Thursday, November 17, 2016

Thankful: Awe-filled Moments from God



Teaching, while writing novels, is a lot like giving birth while trying to read & comprehend the IRS’s 60,000-page tax laws.  Good times, ya'll.

The crazy thing is, I honestly enjoy both writing and teaching. There are these treasures… these awe-filled moments God decides to toss my way, because He loves me. Moments like:

*Getting an email from a reader who’s a new Army Wife and was encouraged by my books. Wow!


*Doing a happy dance with a struggling student after they conquered the exam! Victories feel amazing!

*And sitting at a parent/teacher meeting with a couple who have taken it upon themselves to care for someone else’s child’s grades and well-being because “this child is worth it.” Moved. To. Tears.


I’m overwhelmed by the way God loves me. His gifts are perfect, and come at the perfect time. 

What awe-filled moments has God tossed your way?









ABOUT HANNAH: 

Hannah Conway is a military wife, mother of two, middle school teacher, and speaker. Her novels are a deployment experience of their own, threaded with faith, and filled with twists and turns sure to thrill, and encourage. Hannah is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, and My book Therapy. She and her family live in Tennessee

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Saturday, October 22, 2016

Tips for Returning to Work After Staying at Home: The Juggle is Real!

My youngest child started first grade this year, and after eight years of staying at home to raise my kiddos, I decided to return to teaching full-time…while still writing…Did I mention I’m crazy?

By the grace of God, I successfully survived my first 9 weeks back to teaching. No students were lost or injured…SCORE! However, my beautiful meal planning and preparation skills took a fatal blow, and we’ve gone into survival meal mode/ aka anything I can stuff in a crockpot. Writing has been a struggle as I no longer have 3-4 hrs of uninterrupted writing time 3 or 4 days a week…sad sigh…sniffle, sniffle. The house is messier than usual, and I’ve had to say no to volunteer opportunities I’d normally take. It’s been a change…A BIG CHANGE. But not bad. Difficult, but not bad.

This new stage of my life is just that…a new stage, and it requires getting used to, and a whole lot of other tools & tips. These tools and tips are a work in progress for me as I weave my way through this part of life, and I hope and pray you find them useful.

PLEASE feel free to let me know any other tools and tips you have for transitioning back to public work, and or balancing mom-life, with work-life, and home-life.   

1: Jesus Time

WE MUST make time to read the Word. I struggled to find that time after returning to work. My Bible time was at 6:30am before my kiddos woke up, but now I’m up at 5:00am and get to school by 6:15. Getting ready, and sitting down to read? How would that work? The best solution right now is to listen to the audio option on my Bible app while getting ready. So far, it’s been a good fit for me, and maybe you as well.

2: Crockpot Recipes & lots of them:

I could hug my crockpot. The thing cooked a whole chicken for me—enough for chicken & dumplins, chicken tacos, and chicken noodle soup! 3 meals, bam! J Working moms should invest in a crockpot for sure!

3: To-Do Lists:

If you’re anything like me, our brain can be a little…well…full. So many things to think about with so little time! J Therefore, a To-Do List for each category of my life is a must: School/Work, Writing & Marketing, Kid’s List, Home/Cleaning etc. Some of the lists, like those pertaining to home & the kiddos go on my kitchen cabinet door. School & writing to-do lists will stay in a spiral binder I carry with me.

4:  An Agenda:

An agenda, or calendar, is a MUST. When are Fall Festivals? When is football practice, church meetings, parent/teacher conferences, the next writing deadline? When am I going to go to the grocery store? Bills due? All these things need to be listed out and placed on the calendar in plain view…on the fridge…cabinet door…some place where it will be seen frequently.

3: A Reusable Meal Schedule:

For now, my love for from-scratch meals, and new dinner creations, has to be pushed to the side…it is what it is. Sigh.

It took a while, but sticking to a simpler, consistent dinner plan has helped lighten my load. Feel free to copy what we do:

M: Crockpot meal Monday, with salad/veggies & fruit
T: Taco Tuesday, or Mexican Themed
W: Soup/Chili & Sandwich
Th: Leftovers w/ side of veggies or salad
F: Pizza
Sa: Noodles (Asian, Italian etc) Salad
Su: Out to Eat or a kid friendly (Chicken Nuggets, Mac & Cheese)

4: A Cleaning Schedule:

The house just isn’t going to be perfection…big sad sigh. So, in 15 minutes each night, what area of the house are we going to work on? Is it dishes, taking out the trash & tidying the living room? Wiping down bathroom sinks?  Allow Saturday morning, evening, or afternoon to be for the heavier cleaning. Throw in a load of clothes on Mon, Wed, & Friday.  We’re not the best at keeping up with a cleaning schedule, but we’re getting there.
Recently a sweet friend introduced me to FlyLady, an organizational/cleaning whiz who sends daily tasks via email that can be done in 15 minutes each day. I’m excited to give this a whirl! Check her out here: FlyLady.net

5: Exercise:

Exercise? Because we have so much free time, right?! Ha, I know!  Exercise releases the happy chemicals in our brain, and Lord knows that’s a good thing. J I have missed going to the gym! MISS IT LIKE A LONG LOST FRIEND! And now that I’ve finally stopped complaining about not having time for the gym, and an extra ten pounds later, it’s time to make time to work out.

Can we make 20-30 minutes 3 times a week to exercise? YES! It may not be the gym, but what about a walk around the neighborhood, or squats in the living room? Get creative! Where can the time be carved out?

I’ve decided to stay after school for 20-30 minutes 3 times a week to work out with some teachers in the school’s auxiliary gym. Wish me luck!

6: Friendship & Accountability:

If it weren’t for my friends holding me accountable to my writing goals, praying for me as I struggle to juggle it all…I’d fall apart. God knows we need friends. We were made to care for each other. It’s good to share goals with someone trustworthy, and let them hold us accountable.

7: Delegate:

HELP! The housework is overtaking me, the clutter piles about to spill over…and my to-do list is growing fangs.

Glance over that list and check off the items that can be delegated. Are the kids old enough to mop the floor, wipe the counters, do dishes? Can someone do a guest post for your blog?

We may be able to juggle a lot, but we can’t juggle it all (CLICK TO TWEET), and we need help…we need to delegate.

8: Let Go:

This could mean a lot of things, but for our current season of life it means letting go of the need to be in control of all aspects of life, and having things done exactly the way I would want them done. For a planner, who enjoys planning and carrying out those plans, this is hard, so letting go is a work in progress for me.

9: Shut it down & Cuddle:

There’s nothing on our to-do list, or any writing goal, that’s worth missing out on a cuddle from our family. They too feel the strain of this busy life, and if we can put aside our important stuff for them, then it’s a win for all.

I’ll admit…this can be a struggle when I really have to get grades put in, or I really need to get 500 more words in on a scene, but in the end, our families come first. They are our first priority. 

10: An ample amount of Grace:

BUCKET loads of grace.

We will fail, and fail again, and forget to send a signed form back to our child’s teacher …or mix up dates on the calendar…or subject our children to chicken nuggets twice in one week! Listen, the world is full of negativity without beating ourselves up. God says we are more than conquerors, we are loved, and He delights in us. We need to remember that and give ourselves grace, just like He gave us.

I wish I could say I’ve mastered these 10 tips, but the truth is…I haven’t. They are all a work in progress, something to apply to my life on a daily basis. And that’s okay. :) 

Any tips and tricks, or crockpot recipes you’d like to share? Be my guest! Leave a comment below, we’d love to hear from you!





ABOUT HANNAH: 

Hannah Conway is a military wife, mother of two, middle school teacher, and speaker. Her novels are a deployment experience of their own, threaded with faith, and filled with twists and turns sure to thrill, and encourage. Hannah is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, and My book Therapy. She and her family live in Tennessee

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CLICK the Links Below The Image to Download Your eCopy of WEDDING A WARRIOR




















Friday, September 16, 2016

A "God Book" Review from the Sweetest Source: A Child's View of Jesus



I’ve had the privilege to write books, read incredible works by many authors, and the honor of reviewing them on my blog, or vendor sites like Amazon, Goodreads, etc. However, my reviews have NOTHING on the book review my little girl gave last night of her “God Book.”

Absolutely PRECIOUS. MELT MY HEART PRECIOUS. A TREASURE to hear the gospel coming from her sweet voice. What a beautiful sound from a child’s simple perspective. To view the wonder of who Jesus is through her eyes caused such awe & wonder…amazement in me! And there’s a new-ness, even a sparkle in the way she presents Jesus—an almost giddiness! I love it, I want it! It helps me remember what it was like when I first became a follower of Christ, and how exciting it was!

I went to bed smiling, and watched her review at least ten times!

“That was fun, mommy. Can we do that again?” She’s hooked on video book reviews, and I had to nod my head.

I’m POSITIVE this child’s review of anything she reads will be better than what I could ever write. PLEASE ENJOY this absolutely beautiful “God Book” review.


One proud Momma here!


RELATED ARTICLES: 
The Theme of Your Life & Writers Conference Take-Away
A Captive Impsoter by Dawn Crandall: Book Review! 
Be Still My Soul by Joanne Bischof: A Book Review!



ABOUT HANNAH: 
Hannah Conway is a military wife, mother of two, and speaker. Her novels are a deployment experience of their own, threaded with faith, and filled with twists and turns sure to thrill, and encourage. Hannah is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, and My book Therapy. She and her family live in Tennessee


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CLICK the Links Below The Image to Download Your eCopy of WEDDING A WARRIOR













Thursday, September 8, 2016

Growing Where We're Planted: Living Life to the Fullest

Growing where we're planted...

As a writer I'm all about some metaphors, and as I dig more into the Bible, it brings a huge smile to my face to know that God is all about some metaphors as well.

"I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing." John 15:5

"He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers." Psalm 1:3

I'm a HUGE fan of these plant/growing analogies!

Seasons in our lives come and go... the dry times, the desert places...the times of laughter, and love...friendship, and fun...the times of plenty and the times of "we gotta stretch this dollar." Times of slow growth...some times fast growth.

But this is LIFE, and life is GOOD! God calls us to grow--to live, flourish, and impact those around us, wherever He has put us, and no matter the season of our lives.

Sometimes it's just plain hard to grow, especially if the conditions in our lives don't seem right. I'm not only a writer, but a military wife, a momma, and a middle school teacher. Yeah, like most of y'all, we could swap stories about hard or trying times. But those times are from God too...the good and what we may see as bad are actually growing us in our faith while allowing us to help along those around us. A very cool concept!

As we go about our day, and whatever season we find ourselves in, let's grow.

How do we grow?

We shift our focus from our lives and look for ways to help & serve others. Jesus was the master at this, and so let's take a page from his book and apply it to our lives. In what ways can we serve others? Small ways, big ways, any way.

We will find that taking the attention from our own lives will actually make our lives fuller, and our walks with God closer, and to me, that's reason enough to grow.


Have a wonderful day!


RELATED ARTICLES: 
Building a Strong Marriage: Happiness Isn't the Goal
5 Ways to be Blessed in the Stress
A Fighting Faith: Justified War from a Biblical Perspective



ABOUT HANNAH: 
Hannah Conway is a military wife, mother of two, and speaker. Her novels are a deployment experience of their own, threaded with faith, and filled with twists and turns sure to thrill, and encourage. Hannah is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, and My book Therapy. She and her family live in Tennessee

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CLICK the Links Below The Image to Download Your eCopy of WEDDING A WARRIOR









Saturday, September 3, 2016

Giveaway! The Theme of Your Life & Writer's Conference Take-away!

Hello my Dear Readers!

It’s been a week since the ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) Conference in Nashville, TN! Time flies! AND SO MUCH TO PROCESS!

What was my take-away? I’m thinking it’s about THEME.

God places a theme in our lives, and ultimately as writers that theme comes out in our writing whether we realize it or not. Amazing, right? It’s the same theme over and over, telling the same story over and over in a variety of ways. 

In one writing workshop led by the very talented author, James Rubart, we were challenged to find the theme of our lives with this fun little exercise: list our top 3 favorite movies, find the theme all three movies have in common, and this is an indicator of our life’s theme.

Silly as it may sound, it was surprisingly accurate! Rubart encouraged us to grab hold of that theme, write it over and over in different ways giving God the glory in the story and in our lives.

What were my top 3 movies, and life theme!? I knew y’all would want to know! 
1: Harry Potter & the Deathly Hollows part 2
2: Divergent
3: Ever After

Strange combo, but the theme that ties them together is “stepping into one’s destiny” or becoming the person they were always meant to be. Ribbons of resiliency and perseverance are threaded throughout this theme, and I admit this theme and these ribbons are most definitely evident in my writing, and in my life.

Not gonna lie…it took some time to find the theme, and fellow authors/friends helped me piece it together, but we figured it out. :) 

REALLY wish there was an ACFW Conference every week…sigh. :)

Truly, it’s an incredible experience to worship with fellow Christian authors, learn from these insanely talented people, and be encouraged by them!  I had some serious gushing fan-girl moments…no shame here! And this year I seized the opportunity and worked up enough nerve to actually TALK to some of my favorite authors! Yeah, I’m still fan-girling!

SO, while ACFW is over, and I can no longer properly stalk my favorite authors, hehehe, the fun doesn’t have to end, meaning, I COME BEARING GIFTS, Y’all!!

And what better way to celebrate Labor Day Weekend, God & the themes He puts in our lives, writers, readers, and all people who LOVE 3 day weekends (aka TEACHERS!!!), than with gifts!!??
GOOD STUFF TO GIVEAWAY!!
So let’s do this!! 

What am I giving away? Glad you asked!
·         A cute ACFW tote bag!
·         3 books!
·         Kcups!
·         My Book Therapy Scratch Off!

How to enter?

Well, I want to know the theme of your life too! Tell me your top 3 favorite movies, and see if you can find a common theme that holds them together. Like me, you may have to enlist the help of friends or family members to help you find that theme. Then embrace your theme, and live your story out in a way that gives God the glory! CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO ENTER :) 


CLICK HERE TO ENTER TO WIN!! 




Related Posts: 
All Because of One Woman: A Mother, Wife, Author, Speaker Point of View
5 Ways to Strengthen Your Marriage: Building Intimacy, Not Walls
Loving My Soldier: Hindsights & Insights of PTSD
Army Wife Tips


ABOUT HANNAH: 
Hannah Conway is a military wife, mother of two, and speaker. Her novels are a deployment experience of their own, threaded with faith, and filled with twists and turns sure to thrill, and encourage. Hannah is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, and My book Therapy. She and her family live in Tennessee


A / IBook /BN / K )
CLICK the Links Below The Image to Download Your eCopy of WEDDING A WARRIOR