Tuesday Devotional

Max’ism: Grow in Faith
2 Thessalonians 1:3-11

Max weighed about two pounds when my husband brought him home. I could literally hold him in the palm of my hand. He was so cute and little! His tiny legs could barely support him as he wobbled around the house, bumping into things and sprawling on the tiled floor. Anytime he wanted up onto the couch, I’d have to lift him since he wasn’t big enough to jump that high.

Eventually, Max grew large enough to be able to manage the couch, but the bed was still beyond him. I’d pick him up, and he’d curl up at our feet to go to sleep. Soon however, he discovered that by jumping onto the chair next to the bed, and then onto the mattress, he could get up by himself. Now it seems there’s nothing Max can’t do once he sets his mind to it. But it was a process. Small steps. And that’s how it should be with our faith.

God wants us to grow in our faith. No longer should we be taking those baby steps, wobbling and wavering with every new challenge. God wants us to grow stronger, reach higher, and accomplish more, in the name of Jesus. It’s not like we have to do it alone, after all. He’s always there, any time we need a hand up.

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Tuesday Devotional

Max'ism: Dig In
Psalm 119:9-16

Max loves his squeaky toys…er…perhaps I should say, he loves to rip them open and tear the squeaky out. Afterward, he struts around the house with the squeaker hidden in his mouth. Now that’s a strange sight, I tell you. Unless you know what’s in his mouth, you’d have to wonder why an eight-pound dog is squeaking like that.

I’m going to have to run to the pet store again. Last night, Max tore up the last of his toys. He dug, and pawed, and ripped with a ferocity that surprised me. Fluff lay everywhere! Finally, satisfied with his prize, Max climbed up onto the couch and left the stuffing for me to clean up. While I didn’t appreciate the mess, the process did intrigue me.

What would happen if I dug into God’s word with the same ferocity? Could I claim some kind of prize like Max does? Would it please God if everyday, I scrambled to tear into His word, devouring it as though it were the last “toy” I’d every have?

I know the answer is ‘yes.’ The trick will be to discipline myself…no, to delight myself, in His Word.

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Friday Funnies

Jokes To Play on Fellow Astronauts Aboard The International Space Station

10. Break the radio and say that while everyone was sleeping there was nuclear
battle and everyone is now dead.

9. Look out the window any scream "We're being boarded!!"

8. Uncouple the Japanese section, and as they float away helplessly yell "That's for Pearl Harbour!!"

7. Use the Canada arm to start punching the Russian space shuttle and then exclaim that "they were asking for it with all their freakin' late-night cooking smells"

6. Flush a crew member out the air lock and tell everyone he was an alien planning to kill everyone and that you saved them from being cocooned!

5. Lock someone outside and tell him you won't let them in until he guesses the right number between 1-million. Then tell him you were only kidding and testing his resilience under pressure, and let him in just before his air runs out.

4. Dump a bottle of Vodka in the Russian's space suit, smash him over the head with his space hat, and as he reels about, point at him and exclaim to everyone: "Hey, look at Euvonnamokinov, he's drunk in space! Lock him in the ejection pod till we return!"

3. Instead of bringing your experiments on board, smuggle in a hooker!

2. When docking the shuttle, start beating the Viking war drum you hid by the
controls and yell "RAMMING SPEED"

1. Tell everyone your name is James T. Kirk and you are simulating the Kobayashi Maru.

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The American Christian Fiction Writers Awards 2009

The ACFW annual writer's conference was full of memorable moments again this year. Along with the beautiful sights and sounds of Denver, Colorado, this year's event sparkled with people decked in their finest to celebrate the accomplishments of 2009. Listed below are this year's award recipients:

2009 Mentor of the Year- Donita K. Paul
2009 Membership Service Award- John B. Olson
2009 Editor of the Year Award- Ami McConnell, Thomas Nelson
2009 Agent of the Year Award Steve Laube, The Steve Laube Agency

2009 Book of the Year Contest

Debut Author- A Passion Most Pure by Julie Lessman

Lits- Sweet Caroline by Rachel Hauck

Long Contemporary- Symphony of Secrets by Sharon Hinck

Long Contemporary Romance- Controlling Interest by Elizabeth White

Long Historical (tie)- My Heart Remembers by Kim Vogel Sawyer, and I Have Seen Him in the Watchfires by Cathy Gohlke

Mystery- For Whom the Wedding Bell Tolls by Nancy Mehl

Novellas- "Stuck on You" in A Connecticut Christmas anthology by Rhonda Gibson

Short Contemporary- Family Treasures by Kathryn Springer

Short Contemporary Suspense- Broken Lullaby by Pamela Tracy

Short Historical- Family of the Heart by Dorothy Clark

Speculative- The Restorer’s Journey by Sharon Hinck

Suspense- Fossil Hunter by John B. Olson

Women’s Fiction- The Shape of Mercy by Susan Meissner

Young Adult- The Big Picture by Jenny B. Jones

ACFW 2009 Genesis Contest

Contemporary Fiction- Jennifer Griffith, Magpies in Trees

Contemporary Romance- Christy LaShea Smith, The Bridge Between

Historical Fiction- Christine Schmidtke, Unveiled

Historical Romance- Lacy Williams, Marrying Miss Marshal

Mystery/Suspense/Thriller- Alan Schleimer, Q.doc

Romantic Suspense- Jan Warren, Katherine Octavia, C.I.A.

Science-Fiction/Fantasy/Allegory- David Fry, Lies To See

Women’s Fiction- Cathleen Armstrong, The Church of Last Chance

Young Adult- Gretchen Hoffman, Rewind

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I'll never joke about it again...

Today, I actually did spew coffee.

It happened just after I got to work. I took a drink, it was hotter than I expected and it went down the wrong pipe. I coughed, mouth closed, trying to keep the scalding hot coffee from spattering all over my computer screen. Then I coughed harder, and a fine spray of brown liquid seeped through my clenched lips. That made me laugh...and cough. Tears were streaming down my face. I spewed out another huge spray, then totally lost the mouthful of coffee all over my desk, chair, keyboard, and floor.

IT WAS HORRIBLE!!

Now, I smell like coffee and my keyboard sticks. Plus, I think I burned all of the nose hairs out of my nasal passages. I'll never joke about it again...

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