Ahhh...Christmas in the Snow

I'm so grateful not to be sick anymore that I'm going to be adventurous and head out and take a bus to do a little staple shopping and some Christmas shopping. It's a week before Christmas, and while it will be the first Christmas without my father, I'm really grateful that I have a close-knit family that has gotten one another through the sadness. And my dad was so full of life, he wouldn't want us to be anything but joyful. He was really wonderful, and he didn't even really care about receiving presents for himself. I can remember Christmases as a child where he got so much joy from seeing us all unwrap out presents, he would take so many photos that you would think he was a professional photographer. And he usually was the last to open his gifts. I really miss him, and I can't stress enough how one should cherish every moment they have with loved ones. Especially around this time of year.

So I want to wish everyone a very happy and safe holiday, and encourage everyone to think about starting a new tradition with your family this year. My mother is taking my niece to The Nutcracker because she is a budding dancer and singer, and I'm sure it will turn into an annual event. I myself am going to a Christmas Eve by candlelight service at the church I've been attending, Groveton Baptist on Rt. 1. I attended their Christmas Eve service about four years ago and it was the most beautiful service of any kind that I've ever been too.

Sometimes we get so caught up in all the shopping madness, we forget that this holiday is about celebrating Christ's birth, and giving HIM the glory. It's also about being with family. I myself plan to make Christmas Eve service a tradition for myself, and hopefully some of my family. I would love to see some of my friends there too.

Groveton Baptist is a very diverse church that welcomes all. Their mission is "to love people into the Kingdom of God" and that's exactly what they do. I hadn't planned to make this post an endorsement of the church, only an endorsement of celebrating Christmas for it's true origin, but this church truly celebrates Christmas the way it should be celebrated, that I believe it's worthy of the endorsement. If you want to really see what the true spirit of Christmas is, this service is not to be missed. It will be held at 7pm, on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24th at 6511 Richmond Hwy/Route 1. The church is on Facebook and its website is http://www.grovetonbaptistchurch.org/

So again, I wish everyone a safe and happy holiday and encourage everyone to focus on not what difficulties are going on in your life, but on the blessings. Because when I sit down and really think about all I have to be thankful for, I realize I'm truly blessed. Here of some of the things I can think of off the top of my head:

1. A roof over my head and food to eat. Take a walk down to Foggy Bottom or Old Town even. You'll see plenty of homeless people that show you how blessed you are.
2. With the exception of my father, all of my immediate family are living and breathing and healthy. That's 3 sisters, 1 brother, and more than 18 nieces and grand nieces and nephews who bring me tons of joy.
3. I'm in great health (despite my uterine fibroid the size of a grapefruit).
4. I have amazing friends who have helped me through death, breakups, unemployment and more. I'd be in the crazy house without them and my family.
5. Freelance clients that pay my bills when I'm not working a professional contract. These have been like manna from Heaven on months when no temp work is available.

These are only a few things, but they are the things that get me up in the morning. Make your own list and tape it to your fridge. Then when you are having a crappy day, read it and remember things arn't so bad after all. And if it's an extra crappy day and the list doesn't help, meditate on Philippians 4:13 which says "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." It has always helped me get through the tough times.

Peace and Blessings,

April Crews

Sick but Still Breathin'

After a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday last week, I woke up Monday morning with my throat feeling like it's on fire, a hellish sinus headache, and now I've lost my voice and sound like Kermit the Frog. So I thought, since I can't do anything else, I'll blog.

If you haven't been following my blog, it's been a tough year. My father passed in March, and in June, to pour salt in the wound I got let go of a very promising temp assignment that I thought would become a permanent. It wasn't until the end of August that I got another gig through my staffing agency, and that gig ends December 31st.

But here's the cherry on top people. A few weeks ago I discovered I have a uterine fibroid the size of a grapefruit which has brought serious discomfort and extreme tiredness, among other things. So, along with all this, I wake up from a great week to be sick as a dog. This would be ok if I had sick leave. But I don't, and so I will be losing a substantial amount of money this week from not working. But what can I do? Nothing short of lobbying to change the name of the "common cold" to "common hell." Because that's what I've been in for 4 days. Hell.

But I've decided this: Yeah, I may be unemployed soon, and I may feel (and look) like hell. But what can I do but wait it out? Wait it out and be glad it's not something worse - like strep throat which is what I originally thought I had. So I'm gonna take the advice I once gave to an ex-boyfriend who really had nothing to complain about. "'Be happy you're alive. Some people didn't wake up today."

Since my father's death I really understand the significance of that statement. So even though I'm feeling sick as a dog, can't leave the house, can't do nothing, and have watched too many cable Christmas movies - I'm gonna eat my chicken soup and deal with it. Cause at least I got up this morning. And even though he's not here with me, I know my father would want me to be thankful for that.

Independence Day Miracle

I just submitted the following story to A Cup of Comfort for Christian Women. It is much like the Chicken Soup for the Soul book series. I will be submitting it to other publications as well, so I would much appreciate any feedback. Thanks!

It was a typical July morning – sunny and hot with clear, blue skies. My sister Kelly and I, her two sons – Ray, 11, and Devin, 9, and her boyfriend Joe (now her husband) were on our way to Virginia Beach for the July 4th holiday. Kelly was a new driver and really shouldn’t have been driving on an interstate highway, but she was confident, and I trusted that she was up to the task having before seen her prevent accidents with her smart driving skills. We all were excited about going to the beach, because it had been a while for all of us, and Kelly and I especially, needed a mini vacation. I had just started a new job three weeks prior as an office manager for a Baptist church, and while I loved it, it had been a lot more work than I ever could have imagined, and I needed a breather. Kelly was working a demanding job she hated, and was determined to get away, even if just for two days.

We all got packed into Kelly’s small Honda and were ready to go. We stopped off at a McDonald’s to get some breakfast before getting on the highway. As we all shuffled back into the car, I got a very eerie feeling. It was one I’d never felt before, so I dismissed it as paranoia and I thought nothing more of it. I didn’t realize what it was at the time, but I now know that it was God warning me of what was to come. He was telling me that a storm was coming, but he wasn’t going to let me drown.

We had been on the road for about three hours, and Devin, Raymond, and I had just woke up from a nap. Kelly noticed that we were waking up, and looked back at us to tell us that we were had about one more hour to go before we would arrive at the beach. The boys and I got excited and began cheering “One more hour to go,” and that’s when everything happened. Almost immediately after we began cheering, I heard what sounded like Kelly driving over a piece of plastic, and then she started to swerve. It didn’t scare me at first because I’d seen her accidentally drive over curbs without losing control of her car, but this time she was going 70 miles per hour, trying to keep up with the other drivers on the road who were practically running over her. She wasn’t used to going that speed, and she lost control of the car, skidded, and hit four trees just off the shoulder of the road.

I don’t remember crashing, but I must have blacked out for two to three minutes, because the next thing I remember was looking up to a flood of people running to the car trying to help me out. I remember thinking “WHAT is going on, and WHO are these people?” It wasn’t until I saw a man trying to pull open Joe’s door on the passenger side of the car that I realized that we had crashed.

The scene was complete chaos, like something out of a movie. I had blood running all down my face, with sawdust and shards of glass all through my hair, in my blouse, and my skirt –and my nephew Raymond was screaming. His leg had been caught in the front passenger seat where Joe had been sitting. People were trying to get him out and I was trying to calm him down, but he kept screaming. Joe finally realized why Ray was screaming and lifted the seat up, and with the help of several good Samaritans who pried the door open, Joe and Raymond were able to get out. Kelly and Devin had crawled out of the driver’s side seat window, and I, with the help of a man who extended me his arm, got out of the car and was helped to a patch of grass on the side of the road. There was a woman sitting on the ground where I sat with a cooler, and she asked me if I wanted a bottle of water. I told her yes, and drank the water while, she lifted hair out of my eyes, complimenting me on my Shirley Temple curls. As she wiped blood off my face, I looked around and noticed people scrambling everywhere. It literally looked like a crash scene out of a movie, but I still hadn’t realized the gravity of the situation. I called Kelly over to where I was sitting and asked her if I should call someone to pick us up. She gave me a bewildered, confused look, then turned and walked away. The woman helping me turned and kindly said to me, “You’re not going anywhere. You’ve got to go to a hospital!” I realized what she was saying made sense, but I think that I must have been in shock, and just wanted to get off the side of the road. I asked the woman how I was going to get to the hospital and she said that someone had called 911, and that an ambulance was on its way.

At the hospital, it took some time to get all the tests completed, but after about two hours, I was told that I didn’t have a concussion, only bruising and inflammation on the right side of my head, and that would go away in time. As for my family, Kelly had a minor laceration below her chin, Raymond also had a large cut below his chin, as well as a black eye, but thankfully, there was no injury to his leg, which had been caught behind the passenger side seat. Devin was practically untouched with a cut behind his ear. Joe, the only one who sustained a serious injury, had to get glass lodged inside his arm removed and stitched up. Being the stocky bodybuilder that he was, however, he didn’t seem fazed by the procedure. Kelly’s car hit four trees, and except for Joe none of us sustained serious or life-altering injuries.

I thank God for getting us through what was a very traumatic ordeal. It was only through his favor that my family and I were saved that day. In addition to the minor cuts and scrapes on my face I got from the accident, I continue to have sensitivity on the side of my head that has been ruled as mild, non-threatening nerve damage. I also have a scar on my right wrist from a large cut that was not stitched up in the hospital.

After the accident, I was frustrated that the doctors couldn’t do more about my head injury and that they hadn’t bothered to stitch up my wrist. However I am now thankful for these minor nuisances because they remind me that I am child of the most-high God, who through the blood of Jesus Christ I am saved, blessed and highly favored, and meant for great things. Since the accident, I have experienced the death of a parent, unemployment, and broken relationships that have made me want to give up and give in. But because of my scar and the nerve damage that remains, I am reminded that God has brought me through the wreckage – literally, and that as it says in the Philippians 4:13, that I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me. And as strange as it might sound, I am thankful to that accident, because it has shown me the true power of God, and strengthened my faith, my resolve and my life.

Clients, Heatwaves & Assenine Assumptions

Yesterday, I went out into the almost 100 degree heat, despite my asthma, to interview with a potential client. After my writing stint with Lockheed Martin ended, I'm finding it hard to consider going back to working a non-writing job. While some tell me to take whatever job I can find, as a Christian, I have faith that God will find me the kind of job I desire – because he did before. Lockheed Martin was just the beginning, like a trainer course. And I've decided that I'm just not going to settle anymore. I've done my time working menial jobs and I'm getting too old to do work that I'm not passionate about. I'm well aware of the economy, but I'm also well aware of God's power to bring me what my heart desires, as long as I focus on him. This is affirmed in Psalm 37:4 which states “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

So, I get to the site of the client - a restaurant in Georgetown, and the guy I'm supposed to interview with isn't there. The maitre de tells me he doesn't expect him in and I am thinking WTF? I was a bit perturbed, but instead of acting pissy, I ask the guy where the closest copy shop was, and decided that I would find the place, make copies of writing samples from my portfolio (my only copy), and call later to reschedule.

So, before I make the trek to the FedEx store to make copies, I get something to eat so I don't pass out on the way. While I'm chowing down I get a call from a 202 number I don't recognize. I expect the caller to be another online recruiter trying to get me to apply for an insurance sales position, but it turns out to be the man I was to meet with. He's apologetic and professional and asks if I am still in the area and able to come in to meet with him. I tell him yes, finish up my lunch and head over to the restaurant. After a 30 minute interview, he tells me he'd like for me to write a press release about a recent political issue he is having with the DC Historic Board, and if he likes it, he will bring me on. Sweet! The lesson: never make assumptions, because you truly can make an ass of yourself. I often hear people spout this wisdom, but rarely do I see people actually living by it.

In this particular case, the expression was head on. After getting home, I read the email my interviewer had sent me and discovered that I had read it wrong the first time. For some reason still unknown to me, I thought the email listed that interviews were being conducted between 1-3 pm. Turned out it interviews were being conducted at 3pm, as stated in the original email. Had I gotten pissy or even politely asked my interviewer why he hadn’t been there at 2:45 pm when I showed up, I would have looked like an ass.

The experience taught me another thing: don't rush, because it only leads to mistakes. I guess that is why God decrees it in Phillipians 4:6 that states "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." And the thing is, I normally live by this. I am a chronic rusher, and have learned to quote this scripture to myself when I find myself rushing. I obviously didn’t' this time because I apparently rushed through reading the original email. If I hadn't rushed through it, I would have known that the interviews began at 3pm, and simply waited the 15 minutes for my interviewer to show up. I would have also gotten the added delight of basking in the presence of the eye candy that was the maître de - and let me tell you, he was an Italian sight for sore eyes.

So, another day, another lesson - or two in this case. I don't know if it is my father's death or something else, but I've been freelancing for more than 8 years and I've never made the mistakes I've been making lately. It's frustrating, but I sincerely believe that it must be God preparing me for something bigger and better. He's allowing me to make these mistakes now, so that when the time comes to bless me with my heart's desire - becoming a best-selling novelist and children's author, where there will be no room for mistakes - I will have my stuff together Then I will ride into the sunset basking in the wonderful joy of publishing success. Can I get an amen?

First Interview Frenzy

I went to work last Friday thinking it was going to be a pretty calm day after I got my two articles for Monday written. Turns out it was quite the opposite. As I’m about to scarf down a handful of almonds followed by a mango smoothie, my phone rings. I think nothing of it because I could tell that it was from the client’s office, and assumed it was just my contact calling. It wasn’t. It was a Major from the Air Force, calling me just like he said he would, about a project I am to interview him about. I didn’t think he would call me this early because he had just gotten back from being on leave. But he did. And I learned a valuable lesson.

So, I’m all over the place, trying to think of what to say next. “Oh hi Major Lincoln! So good to hear from you!” I say in an overly cheery voice. And I was happy to hear from him because I had a deadline for this story, and I was nervous about whether he would be mean or not. I mean, I've never known a major from the Air Force, or anywhere for that matter. I was pleasantly surprised however to find that the Major was perfectly pleasant to speak to. Unfortunately, I was perfectly unprepared.

So I bumble through my words as I speak to this man who is someone you shouldn’t bumble your words with. He’s part of a very prestigious, life saving project that I’m suppose to interview him about, and I sound like Rain Man. “Uh, major, hold on a moment while I get my questions.” I say as I rustle through papers. I realize I need to get myself together before doing this interview. “Hi, Major Lincoln, can I give you a call back in five minutes? Would that be ok?” He says sure and I say “Ok. Thanks. I’ll call you back in five minutes” I say stressing the five a little more than needed.

So I chug down a little more of the mango smoothie and as fast as I can, I scarf down the rest of my almonds. Still hungry but feeling a little better I find my notes with my questions, which are practically nothing. Just the Who, What, Where, and How. So I think of a few more questions and write them down.

Feeling more confident, I dial his number. “Hi Major Lincoln.” He says hello and I get right to the point. “Okay let’s start with why this project began. Why this instead of traditional method of delivering blood to those in theatre?” Wow, I surprise myself at how professional I sound. I really got it together quick. I’m such a professional. Never doubted myself for a minute. Well, maybe for a minute.

I finish the interview and take a deep breath. I did it! My first interview since I've been with Lockheed Martin. And it was successful despite my rough start. I'm still hungry so I go to the kitchen to buy some trail mix from the company vending machine and finish eating. I stop and think for a moment realizing that I must NEVER have a mishap like that one again. What if he hadn’t wanted me to call him back? What if he had been a total jerk? After this experience I will make sure I am prepared next time. I won’t make assumptions and I will put important calls on my calendar. I mean I generally put EVERYTHING on my calendar, including when I should take my next allergy pill or Tylenol if I’m having a headache (it’s not good to overmedicate). So, it’s not like me to not put important things on my calendar. I very rarely make that mistake. I definitely won't make it again and I’ll definitely be sure to eat breakfast first thing before any interview because I’ve learned this – conducting a kick-ass interview and hunger just don’t mix.

April's Infinite 2010 Plan

I got up Saturday morning at 9:23 am and realized that I must start setting my alarm on Saturdays as well as weekdays. There was a time when I got up no later than 7 am on Saturdays to go out and speed walk at least 3 miles. Then I'd go to the Del Ray Farmer's Market, get something healthy to eat and begin my day. But this past year, I made the excuse that it was to cold to go outside to walk, and I convinced myself the only way I could exercise was to join a gym. Then I decided that being an unemployed writer, who gets temp work when I can, that I couldn't afford a gym membership. So I then decided that I would do 15 -20 minutes of yoga at home each morning, or work out to the many yoga and aerobics tapes I have purchased. I avoided that by rationalizing that there wasn't enough room in my bedroom, which at the moment was my parent's basement filled with old furniture, holiday decorations and old toys of my nephews and nieces. In truth, it was a cluttered space, but much of the clutter was my own, which included old magazines, several books I hadn't read, old files of expired job descriptions and several old newspapers. I had already made the decision days ago that I was going to clean up and get rid of what I didn't need, but it wasn't until after I watched two fitness infomercials this morning, including the "Insanity" fitness program that I decided I would stop making excuses, get off my ass, and get moving.


Because I'm an environmentalist and believe one should recycle when possible, rather than just trashing everything and adding to the land fills, I will give all old furniture, toys and books and clothes I haven't worn in a year to thrift stores. I'll go through all my magazines and make a storyboard/collage. Once I rip out the pages I need for that, I'll throw those magazines away and donate the rest to my freecycle group. I created a storyboard two years ago and it was a great visual for keeping my goals in focus. So after I've given away all my junk and made my collage I'll have no excuses to keep me from exercising in my space, because all the clutter will be gone.


Getting organized and getting in shape are but two of my eight 2010 goals. I chose 8 because not only is it my favorite number (there's a childhood story behind this that I will blog about another time), but also because if you turn an eight around, it turns into the infinity symbol, which reminds me that my possibilities are infinite, and so is my success in reaching my goals. Here are my 8 goals:


Goal 1: Blog More. My last blog was in 2008. I didn't blog once in 2009. Someone slap me. I let anxiety and fear keep me from doing what I loved most. I was anxious that no one would read my blog, and feared that people might read and not like it. How pathetic is that? Don't ever let fear keep you from doing what you love. None of us know when God will call us, so it's up to us to make the best of the life we're given and make the biggest impact that we can.



Goal 2: Submit writing to agents, contests or publishers bi-monthly. There are so many writing contests and grants out there, once I realized the opportunities available to me, I wanted to kick myself. And there are tons of agents and publishers I didn't know about before that could be interested in my work. Again, time to lose the fear and just do it.


Goal 3: Go to the library at least once a week to work on editing children's novels and women's novels I've written or began writing. I can remember only working on my writing maybe 10 times in 2009. I was so afraid of failure and my room was in such shambles that I didn't put the time in that I should have, and I'll never get me published like that.


Goal 4: Clean room at least twice a month. This sounds simple, but I can tell you the many excused I've given myself not to do it. Cleaning my room on a regular basis will help me know where everything is and I won't keep duplicating files, stories and to do lists.


Goal 5: Eliminate credit card debt. This will not be easy an easy task. I've accumulated more than $5000 in debt, much of which is from ten years ago, when I was in college. Thinking about the money that Citibank and other credit card companies have made off of my interest makes me want to scream.



Goal 6: Balance my checkbook every day. I paid at least $300 in overdraft fees in 2009. I'm a struggling writer and that money could have gone toward meeting my personal and professional goals had I balanced my checkbook and kept track of my spending. This is just irresponsible. I'm almost 40 and it's time to grow up and be a big girl. What better way to start than to be financially responsible?


Goal 7: Do yoga everyday or at least, 5 times a week to maintain healthy mind and body. Basic yoga doesn't require a large space. And after doing just 10 minutes of yoga, I feel more energetic and more positive. There is no excuse for not doing it, unless I'm sick with ebola. And didn't they find a cure for that? Everyone has 10 minutes in the day to put aside for their health. Including me.


Goal 8: Apply only to jobs that I really want. Some people will say to take whatever job you can, but I've tried that method and it doesn't work for me. I'm a passionate person, and I need to be passionate about what I'm doing. And at this point in my life, being almost 40, it's time to do what I really enjoy and where I can really make an impact. And I'm not just talking about writing jobs. I mean any job that will allow me to achieve my other 7 goals. For instance, an administrative job will be easy enough that I'm not brain dead when I get home, and will still have the energy to write after a day of work. And with a high paying Executive Assistant position, it is realistic to believe that I can eliminate my credit card debt because I would be able to pay 3 times the minimum balance and get many, if not all of my credit cards paid off by the end of 2010. So, if you are searching for a job this 2010, think about what it is you really are willing to do, record each position you apply to, and follow up by phone in two weeks - even if they say not to contact them by phone. How else are you going to know the status of your application if you don't ask? Also, think of getting your resume edited, and if you need help with it, consider my resume service. You can get information about my career writing services at www.aprilcrews.com.

My trick to keeping my resolutions this year will be to write them down, and share them with my girlfriends who I have brunch with every other weekend. We had our first brunch of the year Friday on New Year's day, and decided that we all will make goals, write them down and report our progress every two weeks. I've read the newsletters of several life coaches, including Leslie Gail and Jewel Diamond Taylor, and they both say that being accountable to your friends or family makes you much more likely to succeed in keeping your goals. In sharing with friends or family however, be careful which ones you tell. Make sure they will be supportive.

Last but not least, meditate on this: fear of failing is wasted energy. An ex-boyfriend of mine who was an attorney once told me after I was sulking over not being where I wanted to be in life, "April, I'm successful because I've failed over and over." At the time I didn't want to make sense of it, but after really absorbing what he said, I realized that the only way you can succeed is to fail, and learn what doesn't work. If you fail at one of your goals or resolutions within the first week or month, don't give up. Pick yourself back up again and keep trying, using a different method. After all, the only way a baby learns to walk is to fall down and pick himself back up, over and over and over again.