Saturday afternoon I sat on the floor of my office, colored 4x6 note cards in front of me, reorganizing my book, and watching The Patriot.

Towards the end, tears streamed down my cheeks as Benjamin Martin rode along side the troops waving a battered American flag.

"Thank you," I said, thinking of the men and woman who gave up so much to make sure a free nation existed on the earth.

They counted the cost and said, "It's worth it."

Today we want freedom without a price tag. It's impossible. The price of freedom is eternal vigilance. Freedom is not free.

I hope and pray our nation does not lose sight of what our forefathers believed in and died for. May we always be strong and free.

But if not, I am always free in Jesus.

"He only is my rock and my salvation,

My stronghold; I shall not be shaken.

On God my (salvation and my glory rest;

The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God." Psalm 62

The milk

Is it a bad day when you eat your cereal with milk that has a sell by date 10 days ago?

Hum...

Update on my dog

When we came home from Kansas City, we found our dog Pal with a bad ear infection. Poor Matt and Jodi got stuck with a sick Pal-dog and for those of you who know him... taint easy to deal with him.

Thank you Matt and Jodi. We appreciate you taking care of our boy.

I took him to the vet on Monday. I had the top down on the Cabrio and he rode with his head over the window, sore ear flapping. I imagine it felt good.

Needless to day, Pal doesn't like the vet. I told them to drug him up or get shredded by his claws when they tried to touch his ear.

In the course of our visit, he peed, puked and pooped. Poor guy. While waiting for one of the shots to calm him down, I sat with him and pet his belly, singing him a song.

"Even though I'm a little dog, Jesus gives me peace."

Not sure if it helped him, but I started crying. The vet did a great job and got his ear cleaned out. His infection was so bad, the receptionist looked at his chart and said, "Oh my gosh!"

I brought Pal home and he crashed, sleeping for about five hours.

Tony and I have to clean out his ears and put in drops, and we have the claw scratches to prove it. He's actually pretty good for us - he must understand we are trying to help him.

Friend Chris - Our friend Chris Schoff and his son, Raul, were here for a night Monday. Always good to see them.

Writing - Plugging away at Diva.

Windswept Weddings

Run, don't walk to your nearest Wal-Mart, Christian Bookstore or Barnes & Noble to pick up your copy of Windswept Weddings!

Here's a blurb: Nature's Fury Can't Stop Love. As four wedding parties gatther, so does a blizzard, a tornado, a hurricane and a wildfire. Can the brides unity with their grooms in themidst of raging storms?

By Lena Nelson Dooley, Pamela Griffin, Rachel Hauck and Lynette Sowell.

I wanted to stay here...

... another few days. Soaking, quiet, fellowship, soaking, quiet, fellowship.

We came out to the House of Prayer-KC to sit before the Lord in the prayer room, but then people sorta got in the way. Ha!

Fellowship with God, fellowship with man. That's what it's all about. Inner life, outer life. Love God, love man. And I use man in the mankind sense.... No noses out of joint, please.

No heavy revvies from the Lord other than to keep going in the path we are going. We are making a change at home so I'm not so distracted from writing. Cutting off the TV cable. It's time.

I wanted to stay here because it's so quiet to my soul and the environment is soaked with Him, but while I was praying about it, I knew my house could be the exact same way. Tony leaned over a few minutes later and said the exact same thing to me.

Yet, I realize, I'm nervous about the quiet. We all get intimidated by the quiet. Confronting the barrenness of our own hearts. But then He comes in love, in our weakness He is strong. I want that... I can't be without His strength.

Had a great time last night with the TurBergs. Went out to eat, then came back to the coffee shop. Julia's written a book, so we talked a lot about it. Because of her life and her giftings and callings, she needs to get her work out there. Let's say this, while we were all talking at the coffee house, a few little feathers floated down between us. Supernatural things are common with her.

I found this really cool theme in Diva NashVegas. I was writing the other day and came up with the character that I can subtly weave through the story... and wow. If I do it right, it will be so cool. I was telling Julia about it and she got goosebumps.

I'm encouraged, but the labor is still long. Isn't that the way of life? Inspiration followed by a truck load of labor. But the labor is sweet. Very sweet.

Well, I'm off to the morning session. Haven't been sleeping much, but don't need it. I'm all good.

Grace and peace.

In the prayer room...

... Misty is leading. Soaking, soaking, soaking.

Laundry? Check

I've figured out the laundry quandry.

My sock drawer.

I'm serious. I hate putting away socks because the drawer is crammed full of socks. And no I can't get rid of any of them. I might need them. I loathe searching for a pair of socks I thought I had but now cannnot find.

So, having this insight into my own psychie, I plow ahead with the duty of laundry and face the sock drawer.

Since we are leaving for Kansas City tomorrow with Don and Wendy, I had to do laundry. It's done and folded on the living room couch. I'm just gonna pack up from there.

Knowing we were going to be gone, and planning to spend a lot of time in the prayer room, I wanted to make a valient effort on Diva. 3k today and counting. My plan is to get the first draft done as fast as possible, then edit, edit, edit which is what I do best anyway. Plus, the more I write, the more the characters come alive and the more the story flows.

I really like Aubrey James. Her interview scenes with Scott Vaughn from Inside NashVegas are really fun. I actually feel like I'm "listening to" an interview.

And this cool news. I'm finally on the Thomas Nelson web site! Lost In NashVegas is up, and my little bio. So, any new visitors from the Thomas Nelson site, hello!!

Lost In NashVegas is also in the Fall catalog. And, Georgia On Her Mind, Windswept Weddings and Lambert's Code are in the new edition of the Christian Book Distributors catalog.

It's so amazing to think back to all the years I wanted to be in "the catalogs." Waited for my name to be listed among the publishers' stellar authors, and wow, here it is. It feels good. Right.

I'm awed at God.

Matt and Jodi will be babysitting the dog-boys and the cat-boy while we're away. Pal is acting very, very strange. He's sleeping under my legs, under the desk. When he walks around a corner, he stops and looks first. When Jack ran out to the living room to bark at somthing, Pal got up, barked, but never left the office.

I'm not kidding. I think he sees angels.

Peace out.

Sunday Evening

I'm sitting here on Sunday night, writing and watching the final of Survivor. Happy Mother's
day.

I had a nice day. Talked to the moms and my sister. Forgot to call Grandma. I love you, Grandma!

I always have two girls who call me on mother's day: Cassie and Carrie. Well, Cassie called from Kansas City, and Carrie was actually in town and breezed by church on her way out of town. Thank you for always remembering me. My heart is kissed.

Lead worship this morning which was fun.

Am getting stressed about Diva NashVegas but am really trying to lean on Jesus and not worry. A circumstance is a circumstance right? A deadline doesn't change His ability to take care of the problem.

I got the tearsheets and letters from Lambert's Peace and Code. One lady wrote that Code was not a love story but a how to fix your marriage story and is sending the book back to HP. LOL. All the tearsheets and letters were great, except that one.

We are going to Kansas City Thursday. If I had my choice, I'd stay home to write, but we planned this trip in February and we are really looking forward to three whole days in the prayer room. I'll try to get some word count in, but never know. I tried to write in the prayer room once before, and ended up deleting most of it. :)

Grace and Peace.

Unusual Day

I didn't write today. I read. Research. The bio of a country singer, perhaps a diva if you will. Very interesting and I gleaned... I literally read the book in one day. About 8 hours. Toward the end, I did skim because the story really wasn't pertinent to my project.

One thing I find when reading bios, they talk about great record deals, or not so great record deals, or having issues with the label, but never any DETAILS.

So if figure, hey, maybe it doesn't matter.

Tomorrow is a long day and I have a lot to do. Spinning, writing, and meeting with my writer's group. I haven't met with them in awhile, so I will tomorrow. Then Fire Dweller in the evening. I'm going to have to write on Saturday and Sunday, but I'm am determined to plow through this!

It's sit my but in a chair and write time!

And... I'm really into oranges these day. Yum!

Youth Sunday

Yesterday was Youth Sunday! Good job everyone! David and Matt especially did a good job with worship and bringing the Word.

Matt talked about how we get distracted with the latest spiritual message or insight from our favorite teacher, authors, speakers, but he set a course to find basic truths. Brilliant, I thought.

Matt wisely boiled it down to this: inner life and outer life. If we have an inner, hidden life in Jesus, it will reflect in our outer life.

I wanted to jump up and say, "Yeah, Psalm 45."

Matt's teaching brought greater insight to what the Lord's been showing me in Psalm 45 - see below.

But the verses 13 - 15 are also a reflection of inner life and outer life.

We are all glorious within.
Our clothing, our our covering, Jesus, is interwoven with the pure gold of His redemption.
We wear the King's embroidered work - the intricate work of the Cross. We take off our garments and put on the Lord Jesus Christ.
The lost, our friends and family, the prodigals will follow us to Jesus gladness and rejoicing.

Because we KNOW Him and it reflects in our lives.

Man, I'm going to camp here for awhile.

Great job, Matt!

Off to the library to write, write, write.

Grace and peace.

Something from the Word

I saw this in Psalm 45 a few days ago.

The King's daughter is all glorious within;
Her clothing is interwoven with gold.
She will be led to the King in embroidered work;
The virgins, her companions who follow her,
Will be brought to You.
They will be led forth with gladness and rejoicing;
They will enter into the King's palace.
(NASB)

The King's daughter is us - the church, the Bride. Because of the work and righteousness give to us by Jesus, we are all glorious within. Remember, the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead lives in us!

Our clothing, or our works, are interwoven with gold, and we are lead before The King wearing His embroidered work. The deal is we lay down our own efforts for pleasure, redemption and approval and put on the Lord Jesus Christ. We are clothes in the beauty and majesty of the only One who is righteous.

Gold speaks of the redemption of Jesus. Embroidered garments speak of intimacy. Knowing our Lord face to face and eye to eye.

And because we walk in His rigteousness, our companions, the virgins, the LOST will follow us. We've got to learn more and more to lay down our crowns, or desire to be glorifed and put on the garments and glory of Jesus.

When the world sees that we have been with HIM, they will want what we have and follow us. They will come to salvation. We will lead them to Jesus with gladness and rejoicing.

Like us, they too will enter the King's palace.

Email is addicting

I am not allowed to read email until I've written 3000 words today.
I am not allowed to read email until I've written 3000 words today.
I am not allowed to read email until I've written 3000 words today.
I am not allowed to read email until I've written 3000 words today.
I am not allowed to read email until I've written 3000 words today.
I am not allowed to read email until I've written 3000 words today.
I am not allowed to read email until I've written 3000 words today.
I am not allowed to read email until I've written 3000 words today.
I am not allowed to read email until I've written 3000 words today.
I am not allowed to read email until I've written 3000 words today.
I am not allowed to read email until I've written 3000 words today.
I am not allowed to read email until I've written 3000 words today.
I am not allowed to read email until I've written 3000 words today.
I am not allowed to read email until I've written 3000 words today.
I am not allowed to read email until I've written 3000 words today.
I am not allowed to read email until I've written 3000 words today.
I am not allowed to read email until I've written 3000 words today.
I am not allowed to read email until I've written 3000 words today.
I am not allowed to read email until I've written 3000 words today.
I am not allowed to read email until I've written 3000 words today.
I am not allowed to read email until I've written 3000 words today.
I am not allowed to read email until I've written 3000 words today.
I am not allowed to read email until I've written 3000 words today.
I am not allowed to read email until I've written 3000 words today.
I am not allowed to read email until I've written 3000 words today.
I am not allowed to read email until I've written 3000 words today....

I'm in the living room...

... waiting for Tony. I hope he brings me a taco.

My CD

A word about my CD. I don't really have a CD. Well, I've been recorded. And it's on a CD, but it's a live Fire Dweller set and well, ain't what you're used to hearing on a CD.

It's a good set, for a live prayer and worship session, but trust me, there are some clinkers. My friend Heather's been telling me she wants one but I've yet found the courage to actually send her one. Ha!

Every time I sing with Javier, one of the best worship leaders I've sung with or worshipped with, anywhere, we have some really awesome choruses and antiphonal songs. He wrote a new song based on one our of sets a few weeks ago, but man, there are some pitch issues every once in awhile.

I mean, I guess it can be expected. There's no music or no words. We sing off of the scriptures read and prayers prayed. Javi plays the same chord progression but every once in awhile, he does something I'm not expecting. He goes one way, I go another.

Yikes. Pretty funny to hear it played back.

So, that's my CD story and I'm sticking to it.