River of Thoughts

Christine Royse Niles — Changing the world one word at a time

A New Gift For You

Feature Box

Being a writer can get overwhelming, can’t it?

I’m here to help. The Growing Writer’s Survival Kit offers you an ever-expanding set of tools to get through any roadblock you’re facing.

  • Looking to cut through the chaos? The Next Steps Planning Worksheet will help you through your next project.

  • Ready to launch your book? A Minimalist Guide to Book Launches will cut through the noise and get your work out there.

  • Feeling down? The Secret might encourage you when you hit one of those days when you just plain can’t keep going.

Get your FREE copies (and get notified when Time to Write is released):

Get it now!

Winning!

by Christine | 5 Comments

We can’t say the word “winning” this year without at least a split-second image of a manic Charlie Sheen. But true winning is finding a path of forgiveness and love.  Winning is finding God’s way through pain instead of our own.  Winning is finding the passion that can drive us forward to make a difference, to love out our faith and impact lives. Alex Krutov is a winner. Alex has found hope in the midst of hopelessness, laughter in the midst of fear, perseverance in the midst of abuse.  Enduring horrors no one should ever endure.  Watching friends die.  Burying them […]

Read More

The Christmas Trees

by Christine | 1 Comment

If you are a radical Environmentalist, please stop reading.  Skip this post and come back on Thursday. ….waiting….waiting….. OK, they’re gone. It’s safe. Me: “Hi.  My name is Christine, and I’m a Tree-cutter.” You: “Hi, Christine!” Every year, we visit a local tree farm and cut our own real pine christmas tree. In my head, this happens on the day after Thanksgiving.  I think we’ve actually hit that schedule a grand total of once.  This year.   But growing up, the Day After Thanksgiving = Holy Tree Acquisition Day, so in my imagination, that’s still when we get the tree. […]

Read More

‘Tis Better To Give….

by Christine | 10 Comments

Sunday was my one-month anniversary at RiverOfThoughts.com and Monday was my 100th post related to Adoption. To celebrate these milestones, and to wrap up National Adoption Month, I want to give away my favorite moment of peace:  a good book and a frilly coffee! This means I’m giving away a copy of Infinitely More by Alex Krutov, along with a Starbucks Gift Card!!!  Enter yourself in the drawing by following three simple steps between now and next Tuesday, 6 December: 1. Find your favorite post on my blog site.  How? Visit the Adoption Story or Portfolio pages for links to some key […]

Read More

How’s it going?

by Christine | 3 Comments

Raw honesty is rare in the adoptive community, and when I find it, I just want to share. In her post “After the Airport,” blogger Jen Hatmaker says: “…if you ask me if these are the happiest days of my life (which a ton of you have), and my eyes kind of glaze over and I say through a tight-lipped smile like a robot, “Yes. Sure. Of course. This is my dream life”…I am lying. I am lying so you won’t feel uncomfortable when I tell you, “Actually, I haven’t had a shower in three days, I lost my temper with my uncontrollable […]

Read More

Thanksgiving

by Christine | 5 Comments

Every blog has to have a Thanksgiving post.  It’s the law. Ever since we finished the kitchen ceiling (and many other renovations), we’ve been honored to host the Niles Family Thanksgiving Extravaganza at our house (that’s Mark’s family, for those of you playing along at home). Over those years, I have honed a very carefully choreographed project plan for the morning (shocking, I know….).  The turkey goes in at about 8:30 AM, and we hit the table with all food hot at 12:30.      (if anyone wants a copy of the plan, I’d be happy to share it. it’s magical. […]

Read More