Five Minute Friday — Regret

Posted on March 2, 2018 by wisdomfromafather

Happy March! Happy first Five Minute Friday of the month!

You know the drill. We get our weekly prompt, let the spirit flow for five minutes, post, link up in the Community section at www.fiveminutefriday.com, and — best part — visit other writers in our to support and encourage them.

For the past few months, I have also been sharing testimonials from fellow writers as outlined in Five Minute Friday: A Collection of Stories Written in Five Minutes Flat. This week, I’ll share some words from Marie’s heart.

“The very first time I ever participated in Five Minute Friday, I stumbled upon the group just days after I found out about my liver problems which meant I had to go off the medications I was taking at the time. I  had no idea that those initial days were just the first of what would be a two years (and counting) journey. The words here reveal more about me than I could  ever share through speech — a frightening thing for a reserved person such as myself. I pushed aside the fears and decided to be vulnerable, to put myself out there with this new group of people. They embraced me. I have not once regretted diving into this beautifully messy and wonderfully weird community. #bacon. They know why.”

That’s common– reaching out and absorbing the  love of this community. That’s why I heartily encourage you to join us. It is a “beautifully messy and wonderfully weird community.” And we’d love to have you in our circle!

With that, I’ll get off thee soap box and down to work. The prompt is REGRET. The timer has been set, so let’s see where the neurons GO...

Regrets, I’ve had a few. But then again, too few to mention…

Yes, I know that’s from My Way. But I like to think — especially as I’ve aged — my way was totally in conformity with His way. And when it wasn’t He let me know!

If I had it all to do over again, I probably would change some of my reactions. I would listen more, talk more, communicate better. But I don’t think I would change anything substantively.

I was blessed with a good, full, rich life with a great 40 year  marriage and five children, 18 grandchildren and two with soon-to-be three great-grandchildren. Plus I had plenty of adventures.

That’s what life is … one big adventure, with each day unfolding new challenges and new beauty. We have to intentionally look for those blessings sometimes, but they are there, each and every day. Even the challenges are blessings, although admittedly,sometimes through the rear view mirror.

I’ve come to the conclusion … STOP

… you can waste your time on “what ifs” but they’re not going to add one second to your life — and may actually subtract a few because of the stress and angst.

Regrets, I’ve had a few. But then again — through God’s help — too few to mention.

THOUGHT T REMEMBER: Don’t confuse having a career with having a life. — Hillary Clinton

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Five Minute Friday — Beauty

Posted on February 24, 2018 by wisdomfromafather

Another Saturday. Another Five Minute Friday post.

You know the drill. We get our weekly prompt, let the spirit flow for five minutes, post, link up in the Community section at www.fiveminutefriday.com, and — best part — visit other writers in our to support and encourage them.

For the past few months, I have also been sharing testimonials from writers as outlined in Five Minute Friday: A Collection of Stories Written in Five Minutes Flat. This week, I’ll share some words from Nickolee’s heart.

“God used FMF in my life to teach me how to show myself grace. All the second, third and fourth read-throughs were gone and my heart was able to be shared. FMF changed the way I write — it helped me be vulnerable with my readers and myself.”

Yes. We all have a story to tell. This community is a perfect place to start.

The prompt this week is BEAUTY. The timer is set, so it’s time to GO …

There is so much ugliness in the world. There is so much hate in the world. Even the snow, once it hangs around for a day or so, has tinges of dirt and debris specked atop it.

But, the converse is true as well. There is so much beauty in the world. There is the fresh powdery snow. There is the love that transcends the ugliness and bitterness, even in tragedies.

I was reminded of this as I reviewed my nightly blessings. Practically all week, my blessing was about beauty in nature … a cross atop a church steeple penetrating the fog, the light fluffy powder, the patterns in the sky and water, the sunrise and sunset.

The point is, sometimes we have to look for that beauty. We get in a mindset — a funk — and it frames our thought. We often don’t take the time to look around and marvel at the beauty all around us. That’s not our doing. That’s God’s doing.

Enjoy the beauty. Look for it every day. Savor it … and give thanks to the Creator who created it all. … STOP

Look for the love. Recognize it’s all around you — family, friends, God. Savor it … and give thanks to the Creator who blesses it all.

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: One half of knowing what you want is knowing what you must give up before you get it. — Sidney Howard

 

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Five Minute Friday — Why

Posted on February 17, 2018 by wisdomfromafather

Happy Saturday. Time for Five Minute Friday.

Five Minute Friday is designed for five minutes of uninterrupted patter of the fingers representing the thoughts of the heart, soul and mind. Our fearless moderator Kate Motaugn  — with help from her Twitter friends — supplies us with the one word prompt and off we go! When done, we link up in the Community section at www.fiveminutefriday.com, then settle in to gently critique and soak in our neighbors’ work. I can’t wait to find new friends each week!

I invite you to join us in reading the wide interpretations and multi-genre presentations of the prompt. Or, better yet, try your hand! It’s five minutes (more or less) with few rules and no obligations. It’s fun (albeit sometimes challenging). It’s networking at its finest. We love meeting new friends!

To help inspire you to join our group, I’ve included testimonials from writers as outlined in Five Minute Friday: A Collection of Stories Written in Five Minutes Flat. This week, I’ll share some words from Katie’s heart.

“FMF is a hospitable, fun and caring group of writers. Not only have I been challenged to write off the cuff, but I’ve been inspired by the words of others and encouraged by the friendships that have been forged through this community.”

Amen!

This week’s prompt is WHY. The timer has been set, so it’s time to GO…

It’s an appropriate prompt this week. Just the other day I was commiserating about my lack of … well anything. And I quipped,  “The question is why. Why am I down? Why am I exhausted after doing nothing? Why? Why? Why?”

And I took the usual route — blaming my funk on everything from the weather to biorhythms.

Thinking about it however, the answer might simply be “Because.”

Remember when you had little kids around you and they began every sentence with “Why is…?” Remember trying to use logic — often over their apprehension level — and illustrations to answer those questions? And after the incessant questions, you finally blurted out “Just because!”

That must be what it is like for God as well. We’re always asking why. Why is there evil? Why do bad things happen to good people? Why? Why? Why?

And God answers [yes, He talks to me too] with illustrations I just  can’t comprehend. I might be able to justify it all with sin, but that doesn’t always answer the question, especially when it comes to bad things for good people. And it’s not much comfort when you say it’s God’s will or God’s plan. That may work in retrospect, but not in the moment.

But I can see God simply saying, in His gentlest Godly voice, “Just because. That’s all you have to know right now.”

It seems to me on I might have uttered that to my youguns a time or two. Who knew I was quoting God?

Yes, it’s “just because”. And you sometimes learn that when you stop …STOP

… asking questions and just spend some time in His arms. They are always open and welcoming.

For better or worse, that’s what I came up with this week.

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: If you learn from defeat, you haven’t really lost. — Zig Ziglar

 

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Blame It on My Biorhythm

Posted on February 15, 2018 by wisdomfromafather

I’ve been in a bit of a funk. While it’s not unusual for energy and emotions to ebb and flow, this time seems different. In the past, I would reach deep down and pull myself by the bootstraps and in a day or two I was back to my “normal” self.

It’s been more than a day or two, more like a week or two. My passion for life has morphed into routine. My energy has been depleted. Whatever’s left of my mental acuity has been dulled. I am quite content being in my cave doing nothing. I haven’t been posting, except for Five Minute Friday … and even those posts in retrospect seem flat and uninspiring.

The question is why. Why am I down? Why am I exhausted after doing nothing? Why? Why? Why?

I’ve been giving it some thought {which I guess is a step in the right direction}. I thought it might just be February — you know, that Vitamin D deficiency thing. But, even though it has been cold and snowy, the sun in Maine when it shows up is very, very bright and somewhat therapeutic. As it turns out, the sun is vital to keeping a smile on your face. Vitamin D is often referred to as the sunshine vitamin because it is activated in your skin by sunlight. If you live in a place that sees less sunlight than global averages, the lack of light could literally kill your mood. According to the Vitamin D Council, this essential nutrient helps your brain’s neurotransmitters produce serotonin, which affects our feelings of happiness. Studies have linked low levels of vitamin D with episodes of depression. So, while it may be a contributing factor, I’m not sure it’s the root cause.

It could be lack of sleep. I discounted that early because typically, I get six to eight hours of night sleep, plus many short “naps”, especially when I’m vegetating. Besides, I do sleep rather soundly {although there usually is a potty wake up sometime during the night}. It literally takes me about 10 seconds to fall back asleep, and I have been known to dream quite a bit. I will admit, however, that my dreams have tended to be more ordinary than exciting. The other night, for example, I dreamt I was editing a page of a technical manual … word for word, paragraph by paragraph until I turned the page and said “This is stupid” and woke up.

That led me to think about the status of my book. Maybe I’m in that “in between” stage of completion and anticipation/anxiety of publishing and launch. Perhaps that’s the silent stressor that has led me to the peanut butter jar in the cave pantry more frequently than usual.

Then I theorized it’s just me. I’ve met a lot of people here in Maine, but unless I’m invited into a conversation or event, I typically haven’t engaged myself. Then again, that’s pretty much been my life over the past 70 years. Scratch that.

Lifestyle — or lack of it — could be the culprit. I don’t watch a lot of television, but I lately have been revisiting movies in our collection. I will say last night’s choice — Valentine’s Day — of Ghost might not have been the wisest choice given my mood.

But that also reminded me I have been watching more news programming, which in itself is depressing. Add to it the social commentary on social media. I find myself getting angry at the narrowmindedness of some individuals and the partisan snarks at every turn. Watching a press briefing or congressional hearing simply infuriates me. Same questions over and over. Same answers over and over. Same interpretations over and over. Note to self: Turn off the news programming again.

And there is music. I always have music on, but I have to be careful what I listen to. Oldies flood back so many memories — good and bad. Country is a slice of life, but not always a positive slice. Christian often makes me want to pine beyond my earthly journey. Classical generally soothes me … into sleep.

Last night, however, I thought I found the reason for my current season — biorhythms. Sure enough, when I checked my chart this morning, every indicator except “intellectual” was on a downward cycle, and my emotional, intuition, spiritual and aesthetic markers were under water.

No wonder I’m zapped! Blame it on my biorhythm!

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary. –Vidal Sassoon

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Five Minute Friday — Privilege

Posted on February 9, 2018 by wisdomfromafather

This is kind of weird, actually writing a Five Minute Friday post on a Friday. It doesn’t happen that often . Usually I’m one of the trailers in the group. This week I’ll probably end up closer to the middle.

Five Minute Friday is designed for Friday writing, specifically five minutes of uninterrupted patter of the fingers representing the thoughts of the heart, soul and mind. Our fearless moderator — with help from her Twitter friends — supplies us with the one word prompt and off we go! When done, we link up at her site (http://katemotaung.com/), then settle in to gently critique and soak in our neighbors’ work. I can’t wait to find new friends this week!

I invite you to join us in reading the wide interpretations and multi-genre presentations of the prompt. Or, better yet, try your hand! It’s five minutes (more or less) with few rules and no obligations. It’s fun (albeit sometimes challenging). It’s networking at its finest.

To help inspire you to join our group, I’ve been including testimonials from writers as outlined in Five Minute Friday: A Collection of Stories Written in Five Minutes Flat. This week, I’ll share some words from Tammy’s heart.

“I am new tot FMF, I just recently heard about it and started participating. I usually miss the Twitter party. It’s a bit late for me 🙂 I am so anxious to learn what the word is, I wind up checking my phone when sleep is disrupted.

“I enjoy the challenge of ‘writing on the fly,’ without space for planing. As a planner, this is a great writing exercise for me.

“I have built community through participating. I am often surprised and delighted with how much traffic my FMF posts receive. It is  safe place to practice y craft and sharpen my skills. FMF has given me a place where I no longer feel like a ‘wanna be writer,’ but a writer!”

This week, the girls came up with PRIVILEGE as the prompt. The timer is set, so it’s time to GO…

I received the news last night. I was going to be a great-grandfather again. My grandson and his wife are expecting a new addition to their growing family in August.

Then I received the prompt. Appropriately, I put the two together and realized what a privilege I have to be part of God’s ever-expanding family. It is a God-given privilege. He trusts us collectively with His precious children.

Now, I will admit, early in my parenting, I may not have thought of it as a privilege. But God blessed Karen and I with five children. There were times when we didn’t know how we were going to feed them and clothe them and keep them safe.

The five have blessed us with 18 grandchildren (including blended families). And those offspring have already produced two great-granddaughters and a soon-to-be great-grandchild.

I know our parents and family and friends wondered how we were going to handle each new addition. Karen and I often accepted each new arrival with the same skepticism. They can’t take care of themselves, we reasoned, how can they take care … STOP

… of another human being, one who needs oh so much more attention.

But as I’ve aged, I have come to realize we had a third peg in our wheel. God was there at every turn. He supplied the food. He supplied the clothes. He helped us shield them from too much harm. Sometimes it was through the generosity of family and friends. Sometimes it was sheer determination. Other times it was truly a miracle. Always He was there.

We are part of each of those children’s God-plans. We don’t always do it right … but we always do it with faith and trust the Lord knows what He is doing. That’s why I call it a privilege as much as a responsibility. He trusts us with His precious children.

Congratulations to Zack and Khristine. It’s a privilege to share in this experience. And it’s a blessing to add another soul to my quiver.

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm and harmony. — Thomas Merton

 

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Five Minute Friday — Agree

Posted on February 3, 2018 by wisdomfromafather

Five Minute Friday is designed for Friday writing {although in my case, often Saturday}, specifically five minutes of uninterrupted patter of the fingers representing the thoughts of the heart, soul and mind. Our fearless moderator Kate Motaugn  — with help from her Twitter friends — supplies us with the one word prompt and off we go! When done, we link up at her site (http://katemotaung.com/), then settle in to gently critique and soak in our neighbors’ work. I can’t wait to find new friends each week!

I invite you to join us in reading the wide interpretations and multi-genre presentations of the prompt. Or, better yet, try your hand! It’s five minutes (more or less) with few rules and no obligations. It’s fun (albeit sometimes challenging). It’s networking at its finest.

To help inspire you to join our group, I’ve included testimonials from writers as outlined in Five Minute Friday: A Collection of Stories Written in Five Minutes Flat. This week, I’ll share some words from Mary’s heart.

“For many months I sat down on Friday morning, took a deep breath and allowed myself the freedom to write for 5 minutes without the stress of editing. My Five Minute Friday times of writing were like breaths of fresh air, moments when I grew more than I could have imagined. I learned how to allow my thoughts to move out into the world without being absolutely perfect. When I stress over editing I begin to lose my voice, Five Minute Friday helped me find voice. I will forever be grateful for those five minutes.”

There you go. This week, the girls came up with AGREE as the prompt. The timer is set, so it’s time to GO…

Can I get an Amen!

That’s how I was going to approach this week’s prompt, only as I formulated it in my mind, I realized it came off pretty negative. I don’t like writing negative posts.

My mind wrote about how much we disagree on … just about everything — from politics, to rooting for teams, to the color of choir robes. I did come up with a whiz bang finish, which I will allude to later.

It struck me this morning, however, when I was sending out my daily thoughts to friends and family, there is something my family, friends and just about anyone else who knows or follows me agree on. I am a procrastinator. No, I am a card-carrying procrastinator ready to attend the next chapter meeting if we can ever get around to set a date.

Seriously, this post is a perfect case in point. I thought about it, well, about 30 hours ago. I methodically started planning the post as I was driving, fully intending to start letting the fingers walk across the keyboard as soon as I got back in the door. But … the dog needed my attention … I had to get ready for another meeting … returned home and took a nap {priorities} … made … STOP

… the cardinal mistake of checking my e-mails and Facebook … had to think about dinner … ate … nestled in to vegetate in front of the tube {watched Leap of Faith although I know I dozed off and missed a few scenes} … went to bed … got  up … went to breakfast … did my daily routines {including sending the attached graphic to family and friends} … vowed to start typing … noticed dishes in the sink … took the dog out … had lunch … did the dishes {did I mention I tend to procrastinate?} … caught five minutes of zzzs. And now I’m here.

And now for my whiz bang finish. Here is something else we can agree on … I am far from perfect, but my Lord loves me just the way I am. You are far from perfect, but your Lord loves you just the way you are.

Can I get an Amen!

THOUGH TO REMEMBER: I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work. — Thomas Edison

 

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Another Step Closer

Posted on January 30, 2018 by wisdomfromafather

My book, Heaven Shining Through, is inching closer and closer to reality. The galley proof has been sent back and I updated the cover design.

While I’m getting excited about adding “author” to my resume, I share this because you, readers, were very much a part of this venture right from the start. Thus, I want to keep you in the proverbial loop.

The underlining theme of the book is the restoration of a relationship between Sam and her mother. It was told through the prism of a flashback to Sam’s life — her early home experiences, her wilder side, meeting the love of her life, Chad, her growth as a wife and mother through sorrow and blessings, and the presence of God in an ordinary life.

I tried to keep it real with appropriate language and activities. I purposely stayed away from being “preachy” but rather told a story that showed the presence of God in everyday, sometimes messy lives. The hope is readers will be able to see that.

A lot of the activity takes place in the greater Paterson, NJ area, which, of course, is where I called home as a youth. Some of the backdrops will be familiar to fellow Patersonians who grew up in the mid 60s.

I haven’t coordinated a launch date yet … that should be coming soon. I know it will be available online and I am planning book signings and presentations, at least in Maine, New York and New Jersey. I’ll keep you posted as they develop.

In the meantime, you can pre-order a copy of Heaven Shining Through simply by commenting and/or e-mailing me at revblt@rochester.rr.com. I will get back to you when the book becomes available. No upfront charges will be made.

I have also launched a funding page at FaithLauncher, https://www.faithlauncher.com/projects/3320-heaven-shining-through, which will help determine the original print run.

I’m getting excited! I hope you are as well!

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot. — Michael Altshuler

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Five Minute Friday — Surrender

Posted on January 26, 2018 by wisdomfromafather

Here’s this week’s installment of Five Minute Friday. You might remember the task is to write for five minutes on a specific prompt word. Then, post and encourage others who have braved the exercise by linking up at Kate’s spot on Facebook at http://www.fiveminutefriday.com. That’s the fun part!

To entice you to check us out, I’ve also been sharing some of the experiences my fellow writers have shared as chronicled in Five Minute Friday: A Collection of Stories Written in Five Minutes Flat. This week, I hope Vittoria’s words inspire you to join our writing club.

“I have always loved the art of writing although I have struggled to believe in my writing ability. I never felt it was good enough. After deciding to face my fears, I created a blog and to no avail, the words simply wouldn’t come. I needed encouragement. That is when I found the Five Minute Friday community. Two things I adoure about this community. Not worrying whether my writing is good enough. I’m able to share my heart without the weight of perfection. I also enjoy meeting other amazing writers. I’ve been able to share in other’s sadness, joys, success and I’ve even been encouraged to write more. I’m thankful for this community. I may have given up writing had I not taken “five minutes” to step outside my comfort zone.”

So, the timer is set for five. The word for the week this week is SURRENDER… so here goes. {clock starts now}

There are two Christian buzzwords that make me cringe. One is “WWJD”. The other is “surrender yourself to the Lord.”

There is something about surrender that just doesn’t resonate with me. It’s giving up. It admitting defeat. It’s a negative word.

I know. I know. That’s not the intent. But that’s what non-believers think when they hear that particular platitude. What does that mean?

Truth is, at least in my mind, I was created by God to live MY live. Sure, I know I’ve taken more wrong turns along the way, but it is the life God chose for me. And He walks right beside me every wayward step of the way. The trick is to live that life to the fullest — not in surrender to the Lord but in concert with Him.

We don’t have to “surrender” our individuality. We have to transform it so our individual actions reflect the Light that leads us.

I don’t think God created us to give up. I don’t think He wants us to live defeated or in submission. He is positive and wants to be recognized positively.

And, by the way, I have no idea what Jesus would do in my shoes. I can take an educated guess, but that’s all it …STOP

… can really be. A guess.

Let’s transform ourselves this week. But, never, never ever surrender.

That’s what popped into the noggin today.

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: If you want someone to listen more closely, whisper.

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Five Minute Friday — Intentional

Posted on January 19, 2018 by wisdomfromafather

Welcome to Five Minute Friday. The task is to write for five minutes on a specific prompt word from your mind and heart. Then, post and encourage others who have braved the exercise by linking up at Kate’s spot on Facebook at http://www.fiveminutefriday.com. That’s the fun part!

To entice you to check us out, I’ve also been sharing some of the experiences my fellow writers have shared as chronicled in Five Minute Friday: A Collection of Stories Written in Five Minutes Flat. This week, I hope Gaby’s words inspire you to join our writing club.

“What I loved the most about FMF is that, even when my week was so crazy that I could not take time to write, I knew that on Friday I could devote just five minutes to put something out that would allow me to connect with other women {and men} who may have lives just as crazy as mine. It was something to look forward to each week and I could not wait for the prompt. It was amazing how often the prompt would be exactly what  I needed to write about that week to give me perspective and to center me. And reading other women’s {and men’s} takes on the same prompt helped me to see how God was working differently yet just as faithfully in other people’s lives.”

So, the timer is set for five minutes . The word for the week this week is INTENTIONAL … so here goes. {clock starts now}

When I first thought about the prompt, I mused, “Not me.” I react. I don’t generally do things intentionally.

Then I thought about it a little more. Yes, I am spontaneous. Yes, I do react. Yes, I do procrastinate {it’s amazing this is on Friday}. But I also have some routines I follow … intentionally. The procrastination bug may delay responses sometimes, but if I don’t do my “thing” daily and weekly, I’m at a loss.

I intentionally message my family each morning with a “Good Morning” to let them know I made it to another day and kick off a conversation for the day.

I intentionally make a pot of coffee I nurse throughout the day.

I intentionally spend time reading and studying the Bible. Hopefully, I get something out of the respective passage to carry me through the day. At worse, it tempers my attitude to look forward with confidence.

I intentionally share some words of encouragement with my Facebook friends, usually using a point I gleaned from Ron Hutchcraft or the amazing contributors to Five Minute Friday: A Collection of … STOP

… Stories Written in Five Minutes Flat.

I intentionally post a visual thought for the day, additional words of encouragement and a whimsical look at the “Celebration of the Day”.

I intentionally send an inspirational quote and graphic to family and friends, sometime whimsical and sometimes more motivational.

Each week, I intentionally share some words for the week, forcing me to remember my friends and family in intentional prayer.

Each week, I share some midweek mirth to keep things light.

Each week, I peck away for five minutes {or so} on my Five  Minute Friday assignment.

Yeah. Looking back, I might be more intentional than even I thought.

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: It takes years to become an overnight success.

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Getting Close

Posted on January 17, 2018 by wisdomfromafather

My book, Heaven Shining Through, is inching closer and closer to reality. I just received the galley proof and I’m awaiting the cover design.

While I’m getting excited about adding “author” to my resume, I share this because you, readers, were very much a part of this venture right from the start. Thus, I want to keep you in the proverbial loop.

As you might remember, this book was conceived as a social media experiment. Way back when — five and a half years ago, actually — I floated the idea of a community novel.

Simply put, I invited readers – and that included my Reveille/Between the Lakes readers as well – to contribute to an ongoing story. As long as there was interest, I promised to continue to advance the storyline.

I had no expectations about where the story would go. In fact, I didn’t even have a storyboard or outline. I trusted in your imagination and direction. Would it end up being a mystery? A romance? A comedy? A drama? A slice of life? Inspiration?

The plan was to get you started and have you submit continuing paragraph(s) each week. Together, I thought, we would flesh out the storyline, develop characters, possibly throw in some curves or red herrings. In the end I hoped we would be able to come up with a readable piece we all could be proud to share with family and friends.

Well. That was the plan. I did have interest — somewhere around 100 likes. I didn’t get much input.

If you remembered, I started with the first open ended paragraph …

I was driving alone on the dark black asphalt, seemingly darker because of ominous clouds on the horizon ranging from steel gray to puffs of white. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of white as the sun tried to peek out from behind the clouds. It didn’t succeed, but first a ray rained into the picture, followed by a halo of rays.

My name is …

Cathy suggested our lead character would be Samantha … my first challenge since I suddenly had to think as a woman and, as any man knows, that could be problematic. But I was sure I would get some help from my female readers. Guess what? It never came.

djmatticus added a paragraph, more of a reinforcement and continuation of the first paragraph.

That was the extent of my help.

With steely resolve, however, I revisited the story weekly, adding a few paragraphs at a time to advance the tale. I was pretty much left on my own, probably because I continued to get likes. I just didn’t get much in the way of comments. It became a Wednesday fixture for the next 24 weeks.

What I came up with was a story within a story. The underlining theme was the restoration of a relationship between Sam and her mother. It was told through the prism of a flashback to Sam’s life — her early home experiences, her wilder side, meeting the love of her life, Chad, her growth as a wife and mother through sorrow and blessings, and the presence of God in an ordinary life.

I tried to keep it real with appropriate language and activities. I purposely stayed away from being “preachy” but rather told a story that showed the presence of God in everyday, sometimes messy lives. The hope is readers will be able to see that.

A lot of the activity takes place in the greater Paterson, NJ area, which, of course, is where I called home as a youth. Some of the backdrops will be familiar to fellow Patersonians who grew up in the mid 60s.

It looks like we are about six to eight weeks from launch day! I still have to sign off on the cover.

I haven’t coordinated a launch date yet … that should be coming soon. I know it will be available online and I am planning book signings and presentations, at least in Maine, New York and New Jersey. I’ll keep you posted as they develop.

In the meantime, you can pre-order a copy of Heaven Shining Through simply by commenting and/or e-mailing me at revblt@rochester.rr.com. The book will retail for $9.99 plus shipping and handling. I will get back to you when the book becomes available. No upfront charges will be made.

If you’re interested in reviewing Heaven Shining Through let me know, especially if you have ties to media.

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: Always listen to the experts. They’ll tell you what can’t be done and why. Then do it. — Robert Heinlein

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