7 Quick Takes (Volume 82)

1)
Greetings from snowy Estes Park, Colorado! It feels more like February than May with temperatures in the thirties and snow falling off and on since we arrived Wednesday evening. I admit I panicked when I read the weather reports early in the week, putting Estes Park in a Winter Weather Warning expecting 12-24 inches of snow by Wednesday night. I rattled the prediction to everyone I saw, entreating their prayers, but God showed me yet again how worry is a complete waste of time. The roads were great and the drive breathtaking.


If you were one who prayed for travel mercies, THANK YOU! Your prayers were answered.

2) I'm in Estes for a writer's conference. Each day is PACKED with workshops, panel discussions, continuing sessions, and speakers. So much information dished out to my tired, soggy brain is wearing me out, but I'm soaking up as much as I can and praying for my next step (Remember what happened the last time I prayed for that?). So far all I'm hearing is "keep doing what you're doing."

I'm reminded of 2 Samuel 22:26, "To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless."

I guess that's all I need to know, huh?

3) I e-mailed my snowy pictures pictures back to my kids and had to laugh when Miss Innocent One replied, "Wow! That's awesome! But if you don't like it we feel your pain back in Beatrice. It hasn't changed AT ALL since you left. I hope you're having fun though. I'm sorry if you haven't gotten to wear your cute heels yet! Love ya!"

Should I be worried my 11-year-old is more concerned about my fashion woes than my personal safety?

4) Hallelujah, glory be and praise the Lord! Every time I've talked with other conference participants and they ask how old my kids are, they've responded with, "You look too young to have kids that old." One should keep in mind, however, that all of us are running on little sleep and probably aren't focusing too well. One should also consider the glazed eyes from information overload. Yeah, now it makes sense. No one is seeing straight. But, hey, I'll take whatever I can get!

5) All winter I've been trying to show you this freaky phenomenon that happens to my fingers whenever my hands get cold. I've tried to take pictures myself, but I can hardly take a decent picture with two hands, let alone one. The cold weather in Colorado produced the effect again and Kevin was there to document it. When my hands get cold, some of my fingers will go numb and look dead. Can you tell which of my fingers are numb in these pictures?



Now do you see why I latch onto any suggestion I'm not old?

6) I've met some delightful people here and enjoyed hearing their stories of how God has led them on their writing journeys. One woman carried a dream of writing for 46 years, and now at 62 is seeing it come to fruition with God's blessing. Another lives with a difficult illness, losing her job, her home and even friends, but found God's good in it by publishing books which help others deal with the same illness. I love the reminders of God's creativity and perfect timing.

7) I'm sorry this week's Quick Takes seems a little lackluster. Is it because I wasn't home enough to regale you with stories of my goofy kids? What will I ever find to write about once they move on? Let's attribute it to my mushy brain, okay? I don't want to think about the other.

Have a great weekend, friends. Check out some other Quick Takes at Conversion Diary.