Archive | June, 2019

Humbled and Encouraged

5 Jun

Reblogged June 5, 2019 from Rebekah Lyn Books

I am humbled and encouraged when I see the way God works in my life. 

My last book, Destiny’s Call, launched without much fanfare and has limped along at an unsatisfying pace. For a variety of reasons I haven’t put forth much effort to market this new venture, so I’m not complaining about the slow progress, but I had been feeling rather discouraged. Then, a few weeks ago, a friend mentioned a new christian bookstore had opened in town. I immediately went to check it out.

It’s a lovely shop, but I was surprised when I first walked in and didn’t see any books. There were unique children’s games, collectible figurines, and a variety of other gifts. Along a back wall there was a large variety of Bibles and then in one corner was a bookshelf with a dozen or so books. 

It was the middle of the day and not very busy so the owner, Nadia, started talking to me, telling me they’d only been open about a week and sharing some of the plans she and her husband, Sam have for the store. Nadia has an infectious energy that draws people in. She mentioned she wants to work with local vendors so the shop will have unique items rather than things that can be found in any box store. 

I felt so comfortable talking to her that I, without a single hesitation or gulp of fear, asked if she was interested in working with local authors. She emphatically agreed that she was and I took a few minutes to tell her a bit about myself. When she asked if I would mind leaving her a copy of one of my books for her to look at, I was thrilled to tell her I had some in the car and I would run get one for her. 

Of course I gave her Undaunted, since it is a local story. Nadia and her husband, are still relatively new to town, and Jessie Cole’s story is a great way to learn about the history of the community. 

Within 48 hours, Nadia had emailed me to say she would be very interested in working with me. We quickly set up a plan and my books now appear on her shelves alongside several other local authors. 

As soon as I walked out of the store that first day, before we even had an agreement, I felt God at work. Energy filled my heart and the discouragement that had weighted me down for months lightened. 

Having made a connection with a couple who have a bold love of God and a desire to serve our community encourages me that a spirit of service and fellowship will fill our streets, our businesses, our churches, and our homes. I feel like God has big plans in store for Nadia and Sam and I am honored that my books may be a part of that journey for them. 

If you live in Titusville or you come to see a launch, be sure to stop in and say hello to Nadia (and Sam if he’s there) at New Beginnings Christian Bookstore in the Titusville Mall on US 1. 

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Meow;Hello

3 Jun

My Take

Thea’s Post 

Scribe- DiVoran

I have been asking Ma when I could tell my stories again. One of her friends even asked about Meow-Me! Finally, she is finished with all that baby book nonsense and can focus on Meow-Me.

I’ll start by telling you about the room we are in right now. Sometimes Ma calls it the office, sometimes the scriptorium, and sometimes the sanctuary because she does her quiet time here in the winter. In summer, we get to go out on the porch early in the morning when the Sand Hill Cranes fly over honking their horns. 

Sand Hill Cranes  Pixabay

I like pillows and chairs, and blankets, and rugs. I liked the taste and texture of Ma’s birch-cloth sheets, but every time she catches Me pulling at them with my teeth she yells. “No!” I must say she did a good job patching them. She likes them more than any sheets she’s ever had because they are pale green and soft. Now they contain perfect memories of Meow-Me forever. I realize that she likes me a lot better than she does those ole sheets.

A while back I decided to spend all night on the porch watching the action and listening to the night sounds. Several of the noises were scary, but the worst one went like this: whoo-whoo-whoo. Ma tried to assure me that it was only a night-bird, but something told me it was not safe to connect with it. Nothing can get me when I am safe on the porch. 

Ma has an office chair and sometimes she rolls it over to another chair so she can pet me. I refuse to get in her lap, and I still don’t like to be picked up so this works.

None of the chairs in our house are big enough for both of us and neither is her lap. 

In the evening we have snacks. I like my Greenies. They are supposed to clean my teeth. Ma throws one at the wall and when I hear it hit I run to find it while she is hiding the rest in the folds of the red blanket. 

Two of my playmates are called rugs.They are thick and stiff but pretty and can survive a whipping with my back claws. 

I hear talk of cutting claws again. One of them holds me while the other snips. I try to get away, but I am no match for giants. I think they are cutting them because of a few small holes in the porch screen. Really, all she has to do is to fix the holes with packing tape.

It’s good to finally to talk to you again. Thank you for reading. Here’s a nice big purr for you PUURRR. I’ll be back. 

Meow, Me 

Author, Poet and Artist

DiVoran has been writing for most of her life. Her first attempt at a story was when she was seven years old and her mother got a new typewriter. DiVoran got to use it and when her dad saw her writing he asked what she was writing about. DiVoran answered that she was writing the story of her life. Her dad’s only comment was, “Well, it’s going to be a very short story.” After most of a lifetime of writing and helping other writers, DiVoran finally launched her own dream which was to write a novel of her own. She now has her Florida Springs trilogy and her novel, a Christian Western Romance, Go West available on Amazon. When speaking about her road to publication, she gives thanks to the Lord for all the people who helped her grow and learn.  She says, “I could never have done it by myself, but when I got going everything fell beautifully into place, and I was glad I had started on my dream.”

Theft

2 Jun

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

Have you ever been the victim of theft?  Large or small?  Of course, when you are the victim, even a “small” theft feels large, doesn’t it?

For instance, when we were in Wiesbaden, Germany (1967-1970), I received a letter from my mother, telling me that, while she was away from the house during a weekend retreat, someone had broken into her house and robbed her.

Our house in 1946, my brother, Bill, and me

My first reaction was absolute FEAR – for her.  My dad had died some time before, and she was a woman living alone in the house I grew up in.  But then that fear subsided – since I was so far away and there was nothing I could do about it.  (Nothing of what was stolen was ever recovered)  They took a shotgun that was my dad’s and was supposed to be given to my brother.  They riffled through her jewelry and only took her diamond earrings.  Of all things, they took the old striking wall clock off the wall in the hallway.  There was nothing of real value in that clock.

1952 – the family together – the wall clock behind Bill

After I got over the fear, my next response – and still is to this day – was anger.  NO ONE – and I repeat that – NO ONE has the right to go into my house and take what is not theirs!!  What we had worked for all our lives up to that point.  I was furious!  Again, I’ve tried to not let it rule my life, as there is and was nothing I could about it.

I think that, not only does it anger me that someone went into mom’s house, but the thought of “someone” unknown to me would riffle through my things – touch my things – just gives me the creeps.  

And that brings to mind a memory I have of our early days in Albuquerque.  Those were the days when we left our house unlocked. Innocent days.  We came home from church one Sunday and discovered that someone had been in the house.  Anything stolen?  I don’t remember that, just that there were signs that someone had been in there.  We had new neighbors next door.  We couldn’t accuse them of doing it, but it made us aware that we must keep our house locked up.  Innocence lost.

When we lived in Virginia, we attended the church that was in our little community. Across the parking lot from the main building was the parsonage.  At that particular time, our Minister of Music was living in the parsonage.  Fred and I went to the church one morning for something or other. 

Credit Google Search

We noticed that his small pickup truck was parked in the driveway, but that the bed of the truck was missing.  My thought was that he was having some repair work done.  We did whatever we had gone there to do, and in the course of our conversation, I mentioned something about his truck “missing” something.  He looked at me funny, then asked me what I was talking about.  When I told him, he made a bee-line out to his house – and stood there, mouth agape, looking at his truck.  Apparently he hadn’t even noticed the truck as he walked to the church proper that morning. Also apparently, during the night, the thief had cut the fuel line and whatever connections needed to keep the bed attached, and just took the bed off the truck and with him.  License tag and all.

But that’s not the end of the story.  As he was driving down the interstate one day, he actually saw the bed of his truck driving ahead of him – attached to another truck – license tag and all.  Fortunately, he had a cell phone and called the detective in charge of his case and told him about it.  The police were able to stop the thief.  His explanation was that he just needed a new bed for his truck, and knew where he could get one without having to buy it.  Unbelievable.  I think that falls in the category of stupid crook, don’t you?

~~~~~~~~~~More stupid crook stories next time~~~~~~~~~

 
 
JUDYJudy is living in Central Florida with her retired U.S. Air Force husband of 50+ years. Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up in the Southwestern United States.She met her husband at their church, where he was attending the university in her town. After college and seminary, he entered the Air Force, and their adventures began.They lived in eight of our United States, and spent six years in Europe, where their oldest daughter was born. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years
 
Judy has always been involved with music, both playing the piano and singing.
Always interested in exercise, she was an aerobic dancing instructor, as well as a piano teacher for many years, and continues to faithfully exercise at home.
 
After moving to Central Florida, she served as a church secretary for nearly nine years.Her main hobby at this point in time is scanning pictures and 35mm slides into the computer. She also enjoys scrapbooking.
 
She and her husband have two married daughters and four grandchildren, including grandtwins.
She and her husband enjoy the Disney parks as often as possible.

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