In the Spirit of Opening Day—Baseball! (Giveaway Details at End)

The Unknown Baseball Player

Author: Marvin P. Ferguson

Publisher: Parker Publishing

ISBN-13: 978-1-882286-01-0

Softcover: 283 pages

Price: $14.99

Marvin P. Ferguson's novel The Unknown Baseball Player tells of an underprivileged farm boy, named Orville, who grows up through some challenging times. He loves the game of baseball and ends up playing ball for a national team named the Redlegs.

The Unknown Baseball Player is a coming-of-age story for youth and adults alike. Baseball may be the canvas on which this story is painted, but various life-themes resonate in living color, such as learning to thrive despite trials. Orville works hard on the farm, since his father died when he was young. He’s often picked-on by other kids as well as physically and emotionally abused by “Unck,” the patriarch of the family.

Orville’s new position on the pro baseball team gives him a fresh focus in life, if he can handle the trash talk by the coach and other players. Will he ever be good enough to succeed at baseball—good enough to succeed at life?

Boys on the Gold Coast

Author: Marvin P. Ferguson

Publisher: Parker Publishing

ISBN-10: 1882286006

ISBN-13: 978-1882286003

Softcover: 247 pages

Price: $9.95

Boys On The Gold Coast tells of a group of mismatched boys who come together for the love of the game. These boys have a lot to prove to the community, and a retired janitor named “Pop” helps them pull together. They might not have the best baseball supplies, but they learn to pursue their dreams even when times are tough, by scrapping together what little they do have and learning to make it work. You’ll enjoy reading the antics and mishaps that occur along the way to living their dreams—playing against the Chicago Cubs.

About Marvin Ferguson:

It was a busy city in the 1940s. A popular slogan was, “if you can't get a job in Chicago, you can't get a job anywhere.” Many people came from all over the country seeking work. This is the city where Marvin Ferguson was born and raised.

His father died when he was two years old. His immigrant mother toiled all her life as a self-employed seamstress to care for Marvin and his twin sister.

Marvin’s entire life has been a learning experience. When he was six years old a car hit him. After two weeks in a coma, a two-month hospital stay, this once gifted student struggled through the rest of his school years.

He didn't enjoy most of the pleasures his friends did while in high school. He often worked thirty hours a week doing odd jobs so there wasn't much time for socializing.

Following high school graduation his introduction into the real world was a janitor's job, covering for an uncle who had a heart attack. Filling coal bends, burning garbage, cleaning halls, and more, he learned about life the hard way. Through trial and error he eventually received a B.A. Degree in Business Administration from North Park University in Chicago, Illinois.

The boy who grew up on the Gold Coast, a nickname for a Chicago neighborhood, is a die-hard Cub fan. Other favorite teams are the St. Louis Cardinals, Milwaukee Brewers, and Detroit Tigers.

When time permitted, he gathered with friends on a corner lot to play baseball. In blue jeans, sport shirts, and gym shoes, smacking a tattered baseball around with a splintered bat was fun.

Later, through reruns of The Waltons, John Boy inspired Marvin to become a writer. He has written three books with a fourth in the making.

WEB: http://www.tatteredbaseballs.com/

BLOG: http://cornerlotsbaseball.blogspot.com/

Also find Marvin on facebook and twitter

GIVEAWAY! Leave a comment to be entered in a drawing to win these two books. We'll select a winner on April 14th.

SONG: Still by Hillsong (to go with my Rest Assured year)

I'm praying for my brother in Japan, his family and in-laws and all the others affected by these earthquakes and tsunamis. This song is so comforting in times like this. May it wrap around you like one of Granny's quilts today and reassure you. Remember my phrase for the year? Never more needful than times like this. REST ASSURED.

Still—Hillsong

I Am Restless Song w/ Lyrics (Audrey Assad)

For my "Rest Assured" 2011 Focus, I LOVE this!

Such a Winter Chicken!

That's me, raising my hands up in the air. I surrender. Waving the white flag. Admitting a glaring flaw. I'm a winter chicken! It started in driver's ed when I had to drive on a snow and ice covered bridge across the Mississippi River. I was the novice of the group. I took the phrase "white-knuckled grip" to a whole new dimension! By the time I crossed the bridge, all the other student drivers were hunkered down on the floors of the car, preferring not to look. That only imprinted the fear more deeply into the "fraidy-cat" center of my brain.

Then, through the years, I got stuck in winter storms. Me and cars and storms just do not get along. Flashback city! One time I fishtailed across a cloverleaf ramp, and witnessed other drivers actually smacking the rails. I made it across safely, but scarred for life (or should I say "scared for life"?).

Compounding the issue is that my lungs actually shut down with cold air. No, not a panic attack. It happens even when I'm enjoying myself (obviously, not at the wheel!). And then there's the Raynaud's Syndrome. Fingers become white, blue, then red. Patriotic.

That brings me to today's winter day. We selected Brenham, TX to avoid winter precipitation and freezing temperatures. Today, we're looking at around 3 inches of sleet and snow, coming in just a few hours. I'm due to go out for lunch with a friend. Like a chicken I texted her to see if she'll pick me up. Good excuse: hubby has to go out and needs my vehicle since he owns a rag-top convertible with rear-wheel drive. But the truth is, I'm "bawk bawk bawk chicken!'

KCWC BLOG TOUR: Midlife Spiritual Fitness Check-up (See Giveaway too!)

Every 7 seconds, another “Baby Boomer” turns 50... That’s a lot of “MIDLIFERS!” Along with many physical and emotional changes, midlife can bring a deluge of spiritual questions: Where am I at this major milestone of my life? Where am I headed? How do I prepare for “later life?”

Publisher: Healthy Life Press ISBN-10: 1453661182 ISBN-13: 978-1453661185 Released: July 25, 2010 Paperback: 64 pages Retail: $8.95 Book Summary Christian author and gerontologist Dr. Sharon V. King welcomed her 50th birthday asking these same questions. In the Introduction to her book, The Spiritual Fitness Checkup for the 50-Something Woman, she writes: “The view from my 50th birthday was quite different from what I had anticipated. As a Christian, I was ready to start cataloging everything from the first 50 years of my life for which I wanted to thank God—and all the issues I genuinely needed to discuss with Him in considerable detail. But, as the cataloging progressed, unusual items surfaced—doubt, regret, loss, resentment, disappointment—feelings that were far less rosy than the pink icing on my birthday cake.” Realizing that thousands of other “50-something” women may have the same feelings about their official entry into midlife, Sharon set out to apply her knowledge of aging to her spiritual questions and help other women find their way through the midlife maze and, revive (or discover) the joys that come from a closer walk with God at this unique crossroads of life.

Organizing the book like a visit to the doctor’s office for a routine physical, Sharon presents 10 spiritual fitness “checkups” and exercises to help you take your own midlife “Spiritual Pulse Check.” You will learn how to: Jettison unwanted spiritual baggage View your midlife crisis from God’s perspective Focus on forgiveness instead of anger Conduct a spiritual lab test Improve your spiritual stamina Enhance your meditation time Spiritualize your midlife self-image These Spiritual Pulse Checks can be used by individuals or for group discussion points. It is Sharon’s hope that The Spiritual Fitness Checkup for the 50-Something Woman will help readers adopt the same attitude toward their spiritual health as they do their physical health, and strive to maintain a vibrant relationship with God.

Sharon V. King, PhD Author Bio Raised in an education-loving family, Dr. Sharon King came of age during the civil rights and women’s rights era of the 60s and 70s. She followed her family’s belief that education plus a deep commitment to God and service to others equals success. She earned a doctoral degree in sociology with a focus on religion and aging. When Sharon crossed her own midlife threshold, she had an experience that prompted her to re-think what really mattered in life. To celebrate her 50th, she travelled to Washington, DC to research her grandfather’s genealogy at the Library of Congress and found herself in the middle of the September 11, 2001 attack on the Pentagon. Rushing to leave the city and unable to take a flight back home to Atlanta, she drove her rental car 600 miles to get home. “I had plenty of time to think about life and just how quickly it can end,” she says. “That was when I took up journaling to do my own midlife review to see just where I stood with God.” Dr. King has written three books, of which The Spiritual Fitness Checkup for the 50-Something Woman is the first to be published. Her two other books are currently under review by publishers. One is more autobiographical, titled Midlife Reflections from the 23rd Psalm. The second book is Meditations from the Spirituals for Today’s Working Woman. An Atlanta resident, she works at a university coordinating international programs and sponsors a “Goats for Grandparents” charity that funds the purchase of goats for older women and their grandchildren in Kenya. Sharon's love of writing is shared with other authors through her editorial service, King’s Ransom Writing and Editing Service and her blog "Women of Color Writing for Christ." Author Interview—Getting to Know Sharon King Your 50th birthday arrived the day after the 9/11 disaster, and resulted in a new way of thinking. Please explain. After the September 11th tragedy, I felt guilty celebrating a birthday as the rest of the world mourned the anniversary of this national disaster. Two family members also died on or near my birthday. I sought God’s help to understand these birthday tragedies. Soon, I saw my birthday as a time for thanksgiving. I realized that life and death come wrapped in the same package as gifts from God—both are surrounded by His love and mercy. I value life now as too precious to waste on the trivial things that clutter our day-to-day living. I fret less and celebrate more. What’s so special about midlife as a time for a spiritual “checkup?” Midlife is the best possible reminder that we’re not going to be around forever. We’re so consumed with the business of transitioning from youth (teens and 20s) to adulthood (30s), we don’t have time to slow down enough to ponder what it all means. We seek education, choose a career, find a mate, decide where to live, and raise our children. That’s fulltime work! We may forget to put God on our list of things to do. By midlife, we have more time to put on the brakes for a while to think more than do. God takes the initiative at this point to nudge us into deeper reflection about our relationship with Him, and He prepares us for a new stage of life. There’s a ton of books for Christian women on the market. What makes yours unique? When I compiled my thoughts to create this book, I considered the Christian women's books that appealed to me. I enjoyed books that were “light” as opposed to “heavy.” Books that helped relate Christian spirituality to contemporary living (with a touch of humor) appealed to me more than books that just “threw” the Bible at me. Another quality I enjoyed was brevity—easy to read yet loaded with spiritual insights to chew on. Finally, I enjoyed books that connected my spirituality with the seemingly mundane parts of my life, showing me that God didn’t wait until Sunday morning to show me how He fit into my life. I tried to incorporate those qualities into the Spiritual Fitness Checkup. 3 Steps to Aging Gracefully: 1. Enjoy the journey. Unfortunately, our youth-loving society has taught women to fear aging. Slowly but surely, the word is getting out that the second 50 years of life can be as fulfilling and possibly more exciting than the first. 2. Remain flexible. Even though our second 50 years may be exciting, that doesn’t mean they won’t be full of change. We can choose to manage changes creatively and positively or be victim to them. We hear the word “reinvent” a lot for women facing midlife years. It’s more than media hype; it’s a spiritual doctrine. Who knows more about “making all things new” than God? 3. Don’t go it alone. We all should seek social support as we move into later life, no matter our life status. That support may or may not come from our families. It may be in the form of a group or a single individual—face to face or across the internet. We gain perspective as we hear that others are traveling and have traveled this same journey. It’s essential we can avoid isolating ourselves, which can lead to depression. We can reach out to women in other cultures or with lifestyles very different from ours and learn just how universal this aging business really is.

GIVEAWAY! Leave a comment below to be entered in the drawing for an opportunity to win the special giveaway. If you already are, or set it up to follow this blog through blog frog or google friend connect (see the right side margin for info) and mention it in your comment below, you'll be entered into the drawing twice!). Here's the prize: Win a perfect New Year's gift for yourself or a 50-something woman relative or friend, with a free copy of the The Spiritual Fitness Checkup for the 50-Something Woman: Ten Steps Toward Midlife Spiritual Health. As a bonus, you also will receive services from the author's editing business, King's Ransom Writing and Editing Service, for up to fifty pages of double-spaced manuscript (book, articles, etc.). With this giveaway, you will receive more than proofreading. Sharon also offers writing assistance, tips, points out bad writing habits, etc. It's a writing analysis as well as editing. This has a value of up to $350. But wait, there's more! You also will receive a special discount editing rate of fifty cents per page (Some editors charge $5 to $10 per page!) if you sign a full manuscript-editing contract with King’s Ransom. Quite the giveaway!

GRATEFUL GRATITUDES-First of Year 2011

GRATEFUL GRATTTUDES

Woo hoo!!~~~ 2011 is here!!!

This is gearing up to be a great year! I can’t wait to see how it unfolds.

Here’s my first gratitude list of 2011:

1. So glad for a new focus in 2011. I always pray for a word or a phrase for my “year focus.” This year, it’s REST ASSURED. Isn’t that a great phrase? I wrote about it here: http://bit.ly/e7fVmV
2. I would have never hoped for or expected what happened in 2010. There were times I thought we had sunk to the bottom. How would we cope? How would we pay our bills? When would bad physical things quit happening? But among the yucky stuff, some pretty amazing things happened over the year. And I’m grateful for each and every one of them. I gave a sort of year in review at my blog on the last few days of 2010. It was a good discipline to keep my perspective and realize that sometimes hindsight is necessary to really appreciate the trials and realize they are ONLY TEMPORARY.
3. We have a “first in our marriage” happening scheduled for 2011. We’re building a small home (just 1363 sq. feet, but packed with charm and space-savers)! We moved to Brenham, TX in love with the old homes, and planned to buy a fixer upper like we usually do. We love redoing old homes! But the ones in our price range were in bad areas and needed too much work and money. The ones that would be practical were out of our price range by about double! So, we realized we could build cheaper than buying a fixer-upper (strange, I know!). So, even though a new home was never a goal of mine, it’s happening this year. And I think it’s going to be a huge blessing for my allergies and other health problems. We are set for it to be completed in June. EXCITING TIMES!
4. I’m grateful for the new friends in my life. People I never knew existed just one year ago.
5. I was asked to lead a new Bible Study at our new church and I’m excited to have this opportunity as a lay-leader. I didn’t even volunteer or ask for this, it just came to me, proving that we don’t have to be “in the ministry” to be involved in ministry!
6. I’m grateful to have a new website. My hubby learned how to do them and then set out to make mine. You’re welcome to come surf around to learn more about me, and my communications firm. I’m thrilled Russ picked up this new skill. Saved us money, gave us new exposure and potential, and now he has yet another marketable skill. This was a great Christmas gift! Check it out HERE.
   

REVIEW: Love Food and Live Well by Chantel Hobbs

Like many overweight people starting 2011, I've set a goal to lose some weight this year. I know that sounds lame. Many of us start the year and end the year the same weight, no matter how much we'd like to shed the weight. I've had three successful weight-loss experiences in the past, and I know how to lose the weight. My problem is, I need to be disciplined in keeping the weight off by not allowing circumstances to interrupt my weight-loss success.

When I evaluate my trip-ups, one of them is that I'm a foodie. I love reading about food, studying recipes, looking at restaurant menus, watching cooking shows, and creating my own recipes. Vacations involve fine dining. Stress means comfort food. Holidays and celebrations beg for special recipes. Nostalgic trips down memory lane have me remembering certain dishes my loved ones made with love.

I need to find a way to "have my cake and eat it too," or in this case, "enjoy food but lose weight too." Enter Chantel Hobbs. I'm reading her book, Love Food & Live Well. Finally a book that understands my dilemma. Interesting, with the popularity of Eat. Pray. Love. to find a Christ-centered book by an author who understands that the love of food isn't wrong with the proper focus. In excess, it's gluttony. That's wrong. But enjoying the sense of taste and savoring mealtime is not sinful.

I appreciate Chantel's take on weight-loss. She lost 200 pounds before becoming an expert on the subject. Love Food & Live Well provides wise and empathetic words from "just" another gal further along in the discipline of weight-loss and maintenance. She doesn't expect impractical goals—doesn't come across as condescending or judgmental. Reading between the lines of her books I hear the assurance, "I understand and I support you." With God's help, and Chantel's books, I'm determined to end 2011 weighing less, MUCH less, than I started the year.

(by Kathy Carlton Willis, 2011)

BLOG TOUR: Love Food and Live Well by Chantel Hobbs

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card author is:

Chantel Hobbs

and the book:

Love Food & Live Well

WaterBrook Press; 1 edition (December 14, 2010)

***Special thanks to Audra Jennings, Senior Media Specialist, The B&B Media Group for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Chantel Hobbs is a life coach, marathon runner, personal trainer, wife, and mother of four. Her amazing story of losing two hundred pounds and keeping the weight off has been featured on Oprah, The Today Show, Good Morning America, Fox & Friends, Life Today with James Robison, The 700 Club, and Focus on the Family Radio—and in People and First magazines. Hobbs hosts a weekly radio show and is the on-air fitness expert on the WAY-FM radio network. She is also a regular guest on the KLOVE radio network. Hobbs is a frequent speaker to women’s groups and makes personal appearances at fitness conventions. The developer of The One-Day Way Learning System and the author of four books, including Never Say Diet and The One-Day Way, Chantel lives with her family in south Florida.

Visit the author's website.

Product Details:

List Price: $19.99
Hardcover: 240 pages
Publisher: WaterBrook Press; 1 edition (December 14, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0307457842
ISBN-13: 978-0307457844

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

The Battle over Blue Jeans


People, Here Is My Deal!


For as long as I can remember, I have loved clothes and makeup. Even when I weighed close to 350 pounds, I experimented with trendy hairstyles while checking out the latest plus-size fashion catalogs.


When I was in elementary school, I would spend afternoons with my sister Christy, sitting on the floor of the closet in the decked-out pink bedroom we shared. This was a supersized closet where we would set up our Barbie dolls for fashion shows. Because I had blond hair and Christy was a brunette, it was only natural for me to pretend to be Barbie and her to be Skipper, Barbie’s little sister. At least that’s how I sold the idea to Christy. As we grew up and began to put our dolls away, I still enjoyed being prissy, often spending way too much time in front of a mirror.


Even as a young mother, I was a fashionista. I’ll never forget entering the hospital to have a scheduled cesarean to deliver my son Jake. I had spent the day before the delivery getting a pedicure and manicure and shopping for a matching nightgown set. Really, I did this! As I lay on the table in the operating room, the doctor arrived and started to chuckle. “Well, Chantel, I can see nothing about this is going to be a natural delivery.” All I could say was, “At least I left the false eyelashes at home.” I was only half kidding.


One reason I went overboard with my appearance was because I loved hearing friends and family comment on how together I looked. Even while having a baby, I wanted to look great. But today, in hindsight, I feel seriously sorry for the woman I used to be. She was always exhausted from trying to maintain her unreal image. Plus, I knew deep down that I wasn’t fooling anyone but myself. My weight problem wasn’t going to vanish underneath fancy clothing and attempts to camouflage my problem areas. I really did know that owning an all-black wardrobe wouldn’t keep my body issues a secret.


But back then I had convinced myself I needed to make a serious effort to look pretty from the neck up because I was too overweight for the rest of me to look decent. I rationalized that if I could highlight my best features, people would see my positive attributes and look past my greatest flaw: my obese body. At this point my life was one big head game.


I’ll never forget the weekend I went on a business trip with my husband, Keith, to Bermuda. This was a dream coming true for someone who spent most days watching Barney and folding laundry. But when we started to pack, panic set in. Bermuda is one huge beach, and I knew I’d embarrass my husband if I wore a swimsuit in front of his bosses and work friends. On the other hand, this was Bermuda! It was a free trip and a chance to escape the zoo I called home!


After we boarded the plane, I found my seat and immediately put a jacket over my waist. This was a trick I had learned from previous travel experiences, and it almost always worked. If I could hide where the seat belt was supposed to be, the flight attendant wouldn’t notice that mine was unbuckled. The truth is, I did this because I couldn’t connect the seat belt. I was too big around. This time, however, my system failed. As the attendant stopped by our row, she asked me to buckle my seat belt. As I struggled to latch it, she stood impatiently with one hand on her hip. I whispered that I was having trouble making it fit.


So being the sensitive, tall, and freakishly thin woman she was, she shouted to her co-worker, “Could you look in one of the overhead compartments for a seat-belt extension?”


I was mortified. I closed my eyes and tried to pretend the attendant was talking about someone else. A few moments later she handed me the hated seat-belt extension, and I fastened the thing as quickly as I could. I promise you, I could feel the pity of strangers as they witnessed my hame. But instead of shedding tears, I did what I had rehearsed in previous situations. I took a deep breath and grabbed Keith’s hand, squeezing it for dear life as the aircraft took off. My vacation is off to a great start, I told myself. I can’t wait to see what other embarrassing moments lie ahead.


Surprisingly, our Bermuda trip ended up being the trip of a lifetime. The island was beautiful, the water was the clearest blue I had ever seen, and I felt beautiful for the entire week. Strangely, it was another young mother, the wife of one of Keith’s co-workers, who was mostly responsible.

Each day I would get dolled up and make my entrance into the meeting room for the company’s group breakfast. This girl went out of her way to say something sincere and extraordinary about the way I looked, morning after morning. She would also ask me for fashion advice. By her looks, she didn’t need any, certainly none from me. Yet she still inquired and never in a condescending way.


Best of all, she never breathed the dreaded words “You have such a pretty face.” The trip to Bermuda taught me the intense power we all have when we speak to someone, especially to a person who is feeling weak and vulnerable. Just by saying something simple and positive, we can brighten someone’s outlook, even if it’s only for a few seconds.


For most of my life I had become accustomed to backhanded compliments. When it came to my weight and all my failed attempts to lose it, I had heard everything. I’d try yet another diet, and two weeks into it over and over I would hear from those around me, “Now keep up the good work.” And I would always think, Are you kidding? I’m trying here. Just tell me “good job,”

and don’t worry about whether I lose another dad-gum pound. I get that you are letting me know I have a long way to go!


Yet Another New Start


Coming home from Bermuda, where I felt sincere acceptance, I had real hope. I felt different. I was relaxed, revived, and encouraged. I decided that I was ready to give weight loss another shot. As I set out to lose weight for the eighty-sixth time in my life, I felt prepared. I bought the latest diet book from Sam’s Club and a twelve-pack of muffins. I rationalized the muffin purchase by telling myself I needed to have one last hurrah.


On Monday my plan was to go for it. I would try with everything in me not to let anything stand in my way. Of course, I didn’t see any need to crack open the new book I’d bought until the weekend was over! What would a few more days of indulgence hurt?


Then Monday arrived, and I made my grand entrance at the gym. I even went back three days in a row. The only problem was that by the end of the week I was hanging out more than working out. I’d been trying to get David, the juice bar owner, to tell me his recipe for the yummy chocolate–peanut butter protein shake I was ordering every day. The first clue it wasn’t all that

healthy should have been the chocolate syrup he poured in. But I told myself, if it’s made on gym property, how bad could it be?


By the time the week ended, I had followed the plan in my recently purchased book and had my cheat day. Not surprisingly, I quickly indulged in an entire cheat weekend. However, I managed to get back to the gym the following Monday. The plan I was on was doable, and even with halfhearted efforts, I was slowly losing weight.


After shedding about twenty pounds, I decided I needed some new clothes. This was kind of funny, especially since not one person had noticed that I had lost an ounce. As I said earlier, I’ve always loved fashion. But at this point, with my weight so high, I was stuck wearing mostly dresses and skirts. I just couldn’t face the prospect of trying to fit my behind into a pair of pants

at Lane Bryant. But now, since I was feeling pretty good about myself and getting results, I headed over to the Coral Square Mall. I was there to hunt down a pair of blue jeans. Even if I had to lie down to zip them and not breathe while I wore them, I was determined to come home with new jeans.


I picked up three pairs with plenty of stretch to take into the dressing room. Once the door was closed, though, no amount of sucking it in, squeezing hard, or holding my breath got the jeans up to my waist. I couldn’t make any of them fit. As I held the jeans up and looked in the mirror, I wondered how anyone could stand to look at me. I was a disgusting blob of pain and misery.


I had left home that day feeling good about my progress. I was finally losing some weight. But after a few minutes in a dressing room, I wanted to die. How had I let myself become this pathetic mess of a woman?


A few Cinnabons later I went home. Two weeks after my blue jean horror show, I found out I was expecting. A month into the pregnancy I miscarried due to a badly infected gallbladder, and I ended up having emergency surgery. I wondered if I would ever change my life or if I would die first. Death seemed like perhaps the only escape out of this prison.


About six months later I had an unforgettable encounter with God. I was alone in my car, driving home from a meeting. I had reached my lowest point ever, and I let God in. I had known Him for years, ever since I had been saved from an eternity separated from Him. As a little girl in Sunday school, I had asked Jesus into my heart to save me from my sins. What I needed now, as a desperate, hurting, damaged woman, was to be saved from myself. I was still trying to run my own life.


God had whispered my name through many embarrassing moments and hurtful situations; I just never answered. But that night, alone in my car, He finally got through to me. I experienced a supernatural intervention. And it compels me now to tell my friends, my clients, and my readers my Lazarus story.


An Incredible Second Chance


Remember the story of Lazarus in the Bible? When Jesus brought him back from the dead, and we’re talking dead as a doornail (he was four-days dead), I imagine all he wanted was to blow a trumpet and tell the world about his miracle. Today I feel a similar kind of zeal resulting from my own miracle. As I surrendered all the pain of my lifelong weight problem to God, my heart

began a major shift. God gave me a deep desire to go to work. For the first time, I took on the task of losing the weight with Him in charge. I was no longer alone as I had been in the past. By allowing God, who never breaks a promise, to give me the strength, self-control, and focus I needed, how could I fail?


Ten years later I am on the same course He set for my life that night. My life is still filled with unexpected moments, both tragedies and celebrations. But I have never looked back.


After going on to lose two hundred pounds, I designed my own fitness and weight-loss program and became a certified Spinning teacher, personal trainer, and marathon runner. I love feeling strong, being healthy, and knowing I’m not a slave to my former appetites. Often I run into people I haven’t seen in many years. They may have known me as the overweight girl with a

pretty face. And if I dare to attempt a reacquaintance, I am usually in for a good laugh.


I’ll never forget one woman from a church I attended years earlier. I ran into her at the grocery store and tried to convince her who I was. “You aren’t really Chantel from West Lauderdale Baptist,” she insisted. I tried to get her to believe it was me, just an improved version. I think she finally accepted the truth, but it took awhile.


I am proud of the woman I have worked to become. However, I am most thankful that God rescued me from a place where I had lost all hope. God’s care for me and His work in my life give me the strength to stay on course. Now, after writing four books and producing a learning system for weight loss and fitness, I can see that God continues to use me as a voice of real-life

experience. A big part of my message is this: let me help you stop sabotaging yourself and your life. I know, from hard experience, how to overcome self-defeat. Every day I get to hear the stories of people who were losing hope, as I was, and now are finding the life they had dreamed of. I receive e-mails from women who have heard me speak, read one of my books, or heard me on the radio and now are surrendering their failed attempts to God. They are learning the truth and power of surrender and then doing the hard work of changing their lives.


In my work of helping people reclaim their health, I never know what is coming next. Recently I got a call from my publicist. She was so excited she could hardly tell me the news. “While you are in New York later this week to do The Today Show and Fox and Friends, a major women’s magazine wants to set up a photo shoot.”


I screamed. I couldn’t help it. Not only would the exposure help sell my book, but doing a photo shoot in New York, as the author of fitness books, was an experience I never dreamed I’d have. When I weighed nearly 350 pounds, an opportunity like this never entered my mind.


I couldn’t wait, but I had to. It was still a few weeks away. As New Year’s came and went, I was more careful than ever about fitting in all my workouts and eating clean. (Clean eating is the best way for me to think about food that delivers maximum energy with a reasonable calorie content.) When the day arrived, a driver came to our New York hotel to take Keith and me to the shoot. In the previous week, I had given my measurements to a stylist. She informed me she would be shopping for the clothes I would wear for the photo shoot. To use a term from my Southern-rooted parents, I was in hog heaven! I used to be the woman who was embarrassed to tell anyone her sizes, and now I had someone else buying me clothes based on them! The great part was the freedom in sharing what size I was. For the first time, I felt no shame.


When we arrived at the studio, I noticed that the loft where the photographer had scheduled the shoot was trendy and chic. It had sky-high ceilings complete with lots of lights and screened umbrellas to ensure perfect lighting. Taking up an entire wall was a buffet of food the magazine had catered for the event, my event! All of it was healthy fare with me in mind.


As I entered a dressing room, fun music filled the air. A makeup artist and hairstylist began their magic. I listened while they talked about their past work. One had done Heidi Klum’s makeup not long before, and the other spoke of doing the makeup for big names on a major movie set. I was a little overwhelmed with the emotion of the moment. I felt like I was back to playing Barbie dolls with my sister.


After hair and makeup were underway, the stylist had me try on all the clothes she had bought. We settled on a great pair of designer jeans with a sleek white sweater and a trendy hot pink top. I put on the heels she had purchased—a perfect fit—and some fabulous jewelry. Then I was whisked away to the main part of the studio. In that moment I felt like a million bucks.


It was then the stylist asked me what I believed to be an insane question: “Where are your old blue jeans?” At first I couldn’t believe I had heard her right, but I knew what she was getting at. She said the creative director wanted me to hold up a supersized pair of pants in the photo to show the dramatic contrast represented by clothes I had worn in my previous life.


I understood the point of playing up the shock value. Shoppers standing in line at the supermarket checkout would be amazed by the pants I had once filled out. But the idea that I would have to display a symbol of the old life I had left behind made me feel sick, like I had never lost a pound. How could I hold up a pair of jeans that represented my old humiliation?


I explained to the stylist that not only had I not brought a pair of jeans but I didn’t feel comfortable doing this. As I held my breath, a few phone calls were made, and the shoot continued without the troubling reminder of my past. It turned out to be a great experience, and I was pleased with the photographs. However, I felt a little angry and upset with myself. Hadn’t I moved on past my old image? I could now fit two of me inside my old jeans, so why was this such a big deal? I also wondered if readers might have been helped by seeing me holding up the pants I used to wear. Why couldn’t I just smile into the camera with confidence even if I was standing behind a pair of my old jeans?


I Will Never Return


Back in my hotel room, I awoke in the middle of the night still thinking about the photo shoot. Finally I could see clearly what had offended me. Supersized blue jeans were a symbol of major pain in my life. Holding them up in front of me would not feel as if I was showcasing success. I was now on an exciting journey to share my life and my program to help other people. I had ditched the old jeans, just as I had ditched diets—and both of them for good! Sure, I will always be able to relate to the woman who desperately tries to zip up a pair of pants in a store’s dressing room. But I didn’t want to spend another special moment of my life sharing the spotlight with my former self. I had crossed the point of no return. I now knew without question that I would never go back.


I have a completely new deal, one that focuses on living my new life, the life that God led me to when I fell into my darkest moment. The old me had long wanted to leave behind the constant torment of being overweight and undisciplined. That life is now over. My new deal is much sweeter than I dreamed was possible.


You can have the same deal! You can start living a life of security and freedom. You can be released from the prison of defeat, failure, and negative self-image. And best of all, the new deal we’re going to explore is guaranteed to last.


I won’t ever return to being the person I started out as. There is no going back. And I’ll show you how to take full advantage of the same deal!

My Phrase for 2011

Every year I try to come up with a singular focus for the year to keep me disciplined in the direction I believe God wants me to take for the year. The past few months as I've prayed over my focus for 2011, a phrase keeps coming to me. I've started hearing it everywhere. In sermons. In books. Even in commercials. And it's not a typical "driven with passion" sort of phrase. That phrase for me is:

REST ASSURED

There's a lot to be said for this determined focus for 2011. Last year I found myself trying to fix too many dilemmas in attempting to provide for my own needs. I ended up "worrying my prayers" rather than walking in complete faith. I wasn't hot and bothered in my worry, but it was a silent pressure always weighing down on me. This year's rest is a different kind of rest. It's not a blind rest. A doubt-filled tossing and turning type of rest. No, God wants me to rest assured that He's handling my life. Rest assured that He is in control. Rest assured that if He leads me to do something He will equip me for the challenge. And rest assured that I don't have to be involved in every good opportunity that comes my way. I knew all of those concepts already, but I'm not sure I was really living them.

So, this is my challenge, and I choose to accept it!

2010 Year in Review (July-December)

Wednesday I started a look back at the year 2010, with the idea that with the perspective of time, we can often be grateful for situations and circumstances that at the time created stress and concern. Here's a look at the final half of the year.

JULY—God showed up in the middle. In the middle of the year, in the middle of our lives, in the middle of Texas, in the middle of the country, IN THE MIDDLE, life changed for us. After 26 years of full-time service in local church ministry, God directed us to something new. Russ resigned the pastorate and joined me at the communications firm. This necessitated a move out of the parsonage. Where does a couple live when they both work from home and can live wherever? We asked God to show us, and after looking over several options and towns, we had complete peace to move to Brenham, Texas (smack dab between Austin and Houston—another MIDDLE). That led to a whole new set of questions. Where should we rent? Where should we worship? What about recommended doctors, butcher, hair salon, restaurants, etc.? We pared down our belongings to "must haves" and let the rest go to charity. Mayflower picked up what was left and moved it for us. How fitting—we felt like pilgrims in a new land and Mayflower was our ship of choice!

AUGUST—God taught us we can't provide for ourselves all on our own, we must wait for Him to provide, and in the waiting room of life, there is always room for more learning. Just a couple of weeks into the move and I landed in the ER for bronchitis/pneumonia. My lungs were officially welcomed to my new surroundings. After about 30 phone calls with potential clients, with a proposal written for each one, we waited for God to bring in the clients. And waited. In the mean time, God showed us where to worship, and we became part of the Champion Fellowship family. We didn't know a single soul in town, but that was only a temporary problem after coming to Champion. We joined a home team and other small groups and soon learned the names, faces, and hearts of new friends. We stayed busy with projects, but certainly needed to know some extra cash would be coming in soon. One August project was writing a book proposal and sample chapters with co-author Rhonda Rhea. Now we are shopping it around to find a home with the right publishing house.

SEPTEMBER—God used reversals as a teaching tool. Before my big September event, Mom came to visit us in our new surroundings. One of the perks of living here is that Mom is only 5.5 hours away. She came for some Master Gardener training nearby, and we enjoyed a good visit. She traveled home and I traveled to Houston to fly out to Kansas City to serve as apprentice on faculty for CLASSeminars. It ended up quite different than what I expected or planned for. An hour after my arrival, having settled in to the hotel room, I twisted my ankle and did a major number on that foot. It swelled to Fred Flintstone proportions and kept me from getting to do some of what we had planned. It was quite an ordeal and I ended up in physical therapy for a while, fighting the resulting reflex sympathetic dystrophy that developed. This forced me to cancel speaking at CLASS Christian Writers Conference in November, and led to more waiting on God to provide, since I'd missed the conferences where I normally pick up clients and referrals. It's starting to sound like a theme, right?

OCTOBER—God held off just a bit more with provision, just long enough for us to be okay with whatever came our way. Okay if that meant learning to say "Welcome to Walmart." Okay if it meant a completely different way of life. Okay if it meant redefining the services we offer with KCWC. Just okay with "whatever." True contentment. And funny when that contentment surfaced, so did the provision necessary so we could continue without finding outside work!

NOVEMBER—God stretched my wings. Three big highlights this month. I recruited new friend Amy Weaver to assist with table hosting for a local fundraiser for Faith Mission—Candlelit Christmas. We designed the table and chair decor, the dessert menu for itty-bitty yummies (which also served as our 2 tiered centerpiece), and decorated for the big night. The program was a big treat for me, made extra-special shared with friend Erin Eddings. Another great experience was going through the Jonah study with the Tuesday Night Ladies Bible Study group. Thanks, Hope Batchman, for leading it! And another highlight of the month was sharing Thanksgiving with Leno and Mary Yellott, and their family. This was our first road-trip after moving to Brenham. New clients came to KCWC and we started looking forward to 2011.

DECEMBER—God blessed me with a sense of stability. He built our clientele and provided for our needs. Makes me think of the song, "In His Time." This month, often known for celebrating Christmas and family and for looking into the New Year, ended the year right on schedule, having fulfilled all its duties. I was invited to speak at the Ladies Christmas Banquet at church, and that put me in the Christmas spirit. Mom came to spend a week with us, and just having her here also made it seem more like Christmas. Russ and I spent time evaluating the year and praying about new developments for the new year. And we received peace of mind that it was the right time to plan for a home here in Brenham. So as the year came to an end, we enjoyed the most stability of the year, looking forward with anticipation to what is to come. Sometime in June we'll have a new home built and ready to move in. And we have new clients to serve. Starting in January we'll make arrangements to get out speaking more too; Russ filling pulpit for churches and me speaking for special events. It took a while to get to this point, and we certainly haven't "arrived" by any means, but we're ending the year with a greater sense of stability. It doesn't seem like we will have to punch the panic button after all! And you know what? God knew that all the time.

2010 Year in Review (January-June)

For this last week of the year I'm looking back over 2010. What does a "Grateful Gratitude" list look like from the perspective of 365 days? It's fun to look back to where I was, ahead to where I'm going, and right now to where I'm at. Reflecting is a good place to be. Living in the moment of certain 2010 circumstances, I didn't have the benefit of hindsight. But now, with just a little bit of time passing, and a lot bit of God working on my heart, I can see with a different perspective, and can offer a YEAR IN REVIEW—Grateful Gratitudes.

JANUARY—God flooded me with fellowship. Much needed heart-bonding. I opened the year with our student ministry activity. A new friend entered my life. Jordy. The Link Family came to sing/play at our church, and we renewed our friendship with two Link generations. We toured the Rio Grande Bible College and enjoyed time with the staff there. I traveled to Florida to be the retreat speaker for Word Weavers and enjoyed time with the entire bunch. It was great to stay with host Cheri Cowell and to finally hug (in person) my long-ago writing mentor, Laurie Barker Copeland. Lots of heart conversations and brainstorming happened in January.

FEBRUARY—God redirected my path. CLASSeminars invited me to consider starting the training process to join their faculty. My first official event in this training capacity was the CLASS reunion in Palm Springs, CA. I enjoyed getting to know the others, and co-teaching with Linda Gilden.

MARCH—God stretched me. My business required more intensive skill, more consult calls. Just MORE. And my everyday life situations caused me to dig deeper with my faith walk.

APRIL—God became even more real to me. The Easter service was extra special—a woven blending of music and message, seamless reflection of the price He paid for me, of the power of His resurrection, of the hope found as we anticipate His return. I served on faculty at Quad-Cities Christian Writers Conference and while there God's presence was evident in manifold ways. A "random" drawing selected Robin Steinweg to receive a special grant from my communications firm, but what I couldn't have known is that God was directing our steps to knit our hearts in an extra-special friendship. I got to attend worship with my sister-friend, Twila Belk, and soaked in an incredible day of sharing life stuff. I found out that my longtime assistant, Gina Stinson, needed to give resignation notice, and we both cried at the thought of this separation. She stayed on through our KCWC staffing transition and I remain grateful for her faithful service over the past three years.

MAY—God nudged me to step out. When our May Tea was canceled, I was disappointed. I'd put my heart and soul into planning the event over the past year. But I knew it was the right move. After the cancellation, an opportunity opened up to go for more CLASSeminars training. How obvious that God was moving me to work with this wonderful organization! I roomed with Gerry Wakeland, and had Betty Southard as my mentor. Wonderful to have two new godly women in my life, for such a time as this! It also became obvious that God was preparing our hearts for a move. He allowed doors to shut and other doors to open. Difficult times in the moment, but looking back with the perspective of hindsight, I can be grateful for His direction.

JUNE—God reminded me to write plans in pencil to allow for last-minute "life" adjustments. I served on faculty with Write-To-Publish. What an incredible writers' conference! Thanks to Lin Johnson, Joyce Ellis and Jane Rubietta for bringing me in to share with the attendees of the Career Track. After the conference, I met family for a reunion in MO and while there we were called back to Texas prematurely to bury a man we greatly loved and respected. What didn't happen was the rest of our family vacation, my participation as emcee at the AWSA (Advanced Writers and Speakers Association) conference, or attending the International Christian Retailers Show in St. Louis. Not going to those events caused me to miss out on the new clients I normally pick up for the year. We had just signed a lease to rent a home in Brenham, TX as Russ was to come on board with my KCWC firm starting in July. We were (and are) certain God directed the change, but with the canceled conferences, all of a sudden with the wheels in motion, all the security blankets were pulled away and only one thing remained—trusting God for our future.

(Friday I'll post Part Two, July through December, 2010)

Today's Message: God With Us

Today, Pastor preached a Christmas message from the book of Matthew. What stood out to me was just how important it is that God came to be with us. Immanuel. Jesus put on human flesh, yet remained sinless to pay the debt we could not pay. But this year, Immanuel means more than the fact that God came to Earth in the form of the baby Jesus. This year, I make it more personal and more of a day-to-day gift than the gift of salvation. Not just God with us. God with ME. God with YOU. What does it mean to me to know that God isn't just in Heaven, but He's here helping me, talking with me about normal and important stuff, nurturing me. And it's not a one-sided relationship—He loves hearing from me. He walks with me and talks with me and tells me I am His own. Immanuel. God with us.

Technology and Christmas Merge—What Fun!

I just have to share North Point's iBand Christmas Music presentation, showing off the modern technology of iPads and iPhones. No real instruments. I'm not saying "let's throw out the instruments we know and love." But I am saying "this is fun!"

Click on the photo above, sit back and enjoy 3 songs for your listening and viewing pleasure!

http://youtu.be/F9XNfWNooz4

My Favorite New Christmas Commercial

Top 10 Skills for PWs During the Holidays (wink-wink)

Top 10 Skills of a PW During the Holidays

by Kathy Carlton Willis

Said pastor’s wife must:

1. Recreate the First Nativity, in life-size scale, for a silent witness in the parsonage front yard.

2. Incorporate the Twelve Days of Christmas into her baking and gift-giving schedule, taking special care with the partridge in a pear tree.

3. Live green with the motto of recycle, repurpose, reuse. Start by repurposing the silver tinsel as kitty dental floss.

4. Create a Christmas card list to include every church member, visitor, “used to be” members, and “meant to be” visitors. Being clairvoyant is an added skill set for this requirement.

5. Create a cookie recipe for each day of the advent calendar, ready for parsonage pop-in guests at any time of day or night. It’s highly offensive to serve day-old cookies to the president of the lap quilt guild.

6. Have a gift-wrapped present at the ready for any impromptu exchange, so that gift-bearers do not leave empty-handed.

7. Stock up on gifts that look impressive but cost less than a cup of coffee. (Regular, not Starbucks!)

8. Keep in mind every dietary restriction of every church attendee. Recipes should be gluten free, diabetic-friendly, lactose-free, low fat, low carb, yet high in taste. On a pastor’s salary.

9. Have a different party outfit appropriate for every holiday invitation between Thanksgiving and New Years. Can’t duplicate what anyone else is wearing. On a pastor’s budget.

10. Be willing to drop everything to be available for every beck and call from lonely members, fighting couples and stress-filled moms who need a listening ear during the blues-humbug of the season.

Come read the rest of this post over at the original spot. The Pastor's Wife Speaks. It includes real tips to help you enjoy the holidays without pulling your hair out.

GRATEFUL GRATITUDES—Monday's Version

GRATEFUL GRATTTUDES

For some reason, holiday gratitudes pack a more potent punch than everyday appreciations—not sure why, other than my heart is already warmed up and excited.

Here’s my list:

1. I’m grateful for the opportunity to speak and sing for a Christmas Banquet last week. I had so much fun with that program, and it was a huge blessing to me to have ladies waiting to talk with me afterward, so we could love on each other in a more personal way. Encouragement, counsel, motivation, inspiration, laughter, building up, sisterhood. All good!
2. I’m grateful for facebook, to get to know new people quicker than possible in person. There’s only so much I can learn about a person when we go out for a beverage for an hour. But interacting on facebook several times a week reinforces what I’ve started in person, and takes us to a closer friendship, quicker.
3. I’m grateful for a comfortable bed. When nothing else is right, when everything that doesn’t hurt, doesn’t work, my mattress set and sheets envelopes me in warm fuzzy comfort.
4. I’m grateful for words of affirmation. Gary Chapman would say it’s my “love language.” All I know is, when I get feedback, I feel more secure in my plugged-in position of life purpose. I’ve had feedback this week that I’ll save in my mental affirmations file for future reference whenever I begin to doubt myself.
5. I’m grateful for music. Sometimes when words can’t penetrate the fog of my heart or mind, music breaks through and speaks to me. Puts me on the right path. And it doesn’t take long—instant transformation!
   

Afterglow

God showed up big-time at tonight's Christmas Banquet! But let me back up just a bit. A few weeks ago I was invited to speak and sing for the Ladies Ministry banquet. I've enjoyed the preparation process.

Then of course, this week drained me with unrelated disappointments and challenges. Fatigue set in. I was spent before it ever started!

At lunch I rehearsed the song for tonight (Point Of Grace's "All Is Well"). It reduced me to a puddle, yet at the same time—spoke to my heart. So this afternoon I spent time praying and resting, asking God to continue to empty "me" out and use me however He deemed best.

God has never expected me to be on my own when I speak or sing. He's not only "with" me, but when I'm yielded to Him, He's flowing through me. His reflection. And that's what happened tonight.

He blessed me with the ability to recall the points of my message when the words were sort of swimming on the page, so I could speak from my heart with just a few brief peeks at my notes. Not only that, but He gave me a couple of new examples/illustrations as we went along that surprised even me. One will stick with me and probably develop into a complete program sometime.

But God didn’t finish with the AMEN. Oh no! He also breathed me through the song to close the program. I was concerned the song was too simple to be effective, but obeyed His direction to use it. The song was perfectly fitting. Father knows best! The impact of the entire evening was staggering.

Then God continued the blessings by bringing ladies up to talk with me. One after one they shared from their hearts. It was a combination of all the things that make me happy:

• fellowship
• ministry
• encouragement
• counseling
• connecting
• building friendships
• edifying
  

And did I mention, “NEW FRIENDS!”

And new ministry opportunities.

I'm reminded again why I love being called to speak and sing. I witnessed light bulbs going on above heads all over the room as the words spoke to hearts. It was then that God whispered to me, “Kathy, why aren’t you doing this more? Be open to new opportunities for 2011.” That’s exciting.

I am blessed. So blessed. And basking in the afterglow.