Karen Jordan BLESSED

StoryWriting Studio: Writing Dreams

karenejordan@sbcglobal.net (Karen Jordan) — 2012-02-23T06:29:10Z

For the first few posts of our new The StoryWriting Studio, we will be sharing some of our writing journeys with you. Today, I wrote about one of my firsts in "Dream Your Dreams."

My journey begins. My journey to publication started back in the early 1980s, were attending seminary. When my friend, Coralie, told me about a writing for publication workshop that she planned to attend, I found myself envious of the opportunity that had been given her. Since we were living at or below the poverty level with our husbands as seminary students, the only way either of us could have an opportunity like that was for it be a gift or scholarship.

Friend's encouragement needed. Coralie had heard about the writers' workshop, applied for a scholarship, and received notice of her acceptance, before I knew anything about the workshop. So, when she told me about it, I knew I couldn't possibly attend. When she realized my interest, she promised to tell me all about it and give me copies of anything of interest to me. So, after her conference, my interest began to grow, as Coralie walked me through each session of the workshop.

New Blog: StoryWriting Studio

karenejordan@sbcglobal.net (Karen Jordan) — 2012-02-22T06:00:00Z

A threefold cord is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4:12

Check out a new blog that I started with my friends,

AnitaAgers Brooks

and

Kathyrn Graves.

Are you an aspiring or experienced storywriter? Watch for more posts and info coming soon.

2012 Karen Jordan

Arkansas author Carla Killough McClafferty featured on C-SPAN 2 Book TV

karenejordan@sbcglobal.net (Karen Jordan) — 2012-02-21T06:00:00Z

Arkansas author Carla Killough McClafferty has been invited by C-SPAN 2 Book TV to do a presentation that will appear on their network.

A traveling C-SPAN 2 Book TV crew is coming to Little Rock, which is one of six southern cities they will feature on their 2012 television season. C-SPAN 2 Book TV will film segments about history and literary life in the area. In each of these six cities, Book TV features one author at their kick-off event. For the Little Rock event, McClafferty will be their featured author.

C-SPAN producers, assisted by Comcast Cable, will videotape McClafferty as she gives a presentation about her book The Many Faces of George Washington: Remaking a Presidential Icon to a guest audience. The public is welcome and encouraged to attend.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for McClafferty. The event takes place on March 5, and McClafferty’s presentation begins 6 p.m. It will be held at the Darragh Center at the Main Branch of the Central Arkansas Library System located at 100 Rock St., Little Rock, Arkansas, 72201.

McClafferty’s presentation will air on C-SPAN 2 Book TV during “Little Rock Weekend” which will run from March 31- April 1. After it airs on the network, the presentation will be archived indefinitely on their website.

For more information about Carla Killough McClafferty, an award-winning author of nonfiction books and popular speaker, visit her website: www.carlamcclafferty.com.

Photos/CarlaKilloughMcClafferty

Congratulations, Carla!

2012 Karen Jordan

Janis Kearney, former diarist to President Clinton, featured at HSV Writers’ Workshop

karenejordan@sbcglobal.net (Karen Jordan) — 2012-02-20T06:00:00Z

Janis F. Kearney, publisher, author, educator and literacy advocate, will present "Preparing, Pitching, Publishing & Promoting: How to Take Your Manuscript from A to Z" at the Hot Springs Village Writers’ Club Workshop on Saturday, March 17 (9 a.m.-3 p.m.), at the Coronado Community Center in Hot Springs Village,Arkansas.

Kearney, born one of 19 children to sharecroppers in the Arkansas Delta, served as Personal Diarist to President Clinton and as White House liaison to the U.S. National Archive’s presidential records office, helping collect and maintain Presidential records for future presidential library.

Kearney founded a publishing company and received numerous awards. She has also written severalbooks, including her award-winning first book, Cotton Field of Dreams: A Memoir; an autobiography, Quiet Guys Do Great Things, Too (as told by Frank Ross); and Conversations: William Jefferson Clinton…from Hope to Harlem, an oral biography centered around President Clinton’s presidency and legacy. Her most recent books include, Once Upon a Time There was a Girl: a Murder at Mobile Bay and Something to Write Home About: Memories from a Presidential Diarist.

Kearney’s interactive and information-packed workshop on March 17, sponsored by the Village Writers’ Club, will offer hands-on advice for writers about writers’ markets, queries, agents, publishers, marketing, alternative publishing venues, and more.

Pre-registration for the Village Writers’ Workshop with Janis Kearney is $35 (workshop only), plus $10 for lunch (optional). If space permits, registrations will be accepted at the door for $40, but lunch reservations cannot be guaranteed for late registrants. Registration for the workshop begins at 8:30 a.m., with the first session beginning at 9 a.m.

Pre-registration deadline is Monday, March 5.

Photo/JanisKearney

2012 Karen Jordan

LISTENING: WHEN GOD IS SILENT

karenejordan@sbcglobal.net (Karen Jordan) — 2012-02-17T12:00:00Z

A special thanks to Tara Johnson for sharing her story with BLESSED!

When God is Silent

by Tara Johnson

What do you do when your entire world crumbles around you? When all of your hopes and dreams lie in rubble and ashes at your feet?

When I miscarried my two children, I cried out to God "Why? I don't understand. What did I do wrong?"

Of course, no thundering voice interrupted my pleas. No wind blew. Where was God?

The pain squeezing around my heart made it hard to breathe. And no matter where I turned, the devastation confronted me; refusing to let me rest, refusing to let me forget.

But as I quieted the questions plaguing my heart, He began to whisper to me. "I'm here. You are my princess. I love you. I love those sweet babies. I'm looking at them right now...and they are happy. Just rest. Let me hold you for awhile..."

There is a blessed peace that comes with surrender. With learning that its okay not to have the answers. Just because God is silent doesn't mean that He has disappeared. He is there...waiting. Waiting for you to crawl up in His lap and let Him love on you.

As anyone who has gone through a tragedy knows, sometimes words make it worse. Well meaning phrases meant to comfort only bring hollow promises and more pain. It's simply not enough to say 'it will be okay' when everything going on around you tells you it won't be okay anymore. Not this time.

The best comfort I received were from friends who gave me a hug and said "I love you". No platitudes. No resounding words of wisdom. Just love.

In some ways, I think this is what God does. He doesn't fill our spirits with empty, meaningless clichés. He lets us cry, lets us mourn and wraps His arms around us when it gets to be too much.

The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rock before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper" (I Kings 19:11-12).

Sometimes, when God is silent, it is simply because He is listening.

Tara Johnson is a singer, author, speaker and roster artist with Incubator Creative Group. She has been published in Plain Truth Ministries Magazine as well as a featured guest on Voice of Truth radio, Enduring Word radio and is a member of ACFW.

Her ministry revolves around helping those battling depression, grief and people pleasing. Go to www.TaraJohnsonMinistries.com to learn more!

Photo1/KarenJordan

Photo2/TaraJohnson

Have you ever experienced a time when you felt that God was silent?

2012 Karen Jordan

DEPRESSED? LAUGHTER HEALS YOUR SOUL

karenejordan@sbcglobal.net (Karen Jordan) — 2012-02-16T12:00:00Z

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength. (Proverbs 17:22 NLT).

I laughed until I cried, as I listened to Chonda Pierce talk about depression. Not that the topic of depression is funny, but I think she deals with the subject in an honest and very helpful manner.

If you are clinically depressed, and then ... you make a living as a stand-up comedian, that'll pretty much throw a kink in your job. You guys really wouldn't have bought a ticket to see me stand here and cry for two hours. I don't know, maybe you would--this is kind of a sick crowd here today.

Learning to laugh at my weaknesses brings healing to my soul, too. For instance, I'm just now able to laugh about my some of my own emotional limitations--like the many times I locked myself in the bathroom for a good cry, when my kids were younger. Or the time my husband found me on the floor, in a fetal position, crying because I had made a "B" in a conversational Spanish class. And I was almost 50 years old at the time!

Seriously, who cries over a "B" in Spanish? Uh, ME!

And who locks themselves in a bathroom and cries over spilt milk? Uh, ME!

And who goes into a tizzy, after they realized that they've made another impulsive commitment that they can't keep? Uh, ME!

So, you see why I love to hear Chonda Pierce make jokes about her battle with depression. Maybe we all need to not take ourselves so seriously and start trying to find the humor in the mirror. [What else can you do with the wrinkles, gray hair, and the extra pounds?]

Anyway, laughter works for me! And sometimes it comes in handy. Like when one of my writer friends calls, upset over a rejection letter. Or when my daughter Tara, who has FIVE kids, calls me from her closet, crying. [And if you want a GOOD laugh, you should read her Facebook posts! Hilarious!]

So, the next time you're temped to make another impulsive decision, just stop first and try to see the humor in the situation. It could save you a lot of grief, time, or even money!

Keep laughing!

YouTube/nattysdaddy1 (Chonda Pierce on Depression)

Have you ever laughed at yourself?

2012 Karen Jordan