When Things Go Terribly Wrong

When things go terribly wrong in our lives, we have some predictable questions we ask ourselves: "What did I ever do to deserve this?" "Why me?" "Why does this always happen to me?" and complaints: "This isn't fair!" "But I'm a good person!" I know there have been times when I thought to myself, "I'm throwing a raging tantrum in my head, and it's been a long time since I was two!"

What do you do when you find yourself in this situation?

Welcome to the Cafe!

Hey, traveler, turn in here. This is a virtual meeting place for anyone on the journey who needs to sit down, listen, think and talk. Stop in often. Here you can slow down, reflect, share. We all need that. So take some time to notice the simple beauty of the breeze waving the leaves on a tree, or the music of a child's laughter. Think a kind thought about someone. Find something to be grateful for. These moments feed the health of our souls and spirits, widen our hearts and allow our bodies to repair themselves. Then take another moment to post your comments here. Hoping to hear from you.

The Book Goes to the Printer!

Today a few last-minute revisions were handled over the phone, and I faxed the galley and cover approvals to the publisher. The book should go to the printer by the end of this week, and within 2-3 weeks Welcome to the Fresh-Squeezed Life Cafe will be available.

Somehow I managed to do my part to make this happen, despite my design consultant leaving my publisher as of today, my car battery going dead, prevailing on two different neighbors to buy and use jumper cables to get me started, the office store Staples for the second time in a row being unable to successfully fax my forms to the publisher, my neighbor letting me use her home office fax machine to get the forms in today, driving around and leaving my car running while I ran into various auto parts stores to see if they would replace my battery, and a family member having emergency surgery. All this happened today: We just never know what kind of a day we're going to have, do we? (Surgery went well.)

Life has probably squeezed you, today, too, in small ways--and for some of you, in big ways. Maybe nothing was tied up and brought to a nice close, and your mind is not at ease. Maybe you're unhappy with the way you handled things. Take a deep breath. And another. Close your eyes and imagine God's hand reaching down to you, to pick you up, to stroke your hair, whatever you need. You are imagining the real, not the imaginary; He really loves you. He wants to give you beauty where you've had only ashes. There is good stuff ahead. Wait for it!

This just in! REVISED PROOFS RECEIVED FROM PUBLISHER!

The revised proofs of Welcome to the Fresh-Squeezed Life Cafe are now in my possession. Hopefully, no further revisions will be necessary, and I can officially approve them--which means that the book could be in my hands within the month! And it needs to be, as I am scheduled to be available to sign copies at the Women's Retreat in Laguna mid-September. Yay!!!!