July, 2017 - Frankly, My Dear . . .

Frankly, on Faith: Isaiah 43

Jul 16, 2017 | 4 comments

by Molly Jo Realy @RealMojo68

Frankly, On Faith.

Our God promises change. His entire existence is not about keeping things the same, but making things better for His Children. He will do whatever it takes to keep us safe, to bolster us, and to bring us home.

But now, O Jacob, listen to the LORD who created you.
O Israel, the one who formed you says,
“Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.
I have called you by name; you are mine.”
~Isaiah 43:1 NLT

Sure, we don’t always see it. Sometimes, this fallen world attacks us left and right. Sometimes a change isn’t material or even tangible. It just is.

But our God promises change. And in the quiet crevasses of thought, in the loud chaos of the day, when we turn from the busyness of all this world calls us to do, and give just a few undiluted moments of attention to Him, we see He is indeed changing things for the better.

He will fulfill His promises and not be slow about it, for His timing is perfect. He will bring His Family together.

And He will change things.

Just you wait and see.

Frankly, On Faith: Isaiah 43

TWEET THIS: Frankly, on Faith: Isaiah 43- Our God promises change. @RealMojo68 #franklyonfaith #faith

And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!

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The Game of Perfection

Jul 15, 2017 | 2 comments

by Molly Jo Realy @RealMojo68

It’s a ~~little known~~ widely recognized fact that I may or may not be a fan of having all my ducks in a row. Remember the peace I mentioned yesterday with my multitude of Happy Planners? And if y’all follow me on either Facebook or Instagram, you’ll occasionally see what my cousin lovingly refers to as a “perfect” house. Boy, did I laugh when she sent that message!

Well, it’s true I’m not a fan of chaos in any form. I like a clean house, a structured schedule, a dependable paycheck . . . You get the idea.

And so I was just as surprised as you are, when I was cleaning out the game closet and found this gem still around:

Game of Perfection

I was even more surprised when I took to playing it every night for the past week.

Now don’t look at me like that, Mother! Yes, I know it’s a kid’s game. But I also know it’s good for adults.

Don’t believe me? Let’s run down the benefits of game playing:

eye-hand coordination
tactile recognition
memory and cognition

And the most important:

nerve stability

Yes, this is where I admit that I still jump every time the board pops up and the little pieces fly. I’m happy to announce yesterday I beat the clock!

Sure, I like the phone games of Candy Crush, Paradise Bay, and Disney Emoji. But there’s something about playing childhood games that continue to bring me back to a place of happiness.

The laughter of young friends, the taste of Mom’s cookies, the scent of summer.

What games do you still like to play?

TWEET THIS: Frankly, My Dear . . . The Game of Perfection. @RealMojo68 #game #perfection

And Frankly, My Dear . . . that’s all she wrote!

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Five Things Friday: My Happy Planners

Jul 14, 2017 | 2 comments

by Molly Jo Realy @RealMojo68

Frankly, My Dear . . . : Five Things Friday

Okay. So, I guess we knew this post had to happen sooner or later, right? Y’all know my love for Happy Planning. I mean, from the day I brought my first one home I started telling you about it. Remember 2017 Prep: My Happy Planner? And Hobbes’ Mexican Chicken Meatloaf?

I laughed at the groups on Facebook. I saw ridiculous posts of women with four and five planners and entire shelves devoted to the art of the plan.

“No,” I told myself. “I will not be one of those. I will not be a ‘Planner Babe’ who can’t function without a big book at my side. No.”

And then the Universe laughed.

Because the more I used my first planner, the more I fell in love with it. That’s right. Two key words in that sentence: “first” and “more.” Mm-hmm. You already know where this is going, am I right?

Frankly, My Dear . . . : MoJo’s Happy Planners

I suppose I should explain myself . . .

Frankly, My Dear . . . : MoJo’s First Planner

This is my first planner. I purchased it to help keep track of all my social media work. Then I bought some expansion packs like the menu planner and home planner sets. Little did I know how it would change my life. Creativity brings peace, so whether I’m planning a meal or working out the budget, using my Planner makes me, well, Happy. I think that’s the whole point.

Frankly, My Dear . . . : MoJo’s Second Planner: Blessings Abound.

2. Realizing what a blessing my Happy Planner is, I picked up a second one. I don’t remember to write every day, but when I do, I’m astounded by the little “pennies” I keep track of. From a friendly client to a free Starbucks to a bill that was paid, all the little “Thank You’s” the Universe blesses me with go into this book. The year’s only half over, and already I’m overwhelmed with seeing how it’s a wonderful life.

Frankly, My Dear . . .: MoJo’s Recipe Planner

3. Of course, after I used a few of the menu pages, I realized I had to get a separate book for all my recipes. I can plan party menus, holiday delights, and keep tracking of my grocery lists all in one great location. It’s complete with great foodie quotes, and kitchen measurements. How sweet is that?!

Frankly, My Dear . . . : MoJo’s Blue Ridge Planner

4. Ah, Blue Ridge. That wonderful writers conference that beckons me each May. Of course this year I put together my own binder. Class list? Check. Appointments list? Check. To Do With Friends list? Check. Plenty of blank paper for note taking and idea making. A calendar I could fill, or not, as I chose. And that ever-inspiring dashboard. [Click here to read about my Blue Ridge Happy Planner.]

Frankly, My Dear . . . : MoJo’s Blogging Planner

5. My Blogging Planner. I just picked this one up this month. With my new website and the forthcoming redesign for Frankly, My Dear . . . and all the blog traffic coming and going, I wanted one special place to note my online presence and to track contributors for Frankly, My Dear. And let’s be real. That awesome Peacock Pen from Paige needed a home.

What’s that? You saw more Planner covers in the top photo? Aww, I can’t get nothin’ by you, can I?

Frankly, My Dear . . .: MoJo’s Extra Planners

Additional Planner covers come in sets of three. So when I created-from-scratch started my Blue Ridge Conference Planner, I had two cover sets left over. The one on the left above is now used as a “memory” planner. As each month passes, I take the pages from my main planner and transfer to this one. It serves as a great record keeper, and I don’t have to search far to find notes. On the right is an as yet unpurposed cover set. I’m thinking I may turn it into my Holiday Planner. I can picture it now: recipes, gift guides, short stories, shopping lists. Yes. Yes, that’s what I’ll do. Thanks for helping me figure that out.

Soon I’ll have Planner Lucky Number 8: I’m going to start a novel bible for CENTRAL. I didn’t do so with NOLA and I wish I had. [Read: #AmWriting: Using a Calendar to Storyboard Your Novel.] As soon as I start CENTRAL, I’ll track character notes, backstory, magazine clippings, thoughts, and of course, the dreaded rough draft.

Yikes. I mean, yea.