Let me know what you think of these thoughts and please feel free to share yours as well.

My daughter Lindsay wore a pretty camisole under her sundress for a cute look.

When I began working at a small college as the Circulation Desk supervisor of the campus library in August 2000, my responsibilities included monitoring 14 students who worked in the library. This meant not only supervising their work activity, but their appearance, as the library staff considered the Circulation Desk to be the basis of a visitor’s first impression of the library itself.

My training to the students involved informing them of the library’s dress code and training them how to use the computers and answer general questions. For the first few years the first part included little more than my relaying to those of both sexes that they were not to wear wrinkled, faded, torn clothing and their hair should be dry and combed when they came to work. Most of my attention was directed towards procedural training.

Gradually, that emphasis changed. By 2005, the amount of time I had to spend on what clothing was allowed in the library had increased exponentially. No matter how many times they heard the guidelines, the students, mostly female, reverted to wearing what were popular styles of the day– see-through blouses and skin-tight T-shirts; tight jeans with a low waistband; undergarments that, for some reason, were thought to be of interest and therefore on display.

Nearly every day I had to approach one of the female students and inform her that the blouse/pants/shirt/skirt was too tight/see-through/short/low (sometimes it was a combination). It didn’t occur to them that the low riding jeans or low-cut blouse that looked fine while the wearer stood straight up showed too much when the wearer bent over to retrieve an item under the desk. Each time a student came to work, I had to ensure his or her outfit was suitable. If not, she had to return to her room to change before clocking in.

Never mind the wrinkles or faded looks from earlier years’ clothing styles. I would have been happy to have the students wear old T-shirts from the local thrift store. In fact, I recommended they all shop there to find clothing to wear in the library and save us all a lot of grief.

My daughter Mandy pairs a beautiful batik blouse w/ white cami and stylish jewelry for a pulled together, modest look.

While raising two teenaged daughters at the time, I understood some of my students’ dilemmas. It was not then, and is not today, easy for young people learn what is modest clothing and what is not. At that time when my daughters and I shopped, we could barely find clothing that covered the normal length of the torso, was not too sheer, or startling in its degree of attention-grabbing, body-hugging fabric.

Some of today’s immodest fashion styles almost seem ridiculous. Why would a female wear an empire-waisted shirt, a style popularly used by pregnant women to minimize their size?

Of course, in recent years pregnancy has become its own problem in modesty. When a pregnant woman wears a T-shirt so tight over her swollen abdomen that her belly button sticks out, as well as part of her skin where the shirt neglects to cover, I have to assume she has no other item in her closet to wear. I mean, she wouldn’t wear such an uncomplimentary-looking garment if given a choice, right?

Unfortunately, the media is doing all it can to undermine any effort towards modesty. A few months ago, my husband was thumbing through a magazine I had brought home from the public library and found a jeans clothing ad that shocked him. A female model who was nude on her upper half was lying on top of a male model, also shirtless, on a sofa. Other shirtless models stood around looking at them. Of course, they all wore the same style of jean, which was “supposed” to be the focus of the ad.

Who were they trying to fool? The focus of the ad was to give the idea that the wearer of those jeans would be attractive to members of the opposite sex. My husband and I threw the magazine in the trash. I’m sorry to say, while disturbed by the ad, I didn’t follow up with a complaint letter to the magazine’s editor that I would never again read that magazine.

**

Another mother did better in trying to stop immodest behavior. In an article published in a Christian women’s magazine a few years ago she told of an incident at a shopping mall in which she had noticed a young girl, accompanied by three teen boys, enter a women’s lingerie shop. Curious about the group’s intent, the woman followed the group inside. She watched in dismay as the young girl, who seemed cowed by the boys, modeled a couple of skimpy outfits picked out for her by the guys. After realizing the intent of the group’s foray into the store – simply to appease the lustful gazes of the males – this mother approached a sales clerk and demanded she make the group of teens leave the store. “I can’t do that,” the clerk said. “They might buy something.”

Furious, the mother marched over to the group and told the boys to leave the store or she would call the police for harassing the younger girl. They did so with obvious reluctance. The mother then spent several minutes trying to encourage the girl to find other people to hang out with.

Romans 12: 1-2: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

With guidance youth can make good fashion choices as young adults. Our daughters flank our son, Chris.

Mom and Dad should set the tone for modesty in the home. By wearing clothing that is clean, well-kept, comfortable, and attractive without being an item that leads someone’s eye to a private part, the child will understand our bodies were not put here to be flaunted or to “catch” someone’s attention.

^“Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. ⁴Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.” ^{(I Peter 3: 1-4)}

Here are some modesty in fashion guidelines for females:

• Skirts should be no shorter than four fingers above the top of the kneecap.
• Dresses should have sleeves and not be strapless or spaghetti (or other thin strapped) dresses, even if worn with a wrap.
• Undergarments should never become outer garments. Bra straps should not be exposed.
• Blouses and shirts that are too loose can be as immodest as tight ones, especially if they fall away from the skin when wearer is bent over.

While it is discouraging to think of the negative influence the media and peer pressure can have on our young people, there is some hope. Last week, while working in a middle school library, I was approached by a sixth grade boy. He handed me a recent copy of Sports Illustrated magazine.

“There’s a picture in here that isn’t right,” he said, opening the magazine to a certain page. In the center was a photo of a young female model from the waist up showing much cleavage. Despite the library’s stance on censorship (the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue is not forbidden), I told the little boy that it was indeed an inappropriate picture and I’d take care of it.

“Thank you,” I told him, planning to remove that page from the magazine and throw it away. His little head nodded and he left for class. Hopefully he will always keep those standards of decency where modesty is concerned.

For more information about modesty in fashion guidelines for girls go to http://www.purefashion.com.

The End

……

Speaking at Canterbury Book Fair luncheon 2011

I’m thrilled to be asked to return as a featured author at the 2012 Canterbury Book Fair scheduled for April 16 from 4-7pm. This special day/time is an opportunity for local librarians/teachers to peruse books recommended by Canterbury staff and parents.

If all goes as planned, I will have copies of all of my books for sale at $15.00 each; autographed copies are available. I also plan to offer food samples from recipes from my Recipe and Craft Guide to Indonesia book. I’ll be easy to find with the good smells of spicy food and me wearing a chef’s apron with my book’s cover on the front!

Recipe and Craft Guide to Indonesia contains 10 crafts/ 10 recipes.

These photos are from my appearance in 2011 as the fair’s Guest Author. I spoke at a luncheon of parents, school staff, and volunteers totaling an estimated 80 people. What a joy it was to discuss children’s books with so many caring individuals!

The book fair is open to the public Tuesday, April 17 through Thursday, April 21 from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. On Wednesday, April 18, evening hours extend until 8 p.m. The week’s activities include book talks by local authors, food from local chefs, and art by local artists.

My friend Laurie Gray is the author of the Young Adult novel, Summer Sanctuary.

For more information about the Canterbury Book Fair go to canterburybookfair.org as the dates draw closer.

I’d love to speak to more students about the joys of reading and writing. Please contact me at ***kjreusser@adamswells.com*** for more information.

(Remove the ***’s)

Take care,

At that time Shirley had authored a beautiful devotional book, Sisterhood of Faith (Howard Books), 365 life-changing stories about historical and contemporary Christian women who have made a difference in the lives of others.

After the conference, our friendship continued as Shirley and I formed a Mastermind group — a daily 5-minute phone call in which we checked in with each other about our writing goals for the day. It kept us accountable and developed a close friendship.

The Mastermind continued for a year until I started working full-time. Since then, we have kept in touch by frequent email and Facebook. Shirley is a gifted speaker and I’m happy to introduce her and her newest book which she wrote with two friends:

Turning Guilt Trips into Joy Rides

(WestBow Press, a division of Thomas Nelson)

By

Shirley Brosius, Janine Boyer and Kim Messinger

ISBN 978-1-44973-263-9

1. Why did you write Turning Guilt Trips into Joy Rides?

Many women believe they need to be everything to everyone. Stay-at-home moms feel guilty for not earning a paycheck. Working mothers feel guilty at leaving their kids with a babysitter.

Janine, Kim and I wrestle with feelings of guilt. Kim is a teacher and Janine works in a family business. Both women have families. I am a Stonecroft Ministries leader and speak at several events each year. My extended family includes a husband, children and grandchildren. We three want to nurture everyone in our lives, but we often fail because we are so busy. Then guilt sets in and we’re unhappy.

During the time we’ve known each other, we’ve talked about our feelings and realized God does not want us to live under an umbrella of doom and gloom of guilt. We wanted to write a book that revealed ways God wants us to counteract guilt.

Shirley Brosius, Janine Boyer and Kim Messinger sign copies of their book Turning Guilt Trips into Joy Rides.

2. How did you three authors meet?

Janine, Kim and I met at a small group Bible Study in 1998. We led our first women’s church retreat in 2005. It felt so good that we named ourselves Friends of the Heart. Today we conduct 15 events together each year. Our website is www.friendsoftheheart.us.

3. Tell us how Turning Guilt Trips into Joy Rides is designed.

The book contains 183 devotions which are organized around the letters in ‘GRACE’ –God, Relationships, Acceptance, Challenges and Emotions.

The header of each page is “A Guilt Trip to Avoid”. The subject might be feeling like a poor role model. A personal experience story relating to that situation follows, then a scripture verse. The devotion ends with a brief upbeat “Take the Joy Ride” paragraph, which applies the scripture to life and helps women deal with guilt in a godly manner.

4. How long did it take to write the book?

We wrote the devotions from 2008 through 2011. The book was published in December 2011.

5. How did you come up with ideas for the devotions?

Any time a personal experience caught our attention, we wrote about it. For example, in summer 2011 my granddaughter Elizabeth arrived at my house to attend a local day camp. The first day she fell off her scooter and broke her arm. The doctor said she could not attend the day camp.

There was nothing I could have done about the accident and Elizabeth didn’t make me feel guilty about not going to the camp. But I still felt guilty about it. I reminded myself that God uses every experience from our lives to help us grow spiritually and prayed we would all learn something through it. David wrote about guilt in Psalm 38. When I wrote about this incident for the devotion, which I called ‘Not on My Watch’, I used this verse to reinforce that if we confess our guilt, we can trust God who holds us in his hands to keep us safe.

6. How can we purchase Turning Guilt Trips into Joy Rides?

It is available as a hard copy (soft cover) and as an E-book. We hope to sell copies during speaking engagements but will be happy to send copies via regular mail. Those interested in the book should contact me at sbrosius@epix.net.

Available in softcover, ISBN 9781449732639, list price $17.99; hardback 9781449732646, list price $35.95; and e-book 9781449732622, $3.99 formats.

Also available at Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com or WestbowPress.com.

7. What advice would you give someone who wants to write a book?

Learn all you can, wherever you can. Go to writer’s conferences. Take local classes. Pray. And grab every opportunity to write!

The End

Nancy Bell holds an angel gown made by Stitchers of Hope, Faith and Love

I love interviewing people who give to others. The Ossian (IN) Church of the Nazarene has a group that gives much to people who are hurting. By using their crafting talents, this great group of men and women have blessed many. Do you know of a group or person who blesses people with their talents? If you’re a writer, spread the word about them. If you’re not a writer, consider joining the group or assisting them in some way. You’ll be blessed too. This article appeared recently in the Ossian Sun Riser and the Bluffton News-Banner.

**

When Nancy Bell of Ossian decided to learn to crochet in March 2009,

she enrolled in a class on the subject at the Senior Expo sponsored by the Bluffton Parks and Recreation Department. Her sister Alice had died recently and Nancy was given several skeins of yarn that had belonged to her.

Nancy had also found a craft book on prayer shawls at a store. All of these factors formed a sign to Bell, who knew how to quilt and do counted cross stitch but not crochet. “I didn’t know how to make one  stitch,” Bell said, “but God told me, ‘Here’s yarn and a book and people to help you learn. Go for it.’”

Dozens of handmade items are created by The Stitchers of Hope, Faith and Love

At the Senior Expo classes Bell learned about the local volunteer group Stitches of Hope which distributes free handmade crocheted and knitted and sewn caps to medical patients around the country. After learning the basics of crochet, Bell joined the Stitches of Hope group and began making caps for adults and children.

Wanting to encourage others in her area to volunteer, she organized a craft group at the Ossian Nazarene Church where she and her husband, Bill Bell, attended. The group called Stitchers of Hope, Faith and Love began meeting each Friday at the church from 10am-12 noon. “We offered free instruction and supplies to anyone who wanted to make chemo caps,” said Bell.

The group has grown to include approximately 30 people from various churches — Catholic, Methodist, Lutheran, Methodist. “The members tell me they want to do their crafts for a purpose,” said Nancy.

Stitchers of Hope, Faith and Love meet weekly at Ossian Nazarene Church.

The group is not limited to women. Bill Bell is one of the members. “I can’t get him away from making caps on a loom,” said Nancy.

The group also makes angel gowns and prayer shawls. An angel gown is a gown to be worn by a stillborn baby. Nancy learned about the need for these while listening to a TV show. “A nurse was interviewed who had delivered stillborn babies and never had anything to dress the baby in before taking it to see his parents,” she said. “She said it would be so helpful to have a beautiful gown for this purpose.”

Each prayer shawl, angel gown and cap is dedicated on the church’s altar before being distributed. “We dedicate them to God’s glory and pray for the recipients that they will be comforted and know they’re loved,” said Nancy.

The Stitchers of Hope, Faith and Love group is prolific in its production. One month they created 146 caps, six prayer shawls, and seven angel gowns. They have given the caps to the Stitches of Hope group and distributed the other items to hospitals in Bluffton, Fort Wayne and Decatur.

The group’s love for others is not all outgoing, according to Nancy.

“Some members say this group is what they live for,” she said. “We’ve developed tight friendships and I consider these people my sisters and brothers.”

At the meetings, members share prayer requests and pray together. In September three ladies in the group were baptized. “We’ve seen people come to Christ as a result of this group,” said Nancy. “It’s a miracle.”

Although she had never led a group before, Nancy Bell is happy with her role as coordinator for the Stitchers of Hope, Faith and Love. “I had always wanted to do some type of outreach,” she said. “I’m so grateful to have this group to work with.”

Note : For more information about helping a group like this check out www.Stitchesoflove1.blogspot.com.

The End

2 sweet women in my life -- Mom & Lyn in 2009

Today I don’t have anything writing related, but just wanted to wish my sister, Lynette Johnson, a happy birthday. She has supported me with writing ideas and encouragement throughout the years. I hope she has many happy days in the year ahead!

Each flower is a miracle from God

And when Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent forth His angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.” (Acts 12:11, New American Standard Bible)

**

Recently, a friend confided that he needed a drummer for his Christian band. Being a non-musical person, I couldn’t help or recommend anyone. In fact, the only – and best – thing I could do was pray for his need, which I did. The next morning my sister emailed me about a mutual friend, “Did you know Rui plays bongos?” I hadn’t known. After a flurry of emails, I connected the two musicians and they’re planning to meet. God makes miracles!

Last week, my neighbor was despairing over his recent diagnosis of a debilitating disease. If he couldn’t work, he couldn’t make a house payment. Our families prayed together. The next day, he received an unexpected check in the mail, enough to make two house payments! God makes miracles!

Do you look for miracles in life? Peter wasn’t expecting a miracle, but he got one that saved his life. Situations don’t always happen the way we want them, but we need to believe God is working for His glory. If and when His plan is revealed to us, we can thank Him for making it happen.

The End

John Kremer is the Guru of Book Marketing

Read my post below.

**

Guest post by Kayleen Reusser

In 1989 a 10-minute incident with a stranger helped me through a miserable day during the Christmas season. The encounter wouldn’t leave me. “If I’m still thinking about this incident,” I thought, “maybe it would impact someone else.”

I crafted an essay about the experience the next year at the beginning of my writing career. I wrote the story, titled “A Lesson in Forgiveness,” at 500 words, including details about the weather, the reasons for my bad mood and how I felt transformed following our interaction.

The subject of forgiveness was popular with religious magazines and editors of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. Newspaper editors seeking holiday stories loved it. I even turned the incident into a skit that was purchased for a church program book.

Since its initial publication, “A Lesson in Forgiveness” has been reprinted more than 30 times and I believe it will continue to be evergreen because of its timeless message.

A Lesson in Forgiveness

It was snowing as I finished unbuckling my baby from her car seat. A toot from behind reminded me that I was holding up traffic on the one-way street.

I didn’t care. My six-month-old had to get an immunization shot, which meant she would be up all night with a fever. My head ached like I was coming down with the flu and my husband’s job didn’t look steady for the holidays. I wasn’t in a good mood.

The truck tooted its horn again. When I finally had my little one in my arms and covered from the cold air, I looked up and felt my heart sink. I had inadvertently parked in a delivery zone. A look at the name printed on the truck confirmed that I was parked in its delivery zone.

Angry at myself for not noticing the sign sooner, I put my baby back into the car and looked down the street. The nearest empty place was more than a block away. Gritting my teeth, I was tempted to go home and reschedule my baby’s vaccination for a day when things were going better, but I didn’t.

After managing to park in a tight spot, I again got ready to get out of my car. Glancing up, I saw someone waiting for me outside. I knew it was the truck driver.  Bracing myself for a verbal attack, I slowly emerged from the car.

“Sorry about that back there.” A strong note of apology rang in the man’s voice. I looked at him suspiciously. He was actually grinning at me!

“I saw you had a baby,” he continued, “but there wasn’t any other place big enough for me to park in.”

I managed to stammer my own apology, though I was completely taken aback by his friendly manner. Like Scrooge, I wondered if this was a setup.

“I’d like to give you this.” The stranger held out a coffee mug with his company’s name on the side. He didn’t wait for my reply, but shouted “Merry Christmas” and sprinted away, as fast as he dared on the slick pavement.

I stared after him, the coffee mug still in my hand. As the snow continued to fall steadily around me, a warm feeling spread throughout my body and I smiled for the first time all day.

At home that coffee mug serves as a constant reminder to me of the way that driver showed unexpected kindness and forgiveness to me that day. As I drink from it each day, it also reminds me of the way God forgives each of us when we least deserve it.

Using the coffee mug each morning as I begin my day inspires me to work on showing that same kindness and forgiveness to everyone I will meet — clerks, cashiers, complete strangers — not just at Christmas, but every day of the year.

About the Author

Kayleen Reusser has written nine children’s books, including biographies on Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez, three books on the Greek gods, and Recipe and Craft Guide to Indonesia, all from Mitchell Lane Publishing.

She has written articles for Chicken Soup for the Soul, Indianapolis Monthly, Boy Scouting, The Lookout, Focus on the Family,  Fort Wayne News-Sentinel, and Bluffton News-Banner. She is a weekly columnist for the Ossian Sun Riser and co-founder of a writing group.

She currently works in a public middle school library where she finds inspiration for ideas among the students and books. Check her out at http://www.KayleenR.com.

Roger and Linda Byers beside their 4-door coupe.

In the past couple of years I’ve written profiles of classic car owners for a publication called Indiana Autos and RV’s Magazine. It’s been fun interviewing car owners. I love to hear how much the car owners have enjoyed finding the car of their dreams and then restoring them. I’m looking for more stories. Do you know someone from Indiana with a classic car pre-1999? If so, please contact me with their name and phone number. Thanks!

**

In the 1970s when he was a young adult, Roger Byers of Fort Wayne purchased a Model A car restoration book.  Byers studied the book with hopes of someday restoring his own model. For the next several decades marriage and a family required most of Byers’ time and money.

Then came the 911 disaster. Within the next few years, Byers, nearing retirement, had purchased five old cars, including two Model A’s — a 4-door coupe and 1931 roadster with rumble seat. “I told my wife life was too short not to be having fun,” he said. The other antique cars Byers owns are a 1912 Model T with crank start, a 1910 Maxwell, and 1993 Corvette.

The Byers drive their 1931 roadster on road trips.

In 2006 Byers and his wife Linda joined the Old Fort Model A Club, based out of Fort Wayne. He currently serves as president of the club which features cars that were built between 1928 and 1931. “Approximately 73 families belong to the club,” he said. “Some families have more than one so we have approximately 100 Model A’s.”

The Old Fort Model A Club members live in Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan. Bill Milholland of Ossian purchased a 1931 Model A Victoria, complete with backseat for two in 2003. After several years of restoration work, the car has won several awards, including Chairman’s Choice (Best of Show) at the Bluffton Free Street Fair. During a trip to French Lick, Indiana, in summer 2010 to attend the National Model A Restorer’s Club show, Milholland’s car won the Award of Excellence for touring class. “Fifty cars were in the class,” he said. “A few other cars won the award too.”

The amount of miles Model A club members choose to put on their vehicles varies. “Some people drive their cars everywhere,” said Byers. “Others may only drive the cars for special occasions.” Tom Laupp from Huntington, Indiana, has driven his Model A an average of 12,000 miles each year since he purchased it in 1995.

Other club members, like Wayne Hull of Ossian, offer a garage day each May. Any club member who has a mechanical problem with his or her antique car can bring it to his garage in his home’s backyard and he will put the car on a hoist. “Our club contains many antique car experts,” said Byers. He estimates 40 car owners show up at Hull’s house each spring.

Byers, who is now retired, credits friends who own Model A’s for encouraging Linda and him to become members of the Old Fort Model A Club, which celebrated its 25^th anniversary in 2010. “They invited us to accompany them on tours,” he said. “Through such experiences we met people who are now our friends. We have no regrets. The cars are a major part of our retirement life.”

For more information about the Old Fort Model A Club contact Roger Byers at 260.482.7179.

The End

Note: Other classic car stories I’ve written are posted on my blog. Click “Classic car’ in the tag cloud on the right of my home page for a search.

John Kremer is the guru of book marketing ideas

Today I have the honor of being featured on John Kremer’s blog. Mr. Kremer is the guru of book marketing. I’ve read his blog on this subject for years and have implemented many of his ideas to market my nine non-fiction children’s books.

A biography on Taylor Swift was the first of my nine children’s books to be published.

My particular post is titled:

Book Marketing Makeover: How One Author Got a Book Assignment That Led to 9 Titles

http://blog.bookmarket.com/2012/01/book-marketing-makeover-how-one-author.html 

I encourage everyone who wants to write or has written a book to subscribe to his free blog. 

You can subscribe here:

 http://www.bookmarket.com/

Mr. Kremer often features authors’ histories of getting started. It gives me hope when I read other success stories. I hope my story helps you feel encouraged to write and sell many books in 2012!

Please let me know what you think of this post and if you have other ideas of how to market books. I’m open to ideas!

This recipe for Satay Ayam requires the use of skewers.

Satay Ajam can be served with rice and peanut sauce, another recipe found in the book. The book, written for students in grades 4-8 (many adults have purchased it!), contains 10 easy recipes –many vegetarian– and 10 crafts, all reflecting the beautiful culture of Indonesia. Here my friend Desmond helps make the dish. Enjoy!

Satay Ajam

(Meat Satay)

This recipe is delicious served with thinly sliced meat, such as chicken, roast beef, or ham. Yield: 6-8.

½ lb skinless, boneless chicken breast cut into thin strips

½ c. coconut milk

½ c apple cider vinegar

2 T. sugar

2 T. dried crushed red pepper to taste (this is really hot!)

1 onion, finely chopped

Equipment: large shallow dish, med size bowl, 12 6- to 12-in metal skewers, baking sheet.

Note : If using wooden skewers, soak skewers in water for 30 minutes.

1. Place strips of meat in large shallow dish.
2. Mix coconut milk, vinegar, sugar, and onion in bowl. Add meat strips and coat. Refrigerator 1 hour, mixing frequently.
3. Set oven rack about 6 inches under broiler; preheat to high.
   

   Cover the skewered parts with the spicy sauce.

4. Thread chicken on skewers. Place skewers side by side on baking sheet; broil 3 minutes until lightly browned. Turn strips over and broil other side until cooked through and browned about 3 minutes.

Place skewers on large platter and serve with individual dishes of peanut dipping sauce.

The End