Five for Friday – Week 4

• September
• 3

I love stopping on  a Friday and thinking about what made me smile this week. So here’s the list of what’s made this Footprints editor, wife and mum flash her pearly whites since her last Five for Friday post!

1. The new edition of Footprints is out now!!!!! Always a highlight … and I love getting feedback and hearing exactly which articles are touching a chord with our readers. It gives me fresh momentum to start getting the next issue together!

2. Mr 16 thanked us for praying for him – he was having a rough time with a couple of subjects at school, and they both miraculously came good!

3. Hubby cleaned up the kitchen and left it spotless this morning because he knew it was my day off. (Yes, his primary love language is “acts of service”!)

4. Telling my daughter and her best friend that I bought tickets for the three of us to go to the Michael Jackson tribute concert on 18 September! We will have an awesome girl’s night out together!

5. Buying gifts for my husband for Father’s Day. I ironed a work shirt for him this morning and was taken aback by how faded and shabby it looked – so I bought him three new ones, and a pair of trousers.  He’s also getting a new wallet - again, sorely needed – and a family-sized black of chocolate with almonds. Although I’m a chocoholic, chocolate with nuts is not really my thing so this is JUST FOR HIM (if we can keep the kids away from it that is!).

How about you? Can you list five things that made YOU smile this week?

The Footprints Mascot

• September
• 1

It seems that Footprints now has a mascot – introducing Sophie de la Snuggles (pronounced Snoo- gals). She’s one snuggly puppy!

There is a bit of a story behind how Sophie joined my family. My husband was studying part-time a few years ago in addition to working fulltime, so I often went to bed while he hit the books. It was a trying time – both of us resented being separated by his studies. So he bought me this beautiful toy puppy for me to cuddle in bed when I was missing him … and somehow she has become a part of the family, with a real personality and her own trademark sayings.

Sophie loves sitting on people’s heads and pretending that she is a hat (as you can see in the photo). I can often be found at the computer with her peering at the screen from her favourite perch, or else she sits on the desk to keep me company while I type.

I’ve brought Sophie with me to Footprints Team retreats so that I don’t miss out on cuddles in bed (no boys allowed!), so most of the Team have met her and are very familiar with Sophie-isms. Somehow Sophie has won all their hearts, and now it seems her charm is extending to our readers -  so it seems only natural to make her our mascot! 

Sometimes I think I’ve missed my calling, I’m so good at doing voices and creating characters for the kids’ stuffed toys (when they were younger) and now Sophie – maybe I should have become a puppeteer! Nah, I think I’ll stick with Footprints …

My Pet Peeves

• August
• 29

At the risk of sounding like a cranky old bag, I’ve compiled a random list of what cheeses me off  – for my own amusement – because number one on the list is …

- I hate being bored!

- drivers who do the wrong thing on the road (especially at roundabouts) and then beep ME!

- being interrupted when I am in the writing “zone”.

- running out of milk or bread.

- having nothing decent to read.

- waiting in the queue at the Cleveland Post Office – it doesn’t matter WHEN you go, the queue always snakes out to the door! They have at least six counters – why oh why don’t they employ more staff so that someone is serving at each of them?!

- people who aren’t friendly. ESPECIALLY Christians who aren’t friendly. We are family, for goodness’ sake!!!! And limp fish handshakes – ewwww.

- grotty floors. When I was a fulltime mum, and was down about the state of the house, my hubby always knew that all it took to cheer me up was to sweep or vaccuum and voila! A sparkling house once more!

- people who don’t like / subscribe to Footprints. I mean, what’s THAT about?! Especially if they are Christian women! Even if they don’t read, or don’t have time to read. THAT’S NO EXCUSE! They should get Footprints a. to support an independent Aussie Christian ministry (and it’s cheap as chips); and b. if they seriously don’t/won’t read it, give it away – surely someone they know would enjoy it?!

- people who say “I’ve always wanted to write” or “I’m going to write a book one day” and then do NOTHING about it. If you really seriously want to write, you will. End of story.

- I get cranky if I have to go too long without a decent home cooked meal, including LOTS of vegetables!

- Not getting enough sleep … this includes enjoying a Saturday morning sleep in, and the odd nanna nap …

- Making the once a week trek to the Footprints PO Box only to find *NOTHING* inside. Oh sob, oh weep, oh gnashing of teeth!

- Aniseed lollies. Every time we buy a packet of jellies or jubes, I avoid those dratted black lollies. So I can never watch a movie in the dark and just grab any old lolly from the pack – I always have to check the colour first! Luckily my hubby loves them!

- I really, really, REALLY don’t like making phone calls. Maybe it’s a phobia. I mean, I make them when I have to but … I dread it.

- Self-published books that aren’t properly edited … especially Christian self-published books … we serve the King of Kings and we should strive for excellence in all we do! (Note I said excellence, not perfection, which is impossible …).

- People who say, “We must get-together sometime!” but never follow it up (and yes I am guilty of this myself sometimes), but in particular I’m thinking of those I try to actually arrange a date with but are never, ever free … hey I can take a hint peoples!

My list could go on forever I suppose! But then I got to thinking, what cheeses God off? What are his pet peeves??? Proverbs 6:16 -19 tells us the answer, here is Janet’s paraphrase:

God has six pet peeves, actually seven that really cheese Him off:
- snobby people who look down their nose at others, 
- liars, 
- those who harm the innocent,
- self-centred people who think only of themselves,
- those who turn their backs on Him,
- two-faced people who are nice to your face, but stab you in the back; 
- and people who stir up trouble (especially in the body of Christ).

Yep, I’d have to agree with Him on all of these!

What Grabs You?

• August
• 27

Squeeeeeeeeeeeeee! It’s here! Footprints Issue 51 is here and I have a copy in my hot little hand … and I think this is the very first time that we have featured a ravishing redhead on the cover!

If you’re a subscriber, you should find yours in the mailbox within the next week (a little bit longer if you live overseas). Inside it you’ll find all the heart-warming, real-life, God-glorifying stories that you know and love. So which one are you looking forward to reading the most?!

• Climate Change: what’s a Christian to do?!
• A week in the life of a School Chaplain
• Jewels for Jesus: the story behind Faith Insignias
• Quiz time – do you have a ME addiction?!
• God’s hand on my life … real life testimonies from our readers
• 10 ways to lose a baby Christian (oops I think we have all done some of these …)
• A walk for a cause in Walk the Line

Plus all our regular columns – My Favourite Scripture, which looks at a verse about depression; a review of a new Aussie book; and God Answered My Prayer, from somebody who just couldn’t pray (I think we’ve all been there at one time or another!).

Being the editor I guess I have the advantage because I know exactly what each story is all about … but there are several things I’m loving in this new issue.

First of all, I’m always a sucker for anything fun – so I love quizzes, and think it would be a good idea to find out how NOT to lose a baby Christian! And as for climate change … all I can say is, I couldn’t agree more with the thoughts in this article!

I’m always inspired to learn of Christians who are doing business God’s way, so I loved the story of Faith Insignias; not to mention hearing about Christians who are putting feet to their faith, and doing something to raise awareness and funds for a good cause in “Walk the Line”.  Then I read the article from a school chaplain and couldn’t help thinking – they get PAID to do this stuff?! Seriously though, it’s not all fun and games, as you will find in this behind the scenes diary.

Maybe I’m biased, but I think this new issue is packed with a variety of great stories … hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed putting it together!

Love Janet.

Five for Friday – Week 3

• August
• 21

Okay I admit it, I had the blues yesterday and didn’t feel like thinking about what I am thankful for … blame those raging hormones!

So this post might be a day late, but it’s NEVER too late to be thankful! Here’s my list of five things that made me smile this week …

1. I finished the new edition of Footprints (#51) and sent it to the printer … here’s a sneak peek at the cover (see you get special treatment because you read this blog!):

2. I enjoyed a fun night out for dinner with my workmates on Tuesday night.

3. Praise God for ibuprofen tablets – conquering the menstrual migraine so I could smile again!

4. A husband who loves me and gives me lots of cuddles even when I have my cranky pants on.

5. Not having to go to work yesterday when it was raining and miserable, and I was feeling decidedly down in the dumps - instead I got to snuggle under my doona with a new book, “The Significant You … and Me”. Even more exciting, it was written by a Footprints reader and contributor, Dianne Riley. Thanks Dianne!

Now over to you! What five things made YOU smile this week?