Praise the good Lord! I got back on this blog! TGIF!

After months of being locked out of this blog, I reconnected. PRAISE THE GOOD LORD! So a little update; besides being a member of WORD WEAVER’S Volusia County, as a ministry of Family Worship Center I am now leading a small group for this semester.


THE WRITER’S GATHERING FIRST MEETING WAS Wednesday!

We had an awesome group and got to know each other and hear what our members are writing or hope to write.


Those who attended were:
Gloria Gonzalez
Nancy Childs
Becky Lindsey
Jeannie Verosky
Donna Tinsley

We had a two hour meeting, beginning and ending in prayer; with me giving the vision for what I hope to do as far as teaching each time we meet in the future. I gave out some handouts and also told them the exact days I have marked for meetings. I’ll be teaching from Rosemary Upton’s WRITING STRATEGIES course. I’m also reviewing personally THE CREATIVE CALL by Janice Elsheimer and writer’s books by Cecil Murphey to pay forward their wisdom for our group. I see great things for our members. I’m honored to host this and need all the prayers I can get.
 It’s Friday! “God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.” Ephesians 3:20-21 The Message (MSG)

Nothing is impossible with our Lord although most days some of us live as if everything is impossible. Our lives seem impossible, our kids seem impossible and our destiny surely seems impossible to attain. Yet the Word of God says that He can do anything! Let’s live our lives today believing Him for that impossible prayer request, that one that we can barely utter any more, it seems so unattainable. THE LORD IS ABLE! HE IS GOOD! HE IS OUR PEACE AND HOPE THIS DAY. TGIF!

Praying for that unspoken prayer request and also for those in authority over us, first responders, policemen, firemen and those who care for the sick. Adding prayers for those who feel like giving up. We are grateful for this new day in Jesus name.

Then Israel sang this song: “Spring up, O well, sing to it! (Num 21:17)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6_BLuhr0HQ

The Bible says in Lamentations:
“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.” Lamentations 3:22-24(NIV)

Authenticity through brokenness; A Key to parenting

You Can Raise Courageous and Confident Kids: Preparing Your Children for the World They Live"
By  Mary E. DeMuth

I was hooked on this book from the allegory at the beginning: "When he walked down the peopled street into the free, wild unknown, Jacob had no tools to navigate the world. He dropped his satchel and faced the confusing world lost and alone" to the very last page. Mary gives us the tools to use, so that our children will not have to feel lost and alone navigating the world.
I am a great fan of Mary E. DeMuth, both of her fiction and nonfiction. As I was reading this book, I thought how it would help so many people in the "Adult Children of Alcoholics" groups as they have had parenting at its worst. They sometimes talk about their childhood's and how they were parented. It is obvious although some have made great strides not to parent in the same way they were parented they could so benefit by Mary's books. When we have a "lost childhood" we sometimes don't know how to parent.
Many times as I was reading I wished I had grown up in the type of home that Mary is giving her children right now. Although she sometimes feels as we all do, that she fails her children at times. She has written some powerful, helpful things to steer us on in "You Can Raise Courageous and Confident Kids: Preparing Your Children for the World They Live"

Mary also gives questions for group discussions at the closing of the book that could be used as a personal Bible Study. Great addendum!
The story at the end of this book showed the very best scenario and I had tears running down my face as I saw what a beautiful send-off we can give if we really get the hang of raising courageous and confident kids. It would be a great gift to give at a baby shower.
Mary is a master storyteller but she shows authenticity through brokenness and for this reason I recommend this book.

Donna Collins Tinsley

I was very late getting this review written and for that I apologize:)
http://www.amazon.com/You-Raise-Courageous-Confident-Kids/dp/0736929711/ref=sr_1_10?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1315832138&sr=1-10

Read Life in Defiance: A Novel (Defiance Texas Trilogy) by Mary E. DeMuth

I was torn between wanting the savor the book as I knew it was the last one in the Defiance Texas Trilogy and hurry up and finish so I could see who killed Daisy Chance. It was so hard to put down and go about what I needed to do during the day; my reward was coming back to the book as often as I could. I will savor it the second reading. I love everything that Mary E DeMuth has written! I will always be a fan of her writing, her overcoming spirit and her fiction story telling.
Daisy Chain (Defiance Texas Trilogy, Book 1) A Slow Burn (Defiance Texas Trilogy, Book 2) must be read first, although there is enough background for this to be a stand-alone book. But you don't want to miss a word that Mary has written. Powerful, scorching, melodic and spiritual words that will sear your soul.
I will always love Mary's characters and Hixon is still my favorite but Emory grew to be a close second. Strange how things can change from the first book to the second. And in Life in Defiance she became a woman after my own heart.

Perhaps it was a bit harder for me to read this one as I lived through seeing my own mother abused horribly when I was a young child. Not only her, but I still remember the purple welts on my brother's back. Maybe I didn't want to read deeply and find those memories and flashbacks are still deep within me; forgiven but who could forget memories like those?
I so love this trilogy that I had to email Zondervon Publisher and ask: Why would you let Mary end with only 3 books when the story's characters call out to be elaborated on in many other books; Defiance, Texas trilogy surely is only a beginning? Mary's readers are crying for more.
Mary, you are a magnificent writer and I feel you deep in my soul. I only wish I could buy all your books for all my friends and family. Blessings, peace and fruitfulness I pray for you and yours.

Desperate prayers from desperate people.

I believe the Lord is bringing us all back to a life of constant prayer. Whether it is for our nation or a nation devastated such as Haiti, our family or extended family and friends, situations arise that call for desperate prayers from desperate people.
Last night as I was savoring the last chapter of “I Know Why the Angels Dance” by Bryan Davis, the tears came down like rain; I could hardly see to read. What a beautiful example of a Godly family and their reaction to death and pain.

I was thinking this morning about the beautiful prayers written in the book and the example to us all and then as usual, the Lord sent me to another book with an example of praying for those who are suffering from Ruth Graham’s book, “In Every Pew Sits a Broken Heart.”

Then the Lord sent me to Lamentations 3:22-24
Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
“ The LORD is my portion,” says my soul,
“ Therefore I hope in Him!”
The Word doesn’t get any better than that:)
Our desperate prayers end in hope.