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My Husband Thinks I'm Nuts

Sun, 18 Jul 2010 15:35:00 -0400

After you read this blog, you might think I'm nuts too, but I welcome your opinion as I am about to make a rather crazy decision. Well ... my husband thinks it's crazy, but I'm not so sure.

Come to Me, is about to get a facelift. I have been mulling this over in my mind for about a year now. When Google books decided to upload my ENTIRE book to the internet (the ending included), I noticed a drop in sales. No surprise there. After finding out that my publisher, Lulu, had given them permission to reprint my book, I knew I needed to switch publishers. After realizing that Lulu did not own the rights to my book and dropping words like "lawyer" and "illegal", Google deleted all but 38 pages.

Since that time I have had huge problems getting my book "out there". After talking with a representative from Word Alive Press at the recent Write! Canada conference, I was assured that I could republish Come to Me with them. It would have a new cover, a better marketing campaign (something I failed to really establish early on) and proper distribution into actual "brick and mortar" stores. This has been the frustrating part of dealing with Lulu. To buy my book now, you have to either live in London, Ontario or buy it through Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

So, the question I would like to put out there is this: do you think I'm crazy? Should I republish a revised edition of Come to Me with Word Alive? Or should I forget about it (as my husband wishes I would) and use Word Alive Press for my next novel instead?

It's a God Thing

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 12:17:00 -0400

Well, it has been a while since I've blogged, but I have a good excuse - I was at the Write! Canada conference and then a lot of other things happened after that!

First, hands up for those who attended the conference and had a good time. I thought the courses this year were exceptional and wished I could have taken them all. I took the Eight-Step Editing course with Jim Taylor. Everyone received an 88 page booklet that I know I will turn to again and again. In fact, the day I got back I had to put my new skills to work immediately, as I had something waiting in my email box that someone wanted edited.

As for the conference itself, as always it was wonderful to see old friends again and make new ones. I had a lovely lunch at Tim Horton's with a total stranger who became (I hope) a lifelong friend by the end of the conference. Timmy's was a great place to go before the conference started. Many Word Guilder's were there!

This conference was less stressful for me than last year, in that I did not make ANY appointments at all. I didn't have a manuscript ready that needed critiquing so I didn't want to waste anyone's time. Yet, God had other plans. I had a little accident at the conference and hurt my baby toe. It was bleeding quite badly and I needed a nurse to bandage it up. I missed my workshop that day and by the time she finished treating me it was time for a coffee break. So I went to the lounge and sat with people I didn't know. We started talking and sharing as writers do, about what we were working on. The girl to my right said, "That sounds interesting. I'd like to hear more, but I have to leave." I nodded my head and said something like, "Well, we'll see each other around I'm sure." To which she responded, "Make an appointment with me." Well, it's about here that my mouth should have had a check on it, but like always it says what it wants and I blurted out, "Who are you?"

Fortunately, Monica Leis from Maranatha News laughed and I made an appointment with her later that day. I'm happy to say that she is interested in some articles that I sent her in regards to disability issues. Neat huh? After I finally clued in about what God wanted me to do (see my last post) and then I meet Monica. She even hinted that they might like a series of articles from me.

Yep, definitely a God thing.

Seeing God At Work

Wed, 02 Jun 2010 16:27:00 -0400

Have you ever asked the question, "What does God want me to do with my life?" I know I have, especially when I thought I had it all figured out. But, life happens and things changed and I was once again asking, "What does God want me to do with my life?" Unfortunately, I was asking the wrong question. I should have been asking, "What is God doing?" You see the difference right away. You can't miss it. It is no longer a self-serving question. It is now geared to serving God wherever He is working.

When I looked closer at my life to see where God was working, I realized that the frustration of not being able to walk faster than a snail, or dealing with infections in a leg that is starting to look more and more like a watermelon, could be my clue as to where God wanted me. And like a big lightbulb over my head that blinked on with a sputter - "I saw the light".

If I had never fallen down those stairs 10 years ago and if my situation had not deteriorated to the point where I needed a walker, I would never have been aware of the difficulties and frustrations those with physical challenges go through on a daily basis. To be honest, I had recognized the problem with debit machines at the Metro checkout. My height alone prevented me from using them, which made me wonder how a person in a wheelchair managed. But, when I started trying to get my walker over curbs when there were no accessible sidewalks I became more aware. Then the day that I went to my favourite mall and discovered that most of the handicapped parking had been given over to "Mother's With Children", I just about blew a gasket right there. Pregant and nursing mother's with children were getting the spots that used to belong to the disabled? Something was wrong with this picture and I was fuming. I'm pretty sure that most of the disabled people I know didn't choose to be disabled. Whereas, most pregnant women had some say in the matter. That is when the light went on for me.

God wanted me aware of the trials of those with disabilities, so that I could be a voice. Once I realized that, everything else fell into place. I contacted the Canadian With Disabilities - Ontario region and joined their group. Hoping to help in some way. They generously accepted my help and have asked me to write a quarterly article for "A Voice of Their Own" a publication for the Council of Canadians with Disabilities.

I am thrilled to be able to help in this way. So, if you start to hear more rants from me on the rights of the disabled, you'll know why.

Are We About to Give Birth?

Sun, 25 Apr 2010 12:48:00 -0400

I've been thinking about world events lately, particularly the earthquakes in Haiti, Chili and just recently China. Throw in the recent volcano that erupted in Iceland, add a little bit of war into the mix and one starts to wonder what is going to happen next.

According to the US Government Earthquake Facts and Statistics Website, we have had 63 earthquakes, worldwide, that registered from 6.0 to 6.9 on the richter scale this year. It's only April! Smaller quakes, the kind most Californians are used to, are more frequent. To date, about 2695 tremors registering from 4.0 to 4.9 have occurred worldwide this year - 106 of those occuring in the United States.

In 2009 the United States had a total of 22,936 deadly storms, 1305 of these storms were tornados. The others were high winds causing damage and/or hail. In Canada we had 18 tornados, most of them in Ontario.

They say that 2009 was the last year to travel safely to Israel. If you are a student of Scripture you know how quickly things are moving toward the end. Israel is surrounded by her enemies and now one of her biggest allies, the USA, seems to be pulling away from supporting her. Christian - if you are not on the alert, you should be!

Scripture says it best:

"When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains." (Mark 13:7-8)

The birth pains started almost 2000 years ago. I would call them Braxton Hicks contractions (mothers you know what I'm talking about), they are the warning pains that something is about to happen. If you are observant, you will know that the warning pains are increasing in their intensity. Yes, people have been saying for thousands of years that Jesus is coming back soon, that the end is near. But at no time in history have we ever had everything line up so perfectly for His return. Even Muslims believe Jesus will be returning with their Messiah (Madhi) and the Jewish people are so convinced that the Messiah is about to come, that they have already started preparations for the Second Temple . There is out there today, in all three major religions a sense of urgency, to get themselves right with God and to prepare for His return.

Persecutions of Christians are increasing around the world as well. Most recently in Morocco where more than 40 Christians were expelled from the country.

Combine the persecutions and the wars, with earthquakes, tornados, hurricanes, volconoes, etc. and you've got evidence that something big is about to happen.

We know that Iran's President Imacrazyman (Mahmoud Ahmadinejad) is determined to bring down Israel and anyone else who would stand in his way. He believes it must be gone in order for their Madhi to come. King Abdullah of Jordan, recently stated that war could break out this summer between the Arab States and Israel. So, what does this all mean for us? It means you need to be aware that the birth pains Jesus talked about are increasing and you need to prepare yourself for his return.

Are you ready to stand before Him or will you be cowering in fear when Jesus returns? These 'signs' are for our benefit. I would encourage all who visit this blog to examine your lives closely and ask yourself this question - If Jesus returned today, would I be happy to see Him or afraid?

Travelling Down the Highway of Life

Sun, 11 Apr 2010 11:12:00 -0400

Last week as I was driving down Wonderland Rd., (for my American friends it is a very busy four lane road) something whizzed by to my right that startled me so much, I almost had an accident. What was it? A man on a dirt bike, on the bike path. I wasn't sure what surprised me more - seeing a man on a dirt bike decked out with helmet, knee pads and elbow pads, or seeing him on the bike path! He shouldn't have been on the path, he should have been on the road. What he was doing was illegal.

Shortly after that, on the same road, I had to swerve to avoid two cyclists riding side by side. Again, they were adults decked out with helmets and full riding gear. Their spandex suits indicated they were serious cyclists. Serious or not, they should have been on the bike path provided for them, not blocking traffic by riding beside each other. Has the world gone crazy? If it has a motor you drive it on the road and bicycle paths are for bicycles - not motorized vehicles!

According to Statistics Canada, in 1993 more than 10,000 cyclists were injured in car collisions. On top of that, 4 in 10 children and the majority of teenagers and adults did not wear helmets. Hopefully, those numbers are lower now, but when I see cyclists that insist on using the road, but don't obey the rules of traffic, I have to wonder. Yesterday, a cyclist who was travelling on the road and did not want to wait for the red light, decided that she wanted to be a pedestrian and almost got herself killed. She crossed the street with the light, but it said don't walk. Another decided that the four-way stop in front of a local public school didn't apply to him. He kept going. He's lucky the other car saw him and slammed on her brakes.

Is it the attitude of most cyclists that cars should make room for them? Is it the attitude of most drivers that cyclists should get out of the way? Like it or not we have to share the road, however to my biking friends, I have some words of advice:

Wear your helmets, especially if you insist on using the road where a bike path is provided. Your brain is the only one you've got - protect it!
Use the bike path. If there is one available why in the world are you blocking traffic by driving on the road? There is no excuse. If the bike path is there use it.
Don't ride side by side, especially if you are on the road. You are not as fast as a car, you never will be. What you are doing is rude and is holding up the traffic behind you.
Obey the rules of the road. You can't be a vehicle one minute and a pedestrian the next. Drivers expect you to follow the rules and those rules are there to protect you.
Don't weave in and out of traffic just because you can. It's dangerous and stupid.
Use your hand signals, drivers aren't mind readers.
Use reflective gear on your person and on your bike when driving at night.

I'm sure all cyclists are mad at me now, but it had to be said. Now, everyone go out and enjoy the day and watch out for each other, be respectful and most of all be safe!

Yes, I am The Cat Lady

Sat, 03 Apr 2010 00:55:00 -0400

Spring has sprung and with it comes the patter of little feet. Lots of little feet - and I'm not talking babies. To date, I have about five stray cats, possibly more, roaming my yard. One has been consistently living on my back deck, in a dog house I put out a while ago as a refuge from the rain and snow. She was the same cat who had a baby last summer. Unfortunately, her little one hasn't been around. I don't know what happened to him. I'm hoping some kind soul adopted him.

Tonight, I heard a meow that sounded like hello. So, I said hello back.That was at 10:00 pm. It is now 1:00 am and that cat is still sitting outside my window saying hello! At 11:30 I couldn't take it anymore and went outside to make sure this "hello" wasn't a cry for help. It wasn't. He did want to be picked up however, and if it hadn't happened to me I never would have believed it, but the cat started to suckle my shirt! Not only that, he started to knead my shoulder at the same time, purring all the while. I felt like a surrogate mother!

I'm on to him though. I know that is one of the many tricks the cats in this neighbourhood do, to get me to adopt them. This lucky kitty is well on its way to finding a new home. Unfortunately, it won't be mine, as my husband has vowed to leave if I bring another cat into the house. I asked him how long he would be gone, but he didn't take that very well. So, it looks like I will be catching another cat tomorrow and taking him to the pound. Unless someone out there is looking for a new pet. He's a tuxedo cat, with perfect markings, a little black nose and .... no? Oh, well...I wonder if I could sneak him into the house without my husband noticing.

Promises

Sat, 27 Mar 2010 21:27:00 -0400

Have you ever made a vow to God? Or have you ever prayed something like, "Dear Lord, if you give me this, I promise to...?" When the Lord answered your prayer and you received your request, did you keep your promise?

In1 Samuel 1:1-28, we learn about Hannah, the wife of Elkanah, who prayed that the Lord would give her a son. In fact, she had been barren for so many years that she promised God if He would give her a son, she would dedicate the child to God and bring him to live in the Temple in Shiloh, as soon as he was weaned. God heard her prayer and Hannah gave birth to Samuel and as hard as it was for her to keep her promise to God, she did just that. As soon as he was weaned, Hannah took him to the Temple and left him with Eli the priest.

Can you imagine how hard that was for her? She had waited years for a baby and when God granted her request, she kept the vow she made before Him. She dedicated her son to Him and left him in the care of an old man (Eli the priest in the temple). She saw Samuel once a year, when she came to the Temple to offer sacrifices with her husband. Each year she brought him a new robe. Some commentaries suggest that Samuel was between 3 and 5 when he was left at the temple to live. He would have been of an age where he could serve in the temple. Let's assume he was around the five year mark, about the time we send our children to school. Remember the anxiety you felt when you put your child on the bus for the first time? You worried about their happiness, whether he/she would make friends. You worried about whether or not they would behave! But, with relief they returned home to you at the end of the day, excited about their new friends. Or maybe not - I know my son never wanted to go back and it was a challenge just to get him out the door in the morning!

Now think about Hannah. She wasn't putting Samuel on a bus that was going across town. She was journeying to a place that was far away from where she lived, to LEAVE her son there - permanently! She saw him once a year. Imagine the reunion! Imagine the heartache. Hannah knew that a vow made to God was not something to be taken lightly. She kept her promise and God blessed her with three more sons and two daughters! Imagine, the blessings we lose by not keeping our vows.

Today, we vow before God to love our spouse until death parts us. Yet many couples (Christians included) do not take their vows seriously enough to realize they are covenanting with God, and they divorce at the first sign of trouble. We vow to bring our children up to know the Lord when we dedicate them. We vow to follow the Lord and serve him when we go through the waters of baptism. We declare to all who witness our baptism that we belong to the Lord and aim to follow Him. We make rash promises to God when we want something, without realising theconsequences of those actions. And we fail. We let our children go their own way. We choose to love the world and all it offers over serving God and honouring Him. We break our promises and our relationship with God is broken. And then we wonder where it all went wrong.

I fear, that God is no longer feared and I am heartbroken. He is taken for granted, His name is abused and He is mocked by those who do not know Him. This week is filled with the promise of a coming King, a Saviour. It is filled with the promise of eternal life, salvation, redemption, forgiveness - all because of the cross. All because God keeps His promises to us.

Can we do any less?

The Secret to Eternal Life

Tue, 23 Mar 2010 10:20:00 -0400

If I had found the cure for cancer and kept it to myself, would the people of the world be mad at me? You bet! If I could find a way to tell cancer victims everywhere that I had the cure for them, but they would have to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to me, would they be indignant? Of course! But, if I told them they could have the cure for free and all they had to do was believe that it would work, would they line up with their hands out? Unbelievably, no they would not. Why? Because believing that something will work, just because I say it will wouldn't convince many people, until the ones who were desperate enough to be cured came, believed and were healed. Then they would be lining up for miles with their hands wide open.

In John 3:16 Jesus says this, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." God gave the gift of His only Son. He gave His Son freely, so that we might have everlasting life! The only catch? You have to believe! Why? John 3:17 gives the reason, "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." So, that you might be saved! He sent the cure for eternal damnation and all we have to do is believe. God has presented to the world the secret to eternal life and they rebuke it and call His message of love intolerant.

Since Ponce De Leon's search for the fountain of youth men and women everywhere have been trying to live longer, look younger and feel better as they age, all the while missing the one thing they should really be worrying about - where they will spend eternity. Our bodies are but shells that will wither and die and return to dust (Ecc. 3:20), but our souls will continue on. Life doesn't end at death, it just begins!

I have no cure for cancer, but I do have the cure for eternal damnation - Jesus Christ. Whether or not you believe He will come through for you, is up to you. The only way to find out, is to take that first step, hold out your hand and say, "Come Lord Jesus. Come."

Unexpected Things Are Not All Bad

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 18:09:00 -0500

On Saturday, my husband went to bring our daughter home from college for a week. On the way there, his car started to give out - $400 and many hours later, they made it safely home again. Because of what happened, we thought it prudent to begin searching for a new car before we sank any more money into our 10 year old van.

We wanted another van because I find it difficult to get down into a "normal" car (I can't bend my leg). We looked at a lot of cars too. But, unfortunately my legs were too short for most of them (even with the seat all the way up!). I even managed to set off a car alarm in one of the vehicles - unfortunately, it did not draw the attention of anyone inside the dealership and so we left. *Note to Oxford Dodge - if a car alarm is going off for 15 minutes, you might want to check it out!*

We had more luck at the Ford Dealership. Our salesman was very helpful and went out of his way to help us find a car and he found us a great one, with adjustable pedals. Take that Randy Newman! Short people do have a reason to live! Unfortunately, the car was out of our price range. Dejected, we decided to take our clunker to the service department and get it fixed. But, Luae (our salesman) said, "Don't give up yet! Come back tomorrow, give me time to find you that same car in your price range." We shrugged and agreed to give him the chance.

The next morning, Jim set out to take the car in for it's repairs, but first he went to meet Luae. About two hours later, Jim came back home. "So how much did it take to get the car fixed?" I asked. He looked rather sheepish and to make a long story short - Luae came through. He took about $8000 off of the ticket price and our new car should arrive in about eight weeks. Did you know Ford will take $1000 off if you belong to Costco? Who knew that Sam's closing would be such a blessing?

Today we went to see Alice in Wonderland. We had a two for one ticket. We stood in line for a while until we discovered we couldn't use it on 3D movies. So, we jumped out of the line and went to the self-serve ticket machines, only to have it take our money and not give us tickets. We found a manager who fixed everything. We got some drinks and headed into the theatre. Unfortunately, when Jim went to sit in his seat he sat on my son's blue slushie instead. It fell out of the cup holder and plopped all over the floor, but not before it soaked the side of Jim's leg and went down his sock and into his shoe. He sat for two hours with blue slushie in his shoe!

The movie? Umm...well...save your money.

The moral? Expect the unexpected and watch where you sit!

It's All In The Waiting

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 18:49:00 -0500

Whenever God is trying to tell me something, He usually has to repeat Himself - several times. I admit it is my own thickheadedness that causes Him to have to resort to various tactics in order to get my attention. I'm very thankful He hasn't given up on me yet. In fact, Come to Me would never have been written if God hadn't persisted in nudging me. He went so far as to have a CD delivered in the mail (one I never requested mind you!) that had one song. Can you guess the name? Yup! Come to Me. It was during a time when I didn't know what to call my book. During that time, the verse, "Come to Me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest", (Matt. 11:28) frequently entered my conversations with people. Many of the books I read back then would also bring up this verse. Our Pastor had a sermon featuring it during that time too! When I got the CD I finally got the hint.

For the last couple of months, I've been seeing the same thing happen to me again. Books I'm reading all have the same theme, conversations are once again focusing on one subject and last week I received something in the mail. It's time to take the hint.

So what did I receive? A card that said, "It's All in the Waiting." I'm not good at waiting. I'm an impatient person. I like to go and get things done, but lately I've been forced to be still and well ... wait. I have been unable to attend church for some time now because I can't sit for long periods without elevating my leg. So I watch the services from home. I am feeling very antsy right now. I don't like to sit and not get things done. But lately, I've been forced to wait. I waited 2 weeks to find out if I have cancer. I don't! I have been waiting 4 weeks to get rid of a persisent cough. It's still there. The day that card came? I was waiting on my cat who was in surgery. The neat thing about that card? It had a cat on the front cover! God also has perfect timing!

So, why all the waiting? What have I learned? That waiting can be sacred. Waiting forces me to abide in Him daily. To spend precious moments silently in prayer, waiting on His directives for me for the day. Waiting is a form of worship that causes us to focus on God. It helps us to look inside ourselves to see those parts that are not in step with the Spirit.

Lent began on February 17. For the next 40 days people all over the world are observing it in one form or another. May I encourage you to take this time to wait on God? To use these days as your spiritual act of worship. To find a quiet place each day to pray, listen and most of all - to wait.

"But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." (Isaiah 40:31)