For all my fellow "cloud-walking helpmates"

I've been reading the biography of Janice Holt Giles, whose book The Believers is among the favored few I posted last week. I'm fascinated by her life. She didn't publish her first novel until she was 41 years old.

This is what her husband, 10 years her junior, had to say:
(this made me smile)

"I know now that I shall spend the rest of my life with the people in Jan's books. They are part of the family, and I don't think I would like not having them around. In fact, I strongly suspect I would find life with the average housewife (which I thought I was getting) pretty dull and uninteresting. I've got used to dusty floors, books scattered everywhere, meals at odd hours and a cloud-walking helpmate. I'm even getting used to being pointed out as Janice Giles' husband. After all, it isn't everyone who can live successfully with a writer. Besides, when she's writing I have an awful lot of time to go fishing!"

Cloud-walking helpmate. I've never heard myself described so well. And by a man who isn't my own husband. But Rusty would agree.

A prayer for writers

Years ago when I first joined American Christian Fiction Writers (OH that reminds me, my yearly dues are due!), I discovered a new author I quickly added to my list of favorites. Deb Raney wrote a book that changed the way I think about Christian fiction called Beneath a Southern Sky. I have a row of about six books that I consider favored enough to keep separate (this doesn't include my shrine to Gone With the Wind or my Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers.) I have those six books hedged between my beloved bookends my mother bought for me when my first books sold. Beneath a Southern Sky is among those books.

Among those books is also Three, by Ted Dekker, To Kill a Mockingbird, Forever Amber (which is raunchy for its time, but holds a special place in my heart), The Believers, The Complete Guide to writing and Selling the Christian Novel by Penelope Stokes--and any aspiring Christian author should have it--Sophie's Heart by Lori Wick. And Deb Raney's Beneath a Southern Sky, which in my opinion, should become a Christian classic.

Deb also quickly became one of my favorite people and in those early days when the loop was small and there was lots of activity, she posted a prayer that God gave her and she prays as she sits to write. I had this taped to my computer for years until it finally got lost and she graciously sent it to me again. With her permission, I post it.

~Quiet my heart and clear my mind this morning, Lord, and help me focus on this story that You've given me to write. Keep me from anything that would distract me from the work I need to accomplish, but also let Your Spirit within me discern what is truly a needless distraction and what is important enough that it should distract me. Never let me put project above people or worldly gain above things that are eternal.

As I write, guard me from my tendency to laziness, Lord. Nudge me to dig as deep as necessary in researching my story; remind me to use all the tools at my disposal so that I handle the language in a correct yet creative way. At the same time, don't let me focus so harshly on one 'tree', that I never make it through the 'forest'.

Lord, I know that as I write this book--a book that won't be published for many months--even now, you are preparing hearts that will one day read my words. So let every word I write accurately reflect Your truth and Your precepts. Supernaturally imbue my writing with that quality that, by Your Sprit will woo souls to You.~

Isn't that a beautiful prayer of surrender? Even for those of us who write at the edge of Christian fiction--leaning more toward crossover appeal and a quiet truth God can use to share his love to a hurting World that maybe wouldn't read and Amish novel or prairie romance or even Christian suspense, we still want the words we write to accomplish their God-ordained purpose.

So as I sit to write today, I pray...

Lord, Quiet my heart....

Trying to be relevant

I've been trying to blog every day this week, but then I realized my week sucked so bad it would be nothing more than a narcissistic whine fest, so I blew it off until I could say something relevant that might actually be something anyone would want to read.

Good news is that I am plumbing-trouble-free for the moment. More good news is that my husband is going to build me a cubicle to put around my desk. Last night I specified it has to close off the right side of my peripheral because for some reason I am most distracted by things on my right side. I was diagnosed ADD a few months ago and am really trying to work through it so these deadlines aren't such a problem.

I can't blog without mentioning a heavy heart for Egypt and the middle east right now. I am mulling over a lot of questions. What does all this say about the impending return of Jesus and what are the immediate ramifications for Israel if the leadership falls? I'm praying that God's magnificent hand will uproot, tear down, and build up as He sees fit.

My read for the week is Radical by David Platt. Get this book. It will yank you from apathy and give you a heart for the underground church.

Until next time.
God Bless you as you live, move, and have your being in Him

Let's Talk American Idol

I wasn't going to watch. Truly. But I had to see Steven Tyler and J-Lo do their thing.
I loved it. So much better than the last two years of AI with Simon the Egomaniac, Kara (I'm sorry, WHO did you say you were?), and even Ellen who's pretty cool, but not a music person.

Randy was a bit uncool on Jimmy Kimmel saying Jennifer Lopez is a 7 at the most as far as singing goes, but I like Randy. Maybe it's finally his year to shine.

I'm looking forward to a kinder, smarter, funny-without-cruelty, American Idol

Writing and Dieting and honeymoons

From Maeve Binchy (the fabulous Irish author) "Writing is a bit like going on a diet, you should either tell everyone, or no one.

If you tell everyone, then you can never be seen feeding your face in public without appearing weak willed. Or you can go the other route and tell no one--hug your secret to yourself. Get thin by stealth, write the book, then burst onto an unsuspecting world with your new shape or finished manuscript.

But whichever way you do it, you will need discipline and a plan."

January is one of those months for writing and dieting. People plan the calorie crunching--I wonder how many are still on those diets... I actually started mine half way through the month instead of January 2, so I'm still good. :)

New projects, writing, painting, house projects. It's easy to start fresh, hard to stay focused. Recently I made the decision for change and someone said to me I would be right back to my old ways right after the "honeymoon" period. Of course, this person was a man, and we all know the honeymoon is a lot more fun for them than the trembling virgin, so what does he know? Ha!

It's in the human nature to stay with what is comfortable. But change is uncomfortable. I want change. I've been in a rut for 12 years in one area of my life. So my question is, do I tell everyone and hold myself accountable or do I hug my secret close to my chest and cooperate with God while He does the work?

For now...I think I'll plead the 5th.

Young Again

My husband, Rusty, is a supplement guru. He knows things that normal folk just don't know. Things that fitness industry folks don't know. He was kettle-belling when Kettle bells weren't cool. He's always ahead of the fitness curve and I've stopped rolling my eyes at the new stuff he comes up with because a few months or a year later, he always has the ammo to say "Told ya."

From time to time, this man God gave me who loves me way more than I deserve says something profound from his enormous brain, filled with all of that information that I typically ask him not to reveal to me.

The latest was really my own fault. I asked the question.
"Now, what time of day do we take L-glycine and why?"

After minutes of the unabridged edition, where I admit I spaced off more than I actually listened to, I waited for him to come up for air then I broke down the original question..."In one sentence, tell me why we need it."

His answer, "Honey, I've been telling you....It keeps you young."

OH....Like Oil of Olay...gotcha. Gimme some of that. And with a bit of trembling, "And....so....back to the the first part of the question...what time of day?"
"Just take it on an empty stomach."

WHEW. So, it keeps me young....(the empty stomach part could be a problem...)

So here's the point of that lengthy opening. :)

I've been reading tidbits daily from Madeleine L'Engle's Walking on Water this year. It's Oh-so-good. So full of faith and childlike coming to God just to believe and trust with wide-eyed innocence and purity. I love that. In theory.

As I have asked God to show me my heart in 2011, I've seen some stoniness I don't like. Some cynicism that separates me from people I absolutely love and admire and yet inwardly scoff at.

FOR SHAME, the Lord convicts me. I think back to the beginning when I approached the gospels, the writings of Paul, the first ten chapters of Revelations with eyes wide open and heart beating wildly with awe at the words of God written through the hands of ordinary men like me. I've been reading the gospels. Jesus at his most human, most vulnerable.

My darling 19-year-old son is fasting caffeine for three weeks. Last night God gave him a song called "Trail of Blood." I cry thinking of some of the lyrics he wrote from his tender and child-like heart.

The basics of our faith. The road to Gethsemane, a trail of our savior's blood.

Dropping like Hansel's crumbs to lead the way home. (my words, not his lyrics)

Sometimes we know too much and believe too little.
I'm a simple girl. I need to keep things broken down to their simplest form.
Glycine keeps you young. Jesus died for your sins. Love your neighbor as yourself. Come to Jesus as a little child.

Walking on Water

I absolutely love Madeleine L'Engle (writer of A Wrinkle in Time). Mostly her nonfiction although I love her fiction too. Lately I've been savoring her words in:

Walking on Water Reflections on Faith and Art.

As kids we knew nothing was impossible. At least until we were told it was impossible to fly, to travel through time, to raise the dead, to heal the sick, and yes, to walk on water.

Here is what Madeleine says, "We were not meant to be any more restricted than Jesus was during his sojourn with us here on this earth. If we take seriously that during the time of his incarnation he was truly man, truly human as we are, then anything he did in his lifetime is available to us too."

Sounds good to me. :)