A Few Quick Pics...

 I haven't gotten my Christmas photos on the computer yet, so hopefully that post will be here next week.

We're blessed with an awesome group of family and friends to go skating with!

I'm not the greatest at playing, but I sure enjoy it!!!!

And this sale is only good through January 1st!!

And the Kindle edition is available now!!! 

And, I'm hearing the chatter of children in the other room, (all the nieces and nephews are coming over for our Christmas today,) so I need to go be sociable... Hopefully next week I'll have time to share more about our Christmas, and more pictures. One quick note I wanted to make after having lunch at my grandparents house yesterday. . .  Take advantage of your grandparents!! If you have living grandparents, visit them, love them, learn from them, and help them however you can!!!! You don't know how much longer you'll have them . . .

Well, I'm off for another family Christmas! I hope you all are having a Merry Christmas!!! (Because Christmas isn't just a day, it's a season, and an attitude of the heart.) And don't forget why He came!!!

It's just STUFF!!!!!

  I LOVE Christmas . . . Like TOTALLY love it!!!!!! Yes, it's busy, and yes, I feel like a headless chicken running around this time of year but hey, I love every minute of it!!! There's so many AWESOME reminders this time of year about Jesus coming to die for us...

     Last week, at our church's Christmas program practice, I was really reminded of the hope we have in Jesus. AMAZING hope!!! It's so easy to get down, to get focused on ourselves, on the problems around us, on the many things that don't go as we want, but when we stop, and remember the hope we have in Christ, it REALLY puts things into perspective.

     Speaking of perspective . . . I was looking under the tree at all the presents that are accumulating, and talking with my dad about the many blessings in our lives, and how the biggest blessings, are not the things, but the people. The grandkids, the siblings, the parents, the love, family, and joy that God has blessed us with. I looked around my beautiful living room. A fire crackled in the stove, the Christmas lights twinkled, Christmas music was playing in the other room, and the stockings were getting full. I love my home, but as I looked around at the furniture . . . the couch that I write on most the time . . . the piano that I learned to play on . . . the toy box that the nieces and nephews love . . . the bookshelf . . . the coffee table that Dad made . . . and all the fun decorations. Yes, I love my home, but I realized in that moment, it's all just stuff.

      Presents? They're AWESOME, but they're just stuff, someday, they'll rust, mold, decay, and be gone. It's all going to be gone someday. If you walk through a junk yard, and see a rusted, and badly mangled car, it looks like junk, but at one time, that car was new. Someone probably saved for it, took care of it, sat inside of it admiring it, babied it in his garage, and may have even been afraid of letting people touch it. Now? It's just another piece of junk.

     Remember this Christmas season, that the fun things you're getting and giving, are just stuff. If a sibling breaks your new makeup mirror on the first day you get it, or you lose a diamond earring, it's okay, keep your focus on what matters. Eternity.

      The stuff here, is temporal. We can't take it with us when we go, and even in our lifetime, it will probably lose it's value, get old, rust, get bent up, torn, or lose it's shine. This stuff is nice! Enjoy the blessings God gives you. If you have stuff to enjoy, then ENJOY it!!! But don't let it rob you from seeing the important blessings. The family, the friends, the love, joy, and peace. The Baby in the manger. Don't let the things around you keep you from seeing the people hurting around you, the people who need your encouragement. And if you're the one that is hurting, and you feel hopeless, and in need of encouragement, seek the Baby in the manger. We have hope through HIM!!! He feels our pain, but He also knows how to give joy. He can take ashes and turn them into beauty.

       Don't lose hope. The darker the night, the more brilliant the sunrise. The more violent the storm, the more beautiful the rainbow. The harder the fight, the more refreshing the victory in Jesus. Trust Him, rest in Him, give ALL of your worries to Him, and be thankful for the many blessings.

Among the blessings of Christmas, is family. Take time to be there for your family. If you need to put your phone down and stop texting, do it. If you need to pick up a book and read to the kids, or hold a baby, do it! We don't know how much time we have, so cherish the moments.

I'm SO thankful for another niece!

Something else that we've done off and on for a few years, is to wrap up a DVD that shares the gospel, with an invitation to the church's Christmas Eve program, and go around town giving them out.

This year, we wrapped them at the church, and had a lot of people pitching in to help!

Praise God for church family! And for opportunities like this! For the opportunity of sharing HIS story! So, whether you love Christmas or hate it, don't forget to share the Baby in the manger, and don't forget that the stuff around you  . . . well, it's just stuff. It's not worth getting wrapped up in, or bent out of shape over it. Christmas is about HIM, not about the stuff.

Amelia Bedelia, Nieces, Nephews, and Piano...

So, I have a bunch of random pictures from the last week. . . 

Growing up, Amelia Bedelia books were my favorite thing! Getting to read them to the nieces and nephews is AWESOME!!!

I even took the chance to read one of them backwords and upsides down . . .

With Christmas coming up, I've enjoyed doing some Christmas baking, and, like last year, I've been trying some new things. Like divinity.

It was my first time making it, but it turned out well.

And selfies with the nephews and a niece...

So maybe we have too much fun sometimes . . . :) 

As of yesterday, I have eight nephews and nine nieces, and enjoy being able to spend time with them.

Hosanna did another chalk talk at the senior living center in Roseau, and I went along to play piano. I always find my face funny when I'm playing piano, I either look mad, focused, or miserable...  I'm not sure why, because I enjoyed it! But somehow, when I'm playing I don't smile . . . I guess I'll have to work on that. :) 

And I just finished reading through this book, Caleb's Inheritance by Pam Jeffery, for the second time. I highly recommend it, and not just because I love the author. The book itself is worth the time!

This is Priscilla Krahn, reminding you to stay THANKFUL this Christmas season. Keep your focus on HIM, and not on you, and let God use you to bless others.

Baking, Book Fair, Book signing, and Christmas Sale!

Some days, I feel like I live in a fish bowl. Today, it's no longer a fish bowl, it's a snow globe!!! It's that WONDERFUL time of the year, when (as Ebeneezer Scrooge's nephew Fred would say,) "...when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. And therefore, uncle, though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it has done me good, and will do me good; and I say, God bless it!"

   

     Lately, I've been telling people that Christmas isn't a day. It's a season. This is the Christmas season, and it's not about one day, it's about the season of remembering how much Christ sacrificed by coming to earth.

     Last year, on Christmas day, I had a REALLY hard day. I woke up with all my plans in place. Drink coffee, wait for Dad to get in from the barn, and open the one present we'd saved for the day. (We tend to open them early . . . :)) But my plans didn't happen the way I thought they should. The barn froze up, and chores took a lot longer than planned. Then, Dad had to butcher a cow with a broken leg. All in all, it was quite late when he came in. I was hoping we could spend some time together as a family, but after opening our gifts, Dad had to go and help a neighbor, and everyone kind of went to do their own thing. I remember sitting on the couch thinking about all the people I knew who were having a carefree day, and I felt sorry for myself for having such a quiet, interrupted Christmas. The problem? It had nothing to do with Dad being busy, that's a normal part of life. It had nothing to do with the presents, or the day. It had EVERYTHING to do with my attitude. I started the day thinking about myself, and what I wanted. When things didn't go how I thought they should, I had a hard time. 

    I don't know if any of you have ever had a special day that you looked forward too, and when it didn't go as you planned, you felt let down, but that's how I felt. This year, things are going to be different, and I challenge you to make them different too. Don't get caught up on your plans. Instead, take everything with a 1 Thess. 5:18 attitude of thanks, and the attitude of putting others first. One of my favorite Evangelists is constantly reminding people that "It's NOT about YOU!" and he is right. If we get caught up on what we want, what we expect, and how we feel, we WILL be disappointed because it's NOT about US!!!! Spend every day of the Christmas season thinking about others, and how you can glorify God. Because it IS about HIM!

    Anyways, (I didn't actually mean to share all that. . .) I did a bit of Christmas baking today, and a few of the nieces decided to help!

Rewind a few days, and you find the book signing for The Fudged Up Murder, which went REALLY WELL!!!! I'm SOOOO Grateful for the AMAZING family and friends I have who stopped by and encouraged me, as well as the wonderful coffee that Caribou supplied! :)

And, THIS Saturday, I have another event coming up. The Warroad Library is doing a Christmas open house with live music, crafts, hot chocolate, cookies, and an author book fair. I am one of the authors that will be attending and I will have all of my books for sale. I'd love to see you there!

CHRISTMAS SALE!!!!!! Until the new year, ALL of my kindle books are available on Amazon for 99 cents! And ALL of the Ty Carson, and Adventure of Amy printed books are available for $7.99!!!! If you're looking for a Christmas gift for that reader, take advantage of this sale.

This is Priscilla J. Krahn, reminding you that it's not about you, and if you're having a bad day, you're probably thinking about the wrong person. Because it's ALL about HIM!!! That's why we can have a MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!

Thanksgiving in Ohio

 As many of you know, my sister Hosanna spent Thanksgiving in Ohio with her 'special friend' and I went along as driver, chaperone, semi-map reader, and sidekick.
    Overall, I had a great time, but didn't get pictures of most of my time there. We played a lot of games, ate a LOT of pie, and had a great time being thankful for everything God has blessed us with.

I've made a few pies in my time, but these pies put me to shame! I'll have to work on that. The peanut butter pie was my favorite followed by the pecan.

They took us to this air force museum. It is the worlds largest and oldest air force museum and one day was NOT enough time! We didn't get through the whole thing, and I'm not sure if a week would have been enough! If you're ever in Dayton, OH, make sure to stop in!

I took a LOT of pictures, but many of them were blurry and I wasn't sure which ones would interest you the most, so I just grabbed a few random ones.

It started with a hanger going from the beginning of flight, through WWI. In this picture, you can see a model of one of the Wright brothers first planes, a glass display with one of the bikes from the Wright brothers' bike repair shop, and in the background you can see one of the blimps from the early days.

I enjoyed the paint jobs on some of the planes.

There were several presidential planes that we got to go through. It was neat going through Kennedy's plane, as well as a few other presidents' planes like Eisenhower and FDR.

We did a LOT of walking, went through multiple hangers, and didn't have time to finish going through all of them. It was AWESOME!!!!

It's blurry, I know, but this is the FIRST picture I've ever had with Santa Claus. Okay, so I would NOT go out of my way to get a picture like this, but the reason I got it, was because I was following Hosanna, who was following her 'special friend' through Lowe's Department store, and we come upon poor Mr. Santa Claus, sitting all alone on Black Friday morning, smiling and waving at all of these men who were walking by and ignoring him. I commented about how lonely he looked, and Hosanna was like . . . "You should get a picture with him for the blog!" At first I was like . . . "NO WAY!" But after thinking about it, I was like . . .  "You know, if my friend ---- were here, I'd do it." So, I decided to go have a little chat with him. NO, I did NOT tell him what I wanted for Christmas, and I CERTAINLY DID NOT sit on his lap!!! But I did get the picture, and had a nice chat. :) :) 

The road home was pretty crazy, northern IL had just had a snow storm and we had some really bad roads, but aside from the one time we fishtailed and ended up facing the WRONG direction on the interstate, and the time we had to wait for around a half hour because of a wreck, we made it home with little drama. THANK YOU to everyone who prayed for our safety on the long drive. I believe it was crucial in the safety we had.

Here's a sneak peak at what my table will look like at the book signing this Saturday. That plate in the bottom left hand corner will have fudge samples on it. :)  

And just a quick reminder, if you happen to be in Warroad on Saturday, please stop by! I'd love to see you and the first 25 people to stop in get a $1 off any drink of their choice.

With Thanksgiving, I'm reminded of all the things I've been blessed with in life, and all the many things I often forget to be thankful for. Things like my ability to walk, my ability to taste, smell, hear, speak, and feel. Every breath is a gift!!! I'm ESPECIALLY thankful for the family God's given me, and the friends I've been blessed with.

Announcing the WINNER!

Drum Roll Please . . . 

  And the winner of the signed copy of THE FUDGED UP MURDER is . . .

   Carol Taylor Jacob!!! 

Congratulations!!!

A HUGE thank you to everyone who got involved! I loved the comments, and interaction! 

Happy Thanksgiving! We have SO MUCH to be THANKFUL FOR!!!  Salvation. Family. Friends. So let's be thankful! In EVERYTHING!!!!!

Book Signing! + $1 Off Coffee Coupons!

Saturday, December 1st, from 10-12:30, I'll be at Caribou Coffee in Warroad, MN doing a book signing! The FIRST twenty people to stop by, will receive a $1 off coupon for the drink of their choice! :) :)
     
   So, you may be wondering . . . WHAT is a book signing? Do I have to buy a book? What do you even do at one?

       Well, at my book signings, I have a book display table, and I do sell books, and people are free to buy books, or bring books of mine that they have at home, and I will sign them, but you DO NOT HAVE to buy a book!!!! So, if you don't have any of my books, and you're NOT planning on buying one, should you still come? ABSOLUTELY!!! Stop in at Caribou, get a coffee or just stop in and say 'hi!' Pick up a bookmark, get a $1 off coupon, and sample some of the Martin sisters' cookie dough fudge. If for any reason you're in town that day, I'd love to see you!

   ALSO - There's only a few days left to get your name in the drawing for a signed copy of The Fudged Up Murder. 

    REMINDER of ways to get your name in the drawing! (You can get your name in the drawing over 50 times!)
 
    1. For EVERY book you review on Amazon, or Goodreads, you'll get your name in the drawing TWICE... (If you do all of my books on both places, that's a total of 36 entries!)
   
     2. Comment on ANY post on this blog before the drawing on Thanksgiving Day and get your name in the drawing.

     3. Comment which of my book characters is your favorite and why, and get your name in the drawing THREE times!

     4. Share the Giveaway post on Facebook, Google+, or any other social media, and get your name in the drawing.

Attitude Check?

I saw these quotes today, and was reminded of how important our attitude is. How's your's been?"

 

"Attitude is a little thing that makes a BIG difference." - Winston Churchill

"A bad attitude is like a flat tire. If you don't change it, you won't go anywhere."

"Your attitude is the aroma of your heart. If your attitude stinks, it means your hearts not right." - Coach Taylor

"There is nothing so sour that it can't be sweetened with a good attitude."

Psalm 42:5 "Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance."

1 Thessalonians 5:18 "In EVERYTHING Give thanks, for this is the will of God, in Christ Jesus concerning you."

Philippians 4:4 "Rejoice in the Lord ALWAYS: and again I say, REJOICE!"

Proverbs 17:22 "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones."

GIVEAWAY - The Fudged Up Murder!

   The Fudged Up Murder is in the final stages of editing and will be released on December 1st!!! (Yes I know that's not in November, but things have been going a little slower than anticipated.)

    HOWEVER on Thursday, November 22nd, THANKSGIVING DAY, I'm going to do a drawing! The winner, will receive a signed copy of The Fudged Up Murder. Depending on where you live, this may reach you BEFORE December 1st!

HOW DO YOU GET YOUR NAME IN THE DRAWING?

Actually, you have potential to get your name in the drawing multiple times!

        1. If you comment on my blog ANYTIME before then, you'll get your name in the drawing.

        2. If you comment, and tell me which one of my book characters that you've read about is your favorite, you'll get your name in the drawing twice.

        3. If you comment which of my characters is your favorite and WHY, you'll get your name in the drawing three times.

        4. If you share this on Facebook, Google+, or any other social media, you'll get your name in the drawing. (Although you might want to comment here and let me know just to MAKE SURE your name is in the drawing.)

       5. If you like this post on Facebook, you'll get your name in the drawing.

       6. For EACH book of mine that you review on Amazon, you'll get your name in the drawing twice.

       7. For EACH book of mine that you review on GoodReads, you'll get your name in the drawing Twice!

     So, start getting your name in the drawing!

Excerpt from The Fudged Up Murder . . .

   Here's a sneak peak into The Fudged Up Murder - Coming in late November!

    . . . Instinct said to call the police, but Jessaca Anderson hesitated. If she went down on record as the person that found the body, things could get messy. If she just walked out of the cafeteria, no one would know. Someone else would find the body, and she could stay in the clear.

      It was too late to do anything for the man. He was obviously dead. Jessaca took one last look to survey the scene. The man was older, probably in his fifties. It could just be a heart attack or something, but . . . well, even if it wasn’t murder, she couldn’t get involved.

       With every fiber of common sense screaming against her, Jessaca headed for the front exit. Glancing out the glass of the front door, she spied two figures approaching. The elderly Martin sisters held hands as they moved along the icy sidewalk of Middle Ridge, Minnesota.

        Jessaca backed up and glanced both ways. The back entrance would have to do. Besides, then she could stop by the superintendent’s office and leave the papers with him. That’s why she’d come wasn’t it?

          Jessaca shook her head and tried to think straight. Why was this bothering her so much? Swallowing hard, she knew that it wasn’t the body; it was the fact that she couldn’t get involved. She’d always fought for the truth. The truth had to be known, but . . . could she risk it?

       The clacking of her heeled winter boots echoed down the empty corridors as she half-ran down the hall. Reaching the superintendent’s office, she paused. It was empty. He’d said he would be there. Could he have something to do with the death? The room was void of any Christmas décor that usually creeps into offices the week before Christmas, and his chair was pushed back like he’d left in a hurry. She took a step into his office. Should she investigate why he wasn’t here?

      “Stop it, Jessa,” she whispered to herself. “You’ve got to forget about this! Forget you ever saw the body!”

       She dropped the files on the desk and left. . . 

Book Trailer!

COMING SOON in late November/Early December is the . . . FUDGED UP MURDER!!!!

Would You Rather . . .

So . . . I came across a list of 'would you rather' questions and thought I'd answer them for you.

   1. Would you rather be ten minutes late all the time, or twenty minutes early all the time.
   My answer - I'd rather be twenty minutes early ALL the time! (Unless of course. . . I'm dreading the event . . .)

    2. Would you rather be famous when you're alive, and forgotten when you're dead, or ignored in life, and famous after you die?
    My answer - I'd rather be famous when I'm alive! When I'm dead, I won't much care, and Heaven is going to be WAY cooler than ANY fame this world could offer.

    3. Would you rather go to jail for four years for something you did NOT do, or get away with a horrible crime, and never be caught, but live in fear of being caught?
     My answer - I'd rather go to jail for four years knowing I was innocent.

   4. Would you rather live in the wilderness far from civilization, or live on the streets of a big city as a homeless person?
   My answer - I'd rather live in the wilderness!

   5. Would you rather the general public think you're a horrible person, but your family be very proud of you? Or your family think you're a horrible person, but the public be very proud of you?
    My answer - I'd rather have my family be proud of me!

  6. Would you rather be alone for the rest of your life, or surrounded by annoying people?
   My answer - I'd probably rather be surrounded by annoying people . . . I like alone time, but I'm pretty sure I'd go CRAZY if I was all alone all the time!

   7. Would you rather never use social media, websites, or apps for the rest of your life, or give up all movies and tv shows?
   My answer - I'd rather give up social media etc . . . I enjoy old movies WAY more than social media . . .

   8. Would you rather be invisible for a day, or be able to fly for a day?
   My answer - I'd rather be invisible!

   9. Would you rather have unlimited sushi for life, or unlimited tacos?
   My answer - Well, seeing as how I've never tried sushi . . . I'll go with the tacos!

   10. Would you rather not be able to eat meat, or vegetables?
       My answer - Vegetables!  I don't hate them but . . . I LOVE chicken . . . and fish . . . and sausage . . . and BACON!!!

    11.  Would you rather look stupid, or be stupid?
    My answer - Look stupid! (I mean why do you think I bundle up in the cold!)


  What do you think? Are there any of these that you'd like to answer? Go for it in the comments!

The Beginning . . .

  Last fall, I wrote a post about The End, of my fall, with pictures of fall, and a bit about an average fall. I didn't want to repeat that post, although much of it is the same this fall. So, instead of looking at the end of my summer/fall, I'm looking at the beginning of winter.

The snow's been coming down pretty hard all morning.

So much for a walk in the crunching leaves!

While I don't know if this snow will stay all winter or not, and it's kind of hindering with some of the harvest, I'm still thankful for it. Thankful that God can cover the mud with clean snow. Looking into my own life, I'm glad God covers my 'muddy' sins with his clean snow of righteousness. The AWESOME part? HIS whiteness doesn't melt!!!! And it not only covers the mud, it completely removes the mud!

I don't know what my future holds. I'm not sure where I'll be a few months from now, and honestly, I don't really care. Oh, I have dreams! I have hopes, and I have fears. But I know that wherever HE takes me, it will be an adventure.

Each day is the beginning of the rest of our lives. Today's decisions will determine who I am ten years from now. Today's choices, will determine how committed I am in the future. So, take the time today, to be in the WORD of GOD. Make choices that will help you be a strong christian in the future. God has provided us with the armor to fight and WIN! But if we sit back, and wait to put it on till we need it, more often than not, when we need it, we don't want it. Keep it on! Keep allowing God to 'temper the steel' and keep pointing others to HIM.

This winter, I have dreams and goals . . . I'm planning on having The Fudge Up Murder published by Christmas. I'd like to attend a few homeschool conventions with a vendor booth. I'd like to do more memorizing, writing, piano, and a dozen other things! But as this winter begins, I want more than anything, to stay focused on God.

 It's far too easy to let Satan lie to us. It's far too easy to sit back and be apathetic. As this winter begins, DON'T let Satan discourage you! God is working. We can be a part of it. We can have victory in Jesus! 

FUN FACT - We made Jewish Tabouli in pocket bread the other day. (We hadn't done this in a REALLY long time.)

FIRST TIME - I had someone at the maze talking about the author of my books with me, and they had NO idea that I wrote them!

  FUNNY STORY - (at least, I thought it was funny at the time.) On Sunday, at church, during Scripture reading, I was following along, in Revelation 19. In verse seventeen, I zoned out for a bit, and I heard the part about an angel calling . . . ". . . for the supper of the great God . . ." And then into verse 18, "That you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captaains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great." WHAT!?!?!?! I couldn't believe it! I thought we were still talking about the marriage supper of the Lamb!!!! I did a double take, and went back. As it turns out, the angel was talking to the birds. . . And how the BIRDS are going to clean up after the battle of Armageddon. 

    MORAL to the story - DO NOT zone out while reading Scripture! It can give you a TOTALLY WRONG view! When I realized my mistake, I almost laughed. 

   Pastor pointed out that it listed kings to slaves, and how in the end, all of their fates were going to be the same regardless of their rank, wealth, or social status. It doesn't matter what position we are in life, what matters, is do we know Jesus as OUR personal savior? If so, then we've got a LOT to look forward to! If not . . . well, the birds will do their thing.