A Day of Highs and Lows.

My journey to publication took on several highs and lows today. I was on Seekerville and saw where Ramona
Richards was there guest speaker. I enjoyed her post very much.  In her post she offered to receive query letters from unpublished authors.  I was thrilled. I prepared three queries on my manuscripts and sent them in. A serious high.

I drove to town to find a copy of "Heaven is for Real" to give to a new acquaintance to invite her to our event at our church. (Todd Burpo is speaking Friday night) Could I find that book in town anywhere? (We no longer have a book store here) No! A serious low! I did give her an invitation though. I went to our community college to see if I could find out about any on-line creative writing classes and about any grants.
Was there anything I could take? No! Any classes on police work, forensics, or criminal justice? No! Serious low!

I had an email from Ramona when I returned. I received a rejection for my first book. it was 25,000 words to short. A serious low. It was my testimony. I received a notice that I had won a free book from Victoria Burks. A serious high, I love her books. I received another email from Ramona. She liked Little Girl Taken but she already has several books on human trafficking about to be released. Serious Low!  She did tell me to send a query next year if I hadn't found a publisher. (That good right?)  Her next email said she really liked my "Hidden Memories" but it was about 15,000 words to short. Would I consider expanding it? Serious high!  Would I send a book proposal? Serious low! I have no idea how to write a proposal!  I will write one though. I can assure you I will learn how to do that and quickly.

So my journey has been eventful today. How has your journey gone today?  I had asked God to use me and guide me. I'm not sure I did what I was suppose to. It sure didn't go the way I thought if would. My journey continues.

Black Friday

Well, Thanksgiving flew by and today is that infamous day after.  I went to bed early after pigging out and am now wide awake at 2am.  It suddenly dawned on me that people all over the nation  were up on purpose so they could grab that one much desired item that they or one of their friends or family just had to have and at a much discounted price.

Today people will show each other that we might be made in God's image but that we are still basically still animals at heart.  I hope that Christian do not go out there and run people over in malls, rip items out of the hands of fellow shoppers, and violently abuse other shoppers.  I have seen all kinds of horrors about the Black Friday crowd.  God help us, how can we become so uncivilized all over 25% off?

I plan to decorate my home today.  I won't go shopping unless there is something I have need of at that moment. When I am through with my decorating I will curl up with a good book and thank God for the safty and security of my own home.

Do you go wild on Black Friday?  Do you lose your Christianity when you are out there fighting with the crowds? 

Thanksgiving

I can't let this the best holiday of the year, to go by without comment. I won't be posting on Wednesday as it is my day of baking and preparation. So here is why this is the greatest holiday of the year.

All of the other holidays are about us. What we give, what we get, what we feel, but Thanksgiving is all about giving back to God. He does so many awesome things in our lives.  Some people give their tighes and can't understand why God is not blessing them financially. Stand back and look what God has done in your life.  Each day you wake up and get out of bed is a huge blessing. I look back in the past year or so and we have had some tremendous struggles. My thirty four year old daughter and my two month old great-granddaughter went home to be with Jesus. Yet through that God gave us grace and comfort in a way I never dreamed possible.

What we say? I am sixty-five years old, I don't take any meds, I am strong and healthy, my mind is still functioning the way it is suppose to. I am blessed. I may not have some of the toys that seem to be so important to other but my life is wonderful all I can do or say is thank you Lord for Your graciousness.

We have a home, cars, computers, and all the necessities of life.  My  children are all strong and healthy. They are prospering as are my eleven beautiful and healthy grandchildren and my four wonderful great-grandchildren.  I am so truly blessed.

Please take sometime to thank God for what he has done for you.

As I am writing this I am watching James Robertson. He has a man on his show named Dallas Weins. In 2008 he was electrocuted and had no face. He has undergone through twenty seven surgeries but now has a face transplant.  He had no eyes, no nose, and no teeth. He just had a blob that looked like a tumor with a slash for a mouth. He now has a face but he had never given up or wanted to end it.  He was there to just praise the Lord. No matter how bad things look, there is always some one who is worse off.

Let's just praise God and thank Him for what he has done in your life and the lives of your family.

A letter to my teenage self

I love to blog and I spend several hours a day on different blogs. So what is the deal about writing to your teenage self. It is every where.  I am not sure I understand the concept.  I would not go back to my teens ever again if that was possible nor would I share what is coming down the road. I would scare myself to death, literally.

I have made many grave mistakes but they have made who I am today. I would not advise myself to do anything differently. God has a plan for each of us. What road we take is a mystery to all of us but God knows exactly what we need in this life to get us to where we need to be.

I have lived through a life of mental abuse, physical abuse, divorce, depression, illness, and loss. I have raised four children alone and have remained single the last forty years. How do I warn myself to these things? Gdo has been good to me. He has been with me all these long, sometimes lonely, years. He has held my hands at times and He has lifted me up and carried me at others. God is good and His mercy endures forever. I have come to trust Him in ways other human beings have no concept of. He has been my Husband, my Comforter, my Healer, my Provider, my Lover, and my all in all.

Would you tell yourself to change things in your life? Would you share what has been going on in your life?

One seed

Today I want to talk about John 4:35; "say not ye, there are yet four months and then comes the harvest. Behold, I say unto you, lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.


This is the story of Jesus talking to the Samaritan woman. Jesus' encounter with this was was life changing. He spent a significant amount of time talking to her about her personal life, answering her questions, and treating her with a level of respect and dignity she had rarely known. It was the first seed Jesus ever sowed into the heart of a Samaritan. The woman was so moved by His compassion that when she returned to her village, she told the people, "Come see a man, which told me all things that ever I did; is not this the Christ?" John 4: 29.

Because of this seed sown, the whole town came out to see Jesus. They asked Him to stay with them and He stayed with them two days and many believed in Him. All because Jesus took the time to talk to one little woman, an outcast. No one is so bad that God doesn't want to reach them. You never know who that one person you talk to might be.

One Sunday school teacher changed the whole world because she sowed seeds into Billy Grahams life. What kind of a reward will she reap?  What about the person who talked to Oral Roberts, Kenneth Hagen, or any number of great men of God? We never know who we are witnessing to. Our testimony is our seed and we need to touch people, to plant that seed.  We may not have the finances to go out on mission trips or to send to people who are all ready out there but a single would can touch the life of one person and change the whole world.

Do you share your testimony with others? Do you reach out to the undesirable? Can you make a difference?

Nebraska Game

Saturday was the Nebraska, Penn State ball game. I'm sure there are a lot of you who don't follow football but to me it was a great game. I'm sure every one has heard of the controversy at Penn State.  I posted how awesome it was to see my team and Penn State on their knees and I received a few negative posts. This is my thoughts and feeling about the whole event.

My prayer team at my church pray for the hidden evils in our world to be brought to the light. This I feel is one of those cases. The sexual abuse of these children has been going on for awhile but God brought it to light. I feel for those children and their families. I know what it feels like to have a child sexually abused. It is something you never really get over but God can heal them and turn their lives around.  Not only can God heal those children and their families but it is His desire that is why we have the need to pray for them.

Our coach, Bo Polini suggested that because of all the rioting that maybe Nebraskan shouldn't attend this game. Of course that wasn't going to happen but the rioting did end with the kids becoming more concerned with the events that actually took place.

Ron Brown, one of our coaches, said today on My Bridge Radio that he felt a need to pray for the school and for the kids and their families. One of the coaches from Penn State wanted to pray so they decided to take it public on the fifty yard line. They received permission from the head coaches and both team went out and prayed at the four minute mark.

Three of the four news commentators are Christians and made sure there were cameras  down on the field to catch the event. Coach Brown said that there was a reason that Nebraska was the team to play them after such a trauma to the school.  We were there for such a time as this. How awesome it was to watch both teams kneel together and pray, not once but twice. They prayed before the game but they prayed after the game too. We won the game but just barely but that was not the important thing. I was so thrilled with how my team handled the whole thing.

We live in a time when our own president says we are not a Christian country and does everything in his power to prove that. I live in a Christian Nation and I see people every day doing wonderful things to show the world that we do truly love the Lord our God and we will not be defeated. Nebraska's team is not perfect and we have struggled in this our first year in the Big Ten but we are doing some great things and it is more than just football.

Veteran's Day

I just want to share my views of Veteran's Day.

I come from a military family.  My father, along with several of my mother's first cousins, joined the Army during World War II.  They served in Italy and other parts of the world that they would not talk about.  They was involved in the Korean War and Viet Nam. One of my cousins was a Green Beret in Viet Nam.  Dad was a career man, when the Air Force broke off from the Army my dad went with them.  He served faithfully for thirty years.  He was promoted to the highest rank available to him.

I have two brothers who were in the military.  My oldest brother Glenn joined the navy after his first year of college.  He made such high scores on his testing that they sent him to Purdue University.  He retired after twenty years as a Lt. Commander.  My youngest brother joined the National Guards while he was in college.  After college he quit the Army and went into the Navy.  He became a medic and served the Marines during Desert Storm.  He is now retired also.

My husband was in the Air Force and he served in Viet Nam.  He lost a lot of dear friends and comrades over there.  He was in the military police and was in the thick of things.

My son, Michael joined the Air Force at the age of seventeen.  It was the desire of his heart to join the Air Force.  He was in the Special Forces.  He served in Turkey, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Iran.  He served on numerous tours.  He would still be over there if he hadn't contacted a cancerous tumor in his eye.  The radiation they treated it with caused him to lose the eyesight in that eye.  They forced him to retire early with a medical discharge.

My grandson, Michael McAlevy is in the Marines and is currently in Afghanistan at this moment.  You can see his picture on my facebook page.  I am very proud of the men in my family.  Our country is very important to all of us.  My family has fought for our religious freedoms and I pray for this nation daily.  I didn't get to serve but I stayed at home and kept my children safe but i do pray that I can do.  That is my job.
I pray for my President every day.  I don't (or try not to) say anything negative about him.  I pray that he renounces Islam and has a true Damascus Road Experience and is truly born again.

I love my country.  God chose Israel as His people.  He has led them through endless trials and tribulations but my country is the only nation ever that was founded on God's principles.  He chose them but we chose Him.  We formed a country so that we could love Him and serve Him no one else ever did that.  He has promised to remember that.  We have done a lot wrong and we have given power over to the wrong people but we are taking it back.  There are more people serving God today that ever before and we will make a difference. 

What do you think about our country?  Is there hope? Can we take it back?

Hidden Memories

I wrote about my fist book that was more or less my testimony with a happily ever after end.  My life has been a happy one I just never had the opportunity to remarry and start over. I did have a few proposals just not from a man of God. I am still waiting for God to Bring that man into my life. I think there can still be romance even after age sixty five.


My second book is about a woman who had been badly abused. Her final straw had been the loss of her unborn child. She received help from a center for abused women and children.  She though she had found a wonderful place to hide, Central Nebraska.  Who would look for her there?

Jeanie witnesses a murder when she was out running in a small wooded area.  She does what she has become so good at, she runs. She catches her foot on a root and falls receiving a severe head injury. The trauma to her brain causes memory loss but the killer doesn't believe her.

The county sheriff does everything in his power to keep her safe and find the killer. The story makes national news. Now she has two killers on her back, one she knows and one she can't remember.  Can Sheriff Michael Brown keep her safe?  Can he find the killers before they find Jeanie? Can he keep his heart safe from this intriguing woman or is God drawing them together?

I hope that someday you will all get to read it. I loved this story so much I had to write a third story bringing two of my characters together. I just fell in love with them.

Monday

Monday, a new day a new week a new chance to go with God.  We are preparing to have a big event in our church.  It is on December 2.  We are having Todd Burpo speak.  There will be two services on at 6pm and one at 8:30pm.  We have a small church, we average about forty of fifty people an Sunday.  Most of his appearance bring out about 6,500 people.  We are planning to have around 600 people show up so that is why we are having two services.  Seating will be limited and parking will be an issue.  So the church is all trying to prepare for this event.

For those of you who are not familiar with Todd Burpo.  He is the author of "Heaven is For Real".  His son had a near death experience and was taken up to heaven.  The book is his story.  Todd's book is on the New York Bestsellers list and has been for several weeks.  He is in great demand as a speaker and it was only by the grace of God we were able to have him here.

The pastor was announcing the event yesterday in church and he said this was the first time a best selling author would appear in our church.  Then he looked at me and said but it won't be the last.  What a thrill that was to me.  Just a few months ago he was trying to get me to write something other than fiction.  We have all come a long way.

This event has been a real learning experience and a real growth for the entire church.  We will be struggling with the plans for the next several weeks but we know God is in it.  God's heart is for the lost and we are praying for at least 200 souls through this event. A census shows there are over 6000 unchurched souls in Custer county so it is our desire to reach these people.  It is God's desire that non shall be lost, no not one.

How about your church?  Do you have a heart for the lost?  It's a new day, a new week, a new start.  Let's go out and win the lost!

Blogging

This morning I was awakened early.  I couldn't get back to sleep so I went through my devotions and prayers. I finished early and have been on line ever since.

The posts that I have read today have been a great source of encouragement.  I hope that someday I will be published and be able to help others with wisdom and encouragement.  You don't know how much your posts have meant to me.

I have only been reading blogs and emails since July when I met two wonderful published authors. I had about given up on writing because I didn't know where to go from there.  They gave me names and email address.  They encourage me to keep going, to learn and to grow.  Thank you Marti Pieper and Jennie B. Jones.

I really have learned a lot and really are awed by you all.  I can't thank you enough.

courageous

I went to see the movie "Courageous" last night.  What a wonderful movie.  I have watched all of the Sherwood productions.  "Flywheel" was there first movie and was produce on a shoestring.  The story was wonderful.  The acting not so great but the story touched your heart.  "Facing the Giants" was wonderful.  "Fireproof" has healed an unimaginable amount of marriages. This last one deals with fatherhood. It is a timely movie. We have so many single parent families.  A father is so important to the lives of children.  There is no way a woman can fill that place.  I know because I raised four fatherless children.  Although my children are grown there is still an emptiness that has been present their whole life.

I was pregnant with my second child when my husband ran off.  That fall I had twins so now I had three kids under two.  With very little help I did the best I could.  Eight years later I gave birth to my last child. Her father refused to be a part of her life also.  My children did everything they could to make a father proud but didn't have one to please.  They still have problems.

Men need to stand up and be men.  The four men in the movie chose to find out what the Bible says about what being a father was really all about.  They chose to make a resolution to be the best fathers they could be.

My generation did so much damage to manhood.  We lifted women up to the point that we have almost destroyed men. How tragic is that? Women can be women but there is still a need for a man to be a man.
Women want men to stand up and be the head of their family or their homes.  It's the way God created us.
I want that kind of a man. I use to think that after being badly abused the last thing I wanted in my life was a man, but after seeing that movie I came out with the thought I'd really like one of those. (A true  man of God)
there is nothing as appealing as a man who loves God. I just have to say!

Go see the movie it is awesome. I loved it.  Have you seen it?  Don't you just love what that church can do?
Who knew a church could make movies!