Thursday, February 14, 2013

Did You Miss Karen Witemeyer's Interview?

Have you been by to visit my new residence?

If you didn't, you missed my interview with author Karen Witemeyer on Tuesday. But don't worry, you still have the opportunity to read it by clicking here.

Come join me in the brand new Drawing Room!



Friday, February 8, 2013

The Drawing Room is Moving

Pardon the boxes. It's moving day.

Photo: FreeDigitalPhotos.net
I'm very excited to announce that The Drawing Room is moving to a new home. My home. I've been working for a while on getting a webpage up, and I'm finally happy with what I have and what it looks like and everything, so I'm moving in. There's still a lot of work to do, but it's ready for occupation.

I hope you've enjoyed reading this blog and you'll move with me.

The new home is blog.KristiAnnHunter.com.

I'm a little nervous. As with any new home, there's bound to be some kinks and adjustments to be made, but it's still exciting to move, in essence, from renting to owning.

I hope you'll come and join me.


Tuesday, February 5, 2013

I'm Going To Be Published... Sort of... Kinda... Okay, not really, but it's still cool!

Confused by the title? Let me explain.

If you follow me on Facebook, you know I've been a little quiet for the last week. It's because I've been getting everything ready for our anniversary celebration at Regency Reflections!


As part of the celebration we wrote a serial story. That means I will have fiction writing put out for all the world to read. Which is sort of like being published, but not really. 

The event is going to be fun. We've hidden prizes throughout the story for readers to find for a chance of winning all eight prizes. I have to say I'm having some serious thoughts about getting myself a copy of the Bible in the prize pack. (I didn't donate it, but I saw the picture and it's gorgeous!) 

I would love to have you swing over to Regency Reflections and join the party. The story is a lot of fun, and one of the best parts is that we're letting the readers decide how it ends! 

Friday, February 1, 2013

More Than a Wildflower ~ Life Lessons from Hand-Me-Downs

I have a lot of nieces. That has translated to having a lot of clothes passed down.

And I do mean a lot. Three of my nieces are near the same size, so when they out grow those clothes, they filter down to my kids. That's three wardrobes worth of clothes. Believe me - it's a bit overwhelming, but it's a wonderful problem to have to figure what to do with all those clothes. I haven't had to buy much.

As my oldest child grows, the hand-me-downs become a little less. When kids get older they actually wear out some of their clothes, so there's less to pass down.

I had to go buy a pair of jeans the other day because several of the previously-loved pairs chose to become trendy and rip holes in the knees, thereby relegating themselves to the play-clothes drawer. As I bought the jeans, it occurred to me that when we moved up the next size, I was going to have to buy more jeans. There weren't many in the box in the closet.

Having to plan on buying more jeans meant having to plan for an adjustment in the budget for kids clothes. Right now, our budget is tight (who's isn't?) so that wasn't a happy thought.

But you know what is a happy thought? My God loves me.

Field of Wildflowers and a sunset
San Carlos Wildflowers, via Wikimedia Commons
I posted a few weeks ago about realizing the connection between the verses Jesus spoke about God caring for the sparrows and the verses about seeking first the Kingdom of God. That connection floored me and adjusted my thinking and prayer life since.

And God came through.

I'll be honest, it didn't occur to me to start praying for jeans when she's still several months from needing that next size. There were problems that seemed much closer that needed my prayer and focus more than my daughter's wardrobe.

But God is so big that He can hear me on all of those looming issues and still take care of the little ones that I've forgotten.

Romans 8:26 says, "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express."

I've always considered this passage as dealing with more spiritual things. Like when we don't realize what we really need to pray for is boldness or humility or something like that. But I think now that the Spirit also prays for jeans. Or a sunny day. Or a flat tire so that you miss getting caught in that big pile up on the way to work. He knows exactly what we need in our lives even when we forget or don't know in the first place.

Photo: FreeDigitalPhotos.net
We have a friend at church that occasionally gives us dresses her granddaughter has outgrown. Last week she gave us a huge box of clothes. Inside were six pairs of jeans in the exact size my daughter will need next. It's not a size that is all that easy to find either.

I am humbled by this tangible example of Jesus' promise in Luke 12:22-34. As my family has made a very conscious effort lately to seek more of the Kingdom of God, He has seen our need before it even arrives and He has provided. He has demonstrated that He loves me more than the wildflowers. And when it comes time to put those jeans in the drawer, I will remember His provision and tear up all over again.

God loves us. More than we can ever know. He loves you. Run to Him. Seek His kingdom and His righteousness and you will not be disappointed. He doesn't promise everyone a big box of hand-me-downs. Your miracle will look different than mine. But never fear, He will show up with exactly what you need, even if you don't know what that something is.


Tuesday, January 29, 2013

We Should All Be Hypocrites

I'm a hypocrite.

More to the point, I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm hypocrite.

To start this conversation, we all need to be on the same page about what we're talking about when I say "hypocrite". I don't go by the straight dictionary definition, because I don't think people mean the actual dictionary definition when they use this word.

According to dictionary.com, a hypocrite is a person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that he or she does not actually possess, especially a person whose actions belie stated beliefs.  The only problem I have with that definition is the word "pretends".  What is the word for someone who actually has principles and beliefs but their actions go against the stated beliefs? I believe this person would still be called a hypocrite in the English language.

So, the simple definition to be used for the rest of this article for hypocrite is: a person who says one thing and does another.

And by that definition, I am a hypocrite. All Christians should be hypocrites.

Here's why: we're broken. I don't care how diligent, prayerful, and dedicated you are as a follower of Christ, you will sin. It is inevitable. That does not mean we just go about sinning, but it is a fact of life that we must accept. (Read Romans 6, and probably a few commentaries and Bible studies for the full import of this sentiment.)

What this means is that even though I stand on the Word of God as truth and perfect guidance, you will occasionally see me mess up. I may take out my bad mood on someone and yell at them. For that matter, I may be in a bad mood and just complain about life. (Philippians 2:14 if you want to reference that wrongdoing.)

My screw-up makes me human, not wrong. But, if I have spoken the truth of God and stated that I believe we should go through life without complaining or arguing, it also makes me a hypocrite.

I teach teenagers. When I teach them, I do my best to tell them what the Word of God says, what He wants them to do, how He wants them to live, and ways that they can live according to His desires. I believe what I am saying to them 100%.

They have seen me screw up. They have called me on it and together we've discussed what went wrong, how I could have done things differently, and what God says about it.

But what if you're not  a hypocrite. What does that mean? Well, it means one of two things.

1. Your life is perfect, or at least appears to be. If you have gotten so close to God that you truly do not sin anymore, I would seriously like to meet you and have you teach me some things. If you have managed to build the appearance of perfection, beware because that house of cards is going to fall down in shambles one day.

OR

2. You aren't speaking the truths of the Bible. This is more likely the reason you aren't a hypocrite. Because in order to be a hypocrite you have to say one thing is true and then do something that belies that statement.

Often it's fear of being labeled a hypocrite that makes us hold our tongue and not tell people about the wonders of Jesus. But look at the opportunities you miss. Every time someone labels you "the H word" you have the opportunity to say, "Yes, you're right, and God loves me anyway. Isn't that amazing?"

Don't be afraid to be a hypocrite. Look at Peter. He was the ultimate hypocrite - denying Jesus three times only hours after committing to stand with him to the death. And yet Jesus said the church would be built on Peter's confession of faith.

Let me close with this. God isn't happy that we're hypocrites. He would prefer we live upright, blameless lives with no blemish on our souls. I would prefer that, too, and I try for it every day. But when I fall, I'm glad His grace is there to catch me, put me back on my feet, and tell me that His love never fails. And I'm glad I get to share that truth, too.

Friday, January 25, 2013

It's Not Worth It Until Someone's Willing to Pay ~ Life Lessons from Auctions

Last year Edvard Munch's artwork, The Scream, became the most expensive piece of art sold at auction selling for $119,922,500.

You can watch the video of the sale here. It's short and somewhat interesting to see how it works and how quickly $120 Million was spent.

That's a lot of money.

I like art. I took an art history class in college and really enjoyed it.  The Scream is one of those famous paintings I've always found, well, ugly. For someone, though, it's a piece of art they want to enjoy looking at so much that they dropped a record setting amount of money on it.

If you look into other off-the-chart options you'll find things like Marilyn Monroe's "Happy Birthday, Mr. President" dress, which sold for more than $1.2 million or one of Leonardo Da Vinci's journals that sold for a whopping $30.8 Million. (You can see more high auction prices here and here.)

Sometimes I understand the high price of certain auction items. Other times I'm left baffled.

Have you ever seen Antiques Roadshow? It's a PBS program where people bring in random things from their homes or families and experts tell them how much a particular item is worth. Most of the time, it isn't worth a whole lot, but every once in a while a special item comes along that gets a massive value tag. Owners get excited and you can tell that some of them are planning on auctioning the piece off as soon as they figure out how.

The thing is, that item, whatever it is, isn't really worth that much until someone is willing to pay it.

Recently the piano from Casablanca was sold. It was valued before the sale at $1.2 Million. But it wasn't really worth that much because the most anyone was willing to pay for it was $600,000. Half the anticipated value. Baseball cards, collectibles, art - all of these items get touted as being "worth" a certain amount of money. But if you go to sell it and no one will pay it... was it really worth that much?

I look at the auction of The Scream and all I can think is that someone wanted that piece of art really badly. That pastel on board that I think is pretty atrocious, means a lot to someone else. I hope that intend to put it somewhere they can look at it and enjoy their purchase.

All of that makes me realize just how valuable I am.

You see, once upon a time, my life was on the auction block. When sin entered the world, mankind - and myself by extension - became sullied. Worth less than expected, or at least we assumed.

But the fact is that God stepped up to the auction house where our lives wait in havoc and chaos, and He places a bid. He says He can pay the price, far above what anyone else, myself included, ever thought it was worth.

My life, your life, are valuable enough for him to pay the price with Jesus' death, suffering, and resurrection.
Talk about your high-value auction item.

Sometimes I think I'm ugly, and not always on the outside. Sometimes I think I'm not worth much, but the price paid says otherwise. It says I'm worth Jesus giving His life.

And that makes me feel pretty special.

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

I Don't Watch Downton Abbey And Other Confessions of a Regency Writer

Every group has its "popularities". Stereotypes or things that most of the group, or seemingly most of the group, likes or does.

Authors have a lot of them.

Regency authors have even more.

I have decided to come clean and confess that there are a few areas where I don't mesh with my sisters (and the occasional brother!) in writing. So, have a seat and be sure you aren't drinking anything. I wouldn't want you to choke on my shocking confessions.

1. I don't watch Downton Abbey. 

Yes, I know, it's shocking. It seems that most of my Regency writing friends are hooked on it. I watched the first season and then I was kinda over it. The house is gorgeous and you have to love the clothes, but the plot and such just don't do anything for me.

2. I'm not a huge fan of Georgette Heyer.

If you don't hang out in the world of Regency authors, you may not realize that this is an even more shocking announcement than someone saying they aren't a huge fan of Jane Austen. Heyer was the mother of the historical romance novel and many current authors grew up reading her books. Some people I've talked to tell me I just haven't read the right ones, and that's quite possible. As of yet, I am not a Heyer fan though.

3. I don't drink coffee.

Not even occasionally. Take me to Starbucks and I'll order something with chocolate in it.

4. I'm not a cat person.

I've about decided that this is a blessing, given the number of friends I've had that mention the horrors of trying to keep the kitty off the keyboard. I don't have any pets really, but if I were to have a large one it would more likely be a dog than a cat.

5. I don't know a dangling participle from a split infinitive. Seriously. I don't even know what they are. Those are just terms I looked up on Google so I could write that sentence. 

My. Grammar. Stinks. Really. I don't know the third thing about grammar. (I figure the first is nouns and verbs and the second is adjectives and adverbs.) I have a dear friend that edits my grammar, but when I'm writing my first drafts, the pages are full of passive participles axing infinitives while they hang off the side of a cliff. At least, I assume they are since I don't know what those are so have no way of avoiding them. And commas.... I don't think I could place one correctly if you offered me $1,000 to do so, no matter how many times my very patient, dear friend has tried to teach me.

If you've been reading for a while, you know I confessed the grammar thing before. Go check it out - it has an awesome poem about the absurdities of the English language.

So there you have it. My author confession list. Think they'll still let me in the club?