Meet My Newest Writer Friend

I'd like you to meet my newest writer friend, Tricia Goyer. Tricia has just had her fourth and final novel in her exhilarating series capturing the tales of men and women swept into World War II published.
THE ARMS OF DELIVERANCE is the story of two friends, Mary and Lee, who land similar reporting jobs at the New York Tribune on the eve of the war's outbreak, leading to them becoming competitors. Mary's coverage of a bombing raid over Germany leads to a plane wreck and and adventurous escape attempt from across enemy lines. When Lee hears of Mary's plight, she bravely heads to a war-torn Europe in an effort to help rescue her friend. Will there be enough time for diplomacy or will war get the best of everyone?
You'll have to read it to see! I highly recommend you begin, if you don't alreay, to support Christian writers. You may be pleasantly surprised at the variety of literature you'll be caught up in. Christian writers now span every aspect of the regular book world -- writing historicals, like Tricia's, to romance, inspirational, mystery, chick-lit...it's more than study Bibles. So check out Tricia's web site from under the "Links" in the sidebar. I guarantee you'll fall in love with these books.

When the Earth Moves

I am amazed at how someone can look at pictures of our earth and vaguely question that there is a God. Really.....just look at this picture--->

My Dalmatian woke me the other night wanting outside. At fourteen, her bones creak and crack as she limps down the stairs. As I opened the door and swipped at my eyes, I realized what a beautiful bright night it was. The moon was full and it hung low in the sky. I almost felt like I could reach out and touch it.

I sat down on the front porch and leaned back on my elbows. As my eyes began to adjust to the night light one by one, stars came into view. It was like someone was walking from star to star pulling a light cord and clicking them on. For a few moments I was awestruck. How can anyone question that God is real? Mankind certainly couldn't create such a wonderous sight.

And to think...this entire universe moves, slowly, consistantly, continually. It takes my breath away. Man spends a lifetime trying to explain away the efforts of one blink of God's eyes and it's just not possible to understand every detail -- all the whys or how comes. We can only trust and have faith that one who is bigger had the vision to create such a magnificant world.

I've heard that there are times in history when the earth moved -- such catastrophic events have happened that shook the earth to its very core. But to me, it doesn't take something huge to know that the earth moves. I only have to gaze into the night sky in faith and watch as we gingerly move throughout our place in space.

Ahhh - sounds so deep, huh? Not really. What is deep is the love of Christ. Ephesians tells us, " I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, withall the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love ofChrist." (Ephesians 3:17, 18)

This love of God is so much more than we can ever imagine or begin to conceive. Yet some still question. I need no further proof than the night sky, or the vastness of a mountain range to make me believe that there is one mightier than anything else.

When the earth moves, it only verifies what I already believe.

TOTALLY BLUSHING...

We've all done it. Yep..every single one of us. We've all, at some point in our lives, opened our mouth and inserted our foot up to the kneecap.
It's a horrible feeling. The stomach retches, a wave of blood rushes to your face illuminating the cheeks to a bright red (which by the way, SCREAMS idiot lives inside this body!). Regardless, we've all done it.
One would think at my age, I'd be better versed. Not today. Today, I pulled the unthinkable. I told an author, whom I've read their works and loved, that I'd read their newest UNreleased book. (Just ask me how totally embarrassed I was..)As wonderful as email is...once you hit send, it's too late to correct the error of your ways. I was so embarrassed. I've read her work and I was reading about the newest book ready to hit the shelves, and that's the name of the book I wrote I'd read. Man.....talk about looking gooby! (See the picture above....that would be me!)
I immediately sent a second email and tried to explain I had my mind one direction and my typing fingers in another. But do you think that really mattered? I'D ALREADY HIT SEND.
Therefore, being the writer and believer I am, I thought there has to be good somewhere in this situation. So, I rolled my eyes and looked to the ceiling. "Father, I've completely emabarrassed myself -- tell me what good there is in that?"
I feel sure God must have rolled His own eyes and shook His head from side to side. But through all that, I know a grin parted his lips. That's when He said, "Uhh huh. You certainly did goof. And yes, there is good. It's called humility. 'Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.'" He said as he gently stroked away the reddness in my cheeks. "Slow down, pay attention, and humble yourself before others. Place the heart of the servant in the forefront and others will see."
Oh, all right. So He was right. It was a sensless blunder, one caused by my own excitement and lack of paying attention. I've had so many irons in the fire lately that I've become a jack of all trades and truly a master of none. I suppose God thought it was time to hook and anchor to the seat of by pants.
Often times we become so engrossed in the sheer number of activities the world throws at us, we lose ourselves and our direction -- our focus. We become somewhat blinded. God loves for us to have abundance, but He also loves for us to use our abundance of gifts and talents properly; not overdone or outdone.
I suppose I can count myself, disciplined in one swift press of the send button. It's time to slow down, come down, and maybe even lie down and rest. God needs workers for the fields, but He needs us on top of our games - sharpened and ready for what tasks lay ahead.
I did apologize. For what it's worth, the author probably thinks, "What a goof-ball." But hopefully they'll take the error as a compliment. When you're thrilled by someone special, it's easy to become tongue-tied. To that author -- and I'm sure they know who they are -- My apologies for not paying attention to my email. And to my Father in heaven, "Alright! You made your point. I get it."
Anyone for some crow???

When Our Hearts Break

How do you describe heartbreak? How can you visualize it? As a writer, I would search, craft and sort to find the perfect expression of something which lies do deep.

For example: Heartbreak -- Your heart feels tight with emotion, that innate thing we only feel and yet can never really lay our hands on. It expands to the point you feel as if it's physically ripping in two. It beats harder not faster. (There's a difference.) Each thump of the muscle which lies inside your chest, pushes a rush of blood through your body, and the swish, swish, swish of the fluid can be heard inside your ears. Your breath is labored, leaving you with an urge of panic. What if I can't catch my breath? After a moment you take in a half breath, realizing it's not enough to live on. Your body longs for more oxygen. Your chest feels as though it will split in the middle. Right at the height of hysteria, you gasp, swallow, and allow your body to relax.

Does that accurately describe what we feel when our heart is breaking? This is where the writer searches for the right words -- the place that is lonely -- where emptiness dwells and peace is void. Intense, deep and hopeless.

Practically every person alive has remarked about a broken heart. We've used the term over and over again without great thought until we're suddenly blindsided by something that causes us great pain.

In the midst of our deepest heartbreak God allows us rescue. Psalm 34:18 tells us, "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." isn't it a wonderful and peaceful thing to know? In the middles of what seems to be our worst turmoil, God is there to save our crushed spirits. He mends us gingerly with his needle and offers us a fraction of rest.

Through the brokenness He heals us completely, and from the reality of the situation we glean experience that will serve us or someone else at just the right time. Looking to Christ and asking Him to take the burden away, then allow Him to use the vessel in which it was housed is frightening. However, there is great relief within that first step of faith. There is hope.

When your heart breaks turn the broken pieces over to Jesus and don't take them back. Taking them back means He can't repair the shattered piece of pottery. Allow Him to work His miracle.

Back to Basics

It's been a few weeks since I've been able to update the blog. Between a Writer's Conference and Vacation Bible School things are just now coming to a slow down.
That's actually the problem. I, like alot of others, tend to take on too much. Saying no becomes harder and harder as time passes. There's so much to be done and so few who bother to help.
It puts me in the mind of Jesus telling the people that the fields were ripe with harvest but the workers were few. It's not that I'm a control freak, it's that there is so much that needs to be done, especially within our churches, and Christians are just not stepping up to the plate. For those who are attempting to be faithful, the work load doubles.
It's really sorta sad. Our younger Christians with family simply don't see the need to help with the harvest....afterall," Little Joe has five baseball games this week and we couldn't possabily work in time for VBS and you know he'll be tired so we won't be a Sunday School on Sunday morning."
And then there's the ever complacent Christians who feel as if they've done their share to help the kingdom. They've served "their time" doing Sunday school, VBS and children's church, not to mention the nursery. "Let someone else. I've done my time."
The last time I checked out Christianity - it was a daily walk -- a neverending walk if you're serious about the relationship with Christ. It's time we get back to the basics. Back to the original ABC's of Church. We "require" our children to attend church, not offer it as an option. We change our priorities and begin to put God first again. Finally, we become active again. Become revived. Don't you miss that? Remember the hymn, "Revive Us Again?"
Get back to the basics of church. Attendance, Belief and Committment -- just for starters. The Kingdom will grow if we all participate. Look what 12 men did for Jesus?
Make a move to place Christ first in your life -- Not after the ballgame. Revaluate.

ARRRRGGGGHHHHH! Make It Stop!

AAAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHH! Make it stop. I can't take any more. There are times when even the mild mannered go coo-coo! For me, today was that day. I, like the rest of the world, have been so tied up in "STUFF" that I didn't realize how pooped I really was.
About 3:00 I walked into the adjoining office, turned off the light and laid down on the couch rubbing my temples. MAN, my head hurts.
The longer I rested (which by the way, was only about 5 minutes) the worse the pressure behind my eyes pulsated. "Lord, I need ten minutes to just scream and release the tension." Well, what did my God ears hear? They heard the ever present still small voice echo, "There is always rest in me."
Well, of course there's rest in God. That's a given. I was just not taking advantage. I wasn't to the point that I offered the stress up to the one who was the true stress reliever. Only one more hour before I can go home. I took a deep breath and stood. Smile. I felt my lips stretch into a grin.
Walk. My feet begin to move. But if I was going to have to physically tell my body what to do, then I wasn't accomplishing "rest."
When the work day ended, I headed home. My eyes bulging with each pusle of my heart. My arms hurt, my neck was stiff. I was pretty much a helpless mess. I fell through the front door and landed on the couch. Still no rest...still no refuge from the headache. So, I climbed the stairs to the bedroom and stretched out on the bed. That's when my God ears started to burn. "There is always rest in me."
"Okay, I give. You win." The cat climbed up on my chest and began to purr. As I gently brushed the fur around his eyes, I found myself recounting the events of the day to God. I could have sworn I heard Him saying, "Huh huh, is that so?"
Suddenly, I heard the words again. "There is always rest in me. You simply have to come to me and seek refuge." Duhhh. Why do we insist on hanging onto the things that offer us pain and stress? Letting go is so much easier.
Rest...we all need rest. Rest for our bodies and rest for our souls, rest for our minds. All of that is found within the gentle listening Lord we call Abba God.
Hey....I...I....wow....I don't have it anymore. MY HEADACHE IS GONE. And I had the power to end it at 3. Shesh! A little hard headed - don't you think?

There's a First Time for Everything...

Alright, so I love to snuggle up with a pooch. Meet my sweet goddog, Skip. He doesn't belong to us but he visits us frequently when his mom and dad travel to visit the grandkids.
Let me share my Skippy story. You see, he was an eight month old puppy when a good friend of ours decided this boxer baby was quickly outgrowing his 3 yr old son. I worked for a vet at the time and I had just really made friends with the Mize's. (The names have been changed to protect the innocent - yeah, right?)
We had cared for their Cocker, "Chuck" for quite sometime and when the sweetie pie became ill it was devastating for all of us.
I had arrived at the vet early that morning and headed immediately to the ICU unit of the clinic to check on Chuck. Popping open the kennel, I laid my hand on his head only to see one eye strain to open. "Hey buddy. Sleep well?" I asked as I adjusted his iv line and began cleaning his kennel. He struggled to his feet and stepped out of the kennel. His eyes said, "Cindy, I want to go for a walk." So, I obliged.
He was weak but determined so I slipped a lead around him and pulled the bag of fluids off the stand flopping them over my shoulder. "Lead the way."
Chuck shook like he'd just climbed out of the tub then a with an unexpected spark in his step, he trotted toward the door. We walked around in the yard for several minutes and headed back into the office. I fed him and bedded him down into a couple of REALLY soft blankets, then leaned over and gave him a kiss. "That, little buddy, is for your mom & dad." I closed his kennel and headed out of the room.
I couldn't have been out of the ICU unit for more than ten minutes. When I came back with Chuck's meds he had snuggled down into the blankets and closed his eyes for eternity. I sat down in the floor and began to sob. After all, we'd grown to love him as much as his family did.
To fast forward...Our friends had a little Boxer puppy and he was becoming to much to handle with a three year old son...so, I recommended this really neat family for him. I called the Mize's and said, "Come see this neat puppy. You'll love him....he's screaming MIZE'S." Now the Mize dad is a very tall lanky man and the Mize mom is a teeny tiny lady. This 8 month old puppy landed somewhere in between the two. Mize mom's eyes nearly popped out of her head as she stuttered, "He, he, he's big."
"Just try him for the weekend. I know you'll fall in love." She did, and they did -- fall in love that is. It was a match made in heaven. Here we are eight years later and Skip still snuggles in my arms like the puppy did. The point to this novella is simple.
There's always a first time for everything and if we never venture out to try we'll never know what lies in wait for us. Mom Mize was very hesitant at the size of a Boxer...but she sweetly gave him a try. She trusted me to only offer her the safest and the best.
The same goes for our relationship with our Father in heaven. Sometimes we just have to trust -- sight unseen -- try something new and find what lies ahead is pretty nifty afterall.
The Mize's found their loss in Chuck could never be the same and they'll always harbor a special place in their hearts for that sweet Cocker. But, then Skip and his bounding personality came through the door and screamed, "I can't be Chuck but I can be me. There's a first time for everything...why not try a very unique, handsome, fun loving Boxer Boy?"
It was and still is a match made in heaven. But had it not been for the courage of a teeny lady, willing to try a big ball of fire on for size, the match would have never been struck.
There's a first time for everything....if you're willing to try. Match anyone?

Spice It Up!

It all depends on your taste! Cooking is not one of my better atributes. I can do it satisfactorily, but what I prepare is definately not outstanding. One thing is for sure, I have learned to use a variety of spices in what I prepare. Something a bit more than salt and pepper.
The truth is...cooking requires a certain amount of patience. I tend to flip the control knob to high, slap on a pan and have at it....hoping what's in the pan is fortunate to make it to the table instead of the trash.
I have a wonderful friend who is a real cook. She's so good at it. When you walk into her kitchen there are shelves of cookbooks. Her refrigerator is bursting at the seams with delicious chewables. She's so well prepared that you could name off any dish and she's got the ingredients to make it. For her, the kitchen offers a quiet refuge from the day. She can mix and bake away any frustrations she may have had during the day. The great part about that is, there are goodies to be had as a result.
For me, the kitchen is a place to get in and out of. I like to cook but I don't love to do it. It's not restful for me because my creativity doesn't lie within the confines of a beautiful dish. I'm much happier putting pen to paper. Like I said, it's all in what your taste is.
This same friend is the one who taught me to use a mixture of spices. She taught me to take a plain piece of chicken and make it mouth watering all because of the spices. I was pretty much raised on good old salt and pepper.
Our lives need a little variety at times as well. Sometimes we need to step out from the boundries of our comforts and try something different. It's knocks off the "mundane" and brings a little zest into our hearts.
I often wonder if God gets tired of me being "the same ole me." He has stepped into my life frequently in the last twenty years and made some real changes. He knows where my fears lay and He's challenged me. One could say, "He's spiced me up a bit." However, God never lets me forget that beneath it all, I still need a little salt and pepper to give me good seasoning.
It's a good thing God keeps me well stirred. Just when I feel snuggled in and comfortable -- that's when everything breaks loose.
That's when it's time to walk outside and ponder awhile. Then flip open the grill! There's nothing like a good old fashioned hamburger with salt and pepper.
Somewhere along the way, I hope and pray I've been that seasoning for someone else. The Lord knows, He's used good friends to spice me up a bit. They've probably left my house shaking their heads in amazement....but, they've all left a little flavor behind.

What is Greatness?

There are times I sit and stare into the clouds wondering how they could have been created so utterly beautiful. Every one is different and each holds a picture; only clear to its beholder.
The vastness that stems as far as the eye can see, could have only been made by someone of infinate greatness.
I can remember as a child, laying on the grass and gazing into the sky, trying to find animal shapes. It was always a challenge to search for the figures of my favorite pets. Even then, I was awed at how the clouds twisted, twirlled and formed the imprints which hid inside my head. Learning to use my imagination began right there -- cloud watching.
Now, in mid-life, I still find myself cloud watching...and still impressed at greatness of the world around me. Just to think that God, in all His infinate wisdom, simply "thought" things into existance.
I find it humorous as scientist try to figure the in's and out's of how creation happened. They just don't get it. But isn't that how most people are? They long for the why's and how's instead of accepting the do's and done's? Sometimes it shouldn't matter how something is made -- Just that it is!
Life is so rushed these days and I still find myself occassionally daydreaming into the clouds. It's a quiet way to think -- to rest and ponder. It's a great time to assess ourselves and all the decisions we make on a daily basis. Then, right in the middle of our thoughts the question of "what is greatness?" pops in.
How could all this have come into being in such a magnificiant and perfect way. Every intimate piece knitted together in seamless picture -- flawless until we take hold of it. Greatness is found within the majesty of the Creator who defined the picture. We can't imagine the how's or whys because God is GOD. There is greatness within the clouds that should do nothing more than offer proof of deity which longed for our company, created us, loves us and forgives us. That, my friend is greatness. Isn't it amazing?

Silence

We recently attended the wedding of our niece in Andrews, NC. Somewhere in the Smokie Mountains, in a part of the Cherokee National Park (or somewhere pretty close), we found the tiny town of Andrews. Primarily, there to host summer campers and whitewater rafters, there was sweet refuge in this little place.
Of course, it couldn't have been located in a more beautiful region and though the green of trees and the flowers had not yet sprouted toward the sun, there was a pleasant silence here.
I walked out on the deck of field house we were in and I noticed there was silence. Nothing. Well...let me clairify that. No cars, no trains, no ratrace -- only the breeze and in the distance, the river. Overall, silence. There was no one to ask me questions, no one to make me move, not a soul willing to interupt me at that moment.
I placed my hands on the railing and lifted my head toward the sky; a chill from the mountains touched my arms. My eyes were closed as I stretched my neck to feel the warmth of the afternoon sun. It was so restful. That's when I realized, God's "quiet" is a whole lot different from our daily run of the mill "quiet." My normal quiet time includes the dogs barking, or the phone ringing downstairs, the alarm clock or the tv in the background -- it mostly means, nobody's talking to me. But God's quiet -- wow, it was different.
It's no wonder He created places like this. He wanted a place He could sit down and truly enjoy the peace He made. I'm convinced there's no "real" silence in our world today, but there is certainly serenity. Here, in this tiny town of Andrews, I found that peace and serenity. One had to take in a deep, long breath and exhale ever so slowly, just to feel the stress drain out of your body.
Ah, the mountains. I was raised in the mountains, just not THIS deep into the mountains. I also probably wouldn't have trouble becoming a hermit of sorts, if I lived someplace like Andrews. In the thirty minutes I stood absorbing the restfullness of this place, I felt as if I'd rested for hours.
Take time to listen to the silence....God's silence.