Monday, December 10, 2012


 Christmas Bridges

 In fifteen days, Christmas arrives.

 Children love the excitement of special programs, school vacation, and gifts to open. Adults anticipate an end to the frazzled holidays and a return to normal routines.

 Christmas often brings family and friends together who otherwise make a point to avoid each other.  This yearly get-together is fraught with tension and anxiety. Fears of hearth and home assault our minds and make us miserable.

What if I accidentally say something that antagonizes dad again?
Mom will reprimand my kids.
I never do anything to please my in-laws.
My gifts won’t measure up to theirs.
Aunt Sally doesn’t approve of my tattoos.
Grandma Bootsy dislikes my husband.
Uncle Bob talks politics non-stop.
Cousin Kay expects me to bow down to her.
If Grandpa teases me about me green hair again, I’ll scream.
 
And the throb of misery continues as we anticipate family hostilities on the Holiest of Days.
When the angels appeared to the shepherds, they spoke these words: “Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth peace to all men.”
 So on days where many of us experience family wretchedness, what happened to glory to God and the peace on earth? Hmmm. God receives no worship through our animosity to mankind, and we receive no peace from our bickering back and forth.
 When the angels uttered these words, “peace to men,” they weren’t proclaiming a war of words would conclude or countries would forever be at a ceasefire.  The angels meant that Jesus is the bridge that crosses us into God’s acceptance.
 
Jesus came to Earth, giftwrapped in cloth. You see, His Father sent this bundle of salvation and laid it in a manger. And God’s gift came circled with a blood red ribbon. Each day, the beautiful package begs for someone to open the box and claim this costly gift.

 
Thus, through this offering from heaven, we can have peace with God.  Just not always with our families and each other.
Wouldn’t be remarkable if this Christmas we build a bridge with our family members as God did to us?
 
Glory to God in the Highest, and may we have peace on earth this season at our household gatherings.
 
 



 

Wednesday, December 5, 2012


Paper Work

 What is the deal with clutter? Why do I find it difficult to file important records away?

Wait! I reorganized files recently.  And now I can’t find essential documents.  Perhaps I should have left them scattered on the desk top, piled on the floor, and stacked on the printer. At least then I knew where they were.

Gurus have written articles that tell me creative people are messy. That bit of news made me feel better about my chaos. After all, I’m a creative gal, but is that an excuse for clutter?  Probably not. Could be that I’m just plain down right lazy. Would I work better with a clean and organized surface? I know I tried it once. Wonder how long ago that was? Can't remember.

Now that Sarah: Laney’s Angel is finished, I’ve started a third book about Sarah, and she’s so much more fun that organizing papers on my desk.  However, if I don’t clean up soon, no one will be able to find Sarah and me behind these stacks at the computer.

How do all you busy people handle the stuff waiting for a home?  Jacqueline Hopper, has an article on her blog that gives 10 tips for keeping a desk clean and tidy.

Excuse me, now while I go back and study it.  Check it out. http://jacquelinedhopper.blogspot.com/

 

Friday, November 23, 2012


Tag!  I'm it!

I’ve been tagged!  Lyn Sofras selected me for the “LOOK.”  To read Lyn’s excerpt from her book, Killing Jenna Crane, go to manicscribbler.blogspot.co.uk.  Lyn’s excerpt is a doozy.  I can hardly wait to read her new masterpiece.

All right, what does it mean to be designated for the LOOK? Okay, here goes. In my latest work in progress, Sarah: Laney’s Angel, I’m to find the word look. Surely I didn’t use that word much, did I?

To my shock, yes—many times!  Are we limited in our vocabulary?  Not really, but most of us tend to use favorite words often.

The word “look” in the first chapter, but the excerpt here is from Chapter Nineteen in my soon to be released book, Sarah: Laney’s Angel.  Remember, this is a work in progress, certain words and phrases may change before publication.

In this scene, Sarah had descended to Earth to link Laney Taylor with her boss, Cannon Carlson.  Laney believes business and pleasure don’t mix. Sarah’s assignment is to change that notion, but Sarah is Sarah, and when she is involved, peculiar things happen.  For one thing, she forgets that invisible angels can be heard, and if they pick up an object, others can see the item float in the air.

In this nineteenth chapter, Sarah attends a party with Cannon and Laney.  As always, she is hungry.  Surely no one will notice a missing lamb chop.  Eating it should be no problem.

The servers placed the first course—salad before each guest. Trays waited nearby with the second course—tomato basil soup.

Sarah floated above them and salivated from the aroma of the delicious food.

So hungry. Maybe she could sneak a bite or two when heads were turned. She drifted to the kitchen where the busy servers arranged fare on platters.

After a quick glance around, she planted her bare feet on the floor and selected a slice of lamb. Picking it up with her fingers, she took a bite while she held the remaining chop between her thumb and forefinger.

“What in da world?” A male server poked a female attendant in the ribs. He stared at the meat as it danced in the air. He had no idea an angel’s hand was causing the motion.

Sarah dropped the sliver of lamb back onto the plate and dashed to the corner of the ceiling.

The female glared at her companion. “What’s wrong with you?”

“I…I…I saw a…a…a lamb a floatin’ in da air. I mean… a lamb chop done went and rose up. It was a movin and groovin’ in da air.”

“You been at the champagne again? You know you been warned ‘bout drinking on the job.”

“No, no, promise—nary touched a drop, but dat meat done hung up in da air.”

The two examined the chop that Sarah had dropped in her haste. A tiny bite was missing.

“Would ya look at dat? See? I told ya. Something done went and ate on it.”

The female server shook her head. “What we can’t ‘splain, we don’t say.” She tossed the chop into the trash.
 

 Now it’s my turn to tag five incredibly, talented writers.  Let’s check in on them and see what they’ve been writing.

 Robin Hatcher:                http://blog.robinleehatcher.com/new_in_christian_fiction/

Anne Green:                    AnneGreenAuthor.com

Delia Latham                    http://www.delialatham.net/

Jayna Morrow                  http://www.facebook.com/JaynaMorrowRomanceAuthor

Laurie Alice Eakes            http://lauriealiceeakes.com/

 

 

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