This is my fourth year of participating in NaNoWriMo, and this one has been the most challenging. I crossed the 50,0000 word finish line on November 29th! My greatest challenge was fitting in my writing time after my part time teaching job. Most days I came home wiped out after working with my five and six year old energetic students. No complaints though because they’ve given me great inspiration!

Check out National Novel Writing Month at www.nanowrimo.org.

Wish all of us luck!

Last year, I worked with Palmer’s 2nd grade class through the Young Writers Program of NaNoWriMo. All but one participated and many met their goal of 750 words. This year I’m working with a 5th grade class. Their goal is 1,500 words. Their teacher shared with me that several have already far exceeded their goal. And it’s only half way through the month! I can’t wait to read their novels.

I am so thankful for the challenge that NaNoWriMo issues every year to writers and wanna-be writers all over the world. Over 185,000 people have accepted the challenge this year. Interested in learning more or participating next year? Visit www.nanowrimo.org.

I’ll see you December 1st (when I come out of hibernation)!

Do I have the kind of faith that leans on Him in ABSOLUTE trust and confidence? I’d like to say yes, but I can’t honestly say I absolutely do every time. Sometimes, I pray and give my petitions to him and then “take it back” later in the day because I think I need to do something to make it happen. That totally wipes away my ABSOLUTE trust and confidence in Him. So, I pray about the situation again, hoping this time I will truly give it to him with my ABSOLUTE trust and confidence. Sometimes, it takes several times of give and take before I finally give it to Him for good.

The Amplified version of the Bible has several verses in Psalms that refers to leaning on Him. Psalm 22:4-5 says, “Our fathers trusted in You; they trusted (leaned on, relied on You, and were confident) and You delivered them. They cried to You and were delivered; they trusted in, leaned on, and confidently relied on You, and were not ashamed or confounded or disappointed.”

Again, these verses stress the importance of leaning on Him and being confident of His ability to deliver them. The take away for me is that I can also experience His deliverance when I lean on Him with ABSOLUTE trust and confidence. And like these believers, I won’t be disappointed.

Our walk with Christ is a journey in which we increase our trust and confidence in God’s power, wisdom and goodness as we seek to lean, trust and rely on Him in every area of our lives.

I resolve to meditate more on the verse from Colossians, so I can learn more about leaning on God instead of leaning on myself. Will you join me?

Now, two years after creating my web site, I’ve been given the opportunity to learn what it means to have faith with substance. A little over three months ago, I experienced a distinct weakness on my left side. I immediately called for an appointment with my neurologist. The MRI test results of my brain showed no new stroke activity (I had a stroke when I was 2 years old), but the MRA test results of my neck showed low blood flow in my middle cerebral artery. The neurologist suspected I had had a stroke, but he wanted more tests to be sure. Jeff and I asked about best case and worst case scenarios. The best case was quickly dismissed with “we do nothing.” That sounded too easy, so we prodded the neurologist for the other options. Without going into the gory details, it involved an asymmetrical haircut and a hole in my head.

After many hole pokes in my arm and tubes to lie in for hours, I had to wait. Wait for the results. I don’t like to wait. Waiting in line at the grocery store even gets to me. So, I pulled out the verses I copied several years ago when He made me wait for my writing to take shape and get accepted. I read and reread those verses, hoping the period of waiting would pass by quickly.

I will admit that every conceivable ‘worst case scenario’ crossed my mind during the week I waited for the results. Every time the thought of what my health issue would do to my family crept into my thoughts, I forced myself to push those thoughts away. Instead, I chose to focus on God. What God had already done in my life. How He daily provides for me and my three boys. What a wonderful and blessed family He’s given me. How He would give me the strength and faith I would need to go through whatever treatment the doctors said I needed. I was counting on God. My narrow perspective of my problems broadened to a God perspective. (Thanks, Alan!)

The week of waiting was difficult, but the news I received was worth the wait. My neurologist decided I’d indeed had a mini-stroke, but I would only need to continue on my aspirin regimen and physical therapy. No brain bypass surgery. No new haircut (even though I’d like to do something different with this wild curly hair!). No long-term health problems. After celebrating the wonderful news, I spent some time reflecting. I believe God was with me every step of the way. It was easy to see God’s hand throughout all I experienced. This was one of those few times I’ve actually felt God’s Presence.

The biggest ‘Aha! moment’ was when I decided my health scare truly caused my faith to add a few layers of substance. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Yesterday, we studied Abraham’s conversation with God in Genesis 18 concerning the city of Sodom. Abraham was bold in his petition to save Sodom from God’s wrath because his nephew Lot lived there. He had a reason to care about this city. He was willing to “stand in the gap” on behalf of Sodom (see Ezekiel 22:30).

The sermon focused us in to the need to pray for our city. It occurred to me during our praise band’s playing of Chris Tomlin’s God of This City, I have complained about my city’s middle school for years as it has many academic and cultural struggles. Never once has it occurred to me to pray about it, asking God to work in the lives of the students and families and teachers. I could have been praying for God to increase the academic skills and decrease the cultural struggles of the students that attend there. I must admit I’m ashamed at this revelation as I’m a former teacher. I worked in schools that experienced academic and cultural struggles.

I’ve been convicted to pray instead of complain.

Our mayor, our fire chief, our parks and recreation director, an assistant prinicipal and many teachers attended the service yesterday. We, as a congregation, prayed over these servants of our community. Many of our congregation committed to ongoing prayer for our city, the servants in our city,our schools, and our church’s outreach to our community. I can’t wait to see what God will do!

Our world has experienced so many catastrophic events in the last decade. The hundreds of thousands of lives lost is hard to accept. Yesterday, our church had a time of prayer and a collection for relief in Haiti. Both of my boys freely gave some of their money, and I couldn’t have been prouder of them. A new member of our church is from Haiti. Many, many people sat with him on the stage, praying with him for his country. His presence provided a visual reminder of how their tragedy affects all of us.

One of the images I saw on the news that affected me deeply was a group of Haitians praising God. They were singing songs and lifting their hands to God. They literally praised God amidst the destruction and devastation around them. It caused me to ask myself if I would be praising God if I’d lost family and my home. Is God bigger than my circumstances?

How has the tragedy in Haiti affected you? If you’ve prayed, what have you prayed? Please post your comments at the end of this blog. Thank you.

Twenty-three of the twenty-four students (and their teacher) participated in the Young Writers Program of National Novel Writing Month. Their goal was to write a 750 word novel. Seventy-five percent of them wrote 750 or more word novels. Twenty-one percent of them didn’t meet the 750 word goal, but they participated. Their collective word count was 21,328 words. That is amazing!!!! I could not be prouder!

Below is a picture of all of the novelists. I had them hold up their novels across their faces to protect their identities. The chart was their way to see their progress. Great motivator!

This has been a memorable experience for me. One I will always cherish!

Palmer typing HIS NaNo novel

Something else that makes me really happy is watching Palmer work on his NaNo novel. BTW, his t-shirt says, “I Eat Novels For Breakfast!” Over the last few months I’ve been working with Palmer’s second grade class, teaching them about character development, plots and dialogue to get them ready to take on the NaNo challenge. The Young Writers Program branch of NaNo allows classrooms to sign up and participate. No, I know what you’re thinking . . . they do not have to write a 50,000 word novel. Ms. Fletcher and I discussed a goal that was difficult but reachable, deciding to put the goal at 750 words. Ms. Fletcher is even doing it, and she hates writing!

Palmer and I have spent some great time at REV Coffee (my favorite writing place!), and I can’t express how much it excites me to see him enjoying writing. Several of the students in his class have already met their goals of 750 words. I LOVE reading their novels. Kids do have some great imaginations!

The last few weeks in Palmer’s classroom have taught me the importance of passing on my love of writing. Many kids (and adults) cringe at the thought of having to write anything. The ability to write, and to write well, is a tool they can use the rest of their lives. These students have taken on the NaNo challenge in a big way, even stopping me in the hall to tell me about their novel. They are excited about writing!

Whatever it is that you are passionate about, I encourage you to pass it on!

We found our seats before the opening band started. A nice-looking family of four (Mom, Dad, and two teenage girls) were seated in front of us, eating their dinner. We briefly talked with them about the concerts we’d attended and those they’d attended. Having never seen U2 before, they were very excited to be there.

Appearances can be deceiving.

Finally, Dad gathered all their trash and took it to the trash cans. He returned several minutes later with three beers, handing one to his wife and one to his teenage daughter. All three of them quickly downed the alcohol. Dad got up again and purchased more beer. In my head I’m trying to convince myself that the teenage daughter is 21 or older, but I just couldn’t do it. The other daughter drank her Coke.

By the time the opening band finished, the teenage daughter had consumed three large cups of beer and took her mom’s cup of wine away from her. During the 30 minute intermission, the teenage girl passed out cold. Her mom nudged her dad, pointing to his drunk daughter. He shrugged his shoulders, stopped the beer concession guy, and bought another beer for himself. At the end of the concert, the parents roused their drunk daughter and took her home.

I do not know her age, so she could have been 21. But still . . . parents buying a large amount of alcohol for their young daughter, knowing she’s getting drunk? Something feels really wrong with that.