Journey to New Heights

Journey to New Heights
We need a heart for the lost

Monday, February 27, 2012

The Journey Continues

I sent out another copy of my manuscript today to The Frasier Contest by Sue Anne Warren. It is said to give you the most feedback of any of the contest. I have my entry in to the Genesis Contest with ACFW too, and I still haven't heard from my book proposal.

I have finished rewriting Hidden Memories so I am going to go back to my last manuscript and rewrite that one.
I had entered it in the GOTCHA Contest with it and now have the critique so I am going to go back and work on it. I hate the rewrite thing I would much rather be starting a new book. I have a new story that keeps spinning in my head. It wants to be written.

Being unable to just sit down and write my heart out is a really big frustration. I hate not having the time to write when the words hit. What about you? Do you have all the time you need to write when the urge hits you?

Friday, February 24, 2012

Blessings

We went on a road trip today. My son-in-law went to Kearney to get his evaluation for his eye surgery. You see he has cataracts in both eyes. He was on prednozone and that made them grow to where he has no vision at all.
The doctor was amazed at how bad his eyes had become. Two years ago they were bad and he tried to get them removed but things didn't work out for him. now his eyes are much worse. He made all the arrangements today. Because he is paying cash they are giving him a huge discount. In the end he will get both eyes done for almost the same price as one would have cost. He will have surgery on the first eye on March 5. He is so thrilled. God is so good. we are all praising God.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Feed your soul as well as you feed your body

I am sure that you have had times with God that were extremely satisfying. He is the only One who can satisfy the longing in our soul. We will never be truly satisfied  unless we put God first in our lives. He will add those things we desire when we seek Him with all of our hearts and give Him first place in our lives.

We spend time, money, planning to feed ourselves each day. Sometimes we know one day what we will eat tomorrow. Food is important to us. We need to remember that just like food for our bodies is important to us so is feeding our spirit. We must nourish ourselves spiritually. We think we can have a great relationship with God without reading His Word, without prayer, and without spending time with Him. Seek Him at least as much as you seek physical food.

We are created to enjoy a living vital relationship with God. Something will always be missing until we make time to be with Him, to make Him first in our lives. We can take time to feast on His Word and enjoy His presence every day and everything else will fall into place and we will have deep and continual joy and satisfaction.

How about you? Do you spend time in prayer, in His Word, or in His presence? Have you made Him first place in your life or do you just expect Him to be available when you have made a mess of everything? God can keep you safe, lead you, guide you, and show you what needs to be done with your life. Don't wait until everything is our of control seek Him now. God bless you guys.

Monday, February 20, 2012

Praise God!

So in October of 2009 I was injured at work. I worked at McDonald's at the time. I had taken the job as crew simply because I thought I needed money and I absolutely hated it. Oh I loved seeing people. I have lived in this town for over forty years but I had left to take a different store about nine years ago. Now that I am back it is good to see old friends and relatives but the job was not working out well. I felt God was telling me to quit so I put in my notice but my boss talked me into staying. I ended up seriously hurting my knee. Some times it takes a while to learn to hear and obey God.

In the last few years God has been dealing with me on the fact He is my source not a job. I'm sixty-six years old and I am now retired on a fixed income. At first I thought He would bless me with my books and that would make up for what little I get from SSI but that didn't happen. God has been just blessing me, without a job, without a husband, and without me trying to earn it. My friends and my church keep telling me of job opportunities to check out and I do. I always ask God to keep me from making mistakes again. He told me he knew my work ethic and would put in a good word for me. His mother would call and set up an interview with me. He called several hours later and told me I had the job, I didn't need an interview. So God gave me a job in a field I love. (I used to have a craft shop of my own.)

I now have extra money coming in for seeds and for my mission trip. I still know God is my source and He is blessing me beyond measure. God  bless each of you. God is good and His mercies endure for ever.

Friday, February 17, 2012

Book Review

I just finished the book The Pawn by Steven James. I loved this book. I know my daughter wouldn't read it. (there was too much violence and it was to graphic for her) I loved his characters, most were extremely intelligent and efficient at what they did. Dr Bowers was an authority on serial killers and worked crime scene in a different way than most. His serial killers were believable. He explained why they were the way they were. I loved his step daughter. My own granddaughter is seventeen and Tessa was a lot like her, very real. He didn't deal with the woman's mind much but his women were strong, capable, and intelligent. I liked that. I will have to down load the next book in his series.

I was reading this book to exercise with each morning. It worked really well for me as it was fast paced. Finally yesterday I couldn't stand it any longer and had to sit down and finish it.

As I said before it is very violent and graphic so beware but the story is excellent. I really look forward to reading more of his books. Thank you Steven James.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Genesis Contest

My next step on my journey is the Genesis Contest. I have been rewriting one of my manuscripts for my book proposal(no I haven't Heard anything from them, not even a we received it) when they told us about the Genesis Contest. I had also just received some critiques on my manuscript from the GOTCHA Contest. So I have been rewriting like mad to try to get it ready for this contest. I sent it in yesterday, YEAH!!!

It is a big relief to have it sent out. They suggested you have it in by the fifteenth. Now I have given the whole manuscript to my best friend to edit. Cyndy works for the newspaper here in town and was once a policewoman so she helps me in many ways. I want the police scenes and evidence to be correct. So now I can sit back and take a deep breath. There are so many thing I have let slide for the last few weeks.

A good friend of my son-in-law wants to do a web site for me and put one of my books on sale as an ebook. My grandson wants to do the art work. What do you think? Is it doable or will it cause me problems later on? I am not sure what to think. I do have a book(my first book) that is my own personal testimony. Although I have change some things in it. I haven't really done much to the original manuscript. I thought about letting the play with that book and seeing what they could do. What do you advise?

Monday, February 13, 2012

Friday, February 10, 2012

God Is Good All The Time

Today I come to you brokenhearted.

 Last night I let my seventeen year old play on my kindle fire. She was playing some cartoon game she downloaded. It locked up on her. We couldn't get it too do anything so finally she just left it on and went to bed.
This morning when I got up the screen was cracked. Has anyone else had this happen to them? I tried to praise God even though I couldn't get it to work at all. I never expected one to begin with and it had been such a blessing to me.

I called Amazon and the lady told me because it was cracked I would have to pay. The warranty wouldn't cover a crack in the screen. It would only cost a hundred dollars to replace it. I guess that is better than the two hundred they normally cost. The only reason I have one is that my grand kids bought it for me for Christmas. I have so many books I have ordered and can't replace. I live on Social Security so replacing it would be very difficult. I told the lady I would have to think about it. I had to take my daughter to work. Kellie told me they would help me replace it but i got angry at the devil for trying to steal my kindle. So Kellie and I prayed and took authority over the devil and told him he owed me seven kindles now. The Bible does say if you catch a thief he has to pay you back seven fold. I gave God praise that at least he didn't treat me like I was trying to steal from him personally like the other lady. He couldn't help me. He did tell me that it would depend on the person that I talked to if I had to pay. The man was wonderful and I pray blessing on him.

The next man I talked to asked me about what happened and then what the crack looked like. He too was very sweet. I have a new Kindle Fire arriving on Tuesday and it didn't cost me anything.God is good. I am still praising God.

When I got home I called Amazon to tell them to send me the replacement. I got a hold of a wonderful man who actually spoke English. He asked me about the crack and told me he would see what he could do.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Winter is Here

Well it is February and we finally have winter. Last week I wrote that I had to make a quick trip to Kearney because a blizzard was coming. The day I went to Kearney it was almost sixty degrees out side. We never did get the blizzard. (Okay, so I prayed it would go around us or just rain.) That was last Thursday, it rained all day Friday but we did receive three or four inches on Saturday but the temp was fairly warm. Sunday was nice and most of the snow melted. Monday was bitter cold and snowed some but not much. Yesterday was bitter cold and snow off and on all day. Today is bitter cold and is spitting snow again, so I think maybe this is are winter. I heard on the weather it is supposed to be in the fifties by Saturday. So I guess this is it. Praise God!

The world has become a strange place to live. Yesterday I watched the 700 club and they were talking about how Europe and Asia are having the worst winter they have had in years. Some people blame it on Global Cooling and some people are still blaming it on Global Warming. All in all no one knows what is going on with this world.

I do know that this world can fall apart but God has a plan. He told me so. 'He has a plan for us, a plan for good and not for evil to give us a hope and a future.' I plan to live long and prosper, that is God plan for me and even if I never am published, I know He loves me and is watching over me. He has my back.

My prayer for you today is that you trust the Lord with all your might and not fall into fear. God is good and His mercy endures forever. God Bless you all.

Monday, February 6, 2012

Congratulations!

My post today is a little different. Yesterday it was my honor and my pleasure to attend the 40th wedding anniversary of a couple from my church. To many people that might not be a big deal but to me it is. I have been divorced for forty-three years so that kind of a commitment is awesome.

I love this couple they are so sweet and so loving. Brenda came over and asked me if I had ever heard their story and then she shared it with me. It was so sweet I asked if I could use it in a book or a blog. She told me she would love that so I want to share it with you.

Lonnie Brandt was in the military and was stationed in Germany. Brenda Smith lived on a mountain in Tennessee.
Lonnie meant some wonderful people in Germany and was invited to their home. While he was there he saw  a picture of a beautiful friend of theirs from back home in Tennessee. He asked them for her address and he wrote her a letter. They wrote to each other for over a year. Lonnie told her he would come see her when he got back to the states. She thought yeah right.

The first thing Lonnie did when he got back to the states was to go home and get his car so he could go see her. When he got to the small town he asked some people at the store if they knew her. when they said they did, he asked where she lived and they told him she live up on one of the mountain so he headed out. He stopped at a store at the bottom of the mountain and asked if they knew Brenda Smith. They said they did and that she had just gotten married a few days ago.

Devastated he turned to go home to Nebraska. He stopped for gas on the way out of town. The man who pumped the gas(they did that forty years ago) asked if he was Brenda's Lonnie. He found out there were five Brenda Smiths on that mountain. A year later they were married. Isn't that sweet? Do you see the hand of God at work there? I couldn't help be a little jealous that God didn't do that for me but then God reminded me that I didn't ask for a husband and I didn't wait for the right one. How about you? Did you wait on God? Did you see His work in your relationship?

He brought a man half way around the world for Brenda and He is not a resector of person so He could do the same for you or even me. How cool is that?

Friday, February 3, 2012

Happy Day

Yesterday was an expected blessing to me. My son-in-law gave me a couple hundred dollars and told me to go get a printer. (my printer had died months ago.) I didn't want to go alone. (the closest city is eighty miles away) so I talked my grandson Jeremy into going with me after he got off work.

I don't know where you live but Nebraska was beautiful yesterday. We didn't get to leave until about two but it was sixty degrees out. It felt like spring. One of the reasons they wanted me to go yesterday was a big storm front was moving in. It is hard to believe in blizzards when it is sixty out. The day was wonderful. It even smelled like spring. (Does anyone know, did the groundhog see his shadow?)

My grandson works a lot so I don't get to spend any time with him so it was a real blessing. I like road trips if I don't have to drive. We spent the whole time visiting and sharing it was such a good time. A true joy. God was good and best of all I now have a new printer. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find errors in your work when you can't print off the pages. Now i need to get back to my rewrite, rewrite.

God is so good to me. How was your day? Is God doing awesome thing in your life? He was so sweet to me.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

God is good

This morning I did my normal routine. I get up at six and then I pray until it is time to take my daughter to work and my granddaughter to school. Then i go to the wellness center and walk on the treadmill. I love to read my kindle while I walk. The time goes so much faster that way. Today I am reading To Love Anew by Bonnie Leon.

The book is a historical novel and takes place in London. Her hero is thrown in prison for killing a man in self defense, the heroine is thrown out on the street. She gets a job as a scullery maid and is raped by her employer.
Knowing he will return she flees for her life. Starving with no hope for the future she steals a loaf of bread and is thrown in prison. That's where I left off today.

With my heart heavy with the depression and despair of the book, I walked out into the most glorious sunrise I have seen for quite awhile. My spirit soared to the heavens. I am sure the book will turn to the blessings of God but it really doesn't matter for God is good all the time and His mercy endures forever. What a sweet promise it was to me to think he had that sunset there just for me. I know you will probably say that it wasn't there just for me but God says He does it just for me everyday. He loves me and He is willing to show me that night and day. Praise God! Be blessed today for God is trully good all the time.