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Good Morning.

2008: Well Worth The Wait by Stanice Anderson

           Yes? I love the smell of "Yes" anytime of the day.  No?I've learned to graciously take a "No" because now I know that Godsees way down the line.  Maybe? On a good day, I've been known to embrace a faith-filled"maybe."Wait? The hardest-to-endure-word in my psychological, mental, emotional, and spiritual consciousness is WAIT.

The only thing that makes wait a concept I can live through is juxtaposing it with God's promises; especially, Isaiah 40:31, "But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint." I've strode to the rhythm of that verse like a mantra during many a brisk morning walk determined to get it into my spirit so that I could hold on, trust God, and go on to the next thing at hand.

And now, in 2008, I know that I'm not the only one who has hoped against all odds that a change is gonna come. I believe this is the year when God will grant us some of the greatest desires of our hearts. Long-time hopes. Eternal-flamed dreams.

I believe that because we waited, persevered, held on to God's promises, passed more tests than we fell short of-because we refused to give up hope, or give the enemy of our souls any ground-because we cried out to the Lord when we had no one else to turn to and even when we did have others to turn we chose the Lord instead-and He made a way. Suddenly-He made a way.

When we felt like quitting, if only for a whisk of a moment and considered laying down on the side of the road, we didn't. Some of us sat down for a minute and caught our breath; but we didn't stay there. We got up in spite of everything that tried to convince us that we were too tired to get up. With the second, third, and fourth wind of the Holy Spirit, we got up and pressed our way.

When all seemed to be against us, we bolded shouted through our tears and groans unleashed by the Holy Spirit, "If God be for us who can be against us?" When it looked like defeat was imminent, somehow we felt like going on.We praised God with the eyes of faith for the imminent victories yet unseen and for the triumphs faith assured us were around the bend and one more shovel of hope away. Thus, we kept digging.

Yes, we persevered. No, we didn't quit. Maybe, we listened briefly to the whispers of doubts; but God's Word hushed them. And through it all, we waited on God and are better equipped to live out His plans for our lives because of it.  God keeps His promises and Jesus stand in the gap for us making sure that absolutely no weapon formed against us prospers.

Thus, we stand here today, clothed in our bright minds and yielded hearts, on the verge of realizing some of the greatest desires of our hearts. We, Chosen Ones, have crossed the threshold of a brand new day and a brand new year-fresh, clean and unused-prepared for us. A new year to live, trust, hope, pray, laugh, prosper, grow, praise, and believe God. This is the year the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.

In 2008, WE WILL SEE that it was WELL WORTH THE WAIT.

The promises of God for your life are breaking through! I believe that it's going to be like we will just walk right into them so naturally that we will forget the birth pains because what we behold will be so exquisite-far beyond what we could have asked, thought, or imagined. The past pain will only serve as a spring board on which our awesome testimonies will be launched. And, together, we will continue to overcome, because we will share those testimonies, as the Lord leads-forgetting our insecurities and moving forward boldly in God's Spirit.

We will get in touch with our stories and share them with each another-especially in these last days. It is our responsibility to encourage one another. To let our lights so shine among men that they will see our good works and glorify God in Heaven-that is our destiny. Revelation 12:11 reminds us "We overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony."

Yes, 2008, it's all been well worth the wait.It's your time to shine. It's time to shout from the rooftops what God has done for you in the dark. It's your time to mount up with wings like the eagles; to run and not be weary; to walk and not faint.

© 2008, Stanice Anderson, Author & Inspirational Speaker

Sign up for monthly email series, Food for the Spirit by Stanice Anderson @ www.stanice.com

What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight;

what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs.

Matthew 10:27

Let's Get Real and Walk On Water

Stanice's Let's Get Real Tour: Sharing Our Stories--Sharing Our Strengths launches Sat. Dec 1, 2007 5pm at the Charlotte Museum of History, Charlotte, NC.  FREE Admission. Presented by Lionel Lee Wellness Center, Sonja Lee, Founder & Executive Director.  Also Sat. Dec 15, 2007 in St. Louis, MO at St. Augustine Catholic Church Gymnasium.  FREE Admission. Call Mike at 202-487-6453 to discuss how your city or town can be included in the tour.  T-Shirts now available at Stanice's Holiday Gift Store.

Calling all Water-Walkers! Book Stanice's one-woman experience, Walkin' On Water When The Ground Ain't Enuf (next show Dec. 22, 2007, New Life Bible Church, Hoke Rd., Fayetteville, NC); or the talk tour, Let's Get Real: Sharing Our Stories--Sharing Our Strengths, or as an inspirational speaker for your event.  Contact my son, Mike Tucker at 202-487-6453 mike@district51.net or 301-805-0116 for more information. "Bravo, bravo, I loved the show. Stanice had me falling down laughing, crying, and stomping my feet. I was very energized, excited, and left eager for more. "  Karen L.B. Evans, President & Founder, Black Women Playwrights Group

Stanice Anderson, Author/Inspirational Speaker/Playwright.  I Say A Prayer For Me: One Woman's Life of Faith and Triumph (Walk Worthy Press/Warner) www.stanice.com   Stanice's Holiday Gift Store (personalized and signed gifts) with FREE SHIPPING.

Experience Stanice Walkin' On Water

Spread the word, please.

Saturday, October 20, 2007 at 5:30 p.m. in Hartford, Connecticut, Author & Inspirational Speaker, Stanice Anderson, performs Walkin' On Water When the Ground Ain't Enuf, an interactive out-of-the-box one-woman experience with stories of life's challenges and triumphs, music, poetry, laced with humor to inspire and uplift the spirit. It's about a journey to amazing faith. Presented by Zanijah Cultural's owner, Monica Carr, at the Charter Oak Cultural Center, 21 Charter Oak Ave, Hartford, CT. There will be light refreshments and live entertainment by Joe Nerney during pre-reception. Tickets $20. Contact Monica Carr, ZanijahCultural@yahoo.com or 1-866-827-7306. Visit the event's webpage

http://Zaire707.tripod.com or go to http://www.stanice.com/Walkin_On_Water.html

for audio and video clips. For info on how you can book the show, contact Stanice's son, Mike Tucker at 202-487-6453 or email mike@district51.net . Stanice is author of two published books including, I Say A Prayer For Me: One Woman's Life of Faith and Triumph, published by Walk Worthy Press/Warner Books

This is what audiences are saying:

"Bravo, bravo, I loved the show. Stanice had me falling down laughing, crying, and stomping my feet. I was very energized, excited, and left eager for more. " --Karen L.B. Evans, President & Founder, Black Women Playwrights Group

"What I liked best was Ms. Anderson’s ability to relate to the audience with everyday issues and some of the silent conversations we have with ourselves. She was honest and beautiful. She made me feel like I could tear down those barriers and be FREE. Camille Butler, Graduate Student

Resurrected Dreams

              I’ve been writing since I learned how to construct a sentence. One of my poems was published in school magazine when I was nine years old. It seemed like, in the millisecond, my happy childhood ended, as the verbal and physical abuse at home escalated. Coupled with being raped at 14 years old, I was emotionally silenced and sequestered by the secrets. I remember making a vow to myself—“No one must ever know.” Therefore, the written word became my saving-grace.

As I grew older, I attempted to show the world a well-adjusted, funny, and extraverted woman. It was only in my writing that my real voice could be heard. It dared to whisper a different story. Words befriended me, flowed from my soul, and spilled onto thousands of pages over the years. However, as if by tried by a jury with my warped sense of self as foreman, most of my pieces were sentenced to life in file folders neatly stacked in corrugated boxes and exiled to the backside of closets.

Resurrected Dreams, one of the stories in my memoir, I Say a Prayer For Me: One Woman’s Life of Faith and Triumph, best describes my relationship with the written word.

“Out came the sun and dried up all the rain. In my forties, writing found me again. It helped shatter the chains of my painful and shameful past. Words fed my starving spirit and soothed my aching life. In spite of the fact that I abandoned the words and left them to die by the side of the road, they waited for me at the crossroads of life to point the way, ‘Just believe!’ they insisted that we and you are one.’ The itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again.”

As an exercise of my belief, I send my words out into the world.

Dear Heavenly Father:  Give us the progressive vision that You have for our lives.  Protect our minds against the invasion of negative and nonproductive thoughts that seek to defeat us.  When the harshness of life seems to wash us out, remind us to get up and look up to You.  Help us to inch our way back up the spout again and claim Your victory with every step we take.  Thank you that our lives do have meaning and purpose!  Breathe life into our dry bones and fan the flames under our smoldering dreams.  Help us to believe that it’s never too late to follow that dream and vision for our lives.  Order our steps and how us that we can do all things with You as our Helper.  Thank you for creating talents and gifts within us that we may use them to your glory.  Amen.  So be it!

Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.  Romans 12:6-8 (New King James Version)

(c) 2007, Stanice Anderson

for booking info, contact Mike Tucker at mike@stanice.com or 202-487-MIKE

Good Read BookClub: An Idea

Before I was a blogger, book reviewer I founded one of the largest interracial bookclubs in Atlanta- The Suwanee Reading Social Club. And believe me...we had fun.

So I'm missing the old gang ad thinking seriously about starting anew.

This bookclub would both online and at the local level with a big goal to become national. It's objective would be to focus on fiction and non-fiction books written with a Christian worldview. We  Members can choose the books and vote on their picks via online. Authors would share the first three chapters for free. Members would purchase the books on a subscription basis. Local Booksense or a publisher would provide discount rates for this club. The club would host reader and booksigning events.

This club idea is what I'm thinking about. I would love feedback, interested parties willing to form an advisory board with me, authors wishing to be featured, and anything else that will bring to fruition. I will host online web conference in August to share what we have come up with. Anyone interested in receiving an invite to that conference, please contact me offline or at my Christian Fiction Blog.

And also join me this summer at the Sormag Online Conference. I will be teaching a beginner's writing course on POV.

Thank you. Dee

CHEERIOS® SPOONFULS OF STORIES® CHILDREN’S BOOK CONTEST

Sorry, I'm late posting but got a doosie of a writing opp!  Remember, you heard it almost first from Stanice Anderson, your roving-and-sometimes-late blogger and her granddaughter, Nya Jo.  May God's favor run you down.

cheerios children's book contest
===============================

CHEERIOS® SPOONFULS OF STORIES® CHILDREN’S BOOK CONTEST
http://www.spoonfulsofstoriescontest.com/contest_rules/

OFFICIAL RULES
WHAT IS THE CONTEST?

The Cheerios Book Contest encourages aspiring authors to write and submit a
story for a book for children ages 4 to 8.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR TO WIN.  A PURCHASE DOES NOT IMPROVE YOUR
CHANCES OF WINNING.

What can I win?

Grand Prize   

One (1) Grand Prize of $5000 cash will be awarded.  In addition to the cash
prize, the Grand Prize winning story submission will be offered to Simon & Schuster for possible future publication.  Publication not guaranteed.  The $5000 will be awarded as a check made payable to the Grand Prize winner.  Approximate value of the Grand Prize is $5000.  Publishing terms and contract, if
applicable, will be handled independently by Simon & Schuster, or such other publishing company as determined by Simon & Schuster.

First Prizes

Two (2) First Prizes of $1000 each will be awarded.  The $1000 First Prizes will be awarded as checks made payable to each of the two (2) First Prize winners.  Approximate value of each First Prize is $1000.

The stories of all Prize winners will appear on www.SpoonsfulsofStories.com .

All contest prizes are not substitutable or transferable, except at the sole discretion of General Mills. One prize per person.  All taxes and other expenses, if any, are the sole responsibility of the winners.  This contest is void where prohibited or otherwise regulated.  All federal, state and local laws
apply.

Who can enter?

You are eligible if you are 18 years of age or older as of June 19, 2007, and are a legal United States resident residing in one of the 50 United States or District of Columbia during the competition.  Entries originating from any other jurisdiction are not eligible for entry.  This contest is governed
exclusively by the laws of the United States.

You are not eligible to enter and will be disqualified if:

• You are a professional writer, such as a novelist or newspaper writer who creates books or articles for pay.
• You are a volunteer of the First Book Advisory Board or an employee of General Mills, Archway Marketing Services, Simon & Schuster, First Book or any of their respective parents, subsidiaries and affiliated companies, or a member of the immediate family (parent, children, siblings, spouse,
regardless of where they live) or same household of such employees (whether related or not).

How do I enter?

Online entry only.  Go to www.spoonfulsofstoriescontest.com and submit your story using the online entry form, filling in all requested information completely.  Story must be 500 words or less, submitted in readable font (e.g.Times New Roman or Arial) in the English language.  All electronic entries must be
received between 12:00 a.m. (Central Time) on June 19, 2007 and 11:59 p.m. (Central Time) on September 7, 2007.  Each electronic entry should be submitted only once.  Use of automated processes and devices to submit electronic entries are not permitted.  Contest Sponsor is not responsible for any changes or effects caused to the entrant's computer system as a result of submitting electronic entries.

Only entries submitted via the website electronic form will be accepted.  Entries submitted via facsimile or other express delivery services will NOT be accepted.  Not responsible for lost, late, misdirected or otherwise undeliverable mail, or entries that cannot be processed due to phone, network, electronic
or computer hardware or software failure, telephone or other communications malfunctions, errors or failures of any kind, lost or unavailable network connections, web site, Internet or ISP availability, unauthorized human intervention, traffic congestion, incomplete or inaccurate capture of entry information (regardless of cause), failed, incomplete, garbles, jumbled or delayed computer
transmissions which may limit one’s ability to enter the Contest, or technical failures of any kind, including any injury or damage to participant’s or any other person’s computer relating to or resulting from participating in this Contest or downloading any materials in this Contest.  General Mills reserves
the right, in its sole discretion to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Contest should (in its sole discretion) virus, bugs, non-authorized human intervention, fraud or other causes beyond its control corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness or proper conduct of the Contest.  In such case,
General Mills will select the winner from all eligible entries received prior to and/or after (if appropriate) the action taken by General Mills.  General Mills reserves the right at its sole discretion to disqualify any individual that tampers or attempts to tamper with the entry process or the operation of the contest or website or violates the Official Rules. 

CAUTION:  ANY ATTEMPT BY ANY ENTRANT TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE ANY WEBSITE OR
UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE CONTEST MAY BE A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL
OR CIVIL LAWS AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, GENERAL MILLS RESERVES THE
RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES FROM ANY SUCH PERSON TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY
LAW.

By submitting your story, you accept all contest rules and agree to be bound by the decisions of the judges, which will be final.  You also agree that if you are a Grand Prize or First Prize Winner, your story becomes the sole property of General Mills, and General Mills reserves the right to edit, adapt,
copyright, publish, transfer and use all or a part of your entry without further compensation.

General Mills will be collecting personal data about participants online, in accordance with its privacy policy.  Please review General Mills’ privacy policy at [insert link].  By participating in the contest, entrants agree to General Mills collection and usage of their personal information and acknowledge
that they have read and accepted General Mills’ privacy policy.

How will ENTRIES be judged?

All entries must meet the contest requirements.  All entries must be the fully original creations of the entrants.  Judging will be conducted using the following criteria (weighted on an equal basis):

• Appropriate story/content for children ages 4 to 8
• Emotional connection
• Writing quality
• Uniqueness
• Read-aloud potential

Judges will disqualify previously published stories, such as, but not limited to, those in publication, in magazines, from publishing companies, on major book or children’s story websites and winners in national contests, unless the story features changes considered significant by the judges.  Entrants will be required to certify, on information or belief, that the story is their own creation and has not been published or publicized and has not won a national contest.  Final judging will be done by a panel of literary experts.  Decision of the judges is final in all matters relating to this Contest.

By entering, all entrants warrant and represent that their respective entries are their own fully original creations, and their respective entries (including but not limited to any materials integrated into their entries) will not infringe or violate the rights of any third parties, including but not limited
to copyrights, trademarks and/or rights of publicity/privacy.  If General Mills, in its sole discretion, has reason to believe that any entry contains any material that may infringe or violate the rights of a third party, General Mills may disqualify such entry and take all other measures General Mills may deem
appropriate to protect its interests.

By participating, entrants and winners agree to release and hold harmless Sponsor, Simon & Schuster, their respective advertising and promotion agencies and their respective parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates, partners, representatives, agents, successors, assigns, employees, officers and directors, from any and all liability, for loss, harm, damage, injury, cost or expense whatsoever including without limitation, property damage, personal injury and/or death which may occur in connection with, preparation for, travel to, or participation in Contest, or possession, acceptance and/or use or misuse of prize or participation in any Contest-related activity and for any claims based on publicity rights, defamation or invasion of privacy and merchandise delivery.  In case of dispute as to the identity of any entrant, entry will be declared made by the authorized account holder of the email address submitted at time of entry. “Authorized Account Holder” is defined as the natural person who is assigned an email address by an Internet access provider, online service provider, or other organization (e.g., business, educational, institution, etc.) responsible for assigning email addresses or the domain associated with the submitted email address. Any potential winner may be requested to provide Sponsor with proof that such winner is the authorized account holder of the email address associated with the winning entry.

What happens if I win?

If you are one of the winners, you will be notified on or about December 1, 2007 via phone.  Winners will be required to sign an affidavit of eligibility and a liability release/assignment of rights and return it within 5 days of receipt of notification.  Any winner who does not comply with this requirement,
cannot be easily located at the phone number provided may forfeit prize and an alternate winner may be selected.  Except where prohibited by law, each winner will be required to sign a release giving General Mills, Simon & Schuster and their respective advertising and promotion agencies full rights to use the
winner’s name, likeness, image and voice for Contest related advertising and publicity, including such usage on the Internet.  After accepting prize, the Grand Prize winner will not be eligible to win another Grand Prize in subsequent Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories Children’s Book Contests. General Mills reserves the right to cancel this promotion at its sole discretion.  Winners will be posted on the Internet at www.spoonfulsofstories.com on or about January 1, 2008, following the contest end date and after the winners have been notified.

The Cheerios® Spoonfuls of Stories® Children’s Book Contest is sponsored by General Mills Sales, Inc., One General Mills Blvd. Minneapolis, MN 55440.

© 2007 General Mills

Stanice Anderson, Author/Playwright & Inspirational Speaker, Books include I Say A Prayer for Me: One Woman's Life of Faith and Triumph published by Walk Worthy Press/Warner Books.   www.stanice.com and www.myspace.com/isayaprayerforme Consider me as inspirational speaker or performing my out-of-the-box one-woman experience, Walkin' On Water When The Ground Ain't Enuf, for your next event.  Contact my booking agent, Ms. Leris Bernard at 202-234-0312 or email leris@lgbprod.com