Girl Time and Giggles

I just spent a wonderful couple of days with my two sisters and my daughter.  We had some much needed  "girl time".  We laughed and giggled and swapped crazy stories.  We reminisced with stories from our childhoods.  It was a special time together, and one that we don't do nearly enough.

One of our favorite childhood stories is about the time that my younger sister, Carol, and I tried to make fudge when we were home alone.  Mom was at the grocery store, and we decided to try our hand at making homemade fudge.  We had watched our granny do it, so figured it wouldn't be so hard.  As soon as Mom left, we went into the kitchen and started gathering the ingredients.  Our plan was to make the fudge, and then hide the fudge from Mom.  After all, we didn't want her to know we had been cooking while she was away.  We each made our own pan of fudge to see whose would turn out the best.

Well, my fudge was as hard as a rock.  It wouldn't even come out of the pan after several raps on the edge of the counter.  Carol's fudge was like taffy, and hers wouldn't come out of the pan either.  So we did the only thing we could think of at the time.

We went into the backyard, dug a hole, and buried the pans in the backyard.  We then went inside and cleaned up the mess.  When Mom came home, there was no trace of our adventure in fudge-making.

Mom never missed her pans or the ingredients we used for the fudge.  It wasn't until Carol and I were grown and mothers ourselves that we told Mom about what we did.  She chuckled...something I know she would not have done all of those years ago.

Sometimes waiting is a good thing.

                                                                      Me and Carol

How God Changed My Life

If anyone had told me 10 years ago I would be the person I am today I would have laughed in utter disbelief.  I had given up on myself. I was angry at God. I was a doormat....and considered any attention good attention. I allowed people to use me and treat me badly. I had no hope that I would ever be truly happy deep inside. I was depressed, addicted to food, love, and anything else that managed to get a hold of me. When you feel empty inside, you look for ways to relieve that emptiness. Even though I had been a Christian for many years, I thought God would not fulfill me.

I was wrong.

Somewhere in the midst of my anger at God, I cried out to Him. Even though I was angry at Him, I still knew He was real. One day, at the end of my rope, I turned it all over to Him. My prayer went something like this:

"God...I'm tired. I don't like who I am. I don't have the power to change. I'm so weak.I know I don't deserve it, but could You please help me get out of this mess I'm in? I'm tired of feeling sad. I'm tired of hurting people I love. I'm tired of being used. I'm tired of hating myself."

 I just gave it all to Him...knowing I was powerless to change anything myself.

Today I am a different person, and I owe it all to my Heavenly Father.  After that prayer, my life slowly began to change. Circumstances changed. I went through difficulties that forced me to realize my worth and helped me find my inner strength.

Today I am happy.  I love myself. I have lost 40 pounds so far. I am no longer addicted to food.  I am working at a job that gives me the flexibility to continue to pursue my writing. I have published 2 books so far...a book of flash fiction and a book of inspirational poetry. I have a novel soon to be published. I am collaborating with two different composers on some music I am writing the lyrics for.

I have more friends thlan I have ever had. I have even reconnected with two of my best friends from childhood. I have had the opportunity to travel, which is something that is new for me. Next year I plan on visiting my son in Japan.

For the first time in nearly 20 years, I have gone for a physical and a mammogram. Everything was fine, praise God!

Life is beautiful, and I have learned to praise God in every circumstance because I know without a doubt that he can take the ugly and make it beautiful. Today I wait for the next surprise He has in store for me.

If you question the existence of God, all I can say is to give Him a chance. No human being will ever love you the way that God does. You are His beloved child, and yes...He is real

                                                    Photo by Cheryl A Williams, 2013

Living a Shame-based Life

When I was in elementary school, I was chubby. My mom took me shopping for clothes in the chubby girl's department.  I wasn't able to wear the cute fashions the other girls wore. I always felt different. I was always the last one picked when choosing sides for basketball. School did not help. A.couple of times a year the nurse would come and weigh us individually for our health records. She would call us to the front of the class one at a time. She would weigh us and them yell the number out for her assistant to mark down. I can still feel the deep shame and embarrassment when my number was called. It was always the biggest number in the class. The other kids would laugh.

Shame is a horrible thing. It lingers and touches a deep part of one's soul. It affects who we are.  As a result of that shame I grew up feeling like I was not good enough. I never went for my dream of being a singer. I alwAys felt I would be laughed at because of my weight.

Today I'm much older and much wiser. I no longer let that shame rule my life. I know I am valuable because God made me...just like he made you.

If you are living a shame-based life....let it go. God has so much planned for you. A bountiful life awaits....

Photo by Cheryl A Williams, 2013

"Heaven is Real" Will Make You Believe

I just got through reading the book "Heaven is Real" by Todd Burpo.  This is a true account of a 4 year old boy's trip to Heaven while he was very sick in the hospital.  All I can say is this.  If you are a skeptic when it comes to God, Jesus, and Heaven...read this book.

I have a lot of Heaven skeptics in my life..."Doubting Thomas" people who want proof before they believe. They also claim to be very open minded.  If that is the case I challenge them to read "Heaven is Real."  I'm a believer, and it totally renewed everything I already believe.

God has always chosen to reveal Himself in mysterious ways, and at times through people we would never expect.  In this book, God chooses to reveal Himself through the eyes and ears of a four year old little boy...an innocent child who has not been scarred by life or filled with preconceived notions about God and Heaven.

I won't spoil it for you by telling you any of the details.  I want you to sit there with your mouth hanging open and tears in your eyes the same way I was when I read the book.  And if you aren't a reader, the book is coming out in a movie around Easter time.  So go see that.  Just be ready to have your current unbelief challenged in an astronomical way.

Photo by Cheryl A. Williams, 2014

Blossoms

Photo by Cheryl A. Williams, 2014

Spring's bride,
donned in white,
filled with promise,
lovely and fragrant,
a virginal paradise
lost to the greening
of summer.

Secrets

Have you ever had a secret?  Most of the time we keep secrets because we are either ashamed of something, we don't want to expose someone else's secret, or we want to surprise someone at a later time.

Secrets aren't necessarily bad, but the ones that are shame-based are very destructive.  Take Skylar Nobles, for example.  She has a deep dark secret.  Not only does this secret keep her at a distance from family and friends, her secret feeds upon itself.  Skylar is a binge eater. The more she binges, the more ashamed she feels, and the more she eats.  It is a revolving door that she cannot seem to escape from.  She wants dcsperately to fit in with the other girls at school. but deep down she knows she is different.

Can you relate to Skylar?  Even if you don't binge eat, is there something that you cling desperately to as a means of coping with the world?  If so, then Skylar's story is one for you to read.  Keep your eyes open for the publication......It will be on Amazon in the upcoming weeks.  It just might change the way you view yourself and your own secrets.

Photo by Cheryl A. Williams, 2013

Why I Chose to Self-Publish

There are no perfect words. The more I read and write, the more I realize this. A sentence can be perfectly constructed, but if it doesn't touch the reader it is pointless. Words that touch one person may fail to touch another. This is evident in the publishing process. One editor can read a submission and immediately toss it into the slush pile. Another editor can read the same submission and see a best seller.

As I have tried to come to a decision about how to go about publishing my book, I have wrestled with which avenue to take. The good news is that I have choices today that were not ways available. Today I can self-publish.

There used to be a stigma with self-publishing....the connotation being that the manuscript was not worthy of being picked up by a mainstream publisher. That has changed. Self-publishing is becoming a very popular means of publishing. Many mainstream book publishers are suffering as a result.

As writers, we want our work to be read. I am not concerned with making millions of dollars. I just believe my writing may help someone.  My upcoming YA novel " Alone in the Crowd" deals with bullying and self-esteem. I believe it is an important read for teenage girls.  This is why I chose the route of self-publishing. My first two books are published on the Kindle.

Flash: a Short Story Collection .http://www.amazon.com/Flash-A-Short-Story-Collection-ebook/dp/B0077T2FFK
Heavely Hugs: inspirational Poetry 00EOF7QKYhttp://www.amazon.com/I'mHeavenly-Hugs-Inspirational-Cheryl-Williams-ebook/dp/B00EOF7QKY

Raindrops

It's raining..
The window is open,
And the sound of raindrops
Hitting the gutter
Reminds me of
When I was a little girl
Listening to raindrops
Hitting my grandma's tin roof.
Peaceful.
A welcome diversion
From the heat of the day,
A reminder
Of the healing power of tears;
For after the rain
Comes the sun.
So today I'll splash in puddles
And laugh like the child
Inside of me.            

Tomorrow I'll pick flowers.

•                -Cheryl Williams;                                     photo by Cheryl A. Williams, 2014

Cheryl's Writing World: I Love Surprises!

Cheryl's Writing World: I Love Surprises!: I love surprises, and this week has been full of them. I have two composers who are composing music to two lullaby lyrics that I have writ...

I Love Surprises!

I love surprises, and this week has been full of them.

I have two composers who are composing music to two lullaby lyrics that I have written. One composer I have been collaborating with for several months now. His name is Sergey Khvoshchinsky http://www.khvoshchinsky.com/.  He found my lyrics on a writing website, and contacted me to see if I wanted to work with him. In the process we have redone some of the original lyrics in keeping with his composition, and now we are looking for performer(s).

This week I was contacted by another composer who wants to use my original lullaby lyrics.  She has already written a composition for my lyrics and wants to use them in her concert.  She also would like me to write some more lullabies for an album she is going to do.  Her name is Inna Onofrei  (http://www.innaonofrei.com/www.innaonofrei.com/My_Music/My_Music.html)

The crazy thing about all of this is that the lullaby lyrics I had placed on this particular website had been sitting on there for 3 years. I had actually forgotten about them!

God is good and full of surprises! I can't wait to see what's next!

Welcome to My Blog!

Welcome to my blog!  I'm excited to have a place to share some exciting projects, thoughts, and get some feedback.  Today I've been working hard on my most important project to date.  My novel, "Alone in the Crowd" has been a true labor of love for me.  It's about an issue that is very important to me...self-esteem and bullying.  

I remember when I was a teenager.  I was overweight and had very low self esteem.  What a combination!  I lost out on so much fun and so many opportunities simply because I was afraid of being laughed at.   I see girls today who are just like I was.  I hurt for them.  I hurt for the ones who are bullied, and I hurt for the ones who bully.  Both have low self-esteem.  They just have different ways of dealing with it.

Anyway, welcome to my blog.  I hope you'll feel free to comment.  I love reading about your experiences...:)


*I'd love for you to check out my two books, available on Amazon.com.


Flash:  A Short Story Collection

Heavenly Hugs:  Inspirational Poetry