Saturday, December 24, 2011
Letter From My Friend & Former Pastor
Since Freedom from Religion
One more thing on the group Freedom from Religion
(Thought: If one really meets the Lord, how can that one "unmeet" the Lord
Another thought I had was that by supporting the Nativity Scene, as a community we have INVITED the Lord Jesus to come into our city in a public and possibly greater measure. We are in essence saying, "Lord, we want YOU to be recognized from Your birth to Your coming again. We want You to be established in our government. We want You to have a place among us."
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Gloria Biffert A Missionary Who Made Me Smile And a Note From Me
Gloria Bifert is a missionary to the Democratic Republic of Congo. What an amazing life she leads! She gripped our emotions, when she spoke at our church, in every possible way, as she told us of a people who’s hospitality would put us to shame. What a generous people she serves and yet the Congo can be such a dangerous place also. Her life is filled with the important connections that will always matter….even in eternity. Do check out her blog at gbincongo.blogspot.com This is a woman who’s passion burns for the salvation of friends she hasn’t met yet. May God bless and keep her and those He has her minister to now and forever! Amen
Just a note to tag along with my thoughts on Gloria…. Life has been so busy and full! Work, Pens, my novel, family, and Porschea our perfect puppy, along with Christmas preparations has put me on my tippy toes with to-do’s! I’m sure it is the same for everyone this time of year. Sometimes the tinsel and trimmings and activities bulldoze us over till we are too exhausted to think. But we do need to stop and reflect about our great, almighty Savior. How blessed we are to do so. How wonderful that church is actually on Christmas day this year!
I’m itching for more time to write and I plan on making use of the week off at Christmas time. A friend of mine, Becky McLafferty, and I are writing and exchanging manuscript pages as fast as our little fingers can type and ah re-type. Well, also as time allows! When you work full time, there is such a huge chunk of the day that you cannot possibly touch with writing time. Ideas are falling into my mind concerning the contemporary I’m currently writing. This book is about a child’s abduction. Also ideas are brimming over for the next book in the series. I jot those ideas down before they escape my notice completely. Information is falling into place for a historical my sister is helping me research. I am fascinated with the late 1800’s, how about you? I will only jot down the ideas for the other stories as they pop into my head for now. I refuse to get into writing the other novels since I am determined to finish my contemporary first. Those ACFW CD-Roms share such exquisite teachings and they have been the inspiration for many of the rewrites I’ve dived into this past year.
My daughter and I took our puppies to the dog park and they had a fantastic time. We had such a quiet night afterwards! The puppies dreamed away the night with visions of puppy toys to steal from one another and smaller dogs to chase. Of course they would not purposely dream about the two Irish Wolf Hounds that ran alongside them and were head and shoulders above the rest of the crowd. My 105 pound puppy looked dwarfed beside them. I have to admit I love the fur and the build on my Leonberger far better than the impressive Irish Wolf Hounds!
Can you believe I misplaced my mouse? Goodness I’m having to write this and make corrections with just my mouse pad on the computer! I am almost frustrated! Ho hum, well I wish you all a very exceptional and wonderful night. Maybe you will cozy up with a book or watch a favorite movie or pray. I wish you a restful and eventful night.
Blessings and joy!
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Pens of Praise Devotion December 10, 2011
Pens of Praise Devotion December 10, 2011
©Susan Marlene Kinney
For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called WONDERFUL, COUNSELOR, MIGHTY GOD, EVERLASTING FATHER, PRINCE OF PEACE. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end.
Isaiah 9:6 – 7a
Coffee shops and stores are humming with activity during this time of the year. Traditions of gift giving surrounding us maybe sweet and memorable, but that sure isn’t what Christmas is about is it? Who is this Jesus? How could He give up everything in Heaven and leave behind His father to be born of woman and tolerate the fickleness of man? He shared in our sufferings and laughed in the sunshine. He is intimately acquainted with our feelings, our physical weakness, and day-to-day challenges.
Though He is what Webster says:
WONDERFUL-wonder, marvelous, extraordinary, remarkable, awesome, wondrous, miraculous, prodigious, astonishing, amazing, astounding, phenomenal, unique, curious, strange.
COUNSELOR-one who counsels, an advisor. A faculty member as in a high school, who advises students on personal and academic problems…..a lawyer, an official at an embassy or legation…advocate, attorney
MIGHTY GOD- (mighty – characterized or showing might or power, by great size, great in amount, extent, degree ,or importance, exceptional) (God –Supreme Being, the creator and ruler of the universe)
…and well you get the general idea! Go ahead and thrill at His name, His greatness, and His extraordinary love and commitment to you! With every twinkling of Christmas tree lights, think of how His eye shines at the thought of you. Remember He thrills at counseling you to find your purpose. Jesus loves it when you share your journey with Him! He is ever the listening ear and the lover of your soul. He can be the astounding and phenomenal advocate of great importance in your life. If He isn’t just ask Him into your heart quick….and hold on for the thrill of your life! Share your experience with Him and others, be it with pen and paper or computer keys or tape recorder! Memoirs, journals, short stories, poems, non-fiction, cards, letters, and God-honoring fiction novels wait for your imagination and uniqueness.
Remember your choice to follow His lead is strictly quite up to you!
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND MAY YOU ENJOY A LIFE WITH JESUS!
AMEN
Pens of Praise Devotion December 10, 2011
Pens of Praise Devotion December 10, 2011
©Susan Marlene Kinney
For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called WONDERFUL, COUNSELOR, MIGHTY GOD, EVERLASTING FATHER, PRINCE OF PEACE. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end.
Isaiah 9:6 – 7a
Coffee shops and stores are humming with activity during this time of the year. Traditions of gift giving surrounding us maybe sweet and memorable, but that sure isn’t what Christmas is about is it? Who is this Jesus? How could He give up everything in Heaven and leave behind His father to be born of woman and tolerate the fickleness of man? He shared in our sufferings and laughed in the sunshine. He is intimately acquainted with our feelings, our physical weakness, and day-to-day challenges.
Though He is what Webster says:
WONDERFUL-wonder, marvelous, extraordinary, remarkable, awesome, wondrous, miraculous, prodigious, astonishing, amazing, astounding, phenomenal, unique, curious, strange.
COUNSELOR-one who counsels, an advisor. A faculty member as in a high school, who advises students on personal and academic problems…..a lawyer, an official at an embassy or legation…advocate, attorney
MIGHTY GOD- (mighty – characterized or showing might or power, by great size, great in amount, extent, degree ,or importance, exceptional) (God –Supreme Being, the creator and ruler of the universe)
…and well you get the general idea! Go ahead and thrill at His name, His greatness, and His extraordinary love and commitment to you! With every twinkling of Christmas tree lights, think of how His eye shines at the thought of you. Remember He thrills at counseling you to find your purpose. Jesus loves it when you share your journey with Him! He is ever the listening ear and the lover of your soul. He can be the astounding and phenomenal advocate of great importance in your life. If He isn’t just ask Him into your heart quick….and hold on for the thrill of your life! Share your experience with Him and others, be it with pen and paper or computer keys or tape recorder! Memoirs, journals, short stories, poems, non-fiction, cards, letters, and God-honoring fiction novels wait for your imagination and uniqueness.
Remember your choice to follow His lead is strictly quite up to you!
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND MAY YOU ENJOY A LIFE WITH JESUS!
AMEN
Saturday, November 12, 2011
In the Nick of Time
Playing with Cliché’s and Praising the Lord at the Same Time
The Lord is righteous in all His ways, Gracious in all His works. The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him He also will hear their cry and save them…Psalm 145:17 – 19 NKJV
By Susan Marlene Kinney
Pens of Praise Devotion 11/12/11
Believe it or not, Jesus our Lord and Savior came to earth to put His best foot forward on our behalf. His is a love, which makes my legs turn to Jell-O and my stomach clench. Though He died for all our sins years ago, His message is as new and true at this point in time. Godly truth speaks to me – not in one ear and out the other. Nor does it filter down from beyond the ozone layer. His love and presence is as right as rain and my heart pounds when I sense His truth, which covers the bases of anyone’s need. His love comes as easy as falling off a log. And when I sense Him near, a single tear trickles down my cheek. Though I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer and my brain doesn’t fire on all cylinders, He sticks like glue to my side. His love is not weak but it is tough as nails. I’m happy as a clam that He chose me to be a part of His family.
Sometimes I get a bee in my bonnet and I start licking my lips, biting my lips, and throwing my arms akimbo. But my Lord does not throw me away or reject me because I get an occasional bur in my saddle or I run around the bush too many times. He hits my repented sin over the rooftops so I don’t have to face the music alone. Sometimes it’s a crying shame how I behave but His love is more than meets the eye. I don’t have to feel like a fish out of water or as flat as a pancake or in a nut shell, the lesser of two evils. Even though I put my foot in my mouth or even two feet in my mouth on more than one occasion I’ve never hear Him say, “I regret to inform you, as a matter of fact, you don’t belong anymore.” His patience is as fast as lightning and tickles me pink. I arch my eyebrows in amazement at His wondrous ways! If you don’t know Him, please invite Him in. I promise you such an invitation is not barking up the wrong tree. He will not get bent out of shape because of where you’ve been or who you thought you were. He will make things as new as lickety split. Remember Rome was not built in a day. Give yourself time to get to know Him, and like a dog with a bone you will hang on to His love. This is the one time I know that haste makes waste doesn’t apply.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Hummmm Just a Note!
Greetings All,
I have not forgotten you. I have been accomplishing...more writing....furniture refinishing....training the perfect puppy- Porschea amoung a mirrad of things. I still have had difficulty posting comment although I didn't try today. I wish you all His peace and grace and purpose-filled days! I'll be back after this week I do believe!!
Untill then....Mega blessings and joy!
Sue
I have not forgotten you. I have been accomplishing...more writing....furniture refinishing....training the perfect puppy- Porschea amoung a mirrad of things. I still have had difficulty posting comment although I didn't try today. I wish you all His peace and grace and purpose-filled days! I'll be back after this week I do believe!!
Untill then....Mega blessings and joy!
Sue
Pens of Praise Meeting On Saturday
Christian Writers Group
Next meeting…
Saturday, November 12, 2011 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
at
Faith Church
2201 42nd Street, Manitowoc, WI 54220
§ Faith Church is located next to Festival Foods
§ Not far from the Manitowoc exit off Interstate 43
Are your fingers itching to write the great American novel or a devotion or poem? Do you know where to begin? If you want to be His voice to many readers, or for just a few, step on over to Faith Church this coming Saturday. May powerfully pour from your pen to 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 help others grow too as you learn from the various genres represented at Pens.
Our prompt this month is Clichés & More Clichés How to Write Without Them! If you want to write fresh and leave repetitive clichés behind come and work with us a while! Find a book you have around the house and bring it with you. See if you can find any tired clichés. We can all share our finds and see the value of improving our word choices.
Remember to visit one of our local shops 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!
Sue
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Wade House Civil War—21st Annual Weekend Event
My husband and I spent a wonderful day at Wisconsin’s largest Civil War Encampment and Battle re-enactment. This 21st annual Civil War event is located at Wade House in Greenbush this weekend. Women in period clothing adorned with crocheted lace collars and beautifully braided hair or lovely bonnets strolled casually around the grounds. All ages were represented here and interest abounded with every generation. A President Lincoln actor did a fabulous job of expressing Lincoln’s opinion of how things stood nine months into the war.
My husband and I truly enjoyed the skirmish and the battle between the confederates and Yankees The uniforms and battle activities made me feel as though time had stepped backwards and the struggle between two determined armies strived before my eyes. Cannons rumbled loud and clear across the small valley and through us as we stood amazed at the sights sounds and smells before us.
Stores with unique gifts and period style clothing stood available. My husband found an awesome book for me that will assist me greatly with my next writing project., which is historical set in the mid 1860’s! The book is called Who Wore What? Women’s Wear 1861 – 1865 by Juanita Leisch. I also found a book to help me with this same venture called Webb Garrison’s Civil War Dictionary by Webb Garrison Sr. with Cheryl Garrison. Both books have a wonderful assortment of illustrations and information I will be able to glean ideas and facts from. Well that is all for now, Porschea is demanding her walk. It is getting late here as my husband and I settle in for the night. After my attempt at tiring out our Leonberger puppy I will feast my eyes and mind upon my new book treasures! If you can make this event I’m sure you will not be disappointed!
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Green Lake Christian Writers Conference - Fiction Writing Class
It has been slightly over two weeks since I attended this excellent writers conference. I was amazed by the Green Lake Conference Center as soon as I drove through those impressive gates! My heart thudded a different tempo as I enjoyed the ride deep into the property to find a stunning conference center. The service and friendliness of the workers astounded me. One lady remembered my name as I approached the desk. She acted like it was an easy feat to accomplish, but I was aware of the number of customers roving around. I was awed!
I even asked for a change in the location of my room. I had originally picked an out-of-the-way smaller on-site room situation. I had done that because I knew I would miss walking Porschea and thought I might need the exercise. My authors mind imagined the very worse as I drove the roads to arrive at my room later that night. It was an older building and I wanted a more modern experience this time around. I asked for a room situated in the same building as our classes and worship services. I was treated with the utmost respect and they never made me feel small for changing my mind. There were many volunteers helping to keep the grounds beautiful. A couple of them attended our fiction writers class!
Cynthia Ruchti was our warm-hearted teacher at the conference. She is the author of They Almost Always Come Home Abingdon Press and A Door County Christmas, which is a four in one story collection by Barbour. She also writes for The Heartbeat of the Home’s Backyard Friends magazine which is awesome too. I am reading They Almost Always Come Home right now and her writer’s voice is amazing! I recommend this read to anyone!
Okay I drifted! Let’s move on about the conference shall we? Well, Cynthia is an amazing teacher. Our group was diverse in topics and levels of experience. ( I for one am not published yet. There was at least one other person published.) Our class was small as you can see in the photo, yet our subjects and ages we were writing for were all extremely different. Cynthia showed us her amazing ability as she listened to our reads. She never messed with anyone’s writers voice. Her suggestions improved each one of our works-in-progress or what we call wips! Cynthia’s quick appreciation for our distinct styles gave us room to grow, as well as her ability to gently point out areas where we needed improvement. Not only did she provide us with a lot of useful information, but she accomplished this with her unique humor! We all applauded Cynthia’s efforts. Each one of us came away in awe of how useful this class was to our unique needs and interests. I will be ever grateful for following that nudge from the Lord to attend this conference. It is held each year in August and is quite affordable when compared to other conferences available. I haven’t done the math yet, but I image if I save a little money each week that I will have next years food, room and conference fees saved up and drawing interest before too long. This conference offers that one on one attention that I really needed at this stage of my writing adventure. I will tell you more about the other teachers from this conference later….stay tuned to find out about the benefits of attending their classes! I must add that there were writers who wished to be published and others who just desired to work on their skills for private enjoyment. Poets, short story writers, memoir writers, and fiction writers all benefited from the attention and expertise this conference offers each year. Want to join us next year??? I dare you….No I double dare you!!
The Dells and Afterwards
Mt. Olympus holds many wonderful memories for me! We always love to see our grandsons, but the added delight of observing their faces light-up as they took their turn on some enormously steep slide or jumped into the 9 ft. wave still brings a smile to my face. Our youngest daughter came and enjoyed the fun also! What a blend of personalities our family holds! I still cannot believe our oldest grandson, who is not that old, actually enjoyed the slide, which seemed like a straight drop off. I still see him in my nightmares. Falling, falling, and falling some more. He ended up splashing us with a huge wave! I don’t’ think he will ever be afraid of a ride again. Now, is that a good thing or not!! That second contraption, which looks like a too-large triangle was my dumb attempt to experience something new! My daughter rode that ride with me. Bless her heart. I, unlike my grandson, did not overcome my fear of heights or possible dropping. If that seat hadn’t held me tight...Oh goodness, I arrived at Mt. Olympus a coward and left there the same! I even ran into some people I recognized while on our way around the water park! Imagine that! How often does that ever happen? Every now and then a chilling breeze hints at the winter weather that will soon visit us, for too many months. Yes, winter is just around the corner. But these memories of family and the Dell's keep me warm and full of joy! I will hold onto a bit of summer in the middle of the worse Wisconsin chill for sure!
So much has been happening. Once we took our grandchildren back home we returned to our limping puppy. She leaped too many steps at the babysitters. (They are not called leaping Leo’s for nothing!) I must stress it was not the babysitters fault! It turned out she pulled her tendon and I had to not walk her for a week!! By the second day of meds and confinement she seriously appeared to have swallowed Tigger. We did our level best to stop her jumping, which was spurred on by her frustrated energy build up!! She was so very glad to begin her walking about town adventures with me once again! Since then we have lengthened our explorations and visited many interesting streets. Porschea’s nose is ever busy experiencing the sidewalk in a way that I can’t even imagine! And may I add, in a way I do not want to imagine! We have met so many people, dogs, and bugs along our various routes. Every day is a surprisingly fun memory and learning curve with our full of personality 70 ½ pound puppy!
Work has begun in full force and the days slip by before I can even sneeze it seems! Porschea is in her second round of classes and I am enjoying a wonderful Beth Moore Bible study called Believing God! I would recommend it if you want to live a victorious Christian life! I’ve not been good about doing all of my homework but I definitely want to catch up because her studies are wonderfully thought provoking and encourage me to live for excellence and not shirk the hard to deal with issues and irritations of life! Believing God – yes that is the right stand to take in every situation!
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