Share Your Gift!

 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of age.”NIV Matthew 28: 19-20 

  I have been very excited all week! This coming Sunday, two of my grandchildren are being baptized. Like many mothers and grandmothers, I cover my family in prayer and one of my greatest prayers is that they will discover Christ. Seeing their excitement is absolutely contagious!

  Part of being a disciple of Christ is that you make a public confession. I remember how scary that felt to me as a child. I was absolutely riddled with guilt over the actions I knew wounded Jesus each time I took them.

• I knew for instance I had TWT far too often (Trouble with the Truth) If mom would ask who did something and it was most certainly me, it was easy to blame my younger sister or say, “I don’t know”

• If I did something I was proud of, it was very easy to fall into a habit of bragging about it. No humility lived here.

• All kindnesses were broadcast as well.

• My praying was often done in public rather than in private.

 

   In aging, and watching those in my family with much more social grace than I, I wonder at their deep Christ-like love for humanity and their complete shunning of the accolades that could accompany their good works. Instead, knowing good works cannot get them into heaven, they have grown into the scripture written in Ephesians 2:8-9

   “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast.” NIV

   Notice I said they grew into the verse. God wants us to come into our faith - no matter our age - as “little children,” full of exuberance and excitement, ready to learn and grow, full of innocence in His grace. It is all waiting for you today. Just ask.

   One of my favorite things about a baptism on Sunday morning is that it revives my faith. It reminds me to peel back some of the  ”old” of a 60-year-old faith and make it new again. It reminds me to let my face show the joy I feel inside of finding the peace that passes all human understanding.

Kingdom Building:

• Pray daily. As often as you can. Pray for others, yes, but remember to pray for yourself too. I love the little prayer my grandmother always prayed, three times a day at least. I heard her pray it at each meal: “Lord, please forgive me all of my sins, those I know I have committed and those I have committed unknowingly against you, Father. Amen.”

• Read your Bible today. Just a verse. Just open it and read. The Lord will guide you. Keep it close where you will see it. Don’t put it away between Sundays.

• Go to church this week. Exercise that muscle. There are people there waiting to get to know you. The real you. The flawed you. You belong.

Faith for Tomorrow

 

Faith for Tomorrow

All that I have seen teaches me
to trust the Creator
for what I have not seen.
~Unknown

It
is still early and my son and I have shoveled twice today. The snow
continues to fly outside in the face of the warm and inviting fire
inside. As tempting as it is to wallow in the depression that sometimes
is February, I am thankful for each snowflake.
For within each snowflake is the promise of spring.
As
it warms up and the snow gives way to warmer days and spring rains, we
will, as a collective human race, curse the rain that darkens the
spring skies.
What an impatient, short-sighted bunch we are!
If
the spring rains never fell, and the sounds of splashing and joyful
laughter would never have a chance to mount its song over the land.
It
is a horrible truth though - in our darkest days, humans can never see
the light; and in our darkest trials and tribulations, it seems we
sometimes fail to see the love and happiness we seek, even though it is thinly disguised in a different season.
The ironic, deep truth of it all is this:
The things we never see - the spring in the midst of winter,
the bright summer in the midst of monsoon springs,
are always before us -
right, where they've always been -
our challenge is to trust in He who created us
to make the sun visible to human eyes unable to
see the warmth and light of that promise deep within us
even in the depths of a cold night.

NEW BOOK ALERT! BUSY FEET

 Courtesy of Vivian Kirkfield's Website  ( https://viviankirkfield.com/2023/02/14 )/happy-book-birthday-busy-feet-plus-giveaway that thrills in anything kidlit, let's join her in applauding the publication of Marcia Berneger's Busy Feet!

 BUSY FEET 

Posted on February 14, 2023

We are definitely dancing for this new picture book that launches today…we are clapping our hands and tapping our BUSY FEET which is the title of this sweet story by Marcia Berneger, illustrated by Susanna Chapman and published by Starry Forest Books. And if you leave a comment on this blog post, you might be the lucky winner of a copy of the book OR a Picture Book Critique!

Here’s a little bit about the book from the Amazon sales page:

Get little feet moving and grooving in no time with this interactive and engaging picture book – perfect for active read-alouds and exploring motion and movement with energetic toddlers.

From former elementary school teacher Marcia Berneger, Busy Feet’s simple, gentle rhyme underscores illustrator Susanna Chapman’s bold, expressive style. This winning combination—along with diverse and inclusive art—makes wiggling around and learning opposites a blast. Little ones will be itching to join the party as the characters dance, hop, and march along!

Feet wake up
Time to play.
Happy feet,
Out all day!

Follow along as adorable baby feet move through a busy day. Where do these feet go? How do they get there? What exciting activities will they get up to? See just how busy little feet can be at playtime, bath time, and more!

Playful and bright, this book is perfect for sharing and gifting. Busy Feet promises full-to-bursting fun for little movers of all ages!

Here’s a little bit about author Berneger and her books:
Marcia Berneger is a retired teacher who lives with her husband and three crazy dogs. She taught first and second grade, special education in grades K-6, and Sunday school through fifth grade. She is also the author of the picture book Buster the Little Garbage Truck and the chapter book A Dreidel in Time. Marcia is a member of SCBWI, 12 x 12, Children’s Book Insider, and the Storyteller Academy. Best of all, she is the proud Grammy of Ori, her first grandchild! She lives in San Diego, California.
To learn more about Marcia and her books: https://marciaberneger.com/index.html

And here’s a little bit about the illustrator:
Susanna Chapman is an illustrator, book designer, and muralist. She is known for illustrating The Girl Who Ran, a picture book biography of Bobbi Gibb, which received a Gold Medal from the Independent Publisher Book Award and Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards, and Elizabeth Warren’s Big, Bold Plans. Susanna lives with her husband in Nashville, TN.
To learn more about Susanna and her work: https://www.susannachapman.com/

Writers: Are you stuck?

    Have you ever been SO stuck in the depths of a manuscript that you just want to chuck it into a drawer and forget about it? You just can't go on, and you don't know WHY.

   I have been like this a couple of times and when I stumbled across the answer, I was embarrassed. I believe it doesn't matter if you are a pantser (guilty), or an outliner, you can run into problems if you don't KNOW YOUR CHARACTERS!

   So, if you are stuck in a first draft, or you are rewriting and something isn't ringing true, take the time to make out a character sheet for each one of your characters. Ninety percent of the information you write down will not appear in your writing, but the way your characters interact will be honest and their motivations will shine through. These motivations will propel your plot FORWARD, I promise you!

Give it a chance.

   One of the best character "interview" sheets I ever got was from NANOWRIMO. I have since adjusted it for my own use, which you will have to do as well, but here are some sample questions. Remember, to adjust the form for your use. This is used primarily for kidlit, but I believe it is also essential for adult literary pursuits.

!. Do they have a nickname?

2. Birthdate:

3. Gender:

4. Hobbies:

5. Weakness or Fears:

6. Secrets:

7. What does their bedroom look like? Are they sloppy or neat as a pin?

8. Who is their best friend? Why?

9. What is a trait or tick that makes them stand apart from everyone else on the page? A speech or mannerism?

10. Name some personality traits: Are they an introvert, or extrovert, are they organized or a mess, are they tolerant or fickle, creative or book smart?

11. Physical traits: What is their body type? Does it impact their personality in any way? What is their weight, height, style, hair, and eye color? Do they have a disability of note?

Filling out these character sheets for your protagonist, antagonist, sidekicks, love interest, mentor and other characters in your book WILL be time-consuming, but once you know your characters' world as if you were living in it, consuming it, your writing will not only come alive on the page, it will go  much faster!

Prayer

 

How is your prayer life? My family regards itself as prayer warriors. I’m sure you’ve heard the term. It means someone who reaches for prayer as their first line of defense. Someone who falls into conversation easily with Christ in times of rejoicing and trouble.

One of the pastors I was listening to this weekend freely admitted he had a rocky prayer life. His theory was that even for Bible-toting Christians, prayer becomes difficult because we need to see instant results. We pray for a medical miracle and the patient passes. We pray for a promotion at work, and we are passed over. We pray for a child, like Zechariah and Elizabeth, and we do not conceive.

What we fail to recognize is that the patient we prayed for was in pain and needed relief. We were not prepared for the promotion or needed a nudge to leave a company that was not ever going to use our talents. Perhaps there is another child looking for parents, or, like Elizabeth and Zechariah, you are destined to become parents later in life.

In Luke 1:13(NIV) …. Your prayer has been heard …

 

YOUR prayer. All of your prayers. Everyday. Talk to Christ today. He hears your prayers. He sees your tears and hears you crying out.

What does it take to be a prayer warrior? Ten minutes per day? 20 minutes per day? Or the ability to unleash the mightiest weapon we have at our disposal throughout the day as needed in rejoicing and in need. Your prayer will be heard.

#In Remembrance

 

Veterans Hospitals

Several years ago,  I went to the Veterans Administration hospital with my father-in-law. We were spending a lot of time there  - and to be honest when I left the house, it was just another appointment. This visit was quicker than most though and when we came downstairs to wait for my son to bring the car around, a man just seemingly appeared before me.
I never saw him come through the door - probably because I wasn't looking - but the logical mind says he had to enter that way. Pushing a wheelchair before him, he backed it into a corner to stabilize it before turning to sit. Glowing with a smile the size of Texas, he commented on the weather and then asked if we had taken part in any of the Pearl Harbor Commemorations. Shaking my head "no," he continued saying he was a part of a group of survivors who go to an adult daycare center in the area. Speaking about Pearl Harbor, his mood changed dramatically, but his eyes were still bright and beautiful behind long lashes.
Our exchange was short. Too short. He was a man I would have liked to have had a conversation with and gotten to know. His memories burn bright and his loyalty strong, even though age was taking its toll.
There are many more men and women - modern soldiers -in uniform today - with the same loyalty beating within their chests. They wear the uniform out of patriotism.
They do not wear the uniform to fight. They wear the uniform to spread freedom and stop the outrageous treatment of fellow human beings.
During the Vietnam war, protesters spit on returning soldiers. Today, history has repeated itself. Protesters are once again spitting on soldiers serving at the behest of their government.
Protest the war. Write your Congressman, but don't spit on patriots. Tell them thank you for providing the blanket of safety you sleep soundly under tonight.

Searching for Grace

 

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.”  Romans 5:1(NIV)

 

Have you ever been at a juncture in your Christian walk where you doubted God’s grace covered the sin you had committed?

As I recounted in an earlier blog, Church Is Full of Hypocrites, I can assure you, this is what kept my father from entering the doors of a church for years. It wasn’t only because of his sins, but what he outwardly judged as the sins of others. He had the impression that you had to be in a state of perfection to sit in a pew. Wrongfully so, I might add.

I experienced this phenomenon at a very young age. I truly believed all the adults in my life were perfect. At the age of five, I was given a live gift of several ducklings to take care of. My greatest wish was to see them swim. Slipping out back one morning to dutifully feed them and see if I could interest them in swimming, I inadvertently drowned one of the ducklings. I tried frantically to revive it. I knew I had to face my parents, and on trembling legs, I did so. I had taken a life.

You do not have to attend church long to know that taking a life is not a sin easy for man to forgive, what would God think of me? I was deeply ashamed. A miracle happened when confessing with a trembling voice. My earthly parents met the news of my sin with love, understanding, and forgiveness.

Grace is a concept hard for many of us to grasp. Have you ever tried to do something for someone, a co-worker or a neighbor out of the goodness of your heart and because they were not Christians, they were suspicious of your motives? I’ve had this happen several times. I bring this up now because grace is offered to us from God in just that situation, with no strings attached:

1.      There is not one person on earth that deserves grace.

2.      We cannot earn grace. Not by good works, by being a good person, or by a large bank account.

3.      Grace is there for the taking … for everyone. It doesn’t matter what corner of the world we live in; the good news is here for everyone! Each one of us comes to grace through faith in Jesus Christ our Lord.

We are justified through the blood. You see, Christ’s crucifixion was not the ending of a story, the end of a thirty-three-year life, it is the completion of a promise. God sacrificed his son for our salvation. Christ knew of his destiny, and he went willingly. None of us deserve the sacrifice, yet we have received it freely. Christ’s crucifixion is the beginning of a beautiful story of love.

“This righteousness comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Romans3:22-24

 

Do you feel separated from God in your life at this moment? Fear not. There are times in each of our lives when we become separated from our Lord and Savior. Perhaps you just became busy, involved in this modern life, disinterested, or angry over a situation that truly had nothing to do with God. God is waiting next to you now.

Please remember: It is always us that has moved, not God. He stays with us, waiting for us to reach out and take his hand once more. Grace awaits each one of God’s children.

Today:

1.      Begin reading your Bible again. Do you have a favorite passage, or are you new at reading the Bible? Just sit down and open it up. God will guide you. Read a bit each day.

2.      Pray each day. A few moments in prayer can heal your heart and soul. Just speak with God as if he is an old friend: He is.

When you feel ready, either go into a service near you or call a Pastor at a nearby church to learn more about their services and what they believe. They will be there to welcome you when you come in the following Sunday