Christmas and Forever

Christmas is here and it's time to jump for joy and wave our hands in the air to thank God for sending His precious Son to be born to die so that we can be with Him forever.

Forever seems like a very long time and isn't it amazing we get to choose where we will spend it! I know where I want to be and I hope you do too!

Jesus thank you for obeying your Father so we don't have to earn and work our way to forever.

Imagine if we did - the long hours of labour over work we may not enjoy; the years saving to buy our tickets; the number of souls we would 'have to ' Bible bash; the strain of having to be holy every single moment; the number of socks we would have to put in our mouths to stop our tongues running wild. Jesus I am so grateful You died to set us free from all this trying and strain.

Instead we learn to walk in Your kingdom, empowered by Your Spirit, changed from the inside out - to bask in Your love.

Thank you!

God in Cyberspace

Cyberspace is not a mystery to God, even though it is to me. His word travels to create just as the words I am typing right now shall translate through air waves onto your screen if you are reading this. These words, invisible yet powerful, will also create in you - an idea, a thought, an attitude, an emotion that will add to your life either positively or negatively. My motivation is to add postive input so let's get focused.

What was the last word God spoke to you through spiritual space? And what have you done with it?

Did you allow it to bounce off and fall into your detete tray where you purposefully ignored it? Did you hide it,saved in your mind for a more convenient time, delaying obedience? Or did you embrace it and welcome it into your heart and let it transform you from the inside out?

What is He saying to you today and what will you do with this new creative word. A love letter from God to produce new, vibrant life within you?

Writing in God's Kingdom

Once a manuscript is completed ready for an editor to point out finishing touches a new adventure begins. Some writers hunt down their contract first so they won't be wasting their time but I'm not a fan of pressure, especially with something as delicate as writing, so I wait until I am almost finished.

I reason that if God has whispered in my ear and nudged and convicted my spirit for months during the writing process then surely He can whisper in an editor's ear also!

This of course is going beyond the ways of the world into the kingdom of God where He dwells and from where we were created. And as one of His daughters I live here - even though I still walk around on planet Earth - so I am part of the atmosphere.

I have spent years studying His kingdom and exploring it and I am becoming more familiar with it's landscape. I love living in it! It's so much more bizarre, interesting, surprising and gracious than the world. My pick everytime!

Writing with God

Writing with God is a surprising adventure! When I am writing I feel He is so close - whispering in my ear, playing hide and seek among the pages of Scripture, concealing then revealing, laughing at my questions then pouncing on me with His answers.

Writing is a time of wonderful intimacy for me. No wonder I love it so much.

And then there is always a new adventure - once the manuscript is almost complete - one that I am still grappling with. And He is still hiding!

Always Within God's Radar

God is so BIG and yet it amazes me that so few people actually believe this - even Christians. Even me at times! We have our problems, our frustrations, our hopes and dreams and because God doesn't fix things right now, or even tomorrow, we begin to doubt. For some of us it take years for these feelings to actually come - but eventually they do - if we are honest. We wonder if God has perhaps gone to get take aways, or check His emails or maybe He's having a little nap listening to the latest angelic choir.

As I was walking along the beach yesterday I was tempted to let my thoughts wander down this path too. But fortunatly I didn't because I had just been reminded that I was still in His radar. It wasn't that He was answering any of my prayers that day but instead He was using me to warn another one of His daughters about something they needed to be wary of.

God's daughters are important to Him. He likes to protect us.

Gaining Inspiration

I have just returned from my fortnighly drive to a wonderful almost deserted beach not too far from my home. This is where I go to refresh myself and hear from God on a longer-than-normal basis. There is nothing like the ocean waves and huge open spaces that seem to drift away, falling over the horizon, to help me get in touch with the BIGNESS who GOD is.

Today again He revealed His immense grace and love for me and I have no trouble lapping it all up, asking for more, and thanking Him for His endless mercy.

How BIG is your God today?

The Perils of Publishing

I attended an interesting workshop last week all about the difficulties of being published, then being distributed - not to mention being bought before you are returned. And they didn't even menion the perils of actually writing in the first place.

Add to this the prospect that the p-book sadly seems to be diminishing and the e-book is on an expotential rise - and you have a sad state of affairs for all dreamy writers! We would far rather have our heads in the clouds, be tapping away at our computers or drinking hot chocolates in a cafe stirring our creative juices than worry about all this practical stuff. At least I would!

They also delved into the rewards of self-publishing balanced by the almost impossible refusal of distributors to act on behalf of individual authors. And the extra financial rewards of e-books with the lack of international law governing use and reuse.

Where does this leave us? I'm sitting on the edge of my hot chocolate bowl splashing my feet in the sweet warm liquid, watching the cinnamon swirl as I kick it and wondering whether to jump in! I wonder what God would say about all this?