Definitively Defining

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Joy.

Have you ever lived your entire life, saying and hearing and writing and seeing words, knowing the meaning or thinking you know the meaning, and then, one day, you decide to try to define those words, actually define the meaning in clear simple English… and you find that you can’t?

Thankfulness.

Have you ever believed that your life reflected a virtue, believed that other people can see it, then you find yourself brought face to face with a definitive picture of that virtue… and you realize that you don’t have that virtue at all. Or if you do, it’s pretty shallow and not very strong.

Praise.

Trust.

Some people don’t think definitions are very important. All my life I’ve heard words, connected certain definitions to those words, and lived my life based on those definitions.

You know, a dictionary is an amazing thing. I’ve always loved ours, but I don’t think I ever used it enough. The Bible is even more amazing, but have you ever thought that a proper understanding of the definition of a single word, can make a well-known Scripture verse even more powerful?

For instance, the definition of joy. To rejoice; to be glad; to exult. That can certainly give new meaning to “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials…” James 1:2

Or how about thankfulness: Gratitude; a lively sense of good received. Follow that up with “In everything give thanks: for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Then there is the definition of praise… To extol in words or song; to magnify; to glorify on account of perfections or excellent works. And To do honor to; to display the excellence of. Then I find this verse: “I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” Psalm 34:1

How about trust? Confidence; a reliance or resting of the mind on the integrity, veracity, justice, friendship or other sound principle of another person. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5

And in case you’re wondering, yes, I got these from Mr. Webster’s 1828. It’s my favorite. :)

So, you might be wondering what my point is, about now.

I’ve read these verses a hundred times. Maybe more. But I haven’t always either fully known or just brought to mind the fullness of the definition behind the words. For instance, if I am to consider it all joy – whenever I face trials – I am to rejoice when I am facing trials. Rejoice!

Taking these definitions in hand, I can say that I am to rejoice during any trials, while having a lively sense of gratitude at all times, extolling my LORD in song continually, while resting my mind on the integrity, veracity, and justice of the King of Kings.

Also, notice the continual use of “whenever” or “continually” or “in everything.” There shouldn’t be a break in any of these. There will be. I am finite, human, and lacking in perfection. I am fallen and not without sin, therefore, I will fail. But these should be in my focus. They should be in the forefront of my life. I should be joyful, thankful, praising, and trusting every day and every minute of my life, and when I am not, I should be realizing that and working to fix it.

But, when I do fail, it’s a sin against my LORD and that brings me to repentance. Repentance is the relinquishment of any practice, from conviction that it has offended God. “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.” (Romans 6:12-14)
 
If I truly repent, than He truly forgives. To relinquish the practice of my sin, means I must acknowledge or confess it first. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Forgiveness: The act of forgiving; the pardon of an offender, by which he is considered and treated as not guilty. The pardon or remission of an offense or crime; as the forgiveness of sin or of injuries.

The pardon of an offender, by which he is considered and treated as not guilty. That line… The LORD offers me that. Despite the fact that I sin so much and so often. Praise Him for that! “Praise the Lord, all nations; laud Him, all peoples! For His lovingkindness is great toward us, and the truth of the Lord is everlasting. Praise the Lord!” (Psalm 117)

The dictionary is an amazing tool. One that should be utilized more often and not forgotten. Methinks I shouldn’t let it get so dusty quite so often.

To the KING be all the glory!

Climbing Mount Difficulty with Shouts of Praise

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I had so many aspirations for posting on my blog in 2016. I was going to start in January and be quite consistent. I even wrote out several posts, but never typed them.

Then, before I knew it, May had arrived and my blog still hadn’t been touched since December. Granted, I’ve been really busy with things… Still, it’s time I resurrected this silent, sad place. So, here’s my New Year post… Just five months and twenty-four days late.

What did I say last year, when writing about the Longest Year of My Life? That I wanted my year-end post to reflect the LORD and what He was doing in my life – and not just focus on myself.

I have commenced this post many times, only to tear it out of my notebook and toss it aside. The primary reason was that I couldn’t seem to get my focus right. It just kept coming back to me, not what the LORD was doing through, in, and around me.

Borrowing from John Bunyan, I have called 2015 my climb up Mount Difficulty. Much like Christian, who, as he trudged over rocks and avoided cliffs, began focusing on his trials and the weariness that he felt, I have wanted to focus on the circumstances and trials that made this last year so difficult. Even when my rocks were silver and the cliffs showed sparkles of gold, I wanted to notice the rough edges or the scrapes and bruises that I’d accumulated.

Still, the LORD is gracious. He keeps reminding me and convicting me of the importance of praise and focus on Him. All year, He kept reminding me, and while I often failed, the LORD kept pushing me toward giving those shouts of praise, while I struggled on.

So, as a belated good-buy to 2015, here are a few works of the LORD from those twelve-months:

-I became a sister-in-law, when my younger sister, Bethany, got married in May.

-I am an auntie! And I have the chance of sharing my birthday with my nephew or niece. We’ll see. (As of this month, I have the most precious little niece outside her mama’s tummy. No, we didn’t share a birthday, but it was close!)

-I typed, edited, and finally published 24 Days Before Christmas. I never would have finished without the LORD’s help. Certainly a project beyond my human abilities alone.

-I got to stay with the Marr family for three different visits, including around the birth of their little Susannah in March. Always a blessing.

-Lastly, the LORD brought me so far this year. I may expound in a later post, but it was in the later part of the year, when the LORD reminded me where He had brought me from in a year. Despite the trials and struggles of 2015, despite the climb up Mount Difficulty, I have come so far from what felt like the Valley of the Shadow of Death in much of 2014. The LORD has been so good to me. So good. I still have much to learn, I am still anything but perfect, but he has brought me so far! I stand amazed.

-Fear and trust. The LORD has convicted me much on these two. They’re opposites. Fear doesn’t allow trust. Trust kicks out of fear. Fear of man, life, circumstances. Trust in the God of the Universe.

Do I have any idea what this year will be like? No, not really. A move and the arrival of my nephew or niece. [Well… The move happened. Wow, that’s a long story in and of itself. My niece is here too! Still, I still have more than seven months that could bring all sorts of things.]

Prayerfully, I’ll grow closer to the LORD. I have a new book to write. And maybe some short stories or a serial. I could give into fear. There are several things that I could list, that could easily fill me with rather more apprehension.

Still, I’m learning. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.

That last is what I’m doing. Committing this year to the LORD of Hosts. After all, He does know what He’s doing. He has my life in His hands. I can trust Him.

Maybe I’ll move beyond trust and actually get excited. Because, if the God who made the Universe is in charge of 2016, who knows what He has planned?

To the KING be all the glory!

~Cyber Monday – All Books $.99!

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It’s Cyber Monday! Today only, all of my novels, including my new release, 24 Days Before Christmas, are only .99 cents for Kindle! My children’s book, A Year with the Potters is $.99, as well! Links below!

24 Days Before Christmas: December has fallen on the tiny town of Poinsettia and, with it, the Christmas season. The Singh and Winter families are already feeling celebratory, as they begin sharing family traditions and memorizing Christmas carols.

Things take a decidedly unexpected turn, when their neighbor and good friend, Ebenezer Bell, comes home from vacation and can’t find his brother. Blood on the carpet, an absent vehicle, and missing fingerprints start to point the finger at a possible crime.

When James Hoffman moved his sister and daughter to Poinsettia with the bright idea of opening a bookshop, he expected things to be tight, but not this tight. The readers of Poinsettia seem to be few and far between, and James is beginning to second guess his decision. His sister insists on trusting the God that he doesn’t even believe in, but when he discovers an old enemy, bringing his buried anger back to the surface, even his sister’s trust is shaken.

Carols and crime, memories and mystery, doubters and danger – will there be a merry Christmas after all?

Journeys of Four: When four young people, walking down completely different paths in life, are confronted with what it means to truly be a Christian, they are faced with either repentance and redemption, or a complete rejection of their faith.

Grandmother’s Letters: A mystery. A treasure hunt. A stack of old letters. A curious girl. A grumpy old man. A dramatic poetic journalist. A miserable law student. And a giving family. The prayers and legacy of an ordinary woman acts as a thread, drawing these together in an unexpected way.

A Year with the Potters: In April they met new friends, in August they got a kitten, October they learned about Martin Luther, November brought a pet Black Widow, and January gave them a Biblical lesson in perseverance. What else is in store for the Potter family? (Possible Age Range: 8-14)

Or you can just go to my Amazon author page and see all my books from there!

And don’t forget about my Sale for signed paperbacks for Christmas gifts! Ends December 15th! :)

To the KING be all the glory!

~New Release – 24 Days Before Christmas!

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24 Days Before Christmas - Cover XXVII

It’s here! My Christmas mystery, 24 Days Before Christmas, is published and now available!

December has fallen on the tiny town of Poinsettia and, with it, the Christmas season. The Singh and Winter families are already feeling celebratory, as they begin sharing family traditions and memorizing Christmas carols.

Things take a decidedly unexpected turn, when their neighbor and good friend, Ebenezer Bell, comes home from vacation and can’t find his brother. Blood on the carpet, an absent vehicle, and missing fingerprints start to point the finger at a possible crime.

When James Hoffman moved his sister and daughter to Poinsettia with the bright idea of opening a bookshop, he expected things to be tight, but not this tight. The readers of Poinsettia seem to be few and far between, and James is beginning to second guess his decision. His sister insists on trusting the God that he doesn’t even believe in, but when he discovers an old enemy, bringing his buried anger back to the surface, even his sister’s trust is shaken.

Carols and crime, memories and mystery, doubters and danger – will there be a merry Christmas after all?

It’s been five years, almost to the exact day, since I first wrote the opening lines for 24 Days Before Christmas. Five years. This book has been written, rewritten, torn apart, and added to so many times that, in some ways, it doesn’t even resemble it’s original version. That first line, however? Paragraph really. It no longer opens the book, but it survived all those revisions, ending up, instead, in the middle of my second chapter. It’s still one of my favorite passages from the book.

I did something different with this book. Even though it happens to be my longest novel, there are only 25 chapters. One for each day of the month of December, leading up until Christmas, and then one for December 25th. This book was so fun to write, but difficult as well. It also takes place in a new setting from my other books. 180 miles out from my fictional town of Halcer, is Poinsettia. A fitting place for a Christmas mystery, don’t you think?

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In honor of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, 24 Days Before Christmas will be on sale for Kindle through Tuesday, December 1st! If you’d like to get a signed copy of this book, or any of my others for Christmas, I’m taking orders until December 15th! 24 Days Before Christmas is $11. Go to my Sale Page to see the prices for my other books!

 

To the KING be all the glory!

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