You can now gawk and goggle at its pretty face! {Fly Away Home}

Hay-low Lovelies! This is the 15th of January and that means this is the day you officially get to see the cover of the book that I am independently publishing! The novel is not available for purchase just yet (gotta  wait till Valentine's Day for that!) but it will be in under a month and I will be certain to let you know when you may purchase a copy! This movement is quite premeditated (the whole publishing thing) and for the story of that, I shall refer you to my writing blog: the inkpen authoress. For now, business!

Fly Away Home, 1952 New York City:

Callie Harper is a woman set to make it big in the world of journalism. Liberated from all but her buried and troubled past, Callie craves glamour and the satisfaction she knows it will bring. When one of America's most celebrated journalists, Wade Barnett, calls on Callie to help him with a revolutionary project, Callie finds herself co-pilot to a Christian man whose life and ideas of true greatness run noisily counter to hers on every point. But when the secrets of Callie's past are hung over her head as a threat, there is space for only one love, one answer: betray Wade Barnett to save her reputation, or sacrifice everything for the sake of the man she loved and the God she fled. The consequences of either decision will define the rest of her life. 

Self-preservation has never looked more tempting.

Think you'd like to read it? Fly Away Home will be available in e-book and print formats on Amazon.com (or you may order print copies directly from me) in a little under a month. This book debuts February 14, 2014. I can't wait! As trite as it sounds, this really is a dream come true. :) If you would like to join the blog party, go on over tothe inkpen authoress and enter for a chance to win this "Coziness Package" which includes a really lovely little character-themed mug I did by hand.

Toodles! Hope you're having a bang fine day!

Koinonia: A Crazy Blessing

Throwback to the last night in Romania

I had meant to write that post about Orthodoxy and The Mind of the Maker like I said, but tonight something else came across my path and, being the little fox I am, I took a detour for a bit. This post was inspired by a post by my friend, Brittany Barden, on The Ivory Cubicle. Her article is excellent for many reasons, (a testimony of her recent mission's trip to Uganda--you should read it), but there was one section that tapped me on the shoulder with a "prickle of recognition". She mentions that she left America prepared to be changed, convicted, and challenged, but said that she did not expect the experience to feel so normal.

I didn't expect to sit in a mud hut, hearing that young boys and old grandmothers are the same the world over. I didn't expect selfies to be a thing with little African kids intrigued by my iPhone. I didn't expect to hear normal conversations about meeting friends for coffee, movie nights with neighbors, or a crisis pregnancy center on the other side of town.

This next bit was what really struck me:

My expected--even desired--lesson of better stewardship to result in greater giving flew out the window of that crowded van as God gently lectured me.

"These people do not need YOU or your money. They already have ALL that they need for life and godliness because they have Me. And before you can help them, you must first realize how much they have to teach you."

This is exactly how I felt when I went to Romania. I didn't expect to find people there who were exactly like people here. I didn't really think I'd be the one who felt given-to. When I came home from Romania and would talk online to the friends I made there, there was this funny give-and-take:

"You challenged us so much!" we would say.
"No, you challenged us!" they'd reply.

 It's a constant thing within my church-fellowship and among other believers that we're always deferring to the other person. That's a biblical trait, yes, but we take it too far. I can be guilty of discounting the effect I have on other people, telling them (in essence), "Oh, you certainly can't be feeling blessed and exhorted by me because you're the one teaching me stuff. I haven't done a gosh darned thing."
 Though my intentions are right (trying to be humble), I can sometimes actually begin to rob the blessing of being used by God by telling the friend that I didn't mean to bless them. We want to put others before us but we are also called to be aware of our ministry.

Maybe my Romanian friends and I were correct. Maybe the Ugandians and Brittany are both right. Maybe this is the principle on which the secret joy of Christian fellowship hangs. Too often in my life I have discounted the great strength which is to be found in fellowship with other believers. I mean, think about it; the word "fellowship" holds about as much meaning for us these days as terms like "get-together", "hanging out", "getting to know that seriously attractive person in a group setting" and "OH GOSH, SHE JUST ASKED ME ON CAMERA WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THIS CHRISTIAN CAMP." But what does "fellowship" really mean?

The term "fellowship" when used in the New Testament comes from the Greek word "koinonia". I remember when I was little we attended a church where they had a time before the service that we were always too late to attend; it remained rather shrouded in mystery and eclat for that reason. They called it "koinonia" and in my young mind, the word held associations of being successful (early enough for once!), getting Amish friendship bread, and something about cornucopias. (Don't ask me why about the last one.)
But back to koinonia. The word itself has roots meaning "joint participation". It comes from a family of words among which are meanings such as "the willingness to fellowship" and "partnering".

Koinonia...fellowship. Willingness to be a part of something. Willingness to be used in a partnership of mutual blessing. I think what Brittany felt in Uganda and what I felt in Romania 9 months ago and in my home just this afternoon...that humbled sense of unconsciously ministering and consciously receiving ministry...I think that's the real definition of fellowship. Perhaps we are more susceptible to realizing the beauty and importance of koinonia while away from our normal surroundings, surrounded by a peaceably foreign normalcy. The need for the richness of our sisters and brothers in Christ does not leave us when we board a flight back to America. It doesn't leave us when we've almost forgotten the heart-rending pain of having to leave that vivid willingness to fellowship we experienced while abroad, nor does it abate when we have begun to wonder if it was quite so beautiful as we remember it after all.
The hunger might be staved off, the pain might be dulled, and we might be like the dwarves in The Last Battle who convinced themselves their mired stall was a gilded hall. But we taste the koinonia sometimes when we least expect it, even here at home when our minds and hearts are dulled by the old normal,  and that is what makes one feel like crying in the last scene of The Return of the King when the fellowship is breaking up: they were a family of fools, gone through fire together, holding onto the light unflinchingly. They did life together. They had each others' backs. When one was weak, the other was strong. Sometimes they were all weak and in those moments someone would at last manage a grim smile and mention something about what they were doing on this Quest anyway, and they straggled onward and upward in the homely comfort of knowing they were in the company of those fighting for and against the same things.

A willingness to fellowship. Koinonia.

So next time you feel that odd sense of having gone somewhere to be a blessing and achieved nothing but having gathered blessing for yourself, don't freak out that you've somehow missed the ministry you hoped to have. Chances are, God has used you in a gracious display of koinonia. Chances are, the people you have gone to were ready for your message and you were ready for theirs. This is always our Father's way; just when we think there's a limited quantity of blessing, He grins and dumps something like honest to goodness fellowship in our laps in that insanely generous way of His.

The Partnership of Mutual Blessing...Just think how awesome Heaven's going to be.

Things an' Stuff. And Sherlock. Always Sherlock

If I seem to have neglected this blog, that is because I have been working too hard at publishing my debut novel, Fly Away Home! Yep, that's right! My debut novel is going to be available February 14th (Valentine's Day!) of this year! I am finished with formatting and cannot wait to reveal the cover this coming Wednesday on my writing blog: The Inkpen Authoress. Most of you will have read about it on Facebook or already follow The Inkpen Authoress, but for those of you who don't, here's a quick synopsis:

Fly Away Home, 1952 New York City:Callie Harper is a woman set to make it big in the world of journalism. Liberated from all but her buried and troubled past, Callie craves glamour and the satisfaction she knows it will bring. When one of America's most celebrated journalists, Wade Barnett, calls on Callie to help him with a revolutionary project, Callie finds herself co-pilot to a Christian man whose life and ideas of true greatness run noisily counter to hers on every point. But when the secrets of Callie's past are hung over her head as a threat, there is space for only one love, one answer: betray Wade Barnett to save her reputation, or sacrifice everything for the sake of the man she loved and the God she fled. The consequences of either decision will define the rest of her life.
Self-preservation has never looked more tempting.

It's an awesome feeling, "officializing" things. I decided to go the independent route for various reasons, not the least of which is because I like to be...well...independent with my writing! It's been a lot of hard work, a lot of fun, and will all come to a climax on February 14th when the book will be available for purchase!

So that's what has kept me away from "normal blogging". Let's see. I am praying about going back to Romania this spring/early summer so if you would pray that I would be able to have clarity about that decision. I have been so busy with my book that I haven't thought too much about it. On one hand, the idea of not going and seeing all the friends we made last time and having that experience again seems like agony; on the other hand, I want to be certain that this is the right thing for my year. It's not just a two-week trip: it's fundraising, planning, preparing, etc. As of now, I am headed toward going, but I want to put more thought and prayer into it before getting too far ahead.

How could a mission's trip not be a good thing? Of course it is always a good thing. I just need to know if it is my mission for this year. Last year was a beautiful string of travelling hither,thither and yon. It was awesome and definitely the exact right thing for last year. But outside of traveling and mental-spiritual-intellectual-relational growth, I didn't get all that much done. This year I'm starting off with a bang: publishing my first book. I have more books I am in the middle of writing and last year I was in such a perennially penniless state that I feel I need to do something about that situation so I can at least keep myself shod. That means I'll need to keep at my writing as well as try to get more writing students and see what else I can do to collect funds. :)

Anyway, that's what's wandering around my brain at present. Sooner or later I want to do a post about these big old vague ideas I've been reading over in G.K.Chesterton's Orthodoxy and Dorothy Sayers' The Mind of the Maker, but that's all a bit much for a sleepy Saturday morning, don't you think?

On a more exciting and random note, I have seen the first two episodes of Season 3 of Sherlock and just let me say: Gatiss at the wheel has in no way been a slight on the show.

These two episodes were brilliant, satisfying, and wonderful. There were so many moments of "D'AWWWWWW!" and a few nervousing moments and quite a lot of John which is always a wonderful thing, and more Mycroft (Jeremiah Lorrig looks like a young Mycroft, by the by) and then you have Mary of course, which is a beautiful thing. I have heard the final episode of this season is gonna be a thriller/nail-biter/screamer and you've got to stay through till the end of the credits or something. Everyone's taking after Marvel these days.

Well, toodle-pip, everyone! May your weekend be blessed with the richness of Christ!

"You're a busy-body." "So sue me."

“There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations - these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub and exploit - immortal horrors or everlasting splendors."

-C. S. Lewis  

When I was little, there was this weird, dry, boring thing called "social studies". I never really knew what they were. It was an optional category on the standardized tests and when we asked Mama why we didn't do them she'd say, "We've got that covered." It wasn't till I grew up that I realized what she meant. See, Mama and Dad raised us to be extroverts. While working with GenJ this fall I was talking to a politico over dinner: "So I take it you've always been this outgoing and...forthright?" he asked with a wry smile.
    I laughed. "Actually I used to be super shy and when I'm around shy people it comes out now and then." (If you're wondering, yeah, he was shy and I started tripping up on my words explaining the situation.)

     Know what dragged me out of my shy funk? People. People are just so darn interesting.

     A quiet, retreating personality might not be able to understand my fascination with people at first thought, but let me ask you a question: have you ever sat by yourself at a coffee-shop and watched someone across the room or out the front window and let your mind wander? That's people-watching. That's social studies. That's finding people too darn interesting to let yourself be a hermit. Mama knew that we were curious kids. She knew that sooner or later, in a world full of color and personalities and back-story and drama, we'd take notice and start watching. She encouraged us to be around people and ask questions and watch life and take part in it. So what if I never took that test or read a social studies book? I read history. I watched people. I used my vibrant little brain and put two and two together and now the East Coast has a voraciously curious young woman on their hands. I can't stop watching people and thinking about people and making up their stories in my head. I have all these weird ideas and because I don't live in NYC or Seattle, I make up for the lack of tangible scenarios by writing books about the scenarios I wish I had time to live.

     I want to write a mystery called Brownstone and explore the relationships of fellow-tenants who ignored each other beforehand, brought into an unlikely, hilarious community by the appearance of a body (or an abandoned baby..don't know which) on their collective doorstep.

     I want to conduct an experiment and write a book called Ten, Noon by choosing one corner of a coffee shop or cafe in a big city and sitting there every day for a year for two hours (from ten to noon) and people-watching and seeing what sort of morphing, yet tight community you'd get. Probably there'd be love and heartbreak and good deeds and deceit and life and death and lots of interesting things happening in that corner, and it'd be a best-seller book when I'd finished and I'd get to sell thousands of copies and buy an old stone house somewhere with the profits. Don't steal my idea. You know it's a good one. (COPYRIGHT 2013 by Rachel Heffington)

     I'm one of the most observant people I know and it's mostly because I grew up in a family that didn't find themselves too busy to walk a little slower, discuss details, and imagine things. I can meet you once and remember your face. I can go home and tell my family exactly what conversations I carried on with whom, what they were wearing, what color their eyes were, and "write" a verbal portrait so my family ends up in laughter, fear, or a swoon. It's not like I'm particularly gifted in that area; I'm not Sherlock Holmes, I'm just...sociable. People are fascinating.

  What I want you to realize is that I'm not advocating humanism. I believe we live in a fallen world. I believe in original sin. I believe that people are inherently flawed and that the only way to heal the breach between ourselves and our Creator is to put ourselves under the mercy and grace of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. And you know what...? Maybe that's why I find people so interesting. Maybe I'd rather study humans than birds and flowers and plants and saving the ocean because probably I'm not a people-watcher after all..probably I'm a soul-watcher. I am passionately curious about people because every single face on the street belongs to a soul that was specially created to play a particular part in the epic drama that is our history and future. I feel the stories and I want to know them. And more than I want to know them, I want to know that they are going on with me into eternity...and on the right side of the chasm at that. I want to know that these people realize they're part of the drama...and they have a particular choice to make.

     Social studies...evangelism...there's probably a way to combine those two things. I'd like to learn how. How do I overcome the remaining bits of my shyness and turn my curiosity to compassion? How do I reach into the reflective, smooth-running current of anonymous people-watching and help them untangle their souls without ruining any of the beautiful dignity? But maybe that's it again...maybe the beautiful dignity comes from the fact that they are souls that need untangling. Maybe dabbling my fingers in the pretties of the brook will only make it more beautiful, fuller, smoother...Fact is, I love people and the reason I love them is because He loves them. They're pieces of Him, birthed in His laughter and delight, desperately in need of the Rescuer. Image-bearers, all of us. Somehow, there's a way for me to be a liaison between heaven and earth...somewhere there's a gap I will slide into like the final tumbler in a Chinese puzzle-box. This post might not even make sense to a single blessed soul but me...and if that's the case, I won't apologize. Chalk it up to a lesson for you in studying people like me.

Social studies? Hrmph. Such a silly name for such a marvelous thing.

DIY Audrey Hepburn Canvas Wall Art

Hello dear people!
    I had the most lovely blog break and confirmed the fact that there are many hours in the day in which to do things I thought I didn't have time for. Among these things was the art of painting things! I am not a terribly fine artist--I don't dedicate enough time to learning to be so--but I do enjoy mucking about with paints now and then, and this month I was able to play with it! Besides the sort of composition that usually comes to mind when one speaks of "painting", I played around with canvas wall-art. I had been vaguely wanting something big and black and white and Audrey-themed. When I was clicking through Pinterest for DIY gift ideas, I came across this canvas-print from Ikea:

//Isn't she a beauty?//

As much as I love Audrey Hepburn and as much as I wanted this canvas print, I knew I couldn't spend $40 (not including shipping/handling) and then I walked into Michael's and saw a stack of seven 12x12 canvases for $20. As soon as I bought the stack for various gifts, I decided to use four to re-create/change this poster into something for My Lair. My vision was that image above projected onto four separate canvases that could be hung altogether, or a few inches apart, or even mixed up if I wanted a strange modern-art effect. (LET US DISSECT AUDREY, MUM!)

What followed was an "eye-balling" test-run on four mini-canvases. That round turned out pretty much a hot mess. I misjudged Audrey's mouth and nose and she ended up looking wretched. Vexed with the product, I didn't know if I wanted to use four of those canvases for something that would probably not turn out brilliantly. But I do have a stubborn streak. So stubborn, in fact, that I voluntarily made the choice to do it the mathematically.

Get that? 

Me.....and math....together.

I printed off the picture of the Ikea canvas which was about a 4x4 square, then folded it into quarters, folded those quarters into four-eight pieces each, and started taking it bit by bit with a ruler, sketching it onto the big canvases with painstaking precision. It was a really strange exchange: one entire "canvas" on my print-out only measured 1 inch which meant that I was multiplying by twelve (or dividing by twelve) to draw what I needed on my own canvases. 1/8" became 1.5" and I would measure angles in a way that blew my brain. I seriously have not done this much geometrical math since graduation...it felt powerful. ;) By the time I was finished with the 2+ hours of measuring and sketching, the thing looked pretty darn good, but I knew the final test would be painting in the shadows and seeing how it looked when finished. 

Guys...I think it looked pretty much amazing... at least, I am satisfied.

For me, the best part about it was trusting to math to make everything correct. Yes, I felt like I was making random angles and marks and blobs on a canvas (especially that darned left-hand piece!) but I knew that if I could just follow the mathematical measurements, it HAD to come out right...and it did! There is probably an easier way to do this project (a projector? Bwahaha) but I found that the satisfaction of doing something on my own without the aid of anything but a little 4x4 piece of paper, a ruler, and a pencil was worth all the inconvenience.

If you want to make your own art like this, you will need the following materials:

• 4 square canvases (I used 12x12)
• A ruler, your image of choice, and pencil
• Acrylic paint and brushes
• A fixative (I skipped this, but I have heard hairspray works to set the paint!)

Good luck! This is a beautiful, fun, chic project and makes a lovely conversation piece for any room. The size (50x50 the way I have it hung) is perfect for an empty wall, and I just love the....Hepburnism! 

Hope you enjoyed seeing my brain-child! I love interior-design/decorating

eShakti product review: My "Hepburnism" dress!

Hello everyone! Yes, I am supposed to be on a month-long social media break but I knew that I needed to break that fast once during the month to post my latest review of eShakti's gorgeous products! When Jane from eShakti approached me about selecting a dress from the Fall/Winter collection I was more than willing, obviously. I have been wanting a LBD (little black dress) for a long time. For all my fashion consciousness, I failed to own one of these versatile closet items! So I knew that I would choose one of the numerous black dresses listed on eShakti's site. 

After consulting with my friend Katie who is an authority on the subject, I chose the jersey-knit fit-and-flare dress in black. I customized the dress to my specific measurements (made SO easy by the site!) and chose a wide-scoop neckline and elbow-length sleeves. The dress came in a surprisingly short period of time and fit like a dream. My favorite eShakti dress to date! I cannot wait to begin styling this LBD different ways. For the shoot I chose my cousin Matthew (www.matthewsphotographyblog.blogspot.com) and he did an excellent job of taking the photos, don't you think? I have no practice modeling so my expressions are somewhat curious but the point is the dress, oui? It was a gorgeous fall day and I had a blast finding random corners, doorways, and bits of town to pose in while Matthew snapped away. 

"Hepburnism". That's what this outfit has. No way to NOT feel classy wearing this comfortable, chic dress! It is breathable, beautiful, and can be dressed up or down per the wearer's taste.

Please check out eShakti's website. The customer service is prompt, the dresses high quality, and the fit impeccable! I also forgot to mention that every dress comes with pockets unless otherwise specified which is just the bomb. In addition to these things, if you would like a necklace like the one I am wearing, you may purchase one in The Warren! "Rutupiae Medallions" are made from re-fashioned bracelets and feature a wax seal depicting pen and inkwell and are available in three colors. :) As you can see, they are classy and work beautiful with this now-favorite gown from my favorite online dress retailer! :)

See you in December! 

The Shrinkage Diaries: Hot Cocoa Revamped

Good news, people! The Shrinkage Diaries is back. I haven't been posting about it recently, but I am still eating better and exercising more than I did in days of yore. Haven't been AS lovely about it as my sister Leah who is now a little skinny-minny while I am still...not, but I am doing far better than I once was and I like how I feel when I'm working hard. :)

In the last two days we've had the first fire in our woodstove and the first snow. Of course it wasn't much snow and it didn't stick but for an hour there were spittings of white precipitation that was undoubtedly snow. And that's a big thing in Southern Virginia, to get snow in November. It is a truth universally acknowledged though that with cold weather comes the desire to do sedentary things like sit by that fire and read James Herriot and drink hot cocoa. Also to listen to Christmas music. I almost never listen to Christmas music before Thanksgiving as I don't want to get tired of it, but somehow with the weather being so cold and everyone from the radio-stations to Ann Voskamp playing the old favorites (not to mention the girls practicing carols on the piano) I'm starting to slide into the realm of listeners. I'm actually feeling very holidayish: we're having two friends to Thanksgiving who are single and have no family nearby to spend the holidays with. Cannot wait to take Tatum Black Friday shopping for the first time! To counteract the demands all these cold-weather activities make on my waistline, I took a long walk in the cold, biting wind yesterday and arrived home with all my makeup wiped off by the tears I kept having to wipe away in the face of the blast. Feeling thoroughly frozen at that time, I marched into the kitchen and made myself a cup of hot cocoa. But not any cocoa, since I didn't want to undo the benefits of the walk for which I'd sacrificed my carefully-applied smokey-eye makeup. This cocoa is what I call "clean". No one, not even the Chocolate-Covered Katie herself, could crrrrrriticize its ingredients. (unless she's lactose intolerant or something) I mentioned something of this wonder-drink in a Facebook post and it was suggested that I post the recipe here after I explained what the heck "clean hot cocoa" was. Of course posting a recipe meant I'd need pictures which meant I'd get to make more today...so I did. Here, then, is the result:

Clean Hot Cocoa:

• 2 Tbs. (or less) of pure maple syrup
• 2 Tbs. cocoa powder
• A dash of salt
• 8-12 oz. milk (I usually go for 12 or it gets too rich)
• Splash of vanilla

On the stovetop, whisk-together the maple syrup, cocoa powder, and salt. Stir constantly while simmering for one minute, then whisk in the milk. Heat cocoa per your preference in temperature. When hot enough, remove from stove and stir in vanilla. Enjoy!

This cocoa is smooth, rich, and creamy (and would be more-so if I had been able to get hold of some raw milk), and you won't miss a thing from the normal junk that is full of refined sugars! Feel free to adjust the ratio of maple syrup to cocoa powder--mine was a little sweet. I am excited to have worked out a clean way to have cocoa this early in the cold-season. Also in preparation for the fall/winter, I have been training myself to drink tea and coffee without even honey as a sweetener so hopefully my waist will continue to shrink. (ha. HAHAHA. ha.) Stay tuned for more "clean" holiday treat posts! I want to try my hand at peppermint-bark, fudge, gingerbread men, and more! Let's see what I can do, and if my waist survives the holiday season! Let's call it: The Shrinkage Diaries: Candy-Cane Style. ;)

Toodles! Let me know if there are any specific recipes you'd like me to renovate and I'll see what I can do. In the meantime, drink this hot-chocolate without guilt: your health will love you and give you a nice slap on the shoulder for being such a spiffing fellow.