Tuesday at HealthyWriters

It's Tuesday so I'm blogging over at Healthy Writers Blog.

Today's topic - the power of oranges. You only thought you knew why oranges are good for you. There's so much more than just Vitamin C!

Please come visit and share any recipes you have that include oranges or orange peel.

Music Monday

I was visiting my mother last week and they sang this song at her church. I'd never heard it before but the lyrics really spoke to me.  I wanted to share it with you today so I searched YouTube and found it sung by Angelina (a singer my 4th graders love).




Here are the lyrics -  There's some variation from the video but both are powerful.

SERVANT SONG 

by Donna Marie McGargill, OSM

1. What do you want of me, Lord? Where do you want me to serve you? Where can I sing your praises. I am your song.

REFRAIN: 1. Jesus, Jesus, you are the Lord. Jesus, Jesus, you are the way. 2. Jesus, Jesus, you are my Lord. Jesus, Jesus, you are the way. 3. Jesus, Jesus, be warmth of my heart. Jesus, Jesus, you are the way. 4. Jesus, Jesus, you are my light. Jesus, Jesus, you are the way.

2. I hear you call my name, Lord, and I am moved within me. Your Spirit stirs my deepest self. Sing your songs in me. (REFRAIN 2)

3. Above, below, and around me. Before, behind and all through me, your Spirit burns deep within me. Fire my life with your love. (REFRAIN 3)

4. You are the light in my darkness. You are my strength when I'm weary. You give me sight when I'm blinded. Come see for me. (REFRAIN 4)

Happy Independence Day

From the musical that reinforced my love of this day!



May you all have a wonderful 4th and celebrate the wonderful blessings of the day!

Join Me at Heathy Writers

My Healthy Writer's Blog is up. Today's topic is about the 60 Minutes piece -

Is Sugar Toxic?

Happy Mother's Day??? A quick poll

I'm looking for some opinions today.

You know how women are always joking about how things would be different if men experienced them?

Well my husband found a Mother's Day card that loosely reflected that sentiment. He thought it was hilarious. I'm wondering if it's really meant as a compliment or a thinly-veiled dig.

The caption inside says - It's not easy being a mother. If it were, fathers would do it.


So what do you think?

Did the designer intend it as a compliment or not?

Attention: Genesis Entrants! Don't Quit

My class and I were reading and discussing this poem today. How ironic that today turned out to also be the Genesis Semi-Finalists were announced.

To all those who made it through to the next round, CONGRATULATIONS!  Enjoy the success and indulge in unbridled hope. You deserve it for having the courage to enter. I hope your dreams come true.

But this post is also for the discouraged entrants who didn't make it to the semi-final round.

I remember, in the midst of my celebration last year, reading Katie Ganshert's blog about never being a Genesis finalist. She proved that you can not final and still succeed. Her book is scheduled to be released next month! Wildflowers From Winter

For those of you struggling on your results, I offer this hope. I figure it's not just irony that put this poem in my head today, but rather God's perfect timing.

The video sets the words to pictures and music. The actual words are below.



                 

DON'T QUIT

 When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but don’t you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow–
You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than,
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victor’s cup,
And he learned too late when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out–
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit–
It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit.

- Unknown Author

And because I love conversation, I'd love to hear your thoughts on perseverance.

My favorite quote that keeps me going is this one:

“A professional writer is an amateur who didn't quit.”     Richard Bach

As a final prep, my class read and wrote about a poem called Don't Quit.

How do you keep going when t hings get tough?

D.E.A.R. DAY

Did you know today is Drop Everything and Read Day?

If ever there was a day made for me, this is it!




So for today, let's talk books. If you have the chance to drop everything and read today, what will you be reading?


I want to tell about the terrific book I'm reading, but it's a CAROL book (ACFW's contest for published writers) so I can't name it. I will mention another book I'm reading - The Wounded Healer by Henri J. M. Nouwen. From the back cover -

In this hope-filled and profoundly simple book, Henri Nouwen offers a radically fresh interpretation of how we can best serve others.

So, if you have a minute, please mention what you're reading.  My TBR piles are towering but that's never stopped me from buying more books!

ETA: I thought the bookends above were perfect for today! They're made by Cubo3.