Rejuvenate

Reminder of Vacations:
I'm going to be out of touch from Wednesday, May 13 to Tuesday, June 2nd and will start to check email and get back into the swing of things on June 3rd. I'm going to the Colorado Christian Writing Conference (CCWC) in Estes Park and then going on a road trip with my husband.

Rejuvenate:
I remember times when I couldn't afford to go on vacation or take the time. However, I would lock myself up at home and be intentional about taking some time to rejuvenate and re-center myself. I call these my mini-vacations. Every week, I try to do this one day at least. I discovered long ago if I don't, there's too much of a cost to be paid. I get frazzled, emotional, stressed, and start to make mistakes with writing, editing, relationships, job, etc.

I even take mini-vacations by having a stack of postcards by my desk of different places around the world. When I need a break from my work, I flip through the postcards and find a place to explore in my imagination for a few minutes. It also helps me to relax and get focused.

I also have learned when you do go on a real vacation, make it a real one. Don't turn it into work. If you go on vacation, go on vacation. Play. Have fun. Laugh. Relax. Don't have it so full of stuff to do that you forget to rejuvenate.

That's what I plan to do. I want to get the maximum rejuvenation I can. I want to play.

So, why don't you give it a try and go on a full-fledged vacation or a mini-vacation--even if it's for a minute or two?

When I Return:
I look forward to starting some blogs on letters to my unborn child. I also will start to write my book, January's Lasting Legacy about motherhood and expecting. I also cannot wait to share the stories I have of moving to another state after living in Colorado all my life. I'm sure I'll have some tales to share.

Take care.

Stacy Duplease

Cherished, Set Apart, and Sacred

Moms, I hope you feel cherished, set apart, and tapped into the sacred after your Mom's Day yesterday. I hope many memories were made.

I'm not a mom yet, will hopefully change that soon, but cannot help but think about the blessing and sacred nature of motherhood. In fact, I can't think of anything more sacred in a woman's life than motherhood. Biblically speaking, we can come up with several things that show this is simply not the case. However, go with me for a moment and see what I mean.

A mother is entrusted to make the baby, form the baby, carry the baby, deliver the baby, feed the baby, and care for the baby. That's before the baby ever talks. Nobody else can do these things but the mom. Hence, it's sacred. It's a blessing. It's a wonder.

The whole pregnancy thing alone boggles my mind. How do our bodies know to do that? Everything you eat, drink, breathe, do, and say are all experienced directly by the baby. What a remarkable responsibility.

What a blessing motherhood is. It is something meant to be cherished, set apart, held sacred, and remembered.

Fun

As women in today's society, I think we almost think it's a sin to have fun. If we have fun, then we're probably neglecting something. Or, if we aren't busy, we think that it's a sin because we don't think we should stop for a few minutes. How silly can we be? Neither one of these facets are true.

So, I ask you. When was the last time you had fun? Fun in the way you like and not fun in the way someone else likes? I hope you're doing some of that today. If not, plan on it sometime in the next week. After the writing conference, I plan on having two weeks of fun. (Don't worry. I won't ask when the last time you took a vacation was.)

Have fun. Enjoy life.

Happy Mother's Day

I just wanted to wish all of you a Happy Mom's Day. Blessings to you.

Happy Mom's Day Weekend!

I pray that your Mother's Day is wonderful, blessed, and full of making memories.

Mothers are special people and deserve to be spoiled rotten. Know that you're in my thoughts and prayers. All of you.

Check List for Conference

Wow. Four days and counting for the Colo. Christian Writers Conference (CCWC). Yikes! My heart begins to race in excitement and nervousness. Presenting five novels to publishers is a little--overwhelming. Will I be able to keep them straight in my mind? I've decided to bring a one-page proposal to help me with this endeavor.

I need to:
A. Finish editing Tanpres (and come up with a new name for it).
B. Re-read Cammi's Story
C. Print out my proposals
D. Print out the first 50 pages of each times three copies.
E. Work on my pitches.
F. Do some housecleaning.
G. Bathe the beagle. (Lord, help him. Anything with grooming, he despises. Claws, bath, and brushing. He prefers to be an old smelly dog.)
H. Pack for conference.
I. Get some writing and blogging done, too.
J. I'll take lots of pictures while I'm at the conference and will share them with you.
K. Call my mom and grandmother on Mom's day.
L. Drink more coffee.
M. Pray a lot about the CCWC. Not just for myself, but for fellow writers and everyone involved in the conference.

Huh. Better get to the list and Tanpres.

Shackled in Dungeon

I've shackled myself in my dungeon and won't see the light of day until next Wednesday. I kept getting too sidetracked upstairs with the sunshine, blue skies, trees, birds, flowers, and grass. Beagle is still snuggled at my feet, but the lack of windows only add to my focus. There are times you have to admit to your limitations and Spring appears to be mine. I'm having to wear a jacket since it's 20 degrees cooler, but the sacrifices we have to make for writing...

I will try to hurry and get some editing done and do a real blog. But, for now, know that I'm freezing and shackled to my chair at my computer and desk. It's self-preservation really as I try to ready myself for the Colorado Christian Writers Conference. At least Beagle is sacrificing with me, so I'm not too lonely (still a little sidetracked, but not as much).

Have a great day!

Sunshine

Here's something to make you smile:

Think of your child's feet.

I love baby, toddler, and chilren's feet. They cannot help me wonder the places that they will go in their lives.

January's Lasting Legacy

I hope to share with you soon my new novel I'm writing called, "January's Lasting Legacy." It's about three generations of a family and how the third generation is expecting a baby. Grandmother and mother of the expecting mom share their journals from when they were expecting with the soon-to-be mom.

I've been drinking a lot of tea this morning. I'm not sure if that made sense or not.

But, it brings me to ask you... Did you keep a journal when you were expecting?

Also, what words would you have written if you did?

Question on Blogs

I am still debating on doing another blog... On journaling. But, I'm also debating one on patriotism.

Would any of you read either one of them? Let me know. Drop me an email or leave a comment, please.

Thanks!

Taking Care of Self and Rest

What have you done lately to take care of yourself?

What makes you extraordinarily happy?

When was the last time you took a break to do your passion (whatever that is)?

Stop whatever you're doing and ask yourself the above three questions over and over until they stick.

REST

As of this moment, make a plan on how to take care of yourself. Make a REST Plan and to refresh (rest, stop, take it easy, take a nap, get 8 hours of sleep a night, bath, hot shower, take a retreat even if it's at home), enlighten (read a novel, read the Word, do needlepoint, crochet, knit, quilt, do ceramics, or paint), sharpen (read a non-fiction book that inspires you or teaches you something, take a class, follow your dream and make it come true), and tear down (get rid of the negative and clutter in your life--emotional and physical). Make a plan to do these things DAILY, Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, Bi-Yearly, and Yearly.

R-Refresh
E-Enlighten
S-Sharpen
T-Tear Down

Be good to yourself. You have far more to offer your family and your dreams if you REST and rest often. It's not being lazy. It's refreshing, enlightening, sharpening, and tearing down.

Dreams

I got this saying from a Hallmark card years ago and wanted to share it with you:

Each dream within your heart,
lies within reach
if you just believe in yourself.

What a thought to share with our families and to implement personally.

So, dream. Dream big. See it through. Believe not only in yourself, but have faith. Lean on God and pray a lot.

What a wonderful thing to teach children.

Prayer and Support

I hope that this blog can also be a way to help people connect and pray for one another and to support one another. Do you have any prayer requests? Let me know.

Moms, Adopted Mothers, and Wisdom

Besides your mom, what mother-like figures do you have in your life and how have they shaped your life?

Also, what's the best bit of wisdom you ever learned from your own mom and your adopted moms?

I have two mother-figures in my life: my Granny and my friend, Elizabeth. Both actually are my friends as well. I don't know where I would ever be without either one of them.

My Granny gave me my faith and that's the best gift anyone can give another. Granny is a prayer warrior and never turns her eyes from the Lord. She's loving, kind, and has has the biggest heart. She always prays for me and encourages me. Everything I am as a strong, Christian, dreaming woman is from her.

Elizabeth and I have a bond that started off with writing, but has become friendship and more like family through the years. She's taught me how to stand strong in a crisis and how to grip the hand of grace through the unknowns.

My Mom's greatest thing she's ever taught me is not to be too hard on myself. That's a very valuable for me. She has helped me give my dreams wings and is my biggest fan. What more can a daughter ask?

The world is full of the love of mothers and that bring a rare beauty. Thank God for them.

Writers

Does anyone want to form an online writing group? Let me know. I would love to start one of our own where it's all led by one another. What do you think?

Editing, Editing, Editing

My blog will be updated later today. I'm in the middle of trying to get editing done in preparation for the CCWC next Wednesday. Thanks for your patience. I hope you had a great weekend!

Thought for the day for Christians: Phil. 4:8

For others: Think on positive things.

Blessings,

Stacy Duplease

Where Would Any of Us Be Without Mom?

I don't care what type of relationship any of us had with our mothers, good or bad. We have to admit, we would not be here without our mothers. I cannot help but be swept away how blessed we are because of them. Moms offer softer and more colorful touches to the world. They bring beauty and laughter.

With Mother's Day coming up, what mothers do you have in your life and around you? Bless them. Let them know you're thinking about. It does not matter if the mom is 20 or 90, a mother is still a mother and deserves to be acknowledged on this day.

Are you a mother? Have you told your family what you want, and want to do, on your special day this year?

As I prepare to be a mom, I cannot help but take this day as something even more sacred than I ever have. Moms bring life to the world. How blessed, sacred, and holy. Moms provide for their children, teach them, and love them. What awesome responsibilities. But, what amazing gifts of blessings. Moms bring beauty and life to our world. Where would any of us be without them?

A Healthy Obsession of Preparation

Is anyone else out there like me? I've been trying to do all the right things to prepare for pregnancy. I've gone on the dreaded diet, counted calories, and Lord help me, started to exercise. But, not just exercise. I'm running. Or, trying to at any rate. That's saying a lot since my idea of running used to be to run across the street in order to avoid a collision with a car. Or, I would run to the phone before the answering machine picked it up.

My husband and I have done the diet and exercise thing together, so that makes it easier. I've dropped over twenty pounds and plan on making it a life-change. This is a major victory. Lost all that weight only to put it all back on again in a short amount of time. Oh, well. At least it's baby weight and not fat.

But, then, there were the dentist and doctor appointments, adding a prenatal vitamin, trying to save money, and trying to prepare myself mentally to be a mom.

Never mind all the articles I've read about how to increase success for reproduction.

Then, there's the articles I've read that talk about all the negative stuff that comes with having a baby when you're 35 and older. Ugh.

There's so much that comes with preconception that it's almost nerve-wracking at times. No wonder why Mom's are so stressed. There's a lot that comes with being a mom. However, what blessings come with it, too. I'm healthier than I've been in a long time and feel great because of it. I want to do anything I can to make it easier to carry the kid and deliver.

What did you do to prepare? Or, did you have time for preparation?

What wild secrets have you been told about the secret to conceiving?

Words of Wisdom

What words of wisdom do you want to share about pregnancy and motherhood?

Please share your thoughts with me.

MSBS Vol. 4

Books

What are the best books out there that talk about motherhood, parenting, and pregnancy? What resources would you recommend?

Email me or post a comment about this, please.

MSBS Vol. 3