My article “Confessions of a Cancer Survivor” was published in the September/October 2009 issue of Sharing Magazine. Sharing is a publication of the Order of St. Luke the Physician, a Christian healing ministry.

The article teaser on the cover: “She had planned to die. Now she had to make plans to live.”

Update: So far, so good!

When you wait until you’re almost 50 before you start an amateur venture as a performer… it’s only natural that you have NO IDEA how to do it!  So I’ve been a bit slow getting off the ground, mostly because I’ve been bashful about putting myself out there.

But last week, I went to Houston and performed a song at the Thrill the World Houston event – a fundraiser for Aim at Melanoma. It was only one song, but it was a big crowd in an open venue – Discovery Green in downtown Houston. I was pretty scared, I tell ya. But I did okay.

So, after surviving that, I decided to say yes to a call to perform at the Go-Girls Music Fest on November 20 at Opening Bell Coffee. This is one of the better venues in Dallas for music like mine.  I’ve seen some really good folks there… which is why I haven’t even TRIED doing an open mic there. But now here I am performing on the same stage with some really good acts. Who do I think I am?

I’m still the same bashful, not-too-sure-of-myself  “girl” who likes to sing, and can accompany herself on the guitar.

Another odd thing about it is that I said yes, even though I’ll be driving back from Houston that day after my scans and doctor visit at MD Anderson Cancer Center. I must be feeling pretty sure that I won’t be getting bad news!  A couple of years ago, I never would have committed to something the day of my doctor visit! I would have been too afraid that I’d be a basket case. 

Some people come out of the closet. Me? I’m climbing out of the basket. Hooray!

The Go-Girls Music Fest is a charity event. There is a small cover charge, along with a raffle and a silent auction. Proceeds will benefit The Wesley Inn Program of Promise House in Dallas, a maternity home that guides 14- through 20-year-old homeless pregnant and parenting teen mothers to become healthy, independent and nurturing parents.

I’d love to see you there! Opening Bell Coffee is at 1409 South Lamar, Basement #012, Dallas, TX 75215. Free parking on Belleview Street entrance.

I’m so glad summer is over! I don’t go to school, nor do I have children in school, but this summer has been one I don’t want to repeat, so I’m glad to see it coming to a close. I’ve been distracted by chores and duties that weren’t any fun and kept me from devoting time to spiritual matters.

So, I’m glad that endings make way for beginnings! I don’t know every way that God will use me in the coming months, but I have a feeling it’s going to be awesome. So I’m on the train and ready for the ride. Holy Spirit . . . start the engine! Toot Toot!!

A few weeks ago I came to the conclusion that I should stop beating myself up for not constantly pursuing a writing life.  So I gave myself permission to stop trying… at least for a while.

Being a Jackie-of-all-trades can be conflicting (Yes, that was two to-be verbs in a span of five words. Shoot me). (Oh, and while you’re at it, denigrate me for using parentheses. I can take it.) Sometimes I feel like three or four people in one, and most of us are either arguing with one another or being passive aggressive. In short… I am a committee. And you know how productive committees can be!

I asked myself which of my endeavors I was enjoying most, and I answered “my music.” I also asked myself which of my endeavors I was likely to enjoy success in. I answered “my music.”

I am not giving up writing completely. I still enjoy it, but I do not enjoy spending a lot of time looking for a publication to write for and then trying to figure out exactly what they want and then deciding that I don’t want to write what they want.  Besides, writing is hard. Especially when you’re trying.

I will probably stay involved with my writing groups, but I’m not trying to get published. For now. And I’m okay with that.

This is an update from yours truly, Jackie-of-all-Trades. I apparently have too many blogs, all of which are being neglected. I have no excuse. I will try to do better. Or you could visit me on Facebook or follow my Twitters.

Yes, I know it sounds like I’m spending all my time on FB and Twitter. But… But…

Okay fine.

…and I didn’t write much of anything on my script because I’ve got too much other stuff going on. I’m sorrrrrrrryyyyy!

BUT… I would like to invite you to go to this blog http://www.christineandethanrose.com/?p=1489 and try to win a Kindle2. I’m sure you’ll love me forever if you end up winning it, won’t you? On the other hand, I will be very, very…. jealous.

… fool enough to participate in the annual ScriptFrenzy craziness. I spent my first day attempting to use a free online scriptwriting software and failing. But I have managed to write about 4 pages of a stage play based on the “novel” I wrote two years ago for National Novel Writing Month.

My 10-word description: Writer attempts to write novel but characters take it over.

You have reached the website for Jackie Doss, jackie-of-all-trades. I’m sorry I can’t take your call right now, but your visit is important to me, so please leave a …. oh wait… wrong script.

I am a singer, songwriter, writer, speaker, wife, mother, dog-owner, procrastinator, sinner saved by Grace, lover of God.

And I’m growing and changing all the time, even at my ripe old age. 

Please browse around the site and make yourself at home. Also visit me on Facebook. I have two pages there, one for personal ’stuff’ and one for Music ’stuff.’  (Yes, I’m a writer. Can’t you tell by my deep, thought-provoking vocabulary?!)

As you may know, I was the music minister at a healing conference this month. I was quick to point out to people that there was nothing “weird” about it. But perhaps you have some questions about what Christian Healing is. If you’d like to read more, go to http://www.durrance.com/FrAl/what_is_christian_healing.htm to get detailed yet succinct explanation. And if you are intrigued by that, you can read more in a complete web manuscript called Commissioned to Heal – free for downloading – at http://www.durrance.com/Com2Heal/outline.htm .

My way of summing it up is that the Christian life is one of constant transformation, which requires continual healing. After all, we live in a fallen world, one that is under constant attack by the Enemy. If we take a bath and then jump into a muddy pond, we’ll need another bath, won’t we?

In ancient Hebrew, the word for “save” was the same as the word for “heal.” So the God Who Saves IS the God who heals. Jehovah-Rapha. Healing and Saving… it’s what God does.

I joined in on the crazy National Novel Writing Month activity last November, and managed to complete 50,000 words in 30 days with minimal cheating. Last year’s novel was an attempt at what I thought would be quite simple — a cozy mystery. It proved to be difficult when two characters started arguing with me about who should be the villain. My biggest problem, I think, was that my characters disliked conflict. Well, duh. Without conflict there is no novel.

What I ended up with was some pretty funny dialogue that my writing group friends suggested I turn into a stage play. I tried, but didn’t get very far. Structure. Structure. Structure. I seem to have a problem with it.

I still have plans to turn my first NaNo experiment into a play, but in the meantime, it’s almost November again. I have decided to take my sacred, cherished characters from a writing project I’ve been working on for over 20 years — and throw them under the bus. They’ve been stagnant on the page for too long.

The fact is, I have been comfortable with these characters’ flatness because it was all a part of the message of the story. It’s about post-modern disconnectedness. The people are — obviously — disconnected in varying degrees. No wonder I can’t seem to bring them to life.

That’s why I decided to throw them in a centrufuge and see what happens. What damage could I possibly do? If I end up with something I don’t like, I don’t have to use it. And if a character is redeemed and graduates to the next level of characterdom, wow… what a breakthrough!