At the Christmas breakup of the Omega Writers Group last week, we were asked to compile our list of the “12 Yays of Christmas” – ie the things from the last 12 months that we are really thanking God for.

At first I found it rather tricky! After all, 2011 has been a tough year in many ways. I found out that my mother passed away in August. My father-in-law has just had a triple bypass. One of my sisters has been very unwell and off work for several weeks. My brother’s marriage broke down. We have had to endure and defeat a number of setbacks and obstacles in the process of subdividing our block of land, which means that financially things are a little stretched at the moment.

But once I got started the ideas flowed. My 12 Yays were surprisingly simple, and mostly related to my family. Some (like Number 2, 6, and 11) would probably appear on my list every year!

So, in no particular order, here are my 12 Yays of Christmas:

1. That our son graduated from high school.
2. For my wonderful husband.
3. That our cat Tigger survived (we nearly lost him to what we think was a tick, about a month ago).
4. That my father-in-law is now home from hospital and on the mend.
5. That I got a good report from the cardiologist after a number of tests (I have a family history of heart disease).
6. For another year of the Footprints magazine and ministry!
7. Being able to afford braces for our daughter.
8. That our son didn’t go to Schoolies and has resisted the drinking culture.
9. That God actually told me, when Miss 15 got up to mischief earlier this year (would love to blog about that one of these day – an amazing experience!)
10. That the subdivision of our land into two smaller blocks IS progressing (even if it is s-l-o-w-l-y).
11. For the promises of God in His Word that I am hanging on to!
12. That we are going on a family holiday (a cruise) this summer (seeing as Mr 17 didn’t go to Schoolies we wanted to do something special together).

What would be on YOUR 12 Yay’s of Christmas?

When life gives you a hundred reasons to cry, show life that you have a thousand reasons to smile!

“Mum, how do you say this name?” she asked. I demonstrated before rattling off that particular subscriber’s suburb and state.

“How do you know all that?” she asked in amazement, before testing my knowledge thoroughly. It became a game – each time she called out a first name, I would supply the surname, suburb and state. Sometimes, with a common Christian name, I had to rattle off quite a few possibilities before I hit the bulls-eye!

There are approximately 450 subscribers to Footprints at any one time,and yet somehow I know most of them by name and address. It’s easy to become familiar when I’m the one who reads your emails, contributions and subscriptions, types your details into the database, prints out the labels for each issue and the hundred and one other administrative tasks connected with issuing a quarterly magazine!

Although my daughter was most impressed that I knew all of “my” subscribers by name, here’s something that’s even more impressive! God knows by name, every single person ever to live on the face of the earth. And yet He knows so much more than that about each one of us. He not only knows your current and past addresses, He also knows your habits, likes and dislikes, dreams and desires, passions and pain.

He even knows the number of hairs on your head (Matt 10:30, Luke 12:7). Once again I am reminded of just how great, how awesome, yet how personal and loving our God is!

What about you? What sort of info “sticks” best in YOUR memory?

Marketing is NOT about you – it’s all about RELATIONSHIPS.

Successful relationships rely on being able to 1. communicate effectively; 2. respect the other person; 3. listen effectively; and 4. help the other person.

Bookstores

Don’t be afraid to introduce yourself to bookstores and/or organise a book signing. Start by emailing; follow up with a phone call two days later. Then, make face to face contact before the event.

Laura had little chocolates made up with a “Thanks, Laura” sticker on them, that she could hand out at events. She suggested steering clear of using bookmarks for promotion as these can be overdone.

When it comes to book signings, Laura’s key piece of advice is DON’T SIT AT THE BOOK TABLE! (Unless you bring a customer back.) Instead, roam the store and chat to the customers, ask them what sort of books they are looking for, try to be helpful, in fact – don’t even mention your book (unless asked)!

Media

Help the media and the bookstores by providing your bio (not just your writing background, but what’s interesting about you. Laura found that the media always picked up on the fact that she was orphaned at a young age); book cover; flyers; reader reviews; and of course, your contact details.

Laura recommends arriving an hour before any media interview to give you a chance to say hi and chat with staff.

If possible, get a photo of you with your book under their logo.

Make sure you send a thank you, Laura suggests 3 days afterwards – including the photo of you under their logo is a nice touch.

Speaking Opportunities

Laura used a mini pop up banner on the book table, if she was speaking or at a book signing. The banner showed her book cover and an author photo – just $25 from Officeworks!

If you are fortunate enough to be speaking at an event, always ask permission to sell your books.

The Book Launch

Laura suggests covering the books until after the speeches so people aren’t distracted when they could be meeting and mingling.

You could arrange to have a book launch in different towns. (Why settle for one launch when you can have more? What’s that saying – the more the merrier?!)

At the launch, get someone who’s actually read it, to talk about your book.

Give away a copy of your book. Laura likes to encourage the winner to send the book around the world – she includes a slip of paper inside the front cover so the winner can sign it, date it, and write their town before passing it on to another person after they’ve read it. Then that next person can then continue the chain …

One interesting anecdote – when Laura went into one particular bookstore, the buyer flicked through her book three times without reading a word. When Laura asked why, the buyer said, I was looking for lots of white space. People buy books that have lots of white space and don’t look too jam packed or intense … something to remember if you are self-publishing or have some say in the typesetting of your book!

As a mother of two teens myself, I have often thought about blogging about the roller coaster ride that is raising adolescents in this modern world. I have posted about it a time or two here (check out these posts: Fashion Wars; 18, Drug Free & a Virgin; Days of Discouragement;  The Kitchen Helper Experiment) on the Footprints blog, and have even thought about setting up a separate blog to create a place for discussion for other parents. Sometimes it would just be nice to have an outlet so that I can vent myself! And I would love to hear from others, to learn from their experiences, hear good advice, and other parenting tips.

Believe me, I have enough fodder to blog for years. Parties. Computers. Makeup. Household chores. Gaming. Fashion. Curfews. Peer Groups. Drugs and alcohol. Shoplifting. Sleepovers. Bullying. Dating. Anorexia. Cyberstalking. Homelessness. Self Harm. Part-time jobs. Sex. Rights and responsibilities. Porn. School. Leaving school. Queen Bees and Wannabes. Choosing a career. You name it, my husband and I have encountered it – either directly through the lives of our own teens or indirectly, through their friends and peers.

What constrains me is that as my children have grown older, they are no longer enthusiastic to learn that I have been writing, talking, or blogging about them. And in this high tech world, I know it won’t go undetected if I do. Nothing is private or hidden – sooner or later I’m bound to be found out!

If I could pass only one tip on to other parents of teens, it is this: make sure you have a great relationship with your kids (of any age) and keep the lines of communication open. 

And that’s why I blog less often about my teens these days. Because it is a sacred trust. The things they open up about, or that are going on in their lives – they don’t want available for the whole world to read. And my relationship with my kids is far more important to me than even the writing I so dearly love.

I’ve already made some moves to protect my kids’ identities on this blog – referring to them by age rather than name eg Mr 17 and Miss Not-Quite-15 (going-on-21 LOL).

Mr 17 is a bit of an introvert and a recluse who would be quite happy to be left in his cave (room) with his computer and other tech gadgets, only coming out occasionally in pursuit of food. (So our current parenting strategy is all about pushing him OUT of the nest, where he is entirely too comfortable!)

Miss Not-Quite-15 on the other hand has a very busy and active social life, which as she is indeed not quite 15, means that we are kept busy placing and sometimes enforcing limits and boundaries, in keeping with her tender age (much to her disgust!).

I have considered setting up a separate blog “anonymously”.  But basically it boils down to time (ie the lack of it).

So despite my laments about the lack of mummy blogs for mothers of teens, I don’t think I will be the one stepping into the gap anytime soon …

If you too are navigating the teen years, here are two books that have been a help to me. One is “He’ll be Okay: growing gorgeous boys into good men” by Celia Lashlie. The other is “What Teenage Girls Don’t Tell Their Parents” by Michelle Mitchell. Both are an eye-opener. Both offer a rare insight into the teenage psyche. Both will scare the pants off you at times, but reassure you at others. And both will remind you that THIS TOO SHALL PASS!

This week I was contacted by a ”very big and famous publication” for ideas on famous Aussie Christians that they could interview for an upcoming piece (no, not me, sadly). What they were after was a list of Aussies who are household names – and who happen to profess to be Christians. They knew of the original “Australian Idol” Guy Sebastian and the latest “Masterchef” winner Kate Bracks - but could I help them find any others?

I love a challenge like this so instantly put on my detective’s hat! First, I referred back to an article I wrote for Footprints way back in 2004 on Aussie celebrity Christians. Some of it was still useful but it was interesting to note how many had disappeared from the limelight (I guess there’s a lesson in that for all of us!) … for example, Kate Garven (actress in “Home and Away”, who spoke of her faith with women’s magazines when they covered her 2004 wedding), Tim Harding (from the original Hi-5 line-up), Deborah De Jong (interior decorator on TV show “Changing Rooms”), and former Miss World Australia, Nalishebo Gaskell (who shared on her faith and how her crown enabled her to help others, in an interview with “Evangel Now!” magazine).

THERE’S NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS

I was fortunate to meet and interview Colin Buchanan for a Footprints article, way back in 1998 – what a scoop for our fledgling magazine!  Colin has released several children’s gospel albums including “Follow the Saviour” and “Practise being Godly”, but is perhaps best known for his role as a presenter of “Playschool” on the ABC and Disney’s “Playhouse”.

Well known singer and actress Marina Prior has also spoken openly of her faith with women’s magazines such as the “Australian Women’s Weekly” and “Christian Woman”. According to her autobiography “Not Quite Ripe” Debra Byrne is another singer and actress, who has made a decision to follow Christ.

Over the years, reality shows have discovered a number of Aussie Christians who are very good at what they do – apart from the aforementioned  Guy Sebastian, ”Australian Idol” has introduced us to the talents of Paulini, Guy “Mutto” Mutton, Dean Geyer and Stan Walker, to name just a few.

Today, former “Perfect Match” hostess Kerrie Friend is a Christian and popular inspirational speaker. Journalist Leigh Hatcher has shared openly about his battle with Chronic Fatigue – and also about how his Christian faith has helped him.

Dianne Wilson was a presenter on Nine’s “Body & Soul” program, but is perhaps best known as an author of the best-seller “Fat Free Forever” and other books.

ART AND LITERATURE

Tim Winton is another author, of over a dozen books including “Cloudstreet” and “Dirt Music”. Winton was brought up in a Christian home, a “faith he maintains and which is subtly threaded through much of his work” (“Australian Women’s Weekly”, October 2002).

Carolyn Donovan’s name might not be familiar to Australians, but her face certainly is. As a model, she has been the face of Millers (and I’m sure that’s her in the Vanish OxyAction ad but haven’t been able to confirm it!). She has also written two books ”Journey of a Princess” and “Chooks in Stilettos” to encourage other women in the Christian faith. (You can read more about Carolyn here).

Ken Duncan is renowned internationally for his panoramic photographs of God’s awesome creation.  He has written about his faith in several of the  ”Australian Stories” books published by Strand. 

Artist David Hart (son of Pro) is also a Christian.  I had the privilege of interviewing David for the “Evangel Now!” magazine several years ago.; while Heather Blacklock is an indigenous artist whose story appears in Carolyn Donovan’s book, “Journey of a Princess”.

WIDE WORLD OF SPORT

Footballers often get a bad rap, which makes those who are “different” all the more extraordinary. Consider Jason Stevens, who played Rugby League for Australia. In 2002 Jason released a book “Worth the Wait: true love and why the sex is better”, encouraging young people to save sex for marriage, and  the difference Christ has made to his life. He has since married fashion stylist Rebecca.

Shaun Hart, former Brisbane Lion, amazed viewers of the opening game of the 1999 AFL season.  When the Lions’ head trainer had a heart attack, Shaun prayed even after medics had pronounced him dead.  After six minutes, the trainer miraculously survived.  He later underwent surgery and made a complete recovery.  Shaun “knows – and believes in – the power of God and prayer” (“Signs of the Times”, Nov 2001).  

Other Aussie Christian sport stars include champion windsurfer Allison Shreeve; golfer Aaron Baddeley; swimmer Jessicah Schipper; Deb Lovely-Acason, Olympic weight-lifter; former jockey Darren Beadman and tennis great Margaret Court.

Betty Cuthbert, Olympic medallist, was quoted in the “Sydney Morning Herald” in 1996.  “A lot of people think born-again Christians are loopy … I wish they would take time to find out what it means.”

LET’S GET POLITICAL

Former Prime Minister John Howard and deputy Prime Minister John Anderson have openly spoken of their faith in Christ, as has former treasurer Peter Costello.

OUTSTANDING AUSSIES

Peter’s brother Tim Costello is CEO of World Vision in Australia. Although not necessarily household names, there are a number of other Aussie Christians who have achieved great things in various fields – Glenn Stevens, governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia; Hugh Evans, founder of the Oaktree Foundation; Hugh Mackay, psychologist, social researcher and writer; and Erica Bartles, former journalist turned blogger and media commentator.

Each of these celebrities is to be commended for trying to give our society positive role models in their chosen fields, and for their witness to the media and the public in general. 

However, we should never forget that like any of us, they may not always make the right choices – so let’s pray for them that they will continue to grow in God, and be strong ambassadors for Christ!

As you can see, this list will be ever-changing and evolving – if you know of any other famous Aussie Christians, would love to hear about it!

I wish you could see how beautiful and glossy they are – this pic really doesn’t do them justice. Inside you’ll find the story behind Footprints, as well as info on our two books “Clues to your Calling” and “Decadence”, an invitation for writers, and of course, how to sign up to our great mag!

But the catch is – they’re no good just sitting here in the Footprints office.

We need to get them out into the community, so that more people can learn about our wonderful little mag! This is where YOU can help!

If you would like some brochures to pass on to your church, ladies group, playgroup, school, family or friends, all you have to do is ASK! Write or email us with your name and address, along with how many brochures you think you could use.

And to thank you for helping us, we’re running a special comp. Each person who requests some brochures will go into the draw to WIN a copy of “Climbing Mountains: one young woman’s journey through breast cancer” by Stacey Charbachi  and “God’s Poetry: the identity and destiny encoded in your name” by Anne Hamilton. What do these two books have in common (apart from being a great inspirational read, of course!)?

Both of the authors are subscribers to Footprints! Oh, and both books are available from our good friends at www.lightthedark.com.au.

 The competition closes on 31 July – so make sure you order  your brochures today, to go in the draw to WIN!

Here is just a summary of some of the benefits that I have noticed since giving Facebook the flick:

•  I have FINALLY after 44 years, mastered the art of making grandma’s chocolate fudge. Up til now it never set or went too hard. I am very proud of this achievement!
• In fact, I have been doing quite a bit more cooking and baking, experimenting with new recipes. As Miss 14 said a week or two ago, “I’m glad you don’t do Facebook anymore Mum, because now you do heaps of baking, just like when I was little!” Awwwww bless her little cotton socks!
• With the help of Youtube, I have now learnt to crochet. So far I have made a cushion cover, and have started a big blankie! This might seems simple, but has been a lifelong dream of mine to learn how to crochet. I love being able to keep my hands busy while watching telly and keeping hubby company!
• And of course, I have been doing more writing – for Footprints magazine, for this blog, for the FOCUS ezine, on topics as varied as numbers in the Bible, Christians & swearing, being a Christian leader, a story about a local ministry “Pink Pamper Packs” (look for this one in the next issue of Footprints!), and our relationship with our pets.
• Have also enjoyed some great DVDs and TV viewing with the fam – I highly recommend “Letters from Juliet” as a great chick flick! – and Loz and I have been reliving our childhood watching the Six Million Dollar Man series, which has been quite a lot of fun!
• Loz and I have been playing heaps of games together lately resulting in much fun and laughter!

I am sure there are many more benefits, although I can’t think of them right now. I don’t think I’ll be re-activating FB anytime soon … and needless to say, I’m in no hurry to check out Google+!

It’s no secret – I love doing Footprints! I love being editor. I love receiving emails and letters from readers, and getting submissions, and doing the layout, and signing up new subscribers, and keeping our Facebook and Twitter pages up to date, and producing the monthly FOCUS ezine, and meeting readers when we have a stall or I do a speaking gig … 

 But there is one thing I really, REALLY hate.

Having to reject submissions.

It’s tricky. I don’t want to hurt the contributor’s feelings. I hope that they will continue working on their writing. I don’t want them to hate me and Footprints forever. I want to encourage them to try again. I appreciate their taking the time to submit, and their interest in our little mag. I enjoy reading their stories. But that doesn’t mean it’s right for Footprints.

It is really hard to sum all this up diplomatically in one little email!

At times it is simple – the contributor hasn’t followed the guidelines. So it’s not hard to turn down a 2000 word story, because if they’d read our guidelines or our magazine, they would know that it’s wayyyyy too long to be of any use. If they are prepared to work at condensing it to a more reasonable word length, they are welcome to re-submit it.

Sometimes it is very theological or academic – too heavy for our publication. Again, I have no problem letting the contributor know. If they are willing to adjust their style, I am happy to see the revised article.

Sometimes they submit a story on a topic we have just covered or are about to cover, so I don’t have a problem letting them know if that’s the reason for the rejection.

But then there are the other articles – the ones that just don’t quite make it. Often they are very, very close but just miss the mark. So I admit it – my standard “get out” clause is to say “It’s not quite right for Footprints”.

What this means is – I really CAN’T put my finger on it. Maybe it is just my editorial gut instinct, that I know when something won’t work in our mag. But to explain it? That’s really difficult (and time-consuming) to do!

So if you submit to us – thank you! We need your stories!!! But please, forgive me if I do have to reject your work. I hate doing it probably even more than you hate receiving it.

Many publications won’t respond to your submission or pitch unless they are interested in it. I have to say, that option is looking more and more appealing to me …

What do YOU think?

See ya later, Facebook!

And it seems I’m not alone … just read this from the Herald Sun today!

In my case, the Lord planted the seed in my heart about a month ago when I first heard of Footprints reader Jo’s love/hate relationship with Facebook. You can read what she has to say about it by clicking here and here.

I began to realise that Facebook was controlling me. There had to be life beyond the computer screen! As if I don’t spend enough of my time tapping away at the keyboard – at work, running Footprints, at home …

At first I didn’t want to know about it. Facebook and I were quite comfortable with each other’s company, thanks very much. But then I began to wonder … what if ???...

It took a few weeks but it began to make sense.  So I de-activated my personal Facebook account.

(Don’t worry, I haven’t gone completely cold turkey. I still have the Footprints Facebook page to look after! But that’s much easier for me to keep in perspective.)

It was worth it just for the big smile and hug I got from my hubby when I announced my decision to him! He was totally thrilled.

Facebook has been the major cause of our relatively few disagreements over recent years. First of all, he wasn’t comfortable with the thought of me connecting with guys I knew before I met him. At first I thought he was being paranoid, but the Lord softened my heart so I agreed that I would not ”friend” or accept friend requests from any male that he did not know.

Many times hubby mentioned that he felt a bit neglected especially once teenage son and daughter also began Facebooking.

My husband is a more private person than I am, and was not sure why I would want to post photos on Facebook for all the world to see. I changed my privacy settings so that only my “friends” could see them – all nearly 500 of them.

What nudged me to take the final step? I realised I was spending more time with my “friends” online – and I use the term loosely – than with my loved ones and my REAL friends. Why was I spending so much time chatting to people that hadn’t had the time of day for me back in high school? Or people that are really only acquaintances?

If they were REAL friends, I shouldn’t need Facebook to stay connected with them!

It’s been an interesting journey. The first few days I did suffer from withdrawal symptoms. I was cranky. I felt at a bit lost after work in the evenings (when I used to log on), and on the weekend, so I had more nanna naps and went to bed earlier!

One evening, my daughter and I baked up a storm. I planted some more vegies in my garden. I watched some DVDs with the family. I even caught myself vaccuming the house on my day off instead of Facebooking!

I’ve done more writing than I’ve done in ages. Just look at how many times I’ve blogged this month, compared to previous months! Consider my last post, on Christians and swearing. Facebook so filled my life that I would never have even stopped to PONDER the issue, let alone taken the time to WRITE about it.

I’ve spent more quality time with my husband, and I don’t think it’s any coincidence that I feel more relaxed in general. Hubby is not just enjoying my physical presence (now that I’m not ducking away to check Facebook all the time), but I’m emotionally present as well.

So yes, there is life after Facebook.

A handful of friends and relatives know of my decision to give Facebook the flick. Only one of my Facebook “friends” has contacted me, worried by my sudden disappearance, which was sweet, but one out of nearly 500? It seems Facebook is coping quite well without me!

 One thing I know for sure. When I get to the end of this life, I won’t be wishing that I’d spent more time on Facebook!

I recently read a post on David Santistevan’s blog entitled “How To Be A Fake Worship Leader” and it’s inspired me to write this similar post, applying it to all those in Christian leadership but particularly Christian writers, authors and editors (like me!).

(You can check out the original post here.)

25 Ways to be a Fake Christian Author / Editor

The last thing you probably want is to be a fake ministry leader.  But it’s easy to do. If you’re anything like me, the flesh craves acknowledgement and recognition, compliments and praise! (I know I’m not alone … check out this blog post by Aussie Christian author Jo-Anne Berthelsen). It’s a continual effort to keep my heart and my motives pure - to ensure that I am doing what I do (writing and leading Footprints) to glorify God, not myself. 

This tongue-in-cheek list reminds me of what NOT to do …. 

1. Don’t pray 

2. Never intercede for your readers, contributors and advertisers

3. Don’t meditate on Scripture 

4. Live off  yesterday’s anointing 

5. Tell your readers and team members to do something you’re not willing to do - or worse, write in a way that tells them to DO WHAT I SAY, NOT WHAT I DO!

6. Don’t worship or take the time to maintain your own personal relationship with Jesus 

7. Compete with other Christian authors, editors and magazines (Shouldn’t we cooperate and collaborate? We are all on the same team after all!)

8. Write as though you are the expert, and put yourself on a spiritual pedestal

9. Don’t encourage other writers and editors

10. Use lots of  “you musts” and “you shoulds” in your writing

11. Develop an easy system and coast with it – don’t strive for excellence or to constantly improve your writing 

12. Ignore accountability 

13. Gossip and put down other publications / authors

14. Ignore the connection between your public & private life 

15. Refuse to accept edits or consider criticism of your work 

16. Stop answering altar calls 

17. Prepare only your magazine / article / book, not your heart 

18. Only worship God & study His Word when you’re writing an article

19. Ignore input from your pastor and your other ministry leaders and/or mentors

20. Don’t pursue a deeper knowledge of God 

21. Stay busy, ignore your family 

22. Keep your private sin private 

23. Don’t be desperate for God to move through you and your writing, just write whatever you want, or only to make a buck

24. Never speak of Jesus in your writing

25. Refuse to get involved with a church – you can make it on your own, thanks verymuch!

Question: How do you keep yourself from being a fake in your ministry?