Mountain Climbing

"Sometimes you have to climb a mountain to see the beauty at the top!"

Living Life Passionately,

Writing Wednesday and Pic of the Day!

Today was a writing retreat day for me at Conestoga Gardens—Lancaster’s best kept secret. It’s open to the public on Wednesday from 1:00 to 8:00 p.m. (June to September), so I take full advantage of it.

My hubby contracted the stomach flu and for the last two days I have been listening to sounds of throw-up, so I took a break to indulge in the sound of trickling waterfalls. It was so peaceful; I actually got some writing done.

Someone e-mailed this week and asked me how to write a devotional, so here’s my answer to that question. Since I’m writing 30 of them for Moms of Sons, I thought this might be a good time to share with you something you might learn at a writer’s conference.

1. Start out your story with action; dialogue usually works for me. It gets your reader involved from the get-go. Opening with a story never fails to involve your reader (which is why you are writing it!).

2. The Scripture should highlight the main point of your story. Be sure to not make it a long verse (if so, just use only a portion of it) and be careful not to use Scripture out of context. There are a lot of good sites on the Web. I use www.Biblegateway.com.

3. This is the hardest part for some writers: Your last paragraph needs to tie in the story with the Scripture.

4. End on a positive note.


There you have it. I subscribe to Joni and Friends and receive a devotional a day via e-mail. Joni Eareckson Tada is the queen of short devotionals which is harder to do than longer ones because it is tight writing. An average devotional is anywhere from 500-700 words. The hardest ones to write are about 200 words.

Enjoy the picture of the day and have fun writing your devotional!

Living Life Passionately,

Picture of the Day!

Lily afer the rain...

The Color Red

This is the month of sweetheart roses and valentines, but it’s also the month of red.

There are red dresses to symbolize American Heart Health (Go Red for Women!); there are the red heart stamps that I just found this morning stuck in an envelope (I knew I would find them!) before USPS increased postage again in May, and just this morning, I peeked outside to find a red cardinal on my neighbor’s flower ornament. I checked twice to make sure it was real.

Yep, it was real!

I dashed upstairs, got my camera, and gingerly opened the sliding door to the back porch. I prayed that it would stay still long enough for me to take just ONE picture. I held my breath, pointed, and clicked.

So what’s the big deal about a cardinal in the snow?

I have been chasing cardinals for as long as I can remember and it’s as if they knew it was on my passionate to-do list.

“Can’t catch me!” I could hear them squawk back.

But today the cardinal cooperated. And what a better day: fluffy snow and a red tree as a backdrop. Now I can scratch that one off my passionate to-do list.

It sure does the heart good to know that I don’t have to slip, slide, and chase down red birds in the snow.

I love the color red—don’t you?

Celebration of Life Day!

April 12th is my “Celebration of Life Day,” which was the date of my cancer surgery 12 years ago! This year, I celebrated in quiet reflection by reading over some of my journal entries. I came across one dated March 30, 1996 (about one week after my diagnosis), where I wrote: “I never want to be this busy again. I want to spend more time with those that I love; I want to travel and do the things I’ve always wanted to do. I never want to miss a sunset!”

Tears streamed down my cheeks as I read those words, because guess what? Life has become that busy again! I wrote on Boomer Babes last week (before we took “spring break”) that I was juggling too many balls, and somehow I found myself back in the same place where I didn’t want to be.

I truly believe that the “black plague” of the 21st century is busyness and the need to SIMPLIFY is something we all need to do. I looked over my schedule and realized there are some things I don’t need to be doing.

Yesterday I took a long walk on one of my favorite trails in the Hershey area. The time alone and the pictures I took rekindled my soul. When I returned that evening, my husband said, “You’re like a different person when you come back from your nature hikes.”



I said, “You’re absolutely right! I do need to do more of that."

Spring is a time for new beginnings and to celebrate the life God has entrusted to us, and to explore our passions with new joy. I’ve cleared a lot off my calendar and scheduled in “Celebration of Life” days all through the week, not just ONE day of the year.

I’m so thankful for the opportunity to spring forward into my passions once again and to celebrate life every day!



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breast cancer, celebration, Weekend of Hope, Trading Ashes for Roses, photography

Friendship!

Today I spoke at Cedar Grove United Methodist Church on the subject of friendship at their Ladies' Day Retreat!

The scenery on the way to Deale, Maryland was breathtaking. Several times I swerved off the side of the road or rolled down the window to take a picture. Everywhere I turned there was another photo grabbing for my attention.

After the reatreat one of the ladies, Sharon, took me on a tour of Deale. If you ever get a chance, don't miss this gem of a town. With a view of the Chesapeake and quaint shops and cottages surrounding the yacht clubs, it's a haven of rest for the weary soul.

I stopped off at charming coffee shop on the drive home and almost stayed; it was the best cappuccino I ever tasted. I ended up giving one of my books away: "Chicken Soup for the Coffee Lover's Soul" for the best brew in town!

Who can beat a good cup of java and friends? Click here to view the slide show.