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When I read Oswald Chambers' My Utmost for His Highest, I nearly always search my soul and ponder his words. The following quote is an example.
"A child of the light will confess sin instantly and stand completely open before God. But a child of the darkness will say, 'Oh, I can explain that.' When the light shines and the Spirit brings conviction of sin, be a child of the light. Confess your wrongdoing and God will deal with it." Sounds simple, and it is, but it is not always easy. What stands in my way? Like the Israelites, I am stiff-necked and prideful. I think I can solve my own problems apart from God and I am the queen when it comes to making excuses for my actions or my attitude. Will I ever learn? Does anything ever stand in your way? Go to the contact page and let me know what you think.
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When an ice storm swept through our North Carolina Mountains, we lost our electricity. That night, our mountains turned as black as coal. No moon or stars shone above us; no house lights twinkled on neighboring mountains.
Our family gathered around the fireplace, and we sipped on mugs of spiced tea, poured from my husband’s camping coffee pot. Our son noticed one lone set of headlights bobbing along a distant road. They brought to mind headlights from another place and time cutting through a thick darkness. A friend and I traveled with a missionary couple into Haiti’s remote northwest mountains. The sun had set and the night soon dropped around us like a black cloak. Our truck lights shone like tiny pinpoints as we bounced along, hours from a safe stopping place. We scooted closer to each other and sang praise songs, assured God watched over us, as He had for nearly a week. Though bandits roamed the hillsides, we had never been accosted. Though we had no choice but to eat food from a roadside vendor, including molded bread, no one had become ill. And though we had been in the midst of villagers paying homage to Satan, the people had not harmed us. God’s provision and protection is real. If I have trouble seeing Him at work in my every-day life, I often think of that mission trip. He opened my eyes to His protection and His provision, His light. The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1 RSV Note: After our trip to Haiti, Joyce Barnett and I co-wrote a book, Just Go!, about an amazing missionary couple who continue to minister to the Haitian people. The book can be ordered through Amazon.  "Want to avoid the editorial graveyard? Use this informative little book to make sure your manuscripts are as clean and professional as possible before submitting to an agent, editor, or publisher." -- Andrea Merrell
Andrea Merrell has written a clear and concise reference book to use before submitting a manuscript. It is not only a practical guide for editing and polishing, it is a pleasure to read. I will always remember her use of a Bible verse (Song of Solomon 2:15 TLB) to illustrate a point. "The little foxes are ruining the vineyards. Catch them, for all the grapes are in blossom." She says, "Remember . . . it's the little things (the little foxes) that spoil our manuscripts, even when they are in bloom." Then she offers a quiz to see if the reader can catch some of her "little foxes." This book should be in every writer's library. Look for the Kindle Version here. Look for the Paperback Version here. |