Give people what they need

Author Lee Warren and I chatted at last week's Author Fair.

He shared an obvious, but overlooked truth, saying,

"Give people what they need." 

 Money immediately came to mind. But without a printing press, that one was out. Lee continued.  

"Focus on helping people. Share your knowledge." 

Um, how? I pictured myself in the back of a pickup truck, bullhorn in hand.

Courtesy of stockphotos @freedigitalimages.com

Lee said, "You just published a home-organization book. Revamp your newsletter to give people free tips."
He's been an author and editor for years, and his advice lined up with:

"For if you give, you will get! Your gift will return to you in full and overflowing measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over. Whatever measure you use to give—large or small—will be used to measure what is given back to you.” (Luke 6:38 TLB)

So I'm taking his advice. From now on each monthly newsletter will offer three simple tips to:

Get organized
Simplify life 

Save money

Sign up on this blog or my website if you'd like to get in on the freebies. 

I just read Lee Warren's awesome new devotional, Finishing Well. 

The daily reading are short, and packed with insight.
Click here to get a copy.

Blatant self-promotion warning:
My book, 
Fast Fixes for the Christian Pack-Rat, is now available on Amazon.

Fast, funny, and oh so helpful

End of blatant self-promotion.


Tune in next time for "Demolishing the Time Suckers, Pt. 3"

What's the biggest time-drain for most people?
Hint: We love it, we're addicted to it, and it sucks our time faster than The Flash.
Can you guess the answer?

Demolishing the Time-Suckers pt 2

Social media sites are time-sucking vampires that addict us to adorable baby animal videos.

YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Goodreads, Google+, Instagram, and a few hundred others exert a mystical allure over the human mind.

According to Jeanie's Foundation of Fictitious Reporting*, humans average 23 hours per day on social media. 

That amount increases to 23.5 hours for cats, who live to post selfies on Facebook, and upload videos of their buddies on YouTube.

*Jeanie Jacobson, Founder of Jeanie's Foundation of Fictitious Reporting. This agency exists to fabricate data with no basis in truth.

Social media has its plus points.

My daughter Patty joined Twitter to support me. Her bio actually reads, "Set this account up solely to follow mi madre and her writing endeavors."

Twitter isn't a problem for me. My Twitter account resembles an abandoned building inhabited by a lone chirping cricket.

My standard response to my new followers is, "Thanks for the follow. Please don't write anything else to me ever again because I don't know how to carry out a conversation with you in 140 characters or less."

Facebook is my time enemy. I plunge into the Facebook wormhole and emerge hours later with numb legs and a swirling brain.

I have a personal page. There I post goofy and irrelevant items.

Like most writers I have a professional page. On it I post (slightly) less goofy and irrelevant items.

Staying on track is a problem.

For instance, I attempted to post a quick blurb about my upcoming book, Fast Fixes for the Christian Pack-rat.

https://www.amazon.com/author/jeaniejacobson

Instead I spent 47 minutes "Liking" and sharing my friends' posts, commenting on prancing piglets, and watching video clips.

Social Media tip: 
"At the movies with my peeps."
translates to:
"#Hey burglars, great time to plunder my house. RT"  

Ecclesiastes 3:6 tells us there's

"...A time to keep and a time to throw away."

What's worth keeping, and what should be thrown out of our schedules?

Consider these three questions:

1. Is social media cutting into family time?

2. Is it interfering with work? 

   And most important,

3. Is it crowding out time with the Lord?

To cut down on social media distractions:

• Turn off notifications. 
• Check your sites at a set time rather than throughout the day.
• Give yourself time limits, and set an alert to insure you follow through.
• Refuse new invites.
• Disconnect from some sites. Spend time in the real world instead.

In my next posting I'll reveal my nemesis.
The Goliath I thought I had conquered-

Television.

Demolishing the Time-Suckers

We live in a fast-paced world. Demands tug at our time like an octopus on steroids. 


I looked at my to-do list recently and whined, "Lord, I don't have enough time. How am I supposed to get everything done?"
I'd entered Full Sniveling Complaint Mode, and didn't want an answer.

But God answered anyway.

He brought to mind all the Time-Suckers devouring my schedule. I took an honest look at my computer time and cringed.



Time-Sucker #1: The E-mail Flood.


Between 65-90 new emails attack my inbox daily, mainly because I'd signed up for a free webinar or make-up sample.

Tantalizing offers beckoned, and my mouse went on auto-click.
        

After all, Publisher's Clearing House assured me I was a MILLION DOLLAR WINNER!

I just needed to peek inside to confirm. I spent 6 minutes clicking through the links.

 All You magazine displayed 25 ways to clean my house with vinegar. I knew I wouldn't use any of the tips, but wasted 7 minutes scrolling through them anyway.

The Mayo Clinic's email showed delicious recipes I'd never make. That would involve cooking.


Yet I drooled over the pictures for 8 minutes.



Ecclesiastes chapter three speaks of a time for everything,

          




                            Weeping
                                          Laughing
                                                        Mourning 
                                                                       Dancing


I didn't see a specific verse about superfluous emails, but time is a precious gift from the Lord.
I'm going to use mine better.  
 

Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NLT)
 

Today I unsubscribed from a dozen sites.
I'd love to hear your top ways to control the inbox beast. Just don't add any recipes or cleaning tips, I beg you.

The next Time-Sucker on my list: social media. Raise your hand if you're addicted to videos of pajama-wearing goats.

All pictures courtesy of stockphotos @ freedigitalphotos.net

Ready for Christmas, without shopping

Christmas checklist

Is the gift shopping done?
Nope.

Have I finished decorating the house?
Nope.

Have I baked the Christmas goodies?
Nope.

Am I ready for Christmas?
Absolutely.

This year our family faced a series of challenges.

• Massive fire
• Multiple hospitalizations 
• Job loss 
• Divorce
• Death. 

But through every devastating event,
the Lord strengthened us.
                                               Encouraged us.
                                                                    Comforted us.
                                                                                           Loved us.

So in spite of the negative experiences and drawbacks, my husband Jake and I are more focused than ever on the gift of Jesus.

While gifts under the tree are sparse,
the greatest gift ever given resides in our hearts.


Jesus wants to share that gift with you too.
The gift of eternal life, purchased at the cost of his own.

He loves you that much. 
You're that precious to him.





Pray this out loud, believe it from your heart, and you will become saved (born again.)


"Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner, and I ask for your forgiveness. I believe you died for my sins and rose from the dead. I trust and follow you as my Lord and Savior. Guide my life and help me to do your will. In your name, amen."



If you prayed that with a sincere heart, you belong to God, His own child, living with Him for all eternity.
All heaven is celebrating the gift you just accepted from Jesus.

Now you're ready for Christmas!

All photos courtesy of photo courtesy of digidreamgrafix @freedigitalphoto.net

 

Author Extravaganza

Combine seven authors, live music, give-aways, stories, and refreshments and what do you have?

The free Author Extravaganza hosted by Angela D. Meyer at the Ralson Public Library.
 
This event is to support National Family Literacy Month, and to kick off the holiday season.

If you live in the Omaha/ Council Bluffs area please join Angela D. Meyer, Kim Stokely, Brooke Williams, Shawn Brink, Norma Donovan, Lee Warren, and myself on Saturday Nov.7th 12:30-2:30pm. 

I'm excited to be a part of this event. It's even more special to me because my grandson, Asher, will be there as my official. photographer.

Cheesecake and Godly wisdom

Wouldn't it be great if every problem could be solved with cheesecake?

• Are you sad?    You should eat cheesecake.
• Are you overwhelmed?    You should eat cheesecake.
• Are you dieting?    You should send me your cheesecake.

Photo courtesy Sira Anamwong @ freedigitalphotos.net

Did I say "problem"  earlier?

I meant "growth opportunity."

Following my cheesecake advice brings tremendous growth opportunity...generally in the hip and thigh area.

photo courtesy of nenetus@freedigitalphotos.net

The Bible offers better solutions.

James 5:13-16 says:
  Are any of you suffering hardships?  

                                   You should pray. 

photo courtesy of graur razvan ionut2@freedigitalphotos.net

• Are any of you happy?   

                                  You should sing praises. 

photo courtesy stockimages3@freedigitalphotos.net

 Are any of you sick?   

                       You should call for the elders of the church to pray over you, anointing you...in the name of the Lord.

Photo courtesy Naypong@ freedigitalphotos.net

 James adds,

"Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.

The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results."

Yep, bible advice produces better results than a cheesecake binge. 

Even without chocolate sauce and strawberry toppings.
 

photo courtesy of samuiblue@freedigitalphotos.net

Since I'm currently dealing with multiple problems--er, growth opportunities--I'm diving into my bible. 

And a slice of blueberry cheesecake.

Going Forward Backwards

Ever felt like you were regressing instead of progressing?

photo courtesy of Stoonn at freedigitalphotos.net

This past year I've camped out in the valley of "Holy-Smoke-I-Can't-Catch-Up."

Anybody else vacationed there?


Situations attack my time like a Kodiak bear after a salmon.

Photo courtesy of Rosemary Ratcliff at freedigitalphoto.net

Like a grizzly after a deer.

Like Yogi and Boo Boo after a pic-a-nic basket. 

photo courtesy of Frankie242@freedigitalphotos.net

I put out one fire and five new ones flare up. 

My internal pressure geysers mount like Old Faithful. 

Photo courtesy of Exsodus@freedigitalphotos.net

Are you going through something similar?
Take heart, because there's hope.

Recently my friends all encouraged me with the same phrase:

"This is only a season. It will pass."

• Coincidence?
• Christian-ese?
• Cliche?

I believe my brothers and sisters in Christ spoke encouragement straight from God's heart to mine.


So  instead of being discouraged, distraught, and disheartened let's take their advice and trust God's timing.

King Solomon, a wise man--not a wise guy--said,

"For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven."  Ecclesiastes 3:1 NLT

Photo courtesy of Sura Nualpradid at freedigitalphotos.net

Even in a season of crazy we can

• Cultivate a Godly attitude.
• Sow compassion.
• Grow spiritual fruit. 
• Reap strength.

Nothing is lost, nothing is wasted when we allow God to shape and hone us in the midst of trials.

So while we wait for the season to change, let's move from Camp Crazy to Hotel Joy.

Photo courtesy of tripadvisor.fr

And take time to share a pic-a-nic basket with Yogi and Boo Boo.