The Narrow Road of Salvation

Last Friday night I sat in a small, elegant prayer room, Open Door House of Prayer, in Ft. Pierce listening, tapping notes on my iPad, as a man shared about Jesus, about the things the Lord was speaking to and showing him.

I was filled with awe, stirred to know and love Him more. As the man spoke, scripture opened up in my own heart. (Note: Always a good sign the man speaking is not about himself but the God-Man, Jesus.)

¹³ “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.

¹⁴ But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. (Matthew 7:13-14, New International Version, ©2011)

We quote this verse in the church as a salvation passage. Those who are saved are on the narrow path, and those who are not are on the road to destruction.

And that is true. Right. Jesus is the only way to salvation.

But yet, Jesus also said many are called but few are chosen. As I sat in the prayer room Friday night the reverent fear of the Lord began to stir my heart. The world is trying to make salvation wider, easier. The church is going along with eager enthusiasm. "Like us, like us! Sure, we'll agree Jesus isn't the only way."

Danger! It's the exact opposite. We need not be finding a way to widen the road to heaven, but opening our eyes to realize how very narrow it is!

We must go THROUGH Jesus. Not around Him. Not in front or behind him. But through Him which means we are completely lost in Him.

Rachel Hauck, You (insert name here) must be lost in Him. Not found any other way than IN Him. Meaning, who is Rachel Hauck? Only who He says I am and I don't care about finding myself or being defined any other way.

Jesus loves humility. The Father loves Jesus and He is the only one in whom the Father is well pleased! Does Love Win?

Yes. In fact, Love already won. At the Cross. End of sentence. Some things in God are defined, exact and we can know! This idea that God is so awesome, wise and infinite we can't understand Him is of the world.

We can know Him. How do I know? He sent His Son, THEN gave us the Holy Spirit. If you're not knowing Him, maybe you need to ask the Holy Spirit to invade your world.

Jesus is the one whom the Father wants to glorify and magnify. And nothing, nothing will get in the way of His will -- to glorify His son.

Not our fame, or well being, or will, or desires, or right to pursue happiness will distract the Father from making His Son's name known in all the earth. Nothing! The Father WILL glorify His Son to the Nations!

Only God can reveal God.

We are called to be like Jesus. You know what He did? "Made Himself of no reputation."

And what do I see in people, in me? Wanting to be of a reputation. Seeking to expand, broaden, redeem, polish, hone, care for and coddle MY reputation.

But Jesus is longing for HIS nature to be formed in me. In you.

See? The road is narrow!

Jesus is to be the center of everything. God is not going to allow His Son's name to go on much longer as a powerless name.

Christianity has to be about a person, the Man Christ Jesus, not about performance, or oy! doctrine or theology.

We focus more on our doctrine than scripture. We give more credence to theology than Jesus.

We are so busy trying to "get out of here," and we're missing that He, Jesus, is trying to get into us and create perfect vessels!

John the Baptist said this, "He must increase so I can decrease!"

We have to let Him increase in us so we can decrease, so He can be formed in us.

Every day we live and breathe is precious to the Lord! Oh, how that makes my heart sing. We are here for a purpose. He is incredibly intentional!

In Christ is hidden all the wisdom and revelation. The New Testament is a revelation of the purpose of Jesus the Christ.

We must know the Word. We can't rely on the doctrine's and traditions of men. Not John Calvin. Not Rob Bell.

The road is narrow. To pass through we must let Christ be formed in us. We must ask Jesus to increase.

How can you tell if you're choosing yourself or Him? What's the focus of your want, belief, goal, or desire? If it's not Jesus, pure and simple, it's about you.

Same with me. Daily I have to lay down my wants. Yet, oh, how extravagant His love, His will, His desires for me. For all of those who love Him.

Love HIM! He'll do the rest. And His best is beyond our wildest imaginations.

Happy 19th Anniversary to my Hubby!

Hubby and I married 19 years ago today after four years of friendship-oddship.

When we met, we were 27. Ready to settle down, tired of the Christian AND non Christian dating scene.

I travelled around the country and world training newspaper editors and reporters, and classified advertising reps how to use my company's computers for daily production.

He was the youth and singles pastor, full time staff at the church I'd recently started to attend.

He'd been a Christian for about 4 years. I'd been following Jesus for 20! With a brief time out for college shenanigans.

When I moved to Melbourne, FL, I wanted nothing but to pay off school loans and get 100% in love with Jesus. I prayed a prayer that changed my life, set me on a difficult but glorious journey. I know that I know He is Lord.

Hubby was working out his young salvation with fear, trembling and wisdom. When we met, we actually intimidated each other a bit. He was a pastor who heard God. I was the daughter of a pastor, long time saved, and could also hear God.

Our initial attraction was interesting. He was more interested in me. I was dubious. He had a beard. Yet, I was interested. Then God flipped the tables on us. Literally.

He spoke to me one Sunday afternoon. "He's your husband." ARG! There's no way I wanted to "hear" the cute single singles pastor was my husband. Just line me up with the looney ladies.

But the Lord spoke to me over and over. Confirmed it in many ways.

Meanwhile... He told Husband. "Be her friend." Or "You're just going to be friends." Either way, a budding romance went kapoot, fast.

He thought we were only to be friends. I kept feeling, hearing, wondering if we weren't going to be married!

We confessed our thoughts. But we respected each other enough to wonder who was really hearing. Or what kind of creative answer God was going to give us.

Hubby would say, "We think it has to be A or B, but I bet God has a C answer somewhere."

Really? Like what? I never doubt God's ability to go outside our human boxes, but I couldn't see an alternative to "You're going to marry him." I mean, either we were going to get married or not!

What? In fifty years after his first wife dies? I mean, what other answers were there?

Interesting, hubby's initial attraction to me "romantically" vanished when the Lord told him we were to be friends.

So, that's all we were for three years.Friends. Best friends.

Then through a series of events, very colorful and interesting events, hubby began to ask the Lord if I was the one he was going to marry. All the while, he still had no feelings for me other than friendship.

More interesting and fun events transpired and one day, on a day God spoke to Hubby four months in advance, he saw me walking across a parking lot and all the feelings he needed to fall in love exploded in his heart.

Whoa! For me, I had to ask, "Who is this man?" Wow!

Friend to lover in 0 - 60 seconds.

We were married six months later. Today. March 21, 1992.

I am so very blessed and honored to be his wife, to know, respect and love this man, to serve him and the Lord's people with him. He's my friend, my confidant, my cheerleader and supporter.

When I graduated from college, I prayed, "Lord, I don't know what to do with my life. I know I'll only be satisfied and content if I'm doing what you want. I know I'll pick the wrong man to marry. I don't know who to pick. Only You know. Choose for me."

God is so good! God does good things for those who love Him. Not always are they simple or easy things. My journey through fear and anxiety was horrendous, but oh, the love of the Lord carried me through. I know Him in a way I'd never have known without those scary times.

Yay God! Thank you for my husband! Thank you for 19 great years. So peaceful and easy.

JOY!

Are you ready? He's coming!

The Friday of the Japan earthquake and tsunami I had an overwhelming sense while driving to meet friends for lunch, "He's coming! He. Is. Coming!"

Excitement met with expectation met with, "Wow!" My spirit rejoiced while my mind search for all the reasons I should be afraid. I mean, have you read Revelation? Yeah, it gets ugly.

I'm not a pretrib rapture believer. There's no Bible to support it. There are 150 chapters in the Old and New Testament dealing with the second coming of Jesus. They point to the Church partnering with Him, praying for His kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven.

Yet I know as evil increases, so will the glory and light of the Lord. The book of Revelation is the book of Acts supersized.

Isaiah prophesies this:

"For behold, darkness will cover the earth

And deep darkness the peoples;
But the LORD will rise upon you
And His glory will appear upon you.

-- Isaiah 60:2

We have a job to do. It will be completed when Jesus returns. We are His partners on the earth, boots on the ground and our prayers and intercession will wage war against the evil rising on the earth

The Spirit and the Bride say come! Revelation 22:17. (We can't say come if we're not here.)

The buzz this week is Rob Bell's new book, Love Wins. I've not read it yet, but will when it releases. But I've read quotes and discussed the book with others. There's an idea that a loving God won't send anyone to hell.

We send ourselves to hell but not believing in Jesus. So says Bell.

While God the Father is loving eternally, Bell forgets about the Father-God who is also eternally just. Is Bell thinking deep about the Father's heart. Bell asks, "Would He send anyone He claims to love to hell?"

To which I gaze at the Cross. The Father loved and continues to love Jesus and look what He asked Him to do.

That's the point. Jesus and the Father loved each other and US so much, Jesus submitted to the Father's plan of redemption.

If you don't receive it, you receive the result. Wrath. Which includes a fiery hell.

Here's what Jesus says, "Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."

Here's what why I'm writing this blog. Do your own prayer and study on the second coming and on hell. Expand your resources and above all, read the Word. Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you. Hang around like minded men and women who are interested in the truth, not affirming theology. There's a lot of bad theology out there.

John 14: 26: "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.

1 John 2:27: "As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.

Hard times are coming. Our faith, our hope will be tested. Unless we are rooted and ground in Him, we just may falter.

Know Him. Know Him.

Yet Another Thing Women Have to Do

On my way to check my Yahoo mail account this morning, I saw a news feed: The Workout Women Avoid, But Shouldn't.

I tell you, my heart went, "Pllfffbbttt," and stuck out it's tongue. Well, if it had one it would've.

I don't know about y'all, but I'm sick, sick, sick of articles and "experts" telling women how they should look, what they should weigh, what they should do and how they need to think, feel and believe.

Personally, I love lifting weights. I do believe in the results. But don't put that pressure on a woman who doesn't lift weights, or wants to lift weights.

There are so many things women are required to do I want to shout, "I've had enough and I'm not going to take it any more."

Women, we are less liberated than ever! We have to earn the bacon and fry it up in the pan. We have to look like we're 30 all the time no matter how many birthdays we've had.

We have to eat right. Exercise right. Be available for our children and husbands, family and oy vey do not forget those ole girlfriends. Snap. Snap.

It's ridiculous. Be yourself. Be who God created you to be. Stop listening to people who are clueless as to God's magnificent call and design for women.

We have a valued roll in His plan for the world and the coming return of Jesus. And it's doesn't have anything to do with lifting weights and forgoing caffeine.

Okay, hear me. Those things are fine if you have the time and grace, and if you're not looking at them to affirm, approve and define you; if you're not finding your worth and righteousness in what you do and how you look, or heaven forbid, what you do or do not eat.

God is after pure, loyal, heart. Volunteers in the day of His power. Psalm 110:3. That's what I want. A heart of God's. To be loyal and devoted to Him. To lift my heart toward His.

And yeah, maybe a couple of 12 pound dumb bells and round of push ups! I do like my clothes to fit well. ;)

Life Comes at You Fast, Sometimes Furious

Friday afternoon I sat in a sun spot falling through the Florida room windows, talking to my agent, going over my next book ideas, my thoughts coming together after a brain dead week.

I'd been on deadline, traveled to St. Louis for a board meeting, spent 7 days with 18 writers and Susan May Warren, then flew to my sisters for a surprise 40th birthday party.

I arrived home on a Sunday night at 10:30 only to be up and at the court house for jury duty Monday morning. I was selected for a jury pool. A criminal case. I mean, man, isn't that every writer's dream!

But not me. I just wanted to go home and sleep. I thought I was going to nod off as the lawyers pep talked us. I wasn't selected and by six o'clock I was home and in my jammies.

By Friday afternoon, I'd recovered. I'd slept in, gone to lunch with friends, and began thinking of a new story idea.

And there I sat, chatting with my agent, ending the conversation, when a text message binged up on my iPhone screen.

"Jim Maher was just killed in a motorcycle accident."

What? I squinted at the screen. Surely I was reading wrong. I didn't have my reading glasses and... What? Impossible.

Finding my glasses, I read it again.

"Jim Maher was just killed in a motorcycle accident."

My heart broke. Hanging up with my agent, I called my pastor, my husband and the friend who texted me the news.

I called Jim's son, Reuben.

It was true. My former pastor, friend, worship leader and worship mentor was dead at 63.

As the news spread and people began to call, email and Facebook, I found an emotional plane on which to land. While gone from this life, Jim stood before Jesus. He'd finished the race, and he'd finished well.

Oh, that we all might here, "Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into your rest."

Jim is in a place where there is no more pain or sorrow. No more struggle with sin and sickness. He is with the king of glory.

Jim had an amazing heart to love and serve. The man could take off in worship with the strum of the first chord.

When he moved from our city to Kansas City in 2000 to join the International House of Prayer staff, I was given an incredible opportunity. To lead worship.

He'd trained me by example. By having me on his team. By opening up his heart and loving the Lord above his own glory or fame.

Jim was a '60s hippie and Nam vet who should've never lived to 63. In '68, he was a helicopter gunner and during a fight, his chopper was hit. Jim was thrown clean from the open door and landed in the brush.

When they were rescued, the team asked, "Where's the man who sat here?" They pointed to the gunner's seat.

Jim said, "I'm the gunner."

They said, "No, the man who sat here is dead." The bullet hole in the seat was proof. By all evidence, Jim should've been killed before he was thrown from the helicopter.

But the Lord spared him.

After searching through drugs and all the eastern, meditation religions, Jim started reading his Bible and the Lord awakened his dead, cold, wounded heart.

But Friday, while riding his motorcycle on the first pretty day of March, on his way to a park with his daughter and her son, a truck turned right at a light, didn't see him, and the accident was unavoidable.

Jim's death is tragic and a loss. We can't understand how God saved a drug addicted twenty year old but took a husband, father, grandfather and full time worshipper-intercessor.

But His ways are not our ways.

I like that Jim is in glory with Jesus. That his race on this earth is done. And he finished well.

What remains with me is his laugh. I can still hear his laugh. Jim's imprint is on my heart probably more than I'll ever know or realize. His wife and children blessed me. His son is like a brother to Hubby and me.

Hubby said this to me the day Jim died. "Jim survived Nam, but died on a spring day in Kansas City, riding his motorcycle. It's true. It's appointed once for man to die."

A friend of mine recalled this as one of Jim's prayer verses: Eph 4:1 "Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called..."

Oh, let that be all of our prayer. To walk in a manner worthy of the calling.

Jim Maher, well done. See you soon.

Once upon a time there was a blog here... and I wrote it... and once upon a time I'll blog again. I promise! Next week! I promise.

Between travel and the My Book Therapy Deep Thinker's Retreat I was BRAIN DEAD!

Hey, maybe those would've been good blogs!

See you next week.

Catching Up

Hey, I'm such a bad blogger at times. I was finishing up The Wedding Dress so I could pass it off to a reader/proofer before flying to St. Louis for a board meeting.

Came home and have been prepping for this week over in Clearwater and the My Book Therapy Deep Thinkers Retreat.

I'll try to post pictures and notes over the next six days. BUT, I do have a plan for this little ole blog. I do. Hang tight. I'll get 'er done.

Thanks friends!

In the meantime, check out the Southern Belle blog! We're having fun over there. This week is the continuation of our island romance, Whirlaway Island.

Goals: Being prepared for eternity

Because we're trapped in time, it's really easy to have our focus on the here and now. Rightly so because if we don't take care of ourselves, our families, our responsibilities we'll find ourselves in need or impoverished without cause.

But this life is merely an internship for the next life. There will be an end to this age and we'll be launched into a time where Jesus reigns on earth as a just King and making right all the wrongs.

We could spend hours, days, even years debating end time theology. But I don't have the heart or the time for it -- and frankly, some of the debating and hairsplitting isn't holy or benefitting. We can read the Bible and know! God's Word is not for the ivory towered intellectuals. It's for all of us.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 tells us God has written eternity on our hearts. We're supposed to want to "live forever" and "be immortal." But we must pass from this life to the next either by 1. Death or 2. Jesus return while we're alive.

Either way, we have to be ready to stand before Him and give an account of our lives. There is a reward system. I don't completely understand it, but I know God will reward even those who've given a little one a cup of cold water. Matthew 10:42.

He loves to reward. Don't feel like you have to "earn" it or something, He's looking for and recording as many things as He can to reward us. It's not like my old boss who insisted I write reviews on my team with a criticizing focus. She was never concerned about listing their success, only their failures.

Not so with Jesus. In fact, He's looking to turn our failures into successes. So here's the deal. Let's not be afraid to live life, to take a chance, to go for God's will while we have the time.

Let's not be bogged down by the passing pleasures of this world. Turn off the TV. Put away foolish things. Cut out friends or things that hinder your run in race. Set your heart and mind on Jesus. Trust me, He'll put you to good use.

He's not going to sign you us for the team because He needs another person or two on the bench. Nope, Jesus needs a team of quarterbacks, tail backs, tackles, lineman, offensive guards, defensive tackles. Punters, kickers, special teams.

You know, some guys want to play football so bad they go out for the team with a "sign me up, Coach" attitude. Remember Rudy from the movie... Rudy? He wanted to play Notre Dame football so bad he was willing to be a scrub, beat-the-crap-out-of-me practice player. He was on the team only to make the real players better. He didn't even get to suit up on game day.

But he hung in there, he endured an extreme time of testing so that... what? He might win the prize! And win the prize he did.

Do you know any other Notre Dame football player's names from those Rudy years? I don't. But I know about the too small, too inadequate player who finally had his moment of glory on the field.

We must live this life with eternity in mind. With our own moment of "glory on the field" to come. We must be prepared for whatever play Coach calls. By the time Rudy was called up, he was one tough son of a gun.

Be ready. Live your life with purpose. You do not know when God's going to say,

"Rachel, you're up, get in the game."

"What? Lord, I'm 50 years old. You don't want to use me, do you? I've waited all this time. I've gotten fat and lazy. I haven't read the Word or prayed consistently in years and... and... I've been living out my destiny by watching American Idol and Oprah."

"I need you in the game. This is your moment."

"Coach, I don't know the plays. I'm 50, remember. Most players are called up in their 20s and 30s."

With a kind sadness, He gazes into her eyes. "But I've been waiting for this moment for you. I've had this slotted since the foundations of the earth... for you. Didn't you know? Don't you remember all the touches on your heart where I reminded you? You actually thought I forgot you?"

"No Lord, but it seems I forgot about the destiny you wrote on my heart."

Don't give up! Live with eternity on your heart. If for some reason you're not called into the game in this life, you most certainly will in the next. Be ready. Hold fast. Stay in "training."

JOY!

Writing: Denise Hunter talks about life as a writer

My good friends Lena Dooley and Denise Hunter are talking writing over on Lena's blog today. Denise has some new releases coming (yay!) but on the featured book on this post is a re-release of Surrender Bay.

I love both of these women, their heart for the Lord, for worship, for others and for writing great books

Be sure to check it out!

Spiritual: Reproving Sin

Reading in 1 Samuel this morning and was really struck by God's judgment against Eli, the priest of the Lord, for not reproving his sons for their very bad priestly behavior.

Take a look at what they did:

Now the sons of Eli were worthless men; they did not know the LORD. When any man was offering a sacrifice, the priest's servant would come while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand and he would thrust it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. Thus they did in Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there.

(The priests servants robbed the people.)

Also, before they burned the fat, the priest's servant would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, "Give the priest meat for roasting, as he will not take boiled meat from you, only raw." If the man said to him, "They must surely burn the fat first, and then take as much as you desire," then he would say, "No, but you shall give it to me now; and if not, I will take it by force."

(The priest's servants defiled the sacrifice and bullied those making an offering.)

Thus the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD, for the men despised the offering of the LORD. Also, they slept with the women who served at the doorway at the tent of meeting.

Breaking it down, Eli's sons robbed and oppressed the people and Eli did not rebuke them. God said, "Enough," and cut off Eli's heritage. Like, "No man will grow old in your house."

His sons were killed on the same day, and Eli died when he heard the news. Sin is serious business. Even Eli said of his sons, "God will intervene when man sins against man, but who will intercede for man when he sins against God?"

Thus, the need for a Redeemer. A Savior. Jesus. He alone is the mediator between God and man. But my thought today as I read 1 Samuel was how Eli shamed his own name and his sons by not confronting their sin. God's anger was more at his silence than the actions of his sons.

Had they been rebuked and disciplined, their lives would've been spared. They'd not have defiled and oppressed the people. Sin cannot be endured or tolerated. First in our own lives. Second, in the lives of others. We misinterpret Jesus's words "Do not judge."

Actually, we are called to judge. But first, see to our own issues. Like, don't go calling out a girl on gossip when you gossip. Don't call out sexual immorality if you're involved in sexual immorality. There are plenty of verses on how and when to judge others. There's actually health and healing in judging -- shall I say discerning -- the words and actions of others.

If your friend is beating his wife, do you just let it go because "you don't want to judge?" No. You confront him, tell him it's wrong and he needs to change. You offer help and support to deal with why he behaves in such a way.

Parents! Discipline your children. Don't let the go on with ungodly behavior because you don't want confrontation. Or don't want to admit your children aren't perfect. You will save them a lot of pain if you shed light on the darkness of their hearts.

I love the verse, "foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child. but the rod of correction drives it far from him."

Eli lost his families right and heritage because of his unwillingness to deal with his sons. They lost their lives. It cost Israel the arc of the Lord -- the presence of the Lord. Don't look the other way when you see sin. It may cost you the very presence of God.

This week, yeah, I know where I'm going

I've never been a super detailed person, but I've always set goals and figured out who and what I wanted to be.

Most of us set goals too large. Too loose. Too undefined. Like, "I want to be rich by the time I'm 35." Okay, cool, what's the plan?

Or, "I want to get married and have kids." Awesome. Family is the fabric of life. What's the plan to marry a good, compatible spouse? How do you plan to feed, cloth and educate your children?

Me? Those big long range goals and plans hardly ever pan out. I mean, do you see my name on the New York Times Bests Seller List? Or has Oprah called? Hollywood -- well, once but that's another story. More to come on that hopefully.

So, we set these big goals and we end up disappointed and discourage because some pie in the sky didn't land on our plate. More likely, it landed in our faces.

When I asked my good friend Stuart Greaves how he set his heart for the big things God has for him, he said, "I just don't picture the outcome."

So wise. So much truth. I've begun to offer up the large expectation of my heart back to Him and forget about the out come or what "that" will look like.

In my gut, I know there's more to come. I know God has more for me. I've felt it. I've had people mention pretty incredible things to me, things they see or feel from God for me. But I cannot make any of them happen. I cannot!

I can only do what God gives me to do today.

And what is that? Finish a book. Help a couple of writer friends with ideas. Write a short piece for Southernbelleview.

This week, I know I have to finish The Wedding Dress, keep up exercise, hang with Jesus and clean my house. That's it. I have room to juggle in case something unexpected comes my way, but I know what this week is about. That's what God has for me. That's my goal. That's what I'm doing.

Set goals you can see and obtain. Do what you have to do so you can do what you want to do.

Next week, I'll reassess, set new goal, start thinking of things I can't think of when I'm finishing a book. Getting to The End is pretty consuming -- time, heart and mind!

Don't live by the tyranny of the urgent. Live a designed life!

The Dark Under Belly of the Super Bowl

I've love the Super Bowl since the '80s and the era of Jim McMahon, Walter Peyton and the Super Bowl Shuffle.

But twenty-five years later, the greatest American sports show -- US Today called the Super Bowl the greatest show on earth -- is one of the largest venues for human trafficking.

Read: Sex trade for underage girls and boys. We hear about it other countries and exclaim with disgust. We wrinkle our noses at "those people" who sell and buy sex from enslaved women and boys, even men.

But wake up America, it's in our own back yard. American girls, usually runaways, are trafficked at our Super Bowl and purchased by.... American men. Not foreigners. Not "those people." Our people.

Football is an American sport. And unless some foreign dude is a major, major, major perv, he's not going to fly here to buy sex for the weekend. He can find it at home. (That's another issue...)

It's our men. Our girls. You can read some stats and articles here. And here.

Last night, three churches gathered to pray for our youth and against sex trafficking. God met us in a powerful, divine way. As I was singing prayers along with those offering prayers, I looked at my co-worship leader and said, "Know what's horrible to me? We must pray with the same compassion and fervor for those who are doing the trafficking as those being trafficked. They are just as enslaved."

Me, Rachel Hauck? I'd say, "Burn in fiery hell for what you're doing." And if they don't fall on their knees to Jesus, if the fear of the Lord doesn't grips them, they will spend eternity away from God, in hell.

But Jesus came that All, yes All, might come to the truth. He sees the wickedness in all our hearts and has compassion. The Cross is one size fits all. One act of amazing, unparalleled love covers all sin. From the trafficker on down. Know the worst part? A girl or boy enslaved in sex work needs Jesus's redemption as much as his or her captors.

And if they don't meet Him, they spend eternity in the same place.

Enter the heart of the Judge. Jesus is a blaze with Justice for the weak and broken, those caught in oppression and bondage. We think His lack of "activity" means He doesn't care. But Jesus is all about justice! He proved it. On the Cross.

Oh the beauty of the Cross.

His heart is breaking for those caught in such greed and lust they'd sell an innocent girl to man after man, destroying her soul, for money.

How much money can one girl make for her pimp? $200,000 plus. It's true. The love of money is the root of all evil.

Don't be ignorant. Inform your children, your friend, especially your girls, about the dangers of human trafficking. Runaway American girls are usually caught up in sex trade within 48 hours of running away.

If they're not found within 96 hours, they never be found without a miracle.

Worse, this shedding of innocence, this "blood," is on our hands America. It's our men buying. It's our men selling. It's our girls being enslaved.

Slavery is alive and thriving in America.

Pray for mercy. Pray for forgiveness. Pray for true hope and change. Pray for Jesus the Judge to come and make all things new.

Becoming a Writer Part 3

Let's get a few basics out of the way. To become a writer you must...

• Have a seventh grade reading spelling competency. CHECK
• A story idea. CHECK
• A writing implement. Pen, pencil, paper, computer, crayon on the wall. CHECK
• Some modicum of determination and inspiration. CHECK
• Time each day, even a minute, to write. CHECK

After the first blaze of inspiration fizzles -- anywhere between one sentence and fifty pages -- you have to figure out just where this book is going.

Here are some key tools to making your idea into a publishable novel.

1. Dynamic characters. There are several ways to do this. Creating a super hero like Superman. Creating a super cop or super cowboy. A heroine who can draw the attention and restraint of a vampire. ;)

Mostly great novels are made up of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Bruce Willis in Die Hard. Meg Ryan in Sleepless in Seattle. The character Elizabeth in The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird.

Ask key questions: What does my protagonist want? What's keeping her from getting it? Why can't he get over his fears to realize his dream? What wound still darkens his heart? What is her story journey and what will be her epiphany? What can she do at the end she can't do in the beginning.

In Dining with Joy, it seemed rather simple, but the thing she could do in the end she couldn't do in the beginning was make banana bread! It took a whole book and emotional journey to get her there.

Do your character work! Figure out who these people are. Ask "why" until you get at the rock bottom answer.

Me: Why can't Joy cook?

Me: She's an athlete. Just doesn't like it. Doesn't have that gene.

Me: But she never learned to cook?

Me: Her father did all the cooking. Not her mom. No example.

Me: Yeah, but, she's a cooking show host...

Me: Her father never let her in the kitchen. He was creating.

Me: And...

Me: She started resenting him, and cooking.

Me: Ah, now you're talking. But so much she didn't cook?

Me: (eventually) She never learned to cook because she resented her father, thinking he loved food and cooking more than the family.

A-HA!

Now, I can take all of that as a building block to the plot.

2. Work out your plot blocks. Know where your story is going. Even if you like the creative, pantser process. A friend was studying architecture. She wanted to do design, be creative, forget the rules. Yet each time she turned in a design, her professors told her, "this will fall down. it's not usable." Finally, one prof said, "Learn the math. Then you can do what you want."

My friend was amazed at the power and design ability she had once she learned the rules of building buildings.

Learn the rules of the craft. Work out your story so you know where you're going. Even for a fun road trip, you have a map. A plan. Take the time to figure it out.

Weave the plot with the characters fears, goals, dreams and desires.

3. Cause conflict. Things should not be easy for your protagonist. People should not be polite. Issues and people, life, disaster, whatever should get in the way of your protagonist achieving his dream. Or, perhaps he's given up on his dream and you story is how one more event makes him almost give up on life.

You need conflict for a great novel. Author Davis Bunn had a NY publishing house editor tell him, "Ambush the reader." Let the unexpected happen. Make it happen. Turn situations and dialog upside down and write what you see.

In Softly and Tenderly, Jade was beginning to give up on having a child of her own. She'd lost three to miscarriage and one to abortion. But she was secure and loved in her marriage to Max. Until...

Then a woman is killed and Jade learns Max is a father and must raise his son. We ambushed Jade in that book. Hopefully, we ambushed the reader. :)

4. Weave the spiritual or emotional message with the characters plot and journey.

5. Bring all conflict forward. Don't hang back with a story point for some big reveal while filling the pages in between with chapters that don't move the story forward. Don't just repeat what the reader already knows.

In Dining with Joy, I wanted the big disaster to be Joy failing on a national talk show. I'd planned to write this about 2/3 of the way through the book. But I realized it needed to come more in the middle. But then what? What happens after she's outted?

Well, I had to dig deep and figure out what else was going on in Joy's life and figure out her final disaster. It was a smaller one, but after all she'd been through to that point, it was the most emotional one.

So... AMBUSH THE READER! Allen Arnold, fiction publisher at Thomas Nelson says, "Conflict makes great novels."

6. Have a satisfying ending. After you've taken everything from the protagonist, bring back hope. Let him finally find peace, achieve his dream, or whatever. The ending doesn't have to be happily ever after, but must be satisfying.

7. Once the novel is written, in all it's crappy glory, rewrite with word painting in mind. Be more careful and purposeful with your word choice. Start layering in emotional and physical colors. Make sure you have 3 of the 5 senses in every scene. Begin to hone and craft.

8. Mostly, tell a story. Take us on a journey with a complex, compelling character that we'd put up with almost anything to hang out with for 350 pages.

God bless your writing!

Becoming a Writer Part 2

So you want to be a writer? Fantastic. It's a wonderful, great, hard life. I mean, things I couldn't even imagine being an issue or concern before I started writing, are now an issue and concern.

I'm like, "Who knew?" For example? Like, how to "brand" myself. I thought only corporations used brands. Blogging with purpose instead of eclectic. Social media. How to work in partnership with publishers while remaining responsible for your own career.

Or things like staying with changes in publishing, the nuances of the Christian fiction market. You know what was selling well, what the readers demanded, five, ten years ago is very different from what's selling like hot cakes now.

I wonder if some Christian readers who used to read secular books are migrating to the CBA world and picking up books they never knew existed. As a result, a lot of these readers are romance readers, it changes the balance of the market.

Just a guess. But come on romance readers, we welcome you!

So, what do you need to know as you start out?

1. Read a lot. Read widely. Read to study the craft. How did the author put this story together? When I wanted to write chick lit, I read a lot of chick lit to figure out how the author told the story.

2. Study the craft. We have some great tools and work books over at My Book Therapy. Make sure you understand point of view, how to use conflict and tension, the purpose of back story, all the basics of good writing.

3. Write your book all the way through to the end. Don't stop and start over more than once or twice. My first book took 2 years to write because I kept starting over. Keep going. There is always something that happens in the middle or the end that reveals something you can layer back into the beginning.

4. Rewrite your book. Get it critiqued. Rewrite it again. Dig deep to get those character layers. Delete stuff! Rewrite. Your genius will reinvent itself. Trust me. :)

5. Get involved with writers organizations. Join ACFW, ACW, My Book Therapy, RWA, local writers guilds or groups. Take or audit a creative writing class at the local college. Get into the writing community.

6. Attend conferences to learn and to network. Get to know people. Join Twitter and Facebook. Follow authors, editors and agents.

7. Listen more than you speak. Give more than you take. Be teachable.

8. Be ready for the long haul. No shortcuts.

9. Once you've finished your manuscript and attended a conference or two, and you feel you're ready to query agents or editors, research the ones you're interested in. Read their guidelines. Read their blogs. Be informed. Send them the RIGHT stuff. If an agent does take children's manuscripts, don't send yours! I tell you, writers can be so obtuse sometimes.

10. Realize your manuscript is not God's gift to literature. You've not written something that defies all the rules and even a publisher who doesn't published Amish Sci Fi Steampunk still won't want your masterpiece. Don't shoot yourself in the foot.

11. Once you find an agent interested, do what they ask as soon as you can. Send the synopsis and first three chapters if that's all they want. Don't send them the whole manuscript. Follow directions. Same with any editor you might be dealing directly with.

12. Behave like they taught you in kindergarten. Please and thank you. Honor. Do what you're told or asked. ;)

13. Blog with a view to hone your prose and to observe life. Observing life, catching the hyperbole is so much a part of great fiction. I am a big fan of blogging as a way to train yourself as a fiction author.

Can I end on the lucky number thirteen? I think I will. I'm not afraid. Next, I'll blog on what I think it takes to make an average author extraordinary. :)

(... to be continued. Part 3)

Becoming a Writer Part 1

Lately, I've had a some folks ask me about becoming a writer. They, or someone they know has written or wants to write a novel. I get asked a lot about how to get published and the steps involved. So, I thought I'd discuss it here. Create a reference. Make a few people laugh. Make a few people cry.

One. Writing a novel is hard work

It's more than an idea, a flash of inspiration. It's more than a driving passion. More than the wrongs you want to right about your life or the life of others. Its not, please, please, please, a sermon or church lesson. It's not theology or doctrine. It's not a tract or propaganda. It's not a way to sugar coat your driving message.

It's story. It's a slice of life. A novel is taking the ordinary and making it, in some way, extraordinary. The storyteller in you has to see the hyperbole in life and assign it to your characters.

To write a novel you need quiet alone time. Not always, but some where along the way you need to dig deep and get the core layers of the story on paper.

You need "butt in chair."

You need the ability to stare at a blank page for more than a minute without quitting, going to You Tube or surfing the web. You need to write what's on your heart, letting the words flow, then have the courage to go back and change or delete half if not all of them.

You need to be teachable, to learn the craft. Let other writers read and give input on your work.

Your mother/father/sister/brother/husband/wife/children/employee/dog/cat/best friend do not count as accurate readers. Why? They know you. They hear your voice in the story. They will love it because they love you.

Outside input is a great test to your voice as a story teller. You either have it or you don't. You can learn craft. You can't learn that inner "story teller" that makes pretend people come to life.

I knew I might, just might, be able to make it as a writer when I was in Venezuela way back in '89, training typesetters at a newspaper how to use my company's computers to do their job. While they practiced one afternoon, I started writing a story. As new writers often do, I worked with a burst of inspiration which soon faded because all I had was a "what if" idea. No real story. But, it started out well and I pasted it to a display ad page (this was before PCs!) and typeset it.

I had to go back to teaching, so I left my page for later. When I went to pick it up from the typesetter, four men hovered over my story, reading it. Now remember, I'm in Venezuela. They speak Spanish. My story was in English. They smiled, told me they like my story, blah, blah. They were flirting. The probably understood some of the words but not the concept.

Two months later, I go back to the paper to work on another project. One of the typesetters stopped me in the hall and asked in his broken English. "What happened to the girl?"

"What girl?"

"In the story?"

"What story?" Ohhh... I laughed. "I don't know. I never finished it."

He frowned. "We want to know. What happens?"

So four men who didn't read or speak English well carried that 500 word piece in their hearts for ... two months? I tucked that moment away. Maybe, maybe, I could become a writer. Some day.

That's a piece of my story. What's yours? What's the reaction to things you've written? Take those tidbits of encouragement and use them as inspiration.

(... to be continued)

ACFW Featured Author

Thanks to Dineen, Mary and ACFW for giving me a spot on the ACFW Featured Author page this week.

Wasting time

I stopped watching Oprah a few years ago. One, we got rid of TV. All we have now is Blueray. But even before we cut the mind sucking entertainment tentacles from our souls, I stopped watching Oprah.

One, she was preaching a different gospel. Why would I spend an hour of my day with someone leading millions astray from the truth claiming Jesus the Christ wasn't the only way.

I wouldn't spend one second let alone a full hour listening to any other false teacher so why would I listen to and follow Oprah?

Listen, if Jesus is not the Christ, He's a crazy man. No other so-called gods or spiritual leaders died brutal deaths on a cross claiming to redeem humanity. What a nut job Jesus must have been if he was not the Son of God.

Two, Oprah talked a lot about her dreams and becoming someone when she thought she was no one. So why was I giving her an hour of my time and thought and heart instead of giving it to my dreams, my goals, my friends and family?

Granted, I can find all kinds of ways to waste my time. Even tell myself it's needed for my career, social media and all that, but really, how much does it gain me?

I went to a young man's funeral yesterday. He died too young, but in many ways, it was God's mercy. Staying off drugs and out of trouble was not easy for him. But he righted his life and died in the arms of Jesus.

The church was packed with friends and family. As people spoke of this young man, I was so surprised to hear he had several "moms," and lots of friends. I took for granted a kid struggling to stay straight was a loner, having alienated all his friends and family.

While his life was over, I felt for the young ones mourning him. "Don't let your life be wasted. Make it count." Change what has to be changed.

But change isn't easy is it? We often can't see our failures and weaknesses, or pull ourselves out of the hole we stand in. I've got plenty of blind spots.

But what we do with our time does count. We can "take it with us." We will give an account to the Lord for our time. Take stock, what are you spending your time on? I was thinking last night I had nothing to do so I goofed around on my iPad a bit, looking up apps. But you know, I couldn't spent an extra hour in prayer. Not that iPad play is wrong, but I could've done both.

I've not nailed all of my disciplines. I struggle, but I want to do the best I can with the time I have on this life, in this internship God has granted me before I pass into eternity.

I don't want to be like Jacob in Genesis 28:16, "Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, "Surely the Lord is in this place and I did not know it." Next Jacob was afraid and "How awesome is this place!"

I want to be expectant of the Lord. To be awake. To be aware. To keep my heart in a place of humility. "Down heart, down." To say, "I see the Lord is in this place."

Are you asleep? Will you awake to realize God was there and you missed it? What things can you cut out of your life that are keeping you from your dreams and goals, from the very things God has called you to do and be?

Also, is there someone in your life struggling? How can you help them? Are you "mom" to a teen losing his way. Do something about it. Speak up. It may change the course of his destiny.

Yowza, y'all

I can't believe it's been a whole weeks since I blogged. Tis the way of deadline. A friend said to me at church today, "You're always on deadline."

Um, yeah, pretty much and happily so.

Here's how I define deadline. Three months before the book is due to my editor. Before that three month marker, I say, "I have a book due." Or, "I'm working on my next book."

But at the three month mark, I have to buckle down and get 'er done. By then, I should have most if not all of a first draft done. First draft meaning I have an idea where I'm going but half if not more could change or be severely tweaked.

Two months out, I start rewriting. I need at least two weeks before the deadline for someone, anyone, hello? to read the manuscript for sanity. Did I miss closing a plot thread? Does my story logic and sequence make sense? Are the typos too funny for words. Do my characters ring true.

Then, I need a few days to go over it and send it in.

The last month, which is about where I am now, I call it Deep Dark Mode. That means "Girl, put your head down and get this book done, don't you dare look up for the light of day until the final, this is it The End."

Speaking of Deep Dark Mode...