Why VOTE?

I hear the grumbling, the complaining, the hopelessness that the 2016 Presidential campaign has created and I agree. More than the usual complaints of why one candidate is better than the other; those are to be expected, this election season has brought about the worst in most of us and this is fueled directly by those we have to choose from in this election. It is a sad commentary on our country and our people. Still, we must vote because it is our right, our privilege, and our duty as Americans. Our voices are important as individuals and members of a free society and have an impact in ways that we don't readily see.

Beyond these patriotic and logical reasons though, for some of us there are even more important reasons than those. God encourages us to be a part of the society we belong to.

"Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. ..." Romans 13:1-14 English Standard Version

Deuteronomy 1:13 English Standard Version "Choose for your tribes wise, understanding, and experienced men, and I will appoint them as your heads"

"He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding" Daniel 2:21 ESV

Get out and vote today y'all, because for now, we can.

Peace , TheWritingMommy

Check out my books on Amazon.com for temporary price reductions...

Hey Y'all,
This is the link to my books on Amazon.com. If you have read any of them I would love for you to submit a review. I would greatly appreciate it.

On August 19, Legacy of Love, a personal memoir of my mother's last year as she battled with cancer and anecdotes from myself and her other daughters, will have a price reduction for 5 days.

And beginning tomorrow, August 13, 2016, the Kindle Edition of One Perfect Now, a story of a woman losing her mom but finding her faith and herself, will be free for download Saturday and Sunday.
                         

                        "One Perfect Now is the story of Sandy Weston’s journey through incredible love and unbearable loss. She embarks on a journey she never wanted to take and along her journey she finds the identity she thought she lost, the strength she hadn’t realized she had, and the courage to walk into the future she always wanted"

Again, any reviews would be appreciated. Even if you don't love it, your opinion matters a great deal, especially as I am about to take my Aunt Millie Goodman's advice and begin a sequel to One Perfect Now, focusing on Sandy's brother and their relationship.


As always, peace to you all. 

Andora , TheWritingMommy

Days 9 and 10- Words and Strong Feelings

Well, it appears that I did it again… missed another day, already. 

Day 9 and I have already missed a second day. I’m feeling mighty low about this but I’m trying to get back into the “butt in seat” habit.

So, Day 9’s prompt was “post some words of wisdom that speak to you” and Day 10, today, is “write about something for which you feel strongly.” Earlier today I could have stepped upon my soap box and given a speech or written a manifesto, of course now that I sit at the desk with my fingers on the keys I can’t think of a thing to say. Well, maybe a few little things…

I love words. I love quotes and have boards dedicated to them on Pinterest.com and surfaces plastered with them all over my house. Some of my favorite words of wisdom are from the Bible, such as;

Matthew 11:28-30 in The Message paraphrase

28-30 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

And …

Galatians 6:7-9 from the Good News Translation

7 Do not deceive yourselves; no one makes a fool of God. You will reap exactly what you plant. 8 If you plant in the field of your natural desires, from it you will gather the harvest of death; if you plant in the field of the Spirit, from the Spirit you will gather the harvest of eternal life. 9 So let us not become tired of doing good; for if we do not give up, the time will come when we will reap the harvest. 

I also love wise words from great men and women of influence such as;

Maya Angelou- There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside of you. 

Mahatma Gandhi – Be the change that you wish to see in the world. 

Dr. Seuss – Why fit in when you were born to stand out.

And …

C.S. Lewis - You doubt your value- Don’t run from who you are. – Aslan, Chronicles of Narnia 

I suppose what I feel most strongly today is something along the lines of “know who you are and be that.”  So many of the problems in today’s world is that so many of us have no idea who we are and/or what our value is. I mean, people get killed daily over “disrespect”, or being offended by what someone else said. Such a sad thing when quite often the thing that was said was never meant to offend or was misheard or misquoted. If we all understood who we were and what our purpose was, our value at the very core of our being, then it seems no one else’s estimation, whether favorable or otherwise would matter so much as to make us act contrary to our truest self. 

I sometimes think I do know who I am at the very center of myself, and then other times I’m frightened to bits by what I think I might be at my very core. The only thing I know to be true of me is that I am God’s and He created me for a purpose. On days like today, when I feel tired and achy and my heart is heavy that knowledge sustains me and reminds me that because I still have breath, I still have a purpose.

Tomorrow will be day 11 of 30 and the prompt is “Something that you always think “what if” about.” Now there is a thought to think about, yes? 

What say you dear readers? Let me know what you think. 

Peace to you all,

TheWritingMommy

30 Day Writing Challenge Accepted! Day 1

Hey everyone, I have been so "blocked" lately that I am committing to this 30 Day Writing Challenge that I found on Pinterest as a way to sort of rev up my writing engine. (Plus, I can't seem to get a clear thought about what to write)

So, join me in writing here if you like by your comments or links; I would love to read your words. Or, just read mine if you choose and feel free to add helpful critique. I have no real idea what to expect as I am really rusty right now.

Peace to you all my peeps. TheWritingMommy

Day 1
List 10 Things that make you really happy.

1. God The Father, Jesus his Son, and The Holy Spirit. It might appear that this is three, but The Trinity is one. Such a hard thing to explain, but by faith, I know it is true. I was asked by my niece, who is Muslim, to explain The Trinity and I found how really hard it is to explain this to someone who doesn't share my faith.  I likened God, in all His aspects, to a mom. She was 12  at the time so I felt using a "mom" would be a tangible idea that she could grab hold of. It went something like this:

" Your mom is a mom, right?"

 Of course I got a "well, duh" response and moved on.

"She is also a daughter and sister, correct?" I thought i could see a seed of understanding forming so I continued.

"Besides these two different persons, your mom is also a woman, complete independent from those roles. She is all three of these persons but in each role she is singular to that identity. Well, God made us in His image and while we are nowhere near the complex being that our Creator is, the way that we can be one person and serve so many roles is a bit like Him, only He does it way better."

That is a simplistic explanation I know but I'm no theologian and she was at the time simply a child trying to learn of the world around her and how differently we all believe. She is still a Muslim, and I am still a Christian and I love God above all else. I love His Word, I love His creation, I love the relationship I have with Christ and the certainty I feel about salvation through grace by faith.

2. My husband. My husband Tommy is my favorite person to be around. We have been married 22 years in July 2016 and in all those years we have experienced so much life, death, sickness, health, even financial reversals both good and bad. We have raised a son, daughters, animals and food. We have made messes and had to clean them up and we have been so angry we acted like fools, but through it all we have learned and grown and I truly enjoy him more than any other person. Being his wife truly makes me happy.

3. My best friend Bonnie. My friend Bonnie and I have been friends for 26 years or so. We have been best friends for probably 24 of those years and just like with my Tommy, we have been through a lot in those years. We held each other as we cried when we each lost our mom to cancer, we laughed, cheered, and cried again as we watched our boys grow into men. She allows me to be the essence of "me" and doesn't judge, isn't fake with me, and is comfortable being herself around me and that makes me very happy.

4. My kids. You might be wondering right about here why the husband, or at least the best friend are above the children. Well, here's the thing. I love my kiddos, all three of them, plus the daughter in law and the honorary children who started out as my children's friends and came to be "my kids" by their own choice, but kids are work! My children are all, 100% a blessing from The Lord. I was told when I was 21 years old that due to the repeated sexual abuse I endured and the scarring that had developed I would never be able to get pregnant and even if I did, I would never be able to carry a baby to term. I didn't know The Lord then, not in any real way, but I know it was by His grace that I conceived my son on New Years day 1987. I went into early labor at three months gestation but thanks again to God, the doctors at Baylor Hospital, and bed rest for the next 5 months, I gave birth to the greatest miracle in my world and my first real love; Jacob Dillon.  When he was not yet three I was found to have cervical cancer and needed a hysterectomy. I was so sad at the news. I wanted to have at least one more child and told the doctor so. He, whose bedside manner was likely learned from Sesame Street's Oscar the Grouch, told me, "If you want to live to see this one grow up you'll have the surgery!" I left the office crying and praying and of course, I had the surgery; exploratory laparotomy with removal of the cervix, uterus, and the left ovary. Two year later I would have the other ovary removed as it proved to have a fast growing cyst the size of a baby's head on it. Thankfully, that growth was benign. One divorce, one marriage, and ten years later God answered my simple prayer that I prayed as I left the doctor's office; My husband and I were asked to adopt a baby. My husband and I agreed to adopt the baby and were blessed with a girl; our sweet Shelby. Then, three years later, we were asked to adopt another girl under different circumstances and did so again adding our baby daughter Haley to the family. God always gives abundantly, doesn't He? Still, while they are blessings, miracles, and all that ooey gooey stuff, they are work. We decided when we chose to adopt that I would become a "stay at home mom",( a term that was coined by someone who'd never held the position since staying home was rarely part of the job description). My husband was and is very supportive though and we tag teamed through the sleepless nights that seemed to never end for one reason or another, through the inevitable feelings of overwhelm and isolation, through the lean times when I was sure that my efforts would be best served bringing in more money rather than shaping our kids' futures. I love them all, and they do make me happy, but they have also been my career, which I have taken very seriously, sometimes too seriously, thereby missing some of the "happy".

4. Creating. I love to create things with words, paper, sounds, clay, paint, anything I can use to create with really. I just love the feeling of creating something. It is only amplified by seeing someone's appreciation of the thing I've created. Making stuff just makes me happy.

5. Music. I love music. All kinds, genres, and aspects of music. Well, almost ALL kinds. I have to admit, I am not a fan of opera or the "screaming so loud you can't understand the words" kind.

6. Art. I love to go to art museums, I love to watch people creating art whether it is a painter, a sculptor, quilter, or crafter. I truly enjoy the feelings it evokes and the inspiration something created with heart and soul gives.

7. Reading. Oh I love to read. Reading may well be in the top five but it is hard to tell since it is usually based on "what am I in the mood for?" And, as a writer, reading often falls into the category of "work".

8. Visiting my family. I have 8 younger sisters and 2 younger brothers. One brother, our sweet and silly Robin, died from complications of Kidney Disease in 1996. I love visiting my family members and don't do it nearly as often as I would like. My sisters have not always been my closest friends because I was older and often the care giver, but as adults we have developed more balanced and open relationships and I find them to be amazing women. I love my brother too but he's a "guy's guy" and I don't know a lot about hunting or fishing or the music he listens to (Death Metal). So, while we talk about our kids or how things are going in general, he is a man of few words and we don't just "hang out" like I can with my sisters. We see each other at Daddy's house mostly and that works pretty well. I love my dad and step mom and visiting their house and it makes me smile when we all get together whether at my house or for family reunions or holiday celebrations.

9. Food. Oh my gosh, I almost forgot food. I really enjoy food. Whenever I get the chance, I like to try new things, although texture has been an issue over taste many times. Food makes me happy. So happy though, sometimes I have to will myself to move away from the cookie!

10. Working out. I actually really enjoy going to the gym. I'm thankful that I can move my body and work up a sweat because there was a time I couldn't. I have had Fibromyalgia for years and there have been periods of time when the pain was so debilitating that I was in bed for days, only walking to the bathroom and when possible, to cook for my family. Those were the worst days. I'm grateful that I can walk and move and I really enjoy the "me time" working out affords. It allows me to distance myself from all mental and emotional stress, which actually makes it easier for me to work on those things that are stressful.


So, there you have it: My Day 1 writing. Sort of long I think. It has been a while since I have written anything so I will have to work on brevity again apparently. This is a first draft too by the way. No editing, just off the cuff words from my head and heart and hands to the keyboard.

Again, I'd love to see your "Day 1" if you would care to share. Peace and love to you all-

TheWritingMommy