Today I came across this insightful post at Rachel Gardener's blog, which gives breakdown of the hidden costs of publishing abook.Bottom line: A publisher has to be able to pay the bills. So if a publisher is going to invest in your book, is it going to be worth the investment?
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"You gonna catch up on your blog today?" my husband asked as I stumbled out of the bedroom. "You haven't written anything in almost a week now."I smiled. I didn't think he'd noticed. But Craig had seen me stress out all week, and did a sneaky husband bit -- went to the blog to find out what was REALLY going on. Smart guy. If only I'd written on it!This week I was reminded again of the importance of "seasons" in life. Not just the BIG seasons like college, marriage, motherhood, and empty-nest... Read Full Story
This morning as I put the final touches on my religious education lesson for my 20 fifth graders, I think about how to make the lesson memorable for each child. What will they take away from that class? What will they remember a day, a week . . . dare I say it? a decade from now?Today, we study the life of St. Miguel Pro, who donned disguises in order to bring the sacraments to the faithful of Mexico who were willing to risk their lives rather than deny their faith. Which raises the question... Read Full Story
Last night when I took my little goblins for their annual "sugar rush" -- circling our friend's development in search of a bucketful of chocolate treats -- the experience was very different than in years past.While the number of dinosaurs and ballerinas and superheroes and ghosts had not diminished, the number of porch lights certainly had. "Times are tough" commented parents to one another as we passed on the sidewalk. "Or maybe it's the virus scare," said others.Either way, it was not the ... Read Full Story
I rushed through the house, fixing dinner and straightening the house. The babysitter would arrive any minute, so my husband and I could attend a school fundraiser. As I swiped the bathroom mirror with a cloth, I caught my wedding ring and, not wanting to damage the setting even more than I already have, I set the ring aside to continue my single-minded pursuit of the appearance of domestic bliss. Read Full Story
Jen has a particularly great post today about figuring out God's will -- especially relevant for adoptive (and aspiring adoptive) parents. Check it out!Conversion Diary: So you went against God's will. Now what? - The diary of a former atheist
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Yesterday was my first religious education class. I've never taught fifth grade before, and frankly I was a bit nervous about my ability to keep this age engaged and interested.I started out the class by passing around my father's old tobacco pouch, and asking if they knew what it was. They passed it around. "Incense?" "Rose petals?" "Cinnamon?"Nope. Good old Walter Raleigh, thirty years stored away in a small pouch of leather. "Now, you all know that smoking is a bad, unhealthy habit. But w... Read Full Story
... other times you feel like throwing it!Every once in a while my day will spill over into the wee hours of the next morning. I don't know whether it's hormonal, or stress, or simple overload. But sleep simply will not come, and I can either stare at the ceiling or get up and be productive.So here I am.Yesterday was a hard day. I had coffee with a recently widowed friend, whose husband was an active member of the Knights of Columbus and a faithful partner with me on our Vacation Bible Schoo... Read Full Story
