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COAST COURIER
A quarterly newsletter from
Karen O'Connor Communications
January 2007
Dear friends, family, and colleagues:
Hello
from Watsonville, California (a small city on the Central Coast
between Santa Cruz and Monterey). One of my goals for this year
is to communicate with you more often. I'm kicking off this
brief newsletter so I can keep up with you and you with me!
What's new?
My husband
Charles and I are well settled in our new house, church, and
community and we love it here—especially being
closer to our youngest daughter Erin, her husband Bruce, and
their three children, Shevawn, Mairin, and Miles.
In
front of the Anne of Green Gables Museum on Prince
Edward Island. An inspiring visit. |
In the fall, we went on a cruise up the St. Lawrence River and
around the islands in the North Atlantic which included a wonderful
day trip to Prince Edward Island where we visited the home of
Lucy Maud Montgomery, author of the Anne of Green Gables series,
as well the "Anne" museum and a replica of the house
where Anne lived with Matthew and Marilla in the book and movie.
I recently joined Rosalie Campbell's Garden Path Ministries
as a friend/correspondent to a woman in prison. Garden Path offers
reconciliation, restoration, and regeneration to female prisoners.
If you'd like to find out more about this opportunity, visit www.gardenpath.org.
What's up?
I just received
word of a new book contract on the way from Harvest House:
the fourth in my "Wimps" series to
be titled The Golden Years Ain't For Wimps. I'm
looking for cute 'story seeds' relating humorous and inspiring
incidents common to those of us over 50, from which I can build
short, punchy stories for the book. If you'd like to contribute,
please request details. karen@karenoconnor.com
What's next?
 The
third "Wimps" title
will be published in August 2007, Walkin' With God Ain't
For Wimps. This series
has been an unexpected blessing, the first book selling close
to 200,000 copies and the second nearly 20,000 so far. I
am grateful to all my 'seasoned' readers and others for their
wonderful support. And to God goes all the glory for inspiring
me to write these books.
I'll be a facilitator at the Jerry B. Jenkins Christian
Writers Guild Conference, "Writing for the Soul" in
Colorado Springs in Feb., and a workshop leader and critique
team member at the Mount Hermon Christian Writers' Conference
in April in Mount Hermon, California.
Some things to consider. . .
Reflection:
"You have been chosen by God Himself. . .You are God's
very own" (1 Peter 2:9 LB).
Office wall and book shelf with writing-related memorabilia
to keep me motivated and focused |
Inspiration:
"Each
person has an ideal, a hope, a dream which represents the soul.
We must give to it the warmth of love, the light of understanding
and the essence of encouragement."
Colby Dorr Dam
Action:
Invisible Gifts...That Keep on Giving
Everyone
loves to receive a beautiful big box, wrapped in glittery paper
and topped with a brightly colored bow. A new sweater,
a new gadget, a new book inside--each one to be enjoyed and treasured--but
ultimately used up and given away or thrown away!
The more precious gifts,
however, ones that last all year long, are those that spring from the heart.
I call them invisible gifts, because they can't be packaged, and are usually
felt rather than seen. But they bless the other person in a way that
a 'gift in a box' never can. Our presence means so much more
than mere presents.
Our
new office. Charles and I 'face' each other every day! |
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Consider
putting the following on your gift list this year:
• A Smile -
How many of us think of smiling as a gift? And yet it is one
of the most powerful unspoken gifts we can give. Try it out and see for yourself. Not
only will you be blessing others, but also you will be blessed
in return when the other person shares his or her smile.
• Eye Contact -
In general, people don’t really look at one another. They don’t
connect at the level of spirit. It is said that the eyes are windows
to the soul. Give the gift of eye contact and you'll notice
a closer and more compassionate connection between you and other
people.
• Silence (especially
when you're aching to speak!) - What a gift of self this is. Most of
us have plenty to say--usually too much. What if we were to speak less
and listen more? Consider what our silence might 'say' to that person? "I
love you." "I appreciate you." "I'm here for you." These
are just some of the invisible gifts that silence bestows.
• Small
talk - Our children would truly value this! My kids call it
'hanging out' with them and just 'talkin.' Author and talk
show host Rich Buhler often said on his radio show that some
of his most valuable time with his seven children occurred when
he took them along--one at a time--to run errands. Some of their
best and most intimate conversations sprang from the serendipity
that occurred when he let 'being' together take precedence over
trying to make something happen!
• Apology - Now
there's a gift that's in short supply in families, communities and corporations
across our country. Most of us are so busy being 'right,' pressing our
point, demanding performance, and abusing our authority as parents or heads
of our homes or companies, we rarely stop to realize that we could be wrong,
could be insensitive, could be ungrateful--at least part of the time. How
wonderful it would be to let go and simply say, "I apologize for hurting
you. Please forgive me." It would be a gift
to both the giver and the receiver. I doubt there's anyone anywhere
who wouldn't appreciate the humble gift of apology for wrongs
committed, hurts planted, anger rooted, neglect fostered.
The joy of giving can
include cards, words, song and dance, gifts and games, food and
beverages, but the real joy, the lasting joy starts within--with the invisible
gifts of the heart that only you know about.
Communication:
Let's stay in touch. I'd love to hear from you. . .
karen@karenoconnor.com
Till next time, be well, and may you be blessed.
Karen O'Connor
Karen
O'Connor Home Page
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