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)

Pay It Forward

Jim and I took his dad, Earl, out this weekend. We wanted to take him to get his hair cut and then out to a nice lunch. We enjoy spending time with Earl, but we don't do it nearly as often as we should. We try to make a point to see him at least once per week,and this time we wanted to get him out of his assisted living apartment for a change. Little did we know that we would be the ones blessed and encouraged on this outing.

As we walked into Great Clips, I noticed an adorable bright red haired boy getting his hair cut into a mohawk. His dad was watching the progress and chatting with his son a bit throughout the visit. As I took Earl to sit down and wait for his appointment, Jim checked him in at the front desk. He quietly explained to the employee that Earl had dementia and may not make much sense at times and to let the hairdresser know this ahead of time.  As he sat down, I continued watching the young boy's mohawk come to life.

Eventually Earl was called back to the hairdresser's chair, and Jim and I waited patiently in the waiting room, continuing to watch the cute little boy and his dad.  After a while, the mohawk was complete, and they proceeded to check out and leave Great Clips.

When Earl was finished getting his hair cut (looking very handsome!) we went to check out and pay and were told that his haircut was already paid for.  When she saw the look of confusion on our faces, the store manager came over to us and explained that the young man with the red-headed son had paid for Earl's haircut when he paid for his little boy's.

We couldn't believe it. We felt stunned. No stranger had ever done something for us simply "because" before. We didn't know what to say, and there was no way to thank the young man for being so thoughtful and generous to complete strangers.

After talking about it, Jim and I decided how we could thank him. We could pass it on, pay it forward, do a random act of kindness for someone else. We have prayed and asked God to open our eyes to an opportunity to bless a stranger in our path. We will continue to wait for God to put something on our hearts, and I am asking everyone who reads this story to pay it forward as well.

I have no way of knowing if that young man is a Christian or not, but I do know that he is sure acting like a Christian should act. What better way to thank him than to pay it forward, not only myself, but all my readers as well.

If you have every been blessed by a random act of kindness, either by a total stranger or someone you know, please share with us below in a comment.  Make sure to pay it forward as well.

What If?

I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With Him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.                              Psalm 16:8 NIV

Fear is crippling. Worry stops us in our tracks. They distract us from the present and keep our focus on what we don't want instead of what we do want. Fear and worry say:
                                               
                                                       
                                                              I can't.

     It's too hard.
     What if I fail?
     What if I'm not good enough?
     What if nobody cares?
      How will I know?
     What if I don't have what it takes?



We all hear these types of messages from time to time, but do you know what you're really thinking and saying when you repeat them and believe them?

                                               You're saying to God,
                                                 "I don't trust you." 

Just let that sink in for a minute.......

Do you claim to know and trust God?  If so, ask yourself these questions:

 *Do you think your problems are too big or too complicated for God?
 *Do you think you know how to handle them better than He does?
 *Do you think God is big enough to create and manage the universe but is unable to handle your life?
 *Do you think God doesn't understand your worries?

I bet your answer would be "No" to all of those things.  Mine would too. However, I have come to realize that when I fret over my children's future and safety or when I continue to worry about finances or health problems, I am forgetting that God told me to "Cast all my cares upon Him."  Sometimes I have to remind myself that:

                                                    God Is Greater

He is greater than all my problems--past, present and future.  His abilities far outweigh anything I can possibly imagine, and nothing is going to happen that He doesn't allow.

When you find yourself worrying about anything--real or perceived, known or unknown--give it to God. And leave it there!

Why is this so important?  Because worry lives in the future. Worry paralyzes your heart. Worry drains your joy. Worry warps your perspective, and it strangles your faith.

God calls us to trust Him. Try to make it a practice this week to lay your worries and fears down before the Lord. Show your trust in Him. Revel in the peace He gives you, and find joy in the lightness that comes from a worry-free heart. And, last but not least, remember:

                                                  GOD IS GREATER!

Hide and Seek

Most of us can probably remember playing Hide-and-Seek when we were young children, and maybe you've even played it with your own kids recently. What most of us fail to realize is that we sometimes still try to hide ourselves from God or from those closest to us.

Have you ever found yourself running and hiding from God? Jonah did. Genesis 3 says, "The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: 'Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.'"

The next verse is the pinnacle of the story:  

                             "But Jonah ran away from the Lord...."   

People have been running away from God since the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve were ashamed of disobeying God, and so they hid. The Bible is full of stories about God's children hiding from Him, and we can usually trace the reasons to two different things.

Some people hide from God or others because they are ashamed of a sin and don't want to face the disappointment or hurt they have caused. Maybe they aren't ready to stop sinning, or they think that they can actually hide it from an all-knowing God. Adam and Eve didn't want God to find out about their sin of eating from the forbidden tree. They were ashamed, and so they hid themselves from the Lord.

Another common reason we hide is because God is asking us to do something we either don't want to do or think we can't do. This was Jonah's reason for hiding himself. God had asked him to go and preach to people whom Jonah was afraid of and didn't respect. He decided that he knew better than God, and so he went the opposite way.

But, guess what! God always finds us. He will always pursue us. He wants our obedience and our devotion, and He will give us several chances to get it right. It's important to remember that God will never let anyone or anything other than Him be our Savior.

God used a huge, wild storm to get Jonah's attention. He then used a giant fish to drive the point home even more. Jonah eventually realized that God meant business and that he better obey if he wanted to remain in close relationship with God.

I recently heard the story of Jonah told with a new and refreshing slant to it. Jonah being thrown into the sea and swallowed by a giant fish and then coughed up onto the beach was used to symbolize the act of baptism. In baptism, a person is dunked under water to signify dying to themselves and then lifted up, illustrating becoming alive in Christ. The burial of the old and the resurrection of the new. Isn't this what happened to Jonah? He had to give up his own ideas and plans and then choose to follow God's.

Have you found yourself hiding from something or someone? Is God calling you to something you don't think you can do, or maybe something you don't want to do? Do you have sin in your life that makes you ashamed? Maybe you aren't yet ready to give up that sinful habit.

I know that when I'm hiding from God I feel antsy, unsettled, easily worn down and somewhat depressed. This is God's way of convicting me and pursuing me, and sometimes it takes me a while to recognize it for what it is.

No matter what your reason for hiding, freedom and joy can only come through repentance, obedience and following Christ. Until you make that hard decision to come out into the open, no matter what the cost, you will always feel like you are playing Hide-and-Seek.  It's not a fun game, however, when the stakes are life and death.