writing

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My first book!

I finally wrote a book… a devotional… and actually published it! My writings usually sit hidden in a drawer, but while living in Ukraine last year, my friend, Sarah Janisse Brown, encouraged me to join her in her publishing company, The Thinking Tree Publishing Company, LLC, and put some of them in print. Sarah is a fabulous illustrator! Oh, how I wish I had Sarah’s artistic talent…but then again, God gave me my own talents to use. The difference is…she has used hers greatly while mine have sat hidden in a drawer. But is that what God wants for us? According to Matthew 25, he doesn’t…

So, in my free time, I dusted off my notes, and we teamed up to create a devotional that can be doodled!

Since this is the 14th day of the month, here is an excerpt of the 14th devotional. First, though, read the actual Proverb from the Bible before reading the devotional. Then, if you have a copy of the book (link below), you will enjoy doodling on Sarah’s illustrations! I hope you like it!

Day 14 ~ Proverbs 14

“The heart knows its own bitterness and joy; he will not share these with a stranger.” ~Proverbs 14:10

How can we truly know another person, except by what we see and hear? Sometimes it’s easy to assess what is in a person’s heart based on their countenance. We can assume a person is joyful at that given second because of the belly laugh filling the air. We can assume a person is sad, hurt, or bitter when we see buckets of tears flowing down their cheeks. But, can we presume to know the reasons or the source? All too often, seemingly happy people (such as actor Robin Williams) take their own lives out of deep depression. We are frequently too quick to make assumptions about a person or situation before we see all sides of a matter (see Proverbs 18:17 & Proverbs 25:8). Yet, in our pride, it’s so easy to assume we know what another person is thinking or feeling. Most of the time, our pride prevents us from simply asking, and therefore our reactions to that person will be unfitting.

“A faithful witness will not lie, but a false witness will utter lies.” ~Proverbs 14:5

What happens when we assume to know the heart of another and treat them accordingly? If I see someone come through the door with a scowl across their forehead, should I assume they are angry with someone? And then, to top that off, they complain about the blue skies. Should I assume they are bitter or nitpicking? How do we not know that they simply woke up with a migraine headache or have recently suffered a great loss? In our humanness, we are all occasionally guilty of these kinds of assumptions. When we fail to seek the truth, we are uttering lies. The old Indian proverb holds true: “Just walk a mile in his moccasins before you abuse, criticize, and accuse.” (Taken from the poem Judge Softly, written by Mary T. Lathrap in 1895). Yet, if we walk the same path, even then, do we deeply understand the heart of another?

“A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones.” ~Proverbs 14:30

On the flip side, making assumptions about another person’s joy is just as harmful. How often do we reject people because we believe their lives to be ideal? We become envious of their happiness while not being concerned with knowing the road they traveled to live in their joy. Often times, we are shocked upon hearing a mild-mannered, sweet Christian’s testimony to find she has a shockingly checkered past. Jesus says in Luke 7:47, “Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” Do we rejoice with those who rejoice? Or do we allow our own self-centeredness to prevent us from being genuinely happy about other people’s success and joy?

Our hearts know our own bitterness. We deeply feel emotion when we have loved another. People are fallible beings. When we place expectations on others based on our own desires, we will be hurt. People will always, at one time or another, let us down. But we are not alone in our bitterness or our joy. Jesus says in Matthew 6:8b, “… for your Father knows what things you need before you ask him.” Why expect strangers, or even those we know, to share in our joys and/or sorrows when we have a God who knows every deep hurt, feeling, and thought we’ve ever had? A sound heart comes when we let go of our expectations of others and place our hope and trust in God, the one who knows our heart more than any other.

“Those who fear the Lord are secure; he will be a refuge for their children.” ~Proverbs 14:26

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**If you enjoy devotionals that you can doodle as you read with beautiful artwork by Sarah Janisse Brown, founder of The Thinking Tree Publishing Company; my Proverbs Devotional & Doodles Journal can be found on Amazon here: Proverbs Devotional & Doodles.

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**Highlights in color are links for more information.

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New Year, New Country, New Beginnings

Wow! It’s been quite a while since I’ve written anything for this blog… only one post in all of 2016. What do you think… time to revive the blog??

It’s not like I’ve not written anything at all. I’m actually in the process of editing, creating, and writing books. A couple of books I’ve worked on have been published, but not any that I’ve authored… yet. I’ll post the details when it happens. It’s all in God’s timing.

So much has happened this last year! My husband and I left the States last March and have been on a mission, living in Ukraine for the past 10 months! We are due to return to the States in a couple of weeks, and I am not looking forward to jetlag, but I am excited to walk on familiar ground once again! I have so much material for posts about this trip that I don’t know where to begin! Maybe in my next post…

Mukachevo, Ukraine... sitting in the middle is The Palanok Castle or Mukachevo Castle, a historic castle in the city of Mukacheve in the western Ukrainian oblast of Zakarpattia. The Palanok Castle is delicately preserved, and is located on a former 68 metre high volcanic hill.

Mukachevo, Ukraine… sitting in the middle is Palanok Castle or Mukachevo Castle, a historic castle in the city of Mukacheve in the western Ukrainian oblast of Zakarpattia. The Palanok Castle is delicately preserved, and is located on a former 68 metre high volcanic hill.

As I looked back through this blog today, I was reminded of the reasons I created it. I want to help people who are hurting. I want to let people who have been rejected know they are not alone. My desire is to lead hurting people to the One who can heal… the One in whom I found healing. Does this mean that God will take away all the drama in life? No. Unfortunately, no. For we live in a fallen world. But God’s love can help you bloom. Our God-given DNA was created to produce beauty. Our fragrance will enhance the surrounding atmosphere. But… oh, there’s that word again. “But.” But, under the beauty of the rose lie stems that hold the thorns of life. Thorns are painful. They are scars on our base. But God is in the restoration business. He takes our ashes and turns them into beauty. He uses our experiences, our thorns, and helps us to grow through the pain. Finally, we learn to rest in His love and bloom where He plants us. Those thorns? Well, they never go away. God uses them to protect us from the world we live in. Just as the thorns on a bush will protect the flower or berry from predators, God will put His armor on us as we face our everyday trials.

What scars do you hold? Do you hold scars of regret, lost relationships, or rejection? God can create in all of us a new heart. Though some of our old relationships may never be restored, those scars can be healed, and in Him we can move into a new life with a heart of peace.

How can you use your experiences to encourage others? 1st Peter 3:13-17 says, “…always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you…” We want to give Hope. For without hope, we have no desire for life. Why do we point people to God? Because we are fallible humans. We fail. People will fail you. They fail us because we fail to keep our eyes on the Lord. When we place expectations on people that only God can fill, we set ourselves up for failure. What, then, do we tell people? We tell them what God has given us. 2nd Corinthians 1:3-7 says, “…God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God…” People remember personal accounts so much more than a textbook. I guess that goes for me too. I’ve only been slightly personal on this blog. :/

Let’s start the New Year by taking off our masks.

Life is messy.

Relationships are hard.

Rejection hurts.

God’s love brings healing.

I still want to help you embrace your thorns. I want to help you put on God’s armor. Time is short. Let’s change our world!

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**Highlights in color are links for more information.

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Who is able…who is worthy?

Short post…just thinking…

If G.K. Chesterton, one of the most prolific writers in the 20th century, was educated at St. Paul’s, but never went to college. He went to art school…

And if Louis L’Amour, one of the world’s most popular writers, only had eight years of formal schooling…

Maybe…just maybe…

I can do anything!

I can do anything!

“Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on.” ~Louis L’Amour

“Without education, we are in a horrible and deadly danger of taking educated people seriously.” ~G.K. Chesterton

 

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Diaries, Journals, Poetry, & Secrets

I love poetry. But unless you’re one of those sweetie-pie buttercups or deep, dark, depressing kinds of people, you’re generally not going to sit and read a novel of poetry in your alone time. On the rare occasions that time comes, I’d rather curl up in my afghan with Louis L’Amour or Max Brand on a snowy night in my rocker by an open fire. Now that’s heaven!

But, occasionally, I’ll pop open something with meter and rhyme. That’s my journal. It’s safe. I only kept a “diary” once as a kid. I began writing poetry notes after my sister found my diary and blabbed to the world how infatuated I was with what’s-his-name. Humph. (Oh yes, everyone has one of those relatives.) With poetry, one can write deep, dark secrets in code… poetry code. Not many “get it.” But to those who do… one can hop into a whole ‘nother world. So, I thought I’d go out on a limb in this post and give you a smidgeon…

Like the leaves that grow
on a tree in spring,
words from a poet,
joy to our hearts bring.

When winter is past,
silent words inside,
come out in full bloom,
sing poetry’s pride.

My mother typically complained that no one ever did anything for her. I have pictures from the early 1990s showing lots of people gathered in the Shaffer’s neighborhood clubhouse, decorated with balloons, candles, streamers, and 50 candles on the cake (all at my expense). However, the only thing you will hear from her is how everyone forgot her half-century birthday. **Sigh**

I remember one Mother’s Day back in the same time frame, I was asked to take part in the proverbial church program. I don’t recall the name of the song the director picked for my solo, but it was about a mother’s love, and I was surrounded by the kids on the platform. My vocal cords were in full swing that morning, which is strange since most mornings I’m lucky to get out a gurgle. Along with that song, I wrote and recited this poem expressing my vision of motherhood:

A Mother’s Legacy

A visit long ago,
memories deep in my mind.
Peach cobbler, apple pie,
made with hands old and kind.

Asleep in her bosom,
Grandma would slowly rock,
humming, “My child love on”
not a thought of the clock.

My mother’s loving care,
for each button to sew,
deep in the night she worked,
that I might steal the show.

So proud of each success,
as if it were her own.
When failure would descend,
she then made her love known.

With children of my own,
this legacy to pass.
Careers, sitters, day care!
Button up! Off to class!

No time for soft moments,
precious time we misuse.
Society’s pressure,
priorities to choose.

Will children call me blessed?
The Lord’s ways have I taught?
Did I take out the time
to instruct as I ought?

Asleep on my bosom,
my grandchild I now rock,
humming, “My child love on”
not a thought of the clock.

The “code”?? Can you feel the security in a grandma’s care? Can you see the love of a mother who is available to help make costumes for her child’s 1st grade school play? Can you feel the frustration of not having the same experience with her own children because of the busyness of modern life? Can you sense the pendulum swing back around as she loves on her own grandchild? Did you catch the codes?

Poetry can be reflections of our realities… more often; poetry is a reflection of our dreams.

On that Mother’s Day… church was overflowing with mothers everywhere…

Except mine… she didn’t show up that Sunday…

 Poetry Journal

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