Looking Ahead into 2023

 

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As I sat trying to plan my writing for the year, I had a thought reoccur.

I will try to journal about my word for this year at the end of each month. This will help me more closely focus on it, rather than wait until the fall to share what I have learned.

My Chosen Word for This Year

My chosen word for 2023 is FORGIVEN and its related forms (forgive, forgiveness).

I have enrolled in a social media page to help me with my choice. I also have enrolled in a small group designed to help me explore my word. Usually, the word I have chosen seems to be in everything I read that year.

Blogging Schedule

I will continue to blog two times a week, Tuesdays and Thursdays, if not on Thursdays, then on Fridays. This seems to work for me.

Monthly Reflections

My monthly reflections will continue to be the first post of each month.

Book Reviews

At this point, I am unsure about doing any book reviews this year. More on this topic later.

Searching

Still searching for the right market to which to submit my writing. Most secular markets seem to deal with subjects in which I have no interest. Please pray for me about this.

Book Spotlight: Hello, Beautiful: Seeing Yourself through God’s Eyes of Love

DO YOU...

     Wish you had a different body, face, or personality?

     Feel less than adequate compared to others?

     Wonder why God created you?

     Often criticize your choices and decisions?

     Long to see yourself through God’s eyes of love?

     Want to live confidently in spite of your shortcomings?

     Realize how valuable you are?

In Hello, Beautiful, Jeanette Levellie and Beth Gormong lead women on a hopeful journey to find lasting beauty in the eye of the beholder: God. This inspirational gift book contains 40 stories based on some of the authors’ most vulnerable moments, highlighting how God redeemed the pain and taught them how to love themselves. Each chapter of this 40-day soul makeover begins with a Bible verse describing God’s view of us, His precious creation. Chapters end with a special feature, a journaling prompt giving readers the opportunity to apply the principles.

Hello, Beautiful is designed specifically for women who feel the familiar internal pressure to perform without the satisfaction of hearing “Well done.” We find it too easy to think and speak hurtful words about ourselves while building up other’s self-esteem. Hello, Beautiful strives to point out those lies, and replace them with the Truth. Learn the secrets of seeing yourself through love’s viewpoint and shake off feelings of inadequacy. Finally find the courage to look in the mirror and say, “Hello, Beautiful!”

Beth, a former editor, and recovering perfectionist is learning to speak as kindly to herself as she does to others. Recently fired from her job as a full-time mother by her college-age daughters, Beth is discovering God’s definition of her is broader than her own limited perspective. She wants to share the nuggets of truth God has taught her about His love for her and for other women.

Jeanette is an award-winning author and sought-after speaker who enjoys sharing her funny flaws and hard-earned lessons to encourage people from all walks of life. She’s published hundreds of newspaper columns, articles, greeting card verses, and poems. Jeanette is full of wisdom for discouraged and broken women. Hello, Beautiful is her 5th book.

This book is available at Amazon.com  Hello, Beautiful

End of August Thoughts

http://www.2018calendarwithholidays.com/august-

I sit here writing this post with excitement mixed with some fear. I have built a website for my writing ministry. I chose to do this in order to further establish my branding as I try to build my writing platform.

My website is entitled Cecelia Lester Author; its web address is cecelialester.com I have been working on it off and on for a month, trying to add sections to it that are attractive and informative about me and about my writing. I have cross-posted a few of my entries from here. I have to decide on a posting schedule.  I hope and pray that you will visit my new home as you can.

In September, I have two speaking engagements at area institutions, a nursing home and an assisted living facility in my immediate area. I also have contacted a couple of other places in search of finding opportunities to share God’s word. I will be using some of my blog posts and the columns I have written for another site.

In November, I will be giving a “Children’s Moments” message at our church. I haven’t done anything like this in quite a while (think years). Our Children’s Ministry Director has some added stresses with family illness.  Some of us know the stress she is under doing both and wanted to relieve a bit of it.

Celebrate Freedom

Quiet Spirit Writing Ministry

Today is America’s Birthday. She is 242 years old. People sometimes take it for granted that our nation even exists.  We also have those, down through the years, who fought so we could remain a great nation.  I wonder what Paul Revere and the Minute Men would think of America today.

We enjoy certain freedoms in our land that are unheard of in other parts of the world.

                        *We have peace: we don’t wake up or go to sleep to the sound of gunfire.

                        * We have the privilege of choosing our government leaders.

                        * We can worship God as we wish.

                        * We have the freedom of speech, within reason.

The men who wrote the Constitution by which our nation has been governed since 1789 used wisdom in creating a Bill of Rights, ten amendments to add to the document. Were you aware that there were 12 proposed in the original draft? I just learned this as I did research for this entry. Bill of Rights: A Transcription

I would like to explain about the picture I used for this post. Each year, on Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, and Veterans Day, our church displays a series of flags. The picture is of the ones that sit along one edge of our drive. These are just a part of the ones set out. The others are placed on the hill that overlooks the two thoroughfares that border the church property. I have tried in years past to photograph those but I haven’t been able to. If I were to try to get them from the roads, it would be impeding the flow of traffic and that would not be a wise decision.

Here is a picture of our rock garden, all dressed up for the holiday.

Quiet Spirit Writing Ministry

GDPR Compliance:

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Effective May 25, 2018, The European Union has created a law called General Data Protection Regulation. Anyone worldwide who does business with a resident of the European Union has to comply with its requirements. Doing business includes sharing information via blogs.

My GDPR Statement*:

1.) I do not nor have not knowingly shared email addresses or personal data of my readers or followers. Nor will I do so. I do not store any information on my computer about their visits to my blog site.

2.) I have never used an email newsletter service such as Mail Chimp for sending a newsletter. Nor do I presently intend to.

3.) When I should choose to have a giveaway on this blog, it will be limited to those in the United States and will be at the reader’s choice to participate, (opt-in.)

4.) If any of my readers choose to follow any links to another blog that appear in my blog entries, they are expected to investigate that blog’s GDPR compliance statement.

5.) If I should have the need to change this statement, I will amend it as soon as possible.

Created by:

Cecelia Lester (aka Quiet Spirit)

May 23, 2018

*I have added a copy of this to my pages on this blog.