Wordless Wednesday!

“For You have girded me with strength for battle;
You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.
“You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me,
And I destroyed those who hated me."  2 Samuel 22: 40-41

Take risks!! Your future is secure!

I come from a middle income family. Well, in truth, we oscillated between low and middle income much of my life. Now my Mom is 80 and barely getting by on her small retirement and social security checks each month. So you can see why the word "inheritance" never really was part of our family vocabulary!  When I graduated school and left home, I knew that if I was going to make anything out of myself, I was going to have to do it on my own. There was no trust fund, no hope of cashing in, should either of my parents die. (Not that I wanted them to die!!) . There would be no help in buying a home, no extra money coming in the mail should I fall into hard times. 

Yet, I had friends who counted on the inheritance of their parents.  They put their hope in it and thought of it often. In fact, it changed their entire perspective of life and also changed the way they did things. For one thing they weren't worried about money like I was. They were more at ease when things went wrong, and they took bigger risks! Because of the hope and assurance they had in their future welfare, they could afford to try and start their own company, they could invest in risky ventures, they could travel more, experience more of life.. because, hey, if they failed, they always had that inheritance coming down the road. And you know what? Most of them succeeded very nicely.

It's often people who have a fear of the future, who are terrified of failing and not being able to make it, who only take the safe roads in life, who cling to every dime they make and never do anything

risky. They take their money and put it somewhere safe where they believe nothing can take it away.  Much like the people Jesus described in the Parable of the Talents In Matthew 25, they take the talent God gives them and bury it in the ground. 

As much as I'm NOT in favor of spoiling kids and handing them everything, knowing there will be an inheritance coming can be a very good thing. It gives a person freedom to live life to it's fullest without fear, to climb the highest mountain, tackle the biggest problems, experience things they wouldn't normally experience, take risks and win.  Now, where am I going with this??

As I've been reading the New Testament, I'm astounded by how often the apostles speak about our inheritance in Heaven. Paul often talks about it, as well as Peter in 1 Peter 1

By His boundless mercy we have been born again to an ever-living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,  [Born anew] into an inheritance which is beyond the reach of change and decay [imperishable], unsullied and unfading, reserved in heaven for you,  3-4  Amp

What is our inheritance?  It is eternal life in the most wonderful, beautiful incredible place you can imagine, surrounded by your loved ones and friends, and never again feeling hunger or pain or sickness or despair or loneliness. It's walking the streets of gold with the Lord, the creator of everything and having a one on one relationship with Him. It's having a purpose for all eternity, adventure after adventure as you serve the King.  It's far better than any of us can imagine!

Paul mentions Jesus's return multiple times and all the writers of the New Testament refer to the 2nd coming as something that all Christians should long for and hope for and to use that hope to keep persevering in their walk.  I believe they were onto something.  If we keep most of our focus on this world, on our work, our families, our lives and all the petty things that go along with our day to day existence, then we can easily get entangled in these minor details and when trouble strikes we become unglued.  

But if you keep your mind on your coming inheritance, if you keep your eyes above on God and on heaven and on eternity, if you live in the Spirit and keep in communication with God, then the things of this world will fade in comparison. Yes, you have to work and live and do all the mundane things of life, but you can train your mind and your spirit to focus on things above. Then when problems strike, they won't seem so bad in light of eternity!

Even when we were dead n our transgressions, (God) made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,  Ephesians 2:5-6

Also,  if you know of your coming inheritance, you'll have more courage to face life. You'll take risks for God, you'll step out in faith more, you'll love more. You'll live more.  Because you know this is not the end. This world is only the beginning. 

 Here is my prayer for all us:

That the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,  Ephesians 1:18.

MaryLu's Musings - How to keep a shrunken head in a world that wants to swell it up!

On last Friday's blog, I received the following question. (Thanks Shelby!)

As a Christian woman, how hard is it to not seek your own glory and forget about God in the world you're in of being a published author?? Do you think that a writer should be closer to our Savior before we hop into a place that may be more self seeking than honoring God?

It is such a great question that I thought I'd devote a post to the answer. You see, we all struggle with this on some level. It's the problem of Self vs. God.   Who are we out to glorify??  From the very first bite Eve took out of the apple (even the very reason she took the bite)  until now, we humans want to glorify ourselves above God. It's written in our fallen nature.  Ask anyone who they think about most of the time, and if they are honest, it's themselves!!  LOL.  What am I going to eat? How do I feel? That person hurt my feelings, my husband doesn't understand me, how can I get ahead? Do I have to do all this work today? etc etc etc...   We are extremely self-centered creatures!

So what happens when someone becomes famous, whether they become a movie star, musician, athlete, author, or politician, etc?  What happens to that ego when the world is telling you that you're special, when people follow you, listen to what you say, want your autograph??  If you're a weak person, you succumb to it. How can you help it?  How many famous people have you seen who are so full of themselves, they become intolerable. They believe they are somehow above the rest of us and don't have to follow laws. Yet, so many of their lives are a huge mess of divorce and drugs. What a shame.

When my first book was published and my publisher sent me on a couple of book signing tours, I was completely astonished that anyone in their right mind would want my autograph! I actually was in shock for several days when people would come up and tell me how much they loved my book and how much they admired me. Me?? Do they have any idea what sort of person I am?   I kept looking

over my shoulder assuming that, surely, they were talking to someone else!  At first, I have to admit, my head swelled. All my life I'd been seeking recognition.. to be somebody important... and this was quite a rush.  The enemy wasted no time sweeping in trying to move my focus off of God. He's very good at that.. he's been at it since the Garden of Eden. (more on my swelling head later)

The problem with being in a career that revolves around you as the single creator of a product is that you will inevitably have to market yourself to the public. In fact, Publishers demand that you do so as often and as much as you can.  Market myself? Gulp.  You mean I have to go out and tell people how wonderful I am and they simply must buy my book?  Yup, that's what they meant. LOL.  Let me first say that pushing myself and my product on others goes TOTALLY against who I am. Egad, I couldn't even sell Mary Kay when I was younger.

But I'm writing books to glorify God, not me!!!  Doesn't marketing go against that very concept?  Well, yes and no. It all boils down to a matter of the heart. And this is something I have to ask myself every single day. Am I writing to glorify myself or God?  If I sense any desire to make it all about me, I immediately repent and ask God to strengthen me and renew my mind.  And He does!. What God wouldn't answer a prayer like that?  Then when I go out to market my books, I'm doing it because I believe with all my heart that God gave me the message within that particular story and that message will help people know Him more. Even if your book doesn't contain a blatant Christian message but just a clean, uplifting story, that can also bring someone a little closer to the light. It's all about what's in your heart.

Back to my swelled head. God blessed me with book contract after book contract and a publisher who really believed in me. It was a dream come true and I was on the top of the world. Suddenly things like contest wins, awards, great reviews and high sales numbers became overwhelmingly important to me. I began to think that surely everyone in the Christian Market knew my name!

The thing about an attitude like this, is that God won't let you have it for long. He loves you too much to let you slip into such ridiculous notions. I know some Christian authors do and some Christian stars, but I believe that's because they aren't staying in close touch with the Father. When you hang out with God, you can't maintain a self-glorifying attitude for long. He makes it very clear to you and shows it for the ugly monster it is. As He did with me a year or so ago. 

Now, I have a shrunken head, and I have more peace and more joy than I ever had. Because now, it's only about Him and His plan and bringing people to Him. Now, when I market myself, it's with that in mind.. that I'm working for Him to get His Word out. Now, that's exciting!

So, if you're considering becoming famous, or even if you're not but you struggle with pride, here are some keys that really help me.

• Stay close to God. Pray, read the Bible, hang out with Him DAILY.. and even minute by minute.
• Check yourself and your attitude daily
• Try to not read reviews on your books
• Remember that any talent or skill you have was given to you by God
• Remember that He gives everyone talents and we are all equal in His eyes
• Remember He only gave you the talent so you could bring Him glory. 
• It's much more exciting to glorify the Almighty Creator than glorify your own boring self
• The crowd is fickle. They may love you today and hate you tomorrow, but God's love is constant

If you follow these steps faithfully, I guarantee you'll be able to stay off the pedestal and instead allow God to use you in more powerful, more exciting, more wonderful ways than you could ever have imagined!

Wordless Wednesday!

The Lord is slow to get angry, but his power is great,
    and he never lets the guilty go unpunished.
He displays his power in the whirlwind and the storm.
    The billowing clouds are the dust beneath his feet. Nahum 1:3

Do you know a House is being built just for you in Heaven??

In Jesus' day, when a prospective groom wanted to become engaged to a woman he went to her house with a cup of wine. Her father and her brothers (as witnesses) then negotiated the engagement with the groom. Usually this negotiation included the dowry, the groom's plan over the next year to prepare a home for her, the marriage ceremony details, and a contract was entered into as a result, breakable only by divorce.  (This wasn't like our present-day engagements which could be easily broken. This was a contract that was very difficult to get out of)

When all the details were set, the woman was called and the groom's cup of wine was placed before her as the groom said something similar to this:

"You believe in God, believe also in me. My father's house has many rooms, and I'm going to prepare a place for you, then I'll return and bring you with me that where I am you may be."

It was a common custom of the day as it is today in many parts of the world, for a groom to build a room onto his father's house for he and his new wife to live in, thus this statement. If the woman accepted the groom's proposal she would drink the wine to seal the contract as a point of remembrance, while also looking forward to her wedding day.

In John 14:1-4 Jesus quoted these "engagement contract" words to describe Himself going to the cross and then to His Father's 'house' to prepare a place for us. He therefore asks us to drink the wine of the Last Supper, which was done just before He said this as acceptance of our betrothal to Him, while also looking at the present through the eyes of the future marriage.

Even with the cross looming the next morning and all the suffering He was going to endure, He was pointing us to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb at the end of the age!! Amazing.

This is why He had also made the statement that no man knows the day of His return - in the custom of the day the timing was set by the groom's father, eagerly keeping the secret of the timing of the wedding within himself as a surprise for the couple. The groom's father withheld permission until the room the groom was preparing for his bride was was completed, as well as the bride's own preparations completed. Then the Father gave permission for the groom to collect his bride.

Isn't it amazing how Scripture comes alive and makes so much sense when we learn the Jewish customs of the day and see things the way Jesus saw them. After all, He was speaking to a Jewish audience. The disciples would have understood His meaning even if they didn't completely understand the future.

So, in summary, Jesus has asked us (His people, His church, His bride) to marry Him.  He set the cup (of His blood) before us and those of us who accepted Him, drank out of that cup (communion) and have given Him our allegiance, our "Yes" to His offer.  So, now what is happening?  Jesus is in His
Father's House adding on new homes for His bride.!  I believe He's building an entire city for us..and creating for each one of us, a new and beautiful home that's part of that city!

Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Revelation 21:1 NKJV

How that home looks, how many rooms it has, whether it has wood floors or carpeting, or running water or a nice backyard, well, I believe that's completely up to you!!  I personally believe that everything we do here on earth for Jesus, everything we do with the right motives, all the times we've

suffered for His name, or all the people who came to know Him because of our witness, all the times we glorified Him instead of ourselves..etc...  God adds something onto our new house.  Could be a sunken bath tub or granite kitchen counters, or that special craft room we've always wanted! Jesus alludes to this in Matthew 6

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;  but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  19-21

Some of us will have glorious mansions in the New Jerusalem. Others, well.... maybe a little shack?

For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is  1 Cor 3:11-13

So, if you've never owned a home here on earth or if the home you own is run down and has cracks in the walls, or the plumbing is always clogged, it's too small, infested with bugs,  and things just plain don't work right, don't worry about it. Someday you'll have the most gorgeous home imaginable, a home that was  built specifically just for you, your tastes, your desires, your dreams!

I hope all of you have a home right next to mine!

MaryLu's Musings: What's in a name?

Something interesting happened in the book world this week.  Many of you know of J.K. Rowling,

the author who wrote the infamous Harry Potter books. In fact I'd be surprised if you didn't recognize her name. She's one of the world's best-selling authors and a millionaire because of her books and fame.   But did you know that recently she also wrote a modern day crime novel??

The book is called The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith.  Yup. That's right. She wrote a book under a pen name. Her reason she says was to "publish without hype or expectation" and allow her the "pure pleasure to get feedback from publishers and readers under a different name."

She did get the feedback she wanted. In fact,  Kate Mills of Orion Publishing actually turned down the book. Of course she had no idea it was written by the superstar Rowling.  I bet she's kicking herself now!  Although the book did get good reviews, it only sold around 1500 copies. If it had continued at that rate, those numbers are a death sentence for an author. "Mr. Galbraith" probably never would have received another book contract!

In fact, I was recently told that if a new author doesn't reach at least 15,000 copies sold, their career is over, while most publishers expect close to 30,000 for a second book.  Well, somehow the cat got out of the bag and the media exposed the true identity of Robert Galbraith, and guess what?  Right now. on Amazon, sales of the book are up some 507,000 %. !!   Go figure.

So, I ask you what is in a name?? A TON.  In fact, my husband rarely picks up a book by an author he hasn't read before. He has his favorites and he waits for their books to be released. That way he knows he's spending money on a story he's going to like. I must admit, I do the same thing.  Why take a chance on a new author when I KNOW what I'm going to get with my favorite ones?

So what does this mean for aspiring writers trying to get published or even established authors like myself?  Taken at face value it can be very depressing. How can anyone break into a readers' market

with an unknown name? Especially when there is so much competition and so many books out there that a new author can easily get lost. And what about an author who has several books already published? How do we attract more readers and get our name in front of more people?? 

Publishers and marketing people will tell us we need to be on Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, Pinterest, etc...etc... We need to have a website, a blog, a platform, go on speaking tours. We need to engage with our readers.  But I'm here to tell you that after 8 years of doing that, it doesn't work.

You know what I'm starting to believe are the two most critical elements necessary for making the New York Times Best seller list??

1.  Write a FABULOUS book.  Get off the internet and spend your time writing the best book you can.
2.  Providence. In my case, I call this the God Factor. Others call it Fate or Karma, or just plain luck. It's being in the right place at the right time with the right publisher and the right market. And it is completely out of an author's control.  

You can apply this to any area of your life. Be the best you can be at what you're doing, whether it be marriage, raising kids, a career, and then leave the results in God's hands. 

So, if you don't find me out there in social media land, you'll know where I am. I'm at home, pounding away on my keyboard, writing the next best seller!  (God willing!). 

(And yes, I realize I've just given J.K. Rowling free publicity when she's the last author on the planet who needs it! Grrrrr )

So how about you? How often do you pick up a book solely because you've read that author before and loved his or her work?

Wordless Wednesday!

The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.  Joel 2:31

.

Can Christians sin?

God is a God of EXTREME Grace and Mercy and Love. None of us can even fathom His Love for us. The Bible is full of stories of His love and mercy. Some people say that the God of the Old Testament seems so different from the God of the New Testament. They say He is all fire and brimstone  whereas Jesus is all about mercy and forgiveness, but I find that the more I read the Old Testament the more I truly see the love of God. Especially His incredible patience and faithfulness.  The reason I bring this up is that if you're a believer, it's possible you might be of balance on an understanding of God's grace. I think all of us are at one time or another in our walk with God. Here's two out of balance camps I've discovered.

Camp1:  You see God as a harsh judge and therefore you try so hard everyday not to commit any sin, lest He cast you from eternity forever. You are always judging yourself for every little infraction and coming to God for forgiveness over and over. You live in fear and you see your Christian life as a constant struggle to obey.

Camp2:  You love the idea of grace and forgiveness, and you enjoy the freedom you have in Christ. Therefore you don't worry too much about sinning. In fact, you often find yourself doing the same old sins you've always committed. Why not? You enjoy them!  You know that when you mess up, all you need to do is ask for forgiveness and voila! God comes through.

I used to have a Catholic friend who lived in constant fear of ending up in hell. Every week while he drove to confession, he was terrified he'd get into an accident and die before he could have his sins confessed and forgiven. You may chuckle at this, but I've met Christians who fear almost the same thing. "What if I tell a lie and I have a heart attack before I have a chance to ask God's forgiveness?"  These type of believers are the ones begging God to forgive them every second of the day.  Can you imagine how taxing that would be for the Father?   Can you imagine if your child followed you around all day and kept begging you to forgive them over and over? I'd stop them, grab a hold of their shoulders and tell them how much I love them, that they are already forgiven, and just to keep moving forward and learning. Do you think God does any less??

You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins.  He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. Colossians 2:13-14

God has already PAST TENSE forgiven us of ALL our sins.  When we confess our sins to Him, all we are doing is appropriating that forgiveness He has already provided, in faith.  We will all sin. I don't think there's a day that goes by that I don't sin: think unkindly of someone, complain, criticize,

feel jealousy.. etc.  Yet instead of beating myself up about it, I just say "Father, I'm sorry. Renew my mind and make me more like You."  Then I tell the Devil to beat it. I'm a new creature in Christ and there is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. And the guilt leaves!  The truth of the matter is, we will all sin, but if we are growing in Christ, we will sin less and less as the years go by!!  

But what about those in the "It's all about Grace" camp, Camp2?   If God has already paid for ALL our sins, then surely they have it right! Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die and go to Heaven! Right?  Well..... not so fast.

Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins. There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies. For anyone who refused to obey the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.  Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to us.

Hebrews 10: 26-30

and Verse 31:  It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Isn't this a contradiction of what the Bible says in other places??

The verb sinning here is the present participle of a continuous action. Translation: If we go on sinning willfully. In other words, if every day you get up and continue to commit the same sins over and over, on purpose and knowing full well that you are sinning. then you're in dangerous waters. You are in essence spitting on the cross of Christ.

Of course there may be occasions when we will willfully sin. We are tempted. We get that nudge from the Holy Spirit, but we don't listen and we go ahead.   We mess up. We feel horrible, We come to God and repent. We don't want to ever do that again. Perhaps it's something like pornography or even gossiping. We hate it! We don't want to do it, yet we seem to keep falling into temptation. I would say that this is NOT what the writer of Hebrews is referring to. He is talking about someone who feels no remorse, who keeps on sinning and keeps on ignoring God's gentle nudges. This person may even repent and ask for forgiveness over and over, but in their heart they don't really want to change. They love the sin more than they love God.

Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. John 14:21

Camp3: The balance we all try to achieve:  All my sins, past, present, and future are forgiven once and for all when I  received the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.  I now can come boldly before the throne of Grace to receive mercy and strength. I have communion with God, the Father. When I sin,

whether willfully or in ignorance, I immediately confess, repent and appropriate the forgiveness already paid for me. I ask God to continue to change me and renew my mind and help me overcome the next temptation. As the years pass and I grow to know the Father more, my sins will become less and less until that glorious day when God brings me home and I will never sin again. !!!   Can't wait!

MaryLu's Musings - Do pets go to heaven?

This past week, one of my daughter's most cherished cats suddenly became ill and an hour later at the vet, she was diagnosed with kidney failure. It was only a matter of time, and it would be painful, so

my daughter chose to have her put down. It's the worst experience ever, and one I've been through  many times. I have two cats buried in my backyard and another one, whose ashes are in an urn, because I just couldn't part with him.

Aside from losing a human loved one, there's nothing worse than losing a pet. Especially if you are the one holding your pet while they inject her with the solution that puts her permanently "asleep".  I remember when I was holding my last cat, who had terminal cancer, I actually felt her soul leave her body. One minute she was filled with life, the next she was empty.  It was like I was holding a completely different cat. I brought her home and buried her and then cried my eyes out for two days.

Why do we love our pets so much?  I believe God gave us pets because He knew we would need that unconditional love they freely offer us every day. No matter if we haven't bathed, have morning breath, have no make up on, or are in the worst mood ever, they are there for us, ready to curl up next to us, to snuggle, to love, to purr or bark, and to look at us with their adoring eyes.  I had a white cat we called Snowball, who sensed when I was upset or in a bad mood, and he'd always come and sit on my lap. He'd just plop down and hang out with me, letting me know I wasn't alone and that he cared.  He was a talker so he'd always chat with me about whatever cats talk about and then he'd grow silent

while I told him my problems. We developed quite a bond and although he died 4 years ago, I still think of him often.

Many theologians will tell you that animals don't have spirits like human's do so they can't go to heaven or hell. They just die and that's that.  Animals may not have a spirit, but they do have a soul. The soul is separate form the spirit. It is the mind, will, and emotions of the being. In essence it is the unique personality, and just like spirits, souls are eternal as well.  When humans die, both our spirits and our souls (which are both eternal) go to either heaven or hell.  So, why wouldn't an animal's eternal soul go somewhere too? And since animals don't sin and only act on instinct, it would make sense that they all go to heaven.

The Bible neither proves nor refutes this, but it does mention animals in the new millennium, which is the time after Jesus returns and sets up His Kingdom in Jerusalem. So, we know that animals will be part of our lives in eternity.

I listen to a really great Bible teacher, John Fenn, who in one of his CDs describes a visit he had to Heaven. Visiting heaven, whether in the spirit or in a vision, is completely Biblical because the Apostle Paul describes his own visit in 2 Corinthians 12 .  Another reason I believe John's account is because he's not trying to make money off of his story. He's not broadcasting it, writing a book, and appearing on TV.  And the last reason I believe him is because he's one of the best Bible teachers I've heard.  Anyway, in his vision, one of the first things he saw was his dog, who had been run over by a car a few years before,  running toward him across a grassy field.  He'll tell you how astounded he was because up to that moment, he didn't think pets went to heaven, but he was elated to see his precious dog again.

My take on this is that God can do anything He wants. He is a God of love and mercy and grace, and He cares about the things we care about. He suffers with us when our pets die. He knows our agony, and He is one day coming back to abolish all death. Until that time, why wouldn't He bring our beloved pets up to heaven to await our arrival?  Can you imagine the greeting you'll receive when every pet you've ever loved and

lost comes bounding toward you as soon as you enter those pearly gates??   For me, there will be dozens of cats!! 

Wordless Wednesday!

“Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves."    Jesus, Matthew 7:15

Are you thirsty??

Have you ever been really thirsty?  Many of us have quick and easy access to water and other drinks on a daily basis, so we probably are never truly thirsty. But think back to a time when you exercised hard or went for a long walk in the sun, or actually went somewhere where there was nothing to drink. That feeling of excruciating thirst is so strong, isn't it? And then when you finally get something to drink, you gulp it down and go "Ah!"

But did you know your spirit can thirst? A thirsty spirit does not manifest itself in the same physical sense as your body, but it is definitely a very uncomfortable sensation. It's a feeling of emptiness. Of something missing, of something not being quite right. It's that sensation when you finally get that promotion, that new car, that new dress, lose 50 pounds, get married, buy a house, go on vacation...whatever great dream of yours that has finally come true... and yet after awhile, the excitement fades, the thrill leaves, and you're left wondering what's missing? Why didn't fill-in-the-blank make me happy forever? Why do I feel unfulfilled and yearning for something more.

That's spirit thirst! And NOTHING in this world can truly satisfy it. Everything we try is like squeezing a few drops from an old dried up orange into our mouth and hoping our thirst will go away. It may quench it slightly for a short while, but it will not last. How do I know? Because I've lived long enough, tried enough things in life to realize that nothing satisfies.

Only God.   King David seemed to understand how to quench his soul-thirst.

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? Psalm 42:2
God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water  Psalm 63:1

Can you hear the yearning, the thirst in David's voice?  He knew that only God satisfied his thirsty soul. The good news is, God wants to quench your thirst! He not only wants to quench your thirst, He

paid a huge price to do so, AND He will satisfy your thirst for free!

“Ho! Everyone who thirsts,
Come to the waters;
And you who have no money,
Come, buy and eat.
Yes, come, buy wine and milk
Without money and without price.
 Why do you spend money for what is not bread,And your wages for what does not satisfy?  Isaiah 55:1-2

So, how do we get our spirit-thirst quenched? How do we find true joy and fulfillment in this life?  We turn to Jesus and simply ask.


Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” John 4:13

The truth is, Jesus took our spirit thirst upon Himself on the cross so that we would never be thirsty again.

After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!” John 19:28

I always wondered about this passage. Why would Jesus say He was thirsty? Surely the Roman soldiers could care less? And why did He say it at this precise time when he knew all things were now accomplished?  I think it's because at that moment God, His father, had abandoned Jesus. God had turned His face away from His only Son because Jesus bore the sins of the entire world at that one moment and that sin caused the only separation from the Father Jesus had ever known.  And when that separation occurred, Jesus's spirit became thirsty.  Up to that point, Jesus had never experienced spirit-thirst before.

I've had many great and exciting experiences in life. I've been privileged to own homes and houses and nice clothing and even a big screen TV. I've been on vacations to Hawaii and the Caribbean. I have friends and a loving husband. And though all of those things are good, NONE of them truly satisfy in the end.  I can tell you from experience that it is only through knowing Jesus, through the intimacy of my relationship with God, that I feel fulfilled.

And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely. Rev 22:17

MaryLu's Musings - whtat's a writer to do?

The Publishing World is Aflux!  (That's sort of like a flux capacitor but without the power). I'm definitely not an expert on the economy, nor am I up on what's going on in the boardrooms of all the major publishers in this country, but I'm also not asleep. Things are definitely changing. Here's what I've noticed just in my own little world:

Major Publishers are merging (Just recently Penguin and Random House)
E-book sales are up
Print book sales are down
Fewer authors are receiving contracts
Authors who are getting contracts are getting less money

Whether these things are because the economy is so bad, or whether they are because E-books have taken off, I guess time will tell.  The outcome, however, at first glance seems to be bad for authors like me.  With fewer contracts being handed out to writers, that means only Top-selling authors who make the publisher the most money are going to be getting contracts. Yes, a few new authors may slip in and a few middle-selling authors too, but for the most part, the gates are definitely going to get narrower and narrower.

I've learned a lot in my 8 years as an author about this business. I always thought that if a writer was really good and had a really good story, that their chances for getting published were pretty high. I also thought that the author had a say not only on the content of his or her book, but on the cover and the title, and what type and how much marketing was done.  NOPE. Once an author signs that contract and receives an agreed upon advance (payment from publisher), that book is no longer owned by the author. It has now become the property of the publisher and within the limits of the contract they can do what they want. They can put any cover on it they want, have it edited anyway they want, change the title, market or not market it, etc... and (depending on the contract), these rights go on indefinitely until the book no longer makes them money and is deemed "out of print".   Furthermore, once you get your first contract, they will then tell you what you can and cannot write for them next (if they even wish to keep you).

Before I go any further, let me say that I LOVE my publisher, Barbour. They have been nothing but kind and generous and gracious to me.  I love working with each and every one of them. 

Yet in this current paradigm, please forgive me if I say that publishers sort of remind me of trolls standing guard over a narrow bridge, wearing grins and hoisting huge clubs and only allowing a select few to cross into troll territory.

I used to believe only the best writers got to cross. But now I know that's not true.  There are hordes of FABULOUS writers on this side of the bridge who will simply never get across. Why? Because who crosses and who doesn't is completely up to the individual trolls and what they think will and will not sell really big.  And these trolls are only human, subject to human opinions, preconceived notions, likes, dislikes, etc... because frankly NOBODY in the publishing industry knows why some books sell millions and others sell only hundreds. If they could figure that out, they wouldn't contract so many flops.

However, there is a light on the horizon for some writers out there. It's called self-publishing. Before the e-book, self-publishing was considered the worst of all possible alternatives for an author. It was a death sentence for one's career, a shameful blemish on their resume.  But not anymore. The invention of the E-book has somehow lifted the stigma of shame from self-publishing and many good authors are finding an audience for their books.  Many are quite successful!  Just beware, that when you open the flood gates, you're going to get some sewage in with the good water. 

Anyway, all that to say that I no longer have a contract. The next two books in my Escape to Paradise series are contracted, written and turned in, but my publisher has not offered me anything beyond this series.  At first I felt like a ship without sails foundering at sea, wondering which way to go, but now, I'm excited about this new era in my career. I know God still wants me to write. I still feel the call heavy on my shoulders, only this time I feel the freedom of being able to finally write exactly what I want to write.  I have an agent who will shop my ideas around to see if we get any nibbles from other publishers, but in the meantime, it's great to be able to write without a deadline adding stress to my creativity. 

I'm excited about my new project and will be telling you about it as time goes on.

God Bless and have a great weekend!