Money matters

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My oldest two boys get to stay up an hour later than the younger three, so they came into my room after the little ones were in bed and started peppering me with questions about how they could earn some extra money.

Their first idea was to hold a car wash – in our driveway! They said that they wanted to save some money so they could get stuff for themselves, but then they would also give me some money to help pay for supplies, and then they would give some money to church and a little bit to their brothers (IF they helped).

I didn’t want to squelch the idea right off the bat, so I asked some questions about how they would manage the traffic, seeing as we could only get one car in the driveway at a time. I suggested that they go to the study and write a business plan showing how much money they wanted to make and how much they would set aside for themselves, church, etc.

They came back in a little while with a couple of break-downs of how the money could be divided. The 10yo had a list that showed 50% of his profits going to church. I said, “Wow – that’s a lot! What made you decide to do that?” and he gave the sweetest answer I could ever imagine.

Please don’t take this as a pat on my own back, but I’m so proud of him for “getting it.” The boys like to be the ones to put the offering envelope in the basket at church, and I always tell them to turn it upside-down, because our giving is private – between us & God (and the church accountant, but that’s beside the point). They like to peek at the envelope where it shows the amount enclosed, though, and I don’t really mind as long as they don’t announce it; I figure it’s laying the groundwork to encourage them to tithe when they are older. So, back to the conversation …

He told me, “You know how you write that big, huge check to church every month?” Stunned, I just said, “Uh, ok,” and wondered what he was getting at. He said, “Well, I figured if I gave some of my money, then you wouldn’t have to spend so much of yours.” My heart swelled hearing him say that. I tried to explain that Dad and I give because we get paychecks from our jobs, but if he wants to give some, too, then that would be great.

It tickles me to pieces to see that they are thinking about giving as well as making money. We haven’t narrowed down their extra “job” yet, but I have a couple of other ideas brewing … like picking weeds or raking leaves.

Know of any good “job” ideas for a 9-10yo?

Worldview

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I have received some feedback on my post from a few days ago about writing a romance novel. A literary agent who I follow on Twitter and the blogosphere offered some keen insight on her blog concerning what it means to have a Christian worldview as an author.

To me, the point is not that everything in the book must be on the up and up. Quite the contrary, literary characters – like the rest of us – are sinful human beings. I believe that there can be inner turmoil, conflict, bad decisions and even immoral behavior in a novel and yet, when the final page is turned, the book can have redeeming value in the midst of it all.

That said, I don’t believe that a novel necessarily needs gratuitous violence and raunchy sex to appeal to its readers, either. What I’m getting at is that even if a lead character makes less-than-admirable choices in the novel, can’t there be moral value to the tale?

Consider “classic” works of literature like The Scarlet Letter, The Picture of Dorian Gray and countless others. Deception, adultery and murder are important plot points in many great works of literature. Even the Bible is replete with tales of moral misdeeds and sexual misconduct, but the underlying theme is redemption. The reader can learn from others’ mistakes.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5 …

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Anytime I’m with all five of the boys, I find myself counting under my breath periodically as I try to keep an eye on everyone. It can be a little nerve-wracking at times, especially in crowded places.

My mom came with us to the zoo on Sunday afternoon, and it was more crowded than usual, because they have a pair of baby jaguars. She overheard me counting, “1, 2, 3, 4, 5 …” as we were heading from one exhibit to another. She made a great suggestion, which I implemented immediately. Instead of me counting to five, just assign each boy their number in birth order. Then, when I say, “Count off!” they recite back their number so that everyone is accounted for.

It worked pretty well, except that J was in a sour mood and mumbled his number, and Ri couldn’t seem to remember his number. It’ll take practice, but I think it’ll work.

About the Author

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Since elementary school, I have wanted to be a published author. I still have my earliest “published” books that we made with construction paper and yarn. The “About the Author” page on one of the ones from fifth grade mentioned that I had been an author for two years.

I do have several magazines and newspapers with my byline, but my dream is to write a book. I have written some stories here and there for children, and I would love to get those published, but part of my problem is that I haven’t found a niche with my writing.

Just because I’ve written children’s stories, does that mean I can’t write nonfiction? I’m a technical writer by day, but does that mean I can’t write a romance novel? I worked as a beat reporter covering agriculture, police and city hall, but does that mean I can’t write a crime thriller?

Do you have to pigeon-hole yourself into one genre as a writer in order to be successful?

The vast majority of authors also have day jobs. Very few write as their sole means of income. That said, here is the crux of my concern: If I write a romance novel (which happens to be the story I’m working on, at present — I’m at a little over 11,500 words … not quite 25% finished), would it be advisable to use a pseudonym? Would it pose a threat to me, professionally, to be a romance author also? What would my colleagues think? What would my boss think?

The bigger question is: Why do I care what anyone thinks? Is writing a book with a *gasp* sex scene or two any worse than writing a book about crime with blood & gore? I’ve always been told that I care too much what other people think of me, but it would be a shame if achieving the one thing I’ve wanted since grade school actually damaged my career because I wrote about something sassy.

Not to mention, if I ever do get published, I want to participate in book signings and all the fun publicity that goes along with being an author. If I write under a pseudonym, I don’t think they’d let me into Barnes & Noble with a mask to disguise my identity.

So, perhaps I should just crawl out from under my rock and own up to the fact that yes, I’m writing a romance novel. And when I’m finished, I may start on the crime thriller that has been tapping at the back of my mind for several years. And sometime between now and then, I think I will resubmit my children’s story. And on Monday, I’ll go back to work and hone my technical writing with some new grant proposals. So there.

I heart my job

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I have worked for some great bosses (and one really horrible one), but I genuinely love my current job. My boss is terrific, and the group dynamic in my office suite (four of us in very close quarters!) is an amazing balance of diverse personalities and a big dose of humor. People from other units within our department — and other departments, entirely! — have said on multiple occasions that they wished they worked in our office. As the supervisor, that thrills me to pieces.

There are days when my job is pretty stressful (grantseeking has taken a nose-dive in the current economy) but the success stories make it worthwhile. Really, though, it’s not just the successful grants that we’ve written that make the job great, but it’s the process, the people and the purpose for which we write.

I talked with some colleagues from another Big 12 university at a conference in Kansas City, MO, earlier this week, and they mentioned a job vacancy that they’ve been trying to fill in their office. I just had such a feeling of appreciation when I listened to them, because not only do I have a job, but it’s one that I look forward to doing.

Do I do my job perfectly? Hardly. Do I have much to learn? Certainly.

I am grateful, and the encouragement that I receive almost daily from my boss and co-workers makes me want to do an even better job. Sic ’em!

200 words for 200th blog post

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In June 2008, this blog began as an assignment for a graduate course in communication law. We were tasked with finding and reviewing news articles and op/ed pieces pertaining to class discussion topics.

Two hundred entries later, it has become my semi-public journal – a soapbox for my rants, reviews and random thoughts. This blog has been my outlet to think aloud, grieve, share, preach, vent and inquire about the twists and turns of life.

And what a roller coaster we have ridden together, readers! You have walked alongside me through the darkest hours – and days, weeks … months – of my life and also celebrated with me during times of great joy.

Writing to you … for you … has blessed me more than you may ever know. I used to keep a paper journal, but there is something so special about writing for an audience (however small, lol!) that gives me, the writer, a sense of affirmation that what I write is really worth reading; therefore, it is worth writing, in the first place.

To me, writing is a way to connect with the world, one reader at a time. Thank YOU for making the effort to journey with me.

Storybook Day

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StorydayTomorrow is Storybook Day at school where the kids can dress up as their favorite character, and my 10yo wants to go as Harry Potter. Easy enough, said I. We found one of Dad’s white dress shirts in his closet and a wrapped Asian-style jacket that passes muster for “dress robes.” All we needed was a necktie with stripes, and we’d be good to go!

D’oh – I didn’t remember how to tie a necktie! I’ve done it several years ago but must have purged the details from my brain somewhere between having children and grad school. So, I googled it and found a step-by-step video. I could swear that I followed the instructions to a tee and even had the tie on myself, but to no avail.

Thankfully, my awesome stepdad came to the rescue, not only providing a great tie that we could borrow but he also pre-tied it and kept it loose for easy transfer! Kudos to Granddad!

I’ll try to remember to take a picture of handsome lil’ Harry Potter in the morning before he catches the bus.

—

Update March 5:

Ta-da! There’s our finished dress-up project. I think he turned out quite dashing! Little brothers No. 2 & No. 3 decided this morning that they, too, wanted to dress up for Storybook Day, so we improvised on the fly and came up with Mr. Brown (from Dr. Seuss) and the cartoon boy from Diary of a Wimpy Kid. “Mr. Brown” borrowed one of Dad’s brown Army t-shirts and wore a pair of brown pants. The “Wimpy Kid” wore a plain white shirt and dark pants … he’ll have to explain that one, b/c it’s hard to double as a cartoon drawing! At any rate, they had fun.

Some people think I’m crazy

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I’ve decided to apply to graduate school to pursue my doctorate degree. It wasn’t something I decided to do on a whim; rather, I’ve been considering it for quite some time. At first, I only told a few people, but now that the application is well underway, I figured there was no sense keeping it a secret. Most of the response has been encouraging, if not astonished. Some have questioned my sanity, taking on such an endeavor at this stage of my life.

I suppose it does sound a little crazy, taking into account everything that is on my plate these days. Honestly, though, I thrive on having something productive to do with my mind. It’s why I write. I got out of the tv habit a few years ago, and while I still enjoy some shows, I catch up on most things after-the-fact on Netflix nowadays.

Some people think I’m out of my mind for going back to school while Lane is away and I have solo responsibility for the boys, but Lane was also deployed &/or on active duty – living hours away in another city on weekdays – during many months of my master’s degree work. Studying is my equivalent of tv time, I guess you could say. Yes, I’m a geek, but I truly do enjoy learning. I like having something that I need to focus on in the evenings; it keeps me from fretting and letting my imagination wander into what-ifs that I don’t need to be imagining.

Besides all that, I’m excited about what possibilities lie ahead once I finish my doctorate. I’m not necessarily thinking of a career shift, but I could teach, if I wanted to, or be eligible for advancement into other administrative/executive positions at the university.

It’s never going to be easier, quite frankly. If I wait until the kids are older, then they won’t be going to bed at 8 or 9pm, and my evenings won’t be as quiet as they are now (it seems funny to say that my evenings are quiet … it’s really just a few hours between their bedtime and my own, but it is still a much-appreciated time of solitude!).

Anyway, I don’t think I’m crazy. I think I’m ambitious, sure, but I also think that I know my limits, and there’s no rush to finish the degree at break-neck speed. If I can only handle one class at a time, so be it. I’ll gladly take the tortoise’s route instead of the hare’s. The end justifies the means, does it not?

Leaving on a jet plane

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Lane just called from the plane; they are sitting on the tarmac, waiting for the flight crew to finish rearranging seats to adjust the weight of the plane before they leave. I know they do that for the little puddle-jumpers that fly out of Waco, but a big plane? He did say that they have a LOT of checked baggage. I’ve seen his Army duffel bag when it is packed full, and that sucker is Heavy with a capital H.

So, here we go. I thought I was ready for this, but now that it’s happening, it’s harder than I originally thought it would be.

On a lighthearted note, he said they have a layover in Ireland. I’m so jealous! Granted, they probably won’t actually leave the airport, but still. Ireland is definitely in my Top 5 Places to See Before I Die list. I told him to drink some Irish whiskey for me, and he grumbled about not being able to drink in uniform. Poor baby.

On questioning the Church

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A friend surprised me this evening with some very negative comments about someone I have heretofore had only high regard for, namely, Rob Bell. I’ve seen several of his “NOOMA” videos and found them to be inspirational, moving, grounded and theologically sound. Granted, I have not read his books, but I intend to very soon. In fact, I may see if the electronic version is available for my nook before I shut down tonight.

I did read an excerpt of one of Bell’s books (I think it was “Velvet Elvis”) in the context of a critique, and the critic berated Bell for raising the question of “what if” we learned that the virgin birth never happened? It sounds like a ludicrous question and is certainly the sort to invite prompt and harsh backlash, but from what I can tell (and again, this is without having read all of the book), I think Bell was trying to get the reader to dig down to the core of their faith and find out if the God they know and trust is enough, period. If you were told that everything you were raised to believe was wrong, would God still be enough for you? Would your faith survive such a test? Sure, it’s a crazy question, but Bell isn’t saying that he disbelieves the virgin birth (quite the contrary, if you read the narrative theology statement of Mars Hill church, where he pastors); he’s trying to make the reader think about concepts that they’ve always taken for granted. The book was published by Zondervan, for goodness’ sake.

Perhaps it is his closely-shaved head and funky glasses that makes people uncomfortable with this young, hip pastor/author. *Gasp – I wear jeans to church, and I’m a woman … maybe I’m a heretic, too! He reminds me of David Crowder, who is passionate about missions and doesn’t seem to give a rip what anyone thinks. On a side note, I imagine that C.S. Lewis took heat for writing fantasy back in the day … He dared to share gospel concepts through fiction, but I digress.

Truth isn’t something to be afraid of. One of the reasons why I believe Baylor has been so successful, to date – and is poised to become even more so – at being both a high-activity research university and firmly committed to its Christian roots is because Truth is not the enemy. In fact, I think that questions can strengthen our faith, in the long run. Asking questions ultimately leads people to seek God, and God is Truth.

I once had a dumb question (ok, not just once, but I’ll only tell you the one story here). Since we’re on the subject, I remember grappling with the question of the virgin birth back in high school. I even asked my mom if it were possible for there to be another immaculate conception. I vividly recall the horrified look on her face … I think she wondered if I was talking in code to tell her that I was pregnant! (She does read my blog, so I hope she doesn’t disown me for sharing this story.)

Of course, I was most certainly NOT pregnant; I was just trying to come to terms with what seemed to be a very far-fetched and difficult to understand topic. Did I believe then that Jesus was born of a virgin? Yes. Do I still believe it? Yes. Was I a heretic to ask questions? I sure hope not. My God is big enough to handle even my craziest questions.