Escape to the Mountains

Every October like a siren call, the small cities and towns of North Georgia beckon me to explore their beauty and bounty. It doesn’t take much convincing for me to escape the traffic and congestion of metro Atlanta and head north to see the changing leaves and breathe the refreshing air of Fall.

WinShape
Conference Center

In late September, I visited the rolling hills of Rome, Georgia and the Chick-Fil-A WinShape Conference Center in the Appalachian Piedmont. The conference center on the campus of Berry College is located on the former dairy farm of the college. The dairy was constructed in the early 1900’s to teach farming skills to the isolated students of the region.  Each barn was built to resemble the architecture of the French countryside. Careful restoration converted the brick and tile dairy barns into meeting places and hotel-type accommodations. I was raised in cow country in Northern New York, but I wasn’t brought up in a barn nor did I ever spend the night in one. But I finally got to do just that and what a delight it was.

The purpose for our visit was to attend a writer’s workshop that focused on writing narrative non-fiction. Both Charles and I received great instruction and ideas for enriching his life story, Chasing a Whirlwind.  We came home with enthusiasm ready to tackle the rest of his book. The beauty and serenity of that place will stick with us for months to come.

On my next venture into the mountains I headed with my friend, Libby, to the foothills of the Smoky Mountains and the quaint town of Blue Ridge, Georgia. We ate a delicious lunch before checking out all the gift and boutique shops lining Main Street.  Stores with their colorful fall—and Christmas—decorations were a reminder that the holidays are just around the corner.  We visited a roadside produce stand and were amazed at the beautiful displays of pumpkins, gourds, and flowers.  I never knew pumpkins came in so many shapes, colors, and varieties. 

We couldn’t resist stopping at the Panorama Farm Market in Ellijay before hitting the Interstate and heading home. A cold drink of complimentary apple cider and a sample of a variety of fresh apples and deserts was a perfect way to end our day at the “Apple Capital of Georgia.”

The Psalmist best expressed the spiritual refreshment that comes from a visit to the mountains.

“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.”  Psalm 121:1-2 (KJV)

I hope that each of you will experience a mountain moment during this beautiful season of the year.

Grandparents as Mentors - Part 2

Grandparents have a wealth of wisdom that can positively impact their families and others in their communities. My last blog post covered how grandparents can work with their home

schooled grandchildren. This week’s focus is on grandparents and other seniors who want to make a difference in their communities.

For several years our church has provided a ministry to our local elementary school to help provide school supplies for needy students and teacher breakfasts on the first day back at school. This long-standing relationship opened the door for church members to participate in a new mentoring program for at risk students. The school selects the students they feel would benefit, parents give their permission, and the school matches a volunteer to work with a child on a weekly basis. The child leaves the classroom and interacts with the mentor in the media library for 30 minutes at least once a week. (In the stories below, the names of the two grandparent mentors have been changed to protect the privacy of all the parties.)

 

I asked John to tell me about his experience as a mentor to a 5^th grade boy. He expected to help him with math or English, but the counselor explained that this boy just needed a friend. As they met together, John worked to break down the age barrier so they could become friends.  He thought for sure that an eleven year old boy would be interested in sports.  He was surprised to discover than his mentee wanted to talk about politics. John was a history and political junkie, so the two clicked right away. At the end of the school year luncheon for the mentors, John’s assigned student gave him a big bear hug and said he hoped he could come to his new school and continue to be his friend.

Mary’s experience as a mentor was with two 5^th grade girls at first, but one dropped out of the program. Mary and her remaining student spent time talking about her experiences at school.  She learned her student was an artist, so Mary brought her a paper tablet for drawing. During other sessions they played UNO or worked on Mary’s electronic tablet playing puzzles and games.  As they met and talked, they bonded making a memorable experience for both parties in spite of the wide age difference.

Seeds planted tend to bear fruit in due time, and the contribution of these grandparents is yet to be fully realized.  No matter how old we are there are ways for our older generation to make a difference in our communities. 

I would love to hear from you if you know of other ways seniors can positively influence the younger generation. Enter your comment below and please add your name at the end of your comments. 

 

Grandparents as Mentors - Part 1

In 1979, President Jimmy Carter officially designated the first Sunday after Labor Day as National Grandparents’ Day. This year’s celebration will be held on September 11, 2016—also the 15^th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. National Grandparents’ Day is a secular holiday celebrated to honor grandparents for their contribution to our lives, and to give grandparents an opportunity to show love for their children’s children.

Because of instant communication and easier travel, today’s Grandparents have many opportunities to influence the lives of their grandchildren. One of the most beneficial is to encourage their education. Those with financial means might choose to contribute to a 529 Savings Plan that will provide funds when college time rolls around. Another worthwhile way to support their education efforts is to encourage and support those grandchildren who are home schooled.

My guest blogger this week is Jennifer Henn. She desires to see home school mothers flourish. Sharing from fifteen years of experience, she seeks to support others through the challenges of schooling at home. Jennifer speaks to home school groups large and small. Her true passion is fulfilled when the mom who feels alone or defeated is encouraged.

Even though her life is full being a wife and mother of teens, she makes time to escape with a book, coffee, and chocolate.  Welcome, Jennifer.  www.JenniferHenn.com 

5 Ways Grandparents Can Help to Home School

The concept of homeschooling can be hard for grandparents to understand since it isn’t something they grew up with. Even if they can’t understand why their adult child decided to homeschool, they have an abundance of patience and experience to share with the next generation. Homeschooling is rewarding, but at times, a daunting task. These are some ways you can help.

Be a Positive Encourager:  Your children could be struggling with the decision themselves, but need to homeschool because of a bullying or learning problem. Let them know you support their decision to homeschool. Encouraging words will go a long way to strengthen their confidence.

Financial Help:  Homeschool is less expensive than private school, but still isn’t cheap.  Consider buying a year’s pass to the zoo, an amusement park or museum. Some grandparents help by paying for music lessons or sporting activities. If that’s too much, consider purchasing school supplies or fast food gift cards for a treat when the kids are on an outing.

Tutoring:   Brush up on your skills and teach a new math concept, conduct a science experiment, or complete a building project together. Read aloud a favorite book from your childhood or one of their favorites.  Out of town grandparents can Skype, use Face Time, or text to be part of the learning environment.

Field Trip:   Here’s the chance to share your passion like your favorite museum or hiking trail. Taking the kids on a factory tour while mom stays home would be a nice break for her. Need an idea? Start your search for field trip ideas on the internet.

https://www.thehomeschoolmom.com/homeschool-help/field-trips/

Baby Sit:   If you live nearby, offer to take your preschool grandchild for a morning or two. Preschoolers are full of love and life, but pose a challenge when older kids need a one-on-one lesson.

Grandparents enjoy time with their grand kids and have a role in the family’s activities. More than just spending time and helping out, they’re building a memory, and everyone is blessed.

Psalm 127:3 Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him. (NIV)

Grandparents as Mentors – Part 2 will focus on how seniors can work as mentors within the public school system.

My Writing Inspiration

After spending the weekend at a local writers’ conference and being inspired by all the great speakers and conference leaders, I am thinking more about what inspired me to write in the first place.  In 2005 when I started this journey, I was “green as a gourd” about what it took to become a published author.  I was fairly good at putting words on paper in a cohesive sentence and paragraph, but that’s where my aptitude ended.  I had no idea about the hard work involved in writing, critiquing, editing, and publishing a story or book.  Approaching an agent or editor with a book proposal was a very scary proposition.  Every conference I’ve attended has increased my knowledge and confidence, but it is still a daunting task.  Even the world of self-publishing is fraught with difficult decisions.  Who can you trust to transform your manuscript “baby” into an appealing book that people will want to read? 

Authors who wrote and published books years before my time also faced many challenges.  The Diary of Anne Frank was rejected 15 times before it was published.  Author, Margaret Mitchell, received 38 “no thank you letters” before someone took a chance on Gone with the Wind.  Beatrix Potter’s story The Tale of Peter Rabbit first debuted as a self-published work since no traditional children’s book editors were interested.

My love for the books of Laura Ingalls Wilder prompted me to read a book about her publishing journey for the Little House on the Prairie series. It surprised me to learn that her daughter, Rose Wilder Lane, edited and rewrote large portions of her stories.  The Little House books were written around a deliberate cohesive theme to encourage people during the years of the Great Depression. They promoted the theme of rugged individualism and survival in opposition to government dependency and Roosevelt’s New Deal. I have a personal connection to Laura’s second book, Farmer Boy, about her husband, Almanzo, who was born in my home town of Malone, New York. Life in that farming community hadn’t changed a lot by the time I came along. A few years back, I visited the Wilder’s restored house and barns so vividly described in that book.

Another of my writing inspirations was Eugenia Price, who authored numerous historical novels about the Old South.  I fell in love with her writing when I first moved to Georgia. After her conversion to Christianity she had a new purpose in telling the stories of the strong faith of Georgia’s earliest settlers.  Her first three books–The Beloved Invader, New Moon Rising, and Lighthouse–led me on a journey to St. Simon’s Island off the Georgia coast. Christ’s Church was the setting for her Georgia Trilogy and a beautiful, inspiring place to visit.

Writing an historical novel would be a dream of mine, but I think at this point in my life an unrealistic goal. For now, I am sticking with non-fiction. Charles and I are working hard on completing his life story—Chasing a Whirlwind—that will be a bookend to my memoir, Born Three Times.

Inspiration is defined as “the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative.”  I believe inspiration is a gift from God, and I am thankful for those writers who have gone before me and inspired me to use my gift to write.  What inspires you and how are you using your creative gifts?  Please post a comment and share it with me.

Time for Temple Maintenance

The closing of a hardware store and a drugstore caught my attention while I was stuck in traffic.  Already the buildings had fallen into disrepair.  It made me sad to think about the no longer used stores and the employees who lost their jobs.  Hopefully, other businesses will move in and restore the buildings to their former glory.

Those stores are not the only thing falling apart lately. I could add my name to the list. This past year has not been kind to my body. Last August a long time pain in my hips and legs became more acute. With too much to do and too many places to go, I kept hoping it would get better on its own. By the holidays I was using a cane and at times a wheelchair to get around. I spent a lot of time in my recliner with a heat pack on the affected areas. Being bored and watching too much TV led to a dangerous addiction—snacking. 

By the time I saw the orthopedic doctor in January, I needed shots and steroid epidural injections to calm the pain. Steroids are not kind to my body and one of the major side effects is immediate weight gain. Then I was off to physical therapy for four months before I could really walk again. No physical exercise and a year of poor eating habits and I was shabby-chic—looking old and worn around the edges.

My late bloomer husband is a fitness nut and he kept encouraging me to get moving again. Long walks made my leg hurt again, so I decided to take the suggestion of my physical therapist and get a recumbent bike. Those black and steel exercise machines at fitness centers really turn me off.  They remind me of medieval torture chambers, but I decided a recumbent bike was more user friendly. After much research, I opened my wallet and bought a bike. My daily rides have gone well so far with no bad side effects. Since the control panel looks like a black metal face and since it blows air to help keep me cool, I’ve decided to name my new friend “Darth Vadorette.”

I knew I still needed to do something about my eating habits. Exercise wouldn’t do the job alone. I decided to take the Bible verse seriously on the subject of temple maintenance.

“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.”  1 Corinthians 6:19-20

I need to feel better so that I can do those things that God calls me to do and glorify Him. Lack of energy makes me sluggish and tight fitting clothes make me want to stay home instead of interacting with others. So I bit the bullet and joined Weight Watchers. It has been a rude awakening to discover how out-of-control my eating has become. It will be a long but very worthwhile process. The new Smart Point online plan and an easy to navigate Smart Phone App make keeping up with my food intake easier than ever. I think I can do this long term and achieve my goal.

As senior adults we can go into a long decline, or we can do our best to get back into the action.  Darth Vadorette and I are on a mission to pedal together as far as we can.  I hope to see you on the road to better health.

Don't Take Church for Granted

Did you go to church Sunday?  Did you take time to pray today? The freedom to engage in those two activities is often taken for granted. But for those believers in China and Russia, it’s really risky behavior. Recent newspaper and magazine articles tell of religious crackdowns in these two Communist countries that are as severe as in the days of Stalin and Mao. 

According to the Christian Post newspaper in a July 16 article by Stoyan Zaimov, Chinese students in the Guizan Province are being told to stop going to church or be banned from going to college. Parents are forbidden from taking their children to church or the students will not be allowed to take college entrance exams or be admitted to the military. The excuse is that children under 18 should not be subjected to brainwashing.

In other areas of China, churches are ordered to remove outside crosses or they are torn down by authorities. House churches are under strict scrutiny and forced to turn over all tithes and offerings to the government. Church pastors and members who protest this unfair treatment are subject to arrest. 

A new law went into effect in Russia on July 20, 2016 that prohibits evangelizing outside of a recognized and government authorized church. Severe limits have been placed on preaching and teaching the Gospel. This includes activities in homes and online. This report written in Christianity Today by Kate Shellnutt explains that Russian nationalistic identity is tied to the Russian Orthodox Church and that those outside the established church who engage in missionary work will be severely punished. 

For ten years my daughter-in-law’s parents, Charles & Phyllis Hardie, served as missionaries in Novosibirsk, Russia. They entered Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union. That window of opportunity allowed them to preach and spread the Gospel to many who might never have heard.  They encountered all kinds of opposition from the Russian Orthodox Church. Now that the doors are closing again to evangelical Christianity, I pray that the seeds they planted will continue to grow and flourish.

Why are totalitarian regimes threatened by Christianity?  I can think of several reasons.

1. Christianity preaches a gospel of freedom.  Freedom from sin and freedom of conscience proclaims that the individual should not be controlled by the State.
2. Christians believe in the supremacy of God and Jesus and obedience to God and Jesus as their ultimate authority and not the government.
3. Christians do, however, believe that civil allegiance is owed to the State and that Christians should pray for their leaders.
4. Communist controlled societies are atheistic and do not believe in the existence of God and Christianity’s belief in God is a threat to their disbelief.

Many Bible verses talk about Christian persecution and how Christians are to bear up in times of distress.  1 Peter 3:16 “Keep a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.”

Theologian William Barclay said “Endurance is not just the ability to bear a hard thing, but to turn it into glory.”

Pray for Christians who are being persecuted in Russia and China and for those whose lives are in danger at the hands of ISIS and other evil groups. And be willing to take a stand against those who would place limitations upon the spread of the Gospel here in America.

A Helping Hand

Happy 75^th birthday to United Service Organizations—better known as the USO. President Roosevelt encouraged the creation of this private entity at the beginning of World War II in 1941. The stated purpose was to support our troops overseas by building clubs that would provide a “home away from home.” The USO clubs provided dances and social activities, as well as a quiet place to write a letter or read.  It later became well known for its sponsorship of celebrity entertainment to raise the morale of the soldiers, sailors, and pilots serving deployed to distant battlefields.

Many of us remember Bob Hope and other celebrities who brought cheer and encouragement to the troops fighting in Vietnam. Today contingents of USO volunteers are on hand at the top of the airport escalator to cheer men and women in uniform returning to the home front at the end of their tour of duty. This organization provides a valuable service and a helping hand to those who are sacrificing to meet the military obligations of our country. Private donations and volunteers are vital to the success of the USO. 

Today I want to share a touching story from guest blogger, Rosanne Douglas, about how she and her husband provided a lifeline to another of God’s creation.  Rosanne is a member of my Christian Authors Guild. She writes a variety of styles including inspirational and human interest stories. She has also written Bible studies as well as poetry. Welcome Rosanne.

“It was one of those, ‘but does God-really-care-what-you’re-going-through kind of day!’  A walk would do us good we thought as we stepped from our cozy cabin into the sunshine. This trek would take us where the creek frames the gravel road and honeysuckle winds its way up the roadside bushes. And mountain laurel was soon to display her breath-taking white bridal gown boasting of her southern beauty and sweet savor! My husband and I lived off a trail at the foot of the Smokey Mountains and daily enjoyed God’s stunning creation. Stopping along the creek waterfront, I breathed in the fragrance and felt God’s presence entangled with my own. I needed this. The season had been a spiritually tough one.

From the corner of my eye, I locked in to the distress signals of a black bug scooting about on the top of a rocky mound—a tiny island surrounded by tumbling water but scaled to his size!  With no fly gear attached the bug seemed imprisoned and desperate. When his first pair of feet touched the stream, he quickly backed away. That would not work!  Several minutes went by.  Circumstances got him there, but now he was in scramble mode—vulnerable but determined.

We decided to throw him a lifeline?  We did it by forging the stream with a stick which enabled him to cross over. He was now a happy little bugger as he scampered into the woods.

How often do we find ourselves in that same predicament with no way out, hopeless, crying for help?  The Lord reminded me that He is there to attend to our every need in life, no matter how big or how tiny.  If important to us, is important to Him.  He always plans a way of escape.             

 Isa. 30:21; Jer. 6;16; 1 Cor.10:13

This little black bug gave us a mighty lesson in diligence and trust in God’s faithfulness— a lesson learned from one of the most unlikely of God’s creatures. “

You can contact Rosanne at writer7rosanne@gmail.com