April 8, 2009 by Kelly.

We have a new addition to our church’s Welcome Center: The Eutycus Cafe. This is going to be a great way to show hospitality to our visitors who don’t get down to the gym for coffee and donuts between services! Our new cafe will be salt and light to our visitors.

I had always been a little unsure of what “salt and light” actually meant. Earlier this week I was reading in Matthew 5. Verse 13 talks about being the salt of the earth. Why would Jesus use this comparison for His followers? What is it about salt that fits the analogy so well?

Salt is a mineral, and it dissolves easily. If you’ve ever picked up a piece of salt, put it down, and then touched your fingers to your lips, you’ll taste the salt residue left behind. Salt also enhances the flavor of tastes. I believe these two features are what make salt the perfect analogy.

Jesus expects us to touch people’s lives, and leave a Christian residue. When you meet someone new, do they remember you the next day? Have you left a residue in their life that enhances their outlook? When your friends need something, do they think of you as being able to help?

Verses 14-16 talk about light. Light is different than salt. Whereas salt is an after effect, light precedes us and is seen from a distance. Do people see you from a distance, helping others, and think “there’s something about that person”? Do people you come into contact with at the store/bank/school see you as a person of integrity? When you are introduced to someone, do they say “I’ve heard good things about you”?

How bright is your light? Are you leaving a residue behind for Jesus? Reach out… be a light… learn… volunteer… be salt.

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February 19, 2009 by Kelly.

I joined Facebook about six months ago and have been collecting/finding friends ever since. Old friends from high school, writing and homeschooling friends from around the country and the world, local friends from church, and local homeschoolers. It’s also proven to be a fantastic way for me to stay in touch with my oldest who is now in college!

Whenever I’m on FB, and a writer friend finds me, they always ask, “what are you writing these days?” Plenty!

I am helping to maintain our church’s FB page, and that gives me plenty of writing opportunity. Other than that, I’m mostly journaling things that God is speaking to my heart about during my quiet time. I’ll be posting those thoughts here, and on other blogs I have.

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October 24, 2008 by Kelly.

I’ve been away from writing for a few months now. Oh, I still make household lists, take notes at church, write emails, and that sort of daily-life writing; but I haven’t written an article in over three months. Why? Priorities.

My family is my first job. I believe my children are given to me by God, and it is my responsibility to raise them, teach them, love them exactly as He desires. My husband is my forever friend. When the kids are grown and gone with families of their own, he’ll still be here by my side, laughing with me, talking with me, and spreading God’s love with me. He’s stuck with me, so I need to make sure he likes me.

I spend a lot of time in the car this year, transporting a child to a few key classes. He is the oldest at home right now, and I will do whatever it takes to prepare him for graduation in 19 months. Even if it requires worktexts for this year.

I’ve also gotten back into crocheting. This allows me to watch TV with my family in the evenings. Before, I was squirreled away in my office, writing. My focus was on creating, editing and submitting. Now it’s on creating, talking and enjoying. It’s time I found a happy medium between writing and family life.

My friend Karen suggested I take just 15 minutes each day to write something. Blog posts count, so here I am! Fifteen minutes is not too much to ask. I can rough out an article in 15 minutes. I write half an article (more or less) in 15 minutes. I can edit a short article in 15 mintues. I should be able to research markets in 15 minutes, too. Karen is right: I don’t have to do everything all at once. Just 15 mintues each day…

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July 18, 2008 by Kelly.

Some of my best inspiration comes from reading my Bible or another inspirational book, or from listening to a sermon. I cannot sit through church services without jotting notes about what is being said. I often use a pencil or pen (whatever is handy at the time) to mark in the margin of a book I’m reading if something jumps out at me.

When I jot down my own thoughts on a sermon, I will remember it better than if I just sit and listen. When I read a book, I remember key points better if I underline or note the section some way. Many of my notes have become devotionals.

One of my clients reviewed a devotional book for writers. I just may have to get a copy and see how it inspires me!

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July 18, 2008 by Kelly.

Do you see it over there? I added a Blogroll, on the left. You have to scroll down a little to see it, but it’s there. I added my first link to it today. Jennifer is married to the Youth Pastor at our church, and she’s written a book called Royal by Blood. I don’t know if she has done any other writing as I’ve not had a chance to really talk to her yet. She has kids, I have kids; she’s busy, I’m busy. We just kind of smile in passing right now.

But, someday…

Maybe I’ll invite her to drive with me to an FCW meeting sometime! In the meantime, check out her blog!

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July 2, 2008 by Kelly.

I say ’small’ but it feels huge, really. And it’s actually two steps. I’ve starting taking those steps to move forward in my writing career. I’ve begun submitting to regional parenting publications (RPPs), and I’ve become a contributing writer at Suite101.com. Now I just need to keep going. The next steps are: to find a few RPPs to contribute to regularly and strike up a relationship with the editors so that I’ll be assigned articles (better pay), and to become a feature writer at Suite101 (better pay).

Hmmm… sounds like I’m just in it for the money!

So far I’m enjoying the challenge that comes with both types of writing. One is print and doesn’t mind simultaneous submissions or reprints. The other is online and has a one-year exclusivity contract on each article.

I’m really looking forward to the next few months!

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June 29, 2008 by Kelly.

Taking the next step can be hard. Whether it’s a child learning to walk or an adult getting married or anything else… it’s hard! I know why: it’s scary. Usually the next step deals with the unknown, or uncertainties. That child doesn’t know if his wobbly legs will support him, or if he’ll come crashing down on his bottom. As adults, we don’t know what the future holds. We know what we’d like the future to hold, but we understand that sometimes things don’t go as we plan. Just like that child, we know we must keep moving forward, or we won’t get what we want.

Writers are no exception. We must keep moving forward in our writing to get what we want. I want to glorify God. I feel He has given me this talent with words and He expects me to use it to bring Him glory. Yet fear keeps me in my secure little world. I have written extensively for the Internet, and there’s nothing wrong with that; however, I cannot help but feel the need to be published in a print publication.

Is it my own selfish desire? I don’t think so. I’m not even sure where He desires that I submit. I’m trusting Him to let me know when I find it. It could be my own church bulletin, or it could be a book, or it could be a national publication or a regional publication. Wherever it is, I wish to be ready when God says, “That’s the place!”

Getting ready–taking that next step–is the hard part. I must reach out to publishers and editors I do not know personally, people I’ve never met, and offer them my work. I must carve time out of my busy schedule to write and not let it interfere with my first ministry of being a wife and mom.

How do others do it? How do people take that next step? With lots of encouragement! I have a group of cheerleaders who keep me going: family, friends, and other writers. Because of them, I can take that next step with a little less fear. I have an inkling of what lies ahead, and I feel ready to move forward–as long as I take just one step at a time.

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June 18, 2008 by Kelly.

That was the title of the email, along with the telltale “Fw” in the subject line. Another one of those… an email-go-round… a tear-jerk story, a warning, a chuckle-producer… I didn’t know which this would be, but I guessed the first. I was almost right.

The email was an excerpt from a book titled Eat That Frog by Brian Tracy. The author states, “your ‘frog’ should be the most difficult item on your things to do list, the one where you’re most likely to procrastinate; because, if you eat that first, it’ll give you energy and momentum for the rest of the day.”

I must admit, most mornings my “frog” is my Bible and my quiet time with God. Sometimes I won’t understand what He’s saying to me through my Bible, other times I hear Him loud and clear and don’t want to listen. (Most days I do– I’m just like you.) It’s so much easier to just start my day and leave my Bible sit on the table.

But, yeah… it stares at me, and calls to me… I know I need to pick up my Bible; but I don’t want to be convicted to change anything about myself, so I avoid my quiet time. Then my day(s) start to go bad, and I know I MUST crawl back to God and apologize for neglecting Him.

He always takes me back–no questions asked–because He loves me. The quiet niggling in the back of my mind tells me that I’ll ignore Him again someday soon–and then the niggling laughs…

Lord, draw me closer to You every day!

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May 15, 2008 by Kelly.

Alyice, from http://thedabblingmum.blogspot.com/, tagged me. I’ve not participated in something like this as of yet, but thought it might be a way to let my readers learn more about me. Not sure how I will decide what is “unimportant” about me… unimportant to me, or to others, or… ??

The rules of the game are:

1. Link back to the person that tagged you.
2. Post these rules on your blog.
3. Share six unimportant things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your entry.

Six unimportant things about me are:

#1- I love Garfield the cat. I used to collect everything and anything related to him. Although I don’t collect anymore, I still have many of the things I acquired years ago. Candles, salt & pepper shakers, pewter figurines, erasers, pencils, comic strips, telephone… yes, I have a Garfield telephone. I also have a huge alarm clock with Garfield on it. It’s round, with the two bells on top. I love it!

#2- I’ve had two nicknames in my life so far: Kiki and Punkin. My maternal grandparents called me Kiki (right up until their deaths), and my dad called me Punkin when I was about 10 or so.

#3- I was a tomboy growing up, but now I love to wear dresses.

#4- Birds fascinate me. I love to hear them sing, love to look at them, and wish I could fly like them.

#5- I’ve always wanted to be a housewife.

#6- I enjoy painting the walls in our home, but I’m totally clueless when it comes to figuring out how much paint to buy and how to prep the walls and prepare to paint… Lay it all out for me and I’ll do it, otherwise, I’ll live with whatever color is currently on the wall.

Now I have to tag six people… (I’m not sure I know six bloggers!)…

Tara
Brandy
Missy
Lindy
Heather
Holly

There! Had to do a little searching, but I found blogs of six friends.

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May 7, 2008 by Kelly.

For many homeschooling moms/writers, summer is their time to write. No lesson plans, no teaching– just writing and hanging out with their children (besides the normal day-to-day upkeep of the home). I never seem to have that luxury. Summer is our busiest time, second only to the seven weeks that cover Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. There’s yard work to do (and I’m not much of a landscaper or gardener), house renovations to make (and I am a ‘helper’ not a ‘take charge and do it myself’ person), various church functions including camps and other activities, trips to the zoo and other parks, swimming here at home and at Grandpa and Grandmas… and the list goes on.

Luckily I have a new laptop. My old laptop, Mary, has grown old and slow. Even after reformatting her, she’s still sluggish. Mary was very faithful, and will always hold a dear spot in my heart. Two months ago I purchased a new laptop, Phoebe, with some earnings from a writing job.  Phoebe has built-in wireless capabilities. Phoebe is fast, and her battery lasts much longer. I like Phoebe!

I hope this summer will allow me to do a little more writing. Phoebe can (and does) go just about everywhere with me. She’s become a very faithful companion. Places like Panera Bread, Esspresso by the Book, and public libraries are great for writing time while my children participate in some form of activity nearby. I can even find a quiet spot at church while the children participate in AWANAs! I’ve also been known to write in front of the TV while spending time with my family.

I prefer the uninterrupted time, but I’ll take what I can get. Hopefully, my company will understand.

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