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December 9, 2011

I was thrilled to see that a new 50th anniversary edition of A Wrinkle in Time is coming out next month — too bad it’s not in time for Christmas because this would be at the top of my Christmas wish list!

Fans of Madeleine L’Engle’s writings will want to own a copy of this new edition, which contains a forward by Katherine Paterson, an afterword by Madeleine L’Engle’s granddaughter, Charlotte Jones Voiklis, as well as photographs and memorabilia, the author’s Newbery Medal acceptance speech, and other bonus materials.

Although I wasn’t crazy about Disney’s movie version which came out in 2004, I’m so glad we own the DVD because it contains a beautiful interview with Madeleine L’Engle, in which she describes how she wrote the draft of the book in about two weeks, in between changing diapers and reading aloud to her children. It was rejected over 25 times before it was finally accepted by an editor at Farrar, Straus and Giroux, earning her the Newbery Medal in 1963.

I LOVE this book — I remember reading it the first time in third grade, when our family had moved to a new city, and I didn’t know a soul. A kind librarian in my new school showed me the fiction reading room and told me, “I think you’ll enjoy this book,” handing me A Wrinkle in Time. Oh, how I fell in love — and even more so now, as a parent, I love the book because of the Christian message that love conquers all things, even fear.

You can read more about this upcoming new edition here, in Publisher’s Weekly.




December 7, 2011

I really love this video! It was a class computer project in the small Yupiq Eskimo Village of Quinhagak, Alaska, intended for the other Yupiq villages in the area.

Much to the villagers’ shock, over a million people have viewed it.

Thank you to all these children and other villagers who’ve created such an inspiring work of art! Merry Christmas!





December 6, 2011

Our dreams can be like a familiar childhood friend.

They’re often something we’ve grown up with and treasured in our hearts since we were little, but for one reason or another we’ve drifted away from.

We all go through seasons where our dreams need to be grounded so we can focus on other things in our lives, but there is a time to resurrect our dreams.

I struggled for years with figuring out when the time was right for me to pursue writing full time. After ten years of focusing on family, I thought it was time to resurrect my dreams. Looking back, it might have been easier to let my dreams sleep a little longer, or maybe I could have slowly worked toward my goals those ten years. I’ll never know, but here are some things I’ve learned along the way.

Identifying Your Dream Passion
Sometimes it’s been so long since we let ourselves dream, that we’ve forgotten what our passions are. Think back to when you were little. What were the things that brought you joy? Did those same activities extend to your high school and college years? Did you lose your passion in the busyness of family rearing and life? Still stumped at identifying your passion? How about the things you did that you felt God’s smile of approval or presence in? Ask God to stir up a passion inside of you for His glory. Then expect him to! Here’s a peek at one of my childhood dreams…fulfilled!

Pray Before You Leap
It seems so simple, but why don’t we do it? For me, it’s because I’m driven and I see others with the “prize” and I think “I can do that.” But I’ve learned that no matter how hard I try or how talented I think I am, God’s the one in control, not me. I can strive all I want (and I believe in working toward my goals,) but ultimately God knows when I’m ready to take that leap toward my dreams. I’ve learned the hard way not to rush it. Don’t make the same mistake.

Banish the Naysayers
Sometimes our biggest dream killers are our inner voices that tell us our dreams are too impractical or unrealistic. That’s why they’re called dreams! While some seasons of dreaming might have to be practical like having a steady job or bigger home, I believe inside everyone is a dream that connects with our soul that if left to sleep too long will eventually die, killing your spirit as well! Allow yourself to wake the dream!

If you feel that now is your time to resurrect your dream, you might be terrified. But how scary is it to live without the pursuit of our passions? To live with the doubt of never knowing if you might have succeeded because your never even tried or gave up too soon.

I don’t want to live with those regrets.

Do you?

Gina Conroy used to think she knew where her life was headed; now she’s leaning on the Lord to show her the way. She is the founder of Writer…Interrupted where she mentors busy writers and tries to keep things in perspective, knowing God’s timing is perfect, even if she doesn’t agree with it! She is represented by Chip MacGregor of MacGregor Literary, and her first novella, Buried Deception, in the Cherry Blossom Capers Collection, releases from Barbour Publishing in January 2012. On her blog Defying Gravity and Twitter she chronicles her triumphs and trials as she pursues her dreams while encouraging her family and others to chase after their own passions. Gina loves to connect with readers, and when she isn’t writing, teaching, or driving kids around, you can find her on Facebook and Twitter.