That Crazy "Mug" Shot, An Epiphany in a Hair Salon, and My 5th Child

Well, it’s official. All of blogworld (or the handful of people who read this blog) has now seen exactly what the UPS man, my husband and God Himself have seen for years: the real Lisa Whittle. Is it bad when your own mother doesn’t even recognize you? :) Oh well. Just in case you’re wondering...nope. I have absolutely no regrets about posting my scary-looking mug on last Monday’s blog entry. At least now I don’t have to worry about running into someone I know at the grocery store without my make-up! I think it might be a pleasant surprise to anyone who saw that fateful post. :)

I guess I need to stop and say a word of thanks to my hubby for letting me post such a deranged looking picture of me on the Internet. Especially since I know how important physical appearance is to a man (See the book For Women Only on this topic…great book). Honey, I’m sorry I took away your bragging rights about your wife. Thanks for still thinking I’m hot, even after that! :)

Actually, the pictures might have been the easy part to post. I mean, most women know all too well the magic our make-up bag holds and dip into its magic on a daily basis so as not to scare small animals and/or children. (Some of you confirmed this through your comments!) But posting my soul to you in the form of other things I don’t want you to see was quite a bit harder.

Honestly, though it was a challenge, it wasn’t that much of a choice for me. I don’t think at this point I have any other option but authenticity. Not after what happened to me in a hair salon a couple of years ago. It was as close to an epiphany as I have ever come. That is, if you believe in “epiphanies…”

Ephiphany: a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience. (dictionary.com)

On one hand, it was an extraordinarily commonplace occurrence. Me. The hair salon. A high-energy stylist. Sitting in the chair for my 8-week foiling process. Grateful for the overhaul, but more than a little bored. But on the other hand, there was nothing commonplace about it. Because little did I know that this very commonplace occurrence would actually be the embryonic stage of my 5th child. Who’s due date is, ironically, almost exactly 2 years on the dot to that same hair appointment: May 15th, 2008.

If you have seen my blog profile or know me personally, you may be a bit baffled by the knowledge that I actually have 4 (and ½) children instead of the three I listed. My first three carry my DNA, but my 4th baby was adopted (and birthed, actually -- I'll explain) and my 5th baby is no longer an embryo, but not yet birthed. Ok, so I am using some of these terms lightly, but if you have ever written a book you know what I mean. Book writing/publishing is a labor and delivery, if ever I’ve experienced one! There’s a lot of waiting, hoping, praying, pushing, sweating, grunting, groaning and stretching…ooh…I'm reliving the memories just thinking about it. Somebody get me an epidural! Stat! :)

My 4th baby is my first book, The 7 Hardest Things God Asks a Woman to Do, released last March. I call it my “adopted” child because that is exactly what it is. (Or should I say “she” since ships are always named after women…and so are hurricanes, for that matter. :)) My co-author for that book is my precious mother, Kathie Reimer, and she was the birth mother of the project. It was her idea/inspiration, and she was gracious enough to let me ride her very capable coattails and contribute to a portion of the book. (You can read more about the book and hear more about the story of it’s “birth” by visiting my website at http://www.lisawhittle.com/). This child is very important to me, and it was especially special to get to share my first experience of book writing with my mom. (Thanks, momma! :))

My 5th child is my latest book, Behind Those Eyes: What’s Really Going on Inside the Souls of Women. It’s no longer an embryo, but still hasn’t been birthed. Let’s say “she” is currently residing in an incubator. :) She has been written, edited, and is currently undergoing some “grooming” to get her completely ready to present to the reading public. To tell you that I am excited about this book is an understatement of monumental proportions. It is a book that is super close to my heart. It goes there. It gets real. I get real. And to think that it all started with a simple conversation in a hair salon. A commonplace occurrence turned into a major epiphany. That is, if you believe in epiphanies.

I actually prefer to believe in divine encounters. I can’t wait for you to read about mine when the book is born in May.

I know…that is quite a ways off. But you know how it is when you are pregnant…you want to share the news with everyone! So today…though I can’t share with you the contents of the book…I want to show you…my bloggy friends, both old and new, an exclusive first look at the newborn…no one else has seen “her” yet…



Well, what do you think? Is “she” cute? :)

So, look. I know I can’t start talking about the contents of the book so far out from “her”due date. But what I can do is share with you a few of the themes in the book that are near and dear to my heart. These are things that have been weighing on my heart for a very long time. It’s all a part of my passion for “getting real.” And that preceded this book, for sure.

I do so hope you will come back and visit me on Mondays, if at no other time. These are the days that I have committed to blogging and will do my best to share some nuggets and insights that hopefully will get you thinking and challenge you! My motivation in blogging is always to point people to Christ…to inspire or move them to see His beauty and go deeper with Him. I feel that responsibility when I write, and you can feel free to keep me in check with that! Of course, don’t chastise me too much if I throw in some fun/ silly posts or pics of my kids now and then. I believe God loves it and is honored when we celebrate the life He has given us in this way, as well! :)

But back to Mondays. Here’s what you can expect if you come back at the start of every week…

~ Devotionals -- I have written some devotionals that have been featured on Crosswalk.com and various other ministries, and I will occasionally share those with you. These include thoughts…Scriptures…etc…and will tie into the theme of what I’m blogging about.
~ Stories – I will be sharing some personal stories from other women (with their permission, of course) and some from my own life, on the subject. If you have something to contribute, please let me know! I love learning from others.
~ Bible studies – I love digging into the Word, learning truth, and sharing that with others. So, I will be doing that and gleaning lessons from the lives of the Bible heroes we all love so much! I may even acquaint you with a few you might not be as familiar with. :)
~ Practical hands-on ways to deal with issues – I am all about action, action, action! I myself like to have practical things to help me implement what I learn. Otherwise, learning is great but doesn’t cause real change. My hubby does this in our SS class and we call it "Now What?" Once again, I think I’ll steal his stuff and use it here.
~ Questions to get you to think and reflect on the issue. – My blogging girlfriend, MaryBeth (http://www.marybethwhalen.com/) suggested this, and I think it is a great idea. Thanks, girl!

So…that is the general idea for what is to come for this blogging girl. Feel free to let me know what you think and what interests you the most. I want to write about things you want to read about! I’ll post other fun stuff that comes up during the week some weeks, too, so please keep visiting me. (I usually have something to share!) But I’m committed to this "get real" thing on Mondays…I’ll leave the recipes and home gardening tips to my very skilled culinary and horticultural friends! I like to know my strengths AND my weaknesses, folks! :)

Next week, I am going to tackle week one of a 3-week series on a subject that I think all of us can relate to. Hint: it manifests itself in different ways for different people, yet we usually deal with it in similar ways. It can affect relationships, stunt one’s growth, and carries a huge necessity to die to it daily.

On the journey with you!
Lisa :)