Girls and God

It only looks like I've fallen off the edge of the earth...

2011-02-15T12:06:00.002-05:00

I really haven't:-) I've been working on getting my new website up and functional over the last several weeks and now that it is, I'll be blogging over there. I'm leaving this one be for the time being, but all new stuff will be over at

a naked faith blog

I really wanted to focus more on the teen and college aged audience since that is where I spend most of my writing and speaking time. And well, this blog has been all over the place:-) So I wanted to start fresh. So please come visit me and in my new little corner of the web!

~Sarah~

NaNoWriMo - 2010 edition

2010-11-09T17:14:00.003-05:00

The pic says it all - 30 Days - 50,000 words

I have participated in NaNo before and sadly, have started off strong and then abandoned the project when life and busyness and laundry has gotten in the way.

But I am in a strange literary place - I have a novel that a publisher has requested re-writes for - and I need to do them. But I'd also like to find a new agent. Two of my top pick agents and a third I'm not sure what to think about yet, have said, basically, "we don't want this one but if you write anything else we'd like to see it."

So I really need to write another novel. And I've known that for a long time. Trouble was, I just couldn't decide which story to do - and lacked the motivation to just do it.

Enter NaNoWriMo - my personal kick in the pants. All the way up until October 31st, I was still praying and pondering - which novel to do. The easiest would have been one that I had already plotted but while I love the story, it's a quieter novel and I wasn't sure the story was going to snag an agent's attention. There was a second one that I was intrigued by, but hadn't thought through enough to feel like I could tackle it.

Then, when I opened my laptop on Monday, November 1st, I had a file on my screen of a story that I had been thinking about writing for three years. That was the story I had to write. It was clear.

What's crazy is that this particular novel may be the hardest of them all to get an agent with/or sell to a publisher. But I don't care. I feel like, for the first time in a long time, I am writing a novel because I'm meant to tell this story. What happens to it after isn't my concern.

Today I hit 16,000 words. And as I pondered where I was at, I realized that the story is much darker than I had anticipated. But I'm thinking that's okay, because I also know where the novel is headed. It's exciting. And exhausting. I have too much to do this month. But for some reason, the busier I am the more productive I can be. I kind of thrive on deadlines.

And that's what NaNo has been - a deadline, self-imposed as it may be, it still helps to know that thousands of other crazy writers are out there pounding out words every day too.

(And as an aside - I not only have a regular job, but I'm also directing A Christmas Carol - with 99 kids in the cast. Why yes, I am that crazy:-)

Seasons Change

2010-10-14T11:38:00.003-05:00

So Fall is beginning to arrive around here - the lush green leaves we've enjoyed all summer are putting on new clothes of orange, and yellow and some brilliant red. And the other day, I saw one of the most beautiful sunsets I think I have ever seen in my life.

The heavens are telling of the glory of God;
and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.
Psalm 19:1

I love that I live in a place where the seasons change, because it reminds me that we all have seasons of our lives - and that we can never hold onto one season so tightly that we miss out on the joys of the new season ahead.

Let me repeat that: We can never hold onto one season so tightly that we miss out on the joys of the new season ahead.

Embracing change is a bit hard for me. But we are never thrust into a new season without God first preparing us - and that is where I have been - for several years. It's been a long road. A hard road at times. But one where I have grown - and one that I know has been God's mercy and grace towards me.

But as sure as I smell Fall in the air around here, I sense a change coming for me. It's exhilarating. And terrifying. As it should be when we are fully in God's hands. The road ahead is one where I know I must rest in His wisdom - and His love - alone.

Yes, I know I'm being a bit cryptic. As I must right now. It's also why I have at times abandoned my little space here on the web. The last few years have been so full of things that I cannot yet share publicly. But now I am testing the waters - and seeing if it's time to return - in anticipation of the new season ahead.

One where I hope that as God unveils His plan, His beauty and goodness and mercy will be unveiled as well.

Fever Interruptus

2010-01-20T23:30:00.002-05:00

I've been sick. Plain and simple. And it's annoying to get sick when you finally have some momentum. Since I've started trying to do The 30 Day Shred I've gotten two migraines and some sort of flu thing. I've had a fever off and on since Sunday...

My energy level amounts to moving from one room to the other. In other words, walking push-ups are out of the question at the moment.

But here's to hoping to recovery...soon...

Helping in Haiti

2010-01-13T13:04:00.003-05:00

I went to Haiti during college, so my heart is greatly saddened by the news of the earthquake - such devastation in an already suffering country. If you feel led to give to the disaster efforts, allow me to provide a few links to do so:

The Salvation Army where you can give to their relief efforts. The Salvation Army isn't as vocal about their ongoing efforts, but they provide necessary relief, in the name of Christ.

Operation Blessing International

and Stars of Hope - if you give here be sure to specify your gift to go to The Love of Jesus Children's Home or for Haiti Earthquake Relief.

30 Day Shred (AKA When Migraines Derail You)

2010-01-11T15:22:00.004-05:00

I get migraines.

I still remember getting my first migraine at 16 and wondering if perhaps I was going blind right there in Sweet Eileen's Cafe. The spots in my eyes came on suddenly and were so bad that I couldn't actually see the register. A pastor who came by every morning for coffee was there when it happened and he walked me back to my boarding house so that I could lay down.

Then the headache came. The kind of blinding pain that makes you wonder if death would be easier. A few days later I recovered, but the migraines have been a very unpleasant part of my life ever since.

When you suffer from migraines, you get a lot of unsolicited advice. Trust me. I've heard it all. I've tried it all. I've gotten prayed for more times that I care to count. I've gotten rid of stuff that triggers them (like aspartame). I went to a chiropractor for long periods (until I just couldn't afford to go anymore and was still getting them). I've tried preventative medicine (my hands went numb - I'm hyper sensitive to meds). I've begged and pleaded with God.

There are times that I go weeks, even months, between them. And then other times where I get them more frequently. Mine, at least sometimes, appear to be related to the girl-cycle. Yeah, not much I can do about that. Sometimes I'll get them because of the glare outside. Only so much you can do about that. And sometimes, there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason at all.

I got a migraine Christmas Eve, and then last Thursday, I got another one. And it was a doozy. Friday was a total blur. Saturday my little one had a cheerleading competition. Ever been to one of those? Yeah. Lots of loud music and pulsating lights. Not really a good place for someone still recovering from a migraine. Admittedly, that probably set me back a bit. It wasn't until Sunday that I started to feel better.

And it wasn't until today that I actually thought about getting back to Jillian. While I realize that there was nothing I could do about the sequence of events that precluded me from working out - I still felt - defeated. Like I had failed in some way. Instead of giving myself permission to heal, I felt guilty for not doing what I had committed to do.

It's ridiculous really. And I realize I've let this type of thing completely derail me before. You get some momentum, and then something happens. Then time passes and you never quite get back on the tracks again. But as I thought about this today, I realized that I don't have to let this derail me. It was more like a pit stop. I had to pull over to get some rest and recover but I can get right back into the race. I could choose to have a different mindset about it. I could choose to get back into the race.

So today was Level 2/Day 4. I knew that it would be hard after several days off. But I get through it. And I must say, even though the planks still are pure torture and that second cardio sequence is killer, it's awfully nice to be back in the race...

~Sarah~

30 Day Shred (AKA It doesn't seem to get easier)

2010-01-07T18:05:00.003-05:00

Completed Level 2/Day 3 just now and I haven't yet been able to add in cardio after this one. It's a tough workout. I think the second cardio circuit does me in and I never quite catch my breath after that. I can tell I'm taking less breaks - but I'm still taking them. I think Jack Bauer could easily add "planks" to his repertoire of torture.

But today was probably the hardest in terms of getting myself to workout. I learned my lesson last week when I took two days off in a row - so because I didn't manage to squeeze in a workout yesterday, I had to get it in today. I just wasn't feeling well, was tired, and just didn't want to be bothered.

Step 1 - I went and just got into the workout clothes.

By the time I do that, I may not be eager and excited to workout, but I am at least willing to tough it out. So again, yes, it's physically a tough workout - but the mental battle is SO much tougher.

My hope is in you Lord

My strength is in you Lord.

And now that the workout is done, I can go relax with my family instead of my workout hanging over my head.

Would all of this be easier if I understood why He's asked me to do this? I don't know. "It is better to obey God rather than man." this is not the first time, nor will it be the last time that God has asked me to do something without giving any further explanation other than "Obey." He is my Father, I am the daughter. He is the potter, I am the clay. Who am I to wonder why?

So while this whole thing - the food, the exercise - was once something that I played with like an occasional toy, it has become a mandate. One that I unfortunately ignored for a while (SO grateful for His mercy). That still, small voice - when He asks us to do something difficult, we are so much more likely to ignore it. But if we belong to Him, he'll keep whispering, keep wooing until we fall on our knees undone before him.

I am undone.

I am His.

So leaning on his strength, I'll obey...

30 Day Shred (AKA Yes, Jillian, My heart is gurgling in my throat)

2010-01-05T12:33:00.003-05:00

So I started with Level 2 - Day 1 yesterday and finished Day 2 today.

Let's just say I think my muscles are on strike and I'm pretty sure it brought me to tears but couldn't tell for sure because of the copious amounts of sweat. Yes, Level 2 is a butt-kicker.

I did a progress check to see where I was at after 10 days - I did have some small losses in terms of inches and about two pounds. Wasn't really thrilled or motivated by that unfortunately (simply because of the sheer effort required).

So once again, I have to remember that this isn't about the results, it's about following God. My eating is in good shape. I am working out. That's all I can do. I have found that the short term goal that the 30 day Shred offers has been nice, so that has been another lesson in this. Working out in this indefinite perpetual way doesn't work for me. I need a short-term goal. Right now - that goal is surviving the 30 Day Shred.

I'm thinking the next goal needs to be training for a 5K. I can't believe I actually wrote those words. You know how some things you "want" to do are the very things that terrify you the most. Yeah. that's about where I am at with the 5K. There's a local 5K race on June 13 that seems far enough away to be possible, yet close enough to have to work for.

Is God asking me to do it? I'm pretty sure the answer to that is yes.

Can I do it? With God all things are possible - however - still struggling with this one..

Cn a leopard change it's spots?

That is the question.

30 Day Shred (AKA Don't take 2 days off)

2010-01-02T13:08:00.002-05:00

I completed Day 8 on Dec 30 (and since that was my birthday I was extra happy I still got that workout in. But today I had to really force myself to do Level 1/day 9 of the Shred today because I bailed on the 31st and 1st. One day off can be refreshing. Two days off is dangerous. It's just too easy to stay on that road of "not doing it".

Lesson 1 - Get it done early! I probably could have done my workout yesterday if I had completed it when I first got up. Because I didn't, and the day was busy, I was just too mentally exhausted to get in gear to do it later.

Lesson 2 - Keep focused. Anytime my focus drifts, it gets too easy to forget why it's important. It's sort of just like needing to focus on God each and every morning - so that our gaze doesn't drift to meaningless pursuits.

Lesson 3 - It's easier to stick with it than pick it back up. Working out today was tough despite it being my ninth time through. Those two days off weren't wise.

So tomorrow is Day 10 - Level 2 looms on Monday...I'm afraid to watch it. I don't even want to know what I'm in for:-)

Happy New Year!!

30 Day Shred (AKA Why is this still so hard?)

2009-12-29T19:17:00.003-05:00

So today was Level 1/Day 7 of the 30 Day Shred

The workout is still good, because I still get winded. Though I am able to do nearly everything (a few reps short on the second set of lat raises and side squats - ugh those hurt). And my push-ups still pretty much stink. But other than that, I'm hanging in there. Level 2 looms like a black cloud though...

And I'm finding that I'm kind of depressed about it and thinking that this, like everything else, will do no real good. (Still wondering where all those happy, endorphin things are...)

But I'm going to keep pressing through. As I was praying about my crummy attitude (because thankfully God always hears me even when my attitude is crummy), I was reminded of a few things:

Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. (Heb 11:35-36)

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. (Heb 11:1)

First off, the "reward" is not some magic number on the scale. I'm very aware of that. It's that God is working something out in me that is for my good, and hopefully, His glory. Endurance can be a tough "fruit" to cultivate, and God knows that while I've grown some, I definitely need more. Because real endurance is cultivated in the dry lands. Where the ground looks like it will bear no fruit and yet you keep going, pressing deeper into Him.

God asked me to focus on my eating and exercise, and while I don't really know why it's so important, I am positive I need to keep going - even in the complete absence of "fruit". I don't know about you, but I am overly dependent on results sometimes. But I must remember that God's "results" are often things we cannot see until we've gone on the journey.

So here's to the journey. May it blow away the chaff in my life that needs to go.

30 Day Shred (AKA Pumpkin Pie Payback)

2009-12-26T21:44:00.002-05:00

Today was Day 4 /Level 1 for me - I confess that I skipped Christmas Day. Not really because it was Christmas, but because I had a migraine on Christmas Eve. (Yeah, a pretty rotten time to get a migraine). I was feeling better on Christmas Day but my head was still hurting and bouncing was not in the forecast.

So today was especially hard. Partially because of the junk I ate (like the aforementioned pumpkin pie) but also because like anything, getting back to it after a day off is just a challenge.

Most of the battle is really mental.

So what I've noticed:

- endurance getting marginally better

- push-ups are still cheaty and girly but better than what I did the first day (gotta take the small victories)

- a few things I still struggle to do every rep (lat raises with the side squats, and squats with press), but a few others that I probably need to use a heavier weight (chest flies) or can do extra reps (abs).

But I'm kind of surprised that I'm already feeling a little hopeless about it having any real effect on anything. Four days in and the emotional battle is on. But just as with our walks with God - we can't rely on feelings. I need to focus on what is true - God asked me to do this. That's pretty much all that should ever matter. The results - I can't control those - so I have to leave them in His hands.

A few things that are true:

I feel better when I exercise

I feel stronger when I exercise

I eat better when I'm exercising

I drink more water when I'm exercising

All of those things are pretty good reasons to keep pressing through. No matter how I feel emotionally about it. The Shred - well, I look at as a bit of a jump start. A manageable jump start. One day at a time.

~Sarah~

30 Day Shred (AKA Sarah's crazy attempt to start something new the week of Christmas)

2009-12-23T20:36:00.003-05:00

We got snowed in around here. And mind you, we don't get much snow in these parts. A couple times a winter it snows, 3-4 inches is a good snow. We got 20 inches. 20! Insane amount of snow. So because no one in the state was actually prepared, our neighborhood was never graced with a plow; effectively shutting me in since last Saturday. I blame all of this on VDOT.

Sunday we shoveled. Good grief did we shovel. I'm thinking the whole time that I would look at it as a workout. (P.S. - haven't actually worked out in...a while...) Totally fell off the exercise bandwagon and the wagon never seemed to come by and pick me up again. But the shoveling - it was a nice kick start. (That and Q's Blog - just seeing her name gives me exercise guilt - love you LAQ!)

That, and I knew God had been speaking to me for quite some time about food and exercise. (Oh yeah, and my intake of diet sodas - that's a whole other blog story). I lost thirty pounds during the first part of 2008 and I've kept it off. A victory to be sure. But the last twenty have kinda stuck around. I think I've gained and lost the same five pounds four dozen times this year. It's kind of annoying. And when I get quiet before God, well, we end up at the food, exercise and diet coke issues.

So I re-committed to the food plan the Lord lead me to and started praying for grace and help daily to stay within the boundaries he has placed me in.

That left exercise and the Diet Coke. But funny thing about exercise. I naturally drink more water when I work out so the Diet Coke problem hasn't been a problem.

So Monday I did a TurboJam tape. Chalene can be a little too perky and happy but it's a solid workout. Especially for those of us snowed in.

Then Monday night, I found Jillian Michael's "30 Day Shred" on the Apple TV and three things crossed my mind

1- it's short. 20 minutes. Even I can fit in 20 minutes.

2 - it's less than $10

3 - 30 Days. Even I can focus on something for 30 days.

So I downloaded it and Tuesday I did the first work out level 1/day 1. Since I was already sore from the shoveling/TurboJam combo earlier, I was a bit concerned.

Many, many things crossed my mind during the workout but were thankfully censored because the kids are home.

1- push-ups. hate them.

2 - jumping jacks - bouncing isn't very flattering and they're hard - especially when your legs are on fire from everything else

3 - my upper body is weak, weak, WEAK!

4 - not-so-nice-thoughts about Jillian. I know that "flat abs don't come free." (But I would gladly purchase if I could...)

I survived but it hurt to move. And breathe.

Waking and standing upright was painful today but I couldn't quit already. I didn't even want to take a rest day. 30 days. I wanted to push through - so I did Level 1/Day 2. The workout is set up in three levels so in theory, you should do level 1 for ten days.

It hurts to move. And breathe. And standing takes a focused effort and moans of pain. (P.S. The moaning doesn't actually help).

Day 3 may kill me.

I abandoned this blog a while back feeling a little lost, unsure what I wanted to talk about, or why. But accountability, even if it's on a blog, is a nice motivator. That, and I imagine that I'm not alone in my struggles. So if anyone is still out there listening, let me know.

Either way, if I still have use of my hands, I'll be back tomorrow to check in.

Peace, Love and Ibuprofen.

~Sarah~

The David Cook Story

2008-12-08T13:56:00.004-05:00

So everyone is asking - how did this happen? So here is the simple story. We happened to be at Disney World on Friday when they were filming some segments of the Christmas Day Parade. David Cook performed "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and we watched him sing it three times but really only saw the back of his head because of the way the crowds were arranged. (BTW - I have whole different viewpoint of that parade now that I've seen how staged it is.) Anyhow, after David Cook left, we waited around for the parade part but they filmed the opposite side of the street we were on and the kids just got bored waiting around.

So we went in search of popcorn for my eight year old and then went to go join my hubby and our little one in line to meet Tinkerbell, but on the way there we saw that they were filming an interview in the grass near the castle. We stopped to watch and a small crowd gathered as well. The girls waved and waved and he looked over and waved back, while laughing good-naturedly about how long they had been waving at him. They took a break from filming and when he did, David walked over to some of the crowd, but not where we were. I knew if I left my spot, we'd never make it over to him anyway so we just stayed and watched. Someone on the crew, his manager? someone from Disney?, I'm not sure, looked over at us and I shrugged saying that we'd never make it over there. He said, "Hold on a minute. I'll get him for you." So he goes over and asks David to come say hi to go my girls. And then he just walks over and chats with both of them and offers to get a picture. I only had my iPhone with me but it came out pretty good:-) I got the whole thing on film as well - maybe I'll upload it as soon as I figure out how.

But it was SO fun for them. They've never met a celebrity and since they watched every episode of American Idol and voted for both David's throughout the competition - they were over the moon excited. They still get swoony when they talk about it. Of course, I totally forgot to ask if I could get a picture with him, too!

So a big shout out to David Cook for being so kind and gracious and for absolutely making their day.

Twittering Away

2008-12-07T20:25:00.002-05:00

We just returned from Disney World and Im still trying to get unpacked. Some time away, even if it was walking who knows how many miles around Disney World was needed. There's a Broadway song called, "Stop the World I want to get off." I don't want the world to stop, but a pause button might be nice once in a while. The trip felt a bit like a pause, a break from the reality of the routine of life. It was nice.

All that to say that I'll try to post here more often, and you can always find out what I'm up to at Twitter - SarahSumpolec is my handle there. I find Twitter fun because it's so short - and I can do it from my phone! That tells you how often I'm out and about:-)

So assuming anyone is still reading this thing from time to time, I'm back:-)

A wow story:-)

2008-07-16T10:09:00.002-05:00

I had this forwarded to me, and really - it's amazing.

A Lion's Tale.

A Christian Movie Studio?

2008-06-11T10:51:00.002-05:00

Watch this video - and to find out more info, go to In Jesus' Name Productions:

I'll post some more about it over the next week so stay tuned for more!

Fear Factor

2008-04-24T09:23:00.004-05:00

This is The Drop Tower at Kings Dominion. The picture really doesn't do it justice. According to their website it's

The largest drop ride in North America, a 305-foot tower of thrills that promises daring riders a 272-foot descent at 72 miles-per-hour! This adrenaline-pumping adventure simulates the sensation of skydiving.

If that's true, I won't be going skydiving. Ever. I thought for sure I'd like it since the Hollywood Tower of Terror - also a drop-motion ride, was one of my favorites. But that one dropped and then went back up, dropped again, then went back up. It was fun. I went on The Drop Tower, or as I like to call it The Tower of Death, with my daring seven year old daughter, who BTW, was well within the height requirements for the ride.

My first clue should have been the women who panicked and asked to get out just as my daughter and I were heading towards our seats. The Ride Guy had to unlock her to let her out and they put me in next to the guy she had just abandoned on the ride.

I snapped the thing closed and my maternal instincts kicked in as I checked and re-checked my daughter's straps to be sure she was in securely. All the while, the guy next to me keeps up this constant chatter about how this is "the scariest ride I've ever been on" and "it makes me want to die". No wonder the chick with him jumped out! And just about the point my panic reached the "I have to get out of here" stage, the ride started and I was stuck.

I grabbed my daughter's hand thinking that if I was panicking how was she doing? Meanwhile, the guy next to me will not shut up. He's giving me a blow-by-blow about how many seconds it takes to get to the top and how long we'll linger there looking out over Kings Dominion before we drop to our deaths.

Then we dropped. And I mean totally and completely dropped. And it went on forever. I had never been more scared on a ride in my life. And not the fun kind of scared. The terrified kind of scared. But I had my seven year old to think about so all feelings of panic and fear were stuffed inside so that I didn't react. (besides the scream on the way down!) Not because I didn't want to admit it, but because I didn't want to scare her. But once we reached the ground safely (Thank you God!), my daughter hops out of the seat smiling, with only a little bit of nervous laughter. "Did you like it?" I asked her.

"Yeah! My legs are all shaky," she said.

I felt shaky all over, and a wave of nausea coursed through me just to add to the thrill. I spent the next hour telling my husband how scary it was and declaring that I'd never go on the ride again. My seven year old was surprised I was that scared, since she didn't think it was too bad. I even skipped out on the Rebel Yell because I was still feeling woozy from the whole thing.

I'm not sure that I have some profound spiritual point. Got any ideas? I mean, I'm okay. But I won't ever go on it again. Give me a nice loop-de-loop roller coaster and I'll be happy. But I am curious - what about you? Ever been on a scary ride? Ever done something that was really scary and then it turned out okay?

Tell me about it, maybe it will make me feel better:-)

Cross-posted from Girls, God & the Good Life

Breaking News: Camy Tang likes being a girl!

2008-03-13T08:15:00.004-05:00

Join me in welcoming Camy Tang to my blog today!

It’s hard being a girl

Sometimes, it’s hard being a girl, don’t you think? Mom telling you stuff like, “Ladies don’t sprawl on a chair,” or “Don’t hunch, straighten your shoulders.”

And pantyhose! Don’t get me started on that. I think it was invented by a sausage maker or something.

But most of the time, I like being a girl. I’m very different from my husband, Captain Caffeine, in many different ways. Most of the time, it’s funny (but then again, I’m kind of warped and I think a lot of weird things are funny).

For example, illogic does not faze me.

“You said you were craving salt, so you eat chocolate?”

I shrug. “So?”

Also, our choice of TV programs is very different. He records mixed martial arts on our Tivo, I record chick flicks. He watches stupid man movies, I think they destroy brain cells. He has stopped asking me if I’m watching Pride and Prejudice AGAIN, and I have stopped asking him why he’s watching a rerun of SportsCenter that he saw an hour ago.

But most vividly, my relationship with God is different from the Captain’s relationship with God.

I love my father-daughter relationship with Him, although it has many other facets, too—Sovereign Lord and His people, shepherd and His sheep, Lord Almighty and His soldier.

But I know that Captain Caffeine’s relationship with God is completely different from mine. His view of God as his father, his Lord, his role model for the head of the household and the family’s spiritual leader. Those are aspects of God I can’t quite understand.

And I wouldn’t want to. Our different relationships with God help make us more compatible. They complete our family unit, our spiritual oneness.

Of course, sometimes I wish I understood him better, especially when I ask him to pray about getting a new car and he says God told him NO, we don’t need a cute red Mini Cooper.

But most of the time, the differences between us make me glad I’m a girl, with my unique relationship with God, our unique styles of communication and the unique things He points out to me in His word. I am my father’s girl, and the Captain is his father’s boy, and I’m happy with it.

Although I really do think we need a Mini Cooper.

Some VI Info about Miss Camy

Camy Tang is the loud Asian chick who writes loud Asian chick lit. She used to be a biologist, but now she is a staff worker for her church youth group and leads a worship team for Sunday service. She also runs the Story Sensei fiction critique service. On her blog, she gives away Christian novels every Monday and Thursday, and she ponders frivolous things like dumb dogs (namely, hers), coffee-geek husbands (no resemblance to her own...), the writing journey, Asiana, and anything else that comes to mind. Visit her website at http://www.camytang.com/ for a huge website contest going on right now, giving away five boxes of books and 25 copies of her latest release, ONLY UNI.

From Sarah:

Seriously folks, Camy is one fun chick - and her books are a lot like her actually! I met Camy personally at Mount Hermon a few years ago and she happened to hear the story of "Sarah's worst and most public critique EVER." And not only that - she seems to still like me (and fortunately didn't believe the "worst critique EVER"). What a relief! Camy also happens to be a great person to stand next to during a party because she happens to be very funny. Read her books people! You won't regret it.

And just to give you an urge, I'll give a way a copy of the brand spanking new "Only Uni" to a random commenter. Want to win? So easy! Just leave a comment with your e-mail address for your chance to win. Come on, I've already got the comment # in mind so what are you waiting for:-)

And BTW - I totally agree about those pantyhose - and about enjoying that father-daughter relationship with God.

New Computer - Yeah! Moving Files - Boo!

2008-02-28T23:06:00.002-05:00

I have now spent most of the week trying to get my new computer and my old computer to cooperate with each other. I'm afraid it's not going very well. Well, that's an understatement. I think the relationship is doomed. They are not even on speaking terms and I'm afraid I'm going to have to quarantine them from each other, lest the new computer learn any bad behaviors from the old computer.

My new computer is a Mac, and I must admit, I have sat at my desk and just looked at the prettiness of it. It's my third Mac product. First came my Baby MacBook - which is still just as cute as ever. Then came the iPhone. Ahhh, what can I say except - I heart my iPhone. It's fabulous map feature has gotten me where I need to go more times than I can count. (I get lost regularly. I can't help it.) Now, I finally have a sleek new (well, honestly it's a refurb - I had to cut costs somewhere) iMac.

But even though I love my new Mac, I still haven't quite gotten the hang of some things. It's a bit more of a learning curve now that this is supposed to be my primary computer. Little things (like how in the heck do I get it to autofill my e-mail address) to major things (like getting Time Machine to work) are still giving me some problems.

I know it will be worth it.

Bad Blogger Redux

2008-02-07T15:42:00.000-05:00

Yes, I've been MIA again. Really, I haven't gone anywhere but somehow my life still seems to slip by too fast. It's these kids I tell ya'! Not really, of course. I love staying busy with them and helping out with their activities watching them experience new things. The truth is, I've been kind of bummed about the whole publishing experience lately and it hasn't made me feel very...inspired.

Sometimes God just says no.

With no explanation.

And frankly, it hasn't been very easy to hear this time around.

Still, even with everything that hasn't been happening in my writing career, I did manage to finish a novel in January. A novel that I really, really love. A novel that, if I'm fair, might not have gotten written if I hadn't gotten so many "No, thank you's" last year. And I suppose that's a positive thing. At least that's the way I'm gonna try to look at.

But right now I'm in that spot of asking, "Okay, Lord, then what next?" and I simply don't have an answer at the moment. So after talking with my hubby, I'm going to take a small break. This month is going to be pretty intense since I am working with the Christian Youth Theater on their production of Wizard of Oz and as Assistant Director - I will be there nearly every waking hour. It will be a fabulous show and maybe by the time it's over, I'll know which direction God wants me to head next.

And maybe I'll even have a bit more time for blogging:-)

Spring in the Winter

2008-01-08T10:05:00.000-05:00

The weather is a bit confusing around here this year. In December, it was raining one morning and then it all very quickly turned to ice. Me - well, I cracked my head on our concrete stairs when I walked outside. I thought it was just rain - I had no idea it was ice! We've even had a couple days of flurries. And today, January 8th mind you, it is seventy degrees outside. I'm going to pack a lunch and take my preschooler to the park just to get her out in this beautiful weather. (I'm trying not to think about how far behind I am on my word count!)

In certain parts of the country, seventy degrees in January is pretty normal. But not around here. I'm in Virginia, where January weather is cold and usually icy, sometimes snowy. It's just bizarre.

But as I've been heading into this new year, I have been asking God for guidance and wisdom. And just like the weather has surprised me - warmth in the winter - God can surprise us as well. It seems to me that when we fight and struggle to get out of a pit, we can end up more stuck, when all God wants to do is reach down and pull us out. I feel like he's reached down, and offered me grace. He's given me peace, where I have felt nothing but anxiety. I shouldn't be surprised by God but I still am. I still get amazed at how much he loves us, and to what lengths he will go to to draw us ever closer to his heart.

So on this amazing day, be amazed by God. He's totally worth it.

A Warm & Fuzzy Christmas

2007-12-18T15:37:00.001-05:00

Now that my shopping is done and my house is decorated, it finally feels like Christmas. Of course, I still have a lot of wrapping to do. I try to save money by buying gifts that are fun and unique but aren't too pricey. But that means twenty bucks worth of gifts could mean six presents to wrap. So I will, at some point this week, need to tackle the actual wrapping.

Wrapping can be fun though. I love to throw on Anne of Green Gables and be transported to Prince Edward Island as I wrap each gift. Kind of cool.

But this year is the first year that I have felt truly excited about Christmas. You see, my dad died a little over three years ago. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer on October 27, 2004 and died on Nov 14 - just a few short weeks later. He was 59 years old. I spent that first Christmas still in shock I think. The whole thing had happened so fast, so unexpected. The holidays are hard for everyone that loses a loved one, but let me share a picture of my dad with you and perhaps you'll see why Christmas was particularly hard at first.

Yep, that's my dad. He spent the last ten years of his life dressing up as Santa Claus to raise money for the working poor in his community and then delivering the presents on Christmas Eve. The picture to the left came from one of his deliveries. So for four months of every year, this is what my dad looked like. Those first Christmas's, every Santa was a painful reminder. But this year I find myself wanting to fill the house with Santa Claus's because I want to remember him. I still miss him terribly , and it still hurts, but instead of trying to get through the holidays, I can remember him with joy.

So here's to a Merry Christmas!

Behind the Nano Ball

2007-11-12T17:31:00.000-05:00

I'm once again participating in National Novel Writing Month. It's that crazy month where thousands of writers decide to write like maniacs allowing their laundry to pile up and live on pre-packaged meals in order to get a novel written in one month.

It's madness I tell you. And I totally love it.

Of course, my well-laid plans went arwy almost immediately as my eldest daughter has been finishing up the last four shows of their production of the musical Annie with the Christian Youth Theater. That means I spent the bulk of my last five days in a high school hallway with about eighty kids. Not exactly conducive to mad writing.

So I got back on the Nano wagon this morning armed with Diet Coke and chocolate. Today's word count completed along with a bit extra to catch up. Hopefully, if I meet my word count AND write extra for a week, perhaps I can still catch up.

The weird thing is (though it shouldn't be weird since it always happens this way), is that this story is already taking me in unexpected directions and there have been a few surprising revelations from characters that I once thought I had control of.

Sigh.

The strange and wonderful life of a writer.

Now, off to make dinner for the kids because even though it's National Novel Writing Month, the kids still need to eat...

The Golden Compass Debate

2007-11-01T13:19:00.000-05:00

So I'm getting all these forwarded e-mails about The Golden Compass. Have you seen them? I get weary when Christians only step up and say something when they're mad about something.

So here's the basics of what I'm getting:

You may already know about the kids' movie coming out in December starring Nicole Kidman. It's called The Golden Compass, and while it will be a watered down version, it is based on a series of children's books about killing God. (It is the anti-Narnia.) From what I understand, the hope is to get a lot of kids to see the movie - which won't seem too bad - and then get the parents to buy the books for their kids for Christmas. I hope it totally bombs because we were all paying attention!

The movie has been described as "atheism for kids" and is based on the first book of a trilogy entitled "His Dark Materials" that was written by Phillip Pullman. Pullman is a militant atheist and secular humanist who despises C. S. Lewis and the "Chronicles of Narnia". His motivation for writing this trilogy was specifically to counteract Lewis' symbolisms of Christ that are portrayed in the Narnia series.

Clearly, Pullman's main objective is to bash Christianity and promote atheism. Pullman left little doubt about his intentions when he said in a 2003 interview that "my books are about killing God." He has even stated that he wants to "kill God in the minds of children". It has been said of Pullman that he is! "the writer the atheists would be praying for, if atheists prayed."

While "The Golden Compass" movie itself may seem mild and innocent, the books are a much different story. In the trilogy, a young streetwise girl becomes enmeshed in an epic struggle to ultimately defeat the oppressive forces of a senile God. Another character, an ex-nun, describes Christianity as "a very powerful and convincing mistake."

In the final book, characters representing Adam and Eve eventually kill God, who at times is called YAHWEH. Each book in the trilogy gets progressively worse regarding Pullman's hatred of Jesus Christ.

"The Golden Compass" is set to premier on December 7, during the Christmas season, and will probably be heavily advertised. Promoters hope that unsuspecting parents will take their children to see the movie, that they will enjoy the movie, and that the children will want the books for Christmas.

Please consider a boycott of the movie and the books. Also, pass this information along to everyone you know. This will help to educate parents, so that they will know the agenda of the movie.

I have two main thoughts about this whole thing:

1 - boycotts can actually work against you sometimes. Look at what the brouhaha over The DaVinci Code did for ticket sales of that movie - basically ensuring Hollywood will make more movies like that.

2 - It's not good enough to boycott movies that upset you. What Christians must do is go and see the good movies. Every time you buy a movie ticket you are casting a vote in Hollywood*. Every single time. It still drives me nuts what happened with Evan Almighty because it was a great movie, that was respectful of our faith, and yet it bombed. I can just see every executive in Hollywood shrugging their shoulders and scratching their heads saying, "Well, we tried. Let's try this instead." And that's exactly how we end up with movies like The Golden Compass. Hollywood could care less whether the movie has Christian or atheistic underpinnings. They really just care that it puts people in the theater seats. So if you aren't going to plunk down your money and cast your vote when the movies are good, then getting in a big stink over what you don't like isn't really going to do much good. It's kind of like complaining about election results when you don't go vote yourself. Or walking into Target and telling them, "I never shop here but I wanted you to know I was offended when you advertised underwear in your flier." Well, if you aren't a consumer then your opinion isn't really going to make much difference to anyone.

I think changing what comes out of Hollywood is a pretty simple thing to do. Trouble is, Christians won't do it. You see, all you have to do is spend plenty of money to go see the movies Hollywood does right and stay home when they put out the bad stuff. If enough people did that it would make a difference. Not right away, but within a few years.

I won't be holding my breath.

In the meantime, be a wise consumer, get all the information, and if you're going to stay away from the Golden Compass then please take the time to write a kind and gracious letter about why you're not going to see it and send it to:

New Line Cinema Production
888 7th Ave. 19th Floor
New York, NY 10106

You can e-mail them on the site - but trust me, it's too easy to delete. Write a real letter.

That's my opinion anyway...

* But you must go opening weekend. Those are the only box office numbers that really matter.

For Cat Lovers

2007-10-22T15:02:00.000-05:00