Jessica Kirkland offers gluten-free recipes online
Need some gluten-free recipes or shopping tips?
Jessica Kirkland, Houston Gluten-Free Examiner, offers some great advice on her Examiner.com column and in her blog, Gluten Free Gab.
Jessica, "a wife, mother to triplets, and business owner...discovered the culprit behind her food-related illness: gluten sensitivity....(Now) Jessica offers...advice to help keep others safe from gluten exposure..." (Houston Gluten-Free Examiner).
This week, Jessica offers some great recipes for entertaining—"Beating the gluten blues on game day."
Cold Spaghetti Salad
Sweet BBQ Chicken Wings
Baked Potato Dip
Pan-fried Calamari
Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
More online links by Jessica Kirkland
"Beating the gluten blues on game day"
"Chicken soup for the gluten-free soul"
Thanks for the recipes, Jessica.Keep writing!
Karen
Photos/Jessica Kirkland
Do you have any gluten-free recipes or tips?
Lost Your Confidence?
"So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised" (Hebrews 10:35-36).
Have you ever felt that you have thrown away your confidence? I'm not sure about throwing it away, but lately I've been going through a period of time when I had completely lost my confidence.
I hadn't really been able to put my finger on the problem—I just couldn't seem to go forward. Thoughts of fear, worry, anxiety, anger, depression, self-condemnation...have plagued my mind for months. Finally, I saw this truth—and I knew that I had lost my confidence, especially in my writing endeavors.
Now, I'm ready to take my stand and go forward. I hope to write more about my recent journey in the coming weeks and months.
But for now, I just wanted to report to you that I'm finally going forward. And I'm thankful for my friends and family who have prayed with me and for me during my journey.
Thanks a million for your prayers!
Blessings,
Karen
Can you think of a time in your life when you lost your confidence? What happened?
Photo/Dan Jordan (Mother, Karen, Miles)
Blogging 101: Hanging on!
Today, as I contemplate a topic to blog about, I really have to get over something to even to do this—to blog. And I've decided to "hang in there" with the bloggin' process. 
As a writing instructor, I encourage my students to work through the complete writing process. And I discourage them from "ever" turning in their first drafts.
Anne Lamott describes first drafts well in her book Bird by Bird. But since I know Lamott's term for first drafts will offend some of my readers, I’ll just quote her explanation of these ****** first drafts, "All good writers write them. This is how they end up with good second drafts and terrific third drafts" (21).
In my writing classes, we explore the writing process with every assignment—from invention to editing to publishing. With blogging, you really don’t really take the time for the complete writing process. You just go from invention to publication in a matter of minutes.
Maybe it's my desire for perfection, but I've been tempted to lay this blogging business down just for that reason. I feel like I’m publishing my "freewriting" or "****** first drafts." When I check out other blogs, I see typos and random thoughts—some of which only the author can possibly follow.
Actually, that is what life looks like, isn't it? It's messy! And we rarely get a chance to get every detail just "so-so" before other people observe us. If they don't like me without my makeup, they're probably not going to like me anyway. And as my husband, Dan, once told me, "Karen, not everyone is gonna like you!"
After I scraped myself off the floor from that comment, I realized that Dan was right. And even though I would love to please everyone—now I know that's impossible.
Even though I've decided to continue to "hang in there" with my blogging, I'm not giving up on the editing process. I'll still hack away at my articles and other writing projects that I submit for publication. But as for blogging—I'll just cut, paste, and publish!
Keep bloggin'!
My other weblinks and blogs
BLESSED Journal
Legacy WordBlog
Little Rock Christian Examiner
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More thoughts on blogging
Confessions of a New Blogger
What are your thoughts on blogging? What is your writing process?
A Fishin' Tale
Tommy Barnes captured a moment in time with his dad in "The Starter Rope." And I'm so glad he did, because "his" dad is "my" dad!
We pass our family stories down when we get together at special family events, such as the holidays, weddings, and especially funerals. We talk about the good ol' days, but many of our stories will not be written down for the generation.
I'm so grateful that my brother, Tommy, writes down some of his stories, especially since both of our parents are gone now. We're preserving a written legacy for the next generation.
I hope Tommy's story encourages you to write down some of your family stories. And we'd love to read them!
Just send your stories to me at kj@karenjordan.net, and I'll post them on our BLESSED Journal. [Be sure to send me some pictures to post with your stories!]
Blessings,
Karen
Photos/Barnes family (Dad, Uncle Bill, and Tommy—SE Texas Gulf Coast )
Photos/Barnes family (Cathy, Karen, Mother, Tommy, Dad, & Leslea)
Do you have a good fishin' story? What legacy do you hope to leave for the next generation?
Blog Tour: Interview with Christian Fiction Author, Virginia Smith, about Her Newest Book
BLESSED DiaBlog welcomes Kathy Carlton Willis Communication (KCWC)!
KCWC offers an interesting interview with award-winning author, Virginia Smith. Smith's newest book, Third Time’s a Charm, concludes her Sister-to-Sister series and "promises to give readers a fun, soul-searching, comical, and relatable read" (KCWC).
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Sisters, Shopping and a Search…
Third Time's a Charm
The Satisfying Conclusion of the Sister-to-Sister Series
About the Book
(Dual Residency: UT & KY) – There’s not too much in this world that a little retail therapy can’t fix—except maybe the empty hole in your heart from lost and undiscovered love. Tori Sanderson is no exception. Facing abandonment issues with her father, Tori sets out to find the real reason he left her. Along the way she discovers even deeper truths. Add in two matchmaking sisters plus a couple of attractive men vying for Tori's attention, as well as a tempting job promotion possibility, and you’ve got one confused sister. Through it all, Tori searches for the love she’s been missing all these years.
Author Virginia Smith, presents Third Time's a Charm, the third installment of the Sister-to-Sister Series. Page-turning humor surrounding the lives of three sisters will once again engage readers, while somber self-discovery will unveil Tori's struggles, and perhaps a few of your own. In a world with more than a few dysfunctional families, this story will ring true for many.
Interview Questions
1. This book is the third and final book in your Sister-to-Sister Series. How did you feel when you completed this last book?
I felt a little sad, because I have lived with the characters for three years, and they're very real to me. I'll miss them. Plus, I wanted to leave readers with a good impression, so I was anxious for the last scene to be strong. I prayed over that last line for a long time, and when the words finally came, I got chills. They were absolutely the perfect wrap-up for the whole series. I still get tears whenever I read them.
That's a hard question to answer, because there is a piece of me in each of the Sanderson sisters. But I'd have to say I relate most closely with Tori, because she is professionally ambitious, and she struggles to balance her career and her personal life. I did that for over twenty years, so much of her conflict comes from my experiences.
3. You've been contracted to write 12 times in the last 4 years. To what do you attribute this success and how would you encourage others who are doing everything possible to get published?
Perseverance. I wrote for over twenty years before my first book, Just As I Am, was published. But I believed that the Lord gave me the desire to write, and even when my pile of rejections was growing (to an astounding 143 before my first publication!), I knew if He wanted me to write, I was going to keep writing. Even now - or maybe especially now - I trust Him for every story, every contract. Sometimes I still receive rejections, but I keep writing because He keeps giving me stories.
4. How is your relationship with your own sisters similar to Tori and her sisters? Did you pull from these sibling experiences when writing Third Time's a Charm? How?
I sure did! Actually, my sisters were the inspiration behind the whole Sister-to-Sister Series. They are the most incredible women in the world, and I wanted readers to glimpse the relationship we have. And they were excited to have starring roles in my stories. It was funny watching them try to identify themselves in the books, because I took characteristics from each of us and mixed them up to create each of the Sanderson sisters. Tori, for instance, is a career-minded person, like me. She's creative, like one of my sisters. And she's a big flirt, like the other sister. Uh… I’d better not identify who that is, or I'll start a family feud!
5. What's next for Virginia Smith?
In May of this year I have a new book coming out from Steeple Hill. Researching A Daughter’s Legacy was a lot of fun, because it is set in a zoo! It’s my first straight romance, and was something of an experiment for me to see if I liked writing the genre. I loved it, and have a few ideas germinating in my mind for future romance novels.
Then later in the year, Into the Deep will hit bookstores. That's a romantic suspense novel with a scuba diving theme. It takes place partly in
Publisher: Revell
Release: January 1, 2010
ISBN-10: 0800732340
ISBN-13: 978-0800732349
Retail: $14.99
The Inspiration Behind the Main Characters
I was watching a DVD when I first envisioned Tori Sanderson. In
That's exactly how I pictured Tori as I wrote the first two books in the Sister-to-Sister Series. But Tori is several years younger than Reese, so as I wrote the opening chapter of Third Time's a Charm, I was struggling to come up with the perfect visual image.
One evening I saw an advertisement for Samantha Who, starring Christina Applegate. I jumped out of my chair and shouted, "That’s her! That’s Tori!" So I gave my character a curly perm to match Christina’s.
I Googled the show's cast and found Barry Watson, who became my model for the handsome handyman, Ryan Adams. And Mitch Jackson is modeled after Michael Weatherly, the gorgeous but suggestively inappropriate Tony DinNozzo on NCIS.
Sounds like I’m a television junkie, doesn't it? Not really, but I do like to have a visual image for characters as I write. It helps them come alive in my mind, and hopefully in the minds of my readers, too.
Virginia Smith recently contracted her twelfth book in four years. Previous books in the Sister-to-Sister series include: Stuck in the Middle and Age before Beauty. In 2008 she was named Writer-of-the-Year at Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference. Stuck in the Middle was a finalist for American Christian Fiction Writers’ 2009 Book of the Year Award. A Taste of Murder was a finalist for the 2009 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. Ginny and husband, Ted, divide their time between
For a more indepth look into the life of Virginia Smith visit the KCWC blog.
The Grand Prize will be awarded to one fortunate person who leaves a comment at one of the blog tours participating in the KCWC Third Time's A Charm blog tour. It includes:
The complete collection of Virginia Smith books, TEN in all (listed below), with a personal behind-the-scenes commentary written by the author - especially for this tour!
Sister-to-Sister Series, including: Stuck in the Middle, Age Before Beauty, and Third Time's A Charm.
Unforgettable Mayla Strong Books: Just As I Am and Sincerely Mayla.
Classical Trio Series from Love Inspired Suspense: A Taste of Murder, Murder at Eagle
Murder By Mushroom
Bluegrass Peril
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Thank you, Kathy Carlton Willis Communication for bringing Virginia Smith's Third Time's a Charm 'blog tour to the BLESSED DiaBlog!
[A copy of this book was provided for review by KCWC]
Photos/KCWC
New Women's Bible Study at The Summit Church and online
Beginning on Wednesday (6:30-8:30 p.m), February 10, the Legacy Women at The Summit Church in North Little Rock, ArkansasThe Summit Church in North Little Rock, Arkansas, begin a 10-week study Bible study—Beth Moore’s Breaking Free (updated version): The Journey, the Stories.
"Breaking Free…by Beth Moore leads you through a study of the Scriptures to discover the transforming power of Christian freedom. Based on Isaiah 61:1-4, this in-depth Bible study draws parallels between the captive Israelites and today’s believers. Beth uses Scripture to help identify spiritual strongholds in your life, no matter how big or small. She explains that anything that hinders us from the benefits of knowing God is bondage. Breaking Free is Beth’s life message..." (lifeway.com).
The Summit Church
North
Phone: 501-758-4822
Fax: 501-758-4863
Also the Legacy WordBlog offers an online resource for additional personal Bible study, stories, and insights from our Bible study participants. I hope you’ll join us in our Legacy WordStudies—at The Summit Church, on our Legacy WordBlog online, or both.
Looking forward to studying God’s Word with you!
Karen
Do you recall a meaningful Bible study experience—personal, one-on-one, or in a group)?
Frost Bite
"Whose woods these are I think I know...
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow...
Between the woods and frozen lake...
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake...
The woods are lovely, dark and deep...
But I have promises to keep...
And miles to go before I sleep."
(Robert Frost, "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening")
Tuck's Tales: "Mr. Johnson's Thumb
"Growing up next door to Mr. Johnson was fun. He was always nice to me, even when Mama ran me out of the house for fighting with one of my brothers. He didn't have much hair, but always pulled it over the top of his head. I asked him why he did that one time, and he said that if he didn’t, his head would get sunburned. I thought a hat would have looked better, but I didn’t tell him"(Read more of "Mr. Johnson's Thumb.")
"Mr. Johnson's Thumb" reminds me of my own grandfather, who we called Daddy Buck. I wrote a story about him a while back called "Smokin' with Daddy Buck." Daddy Buck lost some fingers while working for a sawmill in Southeast Texas.
Looking back, I don't know why Daddy Buck's missing fingers frightened me so much. But I see that Tuck was scared of Mr. Johnson's thumb, too. Thanks for the memory, Tuck!
Do you have a childhood memory that comes to mind as you read Tuck's tale?
Meemee's Breakfast Casserole
Here's another recipe from Meemee, and I think you'll love it. I know our family does...just ask our cooks!
My daughter, Tara, asked Meemee for her recipe when she married a few years ago. Now, Tara often prepares this breakfast casserole when she takes a dish to a brunch. Or she serves it to her family, when she wants to make a special breakfast for them.
I like this casserole because you can make it with sausage, bacon, or ham.
Enjoy!
Meemee's Breakfast Casserole
1 can crescent rolls
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4 eggs
½ cup milk
½ tsp salt
Pepper (to taste)
1 lb cooked sausage, bacon, or ham
Preheat oven to 375*.
Spray 9 x 13 casserole dish with Pam.
Spread rolls to cover the bottom of the dish pinching edges together.
Mix eggs, milk, salt, & pepper and pour over dough.
Crumble meat on top, then...
Add cheese.
Bake 20 minutes.
Do you have a favorite breakfast or brunch recipe?
Photo/Jordan family cooks (Karen, Tara, and Jenni)
Basking in the Sunlight
As I opened the blinds in my den this morning, the sun beamed through the window into the shadows of my home. I wanted to bask in the sunlight, so I opened all the blinds.
I felt like I was letting Your Spirit into my home, although I knew You were already with me. But I felt the urge to do this as a gesture of welcoming You into my life once more.
I began to sing, "Holy Spirit, You are welcome in this place...."
Lord, You are welcome here. And I'm so grateful that You remind me to invite You into my life, and You promise to always be with me. You are ready to take my life to the next level, to heal my troubled mind and heart, and to show me You care deeply about my needs and the needs I see around me.
You know my sister's needs before I do. You are there with her, waiting for her to welcome You into her situation.
May I never forget this moment of welcoming You as I opened the blinds and felt the warmth of Your sunlight on my face. And as I observed the darkness around me dissipate with Your light.
"...that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light" (1 Peter 2:9).
