Pray. Read. Keep Calm.

 I'm usually mellow, but when I had to make two trips to the drug store to pick up medication for a loved one, my mellow was challenged. On the first trip, after a 15-minute wait, the drive-up window wasn't open on time. I went inside, and the medication wasn't yet prepared. I was asked to come back in an hour. When I returned an hour later, the drive-up window was open, but I was told there was a 15-minute wait. I decided to browse inside the store for those 15 minutes. I felt the urge to complain, so I prayed silently for the grace to conduct myself as a child of God.  Then, I noted that the small staff was working as quickly as they could and were respectful to the customers. Even the head pharmacist stepped in to help the staff with the customers. They were short of staff, but they tried to be effective.

A calmness arrived, so I went to my favorite area of the store and viewed the magazines and books. I saw books by some of my favorite authors. I daydreamed about my novels being on this rack in the store one day. Before 15 minutes went by, my name was called by the head pharmacist, and he handed me the medicine. He said to me, "Thank you for your patience, Miss."

"You're welcome," I replied. I meant it, but I do plan to set up the pharmacy delivery service for my loved one. 😉

I'm Always Sylvia    www.sylviabrownroberts.com

Take a ME Break.

Sometimes, I make myself stop multitasking and say out loud, "Sylvia, stop!" A nice, hot cup of coffee, a couple of sweet cookies or tea biscuits, and a good read call me. My body finds her way into a comfortable chair and dedicates at least thirty minutes to me. Although I've written five novels in my Church Doors series, I enjoy rereading them. I laugh at many of the remarks the characters make. I hope readers enjoy my novels as much as I enjoy writing them. I also hope readers post reviews about what they like. 

I'm Always Sylvia.                     www.sylviabrownroberts.com

Ironing Out The Wrinkles

 Our feisty 92 year-old Mom tries to do as much as she can, and we remind her to pace herself. Today, I was pleased when she asked me to iron the cloth bag she ties to her walker. She washed it and was about to iron it herself, but she decided to rest a bit after a morning of cleaning the bathroom and some other small chores. As I set up the iron and the ironing board, I thought of the way she taught me how to iron when I was a girl. She's still precise about doing things well, and she taught all her children the same. "Don't give it just a lick and a promise," she'd say.  In my adult life, I avoid ironing. I buy clothing that doesn't require ironing. I'm thankful for the easy-care fabrics that we didn't have long ago. Today, I ironed her cloth bag very carefully, making all the moves she taught me and my siblings.  I'm proud to report that Mom said I did a great job. 

I'm Always Sylvia.  www.sylviabrownroberts.com

It's Email Newsletter Time!

 Here I am with a copy of one of my email newsletter pages. I'm holding a picture of me with MORE GRACE, the newest novel in my Church Doors series of Faith Works Stories.  I like to make one copy of each of my email newsletters and place it  in a notebook. That might seem odd to some people, but it works for me. I'm an author who often builds story scenes from the experiences I have as I go through the day. I find people interesting to observe. It can be a unique sound of laughter, the way they walk, the style of dress, the way they interact with others, the joy they spread, the way they speak, and more. 

I invite you to subscribe to my email newsletter: Church Doors, The Newsletter. The September 2024 issue is scheduled to publish on September 23, 2024. Email me at info@sylviabrownroberts.com  and let me know to email the newsletter to you. We have a Giveaway in this issue! I look forward to hearing from you this week.

I'm Always Sylvia.  www.sylviabrownroberts.com

I'm Thankful.

I get a rush when I see a reader with one of my novels! This young lady holds the newest novel in my Church Doors series of Faith Works Stories: MORE GRACE: Church Doors Book Five.

I think she likes this novel. Her eyes look sort of pleased. That's a good sign.

The author in me wants to whisper softly to her, "Dear, would you mind moving your fingers off the title and the author's name so people can see them clearly?" I wouldn't do that though, because in a room full of books, she chose to spotlight one of my novels. 

www.sylviabrownroberts.com

I'm always Sylvia
 

Slow Down Sometimes

 

Today I got a message to SLOW DOWN.

I arrived at Mom's. My sister and I were to take her to a medical appointment.  When I got there, my very punctual sister wasn't there. 

Mom was surprised to see me, so she checked her calendar. Then, I checked my calendar. I was a day ahead of myself. The appointment is for tomorrow! We laughed about it. 

I left Mom's and I slowed down enough to play. I got my favorite breakfast sandwich, bought a cute top at Marshall's, and I strolled the aisles of  Dollar Tree. 

When I got home, I chuckled at myself. I put aside a writing assignment and did some sewing instead.  I got rid of some thoughts from my crowded brain. I chilled out, and it was a good move.

Remember to slow down when needed. 

I'm Always Sylvia.

www.sylviabrownroberts.com

Write On, Author.

I've been an author for 14 years. My 5th novel in the Church Doors series of Faith Works Stories was published in May 2024. One thing I know for sure is that I never get tired of seeing one of my novels in a reader's hands. Over the years, some people have approached me with positive verbal reviews. I thank them and let them know they can go online and post that wonderful review on Amazon, or Barnes & Noble, or Goodreads. That way more people can read their opinions of my novels. Feedback from readers is important to authors. 

By grace, I plan to write several more novels. They may not all be part of the Church Doors series, but I aim for them to be full of thought-provoking characters and how they handle challenges of  faith. 

I like the pensive expression on this reader's face. 

I'm always Sylvia.

 www.sylviabrownroberts.com

Vengeance is not Mine

 

Recently, a repair person charged me more than I should have been charged, but I couldn't prove it. It's a challenge when something breaks that you don't know much about fixing. This picture of the dark cloud represents my anger once I figured out I'd been overcharged. But then, I had a thought! The repair person may have charged me too much, but I won't explode. The Lord will take care of the shady repair person. The Lord doesn't want me to avenge. People who take advantage of others will eventually get handled. I won't use the company's services anymore. I'll tell them why if they ask me. No anger for me. Instead, I'll keep trusting in the Lord. (Romans 12:17-19)

I'm Always Sylvia.  

www.sylviabrownroberts.com

Thanks For Choosing My Novel!

She's reading MORE GRACE,  the 5th novel in my Church Doors series of Faith Works Stories. It was published in May 2024 and already some people let me know that they completed reading it. Some of them said, "Okay, Sylvia, what happens next to NikkiMac, Jacee, and Anna Maria? When is book 6 in the series coming out?"

I smile because they don't know what a challenge it was for me to get book 5 to the publisher due to other responsibilities that arose while writing it. I smile because HIS grace made it possible for me to complete book 5 while meeting the responsibilities with love. 

Hmm, I wonder if the woman in this picture got to the part where NikkiMac and Adam address a marital issue? I put lots of care into writing about that.

Always Sylvia

www.sylviabrownroberts.com

 

Always with Me

I live in an old house that has an antique stove. When people see it, they often marvel and say, "Wow! They don't make these anymore!" or "Why don't you sell it? You could get lots of cash for this piece of history." I haven't sold it because it serves my purpose. It has 2 standing pilots, so I can still use the stovetop and oven even when there's a power outage in our area. It's due for a polish of the metal and surface. That chore is on my list for this week. Seems we never run out of chores, right?

One recent morning, I sensed something, so I went to the basement and checked. No problem there. Then, I checked the stove. Turns out one of the pilot lights had gone out. Our sensor on the kitchen wall was alerting me. I opened the windows and doors before relighting the pilot. Our heavenly Father watched over me, and for that I'm thankful. You likely remember a recent time when the heavenly Father watched out for your well-being, don't you?

I'm Always Sylvia. I'm always thankful. 

sylviabrownroberts.com

 

GOODBYE SASHAY...

I don't cry often, only when I need to. However, I shed a few tears the other day when I watered my ponytail palm, which I've had for more than twenty years. When the water hit the soil, I saw lots of movement. Tiny ants came out of the soil and traveled down the sides of the pot to get out of the water. Some crawled up on the leaves and the sides of the plant. I took her outside, put her on a table, and watered her some more. More ants! I looked up remedies and tried a few. Things seemed still, so I brought her back inside overnight. The next day, I watered her again, and more ants surfaced, even though I used a natural deterrent. You can see in the picture on the left that many were caught on glue pads, so I figured the colony was gone and I could revive Sashay. I was wrong. The leaves began to fall off. I was bewildered, because a week before this, there were no ants at all. I couldn't watch Sashay continue to decline, and every source I researched indicated I had to let Sashay go. The ant colony had slipped in to make their trails and prepare the pot as home for them and their babies. 

After that realization, I searched for and found Sister, a young ponytail palm. 

I miss Sashay, but Sister appeals to me a little more each day. That makes me smile.

I'm always Sylvia, and I'm sending good thoughts your way.😊

Website:     www.sylviabrownroberts.com

Email:        info@sylviabrownroberts.com