PRAYING FOR PALIN

Hey Everybody,

I would much rather blog about parenting than politics, but I'm going to venture out here to say a few things on behalf of Sarah Palin. A couple of weeks ago, I was disturbed to stumble upon a few conservative moms' blogs that were adamantly opposed to Palin. Without mincing any words, they swiftly handed their judgment down: First, they thought she should stay home with her newborn. And second, they believed if she had been the kind of mother she ought to be--a "Titus 2" woman, that is--then her 17 yo daughter would not be pregnant.

This is one of the problems I have with blogging. I read all this a couple of weeks ago, and I can't just respond off the cuff. I have to have time to think it through! That also explains why I'm not great at commenting either! It takes me a while to come up with what I want to communicate. But now that I have thought all this through, here's my take on Sarah Palin and two issues in particular

First, would I have left a newborn to go to work? Especially a newborn with special needs? No, I don't think so. But no one was asking me to be vice-president. Therein lies the dilemma that many conservative women face with Palin. She's doing what we wouldn't do or what we wish we didn't have to do, but we certainly want her to do it! She's the more conservative one on the Republican ticket! So many women I know didn't feel like they were represented by either party until August 29th, when McCain announced his running mate.

She's the one who is like me! many of us thought. Same age, same place in life, same love for family, country, and ... JESUS! She's not some shallow church-goer; she's the real deal! By all that I can surf/read/listen to/watch about her, she's born again! So perhaps this isn't just a job, ya think? Maybe, just maybe, this woman feels CALLED to this. Don't you think she would have to?

By all accounts, Sarah Palin has experienced more of Christ's suffering since August 29th than I have in my entire life. The woman has been persecuted, no doubt about it. America's late-night "entertainment" has accused her family of the most abhorrent moral crimes, and the tabloids have had a field day with her and their photoshop tools. The media treat her with disdain, like they just stepped in doggy doo; they wrinkle up their collective noses when they see her.

But this is what I want to make sure you understand: Sarah Palin, the woman who is like us, is us. Did it ever occur to you that if any of us had run for office, and by us, I mean conservative women--born again Christian women who love Jesus Christ unashamedly, who are okay with more than 2.5 children, and who can love one man for a lifetime--if it had been any of us, they (the media) would have treated us the same way? Y'all, they hate her, and they hate us. The beating she takes every day she takes for all who believe what she believes.

That puts a different spin on it, for sure.

Second, to those dear souls who think that the daughter would not be pregnant if her mother had stayed at home and been a Titus 2 woman:

I meet Titus 2 women every summer at homeschool conferences. They are precious. They have given their lives for their children. They have invested every waking moment in their offspring. They have baked their own bread, made their own clothes, written their own curriculum, homeschooled, home churched, and homesteaded, just like some of you. And they want to know why their kids have made mistakes. What have I done wrong? they ask with tears running down their cheeks, brokenhearted with the weight of their grief.

But those moms have done nothing wrong, because every person is responsible for her own choices. Why are we so quick to take the credit for the good choices our kids make and so quick to take the fall for the bad ones? We are not responsible for either one! How 'bout that? You do the best you can, and then you have to let go. That is the nature of parenting. You are working your way out of a job. You cannot take the credit for a spiritually successful kid. God did the work in that heart. And you cannot take the shame for a child's wrong choices. It's called free will, and one day, that child's free will will lead her down a broken road to the only hope for man, JESUS. And that child will have to choose. Some Titus 2 women have daughters that get pregnant. Some Atheist moms raise children who find Jesus anyway.

So here's what I'm doing: I'm praying for Sarah Palin. Only a true calling from God will keep her in this race. Some in the media are saying she needs to step down. She's not got it in her! She's out of her league! She can't even go toe-to-toe with the perky Ms. Couric or the "wise" Mr. Gibson.

She needs us, ladies, because she needs us to pray! She needs His strength, His focus, His determination, and His purpose flowing through her spirit. I'm praying for Palin, and what I'm doing today is inviting you to pray with me. From now until the election, you may sign up in the sidebar of this blog to receive a Scripture verse each day to pray for Sarah Palin. I've never done anything like this before, and I am *not* suggesting that we pray for the McCain ticket to win. No, it's nothing like that. God will choose the one He wants to rule this country, and I trust Him to do that. What I am going to do is simply lift another mom up in daily prayer. Why?

Because it's what I would want others to do for me.
Because there are only a few weeks left.
Because if the media is openly harassing her like they are, can you imagine how the enemy is messing with her mind and heart?
And because I cannot shake the notion that it is quite possible that Sarah Palin is where she is at this moment for such a time as this.

Top Ten Reasons You Need Season of Change!

Hey Everybody,

For all you writers out there, take note: The hard part isn't writing a book--it's selling it! Whew! I'm still trying to recuperate from the Blog Tour! Well, praise God, here's my latest brainstorm: The Top Ten list. If you've ever heard me speak, then you know that I can really get into a good Top Ten list. In fact, there's a youtube on my website of the Top Ten ways moms are more like their sons than they dare to admit! Click here if you want to watch that. A few years ago I did the Top Ten reasons Carol Brady should have homeschooled. Fun!
Now, I have compiled the Top Ten Reasons why you might need to buy Season of Change! LOL! See if any of these reasons apply to you!

10. Because you need some help figuring out your middle school age son or daughter.
9. Because you need to know that not much has changed between your middle school days and your child’s—except the software.
8. Because when you were a middle schooler, you didn’t want to stop for “coffee.”
7. Because parenting seems to have gotten a lot more difficult.
6. Because no one says “foxy” anymore.
5. Because the Jonas Brothers remind you of Greg, Peter, and Bobby.
4. Because when your child said, “I need my space,” you thought she wanted her own room.
3. Because you heard “10 is the new 13” and it scared you to death!
2. Because as the parent of a middle school girl, you know there’s really no shortage of drama at this age!

1. Because as the parent of a middle school boy, you know there’s really no shortage of gas in Middle Tennessee!

Yeah, the whole gas thing continues to get big laughs, so I'm using it while I can. This top ten list is one I've been sending out locally to promote my book signing coming up in a couple of weeks! I'm excited.

I've told the students in my writing classes that they'll earn 15 points added on to their lowest grade if they come. Is that ethical? Is that bribery?

Do you think it will work? :)

Gas, Gossip, and Greed

Hey Everybody,

Imagine my surprise the other day when I heard a CNN news anchor talk about the Nashville Gas Shortage! What? Just Nashville? I thought this was something people were experiencing nationwide!

Nope--just Nashville. According to mainstream news sources, a rumor was started in Nashville that there was going to be a shortage, and so, people went nuts. It turned out to be a self-fulfilling prophecy: We acted as if there were going to be a shortage, and consequently, there was.

Obviously, the rumor mill is alive and well in our entertainment-driven city. It's downright surprising who knows whom and how we all seem to be connected. The lovely has a friend who works at a burger joint Taylor Swift frequents. The guy who was my lab partner in Biology at MTSU is now a Big Cheese at the Grand Ole Opry. Willie Nelson's granddaughter babysat my kids when they were little. A friend's grandmother was one of Elvis's costume designers. (However, I'm not sure that she was responsible for the white jumpsuit!) It goes on and on. So it seems natural that tales are spun for fun and otherwise around here. But to think that folks are spending hours in gas lines, fighting like cranky toddlers, and exhibiting sheer selfishness because of a rumor? We have clearly sabotaged ourselves. That's why the Bible warns us against not only gossip, but greed. In this case, the two are tightly knit. Gossip led to a "better look out for ME" mentality. The shortage continues because, instead of merely getting enough gas to get by, folks are taking their cars, boats, plus containers of all shapes and sizes in order to get "more than enough."

At the same time, I've found a great lesson for my middle school sons in this. Their uncle, a smart, savvy guy, found a better way to get the gas he and his wife would need for the week. Rather than wait in endless gas lines, he set his alarm Friday night for 2:00 AM the next morning. He took his and his wife's cars (one after the other) down the road 'til he found a working gas station and filled up. At that hour, there were no lines, no fuss, no muss. He got what he needed, what she needed, and went back to bed. He did the inconvenient in order to accomplish the necessary.

I guess it's a lot more convenient to dish about a gas shortage and call all your friends and get everyone hyped up and filling up. In fact, I know it is. When I'm tempted to gossip, it is always inconvenient to shut my mouth! But in this, as in so many other areas, we are asked to do the inconvenient in order to accomplish the necessary.

Where do you find yourself taking convenient shortcuts? And where do you find yourself going the extra mile--doing the inconvenient in order to accomplish the necessary? I'd love to hear your thoughts, both from a spiritual viewpoint as well as a practical perspective.

NO GAS SHORTAGE HERE!

The pumps in my little town have plastic yellow bags covering them. This means we are out of gas! People went nuts last Friday, and we are paying for it now, cooling our heels, and waiting on gas to arrive this Monday.

However, here at my house, there is no gas shortage.

I have two boys, 14 and 11.

Enough said.

LAST STOP! SEASON OF CHANGE BLOG TOUR ENDS TODAY!

Hey Everybody,

The past couple of weeks have been so much fun! Traveling around in bloggy land has been a great way to get the word out about Season of Change, and it's been great connecting with old friends as well as making some new ones! I want to thank everyone who has hosted me, and I also want to thank my bloggy friends for following the tour! I hope you've been able to pick up a few things that will help you navigate your own child's season of change!




Today, the tour concludes at the home of Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers! My host today, Kris, is the mother of three, a fellow Tennessean, and an avid homeschooler! Her website is full of insight, information, and ideas for homeschooling families!

I've been homeschooling for twelve years now. It has been a journey of joy. I have no regrets because it has been right for me and my family. Homeschooling is not a decision to be taken lightly. You don't do it because your friends are doing it. It is definitely not a choice to be made because of a personal fear factor or because you want to protect your kids. I believe with all my heart that it is a calling. I also believe that God began to whisper His calling to me to homeschool my (future) children one snowy day when I was all of eight years old. I plan to post on that soon, after I get my bags unpacked from the tour!

Enjoy Kris today, as you check out the last stop on the Blog Tour! Click HERE.

Let's Visit with Micca!

The next stop on the Season of Change Book tour is Reflections, Micca Campbell's blog!




Micca is an author (Her new book will be out in Feb 09!), speaker, wife, mom, and devoted child of God. She serves as the outreach director for Proverbs 31 Ministries, a ministry she's been a part of since 2001.



She's been a part of my life since 1995, when Rich and I first moved to Nashville. She is a dear person and sister in Christ. It's been so exciting to follow her journey into ministry and to watch how God has used her to glorify His Name. I remember the first time she had me over to her house, and she shared her story with me. I said, "You ought to be a speaker." Of course, I wasn't the first person who had told her that!



We have shared many precious moments together in prayer, and wonderful, happy times in fellowship. While we don't see each other very much anymore, with our lives and kids always on the go, I'm so thankful for Micca's surrendered life, her heart for Jesus Christ, and her passion for His mission. To enjoy our visit, click HERE.

When You Need a Word

How good is God?

He is so good.

You know that already, and I know it, too. But isn't it good when He lets us know it, again? You know, those stop-in-your-tracks, this-was-a-God-thing moment?

I had one of those today. It was brief; it was fleeting, but I grabbed it, and I'm still thinking about it. A lady whom I don't know (I just see her on my teaching days) started telling me she liked the color I was wearing, and then she just started speaking a blessing over me. I don't think she knew it was going to happen! All she did was tell me what God thinks about me--just a few simple reminders that resonated deep within my heart. And I didn't even realize how much I needed to hear it until I heard her saying it.

So how about if I pass that on to you?

You are His--the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. You are His gem, the apple of His eye, precious, unique, and dearly loved. You are chosen for His plan and His purpose. He likes the way He made you. The hair, the eyes, the nose, the fingers, the feet, the knees--the whole package--He likes it.

He can't take His eyes off you.

Rejoice!

NEXT STOP ON THE TOUR: KENTUCKY!

The Homefront--What an appropriate blog name for today's stop on the Season of Change Blog Tour!

I'll be visiting with Pam Cassady, a news writer for the News Democrat Leader in Logan County, Kentucky, and a pastor's wife! We met last year when Pam was covering the Girl of Worth conference held in Auburn, KY. (I will never forget that weekend! We're praying about another conference in that area, this time for high school girls!) Pam ministers to lots of pastors' wives through her blog at the Kentucky Baptist website. Since I grew up in a pastor's home, going to The Homefront today is in many ways like going back home--going back to the heart of who I am: a preacher's kid!

Being in ministry is a calling that encompasses the whole family. If Daddy is called, that means everybody is called. God does not make mistakes! If a dad is called to be a pastor, that means his wife is called to be a pastor's wife, and his kids are called to be PK's. It can be really tough on middlers when they are in a ministry family. Pam asked some heartfelt questions, and I really hope this interview will be a blessing to ministers' wives. If you know a mom in ministry, as a pastor's wife, a church leader, or any other "up front" way, please tell her about today's stop on the tour! Click HERE.

Have a Good Night, Y'all

Hey friends,

As you go to sleep tonight, I wanted to share just a little something with you.

Because of our church location, we see a lot of homelessness. It comes knocking, begging, and scamming to our church doors every day of the week. It is hung-over, high, and desperate. And sometimes, it is sincere. There is that rare occasion when it comes hoping for real help. There is one, J, who has become part of our church family. We are helping him as much as we can (and he is helping himself). He's a gentle soul who has lived a hard life. Last night, with a grin on his face, he told me that he wouldn't have to sleep outside for the next few nights. He knew a man who was headed out of town, and the man had told J he could sleep in his car while he was gone.

J was thrilled.

God has been so good to me. I'm so ashamed when I act selfishly or complain foolishly. As I go to bed tonight, I just want to go to sleep thanking God for all the little things that I take for granted. Things that J doesn't have. Things that the folks in Texas and Louisiana have lost. Little things that come with a home and the security it provides. Little things that are really huge. And while I'm at it, I'll be praying for those who are displaced. Won't you join me?

BLOG TOUR CONTINUES WITH PASTOR TOBY!

Hey Everybody,

He calls it "The View from the Cheap Seats," but if you take a closer look, you'll find that it is really the honors blog! (You know how there are "honors" classes in school?) Toby is a very knowledgeable guy, a deep thinker, and a great writer! I was thrilled when this pastor and dad agreed to be part of my blog tour. (He is the only dad on the tour!) Maybe if y'all give him a lot of comments he will blog more! :)

Toby is married to Susan and they are the parents of two boys and two girls! After a stint in Nashville, they now reside in Indiana! I hope you enjoy today's blog tour stop! Click HERE.

JORDIN SPARKS TAKING A STAND

Okay, calm down!

Jordin Sparks is not part of my blog tour! (That would be cool, I'll admit, but have you checked the prices of gas this weekend? The blog tour will resume Monday!)

However, I just read an article by one of my favorite opinion columnists, Kelly Boggs, and I wanted to share it with you. You may want to share it with your middlers and teens, as it concerns how Jordin took a stand for purity. My hat's off to Jordin, as well.

Just click HERE.

Friday's Blog Tour Stop: My Home Sweet Home Online!

Whew! I don't know about y'all, but I am ready for the weekend! Happy Friday, everybody!

Today, the Season of Change Blog Book Tour stops down in Georgia at My Home Sweet Home Online, with homeschooling (mother of eight!), sweet tea drinking, photoshopping Dawn! I have been a fan of Dawn's site, and her blog designs caught my eye some time ago, so I was thrilled when she agreed to host a day of my tour!

Y'all scoot on over to Dawn's and check it out!

ON THE ROAD AGAIN!

Here we go, everybody! We are heading to Carmi, Illinois, the home of the lovely Leigh Gray! I met Leigh several years ago at the 2004 She Speaks! Conference. Since then, she has followed God's leading to develop her own ministry and speaker team. By her side in ministry is one of my dearest friends, Ginger Moore. (Ginger was by my side when I gave birth to my son Derek eleven years ago! She was reading Scripture and praying for me while Rich was helping me with the breathing!) Leigh is also a fellow Tate author. Her book is due out very soon! Head on over to Leigh's blog, Speaking Thru Me, and get a load of her bloggy self!

In memory of those Americans who died September 11, 2001,

Our thoughts are with your families on this day.

WE INTERRUPT THIS BLOG TOUR WITH AN UNEXPECTED DETOUR. . .

We interrupt this blog tour with an unexpected detour…

Due to technical difficulties, the previously scheduled stop on this tour with Lara at Moms of Faith has been postponed! However, Season of Change made an unofficial stop last night at the park where my sons have played baseball for the last six years! As some of the moms were looking through the book, the general consensus was that they realized it was time to talk to their kids about sex.

“Is that in there?” one mom inquired of the book.

“Sure is,” I replied. “Just look at the chapter called, ‘Boys and Girls are Different.’”
Now, in case you’re wondering, I do not tell you how to get down to the nitty-gritty of “Insert tab A into slot B” in your talk with your child. My husband had those initial, biological, let’s-define-these-terms talks with our boys, and of course, I talked with our daughter. But sex should be an ongoing conversation, and not just a one-time, big talk. Excuse me, I should have capitalized that: Talk, as in: The Talk. The Big Talk.

People often ask me when they should begin talking with their kids about sex. The best advice was given to me by a mentor when my kids were just toddlers. She said, “You want to be the first one to tell them. Then, everything else they hear will be weighed and measured against what you said.” So, when you tell your kids first, you become, in their minds, the sex expert. LOL!

Truthfully, for our kids, life is interrupted by an unexpected detour into growing up—with plenty of technical difficulties! How will they figure it out? How will they know which way to go?

A few years ago, I visited New York City. I had heard so much about it, and I had always wanted to go there! As we got closer to the date of the trip, however, I got a little panicky. You see, even though I had always wanted to go there, the closer the actual trip got, the more I wasn’t so sure about going.

Then I remembered that I had a friend from college, Keith, who lived there! I called him to let him know that my husband and I were going to be in town. He picked us up at our hotel the morning after we arrived, and he showed us the town! The subways were a cinch to navigate with a seasoned New Yorker at our side! Hailing a cab was a breeze! Keith told us some things about the culture and the people that were much different from life in Tennessee. He was able to make us comfortable and help us feel right at home, because he used to live in Tennessee, too, and he remembered what that was like. But now, living happily in New York, he wanted us to see all the things he loved about it.

When it comes to growing up, you are your children’s tour guide. You point the way when there is an unexpected detour. You help them feel comfortable and right at home in their changing bodies and developing minds. You help them navigate their way through a lost culture by offering a Christian worldview.

You’re the expert—because you’ve been there.

BLOG TOUR GOES TO CANADA! SECOND STOP: SHEILA WRAY GREGOIRE!

Is this woman adorable? And can you believe we're in Canada today? I knew I should have packed long-sleeves!

I met Sheila several years ago in New Jersey. (Well, where do you go to meet a Canadian author?) I was speaking at a conference that was put on by a ministry up there, and so was Sheila. Sheila is an accomplished writer, and she is not afraid to tackle newsy subjects--she weighs in on most everything! I was delighted that she was willing to host a day of the tour! Take a look at the interview HERE.

In the non-virtual world today, I'll actually be on another tour of sorts, visiting a neighboring church and talking to a Middle School Minister, checking out his church's facility. This is all part of my research for a workshop I'll be presenting at the LifeWay Kids Conference in Orlando next month. This church has been blessed with plenty of people and lots of financial resources, so it will be interesting to see all that they have been able to do in the way of serving middle schoolers. I was wondering, however, if some of you would take a few minutes to tell me about the middle school ministry at your church, if you have one, and if you don't have one, do you think it's necessary? Should you separate your fifth and sixth graders from the first through fourth graders? Should you give them a space of their own before they make the traditional transition into the youth department? Weigh in here; I would love to know what you think!

BLOG TOUR BEGINS! FIRST STOP: CHATTY KELLY!

The wonderful CHATTY KELLY is the first stop on the blog tour! I just met this Virgina gal at the Proverbs 31 "She Speaks!" conference a few months ago! She is a talented writer with an insightful blogging style. Her devotionals can be encouraging, admonishing, and often downright funny!

After the conference, we began corresponding via email and blogs, and she has certainly inspired me to keep up with my own blog. I know you're going to like her!

So head on over to Wonder Woman Wonders and let's kick off the blog tour!

BLOG TOUR!

This post has been edited to provide a listing of all the hosts with direct links to the tour!

#1 CHATTY KELLY
#2 SHEILA WRAY GREGOIRE
#3 LEIGH GRAY
#4 MY HOME SWEET HOME ONLINE
#5 PASTOR TOBY
#6 THE HOMEFRONT
#7 MICCA CAMPBELL
#8 WEIRD UNSOCIALIZED HOMESCHOOLERS

To read the introductions for each day, please click on the label "Blog Tour." Have fun!

**************

BLOG TOUR BEGINS MONDAY! ARE YOU READY FOR THE FUN?

As we tour, I will be posting an introduction here everyday, to let y'all know how I know the person (if there is a personal connection) or some other kind of trivia.

I hope it will be a fun ride!

We're trying to get things a little spruced up around here before we "take off!" I've got some last minute things to do, a few more things I want to be sure we get packed--you know how it is. :)

I hope everybody has a great weekend!

DECISIONS, DECISIONS!

Hey Everybody,

I have had a couple of days this week that called for decision-making. Unexpected decision-making. And it looks like it is going to continue because a friend called today with something else for me to think about. And guess what verse she said not once, but twice? Yes. Show me the way (see post below).

My pastor, Bro. Barry, preached an excellent sermon a few weeks ago called, "Decisions and God's Will." He shared that he had just come out of a time of critical decision-making in his life, and this was what he learned. I hope some of you can use this information, and if you can't use it right now, maybe you can file it away somewhere and use it in the future.

Okay, here's the big picture for your life:

• Be a Christ follower
• Be faithful
• Grow as a Christian
• Tell others about Christ
• Respect and love others

When it comes to any kind of decision, keep these first things first!

Now, here are the three principles Bro. Barry shared that will help as we seek to do God's will in our decision-making:

1. Use all your intelligence to make wise decisions.

• Gather facts.
• Seek godly counsel.
• Pray for God to help you make a wise decision.
• Submit it to him.

2. You will rarely have 100% certainty about most decisions. That is not to say that you won't have 100% peace! But ours is a life of faith, right? And Barry said, "A life of faith means we live with uncertainty even in the midst of doing God's will."

3. God wants teachable, direct-able people who will trust Him with the details of their lives. (I don't know about y'all, but I'm not always real good about that!)

4. When decision time comes, make the best decision you can and leave the results up to God.

And then Bro. Barry said something that I'm sure I will take with me for the rest of my life: "God is bigger than my choices."

Wow. Think about that!

SHOW ME THE WAY

Hey everybody,

I want to share this with y'all.

I woke up yesterda with the phrase "Show me the way" on my heart.

During my quiet time, I was singing that chorus, "Show me the way, that I may walk with You/Show me the way, I put my hope in You/The cry of my heart is to love You, Lord/to live with the touch of Your hand/stronger each day/Show me the way."

As I continued in my quiet time, the Lord brought John 14:6 to my mind:

I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

We started our tutorial classes yesterday with our homeschool group. I teach two high school writing classes. When I walked in the door of my classroom (we meet in a church), there on the wall, on a huge poster, was this verse:

Teach me Your way, Lord, and I will live by Your truth. (Psalm 86:11a)

I love it when God does things like this, when everything I am hearing from Him is pointing in the same direction--or maybe I should say when I am understanding that everything I am hearing from Him is pointing in the same direction!

I've been talking with one of my children quite a bit lately about being teachable. I want to be teachable, too. And I have to wonder, after dealing with this certain child, if I ever respond to God in the way that this child responds to me.

For instance, when the Lord is trying to show me where I've made an error, do I respond with excuses and blame someone else for my mistake?
Or when the Lord is trying to prepare me for a test, do I cut Him off with a curt, "I know that already," and ignore the truths He longs to share? Truths that are for my good? Truths that will make the test easier?
King Solomon said that the wise LOVE to be corrected for it makes them wiser still. The foolish, however, cannot stand correction.
What am I?
Am I a lover of correction?
Or am I a fool?

I once interviewed Barbara Smith for ParentLife, and I remember her sharing with me that she had been pretty confident in her faithwalk as a young woman, but then she hit 40, and she felt like Wow! she didn't know anything about God! Do you ever feel that way, too? I know I do. It seems like the older I get, the more I realize how little I know and how much I have to learn.

So I'm praying: Show me the way.

Isn't it great to know that HE WILL DO IT?

Ask and it shall be given to you; seek and ye shall find; knock and the door shall be opened unto you. . .

BOOK SIGNING FUN

Hey Everybody,

The lovely loaded my pics and now I am ready for storytime! Aren't you? I hope y'all like it when I ramble...'cause that's what I'm about to do!

About the title of this blog: Please don't be misled. Book signings are not always fun. No ma'am, not always. So before I tell you about all the fun I had Friday, I want you to know that I had a book signing once and nobody came. It was awful. No one even came in the store! And it was a Saturday morning! When two ladies finally did come in the store, they rushed directly to me, with big smiles! "We are so glad to see you!" they announced. "You can tell us where the bathroom is!" Sigh.

That said, now we can proceed. Rich and I got to the bookstore about thirty minutes before the book signing was scheduled. We visited with the LifeWay team a little bit, and then I had time to do what I always do upon entering a Christian bookstore. I begin looking for Baby Boot Camp! I always want to see if they are carrying it on the shelf! And, YAY! they were! And see who my little next door neighbor is there on the shelf? My dear Ginger. So I took a picture, since our books are so cute together, side by side like that. :)

One of the first people to arrive was my friend Pam Cassady. We got acquainted last year during the Girl of Worth conference. Pam writes for the newspaper in Logan County and she covered the conference before and after it took place. Last week, she did a story about Season of Change! Several people who came by LifeWay came because of that article, so THANKS, Pam! (If you would like to read that article, click HERE.) Pam is also one of the stops on my blog tour!


A lovely lady that I've become acquainted with over the past couple of years, Shana, came out to see me as well. I cannot believe that I did not get her picture, but I didn't! Shanna lives in Bowling Green, but she usually attends the SHEM conference in Missouri, (go figure!) and that's where we met. And then when Rich's grandma, uncle, aunt, and aunt's sister came out--well, when the Powells show up, then it becomes a party! (L to R -- Uncle Wilbur, Judy, Aunt Mary Frances, me, Grandma, Rich)

Thanks very much to the LifeWay folks who were so gracious and allowed me to come for the book signing. Below, I'm with Jeremy and Heather. You'll notice before I left I put "Season of Change" where I'll be looking for it the next time I'm in a Christian bookstore--on the best seller shelf! Now, that's prime real estate!