Mother Inferior

Free books from a fun friend

To celebrate the birth of my friend Jenn's fabulous new website, she's having a book giveaway for the next three weeks. To participate, simply visit her site, go to the contacts page and e-mail Jenn to let her know you're interested in the drawing. Books she's giving away are:

1. Velveteen Mommy, by Jenn Doucette (2 copies to give away, autographed)

2. Mama Said There'd Be Days Like This, by Jenn Doucette (2 copies to give away, autographed)

3. Up: Devotions for Faith that Connects, by Tim Baker & Jenn Doucette (autographed)

4. Murder By Mushroom, by Virginia Smith (autographed)

5. Sushi for One? by Camy Tang (autographed)

6. Authentic Parenting in a Postmodern Culture, by Mary DeMuth

I've read most of those books and they are all great. So be sure and visit Jenn's site and enter! :)

Grieving Today

Today, I'm grieving.

Moving is hard. I miss my friends, my former home, the routine we had, the town, our church (and the comfort I felt there), even the restaurants.

Change is hard for me.  :)

So, I guess God is working on me--and forming my character through all that's happened over the last few months.

But while I'm very thankful for all the ways God has provided since we moved (and they are numerous!), I am sad. I feel what's missing--the people and places I left behind--keenly today.

I'd appreciate your prayers.

Stay at Home Mom Stories Needed

Got this in my in-box today: I bet a lot of you have great stories that would be terrific in this new Chicken Soup volume.

"What a busy life a Stay At Home Mom leads!  She has so many different jobs that it is difficult to keep track of them all:  cook, housekeeper, teacher, laundress, facilities manager, chauffeur, psychologist and nurse are just some of the many jobs that she is required to perform.  And she is on call twenty four hours a day.  Some days she seems to get everything done and feels like a master-performer, and other days, well, she feels like a bumbling clown! 

Chicken Soup for the Stay At Home Mom's Soul will share the trials and tribulations, the happiness and laughs, and the heartwarming and touching moments of being a Stay At Home Mom.

Topics will include but not be limited to:

A Mother's Love
Insight and Lessons
On Gratitude
On Sharing and Giving
Through the Eyes of a Child
Overcoming Obstacles
Letting Go
Time for Me

We're looking for inspirational, true stories, 1000 words or less, that will make our readers laugh, cry, or sigh. Stories should be positive, universal and non-controversial. The point or message should be evident without preaching. No essays, commentaries, tributes, philosophical or biographical pieces will be accepted.

You may submit more than one story, whether original or a favorite from a magazine, newspaper, or other source. For each story selected in the book, a 50-word biography will be included about the author and a permission fee of $200 per story and $50 per poem will be paid. The submission deadline for this title is February 29, 2008.

Please submit your story through our website.  Be sure to select Stay At Home Moms as the book title.

Due to the volume of stories we receive, we are unable to respond to each contribution. Finalist, only, will be notified prior to publication.  Please know we never publish anything without written permission from the author."

Christians in the Arts

My friend and fellow author Leanne interviewed me recently (mostly about the theater where my hubby and I work) and the results are on her blog today. I'd be honored if you'd read it. If you visit her blog, be sure to read some of the other material she's collected. Leanne has some great interviews with authors, musicians, artists and other creative types. :)