Here was your very first header, made by Auntie Ana!!

And here was your second header...Mommy made this one.




And this was your third header. I love the way you look in brown and blue. It really brings out your lovely font.



On your special day, dear Little One, I'm re-posting your very second post. Because the very first one wasn't all that great. I mean, it was OK, but the second one was better.

Just sayin'.



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I love to meet people who work with my husband. I'm so insanely proud of him when people go on and on about how wonderful he is to work with. I'm never surprised to hear them say he is helpful, honest, kind or hard-working. In fact, I wouldn't even believe someone who said he was harsh or difficult or hot-tempered.

See, I've known Jon for 22 years now. I've spent a lot of time with him, talking to him, listening to him, watching him. I've seen him interact with his parents, his siblings and his friends. I've observed him with all of our children at all different times of the day and night. I've heard what people who know him say about him. We've worked through issues, problems and frustrations together. I've taken the time to discover what he loves and what he hates. What makes him smile and what makes him sad. I know Jon. I know the sound of his voice and I'm even learning to interpret his silence.

It wasn't always that way. I remember vividly our first few phone conversations when we were in high school...awkward pauses, surface questions. I remember thinking, "Man, this guy is HARD to talk to!" (It's a good thing he was so handsome!)

I'm sure you know where I'm going, and forgive me for being rather "basic." But I think so many of us miss the profound because we ignore the obvious. I'm sincerely dumbfounded by the number of Christians I know who literally allow days and days to go by without talking to God or picking up His word. It's no wonder so many of us can't hear Him. We don't know Him very well yet.

The very foundation of recognizing the voice of God is taking the time to get to know Him.

Find out what God loves and hates. Ask His friends what He is like. Observe Him interacting with His children. Wrestle with Him through a few frustrations. Ask Him questions and listen for His answers.

As we plunge into this discussion, we will eventually address all the different ways we do this. But today, just start where you are.

First, ask God with a sincere heart to help you to recognize His voice more clearly. Ask Him often. A hundred times a day, if you have to. Easy, right?

Second, get into His word and learn about Him. That is a little more intimidating. Where to start? Well, if reading the Bible isn't your thing, or you want it to be your thing, but you frankly find it confusing, complicated or boring (it's OK to admit this to God. As my pastor says, He's very secure in His Deity!) here are some tips. Pick one:

Join a Bible study. Something you like with people you enjoy.

Go to any Christian book store on your way home today and browse the Bible study section. Pick up a study on a topic that interests you. There are hundreds of them. It can be anything. Just get in there and find out what God thinks about the stuff that interests you.

If you don't have a good study Bible, get one of those, too. Start in the book of Matthew and read all commentary along the way. This will help you understand what you are reading and make it relevant to you. I like the Life Application Study Bible for this purpose.

This is only the beginning of what is, quite honestly, an inexhaustible topic. Here are some things we will discuss in the future:

~two things that will always accompany the voice of God

~hearing aids to help you clear out the static

~the different voices in your head and how to tell which one is God, you, the world or the devil

~interpreting the silence

Before you leave today, post a comment telling me about your favorite Bible Study or tips for getting started and staying motivated.

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So there you have it. Two years and 268 posts later and we are STILL talking about hearing God's voice. I think that's really cool.

On behalf of my blog, I want to thank all our loyal readers and all those who just found us recently. I appreciate all the encouragement you've given along the way. Here's to many, many more years of humbly learning to hear and obey the voice of God.

Fitness Friday: Rapid Weight Gain, Week Two

I’ve got good news and bad news. The good news is, my thyroid tests were normal. That means my recent, rapid weight gain is not the fault of an underachieving thyroid gland.

The bad news is, my thyroid tests were normal. Which means my recent, rapid weight gain is not the fault of an underachieving thyroid gland. And that’s bad because, as happy as I am about my thyroid (that’s a phrase I never thought would come out of my mouth), it means I’m still befuddled about the cause of the weight gain.

My vitamin D levels were low, however. Which doesn’t surprise me, since our bodies make their own vitamin D through daily sun exposure, and Kentucky had exactly two sunny days since October, and one of them was yesterday. I’m now on a prescription does of D, and hoping that means something good for me.

So now that we’ve ruled out hypothyroidism as a cause for a 12-pound weight gain, I’m tossing around a few more theories I’ll need to discuss with my doctor. What do you think of these:

1 Having my book proposal critiqued and rejected repeatedly has formed a 12-pound layer of thick skin.

2.Hair growth/lack of leg-shaving.

3.I’m pregnant with a toddler…in my butt.

4.Satan. Christians blame everything bad on Satan. Why not this?

5.My metabolism is on strike, wanting higher pay and better working conditions.

In all seriousness, whenever you want to take steps to lose weight or improve your health, it’s good to assess where you currently are. So I did just that. Last week, I weighed and measured myself (chest, waist, hips, butt, thighs) to get a good baseline. I also went to the gym and had my body fat percentage taken--which was, by the way, 2% HIGHER than it was a few months ago when I first started training with a personal trainer and doing P90X--completely obliterating the theory that I've gained muscle, not fat. It's definitely fat..or hair...or a toddler.

Then I took a long, hard look at my habits and my goals. Here are my conclusions:

1.My health is more important to me than my jean size. I want to lose this weight, not because I want to look good, but because it’s bad for my body to gain this much weight. Looking good is a nice byproduct. But I won’t allow that to be my focus, and thus, will not go to extreme measures to drop the weight.

2.I have a life outside of the gym. Sure, I could increase all my workouts and go to the gym every day. But I actually like to do other things, like spend time with my family, write, read, cook, and do laundry. Kidding about the laundry. I refuse to allow my life to get off balance because of this. (I’ll be talking all about balance starting Monday with my new series, Balancing God and Life.)

3. My diet is already very healthy and well-balanced. I don’t eat fast food. I don’t drink soda. I don’t eat fried foods, trans fat, red meat, or highly processed and packaged snacks and sweets. I like fruits and veggies. I like whole grains. I like them so much, I eat them early and often. Too much, I think. I am not one of those skinny girls who forgets to eat. I love food. I love to cook. I love to eat what I cook. I love to eat what I cook whether I’m hungry or not, simply because it tastes good. That worked for me all of my life because I balanced that with exercise. Apparently, those days are over.


So this past week, I’ve directed my efforts toward eating smaller portions and cutting out excess calories.

Most people go into mild shock when they see what a sensible portion actually looks like. Especially with food like pasta, rice and cheese. If you aren’t sure how to measure portions, there are lots of methods you can use. Here are some of the most popular:

1.You can assign your food a point system, ala Weight Watchers

2.You can measure and weigh your food based on recommendations like these

3.You can count calories based on recommendations like these

4.You can pay someone to measure your food for you, ala Jennie Craig

5.You can eye-ball it, ala Body for Life or like this from Web MD.

I, personally, like Body for Life because it's free and I don't have to remember any numbers. I don't have room in my brain for extra numbers. So this past week, I ate four or five times a day, all healthy foods, no treats.

I didn’t eat pizza—for me, thin-crust veggie is a weekly meal staple.

I measured out my half and half into my coffee.

I measured my whole-wheat pasta onto my plate.

I measured my trail mix into a tiny measuring cup.

I did, however, partake in the lovely meal my friend Erin made for me last Saturday, and I'm a better person for it.

I don’t like expending this much mental energy on my diet. It makes me weary. It makes me crabby. It makes me ineffective at laundry-folding. But I need to do what I need to do to see results, right?

So, after one whole week of doing all of that, guess how much weight I lost! Go ahead...take a stab at it. Three pounds? Two pounds? One pound?????

Nope.

I lost nothing. Zip. In fact, I gained weight.

* Blink. blink. blink. *

Isn't this motivating??? I totally don't blame you if you break up with me after this.

Are You Depressed?

Hearing about the suicide of Marie Osmond’s 18 year old son, Michael, stopped me dead in my tracks. I don’t know Marie Osmond personally, but oh, how I hate that she lost one of her precious children. I want to go to Marie's house and weep with her.

I know first-hand the horrors of having to bury a son, and there is nothing okay or normal about it. It will change her life forever. It’s just wrong. And, unfortunately, I totally get that.

Michael was adopted. I love that he was adopted—I have adopted children, too. I remember reading once several years ago whenever people asked Marie which of her eight children were adopted and which were biological, her response was always, “I don’t remember.” That's a mom who loves her kids and understands adoption. And I totally get that, too.

But the thing that hit me the hardest was that he committed suicide after (and because of) a long battle with depression. I hate depression. I suffered silently with depression for years.

Depression is dark and scary. Depression makes you feel like life is too hard and life is not worth it. Depression makes you believe you are a burden to the people who love you. Depression deceives you into thinking no one loves you. Depression is like battling an invisible enemy.

I.totally. get. that.too.

So did the Psalmist…

For my soul is full of trouble
and my life draws near the grave.
I am counted among those who go down to the pit;
I am like a man without strength.
I am set apart with the dead,
like the slain who lie in the grave,
whom you remember no more,
who are cut off from your care.
(Psalm 88:3-5)

I let my depression go untreated for way too long—seven years to be exact. I suffered privately, afraid to tell anyone, even my husband and closest friends, how hopelessly overwhelmed I was. I hinted to certain people how I was feeling, but because I downplayed it, I just came off as a negative, ungrateful and high-maintenance whiner. And I started to believe that was the root of my problem. It was all my fault because I was negative and ungrateful and high-maintenance.

I didn’t understand how my life could look so good on paper, but be so chaotic in my head. People who have never been depressed don't understand it either. I sometimes prayed for God to give me a new brain. I sometimes prayed for God to give my children a new mom. I really did.

I wasted years suffering needlessly. I caused pain and confusion to many of my favorite people along the way. I lived far below my God-ordained potential because I was too busy dwelling in a pit.

I often wonder how my marriage, my children and my ministry would be different today had I just made an appointment and told someone I needed help seven years earlier.

I wonder how Michael’s life would be different had he called his doctor or his best friend or his mother instead of jumping off a building.

I know there are people reading this who suffer from depression—statistically, 14 million of us will experience a depressive episode this year. I sense that someone who is reading this actually prayed this morning about this very thing.

If this is you, please go get help.

I urge you. No, I BEG you.

Do whatever it takes to get better. If you need meds, take them. If you need therapy, find a good counselor. If your meds aren’t working, tell your doctor so you can try something different. If your therapist is a quack, by all means, find a new one. If you need prayer, go to church and ask someone to pray. If people in your church brush you off like you are negative, ungrateful and high-maintenance then ask someone else to pray.

Or ask me…I will pray for you.

Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits-
who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
(Psalm 103:1-5)

Please, for the sake of all the people in your life who love and need you, but have no clue how to help you, do not let yourself get to a place of hopelessness. Depression is treatable. And God is bigger than your depression.

And I’m so thankful that I get that, too.

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To read my story about depression, click here, here, here and here.

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Congrats to the winner of Monday's give-away for the new book

One Million Arrows:

Oh Dear!

E-mail your address to me and I'll send it out!

The One Million Arrows Blog Tour Stops Here!

You all know I love me a good book. And I really love me a good parenting book. But if an author combines great writing with compelling stories that challenge and excite me to raise world-changing children AND allows all the proceeds of the book to go to orphan care around the world...well, that may be a book I'd just have to promote on God Speaks Today.

I'd like to welcome as my guest Julie Ferwerda, author of One Million Arrows: Raising Your Children to Change the World. She's on her international blog tour this week, visiting 85 blogs in five countries!



Julie Ferwerda is recognized for making the Bible exciting and relevant to everyday life through her writing and speaking. Her articles are featured in many Christian magazines and websites for both adults and teens, and she frequently volunteers her time and talents to international orphan ministry. You can learn more about Julie and her ministry at OneMillionArrows.com.


1. The title of your book is, One Million Arrows: What is that all about? The title originated with a man I met in India by the name of Dr. M.A. Thomas. He’s received many national awards in India such as the Mother Theresa Award and the Padma Shri for his humanitarian efforts, especially for his work with orphaned and abandoned children that he started in the 1970s. In the 90s, Dr. Thomas read a verse in the Bible that describes children as a gift and a reward, like sharp arrows in the hands of a mighty warrior (Psalm 127:3-5). He realized that all children, regardless of background and circumstances, should be seen as a gift and a legacy to society because they can make a significant and positive impact in the world if given the proper training and opportunities.

India has as many as 80 million orphans so he set a goal of rescuing one million orphaned and abandoned children, sharpening them with love, education, and spiritual nurturing, and launching them back into society to bring positive change through the power of the Good News about Jesus. To date he has raised over 16,000 orphaned and abandoned children who have become doctors, nurses, teachers, politicians, missionaries, and leaders, and he has planted over 21,000 churches in India and South Asia.

Relating to us…the arrow vision of raising children to be a gift and heritage to their society is for all parents, all countries. So many parents in our culture have lost their vision as to the incredible opportunity we’ve been given to shape—not just tomorrow’s leaders—but today’s leaders and shapers of their peer groups, schools, and communities. But this takes vision and deliberate investment and training. One Million Arrows casts a vision for parents to sharpen and launch our children right now to make a positive impact on society.

2. You mentioned the notion of parents investing in or training their children. Isn’t this what parents already do? Some parents do invest in and train their children to some degree, but there is also a lot of hands-off parenting in our society today, especially in training character development as well as teaching our children how to live for the big-picture—like what were they made to do in this world, what are their unique gifts and abilities, and how can they use them to make a difference now?

We have to train our children to serve others—it doesn’t come naturally. But for many of us, once our kids head into kindergarten, it’s easier to let someone else take over a lot of the training, or to allow our kids to fade into their entertainment-driven culture in their spare time. We need to see parenting as a much bigger opportunity and invitation than that!

I use an illustration in OMA from 9/11 about victims, bystanders, and firemen, the roles people take when lives are at stake. We must teach our children to see themselves as the firemen of this world…the heroes who are willing to set aside their own comforts in order to make a radical difference for others who are suffering or even in danger. There are so many in our world—whether the world around us or the world at large—who need our help and care in order to be saved from terrible circumstances.

I am so encouraged to see a great movement of young people in our world right now who are joining God in His work, coming back to historic levels of competence, purpose, and service for their fellow man. OMA emphasizes helping your kids find what they are passionate about and then training them to use it to serve and positively impact others.

3. Can you give us an example of kids who are using their talents and passions to serve others? Many of these kinds of young people are featured in the book, such as Chloe who is currently majoring in filmmaking in order to positively impact her culture by communicating truths that will spur her peers to make positive choices in life. She’s already received Film Festival awards for her work on the film, “The Enemy God” by (10X Productions), Ivan uses his love for extreme sports to hold events worldwide for sports enthusiasts where he shares a bold Gospel message and then plugs youth into local churches. My oldest daughter Dani uses her love for music and working with kids to impact hundreds of kids during the summer as a Christian camp counselor. These are just a few of many inspiring examples!

4. You have an emphasis in OMA for families to invest in taking care of international orphaned and abandoned children through established organizations. Why is that? Investing in other children is one of the best ways to get your kids' hearts interested and engaged in serving and helping others. Also, there are so many children worldwide who are the truest victims and have no means to get out of the gutters of life without help. As mentioned, these kids are currently being rescued and shaped to become spiritual leaders and contributing citizens of their own countries. Our family can make a true difference in the world by impacting lives of these children, which will in turn impact whole villages and cities as they grow up. What a great investment of our time, talents, and money! Many organizations will even allow you to visit the orphanages and ministries you help support.

We love to make it known that all proceeds of OMA go to international orphan ministries.

5. Is this a “how to” parenting book? We do share many principles-based parenting tips from several successful arrow-raising families. But there are already many how-to books on the shelves and I’ve had publishers tell me that parents ask for them but then don’t buy them. That’s because parents need inspiration: “What’s possible through our family if I commit this kind of energy to deliberate parenting? Can our family make a true difference in the world?” The major emphasis in OMA is inspirational aspect of parenting—casting a vision of the exciting ways your family can plug in to make a difference.

6. Is there any place parents can go after reading the book for more inspiration and guidance? We are currently developing our website (OneMillionArrows.com) as a community where parents can share testimonies as well as spiritual training helps. We are also adding many resources on our site such as unique orphan ministries to consider getting involved in, suggested books and resources, daily spiritual training helps, and stories of young people around the world who are making a difference.


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This book has certainly inspired me to raise my own Arrows. I don't want my children to simply grow up and be "good Christians," able to function well in a church environment. Instead, my heart's desire has always been to train my children to follow hard after God and impact their world for eternity. One Million Arrows showed me examples of real families who are making this happen today.







If you would like to win a copy of this book, just leave a comment letting me know. I'll announce the winner on Wednesday. But even if you don't win, I encourage you to purchase a copy of your own--as all proceeds go to orphan care. Click HERE to purchase.

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Coming soon on God Speaks Today: A new series on Balancing God and Life! Stay tuned.

Fitness Friday: Dealing With Rapid Weight Gain, Week One

Congrats to Amy Williams (by way of Facebook comments) who wins the signed copy of Phil Vischer’s book Me, Myself and Bob. Amy…e-mail me your mailing address and I’ll get it right out.
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I have a confession to make. Since October, I’ve gained 12 pounds. That’s 2.4 pounds a month. A little over ½ pound a week. And .00857142 pounds a day. But who’s counting?

This is not a normal thing for me. In fact, the weight I am now is more like a 6-month pregnancy weight. And no, I’m not pregnant. In fact (and I can hardly type this without crying) according to my doctor’s records, I am 18 pounds heavier than I was a year ago. I’m speechless.

Weight gain is a complicated process, involving intricate biological systems working together. We can’t reduce it to a formula. But just for the sake of simplicity, if every pound equals 3500 calories, then quite possibly since October, I have taken in an excess of 42,000 calories (3500 x 12). Which is an excess of 8,400 calories a month, 2,100 calories a week and 300 calories a day.

Which is the amount of calories in 3 tablespoons of peanut butter, or one serving of macaroni and cheese or 34 whole grain Wheat Thins.

It’s also the amount of 7 microscopic crumbs fallen on the floor from a Girl Scout Tagalong.

Speaking of Tagalongs, here’s a quick shout out to my Super Buff, Gorgeous and Health Conscious Husband:

Jon, thank you from the bottom of my heart for dodging every single Girl Scout in the greater Louisville area this year. Including the ones at the grocery store who held you down at gunpoint until you agreed to take a box of cookies. I appreciate the way you negotiated with your captors by promising you’d come back, only to sneak out of Kroger through an alternate exit with the two loaves of bread I asked you to buy.

Way to stay strong and make them cry.

I’m proud of you, man.

Now, back to my 12 pounds (or 18 pounds depending upon when you start counting). Since the inception of my blogging days, I’ve resisted the urge to work through my issues on line for the world to see. I’d much rather deal with my issues in the privacy of my own heart and brain and then spill them all over the internet AFTER I’m whole. Post-recovery disclosure. It’s much more professional that way—

and you know, I’m all about being professional.


But, darn it, weight-loss journeys in real time inspire people. They stir up the inner cheerleader in all of us, so we will pick up the proverbial pom-poms and rally our fellow weight-loss champion on to Fitness Success (cue your favorite high school fight song).

Yes…that is me in 1985.

And so it is for the greater good of all mankind that I invite you into my world now, rather than later. It’s not about me…it’s about you.


Right about now, you may be asking some questions:

1. Is Fitness Friday girl still working out?

Yes, I am. Currently, I work out once a week with a personal trainer at the gym, about twice a week doing P90X workouts at home and about twice a week doing some form of cardiovascular exercise for 45-60 minutes (usually elliptical or stationary bike). That’s five days a week doing intense work outs, each session 45 minutes to 1 hour, with a combination of cardiovascular exercise and weight training.

2. Could the 12 pounds be muscle?

Maybe some of it, but not all of it. My, uh, vast fitness knowledge leads me to believe that increased muscle mass does not result in larger waist, butt and thighs. In other words, I’m not just gaining weight, but my measurements are increasing. If it was purely muscle, I’d be getting smaller.

3. What in the world? Have you eaten one of your children or something?

Nope. Last time I checked, they were all still here.

4. Has Fitness Friday Girl made any dietary changes?

Sort of. The rapid weight gain started when I ended a 40 day fast where I ate only fruits, veggies, beans, nuts, tea and water. However, I was careful not to skip meals during that fast and I only lost about 3 pounds in those 40 days. While I wanted to reap the benefits of a spiritual fast, I did not want to screw up my metabolism. When I integrated normal foods back into my diet—namely carbohydrates, dairy and some meats—I started gaining immediately.

Note: if you’ve been around Fitness Friday for any length of time, you know my “normal foods” are still very healthy. So, it’s kind of difficult for me to believe I screwed up my metabolism this much by changing my diet for those 40 days. But I suppose anything is possible.

5. Has Fitness Friday Girl been to the doctor?

Yes. Yesterday. She is checking my thyroid and my vitamin D. I do not have the results of those tests yet, but will post them next week, assuming it's appropriate to do so.

6. Is Fitness Friday Girl a closet binger?

No. I binge openly.

7. What are some other common causes of rapid weight gain?

These, according to WebMD:
a. Lack of sleep
b. Increased stress
c. Medications
d. Medical conditions, such as hypothyroidism
e. Menopause

8. Are fluctuations in weight normal?

Yes. Typical weight-gain (though not inevitable) for a 40-something year-old woman is about a pound a year (not to be confused with 18). Two to 3 pounds is a normal daily fluctuation—water retention can cause that. Three to 5 pounds means you’re probably eating too much and moving too little. More than 5 pounds is serious.
I’m serious.
Seriously.
It means increased stress on your heart and increased risk for all types of illnesses, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, insulin resistance and certain types of cancers.


Dude…at the weight I’m growing, I will gain 100 pounds in less than 6 years. I don’t think this is the kind of endorsement the P90X folks are looking for.

Come back next Friday to find out the results of my blood work and continue find out where I go from here.

Writer's Conference Afterglow, Part Deux and A Give Away!

For those of you still wondering what happened with the publisher appointments, here is the skinny. I met with Moody, Tyndale and Bethany House. All three accepted my proposal. In writer’s-speak, that is a very good thing.

In Sandy-Speak, that's AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Many writers don’t make it past this vital first step. But a first step, it is. The road to publication is a LONG one.

Basically, these three publishers will take my proposal home (along with all the others they accepted) and read it. If they still like it, they will take it to their bosses and their editorial committees, where another group of people will decide if it’s good enough to publish. If I make the cut at the editorial committee, then it will go to the “pub board”—which I'm assuming has absolutely NOTHING to do with beer. If I make the cut there, they will offer me a contract. Then I begin the long process of actually writing and editing the book—which may or may not have something to do with beer.

I've made it to various places in the process five times in the past, only to be cut someplace short of the beer. Competition is fierce, I tell you.

This entire process takes months…so, by all means, get on with your lives while you’re waiting to hear if I’ve made the next cut. I am seriously getting on with mine in the interim. And I promise to keep you all in the know as information comes available. Just like your local news, I am.

Now on a personal note, Moody was more than excited about the book idea. They loved it. I mean, other than people who know me, I’ve never had someone in “the business” ever be so enthusiastic about my work. I want really badly to believe it is because it is a great book and not because I was the second appointment of the day, and the lady in the first appointment didn’t know what a book proposal was.

Tyndale and Bethany House liked the idea, but warned me against a host of other books by “big name” authors with which I’d be competing. This is the fate that plagues new authors like me. If my book is on the shelf next to the one by Max Lucado and Joyce Meyer, most people will reach for the author they know and trust—and that ain’t me.

Nothing personal, but publishing is a business. Publishers are looking for the next great author. They only want to publish books they think will sell. Fortunately, for them, I had a whole competition section in my proposal where I explain why my book is unlike any other on the market, thankyouverymuch. And I need to keep reminding myself that even Max Lucado and Joyce Meyer started somewhere.

Speaking of Max Lucado, he was one of the many ridiculously talented speakers at this conference.

In between people sharing with me their deep, dark places, God placed me under the most amazing teaching I’ve ever encountered, as far as writing goes. The line up read like a Who’s Who in Christian publishing. I’m still trying to absorb and process everything I heard.

Jerry B. Jenkins,

James Watkins,

Philip Yancey,

Kendra Smiley and Bob Hostetler spoke, in addition to a host of talented people teaching workshops and continuing classes. I couldn’t take notes fast enough.

Not only were the Keynote speakers phenomenal (one or two of them could have carried the Keynote responsibilities…but all of them? Are you kidding me?), but I also had the privilege of meeting with mentors in my field. Namely, Virelle Kidder and Suzie Eller. God knew exactly with whom I needed to meet and why. I love these women. I think Virelle may very well be a future version of me. And Suzie…she’s part human, part angel.

Here I am with author/speaker Kendra Smiley.

I met her in the Chicago airport. I recognized her immediately, as I have read and enjoyed her books in the past. She wrote a book on strong willed children that saved me from losing hope in my own strong-willed child.

We spoke several times during the conference. She kissed me on the cheek a lot. How cute is that?

But folks, the absolute highlight of my conference experience was hearing and meeting Phil Vischer, the creator of Veggie Tales.

If you ever get a chance to hear Phil speak in person, you simply must go. Even if every Veggie Tales episode is not permanently encoded into your brain due to repeated exposure, like it is in mine. And even if, when you hear a Bible story, you don’t first think of it in the form of animated talking vegetables , like I do. You will LOVE hearing Phil’s heart.

I was the first one in line at Phil’s signing table, thanks to my good friend Julie who stalked…um, I mean STAKED out our spot. I may have over-done it a bit in the “gushing” department with Phil. He looked a little frightened when I went on and on about how much I love him and how I can sing every Silly Song with Larry and how I’m from Toledo just like Phil Winklestein (The giant, scary celery in Where is God When I’m Scared?) I’m pretty sure he pushed a hidden button under his table signaling security to keep a close watch on Psycho Sandy Cooper.



Do you see the fear in his eyes?

But he did manage to sign a few things for me, before the nice men in uniforms escorted me away. Namely, a copy of Phil’s book Me, Myself and Bob, which I am giving away to one of YOU! Do you know how much I love you all, that I'm actually giving you one of my signed copies of this book? Do you? DO YOU??????!!!!!!!!

To enter, simply leave a comment telling me your favorite Silly Song With Larry. If you don’t know what a Silly Song with Larry is, chances are you won’t love this book as much as I do. Come to think of it, chances are really good no one will love this book as much as I do.

I’ll announce the winner on Fitness Friday.