ec Mag: Stash Some Cash with a Summer Job

Look what arrived in my mailbox the other day. Proof that I actually DO work from home! As a writer, there's nothing more satisfying than seeing my name in print, especially when my article makes it onto the cover. Love it!

I wrote this summer jobs feature for the May 2011 issue of ec magazine. I've written for ec several times before, and it's always fun to get an e-mail from Mandy (a sweet friend who also happens to be the editor) in my inbox.

The article includes tips and stories on how to land a summer job, from the application to the interview to the money. The top 10 list of jobs for teens to avoid {not pictured below} is an added bonus. I was really pleased with the way the article turned out, and I hope you'll check it out. Here's a little sneak peek for you:

You may purchase the May 2011 issue of ec from LifeWay Christian Resources, or, for all of you Southern Baptist folk, you'll probably see some copies on a literature table at your church pretty soon.

Happy reading!

Until next time, grace and peace.

Writing Project: Student Life Prime

It's been a while since I've written in detail about my writing projects. Lately, I've been wrapped up in two major contracts, one of which is Prime, the new Bible Study by Student Life. I signed on to write six lessons for this study, and I'm really excited and honored to have been a part of it. I've written five of the six, and honestly, I'll be a little sad to wrap it all up, but I'm hoping to start teaching through this study with my girls in the fall.

Prime is a 48-week study divided into eight 6-week sections, and the entire study is all about living for God above anything else. The lessons talk about being holy, spiritual disciplines, stewardship, the book of James, big questions that we wrestle with, and more. If you're looking for new curriculum to start with your students in the fall, I can't recommend Prime highly enough, but, of course, being one of the writers, I'm biased. It's not available for purchase yet, but it will be ready for the new church year starting in September.

Just thought I'd give you a little more info on what's keeping me busy these days. More on my recent writing projects to come later!

Until next time, grace and peace.

Blowing Off the Dust

What a crazy time it's been. Such is our life, I suppose. We've spent the past week with family, and it has been wonderful, but let's admit it, everyone likes to get back into the routine of everyday normal life. Am I the only one who needs a vacation from vacation when we return home? Anyway, my parents left a few hours ago, and life is back to normal here in Iuka. Micah's napping, and I'm poking around on the internet for a little while. I should take a shower. Or figure out what's for supper. Or take more pictures of my notecards to post on my etsy site. But I'm not. Maybe later.

Last night I was flipping through a copy of Southern Living. I'm not sure what month. Maybe it's January's issue? Anyway, the magazine had a "Best of the South" section, and in it, it listed Rowan Oak, home of William Faulkner, as the best literary stop in Mississippi. I haven't read Faulkner since my freshman year in college, and I admittedly didn't have much of an appreciation for his style. Maybe it'd be different now. Perhaps I'll revisit some of his stories. But I digress. I was intrigued by Faulkner's hesitancy to leave home. Only at home was he able to write. In fact, the article said that when President Kennedy invited him to dinner at the White House, Faulkner actually turned down the invitation because he thought DC was an awfully long way to go just to eat supper. Crazy. But I understand. As a writer (who writes less often than she should these days), not only can I not write unless I'm in my own space, but I also cannot write unless my space is ordered. Right now there are magazines, notebooks, an empty ramekin, and a package of batteries on my desk. There are bills in the inbox. Baby food coupons tucked in front of an insurance statement. No writing will get done until those things are taken care of. Not that I have any assignments at the moment. But that's beside the point.

I feel like I'm finally getting to a place in this new life of mine where I can return to being me. In an article I wrote for myMISSIONfulfilled about the first weeks of motherhood, I said that I never wanted to lose my identity after having children. So many women I know forget who they are. They leave behind their entire life to become known as their child's mother. I was so afraid that I would become "Micah's Mommy" and quit being myself. Don't kid yourself. The danger is real. I never wanted to quit being me just because I had also become a mother. The past four and a half months have been a struggle because it's a fight to maintain my sense of self when I spend all day every day taking care of my infant. It would be so easy for my life to be all about her. But it's not. Being Micah's Mommy is just one part of my life. It's just one facet of who I am. And it's just one task that God has called me to complete. He has also called me to write. And to speak. And to teach. And I'm finally in a place where I am able to do those things again. Thank goodness.

Another famous Mississippi writer, Eudora Welty, said that living, not reading, made her want to write. I have been living for the past several months. Now it's time to write again. I'm itching to stretch my literary muscles. It's time to blow the dust off my portfolio and start sending it out. Don't choke on the cloud of dust!