Today at Inkwell Inspirations, where I co-blog with the most amazing group of women I've had the privilege to get to know online, we re-posted one of our self-help posts from our early days. This one post has received 1,500 "hits" since it went up the first time. (Click the button below to read it yourself.)


I'm flabbergasted. Humbled. Cautioned.

Words have power. Supernatural power. Creative and destructive power. And when those words are written down, there's no limit to their reach, not just today or next year, or in our transient lifetime here on earth.

I am reminded today that being a writer, a blogger, even a Twitter/Facebook user is not just a hobby, or a gift, or a way to *try* to remain somewhat sane in an insane world, it's a responsibility to use those words for good.




 

Bitter fruit is nasty.
Bitter spiritual fruit is even worse.

Today, the ides of March, I'm at one of my favorite places, Inkwell Inspirations, talking about betrayal and bitterness, and choosing to be better instead of bitter!

Inkwell Inspirations: If the naked dude shows up, I'm outta here.: by Niki Turner Picture this: Jesus and the disciples have just crossed the Sea of Galilee. During their crossing, they experienced a st...

Over at Inkwell Inspirations today, asking a difficult question: is your faith affected more by people, or by God and His Word?

Talking about a serious subject ... when grief tries to take over. Not a fun topic, but one we must be aware of and able to respond to in healthy ways, whether for ourselves or in ministering to those around us.

This year, I'm determined to read some Christmas themed stories DURING the Christmas season, instead of in January, or in July, like usual.


I started with a brand new release written by fellow Inkwell Inspirations blogger (and debut author) Barbara Early entitled "Gold, Frankincense, and Murder." Red herrings abound in this cozy mystery. I found myself asking "whodunit?" right up until the murderer's unmasking.

A missing coworker. 
A muscle-bound side-kick.
Sometimes the holidays can be murder.

Woven throughout the tale is the systematic dismantling of the heroine's Christmas tree by her cat, Soot. I think I owned that cat, once upon a time. Topping off the story is a sweet touch of romance between the heroine and the hunky hero, Sam. Will they figure out their attraction before it's too late?

As a Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden fan growing up, "Gold, Frankincense, and Murder" was a lovely reminder of what I loved about those early cozy mysteries. Need a quick boost for your Christmas spirit? Download "Gold, Frankincense, and Murder" for Kindle, or order your copy ASAP from White Rose Publishing!

Perhaps it's because we honor traditions during the holidays more than any other time, this season can also cause us to tumble into unwelcome ruts in our thoughts and feelings.

I posted a few suggestions for getting a grip on the holidays at Inkwell Inspirations today that I hope will help me purge some of those old motivations behind some of the things I find myself doing year after year... Maybe they'll help you, too! Click the picture link below...

I'm over at Inkwell Inspirations today... check it out!

Ha ha! Thanks to the magic of the Internet, I can be here, at Inkwell Inspirations,


and at The Pastor's Wife Speaks all at the same time today! How cool is that?


Now, if I could just figure out how to clone myself, leave my clone here to do the housework, and take off for the beach...

Today at Inkwell Inspirations, I'm addressing a serious, and scary topic: Is there a way to deal with the food safety issues we hear about in the news like the recent outbreak of E. coli contamination in Europe? What recourse do we have beyond refusing to eat? (We all know that's not gonna work!)

And at The Pastor's Wife Speaks, I'm sharing something about marriage that is applicable to every wife, not just pastor's wives. Are you guilty of reading your husband's heavenly mail?

I hope you'll click and visit at either (or both) places today. Leave a comment and let me know you've been by!

Want to know what those three things have in common besides the "p" sound? (Well, no "p" in writing, but you get the point.)

Come visit me at Inkwell Inspirations today to find out.


There's even a Sesame Street video involved!

I'm over at Inkwell Inspirations today (one of my favorite virtual places to be) talking about vision boards. They really are the adult version of decorating your locker, or your vanity mirror, or your bulletin board.

You remember when a magazine ad jumped out at you and demanded attention? Or a hand-written note from a teacher praising your work boosted your confidence? Or a quote from a favorite musician or artist stirred your heart? Not wanting to forget those transitory images and ideas, you probably cut them out and did something with them, right?
They helped define who you were, and who you were becoming.

Why mess with all that cutting and pasting now? (Because it's fun, but that's not the real reason.) Because we are still in the process of becoming! And we all tend to forget what we're becoming as soon as we look away from those bits and pieces of inspiration. So I'm all for making vision boards to keep that vision in front of my face.

There are links to some articles with instructions for making vision boards at the end of my Inkwell Inspirations post. And if you make one (or have made one recently), send me a picture! 

I'm today's blogger at Inkwell Inspirations and Monday is the day we focus on current events.


However, as current events tend to be rather gloomy, I opted for some lighter news ...

What's going on in Barbie's world? Or rather, what's going on with Ken and Barbie? Yep, that's right. Ken is staging a comeback, with a new look and a new plan to get back together with Barbie.

By the way, did you know Ken's last name is Carsons? Or that Barbie's full name is Barbra Millicent Roberts?

We're enjoying an amusing discussion this morning, so stop in and share your thoughts!

Have you gotten the e-mail about the Costa Ricans hauling off sea turtle eggs by the sackful?

Or the one that warns the use of microwaved water will kill plants (and therefore is likely to harm you)?

I've posted on this subject before on this blog, but it seemed like an appropriate topic for our Monday "current events" post at Inkwell Inspirations.

The brownback Kentucky jackalope. Photo by Noam Wiener

As I reviewed some of the fact-checking, myth-busting sites I share at the end of the post, I was astonished by the number of e-mails I've received in the last two weeks (not counting the election-inspired garbage) that popped up as hoaxes, frauds, misrepresentations, Photoshop tricks, and so forth.

Be a fact checker!

I'm over at Inkwell Inspirations today with a Current Events post. (Click the picture to go there.)


The recent rescue of the Chilean copper miners is a reminder of the power of a happy ending to make people around the world sit up and take notice. And rejoice together!

If we, as Christians, have the happiest ending of all, the best news EVER, why aren't we sharing it? Instead, we fall into judgmental, critical attitudes and tell the world God is mad at them.
Nothing could be further from the truth.

Good news. Do you know what it is? Have you heard it lately?

Superheroes think differently than the rest of us.

Xurble via Flickr

Not the superheroes in Lycra tights and capes, but the superheroes around us every day - the people who take their God-given strengths and use them to succeed, to conquer, to bless, to overcome. How do they do it? And how can we follow in their footsteps?

I crave colors the way some people crave chocolate.
In wardrobe, in decor.
Yes, my kitchen IS painted five different colors.



How about you?

Read more about chromodynamics (the science or study of color) in my post today at Inkwell Inspirations!
I'm curious:

1. Are certain seasons of your life set apart by specific colors in your wardrobe or decor? Do some colors remind you of a period of time, a relationship, a job, or a situation?
2. What colors are you always drawn to?

I'm over at Inkwell Inspirations today, leading off this week's conversation about our favorite books and writers.
Have you ever felt like you were addicted to a particular writer's work, just itching for his or her next book to come out? It's like comfort food, or a baby blankie - balm to the soul.