Angels all around

Wild experience today at the Oral Surgeon's office. I had to go in and get this "thing" cut out of my lip. Looked like a blister, but it wasn't.

Dr. Oral Surgeon said he can laser it off in a few seconds, which is true, he did. But before that, he numbed my lip and so the numbing could commence. "Be back in ten minutes," he said.

I wait in the chair, reclined. I'm not nervous, but a little apprehensive like, "Let's do this. I have a lunch date." Plus, it was freezing in there! I said a short prayer, "Lord, just let it go well."

A few seconds later I sense angels in the room. I see them in my spirit eye. Since I'm not seasoned in angel sensing, I don't take it to heart until the largest of the three angles, reaches out and touches my head. I start to cry! Ok, now this is something.

I don't want to boo hoo cause the Dr. and/or his assistant will think I'm hurt or scared, so I sniff it up, but felt like crying off and on before during and after the procedure.

When the Dr. started working, one of the smaller angels moved around the assistant so he could watch, so I could "see" him. I knew that he and the other smaller angel were like host angels and they would be with me until I left. The larger angel had already gone.

Next, I checked out and while doing my co-pay, I teared up. Angels. I wanted to say, "You have angels here."

I got in my car, they were gone. Or at least to my awareness.

God is so awesome! He sent angles to watch my surgery! He loves me!

Thursday and thunder

It's thundering outside right now, but I'm safe inside, typing on my new wireless keyboard. I had to break down and buy one, you know? I sit at the computer desk most of the time now and the laptop sits too high. Now, I can use the pull out keyboard "table." Even have a wireless mouse.

Chris and Raul leave tomorrow. I've enjoyed having them, and will miss them when they leave. Yesterday afternoon was Doris Day fest! We watched Send Me No Flowers and The Thrill of It All. It was fun.

Well, blank brain again. LOL. Peace out.

Lunch with a writer friend, and Jeremy

A fellow Florida writer, Kristy Dykes, and her husband graciously treated me to lunch this afternoon. They were in town to attend a funeral. It was good to catch up with her and talk "shop."

While we are eating and talking, I look up and there's this really hansome, familiar face coming my way. It was Jeremy Emerson! I couldn't believe it. My jaw dropped and I gave him the biggest hug. My kid! At home!

I met Jeremy when he was fifteen, moving dirt, laying the foundation for a school in Guatemala. He's all grown up now, in the military and about to get married.

While we are talking, he looks at me and in complete Jeremy fashion says, "You're as hot as ever."

Now I have to write this because he completely made my day! A man half my age thinks I look "hot." Thanks, Jer. Forty-four year old women start to wonder after awhile.

Anyway, the Exley's are hosting a party for Jer and his bride sometime in September so I'll get to see him again, and meet his wife. It's always so good when the "kids" come home.

Chris, Tony and I watched "Pillow Talk" tonight. Can you believe that? What a funny movie. We laughed out loud.

The new Wal-Mart opened - three miles from my house. Ahh, life is good.

Friday Fables

It's Friday. Don't you just love Fridays? I do. Not sure why, though. Old habit, I guess.

Chris Schoff and his son, Raul are here for a few days. It is always good to have them around. Chris is like a brother.

The American Christian Fiction Writers conference is coming up in a few weeks. I'm driving my Cabrio to Nashville. I want to stop by Pete and Julie's and also tour some of Nashville since most of the Country Princess is set there. I want to go to the Bluebird Cafe and see the songwriters perform. My heroine is a songwriter.

The Lord has really blessed me through ACFW. More than words can say.

You know, I want to write more, but I'm tired.

We have all we need to help others

So, there's Jesus, talking to the multitudes and the day is getting late, ya know? So, His disciples nudge Him and say, "Send the people away for food and lodging. We're out in the middle of no where."

Jesus looks at them. "You give them something to eat."

"Um, Master, lookit," they say, "all we got is five loaves and two fish. We were kinda hoping to eat that ourselves... with You, of course." Besides! Five loaves and two fish can barely feed thirteen let alone more than five thousand.

Jesus smiles. "Tell everyone to sit down in groups of fifty." The disciples organize, Jesus prays to the Father, then the disciples hand out the food.

There was more than enough. In fact, they took up twelve baskets of leftovers. One for each disciple to take home.

Don't you get it. Whatever we have, what little tiny bit, if we are willing to give it to help others, the Lord will more than multiple and give us the remainder.

We keep looking to outside sources to help our friends and family, but we have all we need in Jesus to "feed" them. We just have to believe!

Time, money, heart, soul, houses, cars, talent whatever we have, give it to Jesus to help others. He will take care of them, and supply even more to us than we had to start with.

We have to stop looking to the outside for help. We must look to Jesus, offer our five loaves and two fish, then help Him tend to the multitude. Then, He will give us the abundance that is left over.

How amazing is that?

In the vast scheme of things....

. . . I don't know if it matters that I wasted $15 tonight on a movie, popcorn, candy and a large Diet. Yet I did.

I saw "Must Love Dogs" with Chelle while Tony and some of the kids went to see "The Great Raid." It was a cute movie, not $7.50 cute, and John Cusack's performance was the only redeming quality. I think the book is probably much better than the movie. I've decided, books are always better than the movie.

Today was cleaning day and shave Jack day. Man, he is one furry dog. Tony cut all the fur from his tail (he's a sheltie) and now he wags a stump. It's humiliating.

Tomorrow is church followed by youth band practice and then maybe Stuart and Esther coming over in the evening. They are in town for a few days - Stu was speaking at Freedom this weekend.

Peace out.

Thursday, and a thought about Dad

I love this chorus my "daughter" Cassie sang when she was here during the In The Fire Conference. It's an exhortation from the Lord to us.

"If you want to love Me, listen to Me. You gotta let Me love you first."

Isn't that a great song from the heart of God? So true, too! It's almost impossible to love Him unless He draws us. And we have Bible on that notion. 1 John 4:19, "We love because He first loved us."

Then I learned another chorus listening to a recording of Misty Edwards during a live devotional set at the International House of Prayer in KC.

"I wanna take my affections, put them in a bottle, just to waste it at Your feet. I wanna take my passion, put it in a bottle, just to break it at Your feet."

So heart of Mary, don't you think? I sang them at pastor's prayer today. ;D Then Tony and I went to Peppe's Pizza. I realized it's much like the Guiseppe's Pizza I have in the Lambert Books and I'd never been to Peppe's before starting the first book. Isn't that weird? But cool.

Now I'm home and want to finish Allie. Kyle is on his way to back to Florida after the hurricane, hours before the wedding is supposed to take place, and oh no! Part of I-95 is out... Will he make it to the church on time?

A thought about Dad... I picked up a Calvin and Hobbes book and opened to this:

Calvin: Can I have a different plate?

Mom: Why?

Calvin: Somebody puked on mine.

Instantly, I saw Dad's face as he broke into a laugh. First the silent, hestitating laugh that's trapped in his chest, then it bursts out into a rolling chuckle. I saw his wide smile as he slapped his knee, and heard the second rumble of his laugh as the joke settled in and tickled his funny bone. He liked Calvin. I think he had a little bit of Calvin in him. ;) Miss you, Dad.

Peace out.

Blank Mind

I sit to write in my blog, but cannot think of anything to write. I had a bunch of thoughts earlier this week, but was too busy or too tired to write them down.

Now, they are lost forever.

Today was hottttt! Go figure, I live in Florida. But I cannot remember when it was this hot. Ok, yeah, several years ago when we had all the fires.

I'm about finished with Hurricane Allie. Need an ending. I cut about a thousand words today to tighten and smooth.

I'm tired. Night.

Reading Blogs

I've been reading a few blogs on writing the last few days. Very interesting. I keep thinking, "I don't want to discuss it or write about it, I want to do it!"

I learn a lot from reading. I'm reading Colleen Coble and Charles Martin right now. Simultaneously. Very different books. Very different styles, but I love them both. Mostly I look for wording, phrasing, how they put their stories together.

I've learned from my crit partners. I've learned from Kristin Billerbeck. Just little comments she's made in email, or in something of mine she's read. Of course, reading her chick lits.

I'd prefer a down load from God, you know. Ta-da! I'm a brilliant writer. Like guys who just "get" math. Or can sit down at the keyboard or drums and play.

Well, now that I think about it. Even then, they have to work at it to be good. Work really hard to be great! I know quite a few people who are just natural musicians. But I only know one who is fabulous. She went to college and studied music. It makes her stand out.

So, let's say I got said down load from God. I'd still have to work at writing. Polish my gift. Learn how to use it. Even someone brilliant at math still has to take the courses, work the problems. They just "get it" quicker and easier than the rest of us.

I had a friend who couldn't do math. Turned out he had a pea on his brain. Yeah, a pea sized tumor. Had it removed and he could suddenly do math. He still didn't like math, but he finally understood it.

Think I got a pea on the brain? LOL. No. My doctor says I'm healthy as a horse. "Which horse?" I asked. A sway-back mare or Afleet Alex?

I've decided. Writing is a journey. Prayer is a journey. Our life in God is a journey. We cannot separate our place at His feet from our place in this world. We find ourselves and our identity at His feet, by the beating of His heart toward us. Then, we cut a swath in the forest of life.

Otherwise, life cuts a swath in us.

Sunday

Today was a relaxed day. I slept in and read some, road my bike, prayed, talked to my friend Renee, started laundry, wrote 2k words on a story that is not even a Work In Progress (WIP) but wanted to get my ideas on paper. The story was birthed during my prayer time and I felt I needed to capture the character's voice and story.

Tony and I took Cassie and Eric to Carrabbas for dinner and now I'm stuffed! But we had a great time. Cassie goes back to Kansas City tomorrow and Eric leaves at the end of the month.

I'm going to miss them both terribly - my son and daughter - but they must live the lives God has destined them to live.

The Fire Dweller band was gathered for the In The Fire conference this weekend. So good. So very good. Our sound man was a professional, like he has Latin Grammies. He worked for us for a nominal, nominal fee and because of his relationship with Javier. Anyway, he loved the band. He said he'd never seen a band play together like the Fire Dweller band, and never, ever seen two electric guitars work together. Just goes to show you what humility and relationship can do.

God's ways really are so incredible. I've even taken that stand with writing. Cassie and I were talking about the fasted life, the contemplative life and I remembered a dream I had about being in a locker room all alone. It was a very nice locker room, like in a country club. But there was another locker room full of people, lots going on, seemed like the place to be, but it was more like the locker room at the Y or public gym.

There's more detail that I won't go into, but I always felt the private locker room represented my private place of preparation in God. It's rich and beautiful, but I was tempted to be in the public locker room, among the others. Yet, it was noisy, crowded and low class.

I have to purpose to remain in the secret, quiet place in God. The riches in Him are worth it. In His time, He'll call me out to the place beyond the locker room.

The conference was awesome. Great speakers, including mio, and great, great worship. It wasn't as big as last year because we didn't bring in any speakers from Kansas City's House of Prayer, but we know God did what He wanted to do. I think it was a success.

Now, I'm tired and ready to get to work this week on finishing Hurricane Allie.

Grace and Peace.

Tony

I love my husband!
(it's 2:00 a.m. and he's letting me take his picture after a looooonnng conference weekend. See.... )

Our Pool

Hi all. Just want you to know our new pool is open and you can come by for a swim. Here's some of our guests swimming.

Ok, it's Monday...

I'm sitting in my Florida room, staring out the window at my neighbor who is on the phone, lounging by her pool. I'm green. Light green, but nonetheless green.

We had a nice weekend. Went over to the beach for a 16 year old's surprise birthday party! It was very nice. Got a ticket... and not to a Broadway show if you know what I mean. I really thought I was going the speed limit!

Nope. Nineteen miles over. And get this, kind Mr. Police Officer "cuts me a break" and gives me a lower fine. It cost me a $100 instead of $200. Where is the logic in that? Look, give me the ticket for my crime or DON'T give me a ticket at all. What is the point here? I honestly didn't know I was going 49 in a 30. I wasn't even in 5th gear, so it's not like I was intentionally breaking the law. But I did. So, give me my due. Grr.

Note to self: Watch for speed limit signs.

Later that night I thought my computer died. What an ordeal. Then we figured out the power plug wasn't all the way plugged in. What a goof. But I can't see the power plug cause it's on the back of the computer desk. Even if I crawl under, I still can't see it. I have to feel around for the socket holes.

But, Praise God, my computer didn't die. I think the battery is going, but I still have my hard drive.

Note to self: Back up every day!

Note to self: Don't drink 48 oz of water before going to bed.

Ok.. Hurricane Allie is coming along. I'm really trying to make it a fun, romantic story, but not cliché. But I only have 20K words to work with here. Gee whiz.

This week is In The Fire week. Cassie is coming in from Kansas City today and will be here all week. Yay! I have a meeting tonight for the October girls conference and then pretty much a meeting every night this week. Shew! I'm teaching at the conference Friday night so I'll be working on that this week. I'm doing a practical element: focus life. Thank you Mike Bickle for inspiring me.

Better get wid it. Peace.