Impeach the President?

This YouTube video was sent to me by my sister. I wanted to share it. Thanks, Sis!

Return of the FreewayBlogger ver 2.0



Hmmm, very interesting. How effective are we as a society in voicing our concerns? Is the Freeway Blogger on to something? I'll be posting a survey in the next few days to gauge your thoughts on the President and the job he is doing, or feel free to post your comments now.

Life Lessons

I received the following through email and loved it so much I wanted to share it with everyone! I relate to so many of these, but right now number 18 is pulling at me in a very strong way. What one speaks to you?

Imagine how much further ahead of the game of life we would be if we had thought of these when we were 25!

These are good. Just passing them on. . .

By Regina Brett The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio

To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It's the most-requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolls over to 50 this week, so here's an update:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.
17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.
18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now.
Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In five years, will this matter?"
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
36. Growing old beats the alternative - dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.
38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
42. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful,
or joyful.
43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
45. The best is yet to come.
46. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up, and show up.
47. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
48. If you don't ask, you don't get.
49. Yield.
50. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

Review of John Grisham’s Bleachers

This is not a typical John Grisham book, nor in my opinion, as good, although enjoyable enough and readable. Bleachers is not a story about a lawyer, a law firm, or a scandalous crime, characteristic of many books by John Grisham. Rather, it is the story of high school football as told by a few former players as they reminisce their days of glory. Centered in a small town dedicated to the sport, Bleachers explores the relationship between the overvalued former team players and their revered coach.

What doesn't work? For one, nothing really happens. We have former teammates coming together at the bleachers of the high school field while their past coach lay dying. Now that in itself shouldn't make it a lesser book*, but with less action there needs to be more character development. And in Bleachers, character development is lacking.

If you want a quick, easy-to-read, book that can easily be put down and picked back up later, this works. If you are looking for something more meaningful or suspenseful, then I recommend looking elsewhere.

*One of my favorite books is Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life's Greatest Lesson by Mitch Albom and not a lot happens in it either

Split Book & Candle Giveaway - Ends Soon!

Don't forget - Humble Fiction Cafe' is giving away a copy of Split, our anthology of short stories and poems reflecting dichotomies, and a 3X4 Cappuccino Brulee' pillar candle custom-designed by Studio 3B. What a delight to curl up and read a good book of short stories, while enjoying the delicious smell of Cappuccino Brulee'!

If you haven't already entered, you still have time. It's so easy. Just visit Humble Fiction Cafe' before midnight, June 20, and add your comment to the blog post. Or, send an email to humblefc@gmail.com with "Split Giveaway" in the subject line.

GOOD LUCK!

An Interesting Sermon

My husband and I normally attend Woodforest Presbyterian Church, but on a recent Sunday, we visited Christ the King Episcopal Church instead. The sermon that Sunday was on The Parable of the Talents, found in Matthew 25:14-30.

This is the story of the master who went away, giving five, two, and one talent each respectively to three servants. The servant receiving five talents doubled his money, as did the servant receiving two talents. But the servant who had received one talent was scared and didn't want to take a risk, so he buried the money and returned it – but no more – upon his master's return. Click here to read the actual bible verses to this parable.

What made this particular sermon unique however, is the activity the Reverend used in conjunction with the sermon. They actually passed out baskets of five-dollar bills and asked parishioners to take one. The parishioners were told to take their bill and use it to earn more money that they would return at a predetermined future date.

The Reverend gave examples of how the Parishioners might use their money to make more money… purchase supplies to make a craft that could be sold, a lemonade stand (for the kids), or a family could combine their bills to do something bigger. She challenged everyone to think about it.

This was a distinctive and memorable sermon. I hope that when the date comes for the Parishioners to return the money, Christ the King Episcopal Church finds they have many good and faithful servants indeed!

I'm curious, what would you do with your five-dollar bill?

The Best Time to Relax

"The best time to relax is when you don't have the time."

The best time to relax is when you don't have the time. I don't know about you, but I don't have the time - most of the time.

Everyone seems to be very busy these days. We feel tugged between work, maintaining a home, shopping, cooking, errands, the kids' activities, and various other responsibilities and commitments. Truthfully, who has time left to relax? On my busiest and most scheduled days, I run through life at full throttle, so fast and furious I find I even talk faster than usual. What about you?

The best time to relax is when you don't have the time. I got this quote from a church marquee. It's truly a quote worth contemplating since it's through relaxation and rest that we refresh the soul and rejuvenate the spirit – a recharge that is critically needed in our most demanding and hectic moments. Nothing or no one continues at peak performance and indefinitely without stopping on occasion. Even God took time to rest (Genesis 2:2).

The best time to relax is when you don't have the time. I hope you will join me in trying hard to slow down and take that needed downtime. While this won't be easy because of all the real and perceived demands of our time, it's certainly an effort worth waging. What ideas or suggestions do you have for finding the time to relax?

"Split" Book & Candle Giveaway

Humble Fiction Cafe is running its first ever book and candle giveaway, and you could win a signed copy of Split, our anthology of short stories and poems reflecting dichotomies! And if that weren't enough, we are throwing in a 3X4 Cappuccino Brulee' pillar candle custom-designed by Studio 3B.

Details to enter can be found at www.humblefictioncafe.blogspot.com. The contest deadline is midnight, June 20, so be sure to visit soon.

Following are a few links with excerpts from Split.

Hell's Kitchen, by Dorlana Vann
Enrico's Only Hope, by Sheryl Tuttle

Goodreads

If you are like me, you like to read. But you're busy, and nothing is more frustrating than wasting time reading a not-so-good book. It's a rarity when I put a book down as unreadable, but there have been many books I've finished that I've wished I had. Or better still, I wished I hadn't even bothered starting. And so now I'm a member of Goodreads.

At Goodreads, reader reviews are available for books that you place in one of three default bookshelves… "read," "currently-reading," or " to-read." It is customizable in that you can add or modify your bookshelves, but these are the defaults and they have suited me well.

Any time I hear of a good book, or I read a good review from a friend, I can immediately place the book in my "to-read" bookshelf, which is a great feature. Later, when I am ready to make a new book purchase, or even if someone asks for my book preferences, I have a complete list of books that I know I want to read.

"Currently-reading" is where I put books that I am reading, but haven't yet finished. From there, once the book is finished, it is very easy to move it over to the "read" bookshelf and add a review. I have found the reviews on each book to be so helpful in determining whether I want to read a book, so I always make sure to add my review to the books I finish.

Another thing to like about Goodreads is the friends network. Friends are people that you know that can see your reviews, what you've read and are reading, etc. Even better, Goodreads lets you set automatic email updates when your friends have added books or reviews. What better way is there to hear about a book and then be able to add it to your "to-read" list? Word-of-mouth from someone you know and trust is the best!

Anyway, that's why I'm a member of Goodreads. I hope you also have an opportunity to check it out! And if you have read Split by the Humble Fiction Café, please don't forget to add your review.