“The RoseBouquet”

I had another busy weekend. Besides shopping and getting some materials to seal up my windows, and foundation against the cold of winter, I got my floors washed, and I gussied up for a banquet. I do the website work for Expanding Youth Ministries International, (EYMI.net) and the director made sure I had a strong invitation to be present. I brought my friends, Priscilla and Penny.

It was a very pleasant evening too. The special music was by the Ong family. Seven children sang and played musical instruments, even the little ones sawed away wonderfully on their little violins.

On Sunday I was at Westgate Alliance church, and they had a missions fund-raising dinner planned for that evening, with their tickets were all sold out. However, we were invited to come after that at 7 pm for the drama and speaker. I was very glad I went. Carl Ens did a one-man monologue-drama on the life of Jim Elliott, the missionary who lost his life along with four other men, when they flew in to reach the Auca Indians in Equador in the late 1950s. I’ve read his widow, Elizabeth’s book on the story, (through Gates of Splendor) but this was done in the voice and from the perspective of Jim himself. Carl did a very good job of making Jim come alive.

Carl’s brother, Paul, a missionary to Mexico spoke next, and he was powerful too, sharing about the many miracles they have seen there. People responded when he issued a challenge to go into missions, and another one to those who felt called to support them.

(I’ve just had a phone call about another fund-raising banquet this Saturday, with an invitation to bring my Mynamar friends. Guess I need to pray and decide if I can give up another Saturday evening. I’m already committed to yet another event on the 14-15th).

What do you do about all those fall banquets?

My big news item here is that last week I started to monetize my Aloe-Vera-and-Handy-Herbs.com site, by adding AdSense ads, and applying for link exchanges with Value Exchange. I’m surprised at the willing responses I’m getting for the latter.

I’ve known for some years about putting Google’s AdSense ads on my web pages, and how it can bring in some quiet income in the background. You can apply for free, follow the instructions for choosing what you want your blocks of ads to look like, and then paste the code into your html for the web page. What happens is that Google’s software can tell in a trice what your keywords are on that web page, and it whips ads related to those keywords into that space whenever anyone visits the page. If your visitors click on the ads, you get paid for the click. How much depends on how valuable that keyword is to their advertisers. Some keywords will trigger very low returns on each click, but others are much sought after, so they will bring you a higher return.

Naturally, I’ve been doing this on all my websites for some years, but my keywords were of low commercial value so it would take many months to reach the $100 level, which is when Google sends you the profit. When you have an SBI site, like my aloe-vera-and-handy-herbs.com site, and are following the Action Guide, suddenly the value of the keywords is much higher. Instead of waiting from February to September to earn another $100, (as I did this year) I now expect that to happen more monthly! Maybe, after a while - if I work this right and the traffic keeps climbing - I may get $200-300/month!

See me grinning? That’s why I am liking SiteBuildIt! (SBI) better all the time. They really nudge you in the right directions. I can hardly wait to try some of the other suggestions too. (Have you seen the demo videos?).

I’m not satisfied that I’m using my article-writing hour as fully as I want to, but I have been writing some and will share one of them in the Ruthe’s Roses section this week. Let’s see, maybe the one I did at April’s request for her writer’s website. I know I have writers and wanna-be writers reading here. I’m working on some others, but there’s that time crunch.

Hey, aren’t you glad that I’m rather unpredictable with my article topics? You get some variety in your surprises. What’s more, if you send me a hint, I might even take it. What kind of articles do you like best?

What kind of things do you say when someone you know is dying of cancer? Or do you stay away? Ruthe was tense as a violin, but she stayed, and prayed, and the right words came to her! Watch how she handles such situations in the book, Ruthe’s Secret Roses.

(article first written for April’s site http://AprilBoyer.com)

You’re convinced you can write productively after all, and have even resolved to make time in your life to actually do it. Most likely you cleared a block of time in your schedule, and chose a desk to work at, got a computer hooked up, and found a comfortable chair. Hey, maybe you even went shopping for file folders and attractive pens.

But the minutes of your writing time a ticking away and your bright ideas for articles have - well, flown south?

Now you need a plan for getting ideas on command.

My answer is so simple it may stun you; go rooting through the things you have already written. Look them with a fresh, objective eye, as if they were written by someone else. Do you see a little gem here? What about the potential of that piece if you gave it a fresh introduction and closing?

I’ve been an inveterate journal-writer for years. When I’m really stuck I go reading in old journals and it doesn’t take long until I spot whole passages I could lift out and turn into articles. Sometimes I see two or three that have something in common. Suddenly I see them turned into a series of articles. That’s a red-letter day!

Here’s another place. If you send out an ezine, you may have written focused articles there. What if you slant them to a more general market, or (if they were written in a general way), perhaps more focused towards one group or segment of society, then you have a new article there. Maybe batches of them! That’s what I’m discovering in my ezines of a few years ago.

So you have never published an ezine? Have you ever written letters or emails to friends in which you described some experience in fairly good detail? If you take out the personalized parts, or change them to speak to a more general readership, could some of those passages not turn into articles?

No doubt you receive by email some of these touching, tear-jerking stories that have been forwarded all over the internet. You don’t want to steal someone else’s writing, but does that piece remind you of another story or point to make in an article? Maybe the converse scenario, or what was applied to animals, you can write as applying to people. Remember to use those ideas as springboards for your articles and stories, not to just re-tint the written piece. (The Bible does warn that our sins will be found out and shouted from the housetops; you don’t want plagiarism shouted along with your name).

If you save letters, journals and emails the way I do, you have a fabulous treasure trove of writing ideas. You will never run out of ideas.

On your computer, create a list of key words and ideas and topics that you have some passionate interest in, or some training and experience in doing. Now make a folder for each of those ideas or topics. It is also smart to create a spreadsheet with those keywords as column headings.

As you have ideas, start articles and stories, or even book outlines, be sure to file them in the right folders. Set yourself a naming rule, so that you can tell at a glance which ones are works in progress and not finished yet, and which ones are ready to publish or send out as a freelance submission. Try to keep a record on the spreadsheet too, although that may be as simple as jotting down the titles and dates in each column when you start and when you finish or publish a piece. (You may need to add columns as you go along).

The next time you come to your writing period feeling blank, skim over your chart/spreadsheet, or your folders. Very often in just moments your eyes will camp on a certain piece and you realize that today you want to get that one edited and polished, and instead of starting a new one, you can spend time working on one that you are already enthused about. Your writing energy will rush to the surface, and your block of time will be productive.

Ruth Marlene Friesen (c) October 2008

As I more or less expected, the Conservatives won a minority government again last Tuesday. Hopefully they will use their power wisely.

Saturday evening I took a meal of venison and mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables, and pears for dessert to my brother Tom’s apartment, and we had our Thanksgiving meal together.

He also showed me part of a DVD he had ordered, about how childhood traumas and abuse affect the human brain and create a permanent change in personality. It made sense, so I encouraged him to study that. He prefers visual learning, whereas I can pick things up faster if I read - at my own pace. So he loaned me the two books that came with his DVDs.

Sunday turned out to be a very sociable day. I was invited for lunch to the Stobbes after church. Then I went down the hall, (while they had a nap) to see a woman whom I had interviewed for her testimony a few weeks back. We needed to go over it and do some editing together. At 3 pm we joined some other residents in that condo building for a little worship service, at which some of us Western Tract Mission people were to give reports, and Joe sang solos in his rich tenor voice. Oh, he also preached a short devotional message.

After it was over and I had met several dear, sweet elderly ladies, I went back to my new friend’s apartment, and we just kept on visiting and finding more and more things in common. It was dark before I realized that I really ought to take my leave and go home. But not before Marilyn loaded me down with a bag full of this and that gifts.

Poor Snowflake always scolds me when I come in, and he sure sounded like Mom did when I came in much later than she’d expected. It was a long day alone for him, and though he sleeps away more hours than he used to, he always gives me an angry “What for…!” when I come home. (That’s my guess because I don’t understand the Catese language).

Friday before last I was doing my bookkeeping in the evening, and realized that I couldn’t pay my utilities yet. They were due - on Monday! Where was I going to get the money from? I knew one client should be sending a check soon for the previous month’s work, but it hadn’t come yet.

I buckled down to some serious, earnest praying, with tears. As I reminded myself of all God’s faithfulness to me over the past year or two and beyond, I knew I could count on Him to bring in some earned income, and/or missionary support to cover my bare bones budget. I cheered up and went back to my work, confident that this would not bring my world to an end.

About 11:30, as I was closing up the computer, I shifted my gaze to the other side of my desk - within arm’s reach - there was my pile of mail that I had brought in when I came in from the office. But I had got busy with other little things and forgotten to open it. There on top were some white envelopes. I picked them up, and there was the one from the client, with the check of $300 they owed me!

I was able to deposit it via the ATM the next morning, and when I got home, I went online and paid my bills.

But that’s not the end of it. Oh no, there’s more.

Last Tuesday afternoon, I had the tutoring client I had mentioned here. She paid for the time she spent with me, and she also hosted two of her sites with my hosting service, so she handed me a pretty nice check when we were done at 5 pm.

There’s still more. When I got home I checked the mail, (more conscientiously, I might add),and found two checks! One for a gift from friends that I have not seen in over 25 years, and for far more than they’ve ever sent before! The other was a RRAP check so I had to sign it over to pay to the plumbing company that installed the furnace and fixed the plumbing for me. I took care of that the next morning.

At noon on Wednesday I received my regular missionary support check, which had increased, and guess what - yesterday when I got home and checked my mail there were two more gifts for me. One from a missionary family with seven children. I’ve always felt that I should support them in a big way because they are so needy, but here they are helping me out!

My conclusion is that we should pray about our income more often, instead of assuming that what will come will come. When we earnestly ask the Lord to fill our laps with blessings - He does! (a la Luke 6:38).

Really. If you are in need, instead of stewing and fretting, pray wholeheartedly about your need and bring it to the Lord. He will surprise you left and right! Yes, that includes praying about your business ventures.

I hope you’ve been able to benefit from the series of articles on depression under Ruthe’s Roses. Today is the 6th or last one. Next week we’ll move to other topics again.

Oh, how sweet to have a friend who’d drop everything and come when you need her. Ruthe, the heroine of this novel, dashes away from her own grad when her friend Muriel calls. Don’t you wish you had a loyal, caring friend like that? Buy and READ Ruthe’s Secret Roses! e-Book edition Softcover edition.

[article 6 in series of six on Depression]

You are not likely to be reading this while you are in the depths of the dungeon of depression; you must be feeling a bit better. So right now would be a good time to make a copy of this checklist, and when those dreadful feelings of despair well up, you can have this list handy. Look objectively at yourself and search your heart to answer the questions.

You may nip the cycle of depression in the bud and get out for good. If you work your way through these questions and deal honestly with each one, you may climb up out of your pit quite easily.

EXTERNAL FACTORS

Before you call your doctor, and try traditional treatments look for external factors;

* Am I truly depressed, or just discouraged right now?

* Have I cleaned up all the clutter around here?

* Is my home bright and cheerful? Do I hide in the dark?

* Do I have depressing, pounding music or melodious music playing in the background?

EXPECTATIONS

Evaluate your expectations and standards too;

* Have I got realistic to-do lists?

* Does my telephone have me tied up and enslaved?

* Can I delegate some of my duties to others?

* Do I have a positive outlook on life, or do I expect things to go wrong and get worse?

SPIRITUAL CAUSES

Of course, you are a spiritual being. The part of you that you can’t see influences everything else. Ask yourself, how am I doing in;

* a reason to live that is worth dying for?

* forgiving everyone who has wronged me?

* have I a clear conscience?

* am I prepared for the cycles of life?

* understanding God’s purposes for allowing pain?

* destroying evil objects that can grip me?

* deliberately wearing smiles and choosing joy?

PHYSICAL CAUSES

Some doctors consider depression to come from chemical imbalance. That is not always true. Sometimes you only need to clear up some physical problems. Inquire;

* do I have a hormonal imbalance?

* how about checking my thyroid?

* do I regularly get enough deep sleep?

* do I have a chronic illness?

* have I experienced a great emotional drain lately?

* am I taking a medication with possible side effects?

* does our family have a history of depression?

* is my spinal column in correct alignment?

* is my sugar intake low enough, and my fiber intake high enough?

* would vitamin B12 shots help me counter-balance anemia?

CHEMICAL

When you have ruled out all the above, and still find you cannot cope with your depression, by all means, go to your doctor and get professional help. They will appreciate it, when you can say you have ruled out all these other possible causes. It will save so many tests and other appointments. Perhaps you won’t need to go to the doctor at all!

Yesterday was Thanksgiving Day here in Canada. Today is our National Election Day. I’ll talk a bit about both.

For some time already, I have concluded that big fussy traditional holidays are not absolutely necessary. It’s what is going on in my heart and mind that counts, so I can celebrate all by myself. Naturally, I would not turn down a chance to be part of a family feast day with all the usual trimmings, but it does not wipe me out to give it up.

Which is a good thing. I had planned to take a nice meal over to my brother Tom’s on Sunday afternoon. (My neighbour Joe has been deer hunting and shared some fresh venison with me). However, on Saturday Tom called to say he was in bed with a fever. I should not come Okay. I would call him on Monday, and adjust my plans. I have plenty to do, and a few extra relaxed hours for prayer and meditation is always a treat for me. Hey, maybe I’d even have time for some creative writing.

But when I called him yesterday in early afternoon, so I would know whether to take the meat out and start preparing the meal, he said he was still in bed, and basically only getting up to go to the bathroom. He was still feeling exhausted and too weak to enjoy regular food. I suggested that if this doesn’t clear up soon, he needs to see his doctor, in case he has a kidney infection. Meantime, he could stay in bed and drink plenty of fluids. I’m perfectly okay with putting off our Thanksgiving meal until next weekend.

I used my holiday-at-home to write a Christmas story, polish up that batch of herbal tea pages for my AVHH site, and upload them, and catch up on emails besides going out to dig in the garden a while.

My Ukrainian neighbour, Brad, knocked on the door and asked for the key to my back gate, so he could fix it. When he knocked again a couple of hours later, I went out to see, and he had really braced and straighten up that sagging gate, and improved it tremendously. He even added two sliding locks! Another praise item in my Thanksgiving list.

We agreed that we have to use these nice days when they come, for the next day can be totally different. Snow had been forecast for Sunday and Monday, but both days were lovely with sunshine.

Sure enough this morning the skies are overcast and it is raining.

On top of all that, I had decided to go vote before coming to the office. In my hurry to leave earlier, and fumbling for gloves and my umbrella, I forgot my keys. Fortunately, Priscilla let me in, so I haven’t had to walk all the way home again just for those keys.

Life consists of many little things like that. A joyful heart, however, scales the unpleasant down, and enlarges the good ones.

You may just hear about the American election coming up. But it happens in other countries too. Last year the Conservatives came in with a minority government, and immediately announced that elections would henceforth be every four years. However, this year they decided that it was worth the risk to announce another election because they thought they might win a majority. Judging by the rhetoric in the daily news, it appears that the gap may not be as great as they thought five weeks ago. It will be interesting to see if they have a clear majority tonight when all the ballots are counted.

I am not a great authority to speak on political issues, nor financial. I look at both through spiritual eyes, and do form opinions, but I don’t normally pontificate on those here. All I can add is my own insights and thoughts. (Which is what all the real pundits are doing too, I suppose).

As I hear about the financial troubles all over the world, my thoughts leap to the prophecies in the Bible that indicate in the last days - before the Rapture of the Church and the Great Tribulation - these very things will happen. It will cost a bag of gold to buy a loaf of bread, and oil will be carefully rationed. Though the news may frighten some, it makes me smile in anticipation. I want to be one of those virgins who is watching and waiting, and will get in at the Wedding Feast in Heaven. Meantime, I want to be caught doing good!

Business news? Well, I rejoice that my aloe-vera-and-handy-herbs.com site is now ready to be monetized. This is a milestone I’ve been working towards with dedication since the beginning of September. It means that I can make that site begin to bring me a steady income.

I have another tutoring client coming this afternoon. She wants to learn how to use the websites she has, and make them profitable too. That should be fun.

Anna, the volunteer who usually comes on Fridays, has been learning well, and although it eats into my normal schedule I keep cheering myself with the thought that when she can handle the work on the WTM site by herself, I will have gained some serious help with my load. Meantime, it also gives me some practice in teaching as I hope to do when I have four students here every day.

I now see the delay in getting those students as a kindness of the Lord, and He is preparing me for the bigger challenges to come.

I have been writing some other articles, and will use those when finished with this series on depression in the Ruthe’s Roses section.