Journal Jots – Blog

“A life isn’t significant except for its impact on other lives.”

— Jackie Robinson

“Each one of them is Jesus in disguise.”

— Mother Teresa

I know this is going to shock quite a few people, but in addition to being a CDQ (caffeinated drama queen), I can also be a CDF (caffeinated detail freak), which means if I go to a McDonald’s drive-thru for breakfast with my poor husband, I MUST have the following with my Egg McMuffin meal: 1 strawberry jelly (not grape), a knife, four ketchups, one salt, one pepper, two creamers, a stirrer and at least four napkins. Period. Any one of those items missing, and my poor guy cringes with a look that says I am also a CPIB (caffeinated pain in the butt).

Sigh. Any of you prayerful types out there may consider adding my husband to your list because yes, I am known in my household as “high maintenance,” but I prefer the term, “passionately aware of what I need to be happy.” Or, just plain “passionate” will do, whether it manifests itself in writing a book in every Christmas card I sent (which is why I gave up Christmas cards twenty years ago) or giving my publisher 135 title suggestions for A Passion Most Pure when they asked for only a few. Yep, I’m a bona fide COA (caffeinated overachiever) who gives everything my all, no question.

BUT … I’m not exactly sure how much of it is personality and how much is just the need to prove my self worth. I don’t know, blame it on the fact that I was #12 out of 13 kids, a skinny DQ who was fun to tease maybe, or being the brunt of jokes and cruelty in the 2^nd through 4^th grades because I had psoriasis a la Katie O’Connor in A Hope Undaunted. Whatever the trigger, I am driven to achieve, perhaps subconsciously to prove to my parents, my family, myself and the world … that I am a success.

But you know what? It’s a funny thing about success. God measures it WAY differently than we do, and that point was driven home this week in a conversation I had with my husband after taking Aunt Julie to the dentist … uh, for the fourth time!

Let me tell you, my sweet 93-year-old aunt has been a busy bee the last couple of months. She’s chipped one tooth, two temporaries and has been fitted for two crowns, plus broken two hearing aids, necessitating lots of drive time. The good news? The little dickens is doing so well and is so content, she’s eating everything not nailed down, plumping her former frail body up by a solid 20 to 30 pounds. Unfortunately because of that, I threw my back out trying to help her into my car from her wheelchair one day last week, which is why Keith came along on this most recent dental visit.

So we’re driving away from Aunt Julie’s facility home, and I am berating myself for all the moaning and groaning I’ve been doing over extra drive time for AJ errands, knowing full well massive revisions on Steven’s story are waiting at home. “Cut yourself some slack, Julie,” Keith says in his usual supportive way, “After all, she’s not even your mother and yet you’re the responsible party out of your family despite being the only one with a career. I for one am proud of you, and I know your mother would be too.”

Tears sting my eyes. Proud of me? My mother? The thought hits dead center, wrenching my heart. “Maybe,” I say reluctantly, “possibly because I’m an author.”

“No, not proud of you being an author, Julie,” my husband stresses with a sheen in his eyes, “but of the person you are.”

Oh. My. Goodness. Where are my Kleenex?? Frantic, I rifle through my purse while tears stream from my eyes.

“Think about it, Julie,” he continues with a sideways glance that’s almost as moist as mine, “When a person dies, people don’t talk about how many books they wrote or how many awards they won, they talk about how that person affected their lives.” How they encouraged them, was kind to them, a simple smile, a sincere compliment … or even taking them to the dentist five times despite an occasional moan and groan.

Let me tell you, the floodgates opened that day, and all the Kleenex in the world couldn’t stem the waterworks. Because for the first time in a long while, I thought long and hard about the true measure of a man—not in his own eyes—but in God’s. As I walk through this life, I need to ask myself what will God be proud of? The six books I’ve written, the endless blogs? The gardening contests I won when I actually gardened or how many times my name comes up when I Google it? Nope, His ways are not our ways, as we all know, and I gotta feeling His pride swells every time I smile at a stranger or leave an encouraging comment on a blog. When I pray for a one-star reviewer or a guy who just cut me off on the highway. And somehow I can almost feel His grin when I greet a Wal-Mart greeter or stop to talk to a wheelchair resident at my aunt’s nursing facility. Because you know what? Like Mother Teresa said, each one of them really is Jesus in disguise.

So, how are you going to make God smile today? One of my dear reader friends, Angi G. made Him smile yesterday when she contacted me to say she wanted to donate my book she won on the Seeker blog to someone who couldn’t afford it. Yeah, that’s just the caliber of person she is and I love her to pieces. As a result, I am holding a contest today to send a signed copy of any one of my books to someone who hasn’t been able to buy it due to financial circumstances. So if you are such a reader OR you know of such a reader, PLEASE send an e-mail through my website to let me know, and I will enter you or them in the contest. Winner will be announced next week in Journal Jots, and a HUGE thank you to Angi for her kindness.

FAVOR REQUEST: I have a blog giveaway going on through Monday, 10/24 on a secular website called RomCon, which is a pretty cool blog for romance readers. The good news is that they have an Inspirational section in which I have a brief article/giveaway posted. Since this is primarily a secular site, I would very much like to show them that there is a huge audience for Inspy fiction out there, so if you have the time to go leave a comment, I would be MOST grateful. To leave a comment, you will have to register with your name and your e-mail, but like I said, it’s a pretty cool site, so you may want to visit it more often anyway. PLUS, one comment enters you into my drawing for TWO BOOKS, a signed copy of any of my books plus your choice of top CBA book from my personal library. Thank you and GOOD LUCK!! Here’s the link:

http://romconinc.com/index.php?option=com_lyftenbloggie&view=entry&year=2011&month=10&day=17&id=1583:a-heart-revealed-by-julie-lessman

ATTN. ASPIRING WRITERS: For those of you who did not see it, I wrote a Seeker blog entitled “The Good, the Bad and the Really Ugly: Memories of a Published Writer” a week or so ago that shocked me when so many people responded in such a positive way to the tips I gave for aspiring authors. The giveaway is over, but if you need a little encouragement on your road to publication, you may want to read this blog. Hopefully it will bless you like it apparently blessed a number of other people … PLUS you can see what I look like in a cowboy hat and a gun! 😉 Here’s the link:

http://seekerville.blogspot.com/2011/10/good-bad-really-ugly-memories-of.html

ONLY TWO MORE DAYS … for an interview/giveaway at Book Reviews by Lady Katy blog to win a signed copy of any of my books including my current release, A Heart Revealed, so don’t miss out! Here’s the link:

http://katie-mccurdy.blogspot.com/2011/10/interview-giveaway-julie-lessman.html

Here’s to a crisp, colorful and wonderful autumn weekend and remember, dole out the smiles and the compliments like Halloween candy wherever you go. Because Jesus will be watching … and smiling … right along with you.

Hugs,

Julie

“A life isn’t significant except for its impact on other lives.”

— Jackie Robinson

“Each one of them is Jesus in disguise.”

— Mother Teresa

I know this is going to shock quite a few people, but in addition to being a CDQ (caffeinated drama queen), I can also be a CDF (caffeinated detail freak), which means if I go to a McDonald’s drive-thru for breakfast with my poor husband, I MUST have the following with my Egg McMuffin meal: 1 strawberry jelly (not grape), a knife, four ketchups, one salt, one pepper, two creamers, a stirrer and at least four napkins. Period. Any one of those items missing, and my poor guy cringes with a look that says I am also a CPIB (caffeinated pain in the butt).

Sigh. Any of you prayerful types out there may consider adding my husband to your list because yes, I am known in my household as “high maintenance,” but I prefer the term, “passionately aware of what I need to be happy.” Or, just plain “passionate” will do, whether it manifests itself in writing a book in every Christmas card I sent (which is why I gave up Christmas cards twenty years ago) or giving my publisher 135 title suggestions for A Passion Most Pure when they asked for only a few. Yep, I’m a bona fide COA (caffeinated overachiever) who gives everything my all, no question.

BUT … I’m not exactly sure how much of it is personality and how much is just the need to prove my self worth. I don’t know, blame it on the fact that I was #12 out of 13 kids, a skinny DQ who was fun to tease maybe, or being the brunt of jokes and cruelty in the 2^nd through 4^th grades because I had psoriasis a la Katie O’Connor in A Hope Undaunted. Whatever the trigger, I am driven to achieve, perhaps subconsciously to prove to my parents, my family, myself and the world … that I am a success.

But you know what? It’s a funny thing about success. God measures it WAY differently than we do, and that point was driven home this week in a conversation I had with my husband after taking Aunt Julie to the dentist … uh, for the fourth time!

Let me tell you, my sweet 93-year-old aunt has been a busy bee the last couple of months. She’s chipped one tooth, two temporaries and has been fitted for two crowns, plus broken two hearing aids, necessitating lots of drive time. The good news? The little dickens is doing so well and is so content, she’s eating everything not nailed down, plumping her former frail body up by a solid 20 to 30 pounds. Unfortunately because of that, I threw my back out trying to help her into my car from her wheelchair one day last week, which is why Keith came along on this most recent dental visit.

So we’re driving away from Aunt Julie’s facility home, and I am berating myself for all the moaning and groaning I’ve been doing over extra drive time for AJ errands, knowing full well massive revisions on Steven’s story are waiting at home. “Cut yourself some slack, Julie,” Keith says in his usual supportive way, “After all, she’s not even your mother and yet you’re the responsible party out of your family despite being the only one with a career. I for one am proud of you, and I know your mother would be too.”

Tears sting my eyes. Proud of me? My mother? The thought hits dead center, wrenching my heart. “Maybe,” I say reluctantly, “possibly because I’m an author.”

“No, not proud of you being an author, Julie,” my husband stresses with a sheen in his eyes, “but of the person you are.”

Oh. My. Goodness. Where are my Kleenex?? Frantic, I rifle through my purse while tears stream from my eyes.

“Think about it, Julie,” he continues with a sideways glance that’s almost as moist as mine, “When a person dies, people don’t talk about how many books they wrote or how many awards they won, they talk about how that person affected their lives.” How they encouraged them, was kind to them, a simple smile, a sincere compliment … or even taking them to the dentist five times despite an occasional moan and groan.

Let me tell you, the floodgates opened that day, and all the Kleenex in the world couldn’t stem the waterworks. Because for the first time in a long while, I thought long and hard about the true measure of a man—not in his own eyes—but in God’s. As I walk through this life, I need to ask myself what will God be proud of? The six books I’ve written, the endless blogs? The gardening contests I won when I actually gardened or how many times my name comes up when I Google it? Nope, His ways are not our ways, as we all know, and I gotta feeling His pride swells every time I smile at a stranger or leave an encouraging comment on a blog. When I pray for a one-star reviewer or a guy who just cut me off on the highway. And somehow I can almost feel His grin when I greet a Wal-Mart greeter or stop to talk to a wheelchair resident at my aunt’s nursing facility. Because you know what? Like Mother Teresa said, each one of them really is Jesus in disguise.

So, how are you going to make God smile today? One of my dear reader friends, Angi G. made Him smile yesterday when she contacted me to say she wanted to donate my book she won on the Seeker blog to someone who couldn’t afford it. Yeah, that’s just the caliber of person she is and I love her to pieces. As a result, I am holding a contest today to send a signed copy of any one of my books to someone who hasn’t been able to buy it due to financial circumstances. So if you are such a reader OR you know of such a reader, PLEASE send an e-mail through my website to let me know, and I will enter you or them in the contest. Winner will be announced next week in Journal Jots, and a HUGE thank you to Angi for her kindness.

FAVOR REQUEST: I have a blog giveaway going on through Monday, 10/24 on a secular website called RomCon, which is a pretty cool blog for romance readers. The good news is that they have an Inspirational section in which I have a brief article/giveaway posted. Since this is primarily a secular site, I would very much like to show them that there is a huge audience for Inspy fiction out there, so if you have the time to go leave a comment, I would be MOST grateful. To leave a comment, you will have to register with your name and your e-mail, but like I said, it’s a pretty cool site, so you may want to visit it more often anyway. PLUS, one comment enters you into my drawing for TWO BOOKS, a signed copy of any of my books plus your choice of top CBA book from my personal library. Thank you and GOOD LUCK!! Here’s the link:

http://romconinc.com/index.php?option=com_lyftenbloggie&view=entry&year=2011&month=10&day=17&id=1583:a-heart-revealed-by-julie-lessman

ATTN. ASPIRING WRITERS: For those of you who did not see it, I wrote a Seeker blog entitled “The Good, the Bad and the Really Ugly: Memories of a Published Writer” a week or so ago that shocked me when so many people responded in such a positive way to the tips I gave for aspiring authors. The giveaway is over, but if you need a little encouragement on your road to publication, you may want to read this blog. Hopefully it will bless you like it apparently blessed a number of other people … PLUS you can see what I look like in a cowboy hat and a gun! 😉 Here’s the link:

http://seekerville.blogspot.com/2011/10/good-bad-really-ugly-memories-of.html

ONLY TWO MORE DAYS … for an interview/giveaway at Book Reviews by Lady Katy blog to win a signed copy of any of my books including my current release, A Heart Revealed, so don’t miss out! Here’s the link:

http://katie-mccurdy.blogspot.com/2011/10/interview-giveaway-julie-lessman.html

Here’s to a crisp, colorful and wonderful autumn weekend and remember, dole out the smiles and the compliments like Halloween candy wherever you go. Because Jesus will be watching … and smiling … right along with you.

Hugs,

Julie

“Like mother, like daughter ….”

—Unknown

Sweet mother of Job—what an incredible autumn so far!! Last weekend Keith and I had the pleasure of going to the Lake of the Ozarks with my daughter and her boyfriend, who owns a condo down there, and WHOA, BABY, can you believe it was a deliriously balmy 85 degrees?? In OCTOBER, no less!! What a gift from God.

Uh, both the weather … and my daughter! You see Amy and I used to butt heads because she is a strong-willed girl with definite ideas (Keith’s genes, no doubt! :)), an admirable trait that was MOST evident when she was a toddler and I had to call Poison Control approximately 19 times. I know, I know … sounds like I was off somewhere taking naps, doesn’t it? Nope, I was right there every single time, never more than twenty feet away and sometimes only twenty inches! Like the time I was cleaning the bathtub with Comet and I set the container one foot away on the left of the tub? Yep, there I was scrubbing away when I snuck a peek over my shoulder to check on Amy. Sigh. She blinked up at me in her most angelic pose, her sweet smile ringed with Comet as if she’d just eaten a powdered donut. Fortunately, she only licked the cleanser lid because she was fine, but I am seriously surprised Poison Control didn’t send out a sheriff to follow me around.

Then there was the time I’d give our golden retriever his heartworm chewy pill every day. We had a system, Amy and I. I would hand the pill to her and she would give it to Bunker with a giggle when he licked her hand. Day after day, month after month, giggle after giggle—this was the routine. Sweet. Simple. And, oh SO stupid! Why? Because one day I handed the pill to my two-and-a-half-year-old daughter, and she promptly popped it in her mouth and took off like Jackie Joyner Kersee on a good day. Lord, have mercy—I was sure the PC people would slap me into handcuffs and cart me away.

Even threats didn’t seem to stop my oral toddler. “Ame—do not touch the tree spikes, honey, because they’re bad,” I warned in my sternest voice, pounding the spikes in a perimeter around my sweet gum. Yep, you guessed it—Little Miss “She never tasted anything she didn’t like” was licking that sucker like a bomb pop from the melody-man ice cream truck. Whether yew berries and poinsettia leaves or a wasp sprayed with Raid and perfume, my daughter saw life as feast for the senses.

Okay, all right, I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but I did finally realize that whenever Amy popped something bad in her mouth, grinned and darted off—she wanted my attention. Why? Because despite how they try to convince you otherwise, moms are important to daughters. They want to emulate you, look like you and be like you, no matter how loudly they deny it in their teens. And God help us, what a heavy responsibility!! And one, thank God, that we do not have to shoulder alone. God is there every step of the way, not only helping us in our relationships, but in our own personal walk as well so that those who watch our every move—our children, our family, our neighbors, our church, and for we writers out there, our readers—will see HIM and therefore, God willing, hopefully emulate Him as well.

Don’t kid yourself that people aren’t watching, because they are, and NONE more than our own children. In Beth Moore’s Breaking Free workbook—which is AWESOME, by the way—she relates a story from the late Gilda Radner, one of the first female comics on Saturday Night Live, which illustrates a lesson every parent needs to heed. Apparently in her novel, It’s Always Something, Radner tells a story about her nurse Dibby’s cousin’s dog who was due to have puppies any day. As tragedies happen, apparently the mama-to-be got in the way of the lawn mower, and her two little hind legs were cut off. Of course, Dibby’s cousin raced the dog to the Vet and the good news is that both the dog and her puppies were saved. The bad news, however, was that the dog no longer had two back legs. Radner goes on to say that within a week, this amazing canine mama learned to walk by taking two steps in the front and flipping up her backside, two more steps in front, then another flip to the backside and so on. This resilient little dog gave birth to six puppies, all in perfect health. And when they learned to walk … every single one walked like her!

Okay, I don’t know about you, but that story rips me up because I may not be the perfect mother and a lot of the things I say and do are pretty “lame” to my daughter (pun intended), I know, but in the end she will end up “walking” like me in many ways whether she or I like it or not. And as God is my witness, I will do EVERYTHING in my power—and God’s—to teach her to walk straight and strong and according to God’s precepts. But the only way I can do that is to PRAY and APPLY His precepts in every single thing I do, every single day of my life. Because she’s watching … when I take time to read my Bible and pray, when I greet the Walmart greeter before they greet me, when I apologize to the checker for my rude tone and when I pray for 1-star reviewers who call me writing “scum reading.” Oh, yeah, she’s watching all right, and if I want people to say, “like mother, like daughter” about me and my girl, then by God—literally—I need them to say, “like Father, like daughter” about me as well. Because that’s where it begins—and ends—with the Alpha and the Omega. Which is why the picture above wrings tears from my eyes. Amy’s boyfriend took it this last weekend without our knowledge, while the two of us were praying for one of her friends. Oh, Lord, somebody please pass me the Kleenex …

Speaking of “Kleenex,” any of you aspiring writers out there may just want to check out my Seeker blog this week. My subject is “The Good, the Bad and the Really Ugly: Memories of a Published Writer,” where I talk about all the things I’ve learned to do and not do on the road to publication. And even you non-aspiring writers might like to mosey on over to leave a comment because I will pick one winner to have a character named after them in my next book, A Trust Restored, PLUS a signed copy of that book when it comes out next year or any of my books, PLUS winner’s choice of a top CBA book from my personal library. In addition, since it’s Seekerville’s birthday month, all comments accrue ALL MONTH LONG for prices like a Toshiba Netbook, a Kindle, gift cards, free books and more, so DON’T MISS OUT!!! My blog giveaway to have a character named after you ENDS by 5:00 PM today, Friday, so if you’re game, it’s best to get a move on, okay? Here’s the link:

http://seekerville.blogspot.com/2011/10/good-bad-really-ugly-memories-of.html

AND … if you like to win free books, then do I have the website for you!! Hop on over on a daily basis to Fiction Addiction Fix, a daily updating of all the current book giveaways going on in the Christian market. This site is run by two dynamo aspiring authors, Debbie Lynn Costello (in pink sweather) and Kathleen L. Maher who are not only kind enough to compile the giveaways, BUT will feature your giveaway if you are an author looking to promote your book. So readers and authors alike, take advantage of Fiction Addiction Fix and put this site on your favorites like I have—you will be totally BLESSED by the ministry of these two lovely ladies. Here’s the link:

http://fictionaddictionfix.blogspot.com/

Finally … don’t forget to check out my website calendar on a regular basis because I have upcoming giveaways you don’t want to miss such as the following:

OCTOBER 11 to 23, 2011:

Join me at Book Reviews by Lady Katy blog for a Q & A session and a chance to win a signed copy of any of my books including my upcoming release, A Heart Revealed at:

http://katie-mccurdy.blogspot.com/2011/10/interview-giveaway-julie-lessman.html

OCTOBER 18, 2011:

Join me at RomConInc blog for a sneak peek at A Heart Revealed and a chance to win a signed copy of any of my books including my upcoming release, A Heart Revealed at:

http://www.romconinc.com/http://www.katysreviews.blogspot.com/

OCTOBER 31 to NOVEMBER 14, 2011:

Join me at Debbie Lynne Costello’s The Sword and the Spirit blog for a chance to win a signed copy of my new release, A Heart Revealed at:

http://www.theswordandspirit.blogspot.com/

A HUGE THAN YOU TO ALL OF YOU who just signed up for Journal Jots through my Seekerville blog mentioned above—look for the winner in the Weekend Edition of Seekerville on Sunday at the following link:

http://www.seekerville.blogspot.com/

Until next week, have a great weekend and remember—we don’t want to be “LAME,” right??? So, let’s line our walk up with the Word of God!

Hugs,

Julie