It seems that everywhere we turn there are ads to entice the consumer to purchase a product to reduce weight. When are you most likely to see ads on gym memberships and weight loss programs? After the Christmas holidays, of course. Does this type of marketing pitch place guilt on the general public? Why does every ad have to dictate the common woe, “I’ve tried every diet out there and nothing worked until I tried…   ”  Then there are the television pictures of obesity making new waves in the public eye.

 How many consumers use their new purchases of treadmills for their personal line of clothing? They turn into an ideal pants rack and perhaps a quilt rack. How many mini trampolines do you see up for sale on notice boards? Perhaps the pitches of sales do reach the wallets of consumers but how do you measure weight loss success or the marketer’s success? Could it be the satisfaction of admitting that if you purchase a piece of equipment you really may grasp the incentive of becoming healthier? But does it actually do any good to look at it in your basement or garage?

 Marketing does play an informative role of healthy choices. Restaurants now have healthy selections on their menus. They advertise low fat foods and the latest craze is gluten free items to accommodate the healthy conscious consumer. Do healthy choices really help with weight loss or is there any benefit to a more diligent eating habit of counting calories? What ever happened to Canada’s food guide? Are green fruits and vegetables still good for consumption? Maybe if it’s organically produced? Oh, but it’s costly to eat a healthy diet.

 The professionals in the medical field may say that a good balance of a healthy diet and exercise is the best and most healthy choice a person can make. Yes, that advice has far outlived all the fads and ads. Think about it…    how much enjoyment has come to your family by participating in outside activities and taking time to prepare and share healthy meals together. Perhaps the conscious dieter has its benefits but a good balance is hard to beat. Where are your pants hanging? On the dusty treadmill or collecting dust in the great outdoors?

 Janice Keats

On The Journey!

 Many years later when I went back to my grandparents’ home for a visit, I heard that she too, was back for her vacation. I wanted to see her so we could reminisce about the good times we had that summer those many years ago. With excitement welling up I went to her house and knocked on her door. When she approached me I asked her with great anticipation, “Do you remember me?” She looked at me with that sharp look of wonder and replied, “no.” With the attempt to probe her memory, I uttered my name. “It’s me, Jan.” That didn’t help; my name meant nothing to her. Surprised I responded, “What? You don’t remember that summer when we had been double dating and did all sorts of fun things together?”

 “No. I’m sorry but I don’t remember you,” she said apologetically. She didn’t even have a vague memory of who I was at all. What could I do next? There was nothing I could say to help penetrate those magnificent memories we shared. I walked away feeling so disappointed.

 As I pondered those moments, my thoughts focused on heaven. I thought, “If my friends won’t know me here on earth then will they at least know me in heaven?”  I have many friends and relatives who have gone to their eternal home. I wondered if we would know each other. The Bible reveals many Scriptures on heaven.

 “After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.” (Revelation 7:9 NIV)

 Yes, many will be there! I will be looking for my loved ones. That is my hope. The Bible says in Hebrews 11:16 that God has prepared a future for those who have placed their hope in Him. “Instead they were longing for a better country — a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.” (Hebrews 11:16 NIV)

 “To find a friend one must close one eye; to keep him, two.”  Norman Douglas

 On the Journey!! Jan

It was a great weekend at the Ottawa Capital Hoedown in August. We were told it was the largest country concert in Canada. There were several well known country artists who performed over the 3 day event. The Keats, my daughters, shown here performed on Saturday afternoon ahead of Sarah Evans and Rascal Flatts. That did a great job entertaining the audience. The weather turned out to be fantastic the entire weekend and the crowds packed the field. The band was a family band with Sharlene and Jolene’s husbands playing guitars and my son, Troy on the drums. An addtion to the band was their bass player friend, Matt.

The press reviews were great overall. A blogger from Ottawa, wrote about all the happenings daily which is online at Metro news, Ottawa. The Keats also had radio interviews throughout Ontario. Even though my husband and I drove to Ottawa, it was only for the weekend but well worth it. Music is a major part of our lives. To see our kids involved and be enriched in the music industry is very rewarding because they are talented and they offer their voices and songwriting skills to create music for the music lovers.

On the Journey!  Jan

“Is my writing good enough to pursue the next level of my writing career?” I wondered as I was reviewing my aging resourceful writing notebook. My husband had recently announced another move, and in a few weeks our family was on our way to Halifax. That was ten years ago.

I had been writing for several years up to that point but I knew I needed a boost; something that would move me out of my comfort zone. I needed to extend my reach and climb a little higher. I guess a change of location was my new launching ground. My writing credits included my poetry book, several articles, and I had experience writing for a newspaper.  I was also a part of a local writer’s group, one that I formed. During those years I was working on an evangelism book. It was material that I compiled for Bible studies mostly. It wasn’t until two more moves within Halifax that I really settled. I became a little more serious and adventurous with my new sights on seriously seeking a publisher for my new manuscript.

I decided to search for a writer’s group and other resources online so that I could have a connection with other writers. I stumbled across the Halifax Metro Christian Writer’s Group and the contact person, Janet Sketchley, invited me along to their monthly meeting. It sure was daunting at first, being new to the community and new to a writer’s group but I was determined to follow through with my endeavour of stepping my writing career up a notch.

As I was searching I found an online writer’s group called Inscribe. I wanted to connect to a family of writers so I could learn and share and feel a sense of belonging. It is somewhat lonely at the writer’s desk so being a part of a group of supportive, Christian writers was the link that kept me focused on my writing. And, it cost very little to join. At the same time, blogging was very new to me. I committed to blogging with many online Inscribe friends as well.

Sometimes as a writer, the old “not good enough” feeling creeps up and I wonder if I can reach new heights. I read about members on the Inscribe blog who are very new to the writing field and many who are seasoned writers and editors. It doesn’t matter what level of writing that is represented because all members are there to encourage one another. How else can we learn and grow? Well, I have submitted to the Inscribed Anthology and my piece was accepted for publication. I was excited about that. That part of my journey with Inscribe was so rewarding. I have been submitting to other contests through Inscribe as well. I haven’t won an entry yet but I will continue to enter nonetheless. It’s competitive and fun.

I only know one member personally but after all these years I have made a connection. I have received support and I have contributed also. I could never close shop with Inscribe. This journey I am on keeps me grounded and focused as I continue to connect with this wonderful group and resource.

I did eventually find a publisher for my latest book, A Journey to the Heart of Evangelism, and I still continue to write and query various periodicals and have been successful. My writing career was not an overnight success but the joy of writing keeps me motivated and determined to keep on keeping on!

Janice Keats

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 Jesus promised that once we discovered His pure joy, no one would ever be able to take it away. (John 16:22) NIV

 A Christian friend and I met each other in a shopping mall recently and as we were chatting I couldn’t help but take notice his expression of joy. I felt it was proper and due him to make mention of his exuberant joy that I know comes from serving the Lord. I said to him, “you are always so full of joy!”

 He didn’t respond with words but by action. Placing his hands on my shoulders he whisked me around full circle and pointed upward to the store name that was directly behind me. It was called “The Source.” The word ‘The’ was in small letters and ‘Source’ was in very large and prominent letters. As I turned back, he paused for a moment and gave me that raised eyebrows look as if to say, Need I say more? “God is my source of joy, what else can I say?” he said reassuringly.

 After all, isn’t that what Jesus exemplified? Pure joy? Doesn’t He long for His children to experience His joy? Even in the midst of trials God is our ever-present companion. He provides the pure joy that gives us strength to endure all kinds of trials. In the book of James we find that joy is exemplified when faced with trials of many kinds. (James 1: 2-3)) His words make our joy in Him complete. (John 17:13)

 As I continue to come in contact with my friend, his expression of joy is always evident, and his faith is always joyfully expressed. His true joyful attitude is one that has confidently spilled over to others and me.

 PathwayThoughts…

Do you possess the joy that ought to spill over to those you come into contact with?

Do you reveal the SOURCE?

When was the last time you saw the expression of joy by a friend or family member?

What are your thoughts? Feel free to leave a comment.

 Prayer focus: Those who need to be refreshed in the joy of the Lord.

 On the Journey! Janice Keats

 John 1:35-42

 When two disciples heard John announce that Jesus was among them, they decided to follow Him. Jesus saw them following and turned and asked, “What do you want?”

To which they replied, “Where are you staying?”

“Come,” He replied, “and you will see.”

 Imagine how they must have reacted. They quickly became attentive when they learned that Jesus was present and they wanted to know where He was staying. After all, Jesus was the One many waited in anticipation for. Finally, Jesus arrived and was simply passing by. The disciples went with Jesus and spent the day with Him.

 The first thing that Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him that he had found the Messiah. He brought Simon Peter to Jesus. Amazingly the next day they set out and Jesus found Phillip and said to him, “Follow me.” Then Phillip found Nathaniel and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote about.” (John 1:45)

So, what did they all want? Well, we know that when they all came into contact with Jesus they stayed, they were drawn, and they followed.

 Was Jesus testing their faith when he asked what they wanted? Was He looking for a spoken act of faith? Was He looking for an acknowledgement of who He was? Jesus didn’t ignore them as they began to follow; He became their friends.

 Maybe we could ask ourselves, what do we want? Do we want a fulfilling relationship with Jesus? Do we want to follow? Do we want to wait upon the Lord to draw us near to Him? Do we want to bring others to Him?

This was the beginning of the disciples’ journey with Jesus. They appeared to be eager followers. Did they tire at any time? Maybe. Do we grow weary in well doing? Yes. But the beauty of Christianity is coming together for rejuvenation. In other words following together!

The Keats perform at the ECMA'S

The Family Band at the ECMA'S

 My three children have been involved in music since they were very young, beginning with brass instruments, followed by piano, guitar, drums, keyboard and most recently added a mandolin to the group. My daughter’s known as “The Keats”,  have been singing country music for the past 6 or so years and have been slowly but surely climbing the country ranks professionally. With a manager in place and a talent for songwriting, Sharlene and Jolene are on their way to realizing their dream of sharing their talent through music.

The most recent news is to be selected to perform at the Rising Star Showcase at the CCMA’s in Edmonton on September 9th. They will be among 8 country performers to present their talent to a large audience of fans and country music professionals and peers. The Rising Star award will be presented following the showcase. Our family wishes them all the best!

Here is a link from the Gander Beacon: http://www.ganderbeacon.ca/Entertainment/2010-08-27/article-1699809/Keats-think-big-at-Country-Music-Week/1

And their myspace site: http://www.facebook.com/#!/thekeatsmusic

What a pleasant surprise to discover my book in a store recently. Then again, why should I be surprised? I spent hours promoting my book online sending  promotional material to 300 bookstores across Canada. In a similar pattern, when people pray and receive answers they are often surprised questioning God. Did God really answer my prayer? Coincidently, the day before I witnessed my book on the store shelf I was having negative thoughts about my book along with my hard work promoting it. I thought, what’s the use in spending so much time promoting my book? No one is intersted in it anyway.

Well isn’t it just like God to respond in a subtle way? He knows my heart and concerns. He knows my every thought and comes alongside to intervene and keeps my focus of him steady as a rock. Yes, doubts will arise, especially when we do not see our wishful and earnest desires come to pass, but God always provides a positive response. I will continue to work and write hard because He is the center of my passion.

Teaching on "The Duty of a Christian."

Teaching on, "Discover How to Share Your Faith."

My first workshop was a tremendous success in that the sharing and discussion went very well. It was so good to share together and learn from each other. My first session on, “The Duty,” was a learning session for me personally. As people shared their knowledge of the Scriptures mentioned, I discovered that I certainly had so much more to learn also. God’s Word is so powerful isn’t it?

The group consisted of the combined small group ministry units, from my church in the community of Sackville. All groups came together for two sessions on evangelism which is taken directly from my latest book, The Journey to the Heart of Evangelism. The second session, “Discover How to Share Your Faith Story,” was an open sharing time as many delegates shared their personal faith stories. I challenged them to write out their very own faith story in point form using the tools I provided, and in the end it proved to be beneficial because some have never written about their faith AND/OR put it into practice.

Keeping with the theme, I would like to throw out a challenge to my blog readers:

I would like to commence a discussion on the topic of ,

“The Duty of a Christian.”

1. What is it? What is involved in doing the Lord’s work?

2. Are we to be active witnesses in all that we do?

3. What happens when we become weary in doing the Lord’s work? What are your thoughts?

I would love to hear from you all on this. It will be interesting to read and also, it will be a great help for me in my future workshops. Thank you in advance and I can’t wait to hear from you!

Leave your comments below…

I will be checking up on you!!!! 

Love from me, Jan

Book Signing

   

friends from my writer’s group

Finally, my book, A Journey to the Heart of Evangelism, have arrived at my door. It was so exciting to actually see the book and glance through it for the first time. My book signing event was wonderful. Many people came out to celebrate with me and show their support. It was held at Noah’s Ark in Halifax in October. I sold a total of 17 books which is a very good day in book sales. I appreciate all who came out, especially my friends from my writers group. The special moment didn’t go unnoticed at my work place either. Staff gathered around and offered prayer that God would indeed use this tool to benefit the readers.

I am presently working very diligently to promote the book via email, mail outs and websites. When I tire from that it’s back to work on my other projects. My next book is about experiencing freedom. Of course, you will soon learn about the details…