Female in Motion

Have you ever read a book that literally changed your life? You know I'm a big fan of books. I love historical fiction, biographies, satire, humor, poetry, mysteries and novels of any variety. The books that have truly impacted my life, however, are extremely rare. I have read and re-read To Kill A Mockingbird, Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, Great Expectations and Cannery Row. They are all beautiful and inspiring works, but the book that I never tire of, the book I crave daily...is the Bible. Today is the International Day of the Bible, a global day of celebration of the Word, hosted by the National Bible Association. Take time to read about the origin of this event here . Every time I open the scriptures, my heart is blessed with joy and hope, my mind is endowed with wisdom and knowledge, and my spirit is touched by His mercy and presence. The Bible is God's love letter to His children. Open it, and allow His Word to impact your life. *** Female in Motion...

I was a senior in high school...had the world by the tail. Good grades, scholarships to college, and a cute boyfriend, were all mine. I was happy, and looking forward to a bright future. All I needed was a dress for the Homecoming Dance. The Homecoming game was a Friday night staple. Derby was, and still is, a football town. Everyone goes to the game. I made my way up the endless concession line, while my boyfriend held our seats. With Cokes in hand, I found our seats had been taken by others and the boyfriend was nowhere in sight. I found him later, sucking face behind the bleachers with a sleazy blonde sophomore. After a brief "discussion," I discontinued my association with that boy and walked briskly home. "Mom, I'm not going to the dance," I announced when coming in the door. "After all the money we spent, you're going," she warned, as she called the boy's mother. Twenty-four hours later, he arrived at my door, looking terribly...

We had a fire drill at work today. No big deal...we have one every month. Today, it happened at noon, while the children were eating lunch. As taught, I grabbed my keys and headed outside to the playground. Holly, our site coordinator, directed me toward the toddler classroom door. "Please help with the little ones!" As I approached the opening door, a swarm of little faces greeted me. Joshua and Jacob each grabbed one of my outstretched hands and I led them away from the building. The boys wore lunch bibs, with messy faces and sticky fingers. Joshua held tight to my hand as we walked, while Jacob tried to wriggle free. "Play, play!" he shouted. As I picked him up, I reassured both tots that they would soon be back to their regular routine. Jacob wanted down to walk, so I put him on his feet and took his small hand in mine once again. Within a few steps, my wayward one stopped and sat down on the sidewalk. We slowly made our way to the fence line, my lit...

Isaiah 51:1-3 (KJV) 1 Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged. 2 Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him. 3 For the LORD shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.  How did I get here? I'm a long way from the Derby girl who yearned to be a writer. I was a college dropout with two cancer bouts under my belt, living in small-town Kansas with no publishing connections. I am a turtle. The Bible contains story after story about turtles. Did you miss them? Ruth, Esther and those crazy disciples are just a few examples of folks with humble beginnings. When used by God, these obedient servants became her...