Becky is a writer and blogger. She's a three time contributor to various Chicken Soup for the Soul books and writes about real friendship and relationships, and all the ties that bond us. She's the former Web Manager and Vice-President for ACFW (acfw.com). Becky is a proud wife, mother, grandmother and 3-time cancer survivor.
If you’re a book lover like I am, then you’ll enjoy this new project I’m doing with my friend Rebecca Reed. It’s Rebecca and Rebecca: Reading Writing Reviewing. Rebecca and I read books, then review them, then talk to the author about them! Our latest review and interview is for The Debutante’s Code by Erica Vetsch.
The Debutante’s Code is a regency historical mystery described as Jane Austen meets Sherlock Holmes. This isn’t my usual genre, but I have to say that I loved this book. I’m also privileged to know Erica personally, and she is so much fun.
If you’re interested in watching the you tube interview, click here.
If you want to see the review of the book, click here.
Check out more about Rebecca and Rebecca on our website at rebeccaandrebecca.com, or click on this You Tube link for all of our videos. This is a new project for us, so there’s a lot more to come.
Our next review and interview will be for Tacos for Two by Betsy St. Amant. So, I hope you’ll join us in May and June.
We’ve all heard the expression “Good things come to those who wait”. On the flip side, there’s the Tom Petty song about waiting. As he says, it is the hardest part. Which one is right? In my opinion, both adages are true.
As I look back on my life, there are two very strong examples of “Good things come to those who wait.”
The first is my husband. We dated in high school, and a little bit in college. In fact, I wrote in my journal when I was 17 that I had met the man I was going to marry. But, as most kids do, we ended up going our separate ways. I moved back to New Mexico, and Vince stayed in Texas, got married, and had a family. Twenty-one years after high school, we got back together again. We’ve now been married 20 years. And he definitely was worth waiting for.
Top: In high school, on the day we met. Bottom: On a recent snowy day.
The other waiting had to do with my college education. I never finished my degree when I started it all those years ago. But at that time, they didn’t have the exact degree program I wanted. I’ve always been interested in writing. Back then, that usually meant getting an English degree which meant teaching. I wasn’t meant to be a teacher.
The alternative was Journalism, which didn’t touch enough on the creative side of writing as far as I was concerned. I finally opted for studying radio, television, and film at the University of Texas. I really enjoyed that, as a long-time TV and movie watcher. But as mentioned earlier, I left Texas and returned to New Mexico and never finished my degree. I did, however, end up having a 15- year career in radio and television. Broadcasting was great and it was a wonderful time in my life. But as I thought about returning to school, it seemed pointless to go back and get a broadcasting degree when I’d already had a career in broadcasting. It wasn’t worth the money or the time, since I had real-life experience with that.
But late last year, my wait was over. In September, I received a notice that Colorado Christian University was offering a Bachelor of Arts degree in Creative Writing. This was the first time I’d heard of this exact degree. I was aware of MFA programs, but not a Bachelor’s in this discipline.
I had a chat with my husband who is super supportive, in so many ways. We discussed finances, time, and as many other details as we could hash out. I finally thought, “Well, I’ll apply and see what happens.”
I was accepted… quickly. Before I knew it, I applied for transfer scholarships, and returning student scholarships, and let me tell you, the doors back to school flung wide open!
So, over 40 years after I started my first degree, I am once again a full-time student and will finish next year through the online modules at Colorado Christian University.
My husband now walks around telling everyone that I had to wait for the right degree program to come along before I went back to school. Okay, 40-plus years is quite a wait. But there you go.
There is good in the waiting. even when you don’t realize you’re waiting. If, however, you can reflect, you can see where waiting was good. I waited for my husband for 21 years. With the support he gives me now, I probably wouldn’t be pursuing my degree after waiting for the right program to come along.
Waiting is good. Waiting is hard. Good things can come to those who wait.
I’m doing a new thing with my friend, Rebecca Reed. We’ve started a YouTube channel, as well as a podcast. We’ll be reviewing a book one month, and the next month, we’ll interview the author about the book. If you’re a book lover, then we hope you’ll join us.
Our website is www.RebeccaAndRebecca.com. Click on the Reviews tab and you’ll see the link to our You Tube video for this month’s review of “Out of the Water” by Ann Marie Stewart.
Rebecca and I are so excited to start this new venture, and we hope you’ll come along for the ride!
How often do we think about the words “grace” and “peace?” The apostle Paul opened the many letters he penned in Scripture with the greeting of “grace and peace.” If you think about it, the words are always in that order: grace first, then peace. Interesting to think about.
A commentary I read said that in order to experience God’s peace, we need to accept His grace. I had never really thought about that, but it makes sense. How often do we beat ourselves up over past failures or mistakes, therefore, not accepting the grace and forgiveness of God? If we don’t accept forgiveness, then we won’t experiencing the peace that only comes from God through grace. Paul knew what he was saying when he wrote his greeting.
As we draw closer to the end of January and head into the second month of this new year, with all of its unknowns, make sure to give yourself grace. Ask God for forgiveness of anything weighing you down, then step boldly into today. The peace of God is like no other. Embrace it. Embrace the love of Christ and find His peace.
Have a great day, walking in His love – with grace and peace.
Talking Among Friends 
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