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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

Hush!

by Chautona Havig · 11 Comments

dev2
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It’s always going to be about me controlling my tongue.  Learning to be quiet.  I blame my surgeon.

When I was 18 months old, I had surgery to correct my cleft palate.  That surgery left me with an INCREDIBLY nasal voice–almost incomprehensible.  My sister even beat up a girl who dared to mock the way I talked.  I’m pretty sure she didn’t get in as much trouble as she normally would have when Dad found out why.  😉

But the doctor told my parents, “Encourage her to talk. Most kids with her condition don’t speak enough to learn to speak properly.”

How he avoided a lawsuit, I don’t know.  My parents have never forgiven him.  😉

The mantra–the theme song–of  my childhood was, “Slow down and enunciate.”  If I had a dollar…

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Comments

  1. Deb J says

    August 14, 2015 at 1:03 pm

    I really like this way that your are doing a devotional. It helps to see the reality of another’s life.

    Reply
  2. Rebekah says

    August 12, 2015 at 7:01 pm

    Oh, this so spoke to me. Every day I’m surrounded by noise. I have five children. The older four are boys. We homeschool. It’s 24/7 chaos. Or at least it feels that way.
    I desperately need quiet moments, yet I am having to learn to “Be still and know…” in the midst of my reality.
    So I think your words mean so much because the Lord has been showing me that this kind of peace comes only from Him and isn’t dependent on my surroundings. I need a heart fixed on Him alone. Teach me, Lord, to rest in You, even amidst the chaos and joys of children!

    Reply
    • Chautona says

      August 16, 2015 at 4:11 pm

      And that chaos can really destroy that peace if you don’t focus on the only One who can drown it out and keep your heart quiet.

      Reply
  3. Lucinda says

    August 12, 2015 at 11:26 am

    Thank you for sharing this, you are aware of how deeply this speaks to me. The whole thing of keeping silent and letting the Lord fight my battle? Yeah, it’s a real step of faith. Not because I don’t believe He will fight for me, but the keeping silent…

    Reply
    • Chautona says

      August 12, 2015 at 12:07 pm

      It’s like I tell my kids, “Just don’t engage. Walk away. Be silent. People can’t argue with silence.”

      Reply
  4. Courtney says

    August 12, 2015 at 10:30 am

    My daughter was born with a cleft lip and palate. We are convinced she is making up for lost time as she only knew two words at age 3.5 (in an orphanage). 😉 She LOVES to talk even though she still has an open palate. She wears an obturator (retainer) to block it and she talks all the time!!

    Reply
    • Chautona says

      August 12, 2015 at 12:09 pm

      Alas, I can’t say it gets any better… if she’s anything like me!

      Reply
  5. Terresa M says

    August 12, 2015 at 9:24 am

    Silence is golden! So many are afraid of it! There is a time for EVERYTHING!

    Love your journaling!

    Reply
    • Chautona says

      August 12, 2015 at 12:10 pm

      I do love the silence. That’s one of the best parts of my trips–I’m zipping down the roads of our country, usually around or after midnight, and there’s nothing out there–just me and the Lord. I can really take a deep breath and BE.

      Reply
  6. Ryoko Yaryan says

    August 12, 2015 at 9:18 am

    This blessed me today. I have been working on the be still before the Lord.
    I have a hard time with this too. No surgery to blame, just like to talk, process through talking.
    It is definitely easier to be still before the Lord on a trip with the glory of nature declaring his glory.
    Selfishness has also been a theme with me. Recent trials are scrubbing away those pretty preconceived illusions of self-perception. Sigh, Lord only by your strength and wisdom and can I change. help me

    Reply
    • Chautona says

      August 16, 2015 at 4:12 pm

      Process through talking: THAT IS ME! LOL. Probably why I’ve always talked to myself. Still blame the surgeon, though. You know, since Mom and Dad do. 😉

      Reply

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The Because Fiction Podcast

The Because Fiction Podcast
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Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Episode 264: A Chat with Romance Author, Sarah Monzon
byChautona Havig

Finally getting a chance to chat with Sarah Monzon was a total delight, and learning all about her latest release, All’s Fair in Love and Christmas was equally awesome.  My copy is here and waiting for me to dive into the battle of the celebrations!  EEEP! Listen in to see what that even means!

Note: I sound like I’m underwater. We heard it during our interview, but I couldn’t make it behave and couldn’t fix it. Sorry!

Note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

How Does an Intense Christmas Competition Lead to Love?

All’s Fair in Love and Christmas has so much going for it that I don’t know where to start! Fun mom who made our heroine’s childhood Christmases an international delight without ever leaving home?  Check!  Social anxiety adding to the stress of competing for a promotion?  Check?  Romcom hilarity?  Check, check?  And add to all that Sarah’s wonderful writing and delightful characterization?  I’m all in.

We also chatted about why she chose to write about a woman with social anxiety, her preferred reading methods, and some of my favorite books by her. For a refresher, those are The Isaac Project, 12 Days of Snowmen, and Book Nerds & Boyfriends (a collection of three novellas).

All’s Fair in Love and Christmas by Sarah Monzon

Two workplace rivals. One festive competition. And a romance that upends it all.

Every December two things are guaranteed for graphic designer Mackenzie Graham–Christmas celebrations and the annual promotion at her workplace. Those two things are by no means mutually exclusive. In fact, the better an employee is at harnessing the Christmas spirit, the more likely they’ll win the new job. With her social anxiety, Mackenzie never thought she’d be a contender in her company’s holiday competition, so how exactly has she found herself dueling her workplace crush with wrapping paper tubes and using tinsel as her weapon of choice for a much-needed raise?

Jeremy Fletcher’s life is meticulously planned out, including how to win this year’s promotion at work. Not only will the new position fulfill some of his career goals, but as a single guardian to his twin niece and nephew, he needs the salary increase to support his family. Jeremy has barely noticed Mackenzie Graham around the office, but now that she’s his rival, he can’t stop thinking about her. Her quirkiness intrigues him, and he’s afraid that if he can’t get his head on straight, the promotion isn’t the only thing he’ll end up losing to Mackenzie.

“Inspirational rom-com readers are going to love this one.”–BETHANY TURNER, bestselling author of The Do-Over

You can learn more about Sarah on her WEBSITE.  Also follow her on BookBub and GoodReads.

Like to listen on the go? You can find Because Fiction Podcast at:

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Episode 264: A Chat with Romance Author, Sarah Monzon
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Episode 262: Chatting about The Legacy of Longdale Manor with Carrie Turansky
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Episode 261: Chatting with Christian Youth Fiction Author, Candice Yamnitz
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Episode 259: A Chat with Debut Author, Laura Conaway
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