T.O.P.'s Tuesday ~ "Allen's imposing strength and..."

This is an exciting week as it pertains to the publication process of Where's Heidi? One Sister's Journey. At 4:30 p.m. this coming Friday the cover will first be revealed at the Heidi Allen Remembrance Garden with the cover revealed on the blog sometime after 6 p.m. or as soon as I get home from the press conference, which ever is first. 

My first week back to school is taking MUCH adjustment. I am thankful that I love to work with children and that I enjoy the people I work with. I don't go "work", I join an extension of my family Monday through Friday. Not too many people can say this. 

I probably worked harder over the weekend as it pertains to my writing and speaking than I did all week on a mental level but physically, school wiped me out. Need to transition back to working during the day and sleeping at night instead of my nocturnal writer's hours and sleeping later into the morning. 

Please don't misunderstand me, I love my job but miss the time spent writing and in preparation for speaking events when I am at school. But during the summer I missed seeing the children and experiencing their first "a-ha" moment on something that has challenged them. I am living the dream with a job I love during the day and another I love even more during the afternoon and evening. A supportive husband, daughter, parents, family, and friends are the cherries on top of a super sundae of love and God's provision.

News to report: 
* I heard from the editor with an update of her progress. I look forward to getting it back so I can learn from her edits as I go through to make this the best book I can. 
* Mags and Dad have completed a couple new book trailers since last week. Wow! They are an amazing team and I look forward to sharing them with you in the months to come.
* In three days I will host my first press conference to reveal the book's cover. This has been a fun and creative process. I pray there are enough cupcakes and balloons, lol. 
* Spent the weekend praying, preparing, and putting the finishing touches on my presentation later in the month for the Alliance Women. The event in Meridian is coming together nicely too. 
* Another potential speaking engagement in December. A women's tea, in the North Country. More information as it becomes available. 
* I am thankful for the notes, emails, posts, hugs, encouraging words, and prayers expressed since Heidi's disappearance but a humble thanks for all who share this with me in excitement for my first book. You are such a blessing to me. 

I cropped a portion of this week's T.O.P.'s Tuesday article because of the way the words caught my attention as I read. Mike LaBoeuf writes, "Allen's imposing size and strength make her an especially tough net player..." with details of who assisted and other stats.

A question we have heard  in the past is "How could they have taken Heidi? She was strong and a force to be reckoned with." This isn't her friends and family building up a false image of this New Haven teen but instead it was truth. I have written a few newspaper articles and the first thing the editor tells you is to be objective and honest. Let the reader develop their own take away.

It isn't only Heidi's family who believed her to be of "imposing size and strength" but the journalist watching her play sports, the girls on the receiving end of those 11 kills and 2 aces, and the spectators remember Heidi Allen as B.C.'s Tower of Power.

So how does a tower crumble and become weak enough to be kidnapped? I do not know the answer to this question. I used to lose sleep asking myself those "w" questions - who, what, where, why, how? BUT I have learned, it isn't for me to understand and for the time being, it isn't my time to know the answers. Only God knows.

As we wait for answers, wait for the publication process, and wait for Heidi's return I am reminded daily of the truth wrapped up in God's Word. I might not like to wait but it is a part of life and I will do it patiently with the Lord because His time is not like ours. 
Photo is courtesy of the Palladium Times, Oswego, New York. Journalist and Photographer was Mike LaBoeuf 

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Be still before the Lord
    and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
    when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
    do not fret—it leads only to evil.
For those who are evil will be destroyed,
    but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.
Psalm 37:7-9