I Did a Dumb Thing and prize giveaway

I did a dumb thing. When I ordered some imprinted pens to help market my book, I gave them the wrong title! I told them:

Two Scoops of Grace with Sprinkles on Top (which is NOT my book) instead of

Two Scoops of Grace with Chuckles on Top (which is my book).

I would say "I can't believe I did that!" except that I can believe it. I am always doing ditzy things that amaze even me. This one takes the cake, ahem, the ice cream cake. Ahahahaaaaaaa, made myself laugh!

Anyone want a free pen? If so, put your hand over your heart and say, "Even though this pen is imprinted wrong, when Jeanette's book comes out in the Spring, I will look for TWO SCOOPS OF GRACE WITH CHUCKLES ON THE TOP,  not Sprinkles."

Okay? If you did that, send your addy to jeanettelevellie(at)gmail(dot)com and I'll send you a (wrongly imprinted) pen. And, if you follow the link above and click LIKE to like my book's FB page, I'll send you a second one to give a friend. But you have to tell me you liked me, and you must promise to tell the friend it's CHUCKLES, not sprinkles. Okay? Okay. Good, I feel so much better now!

Did you ever do anything amazingly dumb?

A Christmas Confession

Ever wonder what your kids' teachers do with the mound of Christmas gifts they receive from all their loyal munchkins?

At Army of Ermas today, I share my hilarious story of the True Confessions of a Greedy Teacher.

Please join me for some yuletide levity!

Ron the Bearded Returns to Paris!

Can you guess which one of these brilliant animators is our son (aka Ron the Bearded, who really does not smke a pipe)?

To prepare for the momentous occasion of him returning home for Christmas, I will be unplugged from blogging until Dec. 27.

Have a blessed, peaceful time celebrating God's Son's birthday!

My Christmas Greeting for You, Dear Friend

No star too bright

To herald the birth

Of the One

Who scattered them

Across the heavens;

No song too jubilant

To proclaim the glory

Of the One who sings His love

From eternity

To forever.

Dance, sun and moon!

Clap your hands, you trees!

Exult and cavort, oceans,

Seas, rivers and lakes!

He who spoke you

Into time

Embraces life

As a man-child

That all mankind

May sparkle as jewels,

Sing with joy

And dance as new creations

With Him. 

 - JEL, copyright 2011

May Your Christmas be filled with Jesus,

Package or Present?

When I copped a stinky attitude after a music concert we performed, the Lord socked my pride in the gut.

Please join me at Christian Devotions.us today as I unwrap the secret to God using your gifts in magnificent ways.

The Perfect Gift for all the Young Men on Your List

Looking for a Christmas gift for your young man? Eddie Jones' award-winning novel The Curse of Captain LaFoote is the perfect choice!

 

Pirate Novel Wins First Place in the 2011 Selah Award for Young Adult Fiction

Teen / Tween & Middle Grade novel

If you drowned and the sea spit you out, thrusting you back into an age of pirates, buried treasure and beauty beyond belief… would you stay?

RICKY BRADSHAW has never sailed the Caribbean Sea, searched for buried treasure or battled pirates on the deck of a Spanish Galleon. He’s never fallen through the floor of Davy Jones’ locker, befriended a witch doctor or watched an old fisherman morph into a porpoise. All Ricky knows is his lonely life with his widowed mom in a tiny apartment overlooking a marina on the Chesapeake Bay.
But all that changes on a snowy Christmas Eve when Ricky’s apartment building burns down and he falls into the chilly waters while trying to save BARNACLE, a mangy mutt with shrimp breath. Suddenly Ricky finds himself confronted by his neighbor, a young woman in a pink bathrobe who jumped to her death in order to escape the flames. She offers him a choice: go with her to a wonderful afterlife where snowflakes taste like candy or return to the dreary old world he knows. Ricky picks the past and awakes on a raft in the middle of the sea where there is surprising beauty on every island, danger around every corner and great honor and glory ahead of him… if only Ricky can summon the courage to survive the curse of Captain LaFoote.

To order, please go to Captain LaFoote. Only ten more shopping days 'til Christmas!

What is your favorite part of the Christmas season? Do you enjoy shopping?

 

5 Time Saving Tips to Ease Stress and Get More Done

Need more hours in your day? I can help. The following list is an excerpt from my presentation at the Inland Northwest Christian Writers Conference, coming up on March 16-17, 2012 in Spokane, WA. I chose the ones I believed would be most beneficial to aid you in keeping your sanity through the Holiday season.

1.        Ask yourself, “If I only had time to do ONE thing on my list, what would I do?”

2.        Learn to say “no” without apologizing.

3.        Laugh frequently. Find things to make yourself laugh. Hang around funny people.   Laughter releases the same endorphins that exercise does, so it keeps you healthy and relieves stress.

4.      Don’t underestimate the power of five, ten, or fifteen minutes of work to whittle away at a huge project. Even God created the entire universe in six parts.

 5.       Take something with you to put away when you walk to another room, to keep clutter at a minimum.

What time-saving tips do you use during the holidays--or any time--to keep your life manageable?

What's Your Favorite Christmas Movie?

Do you have one or more Christmas movies that are must-watches? Ours is Silent Mouse, a made-for-TV movie from the 80's. Narrated by Lynn Redgrave, it's the story of the writing of the famous carol, Silent Night, with a bit of literary license thrown in.

The main character is a mouse named Nonny. Her full name is A. Nonny Mouse. I love that.

Unfortunately, it's only available on VHS. But we keep looking, hoping to find it on DVD. We've played our copy over 20 times--it's that delightful!

What are your favorite Christmas films? What about them keeps you watching year after year?

Quick Recipe: Chicken Chests for Busy Days

Because December is the busiest month, I thought you'd like a quick, delicious recipe to serve your family on a partularly zooey day.

And if you wonder why we call them Chicken Chests instead of Breasts, you'll have to buy my book when it releases in April, and read the chapter entitled Can Preachers Have Sex on Sundays?

Jeanette's Secret Recipe for Chicken Chests:


4 boneless skinless chicken chest halves (1 lb.)

1 cup Italian salad dressing

2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup Italian seasoned croutons, crushed

Place chicken in a greased 9-in square baking dish. Drizzle with salad dressing; roll in crushed croutons and sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until chicken juices run clear. Yield: 4 servings.

Do you have a favorite recipe you make during the holidays when you're pressed for time?