One Question Friday

Every Friday I’m going to ask a question. The questions I choose might be ambiguous on purpose. The goal is to have you answer the question according to your beliefs, where you’re at in life or a circumstance that might have recently impacted you. The only thing I ask is that you provide an explanation for why you answered the way you did.

It’s my hope to understand you better through this and also to gain a greater understanding of humanity and how people make decisions.


Strength to Strength
Everlasting Spring Chicken
Litmus Living
Refusing to Stand Still
Strength & Song (this one thanks to this post)

So what are those?

My potential memoir titles.

Now, for your One Question Friday…
What would you title your memoir?

*photos by flickr
** "The splendor of a King, clothed in majesty. Let all the earth rejoice. All the earth rejoice. He wraps himself in Light, and darkness tries to hide. And trembles at His voice. Trembles at His voice. How great is our God, sing with me…How great is our God, and all will see. How great, how great is our God…" ~ Chris Tomlin

Life Chapters: Part 3

And so we meet the end. Again, not really. Today, we’re just wrapping up my life chapters. I’m so curious if you’ve tried this exercise. Writing mine makes me wonder about yours.

And so to finish with a bang:

The end

23 The Union
24 Seattle Reign
25 Move to Suburbia
26 What Big Eyes She Has
27 Balancing Act
28 Her Own Day
29 Gaem Knodel & MOMS
30 He Gives and Takes Away
31 He Was Doing a New Thing
32 Return to the Stomping Grounds—Flood of Stories
33 An Unlikely Reunion

So, there you have it, my life in the antithesis of a nutshell. Instead, I unraveled a ribbon of titles on you, probably leaving you scratching your head wondering what the heck THAT title meant. Well, that’s where the story comes in, the heart and the meat of it (why does this make me think of an artichoke?). And that will come. Not now. Not today, but someday…when I write my memoir. Someday…

Can you give me any titles from the later third of your life?

*photos by flickr

Life Chapters: Part 2

Midlife. Well, not exactly because I’m starting at age 12 and ending at age 22. But when I break my 33 years out into three parts, today we get the inside of the sandwich. Day 2 of my life chapters experiment. You’ll read my titles for those tenuous impressionable years. You may feel like you want to decode some of these titles. I think even I am still trying to decode some of the titles I chose. The key for me was to capture an aspect, feeling or memory of each age and title it.

And now for the “middle”

12. Stairway to Heaven
13. Awaiting Death
14. Loving Someone Who Swallows the Moon Whole
15. I’m Not Alone Here—The Birth of Hope
16. The Bible in a Year
17. A Seed Planted & Litmus Lessons
18. Aristotle & That Guy from Animal House
19. Checking my Reflection, Then Walking Away
20. Surveying Hilton Head on a Borrowed Bike
21. Distinction of Honor
22. Close Calls

How’s your list of life chapters going? What would some of your middle look like?

*photos by flickr

Life Chapters: Part 1

Have you ever thought of writing a memoir? I have. Someday I will, though not in the near future. Someday...

Here’s a fun writing exercise to get the juices flowing whether you intend to write a memoir or not. Write down numbers for every year you’ve lived. Then, next to each number write a chapter title. You are naming chapters of your book; your life. The beauty of writing is risk. Some things work. Some don’t, but if you are willing to risk you’re able to sort what works from what doesn’t. And in the process you just might find one truly original idea.


Here are the “Chapters” of my life:

1. Top of the Totem Pole—the Fourth Paine Girl is Born


2. The View from the Back of my Mom’s Bike


3. European Castles & Fields of Flowers


4. Hollowed Out Rooms


5. No Ski for Me


6. Coming to America


7. Laura and Gin Gin & Other Pretend Things


8. Tales of the Fourth Grade Everything


9. Liesel, Kittle and China Baby, Our Elkhounds


10. Bologna & Mayo and Soccer Games


11. Wizard of Oz Meets Mary Poppins Meets Nadia

Of course, when you write a memoir you don’t include every detail and every year of your life, but this exercise could propel your memoir or even your WIP into an enriched and more fleshed out piece of work. It can’t hurt to try.


Then, let me know what some of your younger years would be titled. (FYI: I’m breaking my life into three parts over the next three days with a related question to come on Friday.)



Also, stop on by Exemplify Online to see what I wrote about God Breathing Nature.






*photos by flickr

Childish Writers

Michael Hyatt conducted a great interview with the author of Notes From The Tilt-A-Whirl (excellent book) the other day. During the interview N.D. Wilson admitted he intentionally used the word childish instead of child-like to describe a specific way of seeing the world. That stuck with me.

Today we get to be childish writers.

Which figure do you best relate to?

Strawberry Shortcake—All is berry berry good in your writing world. Always the optimist, at times you take on more cake than you can chew.

Sleeping Beauty—You’re an idea person. The only problem is most of your ideas come at night while you’re sleeping. Your dreams are piled high as the Princess and the Pea’s mattresses with detailed plot lines and eccentric characters. The goal is being able to get a feel for that one golden nugget, aka the little green pea idea.

Baloo—Bare necessities baby. You’re a minimalist in how you write and in how you live. On the writing track you are laid back, you do your thing and you know you’re time will come. In the meantime you go for a few paw paws.

The Grinch—You used to be a cynic about writing and the publication realm but at some point your heart grew three sizes and you adopted a new way of thinking. Now you readily give of your wisdom and wait patiently for publication because you know the journey really isn’t about you.

Eeyore—“Never been published. Everyone but me is published.”


Buzz Lightyear—You’re in this thing for the long haul. “To infinity and beyond!” You are the ultimate visionary and you don’t give up on a whim.

WordGirl—This writing journey revolves around your love of words. If it looks like a word and it acts like a word, then you are willing to bet it’s a word and just as willing to use it at the perfect place in your WIP.

So have fun and dip into your childish nature today.

Pick a character, any character.
Of course I’m a combo of all the above.

Check out my post at Live Beautiful later today.

*photos by flickr

**Wordgirl photos = my kiddos

One Question Friday

Every Friday I’m going to ask a question. The questions I choose might be ambiguous on purpose. The goal is to have you answer the question according to your beliefs, where you’re at in life or a circumstance that might have recently impacted you. The only thing I ask is that you provide an explanation for why you answered the way you did.

It is my hope to understand you better through this and also to gain a greater understanding of humanity and how people make decisions.

I don’t know about you, but part of me never grew up and quite absurdly another part was old before I turned ten. The flicker in my cornea sees the world with unabashed hope & potential, taking in the majestic wonderment. The scar above my aorta makes me breathe the world in slowly, less likely to trust.

How about you? Is there a part of you that is young at heart or have you always been an old soul?

~ That leads to the One Question Friday ~

Answer about yourself--Young or Old?

*Then click over to 5 Minutes for Faith to see what I wrote about thorns.

**photos by flickr

Awards & Article

The Award

I’ve never enjoyed adhering to rules. It might be tacky to break them upon receiving an award, but I know the giver of the award understands my intentions. I was honored to receive the Scribbler award from Cindy R. Wilson. Whenever I visit her blog she pulls my mind to a different place. I love that. The one rule I will follow because I think its cool is to pass the award along to five deserving bloggers. I’ll also write a sentence why I follow their blogs.

Beth at This Mommy’s Life because she’s my twin

Jeanette Levellie at Audience of One because I’m attracted to her integrity and honesty

Heather Sunseri at Balance With Purpose because she thirsts for knowledge and growth

Krista Phillips at Krista’s Reflections because she makes me laugh

Lady Glamis at The Innocent Flower because she sparks thought and my perspective to blossom

I have to be honest, without thinking hard I can come up with a dozen more blogs to give this award to. I could spend the rest of my blogging career giving out awards for Junebug’s sake. I don’t know who Junebug is but I was up late last night and sometimes I write things that make no sense. This is allowed here. Remember we’re chillin’ in my thoughts.

The Article

I also realized I haven’t had the chance to update you about the article written about me in the local paper. It was certainly an honor to be contacted by the interviewer and during our meeting we couldn’t resist comparing books we’ve read. A sheer delight. Here are some lines from the article that stuck out to me:

“She (she = me in case you’re as tired as I am and lost track) believes the experience of living abroad and experiencing cultures different from her own were important to her later life.”

~~~“Ms. Miller said the material for her novels comes from ‘anywhere and everywhere…’”

In regards to my story being included in the latest Chicken Soup for the Soul: Power Moms book in the company of bestselling author Jodi Picoult and Connecticut writer Jane Green, my interviewer quoted me, “I don’t see myself as a power mom except in helping women and encouraging them to carry out the role they’re currently in. I want to empower women. As women we need to look out for one another.”

Finally, the interviewer asked my pastor’s wife/director of women’s ministry of our church to be a secondary source for the article. I’m honored by some of the kind words she used to describe me (warm, intelligent and witty). Immediately after I finished reading the article published several weeks ago I called Bonnie, the pastor’s wife and laughed with her insisting I had her fooled.

How about you—has anyone ever said something about your character that you found about later that instantly humbled and uplifted you?


*newspaper photo by flickr

Review of Tom Davis' Scared

Riveting, compelling, heartbreaking and motivating. Those are the words I’d use to describe Scared, Tom Davis’ first novel. It is uncommon for me to cry when I read books. This might be because I gravitate toward books that deal honestly with tragedy and hardship. Perhaps I’ve developed some sort of tough literary skin as I read about devastating details of life hardships. Though, I found there was simply no way to resist crying while reading about the fictional accounts of Adanna, a young African girl carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders as she encountered tragedy upon tragedy.

Davis skillfully evokes compassion and awareness for what we as Americans spend little time thinking about; the plight of African people.

In Scared, Stuart Daniels, an award-winning photojournalist embarks upon a life changing journey as he heads to a small African country. He witnesses horrific scenes of destruction, AIDS and poverty beyond belief. Adanna, a young orphan is by far one of the most influential people Stuart meets on his pressure-filled trip. He witnesses her integrity and unyielding faith to the point where he can no longer view life in the same way. The book is wrought with scene after scene of a complicated blend of riveting truth and tragedy. Scared was strongly recommended to me by over three different individuals. I also highly suggest this read if you are yearning to better understand humanity and are aching to do something about the devastation that still rampantly exists throughout Africa.

Some memorable lines from Scared:

“Fear strangled the air.”

“Who would have thought a place so filled with death could also be so beautiful?”

“He was just talking dry wind to all of us.”

“Everything inside of me is being rearranged. Every particle and every speck of dust that makes up who I am is changing.”

“How do we give hope to men who have lost all hope?”

“In this place, Stu, God has a way of bringing people down to the essence of who they are.”

“But the mystery—how God is working in all this…that I have learned to trust.”

And finally one that applied to me as I read Scared, “Africa has opened the valve to my tear ducts, and now it won’t shut.”

If you’d like to learn more about Scared and how to help the current situation in Africa, click on the following links:


http://www.scaredthebook.com/
http://www.5for50.com/
http://www.cthomasdavis.com/
http://www.hopechest.org/
Or go to amazon to buy the book


I’ll leave you with one final quote from the book:

“God’s goodness didn’t just happen because I talked about it. I realized that I had to act.”

What's the last book you read that "opened the valve to your tear ducts?"

Riddle Me People

Now you’re getting to know me. And you know what that means—the good, the bad and the downright goofy. Yesterday some of you revealed how you pass the time on long car trips. Several days ago on our trip we hit a snag of traffic and I found it a perfect time to invent a new game. Understand, I’m not going for a patent, don’t really have intentions to develop this game and am about 70% positive a game like this already exists, but what else was a mind to do during that ugly glob of traffic?

So here it is: Riddle Me People
I created words out of the names of famous people. The point of the game is simply to identify the person. Complicated, right? :D

I’ll give you some examples of the 40+ I came up with and then I challenge you to come up with some of your own riddles.

Sees her a gust us
Flan airy oak on her
Hairy it tub man
Catheter and high gel (I know a stretch, but fun)
A bra ham link in
Neigh pole lee ann bone a part
Hand able lecture
Walt twit man
Hill a reek lint in
Dry light I sin how her (another stretch, but still fun)
He lives a beth bear it brow ning
Go when lisp alt row
Jen her al corn wall lace
All over when doll homes
Elf is press leaf
Cries toe fur column bus
Flow wrens night in gale

Feel free to make guesses.

Now it’s your turn! Have fun and Riddle Me People…

*photos by flickr

Sleepy Bear

I’m a sleepy polar bear. I’ve been in a car too long. I’ll be back to my regular posting schedule tomorrow. Please stay tuned for more blog awards, a wackadoo new game I created when traffic got really bad on the roads, a review of the book Scared and more!

I look forward to getting back in the game. Go, Fight, Win (and no, I was never a cheerleader).

Also feel free to visit Live Beautiful to read what I managed to write even though I have car brain.

Question: What do you do to help make the time go by on a long car trip?

One Question Friday (on Thursday)

I’m going to be offline for the next few days, so I wanted to post my One Question Friday early.

Every Friday (or Thursday in this case) I’m going to ask a question. The questions I choose might be ambiguous on purpose. The goal is to have you answer the question according to your beliefs, where you’re at in life or a circumstance that might have recently impacted you. The only thing I ask is that you provide an explanation for why you answered the way you did.

It is my hope to understand you better through this and also to gain a greater understanding of humanity and how people make decisions.

Ready for your question?

Silence or Speech?

*photos by flickr

Fascinating Animal Facts

This post is inspired by a conversation my mom and I had on the phone yesterday. A snippet of the conversation is as follows:

I say, “Did you know that a baby porcupine is called a porcupette?”


Mom replies, “No, did you know a group of crows is called a murder?” We went on to discuss the symbolism/meaning behind a Counting Crows song named Murder of One.


I love animal facts. I don’t know what other parents watched on TV, but often I remember my dad in particular, watching PBS shows about reptiles or manatees or the dangers of the black bear. I was engrossed. Ever since, I’ve been taken by fascinating aspects of animal life. I even attempt to find ways to incorporate some of the unusual things into my novels.


Today for your reading pleasure I’m going to spill a list of unusual animal facts on the page:

• One in every five thousand North Atlantic lobsters is born in a bright blue color.


• Approximately 200 trees can be cut down by an average beaver.


• When a dolphin is sick or injured, its cries of distress summon immediate aid from other dolphins, who try to support it to the surface so that it can breathe.


• Certain Chinese and American alligators can survive the winter by freezing their heads in ice, leaving their nose out to breath for months on end.


• Honeybees have hair on their eyes.


• An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain.


• Wild dogs don't bark or wag their tails.




• Elephants are the only animals with 4 knees.

• An armadillo crosses a river by holding its breath and walking across the bottom.


• A grouping of kangaroos is called a mob.


• All polar bears are left-handed.


• A chameleon's tongue is twice the length of its body.


• A rat can last longer without water than a camel can.


• An electric eel can produce a shock of up to 650 volts.


• Dragonflies are one of the fastest insects, flying 50 to 60 mph.


• Infant beavers are called kittens.


• Snakes are immune to their own poison.


• The only domestic animal not mentioned in the Bible is the cat (yet another reason why I like dogs better.)

Don’t those just get the brain juices flowing? Do you know any interesting animal facts?

*I used over a dozen sources for these facts. If you’re interested, I can provide the names of each.
**photos by flickr

Publication: A Day At The Beach

How many of you have imagined the stunning view of a crest of waves breaking on shore symbolizing once and for all “you’ve made it”—you’ve been published? Today I’m hoping to provide a realistic view of publication. My books aren’t published yet but I’m confident they will be. And I want to make sure I’m going into this thing with my eyes wide open regardless of how much the ocean slaps my eyes with salt water.

Today we are going to the beach ~

The beauty of being published:

Few sight and sounds compare with the tantalizing melodious rhythm of waves on the beach, of an ocean stretching for miles kissing the sky at the horizon. This is the true reward that comes from a dream turned to reality. Soaking in the fragrant misty air and the soothing view—ah, publication.

What about that giddy floating feeling you get every time you go to the beach? The laughter you hear every time, children building sandcastles and holding conch shells to their ears...this is the equivalent to receiving positive feedback and having notable critiques. Oprah’s book club, anyone?

I love to jump waves, to anticipate them rolling in and over me, then leaping up to smack into them with the force of my body. This is what it feels like when you surprise yourself. When you hold your own book in your hands it must feel similar to leaping in waves, knowing you pushed yourself to a higher height and took a risk.

I can’t make comparisons about the glory of being published without mentioning the glistening tan the sun blesses you with while you’re at the beach. The Vitamin D benefits and the rosy complexion = writing for the kingdom and seeing fruit once published.

And now…

The sandy truth after publication (the following is what I’ve gleaned from published friends and from having work other than books published)

Here’s where I get really honest with you…who among us has ever gone to the beach and has been able to resist comparing your body to the other sunbathers? Comparing can be such a weakness, but we all do it and even after publication you will face temptation to compare. That temptation doesn’t just disappear. Fight that “the sun is always shinier on the other side” mentality.

How about when you get home and change out of your clothes—just how much sand has found its way into your swimsuit and uncomfortably settled? Once you’re published critique of your work doesn’t go away, it actually increases exponentially. While some reviews will be fair and reasonable, there will always people be out there that get a sick thrill from tearing others down. Those critiques = sand in the swimsuit.

There you are running along the beach performing your glory run (Bo Derek style—I’m really too young to know what I’m talking about here w/ the whole Bo Derek thing but it seemed like the right place to put this). Anyway, you’re running, you’re dancing and celebrating your publication victory and yowzer! You get stung by a jellyfish. Getting stung by a jellyfish = losing your focus by getting caught up in the marketing, the revelry and anything else that sidetracks you from writing.

Finally, it’s blistering. It hurts. It peels and you can’t even touch parts of your body to slather the aloe on. You got burned. Your ego blew up. You poured your worth into publication and it’s as obvious to you as a splotchy pink and red burn covering your body. Sunburn = bloated ego.

What about you—are your eyes wide open about publication? Are you holding so tightly to the dream that you’ve forgotten the owner of all dreams?

My words of wisdom: Have a dream, work with tenacity toward the dream but don’t lose sight of who owns the dream and who has all potential to guide the dream.

If you want more words of wisdom: King Solomon had much to say on this topic.

See what I have to say about shaking the dust (not sand) off at Exemplify Online today.

*photos by flickr

Honest Scrap Award & Lunch

Upon receiving the Honest Scrap Award I was instructed to share some honest things about myself:

8 Honest Things About Me (I’ve always been partial to the number 8)

1. I’m not afraid to go back for seconds.


2. I don’t feel like the baby of my family even though I’m the youngest of four girls.


3. Sometimes when I parent I’m making it up as I go along.


4. It really isn’t that difficult for me to say sorry and mean it.


5. I have no idea what I’m doing when I pluck my eyebrows and I’m quite convinced it shows.


6. I think walking around barefoot even over sharp rocks teaches people to toughen up.


7. Once I let you in my heart you’re in for good. I’m a fiercely loyal person.


8. I imagine God lovingly laughing at me on a daily basis.

And then I was to nominate others for the Honest Scrap Awards:

I received this Honest Scrap Award from Amy at Filled with Praise. Here are the endearing things she wrote about me, “Wendy is a wife, mother and a writer. Her thoughts and writings inspire me. Her love for the Lord always shines through in all that she does.” Thank you, Amy! You are a beautiful woman!

I thought I’d mix things up a bit by providing a new scenario for you to imagine as I give out my Honest Scrap Awards.

Twenty+ years ago in an elementary school cafeteria far far away…

I meet up with some of my pigtailed, thumb-sucking blogging friends. And now I’m going to let you know just how our lunches “go down” and the very reasons I love to visit their blogs.

8 Honest Scrap (Lunchroom) Awards

Katie at Brain Throw Up
This sweet blonde girl waves me over and immediately we hit it off, giving each other high-fives and swapping compliments on the books we pull out of our knapsacks. When I look at her I feel like I’m looking in a mirror. Instant friend with this one. We are off to hopscotch after lunch.

Jody at On the Path
I’m amused by this girl. As we sit, she pulls out her sandwich carefully, unwrapping the cellophane gradually, one side at a time. I smile at her and motion for her to come sit by me. She scoots over with a trusty smile. Then as I tear into my tinfoil, leaving bits and pieces all over the table she laughs. We match laughs and delight in how God has wired us both uniquely. As I’m satisfying my sweet tooth with a brownie, I break it to pass some her way. In return she unfolds a detailed map of the school that we ogle over during the rest of lunch time.

Jill at Jill Kemerer: Sweet, Emotional, Sparkling Romance
It’s hard to even write what it’s like with this little girl, but I know you’ve all been there. We go from laughing hysterically, even to the point of getting cross looks from the lunch room attendant to picking out our favorite lines from books we’ve read. When I look in her eyes, I feel like I’m back home eating my PB&J with my sisters. I am that at home with this little girl.

Terri Tiffany at Terri Tiffany Inspirational Writer
This little girl is the one to make sure the other little girl in the corner feels welcome to join us. She’s altruistic at heart and has a wonderful glow to her. It might be the Barbie make-up she applied in the bathroom, but I know better. As we sit and chat awhile I can tell it’s because of who she is and what’s in her heart. The word inspiration doesn’t even come close.

Cindy at Cindy R. Wilson
I don’t even wait until she reaches my table before I ask her a question. She’s has one of those faces (and the Rainbow Brite lunchbox doesn’t hurt) that says, “Ask me. I’ll tell you what I know.” Besides, I can tell this little girl has lived a little. She’s been places, written things down in her Hello Kitty notebook and the best part about her is just how warm and inviting she is. Before I have the guts to ask my 100th question she splits her fruit roll-up in two and we giggle as we chow down.

Kristen at Dancing in the Margins
I admire the ribbons in her hair, then her rosy cheeks and her confident skip as she comes to sit by me. This girl pulls a magazine from her bag that I can’t stop staring at. It has so many appealing things about it. She tells me it’s all about how to make God happy (Exemplify Online). I find this intriguing seeing as I don’t quite understand who God is yet, but I make a habit of telling friends to smile, he loves them. Then this sweet girl starts snacking on a chocolate muffin and all the while I’m thinking, “This is my kind of friend.”

Danyelle at Myth-takes
I feel like I’m staring at someone right out of fairy tale when I see this girl. Her imagination is evident immediately as she begins to tell me who she is and where she’s from. The way she words things and her descriptions reel me in. Honest. Genuine. True. These are the things I think of as she passes me some gum.

Joanne at Whole Latte Life
This child lifts two sandwiches out of her brown paper bag as if they're part of a magic trick. My eyes are held on the two sandwiches, waiting and wondering what’s next. She looks over at me, then back to the sandwiches flashes a knowing smile then asks which sandwich I’m most like, the bologna and mayo or the peanut butter and fluff. I sit for over ten minutes wishing I could come up with questions like these, while feeling so grateful she brings questions like these every time we gather together. She makes me think and that is one of my favorite things.

Now that was fun!

*note: I didn’t know any of these women when they were children and they may have been very different than the descriptions I provided. I just entertained my brain by imagining them with the same thoughtfulness and gifts of kindness that they bestow now in this blogging realm where I’ve never met them face to face, though I still feel I know them somehow.

One Question Friday

Every Friday I’m going to ask a question. The questions I choose might be ambiguous on purpose. The goal is to have you answer the question according to your beliefs, where you’re at in life or a circumstance that might have recently impacted you. The only thing I ask is that you provide an explanation for why you answered the way you did.

It is my hope to understand you better through this and also to gain a greater understanding of humanity and how people make decisions.

The question:

What is the greatest invention of all time?


After you answer head over to 5 Minutes for Faith to read what I wrote about taking courage.

*photos by flickr

I Want Answers

Say the word flummoxed. Fun, isn’t it? Go ahead say it again. I won’t tell. Well, that’s what I am and I want answers. Here are the top eleven (I know arbitrary number, isn’t it?) mysteries I would like to explore. If you happen to have rich insight about any of the following please do tell more.

And now for the list that flummoxes (just had to get it in one more time) me:

I once heard humans swallow seven spiders in a lifetime. When are we doing this, in our sleep?

I realize cats don’t really have nine lives, but do they have a heightened resiliency that protects them from dying in an instance another animal might?

How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop? Anyone try it?

Anyone have an explanation for what goes on in the Bermuda triangle?

Who named the Seven Wonders of the World and why did they choose the seven they did?

Chicken or egg—enough said.

Why is the male seahorse the one to carry the babies (the impregnated one)?

I also heard kitchen sinks are covered with more germs than toilets--NO!

What is the island on LOST supposed to represent and while we’re at it—what’s with that black wispy thing?

What were people seeing when they insisted they saw the Loch Ness Monster?

Is a dog’s mouth really cleaner than a human mouth? I’m pretty sure I can provide evidence to refute this one with my own dog.

What mystery flummoxes you?

*photos by flickr