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I am the wife of one, mother of six, grandmother to twenty, and author of five books. I am a lover of God, people, words, and chocolate--and my grand passion is making quilts for the critically wounded military, under the auspices of citizensam.org (these quilts go directly into hospitals in Iraq and Afghanistan). I also love solitude and Spirit-led conversations.

I was blessed to bring forth a "National Best Seller" in the 70's, titled Thanks Lord, I Needed That! And one other "claim to fame" was doing a quilted wall-hanging of Carol Burnett's great-grandmother's home for her.

The most daring thing I ever did was to co-author a book with a brilliant "gay guy", Jim Pauley, titled Granny and the Gay Guy and have had to face many interesting, challenging attitudes, because of it.

Now I've come into the 21st century and released all my books on Kindle, Nook, etc!

For more information, please visit boundtoexcel.blogspot.com

More Brilliance from Charlene Potterbaum

I would share the same words I shared with a young mother whose lament sounded the same as mine when I was in the business of raising my six wonderful kids. I remember well having some of the same feelings she expressed--overwhelmed, overburdened, wondering if having made the decision to be a "stay at home Mommy" might have been a wrong decision after all! I told her that there was no older woman for me who could help get me back on track, so God did it for me. I was cleaning out the little boy's room, turning yucky socks…

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The Wisdom of 7 Decades

I'd share the deepest things I have learned in these seven decades. I would tell you that saying "I made a mistake" feels really awful, yet calling it a "learning experience" feels uplifting and growth-producing. I would suggest that "doing work" feels like drudgery, but "having a project" fires up enthusiasm. I would remind you to take control of your thinking, because if you "think" right, you will "do" right, and if you "do" right, you will "feel" right. And "feeling" right, or good about yourself, feels a lot better than feeling bad about yourself. Remember, you always have a…

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An Unexpected Find

By Charlene Potterbaum. About seven years ago, my son Don and his Significant Other were returning to Indiana after doing some Trade Shows in New York. While cruising on the Turnpike, they saw a huge sign telling of an Antiques Store a few miles off the toll road. Kathi suggested they turn off and check it out, as she loved buying specialties for her show rooms, and prowling around in the musty interiors that had so much to offer. So, once they stepped into the huge store, Kathi went one way, and my son Don's attention turned towards what looked…

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