Running in Circles

...it's something we all do. Especially me.

This last week I ran in circles. Circles that I didn't have time for. Circles that made me dizzy and my knees knock. I spent the week thinking and praying. In that order. Big mistake.

This morning when I sat down for my Bible reading I turned to the next reference on my list (I'm reading through chronologically) while asking God to direct me. My mind was full of seeking God's will, and here's what I read:
Wait for the Lord;
be strong and let your heart take courage;
yes, wait for the Lord. ~Psalm 27:14

Did I mention that the circles I was running in terrifies me? When I read Psalm 27:14 I was struck all over again by it (this is a favorite verse of mine).
Wait.
Take courage.
Wait.
I'm not a patient person. I tend to leap before I look and then scream all the way down. I do NOT want to do that this time. So, once again, I followed my trail of verses on this topic. (Isn't God good!! He knew I needed to be directed to that verse and that wait/take courage topic today.)

I still don't know if I should leap, but that's not the issue any longer and I have peace. All the Psalms I read this morning were from the time when David was fleeing Saul. David knew he was God's chosen and anointed king, but he didn't rush and snatch the throne. He waited for God's timing and God taught him great things during those years. That's what I want. God's timing for doing God's work—whatever that work is.

As I continued to follow my trail I was directed to Psalm 25:3, but I ended up on verses 4-5. “Make me know Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; for You I wait all the day.”

I'm claiming those verses especially as I wait and seek (and take courage). But not just those. As I continued on with my reading schedule I was directed to Psalm 31. I tell ya, God is so good!

For You are my rock and my fortress; for Your name's sake You will lead me and guide me. ~Psalm 31:3

God WILL lead me. I have His word on that. I don't need to worry about it. I don't need to run in circles. For His name's sake He will lead me.
Thank You, Father God!

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A Winner!

Our winner of Cheryl Wyatt's new release, A Ready-made Family, is Robin of The Endless Pursuit!


Stay tuned for Linore Rose Burkard this coming Tuesday and Wednesday!

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Taught By a Nosegay

Welcome to Fiction Friday! Today's hostess is Vonnie at My Back Door Ministry. Be sure to join us there for links to more fun fiction.

This has been a busy week for me, and when I sat down to pick a story for today, I needed something to pick me up. As I scrolled through my file, I was very surprised to see I hadn't posted this story yet. Not only is it one of my all-time favorites, but it was also my first Editor's Choice at Faithwriters, which makes it pretty special to me.

Taught By a Nosegay

For ten years I’ve been the chief craft-lady at my church and I’ve made the centerpieces and favors for the Ladies’ Spring Banquet, but not this year. Oh no, they went and asked some new lady that no one knew very well to do them. Secretly I hoped the banquet would come close to a flop so they’d see they needed me. But there was no such luck. Inside the Fellowship Hall, all was calm and peaceful. Most of the seats were taken, too.

“You who! Vickie, you can sit with us!”

I stifled a groan and painted on what I hoped was a pleasant smile. “Mrs. Milligan, how nice to see you tonight!” Mrs. Milligan was truly a dear soul, but she loved to talk. As I thought about it, I realized that was just what I needed: a chatty table so I could just sit and stew.

“Aren’t the centerpieces lovely? I was so disappointed when I heard they’d asked that new lady, Paula Whats-her-name, to do them this year. They say she’s had a hard time settling in, but that she’s doing much better now. You’ve always done such beautiful arrangements, dear, and it’s become a highlight of the banquet for me! I still have some of the favors that you made!” Mrs. Milligan may like to talk, but she did make me feel better. “But look at these favors, Vickie-Dear! What do you make of these?”

They were darling silk nosegays, tied with a bow so you could put them in a vase at home, but there was something glaringly wrong with them--right in the middle was the ugliest little flower. I was astounded! Was Paula out of her mind? Did she think that flower was pretty? How could she think to camouflage that with even a hundred other pretty ones?

Mrs. Milligan was interrupted by our pastor’s wife who was opening the banquet. “Good evening, ladies! Isn’t it wonderful to be here tonight? Now, I don’t want to keep dinner waiting, but I heard the buzz and thought I’d take care of one little thing before we go any farther, since I’m sure you’ll enjoy the dinner more once it’s taken care of.”

She held up a larger version of the favors and pointed to a similarly ugly flower tucked in with all the pretty ones. “This is what’s had y’all buzzing since you came in, isn’t it?” There was a loud murmuring as ladies agreed. “Well, do you know what this is?”

I could imagine hearing every lady screaming, “Yeah! It’s an ugly flower!” But no one said a word since Paula Whats-her-name was in the room, too.

The pastor’s wife said, “This is an ugly flower!” The ladies let go of the breaths they’d been holding. “Well, it is, isn’t it?”

This time there was no holding back, “Yes!”

“Can all these other pretty flowers hide this one? No, they can’t! When I look at this nosegay all I can see is this ONE UGLY FLOWER, and I know that’s all y’all see, too.” The ladies all laughed and agreed with her.

“We’re all like this nosegay, did you know that?” The room quieted down. “We can have all the pretty flowers in our lives, but if there’s bitterness or wrath or anger or clamor or slander or any malice in our life it can never be camouflaged, no matter how many pretty flowers we use. If we don’t get rid of the uglies that’s all that will be seen--the ugliness. So, y’all do everyone a favor now. Get ahold of that ugly flower in your nosegay and pluck it out. Just ease it right out and toss it away.” She pulled the ugly flower out of the large nosegay and tossed it over her shoulder. Throughout the room ladies pulled out their ugly flowers and laughingly tossed them over their shoulders, too.

“There! That’s so much better! A life without bitterness, or slander, or WHATever is a beautiful life! Now, let’s pray and ask God to do the same in our hearts and to bless this dinner!”

“Oh, Father,” I silently prayed, “forgive me for becoming bitter and angry over not making the centerpieces and favors! Please remove that bitterness and anger and make me beautiful.”


**Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Ephesians 4:31 (NASB)

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Be sure to join us at My Back Door Ministry for links to more Fiction Friday!

Also, on Tuesday will be an interview with Linore Rose Burkard and there will be a drawing for her newest release The House in Grosvenor Square. We need to have 10 comments to hold the book drawing, so be sure to stop by and tell a friend!

I will be drawing for Cheryl Wyatt's book, Ready-Made Family Saturday evening, and posting the winner on Sunday, so you still have time to leave a comment on the interview with Cheryl Wyatt and be entered in that book drawing.
Have a wonderful weekend!

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with Cheryl Wyatt

I'm so happy to welcome Cheryl Wyatt to Patterings! She agreed to be my interview guinea pig, and I couldn't be happier! Cheryl, in addition to living in my neck of the woods, writes fast paced contemporary romances and has three books currently out with Steeple Hill's Love Inspired line.

Cheryl, tell us about your Wings of Refuge series.
The series is actually connected by a pararescue team. Each man on the team will hopefully have his own story plus the commander's story, which was a pleasant surprise because I didn't start out planning to write it and my editors asked for it. That's Aaron Petrowski's story (Soldier Daddy) an October 2009 Love Inspired. The series is also connected by locale, meaning each story is set in the small fictional southern Illinois town of Refuge, which I planted an unmapped military base around.
 
Each book in the series stands alone though, meaning readers can jump in at any time without being confused. Each book is its own complete story. None of that frustrating "to be continued" stuff. LOL!

Where did you get the idea for Wings of Refuge? 
From hearing about the loss of real PJ Jason Cunningham. I grew up in New Mexico and there's a base there that's part of the PJ pipeline training. His story inspired the series because I didn't see a lot of authors writing about PJs. Many military romance writers write about Navy SEALS, but I've only read one other story that mentioned a PJ and that was one of Dee Henderson's Uncommon Valor stories from her phenomenal military series.

Which book (published or upcoming) has been the most fun for you to write and which character is your favorite?  And why. 
I think Celia from A Soldier's Family because she's so feisty. And Vince who I'm writing now for his story which releases in January 2010 (A Soldier's Devotion) because he's been such a pickle. I really enjoyed writing the twins from Petrowski's story (Soldier Daddy) which releases in October of this year.

In your first book, A Soldier's Promise, Amber does a tandem jump. Did you jump before writing that scene? (And if you did, did you scream all the way down, too?) 
I didn't jump only because I discovered I was pregnant exactly at that time. I had called and ordered tandem jump tickets for my husband and I then cancelled because I was feeling nauseated. I thought I was just nervous about jumping. But alas...I was expecting! So it's a really good thing I didn't jump. LOL!

Celia is outrageously funny.  I was thrilled to see her appear in Ready-Made Family! If Celia (from A Soldier's Family) could write your bio blurb what would it be? 
HA-HA! LOVE this question. Celia would first wave her arms in wild-windmillish-mutant judo chops and rattle off something like this: (and you have to understand that Celia is a fireball and never takes a breath between sentences. Anyway, she's say about me:
"She's in SERIOUS need of one of my famous makeovers. You should see what she shows up for work in. SNOOPY jammies! I mean, come on! Sometimes she doesn't even put makeup on until 3.5 seconds before her hotsy totsy hubby gets home. Talk about a jalapeno! Her dog even freaks out and starts trembling violently when she puts on a pair of jeans because he knows she's actually leaving the house for longer than a day. And don't tell her I told you this but if you REALLY wanna mess with that white girl's head, walk behind her and try to talk to her while she's typing a sentence. Because her answer will show up in the book. She once had my big, bad special operations airman drinking out of a SIPPY CUP rather than a canteen because one of her kiddos ran behind her asking for a drink while she was typing a paragraph. Thankfully her stellar editor caught the error before the book went to print. OY! That girl...." clicks tongue, waves arms, dances off doing the cha-cha. 
 
Where do you find your inspiration for writing? 
Everywhere. In things I see. People I hear. I constantly eavesdrop on conversations. LOL! My friends and family know that they have the right to remain silent. Anything they say can and will be used against them in the craft of fiction. LOL!

You're a registered nurse by training—what was the turning point from nursing to writing?  (how you started writing, how long have you been writing—any kind of writing) any turning points in your writing career?) 
I went on bedrest with a pregnancy due to preterm labor and started writing for two reasons: One, do prevent death by boredom and 2) to distract me from fear of losing the baby. Being an OB nurse whose specialty was high-risk labor and delivery enabled me to envision ALL sorts of horrible scenarios. So I distracted my overactive imagination by starting to jot down the stories that had been running around my head for years. Soon my mom sneaked me a laptop and I click-click-clicked away under a blanket until my husband finally figured it out and asked me what I was writing. Once I told him I was attempting to learn fiction, he told the entire church and all of our friends and family that I would soon be on the NYT bestseller list. Gotta love his optimistic enthusiasm! When I hadn't sold five years later, he started to wonder what was WRONG with all those editors. LOL!

The writing journey isn't a short one.  How long was it before you received The Call and your first contract?  
I wrote and studied fiction for 7 years before selling. My 7th completed manuscript sold but I'd finished 15 by then. The first 4 were practice runs. LOL! About 3 years in the middle of the 7 though I did not submit except to contests for unpublished authors.  

You were in a car accident the night before your first book signing, has that changed your life?  Did that slow you down? 
It slowed me down for a few months literally because I was on crutches. LOL! I had several resulting surgeries but I'm back up to speed now as far as physically. Spiritually it made me thankful that I wasn't killed or harmed worse and that my children all ended up okay. The police said if I'd been one second sooner or the impaired driver (who ran the stop sign speeding) been one second later, the wreck most likely would have been catastrophic for all passengers in my vehicle. THAT changed me definitely and made me release even more commitments so I could spend more time with my children. Because no one is promised tomorrow and I now fully understand the concept of "came out of nowhere" in a wreck that was completely sudden and totally unavoidable.

I love how you weave faith into your books. How much does your relationship with God play when you go to write a story? How much do you draw from Cheryl, and how much do you draw from Him?  
Thank you! I try to mostly draw from Him and hardly from me. He's FAR more interesting. LOL! But my friends and family tell me they see aspects of me in every book I write. So I guess some me-isms just naturally bleed through. LOL!

I've heard that you've pulled a few pranks on your friends.  What was the funnest one? 
I would have to say a prank we pulled on a doctor once where we dressed up another male doctor in a maternity gown and ran to get the first doctor, telling him a patient just walked in with the baby crowning (meaning birth was imminent). He comes rushing in and jerks back the gown and thankfully the other doctor had boxer shorts on. LOL! Hilarious. So the pranked doctor "delivered" the eight-pound-four ounce "pillow." Normally hospitals are very serious and that kind of stuff doesn't happen. But we had a RARE slow couple of hours and the pranked doctor was getting ready to move out of state and was a known prankster himself. That was probably one of the funniest pranks I've been involved in because the pranked doctor said he'd never fall for a practical joke. And he did. Big time.

The most recent prank was when we got word that we were going to be TPd. So hubby and I filled up a bunch of water balloons and got the paint guns and got on top of the roof. When the kids showed up after dark and started toilet papering our trees, we let them get one tree really good to let down their guard, then we launched a major counter offensive that sent them all shrieking (even the guys) down the street. Really funny. And SO worth having to clean up the toilet paper and smashed water balloons the next day. Our yard was completely splotched with paint too. Very comical. We also stuck about 300 Republican signs in the small yard of a staunch Democrat in our neighborhood who will remain nameless because he's also a family member. LOL!  

Oh my goodness! Knowing how Southern Illinois is in their politics, that was almost taking your life in your hands--as my hubby found out a few years ago! LoL

Your next book, A Soldier's Reunion, is due out in June.  Can you tell us about it? 
It's PJ Nolan's Story. It's a high-school reunion romance and more! :-) Here's a backcover blurb:
A MAN FROM HER PAST
Despite a decade apart, this isn’t the reunion Mandy Manchester expected! She thought she’d put high school sweetheart Nolan Briggs behind her. Now he’s back…and the pararescue jumper literally sweeps her off her feet. He’s ready and willing to rekindle what they once shared. Mandy, though, isn’t prepared to put her heart at risk. He left her before-she won’t trust him again. Can Nolan teach this grounded girl to take a leap of faith?
Wings of Refuge-These soldiers of the skies are fearless, faithful and falling…in love!

I can't wait to get my hands on that one, too, Cheryl! Can you tell us about ACFW and the role they've played in your writing career? 
ACFW has been the most beneficial thing I think to my career. The conference networking and the friends I've made who've supported me are so valuable. The things I've learned from seasoned authors, editors and agents on the ACFW loop has greatly benefited me and my writing and my knowledge about the industry.

How can readers keep up with you and your new releases? 
By signing up for my quarterly newsletter. To do that, visit my Web site and input your e-mail address in the newsletter space provided. If it doesn't work, e-mail me at Cheryl[@]cherylwyatt.com (remove brackets) and let me know that you need manually added. My newsletter is the best way to keep up with my releases. Also some people subscribe to my blog as well because I try to stay pretty active on it.

Cheryl has offered to give away a copy of A Ready-made Family, so leave a comment and an email addy (so I can contact you if you're the winner). She's also hoping to stop by and say hi, so if you have any questions, ask away!

Thank you so much, Cheryl, for being with us today!

Next week's interview is with Linore Rose Burkard. Hope to see you there!

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Testify!

Today is Monday Manna and Joanne has chosen a wonderful verse for us to blog about! For more thoughts and links be sure to join us at An Open Book. We'd love to have you join us in posting your thoughts, too!

For you will be a witness for Him to all men of what you have seen and heard. ~Acts 22:15

God has given us work to do! We are to be a witness for Him. It's something that every single person can do—tell others what Jesus has done for us personally. It does not take any special training or special anything. Simply telling others what Jesus is doing in our lives—in my life.

In Matthew 11:4 says something similar. “Jesus answered and said to them, 'Go and report to John what you hear and see...'”

How about when the Gerasene demoniac asks to accompany Jesus? What does Jesus say to him? “Go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you.” (Mark 5:19)

This is something that we can do even as we balance babies on our hips, or run a taxi service, or care for aging parents. Whatever time of life we're in, we can testify. God has done so much for us! Let's follow the Samaritan woman's example and run and tell those we know. As a result of her testimony, many people in the city came to Jesus and believed in Him. And all she did was tell them what Jesus had done for her. Nothing fancy. Simply testifying.

We can do that! Let's take every opportunity that's presented to us and let's diligently watch for every opportunity so that those around us may know God, for there is none like Him.

Be sure to join us at An Open Book for more Monday Manna.
Don't forget that tomorrow is an interview with Cheryl Wyatt and she's giving away a copy of her new release, Ready-made Family.

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More of Even Evie

Welcome to Fiction Friday! A few of you have mentioned joining us someday, and we're all looking forward to it! Post some of your fiction and then join us by linking on Mr. Linky down below. The only rules are to keep it clean and to have fun. We'd love for you to join us!

This coming Tuesday, author Cheryl Wyatt will be here for an interview, and she's graciously offered to drop in give away a copy of her new release Ready-Made Family. I love her series of books and I'm excited and honored to have her! Come back and say hi to her, and if you have any questions--feel free to ask.

Today I'm back to Evie and some more of her back-story. Evie and Cyrus the Magnificent are part of the historical that's running around in my head. Hopefully, more than just back-story will be on paper soon. Until then, here's Evie...

Even Evie ~part 2
Evie laid staring at the dark ceiling above her, listening to Emmie's steady, deep breathing. It had taken her twin a long time to fall asleep, making it even harder for Evie to lie still. She wondered if it were past midnight. Would Ralph be waiting for her? Surely he wouldn't think she had chickened out. Would he?

She slipped one foot out from under the covers and shifted over. Easing the blankets toward to center of the bed, Evie rolled to sit on the side of the bed. She held her breath and looked over her shoulder, listening for any change in Emmie's breathing. Still slow and steady. Evie turned and looked at her clothes, carefully laid out and waiting for her. Cat-footing across the chilly floor, she silently folded and gently placed them, and her shoes, in the cloth bag that hung over the back of the chair.

Evie crossed to the window and stood still, listening and looking back at her sister. Unexpectedly, her throated tightened. She had never been away from Emmie. This was the first secret she had kept from her, and it was harder than she thought. Taking a deep breath she turned back to the window and grasped the bottom sash. Smoothly and steadily she lifted, just as she had practiced that afternoon and found to be the quietest way to raise the window.

Half-way up, the window squealed. Evie's head whipped around and she peered through the darkness. Emmie twitched and rolled over. Tucking the blanket under her chin she settled her face into the pillow and sighed. Evie's heart sounded like a rooster flapping his wings, loud and fast. She was surprised Emmie couldn't hear its wild flapping, but Emmie's breathing settled into a sure rhythm.

Evie surveyed the window with dismay. It was only half-way up. Being only half-way would make it considerably harder to climb through and onto the tree branch. What if you fall? She looked back at Emmie. She had always been the cautious one. The one who kept Evie out of trouble—when she could.

Resolutely, Evie set her bag on the floor beneath the window and lifted her leg over the window sill. Her bare foot groped for the branch as she bent double and sat on the sill, half in and half out. She paused there a moment gathering her courage before sliding out and standing on the branch like she had when she was younger. Reaching back in for her bag, she looked at Emmie one last time. Don't think about that now. Ralph is waiting for you. She ignored the little voice that whispered 'You hope.'

Climbing down the tree in the dark was harder than she remembered it being. Of course, the other time she had done it, there had been a full moon and Gideon had been down below waiting for her. After spending the night coon hunting, Pa had caught them. That had been the end to her climbing out the window and down the tree. Until tonight. Her shiver was from more than the cold night air.

On the last branch Evie dropped her bag to the ground before jumping down. She bent down and used her hands to search through the deeper shadows for her bag.

“Is this what you're looking for?”

The quiet voice seemed to boom like spring thunder. Evie staggered back, landing on her backside, changing her screech to a groan. She clutched her throat and sat looking up at the shadowed face that towered over her.

...to be continued.
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I'm looking forward to Tuesday! Have a fabulous Friday!
If you missed Sara Mills' story and books, be sure to scroll down. You don't want to miss it...for Sara Mills.

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Chosen

The first two kings of Israel were chosen by God and anointed by Samuel. Neither man was looking for honor, let alone looking to be a king. Both men were going about their father's business. Saul was searching for his father's donkeys and David was tending his father's sheep. Sounds rather everydayish to me.

When Samuel anointed Saul king in I Samuel 10, he also gave him very specific signs as confirmation from God—right down to how many loaves of bread and young goats men would be carrying and the specific instruments the prophets would have along. God made it abundantly clear to Saul that it was He who had chosen him as king. He gave Saul solid evidence of His hand.

But Saul, as he was, wasn't ready to be king. God took care of that detail, too.

The the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you mightily, and you shall prophesy with them and be changed into another man.
~I Samuel 10:6

That phrase jumped off the page to me—and be changed into another man. God equipped Saul to assume a king's responsibilities just God enabled those chosen to judge Israel before Saul's reign.

God doesn't choose those who are qualified
...He qualifies those He chooses.

How many of us have stood before God with our knees knocking and said, 'I can't do that!'? If God calls you to do something He will enable you to do it! Rest in that.

Even after God confirmed His anointing, Saul slips back into his everyday life. When Samuel calls the people together to choose a king, and Saul is chosen, the man is hiding in with the luggage. We do the same thing! God chooses us for a task, and we say 'I can't!' and then run and hide, forgetting, or refusing to believe, that God will enable us to do what He has called us to.

When it was time for Saul to step up, it says “God's Spirit fell on Saul” and he was able to rally the people and lead them as a king. God enabled him to do what he had been called to do. God does the same for us.

He will enable you to do what He called you to do!
Rest in that knowledge
and get to work.

He who began a good work in you
will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
~Philippians 1:6

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