Tickety-Boo, This and That and Pressing On

Tickety-Boo, This and That and Pressing On



I never knew what Tickety-Boo meant until today. Tickety-boo is an old British saying meaning everything is in good order, or just fine. How many of us would like to have that kind of life, one that is in good order or just fine? I’ll probably not start saying that phrase, though, or you may think I’m Mary Poppins. 


I’ve been thinking about gifts and talents, especially regarding writing, as leading a small group puts more accountability upon me, to continue to learn and grow myself. As I teach WRITING STRATEGIES, by Rosemary Upton, I’m going through the book, The Creative Call: An Artist's Response to the Way of the Spirit Book by Janice Elsheimer, one more time, myself.


Many of you know that I’ve had a computer crash that may have been the end of most of my writings. In Jesus name I say that is not true, and today we are going to THE GEEK SQUAD, and drop the computer off. But it has got me thinking about not being faithful with the many devotionals, articles and manuscripts that the Lord gave me over the years. Many things I wrote, I realize, needed to sit and be seasoned and edited. Many were just procrastinated about, and some were sent as gifts to people, hopefully to help lesson their burdens or to show them what I went through, myself. 


But these scriptures (shown in many versions here) are some that I need to take to heart. The Lord has been SO GOOD to me. I will always give JESUS credit and praise His name. 


To whom much is given much will be required.

“Great gifts mean great responsibilities; greater gifts, greater responsibilities!” From Luke 12:48

“From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.” NASB

“And those who have been entrusted with great responsibility will be held more responsible to their master.” TPT


Thinking of these verses and also the chapter about the unfaithful servant; I’d never want to be called that. I will strive to press on, with whatever writings I can retrieve, and be faithful to whatever the Lord has called me to. It’s been cool, reliving with my group, what prompted me to write in the first place, some of my blunders, and the joy and pain of sharing the realities of life with others. I’m so proud of my group; I see greatness within them and call it forth in Jesus name.


Praying we all will have a Tickety-boo life, soon.

Recognizable; My Thoughts on Florida Christian Writer’s Conference, 2019

Do you agree it’s true that we all want to be recognized in some way or the other? That isn’t always something we want to admit, but even the old television program, Cheers’ theme was “You want to go where everybody knows your name.”

It was so cool to go to the Florida Christian Writer’s Conference and see some familiar faces there that I recognized. It is nearly like being on holy ground, the beauty of nature there at Lake Yale is so abundant. 


Once, many years back, when I was in my forties, I was at the Volusia County Fair. A woman came up to me and said she’d been a nurse on duty the day I gave birth to my daughter, Regina, at Halifax Hospital. It had been over 25 years since that wonderful event and I was shocked that she’d recognized me. Maybe because I’d only been fifteen at the time and that was unusual; I hate to say I didn’t recognize her, but that she recognized me, made me feel good. 


When I walked into Carol Kent’s class and her husband Gene, walked up to me, I recognized him immediately. I follow their ministry as Carol’s story has gripped my heart and I, too, know a mother’s sorrow when things don’t work out as we’d hoped for our children.


Although we have very different stories and situations, we share the common bond; love for our children. Although their walk has been painful, Carol is always ready to share the good news of what the Lord our God, is doing in Jason’s life. 


I believe that there is a supernatural anointing upon their lives. There is no way that Gene and Carol and Jason would have the strength, energy or the great passion that they have without it. In the old days, it might’ve been called, a “Holy Unction.” It’s a work of the Holy Spirit to do what is impossible to be done on this earth. Sometimes when there is great trauma in a family, just getting up the next day and pressing on is a miracle in itself.


I really meant it when I told Carol, I registered for the one-day commute to the conference, just to give her a real, in-person hug. It was something I really felt like I needed to do, not for her, but maybe for me. I so appreciate the fact that when all things were darkest in her life, she stepped up, pressed on and did the “next best thing.”  The Lord has been magnified and I am grateful for Carol and the many unsung heroes we meet daily, moms doing what moms do best; love their children, unconditionally. I guess I could start a fan club, but really, we know she’d point us to JESUS. 


Instead of stressing because I was unable to meet all the people I wanted to meet at the conference, I decided to just enjoy what I could. I was able to have extra time with our Word Weaver’s Volusia County group president, Tania, who rode over with me. I was honored to attend Carol’s class, Julie Lavender’s class and a portion of Bob Hostetler’s class (I learned a lot in just that short time.) Keynote speaker, Liz Curtis Higgs was as awesome and funny as I’d always known she would be. Although I wasn’t able to attend Alice Klies’s class, I learned that she sends in four submissions a month to Chicken Soup for the Soul. Wow! No wonder it took me so long to finally be accepted in one. Look for my story “THE THREE MUSKETEERS” in the LIFE LESSONS FROM THE DOG book. 


To those I just saw from afar and didn’t get to spend time with, know you are in my heart and prayers. 


FCWC next conference at Lake Yale will be in October instead of March. This conference is one of the best in the country in my opinion. I have so many good memories of my times spent there. Thanks to all who gave of their time to bless us so much. And Sarah Bulls, may a special blessing come to you for making me those two awesome appointments. I had the time of my life.

What Defines Beautiful to You?

What Defines Beautiful to You?

“So if my beauty starts to fade
Well I've been held in a thousand ways
If my hearts looks broken in
Then I've been brave enough to live”

Velveteen (lyrics by Krista Wells)

We all want to be around the beautiful people. You know who they are. The ones that just seem to glow. The ones whose words we all hang on and that have what some may call the “it factor”*. The Wise Geek describes this phrase here: “In the past the “it factor” might have been defined as someone with je ne sais quoi, or the indefinable something that makes someone special.”

 I don’t mean the movie stars that think they have all political clout and knowledge and I hate to think of how many people follow them blindly. But the people among us who are the real deal. They’ve suffered pain, lost children and loved ones, had health issues and yet they take a licking and keep on ticking as was once said of a Timex watch. They are ageless, timeless, they have a beauty that is indescribable.

Tenacity can make someone beautiful. I’ve seen people with halting steps, pain in their body, yet love and joy on their faces as they go about doing good for others. Mother Teresa and Corrie Ten Boom come to my mind as I write. Their inner beauty showed forth as they poured out their lives for others daily. A friend of mine, Patricia Keough-Wilson wrote a study on women like this and she titled it, “The Call of the Ageless God on Aging Women.” It embodies one type of the beauty I’m writing about.

I’ve seen Moms who do without or take second jobs to give special things to their kids, (Regina, I’m thinking of you; working an extra job to give Aubrey a wonderful baby shower) or perhaps to give them the necessities of life as many single moms do. I’ve seen grandparents give up their lives for their grandchildren; I’ve seen dads work a job and come home and homeschool a child as Bill did when we first homeschooled Shiloh. I see people who retire and then work comparable to a full-time job volunteering or helping with the elderly. These are beautiful things before the Lord. And me. 

Music is beautiful to me, words are beautiful to me if given from a heart of tenderness and love. The oceans and mountains of the world sing of the beauty and majesty of the God who created them. Peace, quiet, innocence, purity, so many words describe beauty and are things I want my thoughts to linger on today.

Phil. 4:4-8  "Be cheerful with joyous celebration in every season of life.  Let joy overflow, for you are united with the Anointed One!  Let gentleness be seen in every relationship, for our Lord is ever near.

Don't be pulled in different directions or worried about a thing.  Be saturated in prayer throughout each day, offering your faith-filled requests before God with overflowing gratitude.  Tell Him every detail of your life,  then God's wonderful peace that transcends human understanding, will make the answers known to you through Jesus Christ.   So keep your thoughts continually fixed on all that is authentic and real, honorable and admirable, beautiful and respectful, pure and holy, merciful and kind.  And fasten your thoughts on every glorious work of God, praising Him always." THE PASSION TRANSLATION

I want to leave you with some quotes that inspire me and are beautiful to me:

My favorite quote by Corrie is: “There is no pit so deep, that God’s love is not deeper still.”

This is what I want to be:

“I'm a little pencil in the hand of a writing God, who is sending a love letter to the world.” ― Mother Teresa

Donna Collins Tinsley

*https://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-it-factor.htm

Saturday This and That

Today as I think about the busy week ahead, I know it will be the grace of God that gets me through. Going to Word Weaver's Volusia County Group on Monday will be a highlight as the members are my heart and soul. Then amidst a lot of family things I head off to the Florida Christian Writer's Conference for a day trip on Friday. I've heard they will be moving this conference to Georgia so I need to be amongst the group I've come to love, one last time. I'm looking forward to hugging Carol Kent in person, after praying for many, many years for her family and their son, Jason. I know all the speakers and classes will be excellent and I'm so grateful for Eva Marie Everson, Mark Hancock and the whole staff for their labor of love. 

The enemy has tried to slow me down a lot with some joint pain that makes walking uncomfortable and I guess it's true, getting old isn't for sissies. I'm asking the Lord for extreme favor and healing.

So pray for me and I'll pray for you. May we go out burning with the flame of the Holy Spirit.

It’s our most poignant and maybe important day to post and pray; I once saw a picture post that said “God bless the mother who has lost a child.” We pray blessings upon those mothers, and we pray on Saturdays for those who have lost loved ones to death. Many among us have lost loved ones, mates, children and young adult children. The most unnatural thing in the world they say is burying your child. Lord, send your strong father arms of comfort to those who are grieving. And I also say, there is more than one way to lose a child, and that is why we have so many hurting mothers, praying together on this group. 

Many of my widow friends are trying to find a new “normal.” Lord, we call out to You for them.

Some families are estranged and hurting and waiting for their miracle. They pray, they long for the “happy family” scenario that is portrayed in the media. They come to realize they are powerless and only the Lord’s power can truly show what is His perfect will. We fall down and we get up, sometimes we feel like we are smacked down and no one sees us. No one sees the heart of love, no one sees the tears, but no, the Lord has them bottled in precious urns in the heavens, not one falls that He does not notice. That’s the kind of God we serve, a savior kind, who will heal in His timing. 

He will be Your strong support today, if you will give it over to Him. Sometimes just taking the next step may be the hardest thing you can do and the bravest also. Then maybe as we walk towards His will for us (and sometimes that is not easy to understand or even know,) His Holy Spirit arrives and that wind will revive us. A prayer and a song is what I offer today: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JXIEmVQi3Q