Welcome to the Post-Christmas Pre-New Year End of 2015 Newsletter!

That's right, we are in "the lull".  This is that time of year when the celebrations are largely over for Christmas.  They haven't quite begun for New Year's, and we are in between.  In between isn't necessarily a bad place to be.  Some of us need this time to recuperate from a busy holiday season.  Some of us need this time to plan for 2016.  Some of us use this time to reflect and look forward.

I am in two of those groups, the recuperation and reflection groups.  Tonight I went over 6hrs between meals which only added to the need for recuperation.  Health needs combined with busy schedules will do that.  December had been so busy that writing, blogging, and marketing and promotion all largely came to a halt.  My first blog post of the month went up Sunday as a result, and kind of looks like a personal newsletter.

 

As I share in that post, I couldn't get my head around marketing and promotion this Christmas.  Eventually I agreed that people do like to find deals at this time of year and figured I'd put together a 10% off deal direct from my printer/shipper.  After doing the math, I realized that anyone taking advantage of the deal for ALL my paperbacks, would in-effect, give themselves two of the books for FREE!  This deal is still on till January 3rd, so if you have friends or reading groups, or even Bible study groups interested in new material, send them this link.

30 Days of Advent Colouring Journal!

A new book came out at the beginning of December that you may only have heard about if you follow me on my social media accounts via LinkedIn, G+, Twitter, Pinterest or Facebook.  The new book is enttitled, "30 Days of Advent Colouring Journal".  It is available via Amazon and other online locations for $8.49.  Each of the 30 days contains an Advent thought, a Jesse Tree thought, Scripture, questions, an image to colour, and a place to journal your thoughts for that day.  For years where Advent can end up taking 32 days, there are two "insert" dates at the back of the book, with notes in the front introduction suggesting where to insert them into your monthly celebration.  Colouring images range from very simple to quite complex, allowing all members of the family to get in on the colouring and journaling.  Buy a new copy of the book each year and develop colouring journal keepsakes where you can look back on thoughts God gave you in years past, as well as watch your family's colouring prowess grow with time.


FIVERR

Also new this month, I joined Fiverr.com and have several writing gigs up there.  One poem gig has already sold, a floppy disk brochure holder has sold, and another gig is enroute to being delivered.  If you'd like to check out what's on there, go to my profile here:  https://www.fiverr.com/songdove

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Wrap-up and Top 10 Lists

One of the things people like to read when the year comes to an end, are Top 10 lists.  Here is my list of the top pages and posts from my blog over the course of 2015.  This was difficult to put together because the page/post trackers I use either don't track by year (only tracking for "all time") or they don't take into account ALL traffic in a given year, only focusing on NEW or Unique visitors!  So I'll give you two lists:

All-Time Top 10:

Goal-setting. Revisiting an old Friend 276 views

Busy Weekend Coming Up! Christmas Sale and Google Play Winter Give-away! 247 views

A Conference, Zombies, the World Stage and the Christian – a word from a watchman! 105 views  

Genesis 17: God, Will You Bless My Efforts on Your Behalf? 98 views  

Every High Thing Must Come Down, So Lift Up the Mighty Shield of Faith, Because I’m Not Givin’ Up! 80 views

Review of The Name Quest, by John Avery 73 views
 
Deuteronomy 4: Of Words, Hearts and the Nature of God 71 views

Where is the Church in Our Throw-Away Society and its Accompanying Culture of Death?! 71 views

“Back to School Bundle for the Entire Family!” 68 views

Welcome to a totally new rendition of “The Twelve Days of Christmas”! 65 views

Top 10 for 2015 - Unique Visitors Only:

Mom's Little Black Book: Godly Advice for the High School Graduate    153 views

Valentine's Day Giveaway    140 views

Home page / Archives    107 views

A Conference, Zombies, the World Stage and the Christian - a word from a watchman!    97 views

(JVZ) Creating Your Very First E-Book!    70 views

Deuteronomy 4:  Of Words, Hearts and the Nature of God    57 views

Where is the Church in Our Throw-Away Society and its Accompanying Culture of Death?!    57 views

Genesis 17:  God, Will You Bless My Efforts on Your Behalf?    51 views

Songdove Books $15 e-Courses for the Aspiring Author    38 views

"Back to School Bundle for the Entire Family!" 38 views

(jvz) So you want to be an author!  22-Day E-Course Based on Practical Thoughts on Becoming an Author"    37 views

As you can see, there are some similarities between the two lists.  These lists change again if I pull them from Google Analytics, but although I can get to be a statistics junky at times, I won't bore my readers with a third iteration of what visitors were tracked to come up with yet another list.

I pray as you look back over 2015 this week, that you will see God's hand guiding you through the difficult times, bring blessings your way in the good times, and showing you the silver lining.  I pray God's blessings over you in 2016 as well.

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Latest Content on the Songdove Musings Blog:

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Haven't Blogged All Month!

I must ask everyone's forgiveness.  I just realized that my last blog posting took place near the final weekend in November.  At that time, I was just putting together my latest book: 30 Days of Advent Colouring Journal, and diving into a busy choir season with Kelowna Community Gospel Choir. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEGdI13dZmg Add to that playing Mom's Taxi for my daughter's …

Read more.

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What God Did With Life Lessons. . . Amazing!

There is a saying that when life hands you a lemon, make lemonade.  There is a more cynical and destructive version that says if life hands you a lemon, toss it back as hard as you can!  As I was sitting at my dining room table eating breakfast this morning, I realized that God has gone and done BOTH and …

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Ruth Chapter 3: Sit Still, my daughter. . .

Ruth 3:18  Then said she, Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall: for the man will not be in rest, until he have finished the thing this day. I had been in prayer this morning, bringing needs before the Lord and thanking Him, showing appreciation for all that He has provided this Fall.  I was …

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