The Worst Mother's Day Gifts

Most moms are too polite to complain, but 40 percent say they have received a Mother's Day gift they didn't want. The British paper the Mirror reported on March 5, 2016 thirty terrible gifts that moms had received. Here are some of those worst gifts:

                * Deodorant

                * Fire extinguisher

                * Cleaning supplies

                * A loaf of French bread
                *  Salad dressing
                * Popcorn
                * Ants (hopefully in an ant farm)
                * Hair dye
                * Screwdriver
                * Toilet roll
                * Calculator
                * Car parts

If you're struggling what to get your mom, please do not consider any gifts from this list. Instead you could print Proverbs 31:28, "Her children arise and call her blessed." Then have it framed and gift wrapped for mom. Unless she's allergic or on a diet, chocolates work well as a present. Flowers are a winner too.

Why Are So Many Christians Unhappy?

Have you read 1 Peter 1:8 lately? “Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy.” 

 If you believe the scripture to be true as I do, then why are so many believers sad?

I suppose I could understand how a terminal cancer patient in horrific pain or a parent who stayed up all night with a sick child might suffer melancholy. In his classic book, Spiritual Depression, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, writes some by nature tend to exhibit a sad personality. As a counselor, I have observed that to be true. Also, we can’t forget the evil one thrives on stealing our joy.

However, the Christians who I have noticed to be the most miserable are those who live on the fence. They seek pleasure and satisfaction from the world but when that fails they hop back to God for security and fire insurance. This tango of tangled affections leaves them exhausted and confused.

Think back to the Garden of Eden when the serpent duped Eve into thinking the world had the pleasures of life not God and his plan. Is he not trying to trick us into the same sorrow today? My advice is to do as David did and declare, “Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you” (Psalm 73:25). Our steadfastness will lead us to a soul soaring with joy.

Code Blue-Gray Proposal

What a great conference last week! I have finally caught up on my sleep from the "Called to Write Conference" in Pittsburg, Kansas. Some nights I was so inspired to write, I couldn't settle down to

close my eyes. Sleep evaded me another night when I stayed up late to write a book proposal.

Debra L. Butterfield, CrossRiver Media

Code Blue-Gray: Hope and Humor for the Ill (a working title for now) was given to CrossRiver Media for consideration. The bulk of this book will chronicle my health journey from the end of 2013 to the present. Interspersed there will be one-liners, cartoons, and humorous poems. My hope is Code Blue-Gray will be marketed in hospital gift shops to give the dying and depressed some comic relief and hope for healing. Please pray with me as CRM reviews my proposal . I have met two editors from CrossRiver and was impressed with both. Debra Butterfield, Nonfiction Acquisitions Editor for CRM, presented several workshops at the conference. One I especially enjoyed was "Creating Captivating Characters." Deb is pictured to the left. If you would like to get updates about this upcoming book, please leave me a comment and I will add you to the growing list.

Kathleen Y'Barbo

CALLED TO WRITE

I am looking forward to the Called to Write Conference next week in Pittsburg, Kansas. Featured speakers are best-selling author Kathleen Y'Barbo, prolific-freelance writer Jane Landreth, and Jeane Wynn of Wynn-Wynn Media. Ramona Tucker of OakTara, whose father passed away and her mother is gravely ill, will not be able to present. She will be replaced by Debra Butterfield, acquisitions editor for CrossRiver Media. This event is hosted by the Christian Writers'  Fellowship of Girard, KS. If you would like more information on this great conference go to the link below. I hope to see you there.
        Called to Write Conference 2015

New Blog and Website

Please check out my new website and blog. Praying for Our Pastors is a blog that talks about topics of prayer and keeps you updated as to the progress of my upcoming book, Pit Crew: Praying for Our Pastors to Finish the Race. Here are the links:
Praying for Our Pastors Blog
Praying for Our Pastors Website

According to Pastoral Care Inc., 7,000 US churches close their doors each year. A study by Malony and Hunt in The Psychology of Clergy reported 75 percent of pastors experienced periods of major distress, while 33 percent have seriously considered quitting the ministry. This must stop!

My love for the work of my minister led me to pray consistently for him and his family. Further, I formed a small group to pray for all the pastors in my church. This group later became known as the "pit crew." My practical experience and research became a book called Becoming Our Pastors' Pit Crew: Praying for Our Pastors to Finish Victoriously. It is my prayer this book will be published soon.

Stringer Writer

Last week, I was asked by the Jasper County Citizen newspaper to help as a stringer writer. That means I will be a freelance writer for them, but not an employee of the paper. My first attempt to be published in a newspaper was an article about the churches in Carl Junction who had or will have a VBS program this summer. I thoroughly enjoyed doing the interviews and taking photos. My delight overflowed when the editor made my article the lead story in the paper and gave me three more assignments. For my second article, I interviewed a Purple Heart recipient from WWII and the Korean War. What a dear man who is now in his 80s. I hope it gets published for the Fourth of July weekend. Not for me and my publishing career, but to honor him and his service. If you have some thoughts about an interesting story about someone who lives, works, goes to school, or is in someway connected to our city please let me know. I will continually need new ideas to be able to provide more good stories for the Citizen. Good pictures can be tough. There was a lot of action at VBS which became difficult to capture. I struggled with a glare when I tried to shoot the picture of the Purple Hearts recipients medals because they were framed. I'm meeting new people and learning new things about ones I know.