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Christmas past
This will be the last Christmas with all of my kiddos considered children. Next year my oldest will be eighteen and will already have made his first vote in a presidential election. I don’t know where the time went. Sometimes he walks in the room, and I have to do a double take. My 21 inch baby has turned into a 6′ 3″ man.
It’s always the oldest and the youngest that make me feel nostalgic.
A couple of days ago I was wrestling with the fact that my littlest baby will soon be entering the middle school years and will be on her first mission trip this coming summer. It’s too soon!
Step back in time with me and see a few of our earliest Christmas cards.
1999
2000
2002
2003
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That’s just how it is
My husband recently bought me a fun, Christmas-themed blanket for our bed. You wouldn’t believe how soft this thing is. Well, Hank (our aging yellow lab) and Azalea (our geriatric, balding cat) discovered the comfort of the new blanket and proceeded to spend every moment they could manage sleeping on our bed.
It didn’t take long for the new cover to be littered with critter hair. YUCK!
I pulled the blanket from the bed to wash and dry it. Now that may sound simple, but we’re having trouble with our dryer, which makes each load a test of my questionable patience.
That night we slept cozy with the fresh scent of dryer sheets filling our room. Awww.
The next morning my youngest daughter drug herself down the stairs. The fact that she had gotten herself up was a miracle in itself. Mornings are not her thing. I asked her why she was up already. Oh, how I wished I hadn’t even asked.
Apparently the sounds of the cat puking had disturbed her dreams. Yep, right there on my freshly washed blanket. Not only that, but it had gone all the way through to the sheets. I keep plenty of blankets on the bed so that was an accomplishment for the puker.
So I started and ended my day washing blankets and fighting the dryer. How fast things change.
That got me thinking, and you know when a puking cat gets you thinking, it’s probably not a good thing.
Last December everything looked perfect in my life. My career seemed to be swaying in a positive direction. We were all healthy. My relationships were strong. I was happy.
This December feels a bit like finding the cat has vomited on my fresh bedding.
But there will likely be another December in twelve months and maybe that one will find us in a easier time. I’ve been through enough to know that life goes on and good time show up again.
So we’ll enjoy Christmas regardless of the mess, and I pray you will have a sweet time this year too.
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How did Mary survive?
This is the question my mind slipped to during the meditation last Sunday. Claudia was talking to us about joy, but I couldn’t help but ponder how Mary must have felt. The sweet baby in her arms would be persecuted, shunned, and brutally killed.
Nothing hurts a mother deeper than the pain of her child.
I wonder how she managed to breath. How she was able to let him run down the street with the other boys. How she was able to paste a smile on her face and raise him without her fears and grief taking over.
Maybe she didn’t know the extent of her son’s future.
It seems that Joseph would have known. Did he share the future with his wife, or did he protect her?
But we know that in the end, she was there. She saw her child suffer for the sins of the world, and I wonder how she was able to bear the pain.
This video says it all.
So this is what I’m pondering this week. What do you think?
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Guest Blogger: Camille Eide
I’m pleased to welcome Camille Eide to my blog today. Be sure to check out her just released book, Savanna’s Gift. I read it last week and really enjoyed the story.
My First Publishing Contract!
Last spring, I was in the middle of convincing my second novel to quit stalling and finish itself when I heard about the call for submissions at White Rose Publishing. They wanted Christmas Romance novellas for their holiday Extravaganza. The deadline was two months out. I decided to give it a try just for fun, to take a break from my obstinate WIP, and as an exercise in plotting story on a smaller scale. It took me about a month to write it. Though I have an agent, WRP didn’t require agent submission so I followed their guidelines and submitted the story. I was told I would hear back in a few months. But a friend who also submitted for this heard back quickly, so when weeks turned to months, I figured my story wouldn’t make the cut.
I was surprised to get an email from the publisher in July. They liked the story and asked if I would be willing to add something—the hero’s point of view. My word count was at the low end of the required range, so I had plenty of room. I agreed to the addition, so they sent me a contract—my first!
Since Savanna’s Gift is an eBook, I’ve had the gratification of seeing the publishing process in a short time. I worked with in-house editor—a first for me—and I have to say it was great and not at all scary. Through this, I’ve also had a chance to test all the promotional tips I’ve been gleaning over the years. So Savanna’s Gift has been a great first glimpse of life on “the other side.”
It has also been my first venture into the public eye, my way to test the “reader” waters. Since I’ve been focused strictly on pursuing novel publication, my writing has not been “out there” for public feedback. I’ve gotten feedback from friends, writing partners, contests and industry folks, but until now, I’ve never had an audience or known if people would like my work. (I haven’t been a super active blogger . . . ) The response to Savanna’s Gift has been amazing. Shocking, actually. Makes me wish all the more that my other books were out. I feel like I’ve gotten a taste of what authors feel when they release a book only to have readers devour it in a day and clamor for the next one. I don’t say this to boast, but to say my “detour” into publishing a novella has given me an extra leg to stand on as I press ahead with my full length novels. Knowing total strangers have read my work and want to read more is probably one of the most gratifying things I’ve experienced so far as a writer, maybe even more than being offered a contract. Makes me wonder why I haven’t tried publishing shorter works before.
Question: Are you a cave-dwelling novelist with no clue if you even have an audience? Have you offered freebies such as short stories on your blog or website? If not, what do you think about publishing short stories, articles or novellas as a way to begin building readership?
About Savanna’s Gift:
When Savanna gets a second chance at the love of her life, will her dream that once divided them get in the way?
Forced to return to the ski lodge where she once worked, Savanna Holt is reminded of one special Christmas and how ambition led her to make the worst mistake of her life: Leaving Luke Nelson. Stunned to discover Luke never left, but worked his way up from lift operator to manager, Savanna sees the opportunity as a gift from God. She’s determined to win Luke back. But Luke wants no reminders of his past hurt, or a relationship with the woman who put ambition before love. Can Savanna convince Luke she’s changed and her interest isn’t because of his position? And when her dream job beckons, will she sacrifice her dream for a second chance at love?
Savanna’s Gift, A Christmas Romance (eBook novella) now available for $1.00
Please note: No eReader? There are free apps for phone, computer, etc. Download Amazon’s Kindle for PC app in minutes and take advantage of lots of free Kindle books!
Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5cJlr7KmSk&feature=youtu.be
About Camille:
Camille Eide writes contemporary Christian romance and romantic women’s fiction. She lives in Oregon with her husband and is mom to three brilliant college-age kids. She’s grateful for the amazing grace of God, and either in spite of or thanks to that grace, she has a PhD in Learning Stuff the Hard Way. She’s also a church secretary, a bassist, and a passably devoted fan of classic rock, muscle cars, and Jane Austen.
Blog: Extreme Keyboarding
Website: www.camilleeide.com
FB: https://www.facebook.com/camille.eide
Twitter: @CamilleEide
