Virginia Smith

Oatmeal Hazelnut Chocolate Chip Cookies

2012-01-05T13:14:00.001-08:00

I know, I know - I don't usually post receipes. To be honest, I'm not much of a cook in recent years. I love to cook, but writing takes up most of my time. However, I made these cookies today and they turned out so well I thought I'd share the recipe. It was created by a nutritionist at the University of Utah, and I tasted the cookies this summer at a healthy fair. While I wouldn't call them completely healthy because of the butter and sugar, I will say they're not as bad for you as some cookies are. And they are absolutely delicious!

2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour

1 cup old-fashioned oats

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 lg egg whites, room temperature

1 lg egg, room temperature

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/3 cup chopped hazelnuts (i think pecans would be good too)

1 small apple, peeled and diced

Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, oats, baking soda and salt. In a large boal, beat butter until soft. Add brown sugar and cream together until light and fluffy. Add egg whites and egg, one at a time, completely inforporating the first before adding the next. Add vanilla, scrape down sides of bowl and mix well.

Add dry ingredients and mix until incorporated. Using spatula, fold in chocolate chips, hazelnuts, and apple. Batter should be very thick..

Drop by spoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet (I lined the sheet with parchment paper) about 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies are light brown, about 12 to 14 minutes. Remove cookies from baking sheet and let cool on a wire rack.

Nutritional Information per cookie: Calories: 137; total fat: 5 g; cholesterol: 15 mg; sodium: 89 mg; carbohydrate: 20 gr; total dietary fiber: 1 gr; protein 3 gr

Book Review - Everyday Spiritual Warfare

2011-12-15T07:50:00.000-08:00

Today I'm happy to participate in the FIRST Wild Card blog tour for a very special book written by a very, very special author - my mother! I had the honor of endorsing the book, and here's what I had to say:

Everyday Spiritual Warfare provides much-needed insight into the spiritual struggles that impact our day-to-day lives. Though full of depth and wisdom, the truths explained in this book are easy to understand and applicable to all Christians. I love the list of key scriptures at the end of each chapter. The prayer guide and discussion questions make this book perfect for individuals and groups.

Take a moment and read about EVERYDAY SPIRITUAL WARFARE, by Amy Barkman!

Today's Wild Card author is:

Amy Barkman

and the book:

Everyday Spiritual Warfare

Next Step Books (September 8, 2011)

***Special thanks to Christy Delliskave of Next Step Books for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Amy Barkman is the Director of Voice of Joy Ministries, a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors, and the pastor of Mortonsville United Methodist church. She and her husband Gary live in Danville, KY and together have seven children, thirteen grandchildren, and one great grandson. Amy loves to read and to travel.

Visit the author's website.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Everyday Spiritual Warfare gives practical knowledge for victorious living in a fallen world. Rev. Barkman has shared this wisdom in workshops, retreats, and sermons in several states over the past few decades. Both new and mature Christians have found the material very helpful in their walk with the Lord Jesus Christ.

“This is a helpful manual that reminds the Body of Christ of the tremendous responsibility and awesome power we have through the Holy Spirit. Enjoy this book from Amy Barkman and be empowered to step out and up in Faith.” - Dr. Stephen and Kellie Swisher, Kenneth Copeland Ministries

Product Details:

List Price: $12.99
Paperback: 246 pages
Publisher: Next Step Books (September 8, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1937671003
ISBN-13: 978-1937671006

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

Spiritual Warfare Principles I

Praise the Lord for His mercy endureth forever.

II Chronicles 20:21

I came up out of the baptismal waters with eager anticipation. Rising to newness of life - what a relief. But as soon as I got to the changing room it was obvious that my extra twenty pounds rose with me. And the straight auburn hair I’d longed for all my life had not replaced my curly brown tresses. Within an hour there was no question about the desire to smoke a cigarette passing away; it didn’t. By the end of the month the blood test proved that my triglyceride level was still as high as ever. “Hey God, what happened? I thought you said all things would be made new.”

There’s a story in the Bible that reminds me of the way I felt after my baptism.

The Nation of Judah settled in the land that God promised them. And most of their enemies were destroyed in battle. But one day three armies showed up to surround them.

King Jehoshaphat called a fast and they all went to God in prayer. They said, in essence, “Hey, God, what happened? Here are three armies come to destroy us. They are from the three tribes you wouldn’t let us destroy when we came into this land. We don’t have any power against them so we’re looking to you. You do something!”

One day, many years after my disappointing baptismal experience, I was reading this story and the Holy Spirit whispered to me, “Look up the meaning of the names of those three armies.” So I did. The three armies are Moab, Ammon, and Mt. Seir.

Moab means “of the father,” Ammon means “tribal,” and Mt. Seir means “goat or devil.” Light dawned into my mind concerning the plight of the reborn, new creature in Christ that is the true Church.

We who accept Jesus Christ as our savior are born again. We begin a brand new life – the promised land. And just by that act of receiving Jesus as Savior, we defeat more enemies than we can imagine. But there are three enemies that are left in our promised land. Three armies that come against us to destroy.

Moab, “of the father," is symbolic of the genetic conditions we inherit in our bodies and personalities. When we are born again we do not get a new body but are stuck with the DNA given to us.

Ammon, “tribal,” is symbolic of the cultural situation into which we are born.

When we are born again, we are not transported into a perfect society but are bombarded all our lives with the evils in the world around us.

Mt. Seir, “goat or devil,” is symbolic of the forces of the devil who comes to kill, steal, and destroy. When we are born again, we are not automatically placed out of reach of the enemy.

We are born again children of God with the new life He promised but these three armies want to destroy us. And here they are – right in the promised land – genetic inheritance, cultural surroundings, and the devil with his destructive forces.

You may ask, “Why doesn’t God get rid of these enemies for us?” The answer is simple. He will. God did not leave these three enemy armies here so they could destroy us. He says to us, just as He said to His chosen people centuries ago, “… Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s” (II Chronicles 20:15).

His plan is to overcome them.

Paul wrote “… we are more than conquerors through him that loved us” (Romans 8:37).

What does it mean to be more than a conqueror? The Greek word means preeminently victorious, or a winner before you even enter the battle. Wow! That’s good news indeed. And that is what God wants us to understand and practice.

But the way of winning battles through God is not the way of the world. “The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds” (II Cor. 10:4). There are some basic principles of spiritual warfare and we have to learn them if we are going to be winners in life. The first, and most important, principle is:

ONLY GOD CAN SUCCESSFULLY DEFEAT EVIL

This doesn’t mean there is nothing you can do. God’s Instruction Book, the Bible, is full of exhortations such as, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7) and “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11). You are to resist the devil and stand against his schemes.

But did you notice? When your battle against the devil is mentioned, your relationship with God is also mentioned. You can’t win against evil in your own strength. But God won’t win in this physical realm without your cooperation.

When the nation of Judah sought the Lord for help against the armies that came to destroy them, they were told to present themselves but not to fight. Their response was to put a group of singers in the forefront of the army. Order of presentation was a way of protection in ancient times. The strong men, who were trained and able to fight, were at the forefront when meeting an opposing force, with the women, children, elderly and weak at the rear in the place of protection.

This time, however, the strong fighting men were among those being protected and the singers and praisers, which may have included women and children, went out first. We are told that when they began to sing and to praise God for His mercy, the Lord Himself caused the three armies to be defeated.

This story illustrates several principles of spiritual warfare. The first is evident and stated above … only God can successfully defeat evil.

“Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies” (Psalm 108:13).

The second basic principle of spiritual warfare is:

PRAISING GOD BRINGS HIM ON THE SCENE

This principle is illustrated in the story we just examined. When the tribe of Judah praised God for His mercy to them, He showed no mercy to their enemies but caused them to be destroyed. “And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten” (II Chronicles 20:22).

King David, from an earlier time in the history of God’s people, mentioned this principle in several of his songs. He sang, “I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High. When mine enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence” (Psalm 9: 2, 3). When David sang praises to the name of God, He showed up in person.

What does it mean to sing praises to the Name of God? In today’s society, we have largely lost the understanding of names. When ancient men talked about the name of something or someone, they were talking about its or their essential nature or character.

God revealed Himself to Israel throughout the centuries by His Names through His actions. He revealed Himself, His essential nature, His character, as

Jehovah Jireh – the Lord your Provider

Jehovah Rapha – the Lord your Healer

Jehovah Tsidkenu- the Lord your

Righteousness

Jehovah Rohi – the Lord your Shepherd

Jehovah Shalom – the Lord your Peace

He revealed other aspects of Himself through names and eventually revealed Himself as Jesus – the Lord your Salvation.

When we praise His name, we are to be praising that aspect of Himself that we need to see active in our situation. Jesus quoted Psalm 8: 2, “Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings has thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.” He quoted it on the occasion that we know as Palm Sunday when the chief priests and scribes were upset because the children were crying out, “Hosanna to the son of David” (Matthew 21: 15,16).

Hosanna is a word which means “Save.” By shouting out that word to Him, the children were recognizing Jesus as the Messiah, the Savior - and the religious people didn’t like it. Jesus then quoted Psalm 8, but instead of saying, “out of the mouths of children you have ordained strength”, He said, “out of the mouths of children you have ordained praise.” Jesus equated strength and praise, validating this principle that your battles are won by God as you praise Him for His mercy toward you in that area.

Some people say “Praise the Lord!” a lot. And there is certainly nothing wrong with saying that, but think about it. If you are going to praise a family member or friend, you don’t just say “Praise Richard!” or “Praise Tracy!” You say “Richard has a wonderful sense of humor.” Or “Tracy is very generous and kind.” So it should be with God. To truly praise Him is to announce gratitude for His specific acts and attributes. And most often it will be as the army of Judah proclaimed, “Praise the Lord for His mercy endures forever.”

One problem in our society that keeps us from understanding this principle is our picture of God as separate from us, doling out punishment or reward from outside our world. Many see God as an old man sitting on a throne pointing a finger downward toward earth and shooting lightning bolts to affect the physical realm. We can’t praise Him if we don’t really understand what He is like.

The apostle John opens his gospel by giving us the true nature of God. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). God is Spirit, Jesus tells us in John 4:24. He is Person who defines Himself by concepts and ideas. The very meaning of the word Word is “thought expressed.” WORD becomes flesh and has ever since God defined and spoke the physical universe into existence with the concept “Light!” Light energy is the basic component for all physical existence. God and His Word are the source of all Life. When we understand that, we can praise Him for being the ongoing Creator.

This concept of God as Spirit and Word is too big for our finite minds to understand completely all at once. But when we plant the seed of understanding and let it grow, we will one day know why Jesus told us that the parable of the sower sowing the Word was necessary for understanding all He teaches (Mark 4:13, 24). God is Spirit and He defines Himself in words. Those spoken words change our circumstances. To praise Him for specific actions and attributes is to bring those actions and attributes into the physical realm. “It is the spirit that quickens; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I speak to you, they are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63).

We need to recognize that the devil and his followers are also spirit – evil spirits. They convey evil concepts - ideas and concepts that are contrary to the thoughts that God expresses to you through His Word. Just as we know God is not an old man sitting on a throne, the devil is not a man in a red suit holding a pitchfork, and evil spirits are not gargoyles. The Spirit realm, both good and evil, wants to affect the physical realm.

The more we understand God’s nature, the more we will praise Him, and the more we praise Him, the more we will see Him active in our lives.

The story of Jehoshaphat and the battle against the three armies illustrates a third principle.

EVIL ATTACKS ON THREE FRONTS

We’ve already looked at those three fronts in the account described in II Chronicles 20. Remember that in the Bible, names are very important because a name designates the nature of something. We often miss a lot of information that God wants to convey to us in His Word by not discovering what a person or group or place symbolizes.

The first thing I noticed the day the Lord was teaching me from this passage was that the third army is not mentioned at the beginning. “It came to pass after this also that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them other beside the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle” (II Chronicles 20:1).

Moab, representing our genetic inheritance, and Ammon, representing our cultural situation are identified right away. The third army is only mentioned as “and with them, other besides.” The group that came along with the first two armies isn’t named until verse 10.

“And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, whom thou would not let Israel invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt …” Mount Seir comes along with those things that attack us through our birth and cultural situations in life. As we saw earlier, the name Mount Seir means “goat or devil” and represents evil spirits, devils, demons, messengers of the enemy.

Spiritual enemies, evil spirits or devils, cannot just attack you physically – they have no bodies; they come in with the inherited and cultural enemies of your perfect happiness and your perfect good. When something has been established in you through your family heritage or cultural situation, then spiritual evil comes along with it to create and insure a stronghold.

My father’s family has a history of blood lipid disorder so out of balance that it was reported in medical journals. My brother and sister and I were the subjects of experimental research to develop drugs to reduce blood lipids. I inherited this disorder as extremely high triglycerides. With medication and moderate obedience to dietary good sense, my triglycerides stay at a healthy level, for me. Without medication and eating right, I get very sick.

The proclivity to high triglycerides is a genetic thing (Moab); the wrong diet is a cultural thing (Ammon); and the enemy (Mount Seir) comes along with those things to kill, steal, and destroy my life and the ministry that the Lord Jesus wants to accomplish through me. But when I praise Him for His mercy and thank Him that He is my life and my health, I receive His health and restoration, even when I have been unwise.

When the people of Judah went to God with their plea for help, they reminded Him that He would not let them invade and destroy these three armies at the time they entered the promised land. He left these possible enemies in the land.

In the same way, when you became a Christian you did not get a new body with a new genetic makeup. You were not translated into a perfect society with perfect cultural habits.

You were left with your genetic and cultural situation in a place where evil spirits operate through these things to kill, steal, and destroy all that God has promised you. In other words, you are in a war against the flesh, the world, and the devil. And you can’t win.

But God can.

THINGS TO REMEMBER

Principles of Spiritual Warfare

Only God can successfully defeat evil.

Praising God brings Him on the scene.

Evil attacks on three fronts.

Scripture Truths
“Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.” II Chronicles 20:15
“In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” John 1:1

“And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord sat ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.” II Chronicles 20:22

“Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings has thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.” Psalm 8:2

“I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High. When mine enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence.” Psalm 9:2,3
HE SENT HIS WORD AND HEALED THEM AND DELIVERED THEM FROM THEIR DESTRUCTIONS.

Everyday Spiritual Warfare

© 2011 by Amy Barkman

Published by Next Step Books, P.O. Box 70271, West Valley City, Utah 84170
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise – without written permission of the author, except for brief quotations in printed reviews.

All Scripture quotations are from the King James Version.

Barkman, Amy

Everyday Spiritual Warfare

ISBN-13: 978-1937671006

ISBN-10: 1937671003

2011-12-14T07:40:00.000-08:00

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card author & illustrator is:

M. C. Pearson

and the book:

F.A.I.R.I.E.S.: Baptism by Fire

FIRST Wild Card Press (December 5, 2011)

***Special thanks to M. C. Pearson of FIRST Wild Card Press for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

M. C. Pearson graduated from San Jose State University with a B. A. in art, served as a multi-media illustrator in the United States Army, earning the rank of sergeant, and spent four years as a house parent for at-risk youth. Now married over 20 years, she homeschools her two children, volunteers with her church youth group, and runs a book review blog alliance (FIRST Wild Card Tours) while writing and drawing. F.A.I.R.I.E.S.: Baptism by Fire is her first novel.

Visit the author's website.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Unwittingly chosen to join an army of fairies, who fight for the Light of the One, a teenaged girl learns about spiritual warfare as she attends a military academy with fantastical beings.

FROM THE BACK COVER:

Here lies a most precious treasure,

Awaiting one Chosen to deliver.

Seek out the red cousins in the East,

For on this your greed mustn't feast.

The wealth of a species now in your hands,

Do with it as the light demands.

Give them your gift to unite,

For it is the darkness we all must fight.

EDITORIAL REVIEWS:

"Imagination runs wild in F.A.I.R.I.E.S. Pearson brings young readers through a looking glass and into a world bursting with adventure, heroism, and fascinating creatures. Readers will be inspired to be true to the One and left with anticipation of more to come."

--Jill Williamson, award-winning author of

By Darkness Hid, and other books

"Sprinkled with delightful illustrations, and brimming with a full bestiary of magical creatures, F.A.I.R.I.E.S. is a fun, clever romp through the alternate landscape of the most magical world of all, our own. Read, and take up the call: 'Defend and Emancipate!'"

-- D. Barkley Briggs, author of

The Book of Names, and other books

"F.A.I.R.I.E.S. will appeal to readers who love the interplay of fantasy and reality. A rich cast of eccentric characters and exotic settings make this a fun addition to the folklore of the battle between good and evil."

--Mike Hamel, author of

YA fantasy series: MATTERHORN THE BRAVE

"F.A.I.R.I.E.S. is one of those rare gems I want to tell everyone about. It's highly imaginative, packed with adventure, and full of hope. A must read for kids and for kids at heart. Even better than Narnia! I was thinking about Pearson's wonderfully memorable characters for days."

--C.J. Darlington, author of

Thicker than Blood

"Ms. Pearson's extravagant and imaginative F.A.I.R.I.E. kingdom will surely delight the young and the young-at-heart in this tale of good and evil, light vs. darkness. The fantasy-loving reader will not be disappointed!"

--Linore Rose Burkard, award winning author of

Before the Season Ends, and other books

Product Details:

List Price: $17.99
Paperback: 482 pages
Publisher: FIRST Wild Card Press (December 5, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0615530222
ISBN-13: 978-0615530222

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

Four thousand seasons shall pass while our swords grow rusty.

Where once one chose to divide, another shall be chosen to unite.

One changed the past, the other shall change the future.

One must emancipate the other to allow the light its dominion.

The realm, now torn, allows the shadow to abide, as humanity lies blind to its peril.

The bond of friendship must endure, for the army of shadows awaits another tear.

Dust off your swords.

Unite the realm.

Destroy the strongholds.

Foretelling of Didasko Gnome Digdeep

†

PART ONE

MANY ARE CALLED

BUT

FEW ARE CHOSEN

†

CHAPTER ONE

Off and Running

t was an accident!” Mellie yelled, not caring who heard or stared. Tears streaked her face as she fled down the Santa Cruz coastline, away from her family.

You don’t need them, a voice hissed in her ear, Escape. Run away.

Scorching sand burned at her feet and bitterness ate at her heart. Mellie pumped her legs as fast as they would go. Her feet pounded with the rhythm of her emotions, beating a tempo with the crashing waves. Run-a-way. Run-a-way. Run-a-way. Adrenaline pulsed through her veins, quickening her step.

Why did I have to be the youngest? Only 12 years old. Never smart enough. Never athletic enough. I just wish they loved me.

Once, just once, she wanted to do something that would make her sisters see that she wasn’t the stupid, awkward, ugly, little baby sister.

As she ran, she wiped away some tears with the palm of her hand. Her fingers settled on her large nose, a gift from her dad’s Hungarian ancestry.

Chelsea got the ski-slope shaped nose. I had to get Half-Dome. It just isn’t fair.

Her hand dropped to her side and she pinched at her stomach. It still had some of its baby fat.

Ugh, why are my sisters so perfect? What happened to me?

Pushing her short bangs from her forehead in disgust, she mumbled, “Maybe I’ll find treasure. I’ll be the rich one, and then they’ll have to accept me.” But she knew better. California didn’t hold any more undiscovered treasures.

The sand, hot and coarse, cut at her feet. I wish I had remembered my shoes. She wore only a black, one-piece swimsuit and a San Jose Sharks sweatshirt tied tightly around her waist.

Breathing rapidly, she began to tire. She slowed her pace to a walk and looked back across the beach. The sand was so hot that waves of heat rose from it and blurred her view. A lone seagull screeched overhead.

Her sisters were nowhere in sight.

Man, I thought for sure that Chelsea was going to chase me down and kill me.

She had to admit that it was a little gratifying to see the sand fly from her foot, covering Chelsea’s sub-sandwich and freshly oiled stomach. Grinning slightly, the tears stopped flowing. She rubbed her eyes.

Mellie looked in the direction of her sisters. “You guys can never take a joke.” Flipping her golden hair, she turned her head back toward her chosen path. She no longer smiled as she stomped her feet in the cold surf, remembering the hateful words that had been said.

“Oh, waa waa, you stupid cry baby! Go tell mommy! Maybe she’ll feel sorry for her ugly, fat baby. Why don’t you grow up? We don’t want you near us. Can’t you understand English? You are so dumb. Look at her mouth open. Oh wait, here she goes…come on, baby…cry!”

Mellie knew she couldn’t go back. They would only ridicule and torment her further. Her mom would never believe it was Chelsea’s fault. No, the evidence was on Chelsea’s side. Who was the one with the sand all over her oily, coconut-smelling body? Who was the one who had a sandwich full of sand? Mellie walked on.

After her temper finally cooled, it occurred to her that she had never walked so far alone.

How far have I gone?

A shadow passed over her, and she looked up. Nothing was there. A cool breeze from the ocean created a stark contrast to the scalding sand. She shivered but kept walking, lost in her loneliness.

Not until she stubbed her toe on a large broken clamshell did she look at the beach. A chill snaked up her back. Nothing appeared familiar. The sounds of the surf were still there, yet something was decidedly different. She felt dizzy. Looking around, she could not quite pinpoint the change. Then it struck her.

No people.

Where did everybody go?

Even though she could see no one, Mellie could swear that she felt eyes staring at her.

She looked inland across the sand, saw movement near some eucalyptus trees, but decided that the wind must have caused it.

Trees? So close to the beach?

Something shook the trees again, causing goosebumps to stand out on Mellie’s arms. Alarmed, she checked the skyline. The sun was close to setting. She hoped that the police weren’t out looking for her.

Suddenly cold, she pulled at the arms of the sweatshirt still tied around her waist. It fell to the sand. Bending to pick it up, she once again saw a blur of movement, except this time it came from a rocky outcrop by the waves. She shook the sand out of the sweatshirt and hurriedly tugged it over her head.

“Okay, I’m seeing things.” Mellie yanked at her hair, pulling it out of the sweatshirt. She stared at the sinister rocks. “Hel-lo?” Her voice cracked as she spoke louder. “Is someone the-ere? Hello?” No answer. The shadowy rocks seemed to quiver with excitement, beckoning her closer.

Hmm…probably just a seagull.

Even if it was a bird, she did not want to see it.

There’s no way I’m going over there.

The wind picked up and blew her hair into her eyes. The sand spun with the wind.

Yes, definitely time to move. I need to find a road.

She turned back toward the sweet smelling, oddly placed trees.

Mellie arrived at the base of the first, colossal eucalyptus tree. Without warning, one of the branches fell in front of her, then seemed to get up from the ground and pose its bottom stems in a military-like stance.

Mellie screamed and jumped back. “Branches don’t stand.”

“They do if they are walking sticks.” The eucalyptus branch chuckled, stretching to its full height, considerably taller than Mellie’s meager five feet.
She gasped, grabbed the branch, and threw it like a javelin, as hard as she could.

As she took off running, she heard a bark and halted. Turning, she saw a golden retriever bounding toward her with the stick in his mouth. The dog dropped it at her feet. She watched the dog run into the grove of trees and disappear before she fearfully turned back to the possessed stick.

It had already gained its footing again and stood over her. Mellie was too frightened to move this time.

A face emerged from the skinny twig and took on the characteristics of a male human, but none like Mellie had ever seen. He had hair made up in rolls as if it were a powdered, green-silver wig, the same color as the leaves that grew all around his skinny body. His face was long and his forehead high. The twiggy man smiled and said in a distinctly British, albeit breezy, accent, “Do not worry, you are safe.”

Mellie couldn’t answer.

“Ahh…I love new recruits. They are so easily addled.”

Feeling more confused than threatened, Mellie found her voice. “What? What do you mean, new recruits?” She rubbed her eyes, shaking her head. “Okay, I’m talking to a stick now. Yes, I have lost it. I have gone totally mental.”

“Oh, I say, am I to understand that I am the first to be revealed to you?” With round, leathery leaves, the branch resembled a toddler toy with rings stacked on one another.

She dropped open her mouth and nodded.

“Well, let me do this properly, then. Ahem. Mortal, made of clay, you have been Chosen to join the Fantastical, Aerial, International, Reasonably Inconspicuous, Emancipation Squads.”

“What? What are you? You look like a stick…but you can talk.”

“Yes, child,” the stick replied with a sigh. “But, I think we are quite past that by now. Have you not heard me? You have been Chosen.”

Mellie opened her mouth wider, closed it, frowned, and opened it once more. “Chosen? For what?”

“You did wish to be different? To change who you were? ’Twas an especially strong desire, yes?” The branch crossed its arms and tapped its twiggy foot.

“Umm…”

“Dear me, this is highly unusual. You made a choice to run away from a miserable life and asked to be set free? Correct?”

“Well, I, ah…yeah. I guess so. What did you say about recruit for some squad?”

“Humph. I see that I was not understood. Yes? Let me elucidate. The Fantastical, Aerial, International, Reasonably Inconspicuous, Emancipation Squads , or shall I say F.A.I.R.I.E.S.? have accepted you into their organization. You asked. You were answered.” The branch attempted a smile, but looked impatient instead.

“Fairies? I don’t believe in fairies.” Mellie winced, half expecting him to fall down and writhe in pain until she clapped her hands.

“Quite right. You are not supposed to. If humans truly believed we existed, we would never get anything accomplished.”

Mellie laughed and looked around for a hidden camera, thinking this must be a joke. “Right. Ah…heh…okay, bud, brilliant costume,” she said, imitating the branch’s accent. “Where’s the zipper?” She reached toward him and touched a soft leaf.

The branch slapped her hand away and stamped its foot with a loud cracking noise. “I beg your pardon. I have not been a bud for over 800 springs!” He paced, his leaves crumpling, mumbling to himself about humans and why, in the One’s name, did he listen to that confounded gnome who told him that he needed to stand gate duty. With his rank!

“I’m sorry I upset you. Please, I’m very confused. I’m lost, and I just want to go home.” Mellie bit her lip.

The branch stopped mid-pace. “Home? Earlier, did you not wish for a new life? And riches? I know you wished for treasure, hmm?”

“How do you know that?” Mellie furrowed her brow. “Have you been reading my mind?”

The twig man didn’t answer her questions, asking his own instead. “Ahh, so, you admit this, yes?”

She narrowed her eyes. “Yes, but…well, this really isn’t what I had in mind.”

The branch threw up its twiggy fingers. “Oh, well, of course you did not have this in mind. After all, we are reasonably inconspicuous, especially to humans. How could you have this in mind? However, is it not superior of the One to think that this is what you would have chosen had you known about us? Anyway, ’tis irrevocable now. So, if you would just follow me, we shall get you signed in and enrolled for training.”

The branch marched off between the trunks of two large eucalyptus trees.

Mellie slid uncontrollably after the walking stick. She planted her feet firmly, refusing to budge, but she slid after him anyway. Grasping at branches of nearby trees, she panted heavily as she struggled to resist following the branch. Some kind of invisible tie connected her to him. He seemed to pull her along with his every step.

Mellie thought about her sisters and how mad they were at her. I’m dead meat if they find me. Mellie quickly gave up her battle and ran after the eucalyptus branch, barely keeping up with his stride.

†

The sand changed to coarse dirt, with pebbles and sticks. More and more trees filled Mellie’s vision. Bushes scraped against her bare legs and slapped her face as she moved deeper inside a forest of eucalyptus and redwood trees. She winced in pain as a razor-sharp rock sliced her foot. Stopping to nurse it, she wished once again for her forgotten shoes.

“Excuse me, sir?” Mellie looked around. She could not see the branch anywhere.

“Do not call me ‘sir’, I work for a living.” The branch peeked out from around one of the gigantic trees. “And please, try to keep up. We need to reach the gateway.”

Mellie limped up to him. “Sorry, sir…I mean…umm, what should I call you then?”

“Oh, well, we did skip that. Did we not? Yes, all right, an introduction then.” The branch man seemed to enjoy formal etiquette for he gave an elaborate wave and bowed. “My name is Regnans, family of Myrtaceae, born member of the F.A.I.R.I.E.S., Britannia Wing, rank of Master Nymph Dryad.”

“Nice to meet you, Reg…Reg?” Mellie chewed on the inside of her mouth. Never good at remembering names, she knew she would offend him with her lack of manners.

Sure enough, the dryad raised an eyebrow and pursed his lips. “Regnans.” He gave a hurt sniff, then drolly sneered. “If you find that a difficult name, you should meet the rest of my family, all seven-hundred thirty-four of them.”

“Sorry, I just…well, it is a lot to remember. It’s a nice name, though. My name is Maryellen Goodwin of Bret Harte Middle School, San Jose, California. But everyone calls me Mellie.” She stuck out her hand, intending to shake. Regnans stared at her.

“That is a strange curtsy. However, I guess ’twill do. We must get moving now. The shadows abound, you know.” Regnans made an about face and marched off faster than before.

Another hour passed, and still they strode along the forest floor. Mellie’s feet were now cut, blistered, and bleeding. She kept up as best she could with Regnans’s long stride. Whenever she tried to stop, he would pull her on with that invisible force of his.

Stupid, pompous, magical Star Wars freak.

She whimpered as she limped. Darkness and mist now covered the woods. As she was about to plead for a break, Regnans stopped. Except for her heavy gulps of air, all seemed quiet.

Regnans stiffened even more than usual. Nothing on him moved, apart from his eyes, which darted around quickly.

“All is safe, we may proceed.” He held up a twiggy finger to his woody mouth. “Please do not speak, and try not to breathe so abominably loud.”

Mellie nodded with a disgusted frown. Sweat dripped from her bangs. She tried to calm her breathing, even though her vision blurred, and her legs wobbled. Her blisters had popped by now and oozed wetness.

Regnans moved again, yet this time he took slow, deliberate steps, all the while scanning his surroundings. He walked up to a massive redwood tree and stroked its bark.

A breeze stirred up, rattling the leaves, sounding almost like spoken words. Mellie thought herself crazy again. However, the longer she stood there, the more she sensed that it really was the tree’s language, as if she had never listened to trees properly before. It said, “If you love, you will say the one true love that leads the way.”

Regnans whispered in a leaf rustling voice, “Ah-gaw-pay.”

A loud grumbling sound, as if someone awakened after a long sleep, shook the grove. The redwood tree opened two eyes, each the size of Mellie’s head, and blinked. A great fissure erupted below the eyes in the shape of a crescent, and redish-brown wooden teeth emerged. A long, knobby branch pushed its way out above the mouth and inhaled deeply.

The tree chuckled. Instead of the whispering leaves, a low, rumbling utterance of human speech came from the redwood tree. “Regnans? What brings you to my neck of the woods?” He blinked again. “And who is this? A new recruit? A human? A Chosen?”

Mellie knew she looked silly, standing there with her mouth in an ‘O’ shape, but she couldn’t move. This was simply impossible. There is no such thing as fairies!

“Yes, yes. Please open the gate, we must not dawdle here…they may be watching.” Regnans looked agitated.

A deep laugh resounded from the redwood. “Oh, Regnans. There are none who watch here.”

Regnans mumbled something about hamadryads and their pride, then proclaimed in a slightly louder voice to the tree, “We must be sober, be vigilant, because the shadow walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom it may devour.”

The hamadryad looked chagrined. “You speak true, dryad. Forgive me for acting like an arrogant seedling.” He glanced at Mellie, and with a lowered voice asked, “And what is your name, little human?”

Mellie managed to squeak out, “Mellie Goodwin.”

“Ah, ’tis always nice to have a Good Wind.” The hamadryad laughed heartily.

“Sorry to interrupt this lovely tete-a-tete,” Regnans said, “but would you please open the gate? I left Westside completely unguarded.”

An annoyed creak came from the base of the redwood, followed by a sigh. “Yes, Regnans. Agape you said, and agape it is. Go with the light, my friends.” The large, joyous eyes closed, and the hamadryad whispered in his leaf rustling voice, “Until we meet again, Good Wind.” His face disappeared, and his roots lifted and pulled apart, exposing a tunnel within his trunk.

Regnans grabbed Mellie’s hand with his rough, wooden one, and pulled her inside the opening. The tree closed itself abruptly and left them in total darkness.

Regnans cleared his throat and said, “Let there be light.”

A burst of dazzling brightness sparkled from the tunnel’s wall. Mellie glanced around and noticed a long, winding stairwell leading down into the ground.

“Shall we, then?” Not waiting for a reply, Regnans started down the steps.

Available at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com.

How to Kill a Giant

2011-11-28T09:12:00.000-08:00

In my morning Bible study today I read about David and Goliath. The account is familiar to all of us, how David, who was only a boy, faced down a 9 foot giant, a warrior with armor and a lifetime of battle experience. King Saul tried to give David his own armor, but David couldn’t wear it. Instead, he armed himself with only his sling and 5 stones. When Goliath scoffed at him, he announced, “All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves.”

David’s words struck me with force, as though slung with his sling right off the page. I’ve been battling something recently, something that seems like a giant in my life. At times my battle seems hopeless, and the giant far more powerful than I can handle. But this familiar story gave me an important reminder – no giant is too powerful for God to handle. My job is to be like David, to believe that God is more powerful than any giant, and that He has already equipped me with the perfect weapon – His Word. There are stones all around me, ready for me to pick up. I just need to gather them and carry them into battle.

So this morning, I gathered five stones to use in my battle against the giant. I wrote them down and put them in my pocket. Here are the five stones the Lord led me to find:

Stone #1 - “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

Stone #2 - “But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…Get up, take your mat, and go home.” (Luke 5:24)

Stone #3 -“All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves.” (1 Samuel 17:47)

Stone #4 -“Now you will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the rock eternal.” (Psalm 26:3-4)

Stone #5 -“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)

When I face this giant’s taunting and tempting, I will pull out those stone and use them. I will read them aloud, and remind myself that the battle belongs to the Lord. I’ll see this giant fall.

Shining Stars

2011-11-17T04:50:00.001-08:00

If you watch my Journal closely...well, then you're probably pretty bored most of the time. I confess that I'm a TERRIBLE blogger! Seems when I have a list of things to accomplish for the day, writing a Journal update falls consistently to the bottom of the list. That's what has happened lately.

Between book releases (Lost Melody by Lori Copeland and Virginia Smith is now available!) and children's book events (The Last Christmas Cookie, my first illustrated children's book, is also now available!) and working on two more books that are due soon, I've stayed really busy! But I'm never too busy for my morning Bible reading and prayer. In fact, I've discovered when I start the day right, the rest goes smoothly.

This morning I read a verse in Philippians that jumped out at me.

"Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life." (Philippians 2:14-16)

We're all busy people, and in the midst of our busy-ness it's easy to become self focused. Sometimes I need to be reminded of the REAL work, the work that matters. God has given me the word of life, and He expects me to let that word shine like a star in a dark sky, to hold it out so that others can see it. THAT's the most important work I do.

I needed that reminder this morning.

Dreams - Lost Car

2011-10-25T10:15:00.000-07:00

Last night I dreamed that I couldn’t find the place where I’d parked my car. I’ve actually dreamed often that I can’t find my car, so I’ve looked up what that might mean. If you believe that our dreams are often an expression of our emotional subconscious states and can be interpreted (which, I confess, I don’t always buy into 100%), you probably know that lost car dreams are pretty common. According to some, lost cars indicate uncertainty in your career. You’re trying to “get someplace” and you don’t know how you’re going to get there.

I find that extremely interesting in light of what happened yesterday. I have a new book that has just released, Lost Melody by Lori Copeland and Virginia Smith. I absolutely love this book, and I’m very, very eager for others to love it too. And so far the advance reviews have all been overwhelmingly positive. But yesterday the book received the first not-so-positive review. The reviewer said she was ‘disappointed’ in one aspect of the story. OUCH! I spent several hours yesterday obsessing about that negative review, and it really did shake my confidence for a while. An ugly little voice even whispered, “Well, there you go. Proof positive that you’re a lousy writer, and you’ll never get another book contract again. Your career is sunk.” And then I dreamed I couldn’t find my car!

The funny thing is that Lost Melody is a book about dreams. A woman loses her dream/goal of being a concert pianist when she injures her hand. Then she begins having a literal dream of an upcoming disaster. So it’s no surprise that I’ve been a bit focused on dreams lately, huh?

But you know what? The realization of the reason for that dream was healing for me this morning. When I realized that the worries about one single review were affecting me to the point of intruding on my sleep, I was able to pull that worry out into the light of consciousness and examine it. WHO CARES IF THAT LADY DIDN’T LIKE MY BOOK??? I love the book! Lori C, my co-author, loves the book. Dozens of others who have read the book love it and have heaped extravagant praise on it. My career is not sunk! And not only that, I know exactly where my car is!

Whew! What a relief!

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About Lost Melody, by Lori Copeland and Virginia Smith: The beautiful piano sitting in the corner of Jill King's apartment begs to be played. For over a year, it has sat untouched, ever since a terrible accident shattered Jill's ambition of becoming a concert pianist. The ragged scar on her left hand is a cruel and constant reminder of the death of her dream. But another dream is about to come to life---an unexpected, horrifying dream that will present Jill with a responsibility she never wanted. And choices she never wanted to make. Hundreds of lives depend on Jill's willingness to warn her small, oceanside town in Nova Scotia of a nameless, looming disaster. But doing so could cost Jill her reputation, jeopardize the political career of the man she loves, and ruin their plans for a future together. The fate of an entire community hangs in the balance as Jill wrestles with the cost of heeding one still, small voice.

Purchase at your local bookstore, or online at Amazon.com or CBD.com. Or read on Kindle or Nook.

Dream Interpretation: Fire

2011-10-17T18:45:00.000-07:00

When I researched my latest book, Lost Melody (which I co-authored with awesome novelist Lori Copeland), I learned a little about dream interpretation. In the story, Jill King is a concert pianist who loses her ability to play the piano when she suffers a devastating injury to her hand. Her dream of playing at Carnegie Hall is shattered along with her hand. A year later, she begins to have a dream of a different kind – a dream of an impending disaster that threatens the seaside village in which she lives. She knows she must warn people to evacuate the town, but nobody believes her. And she’s not sure she even believes herself.

While researching the meaning of dreams, I discovered that fire in dreams indicates strong emotions such as anger or suppressed passion. A fire may indicate a change taking place in your life, or it may indicate strong emotions that you are trying to ignore.

I once dreamed of a fire that raged through my house. Oh, what a terrible feeling – I was trying to control the fire, but it raged out of control and destroyed everything. As I read about dream interpretation during my research for Lost Melody, I realized that the fire might be an expression of my inner anxiety. I was going through a personal emotional crisis, and the fire represented strong emotions that threatened my emotional stability – my house.

In Jill’s dream, a fire of unknown source rages and threatens the people in her town. Of course, in the book she has no idea what the dream means until the end. But a troop of supportive ladies from her grandmother’s church believe in her dreams, and question her closely about the meaning of fire. To her horror and embarrassment, one old lady even questions whether or not the passion represented by the fire might be, uh, sensual. She quickly assures them that she is not suppressing sensual passions! (I laughed as I wrote that part. Jill was soooo embarrassed by the suggestion, and the little lady was soooo eager for details!)

Have you ever dreamed of a raging fire? Can you remember what was going on in your life at the time of that dream? Is it possible your dream was an expression of anger or suppressed passion?

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About Lost Melody, by Lori Copeland and Virginia Smith: The beautiful piano sitting in the corner of Jill King's apartment begs to be played. For over a year, it has sat untouched, ever since a terrible accident shattered Jill's ambition of becoming a concert pianist. The ragged scar on her left hand is a cruel and constant reminder of the death of her dream. But another dream is about to come to life---an unexpected, horrifying dream that will present Jill with a responsibility she never wanted. And choices she never wanted to make. Hundreds of lives depend on Jill's willingness to warn her small, oceanside town in Nova Scotia of a nameless, looming disaster. But doing so could cost Jill her reputation, jeopardize the political career of the man she loves, and ruin their plans for a future together. The fate of an entire community hangs in the balance as Jill wrestles with the cost of heeding one still, small voice.

Purchase at your local bookstore, or online at Amazon.com or CBD.com. Or read on Kindle or Nook.

Jesus Had Them Rolling in the Aisles

2011-10-01T03:44:00.000-07:00

I was reading the Sermon on the Mount this morning, and something occurred to me. Before today, I've always pictured Jesus sitting on the top of a gently sloping hill with people gathered all around him, sitting on the grass, or maybe on a blanket they brought from home. He has such a kind, loving face. He's so peaceful, and he smiles as he speaks about salt and light, and lists off the beatitudes one at a time in his gentle voice. Oh, wouldn't it be awesome to hear Him preach?

Jesus is sitting because back in those days, people sat down to preach. I'd have a really hard time with that, because I'm a fairly animated speaker. When I speak, I'm all over the place, from one side of the stage to the other, waving my arms and making funny faces. (I know I make funny faces because whenever someone snaps a picture of me while I'm speaking, I've always got a weird expression and my eyes are crossed and my hands are flapping above my head.) I'm pretty sure I'd be banned from speaking back then because I don't think I could stay in my seat for the length of an entire message.

Then something occurred to me. Do you think Jesus was any less animated than I? I doubt it. We know he used humor in his talks. One of his favorite forms of humor was hyperbole, which is when you exaggerate something to ridiculous proportions. The whole camel-through-the-eye-of-a-needle thing. The image of a log sticking out of someone's eye. That was funny stuff, folks!

In the Sermon on the Mount there's an example. He was telling them not to be obnoxiously public about giving to the needy. He said, "Don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing." Now, that's surely an example of hyperbole. Can't you just see him demonstrating that as he spoke? Personifying his hands, making them look like individuals, and hiding one behind his back while the other one pretends to drop a coin unobtrusively in the collection plate without being seen? Can't you see his expression? I'll bet he had them rolling in the aisles...uh, in the grass.

I've always sort of pictured Jesus as a solemn, serious person. After all, he was dealing with extremely serious topics. But this morning I decided I was wrong. What if his speaking style was more like Redd Skelton?

I'm a Ninety-Niner

2011-09-27T05:35:00.000-07:00

In my Bible reading this morning, I read the parable of the lost sheep from Luke. Whenever I read a parable, I place myself in the story. That’s the way I read fiction – I identify with the characters so strongly that at some level I’m seeing the story through their eyes, smelling the smells they smell, hearing the noises they hear. And parables are, after all, short stories with a message. Jesus told parables to make a point to his audience.

So in the parable of the lost sheep, Jesus tells the story of a shepherd who has a flock of 100 sheep. But one sheep gets lost. At times when I’ve read this parable I’ve identified with the lost sheep, the one who is enjoying herself so much as she walks along in the sunshine that she wanders away from the others. She keeps spying a patch of sweet green grass a few feet away and trots over to sample it, or sees a little stream sparkling in the sunlight and goes over to get a cool drink. Before she knows it, she turns around to discover that the rest of the sheep have gone on without her and she’s all alone. But then the shepherd comes and rescues her, and he is sooooo happy to see her, and gives her a ride on his own shoulders. The one sheep is easily distracted and kind of silly and maybe a little stupid, but her shepherd loves her anyway. Yeah, I could so be the one sheep.

This morning, though I was definitely identifying with the ninety-nine others who stuck together. They were enjoying some sweet, delicious grass of their own, and not only that, they were enjoying hanging with their friends. Can’t you just hear Sheep Number Sixty-Three shout across the tops of the others’ heads, “Hey Forty-Seven! Come try one of these little white flowers. They’re delicious!” And Forty-Seven shouts back, “Maybe so, but honey, once I start I can’t stop, and those things will put five pounds on my hips before I know it.” (What? Do you mean everyone doesn’t hear those sheep talking when they read the Parable of the Lost Sheep???)

So then Twenty-Six raises his head and says, “Hey, where’s Hundred?” And everyone starts looking around and saying to each other, “She was here a minute ago. Where could she be? Somebody better go tell Shepherd she’s wandered off again.” Shepherd smiles and says, “I’ll go find her. Y’all stay here.”

At first, I was tempted to be a little upset as I watched his retreating back disappear over the hillside. I mean, here I was, one of the Ninety-Nine, and I was doing what I was supposed to be doing, but Shepherd left me to go look for that ditsy, scatterbrained Hundred. But then I looked around and realized I had nothing to be upset about. I was in beautiful open country. There was a babbling brook off to my right and the sound of sparkling water rushing over the rocks was like music in the clear air. I was surrounded by delicious and nourishing sweet grass dotted liberally with those wonderful fattening little white flowers. And I wasn’t alone. I had my friends. I realized that Shepherd would never have left me alone. He left me in a wonderful community, where I have friendship and fellowship and safety and food and drink and fun. I was a Ninety-Niner – one of the happy, safe, secure members of his flock.

So you know what I did? I said a little prayer for Shepherd, that the Lord would guide him directly to Hundred so he could bring her back. Then I trotted over to where Sixty-Three was enjoying those white flowers, and grabbed myself a mouthful. Yum!

Okay, so now you know what a truly weird person I am. That’s okay. Just relax and have a flower. They’re really good. (I just got a chocolate-flavored one.)

A Prayer for Our Nation

2011-09-11T16:10:00.000-07:00

I downloaded a free Kindle book yesterday, and started reading it last night. I'm not much of a nonfiction reader, so if a nonfiction book gets my attention, you can bet it's a good one. Powerful Prayers for Troubled Times, Praying for the Country We Love by Stormie Omartian grabbed me immediately. Ms. Omartian is an acknowledged expert on prayer, as evidenced by the many books about prayer she has published, which have found a huge audience. Download the free Kindle book here. Or if you prefer to read a physical book, you can purchase it from ChristianBook.com, Amazon.com, or Barnes and Noble.com

Since today is the tenth anniversary of Sept 11, 2001, the prayer in the first chapter really grabbed me. I found myself praying as I read her words. I'm including it here in the hopes that you'll join me in prayer.

Lord, I pray for the people of this country to find healing for the memories of the terrible tragedies that have happened in our land. I pray especially for those who have lost loved ones in defense of our country. Give them a greater sense of Your presence so that they may find Your comfort. Provide for their every need. As we weep with those who weep, help us to bear their burdens in prayer. Pour Your healing love over them so they will know Your peace. Help us not forget why we must "pray without ceasing" for our nation to be protected. Help us to remember that the only things in this world that are indestructible are You and Your Word.

Your Word tells us that there will be cataclysmic events that will happen in the world, but I pray that there will be an end to disasters or tragedies in our nation. Even if those kinds of events do occur, I pray that You will protect us in the midst of them. Turn the heart of our nation toward You. Awaken in us a new realization of our need for Your guidance and protection. Give us a new understanding of what is really important. Your Word says that You have "bourn our griefs and carried our sorrows." Bear our griefs now, carry our sorrows, and put gladness in our hearts as only You can do.

Lord, tech me how to be a powerful intercessor for my family, neighbors, community, city, and nation. Help me to pray consistently and with great understanding. Give me revelation and insight that guides my prayers so that I may pray more effectively. Help the believers of this nation to rise up together and learn to pray in power. Enable us to teach our children how to pray as well, and help us all to understand what it means to be a nation whose God is the Lord. In Jesus' name I pray.

Expanding

2011-09-09T07:17:00.000-07:00

(And no, by "expanding" I am not referring to my hips!)

You know, I really didn't intend for my Journal to become a place for Bible lessons, but that's the way it seems to be turning out. Still, this is what I think about when I'm not writing fiction. So...

I finished my study of Chronicles, and now am going through the Two-Track Plan that was developed by mega-bestselling author Phllip Yancey. I'm using the plan as a guide for daily Bible reading. Today my reading included Mark 1, which I've read, like, a gazillion times. Even so, something jumped out at me that I hadn't really thought about before.

This chapter describes how Jesus got his ministry started. Verses 35-39 tell us that after Jesus healed a bunch of people in the little town of Capernaum, he got up early in the morning and went off to a solitary place to pray. His newly minted disciples found him and said, "Hey, everyone's looking for you!" Jesus told them, "Let's go somewhere else, to the nearby villages, so I can preach there also. That is why I have come." So they did.

I noticed a couple of things. First, Jesus started out small. Not that his ministry was small - not at all. He was healing people and teaching with power right from the beginning. But he started ministering to the people in a small town. Then -- and this is important -- he prayed. Once his name started to become known, he took time to go off by himself and pray. I assume he was praying for direction, based on what he told his disciples. It was after he prayed that God gave him the go-ahead to widen his audience. And then he left Capernum and went elsewhere, even though the people of Capernum obviously wanted him to stick around.

We all have a ministry, a God-given mission, tasks that we want to accomplish. Some might feel called to teach, others to manage people, to preach, to sing, to start a web-based company. Mine is to write. It's such a temptation to want to start out big. We want to see our work reach as many as possible immediately, because that means our work is successful, right? But God doesn't always work that way. Sometimes He wants us to start out small, get a little experience under our belts first.

So here's my take-away from that passage. If I want to accomplish big things for the Lord, I can look to Jesus as a model. First, God might be directing me to start out small. That doesn't mean my work won't be powerful and meaningful - it just means I can't judge the value of my work by the size of my audience. Second, I need to pray. When I feel the urge to expand my audience, I need to separate myself from the work for a little while and get to a place where I can hear the Lord. Ask Him for direction.

And finally, when God says, "Okay, you're ready. Let's go!" I need to go. I might have a faithful audience in that small start-up group. It might be hard to step away from them. After all, they like me. They're looking for me. I might have said I wanted to expand my reach, but when it comes right down to it, it's hard to walk away from a sure thing, isn't it? It's more fun to be a big fish in a small pond than a guppy in an ocean. But when God gives the go-ahead, I'll have to move on if I want to accomplish the tasks He has given me to do.

Okay, that's enough deep thinking for one day.

Ten Years Later

2011-09-01T09:27:00.000-07:00

(The following is from my September 2011 Newsletter. You can see the whole newsletter here.")

When I typed the dateline for this issue of my newsletter, I realized that this month is the tenth anniversary of 9-1-1.

Isn’t it funny how everyone knows exactly what I mean when I type those numerals? I don’t think there’s a person alive who can read this newsletter who doesn’t remember exactly where they were and what they were doing when they heard of the attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and the heroics of the passengers on the hijacked plane that went down near Shanksville Pennsylvania. Even people who live in countries other than the United States remember that day. Almost 3,000 people died during the attacks, and I know I speak for millions when I say I mourn their loss. Not only that, but thousands have died since that day. Please join me in praying for those who love them, and continue to feel the loss deeply.

Whenever I think of September 11, 2001, I am reminded of one of the most precious things I have – my freedom. And I am not referring to citizenship in any nation. The apostle Paul said, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1 NIV) I rejoice in the fact that Jesus died for my freedom - mine, and yours too!

I hope you’ll join me this month on September 11th in remembrance of all who have lost their lives for the sake of freedom – especially the One who died to set us free for eternity.

Virginia Smith

The Importance of Cleaning House

2011-08-22T06:04:00.000-07:00

I'm continuing my morning Bible study of the books of 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles. On one level you can look at these accounts of the kings of Judah and Israel as a history lesson. We learn important lessons by studying history, examples of both good and bad behavior. Who was it who said, "Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it."? Trust me, you DON'T want to repeat some of the mistakes those old kings made!

Every time I come to a new king described in these books, I've found myself looking for a key phrase that is used to introduce the king's reign. Many of them say, "He did evil in the eyes of the Lord," but some of them say, "He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord."

Such was the case of Josiah. His reign followed an evil king who reigned for 22. Since Josiah was only 8 when he became king, we know that he didn't have a positive role model. And yet the Bible said, "He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and walked in all the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or the left." I think that means he had a heart for serving God. When he was 16 years old, he started seeking God. He spent 4 years learning all he could, and then when he was 18 he began systematically purging all the idolatry from Judah and Jerusalem. He gave orders to clean up the temple restore it.

While that project was going on, the Bible says they found a book stuffed in a corner somewhere in the temple. This book was the "Book of the Law of the Lord that had been given through Moses." Wow! That tells us a lot about the state of the temple before Josiah's clean-up project began, huh? So Josiah read the book, and he was so convicted about all the stuff the people had NOT been doing that he threw a righteous fit and tore his clothes and did some serious praying. Then he led the people in reestablishing the law of God, and even reinstituted the Passover, which hadn't been celebrated in a long, long time. Ah, imagine the awesome aroma of celebration that reached to heaven during that week of celebration!

As I was thinking about Josiah, I found something applicable to my own life. Every now and then, I need to do some major house-cleaning. No, I don't mean scrubbing floors and windows. I mean I need to take a good, long look at the temple in which my Lord lives -- my spirit -- and make sure everything there is in order. Repair the splintered pillars. Sweep out the cobwebs. Polish up the altar on which I lay my offerings. Look under the years of accumulated stuff and re-familiarize myself with what's important - worshiping and celebrating in the way God taught me.

Of course, there's another lesson, and this one comes from my husband. He says, "It's easier to keep up than to catch up." So once I've got all the spiritual internal parts all spiffed up and clean, I'm going to work on keeping them that way.

Where I've Been and Where I'm Going

2011-08-19T11:19:00.001-07:00

Okay, so I surfed over to look at my website the other day and realized I've been neglectful. My blog is outdated, my Reader Fun page is outdated, my upcoming events aren't posted...gosh, didja think I disappeared?

Never fear - I am here! Sometimes life gets in the way of social networking, though, ya know? That's happened to me for the last month. And I wouldn't have it any other way, actually. Here's what I've been up to:

My grandson turned ONE at the end of July. Yep - one year since his birth. I can't believe it. We threw a big party at my house to celebrate the event, and to make the event special Grammy Great and Great Aunt Patti flew in. It was a wonderful time!

I've finished one new novel, written proposals for two more, and am working on two others! My writing life has never been busier, or more rewarding, than it is right now.

I finished my daily Bible reading about the life of Elisha, and started on the kings of Israel and Judah. Hmmm...lots to learn. I hope nobody ever studies my life and pinpoints examples of how not to act!

I've launched Next Step Books, a small press publisher focusing on releasing books of people I know who have a story to tell and choose not to go the traditional publishing route. This is proving to be far more rewarding that I initially expected, and I find myself spending more and more time on it. Purely a labor of love, and a fun hobby!

My husband bought me an exciting gift the other day - my own motorcycle! Yep, I'm going to take the plunge and learn to ride myself. It's a Honda Interceptor, red white and blue, and a beautiful little bike. Right now it's in pieces in the garage while Ted checks it out. I'll keep you posted on my progress.

As you can see, my time has not been idle. Nor will it be for the forseeable future. I've got several fun book events over the next several months. I'll tell you about them in an upcoming blog post.

For now ... enjoy what's left of the summer! It's fading fast!

Raising a Child Who Does What's Right

2011-08-02T09:43:00.000-07:00

I've been reading about the historical kings of Israel and Judah. Man, some of them were pretty awful! They basically ignored the God who had made them a nation, and allowed - even encouraged - the people to worship other gods and forget the teachings of the Lord who had redeemed them from slavery and led them to the Promised Land. In 2 Kings we read about a series of them, and many times the length of the king's reign is given, along with this summary of his rule: "And he did evil in the eyes of the Lord."

But every now and then, we encounter a good king, like Joash. (Read 2 Kings 11 & 12.) His father was Ahaziah, who "did evil in the eyes of the Lord." And his grandmother, Athaliah, was a stinker of a woman. When King Ahaziah was killed, Mama Athaliah slaughtered the entire family - HER family! Basically she was trying to wipe out anyone who had a claim to the throne. She just about succeeded, except Joash's sister got wind of the slaughter, and she hid little one-year-old Joash in a back bedroom. Then she secreted him away, out of Mean Mama Athaliah's reach. The Bible says Joash, "remained hidden with his nurse at the temple of the Lord for six years while Athaliah ruled the land."

Little Joash was raised in the temple. And he had a mentor there - a priest named Jehoida. Now, what kind of upbringing do you think he had? Yes, he was in hiding, but he was in the temple of God! Being raised by a priest! I'll bet his little life was saturated with prayer and Scripture and serving the Lord.

After six years, Jehoida the priest worked out a secret deal with the commanders of the army, and he brought them to the temple and revealed Joash as the true King. The army (who were apparently sick and tired of Mean Mama Athaliah's rule) threw their support behind Joash and crowned him king. Athaliah's reign, and her life, came to a very public and very abrupt ending.

Then Jehoida led the new King Joash to make a covenant between the Lord and the people and him, that they would be the Lord's people once again. Joash was seven years old when he was crowned king, and he reigned for forty years, and he surrounded himself with godly mentors. The Bible says, "Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all the years Jehoiada the priest instructed him."

So, what do you suppose made the difference in Joash's life? I'll tell you what I think. He was raised in the church! He was surrounded by Godly instruction, by people who loved him and loved the Lord. He learned the ways of the Lord every day of his young life. And then he continued to surround himself with people who loved the Lord into his adulthood.

Moms and Dads, do you want your kids to do what is right? Give them a good start in life! Raise them in an environment where people love the Lord and learn His ways and strive to serve Him!

Biblical Parallels in Narnia - Deep Magic

2011-07-31T19:01:00.000-07:00

Today we’ll end our discussion of the biblical parallels in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. When we left Narnia last, Edmund has been restored to his family. But he is a traitor, and there’s a price that must be paid. The witch reminds Aslan of the Deep Magic – the rule that says every traitor’s life belongs to her, and she intends to collect Edmund’s.

The Deep Magic in Narnia has nothing to do with incantations and spells. Instead, it’s a foundational principle upon which the world was created – any act of treason against the Emperor-over-the-Sea and His Son, leads to death. Anyone who rejects the authority and principles set down by the world’s creator, forfeits his life. Moreover, that traitor’s life, by right, belongs to the witch. That’s an inescapable rule of Lewis’s Narnia.

Of course, a similar foundational principle existed in our world from the beginning of time.

…but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die. (Genesis 2:17)

As the Apostle Paul said in Romans 6:23: The wages of sin is death

This is one of the foundational principles upon which the fabric of our world is created. And Lewis created Narnia with the same principle.

So the children are really worried – what’s going to happen to Edmund? Well, that night Aslan slips away from camp, and Lucy and Susan follow him at a distance. They witness him handing himself over, voluntarily, to the Witch and her evil followers. They watch as he is bound with cruelly tight ropes, his beautiful mane shaved off, and jeered at and spit upon. He is placed on a long Stone Table, like a sacrifice. And then they watch the Witch kill him. They are devastated, and spend the cold, lonely night on the top of the hillside near his body, grieving.

Ah, but when the fingers of dawn begin to paint light on the eastern horizon, something happens. They hear a loud crack, and when they turn around Aslan is alive again! The can’t understand what has happened, but Aslan explains:

“…Though the Witch knew the Deep Magic, there is a magic deeper still which she did not know. Her knowledge goes back only to the dawn of time. But if she could have looked a little further back, into the stillness and the darkness before Time dawned, she would have read there a different incantation. She would have known that when a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor’s stead, the Table would crack and Death itself would start working backward.”

There’s a deeper, stronger principle that Aslan put in place even before the foundations of the world were laid. It’s the principle of grace, mercy, and atonement. And when this Deeper Magic comes into play, the principle of death for traitors is turned on its head. As Aslan tells Susan and Lucy after he is resurrected, death itself begins to work backward, and life bubbles up inside him and breaks forth with joy and abandonment.

Lewis wrote that principle, that magic, into his world because it’s the most foundational Truth of all in our world. Jesus, God in flesh, has died on our behalf, and risen again. He paid the price, and turned death upside down.

I’ve got to tell you, when I was a child, that scene is the one that brought home to me the awesome sacrifice Jesus made for me. I was just a kid, but I identified with Edmund. I knew what it was to disobey, to be guilty. And for the very first time, I suddenly understood my Savior’s redemption. It’s fiction, but it illustrates a powerful Truth that changed my life.

Let’s not miss something very important here. The Witch did not know anything about this Deeper Magic. But Aslan did. Because He was there when the foundations of the world were laid. This wasn’t some last minute ploy, some trick he pulled out of his ear. No, it was his plan all along.

Just as our salvation was God’s plan all along. Jesus was not the second string quarterback that God had to send into the game when Plan A didn’t work. No, God knew from the very beginning the lengths He would go to in order to save us. His love and mercy have no end – and no beginning. He laid the foundational principles of the world – the physical world and the spiritual one – from the very beginning, because it is not His will that one single sinner – not one single traitor – be lost. That’s why John refers to Jesus as

The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. (Revelation 13:8)

In the end, the Deepest Magic of all is God’s love for us, His redeeming, self-sacrificing love.

---

I hope you’ve enjoyed this series of Journal entries, looking into the symbolic Truth in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. As I was researching, I read a book called Finding God in the Land of Narnia by Kurt Bruner and Jim Ware. Much of what I learned came directly from this book. There’s a lot more, though, because the authors talk about all seven books in the Chronicles of Narnia. If you enjoy looking at the meaning behind the symbolism, I encourage you to read this book!

Biblical Parallels in Narnia - The Past is Past

2011-07-28T18:49:00.000-07:00

Today I’m continuing our examination of the Biblical truths in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. When we last talked, we left Peter, Susan, Lucy, and the beavers on the trail to join Aslan. I’ll skip over a big part of the story and come to one of my favorite scenes in any of the seven Chronicles of Narnia.

Edmund wasn’t with his brothers and sisters. He’s been in the custody of the white Witch, and he is not having a good time. At first she lured him in with delicious candy and promises of greatness, of ruling as a prince by her side. But she really just wanted information out of him – and he gave it to her. He told her what he’d learned from the beavers, that Aslan, the king of all kings, the son of the great Emperor-over-the-Sea, had returned to Narnia. And he told her where Aslan’s camp was. So the Witch gathers her army of ghouls and evil dwarves and other meanies, and heads out to attack.

At first she drags Edmund along in chains, but then she decides she doesn’t need him anymore. So she calls a halt and forces him to his knees, and whets her knife. But just as she is about ready to cut his throat, they’re attacked. Aslan has sent a rescue party. They free Edmund and take him back to Aslan’s camp. Whew! That was a close one!

Now, Lucy and Susan and Peter wake up the next morning to the wonderful news that their brother has been rescued. They rush out to greet him, and here’s what they see:

When the other children woke up next morning … the first thing they heard – from Mrs. Beaver – was that their brother had been rescued and brought into camp late last night; and was at that moment with Aslan. As soon as they had breakfasted they all went out and there they saw Aslan and Edmund walking together in the dewy grass, apart from the rest of the court. There is no need to tell you (and no one ever heard) what Aslan was saying, but it was a conversation which Edmund never forgot. As the others drew nearer Aslan turned to meet them, bringing Edmund with him.

“Here is your brother,” he said, “and—there is no need to talk to him about what is past.”

Two things about that scene bring me nearly to tears every time I read it.

The first, is the fact that we do not hear the conversation between Aslan and the poor, miserable traitor he has just saved. All we see is Edmund’s head bowed as he listens to his Savior’s words. How subtle. And what a powerful picture that paints. I love the fact that we don’t hear – but we can imagine.

How many times have I sinned, and then crawled back to Jesus? What does he say to me? What does he say to you? I don’t want to hear those intimate words spoken to someone else, even in fiction, because I have my own reunion with my Savior to cling to.

It is so powerful and so profoundly moving, and because of the subtlety of the writing, it is so intensely personal. I am right there in Edmund’s shoes, receiving grace from my savior.

The second thing I love about this scene is Aslan’s words to Peter and Susan and Lucy. Don’t ask him about it. What’s done is done.

You know, sometimes the Lord instructs us to confess our sins to one other. But there are sins in my life that are so deeply shameful and so very painful, and you know what? That’s okay. My sins are between me and my Savior. The healing that takes place when He restores me is deeply personal and so very precious. And when He forgives me, do you know what he says? Don’t dwell on it. There’s no need to talk about it. What’s done is done.

The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. (Psalm 103:8-12)

The writer of Hebrews tells us this as well, when he reminds us that Jesus fulfilled the promise God made to His people long before:

“I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” Then he adds: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.” (Hebrews 10:16-17)

Jesus not only pays the price for our sins, He erases them completely. There’s no need to talk about them anymore, because as far as He is concerned, they no longer exist.

Biblical Parallels in Narnia - Never Christmas

2011-07-25T18:39:00.000-07:00

Today I’ll continue my look at the Biblical truths in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis.

As we discussed the last time, Lucy has gotten into Narnia by herself. At first her brothers and sister don’t believe her, but then they finally step through the wardrobe themselves. When they finally get into the frozen land of Narnia, they encounter some wonderful helpers among the residents. Mr. and Mrs. Beaver take Peter, Susan, and Lucy under their wing, because they know that the White Witch is looking for them to kill them. This is the witch who has all of Narnia held under an evil enchantment that makes it always winter, and never Christmas.

But the animal residents of Narnia know of an ancient prophecy that says when two Sons of Adam and two Daughters of Eve come from another world, they will defeat the witch and break her hold on the land, and then they will rule over Narnia as kings and queens. Now there are four Pevensie children, but unfortunately Edmund, the younger brother, succumbs to the evil temptations of the witch and sneaks away from his family to join her. So the Beavers figure they’d better help the other three to escape to a place of safety. And while they’re on the run through the frozen land, something wonderful happens.

Father Christmas breaks through the witch’s barriers and finds them. They’re literally hiding in a dark hole in the ground when he finds them, and cheers them with news that the Aslan, the Great Lion, the king over all kings, is on the move in Narnia – the witch’s rule is nearing an end. And Father Christmas gives them gifts – swords, and bows and arrows, and a medicine to heal wounds, and a wonderful warm pot of tea, but mostly he brings them hope.

Imagine – always winter, and never Christmas. A frigid, frozen life. No celebrations to break up the harsh, bitter decades-long winter. No hope of escape from the witch’s rule.

The people of God went through such a time. From 37 b.c. to 4 b.c. they were ruled by one of the most ruthless and tyrannical kings ever. Herod was a master of cruelty and intrigue. He could slaughter infants and murder his own wife and sons without batting an eye. The Jewish people were horribly oppressed under his rule. And then –

...Jesus of Bethlehem was born in Bethlehem in Judea during the time of King Herod. (Matthew 2:1)

The cruel Herod was in control when God entered history as a tender, helpless baby. There’s a poem that has become a hymn called In the bleak mid-winter. The first verse goes like this:

During the days of King Herod, our Savior was born. And even now - it is in the “bleak midwinter” of personal failure, and heartbreak, and disappointment, that Jesus delights to encounter us today. In the frosty darkness of emptiness and hopelessness, Christ comes to us and brings light.

So that was the situation in Narnia when Father Christmas arrived bearing gifts – gifts that equip and enable, that warm, and cheer, and heal, and hearten Peter, Susan, Lucy, and the beavers.

See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land. (Song of Solomon 2:11-12)

The meaning of Father Christmas’ appearance in Narnia is a message of hope. The dark times are over. A Savior has come, and His light conquers all darkness.

Note: While I was researching my Narnia talk, I really enjoyed reading Finding God in the Land of Narnia by Kurt Bruner and Jim Ware. If you enjoying delving into the truths in the Narnia books, I encourage you to read this book!

Biblical Parallels in Narnia - The Door

2011-07-22T18:24:00.000-07:00

I love to study the elements of a great story and try to identify Truth. Of course, stories like The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, by C. S. Lewis, are so much fun to study, because the Biblical parallels are so strong.

Do you know the story? Even if you haven’t read the book, maybe you’ve seen the movie, which took some liberties with the original to Hollywood-ize it, but stayed true in the most important parts. It’s about four children growing up in London during the war. Their parents sent them to live with an eccentric old man way out in the country to keep them safe from the air raids and fighting. One rainy day they decide to explore the huge old house, and they find a spare room containing nothing but a wardrobe. The oldest 3 go on to explore another room, but Lucy, the youngest, stays behind to check out what’s in the wardrobe.

Inside the wardrobe, Lucy steps completely out of our world, and into another one, a world populated with talking animals and mythical creatures, one that is held captive by an evil witch that makes it always winter, and never Christmas.

Now – when I was a kid, this story absolutely fascinated me. My mother read it to me before I could even read myself, and from the first time, I was right there with Lucy, looking around at the snow-laden trees while walking in a frozen forest. And not just me – millions of people, children and adults alike – have identified strongly with this story.

And, in fact, not just this one, but any story where someone from our world steps through a mystical doorway into another world. Such as The Wizard of Oz. In fact, it doesn’t even have to be a doorway – we’re fascinated with any story where a sort of parallel universe exists alongside ours – Star Trek used that device many times. Stefanie Meyers uses it in her popular Twilight series – a whole different world populated with people who live alongside us, but are definitely not of our world. J.K. Rowling did the same thing with Harry Potter.

Why are people so fascinated with the idea of another world existing alongside ours?

I think it’s because that belief is a spiritual Truth. In our very essence, we are spiritual beings, and we know that this physical world isn’t all there is. We have this deep-seated, often inarticulate longing to know that there is “something beyond.” A place that’s infinitely more real and more fascinating, and more joyful. And isn’t it amazing to imagine that, at any moment, we may turn a corner, or step through a doorway, or through a wardrobe, and encounter another dimension, where God and the hosts of heaven dwell in power and joy and unapproachable light?

Jesus’ first public announcement of his Galilean ministry was this: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.” At hand doesn’t mean coming soon. It means it’s here!

Remember Elisha’s servant? Elisha was in Dothan, and an enemy king sent an army to kidnap him. Let’s read what happened from 2 Kings:

When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh, my lord, what shall we do?” the servant asked. “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. Those who are with us are more than those who are with them. And Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes so he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.(2 Kings 6:17)

When we leave this physical world, we will see that truer, realer world in an instant. But even before then, we are sometimes privileged to glimpses of it, unexpected encounters with our Lord and His kingdom. That’s why Narnia is so compelling. We hope for those unexpected moments when a door opens between our mundane world and that one. Because we have a Friend there, one who says:

I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved. (John 10:9)

What's Another Day?

2011-07-19T08:16:00.000-07:00

Today is my birthday! My first conscious thought of the morning was a prayer, "Good morning, Lord. It's my birthday." I know you'll probably think I'm crazy when I say this, but sometimes I can feel the Lord's response. Not in words necessarily, but I will get an impression of His love, or His regard, or even His humor. So it didn't surprise me when my comment elicited in a warm feeling of love and happiness. I think He is glad I was born lo these many years ago!

Over my first cup of coffee, my husband gave me a card that pokes fun at my advanced age, and we both had a good laugh over that. The best part is the tender, loving note he wrote in the card.

Then I sat down to do my daily Bible study. Back when I first started reading the Bible, I would ask the Lord to give me a Scripture about a specific issue, then open the Bible at random. It seemed my eyes would always fall on EXACTLY the right verse for my current situation. I haven't done that in years, but this morning I decided to take a break from my reading about the prophet Elisha. I asked the Lord, "Would you give me a verse today, like you used to?"

When I opened the Bible, my eyes fell on this verse: "You have cut short the days of his youth." EXCUSE ME?!?! I think the Lord just gave me a verse that pokes fun at my advanced age! I sensed the definite feeling of humor, as though my heavenly Father was gently ribbing me, and I had to laugh too.

Of course, on the facing page, my eyes were drawn to this verse: "Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom" (Ps 90:12). What a great reminder for me on my birthday - my days are not measured in terms of age. My days are measured in terms of my fellowship with Him. One of my favorite worship songs burst melodically into my mind at that moment: "Better is one day in your house than a thousand elsewhere."

I want as many of those days as possible!

Be Nice to the Prophet

2011-07-06T08:46:00.000-07:00

The other day I read a section in 2 Kings that I had to stop and think about for a long time. It's the part where Elisha, a prophet of God, is being harassed by a gang of teenagers. (Okay, the Bible doesn't say gang and it doesn't say teengers. I assume they were a pretty big gang, and I know how nasty some teenagers can be when they get together and feed off each other. So I picture a gang of teenagers.)

Elisha is on his way up to the town of Bethel, walking down the road, minding his own business, and the Bible says, some youths came out of the town and jeered at him. "Go on up, you baldhead!" Apparently Elisha wasn't fond of being called a baldhead. (For the record - I think bald is beautiful!) He wasn't crazy about being told to "go on up" either. I'm not sure whether the youth were saying, "Get out of here. Go on up to Bethel," or if they were referring to the previous prophet, Elijah, who was taken up into heaven in chariots of fire. If the first, then they were probably saying, "Get out of our town! Go bug someone else!" If the second, they were saying, "We wish you would disppear from the face of the earth."

Regardless, Elisha didn't take it well. He called down a curse on them in the name of the Lord. Two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the youths.

Yikes! That was one ticked off prophet!

When I first read that account, I couldn't figure out why in the world a prophet would call for attack bears against youths, which is why I figure they were probably older teenagers running in a gang. (Picture the gangs on the streets of New York City.)

Then I followed the cross reference back to Leviticus 26, which is where Moses was telling the Israelites about the blessings of keeping the convenent they'd made with Him, and the curses that would happen if they didn't. The Lord clearly told them, "If you're hostile toward me and refuse to listen to me, wild animals will attack you."

After considering this, I decided that Elisha, the prophet, represented God to His people. And that gang of youth weren't just calling him names and harrassing him - their behavior was indicative of the entire attitude of God's people toward Him. He was letting them know, "You'd better watch your P's and Q's, folks. You were warned a long time ago what will happen if you disregard your covenant with God. You might have forgotten, but He hasn't."

A sobering lesson. It makes you want to do something extra specially nice for your pastor, huh?

Even a Little is Enough

2011-06-29T07:15:00.000-07:00

I've been reading about Elisha the prophet in my morning Bible studies. I came across the account of the Widow's Oil this morning. (2 Kings 4) Of course this isn't the first time I've heard this account, but for some reason it hit me with fresh impact this morning.

Here's the situation. Elisha is the most powerful prophet in the land at this time. That means God works through him in really powerful ways. There are clusters of prophets living here and there around the land, and he visits with them every so often. He goes to this one place, and a woman comes up to him. "My husband was a prophet but he died. And now his creditors are coming to take my two boys as slaves to pay our debts."

Now, Elisha could have pulled coins from her ears if he'd wanted to. Seriously. But God had another way to save this lady. Elisha said, "What have you got in your house?" and she said, "Nothing except a little oil." And he told her to go and borrow a BUNCH of jars from all her neighbors, and go inside her house and start filling all the jars. She and her boys did that, and the oil just kept flowing until all the jars were filled.

Apparantly after that she went into the oil business, and we all know how lucrative that profession is. When they sold all that oil, they had enough to pay off all their debts AND live on what was left!

I've been thinking about that. God could have tossed a pile of money in her lap. He could have urged someone else to pay her debts for her. He could have made her creditor forgive her debt. Instead, he took the tiny, insignificant thing she already had in her pantry, and multiplied it to meet her needs not only then, but for the rest of her life.

Sometimes I look around at what needs to be done and I'm overwhelmed. Enormous electric bills to be paid in the summer, and giant gas bills in the winter. Books to write with really, really tight deadlines and huge time constraints. A little bit of talent, when what is needed is a HUGE amount of talent to write this book well. A little, tiny, insignificant amount of time in which to accomplish a list of tasks as high as my ceiling. I could go on and on.

Now, God could fix all those problems at once, couldn't he? I mean, he's God. Instead, he tells me, "Well let's see. Look around. What do you have that I can work with?" And then he takes those tiny things that I think are totally unequal to the task, and does amazing things with them. Sometimes I will stand in the middle of jars full of oil where there were none before, and think, "Wow! How did He do that?"

Cool, huh? So take a peek into your pantry today. What have you got hanging around in there? Pull it out and see what God can do with it. You never know!

Today's Parables

2011-06-23T07:59:00.000-07:00

This fall I'll speak at a retreat sponsored by Voice of Joy ministries (you can check out a few details here.) Voice of Joy is an outreach ministry headed by Amy Barkman, my mom. She conducts this women's retret every fall, and I enjoy participating whenever I'm able, because she always has such fun themes. One year the theme was Fairy Tales. Each of the speakers selected a well-known fairy tell, told the story, and then drew parallels from the story to the Bible. I had a tough one that year - Hansel and Gretel. Another year the theme was Science Fiction and Science Fact. I got to speak on science fiction that year, and of course I donned my Star Trek uniform and spoke about messages of truth found in various Star Trek episodes. I loved it! This year the theme is one I'm really excited about - Narnia!

An interesting approach to a retreat, you might say, taking stories -- fiction, that isn't real -- and using them to point out biblical truth. Actually, that approach has been used for centuries. Throughout the Gospels, we read about the parables of Jesus. A parable is a story with a message. When Jesus told a story, he used themes that would capture the minds and imaginations of his listeners – things they could identify with, and understand. In the 13th chapter of Matthew we read:

“Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: “I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.” (Matthew 13: 34-35)

This follows a series of 7 stories Jesus told. There was the parable of the sower whose seed fell in different places. There was one about a farmer with an enemy who planted weeds alongside his wheat crop. (Ah! Intrigue!) We read of treasure hunts, and searching for pearls (I love treasure hunt stories!), of mustard seeds and yeast and fishermen catching fish in their nets.

Jesus knew that people learn through stories. People who love fiction identify with characters in the stories they read. They personalize the message inherent in a story in a way they don’t personalize a lecture. I can so identify with treasure hunts, and searching for pearls. A farmer completely understands what happens when an enemy sows weeds among his crops. It means something to him – he personalizes the message, and the lesson.

I believe parables - stories - are still a wonderful vehicle through which people can still learn profound truths. The stories themselves may be made up, but God's Truths are eternal, and our world is saturated with them. If we look hard enough, we'll see them.

“Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance—
for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.” (Proverbs 1:5-7)

In preparation for the fall retreat, I spoke at church last night about some of the Truth elements in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Over the next few days I'm going to share a few of those with you, because (1) I think you'll find them interesting, and (2) I'm always trying to come up with blog content so it doesn't look like I'm neglecting my Journal!

Exciting News - Holt Medallion Award of Merit!

2011-06-13T12:20:00.000-07:00

This weekend I received a phone call that absolutely MADE my day! My book, A Daughter's Legacy, has been awarded an Award of Merit in the Holt Medallion contest! I am absolutely overjoyed to be recognized with this award, and especially because my book is in the company of some really terrific books by some amazingly talented authors.

There are twelve categories in the Holt Medallion contest, and here are the winners and awards of merit in the Inspirational categories:

Long Inspirational
Winner – Maureen Lang, Whisper on the Wind
Awards of Merit – Robin Carroll, Deliver Us from Evil
Deeanne Gist, Maid to Match
Deborah Raney, Almost Forever
Jennifer Hudson Taylor, Highland Blessings

Short Inspirational
Winner – Shelley Shepard Gray, Grace
Awards of Merit – Shelley Shepherd Gray, Spring’s Renewal
Winnie Griggs, The Heart’s Song
Anna Schmidt, A Convenient Wife
Virginia Smith, A Daughter’s Legacy

If you're looking for books to fill out your summer reading list, this is it! You can see all the recipients on the Holt Medallion website here.

A Daughter's Legacy is my very first sweet romance novel. The setting is fun - a zoo! I love zoos, and while researching A Daughter's Legacy I got to work as a zookeeper at Utah's Hogle Zoo. What a terrific experience!

Congratulations to all the recipients!

My Dog BJ

2011-06-03T14:18:00.001-07:00

I'm really excited about the release of a new book this month - The Dog Next Door. It's a delightful collection of heartwarming stories all about dogs, and I'm honored to have a story included. My story is about my baby, BJ.

BJ was a black standard poodle I rescued from a puppy mill several years ago. He was the smartest dog I've ever known, and had the best personality! I'd had dogs in my life before, but none like BJ. He was amazingly well trained, which is a testament to his intelligence considering the fact that I know next to nothing about training a dog. It wasn't so much that he could Sit, Lay, and Stay. It was that BJ seemed to understand exactly what I was saying, and he usually agreed to do what I asked.

He slept in a kennel, and he loved it - it was his bedroom. Whenever he got tired, he would go into his kennel by himself and go to sleep. If he didn't happen to be tired when it was bedtime, I'd say, "BJ, crate up!" and he would obediently trot inside and lay down. And get a treat, too! But when my sister babysat him for a weekend once, she called me and said, "He is ignoring me. I say BJ, crate up, and he just stands there and stares at me like he has no idea what I'm saying, like I'm the substitute teacher in a middle school." I think he was having too much fun with my niece and nephews, and didn't want to go to bed.

BJ is one of the few dogs I've known who wasn't motivated by food. I would have thought since he came from a puppy mill and was terribly underweight when we got him, he would devour any food that came near. Not true. he was the pickiest eater I've ever known, and I tried every way in the world to get him to eat. If I put something down that wasn't up to his expectations, he would sniff it, and then turn his head away. Wouldn't move from in front of the bowl - just turn his head as though he couldn't deign to look at such a pitiful offering. I think he knew it upset me that he wouldn't eat, and he used it as a weird sort of power play. (Yeah - I had a kid who did that, too. Maybe it's me.) The only way I was able to get him to eat dry dog food was to pour gravy over it, or mix it with shredded cheese. Even then he would lick the gravy off the dry chunks, and somehow managed to nose out the tiny little shreds of cheese while leaving most of the dry food behind.

If you want to know about BJ's shaky beginnings and his paranoia, I hope you'll read "Walk of Joy," which is the lead story in The Dog Next Door. That story is also about BJ overcoming him great fears in order to bring joy to others.

These pictures are of BJ in a black leather Harley Davidson hat that his Grampy gave him. He didn't so much love the hat, but he agreed to wear it for limited periods of time.

The Dog Next Door is edited by Callie Smith Grant, and contains 35 true stories about man's (and woman's) best friend. For an opportunity to receive a free copy, check out the Reader Fun page of my website here before June 15th.

(A HUGE Thank You to Revell for providing the give-away copies!)

I'd love to hear your dog stories! Post a message on my Facebook profile, or visit the Contact page of my website and send me an email!

Author and Perfecter

2011-05-29T10:52:00.000-07:00

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith..." (Hebrews 12:2)

Writers love this verse. I can't speak for anyone else, but I love it because it describes one more connection between me and my Lord. We're both authors. Of course, His work is much deeper and more important than mine, but this verse describes an aspect of Him that resonates with me. I can grasp a little of what it means to author and perfect something.

A writer spends a lot of time on character. We don’t just define a person by the color of her hair and eyes – that’s a generic, cardboard character that nobody wants to read about. So we spend a lot of time understanding her personality. What does she like, and dislike? In a party does she take center stage or gravitate to a corner to watch quietly? Was her childhood happy, or traumatic. And most importantly, how do those character traits define who she is right now, when the story happens? The most memorable, realistic characters have reasons for making the choices they do. Scarlet O’Hara’s proclamation, “I’ll never be hungry again!” means so much more because we know of her determination and drive and ambition. We know the heights that she has come from, and the depths to which she has sunk.

Jesus knows all those details about me, and far, far more. There is nothing generic about the faith He has called me to. That faith He is crafting for me is a culmination of all the tiny, intricate nuances of my past, the accumulation of my experiences from even before I drew my first breath. And not only that, He carefully places me in situations where my unique character fits perfectly with those around me, like one tiny, amoeba-shaped puzzle piece fits into a gigantic picture the size of the whole world.

Authors also spend a lot of time perfecting our characters and the stories we’ve created. We call that the revision process. Did you know that by the time you read one of my stories, I’ve gone over that baby word for word at least six times, and sometimes twice that many? I wonder how many revisions the Lord has done on me, and how many more He will have to do before I’m all He wants me to be.

All those things are lovely to contemplate, aren’t they? But writers who love to quote that verse in Hebrews sometimes miss the context. The twelfth chapter of Hebrews is discussing perseverance and enduring hardship in order to hold on to the ultimate promise of our faith – eternity with Him. Verses 6 and 7 tell us to endure hardship as discipline, for God disciplines those He loves.

I’ve been thinking about that a lot this week. Writers know that a story where everything is easy for the characters is boring. Without conflict there is no story. So I put my characters through some pretty tough things in order to mold them into the beautiful, changed people I want them to be on the last page.

Now, I don’t believe for a minute that God inflicts pain on His beloved children. But I do believe that He uses hardship and trials and tears to change us. Those things make us pliable in His hands, so He can mold us into the beautiful children He had in mind from before the beginning of time.

Perfect me, Lord. Revise the story of me, even when it’s not comfortable. No, especially when it’s not comfortable. I’m looking toward The End, which in eternity is really The Beginning.

Kentucky Rain Keeps Comin' Down

2011-05-19T12:49:00.000-07:00

Elvis had it right. Seems like I've been walking in rain for days and days, "...walking through, with the rain in my shoes." Literally. Yesterday Mom and I splashed through parking lot puddles and got rain in our shoes. Yuck.

Today as I stared at the gloomy sky and wet grass outside my office window, that song kept going through my mind. I was even inspired to write a poem for my Facebook wall. I know you'll appreciate this:

Rain, rain, go away.
Descend upon the west today.
The streams in the east are up to my head.
Please bless my dry western friends instead.

Yes, that's right, folks. A Ginny Smith original poem, right here for your reading pleasure. Please try to contain youselves.

There is a bright spot in the forecast, though. Take a look:

Friday's the day to look forward to! I know it's probably weird, but when I saw that bright sunshine in an otherwise dismal forecast, I thought of a Scripture verse.

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. (1 Cor 4:6)

You know what? It might be dark and gloomy outside, but in my heart, it's Friday!

Where's My Chocolate Ice Cream?

2011-05-13T18:35:00.000-07:00

I received an email from a reader the other day who had just read Stuck in the Middle. She asked a question that rolled around in my mind for close to a week before I answered it. This one required a lot more thought and prayer than the typical reader question. She asked, "How do I get my chocolate ice cream?"

If you haven't read Stuck in the Middle, you won't understand the significance of that question. The scene she's referring to is possibly the one that I've received the most comments on from any of my books so far. Throughout the story, Joan Sanderson wonders why God seems so distant in her life while He is obviously an active participant in the lives of others. Her longing for a close, ever-present Father is activated, in part, by a missionary's story about chocolate ice cream. From that moment, Joan asks herself the same question my reader asked me - how do I get my chocolate ice cream? (Read the book. It's a good scene!)

I believe God wants a close, personal relationship with every one of us. He is not a distant Deity, watching from far away. He's a loving Father who wants constant fellowship with His child. Sometimes He performs dramatic acts to reach us. I love it when He does! Hearing about those actions always makes my faith stronger. But in my personal experience, most of the time the ways He lets me know He loves me are much more subtle. I can miss His actions if I'm not paying attention.

The Bible tells us "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." (Hebrews 11:6) I don't have any problem with the first part - I believe that He exists. It's the last part I stumble over. Do I believe that he rewards me when I earnestly seek Him? Theoretically, yes. In practice... sometimes I have a hard time seeing his rewards. They're not always as dramatically visible as having chocolate ice cream delivered to your front porch.

But that's the point of the ice cream story in Stuck in the Middle. Sometimes God uses helicopters. Sometimes His delivery method is more ordinary. He uses people.

When my husband broke his collarbone a couple of years ago, friends came to our assistance. They visited, brought gifts, called to see what we needed, prayed for us. Metaphorically, they brought chocolate ice cream. Back when I was a single mom, a kind friend filled my pantry with groceries when I was struggling to buy food. That was chocolate ice cream in the form of macaroni and cheese. Recently, when my father passed away, dozens of people sent cards and flowers to me - just to me, not to the funeral - to let me know they were praying for me, and to brighten my day. Again, chocolate ice cream, delivered to my door.

God's rewards haven't just come to me in the form of other people. When I stop to consider the many ways I see His hand in my life, I could fill volumes. One that stands out every day is His hand in my work. Here's a confession - even though I've published 13 books (so far), I don't have an original thought in my head. Every time I get a new book contract, part of me quakes inside, and I think, "This is the one where they're all going to figure out that I'm a fraud. I can't write worth a darn." But every single day, I sit down and pound on my keyboard, and God somehow takes the words I write and tells stories that touch people's hearts. That is absolutely as dramatic and amazing to me as chocolate ice cream delivered via helicopter to my front yard.

I look back over all the times when God has encouraged me, supported me, come to my aid, and I'm blown away at his ever-present, close, active presence in my life. My job is to trust him, to earnestly seek a relationship with Him. When I do that, He promises to reward me - with chocolate ice cream delivered right to my door.

He's Riding Herd Over Me

2011-05-06T07:12:00.000-07:00

I'm working on a fun book right now. It's set in the old west, during a cattle drive. When I started, I knew almost nothing about cattle drives, but now I can say I'm a bit more educated - and a lot more fascinated. Now, I'm not going to turn my Journal into a lecture about the old west. But during my prayer time this morning, something occurred to me that I thought you might find interesting too.

First, though, I need to tell you just a tiny bit about the jobs of cowboys on a cattle drive. Herds of 1500-3000 cattle were typically driven northward out of Texas, guided by ten or twelve cowboys. In my story, they started out around Houston and followed the Chisholm Trail up to Kansas. 3000 cows took up a lot of space, so the herd stretched out a mile or more as it walked. Each cowboy had a specific position, though they could switch off if needed. Leading the way was the trail boss, followed by the point riders. Now, the point riders had the task of making sure the lead cattle kept going in the direction they were supposed to. If a lead cow got spooked and charged off in another direction, the cattle would follow, and you'd have a chaotic stampede on your hands.

After the point riders came the swing and flank riders. They kept watch on the main body of the herd, and made sure they didn't get too spread out. At the end came the drag riders, who made sure no cows straggled, and kept things moving forward. You can imagine what it would be like to follow 3000 cows across the prairies for a couple of months. Drag rider was the least favorite position, but vitally important. Well, all of them were vitally important. Without each person doing his job, the herd would scatter and get lost, and never arrive at their destination.

Okay, so here comes the Biblical illustration. As I was studying the positions of the cowboys, I was reminded of a scripture passage.

You have searched me, LORD,
and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue
you, LORD, know it completely.
You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful
for me, too lofty for me to attain. (Psalm 139:1-6)

As I journey through life, I'm like that herd of cattle, and Jesus is the only cowboy who can handle all of those positions at once. I love verse 5: You hem me in behind and before. He's in front of me, leading the way. If I'm not following the Trail Boss I'll wander off in the wrong direction. Without Jesus acting as my point rider, I can get spooked and run scared, and chaos occurs. He watches my flanks to make sure I don't get spread too thin. And He's got my back to keep me moving forward. We're going to cross miles and miles together, and He makes sure I get to the destination on time. As verse 6 says: Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

Okay, maybe it's a random thought, and some of you might think it's a stretch. But that's the way my brain works. No matter what I'm working on, EVERYTHING comes back to Jesus.

Have a wonderful day, my friends. I'm stepping back into the Old West now.

Website Mystery Challenge - The Resolution

2011-04-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

We're finally at the end of our Website Mystery Challenge! Did you solve the clues and discover the identity of the killer? How about that cryptogram - did you figure it out and decipher the extra clues? Now it's time to find out how you did.

The Resolution:

Detective Collins saw Mrs. Butler eavesdropping on his conversation. He followed her into the kitchen and confronted her with the information he had learned from Raul: that she was Sandra’s birth mother. She admitted it, and said Mr. and Mrs. Wolverton (the original) had hired her to act as surrogate. In return, she was given a position for life, and she got to see her child grow up. She had taken an active part in raising Sandra, and was happy with things as they were. But then Mr. Wolverton had married Maryanne, and everything changed. He was besotted. Sandra had fallen in love with Brent Bollinger, and Mrs. Butler spent a long time talking to the young man. He’d made mistakes in his past, but had paid his dues and she thought he was a nice young man with a lot of potential. The biggest black mark against him was the fact that he was Maryanne’s younger brother, but she couldn’t hold that against him. A person couldn’t help what family he was born into, could he?

Detective Collins pressed, and revealed that Maryanne had hired Raul to investigate Mrs. Butler’s past, and the fact that Maryanne was planning to pack Mrs. Butler off to a retirement home and hire a replacement, even if it meant she would continue to pay the woman for life, as Mr. Wolverton specified in his will. Visibly shaken by that news, Mrs. Butler broke down. She confessed that she had been enraged by Maryanne’s shameless philandering with that young hunk, and the impending loss of Sandra’s family estate. She did everything she could to provoke Maryanne, including serving all the dishes she hated. The night of her death, they argued, and Mrs. Butler strangled her with a tie she had taken from the laundry room.

The crime solved, Collins congratulated himself on a job well done. Mrs. Butler was led away in handcuffs to go to trial. Sandra vowed to hire the best attorney in the land to defend her – right after she and Brent returned from their honeymoon cruise. Before Sandra left, she showed her appreciation to Raul for his faithful (if questionable) service to the family, and gave him a cash gift. Raul set up a private investigation office, and worked with Collins on many future cases. In hard times when business was slow, he offered to maintain the pool for Maryanne Wolverton’s country club friends.

CRYPTOGRAM KEY: Every letter has a corresponding number, starting with 2 and progressing in increments of 2. For instance, a=2, b=4, c=6, d=8, etc.

THANK YOU for playing my mystery game! I hope you enjoyed solving the clues as much as I enjoyed developing them!

Website Mystery Challenge - Post #7

2011-04-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

We've come to the final clue in our Website Mystery Challenge! Detective Collins is hot on the trail of the killer. Have you followed the trail and figured out the identify of the killer? Here's one last chance to add an important clue to your list.

Collins assesses al the clues, and lays them all out. Sandra had a motive: she stood to lose the family estate if her stepmother remarried. Brent had a motive: he wants to hide his suspicious past. Mrs. Butler had a motive: she was in danger of losing her job, as well as having her secret past revealed. Raul had no motive, but he had opportunity: the person who finds a victim is always suspect. And why is he a pool boy when he knows nothing about pools?

But Detective Collins looks beyond the physical motives. Maryanne’s death was the result of strong emotions. He decided the killer was…

WHO KILLED MARYANNE WOLVERTON?

Cryptogram Clue (6 words): 40- 16- 10_____ 26- 30- 40- 18- 44- 10_____ 46 2- 38_____ 2_____ 12- 2- 26- 18- 24- 49_____ 26- 2- 40- 40- 10- 36.

Cryptogram Key: f=12, b=4

Have you figured it out? Visit the Reader Fun page of this site and fill in the comment box at the bottom of the page. The cryptogram and the solution to the crime will be revealed on April 22, 2011. Check back here to find out Who Dun It!!!

Website Mystery Challenge - Post #6

2011-04-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

The clues are coming to an end soon. Today we follow Detective Collins as he begins his investigation. You may already have a suspect in mind. Let's see if you and Detective Collins agree! (Remember to check the Website Mystery Challenge link in the right column of this page to review the previous clues and the cryptogram translations.)

Detective Collins carefully interrogates each suspect. In further discussion with Raul, he discovers that Maryanne has recently been interviewing new cooks. Why, when she had Mrs. Butler, who was paid to be her cook for the rest of her life? Then he discovers an extremely interesting fact: Maryanne has been secretly seeing a sexy young man with a reputation for being a gold digger. Her credit card receipts lead him to a recent receipt for a flight for two to Las Vegas. It looks like they were planning to elope. Though Sandra’s trust fund is secure, she is in danger of losing the family estate and all physical assets. While Collins is talking on his cell phone, he sees a glimpse of someone eavesdropping.

Cryptogram Clue (4 words): 6- 30- 24- 24- 18- 28- 38_____ 38- 10- 10- 38_____ 26- 36- 38_____ 4- 42- 40- 24- 10- 36.

Cryptogram Key: n = 28, u = 42

Website Mystery Challenge - Post #5

2011-04-12T06:00:00.000-07:00

The clues in my Website Mystery Challenge are starting to add up! How are you coming in solving the cryptogram? You'll get some fascinating hidden data when you figure the cryptogram out! Here's the next clue. To review the previous ones, click on the "Website Mystery Challenge" in the right column of this page.

Suspect Number Four:

Raul the Pool Boy has only been employed by Maryanne for three months. This cushy job is much better than slaving away in the hot Phoenix sun on a construction site. But it looks like the days of getting paid to hang around the rich lady’s pool have come to an end. Raul just hopes nobody discovers the other things Maryanne has been paying him to do.

Cryptogram Clue (6 words): 36- 2- 42- 24_____ 18- 38_____ 18- 28- 44- 10- 38- 40- 18- 14- 2- 40- 18- 28- 14_____ 26- 36- 38_____4- 42- 40- 24- 10- 36- 38_____ 32- 2- 38- 40.

Cryptogram Key = i=24, e=10

Website Mystery Challenge - Post #4

2011-04-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

Here's the next installment in my Website Mystery Challenge. To review the previous clues, click the "Website Mystery Challenge" link in the right-hand column of this page.

Suspect Number Three:

Brent Bollinger has recently taken up occupancy in one of the estate’s guest rooms, at Maryanne’s invitation. His role is obvious – Maryanne was taken with the handsome young man, and enjoyed having him escort her to the various social events she frequented in Phoenix society. Where did he come from, and what exactly was the nature of his relationship with the victim?

Detective Collins uncovers Brent’s criminal record. He was caught in an attempted robbery five years ago, and was recently released from prison. He came to his sister, Maryanne, in hopes of getting a clean start, but she didn’t receive him kindly.

Cryptogram Clue (6 words): 4- 36- 10- 28- 40_____ 18- 38_____ 18- 28_____ 24- 30- 44- 10_____46- 18- 40- 16_____ 38- 2- 28- 8- 36- 2

Cryptogram Key: r = 36, h = 16

Website Mystery Challenge - Post #3

2011-04-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

Here's the next clue in my Mystery Website. If you've missed previous clues, just click on the Website Mystery Challenge link in the right-hand column of this page.

Suspect Number Two:

Mrs. Butler has ruled Wolverton family’s kitchen for almost three decades, since she was twenty-three. Time has not improved her cooking skills, but Mr. Wolverton’s will ensured that she would have the job for the rest of her life – or until his family fortune ran out, whichever came first. She couldn’t stand the ‘extravagant hussy’ who snared poor Mr. Wolverton into an ill-fated marriage, and she doesn’t mind saying so. As far as she is concerned, Maryanne got what was coming to her, and none too soon, either.

Cryptogram Clue (5 words): 26- 36- 28_____ 4- 42- 40- 24- 10- 36_____ 18- 38_____ 38- 2- 28- 8- 36- 2- 38_____ 26- 30- 40- 16- 10- 36

Cryptogram Key: o = 30, t = 40

Website Mystery Challenge - Post #2

2011-04-06T06:00:00.001-07:00

Today I continue to reveal the clues to solve my website mystery challenge. Did you miss the previous post? Take a look in the right column, under the Label "Website Mystery Challenge." You can find all the posts listed there.

Here's post #2:

Suspect Number One: Sandra Wolverton is the thirty-year-old spinster daughter of Maryanne’s late husband. Poor Sandra has always felt in the shadow of her vivacious stepmother. Though she’d like nothing more than to escape the self-centered widow’s clutches, she’s stuck living at the family estate for the foreseeable future. The bulk of her wealth is tied up in a trust that won’t be dissolved until one important event – Maryanne’s death. She makes no secret of the fact that she detested Maryanne’s extravagant expenditure of her father’s money.

She has immediately taken over her father’s business ventures, and has claimed his home office as her domain. “Of course I’m appalled that someone would kill her,” she assures Detective Collins as she sits calmly behind her late father’s desk with her hands folded in her lap. Though Sandra has no friends and as far as anyone can tell has never had a date, a scan of Sandra’s computer uncovers multiple searches for a cruise around the world – for two.

Cryptogram Clue (4 words): 38- 2- 28- 8- 36- 2_____ 18- 38 _____ 18- 28_____ 24- 30- 44- 10

Cryptogram Key: S = 38, I = 18

A Website Mystery Challenge - Post #1

2011-04-03T20:11:00.001-07:00

Beginning today, I will introduce a mystery challenge. Over the next fourteen days, I will describe a murder mystery, and will post clues to uncover the killer. A new clue will be posted every two days. Each clue will describe details of the crime, the suspects, and the investigation.

Each clue will also include a hidden clue, a cryptogram. If you decipher the key to the cryptogram, you will have a deeper glimpse to unraveling the mystery. The cryptogram does not change. In other words, the value of "A" is the same for the first clue as for the last. So grab a scrap of paper and taken notes. Every clue will give you more letters in the cryptogram.

At the end of the mystery, you will be invited to identify the murderer. Those who guess correctly will have their name entered into a drawing. One person will be selected randomly to receive the grand prize: a complete library of Virginia Smith's mystery/suspense titles! That's right, seven books, autographed especially for you.

Here's post number 1:

The Victim: Wealthy widow Maryanne Wolverton, thirty-eight and gorgeous, gained her fortune by marrying well and often. Stephen Wolverton was her fourth husband. He died and left her wealthy beyond her dreams. She likes to display her wealth with ostentatious displays of gigantic diamonds and emeralds. She also enjoys the attention of virile young men (hence the employment of Raul the Pool Boy, who knows nothing about pools but looks great in a Speedo), and has been pictured on the front pages of the tabloids on the arm of more than one handsome – but usually penniless – young man.

The Crime: Maryanne’s body is found dead on a lounge chair beside the pool at her Beverly Hills mansion at seven in the morning by Raul. She has been strangled. Detective Collins, the investigating officer, finds the murder weapon hidden beneath a nearby bush – a man’s blue necktie. Investigation uncovers the basic facts: she had dinner with her stepdaughter and her latest “charity case,” the handsome young Brent. Mrs. Butler, the cook, served a delicious dinner of baked halibut, which Maryanne hates. The two had harsh words and Maryanne grabbed a bottle of wine off the table and stormed out of the dining room in the direction of the pool, leaving her stepdaughter and Brent sitting in awkward silence at the table. That was the last time anyone saw Maryanne alive.

CRYPTOGRAM CLUE (5 words): 26-2- 36- 49- 2- 28- 28- 10- 38 ___ 4- 18- 36- 40- 16 ____ 28- 2- 26- 10- ___ 46- 2- 38 ___ 4- 30- 24- 24- 18- 28- 14- 10- 36

CRYPTOGRAM KEY: a=2, m=26, w=46

I am not afraid to die

2011-03-23T06:41:00.000-07:00

I've been kind of fixated on death lately. I suppose that's natural, since my father passed away a few weeks ago. In the weeks prior to his death, Daddy and I talked about death. He believed in heaven, and he told me he wasn't afraid to die.

And it seems everyone is talking about the book, Heaven is for Real, which relays the near death experience of 11-year-old Colton Burpo, who died during emergency surgery and went to heaven, only to return with amazing details he couldn't have known before. Now, I've never had a near death experience. I'm not sure what I think about them, and that's not what I'd like to talk about here. I bring up Colton's experience only to demonstrate that everywhere I look lately, I encounter people talking about death and heaven in one way or another.

In addition to that, something happened to me during my father's last moments that keeps coming back to me. I'm a little embarrassed to talk about it, because things like this don't happen to me on a regular basis. But at my sister's urging, I wrote about this experience for the "Daughter's Memories" part of Daddy's funeral. I'll share a section of my memories here:

I spent Daddy’s last day at his side. We listened to country gospel music, and I read the Bible to him and I sang to him, and we prayed together. He had very little energy, but he was alert, and answered all my questions so I know he was still very aware. I went home and went to bed that night. My sister called me at 11:25 and said the nursing home had called and suggested she might want to come because his breathing was labored. His breathing had been labored so often recently, neither of us thought this could be serious. I said, “Should I come?” and she said, “Let me go see what’s going on, and I’ll call you from there.” I laid back down and held the phone in my hand, waiting for the call. I was praying for Daddy, in that dreamy state between sleep and wakefulness. I must have drifted off to sleep, because I saw something that I will never forget, something that touched me deeply. I saw heaven open, and Jesus standing there. He reached down and grabbed Daddy by the hand, and pulled him up. At that moment, the phone clutched in my hand rang, and it was Susie. She was crying, and she said, “He’s gone.” My tears started rolling, but all I could say was, “I saw it! I saw it! He’s in heaven, and I saw him go.” Was it just a dream? Maybe. But I believe the dream was a gift from my Lord, his way of telling me, “It’s okay. I’ve got him now. You can stop worrying.”

Today during my morning Bible reading in the book of Hebrews, I read this: Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death - that is, the devil - and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. (Hebrews 2:14-15)

The 'He' referred to is, of course, Jesus. And the 'children who have flesh and blood' are me and you and all who look to Jesus as Lord. This is one of those passages that contain so much heavy stuff we could study it for a week and see some new truth in it every day. But today what hit me was, "I don't have to be afraid to die. I know Who's in charge, and I know I will not be alone when the time comes. He'll be right there."

I hope you have that assurance too, my friend!

Pictures from the Caribbean

2011-03-13T14:18:00.000-07:00

My husband and I just returned from a cruise to the Western Caribbean. We've been on this cruise before, and in fact we've been on this ship, the Carnival Legend, several times. That was actually one reason we wanted to go - we knew the ship and the crew were terrific, and we were looking forward to scuba diving in Honduras.

What we didn't realize was how perfect the timing would be. My father passed away a week before the cruise began, and his funeral was three days before we sailed. The Lord knew, though. I was able to sit on the balcony of our stateroom and stare out over the vastness of the ocean and let the memories wash over me. I admit I cried a lot. I slept a lot, too. That's okay - I needed to do both. My only regret is that my sister should have been with me, because she deserves a time of rest and reflection too.

I thought you might enjoy a few pictures from my trip. This first one was taken one morning from the balcony of our stateroom. Isn't that a beautiful sunrise?

In Grand Cayman, I found a church near the cruise terminal, looking out over the beach. I slipped inside and enjoyed a peaceful few minutes praying.

I also visited a turtle hatchery, and really enjoyed interacting with the turtles. I got to hold this adorable little guy. And then...uh... I went into the restaurant and had a turtle burger. Kind of wrong, huh? Of course I enjoyed another memory there, too. Daddy once caught a snapping turtle, and made a pot of turtle soup for my sister and me. Yeah, that turtle burger tasted good, but maybe not quite as good as my memory of that soup.

Of course, I didn't spend the entire week vegetating. I did manage to get a tiny bit of work done. Is there a better place to write than on the deck of a cruise ship, sailing over crystal clear waters and having your hair blown with a warm Caribbean breeze? (No cracks about my hair, either. I challenge you to look good after a day in the sun and wind!)

We did enjoy the scuba diving in Roatan, Honduras, as we knew we would. All in all, it was a good week. A relaxing week. A healing week. On the first day, I felt like a dry, empty cup. By the end, I wasn't so empty. The Lord poured from His unending supply of strength and refreshment. I've been refilled.

Memories of My Dad

2011-02-26T23:44:00.000-08:00

My father passed away this week. No, it wasn't unexpected. It's been coming for a long time, and still, losing a parent is never easy, is it? Daddy was left paralyzed by a brain aneurysm 23 years ago, when he was only 47 years old. (Younger than I am now!)

Before the stroke, he was a busy professional, a pharmacist and the owner of two retail drugstores. He loved his profession, and worked hard to make his stores successful. When I was a teenager, I worked for Daddy in the summers and during spring break. Before I could drive, I did inventory in the store, or operated the cash register. After I got my license, I was the delivery girl, and delivered drugs all over town. (Yeah, a drug delivery girl!!!!) Well, except for the very rough places in town, which Daddy insisted he visit on his own after the store closed.

People loved Daddy, the hometown pharmacist who knew their families and their ailments personally. I remember him standing behind the counter in his white coat, listening patiently and nodding attentively while elderly ladies and men related the details of their lives. Even though this wasn’t that long ago, Daddy still allowed people to have personal charge accounts at the store. The charges were recorded on cards in an alphabetic file. I did the monthly account billings for him, and I can remember him saying, “Don’t send her a bill this month. She’s having a hard time.” He cared, really cared, about his customers.

Though he worked hard at his profession, he didn’t neglect his personal life. Daddy loved the outdoors, and spent every minute he could on a piece of family property out in the country. Every morning he got up early and went out to the farm before opening the drug store, walking the undeveloped land, checking on his huge patch of garden, watching for deer near the patch of corn he planted to attract them. Of course, his reason for drawing deer to the property wasn’t completely selfless. He was an avid hunter, and loved to hunt deer, ducks, quail, doves, squirrels, rabbits – anything that was in season or, occasionally, slightly out of season.

He had a great sense of humor, too, though at times it could be a little twisted. A few months before he was disabled, he shot a ten point buck out on the farm. He brought it over to my house in the back of a pickup truck. My kids, who were five and two, ran outside to see what Grandaddy had. He lifted the head by the antlers and said, “Look, kids! It’s Bambi!” (My daughter has blocked this incident out of her memory entirely, though she does remember the deer head hanging on Grandaddy’s family room wall.)

Daddy was a real ladies’ man, an eligible bachelor in a mid-sized Kentucky town. From my naïve perspective, it seemed like there were always beautiful women vying for his attention. And I think it’s safe to say he enjoyed it to the max! I remember him telling Susie and me once, a long time ago, “Now, you can’t mention Jenny’s name in front of Joyce. It would make everyone very upset.”

The past couple of decades since this stroke haven’t been easy for Daddy. For any of us. After a few years of trying unsuccessfully to live in his own home, he moved into a nursing home. He wasn’t entirely happy with the arrangement (does anyone relish a loss of independence?) but he grew to care about the people who took care of him, and they for him.

Though most people couldn’t understand how someone could choose to live for decades in a paralyzed body, Daddy did choose life. Every few months he had to go to the hospital for an outpatient surgical procedure that required anesthetic. The hospital admissions folks always asked, “If something happens, do you want to be resuscitated?” And Daddy always answered, “Yes. Use full measures to revive me.” My sister and I found it hard to believe – personally, I wouldn’t have wanted to live in his condition year after year. But Daddy did. He loved life, even though his life was limited.

A year ago, Daddy’s health began to decline. I guess it was inevitable, given his condition. The past couple of months have been hard on everyone, especially him. After recurring hospital visits for a variety of conditions, he finally said, “No more.” He signed a living will and instructed us that, if his health were to decline to the point that he was unconscious, he did not wish to be revived. That decision was a gift to my sister and me – not because we wanted to lose him, but because we were both incapable of making that decision on our own. Even though we knew it was time, we didn’t want to lose our dad.

Daddy spent his last days in his own familiar room, listening to visitors read the Bible and to country gospel DVDs on the television. He wasn’t what anyone would call an outspoken Christian, but his faith was real and deep. We watched as, during his last days, he drew closer to his Lord and to heaven. I asked him a few weeks before the end, “Daddy, how long have you been a Christian?” He answered, “A long time.” My sister and I spent as much time with him as we could at the end, and though the minutes were painful, they were also sweet, in a way.

Though it’s never easy to say goodbye, I am comforted by one thought. Daddy spent 23 years paralyzed, unable to move or speak understandably. But at this moment is he romping through the woods with his Lord, breathing deeply of the fresh, pine-scented air, a bird dog at his side. He’s stooping to pull a weed from a carefully cultivated row of beans, or watching for deer and rabbits, calling geese with a hand cupped to his mouth. He’s free of the limitations he suffered here. The thought makes me cry with joy.

(I do wonder if the Lord allows hunting rifles in heaven, though. Hmmm…. For Daddy’s sake, I hope so!)

A Matter of Perspective

2011-02-24T06:12:00.000-08:00

A few years ago, my husband and I moved to Orlando. Naturally, we visited Disney World often during those first few months, both on our own and whenever friends or family came to visit. We explored every inch of the Magic Kingdom and rode all our favorite rides over and over until we were, frankly, sick of them. As familiarity set in, the magic wore off. The heat and humidity were awful, and a day fighting the crowds at Disney just wasn’t worth suffering through that. After six or seven visits, we decided that visiting friends and family could explore the Magic Kingdom on their own. We’d feed them breakfast before they left, and welcome them back to our home at night.

The following year my (then) six-year-old niece came to visit. She’d never been to Florida or to Disney. She chattered excitedly about meeting Cinderella, and about all the rides her friends had told her about. I found myself wanting to be with her when she experienced those things, so off I went to Disney World. We walked through the front gates, and she was so excited she couldn’t stand still. She bounced on her toes, grinning ear to ear as she caught sight of the castle. Her eyes were round as donuts as we rode the Peter Pan ride. She was awed and breathless when she saw all those colorful, beautiful dolls in It’s a Small World. (She wasn’t too crazy about the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, though.) I watched her all day, and she was so enchanted with everything!

Midway through the day, I realized something. I was really enjoying myself. Disney had become so commonplace to me that I’d lost any enjoyment I’d once felt. But experiencing those things again through her, seeing the sights through her eyes, rekindled my enthusiasm. Though the weather was hot and humid, and the crowds were horrible, that was one of the best Disney days I’ve ever had.

I read a scripture the other day that reminded me of that magical day. In Hebrews we’re told to fix our eyes on Jesus. Sometimes I feel so weary of the world around me. I can easily become distracted by negative things – the heat and humidity and the crowds – and lose sight of anything good. I’m looking through that dark glass the apostle Paul talks about, and nothing looks shiny and exciting. But when I fix my eyes on Jesus, the magic returns! I see my surroundings through his eyes, and I’m energized by his enthusiasm. That doesn’t mean the heat suddenly cools or the crowds dwindle. But those things don’t matter as much. I experience joy because of his joy.

If you’ve found yourself weary lately, today you might try try fixing your eyes on Him. Maybe you’ll get a different perspective.

Book Signing Pix!

2011-02-23T07:36:00.000-08:00

I thought you might enjoy some pictures of a couple of recebt book signing events in central Kentucky. My friend, author Ann H. Gabhart, launched her newest book, Angel Sister, a beautiful story set in 1936 in a small Kentucky town. I launched my latest, A Deadly Game, a romantic suspense that sends the characters romping all over central Kentucky to follow a set of clues laid by a killer. It was fun to have two new Kentucky-based tooks to talk about. Ann and I have completely different writing styles and approaches, which makes for an evening full of variety at our events! Plus, we're just plain fun gals. :-)

On February 11, we spoke to a packed house at Corinth Christian Bookstore in Frankfort, Kentucky. This store is special to both of us, and the folks who hosted us were great. They even put out a big bowl of fruit salad!

Then on February 22, we trekked to Lexington, Kentucky, to speak at Joseph-Beth Booksellers. Anyone who has been to Lexington knows about this amazing bookstore. Two floors packed with every kind of book you can imagine, plus a huge selection of handcrafted and interesting gift items (like Vera Bradley handbags!), and a bunch of Kentucky-related books and gifts. Somehow the staff manages to maintain the charming, personal feel of a corner bookstore. The event manager, Brooke, did a terrific job of setting up the event, and again we had a full house.

As the seats were filling before the event began, we were tickled to see a couple of familiar faces file in. Suspense author Brandilyn Collins arrived with her mother, Ruth, who is a dear friend. How exciting to have an author whose work I've enjoyed so much attend one of our book events!

Of course, if you hand me a microphone, it's like flipping a switch on the Energizer Bunny. I like to talk, and I gesture widely when I do. I also make really weird faces. Want proof? Take a look at this one. (Sheesh!)

Both events were really fun, and we've enjoyed doing them together. Ann has more events planned, but it's time for me to buckle down and get busy on my next book.

I'm Thankful For...

2011-02-16T18:35:00.000-08:00

I know it's not Thanksgiving, but lately I've been thinking about being thankful. I have so much to thank God for! Of course, my list changes day-to-day, just like yours. But topping the list lately are:

1) My sister. We've been sharing the burden of caring for my dad in his last days for the past 5 weeks, and I can't tell you how much I've grown to respect her as a sister, a daughter, a mother, and a friend. What would I do without her? She is, frankly, awesome.

2) My work. Being an author is the best job in the world. I get to pour out my thoughts and feelings in a creative outlet, and other people are actually blessed by my stories! I'm not sure how that works, but I'm grateful it does. And not only that, but when my personal life is at its craziest, I always have my work to center me. I love having something wonderful and creative to focus on.

3) My husband and mom and daughter. Their support keeps me going.

4) Nurses and nurses' aides. These people are called to their professions, and their care is worth more than gold.

6) My friends. Gosh, what can I say about the people who rally around to support me - not because they know Daddy, but because they know and love me! It's awesome to have people like that in my life.

5) Chicken noodle soup. Yes, I mean it! When you're exhausted and hungry, homemade chicken noodle soup provides the comfort and nourishment you need. I'm totally into comfort food.

6) People who make chicken noodle soup, and bring it to those who need it. :-)

7) Massage therapists. Ahhhh.....

8) Chaplains.

9) Hyacinths. They really can freshen up a hospital room with a wonderful aroma.

10) My grandson. He is the happiest baby you've ever seen, and every picture of him shows a great big smile with incredibly cute dimples. There are pictures hanging in Daddy's room. A nurse in the hopsital told me the other day, "Every time I walk in this room I see that baby smiling, and I can't help but smile back."

It's good to count your blessing every now and then. Of course, I have TONS more blessings, but these are at the top of my list lately.

Kindle Book Giveaways

2011-02-12T09:23:00.000-08:00

I just conducted my very first giveaway for the Kindle version of one of my books, A Deadly Game. Congratulations to Lynn, the winner! I also gave away a hard copy of the book, and that goes to Teresa. Congrats to Teresa!

This has been an interesting exercise. I expected more people to enter for the print version, because that's more traditional. But the majority of people expressed an interest in receiving a copy of the Kindle version! 58% of entrants, in fact. Not a huge margin, but fairly significant. Does that mean more people prefer to read eBooks these days than print books? Or does it mean this particular giveaway was noticed more by eBook readers because it was an Internet-based giveaway? I don't know, but I just posted another giveaway of a Kindle book. We'll see if the same thing happens.

If you'd like to read my second Mayla Strong book, Sincerely, Mayla, head on over to the Reader Fun page of my website and enter for either the Kindle version or the Print version.

Funny Faces and Myths

2011-02-05T15:43:00.001-08:00

I just returned from the Cottonwood Heights Literacy Fair in Salt Lake City, Utah. I loved it! The audience consisted of book lovers and aspiring writers. The previous speaker, Paul Genesse, has written several fantasy novels (dragons - my favorite!), and the organizer, Amy Maida Wadsworth, is a writing coach and has published three novels herself. So I was sandwiched by two fascinating writers and speakers. They taught the attendees about various writing techniques - story creation, creating a hook, point of view. I, on the other hand, decided to speak on a more somber subject - The Myths of a Career in Writing. It's a talk I've been asked to give fairly often to high school career classes, and covers the misconceptions people often have about the writing profession. (For instance: a writer has final say-so over the title and cover art of her book. Not true! Those are decisions made by the publisher's marketing department.)

My daughter came to the event and brought the World's Cutest Grandson (who behaved himself like the little gentleman he is), and she snapped some pictures. One thing is sure - I expend a lot of energy when I speak! The photographic evidence proved what I've known all along -- I make weird faces when I speak. I'll let you be the judge. (Click on the picture to see a bigger image.)

I really enjoyed speaking at this event. The audience was terrific, and I'm sure we're going to be hearing about their books soon.

Bluegrass State Provides Diverse Settings for Inspirational Novels

2011-02-04T10:01:00.000-08:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 1, 2011

Bluegrass State Provides Diverse Settings for Inspirational Novels

Frankfort, KY – Two Kentucky authors celebrate the release of their latest novels this week, both set in the bluegrass state. Ann H. Gabhart of Lawrenceburg and Virginia Smith of Frankfort both write inspirational fiction, have published close to twenty novels each, and frequently include Kentucky’s rich heritage and beautiful settings in their fiction. That’s where the similarities between the two writers stop. Gabhart writes historical fiction filled with the customs and culture of Kentucky in bygone times. Smith prefers cliffhanger suspense in modern settings, and laying intricate clues for her characters – and readers – to unravel.

Celebrated for her historical novels, Gabhart weaves a new story from the Depression era in her latest work, Angel Sister. When Ann was growing up, her mother and aunts told stories about the small community where they lived in Alton, Kentucky. “Despite the hard times and some interesting personalities,” Gabhart says, “what came through to me so clearly was the way those small town people cared for one another.” Her mother’s stories planted the seed in Ann's imagination that became Angel Sister.

In A Deadly Game, Smith indulges her love of follow-the-clues mysteries in a story that sends her characters racing around the bluegrass state to save the life of a kidnapped child. “I had so much fun running around central Kentucky, spying out places to send my characters, ” says Smith. A Deadly Game includes local sites such as the Kentucky Horse Park, the Floral Clock in Frankfort, the Henry Clay house, and even a Lexington restaurant.

Gabhart and Smith will talk about their books and sign copies at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, February 11, at Corinth Christian Bookstore in Frankfort, and again on Tuesday, February 22 at 7:00 p.m. at Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Lexington.

For more information about Virginia Smith, visit http://www.virginiasmith.org/. For more information about Ann H. Gabhart, visit http://www.annhgabhart.com/.

Upcoming Appearances:

Friday, February 11, 2011
7:00 p.m.
Corinth Christian Bookstore
1100 South US 127
Frankfort, KY

Tuesday, February 22, 2011
7:00 p.m.
Joseph-Beth Booksellers
161 Lexington Green Circle
Lexington, KY

Now Scheduling Interviews
Contact Susan at Publicity@Virginiasmith.org

----------------

About Angel Sister: During a sultry Kentucky summer, Kate Merritt struggles to keep her family together, Defeated by the Great Depression, her father slips into alcoholism, her mother is in denial, and her sisters are blissfully unaware of their plight. Who could imagine that a dirty abandoned child named Lorena Birdsong would be just what the Merritts need?

About Ann: Ann H. Gabhart has published twenty novels for adults and children. Her first Shaker novel, The Outsider, was a finalist for the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association Fiction Book of 2009. Her latest novel, Angel Sister, was inspired in part by the many stories and mother and aunts told her about growing up in small town Kentucky during the 1930s. Ann lives on a farm in Central Kentucky with her husband, Darrell. They have three children and nine grandchildren. Visit Ann at her website, www.annhgabhart.com.

About A Deadly Game: It began as a harmless game, a competition of wits between ten wealthy businessmen. But when one of them is killed, Susanna is drawn into a nightmare like she never imagined. The only person she can rely on is someone she vowed she would never trust: the son of a billionaire, very much like the man who ruined her life three years earlier. And though she hasn’t talked to God in years, she must now pray that Jack can help her figure out the clues in an ingenious game with the highest stakes of all — life and death.

About Ginny: Virginia Smith is the author of almost twenty inspirational novels and over fifty articles and short stories. An avid reader with eclectic tastes in fiction, Ginny writes fiction in a variety of styles, from lighthearted relationship stories to breath-snatching suspense. Her books have been finalists for national awards such as the Carol Award, the American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year Award, and twice in the Daphne du Maurier Award of Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. Learn more about Ginny and her books at www.VirginiaSmith.org

The Cockroach Theory

2011-01-30T16:53:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking deep, philosophical thoughts. (Watch out! We're entering the danger zone!)

We don't live in a perfect world. That's not a surprise to anyone. But, we were supposed to live in a perfect world. When God first created mankind, He put us in the garden of Eden. The garden was a perfect place where we fellowshipped freely with our Creator.

It’s like God built us a house – a perfect, beautiful, peaceful, spotlessly clean house. He created us and put us in that wonderful house, and provided everything we would ever need. Every day he came to our house, and He walked through the house with us, talking to us and enjoying us and pointing out all the cool things He had built into the house to please us. And oh, how we enjoyed His visits! He taught us how to keep the house clean, how to keep it a welcoming, nice, peaceful place.

But one day the doorbell rang. We opened the door and there, on the doorstep, was a door-to-door salesman. He had a huge bag full of wonderful things he wanted to sell us. We already had a whole houseful of wonderful things, beautiful furnishings. But the salesman insisted God hadn’t given us the BEST things, and he was prepared to show us. So we invited him inside our beautiful, shiny, clean house. And that slick-talking salesman opened up his bag. Out ran nasty, disgusting roaches, a million of them. As soon as we saw them swarm out of the bag, we knew we’d made a terrible mistake. But there were so many of them, running all over the place and spreading germs and crawling into the cushions of our beautiful couch, and across our shiny clean counters in the kitchen. The salesman backed up into a corner and snickered as we tried stomping as many of them as we could. But there were just so many! They were everywhere, spreading their nasty, disgusting germs.

We tried to hide all the bugs before God came, but it was useless. God was so sad to see the mess we’d made of our clean, beautiful, perfect house. He showed us how to set out some of those little roach houses to try to keep them at bay. They helped to keep the roaches away from us, but we knew they’d just gone into the walls to hide, and they came running out every so often. Whenever we’d turn on the Light, we’d see them scampering away, leaving a nasty, disgusting trail.

But then God took care of the problem. He sent the Exterminator! Jesus came into the house and set off a bug bomb that seeped into the walls and killed every single bug! WOO HOO! Hallelujah!

Here’s the problem: there are still cockroach bodies hidden in the walls and in the corners and beneath the furniture. They’re dead – defeated. But their corpses still try to dirty up our houses. That nasty salesman is still there, lurking in the shrubbery outside, laughing when we encounter a new cockroach corpse. Our job is to uncover them all, sweep them all out of the corners, and follow God’s directions to make that house clean again. Yay Jesus! (Let’s chant together: Go Jesus! Go Jesus! Go Jesus!)

Here’s the cool thing: one day soon, God is going to snatch that salesman up by the scruff of his neck and lock him away forever. He’s going to bulldoze the house. Yes, He’ll tear it down, and all those ugly, disease-carrying bug corpses will be destroyed. Then he’s going to build a new house (the New Jerusalem!) and furnish it with brand new, clean furnishings. That house is going to be even better than the first one. And it will be spotless, without a single germ.

Do you ever wonder why life isn’t perfect? Why you don’t see perfection in your health, and in your relationships, and in your emotions? That’s because those nasty cockroach corpses are still hanging around, cluttering up your life. They’re dead, but they’re still ugly and they still carry disease. You just hang in there. God’s on his way with the bulldozer, and the construction crew!

Looking Back in Hard Times

2011-01-27T06:52:00.000-08:00

Do you ever have times when you read something in the Bible and it fits your current situation perfectly? I love it when that happens, and it happened this morning.

Psalm 126 begins with these words: "When the Lord brought back the captives to Zion, we were like men who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. ... The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy." I can just see the Hebrew people standing in the streets, cheering as a group of their long-lost friends paraded past. They were so deliriously happy they felt like, "Is this real, or am I dreaming?" They knew where their good fortune came from - none other than the Lord Himself.

The tone changes in verse 4. Apparently things aren't going so well, and now they say, "Restore our fortunes, O Lord." They're suffering some hard times, but they know who can rescue them, and they call on God.

In verse five, we read of their hope. "Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weepeng carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him." They know that God has been faithful to bless them in the past, and He is going to bless them in the future, too.

What a great lesson for me today. Some things in my life aren't going so well. I've shed a few tears lately. But this Psalm tells me to look back and consider the times God has blessed me abundantly. It instructs me to ask God for His touch in my current situation.

And then it says something really important -- it says to keep on working. Even if I work with tears streaming down my face, I have to still do the work. I have to plant seeds and water them with my tears. And when I do, God is faithful to make the work I do effective. I might cry now, but when these seeds grow, they'll produce a harvest. And then I'll be singing with joy, and saying to myself, "Look how good things are! I must be dreaming!"

Partial Scholarships Available for Florida Christian Writers Conference

2011-01-26T09:44:00.000-08:00

I'm teaching three workshops at this year's Florida Christian Writers Conference, March 2 - 6. It's a terrific conference, and I'm really looking forward to seeing many of my writer and editor friends, and meeting some new ones.

I received this notice from conference director Billie Wilson about scholarships to cover $200 of the tuition:

The March conference is near and I wanted to give you a heads up on partial scholarships available. No newsflash – the economy is hitting Main Street and I’d like your help to let writers know we have partial scholarships. Please send or give the attached Partial Scholarship Form to writers you know as well as posting the information on Facebook, twitter or in your blog.

The details:

Partial Scholarship of $200 for the conference, March 3-6, 2011.

___ Conference Tuition, Meals & Lodging with roommate - balance of $575
___ Conference Tuition only – balance of $375.

Registration must be received by February 15, 2011. Not available for online registration. No other discounts apply.

Email: billiewilson@cfl.rr.com FAX 321-267-9654.

Ginny here: I'm not sure how to post a file here, so if you're interested, send me a note on Facebook or through the Contact page of www.VirginiaSmith.org, and I'll forward the form.

I hope to see you in Florida!

February 2011 Newsletter Now Available

2011-01-23T14:10:00.001-08:00

I just pulled the trigger on February 2011 issue of From My Heart to Yours, my online newsletter. It is speeding its way through cyberspace toward those who have signed up to receive it.

What? You haven't signed up?!?! Well, you can take care of that right now. Go to the Home page of my website and enter your name and email address in the "Stay Updated" form at the bottom of the page. After you confirm your subscription, you'll From My Heart to Yours directly in your Inbox. Don't worry - I don't send too many, usually one every two months. Or three months. Or maybe a quick reminder when a new book is released a couple of times a year. No fear I'll flood your Inbox.

If you'd like to see a sample, you can read the current issue of From My Heart to Yours online.

Where is Jerusalem?

2011-01-19T12:32:00.000-08:00

The other day I read Psalm 122, which is a prayer for Jerusalem. As I read, I mentally pictured the modern-day Holy Land, and the Wailing Wall, and the crowded streets I've seen on television but never visited. In other words, Jerusalem seems like a far away place. But I've learned that most things that were important for the Hebrew people in the Old Testament have vital meaning for me today. Sometimes the symbolism is hard to see, and other times it jumps out at me. I had to think about Psalm 122, and what Jerusalem means to me today. When I did, it was like I'd suddenly put on my reading glasses - the scribbles on the page became words, and they made sense.

I'm not a Biblical scholar or anything, just an average Christian believer, so my understanding is probably all wrong. Sorry about that. I'm just thinking out loud here. The Psalm begins:

"I rejoiced with those who said to me, "Let us go to the house of the Lord." Our feet are standing in your gates, Jerusalem." Uh...okay. Since my feet aren't physically standing in the gates of Jerusalem, then the house of the Lord must mean something else for me. Where is the house of the Lord? First and foremost, His house is my heart. On a different level, His house is the body of believers with whom I worship every Sunday and Wednesday - and, in fact, the larger body of believers across the world. It's the Church, of which I am a part. So, given that, the psalm took on a fresh meaning as I read. I'll just share a few thoughts:

Jerusalem is built like a city that is closely compacted together. (v3) When the Church operates as it's supposed to, we are a close-knit family. We draw together for encouragement, worship, protection, motivation. When we operate as God intended, we are closely compacted together.

That is where the tribes go up— the tribes of the LORD—
to praise the name of the LORD according to the statute given to Israel. (v4) We can say that we go to church to praise the Lord - our local church building - and that's true. But on a deeper level, we draw together as the body of Christ and the deeds we do are praise. Our unity is the statute we've been given - God's intention is for us to come together as His children, and when we do we're acting as One, just as He intended. That is a mighty act of praise for Him.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels." (v7-8) The history of Jerusalem is stormy and full of danger, and full of threat. Likewise, the Church (both now and in the past) is a stormy, dangerous place. It is threatened on so many levels, even physically. At times it seems like the Church's very existence is in danger. So praying for peace and security is a necessary act!

For the sake of my family and friends, I will say, “Peace be within you.” For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your prosperity. (v8-9)Those threats I mentioned above don't just come from the outside - perhaps the most dangerous thing of all is the threat from within the Church. One thing that I am sure grieves the Lord a tremendous amount is when His children turn on one another, take advantage of one another, refuse to forgive or help or love each other. One of the most important things we can do is to pray for the Church to have peace within its members. We want the Church to thrive and prosper.

I don't know. What do you think? Maybe I'm completely wrong. Or maybe this psalm is intended to be prayed on multiple levels.

Okay, enough pontificating. Thanks for listening!

Panama Canal Cruise - The Last Two Days

2011-01-07T18:47:00.000-08:00

During the final two days of our 2-week cruise, we couldn't believe the vacation was almost over. We spent the days getting the maximum enjoyment out of our vacation. We relaxed on the Oasis deck for hours. Funny, but only a handful of people seemed to find the Oasis during the entire cruise. We were always able to go there and be alone. I think one reason may be that there was no elevator access. You had to climb a couple of sets of stairs, and that deterred some of the passengers. We absolutely loved it.

One of the things we truly enjoyed about our cruise was meeting new people. We absolutely love dinner time on a cruise, because you get to know the people at your table, and you become involved in their lives and their vacation. We met Sallie and Joel, and Duane and Sharlia. Lovely people, and by the end of the cruise we felt like they were long-time friends. During the final dinner, the dining room staff put on a show for us, dancing and singing, and we all joined in by swinging our napkins in the air and singing along.

Besides that, we met tons of people in other venues during the cruise. Every evening after dinner we went up to the Crow's Nest lounge, and the same crowd gathered nightly, so we got to know them. One man was actually from my home town of Danville, Kentucky! What are the odds?

I think that's what makes the cruise worthwhile - the people we meet. As a writer, I really enjoy observing people, and studying their personalitites and lifestyles. (Sorry, new cruise friends! You might show up in a book someday, but hopefully you won't recognize yourself!!!) That, and of course the time Ted and I spent with each other. We went through 14 whole days without a single disagreement! In fact, we ended the cruise even closer to each other than we started. That makes me want to go on another long cruise SOON. (Like, maybe, a scuba diving cruise in the Western Caribbean in March. Oh, yeah! We ARE doing that!!! Woo hoo!)

I hope you've enjoyed sharing my memories of our incredible Panama Canal cruise aboard Holland America's Statendam. If you ever get the chance to do this trip yourself, I hope you'll return the favor!

Panema Canal - Towels and Napkins

2011-01-06T12:05:00.000-08:00

On every cruise we've ever taken, we are treated to a variety of towel creatures by the cabin stewards. This cruise was no different. Our stewards were Made and Mantri, and they took exceptionally good care of us. Plus, they had great towel folding skills, too. Take a look (you can click on an image to make it bigger):

The ship did offer a towel folding class, but I wasn't able to make that one. I did attend a napkin folding class, though, and I had a great time. (Again - ignore the hair and lack of makeup. I was on vacation, and wasn't worried about the paparazzi!) I've put my napkin folding skills to use during the holidays.

Towel animals are a small thing, but they're one more way of making a cruise passenger feel pampered. When we took our first cruise, we thought our steward was creating these cool animals only for us. Now we know they all do that for every passenger, but I don't care. I still looked forward to opening my stateroom door in the evening and seeing what animal Mantri left to greet us. (This picture is proof that I did, occasionally, brush my hair and put on makeup!)

Panamal Canal Cruise - Shipboard Activities

2011-01-05T12:05:00.000-08:00

When we first booked this cruise, Ted and I were both a little nervous about spending 14 days at sea. At least half the days were spent at sea, with no land in sight. Surely we would have times where we were bored, right?

So wrong! We're cruise veterans, so we knew there would be activities to fill our time, but since we'd never cruised on Holland America before, we weren't sure if they would appeal to us. In our past cruise experience, we've seen a lot of Belly Flop Competitions and Hairy Back Contests by the pool deck. Frankly, those don't thrill us.

Holland America exceeded our expectations! First of all, there was a well-appointed fitness center with lots of new equipment. We did manage to work out several times a week (Ted more than me, I admit!). Then there was the pool deck - ahhh! How can you not relax beside a wonderfully heated pool while floating in the ocean?

Then there were the workshops. Now, that was a wonderful and educational way to pass the time. We took workshops in digital photo editing, digital camera techniques, history lectures on the various ports we visited, cooking classes, and I even took two watercolor painting classes. (Take a look at my painting versus the original. Uh... okay, not great, but since I've never painted a thing in my life, I don't think it's all that bad!)

One fun thing we did was while we were cruising through Panama. The item in the daily program said, "Swim in the Panama Canal!" The canal water was brown and thick and pretty yucky, but I admit I thought they really were going to let us swim in the canal. We showed up at the rear pool deck (there wer 2 pools), and the cruise director told us we were going to swim in the pool while cruising through the canal. We had to do an "alligator dance" before we dove in and swam to the other side of the pool. Technically, we swam while in the Panama Canal, and we have certificates to prove it. (Okay, folks, this is where I'm letting down my guard and allowing you to see me in my bathing suit, though I know this isn't a very flattering pose. But, you see, it was so much fun! Nobody worried about what we looked like. We just had fun!)

At the end of every day we enjoyed really good shows put on by a variety of entertainers. The ship's singers and dancers were among the best we've ever seen. They did one show performing 40's and 50's music that was incredible. We also had a series of special entertainers -- a John Denver performer (who sounded so much like the original we were halfway convinced!), an amazingly talented flutist (She said, "What's the difference between a floutist and a flutist? The size of the paycheck. I am a flutist.") And we saw a commedian, and a professional hammered dulcimer musician, and ... the list goes on and on. Some really thrilling performances!

Besides the workshops, there was karaoke, and trivia contests (I actually participated in a team that won one night!), and dancing lessons (Ted and I learned three different waltz steps, and Ted got to dance with one of the ship's professional dancers.)

Bored? No way. We didn't have time to be bored!

Panama Canal Cruise - Day 12 - Cartegna Colombia

2011-01-04T12:05:00.000-08:00

Our last port of the cruise was Cartegna, Colombia. Again, neither Ted nor I had ever visited Colombia, so we were eager to see the country. From the ship's deck, it looked like a huge modern city. Our cruise director told us all those skyscrapers are condominiums.

We took a "City Highlights" tour, and spent several hot, steamy hours riding around in a bus with an overworked air conditioner, with tour guide Roberto Jr. (He gave each of us a tag with his name in case we got lost.) At the time we were in Cartegna, Kentucky and Salt Lake City were both having a huge snowstorm, but we were sweltering in the Colombian heat.

Our first visit was to the walled city of Cargetna, an old fortress that was incredibly fascinating. We learned about the defensible location, toured an intricate series of tunnels throughout the massive fortress, and enjoyed breathtaking views of the city.

After leaving the old city, we visited a shopping area located in an old jail. Ugh. Lots of touristy junk, and lots of natives trying to get us to buy it. Our tour guide was obviously getting a kick-back from one of the shops in that converted jail, and it was hard to leave there in order to visit some of the others.

Then we headed downtown and visited the cathedral. I have a thing for cathedrals, and this one was gorgeous. Built in the late 1500's and early 1600's, the walls were decorated with lovely friezes of the life of Christ, and a beautiful altar. While our group toured and looked at all the statues, I slipped into a pew and refreshed my spirit by communing with my Father in the same place where thousands have done so before.

After we left the cathedral, we fought off hundreds (or so it seemed) of local vendors trying to sell us everything from headbands to artwork as we made our way to The Cloister. Another church, this one is a monument to St. Peter Claver, who died in the mid 1600's, after saving literally thousands of slaves from the Colombian slave trade. It was really cool - St. Peter Claver's mummified body is still there!!! Do you know how cool it was to kneel with my face just inches from his, separated by the thin later of a glass coffin?

Before we went back to the ship we visited another shopping center, where our guide tried hard to get us to buy emeralds from one specific shop. We fought them off, and instead browsed the street vendors. I found a sweet little Colombian outfit for my grandson, and then we happened upon a shop with a treasure trove of charming Christmas ornaments. We bought gifts for our granddaughter, Macy, my niece, Tori, and my daughter, Christy -- and for our own Christmas tree. And we munched on chocolate covered espresso beans that set our brains buzzing!

When we got back to the ship, we were hot and sweaty, and our feet ached from all the walking. We saw some cool stuff in Cargetna and we're really glad we went. But to be honest, neither of us are eager to return.

Panama Canal Cruise - Day 11 - through the Canal!

2011-01-03T12:00:00.000-08:00

The evening of our 10th day at sea was a pinnacle - we arrived in Panama at 7:00 p.m. Since you can't go through the locks at night, the ship anchored and we grabbed a tender (a small boat holding about 50 passengers) in to the pier at Fuerte Amador. Sad to say, we saw nothing more than a small touristy dock that night, but I did get to do a bit of shopping. I met a man who carves handcrafted woodworks, and bought a handmade jewelry box for my daughter and something for myself as well.

Going through the Panama Canal is more fascinating that I ever expected. I watched, fascinated, for hours. An eastern-bound ship leaves the Pacific Ocean, navigates through a series of locks that raise the ship from sea level to 86 feet above sea level, sails through several Panama lakes and, at the other end, goes through another series of locks to go back down to sea level on the Atlantic/Caribbean side of Panama. The canal's history goes way back to the 1800's when the French attempted to build the canal but failed. Then in 1903 the U.S. picked up the project, and finished it. Everything is done on the principal of gravity, completely without electricity.

We followed a ship through the locks, which illustrated the journey in a dramatic way. In this first picture, Ted and I were watching through windows on the top deck. You can see three different levels of the locks, and the ship in front of us in the third level. On the right side is a second passageway, where a shipload of green, blue and red trailers was going through at the same time. The locks are 110 feet wide, and the ship, like the one in front of us was 106 feet wide. Not much room for error!

We enter the first chamber of the lock, and gates close behind us. The gravity-operated pumps begin to flood the chamber with water, raising our ship to the level of the water behind the next gate. When our ship is level with the water in the next chamber, the gates open and we move forward. Those gates close behind us, and the process begins again. We learned that there's a $25,000 reservation fee, and it costs $250,000 to go through the canal. So this is not an inexpensive passageway! I snapped this picture from the back of the ship, after we had cleared the first of the three locks.

After we were inside the canal, we cruised for most of the day through Panama. The shore is beautiful - wild and tropical with a sultry atmosphere. In another post I'll tell you about a couple of fun shipboard events we did while sailing through Panama that day, before we cleared the Gatun lock on the eastern shore of Panama.

This picture is taken from the deck of our ship approaching the Gatun locks. As you can see, the gates are opening to let us into the last chamber. Ahead on the other side of the final gate you can see the ship we followed through the canal, and on the right, the other ship (the one with the cargo boxes) just exiting the last chamber.

The next picture is of us approaching the final gate. The ship in front of us is waiting for clearance to exit the lock and enter the Atlantic/Caribbean.

And this last shot is after we're in the final chamber, waiting to pass through the last gate. You can see the whirlpool as water floods from the last chamber (which our ship is in), into the ocean on the other side, which lowers our ship to sea level before those last gates are open.

All in all, one of the most fascinating things I've ever seen.

Panama Canal Cruise - Days 9 and 10

2011-01-02T19:12:00.000-08:00

Now that Christmas and New Year's are over, I'll return to my recap of our recent Panama Canal Cruise. As the sun set over Guatemala on day 8, our ship the Statendam pointed its bow southward and set sail. Days 9 and 10 were a pair of lazy days at sea that are so restful and incredibly relaxing, but afterward neither of us could remember exactly what we did. We found a quiet place on the ship's deck and read books. (Ted read Nightshade by Ronie Kendig, and I read The Heir by Paul Robertson. Both excellent books, and highly recommended!)

One element of our cruise on Holland America we both enjoyed was the leisure workshops and classes we could attend. On day 9 we sat in on a lecture about the history and construction of the Panama Canal, which was fascinating. I took a cooking class presented by the ship's executive chef and learned how to make appetizer pizza squares. That evening we went to hear the karaoke singers, and I sat on the edge of my seat the whole time, hoping I'd get selected to sing and at the same time, hoping I wouldn't. (Oh, the pressure!!!) That was another formal night, so we dressed up and walked around the ship in our finery.

Day 10 was more of the same - a long, leisurely, relaxing day at sea. We kept our eyes fixed on the coastline, glimpsing Panama for the first time. At 7:00 that night we anchored off the coast of Panama. I'll talk more about that tomorrow.

Panama Canal Cruise - Day 8

2010-12-30T19:03:00.000-08:00

On Day 8 of our cruise, we visited Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala. This was our first time in Guatemala, and we were especially eager to visit Antigua.

On the way to the city, we stopped for a tour of a coffee plantation. We really didn't want to tour a coffee plantation, but were pleasantly surprised to find it an enjoyable, informative, and rewarding trip! Coffee production is extremely interesting, and quite an agricultural feat. Since the coffee plants don't produce for the first few years, and then have a limited lifespan, the owners have to plan carefully. We saw coffee from the seed stage all the way to the brewed final result - and believe me, that was the best coffee either of us have ever tasted. We bought some as gifts, and some to bring home for ourselves.

Three volcanos tower over that area of Guatemala, one of them active and spewing smoke most of the day. Since that's the first volcano I've ever seen, I found that sight quite amazing.

Antigua is a nasty, crumbling old city with cobblestone streets and lots of bars on the windows. The city square on front of a nice cathedral is swarming with locals selling their wares. I made the mistake of buying something from a tired little girl, and we were swarmed for the rest of the day. We got so tired of saying, "No, gracias." And when I got back home, I wasn't sure what to do with the "chicken" potholder I bought. Oh, well. I think the little girl appreciated the money.

Panama Canal Cruise - Observation About Day 7

2010-12-30T06:32:00.001-08:00

I wanted to add a special note about our visit to Puerta Chiapas, Mexico. We saw a lot of really poor people during our trip, and we were moved every time. We drove past homes that were nothing more than 3-sided shacks, with sheets of tin laid across the top to shield the occupants from the rain. The wealthy ones had 4 concrete walls. Cooking and bathroom facilities were outside. Electricity? Nonexistent in many of those dwellings. While rafting down the Copalita River, we arrived on laundry day. We saw dozens of women and children along the banks of the river, hovering in scant shade while they scrubbed their clothing with rocks on the riverside. We saw many children without adequate (or any) clothing.

But in Puerta Chiapas I saw something that will stay with me forever. We were driving through the jungle in a tour van, over a single lane dirt road that rattled our teeth with every bump. The view outside the window was stark. Children ran out of shacks to stand beside the road and wave at us, barefoot and sometimes covered with dirt. We passed another home like those I’d become accustomed to seeing, and my heart twisted with compassion at the humble building. The words Ted and I had said to each other many times came to mind: “I’m so grateful for the blessings we have been given.”

As we drove by, I saw children playing in the dust near a cook fire. In the shade of a building, a woman sat in a chair. She was about my age, and she bounced a baby on her lap who looked to be about the age of my grandson. The look on that woman’s face as she laughed with that baby struck right through my heart. It was a look of joy. She was so delighted with that child! In a second we were past, but I couldn’t forget her laughing face.

A thought came to me then, like a voice whispering to my soul. “What makes you think you’re more blessed than she? Don’t you think she finds joy in her children and grandchildren, as much as you do? Don’t you think she delights in love as much as you? Do you really think your blessings are measured in terms of money?”

I was struck with something then – with shame. How arrogant of me to assume that woman was underprivileged and wretched, and I more blessed than she. Did she mourn not having a microwave? Did she long for the comforts of a television and DVD player, and microwave popcorn, and a self-starting coffee maker? Of course not. She got up every morning grateful for the blessings she’d been given, the blessings of a loving family and a loving God.

Yes, I’m still thankful for all the blessings I’ve been given in my life, material and otherwise. But that doesn’t give me the right to judge someone else’s happiness by my standards. I won’t be that arrogant again.

Panama Canal Cruise - Day 7

2010-12-29T18:46:00.000-08:00

On the 7th day of our cruise through the Panama Canal, we visited Puerta Chiapas, Mexico. It's a tiny little port town created specifically for the cruise ships. We weren't so impressed with the port town -- too commercial -- but we went on a tour with a dozen other people and a guide of Mayan descent named Arturo to Chocolate City. Ahhh, there we were delighted to find an authentic little Mexican town, with a long history and friendly people.

We visited an open-air market, where I bargained in Spanish for a Christmas ornament. An interesting thing happened in that market. Arturo had been telling us on the bus ride about the traditions of the older Mayan population. One of their staple foods was iguana. Yep, iguana. But they ate so much iguana that they almost decimated the population, and the government stepped in and made killing an iguana illegal. As we wandered through that market, Arturo bought a tamale from one of the vendors, and told us, "I want you to taste this. I bought it for you." I took the first bite. It was delicious. Inside the tamale was a succulent meat that I assumed was pork. But no! After I swallowed, Arturo said, "That is iguana tamale." I exclaimed, "I thought that was illegal!" and he replied, "Yes, but these people don't care." I felt almost cursed, like I'd eaten talking stag in Harfang. (Narnia fans will know what I mean by that!)

One of the most interesting demonstrations we saw on this cruise was in this town - chocolate making. This isn't factory chocolate, though. We saw chocolate go from the cacao bean all the way to the finished product, all done by hand. In fact, I got to grind some chocolate of my own, and it was delicious. That's real chocolate!

After we left Chocolate City we traveled out into the heart of the jungle and visited an archeological Mayan site. This area dates back to 1500 BC, and has been identified as the very first Mayan settlement, the origin. An ancient carving has been unearthed, called the Tree of Life. It's a carving on a huge flat boulder, depicting creation. Amazing. Many carvings surround a gigantic Kapok tree, which is sacred to the Mayas. They believed that this huge tree was sacred, a spiritual connection, a source of life. They visited the tree to commune with it, to hug it and whisper their needs. I was reminded starkly of the movie Avatar, and wondered if the story has roots in Mayan culture.

We boarded the ship at the end of the day, having enjoyed one of the most interesting excursions we've ever taken. And just look at the sunset that night!

Panama Canal Cruise - Days 5 and 6

2010-12-28T17:58:00.001-08:00

Day 5 on our cruise was another relaxing day at sea. You start to lose track of the days after a while, but Holland America has an interesting way of keeping their passengers in touch with time - every elevator had a rug that announced the day of the week. You'd be surprised how much we came to rely on those rugs!

That night was a formal night in the dining room, so Ted and I dressed up for the occasion. I thought you might like to see a picture of what we look like when we're clean and presentable.

On Day 6, we docked in Hualtulco, Mexico. It was a beautiful sunny day, 97 degrees and humid. We discovered that a blizzard was raging back home, so we really enjoyed the heat. Hualtulco is a pretty little village, with nine beautiful bays. We saw four of them. We boarded an open-air (i.e. hot, sweaty, stinky) truck and drove up into the forest to the Copalita river for a rafting trip. Unbelievably beautiful! We boarded the ship after a long day, favorably impressed by Hualtulco. I'd like to visit there again.

Panama Canal Cruise - Day 4

2010-12-27T19:03:00.001-08:00

Now that Christmas is past, I'll continue my recap of our recent cruise through the Panama Canal.

On day 4, we stopped in Puerta Vallarta, Mexico. We've been there once before, and love the atmosphere of this town. The scenery is beautiful, ringed by the Sierra Madres and facing the gorgeous waters of Banderas Bay. We boarded a boat for a 60-minute ride out to Islas Marietas. The crew was terrific, and entertaining, too!

What a gorgeous island! A huge, volcanic island with tunnels and caves. Almost nothing grows there, except a bit of vegetation that is home to thousands of birds called boobies that soar and dive into the water for fish. (Our guide, Giovanny, startled us all by exclaiming over the microphone once, "Look at those beautiful boobies!")

We intended to snorkle, but the water was so cold we were both ready to get back in the boat within 15 minutes to warm up in the hot Mexican sun. After we'd dried off a bit, we climbed into a kayak and paddled around the island. We went through volcanic rock tunnels and into caves, and enjoyed some of the most stunning views we've ever seen. Ted told me, "I feel like I'm in National Geographic!" On the way back to the cruise ship we spotted several humpback whales. Of course, they were camera shy. I got lots of pictures of spashes as their tails disappeared beneath the surface.

Back on the ship, we headed up to the Lido restaurant to sit beside the window and look out over the city while enjoying a cup of coffee. From the deck of the ship we could see one of the most popular tourist attractions in Puerta Vallarta - Walmart!

We had to force ourselves to stay awake for the entertainment that night, a concert of 50's songs by the ship's singers and dancers that was one of the best we've ever heard on any cruise ship. We went to sleep to the rhythmic rocking of the sea.

Did Jesus Enjoy Your Christmas Party?

2010-12-26T07:13:00.000-08:00

I hope all of you had a Merry Christmas! It's been such a wild and chaotic month my Journal has been neglected. For the past week we've had one party after another - family dinners, gatherings with friends, gift exchanges, a Christmas play in which my niece acted (and she was a terrific Comet!), lunches and outings and shopping with my sister... we barely had time to breathe!

Every so often I had to force myself to stop, take a breath, and focus on the holy Reason for all the celebration - the best Gift of all, given to me by my Father. I loved finding peaceful moments amid the happy chaos to ponder the enormity of that Gift. Immanuel: God with us. God in flesh! And most astounding of all, Immanuel is still with us. We are His body in the earth. His spirit lives in my flesh! The realization takes my breath away.

At times, when my schedule was really busy, I experienced the occasional stab of guilt. I should be more focused on Jesus and less on celebrating with other people. But you know what I realized? Jesus lives in me. And I think He enjoys a good party as much as anyone else. He loves being surrounded by people He loves, enjoys their joyful laughter, laughs at their jokes, basks in their love for Him and for each other.

You are one of the people He loves, my friend. He enjoys your joy. Your happy laughter warms His heart. The sound of your voice singing songs of good cheer and celebration is like a heavenly chorus in His ear. As you went through the holiday season, He was right there with you, enjoying every minute of time He spent in your company. I'm sure He had a great time at your Christmas party!

Panama Canal Cruise - Days 1-3

2010-12-13T18:25:00.000-08:00

My husband and I are veteran cruise vacationers, and we just returned from a 14-day cruise through the Panama Canal. We love cruising to awesome scuba diving destinations, and have done it many times. But this cruise was a first for us in several ways. It was the first 14-day cruise we've ever taken (all our previous cruises were 7 days or less), and it was the first non-scuba diving cruise we've ever done. Plus, it was our first time crusing on Holland America Line, and our first time to visit South America, though we only got to touch the northern edge. I hope, dear blog readers, that you'll bear with me over the next several days while I share some sights and memories from my cruise. If you don't particularly enjoy reading about other people's vacations, I don't blame you a bit for skipping my blog over the next few days!

We set sail from San Diego on a Friday afternoon. Right there on the San Diego dock we saw the boat on which the movie Master and Commander was filmed. Cool! We boarded Holland America's MS Statendam, a beautiful ship that is one of the smallest we've ever been on. I think there were only 1200 passengers. It was the perfect size, and her crew is terrific. We fell in love with her the first day out. There were two pools, which were never crowded. One of our favorite places was a little hidden alcove on the top deck called The Oasis, with chairs and hamocks. Most of the time there were only one or two other people there, so it was a place to relax in privacy with a good book (or a Kindle, in my case, loaded with 110 books) while enjoying the ocean breeze and some stunning views. I make no apologies whatsoever for my looks in these photos. I was on vacation, and didn't worry about makeup or hairspray most of the time.

We were at sea for two days before stopping at our first port. We thought we might be bored, but there simply wasn't time! We attended cooking demonstrations by master chefs, and technical workshops learning how to edit photos and make movies of our cruise pictures. We took dancing lessons and learned to waltz. Uh... well, they tried to teach us to waltz. Neither Ted nor I have ever been very graceful on the dance floor, and we proved that we still aren't - but we had fun and at least no one took pictures of that part. There was a gym with new equipment and fitness classes, and we visited there often. The ship also had a lovely library which, unfortunately, didn't have any of my books - until I donated two. :-) Plus, of course, there was food. Lots of food. All kinds of food. I'll tell you about that another time.

Evenings were spent attending some of the best entertainment we've ever seen at sea. The singers and dancers on the Statendam were incredibly talented, and put on shows and concerts that had us on our feet in a standing ovation several times. After the evening show we went to a lounge on Deck 12 called the Crow's Nest, which was surrounded by windows. We saw a pod of porpoises the first day out (my camera was in our cabin at the time!) and we were able to end each evening with a little dancing, or getting to know our fellow passengers. Then to bed, with the ocean waves to rock us to sleep. Aaaahhh!

At one point we were sitting in the Crow's Nest watching the sunset over the ocean, and my husband said to me, "Do you realized how blessed we are?" Yes. I really do.

In my next post I'll tell you about our first port, Puerta Vallarta.

The Making of a Christmas Tradition

2010-12-12T19:15:00.000-08:00

This week I have an article featured on the website, ChristianDevotions.us. Thanks to Cindy and Eddie and all the terrific folks who run that wonderful ministry.

I've included the article here. I'd love to hear about your Christmas traditions!

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The Making of a Christmas Tradition
by Virginia Smith

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

I was nine-years-old when my family’s most important tradition began. My mom invited four mentally disabled boys to our house for Christmas Eve. She told my seven-year-old sister and me that we were going to create a special Christmas for those boys because they didn’t have families of their own. I know now that she also wanted to demonstrate the true meaning of the season for her young daughters.

We shopped and cooked for days. When our guests arrived there were gifts under the tree and a banquet on the table. Their eyes shone as they stared at our beautiful tree, and their delighted laughter filled the house when they opened their presents. For the first time, I got more joy out of watching someone else’s delight than in receiving my own gifts. They had so little, and they enjoyed everything with abandon.

Mom had prepared a special celebration to end the evening. We all gathered around a special cake in the center of the kitchen table. What would Jesus’ birthday cake be but angel food? A golden angel sat atop the fluffy icing, resting on a gauzy white cloud and surrounded by candles – one for every century since Jesus’ birth. Mom lit the candles and doused the lights. We held hands and joined her in a verse of Silent Night. When that song ended, we launched into a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday to Jesus. But before the last notes, the cloud caught fire. While four mentally disabled boys and two impressionable little girls watched, the beautiful angel went up in flames like a miniature Joan of Arc. Hardly the memory Mom had worked so hard to create.

That Christmas will always stand out as one of my most memorable, not because of the evening’s fiery finish, but because of the awe in those boys’ eyes, and the joy in their laughter. Every Christmas Eve since, my family has sung Happy Birthday to Jesus. Beloved faces shine around the table in the light of the candles on the Savior’s birthday cake, just as His light illuminates our lives all year long. I never fail to remember that the reason for Christmas is to celebrate His light coming into the world to shine on all mankind.

These days we have a fire-proof angel, though.

What Advent Means to Me

2010-12-03T00:01:00.000-08:00

When I was a little girl, we had an Advent Calendar. It was a fabric wall hanging with 25 pockets and a stuffed mouse that moved toward Christmas one pocket at a time as each day of December passed. I wasn't sure exactly what Advent meant, except that it was a countdown to Santa Claus, and there were pieces of candy in each of those little pockets that we got to eat when we moved the mouse.

I'm almost ashamed to tell you that it wasn't until I hung an identical calendar for my own kids that I really thought about the season of Advent. But since that moment of realization, the month of December has taken on new meaning for me. Each passing day brings us closer to the day on which we celebrate Christ's birth. My excitement mounts as I envision the Jewish people more than two thousand years ago, waiting with increasing urgency for the coming of the Messiah. I count 25 days. They counted centuries, without a fixed date to wait for. It could have been any day, any time.

And that's what makes Advent special for me. I'm not just counting the days until the Savior's birthday. I'm also waiting with increasing urgency for His second coming. I don't know the day, or even the century. But I know He's coming.

I love celebrating Christ the baby, God in flesh. And I can't wait for the return of Christ the King in his Second Advent.

Book Review - Plot versus Character

2010-12-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

Plot versus Character, a Balanced Approach to Writing Great Fiction

By Jeff Gerke

I’ve always been a proponent of continuing professional development, regardless of whether I was a computer programmer, a corporate director, or now, a writer. And, of course, I love books. So I look for books that helps me develop my skills. That’s what I found in Jeff Gerke’s Plot versus Character.

I’ve taught both Characterization and Plot at writing conferences, so I don’t consider myself a novice when it comes to either, but I learned some new techniques for both. Gerke begins with an illustration that rang true with me. When Irving Berlin wrote his first song, Alexander’s Ragtime Band, it consisted only of music. No words. And it didn’t strike a chord (pun intended!) with the public. It wasn’t until he added words that the song became a hit. That illustrates Gerke’s point in writing the book – writers can’t focus only on character, or only on plot. It takes both, working hand-in-hand, to create something that will reach readers.

I love approaching characterization by determining a character’s Meyers-Briggs temperament, and then ensuring that every aspect of that character stays true to that temperament. (I’ve been a Meyers-Briggs fan from way back in my early corporate days – I’m an ENFP.) And I gained some new insights about creating a page-turning plot, too.

If you’re interested in writing fiction, this book will stretch your skills and help you improve your craft.

Dickens on Helping Others

2010-11-29T00:05:00.000-08:00

I’ve recently been reading a seasonal classic, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. I haven’t read it since high school. I’m thoroughly enjoying it! I keep coming across passages that make me stop, back up, and read them again.

For instance, there’s a part where Scrooge, having just received a visit from the spirit of his old business partner, Marley, is standing at the window looking outside. He sees hundreds of spirits circling in the air, dragging their chains, and recognizes many of them.

He had been quite familiar with one old ghost, in a white waistcoat, with a monstrous iron safe attached to its ankle, who cried piteously at being unable to assist a wretched woman with an infant, whom it saw below, upon a door-step. The misery with them all was, clearly, that they sought to interfere, for good, in human matters, and had lost the power forever.

When I read that, I thought, “Oh, what a lesson to take to heart!” Having recently spent a month babysitting my infant grandson, I know a little of what it’s like to hear a hungry baby’s cry. Once we were in the car and he woke up from a nap hungry. His cries were truly piteous, and hearing them hurt my heart even though I knew he only had to wait five minutes before his next meal. As I drove along, I realized there are mothers all over the world who have to listen to their babies’ hungry cries, and they have nothing to give them. What a heartbreaking misery.

Lord, don’t let me be like Scrooge, unaware of the hurting people around me. Open my eyes to see them, and show me what I can do to help.

Thankfulness

2010-11-25T00:01:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving! I firmly believe that thankfulness isn't something we should focus on once a year. Every day in my morning bible study and prayer time I thank the Lord for so many of the blessings with which He's showered me. Focusing on my gratitude first thing in the morning establishes my mood for the day. Thankfulness is not just a feeling – it’s a lifestyle.

However, since it’s apropos for the day, I’d like to list a few things for which I’m particularly thankful on this day of Thanksgiving.

I’m so thankful for my family. I think God picked us out individually and put us together. In some cases He selected personalities that don’t mesh with each other easily, but He based our family on a deep and abiding love, so it works.

I’m thankful for my country. Yeah, it has problems, and I don’t agree with every decision the government makes, but I’m still thankful to live here.

I’m thankful for my friends. They are from all over the world, and they have many different temperaments, lifestyles, likes, dislikes, and personalities. Every one is precious to me.

I’m thankful for my job. Do you know how many people are miserable in their work? I love my work. Sometimes I can’t believe how lucky I am to be able to devote my time and energy to doing something that gives me such satisfaction, and that touches other peoples’ lives, and that makes an impact with some lasting value.

I’m thankful for health. I’m so very aware that this is not a blessing everyone enjoys.

I’m thankful for that I have a home. Many people don’t. Sometimes it’s because of their own poor choices, and other times it’s because of circumstances beyond their control. Regardless of the reason, my heart goes out to them, and my prayers go to the Father on their behalf.

I’m thankful for the Internet. No, really! That’s how I research stuff for my books, and it’s how I stay in touch with so many people who don’t live near me. And some who do!

Finally, I’m thankful for the life Jesus died to give me – both in this world, and in eternity.

Have a blessed, thankful day, my friends!

Thanksgiving Recipes from Kindergarten Kids

2010-11-24T00:01:00.000-08:00

I love cute kid sayings, and some of these made me chuckle. I found them on this website, and since I didn’t see a copyright notice anywhere, figured it was okay to repost. Since many of us in the US will be cooking Thanksgiving dinner, I thought it was timely.

Enjoy, and have a Happy Thanksgiving!

A Thanksgiving Cookbook
by Mrs. Geraghty's Kindergarten Class

note: Mrs. Geraghty will not be responsible for medical bills resulting from use of her cookbook

Ivette - Banana Pie
You buy some bananas and crust. Then you mash them up and put them in the pie. Then you eat it.

Russell - Turkey
You cut the turkey up and put it in the oven for ten minutes and 300 degrees. You put gravy on it and eat it.

Geremy - Turkey
You buy the turkey and take the paper off. Then you put it in the refrigerator and take it back out and cut it with a knife and make sure all the wires are out and take out the neck and heart. Then you put it in a big pan and cook it for half an hour at 80 degrees. Then you invite people over and eat.

Andrew - Pizza
Buy some dough, some cheese and pepperoni. Then you cook it for 10 hours at 5 degrees. Then you eat it.

Shelby - Applesauce
Go to the store and buy some apples, and then you squish them up. Then you put them in a jar that says, "Applesauce". Then you eat it.

Meghan H. - Turkey
You cut it into 16 pieces and then you leave it in the oven for 15 minutes and 4 degrees. you take it out and let it cool and then after 5 minutes, then you eat it.

Danny - Turkey
You put some salt on it to make it taste good. Then you put it in the oven. Then you cook it for an hour at 5 degrees. Then you eat it.

Brandon - Turkey
First you buy it at Fred Meyer. Then you cut it up and cook it for 15 hours at 200 degrees. Then you take it out and eat it.

Megan K - Chicken
You put it in the oven for 25 minutes and 25 degrees and put gravy on it and eat it.

Christa - Cookies
Buy some dough and smash it and cut them out. Then put them in the oven for 2 hours at 100 degrees. Then take them out and dry them off. Then it's time to eat them.

Irene - Turkey
Put it on a plate and put it in the oven with gravy. You cook it for 1 minute and for 100 degrees. Then it's all cooked. Your mom or dad cuts it and then eat.

Moriah - Turkey
First you cut the bones out. Then you put it in the oven for 10 hours at 600 degrees. Then you put it on the table and eat it.

Vincent - Turkey
You cut and put sauce on it. Then you cook it for 18 minutes at 19 degrees. Then you eat it with stuffing.

Jordyn - Turkey
First you have to cut it up and put it on a plate in the oven for 9 minutes and 18 degrees. Then you dig it out of the oven and eat it.

Grace - Turkey
First you add some salt. Then you put it in a bowl. Then you put brown sugar on it. Then you mix it all together with a spoon and then you add some milk and mix it again. And then you put it in a pan. Then you put it in the oven for 15 minutes and 16 degrees. Then you take it out of the oven and then you eat it.

Alan - Turkey
First you shoot it and then you cut it. And then you put it in the oven and cook it for 10 minutes and 20 degrees. You put it on plates and then you eat it.

Jordan Salvatore- Turkey
First you put it in the oven for 15 minutes at 100 degrees. Then you cut it up and then you eat it.

Jordan Simons - Chocolate Pudding
Buy some chocolate pudding mix. Then you add the milk. Then you add the pudding mix. Then you stir it. Then you put it in the refrigerator and wait for it to get hard. Then you eat it.

Whitney - Turkey
Cut it and put it in the oven for 50 minutes at 60 degrees and then you eat it.

Jason - Chicken Pie
Put the chicken in the pot and put the salad and cheese and mustard and then you mix it all together. Then put chicken sauce and stir it all around again. Then you cook it for 5 minutes at 9 degrees. Then you eat it.

Christopher - Pumpkin Pie
First you buy a pumpkin and smash it. Then it is all done. And you cook it in the oven for 12 minutes and 4 degrees. Then you eat it.

Christine - Turkey
First you buy the turkey. Then you cook it for 5 hours and 5 degrees. Then you cut it up and you eat it.

Ashley - Chicken
Put it in the oven. Then cut it up. Then I eat it.

Jennie - Corn
My mom buys it. Then you throw it. Then you cook it. Then you eat it.

Jordan - Cranberry Pie
Put cranberry juice in it. Then you put berries in it. Then you put dough in it. Then you bake it. Then you eat it.

Adam - Pumpkin Pie
First you put pumpkin seeds in it. Put it in a pan and bake it at 5 degrees for 6 minutes. Then take it out and eat it.

Jarryd - Deer Jerky
Put it in the oven overnight at 20 degrees. Then you go hunting and bring it with you. Then you eat it.

Christina - Turkey
Get the turkey. Put it in the oven. Cook it for 43 minutes at 35 degrees. Put it on a plate, cut it up, then eat it.

Joplyn - Apple Pie
Take some apples, mash them up. Take some bread and make a pie with it. Get some dough and squish it. Shape the dough into a pie shape. Put the apples in it. Then bake it at 9 degrees for 15 minutes.

Isabelle - Spaghetti
Put those red things in it. Then put the spaghetti in it. Then cook it in the oven for 2 minutes at 8 degrees.

Bailey - Chicken
Put pepper and spices on it. Cook for one hour at 60 degrees. Then eat it.

Nicholas - White and Brown Pudding
First you read the wrapper. Get a piece of water. Stir. Then you eat it.

Sean - Turkey
Put it in the oven for 5 minutes at 55 degrees. Take it out and eat it.

Lauren - Turkey
First you find a turkey and kill it. Cut it open. Put it in a pan. Pour milk in the pan. Put a little chicken with it. Put salsa on it. Take out of pan. Put it on the board. Cut into little pieces. Put on a rack. Put in the oven for 7 minutes at 10 degrees. Take out of the oven and put eensy weensy bit of sugar on it. Put a little more salsa on it. Then you eat it.

Olivia - Corn
Get hot water and put on stove. Wait for 8 minutes. Put corn in. Then put it on a plate. Then eat.

Siera - Pumpkin Pie
Get some pumpkin and dough for the crust. Get pumpkin pie cinnamon. Cook it for 20 minutes at 10 degrees.

Kayla - Turkey
Buy it. Take it home. Then you cook it. Put it in the oven for 1 hour. Take it out of the oven. Put it on a plate. Then you eat it.

Tommy - Pumpkin
Cook the pumpkin. Then get ready to eat the pumpkin

Wai - Pumpkin Pie
Get a pumpkin. Cook it. Eat it.

The Story of Daleth (Psalm 119)

2010-11-18T07:10:00.001-08:00

I'm in the process of reading Psalm 119 in my morning bible study time, and loving it! In the past I've kind of avoided Psalm 119, because it's such a very long chapter. The overall theme is the importance and power of God's word, laws and precepts. I didn't realize the entire psalm is an acrostic, with each section beginning with a letter in the Hebrew alphabet.

This morning I read verses 25-32, and I realized this passage reads like a story! (Okay, yeah, I write novels, so maybe everything reads like a story to me.) We follow a character on a journey. We can call our character Daleth, which is actually a letter in the Hebrew alphabet; or maybe we can call our character Ginny, or (substitute YOUR name).

Daleth's story begins in verse 25: "I am laid low in the dust; preserve my life according to your word." Obviously, Daleth is in a bad place. He's set out on this journey and he realizes the task is completely beyond his capabilities. He needs help, and he calls on the Lord to help him.

In verse 26 and 27 he receives the help he asked for. He starts studying the map for his journey, but some things aren't very clear. "I recounted my ways and you answered me; teach me your decrees. Let me understand the teaching of your precepts..."

Just as often happens on the journeys of my life, Daleth's journey doesn't immediately get easier. The road is still rough. The roadmap he's been given seems overwhelming and hard to follow. He wants to, but it's hard! "My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word. Keep me from deceitful ways; be gracious to me through your law." (verses 28-28).

Finally in verses 30 and 31 Daleth makes a decision. He chooses to follow the map no matter what. "I have chosen the way of truth; I have set my heart on your laws. I hold fast to your statutes, O Lord."

So now our hero, Daleth, is on the road. He has memorized the map. He has crossed some rough parts in the road and received strength from the Maker of the map. He has made a decision that nothing will stop him - he has chosen to follow the map no matter what. And what happens? He finally gets over the rough part of the road and finds the smooth path. "I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free." (verse 32). Can't you just see Daleth, running down a beautifully smooth path laid through the middle of a beautiful green pasture, beside a refreshing lake of cool water, the sun shining in the sky overhead? He's free! And he's running toward the treasure at the end of the road.

And Daleth (and Ginny, and YOU) lived happily ever after. The end.

Who was that masked man???

2010-11-16T00:05:00.000-08:00

For my message on the Name of Jesus last week, I closed with an illustration I found online while researching names. As far as I can tell, it's a true story.

Jean Frederick Oberlin was a minister in 18th century Germany. One day while he was traveling by foot in winter, he was caught in a snowstorm. The wind blew and whirled, and he lost his way. At one point it looked very likely he would not survive, but would freeze to death there on the side of the road.

When things looked the worst, a man came along in a wagon and rescued Oberlin. He took him to the next village, found an inn, and made sure he was warm, dry, and fed. He wouldn't let Oberlin pay him back.

When the man got ready to leave, Oberlin said, "If you won't let me pay you back, at least tell me your name so that I can thank God for you in my prayers."

The man, who by now had recognized Oberlin, replied, "You are a minister. What wasthe name of the Good Samaritan?"

Oberlin said, "Well, I don't know. The Bible doesn't tell us his name."

The man smiled and said, "Then please permit me to withhold my name as well."

Today, my friend, I pray you’ll find opportunities not to honor your own name, but to honor the name of Jesus.

Does your kid know his name?

2010-11-14T19:47:00.000-08:00

Last week I spoke in church about the Name of Jesus. Of course I looked for a fun illustration to break the ice at the beginning of the message. I found this one online, and it was perfect!

At the end of the 1960s, many California hippies settled in Santa Cruz. They got married and had children, not necessarily in that order. Of course, their kids' names weren't Melissa or Bob. Instead, they named their children Time Warp or Spring Fever. And eventually Moonbeam, Earth, Love and Precious Promise all ended up in public school.

That's when a kindergarten teacher first met Fruit Stand. Every fall, the school asked parents to put a name tag on their kids on the first day of school. Fruit Stand's mom did that. The teacher thought the boy's name was odd, but she'd seen lots of odd names. She would ask, "Would you like to play with the blocks, Fruit Stand?" or "Fruit Stand, how about a snack?" He didn't say much, but would quietly accept whatever instruction was being offered. That didn't seem very odd. Lots of kids are shy on the first day of school. By the end of the day, his name didn't seem much odder than Heather's or Sun Ray's.

At dismissal time, the teachers led the children out to the buses. His teacher asked, "Fruit Stand, do you know which bus stop is yours?" He didn't answer. But that wasn't a problem, because the teachers had instructed the parents to write the names of their children's bus stops on the reverse side of their name tags. The teacher simply turned over the tag. There, neatly printed, was the word "Anthony."

Representing the Name

2010-11-09T00:05:00.000-08:00

When I was a kid, we lived in Frankfort, Kentucky, which even though it's the state capitol, is a pretty small town. My grandfather was an FBI agent, and in a political environment, that's a pretty big deal. He and my grandmother were prominent in Frankfort's society. They belonged to the country club, and went to parties at the governor's mansion. The name Tackett was well-known in town.

From a very early age, it was impressed upon my sister and me that we must always be on our best behavior, because whatever we did reflected upon my grandparents. When we went out in public we dressed like we were going to Sunday school, because you might run into someone important and you had to make a good impression. In restaurants we had to use our best manners, because it wouldn’t do to have the Tackett grandchildren acting like heathens. When we went to country club events, we must never fight with the other children, because a Tackett shows grace in every social situation. In other words, we represented the Tackett name. If we behaved, we honored our grandfather. And if we didn’t, we brought dishonor to his name and his reputation. So we learned what it means to represent the name of another.

As a Christian, I represent the Name of another – the Name of Jesus. This is a very serious responsibility that impacts every aspect of my life, public and private. Every action, every word, every thought reflects on him because I bear his Name.

I can’t forget my mother’s definition of a name: “A person’s name is so much more than the label they answer to. A name represents their very nature. Their name is who they are.”

My goal, then, is to live in such a way that my life clearly represents His Name – the Name of Jesus.

WHATEVER I ask? Really, Lord?

2010-11-06T00:01:00.000-07:00

I came across a scripture passage not long ago that made me stop and think. John 14:8-14 is a familiar passage. It's the one where Philip tells Jesus, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us." I can almost see Jesus shaking his head when he replies, "Don’t you know me, even after I’ve been with you for such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father." He expounds on that for a few sentences, then says something extraordinary. "And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it."

The first time I can remember hearing a message about that scripture was back when I was 17 years old. A preacher told us that we could ask for anything in the name of Jesus, and God would give it to us. He told lots of stories about people who had claimed things in the name of Jesus and received them – money to pay a large bill. A new winter coat. A car when theirs had broken down beyond repair. Being 17, my ears perked up at the mention of a car. At that time I drove a 1966 VW Beetle that had been driven off a cliff by the teenage boy who owned it prior to me. Because so many body parts had been replaced, it was three different colors, and the mangled hood was held down by a twisted coat hanger.

I walked away from that sermon thinking, “God loves me, and he wants me to have whatever I want, so all I have to do is pick out a car and ask for it in Jesus’ name.” So that week I went down to the car dealer and picked out a brand new shiny blue car. Oh, it was so beautiful. It was a Dodge Spirit – a Spirit! How more appropriate could that be? Surely God would give me a car called a Spirit. So I laid my hand on the hood, and said, “Lord, I want this car. I want it bad. I’m asking for it in the Name of Jesus.” I believed I was going to get that car. I had faith. And every time I went by that car dealer, I spoke positive words – “That’s my car. God is going to give me that car because I claimed it in the Name of Jesus.”

Guess what? I didn’t get that car. Now, Jesus himself promised me that the Father would give me whatever I asked for in His Name. Why didn’t he give me that car?

My mom said something in a sermon not long ago that made everything clear to me. She said, “A person’s name is so much more than the label they answer to. A name represents their very nature. Their name is who they are.”

The Name of Jesus isn’t to be used like magical words, “Abra Cadabra. Presto!” Instead, God intends that we become like Jesus. We’re to reflect his nature, his character. To bear the Name of Jesus means his nature is displayed in every act, every word, every thought.

When we do that, then we don’t ask for things to satisfy our selfish desires. The things we ask for are the very things Jesus himself asks for. When our lives take on the nature and character of Jesus, we will receive whatever we ask for in that holy Name.

Book Review - The Perfect Blend

2010-11-04T18:14:00.000-07:00

Today I'm participating in the blog tour for a terrific book, written by a friend. I loved The Perfect Blend by Trish Perry. The heroine, Steph, has been jilted by her fiance and winds up in a charming small town inhabited by a delightful cast of likable characters. Reeling from being dumped by her fiance's secretary -- he didn't even dump her in person! -- she seeks solace in a local tea shop. Just when she's starting to feel better, in walks Mr. Distraction himself, a gorgeous blonde guy named Kendall. How can you resist a guy who, when he sees you at your worst, messes up his own hair to put you at ease? The Perfect Blend is a thoroughly enjoyable romance novel full of charm and written with the skill of someone who knows how to spin a good tale.

Here's the blog tour stuff:

Trish Perry

and the book:

The Perfect Blend

Harvest House Publishers (September 1, 2010)

***Special thanks to Karri James of Harvest House Publishers for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Trish Perry is an award-winning writer and editor of Ink and the Spirit, a quarterly newsletter of the Capital Christian Writers organization in the Washington DC area. She has published numerous short stories, essays, devotionals, and poetry in Christian and general market media, and she is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers group.

Visit the author's website.

Product Details:

List Price: $9.99
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers (September 1, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0736930159
ISBN-13: 978-0736930154

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

Steph Vandergrift was jilted in a truly beautiful place.

She focused on her surroundings so she wouldn’t break down and openly sob in front of people passing her on their way to work. Eyes blinking and chin quivering, she desperately sought distraction in the old stone buildings, lush spring greenery, and fragrant wisteria and lavender from the well-tended landscape nearby.

Rick told her she would love Middleburg, one of the most charming little towns in northern Virginia. When he proposed—

She breathed deeply against the urge to wail as if she were at an ancient European funeral.

When Rick proposed, he said she would even love his law firm’s stately, historic building. This was where she sat now, her dark bangs in her eyes. Despite the warm spring air, she huddled outside on the front steps, certain her brain—or surely her heart—would burst if she didn’t stop and collect herself.

A sudden leave of absence. That’s what the receptionist told her. Rick had taken a sudden leave of absence. And Steph knew she was whom he had suddenly left.

She swallowed hard. She stood and dusted off her short flared skirt in an attempt to look nonchalant while she sized up her situation. Where was she going to go? Where? She wiped away a tear, but another one swiftly took its place. She needed to not do this here, in the middle of this quaint old town.

God, what do I do now? Please tell me.

Distraction. She needed another distraction right now.

Across the street a middle-aged woman stepped out the front door of a small building, the white-painted stone of which was gorgeously weathered. She bent to lift a watering can, and her loose blond curls fell forward. She tended to the flower boxes that hung, moss-laden, from green-shuttered front windows. Then she seemed to sense someone watching her. She turned around and smiled at Steph before calling out to her.

“Good morning, dear. Are you all right over there?”

Steph took a few steps away from Rick’s building and tried to look purposeful. She managed to say, “Yes, I—” before her throat seized and then released a torrent of weeping and incoherent babbling.

So much for her stoic resolve.

Within seconds the woman was across the street and at Steph’s side. She smelled like vanilla and strawberries.

“You poor girl. Whatever is the matter?”

Steph tried to speak between heaving sobs. “…were s’posed to elope…left everything…job, family, friends…he’s not here…leave of absence…what…gonna do?” And then full-on wailing obliterated any further at-tempts at communication.

The woman enveloped Steph with her free arm, the other still holding the watering can, and steered her toward the little stone house across the street.

“You just come with me this instant. You mustn’t stand out here all alone like this.”

Yes. That was it. She was all alone. Rick had lured her away from everyone she loved. Everything she knew. She had left them all to marry him. It seemed like such a romantic notion, to elope after her parents had expressed their disapproval of Rick. And then what did the dirtbag do but desert her here?

The enticing smell of fresh-baked bread wafted all around them when they entered the little shop. Despite her anguish Steph sensed a rumble in her stomach. She thought she must be more beast than damsel to actually harbor hope for a pastry or two in the middle of this catastrophe.

“You have a seat right there.” The woman coaxed her into a wicker chair at one of the lace-covered tables in the dining area. “What you need is a nice, soothing cup of chamomile. Just give me a moment.” Before she went too far away, she stepped back to the table and placed a box of tissues within Steph’s reach.

Once Steph was alone again, reality descended. What was she going to do? Granted, she hadn’t walked out on a stellar career. She could get another job selling men’s suits in just about any department store, she supposed. But she didn’t know anyone here in Middleburg. Should she hang her head and drag herself back home to Baltimore? Why had she made such a scene before leaving? She hadn’t quietly sneaked away. No, she had to pull an all-out, in-your-face confrontation with her parents. A dramatic disconnect with her friends and roommates. And all of them had simply been trying to save her from exactly what just happened.

As she had always feared, her judgment was completely whacked. She had forgotten plans for any long-term career once she and Rick became serious. She thought she would spend the rest of her life married to an up-and-coming real estate attorney and raise their two perfect children and faithful dog in this adorable, classy town. Why had she believed that would happen simply because Rick said it would?

“Here we go, dear.”

It finally dawned on Steph that the woman had a faint accent. British? That would fit with this cute little shop, with its delicately flowered wall-paper and elegant china cabinets. The small, framed paintings hanging here and there looked like scenes of the British countryside.

The woman set a serving tray on the table and placed each item in front of Steph. A white porcelain china pot, painted with miniature violets, from which she poured tea into a delicate rose-covered cup and saucer. A plate with a couple of triangular biscuits on it. They smelled like butter and sweetness. And two dainty bowls: one holding strawberry preserves, and the other holding what looked like sour cream.

Steph realized she was able to stop crying as long as she stopped focusing on herself for a moment. She looked up and pressed a tissue against her nose. “Thank you so much. You didn’t have to—”

“No need for that. Go on, now.” The woman gestured at the food and tea and sat down across from Steph. Her gentle blue eyes reminded Steph of her mother during better times. “You’ll feel better if you have a bit to eat and some nice, relaxing tea.”

As soon as Steph lifted one of the biscuits, the woman said, “I’m Millicent Ashford Jewell. Everyone calls me Milly.”

“Steph.” She spoke around an absolutely delicious bite. She rubbed crumbs from her fingers and shook Milly’s hand. “Steph Vandergrift. Thank you for being so kind.”

Milly smiled and put a spoon of the cream on Steph’s plate for her. “Clotted cream. One of God’s great gifts, in my opinion. Marvelous on the scones.”

Clotted cream. Now that sounded downright nasty. But Steph was a self-admitted people pleaser, and she had never been one to ignore God’s great gifts. So she put a little of the cream on her next bite of scone. And then nearly moaned, it was so fantastic.

“But that’s just really thick whipped cream!”

Milly said, “I think you like it, right?”

“I love it.”

Milly stood. “I have a few matters to tend to in the kitchen. Feel free to walk back and get me if you need me. We don’t stand on ceremony around here.”

The shop door opened as Steph swallowed a sip of tea. She followed Milly’s delighted gaze toward the door and took another nibble of scone. Mmm. “Absolutely yummy.”

A crooked smile spread across the face of the young man who walked through the door. He looked directly at Steph and acted as if her comment were all about him. With a lift of his eyebrows and a tilt of the head, he said, “Well, thank you very much.”

Milly laughed and approached him. They hugged each other.

“Welcome back, stranger,” Milly said. “How was vacation?”

Steph didn’t pay much attention to their conversation after that. The man seemed to be in a hurry, which was fine by her. Otherwise she feared Milly might want to introduce them. She’d rather a man that attractive not look at her too closely right now.

Steph watched his warm brown eyes, which never seemed to lose their smile. She noticed he never once messed with his short, tousled blond hair or fussed with anything else about his looks. Yet, when he walked with Milly toward the kitchen, Steph saw how perfectly, yet casually, he was dressed and groomed.

Her heart was broken, thanks to Rick’s wimpy, childish retreat from her life. But Milly’s chamomile tea and warm scones made her feel a little better. And despite her circumstances and the many question marks in her immediate future, she was still able to appreciate a good-looking man. She leaned sideways to watch him at the kitchen door until he disappeared from view. He and Milly were out of earshot, so Steph surprised only herself when she whispered it again.

“Absolutely yummy.”

Praying Psalm 103 - A Practical Example

2010-10-23T05:53:00.000-07:00

Since beginning my exercise of praying the psalms, I've received several emails from people who ask, "How do you pray the psalms? When I read a psalm, I just read it. How do I turn that into a prayer?" Today I read Psalm 103, and it's such a perfect example of how to pray the psalms, I've decided to outline what I do every morning.

I seat myself in my prayer chair, which is a comfy chair in my living room, and open my Bible to the place I left off last time. Then I ask God to teach me from his Word today. And then I begin having a conversation with the Lord as I read.

Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. (v1)

Lord, you know I love you, but I don't think I praise you with all my inmost being. You deserve so much more than I'm capable of giving! Today please teach me how to praise you fully and completely, holding nothing back. Because your love is like air to me; it's what keeps me going. Your unending mercy gives me hope for each day.

Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits - (v2)

Awesome Father, you have blessed me so far beyond what I deserve! As I go through today, open my eyes to see the benefits that are mine because you love me, the ones I take for granted most of the time.

who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, (v3)

Lord, there are so many people who need to know that you've forgiven their sins. Today please reach out to XXX, who needs to know your awesome forgiveness. And Lord, there are so many people I want to lift to you who need your healing touch -- XXX, who started chemo yesterday, and XXX who has the flu, and my dear friend XXX who is so weary from fighting the terrible disease that has been plaguing her. Please, please, Lord, heal these diseases. Show each of these people how to receive from you, whether it be through doctors, or medication, or directly from your powerful touch.

who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, (v4)

Lord, there are so many people who need to know you as Redeemer! Sometimes I feel like I'm on the edge of a pit with XXX XXXX XXXX (a specific situation), and the enemy of my soul is chipping away at the dirt beneath my feet, and it's starting to crumble. Thank you for redeeming me, for setting my feet on solid ground, for wrapping me in the warm blanket of your love, and for showing me compassion.

who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. (v5)

Ah, Lord, I'm so tired from watching my grandson this week! There's a reason we have babies in our youth, isn't there? Please give me the strength of youth to care for this precious little one, and to still get everything done I need to do. And please also give XXX strength today, because she's so exhausted from fighting this terrible sickness. And please let my desires be pleasing to you. Thank you for the good things you bless me with.

See how that works? Some psalms are a little more difficult, but the Lord always points out at least a verse or two that seem to come alive in some situation in my life or the lives of those I love. When I finish praying a psalm, I feel like the Word of God has come alive for me (it IS the living Word!) and taken root in my life. If I do this first thing in the morning, my entire day seems to go better!

I'm sure this isn't the only way to pray the psalms, but it works for me. Give it a try!

October 23rd Book Signing

2010-10-20T16:04:00.001-07:00

I'm looking forward to a book signing on Saturday, October 23, at the Barnes & Noble in West Jordan, Utah. I dropped by the store today to touch base with the manager and make sure everything is a "go" for Saturday. What a pleasant surprise to find posters and signs all over the store, promoting the event!

If you're in the area, I hope you'll stop by. At 1:00 I'll talk for a few minutes about my three new 2010 books (yes, three this year!), and maybe do a short reading. I'll do a drawing, too, and give away some prizes! Then I'll sign until around 3:00. Here are the details:

A Message from 2 Chronicles

2010-10-18T13:56:00.000-07:00

Are you facing a challenge? Does the battle ahead seem too big to handle? Take a moment to watch a brief message from one of my favorite pastors - my mom, Amy Barkman.

Book Review - Lady in Waiting

2010-10-14T14:28:00.000-07:00

When I find a really good book, I love telling others about it. Susan Meissner's new book, Lady in Waiting, is one of those books I can't wait to talk about! It's going on my list of all-time favorites. The writing is seamlessly beautiful, the story is a page-turner, and it stays with you long after you reach the end. As she's done in the past, Susan Meissner combines a modern-day story with a fascinating historical story. In this case, the contemporary story follows a woman whose marriage is falling apart, and she touched my heart immediately. Her story is seamlessly intwined with that of a seamstress named Lucy and Lady Jane Grey, the 7-day queen of England. This book received a starred review from Publisher's Weekly, and I couldn't agree with that review more! I recommend this book (and Meissner's other books) to anyone who likes great fiction.

I got a copy of this book as part of the FIRST Wild Card blog tour group, so here's the tour stuff and a sample chapter:

Today's Wild Card author is:

Susan Meissner

and the book:

Lady In Waiting

WaterBrook Press; Original edition (September 7, 2010)

***Special thanks to Cindy Brovsky of WaterBrook Press, a division of Random House, Inc., for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Susan Meissner has spent her lifetime as a writer, starting with her first poem at the age of four. She is the award-winning author of The Shape of Mercy, White Picket Fences, and many other novels. When she’s not writing, she directs the small groups and connection ministries at her San Diego church. She and her pastor husband are the parents of four young adults.

Visit the author's website.

Product Details:

List Price: $13.99
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: WaterBrook Press; Original edition (September 7, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0307458830
ISBN-13: 978-0307458834

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

Jane

Upper West Side, Manhattan

ONE

The mantle clock was exquisite even though its hands rested in silence at twenty minutes past two.

Carved—near as I could tell—from a single piece of mahogany, its glimmering patina looked warm to the touch. Rosebuds etched into the swirls of wood grain flanked the sides like two bronzed bridal bouquets. The clock’s top was rounded and smooth like the draped head of a Madonna. I ran my palm across the polished surface and it was like touching warm water.

Legend was this clock originally belonged to the young wife of a Southampton doctor and that it stopped keeping time in 1912, the very moment the Titanic sank and its owner became a widow. The grieving woman’s only consolation was the clock’s apparent prescience of her husband’s horrible fate and its kinship with the pain that left her inert in sorrow. She never remarried and she never had the clock fixed.

I bought it sight unseen for my great aunt’s antique store, like so many of the items I’d found for the display cases. In the year and half I’d been in charge of the inventory, the best pieces had come from the obscure estate sales that my British friend Emma Downing came upon while tooling around the southeast of England looking for oddities for her costume shop. She found the clock at an estate sale in Felixstowe and the auctioneer, so she told me, had been unimpressed with the clock’s sad history. Emma said he’d read the accompanying note about the clock as if reading the rules for rugby.

My mother watched now as I positioned the clock on the lacquered black mantle that rose above a marble fireplace. She held a lead crystal vase of silk daffodils in her hands.

“It should be ticking.” She frowned. “People will wonder why it’s not ticking.” She set the vase down on the hearth and stepped back. Her heels made a clicking sound on the parquet floor beneath our feet. “You know, you probably would’ve sold it by now if it was working. Did Wilson even look at it? You told me he could fix anything.”

I flicked a wisp of fuzz off the clock’s face. I hadn’t asked the shop’s resident and unofficial repairman to fix it. “It wouldn’t be the same clock if it was fixed.”

“It would be a clock that did what it was supposed to do.” My mother leaned in and straightened one of the daffodil blooms.

“This isn’t just any clock, Mom.” I took a step back too.

My mother folded her arms across the front of her Ann Taylor suit. Pale blue, the color of baby blankets and robins’ eggs. Her signature color. “Look, I get all that about the Titanic and the young widow, but you can’t prove any of it, Jane,” she said. “You could never sell it on that story.”

A flicker of sadness wobbled inside me at the thought of parting with the clock. This happens when you work in retail. Sometimes you have a hard time selling what you bought to sell.

“I’m thinking maybe I’ll keep it.”

“You don’t make a profit by hanging onto the inventory.” My mother whispered this, but I heard her. She intended for me to hear her. This was her way of saying what she wanted to about her aunt’s shop—which she’d inherit when Great Aunt Thea passed—without coming across as interfering.

My mother thinks she tries very hard not to interfere. But it is one of her talents. Interfering when she thinks she’s not. It drives my younger sister Leslie nuts.

“Do you want me to take it back to the store?” I asked.

“No! It’s perfect for this place. I just wish it were ticking.” She nearly pouted.

I reached for the box at my feet that I brought the clock in along with a set of Shakespeare’s works, a pair of pewter candlesticks, and a Wedgwood vase. “You could always get a CD of sound effects and run a loop of a ticking clock,” I joked.

She turned to me, childlike determination in her eyes. “I wonder how hard it would be to find a CD like that!”

“I was kidding, Mom! Look what you have to work with.” I pointed to the simulated stereo system she’d placed into a polished entertainment center behind us. My mother never used real electronics in the houses she staged, although with the clientele she usually worked with—affluent real estate brokers and equally well-off buyers and sellers—she certainly could.

“So I’ll bring in a portable player and hide it in the hearth pillows.” She shrugged and then turned to the adjoining dining room. A gleaming black dining table had been set with white bone china, pale yellow linen napkins, and mounds of fake chicken salad, mauvey rubber grapes, and plastic croissants and petit fours. An arrangement of pussy willows graced the center of the table. “Do you think the pussy willows are too rustic?” she asked.

She wanted me to say yes so I did.

“I think so, too,” she said. “I think we should swap these out for that vase of Gerbera daisies you have on that escritoire in the shop’s front window. I don’t know what I was thinking when I brought these.” She reached for the unlucky pussy willows. “We can put these on the entry table with our business cards.”

She turned to me. “You did bring yours this time, didn’t you? It’s silly for you to go to all this work and then not get any customers out of it.” My mother made her way to the entryway with the pussy willows in her hands and intention in her step. I followed her.

This was only the second house I’d helped her stage, and I didn’t bring business cards the first time because she hadn’t invited me to until we were about to leave. She’d promptly told me then to never go anywhere without business cards. Not even to the ladies room. She’d said it and then waited, like she expected me to take out my BlackBerry and make a note of it.

“I have them right here.” I reached into the front pocket of my capris and pulled out a handful of glossy business cards emblazoned with Amsterdam Avenue Antiques and its logo—three As entwined like a Celtic eternity knot. I handed them to her and she placed them in a silver dish next to her own. Sophia Keller Interior Design and Home Staging. The pussy willows actually looked wonderful against the tall jute-colored wall.

“There. That looks better!” she exclaimed as if reading my thoughts. She turned to survey the main floor of the townhouse. The owners had relocated to the Hamptons and were selling off their Manhattan properties to fund a cushy retirement. Half the décor—the books, the vases, the prints—were on loan from Aunt Thea’s shop. My mother, who’d been staging real estate for two years, brought me in a few months earlier when she discovered a stately home filled with charming and authentic antiques sold faster than the same home filled with reproductions.

“You and Brad should get out of that teensy apartment on the West Side and buy this place. The owners are practically giving it away.”

Her tone suggested she didn’t expect me to respond. I easily let the comment evaporate into the sunbeams caressing us. It was a comment for which I had had no response.

My mother’s gaze swept across the two large rooms she’d furnished and she frowned when her eyes reached the mantle and the silent clock.

“Well, I’ll just have to come back later today,” she spoke into the silence. “It’s being shown first thing in the morning.” She swung back around. “Come on. I’ll take you back.”

We stepped out into the April sunshine and to her Lexus parked across the street along a line of townhouses just like the one we’d left. As we began to drive away, the stillness in the car thickened, and I fished my cell phone out of my purse to see if I’d missed any calls while we were finishing the house. On the drive over I had a purposeful conversation with Emma about a box of old books she found at a jumble sale in Oxfordshire. That lengthy conversation filled the entire commute from the store on the seven-hundred block of Amsterdam to the townhouse on East Ninth, and I found myself wishing I could somehow repeat that providential circumstance. My mother would ask about Brad if the silence continued. There was no missed call, and I started to probe my brain for something to talk about. I suddenly remembered I hadn’t told my mother I’d found a new assistant. I opened my mouth to tell her about Stacy but I was too late.

“So what do you hear from Brad?” she asked cheerfully.

“He’s doing fine.” The answer flew out of my mouth as if I’d rehearsed it. She looked away from the traffic ahead, blinked at me, and then turned her attention back to the road. A taxi pulled in front of her, and she laid on the horn, pronouncing a curse on all taxi drivers.

“Idiot.” She turned to me. “How much longer do you think he will stay in New Hampshire?” Her brow was creased. “You aren’t going to try to keep two households going forever, are you?”

I exhaled heavily. “It’s a really good job, Mom. And he likes the change of pace and the new responsibilities. It’s only been two months.”

“Yes, but the inconvenience has to be wearing on you both. It must be quite a hassle maintaining two residences, not to mention the expense, and then all that time away from each other.” She paused but only for a moment. “I just don’t see why he couldn’t have found something similar right here in New York. I mean, don’t all big hospitals have the same jobs in radiology? That’s what your father told me. And he should know.”

“Just because there are similar jobs doesn’t mean there are similar vacancies, Mom.”

She tapped the steering wheel. “Yes, but your father said . . .”

“I know Dad thinks he might’ve been able to help Brad find something on Long Island but Brad wanted this job. And no offense, Mom, but the head of environmental services doesn’t hire radiologists.”

She bristled. I shouldn’t have said it. She would repeat that comment to my dad, not to hurt him but to vent her frustration at not having been able to convince me she was right and I was wrong. But it would hurt him anyway.

“I’m sorry, Mom,” I added. “Don’t tell him I said that, okay? I just really don’t want to rehash this again.”

But she wasn’t done. “Your father has been at that hospital for twenty-seven years. He knows a lot of people.” She emphasized the last four words with a pointed stare in my direction.

“I know he does. That’s really not what I meant. It’s just Brad has always wanted this kind of job. He’s working with cancer patients. This really matters to him.”

“But the job’s in New Hampshire!”

“Well, Connor is in New Hampshire!” It sounded irrelevant even to me to mention the current location of Brad’s and my college-age son. Connor had nothing to do with any of this. And he was an hour away from where Brad was anyway.

“And you are here,” my mother said evenly. “If Brad wanted out of the city, there are plenty of quieter hospitals right around here. And plenty of sick people for that matter.”

There was an undercurrent in her tone, subtle and yet obvious, that assured me we really weren’t talking about sick people and hospitals and the miles between Manhattan and Manchester. It was as if she’d guessed what I’d tried to keep from my parents the last eight weeks.

My husband didn’t want out of the city.

He just wanted out.

Lions and Tigers and Bears - O My!

2010-10-04T17:00:00.000-07:00

Okay, the lions and tigers are an exaggeration. But the bears and the "o my" are true.

During my weekend retreat in the Smoky Mountains, my friend took me hiking. I confess was a bit out of my element. I don’t consider myself a novice when it comes to physical activity, because I do work out at the gym regularly and I enjoy some pretty active hobbies like snow skiing and scuba diving. But my hiking is pretty much limited to easy nature walks and evening strolls through the neighborhood. Lynn, on the other hand, is a maniac hiker. The first day out she geared up for our outing, checked her pack to make sure we had all the emergency equipment we might need, and strapped a big jingle bell onto her belt. I made her promise to take me on an easy hike. I discovered something about Lynn this weekend – her definition of “easy” is light years away from mine.

Our first hike turned out to be four miles of steep, uneven terrain in the Great Smoky Mountain National Forest, because she wanted me to experience the beauty. Was it beautiful? Absolutely. But remember that steep road leading up to her cabin I mentioned in my last Journal entry, the one that freaked me out when we arrived? The trail we hiked made that road look as flat as a wheat field in Kansas. Not only that, but the soft moist dirt of the trail was covered with bear tracks. Yes. You read that correctly.

Lynn proceeded to educate me on the area. She informed me that the bear population has quadrupled in the past ten years, and bear sightings and maulings have risen dramatically as a result. She explained that’s why she wore the annoying bell, so we would make enough noise to alert the bears to our presence. Privately I questioned the wisdom of that, and whispered a prayer under my breath that the bears wouldn’t mistake the sound for a lunch bell. It’s kind of hard to enjoy the beauty of nature when you’re squinting through the trees looking for bears.

But we made it without becoming lunch for bears. My legs and feet hurt worse than I ever imagined they could, and I was hobbling when we got back to the cabin, but at least I slept really, really well that night.

The second day I got a lot of writing done, so we didn’t get started on our hike until close to 4:00. I was secretly hoping Lynn would give up the idea of another hike, but she was so eager to show off her mountains I couldn’t say no to her. I did tell her flat-out., “NO STEEP TRAILS!” She laughed and promised to go easy on me.

She kept her promise. We did another four miles, but this trail was perfect. Wide and mostly flat, with a few gentle rises that got my heart pumping and gave my lungs a workout, but nothing strenuous enough to make me think I would never see home again. Except…

When Lynn strapped on her jingle bell, she said almost matter-of-factly, “The only thing is, we’re getting a late start. Bears usually come out between four and six to feed. But I’m sure we’ll be okay.”

The trail was gorgeous. It ran alongside a mountain stream that gurgled and splashed over moss-covered rocks, and sent up little droplets of spray that sparkled like diamonds in the sunbeams. It’s a little hard to listen for bear movements over the sound of the stream and the jingle of Lynn’s bell and the noise of our feet crunching the fallen leaves on the trail. I concentrated on talking as loudly as I could and making as much noise as possible so the bears knew exactly where we were.

We hiked two miles up, then turned and headed back down to the trailhead without spotting any bear tracks or seeing anything alarming. I even forgot my bear watch, because we were so involved in our conversation about God’s Word and guardian angels and protection. That’s when we heard it.

Have you ever watched a nature program on television about bears? If so, you’ve seen a bear rise up on its hind legs and make an unmistakable noise. It’s not a roar, or even a growl. It’s more like a moo. Not like a cow moos. It’s deeper and more rumbly and far more alarming. It sounds like moooooooaaahhh.

Lynn and I skidded to a halt on the trail. Her eyes were as round as the tires on an eighteen wheeler as she asked, “Did you hear that?” My throat had slammed shut in complete terror, but I managed to squeak out, “Yes. What was it?” She said, “That was a BEAR!” There was one moment where we paused. And then we sprang into action. We did what you’re not supposed to do – we ran. The sound of the bell on Lynn’s belt couldn’t be heard over our piercing screams that echoed through the forest all around us.

Needless to say, I survived to write this account. We made it back to the car, and back to the cabin, and we spent the evening talking about our encounter with the mooing bear until we’d gotten enough distance that we were able to laugh about it. Shaky laughs, not more than a few tentative chuckles, really, but that’s better than screaming.

Now that I’ve returned to civilization (ahh! God bless the Internet!), I’m actually looking forward to a return trip to the cabin. Even struggling to climb steep mountains and looking over my shoulder for bears was exhilarating when surrounded on all sides by evidence of God’s creativity. But next time I’m going to wear my own jingle bell, and my finger will be cocked and ready on the button of a can of bear mace.

Smoky Mountain Majesty

2010-10-03T17:20:00.000-07:00

I just returned from a long weekend in the Smoky Mountains, and ahhhhh! What a rejuvenating few days! The cabin where I stayed with my friend Lynn clings to the side of a mountain at the top of a curvy, steep, one-lane road that sent apprehensive chills up my spine the first time I saw it. Lynn zooms up the road without a qualm, because she’s done it so often. A dense forest crowds the cabin on all sides, so close that you can reach out and pluck a leaf from any of the spacious wooden decks. We spent the early mornings sitting on one of those decks, sipping coffee and watching the rising sun’s rays filter through the leaves to paint the landscape with deep hues of green.

After our morning coffee, we worked. Lynn is a psychologist and college professor, and she had important-sounding stuff to do that I can’t even begin to understand. I’m working on a book, so I claimed a space on one of the cabin’s screened porches where every time I looked up from my computer I could soak in the inspiration of God’s handiwork. I admit I became easily distracted watching leaves perform their graceful dance with the wind, but I managed to get a lot written in spite of that.

The afternoons were devoted to hiking. I’ll talk about our hikes in my next Journal entry. Trust me, I have a story to tell you!

Evenings were spent back on the deck, watching the sun set over the tree-covered ridge on the other side of the holler. There’s a special kind of peace that comes from being surrounded by nature on all sides, from breathing air that has been filtered clean through thousands of trees before it enters your lungs. Best of all, there’s a peace the slips into your soul with every breath.

I thought it was entirely fitting that my Bible reading Saturday morning was Psalm 95. It’s pretty awesome to look out across a stunning mountain ridge and read this:

“For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him.” (Psalm 95:3-4)

I’m so grateful to my friend and to my God for an inspiring retreat weekend!

Storms at Sea

2010-09-29T00:01:00.000-07:00

My husband and I were on a cruise a few years ago when there was a storm at sea. The ship's captain navigated around the storm, so while we experienced some fairly rough waters (which is quite interesting on a ship where over 2000 people stuff themselves four times a day with more rich, heavy food than they normally eat in a week), we were never in danger from the fury of the storm.

But we saw it. I remember sitting in a plushly cushioned chair by a window on the Promenade Deck and watching the storm out at sea. The skies all around were white, like a canvas had been drawn over the blue, except for one gigantic dark mound on the horizon that looked like a black cave. The storm raged inside that cave. Lightning crackled in that yawning darkness, spreading across the sky in stunning patterns. Every now and then, a thick shaft of electricity would shoot downward toward the water. The sea responded by rising up to meet it. Huge, powerful waves would lift up into the air as though inviting the lightning's touch. Water and lightning would meet with an explosive spray. Witnessing the pure power in that meeting left us open-mouthed with awe.

That scene came back to me vividly this morning when I read Psalm 93.

"The seas have lifted up, O LORD, the seas have lifted up their voice; the seas have lifted up their pounding waves. Mightier than the thunder of the great waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea -- the LORD on high is mighty." (Psalm 93: 3-4)

Awesome, don't you think?

Psalm 91 On YOU!

2010-09-27T00:01:00.000-07:00

My family uses Psalm 91 as a parting blessing. When someone is leaving to travel anywhere, we say, "Psalm 91 on you!" If you read Psalm 91, you'll immediately see why. These verses are filled with the promise of protection for those who place their trust in the Lord.

The first time my mom flew out to visit me in Utah, she was a little nervous about the long flight. We spoke on the phone before she left, and I said, "Psalm 91 on you!" She gave a nervous laugh and said, "I'd feel a lot better if the psalmist had referred specifically to protection while traveling in airplanes." I immediately responded, "Oh, but he does! It's in verse 5:"

You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day.

I told Mom, "That means you don't have to be afraid even if you are inside the flying arrow." She's a more seasoned air traveler these days, and doesn't mind flying at all. She told me the other day that she prays that verse every time she gets on a plane.

I memorized Psalm 91 several years ago, because it's one of those comforting, encouraging, powerful psalms that are appropriate to any uncomfortable situation. A few years ago I used to wake up in the middle of the night when my husband was traveling and lay there trembling, hearing every creak and bump in the house. But Psalm 91 promises that I will not fear the terror of night. I especially love verse 4:

He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge.

There's a powerful comfort in that promise. When I get to that verse, I close my eyes, curl up beneath the quilt, and picture myself nestled against my Father's side, covered by his feathers, and I'm not afraid.

Psalm 91 on YOU, my friend!

Praying Psalm 90 - Part 2

2010-09-26T00:01:00.000-07:00

I have to tell you a story about Psalm 90. Years ago, when I was an entry level programmer working on my very first large computer system implementation, I got my first introduction to a project timeline. It was definitely not love at first sight. Our tasks were assigned based on the order in which they needed to be accomplished, with all the task interdependencies worked out in excruciating detail. We had to report our time working on every task in fifteen minute increments.

For example, you can't just go to the grocery store to grab a gallon of milk. Before that, you have to drive to the grocery store. Before you can drive to the grocery store, you have to put gas in the car. Before you can put gas in the car, you have to drive to a gas station. Before you drive to a gas station, you have to find your car keys. And so on, ad nauseum. Now, many of these preliminary tasks that have to be done before you can get the milk are done by different people. Mom finds the car keys and gives them to Susie, who drives to the gas station and pumps the gas, then pulls up outside the grocery store to let Beth go inside and grab the milk. See how it works? If someone doesn't get their task done in time, then it messes everyone else up and the milk is not purchased.

Being a beginner, I took longer to do things than others. The project manager called me into her office one morning and laid out the project timeline in front of me, and pointed out that I was taking way too long to complete my tasks, and that it was affecting the whole project. OUCH! They tracked statistics by person, and I was the very last on the project team - the least effective worker on the team. I was devastated.

At church that Sunday, two verses were printed in the bulletin:

"Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. ... May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us -- yes, establish the work of our hands." (Psalm 90: 14, 17)

When the pastor explained that establish meant "to make successful" I got so excited! I needed God's joy in my day, and I needed His favor to make my work successful. I clipped out those verses from the bulletin and, the next day, pasted them at the top of my computer monitor where I would seem them constantly, all day long, as I worked. Very, very quickly I began to feel God's love and His presence. It was as though He worked right alongside me. I even found myself singing as I worked. (Singing for joy!)

A month passed, and the project manager called me back into her office. Once again she had the project timeline laid out on her desk. She looked at me with something like awe, and said, "In all my years in this business, I've never seen a turnaround like yours. You're ahead of schedule. You've gone from being last in the efficiency standings to being first!"

Psalm 90 has been one of my favorite psalms since!

Praying Psalm 90 - Our Timeless God

2010-09-24T05:44:00.000-07:00

Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. (Psalm 90:2)

Sometimes during my morning time of praying the Psalms, I come across a verse that doesn't so much speak to me as slam into me with the force of a tornado. This is one of those verses. Funny thing is, I've read it like a gazillion times, but this morning the words seemed to leap off the page and shout, "Wait! Stop! Think about that for a moment."

Being a writer, I pay attention to verb tenses. That verse has several past tense verbs - were born and brought - because it's referring to past actions, things God did a long time ago. The word before tells me the point of the sentence is to refer to something that happened prior to those actions. And then we get to the main point - before those things happened, before God performed those acts, 'you are God.' Present tense.

This is one of those things that cause people to stumble. "If God created the world, then who created God?" That's because from the moment we draw breath, we live on a timetable. We live in a world where time is a reality. We can barely conceive of an entirely different plane of existence where time doesn't exist. But this verse whispers a truth --eternity is. It's going on right now, and it has been going on forever, and it will go on forever. Though we can point to a moment when the mountains were created, we can't point to a moment when God was created because He exists independent of moments.

I know. It will blow your mind if you think about it long enough. How can we understand God with our limited view of things? We don't even glimpse the timeless reality of eternity, because we're looking through a microscope called Time. We're no more aware of the reality of our awesome, timeless God than the bacteria on the slide of a real microscope is aware of us looking through the lense at it.

I can't grasp it. This is one of those deep truths that leaves me feeling like a bacteria - clueless, and brainless, and in awe of anyone who 'gets' it. But I'm comforted, because I know when God looks at me, He sees me without the microscope. Because I'm a believer, I know the end of the story -- here's a hint: we win! -- but I'm taking that on faith. When God looks at me, He already sees the end of the story. He sees me as I will be for all eternity. As I am for all eternity. His bride, pure and spotless and victorious because of Him.

Wow. That's a lot of deep thought early in the morning. My brain hurts. I need coffee.

Happy Anniversary to my Husband and BFF!

2010-09-22T06:39:00.001-07:00

Today is a very special day! Twenty years ago today, I married the love of my life, my knight-in-shining-armor, Ted. It was a gorgeous fall day full of joy and laughter and stunningly blue skies and sunshine that transformed everything it touched into sparkling diamonds. There are very few times that I can pinpoint and say, "THAT moment changed my life." But today marks the twentieth anniversary of one of those moments.

On Sept 22, 1990, Ted and I stood before Pastor Wendel Romans in front of 30 or so family and friends and pledged our love for one another - for better or worse, for richer or poorer, until death parts us. God did something beautiful on that day. He made us one.

The seas of our marriage haven't always been calm. In fact, there have been many times when our ship almost capsized. There have been even more times when one of us couldn't handle the rough waters and almost abandoned the ship. Thank God that Jesus is the calmer of stormy seas.

In the early years of our marriage, every argument we had threatened to tear us apart. I always spent time mentally dividing the furniture, and Ted did the same. Then one day we attended an anniversary party for a couple who'd been married 30 years, and I remember looking at them and thinking, "I can't imagine him without her, or her without him. They are truly one." At their party the couple laughingly related a few of their more spectacular disagreements and spats, and I thought, "Will Ted and I one day be able to do that? Or will we be apart, each with our half of the furniture?"

Ted and I talked that night, and I told him, "I want to be that couple. I want us to be so unified that nobody could imagine us apart - especially us." We determined then to stop dividing the furniture. Divorce was no longer an option. We refused to consider it. You know what? When you're in the middle of a harsh argument without the option of walking away, you have no choice but to come to a resolution. We did!

Ted, you are still the love of my life. You are one of the best blessings God has given me, and the one I cherish the most. Happy anniversary. I'm praying we'll have nothing but smooth seas for the next twenty years!

Book Review - Petra

2010-09-16T00:01:00.000-07:00

Petra, City in Stone

by T. L. Higley

Cassia is a young mother thrown into a desperate situation when her abusive and secretive husband is killed. She journeys to Petra, a breathtaking city literally carved into the rocky cliffs, hoping to find the boy’s relatives. She does, but they’re not what she expected – and they’re not happy to discover Alexander’s existence. Cassia is helpless against the evil forces that seek to destroy her son – but there is One who is not helpless.

From one of my favorite authors comes another riveting adventure with a fascinating ancient setting. T. L. Higley has a gift for recreating cultures and places with amazing detail that makes us feel as though we’re walking ancient streets with the characters. She uses that gift expertly in Petra, City in Stone. I devoured this gripping and triumphant story in a single sitting, though I gave up most of a night’s sleep to finish. That’s okay. It was well worth the sacrifice.

The author’s website is well worth checking out. She’s done some amazing research for this book and her others, and she shares it on her website in fascinating detail. Click over to http://www.nopassportrequired.com/ and plan to spend some time looking around.

Take a moment to watch the video trailer for Petra:

Thanks so much to the publisher and to FIRST Wild Card for providing a review copy of this book

Praying Psalm 85 for my Country

2010-09-13T06:21:00.000-07:00

My Bible reading this morning stirred a longing inside me that surprised me. I do pray for my country, but the words of Psalm 85 give voice to such a deep longing for God's presence in the land. I want that for my country, too! Take a look:

"I will listen to what God the Lord will say; he promises peace to his people, his saints -- but let them not return to folly. Surely his salvation is near those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land. Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other. Faithfulness springs forth from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven. The Lord will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest. Righteousness goes before him and prepares the way for his steps." Psalm 85:8-13

Isn't that beautiful? Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other. Love and faithfulness go hand in hand. If a wife is unfaithful to her husband, the bonds of love are damaged. If God's people are unfaithful to Him, how can the bond of love not be damaged as well? But God loves perfectly, and His faithfulness endures forever. Likewise, righteousness and peace go hand in hand. When I'm given over to unrighteous acts, I feel no peace in my soul. But when I accept the gift of forgiveness God offers through Jesus, I am covered under the umbrella of His righteousness - and oh! the peace that floods my soul!

How I want God's peace in my country. How I want His righteousness to bring forth the harvest for which this country was planted -- a harvest of liberty and freedom and care for the oppressed peoples of the world. I want God's glory to dwell in this land!

A Good Day for a Ride

2010-09-12T16:34:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful day in the mountains! The perfect day for a motorcycle ride with friends. Ted and I hopped on the ST1100 and took a trip up Big Cottonwood Canyon with some of our friends. (We had the only Honda in the group -- everyone else rode Harleys.) Up at the top we paused to take a couple of pictures. Here's the view from the top of Guardsman's Pass.

And here's a Biker Chick Pic! From the left are Patti, me, Sue, and Kristin.

Then we headed down the mountain. On the way down we were waaaaaaay up, and I saw a movement to my left. A hawk was soaring in the air just off to our left, way up in the air but even with us! When you're on a motorcycle you experience nature in a way you never can in a car -- I felt like I was soaring right alongside that hawk.

Next we headed up Little Cottonwood canyon. I love taking pictures from the back of the motorcycle. Take a look at the double waterfall we saw.

Then we ended our trip at Snowbird Ski Resort, which was hosting their annual Octoberfest. When we entered the main entertainment tent the group entertaining on the stage was singing Du, Du Liegst Mir Im Herzen, a German drinking song that I learned in 7th grade choir. How cool to be able to sing along in German! The man in this picture is playing "Do, Re, Mi" on the cowbells. He taught us the "proper" words for the song, and they're not any that Julie Andrews ever sang.

DO, the stuff that buys me beer
RAY is the guy behind the bar
ME, the guy who drinks the beer
FAR, the distance to my beer
SO, I think I'll have a beer
LA, la la la la la beer
TEA, no thanks I'm drinking beer
Which will bring us back to - DO, the stuff that buys me beer...

We walked around the festival, enjoyed the entertainment (including an incredible yo-yo guy), took in some gorgeous mountain sights, and in general had an awesome day. God is good!

Book Review - Queen of Hearts

2010-09-07T08:04:00.000-07:00

Queen of Hearts
(an eBook)

by K. Dawn Byrd

During World War II, Daphne wants desperately to do something that will help the war effort and bring the boys home safely. She follows in her older friend Anya’s footsteps and becomes a spy for a covert group called Twelve-Seven. Her code name is the Queen of Hearts, an ill-fitting title for a woman whose only experience with love ended unhappily.

Unfortunately, a strong desire to help isn’t the same thing as experience. Daphne tries to carry out her covert duties, but a few blundering mistakes make her question whether or not she is cut out for spy work. Especially when she’s introduced to Vito, a breathtakingly handsome man with secrets he won’t reveal. And then there’s Kenneth, the only man she’s ever loved, tells her he hasn’t given up on their love.

Queen of Hearts contains all the elements of a gripping romantic suspense novel. Daphne’s desire to help the war effort endears her to us. Anya is a prayer warrior and mentor. Vito and Kenneth are both heartthrob heroes, and the reader is never sure which one Daphne is going to end up with. The WWII setting is exciting, and then the reader is swept into an entirely different setting when Daphne is taken to hide out in a deserted mental institution. From that point on the book’s tone feels almost like a classic gothic romance. I was reminded many times of one my favorites, Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. If you enjoy inspirational romance with suspenseful settings, you'll want to check out Queen of Hearts.

Want to know more? Read an excerpt here.

This is one of the first eBooks I’ve read on my new Kindle, and I enjoyed it a lot! Thanks so much to the author, K. Dawn Byrd, for providing a review copy.

Book Review - A Friend in the Storm

2010-09-06T09:14:00.000-07:00

A Friend in the Storm

by Cheryl Ricker

Soothing quotes, Scripture and poetry combine to point the reader to Heaven's healing arms.

The first time I met Cheryl Ricker I experienced one of those instances of immediate friendship that don't happen very often. She's such a sweet, genuine lady, with a beautiful smile and ready laugh - the kind of person I love to spend time with. When I read her first book, A Friend in the Storm, I felt as though Cheryl was sitting beside me on the sofa, sharing her heart through her verses. In this little collection of poetry, quotes, and Bible verses Cheryl opens her heart to minister the Lord's peace to others. If you enjoy poetry, or if your heart is in need of comfort (and whose isn't?), this is the book for you!

Many thanks to Amy at Litfuse Publicity Group for providing a review copy of this book!

Would you like an opportunity to read this book for free? Check out the Reader Fun page of my website before September 12.