Task it Tuesday - May 28

Originally created by The Geeky Blogger, Task It Tuesday is a weekly meme to help you--and me--get things done. The challenge is to post a task or list of tasks you want to complete before next Tuesday. These tasks can help you with your blogging life, reading life, personal or professional life.

We are quickly coming to the end of May. Both girls will be done with school by Friday, so summer vacation is on our minds. That can make tackling a to-do list tricky; though I often find it helps me focus on accomplishing things so I can enjoy more down time while I am away.

This week's list is a bit different because of the plans to get ready for graduation.

• Daily Bible reading
• Order flowers
• Buy gifts for graduation - scary that I have to remind myself to do this
• Rework the flower beds - most are done, but there are a few more plants I need to move before the landscaper comes and puts down fresh mulch
• Beta read a manuscript - 60% done
• Edit the next two chapters of a manuscript for the publisher - one chapter down, one to go
• Blogging
• Write one chapter of Amelia's Mission
• Review two children's books

What is on your to-do list this week? Any graduations or other end of school year events you're working on?

Mailbox Monday - May 27

Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.

Please join me in saying a prayer for the families of those who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect freedom around the world. As it says in the Gospel of John 15:13, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."

Many times, our armed forces are laying down their lives for strangers, never mind friends. I'm not sure I could do the same.

The mailbox was slow this week, but I've got plenty to keep me busy. The Lil' Diva graduates this coming Friday, so there are senior events at school and prom to look forward to. I've got a medical procedure scheduled for Thursday, so I'll lose a bit of work time. Better make the best of the rest of the week.

Here's what my mailbox held:

What did your mailbox have in store for you last week?

From Family Fiction: Understanding Classic Literature From a Christian Worldview

I subscribe to Family Fiction, a weekly online magazine. It's a great resource to discover interviews with Christian authors and other news around the Christian fiction world. This week's email caught my eye because a children's author graces the front page, and because of the link to a news article I found most interesting.

The article covers a new literature series from acclaimed author and award-winning English professor Karen Swallow Prior that she will pen for B&H Publishing that "guides readers through a selection of the classics, helps them navigate the pitfalls that often trap readers and shows them how to read each work in light of the gospel and to the glory of God."

What a fascinating idea! I can't wait to see the first ones coming out in the Spring of 2020.  To read the complete article, visit https://www.familyfiction.com/understanding-classic-literature-christian-worldview/

Task it Tuesday - May 21

Originally created by The Geeky Blogger, Task It Tuesday is a weekly meme to help you--and me--get things done. The challenge is to post a task or list of tasks you want to complete before next Tuesday. These tasks can help you with your blogging life, reading life, personal or professional life.

I'm so late with this today, but life is crazy this week. Real estate appointments, recording a TV segment for the local Realtor board, doctor appointment for my CPAP set up, a wedding, and final preparations for prom and graduation.

This is my to-do list:

• Daily Bible reading
• Barre workout Thursday and Saturday
• Beta read a manuscript
• Edit the next two chapters of a manuscript for the publisher
• Blogging

What does your to-do list look like this week?

Mailbox Monday - May 20

Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.

Will someone please tell me how to freeze time--kind of like Mel does on Charmed. Honestly, I can't keep up. Right after I am done with this post, I need to finalize a listing presentation for tomorrow morning. The girls are getting close to the end of the school year, so there are a lot of activities going on. All our eyes are focusing on visiting the Outer Banks again this summer.

In my writing and reading world, I've increased my blogging a bit--not sure how long that will last--and worked to catch up on the reviews I have coming down the line this month and next. This year, I want to bring some books to read "just because I want to" when we travel. Nothing much going on with my middle grade novel. It is sitting around Chapter 21. Need to write one more chapter before the next writing group meeting. I also really want to nail down a couple of agents to submit Clever Tom to before we go away.

Only one new book this week, but it is a good one that was recommended by a trainer.

What was in your mailbox this week? Anything exciting you would like to share?

Task it Tuesday - May 14

Originally created by The Geeky Blogger, Task It Tuesday is a weekly meme to help you--and me--get things done. The challenge is to post a task or list of tasks you want to complete before next Tuesday. These tasks can help you with your blogging life, reading life, personal or professional life.

Tuesday creeps up on me so fast lately. I had planned to schedule this early, but life had other plans. I've been nursing a nasty tension headache and work doesn't seem like it will be slowing down soon--which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Decent progress with last week's to-do list. Here is what it looked like:

• Daily Bible reading - DONE
• 5-5-5-5 plan for reaching out to people: 5 calls, 5 texts, 5 emails and 5 handwritten notes every day - Lots of calls, emails, and texts but no notes
• Set up photographer and staging for new listing - DONE
• Polish query letter for Clever Tom - Didn't even touch it
• Barre workout Monday and Friday - Monday done and a short workout on Friday
• Start finding a way to plan meals - Haven't even contemplated where to start

This week's list looks like this:

• Daily Bible reading
• Listing appointment and broker's open
• Barre workout Wednesday and Saturday
• Beta read a manuscript
• Edit the next two chapters of a manuscript for the publisher
• Blogging three days this week

What's on your to-do list? Is there something you are aching to get done or have been putting off? What is one thing that motivates you?

Mailbox Monday - May 13

Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.

We are back to Monday again. I hope my fellow moms had a nice Mother's Day. The weather was yucky, but at least Saturday I got a chance to clean up the flower beds and move some of the plants I've been wanting to move for the past couple of years.

The family treated me to a bunch of nice cards.

Then we all went out to eat. 

My mother-in-law is staying with us, which is nice. I've been struggling with a bit of depression lately. All this nonsense with the church really has me down. I need to find a new church, but don't really want to. I'll bring her to church somewhere while she is here, but it isn't the same. Hopefully she is okay with it.

On the book front, I treated myself to two books. One had been on pre-order. The other I bought while shopping at Walmart yesterday.

That's it from me this week. Hope you enjoy all your new books.

Book Review: The Brave Art of Motherhood by Rachel Marie Martin

Just in time for Mother's Day comes this inspiring story of Rachel Marie Martin, who fought back fear and tossed aside the masks she hid behind to find her true self and charge boldly into the future.

The Brave Art of Motherhood is one mother's story, but as you read it, you realize it could be any mother's story. You get caught up in the daily demands of parenting and one day discover your dreams are gone and you're hiding behind this carefully plotted out ideal of what you want people to think about your life.

Motherhood is tough. It can be messy. But, as Martin reminds her readers, when you decide to rediscover your true self, you will be happier and so will your family.

This book touched me in many ways. I had already begun to dig myself out a bit from all those years of mothering when I forgot I existed. That probably sounds harsher than I mean for it to come across, but it's so true that you become someone's wife and someone's mother or someone's something else, but lose part of your identity as you move through life. It can be a challenge to find yourself again, but The Brave Art of Motherhood will be helpful in accomplishing that goal.

Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: WaterBrook (October 9, 2018)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 9780735291393
ISBN-13: 978-0735291393
ASIN: 073529139X

I received a copy of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Task it Tuesday - May 7

Originally created by The Geeky Blogger, Task It Tuesday is a weekly meme to help you--and me--get things done. The challenge is to post a task or list of tasks you want to complete before next Tuesday. These tasks can help you with your blogging life, reading life, personal or professional life.

Hard to believe Tuesday is here so soon. My to-list is growing instead of shrinking, but that's because I have a new listing coming up, several meetings, and have been volunteering. I've been approached by the BOD of a local organization to join their board. Not sure if I can do it, but I'll see what time commitment there is before I decide.

This week's to-do list is similar to last week's.

• Daily Bible reading - On schedule
• 5-5-5-5 plan for reaching out to people: 5 calls, 5 texts, 5 emails and 5 handwritten notes every day
• Set up photographer and staging for new listing - DONE
• Polish query letter for Clever Tom
• Barre workout Monday and Friday - Monday done
• Start finding a way to plan meals
• Review The Brave Art of Motherhood
• Bake a cake--today is hubby's birthday

What's on your list this week?

Mailbox Monday - May 6

Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.

Welcome back to Monday. Hope you all had a great week. Mine included attending a webinar on insurance (doesn't that sound like fun), a two-day class on negotiation, renting out an apartment, doctor appointments, reading, and attending the Lil' Princess' school dance show. The girls always put on an amazing performance.

My garden is growing some, but we have had a lot of rain and very little sun. Rain is supposed to come three days this week too. I might just start building an ark.

The mail carrier brought me two presents this week.

Then I treated myself to a Kindle freebie.

Reading is slow going, but I am getting things done. Hopefully, I'll have more reading and writing time in the next couple of weeks.

What was in your mailbox? Anything special that you were really excited about?

Book Review: Does Your Vision Need an Engineer? by Rufus Chambers III

Many of us have visions and dreams. We don't, however, always have a practical plan to follow and make them a reality.

In Does Your Vision Need an Engineer? author Rufus Chambers III helps teach readers how to attach a plan of action to their divinely inspired vision.

This resource uses the story of Nehemiah's vision to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, to inspire you to create a strategic plan to execute your vision. Listing a series of "vision characteristics," you learn about the need for accountability, how to realize your vision is bigger than you, that a vision requires resources and protection, and more traits that are important before moving forward.

After these vision characteristics, the author shares a series of steps to follow to advance your vision, like the importance of identifying resources, knowing your strengths and weaknesses, assembling your team and creating a timeline, followed by implementation, evaluation, and expansion and more.

This faith-based resource challenges as of us to become Vision Engineers™. It's a unique way of looking at strat planning and accepting God's vision for your life. It's a quick read, but you'll want to refer back to it often.

File Size: 2736 KB
Print Length: 125 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1795624744
Publication Date: March 24, 2019
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Language: English

I received a digital copy of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinion, which I have not been compensated for in any way.