It's the Little Things

I was just reading a blog from a girl who lives in Africa, taking care of 12 (yes 12) little girls. I couldn't help but think as I read her blog how amazing it is that she got an opportunity to serve God in such a way. I know it was hard for her, to leave her family and her country, her home and her life, but everything seems so amazing. (Note I'm saying this BEFORE I've even stepped foot into a foreign country!) I think it would be so cool to serve like that. But then I'm reminded. God put me in this place for a reason. God gave me this calling so I could touch people HERE. I don't need to travel halfway around the world to find my calling and do what I'm supposed to do. Right now I'm called to serve right here, I'm called to love right here, I'm called to bless right here, I'm called to give right here. I don't have to be half way around the world to show God's love to people. It's weird how when we think of ministry, it's in a foreign country. Africa, Asia, wherever but not here. not in North America. Fact is, we don't need to go half way around the world to serve. Fact is, God is calling us to serve where we are, right now. We're not in this place by accident or mistake. We're not here because there was no where else on this earth for us to go. We are here to touch lives, to make a difference, to change the world. Changing the world doesn't just start in Africa. We are put in the place we are to change the world. I have a sponsor child, Lilian. She's five and writes me the sweetest little letters. She always tells me how she and her family are doing, asks about my life and tells me about hers. She's not in school yet but she's already very excited to learn. She lives in Guatamala with her family. When ever I write her back, I always tell her how precious she is to me, that I'm praying for her and I begin with the same thing almost every time, 'hey beautiful girl.' It's funny to think that the small letters I send her or the money I give her every month is changing her life. It's weird to think that something that's so small for me is giving Lilian food to eat, clothes to wear, fresh water to drink and a chance at a better life. I'm changing the world from where I am. I'm changing her community, her family and her life. Changing the world doesn't even have to start in Guatamala, like the change I'm doing in Lil, changing the world can be as simple as saying hello to someone as you walk from class to class (or whatever.) It can be as simple as handing out giftcards to homeless people on the streets. It can be as easy as volunteering at the soup kitchen. The little things we do, that we don't think of as changing a life, can actually have a big impact on people. When we hear of a big calling, like the girl I talked about earlier, it's easy to think of our own calling as small or insignificant. It's easy to say that we're not in a place to help people. Truth it- you're own calling is not small or insignificant, no calling is small or insignificant to God. You are just in the place where God wants you to be, to reach out and show people His love and touch them with His touch. Some People are called to do big things, like work in Africa raising 12 daughters, and some people become doctors and lawyers and flip burgers at McDonalds. But where ever you are, whatever you do, how ever you do it, you are touching lives. It doesn't matter where you live or what you do, there are no insignificant callings with God. there are no small roles in the plans He has to touch this world. It doesn't matter if we're a nation away or right here at home, we all have a place in reaching this lost world. there are no small parts with God. And even the little things we do can be part of something amazing.

We're Here!!!!

Yes, we are here at our new place! We moved here on Friday and are still settling in. I have ALMOST all of my boxes unpacked. I'll post some pictures once I take some. Just thought I'd let you all know we're here, safe and sound :)
blog more later

WE'RE MOVING TOMORROW!!!!!!

Well We're moving tomorrow! For those of you who don't know, we bought a quarter section out by Sexsmith, ok Webster but it's considered Sexsmith. We already moved our horses out there, we did that yesterday, and we're headed out there, to stay!, tomorrow after school. We already moved some of our stuff, ok a lot of our stuff, and we've been coming back and forth since the begining of May. We live on the top of a hill, you can see it from Webster Road, (in case your looking :) and we can look down all the hills. We're going to live in a trailer, for now. My dad's been really busy adding an addition to the trailer because right now it only has 3 bedrooms. I get the bedroom with the big window overlooking the horse pasture. My room is a robins egg blue. Can't wait until we actually get down there. :)

Ordinary Happenings

We were supposed to be moving yesterday. We had a lot of rain, though, in the last couple of days and that didn't happen. So we're still in our 'old' house. Our homeschool lady came last night. (I know she has a proper name, I just don't know how to spell it.) We figured out what we're doing for next year. Online there's a create a course thing that I'm doing and I'm doing a creative writing course. I get to plan the course and then take it, it sounds like it's going to be a lot of fun. On my friend Cairo's blog, she's doing this cooking thing. I just submitted my recipe for a dish with cheese, and now I'm hungry. Well not really, just that kind of feeling you get when you talk about food and then you want to eat it, like if people talk about Thanksgiving you want turkey, or at least I do. I'm writing book #4 in the series, you know the one that's un named but I talk about sometimes here, Shane's story is part of that. Anyway I started book 4 and I'm on this chapter that Shane narrorates and I'm not going to tell you what it's about because my mom is reading the first one, Shane's story, now and She still has to read the other 2 before she gets to this one and it would totally give it away if I told you guys. So I won't. We went to see Shrek the final chapter last night. It was good, but I love pixar movies. I can't wait until toy story 3 comes out this summer. I'm writing an essay for school about L.M. Montgomery. She's actually a really interesting person. Once I finish the essay all I have left is finals (and science) and then I'm done school for the year!

It's time...

I keep putting off this entry because I have nothing to say, and I thought I might bore you all to death and now I decided that I've put this off long enough and it's time to bore you all to death. :) I haven't really been doing anything interesting. I'm studying for Math final, almost done (yeah!) and only have one unit left in my L.A (a report thing on a canadian hero) and well... I'll be doing my science until August. Ok, maybe July! It's not that I'm totally against science, I mean it's not my favorite, but it can be really useful. But I don't want a career as a scientist or anything and it's not really that interesting, to me anyway. I got my hair cut short for the summer. and... oh, I'm almost done writing another book, very exciting! It turned out totally different then I expected but it's still really good, I think. Well, I told you I would bore you all to death and I did :)

Nancy Says...

Here's the answer to Nancy's questions. I'll put the questions in green and Nancy's answers in pink.

Have you always wanted to be an author or was there something else along the way you wanted to turn into a career?
When I was really little I wanted to be a nurse but that disapeered when I read my first Nancy Drew novel, and decided to be an author. For a while in high school I wanted to be a choral director but that was never as strong as the desire to write. I still think it would be fun to be a back up singer as a side job.

What was your inspiration to write the Lily books?
A man named Steven Arterburn, who founded women of faith, wanted to see a young women of faith library and he asked my agent if he knew anyone who could start off that series with a book about an 11 year old named Lily. my agent did -me! I took it from there- it was as if God was waiting for a seed to be planted because God blossomed it into an image in my head. After that, all mini women were my inspiration.

How did you become a Christian?
I was born into a Christian family and baptized as an infant. It never occured to me growing up NOT to believe in God and love Him and worship Him. My true commitment, however, came when I was 12. I was in a confirmation class, being prepared to make a personal decision, and I began to pray, really pray, with no one guiding me. It was real, Jesus was real.

What is your favorite Bible verse?
John 1:12-13, as translated in the Message. 'Whoever did want Him Whoever believed He was who He claimed and would do what He said, He made to be their true selves, Their Child of God selves' my ministry and life are wrapped around those verses.

What was one thing you were told as a tween (or teen!) that you wished you'd listened to?
I can't remember anything but I can tell you something I wish someone HAD said to me "You are a late bloomer but you will come into your own, God has a plan" That would have saved me from feeling like a geek

Did you have any pets growing up and do you have any pets now?
We only had one dog, Lucky, who died when I was a tween. My parents weren't big on animals. My husband, however, was and from the time we were married we at least had one dog. Right now we have two five month old yellow labs named Guiness and Genevive. They are wonderful companions, despite the slobbering and the chewing and the getting into michief.

Do you have any siblings?
I have an older sister, Phyllis. I had an older brother but He died when I was only 7, I still miss him sometimes.

Did you take anything in Collage that helped you become an author?
I think about it and everything I took in collage helped me as an author! Some of it I didn't think was of any use at all to me at the time when I was yawning through it, but I'm constantly realizing that biology set me up for medical things in my stories and psycology helped me create characters and, of course, all those papers I had to write as an English major taught me to use words and be disciplined and express myself. One of the most clearly influential courses was Public speaking! I've had to do a great deal of speaking and teaching as an author and I'm so glad I had that. I think everyone who wants to be an writer should have a good Liberal Arts education at a solid university.

How did you decide to write tween fiction?
It chose me! I was writing for teenagers and happened to meet the editor of clubhouse magazine, a focus on the family magazine for tweens (boys and girls) who asked me to do a story. I liked doing it so I wrote more. That same editor went to the book publishersat focus and said" Please ask this lady to write some books for kids" that's how it started. I have been in love with 8 to 12 years olds, ecspecially girls, ever since. It seemed to work not only because I could vividly remember those years in my life but because God apparently wanted me there.

If you could say one thing that every young woman would hear, what would you say?
You have one power and that is the power to be who God made you to be. Spend your life peeling off the false selves the world puts on you and find your true self, the self that was made to love, serve, and live in joy and peace and compassion.

Where did you get your inspiration for the Sophie books?
I had a student named Sophie when I was teaching in high school. I used to call her Sophie-Lophie-Loodle. She fascinated me with her imagination as a theater student (and her tinyness and high pitched squeaky voice). Years later, when I was asked to create a series that followed Lily she came immediatly to mind. Sophie Lacroix, of course, took on a life of her own, but I could always see the real Sophie in my mind.

How did you decide that Sophie was going to be a daydreamer?
I was something of a daydreamer myself as a kid, though not to the extent that Sophie is, because there was enough Lily in me to keep me focused in school. I also once read a short story called "the secret life of Walter Minny"that I dearly loved. If you read that story(I think it's by James Thurber but I'm not sure!) you'll understand where I got the idea for Sophie's dream life.

Where did you get your inspiration for the Lucy books?
I was meeting a lot of tween girls who were tomboys , and who didn't go to schools with a big sports programs or churches with large, active, youth groups. But nobody seemed to be writing books for them. And, like Lucy, I had a blind father who I was very close to. It all came together in a character I dearly love. I set the books in New Mexico because I love it there and I have family who lives nearby.

What's your favorite way to spend a Saturday?
Curled up on a chaise lounge chair on my screen porch with my dogs, reading a book- or going out on the boat with my husband and having a picnic in the cove. There must be a nap in there somewhere for it to be a perfect Saturday.

What would you say to someone who wants to become an author?
If he or she is a young person, like under 25, I would say do 3 things. (1) Read, Read, Read! (2) Write,Write, Write, not to publish but to practise the craft and develop style. (3) Live as much as you can (within the limits of safety, good sense and the law!). I would say not to worry about getting published. Most great authors don't get published until they are over 25, and usually closer to 30. The longer you wait and practise at your craft and find your writing voice, the longer it will take to get published, even when you hit 30 and have some importent things to say. Enjoy the deliciousness of writing freely now- then take writing classes in high school and collage. Know that becoming a good writer takes time and practise. Never lose the joy

Who is your hero?
Besides Jesus? My earthly hero was my father, who lived his life with God to the fullest because he knew he wouldn't live to be very old. He died when he was only 48 after suffering the devistation of Diabetes. He was a great father-he seldom complained- and he always, always trusted God. I wish he could have lived past my 14th birthday but his memory lives with me still, and I consider him my best role model.

If you could do one thing that you knew you wouldn't fail at, what would you do?
Have a mentoring acadamy for teen girls who want to seek a closer realationship with God and share that through writing.

If you could write one book that everyone would read, what would the theme of that book be?
Be who God made you to be, no matter what

Thanks so much for taking the time to do this interview Nancy. I hoped you guys liked it

AND IT"S CLOSED!

And the author spotlight is CLOSED. I'll be sending all the questions to Nancy today and I'll post her answers as soon as I get them.