All Good Things

And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth (Deuteronomy 8:17).

How many times do we take credit for God's blessings. We strive to provide a good life, make things happen, and to become successful. We seek profit, prestige, and power. Yet, when someone obtains these things, the person may find they weren't the blessing he or she supposed. What they gained did not equal what they had to give up to get it. Worldly pursuits never satisfy in the end.

But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth" (Deuteronomy 8:!8a)

All truly good things come from God. When we rely on Him, His blessings always last and satisfy for He is our greatest blessing. His presence sustains us and gives us an abundant life, regardless of material things. What a privilege it is to grow close to Him, to feel His love so strongly that it brings tears to our eyes. How it nourishes our souls to see blessing after blessing come - blessings we didn't even ask for, but he gives, not because we are good and deserve them, but because he is good and wants to bestow good things on His children. If we make Him our All in All and give Him all of ourselves, all the blessings of Heaven will be ours. Hallelujah!

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father" (James 1:17a).

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The Length of a Book

Does how long or short a book is matter? At one time I wouldn't have thought so. As I have heard many authors say, I would have agreed that the length of a book should be determined by the content. Some stories or subjects take longer to tell than others. And, although there is certainly truth in that, the number of pages in a book seems to matter to readers.

I've noticed over the years, the size of novels have tended to get smaller. However, a novel needs to be long enough to develop the characters and plot. It's been my experience, if a book is much under a hundred pages, it tends to be too shallow to leave me satisfied. I've found that most readers agree. It's better not to publish one until it's fleshed out and ready. I've read several novellas lately that would have been wonderful if they'd been developed into a novel, but, as they were, they fell way short of expectations.

However, a novel that goes on and on can also lose the reader's interest. These novels tend to be too descriptive, have too many characters, or be repetitive and belabor points. Reviewers may list them as "boring" or readers may give up on the book before they get to the end. Society has changed since the days of the classics, and people are even more aware of how they spend their time. We have more choices than ever before, and a book needs to be succinct and to the point. If something doesn't move the story forward, it probably shouldn't be there.

There are, of course, exceptions to all this, but I've found these things true in general. I've been giving the matter much attention, both from a reader's and a writer's standpoint. The most successful length with readers seems to be between 200 and 295 pages. The more a book goes over 300 pages, the more special they need to be to have readers give them five stars. Most people will think twice about buying a book over 400 pages anymore. Do you have a preference as to the number of pages in a book?

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King Tut's Tomb Discovered

On November 26, 1922, British archaeologist Howard Carter and his crew opened the tomb of King Tutankhamen and entered to find it still intact. This created a flurry of media storms, and interest in Egypt and Egyptian treasures surged. Tutankhamen was part of the 18th Egyptian dynasty and ruled from about 1332-1323 BC. He is also known as "the boy king," because he came to the throne at age ten, and died at nineteen.

King Tut married his half-sister, Ankhesenpaaten, which was not uncommon in most parts of the known world at that time. Some biblical figures, like Abraham, did something similar. Tutankhamen had two daughters, but they were both stillborn and buried with him. Most historians believe this king had powerful advisers, since he came to the throne so young. He sought to restore diplomatic relations with other countries, which had weakened under prior rulers.

Standing at 5 feet and 11 inches tall, when he died, Tut was lean and trim. Busts found in his tomb gives us some idea of what he may have looked like. No one knows for sure the reason for his death. Some have wondered if he wasn't killed, but more think it happened due to an accident. He had a broken leg shortly before death, and it became infected. There's also evidence he had malaria. Some have speculated that the fall, which broke his leg, may have caused an internal brain injury as well. Regardless, this ended his family's line to the throne.

sarcophagus

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Living with a Thankful Heart

By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name (Hebrews 13:15).

Giving thanks shouldn't be something we do on a special Thursday in November or occasionally, when we think of it. Even thanking God for our food before meals or when we recognize a special blessing is not enough. We need to live with a thankful heart.

As ye therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye with him: Rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving (Colossians 2:6-7).




We can cultivate a thankful heart; it's a choice we make. Paul gave thanks in all his situations (and he went through some horrible beatings and imprisonments, among other things) because he knew God would bring about good, even from bad circumstances. Do you trust God that much?

 Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 5:20).

In Jesus Calling, Sarah Young writes, "A thankful heart opens the windows of heaven.... Thankfulness opens you up to these experiences [glimpses of heaven's glory], which provide further reasons to be grateful" (p.341). Isn't this a marvelous cycle of blessings -- understanding how great God is and recognizing how good He is to us? Cultivate a perpetually thankful heart and attitude and see how much better your life becomes.

"O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever" (1 Chronicles 16:34).

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Progression of Story Ideas

Readers often seem amazed that I have no trouble coming up with story ideas. In truth, that's the easiest part of writing for me. I usually keep several in my mind all the time. Right now, I have ten, but sometimes there are fewer, and some of these ten might eventually fade before I get to writing them. If they do, that's fine because I would likely have had a rough time writing them anyway. I actually write the ones that stick with me no matter how long it takes to get to them. It's my way of weeding out and selecting the ones that I will be excited to write throughout the process.

When I begin a new manuscript, I often start with the one that's been in my mind the longest because I've usually worked it out more thoroughly. However, it's not all that usual to have one press its urgency on me, and I write it regardless of its order. When this happens, I have gotten to know the main characters well because I've already lived with them for months if not years. I have had individual scenes play out in my mind, and the writing goes quickly once I began.

Once, I had the scenes coming so fast and furious, I knew I had to get them down quickly, or I would never remember it all the way I wanted to. The problem was that I was working on another first draft at the time, and it is my rule to finish one before I begin another. This time, however, I broke my rule. I wrote down the beginning and just the urgent scenes I had for the new one. Then, I went back and finished the first one before returning to finish the newer one. It worked, but I've not had to do that again. I have just finished two novellas set in the Middle Ages and am now working on Unexpected, set in 1961. It has been in my mind for about eight or nine months. As I tell people all the time, having story ideas is not my problem; finding the time to write them all is. There're never-ending so I'll likely end this life with more than half a dozen story ideas rolling around in my mind.

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The Mayflower

The Mayflower finally reached Cape Cod on November 19, 1620. They had spent a little over two months in the turbulent fall Atlantic. It had been a rough voyage for the 102 passengers and estimated crew of 30. Originally, two ships had sailed from Plymouth, England, but the Stillwell kept springing leaks before it got far and had to go back for repairs. Finally, the Mayflower was sent on alone. They had sighted land on November 9th, but they wanted to colonize more to the south. However, they hit bad weather and they turned back to the cape, landing on November 19th.

Just over a third of the passengers were Puritans, who have become known as Pilgrims. They have become one of the icons in American history, symbolizing the beginning of English colonization. The Mayflower Compact the group signed is cited as the recorded beginnings of democratic ideas in the New World. November wasn't the best time to begin a colony, and only 53 survived that first winter. They stayed aboard the ship.

In the spring, Indians in the area helped them prepare for the coming year and we still celebrate the thanksgiving feast they held in the fall of 1621 to honor having enough.  More supplies and other settlers would eventually come, and the colony would survive, despite the adversity. History still remembers them and students still study about them each year.

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Peter: From Recognizing to Denying

"Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16:16).

Painting of Peter by El Greco

Peter is an interesting biblical character. He was one of three closest disciples to Jesus, but he could be bold, brash, and put his foot in his mouth. When they were discussing who people thought Jesus was, Jesus asked Peter, "But whom say ye that I am?" Peter answered immediately, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus told him that God, the Father, had revealed this to him. But just a little later, Jesus was trying to explain to them what would soon happen and that he must die. Peter blurted out, "Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee" (Matthew 16:22b). But Jesus turned and said unto Peter, "Get behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things of God, but of men" (Matthew 16:23). We also must recognize Jesus for whom He is and what he did for us.

But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried saying, Lord, save me (Matthew 14:30).

You might also remember when Jesus came walking across the water in a storm to reach the boat with the disciples. Peter saw Him and wanted to walk out to meet Him. Jesus told him to come, and he did. Peter walked on the water toward his Lord until he let the storm take his focus off Jesus. Once he had his focus on the storm, he began to sink (see Matthew 14). That is true for us, too. As long as we keep our focus on Jesus, we are fine. If we give our attention to situations around us, we'll begin to sink into despair.

And Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. They said therefore unto him, Art not thou also one of his disciples? He denied it and said, I am not (John 18:25).

And when Jesus was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter slept with the others while Jesus prayed, but when Judas brought the soldiers to arrest, Jesus, Peter pulled his sword and cut off a soldier's ear, thinking to protect his Lord (see John 18). Yet, a few hours later, he would deny he even knew Jesus three times. What happened? First, Peter was always bolder when he could see Jesus. Secondly, in his fear and uncertainty, he started putting self-preservation above anything else. As Jesus told us, we must deny ourselves to follow Him. This is true for us, too. To live a godly life, we must get rid of selfishness and willfulness, and surrender to God. These are good, timeless lessons for us all.

Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me (Matthew 16:24).

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Are Book Signings Becoming a Thing of the Past?

Book signings are not as common as they once were, and there're basically two major reasons for this. First of all, bookstores are not supporting them as they once did. Shop owners usually say that they don't find the signings profitable enough unless they are done by a top-selling author with a great deal of name recognition. Yet, part of the reason they don't do well is that the stores are not promoting them at all. I can't see why selling something like 25 - 50 books that they would not have sold otherwise would not be profitable if they only do in-the-store and free advertising. Has greed taken over so much that if they can't make huge sums they don't want any?

The second reason is that many authors have decided only to publish in ebook or audible formats and not in print. I don't understand this either. Why eliminate a large chunk of your potential readers. I have a good number of people who tell me they still only read print books. Admittedly, many of these are older adults, but they spend more  money on books than the younger generations. Although I have built my market and do sell many more ebooks than any other format, about a third of my sales still come from my paperbacks.

Another reason I like book signings is the one-on-one contact with readers. I like to see their excitement when they buy a new book or sometimes a complete series. I like to talk about my writing with them, answer their questions, hear what they have to say, and see their expressions. Just recently, a man discovered what "Tucker's Barn," inscribed on an antique gun he had bought, meant. It was the first name for Lenoir, North Carolina, a fact in my first novel, Cleared for Planting. He bought three copies of this novel and three other books. I just came from a book signing at the North Carolina State Baptist Convention where I not only sold a lot of books, but I enjoyed meeting and talking with hundreds of readers. I think book signings are a win-win situation for everyone. They may be dying out, but I, for one, intend to keep signing books as long as I can.

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Cutting Wood

Getting wood used to be a pretty endless job, especially in colder climates. My family once lived in the Appalachian Mountains, and it took a lot of firewood to see us through the year. At one time, people burned wood to cook with all year long, as well as to heat their homes in the winter. A few still do.

Getting in wood is one of the experiences I remember well from my childhood. Although I never did the initial cutting or splitting myself, I've watched and helped with sawing the logs into usable lengths and carrying and stacking the pieces. Pulling one end of a crosscut saw was hard work, but it made me feel special, especially when Dad was on the other end. Since I was an only child, I had no brothers or sisters to help.

My father's family owned a sawmill as he grew up, so he knew about wood. They moved about establishing sawmill camps. However, grandfather sold the sawmill, and all his sons had settled down before I was born. Daddy saw to it that we only used pine for starter or kindling and burned hardwoods in our stoves. Burning pine causes creosote to build up in the flue or chimney faster, which can cause a chimney fire and burn down the house. 

I'm glad we don't have to work so hard to heat and cook today, but fresh cut wood still brings back wonderful memories. And all the hard work involved doesn't seem so bad as I look back. As the old saying goes, "Gathering in wood warms you twice - when you do the work and when you burn the wood."

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Sin and Salvation

For by grace ye are saved through faith (Ephesians 2:8a)

When we ask Christ into our lives and accept the salvation he offers, we undergo some changes. One of these is that we look at sin differently. It no longer has the same appeal, and we are no longer amused when we see others engaged in those activities. If you don't begin to hate sin (never the sinner, though), then you might want to question whether or not you've really had a change of heart.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

Believers may still be tempted and sin again, but their response will be different. They will feel guilt and remorse and be compelled to repent. Most likely, they will feel so bad about their lapse that they will be determined never to act like that again. We began to find more joy in following Christ and pleasing God than we ever had before coming to know Him.

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new (2 Corinthians 5:17).

As my husband likes to say, a Christian can do anything he or she wants to, but God just changes the follower's want-to. As we grow in faith, worldly things have less and less value because we know our real treasure is in heaven. The Lord is what really matters. That's where we find true value and worth.

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Struggling with Writing Mistakes

If you've been reading my Wednesday blogs for some time, you know that I'm constantly struggling to put out a book without any errors. I've always had an editor, and I've tried different ones. The most expensive editor let the most mistakes through of any. I also have beta readers, but no matter what I do, a couple still seems to sneak through much too often for my peace of mind. One good outcome is that this keeps me humble.

Thankfully, there aren't many mistakes, and most readers tell me they never see one. That's good because I don't want anything to distract them from the story. Perhaps they're like me and often read what they think is there according to the context. In fact, I can and have edited other writers' manuscripts but not my own without additional help. As I write, I'm seeing the movie of what's happening play in my mind and working to get it on paper. Then once it's on paper, I read what I thought I put. Thankfully, my print-on-demand publisher will make the needed corrections. The traditional one, however, is another matter.

However, in trying to alleviate this problem, I've learned two things. First of all, out of the thousands and thousands of books I've read, I can only remember one in which I found no mistakes, and another reader could probably locate some in it. The classics have them, the top sellers have them, and practically all books have them. Knowing how hard I'm trying to put out a perfect book, my husband has been showing me the errors he finds in the books he reads. In an 80,000-word book, the chances of making a mistake are great. Therefore, perhaps I'm being too hard on writers, including myself.

In addition, I think becoming a published author has opened my eyes to mistakes I wouldn't have seen before because I have more concern and discernment now. Of course, being a former English teacher also helps them stand out. All this thinking has sent me on the road to becoming more tolerant instead of overly critical. Almost all my mistakes come from typos and carelessness from having my focus on the content, and I can assume this is true for many other authors, too. I'm not sure why editors and readers don't catch them, but perhaps they get caught up in the story, too. Although I will continue to work to put out the perfect book, I probably need to quit putting so much pressure on myself. At least, my books have fewer all the time, and that does make me feel better.

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 A Recipe for Cranberry-Nut Bread

Around November and Thanksgiving, cranberries become a seasonal food, although they are great any time of the year. One of my favorite ways to use them is in cranberry bread. The blog with this recipe has been my second most visited page with thousands of views, and I thought I would reshare it today.

Cranberry-Nut Bread

2 cups self-rising flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 egg, well beaten
1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Mix together dry ingredients. Blend in orange juice, egg, and oil. Stir in cranberries and nuts. Spread evenly in a greased 5 x 9 inch loaf pan. Bake in an oven preheated to 350 degrees for 55 minutes or until done. Remove from pan and let set 5 minutes before slicing.
Enjoy!

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Do We Revere God?

Over and over in the Bible, God shows His holiness and His people are to revere Him. Only the best, unblemished animals were to be given to Him in sacrifice. Men, like Moses, were told to take off their shoes when He was near because they stood on holy ground. Only the High Priest could go into the holy of holies once a year. The Israelites who defiled His places or presence were often put to death.

O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth (Psalm 96:9)

God is such a holy God that He deserves all the praise, worship and reverence we can give Him. This is vividly shown in the book of Revelation as all fall down before Him, the angels sing of His glory, and everyone worships Him. He is so perfect, so holy, so awesome that our mind cannot conceive His greatness. And yet, he declares Himself our Father -- not our friend, the big boss, or the man upstairs, but a loving, knowing, perfect Father who deserves our respect.


Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness (Psalm 30:4).

Some form of the word "holy" is used in the KJV of the Bible 613 times, but have we tried to reduced God to our level to make Him seem more accessible to us? We shouldn't. As a loving Father, he is very accessible. His Son is our Savior and Friend; His Spirit lives within us to guide and teach us. He is our Three in One, our All in All, our Holy God and Father. Let's show Him the reverence we should.

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