Coping Post-Conference by Carrie Turansky

Coping with Post-Conference and Being Productive

By Carrie Turansky

I’ve just returned home from a great week in Nashville where I attended the first Christian Fiction Readers’ Retreat and the annual American Christian Fiction Writers Conference. Anyone who has gone to a writers’ conference or other work related conference or even on vacation can identify with the list of tasks that await you when you return. How do you cope and make the most from your time away?

Talking to my husband and sharing the highlights of the conference is a great way for me to debrief. I find talking it over with him helps me see the events in perspective and realize how grateful I am for the positive things that happened and what lessons I can learn from the challenging times. Then I focus on the practical needs: unpacking and getting the laundry going. I take over the dinning room table and separate all my trip items into piles: expenses and receipts, business cards, gifts, books, workshop notes, etc. 

Then I make a list of people I need to follow up with via email. If I made a promise to send someone information or a link, I send that. I thank those who met with me or went out of their way to help me at the conference. I review the business cards and make a note on the back if needed and file those away. I shelve the books or add them to my giveaway basket. I record my expenses and file my receipts. I look over my workshop notes and decide what to keep and file those. 

Writers often work in a quiet environment by themselves, so a week of high-level interaction can be draining. Give yourself time to recover. Sleep well, eat well, and move back into your routine as you feel you’re ready. Focus your thoughts on the positive events of the conference and thank the Lord for all He is taught you through your time away.

CFP: Thank you for sharing, Carrie Turansky! Great seeing you at CFRR and ACFW conference! Great tips! 

Bio for Carrie:

Bestselling Inspirational Romance Author Carrie Turansky writes heartwarming historical and contemporary novels and novellas. She has won the ACFW Carol Award, the Crystal Globe Award, and the International Digital Award. She lives in New Jersey with her husband Scott, and they have five grown children and four grandchildren. When she’s not writing you’ll find Carrie working in her flower gardens, walking around the lake near their home, or cooking healthy meals for friends and family. She loves to connect with reader through her website: Carrie Turansky.com, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.

NOW AVAILABLE!!! Check at your local Christian book stores! Also available online.
Mountain Christmas Brides (Barbour Publishing, September 2016)

From a Wyoming ranch in 1880, to a logging camp in Washington Territory in the late 1800s, to Denver, Colorado, in 1913, meet nine couples who find that Christmas is the perfect time for climbing to the heights of romance. Watch as their faith and courage propel them through challenges that come with mountain winters to cozy fireside celebrations that lead to lasting proclamations of love. Penned by an exclusive selection of Christian fiction authors—including Susan Page Davis, Carrie Turansky, Lena Nelson Dooley, and others—this collection of nine romances is one to treasure.

GIVEAWAY: We're giving away a paperback copy of Mountain Christmas Brides with stories by Carrie Turansky, Susan Page Davis, Lena Nelson Dooley, Darlene Franklin, Debby Lee, Mildred Colvin, Gina Welborn, and Tamela Hancock Murray! 

DebbieLynne Costello -- When Husband Diagnosed with Mantle Cell Lymphoma

My life was turned upside down this past April when my husband was diagnosed with a rare form of non-hodgkin’s lymphoma called Mantle Cell. He wasn’t even seeing the doctor because he was sick. The man is never sick. And I mean never!

My life since April has been living in Houston more than South Carolina. But God has been here with us in amazing ways!

The first thing I did as a Christian, I fell to my knees and cried out to God. I don’t mean just pray I cried out—out loud—pleading with God. I contacted every person I knew who would pray and asked them for prayers. And God moved. First He guided us to MD Anderson. A dear friend and nurse practitioner from Dallas called when she heard about Joe. She convinced us to come to Houston to MD Anderson for a second opinion. She then called her best friend in Houston and got us a place to stay when we came.

Then I got an email from a lady who had called me weeks earlier about getting a sheltie puppy from me. This woman knows nothing about Joe. Her email goes something like this. “I don’t know what is going on but God told me to tell you that He’s got this.” I cried. I responded and told her what WAS going on. She told me that she didn’t want me to think she was weird or anything but that she’d been driving down the road and God told her to pray for me. She said I thought to myself okay God I’ll pray when I get home, but she felt like God was yelling at her in her head saying pray now! She said she almost pulled her car over. Then people started telling me they were praying and they really felt like God told them He’s got this! I probably heard that at least 6 times. And no one knew what this other woman had told me.

It seemed every time my faith got low, God sent someone else to remind me He had this! It was so amazing. I’m a person who believes in ‘bugging’ God. I remind Him of His promises. I am like the man in the bible who has company come in the middle of the night and so he goes to his neighbors and won’t quit knocking on his door until he gets up. God wants us to cry out to Him.

In the lowest valley we’ve ever walked, God has been there every step of the way. We never said why us? Things like this can bring a person closer to God. I know I want God to use me through this. It has been amazing to watch God move. I’ll quick give you some ways He blessed us.

Friends, neighbors, and family stepped up to the plate to help. It was unbelievable. You see I have 3 shelties, 1 German Shepherd, 1 cat, 5 horses (one is a young colt), and a miniature donkey. That’s a lot of mouths to feed. Friends and family take care of our animals when we are gone.

We went to the hospital and Joe was put with Doctor Wang. People ask us, How did you get in with Dr. Wang? You see he is one of the 2 top doctors for Mantle Cell Lymphoma in the World! 

Joe has probably had MCL for 2 to 4 years. But God wanted us at MDA at this time. Because it just so happened that Dr. Wang was starting a clinical trial for MCL patients and Joe was immediately accepted into the study! Had his Mantle Cell been discovered earlier we would have missed the trial.

We fell in love with the woman we were staying with. She’s like family. She offered her home to us every time we come down and even when we have to stay for 5 months!

God has been so good to us and I am so thankful for all His blessings. That’s not to say we never have hard days. We do! We wouldn’t be human if we didn’t. But keeping our eyes on the Lord is the key to keeping a good attitude. I don’t think God is disappointed with us for hurting sometimes or getting discouraged. But what He does want is for us to know where to turn when that happens. He wants us to look up and run into His open arms.

CFP: DebbieLynne told me about this picture: “This is a really cool paper Lockness. Each piece of paper was colored and then the papers were cut randomly by hand making this beautiful piece of art. This picture really doesn't do it justice. It is displayed in MDAnderson.” This is DebbieLynne’s daughter, Kacie.

Giveaway: Winner's choice of either of DebbieLynne's novels winner's choice of paperback or ebook (USA only paperback). Answer this question: Have you had a loved one battle cancer? What helped in coping?  

COPING WITH A CHRONIC ILLNESS DURING THE HOLIDAYS By Bonnie Roof

Bonnie Roof, Our Newest Contributor to the Overcoming With God blog!

Welcome to our newest Angel, Bonnie Roof, who is sharing her first post of encouragement with us on the OWG blog!

The holidays are upon us again. For many people, they are some of the most joyous days of the year - for others, they bring added stress that complicates chronic health issues. Here are some tips that might alleviate some of the stress:

(1) Engage in 30 minutes of walking or related activities and 8 hours solid sleep daily.

(2) Make a list of the most important things and make them your priorities.

(3) Take care of your own needs first as it is easy to become overwhelmed with expectations and 

      demands, otherwise.

(4) Make time to take care of yourself.

(5) Unrealistic expectations add stress - as demands on your time increase, do more for yourself 

      instead of less.

(6) Conserve your energy and focus on your health, the most important thing.

(7) What special gifts and skills can you share with others? Do you paint, knit, bake, play/sing music, craft, write? Often, little is needed to create the perfect gift - many times, it truly is the thought that counts. Perhaps there is a home-bound friend for whom a visit and word of encouragement would be the perfect gift. 

(8) Make both verbalizing to God and writing down thoughts of gratefulness - a daily occurrence - 

      for blessings both large and small. There are blessings to be found even in the midst of 

      chronic pain - you may be surprised at the number when you make it a habit to daily list new blessings a gratefulness journal is good for this. Expressions of gratefulness promote good 

      feelings which can help take one's mind off his/her pain and feelings of despair and 

      hopelessness.

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble". Psalm 46:1 (ESV)

The holidays are about giving thanks, sharing with family and friends, spreading joy to others and finding peace and God's gift of love to us and sharing them with others!!

What tips have you found to ease the stress and amplify the holiday enjoyment for one who struggles with a chronic illness - whether it be yourself or a friend or family member? 

Giveaway: Box of several recent release books by best selling authors!!!