"Follow by E-mail" Discontinued -- But Stay Tuned!

Blogger is run by Google, and the powers that be at Google have decided to discontinue the "follow by e-mail" widget that allows readers like you to follow bloggers like me. It will be disappearing sometime this summer.

I know, I know. It's horrible. Devastating, even. Now my articles won't go directly to your inbox.

Gasp!

Don't worry; I'm working on a solution. In the meantime, please pause right now to bookmark my blog. That way, you'll be able to navigate back here without the aid of the e-mails that will no longer be coming your way.

Buddy Reading the Bible

Recently, I began studying the book of Hebrews with a friend. It's a tough book for me at times, so I'm grateful to be going through it with somebody. Sharing thoughts about it, what jumps out to each of us, and the way certain verses relate to our lives is turning out to be enriching and encouraging. We're only a few chapters in, but we've both expressed hope that we'll understand the book better by the time we're finished studying Hebrews.

Have you ever buddy read a book of the Bible with a friend?

Which book of the Bible are you studying right now?

Autumn Fun {Bookstagram Challenge and *Free* Wallpapers}

Hello, friends! Let's talk autumn fun today. What do you think of when it comes to autumn?

I like to think we'll get cooler temperatures, but that's often hit and miss here in north Texas. This year, we've actually experienced some cooler temps in the last couple of weeks.

The changing of the leaves from bright green to various shades of red, orange, yellow, and brown always makes me smile. My family has about a dozen trees on our property, nearly all of them different types from one another, so we get quite a wide variety of autumn colors. In hotter months, those colors can change in a single day, and the leaves can fall off pretty quickly too, if we get strong enough winds or some wild autumn thunderstorms.

Autumn also makes me think of family. Hanging out with my family makes my heart soar, and I've recently enjoyed a new walking routine with my parents. Most evenings during the last couple of months, we've walked at least one block (and worked up to four) after we all get off work. It's been great to be able to share our days with one another while getting a bit of exercise and letting the cares of the day roll off our shoulders.

Faith is a year-round thing for me, as it's an integral part of who I am, but there's something about autumn that makes it mean so much more. I don't know if it's because I'm starting to get contemplative about celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ (celebrated in late December here) or if it's because snuggling up with a throw blanket, my Bible, and a hot cup of cocoa is one of my favorite evening pastimes in the autumn and winter when the temperatures are chilly. There may even be other reasons I haven't thought of yet, but autumn means a new chance to examine my heart and make sure I'm on the path God has created specifically for me.

Of course autumn makes me think of books. What season doesn't? That whole blanket/cocoa thing works well with novels or nonfiction books as well as the Holy Word. My throw blankets and mugs get great workouts during these hopefully-cooler months of the year. What books are on your reading list this autumn? I've got a few review books coming up, but there are some other stories from my ever-growing TBR stashes that I'm really excited to get to. These are just a few of the books I'm eager to read this autumn.

Part of the fun this autumn is that I'm hosting my first bookstagram challenge over on Instagram. Anyone with a non-giveaway IG account is welcome to join in, starting tomorrow, October 1. All the rules are in the caption of this post. There is a giveaway with this challenge, and one winner will get to choose one paperback book from the ones shown in the second graphic below this paragraph. What are some stories you've enjoyed that feature family, faith, books, or autumn?

I have more fun for you right here, courtesy of a new friend I met on Instagram this summer. Christina is a sweetheart who has been married about a year and is busy homemaking and living an adventurous life with her husband. What's really drawn me to her in friendship is that she speaks very truthfully in love about heartache, loss, faith, and encouragement when she posts to her IG account. I have already lost count of how many times her pictures and captions have made me smile, cry, and think deeper. You may find her Instagram account here and all her social media links are in this location.

The reason I bring up my friend Christina is that she has graciously shared some fun autumn phone wallpapers with us. She shared them first on her IG account, but she has generously granted me permission to share them with you here on Writing to Inspire. So sweet! Snag one, snag all. Consider these beautiful pictures your trick-or-treat prize this year.

Just in case I haven't properly figured out how to make these images downloadable, check out Christina's "wallpaper" highlight reel on Instagram (her IG page is linked above). Just pop over there, find the one(s) you want, press and hold your thumb on the screen, and then simultaneously press "home" and "power" on your smart phone to screenshot the clean wallpaper(s). {Note: Those are the instructions for how it works on an iPhone. I don't know how other phones work on something like this.} I'm using an instructional how-to I found online to (hopefully) teach myself how to make these wallpapers downloadable, but this is a new skill for me (and self-taught at that!), so I might not have it down right the first time. Don't worry. I'm sure I'll be trying again soon.

Hint: I'm becoming more comfortable with Canva's editing tools, so I might just have some wallpaper plans of my own in the near future. Stay tuned!

Note: The click-to-download thing I tried did not work. If anyone has tips or a website with clear instructions, please let me know in the comments.

November Review {part 3}

Movies and Sports

November was quite busy with both movies and sports for me. This included hanging out with friends and family, which is always a special thing for me. I never take for granted that these incredible people are in my life.

Movies

There were quite a few movies out at the theater last month that looked quite interesting. The following are the ones I saw, and I enjoyed all of them. It was fun to not uncover a dud among the group. As often as I go to the theater throughout the year (not normally as frequently as it has been in recent weeks), it’s not unusual to stumble upon a movie or two that didn’t quite make the cut for me. It’s always a treat when I hit a streak of great and enjoyable films.

Childhood Memories

Last night, I was thinking about animated Disney movies that I grew up on.

The Little Mermaid was the very first movie I saw in theaters when I was nearly three, and it's forever been my favorite Disney movie. I remember the theater in the old mall that's now demolished (and has been for most of my life, sadly), the Front-Row Joe preview, and, of course, seeing the redheaded mermaid meet her prince on the big screen. While I never wanted to replace Jodi Benson as the best Ariel ever, her vocals and that movie did inspire me to shoot for my dreams. That was the first movie that impacted my ideals, because Ariel's journey showed me that dreams were possible to reach.

(Mrs. Benson, thank you for your work as Ariel. I'm sure you hear this a lot, but your contribution to that movie inspired me and added a touch of whimsy to my childhood. I can't tell you how many Little Mermaid Barbies and Little Toys [action figures] I had because of you. In fact, I still have them.)

Ariel and her voice, Jodi Benson; compliments of Google Images

The song "This Little Light of Mine" also shaped me. It gave me courage, because it told me that God would shine through me if I lived for Him. I've seen proof of this many dozens of times in my lifetime so far, and I'll keep believing it through to eternity.

In the Office

Hey, friends!

I'm in the waning days of an editing deadline at the moment, so I'm in my "office" with my nose practically glued to my computer.

Great for production on chapters to be edited for a client, but not so great for my blog.

Unfortunately, I've run out of time to come up with something creative and fun for you today. Once I get off this deadline on Wednesday, I'll try to spark up some inspiration to post an extra piece later this week.

I'll be thinking fondly of you guys throughout the week.

Thank you so much for your patience and support.

Hugs,
Andrea

Things I Miss While On Deadline

Note: There is some fun news at the end of this article, so stay tuned through the very end.

Have you ever wondered what sacrifices editors make in order to make sure the books you’re reading are as polished and accurate as possible?

This is not a comprehensive list at all, as I’m only speaking from my own personal experience.

Here are a few things I miss when I’m on an editing deadline.

1. FAVORITE CLOTHES

Laundry tends to pile up a bit more when I’m on deadline, because I like to stay in the editing zone instead of make the time to do a load or two of washing. So my favorite tees, jerseys, and comfiest comfy pants often end up in the bottom of a mountain of clothing to be laundered once I’m off deadline… and I end up wearing some of my least favorite things in that final week of work. Bonus! I’ve rediscovered some neat t-shirts I picked up on vacations over the years.

Happy Labor Day!

by Andrea Renee Cox

Today is Labor Day, so tell me:

How are spending Labor Day?

Are you having a barbecue?

Is your day being shared with friends or family?

Are you able to enjoy a day off from work?

Stories and Friendship

by Andrea Renee Cox

Every story I write presents challenges.

Though the difficulties may vary from one project to the next, a couple of things remain the same. Story and friendship both take work, but they’re also both worth the effort.

Story. It could fill up a year’s worth of articles. Story is everywhere around us, but if we look really hard, we can find the best ones. That’s part of my job as a writer, to discover those hiding treasures in order to weave them into tales readers will have a difficult time forgetting. Creating something unique and special every single time might challenge the limits of my imagination, but I cherish the opportunity to craft unforgettable stories that hopefully will find a home with readers around the globe.

Friends for Life

by Andrea Renee Cox

When I was growing up, my family lived out in the country and had few neighbors. My only playmate was my sister; we quickly learned how to get along well and have been the closest of friends ever since. Once I was in school, I made friends, but none were close enough to call “best friend.” Switching schools a few times didn’t help, and neither did being really shy. So I’ve wondered practically my whole life what having close friends (other than my sister) would look like.