Yikes! What Now?

I just got word from CrossLink Publishing that my book, Gratitude Greens, will be starting to print sometime next week. That means I need to get on the ball and start the marketing process of letting everyone I know as well as tons of people I don't know that there is a new book on the market. Let me just say, this is NOT my strong suit. I am not a sales person, and pushing my own product on people goes against the very grain of who I am. Unfortunately, in today's publishing world, it seems that it is up to the author to market a book (unless of course you are a famous, well-known author and the publishing company knows that just mentioning you will sell thousands of copies). But, that's not me, so here I am...trying to figure out how to throw a Book Launch Party for myself.  Google helps a lot, but it's still completely up to me how big I want it to be, how much advertising I want to do for it and how much debt I want to get into in order to meet my own expectations.

To be honest with you, I didn't even think about actually selling Gratitude Greens during the writing process or even when I started researching publishers. I just wanted to write about what God had put on my heart, and I really wanted to see my book in my own hands, professionally designed cover and all!

Well, I don't technically have my physical book in my hands as of yet, but I have gotten a chance to preview and approve the cover design.  So fun!  But now the real work begins...

It's really hard to throw a party celebrating your own accomplishments. Try it and see!

So, I have decided to enlist the help of those closest to me, the friends and family members that know me best and are almost as excited as I am about Gratitude Greens. I am excited, nervous and very uncertain about what the next few months will bring, but I will definitely keep my blog up-to-date on the process (and the party!).

My number one goal through this entire process is to make sure it's about God, how He wants others to be reached and encouraged and making sure He gets all the glory.  

Wish me luck, say a few prayers and e-mail or comment if you have any great ideas for a book launch party!

Here's Your Sign

Give me a sign of your goodness, that my enemies may see it and be put to shame.  For you, O LORD, have helped me and comforted me." Psalms 86:17 (NIV)

I read this verse in a devotional one morning. The study went on to say that it's okay to ask God for signs of His presence at times.  We are not to ask for signs that He is real, and we aren't supposed to test God.  However, asking Him for a sign that He is near or asking Him to show us the way He wants us to go is Biblical.  

One day I was having a particularly stressful, busy day.  I had way more work to do than I normally do and proceeded to get very stressed out and very, very grumpy.  Luckily, nobody was home to bear my wrath, but God was there.

Anyway, I gave myself a break, sitting outside on the back patio.  I closed my eyes and forced myself to take some deep breaths and just relax. I asked God to help me with this challenge. 

            After a couple minutes, I opened my eyes and guess what I saw painted across the bright blue sky?  There were two jet airplane trails forming the shape of a perfect cross!  I knew God meant this as an encouragement to me; It was like God was winking at me, playing with me and, to be honest with you, showing off a bit.  I loved it!  It put a smile on my face and a skip in my step.  I was able to get back to my work with a much better attitude, all because God showed up. 

A friend recently told me about a very similar situation. She and her husband are in the process of selling their house. Anyone that has ever gone through this experience knows that many stresses are involved. Hurry up and wait, hurry up and wait, hurry up and wait. My friend has been trying to follow God and not run out in front of Him through this whole process. She doesn't want to "get the cart before the horse," and she definitely doesn't want to take any steps that are not God-ordained.  

As their ordeal is nearing the end, she felt herself getting more and more anxious, worrying about things out of her control.  She prayed to God, asking Him to give her a sign that He had everything under control.  

And He gave her a literal SIGN.  She drove right past one of the billboards that are up in town saying "04/23/2014." Now, I don't know what this sign pertains to, and neither does she, but she sure knew what they were for at that specific moment.  She just knew God was winking at her telling her that, yes, the scheduled closing date of 04/23/2014 is really going to happen.  See, that's been their scheduled closing date all along, but she was doubting herself and beginning to worry that it wasn't going to go through on time, if at all. 

God knows exactly what sign to give each of us so that we will know it's Him. Nobody else would have thought much about seeing that cross in the sky or that particular billboard at that particular time, but Karla and I knew what they meant and who they were from.  

As God to give you a sign today, and then let Him decide what it's going to be.  You'll know. Give God a chance to show off a bit for you!  It can be really fun to see what He does with that challenge!  

 

Take a Load Off

Jim and I just got back from 4 days at the beach in Moclips, Washington. I hadn't even heard of the town until about three weeks ago when I did a google search on beach houses for rent. I knew exactly what I was looking for: a house with big windows that looked out onto the beach with no dunes in the way of the view. Well, it wasn't nearly as easy to find a place like this as I thought it would be, however I finally found the perfect place! (If anyone wants to know of a great, relaxing, quiet and affordable vacation rental on the Washington coast, let me know).

The week leading up to Jim and my vacation was crazy busy. Jim has been training a new coworker, and he needed to get him up to speed and able to be completely on his own before we took off.  My book is coming out next month, and I can't believe how many last minute chores are involved in having a book published. Lots and lots of work but so exciting at the same time!

Anyway, we were extra busy the week prior to leaving, and boy were we in need of a good vacation and some down time!

And we got it! It was beautiful. It was serene. It was quiet (so quiet-no cell phone reception whatsoever).

It wasn't nearly long enough, but it will have to do until the next time we can get away together.  The one thing it did do was give us some much-needed oomph to get back to the busyness and crazyness of life. We are ready to take it on again, this time with a little more energy and quite a bit more patience.

God knows we need these kinds of breaks periodically. It's not always possible to go somewhere and pay for a hotel or a rental cottage, but we can all schedule some down time into our lives. Turn off the TV. Shut down the cell phones and just relax. Talk. Read. Listen to the quiet. It's hard to do sometimes because we are so used to staying busy, doing a bunch of nothing and running from one thing to another.

Try it. Choose one day this week, and make it your Sabbath. It doesn't have to be on a Sunday. If all you can pull off is one quiet evening this week, then do that. Notice how it revives you and centers you. Use the time to really talk to God or your spouse or your children. Take the time to write in your journal or snuggle up with a cup of tea and just watch the fire in the fire place.

Give yourself a mini Sabbath or a full Sabbath this week, and see how it refreshes your soul.  You may even decide to make a habit of it.

Praying For You

            How many times have you told someone you would pray for them or their loved one?  How often do you actually follow through with prayer?  I hope it's often.  I hope it's every time. 

            Unfortunately, I've found myself forgetting time and time again to follow through with consistent prayer for another person.  I'm ashamed of this, and I've asked God to help me grow in this area.

         

            So, now I pray every morning for my husband, my daughter and my son in the order they got up that day.  I often choose a topic or a theme for each one for a week or two, focusing on an area in their lives I want to cover in prayer. 

            I have also asked God to make me blatantly aware of and responsible for the times I tell coworkers, friends or others that I will pray for their situation. 

            We are called to carry each other in prayer.  I don't want to take this lightly, and I definitely would like others to remember me in prayer when it's needed. 

James 5:16 (ESV)

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.  The prayer of the righteous person has great power as it is working.

Make sure to follow through when you tell someone you will be praying for them. If you have trouble with this, ask God to make you acutely aware of the times you utter the words, "I'll be praying for you," and don't say them if you don't mean them.

(Excerpt taken from Gratitude Greens)