"Computer Thing" Or "God Thing"?

Have you ever thought that God can use your computer to be a source of encouragement in your life? No, I’m not talking about the many devotionals and inspired writings you can find. I’m talking about a computer putting words that you need right in front of you several times until you get the message.

Funny thing about computers: sometimes they work great and sometimes you really want to throw them out the window. That’s how I felt the day I was trying to copy and paste a phrase into a search engine. Let me back up and say I was having a really hard week. I was fighting feelings of depression. Some family situations were making me sad and although I was trying to be diligent with writing, I found I was just using the computer to occupy my mind.

I keep a file of quotes that I find in books or on the Internet. This file is getting pretty full as I have people from W.B.Yeats, William Shakespeare, Abraham Lincoln, and Cowper to Erma Bombeck. As you can see my mind goes to many extremes in the course of a day. From poetry to funny things of living with teenagers and hormones, I read all sorts of articles. But recently my husband had signed a card to me with a really sweet phrase: I decided to put him at the top of my quotes file.

Every time I went to copy and paste into my search engine a research question, out of nowhere, it inserted the phrase from my husband “You are the single most important on going event in my life. All my love, Bill.” After trying several times to get the information, I gave up. Was it a computer error or was it a “God thing?” I needed encouragement that day and that was what I got. No one but God could have done that, as it was several months before that I had put the phrase from my husband in my quote file. I guess I won’t be throwing the computer out the window. Because when I needed encouragement the most, God worked with my computer to lift my spirits. A "computer thing" or a "God thing?" You be the judge.

email me at thornrose7@aol.com

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.

Has Destiny Ever Irritated You?
God will use the pain and irritations of life to bring about the destiny of our children. As Mothers it is hard to watch and times and even harder to endure when we want to jump in and take that pain for them. But we must leave our children, grandchildren and problems in the hands of the One who created them for His purpose and glory. He will bring to life that which was dead and barren. Only the Lord can mend the broken, take pieces of clay and make beautiful vessels of His glory. Sometimes the pain of life seems more than we can endure, but we must press on, for His glory and purpose."Now therefore thus says the LORD God of Israel concerning (my paraphrase) your family: "Behold, I will gather them out of all the lands to which I have driven them in My anger, in My wrath and in great indignation; and I will bring them back to this place and make them dwell in safety. "They shall be My people, and I will be their God; and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me always, for their own good and for the good of their children after them.
I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; and I will put the fear of Me in their hearts so that they will not turn away from Me. "I will rejoice over them to do them good and will faithfully plant them in this land with all My heart and with all My soul. Jerimiah 32:17 & 36-41

A Mother Who Dreams

“All your children will be taught by the Lord. And they will have much peace”

(Isaiah 54:13, International Children’s Bible)

I'll never forget the day my friend called me "the mother of dreams." I was discouraged; She was cheering me up. She meant it as if I was the mother of her dreams. Yet, I heard it as what I am, a "mother who dreams."

I know all the times I want to do right and fail. I think about all the times I plan to be kind and explode instead. I remember all the times I want to impart wisdom and love, but I turn into a hormonal mess. But I am a "mother who dreams" because I dream of a better life for my children. A life full of love and good things, where harmony abounds, including wisdom to help through the pain that is a part of life in the real world.
Emotional scars that I have unconsciously inflicted will be healed. Family divisions will be a thing of the past. Forgiveness and peace will overcome bitterness.
A mother will always dream big things for her children!

Psalm 31:3-4 "For Thou art my rock and my fortress; for Thy name's sake Thou wilt lead me and guide me. Thou wilt pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me; for Thou art my strength."

Happy Sunday

A great quote for the day: “How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and the strong, because someday you will have been all of these." – George Washington Carver
Happy Sunday! Bill has been ministering at Men of Destiny and we are going to another graduation ceremony today. To God be the Glory!

A Writer's Prompt

“Show me where you bleed,” the editor from a prominent magazine said in her session at the writer’s conference.
“I can do that,” I thought to myself and planned the next submission I would write for her. It was my first writer’s conference and to say I was overwhelmed was an understatement. Actually I thought I bled plenty in the manuscript she critiqued. I was about to hit the big 5-0 soon and the young, petite, blonde, “totally altogether” editor had terrified me, quite unintentionally when we had our appointment.
What was I even doing at a writer’s conference? I was totally out of my element, a stay-at-home, homeschooling mom who aspired to write at this late stage of life. I had always wanted to get a book published while I still looked enough like that glamour shot picture I had taken back when I was forty. Oh well, no chance of that; and especially not now that I am pushing 59. It took me 9 more years to get the courage to go back to a conference. I am now hooked on them; I couldn’t wait until the next year’s conference. They seem to get better and better each time.
Ten years from the time I met the beautiful editor I saw her again. Guess what? She didn’t terrify me. In fact I thought she was quite mellow and I even made an appointment with her again. She didn’t really want to see anything I had to offer but I enjoyed our conversation and her seminars. She didn’t even remember asking us to “show me where you bleed,” all those years ago. I walked through facing some personal fears about meeting with editors this year and came out smiling.

Got Contentment?

Got Contentment?

No, it doesn’t always show visibly as the “Got Milk” pictures with the white line above the lips. But it should manifest itself inwardly with a feeling of peace in or in spite of our circumstances. The apostle Paul said, (1 Timothy 6:6) But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. Over the years when I have thought about this scripture, I have often felt that we should look at it differently. If it is of great gain to have godliness with contentment I think on the flip side there is no gain to it, if we are not content.

What is the source of our worries so often? A major amount comes down to not being content with what the Lord has given us or allowed us to go through. We look at our situations in our homes and we don’t have the family of our dreams. We aren’t content. We may have a physical ailment the Lord has allowed, even perhaps for His glory, but we aren’t content. We may be single, having tried marriage many times and failing, we aren’t content; but we don’t want to be alone. We may have any number of things that are truly a thorn in the flesh to us, but we don’t have the gain of true godliness because we aren’t content with our life.

The only way I know to get out of the rut that comes about what we don’t have, is to maintain focus on what we do have. Count your blessings; number them if you have to. We as a nation of people have so many material blessings that people of other nations only dream of. Sometimes our desperation inwardly can be a good thing as it drives us closer to the Lord. In that case it can work out as great gain. We know we want our lives to count for the Lord and to be able to display the majesty that comes from that inward peace with circumstances.
Have you ever, like so many women today, wandered about a Mall, thinking you just have to buy something for that temporary high that it brings? Charley Reece, formerly of the Orlando Sentinel said, “Materialism, which is the pursuit of stuff, turns out to be empty. After one has gotten stuff, stored it, moved, maintained it, insured it, one gets to the final stuff, a cemetery lot and headstone, where all the stuff has to be abandoned. A man becomes a slave to his possessions.” That doesn’t mean we should never buy anything, but possession alone won’t make us happy. And of course, we can’t take it with us as Charley so aptly pointed out.

I had a day that brought about a lot of discontentment for no real known reason. I felt that no one valued my opinion or even asked for it. I was concerned about homeschooling and feeling like a failure in it. I was concerned about some friends that are going through horrible situations and feeling at a loss for what to do. I felt like my life was out of control and with all my control issues that was hard for me. Yet, if we get right down to it; our lives need to be out of our control and in God’s control. And we need to learn that we aren’t our feelings. Feelings come and go, sometimes rising and falling with health issues, hormones or relational problems. Attacks from the enemy of our soul will bring us down but we don’t have to stay down. Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.

Got contentment? Jesus said He is the way, the truth and the life. He is the only way to have contentment the only truth that will show contentment and the only life that will bring contentment. When days are hard, parenting seems impossible, dreams aren't coming true let Him make your life one of gain instead of loss by helping you to take a deep breath, roll the burden to him and give you the contented sigh of relief. I promise you contentment will show all over your face. And your life.

Thoughts running through my head as I think upon Easter Sunday:

The world behind me, the cross before me;

The world behind me, the cross before me;

The world behind me, the cross before me;

No turning back, no turning back.



Though none go with me, still I will follow;

Though none go with me, still I will follow;

Though none go with me, still I will follow;

No turning back, no turning back.

(From I Have Decided to Follow Jesus) anon

Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?

Jeremiah 32:27

Peace Amidst Pain

Lord, our lives are chaotic

But not without peace

There is pain all around

Yet, we have You


Times may be harder still

But You remain true

Dreams we have yet to fulfill

Aren’t they long overdue?


My life is in Your hands

And there I remain

The things I have lost for Christ

He will count as my gain


The power to overcome

Lies in your Word

It is the fire that burns

In my chest,

It’s my weapon, my sword



Renew my heart

Cause it to worship

Renew my vision

To see your ways

Renew my tongue

To words of praise


And I will follow You

All of my days

For You are holy

And you are worthy

And I will follow You

All of my days.
Donna Collins Tinsley 2002

I Had the Time of my Life at the Florida Christian Writer's Conference

I only wish I could truly portray the blessing I had going to the FCWC! To be among some of the best Christian writers and authors in the field was so awesome. The amount of work that went into the conference by Billie Wilson and staff will be never fully be comprehended by many, but I am so grateful for their hard work.


In my eyes, everything was so wonderful and uplifting. The continuing class with Laura Christianson was very motivating and I loved each session of the elective workshops I took. The main session speakers, Cec Murphey, Jesse Florea, Jerry Jenkins and then ending with the lovely Eva Marie Everson were awesome. I shed more than a few tears and loved the comic relief that Jerry gave us Sat. night.

I met old friends and made new ones; I was so blessed to have Kathy Thomas as my roommate and I know the Lord has great things in store for her and her ministry. I felt the pain of some who were struggling and saw with my own eyes the Lord change the heart of one who came there with his own agenda and left praising the Lord for the fast track God is putting him on! I heard of at least one miracle of salvation coming to a heart and know that the Lord restored many hearts while they were ministered to, there.

I so loved learning about the racial reconciliation ministry that Craig von Buseck has, although it was after conference that I read articles he wrote. I’m a fan of writing in that arena, as sometimes I realize that we as a nation, have not come as far as we thought we had in racial issues.

Last year I got so involved with the thought of having to give an elevator pitch, that it ruined my appointments with the editors; this year I decided I would just be myself, and it worked out a lot better. Everyone I had appointments with was very gracious and kind and I so appreciate that. I found that some of the people that I met in the food line blessed me as much as my appointments and it is true that relationships formed are one of the main things that make you want to come back.

I did find my “angel” from last year, Margie and was also blessed to have some special time with Susie Davis when she came to visit Bryan and Amanda. I was so happy she was there to see Amanda get that award; awesome!

The music was wonderful and I was so glad to hear our special conference song, “You Never Let Go” which is probably the theme of my life. He is always faithful and will never let go of us, regardless of our faithfulness, regardless if our family is not the Cleaver’s, regardless if our lives are not “picture perfect.” He will never let go of the dreams he puts in our hearts even if they seem unattainable. He gives new dreams and is the true Dream Giver.

I’ll end with a quote Bryan Davis gave me many years ago at Rosemary Upton’s Writer’s Critiqueshop,

“Dreams inspire models; models bring forth plans; plans beget hope, and hope is the anchor for my soul; my reason for dreaming.”

I love this quote so much it is at the beginning of my book, “Somebody’s Daughter.”
PS Thanks so all who ended up calling me, Mom, after coming to the conclusion that my "brand" is "Somebody's Mother."

What Stirs you to Write?

I'm getting ready to go to the FCWC, so I'm pretty busy to be blogging.
Today I sent something to The Writer's View-2 about inspiration and creativity to write in response to a question they asked. Some things stir me to write and child abuse is one of them.

I find things to write about in newspaper articles all the time. I started out writing letters to editors and was privileged to have several letters as "My Word" columns. Once they even sent a photographer out to our home to photograph me with my daughters, when I reminisced about growing up unsupervised in the 60's. I've written about homeless issues, Heaven's Garden, (a home for recovering prostitutes) treasuring your time with a loved one, procrastination, and treatment centers. I wrote a response about an article called "Passage to Salvation" wondering how parents felt after seeing the faces of their daughters on billboards advertising men's clubs along I-95? The empathy I felt gave me the title for my first book called, "Somebody's Daughter."
One thing that stirred me up was a phrase a Judge used, "a little pedophilia" I wondered who has the definition of what "a little pedophilia" does to a child?
This excerpt was printed several years ago in the (Orlando) Sentinel:

And as for the comment that Maxwell reportedly made to a DCF staffer that he had "never known pedophilia to be life-threatening" surely we have all read newspaper article that would dispute this statement. He should try that line on a surviving parent. Perhaps he would talk to a sexual abuse survivor who could tell him about painful flashbacks and the years it takes to rebuild trust in authority figures. "A little pedophilia"? I don't think so. Trust me, I know. There is no such thing.
Donna Collins Tinsley thornrose7@aol.com