Female in Motion

I just received a late Christmas gift...my devotion on self-esteem has been accepted for publication by Upper Room Magazine! Though I don't yet know when the publish date is, it will be sometime in 2011. Here's to a great and prosperous New Year! *** After spending a fun Christmas holiday with my family, I spent the last two days reminiscing on Christmases Past. Every December, my mother would assemble the Nativity set to display in a corner of the living room. When I was very small, I would sit on the floor and watch her carefully remove each porcelain piece from the box and place it in the wooden stable. As I grew, I was the one placing the pieces in the stable (with Mom's help). Finally, it became my task to set up the Nativity scene all by myself. I felt honored to be so trusted. It was significant. My family attended a Christmas Eve Candlelight Service every year at my church. This was my favorite holiday tradition. Yes, I loved getting presents, eating great food and ...

I just got home from a Christmas Concert. I've been saying that a lot lately, because it's been happening a lot lately. I've been to the high school jazz band concert, the middle school band concert, the Cowley College Vespers Concert, the middle school choir concert and the high school choir concert. That's a lot of singing! There were three versions of "Silent Night," two types of "Have a Holly, Jolly Christmas" and even a Caribbean Christmas carol. I heard several of my favorites: "Carol of the Bells," "I'll Be Home for Christmas" and "I Wonder As I Wander." It just doesn't seem like Christmas until I hear one of those. *** The Hubster and I attended the Kansas Writers Association Christmas Party on Saturday afternoon. It was potluck, with a book gift exchange, "Dirty Santa" style. I enjoyed introducing my husband to all my writer friends. They're all so cool! In the photo above, I'm discussi...

I have been searching the Scripture the past couple of weeks, working on a project of a purely personal nature. But, of course, I have to share it with you. You know me, I can't keep anything to myself! Looking up Bible verses can be a rather involved process. First, you pick out a key word, look it up and it leads you to 20-30 other key words and phrases. Before you know it...whoosh! You've spent a couple of hours wading waist-deep in the mighty surf that is the Word of God. The subject I was researching was God's promises to His people, namely me. Sometimes I forget how God made me exactly the way He wanted me to be. Yes, goofiness and all. He gave me a tender heart and a big vocabulary and a strong back and a smart brain. He wants me to be the fullest and greatest me I can be, if that makes any sense at all. A whole, strong woman, fully committed to my life and Him. Zephaniah 3:17 (KJV) The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over t...

My name is Carol, and I am a bookaholic. I guess if you have to be addicted to something, books aren't so bad. I blame my mother. Don't we all blame our mothers for every little thing? My mom made me love books. Thanks, Mom! When I was really young, Mom read to me. Then I took over, and took off! I just couldn't stop. It felt powerful to me, to be able to read anything and everything I wanted. The more I read, the more I wanted to read. So I did. By the time I was 8 or 9 years old, I was reading Dickens, Twain, Hawthorne, Steinbeck and Michener. No, I didn't understand every word, but I kept on reading until I did. I got to know the school and city librarians personally, and they didn't mind answering the endless questions of a silly little girl obsessed with books. When the William Allen White awards list came out every year, I was the first to line up and read them all. Same thing for the Newbery Awards. I kept a box in my closet with the ribbons and certificates ...