Start Seeing...

We've all seen bumper stickers like this. Well, last fall, on one of our zillion trips out of town, I saw a little sign tacked to a telephone pole that said Start seeing tractors. I had to laugh because only in small town, rural USA would you ever see a sign like that. Well, what do you know but I saw several tractors on our way home that trip. That's not unusual, though. What was unusual was that I actually stopped to realize that I saw them. Tractors are so part of the landscape around me that I no longer notice them, let alone look for them.

I will stand on my guard post and station myself on the rampart; and I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me... ~Habakkuk 2:1, NAS

How many times are we not seeing what's going on around us? God sends blessing after blessing our way, but do we recognize them and give thanks for them? He sends more than “just” blessings, too. He sends provision, help, joys... so many things, but it's up to us to notice them. He seldom clobbers us over the head and demand our attention. He often simply whispers to us in the daily, ordinary things of life.

Let's be like Habakkuk and keep watch for God at work in our lives. I bet we'll start seeing things we never noticed before.

Let's start seeing Jesus!

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Naaman's Reminder

Not too long ago I answered a call for submissions. For a couple of weeks I had been mulling over an experience and planned on writing about it, so I was excited to see that this particular organization was looking for something on that topic because I've written for them several other times. In the past, it had just been a matter of letting them know I was interested in writing something for certain topic and my name was plugged in. I'd write my article, get it to the correct place by the deadline and that was that.

Well, it didn't go that way this time and I had a Naaman attack. See, someone who had recently stepped into position sent me a nice, cheerful reply (remember Elijah's servant who spoke with Naaman?) assuring me I could submit the article for consideration in the body of an email. Oh-kay. I felt like I'd been blindsided. That's neither a yes or no, and truthfully? A no would've been easier to deal with. A no would've let me believe they weren't interested in the angle I was approaching from or the slots were filled already. Submitting for consideration in the body of an email made me feel like...well, let's just say if you heard what was going on inside my head, you'd think I was a kin of ol' Naaman's before he visited the Jordan River.

But just like Naaman heard his servants encouraging him to obey, I felt God's gentle nudges, encouraging me to flex and grow with the organization—one that I strongly believe in and love. I wrestled. I struggled. I prayed. I confessed. And I surrendered.

So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child and he was clean. ~2 Kings 5:14, NAS

I'll be writing that article and sending it in for consideration, in the body of an email, instead of how I've been told to submit the other articles already on the schedule with them, that even have a later deadline than this new article. And you know what? It doesn't matter. The situation has already served an important purpose: it pointed out to me oh-so clearly just how closely I need to watch my attitude. If I'm not careful and attentive, the old Namaan will creep into my thinking even more, and I do not want that. Not at all. I want my attitude to be restored to the attitude of a child of God who's right with Him. I want a clean attitude and a clean spirit.

How about you? Do you struggle with a Namaan attitude at times, too? Listen to God's still voice and go to the Jordan.
Namaan's obedience changed his life forever.

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This 'n That

Last month I was able teach some great ladies about blogging in my Clearing the Blog Fog workshop. We had a great time laughing as we learned. And yes, I learned too! This month it's been fun watching them grow and jump into blogging. What a blessing and encouragement it is to see! I don't think we can ever have enough Christian bloggers! =)

This week Rita, who was in my class last month, is giving away a spot in a blogging class. You can read about her giveaway here at her new blog, Rita's Random Ramblings.

If you're interested in blogging, but you don't know where to start the basic workshop, Clearing the Blog Fog, will help you. We walk through blogging basics and setting up a blog. Then move into posting and all the little things that can be confusing when you're starting out. There's two times currently available: May 3-31 and July 3-31, but if those dates don't work for you, let me know and we might be able to set up other times.

If you've been blogging for awhile and want to learn how to give your blog a makeover, then check out Do It Yourself Blog Make over. It's a two week class and we walk through customizing your blog with backgrounds, sidebar headers, nav bars, and more. The class runs May 17-31 and June 21-July 5.

For more info or to sign up, go to Clearing the Blog Fog.

In other news: SPRING! And it's gorgeous! It doesn't get any better than this. If you know of how to lock this weather in for the rest of my life, let me know! =) The red buds and dogwood are in full bloom, tulips are everywhere (so are the dandelions and even those look nice this year!) and the sun is shining. Life is good!

God is doing amazing things here. In me and my life and at Adding Zest. I am standing in awe of God and all He's done and is doing. BIG things are happening at Zest. A team of ladies has joined us, we'll be moving into a new site "soon" (it's a relative term LoL) and there are a few other things Heidi and I have been working on fast and furious and hope to announce and launch soon. I've been on a HUGE learning curve for three months, and it's been fun! Challenging, but fun. =)

Enjoy these spring days!

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Plowed

God is demonstrating His perfect timing to me again these days...

The farmers around here are plowing their fields in preparation for planting and I cannot drive past those fields without having an attitude adjustment— a needed adjustment. Last week I went from bouncing off the ceiling to sub-basement level within moments. The resulting splatter wasn't pretty, but there was truth to what was being said, and I knew it. My problem wasn't with the truth, it was with the fact that my bubble had been burst. Pierced, actually, and a realm that I had declared mine was being breached...again. Oh, not by God, He'd been invited in as a welcome addition, a necessary addition. This invasion was by someone else and it sent me for a triple loop.

The day after I landed in the sub-basement, we passed the first of the fields that had been plowed. My initial response was, “Lord, I feel like I've been plowed, too.”

His quiet response was so gentle and loving it was hard to hold the tears back. “You have to plow before you can plant.”

I want a bountiful harvest for God, that means I need to be plowed so He can plant a crop in me. Farm discs are sharp and are designed to cut deep and turn the dirt over. They're nothing to mess with but they serve their purpose well. God's discs are nothing to mess with, but He often lets us decide how well they serve their purpose.

God's been plowing me.

It's not been comfortable, but I thank God for it. I also thank Him for His perfect timing. Each time I go to town (which has been more than once a day this week) it seems there are more fields that are plowed and they remind me of what God is doing in my life. If I want a bountiful harvest for my Lord, then I need to submit to His plowing and preparation in my life. Each trip to town I can smell the fragrance of the freshly turned soil. It's a smell that I've always enjoyed— a fragrance that seems to represent new life.

As God plows our lives, may the fragrance of our plowed lives be pleasing to Him. A fragrance with the promise of new life.

May the God of peace... equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. ~Hebrews 13:20-21, NIV

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with DiAnn Mills

Happy Wednesday! I've had a few curve balls thrown my way recently and I'm... well, I'm scrambling and recovering from those. You know how life can be sometimes.

First off, this is a Winner Wednesday. Sorry, but my humor's been AWOL, so I didn't even try to contain that one, I just let 'er rip cuz I'm so happy to have some again.

The winner of Stephanie Grace Whitson's book, Sixteen Brides, which by the way, is excellent, is Denise.

The winner of Lynette Eason's book, Too Close to Home, is Raspberrygirl.
Congratulations, ladies! Get me your addresses and I'll forward them on to the authors. =)

Secondly, I'm posting today At the Well about Schoolwork and Responsibility. Raising kids that are responsible isn't easy, and how you handle schoolwork plays a part in that. I'd love to have you join me there!

And now, it's my pleasure to welcome DiAnn Mills back to Patterings. DiAnn was here a month ago with Sworn to Protect and I have to tell you, my daughter thoroughly enjoyed that book. We received it late one afternoon and she was done the next morning--and that was a Wednesday so we had church that evening. She was turning pages as fast as she could to find out what happened to Danika and it looked to me like she would've crawled inside the book if she could have. Thank you, DiAnn for such wonderful books! We truly enjoy your writing! =)

What verse is special to you right now?
Always Jeremiah 20:9

But if I say, "I will not mention him
or speak any more in his name,"
his word is in my heart like a fire,
a fire shut up in my bones.
I am weary of holding it in;
indeed, I cannot.

This verse inspires me to write fiction in which one or more of the characters reacts to the happenings in his/her life and solves problems according to his/her faith. I want to show godly character not tell it.

What do you do in your free time?
Read, cook, enjoy grandchildren, study writing. Did I say enjoy grandchildren? :)

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
More energy! I mean I’m a bit hyperactive, but I’d like more!
Seriously, I wish I’d have followed Christ closer as a young person.

Which character in your new release most interested you while you wrote?
Sage interested me because she was in a role that traditionally belonged to a man. Yet she didn’t lose, or want to lose, those characteristics that made her a woman.

I am not an animal person, but Sage felt a closeness with animals and a unique ability to communicate with them.


What part of writing do you enjoy the most?
All of it! From the planning to the plotting to the characterization to the research to the actual writing to the editing. Each step allows me to make my book the best it can possibly be.

What sparks a story for you?
All kinds of things! Personal stories. Media headlines. History. Unique occupations. My mind whips into “what-if” and the story grows from there.

When is your next book due out and can you tell us about it?
Sworn to Protect is an April release by Tyndale (You can read about it here.)

A Woman Called Sage is a May release by Zondervan.

Pursuit of Justice is an October 2010 release by Tyndale. This is the third book in the Call of Duty series. An FBI agent seeks to solve a series of murders in West Texas only to find her father is a suspect.

Thank you for being with us again, DiAnn.

DiAnn is giving away a copy of A Woman Called Sage. To be entered in the book giveaway, leave a comment and check back on Tuesday, April13th to see if you've won. You can enter twice--once on each post in this spotlight. If you want to guarantee that you're notified if you win, then leave your email address in the comment, otherwise, you can just check back and email me through the button in my sidebar.
**Annoying little disclaimer: This giveaway is open only to U.S. addresses. By clicking on the Amazon link above or in the sidebar, and purchasing, I will receive a very small percentage of the sale.

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meet DiAnn Mills

DiAnn Mills believes her readers should “Expect an Adventure.” She is a fiction writer who combines an adventuresome spirit with unforgettable characters to create action-packed novels. Currently she has fifty books in print with over a million and a half in print.

Five of her books have won placements through American Christian Fiction Writer’s Book of the Year Awards 2003 – 2008, and she is the recipient of the Inspirational Reader’s Choice award for 2005 and 2007. She was a Christy Awards finalist in 2008.

DiAnn is a founding board member for American Christian Fiction Writers, a member of Inspirational Writers Alive, Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, and a mentor for the Christian Writer’s Guild. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops.

DiAnn and her husband live in Houston, Texas. You can find her online at www.diannmills.com.

A Woman Called Sage

Sage Morrow has everything---an adoring husband and a baby on the way---until five ruthless gunmen change her life forever. Now accompanied only by her magnificent hawk, she's a Colorado bounty hunter bent on retribution! But the stakes are raised when two young boys are kidnapped. Will the hunter become the hunted?



DiAnn Mills - A Woman Called Sage Chapter 1


You can purchase A Woman Called Sage from CBD and Amazon:


DiAnn is giving away a copy of A Woman Called Sage. To be entered in the book giveaway, leave a comment and check back on Tuesday, April13th to see if you've won. You can enter twice--once on each post in this spotlight. If you want to guarantee that you're notified if you win, then leave your email address in the comment, otherwise, you can just check back and email me through the button in my sidebar.
**Annoying little disclaimer: This giveaway is open only to U.S. addresses. By clicking on the Amazon link above or in the sidebar, and purchasing, I will receive a very small percentage of the sale.

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meet Lynette Eason

Tell us about your epiphany moment when you decided you were going to seriously pursue writing and eventually publication.
When I first started writing, I did so as a way to combat loneliness. As a teenager and then young adult, I didn’t really have any aspirations to become published other than the occasional thought, “Wow, that would be kind of cool.” However, the came when I was a relative newlywed with a husband who traveled for a living. That meant I was often at home at night all by myself with nothing but the television for company. That got old pretty fast. Finally, two years later, when my daughter was only a few months old, I started working on a story I had running around in my head. It was only at this point that I convinced myself that I could actually sit down and write the thing.


Which of your books (published or upcoming) has been the most fun for you to write and which character is your favorite?
I would have to say the second book in the Women of Justice series. That book just flowed. I wrote it straight through and hardly had to do any revisions before sending it off to my editor. She didn’t make any changes either. That was really cool. I just loved doing the research on that book. I learned a ton about serial killers and what forensic anthropologists do.


What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it?
Probably finding time to write. I just have to plant my tail in the chair some days and not worry about laundry, dust bunnies or cooking a healthy supper.

Which character in your new release most interested you while you wrote?
I liked the villain. Isn’t that terrible? He is such a horrible person and yet he’s fascinating, too. I had to do a lot of research into the mind of a psychopath. Seriously disturbing, yet fascinating, too.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?
LOL. I’m having trouble with this one. I’m not really a very quirky person and I don’t know that I have any strange habits. Ha. Maybe I should ask my husband this one and get back to you.

Are there things you put off doing because you dread them?
Cleaning house and cooking.

What would a perfect day for you look like?
To have my family around me as we play on the beach ending with supper at The Boundary House then back to the condo to put my feet up and write 5,000 words before crashing into bed.

Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.
I like everything except Sci-Fi. I really don’t like anything to do with the supernatural or paranormal. I guess I’m the one person who can’t stand vampire stuff.

Are there certain foods or snacks keeps the words flowing for you?
Unfortunately. Krispy Kreme donuts. Ahhhhh……………yeah, definitely. You can see them all sitting on my hips and waist now.

Are there spiritual themes you like to write about?
Forgiveness, unconditional love, grace, mercy.

What lesson is the Lord teaching you right now or recently taught you?
That I’m writing for Him. That the words He gives me to put in a book are for His glory. That I only have to please Him in my writing and that’s all that matters.

When is your next book due out and can you tell us about it?
The next book in the Women of Justice Series is due out in September of this year. It’s called Don’t Look Back and is about a forensic anthropologist who was once the hostage of a serial killer. She managed to get out alive, but is dealing with the memories and such. When she starts putting some bones back together, she realizes that the person on her autopsy table has some of the same distinguished wounds that she herself had. It’s then that she realizes her would be killer is back to finish the job.

I also have a Steeple Hill book coming out in August of this year. It’s about a US Marshal protecting a judge. And falling in love with him at the same time.

Lynette is giving away a copy of Too Close to Home. To be entered in the book giveaway, leave a comment and check back on Wednesday, April 7th to see if you've won. You can enter twice--once on each post in this spotlight. If you want to guarantee that you're notified if you win, then leave your email address in the comment, otherwise, you can just check back and email me through the button in my sidebar.
**Annoying little disclaimer: This giveaway is open only to U.S. addresses. By clicking on the Amazon link above or in the sidebar, and purchasing, I will receive a very small percentage of the sale.

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