For two years, I've been working on a book.I've mentioned it occasionally. In fact, you may recall the following photo I posted of the manuscript. I submitted this ream of paper to my publisher last year:As you can see, I was, well, a little wordy.I had to cut it way down. Susan, my editor at David C. Cook, and I tossed out entire chapters in hopes of getting it to a … [Read more...]
Through the Garage Door
Three first-time guests were coming to my house for a women's ministry planning meeting.Before their arrival, the kids and I scooped up clothes to hurl into the laundry room and tossed toys into hiding.I'd shove stacks of papers and boxes of books into the kids' arms."Take this to the garage," I'd instruct. "We'll hide it there.""Where?" they'd ask."It doesn't matter. … [Read more...]
January 2009 MMM Monday Progress Report #4
This is it: The last Progress Report before the Final Celebration on this coming Saturday, January 31st!Before I get too far, here's Mr. Linky for this week's reports. Type in your name and link to your post so people can visit and see your progress.Progress Report #4 Participants Laura at Laura's Imperfect Blog Amy at Lavender *Sparkles* Jennifer at PeaceLedge Pauline at … [Read more...]
January 2009 MMM Monday Progress Report #3
I realized this week that I simply must start making smaller buttons. To that end, I have taken a moment to shrink the brain (coral) and offer you an alternative. Here it is:Use whichever size best suits your blog.Now, what kind of memory progress have we made (or not made) this past week? (Post a link in the comments, and I'll copy them in as soon as … [Read more...]
January 2009 MMM Monday Progress Report #2
Part of the appeal of Mega Memory Month (MMM) to me is that it offers some very public accountability to my attempts at memorizing.By signing up at the main MMM page, we've announced our overall intentions.Now you can also check in each Monday with Progress Reports. I'll post the Progress Report pages on Mondays, but you can link up any time. Put your links in the comments … [Read more...]
January 2009 MMM Monday Progress Report #1
To provide a little accountability and encouragement throughout Mega Memory Month, I'm providing weekly checkpoints--Progress Reports--where you can drop in, link in, and check in with others who have taken the same memory challenge. Progress Reports will be on Mondays.This is the first one.It's not even been a full week, so I can't imagine we've made a lot of progress. I … [Read more...]
January 2009 is Mega Memory Month
It's back! Just in time to support your New Year's Resolutions!Mega Memory Month (MMM): January EditionHere’s how to participate: Pick something you’d like to memorize. Something long. Something formidable. Something mega. (Mega to you may not be mega to me–simply challenge yourself relative to what you’ve tackled in the past.) Could be poetry, a famous speech, or a … [Read more...]
The Irreparable Past Meets the Irresistible Future
In today's devotional from My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers excerpted from Isaiah 52:12, which reads:But you will not leave in haste or go in flight;for the LORD will go before you,the God of Israel will be your rear guard.Chambers assures us that as we go forth into the coming year, "let it not be in the haste of impetuous, unremembering delight, nor with the … [Read more...]
It's Almost Here: The Return of MMM!
In a very short time, we'll ring in 2009.To help launch the New Year and its accompanying resolutions, I'll be hosting:Mega Memory Month: January EditionThis is not the announcement. This is just a teaser--January 1st is MMM Opening Day!If you're new to Mega Memory Month, you can familiarize yourself by visiting the initial post for the first-ever MMM in October 2008.Each … [Read more...]
It's Here! The October 2008 MMM Final Celebration!
During the month of October, at least 23 participants have been working on memory challenges as part of Mega Memory Month (MMM).My hope at the start of this blog carnival had been simply to invite a few others willing to join me in this challenge so that I wouldn't be so alone.After so many participants jumped in, I found myself eager to read others' progress reports--the … [Read more...]
MMM Progress Report: Week 4 (and reminder of Final Celebration/Presentation Day)
Yesterday I revealed my Top 2 MMM Memorization Tips. If you haven't read yesterday's post, I urge you to do so. Thanks to the encouraging words of some MMM friends (which I included in the post), you may walk away with the most important MMM message of the month.Today, after spending time following my own advice and praying through the passage and reciting it to one of my … [Read more...]
Top 2 MMM Memorization Tips
Those MMM participants who are working on something like "Jabberwocky" or the Preamble to the Constitution are committed to valuable memory work at an intellectual level. I applaud and encourage your every effort.However, my Top 2 MMM Memorization Tips apply primarily to those who have selected a Bible passage (though I suppose creeds, prayers, and hymns could apply, as … [Read more...]
MMM Progress Report: Week 3
It's the next-to-last Monday* in October.I just thought you should know, in case you didn't look ahead on your weekly Day-Timer calendar.Not that I'm putting any pressure on anyone, since we already talked about the guilt that could be lurking as we work and find that we're not as far as we'd hoped.So please don't let this send you into a memory-work panic attack, but … [Read more...]
Every Word is Progress
If you're part of the Mega Memory Month carnival I'm hosting during the month of October, I have a message for you:No guilt. The last thing I wanted was for participants to feel guilty or discouraged during this month-long challenge!Whatever you're able to tuck away in your memory bank -- no matter how much or how little -- is valuable.One of my sisters-in-law told me that … [Read more...]
MMM Monday Progress Report: Week 1
Every Monday in October, I plan to pop in and offer an update on my Mega Memory Month project. A "progress report," if you will.You can, too.For Monday Progress Reports, I'll try using Mr. Linky. Bloggers sign up by clicking on the Mr. Linky logo. Mr. Linky will automatically supply a line where you can fill out your name (or blog name) and another where you type or … [Read more...]