DEVOTION: Watch the Clouds! ~ Ray Hawkins

I enjoy watching the clouds as they float or whiz across the skies. They can never be the same, always changing, always appealing. Within the bible clouds tell some important truths.

They surround the very presence of God. In Exodus 19 is the account of the Lord calling the Nation of Israel before Mt.Sinai. It is an awesome sight with lightning, thunder and thick cloud. Was this to create a sense of awe in the Nation? Was it also a way of protecting the Nation from the holiness of God? To be in His presence unprotected from His holiness would be to self-destruct.

How then can there be any hope for anyone to enjoy the Lord’s company? Only by the Lord God dressing us in His righteousness. This can only be possible by dealing with our sinfulness. In turn we are powerless to achieve any of this. For it to happen the Lord God who dwells among the clouds must come and deal with our sin, inabilities and inadequate ‘clothing’ for His company.

Here is the reason for Christmas. Here is the achievement of Calvary. Here is the message of the Gospel. God has come out of the clouds in Christ Jesus. He has dealt with our sin, He has dealt with our spiritual inabilities. He has provided garments of righteousness. Now we have the promise, His promise, that one day we will penetrate the clouds surrounding Him. On that day those cleansed and appropriately dressed will see Him face to face.

In Exodus 24:9-18 is an account of a select group with Moses being near God on Mt. Sinai. The cloud of His presence covered them but they saw Him through it. The people at the mountain’s base only saw a devouring fire. Those in the cloud enjoyed the Lord’s fellowship as well as each others. In Revelation 21-22 we see the time when the cloud is lifted. Then we will dwell in His presence unhindered.

Over to you: What part of your life is shrouded in cloud? Is there an area you need to ask the Lord to lift the cloud, that you may see Him more clearly?

Ray Hawkins is retired after 30 years as a minister. 

He is author of five books of Biblical meditations which you can see on his blog site. His newly released, Bethlehem's Warrior Baby is about to hit the shelves.

Do visit his stunning new blog and say hello!

Feeling a Failure?

At home I have several moth orchids. For much of the year they don’t look like much just a few leaves. They could almost be seen as failures. But when they flower they are so beautiful.  

Have you ever felt yourself to be a failure? I know I have. It happens most when comparing myself with others.  In the eyes of the world I might also be considered a failure. After all I haven’t made any great discovery to earn the accolades of many or written a runaway bestseller or Pulitzer Prize winning novel. Yes I have written a few novels but if I compare myself with other writers I have not written near as many as some others I know. Does that mean I am a failure?  Perhaps in some people’s eyes.

On a financial front I haven’t earned millions, but have enough to live on and am content - most of the time.  As the bible reminds us, ' Better a little with the fear of the Lord, than great wealth with turmoil,'  Proverbs 15.16 or this one, 'whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless,’ Ecclesiastes 5:10.

I don’t live in a mansion but just an average though comfortable home and don’t have an expensive car or all the gadgets money can buy, not even an I-phone. So yes, in the world’s eyes maybe that constitutes failure.

Then on Mother’s Day our minister spoke about parenting and its importance. He emphasised the need to trust in God and not on our own understanding, to acknowledge Him and His claim on our lives. see Proverbs 3:5-6. He urged us to remember what are some of my favourite verses, ‘Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to Him and He will do this; he will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun,’ Psalm 37: 4-6. Later verses in the same psalm remind us that though we stumble we will not fall for God upholds us with His hand. See verses 23-24.

There were lots of other verses about making God our guide in parenting as in all things. The sermon also included other practical advice about sometimes  forgoing our own pleasures to spend time with our children, talking to them, reading to them,  playing games and doing things with them and just taking time to enjoy them.  Another tip was about disciplining when needed and not just being a ‘yes’ man or woman who gives in to their every whim and spoils them with gifts but doesn’t do the job of parenting. The talk included the importance of not only reading God's word ourselves but teaching our children God’s ways and reading God’s word together. As I listened to those things I sat there and thought how my husband and I there had done those things over the years. Not every day though we tried, but more often than not. It wasn’t always easy and certainly we had some testing moments over the years.

Now I look at the two of them as adults and see the results. They are delightful people to know and relate well to others. It is always a joy for us to spend time with them. They each saw the importance of not being unequally yoked with unbelievers and are both married to Christians.  As a result they are teaching their families about God and His word, bringing them up to know and love God.  I see them now enjoying their children, spending time with them, reading to them, playing games with them and yes, disciplining them when necessary but always in love.  Added to this they are both committed to God and actively involved in the respective churches, teaching and nurturing through school classes and bible studies God’s ways.

When I look at them I feel somewhere along the way my husband and I with a large amount of God’s help and guidance managed to do a number of things right. In the world’s eyes it all may not count as much of an achievement. But to have an enjoyable well adjusted family, serving God and following Him, I’d rather that than all the fame and riches of the world. I wonder what you would see as your greatest achievement in life.

 

Streets on a Map, was published by Ark House Press. Prior to that Dale has had seven children’s books and Kaleidoscope a collection of poetry published.

Along with her husband, Dale was for a time houseparent for a family of twelve boys. She has also been a manuscript assessor and book reviewer and run creative writing classes, and written bible studies and Sunday school lessons. For several years she wrote about Christian living, marriage and home related topics More information about Dale can be found at www.daleharcombe.com or on her Write and Read with Dale blog  http://www.livejournal.com/users/orangedale/

Reunion - M. Laycock

Shades of fresh new green billow across the landscape interspersed with patches of tawny stubble and dark earth waiting for the rain. Hawks skim the ground or perch on fence posts, eyes ever searching for prey. Here and there cattle graze, wandering down centuries old pathways grooved into the side of low hills. It's springtime in Alberta. The long wait for winter to end has passed but now a new anticipation hovers in the soft air. Will the rains come? Will the crops sprout and yield their harvest? The potential for either feast or famine is there, walking the tightrope of weather forecasts and mechanical failures.

I feel the tight coil of waiting inside me. Thoughts of "what if" press it down hard until the whisper, "I am with you," breaks through and the tension eases again. Then the distraction of time spent with old friends brings laughter and tears, the sweet sweet song of two young girls, smiling as they sing about Jesus catches in my throat and eye contact with a friend brings a knowing smile. Walking the dirt roads of a country town on a tranquil evening, the joy of discovering new places together makes us giddy and the unexpected certainty that God is walking with us tingles my spine.

All too soon it's time to pack up with hugs all round to say good-bye as we step out into a cooling shower. Blessings falling on us all, on the land. The seeds will yield their fruit. Though weather may turn and machines may fail, the harvest will come. He is with us.

****

Marcia Lee Laycock writes from central Alberta Canada where she is a pastor's wife and mother of three adult daughters. She was the winner of The Best New Canadian Christian Author Award for her novel, One Smooth Stone and also has two devotional books in print. Her work has been endorsed by Sigmund Brouwer, Janette Oke, Phil Callaway and Mark Buchanan. Marcia's second novel, A Tumbled Stone has just been short listed in the contemporary fiction category of The Word Awards. Abundant Rain, an ebook devotional for writers can be downloaded here. Visit Marcia's website

Research: Evoking Pain or Passion?

Research – it’s a loaded word that brings to mind different things for different writers. Does it evoke a pain or passion for you? Both perhaps? 

You are not alone.

For some, research is taking the plunge to sort through a ceiling-high stack of books or spending hours on the Internet scrolling endless web pages – or it could be getting some dirt under your nails and traveling to the destination.

For my upcoming research trip to the U.K., I really felt the need for a game plan. I am quick to become overwhelmed with the splendor and sheer excitement of travel to be distracted from my goal – inhaling a place and etching it into the lanes of my mind and heart.

I realize that is a lofty goal, so I thought and thought some more and something struck me. I should treat this trip as if I am writing a travel article about it and not a book – which brought me to my own advice via a column I wrote about travel writing. 

Take a look below and even if that dirt under your nails has to come from YouTube videos, firsthand accounts in books or phone conversations I believe this info can apply.

I'll be seeing this soon!

So choose your destination and let’s travel write. Err, I mean “research.”  

Passport in hand or mouse at our fingertips…here we go.

On the occasion that I’ve been on a trip and have written about it in the newspaper, countless people have complimented me on these articles and said they felt as if I’d taken them along on the journey.

After profusely thanking them, I started thinking about why they felt this way. I mean…I know I’m a decent writer, even a good writer, but honestly to pen something that evokes such a connection must be great writing.

The more I thought about it, the more I narrowed it down to two things—the first being voice.

For writers in nearly any situation, voice is what sets us apart and helps to create this connection between the words and the reader. 

Writing a travel piece all begins with the place and the experience you had there. You might write an overview of a whole country or focus on a specific city. Take your pick. Though for the purpose of learning, it may be easier to choose a particular restaurant, museum, event, etc.

Okay…now that the locale is selected, you must figure out how to give the reader a sense of place by using the second thing—details.

Close your eyes. 

What sticks out in your mind about the place? Do you recall a specific scent? See unique colors, crowded streets, empty cobblestone lanes?
 

Do you hear music, loud noises, different languages? Feel soft tablecloth beneath your fingers or the coarse fur along a camel’s neck? Taste salt, sugar, exotic spices in the cuisine?

Unique viewpoint from Scotland's Urquhart Castle beside Loch Ness

For additional help, look over your pictures, videos or souvenirs from the place. I always do and it’s another tool to help me be in the place again so I can take readers there too. 

After re-familiarizing yourself with the place, hone in on one specific aspect of it (perhaps the answer to the question about what sticks out in your mind) and start writing, infusing it into the scene. Take us there with you.

Don’t worry about writing it perfectly. Write what comes to mind about the place—what you liked, were surprised about, activities you did, etc. Just write until you find a stopping point.

Read your writing (aloud is best) and circle or just take note of the details. Make sure several (if not all) senses have been represented.

For the opening of the article, look back over it and pick out the most interesting, shocking or funny detail or fact noted. Try to work this in as an add-in of your unique perspective.

Me at London's British Museum

With whatever you are writing, about somewhere nearby or far off, travel writing that connects with readers is about thinking back on the experience and its details, picking a starting point, being yourself and just writing it. Try it.

With my upcoming research trip, I will be keeping the above advice in mind. I will take copious notes and try to focus on particular aspects of the setting, perhaps one sense at a time to not be overwhelmed. 

Remember. This is all an experiment. You have to see what works for you as a writer. But I hope the above advice has helped even in the least bit. 

And I think a third “P” in this passion or pain thing is appropriate. Above all, it takes perseverance to search for those bits of a place that others may miss. Keep your eyes open and senses alert. You never know what you’ll uncover.

Please join the conversation. What is your approach to research? Is it a pain or passion? Or a little of both? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Morgan Tarpley

Morgan Tarpley is an award-winning newspaper reporter and photographer in Louisiana. She is also a historical novelist currently seeking representation. Besides writing and traveling to over a dozen countries, her interests include acting in her local theater, photography, and singing.

For more information about Morgan, visit her website (www.morgantarpley.com) and blog (www.pensonaworldmap.com). You can also connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Goodreads.

Introducing Deadly Devotion by Sandra Orchard

I am super-excited to share with you a little about the first book in my new mystery series, Port Aster Secrets, set in the fictional town of Port Aster in the Niagara Region of Ontario, Canada.  

 

I had so much fun doing research for this book, because the heroine is a herbal researcher and the hero is a former FBI agent turned detective. 

So...to understand my hero, Tom Parker, better, I attended the Writer's Police Academy, a fabulous, hands-on experience that not only allowed me to see, hear, taste, smell and handle a variety of police and emergency services equipment, it helped me to get into my hero's head. And through the firearms training simulator, I also experienced the emotions and visceral reactions of facing split section decisions of how to react to potentially life threatening situations. 

To understand my heroine, Kate Adams, better, I worked on a sensory panel at our local agricultural research station. I visited the Niagara Parks School of Horticulture and interviewed students. I read dozens of books on poisons and herbal remedies and trolled the internet for little-known facts that would be intriguing to slip into the story. 

What's the book about?

Kate knows her mentor didn’t kill herself by mistakenly drinking the wrong tea and she’s determined to prove it — with or without Detective Tom Parker’s help. Since Tom left the FBI under less than ideal circumstances, he's trying to keep a low profile in his new job, but with Kate investigating a case that his boss insists is closed, that may be wishful thinking. Kate's sleuthing uncovers a web of intrigue that convinces Tom he needs to find the truth before it gets Kate killed.

RT Book Reviews describes Deadly Devotion as: "suspenseful with plenty of action and a fascinating mystery that readers as well as tea lovers will enjoy." 

Publisher's Weekly agrees saying: "Fans looking for a quick read and a unique mystery will surely enjoy it."

The book releases in North America June 1st and internationally in July. But online stores already have it available for preorder at fabulous sale prices. Of particular interest to international readers is The Book Depository, which ships free to 110 countries. 

Check out these pre-release giveaways: 5 copies are available to be won by Canadian and American Goodreads members.  And on May 23rd and 24th, leave a comment at my upcoming interview at The Barn Door Book Loft for a chance to win a copy. (Open to wherever The Book Depository ships free...even if it says US only)

Sandra Orchard is an award-winning author of Christian romantic suspense. She writes for Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense line, and Revell Publishing. She lives in Niagara, Canada with her real-life-hero husband of more than twenty-five years, and writes full time…when not doting on their first grandchild. You can learn more about Sandra’s books and bonus features at www.SandraOrchard.com or connect at www.Facebook.com/SandraOrchard

SUNDAY EDITION

Coming Up This Week

Monday

Sandra Orchard: Introducing Deadly Devotion by Sandra Orchard

Tuesday

Morgan Tarpley

Wednesday

Marcia Laycock

Thursday

Dale Harcombe

Friday Devotion

Ray Hawkins: Watch the Clouds!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

News

Christine Lindsay has sold a romance novella to WhiteRose Publishing for their Passport to Romance catalogue - congratulations Christine!

"So who is this Marion Stroud anyway?" I was asked that question once, by a friendly stranger when I was drinking coffee and waiting to speak to a large group of women about my life as a writer. If you have asked yourself the same thing, you can hear some of the answer this weekend. 

Part of my story will be aired on Words To Live By Saturday and Sunday, May 11 and 12, 2013. Words To Live By is currently heard on over 325 stations worldwide, including Canada, the Caribbean, Singapore, the Philippines, Central America, and South Africa. 

You can listen to Words To Live By programs on the Internet at www.words.net. My story will be featured at the website Friday, May 10 through Thursday, May 16, 2013. After that it will be available in the archives.

Sandra Orchard's book, Critical Condition, is the winner of RT Reviewers Choice Best Book Award in the Love Inspired Suspense category - congratulations Sandra!

Lucy Morgan-Jones is a finalist in the historical category of the Faith, Hope and Love Inspirational Chapter of Romance Writers of America's Touched By Love Award - congratulations Lucy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

New Book Releases

Kathi Macias' historical set in the US, Last Chance for Justice, is a May 2013 release from B and H Publishing Group.

Christine Lindsay's historical, Captured by Moonlight, Book 2 of the Twilight of the British Raj series and sequel to the multi-award winning Shadowed in Silk, will be released in eBook format in February 2013 and print in May 2013 from WhiteFire Publishing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Upcoming Book Releases

Lisa Harris' romantic suspense set in the US, Stolen Identity, will be a June 2013 release from Love Inspired Suspense.

Sandra Orchard's romantic suspense set in Canada, Deadly Devotion, will be a June 2013 release from Revell Publishing.

Jo-Anne Berthelsen's book set in England and Australia, The Inheritance, will be an August 2013 release from Even Before Publishing.

Sandra Orchard's book, Fatal Inheritance, will be an August 2013 release from Love Inspired Suspense.

Lisa Harris' romantic suspense set in the US, Dangerous Passage, Book 1 in the Southern Crimes series, will be a September 2013 release from Revell. 

Kathi Macias' historical set in the US, England and France, The Doctor’s Christmas Quilt, will be an October 2013 release from New Hope Publishers.

Donna Fletcher Crow's romantic suspense set in England, A Jane Austen Encounter, Book 3 in The Elizabeth and Richard Mysteries series, will be a 2013 release from Stonehouse Ink.

To find more International Christian Fiction books, please visit our 2013 - 2015 Book Releases page and Backlist Titles.

DEVOTION: Where Do I Fit? ~ Jan Cline

“Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body.”

I Corinthians 12: 14 & 15

Do you remember the kid’s toy that was a box with different shaped holes? It came with plastic pieces to teach the toddler which shape went in the right hole. I used to watch my kids progressively get better at recognizing the squares, stars and other shapes. It was very tempting to help them along as they tried to stuff a square piece into a round opening. I just had to keep my hands to myself and let them figure it out.

Many of us are trying to fit the wrong shapes together in our own lives. God has molded us to fit in a certain place, and when we try to fit somewhere else, we either have to force the opening to change or we rearrange ourselves to be in a place that wasn’t meant for us. Oh, it can be done if we are persistent. God will give us over to our own selfish will. He will patiently wait for us to see that pretending to be someone we aren’t it isn’t working out so well.

Why do we lean on our own understanding of our makeup instead of asking Him first what He would have us do with our talents? When we’re tired of being pinched and squeezed, we turn to God and ask why He hasn’t made things work for us. Getting into the wrong shaped hole is tough, but wait till you have to push your way out backwards! It’s a pain we can avoid if we surrender to God’s design in the first place.

Knowing with certainty what part we hold in the body of Christ will make us effective in its function. We will find peace in doing what we know we were created to do. Life is difficult enough without spending so much energy on stuffing and squeezing into a place that will never be a comfortable fit or advance the Kingdom of God.

Can you give God thanks for who you are? If you can, you will find your place in the body and the grace to function as you should. Our talents and gifts are not our own. We belong to a bigger picture and an all knowing Master. What’s your shape in the Body of Christ?

Let's Pray: Dear God, give me grace today to find the place you designed for me. I want to be used for your Glory and purpose. 

Jan Cline is an author and speaker from the Pacific Northwest, USA. She is also founder and director of the Inland NW Christian Writers conference and leads a writers group in her area. You may learn more about her at www.jancline.net.

Author of A Heart Out of Hiding
Also available on Amazon