Happy Thanksgiving!

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This week, our family will finally be all together again and I'm so excited I can hardly wait. Gabe comes home for his school holiday and Scott returns from his trip to the States. So what am I most thankful for this week? Guess that's pretty obvious!

I won't be doing much (if any) blogging over the next few weeks as our family spends time together except to maybe post a few photos, but I did want to wish each of you a very happy Thanksgiving and a very merry Christmas.

Be blessed today and enjoy time with friends and family,

Lisa

Women of Faith

God has such an amazing way of bringing people into our lives when we need them. Aimee is another missionary who has been living near us the past few months, and we've all enjoyed so much getting to know her. She works primarily with women and a couple months ago helped us start a study for our women with some fantastic resources in Portuguese. It has been such a wonderful encouragement for me and the women have loved it as we learn more about God through a study of women of the Bible.

Emily (standing next to me) and I will continue to lead the study as Amiee heads back to the US for her furlough this week. The women planned a surprise good-bye party for Aimee at yesterday's study and bought her the traditional cloth that is worn here around the waist and as a head piece.

Please pray for the wonderful women in our study (several were not able to be there yesterday) as they grow in their faith, and for Aimee as she travels back to the US.

Blessings,

Lisa

FIVE WAYS TO MAKE IT HAPPEN

 It’s hard to believe that 2012 is right around the corner. I always look forward to the New Year, as it’s a fresh start with new dreams, ideas, and goals. One thing that I’ve been thinking about lately is what I want to accomplish in the coming year and how I can get there. What are my dreams in ministry, mothering, and writing?

Here are my five ways to make it happen. They might sound elementary, but for me it’s been a good reminder of how I can keep myself on track in following these dreams.

¨     Start today, not tomorrow: I’ll let you in on a secret. You don’t have to wait until New Years Day to start working on your goal. Okay, I know you know that, but if you’re like me, it’s easy to tell yourself that you’ll try again next January 1st. After months of too much Mexican food and all the other yummy things I love to eat while in the US on furlough last year, we returned to Africa, but weeks went by, and I kept putting off getting back into my normal exercise routine. Trust me, I had a lot of excuses and I was busy, but one day I decided it was time to stop making those excuses and lose those extra unwanted pounds. And to stop putting it off. It would have been easy to just wait until January, but now, I’m so glad I didn’t keep waiting until tomorrow.

¨        Take a leap of faith: Last year, Scott told me he wanted me to start a non-profit that would help fund many of the projects needed to help people’s physical needs. To be honest, I didn’t see myself running a non-profit. At all. But the need was great, and despite the fact that I felt ignorant on the subject I knew I needed to at least try. In looking back over the past first year, I’ve been amazed at how God has been so faithful, because it certainly wasn’t my brilliant marketing skills. To date, over $10,000 has been raised to build houses for the homeless, pay for medical care, fund micro-loans, distribute vitamins, pay for school supplies for those in need and much more. So even if something is outside your comfort zone or normal box, don't let that stop you. Take a leap of faith and watch God work!

¨        Set small, daily goals: This is something I’ve learned to be essential in my writing. An entire 85,000-word novel is daunting…unless you tackle in small pieces. Set a goal for a week, a goal for each day. Give yourself some wiggle room, and then go for it…One day at a time.

¨        If you get off track, don’t beat yourself up: Let’s be honest, how many of us start full speed on our goals in January, but by March we’re completely off track. So what do we do? We quit. (I know, I’ve been there!) But think about it, it doesn’t matter if it’s April or October, reset your goals, start moving toward them, and you’ll see progress. That progress is a huge motivation!

¨        Find an accountability partner: It always helps to have someone cheering for you, and it’s even better if they are reaching toward the same goal. Blog about your journey, join a group or a ministry to get you started, find a prayer partner, tell a friend and in turn you will see your motivation grow.

The bottom line is that it’s never too late to follow that dream. I don’t care if you’re eighteen or eighty, God can use our talents, gifts and dreams. Just be willing to step out on faith and trust Him. 

"If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ."  I Peter 4:11

So what about you? What’s your dream? How can you start making it a reality today? I love to hear your thoughts as well as ways that have helped you make it happen!

Be blessed,

Lisa

Giveaway Winner

Thanks so much to all of you who left a comment in my holiday giveaway. I loved hearing from each one of you and it was encouraging as well to be reminded about what is really important in life.

Congratulations to Jess who won the 2012 wall calender! I'll be sending you an email today.

Blessings to each of you!

Lisa

Just in time for Christmas...

In case you missed the news, UNDERCOVER COWBOY is available now for the first time as an eBook, just in time for the holidays! And to make it even better, it's now on sale through Christmas for only 99 cents! So if you love Christmas, cowboys, romance, and a thread of suspense, you can order now for your Kindle, Nook, and other online places ebooks are sold. 

Pinkerton detective Cole Ramsey has been hired to investigate a rancher suspected of sabotaging his neighbor's property. But Cole's investigation might be compromised when he falls for Abigail Covington, the rancher's daughter. An inspirational Christmas novella. 


On another writing note, I was excited to learn that BLOOD COVENANT is a "Best Inspirational Novels 2011" nominee in the suspense category from Romantic Times! The awards ceremony isn't until April, but it's exiting to be on the nominee list.

Lastly, don't forget to leave a comment on my last post for a chance to win a stunning animal wildlife wall calender for 2012 from the heart of Africa! 

Have a great day!

Lisa

Heart of Africa Holiday Giveaway...

Things have been busier than normal here, it seems, between school, ministry, and writing, but I guess that's just life, right? Summer is here full force, which means it's HOT. Thankfully, we get a few days of relief with the rain every now and then. (Though not often enough for me!)

Looking back at 2011, it's been a challenging year in many ways, but what a blessing to see God's faithfulness every step of the way. One of the most exciting things has been the opportunity to help with people's physical needs through The ECHO Project. You can check out here for an update for what we have been able to do with our donations and find ways to get involved and make a real difference in the lives of individuals.

Now for the giveaway...

Near the end of every year as a thanks to my blog readers, I like to give away something from the Heart of Africa. This year, it's a 2012 calendar filled with animal photos! Leave a comment below and tell me what you're thankful for this holiday season, or what you are most looking forward to. As for me, I'm so excited that our family will all be together as our oldest (Gabriel) returns home from boarding school to spend the holidays with us. I'll draw a winner Sunday night.

Happy November!

Lisa

This contest is limited to a US address only. Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.