Greetings from NC!

As you are reading this, I am in North Carolina to begin my conference today! I will register at 1, attend a bloggers conference at 2, the actual conference starts at 4 and from then I won't stop going until Sunday at noon!

I'm a little nervous about keeping up! Those who know me well, know I hit the sack at 9:30 every night. Well the conference goes until 9:45 Friday & Saturday night, and then there will be socializing and "room parties" and I'm sure to be as keyed up as I am exhausted! There will be so much to see, so much to hear, so much to learn. New friends to make, great food to eat, and a time of worship too.

Then, after the 5 hour drive home on Sunday night, I'll come home to love up on my little girls, spend some time with my hubby, hit the sack by 9:30...and then get up and head to vacation bible school by 8:30 on Monday morning. Because I am a volunteer, I'll be there all day playing with the kids. So, if I don't post on Monday, don't worry about me. I'll try to get something up...but no promises! If I miss Monday's posting, look for the post to appear on Tuesday morning instead.

Pray for me and my stamina! And I'll "chat" with you soon, on Tuesday by the latest!

Isaiah 40:29 -- He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

Jeremiah 31:25 -- {The Lord said} "I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint."

Matthew 11:28 -- {Jesus said} "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

Coffee Anyone?

I love coffee! I've said it before, I love the entire coffee experience. The smell, the taste, the feel of the warm mug as I hold it, and the way I feel totally grown up as I drink it. I like it hot, iced, frozen...in expensive candies...coffee ice cream...you get the idea. So I found this cute little coffee quiz to take to find out what kind of coffee YOU are. You can take it by clicking HERE. My results are below, and if you know me, you know it is accurate! Neat! If you do take the quiz, let me know what type of coffee you are in the comments.

You Are a Cappuccino

You're fun, outgoing, and you love to try anything new. However, you tend to have strong opinions on what you like. You are a total girly girly at heart - and prefer your coffee with good conversation. You're the type that seems complex to outsiders, but in reality, you are easy to please

Well, there is one type of coffee I don't like. Sugar free. "Lite" coffee is just yucky. It doesn't satisfy. Like today's post - which is, let's face it, LITE! But I'm gearing up to head to She Speaks. I'm completely preoccupied with packing, having my articles ready, getting groceries for the family, having some meal plans done. So forgive me for the LITE post today. Like lite coffee...while it doesn't completely satisfy, it is better than nothing!

"Chat" with you on Friday!

She Speaks Conference

The irony isn't lost on "Chatty" Kelly that the conference I'm going to this weekend is called "She Speaks." Well duh! It could be called "She never stops speaking!" In my prep work, I've been reading lots of writing blogs and books, and have noticed a big piece of advice is to find your writing "voice." Chatty Kelly has never lost her voice...Has she?

Your writing voice is the tone that comes across in your writing. It should fit your personality. Agent Rachelle Gardner put it this way "Your writer's voice is the expression of YOU on the page. It's that simple—and that complicated. Your voice is all about honesty. It's the unfettered, non-derivative, unique conglomeration of your thoughts, feelings, passions, dreams, beliefs, fears and attitudes, coming through in every word you write.Voice is all about your originality and having the courage to express it."

When you read "Monkeys are Funny" (my sisters blog), you know you are hearing her voice (or perhaps one of the many voices she hears in her head - JUST KIDDING!). But I don't know if I'm projecting my "voice." Lost my voice?!? I'm not even sure if I've found it.

This weekend I hope to learn more about finding my writing voice. And I think a big part of that will come from listening for that still small voice that leads. The voice of God.

Exodus 15:26 - - He said, "If you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you."

1Kings 19:11-12 - - And He said, Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord. And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still, small voice.

Revelation 3:20 - - Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.

God's Plan

Yesterday I had a play date planned with my friend Sonya and our children. Sonya & I don't get to see each other often. She has 6 children and home schools. I also keep a busy schedule with my 2 kids and various volunteer activities. It's hard to find time on the calendar to get together, so we only see each other a few times a year and it is treasured time. We were excited about getting together...plus we had lots of planning to do as we are attending She Speaks together next week, (God willing!)

When she emailed me on Tuesday she'd been up all night with a sick child...the 5th child to come down with the throw-up bug, I gently suggested we reschedule...germaphobe that I am! I'm sure she was disappointed, and I was too, but it seemed like the right decision.

On Wednesday I received a phone call from another friend. She was feeling down, desperately sick with morning sickness (all day!), exhausted and just out of sorts. I suggested her kids spend some time here on Thursday (my cancelled Sonya day). It's rare I have a big slot of free time like that - but there was Thursday wide open. I picked up her kids and they had a ball over here. They played so well with my kids, that I had time in the kitchen to make a dinner to send home with them for the evening.

While I was initially disappointed to miss my fun day with Sonya, I know God's plans prevailed. People sometimes say "if you want to make God laugh, tell him YOUR plans." My plans didn't go as expected yesterday, but I'm glad that I was able to help out a friend in need...God's plan, all along.

James 4:13-15 -- Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that."

Proverbs 19:21-- Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.

Jeremiah 29:11 -- For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

If You're a Mom...

A funny video, "The Mom Song." My favorite line, "you're a doctor, a cooker, your man thinks you're a looker!" But of course the truth is in the line "The bible that you hold can shape these little souls, You're a Mom, if you have the most important job in the world, You're a Mom."

But, if you're not a mom, don't despair! Know you can still help shape lives through sharing Jesus Christ in the world!

Miss Fix-It

I am not good with a hammer and nail. I'm not so great with a spatula and pan. I'm terrible with a needle and thread. So what am I good at fixing? People!

Yes, ma'am - if you've got a problem just head my way. I will try and fix it. I will give you scriptures, I will tell you "if you'd just do this" or "if you'd only do that" it would fix it. I am a life long fixer.

I think it started when I was about 8, and I told my dad that I was scared by my mom's drinking. (She is an alcoholic). He said "you should tell her, and then she'll stop." Wow - am I good or what? Just tell her and I can fix her! But I must have done something wrong. Because no matter how many times I told her, she never stopped. And there couldn't be anything wrong with her, cause she was my mom. And my dad, well he couldn't have been wrong, cause he was my dad. That left only one person...it must have been me. I must have been the broken one.

So, you see if I can fix someone else, maybe, just maybe it will fix me. And I won't be broken anymore. Except for one thing. I can't fix you. And I can't fix me. There is only one fixer - Jesus Christ. He is the true Mr. Fix-it.

So if you are feeling broken...don't let me try and fix you. Old habits die hard, and I will. And I'll feel a wee bit better about myself if I can help. But we both know the truth. Jesus "fixed" us with his death on the cross. And on the last day we will all be raised up to perfection, no longer broken, but restored.

Psalm 34:18 "The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." (NIV)

Psalm 147:3 "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." (NIV)

Colossians 1:18b "...all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe—people and things, animals and atoms—get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the cross. " (The Message)

A Time For Everything

A coincidence is defined in Dictionary.com as "a striking occurrence of two or more events at one time apparently by mere chance." As Christians, we sometimes refer to this incidents as God-incidents instead of coincidence, as we believe God is working things together for his glory, and certainly not by "mere chance."

On May 23rd Lysa Terkeurst blogged about "Deep Grief" on her website. This is the type of grief caused by the loss of a child, sibling or spouse. On June 5, I ended up visiting the website of LeAnn Rice (another Proverbs 31 ministry leader) and her blog was on How to Help Someone Who is Grieving. And Sunday at church, my bible study group, which is studying "Facing Your Giants" by Max Lucado did the chapter on grief. We even had a special speaker from a Grief Support Group.

Now these are mighty interesting God-incidents, don't you think? Today, I am heading to the funeral of my aunt. I hadn't seen her in probably 10 or more years, so while I feel sorrow over her loss, and for my dad who has lost his sister, I don't personally feel deep grief. But I pray that this is the God-incident that is these reason I've been giving all these "links" to learn about grieving, because to consider anything else is...unthinkable.

I'm 40 years old and have yet to experience a great loss of a loved one. I know it will happen sooner than I'd like. And I pray I can stand firm in the faith of a loving Father to be my strong tower, and a Savior who has experienced grief himself.

Proverbs 18:10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.

John 11:32-35 {Lazarus Death} When Mary [sister of Lazarus] reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. "Where have you laid him?" he asked. "Come and see, Lord," they replied. Jesus wept.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-4 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.