A Cup Full of "Thankful"

Early in the 1970’s, my husband took me to the computer lab on the University of South Florida campus. He carried his stack of punched cards to a woman at the desk to run through the computer. He pointed to what looked to me to be a huge bank of metal cabinets.

“Look at that, Bec,” he said. “One day we’ll have a computer in our house. Can you imagine that?”

I couldn’t.  

But Tom was right. We had several computers through the years. None were as big as the monstrosity in that computer lab. In fact, my current computer is smaller than the spiral notebook I carried with me to any of my university classes.   

Where is this going? 

During my March Mug Month I’ve been reflecting on the messages my collection of coffee mugs convey. Last week I shared my “You’ll Get Through This” mug. It seemed appropriate for the pandemic sweeping the world. 

Self-isolation may well be the watchword for the long haul. 

I’ve embraced the time to paint, clean, write, organize, and do all those things I say I wish I had time to do. So far, so good. I’m fully aware that for some people, self-isolation may foster feelings of anxiety, loneliness, or even depression. 

One psychologist recommended that during this time everyone should write down three things for which they are thankful every night. Not a bad idea. Anytime.

It made me realize how thankful I am for my cell phone, computer, and the internet. During this time of uncertainty, I’ve missed my friends and family, but I’ve enjoyed daily conversations on the phone and playing a game of Farkle with my mother and two of my daughters via a Face Time conference call. Last night my youngest granddaughter called to read me a bedtime story. She’s in first grade.

I’m keeping up with friends on Facebook. Through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, I’m celebrating the birth of new babies and birthdays, and laughing at the creative memes my circle of friends share on a regular basis. I can choose how much news I want to watch and when I want to see it. 

I can attend church online. More than one if I choose. My Tuesday morning Bible study group is going to an online platform for our new study. Seeing and hearing my friends on my computer screen was refreshing. (I will admit though, the GoToMeeting platform, with our faces posted in rows across the screen made me feel as though I were part of The Brady Bunch.)

Although as a young bride, I couldn’t imagine having a computer in my home, I am thankful for that technology. For such a time as this.

Last Christmas, my daughter Danielle gave me this Thankful mug. It is so appropriate for my March Mug Month lineup. But it begs the question: What are you thankful for during this crazy time in our world?

And don’t forget to send me a picture of your favorite mug. Tell me why you like it. You’ll be entered into the drawing for a $10 Amazon gift card.

You'll Get Through This...Even This

Several years ago I participated in a Bible study by Max Lucado called You’ll Get Through This. In it, he highlighted the story of Joseph (of the Old Testament…not to be confused with Mary’s husband). At one point Joseph is thrown into a deep pit by his brothers. He can only “look up.” That’s the point. Bad things happen to good people, but with God’s help we get through it.

My husband Tom died a year after that particular Bible study ended. I copied the words from Max Lucado’s text and tucked the paper in my pocket for the visitation.

You’ll get through this.

It won’t be painless. It won’t be quick.

But God will use this mess for good.

Don’t be foolish or naïve.

But don’t despair either.

With God’s help, you’ll get through this.

After the funeral, my friend, Lina, found a mug with the words on it from the Lucado study. It is one of my favorites. It’s a reminder. God loves us, cares for us, is there for us, died for us, and sees us through…everything. 

My trust and hope during all difficulties in life rests in God. My faith clings to the promise of Jesus and what He did for me on that cross. My hope is found in that empty tomb.

As I write this post, the world is facing a pandemic. The coronavirus is spreading through every nation. Every country. Touching nearly every community. I’m not troubled. I am not living in fear. If I get the virus I will either recover or die. That doesn’t worry me.

Joseph was thrown into a pit, sold into slavery, imprisoned, and forgotten. His journey wasn’t without pain and suffering. It wasn’t quickly resolved. But God used the mess Joseph was in and all he encountered to make something good happen for His people.

So what good might come from this viral threat? I don’t know, but I see people engaging in more family time. People are cooking at home and sharing meals as a family. I see people looking out for their neighbors. 

And maybe, just maybe, in this very divisive time of American history, we will come together as a nation. Problem solving and working together for the common good is in our national DNA. In the words of Max Lucado “It won’t be painless and it won’t be quick. But God will use this mess for good.”

Don’t forget to share a picture of your favorite mug and why you treasure it. At the end of this series, I’ll post those stories shared and randomly select one person to receive a $10 Amazon gift card.

And if you want to know more about Joseph, you’ll find his story in the Old Testament portion of the Bible beginning in Genesis 37. If you are interested in Max Lucado’s book, You’ll Get Through This, CLICK HERE.

Happy Camper

Last week I declared March as Mug Month. If you missed that post, you can read about it by clicking HERE.

Like many of my readers, I have a large collection of coffee mugs. Several of them I’ve received as gifts, a few I’ve purchased. Some mugs I’ve received as part of a business or conference promotion. Then there are those mugs popping up from who knows where. They simply seem to appear in my cabinet. As a result, I must cull through them from time-to-time, donating the excess to my local charity store.

Of the many mugs I have, I actually use only a few. Favorites. Ones that hold more than coffee. They hold memories. 

For today’s post, I selected one such mug. I call it one of my Adventure Mugs. 

Happy Camper

The summer before my husband died in a bicycle accident, we purchased a fifth wheel camper. We planned to spend a few months in the camper in Naples, Florida during the winter of 2014-2015. Tom left this earth three days before our scheduled departure for the Sunshine State. 

Over the next year I had to make decisions about…everything. I knew how to drive Tom’s truck, but I wouldn’t dare attempt to pull the camper. I joked I could only drive it if I never had to make a right turn or back up. Tom’s brother bought the truck and I attempted to sell the camper. With no luck. 

I did the only thing I know to do with decisions in my life. I prayed about it. 

A little over a year later, I located a beautiful seasonal campground about an hour away from home. A driver took my camper to Pine Cove Campground. Once the  campground opened in the spring, I found the camper to be an ideal writing retreat. My fellow campers were fun and the owners of the campground worked hard to make it a safe and enjoyable experience. 

Furthermore, I knew Tom would have loved it.

My youngest daughter gave me two “Happy Camper” mugs. Hot coffee on crisp mornings with the sounds of others stirring about? Perfect. Restful. Camping by myself was something totally different from anything I had ever done. It was my first adventure without Tom. Through that experience I learned to be self-reliant. I was totally independent yet never really alone.

I no longer have the camper. I still have the mug. It holds memories of a season in my life when walks in the woods and breakfast with the birds chirping in the trees brought healing to my heart.  

  

What is the story behind your favorite mug? Send me a picture and a brief description of why you treasure that particular mug. I’ll be sharing those stories in a post here and putting the names of everyone who shares in a hat. One lucky winner will receive a $10 gift card from Amazon.

March: Mug Month

I decided to declare March as Mug Month.

I have two reasons. 

Reason #1: This month is the one-year anniversary of the release of Libby’s Cuppa Joe. Libby’s is a coffee shop in Door County, Wisconsin. No, it isn’t a real place even though I’ve had several readers report they looked for it when visiting the small town of Fish Creek.

When the new proprietor of Libby’s Cuppa Joe arrives on the scene, she cleans everything out of the store’s kitchen. Including a random collection of mugs from area businesses and such. 

Reason #2: In my first novel, Breathing on Her Own, there is a scene where the main character, Molly, is moving the contents of her daughter’s closet to a new room. She remembers her daughter as a toddler clomping around in Molly’s high-heeled shoes. She thinks of her daughter growing up and the way shoes mark time. There’s a line in the book that reads –“Shoes tell the story of our lives.”

I always liked that scene…and the line. 

Recently however, I hosted some friends for breakfast. I pulled three of my favorite mugs from the cabinet for our coffee. I told them the significance of each mug. 

Mugs Tell the Story of My Life. Interesting. I had never made that connection before. Sure, I have the random souvenir mug from my travels or the one someone gave me as a gift. I have mugs that bring back wonderful memories and a few that simply feel good in my hands. 

After my friends left, I pulled a few more mugs from the cabinet and lined them up. Each mug has a story of its own. For the next few weeks I am sharing a few of my “mug stories.” I know I’m not alone in this.

Your turn. What is your favorite mug? What do you drink in it? Where did you get it? Why do you like it so much? Please send me a picture of your mug…with or without you in it. Include a brief description of your connection to the mug. A few sentences is all I require.

Let’s have fun with this. 

My final post in the series will feature your stories. Illustrated with your pictures.  

And did I mention I have a $10 Amazon Gift Card for one lucky reader who sends me their mug story?

 

Quiet in the Chaos

This past weekend I hosted a brunch at my house for my family. Actually, it wasn’t my idea. My youngest daughter had a yen for breakfast pizza. Not the college dorm leftovers from Friday night. This is a dish I made when we went on a ski trip or for special holidays. It features sausage, eggs, hash browns, and cheese baked on a crescent roll crust. My whole family likes it.

Kendall called me one day and told me she really wanted me to make it and they’d come to my house for brunch: Unless of course I wanted to come to her house. She called her sister who lives nearby and my mom. She then let me know everyone was coming to my house around 10:30 or so on February 22 for brunch. 

I made the pizza and coffee. I cut up a fresh pineapple. My son-in-law Scott made waffles and my daughter Allison scrambled eggs for the “littles” who preferred them with their waffles instead of the pizza. It was a wonderful Saturday. We ate and talked and played. As it was George Washington’s birthday, my youngest granddaughter brought a booklet she made in school about Washington and Lincoln. Everyone had a part.

HOSPITALITY. It was last year’s word resurfacing. We talked about how that word had a deeper meaning for me after living with it for the whole of 2019. (I choose a word to explore every year.)

Hospitality isn’t simply about the food. It’s that comfortable feeling when people feel free enough to invite themselves to spend time with you in your home. Sure, they’re family, but they lead busy lives. I’m blessed that given the wide range of options before them, they choose to spend time with me. 

And they feel comfortable enough to invite themselves over for a brunch.

In the midst of the chatter and laughter of Saturday’s gathering, my youngest daughter asked me how my word for 2020 was playing out. You may recall from an earlier post I chose the word QUIET for this year. My family found it humorous. The morning was anything but quiet.

But QUIET is an interesting word. I’m learning it means much more than “without noise.” It speaks to stillness and reflection. It doesn’t necessarily mean isolation. There is a quiet during communion time at church that is full of energy. It is a time when I’m joined together with other believers and a peace that transcends understanding wraps its arms around us and pulls us together.

There is a quietness that comes when I’m anxious about something and I remind myself to breathe deep. (“Breathe deep” was, by the way, one of Tom’s go-to cure-alls. That and “put ice on it.”) I draw in a breath and feel my shoulders relax. The tension quiets as I release my fears or apprehensions.

I’m bumping into the word everywhere. Softly.

So even in the midst of chaos…the moment of living and laughing together, there is this quiet strength of love and peace swelling inside. 

What word have you claimed for 2020? How is it playing out for you today?

Where Hope and Quirky Meet

Where Hope and Quirky Meet: Introducing Author Jodie Wolfe

Fellow Author Jodie Wolfe creates novels where hope and quirky meet. I’m very happy to have her here with me today for this interview and introduce her to my readers.

Me: Welcome, Jodie!

Jodie: Thank you. It’s so great to be here.

Me: Jodie, I’m always interested in the path successful writers have taken to get published so let’s get started.  How long have you been writing?

Jodie: Many years. JI started writing little stories while in grade school. I wrote my first full-length book as a young teenager.

Me: That sounds a lot like me. I mean, I started writing stories young, but a full-length book as a teen? Wow! That’s cool!

Jodie: It was! I wrote a lot when I was younger - poems, stories, plays, articles, books and then I got married and had kids. We were a homeschooling family so most of my energy went into educating my two sons. It wasn't until my oldest son had graduated from high school that I started fiction writing again.

Me: I’ll be honest here. You don’t look old enough to have a son graduating from high school, but I get it. Our lives are full. Many of us wait until the time is right. You started taking your writing seriously. How did you get published?

Jodie: My first two books were indie published. A few author friends of mine wanted to create a collection of novellas in one book. I agreed to help and that's how Hearts Tightly Knit came about.The compilation book is out of print now, but you can still get my novella from Amazon. It was so well received, I wrote a sequel about the twin sister in Love in the Seams.

Me: I love hearing about how the writing community works together. So where did you get the idea for your newest release?

Jodie: I've always loved mail-order bride stories and wanted to write one. I wondered what would happen if a guy advertised for a proper wife and what arrived was completely opposite of that.

Me: Fun! I can see all sorts of miscommunication, fun, and disaster in that scenario. Did your book take any unexpected turns as you crafted it? Maybe a character emerged you didn’t expect to find or the focus of the book shifted altogether.

Jodie: Oh my yes! My characters always have a way of taking over the story and going in the direction they want to go. J

Me: I’m laughing here because that happens to me with my characters all the time. So tell me, what is one take-away from your book with which you hope readers will identify?

Jodie: Simply that we can trust God to be working in our lives, even when we can't see it.

Me: I love it! And I appreciate you stopping by so we could talk. 

Jodie: Thank you so much for letting me be here today to interact with your followers. I appreciate your time!

Me: Jodie’s newest book is called Taming Julia and is published through the Pelican Group. You can buy it on Amazon by clicking here: AMAZON

Grab your copy at Barnes and Noble by clicking here: BARNES & NOBLE

Jodie Wolfe is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), Romance Writers of America (RWA), and COMPEL Training. She's been a semi-finalist and finalist in various writing contests. A former columnist for Home School Enrichment magazine, her articles can be found online at: Crosswalk , Christian Devotions, and Heirloom Audio . She's a contributor and co-founder of Stitches Thru Time  blog. When not writing she enjoys spending time with her husband in Pennsylvania, reading, walking, and being a Grammie. Learn more about Jodie at www.jodiewolfe.com.

Blurb for Taming Julia

In 1875, Kansas bachelor Drew Montgomery's sole desire is to serve God, but his congregation's ultimatum that he marry or leave, forces him to advertise for a wife by proxy.

Jules Walker strides into Drew's life wearing breeches and toting a gun and saddle--more cowboy than bride. After years on the trail, she's not exactly wife material, but she longs for home and family, and will do anything to ensure Drew never discovers what she really is.

My Own "Little Women"

“I want to be a veterinarian or a weather ‘woman,’” my youngest granddaughter told me, gesturing quotes with her fingers in the air. “Or maybe I’ll be a car designer. I have lots of options.”

My six-year-old granddaughter’s dreams are certainly different from my own at her age. I wanted to be a teacher, writer, and cowgirl. Okay, I completed the first two and for a while I rode my pony, Flicka, around our Ohio farm hunting buffalo with my trusty cap pistol…even if the beasts did look quite a bit like Holstein cows. 

Still, being a teacher was reinforced as a respectable job for any woman. Nursing fell into that category. But being a veterinarian or a weather forecaster or a car designer? My parents would have encouraged any route I took, but there simply were no role models out there. I had no Doc McStuffins to watch. The only weather reports on my three channels of television came from men. Design cars? Never even occurred to me anyone did that. Design Barbie clothes? That was possible but not of interest to me.

My mom was a bookkeeper. She enrolled in a business school in Nashville after being the first in her family to graduate from high school. Mom has a head for numbers. I have a heart for words.

My dad was a smart cookie and successful at everything he put his hand to. He knew and understood farming, but was also a successful entrepreneur. He and my mom made quite a team. And they both wanted the best for me. I say this because I don’t want anyone to think my parents raised me to think there were certain roles for women and certain roles for men. They didn’t put limitations on what I could or could not study. Pursue. Become.

Television, books, and culture in general fed that line to me, save one. Little Women. The novel by Louisa May Alcott was one of my favorites. I was sure Jo March, the main character, was modeled after me. 

My Own "Little Women"
(Minus my 2 Kenoshanites)

In the book, she’s a tomboy and fiercely independent. She crafts plays for her sisters to perform.  (My cousins were the cast and crew for my skits and plays.) And Jo loves to write. She creates worlds beyond her own. 

Moreover, even though the story was set in the mid 1800’s, the four girls in the story have different talents. Each is encouraged to develop her skills and abilities. Now that I look back, I realize the talents the girls cultivated were those expected of “well-bred young ladies” of the time. It didn’t matter to me. They were free to explore art and music and writing.

Recently, my mother, two of my daughters, two granddaughters and I went to see the movie Little Women. It spoke to all four generations, maybe in different ways, but all with the same emotion of care and accepting the challenges life hands out. My oldest granddaughter captured it perfectly. She said, “I liked the way they cared for each other and other people, too. Even though they were poor.”

I know that by the standards of the day they were not wealthy, but there is a richness to any life where there is love and encouragement to reach your full potential.

After the initial conversation with my youngest granddaughter, I asked my oldest granddaughter what avenue of study she might pursue one day. She’s in third grade. She didn’t hesitate. “Well, I sometimes think about being a rocket designer, or a coder, or maybe the mayor. But another part of me would like to be a librarian or a local journalist. And I wouldn’t mind being a movie director or a professional piano player.”

To quote her sister: “She has lots of options.”

But don’t we all? We put more limits on ourselves than others do. We need to ask God how He wants to use us. He has no limits. We need to pursue our dreams and get rid of the negative self-talk that holds us back. And that goes for both women and men. 

Okay, getting off my soapbox. Back to writing. It is the dream God has written on my heart. So maybe I'll have to write a story about a cowgirl. I bet she'll look a lot like me...and Jo March.