News, Take I

Well, I told you a while ago that I had some fun news. Things that were going on in my professional and my personal life. Instead of inundating you with everything at once, I'm going to break it up a bit. A little today, a little Saturday, and maybe a smidge more after that. We'll see. Sorry to be so cryptic! I don't mean to tease...

Anyway, we're going to get things started today with the official announcement of our One Body One Hope capital campaign! Woot-woot! For those of you who have been reading my blog for any amount of time, OBOH isn't new. But the growth and direction of this ministry is continuing to amaze us! It feels new every day. For those of you who haven't heard of OBOH, let me explain.

OBOH began nearly three years ago (almost to the day!) when Aaron and I were in Ethiopia bringing home our son. We stayed in a missionary guest house with a group of people from all over Africa who were in Addis Ababa to attend a Lifewater International conference. One of the gentlemen there was a man named Robert Bimba, a pastor from Monrovia, Liberia. Aaron and Robert became fast friends, and when we left Ethiopia we cemented our relationship with a promise to partner with Robert in any way we could. At first, we helped by starting our own one-on-one sponsorship program--basically Aaron and I sent aid directly to Robert for his family and his church. Then the dry season hit and Abide in the Vine (Robert's church) was full of people who were quite literally starving. Our first food drive happened in February of 2007. We raised $1500 to buy rice for the church and the community. In the summer, we sent another $1500 for rice. Soon, this developed into a quarterly food drive program. From there, things snowballed. People started to get excited about what we were doing, and they asked how they could help. When even more donors stepped forward, we contacted Robert and asked him where the greatest need was. Without pause, he told us about his brother, Immanuel, and the orphanage that he and his wife ran. We listened in horror as we learned about children who were found clinging to dead parents after the civil war that ravaged Liberia. We heard of child soldiers, guerrilla warfare, AIDS, and epidemics. We learned that they slept three to a bed, ate one, scant meal a day, and suffered from malaria and other unidentified illnesses without proper care or medication. It broke our hearts, and led to the creation of One Body One Hope.

You can learn more about OBOH at our website (currently under construction!) or on our new blog. We are so excited about this ministry and where it is going that we've launched a $50,000 capital campaign in addition to the $1,500 a month we currently transfer to Liberia. I invite you to spend some time learning more. Head on over to the blog, click on Our History, Our Vision, and Our Invitation. Or peruse the selection of Christmas gifts that we're offering this year. Please join us in praying for these beautiful people and this amazing country, and become a follower of this blog so you can get regular updates and learn more.

Thanks so much for your time and interest! Blessings to you...

Finally Fall

The sun is shining, the breeze is light, and the leaves are gorgeous in all their autumn glory. I love fall, and it's finally here...

I should be writing. I should be working on fundraising calendars for One Body, One Hope. I should be revamping the OBOH website. I should be cleaning or cooking or washing the last of my windows... But I can't. It's too lovely. So I'm going to take my puppy and my kids for a walk, kick my feet through the perfect crunch of fallen leaves, and love the fact that the sky is so blue it cannot be described. Sigh.

I hope the sun is shining wherever you are...

Review of TMB

Though it pains me to admit this, I don't think that The Moment Between is selling very well. It breaks my heart a little--not just because I want to sell books and keep writing, but because this is a book that I put my very soul into. And I believe with all my heart that The Moment Between deals with topics that are worthy of earnest discussion. I can't help feeling like I'm having a one-sided conversation. Boo-hoo for me, eh? ;)

Anyway, I never, NEVER do this, but just this once I'm going to wear my hope on my sleeve (or on my blog, as it were). If you've read TMB and liked it, would you consider posting a review? Or buying an extra copy for a friend? Or recommending it to a book club, your library, or strangers you pass on the street? Would you consider joining my Facebook page? And if you haven't read TMB, maybe you could slip it on your Christmas list in between a resort vacation and new undies... I'm just sayin'. Of course, you can always click on over to B&N, Amazon, or CBD and just buy it yourself.

Yargh. I did it. And I can't help feeling just the tiniest bit smarmy. But I love my job and I want to do it until I'm no longer capable of holding a pen. Only you can make that possible for me. In the words of He-Man: "You have the power!" He-he-he...

I'll leave you with a couple of reviews that I tuck close to my heart. They're lovely, and they're just enough encouragement to keep me striving to write better and better.

"All I have to say is "oh my goodness!" When I picked up the book at Borders yesterday, the first thing I noticed is that Francine Rivers gave it a fabulous review. Knowing Francine to be a beautiful authoress whose pen has blessed me with Truth warped in lyrical words, I decided to buy it. I was taken aback on the first page. I have never read a Christian novel so stunningly written! The lyricism of the words, the emotion welling up in me as I read of Abigail’s painful journey, the stark poetry of describing both joy and pain—wow! So many times people have a stereotype of Christian fiction being simple minded, poorly written, and idyllic. This novel, along with a few others, have broken that stereotype for me--forever. I can only hope our sister writes much more in the years to come." (David Alves, posted on CBD)

"Nicole Baart has dug a knife into the chilling fibers of habitual practices in humans. Stringing obsession, intent to kill, self-mutilation, and mental illness in the same line of thread, Baart crafted a story of redemption, discovering grace, and reconciling forgiveness amongst her heartbreaking tale of two broken sisters and a family unraveling with age. Her writing is lyrical, honest, and daring; her literary approach refreshing. She births characters so powerfully and animatedly, it's hard not to believe they are real, genuine people. Hailey Bennett was perhaps the most crafted and thought-provoking character. Baart welded a harrowing battle of spiritual pursuit within Hailey, that answered every "why" question concerning her motives and actions. Though, psychologically crooked and nonsensical, Hailey is marvelous in her faith and aggression. You'll root for her journey and she will ultimately break your heart, but she initiates a journey for her sister, Abigail, who will find an acceptance and peace that makes up for Hailey's sorrow." (Eleym Beigh, posted on B&N)

Ongerijpt

So I had to share the awesome cover of the Dutch translation of The Moment Between. Isn't it beautiful? Haunting somehow. I just love it. And I love the translated title... I had a hard time tracking down the meaning of Ongerijpt, but I finally managed it. The Dutch title? Unripened. Cool, eh? If you've read The Moment Between, you know Unripened is extremely fitting. And if you haven't read it, what are you waiting for? It's only a click away... Come on, you know you want to. Save a struggling artist and all that jazz. ;)

BTW, stay tuned for a very exciting announcement this weekend!!! I'm dying to share, but must drag out the suspense a smidge longer. See you then!

Cherry Cream Pie

In light of creating something from nothing (my last post) I thought I'd share my most recent culinary creation. I love messing around in the kitchen. Notice I don't say "cooking" or "baking"--mostly because I love doing them both, but also because sometimes my results are tragically messy. And sometimes they're pretty stinkin' good. Like this one. :)

On Sunday morning before church I had this wild notion that I just had to bake another pie for lunch. We go to my parents for traditional "Sunday Dinner," and I had already made a French Silk Pie. It was plenty for the ten of us. But as I showered I couldn't stop thinking about another pie... So I raided my pantry and refrigerator and came up with a frozen pie shell, a can of cherry pie filling, and a block of cream cheese. I created Niki's Cherry Cream Pie. And I'm so glad I did! Some friends of ours showed up unexpectedly in church and our lunch crowd grew exponentially. Now tell me that wasn't God nudging me with visions of pie!

Enjoy! This is really, really yummy...

Cherry Cream Pie

1 frozen pie crust
1 can cherry pie filling (reserve 1-2 tbsp. of sauce)
1 8 oz. block cream cheese
1/4 - 1/2 cup sugar (less or more to personal taste)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 carton whipped cream (divided in half)

Fill pie crust with cherry pie filling and bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes. The pie is done when the crust turns golden brown. While pie is baking, let the cream cheese soften on the counter. When it's soft enough to whip, mix the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in a small mixing bowl until creamy. Add the reserved cherry sauce to turn it pink. Blend in half of the whipped cream until the mixture is light and fluffy. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the cooled cherry pie. Top with remaining whipped cream. Serve each piece with a maraschino cherry.

Something from Nothing

Thanks for putting up with my snarkiness this past week or so. Praise the Lord, the sun shone bright and brilliant for the last few days and I'm a new person. I had no idea I was so affected by the weather... Maybe I do need to move south. Possibly Tahiti? ;)

Anyway, I have lots of news and updates, some changes in both my personal life and my writing life, but they'll have to wait just a bit. Exciting stuff, all of it, and as soon as I can spill the beans you'll be the first to know. In the meantime, I'm writing a new book. No, not the airplane one (you can read about that idea here). This is a totally new and unexpected idea. I think you're going to like it.

But as I sit before a blank sheet of paper, new pen gripped firmly in hand, I'm astounded once again at the act of creating something out of nothing. I have ideas of course (in fact, I have pretty much the entire story straight in my head), but breathing life into all these abstracts is an overwhelming endeavor. Exciting, but intimidating. Thrilling, but terrifying.

It's not just a matter of getting the characters right. Or the setting, or the plot. It's not about having a great hook or meaningful symbolism woven throughout. It's about the things you can't quantify--the cadence of the words, the sweep of the story, the unique tenor that only my voice can pitch properly. I was called to write this story, and while I'm honored beyond description, I'm equally as humbled.

We all have opportunities to create. As friends, mothers, teachers, students... fill in the blank. Part of the process of being human is being plugged into the creative energy of our God. But do we really create something from nothing? I don't think so. Only God spoke stars and mountains and people into being when before the awesome sound of his voice there was nothing.

I can't tell you how comforting that is to me. As I sit before my blank legal pads (six of them, I've found that's what it takes for me to write a book) I rest in the realization that I'm just a part of the fabric. This story is universal in some small way, it has already happened and it will happen again and again... Woven with pain and brokenness and, always, amazing grace. How cool is that? My creation is a way of adding my voice to a song already playing in round. Oh, I'm so so grateful to be a part of it.

Sing on, friends.

Grumpy

I know nobody likes a whiner, but my frayed edges have unraveled so far I'm downright grumpy. The sun won't shine, my kids are feeling cooped up and crazy (me too!), and winter seems soooo long--and it hasn't even officially started!

Anyway, I'm usually a pretty optimistic person, but just this once I feel like indulging my inner... You fill in the blank. Maybe it'll be cathartic. Maybe I'll make myself laugh. Here's hoping.

Without furthur adieu, a list of things I hate.

• Soggy leaves that turn to sludge on the sidewalk. They're slippery, stinky, and all around miserable. Plus, it's impossible not to track them into the house.
• Earwigs. Even the name makes my skin crawl. I secretly believe that they can't possibly be a part of God's good creation--they've got to be the brainchild of some mad scientist (heavy on the mad) who intended to use them for the purpose of mind control. I mean, why else would you call them earwigs? Their obvious, sinister intent is to crawl inside our ears and penetrate the inner sanctum of our minds. Thus, I scream and run like a woman possessed whenever I see one.
• Being stuck in my house. I'm an outside girl, and though I know I'm not made of sugar and won't melt in the rain, enjoying the great outdoors when it's 35 degrees and drizzly isn't much fun. Boo-hoo.
• Dry hands. Because I wash them so often, my hands get so dry in the fall and winter that they crack at the knuckles when I bend my fingers. Very painful and not much fun.
• People who complain. And the irony is not lost on me: I'm being a big baby. Whether the sun is shining or not, life is good. There's a puppy curled up on my lap, a child sound asleep upstairs, and my handsome husband is beside me. My house is warm and cozy, I have mint tea in the cupboard and pork thawing for a stir-fry tonight. I'm halfway through a fantastic book, and I have a date with my tub and bubble bath tonight. What right have I to be grumpy? None at all.

Well, I think it worked. Indulge your inner whiner and realize that you have absolutely nothing to whine about. A little humbling, but at least the clouds outside seem just a bit lighter...