LIFE AND THE SALMON PRINCIPLE

You have to marvel over the grit and dedication of salmon, who will sacrifice all, literally thrusting their bodies against the elements, in order to fulfill the divine call to reproduce. Their reward is often death. You can't write a more tragic tale.

My call to duty may not be as glorious a mission as spawning, but like the salmon who fights against the tumbling flow of water, I too feel I am swimming upstream to fulfill a mission that will ultimately end in my death.

I speak of housework...

Do you not feel it also, the daily press to make some forward progress, to see the goal--a clean house and folded laundry--while recognizing its heartbreaking futility because no matter how hard you swim, there will always be another Oreo-and-milk-smeared glass, another "I-gave-the-dog-a-bath-towel pile, one path of destruction left in the wake of a toddler and a box of Cheerios. You know whereof I speak.

There is no victory in the battle against housework. It never ends unless you no longer have a house in which to work, or clothes to fold, and food to clean up after. Like the folks in parts of Alabama and elsewhere.

But there is joy in offering the gift called homemaking, where instead of fighting the repetitive chores that revolve around caring for a family, we embrace the fact that disorder is the result of being blessed, and the idea that organizing the disorder is a cycle and not a war.

Yep, I feel like a salmon most days, picking up the same socks, washing the same dishes, scrubbing the same sinks, but today I'm grateful to have socks, and sinks and dishes, and lots of other things.

We're all praying for Alabama and North Carolina and the rest of the affected cities and their people. They need our help. Dig deep.

WRITING BY INSPIRATION

Each of us are born with God-given gifts. Some of our gifts are visible--we can paint, or sing, or build, or teach, or run, or write. Some of our gifts are not visible to the physical eye, but they can be "seen" by those who take the time, and care enough to notice--traits such as compassion, the hunger to learn, the ability to see the good in others, to love and receive love, and a host more come to mind.

Some gifts we recognize easily. Some we have to develop. I think we all have far more gifts than we believe we do, but whether stifled through fear, or lack of encouragement, we never get around to nurturing them. Writing is often one of these. I've hardly met a person who hasn't said they have a story they want to write. I wish they would. I wish everyone would, even if just to see where that inspiration leads. And if the finished product is shared only with their family, what an inspiration it can be to them, encouraging children and grandchildren to pursue a dream of their own.

Inspiration plays a big part in writing, not only in finding the courage to begin, but in the small details of plotting, character development, dialogue, etc. What will the primary conflict be? Who will my hero or heroine be? What will they do in this situation or that? Even a child can fill in the blanks and create a story. Higher levels of artistic accomplishment require good tools and skills as well, learned from study and sometimes through painful editorial experience. But the highest level of literary achievement occurs when a writer knows the answer to a few critical questions--What do I want to say? Why does it matter to my readers?

Lately, these questions have been tugging at my heart like a four-hundred pound bulldog. I've always known exactly where this last book in the Free Men and Dreamers series was heading, and I have wrestled with the voices trying to send it off on another path. But not any more.

I'm following the inner voice of inspiration. The wrestle is past. I passed on some other opportunities because this path is going to take some more research, muscle, and time, and I now feel incredibly peaceful. It's coming along well, and I'm writing happily again. This is exciting. This is energizing.

I hope you'll enjoy the last leg of the journey with me.

SHE BROKE THE TELEVISION FIRST. . . . .

It's nearly Mother's Day and beach season, so we're re-releasing

"Awakening Avery"

my 2010, Whitney Award-nominated women's novel.

* * *

"She broke the television first. . . "

Every woman grieves differently.

Avery is figuring it out as she goes.


"An incredible journey of healing and love."

"Awakening Avery" is a quirky, tender, chuckle-out-loud, grab-a-hankie type of read. It's my personal favorite of all my titles, but listen to what others have said about it:

"I loved this book! I laughed and cried and can't wait to try the pancakes! The characters give great insight to obstacles we all face in one way or another. This book is a lesson manual for overcoming challenges with a splash of fun!"
Susan Fisher

"This is an amazing story of one woman’s journey for peace after losing her husband too early. I laughed and I cried. It is an incredible journey of healing and love. Take a break from your life for 344 pages of travel from Utah, to Baltimore, Maryland to Sarasota, Florida and follow the adventures Avery experiences in learning to love again."
Valerie Steimle -

It's one of those books that really makes a person think. Love it!
Nichole Giles

"I would definitely recommend this book to anyone. It's an LDS story with LDS values, great lessons and the kind of far-reaching lessons that touch lives."
Heather Justeson -

"A heart warming and very emotionally driven book. There are many feelings that are brought up in the reader as this novel progresses. I was hooked from the very first page."
Sheila Staley of the LDSWBR-

"Awakening Avery is a thought provoking book that will tug at your heartstrings . . . a novel unlike any other I’ve read, and I highly recommend it."
Kimberly Job -

"Vivid and compelling . . . a beautifully written story full of rich language . . . It carries some beautiful messages of love, forgiveness and family. . ."
Alison Palmer -

"Laurie has a way of moving readers to laughter, tears, and deep pondering. I recommend Awakening Avery one hundred percent. Let Florida's sea air transport you to a place where life's darkest shadows eventually get blown away."
Anne Bradshaw -

If you've read it, or if you pick up a copy, I'd love to hear how "Awakening Avery" impacted you.

"AWAKENING AVERY" is available at

ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE

Sometimes it's nice to focus on what's great in the world, a one little child shows how a little compassion, and a great idea can make a difference.

When Nick Jr. featured a piece on how kids could help the suffering people of Japan, Adriana Scott, age 5, took it to heart and made a plan to hold a cupcake sale to sell 100 cupcakes a $2.00 a piece.

A Facebook page was set up to advertise, and Ravens linebacker, Ray Rice heard about her project, and then things really took off.

Judi Stull, a friend of Adrianna's mother and a volunteer baker, said of the event, "All of the cake mixes and frosting were donated, the fire hall, the DJ, the prizes, everything was donated by people wanting to help. I haven’t heard a final count yet but they had raised over $600 BEFORE they even sold one cupcake."

Judi and many others donated 100 cupcakes to help Adriana meet the orders pouring in.


You can read the rest of the story and enjoy the heart-warming photos on the web site of the local paper, The Glen Burnie Patch, who name little Adriana Scott the Patch Whiz Kid of the Week.

I'm sure they'll still welcome cash donations for anyone who would like to multiply this project. Visit her page at Cupcake Rescue for the Children of Japan.



Making great history is better than reading about the old stuff. Way to go, Adriana!

LOVE AND THE ECONOMY OF GOD

Eleven years ago a baby was born in circumstances that appeared to stack the entire world against him--born deaf, without eyes, and with a severe cleft palette that left a large gaping orifice where his mouth should be. Doctors gave the parents a grim prognosis for the child's survival, but these were no ordinary parents, and the doctors didn't know that all the missing and weak parts of his body were balanced out by an enormous will and heart.

Other medical problems were revealed over time, but in the ultimate economy of God, this very special child was sent to parents with equally enormous hearts and wills, who also possessed technology and computer savvy. This became crucial as the many machines and medical technologies required to sustain their son during those early months rolled in and out of their home and through many hospital doors. When no one else could determine a diagnosis for the many diverse challenges their son faced, his mommy headed to the Internet and researched until she found her own answer which the specialists then confirmed. In another great demonstration of the economy of God, this child was born in an area with some of the best pediatric hospitals in the world, and with family near the others they needed.

Special texture-rich blankets were made that rattled and crinkled to stimulate his active senses. His world was filled with textures and toys that encouraged the development of his remarkbale intellect while his mother and father sought out ground-breaking treatments for his blindness and hearing loss. Soon, he was fitted with a Bone-Anchored Hearing Aid so he could hear, and within months he was speaking. I remember the first Knock-Knock joke he told me. He now plays about seven musical instruments and is composing symphonies, and writing poetry.

The world is his oyster, because if he can dream it, and it can be fulfilled, it is. His parents have helped him host parades in the front yard with loving aunts, garden tractors, pets and musical instruments in tow. At Christmas, this child who cannot eat solid food, still bakes cookies. One year the Christmas Cookie project was an alphabet train. There is music and learning everywhere in this house, and so much humor and love.

When the Primary children at Church performed their annual program, there he was, front and center, singing and accompanying his peers on the violin, and when this young man prepared for baptism, the support from extended family and friends was tremendous.

I'm going to help his mom write his biography one day. It's needful. His parents are a lighthouse to other moms and dads receiving a painful diagnosis about a medically-challenged child. Their story illustrates how boundless love and support can break through the ceiling of expectations for any child. It's more than inspiring.

My special friend is having some new challenges today. His parents put out a call to their tight circle for prayers for their boy. I've withheld their names to protect their privacy, but please pray for this special young man. God will hear your petition for this anonymous angel and apply your faith to his good. You see, God knows this boy very well, as He does each of His children.

AN APOSTLE's WITNESS OF CHRIST

This is one of my favorite Easter messages. I hope it adds to your Easter season.

MULE TRADING

(MY SON SENT ME THIS AND I HAD TO SHARE...)

Curtis & Leroy saw an ad in the Starkville Daily in Starkville , MS. and bought a mule for $100. The farmer agreed to deliver the mule the next day.

The next morning the farmer drove up and said,"Sorry, fellows, I have some bad news, the mule died last night."

Curtis &Leroy replied,"Well, then just give us our money back."

The farmer said, "Can't do that. I went and spent it already."

They said, "OK then, just bring us the dead mule."

The farmer asked, "What in the world ya'll gonna do with a dead mule?"

Curtis said, "We gonna raffle him off."

The farmer said, "You can't raffle off a dead mule!"

Leroy said, "We shore can! Heck, we don't hafta tell nobody he's dead!"

A couple of weeks later, the farmer ran into Curtis &Leroy at the Piggly Wiggly grocery store and asked, "What'd you fellers ever do with that dead mule?"

They said,"We raffled him off like we said we wuz gonna do..."

Leroy said, "Shucks, we sold 500 tickets fer two dollars apiece and made a profit of $898."

The farmer said,"My Gosh, didn't anyone complain?"

Curtis said, "Well, the feller who won got upset. So we gave him his two dollars back."

Curtis and Leroy now work for the government. They're overseeing the Bailout Program.