Thursday, January 31, 2019

Choices and Consequences



This book is a clear contrast to Ms. Lewis’ “Sarah” series. Whereas the stories about Sarah, the dyslexic angel, are funny and light-hearted, though with deeper meaning, Mattie’s Choice is a totally different direction. Mattie’s Choice is a historical novel that takes the reader back to the early 1900s, with vivid descriptions of life in rural Osage County, Oklahoma, poverty, family pride, misinterpretation of the Scriptures, and domestic abuse (verbal and physical) all too commonplace then and is still prevalent today. There are many lessons to be learned from the book—how a seemingly innocent choice can be life-changing, how to identify potential signs of domestic violence, how much jealousy is too much, how to sort through options, and how to be a survivor with God’s help and guidance.--Joy



Reading Mattie's story with a modern mind is difficult, mainly because I found myself just wanting her to leave her abusive husband to protect herself and her children. But then I remembered this wasn't a story set in modern times, but a story from the past for a modern audience. That perspective changes things dramatically. When a book has me thinking about it the next day (long after I've put it down), I'd say the author has done something right.  --Kim


Grab a box of tissues and settle in for a sweet story of strength, commitment, and sisterhood. I loved how Mattie's and Ella's stories intersected and contrasted. As their lives unfolded, their choices drove an emotion-packed story that kept me captivated from start to finish. Wonderful story, beautifully told, with a lasting lesson of compassion for all of us. Don't miss this one!  --Carlene

Wednesday, January 30, 2019

The Old Lovers


A young man asked his grandfather this question.

"Why did you hang your ancient marriage license to Grandmother on the wall next to the kitchen table? Everyone knows you two have been married sixty years."

The grandfather replied, "I needed a way to remember her name, and I see it now three times a day."

Not a good joke, right?

As more and more of us deal with loved ones who have dementia, we realize how important our minds are.

My daughter with dementia can no longer read. Documents don't help her.

I spent the afternoon with her yesterday. I read cards she'd kept from her early days of marriage. Her hubby died in 2015, about the time she was diagnosed. They were sweet cards and she cried. I left them on a side table and wished she could read them at will.

Appreciate your memory.
Appreciate your ability to read.
Appreciate your independence.



Take nothing for granted. It could be gone in a second.

We many forget who we are, but God always knows us and calls us by name. Take comfort, my friend.





Wednesday, January 23, 2019

Goodbye Alabama




I wrote a short story about a cake. It's a contest, and you'll find it on the link below. I hope you'll scroll down, read it, and vote a thumb's up.

It was fun. The blogger started the story with the first line. All writers began their story with that the line she chose.  Here's the link. I'm near the bottom. 


We, at Prism Book Group, did several novellas doing that...round robin writing.  We each wrote a chapter and sent the book to the next author on the list. We had no major plot, just created as we went. The books we wrote are free on Amazon.

A Wedding Blizzard
On Amazon


Lightening Strikes
On Amazon







Wednesday, January 16, 2019

Diamonds!

I love diamonds. 


Big ones Little ones. I love them all


What's your favorite jewel?

I like rubies, too.



But diamonds are it for me. 


I'm visiting the Diamond Mine today. Come along with me!  You'll get diamond ideas and might win a free ebook from me!

Tuesday, January 15, 2019

Balanced




We did this yoga pose today in class.

At least some of the people did. 
I wasn't one of them.

Most of us touched the wall with the hand not attached to the foot. 

It's difficult to do this.

Can you?

How balanced are you with God?

That can be difficult, too.

I've found the best way to steady myself in His Presence is on my knees.


If I don't kneel, I keel.

Just like I did today at class.

The wall was handy. It caught me.

Jesus plays catcher to unbalanced people, too.

I know.  Been there. Done that.





Friday, January 11, 2019

Stop, Go, Get a Ticket






Not to brag or anything, but I can forget what I'm doing while I'm doing it.-http://coolfunnyquotes.com 



Have you ever had a scatter-brained moment?

I have them too frequently. Take last Sunday morning for example. I was late for church. It seemed one unexpected thing after another prevented me from leaving home on time to get there.

Now mind you, I make this route to church often, so what I'm about to tell you makes no sense to me.

I stopped at a red light. I've waited for this same light to turn green many times.





I was east bound. North bound traffic to my right was also stopped. Many cars were waiting behind me and beside me. No cars waited on the south bound side.

The light didn't change. What was up with that?

Being the leader that I am, I decided the stop light malfunctioned and I should go on through it. So I did.

Oops!

Guess who was right behind me?

Yep! He turned on his lights and pulled me over. 

Officer: "Miss, you ran that red light."
Me:  "Well, I stopped first. I thought the light wasn't working. It stayed red a long time."
Officer: "The light was green for the south bound traffic."
Me:  "There was no traffic there."
Officer:  "They were on-coming. You could have been broad-sided."

The officer tried to explain the flow of traffic in his professional, gobbled-gook, textbook format. Since directions mean nothing to me, his explanation didn't make sense.

When I returned from church, I drove the route from the other side. In other words, I headed north and turned west at the light. After seeing what he spoke about, I understood.

He gave me a ticket and now I must appear in court. Oh joy!

What did I learn from this experience?

1.  Don't be the lead car at a malfunctioning stop light. The light might be working and your brain isn't.

2.  God protected me as I made a foolish mistake.

3.  Start earlier to avoid unforeseen delays.

4.  I need to take defensive driving.

5. Pray harder for a good brain.

As with the angel in my Sarah Series, I have no sense of direction. I know I was headed east on that fateful Sunday because I live  east of Houston, and I traveled toward Houston. The Katy Freeway runs east and west. That's the extent of my maneuerving knowledge.

I reread one of my books yesterday. Sarah and the Widow's Mate. 


I wrote it several years ago and I decided to see what my writing was like back then. I'd forgotten some of the incidents in the book and the research I'd done for this story.  At the end of the book, Beth Marsh, the heroine, tells someone, "In the words of my famous friend, 'you're fired.'" 

When I wrote that book, I had no idea that famous friend would one day be President of the United States. Weird, right?  I never watched "The Apprentice," but that phrase was a familar one on the show.

Sarah, the haphazard angel, befriends Beth as suiters date her. Beth doesn't know if the men in her life want her or the money she has accumulated. Neither does Sarah, but Sarah is determined to help.

Sarah wanders around Houston as she assists Beth, always lost. 

Hmmm....who else does that?  

Gay N. Lewis! That's who.  I'm grateful God watches over me.  I also wish I didn't have to appear in court and pay a fine, but at least I'm here to be there.




Monday, January 7, 2019

Things to Do On Sunday


Today is the first Sunday of a New Year.

Did you know we have 52 Sundays in 2019?  What do you plan to do with your Sundays?


Football is on the list of many. 


Golf is a favorite.


Don't forget the fish.


Baseball was once America's favorite pasttime.

I could show pictures of family, reading books, and countless other pursuits of pleasure, but you get the idea. We love our fun and games. Relaxing is enjoyable. Necessary too. All of us need a break from routine.

HOWEVER,

Don't forget God !

and His Church


How many of those 52 Sundays in 2019 will you worship with His people in His Sanctuary? 

Zero? That's too few.
One - That's usually on Easter. Certainly better than zero.

A question for you.

What if the only time you are in church this year is the one time you don't want to be there? 


As in being taken there without your knowledge? 

That would be sad.

Regrettable. 

Only 52 Sundays in 2019. I hope you'll make plans to be in worship on more than one!  See you there!

But.....if you're gonna stay home on Sunday with a good book, read one of mine!  

Tuesday, January 1, 2019

Weight. Is It Mind or Body?


That time of year again.

Ugh.

My scale gave me the same message this morning as it did last year, "You're too heavy." I'd planned to do something about that memo last year. I managed to take off three pounds, but they came back in a matter of months and brought friends.  Ten months to lose three and two to gain five.

I've never liked math.

The extra pounds are not in my mind. They are on my body, but I remember the days when my mind thought I was fat and I wasn't. 

Science has all sorts of ways to tell us if our fat is only in the mind or if it is really on the body. Doctors can use a tape measure and a scale to come up with the ideal BMI.

You know those kiosks at the pharmacy that measure your blood pressure, weight, and then give you your BMI?  That obnoxious, know-it-all machine always tells me I'm overweight.  I was shocked the other day when the thingy told me that my BMI was in the normal range. What? How did that happen.

It turns out I had put my height in at 5'8" instead of 5'5".  I'm too short for my weight. Sigh. Oh woe is me.

What are we gonna do about this mind and body weight thing in 2019? Are you with me? You gonna make changes? After the next twelve months, are we gonna be where we are today?

Decisions. Choices. Consequences. Yuk.

What's your downfall? Ice cream? Chips and salsa? Margaritas? Candy?

None of the above are mine.  Can you guess my enemy?


These biscuits need more gravy.

Yep, you guessed it. I like biscuits and gravy. I eat gravy on french fries, any kind of bread, mashed potatoes, chicken, and steak. I find most foods taste better with a little gravy...okay, let's correct that. Food is better with a lot of gravy, not a little, but A LOT. Like a mountain of creamy goodness.

I've eaten gravy by itself. No bread.  No roast or chicken. No potatoes. No nothing. No kidding.

Just a bowl of gravy. 

Please don't tell anyone I did that. 

Gravy is one thing I know how to make. I can stir up a tasty brown sauce or make a velvety white one. 



The beef Au Jus gravy is yummy, too, but it doesn't have the body and texture of good, old-fastioned, southern gravy.

Can I make myself give up gravy for three months? Is it possible? I'm trying to talk myself into it. Mind over body and all that sort of thing.  What would you give up for three months? I need a partner or two to make a sacrifice with me.

Email me here. gaynlewis@gmail.com. Type Gravy in the subject line. We'll work together in this challenge. I'll give up gravy. Are you with me? What will you sacrifice?

If you want some entertaining reading about two women who worked at a makeover. I've got the book for you.  It's fictional, but true to life, and very funny. Emily, the earthling, in this book loves gravy on french fries. Where did she get that idea? Hmmmmmm? Sarah, the angel, masquerades as a 50 pound over-weight female.  She gives herself the name, Oceana Waters. She answers Emilly's ad for a roomate and talks Emily into trying a more healthy lifestyle. But remember! Sarah is an angel. She knows nothing about earth's health. Oh the bumbles she makes as she helps Emily.

A lot of the scenes in this book are from my own personal experiences. Writers do that, yes, they do!

Emily and Sarah go to the gym and learn to eat "weeds." The results are amazing.

We're gonna have amazing results, too!  Read the book for ideas. 

Happy New Year!








PBG Insider: Gay N. Lewis Introduces her "Sarah" series

Sarah at Christmas