Thanks and Giving

Its funny how those two words (thanks and giving) separately have a lot of meaning.  Everyone knows what it means to give thanks and likewise we understand what it means to give.  However somewhere along the way the words when combined translated to the meaning "take a day off to eat all you want".   I know I'm guilty of stuffing my face with all my favorite dishes: collard greens (that my daughter will only eat if I make them),  baked mac n cheese ( that my daughter will only eat if her auntie makes them) and black eyed peas (that my husband will eat no matter who makes them).  


So yes, we should enjoy ourselves. Good food, good family and good fellowship are important.  But there should come a moment when we all partake in the actual meaning of Thanksgiving.  


This year my children made gift baskets for the less fortunate.  Yes, they moaned and griped and dragged their feet.  But that should not be a deterrent for them nor us.  Box after box were assembled with a variety of foods to meet the needs of those less fortunate.  I'm ashamed to say that for them this only happens once a year.  What about you?  Do you think this is something we can develop into a habit?  Serving others?  I hope so and it is my plan to not only make this a resolution but to pull my calendar out,  schedule it, and mark it in pen!   


Whether it's assisting in a donation center, building for habitat for humanity or donating clothes and food, this is something that all of us should participate in.  Why? because we could just as easily be on the receiving end.


Be blessed,
Terri Whitmire

"BREATHE FOR ME" AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE.

Book Description

The sweeping current of an alcoholic mother traps Tara Fowler in a wave of abuse and neglect. Deplorable living conditions and perverted values frame her world and place her in a bubble of isolation. But young Tara has an internal force that will not be denied.

She learns to navigate the poisonous effect of Maggie Fowler and attempts to create a new path for herself. But how can she when her formative years were filled with unimaginable pain? Her high school English teacher, Simon Grace, becomes her “savior”. But Tara manages to taint that relationship as well. Maybe she’s not so different than Maggie after all.

In college, Marcus Stallings enters her life, a young man who somehow penetrates Tara’s wall of isolation and offers her God’s salvation. Tara’s desire to live out the ideal life with the man of her dreams becomes threatened. Now she must discover for herself if salvation is enough or if she’ll retreat back to her isolated bubble—and  live forever in a suffocating world of loneliness and resentment.

To purchase your copy of Breathe for Me, CLICK HERE.

I hope your enjoy Breathe for Me and are tremendously blessed.  Please go to Amazon.com to leave your comments.  If you would like to contact me regarding speaking with your group, please email me at Writerstablet@gmail.com.

Many thanks,
Author Terri Whitmire

It's Funny What Your Kids Pick Up.  

When my sisters and I were growing up a funny phrase was often re-iterated followed by howls of laughter.  We heard it on TV from a pastor.  The phrase was, "Sneak up on your kids one day.  You'll really find out what they think of you."  

Often times we say one thing and do another, which confuses our kids and trains them to not believe or trust in people's words. We all know the phrase "actions speak louder than words." Hence, your kids will most likely reflect what they see you doing, not saying.  The creation of Breathe for Me has been such a vital part of my life as well as my family's life and it hit me how much so after hearing them on this video. 

This video shows my girls(who have natural hair) having just returned home from a trip to the salon.  They were so excited about wearing their hair "out" that I decided to video them to capture the moment.  This is the unscripted, uncut video that I filmed.  This is truly a shameless plug but I just found it interesting of how much they have been listening (and possibly sneaking up on us).

.  Author, Terri Whitmire

Breathe for Me now available in Amazon Ebook store.

Greetings to you all:


For the last five years or so of my life it has been my endeavor to bring to life a story that will impact people's lives. I am so pleased and honored to announce the release of my novel Breathe for Me. It is (finally) available at Amazon.com in the ebook store.   I thank God that he has equipped me with this gift that I now feel ready to share with you all. 


As I've said before, I have a heart for children, so it makes sense that my main character, Tara, is first introduced as a child.  But I hope when you read this story you will see that all of us, and especially our children, desire to be loved and accepted.  For those of you struggling with this, I pray this book will show you how to get it and keep it in your lives forever.

I hope that you will join me in spreading the word about Breathe for Me and the triumphant message it brings.


The ebook version of Breathe for Me can be purchased today by clicking the link below. You may either download it to your e-reader device, your Android phone or to your computer.

(paper back version coming soon)


Thank you so much. I would greatly appreciate any comments you wish to share.  




http://www.amazon.com/Breathe-for-Me-ebook/dp/B005ME3GJG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1315749732&sr=8-1


Stay blessed,
Terri Whitmire
writerstablet@gmail.com

What's Driving You?

     All of us are divinely purposed to fulfill a roll on this earth.  We know this early in life, but our experiences cause us to either nurture this purpose or drown it.  There are many things that cause our purpose to suffocate: fear, lack of confidence, shame or the sin of busyness. America has a distorted truth about being busy.  Busyness may propel us in tackling that long to-do list, but it can also prevent us from accomplishing the very thing we were put on earth to do.  

     I have been guilty of falling into the trap of busyness by allowing others  to overbook me and by overextending myself.  Sometimes my list is so long that I feel paralyzed in what to tackle first.  I have found a way to combat busyness. No it's not some new aged concoction.  It's by simply praying and listening.  Before I start my day, I must pray. Every morning I extend an invitation to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit to join me.   With this Holy Trio, my day becomes smoother and less hectic.  I am able to prioritize what has to be done, what I'd like to get done and what is unnecessary.  

     Today I sent a message on Facebook that I finally had a day free of chauffeuring and errand running.  I really didn't know what to do to fill my day.  So having opened my day with prayer, I was at peace with not being so busy.  I wandered around the house for a while and the feeling of unproductive-ness tried to creep in. I finally settled down and as a result, I received a wonderful revelation from God.  God speaks to us all when we slow down and give him some uninterrupted time. 

     Remember to pursue your God-given assignment and don't let busyness or anything else stand in your way.

Be blessed,

-Terri 

Breathe for Me (Meet Maggie )

Valentines Day is quickly approaching. This holiday can be celebrated in so many different ways.  Here are a few non-traditional ideas: 

Bring a basket of trinkets to a childrens hospital in your community.

Surprise the overlooked office administrators at your child's school by bringing them lunch.

Visit a senior's home and let your little future actor/actress read them poems. 

Bring some old coats (fill the pockets with hard candy) to a local woman/children shelter.

Make a canteen of hot chocolate and give it to your child's crossing guard.

Breathe for Me is finally getting some traction and I would like to thank you all for continuing to inquire about its availability.  All I can say is soon.  But until then here is a new excerpt.  Meet Maggie. She is a character indeed. 

Excerpt from novel Breathe for Me

Tara and Maggie strolled through the men’s department at the Wal-Mart. 

“We gone find you a daddy today, so keep smiling and don’t mess up that hair that took me an hour to do.”

Maggie stuffed her own shoes deeper inside her purse and tried to balance herself in the brand new fancy shoes she had just borrowed from the ladies’ shoe department.  She also borrowed a fancy coat and the most expensive looking pair of earrings she could find.  As soon as she found her a potential husband, she would be sure to put almost everything back in its original place.

“Excuse me?” Maggie said as she batted her ice-blue colored eyelids, courtesy of the sample eye shadow palate in the beauty department.

“Yes, Ma’am.” A tall good looking fair skinned man answered.

“My daughter wants to send this jacket to her daddy, we’re divorced, and she wants to see how it looks on you.  You have the same gorgeous body as him.”

The man smiled, flattered by this tired phrase Tara had heard dozens of times before.

She had reeled in another one.  Maggie’s promise to buy her school clothes was trumped by the capture of another pervert. As they were leaving the store, Maggie tucked the man’s phone number in her purse.

“Momma, where’s my real dad?” Tara hesitantly asked.

Maggie walked on, ignoring Tara’s question.

“You tell me he’s gone, but what happened?  Does he know about me? Does he even care? Did you meet him at the Wal-Mart too?”  Tara stopped walking and Maggie jerked her arm pulling her across the street toward the bus stop.”

“Girl, you better come on.  I don’t have time to explain nothin’ to your little ungrateful self.  I’m the only one you got.  So stop talkin’ to me about all this daddy crap. You ain’t got no father.”

*****

The bus stopped at the corner of Hester Avenue. Maggie and Tara trudged down the unpaved street, stopping in front of a brick multi-family apartment dwelling.  Maggie unlocked and entered the first floor level of their apartment and emptied the contents of her overstuffed pockets onto the kitchen counter. 

“Go on girl, put that stuff away,” Maggie sniped.

Tara entered the kitchen, stumbling over the same half tied trash bag that lay in the hallway from that morning. Maggie hurried into her bedroom, dropping her coat on the tattered tweed sofa along the way. 

“You see my lighter out there,” Maggie yelled.

Tara spotted the lighter next to the yellow tinged toaster oven that hadn’t worked in years. She brought it to her mother.

Maggie pursed her lips, inhaling as she lit the cigarette. Tara hated the smell of smoke. Her third grade teacher, Mrs. Sanchez warned the kids about the dangers of second hand smoke.  Tara was disgusted by the thick and cloudy film that it left on every living and nonliving thing nearby.  Blowing in and blowing out. It served no purpose except to deprive her of at least two days worth of meals. There was very little money to go around as it was, yet a mound of cigarette butts filled Maggie’s nightstand consistently.

 “Well, those people found me another place to work, so you gonna be by yourself tonight.” Maggie buttoned up the burgundy uniform shirt that read “Fry Daddy” on the pocket. She slipped on the matching pants and hurried back to the front room.

“I’ll be fine,” Tara convinced herself.

“My legs gonna’ be sore tomorrow, so you gonna’ have to take care of that laundry.” Maggie twisted her wig into position as she walked to the door.

“I will, momma,” Tara said unsurprised by this request.

“Okay, I’m a get goin’. You know those people don’t like me being late. You ain’t got school tomorrow, but keep yourself in da’ house,” Maggie reminded Tara. “I don’t want no police showing up on my door like they just did wit’ O.J.”

“Okay,” Tara sullenly answered.

“I get off at eleven and they should have plenty chicken left over so I’ll bring extra if I can.”

“Bye, momma.”

Maggie’s promise to Tara was as firm as the watered down Jell-O that sat in their empty refrigerator. The thought of not having dinner that night didn’t faze Tara. But the impracticality of fending for herself for the next two days was distressing. 

Thanks and I hope you enjoyed this month's blog

Terri Whitmire

What's your book about?

When I finally muster up the courage to tell family, friends and acquaintances that I have a book coming out,  the very next question is "What's it about?".  It took me a long time to figure out how to tell enough about the book to keep the interest up but to not give too much of it away.  Listed below is the book write up that will explain the premise behind it.  Let me know what you think.

I appreciate your coming to this blog site and staying interested in this long journey to publishing a book.  I pray your 2011 will be one filled with happiness, peace and joy.

-Stay Blessed
Terri Whitmire

****************

 

Tara Fowler is drowning in a world full of fear and neglect.  This story follows her as she grows up in a home where her alcoholic mother takes pleasure in poisoning every aspect of her life. She learns to navigate this unremitting shame and finally breaks free.

Now it is up to her to create a new path for herself. Marcus enters her life just in time, a college friend who somehow penetrates her walls of isolation. Her desire to live out the ideal life with the man of her dreams becomes threatened when her mother resurfaces, sending her back into her bubble of despair. Then a devastating and unconscionable act is perpetrated and the foundation of her perfect life inevitably begins to crumble.

This story’s suspenseful opening will keep you guessing as Tara attempts to regain control of her life and somehow mend the brokenness.  Her journey to wholeness requires her to finally unlock the secrets that threaten her marriage and her sanity allowing her to finally breathe again.
This is a contemporary story about redemption, forgiveness and the abundance of grace that God provides to us every day.