Here is something you might find interesting:

Dear Tricia,

My name is Erin Greenman -- I work for Fleishman-Hillard on behalf of our client, Lands' End. A few weeks back, I noticed your post regarding the teacher that hid the student's desks, only to have soldiers bring them back in later on to illustrate her point of where our freedom came from. It was a very moving story and I thought you and your readers may be interested in how Lands' End is encouraging people all over to recognize exceptional teachers.

Lands’ End is announcing the Teachers Light the Way Contest. The company will recognize outstanding teachers that have made a difference in the life of a student, a school or a community.

Forty-five (45) teachers will receive the coveted Lands’ End Lighthouse Award – representing the company’s 45-year history.

Three (3) Grand Prize winners that will receive between $4,000-$10,000 for the teachers to split with the winning school.
Forty-two (42) Honorable Mention winning teachers will receive a $100 Lands End gift card.

But that’s not all – readers who nominate a Grand Prize winning teacher will also receive a $250 Lands’ End gift card. Readers who nominate an Honorable Mention winning teacher will get a $25 Lands End gift card.

If your readers would like to recognize an extraordinary teacher or get more information, they can submit an essay up to 500 words and fill out the online entry form at www.landsend.com/teacheraward. The contest will end at midnight, April 17, 2008.

I hope you will be able to post the contest information on your blog for your readers. If you have any questions regarding specifics of the contest, please feel free to contact me.

Kind regards,

Erin

Erin Greenman
On Behalf of Lands End
312.932.2809
Erin.greenman@fleishman.com



Stop Lurking! Every week I will draw names for a free Tricia Goyer book from those who comment on my blogs. Winner's choice! Tell your friends.

"What's a corsage?"

I'm heading out in a few hours to speak at a woman's retreat for Hannaford Street Bible Church. The sun is shining, and after four days of snow that is a GOOD thing. After having the stomach flu all last weekend, I'm feeling great. I'm excited that God has chosen me to share my heart with these women, and I have no doubt I'll come home with new friends!

The funny/sad thing is that I'm missing my son's prom experience. Before you launch into "what a horrible mother to leave at such a key moment in your child's life ..." I have to tell you that he just found out he was going on Tuesday. A friend from church asked if he'd take her. He said, "Sure." We live in Montana. Finding a tux in four days is impossible. Thankfully, he was in a wedding two weekends ago and we have the suit from that.

I asked Cory, "Where are you taking her for dinner?"

"Dinner?"

I asked, "What type of corsage are you going to get?"

"What's a corsage?"

I asked, "Where are they having the prom? What time does it start? What is the theme?"

"Look mom, she told me she's wearing a yellow dress. That's all I know."

Yes, and mom is leaving. I suppose he'll get it all figured out!

But don't worry, his suit is ready and the corsage is ordered! I even left a note on the fridge where he should pick it up ... and when. (Yellow roses with sequined ribbon if you care to know.)

I also told my daughter, who is 15 and understands that the prom is not about the guy. "Make sure he looks decent when he leaves and he has everything he needs, will you? Oh, and take photos." She promised she would.

Stop Lurking! Every week I will draw names for a free Tricia Goyer book from those who comment on my blogs. Winner's choice! Tell your friends.

Gift for girl

My niece's birthday's coming up. She will be 13 and I came across the best gift. Real Girls of the Bible by Mona Hodgson.

If my daughter was younger I'd do this book with her during our homeschool devotions time. If my daughter was younger I'd also look into having Mona come for a Real Girls Retreat. If you have a daughter ages 6 to 14 maybe you'd be interested. Go to http://www.monahodgson.com/ for more details.

Hahaha and she didn't pay me to recommend this! I think it's great!

And don't forget to check out the FaithGirlz website! Too cool!

Today's stops on the Generation NeXt Marriage blog tour:

Georgiana

http://georgianad.blogspot.com/

Tasra at Lessons From the Scrapbook Page

http://realwomenscrap.typepad.com/

Mary at Relevant Blog

http://www.relevantprose.com/

Margaret at The Cappuccino Life

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/cappuccinosmom/profile/
Stop Lurking! Every week I will draw names for a free Tricia Goyer book from those who comment on my blogs. Winner's choice! Tell your friends.

Hmm...what do you think!

My friend Amy did a review of my friend, Kathleen Y'Barbo's, book Beloved Castaway. You can read that here.

What I thought was intersting is that Amy mentioned that she thought the heroine on the book cover looks a bit like Kathleen.

And you know...I think she's right. They're both BEAUTIFUL! What do you think?

About the book: Isabelle Gayarre, fleeing a life of servitude, refuses to be owned by anyone, yet soon finds her heart in danger of being possessed by the godless Captain Josiah Carter. Can Isabelle trust him to help her escape without losing her heart? Josiah Carter, running from demons of his own, is stirred by the presence of the beautiful woman seeking refuge on his ship. Realizing that a runaway slave can never be his, legally or otherwise, a storm begins to brew within. Will their love ever reach a safe haven, or is it doomed to wreck upon the jagged reefs of the Fairweather Keys?

About Kathleen: There’s never a dull moment in the Y’Barbo household! From hockey and cheer mom to publicist to bestselling author, Kathleen Y’Barbo somehow manages to do it all - and well. While wearing her publicist’s hat, Kathleen has secured interviews with radio, television, and print media for clients at NavPress, Hatchette, Integrity, Barbour Publishing, and Broadman & Holman, to name a few. She also brings her own unique blend of Southern charm and witty prose to the more than 350,000 award-winning novels and novellas currently in print. Her novels have been nominated for American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year in 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2006; and 2007 will see the release of her 25th book. In everything she does, whether seeking media attention for her clients at Glass Road Public Relations or penning her next novel, Kathleen’s love of the Lord and her penchant for demanding the best in herself shines through.

Stop Lurking! Every week I will draw names for a free Tricia Goyer book from those who comment on my blogs. Winner's choice! Tell your friends.

Oh! Looky there...

Check out what was in this month's issue of Today's Christian Woman! My sister Lesley emailed this to me. What a fun surprise!



Today's stops on the Love GenX Style blog tour are:

Karla at Ramblin’ Roads
http://www.roadstoeverywhere.com/blog.html

Heather at Mumblings of a Mommy Monk
http://mommymonk.blogspot.com/

Rachelle at Stifled Squeal
http://zyphe.blogspot.com/

Stop Lurking! Every week I will draw names for a free Tricia Goyer book from those who comment on my blogs. Winner's choice! Tell your friends.

I'm not ignoring you... I promise!

Hello Friends!

I found out last week that the contact page on my website does not work. Has never worked.

Yep. That's right. If you've ever left a comment on my website, it is now floating around cyberspace La La land, unread and unretrievable.

The good news is that it works NOW! So comment away...I'll be waiting. :)

Also, the blog tour for Generation NeXt Marriage began yesterday!

Here are the first few stops:

3/24
Julie at The Surrendered Scribe
http://thesurrenderedscribe.blogspot.com/
http://christianwritersforum.com/Blog/

Martha at Our Family’s Adventures
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Martha

Katrina at Callapidder Days
http://callapidderdays.blogspot.com/

3/25
Rebecca at Ripples and Reflections
http://www.rebeccabarlow.blogspot.com/

Angie at God Uses Broken Vessels
http://godusesbrokenvessels.blogspot.com/

Gina at Portrait of a Writer…Interrupted
http://portraitofawriter.ginaconroy.com/

FUN!


Stop Lurking! Every week I will draw names for a free Tricia Goyer book from those who comment on my blogs. Winner's choice! Tell your friends. Last week's winner is Grateful Gramma! She left a comment on the It's Real Life blog! Congrats! Send your book choice and mailing address to my trusty assistant Amy (amy@triciagoyer.com)!

Sample...then buy.

Wish you could sample books before you buy? I wanted to share this from Chapter-a-Week!

Check out Chapter-a-Week--where you can nibble new books and taste the pages before you plunk down your hard-earned money. CAW gives readers the opportunity to read free sample excerpts from a broad range of Christian fiction every week. It's a great way to discover new authors you might not have found otherwise. CAW doesn’t fill your inbox with needless emails. Only one email per week to get your free chapter and discover great new titles.

Founded in February 2002 by novelists Jane Orcutt and Angela Hunt, Chapter-a-Week has had a steadily growing readership. In honor of the soon-to-be-named 1000th member, Chapter-a-Week is giving away autographed books donated by more than half a dozen Christian novelists.
CAW will send a box of books to the 1000th member, and if that person was recommended to CAW by you, you’ll get two free books mailed to your snail mail address too! Yeah! Free books.

Here are some of the authors participating in this celebratory giveaway: Robin Lee Hatcher, Tricia Goyer, Judith Miller, Camy Tang, DiAnn Mills, Traci DePree, and yours truly. Chapter-a-Week is a Yahoo! Group, so simply sign on to be a subscriber of the list and you'll start receiving your excerpts every Friday. Just go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ChapteraWeek/ and click "join this group."

Stop Lurking! Every week I will draw names for a free Tricia Goyer book from those who comment on my blogs. Winner's choice! Tell your friends.

When I grow up, I'll be the Perfect mom!

Yesterday I MeMe'd you all...about your mothers. My turn (that's my mom and I to the right!)

1. What is one thing you said you've never do as a mom ... and now find yourself doing?

"In a minute dear .... I'm doing something right now."

2. How would you describe your mom in five words?

kind, dedicated, friend, big heart

3. How would you describe yourself as a mom in five words?

dedicated, loving, involved, connected, idealistic

4. Does your mom still carry a baby photo of you in her wallet?

Yes.

Stop Lurking! Every week I will draw names for a free Tricia Goyer book from those who comment on my blogs. Winner's choice! Tell your friends.

Girl, don't snap that gum!

For the last week my mom has been living with me. She's sweet and helpful ... but she's my mom. Seriously, she's told me not to smack my gum when I chew and what outfits of mine she likes. :-)

Anyway, I read this and thought it was great!

"We all know there's a certain behavior unique to mothers. It defiles logic, it's beyond explanation, it's a "Mom" thing.

Allow me to give you a little advice.

~~When you've been vegetarian for six years and she still doesn't think you're getting enough vegetables in your diet, don't let it chew on you. It's a "Mom" thing.

~~When, after slamming on the car brakes, she stretched her hand our in front of you to block your thrust (even though you're safe in your seat-belt), relax. It's a "Mom" thing, and you'll never get her to break it.

~~When she still gives you a 10:00 p.m. curfew (which you don't mind, but your spouse is getting a little annoyed with it), don't fret. It's just a "Mom" thing.

~~When she insists on holding your hand while crossing the street, even though you're needing to hold your kids' hands while crossing the street, work it out somehow. It's a "Mom" thing.

~~When she calls you at five o'clock a.m. to say that she doesn't think you're getting enough rest, don't lose any sleep over it. It's a "Mom" thing.

~~When you're sick and she makes enough chicken soup to nurse the entire Mayo Clinic, don't let it get you down. It's a "Mom" thing.

~~When she still insists on walking you to the school bus (which wouldn't be so bad if you were not the driver now), go with it. It's a "Mom" thing.

~~And finally, when she shows your baby picture to everyone she meets, just smile. Sure, it's a 16" x 20" and you're afraid she'll throw out her back by hauling it around in that solid oak frame, but it's a "Mom" thing—and it's bigger than both of you."

-- From Honey, the Carpet Needs Wedding Again! By Martha Bolton



MeMe

1. What is one thing you said you've never do as a mom ... and now find yourself doing?

2. How would you describe your mom in five words?

3. How would you describe yourself as a mom in five words?

4. Does your mom still carry a baby photo of you in her wallet?


Stop Lurking! Every week I will draw names for a free Tricia Goyer book from those who comment on my blogs. Winner's choice! Tell your friends.

The Cans of Success...

This is something my friend, Mary Ann, sent me on Jan. 3, 1997. It's worth sharing:

In Building a Positive Spiritual Attitude by Rich Wilkins, he states, "Your attitude isn't a state of mind, it is a reflection of what you value."

Mr. Wilkins offers the following from Neil Anderson's book Victory Over the Darkness:


Twenty Cans of Success

1. Why should I say I can't when the Bible says I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength (Phil. 4:13)?

2. Why should I lack when I know that God shall supply all my needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:19)?

3. Why should I fear when the Bible says God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love and sound mind (2 Tim. 1:7)?

4. Why should I lack faith to fulfill my calling knowing that God has allotted to me a measure of faith (Rom. 12:3)?

5. Why should I be weak when the Bible says that the Lord is the strength of my life and that I will display strength and take action because I know God (Psalm 27:1; Dan. 11:32)?

6. Why should I allow Satan supremacy over my life when He that is in me is greater than he that is in the world (2 John 4:4)?

7. Why should I accept defeat when the Bible says that God always leads me in triumph (2 Cor. 2:14)?

8. Why should I lack wisdom when Christ became wisdom to me from God and God gives wisdom to me generously when I ask Him for it (1 Cor. 1:30; Jas. 1:5)?

9. Why should I be depressed when I can recall to mind God's loving kindness, compassion and faithfulness and have hope (Lam. 3:21-23)?

10. Why should I worry and fret when I can cast all my anxiety on Christ who cares for me (1 Pet. 5:7)?

11. Why should I ever be in bondage knowing that there is liberty where the Spirit of the Lord is (Gal. 5:1)?

12. Why should I feel condemned when the Bible says I am not condemned because I am in Christ (Rom. 8:1)?

13. Why should I feel alone when Jesus said He is with me always and He will never leave me nor forsake me (Matt. 28:20; Heb. 13:5)?

14. Why should I feel accursed or that I am the victim of bad luck when the Bible says that Christ redeemed me from the curse of the law that I might receive His Spirit (Gal. 3:13, 14)?

15. Why should I be discontented when I, like Paul, can learn to be content in all my circumstances Phil. 4:11)?

16. Why should I feel worthless when Christ became sin on my behalf that I might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Cor. 5:21)?

17. Why should I have a persecution complex knowing that nobody can be against me when God is for me (Rom. 8:31)?

18. Why should I be confused when God is the author of peace and He gives me knowledge through His indwelling Spirit (1 Cor. 14:33; 2:12)?

19. Why should I feel like a failure when I am a conqueror in all things through Christ (Rom. 8:37)?

20. Why should I let the pressures of life bother me when I can take courage knowing that Jesus has overcome the world and its tribulations (John 16:33)?


Stop Lurking! Every week I will draw names for a free Tricia Goyer book from those who comment on my blogs. Winner's choice! Tell your friends.

Who am I...

This is from 1.20.97. It was written the day after I gave my testimony about my abortion for the very first time in my church. I was terrified, but afterward God showed me how my story touched the people in the congregation. Now through articles, interviews, Life Interrupted, and My Life, Unscripted I continue to tell my story. Who knew?

God did!!!

"But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" Exodus 3:11

"Who am I Lord to do your work?" It is a universal question that brings us at odds with ourselves. We recognize we must be humble knowing we are nothing without God, yet we must also recognize we should be courageous knowing it is by God's strength that we succeed. D.L. Moody put it this way:
"Moses spent:
Forty years thinking he was somebody.
Forty years learning he was nobody.
Forty years discovering what God can do with a nobody."

Let me save you the time. You in yourself ARE nobody. In Christ you are somebody . . . somebody God can use.

God may not call you to be a great leader, but you may see your calling as just as intimidating. "Who am I?" may escape from you lips too. Listen to God's answer, "I will be with you . . . ."

No matter who you are. No matter what God is asking you to do, or to say, or to write--God is with you and that is enough.

"Who am I?" you ask. You are God's chosen vessel.



Stop Lurking! Every week I will draw names for a free Tricia Goyer book from those who comment on my blogs. Winner's choice! Tell your friends. Congratulations! Cheri stopped lurking last week on My Writing Mentor!

MeMe...answer back!

Thanks for those of you who answered last week's MeMes!

I thought I'd play along too. More fun that way...



From the Fresh Water MeMe


1. What is one of your favorite Scripture verses? Why?


The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing."
Zephaniah 3:17

I love the idea of God taking delight in me, quieting me (I need quieting), and singing over me.

2. Who was the last person who poured out God's love to you?

My grandma made me homemade enchiladas today! My husband does every day.

3. What is the closest river to your home?

The Flathead River is about a mile from my house.

4. Where was your favorite place to swim when you were a kid?

Lake Siskiyou in Northern California. If we had money we went to the "pay" beach. If we didn't, we snuck over to North Shore ... where it was illegal to swim, but we never go caught. Bad us!



From the Friends MeMe


1. Who was your very first "best friend" growing up?

Laura

2. Who was your favorite junior high friend?

Heather

3. What is something nice a friend has done for you lately?

My friend Heather (different Heather than my J.H. friend) hung out with me all day Friday!

4. What is your favorite thing to do with a friend?

Go to coffee. Hang out in Glacier National Park.

5. What is one topic of conversation you and a friend talked about recently?

Teen pregnancy (yeah, like I shared my life story and she shared hers.)

6. If you and your friend went out to dinner tonight where would you go?

What would you order? I'd go to Tupelos and have Low Country Shrimp and Grits. Yum.

7. Who is your closest friend that you've never met in person?

Candace

8. What is one gift you can give to your friend today that cost nothing? Will you give it?

I will send a note to my friend telling her how cool I think she is. Yes.


Stop Lurking! Every week I will draw names for a free Tricia Goyer book from those who comment on my blogs. Winner's choice! Tell your friends.

Fresh Water MeMe

“Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” John 7:38

Have you ever thought about the difference between a stagnant pond and a clear, flowing river? The pond builds up slime and muck during it’s unrest, but a river rushes in constant motion and does not allow the water to still and grow foul. For both the river and the power, the water had at one time fallen fresh from the sky as a gentle downpour -- only river’s constant flow keeps the water fresh.

The pond and the river can also be a symbol of God’s outpouring love and grace, coming from above. If we allow God's blessings to remain within, they stale. If we let them flow--gush out--the love and grace will remain fresh in their flow. Or as Oswald Chambers said, “Spiritually, we cannot measure our life by success, but only by what God pours through us, and we cannot measure that at all.” Are you allowing God to pour out blessings through you?

In his book, People Sharing Jesus, Darrel Robinson says, “The fullness of Christ in my life and the unhindered flow of His love through me is my source of daily power and joy.”

Today, do you have a scripture, a song, or a passage of a book that has touched you? Share it. Did God show you His love in a special way this week? Pour out that love to someone else. Keep it fresh, baby!

MeMe
1. What is one of your favorite Scripture verses? Why?
2. Who was the last person who poured out God's love to you?
3. What is the closest river to your home?
4. Where was your favorite place to swim when you were a kid?


Stop Lurking! Every week I will draw names for a free Tricia Goyer book from those who comment on my blogs. Winner's choice! Tell your friends.

Celebrate 3:16 Sunday!

Celebrate 3:16 Sunday! – 3/16/08

Join Christians around the world as we lift up John 3:16 on this Palm Sunday, 3/16/08.

Here are a few simple ways you can participate:

- Encourage your body of believers to read or study John 3:16 this Sunday.

- Highlight John 3:16 on your church web site or marquee.

- Launch a multi-week bible study of the promises of John 3:16 in your church or neighborhood (visit ThreeSixteen.net for a listing of multiple resources).

- Share a 3:16 evangelism tool with a friend.

- Host a prayer time thanking God for loving this world and sending His Son.

Pastor and author Max Lucado has called John 3:16 the most important verse in the Bible and with good reason. Within its 26 words are found the essential truths of the Christian faith. It's the Hope Diamond of Scripture, beginning with God, ending with life and urging us to do the same.Be a part of our quest to acquaint 316 million people with the life giving message of John 3:16. After all, if we could share just one verse with the world, wouldn't it be this one?

Chapter 13:16, The Numbers of Hope (PDF)

MP3 Sermon3:16, The Numbers of Hope

View the How-To Guide to discover resources for Churches and Small Group Studies of 3:16.

Join the conversation at the 3:16 Forums and tell the world about your experience with John 3:16.

And if you have teens or work with teens...check out the Teen Edition here!

Stop Lurking! Every week I will draw names for a free Tricia Goyer book from those who comment on my blogs. Winner's choice! Tell your friends.

Friends...

God help me to be a faithful friend.
A friend who puts other's needs ahead of my own.
A friend who utters prayers of consideration throughout the day.
A friend who is a stepping stone, and not a stumbling block, to righteousness.
A friend who loves.
A friend who cares.
A friend who smiles, and a friend who cries when necessary.
And always a friend who hugs.
A friend who listens, and a friend who ponders her answers and considers her advice.
A friend who holds her tongue during conflict and is always will to forgive.
A friend who is available.
A friend who is helpful.
A friend who is strong in times of weakness.
And a friend who can strengthen others.
A friend who sees beauty in all things.
A friend who has hope in all circumstances.
A friend who has kind words,
And a friend without criticism.
A friend who is lifelong, or a friend who gives a passing smile.
A friend to those who are lonely.
A friend to those who are needy.
God help me to be a friend to all, and mostly, help be to be the type of friend to others that Jesus is to me.
-- Tricia Goyer

MeMe

1. Who was your very first "best friend" growing up?

2. Who was your favorite junior high friend?

3. What is something nice a friend has done for you lately?

4. What is your favorite thing to do with a friend?

5. What is one topic of conversation you and a friend talked about recently?

6. If you and your friend went out to dinner tonight where would you go? What would you order?

7. Who is your closest friend that you've never met in person?

8. What is one gift you can give to your friend today that cost nothing? Will you give it?

Stop Lurking! Every week I will draw names for a free Tricia Goyer book from those who comment on my blogs. Winner's choice! Tell your friends. Last week's winner was Mrs. EL! She left a comment on Tricia's shoutlife page! Whoo-hoo! Congrats!

Newsletters...

Some of you know that I send out a newsletter each month (in fact I'm working on the March issue right now). One thing that is cool after I send my newsletter is the various letters I get back. My email overflowth! My subscribers are as wonderfully different as can be. I love connecting with people!

Here is an example:

WE WISH YOU AND ALL THE FAMILY A MOST HEALTHY, PROSPEROUS, AND MEMORABLE 2008. 66 YEARS AGO I WAS GOING TO AIR MECHANICS SCHOOL AT SHEPPARD FIELD, WICHITA FALLS, TEXAS WITH A 15 DAY PASS COMING UP OVER THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS WHEN PEARL HARBOR WAS ATTACKED. THE NEXT MORNING ALL PASSES WERE CANCELLED AND I NEVER SAW HOME AGAIN FOR ALMOST 4 YEARS. . NOW WE HAVE BEEN MARRIED 62 YEARS, WHICH WHEN ADED TO 27 WHEN WE WERE MARRIED AND HOLY SMOPKE MY NEXT BIRTHDAY I WILL BE 90. I HAVE A WONDERFUL WIFE AND FAMILY AND COSIDER MYSELF A MOST LUCKY FELLOW, GOD BLESS ALL OF YOU. LOVE JACK AND JAN GAFFNEY

Hey, if you're reading this and you haven't signed up for my newsletter yet, I'd ask you to consider it. It's super easy. Just go to: http://www.triciagoyer.com/ and sign up in the box on the right column. You can unsubscribe any time.

Stop Lurking! Every week I will draw names for a free Tricia Goyer book from those who comment on my blogs. Winner's choice! Tell your friends.

The Perfect Life by Robin Lee Hatcher

About Robin: Robin Lee Hatcher discovered her vocation as a novelist after many years of reading everything she could put her hands on, including the backs of cereal boxes and ketchup bottles. The winner of the Christy Award for Excellence in Christian Fiction (Whispers from Yesterday), the RITA Award for Best Inspirational Romance (Patterns of Love and The Shepherd's Voice), two RT Career Achievement Awards (Americana Romance and Inspirational Fiction), and the RWA Lifetime Achievement Award, Robin is the author of over 55 novels, including Catching Katie, named one of the Best Books of 2004 by the Library Journal.

About the book: Katherine Clarkson has the perfect life. Married to Brad, a loving and handsome man, respected in their church and the community. Two grown daughters on the verge of starting families of their own. A thriving ministry. Good friends. A comfortable life.

She has it all—until the day a reporter appears with shocking allegations. Splashed across the local news are accusations of Brad's financial impropriety at his foundation and worse, of an affair with a former employee. Without warning, Katherine's marriage is shattered and her family torn apart. The reassuring words she's spoken to many brokenhearted women over the years offer little comfort now.

Her world spinning, Katherine wonders if she can find the truth in the chaos that consumes her. How can she survive the loss of the perfect life?

Publisher's Weekly says: "Hatcher is a dab hand with dialogue, which is one reason her characters are so well drawn: readers will feel empathy with all members of the family. Hatcher also gets kudos for creating, in Katherine's best friend, a sympathetic non-Christian character, something all too rare in faith fiction. This will be a surefire hit with Hatcher's many fans."

Buy the book here

An interview with Robin

Question: Where do you get the ideas for your stories and what has been your greatest inspiration?

Answer: Ideas come from all kinds of places – from dreams, from bit of news on the television, from conversations overheard in restaurants. Sometimes I’m conscious of the exact moment an idea for a novel began. But for most my novels, the ideas seem to creep up on me. The Perfect Life was more the latter. One day I simply recognized I had the premise for a story rolling around in my head, then I began brainstorming the bigger picture and eventually the novel was born.

Some of my novels have come from deep personal experiences. Because God has walked me through dark places and brought me out on the other side, I want to share with others the grace He has shown me. Since I am a novelist, fiction is the main way I can do that. And naturally, the faith element of my novels comes out of my own faith experiences, from lessons God has taught me or is teaching me. Sometimes I’m looking for answers right along with the characters of my books, so writing is a form of discovery for me.

Question: How does it make you feel to see your books, not only in print but on the shelves of stores?

Answer: I can honestly say it was every bit as exciting when I held The Perfect Life, my 56th book, as it was when I held my very first novel (1984). Every novel is a story from my heart, and I pray that each one will bring readers both enjoyment and new understanding. To see it come to fruition is an amazing thing.

Question: Do you have a favorite of all the books you have written so far? Why is it your favorite?

Answer: I don’t have one favorite book, but some of my books are special to me for different reasons. For instance, I love Ribbon of Years because my protagonist, Miriam, is the kind of Christian I hope to be at the end of my life. I love The Shepherd’s Voice because God taught me that He can and will do amazing things with what I offer to Him, even when it is so imperfect. I love Beyond the Shadows because I long to let Christians who love alcoholics know that they are not alone and that there is always hope in Christ. I love Catching Katie because Katie was such a fun character and the research was fascinating. I love The Forgiving Hour because God poured that story into my heart and many of the scenes came straight out of my own life (albeit the experiences came more than 25 years before I wrote the book). I love The Perfect Life because I understand Katherine’s perfectionist tendencies and her need to control the chaos. And I always love the next book I plan to write because there is still hope that it will completely fulfill the vision I have for it.

Web site: http://www.robinleehatcher.com/

Blog: http://robinlee.typepad.com/

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Yo, Adrienne!

In one of the ROCKY movies (who can keep them straight?) Apollo Creed is Rocky's trainer. Apollo races Rocky, fights him, and works Rocky over. Why? Rocky wants to regain his boxing title, and even though the training is hard (very hard) Rocky's goal is to gain strength to endure the big fight.

In our own lives, sometimes life seems to throw us punches. Yet it's these daily punches; a broken dishwasher, a testy neighbor, or a rejection (business or personal) that strengthens us for the future--not with our own strength, but with God's. These challenges keep on our knees. Keep us seeking God's face.

Oswald Chambers says, "We have seen what we are not, and what God wants us to be, but are we willing to have the vision 'batter'd to shape and use' by God. The batterings always come in commonplace ways and through commonplace people."

Personally, the last few weeks have thrown me some unexpected punches. Family emergencies remind me that my schedule is not my own. Sometimes I've felt tired and worked over, yet God has proven faithful. In my weakness, His strength is complete.

Maybe you feel worked over today. Remember, we are strongest on our knees. In the world's eyes kneeling in submission and surrender is a sign of weakness, but in the long run we are better suited to endure the good fight.


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My son is a flirt!

Well, Cory had his knee surgery yesterday. It went really well. When the doctors got in there I found out that he also had a torn meniscus. They fixed that and the ACL all up. He’s on the mend now, although he was VERY loopy when he came out of surgery. He was giggling and carrying on. He was blabbering about everything and nothing. And he hit on his recovery nurse!

He told her, “You’re kinda cute. You married?”

She was, and she told him “I’m a little old for you.”

He asked her how old she was.

“25.”

“I’d date a 25-year-old,” he slurred. (Cory is 18.)

Then he asked, “When did you get married?”

“July, just a little too late for you, buddy.”

"Ahhh, too bad."

John and I were dying laughing. (I think Cory's a little sheepish thinking back on it now.)

The coolest thing of the day was seeing the outpouring of support for Cory. Our associate/youth pastor showed up to pray for him before we headed to the surgery center.

Then, when they were prepping Cory, a friend from his basketball team brought a teddy bear, chocolate, and card. (I told Cory not to expect the chocolate to be there when he was out of surgery! I was just kidding, of course.)

During the surgery another basketball family (and a friend of mine) showed up to visit with John and I and to pray. Followed by another friend from church/youth volunteer. Followed by another basketball father/pastor who stopped by just before we were getting ready to leave. We were only there for four hours and we had a constant flow of people!

That's what I think is cool about the body of Christ. They know how to love and care. Cory felt loved and cared for. (Not to mention my mom and John were there with me. OR his friends who stopped by after we made it home.)

Also, one more cool thing. Last night John and I were headed to bed and Cory wanted to eat something first. Leslie volunteered to stay up with him and get him hooked up to his ice brace (it wraps around his knee and circulates cold water over it--much better than ice packs!). She said she'd "tuck" him in, too.

Well, when I went in later to check on him, I was surprised and pleased to see Leslie sleeping in his room too--taking care of her big brother. Now that's something I'd never imaged when they were three and six and at each others' throats, but I'm thrilled.

We never wanted Cory to miss the end of his season. We never planned our 18-year-old have knee surgery. But God's love--through the love of people--made it easy to bear. Is that what they mean by "holding up one another's burdens"?

I think so.


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It's 3:00 a.m. and I can't sleep.

It's 3:00 a.m. and I can't sleep. Partly because I took 24-hour non-drowsy cold medicine. (Yeah well, what if you WANT to be drowsy!) And partly because of the melding of melodies. First, the snores of my husband who just had sinus surgery Monday to help him breathe better. (Do you see the irony in this?) Alas, he is still healing and during recovery he is noisier than before. (But that's okay because I love that man!)

John's snores joined with the LOUD snores of my grandmother ... whose bedroom is exactly below ours. (I made a mental note to myself to have her doctor check her out, too!)

Those two sounds also mixed with the two hamsters, happily running in their squeaky wheels right outside our bedroom door. You see, my mom is currently staying. That means the hamsters got kicked out of my son's room (where my mom is staying) and were put into the hall.
I just had to giggle at their fight to be loudest! (Well, as much as you can giggle at 2:27 a.m.)

Of course, I laid there for thirty minutes before I finally decided to get up and do something useful ... like write this blog! Thinking over my day also brought more (inward) laughter ... although I could have laughed out loud and no one would have noticed over the noise!

Three highlights of my day:

1. Watching The Pursuit of Happiness. If you ever feel your life is hard, watch that movie. Seriously. You'll start spinning and dancing like Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music after you watch that poor guy's struggle. (Will Smith and his son did an excellent job by the way!)

2. Prior to that, I took my son in for a pre-surgery check up. The doctor was checking Cory's heart rate and lungs and gave us a general idea of how they are going to create a new ACL (knee ligament) from my son's hamstring. DUMB ME but I ask how they get it the hamstring stay. I mean do they have to attach it to his knee cap with tiny screws? How does that work? (Wouldn't have you asked, too?)

So ... for the next ten minutes the doctor explains in detail what they cut, what they thread through, and what they drill. Would you believe they actually drill a hole through my son's bones and thread the hamstring pieces through his knee with a long rod that comes out his thigh? (That is the short, undetailed version.) Of course while we're sitting there, I'm fascinated and my son is getting whiter by the minute. Oooops. BAD MOMMY!

3. Prior to both of those, I signed a contract for my non-fiction book that is due on April 10. I know, that sounds crazy, but sometimes that's how things work in this business. I get a "yes" and sometimes months and months pass as my agent works with the publisher to finalize every detail. One time (no joke), I signed the contract the same day I turned in the manuscript! Since I'm blessed with FAST deadlines (because-they-love-the-book-so-much-they-want-it-right-now) I mostly write on faith knowing they will purchase the book at the end of my labor.

Anyway, all that to say that after I skimmed through the 291,871 points that address every part of our contractual agreement (it's my agents job to understand all those points!) I signed in my neatest handwriting that would have made my 6th grade teacher Mrs. Mallory proud. Then I got an large manila envelope off the floor (where I keep them in a neat stack), printed the postage (with my nifty new Stamps.com program), and sealed it up. It was only AFTER I pasted the USPS Priority postage on the envelope, WITH the very legal contract going to New York City sealed inside, THAT I noticed GUM stuck to the envelope. Yes, pink, ABC gum. Don't ask me how it got there, but with five people and two dogs that occupy the same 10x12 space I wasn't surprised. (Horrified, by not surprised.)

Now for the dilemma. 1) Unseal the envelope, repackage it and print more postage (it's going to some fancy office in New York City after all!) OR ... 2) Try to remove the sticky gum the best I can. After all, Priority postage isn't cheap!

I chose option #2. I grabbed that piece of gum and pulled. Then I picked at the remaining stickiness with my fingernail. It didn't come off completely, but that's okay. Maybe they'll find humor in the fact that the contract I signed was for a book titled Blue Like Playdoh ... it's about my spiritual journey as a mom. This is a book about real life. This is a real mom we're talking about, living in a real house with real gum chewing citizens.

I just hope that contract negotiator in NYC finds humor in that package!


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Human pictures...

During the WWI years, Arthur S. Mole and John D. Thomas made some incredible human pictures by using thousands of sailors or soldiers in uniform to create images. Unbelievable. I just can't imagine how long it took to line all of these men up just right to get such a picture!

The bottom of this photo says: Standing Tall: Titled, "The Human Statue of Liberty", this image was taken at Camp Dodge in Iowa and used eighteen thousand men.

Wow!

Like chocolate? How would you like to win a box of truffles? Check out my friend Amy's review of Truffles By the Sea by Julie Carobini and find out how!

Stop Lurking! Every week I will draw names for a free Tricia Goyer book from those who comment on my blogs. Winner's choice! Tell your friends. Last week's winner was JEWLZ! Send me your address and book choice Jewlz and I'll pop your book in the mail!

Interview with Karen Ehman

Karen, please tell me a little about yourself.

I have been married for 21 years to my college sweetheart, Todd. We have three sometimes argumentative, but mostly charming children, Mackenzie 16, Mitchell 12, and Spencer 9. We are in our 12th year homeschooling. I love to speak and write and watch my kids play sports. I love having others into our home and am horribly craft challenged with pitiful, partially finished scrapbooks.

I am a speaker for Proverbs 31 ministries and have a weekly radio spot on the WCIC family of radio stations in Illinois.

A trivia point would be that I have lost and kept off 106 pounds.

How do you balance being a mom, a homeschooling teacher, a writer, AND speaker?

I write my books in the summer between 5:30 and 10:00 am. I write my articles bits at a time when the computer is free. I record my radio spots 3-4 months worth at a time.

As for school, I am not afraid to delegate a subject that is stressful for me. My son Mitchell is taking Saxon 8/7 math from one of my daughter's high school friends who wants to be a teacher some day. Her mom is counting it for her as cadet teaching and I pay her a very nominal fee. It works out wonderfully for all of us and she is gaining great experience. Mackenzie is a junior and also attends the local community college for two classes now that she is 16.

As for the mom part, I freezer cook months of main dishes at a time with a friend so I don't need to take time to prepare that a few days a week--usually Tues. through Thurs. I hardly ever watch tv or talk on the phone, except when needed and I really don't have any hobbies at this time in my life. I also have asked the Lord to bless my family in a special way as I say 'yes' to His call on my life to write and speak. They have gotten to go to some cool places and gain back stage passes to meet some of their favorite singers. (The latest being Toby Mac) They see themselves as part of my ministry. They help pack my products, work my book table, count change and Kenzie wrote part of my new book - The Complete Guide to Getting and Staying Organized. She wrote some sides bars on organization from a teen's perspective. It released January 1st.

What insight can you offer to moms who think they have to "wait until the kids get older or I get my life organized" to do something great for God?

God has a plan for your ministry that INCLUDES your family. You don't need to wait until they are out of the way to minister. God is waiting for you to make them part of your ministry. Of course, I did much less when I had babies and toddlers and there were years that I only wrote and didn't speak when I was first a mom. But don't waste those hidden years. Write, write, write. You'll find stories, examples and analogies from your own life that you will use in the future. I just used a story from 1987 in an article last month. As for getting organized while being a mom, that is the topic of my newest book. I try to encourage women to come up with a plan to take cake of the "have tos" of life-- the cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc... in an efficient manner so they can actually get around to the "want tos" of life-- spending time with God, family and friends and making memories for their children.

Finish this sentence, "I know it's been a good day when ...."

".... I made time to read out loud to my youngest child or write a handwritten note to a weary soul."

What is the biggest challenge you face? How do you overcome it?

Over-eating. I overcome it by God's strength--- one Weight Watcher point at a time!!

In what ways does God strengthen you on your journey?

He sends some incredible women my way who encourage me, mainly my best friend from college Kelly and my prayer team of about 10 women who pray for my writing and speaking events. He refreshes me through His word committed to memory and by prayer times with my husband. I never grow tired of serving God.

Great interview Karen...thanks for sharing! For more information about Karen and her ministry visit her website!


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Hints for Living by Mama Ruth

Last year I posted a story about Mama Ruth's missionary days...here is more from her.


Just after WWII, from 1946, we were missionaries in India. near a jungle area and my days were quite different. I summed them up like this in a letter to my mother:: HINTS FOR LIVING"

1. Always keep your rafters painted with smelly, black tar. Keeps white ants from eating the rafters so they don't fall down on your head...

2. Take a paludrin tablet once a week to ward off malaria.

3. Never pull down the covers and slide into bed in the dark. Snakes or centipedes.

4. Shake out your shoes before putting them on. Scorpions. My mother-in-law forgot just once.

5, When you come in from a village tour, always unpack your luggage and bedding rolls outside. Hang everything on the line and bedbugs will crawl away in the bright sunlight.

6. Boil your milk and drinking water for full ten minutes. Lessens typhoid danger.

7. Once each month squirt your hair and all your kids' hair with DDT powder. Lice will not bother you.

8. Tie up your mosquito net with wire instead of rope. Rats cannot chew the wire during the night, allowing the net to fall down on your head. This happened to a young missionary.

9. Put a stone or some wire screening over the hole in the wall where your bath water drains out. Then snakes cannot come into your cool bathroom through the hole.

10. Never forget toilet paper when going ANYWHERE. Nobody furnishes it, none on trains nor in any wayside squatting places. I always keep plenty in my purse, right along with my rupees.

11. An air rifle is the best thing to keep those big lemur monkeys out of your garden. You are not allowed to kill them, but a rifle stings them just enough to run away to the next garden. '

12. Nothing peps you up like a cup of hot tea in the afternoon. But I did miss cokes sometimes.

13. If you find ants in your sugar bowl, thump the bowl hard. Ants do not like loud noises, so they crawl away.

14. If you find brown, crawling bugs in your flour, just sift them out. Flour is still O.K. But if they have turned into white worms, ditch it. Smells awful.

All these household hints tried by Missionary Mama over and over. Sugar and flour were drastically rationed after the war for many years. So we had to live as we never had before. I wrote my first book MISSIONARY MAMA , by hand on a big tablet. I sat at our long dining room table scribbling with the sound of rats scurrying around my feet. I wrote at night after kids were in bed. Many times I heard the death drums from a nearby village. When I found out after many years that DDT powder is very dangerous, I was surprised. We used it for lots of things. It's a wonder the we are not mentally awkward because we used it for years.

Well . . . maybe we are.


Ruth Seamands

Ha, ha! That was great Ruth...THANK YOU!


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Only Uni by Camy Tang

Welcome Camy, Tell me a little about Uni.

Uni is actually a perfectly disgusting type of sushi made from sea urchins innards--raw, naturally--which my father absolutely LOVES. One of the few tastes I didn't inherit from him.

But uni is also Latin (or is it Greek? Language scholar, I'm not) for "one" and my marketing department loved the idea of the double entendre, since the first book was Sushi for One.

Here's the blurb about the storyline:

Will Trish Sakai be able to follow her three simple rules and hold out against two gorgeous guys?

Trish Sakai is ready for a change from her wild, flirtatious behavior. And her three cousins are anxious for her to change, too. Trish is always knocking something over, knocking herself out, and taking hard knocks in her perpetual confusion about men.

When Trish's ex-boyfriend, Kazuo the artist, keeps popping up at all the wrong moments, Trish decides to be firm with herself. She creates three simple rules from First and Second Corinthians and plans to follow them to the letter. No more looking at men! No more dating non-Christians! She will persevere in hardship by relying on God.

Except now Kazuo is claiming Trish is his muse, and he can't complete his major work of art without her. And a gorgeous coworker is reassigned, bringing him in daily contact with Trish. But her cousins are determined to hold her accountable to her plan. She thought three rules would be a cinch, but suddenly Trish's simple rules don't seem so simple after all.

Did you find writing novel #2 harder than novel #1?

OH, HECK YEAH! Sushi for One was actually my fifth completed manuscript, and Only Uni was my sixth, so I figured--no problem. I've done this five times before.

But something about writing a second book under contracted deadline made everything different! I'm such a basket case! I think I had more extensive edits on Only Uni than any of the other books in this series.

Sushi for One was a hit with readers (if I say so myself).

Why, thank you! :)

What similarities can readers look forward to with this new novel? What are some of the differences?

The four cousins are still front and center--with all their quirks, their friction with each other, and their absolute love and loyalty for each other. Grandma is also there, but with a different kind of pushiness than she displayed with Lex. Trish gets along with Grandma better than the other cousins, and her relationship with the matriarch undergoes some drastic changes.

Trish is a different character from Lex--more happy-go-lucky, more optimistic, more easy-going. I think readers will like her a lot.

Do you have any fun stories to share about your writing or research of this book?

Trish's job is mine! Well, my old one--I used to work in biology research, so I pulled on those memories for Trish's job.

Also, not to give anything away, but Trish's house problems are all true--I asked friends about some of their most "interesting" house stories. Almost all of the things in Trish's house are taken verbatim from one home my friend Yvonne visited while she was house-hunting.

If we were to go out to dinner tonight, where would we go? What would you order?

I'd go to this poshy steak house called Alexander's! They have the BEST red meat and appetizers and I'm such a carnivore, it's like heaven for me. :) I'd be torn between the bone-in rib eye steak and the prime rib!

Thanks so much for having me here, Tricia! I also want to mention my current website contest going on--it's only open to my newsletter YahooGroup subscribers, so join today!

Thanks Camy!

Leave a comment on this post telling me what your favorite thing to order at a restaurant. One lucky winner will receive their very own copy of Only Uni!

Stop Lurking! Every week I will draw names for a free Tricia Goyer book from those who comment on my blogs. Winner's choice! Tell your friends.

An emotional last few days.

First, it was the rehearsal dinner for Cory's best bud Zach. Zach has been like one of our kids for as long as I can remember. I helped to homeschool him for a few years and I can't believe he's getting married! I'm doing all the bouquets tomorrow and I'm excited, but wasn't it just last week him and Cory were playing Risk? (Actually, it was