National Doctors' Day

March 30th is National Doctors' Day, and with all the medical issues we're facing today, this is a good time to recognize the doctors we turn to in such times. These heath-care professionals are dedicated to serving their communities and society. They put much time, training, and effort into keeping their patients as healthy as possible and providing the best available health care.

A Doctors' Day was first observed on March 30, 1933, in Winder, Georgia, by Eudora Brown Almond, a doctor's wife. She felt the need to have a day to honor doctors and chose this day to mail out thank you cards and place flowers on the graves of doctors who had died. Red carnations are often used to honor doctors on this day. Earlier, on March 30, 1842, Dr, Crawford W. Long successfully removed a tumor from a man's neck while using ether as an anesthetic.  So, on February 21, 1991, when President George Bush decided to proclaim a National Doctors' Day, March 30th seemed to be a logical choice.

Today, more doctors than ever fight against illnesses and diseases across the world. The United States alone has hundreds of thousands of doctors treating patients and conducting research to provide the best possible care. Some are general practitioners and some specialize, but all seek to diagnose, treat, and cure the health issues that plague us. At the very least, they deserve a special thanks, especially on this designated day.

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Obedience

If ye love me, keep my commandments (John 14:15).

Obedience is how we show our love for the Lord. It's what He requires of us - not to earn a special standing, rewards, favor, or blessings but from a willing heart because we love and want to honor Him. It comes from a trust in His goodness and knowing that He wants only the best for us. It comes from a close, personal relationship that supports and sustains us in joy and peace. The better we know Him, the more we will want to obey. As Andrew Murray says of prayer in The School of Obedience, "It is there that the presence and fellowship can be secured that make obedience possible."

For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous (1 John 5:3).

Some of the lies Satan tells believers are that God's standards are too high, and they are too frail and human to be obedient. He causes us to equate obedience with sinlessness. But we can make the choice to be obedient and follow through with the help of our Savior and the Holy Spirit. I know this because the Bible says it. Jesus would not have told us to obey if it couldn't be done. As Murray tells us, "We must have faith that obedience is possible."

And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us  (1 John 3:24).

We must know that, with the Lord's help, anything is possible. Surrendering ourselves to Him helps. By making him truly the Lord of our lives, we can become truly obedient. Grace steps in for what we cannot do. The closer we become in intimate fellowship, the more we'll want to please Him, and that means obeying. A good place to begin is by loving God and others the way Jesus commanded. This will right our world, clear our vision, and cause obedience.

And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?  (Luke 6:46).

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Audible Promo Codes

Amazon Audible division (ACX) helps with marketing by furnishing codes for free audible books. It provides a winning opportunity for all three parties involved. The listener gets a free Audible book, and the author (as well as the narrator in royalty share) gets credit for the sales.

This is a good way for a listener to learn about authors that might be new to them and find out whether or not they like their audiobooks. Likewise, authors have the opportunity to pull in new listeners and encourage additional reviews. Remarkably, I often find that my ebook sales rise on books where I offer free promo codes.

There are several online sites that promote the free codes, including some Facebook pages. I like to listen to inspirational books, so I often go to Free Promo Codes for Christian Audibles - https://www.facebook.com/groups/2797241590334924/ . You can join by answering three simple questions and then choose among the offers for the free codes presented there. No matter if you are a narrator, author, listener, there're great benefits from free promo codes.

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Liberty or Death

Patrick Henry

Today in 1775, Patrick Henry made his famous declaration, "Give me liberty or give me death." He made the speech to the 1775 Virginia Convention at St. John's Church in Richmond, Virginia. Men like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson sat listening. Henry's passionate speech is credited with swinging the balance to convince the convention to gather a Virginia militia for the Revolutionary War.

St. John's Episcopal Church, Richmond, Va

The speech was not published until 1815, however, much after the war. Yet, the impact it had on those who heard it is undeniable. Edmund Randolph reported that the convention sat in silence for several minutes afterward. Thomas Marshall told his son, who would become Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, the speech was "one of the most bold, vehement, and animated pieces of eloquence that had ever been delivered."

The speech also had its effects. One of the more immediate ones was that the resolution declaring the colonies to be independent of the Kingdom of Great Britain passed. Henry was also appointed chairman of the committee assigned to oversee a militia because the colonists would surely have to fight a war to grasp that liberty and independence.

Royal Governor's Palace, Williamsburg, Virginia

Lord Dunmore, the royal governor, reacted by seizing the gunpowder at Williamsburg, what one source explained as the equivalent of the battles of Lexington and Concord. The patriots had set their course on the road to independence, and a new nation would be formed.

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Abiding 

I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing (John 15:5).

Abiding in Christ means we become connected with him in such a way that He becomes part of us, and we become part of Him. As Rick Astle wrote in The Priority of Kingdom-Focused Prayer, "To be in Christ means having a heart that is completely lost in satisfying Him." Our greatest desire is to please Him and become more like Him."

 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty" (Psalm 91:1).

Jesus went to the cross so that we could have a close, personal relationship with the Father. We were created for such a relationship, but sin separated us from our Holy God who can not be where sin abides. Jesus' sacrifice took care of that and restored our standing with the Father once we accept Him as our Savior. "Walking with God means abiding in His presence with the desire to know Him through intimate fellowship" (Rick Astle).

 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever (John 14:16).

Not only can we abide with the Father and the Son, but we can also have the Holy Spirit. Once we are pardoned by Christ's blood, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in us in order to lead, guide, and mentor us. What a treasure and comfort! Are you abiding in Christ as you should? Do you have a close, intimate relationship with God? Do you rely on the Holy Spirit abiding within you? 

 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you (Matthew 7:7).

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Cleared for Planting, my first published book

Five Years

It is five years this month since I saw the fruits of my labor with my first published book. I receive my boxes of Cleared for Planting from the publisher in March of 2015. I met representatives from the publishing house at a writers' conference. They told me to send them my manuscript, and they accepted it right away. I can still remember how excited I was.

The publisher took 2 years to publish

As they published more of my books, I saw that the publisher took longer and longer to bring a book out. I realized, if I was going to get all my stories told, I would need to move faster, so I also began to publish with a smaller, print-on-demand publisher as well. However, as I got more comfortable in the field and more knowledgeable of publishing, I decided to follow in the footsteps of two of my well-known author friends and turn to indie publishing. It gave me more control and allowed more profits to go to the scholarship fund for missionary children.

To be independently published

To date, I have published 24 books and have the 25th (From the Top of the Mountain to the Bottom of the Sea: Lessons from Elijah and Jonah) coming out in April. It will be my second nonfiction. Twelve of the books are currently on Audible, and we're working to produce more. Gradually, my fan base and sales have built and are still growing. The more books I publish, the more this is true and the busier I stay trying to manage it all, but I am pleased where this five-year mark finds me as a writer. God has truly guided and blessed. May the praise and glory go to Him!

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St. Patrick's Day Is Coming

Tomorrow will be St. Patrick's Day. St. Patrick is thought to have died on March 17, 461 and be buried in Downpatrick. He is the patron saint of Ireland. St. Patrick's Day was marked as an official Christian celebration in the 17th century, commemorating the fact that St. Patrick took Christianity to Ireland and spent much of his life serving the people there. It also celebrates the Irish people and culture. The day is observed in more countries than any other national festival.

Patrick was a fifth-century Roman-British citizen who became the bishop of Ireland. He was kidnapped when he was sixteen and taken as a slave to Gaelic Ireland, where he spent six years as a shepherd. He drew close to God during those years and, after escaping and finding his way home, he went on to become a priest. He chose to return to Ireland to convert the pagans there to Christianity. The legend that he drove the snakes out of Ireland is thought to refer to his opposition of Druidism because Ireland never had snakes.

Today, parades, festivals, the wearing of green, and shamrocks mark the day. Some Christians also attend church services, and the restrictions of Lent are usually lifted for the one day, which has aided the day's reputation for alcohol consumption. However, there are plenty of ways to celebrate the day without it. So, top 'o the morning and happy St. Patrick's Day.

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No Regular Blog

I will be traveling all day Friday and will not post a regular blog this weekend. However, I would like for you to join me at the book festival in Virginia Beach on Saturday if you can.

The Stories Continue

Last year, I published the print and Audible books, Time-Told Tales. The two stories that make up this book came out as two separate ebooks, Roslyn's Rescue and Glenda's Gold. Roslyn's Rescue is very loosely based on "Little Red Riding Hood" with all the magic and unbelievability taken out. This version is written for adults with a touch of clean romance. In the same way, Glenda's Gold uses "Rumplestiltskin" with Asher and Roslyn becoming secondary characters here. (See links below.)

Now, I've published Patricia's Prison, very loosely based on "Rapunzel." In it, Patricia isn't thrilled with being at court the way her older sister and mother are. She'd much rather be back at Fairview Castle where she'd get to see more of Charles, her father's knight and brother's best friend. When her parents decide she's to wed a much older duke, she knows she's in trouble. Charles comes to London for a temporary visit. Can she depend on Keynan, her brother, to help her, or will her unreasonable father prevail?

I work hard to get these stories set in the Middle Ages right. I even lookup the etymology of most words to make sure they were used in that time period. At a later date, I'll also publish a fourth book in the series and then combine these two into Time-Told Tales, Volume Two. I'm not sure what will come after that, but I suspect there might be at least a volume three before the series comes to an end. For now, I'm excited and pleased to present Patricia's Prison.



Time-Told Tales, Volume One, print or Audible - https://www.amazon.com/Time-Told-Tales-Janice-Cole-Hopkins/dp/1798059363
Roslyn's Rescue, Kindle - https://www.amazon.com/Roslyns-Rescue-Janice-Cole-Hopkins-ebook/dp/B07MDSJKJC
Glenda's Gold, Kindle - https://www.amazon.com/Glendas-Gold-Time-Told-Tales-Book-ebook/dp/B07NBSCLW6
Patricia's Prison, Kindle - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B085LM7VZ8

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Happy Birthday, Barbie

March 9th is National Barbie Day because the doll made her debut on that day in 1959. Mattel introduced the Barbie doll at a toy fair in New York, and the day is considered her official birthday. Ruth Handler, inspired by a German doll, came up with the idea. She's named after Ruth's daughter, Barbara. Over the years, Barbie's friends and family have grown, and so have her clothes, accessories, and related items.

Barbie's full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts. From a series of novels about her published by Random House, we know her parents are George and Margaret Roberts from the fictitious town of Willows, Wisconsin. In these books, Barbie attends Willows High School. However, in the Golden Books about her, she attends another fictitious school, Manhattan International High School.

The doll's boyfriend is Ken Carson, although they did break up for a time in 2004, and she became friendly with Blaine from Australia. Barbie has had 40 pets and owns a range of vehicles. She's had many careers, including pilot, flight attendant, doctor, and astronaut, as well as many different looks. Her friends, include Midge, Hispanic Teresa, and African American Christie. In addition, there are siblings and cousins.

At first, there was some controversy over a doll with a woman's figure. But Barbie survived those questions quite well and has gathered a large number of collectors over the years. For a sixty-one-year-old woman, Barbie has held her youth quite well for she looks as young today as she did when she first came out.

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The Perfect Son

And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers (Luke 2:46-47).

We aren't told much about Jesus' life as a boy. After His family flees to Egypt and they come back when it's safe, we don't hear anything about Him again until he astounds the men at the temple with His knowledge and understanding of the Scriptures when he was twelve. He had stayed behind when his parents left for home, and they frantically returned to find him. Then, we don't hear of Him again until He's about ready to begin His public ministry around the age of 30.

...but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man (Luke 2:51c-52).

Did you ever stop and wonder what it might have been like for Mary and Joseph to have a perfect son when they were imperfect? We might think this would be wonderful, but it must have also been disconcerting at times.  Charles Spurgeon writes of Jesus in his book, The Heart of the Gospel: "...He never exhibited an infirmity, which had the least blameworthiness attached to it. Never fell there an evil glance from those blessed eyes; never did his lips let drop a hasty word, never did those feet go on an ill errand, nor those hands move towards a sinful deed; because His heart was filled with holiness and love. Within as well as without, our Lord was unblemished. His desires were as perfect as His actions. Searched by the eyes of Omniscience, no shadow of fault could be found in Him."

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him (2 Corinthians 5:21)

He was not only Mary's perfect Son but also God's. And He's our perfect Lord and Savior, wanting us to come to Him, accept Him, and become His. How marvelous, how wonderful! God be praised!

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Unrealistic Expectations?

I know there are some really good audible producers out there, but the best ones charge big bucks - around $500 or more per finished hour. And I've begun to wonder if we don't hold unreasonable expectations from our narrators. Is it expecting too much for a male reader to sound just like a female when reading their lines or for a female to sound just like a male? I find once I get into a book, I fall into the cadence and voice capabilities of the narrator, and unless he or she has some huge fault, I enjoy this telling of the book.

My Audibles

But I find more and more reviewers are being critical. I even saw one who said she had listened to so many audiobooks that she was getting bored with some of the narrators she used to like.  One of my Audibles recently had a review that said, "The narration I did not enjoy. His character voices were silly and a bit like a couple of kids playing dolls. I think he would be better if the voices sounded more realistic. The narrator has promise though. His speech cadence was very good and I was never unsure of who was speaking. I loved his voice when just narrating the story, but not his character voices." Personally, I think this narrator does a very good job. He is professional, wants to get it right, and works very hard to do so.

So, as an author, I make a plea on behalf of the narrators out there. Don't have unrealistic expectations of the books they produce but enjoy what they are able to bring to the story. Give them a chance before you discredit them. Once you get into the story, you may change your mind. Judge with a kind heart and gentle spirit, as you would want to be judged. And enjoy the special experience of an audiobook!

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National Read Across America Day

March 2nd is National Read Across America Day, a day that everyone can embrace. It is also targeted for school children with an emphasis on Dr. Seuss for younger children, and many schools hold special events on the day. However, it's not limited to just children. Everyone is encouraged to read and perhaps even read to someone else who needs it.

If we want our children and grandchildren to be successful academically, we need to encourage their reading. It is the key to most other learning, and it needs to start early. Hearing the reading cadence of your voice even before a young child can understand the words has benefits. Depending only on the schools to teach and encourage reading will not be enough to carry on throughout life with a love of reading. How reading is treated at home will have an even greater effect.

As both an avid reader, author, and former reading teaching, this is certainly a day I can embrace. So, you can use this day as an excuse to let normal chores go, get cozy, and do some reading you've postponed for too long. Read something you enjoy to celebrate the day, and share a good story with someone else. It will make the day one of the best for everyone involved.

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