Hearing the Lord

There are days I wonder if my prayers are more than words trailing on the wind. My middle daughter struggles with this too, often puzzled when it seems like God doesn't answer her prayers.

We've had plenty of deep conversations on this issue. And many times I have to admit I don't understand or have the answers. But I do know that God is good and He promises to answer our prayers the absolute best way and in the best time.

It was hard to believe that when I prayed for a friend's healing for three long years and my friend still died.

It was hard to believe that when I prayed for years for my parent's not to divorce and they still did.

So I didn't share with my little girl what I believe about God answering prayer lightly.

But the truth is the truth whether I understand and like the answers, or not.

Today’s experience highlighted this and reminded me that God knows exactly what our hearts need. This morning, I had a radio interview with a Canadian station and my family told me they'd be praying for me as I went down to my office to prepare.

Little did any of us know that God had far more in mind than notes reviewed in preparation.

But my family prayed.

And God answered.

He stopped my plans and invited me to deal with some issues I'd been trying to sweep under the rug for days now. Relationship issues that I didn't want to talk to Him about.

But He's not dissuaded by my avoidance.

And He knew I needed to talk to Him and hear the truth or I’d never be able to share my heart and His words honestly in this interview.

After many prayers and tears later, the interview went amazingly well. So when I came upstairs to let them know, I wasn't surprised at my girls dancing around and being happy for me. What struck me was my middle daughter's song.

"God answered my prayers. God answered my prayers. He heard me!"

Wow. If I hadn't listened and obeyed the Lord’s invitation to deal with things, my little one would have missed an incredible experience of knowing God heard and answered her prayers.

I've been thinking about that throughout the day in terms of my writing too. Most of you know it's not been a walk in the park experience. Often, I've prayed for the people who would read the Defenders of Hope books and wondered if God heard. I've also wondered if I’d heard Him as I wrote and if He would really use these books to touch hearts.

Last night and today I received that answer loud and clear. A dear friend had posted a blog so honest and so poignant that it pierced me. She talked about how God used Ransomed Dreams to show her that "feeling not good enough, abandoned, and helpless are normal emotions...but they're lies."

Her blog post is beautiful in its openness and truth. And God did something huge in my heart through it.

He showed me that He'd listened. He'd heard my heart's cry. He knew my desire to see people drawn closer to Him through the books I'd written. In answer, He worked something beautiful another person's life and allowed me the privilege of seeing it.

Inside, I danced around like my middle daughter and tearfully sang, "He heard me! He really heard me and answered my prayer!"

God hears. What an amazing, simple, powerful truth.

And He answers.

Sometimes not in the way or time we'd like. But other times... wow. Other times He opens our ears and allows us to experience a concert of grace.

Today, I heard the beautiful song of a little child worshipping because she saw firsthand that God hears. And then God allowed me a turn in her shoes.

Thanks for listening to me share some happy notes of my lifesong. I pray you'll join in with your own notes of praise. No matter what sounds are swirling around you, there is always a concert of grace.

God hears you.

And He will answer.

Come join the dance.

Junie B. Jones and the Defenders of Hope?

I have a new favorite character~ Junie B. Jones, the world's funniest first grader. My girls love these books. But I have to confess, I'm the first one asking "who's ready to read?" ;-)

Last summer we did a Magic School Bus book and video-a-thon. This year, we've read The Chronicles of Narnia and now we're laughing our heads off with Junie B. I tell you! ;-) The author, Barbara Park is an exceptional writer who certainly knows her stuff.

Not only do I love these books as a mom, but I've also enjoyed them as a writer. So much so that I featured Junie B. in the upcoming Insider Info section of my Defenders of Hope newsletter about creating great characters. I'll be highlighting the use of dialogue in character creation and Junie B's dialogue is top rate.

If you're not a member of the Defenders of Hope community, I hope you'll follow the link and sign up! The newsletter will be delivered to inboxes this Friday night/ Saturday morning with a cool frapp recipe, a devotion on the theme verse of Healing Promises, a tip about keeping kids safe, and a fun look into Junie B. Jones.

Come join the fun, make a frapp and let me introduce you to Junie B. Jones!

Defenders of Hope newsletter sign up

Blessed Be Your Name

God keeps bringing me back to Job 1:21 "The LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD."

My first time crashing against this verse came when I was newly pregnant with my first daughter. I excitedly shared our joy in Sunday school class. People congratulated and I beamed.

Then, after the celebrating settled down, a friend next to us shared about how they'd just lost their baby. No one knew what to say or how to respond.

The dad turned to me and said, "The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be His name."

I will never forget that tear-filled, bittersweet moment when Job 21:1 became life before my eyes.

Then I stood in the place where other's celebrated babies and I grieved losing my third child. It took a long time to lift my face to heaven and remember God's goodness.

And now, God has me crashing against this verse again. Only this time it's a theme verse for Healing Promises. Because the book was nothing like my life story, I was slow to grasp why God kept putting this verse from Job in front of my face.

Then I got it.

The essence of Sara and Clint's story is mine. In a time of suffering, can I echo Job's words and bless the name of the Lord?

For a long time the answer has been, "No."

At the end of my emotional resources and feeling very broken by life circumstances, God asked me the question again this morning. I answered with a question of my own~ Do You really love me?

Because one touch from God and my body would be healed.

One word from God and painful relationships would be restored.

One whisper from God and everyone would know about my writing.

But after I got done with my little speech about all the things above and more that I don't understand what God is doing, He simply answered my questions with all I needed to know.

Over and over I heard the words from Jeremiah 31:3 "I have loved you with an everlasting love."

Over and over His answer came until all I could do is cry and everything else disappeared.

Because everything else wasn't the point.

When you get down to the messy realities of life, God's love is all that matters.

My circumstances may never change, and this morning I had to lay some heart-wrenching things down before the Lord and leave them there. I can't control them. I can't change them. I can't fix them. I can't make them work.

God whispered a final word to my heart this morning. One that offered the strength I desperately needed...

Believe.

But God's question still hung in the air unanswered. He'd answered mine. And now I could answer His.

Yes, Lord. Though the road is marked with suffering, blessed be Your Name.

Growing a garden~ a happy birthday tribute to my oldest

Today is my oldest daughter's tenth birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY SWEET SONG!

She's been keeping us all in tune for ten years and is super excited about finally being in double digits. We're celebrating with a special grown up tea party at this neat little tea room where all the girls can dress up in beautiful gowns and eat on fine china.

But her birthday has me a little nostalgic realizing this is the kiddo who first made me a mommy. It can't possibly have been a decade ago.

In this picture she's showing off her very first sunflower. She and her daddy share an enjoyment of working in the garden. Me? Not so much. The garden I'm most interested with investing my time in is my children. Watching them grow is one of life's simplest pleasures.

I remember listening to my oldest first prayers, videotaping her first song, listening to her read her first book. I remember vividly the day she became a Christian.

After one of those terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days, my little girl looked at me and said, "Mommy, I think I really need Jesus."

My not so loving response was an exasperated, "Yes. You do!"

She proceeded to explain that she realized through all the correcting she'd received that day that she couldn't be good without Jesus.

And as soon as Daddy came home that day, she prayed this prayer as we listened: "Jesus, please take away my black heart and put your heart in me."

Since then, I've had the privilege of watching this little girl grow up to become an amazing young lady. She's a wonderful teacher, pray-er, encourager, artist, inventor, and all around neat person.

She lives life with everything she has, she loves without embarrassment, she sings with joy and gusto, and she forgives readily.

I want to be more like her when I grow up.

Happy birthday, honey! I love you so much~ to infinity and beyond!!!

WHO 3~ a game featuring Ransomed Dreams

A crime has been committed—and it’s up to you to figure out WHOdunit! Play the game for a chance to win an autographed copy of Amy Wallace’s romantic suspense, RANSOMED DREAMS.

(If you already have a copy~ THANK YOU!~ you can still play and mabye win a copy for a friend. Books are great gifts. ;-) )

Here’s what you do:

Read the scenes below and collect the KEYWORDS from each scene (note: keywords are not pointers toward the culprit, but rather toward the novel from which we got our setting).

Once you have the keys and have figured out WHOdunit, send an email to review@christianreviewofbooks.com with the subject line WHO? Send us the name of the culprit and the six keywords. Don’t forget to come back next week for the WHO? Confession by the culprit!

Entries will be received between 12 noon EST, Thursday August 23 through 3 p.m. EST, Monday 27 August.

*******
Louisa
By Roseanna M. White

(There is no keyword in this first scene)

Louisa still wasn’t sure how she had ended up in a stranger’s house, at an impromptu party with a bunch of people she’d never met before that day. Sure, she had been enjoying her conversation with Dr. Cramer when they met at the National Institutes of Health earlier that day, and the thought of tagging along with him to meet a friend had, at the time, seemed perfectly logical.

Now she surveyed this group with mixed thoughts. She was one of only three females; one of the other two, LaTisha, was a brightly plumed older woman decked out in a bright purple dress and red scarf. The other, Sierra was nearer Louisa in age and had on a t-shirt with the slogan “Save the animals. Endanger Idiots Instead.” A little off-putting, though the petite Asian girl was smiling and chatting amicably with one of the men.

“Hello, love.”

Louisa looked over with a start at the handsome young man who had materialized at her side, a glass of soda in each hand. He reminded her vaguely of some actor. Sandy brown hair. Nice face. Even the English accent fit. Jude Law, wasn’t it? She took the drink he offered with a small smile. “Thanks. I’m Louisa.” She held out a hand.

He raised it to his lips, which nearly made her roll her eyes. “Jeremy Beckett. I was chatting with our lovely exotic bird there,” he said with a nod toward LaTisha, “about volunteering at my school when Agent Kessler invited us home for a few snacks. Interesting group, isn’t it?”

“Mm.” She took a sip of her soda and looked absently at the massive man still talking to Sierra. He was huge, complete with heavy middle, moon cheeks and a ruddy complexion, but that wasn’t what grabbed her attention. He kept talking about his church and saying things like “the Lamb” and mentioning the power of the blood without ever making it sound—well—right.

Maybe in a minute she’d go over and see if she could wrangle that poor Sierra girl free.

Or maybe she wouldn’t have to. Sierra backed away from him with wide eyes, looking like she was about to haul back and slap him. “You people sacrifice animals? You. . . you barbarians!” She spun away with a disgusted huff.

Their host, FBI Agent Steven Kessler, immediately offered the big man—ironically named Ham—an hors d’oeuvre to diffuse the situation.

“Good man,” Jeremy said beside her, nodding to Steven. “I had his son in class.”

“I didn’t realize he had a son.”

“An angel, more like. He’s six.”

Louisa felt her lips tug up into a smile. “Mine are eight. Twins.”

Jeremy nearly choked on his soda. “You have eight-year-olds? You don’t look a day over twenty-one.”

His judgment probably wouldn’t be much better had he known how old she really was, so Louisa just gave that vague smile she had perfected over the years and said, “Thanks. Hopefully people will still be saying that in another decade.”

Dr. Cramer slid up to her other side. He was tall, and his features said he had ancestors from India. He was still wearing his scrubs from the lab, too, and managed to look as comfortable in them as Louisa was in her cut-offs. He held out a hand to Jeremy. “Hello. Jeremy Cramer.”

The Brit titled his head. “Jeremy Beckett.”

The doctor laughed. “I’ll just go by Dr. Cramer, then. You’re the younger Kessler’s teacher, right? I consulted with Agent Kessler on a case a while back.”

“His specialty is infectious diseases,” Louisa informed the teacher. “You should just hear about the strides his team’s making in studying the—”

“Goodness!” LaTisha huffed over to them with a dramatic hand to her chest. “These little bitty cracker things are barely enough to fill a woman.”

Louisa grinned. The woman was a character, that’s for sure, and she couldn’t seem to keep her hose from sagging down.

“I went into the kitchen and poked around. I could whip up a proper Southern meal in no time. You just ask my Hardy, I can cook to beat the band. Raised seven kids in my kitchen, after all.”
Dr. Cramer smiled and opened his mouth to reply.

He didn’t get the chance. The world seemed to explode into chaos around them, the sound of shattering glass followed directly by the distant boom of a gun, nearly covered by the half-dozen screams of the people in the room. Louisa was pushed none too gently to the ground. She didn’t need any convincing to stay there.

“Everybody stay down!” It was Steven’s voice that barked out the command. She looked up enough to see him belly-crawling over to the window, even as he fished a cell phone out of his pocket. Seconds later, he was speaking into it. “Clint, get an Evidence Response Team to my house pronto. The ‘impromptu party’ proved more than our suspect could resist. Lost a window though, and the wood splitter buzzed my head before lodging in my bookcase somewhere. We should have all the info needed before the night’s over.”

“What in the world?” LaTisha’s voice quavered.

The FBI agent scanned the room. “Everybody okay?”

A chorus of weak assurances sounded.

“No one’s hurt,” he said into the phone again. “See you in a few.” He flipped shut his phone and stood up against the wall beside the shattered window. “Let’s move into the kitchen, low and slow. The shooter’s most likely long gone, but we need to get out of this room so the ERT can do its job.”

Louisa pushed herself onto her knees and crawled along with the others through the door to the kitchen. She would have felt ridiculous had that gunshot not still been echoing through her mind. She stood up once she was in the safe, soft glow of the kitchen light. The exterior door was shrouded by heavy blinds, as was the window.

Steven was the last one in, and the group’s low murmuring came to an abrupt halt at the glare he leveled on each of them in turn. “All right. Which one of you tipped the shooter?”

A cold knot formed in Louisa’s belly. “One of us?”

The agent’s jaw ticked. “As far as everyone knew, I was heading to Georgia for a weekend away. I arrived via taxi. My car is still at Headquarters. A current suspect’s threats have ratcheted up and this party was a way to smoke him out. But one of you had to tip him off to the time and my whereabouts. I want to know who.”

Sierra folded her arms over her chest. “Ask Jabba the Hut, here. He has no problem killing innocent animals, he probably doesn’t much care about FBI agents, either.”

Ham’s countenance reflected injury. He raised a meaty hand to his chest. “Me? I strive for the redemption of humankind. What about you, young lady? You’re the one who prefers beasts to her own species. Maybe you called one of your activist friends while you were in the bathroom. I was standing beside Kessler—you could have been gunning for me, since I offend you so much.”

“Now y’all stop squabbling. You sound like a bunch of kids.” LaTisha tugged on her pantyhose and scowled. “Let’s get to the bottom of this. Who among us actually knew where we were going? I personally just came along with Jeremy, and I think young Louisa here rode with Dr. Cramer. Sierra, you came on your own, and so did Ham. Jeremy and the doctor knew their way. So a few of us, at least, couldn’t have tipped anyone off, since frankly I couldn’t tell you even now where we are.”

Louisa nodded. “Besides, I haven’t been alone since we were invited to come.” She tried a small smile. “For that matter, I don’t even have a cell phone.”

The others blinked at her, shook their collective heads, and then turned back to one another. Steven narrowed his eyes at Jeremy. “You’re arm’s bleeding.”

The teacher looked down at his own forearm in surprise. “Must have been a piece of glass.”

Dr. Cramer let out a gusty sigh and pulled a pair of rubber gloves from the pocket of his scrubs. “Agent Kessler, get me a first aid kit. Everyone else stay back. The last thing we need is disease spreading.”

He started mumbling something about AIDS and a few other scary-sounding terms Louisa had never heard before as he reached with protected fingers for Jeremy’s arm.

The teacher frowned at him. “I don’t have any terrible diseases, doc. I may date a lot, but—”

“Many people have no idea when they’re infected. Better safe than sorry. Agent? A kit?”

Steven handed over a white box with a large red cross on it. His expression didn’t soften.

“While Mr. Beckett here gets cleaned up, the rest of you better be prepared to come clean, too. Someone tipped off that gunman. And no one’s leaving until I know who it was.”

***********

LaTisha from MURDER ON THE OL’ BUNIONS
By S. Dionne Moore

The kitchen felt powerful hot all the sudden. Large room though it was, all of us, I dare say, felt the bite of Mr. Muscleman’s command. It didn’t take me long to warm to the occasion. We’re not talking hot flashes, either. I’m long past that.

Well, if he wanted to play detective, then we’d do it my way. And I decided then and there to begin my inquisition with Mr. Muscleman Bossy Guy himself. Afterall, no one liked a bossy person. And no one likes being bossed less than a boss. Takes one to know one, right?

I lasered in on Mr. Muscular. “You’re powerful quick to eyeball us as suspects in this CRIME. Maybe you have something against someone here.”

He crossed his arms, and I thought he’d go toe to toe with me, but his slow smile oozed charm. Too cute for his own good. But I’m immune. Hardy’s my little rooster. Sick though he might be. Right now his cocka-doodle-do is more like the croak of a toad, but I love him.

Mr. Muscles’s smile slid away. He opened the double doors a bit and peeked through. I tapped my toe, letting him know I wouldn’t be put off forever. He eased the door closed again and pursed his lips. “I assure you, Mrs. Barnhart, that is not the case.”

Come to think of it, he was one of the only people I remembered seeing the entire time. Still . . . why did he invite us all over? Complete strangers? It didn’t make a bit of sense.

I eyeballed the rest of the motley crowd, my mind replaying the movements of those present since I’d arrived at this party. Jeremy Beckett seemed unlikely to flick a flea, and the doctor, well, I didn’t know his name, but he hadn’t been out of my sight at all, save for the time I went to the kitchen. The Asian girl kept eyeballing a large man in a bright orange shirt . . .

Orange shirt? Something snagged in my mind, and I looked closer at the fellow. Large. Blond hair. Eyes the color of seaweed.

Hm.

In the middle of my poking around the kitchen earlier, when I’d harbored hope of finding more than a cracker, I clearly remembered a flash of orange as someone exited from the kitchen and into the dining room. I hadn’t given it much thought then, but now that I think on it, it was funny that I had seen someone exiting the kitchen but not in the kitchen.

I waved a hand at the double doors I thought I’d seen him pass through. “Didn’t I see you slipping through those doors into the dining room earlier?”

He smoothed his shirt. “I, too, was looking for a bit more substantial snack.” He stabbed a look at the little Asian girl and pointed to the rack of very sharp, gleaming utensils. “I must say our host has quite an impressive collection of knives, wouldn’t you agree, Sierra?”

“You’re sick,” she muttered and turned her back.

But I wasn’t to be sidetracked. He must have known I wasn’t done with him because he raised an eyebrow at me. Kind of a silent challenge. Well, honey, after raising seven kids, I was more than up to anything he dished. “I believe you had your back to me, Mrs. Barnhart. I’m sure you will agree, this is a very large kitchen.”

“And you’re a very big man. I would have at least seen you, if not heard you.”

There, let him soak that in brine for a while.

I turned to Sierra. “Where’d you get off to before the blast?”

She shrugged. “I have nothing to hide. I left to find the bathroom, but ended up in the library.” Her eyes shifted to the doctor. “You remember, Doctor, you helped me find it.”

Doc patted Mr. Beckett’s arm and straightened. “Indeed I did, young lady. What of it?”

“Weren’t you fumbling with something?” her eyes narrowed. “Like maybe your cell phone?”

The doctor busied himself with pulling at the fingers of his gloves. “I received a page.”

I filed away that tidbit. Something else drifted on the fringes of my brain. It came to me as my eyes scanned along the hall off the kitchen.

The door to the bedroom. It had been closed earlier, and now it stood open, though Muscles hadn’t left the party.

I locked onto Mr. Orange again. His lips drew down into a frown as he returned my stare. That’s when it clicked. “You had come from the bedroom, hadn’t you? And you didn’t want me seeing you. Now I wonder, why would that be?”

************

Steven from RANSOMED DREAMS
By Amy Wallace

Rather than glaring himself into having six more enemies, Steven slipped into the living room and surveyed the scene. Good thing James and Gracie were safely tucked away at his parent’s home for the weekend. After the ERT did their work, the first order of business would be finding a crime scene cleaner and getting a new window installed.

Then he’d call Gracie so she wouldn’t stay up all night wondering. Maybe they could salvage a few hours of his “vacation” weekend, even if they did have to stay in VIRGINIA to do it.

After checking his watch, he slipped on a latex glove and ran a hand over his splintered bookshelf. It’d take him and Clint a good weekend of work making another section for the piece of furniture that would hopefully house all of Gracie’s books in the near future.

Not wanting to disturb any clue the ERT would need to sink a conviction, he moved to the phone. Surely no one was stupid enough to use his phone to make the call. But then again, if criminals were playing with a full stack they’d have cold case files enough to make a twenty-year veteran cry.

He hit redial and listened to the number a computer voice rattled back to him. Not a call he’d placed. Punching it into his cell, he waited for six long and boring rings.

“We’re sorry, but the cellular customer you’re trying to reach is unavailable. If you’d like to leave a message—”

He didn’t, so he slapped the phone shut and took to pacing.

It was a local cell number and not one they had on file for their kidnapping suspect. Once the ERT Agent in Charge cleared him, Steven would run the number by Michael and let the computer genus do his stuff to track it down.

But that wasn’t a solid enough lead for cuffing one of his “guests” and giving them a short trip to a long night in jail.

One more glance at his watch. The ERT should arrive shortly. Until then, he had an interrogation times six to keep him busy.

************

Dr. Cramer from INFORMED CONSENT
By Sandra Glahn

Dr. Cramer wanted to avoid alarming Jeremy, but the red circle of blood on the teacher’s white shirt continued to expand. The doctor pulled up Jeremy’s sleeve for a look.

“Are you on any medications?” he asked.

Jeremy shook his head. “Just an occasional aspirin and some over-the-counter allergy stuff.”

“When’s the last time you had aspirin?” Dr. Cramer asked.

“Yesterday, actually.”

The doctor breathed easier. Perhaps some of the blood-thinning properties were still in effect, which would account for the heavy bleeding, even though the injury appeared to be only on the skin's surface. He pressed against the wound to slow the flow. “Take off your belt," he said.
Jeremy’s eyebrows shot up. “Why?” His look was defiant, but he didn’t wait for an answer to reach for the buckle.

“I need a tourniquet.”

“Surely it’s not all that bad, doc,” Jeremy insisted.

“Maybe not. But just in case.”

Jeremy dutifully undid his belt and handed it to the physician. Dr. Cramer wrapped it around the injured arm above the wound and gave it a yank. Then he looked over at Stephen. “Got any alcohol?”

Stephen nodded and trotted off toward the bathroom.

“Am I gonna live, doc?” Jeremy asked, seeming to laugh it off, though the quiver in his voice betrayed him.

“We’re all terminal cases,” Dr. Cramer said. “But I don’t think your time’s up yet. Does it hurt?”

“Not much, but it’s starting to throb now that you’re pressing on it.” Jeremy’s tone was accusatory.

Dr. Cramer shrugged it off. He looked around at the guests, and his eyes landed on Louisa. “Get me some gauze and tape out of there, will you?” He pointed to the first-aid kit and Louisa jumped into action. Stephen returned with the alcohol about the time Louisa handed Dr. Cramer what he’d asked for. Less than minute later, the wound was dressed.

Dr. Cramer handed back the supplies to their deliverers and felt around in the pockets of his scrubs.

“What do you need?” Stephen asked.

“My phone. Must’ve left it in the car.”

Stephen pointed toward the hall. “Use the one in the bedroom.”

“Thanks.” Dr. Cramer looked over at Jeremy. “I’ll drive you to the ER or we can call an ambulance, if you prefer. It would be better if you didn’t drive yourself. Let me just tell the hospital we’re on our way.”

“ER? It’s not that bad, is it?”

“Your CASE involves a gunshot wound. Trust me—for both our sakes we need to take you in.”

“Okay. Whatever.” Jeremy shrugged.

Dr. Cramer proceeded down the hall and found Stephen’s immaculately clean bedroom. The décor was art deco in primary colors and symmetrical lines that brought Mondrian to mind. Next to the bed on a black lacquer table sat a red telephone.

As he made his way across the room, Dr. Cramer noticed a slip of paper on the hardwood floor. It was lying in a pool of water about the size an ice cube might leave. He stooped to pick up the paper and recognized it as a business card for Rev. Archer Romlin. It was just like the one each guest had received earlier in the evening except that this one was torn in half, and on the back someone had scribbled what was now the residue of a phone number with the word "cell."

Dr. Cramer picked up the phone and scrolled back through “calls made.” The area code and prefix on the card matched the most recent one, but the last four letters on the card were smeared beyond recognition so there was not way of knowing for sure if the numbers matched.

************

Sierra from HAZARDOUS DUTY
By Christy Barritt

“Rev. Romlin? The cult leader?” Sierra’s fiery gaze turned to Ham, who’d just grabbed a bacon-wrapped scallop from the kitchen counter. “This pig was just talking about the Reverend. It looks like we have our killer.”

Ham glowered down at her and, with a mouthful of food, exclaimed, “Listen here, girlie, you’re a suspect too. Don’t try to put the attention on me just to take it off yourself.”

“I don’t believe in murder, unlike the rest of you people who kill innocent animals simply to indulge your own desires. I’ve got a heart!” She jabbed her finger into her chest to emphasize her words. Her gaze swung around the room, looking at each of the meat eaters with obvious contempt. Everyone stopped eating their meaty treats and wiped their mouths.

Sierra’s scowl landed on Ham again. She stepped closer and jabbed his chest this time. She was a small thing, but she had spirit. “I’ve heard all about your Reverend Romlin. He always talks about RANSOMING people from their sins in that television show of his. And how do you get delivered from your sins? By sending him money. He’s a brainwasher. Did he brainwash you into killing someone, Pig Boy?”

Ham stepped forward, towering over petite Sierra. “I will not tolerate your accusations. For all we know, that bullet could have been aimed at me.”

**********

Hamilton Gordon from RELUNCTANT RUNAWAY
By Jill Elizabeth Nelson

“I don’t like being shot at.” Ham crossed his arms, and sweat trickled into the folds of flesh down his side. “But God hates false accusers.”

That FBI agent, Kessler, poked a finger at him. “No one’s accusing you, Mr. Gordon, but if you’d been the target, it would have been hard to miss.”

Ham’s cheeks flamed. “You’re no pipsqueak yourself. How do you know the shot wasn’t intended as a warning? A scare tactic. I have enemies—”

“Scare tactic!” The mature woman in bright purple hitched up her hose. “Pretty effective then, I’d say. But who’d want to shoot a meat-packing tycoon?”

A soft shriek came from Sierra. “You not only sacrifice animals for sick religious rituals, but you slaughter them for a living? That’s it. This guy’s guilty. He has no respect for life.”

“Young lady,” Ham lifted himself to his full height, “I never said we of The Inner Witness sacrifice lambs. I said we partake of lamb and wine in our sacrament of FORGIVENESS and healing. Maybe you’re a confirmed vegetarian, but I’ll wager everyone else in this room enjoys a good steak, including our host who seems to think someone’s out to kill him.”

Kessler smiled grimly. “With the help of an accomplice in this room.”

“Which brings us back to you, Ham.” LaTisha piped up. “You were alone for part of the evening. Long enough to place that mystery call from Steven’s home phone. Next to the phone, Dr. Cramer found a business card for Reverend Archer Romlin with a smudged phone number written on the back.” She ticked the points off on her fingers. “And you are one of Romlin’s followers. Pretty interesting two plus two here.”

Cramer and Jeremy muttered agreement. Louisa stared, wide-eyed. Sierra shuddered and pressed her lips together.

Ham lifted his chin. “Circumstantial evidence. I have been accused of worse by professionals, not amateur sleuths, and acquitted.” The FBI agent snorted, but didn’t say anything as Ham went on. “What about the good doctor? He wandered off by himself for a while, and there’s no reason he couldn’t have written that number on the back of Rev. Romlin’s business card. I handed one out to everyone when we arrived. And Ms. Humane Society?” He jerked a nod at Sierra. “She left the room, too, also in possession of one of my dear pastor’s business cards. What do any of you have to say about that?”

“Motive.” Kessler’s voice sliced the air. “I’m still trying to figure out your motive, Gordon. But don’t worry, I will, and then we’ll have an arrest, a trial, and a conviction.”

Ham locked glares with the FBI agent. Would law enforcement ever tire of persecuting him? Probably not as long as he placed loyalty to his faith above every other consideration.

***********

Jeremy from TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE
By Trish Perry

Right. Here I’ve landed in the soup again, haven’t I? My friends are constantly encouraging me to involve myself in events outside my typical social scenes. “Stay away from the nightclubs and bars, Jeremy!” they say. “There are so many other ways to meet interesting people.” They mean women, of course. They know my romantic circumstances haven’t panned out quite as favorably as I would have liked.

So I take up this bloke Kessler on his invitation to a small do at his home, complete with doctors, animal-rights activists, tycoons, and that utterly striking young mum. I had hoped to chat her up, but that doesn’t look likely now. This could be a blasted long night, and not for pleasant reasons.

They turned out to be an interesting lot, I’ll give them that! I was quite chuffed about getting to know Kessler a bit more. I’ve never met an FBI agent before. What cracking good stories he must have, eh? From the looks of it, though, this shooting was no ACCIDENT. Kessler appears suspicious of all of us. Might one of these guests have sinister reasons for attending?

Kessler thinks someone made a phone call to touch off the shooting. I can’t say I saw anyone on the phone; not even a cell phone. I did see that paranoid doctor chap in the kitchen, checking his pager. But as far as I could see, he stayed clear of the phone. And I must admit I noticed that little animal-rights bird leave the room—she’s rather smashing with that nose ring, isn’t she? She seems sharp, as well. I think she just left to use the facilities, though.

Overall, I’d say LaTisha’s husband, Hardy, had the right idea tonight. He stayed home!

**********

Have you figured out WHOdunit? Then send the name and the culprit and the six KEYWORDS to review@christianreviewofbooks.com with the subject line WHO?

Entries will be received until 3 p.m. EST on Friday 17 August.

Have fun!

I'm a failure

Edits on Healing Promises have been pure torture in the midst of needing shoulder surgery, a very defiant three year old, and not balancing life well.

But everything is multiplied in pain when the response to circumstances is to believe a lie. That's what I realized I was doing today, thanks to the proverbial straw that broke everything apart.

After a mammoth temper tantrum, God got my attention. I started looking at this book I'm struggling with and suddenly realized Sara story had become mine and I was missing the point.

So I put aside the work, got quiet before God and listened to what was really going on behind the scenes. Once again, He showed me that I'd bought into a lie from the enemy about being a failure as a parent, a writer, and in just about every other area imaginable.

In so doing I helped the enemy destroy.

God and I spent some amazing time talking about my fears of failure and what I'd done in response. Deep sadness, confession, and forgiveness, broke through the barrier I'd built with God. Then I heard what He had to say about me.

That made all the difference.

The Holy Spirit whispered a verse to my heart that spoke right to what I'd been missing and crushed the lies I'd lived by with clear truth.

God said, "I know the plans I have for you, to give you hope and a future."

Exactly what I needed. God's gift of hope and His promise that He does indeed have a future for me. I have no idea what form that will take. But God knows.

And now He and I have some real writing to do.

Please keep praying! What a gift it is to know none of us is alone in this battle and that in the end God is good and He truly does have a good plan for each and every one of us.

The Void

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance Tour

THE VOID

by Mark Mynheir

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

During Mark Mynheir's career as a police officer, he has worked as a narcotics agent, a S.W.A.T. team member, and a homicide detective. Mark and his wife, Lori, live with their three children in central Florida. Mark is also the author of Rolling Thunder (The Truth Chasers Book One) and From the Belly of the Dragon (The Truth Chasers Book Two).


ABOUT THE BOOK:

The Void

The Truth Chasers Book Three


Someone’s trying to play God…and he’s turning Palm Bay into hell.

Florida Department of Law Enforcement Agent Robbie Sanchez devotes her life to crime prevention, and it shows: She has no personal life and doesn’t know the meaning of a day off. After all, someone has to be around to clean up the mess crime leaves behind.

So when Officer Brad Worthington is brutally murdered, Agent Sanchez is called to the scene along with Brad’s best friend, Detective Eric Casey. The two turn to Lifetex, the genetics lab near the scene, hoping their elaborate security system might have captured the crime outside.

But what’s going on inside the lab is far worse: a renegade scientist is cloning humans! As Robbie and Eric pursue clues–and a growing attraction–they are caught in a deadly battle as the clones begin to act on their own volition…but this battle threatens to claim more than human life; the clones are vying for human souls.

The Void is nothing short of a page-turner. Mynheir is truly hitting his stride as one of our industry's most notable Christian novelists. This latest book has it all: suspense, humor, intrigue, realistic police action, and one thought-provoking story line.

Creston Mapes
Author of Nobody

Amy here: Mark is one of my top ten favorite authors and his newest book, The Void, solidifies his position there. This book delivers a fast-paced story full of tension and class, but also challenges believers to go deeper into the ramifications of the story Mark presents.

Don't miss this amazing read and the deep things God has to say through Mark's incredible book! Pick up a copy of The Void today!

OFF THE RECORD

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing

OFF THE RECORD

(Zondervan August 15, 2007)

by Elizabeth White

Beth is one of my favorite folks in the writing world. She was the first author I worked up the nerve to email and tell her I loved her novella in Sweet Delights. When she found out I was an aspiring author, she took the time to encourage me. Over the years she's become a beloved friend and continues to spur me on in my writing.

Besides being a dear friend, Beth is also an incredible author. Her characters feel like friends and her stories provide an enjoyable escape from life pressures while drawing you deeper into Christ.

Now for a little more about Beth and her newest book...

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Beth White is the author of Fireworks and Fair Game, as well as the critically acclaimed Texas Gatekeepers series from Love Inspired Suspense.

In her own words, she appreciates her most valued roles as wife and mom. Beth is also a second-grade Sunday school teacher, church orchestra member (She plays flute), and artist. She loves to read, crochet, sew, go on mission trips and avoid housework.

Beth lives in Mobile with her minister husband, and is currently on staff at First Baptist Church of North Mobile (fondly known as NoMo), in Saraland, Alabama.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Ambition is on a collision course with a secret from the past.

Judge Laurel Kincade, a rising political star, is announcing her candidacy for chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court. Her aristocratic Old South family, led by her judge grandfather, beams as she takes the podium. Then her eyes light on a reporter in the crowd…and suddenly her past becomes a threat to her future.

Journalist Cole McGaughan, religion reporter for the New York Daily Journal, has received an intriguing call from an old friend. Private investigator Matt Hogan has come across a tip…that Laurel's impeccable reputation might be a facade. Matt suggests that Cole dig up the dirt on the lovely judge in order to snag his dream job as one of the Journal's elite political reporters.

There's just one problem: Cole's history is entangled with Laurel's and he must decide if the story that could make his career is worth the price he'd have to pay.

A sensational scoop becomes a rollercoaster ride of emotions. Can Laurel and Cole find forgiveness and turn their hidden past into a hopeful future...while keeping their feelings off the record?

Wanna play?

A Shoutlife friend sent this game and I had a ball trying to find the answers. Great fun for my day off from editing. ;-)

It totally wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. If you play, let me know in the comments!


SCATTERGORIES...it's harder than it looks!

Rules:

Use the 1st letter of your name to answer each of the following questions...

They MUST be real places, names, things...NOTHING made up!

You CAN'T use your name for the boy/girl name question.

Have FUN!

Your Name: Amy

1. Famous singer/band: Amy Grant
2. 4-letter word: Army
3. Street name: Anacostia Freeway
4. Color: Aquamarine
5. Song Title: Always Something There to Remind Me
6. Vehicle: Avalanche
7. Items on a menu: Apple pie
8. Girl Name: Amanda
9. Boy Name: Andrew
10. Movie Title: Armageddon
11. Drink: Alabama Slammer or Apple cider
12. Occupation: Artist
13. Flower: Azalea
14. Celebrity: Alex Trebek
15. Magazine: American Baby
16. US City: Atlanta
17. Pro Sports Teams: Angels
18. Reason for Being Late for Work: Alarm malfunction
19. Something You Throw Away: Avocado peels
20. Things You Shout: Atta Boy!
21. Cartoon Character: Archie Arch

A picture is worth a thousand sermons

Here's an invitation for you all to take a look at this GodTube video that had me in tears. Please watch all the way till the end.



If for some reason the player doesn't work, please try this link to view the Lifehouse 'Everything' - Skit

http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=ee73e63418003b47d7d5

One Little Secret

I'd like to introduce you all to the incredible Allison Bottke and her latest book, One Little Secret.

I credit Allison with providing my first big break into the publishing world. She was my first editor, offering a contract for the story "For This Child" in God Answers Mom's Prayers.

She's also a phenomenal author, speaker and all around awesome lady.

Before I share a blurb about One Little Secret and an interview with Allison, I have to say this book was a joy to read! I'm a big fan of encouraging folks to dream big. Allison's book does just that with a lot of funny twists, wonderful characters and a totally engaging story.

About the book:

For Ursula Rhoades, her ONE LITTLE SECRET becomes her one big problem!

ONE LITTLE SECRET fits seamlessly into a culture obsessed with reality TV and celebrity lives (think American Idol and E! channel). Delving into the life of a fictional rock star, ONE LITTLE SECRET takes readers on a fun-loving ride through Hollywood and the famous GRAMMY awards.

In a land of glitz and glamour, Ursula Rhoades isn’t fazed in the least by the constant parade of Prada. She has a beautiful home, a loving family, and fulfilling volunteer opportunities that leave this fashionable and loving Bel-Air housewife completely content, even if she did have to give up her dreams when she married Don so many years ago.

Enter Nikolai Prevelakis, or Nik Prevel to his fans, the hottest young music star in the country. But it isn’t enough. Handsome, famous, and living the life of a rock star, Nik isn’t content. When his path crosses Ursula’s, he sees the opportunity he’s been waiting for. But what seems like a harmless little secret changes their lives forever-and becomes one big secret everyone’s trying to figure out!

ONE LITTLE SECRET is a Hollywood fairy tale with all the pleasures of escapist literature mixed with gentle lessons on using the talents God has given you, the power of sacrifice, self-esteem, and the value of being “just a housewife.”

Interview with Allison:

Tell us a little about yourself and some of your life experiences that have found their way into your novels. Do we "see" some of you in your characters?

There was a whole lot of me in “Stitch,” (A Stitch in Time) from the weight loss surgery aspect to the career as a professional fundraiser, to living in southern California. It’s been said that debut novels are often the most autobiographical in a novelist’s career. It’s also said that the second novel—the follow-up—is infinitely harder to write because you’ve used up pretty much everything you know in novel number one, and now the rubber meets the road for real creativity. (insert a big smile here.) That said, ONE LITTLE SECRET has far less of my real-life experience, which was a true joy to write! I had so much fun with this book!

What compelled you to make the jump from your hugely successful God Allows U-Turns books to writing fiction?

I’ve always wanted to write fiction. In fact, when I grow up I’d like to work in the world of film—writing screenplays. I have a deep love for creating those sappy, romantic comedy fairy-tale love stories that women can escape into. However, I had a major life-changing epiphany at the age of 35 that brought me closer to God in a very profound way. As a result of that, I founded an organization called: GOD ALLOWS U-TURNS. A vital aspect of that organization is a compilation book series of true short stories written by people from all around the world. The GOD ALLOWS U-TURNS anthology collection took off with its first volume published in 2001 and today, there are 23 plus books under the recognized GOD ALLOWS U-TURNS “brand.” That said, I was blessed to enter the world of publishing and get my feet wet—also important—I was able to make connections with editors and publishers who were able to see how I conducted my business.

I also began attending writer’s conferences as an instructor, and while there I was able to take classes as a student with some amazing novelists who generously shared their craft in workshop sessions. I soaked up everything I could about how to write fiction—taking notes—buying tapes—listening over and over again to teachers like Angela Hunt, Gayle Roper, Brandilyn Collins, James Scott Bell, Jack Cavanaugh, Lauraine Snelling, and Tracie Peterson. It was after taking a 3-day long intensive workshop with Tracie Peterson that I was able to fine-tune my work-in-progress and submit it with a proposal to Bethany House. The rest, as they say, is history. Bethany House signed me to write two novels and the whirlwind began.

What is something you’ve learned about yourself and God through writing that you might not have learned any other way?

Wow, that’s a really good question! A few months ago, I wouldn’t have had a good answer, or I’d have needed to really search my brain for the answer. But it just so happens that I’ve been going through one of those God growth spurts, you know? I’ve had a series of personal epiphanies the past few weeks that are helping me grow as a child of God. The main lesson I’ve learned at this stage of my boomer babe life is that if I don’t slow down I’m going to miss the joy of life. I’ve been so caught up in writing deadlines and constantly working, doing and achieving that one day I realized I had lost the joy of life. Not a good thing. I had to stop and look seriously at my priorities and weigh the tasks of my life against the rewards and more important, against what I know in my heart that God wants from me. His ways are the best, and he is in control, not me. But every once and awhile (okay, more than once and awhile) I get to thinking that I can do it all and then I hit a wall and realize I can’t do it all. Not only that I can’t—but that I shouldn’t even try.

What is your favorite way to connect with God?

Sitting outside in the quiet and listening. Listening to the sounds of nature—and to the sounds of God as he impresses on my heart the things I’m often too busy to listen to. I need quiet time, we all do, but for some of us this is as vital as water. If I don’t stop long enough to thank God for all the blessings he bestows on me each and every day, I end up being a person I don’t very much like.

Thanks, Amy, for allowing me to stop by. I sure hope your readers will pick up a copy of ONE LITTLE SECRET and let me know what they think. Reader feedback is vital!

Have a blessed day!

Hope you all have enjoyed meeting Allison! I'll echo her words about picking up a copy of One Little Secret (it's awesome!) and sending her a feedback email. Authors love those kind words from folks who've enjoyed their books. ;-)

Also, be sure to check out the One Little Secret Hollywood Casting Call Contest Great prizes for a very fun contest!

Suffering

Suffering isn't a topic we talk about too much. Not in church. Not at home. Not even with God.

Most people, me included, if we talk about suffering at all it sounds far more like complaint. Even in prayer. I'm guilty of those "please take this away" prayers and seldom think of thanking God for my circumstances.

Two things shot this issue to the forefront today.

One is my current set of circumstances where it'd be easier and quicker to list the good stuff.

The second is a combination of a Bible verse God wouldn't let me get away from and a story I remembered from years ago.

The Bible verse is 1 Peter 4:19: "So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good."

Honestly, I'd rather give up most day than continue to do good when life is a series of tear-stained pillows. But God brought to mind other verses I struggle to understand that run along this same theme.

Philippians 1:29: "For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him."

Romans 5:3-5: "We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

I don't like to hear that suffering is according to God's will. But it's all throughout the Scriptures. 2 Peter clearly talks about Christians being called to suffer and follow in Christ's footsteps.

But even when I bow my knee and accept the reality that suffering is part of God’s plan for my life, seldom do I consider it a privilege. Even less do I rejoice over suffering and thank God for it.

As I've mulled all this over today and look back over painful months that stretch years into the past, I had to stop looking back when I considered a story I read long ago.

It was an interview with a Chinese Christian talking about the issue of suffering. She said, "You American Christians pray for God to take away the pain. We pray for God to strengthen our backs."

I'm ashamed and humbled by this woman's simple statement. Way too often I choose complaint over praise. Demanding God to remove my physical and emotional pain over seeking to glorify Him in the midst of the circumstances He's ordained.

I don't understand. I wish God's path didn't include times of hurt and heartache. But He didn't call us to understand.

He called me, and you, to follow.

To trust Him.

To praise Him anyway. Even when it hurts.

I haven't "arrived" to the place where this is natural. But after today, I'm beginning to see my circumstances a little differently. Not rose-colored denial. But looking beyond the reality of pain to an even greater reality.

If we suffer according to God's will and continue to do good, to praise Him in it, He will strengthen our backs, place His footprints right next to ours, and make us more like Him. He even promises this building of character will produce hope.

"And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."

The choice is simple, not easy:

Focus on pain or praise

Complaint or hope

I pray we'll join together and remind one another to choose praise. To choose hope. And along the way to help carry the ones struggling in their pain, just like Jesus is carrying us.

Home Steeped Hope

On Wednesday, stop by and visit Mary and me at Home Steeped Hope and check out our fun and in-depth homeschool and writing interview. Mary, a fellow homeschool writer mom, asked some great questions that cover just about everything you might want to know about the how's why's and when's of my homeschooling and writing journey.

Hope to see you there! And if there's anything else you'd like to know~ feel free to ask away and I'll try to answer your questions as soon as possible.

Prayers are much appreciated as my editor and I work on Healing Promises! Please pray that we'll hear the Lord and polish up this book so that it best reflects Jesus, the Author and Perfector of our faith.

A lesson from a little one

This drawing is one my oldest did in the days after 9-11. She was four years old. Her explanation of this picture continues to humble me with its simplicity and grace.

She said, "This picture shows the angry and sad man in the airplane that hit the tower." She explained the words "I love" by saying God loves and she would choose love, not anger like those men did.

This same little girl is now almost ten years old and today taught her first Sunday school lesson. She picked the topic, wrote the paper on her own, and delivered it so well that all I could do when I first heard her practice was smile and wipe the tears of pure mommy pride from my eyes.

I asked her permission to share it with you all, and I'm copying it here in its entirety. Minus her precious smiles and adult, speaker-level eye contact. She's amazing.

The Armor of God

Read Ephesians 6:10-18, "10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints."

(And yes, she even copied the verse numbers when she wrote this passage out on paper. She's a very cool detail kid.)

The armor of God is necessary in our lives every day. Each of the seven pieces has a very important meaning.

First, the helmet of salvation protects our mind, like a helmet protects the head in battle. Salvation is what allows us to experience God's great forgiveness and helps us know right from wrong. A prayer taken from John Eldridge's book Wild at Heart is: "Thank you, Lord, for my salvation. I receive it in a new and fresh way from you and declare that nothing can separate me now from the love of Christ and the place I shall have in your kingdom."

The next piece of armor is the breastplate of righteousness. Righteousness protects our hearts from corruption, like a breastplate protects a soldier's heart from being harmed. Purity and holiness are what righteousness is. They can only be received from God, and they repel satan's assaults. Another prayer from John Eldridge's book is: "Lord, I wear your righteousness today against all condemnation and corruption. Fit me with your holiness and purity~ defend me from all assaults against my heart."

In addition, we have the shield of faith, and it will protect you from satan's lies, just like a shield protects a soldier from arrows. If you continually put your faith in God, satan's lies cannot deceive you. Now, a third prayer from Eldridge's book is: "Jesus, I lift against every lie and every assault the confidence that you are good and that you have good in store for me. Nothing is coming today that can overcome me because you are with me."

Another piece of armor is the gospel shoes of peace. It is good to continually be ready to spread peace and the gospel. Spreading peace and being a peacemaker will benefit you very much. And obeying the Great Commission by spreading the gospel is always the right thing to do. Also, one prayer from Wild at Heart says: "Lord, I choose to live for the gospel at any moment. Show me where the larger story is unfolding and keep me from thinking that the most important thing today is what the world has to offer."

Also, truth holds everything together, like a belt. If you tell the truth, then you will be doing what is right. People often want to be with trustworthy people. You will have healthy relationships if you are truthful and kind and keep your word. The belt of truth will protect us from the enemy's lies if we're willing to believe God's word.

Have you ever had a good relationship because you were trustworthy? A broken one because you weren't? (My kiddo was very brave here and answered her own questions in class when the other kids didn't. This was one of the only pieces of advice I offered~ to have an answer for her questions. She talked about having a good relationship with her sisters because she does what she says she'll do. She talked about having a bad relationship with me for a time when she got caught cheating on a test. But added that over time that relationship healed and she doesn't cheat any more.)

The Word of God, which is the sword of the Spirit, is an effective weapon against satan and all his lies and demons. Remembering the truth of God's word and believing it will protect you when the devil attacks. A prayer from Eldridge's book says, "Holy Spirit, show me specifically the truths of God's word that I will need to counter the assaults and snares of the enemy. Bring them to mind throughout the day."

Prayer is also essential in defeating the enemy. When we pray to God and tell satan to leave, he must flee. Prayer also strengthens our relationship with God, and He helps us fight our enemy. A final prayer from Wild at Heart says, "Finally, Holy Spirit, I agree to walk in step with you in everything - in all prayer as my spirit communes with you throughout the day."

Preparation is important for our spiritual battle. The way to get ready is to put on the Armor of God every day.

A book tag

My friend and one of the first folks to encourage me on my writing journey, Deb Raney, tagged me with a unique meme especially for writers and readers.

1. What's the one book or writing project you haven't yet written but still hope to?

I have a three book women's fiction with a bit of humor and a lot of heart that I'd love to find a home for some day. Book one, Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, is finished, but the other two are plotted and waiting to be birthed. Here's the series blurb...

Kara wants connection.
Ellie wants a happy home.
Megan wants a mom.

When their mundane lives turn insane, three mothers play hide and seek—not with their children, but with their hearts. Baby woes, husband troubles, and family secrets have these women tasting forbidden fruit and ducking like Eve behind the fig tree. A crisis counseling retreat draws them together and points them in a new direction. But only when Kara, Ellie, and Megan realize their crazy lives are God’s invitation to seek Him do they give up childish games and find healing.

2. If you had one entire day in which to do nothing but read, what book would you start with?

I have a huge stack of books from ICRS and at the top are Cindy Woodsmall's When the Morning Comes and Camy Tang's Sushi for One. Mark's new book, The Void, was all gone when I tried to add one to my stack. I've been looking forward to this story ever since I finished Mark's From the Belly of the Dragon, one of my all-time favorite books.

3. What was your first writing "instrument" (besides pen and paper)?

A Dell PC that served us faithfully for many years and now belongs to my kiddos to play learning games. I'm amazed the dinosaur still works!

4. What's your best guess as to how many books you read in a month?

Like Deb, I keep track of all the books I've read. When I took my first step on this writing path, I read seven books the first month. Since then I read between 30 and 45 books a year. Not counting all the classic children’s books and historical biographies I read with my kiddos for school.

5. What's your favorite writing "machine" you've ever owned?

I'm pretty happy to have a flat screen Dell that meets my needs and doesn't follow me on vacation. ;-)

6. Think historical fiction: what's your favorite time period in which to read?

I'm so not a historical fiction reader, but of the few I've read and enjoyed Tricia Goyer's WWII and Spanish Civil War series are wonderful.

7. What's the one book you remember most clearly from your youth (childhood or teens)?

The stories I remember most vividly are: Macbeth (I had an AWESOME 7th grade English teacher and we acted out tons of Shakespeare's work.), Catcher in the Rye (This book still haunts me at times. I tried to read it again as an adult and it was a totally different experience. I'm hoping that means I've matured some. LOL), and Beowulf (I've always loved this story/poem. It was a real treat to read it again with my kiddos when we studying the Medieval time period in school last year.).

Now I get to tag some friends to come out in the blogsphere and play: Mark Mynheir, Creston Mapes, Camy Tang, Meg Moseley, Missy Tippens, Tricia Goyer, Dineen Miller

A Meme to Drool Over

My friend Sally tagged me for a restaurant meme. My favorites in Atlanta, GA will~ no surprise~ include chocolate for dessert as that's my main criterion for where we spend our eating out dollars. ;-)

Here are the meme rules:

*Link to the name of the person that tagged you

*Include state and country you live in

*List top 5 favorite local restaurants

*Tag 5 other people and let them know they've been tagged

1. My top restaurant choice is Chateau Élan. We don't get there often because white linen table clothes, fine China, and three kids don't mix. But they have melt in your mouth filet mignon and all their desserts (even the ones without chocolate) are amazing.

2. Next would be TGI Fridays. Their chocolate brownie concoction is incredible! Plus, my kiddos love their pizza and chocolate dirt sundaes.

3. Macaroni Grill is another favorite. My kids love their pizza (see, one family theme I'm not responsible for instigating) and I enjoy their seafood and pasta. The bread to tide us over until the meal comes and getting to color on the paper tablecloths over linen ones are nice kid-friendly perks.

4. Starbucks is actually my kinda place to eat. Lots of yummy chocolate and some pretty good sandwiches if I'm trying to be healthy.

5. But my all-time favorite place to eat is my dining room. My hubby is a master chef and the fact that he enjoys cooking (I don't really) and does so because he loves me makes the food all the more wonderful.

I'm tagging:

Laurie, because everybody else tagged her. ;-)

Amy R., because Heather and Sally tagged her too.

Jen, because she needs to start blogging again.

David because, well, because I can. LOL

Meg, because I want to hear her recommendations.

And if you have some great places with awesome chocolate to recommend, let me know in the comments!

Happy Birthday my Musical Laughter!

I remember vividly where I was exactly seven years ago today. I was two weeks from my due date (thanking the good Lord for air conditioning!) and as soon as my alarm went off that morning, my middle daughter started pounding on my belly to get out.

We hustled~ well, as fast as you can hustle in Atlanta traffic~ to the doctor's office just in time for my water to break. I got VIP entrance into the OR (via a top-of-the-line wheelchair) and actually bumped a good friend of mine from her scheduled C-section.

I couldn't write that little true-life tidbit into a novel. No one would believe me!

At promptly 1:13 PM my precious 10 lbs 6 oz princess wailed and wiggled her way into the world. She hasn't stopped moving since.

And I wouldn't have it any other way.

I call this kiddo energy personified, a moniker she does a cute hands-on-the-hips "Mommy!" smirk when I say. I also call her my Musical Laughter.

See, she taught this very serious mommy how to laugh from my heart. My oldest and I could sit around and read all day, discussing the finer points of literature. Not this kiddo. My second princess lives to move and grove and make us laugh.

Just her smile lights up a room. And her giggle is truly musical.

She's also an old soul. This is the kiddo who asks questions like, "Mommy, is it okay to be glad when a bad guy (in a book) dies?"

Uhm...

Wow. We've had a few very good theological discussions branching out from that one question. Not to mention all the other great questions she asks about God, life, and love.

I could share story after story about this little girl. She's the one who gave me the privilege of taking her place in the Emergency Room when she was just a toddler.

I did a superman dive onto hard concrete (with the help of angels I'm convinced) to get between her and the front sidewalk when she took a face first leap from our front porch. In the process, I ripped a tendon in my foot which landed me in surgery and a cast for 6 weeks.

My little one cried every time she looked at that cast. Until I explained I'd do it all over again to keep her safe.

Then she smiled.

Just like I do when I look at that scar. It reminds me of the price and the payoff of being a mommy.

Sometimes we get hurt.

And sometimes we get molded more into the image of Christ. Scars and all.

So to my Musical Laughter I say a loud and proud, HAPPY SEVENTH BIRTHDAY! God placed a beautiful gift in my arms and heart when He gave you to me, to hug and to hold for these many treasured days. I love you~ to infinity and beyond!

Lessons from Aslan and ICRS

While there were many interesting things which appeared on the ICRS floor this year, (Eugene from Focus on the Family would have scared my kids silly and the Holy Lips lip balm was a bit much for my taste) Alsan the Lion from CS Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia was not among them.

At least not that we could see.

But He did make His presence known to me with a roar of truth and reminder. It was a lesson I needed after a day filled with fun and friends and lots of opportunities to either give in to comparitivitis or to praise God.

There's a quote which appears in the third Narnia book, The Horse and His Boy, that God kept bringing to mind throughout my time at ICRS. Aslan tells both Shasta and Aravis: "Child, I am telling you your story, not hers. No one is told any story but their own."

So here's my story in pictures.... and what I learned.

I learned that one of the greatest parts about being a writer are writer-friends.

This is me and Mark Mynheir in Waterbrook Multnomah's booth. If you look closely, both of our books (The Void and Ransomed Dreams)are found within.

Lesson two is that you get through the tough parts and enjoy the good parts with a little (and a lot) of help from your friends.

This is my awesome friend Sharon Hinck with a beautiful poster of her newest release, The Restorer. Sharon and I have shared tears, prayers and lots of encouraging words. Today we shared plenty of smiles and talking about very cool God moments when He showed up to surprise and delight us both.

Here are some more God friends who love me well and both cry and smile with me.

This is my amazing mentor Mary Griffith and another amazing woman who has taught me much about being real with God~ Claudia Mair Burney

Then, right before my first-ever ICRS signing, Kristin Billerbeck caught me to say hi. She made me smile in her classic Kristin way and chased off any remaining jitters I had.

Lesson three is that you never know when God is going to show up. After all, "Aslan isn't a tame lion" and our God is certainly not tame either. But He is good.

I got to sit down (which felt SOOO good after already walking a ton on Monday) and share a book of my heart with lots of really incredible people. But we didn't much talk about Ransomed Dreams. Instead, we talked about their dreams:

A very cool devotional writer and I got to chat about ACFW and her dream of writing fiction.

A number of great bookstore folks told me about their stores and how they love Christian fiction.

And a super-awesome lady I met at the Faith and Fiction breakfast came up to give me a hug and share a few more beautiful New Zealand words of encouragement and blessing.

In the background are some of the wonderful Waterbrook Multnomah folks: my jewel of an editor, Julee; Jan, a super encouraging part of the amazing sales team; and Teresa, a new friend and expert book handler who helped keep books flowing from the table to the great people I enjoyed meeting.

After my signing, I hung out with some other author friends and my over-the-top awesome hubby who made the day extra special just by being there.

There were plenty of God meetings too. A friend of David's was going to interview Ron DiCianni and I shared with her how I described two of his paintings in Ransomed Dreams. She let Ron know that as well as how much I love his work.

I also got to meet Casting Crowns and let them know how much their song The Voice of Truth has touched my heart. So much so that I had one of my characters listen to the song and see the foolishness of continuing to run from Jesus. I'll leave off the gory details about how I had a "writer moment" sharing a few too many words about how Steven and Gracie are alive and talking to Jesus.

But even with all this amazing heart chocolate, I still found it far too easy to look around and say like the character in The Horse and His Boy, "But what about them?" Or a far more whiney version, "Why not me?"

That's when Aslan's words rang loudest. "Child, I am telling you your story, not hers. No one is told any story but their own."

God's words rang with even more specific clarity about trusting His timing, His perfect plan... for Amy, not for anyone else. So instead of counting what didn't happen or what I wish had happened, I stopped looking around and simply started saying, "Thank You, Daddy. You've been so incredibly good to me."

So incredibly good that this picture of how we ended a very full and fun Monday at ICRS only skims the surface of how much laughter a number of tuckered out authors can handle...

An apology

Have you ever had an epiphany in church? Maybe I should experience this more often, but lately I haven't.

Today was different.

Andy Stanley preached today and God met me there.

Not in a casual or warm fuzzy sort of way. More like an Aslan roar that froze me to my seat.

Andy's main topic was this principle: "Direction, not intention, always determines destination."

This makes logical sense when we think about planning and intending to go to the beach for vacation, but then taking the road north when we should have gone south. Good intentions and what you packed for the beach don't matter if you drive the wrong direction.

But what about life?

How often do we say we want a good marriage, to be a good parent, to grow in Christ, but we head in a far more selfish direction with the way we spend our time day in and day out?

Andy added this chilling truth: "This is not a principle we break. Instead we will either leverage it the way God intended or we will be broken against it."

If we focus on the things that capture our attention (the hurts, temptations, circumstance to complain about) instead of the right things we focus our attention on, we'll find we don't like where we end up.

Proverbs 4:25, 27: “Let your eyes look directly ahead and let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you. Do not turn to the right nor to the left; Turn your foot from evil.”

Psalm 119:37: “Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word.”

It's not a matter of smarts~ think about Solomon, the wisest man in the Bible. He let foreign wives capture his attention and in the end reaped sadness and emptiness.

It's not a matter of godliness~ think about King David, a man after God's own heart. He let a woman bathing capture his attention and it destroyed his family and the nation he ruled.

So why is this all an epiphany for me?

The answer to Andy's two questions will clarify...

He asked, "What's captured your attention?" and "What do you need to pay attention to instead?"

God wrote the answer across my mind in a series of life snippets from these past two years of my writing journey. Flashes of time in which I heard the complaints, saw the tears, and felt the anger over how things have gone for me. Images of things done wrongly, wounded pride, wounding words, and lost friendships.

All the sudden I saw in every instance how I had a choice and I'd most of the time chosen poorly. Instead of being quick to run to God and be reminded that He called me to write for Him and through Him (what I should have been focusing on), I let my heart and mouth complain.

Which led me down a path I didn't want to go. But it's where I chose to focus. And direction~ where I placed my eyes and attention~ determined my destination.

The focus of my attention, especially these last few months, has been one of counting the heartaches and bemoaning the rotten "breaks" I've received. The destination I've been hurtling towards is one of wearing thin to the point of quitting. Not just saying I want to, but turning off the computer for good kind of quitting.

And for that and all the words of complaint, I owe a huge apology to many.

God never promised an easy climb nor a successful experience. He simply called me to obedience.

But I looked around and saw what He'd given to others and in essence pouted like a two year old. And complained to everyone who would listen.

For those who have heard my depressing recount of circumstances, I'm truly sorry.

For those who have loved me anyway through all of this, I'm truly thankful.

I wish I could say from now on I promise not to complain, but I've lived long enough to know that's a fool's promise I'll break quickly because my focus would still be wrong. It would be on not complaining.

And direction, where we focus, determines where we end up.

So where do I want to end up? In writing and in life, I want to end up hearing, "Well done. You've been faithful with a little. Come and enter into your reward."

I want to honor God. I want to humble myself and apologize, as well as seek forgiveness, when I mess up.

I want to focus on what I know in my heart is true...

My calling is to obedience not to a sales number destination

My anchor is in being loved by a God who is neither disappointed or impressed by my performance

God has a good plan and He is good all the time, even when I don't feel it

In every hard circumstance there is a simple ~ not easy ~ decision: where does my focus belong?

Attention determines direction and direction determines destination.

I'm taking a long-overdue U-turn from the path I've been on and placing my attention back onto the forgiving face of my God.

How about you?

Where are you headed?

Attention. Direction. Destination.

It's a principle that we can't break. But we can be broken upon. Or we can high tail it into the loving arms of our forgiving Father and set out on a new path with a new focus.

The choice is ours. I pray, like Andy did at church this morning, that God would grant us the wisdom to know what we need to do and the courage to do it.

Happy 4th of July

On this day when we Americans enjoy fireworks, grilling out, swimming, watermelon and waving our flags, I pray we also remember to pray. Because while we relax on our day off, many are still fighting for the privileges we enjoy.

And many still long for what we too often forget we have.

Freedom.

Let’s not forget the many who by their honor and bravery won the land we call home and the right to live free. Let’s not forget those fighting now. Or those longing to breathe free.

As we celebrate, let's honor them. Let’s remember. Pray. And worship the God who is True Freedom.

Freedom wasn’t free for Jesus~ it cost Him every drop of His blood. Freedom wasn’t free for the Revolutionary warriors~ it cost them life. Freedom wasn’t free for those men and women who have died in modern wars. Or those continuing to fight.

But we can honor their sacrifice. And be thankful. We can celebrate freedom with our hearts and lives and prayers.

We can live free and pray that others will as well.

Let freedom ring!

Concord Hymn
by Ralph Waldo Emerson

By the rude bridge that arched the flood,
Their flag to April's breeze unfurled,
Here once the embattled farmers stood
And fired the shot heard round the world.

The foe lone since in silence slept;
Alike the conqueror silent sleeps;
And time the ruined bridge has swept
Down the dark stream which seaward creeps.

On this green bank, by this soft stream,
We set today a votive stone;
That memory may their deeds redeem,
When, like our sires, our sons are gone.

Spirit, that made those heroes dare
To die and leave their children free,
Bid Time and Nature gently spare
The shaft we raise to them and thee.

Ta-da! Defenders of Hope book 2

I'm about giddy to share with you all the book cover for the second book in the Defenders of Hope series: Healing promises!!! The awesome folks at Waterbrook Multnomah did a fantastic job with capturing the story on the cover and in the back cover blurb.

Facing a new threat.

When FBI Agent Clint Rollins takes a bullet during a standoff, it might just save his life. But not even the ugly things he’s seen during his years working in the Crimes Against Children Unit could prepare him for the overwhelming powerlessness of hospital tests revealing an unexpected diagnosis. If only Sara weren’t retreating into doctor mode…he needs his wife now more than ever.

Frozen in fear.

Sara Rollins is an oncologist with a mission—beating cancer when she can, easing her patients’ suffering at the very least. But now the life of her tall Texan husband is at stake. She never let the odds steal her hope before, but now the question of God’s healing promises is personal. Can she hold on to the truth she claimed to believe?

Faith under fire.

As Clint continues to track down a serial murderer despite his illness, a past military incident haunts his nightmares, pushing him beyond solving the case into risking his life and career. Clint struggles to believe God is still the God of miracles. Especially when he needs not one, but two. Everything in his life is reduced to one all-important question: Can God be trusted?

So what do you all think????

Here are some of my favorite headlines...

First the serious one: “In sickness and in health” is about to test Sara to her core.

Now my all-time favorite: Child abductions and a grim medical diagnosis…and you thought your day was bad.

That one makes me laugh out loud. No, guess my day's not so bad after all. ;-) Especially when I get to share pictures of my second book baby.

It's funny, I thought I'd be less awed this time around. But I'm not. I'm even more excited and even more in awe at what God has done. Ransomed Dreams is a book that challenged my heart and opened my eyes to God being an amazing dream redeemer. Healing Promises is a book that continues to challenge my faith and expand my view of how awesome God is...even when I don't understand His ways.

Thank You, Daddy, for being my guide through it all! Moments like these make me long even more for heaven, where mountain-top joy doesn't fade and where we'll see You face to face. For now, may both these books and what we do here honor and point people to You. Amen