tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908346577027201132024-03-18T22:12:58.695-05:00Susan CrawfordThoughts on the Kingdom, writing, and life in generalSusan Crawfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18097934149556488076noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-390834657702720113.post-70482332953771510452014-09-22T23:26:00.000-05:002014-09-22T23:26:21.725-05:00Is This Real Life?So, a LOT has happened since I last blogged (clearly, blogging is not on my short list of things to do).<br />
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Long story short: My prayer for 2014 was that God would give me a breakthrough in my writing. Well, He showed up in ways I never expected, and He answered BIG!<br />
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<li>I got to be a finalist in the <a href="http://www.acfw.com/genesis/2014_genesis_finalists" target="_blank">ACFW Genesis Contest</a>.</li>
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<li>I signed a contract for my first book with a <a href="http://www.redbudpress.com/" target="_blank">brand-new company</a> that I am over-the-top excited about.</li>
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<li>My book is mentioned <a href="http://newsok.com/new-oklahoma-publisher-to-release-inspriational-romantic-ebooks/article/5343781" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://christianretailing.com/index.php/newsletter/latest/27448" target="_blank">here</a> alongside fantastic authors I have adored for years.</li>
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<li>My <a href="http://susanthewriter.blogspot.com/p/coming-in-march-2015-book-blurb-after.html" target="_blank">book cover</a> is super cute!</li>
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This is such a gift of His grace and I'm so thankful! </div>
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If you're chasing a dream, please keep pressing in. I know how loud the discouragement can be, but God put that dream in your heart because the world needs it. Tell the voices to shut up, and chase on! I'm praying for your breakthrough.</div>
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Susan Crawfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18097934149556488076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-390834657702720113.post-63980298732971739472013-12-25T11:24:00.000-06:002014-03-29T22:44:14.305-05:00Light Breaks Forth<span style="font-family: inherit;">Here's a little Christmas poem in celebration of Jesus, the Light of the world. May you feel His nearness today and throughout the new year. Merry Christmas!</span><br />
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<i>Light breaks forth.</i><br /><br />Amidst our longing, grief, and brokenness. In poverty and pain.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />Our sighing, dying, crying souls can barely speak His name.<br /><br />We're hanging by a thread of hope - a brittle, frazzled shred.<br /><br />We're bruised and tattered, torn and worn. Can't lift our weary heads.<br /><br />Our hearts cry out, "How long, O Lord?" Can't wait another day.<br /><br />We need You near. Come close. Lean in. Kingdom, come and stay.<br /><br /><i>Light breaks forth. </i><br /><br />Who is this child, this man, this God? Who steps from Glory's place?<br /><br />Who leaves crowns & thrones on high to live among the fray?<br /><br />Only one could give such love. Only one could pay.<br /><br />And with Him brings our hope restored, fulfilled in every way.<br /><br />He comes to us, our Christ, our Lord. Alone He saves the day.<br /><br /><i>Light breaks forth. </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span>Susan Crawfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18097934149556488076noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-390834657702720113.post-23585482108748233362013-05-11T05:00:00.000-05:002013-05-11T05:00:10.828-05:00Mother's Day Syndrome<br />
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<i>This one is from the archives, but I feel this way every year on Mother's Day, so I thought it was worth reposting. Hope you all have a happy Mother's Day!</i></div>
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Mother's Day is just a couple of days away, which means all the school kids have been busy making treasured gifts for their moms. The gifts usually include a plant or flower of some kind, and a card full of sweet drawings and misspelled words written by precious little fingers.</div>
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Teachers these days are so crafty and creative. They want your Mother's Day gift to actually mean something to you, so they ask your kid all kinds of questions about you, then put their answers in permanent ink so you can treasure it for all eternity. A wonderful idea for most people, I'm sure. Me? Not so much.</div>
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Why? Because those thoughtful little gifts cause my Mother's Day Syndrome to kick in. MDS is a disorder that causes a mom to break out in a cold sweat and have an elevated heart rate at the very moment she begins to read her child's answers in the sweet little Mother's Day card. All she can think is, <span style="font-style: italic;">"What has this child said about me?! Has he/she exposed every one of my weaknesses as a parent?"</span></div>
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I had an episode today because Corban brought home her gift for me. It's a cookbook compiled by her Kindergarten class. All the kids made their own page to showcase their favorite food that mom makes, including the recipe and all the ingredients needed. There's also a cute picture of the kid in a chef's hat and apron, holding a spoon and a bowl, and there's a little cartoon bubble with a quote from the child about why mom is special. So precious.</div>
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And frightening.</div>
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As I began to read the book, all I could do was wonder what was going to be on her page. I was afraid it was going to go something like:</div>
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<span style="font-style: italic;">Corban<br /><br />Chicken McNuggets<br /><br />Hop in your car and drive to McDonald's. Talk into the talky thing and tell the lady you want some chicken. Please pull to the first window, then the second window and then they hand you some chicken.<br /><br />My mom is special because she only yells at me sometimes, not all the time.</span><br /><br /><br />Lucky for me, here's what it really said:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Corban</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br />Chocolate Chip Cookies</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br />Cookie Mix</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br />Eggs</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br />Spoon</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br />Water</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br />Oil</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br />Put the cookie mix in and crack the eggs into it. Then you mix it all together. Put them in the oven.</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br />I love my mom because she plays at the playground with me.</span><br /><br />WHEW!!<br /><br />I haven't always been so lucky. Here's a sample of some of the cards I've received in the past. The bold print is the sentence the teacher gave, the italics are my beautiful offspring filling in the blanks:<span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">All day long, my mom..</span><b>.</b> <span style="font-style: italic;">takes a nap. </span>(this one had a lovely picture of stick-figure me in bed with lots of z's above my head) </div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">My mom is so smart, she can even...</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">eat a whole roll in one bite. </span>(also with a picture of stick-figure me with crumbs all over my face)</div>
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<b>It was so funny when</b><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><b>...</b> you burped a long time ago. </span></span>(That never happened!)</div>
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<b>I love my mom because... </b><span style="font-style: italic;">one time she played with me. </span>(and if you keep giving me cards like this for Mother's Day, it'll never happen again)</div>
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<b>My mom's favorite tv show is</b><span style="font-style: italic;"><b>...</b> a tornado watch. </span>(Pick any other show and it's more my favorite than a tornado watch)</div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">M</span> - <span style="font-style: italic;">Much Love </span>(Awww)</div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">O</span> -<span style="font-style: italic;"> Open Minded </span>(Okaaaay?)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">T </span>- <span style="font-style: italic;">The Best </span>(Yay for me!)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">H</span> - <span style="font-style: italic;">Hones</span><span style="font-style: italic;">t</span> (Always)</div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">E</span> - <span style="font-style: italic;">Excellent </span>(Yes!)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">R</span> - <span style="font-style: italic;">Rather Cunning </span>(Really? You're in 2nd grade. How do you even know these words?)<br /><br />Oh well. At least I have a whole stack of cards to look back on and laugh.<br /><br />Happy Mother's Day!<br /></div>
Susan Crawfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18097934149556488076noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-390834657702720113.post-63203028579426310752013-04-15T05:00:00.000-05:002013-04-15T05:00:01.655-05:00Haiti Part 2: Getting There<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaFHA8YzIjF5C7-gi2DEk07iW9sg0LQBRKqImkyEYHZlYy8g3lUkufXkEk5mLF5Sp_FaYQ3JOpsXeipz9ijtO1GQkAFuuabkptcfUNqkJ808EY5flM1T5azAn-iQKIMLEWt3N75FiSi5Y/s1600/102_2337.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaFHA8YzIjF5C7-gi2DEk07iW9sg0LQBRKqImkyEYHZlYy8g3lUkufXkEk5mLF5Sp_FaYQ3JOpsXeipz9ijtO1GQkAFuuabkptcfUNqkJ808EY5flM1T5azAn-iQKIMLEWt3N75FiSi5Y/s320/102_2337.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our awesome Haiti mission team.</td></tr>
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My family's experience in Haiti was life-changing, and the journey to get us there was nothing short of miraculous.<br />
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For most of our adult lives, Ron and I have felt called to the people of our own city. We've always thought of ourselves as "local missionaries," and while we admired, appreciated, and supported those who felt called to <i>go</i>, we knew we were called to <i>stay</i>. We had never been anywhere else, and we had no desire to change that. Our passion has been for the poor and the oppressed who live right here in OKC.</div>
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Enter Jacey Crawford. In addition to being a <a href="http://susanthewriter.blogspot.com/2012_02_01_archive.html" target="_blank">ninja-level prayer warrior</a>, our middle child is also a lover of children. She's a giant magnet for all manner of kids and babies, but she has a special love for orphans. Her dream for as long as she's been alive is to grow up and adopt a rainbow of children from different countries around the world. So when our church announced that they were planning a mission trip, Jacey heard the words "Haiti" and "orphanage" and she was sold. She turned to me and said, "I'm going to Haiti. I don't care how it happens or who goes with me, but I'm <i>going</i>." And I knew she wasn't kidding around.<br />
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The only problem with that was our finances, or lack thereof. Because of some major changes in our circumstances, the last couple of years have been really difficult for us in a lot of ways, but especially financially. The prospect of taking an international trip was so far out of our range, it was almost laughable. When we brought this little detail up in conversation with Jacey, she just looked at us and said, "Duh. I'm gonna pray about it." And we all know what happens when she prays about something.<br />
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So we started praying that if God wanted us to go to Haiti, He'd make it very clear and provide a way. At first, we thought only Jacey and I would go, but the more we talked and prayed about it, the more our whole family wanted to go. We knew it would take miraculous provision from God whether two of us went, or five, so why not ask for the whole shebang? He <i>is</i> the One who can do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine, right? And if we weren't supposed to go, we prayed He would make that clear to us, too.<br />
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At the end of October, we went to the first meeting to get information about the trip and our eyes nearly popped out of our heads when we started adding up the total price for a family of five. In addition to the trip cost, we would also need passports, shots, medicines, clothing, and lots of other supplies and incidentals. Ron and I shared several <i>this-is-never-going-to-happen</i> looks throughout the course of the meeting. Our kids whispered, "Are we going?" We whispered back, "We'll have to see." (which all parents and kids know is code for "No").<br />
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But after the meeting, before we even had time to get out of our seats, a friend came over and sat with us. She grabbed my hand and began to tell us how the Lord had been speaking to her about our family. "I just really feel like your whole family is supposed to go on this trip," she said. Then she told us that she and her husband had a lot of reward miles and they'd like to use them to pay for <b>all five of our plane tickets!</b> She had no idea how we had been praying, but in that moment, she was the embodiment of God's answer to us. Tears pooled in my eyes as we looked at our kids and said, "This is our answer. We're going to Haiti."<br />
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The next order of business was to get our passports, but we needed almost $1,000, which we did not have. We had a plan for fundraising, but at this point, the only action we'd taken was prayer. I am not exaggerating when I tell you that over the next few weeks, our friends and family just started handing us money, saying, "We heard you're going to Haiti and we want to help." We stuffed the money in an envelope and by the end of December, we had enough to apply for our passports. We were told to allow at least six weeks for processing, or we could expedite them for an extra $300. On the day we applied, we were exactly six weeks from our travel date. The agent who did our applications said it was a gamble, but we didn't have the extra money for expediting, so we continued praying that if God wanted us to go, He'd make a way. Our passports arrived in our mailbox two and a half weeks later.<br />
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Next came shots and all the required meds, which is much more daunting when you don't have health insurance. We were looking at another $1,000 or more for all five of us to get everything we needed. But throughout January, more friends and family jumped in to help fill our envelope, and we were referred to a travel health clinic that was rumored to give discounts to people going on mission trips. On the day of our appointment, we sat through our consultation with $800 in our envelope and asked the nurse to give us only what was absolutely necessary. As we went through the list and added things up, it came to $1,025, so we decided to get everything the kids needed, then Ron and I would get ours later. The nurse was so kind, and finally just came right out and asked how much we could spend. I pulled out our envelope and told him we had $800. He punched in a few things on his computer, then grinned and said, "Hmm. Looks like I added some things wrong. That'll be $800."<br />
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At this point, we were less than three weeks away from the trip and everything was falling into place. But every good story has a major conflict, and ours came in a phone call on a Thursday morning. Our friend had tried to purchase our plane tickets, but there was a glitch. She wouldn't be allowed to use her reward miles until the next billing cycle, which started the day before we were scheduled to leave, so there was a good chance that there wouldn't be five seats available on the flights we needed. The temptation to freak out was huge, but God had already orchestrated so many things, so we kept praying. If He wanted us to go, nothing could stop us.<br />
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For the next ten days, we prayed and waited. We filled our prayer jar with all our concerns. Worry and fear hovered just below the surface, but deep down, we <i>knew</i> that God was about to do something amazing.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our prayer jar.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNOR7slpo0DF84Xir-_MQf4RkcJID32snTCGi3pIu3coxMb8e70FbEbF2dPZ_jQfNXu4RXQFsS2KTAWbmjfNtuUJMNLZRSZxF-HRz4Z536y2eELk9HTwAw1GVYYipobQA-Sve9UpFxQf8/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNOR7slpo0DF84Xir-_MQf4RkcJID32snTCGi3pIu3coxMb8e70FbEbF2dPZ_jQfNXu4RXQFsS2KTAWbmjfNtuUJMNLZRSZxF-HRz4Z536y2eELk9HTwAw1GVYYipobQA-Sve9UpFxQf8/s320/photo.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
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Eight days before the trip, we got another phone call. Our church had rallied around the mission team and collected special offerings to help with the remaining costs. After the final count, there was enough money to buy all five of our plane tickets. And, just like God, He put us in First Class on one of the flights.</div>
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There were countless other details that God took care of, too, right down to providing precious friends to keep our dog for us while we were gone.<br />
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We asked if He wanted us to go, and He said yes.<br />
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Now, all we had to do was pack.<br />
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<b>How about you? Do you have any crazy trip-planning stories? Or a story of God's amazing provision? </b><br />
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Susan Crawfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18097934149556488076noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-390834657702720113.post-39075829170490559182013-04-10T10:00:00.000-05:002013-04-10T17:23:10.924-05:00Walking on Water<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>I'm over at <a href="http://Writerinterrupted.com/" target="_blank">Writer...Interrupted</a> this week. Come on over and say hello.</i> </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiFeaFzEUsndPq7G-IvAONdyQlrX2BywBdkmBaCIOyu5PnbK7Bu7n8RQZSYbOvZDsXq6B1_fDzgIQiPiEOVgpUgb8U8ivE6F9PT2CT-RC2T6-Pf-bZAFgs8Fv69utczhlbhVCA1EKcOwM/s1600/Stormy+Sea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiFeaFzEUsndPq7G-IvAONdyQlrX2BywBdkmBaCIOyu5PnbK7Bu7n8RQZSYbOvZDsXq6B1_fDzgIQiPiEOVgpUgb8U8ivE6F9PT2CT-RC2T6-Pf-bZAFgs8Fv69utczhlbhVCA1EKcOwM/s320/Stormy+Sea.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The story of Peter walking on water has been speaking volumes to me lately. I heard a teaching on it about a month ago and it sparked a new fascination in me. It's one of those stories I've heard countless times since childhood, so it amazes me that God will speak something fresh and new for my life out of a story that is anything but fresh and new.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">Keep reading <a href="http://writerinterrupted.com/2013/04/10/walking-on-water-with-jesus/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></span>Susan Crawfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18097934149556488076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-390834657702720113.post-12548096602679119552013-03-25T05:00:00.000-05:002013-03-25T05:00:14.067-05:00Haiti<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyCIDTdSrpdjRzw683ifo4mUUwybPvxcgiEXhfQ8CayzrOvAaRNDn4j1f_fnkXZ0lU24RTfpH_IHYpyqBYTmF1rDvclA71-ukXjfgmS40FF08ux7bRrx95QOuwIwyl7VSWUAVNWDI33nc/s1600/102_2509.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyCIDTdSrpdjRzw683ifo4mUUwybPvxcgiEXhfQ8CayzrOvAaRNDn4j1f_fnkXZ0lU24RTfpH_IHYpyqBYTmF1rDvclA71-ukXjfgmS40FF08ux7bRrx95QOuwIwyl7VSWUAVNWDI33nc/s320/102_2509.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from our bus. Mountains on one side...</td></tr>
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My little family went to Haiti last month.<br />
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We were part of the mission team from our church and it was, without a doubt, the best thing we've ever done. If you've been around me for more than five minutes since we returned, you're probably wishing I'd just shut up about Haiti already, but as you can see, that's not happening. :-)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfYk4JqliBEq9bmwqwtX_VphGXrJil4-NiXZB1f33k1_s5Ffirsgt2IOmMmR3Pzq7i_stAwRoyPpjY1e7R_MKTnB0V6xtrk5QrWYOjaiBTcTLgPDwBn_2LerMBiN8wCpzimZwz5BKLX0A/s1600/102_2658.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfYk4JqliBEq9bmwqwtX_VphGXrJil4-NiXZB1f33k1_s5Ffirsgt2IOmMmR3Pzq7i_stAwRoyPpjY1e7R_MKTnB0V6xtrk5QrWYOjaiBTcTLgPDwBn_2LerMBiN8wCpzimZwz5BKLX0A/s320/102_2658.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful turquoise ocean on the other.</td></tr>
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We were only there for five days, but we experienced so much that, here we are a month later, and I've just now begun to really process it all. I don't know how to respond to the things we encountered there, but I am absolutely certain of one thing: That kind of experience <i>demands a response</i>. I can't just keep going as if nothing has changed.<br />
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My eyes have been opened to suffering that my mind cannot comprehend. My heart has been broken for a nation crippled by poverty and injustice, but captured by a people full of hope and life. What am I supposed to do with all I've seen? How should my life be different? How can I keep scrambling and striving to make myself more comfortable when I've fallen in love with people who have so little? These are the questions that constantly thrash around in my mind.<br />
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For a couple of weeks after we returned, we were in a sort of depression. Several friends who had been on similar trips had told us to expect it, but I don't really know if you can emotionally prepare for such a thing. It was just hard to be back. The excess of the American life felt oppressive and unfair, and we missed everything about Haiti. We looked through our pictures multiple times a day and talked about our new Haitian friends constantly. The depression (the "Haiti Haze," we called it) wore off after a while, but the questions remain.<br />
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We live in the tension of knowing we've got to do <i>something</i>, but having no idea what that something is. We know whatever it is will be long term. We know we'll love Haiti for the rest of our lives. We know we can't wait to go back again and again. We know we want to make a difference in someone's life in Haiti -- hopefully, a lot of someone's -- but we don't know the best way to do that yet. Our minds have swung in every direction, from "Should we just sell everything we own and move there?" to "How can we help build more homes and schools?" to "How can we sponsor more children?"<br />
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We have no clear answers, but I know they're coming. For now, though, we'll take up residence in the tension, even though it's messy and uncomfortable. We tend to want to escape the tension too quickly, when that's often the place God is doing His most transformative work. He's the One who took our family to Haiti, and He'll be faithful to show us how to respond. May we be courageous and obedient when He does.<br />
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In my next few posts, I'll be sharing more about our experiences in Haiti (shocking, I know). God was so very near to us along the way, and He's working powerfully there. I look forward to sharing the journey with you.<br />
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<b>How about you? Have you had a season of wrestling with God for answers? Have you been on mission trip and felt that post-trip depression? How did you handle it?</b><br />
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<br />Susan Crawfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18097934149556488076noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-390834657702720113.post-43662853284363994002013-01-26T06:00:00.000-06:002013-01-26T21:49:12.823-06:00Guest Post at Writer...InterruptedI'm over at <a href="http://writerinterrupted.com/2013/01/23/from-the-desert/">Writer...Interrupted</a> this week talking about discouragement. I'd love for you to stop by. While you're there, be sure to check out all the great articles for writers.<br />
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Click <a href="http://writerinterrupted.com/2013/01/23/from-the-desert/" target="_blank">here</a> to read more.<br />
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Susan Crawfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18097934149556488076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-390834657702720113.post-55486428869598201732012-11-05T12:57:00.000-06:002013-02-02T22:54:49.491-06:00Enough<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>*****</i></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>This week, I'm guest posting on my friend Sharon Srock's <a href="http://www.sharonsrock.com/" target="_blank">blog</a>. I'd love for you to check it out. While you're there, be sure to click through the sidebar to her other pages which feature some fantastic Oklahoma authors and a chance to win free books!</i></span><br />
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<i>*****</i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaVpLo-TqcBH6z0wtBJqMrD9m4_INKqRlkiALlAs88XYRg-KSIMSoZRlaS5w3uTUs7w-OZPyKPnHji0ISXziSColiQTvVtmcB-kvVcNLj9mKSZSlwssAS_UYKC9qRYorCXszJqppE0lwA/s1600/Enough.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaVpLo-TqcBH6z0wtBJqMrD9m4_INKqRlkiALlAs88XYRg-KSIMSoZRlaS5w3uTUs7w-OZPyKPnHji0ISXziSColiQTvVtmcB-kvVcNLj9mKSZSlwssAS_UYKC9qRYorCXszJqppE0lwA/s320/Enough.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Photo Credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kwerfeldein/1126113609/" target="_blank">Creative Commons</a></span></td></tr>
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I was wading through the great fountain of spiritual truth known as Twitter the other day, and ran across a quote that stopped me in my cyber tracks.</div>
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“The good that God promises me isn’t a situation, possession, position, or relationship. The good that He promises me is Himself.” <a href="https://twitter.com/PaulTripp" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">@PaulTripp</span></a></div>
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That was really convicting to me.</div>
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How many times do I equate God’s goodness or His depth of love for me with my circumstances?</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Answer: way too many.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Now, if you asked me to my face if I believed my
circumstances were a direct reflection of God’s goodness, I would say of course
not. Any good Christian knows that. But my life doesn’t really answer that way
if I inspect it too closely. Sometimes, life is really hard, so I pray for God
to fix all the broken pieces, to change my situation, increase my position. If
I’m honest, I just want Him to make living in this world <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">easier</i>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But He doesn’t promise me a life of comfort and ease. He
never said I’d receive everything I long for. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A lot of the things I long for are good things. I want to
see people healed and justice reign. I want to see my city transformed by the presence
of God. I want to write stories that change people’s hearts and nudge them
closer to Jesus. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Of course, some things I want are more self-centered. Like
paying my mortgage, becoming a published author, or wanting my kids not to need
too much therapy when they finally move out of the house.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Those are all good things to want. Some are even God-given
hopes and dreams. But what if I never get any of them? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Hebrews 11 talks about all the heroes of the faith. Big
names like Moses, Abraham, and Jacob, just to name a few. These people did
extraordinary things, but verse 13 says, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“All
these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive
the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance.”</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For these people, God’s presence in their life outweighed
everything else. His nearness was the most important thing. HE was enough. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If I never see the things I’m hoping for, dreaming of, chasing
after...is He enough?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I so want my answer to be YES! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">How about you? What
are some things you hope and dream of? How has God shown His nearness in your
life?</b></span></div>
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Susan Crawfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18097934149556488076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-390834657702720113.post-13224017713349501962012-10-25T05:00:00.000-05:002012-10-25T05:00:02.739-05:00NaNoWriMo Prayer Guide<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0a61xalzL_BialcrsNsJT3yEocpw3WiTBBW10uY-qeDdTfVxRvs2BCrV9N7WJ7JlTCfb8TfiXsJ9xTqa6Cd_Vi-Wl4M2r2jEnbYce0K2ydVZ1ELVIRwltmXqFE4UBFy097xBiM-k0DLg/s1600/NaNo+Participant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0a61xalzL_BialcrsNsJT3yEocpw3WiTBBW10uY-qeDdTfVxRvs2BCrV9N7WJ7JlTCfb8TfiXsJ9xTqa6Cd_Vi-Wl4M2r2jEnbYce0K2ydVZ1ELVIRwltmXqFE4UBFy097xBiM-k0DLg/s200/NaNo+Participant.jpg" width="200" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">November 1st is fast approaching and writers from
all across the world are preparing to head into their writing caves for </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.nanowrimo.org/" target="_blank">NaNoWriMo</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. The goal:
crank out 50,000 words in 30 days.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We're fleshing out our characters, finalizing our
plots, and cooking meals ahead of time to store in the freezer so our families
don't go hungry (okay, that last one's a lie, but it's a good idea). But the
most important thing we can do to prepare for a whole month of head-down
writing is to pray.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have a group of five friends who are my prayer warriors.
They didn't really sign up for the job, but they got appointed whether they
like it or not, and they'll be getting way too many messages from me over the
next month. I can't possibly do NaNo without their prayers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here are the things I'm asking them to pray for:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<ul>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">God to release the story He wants me to tell and
breathe life into it</span></li>
</ul>
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Clarity in my plot - that I'll know how every
aspect of the story fits together and where things should go</span></li>
</ul>
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My characters to come to life on the page</span></li>
</ul>
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Grace to fit this into my already busy
life without my family feeling any negative effects</span></li>
</ul>
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A supernatural ability to write powerful
and effective words</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At least 50,000 words (good words!) in the next
30 days</span></li>
</ul>
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An extra super-duper overflowing dose
of creativity</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The voices of doubt and discouragement to be
silenced</span></li>
</ul>
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My internal editor/perfectionist to shut off
completely</span></li>
</ul>
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rest in the midst of it all</span></li>
</ul>
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anything else the Lord tells them </span></li>
</ul>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How about you? How do you prepare for an intense time of work (writing or otherwise)? What prayers would you add to the list? </span></b><br />
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Susan Crawfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18097934149556488076noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-390834657702720113.post-29751215751092443992012-10-17T06:00:00.000-05:002013-03-08T23:54:37.434-06:00Rest for the Weary. How Can I Get Some Of That?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFwAthDrcMp0Rh9_L73ZacRFNXU0ZXdrWpnDy5WcOmm7GHAMmna0y2LU5TqxLon1CbFfFdcUAVaXN0TsjROvJVjKGR_HER5z7xM9EwXCYqxDmkhYn_StZAr3MNt8RXa9qnurqshe1MpfI/s1600/small__4951026891.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFwAthDrcMp0Rh9_L73ZacRFNXU0ZXdrWpnDy5WcOmm7GHAMmna0y2LU5TqxLon1CbFfFdcUAVaXN0TsjROvJVjKGR_HER5z7xM9EwXCYqxDmkhYn_StZAr3MNt8RXa9qnurqshe1MpfI/s320/small__4951026891.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo credit: <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.flickr.com/photos/o5com/4951026891/%22%3Eo5com%3C/a%3E%20via%20%3Ca%20href=%22http://photopin.com%22%3Ephotopin%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20href=%22http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/%22%3Ecc%3C/a%3E" target="_blank">Creative Commons</a> </td></tr>
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Apparently, God is trying to tell me something. He keeps pummeling me with articles, conversations, and scriptures with the same theme: rest<i>. </i>God and I have had this conversation plenty of times, but there's something different about it this time around.<br />
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I opened my <i>Jesus Calling</i> devotional book the other morning, and the first sentence read, <i>"</i>You have been on a long, uphill journey, and your energy is almost spent.<i>" </i>And I said, out loud, to page 296, "You. are. not. kidding."<br />
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I don't know about you, but sometimes I just get tired of climbing.<br />
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It's vital to have a healthy balance of work and rest, and I've learned how to set boundaries in my schedule. Technically, I'm doing all the right things to keep from working myself to death, but guess what...<br />
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I'm still tired.<i> </i><br />
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Or maybe <i>weary</i> is the better word.<br />
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I'm learning that I can set all the boundaries I want, say "No" more than I say "Yes", and create the perfect rhythm for my life, but still not feel rested. At all. Why is that?<br />
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Because life is hard (profound revelations are free today). All the stuff <b>I can't control</b> presses in on me and wears me down. I worry, I stress, I freak out. I just can't help myself. And when I ask God what to do about that, He keeps saying the same thing.<br />
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<i>Come to Me.</i><br />
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<i>Trust Me.</i><br />
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<i>Rest in Me.</i><br />
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Oh, is that all, God? HOW can I do that? It's so much easier said than done.<br />
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But I've found a few things to help me get there:<br />
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<b>1. Release and Receive</b> - Find a few minutes of quiet and literally assume a position of releasing anxiety and receiving blessing. In his book <i>Celebration of Discipline</i>, Richard Foster calls this exercise "palms down, palms up." Hold your palms down and tell God exactly what you're releasing ("Lord, I give you all my anxiety about our finances. I give you my frustrations about my job.") After you've released everything that's weighing on you, turn your palms up and ask God to fill you with His peace or wisdom or whatever it is that you need from Him. It's such a simple act, but it really helps me let go of all the worries and fears that have my shoulders in knots.<br />
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<b>2. Remember</b> - Remind yourself of all the things God has done for you. If you don't know where to start, the beginning is always a good place. If you're breathing, it's because God gave you life and breath in the first place. Think back over your life and list the ten biggest things God has done for you. Write them down. Talk about them at dinner. If He's already done all that for you, just imagine what He'll do next!<br />
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<b>3. Remain in the Truth</b> - Find a verse that speaks to you and keep it in front of you at all times. Memorize it and say it out loud whenever the stress of life threatens to suffocate you. The Psalms have been my anchoring place lately.<br />
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"<i>A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all." Psalm 34:19</i><br />
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<i>"I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears." Psalm 34:4</i><br />
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<i>"Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him." Psalm 62:5</i><br />
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I definitely don't have it all figured out, but the more I practice these things, the easier it is to truly find rest in God.<br />
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<b>How about you? Is this a season of energy or exhaustion for you? How do you find true rest when you need it?</b>Susan Crawfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18097934149556488076noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-390834657702720113.post-30401728933860385162012-10-10T06:00:00.000-05:002012-10-16T22:48:45.373-05:00My Great Big Accomplishment and a Fun, Fall Giveaway**UPDATE 10/16/12: The winner of the super cute Book Pumpkin is Cindy Wilson!**<br />
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Well, I've made a huge accomplishment. Never mind all the things on my to-do list that are screaming for attention. My crafty little self did something amazing.<br />
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I actually made something off of Pinterest!<br />
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I knew all that pinning would pay off someday, so I'm having a giveaway to celebrate.<br />
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Now, before I show you the goods, I need to issue a warning.<br />
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There are two kinds of book lovers in the world:<br />
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1. The kind who treasure books so much that they'd never, ever, ever desecrate one for any reason. Especially not for something as superficial and petty as a craft project. It wouldn't matter if it's the worst book in the history of the world, this kind of book lover would rather rip your arms off than dog-ear a page or bend the spine of a book (I'm looking at my sister, Debbie). If you're one of these people, <i>click away quickly!</i> If you scroll down, you may very well need to be hospitalized.<br />
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2. The kind who love books so much that they want to fill their whole world with stacks of books, and pictures of books, and any kind of art that showcases the beauty of books. For these people, a piece of art could be the worst in the history of the world, but if you add a book to it, it suddenly becomes magnificent. Because books make everything infinitely more wonderful. If you're this kind of book lover, you're going to like my little project.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXX3Ty1GmJMgJIsCjK_FUT9Ay0jS2Q_hyh-A3L8XacA_uOjbxd0luHFCc2hnhkH_S0o9CzLd3ixgqbrPmkcPqeQEnKRYYUFbpeZZNY8xDrpzEyE8fV_ePUzI9Ys2hYnBeF8N8PwcOvusk/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXX3Ty1GmJMgJIsCjK_FUT9Ay0jS2Q_hyh-A3L8XacA_uOjbxd0luHFCc2hnhkH_S0o9CzLd3ixgqbrPmkcPqeQEnKRYYUFbpeZZNY8xDrpzEyE8fV_ePUzI9Ys2hYnBeF8N8PwcOvusk/s320/photo.JPG" width="299" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ta Da! It's a Book Pumpkin!</td></tr>
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A pumpkin. Made out of a book! Could there possibly be a better decoration for fall? I say no. You can be sure I'll be making more of these.<br />
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Take a few deep, cleansing breaths if you need to, or leave a comment below for a chance to win the super cute Book Pumpkin. </div>
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So, I need to know...</div>
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<b>Are you on Pinterest? Have you actually made any of the stuff you've pinned? Which kind of book lover are you? </b><br />
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Susan Crawfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18097934149556488076noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-390834657702720113.post-57888878426408825852012-10-02T06:00:00.000-05:002012-10-02T17:23:13.179-05:00I'm Tired and I Blame Becky Wade<a href="http://www.beckywade.com/my_books_files/MyStubbornHeart-lo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.beckywade.com/my_books_files/MyStubbornHeart-lo.jpg" width="206" /></a><br />
I came home from ACFW with a big stack of books to read and added it to the already huge pile in my bedroom (sidenote: this drives my non-book-loving husband crazy). <i>My Stubborn Heart</i> by Becky Wade was on the top of the stack, so I grabbed it and jumped in.<br />
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I've started several books in the last few months that just didn't hold my attention. I don't know if I've become more critical the more I've learned about the craft of writing, or if I just haven't picked good books. But I've trudged through the first 2-3 chapters of several stories hoping to be hooked, but instead I got bored and gave up. I hate that because I know how hard it is to write a book. I really appreciate all the effort that any author puts into a story, and I want to love every single one. But I don't.<br />
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I was almost nervous to start another book for fear it wouldn't hold my attention, either. But <i>My Stubborn Heart </i>did not disappoint. Becky Wade created the best kind of characters--the kind that make me wonder what they're doing when I'm not reading (Is that weird?), the kind that make me stay up late turning pages.<br />
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<i>Just one more chapter.</i><br />
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<i>No, for real this time. One more chapter.</i><br />
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I just had to get to the happily-ever-after between this tortured hero and spunky heroine. The loss of sleep was worth it.<br />
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<b>Don't you love it when you find a book that captivates you? What's the last book that kept you up late?</b><br />
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<br />Susan Crawfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18097934149556488076noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-390834657702720113.post-33231623896836281572012-09-28T17:17:00.000-05:002012-09-29T16:37:58.338-05:00A Newbie Goes To ConferenceLast week, I attended the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) Conference for the first time. It was flat out amazing. I could talk about it for <i>hours</i>, but I'll spare you and just give you the highlights.<br />
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I arrived on Wednesday and jumped straight into the My Book Therapy Pitch and Promotion workshop, which really helped to ease my nerves and prepared me for my agent & editor appointments. My coach for the day was Lisa Jordan, who is quite possibly the world's greatest encourager. She's also a Carol Award winner. That's just how she rolls.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9trWFKUrxdTRM4IjJaE7gw8TvCgORf6gVz_o-yHYjcoIj00J5vdRbhV5RAyn8Lsmb1HrYF3aO5nnWl1BzdYEeiS80nUbAWUEY47zPQQyitdI5-_jg94ZUNcy4B5cGFRUVmWHpXWBSgak/s1600/100_2163.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9trWFKUrxdTRM4IjJaE7gw8TvCgORf6gVz_o-yHYjcoIj00J5vdRbhV5RAyn8Lsmb1HrYF3aO5nnWl1BzdYEeiS80nUbAWUEY47zPQQyitdI5-_jg94ZUNcy4B5cGFRUVmWHpXWBSgak/s320/100_2163.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The very best table at the MBT Scrimmage. <br />
Jeanne Takenaka, Mindy Obenhaus, Lisa Jordan, and me. We're missing <br />
Lindsay Harrel, who was probably roaming about the room spreading Lindsay cheer.</td></tr>
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Thursday morning, I went to the Early Bird session taught by Nancy Kress and took page after page of notes on writing scenes. That session was packed with helpful lessons. </div>
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Later on Thursday, I volunteered to help set up the dining room for that evening's dinner. I really didn't know what we would be setting up before I went, so imagine my happy surprise when I found out that we were placing a free book on every chair! This is my kind of place! By the end of the weekend, I had a stack of books to bring home from all the lunch and dinner gifts.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVgPUfuFM3uFlaartGH_lihoX9DVPMNsvYREjXjxk2ub4vSz_WseC37-Gb4Y3nCzqZ2XkTzH6fgF4qwdiRYei9zxKMuPN5ds0dMUSZgsYaWCIMKkr0ytbICut716AWv5vn4Iu5vdP-_Eg/s1600/100_2170.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVgPUfuFM3uFlaartGH_lihoX9DVPMNsvYREjXjxk2ub4vSz_WseC37-Gb4Y3nCzqZ2XkTzH6fgF4qwdiRYei9zxKMuPN5ds0dMUSZgsYaWCIMKkr0ytbICut716AWv5vn4Iu5vdP-_Eg/s320/100_2170.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">About to head into the first main session with some of my OKC writer friends.<br />
Me, Janet Lee Barton, Terri Weldon, Julie Jarnagin, and Lacy Williams.</td></tr>
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Thursday afternoon, the conference officially started with worship led by Rachel Hauck and a keynote from Michael Hyatt. Both of those things were awesome. I tried to take a picture, but this was all I got.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5gwAJDNziC6Sx_-CFf93dWXtfekHbo82VRhUmBAOqDm0wXXrbOLcwE3xdRRAJdl42n9cGJe96MyvzC5aE0JM1xIEw6PAD6Wz1mX56OOv3oomBGby0vPWXb0TrJXsrQUeY_OIK2QWuvWg/s1600/Michael+Hyatt.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5gwAJDNziC6Sx_-CFf93dWXtfekHbo82VRhUmBAOqDm0wXXrbOLcwE3xdRRAJdl42n9cGJe96MyvzC5aE0JM1xIEw6PAD6Wz1mX56OOv3oomBGby0vPWXb0TrJXsrQUeY_OIK2QWuvWg/s320/Michael+Hyatt.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You'll just have to trust me. That's Michael Hyatt.</td></tr>
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Friday morning, I had my first appointment with an editor, and I didn't throw up or pass out. Win! I actually enjoyed meeting her and had a nice conversation. Friday afternoon, I met with an agent and was really encouraged by what she had to say. In between all that were loads of amazing classes on writing.</div>
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Friday night was the My Book Therapy Pizza Party. They put on a writer's version of the musical <i>Oklahoma</i> and it was hilarious. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3_D7hGV2Mdl6_oSMKub2CMqleLpFelwt-dfCBpJHI_u2u9SpLAfk7J1yMsMHREjoEXwig_uJ85aYUk2NDlMX750ygle5vxf5Qmg8EtjDJLqTwRSt3YvlPMhoFLmPR0jFcpNtPixbQuXQ/s1600/100_2177.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3_D7hGV2Mdl6_oSMKub2CMqleLpFelwt-dfCBpJHI_u2u9SpLAfk7J1yMsMHREjoEXwig_uJ85aYUk2NDlMX750ygle5vxf5Qmg8EtjDJLqTwRSt3YvlPMhoFLmPR0jFcpNtPixbQuXQ/s320/100_2177.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lindsay "Curly" Harrel, Jeanne, and I having a yeehaw good time.</td></tr>
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Saturday was the day of unexpected God moments. It started at breakfast when I met Connie Mann and continued later when I met Allison Pittman. Everyone I met at the conference was so wonderful, but these two ladies went out of their way to connect me with industry professionals. They didn't have to do that. Nobody even asked them to, but they did it anyway. I walked away from my conversations with them so encouraged, and was inspired to be as thoughtful of other people as they were to me. And for some reason, I didn't take a picture with either of them. Next year!</div>
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Saturday night was the big Awards Gala, which was SO fun! I was so happy for all the winners, and got teary during nearly every acceptance speech. It's just so exciting to watch people living their dreams.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCmzYr05tA42Xui2peVXXDixIT5NHtVbRYFMEOhyphenhyphenWgw0PapbiPME_ylLmH-GGdFVGLUVKLuVmai5YyNrZGzy2mUp9LttQY4AuH43gFjPdvNMsIPnlQKzLZwrblRwGw9yGCElQeJh7GVso/s1600/100_2183.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCmzYr05tA42Xui2peVXXDixIT5NHtVbRYFMEOhyphenhyphenWgw0PapbiPME_ylLmH-GGdFVGLUVKLuVmai5YyNrZGzy2mUp9LttQY4AuH43gFjPdvNMsIPnlQKzLZwrblRwGw9yGCElQeJh7GVso/s320/100_2183.JPG" width="258" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and Julie (aka the best roommate ever!) on our way to the Gala.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlxNwYBfqPOqdJApFyOOlUJBzxUw5iaYkkX9Klcg2aCKNnJEtwYIXMO4j6XA6Tc_hOntmmt-6QxjoXvV2FlJfZXQGfme0m_-RisDMlyhnjd8FpNXwSoS6PXkfMv-ipvVBFqcpaiTy14TE/s1600/100_2186.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlxNwYBfqPOqdJApFyOOlUJBzxUw5iaYkkX9Klcg2aCKNnJEtwYIXMO4j6XA6Tc_hOntmmt-6QxjoXvV2FlJfZXQGfme0m_-RisDMlyhnjd8FpNXwSoS6PXkfMv-ipvVBFqcpaiTy14TE/s320/100_2186.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheering for our friend the Genesis finalist, Erin Taylor Young.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmzSuP5RFEDCDmCkfReyWdxGEyrSUZksF5JXNZ3tWjFyyEOp8dpq7waqo4C8kyFcGLF4mJNFFG1QVEri7WiyK-C2SgprcmjHIlza0ybFoH6DcJD_xFJcO8Zvb2hkcPQH3p1rEqis2UFGE/s1600/100_2191.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmzSuP5RFEDCDmCkfReyWdxGEyrSUZksF5JXNZ3tWjFyyEOp8dpq7waqo4C8kyFcGLF4mJNFFG1QVEri7WiyK-C2SgprcmjHIlza0ybFoH6DcJD_xFJcO8Zvb2hkcPQH3p1rEqis2UFGE/s320/100_2191.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Erin! Your face is on the big screen! How cool is that?!</td></tr>
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Sunday, the conference ended with worship and lots of hugging and saying goodbye.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQR3qBU1xbAopNo_VUAjnv9-QJ4vAZGSGuf2QXlU8uyEMJcRPLMJOuph4eOjgpVQbbUJotSlKWdDCnIhfdS2RImpWpJzLxIwtB5Mec1mK5hEOjizbyIu5oZh0Ddr1fyDOLUF3bNgzjjcg/s1600/100_2198.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQR3qBU1xbAopNo_VUAjnv9-QJ4vAZGSGuf2QXlU8uyEMJcRPLMJOuph4eOjgpVQbbUJotSlKWdDCnIhfdS2RImpWpJzLxIwtB5Mec1mK5hEOjizbyIu5oZh0Ddr1fyDOLUF3bNgzjjcg/s320/100_2198.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Worshipping with 700 other writers was awesome.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">My prayer going into the conference was that I'd get just a bit of encouragement to keep going on my writing journey. God was faithful and gave me the encouragement I needed by the bucketful. And as an added bonus, He connected me with tons of people who will be my lifelong friends. As an introvert, I was nervous that I'd be overwhelmed with all the people, but I truly enjoyed being with everyone, especially my OKC writer friends. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I'm already counting down the days until next year!</span></div>
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Susan Crawfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18097934149556488076noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-390834657702720113.post-41562533314810387932012-06-30T19:58:00.000-05:002012-06-30T21:19:12.592-05:00OCFW BlogMy lovely friends at OKC Christian Fiction Writers let me post a book review on the group blog today. I know it's a small thing, but it feels like kind of a big deal to me. I really love the people of OCFW and this makes me feel like I'm really a part of them (as opposed to a stalkerish writer wannabe). :-)<br />
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You can check it out <a href="http://okcchristianfictionwriters.blogspot.com/2012/06/book-review-writing-novels-that-sell.html">here</a>.Susan Crawfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18097934149556488076noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-390834657702720113.post-22465959872202443422012-06-18T21:09:00.000-05:002012-06-30T21:17:52.010-05:00Ted, Tosca, and the Vein of GoldLast week, our local writers group hosted a dinner with authors Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee. There was so much about the evening that impacted and encouraged me that I'm still processing it all a week later.<br />
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Ted and Tosca both said things that I've heard before in one form or another, but for some reason, when <i>they</i> said it, it stuck. I'm sure it has something to do with the season I'm in and what God is trying to say to me at this particular moment in my life. It felt like He sent them to speak truth into the deep places of my heart.<br />
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The thing that struck me as profoundly beautiful about these two amazing, successful authors is that they know who they are. I hear the phrase "comfortable in their own skin" thrown around a lot, but that really does perfectly describe Ted and Tosca. They have their own style (which involves tattoos and wearing black) that was different from the rest of us at the table, but they didn't make us feel like we weren't cool enough or hip enough to be with them. And they easily could've, because they're very cool people.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGVxzQCxz7jzb_hkU7-erY38aP-rtqjGsFdKrjZlI8KKuF3TR1ghl0pPoHdVnjpHwO20yZFGmJ97jsZQkKdZ61J9GMORiV1QD2PxY2qQoK7CzCmIF6FRuSZUIERbXx1iIOahzhothz_Ow/s1600/Ted+&+Tosca.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGVxzQCxz7jzb_hkU7-erY38aP-rtqjGsFdKrjZlI8KKuF3TR1ghl0pPoHdVnjpHwO20yZFGmJ97jsZQkKdZ61J9GMORiV1QD2PxY2qQoK7CzCmIF6FRuSZUIERbXx1iIOahzhothz_Ow/s320/Ted+&+Tosca.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See how cool they are? I may have worn my black shirt in honor of them.</td></tr>
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Instead of being too cool, they intentionally engaged with every single one of us. They wanted to hear our stories, and they loved and encouraged us to the point that we walked away wanting to be more like them in all the ways that matter. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">(And I may or may not have had daydreams about getting a tattoo) :-)</span> The weird thing about it, though, is that by being true to who they are, they encouraged me to fully embrace who<i> I</i> am. I can't really explain it, but I've felt utterly trapped by the need to meet certain expectations and follow the rules and, if I'm honest, gain approval from people. It's time for me to break free from all that.<br />
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Along those lines, the thing Ted said that impacted me the most was this (paraphrased)...<br />
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<i>Just put your heart on the page. Find that vein of gold--that place where all the stuff in your heart just flows and tears are streaming down your face because you've found a way to put truth into words. Tell the story of your heart and don't worry about getting published or following the rules.</i><br />
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And Tosca said something along the lines of...<br />
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<i>When I write, I have to pretend like no one is ever going to read it. If I worried about what people will think, I'd never get anything written.</i> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">(I think she actually used the term "literary constipation," which is hilarious).</span><br />
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The whole experience swirled together to create some serious self-evaluation for me. I walked away asking questions like:<br />
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Why am I struggling so much with my current story?<br />
What are the deep and true reasons I'm writing?<br />
Why do I want to be published? For real.<br />
How can I figure out how to put my heart on the page?<br />
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After lots of prayer and processing, I feel like God gave me a very simple answer. I can't put my heart on the page because I'm not writing the story of my heart. My heart's story for this season is a freedom story, but I abandoned it at the beginning of the year. I had gotten lots of feedback that the concept was too controversial, that it probably wouldn't ever sell. So, I put it away and started on a new, less controversial project. I still like that new story, but I've had to fight through every step along the way. It felt like I was trying to write my way through a brick wall and couldn't for the life of me figure out why it was so difficult. Now, I think it's just not the time for that story. God put a freedom story in my heart, and it's time for me to go back and tell that story with everything I've got, without worrying about if it'll ever sell.<br />
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So that's what I'm going to do.<br />
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Thanks, Ted and Tosca for being true to who God made you and for speaking life into this writer's heart.<br />
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<br />Susan Crawfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18097934149556488076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-390834657702720113.post-51496862291706975222012-04-15T18:40:00.000-05:002013-02-02T22:31:22.693-06:00Searching For Joy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCeOQqNKtsQrHXo4UYd9bTOLIGrz_8cQQvk2WQda-MlHR8UtfM9h-8YrmzkxEafPqev-zWu9Aa_UQvq1ze-SZyDn2u8Ig5fJEWz2O02PK7GDsoHNQZ9R9MaIa9V1S26fmxvsgkuKLYQvU/s1600/joy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCeOQqNKtsQrHXo4UYd9bTOLIGrz_8cQQvk2WQda-MlHR8UtfM9h-8YrmzkxEafPqev-zWu9Aa_UQvq1ze-SZyDn2u8Ig5fJEWz2O02PK7GDsoHNQZ9R9MaIa9V1S26fmxvsgkuKLYQvU/s320/joy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">This year, our church community is celebrating the whole <i>season</i> of Easter. Instead of living in the joy of the resurrection for just one day, we're collectively, purposefully pursuing joy and life and laughter for 40 days (yes, I know that believers are supposed to celebrate Jesus <i>every</i> day, but we're all broken and life is hard, so it doesn't really happen that way).</span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">40 days of joy. </span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I absolutely love this idea. I've committed to find at least one thing per day that brings or spreads joy and post it <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/search/%23skylinejoy">here</a> along with others in the Skyline community. But the thing I'm finding is that its not as easy as it sounds. It turns out that embracing joy <i>every. single. day.</i> is a discipline that has to be practiced with determination and perserverance. </span></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">I don't often make a conscious decision to enjoy my life. If you asked me a week ago, I would've quickly said that my life is full of joy. But now I'm seven days into a process of identifying specific areas of joy and, to be honest, it's a daily struggle. I <i>really</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"> have to think about it some days.</span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">S</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">ometimes joy is hard to find.</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">Most days, it eludes me. It hides away behind the muck of the daily grind and then disappears like a shadow at dusk. When circumstances are particularly difficult and my future seems fuzzy and unstable, I dig around in my heart and all I find is worry. Sometimes, my selective eyes only see the people around me who have it all together, who know what they're doing on this planet and have a steady job that pays more than enough, and all I find is envy. </span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">But this little exercise has been so good for my heart. I'm learning that joy has to be searched for when life seems blurry, and I may have to squint to see it. I have to dig for it in the mundane, the difficult, the gray places. When I truly search for it, I always find it, and somehow it transcends and transforms the shades of gray into the brilliant, beautiful colors of life. The life we were meant to fully experience and relish. </span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">Instead of waiting for joy to come to me, I have to go after it. Hunt for it. Fight for it. </span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">No matter what. </span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">Joy is what makes our lives beautiful. </span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">How are you finding joy?</span></div>Susan Crawfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18097934149556488076noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-390834657702720113.post-45636459870786519792012-04-01T20:46:00.002-05:002012-05-28T00:14:01.253-05:00More Baby StepsSo, I'm really good at consistent blogging (sarcasm).<br />
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Since my last post, I've had some really encouraging things happen in my writing journey...<br />
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<li>I got some great feedback from several contest judges, and even finaled in a <a href="http://www.heartlandromanceauthors.com/Contest_Current_Results.html">contest.</a></li>
<li>I joined <a href="http://www.acfw.com/">ACFW</a>.</li>
<li>I attended my first mini-conference and learned a TON, and I met some awesome writers.</li>
<li>I've continued learning online as part of the <a href="http://www.mybooktherapy.com/">My Book Therapy</a> community.</li>
<li>I joined my local writing chapter (<a href="http://www.okcchristianfictionwriters.blogspot.com/">OCFW</a>) and have absolutely loved it. I just feel like I've found the perfect place to belong, and I've been given a mentor (she's amazing!) to help me along in my journey.</li>
<li>I started a new story and I've set a goal of writing 20,000 words by the end of this month.</li>
<li>I entered the first scene of my new story in the <a href="http://www.mybooktherapy.com/2012-frasier-contest">Frasier</a> Contest.</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs5LbwCh-FrZ7gMFvHSQWORZRW1NUGNmBc8AhStjVTkSOnktY_bvUvp24AFCRsULZQtgqFgG6zsjENxWRv4cnfWMjncVcr59GeluyyO50ougJk6mgumP7aV2TpAQ1ajsgnU9x5xnZs9Kk/s1600/Baby_Steps_Sand_Light-Gallery1-615x387.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs5LbwCh-FrZ7gMFvHSQWORZRW1NUGNmBc8AhStjVTkSOnktY_bvUvp24AFCRsULZQtgqFgG6zsjENxWRv4cnfWMjncVcr59GeluyyO50ougJk6mgumP7aV2TpAQ1ajsgnU9x5xnZs9Kk/s320/Baby_Steps_Sand_Light-Gallery1-615x387.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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As you can see, I'm continuing to take baby steps. It's so tempting to try to rush ahead and get farther, faster. But I have bathed this journey in prayer from the beginning, and I know that God is leading me at the perfect pace. I trust Him to open the right doors at the right time, so I'm going to close my eyes, hang on to His hand, and enjoy the ride. At least, I'm going to try. :-)</div>Susan Crawfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18097934149556488076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-390834657702720113.post-88548084778494326552012-02-09T14:03:00.000-06:002013-02-02T22:31:22.706-06:00A Life Marked By PrayerYesterday, my middle child turned 13. I just can't even believe it. It feels like an instant ago that the doctor was yelling, "It's a nine pounder!" and handing me a brand new, squishy baby girl.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1STRRgi6EPv-RD39ZYzxQUlywRAwDBwjdl4svPE6Ilr7Ewln7b5dSg80xGq5ChRpOP1eICqfoG2k9gw1qO2i3NXUeRuF6YziSp5rGZVtqO30iL0Ia2XkxTh-iL4NeH4uPL1d_WC8l1eE/s1600/SCAN0009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1STRRgi6EPv-RD39ZYzxQUlywRAwDBwjdl4svPE6Ilr7Ewln7b5dSg80xGq5ChRpOP1eICqfoG2k9gw1qO2i3NXUeRuF6YziSp5rGZVtqO30iL0Ia2XkxTh-iL4NeH4uPL1d_WC8l1eE/s320/SCAN0009.JPG" width="246" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">With corkscrew curls and cheeks you could squeeze and kiss for days.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRE1Ra7Ha0UHcMt2QhrG3tvmUGL3qyM3vfiT1_8z7xALCB95G6DuWPjZPoA252IKZd2t9A2-04W09C9eYbm7u7iZE5PTtuTSl23seytEaA1NATVXDfroUPtlSr3Ki3TXJQKUGNzInckNs/s1600/SCAN0010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRE1Ra7Ha0UHcMt2QhrG3tvmUGL3qyM3vfiT1_8z7xALCB95G6DuWPjZPoA252IKZd2t9A2-04W09C9eYbm7u7iZE5PTtuTSl23seytEaA1NATVXDfroUPtlSr3Ki3TXJQKUGNzInckNs/s320/SCAN0010.JPG" width="258" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />And now she's a teenager. It's unfathomable how fast the time has gone.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqMPOX7jBml5xLEUNkyy4BQrvBqIyEjLoxVnuDuL4mkbKb0RFUutnLvHV8zDug4-LAOP4CJuT2xNbyqITER_zrKTeRIzwIBP6e3NudTfpcZtCdiPJQd0AwktBxdFUxDMuYwVeXIeT6ch4/s1600/Jacey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqMPOX7jBml5xLEUNkyy4BQrvBqIyEjLoxVnuDuL4mkbKb0RFUutnLvHV8zDug4-LAOP4CJuT2xNbyqITER_zrKTeRIzwIBP6e3NudTfpcZtCdiPJQd0AwktBxdFUxDMuYwVeXIeT6ch4/s320/Jacey.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Jacey Reid is beautiful in every way. She's gorgeous on the outside and her heart is so sweet and pure, I get teary-eyed just thinking about it. I'm so, so proud of her. As I've reflected on the first 13 years of Jacey's life, there is one thing that stands out to me, even more beautiful than the rest.<br /><br />Her life is marked by prayer.<br /><br />Before I ever got pregnant with her, I prayed that God would give me a daughter. We had already been blessed with a son and my heart longed to know the joys of having one of each, so I asked God for a girl the next time around. He said YES! And there was much rejoicing in the ultrasound room.<br /><br />When they calculated my due date, they told me it was February 24th, but I <b style="font-style: italic;">knew </b>she was due on February 8th (sometimes mommies just know these things). Plus, I am a terrible pregnant person. It's nine months of misery for me and everyone else who dares to breathe my air, so the sooner we can end the madness, the better off we all are. I (and my poor husband) prayed that she would be born on or before the 8th. She arrived at 2:09pm on the 8th.<br /><br />When I was in labor, she was turned the wrong way and it was going to make the delivery long and complicated. So my friend, Kelly, put her hand on my stomach and asked God to flip that baby over. Within minutes, she was good to go.<br /><br /><br /><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Since she was born, I have prayed that she and her brother would have an unspeakable bond of love for each other. Most days, this is still a toss up. But yesterday, he posted this to Twitter...</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><i>"Happy Birthday to my little sister Jacey. They grow up so fast.</i> :(<i>"</i> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">So, that's something, right? I'm believing God will answer this, too. It just may take a little more time. :-)</div><div><br /></div><br />When Jacey was three, she told God she wanted a little sister. I said "Sorry, sweetie. We're not having any more babies." Her baby sister was born just before Thanksgiving the following year (I partially blame my mother's prayers for this one, too).<br /><br />When Jacey was five, she began to pray that God would make a way for our family to go to Disney World. Every night for over a year, her sweet little voice would float before the throne of God, laying the desires of her heart before Him. She never gave up, never even questioned if or when He would answer, even though Ron and I knew we would never in a million years have enough money to make a trip like that. But one night, my sister and brother-in-law came over and gave us a present. <i>SURPRISE! We're sending you to Disney World! </i>It was so ridiculously generous and extravagant. We spent a whole week there and Jacey got to meet every princess in the land. It will forever go down in our family history as the best gift we've ever received and our favorite vacation.<br /><br />A couple of years ago, the kids were finagling for a dog. They weren't getting anywhere with me and Ron because we didn't want to have one more thing to feed every day, so Jacey went over our heads and asked God to give us a dog...<i>today. </i>Within an hour, there was a cute little yorkie on our front porch and of course, it had no collar or microchip and we couldn't find the owner (believe me, I looked) so she became our beloved Jovi. After we had her for a year, we found out she used to belong to one of our neighbors, but they wanted us to keep her. They said they had been praying about what to do with her because they didn't have enough time to spend with her and felt like it was a God thing that our family found her and loved her so much. Poor guy didn't realize that he never had a chance of keeping his dog even if he wanted to. Jacey the pray-er was on the loose!<br /><br />You only have to spend a little bit of time with Jacey to know that she has a special gifting when it comes to prayer. Our friends and family know that if they <i>really</i> need God to move on their behalf, Jacey's their girl. She's an intercessor. She's prayed people into jobs, orphans into families, the needy into provision. The list goes on and on.<br /><br />It's such an honor to parent this precious girl. I can't wait to see what crazy thing God does next in her and through her, for His glory.<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px; font-style: italic;">"... for the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px; font-style: italic;">kingdom</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px; font-style: italic;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"><i>of heaven belongs to such as these.”</i> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"><span class="keywordresultextras"><i style="text-decoration: none;">Matthew 19:14</i></span></span></span>Susan Crawfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18097934149556488076noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-390834657702720113.post-65845332403771190582011-12-05T08:00:00.000-06:002013-02-02T22:31:22.713-06:00This Will Wreck YouAt church yesterday, we saw two videos and I wanted to share them with you. To be honest, if I come across a video on a blog, it has to be super intriguing in order for me to click play, but I promise these are worth it.<br /><br />The first is about Advent Conspiracy. It's how our family is approaching Christmas this year. We're praying and talking about how we can engage more fully in the true meaning of Christmas.<br /><br />Somewhere along the way, we've strayed so far from celebrating the birth of a baby.<br /><br />The coming of a King.<br /><br />A Rescuer.<br /><br />A Deliverer.<br /><br />A Healer.<br /><br />The One who takes everything that's wrong and makes it right.<br /><br /><br />Somehow, we have to make our way back. This is our beginning.<br /><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="225" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/30556886?color=f9f2e0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="400"></iframe><br /><a href="http://vimeo.com/30556886">[AC] Promo 2011</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/adventconspiracy">Advent Conspiracy</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br /></div><br />The second video was introduced like this: "This will wreck you."<br /><br />It's true. This is not okay. This is where our excess money will go.<br /><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="225" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/11013582?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="400"></iframe><br /><a href="http://vimeo.com/11013582">Love146 Overview</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/love146">LOVE146</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br /><br /><br /><br />This Christmas, I want to celebrate the One who came to bring good news to the poor, to set the captives free. I think helping to rescue people from unimaginable oppression is a good start.Susan Crawfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18097934149556488076noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-390834657702720113.post-82478885511683999552011-11-19T22:17:00.000-06:002013-02-02T22:31:22.719-06:00Who Are You Trying To Impress?The last week at our house has been focused on celebrating our baby girl's 8th birthday. After the party, special snacks at school, and her restaurant-of-choice for dinner (including dessert!), I <i>think</i> I have been absolved for the birthday injustice I heaped upon her last year.<br /><br />Last year on Corban's birthday, we were out of town at her sister's cheer competition. We tried to make it special, but it's kinda hard to make sitting in an arena for 8 hours seem like something fantastic. After that, I kept promising we would have a party for her. And we did...<br /><br />in <i>April</i>. <span style="font-size: x-small;">(if you're keeping count, that's five whole months after her birthday)</span><br /><br />Last year, I was stressed.<br /><br />Last year, we were too busy.<br /><br />Last year, the thought of having to do one more thing, much less <i>plan and execute</i> one more thing, made me want to eat cookies and sleep for days on end.<br /><br />But this year, as I thought about celebrating Corban's birthday, I felt God whisper a significant question to me.<br /><br /><b><i>Who are you trying to impress?</i></b><br /><br />Who are you trying to impress with the fancy themed birthday party? With the over-the-top goodie bags? With the super crafty decorations? Who are you trying to impress by implementing all the amazing party ideas you find on Pinterest? (and they are <i>really</i> amazing) With the adorable bakery-bought cake?<br /><br />I avoided the question for a while, but after some deep digging, I finally came to terms with the fact that all this time <i>I've been trying to impress myself</i>. I've wanted my kids' birthday parties to reflect how wonderful and crafty and creative I am as a mom. I've wanted all the guests to be jealous. I've wanted all the moms to "ooh" and "aah" over the cuteness of the party they have just beheld. I've wanted my kids to think I'm the greatest mom in the whole world. <i>Because of a birthday party? Really?!</i><br /><br />It sounds ridiculous when you put it like that. So now, I'm doing things differently.<br /><br />As I planned this year's party, I kept that question in mind. Once I got over myself, I realized the only one I should be trying to impress is Corban. It's her birthday and what <i>she</i> thinks about it is all that matters. I want her to feel loved and celebrated. I want her to enjoy the day.<br /><br />So she got to make every decision about her party. She picked the place, the invitations, designed and helped decorate the cake, and even placed the candles wherever she wanted them. It turned out to be zero-stress for me, and she loved every minute of it.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh47b3GEMoN-NVVV2-Tyqk0axa4DqyMG6CAlrsxk2rI06YaYPyYiBCT8NLYNyd39PXhY1VgQliagjbSJ8Q6B_MhPkD7fI-PKOSlWC7fMzwFHysvvn8FBm2oATU_G3uDMLLgNXpgF_sq8UM/s1600/Birthday+Girl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh47b3GEMoN-NVVV2-Tyqk0axa4DqyMG6CAlrsxk2rI06YaYPyYiBCT8NLYNyd39PXhY1VgQliagjbSJ8Q6B_MhPkD7fI-PKOSlWC7fMzwFHysvvn8FBm2oATU_G3uDMLLgNXpgF_sq8UM/s320/Birthday+Girl.jpg" width="288" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My sweet birthday girl.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />As it turns out, she's much easier to impress than I am. And I'm so glad.<br /><br /><br /><b>What about you? Do you stress over making parties perfect?</b><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">P.S.<b> </b>I have a sneaking suspicion that I've been treating Christmas at our house the same way I've treated birthday parties, so this question will be staying with me through the holiday season. </span>Susan Crawfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18097934149556488076noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-390834657702720113.post-62355859826164075762011-09-27T21:52:00.002-05:002011-09-28T10:36:29.173-05:00Billy Coffey On The Writing LifeI read this <a href="http://wordservewatercooler.com/2011/09/27/a-writers-life/">amazing post</a> on the WordServe WaterCooler blog today and had to repost it. I'm brand spanking new to the writing life, but I've already felt every emotion Billy describes there. <br />
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It's so nice to know I'm not crazy.<br />
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Wait, that might be too generous...<br />
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It's nice to know I'm not alone.Susan Crawfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18097934149556488076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-390834657702720113.post-23703161423732345152011-08-21T21:05:00.002-05:002011-09-27T21:39:12.141-05:00Staying Focused<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTqn_EE9LA4tw6_Q-3cGBm2HGaaZedFZc2p1NAxgrXW9cwfGtMZr0xg1ZkkRHfrCYZDysnCD9OOMVK2XpkSeyvf7Ze3y9S2X7-LL572Y4-O8cGI8rzsmMQC9wk9ad9yu3BMaRBHFSQMMQ/s1600/Magnifying+Glass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTqn_EE9LA4tw6_Q-3cGBm2HGaaZedFZc2p1NAxgrXW9cwfGtMZr0xg1ZkkRHfrCYZDysnCD9OOMVK2XpkSeyvf7Ze3y9S2X7-LL572Y4-O8cGI8rzsmMQC9wk9ad9yu3BMaRBHFSQMMQ/s200/Magnifying+Glass.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>I haven't done much blogging here or on my <a href="http://www.dreamsareblooming.blogspot.com/">personal blog</a> in the last few months because I'm desperately trying to stay focused and finish my book.<br />
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Like everyone else in the world, I have a day job and a super-busy family that I'm supposed to love and nurture and feed three times a day (or in the case of my teenage son, seventy-two times a day), so I have very little concentrated writing time. The time I do have, I spend on my work-in-progress. And yes, it's the same WIP I've been working on since last November. I told you how rough that rough draft was, right? <br />
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My goal is to have it completed by the end of November and enter it in another contest. I've found that contest entry deadlines are really great targets for me and help me to keep pushing through even when it's hard (which is most of the time). I like having something to shoot for and I think it's good practice at meeting real deadlines, which I hope to have someday.<br />
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Anyway, I just wanted to check in. Now back to <strike>writing</strike> rewriting. :-)Susan Crawfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18097934149556488076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-390834657702720113.post-66567563092103293902011-07-15T23:30:00.071-05:002011-11-14T20:25:25.284-06:00The Silver Lining of Loserville<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Ri1RQgW1Ok92wnIhE49dhGfuLXimd6fdFYjItSwjmUHvKIOpzx3X6twbBrQ-9y5dACmv6vnBKCUhRWLYa6z9cupdEiZ4ofE9PCz2O49eyzW2FWe42_wnyUbemyH6rahKZS_tFK0Em1w/s1600/loser.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Ri1RQgW1Ok92wnIhE49dhGfuLXimd6fdFYjItSwjmUHvKIOpzx3X6twbBrQ-9y5dACmv6vnBKCUhRWLYa6z9cupdEiZ4ofE9PCz2O49eyzW2FWe42_wnyUbemyH6rahKZS_tFK0Em1w/s200/loser.jpg" width="181" /></a></div>I recently got my scoresheets back from the first writing contest I entered. Surprise...I didn't win. :-)<br />
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Let me just say, I have a whole new appreciation for anyone who creates something, then has the guts to release it into the world. It is a horrifying experience, but one I'm thankful for.<br />
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My entry was judged by two anonymous authors. Judge #1 gave me very high marks (we love her!). Judge #2 gave me very low marks (haters gonna hate). I've had some time to process, have an emotional breakdown, then come back to rational center. Now I can see how incredibly valuable each judge's feedback was. <br />
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I opened Judge #1's sheet first and it's a good thing I did. She made positive comments all over the place and gave me the kind of encouragement I really needed at this point in my journey. She also gave constructive feedback about specific areas she thought could be improved. Overall, Judge #1's comments helped me believe in myself and quiet that voice of doubt that had been whispering things like... <i> </i><br />
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<i>The judges are going to laugh at how awful your entry is. </i><br />
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<i>They'll probably save your piece to use at conferences when they need a hilarious example of how <b>not</b> to write.</i><br />
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<i>You're like one of those people on American Idol who says "My mama thinks I sing better than anybody else on the whole planet!" And then Simon tells them it was rubbish and that their mama's a tone-deaf idiot. </i>(this one was honestly my biggest fear in entering the contest) <br />
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Thank you Judge #1 for helping me quiet those voices.<br />
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Then I opened Judge #2's sheet. She had nothing good to say about anything until the very end when the scoresheet specifically asked for her favorite part of the entry. And even then, she only mentioned one little sentence and said "Good detail." Meh. I had two solid pages of feedback consisting of comments like <i>boring, not buying it, cliche, needs more grit, just commit and paint the picture, make me care about these characters</i>. Okaaay then.<br />
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After I yelled at Judge #2 for a while, I went through and tried to look at every remark objectively. Even though it was painful at first, I had to admit that while I needed the emotional encouragement of Judge #1, following Judge #2's suggestions would make my story stronger which is ultimately what I want. I mean, if I can rewrite that thing and make Judge #2 love it, then there's a much better chance that other people would love it, too. Right?<br />
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So, I picked out a few things to keep from my original entry, then scrapped the rest and completely rewrote it. <br />
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And guess what. It's soooo much better.<br />
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Thank you Judge #2. <br />
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So the upside of being a big, fat writing contest loser is...<br />
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1. Actual people read my work, criticized it and I didn't die.<br />
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2. The criticism pushed me to become a better writer. Go figure.Susan Crawfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18097934149556488076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-390834657702720113.post-2846343788201928732011-06-02T23:17:00.003-05:002011-09-27T17:24:51.937-05:00Baby Steps<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFYtGRuMkEVrngw07QVAZfitr7PbNsn8dh_LsK_p5MmQxUI-Nl2XgDu985txJFYZA6ZU-RfiYjtg_XsF-aCIoXgi8JfWLBpST4nV48Y7po3Vh-wLijz6QYnexSwUa5EJbWLP7jXBPcGMY/s1600/baby-steps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFYtGRuMkEVrngw07QVAZfitr7PbNsn8dh_LsK_p5MmQxUI-Nl2XgDu985txJFYZA6ZU-RfiYjtg_XsF-aCIoXgi8JfWLBpST4nV48Y7po3Vh-wLijz6QYnexSwUa5EJbWLP7jXBPcGMY/s320/baby-steps.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I'm taking baby steps on this journey. <br />
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When I first started thinking about writing a novel, I couldn't really imagine how little ol' me could start with a blank page and end up with an engaging story 100k words later. So my first year of dream chasing was spent testing the waters, seeking answers to "Can I really do this?"<br />
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I immersed myself in studying the craft and story ideas began to bubble up until one took hold and stoked me enough that I thought I could spend the next year(s) of my life laboring over it. I created characters and outlined a plot, something I never imagined could be so life-giving for me.<br />
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I started following several writing blogs and joined <a href="http://www.mybooktherapy.com/">My Book Therapy</a>, an online community for aspiring writers of Christian fiction, a community that was invaluable to me when I took my biggest baby step yet. In November 2010, I decided to participate in <a href="http://www.nanowrimo.org/">National Novel Writing Month</a> (NaNoWriMo for short). During NaNo, people all over the world sign up to write a novel (at least 50,000 words) in <i>one month</i>. I don't know if it was a great idea for someone who has never written fiction to jump right in and try to write a whole book in 30 days, but guess what...I DID IT! I wrote my first-ever first draft of a novel and I got the little "NaNo winner" badge to prove it. <span style="font-size: x-small;">(Note to self: slap that badge up on this blog)</span><br />
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That first draft was <i>rough</i>. Oh man, was it rough. But for the first time in as long as I can remember, I felt like I had actually accomplished something. I set a huge goal for myself and I reached it! And at the end of November, I decided I really can do this.<br />
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2011 rolled around and I set some more goals, mostly involving a complete rewrite of that rough draft, then fighting through all my fears & insecurities to submit my work to a contest where actual people who know what they're doing read it. Nauseating.<br />
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Baby steps, for sure. But with each step, I feel more alive. I feel like I'm finally becoming who I was made to be. My heart says <i>this is it for me. I'm on the right path. </i> <br />
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Baby steps. It's really the only way to get anywhere, don't you think?<br />
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<i>"Who dares despise the day of small things?" Zechariah 4:10</i>Susan Crawfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18097934149556488076noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-390834657702720113.post-85663985018529441332011-05-13T16:07:00.004-05:002011-09-27T21:00:19.374-05:00Chasing A Dream and Hearing VoicesIt's been a whole year since a new dream hit me upside the head.<br />
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One night last May, I was overcome with the need to write, which in itself isn't all that unusual for me. But the <i>kind</i> of writing I wanted to do surprised me. I suddenly found myself wanting to write fiction. Like, <i>really</i> wanting to write fiction.<br />
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I've always had a little seed of a dream of writing a book in the way back of my mind, but I always thought it would be nonfiction. For one thing, I don't consider myself a very creative person, so it never occurred to me that I could create engaging stories. But in that moment, I just knew I had to try.<br />
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Why?<br />
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1. I love fiction. I love to read and get lost in a story.<br />
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2. Stories change people. In my day job, we say we measure success by stories of transformation. I want to tell those kinds of stories.<br />
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One phrase kept running through my mind that night and has continued every day since. <i>I want to tell a compelling Kingdom story. </i><br />
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</i><br />
So, I decided to learn how to do it. I went to the library, checked out a stack of writing craft books and started studying. Some concepts were easy for me to grasp, but for the most part I felt like I was in waaaaay over my head. And the voices of doubt began to whisper. Or shout.<br />
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<i>Who do you think you are? </i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>You'll never be able to write a novel.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>You're too old to start chasing this dream. You should've started 20 years ago.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>There's already a <a href="http://www.debracowan.net/">writer</a> in your family. You'll never be as good as her. (It's <b>she</b>! "You'll never be as good as <b>she</b>." See?! You're not even good at grammar!)</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
The voices kept talking, but I also began to hear whispers of encouragement that kept me going. I had to choose which voices to listen to and which to shut up, which, as it turns out, is a full-time job! The voices never stop.<br />
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Learning how to write fiction has unearthed a whole new set of insecurities and fears for me. I have a feeling I'll be posting about those a lot as I continue to battle them on this journey.<br />
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But I'm pressing on. <br />
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My dream is worth it because God put it in my heart. He intended for me to chase it -- why else would He put it there? When I fully believe that, chasing my dream becomes an act of worship, an offering to the Creator of the universe. And worship is never wasted.<br />
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Whether this dream turns out like I want it to or not.<br />
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<b>Are you chasing your dream?</b>Susan Crawfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18097934149556488076noreply@blogger.com0