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Archive for the ‘Life Experiences’ Category

In Amazon

Posted in Life Experiences, tagged , , , , , , on September 11, 2014| Leave a Comment »

This week I found God in Amazon. Not the jungle, the website…the king of book titles.

A small voice whispered from the inside out, “Go look at your stats for Hush in the Storm, (my newly released novel.)” I  questioned why, since the last time I’d looked a few weeks ago, right after it launched, it was in the 127,000th rank.  But, okay, God. I clicked on the website.  Here is what it said on 9/9

#3 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Religious & Inspirational Fiction > Christian > Mystery & Suspense

#4 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Religious & Inspirational > Mystery

#4 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Literature & Fiction > Mystery & Suspense

Tears filled my eyes, clouding my computer screen.  Of course it was short lived. Now I am #25, but out of over 500 in that category… I’m okay with that.  For three days I was a best selling author!

ID-100286871But here is the message – I am always #1 in God’s eyes. So are you, if you have claimed Him as your Lord and Savior.  Human popularity is fleeting, but God’s admiration is eternal.

He cares so much for this one author that His Spirit prompted me to look at  my book listing at just the right time. For me, it was a pat on the back to tell me I’d “done good” for Him.

Two years ago, I obediently began to write this suspense romance novel with an under plot of an ugly, but pertinent social issue – human trafficking. God led me down that path.  I won’t go into the ways He did that, but my Lord sent me so many signals, I finally had to laugh and say, “Okay. I’ll do it.”  Many Christian publishers pushed it back in my lap. But one took the chance. Not everyone likes it, but evidently enough do. It continues to get 4-5 star reviews.

The point is- I followed God into this endeavor and let Him use it for His glory. He has blessed me with my greatest  heart’s desire as a result.

Where is He calling you to use the talents He has bestowed upon you?  He will do the same for you as He has for me if you just step out there for Him. No matter what people say or do not say, God will always speak positive truths to you. Will you hear them? Or will your self-worth rely on the level of applause from other people?

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Get Me Out!!!

Posted in Biblical, Christian, Life Experiences, tagged , , , , on August 29, 2014| Leave a Comment »

My priest, Chris Culpepper, posted this on Facebook. (click on the link)

 

 

It’s been around for a few years, so maybe you have seen it before.  But, do you see the message? There are times when, out of stupidity, or naivety, or because we are lured, we get ourselves into an awful mess. Others can bring us the ladder – Christ – to lift us out so we can again follow Him. He bridges the gap between sin and salvation.

Who can you bring a ladder to today? It may be via a phone call, giving them  a sincere smile, or even praying for them from the depth of your heart when God brings their name to your mind.

 

I will exalt you, Lord,
    for you lifted me out of the depths
    and did not let my enemies gloat over me.   Psalm 30:1

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Tossed Togehter

Posted in Life Experiences, tagged , , , on August 27, 2014| 5 Comments »

IMAG0073I munched on my salad for lunch today. Made by a friend who runs a gourmet shop, it was a special treat. Spinach, strawberries, fresh slivers of Parmesan cheese, candied pecans, and poppy seed dressing all blended into something that joyously assaulted my taste buds and made my eyes roll into the back of my head with bliss. She knows what foods enhance each other. She is a Master.

It made me think of what God does with our lives. Totally separate things can combine together in His timing to become delectable in a whole new way. Think of the individuality of each of your friends and how they enrich your life. Think of the experiences you’ve had, good and bad, and how they have shaped you into who you are today. God can use that for good as well.

You see, I am usually not a fan of Parmesan- my nose is very sensitive – but with the nuttiness, sweetness and a touch of tartness in the rest of the salad, it was just right. The same is true with my life. Experiences I thought not so great at the time have blended with others to the glory of God. People who may have not been my favorite when we met have enhanced my path or helped me make the decision to change directions. Sweet moments and biting remarks have combined together to make me look honestly in the mirror.

God said in the Psalms to taste and see that He is good. (34:8) So are all the things that happen to us: the encounters we have and the people we meet. Even if some of them make you scrunch up your nose, be patient. Swallow each down. Let them be blended into your life by the Master…Taste and see what God does with it!

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Longest Walk

Posted in Life Experiences, tagged , , , , , , , on August 22, 2014| 3 Comments »

ID-100108485Infants become toddlers when they begin to, well, toddle. What parent hasn’t crouched down, arms extended and coaxed their wee one to inch towards them, one wobbly step at a time, then scooped them up and hugged them once their hands reconnected? It is necessary in the child’s development to crawl, toddle, walk and eventually run. We can’t carry them around until they are in their 30’s, can we?

In prayer, my mind pictured a toddler reaching out, unsure if it could walk.  Arms outstretched, it’s attention on it’s father’s beckoning hands, just three short steps away. A soft voice whispered, “Come. You can do it. Come. I’m here. Trust me.Try.”

Sometimes, I think God does carry us. But there are other times when He sets us down and backs away, just a few steps, so we will be enticed to walk towards Him. It is a test of faith and trust, but it also helps us reevaluate how much we want to be in His arms again. Do we sit and cry, demanding He to come to us?  Or do we slowly rise onto our feet and begin to take the first toe-to-heel movements in His direction as He gently calls to us, trusting if we wobble or stumble, He will be there to scoop us up?

Our faith-walk, just as an infant’s strides, should become more sure and steady. We are never out of the peripheral vision of our Daddy’s eyes or the extent of His reach, but there are times He wants us to test our legs, our boundaries, and our trust in Him. By letting go, He encourages us to draw near, to take those first few steps back to His arms where we once felt so secure. How else can we grow strong enough to stand in His presence?

Do you feel as if God has stepped away? Maybe He has… for your benefit,  Look with your heart. There He is, crouched with arms outstretched towards you. Take a deep breath, rise and walk to Daddy. Trust Him. Try.

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Plant Saved

Posted in Life Experiences, tagged , , , , , , , on July 31, 2014| 1 Comment »

I admit it. I can’t throw away a plant. I had a geranium which, after five years, had outlived it normal lifespan sprigas a potted plant, I guess. Anyway, it really didn’t survive the move, and to be honest, it had become pretty droopy and scraggly on my last patio. But one sprig stretched to grow.The only green leaves left on an otherwise dying plant.

So, I snipped it off, stuck it in water, placed it with other plants in a window, and prayed. Within a day, it had bent towards the sun. Within a few more days, it began wrapping around a candle to get more light steaming in from the blinds.

As I watch it daily, I  am more and more encouraged. Maybe it will begin to root, then I can plant it a pot once again. I envision coral-colored blooms next spring when it is once again full and bushy.

I’m glad God never threw me out when I spiritually dying. He gave me life. He clipped off the part that had potential, stuck me in the Living Waters of His mercy and prayed over me. He watched over me. Renewed, I again stretched towards the Light in search of the Son, letting nothing stand in the way of my growth. And, ever so slowly, new roots of faith began to grow.

The roots of the blessings He has given me.

Roots of lessons learned.

Roots of those “Oh” moments when I realized He had acted in my life.

Roots in those verses that never hit me before but are highlighted in yellow or starred in my Bible now.

Roots of seeing Him work in the lives of friends through answered prayers.

 

And I think a smile stretches across His face when He looks upon me now, because He envisions the lovely bloom I’ll become.

I found God today in a lowly germanium sprig- because in so many ways it is just like me–struggling, but blessed because someone cared enough to save it.

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What Could I DO?

Posted in Life Experiences, tagged , , , , , on July 24, 2014| 7 Comments »

As I  glanced for oncoming traffic before I turned the corner, my eyes absorbed the whole tragic scene and immediately pooled with tears. A chunk of my heart ripped into my throat.

I saw the flashing EMS lights, and two EMT’s wheeling an old woman on a gurney. Another EMT helped an elderly, hunched-over man, white hair and beard disheveled, with a cane. His shoulders heaved up and down as his face reddened with tears.

But, I was turning the other way to head for a meeting. Besides, what could I do? I’d never been in this neighborhood. I’d never seen this couple in my life, but the connection was immediate. I recall the morning when they wheeled my late husband away on the gurney. Six hours later at the hospital we pulled the plug…

I scanned my Facebook home page and saw an acquaintance’s report about her teenage son’s latest set back with cancer. Just home from the hospital after months of chemo and infection fighting, they were back in the ER, in a city hours away from me. I recalled the times my own son was in the hospital fighting for his life…

I saw on the news a young family left homeless by an apartment fire. Their dog didn’t make it out. The small child squeezed her mother’s hand as she wailed for her lost friend, and watched her home devoured by the flames. I was reminded of the night my room caught on fire…

Then, situations I cannot fathom flash into my life via the internet, TV and radio.

Another plane halfway around the world has crashed. More lives lost…

An insane and upset person opens fire on an innocent gathering of people…

Sixty children are left in a truck in the middle of the summer, most likely smuggled in by traffickers. Most are dying, if not already dead…

What could I do?

Do you ever feel that way? Someone wiser than I once said we are not human beings but human doings. When we hear of a tragedy, we immediately ask, “What can I do?”

Praying hands_God whispered the answer into my faith ear once again and it dashed to my soul. PRAY – it is the best you can do. Prayer opens the floodgates of Heaven, and multiplies our capabilities a thousandfold. Prayer connects the Almighty with the weak and hurting. Jesus prayed for others until His dying breath. He prays for us still.

Why do we so often underestimate its power?

Why do we feel we need to do more? Maybe because praying doesn’t seem like doing. Our hands are still and folded, not busy. Results are often not immediate, though they can be.

If, when you are made aware of a tragedy, you can physically render aid, do so. But as you dash to “do” that, lift the whole thing into God’s capable hands. Pray He gives you the tools you need to help and the right words to say.  But, if you don’t feel capable or are too removed from the scene, then call on the One who loves more deeply and knows more vastly what is going on.

Pray… it’s what all of us believers could, and should “do.”

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Signal Interference

Posted in Life Experiences, tagged , , , , , , on July 14, 2014| Leave a Comment »

We chose our new apartment because it faced the inside of a tree-shaded quadrangle. Great view. Not so great for our singalsHD antenna signal. We plugged it into the TV. Channel after channel showed the same message:”No signal detected.”  A few showed pixelated views, like a jigsaw puzzle half-completed on a black table. We angled the antenna this way and that. Not much better.

So we boxed it up and went to the electronic store. The salesman said, “The trees are your worst enemy. They block the signals. So do the buildings around you.”

We chose a unit with a more powerful receiver. Luckily it was on sale with a money-back guarantee. Home we trekked, eager to plug it in so I could watch my favorite PBS show that night. Finally after much maneuvering and twisting, including standing on tip-toe –which he refused to do through the whole 90 minute program despite the reminder I was in labor with him four times longer than that—my son got the signal to receive a picture by placing the unit on our covered patio.

The God lesson?

Sometimes the things in life we surround ourselves with, which give us pleasure, block God’s signal to our hearts. We just don’t receive Him clearly. And then, we wonder why. It’s not that a thing that makes us happy is a bad influence. It is just that it may turn our focus to it because it’s so pleasurable, and away from God who granted us the gift of it’s use.

Perhaps, we need to maneuver some things around in order to pick up His reception in our lives. Find the right combination–be it less TV time, less frustration, less worry–and the pixels will come together. Or, maybe we need to boost our capability to receive His signal through more prayer, more listening, or more time in the Word. Perhaps it will take both.

Boost your power through Him, rearrange or eliminate the distractions, and I bet, like our antenna, your image of His plan for your life will come into focus. The reception of His will into your heart will be bright and clear. What a beautiful image!

1 Corinthians 2:12
What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.

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A Moving Experience

Posted in Life Experiences, tagged , , , , , , , on July 11, 2014| Leave a Comment »

ID-100131553Maybe some of you who follow me on Facebook heard of my plight…

During the recent move to a new apartment, I lost my desktop computer to damage. Not only that, but my laptop and projector I use for all my talks and workshops “walked away”.  We also were without TV for two days.

With tongue firmly planted in my cheek, I’d posted before the move that I’d be out of cyberspace for a day or so – could I handle it?

God tested me on that. Big time.

I wish I could tell you my piety kicked in and I enjoyed being still and reconnecting with my Savior. I tired, really I did. But… the hush was deafening. After a few minutes, I’d jump up to find something to “do.” In fact, in those three days, I totally exhausted myself by unpacking every box, hanging the curtains and the pictures, and rearranging the knick-knacks several times.

Finally, my sweet techie son “Humpty-Dumptied” parts from my desk top and from an old one he had, and not only got me up and running in three days but re-downloaded all my flies. He also got the TV and wireless networking up and running. I praise the Lord for my son’s God-given intelligence and patience when it come to electronics.

Two things I learned:

First – I need to turn off the electronics more often and get back to quietness and meditation (listening) with my Lord. I thought I was doing a pretty good job, but He showed me differently.

Second – Whatever in our lives we feel is damaged, burned out, or missing a vital function, God as the Master techie can piece back together and make work again–sometimes with the talents of others. We just need to stay patient and prayerful in the process.

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Look More Closely

Posted in Life Experiences, tagged , , , , , , on July 1, 2014| 2 Comments »

printcover_hush copy (2)My publisher emailed the cover of my novel, Hush in the Storm, which launches August 6th. It looked perfect. With dancing fingers over my keyboard, I sent it out to my family and friends who have been so instrumental in helping this book become a reality.

My niece, who is artistic and always has a keen eye for detail, wrote back. “It would look better if the heroine on the cover didn’t have cacti growing from her shoulders.”

Whaatt????

I hadn’t noticed that. I concentrated on the clouds, the landscape, the girl hushing.  I emailed the comment to my publisher. Within minutes, the graphic artist corrected  it. Whew!! Thank you, Lord. I marveled at her mastery in technique and  greatly appreciated her immediate response to make things right.

Where did I see God in all this? Sometimes there are little flaws which may hinder how we are perceived. Our witness may be hindered by them. They may blare out to other people and cause them not to focus on the real message we are trying to convey.

Of course we are all works in progress and perfection will only reached  through the mercy of Christ when we escape our human nature and reach Heaven. But I also believe God brings people into our lives who have a keen eye and can point out the flaws we need to correct — the ones we don’t notice but others do, like breadstick cacti growing out of a pair of shoulders.

Because it is a Christian publisher, no feathers were ruffled. Authors, editors, proofreaders, and the graphics masters have the same goal – spread the message of redemption  and grace through wholesome, yet intriguing fiction.

But, it made me ponder. Am I as gracious when someone in the Body lovingly and  tactfully points out an area in my life that could use some more work? How quick am I to go to the Master to correct it?

 

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Unseen Smudges

Posted in Life Experiences, tagged , , , on June 21, 2014| 2 Comments »

I got an eTablet. Ever since it came free with my new cell phone contract, it’s been glued to my hip. (There, I’ve confessed!)

Now I do read my Bible on it…and play Words with Friends…check my email…read my downloaded eBooks…check the weather…look up facts on the internet…check out who’s said what on Facebook…hey, my Toastmasters’ group even uses the timing app on it. I think it even has a camera.

A few days ago I showed a friend my nifty new toy – but when I turned it off, my cheeks heated. I know my face was crimson. Oh my, all IMAG0021the smudged fingerprint marks! Yuk. Once the screen went dark, they blared at me. I couldn’t see them when the screen was illuminated.

Ah-hah. My thoughts became illuminated as well. I found a lesson from God today on my eTablet screen.

Here’s the God lesson…

If we’ve confessed our wrongs as our faces hit the pillow the night before, and thanked Him for the day we had – whether it was good or bad  – then when another day dawns, our slate is clean. His mercies are new every morning, right?

Yet, as we go through the day, we leave marks. They may be good, or not so good. Depends on our attitude, our actions and our words. If Christ is shining through, the smudges are not as visible. But if we turn off His influence and the screen we call our life goes dark, then all the smudges become more evident. In fact, they are the only things people see.

From now on, I a going to wipe that eTablet down before I go to bed. Maybe it will remind me to wipe the slate clean with my Lord as well.

 

 

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