Dear Friends, [I apologize for my delay in posting. March has ended up as my health month with lots of appointments, tests, and procedures as I make sure I maintain my temple. The winner (chosen at random.org) of last week’s review copy of The Caregiver’s Notebook  is Tiffany! Congratulations, and I’ll make sure to get the book out to you soon.] Blessed. Grateful. Awestruck. Those are the words embossed on the thin brass clasp bracelet I wear on my wrist. I wear it every day because these words describe the way I want to live. A few months ago, I knew I had to do something about my vision. The small cataract my optometrist had observed in my left (weakest) eye more than a year earlier eye had grown to the point that I could no longer wear my contacts. I knew I was depending almost completely on my right eye. We all need to see. But as someone who works with words and spends a great deal of time dealing with visual detail, my eyes are extra-important to me. And I’ve had serious vision problems since early elementary school. Ever since I got my first pair of (even then) thick glasses in second grade, I’ve been grateful to live in an era where vision can be corrected. I would read Bible stories about “the man born blind” and recognize that, had I lived in that era, I might have ended up begging on the street. I can’t say I loved my glasses or contacts, but I loved being able to see. And as of late last year, I couldn’t see much—not with my right eye, anyway. When I first visited Dr. Joel Hunter’s office this February, I had to say “I can see the screen” more than once during the vision test. And by that, I meant the screen was all I could see. No chart, no big letter E, nothing. “Well, you’re not faking it,” was the first thing Dr. Hunter said to me. (Exactly how do you fake a cataract, anyway?) He explained that the cataract on my left eye was a rare type and, if I waited for the surgery, it would worsen just as much in the next few months as it had in the past few. He and his staff did a great job of explaining the options. My eyes didn’t make me a candidate for the top level of surgery. But I could have chosen laser-assisted, or “precision” surgery had I wanted to pay almost $2000 per eye, the amount my insurance wouldn’t have covered. That would have brought my vision closer to perfection. But with three children in college/training school along with a mortgage and other family...

Dear Friends, It’s been a while since I posted a book review, so I hope you enjoy this one. I know so many authors and others in the publishing industry that I stopped posting reviews on bookseller sites a while ago, but I still review books occasionally on my blog. I also post “Words with Friends” interviews so you can get to know the books and authors I love. I haven’t met Jolene Philo, the author of The Caregiver’s Notebook: An Organizational Tool and Support to Help You Care for Others (Discovery House, 2014) personally, but she and I both belong to AWSA (Advanced Writers and Speakers Association) and the Christian Authors Network. The title and concept of her book intrigued me, and I was delighted to take a closer look. Chances are that if you’re an adult in 2015, you are or you know someone (probably more than one someone) who serves as a caregiver. With the graying of America come additional responsibilities to care for a parent(s), spouse, disabled child, or others who need special assistance because of physical and/or mental disabilities. And that means you know someone who needs this book. In The Caregiver’s Notebook, Jolene Philo does an amazing job of pulling together resources, records, and refreshment in the form of multiple ideas for caregivers in one compact place. The spiral-bound book (it lies flat–an asset when filling out pages) has fifteen tabs, including “Contacts,’ “Calendar,” “Medications,” “Insurance Information,” and “Routines and Schedules,” among others. Although I’m not a caregiver at present, I watched my mother serve as my father’s caregiver for several years, and I have had several friends in this situation. Since caregivers’ lives are already so full, I understand the need to collect and organize much of the information related to caregiving in one easy-access place. Each tabbed section begins with instructions (sometimes short, sometimes longer) about how to use the pages that follow. Also included are tips from fellow caregivers, Scripture verses and other inspirational quotes, and small but vital takeaway points labeled as “Stress Relievers.” As you can tell, Jolene knows the needs of caregivers well. In fact, I believe the author herself is the book’s greatest asset. The wisdom gained from her many years of  past and present caregiving experience both informed and inspired this valuable tool. One concern I have with the book is its small size (approximately 6.5 x 9.5”). Although convenient, its compact nature left me wondering about storage for the many additional medical and other forms that seem to accompany caregiving. However, the book’s final section provides potential assistance. It highlights another website of hers, which includes links to organizational resources, downloadable forms, and other helps for caregivers. That...

Dear Friend, Did you miss me? I’ve been out and about lately, first speaking/serving as chaplain at the Florida Christian Writers Conference and then catching up on some writing and speaking. Thanks for your patience. Today, I want to send you over to the Christian Authors Network blog, where I’ve posted this interview with my friend, author and speaker Janet Perez Eckles. I know you’ll enjoy getting to know this delightful friend as much as I have! This Saturday morning, I’ll speak for the Women’s Spring Brunch at Asbury United Methodist Church, 220 W. Horatio Avenue in Maitland, Florida, at 10:30 a.m. If you live in the area, feel free to come join us. You don’t need to bring anything except yourself, and I know we’ll have a wonderful time with food, fellowship, and learning about “Sister Act: Mary, Martha, and the Love of a...

Dear Friends, I’m writing about something close to my heart today. I guess that applies to many of my blogs, but I leave tomorrow for the Florida Christian Writers Conference. I don’t have far to travel this time, because the conference home is the beautiful Lake Yale Baptist Conference Center in Leesburg, Florida, which is probably half an hour from my home. This will be my fifth year attending the conference, fourth year on faculty, and third year serving as conference chaplain. What does a chaplain for this type of conference do? I can think of several important functions. These include monitoring the spiritual climate of the conference; forming and updating a team of intercessors to pray for faculty, staff, and conferees; and sharing devotionals and prayers as needed for the large-group meetings. But still another important aspect of the chaplain role is something in which I take great delight, and that’s meeting personally with conferees. In the past, I enjoyed having appointments primarily as the representative for Sisterhood magazine, which sadly ceased publication at the end of 2014. But I also met, and continue to meet, with conferees in my role as author, collaborative writer, and editor (in addition to my five years’ of work for Sisterhood, I have written eight nonfiction books, seven of them traditionally published; hundreds of articles and devotionals; and various projects for two nonprofits). I love using the lessons God’s taught me along my writing journey to assist and encourage others. And that’s what I do at the other conferences where I teach as well. This year, I want to place special emphasis on meeting with conferees in my role as FCWC chaplain. So why might you want to meet with me? Answers: Perhaps you need direction about with whom you should make appointments or which workshops to attend. Maybe you have a big (or small) decision to make based on conference feedback. I don’t know everything or everyone, but I do have some good industry and conference experience. I’ll be glad to answer questions or point you in the direction of a better resource here at the FCWC or elsewhere. Encouragement: Sometimes hearing the truth, even when spoken in love, can feel discouraging. I’ll be glad to listen, love, and (yes) pray with you. No matter how professional we are, we can all benefit from a healthy diet of encouraging words. And as my husband likes to say, “No one ever died from over-encouragement.” Prayer: I don’t make it a secret that I’m a knee in the body of Christ. It’s how He has gifted and equipped me. That doesn’t mean I have special prayer-power others don’t. But it does mean praying is my joy, my...

Dear Friends, Today, I want to invite you to hop on over to the Christian Authors Network blog, where I’ve posted an interview with novelist Carla Rossi. You’ll find out why she and I are a match made on the page and (more importantly), what her own marketing failures have taught her. Who wouldn’t want to learn from someone else’s mistakes? I love the title of her latest novel, too (pictured at right). How can a wedding be “unexpected”? Carla’s already done some great marketing work by drawing me into the story. Enjoy the read, and I’ll see you back here next week! Don’t forget you can always leave comments or send me an email through the “Contact” link above to share your prayer requests or concerns. Blessings! For His glory,...