Another Three Bite The Dust

This week marked the passing of three more celebrities into eternity—Patrick Swayze, Henry Gibson and Mary Travers. Did you ever wonder how God comes up with which three people will forever be linked in history as dying in the same week?

Do you think there might be a formula, a process, a method?

Let’s examine the latest three entrants.
Patrick Swayze: born in Houston, TX, actor of stage and screen, (Dirty Dancing, The Outsiders, Ghost, Point Break) dancer extraordinaire
Henry Gibson: born in Germantown, PA, actor (Laugh In, Boston Legal), poet, voice-over actor
Mary Travers: born in Louisville, KY, iconic folk/protest singer (Puff the Magic Dragon, Blowing in the Wind, Lemon Tree, Leaving on a Jet Plane)

So the common denominator is (drum roll please) they were all the same age at death! No, while Mary and Henry were close at 72 and 73 respectively, Patrick, however, was only 57. That theory won’t work. Perhaps it was because they were all actors. No, I can’t find any evidence that Mary Travers did any serious acting. So what could it be other than their fame? But isn’t that the reason we pay attention to their deaths in the first place?

June was a landmark month for celebrity deaths, welcoming the likes of Farrah Fawcett and the King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson. The third celebrity, on the other hand, is a little sketchy. Both were only mildly famous, so I guess you can pick the celebrity you’ve actually heard of. On June 28, impressionist, Fred Travelina and pitchman, Billy Mays passed away. Yeah, like I said—choose your favorite. So what do these three…four celebrities have in common? They were all 80s icons, well, except for Billy Mays anyway. And Michael was popular through the 90s. No connection! Back to square one.

July marked the deaths of three American icons; Karl Malden, Walter Cronkite and Oscar Meyer, Jr. It’s simple to see what these three have in common…absolutely nothing. Except that they all three died really old and really rich.

August deaths welcomed the likes of electric guitar inventor, Les Paul into the fray. Following Les was American royalty, Ted Kennedy and third, Chanel, the worlds oldest living Dachshund. What do these three have in common you ask? Well, two are most certainly dogs, but where does that leave Les Paul?

Finally, there was another death in September, but this woman’s only celebrity claim was to be the oldest recognized living person, according to Guinness World Records. Gertrude Baines died September 11, at the ripe old age of ONE HUNDRED FIFTEEN! The reason I added this tidbit of information is because I had to laugh at the newspaper report stating Mrs. Baines died of a suspected heart attack. Come on! At 115 can’t you just say the poor woman died of natural causes for heaven’s sake?

So I wonder—when a celebrity dies, do other celebrities begin walking on eggshells? Hmm…

"The Premier Christian Fiction Conference"

STANDING FIRM...MOVING FORWARD

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord,
forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord."
1 Corinthians 15:58 (KJV)

DENVER, COLORADO 
SEPTEMBER 17 - 20, 2009

Bestselling authors, publishing industry representatives, and newcomers to Christian fiction writing will gather in Denver at the American Christian Fiction Writer’s annual conference September 17-20 to compare notes, learn from each other, and encourage one another in the pursuit of publishing goals.

This year’s conference theme , Standing Firm…Moving Forward, will especially inspire the full range of talent and dreams in the ever-changing publishing world today.

This amazing conference will feature representatives from major publishing houses like B & H, Guideposts, Zondervan, Harvest House, Barbour, Steeple Hill, Summerside Press, Bethany House, Waterbrook Multnomah, Marcher Lord Press, Tyndale House, and Thomas Nelson, and top literary agents who will meet with writers and identify promising proposals from both new and veteran novelists. Conferees will have access to publishing panels, professional critiques, and customized workshops based on skills and interests.

The keynote speaker is New York Times bestselling author, Debbie Macomber, who has more than 100 million copies of her books in print worldwide.

Learn more about the American Christian Fiction Writer’s Conference by visiting www.acfw.com. Click on the left sidebar on Annual Conference.

Have You Made The Choice?

*****PRESIDENTIAL QUIZ*****

1. Which U.S. president served the longest term in office?

2. How long can a person serve as president of the United States?

3. How can a president serve ten years?

4. If something happens to President Obama, who takes office as president?

5. If something happens to the Vice President, who takes office as president?

6. If something happens to the Speaker of the House, who takes office as president?

7. If something happens to the President Pro Tem of the Senate, who takes office as president?

8. If something happens to the Secretary of State, who takes office as president?

9. If something happens to the Secretary of The Treasury, who takes office as president?

10. Name the succession of the office of president after the Secretary of The Treasury.

ANSWERS * ANSWERS * ANSWERS * ANSWERS * ANSWERS * ANSWERS * ANSWERS * ANSWERS * ANSWERS * ANSWERS * ANSWERS * ANSWERS * ANSWERS * ANSWERS * ANSWERS *

1. Franklin Delano Roosevelt served 12 years from March 1933 to April 1945.
2. The 22nd Amendment limited presidential terms to two, four year terms, totaling eight years.
3. A VP can serve up to two years of a previous president’s term and still be elected president two more times making a total of ten years.
4. Vice President, Joe Biden
5. Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi
6. President Pro Tem of the Senate, Robert C. Byrd (Yeah, the guy born in 1917 who was once a member of the KKK!)
7. Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton
8. Secretary of the Treasury, Timothy Geithner
9. Secretary of Defense, Attorney General, Secretary of Interior, Secretary of Agriculture, Secretary of Commerce, Secretary of Labor, Secretary of Health & Human Services, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Secretary of Transportation, Secretary of Energy, Secretary of Education, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Secretary of Homeland Security

If you correctly answered between 1 – 5 questions, CONGRATULATIONS, you are much smarter than me.

If you correctly answered between 6 – 10 questions, you are either a political science major or the Secretary of Homeland Security just waiting for 19 people to keel over so you can have your chance to be the President of The United States!

My mother went to great lengths to ensure her best efforts were put forward in raising her three children. Not only did she consult the ancient manuscripts such as the Bible and Dr. Spock…she also went straight to the experts. We spent countless hours listening to specialists in the field of life experiences hence this blog entry:

What I Learned From Bill Cosby

-Monsters are real and should be avoided at any expense even if you have to cover the kitchen floor with Jello®

-Blankets can protect you from most common monsters

-Mom’s believe in monsters and will help to protect you, but not all dad’s do

-A snowball left in the refrigerator will usually be thrown away by your mom before it can be used for revenge

-Revenge seldom works out for good

-It’s okay to be friends with overweight people…they can really come in handy in certain sporting venues

-Don’t stand directly behind extremely frightened overweight people

-Everything you need to know as an adult you DON’T learn in kindergarten

-The only thing you do learn in kindergarten is how to say goodbye to your parents and basic bathroom skills…you know—like how many fingers to hold up if you’re going a number one or a number two

-Kindergarten teachers train children for adversity by giving them pencils as large as horses legs, paper that still has wood floating around in it and lukewarm curdly milk with dry crusty stick-in-your-throat graham crackers

-A child old enough to attend school does not need an afternoon nap

-The only person napping in a room full of kindergartens will be the teacher

-Going to bed at three in the afternoon does not make Santa Claus come any sooner

-Dentists are sadistic…that’s why they make you talk when your mouth is dead

-Don’t complicate childhood, it’s the only simple time of life

I can still remember sitting down in the living room and Mom putting the needle on those wonderful old 33 LP records that so uniquely shaped my young life. Thanks Mom for caring enough to give your children the best education we could afford. And thanks Mr. Cosby for teaching me the truly important things in life. And if you’ve never listened to the original stand up work of Bill Cosby…you’re missing out on one of the great CLEAN humor works of the past

Love Finds You in Poetry Texas

By: Janice Hanna

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading the “Love Finds You” series from Summerside Press. The second installment I’d like to review comes from an author friend of mine, Janice Hanna. Her book, Love Finds You In Poetry Texas, turned out to be a exceptionally fun read! Let me tell you a little bit about the book.

Belinda Bauer realizes her quaint home town of Poetry, Texas is overrun by single men and only a few women. She decides to take matters into her own hands and becomes the town’s marriage broker. Thanks to some serious searching on her part, the streets of Poetry are soon flooded with brides-to-be. The problems arise when some of the brides marry the wrong men!

Janice Hanna weaves a wonderful story full of poetic charm in this prairie romance set in 1904. Hanna is famous for getting her characters into complicated fixes and she didn’t let me down in this book. When the town minister decides to re-marry, Belinda sends for a bride-to-be who seems to be perfect in print. When the parson’s intended arrives, she is more suited for center stage rather than hidden behind the pulpit!

In the end everyone ends up with the match God has planned for them despite Belinda’s attempts to join the hopelessly mismatched. Even Belinda who has vowed to stay single for the towns greater good finds herself falling for one of her own clients.

I would recommend Love Finds You In Poetry Texas to anyone who likes a quaint prairie romance filled with a strong Christian message about learning to seek God in every decision—especially decisions of the heart.

The Man Behind The Words

I’ve heard people use the phrase, “touched by greatness.” After Thursday and Friday of last week I feel that the phrase could be applied to me.

Thursday night I was blessed to hear the great Cecil “Cec” Murphey speak to my writers group at Barnes And Noble in The Woodlands, Texas. Cecil is the author of 90 Minutes In Heaven,” a NYT bestseller for well over two years. Oh, and did I mention he’s also authored, co-authored and ghost-written over one hundred other novels? Cec spoke for only about twenty minutes before opening up the floor for questions from the audience. I wasn’t quick enough to ask my question before his time was cut off, but enjoyed hearing answers to everyone else’s questions.

Even thought Cec only talked for a short time I feel like I gleaned a wealth of information. A couple things Cec said to the writers group that stuck with me are:

Never stop learning to write

Write from your heart

Everything we write is autobiographical—we write from who we are

Learn to be okay with the way you are

Explore who you are as a writer and you will get more in touch with the Father.

“I would rather be disliked for who I am

than admired for who I’m not.” Cec Murphey

Friday night I attended Meet The Christian Authors Night (MTCAN) in the Woodlands. Forty-five Christian authors converged on WoodsEdge Church for a fantastic night of book signing, entertainment and cheesecake! The evening benefited the WoodsEdge Women’s Ministry to Single Moms.

I was blessed to have the opportunity to work Cec’s table at MTCAN. There I was with a multi-published author on the NYT bestseller list no less; my usual nervous self, fumbling to help this highly touted author. Cec however calmed my nerves immediately when he showed more concern about what I write and how he could advise me on my career than he was at selling his own books! Needless to say I was truly touched by this gifted, godly man.

I got tickled at Cec. He had graciously and eloquently spoken to several people in a row who had purchased his books and then leaned over to me and admitted he wasn’t very good at book signings! What a funny man.

Imagine the most energetic person you know and double it—that’s Cec Murphey. He claims to be able to finish most books in three to four months and I believe him. If you’ve never written a book then you have no idea how incredibly fast that is. My evening with Cec ended with him courteously thanking me for helping with his table and offering me a signed book from the ones left after the book signing. I’ll never forget my brush with fame when I was blessed to get to know the man behind the words…Cecil Murphey.