Hello! I’m back again. I’m so sorry I’ve not written to you in nearly a week. Shame on me! I’ve missed blogging to you so much. Yet I’ve not been anywhere near a computer for the past several days.

I’ve literally had a mountaintop experience, at the Glorieta Conference Center, about 20 miles east of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Click here to see a picture of this gorgeous place, high up in the Sangre de Cristo Mountain Range. This picture does not even begin to capture the beauty — in October, the aspen leaves are transformed brilliant gold, reflecting in the lake. And at night, the steeple is lit up, allowing you to see royal blue stained glass windows. The beauty overwhelmed me nearly every second!

But what I enjoyed most was the people. I attended a writer’s conference, so every person there has a passion for books. And you know I do! Here’s a picture of a gathering of friends in my online writer’s group:

One day at lunch, a woman at my table said, “I don’t know about you, but I’ve got half a dozen books on my nightstand! I just can’t finish one before I can’t wait to start another. They’re all so good!” Wow — I could relate! We all went around the table and described what we’re reading. What fun!

I was able to meet so many people who’ve only been email addresses and words to me. The first day I arrived, I stood in line to get my welcome packet. A woman named Linda Jewell was handling this job, and I asked her, “Are you the Linda Jewell who writes short stories?”

“Yes!” she answered. “Are you the Heather Ivester who read my stories?” Indeed! She’d sent out a request for readers to critique her stories, and since she’d written about relationships between mothers and daughters, I enjoyed them immensely.

“Now I know you’re a real person!” I said to her. “I’ve always been real,” she said back to me. Then she stopped what she was doing and came around the counter to give me a big bear hug. That set the tone for the entire conference. Real people!

How about you? Have you been able to go on a retreat lately? I used to go all the time in college and when I was a single — and those mountaintop experiences sustained me through the valleys. I’ve been so busy as a wife and mom that it’s hard for me to let go and get away. But it’s important. I urge you to try to do the same, whether you’re alone or part of a conference of people.

I really feel like God whispered something to me there. I’ll tell you about it tomorrow.

Now, today is Halloween — and I’m heading out to yet another preschool costume parade. These are the happy times. I love watching parents snap pictures and smile behind video cameras as their tiny tots parade around the room in costume. I know behind the scenes there are sticky floors, lost socks, and scribbled-on walls. Yet it’s such fun to forget about all that and join together to celebrate memories in the making.

I wish you all a safe and happy Halloween (with lots of treat bags full of chocolate)!!

[Edit: Louise DuMont has a nice write-up of this conference on her website, with pictures.]

I like to keep up with what’s going on in the publishing industry through reading a free newsletter called Publisher’s Lunch. I enjoy skimming it to see what new books are coming out and what the trends seem to be. It also lists people changes at different publishing houses, and sometimes I recognize names here and there, so it’s interesting. The whole industry is like a revolving door — changes happen so quickly.

Yesterday, my eyes rested on one story — shocking I believe. Here, see for yourself:

Anne Rice, Born Again (Truly)

Newsweek finds out what’s next for Anne Rice. Her new book, releasing in two weeks (and her first since 2003), is CHRIST THE LORD: Out of Egypt. “The chronicler of vampires, witches and-under the pseudonym A. N. Roquelaure-of soft-core S&M encounters, will publish a novel about the 7-year-old Jesus, narrated by Christ himself.”

She tells them, “I promised that from now on I would write only for the Lord.” They add, “It’s the most startling public turnaround since Bob Dylan’s ‘Slow Train Coming’ announced that he’d been born again.”
Newsweek

If you read Newsweek’s story, “The Gospel According to Anne,” you’ll be inspired. But it fills me with questions. What changed her way of thinking? Was it something she read, or did someone share the truth with her in person, and it at last broke through? She, who is the author of Vampire chronicles and other evil — will now be writing for the glory of God.

I checked on Amazon, and her new book is due to be released Nov. 7. I’ve never read any of her books before, but this is one I’d be interested in. The book has a white cover, which contrasts sharply with many of her other covers that are dark and scary looking.

I wonder how her fans will react. They’ve come to expect certain things from her. I hope she’ll take the time to respond to their emails personally — they’re going to have some big questions, and she’s putting herself in a vulnerable position, yet one in which she can make an incredible impact!

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this!

I read this prayer today, and I wanted to share it with you. Is there anyone out there like me who is searching for your calling? I hope this prayer will minister to you today.

Prayer for One’s Calling

Almighty God, our heavenly Father,
Who declares Your glory and shows forth Your handiwork
in the heavens and in the earth;
Deliver us, we beseech You, in our several callings,
from the service of mammon*
That we may do the work which You give us to do,
in truth, in beauty, and in righteousness,
with singleness of heart as thy servants,
and to the benefit of our fellow men;
For the sake of Him who came among us as One that serves,
Your Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
–The Book of Common Prayer

* I looked up mammon (kind of an old word, huh?). It means “material wealth or possessions.”

I’ve reached a point in my life where I KNOW certain things I have to do every day — I’m a wife, mother, daughter, sister, neighbor, and friend. But as a writer, I’m ready to move beyond my local borders. I pray that God will direct every word of this blog for my present and future readers. You’ve stopped here for a reason — I want to make it worth your time.

I’m going to confess something to you I have a really hard time with — and that’s drinking enough water. I know I’m supposed to! I feel better when I do — but it’s so boring to drink water when there are so many more fun things to drink…I hope that doesn’t sound like I’m an alcoholic.

I’m talking about drinks with caffeine. Are you a caffeine drinker? I am! I love coffee and tea. That’s what I crave — along with other fun things, like Diet Coke or Diet Mountain Dew. I have to drink diet these days because the sugar in regular drinks makes me sluggish and negates the caffeine altogether.

The other day at the grocery store, I saw these pink drinks that were on sale for $1 each, and they looked kind of fun! I picked one up and read the copy on the back, and it cracked me up. How’s this:

Sobe Liz Fuel
Strawberry Banana Flavored Beverage
With a blend of Astragalus, ginseng & yerba mate
A creamy, energizing strawberry banana blend designed to power the lizards like Travis Pastrana who grip it and rip it and ride without fear. Courtesy of Sove.

OK, now that’s a bit weird. Is it not? I mean, “grip it and rip it and ride without fear” – what?! And what on EARTH is astragalus? And yerba mate? Do I want to drink a yerba mate?

Well, I did. I drank yerba mate. And it tasted pretty good — but very sweet.

So ANYWAY, back to my original confession. I’ve got to be drinking more water. And you do too. When I talk about it with you, it makes me feel like I can do it. Here’s something I read about water yesterday — from Jon Herring:

Water is your most essential nutrient, and every system in your body depends on it. Unfortunately, chronic dehydration is widespread … and there’s a convincing hypothesis that it is a root cause of many degenerative diseases.

To achieve optimal health, make water your drink of choice. Unless you’re exercising, your body cannot process more than about 8 ounces per hour, so it’s best to drink it in small sips throughout the day. Not only will adequate hydration improve your health, it will also suppress your appetite and help to metabolize stored fat.

Whenever possible, avoid tap water unless it has been filtered to remove fluoride and chlorine. Best to stick to spring water from a trusted source.

Sometimes when I force myself to drink water, I “trick” my mind by adding a little bit of lemon juice or orange juice and tell myself this is expensive bottled water enhanced with a refreshing zest of lemon or twist of orange. It works!

So, as you enjoy your weekend, I hope you’ll drink plenty of water. If I can do it, you can. Let’s do it — eight glasses full, OK? See if you feel rejuvenated by the end of the day. The best way to crave water, though, is to exercise and get REALLY thirsty — then it’s fun to drink.

P.S. If you’re feeling parched spiritually, here’s a verse for you (I wish I could type in red!): Jesus said, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him” (John 7:37).

Now do you feel a bit rejuvenated?

If you’ve taken the time to enter my blog, you’ve chosen to hear what I have to say out of nearly 20 million other blogs. So, today I wanted to take a minute and tell you what I think about blogging in general, and pass along a few statistics I discovered recently.

This blog is not my online journal. I’ve got a spiral notebook for that, and it’s full of my private thoughts where I work through things on my mind, add in some scripture I’m reading, then try to turn my words into a prayer that God will please help me to see His perspective on things. It’s a struggle for me every day, to try to replace my way of thinking with His. (see Isaiah 55:8-9, Romans 12:2)

I started this blog because I wanted to join the community of millions of other bloggers. It’s really quite amazing — that an ordinary person can have a spot in the blogosphere the same as a huge corporation or a powerful person. It’s made the world a much more honest place, in my opinion. If a company promises something in its advertising, then doesn’t deliver on that promise, people can talk about it online. I’m much more likely to believe a person who actually used or owns a product than the company itself, which must make a profit in order to survive.

For me, it’s also a chance to get a word in edgewise! I’m usually surrounded by kids, a position I love to be in, yet I tend to small-talk and chit-chat and avoid topics that require concentration. In the past several months, two of my brothers-in-law and a sister-in-law have also started blogging. It’s been so fun to get to know them on a deeper level that involves writing!

For example, I’ve known one brother-in-law for over 20 years, but I didn’t know he absolutely loves Walden. He shared with us recently: “Henry David Thoreau’s Walden is best read yearly. Always consult before buying property or a house, and before starting a new job.” Interesting. I haven’t read it since high school. Maybe I should.

According to Technorati, which tracks nearly 20 million blogs and over a billion links every day, the most-discussed news story right now is Time Magazine’s List of the Top 100 English Language Novels Since 1923. You can read the list, then also read how people react to it. At the Technorati home page, you can also see what the most popular movies, books, and blogs are — isn’t that interesting? What if we had a record of what people were talking about a century ago?

Technorati also posted this recently:

• As of October 2005, Technorati is now tracking 19.8 million weblogs.

• The total number of weblogs tracked continues to double about every 5 months.

• The blogosphere is now over 30 times as big as it was 3 years ago, with no signs of letup.

• About 70,000 new weblogs are created every day.

• About a new weblog is created each second.

• 2% – 8% of new weblogs per day are fake or spam weblogs.

• Between 700,000 and 1.3 million posts are made each day.

• About 33,000 posts are created per hour, or 9.2 posts per second.

You can read the whole article here.

So, I think blogging will stick around for a while.

How about you? Have you started blogging yet?

I received an email yesterday from a young woman, a college student, who wanted to know my advice on how to begin a writing career. I was about to dash off a response, but I thought I’d take a few extra minutes and write something I could share with some of you who may also have this question.

Here’s part of her message:

I have expressed an interest in a writing career, after four long, grueling, stressful years of earning a science degree. I’m very interested in getting started straight out of college, which I will most willingly be leaving in the grand and glorious month of blessed December, but have no idea where to begin. I’m not sure how good I need to be. I have talent, but it is fairly raw.

Here’s how I responded:

Congratulations on being so close to finishing your degree! That’s an accomplishment in itself. You’ve slaved through four years of school, and “grueling” is a good word to describe it. Your degree is in science — wow! Now, that took some effort. You’ve obviously got high motivation and stamina to hang in there and finish.

With a degree in science, it seems to me you’re in a perfect position to become some type of science writer. In any job, you don’t want to work long hours for low pay — you’ll end up hating your job and hating yourself for choosing it. You want to work smart, find something that pays well, that uses your skills — and will allow you time to have a life outside of work. In other words, a writing career is not going to be ultimately fulfilling if you don’t have time to play, relax, exercise, travel, and hang out with those you love.

So, how can you work smart? Here are three steps I’d recommend taking:

1) You’ve paid a ton of money for your tuition, and part of that goes to the staff of the career counseling office. Use them! Make an appointment with somebody and go over there and start asking questions. Ask advice on how to make your resume the best it can be. Don’t be humble when it comes to putting yourself on paper — this is all prospective employers will know of you. Set high goals — now’s the time to go after your dreams!

2) Join a professional organization. Do a search for “science writer” online. Here’s something I found — Go visit this site: National Association of Science Writers. You’re perfect for them! Think how much more qualified you are than the average writer — YOU have a science degree! From looking around this site, I can already see that you’ll find yourself in a vast network of people who love science and love writing, like you. You’ll find employers looking to fulfill positions, and you’ll be able to put this on your resume. That will show an employer that you’re serious. If possible, try to attend a conference of some sort — the small, local ones are often inexpensive. You’ll have lunch with people who share a passion for your field. And if you can get to a national conference, you’ll be ready to explode with ideas (I speak from experience!)

3) Start subscribing to a couple of writing magazines — or at least try to browse through them on campus. Subscribing is the best because then you feel like you own the magazine. You’ll feel like the editor is speaking to YOU, and the writers are writing to YOU. I think the absolute best magazine for writers is Writer’s Digest. Sign up for their online newsletter, and once a week, you’ll get a bunch of free articles and motivation. But also sign up for science writing newsletters. Get as much as you can for free! Right Writing is one of my favorite websites for writers, with tons of great articles and a blog called The Writer’s Life.

Here’s one more thing I’m a firm believer in. Take action. Do something. If you can’t find the perfect job right away, start doing something that at least pays the bills. You’ll seem more professional.

Here’s what I did right out of college. I was jobless, with a wardrobe consisting of T-shirts and shorts. I’d finished my English degree, but I wasn’t certified to teach, and I had zero confidence in my writing ability — unless it was literary criticism or short stories — yet there wasn’t a job market for those skills!

So, I moved back in with my parents and found a retail job working nights right away. I started getting a paycheck, and I used that to buy me some professional-looking clothes! I couldn’t search online for jobs back then, so I just blabbed to everybody that I wanted to find a job as a writer. Finally, one of my high school friends said she knew the senior editor of a prestigious magazine in our area was looking for an intern. An intern! (But I’d already graduated.)

Still, I had this open door, this contact. So, I called and made an appointment to meet with this editor. I drove alone to a sleek, highrise building, and took the elevator way up. When I stepped out, the entire floor spanned windows overlooking the polish of the city. I wanted that!

Despite my jitters, I met with the editor and pretty much told her I’d do anything. I called some of my professors, and we put together an internship program. I learned SO much from this unpaid position: how to get started, how to find good ideas, how to research, how to write, how to fact-check, and how to copy-edit. And I learned to take criticism. Right away, she told me, “Your writing style is too stuffy and formal. That’s not going to work here at all.” So, I took home dozens of back issues and pored over them like a textbook.

Anyway, I eventually got an article published with that magazine and went on to do other things. But that was my training ground for what I’m doing now as a freelancer.

So, I encourage you to go for your dreams! You’ve probably written hundreds of papers — now look in the mirror and tell yourself, “I’m a great writer!” You are. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).

If you need one more dose of insight, check out the world’s shortest speech from Sir Winston Churchill. He stood in front of a group of college students at a commencement address and said this before returning to his seat: “Never give up; never give up. I say, never, never give up!”

That’s the best advice you’ll ever hear.

Did you know the month of October is Family History Awareness Month? It is! (Now you know.)

At some point, you’ll want to tell your kids stories about their ancestry. It will help them know who they are today by knowing where they came from.

Author Carol Kuykendall talks about this topic in her book, Five Star Families, which I recently read and LOVED. (You can read my review of it for Christian Book Previews.) If you’re a mom of a preschooler and have ever considered joining the MOPS organization, this is your year to do it because they’re studying this awesome book!

It’s really fun to read – I think every parent and grandparent needs to own it! (My mom borrowed mine, and I already miss it!) I have to add that the cover is lime green with hot pink stars — and it coordinates well with Target fashions — in case you must stuff in it your purse and still want to look a bit trendy.

So, what are some practical ways you can teach your kids about their roots? Here’s a tip that was on the MOPS radio broadcast from yesterday:

One mom hosted a birthday dinner for her father, and placed a piece of paper with a question under each plate. During the meal, each grandchild asked grandpa one of these questions:

Did you have any pets growing up?
What is your favorite time of year and why?
What kind of car did you drive when you first got your license?
What was your first job?
What mattered most to you when you were 16?

MOPS also shared the idea that “many families gather at family reunions and videotape the members of the oldest generation describing their lives. The videotape then becomes a priceless keepsake for generations to come.”

If you’re a grandparent, what can you do to help teach your grandchildren about YOUR parents and grandparents, whom they may not know personally? You have to make the deliberate choice to share pictures, memories, and stories with them. It’s up to you.

Now might be a good time for you to sit down and label pictures, put them into a creative scrapbook full of your journaling, or take a course on how to write a memoir. (You may not be famous, but your biography is immensely important to your family!) P.S. I’ve got a great book on that — just ask me.

It’ll be fun for you and help pass on your legacy for future generations. Plus, you’ll help tired, busy parents who don’t have time to scrapbook not to feel so guilty. (I speak for myself!)

OK, here’s something on a different subject I just could NOT resist. Do you like novels? Would you like to have a part in NAMING a character in a fun, chick-lit novel? Eva Marie Everson, author of THE POTLUCK CLUB, is seeking input in writing a sequel. So, put on your sequel-thinking caps and check this out:

WANNA WIN A BOOK?

Then help me name a character for the THIRD installment of The Potluck Club! She’s young (about 16), works in a bookstore in the mountains of Colorado & owned by her family, is homeschooled, and loves to read about history. Email me from the Homepage at this website and tell me what you would name her! I’ll mention your name in the book AND send you a free copy of The Potluck Club!

Go visit Eva Marie’s site — you can email her from there. Some other time I’ll have to tell you about how she FELL into the Bible — in Israel — she fell into the ashes where Joshua burned Jericho!!!

I just have to add that last week Eva Marie sent out an email requesting us to send her what kind of make-up products and beautifying supplies we use. She’s working on developing her characters and wanted some details…details! So, I brought all my favorite stuff into our home office to write about it — and discovered some shocking things about myself. I told Eva Marie that women who are moms of young kids probably buy their make-up at Kroger, along with cheese cubes, juice boxes, and diapers. Then again, maybe it’s just me who buys super-cheap make-up!

Have fun naming that character! Writing your memoir! And reading great books!

P.S. I think Eva Marie’s Potluck Club trilogy might actually be considered “hen-lit” since her characters are not darling 20-somethings working in posh New York ad agencies — they’re older moms and grandmoms — who are beautiful, fashionable, and great cooks. Her books even contain their recipes!

Here’s a book that’s funny; I mean REALLY funny. Award-winning humor columnist Tim Bete is the Dave Barry for parents of young kids, so if you like to laugh, then you’ll love reading this one.

In fact, my family could tell whenever I was reading it because they’d hear my annoying, “HA! HA! HA!” from every room of the house. I couldn’t put it down because it felt so great to laugh. I’ve decided it’s a much easier route to toning than sit-ups. Just read this book and you’ll get a major abdominal workout!

The book is divided into 19 short chapters, each focusing on one area of parenting young children. With titles such as “Five Loaves, Two Fish — What, No Tarter Sauce?” “Daddy’s NOT going to Buy You a Mockingbird,” and “In the Beginning, There Was No Duct Tape,” you can get an idea of how funny Bete is.

Laughter is important for stressed-out parents. We may feel like we’re the only one dealing with certain behavior issues — single parents, especially, may have no one who can share the burden. But a book like this one helps fill in the gaps.

This would make a great gift for any dad – but I know moms will love it too. Bete lets you peek into his house and show you how he turns those moments of “Uh-oh” (the tooth fairy forgot to visit…) into moments of “Ah-ha! Close your eyes and she’ll leave you a surprise.” (It may even be money…or other unknown contents from a rapidly emptied pocket!)

I can’t tell you how hard I laughed when the author described what it’s like to change a baby’s diaper in an airplane bathroom. Yes, I’ve done it! Most parents can relate to the strange places you’re forced to do such a chore.

And how insane we feel when we have to read the same book over and over (AND OVER) again. “I tried sliding it under a chair cushion,” he writes about his son wanting to hear The Lion King every time his wife had a prenatal visit. “But no matter where I hid it, it always appeared at the top of the book pile at our next visit.” To this day, “Hakuna Matata” sends shivers up his spine “as if I heard the sound of fingernails on a chalkboard.”

If you’re a group leader for any kind of parent organization, this book would be great to have for a break-the-ice reading or gift for new members. You’ll unite every listener who has been there, done that…or is in the midst of being there, doing that.

Although each chapter focuses on a modern parenting miracle, the biggest miracle of all will be how you can put this book down!

Take a peek at Tim Bete’s site. He recently won the 2005 Writer’s Digest Best Writer’s Web Site Award, along with some other nice honors (such as being a top 10 bestseller in Amazon.com’s parenting humor category.) He’s currently the director of the University of Dayton’s Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop. See, I told you this guy is funny!

Tim Bete is also a member of the Christian Humor Writers’ group. You can read what others are saying about his book here.

[Disclosure: I received this book from Mind & Media as a gift from the publisher.]

I wasn’t going to post today — it’s Saturday! But I’ve found that I missed writing to you. I’m adding a new link to my “Favorites” and wanted to introduce her. She’s a writer from Texas who is currently living in southern France with her family, writing novels and other non-fiction while helping to establish a new church. Her name is Mary DeMuth.

Go visit her blog — and check out her new book, ORDINARY MOM, EXTRAORDINARY GOD. Doesn’t that sound wonderful? I can’t wait to read it. I certainly feel ordinary most of the time, but find that our extraordinary God can do mighty things when we listen.

She’s got a wonderful blog, full of pictures. She’s much more technically savvy than I am, although we scanned in a picture last night of me and my older daughters (in the “About Me” section.) This was taken last spring at my grandmother’s house. It’s funny — as a child, I used to climb up in that dogwood tree and write poems about Mary Magdalene. I always thought it was amazing that a woman was the first to see Jesus after He arose.

Tonight, we were all dressed to go to a bonfire at my husband’s brother’s house. His wife has become friends with a family from New Zealand, and they came for a visit! Then our oldest daughter got sick (should I write this?). So, I stayed home, while my husband drove the three others.

Well, after driving in the car over an hour, another daughter got sick, and they’re on their miserable way home now. I’m sorry to have to write such disappointing things — but thought someone out there could relate that it’s tough being a parent sometimes.

We certainly don’t want this virus to make its way back to New Zealand! It also caused the sudden cancellation of a much-anticipated Thomas the Tank Engine birthday party for a friend of my son’s this morning. What a day!

Oh well. Mary’s blog cheered me up very much. Read what she says about grace for moms .

It happened again. It’s uncanny, the timing of it all. But once again I had a difficult time getting to my Beth Moore Believing God study. And boy was I ready – I’d done my homework, kept up with the reading, filled out my info sheet, my head was brimming with comments – everything!

But the night before, my 2-year-old told me his stomach hurt. So, I did what any mom of many kids does and said, “Oh, I’m sorry.” I helped him get to bed, then I heard the sound that strikes fear in every mother’s heart…I’ll spare the details. But let’s just say that I had lots of laundry to do.

The next morning, he came down very early and climbed into my lap while I typed – and promptly showed me he wasn’t over this virus. (Once again, I’ll spare you the details!)

I was so disappointed – there was no way I could take a sick child to preschool – what if he passed it on to some other child? But once again, the four-letter word came up. BLOG.

“You have to go,” my husband said to me. “You gotta write about it in your blog.”

“But how?”

“I can work at home a while,” he told me. So, when I left the house, he held our son in the rocking chair, listening to him sing, “You are my sunshine.”

Well, once again, it was amazing – seeing how the Word of God works through different people, how it speaks to their hearts. I was in awe!

We didn’t watch a video this week – just talked. (And ate a little chocolate.)

What we talked about was the topic of FAITH. And what struck me most of all is how God gives us each other to be clouds of witnesses. He gave the Israelites a cloud of dust by day and a pillar of fire by night to follow Him. But us – He gives us each other. When I see faith made real in the life of someone else, it strengthens mine.

Here’s a really cool verse: Matthew 15:28. Look it up if you can! A lady in our group pointed out how this verse shows how our faith as mothers can heal our children. Our kids look up to us – they want to know that we’re strong, that we can’t be swayed. We know the truth. In this case, the woman’s faith brought healing to her daughter. What a wonderful thought.

Well, the best we can do as parents is to introduce our children to a relationship with God through our faith. It’s something we can work on a little bit every day — because if they grow up believing Him (not just believing in Him), then they’ll be more likely to follow Him.

I have so, so much to say – but I know you’re busy, and I do tend to ramble. I wish you all a happy weekend, and look forward to telling you on Monday about that hilarious book with those cute little baby bottoms on the cover. (Don’t miss it!)