The Ameri Brit Mom

Five Minute Friday: Expect

This week the topic for the Five Minute Friday link-up post is Expect. What is a link-up? Essentially a link-up is when you join other bloggers and write on a similar topic. You share your blog posts with one another and begin conversations via a host site. You can head over to Kate Motaung’s page to check out other entries from inspired bloggers. Here’s my five minutes of uninterrupted, unedited writing on this week’s topic:

its-a-girl-600x600

All that lies between myself and summer vacation is three days. Next Wednesday the students will leave my classroom for the final time. When I think about that moment I’m overcome because it has been a great year, but I am also excited for all that the summer holds for my family.

I’m expecting a long, fun summer full of family activities, travel, and lots of reading.

I’m expecting joy.

I’m expecting rest.

I’m expecting love.

I’m looking forward to a mini-trip to Chicago in nineteen days. Long car rides, sight seeing, and trying new foods are always full of wonderful memories. I expect that trip to be full of them.

I’m excited about spending a month in the summer back at my husband’s home in England. It’s always nice to get away and catch up with our family across the sea.

I’m also ecstatic about not having to grade essays, projects, or late work for a whole three months!

Here’s to summer 2016.

The Ameri Brit Mom

Brothers on the Field

The following is an article that I wrote for the Covenant Life Magazine May 2016 issue. This is a publication put out by Covenant Church quarterly. Some of you have been asking to see the article so here it is:

Fifteen minutes south of Grove City in the small town of Ashville, God is moving in big ways through athletes at Teays Valley High School. Neal Davis, a senior captain of the football team and member of Covenant Church, has made a big impact on the life change taking place on that campus. Neal began to cultivate a relationship with Christ his freshman year of high school and soon became a leader in his school’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Neal used that platform along with his enthusiasm to spread God’s Word in order to reach his team.

“I was invited by my FCA Advisors and David to attend Covenant and I was looking for an uptempo and more modern church. Everyone shared my excitement for God and I felt like I belonged.” Neal recounted about his initial experiences at the church.

As a leader for FCA, Neal was in a position to impact others and lead them to Christ. Through his involvement in teams and FCA he met Walker Moore. Walker, a younger football player, looked up to Neal as a team captain. Before long Walker began to notice that there was something different about Neal. He wasn’t like many of the other athletes. Although passionate about his sport, Neal still displayed his faith on the football field. He was encouraging and applied the principles of his faith to playing the game.

Walker began to spend more time with Neal and soon came to faith as well. Shortly after Walker accepted Christ, Neal invited Walker to Covenant Church. Through their friendship they have been able to reach and impact other members of their team as well. Both Neal and Walker have felt called to roles of leadership amongst their peers and are known for their character throughout the high school. They both have a large influence and credit God for their successes in academics, sports, and beyond.

However, it wasn’t always that easy to bring his friends to church. Over the next two years Neal continually invited other members of his team to attend church with him often without success. But one week after many attempts he was able to convince the team co-captain and quarterback, Drew Pennington, to join him on a Sunday morning.

“Neal asked me to go with him several times, eventually I decided to check out the church and I loved it. Now I attend Covenant nearly every Sunday.” Pennington recounted about his decision to call Covenant Church his home. Prior to attending the church Pennington had not accepted Christ. He had always known that God was making a big impact in the lives of his friends and he soon would experience those changes himself once he accepted the invitation.

It is through the prayer and persistence of one high school student that God brought several members of a team to know him. Neal’s journey of faith and his courage to reach out to others around him started a chain reaction on his team.

“Faith, Family, Football…” Neal’s mantra is a perfect example of how God has shaken up the lives and priorities of these three high school athletes. In a day and age where kids and families can be so centered on what they do these boys are choosing to place their focus on who they are in Christ. They are all three extremely talented athletes and two of them will be competing beyond the high school platform, but they have learned that if God isn’t first then everything else is worthless.

This January, all three of these students decided to make an outward expression of their decisions to follow Christ and were baptized. God has started a chain reaction with this high school football team, but this story isn’t finished yet. One of the Core Five values of Covenant is that We Bring Our Friends. Their story serves as a lesson to everyone that the more we step out and invite others to church the higher the possibility that those people will accept that invitation. This is a reminder that it just takes prayer and persistence to set off a chain reaction in your sphere of influence. If you don’t give up even when a friend, family member, or co-worker says “no” God may still be using you to work on their heart.

“I have been growing in my relationship with Christ and I felt that being baptized was that next step to growing closer to Christ.” Walker Moore

“I had always wanted to [be baptized] and I knew if I did in January my friends may be more comfortable doing so too.” Neal Davis

“I decided to put all of my faith and trust in God and to follow the path he has for me.” Drew Pennington

Point of View: The Irresistible Novel

It’s time for my ninth week reporting on The Irresistible Novel by Jeff Gerke. This book is about structuring your novel and finding your voice as an author. Nothing mentioned in this book is meant to limit your writing or to be completely prescriptive, rather the information contained within its pages is to cause writers to think through their decisions. This book is making me more and more confident about my writing voice each week. I’m learning what I prefer and thinking about aspects of writing that I otherwise would not have considered.

Point of View

Point of View (POV) refers to whose eyes the reader is seeing the story through. Oftentimes writers don’t start out with any one POV in mind, but as their story develops it becomes necessary to nail down a particular perspective. There are four major categories when it comes to POV:

Omniscient– Also known as head-hopping. This is a POV that was more popular in the past than it is today. It is when the reader knows the thoughts and motivations of all the characters of the story. This POV is sometimes nick-named the God POV, because like God the readers know even the innermost thoughts of every character in a scene.
First Person-This POV is categorized by the use of pronouns I and me. A story told in the first person focuses on the thoughts, feelings, and emotions of one character per scene (and oftentimes throughout the entire novel.) This POV is best when it comes to creating an intimate connection between the reader and the character.
Second Person-Rarely is it ever acceptable to use second person POV in a novel. This POV uses pronouns like you and we and is generally reserved only for Choose-Your-Own-Adventure books, cookbooks, and blogs.
Third Person-The third person POV is used when the author focuses on the story from the perspective of one character per scene using pronouns like he,she,her, and him. With the third person POV authors may choose to focus on one character throughout the entire book or they may switch from scene-to-scene or chapter-to-chapter depending on other elements of the story. However, most third person novels focus on the narration of one character.

According to Gerke, the general rule for writing novels in the current market is that authors should focus on First or Third Person POV. Second Person is laugh-worthy in the novel field and the problem he sees with the use of Omniscient in current books is that it is outdated. Famous authors of the past used omniscient POV successfully, but it has become widely unpopular now because as Gerke puts it, “If we’re in everyone’s head equally, then no one really is our home team.” (Gerke 67)

When it comes to writing your novel a few important tips:

Know that there are exceptions to every writing rule.
Evaluate your story and the type of connection you want to provide between your characters and reader.
Choose the POV that will execute your desired results.

My Current Project…

In my first book I chose to use the Third Person POV. My story is about the relationship between a father and son and so I chose to alternate perspectives from chapter to chapter. The whole book remains consistently in the third person, but each chapter focuses on either the father or son’s viewpoint.

In my reading experiences I have seen this done successfully many times. It can be a challenge as a writer at time because you are forced to limit what is known at different points throughout the story, but it really helps to create connections when a story has two main characters that eventually cross paths or experience something thrilling in the climax.

I’ve recently begun drafting my second novel. Lately, I’ve done a lot of Young Adult reading and have been inspired to write my own version of the post-apocalyptic genre. I’ve decided to use the First Person POV to convey my story and the perspective is a teenage girl from England. I’ve really enjoyed using some of my English experiences to inspire a futuristic world of my own creation. I get why so many authors are trying their hand at dystopian and post-apocalyptic literature–it’s so much fun!

What is your favorite POV to read and why?

The Ameri Brit Mom

Five Minute Friday: Grow

This week the topic for the Five Minute Friday link-up post is Grow. What is a link-up? Essentially a link-up is when you join other bloggers and write on a similar topic. You share your blog posts with one another and begin conversations via a host site. You can head over to Kate Motaung’s page to check out other entries from inspired bloggers. Here’s my five minutes of uninterrupted, unedited writing on this week’s topic:

grow-600x600

The past few months have brought a lot of growth for my faith. I’ve been challenged and stretched, but one thing I’ve learned is that in order for growth to take place rest must accompany it. Through God’s strength I’ve been able to let go of some things that I had held closely to in order to fulfill his will for my life. I’ve also taken time to notice ways in which I’ve allowed things like housework, measuring up, and comparison become like idols in my life that have kept me from achieving optimal growth.

Recently, I was using my Thrive Moms App and reading through Isaiah 30. This entire chapter is about when God gave Israel clear instructions, but they decided to ignore his will in pursuit of their own.

Through their toil God was telling them, “In repentance and rest is your salvation; in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of that.” (Isaiah 30:15)

Like the Israelites, for so long I pushed my own agenda when I should have been listening to how God was stirring my heart. My head was telling me I had a list of things I needed to do or accomplish at the expense of the rest that God had promised. I wasn’t able to enjoy the fruits of my labor because I was so focused on things that distracted me from God.

In order to grow I needed to learn this lesson: It’s okay to rest.

When my child is in the middle of a growth spurt I know it because she rests far more than usual. Sleep is necessary for the human body to grow. Trust me, when I was growing a human in the womb I did a lot of sleeping. It is a natural and essential part of growth to rest.

We go through seasons in our lives. And we will never be able to completely avoid noise and chaos, but if we are ever going to see growth in our lives we have to understand the importance of rest and quietness. God speaks loudest in the quietness of our souls.

So carve out some time in your busy life to rest. Set aside a portion of your day to quiet yourself. Then prepare to be grown and stretched into the person that God created you to be.

The Ameri Brit Mom

Five Apps For Your Whole Health

The end of the school year is near. There is a light at the tunnel, but I’m also approaching what we refer to in the teaching world as “crunch time.” It’s time to wrap up all of the loose ends, prepare for exams, assign final projects, and grade all of those things. I always get to this point that I want to kick myself for making so many due dates in the last days. I know from experience that the next few weeks are going to be rough on me. I will be spending my entire day for the next nine days doing what it takes to walk out of my classroom by the final bell on May 25th never to return again (until August, that is.) Summer is in sight, but currently my view is blocked by all of the to-dos.

Over the past couple of months I’ve been on a bit of a health kick. The beautiful weather coupled with my passion for running have helped to fuel my workouts and eating habits. One thing that has challenged my desire to get in shape has been time. I prefer to run long distances and strength train a few times a week. Having a full time job, a family to care for, and a writing hobby has made it a little tricky to find time to do everything I want in a day. The 21st century is a faster paced lifestyle than ever before and although we are making huge progress as humanity we are oftentimes neglecting the importance of balancing our individual health.

This Sunday I sat down with my Sunday Basket and organized my week being sure to schedule my workouts into my calendar as well. They are important enough to me to warrant planning ahead. A big part of wanting to focus on my health stems from my want to be happy. If you’ve ever had a kick-butt workout you know what I mean. It may nearly kill you, but the endorphins released in the workout help to make you a happier person overall. But our happiness isn’t dependent on physical fitness. In order to live a happy and fulfilled life we have to also focus on the other two parts of our health.

I’m learning a lot about what it means to focus on my whole self when it comes to health. When it comes to health there are many facets. Health includes the mind, body, and soul. If one of those parts of your health is lacking it throws your life off balance. There is a constant struggle happening for your whole health.

It is important to keep your mind sharp and challenged. Sometimes that means reading a book, researching an interest, taking part in an intellectually stimulating conversation, or anything else that stretches you beyond what you already know and leads you to experience something new.

Your body is the part that most focus on when they think about health, because it is the easiest one to see or control. As a minimum you should spend thirty minutes a day doing something active be that running, walking, lifting, cycling, climbing, swimming, etc. We were built to have regular fitness in our lives.

Lastly, the most neglected part of your being is your soul. How often do you invest time and energy into your soul? For some, this is a more regular occurrence than others. If I haven’t taken time for myself to read something inspiring, pray, interact in a community of people with similar beliefs then I feel off balance in every other area of my life. In a busy lifestyle this is the first aspect to get neglected, but it is also one of the most important to happiness.

Living in the 21st century can be a challenge, but it also has its perks. Lately, I’ve found myself turning to some apps for help in this balancing act. Below are five apps that have helped me in my own struggles to maintain the health of the whole me.

Tk5cdz9f

Fitbit is one of my favorite apps. If you own a fitbit you know what I’m talking about. I love the daily challenges and the progress tracking the fitbit provides. Another feature I enjoy is being able to compete with friends via the app. Sometimes we all need a little extra motivation to get out and moving and fitbit helps to provide that through its goal-centered rewards and community of other users.

unnamed (3).png

Runkeeper goes beyond just tracking steps (like fitbit) and tracks my actual activity. Runkeeper is compatible with Fitbit. This is a recent download, but I’m really liking my introduction to its services. Some things that Runkeeper can do that Fitbit cannot are: track and save routes, provide personal records for activity, interval and split times, vocal prompts, if you are willing to pay a bit of cash they provide training programs specific to your goals. So far, I’ve basically used this app as an online running diary which allows me to track progress.

f9e61c52bcfe42e483e64e33c8a33e2905f17604

Sworkit is perfect for the workout enthusiast on the go. This app provides exercises for various regions of the body that require no equipment. To begin each workout you select the number of minutes you would like to workout and a target part of the body then it will go through several thirty-second exercises aimed at building strength in those areas with no weights or gym necessary. I’ve started using Sworkit after school in another teacher’s classroom before we go on runs. It kicks my butt every time and I love it.

She Reads Truth is one of my apps geared toward the health of my soul. I’ve used this app regularly for over a year. Using this app you have access to dozens of Bible Studies written by women and aimed at getting you into The Word on a daily basis. Most of the studies are free, but some cost a couple of bucks. It takes about ten minutes to complete a devotion on this site, but it is so worth the growth you will make in scripture knowledge and your outlook at as a woman.

download (7)

Thrive Moms is a brand new app. Thrive Moms has been an online community for a few years, but they have only recently crossed over into the app store. Similar to She Reads Truth, this app provides short bible studies geared toward mothers of young children. Currently, I’m reading through a study that focuses on the stress of motherhood and how to rely on God through every challenge and not take yourself so seriously. The writers of this app really understand what it’s like to be a mother and all of the beauty, chaos, and mess attached to it. This app also provides information about local mother groups, access to prayer request submissions, and retreat material for girls’ nights.

I’m nowhere near achieving the perfect balance of my mind, body, and soul, but if we are all honest none of us really are. I hope these app resources help you feel a little more on top of it like I do. Words of wisdom: Love what you do and don’t be too hard on yourself!

Let me know if there are any other apps that you find to be particularly helpful in the building up of your mind, body, and soul.

Blessings in your pursuit of a wholesome you!

The Ameri Brit Mom

24 Book Challenge: A Book By An Author I’ve Never Heard Of

The following is a book review by The Ameri Brit Mom. This is book #7 from The Ameri Brit Mom 24 Book Challenge in 2016. This post expresses the genuine opinion and experiences of The Ameri Brit Mom and is in no way endorsed by authors, publishers, or outside influences.

Title: Real Time

Author: Pnina Moed Kass

Publisher: Clarion Books

Copyright Date: 2004

956687

My husband and I have racked up quite the book collection over the years.

Rarely, do we pay full price for a book, but rather scour library sales, half-price bookstores, or teacher warehouse specials. This book I chose to read recently was from a shelf at the local library marked “Free.” With no cost attached to the book, it was worth the snatch. Until last week this book sat gathering dust on our overstuffed bookshelf. When it came time to look for a book by an author I had never heard of I went through the stacks of books in search of this one.

Pnina Moed Kass is not a household name. She is an American who resides in Israel and writes about the struggle of life in the Middle East. Her writings aren’t extremely popular because they shed light on the horrific acts taking place daily in a region so tormented by hate and war. I learned a lot from reading this book about how blessed I am to be an American, but this book left me with the desire to do something about the conflicts in the Middle East. Innocent people live in fearful conditions because of an ancient grudge between two races. This should never be.

Thomas is a sixteen year old German seeking forgiveness for the acts of his grandfather during World War II. Vera is a nineteen year old Ukranian girl leaving behind a family of lies in search of her heritage. Baruch Ben Tov runs the gardens at a Kibbutz. Plagued by his own memories of the concentration camps and the numbers imprinted in his skin he struggles everyday with fear of what others may do to him, and even worse what he is capable of himself. Sameh is a Palestinian who has been mixed up in the radical world. Fate brings these people together along with others whose stories are uniquely woven into human history.

Upon his arrival in Israel, Thomas seeks out the Kibbutz where he plans to work as a gardener. Vera plans to study botany in college when her boyfriend, Dan, is out of the army, but spends time at the Kibbutz preparing for those plans. Because of their shared interests Thomas and Vera intersect in Israel and Vera steps up to be Thomas’ guide during his visit.

Shortly after their introductions Vera and Thomas are caught up in the dangerous world of terrorism. They find themselves victims of a horrific act against humanity and struggle with making it through the event in more ways than one. Each person touched by this tragedy begins to recognize the importance of loved ones and faith in a way they never have before.

I read this book in 48 hours. I was instantly drawn into the lives of the characters and as the events unfolded I kept reading until I found out what had happened to those characters I had come to care for so deeply. Although this book is written about fictitious people it is a mirror of some of the tragic realities that plague Israel in this time. This book made me more informed and aware about the world beyond the western borders. Most of the time readers pick up books to escape their lives in pursuit of something happy or adventurous. If that is your usual motivation for reading this book may not be the best for you. However, if you choose books that appeal to your sense of travel, compassion, and knowledge Real Time is a great pick.

It is equal to living in a tragic land, To live in a tragic time. -Wallace Stevens, “Dry Loaf”

The Ameri Brit Mom

Happy Mother’s Day

I will be spending this Mother’s Day at home snuggling with my little girl. I will never complain about that although I hate that she’s been battling a fever since Saturday morning. Staying home means breaking traditions (if you know me you know that’s a big deal!) I’m sad to miss the epic family dinner where every year my grandfather stands in line at KFC for hours so Grandma doesn’t have to cook and then also picks up a delicious cake from Dairy Queen. It’s a celebration I look forward to every year. Today will be a day of Netflix and reading for us. Another great way to spend today.

I’m really excited about my new Alex and Ani “Mom” bracelet that my husband and daughter bought for me. They are a new addiction of mine. Check out my post Alex and Ani for more about the bracelets.

I am excited to give my mother her gift from my sister and I.

Happy Mother’s Day to all of the moms out there, especially to my mother for all she has done for me and also to my awesome Mother-in-Law!

The Ameri Brit Mom

Begin With Action: The Irresistible Novel

It’s unreal to me how quickly life can become unbalanced. Over the past couple of weeks I’ve focused more of my time in preparation for the quarter marathon I ran last Saturday. With excessive energy spent on running (which is time consuming) I’ve felt like I’ve allotted less time to writing. All of this has been unintentional of course, but I’m ready to get back into some of my current projects. I’ve even found a contest that I may submit to this week. With the end of the school year in view I’m bound to be busy over the next few weeks, but I’m promising myself to make time for my books and writing.

Today is my eighth week reading from The Irresistible Novel by Jeff Gerke. This has been a great journey which has inspired me to think critically about my own writing. Jeff is helping me find my passions and voice in writing as I read through each chapter. Today the focus is on action and its placement within a story.

Begin With Action

According to Jeff Gerke, “Your novel has about ten seconds to hook [the reader] and maybe two minutes to set the hook. If it doesn’t happen yet you may lose her [the reader.]” (Gerke 62)

In order for a reader to feel engaged enough to buy into your story they must be drawn in from the earliest moments of the book. Not all writers or publishers agree on how this is to be done correctly, but they do agree that your story should begin with action or something interesting. It doesn’t have to be the main action of your book found in the opening paragraphs, but you should consider passing on the information dump at the beginning of the story and instead introduce your character through a series of actions.

Some people who are opposed to mandating action in the beginning of a story root their argument in evidence from best sellers both young and old. If you pull out some of the classics like Moby Dick, Anna Karenina, A Tale of Two Cities, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and Pride and Prejudice you will find that they all share a common opening. All of these famous stories are void of action in the first several pages. They all begin with a unique voice of a protagonist informing the reader of all they need to know before jumping into the action. Those who favor the classics deem this as evidence enough to forget about the requirement of beginning with action.

Others believe that those books are classics and not contemporary for a reason. Today’s reader differs greatly from the readers of the last century due to all of the media that competes for their attention. If you can’t hook a reader in the first paragraph of your book they are likely to turn their attention elsewhere. Movies, video games, and television have truly changed the writing world whether we like to admit it or not. In order to gain a reader’ investment into our story we have to give them a reason to read from the very beginning by engaging them in action or something intriguing. If they don’t feel engaged in your story they will turn to something else that vies for their attention.

Find Your Voice…

When it comes to how you should write take a moment to consider some of your favorite books. Grab them off your shelf or look them up on Amazon. Read through the first paragraphs and see how many of your favorites begin with immediate action. Based on your results, determine what type of writing you prefer and write that way. It would be useless for you to choose to write in a way that you don’t like. We are the best writers we can be when we write according to our tastes.

My Current Project

If I’m being honest I’ve re-written my first few pages of my novel half a dozen times. My earlier drafts lacked action. At that point I didn’t know my character and so I used those pages to hash out who he was and what he wanted to accomplish. However, now that I’ve finished my story I’ve been able to tweak and change the opening to make it more appealing to the reader. I still have a lot of work to do on my manuscript, but here is a sneak peek into my first book.

He pulled the last of his change from his squalid pocket. Laying the coins on the wood slab in front of him, Kurt leaned over the bar and glanced at the tap offerings. In the mass of change heaped before him he spotted a silver coin larger than the rest. His dirt-lined fingernails picked up the large coin turning it over repeatedly in his hands. The “12 months” engraved on its face had not yet begun to wear. Remembering the newness of his coin and then recognizing his current position caused Kurt to recognize a moment of irony.

“What’ll it be?” The young bartender asked.

“Pint of the cheapest thing you got.” Kurt’s hands pushed the pile of coins toward the man behind the bar. Except for the sobriety coin which he concealed and stuffed back into his pocket.

It was noon on this mid-May day, but the bar was nearly full. Men lined the stools on either side of Kurt as they sipped away at pints of lager. The lights were dim and a flat screen television behind the bar showed coverage from a professional basketball game. It had been a while since Kurt found himself behind an old wooden bar placing a drink order. Thirteen months to be exact.

In these opening sentences there is action. Not car-chase or explosive action, but it doesn’t open with Kurt spilling his entire life story in the first chapter (which happened in my first draft! What was I thinking?) To me, beginning with action doesn’t mean that you always have to start with the major plot line, although in my story Kurt’s sobriety is a huge factor into the plot. When I think of beginning with action I tend to favor seeing a character doing something out of the ordinary for themselves which will eventually become a larger part of the story down the road.

Just curious, how many of you would keep reading my story if I did indeed choose to begin it as it appears above? Any suggestions?

The Ameri Brit Mom

Five Minute Friday: Miss

This week the topic for the Five Minute Friday link-up post is Miss. What is a link-up? Essentially a link-up is when you join other bloggers and write on a similar topic. You share your blog posts with one another and begin conversations via a host site. You can head over to Kate Motaung’s page to check out other entries from inspired bloggers. Here’s my five minutes of uninterrupted, unedited writing on this week’s topic:

Another school year is coming to a close. Today I’m embracing the blessing in my school district of a May Day which means that for the next three weeks I am out of school on Fridays. It’s only four day weeks from this point forward. Although I’m looking forward to a long summer vacation and a break from work I am realizing that there are many things that I will miss after the termination of the school year.

First of all, my classes.

This has been such a fun group to teach. For the first year I had the opportunity to teach an honors history course and that has been a blast. I’ve really enjoyed the students and our adventures through major historical moments. I will have a hard time passing them on to the tenth grade teachers because they are all so special to me.

Second of all, the seniors.

Every year it is hard to say goodbye as we release the seniors into the world of adulthood. However, I’ve cultivated a lasting mentorship with several of the seniors from this class. A lot of those relationships have been a product of advising the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. I’m really excited for all of the directions those seniors are going as they venture out on their own, but I will miss seeing them in the capacity in which I have grown accustomed to. They will be missed.

Thirdly, FCA.

A few weeks ago we made it official. My husband and I have stepped down as the advisers to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at the school. This decision was made after months of prayer and seeking wisdom from those around us. It wasn’t a decision based on feelings or a situation, but one focused solely on the direction our family is headed. As much as I’ve loved working with the group it was the most time consuming portion of school year and so in lifting this off my plate I’ve been freed to spend more time partnering with my church, traveling with my husband’s basketball ministry, writing more books, and most importantly focusing on my daughter’s interests.

So as May 25th approaches a wealth of emotions are brought to the surface. Many things about upcoming school years will be different for me. This is the last time I will teach these people in this way and advise the club I’ve worked with for the past five years. However, I’m a firm believer that when God closes one door it is so another can be opened so I cling to the promise that greater things are yet to come! It will be hard not to miss the way things are right now, but God is preparing a great future for me!

The Ameri Brit Mom

“Thinking of You In Ireland”

The following is a prompt exercise from 712 More Things to Write About by The San Francisco Writers’ Grotto. I’ve really enjoyed spring boarding ideas from prompts found in this book. Who knows? It may inspire my next book.

Thinking of You in Ireland

by Lauren Sisley

“Thinking of You in Ireland.” I can’t believe this garbage.

When we were sixteen Josie and I planned to one day embark on a European journey. Leaving behind the pressures of high school we would run off and tour the hostels with a couple of local guys. That was our dream and our secret. When all of our friends talked about college goals we would look at each other and smile. We never uttered a word to another person about how we planned to forego university to travel all over a foreign continent.

Ever since Josie went missing the summer before our senior year I’ve been receiving postcards from destinations all over Europe. Most people would view these postcards as clues to her whereabouts, but all of those detective shows we used to watch together taught me better than that. When I received the first card last fall from Prague I was quick to notice the local stamp in the top right corner. And that same stamp accompanied every card sent thereafter.

By the third or fourth postcard I realized that all of them were made by the same company out of Detroit, Traveling Connections. It’s like all of the postcards were purchased at the same time in a bundle. I called the storehouse a few times last month, but I reached an operator on my fourth attempt and she informed me that the company had fallen victim to the poor economy and shut down operations.

Part of me wants to believe that Josie is living our dream. She’s spending days on the pebble beaches being served hard liquor from men with rich accents. At times I visualize her stopping in small gift shops concealing her identity with bug-eyed sunglasses and a visor cap in search of the perfect postcard to send home to her best friend. But then I’m reminded about the local stamps and I get that feeling in my stomach that something is very wrong.

I can’t shake the thought that someone else is aware of our European plans. Either she had written about it in an uncovered diary or she somehow divulged this information to a complete stranger. I’d like to think that Josie would never have left on this journey without me. We were inseparable the summer she went missing. But the further I dig into this bottomless mystery the more I realize there was a lot more to Josie than I knew.