Reality check

My character, Zach, imagines himself hurtling through space past stars and planets, headed for whatever exciting destiny lays before him. He is rudely awakened from his daydream when his sister yells from the kitchen. Reality check.

I dream of getting published, having a best-seller, and encouraging children in their own journey with God. The truth is, the agent and publisher voices out there bring me back to the real world. It's tough to break into the book market.

I attend workshops, and conferences. My indispensable writer's group friends help me dump adverbs, dialogue tags, unnecessary back story, passive tenses, etc. But good writing isn't enough.(Sigh) You have to be dedicated to your craft. You have to write about a subject people find interesting or entertaining.You have to know how to market your book. And you have to make connections. Relationships in publishing are important. Someone in the business needs to see your talent and recommend you.

In my book, Zach finds Someone who is necessary for him to find his destiny. We all need that essential relationship to find our way. God planned that from the beginning. Our relationshhip with Jesus is key to our final destiny.

At the end of the book, Zach still doesn't know where he's going, but he knows Who is taking him there. Even though I don't know who will publish me, I know Who guides my journey.

Going Where No Man Has Gone Before

When I go on a trip, I always know where I'm going, whether it is to the grocery store, or to a vacation at the beach. But in my journey with God, I often don't know where I'm headed. I think most people feel this way.In the Star Trek adventures, the starship wandered the galaxy with a search and do good mentality. But they never seemed to know what would come next. Why does God only give us the step right in front of us? Maybe it's because we need to trust Him. Could be that we don't know his voice clearly. Also, I wonder if it is difficult for us to see his path because his world and his path are so foreign to our world view. Heaven is beyond our imagination. We have inklings of it, but not a complete picture. How can we clearly see our destiny in Him, if we can't clearly see Him? Zach had the same problem. He has enough problems trying to figure out life, when along comes a dimension beyond his imagination. Zach could daydream about flying through space, but when he encountered heavenly spaces, it was beyond what he could ask, think, or imagine. We must remember that. God's plans for us are light years beyond our mundane thoughts. But you know what? I want to try to go there in my imagination. It's okay to dream about God, his plans, and his goodness.

Dream Big

Albert Einstien said,"Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you anywhere.

That quote came from a collection of quotes in a little book called Dream Big, Starring Olivia.This is a book of inspirational sayings by the author of the Olivia books, Ian Falconer. Of course it made me think of the power of imagination. In my book, Beyond the Red Door, Zach sits in front of the starfield screensaver on his computer and pretends he is flying through space past planets, asteroids and stars. When he sees into God's world, it is beyond what he ever imagined.

When we let the God of the universe empower our thoughts, true imagination is born. God is limitless, and he wants us to push past our finite boundaries into his creative realm. God-inspired fiction can awaken our minds, bring hope, and steer our imaginations to dream big.

YA Writing Contest

I'm entering an excerpt from Beyond the Red Door to this free contest for YA fiction. Wish me luck and I encourage anyone who's written an unpublished middle grade or YA book to enter as well.

Get more info on the contest here - http://tinyurl.com/yzbwj5h

We Win or Lose by What We Choose

Two elderly people inspired me this week. Last Friday I visited a friend in the nursing home. It saddens me to watch her gradually lose her mobility and mental sharpness. During this visit we talked about my five children and eight grandchildren. She clapped her hands in delight, exclaiming, "We have so much to be thankful for." Her response took my breath away. This dear friend has no children of her own, her husband has passed away, and all her relatives live hundreds of miles away. Visitors are few and far between. She could be bitter, but she has chosen to find joy in the blessings of others. The genuineness of her words penetrated my heart, reminding me of my need to be thankful in all situations. Would I weather old age as gracefully, choosing to find wonder in small things, ignoring the faculties I have lost?

Today I attended a Bible study and met a ninety-nine-year-old lady. She was spry, sharp, and witty. She recently moved to an assisted living center to ease the worries of family members. She had lived in her own home, far away from relatives who worried they wouldn't be nearby to help if she had an accident. She loves her new place despite the fact she must interact with some bitter and depressed people. "I choose not to be that way," she told us. "There are a lot of people here who need to see a smiling face." She chooses, not only to be happy, but to be light in the darkness.

I pondered the contrast between these two women. But the light of God that shined through their choices is what impressed me--choices based not on their circumstances, but on their ability to see God's goodness in an evil world. This kind of sight takes insight. They choose to use their imaginations to see what God sees.

When I choose God, everything else falls into place. Therefore, my primary goal in life is to look up. This is my writing goal, as well--to help others see from God's perspective.

What's in a Name?

On New Year’s Day my fourth grandson was born! My daughter and her husband spent many hours deciding on the perfect name for their child, Blaise. He is already setting my heart on fire. Every child is special. Each name is important.

My parents put much thought into my name as well. Trouble is, I never liked the name they picked—Cynthia. Sounded like a snooty spinster. Married forty years with five grown children—I’m far from that, but the image lingered in me. One day I stumbled upon a new way to look at my name. I was researching information about cocoons and found a silk worm named Samia Cynthia. Wow. Suddenly, I thought—my name is not aloof, distant, or uncaring. Silk is soft, shiny, luxurious. Something precious and desired. I read further. The Samia Cynthia moth eats leaves from the Ailanthus tree, a Chinese tree whose name means “tree of heaven.” I beamed with new understanding. Not only was my name valuable, it was God’s idea. He chose my name before I was born. I was his treasured child.

In my book, the main character, twelve-year-old Zach Jacobs, also discovers hidden value in his name. He and his friend, Renee McNichols, stumble upon a cellar once used to hide slaves on the Underground Railroad. They find a Bible with a family record page that includes the name Tillie Jacobs, a black servant who helped her mistress conceal runaways. Zach, who is bi-racial, wonders if they are related. A letter sandwiched in the Bible, and other historical information unveil a rich history about his ancestor. The difficulties Zach faces every day (divorced parents and bullies at school) temporarily fade as he ponders where he came from.

Long ago, the angel Gabriel whispered God’s chosen name for the Messiah to his servant, Mary. Did she tell Jesus how he was named? I imagine she did. The name Jesus means Jehovah saves. Did he ponder the meaning of his name in his formative years, as the Father disclosed to him his destiny?

God had a special plan for Jesus. Because he fulfilled what God called him to do, we may go to heaven. But it doesn’t end there. No matter what our parents named us, God has designed a destiny for each of us—something better than we have imagined. We find it when we seek him.