Shirley Brosius

January 1, 1970

Can you believe the summer is winding down? Where does time go? I’m excited about attending the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writer’s Conference next week. And equally excited that a new friend, who shows great promise as a writer, will be joining me. I know she’s going to come home a changed woman. As some of you know, once the writing bug bites, you itch. If you’re attending that conference, please let me know and we’ll connect.

At the conference, I hope to find a publishing route for a women’s devotional book that Kim, Janine and I have written. We are allowed four 15-minute consultations with agents and publishers, so pray something develops.

We had the privilege of having two grandchildren visit us last week, Grace, 11, and Scott, 8. Daytimes the kids attended a Child Evangelism Day Camp at a nearby church. Evenings I had fun teaching Grace how to use a sewing machine, and Grandpa and Scott built a birdhouse. While it was quite a challenge keeping up with children for a full week, we love spending time with any of our five grandchildren.

I just finished an online course from Harrisburg Area Community College titled “Luscious, Low-Fat, Lightning-Fast Meals.” It was the kind of course I wish I had taken years ago. I learned so much beyond recipe ingredients and how to tweak them into low-fat meals. Ask me about the function of fat, flavor profiling and seasoning. I’ve discovered new ingredients, such as tofu, which provides “mouth feel” when you eliminate fat from a recipe. The Chicken Tofredo was great! I’ll be trying new recipes for weeks to come. If you’re in the area, stop by for dinner. I mean it!

I’ve started using the “Blog” page on my website (www.shirleybrosius.com) to write about the books I’m reading. I’d love to have you check it out and leave a comment. We also post a weekly devotional at FriendsoftheHeart.us.

Last month I promised to alert you to any books written by my newsletter readers, so here’s one for you: Donna S. Thomas has written THE “WHY NOT?” FACTOR: CHUCK THOMAS, TRAILBLAZER. Here is an adventure story, unfolding in far corners of the world, as proof that we can get great things done by taking chances, living and thinking outside the box, and changing the world in the process. View a video of Donna and order the book at www.cvministries.org.

Until next time, enjoy God's blessings.

Shirley Brosius

Speaking Schedule for Friends of the Heart:

September 18, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. - Women's Retreat, Community Bible Church, Palmyra, "At Any Age, At Any Stage: Celebrating the Christian Life."

October 15-16 - Women's Retreat, Paxton United Methodist Church, Harrisburg, at Camp Hebron, Halifax, "If Our Closets Could Talk."

February 18-20 - Women's Retreat, First United Methodist Church, Mechanicsburg, at Asbury Retreat Center, Newville, "If Our Closets Could Talk."

May 6, 2011 – Mother-Daughter Banquet, St. Peter's Lutheran Church, Tower City, "Tea With Dora the Explorer, Wonder Woman and Hyacinth Bucket,"

May 7, 2011, 6 p.m. – Mother’s Day Banquet, United Lutheran Church, Sunbury, "That Face in the Mirror: Who Do You See?"

May 21, 2011 – Women’s Retreat, Moulton Memorial Baptist Church, Newburgh, New York, "At Any Age, At Any Stage: Celebrating the Christian Life."

If you would like contact information to make reservations for any of these events, just let me know.