Your comments

September 30, 2008 | books, community, faith

Hi, I just finished reading The Woman I Am Becoming and I am so thankful for this book! Thank you following God’s leading to write such a book. I am a year into recovery for an addiction and have moved in the last year to a new city, believing God had something new to do in me and through me.

A year ago, I believed I felt God’s leading to write a book about my experience, but I have found the process to be a great struggle. I want to discover God’s purpose for my life, and I am beginning to understand that surrendering each day to Him and allowing Him to open my eyes to the opportunities to love others around me is in fact a big part of His purpose.

I know you are quite busy, but if you have a moment would you please pray that I will surrender to Him all my dreams, fears, and hang ups so that I can fully live out the plan He has for me. And also, if writing a book is actually a part of His plan, that I will not give up on it.

Thank you so much! - Aimee

From Suzie: I’m honored and humbled to pray with and for you, Aimee. I am never too busy to pray for a new friend and a sister in Christ. In fact, it will be the best part of my day.

Suz

Know your strengths

September 29, 2008 | ministry life, purpose

“I just don’t understand why I can’t do this better,” she said.

The 40-something woman put her head in her hands. “I should be able to do this.”

Or maybe not.

She was trying to teach high schoolers. They were intimidating to her. Some walked all over her, ignoring her rules, defying her authority. She didn’t connect with them. Felt they were unfriendly, closed-off. (more…)

Ten things

September 25, 2008 | ministry life, purpose

One of the speakers asked us to take out a piece of paper. Awesome. A list! I’m great at making lists.

He asked us to write down 10 things we wanted to accomplish in the next 12 months.

Here we go:

1. Speak more

2. Write fiction

3. Take a trip to D.C. with Richard (more…)

This week on Momlogic

September 24, 2008 | T. Suzanne Eller

Come join me at Christian Momlogic. These are the posts for the week. AND, get this, a big giveaway is going on. Check it out!

A Day in the Life. . .Lisa, an inventor

Living on Someday Isle (someone throw me a life preserver - I’m swimming off “someday I’ll”)

An Uncommon Woman, Interview with author and speaker, Susie Larson

See that beautiful red-head?

September 23, 2008 | family

I listened to some of the most gifted and interesting people yesterday, among them Gen. Colin Powell. Joe Montana. Zig Zigler. Rudy Giuliana. As a speaker it was interesting to watch eight gifted individuals talk about their passion. I’ll talk about what I learned all this week.

Some of the speakers inspired me; in fact, they just may have woke me up on some issues, which I’ll share on Thursday. Others felt-like canned infomercials, but I learned from that too. Some made me think about my finances. Others challenged me on business issues. One challenged me on my ministry and writing.

One presentation was heartbreaking, but still beautiful. Zig Zigler, a man known around the world as a gifted orator, suffered a fall recently that caused short-term memory loss.  (more…)

Date Night

September 19, 2008 | family

It’s just an ordinary Friday. Same ‘ole, same ‘ole. Christian Writers Guild assignments to edit. A chapter to write. Maybe, just maybe I’ll get the house straightend. A walk in the morning. A bowl of cereal minus milk, and no thoughts to lunch yet.

But it’s also Date Night. Which makes this a special day.

What we will do? Rent a movie? I want to see Baby Mama with Tina Fey. Sometimes a night at home is just what we need to catch up and talk about our week, our goals, our kiddos, or just about us.

Or maybe we’ll go out and try a new restaurant, or take a hike up Sparrow Hawk trail, or walk along the river. (more…)

Happy Survivor Day to me

September 18, 2008 | faith, family

Seventeen years ago today I rested in a hospital room, waiting for results of an MRI. I had already had surgery to remove a portion of my breast. I had already had my lymph nodes removed. A tube ran out of my side. My chest was wrapped in gauze. My children were young, whisked about by friends and family who tried to divert their attention from the fact that mommy was sick.

My husband was at my side. The night before was too much. The doctors walked in. What had happened to the one doctor? Why did they increase in number every time the news was bad? This time a neurologist had been added.

“We found a shadow on the scan,” they said. (more…)

Three days a week

September 16, 2008 | articles, momlogic

Remember my post from yesterday? I need to cut back somewhere, because I’m blogging on Momlogic now too, and it’s a serious opportunity to blog with interviews with great authors and people over topics that thinking women just might read. : )

So, my personal blog will go to three days a week starting today. On the off days I’ll simply add a link to my momlogic blogs. I hope you’ll not only tune in to those interviews, but join me in the Christian Momlogic community!

Current blogs to check out:

• Postpartum Depression or Baby Blues? Interview with Judy Dippel, author, speaker, GYN nurse and postpartum depression survivor
•  More on Sex from author Jill Savage, “Is There Really Sex After Kids?”

Building a book, a career, a ministry

September 15, 2008 | writing

Our little neighborhood had only three houses when we moved in. Another house was built a couple of months ago. A new home is going up behind us.

I have discovered that I love seeing a house come up from scratch. I’m a professed lover of HGTV, watching Flip that House, First Time Buyers, and House Hunters whenever I can. Richard gets a laugh out of it. “Who knew?” he says.

We walk in the evening and I love to check out the day’s progress. Did they finish out the trim on the roof? Did they frame in the rooms? “Oh, look! They’re going to put in a whirlpool tub instead of a plain one!”

But this building business has also put a crimp on my writing life. Maybe those aren’t the right words. The truth is that I’m watching a crew of two brothers build a home from the ground up, and I’m supposed to be building books from the ground up–and the housebuilders are winning the race. The tangible progress of their hard work, their tenacity, mock me from my home office window every day. (more…)

Another great night

September 12, 2008 | T. Suzanne Eller, family

On Wednesday I met with 20 women and we talked about the wonderful and not-so-great moments of parenting. I asked them to consider their “good mom” list. You know, the things we said when we were kids, like, “I WILL NEVER do. . . . (fill in the blank)”.

There were some great answers. I will never yell. I will never hit my child. I will never make the standards do high that they are impossible. I will never humiliate my child.

The problem with those is that in the midst of real conflict with your child (meltdown at the candy aisle in WalMart or when a teen says “I hate you”), you can whip out your good mom list and it’s not very effective. You can stand and say all day long, “I won’t yell, I won’t yell, I won’t yell”, but what WILL you do? Because the problem is still there and it needs addressed.

So we broke in small groups and shared our good mom lists and then threw out the I WONT’S and brainstormed effective and practical things that we could do.

I love meeting with these moms and moms-to-be. They are funny, open, and fun to hang out with. I certainly don’t have all the answers, but I think friendship among women as we parent, love our families, work, and run after God makes us stronger.

I can’t wait until next Wednesday. . . when we will discuss “Making Your Kid’s Memories”.

Hey, I hope you’ll consider checking out my posts this week at Time Warner’s community (Momlogic) Christian Momlogic. This week we talked about:

Is There Really Sex After Kids?              Where Can a Mom Turn to for Support?

My Teenaged Son is Acting Out