CCBR's Great Big Book Giveaway!

In just two days Christian Children's Book Review will begin its very first book giveaway!! We have OVER 40 books to giveaway -- at least one each day from November 1st through November 30th. To win, you only need to leave a comment on the appropriate post. You can enter once a day, every day next month. Oh, and there's a grand prize valued at $95!

If you've not been to this site, you need to give it a visit. I along with four other moms scour the shelves of Christian children's publishing to help readers find the very best books for the young minds in their lives. We focus primarily on picture books, but also cover early readers, Bibles and more. It's a fantastic (award-winning!) site.

Check out the site for full details then tell your friends. Everyone can benefit from more children's books - especially if they're free. ;) You could keep them for yourself or give them as Christmas gifts. Donate them to your local library! So, spread the word and good luck!

Trouble with my feed.

Hey folks! There is currently a problem with my RSS feed. If you subscribe to the site through the link to the right (FeedBlitz), then it probably hasn't affected you and won't affect you. Everything is running fine with them -- or at least seems to be at the moment. If, however, you subscribe to the feed through another service, you may be redirected to a "Blue Box Blog." I have no idea what this is, but I've contacted blogger regarding the problem. Hopefully we'll have it fixed soon. Sorry for the inconvenience and THANKS for reading!

Ellie-isms & Zach Attacks

It was brought to my attention that I've not posted any Ellie-isms in a while. Well, here's a bundle for you. Enjoy!

Isabel, sung to the tune of "Jesus Loves the Little Children: “Mommy loves the little children, all the little children of the world. Red mommies love Isabels, yellow mommies love Zachs! Black mommies and white mommies too!”

Zachary: “Chuh-BUNgee!!” This is loudly proclaimed at every meal. Translation: “Chew like a bunny!”

Isabel: “How do you spell Isabel? I-S-A-B-E-L! How do you spell Zachary? Z-S-H-O-Y!”

Isabel, with arms straight up: “I’m up and down lines.” Then, with arms out, one raised high and the other low: “Now I’m a danogononigal line!”

Isabel: “I can’t take a nap because I’m nervous.”
Me: “Nervous? What does that mean?”
Isabel: “Nervous means you don’t want to go to sleep.”

Me: “Zachary, you don’t say ‘sorry’ by yelling across the house. You need to say ‘sorry’ to her face.”
Zachary: “Sorry face! Sorry Ellie’s face!”

Isabel: “Hi, Miss Karen!”
Zachary: “Hi, Miss Kenya!”
Isabel: “Her name is Miss Karen. Her last name is “Miss”. N-O-B-L-I-S-M MISS KARE-EN!!”
Zachary: “Oh. Okay. Hi, Miss Kenya!”

Isabel: “You have to give me cuddles when I’m sick, Mom.”

Isabel: “Can you help me get the itches off?” This is her way of asking you to scratch her back.

A discussion had over corned beef and cabbage …
Me: “Try it. You’ll like it. It has sugar in it.”
Isabel: “I don’t like sugar.”
Me: “Yes, you do! Sugar is in all the things you like best, like ice cream.”
Isabel: “Does it have ice cream in it?”

Me: “L is for …”
Zachary: “LION!”
Me: “M is for …”
Zachary: “MONKEY!”
Me: “N is for …”
Zachary: “BURGER KING!!” In his defense, the picture of a nest does look a little like a hamburger.

One thing I do well

Parents can always tell how they're doing by watching their children. I'm not talking about the children's behavior, but the children's imitation.

When Isabel was younger she would discipline her babies by whacking them across the head. I know I never did that to our kids, but when a two-year-old recites her parents while assaulting her doll, it makes you wonder. Now I see my actions magnified when Isabel attempts to discipline Zachary. "Zach, come here right now. I need to talk to you. Zach! You're not listening to me! I'm going to take away your firetruck, if you don't obey!" And Zach does the same back to her. "Hush!! I not talk to you; I talk to Mommy!"

I hate hearing my demanding tones, my complaining, my impatience. It's all right there, spewing from the mouths of my children. It's awful and undeniable. Every parent has moments of insecurity. Why did God entrust these children to me? Couldn't He have found someone better for the job?

Oh I'm sure there are many who are better-suited to be parents. People with patience oozing from their pores; stable emotions and clear logic and all those things I lack. My kids could have perfect parents! But then they would miss the sincerity of this family. They wouldn't see an imperfect mom and know that if God can love and forgive her, He can do the same for them. They wouldn't have a tangible understanding of our need for God. Would they still witness the day to day process of sanctification? Sure, they could have perfect parents, but look at all they would miss!

Watching my kids, I see my faults and I see God's grace. Only a gracious, loving Father would give these two amazing people to me -- to love, to care for, to learn from.

"Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the mind and healing to the body." Proverbs 16:24 (AMP)

I see a lot of what I do wrong, but sometimes, like a glimmer of hope, I see what I do right, too. "Zach-y, you cleaned up all your toys. I so proud of you! Mommy, look what our big boy did!" "Ah-ie (Zach's version of "Ellie"), I like your picture! You do good job. Hi-five! Mommy, come look at Ah-ie's picture!" Praise. My kids get a lot of praise. It's so funny to hear their little voices dripping with Mama's encouraging entonation. I see them care for one another with immeasurable compassion. I see them forgive each other even when it's hard. And I hear them praise each other. If nothing else, that's one thing I do well. Just as the Proverb says, those pleasant words really are sweet and healing. A simple kindness between siblings can erase the frustration of a very weary mama.

Photo by Kathleen Bennett.

A Tale of Two Books

Half the free world is now aware of Jessica Seinfeld's book: Deceptively Delicious. Last week she was on Oprah and The Today Show. This week she was on Live with Regis and Kelly. Next it's The View. The book has been featured in seven major glossies and countless blogs, newspapers, and more. The publisher (Harper-Collins) expects to sell at least 1 million copies by Christmas. And with good reason! It's a great book. Yes, I have a copy. As far as cookbooks go, this is by far one of the most attractive packages. It's spiral bound (as all cookbooks should be!) and filled with vintage 50's style artwork and colors, quality photographs and healthy recipes. What's more, the book goes beyond recipes with tips on making family mealtimes a treat rather than torture. An instant success - right? Obviously! But why?

Jeffrey Trachtenberg wrote an article in today's Wall Street Journal about the success of this book and complaints from the author of a similar book. It's got me thinking. I won't share the whole article; you can read it online, but I do want to point out a few details.

Both books are founded on the premise of hiding veggies in meals kids will eat. Both contain recipes for sneaking squash into macaroni and cheese and avacado into chocolate pudding. There are actually 12 "same" recipes between the two books, but who cares? Trying to trick kids into eating vegetables is not a new concept. Parents have been doing it for centuries. As a writer I'm interested in the marketing of books. I want to know what makes one a household name while the other is found in the B-section of the Times months after it's release.

The difference? Jessica Seinfeld is married to Jerry Seinfeld. According to Amazon, Deceptively Delicious (Seinfeld's book) is #1 for bestsellers, but The Sneaky Chef (by Missy Chase Lapine) has quantitatively and qualitatively higher reviews. In fact, a number of reviews for Seinfeld's book are simply urging readers to get Lapine's book instead.

Back to the WSJ article. Both books were submitted to the same publisher. Harper-Collins rejected Lapine's Sneaky Chef, but two weeks later accepted Seinfeld's book. Lapine took her proposal elsewhere and was eventually published by Perseus Books, a small independant publisher. Now, Lapine is not suffering as far as sales go. Her book has been named a New York Times Bestseller. She even has a television pilot being shopped around under the same name as her book. But why wasn't she on Oprah? She's worked for Eating Well and Gourmet magazines and now teaches at a culinary institute on top of being a "mom-prenuer".

The moral of the story is: marry a celebrity before you write your book. No, I'm just kidding. Partially. Jay Leno's celebrity status didn't help his book at all. But if Jessica weren't married to Jerry, would anyone care that she wrote a cookbook with her personal nutrionist?

What bothers me about this is that both books are good! But Seinfeld has the edge because of who she is and who she knows. I have never heard of an author being invited to the editorial review of his proposal, but Mrs. Seinfeld was not only invited, she brought food for the board to try while she, her agent and her editor pitched the book. If Lapine had been able to bring her food to the board, would they have bought her book instead? Jessica gets on Live! because she's neighbors with Kelly. She gets on Oprah because everybody knows Jerry and wants to know what his wife is doing. She gets a bigger publisher with a bigger publicity budget. She has influential friends who push her book to the limits. Everyone wants to buy it! It's exactly the solution everyone has been hunting, but maybe that's because Missy Lapine was interviewed by Al Roker instead of headliner Matt Lauer.

I'm not putting down Jessica or trying to elevate Missy; I'm just highlighting an injustice of publication. You may have the best, most fascinating book, but if you don't package it well and get it into the right hands, it doesn't matter how well you've written it. Marketing is everything. Authors need to be diligent in promoting their books, but in the end it's not really in our hands. The book The Tipping Point is all about this. One little thing can make all the difference. The people you know and the ones you don't can greatly influence sales.

So, what's my point? I don't really know. The article provokes much thought. One thing is for sure: I'm glad we have a sovereign Lord who cares about these details. I need to work hard, but I don't need to worry. As long as I follow Him, the plans He has made for me will come to pass. The same is true for you.

"Commit your works to the LORD and your plans will be established. ... The mind of man plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps." -- Proverbs 16:3, 9 (NAS)


For more information on these two books and their authors, visit The Sneaky Chef and Deceptively Delicious online.

More thoughts on Faith

I'm going to bounce you all back to Dale's site today: Pyretic Ponderings. This blogging friend started our discussion on faith and healing last week. She posted more this week. The post is concise, but insightful. I'm still thinking on it and would love to hear your thoughts as well.

Update on "Fall into Reading"

It's been less than a week and I'm already making changes to my self-imposed reading challenge. Since setting my goals, I have purchased three new books (for myself; I purchased a few more for the kids) and picked up a couple "new" books from a dusty bookshelf on our second floor. This is what I'll do: I'll list the new additions to my list here and, if I finish half of them (half of the list, not half of each book) by Christmas Eve, I'll be thrilled. This is quite a mighty feat for a dyslexic mother of two!

• Choosing Forgiveness by Nancy Leigh DeMoss -- nonfiction -- I don't really know much about this book, but forgiveness is one of those mysterious doctrines for me. I have a tough time understanding it. I'm hoping this book with help me not only understand it, but live it as well.
• How Children Raise Parents by Dan Allender -- nonfiction, parenting -- A biblical approach to parenting; not just for the benefits of the children, but also for the parents to learn from their children what God wants to teach them.
• Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin -- nonfiction, current events; NYT bestseller -- A mountaineer stumbles into an impoverished Pakistan village. He promises to return to build them a school. This book is about that promise and what results of keeping it.
• The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini -- fiction; NYT bestseller -- I can't ignore this novel any longer. Too many people have read and recommended it.
• Come to Papa by Gary Wiens -- nonfiction; theology -- This book is actually research for one of my writing projects.

Wish me many quiet nights and hours of happy reading.

High Calling Blogs

You'll notice a new icon in my sidebar: HighCallingBlogs.com. Isn't it pretty? I love orange. I'm very excited about this new community. If you click on the box you'll be taken to a wonderful site connecting Christians from around the world with one common goal: to live the Gospel wherever we are.

People love to compartmentalize, but if we only live for God on Sundays, we're not really living for God at all. As Christians, we need to take God into the workplace, live Him in the home and share Him with our neighbors. This is what HighCalling is all about.

Visit the site and check out the blogs! You'll find a well of encouragement; a basin of challenging thoughts. If you share this vision, please join! We've got eleven professional categories we'd like to fill, from military, medical and science to parenting, technology and education. There's a spot for everyone who seeks to live out our high calling.

Faith, Healing and Prayer

My friend Dale wrote a thought-provoking post on her blog this week. I wanted to leave a comment for her, but discovered I had too much to say about it. Her church recently hosted a guest speaker who proclaimed the necessity of faith in healing. It's true Jesus spoke of a relationship between the two; He said several times "Your faith has healed you." Dale's question looks at the other side: What about those who are not healed? Is their faith less than sufficient?

I'll take it a step further. What about unbelievers who receive healing? They certainly have less faith than believers, so why would they be healed while believers continue to suffer? My difficulty is not just with healing and faith, but also with prayer. Why are some prayers answered while others are not?

A recent conversation with a friend spun me into this very thinking. She is pregnant with their second child. While I am absolutely thrilled for them, I was honestly frustrated as well. You see, we struggled with infertility for four years before getting pregnant. My friend got pregnant immediately after going off birth control -- with both pregnancies. They were able to plan it; to schedule it in their lives. Meanwhile, we seem prevented from planning anything. Even our second child was a surprise. Isabel came after we had given up hope of having a biological child of our own. We were actually deciding on adoption agencies when we learned she was coming. And Zach! Well, we were on two different kinds of birth control when God decided to send him our way. It's frustrating to me that it's so easy for some when I struggled so greatly. Why did I have to wait four years for God's blessing and my friend only had to wait two weeks? All this going through my head, I said to her: "I don't understand why biology works for some people and it just doesn't for others." Her answer: "It's not about biology; it's about God. I prayed about it and just felt right. It's not about biology. We got pregnant because we prayed."

Do you know how that made me feel?? I know she would never intentionally hurt me, but her answer assumed that I didn't pray. Or if I did pray, I didn't pray the right way. Or maybe I just didn't have enough faith and that's why we were unable to conceive.

When people talk about faith and the necessity of it, they need to be sensitive to their finite understanding of it. Faith is easy to define but impossible to comprehend. We can't measure it because we can't see it. We can't judge the quality or degree of it because it's completely intangible. Yes, faith is important, but it's not a genie in a bottle. You can't get what you want just because you have faith. If what you want is in line with God's will, then, sure! You'll get it -- but not because you asked nicely. You get it because God planned it for you before the foundations of the earth. If what you pray for is not in line with God's will, then it doesn't matter how much faith you have or how nicely you ask. The words you use are irrelevant because God's will always prevails.

We can talk about faith and healing and prayer all we want as long as we consistently return to this truth:

"'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' declares the LORD. 'As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.'" -- Isaiah 55:8-9 (NIV)

"Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance? Who has understood the mind of the LORD, or instructed him as his counselor? Whom did the LORD consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge or showed him the path of understanding?" -- Isaiah 40:12-14 (NIV)

We want everything to fit into neat, understandable order. That's not going to happen. God doesn't need our permission to do what He wants. He doesn't even need our prayers or our faith. We also want to feel like we have a part in accomplishing things. If we believe God heals or answers prayers based on our faith, then we are taking credit for what He does - right? I mean, if we didn't have faith, He wouldn't heal or grant our prayers, would He? Of course He would! IF it's His will to do so.

Our only option is to seek Him completely; crave to know Him intimately. Only when we truly know Him can we trust His work in our lives. Whether it is in line with our will or not, we can stand confident that His will is best.

Every day is becoming Sunday

I can't stand monotony. I need different things to do at different times. Routines bore me and having a boss ... well, my children are not strong-willed by accident. So, being a stay-at-home mom suits me perfectly. If I want to spend the day making cookies then delivering them to elderly neighbors (for no reason whatsoever), I do it. If I want to spend the morning coloring with the kids and the afternoon hunting for bugs, I do it. If I want to stay in my pjs all day, no one cares and I'm a happy, comfy person. Please do not think I use my kids as a license to be lazy. Far from it! I'm plenty busy, but fully without a solid schedule. Or so it has been until recently.

Until recently, Rick was the only person who had to be out of this house at a regular time. The kids and I could hang until 8, 9, 10 or 2 if we wanted. That is, except for Sunday. Sunday was the only day of the week when we all had to be ready and out the door at the same time. Well, now Isabel that is in school, every day is becoming Sunday.

I am gently moving into this new life paradigm. It took me a while to adjust from working to being at home; now it is taking a while to adjust from being at home to being a school mom. Two things have been a huge help to me ---- (Please give me suggestions for what else will be helpful!! I'll take anything I can get!) ---- lists and accountability.

Lists are fabulous because I can keep track of what time I need to be where and what I need to have in hand when I get there. They also help me feel productive. There is nothing quite like a list of completed tasks!

As for accountability ... well, if goals are not spoken, they're just wishes. I've started a writers' accountability group and have a couple solid prayer partners to keep me in check. That's writing and prayer/parenting in line. How 'bout my reading? Well, I found a cool site for that, too!

Katrina at Callapidder Days is sponsoring a Fall Into Reading 2007.

Between now and December 24th I aim to finish the following books (listed in no specific order):

• Raising Your Spirited Child by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka -- nonfiction parenting book; I'm about a third through now.
• I Sold My Soul on eBay by Hemant Mehta -- nonfiction; The subtitle is "Viewing Faith Through an Atheist's Eyes". The forward is by Rob Bell (bestselling author of Velvet Elvis). It looks really good. I have not yet started it.
• Sins of the Fathers by James Scott Bell -- fiction legal drama from a Christian perspective; I've only read the prologue.
• Playing for Pizza by John Grisham -- fiction; completely unlike Grisham's other books! I love his writing, so I have no doubt I'll love this book. I've only read the excerpt on Amazon, which amounts to the first seven pages of the book.
• Hearing God's Voice by Henry and Richard Blackaby -- nonfiction; I'm currently reading this one. I'm about a fifth through.
• On Writing Well by William Zinsser -- nonfiction writing book; I started this months and months ago, but then the book got stuck under my bed. I just pulled it out. Literally. (Anna, that "literally" was for you! *grin*)
• Writers on Writing by various christian authors -- nonfiction writing book; I'm a third through this one.
• Prayer by Philip Yancey -- nonfiction; This is another current read. I've just sunk my teeth into it. I'm not very far yet, but am already enjoying it greatly.

Bonus Book: Splash the Living Water by Esther Burroughs -- nonfiction; haven't started it yet, but look forward to reading it!

Check back in December to see how I've done and which additional books I've completed before the deadline. Oh, and feel free to join the challenge! I'd love to know what you're reading. Visit Callapidder Days to get in on the action.

An audience of One

Hey, all! Thank you for your prayers and kind encouragement while I was sick. I am feeling MUCH better -- still not 100%, but I'm getting there. :)

Yesterday the kids and I went to the mall. The last thing I wanted to do was make three separate lunches, as is our custom after Isabel gets home from school. After all, she, like me, is a nut for dairy, which, of course, Zachary can't have. I always eat after they go to bed so -- three lunches. Chicken or turkey for him, grilled cheese or pasta for her and a salad for me. Anyway, yesterday I didn't feel like our usual routine, so I took the kids to the mall. Johnny Rockets. It was fun! But being at the mall, we certainly couldn't just eat; we had to walk around a bit, too. First the pet store, then the toy store ... then Mommy's toy store: Williams Sonoma.

In this particular mall, Williams Sonoma is right next to an anchor store. This means there is a large open space in front of it. A few benches, trees planted in large pots and a small stage. Typically it holds seasonal decorations or someone playing piano. Yesterday it was just a big open platform. Isabel was immediately drawn to it.

"Mommy, I want to sit on this table!"

"It's not a table, honey. It's a stage. People sing and dance on it."

Her eyes grew large and her face lit up, as if she had just discovered her purpose in life. Zachary couldn't take the excitement sitting down. Before I knew it, he was out of the stroller and climbing right up there with her. The place was empty -- it was Thursday afternoon -- so I let them go.

Zach and Ellie stood straight, took deep breaths and belted out the sweetest version of "Jesus Loves Me," their little voices testing the acoustics. A few people, all smiles, stopped to listen. A round of applause greeted the end of their song. My kids bowed low then launched into "Deep and Wide."

Watching them, I was filled with joy and an odd incomprehension. They held no intimidation. No inhibitions. I seriously doubt they considered which song would be best received by their audience. Or maybe they already knew who their audience was -- an audience of One.

I'm insecure even without being on stage in a mall. Even sitting in the back of a church of 3000, I temper my worship. I worry if I'm singing too loud or off-key. If I close my eyes, will I forget the words? If I raise my hands, will other people be watching? What will they think?

My children sang like David. Remember David dancing through the streets praising God? (2 Samuel 6) I can easily see my kids worshiping God the same way. Me? I'm more like David's wife, Michal. Do you remember her response? She reprimanded David for embarrassing himself and her. She felt a king should never behave that way. Even at his wife's condemnation, David wasn't ashamed. In fact, he promised to dance even more for the glory of God and the humility of himself. "He must increase, but I must decrease." John 3:30 (NAS)

May I become more like David, worshiping with abandon. May all I see and imagine blur until all I see is Him. Then may I belt it out knowing my audience of One is as enamored with me and I am with my children.

Not writing; not in a coma

James Watkins said, in Writers on Writing, "Unless you're on life-support, you can write." He, after double-hernia surgery, completed a book project "with two ice packs down [his] pants." Well, I'm happy for him and I appreciate his point, but ... well, he's wrong. Okay, at least not completely right.

I have been sick for the last two days. The cool thing is I actually completed more writing since becoming sick than I had in the entire two weeks previous. (Chalk up a point for the Mr. Watkins.) However, I accomplished that only because I can't do anything else. My head pounds if I stand up. There's nothing on tv during the day. My amazing husband has removed all distractions, otherwise known as Isabel, Zach, laundry and dishes. (Thank you, Rick!!) So, yes, I've gotten something done, but is it any good?

I've got about ten minutes before my brain checks out again, yielding to "medicine head". My body will slump, undeciferable among the pillows, and I'll drift off into some ... Argh. There it goes. Vocabulary is gone. All I write this week will require serious edits next week.

Dare I strive for a point while surrounded by this cloud? Why not.

What I've noticed, since becoming couch/bed-ridden, is how low writing has been on my priority list. If God has called me to write, why am I not doing it more passionately? More consistently? If I truly believe this is the job He has given me, why am I not working at it wholeheartedly? Why do I turn off the computer to watch the Yankees? Why do I spend so much time on laundry when I could just buy less clothes? That's a double time saver! No shopping, no clothes to wash. Perfect! I spent hours making caramel corn for the school bake sale. I could have just bought prepackaged cookie dough and accomplished the same purpose (to raise money for the school) in less time and less energy.

Yes, I say I'm a writer. Yes, I claim to be obeying His call, but in reality, I'm just sitting on it. I'm waiting for a word from an editor or two. I'm waiting for the right opportunity to surface. I'm waiting for more time. Guess what -- all this is just rationalization for my procrastination. Procrastination is delayed obedience. Delayed obedience is disobedience.

So my question to you is this: what is keeping you from fully obeying God? Has He given you a job to do? Are you doing it?

God told me to write. Unless I'm in a coma, I need to be writing something, even if it's just a little something, every single day. He's given me a lot to do. I can't have Him return to books of blank pages.

(By the way, I mean no criticism to Jim Watkins' book. I'm a third through and so far it's been great.)