From Tracie

What Do You Do When You Don't Have Access To The Internet?

2013-05-15T13:55:00.000-04:00

I remember (in the dark ages of blogging - circa 2006) when everyone would write a post on Monday detailing all the things they had done over the weekend. We would all log in on Monday morning to catch up with our friends. It was newsy - like sitting around a table in a coffee shop together. Minus the coffee and the often obnoxious music.

This is going to be one of those posts. Sit down at the table, pull your cup of coffee (or tea) close, grab a few cookies, and let's catch up. My computer had a slight breakdown last Monday, and I have been without computer or internet since then. It will hopefully be up and running soon. This is what I have been doing while I wait for it to be fixed...

What do you do when you can not use your computer or internet?
- Read more books than usual (this is not a bad thing).
- Watch the entire series of As Time Goes By. Twice.
- Watch Dr. Who.
- Let your daughter give you a fancy, cat hairstyle.

- Read more chapters out loud to your daughter than usual.
- Agree to read books out loud to your husband in the evenings.
- Find yourself losing your voice because of so much reading aloud.
- Read more.
- Watch Cranford.
- Watch episodes of the original Star Trek.
- Be thankful for the library which makes all of this free DVD watching possible.
- Watch way too much news.

- Compose blog posts in your mind about said news stories.
- Think of a dozen things you would like google search, but can't.
- Make a list of those things. Lose the list. Start another list. Lose that list.
- Give up on lists.
- Spend three hours braiding your daughter's hair, so it will look crimpy the next day.

- Read another book.
- Think about how you would like to update your Goodreads to reflect all of this extra reading.
- Sneer at the tv when the news reporter asks you to tweet your opinion about an important story.
- Talk in short sentences to a bird that is chirping outside of your window, to see if it feels like tweeting. It doesn't.
- Marvel at the fact your mother has spent more time on social media in the last week than you have.
- Feel emotional when Candy Crush commercials come on tv.
- Eat all of the cookies in your pantry.
- Clean everything in sight.
- Watch episodes of Black Adder. Feel disappointed that it is not that great.
- Watch more episodes of original Star Trek.
- Read another book.

In other news, this is the view outside of my window:

It is hard to be unhappy when you walk outside, and see a beautiful blue sky like that sitting above you.

What do you do when you are separated from the internet for a long period of time?
(I need suggestions to help me make it through the rest of this week)
(a week is a long period of time when you think of it in internet hours)

Celebrate Prom With Olive Garden

2013-05-10T11:54:00.001-04:00

*This is a sponsored post.

I have great memories from prom. I wore a dress that reminded me of an updated Cinderella dress (more sparkles, less sleeves) and glass slippers. They weren't actually glass. But they were clear, and they looked just like glass slippers.

I wonder if my mom secretly hoped I would be so inspired by my Cinderella thoughts to come home by the time the clock struck twelve? It did not work out that way, but I did arrive home safely by curfew, shoes intact. Which is good, because the shoes were borrowed from my mom's boss, and I don't think she would have been happy having one of her shoes left behind at the Transportation Museum.

Borrowed shoes aside, one thing I remember clearly about prom is that it was expensive.

Dress. Hair. Flowers. Limo.
The list goes on and on.

It leaves you opening up your wallet on the big night to find nothing but dust bunnies left to greet you.

Olive Garden wants to help teens have a nice dinner on prom night without forcing them to take on extra sifts at their after school jobs or ask their parents for a loan. Now through June 2nd, Olive Garden will give you a free dessert - just arrive for pre-prom dinner dressed up and ready to party, and mention the word "prom" to your server. Salad, bread sticks (I love their bread sticks), pasta, and free dessert - that is the beginning of any truly magical night.

One more thing to think about when you are getting ready for prom:
Olive Garden is hosting a Picture-Perfect Prom photo-sharing contest on Instagram with a weekly grand prize of a $500 prepaid credit card. Every week of the contest, Olive Garden will also give away restaurant e-gift cards valued at $50. Guests can enter through May 14 by sharing their prom-themed photos on Instagram with #OGProm and following @OfficialOliveGarden. Rules: OfficialOliveGardenRules.com.

Prom is the night when you will take hundreds of beautiful photos, so it will be simple to tag your favorite one on Instagram to enter the contest. Good luck.

What did you do for your prom?

Strings Of Peace

2013-05-05T11:08:00.000-04:00

My days go by in a blur - math problems, reading pages, science websites, lunch and snacks, news watching, blog post reading, emails with friends, Bible study time, social media work, book reading, and (on good days) writing.

I can feel the strings of peace stretched over my day. They weave a net over and around me - something to grab hold of when the day feels unmanageable. I measure those strings of peace in hours, sometimes minutes.

Two minutes to read a blog post, and leave a quick comment. I wish it could be more, but the emotions are overwhelming, and all I can bear is a short, "I am praying for you today." Short, but very real.

Minutes for that prayer...for more prayer...names flitting across my mind demanding attention.

Five minutes to listen to a song while I wait for nine o'clock to arrive.

Four minutes to make the oatmeal. Add a splash of milk. One minute to stir. Breakfast is ready.

Thirty minutes for math pages. I sneak in a few emails, read the closed captioning on the news, answer a question, peek at facebook. I feel the connections in these minutes - my daughter working, the world spinning on, updates from people I love and people I don't really know. Sometimes those updates feel like a punch in my stomach; sometimes they bring a small smile or a huge laugh; sometimes they bring tears.

I grab out for the strings of peace. I count the minutes. I think of prayers prayed in order. "A script" the judgmental voices in my mind mock. "Peace" the whisper of my soul answers.

I hold on to the strings of peace. Hand over hand. Swinging from string to string throughout the day; they deliver me safely to the shore on the other side - to sleep, and quiet, and time to recharge for the new day that is coming.

Stream Of Consciousness Sunday Prompt: How do you deal with things? My mind thought of dealing with life, and this was what my heart wrote. I passed the five minute mark, but I could not stop typing until my heart was silent.

What brings peace to your life?
How do you deal with the moments that are less than peaceful?

Nature's Bakery Fig Bars

2013-05-02T16:59:00.000-04:00

You know by now that I love food. Desserts are my favorite, and snack food comes in a close second. When Nature's Bakery contacted me about trying their all natural Fig Bars, I said yes. They provided me with a box of free Fig Bars to try, and at the end of this post I am going to be giving away one box of Fig Bars.

The first thing I noticed when I opened the box was that these fig bars are heavy. Not 100 pounds heavy, but heavier than those popular fig bars I grew up eating (the ones in the yellow box). The Nature's Baker Fig Bars have a substantial feel to them, and they are very filling.

The most important thing when it comes to food is taste.

Sure ingredients are important, and these Fig Bars aren't slouchy in the ingredient department - all natural, cholesterol-free, dairy free, and kosher - they are even made in the USA. But if you are going to get me to eat something, you have to win me over with the taste.

Taste wins with the Nature's Bakery Fig Bars. They are yummy.

We tried the Peach Apricot, Vanilla Raspberry, Whole Wheat Fig, and Raspberry flavors. Thomas and I liked Vanilla Raspberry the best, and Katarina's favorite was the Peach Apricot, but they were all good.

Are you feeling hungry now? Great!
Nature's Bakery is going to send Fig Bars to one of my readers.

To enter:
- Leave a comment telling me which flavor of Fig Bars sounds good to you. They also have other flavors like Blueberry and Apple Cinnamon that I haven't tried yet.
- Tweet about this giveaway, and leave a separate comment with the link to your tweet.

I will choose a winner at midnight on Sunday, May 19, 2013.

The giveaway is open to US residents only, 18 years old or older. The winner will be chosen at random, and the winner will be notified by e-mail. Make sure to leave your e-mail address in your comments, or have your contact available on your blogger profile.

*Legal Stuff: I was provided with Fig Bars to taste by Nature's Bakery. I was not compensated in any other way, and I was not required to say nice things.

This Is The True Candy Crush Saga

2013-05-01T12:12:00.000-04:00

When I saw the name Candy Crush Saga, my first thought was, "'Saga?' Really? It is a facebook game. I think 'saga' is a bit of an overstatement." The first levels were easy. It was like playing Bejewled Blitz - with bigger pieces and sudden sugar cravings thrown in for fun.

When I hit levels in the 30's it started getting harder. I needed to ask for lives. I discussed strategy with Katarina. The word saga was starting to make a little bit more sense.

On Level 97, I got desperate. Two weeks in on 97, I was on twitter asking @deana_bo to come to my house, and beat it for me.

Asking random people on twitter to come to your house and play Candy Crush Saga, isn't like riding around in a van and offering candy to kids, is it? It feels a little too close. Now I am thinking Deana might have cause to be afraid of me, since apparently I tired to kidnap her via Twitter.

Is "Candy Crush made me do it" a legitimate defense?

I took a break for a couple of days to prove that I did not need Candy Crush in my life. Then I came back to beat Level 97. Now I am stuck on Level 107. (Hey Deana, what are you doing this weekend?)

I thought I understood the saga of Candy Crush...until I tried to teach Thomas how to play, and learned the true saga.

He did fine in the early levels (that is how they pull us in), but the jelly levels proved to be a struggle.

I started giving him advice. He was receptive, if a little disgruntled by the amount of progress I had made since we started playing. I was happy to help him.

I told Thomas he needed to cross two special candies to clear more of the board in one move. He did not know this was possible, so we spent several lives setting up a great move. He was very focused on seeing something blow up or a lot of pieces disappear.

Can you see the move?

It was perfect. I pointed at the screen, "Match the three yellow candies, and you will finally have your big move." I tapped on the appropriate pieces for emphasis.

"Okay. I'll match the yellow pieces..." he said as he reached for the mouse.

"NO! No! No! NO! What did you do? Why would you do that? What is wrong with you?"

He had moved the green stripy piece sideways - connecting the three yellows, and making it impossible to cross the stripy green and polka dot chocolate pieces.

It was a tragedy.

All those moves. All those lives. Wasted. Lost. No big clearing of the board.

Thomas looked up at me, and said, "We can try again, right?"

"Yes. But you can't do that again."

We both started to giggle at the absurdity, and I said, "This makes me think of that scene in The Office when Erin did not use the word apoplexy in her Scrabble game."

The Office scene: Oscar and Pam help Erin play Scrabble. They play until she has one turn left. Pam wants her to get the satisfaction of playing the winning move. Oscar reluctantly agrees, and gives her a big hint," Erin, I will have apoplexy if you lose. Do you understand? Apoplexy is what I will have." She nods happily, gives Oscar a look of understanding, and makes the move. A sad sound comes from her phone, indicating her loss, and Oscar begins to have a breakdown. It cuts to Erin saying, "I played ape."

I helped Thomas set up another perfect move, and pointed carefully at the correct pieces on the screen. "You want to get the stripy piece by the polka dot chocolate one."

Time slowed. In my concentration, I forgot to breathe for a moment.

This was it.

Thomas' hand moved the mouse. He clicked.

A quick swipe of his wrist, and....he moved the wrong piece.

He moved the wrong piece, y'all. I could hardly believe it.

I screamed. He screamed. Katarina screamed. There might have been tears.

And then I had apoplexy.

Do you play Candy Crush Saga?
Who wants to come to my house, and beat Level 107 for me?

Pie, Pie, and More Pie

2013-04-30T07:17:00.000-04:00

We went to the Great American Pie Festival on Sunday. This is Cherry Vanilla Pie. I almost didn't get a picture of it, because I didn't want to stop eating it long enough to pull out my camera. It was that good.

You might be able to see a piece of lemon pie in the box under the cherry. It was yummy, too. As was the pecan. I ate a lot of pie.

There was a stand for kids to make their own pies.

This is Katarina's creation. She rolled out the dough, chose the filling, and took it home to cook for her dad.

We also spent a lot of time by the giant slide.

The slide did not really have anything to do with pie, but it was a lot of fun.

No Longer Home

2013-04-28T10:26:00.000-04:00

I sit, unmoving.

My hand cools under the surface of sugar-white sand.

The familiar scene and crashing waves do not calm; they bring sadness.

My heart is lost.

This is no longer home.

Trifecta Writing Challenge: 33 words about anything you want. Your piece must include at least one hyphenated compound modifier.

Blog Against Child Abuse - April 2013 Edition

2013-04-27T07:13:00.001-04:00

Welcome to the Blog Against Child Abuse - April 2013 Edition!

Advocacy & Awareness:
-Tammi from If You Could See What I See submitted Dear Kid (At Whatever Age)
This is a powerful letter to a child living in an abusive home.
"Please know there are others who made it. You can make it, too."

-Kate from Kate Is Rising submitted Finding Balance When Off-Kilter
She wrote: Finding balance in my life and in my healing work has been a challenge. There are so many dramas, upsets, and triggers in life. I have found that it is important to address those as they come up, but to also find other things in life that provide the good and positive to off-set the negative and to keep doing them. We all deserve the good.

-Jendi from Reiter's Block submitted National Child Abuse Prevention Month: Why It's Personal
Jendi realized she was an emotional incest survivor, and found its connection to her activism.

Aftermath:
-Colleen from Thoughts on Grace submitted The Face of A Survivor
She wrote: My sister is going through a rough time and I wanted people to see what it is to be a survivor years after the sexual abuse stopped. I think when we tell our personal stories, we become more real to others.

Healing & Therapy:
-Mike from Child Abuse Survivors submitted Is Healing Really Possible?
Mike has noticed a lot of talk on social media challenging the thought that survivors can ever really heal. This is his response. I love it.

-Middle State submitted Close To Home
She wrote: I've had this post gathering dust for awhile. April seems like a good month to publish.
A Google search revealed that a bad doctor from her past lives near her, and spurred thoughts about protecting her own children.

-Kate from Kate Is Rising submitted I Have These Rights
She wrote: I think a large part of my healing involves learning what is functional and acceptable behavior, and learning how to advocate for myself and my own rights. It's so much easier to care and give to others than it is to care and give to ourselves the rights that we deserve. This post was a recent affirmation of my rights, including several lists of rights that are good to use as reminders when others over-run our boundaries and rights.

-David Pittman from Together We Heal submitted When It Comes To Love, 3 Is The Magic Number
David shares some insights into the loving relationship he observed in his grandparent's marriage.

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The Blog Carnival Against Child Abuse provides an opportunity to raise awareness about the serious issue of child abuse and to share important posts with others who might not be frequent readers of an author's blog. There are so many wonderful bloggers who are contributing to the cause of ending and recovering from child abuse. If you, as a reader or author, know of other blogs that you find helpful, please encourage them to submit to an upcoming issue of the Blog Carnival Against Child Abuse so we can continue to receive high quality submissions from a wide swath of bloggers.

Many thanks to all of you who shared your hearts and stories with us, and to all of you who read the submissions and show your support. You keep this carnival, the awareness, support, and healing going each month.

To provide another way for you to stay in contact with the blog carnival, and make sure you don't miss any updates, we have a Blog Carnival Against Child Abuse Facebook Page.

Thank you for raising your voice and speaking out against child abuse!

Three Truths - The Answer

2013-04-26T07:10:00.001-04:00

Earlier this week I gave you a list of three truths and one lie about me, and asked you to guess which one was not true. Today I'm going to give you the answer.

Here's the list:
1. I do not like different kinds of food to touch each other on my plate.
This is true. I very carefully pile my food on the plate, so it does not touch or mix together. I am also not a big fan of gravy.

2. I love Tinikling.
This is true. In my eighth grade PE class we did a six week course of Tinikling. It was one of the only times I enjoyed PE.

3. Geometry is my favorite kind of math.
This is not true. Geometry is the math I hate the most. Partly because it does not make sense (I am an Algebra kind of girl), and partly because I am still scared from the time my Geometry teacher went crazy in class.

4. I rode down the interstate in a car that was on the back of a flatbed tow truck.
This is true. It happened the night Thomas told me he loved me for the first time. I am still pretty sure it was illegal to ride in the car while it was being towed.

If you share a 3+1 of your own, leave me a link so I can guess which one is not true.

Great American Pie Festival

2013-04-25T17:52:00.001-04:00

Never-Ending Pie Buffet. I know those words got your attention, because everyone wants a never-ending buffet of pies. Right? I can not be the only person who has had that dream.

This weekend the American Pie Council will be in Celebration, Fl for the Great American Pie Festival, where they will have a never-ending buffet of pies.

There will be pies from: Bakers Square Restaurants and Pies, Bonert’s Slice of Pie, Legendary Baking, Kroger’s Private Selection, Publix Super Markets Inc., Village Inn, Winn-Dixie, Wick’s Pies, and Cabot Cheese.

I intend to try each pie. Especially the tart ones like Key Lime and Cherry; they are my favorite. I'm not sure if I will meet that goal, but I am sure I will fully enjoy trying.

If a never-ending buffet of pie (seriously, I will never get tired of typing, or saying, those words...never-ending buffet of pie) is not enough to pull you out of your weekend pajamas, and down to Celebration, there will also be baking demonstrations, a pie eating contest, other pie related activities, and stuff for kids. It will be fun for everyone.

Now that your mouth is watering for some pie, let me give you the important details:
Saturday, April 27 11AM-7PM and Sunday, April 28 12PM-5PM
Lakeside Park 631 Sycamore St., Celebration, FL

The Never-Ending Pie Buffet is $10/person, and the children's area (which includes crafts and a bouncy house) is $10/child.

I hope to see you there!

What is your favorite kind of pie?

*I am receiving media tickets for this event, but all opinions and love of pie are my own. I was not required to say nice things

Losing My Messy Ponytail

2013-04-24T19:42:00.000-04:00

I told y'all I was thinking about getting bangs, and you gave me some great haircut ideas. Jessica even sent me pictures, and led the way by getting a cute haircut of her own. I have not used any of those ideas, yet, because I realized my hair is almost long enough to donate again. I am going to let it grow, untouched, until it hits the right length, and then I will get it cut with some long bangs.

This plan leaves me with hair that I am not really loving. Most of the time it is up in a messy ponytail. Something like this:

Not messy in a cute way; messy in an "I am too lazy to make this ponytail look good" kind of way.

I want to enjoy my long hair while I have it, and wear styles that won't be possible when I cut it short. My new goal is to learn how to master something that looks fancy, but is somewhat simple, like this Sexy, Loose Bun.

I think that is doable. What do you think?

Do you wear your hair in a bun?
What else should I be doing with my long hair?

*********
Pssst! If you watch that video all the way to the end, you can enter for a chance to win $100, $250 or more...and you can tell me what you think about buns - I need more hairstyle advice.

Prizes & Promotions page on Blogher.com:
https://www.blogher.com/blogher-tv-weekly-hair-style-sweepstakes
Sweeps Rules (4/24-4/30):
http://www.blogher.com/hair-sweepstakes-official-rules-week-6

Denim Day 2013

2013-04-24T07:30:00.000-04:00

I am wearing denim in support of all sexual assault victims and survivors.

What is Denim Day?
In 1992, an 18-year old girl was raped by her driving instructor in Italy. He was convicted of rape and sentenced to jail - until the Italian Supreme Court got his appeal, and overturned his sentence: "Because the victim wore very, very tight jeans," the Court notes in their decision, "she had to help him remove them, and by removing the jeans it was no longer rape but consensual sex." The women in Italy's Parliament wore jeans to work as a protest.

Since 1999, Peace Over Violence has organized Denim Day in LA & USA each April during sexual assault awareness month, to make a statement of protest against the misconceptions that surround sexual assault.

Why This Matters in 2013
Though I want to believe we have come a long way in our understanding and treatment of victims since 1992, sadly, the news belies this. We only have to look to the Steubenville case, and the deaths of Audrie Pott and Rehtaeh Parsons to see that we still have a long way to go.

There is no excuse and never an invitation to rape.

*******************
If you have been the victim of sexual assault and need help, or you want to help a loved one, you can contact RAINN or call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE.

If you suspect that a child is being abused, or if you are a child or teen who is being abused, you can contact Child Help or call the National Child Abuse Hotline 1-800-4-A-CHILD.

Three Truths

2013-04-23T08:15:00.000-04:00

The lovely and amazing Tia played the 3+1 game last week, and tagged me to do it, too. In case you have never played, the rules are simple: I will share four things. Three of them will be true. One will be a lie. You have to guess which one is the lie.

These are your four options:

1. I do not like different kinds of food to touch each other on my plate.

2. I love Tinikling.

3. Geometry is my favorite kind of math.

4. I rode down the interstate in a car that was on the back of a flatbed tow truck.

Which one isn't true?
Leave your guesses in the comments, and I will answer later this week.

*I did three truths and a lie for a Trifecta Writing prompt last year. It was about my relationship with sleep, and was much less mysterious than this one.

Ship Your Pants

2013-04-22T08:44:00.001-04:00

This made me laugh. A lot. Since I am sure I am not the only one who needs a laugh today, I am sharing it with you.

Ship Your Pants Video Link

*Kmart did not sponsor this post. But their marketing department gets total props for making me laugh.

What is making you happy today? Anything?
Please leave me a story or a link! Make me laugh.
(Whew. I am demanding.)

Possibilities.

2013-04-21T16:25:00.000-04:00

There are things that must be said.

People I love are hurting, and they are hurting each other.

I want to go to them. I want to tell them how to fix things. It seems so simple on the outside. Well, not simple, but possible. It seems possible. But I am not living their lives. I am sure there are times when people look at me, and think how possible it would be to fix things. Things that are really much more complicated than they know.

I need to remember that. That the looking in is not nearly as clear as it seems.

Even though it does seem clear. I feel like I could spend a day and set things right. It wouldn't remove the hurt, but it would make space for healing. Healing is what I want so badly for these people I love.

I know the truth about certain kinds of healing - the person who is hurt has to want it. And this is that kind of healing. No matter how much I want it for them, it won't happen until they want it for themselves. (I am sure there are people who have thought that about me, too.)

So I sit in this place and write. Half finished sentences. Names redacted. Hearts protected on both sides. And I pray. For hope. For healing. For possibilities. Because I believe those things are real. More real than the strongest steel or the sharpest sword. More real than the blanket wrapped around me. They are the stuff of souls; the things that live with us forever.

Hope. Healing. Possibilities.

And at the very least - kindness.

That is what I wish for the people I love, and it is what I wish for all of you.

Color

2013-04-16T09:03:00.000-04:00

Sarah didn't need the tinkle of bells on the door to announce his entry; she sensed his presence immediately. As she turned, color abandoned her face. She whispered through clenched teeth, "Get out."

Trifecta Prompt:
color (noun)

3: complexion tint:
a : the tint characteristic of good health
b : blush

Weaving A Friendship

2013-04-14T09:28:00.000-04:00

One of the nice things about living in Orlando is that I occasionally get to see friends when they come down here for vacations or work. It happened two weeks ago, and I had the most amazing lunch with someone I love, and so much laughter. This week my oldest friend is coming for a conference, and I get to see her. By oldest friend I do not mean oldest - she is my age - I mean longest loved.

This has me thinking of all the time we spent together as children and teenagers. I can't remember the first time we met. It was probably in a Sunday School class. Maybe she had the yellow crayon and let me borrow it? Or we might have been the two girls in the back giggling when we should have been paying attention? It seems strange that I can not remember.

But I do remember other moments. Birthday parties. Long walks (fueled by IBC Root Beer). Sleepovers. Sunday School classes with less crayons and more paying attention. Disciple Now weekends. Tears. Theme Parks. Laughter. Trips to the beach. Choir Tours. Sharing. Long bus rides. Emails after she moved away. Even longer phone calls. Pictures. Meeting at the airport. No emails when we lost touch for too many years. Lots of emails (and a few phone calls) when we found each other again. One long weekend when she let me invade her house on her anniversary to hold a blogathon.

These things by themselves might be small, but together, they weave a beautiful fabric of friendship.

Stream of Consciousness Sunday prompt:
Moments In Time

Brennan Manning

2013-04-13T10:29:00.001-04:00

I was very sad this morning to see the news that Brennan Manning died yesterday. It is sadness mixed with happiness - for a person who is finally at rest with his Abba, strong and healthy once again, surrounded by the love of God in a new and amazing way, does not merit sadness. My sadness is for myself, and for the world, that there will be no new words from Manning in this life.

I was blessed that Brennan Manning spoke and wrote openly about his past and his wounds. From the first time I read The Ragamuffin Gospel: Good News for the Bedraggled, Beat-Up, and Burnt Out in my teens, he challenged my thoughts about grace and unconditional love in a powerful way.

This video never ceases to make me cry:

Brennan Manning on God's love and compassion video link

This video was made for Brennan Manning's last book, the autobiography All Is Grace, written with the help of John Blase:

All Is Grace by Brennan Manning video link

Brennan Manning was a controversial man. He was a Catholic priest. He was an alcoholic. He got married. He was a ragamuffin. He was honest about himself with a level of honesty that most Christians never allow themselves.

"When I get honest, I admit I am a bundle of paradoxes. I believe and I doubt, I hope and get discouraged, I love and I hate, I feel bad about feeling good, I feel guilty about not feeling guilty. I am trusting and suspicious. I am honest and I still play games. Aristotle said I am a rational animal; I say I am an angel with an incredible capacity for beer.

To live by grace means to acknowledge my whole life story, the light side and the dark. In admitting my shadow side I learn who I am and what God's grace means." - Brennan Manning, The Ragamuffin Gospel

His honesty and his theology have been criticized and questioned, but the heart of what he taught was this: God's word means exactly what it says; unconditional love truly is unconditional, and that is the love God has for us.

For a confused teenager sitting alone in her room - a teenager who was hurt by the world and the church; who was working hard to deny a childhood of abuse, yet understand why her heart hurt so bad; who was raised in a cult school that embraced extreme legalism; who felt so very unloved and unworthy - that message was a light.

"That which is denied cannot be healed." - Brennan Manning, All Is Grace

It is hard to know what to say about an author who I never actually met, but whose words touched my life so deeply. I am grateful that Brennan Manning and Rich Mullins (the two are always linked in my heart) came into my life at exactly the right time, and blessed that God used their words to speak to my heart.

Other People's Words

2013-04-11T13:51:00.000-04:00

Mama Kat asked us to share 6 of our favorite quotes as one of her Writing Workshop prompts, and I could not pass it up.

That which is denied cannot be healed. - Brennan Manning

You own everything that happened to you. Tell your stories. If people wanted you to write warmly about them, they should've behaved better. - Anne Lamott

Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another,

"What! You too? I thought I was the only one." - C. S. Lewis

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace; where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy. - St. Francis of Assisi

Have courage for the great sorrows of life and patience for the small ones. And when you have finished your daily task, go to sleep in peace.

God is awake. - Victor Hugo

(The Victor Hugo quote will always make me think of Sara.)

Finally, on a less serious note:

You need to access your un-crazy side. - Darryl from The Office

What is your favorite quote?

Tips For Running A Successful Twitter Chat

2013-04-10T17:41:00.000-04:00

A couple of weeks ago I attended a twitter chat hosted by a large, national organization. The organization had enlisted a co-host who was supposed to lead the chat. She took a lecture approach to it, and tweeted out only informational tweets. She did not interact with the attendees, or even with the twitter account for the organization, ignoring tweets and questions directed to her.

At the beginning of the chat there were 75-100 people participating, after fifteen minutes had passed (and everyone realized there was no space for interaction or answers for their questions), that number fell to about 10. It was a lost opportunity for the organization, and it was upsetting for people who had made plans to stop in the middle of their work day to participate in an important conversation and resource sharing event.

Twitter chats can be a great way to build community, share information, increase your social media presence, and connect with other people. They can also be a lot of fun.

Do you want to run a twitter chat? Great. Pick a hashtag (short is always best when picking a hashtag), set a time, promote your chat, and show up on time. If you want your chat to be successful, I have three tips that will help you.

1. Have a plan.
At the beginning of the chat, you need to introduce yourself, remind people how long the chat will last, and lay out any rules or guidelines (this last one is especially important if you will be giving out prizes).

Most twitter chats have a question-based format. It is up to you if you want to number those questions and spend a set amount of time on each one, or if you would like to have more of a conversational feel. Once you decide how you want to structure your chat, prepare the questions ahead of time, so you are not left scrambling for something to tweet.

You should not just tweet out informational facts for an hour.
This is a twitter chat, not a twitter lecture.

If there are links to resources that fit in with your topic, or if you are representing a brand, you will have informational tweets as part of your chat. Make sure those tweets are followed by questions that relate to the information.

There are some twitter chats that are not question-based. A great example is the #SITSSharefest chat on Saturday mornings at 10am EST. #SITSSharefest is a relaxed, fun atmosphere, with the goal of community building and blog post sharing. Attendees share their favorite blog post from the previous week, and the host retweets them. It is a great way to get more exposure for your blog and meet other bloggers. Even though it is not a question-based chat, and there are no prizes, the host will ask several questions, and start conversations throughout the hour.

2. Focus on interaction.
Depending on the amount of attendees, you might not be able to tweet at every single person who is there, but you need to make an effort to interact with as many as possible. Seeing the host answer the questions and interact with the attendees helps people to feel more free to interact with each other.

Retweeting, or marking a tweet as a favorite, is a great way to show someone you were paying attention to what they were saying, and also to highlight it for everyone following the hashtag. Everyone likes to be retweeted.

3. Respond to tweets that are directed at you - especially if they ask a question.
I know this tip is similar to the last one, as it deals with interaction, but it is important enough to receive its own mention.

A twitter chat is like a party. Imagine yourself at a party, standing in a room full of people: If someone asks you a question, would you ignore them? Of course not. That means it is not okay to ignore them during a twitter chat, either. As much as possible, every direct question needs to be answered. If you find that your chats are getting too large, you could enlist a co-host to help.

Remember those tweets you favorited? Look through them after the party. You may find someone you want to follow-up with in that list, or a question that needs an answer longer than the 140 characters you are allotted on twitter.

Bonus Tip: Attend other twitter chats.
You do not have to follow someone else's format; feel free to make your chat your own. Attending other chats will help you to get an idea what it feels like to be a participant, and you can pick up ideas of what works and what doesn't.

Don't let running a twitter chat intimidate you.
With a little preparation, anyone can do it, and have a great experience.

Fixing Holes In The Story

2013-04-08T07:23:00.001-04:00

My mom and Katarina have an American Girl book system - mom buys a set at Christmas, and sends them to Katarina two books at a time throughout the year. On Easter she sent books five and six instead of books three and four.

Every true reader knows you can not read a book series out of order. Each book builds upon the last one. Katarina set the books on her shelf, and I let mom know the wrong books were sent when I emailed her that the package arrived. Katarina was disappointed, but we did not stress about it; I knew mom would send the others when she had time.

Saturday evening we were on the phone, and mom said, "I can't believe I sent the wrong books." Her husband, Don, heard. He asked her about it as soon as we hung up the phone, and couldn't believe she had known for several days without doing anything to fix it.

The phone rang. It was Don, and he asked to speak to Katarina. Don told her that when we was a kid in Chicago, they were poor, but he always went to the movie theater on Saturday mornings to see the Superman serial. One week they did not have enough money for him to buy a ticket, and he missed part 12. It was sad, because it was shown for just one day. The next week he was behind in the story, and he never did get to see part 12. Then he said goodbye, and hung up.

When Katarina said goodbye, and handed the phone to me, I expected him to still be on the line, but he was gone. "I guess he just wanted to commiserate with you about missing part of a story," I said with a shrug when I heard the dial tone, and Katarina told me the Superman story. We went back to what we were doing, and did not give it more thought.

Two hours later, the phone rang again. It was my mom letting me know books three and four were on their way.

As soon as he got off the line with Katarina, Don had pulled the books out of the closet so they could mail them. Don and mom went to three places until they found someone who would send them out that night. It was important to him that Katarina was not left with holes in her storyline.

That moment of love and kindness from Don warmed my heart. It is a beautiful thing to fill in the holes of a story, and give a child something you did not have when you were small.

Now Accepting Submissions for the April 2013 Edition of the Blog Against Child Abuse

2013-04-06T10:57:00.000-04:00

The Blog Carnival Against Child Abuse is a monthly event. Its purpose is to raise awareness about the serious issue of child abuse. All forms of abuse (physical, emotional, sexual, spiritual, verbal) are discussed.

The April edition of the Blog Carnival Against Child Abuse will be hosted here, at From Tracie.

April is the official month for Child Abuse Prevention. While I know that most of us are involved in prevention and awareness every month of the year (even if it is just through blogging, and sharing our stories - that is a HUGE thing!), I would love to hear about anything specific or special you did this month to raise awareness.

All of our regular categories will also be open:
-Advocacy and Awareness
-Aftermath
-Healing and Therapy
-In the News
-Poetry
-Survivor Stories
-Art Therapy

The deadline for submissions is April 24th, and the carnival will be posted on the 26th. I'm excited to see what y'all share this month. You can submit something written especially for this edition, but please feel free to submit an older post as well.

To submit a blog post, please fill out this form.

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The Blog Carnival Against Child Abuse provides an opportunity to raise awareness about the serious issue of child abuse and to share important posts with others who might not be frequent readers of an author's blog. There are so many wonderful bloggers who are contributing to the cause of ending and recovering from child abuse. If you, as a reader or author, know of other blogs that you find helpful, please encourage them to submit to an upcoming issue of the Blog Carnival Against Child Abuse so we can continue to receive high quality submissions from a wide swath of bloggers.

Many thanks to all of you who shared your hearts and stories with us, and to all of you who read the submissions and show your support. You keep this carnival, the awareness, support, and healing going each month.

To provide another way for you to stay in contact with the blog carnival, and make sure you don't miss any updates; you can like the Blog Carnival Against Child Abuse Facebook Page.

Thank you for raising your voice and speaking out against child abuse!

This Hamburger Will Make You Hungry

2013-04-04T16:00:00.000-04:00

We found the best hamburger place in downtown Orlando the other day (after finding the abandoned yellow submarine - clearly it was a good day for finding things), and I am going to share it with all of you.

Are you ready to feel hungry? This is what we ate at Beth's Burger Bar:

Let's start with the sides. French fries. Sweet potato fries. Frickles.

Frickles are fried pickles, y'all. Fried pickles with homemade horseradish dip. Everything about that last sentence is delicious.

I know you want to see a close-up shot of Thomas' fancy burger. It has tomatoes, lettuce, A1, bleu cheese, and jalapenos.

This is my cheeseburger up close. It has mustard, ketchup, A1, and extra pickles. (I love my pickles.)

Katarina had peanut butter sauce on her cheeseburger, which sounds a little scary, but was actually really good. It is a special honey peanut butter sauce that they make there at the restaurant.

This is Beth, the queen of hamburgers. She opened Beth's Burger Bar a few months ago, and describes it as a "big kid's diner" (they have beer and wine). It is a perfect hang out place - good food, cool vibe, and great music. And she makes amazing homemade chocolate chip cookies, too.

You can find all of the fun hamburger toppings listed on the Beth's Burger Bar website, and like her on facebook where (as much as I love Five Guys) I giggled when I saw her about section say, "Proof once again that one girl can beat five guys!"

*This post is in no way sponsored. I just love a great hamburger and a fun place to eat, and I wanted to share. If you are in Orlando, you should definitely check them out.

We All Live In A Yellow Submarine

2013-04-02T08:56:00.000-04:00

I found a yellow submarine in an abandoned store. Seriously.

You have to be happy when you are with a yellow submarine.

What is making you happy today?

April Is For Speaking Out

2013-04-01T13:10:00.000-04:00

The statistics tell us 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys will be sexually assaulted before they turn 18 years old. I am one of those girls. Sexual assault and abuse is a serious epidemic, in this country, and all over the world.

The most important thing you can do in April is speak out.
Tell your stories - write about it on your blog, speak about it at a church or community event, share your story with friends. (If you are want to share your story in a safe, anonymous way, you can submit it to Band Back Together.)

Share blog posts and articles where other people are telling their stories. Share prevention and awareness materials.

Change your picture on facebook. Tweet.

Talk to your kids and teens about sexual assault and abuse.

Sexual Assault Awareness
In the 1980's, April was selected as the month for Sexual Assault Awareness Week. In 2001, teal became the official color for sexual assault awareness, and the first Sexual Assault Awareness Month was observed nationally.

Get Involved In Sexual Assault Awareness:

The 2013 campaign from the NSVRC is focused healthy sexuality and its connection to childhood sexual abuse prevention. They have resources for parents, educators, and advocates that can be found on their site.
#TweetAboutIt Twitter Chats will be happening each Tuesday afternoon in April at 2pm EST.
You can also use the #SAAM hashtag throughout the month.
Check out the National Sexual Violence Resource Center Calendar list of events.
Support RAINN, and the sexual assault hotline.
Wear denim on April 24th for Denim Day.

Child Abuse Prevention
In 1983, April was the proclaimed the first official Child Abuse Prevention Month and the Blue Ribbon Campaign began in 1989.

Get Involved In Child Abuse Prevention:

The Child Welfare Information Gateway has resources and information packets for people who want to get involved in child abuse prevention. They will also help you find groups in your local area. (this link has a lot of great information)
Get your Stewards of Children training.
Join the Pinwheels for Prevention movement with a blue pinwheel.
Submit a blog post to the Blog Against Child Abuse.
Support Child Help and the child abuse hotline.
Million March Against Child Abuse - the facebook page has a list of participating cities.

It is important to remember that not all child abuse is sexual, and not all child abuse is violent.

What is happening in your area?
Please leave links or info in the comments about anything you are participating in for sexual assault awareness or child abuse prevention this month. I will be updating this post throughout the month.

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If you have been the victim of sexual assault and need help, or you want to help a loved one, you can contact RAINN or call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE.

If you suspect that a child is being abused, or if you are a child or teen who is being abused, you can contact Child Help or call the National Child Abuse Hotline 1-800-4-A-CHILD.