National Black Poetry Day

October 17th is National Black Poetry Day. I appreciate poetry and enjoy writing it, although I haven't done much poetry writing lately, because I've been too involved with my novel writing. However, today seems a perfect time to settle back and reflect on poetry. If you think you don't like poetry, think again. If you like any songs, you like poetry.

There are many wonderful poets, and the black poets have certainly made their mark. Almost everyone has heard of those like Langston Hughes and Maya Angelou and James Weldon Johnson and Paul Lawrence Dunbar to a lesser degree. There are many to consider.

A couple of years ago, right before my first novel was accepted to be published, I took a poetry class. I liked the class because it stretched me into writing types that I would not have otherwise tried. One such poem was a blues poem. Here's what I came up with:

Mama, She Don't Sang

     Mama, she don't sang to me;

     No, Mama won't sang to me.

     Mama didn't read to me.

     She way too busy workin'.

     Mama never did hug me,

    'Cause she tired from workin'.

     All da church ladies whisper

     Mama be shirkin.

     Mama she don't sang to me;

     No, Mama won't sang to me.

     Mama never sung no songs.

     Work done snatched 'em away.

     A heart can't sang songs

     When it has nothin' to say -

     When it knows what will never be

     And sees no good day.

     But Mama started to hum today, 

     So thangs may not stay dat way.

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Witnessing and Discipling 

Some Christians use the terms "witnessing" and "discipling" as synonyms, but are they the same thing? I think they have similarities, but there are differences too. Both are important, but discipling takes witnessing several steps farther and is more involved.

Christian witnessing is basically telling others the Good News about Jesus. We can do this with anyone we meet. It may be people we never see again, but we hope to at least plant seeds of faith. I'm reminded of a sweet, little lady my husband and I met on one of our cruises. She had taken the cruise by herself, and she went around the ship asking everyone, "Do you know Jesus?" She was a diligent witness.

The Free Dictionary says that discipling is "training expected to produce a specific character or pattern of behavior. Discipling takes more time, contact, and commitment. To disciple someone, means you must build a relationship with them. We then mentor them into a walk of faith. If we make disciples, they're more likely to train others to be disciples.

We are called to do both at times in our lives. Some people talk about witnessing to others, and never grow beyond that. But Jesus also wants us to be disciples and make disciples. Let's not disappoint Him.

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My Book Editors

I had written for magazines for years before I sat down to begin that novel I'd always dreamed of writing. But I'm finding that working with book editors is much different than working with magazine editors. Of course the experiences will vary between different writers and editors, but here are some of mine.

I have worked with four different editors in my almost two years of beginning to publish. The first one came with a publishing house, and she was one of the best. The second one was with the same publishing house, but she and I have had to learn to compromise. She insists on using lots of ellipses ( ... ) and not just when dialogue  or thoughts are left hanging. She doesn't like commas, and prefers the N-dash (the long one) when possible. I think commas are less intrusive and the others break the smooth flow of the story. She uses just the apostrophe after a singular noun ending in s. I always use  's for a singular possessive, except for the ancient ones, like Jesus. The list of things we see differently goes on and on.

When I began to also look at self-publishing a few of my manuscripts, I knew I wanted an editor. It's too hard for me to catch my own mistakes. For the first one, I hired a freelance editor I had met at a writers' retreat, one I felt I trusted. However, she didn't turn out to be a good fit for me. The book was set in colonial times, but the editor thought the store would have bagged the purchases. She made fun of the word "lawn" used as a thin fabric for a nightgown, and said it sounded as if it should be mowed. And she tried to make my book fit into a romance novel formula, but I don't want to write to a formula. A slew of mistakes also slipped through what we published, and I had to go back and correct them later. The bottom line is that she and I just were not a good fit professionally, although I love her as a friend personally.

The last editor I've used for the indies is good and a good fit for me However, we're trying to work together so that fewer mistakes slip though. Editors and writers both vary greatly, and the key to success is in finding those who work well together. The writers who have found that special editor are blessed indeed.

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National Native American Day

October 10th is National Native American Day. Having taught American and World history, Native American history and culture has always fascinated me. Now that I'm an author, I think this is reflected in my historical novels.

Many of my readers have told me that Hawk in the first book in the Appalachian Roots series is one of their favorite characters. He is the Cherokee brave who saves Emma from the one she calls Sliced Arm. I actually cried when I wrote the scene with Hawk walking away, but he wouldn't stay gone. He kept insisting I bring him back, and I did in Uprooted by War. At least two readers have asked that I write a novel with Hawk as the main character and tell his story. I don't think that's going to happen, because Hawk seems satisfied with the part of his story we know now, but it's gratifying that readers think that highly of him.

Emma's son ends up marrying a woman whose father is Irish and mother is Cherokee. Sarah is also Hawk's niece. When they go to Salisbury, North Carolina, so her husband can establish his medical practice, Sarah has to endure attitudes of prejudice and hatred because she's part Native American. Luke, their son, continues the family's story in Sown in Dark Soil, and Uprooted by War. His daughter, Rachel, is still fighting unfair treatment in the final book, Transplanted to Red Clay.

In the new series I'm writing, set in New Mexico Territory, Gray Fox becomes a main character. He's a Comanche who ends up with a white family who are his father's friends. Then his son is called a "half-breed," and the family continues to contend with prejudices. But Gray Fox and his son are the type of characters who steal readers' hearts.

So, to celebrate National Native American Day, why not get a good book with Native American characters to read. The four in my Appalachian Roots series are available. Bookstores can order them or you can get them at online stores. And all my profits go to a scholarship fund for missionary children. Or look for them at your library.

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Christian Relationships

People were a priority for Jesus. Many times in His ministry, He would be tired or have other plans, but when He saw people in need, He would stop to help them. Sometimes it would be to heal them physically, like with the blind, the lepers, and the lame. At other times, He would mainly talk to them about their spiritual condition, as with the woman at the well and the young lawyer.

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear (1 Peter 3:15).

God knew that we'd need relationships more than information or teachings, and Jesus modeled this for us. He chose twelve men to be close followers and developed deep relationships with them. Then, He taught them to go out and do likewise. This is the best way of encouraging others to accept Christ into their lives. We act like He did in loving and caring for others and investing time in them. Meaningful Christian relationships will pave the way to heaven.

And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation. To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation (1 Corinthians 5: 18-19).

All creation started from the relationship of the Trinity - the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. When man was created, he was invited to enter into the relationship too (see Genesis 1). What an incredible privilege! Why would anyone reject this? The Church is suppose to continue this relationship and build on it. So are we.

Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation if the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord; In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation through the Spirit.

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Oaxaca Scholarship Fund

My husband and I were married in April 2004, and we spent the school year of 2005-2006 as missionaries in Oaxaca (deep southern), Mexico. I taught high school history, and Jim taught Bible classes to mainly the children of Bible translators. The state of Oaxaca has about 150 different languages spoken, and most of them are Native American. Missionaries go there to translate the Bible into these different languages.

During that year, we noticed that some of the missionaries couldn't afford to send their children to Oaxaca Christian School, and they home-schooled them. Of course, this cut into their ministry time. Although the school is a non-profit, it has expenses and overhead. The teachers are all volunteers, but the the school has rent, utilities, books, supplies and a couple of support staff to pay; and therefore, they charge a tuition. 

When I started to publish my books, I looked for a Christian charity to donate my profits to. I talked with several larger organizations, but I didn't feel my small amount would make a great impact there. After prayerful consideration, I felt led to establish a scholarship fund for needy students at Oaxaca Christian School. I knew of them first-hand and felt even a small amount could make a difference in the lives of many, since the missionaries will touch others.

I truly feel that my writing is both a gift and a calling from God. I have seen ways He's using it to touch lives, and I'm amazed. Both my books and my blogs have been well-received, and I thank God everyday for the opportunities. Donating my profits to the scholarship fund is just another way of making an impact for Him.

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Thanksgiving Proclamation

On October 3, 1863, in the middle of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln proclaimed that the last Thursday in November would be celebrated as Thanksgiving Day in the United States, and it's been celebrated on that day since then. However, the idea of Thanksgiving Day has a much longer history in the country.

Many date it back to 1621 when the Pilgrims in Massachusetts held a feast to celebrate and give thanks for the good harvest. Berkeley Plantation in Virginia was the site of prayers and thanksgiving by settlers even before that, as early as 1619. Individual clergy and church leaders continued to proclaim days of thanksgiving in the colonies in the following years.

George Washington was the first to announce a national day of Thanksgiving. He designated November 26, 1789 "as a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favours of Almighty God." However, President Lincoln set the continuing holiday in place.

In my historical novel set in the Civil War, Leah decides to wait until the war is over and her husband comes home to celebrate. Supplies are already beginning to be hard to get, she hasn't heard from Luke since the Battle of Gettysburg, and she's struggling to keep her hopes up. Here is a paragraph from the book about it:

            In October, they butchered a hog on the farm and used the rest of their hoarded salt in preserving the meat. Lincoln also proclaimed the last Thursday in November a day of Thanksgiving. Leah felt thankful to God, but she would wait to hold a big Thanksgiving celebration until Luke came home.

(All my profits go to a scholarship fund for missionary children.)

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