Vista

Have you made some New Year’s resolutions and set goals for the year?  I have and I find that it takes a lot of diligence to follow through.  Pursuing our dreams also requires goal setting if we are serious about attaining them.  It is the excitement and energy that comes from dreaming that fires our imagination and encourages us to keep on.  Many life stories have been written about successful people and the theme seems to be overcoming setbacks.  Setbacks or wake up calls cause us to reexamine our goals and make sure that they are worthy of pursuit.  Often there are peers who tell us our dream is impossible and to try something else.  The people that finally succeed are the ones who stick to their goals and don’t give up.  I would encourage you to do just that, as I will.

At the end of the book, the young boy and his dog are saying evening prayers together.  Their prayers reflect my faith.  As a child I knew that Jesus loved me.  I find that most people are searching for meaning and purpose and love.  I personally looked into many faiths as a young adult before settling on Christianity because I never forgot that Jesus loved me as a child.  When I was in first grade at Vacation Bible School I made a plaque of His face decoupaged on wood and it hung over my bed for many years. 

 Are you looking for something or someone in your life?  I was until age 25.  God’s love has filled me and given me purpose and direction and now authorship of books.  Being a Christian is challenging but it is also joyful and a lot of fun.  Our family and friends have a great time together celebrating Christmas, i.e. Jesus’s birthday.  This month we will be meeting again and sharing lots of fun, gifts, food, and play with the kids.  Are you looking forward to time with the kids and grand kids, nieces and nephews this month?  There is nothing like hearing their innocent refreshing comments on things going on around them.  When I was about 6 my brother was 2 years younger and happened to see something Mom bought.  I will never forget his face as he attempted to keep a secret on a present for me.  He finally exploded, “You’re getting dishes for Christmas!”  That memory is one of my favorites.  Do you have favorite memories?  I would love to hear them.

It has been so much fun playing as a puppeteer with children in bookstores where I am doing a book signing for If I Were President. They all seem to have unique imaginations and readily come up with all kinds of ideas.

One thing I really enjoy is talking with people about their dreams and ideas for the future. That is one reason I love to do resumes. So the book reflects this interest but is also steeped in fantasy as it should be for children. They need to have fun with their learning and they remember things that they experience much more readily than just reading or hearing about it. Some of them said that they loved to read and that they are reading “chapter books”. It is neat to see them growing in their studies and interests. I also talked with a college student who was immersed in scientific research and he also demonstrated a vivid imagination.