The Messy Middle

where grace and truth reside

Summer Reading Challenge

Summer Reading Challenge 2020 is here!

Calling all readers!

It’s a day of rejoicing because the Summer Reading Challenge 2020 is here! If you can believe it, this is the fifth summer of the challenge.

Like a kid pouring over the toy catalog in days gone by, I’ve chatted with family members, dreamed about books, and looked for ways to expand the reading challenge. Today, I  am excited today to reveal this summer’s reading challenge!

It will start on June 1  and run through August 18, 2020. To enter, read seven books from 25 categories.

What is different?

  • Pandemic, anyone? For some you’ve already been reading extra, for others, the past few months have dinged your ability to concentrate and read.
  • You may have less access to libraries.
  • So, you might need this challenge more than ever to get your reading mojo back. BUT you might have less access to libraries and may need to borrow books from friends and family.
  • In recognition of the graduations and weddings that were planned and the medical personnel impacted, students, teachers, and parents doing school different, and those in isolation who had a very different than expected first half of the year we have four “COVID-19 Special Categories.”

What is the same?

  • Many categories will be similar because reading is reading. But you will notice a few new gems
  • Counting a book of more than 700 pages as two books.
  • Choosing a penalty book within the first week of the year. A penalty book or category you declare I will read or be penalized. The last two summers I have selected a penalty book and it worked! I read books I’d been meaning to read for ages and I am all the richer for reading them. This year Abigail Adams by Woody Holton is my penalty book. Can I tell you how many years I’ve meant to read this book?! This is the summer!
  • Like last year, if you do not read your “penalty” book, you will subtract two books from your total.

What’s in it for you?

  • All who comment on August 18-21st with the names of the books they read will be entered to win one of ten $10 Amazon gift cards.

Drumroll . . . here are the categories!

In recognition of the graduations, weddings, medical personnel, and those in isolation who had a very different than expected first half of the year we have four COVID-19 Special Categories:

  • A book with either something old, something new, something borrowed, or something blue
  • A book with a nurse, doctor, or other medical personnel
  • A book with a teacher, student, or classroom
  • A book about a pandemic or outbreak

In Recognition of the Joy of reading:

  • A Biography
  • A book I already own
  • A book a friend recommended
  • A Young Adult book (YA)
  • A book with a great cover
  • A book of poetry
  • A memoir or autobiography
  • A graphic Novel
  • A book for professional development (loosely defined)
  • A book longer than 700 pages (counts as two books)
  • A book with a verb in the title
  • A play
  • A book about a country or culture you have never visited
  • A book about history
  • A book that won an award
  • A classic
  • A novel 
  • An audiobook
  • A book with an animal
  • A book less than 100 pages
  • A book You want to discuss with others

My penalty book is: Abilgail Adams by Woody Holton.

Download the 2020 SUMMER READING CHALLENGE, print it off, and track your progress. But most of all, have fun and read books you might not read in other times of the year!

~~~

In short: Read seven books from June 1 to August 18, 2020.

Are you in? What books are you looking forward to reading during the challenge?

Photo by David Lezcano on Unsplash

Books I've read (or want to read)

10 Best Nonfiction Books of the Last Decade

Jumping right in . . .

2010 — Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation by Parker Palmer

From Amazon: “With wisdom, compassion, and gentle humor, Parker J. Palmer invites us to listen to the inner teacher and follow its leadings toward a sense of meaning and purpose. Telling stories from his own life and the lives of others who have made a difference, he shares insights gained from darkness and depression as well as fulfillment and joy, illuminating a pathway toward vocation for all who seek the true calling of their lives.”

His views on the soul and coaxing it out were formative for me.

2011 — Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion by Gregory Boyle

My sister Elizabeth brought a copy to China when she and two of the girls visited. I wrote, “This book makes me want to be a better person! Father Gregory (G-dog) works in L.A. with people who have either been in gangs or exposed to them, helping them with gainful employment, make better decisions, and find belonging. He consistently reminds the reader that all people are of value and that compassion needs to be offered again and again and again. My favorite chapter looked at so-called failure and success in ministry. He is funny!”

2012 — The Pastor: A Memoir by Eugene Peterson

Having been in full-time ministry most of my adult life, Peterson is one of my mentors. In my notebook, in part, I wrote, “Amazing. This is the kind of life I want to lead.”

From Amazon: “Eugene Peterson tells the story of how he started Christ Our King Presbyterian Church in Bel Air, Maryland and his gradual discovery of what it really means to be a pastor. Steering away from abstractions, Peterson challenges conventional wisdom regarding church marketing, mega pastors, and the church’s too-cozy relationship to American glitz and consumerism to present a simple, faith-based description of what being a minister means today. In the end, Peterson discovers that being a pastor boils down to ‘paying attention and calling attention to ‘what is going on now’ between men and women, with each other and with God.'”

2013 — A First-Rate Madness: Uncovering the Links Between Leadership and Mental Illness by Nassir Ghaemi

This was a hard year to choose! I listed four “best books” and can see how each made a difference in my life and still see their fingerprints on me. But the book I could not keep talking about—and talked about it so much my friend Amy’s daughter Kate even read it and used in a class project—was A First Rate Madness.

From Amazon: “This New York Time bestseller is a myth-shattering exploration of the powerful connections between mental illness and leadership. Historians have long puzzled over the apparent mental instability of great and terrible leaders alike: Napoleon, Lincoln, Churchill, Hitler, and others. In A First-Rate Madness, Nassir Ghaemi, director of the Mood Disorders Programme at Tufts Medical Center, offers and sets forth a controversial, compelling thesis: the very qualities that mark those with mood disorders also make for the best leaders in times of crisis.”

Now I want to reread this!

2014 — Pastrix: The Cranky, Beautiful Faith of a Sinner & Saint by Nadia Bolz-Weber

I read this in my midst of my memoir binging. I admire her writing ability so much! Chatty and readable. What draws me to this book is that she shared about life in ministry in ways that I could relate to. At that time in history (2014) much written was by rah-rah men who shared such tidy stories of ministry I could not relate.

Though very different from Nadia, I can feel like a misfit in the church because I’m not married, have no children, and am a leader. But the church is for me too and books like this remind me I am not alone. (Truth be told, I think we can all feel like we don’t belong. And she cusses like a sailor, so not all will want to read this book.)

2015 — With: Reimagining the Way You Relate to God by Skye Jethani

Ugh! This was another year where I had five “best” nonfiction books. But as I look back, I still find the ideas from With in my daily life. This is my go-to book with young people in ministry. My friend Hannah read it and then felt inspired by the Holy Spirit to buy me a copy. Isn’t that beautiful!

From Amazon: “Stop Living Your Life Under, Over, From and For God and Start Living in Communion With Him.” Also, if God wants you to buy a book for me? Listen, wink!

2016 — Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown 

From Amazon: “The Way of the Essentialist isn’t about getting more done in less time. It’s about getting only the right things done. It is a systematic discipline for discerning what is absolutely essential, then eliminating everything that is not, so we can make the highest possible contribution towards the things that really matter. “

I am wired to seek more =), but if I’m not discerning I can end up leading a diluted life. This book is so good!

2017 — The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else In Business by Patrick Lencioni

You know when a book says something you believed but you didn’t know how much you believed it until you read or heard it? That, in a nutshell, is The Advantage for me! The subtitle says it all, we need competent people, but competence isn’t enough. Very helpful for what “health” is and how to pursue it in an organization.

2018 — The Power of Healthy Tension: Overcome Chronic Issues and Conflicting Values by Tim Arnold

I love this book so much, if I had to pick the best book of the decade, it would be this one. Do not approach everything as a problem to be solved, be discerning and if something is not “solvable” learn to manage the tension. (Also, anything that embraces “the messy middle” had me at hello!)

2019 — Leadership: In Turbulent Times by Doris Kearns Goodwin

From Amazon: “In Leadership, Goodwin draws upon the four presidents she has studied most closely—Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Lyndon B. Johnson (in civil rights)—to show how they recognized leadership qualities within themselves and were recognized as leaders by others. By looking back to their first entries into public life, we encounter them at a time when their paths were filled with confusion, fear, and hope.”

I love reading about history because it broadens me and helps me to see my place, our place in the grand scope of the world.

Whew there you have it! If you missed it, here’s my overall thoughts on the last decade and my top 10 fiction books.

Share your nonfiction highlights of the last decade, please! Amy

Books I've read (or want to read)

10 Best Fiction Books of the Last Decade

Let’s jump right into it!

2010 — Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

My mom read this first and said, “You must read this!!!” She was right. Though I’m sure it had been done before, Olive was my first novel told in what at first seemed like unrelated short stories. Brilliant writing and Brilliant story telling. Though it has been 10 years since we met, I can’t for more Olive time and am eager to read Olive, Again which I’ve heard rave reviews.

2011 — Gilead: A Novel by Marilynne Robinson 

I wrote in my notebook, “Beautiful. Simply beautiful. As one reviewer wrote, ‘The disarmingly simple prose in the novel is filled with profound wisdom.’ What started out as a letter to his young son by his elderly father turned in a reflection and the complexities of life.”

In December I read Lila, the third book with these characters. It gives the background to his young wife. This year I plan to reread Gilead.

2012 — The Beginner’s Goodbye: A Novel by Anne Tyler

From Amazon: “Crippled in his right arm and leg, Aaron grew up fending off a sister who constantly wanted to manage him. So when he meets Dorothy, an outspoken, independent young woman, she’s like a breath of fresh air. He marries her without hesitation, and they have a relatively happy, unremarkable marriage. Aaron works at his family’s vanity-publishing business, turning out titles that presume to guide beginners through the trials of life. But when a tree crashes into their house and Dorothy is killed, Aaron feels as though he has been erased forever. Only Dorothy’s unexpected appearances from the dead—in their house, on the roadway, in the market—help him to live in the moment and to find some peace. Gradually, Aaron discovers that maybe for this beginner there is indeed a way to say goodbye.”

Are you beginning to notice a theme of what I’m drawn to? People further down life’s path that want to make a difference. Good grief, this feels a bit like baring my soul and we are only to 2012. Carry on, Amy. Carry on.

2013 — Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner

I’ll be honest, I have four “best” of nonfiction books for that year and no first time reads in novels that stood out. I did reread Crossing to Safety and absolutely loved it. 2013 is the year I transitioned from China to America after nearly 20 years. Nonfiction was helping me make sense of my world more than fiction was at that point. I highly recommend Crossing to Safety. And just now, in the moment, seven years later notice the title and how it is a messy interpretation of a messy wonderful season. The title is a snapshot of what I was trying to do.z

2014 — And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini

I wrote, “Wow! I don’t read much fiction, but maybe I should read more. Hosseini did an amazing job telling an epic story spanning three countries, five decades, and multiple story lines with grace and dexterity.
Bookended by brother and sister Abdullah and Pari, this note from Abdullah to Pari moves me. It was written after he was diagnosed with Alzheimers and before they were reunited.

“‘They tell me I must wade into waters, where I will soon drown. Before I march in, I leave this on the shore for you. I pray you find it, sister, so you will know what was in my heart as I went under.'”

I repeat, wow.

2015 — A Separate Peace by John Knowles

In truth, I read four or five novels in 2015, so A Separate Peace probably wouldn’t have made the cut in any other year. The Tuesday Night Book Group I’m in read this because one of my nieces (or another member’s kid) read this for school and many of us had not read it. It is famous and worth reading, I should have read it long before 2015!

From Amazon, “Set at a boys’ boarding school in New England during the early years of World War II, A Separate Peace is a harrowing and luminous parable of the dark side of adolescence. Gene is a lonely, introverted intellectual. Phineas is a handsome, taunting, daredevil athlete. What happens between the two friends one summer, like the war itself, banishes the innocence of these boys and their world.”

2016 — Wonder by R. J. Palacio

One of my niece Katy’s favorite books, I chose it as a Velvet Ashes Book Club read. August has cranial abnormalities and his story confronts the deep part of ourselves where we judge those different from us and what it means to be beautiful or valuable. One of the highlights for me as we discussed the book was hear from a doctor and a parent who had a child with facial abnormalities. You can read what the doctor said here and the parent here.

2017 — A Man Called Ove: A Novel by Fredrik Backman

I wrote, “This book is amazing! It is brilliant story telling—and from a marketing perspective, to reinforce Ove’s name, brilliant! I loved watching Ove navigate life after his wife died. He was true to his grumpy self, but also open to community. His story showed how very much we all need each other.”

2018 — Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech

From Amazon, “Thirteen-year-old Salamanca Tree Hiddle, proud of her country roots and the ‘Indian-ness in her blood,’ travels from Ohio to Idaho with her eccentric grandparents. Along the way, she tells them of the story of Phoebe Winterbottom, who received mysterious messages, who met a ‘potential lunatic,’ and whose mother disappeared. As Sal entertains her grandparents with Phoebe’s outrageous story, her own story begins to unfold—the story of a thirteen-year-old girl whose only wish is to be reunited with her missing mother.”

Also read for the Velvet Ashes Book Club and the conversation it stimulated was rich! If you’re looking for a great book to discuss, try Walk Two Moons.

2019 — Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine: A Novel by Gail Honeyman

I wrote, “I LOVE this book SO MUCH!!!! Eleanor is 30 and has very poor social skills, saying exactly what she thinks in a literal way. Mom described this book as Eleanor unfolding like a flower blossom. The storytelling was outstanding as Honeyman dropped clues that kept the story moving forward and the reader curious. This is a book about loneliness and the power of human connection.”

If you missed it, here are my thoughts on the last decade of books I read and tomorrow I’ll share my top nonfiction of each year of the last decade. Share some of your favorite fiction below! I can’t wait to hear. Amy

Books I've read (or want to read)

Reflections on a Decade of Reading

As the last decade drew to a close, I was curious to look back over my reading notebooks and ask myself the question: what was the best book I read each year?

In classic Amy-fashion, having opened pandora’s box—lists, books, and patterns are my catnip—this simple question morphed into three blog posts. I found myself pitting oh say, Wonder against Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less in 2016. It was like watching the worst boxing match on the planet, wincing at each blow.

I conceded I was on a fool’s errand and allowed myself two books from each year: best fiction and best nonfiction.

And then I almost added more categories because not all fiction or nonfiction are equal. Stop the madness Amy! Just pick a book!

So I did. Tomorrow I’ll share my fav fiction read from each year of the last decade and the day after that my fav nonfiction read.

Today, I want to share my thoughts reviewing a decade of reading.

Faithfulness adds up.

Would you be shocked to hear that I read 621 books last decade? I sure was! I knew that I was reading (duh!) and at the end of every year I was curious how many books I’d read that year. But, I never added up the years until now. On average, that is 62.1 books a year, 5.175 books a month, or 1.29375 books per week.

Like you, I had weeks where I did not read much, if at all. International moves, illness, traveling, my dad’s death, starting two ministries, writing four books, watching the Denver Broncos. My lowest year was 56 books in 2015, which surprised me. Nothing big happening that year, so go figure. In 2011 I made the goal to read 70 books and hit it. And nearly died in the process. Most of December was dedicated to reading the shortest books I could find, not my noblest book choices, that’s for sure.

But day in and day out, the years passed and I read 621 books.

Seasons are reflected in reading choices.

Good golly, but if anyone looks over the books by years, themes emerge. I can see when my thinking towards writing shifted and I read voraciously about the craft. The year after I relocated from China I read memoirs like a drowning fool, looking to cling to anyone else’s story in hopes of making sense of my own. Leading two organizations (Velvet Ashes and Global Trellis) has flavored my reading choices.

Reading formed me.

Seeing a title, author, or my thoughts on a book brought back memories to mind. I was reminded that much of what I know, think, or believe was formed by my reading.

Thankfully, I also saw on my lists books I disagree with or no longer would recommend and that’s good. If I’m only reading people who think like me, I’m not going to grow very much as a human!

Solitary, but not alone.

Over and over as I poured over my lists, I smiled at how often I noted, “Read for the June Velvet Ashes Book Club” or “Read this for Tuesday Night Book Group.” And over and over I noticed how reading in community broadens my reading selections, pushes me to read books I’ve been meaning to read, and helps me see what I would have missed as we discussed it.

If you are wanting to read more, it’s this simple: join a book club. If you are not sure of any in your area, join the Velvet Ashes Book Club. We are reading the novel Chasing Francis this month and I am loving it! Case in point, Chasing has been on my to-read list forever. I’m so glad to be reading it!

Stay posted for th Summers Reading Challenge! That’s also developed me as a reader.

Any chance you kept a list of the last decade? What patterns did you notice? I’d love to hear how reading the last ten years formed you.

Happy Reading!

Amy

P.S. Up tomorrow? Best fiction of the decade! Day after? Best nonfiction of the decade!

Photo by Tom Hermans on Unsplash

Messy Middle, Relationships

52 Cards, 52 Weeks, 52 Years

As the self-proclaimed “Math Fairy,” I love the playful side of math. In particular, I love patterns! So, every time a new age comes, I try to think of something fun about that number.

A deck of cards has 52 cards.

A year has 52 weeks.

And I now have 52 trips about the sun.

While the joke could be made that I am finally playing with a full deck, I decided that to let all of these 52’s come together in one fantastic year!

I took an old deck of cards—and yes, I specifically chose an old Broncos deck because if I can cram as much of what I love in one thing, then shove away! Back to my point, I took a deck of cards and have written the name of a friend or family member on each card.

My birthday happens to be on a Sunday this year, so every Sunday morning I will deal myself a card. The name on that card is going to be my “friend” or “family member” for the week. What does that mean?

Nothing and everything. We’ll see. Not every plan has to be fully formed for it to be a good plan. Hehehe!!

About halfway through making my “52 friends and family” card game, I began to fear that I would not have enough people. What if I could not name 52 people who have influenced my life?!

True confession, I ran out of cards before I ran out of people. In several cases I put married couples together — which normally, I hate it when a couple are only seen as a unit because they are both individuals. But in this case, it means I get to have more people as my “FOTW” (Friend or Family Or The Week).

As with most years, I still find it beyond weird that I am 52, remembering a time that 52 sounded so old. But here we are and as I made my card game, I am reminded that my life has been one of so much blessing.

So many people. So many experiences. So much more ahead of me.

Thank you for being here and reading these words. Thank you for being a part of a rich a wonderful life. Life is hard and disappointing and confusing and fun and exciting and hopeful. It is the messy middle.

Join me in a virtual slice of birthday cake!

With love, Amy

P.S. What’s your favorite birthday cake of choice? Mine is Angel food cake with mocha frosting!

Book, Books I've read (or want to read)

Top 10 Books of 2019

It’s the most wonderful time of the year!

The internet is awash with lists containing the “Best books of 2019.” I love reading them and seeing which books I’ve read, which are on my to-read list, and which are brand new to me. Here is my list, enjoy!

1) All That’s Good: Recovering the Lost Art of Discernment by Hannah Anderson —I preferred this to her book Humble Roots. “Discernment is knowing the difference between what is good and what is better. And sometimes seeking what is better means learning to trust God while you wait for him to
1) All That’s Good: Recovering the Lost Art of Discernment by Hannah Anderson —I preferred this to her book Humble Roots. “Discernment is knowing the difference between what is good and what is better. And sometimes seeking what is better means learning to trust God while you wait for him to supply it.”

2) When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing by Daniel Pink — One of the signs of a good book is how much I am compelled to read parts out loud to people near me. Let’s just say, I basically did the audio version of this book. Even now, reviewing my notes I have almost gotten off track with working on this post. So good!

3) On Reading Well: Finding the Good Life through Great Books by Karen Swallow Prior — Organized by Cardinal Virtues (prudence, temperance, justice, and courage), Theological Values (faith, hope, and love), and Heavenly Virtues (chastity, diligence, patience, kindness, and humility), this book is written slightly above my normal level. It pushed me in a good way and got me to think on another level.

4) The Light of the Fireflies by Paul Pen — One of several fiction books to make my list, Fireflies was a surprise read in 2019 because I had never heard of it. My Tuesday night book group read it and I think I liked it the most. I loved this book. Some in our group hated it. I was so curious to see what was going to happen and it reminded me of other books I loved (The Secret Annex, Born a Crime, Educated, and fiction book House of Sand and Fog). This is the story of how one bad decision can cascade and what you think you know . . . you’re wrong. I underlined the word loved in my notebook and it is only .99 on Amazon as of this writing.

5) Birding Without Borders: An Obsession, a Quest, and the Biggest Year in the World by Noah Strycker  — In 2015 Noah traveled around the world with the goal of seeing 5,000 different bird species. He ended up seeing 6,042! I love books that following someone for a year and give me a taste of that world. This book opened my eyes to how many birds there are and the quirky, kind, and passionate birder community.

6) Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine: A Novel by Gail Honeyman — Also read for my book group and unlike Fireflies, Eleanor was universally adored. This is a book about loneliness and the power of human connection. My mom described Eleanor as a flower blossom opening. I felt like a better human being for having read this.

7) Anne of Green Gables: A Graphic Novel by Mariah Marsden (author) and Brenna Thummler (illustrator) — a first ever! A graphic novel made the list. Months later, I can still picture these stunning images that captured the original book so well. In a word, delightful.

8) Leadership: In Turbulent Times by Doris Kearns Goodwin — Looking at four presidents (Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, FDR, and Johnson), this book explored their ambition, adversity, growth, and the times they served in. Each one had truly trying issues to face.

9) Britt-Marie Was Here: A Novel by Fredrik Backman — Britt-Marie finds herself aged 60, separated from her husband, and needing a job. She moves to Borg for a temporary job and becomes a soccer coach to a team that has been forgotten. I laughed more than I expected and then I cried more than I expected. Backman is a genuis at capturing cranky people who have tender elements. His books challenge me to see beyond the surface.

10) The Newcomers: Finding Refuge, Friendship, and Hope in America by Helen Thorpe — Follows the lives of twenty-two immigrant teenagers throughout the course of the 2015-2016 school year as they land at South High School in Denver, Colorado. These newcomers, from fourteen to nineteen years old, come from nations convulsed by drought or famine or war. Many come directly from refugee camps, after experiencing dire forms of cataclysm. This book brought back many memories of teaching ESL over the years.

Honorable mention:

Of course, Getting Started and Enjoying Newsletters have to make the list. These labors of love make me smile. One of my reading goals for December was to reread The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson. It had been years since I read it. Why had I waited so long? If you are looking for a short, delightful read that points you to wonder of this season, this book is for you.

You might also enjoy the

9 Books I Loved in 2014

10 Books I Loved in 2015

My top 15 books in 2016

Have you read the 17 Best Books of 2017 and

Top 10 Books of 2018

Have you read any of my 10? What would you recommend to fellow readers?

All the News, Book

Why I changed the title and cover of my book

Let me begin by saying that I loved my previous cover and title. Loved them, so this was not an easy decision. But it was a necessary one. Sigh.

Here’s the thing, I loved the cover, but it did not help potential readers know what the book was about. It did not place the reader in a story and show them how it would benefit them to read it.

And what is writing about? In a book, it is about the reader.

One last time, here is the beloved cover:

I am still amazed that Vanessa Mendozzi, my cover designer, created such a three dimensional cover. My first idea to her—and you will quickly see why I am not a cover designer—was to have a smiling face with a bit of lettuce on a tooth.

Why? Because the idea of the book is that many people who write (be it on social media, a blog, or newsletters) don’t realize they have “lettuce on their teeth.” I know I didn’t. As I grew as a writer, I kept thinking, “I’m not stupid, why didn’t anyone tell me this before, I could easily have removed this lettuce on the teeth of my writing!”

As the months went by, I realized, this cover is beautiful, but not helpful in communicating. I take full responsibility! Vanessa presented several options, and this is the one I chose to go with.

Now let’s talk about the title: All the News That’s Fit to Tell and How to Tell it. I still like it. I like how it cleverly points to the decisions that a cross-cultural worker has to make when they write a newsletter. I like that she has a nickname, All the News. Or in my notes, ATN for short.

Here is what I have learned

Combine a cover that is more like a piece of art and a title that is clever and what do you have? A book that not many read because they don’t realize it will help them.

In the midst of this, I wrote Getting Started. Well now, what do you notice about that title and Looming Transitions? Both are two words and start with an “ing” word (getting and looming). Again, with the reader in mind, I wanted to find a two-word title that started with an “ing” word. I landed on Enjoying Newsletters.

Enjoying Newsletters is exactly what I want the reader to do . . . enjoy communicating with his, her, or their supporters.

So, how does an author go about changing the cover and the title?

Decide to make the change. Feel sad. Feel happy. Feel overwhelmed.

Figure out the new title. Run it by friends. Tweak it. Land on a new title. Enjoying Newsletters: How to Write Christian Communication People Want to Read.

Contact Vanessa. Explain the need to update the concept. Love her even more as a cover designer when she is also sad because the loved her first cover, but understands.

Drag your sister into helping you refine the new cover. I happened to be visiting Laura and Sue when Vanessa got me the new covers. Laura helped me select from the five. But the cover was a bit too tied to China (I want a more global feel) and way too pink for men to read. Poor Laura was a saint as I texted her iteration after iteration. Imagine an eye test from hell. Which did you like better? The blue or the green? This font or that? How about this one?

Let’s take a quick break because you might be wondering what to see the new cover. I really do love this one too :)!

Seeing the new cover helps to keep going with the steps, doesn’t it! Thinking of the reader, I love how this cover invites the reader to eat fun food while working on a newsletter.

Back to the process!

Contact Andy who formatted the book and have him change any reference to ATN to the new title . . . mostly in the endorsements.

Gather new files for the book interior (print and ebooks) and covers (print and ebooks). Publish the Enjoying Newsletters. Unpublish ATN.

Contact Amazon and figure out how to link the reviews from ATN with Enjoying Newsletters.

(If you are curious, technically ATN still exists, but is “invisible.” Which is cool, but annoying when the ATN cover was what was publicly shown, instead of the new cover. You might find it interesting that I helped Amazon with a Tom Young solution. My dad was known for creative solutions that might not have been pretty, but they were effective. I uploaded the Enjoying Newsletter cover to the ATN file. As long as it stays unpublished, that image is the only one Amazon can find! Ha! The representative I talked with wondered why no one had thought of this solution before. I almost told him, “Because none of you were raised by Tom Young!”)

So there you have it, the process of changing a title and cover of a book. If you have a project that you need to revisit and make changes and wonder if it is worth it? I would say, go for it.

In the end, I’m glad that Enjoying Newsletters has a name and cover that help readers know what to expect.

Have you ever needed to revisit a project?

Faith, Holiday

The Broncos and Hebrews

The last few years Chloe, my youngest niece, has been my Broncos buddy during preseason. Preseason is part of the initiation ritual of our family as the girls build up the ability to sit through and track with a full game.

(Not to mention the energy it takes to get to a game, get through security, and finally plop down in our seats. Worth it! But one does not magically appear at a game is all I’m saying.)

A few weeks ago was a beautiful fall day and her dad had things around the house that needed doing, so Chloe joined me for the regular season game. The full glorious enchilada.

Before the players run out on to the field, the cheerleaders form two lines that the players run through as they are introduced one-by-one. But the day Chloe attended, our beloved owner and a former player (Champ Bailey, who my dad loved and I tolerated) were honored for being inducted into the Hall of Fame.

As a part of the celebration, the Broncos introduced the top 100 players in the last 60 years. I’m not going to lie, I might have teared up. Seeing the wide range of ages, some from my childhood, some from my early adulthood, and a few are current players, was a time capsule of Broncs history. Two even hobbled in with walkers and stood to the side.

I kept screaming at Chloe—I wanted her to hear me and to understand part of the history—”Oh, that man is Grandma’s favorite!” or “He played when I was your age!” or “Grandpa would have loved this! I’m so sorry he’s not here, but I’m so glad you are!” Lots of exclamation points, friends. It was thrilling.

I about lost it when instead of the cheerleaders, the players formed two lines for the current players to run through as they were introduced.

“Chloe!!!! What a picture of Hebrews 11 and 12!”

Sports and faith, that’s me.

Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Issac, Jacob, Sarah, Joseph, Moses, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel, and the prophets.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,  looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2)

Surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses.

The players ran past those who had gone before them. They ran past those who knew better than most of us in the stands what they had invested, sacrificed, and enjoyed as NFL players. They ran with endurance.

“Chloe, that’s a picture of heaven and those who have gone before us. And when you come running through the tunnel between life and death into heaven, look for me because I will be standing there waiting for you and screaming my head off.”

Can you imagine it, friends? The saints that have gone before us who will have also run the race with endurance? Today, on all saints day, I’m thinking of the saints we share—Hannah, Joseph, Mary, Paul—and the ones that are special to me and our family.

The Broncos players ran out with joy. And in a season like the one we are having, sadly not a great season!, the picture of the faithful saints is actually more powerful. It’s easy to run with joy when the victories are adding up, it’s another to run with joy when each step is an act of faith.

Regardless of whether you run with a spring in your step or feel that you are stumbling forward, we remember the cloud of witnesses, grateful that we do not run alone.

Amen?

Amen!

Cross cultural, Faith

What Has Amy Been Up To?

Friends, I do not recommend launching a new book and starting a new ministry within eight days of each other. Any publicist would say, “Are you smoking crack?!”

But we know that God’s timing can be a little “ridiculous.” (I present as evidence: “build an ark before rain exists,” “marry a woman who will have affairs,” or “get pregnant, then married.”)

So, even though Global Trellis is already cruising towards being six whole weeks old, I’m super excited to share it with you!

I moved to China at age 27 with the plan to return to “real” life after two years. Enter the angelic laugh track. Eighteen wonderful years later—okay definitely sixteen wonderful years and a few that were iffy—I transitioned back to the US.

When I went to the field, it was with the best of intentions and far too much information front-end loaded for me to absorb. At that time, the only option was to spend weeks together in California learning about life in China.

And you know what, it worked. It really did.

Front-end loading worked because that was what was available.

But today we are accessing a fraction of what technology makes available. God has called us to his Great Commission, which truly is the call of a lifetime. But it is also ordinary, lonely, tedious, and involves laundry; all the while trying to spiritually, personally, and professionally grow, as we work to see the kingdom of God here on earth.

In a recent survey, 62% of cross-cultural workers reported a high tension between tending to their soul (being) and the work that they do (doing). In response to this tension, Global Trellis was formed. Like a garden trellis, Global Trellis exists to support cross-cultural workers where they are, allowing them to flourish and grow further than they could on their own.

What if exhaustion, creeping bitterness, and stagnant personal skills were replaced with refreshment, contentment, and growth?

This type of life truly is possible.

Global Trellis Helps in Three Ways

1. Monthly workshops

No travel time, no need to wait. You have access to training, support, and empowerment at your fingertips. A new workshop is added at the beginning of every month. For a small fee you can learn from experts from the comfort of your own home. Once purchased, the workshop is added your personal portfolio and you can revisit any time. You can also browse through the growing list and participate in more than just this month’s workshop. This month’s workshop is Enneagram for Team Growth.

This short video shows you what an AMAZING space my web designer built.

2. Articles

To foster refreshment, contentment, and growth as a steady drip, enter the Tuesday and Thursday articles. Tuesdays are called Soul Tending Tuesdays; every Tuesday you will receive an invitation, insight, spiritual practice, or suggestion that will allow you to tend your soul as a cross-cultural worker. Thursdays are Skill Building Thursdays and you will be offered tips, insights, and suggestions to help you personally and professionally develop. You can receive the articles here.

3. Quarterly challenges

Every quarter you can join in a free challenge designed to keep your “Some day!” list short. The first challenge is live and is a Newsletter List Maintenance challenge. For seven days in a row, participants are emailed one task a day. It is available until the end of November.

One participant who completed it said, “I’ve been curious about how you’d be structuring these and this was skillfully done–effective but not overwhelming.”

Yay! Know any cross-cultural workers you could share the free challenge with? You can point them here to sign up.

Grow and Flourish Where You Are

You know how much I love books, so one of my personal favorites of Global Trellis is the library that contains resources both books and service providers. In the “book” section of the library you will find a book lovers dream: books to peruse! Currently there are five categories—leadership, cross-cultural, relationships, faith, and personal development—with over 100 books cataloged.

You need a place for your soul to be breath, your head to be engaged, and your heart to stay tender. You need Global Trellis.

So, that’s if you wonder why I’ve been so quiet here in recent week, now you know why! (Don’t you just love the look!!! My web designer has outdone himself. Thank you Ted!)

Community, Cross cultural

Getting Started is HERE!

“When will your book be done?”

I have a love/squirm relationship with that question. After sharing a project, the upside is all of the cheerleaders and people who genuinely are excited. On the downside, if you don’t have a definite date to publish, you get to be shifty again and again with, “Oh, I’m working on it.”

And you know if you receive The Messy Middle letters, I first said the book would be written last December, then in January, then March, then April, then in early May it was done and entered the editing and rewriting phase.

Publishing a book can be a lot like having a baby. You know it will happen, you just don’t know exactly when or how the birth process for that baby will be. (Famous line in our family comes from my Grandpa Farley as he was having to reschedule a flight back to Michigan because I was not entering the world at the predicted time. “Now, when don’t know when the baby will be born, do we?” Eternal scream from pregnant woman ensues.)

“Now, we don’t know when the book will be published, do we?” Eternal, oh you get it. But today?

Go ahead, ask me. “When can I buy Getting Started: Making the Most Of Your First Year in Cross-Cultural Service

I’ll try not to smile too big when I say, “Today!!!!!!!”

The lighting isn’t the best in that photo, but it was a Sunday night and the proof copy had arrived that day. I was too impatient to wait for daylight!

Getting Started is on Amazon (both Kindle and print).

This is the fourth time I’ve launched a book and again I feel a bit like I’m saying to you, “Do you like my baby? Will you, my people help raise her? Will you stand with me in the good times and hard? Will you still like me even when she disappoints or does stupid things?”

And all the people said, “We will!”

You might wonder, That’s great, but I’m not sure what to do. What can I do? Here are five ways you can help with this raising of Getting Started:

1. Celebrate! Of course I hope this book sells decently because I truly believe that too often we believe that our stories don’t matter. They do. Getting Started is a traveling companion and guide for those in their first year and the hope is that if the first year goes well (or at least better) than all of the following years will benefit. Even if “the following years” are not on the field.

But if this books sells and I have no one to share it with, what have I gained? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. What is worse than watching sports by yourself and having no one to high-five? Nothing. Okay, there are worse things, but in that moment, it’s pretty low.

I’m high-fiving you! Woot, woot! If you weren’t here, there would be no book. I did it. You encouraged me. We did it. Let’s enjoy this moment.

2. May I boldly suggest, buy a copy of Getting Started? Purchased copies through Amazon are the only way that Amazon will start to recommend Getting Started as an “also bought.”

4. Suggest or give Getting Started to someone you know who is in their first year. The best way a book sells is through word of mouth. If you tell them and they know you, they are much more likely to buy it.

5. Leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads. It does not need to be five stars (though if that’s what your heart is saying, go with your heart!). Amazon is funny, she just likes to see the amount of reviews. The more reviews (even three or four star), the more she will say, “Hey, maybe I should tell other people about this book.” The goal is 75.

6. Tell someone about Getting Started. You know tons of people I don’t know. You know people living in Sweden or working at this church or for that organization. You know your neighbor’s cousin who is moving to Brazil or your former coworker who recently started his life on the field. You know mission committee members and pastors and counselors.

You might be a blogger who would like to interview me or write a review of Getting Started (I can offer a copy as a giveaway). Who could you tell about this book?

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Three final thoughts:

  • If you want to buy Getting Started in bulk, leave a comment. I will contact you and we can work out a discounted rate.
  • I find authors who only talk about their books tedious. We get it, you wrote a book. How about living a life too?! My bias, I know. Later I’ll share a bit of the journey of this book and wanted to warn you in case you fear that every post is going to be about this book. It’s not. And I’m off to the Minnesota State Fair this weekend! How’s that for living a life :)?
  • Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. If any book is a communal one, this one is. More than 180 people participated in a survey that informs Getting Started and for the first time ever a Launch Team has read the book ahead of time and helped more people be prepared for their first year.

This is not my contribution to the world. It is ours. Look what we’ve done.

Because today is a day of celebration! Leave a comment and I’ll draw three of your names and you can give this book to someone you know—yourself included :). I love this GIF because so often, cross-cultural service is a bit like being in an episode of The Office. High five to us!

http://gph.is/1oU27j9

As we launch this book and wait to see how God will use it, I want to end with the benediction I gave at the end of the acknowledgments:

I thank my God every time I remember you. Philippians 1:3

Love,

Amy

P.S. One last time, here’s the link for Getting Started.

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