Longing for Jesus's Return!

If you believe the Bible is true, then you also believe that Jesus will return one day to gather up His followers from all the corners of the earth. If you're like me, you're probably pretty excited about that event! Whenever I bring up the Rapture, as it is called, in discussions, I run into the following three types of Christians

• Those who are very excited and eagerly wait for His return
• Those who have an unhealthy obsession with it and tend to predict dates, sell all their belongings and travel to Jerusalem to wait for Him, etc 
• Those who don't want to think about it at all. It never crosses their mind and if it does, it doesn't excite them

I believe God wants us to have a healthy expectation of His return, along with an excitement, a longing for Him. All through the Epistles, Paul referred often to the return of Christ and told Christians to think on it and allow the expectation to bring them comfort and hope. But for those of us who are excited about Jesus's return, why are we excited?  Is it for selfish reasons? Because, let's face it, we're just plain tired of life and all it's struggles and we want some relief!  Or is it for the right reasons? Because we can't wait to see our Lord! Because we can't wait to fall into His arms, to sit at His feet, to hear Him talk and spend time with Him!

Imagine a husband who goes on a long journey away from home. Years and years go by and the wife misses him very much. She has children to care for and a business her husband left her to run, and she's tired and worn out. What if that husband returned and instead of being received with loving arms and showered with love, he finds a wife who is only happy to see him because finally she will have some help! 

Some Christians tell me I'm too obsessed with Jesus's return, that I think about it too much. As long as my motives are right, I have to disagree. Why? Because when I'm thinking about and longing for His return, my mind is on Him, my thoughts are on Heaven,  and I tend to worry less. I tend to lead a better live, sin less, and make fewer mistakes.

If then you have been raised with Christ, aim at and seek the rich, eternal treasures that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  And set your minds and keep them set on what is above (the higher things), not on the things that are on the earth.  For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

When Christ, Who is our life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in the splendor of His glory.

 So kill (deaden,deprive of power) the evil desire lurking in your members [those animal impulses and all that is earthly in you that is employed in sin]: sexual vice, impurity, sensual appetites, unholy desires, and all greed and covetousness, for that is idolatry (the deifying of self and other created things instead of God).  Colossians 3:1-5 Amp

When I keep my mind on Jesus, I become more like Him. And as I become more like Him, I can be about His business more and effect the world for Him. Longing for His return doesn't mean we

neglect the work He has called us to do. It just means that if we are truly excited about seeing Him soon, (with the right motives), we will make ourselves pure and ready for Him like a bride does for her Bridegroom, and we will be busy about His business in order to please Him when he comes.

So Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.   NASB Hebrews 9:28

Where do authors get their ideas?

First things first!  The winners of Return to Shirley Plantation from last week are:
Callie and Betz!  Callie also won the other goodies too! Congratulations ladies and thank you so much for dropping by!


Secondly, just a bit of writing news. Abandoned Memories (Book 3 in my Escape to Paradise Trilogy) is due to

Artist Jon Paul

my publisher May 1st!! YIKES!!  So I've locked myself in my captain's cabin for days on end, without food or drink (not really. I'm not that crazy.. besides I love to eat!) furiously trying to finish it.  I'm a very punctual person so cutting it this close is unusual and stressful for me. Right now, it looks like I might make it. We shall see!!  There's no cover for this book yet, and there probably won't be one until the end of the year, but I found this online and thought it was a nice fit!

I often get asked where do I get my ideas for stories and do I ever run out of ideas? Great questions. I actually had to sit and think about it for awhile by going through all my books and remembering where the idea came from.  I get ideas from so many sources and often they are a combination of the ones below:

Personal Interest
My pirate series grew out of a personal interest and love of pirates, but it was also rekindled by the very first Pirates of the Caribbean movie, along with some great pirate books I was reading at the time. But the actual story I must give the credit to God for. I had never written a complete book before and had no idea what I was doing. In fact, I didn't plot the story at all. I just started writing it and let the characters take over.

Moral Lesson
One of the biggest problems I've struggled with over the years is worry and fear. I come from a long line of worry worts and anxious people, but I've learned with God's help to conquer these fears, at least most of the time. So, I wanted to write a story about a young girl plagued with the same weaknesses and then thrust her into the most harrowing situation possible with not only her life on the line but also someone she loves. Through her story, I wanted to show how God intervenes, allays her fears, and makes all things work out in the end.  Hence, The Falcon and the Sparrow came into being

Scripture
Alot of ideas come to me while I'm on my daily walk. There's something about getting outside and being active that jars my creativity. Try it sometime if you're stuck creatively. The Charles Towne Belles series formed in my mind during one such walk. The idea actually started with a parable in the Bible about the seeds and the sower. I was pondering it and talking to God and an idea came to me about creating a series around that Scripture with the heroine in each book representing one of the seeds in that parable.




Fascinating History
When I'm dong research, I'll often come across history that I never knew about or some happening in the past that intrigues me. One day I ran into the War of 1812 and started reading about it. I was blown away by the stories, especially those that happened around Baltimore. The miracles of these stories couldn't be explained by anything but God's intervention!  And that got me thinking about story lines and characters I could center around these historic events. And then came my Surrender to Destiny series.  



Location
One of my favorite cities in the United States is Charleston, South Carolina. I spent a week there once doing research and I fell in love. Since then my heart tends to wander there when I'm trying to come up with a new story. I know the history pretty well, so all I needed to do was choose a time period when lots of exciting things were happening and then generate a story around it. Hence Veil of Pearls was formed.

A Cause you wish to address
This came into play in the creation of Veil of Pearls, along with the location. I've always been

abhorred by slavery and prejudice. I hate it wherever I see it and I know it displeases God. So, after I chose Charleston as the location of the story and 1811 as the date, I asked myself: What would happen if a spoiled plantation owner's son fell in love (unknowingly) with a black slave who didn't look like a black slave. You see the possibilities? 






TV Show
I love a good TV show. I suppose it's the author in me because I'm fascinating with story and characters. One of my all-time favorite shows is LOST. The characters were phenomenal, the story wild and adventurous and the supernatural element was great.  I wondered how I could mimic the feeling of the show in a new book series that had the same elements: stranded characters, all with a
secret past, fighting the elements and each other while some supernatural force is trying to destroy them.  Hence, my new series, Escape to Paradise was born.



All my ideas have come from a combination of the above. But there are plenty of other sources for ideas, depending on the type of book you're writing. Current events, Movies, Relationships, Friends, Other books, etc.  Ideas are all around you. You just have to know what you want to get across to the world. What do you want to say that you want people to know? What is burning on your heart to be told?  Then decide how best to get that across, in what location, time period, and with what characters?  With God's help you'll be amazed what you can come up with!

Wordless Wednesday!

He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters; He makes the clouds His chariot; He walks upon the wings of the wind;  Psalm 104:3

Prescription for Peace in the midst of anxiety!

I know many people who suffer from anxiety. I used to suffer greatly. In fact, it got so bad, I was having heart pain and had to go have an EKG to make sure I wasn't having a heart attack! The doc said my heart was strong and it must be a panic attack. Me? Christian, Bible-Believing, God-Trusting me? Having a panic attack? How embarrassing!

The Dictionary defines Anxiety as distress or uneasiness of mind caused by fear of danger or misfortune.  The Synonyms are: fear, foreboding; worry, disquiet

Sounds like fun, eh?  But check  out the Antonyms:  certainty, serenity, tranquility

Ah.. just saying those words out loud evokes images of lying in a hammock swaying to a tropical breeze, doesn't it?

So, what's wrong with us Christians who have a chronic worry problem? Do we believe God is with us? Do we believe He is in control? Or do we not?  Plain and simple. But is it? I know many Christians who truly believe in God and in His power and provision, yet they still worry. They pray and pray and pray to not worry, they read Scripture, but still they worry!  Could it be possible that we

are missing something? Some vital command of the Lord's? Something that we should be doing, instead of expecting God to take away our worry?

That's when I read Philippians 4. You all know verses 6-7. If you're a worrier like me, you probably have them memorized!  Here they are in the Amplified version, which expands the meaning nicely.

Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.

And God’s peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus

 Yea. yea. yea.. you've heard that before.  It reminds me of when my husband, who isn't a worrier at all, says to me. "Just stop worrying."  Sure.. let me get right on that! Because the truth of the matter is, I don't know how to stop it!  So then I got to thinking, why would God tell us to not worry if it wasn't possible for us to Not worry? That would be cruel.  Then I read the entire chapter of Philippians 4 and was amazed to find a prescription for worry. 

Look back on verses 4-5

Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, gladden yourselves in Him]; again I say, Rejoice!

Let all men know and perceive and recognize your unselfishness (your considerateness, your forbearing spirit). The Lord is near [He is coming soon].

 And then after verses 6-7 where God tells us not to worry, we see verses 8 and 9 finish the prescription: 

For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them].

 Practice what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and model your way of living on it, and the God of peace (of untroubled, undisturbed well-being) will be with you.

 

God tells us exactly how to overcome worry in the two verses preceding His command not to worry, and the two verses following.And they are things we can do!

Prescription to cure anxiety:

• Rejoice!  Be glad, happy! Delight in God and His love for you and His presence! This doesn't have to be a feeling. This can be an action. Praise, sing and spend time with Him. These are all things you can do by an act of your will.
• Be unselfish. Do you know that selfishness is the number one cause of depression? If your mind is always on yourself and your problems, no wonder you are worried. Do something unselfish for someone every day!
• Lift your specific prayer requests to God daily. 
• Be thankful. Again, not a feeling, but an action. Make a point of saying Thank you God for every thing in your life and every good thing that happens in your day.
• Fix your mind on good things. On honorable, happy, virtuous things. Don't read smut or watch filthy TV shows or movies. Be VERY careful what you fill your mind with. Fill it with only good, uplifting things.
• Practice all the above (and every other Godly behavior) every day, including staying in the Word. 
• Command the spirit of anxiety to leave you and never return!  (Added because I do this and it works!)

God doesn't want you to worry. He doesn't want you to fret. He wants you to trust Him. He's worthy of your trust.

 I've come a long way in my battle with anxiety.  I no longer have panic attacks. I no longer fret and feel anxious about the problems in my life. At least not all the time. I slip now and then, but I can honestly say I truly do trust God for everything.

If the above worked for me, I guarantee it will work for you. But you are the only one who can do it. You have to take the steps.

May the God of all Peace bless you with strength and joy and goodness as you pursue more and more of Him.