WHAT I'VE LEARNED ABOUT WRITING - ENTRY #6

Stories poorly written...give me hope.

Stories well written...inspire me to write!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL

Luke 1:30-33

30- "Don't be frightend, Mary." the angel told her, "for God has decided to bless you! You will become pregnant and have a son, and you are to name him Jesus. 32 - He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!"

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, 1996

TV DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON

TV sure has evolved over the years. When my father was a child, there was no TV. When I was a child, I grew up watching shows like, The Brady Bunch, The Partridge Family, Gilligan’s Island, I Dream of Jeannie, and cartoons like, Tom and Jerry, and Underdog. Anyone remember Magilla Gorilla?

Cable is nice. The technology of VCR’s and DVD’s, are all nice as well. But what I find lacking is TV is not what it used to be. I especially notice this during the holidays. My kids are not excited about the Christmas shows that come on around the upcoming holiday like I was when I was their age.

I remember eagerly anticipating the holiday shows that only came on once a year. Shows like, Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer, How The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, The Charlie Brown Specials. Now days you can purchase these movies and watch them all year round, as much as you please…which really takes away from the excitement of getting to see them.

I do so love to be able to pop in a movie whenever I have free time, and stop and start it at a whim. I love having many options of great programs on cable. But still, the many channels and shows available now days can be overwhelming. And not just overwhelming but truly takes away from those special times when a show comes on.

I use to wonder why our society watches so much TV, when my generations, didn’t. Well, duh! We only had a handful of channels to choose from, so most of the time there just wasn’t something on that interests us. So what did we do? We played outside! We played board games, and Barbie, and with GI Joes, hide-n-seek, and kick the can.

My kids aren’t too happy about it but when school isn’t in session, their TV time is limited. They could sit and gawk at the thing for hours. I can’t image what ten; twenty years from now will bring to the TV world. For now, I silently weep the loss of my children not having the awe experience of those special programs that only came on once a year.

LIFE OF A FOSTER HOME

In 2005 I made the decision to foster dogs in my home. I was a mother of young children, a husband with a crazy work schedule, working two jobs and not having much money, yet I wanted to do something to help our furry four legged friends.

My first thought was to volunteers at a shelter but my husbands schedule wouldn’t allow it. I then came across the idea to foster in my own home. Having had a Collie for twelve years, I new what breed I would chose. With three young children and a dog of my own, I knew that Collies were the breed to go with. My own, Sam, was the gentlest dog I’d ever known. I felt sure that bringing another Collie into my home would be a safe bet for my kids.

I soon started searching the internet and came across Collie Rescue. Not long after, I was fostering my very first Collie Rescue dog, Jack. Things went well, and what a treat it is to know that you’re helping a dog to find a new forever home.

Not long after my first Collie Rescue dog, my father called me up to enlist my help. While out walking his dog, a German Shepherd followed him home. That in it’s self is a long story I’ll save for another blog entry with a wonderful ending.

Since I started fostering for Collie Rescue, including the Shepherd that followed my father home, I’ve fostered eleven dogs in all. Each one has been a similar, yet unique experience. I’ve certainly been blessed over the years by the animals God has brought into my life, so fostering has given me a way to give back.

Our latest foster was our youngest and only second puppy we fostered, Clyde. Oh what a treat that was. Though he was a Collie mix, his personality and temperament was ALL Collie. He reminded me so much of the Collie we had for nearly thirteen years.

If you feel lead to help dogs that would otherwise be placed in a shelter, contact Collie Rescue and see if fostering would be a good fit for you. Or if you’re looking for a Collie, please consider adopting one from Collie Rescue, rather then purchasing one from a breeder.

Collie Rescue of Greater Illinois, http://www.collierescue.org/Default.htm

I WAS IN PRISON AND YOU VISITED ME

On Thanksgiving I had the privilege to attend Cook County Jail to celebrate Thanksgiving with several hundred inmates. To hear more, please check out the blog entry on Willow’s Compassion and Justice blog at,

http://wccc.blogs.com/compassion_and_justice/

WHAT I'VE LEARNED ABOUT WRITING - ENTRY #5

Love, Love, Love this book! Did I say I love this book? I'm a little more then halfway through and already I’ve added it to one of my top books to read. Not only is this book astatically pleasing to the eye, it’s easy to understand.

I now understand what’s missing in my own writing! Yea!

I’m so excited to get started on implementing what GMC has taught me. This book has given me the tools to write a “complete” story. I love the GMC chart. It’s simple, giving you the foundation to write a good story.

One thing I learned in entering the HEARTS CROSSING contest is having a synopsis in place before writing the story can make writing go smoother, and quicker. I’ve been a seat-of-the-pants writer but have had to wonder how that came to be. Generally I’m a very organized person that likes to have everything in place for the quickest and best results.

To implement the GMC idea, one can be a seat-of-the-pants writer or a planner/outliner. Not long ago I had the privilege of talking to author, Cindy Woodsmall. What I learned from her is that one could be BOTH! That is who I believe I am. I need to do a bit of planning, though not needing to have my story completely outlined.

With the GMC chart, I believe it will allow me enough insight to my story to ultimately move it along quicker with more certainty of where it’s going.

So, if your story is lacking, do yourself a favor and pickup a copy of G.M.C. Goal, MOTIVATION, and CONFLICT, by Debra Dixon,


Love, Love, Love this book! Did I say I love this book? I'm a little more then halfway through and already I’ve added it to one of my top books to read. Not only is this book astatically pleasing to the eye, it’s easy to understand.

I’ve now understand what’s missing in my own writing! Yea!

I’m so excited to get started on implementing what GMC has taught me. This book has given me the tools to write a “complete” story. I love the GMC chart. It’s simple, giving you the foundation to write a good story.

One thing I learned in entering the HEARTS CROSSING contest is having a synopsis in place before writing the story can make writing go smoother, and quicker. I’ve been a seat-of-the-pants writer but have had to wonder how that came to be. Generally I’m a very organized person that likes to have everything in place for the quickest and best results.

To implement the GMC idea, one can be a seat-of-the-pants writer, or a planner/outliner. Not long ago I had the privilege of talking to, Cindy Woodsmall. What I learned from her was that one could be BOTH! That is who I believe I am. I need to do a bit of planning, though not have my story completely outlined.

With the GMC chart, I believe it will allow me enough insight to my story, ultimately moving it along quicker with more certainty of where it’s going.

So, if your story is lacking, do yourself a favor and pickup a copy of, G.M.C. Goal, Motivation, and Conflict, by Debra Dixon.

MEXICAN CAVIAR

Here's a great quick and easy appetizer, MEXICAN CAVIAR:

2 15 oz cans of black beans (rinsed and drained)
1 can of whole corn (drained)
1 bunch cilantro (chopped)
1 pint cherry tomatoes (chopped)
1 red onion (chopped)
2 avocados (chopped)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Juice of two limes

Gently mix all ingredients. Let stand in the refrigerator for at least four hours for best flavor. Makes a lot! Eat with tortilla chips.

This was a very inspiring story. A well written book that will send you on an emotional rollercoaster. This book IS NOT filled with a pack of lies, as one review seems to think. I met Dennis Shere, and Warden Cain, along with many of the inmates and those that work at Angola. Of course Angola is not a perfect place, run by perfect people, nor has only perfect inmates. I don't believe that anyone ever made that claim. But what it is, is an amazing place with amazing things happening. Anyone who doubts this, start visiting different jails and prisons in your area, then go to Angola for several days, and tell me God isn't at work there.

The system is screwed up. The government is screwed up. People screw up. But God is good. With Him, all things are possible. I stayed at Angola for eight days. I ate there, slept there, worshiped with those that worked there, and those that were doing time there. I was so moved with what was going on there, I didn't want to leave.

I'm involved in the prison ministry and write to several inmates, including a coupld of handfuls from Angola. Great men with big hearts and a genuine devoted love for God. Look at how crowed our prison systems are! What the statistics show the reentry rate is. Isn't it obvious we're doing something wrong! I truly believe in my heart that if all prison systems would adopt what Burl Cain is doing, along with places like, Koinonia House, in Illinois, and other great ministries, we would find a big dent in the cost of our prison system, for we would be truly reforming criminals, instead of slapping a number on them and writing them off. That's just not working...hello.

Hebrew 13:3 "Don't forget about those in prison. Suffer with them as though you were there yourself. Share the sorrow of those being mistreated, as though you feel their pain in your own bodies."

WONDERFULLY WRITTEN AND A GREAT STORY, October 3, 2009
By Kym McNabney (Illinois) - See all my reviews



This book caught my attention from the bookshelf at the store. Great cover, exactly what calls to me. Love historical, cowboys and ranches. Once I discovered the main characters name was, MaKenna, I knew the book was mine.

My youngest daughter's name is, MacKenna. Not a popular name, and even more so in the way she spells it. It may be silly but when I see a book with her name or my other daughter's name, Callie, I purchase them and hope for the best.

The Inheritance proved to be a wise choice. The book was beautifully written, an amazing story with constant action to keep you turning the pages. There was no putting this book down at the end of chapters.

I now have Tamera Alexander to add to my list of favorite authors. She writes right from my heart. I dream about one day writing as she does.