BLOGATION

SHE'S BACK

2012-01-02T07:11:00.000-08:00

I've spent the last couple of months working on important projects, spending time with my family and enjoying the holidays. My poor Blogation has been very neglected.
This morning is one of those times when I've found myself with a delightful little slice of silence, a good cup of coffee and a sublime playlist. A colorful pile of 365 days is behind me, waiting to be sorted and analyzed. 2012 is stretching out before me just waiting to be pondered and planned. I'm taking this moment to think and pray and just hang out with some powerful words and thoughts.

If you could change/adjust some things this year, what would they be?

Here are some words I'm thinking about, in no particular order.

1. Music. I love music. I'm going to make sure there is more of it in my life this year.
2. Create. When I don't create, I wither. I'm going to be more intentional about being creative.
3. Sharpen. I'm going to narrow my schedule and my focus. When I'm spread thin, no one wins. I'm going to be deliberate about scheduling time to build and practice certain skills. I'm going to learn new things.
4. Be still. All day, every day, the spaces in my life are filled with lovely chatter. It drowns out the most important voices. I'm going to intentionally unplug and be quiet more often.
5. Investment. I'm evaluating how I invest myself: my time, my heart, my resources. I will invest more.

What about you? What's on your short list for 2012?

Find a quiet slice of time, a hot cup of something delicious and spend some intentional moments thinking about it.

I'm back! And I'm already working on my next post.... ;)

THOUGHTS FROM THE MOM OF A 19 YEAR OLD VETERAN

2011-11-12T11:34:00.001-08:00

Last night after work I was driving to meet my husband for dinner at one of our favorite places. I was thinking about my boys, and how much I miss them. As I drove through the center square by the Craterian Theater, I saw two young men. One guy with bushy long hair held a sign that said "No More War". He was wearing the uniform of an Army soldier. The other guy was holding a long pole, and at the top of it was our American Flag, hanging upside down. They were both yelling angrily at the passing traffic, and they both wore guns in their belts.
I resisted the urge to pull over and talk to them. To look into their eyes and find out what they were really saying. To find out if they understand that men and women have fought and given their lives for their very right to hold signs in public and yell at passing cars. To ask them why they are doing this on Veteran's Day, when we honor those who have served us. There are 364 other days they can use to wrestle with the subject of war. I wanted to find out if they actually know any soldiers personally. If they've ever looked into the eyes of a War Veteran and listened to their stories. If they've ever sat with a grieving mother, or visited the grave of a young father. If they went to high school with my sons.
I knew my husband who was in the car in front of me was fighting the urge to pull over as well, although I doubt it was to ask questions. When you are the parent of a soldier, it's easy to take these kinds of things personally.
Inside the restaurant, we were waiting for our table when my husband stopped and stared across the room. There he was. Sitting across the table from his daughter, eating his dinner. He wore a hat. It said "World War II Veteran" and was covered in pins. We stood and stared, our hearts full of love for this man we had never met. This hero.
David walked over and shook the Veteran's strong hand. Thanked him for his service. He was humble and soft spoken, and listened while David told him that two of our sons serve as soldiers in the US Army. That Evan just returned from Afghanistan and Ethan is due to leave in February. He thanked us and smiled.
And I just can't help but wonder if those two young man yelling in the town square have met anyone like this old soldier that was quietly eating his dinner in Four Daughters Irish Pub that night. He is far away from war now, but I'm sure that on this day his thoughts had wandered through battles and friends he has known and lost over the years. This was the day set aside to honor him and his battle buddies.
I think sometimes it's easy to get caught up in the 'cause'. It's easy to say you hate war, or a million other things that ruin us all. To be passionate about changing the world. But I hope I never forget to notice those who are quiet. Those who are strong, who do their job, who faithfully show up and protect us, expecting nothing in return. I hope I never forget the lives that were given so that I can live in freedom. May God bless that Veteran in Four Daughters last night. Thank you, Sir. And thank you to the men and women who have served and are serving. I notice. I'm grateful. I won't waste my freedom.

THE WIND IN MY EARS

2011-10-10T08:38:00.000-07:00

I've never been surfing. At least, not on a surf board. But when I was a kid my family ventured out to a California beach, and I spent the day splashing around in the frosty water, laying on a board, trying to ride the perfect wave. The water would swell and lift me towards the sky, and in that perfect moment I would paddle furiously, my eyes glued to the shore. It felt slippery and wild, riding a force downhill that I couldn't control, feeling the mist on my face and the wind in my ears. And sometimes I ended with a crash and a swimsuit full of sand. But time and again I would paddle back out, addicted to the sheer energy and adventure of it all.

There's something pure and powerful about joining a wild force that is already in motion.

Sure, I can splash around and make my own waves.
I can stand on the shore and admire beauty and power that stretches to the horizon.
I can soak up the sun, I can build sandcastles, I can people watch.
I know this is not a perfect analogy.

But sometimes joining
a cause
that God has put in motion
is like riding on water.

It takes practice to recognize when a big wave is coming. It takes discipline and courage to ride along.

Some will say that we're not always called to be out in the water. It's true.

But most of the time
we are.

It's risky, unpredictable, wild
to ride with the force of the tides at your back.
You might get hurt.
It might wear you out.
But there's nothing like it.

My point is this:
God is at work, and I would rather be in the water
than standing with my toes in the sand squinting into the sun,
hoping for a glimpse of something great.

I want to feel the wind in my ears.
God is doing something big, and I don't ever want to be too busy building sandcastles to notice.

SO THIRSTY

2011-10-06T10:25:00.000-07:00

Welp. Right now I'm cozied up on my favorite couch. Catching up on blogs and news. Reading a great book. In sweats. On a Thursday morning, which would normally be AWESOME. Today, not so much. Later on today I'm having surgery. It is planned to be an outpatient procedure and I should be home by tonight, but I haven't had anything to drink since midnight and my surgery isn't until 1:30pm!

Sheesh I'm thirsty.

I'm SO THIRSTY. THIRSTY THIRSTY. And everytime I want to get up and drink a big glass of water, it makes me think. And pray. In fact, I'm praying in a way I never have before.
You see, I'm working with an exceptional team on this really great project. And we're getting ready to launch it very soon. It's called the HAITI WATER PROJECT.
1 in 8 kids in Haiti will not live to see their 5th birthday.
1 in 8. That is so hard for me to grasp. As a mother, I can't imagine giving water to my child that I know might make them sick, but having no other choice.
I've been to Haiti. I've seen the devastation and poverty first hand. I've seen the hopelessness and the desperation. But I've also seen the people. I've watched children play and laugh. I've watched their parents sing and smile and work hard.
Haiti is a land of great possibilities.
In the days to come, I'll be sharing more details about the HAITI WATER PROJECT. Basically, in the month of November, we will be raising enough money to build a well in Haiti. And the kids of the Rogue Valley will be leading the way in the fundraising effort.

This well will transform a community and impact hundreds of children and their families.

And on December 2nd, we'll announce the results.
Are you ready for a great adventure?

DREAMING AND DOING

2011-09-25T10:09:00.000-07:00

We all dream.
We all can get caught up in "What if?"
What if I could stop...?
What if I could travel to...?
What if I could create...?
What if I could get...?
What if I just stopped playing around and I...?
What if I thought outside the box and...?
What if I could give...?
What if?
I'm a What-If-er.
Some of the greatest moments of my life have started by asking the question "WHAT IF?"

But last night this guy said something really profound.
He said,"We all are really good at 'be'. But most of us don't want to 'do'."
I've read and heard some great stuff like this recently.

And if I really think about it,
the times that WHAT IF turned into
THAT moment
were the times that WHAT IF
was followed by
DO.

You might want to BE a writer.
But do you want to DO writer? Because that involves writing and then writing some more, rejection, exhaustion and criticism, among a thousand more things.

You might want to BE an influencer.
But do you want to DO influencer? Because that means selflessness, courage, creativity and self discipline, among a thousand more things.

You get the picture.

In those moments when you dream, when you picture life as it should be, when you think about who you want to BE
do you think about the thousand things it takes to
DO?

Without the DO
I'm just a dreamer.
I'm just another What-If-er.

WHAT IF
is good,
but DO
is even better.

CONNECTING THE DOTS

2011-09-10T09:30:00.000-07:00

A few years ago I met my daughter. For those of you who are new here, I said goodbye to her when I was 16. I was faced with a tough decision, and I chose life for her. Allie grew up in Southern California, the daughter of two awesome parents. Well, fast forward a couple of decades, and Allie Senterfitt stepped off a plane in little Medford Oregon to meet me; her birth mom. It was so strange and wonderful to look into the face of someone else and see bits and pieces myself. And that goodbye I said to her so many years ago was suddenly answered with a hello that somehow made everything okay. Today we laughed and chatted on Skype. We were laughing because we were drinking from the exact same coffee cup. 2000 miles away (she's in Haiti) and we pick the same coffee cup from the cupboard. My heart is full. And I am so grateful. Happy 24th Birthday, little one. I can't believe I'm that old. ;)

BESSIE and the BLUE ROPE

2011-08-10T07:10:00.000-07:00

Our family has been tightening our belts for the last few years, in an attempt to get out of debt from a failed business. Apartment living has been an interesting venture, but very effective when it comes to managing our budget. My husband is still grieving the loss of his garage. I miss the good ol' days when I had 50 pairs of stinky shoes piled in the entryway and pizza boxes under the couch; a sign of a successful night of fun at the Bentons.
I also hate that I can hear the person upstairs every morning. Clear as a bell. Erm, you know, going tinkle. Yep, the same time every morning. Disgusting but true.
But apartment living isn't all bad. One of the greatest things about living in an apartment is the simplicity. I cannot stand to have any extra stuff laying around. If we don't use it or wear it or eat it, it goes straight to the trash, Goodwill or to storage. I can clean my apartment in less than 10 minutes, no joke.
So speaking of tightening belts, my husband has lost a ton of weight. Like 35 pounds. Awesome. Anyway, he left his belt over at a friend's house last month. And instead of taking the time to drive across town and get his belt, he made one. Out of blue rope. Yep. My husband walked around Medford for more than a week using a blue rope to keep his sagging pants up. Sexay.
Well, yesterday I went outside to go to work and my back passenger door on Bessie was open. Bessie is an old white cutlass with red velvet seats that is part of our 'getting out of debt' plan. I could not get her door to shut. I pleaded with her. I threw a little tantrum. I got pitty (code word for sweaty) and my hands covered in grease trying to pry open this metal thing in the door so it would shut. I even tried to just drive with it open but...obviously I have a few corners I have to turn on my way to work. So, I decided I would have to tie it shut somehow.
I raced back into the apartment and frantically looked for something to tie the door shut with. A rope? A bungee cord? Yarn? String? Nope. Nada. Curses! A belt? Ahhhhh......
I dug through my husband's laundry basket and fetched out his hillbilly belt. I tied it to the door handle and realized it was too short to tie off the other end. So, I held it.
That's right. I drove 15 minutes to work on I-5 holding my door shut with a blue rope. Now that's funny.
I'm sure there's a lesson in here somewhere. Maybe it's about creativity, or living within our means or accepting the fact that you're mechanically challenged. Or maybe it's just a funny look at the stuff we have to do to get through our day sometimes. Pride goes out the window and we're forced to, in the words of Tim Gunn "just make it work." So we do. And sometimes, those things make the best stories.

LIFE IS HARD: Thoughts about suffering

2011-08-07T10:08:00.000-07:00

Life is hard.
It's true.
If your life isn't hard today, it probably will be tomorrow. Cheerful thought, right? But you know it's true.

So what kind of person are you when life gets hard? What kind of person am I? And where does faith play into it all? Do we even need a faith in something or someone, or is 'survival' enough?
Is faith a method of avoiding questions, or answering them?
Is God a crutch? A lucky charm? A distant creator?
What role does my faith play in the way I engage in the world around me?

My friend Shawn said it like this: "The lens by which we see the world determines how we live in the world." (In fact many of the thoughts in this post were inspired by a message he recently gave.)

And more than anything, since I returned from my trip to Haiti, I am realizing that the Christian life is more than just self-preservation. It's more than hope of heaven, someday in my future. The Christian life is about God's redeeming, transforming work in me and on earth. Through us. Right here. Right now. This is why believers in Haiti can rejoice and love and have hope in the midst of great suffering.
Life is hard.
But our lives are meant to be more than seeking as much safety and comfort and pleasure as possible. And I think our lives are meant to be more than just laying low until God takes us to heaven. I'm not content with a "fire insurance" faith. Because that kind of faith doesn't transform my life. It doesn't change anything, except maybe my fears about dying. It certainly doesn't change my fears about living.

How we live matters.
How we view God matters.

"God will never give you more than you can handle" is one of the phrases we throw around that supposedly makes people feel better when they're suffering. There is even a popular Christian song playing on the radio these days that preaches that concept. What a crock.
Anyway, the older I get the less patience I have for religious cliches and empty words that are tossed out in the name of Christianity. We want to say something that will comfort or encourage or inspire, and we end up blurting out sappy blabber that stings wounded hearts. And most of the time there's not an ounce of real truth in it.
The truth is, God heals us and frees us so that we can be a part of his redeeming work in the world. A faith that does not transform your life is a faith that has been hijacked.
If you live in the Rogue Valley, you're probably familiar with the names Faith and Ethan, two children who are battling cancer. This picture was taken recently when they were in the same hospital.
I have to say that in the past several weeks I have been really proud to be part of this community. Every week there are local fundraisers to help these families. Yellow shirts are everywhere. Their names are heard in conversations in lunch rooms, in prayer vigils in the park, and in the newsfeed on Facebook. If you read comments on their pages, people all over the world are lifting them up in prayer, loving on them and helping out in creative ways. A community engaging in the story of two families who are walking a road that we all fear to walk. This is love in action.
I have no idea why these two precious kids are sick. I could hardly get through Ethan's mom's last post. Watching my child suffer an excruciating death is something I cannot cannot fathom. I don't know if any of us can back up far enough to see how this whole thing fits into the big picture.
But one thing is certain. These families are loved. They are loved so much. They are not alone.
Life is hard.
And if you're reading this today and you feel alone, hear this.
The story God is telling in you and in me is not just a story about rescue and salvation. It's a story about renewal and restoration. It's hope for today, in the midst of suffering. You are loved.
Suffering will not triumph.

Romans 8: 35-39
³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ³⁶ As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”^[j]

³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,^[k] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

SHORT HAITI VIDEO

2011-07-26T17:57:00.000-07:00

If you've been following my blog, you know I recently went to Haiti as part of a construction team for the Nazarene church. (You can read more about 'Work and Witness' teams here.)

We also helped unpack the Pettit family, who recently relocated there from Medford. They're the new Work and Witness coordinators for Haiti. In Haiti, churches are not just places of worship. They are vital to the safety and well being of a community when disaster strikes.

This video is what we showed in our home church in Medford on Sunday. It's basically a quick overview of the construction part of the trip. (The background music is from the live CD our band just released.) At the end of the recap video is a fun, short 'movie trailer' highlighting a longer video that we'll be releasing this fall.
Please pray for us as we put the finishing touches on the production. What a ride this has been! I've loved every second of it. The Haitian people are awesome and beautiful.

THE ART OF LISTENING

2011-07-19T07:26:00.000-07:00

I used to have this friend who was a terrible listener. She was funny and charismatic and a ton of fun, but if I ever needed to share something important, she checked out. Her mind wandered and she had no filter on her mouth, so we could be talking about my prayers for a new job in one sentence and her new shoes in the next. In fact, usually the converstion turned itself to be all about her.
I actually really liked this person, but I found myself sharing less and less with her, and eventually we lost touch.
Hm.
I've been thinking.
Am I a good listener? I think good listening is an art. It's intentional.
Do you remember someone in your life who really listened to you? I do. It felt like they were investing in me.
And taking it one step further, how often do I intentionally "listen" to God? Do I set aside time to be still? Or do I let my thoughts wander, randomly shooting off my mouth, turning the conversation around to be all about me? I don't want to reach the point where I lose touch.
In Haiti I was intentional about taking short moments to really listen. I think it was because so many things were new and strange. I looked into faces that made me pause and listen. I invested my heart.

I'm taking some time this week to listen. To really listen. Because most of the time, what I'm saying doesn't really matter all that much. And I want to start hearing what does.

WANT A RIDE? TAXI IT UP, HAITIAN STYLE.

2011-07-16T08:43:00.000-07:00

In Haiti if you want to get somewhere,
and you don't have a car,
and you don't want to walk,
you take a TAXI.

No, not this kind of taxi.

In Haiti they call them TAP TAPs. They are little pickup trucks with cage-like campers on the back, and they pack like 30 people into them. It's crazy.
I heard they call them Tap Taps because that's what you do to let the driver know you want a ride. You tap on the truck. I'm not sure if that's true. I can't imagine he could even hear you.

My friend Steve who lives over there saw a pregnant lady get bounced out of the back of a Tap Tap the other day. Horrible.

But if you have to get somewhere, this is mainly how people do it.

Another option is a motorcycle taxi. They charge per person, so it makes sense for them to carry as many people as possible, all at once. You can imagine the chaos with these weaving in and out of traffic.

This pic shows 5 people, but the most we saw was 6.
6 people on a motorcycle.
For real.

I'm working really hard this weekend on the first Haiti video. This one will be a "recap" of sorts, a short few minutes to give an overview of our trip. 7+ hours of footage down to a few minutes. How in the world will I do this? I have no blooming idea.

But stay tuned....by the end of the month the first video will be posted right here!

KATIE'S ADVENTURE

2011-07-13T07:13:00.000-07:00

I was thinking this morning about how much my life has been impacted by the recent trip I took to Haiti. I was gone 8 days and went to one country, and it rocked my world.

Today I want to introduce you to Katie Way. I first read about Katie's heartbreaking and inspiring story that was featured on Krystle's blog HERE.

Katie is on a great adventure. She is part of a team that will be visiting (and camping out in) 11 countries in the next 11 months.
I've followed her blog for a while now, and I've watched in facination as she packed her stuff and prepared for departure. How in the world do you decide what to take if you're leaving home for 11 months??? (Besides wet wipes, duh.)

Hard core. Inspiring. Fascinating. Want to know what she packed? Or where she is? Check out Katie's blog HERE.

Her faith will inspire you.

WHATEVER WORKS!

2011-07-12T07:08:00.000-07:00

Here's another cool pic from Haiti. Can you tell what's in her hair?

MACHETES, CHICKENS AND BANANAS

2011-07-11T07:02:00.000-07:00

I've always been fascinated with people who can carry stuff on their head. I was not born with the gift of headbalancing awesomeness. I also cannot breakdance, whisper to animals, or burp the alphabet. In fact there are a gazillion things that don't come naturally to me.

In Haiti I saw women and men carrying a variety of crazy stuff on their head. One lady was carrying a colossal mass of bananas on her head. Barefoot. Up a mountain path. With a big waterjug. And a machete (awesome) in her purse.

And another gal was carrying a massive basket on her head through a crowded street. And it was filled with chickens. Live chickens. And they didn't try to get out. Maybe she was a chicken whisperer.

Oh, and this one guy was carrying chairs on his head. But not stacked up like I might carry them. They were all branchy. Like a tree.

Everywhere I looked people were carrying stuff on their head. It's a pretty normal thing in Haiti. And I suppose that if I had to walk everywhere, and go banana hunting to feed my kids, I would probably own a machete (awesome) and I would carry stuff on my head. Not because it was my gift, but because it was survival. This is reality in her world.

In my world, I don't get up in the morning and pack up my machete (awesome) and head to a banana tree and get to work. Instead I get up, pack my lunch and head to my gray cubicle and get to work. Because that is reality in my world.

And I was wondering today what she would write about if she drove through the streets of Medford, Oregon. And I was also wondering if it's weird that I kinda would like to have a machete.

Awesome.

ONE WEIRD THING

2011-07-08T07:20:00.000-07:00

Ok, here's a weird thing I learned in Haiti. This is a picture of a cemetery.

A family buys a crypt with a few open "spots" in it. But let's say they haven't had to use it in a while.

So, they rent out the space. For a year. For real.

I asked what happens if someone is late on rate. Frantz said they kick them out. They literally pull the casket out and rent it to someone else who can pay. Sorry, Grandma.

Wild, huh?

CONTENTMENT

2011-07-07T07:19:00.000-07:00

Last night we had a youth rally in the park. American teens lounged around in the thick, cool grass. The warm summer breeze carried the fragrance of flowers and trees. Our kids ate hot dogs and played volleyball, they had waterfights and slurped up big slices of watermelon. We gathered for some worship under the bright evening sky, singing to a God who has blessed us beyond measure.

A world away there are Haitian teens facing another night in a very different park. 25,000 people live in tents in that park, so close together that there is no more grass. They eat what is available, and hope that the water they drink will not make them sick. The evening summer breeze carries with it the smell of 50 port-a-potties, a reminder that in Haiti there is not enough of anything to go around. They might play jumprope on the sidewalk, or they may just sit and watch thousands of cars go by, breathing in dust and diesel and the smell of burning garbage. I wonder if they ever sing?

Shawn shared a familiar passage, Phillipians 4:13 - "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." I believe that passage to be true.

Last night he read it in context. Check it out.
"...for I have learned whatever state I am in, to be content. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength." -Philippians 4:11-13

CONTENTMENT. Something to think about today.
What are you grateful for?

HAITI: STEPPING OFF THE PLANE

2011-07-06T06:50:00.000-07:00

It felt like the 25 of us had been traveling for days. We took a bus from Medford, Oregon at 7am and flew out of San Francisco, making our way to Miami and then catching our flight to Haiti. Our noses pressed to the cabin windows, staring at the city of Port Au Prince sprawled out beneath us. We caught glimpses of dusty, stacked cement buildings as we began our descent to the airport. The morning sun was burning brightly as we landed, the runway lined with old vehicles, weeds and tall grass. My heart pounded as the plane taxied past the airport. It looked old and dirty but fairly modern, until I noticed the big cracks in the walls, reminders of the devastation that occurred in this country 18 months ago. We stepped off the plane and walked down a long white hallway, lined with wall air conditioning units that were humming quietly. We took an escalator downstairs and were met with lively music echoing off of the walls; a little band of locals hoping for tips from the tourists. I remember thinking that it felt different but kind of normal; it wasn't as strange as I expected. But then we were crowded onto trams, and when we jerked to a stop we were staring into an old airplane hangar. Customs. We stepped out into the wet, stifling heat and joined the crowds of people in line. Tangled lines snaked through the hot crowded warehouse, and I caught a glimpse of a few UN Soldiers standing in front of a tiny immigration office in the corner. It seemed to take forever, all of us sweating and hoping our paperwork was in order. Once we were through customs, it was a free-for-all as we began sorting through mountains of luggage that had come through on a conveyor belt and been dumped onto the dirty concrete floor. Each one of us had checked a personal suitcase and a large trunk packed with food or construction supplies. We met Frantz, our guide and construction coordinator for the week. He stood patiently as we sorted. I liked him immediately. Men with stern faces kept approaching us and offered to help if we would pay them. One of our team leaders picked someone to help and we loaded our luggage on big creaky carts, hoping we had everything. In a long line, we headed out the doorways into to a sea of dark yelling faces. An important looking guy with a patch on his sleeve shouted at us to keep moving. We were walking quickly in a long, awkward line, trying to focus on keeping our bags from tipping over. People were crowding to see the white Americans; we were clumsily pushing our luggage around potholes and sweating like crazy. The parking lot was more crowded than the fairgrounds after Fourth of July. Horns were blaring and I stared as we pushed pass a towering UN tank. UN soldiers were dotted throughout the parking lot, and I stared at their full heavy gear and loaded machine guns. A man was shouting "God bless you! at us from behind a fence. He had one leg and stretched a long skinny arm through a hole, grabbing at the air. Diesel and smoke mixed with dust, hot pavement burned up through our shoes. We began to load our luggage onto an old yellow school bus. Would it all fit? We were desperately thirsty, with no chance of a bathroom break or a drink of cool water. Mass chaos.
I smiled. We weren't in Oregon anymore.

BORN AMERICAN

2011-07-04T06:49:00.000-07:00

"If I was born American, I would never complain a day in my life."
The Haitian heat had begun to fade as we crowded around tables, bellies full and eyes wide. Frantz had been our guide through the chaotic and heartbreaking city of Port Au Prince. He had been our dedicated advocate all week as we struggled to complete a construction project in the mountain village of Bau Michele that seemed overwhelming and out of reach. He drove us by the US Embassy, where a sea of dark faces waited in the blistering heat for a chance at a new life in America. When we loaded up in the 'People Mover' (a flatbed truck that held all 25 of us in a giant cage) he efficiently navigated the tangled traffic to get us where we needed to be, and didn't judge us when we crowded against the edges and took pictures of the suffering of his people.
"In Haiti," Frantz explained,"people do not have possibilities."
And in the days I spent in Haiti, I found that to be true. I woke up this morning and had a dozen choices for breakfast. A woman just like me in Haiti woke up this morning and maybe had one thing to feed her children. I have 'possibilities' every day to make a better life for myself, to find comfort and rest and fulfillment.
If you would have asked me two weeks ago if I was proud to be an American, I would have emphatically insisted I was. As the mom of two active duty soldiers, one serving in Afghanistan as I type this, I am thankful for our heritage and the ones who fight to preserve it.
But as I flew into Miami, I couldn't help but compare the neat rows of houses and the clean streets to the land I had just left behind. Chaos and filth flow through the streets, hopelessness fills the faces of the people who live in them, and the stink of burning garbage rises with the sun every morning. Relief flooded over me as I flew over American soil, knowing I was back in a land of safety and order. I have never been faced with how life can be without the privileges I enjoy.
The United States of America is not a perfect nation. There are many problems, and many battles to be fought to preserve our integrity and way of life. But today I rest in the fact that I am an American. I enjoy freedom today, and I refuse to take it for granted. I realize that I could have been born anywhere, but today I am waking up a United States citizen, safe because many put their lives on hold, fought for a new way of life, sacrificed their own futures and even made the ultimate sacrifice.
For the rest of my life, I will do my best to not complain. I will do what I can to help save many lives, because I have been greatly blessed. I will remember Frantz and the ones he loves, who have no possibilities.
And today, I will thank God for every single thing in my life.
Today is the Fourth of July. Today I am proud to be an American.

HAITI TRIP: Where Do I Start?

2011-07-03T09:41:00.000-07:00

Where do I start? So much has happened in the last 8 days. So many memories, thoughts, feelings. It's hard to know where to begin, how to describe what's going through my head right now. In so many ways I am still processing what I experienced.
I think I will start by summarizing what we did, why we did it, and then in different blog posts will try and tell stories from each day, keeping them in sequence as much as I can. I won't be giving all details, as our team is planning a special event to share our story, but there will be things I won't have time to share at our event and those will be things I will blog about here.
A long time ago a church in a Haitian mountain village put in a request for a new building. (We pronounced it Bau Michele, but I'm still not certain of the spelling.) Their little church building was too small, and the old structure was beginning to fall down around them. In this village, the church is more than just a place of worship. It is the hub of the community. When a disaster strikes, the government tells the people to seek refuge in the church. It is a place where they come together for many things. I've never seen anyone with so little. Clothing, food, shelter is all so hard to come by. The people of the village pooled their resources and scraped together enough money to prepare a foundation in the side of a steep mountain and they worked tirelessly digging it out by hand and hauling sand from far away to make it level.
6 months ago, the people of First Church of the Nazarene in Medford Oregon sent over a gift of $19000. Construction on the church in the mountains began. A concrete floor was poured and concrete walls were built. All that was needed now was a roof, pews, paint and a pulpit.
Last week a team of 25 teens and adults left from the San Francisco airport to finish the construction project. We fundraised the money for our expenses and before we knew it we were all stepping off of the plane in Port Au Prince, exhausted and overwhelmed by the sights and sounds of Haiti.
In the days to come we would see the difference between the Haitian people who lived in the city, and the people who lived in the mountainous country. We would see unbelievable desolation and hopelessness in what was the epicenter of the earthquake. We would see mass graves and tent cities. We would experience chaotic traffic, crazy humid heat, and Haitian hospitality. We would look into these beautiful dark faces and wish we could speak their language. We didn't know how much this trip would bind us all together as a team, making memories that were beyond anything we could dream of.
The video below is a couple of quick clips of our team before we left San Francisco. My best video clips will be reserved for our official 'recap' video, to be shown June 23rd and 24th at church. I'll be posting the final videos after that time.
Next post: What I experienced when I got off the plane, and our journey to the seminary compound.

THE ADVENTURE BEGINS

2011-06-23T19:26:00.000-07:00

Sitting here in the San Francisco Airport, hanging out until our flight. 25 of us made it through security, and every one of us checked a trunk or box full of supplies and food. In about an hour we catch a flight to Miami and then on to Haiti! I crammed all of our video equipment and cords into one bag, and managed to fit the laptop in my backpack. I'm all set.
One of the things I've loved so far is getting to know some of the people on our team a little better. Long bus rides will do that. :)
I've been thinking about the many families represented here. We all have so many stories to tell, and someday this trip will be one of them. I find myself wondering what it will feel like to step off of that airplane and see Haiti for the first time.

My friend Jonalyn was brave enough to eat airport sushi. Yeah. I don't think so.

HOW DID I GET HERE?

2011-06-22T07:18:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I was sitting on a lovely patio in a staff meeting, enjoying a little sunshine, good company and good food. I'm a Sr High volunteer at my church, and hanging out with other adults who love teens is one of my favorite things to do. Shawn (our fearless and crazy leader) had just finished going over some upcoming events, and moved on to the next thing on the agenda: an upcoming summer missions trip to Haiti.
So... I did what I always do when Shawn starts talking about something that doesn't pertain to me; I tuned him out. I'm really good at it, actually. I got up and grabbed a cup of coffee and settled back in my seat, thinking about pedicures and grocery lists and weekend plans.
Suddenly, my heart started pounding. 'Wow', I thought. 'This is some strong coffee.'
But over the next several minutes I realized that it wasn't the coffee. You know that feeling you get when you know you're supposed to do something, or say something, or talk to someone? And it's unavoidable and uncomfortable? In that moment, I knew God wanted me in Haiti. Oh snap.
Now let me back up. My son Ellis had signed up for this trip. I did not. I've never been on a missions trip, and this one sounded pretty hard core. The construction team would essentially be camping out, and bring all of their own food, and building a church. We're talking raw sewage, wearing skirts with work boots and working in 98 degrees with rain. Oh, and mosquitos the size of Kim Kardashian's engagement ring. Seriously. Can you see me with a hammer and work gloves? I think not.
I even tried to ignore the feeling for a few days, hoping it would just go away. It didn't. It wasn't that I wanted to go, it was that I felt this overwhelming sense that I had to go.
So here I am. I leave tomorrow. By Friday I'll be slapping mosquitos and learning how to swear in Haitian Creole.
But seriously, I have no idea what to expect. I just know that I have to go.
I'm told I might have internet access in Haiti, so check back here for pics and updates.
Mèsi pou fè lekti!

Weird and Wonderful

2011-06-13T22:44:00.000-07:00

We spent last weekend at the Oregon coast. There are so many things about the weekend that will stay with me, but I've been really thinking about our trip to the Oregon Coast Aquarium. And all day today I thought about one creature that I saw. It wasn't the cute little otters eating lunch while floating on their backs. It wasn't the sea lions swimming so close to the underwater glass I felt like I could almost touch them. It wasn't the amazing crazy looking fish, or the octopus or even the sharks swimming above my head. It was the jellyfish.

Weird, right? But seriously, the jellyfish just amazed me. I couldn't stop staring. So beautiful and intricate, the way they moved and floated through the tanks. Words escape me. And then there were the seahorses. They made me just stop and stare. In my wildest dreams I could never dream up something so weird and wonderful. And I was thinking tonight about the creativity of God. The colors, the crazy way all of the parts are put together. Even people. And I just love that about Him. He dreams so much bigger and crazier and more beautifully than I can. And somehow, everything fits. Everything is designed for a purpose. Even you. Even me.

BEAUTY IN THE DIFFERENCES

2011-06-10T07:20:00.000-07:00

Death.
To be honest, it's not something I've seen a whole lot of. But it's something I've been thinking about lately. My dear friend Shelley lost her dad last month. I can't even go there. The thought of losing one of my parents terrifies me.

Today I took a roadtrip with my family. We traveled a few hours down into California, up winding roads to a monastery deep in the woods where friends and family honored the life of my Uncle Steve. My Uncle and other members of the family practice a different religion than I do, but the beauty of the service was not lost on me. I stood in the bright, ornate chapel, with painted faces of saints and angels surrounding us, listening to the melodic chanting of the monks. I listened to the reading of holy passages that are steeped in tradition and reverance. I followed the casket up a winding hill to a cemetery nestled under towering oaks. I looked into the face of my Uncle's grown son and was reminded that there is nothing like family, even if you've spent a lifetime apart. I took one of many shovels and sprinkled red dirt over the casket. I ate a simple meal that was prepared by the monks, who have no use for electricity, cell phones or even (gasp) facebook.

We all have to say goodbye, and we all do it differently. It was an amazing day that I will remember always, full of beautiful differences. And oh, how beautiful they are.

MONDAY NIGHTS

2011-06-06T22:34:00.000-07:00

They come in by ones and twos, cuddle up on my floor and furniture, chatting about finals, boys and things that happened today. They laugh, cry, play with my hair, eat my food, and make me smile. On Monday nights I forget how tired I am. On Monday nights I'm reminded how hard it is to be 16. On Monday nights I get to sit next to beautiful girls that may someday be wives, mothers, employees, business owners, doctors, missionaries, teachers. I get to know their hearts in these last fragile years before they head out into the wild world. These girls are awesome. And I pray for them. I pray they'll catch a vision of all that is possible. I pray they will remember where to run in the hard times. I pray they can see themselves how I see them, or better yet, how He sees them. I pray they will live wild stories. And every Monday night, I remember how much I love being a small group leader.

WANDERING

2011-06-05T10:37:00.000-07:00

"NOT ALL WHO WANDER ARE LOST" - JRR TOLKIEN
(Geek alert: The above is part of an awesome longer Tolkien quote, if you care to look it up. I stumbled upon a great collection of Tolkien quotes recently that I'm going to have to use in future blog posts. Fair warning!)

I've seen this quote on T-shirts, mugs, posters, bumper stickers, you name it. And it sounds really deep. But for most of us, wandering is something we rarely dabble in. After all, most of us have our schedules programmed into our phones up to the minute. Would any of us dare schedule in some time to just 'wander'? It sounds a little irresponsible.

I spent some time wandering with one of my favorite 9 year olds last week. Molly and I had no plan; we just hopped in the car and indulged ourselves in the art of wandering. We shopped, we went to coffee, we dug through stacks of books at the bookstore. We had a few blissful hours when we ignored all responsibilities and to-do lists and we just enjoyed being together, dreaming up new places to go. I doubt either of us will ever forget it.

My cousin Uri spent time wandering Europe, blogging about his adventures. His journey ended with a visit to Greece, to see his brother who lives as a monk on the island of Patmos. His blog was called "Uri In Search of Something". And I loved every word of it.

Wandering. I think I will schedule in some time for more wandering.

When was the last time you wandered?

RANDOM UPDATIONS FOR THE BLOGATION

2011-05-21T22:37:00.000-07:00

In the last couple of weeks I've:

Spent a wonderful Mother's Day in Redding and saw almost my entire family in one day
Almost blew out a tire over the Siskiyous
Broke down on the freeway on the way to work
Met a very nice Oregon State Trooper who told me I can't have a tea party on the freeway, just so I would stop crying and laugh at him
Figured out how to get my car's accelerator 'unstuck'
Got a disturbing phone call
Met some nice Paramedics and Firemen
Followed an ambulance to the hospital
Laughed hysterically at my 16 year old son on morphine
Learned what a tibial plateau is and what happens when someone fractures it
Met some amazing doctors and nurses
Realized a child can in fact develop a blood clot, and it is extremely painful
Spent a couple of nights sleeping on a fold out bed in a hospital room
Met some more excellent doctors and nurses
Not had to cook any meals for over a week, thanks to wonderful friends
Missed Ethan and Evan more than ever
Fallen asleep listening to Allie and Ellis sing "Sweet Home Alabama" at the top of their lungs, laughing like loons
Climbed Tablerock with one of my favorite people on the planet
Celebrated the first birthday of a cute redhead
Been reminded of how much I love my husband
Enjoyed a nice dinner with my family in a noisy restaurant, eating delicious food
Hugged my mom and dad

Welp. That's a brief overview. I've probably missed some stuff. But now you know why the Blogation hasn't had any updations in a while. :)

SCRIPT FRENZY - WRAPUP VIDEO

2011-05-02T21:59:00.000-07:00

SCRIPT FRENZY- DONE!!!

2011-04-30T23:45:00.000-07:00

100 pages!

After a final day of frantic writing, I'm done. At least for now. My first draft of Mr. Perfect is complete.

Wow. I can't believe it. I wrote a screenplay in 30 days.

Tomorrow I'll post some thoughts about the past month.

Thanks for following my journey!

SCRIPT FRENZY DAY 30---THE LAST DAY

2011-04-30T07:35:00.000-07:00

Write, fool, write.

SCRIPT FRENZY DAY 29

2011-04-29T06:57:00.000-07:00

I'll be spending the next 40 hours or so working more on the love story between Jackson and Violet, developing the characters of Sergio and Samson and moving Violet towards disaster. And by tomorrow evening I'll be putting a good twist on the plot for a great ending. :)

I'm determined to meet my goal of 100 pages! Stay tuned...

SCRIPT FRENZY DAY 27

2011-04-28T07:21:00.000-07:00

CRUNCH TIME. I was up late last night and up early this morning. I wish I had time to show you some of the scenes before I leave for work this morning, but I don't! Stay tuned. I'll try and post something this evening.
:)

SCRIPT FRENZY DAY 26

2011-04-27T07:21:00.000-07:00

DAY 26?! Holy smokes! I'm running out of time. I have until the end of the day on April 30th to finish my 100 page script. I'm behind, and it seems like the closer I get to my deadline the busier my schedule gets. But no excuses. I will finish this script, and then I will take a nice long break before revising and rewriting. But I'm glad I set this goal for myself. It's been fun to get to know these characters.

I'm right in the thick of building the relationship between Violet and Jackson (Mr. Perfect). Violet begins to realize that Jackson is not perfect. She is learning that she can't have control when it comes to true love. She begins to see that the way she has fantasized about love for so long is actually hurting her chances for a shot at a real relationship. She is coming to grips with the death of her mother, and facing her greatest fears. Will Sergio and Samson survive in a world that Violet has no control over? Will they continue to live, or will they fade away as Violet steps closer to love?
Jackson's world is turned upside down by Violet. He is a successful writer and director. He has been in relationships with many beautiful and famous women, but none make him feel like he does when he is with Violet. He can be himself when he is with her. He is free to share some of his oldest secrets. He forgets the glamour and the spotlight as he discovers the wandering paths of Ashland that lead to Violet's heart. She is unpredictable and wild, she is beautiful and wounded. Will he risk his reputation to discover what real love means?

SCRIPT FRENZY DAY 25

2011-04-26T07:25:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite scenes so far. Still in the rough....but here is where Violet meets Mr. Perfect! Enjoy. :)

INT. COFFEE SHOP - MORNING

   MARKAY
   Hey girly! How’s life? I met that
   hunky cowboy friend of yours. Dang
   girl, he’s something else.

   VIOLET
   Yes, I may have heard a little
   something about that.

   MARKAY
   Your usual?

   VIOLET
   Yes please. But make it a quad. I
   pulled an all nighter.

   MARKAY
   You got it.

   Violet sits down by the window facing the street to wait.
   The sun is shining in through the window, making her look
   beautiful. She is relaxing, eyes closed and a smile on her
   face.

   JACKSON walks in to the coffee shop. He is boyishly
   handsome, muscular, blue eyes, a smile that melts, dark
   waivy hair. He has a book bag slung over his shoulder. He is
   with Ellis and Tony and as they make their way to the coffee
   counter, Jackson stops in his tracks and he sees Violet by
   the window. He seems to be in a trance as he is captivated
   by her.

   TONY
   Hey Markay. 2 tall Dancing
   Elephants. And, I’m buying for my
   new friend here. Jackson?

   Jackson is still staring at Violet.

   ELLIS
   Wow. He’s gone.

   TONY
   Hellooo? Jackson? Anyone home?

   JACKSON
   I’m sorry. What?

   MARKAY
   What can I get you?

   JACKSON
   Oh, I’m so sorry. I’ll have a tall
   Americano. Extra hot. Thanks.

   ELLIS
   You okay, man?

   JACKSON
   (looking over at Violet)
   Yeah, I just... That girl over
   there. Do you know her?

   TONY
   Violet? Yeah, sure everyone knows
   Violet.

   ELLIS
   She works as a hostess at the
   festival. Her mom was a big
   designer back in the day and her
   grandfather is the groundskeeper.

   TONY
   She’s a little...high strung.

   ELLIS
   Neurotic.

   TONY
   Colorful.

   ELLIS
   Beautiful. But a little crazy.

   TONY
   Bats in the belfry.

   ELLIS
   Bats in the belfry?! Dude.

   JACKSON
   Violet. This is so weird. I don’t
   know...She’s... perfect.

   Tony and Ellis just look at each other in bewilderment.

   MARKAY
   Well, Jackson, you should go
   introduce yourself.

   Jackson just stands there with his mouth open, hand over his
   heart, staring at Violet.

   MARKAY
   Here, hun. Let me help you.

   Markay grabs a coffee and shoves a lid on it

   MARKAY
   (yells)
   One toffee vanilla cinnamon latte.
   Extra hot.

   Violet is deep in thought and doesn’t hear her.

   MARKAY
   Violet! Vi!

   Violet jumps and grabs her bag, and putting it over her
   shoulder she heads to the counter.

   MARKAY
   (to Jackson)
   Here you go big boy. It’s just how
   she likes it. Go ahead and give it
   to her and introduce yourself.

   Smiling his most charming smile, Jackson nervously takes the
   cup and stands by the counter with the coffee held out
   towards Violet.

   Suddenly, Violet notices Jackson and freezes.

   VIOLET
   Oh!

   JACKSON
   (clearing his throat)
   Hi. You’re Vi-Violet. I’m. I’m.. uh
   Jackson. And this is...uh...Your
   coffee. I hear it’s just how you
   like it.

   VIOLET
   Just how I like it? Are you
   serious? No. You. No.

   JACKSON
   Pardon me?

   VIOLET
   And what’s up with the stupid name?
   Jackson? Jackson?! What, did you
   name yourself?

   JACKSON
   (looking around nervously)
   Yyes...I mean...No.

   VIOLET
   I didn’t name you yet.

   JACKSON
   um. What?

   VIOLET
   So you can’t be here. I didn’t name
   you. You’re not even finished yet!
   I didn’t even decide to make your
   hair wavy. Your card isn’t even
   full. So you can’t be here. Am I
   right? Am I right? Yes.

   JACKSON
   I’m sorry, my card?

   VIOLET
   Yeah. And I have to tell ya. I
   can’t take any more. YOU need to GO
   AWAY. And take your little friends
   with you while you’re at it! You
   got it? You will ruin everything. I
   can’t handle any more of you guys!

   JACKSON
   But I...

   VIOLET
   (heading to the door, Jackson
   starts to follow her)
   Stop! Stop right there! This isn’t
   real. You’re not real! He’s not
   real!

   The coffee house is silent as Violet stomps to the door and
   slams it behind her. A few seconds of awkward silence and
   Violet comes back in, marches up to Jackson and stares him
   straight in the eye. Sparks.

   VIOLET
   Jackson.

   JACKSON
   That’s right.

   Violet snatches the coffee out of his hand, leaves.

   JACKSON
   (looking around)
   What just happened?

   ELLIS
   We tried to tell you man.

   TONY
   Bats.

   JACKSON
   She’s...wow. She’s nuts. But
   beautiful. But still, just...

   TONY
   Bats.

   JACKSON
   Perfectly, amazingly,
   beautifully... strange.

   ELLIS
   Yep, buddy. That pretty much sums
   it up.

   MARKAY
   (leaning over the counter)
   I think she likes you.

SCRIPT FRENZY DAY 24

2011-04-25T06:40:00.000-07:00

I came across some great advice from playwright Daniel Heath. This is a quote from an article he wrote, "Writing Downhill'.

"Clear the stage. Don't slog along for the sake of consistency, because at this stage there is nothing for you to be loyal to. Feed your bad ideas to your good ideas and get on with it.

Our goal here is to get to the end without boring ourselves into stopping. For me, pretty much the only time I'm writing well is when I'm writing easily and having fun. When I'm writing uphill, struggling with a difficult character or scene or theme, I'm usually writing badly, and I usually end up tossing the scene in favor of something I wrote ten times faster, having ten times more fun. If we follow the good parts, then maybe, by the end of this month, we'll have found the beginning of the real story that we should've started all along. A draft can serve no more-noble purpose, even if every character we started out with ends up eaten by bears."

I'm trying to remind myself this week to continue to have fun with this story. To write well, but to not worry so much about boring details. My goal in these 30 days is to finish a manuscript. The end result will not be perfect and will most likely need a ton of rewrites, but I will finish it!

SCRIPT FRENZY DAY 23

2011-04-24T22:18:00.000-07:00

One week left! I have alot of writing to left to do! Here's the next scene... Please keep in mind, they are still very rough. ;)

INT. VIOLET’S APARTMENT - EARLY EVENING

   Violet is standing in the bedroom doorway watching Samson.
   Samson is sitting on the bed watching a Western movie.
   Sergio is on the living room couch watching a Spanish soap
   opera. Violet walks to the dining room and sits down. She
   pulls Mr. Perfect’s card from the wall and writes a
   description: Dark wavy hair. Blue eyes. A smile that melts
   my heart. Athletic but intelligent. A tattoo.

   The phone rings.

   VIOLET
   Hello. Yes, Richard. I know. I
   meant to call you. Yes, I know.
   (pause) Listen, remember that new
   character I’ve been working on?
   Well I’m making him the new lead. I
   know it’s kind of late but I think
   it will make for a better story.
   Don’t worry. I will. You’ll have
   the first six chapters by morning.
   I promise.

   Violet hangs up and sighs. We see transitions of Violet
   working through the night. Getting up to check on the guys,
   covering them up with blankets when they fall asleep, etc.
   Finally we see Violet at her desk, typing the last of her
   initial chapters in the morning light. Sergio comes out of
   the bedroom and heads to the kitchen.

   SERGIO
   Up all night, mi corazon?

   VIOLET
   Yep. Richard needed my first six
   chapters by today.

   SERGIO
   How did Mr. Perfect work out? Or
   does he now have a name?

   VIOLET
   Nope. No name yet. He fit well,
   actually. I know this is hard, but
   I just can’t be complicating things
   any more than I already am.


   SERGIO
   (winking)
   It’s okay. Don’t worry. We
   understand.

   VIOLET
   Good.

   SAMSON
   (walking out of the bedroom,
   shirtless)
   Mornin’. Anyone ready for some
   breakfast?

   VIOLET
   Listen guys. I have to go out
   today. I have a mandatory meeting.
   Do you think you can stay out of
   trouble?

   SAMSON
   Sure.

   VIOLET
   I mean it. I need you both to stay
   here. In the apartment. I promise
   I’ll come home right after my
   meeting and we’ll go somewhere. Ok?

   SAMSON
   Don’t worry little lady. We can
   hold down the fort.

   SERGIO
   And I am going to take a bath.

   VIOLET
   Great.

   SAMSON
   You want me to make you some
   coffee, hun?

   VIOLET
   No. No. I’m going to pop into Deja
   Brew on my way to the meeting.
   You’re sure your okay?

   SAMSON
   We’ll be fine. I promise. Now get
   goin’ before you’re late. And tell
   that Markay I said howdy.

   VIOLET
   (grabs her bag and heads out)
   I’ll see you both in a few hours.
   Stay quiet, stay out of trouble and
   for goodness sakes stay home.

   SERGIO
   Adios, my amor. And if you can,
   bring back more pizza.

   Violet laughs and walks out of the door.

SCRIPT FRENZY DAY 22 part 2

2011-04-23T23:00:00.000-07:00

I realized that before I introduce you to Mr. Perfect, you've missed some scenes. Here's one....

INT. VIOLET’S APARTMENT - EARLY EVENING

   Violet, Samson and Sergio are in the apartment. Sergio is
   holding a pizza box and Samson is helping Violet set the
   table.

   SERGIO
   (sniffing the box)
   What is this amazing smell I am
   smelling? Do we get to eat this?

   VIOLET
   Pizza. It’s pizza. I know I’ve
   never written pizza into any of
   your plots before.

   SERGIO
   Well, you should have, mi amor. I
   did not know such a wonderful thing
   existed.

   VIOLET
   Listen guys. Sit down. Before we
   eat I need to talk to you about
   something.

   SAMSON
   What is it darlin’?

   VIOLET
   My deadline for the next book is
   coming soon.

   SAMSON
   Yep. Can’t wait to see where I’m
   gonna be next.

   VIOLET
   No, see, that’s what I want to talk
   to you about. Now that you’re both
   REAL I just don’t feel right. I
   can’t go ahead with the manuscript.
   I need to change it.

   SERGIO
   What do you mean change it? Like
   change the woman? I think a redhead
   would be nice for a change.

   SAMSON
   Yeah, that’s a good idea. We
   haven’t had a redhead in a while.

   VIOLET
   No. No. See, I think I’m going to
   give the new story to the new guy.

   Both men gasp.

   SAMSON
   The new guy?

   SERGIO
   He’s not even fully developed yet.
   Look at his card! It is blank, mi
   amor. You call him Mr. Perfect
   because you don’t even know his
   name yet. You haven’t even picked
   his hair!

   VIOLET
   That’s why I have to use him. I
   need to crank this book out and get
   it off my desk. And then I’m taking
   a sabbatical from the Romance
   business. I’ll pick it back up once
   the contest is over.

   SAMSON
   I don’t get it.

   VIOLET
   See, I’ve been thinking about this
   a lot. And I think that you two
   came to life because...well I don’t
   know why...but you have been so
   real to me. And Mr. Perfect is not
   a fully developed character. I just
   have these strong vague impressions
   of him. And that should be enough
   to plug him into the writing
   formula, but not enough to bring
   him to life. And I don’t want to be
   writing this story about Samson
   while the real Samson is here in
   Ashland trying to figure out his
   life. It’s just creepy. Does that
   make sense?

   Long pause while the two men stare blankly at her.

   SAMSON AND SERGIO
   No.

   VIOLET
   Ok. Then I’m going to ask you to
   just trust me. Can you do that?

   SERGIO
   Of course.

   SAMSON
   I can do that.

   VIOLET
   Ok then. Let’s eat.

SCRIPT FRENZY DAY 22 part 1

2011-04-23T08:31:00.000-07:00

Working hard on getting my page count up to where it should be this weekend. I'm so far behind!
Right now I'm polishing up the scene where Violet meets Mr. Perfect for the first time and thinks he is one of the 'imaginaries' that has come to life, but he's not. And she makes a complete fool of herself. And he falls for her. All in one scene!
I'll try to have it up by the end of the day. Check back tonight... :)

Meanwhile, enjoy a little happy music on this lovely Saturday morning.

SCRIPT FRENZY DAY 21

2011-04-22T07:12:00.000-07:00

I've heard that it's helpful to have actors in mind when you create characters. I'm curious... I know who I would pick to play parts. But what do they look like in your head?
Violet
Grampa Pete
Whitney
Samson
Sergio
Mr. Perfect

I hear that my blog comments aren't working for some people. You can always comment on my FB or send me an email. I'll have this fixed ASAP.

Stay tuned this weekend for another scene!

SCRIPT FRENZY DAY 21

2011-04-21T07:04:00.000-07:00

Community. (Not theTV show.)

In a story, the community that I've placed Violet in is important. There is the town, of course. And the community within the Shakespeare Festival. A character's environment certainly shapes who they are. But Violet's most important community is her close friends and family: the people she counts on, grows with, even hurts sometimes. I believe we were all made for community. We are at our best when we are connected to a community of people who push us to grow, hold us accountable, people who hold us up when our strength is gone.

Do you have Community in your life? What if something crazy and unbelievable happened? Would you have someone who would be part of your adventure? What are some qualities you would want those people to have? As I'm writing the character of Violet, I've asked myself these questions.

It even makes me look around at the people in my own life. Intentional community is something I'm working on. What about you?

SCRIPT FRENZY DAY 20

2011-04-20T06:31:00.000-07:00

Wow. Day 20. Will I make my goal of 100 pages in 30 days? I'm sure going to give it my best shot.

Today one of my favorite bloggers wrote how sometimes we 'peg' people, or judge them, based on a little bit of information we may know about them. He uses an example of Joe Rogan (of Fear Factor and UFC fame). It's a good thought. Check it out if you have a minute by clicking here.

But his point was that we are less likely to judge someone if we know their story. And Jesus was a great example of this. He didn't just see a woman getting some water at a well. He didn't just see a short guy up in a tree. He didn't just see a woman caught in adultery. He took the time to learn and know their stories. And he invested in their lives in some way. And I'm pretty sure when Jesus did that for someone, they were never the same.

Not to mention how the enemies of Jesus were constantly trying to trick him into saying something that would get him into trouble. And sometimes, Jesus would answer their annoying questions with stories. I love that.

They say when a writer sits down to create a character, they should know their life story. In other words, I should know where Violet went to school, what her favorite color is, what her greatest fear is. Because if I'm going to make this character believable, if I'm going to make you want to know more about her, I should know her story. And I should create compelling conflict based on where my character needs to grow. For instance, I should identify her fear and make her face it. I should spotlight her weakness and make her stronger. I should pinpoint her loneliness and fill it. Makes you think, huh?

SCRIPT FRENZY DAY 19

2011-04-19T15:37:00.000-07:00

I'm still sick. I went to the doctor and got some medicine so I should be feeling better soon.

Today I was thinking about setting. During breaks at work I like to go for walks around the neighborhood behind our building. There is this little old house on a corner that fascinates me. It has so much character, even with the boarded up windows and rickety roof. Sometimes I just stand and stare at it. I wonder who used to live there, and what the neighborhood looked like when they did. I wonder if they sat on the porch in the evenings, if kids played in the yard. I wonder how old it is. The more I stare at this old house the more potential stories come bubbling up.

Setting is important. I think that sometimes even places like this old house could be considered a character in a story. It makes you think, doesn't it?

SCRIPT FRENZY DAY 18

2011-04-18T12:47:00.000-07:00

'The Dark Night of the Soul'. This is a great writing tool. Many times writers use this at the end of Act Two when all hope seems to be lost. Many times in storytelling this is the moment when the unthinkable, the tragedy, the betrayal, the suffering happens and the protagonist is left all alone. And then, in Act Three, the writer gets to fix it (at least in the stories I like to write) and by the middle to end of Act Three the protagonist has grown, the lost is found, wrong is made right and the celebration begins.

Today I'm sick. I rarely miss work, but today I did. Ugh. Sick.

So I'm sending you on over to my daughter Allie's blog. She probably doesn't know it yet, but she blogged about this very concept this morning. Enjoy.

SCRIPT FRENZY DAY 17

2011-04-17T07:44:00.000-07:00

I'm up early to work on my script, but also spent some time this morning thinking about Palm Sunday. This is the day that people around the world celebrate the triumphal entry of Jesus into to the city of Jerusalem. This is the start of what is known as 'Holy Week'. Jesus entered the city on a donkey (I've read that in those days when a King entered a city on a horse it was a show of strength, and when he entered on a donkey it was a sign of peace) and people gathered on the sides of the roads cheering for him. They put their cloaks and palm branches on the ground for the donkey to walk on. I'm sure it was an amazing sight.
But by the end of the week, Jesus would be crucified.
And since I've been so saturated with analyzing 'story' for the last month, even analyzing the story of my own life, I can't help but think about where this scene fits into the story of Christ's life.
Maybe it's a 'midpoint', which in storytelling is known to be a high point before everything falls apart. I'm sure the disciples were thinking that Jesus was finally getting the kind of attention they were after. He was being celebrated. The crowds loved him. The same crowds that cheered "Hosanna!" would be the same voices that shouted "Crucify Him!" just days later. And Jesus knew it. Over and over he warned his friends of the things to come.
And yet, willingly he rode into that city. He knew what was coming. It defied human understanding, logic and common sense.
For me, the story of Jesus is the most compelling story every told. And it's personal. And it never gets old.

Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Blessed is the King of Israel!
-John 12:13
Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.
-Revelation 7:10

SCRIPT FRENZY DAY 16 part 2

2011-04-16T20:07:00.000-07:00

Just finished watching OUTBREAK from 1995.

This movie makes me scared of monkeys and movie theaters!!! lol

Studying how to write a screenplay sure makes me appreciate the

different elements that writers use to tell a compelling story.

SCRIPT FRENZY DAY 16

2011-04-16T17:33:00.000-07:00

This morning we had a pancake breakfast at Applebee's to raise money for our trip to Haiti this summer. A big shout out to this friendly neighborhood restaurant who opened their restaurant early and gave the profit to our team. I think we served over 200 people! I'm excited to start filming our adventure.

This afternoon and evening I'm taking some time with Davey and watching some movies on Netflix. I've had a great time the last half hour or so just scrolling through all of the loglines. Some are so badly written they're hilarious, and others actually want to make me watch the film they are describing.
And there are some really old movies out there that bring back memories of good times. What about this one from 1993?

Or this one from 1994?

Or Ransom from 1996?

Or The Color Purple from 1985?

Storytelling. I just can't get enough of it. Even when the story is kind of stupid, I remember it. Haha! Remember 1992's 'Encino Man' with Brendan Fraser and Pauly Shore?

Even though I need to catch up on my page count this weekend, it's nice to eat some chinese takeout, cuddle up with a good blanket, listen to the rain outside and watch a good story.
See you tomorrow!

SCRIPT FRENZY DAY 15

2011-04-15T07:24:00.000-07:00

One of the things I love about writing fiction is that you are a 'creator'. As a creator, I have the ability to put everything I love about the Rogue Valley into one little town. I can pick the people I want to live in that town. I can borrow cool names and makes characters say things I would never have the courage to say in real life. I can create my own rules.

It's pretty fun, being a creator.
Violet is a creator, but her creation comes to life. And she is realizing that things that seemed 'perfect' in her mind are a disaster in the real world. She is realizing that having control is really no life at all.

If you could make up the perfect town, what would it look like? What would be there? What wouldn't?

SCRIPT FRENZY DAY 14

2011-04-14T12:28:00.000-07:00

READY for another scene?! Ok. Samson has just watched a play while Violet worked her shift at the Shakespeare festival.

EXT. ELIZABETHAN THEATER EXIT- LATE AFTERNOON

   Violet and Samson are leaving the theater. He is intently
   reading the program and walking behind her. Whitney is
   waiting for them by the gift shop.

   WHITNEY
   Hey there, cowboy.

   SAMSON
   Hello Ma’am. You look mighty pretty
   today.

   WHITNEY
   (to Violet)
   Can I have him?

   VIOLET
   Listen. I have to figure
   this out. You have to help me. I’m
   not sure where to start. Let’s go
   back to my apartment. Thank
   goodness the other one hasn’t come
   to life. I just don’t know what I
   would do if I had to deal with both
   of them at the same time. Ok. I’ll
   make us some dinner and...

   While she is talking we hear feedback from a microphone.


   SERGIO
   (as Foreigner’s I WANT TO KNOW
   WHAT LOVE IS starts playing)
   I would like to dedicate this to
   the heart of my heart. You have
   awakened something in me, mi amor.
   You make me feel so... alive. And I
   sing this for you.

   VIOLET
   Oh no.

   WHITNEY
   Oh this is so awesome. He's hot too.

   SERGIO
   (begins singing)
   I’ve gotta take a little time. A
   little time to think things over.
   I’d better read between the lines.
   In case I need it when I’m older.

   VIOLET
   (starting to leave)
   Oh no.

   WHITNEY
   (grabs her by the arm and
   holds on to her, yells)
   Woooooooo!

   SERGIO
   (continues singing)
   Now this mountain I must climb
   feels like the world upon my
   shoulders....

   VIOLET
   Whitney, you have to help me get
   him down from there. He’s going to
   ruin everything.

   WHITNEY
   Calm down, Vi. Look around you.
   Everyone’s loving it.

   When the girls look back up at the stage, Samson has now
   joined Sergio.

   SERGIO AND SAMPSON
   (singing the chorus together,
   pointing at Violet)
   I want to know what love is. I want
   you to show me.


   They continue the song. The crowd begins singing. Violet
   looks around and smiles.

SCRIPT FRENZY DAY 13

2011-04-13T07:15:00.000-07:00

They say to try and picture what your movie poster might look like as you're writing. I guess it helps to keep you focused on what's important. I was looking through some random movie posters this morning. What makes them good? What makes them bad? Do you have a favorite movie poster?

SCRIPT FRENZY DAY 12

2011-04-12T06:53:00.001-07:00

Time for a glimpse at the script!

When we last checked in with Violet she had just ran out of her apartment, freaked out because Samson brought her a REAL cup of coffee from Deja Brew down the street. Violet meets her friend Whitney and is trying to explain what happened; Samson, the hunky hero of her latest Romance novel, has come to life.

EXT. TOWN SQUARE - MORNING

   Violet is sitting on a bench with her head in her hands.
   Whitney is standing by her.

   VIOLET
   What’s happening to me Whit? What’s
   wrong with me?

       WHITNEY
   Listen to me. There is nothing
   wrong with you. Remember when we
   were kids and we used to play with
   our imaginary friends? Your just a
   creative soul. Granted, sometimes a
   little wacky and neurotic, but
   mostly just creative. So these guys
   seem real. To you. So what? Give
   yourself a break.

   VIOLET
   No Whitney, you don’t understand.
   Look at this. My lip is burned.
   That was real coffee! He walked in
   my kitchen with his big black hat
   and huge belt buckle and said,
   "Just how you like it". Unless I’m
   hallucinating. But I’m not because
   here’s the cup. The coffee came
   from this very real cup. Go ask
   Markay. I didn’t buy this cup this
   morning. Samson did. Look! Markay
   wrote his name on the side. Well,
   she spelled it wrong but still. And
   it was hot. And it burned me. What
   does this mean?

   WHITNEY
   (Distracted by something over
   Violet’s shoulder)
   Uhhhh....

   VIOLET
   I don’t expect you to believe me. I
   don’t even believe it myself, to be
   honest.

   WHITNEY
   No. I believe you.

   VIOLET
   You don’t have to say that.

   WHITNEY
   No. I mean I really believe you.

   VIOLET
   (looking behind her)
   Oh no.

   Samson is standing on a grassy knoll behind Violet. He is
   looking around at the trees and the people in wonder. He
   sees Violet and smiles.


   WHITNEY
   Vi, if I knew he was so hot I would
   have been reading your porn.

   VIOLET
   (sighs)
   Not porn. Romance. What is happening, Whit?
   What am I going to do? If the
   committee finds out about him or my
   Romance novels I’ll lose. It will
   be all over. And I’m working a
   matinee today. What do I do, take
   him with me? I’d better get to the
   box office and buy him a ticket so
   I can keep an eye on him.

   WHITNEY
   I’m sorry. What was that? Is he
   single?

SCRIPT FRENZY DAY 11

2011-04-11T06:51:00.000-07:00

Still working on getting my story right before I continue writing. My characters are developing nicely, there just seem to be some pieces that don't fit. I'll keep you posted.

This morning one of my favorite bloggers did a post about living and dreaming with GUSTO. It was a great way to start my morning.

If you don't have time to follow the link, at least take a few minutes to watch this video. They're playing with GUSTO. Love it.

SCRIPT FRENZY DAY 10

2011-04-10T08:40:00.000-07:00

Ok, I'm going to be honest here. I'm behind on my page count. I'm seeing some holes in my storyboard. Things that seemed compelling when I started writing are turning out to be kind of boring. And although I know my script will not win any awards or become famous, I still want it to be something I'm proud of. So I'm taking today to lay my cards on the table. Literally.
There are many ways to write, but this time I chose 15 'beats' and put my 40 key scenes down on index cards. There are 3 acts in my story: 10 cards for the first act, 20 for the second and 10 for the third.
My first act is done and I like it. I think my third act is good (it's in my head but I know what happens). It's the second act that is giving me headaches. I think I need better conflict. And I think I need to have a better understanding of what Violet wants and needs. Even though it's a romantic comedy, it needs to be compelling.

So I'm making new cards today to give me fresh perspective. I'll keep you all posted.
PS- This isn't my storyboard, but it's an idea of what one can look like. See how it's divided into 3 sections (acts)? This one is color coded and crowded with awesome ideas. My storyboard needs more color and my second act looks much more sparse than my other two. I'm going to fix that today. Stay tuned!

SCRIPT FRENZY DAY 9

2011-04-09T06:33:00.000-07:00

Day 9 of 30 and the script is coming along nicely. I'm still in the phase where we're getting to know the characters and setting up the plot so that we can mess everything up. Sergio came to life. He sang Foreigner's 'I want to know what love is' in public to Violet. And Samson joined him for the chorus. It is turning out to be a pretty fun scene. We're getting ready to meet Mr. Perfect soon. :)

But I wanted you all to know the coffee shop now has a name. And the name of the coffee shop is...(drumroll please)... DEJA BREW
I picked this name because it's catchy, easy to say and almost everyone knows what it means. It also has a little 'mysterious' feel to it. There is a twist at the end (I won't spoil it for you... yet) that is perfect for this name. A big THANK YOU to my friend Markay from Yreka California. Markay used to own her own fabulous cafe and told me that if she ever has the chance to open another one, this is what she would call it. So in my coffee house scenes, Markay is the barista.
Some of the other great shop names that were suggested might just turn up in the town bookstore, restaurant and pub. Stay tuned.
Happy Saturday!

SCRIPT FRENZY DAY 8

2011-04-08T05:41:00.000-07:00

I'm working on the scene where Violet realizes that Sergio has come to life. I've decided to have him sing Violet a song in public, and I'm looking for a cheezy love song that hasn't been done in a movie before. Suggestions?

SCRIPT FRENZY DAY 7

2011-04-07T06:18:00.000-07:00

I got some fabulous suggestions for names of the coffee house. Seriously, makes me want to go open one! Right now I'm just sifting through the suggestions and trying to figure out which one fits my story. You all don't have the benefit of seeing the script yet, or knowing where the story goes from here, but trust me when I say there are several of your ideas that will work. I just need to settle on one. I'll keep you posted.

I can't believe that I have been writing this script for 7 days! Of course, I did a ton of work on it before I actually started writing. I thought I would share some of my favorite writing tips and resources with you.

My #1 TIP: WRITE. There are a bajillion resources on how to write. Google 'writing' and see for yourself. And while many of them are great, I have found that the best way to learn how to write well is to just...well....WRITE! Whether it's in a journal or an online blog or a secret file on your computer, writing is the best way to become a good writer. I've seen so many of us who spend a ton of time buying the right computers, setting up our desk, buying office supplies, reading the best blogs, having coffee with other writers, attending conferences and workshops, buying all the right books and belonging to all the right clubs.. and yet, we rarely sit down and actually write. So WRITE. You won't regret it.

And while I've read some awesome things about writing, there are 3 resources I keep coming back to while I'm working on this particular project.

1. The Script Frenzy website. It is full of great ideas about anything you can dream of.

2. Save the Cat by Blake Snyder. It's specifically for screenwriting and I carry it around with me like a huge nerd. I'm not even kidding. But this book has been a lifesaver. He also wrote a followup book which is great too, but I don't carry that one around.

3. The Screenwriter's Bible. As a follower of Christ, I cringed at the title of this workbook. But the content is excellent and it has been invaluable regarding format.

So there you have it. I'm going to keep WRITING.

Thanks for coming along.

SCRIPT FRENZY DAY 6

2011-04-06T05:57:00.000-07:00

FINALLY! Our set-up is done and it's time for our CATALYST. Will Violet choose the adventure that is unfolding in front of her?!

(Read earlier posts if you need to get caught up, because otherwise this might be confusing...)

Violet is in her apartment (with Sergio) getting ready for her day (as described earlier) when Samson walks through the front door carrying a cup of coffee. This really freaks her out because the Imaginaries NEVER leave the apartment. He walks towards her.
Samson: Here you go. Just how you like it.
Violet: Wait. Did you come from outside?!
Samson: Yeah. Wild, huh? I've never been allowed outside before.
Violet is stunned and shakes her head.
Violet: Man, I'm losing it.
She takes a sip of the coffee.
Violet: Ow!
Samson: I told them extra hot. Isn't that how you like it?
Violet: But how did you...I mean, you got me coffee. I don't understand.
Sergio: So you went outside.
Samson: Yup.
Sergio: And bought coffee.
Samson: Yup.
Sergio: In the real world.
Samson: Yup.
Violet: This isn't happening. This isn't happening. It's not real.
Violet picks up her purse and runs out of the apartment with her coffee.
Sergio to Samson: So did you see any women?

SCRIPT FRENZY DAY 5

2011-04-05T07:01:00.000-07:00

My goal for my screenplay is to be on page 19 by the end of today. Woohoo!
Right now I'm writing a coffee shop scene in which we get to meet some of Violet's friends.

I need to come up with a name for the coffee shop, but it needs to meet certain criteria. Remember, the name has to have meaning. This is a place where the "magic" happens. Scroll down to the bottom of this page and hit "Older Posts" to read yesterday's blog for the details.
If I use your idea, or if your idea sparks something that leads to the name, I'll use your name for one of the characters in this scene.
Thanks for your help!

SCRIPT FRENZY DAY 4

2011-04-04T06:20:00.000-07:00

By the end of today, I need to be at page 14.

I need your help this week! I'm making up the name of a coffee shop in the script. This coffee shop is kind of the source of some "magic" that happens in the story, so I need ideas for a name. This name should sound good, but also have a double meaning. Basically, at the end of my story, when the "Big Twist" happens and your brain goes "Oh, I get it. Wow I never saw that coming!", the coffee shop would have been a clue to let you know that something important was going on there. I was trying to find a reference in Shakespeare but no luck. Maybe a Greek word or something? I don't know. I need ideas.

SCRIPT FRENZY DAY 3

2011-04-03T09:45:00.000-07:00

DAY 3! 11 pages down, 89 to go. If you've missed anything, scroll down to the bottom of this page and click on 'older posts'.
We've learned that Violet is a lonely, aspiring playwright. We've also learned that she secretly writes trashy romance novels to pay the rent. Our opening scene showed us that she interacts with her 2 favorite leading characters (I'll call them the Imaginaries), Samson the cowboy and Sergio the latin lover.

We're working up to our catalyst, which will be the Imaginaries coming to life.

But meanwhile we're getting to know Grandpa Pete. Grandpa Pete has been the groundskeeper for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, as well as the park that surrounds it, since before Violet came to live with him when she was 10.

Grandpa Pete was Violet's mother's Dad. More about the character of Violet's mother's tragic story later. But Grandpa Pete is a hard working, no nonsense guy. He spends most of his time in a shack that is hidden behind some trees next to a creek in the park. It is full of his tools and books and has a cot and desk in the back where Violet used to do her homework after school. Grandpa Pete is her rock. He is rarely affectionate, but he loves his granddaughter fiercely. Growing up, the Shakespeare Festival was Violet's playground. She knows many of the people that work there, and has seen behind the scenes in ways that few know about. Grandpa Pete is loved by everyone, although some of the more clueless "stars" pay no attention to the old man in overalls who prunes the bushes. If anything ever happens to Grandpa Pete, Violet's world will fall apart.

SCRIPT FRENZY DAY 2

2011-04-02T10:55:00.000-07:00

7 pages down, 93 to go!
Yesterday I wrote my opening scene. My first 10 or so pages are the 'set-up'. We are getting to know the main characters and getting ready for the 'catalyst' that will send our protagonist on her adventure. We are meeting Grandpa Pete, the loyal and sharp witted BFF Whitney, the fiercely beautiful nemesis Jasmine, and of course Violet's 'imaginaries' - Samson the flashy cowboy, Sergio the latin lover and Mr. Perfect. So far only Violet can see and interact with the imaginaries, but that's about to change.

Violet dreams of becoming a famous playwright.
Every year the Ashland Shakespeare festival hosts a national contest. The winner of the contest has a chance of their play being featured in the next year's Festival lineup. It's a very prestigious competition, and contestants must go through a rigorous interview and manuscript review process. Everything, including the writer's personal life, is under a microscope to prevent any embarrassment to the Festival.

Violet has many secrets, but the secret that threatens her career the most is the fact that she is a Romance Novelist. Whitney teases her that she is basically writing 'women's porn'. Writing under the alias 'Bianca Bravo', Violet's writing career is really taking off. She writes four novels a year using a creative writing technique she has developed.

Soon, Violet will learn that something crazy is happening.

TODAY I'm heading to Ashland for a workshop about set and costume design for the play "Imaginary Invalid". I'll let you know how it goes! Have a great Saturday!

SCRIPT FRENZY DAY 1

2011-04-01T07:05:00.000-07:00

I love that DAY 1 is a Friday. YAY for Friday. Do you know what this means?! (Besides the fact that it's payday and I can use the money from my day job to pay my rent?) This means that by the end of today I will have at least my first 3 pages written. I downloaded some free scriptwriting software because I decided to format my script as I go, rather than writing it all out and having to go back and format it. It's so cool! Now through Sunday I will be working on my opening image, stating my 'theme', and basically setting up the story. My goal is to be at page 10 by Sunday evening. I should mention that I'm writing this post 30 minutes before I have to leave for work, and I usually don't rush it like this. I usually edit and make sure everything looks good before hitting "publish post". But the next 30 days will be more like journaling, and I want to do it every day. So please forgive me if there are errors or I ramble. I'm so glad you're on this adventure with me!

So here's an overview:

I have picked a 'for now' name for my protagonist. Her name is Violet. I picked this name for a few different reasons, which you will learn later. Violet lives here:

This is a town up the road from me called Ashland.

She lives in an upstairs apartment, overlooking the street.

When Violet was 10 her mother died. She went to live with her Grandfather, Pete. Pete is a grounds keeper for the Ashland Shakespeare festival.

Ashland has been described as a 'Theatre' town, a hippie town, a University town, a cool place to have lunch or shop. I think it's a little of each, and more.

In the opening scene we see Violet waking up in a bright, sunny apartment full of books and plants. As the scene progresses, we learn that there are two men in her apartment when she wakes up. We learn she is a Romance novel writer. We see her 'formula' for cranking out manuscripts and realize that she tends to use the same characters, settings and plots over and over. As Violet leaves her apartment for the day, we learn that these men that she has been interacting with (picture them making her coffee, handing her a towel, etc) are imaginary and when she leaves her apartment she leaves them behind.
In the days ahead you will learn some secrets about Violet and you'll get to know her leading men. Crazy things are going to happen, and it's not gonna be pretty!

SCRIPT FRENZY EVE

2011-03-31T06:58:00.000-07:00

Well, tomorrow I start officially writing MR. PERFECT. I promise to post something every day. It might be to vent, to share something exciting or to even show you part of the scene I'm working on. Tomorrow morning I'll give you an overview of the set up and main character. And Saturday I plan to show you a glimpse of the opening scene. Hang on! This is gonna be a fun ride.

I got some great feedback on my log line, and I have already revised it. Here it is right now, subject to change of course.

MR PERFECT: A lonely romance writer's leading men come to life and turn the town and her heart upside down.

I love how many of you got involved with naming my character. I got so many good suggestions by email, facebook and this blog I'm having a hard time choosing, so I decided to reveal her full name tomorrow morning. Check back to get to know her!

Here's something I'm doing this week. Pick up your newspaper or go online and look at the log lines of the movies that are out. Which ones jump out and grab you? Can you improve any of them? I would love to hear your thoughts about current movie log lines and what works. Thanks for your help!

Hi. WHAT'S YOUR NAME?

2011-03-30T06:01:00.000-07:00

Dang. Writing a logline is so hard. It's hard for me to summarize my DAY in one sentence, let alone an entire STORY!

SO here it is, my working title and logline. Keep in mind it might change.

MR PERFECT: A lonely romance writer thinks she's losing her mind when her imaginary leading men come to life and turn the town upside down.

So. There it is. I hope it gets your attention.

I have my logline, or at least the start of one. Today I'm deciding on the name of my protagonist. This character lives in a Shakespeare theater town, much like Ashland. She was raised by her grandfather, and her mother died when she was young. Her mother was a Shakespeare fanatic, so she named her after a character in one of Shakespeare's plays.

Here's where you come in! Give me some name ideas.
There could be meaning behind it,
but there doesn't have to be.
Be creative! Anything goes!

THE COUNTDOWN BEGINS

2011-03-29T05:54:00.000-07:00

As you may have read yesterday, I have 3 more days to work on my outline before I officially start writing my first screenplay. With 100 pages to write in 30 days, I need to have a very clear idea of where I'm going and how I'm going to get there. I got a little freaked out tonight when I laid out my index cards with all of my ideas, so I thought I would spill it.

p.s. - It took one look at this album cover and this song is now in my head for the rest of the day. ugh. Their hair is awesome. I especially like the backlighting and the rolled up sleeves.

Here's where I'm at:

-I've picked an idea

-I have a rough outline of my story

-I have my main characters, but they don't have names yet

-I have a working title

-I have a setting

-I have a twist (Don't you just love a good twist?)

Don't worry. Tomorrow I'll start giving details about the actual story. :)

Today I'll be working on my logline. A logline is basically a one sentence summary of a script. A good logline will keep me focused and help me easily explain my project if I ever need to.

Below are some loglines from famous movies. See if you can guess them and post your answers below. (Please let me know at jennajbenton@aol.com if you're having trouble leaving comments. I need to know now if it's working for everyone.)

SEE IF YOU CAN GUESS THESE LOGLINES:

1. "When a Roman general is betrayed and his family murdered by an insane and corrupt prince, he comes to Rome as a gladiator to seek revenge."

2. "In a future where criminals are arrested before the crime occurs, a cop struggles on the lam to prove his innocence for a murder he has not yet committed."

3. "A 17th Century tale of adventure on the Caribbean Sea where the roguish yet charming Captain Jack Sparrow joins forces with a young blacksmith in a gallant attempt to rescue the Governor of England's daughter and reclaim his ship."

4. "An archeologist is hired by the U.S. government to find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis."

5. "A young man and woman from different social classes fall in love, must outwit her abusive fiancé, and find a way to survive aboard an ill-fated voyage at sea."

APRIL FRENZY

2011-03-28T07:08:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've really shared anything specific on my blog about any projects I'm working on. I'm not sure why. Part of it is that when I'm busy it's hard for me to take the time to sit down and write good content. I don't like to write mediocre posts, even if only a handful of people read them.
But I decided to share this project, because I could really use the support. So what is it?
Are you ready?

It's called Script Frenzy. Basically, for the month of April, I'm going to write a screenplay. 100 pages in 30 days.

And it's harder than it sounds.

For the next several weeks I'm going to be blogging about my progress, sharing my experience with the writing process and generally spilling my guts to anyone geeky enough to follow me.

Here's how you can support me:
1. PRAY for me. I've planned, dreamed and talked about this for a long time. I've had a couple of false starts. Now I've told the blogging world I'M IN. I've told God I'M IN. Scary but cool.
2. COMMENT. Although I prefer to write alone, I'm a collaborator at heart. I dream better when I have someone to bounce my ideas off of. There might be times I need honest feedback if I get stuck. That means I need a core group of people to tell me if an idea stinks or if I should run with it. I guess what I'm asking is that IF YOU FOLLOW ME on this blog for this project, that you would be willing to leave comments and feedback on this site. You don't have to be a writer, but you must love a good story.
3. STICK WITH ME. When it's done, I would like to put together a core group that will help me revise and edit my script. Maybe you're the grammar police. Or a spelling guru. Or a dialogue diva. Maybe you just love movies and know why some of them work. Whatever. But we can talk about that when April is over.

So that's it. It's out there. On April 1st I start my new adventure. I hope you come along.

THE LOTTERY

2011-03-23T21:52:00.000-07:00

I just finished watching a video about the Karen people.

I have no idea what it's like to truly suffer. To see a loved one murdered. To hear the cries of my hungry child and know that I can do nothing. To fear hidden explosives in my front yard. Every morning I wake up to the smell of coffee and the feel of a soft blanket around my face. Clean water is as plentiful as the clean air I breathe. Every day I live in safety. I have more than I need.

I've heard someone say that being born a woman in America is like winning the world lottery of life. That might be closer to the truth than I know.

The question haunting me tonight is...

How will I spend it?

JUST HANGING OUT

2011-03-16T12:20:00.000-07:00

It's hard to wait. Sometimes I feel like I'm all packed up and my plane just isn't here yet.

God is working, and I need to be patient. But I have so many dreams. And every day I drive 20 minutes to sit on my steadily growing backside for 8 hours and my days just slip by. I don't feel like I'm wasting my days, but I also dream of living a life that makes a difference somehow.

But I was thinking about something that this missionary said on Sunday morning.

He said that we have created this "Westernized" view of blessing. It looks a little like this: God just wants you to be affluent and content, and if you're not then you aren't doing something right.We get the new job and we say "What a blessing." and we come into some money or get out of a speeding ticket and we call it a blessing. Good health? Blessing. Nice vacation? Blessing. Dreyers Rocky Road? Blessing.

But what if we could think about BLESSING as anything that pushes us closer to Christ? A blessing is something that makes us question WHO God is, and WHY we're here. A blessing is something that makes us go deeper and ask the hard questions. I've got some serious blessings in my suitcases, I guess. And I realized this morning that God is calling me to hang out right here in the airport. It's not where I would pick to live, but what do I know? I can live my life dreaming about what I think it should look like, or I can look around and find the opportunities God has placed around me. Because He's not going to waste my life. But I'm realizing this: He's calling me to waste my life on HIM.

Put that in your luggage and carry it around for a while.

For My Friend.

2011-03-12T08:54:00.000-08:00

The more I learn, the more I discover that I don't really know much.

Debating and digesting politics, theology, geology, sociology and

every other -ology can smother me like a steady fierce tide.

God is too big for me to figure out. I can't explain him

or describe him in a complex outline

or even a million blog posts.

I don't have the intellectual cunning or sparkling charisma to convince anyone

that He even exists.

I can only humbly ask that you search out the truth for yourself.

Search.

This life is not all there is.
But how we live matters.
We don't have to look too far outside of ourselves to know how small we are.
But how we live matters.
There are a million different opinions about an infinite number of ideas.
But how we live matters.

You were not meant to simply survive.

You are here. You are breathing. You are known. And how you live matters.

Boiling Frogs

2011-02-27T09:36:00.000-08:00

I first heard the Boiling Frog story from my high school biology teacher. Gross.
Never heard of it? The story is that if you try to put a frog in hot water it will jump out, but if it is placed in cold water that is slowly heated, it will not perceive the danger and will be cooked to death. True or not, I think it is a pretty powerful metaphor.

Sometimes I get too comfortable. I'm content. I'm safe. I settle. I doze. I put my life on cruise control. And pretty soon the place where I've been sitting becomes unhealthy, and I don't even notice. I forget to dream. I forget to strive for something bigger than me. I forget to take risks. I forget to reach out.

Or maybe I don't forget; I just get distracted by routine.
I get lulled to inaction by the 'good', instead of being inspired by the wild ways of God. Procrastination becomes the top song on my playlist, mediocrity and comfort my faithful companions.
I could easily close my eyes today and be carried away by the ride that is my life. And in what would feel like an instant, I could open my old wrinkled eyes and see a life that was all about me feeling safe and good. And I would grieve the life I could have lived. I would grieve deeply the undiscovered life full of wonder and risk, hard work and adventure and love that I had been created for.
Today I will fight to keep my eyes open. I will be thankful for the hard moments. I will try to find ways to jump every single day. I will trust God with the empty rooms in my life. I will use what I've learned. I will be brave enough to live a wild life. Who's with me?

My Word 2011

2011-01-20T07:02:00.000-08:00

2010 was a rough year. A really rough year. Those of you who know me in real life, or even those of you who have followed my blog, know that the Benton family have seen better days. I was so excited to say hello to 2011. So I decided to do something new.
Yes, I joined the million other people out there who chose to pick a 'word' for their New Year's Resolution this year. I know 'everyone's doing it', but I'm actually really excited about it.
There is an entire website dedicated to helping people find their one word for the year. Radio programs have devoted entire segments on it, and if there's not already a book out there dedicated to this subject I'm sure there will be one soon. Basically, instead of having lists of 'goals' for the year, you pick one word that sums up the most important thing you want for your life in the 365 days ahead.
So, I took some time to really think about what has been going on around me. I thought about where I've been, and where I think God is taking me. I considered the scripture that has really been speaking to my heart lately. I decided to pick a word that embodied where I want to go this year. I tried not to pick what 'sounded cool', but really prayed about where I would like my focus to be.
I was reading one morning in Hebrews 11. I've heard this described as the 'Faith Hall of Fame.' There are some awesome stories behind the names in this chapter. Scandalous, adventurous, wild stories. Something deep in my heart jumped when I went on to read in Chapter 12 when scripture describes these people as a 'great cloud of witnesses'. You see, your life and my life are part of a bigger story; one that God is writing, page by page, chapter by chapter. I tend to become so focused on my little world that I forget to look back and look up and even look forward.
So my word this year is FAITH. Paul said that without faith it is impossible to please God. With all my heart I want to please Him. So I'm going to need a FAITH that is stronger, deeper, and one that does not rely on human perspective.
I even got crafty with the teen girls in my small group and made a little bracelet. It sounds corny, but sometimes during the day I look down on it and pray for more faith.
And that's my word. If you were going to pick a word, what would it be?

GO

2011-01-05T06:19:00.000-08:00

My son Ethan is a Paratrooper with the US Army. I love it when he tells the story about his first jump. He was standing at the door of the airplane watching his buddies jump out. One at a time, each soldier took his place at the door and waited for the command to jump. GO. Ethan's heart was racing, and everything in his body was telling him to take a step backwards. Don't jump. Stop. You're crazy. Don't do it. Be safe.
Then it was Ethan's turn. He stepped up to the door, shaking with fear. The wind was roaring. He could see the earth far below. I imagine the words and thoughts that must have been racing through his head. And then....
GO. And Ethan was in the air. Just like that. When his mind heard the command, it silenced all other noise. His mind and body obeyed. His training kicked in. He jumped, because that is what he was trained to do. There was no more time to think about how scared he was. Now it was time to enjoy the ride and prepare to land.
As of this morning, Ethan is still in the hospital in Ft Bragg, NC. He had a bad landing a couple of weeks ago and was injured. I don't know what the future holds for him, but I do know that he would not trade his experiences of the last 18 months for anything.

Maybe you're standing at a door right now. Maybe you are hearing those same voices. Take a step back. This is crazy. Stop. Don't jump. Be safe.
My prayer for us all today is that we would step up to the door, even if we are shaking with fear. And when it's our turn and we hear GO, may our training kick in and our body and mind respond. Even if we might get hurt. Even if everything in us is telling us to play it safe. Because life was not meant to be lived by obeying the voices in your head. Train hard. And when it's time to jump, GO.