Thursday, December 2, 2021

Come Before Winter

Sharing an article I wrote that is in the current issue of The Lutheran Digest.

2 Timothy 4:9-22 records the last words the Apostle Paul is known to have written. These verses are contained in a letter to Timothy. At the time Paul wrote this book, he was imprisoned in a dungeon in Rome, chained to a wall like a common criminal. He wrote the book for several reasons. He was concerned about the churches that were being persecuted under Nero and he had some specific things he wanted to say to the Ephesian church.

But Paul had another, more personal, reason to write this letter to Timothy.

He was lonely.

He wrote some sad and tender words in verses 9-11 and again in verse 21. In 9-11 he wrote, “Timothy, please come as soon as you can.  Demas has deserted me because he loves the things of this life and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus has gone to Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me.”

I can just picture it, Luke, the beloved physician, trying to tend to Paul’s needs to the best of his limited ability. My father was a physician and I have always pictured Luke like my dad, remaining steadfast, staying nearby, using his brilliant mind to cure whatever he could on the aging and ailing Paul. But Luke did not have the medicines or tools my father had during his lifetime. Still, Luke stayed nearby, doing what he could.

Then in verse 21 we read words that are some of the most poignant to me in the whole Bible. Paul writes—pleads actually—"Do your best to get here before winter.” Paul then asked Timothy to bring a coat and books. His needs were simple, something to keep him warm, his treasured books, and Timothy to keep him company.

There have been many like Paul through the years, and still today. If we but look around us we will see the lonely, the ill, the imprisoned. They don’t ask for much—just the basics, and most of all our companionship. May God open our eyes to see those for whom we can be a Luke or a Timothy.


Saturday, October 16, 2021

Interview at SBTS

 


This past week was “Heritage Week” at SBTS (Southern Baptist Theological Seminary). Heritage Week is the week in the fall when both the Board of Trustees and the Foundation Board meet. As part of their activities they invited John and me to come for a taped interview and book signing of our book, A Stand for Truth at their bookstore.

We had a great time, saw friends we knew and met some we did not know. And we sold and signed a lot of books! 

Wednesday, September 22, 2021

Welcome Fall!

Today is the official first day of fall. Welcome, autumn! It’s such a beautiful time of year. Life gets busier for me in the fall—I go back to work as a substitute teacher, I start making soups, pumpkin bread, and other foods to put up for the winter, I get out the fall decorations, and of course I start thinking about Christmas buying for my family. 

This year, I have a new fall devotional out too! If you want something to read daily that sticks to a fall theme, you would enjoy this book. It’s geared toward women abs even has some fall recipes in it! It can be purchased here.

Friday, August 20, 2021

Cascade Awards!

 

I’m ending the summer the way I began it—with a writing award! In June it was a Selah, or two actually. One was for A Stand for Truth, which in full disclosure, my husband wrote more of than I did. But the other was a 2nd place award for an article I wrote. A few days ago, on 8/18, I won a 1st place Cascade Award for a nonfiction short story I wrote that was published in a Chicken Soup for the Soul last year. I am thrilled beyond words and wanted to share my good news! 

Wednesday, August 4, 2021

Making My Editorial Debut!

I am achieving a milestone that I never thought I would achieve. I am now officially listed as a book editor! Back in high school when I discovered my love for writing, I also discovered that my papers got a lot of read marks on them from my teachers. This discouraged me enough to abandon writing and pursue another field in college and I became a nurse instead. Now that I have been writing for over ten years, I realize that much of my problems in high school were due to the fact that I had a lot of British in my writing from growing up in a country heavily influenced by the British. They spell and punctuate differently in England. Hence all the corrections from my teachers. After having literally hundreds of editors, mostly magazine editors, tweak my writing, I now have most of the British out of me. Still, I would never try to pass myself off as a copy editor, but I can content edit the heck out of a piece. And that's just what I did when a friend asked for help with his book recently. 

That book, Maroon & White by Donald K. Jackson, just released on August 1st and it's selling like hotcakes! It is a number #1 New Release and is overall in the low thousands on all of Amazon's paid paperback store, out of tens of millions of books! And it has me listed as its editor. Paint me happy!

 


Thursday, July 29, 2021

Writing & Book News!

I’ve had a busy summer so I nearly missed posting anything on July. But being busy with so many other activities does not mean I haven’t been writing and I do have a few things to share on that front. 

1) Chicken Soup for the Soul seems to love one of the stories I sold to them. They have featured it three times now! They featured it when they bought first rights to it in a book they published about dogs. Then they featured a reprint of it in June of this year in a book of funny stories and now they are featuring it on their podcast. I have the story featured in one of my own books too—Confessions of a Prayer Warrior

2) I spent much of June completing a devotional assignment from “The Quiet Place” (David C. Cook Publisher) and just got my author copies of the upcoming issue that also has seven devos of mine on it. I’m a regular contributor with them. 

3) I taught a workshop on memoir writing in June at The Kentucky Christian Writers’ Conference. 

4) Jumping ahead to some things coming up in August: I am a finalist in the Cascade Awards for a published nonfiction short story. Those winners will be announced on 8/18. I’ll keep you posted. And I will make my editorial debut in a memoir written by a friend in just a week! I’m not posting the cover or title of that book until my friend—the author—does, but am super excited about it. You will definitely hear more about this shortly! 

5) And finally, I have a cover reveal to make along with a sale up tell you about. My newest release is now up for pre-order! It’s the last in the “Glimpses of God” year around devotional series and the kindle is on sale if you pre-order it. I love my publisher’s cover design! Presenting Glimpses of God Autumn published my “Entrusted Books”!! 


Friday, June 4, 2021

Selahs!!!

 What a great time I’ve had the last couple of days! I had not registered to attend the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. My daughter got married last week and I just was not able to go to a conference and put on a wedding all in the same week. But I was up for a Selah in the “Articles in Print” category and my husband and I together were up for one in “General Nonfiction Books / Bible Studies”, a combined category. Because of Covid it was not certain for a long time whether people could come in just for the awards ceremony. As it turned out, we were not only allowed to go, North Carolina had also dropped its mask mandate for vaccinated people so we went, mingled, and had a great time. And ... won and placed in the contest!!!

My article took 2nd place in it’s category and our book, “A Stand for Truth” won 1st place. We are thrilled! (The book is available on Amazon here.

                                  In this picture: Gregg Bridgeman, our publisher, John and me.





Friday, April 30, 2021

Read, Laugh, Repeat


I had surgery on my right hand a few weeks ago and it’s still in a cast. Consequently, it’s been hard to write / type lately. Because of this, I have not posted any new blog posts and this one is going to be short. But I did want to let you know that a story I wrote will appear in the soon to be released Chicken Soup book titled, “Read, Laugh, Repeat”. This is a book of previously published humorous stories. I’m honored to have had one of mine chosen. 

Upcoming writing news: 

My husband and I will attend the Selah Awards Banquet on June 3rd. I’m so looking forward to that! And I’ll be teaching a workshop on memoir writing at the KCWC in June. More on both of those later. 

Wednesday, March 3, 2021

Selah Award Finalist!

This morning I learned that pieces I wrote have been selected as finalists in two different categories in the Selah Awards writing competition. An article that was published in “Power for Living” last year is a finalist in the published article category and A Stand for Truth was selected as a finalist in the nonfiction book category. The winners will be announced June 3rd at the Blueridge Christian Writers Conference at Ridgecrest, NC. I’m humbled and honored beyond words. (The picture is the article that finaled.) 

Tuesday, February 9, 2021

Coming Soon!


Cover Reveal! Here is the cover of the third part of the year around "Glimpses" devotional series co-written by Shirley Crowder and me. I'm so excited to show it to you and for you! It is releasing next month. Stay tuned. I'll post the link to it when it is available ... sometime in March. 

Friday, January 1, 2021

What's Ahead for 2021?


A new year has dawned. I know we're all thankful 2020 has moved on and given way to a new year. I, like most of you, am praying this year brings good surprises and not bad ones. For starters, I pray this year brings a decrease in the Covid virus, so that cases, hospitalizations, and especially deaths drop significantly and we can get back to a more normal life that might even include the ability to travel again. This virus wrecked havoc among my family and friends like I'm sure it has many of you. My older sister's entire family caught it last spring but none needed hospitalization, my brother and father caught it in the summer and both ended up hospitalized. We thought we were going to lose my then 91 year old dad but by God's grace he pulled through. A friend from my college days was not as lucky. She lost her son to the virus in the summer. And the virus rages on still. *sigh*

So yes, that is my number one hope and prayer for 2021. I have many writing things to keep me busy and to look forward to in the coming year. Here are some of them:

My first devotional assignment for "The Quiet Hour" published by David C. Cook is included in their current winter issue and I have another coming out in an issue later this year. I just submitted my third seven-day assignment for them that will be in their summer '22 issue. I am a regular with them now and love it! I also have individual devotions in the winter and upcoming spring issues of "The Secret Place".  

I will have two new books releasing this year--one in the spring and one in the fall. They are the last two books in the year-long Glimpses of God series. As soon as I have the spring cover, I’ll share it with you. 

And I will be teaching two workshops at the MidSouth Christian Writers Conference March 19-20. It will be all online this year. I encourage you to sign up if you are a writer or interested in becoming one. My workshops will cover devotional writing as well as freelance writing. 

In addition to these activities that I know of I'm sure more will pop up during the year. I am constantly writing and submitting things. Right now I have several partial books on my computer that I write on pretty consistently (switching from one to the other), I stay active with a couple of local writing groups, I have a few friends I mentor in some way or another, and I write and submit freelance articles, stories, and devotions regularly. 

Oh, and one more thing. The kindle version of my husband's memoir, A Stand for Truth that I co-wrote will go on sale in a week or two in honor of its one-year release anniversary. Stay tuned for that!