Tag: Betty Thomason Owens

Music for the Soul, Coffee for the Brain

On By Betty OwensIn Betty Thomason Owens, Hello Thursday Mornings2 Comments

Hello! Thursday Morning!

I am well into my second cup this morning as I worship with one of my favorite bands via YouTube — yes, I also own their music. I like to test out new music before I buy, so this is a good way to do it.

And, this is how I usually start my day.  A short devotional, a chapter or so of the Bible, while filling my heart with praise via music.

I’m not wasting time, it’s the equivalent of mental and spiritual exercise. It gets me ready to face the day and whatever comes.

For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. — 1 Timothy 4:8 NIV

Most mornings, as weather and work permits, I’m out walking early. A great start to anyone’s day, if you can do it. All things, done in a good and proper order.

  1. Feed the spirit
  2. Feed the mind
  3. Feed the body
  4. Tackle the day.

It just feels good. Do you have a morning routine? How do you feel when you accomplish your routine in proper order?

It’s like making your bed as soon as you get up. You’ve finished something. If you can’t finish anything else the rest of the day, you done one good thing.

So who am I listening to this morning? Elevation Worship. Love their music!

What am I studying? Learning to pray simple prayers. Wait, what? Why does anyone actually need to learn how to pray simple prayers?

Well, it’s like this. I’m a writer and I tend to try to create beautiful passages, and outdo others when I compose (yes, I’m competitive).

But know this: when praying, simple is often best. You don’t need to worry about grammar or spelling, or sentence construction. Just speak from your heart. Sometimes it’s as simple as: “Lord, please save my daddy.”

That heartfelt prayer preceded a day when my dad ended a long career of binge-drinking. He finally started on a journey that led him to a better life. Not that I had anything to do with that, but I was hurting so badly for him, I had no words. I just prayed what was in my heart.

We truly saw God move that day. There was no other explanation for the sudden turnaround.

So today, I’m enjoying a cup of coffee, listening to great music, and getting ready to read and study. Looks like the rain has stopped, so I’ll hit the pavement afterward and breathe in the fresh morning air.

Thanks for stopping by. May God bless your day — that’s my heartfelt prayer.

[Click to tweet] Music for the soul, #coffee for the brain. What’s your morning routine? #HelloThursdayMornings

Next week – Author Sandra Ardoin is my guest. So grab a cup of your favorite morning beverage and pop by for a visit.

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This is in progress right now! Write Integrity Press (my publisher) has a fantastic sweepstakes going on. If you’d like a chance to win an 8″ Kindle Fire, along with $100 and many more prizes, you can enter the sweepstakes by clicking this link (or click the picture above): Write Integrity Press.

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Another Movie Review

On By Betty OwensIn Betty Thomason Owens

I don’t really have a schedule yet for Hello! Thursday Mornings – but I think it’s time for another movie review. This one is fun, cute and endearing, and I love the title.

In-Lawfully Yours.

I had no idea what to expect, which is probably a good thing. But I was delighted, and laughed out loud several times.

Actually, I know someone who used to be a lot like Jesse, the main character. Though I didn’t know how to take my friend in the beginning, I soon came to love and appreciate her unique outlook on life. It’s the same with Jesse’s character. One critic found her irritating, but I liked her immediately.The story begins with a totally unexpected scene and provides several more unexpected scenes within the first few minutes of the film.  I believe these scenes reveal Jesse’s character well.

Jesse’s short-lived marriage is at an abrupt end, but the death of her almost-ex’s father sends Jesse to the aid of her mother-in-law (Marilu Henner). Along the way, Jesse meets a different sort of salesman, a pastor with a dwindling congregation, and a cafe-owner who repeatedly sabotages Jesse’s coffee. When all she really wants is a good cup of coffee.

“You know, I could get used to this churching” — is one of my favorite lines in the film, as Jesse settles into a new way of life.

The very sweet and pure love that grows between the two main characters is just my style. The conflict that comes as a result of their attachment is natural and believable, though a few of the extenuating circumstances were a little fantastic. But I was not put off by them–this is comedy.snack, popcorn, movie

Jesse’s antics almost get the pastor ousted from his church. Her ex-husband has an ulterior motive for trying to win her back. And of course, there’s a toxic character in the church who completely disapproves of her.

I liked the characters in this movie, even some of the unlikable ones, because they were real–made so by the talented actors. I loved the fact that these people formed a family who loved and cared for each other through difficult circumstances. And I loved the humor that threaded its way through the story.

What I liked best about this movie is the journey the two make from the beginning to the end. Their roads intersect, then part. But Jesse’s road leads home.

In-Lawfully Yours is a romantic comedy with an inspirational theme. It’s a project of Regent University’s film school. One of the producers is Corbin Bernsen, who makes a cameo appearance in the movie.

I just watched the movie again, and loved it just as much the second time through. I gave it five stars on Netflix.

Have you seen a really good faith-based film lately?

(Click to tweet) Hello! Thursday Morning’s review of In-Lawfully Yours. #FiveStars #romcom

NOTE: If you’re interested, I’m at two different blogs this week. I was interviewed by Hallee Bridgeman. Interview with Author Betty Thomason Owens.

And, I’m featured this week at the ACFW blog! You can find that one here: ACFW

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Therapeutic Writing

On By Betty OwensIn Betty Thomason Owens8 Comments

Therapeutic writing. What thought pops into your mind when you read or hear those words?

As an author, I often write to cleanse my heart and mind of painful things. I’ve found it therapeutic. So, I was not surprised to hear this discussed in a writer’s meeting.

Not only did the exercise help a young woman process the pain of loss, but those writings helped her form a scene in her work-in-progress, as her main character dealt with the loss of a loved one. In the finished product, the character’s emotions are raw, her actions and conversations, achingly real. Readers will fully engage with the scene and the character.

What about non-writers–ordinary folks looking for a way to ease their emotional suffering?

I’m not a professional counselor, but I would suggest it to anyone. When I journal my feelings, I’m not writing for others, so I don’t have to worry about grammar, spelling, or sentence construction. I just pick up a pen, or open a new document on my preferred electronic device, and start writing. I write out my pain, shout my anger, tell a deceased loved one how I feel. All the things I didn’t have the chance to say when they were still alive.

Then what? I keep it hidden away. Shred it. Burn it. It’s up to me. Most writers will definitely want to keep theirs, and remember the depths of pain and despair, so they can write from their heart and bring a scene to life.

But what if someone can’t, or doesn’t want to write? Talk. There’s an app for that. Find a free, or inexpensive speech-to-text program and use it. Sometimes, seeing those words in written form–repeating them out loud–promotes healing. Sometimes.

I love to go for long walks. And those seem to be the times when my creative processes are flowing. I have all kinds of ideas. So I get out my phone, open a note, and start dictating. Sometimes I throw them out, but many times, I find good material that I can use in my work.

Mom, please write down your memories! How many times have I heard this? One of my sons wants me to write down the stories I’ve heard all my life. Stories about long-dead family members. Stories that will be lost, unless someone writes them down. Telling those stories is a quick and easy way to store them. Then I can transcribe them or use a speech to text program to bring them into a word document.

This process is both therapeutic and healing for me, because some of these memories bring up old hurts and painful losses. Talking them out, writing them down, can help me deal with the pain and restore my hope.

Though I’ve barely tapped the surface here, I hope I’ve encouraged a reader or two, or at least given you food for thought. If you’d like to study it further, there are numerous articles written on the subject of therapy writing or journaling. It’s important that you resist guilt feelings over delayed or prolonged grieving. And never assume to know exactly what someone is going through (even if you’ve suffered a similar loss or trauma).

Everyone processes emotion in their own way. This is why I believe writing therapy is a good thing, because it is so personal.

How do you process grief?

(Click to Tweet)  Everyone processes trauma or loss in their own way. #WritingTherapy #journal

Who won last week’s book giveaway?

Congratulations, Sandra Ardoin! And happy reading. I hope you enjoy the book!

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Coffee, Anyone?

On By Betty OwensIn Betty Thomason Owens, Hello Thursday Mornings8 Comments

It’s everywhere and it’s one HOT topic. Of course, I’m referring to coffee. You’ve no doubt noticed all the coffee memes and jokes and greetings on social media featuring java.

A cup o’ Joe, brew, rocket fuel, dirt (hadn’t heard that one), cuppa, bean juice, brain juice…the list goes on.

And the memes are varied too, humorous or downright serious. Anyone taking a gander at our Facebook and Twitter pages will be convinced of our addiction to the stuff. For some of us, they wouldn’t be far off the mark.

I love my morning coffee! Honestly, though, after that first wonderful sip—well—it kind of goes downhill. Still enjoyable, though. You have to drink it fast before it gets cold. I am not a fan of cold coffee—and microwaved coffee—no, thank you.

Research! I took a short jaunt around the internet and pulled out a few lists of favorite coffee brands. Interesting, especially when I noticed one brand that kept bubbling to the top (like in the old-fashioned percolator). It’s actually one I’ve never tried. I’m being brutally honest here: I have never been to Dunkin’ Donuts. (I heard that gasp! You can’t believe it, can you?) I’ve never had the coffee, unless it was served to me and not identified.

Here’s a “favorite brands” list from 2014:

  • Dunkin’ Donuts
  • Folgers
  • Seattle’s Best
  • Maxwell House
  • Caribou
  • McCafe

And then one more recent (2017):

  • Lav Azza
  • Nescafe (really?)
  • Dunkin’ Donuts
  • Seattle’s Best
  • Peet’s
  • Keurig Green Mountain
  • Tim Horton’s
  • Folger
  • Maxwell House
  • Caribou

I’m not really sure who they’re asking. Both said “consumers.” Could be anybody. So here’s one that came directly from top sales of inexpensive coffees in southern supermarkets. That’s really narrowing it down.

  • Eight o’clock
  • Chock Full o’ Nuts
  • Folgers
  • Maxwell House
  • Dunkin Donuts

What’s my favorite coffee? We’re coffee snobs at our house. Right now, we’re drinking organic coffee from Paraquay, freshly ground, of course. The aroma is amazing!

Coffee aisles at the neighborhood supermarket have expanded! You can barely see from one end to the other. I think I saw Juan Valdez and his donkey the other day. Or maybe it was just someone pushing a cart. The distance was too great to tell.

I can often be found there, in one of those aisles, sniffing coffee packages. Don’t worry, I don’t touch it to my nose. There’s a trick to it. You lightly squeeze the package and the aroma is released. I’m not really a fan of what men like to call, “cookie coffee, and I don’t like burnt coffee beans. Only the wonderfully aromatic ones that make me say, “Ah, perfection!”

To brew or not to brew? In the past, we’ve used a French press, a pour-through, and single-serving pods. But lately, I just use a regular old coffeemaker.

One of my favorite things: I love to walk into a chic little coffee roaster and inhale. Oh, and then, I really want a caffe latte. Lots of cream, no sugar, please. We have a couple of coffee shops in the Louisville area that I love.  Sunergos, and Heine Brothers. I know, I need to get out more. Coffee shop research is HIGH on my to-do-list this fall.

Now, it’s your turn:

What’s your favorite coffee shop and/or store brand coffee?

What’s the most unique shop you’ve visited? (Mine is pictured below)

Mas Cafe, Cuenca, Ecuador

 

CLICK TO TWEET: I love my morning #coffee. Hello! #ThursdayMornings http://wp.me/p65lTH-BM What’s your favorite?

Next week – I will be reviewing The Revisionary, by Kristen Hogrefe, and there will be a giveaway! So stop back by and join the conversation.

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