PENS CHRISTMAS 2012

 

 

Our Pens meeting was wonderful again! I'm amazed at the tallent represented in our small group. This month we dug into "The Fire In Fiction" byDonald Maass and explored stripping the work in progress selection of all description and then building it up again a couple times with different points of view.

Here is our devotion for December....

Christmas 2012

Tear It Down & Build It Up

@Susan Marlene Kinney

Oh no! Look at the snow splattered on the ground…And I’ve got somewhere to go! Well thank goodness that sneaky old Jack Frost didn’t have the chance to paint my car windows with ice unawares.

STOP

Oh wonderful! Snow laces the landscape in the most delightful way! I can’t wait to slip into my car and zoom around town…carefully…to see all the wonders of a frost covered creation. Jack Frost is the most talented artisan, and I love the surprises he creates.

STOP

Sometimes the Lord Our God, Creator, Author of Our Faith, Deliverer, Redeemer and Lover of Our Souls etc. etc. uses mysterious, creative ways to tear down the negative in our lives to create wondrous fresh points of view. It’s as though we can be writing from the valley or the mountaintop or somewhere in between even if we are observing the same situation. Our opinions or points of view when we look at life, people, and God matter and do influence others. More than we may think. Jesus didn’t have to be born in a stable to expand His point of view. He made that choice for us. He enlarges our steps under us. He prospered our joy and love in incredible ways by making Himself available in the weirdest way (born in a stable)

– my perspective.

But most effective way.

Let’s walk tight to his side and learn of Him as we step into 2013. May we gaze at this life and our loved ones from His perspective. May we write each day as though we don’t have another one left –may we offer all we encompass on the written page for those who come after….

 

 

 

 

Instagram & Porschea's Peanut Butter Parley

 

Greetings all. My daughter took this photo of Porschea the perfect puppy in our back yard next to her new fence. She loves to run carefree in the yard without being chained up. Vanessa, our youngest daughter, had downloaded some application for her phone . It was free.  It can’t get any better than that right! Do you want to know the name of the application? It’s called Instagram.  I’ve not tried to download it yet so I can’t tell you my experience.

She took this photo on her phone and then text it to me. Sure does look like a professional shot doesn’t it! I want to print this out and frame it. That is on my 1,000 things to do this week list! We all have one of those right?  

Porschea’s hair gets tangled and knotted easily. She hates me pulling the long hair on her backside and legs  when I brush her . In fact she thinks it’s fair game to tug on my shirt sleeve or pants leg when I’m tugging on her hair. So I’ve developed a method that works for the both of us. I call it Porschea’s Peanut Butter Parley. I get a soft hairbrush and squirt it down with a detangler called I (Heart) PET HEAD FUR BALL StrawberryYogert Detangling Spray. Then I take a large spoonful of peanut butter and smear it on the refrigerator door. She falls for licking the peanut butter every time. I read this tip somewhere. This idea didn’t originate with me. I am able to take care of the knotty situations on her legs and hind end without fighting for my sleeve or pants or shoes. Plus I’m able to positively praise her for being a “good girl” and I save a special treat after I’m satisfied with her hair do. This is exactly what she and I did today not knowing that Vanessa would be here to take her photo shoot. I’m so glad I took the time for she looks absolutely beautiful in the Instragram shot above.

 

 

These other photos were fun to shoot too. Porschea had been lounging on the deck and saw me pulling a treat out of her drawer .She had to come in and investigate…and hope. I can report that she was the perfect lady as far as not steeling her treat. It was quite the temptation though for her to be that close to her treat and not even lick it! She is my perfect puppy! She makes me laugh.

CONFESSIONS OF A COCONUT HATER

`

My husband has wanted some coconut oil for cooking some time now. Being notorious for making lists and then leaving them at home when I grocery shop is a part of who I am. That quality is in my DNA. So, I kept forgetting all about a little item called coconut oil. Not on purpose mind you, but I didn’t make a special trip and rush out to buy any either.  Fact is I’m also known for HATING coconut. The best and only possible use for the smelly stuff is for moisturizing my face. Wouldn’t you know I ran out of my personal stash of coconut oil. I hate to admit that virgin coconut oil is the best product I’ve ever used on my face! Yes, I’m not a fan of how coconut feels on my tongue. Nor do I like this fruit’s peculiar taste or smell in spite of the wonderful results I’ve noticed when using this as a moisturizer.

But anyway let’s get back to the topic of my confession about coconut. though I definitely do not tolerate eating this fruit and I’ve avoided it all my life. Not even candy bars with coconut ever tempt me. I tell you the truth.

Once I purchased his coconut oil he came up with the bright idea of making coconut shrimp. What a way to ruin shrimp, one of my favorite meals. He was bound and determined to widen my scope of experience with coconut. He promised that I would like his coconut recipe. I must admire the fact and I’ll always be grateful that he did make some plain non-coconut pieces for me. Sort of plain that is. We started out making beer batter and also added cayenne powder (shush this is the secret – one whole tablespoon full) to about a half cup of flour. After washing and dipping the shrimp in both the flower mixture and beer batter then to my dismay at least half of the shrimp were coated with white fluffy…you got it…coconut slivers. Ugh!

Cal lifted the coconut fried and coated with slivers and positioned it so that I could take a bite. I did so to appease him, expecting the worse. Delicious, I was quite surprised. Who would have thought that there would be any way anyone could disguise such a distinct flavor! My confession  is that I never thought I could ever tolerate anything tasting of coconut and here I actually liked it! Wonders never cease!! If you’re a coconut hater…maybe you could give this a try also.

 

 

 

 

Traveling With Thankfulness

© Susan Marlene Kinney

November 10, 2012

Enter His gates with thanksgiving. And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and bless His name.

 

Psalms 100:4

Step spritely into the new day dawning. Bumpy country roads, sleek highways, valleys, and mountains topped with snowcaps await your awe.  How Father God delighted in creating every crevice and sculptured rock formation, as well as hot sandy deserts, brush stroked with copious color schemes reflecting off each unique terrain.

Oceans surge with power and life, reflecting it’s mood with each twist and turn of the weather or spin of the moon. Such stunning sights take our breath away, cause us to stand on tip toe and gasp at the immense sheer wonder of His creation. The measure of our fascination and appreciation cannot comprehend His colossal thrill over…our smile…

His ecstasy  is not dampened by our limitations for God is JOY, LOVE, and PEACE in the extreme! He experiences the highest, most delightful, undiluted, and uncontaminated thrills over our praise and attention.

We offer so little. He bestow so much. Audaciously allow yourself to nearly burst with heart pounding gratitude for all He has done. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of the light (for the fruit of light consists in goodness, righteousness, and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord.  Ephesians 5:10

Do enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise, give thanks to Him and praise His name. Sure we cannot imagine the thrill He experiences, but isn’t it wonderful to

TRY…

 

Grand Version of Borscht

The cookbook Splendid Soups by James Peterson was the inspiration for this recipe. I’ve changed several items to suit our taste and because I didn’t have it at home and didn’t want to make a road trip. So here goes on a winning recipe.

GRAND VERSION OF BORSCHT

James had a nice write up about the recipe after each title. It would be a very nice Christmas or Birthday gift.

 

Meat

2  1 pound smoked ham hocks. (I didn’t have this.)

3 pound beef brisket or chuck 1 or 2 large chunks (I cut mine in small pieces and used chuck)

3 pounds pork shoulder, trimmed of rind and excess fat, in 2 or 3 large chunks.

                                                                           (I cut mine in small pieces.)

2 ½ quarts of beef broth or water (I used 7 cans of Campbells Beef Broth, 1 can Campbells Beefy

                                                                            Mushroom Soup plus 2 cups of water.)

1 bouquet garni, including 3 marjoram sprigs if available

Vegetables

1 1/3 pounds fresh or 2 10-ounce can whole beets drained. (I didn’t use these since I deemed the recipe sweet enough.  ( I didn’t use beets.)

1 small head of cabbage

1 large onion, finely chopped

4 leeks finely chopped

1 Cup white wine vinegar

Salt  & pepper

You may garnish with sour cream and finely chopped fresh dill. ( I didn’t have the dill.)

 

Use a large pot to heat the beef broth and water on high. Add bite size pieces of meat and bouquet garni. When it approaches a boil turn down to a slow simmer for 3 hours.  Skim off any froth or fat that floats to the surface.

Peel off and discard the tough outer cabbage leaves. Cut into short slivers. Add chopped onion, leeks, cooked beets if you want to, and cabbage to soup and simmer for 25 minutes. Stir in wine vinegar and season to taste.

Lighthouse Book Signing - Come and See



 

Lighthouse Christian Book Store at 2781 South Oneida Street, Green Bay, WI hosted a book signing Saturday, October 20th. Some of the authors highlighted at this event were Cynthia Ruchti, Deborah Erdman, Tricia Propson, Judy Charme, Ruth Boettcher, Becky Melby, and Chris Elliott.



The mood was festive and friendly as many customers mulled around purchasing books and visiting with some of their favorite authors. Everything from devotions, books on strengthening mother and daughter relationships, a true missionary account, self help and fiction were offered. I spied author Stephenie Hovland walking around with some of her children’s books in hand! She had been situated in the children’s area where I heard that someone was reading stories to children. I didn’t get to see that first hand since I was loading up with ladies fiction and devotion books and devotions from both the author table and Lighthouses shelves!

 

Lighthouse Christian Book Store is one of my favorite bookstores. Their book selection as well as the artwork they offer keeps me coming back for more. How wonderful they would host an event that allows readers to connect with writers in such a warm welcoming atmosphere. I want to invite you to spend time investigating the terrific authors listed in this blog post. Here are some WEB pages and blogs for you to frolic about in. Have lots of fun getting to know the authors and the books they write. Fiction that makes a difference one book at a time, one reader at a time.

Cynthia Ruchti www.cynthiaruchti.com    http://www.cynthiaruchti.com/blog

Chris Elliott   http://thoughtshredder.com/

Becky Melby  www.beckymelby.com   www.beckymelby.com/blog

Deborah Ann Erdmann  www.DeborahErdnamm.com   http://heavenlyhumor.blogspot.com/

Judy DuCharme   JudithDuCharme.com

Tricia Propson   trish@cornerstonecomm.org

 

I've read some of Cynthia Ruchti's books and loved them. Now I'm already on page 47 of Becky Melby's book called "Yesterday's Stardust" and let me tell you...

she had me at page one. 

Enjoy!

Pens of Praise and Porschea the Perfect Pooch

 

Our very own Deborah Ann Erdmann who this year published "The Inside Scoop on God"

had a tussle with the wind and rain on her way into our Pens writers meeting! Thanks for comming Deborah! You kind of remind me of the flying nun show! (That show

was a really long time ago.)

 

Kathy Leist made the most wonderful pumpkin and dessert and chocolate

cookies! And she sighned up to make next months treats also! You rock Kathy!!

Thanks a million!

 

Porschea the perfect puppy had to taste the water on top of the table

after she played in the leaves! Cooler weather brings out all kinds of energy and curiousity

in our girl.

 

 

Dad is almost done with the fencing and Porschea is ready to run around the

yard chain free! Let's hope Zoey will realize the puppy will be loose!

 

 

That's all for now everyone. I've got to get back to writing the Great American Novel!!

Porschea has a part in this book and I'm eager to finish the story. It's been

fun writing her antics into the story. Weaving her puppy tricks and

irrestable personality into the plot!

 



 

Vices & Virtues & Life In The Mix

Devotions for Pens of Praise

October 13^th 2012

By Susan Marlene Kinney

 

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3

 

Any form of the word ‘blessings’ may be thought of as vague, wispy, and unidentifiable. But if you stop and consider the intimacy this word implies, you’ll find abundant depth of meaning. These blessings come from the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. His fingers fragrant with myrrh and oil strengthen us spiritually and emotionally with every kind of  provision. He embraces our hearts with acceptance and love.

Webster’s Encyclopedic  Dictionary says this about the word blessed:  Supremely blessed, fortunate, well off: --blessed happy (x ier)

Breaking down each VIP word enlightened me and cheered my heart:

Supreme – 1. highest in rank or authority; paramount; chief   2. Of the highest quality, degree, character, importance etc.

Blessed- 1. Consecrated: sacred; holy; sanctified   3. Divinely or supremely favored; fortunate to be blessed    4.blissfully happy or contented

Fortunate- 1. Having good fortune; receiving good from uncertain or unexpected sources’ favorably  2. Auspicious…made prosperous or happy…etc.

 

How thrilling to realize that when we suffer despair, becoming acutely aware of our colossal need for the Father, we will be blessed. Not with superficial and short-lived niceties either. He begins tipping the pitcher, which overflows with pure unadulterated blessings too numerous to measure.

 

In Psalms 81:10 the Lord says, Open wide your mouth and I will fill it. Our Father God knows just the right words to say! The kinds of words that melt my heart and cause me to hope.  He does not just speak and then duck out of town. He stays with us through thick and thin. He is faithful. Even when we focus on pain and the what-ifs life tosses our way and we do not see Him.

Aren’t our greatest obstacles our own mindsets and misunderstandings when we seek the Lord? Truly, aren’t fears, distractions, and intrusions allowed to interfere because of our own wandering hearts?  When we chose selfishness instead of generosity, or fear over courage or judgment rather than acceptance, we are setting ourselves up for yet another rocky ride…sometimes in a slick looking vehicle fashioned by pride.

He looks at us with the eyes of love and sees you and me as important, set apart. His thoughts toward us are like the sands of the sea, innumerable, yet holy, and sacred. Our Father, so generous, forgiving, and loving favors us with His eye upon us. We receive good from his certain though unexpected sources so our spirit will  prosper. We can experience His fullness of joy in the light of eternity. We will be walking on streets of gold. For sure, our attention will be blessed with far greater measure, the blissful awareness of Our Father’s Love.

Forever!

 

Etouffee - Shrimp Variety

 

 

My husband and I usually try to cook a great meal during the weekend. He is marvalous for sniffing out a great recipe. Last week Cal was hungry for the Cajun Cuisine called Etouffee and am I ever glad he was! 

 

This Recipe serves four to six hungry table talkers!

 

1/4 cup peanut oil (we used extra virgin olive oil)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 lg onion

2 celery sticks

1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded , and corsely chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped (we used a garlic press from Pampered Chief)

1 tablespoon minced thyme

2 teaspoons salt

2 cups fish or vegtable stock. (We used chicken broth)

1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp bite size is best so cut them in small peices.

5 dashes of Tobasco sauce or more to taste

Freshly ground black pepper to taste 

My husband added in:

•  Cayenne Pepper  and Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasonings to taste.

Serve with your favorite cooked rice in the middle of the bowl. 

 

Heat oil in large heavy saucepan on medium until hot and moving. Add flour and whisk until well blended. Reduce heat to around medium-low.

 

Add bell pepper, onion, celery, and garlic then cook over low heat and stir constantly for around five minutes. When vegtables are soft and flour mixture is brown stir in the salt and thyme. stir constantly for 30 seconds or more.

 

Whisk in sause until smooth. Reduce heat until simmering. Then continue to simmer for another 15 minutes.

 

We decided it was simular to his Gumbo recipe but definatly faster and easer to make. So worth the time! Let me know if you try this meal out and how you like it.

 





PENS OF PRAISE OCTOBER 13, 2012

PENS OF PRAISEChristian Writers Group

Next meeting…

Saturday, October 13th  ~  10:00 am – 12:00 pm

Faith Church

2201  42^nd Street, Manitowoc, WI  54220

§   Faith Church is located next to Festival Foods

§   Not far from the Manitowoc exit off Interstate 43

§    

The teaching for October is called “Premise What Good Is It & How to Make One” Taught by Susan Kinney

Our prompt for October is…

 Write a recommendation for a book you enjoyed or felt useful.

Also, you are invited to bring a short five minute sample of you own work in progress if you so desire to share it in a safe friendly environment. This is not required to attend the meeting.

We may share a book report on a novel or a “how to” for writing!

 

Remember - visit a local shop and bring your coffee or cappuccino with you.

Let us know if you’re attending so we can save a seat just for you.

If you have questions or concerns call Becky McLafferty at (920)758-9196 or e-mail her at mclafferty@lakefield.net or call Susan Kinney at (920)242-3631 or e-mail her at                      cal-suek@charter.net or susanmarlenekinney@gmail.com.

We look forward to seeing you there! May God bless you richly and always as you write for His glory!

 

FIRE The Great Awakenings by Bill Bright & Jack Cavanaugh

“Fire”

The Great Awakening Series 1740 - 1741

FIRE, one of The Great Awakenings series, 1740 - 1741 by Bill Bright and Jack Cavanaugh is an excellent read. In the beginning I felt as though I were standing side by side fictional character Josiah Rush when he viewed  his hometown of Havenhill, Connecticut from a lofty granite perch. This story captures one man’s courageous journey when facing his devastated past. Josiah struggles are heart wrenching as he refuses to allow the stigma of human judgment to dictate his present and future. Criticisms and judgments had so completely hampered his past. I appreciate Josiah's humanness, his strength, struggles, and awkward embarrassing moments. This second book of The Great Awakenings series holds a special place on my book shelf. If you give it a try I'm sure it will hold a special place on yours also.

This Howard publication is a must read for adventurous souls not afraid of a richly written story line that taps into the very struggles of living a life attempting to emerge unfettered by criticism and judgments of past mistakes.

 

THIS IS A HIGHLY RECOMENDED READ!

 



GREEN LAKE CHRISTIAN WRITER'S CONFERENCE AUGUST 2012

I attended Green Lake Christian Writer’s Conference  in August. What an awesome experience! No matter if an individual loves to write poetry, articles, devotions, or novels, direction and encouragement and training is provided by writers of the same genre. Everyone seemed to enjoy the connections made with other s who love the experience of putting ink on pages!

I give a thumbs up to those who work so hard to provide this experience and instruction so entwined with encouragement. I was fortunate to have Cynthia Ruchti for an instructor. She leads the class with gentleness, encouragement, and skill as an editor though she is a published writer herself. I was thrilled to see the improvement that each writer in our class experienced because of her instruction and the gentle suggestions from the classmates. Throughout the week, memorable devotions, songs of worship, and humor in many forms were shared. If you have a desire to learn, write and seek publication then Green Lake Christian Writer’s Conference is for you! Hope to see you there next August.

PENS OF PRAISE

Homework for our September meeting!! Fun fun!!

Everyone attending is invited to enjoy a special homework assignment–one of my favorite challenges we tackled in the past. Find a passage from a book you’ve read. Maybe you can seek a favorite classic, which is compelling but telling. Take that telling and show us how “show don’t tell” can improve that work of fiction!

Telling Example: She walked down the road angrily.

Showing Example: Terry beat her feet against the gravel on her way to my house, her face darkening into a purple hue I’d never seen before.

Add who, what, where, when, why & how. Also add see, feel, touch, taste, hear, and that incredible sixth sense if you can. You will see a wonderful change take place under your skillful pen. Plus you will revisit a classic!! Yes a classic!!

During the meeting we will take a list of clichés and add fresh touches to those dry and familiar words. Writing fresh has its own rewards! 

Our next meeting…

Saturday September 8^th., 10:00 am – 12:00 pm

at

Faith Church

2201  42^nd Street, Manitowoc, WI  54220

§   Faith Church is located next to Festival Foods

§   Not far from the Manitowoc exit off Interstate 43

§    

We hope to see you there so that we can play with words together.

You are welcome to bring coffee, tea, or something cold to drink for yourself. If you have a work of fiction you need feedback for, do bring it along. We allow everyone a short reading time. We are a safe place for you to share your words.

Poetry, short story, memoir, or novel writing etc. are welcome.

LOVE ON A DIME BY CARA LYNN JAMES

Love on a Dime by Cara Lynn James

I highly recommend this Ladies of Summerhill novel. The setting takes place in opulent mansions from Newport, Rhode Island during 1899. It is delicious to travel back to such a time and place in society as this. Her protagonist Lilly has a secret and the author skillfully kept my attention and admiration as the main character grew and dealt with challenging situations that arose. Cara’s characters are interesting and well rounded. The setting intriguing. What fun to see society’s to-do’s and not to-do’s scramble before my eyes on the printed page from the safety of my living room chair. Cara Lynn James has my attention. I find myself jumping to purchase her works of fiction. I invite you to pick up a Cara Lynn James book and enjoy slipping into another time and place without the messy business of trying to figure out time travel. As I said before this book is…

HIGHLY RECDOMENDED

Caral Lynn James always has a way of making me smile when I’m walking through an adventure with her characters and even when I turn the last page…I’m still smiling..but wanting the next novel in hand.

Check Out This Blog! Chris Loehmer's Dino Chronicles

Greetings all!

I wanted to point out a very nice blog that I visit quite often. Chris Loehmer’s blog called Dino’s Chronicles has a touch of everything.

http://chrisloehmer.blogspot.com/

If you are interested in vacation spots, history, dogs, sewing, missions…well you get the picture. I LOVE her devotionals also. Do yourself a favor and take a peek at Chris’s blog, which is more refreshing then an all day nap, a half hour laugh, and maybe a cappuccino…well – hum Dino’s Chronicles/cappuccino…Dino’s Chronicles/chappuccino….Dino’s Chronicles/cappuccino

Okay you decide!! Maybe let me know what you think!!

Cheating...

I just uploaded over 400 photos from my camera and skipped the part when I'm supposed to place a title on the file name.  Multitasking is not always the best activity to accomplish when shifting photoes from your camera to your computer. I'm thankful that Gina Jensen from Everything.Photos will be fixing me up and helping me organize my batch of very unorganized photoes!! Ho hum. The new program I'm purchasing from her will be ready for sale in September. 

Can I wait that long!!!

I've been so busy living life and taking - that many photos - that I've not blogged for a while. I have so many events to share...Now I'm not sure I will find the photos from those events anytime soon. I've got a word count to attend to for the American Christian Fictian Writers (ACFW) NovelTrack. Just 10,000 this month. I did make my 20,000 goal last month. I'm sure that is because my youngest daughter had my grandsons stay at her house over night for that week and a half. Because of her hospitality I was able to write in the mornings.  Also I wish to thank all of you who have prayed for me for God's inspiration and for me to have what I need to write such as: time, ideas, focus...God is good!!

Well, I'm off to take care of my word count for the day. I wish you more organization and a ballance of thrills and peace to warm your day. Oh the photo above is one I took of my precious Lake Michigan. It was one of the million photos I look at this morning, while trying to find the current photos.

Blessings to you from Sue

Gina M. Jensen is a Photographer & Photo Consultant. Check out her web page

http://web.mac.com/gnamrei/Site/everything.photos.html

Pens of Praise Devotion July 2012

Pens of Praise Devotion

July 14, 2012

© Susan Marlene Kinney

There are many who say, “Who will show us any good?” Lord, lift up the light of thy countenance upon us. You have put gladness in my heart, more than in the season that their grain and wine increase. I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone O LORD, make me dwell in safety .Psalms 4:6-8 NKJV

Negative situations and individuals may be an everyday experience for us. Difficulties can abound making life littered with disappointments and pain. David cried out with verse one, Give me relief from my distress, be merciful to me and hear my prayer. Matthew Henry states ‘When men condemn us unjustly, this is our comfort, It is God who justifies; He is the God of the believers righteousness.’ When the LORD lifts up the light of His countenance upon us, it changes something significant inside our heart and spirit. Something we could never hope to change in our own strength. Oh the love of our Lord is ever present and healing.

Imagine experiencing the light of His countenance during a trial, uplifting, filling, cleansing, nurturing, and causing us to overcome each painful experiences to bear much fruit. All for his glory. David mentions in verse four, in your anger do not sin…on your beds search your hearts and be silent. Once we are angry it is quite difficult to keep silent. Our minds may run over and over the topic of our dis-ease or uneasiness. But, once we have settled down to obey the Lord and keep quiet His love, joy and bounty can fill those wounded places of our hearts.

This is where we enter a summertime joy within our spirit. When the planting of the Lord is received by us then peace, longsuffering, patience, forgiveness, loving kindness, truth, and grace will change us to resemble a well watered tree bearing much fruit. Our joy in this harvest is over and above the material gain and glory this world offers.

Truly, no matter the size of the potential harvest offered by the world, it can be destroyed by drought, fire, or storm. The work of the Lord in our hearts can’t be taken away from us by loss or pain or bad report. Having His approval is balm to our mind and spirit. He bolsters us up and fortifies us with courage to overcome life’s disasters. He makes us stronger if we become quiet and receptive in His presence. As long as we allow His ministrations to those pain-filled tempests we experience we will be fruitful. Despite the tragedy, we will be instrumental in offering healing and wisdom as though we were fruit bearing trees laden down with the sweet offerings of a fruitful life.

Our hears, our names, our purposes are safe with Him. He protects and strengthens the lasting harvest, which will thrive for all eternity in His presence and for His glory.

Be still, receive, and thrive!

Pens of Praise Today

Christian Writers Group

Next meeting will be…

Saturday, July 14, 2011   10:00 am – 12:00 pm

at

Faith Church

2201  42^nd Street, Manitowoc, WI  54220

                             Faith Church is located next to Festival Foods, not far from the Manitowoc exit off Interstate 43

During our June meeting we listened to a teaching from a Write To Publish conference class. We will attempt to complete Ben Erhichman’s lesson on “Becoming a Confident Writer” in July. Our guest this month is Gina Marie Jensen [everythingphotos@me.com]. Gina will share information about her expertise with photography, which can be extremely beneficial for a writers publicity. She also offers Creative Memories services, which, I believe, can be useful for our writer’s craft.

We invite you to be His voice of encouragement to the masses. May the stroke of your pen build others up and glorify our Lord!  What legacy do you want to leave? Come explore the plethora of writing opportunities and techniques. Share your talents and assist others growth, as you learn from the various genres represented at Pens.

Our prompt this month will be Summer Thoughts. You are welcome to write in your favorite genre: poetry, short story, fiction, or true accounts! Otherwise, you may share a page or two of your WIP (work in progress), or finished project.  You do not need to share to attend. We hope to see you July14th. Kick up your feet and grab a mug of cappuccino or coffee from a local establishment and spend some time with like-minded writers!

Let us know if you are attending so that we can prepare a seat just for you.

If you have questions or concerns call Becky McLafferty at (920)758-9196 or e-mail her at mclafferty@lakefield.net or call Susan Kinney at (920)242-3631 or   e-mail her at cal-suek@charter.net or susanmarlenekinney@gmail.com.  

We look forward to seeing you there!                                                                  

May God bless you richly and always as you write for His glory!

Sue