Faithchick

It seems like I often try to eat my way through the holidays.
If not for the help of my Nacho Libre stretchy pants, I would not make it through. It starts with the children's Halloween candy...mostly, snickers and reese's. This segues into a plethora of birthday cake, both my husband, Scott and I have our birthdays in November.

We ramp it up for Thanksgiving to fill in the gaps with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie. And let's not forget the Thanksgiving tradition of rocky road candy that my mom passed on to us...the one where you eat your fill of the treat until the bird is ready. It's a lovely chocolate filled tradition, really.

And then we are sliding into the Christmas season, pants a little tighter, faces a little fuller as we light into Christmas cookies and candy canes and clove studded ham and sips of sparkling cider.

There is so much to celebrate. Neighborly good will and free candy. A year full of blessings. The birth of a Savior. Feasting seems the way to go in my mind. But just reading through this list makes me think a good cleanse is in order....lemon water, anyone?

Maybe it's time to fill up on something else during these holy days. So I am trying to go into this advent season with a new frame of mind...smaller portions of gravy and larger helpings of grace. Fewer sugar cookies inhaled and more time spent with friends. An expectation of seeing God in a new way in this time of year that is usually so frantic and fraught with to do lists. A concerted effort to be a blessing to those around me and engage in the wonder of the season. His season. I'm thinking there is a way to be full without having to wear my stretchy pants. Full of joy. Full of hope. Full of love. And I can't wait.

Are You a Heroine?

I’ve always been intrigued by the story of Deborah in the Old Testament book of Judges. She was described as “a mother in Israel,” yet when the leaders were too fearful to obey God and protect the nation, she rode into battle. As I created the character of Susan, in The Restorer, I drew inspiration from Deborah and explored how a similar heroic calling might play out in a modern-day woman facing an extraordinary adventure.

Susan Mitchell thought she was an ordinary soccer mom, but she was wrong. When she’s pulled through a portal into another world, she finds a nation waiting for a promised Restorer to save their people. While she struggles to adapt to a foreign culture, she tackles an enemy that is poisoning the minds of the people, uncovers a corrupt ruling Council, and learns that God can use even her floundering attempts at service in surprising ways.

God often uses ordinary people in unexpected ways. I truly believe that many women live lives of quiet heroism – whether their battleground is caring for aging parents, raising a child with a disability, fighting a long-term illness, volunteering at their church, or supporting a friend through difficulty. My hope is that Susan’s adventure in an alternate world breathes inspiration into anyone feeling that the road has been difficult in his or her world.

By the way, I'm super excited that The Restorer-Expanded Edition has just released! The book contains the complete original story, but also includes an interactive Bible-study guide for readers who want to dig into the spiritual themes of the book, bonus scenes providing glimpses of the story through a variety of characters, and fun extras including links to songs and recipes. It's also available on Kindle and Nook.

Sharon Hinck

I just spent a wonderful week on a cruise with some of my favorite authors (some of whom are Faithchicks!) We planned a writers’ conference on a cruise ship which went to Jamaica and Grand Cayman. Meeting on sea days and playing on port days was the perfect mix. It’s always good to be surrounded with other authors—it helps you remember that there are others who think like you do (creative, absent-minded, quirky among other things!) It’s also an opportunity for many spouses to meet their peers and assure themselves that they all have the same problems and pleasures of living with a writer.

We all need peers from whom we can learn and grow. We need to be part of a tribe of people who hold similar interests and speak the same language. This isn’t true just for writers. We all need those kind of people in our lives.

And now I have to play catch-up for all those things that didn’t get done while I was away…

Judy Baer

Magazine Mania

I’ve been housebound for the past six weeks following surgery.  The first five weeks I didn’t feel like doing anything at all so I entertained myself reading magazines.  I’m addicted to the written word.  It’s painful for me to part even with magazines (so you can imagine how many books I own!) so I had an entire year’s worth to read.  If someone wrote it and if it is a book/magazine/paper I own, I feel duty bound to read I cover to cover before I recycle them.  In May and June I got my chance.

Many of the ideas I come up with for my books start with snatches of information I pick up while reading the daily paper, listening to television or reading those magazines.  It’s not the main story line that necessarily benefits from these snippets of facts I get from reading.  I may read an article on greyhound rescue and decide that an adopted race dog is the perfect pet for one of my characters.  Or I might read a fashion magazine and decide that one of my characters should have a particular style of dress.  It keeps me and my books from becoming routine.  

When I speak to groups, I often say that a writer is like a dry sponge that moves through the world soaking up information and then, when they sit down to write, squeezes that juicy mix onto the page.  People used to ask me if my books were written about myself.  I’ve had nearly 80 published books in my career so it’s easy to assure them that I have not lived every one of the lives of my characters.  I haven’t experienced being anorexic or practicing as an attorney.  I haven’t been a trainer at a gym, a hockey player or worked at NASA.  Neither have I been a 42 year old newbie male pastor in a rural parish (as my hero is in An Unlikely Blessing and Surprising Grace which will be released in February, 2012.)  But life is simply more fun if you keep soaking it up! 

Judy Baer

This Is How God Sees You

This is my niece, Rachel.  She was born just before Christmas to my sister, Wendy, her second child but first girl.  There's something really special about being an aunt.  I can't really describe why, because I'm certainly around many children that I love and adore.  But being an aunt, well, that takes the cake.  Speaking of cake, isn't she just yummy?  I recently posted her picture on my Facebook page, bragging like crazy about her.  A ton of people left comments.  "She looks just like a babydoll!"  "Precious!"  "A little angel!"  The comments went on and on, and of course I couldn't agree more.  I mean, who couldn't love that face, right?

Well, if you've ever doubted how God feels about you, take a long look at this picture.  Do you see the innocence in her eyes?  The look of wonderment?  The glow only a child can radiate?   Picture this:  When God sees you, He sees you as pure and innocent and lovely.  Precious!  A little angel!  (Actually, even better than an angel).  The point is that many of us have a hard time realizing how pure Jesus made us.  We look in the mirror in the morning and see a face that reflects a lot of sin and pain and disappointment.  But in God's eyes, through what Jesus did on the cross, we might as well be as innocent as a lamb...or a baby niece.

"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus..."   When Satan starts lying to you today or tonight or tomorrow, about how unlovely you are, and how condemned you should feel, picture yourself like a little lamb, innocent with the wonderment of God's love.  You may go boldly before the throne, because you have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus.  You may climb upon His lap because you are a child of God.

Rest in His love,

Rene

www.renegutteridge.com

Out now!  Possession by Rene Gutteridge

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I celebrated my birthday this week. My husband spent hours planning a weekend in Chicago for us. We saw “As You Like It” at the Shakespeare Theater and the Mikado at the Lyric Opera House. He’d planned the weekend with such attention to detail and thoughtfulness about the things I enjoy that I felt deeply cared for—which, of course, is the best gift of all.
My daughters arrived at my house the next day with babies (one only 18 days old), bags of clothes, food, toys, diapers and who knows what else to keep me company on my big day. We ordered Chinese food, talked, played, slept and took the crew to visit my mother who lives nearby.
My friends planned a lunch and two early morning coffee klatches that lasted for hours.
It’s a birthday I’ll cherish because they all spent their precious time for me. I know how valuable the hours in a day are. Once spent, they can never be recaptured. It’s easy to buy a gift or choose a card but not nearly so easy to carve out time and lavish it on someone.
Give the gift of time to someone today!

a christmas list

I have a list I am trying to complete before we head out to Colorado.

1. Organize the basket on top of the fridge.

2. Paint the kitchen chairs.

3. Finish two more chapters in the upcoming book.

4. Clean the house.

Let me give you a run down of where we are with the list.  Nowhere. Nada.  Zilch.  Zippo.  Not one thing done.  It's more like semi-controlled pandemonium here.  But instead of pulling all my hair out, I am going to breathe deep.  And settle myself with the fact that I am keeping the tradition of what Christmas was like that first night.  I bet Mary had a list.

1. Clean the donkey

2. Gather food for the journey

3. Make reservations with an inn in Bethlehem

4. Don't forget the swaddling clothes

5. Bring extra blankets - just in case

And then there was the reality of the night.  Chaos.  A packed city brimming with people.  An aching back and belly trying to adjust to the donkey's unwieldy gate.  A frantic search for a place to rest.  The mess of the stable.  Birth pains growing strong and steady.  And there in the midst of the cacophony of a middle eastern barn,the hope of the world was born.  Small. Perfect.  With reddened skin and peach fuzz for hair. Drawing a deep breath and with a newborn squall, heralding the arrival of God come to Earth.Coming in the wildest of times, to a struggling nation and an unstable world, to bring peace on earth and goodwill toward men. He came with a list engraved on his heart.  His purpose was woven into his DNA.

1. Seek and save the lost

And all these long Christmases since that first chaotic night, he is still doing that.  One soul at a time.  Coming into our mess.  Beckoning us with his love. Enfolding us in his grace. Righting our crookedness with his truth.  And on this Christmas day, 2000 years later, I am thankful that Emmanuel, God with is, is still working on his list.

Susanna Aughtmon is a freelance writer, married to church planter Scott, and mom to three sweet boys, 9 and under.  She likes to spend her free moments trying to resurrect plants in her garden, eating chocolate, reading fiction and checking the comments on her blog, Confessions of a Tired Supergirl. 

I’ve been running in circles, fretting about social networking, deadlines, not-yet-purchased gifts, as-yet-non-existent cards and the politics of five kids pulled in lots of directions who don’t know which family they should go to for Christmas. (I’m a mother-in-law as well as a mother so I do get the fix everyone is in.) It was so much easier when they were small and it was all about me and my plans! I want to be more than a stop on their circuit to pick up gifts and move on. My desire is for relaxed, enjoyable family time together and I don’t see much of that on the horizon.

Still, my real yearning is to spend Christmas as Christ would have me do. He wouldn’t be much interested in gifts made of plastic and purchased in desperation. Nor would He care what we had for dinner. What He’d want, I believe, is time spent with me sitting at His feet, being in His presence, just hanging out with me because we’re friends. Hmmm… He wants from me exactly what I want from my children! Personal time, intimate chats, coziness, not quick drop-ins and hurried exchanges.

Ironic, isn’t it, how easy it is to be frustrated with our own children and yet not see how much our own Father longs for time with us? He’s much more patient than I am. He’s forgiven more and loved more fully. And He’s waiting to hear if I’m going to be at His house for Christmas. I will, of course, but I’m not going to just drop in but leave my mind somewhere else, on my next stop or what’s in the oven. I’m going to His house to focus on Him, have a heart-to-heart talk and bask in the gift of His love.
Judy Baer

Give Thanks

I didn't glom onto Phillipians 4:6 because it was November and I was looking for verses about being thankful, the verse was mentioned in a Sunday sermon a few weeks ago and it was just what I needed for all the life circumstances I am facing. Here is my paraphrase of it, the one I have been carrying around in my head: Don't worry about anything, pray about everything, ask God for what you need and thank him for what he has done.

Thank him for what he has done.

Life is not without frustration or worry about the future, for my children, for our finances, for my hubby's health and for me I have felt spiritually numb for a long time. Not overwhelmed by some sin, not walking away from my faith,not engaged in some conflict with other believers,  just kind of stuck and feeling very blah when it comes to my relationship with Jesus and the body of Christ.  It's all there. It's easy to focus on that to the point where I forget what God has done in the past and the blessings I have before me.  

But I am thankful for:

Our new puppy. Bart is an energetic little border collie, but something about the way he follows me from room to room, the way he is so glad to see every member of the family, the way he sleeps when I sleep and wakes up when I wake up, I feel a little more alive and filled with hope because of him

I am so grateful that even with three teenagers in my house all of whom come with their unique package of teenage angst and confusion, we have not faced any major problems with them

I am grateful for my Ladies Bible study. They have given me such a safe place to share

I am grateful that despite a down economy, I have found work as a writer

And with some prayer help, I went two weeks without nagging or "making suggestions" to my 19 year old son with Aspergers that he had to make some kind of plan for his future. God told me I needed to back off, I was wringing my hands, losing clarity because of my worry and saying things to my son that I regretted.  I don't know how long the season of biting my tongue will last, God will give me the next steps when needed. ..and I am grateful for that too.

I am grateful that we have an abundance of Thanksgiving turkey this year. My husband's work gives a turkey to its employees and we earned a free turkey at the local grocery store for buying over $400 worth of groceries since they started the promotion in October. We will be able to donate one of those turkeys.   

 I am grateful that I have rediscovered C.S.  Lewis' non-fiction and when nothing else spoke to me, nothing else drew me to God, his words have given me hope.

I thought of this list as I was writing the post and I could go on from there. Something I will probably do in a journal later this week. I encourage you to do the same. I know things can be pretty bleak for many of you because of financial and marriage troubles because of difficulty with children or health problems. But as an exercise for spiritual breakthrough, brainstorm a list of what you are thankful for, dig deep beyond your troubles.

It might be something small like the pleasant conversation you had with the check out lady at the grocery store, the way you were able to help someone who was lost or carry packages to their car...or maybe someone did that for you. It might be that you are thankful for the warm sweater you found on sale or someone gave to you. Small moments and little things give us hope too. It builds up, it accumulates. If you ask God, he will show them to you.   

What are you thankful for. Let me know.

Sharon Dunn has a book coming out in December with Love Inspired Suspense called Night Prey. It's about a woman who rescues injuried birds of prey who finds herself in a little bit of danger. Read more about the book at www.sharondunnbooks.com.              

Representing the Name

When I was a kid, we lived in Frankfort, Kentucky, which even though it's the state capitol, is a pretty small town. My grandfather was an FBI agent, and in a political environment, that's a pretty big deal. He and my grandmother were prominent in Frankfort's society. They belonged to the country club, and went to parties at the governor's mansion. The name Tackett was well-known in town.

 

From a very early age, it was impressed upon my sister and me that we must always be on our best behavior, because whatever we did reflected upon my grandparents. When we went out in public we dressed like we were going to Sunday school, because you might run into someone important and you had to make a good impression. In restaurants we had to use our best manners, because it wouldn’t do to have the Tackett grandchildren acting like heathens. When we went to country club events, we must never fight with the other children, because a Tackett shows grace in every social situation. In other words, we represented the Tackett name. If we behaved, we honored our grandfather. And if we didn’t, we brought dishonor to his name and his reputation. So we learned what it means to represent the name of another.

 

As a Christian, I represent the Name of another – the Name of Jesus. This is a very serious responsibility that impacts every aspect of my life, public and private. Every action, every word, every thought reflects on him because I bear his Name.

 

I can’t forget my mother’s definition of a name: “A person’s name is so much more than the label they answer to. A name represents their very nature. Their name is who they are.”

 

My goal, then, is to live in such a way that my life clearly represents His Name – the Name of Jesus.

 

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Virginia Smith is the author of fourteen Christian novels including Third Time's a Charm and her latest,  Into the Deep. Find out more about Ginny and her books at www.VirginiaSmith.org