Rebekah Speaks

Yes. . .I sure did. I sent Gov. Palin a copy of my book. Though I can't imagine how much mail she gets, I sent it anyway. Why not? Other than the fact that she is a key conservative figure in today's political scene, past governor of Alaska and vice-presidential candidate, she seems "normal" enough to relate the "normal" stories found in the book. I figured she or her girls might enjoy it. Like a dork, I even sent it with a tracking number so I could trace it's journey. How corny is that, right?  I wrote her a letter and signed the book with hopes that it would end up in her hands. It did. Though the note I received back from her is standard, the signature is real. How cool is that?

The public relations department at Cedarville University recently published an on-line article about yours truly. I graduated from Cedarville back when it was a college in 1978. It's a great school with strong academics, a beautiful campus, and a sound Biblical foundation. Check it out at http://www.cedarville.edu/Offices/Public-Relations/CampusNews/2011/Extreme-Devotion.aspx

I am in the middle of a great read; The Grace Awakening by Chuck Swindol. It is so relevant with some of the present circumstances and people that are currently in my life. I recognize times in my own life (including a few instances as of late) where I am guilty of being a grace killer rather than a grace giver. In short, a grace killer is one who inflicts his personal decisions onto other people, creating a long list of does and don'ts and measuring spirituality by the level of compliance. We are not talking about black and white biblical directives. Those are non-negotiable. What we are talking about are things of conscience. For example, having grown up in legalistic churches, it was pounded into me that to go to movies, play cards, dance, drink alcohol, etc, brought great displeasure to God and were, in essence, sinful. No further discussion needed. The focus was on what not to do. I John 1:9 ("If we confess our sins He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins

Back in the day, say second grade or so, school was a fun place to be. We got to color, go to music class, make projects, have recess, and write our math problems with pencils sharpened to a dangerous, arrow-like point. At lunch time, we filed down to the multi-purpose room, a cavernous room (or so it seemed at the time) that doubled as the gym and the stage. There always seemed to be an odd combination of scrambled odors. Perhaps it was a mixture of smooshed PB&J sandwiches, those yucky green peas the cafeteria workers doled out, and the smell of sweaty children after recess. But, bells and buzzers, announcements over the PA system, and select kids proudly wearing their Safety Patrol sash and badges all made the school a mostly wonderful place to be. That was the 60's, an era that saw the girls wearing dresses and the boys collared shirts. No jeans. No t-shirts. We said the Pledge of Allegiance every morning and had a time of prayer. And, we had health exams. Notably, a den

1/1/11. What a cool date. So cool, in fact, a toddler could easily scribble it. And in ten days, it will be 1/11/11. That's even cooler. But like every other 1/1, resolutions come fast and furious. Some are frivolous, others profound, all well-intentioned. Many will be abandoned before the calendar flips to 2/1/11, an obviously not-as-cool date. But they say, whoever that proverbial "they" may be, that it takes a month to establish a habit. So chances are, if you can make it to February, there's a better than average chance that you may have won the initial battle. As the clock ticks away at this premier day, I am conflicted. Conflicted about what I want to accomplish this year. What races should I run? Should I seek an 8-5 job or keep doing whatever it is that I do now? How can I get myself in front of audiences in an effort to motivate and encourage? When should I start my next book? What should it be? And most pressing, should I commit to write again everyday a