Bubblegum In My Bible needs followers

hey friends it would appear my devotional blog is lacking followers

http://owstowows.blogspot.com/

would you please go to the link and follow it

Master Chef ... Master Inspriation

Did you enjoy the video? Could you imagine having to cook blindfolded? Every now and then I see something on television and I wish my mother was here to watch it with me. I didn't catch all of last season's Master Chef where blind home chef, Christine Ha beat out her competitors ... her sighted competitors but what I did watch was impressive. She began having trouble with her vision at age 19 and was diagnosed with neuromyelitis optica. Her vision now is described as trying to look in a mirror after a steamy shower. But her lack of sight didn't keep her out of the kitchen, it just made her more careful.

While I'm impressed by her, I wonder how Mom would feel about all the attention she gets as the first blind contestant. I read an interview with Christine and she did say that the judges were fair to her meaning she didn't get special treatment because of her visual impairment. No chopping jars like Mom used for her. She used a real knife, on a real cutting board, with real care. I heard she cut herself once but sighted people do that all the time.

So what of all this attention? Mom, I wish you were here to discuss this. I know you fancied yourself a trailblazer so I wonder what you'd think about Christine Ha. I wonder what Christine thinks. Maybe I should schedule an interview with her and have her cook for me. I wonder if she minds that I was rooting for her because she's blind. I didn't see enough episodes to get to know the contestants and their personalities which is usually how I decide who to root for.

Bottom line is this. I couldn't cook or do much else blindfolded. I'm glad my mother could.

Changes

I missed my original blog so have done what I should have done in the first place. I created a new blog. My devotions can now be found at http://owstowows.blogspot.com/ with the name I had given this blog at remodel: Beyond The Scenes. I know it's a lot to ask but can you go follow that blog too? I will be posting devotions there weekly. This blog will probably become a little less consistant, more likely when I feel inspired or something reminds me of my mother. I realize now though that it was wrong to abandon it. 

First Love

There are things I never would've talked to my mother about and things I'd like her opinion on. I've been wanting to do something for quite a long time but have felt held back---by exactly what I don't know. It's not the voice of doubt telling me I can't---I learned how to silence it. It's not that I don't know how---I know just enough to be dangerous and what I don't know, I can find out. 

In the quietness of the morning it hit me. You see I want to go back to my first love but there'd have to be a change in the relationship and I'm not sure how my first love and my current love will get along. I want to go back but I'm just not sure I'm ready for the relationship to change. Before any of you start worrying, I'm talking about writing. But it does kind of remind me of girls who said they didn't want to date a guy who had been their friend because they didn't want to ruin the friendship. I never really got that, perhaps because none of my guy friends ever asked me out, but the thought did cross my mind. 

The relationship would definitely have to change. No longer could I treat my devotional writing casually, writing when I'm inspired. I'd have to be more committed to it because I'm thinking of being defined by it. I want to be published on my own as a devotionalist. I couldn't just dabble here and there like I used to, going for long periods of time without writing. It would have to become a daily practice to fit my dream. The dream is to be a published devotionalist that people want to keep reading new material from. I also love novel writing but I'm just not sure that relationship is going to last much longer.

It's sad to say but I'm just not sure I'm ready for a committed relationship with devotional writing. I'm comfortable with the "friendship" even as the dream calls to me. I've got characters in my third novel that need me to finish their stories. I know I can't give them the attention they need if I'm all wrapped up in this new relationship. 

(side note: because I'm comparing writing to relationships I now have a late 70's pop love/breakup song going through my head)

Sigh. Sure wish Mom was here to talk to about all this, because I know after she was done talking to me, she'd be talking to God. 

Edie Melson had a helpful blog post over at The Write Conversation yesterday and I couldn't wait to share what I learned. The second week of March is National Bubble Week. You should hop on over to Edie's blog (after reading mine of course) to find out other fun dates on the calendar. For now I'm going to stay with the bubbles: they're wonderful aren't they? I mean think about it, you take something that's usually used for a chore (dishsoap) and add a couple ingredients and give a kid a wand and watch magic happen. Suddenly soap isn't cleaning crud off dishes, it's clearing the grumpies and making room for smiles. And not just on the children's faces. Bubbles have transforming power on adults too.

I can remember a time when bubbles made me very happy. When I told Mom about it, she praised my cleverness. My daughter, her strong-willed grandaughter was about 3 years old. Her other grandmother was babysitting and my little girl didn't want to leave. But I had to get home and start dinner. I can't blame her for wanting to stay: Grandma Pat was blowing bubbles with her. I was not in the mood for a fight (whereas my daughter always was) and, thankfully, a brilliant idea came to me. I told my daughter the bubbles were going towards our house and we'd better hurry to go catch them. She jumped right in the car and off we went without a fuss. I'd tell you her reaction when we got home and there were no bubbles but I can't remember--I was too busy basking in the fact I'd impressed my mother-in-law. 

That little girl is 20 now and she still likes blowing bubbles. I've even gotten them for her on her last few birthdays. The only problem with bubbles is they're hard to describe to a blind person and I don't know if Mom blew bubbles in her childhood. But Mom could hear giggles and I suppose if I ever blew bubbles she would've heard the jingling of bells as I chased them around the yard. (For you newbies, that's a reference to the bells I had tied to my shoes when I was a little girl so Mom could hear me better when I was outside playing.) 

Bottom line is this: happiness is a wonderful thing to hear even if you can't see the source of it. So go ahead laugh out loud for the joy Christ has placed within you. There may be a spiritually blind person within earshot that needs to hear it.

Facebook Fast for Lent

Growing up in a mainstream evangelical church we did not participate in Lent. Back then it was still seen as a Catholic practice and it has only been recently it's become an observance among other churches. Now I grew up less than a mile from a decent sized Catholic church and Mom had a good friend who was Catholic. I'm sure I saw people around town with the mark of the cross on their head on Ash Wednesday but I never thought about what it meant.

I never thought about purposefully giving up something during the 40 days leading up to Easter. We were poor so we went without but never with the intention of turning our focus to the suffering of Christ. We had our Sunday school lessons about Good Friday and the joy of Easter but they were reserved for the week before. Maybe they didn't think we could remember much longer.

Ten days ago my church started a Bible reading program for Lent and that seemed like a good start. Then my husband told me a friend was taking a Facebook fast. Yipes, I could never do that I thought. Funny how just what you think you can't do is the very thing God calls you to do. 

I could've chosen chocolate but really, would that evoke suffering? No, I'm probably better off without it. But I have become quite attached to the Swamp as I affectionately call it and already miss it. The good thing about this choice though is not only am I giving up a time waster I have already started using that time wisely by working out more. 

Now I am not saying Facebook is bad. I've been able to have some very encouraging interactions there. I will go back but now that I've given it up, it is time to look at the other two components of Lent mentioned when I asked (on Facebook) about the practice as it pertained to the church I grew up in. Besides fasting, prayer and other spiritual practices were mentioned. 

It seems to me that the focus of Lent is what we give up. But prayer isn't about giving up, it's about getting in touch with God, being in communion with Him. As for "other spiritual practices" the only thing I could think of is Bible reading and study. They are two different things. I read daily. Study indicates going deeper.

So if I understand this correctly my suffering will give me time to focus on the One Who suffered for me. I am giving up something I enjoy so I can fully appreciate all my Savior did 6 hours one Friday. 

Stronger

A simple collage that is more than just pictures. It is one woman's journey through MDS. (Do I really have to spell it? Ok, here goes: myleodysplastic syndrome.) I am sitting here listening to Mandisa sing Stronger on Good Morning America on Robin Robert's first day back at work after her bone marrow transplant for the same disease. I wasn't sure how I'd feel watching today with the anniversary of Mom Going Home coming up on Saturday. I was okay til Mandisa started singing and they cut to a shot of Robin and her sister hugging. Mom would've loved this song. She would tell me to stop crying if she was here now. If she were here now I wouldn't be crying. (Who am I kidding? The sisters were crying, I would've cried no matter what.) Robin said earlier in the show that she was grateful for all that doctors have learned from those who have gone before. If Mom's doctors learned anything it was what faith in adversity looks like. It looks like a 4'11'' tall woman who didn't let blindness stop her from blazing trails and didn't let MDS stop her from singing praises to her Lord, Savior and Dance Partner for the last 5 years. I don't know about you but I'm stronger for having Jesus in my life. I'm also stronger for having Mom in my life. Even though it seems she wasn't here long enough, I know her faith blazed a trail deep enough to follow all the way Home. When I think this life is too much to handle I can look back on her example.  

Reviewing Old Posts

As I often do, I reviewed past posts this morning to make sure I wasn't overdoing a subject or reusing a title. Turns out I was about to reuse a title. The subject itself was going to be different but then I read an older post and decided to do a follow-up. In November of 2011 I did a post called Friday Fiction. It was during National Novel Writing Month and I shared the rough draft of chapter 1 of what I then called Rehabilitation of Faith. I had 9 encouraging comments on the story of a woman struggling to deal with failing eyesight and mental illness, not to mention a husband who left her to raise her young son alone. 
     
Well I was encouraged to clean up the rough draft and keep writing. Most of my commenters looked forward to reading more. Since that time I have finished the manuscript and presented it at a writer's conference. The first thing one of the agents I spoke to told me was to change the title. Specifically, I was to go home, read her blog post on how to title a book and send it to her. Well a scene came to me during the next session so I wrote it out quickly along with the potential title: Nothing Left To Shatter. That didn't feel right but by the end of the day I'd decided on Seeds That Shatter. See, this story was inspired by the true story of a neighbor of ours and the thing I remember most is eating apricots in his backyard and then he would throw the seeds at the greenhouse. 

So Night Blooming Jasmine has been published and is book 1 in my Shadow of the Steeples series. Seeds That Shatter is book 2. It's now in a contest for publication. I suppose I could've waited til I got the results to catch you up on what's been happening but I just felt like doing it now. 

Here's the link if you want to order the first book. Night Blooming Jasmine

Don't Destroy A Burnt-Out Bulb

Seeing people take down Christmas lights takes me back to my childhood when I was around eight years old. I am across the street at Neil's house. His father is checking the strand and discarding the burnt-out bulbs before putting them up. Somehow my friend, who was about a year younger than me gets them later. His father is nowhere to be seen now as Neil's throws a bulb in the street to watch it explode. I don't know if Neil's dug the bulbs out of the trash or if his father let him have them but for some reason he found a thrill in shattering glass.  

Strange, isn't it to want to destroy something that once brought light and smiles. Well, it was already broken so it couldn't bring light anymore. Still, the adult in me looks at the memory and the green shards on the blacktop and wonders: as Christians are we sometimes broken, discarded, and then shattered? Beyond repair?

They have lightbulb repair kits now and even if a bulb couldn't shine, it could be repurposed. But not if it's shattered. The same holds true for Christians. Yes, we go through burn-out but we can shine again. It may be we have to step away from ministry but we can be nurtured to serve again. We can be repurposed but not if we're shattered. 

So next time you see a brother or sister in Christ going through burn-out, don't stand on the curb and chuck them high into the air to see what will happen. Put them aside in a safe place and see what God will do. He may repair them to full glory or change their purpose. Still with God guiding, we will see them shine again, albeit differently, as long as that is what we are hoping for. 

I Was Okay

I never quite know how the holidays are going to hit me. And by never I mean not since I lost my mother in 2008. This year Mother's Day was especially hard. I expected Christmas to be too. I braced myself as the familiar carols began to play and you know what?

I was okay.

I went shopping and saw little old ladies with their caregivers. I saw children with their grandmothers. I went on Facebook and saw friends making plans to be with their mothers. I braced myself for an emotional onslaught and you know what?

I was okay.

There were no phone calls asking if their were "ears in the cornfield" so we could talk about the kids gifts. There was no one standing next to me singing slightly off key but with great enthusiasm at the Christmas Eve service. There was no one walking on my arm during the lighting of the candles. As the harpist played Away In The Manger I thought I'd be sad but you know what?

I was okay.

I was okay and then it happened. A friend posted about the imperfect perfectness of her brother-in-law's wrapping job. I made a comment about receiving presents wrapped by a blind woman. I got choked up. I miss the inside out wrapping paper and Braille labels. I miss my mother but you know what?

I am okay.

The original Big Wheel from the '60's is back. That's pretty cool as I am also an original from the '60's, only I never left. I heard one reporter say his brother had one but he didn't. All I could think was, 'We were poor but I had one.' Then he said they should always be ridden with adult supervision. Um, considering my father was at work I can only conclude that I was supervised by a blind woman. (Insert chuckle here.) 

Now that's not totally true. I seem to recall our neighbor Doris being around most of the time. She had 2 daughters I played with.  I was also supervised by the parents of my friends Neils and Renee whenever I was at their respective houses. Of course Renee came post Big Wheel. Not much danger in Barbies and paper dolls. But I remember riding my Big Wheel without any other mothers around and without a helmet. 

If you have little one's between the ages of 3-8 years old and under 70 pounds they too can ride a blast from my past. I'm going to go with the reporter on this one though and say they should always be supervised and wear a helmet. I guess it's the mother in me not wanting to take unnecessary risks with children in this day and age. I shudder to think about the mother coming out to find her child injured or worse yet, an empty Big Wheel seat. 

My next blog post will be the day after Christmas. I hope you have to put off reading it because you're supervising your children, which by the way is a great way to make memories. 

Merry Christmas.

Night Blooming Jasmine

Well it's out, my first novel and it was very much inspired by my mother. That being said, it is a work of fiction as I took artistic liberties with the storyline. I created a family for myself which I didn't have growing up and I gave Mom a couple faithful guide dogs. She always wanted one but couldn't get away for the training after marriage. We kids came along much too quickly (well at least my brother did.)

I hope you like meeting Amber-Rose Collier Powell. She's not exactly like my mother--I couldn't do her justice but they are both women of faith in adversity. They both have spunk and courage. Unlike my mother, Amber lets her doubts show, which in some ways makes her more human. (No, I did not just call my mother an android, but her faith and joy was so deep that sometimes it was hard to believe she was real.)  If Mom struggled with her faith, and we all do, she kept the struggle private.

I hope you like visiting my hometown and childhood which in the book is a mix of fact and fiction. I can't remember everything and I never did get the hang of journaling like John-Boy. My brother's girlfriend gave me a diary with a lock on it one year for Christmas. I don't know what ever happened to it, but I'm not worried that some deep dark secrets will come out after I become a rich and famous author. I don't remember writing in it.

I'm kidding about becoming rich and famous. Please support a broke and unknown writer and enjoy a sweet family drama with it's share of ups and downs and nostalgia. Oh, and if you're wondering about the title, that's explained at the end. (The title above the book cover photo is a link that will take you right to my publisher.)

Without Regret

One of the regrets I have in life is losing track of people, because in a sense I lost track of a part of myself. When it comes to my mother, I'm sorry I couldn't find all her friends so they could say a final goodbye. One of the people I couldn't find was my brother's best friend. Jack was always over at the house and after Paul got stuck in the downward spiral of addiction, Jack stepped in to help Mom. Whether he was hauling stuff to the dump for her or just checking in, he sealed his role as surrogate. Maybe Mom didn't see him as a second son but I've always seen him as a second brother even before I needed one. 

I suppose we'll talk about Mom and Paul tomorrow as I visit Jack and his wife. He found me on Facebook, a social media site I joined because a friend was having a discussion on prayer and healing. Another friend thought I'd like to join in the conversation because of my experience with my mother in her last days. So you might say Mom brought Jack and I back together. I haven't seen him since right after Paul's funeral 15 years ago. I am so excited about tomorrow.

Tomorrow is a day of Thanks, not regrets so rather than mourn the time we didn't have together because I lost track of him, I shall be glad to have this caring man back in my life. In actuality he's pretty absent on Facebook but I've gotten to know his wife. Tomorrow I meet her in person. Tomorrow I get reaquaintted with him. Tomorrow is a day of Thanks. 

Without regret.

Wouldn't it be great if yesterday and today could be as well?

Back in the Advocacy Saddle Again

Crazy week over here. My husband injured his back and my son fell and has a mild concussion. And I am restless. I need to reign in the Lisa I used to be, the strong, supportive one. I discovered her when I was ten and taking Mom to see Dad in the nursing home. Now, don't get me wrong, I am being strong but only on the outside. Inside I am scattered.

Crazy week over here. My son is having memory issues and missing school. He was already struggling. I am restless but I need to reign in the Lisa I was when Mom was sick and I had to advocate for proper health care. I need to fight for my son's needs to be met at school. But the fight has gone out of me---didn't have much to begin with. My husband sent an e-mail to my son's case worker at school. That helped but really I need to be the one doing these things. 

Crazy week over here. I'm not sure how long it will last. I looked up the after care instructions on-line since they didn't give them to me in the ER (they printed the wrong diagnosis) and memory could take months to return. I hope not. My son seems frustrated by it and I hate to see him like this.

Crazy week over here, but I've been through crazier. By remembering what I went through with my mother, I realize I can advocate for my son's needs. I've done it before.

Crazy week over here. Time to saddle up.

Today

Days that I miss Mom are not in short supply
Her birthday
Mother's Day
Holidays
and today.

Today I am struggling. I'd like to share my struggle with her. After some initial shock and motherly advice she'd go straight to prayer. And today I need a mother's prayers. Prayers that can get past the walls I've let be built brick by brick. The mortar has dried. I need someone's prayers to get through.

Today, I need my mother's prayers.

If what is happening now had happened 25 years ago, she'd be happy for me. I think. But I am not who I was then. I'm at a different place and this thing I'm struggling with is out of place, so I need my mother in her place---approaching the throne of God on my behalf.

Today, I am having a Romans VII day http://youtu.be/l5dvNI4kl4U

Today, I need her to hold me and tell me she loves me no matter what. I need her to pray me through today giving me strength to do what I know must be done. But I know it won't be easy or done in a day but tomorrow will become today so ...

Today I need my mother's prayers.

One day obedience will melt the mortar and the bricks will lie in heaps on the ground. One day obedience will haul off the bricks. One day obedience will be my prayer path to His Throne. But one day hasn't come. It is still today.

Today I wish she were here.

While this is the third and final book in the Freedom Series, I’m sure there are people who are just learning about it. Would you please share what prompted you to write these books on such topic as relevant and difficult as human trafficking? 

I was finishing up my previous fiction series for New Hope Publishers (the Extreme Devotion Series, dealing with the persecuted Church around the world) when Andrea Mullins (the publisher at New Hope) asked me what topic I wanted to tackle next. We discussed a few possibilities, and then she suggested human trafficking. I was aware of it and thought it was terrible but had no idea how widespread it was. I agreed to do some preliminary research and get back to her. When I discovered there are more than 27 million people held in various forms of human trafficking (sexual slavery, forced labor or military conscription, involuntary donation of body parts/organs) and that many of them are children (including an estimated 100,000—300,000 MINORS held in sexual slavery in the US today!), I was horrified. I was also convinced that I had to do everything possible to help educate others about this widespread horror and to call them to join the fight. Not only have I now written/released the Freedom Series on human trafficking, but I’m speaking on it everywhere/every chance I get.

What was your original objective in writing these books, Deliver Me From Evil, Special Delivery, and The Deliverer? And, what are you hearing back from people who have read the books? How are they taking action? 

Originally my plan was to see the books alert readers to this horrific crime and, hopefully, challenge them to get involved in fighting it some way. That seems to be happening, but on such a larger scope than I had imagined. The response from readers is overwhelming! Pastors have written to say they are challenging their entire church to get involved on some level, and I’m being invited to speak all over the country on this topic. I am thrilled to see the Light being shined in this terrible darkness at last! As for specific actions, pastors and civic leaders are inviting me (or others in this ministry) to come and speak to their congregations/groups to help educate them on this massive tragedy. Readers tell me they are posting about my books all over the net to help snag people’s attention. I’m getting invitations to speak on radio and TV as well. I’ve also been contacted by readers who are getting involved in setting up safe houses for rescued victims, which is a huge need. I was even contacted by the Department of Homeland Security and invited to participate in group conference calls on the topic. Overall, I’m thrilled at the way God is using these books to help sound the alarm and to “rescue the perishing.”

It seems there is always someone in your books who is an intercessor. Why is that important for you to include? 

This is vital to me, and as you said, I almost always include an intercessor in my novels. I know there were intercessors in my own life who prayed me through some incredibly dangerous and difficult times, and I appreciate those heroes of the faith more than I can express. Highlighting their importance in my books accomplishes two things: it enables me to honor those faithful intercessors who often get no recognition in this world, and it also calls others to get involved in intercession as well.

You write books as you often call them, parables with a purpose, on topics such as human trafficking, the persecuted church, illegal immigration, and your Christmas 2012 book is about homelessness. Some might call you an advocate. Why is it important for Christians, and the church as a whole, to discuss these issues?

You’re right that I call my novels “parables with purpose,” because I believe Jesus is our example and that’s what He told to His followers—parables with purpose. He didn’t just tell them “nice stories” to entertain them. He told stories that would grab them right where they lived, and then challenge them to change their hearts, their minds, and their lives. The Church has always been at the forefront of serious social change, leading the charge to abolish slavery for instance, and leading the charge on these other issues is right where the Church needs to be now. The first step is to discuss the issues, to make people aware of them, and then to call them to action. I believe gripping fiction is one of the most effective ways to do that.

Will you give us a glimpse, a taste of things to come -- without getting too far ahead -- of what’s in store for your next series and books on the horizon? 

In addition to the 2012 Christmas novel, Unexpected Christmas Hero, dealing with homelessness in America, I will be releasing a new series starting in January. The first of the three novels is called The Moses Quilt, and it deals with a contemporary interracial romance, set against the background of a quilt that tells the story of the courageous, faith-filled woman known as Harriet Tubman. A contemporary novel dealing with the issue of abortion will follow, with the first woman doctor in America, Elizabeth Blackwell, as our backdrop heroine. The final book will be built around the much beloved Fanny Crosby, as we deal with the issue of people with disabilities. That series is from New Hope Publishers, but I also have a book releasing in the Spring of 2013 from B&H Publishers called Last Chance for Justice. It’s part of the multi-author Bloomfield Series, and I’m very excited about it.

You also write a devotional blog. Can you tell us what the focus is and where we can find it? 

I started writing a weekly devotional several years ago, in response to a request from the then newly formed group CAN (Christian Authors Network). I sent it out as a group email and had about 40 recipients then. The devotional mailing quickly grew and expanded beyond the CAN group, with countless readers signing up to receive it. I also started posting it each week on my devotional blog (http://kathimacias.com/category/devotional-2/), which is part of my primary website (www.kathimacias.com), where you will also find my “Easy Writer” blog, which is more writing-related. (You can also sign up there to receive the weekly devotional in your inbox.) Over the years the devotional has been picked up by Crosswalk, Black Christian News, Latino Christian News (I offer it in Spanish as well as English), Believe.com, Christians in Recovery, etc., so the readership has mushroomed beyond anything I ever imagined. God is amazing, isn’t He?

Finally, we know you as an award-winning author, but you also enjoy speaking for women’s events, and other groups, as well. On what areas or topics do you focus your speaking presentations? How can a church or group find out more about having you speak for their event? 

I speak on various topics, including the issues I address in my books, but on other topics too. One of my most requested topics is “When Passion and Purpose Collide.” That, along with several other popular topics, can be found in the speaking section of my website (http://kathimacias.com/speaking/). To see my current speaking schedule and/or to explore the possibility of having me come and speak, just go tohttp://kathimacias.com/speaking/speaking-schedule/ and click on the Christian Speakers Services button to make contact. You can also see some of my speaking endorsements at http://kathimacias.com/speaking/endorsements/. 

For more opportunities for free copies of The Deliverer by Kathi Macias, please visit Facebook.com/CSSVBT.KathiMacias.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book from the author in exchange for posting the author’s interview and/or book review on my blog. This blog tour is managed by Christian Speakers Services (http://ChristianSpeakersServices.com).

Following In My Parent's Footsteps

Unwrapping His promises. I am drawn to the premise because when I think of unwrapping I naturally think of gifts. And isn't that what His promises are, precious gifts? They are to me as they were to my parents. (Oh, I know, you expect me to talk about Mom but Dad likes to sneak in every once in a while.) Today I am thinking of how they must have held on to God's promises for protection. Why today? Because today I am taking a step towards following in their footsteps. I just filled out my County Jail Ministry application. I was feeling confident until I turned over the sheet to the back page. Gulp. Basically, it reminded me I would be ministering to a dangerous population and I had to sign a liability release. You know what though, my pen did not shake as I signed my name because behind my name is a title (not printed on the form but known to me.) That title is, Child of God, and I KNOW that, "No weapon that is formed against (me) shall prosper." (Isaiah 54:17a). That's a promise I'll unwrap and wear along with my smile as I venture forth. 

That wonderful picture isn't just sitting there looking pretty. It should link you to the blog carnival put on by writing friend Duane Scott.

The Stylus is Moving

I asked in the first post where God was in this adventure in blogging and the conclusion is that He's the stylus putting the dots in place to write the story of my life. It's a reference to Braille because the stylus is the writing tool. The difference of course, is that He is in control whereas a stylus is controlled by the user. But I like to think of Him as the stylus as well because the stylus is in contact with the paper to produce words and I'd like nothing more than to feel as if I'd been touched by God.

I've sensed God at work this week, giving me strength, giving me a nudge in the right direction, and giving me an unexpected opportunity. I've had a lot of work in the last few weeks to get the book to the editor (just did that tonight) and yet I had the strength to serve our military this weekend. I was blessed to work with a young man from the Inside Out Men's Home. That day Beau was not Beau, the recovering addict. He was Chaplain Beau and he rocked it! 

It was while I was serving that I felt God's nudge. I was in the church service but felt a nudge to go back to the prayer booth. Chaplain Beau had left and my husband looked relieved to see me as he introduced me to an upset woman. I asked her if I could give her a hug and she welcomed my embrace. She kept her arm around me as she shared. We had a few more hugs and I prayed. To be honest, I don't even think I got the whole story. But I was blessed. Blessed because I mess up all the time, and yet God still chose to send me to a hurting woman. He still uses me even when I feel useless. 

My unexpected opportunity knocked on Wednesday. Actually it rang and went to voice mail because I was on the phone with my marketing rep for Night Blooming Jasmine, but you get the point. My devotional, Touching The Words of Christ was seen by a publisher who was calling to express their interest in it. The God-thing here is that she saw it on a web-site that was supposed to take it down after 6 months because I couldn't afford to pay their fees. I don't know if this is a self-publisher or traditional but I do know my subscription to the web-site ended in 2011!

There is a beauty in writing Braille because it is embossed so, in a way, it is hidden. It is not until you are through, take the paper out of the slate, and turn it over that you can feel the words written. I'm excited to see the product when the stylus has stopped dancing and the Author has released the page to be read. I don't know what all will be written because I served, listened to a still small voice, and followed up on an opportunity. I just know I have the best Author there is writing the story.

Inspiring Story A Winner

Drum roll please and get the confetti ready, my debut novel, Night Blooming Jasmine, took 1st place in the Westbow Munce contest. I had entered the book under a different name in the Westbow OCCWF contest and it didn't even place. 


So what was the difference? I changed the title and the prologue to focus on my mother. I also changed the ending but I think it is bringing out my mother's faith that made the difference. Yes, it's a work of fiction but it is based loosely on her life and my mother's characteristics were not altered. That 4'11" pixie still cast a long shadow of faith.


I am sure I haven't done Delores Burkholder justice but Amber-Rose Powell is a strong feisty woman who doesn't let the challenge of blindness be challenging. I am privileged to be able to share her story in this way. I learned a few lessons through the course of writing this book, some of which are not in the book but will be explored elsewhere. Most importantly though I think I got to know my mother a little better as I really stopped to think about her life. 


I'll let you all know when Night Blooming Jasmine comes out. I just wish she were here to tell me her buttons were popping.

Virtual Tour of her Past

      I've probably said it before but my mother didn't talk much about her past. I have remnants of things mentioned in passing blended with a few old pictures my cousin sent to remind me where she came from. I know she came from a mining town, her mother had a bit of a sense of humor, and she endured more than any little girl ever should. So why would I want to go back there?


      I don't think I had a choice. I've always admired her faith and wanted someday to write more about her. That day recently came when I was told book 1 of my Shadow of the Steeples series didn't have enough grit. The book coach told me I should bring out the struggles she must have faced raising children while being blind. 
     
     I didn't find the grit there though. I went back, with the help of the internet, to the coal mines of West Virginia and Kentucky. I saw the darkness of the mines and the poverty of the towns. On my mother's birth certificate, her mother had written she was a homemaker in, "my own little shanty." I looked at the pictures, remembered the stories and wondered how my mother came out so full of life and light.


     Somehow looking at pictures of strangers helped me know my mother better. I'm glad I took the virtual tour. But I'm even more pleased Mom found Jesus at a young age. It was His Light that guided her through the darkness of poverty, her parents alcoholism, and her own blindness.