Robin Lee Hatcher's Write Thinking

neck deep in revisions

First, the good news as a follow up to my last entry. Once off the medication, my blood pressure dropped quickly to the desired level (below 120/80) and my pulse rate slowed too. The headache lasted an extra day, but by Monday I was back to 100%.

---

Good thing I'm feeling better, because I am tearing apart and pasting back together my next novel, Return to Me (Zondervan, July 2007). I did the easy stuff first — seeking out unneeded "ly" words, resisting the urge to explain (R.U.E.), making notations on various pages where I need to add things. Next I added a prologue which was actually fun to write. The biggest change, however, has to do with chapters that contain scenes from the pasts of my two main characters. I'm reorganizing where they appear in the book. I'm hoping that what led into and out of those chapters won't be compromised by the redistribution, but I won't know until I finish reading through the entire book. I just hope I won't have to move them back again. Ack!

But for all the ways my head feels like it might explode when I'm doing revisions as I add and delete, move and change things around, all the while trying to remember what I've added or subtracted that might require another change in chapters further on in the book, I also feel a sense of excitement, knowing that I'm making the book even better than it was, of having a chance to deepen the emotion and strengthen the characters.

The revisions will most likely take me through next week to complete. This isn't something a writer should rush. At least not this writer.

---

I'm reading Liz Curtis Higgs' wonderful little book, Embrace Grace: Welcome to the Forgiven Life. It's a gem, a mood lifter and an encourager, just like the author herself. This book could easily be read in a matter of hours, but I am reading it slowly, in small bites, and savoring it. This morning, I came to this:

"Faith is not something you fall back on; faith is something you step into. Like venturing inside a dark room in a stranger's house, convinced you'll find a light switch to the left of the door. Ah, there it is."

No falling back on my faith. I've gotta step into it. I like that.

In the grip of His grace,
Robin

the cure is worse

This weekend I was supposed to attend a women's retreat in the mountains of Idaho, but I didn't go. I'm disappointed but trust God had His reasons for keeping me at home. One of them being that the person who was supposed to stay with my elderly mother tonight has fallen ill (sick enough to have to go to the ER twice) and so couldn't be here with Mom. Her illness happened after I'd decided to cancel my plans, but God saw to it that I wasn't 100 miles away when that happened.

The reason I had to cancel my plans was because I had an adverse reaction to a new medication I was on. The first week of taking the medication went without mishap, but at the start of week two I was to double the dosage. After two days of that, my blood pressure shot way up and stayed up, and my resting heart rate was almost in my exercise target zone (more about that in a minute). I was flushed, had a killer headache, and felt generally not good. So on Thursday the doctor had me stop the medication, saying it would take two to three days to get it entirely out of my system. Yesterday was better but not great. Today my blood pressure has normalized and my pulse is down, although still higher than it should be when I'm doing nothing but sitting.

Speaking of my pulse ... I discovered that I've been exercising below my target heart rate. I was going by what I remembered that general chart on the wall of the gym that I last saw three years ago said (the one that takes age into consideration but not resting heart rate). So this too-fast heart rate of mine got me thinking that I should find out what my actual target heart rate should be. Oops! I've been shooting too low on my cardio. I was going for between 120 and 130. I should be shooting for between 129 and 147. So tonight when I get on my recumbent bike for 30 minutes, I'm going to amp it up a bit. More exercise at the right pace should actually bring down my resting heart rate which would be a good thing. I'm well above normal at the best of times, which means my ticker is wearing itself out faster than most folks.

We live in a wonderful day and age, as far as advancements in medical care goes. But sometimes these modern miracle drugs are hard on the old body, making the cure worse than the original complaint. I'm going to look for another answer to what ailed me.

---

I'm going deep into revision mode for the next couple of weeks. I'll try to surface every now and then.

-rlh-

God is deeper still

Last week I watched The Hiding Place (1975). The book this film was based upon was instrumental in bringing me to faith in Christ, and so both film and book hold a special place in my heart. In case you are unfamiliar with Corrie ten Boom's story, here is a summary:

Corrie and Betsie ten Boom are middle-aged sisters working in their father's watchmaker shop in pre-WWII Holland. Their uneventful lives are disrupted with the coming of the Nazis. Caught hiding Jews in their attic, they are sent to a concentration camp, where their Christian faith keeps them from despair and bitterness.

There is one line from the film that always moves me. Betsie, frail and sick in their lice-infested barracks, tells Corrie, "There is no pit so deep that God is not deeper still."

When I look at the world around us, when I see and hear the hatred toward Christians, toward western nations, toward Americans, I wonder what the future will bring for my children and my grandchildren. And then I remind myself that my God is God and nothing is too difficult for Him. There is no pit so deep that God is not deeper still.

When I opened my Streams in the Desert this morning, it addressed trusting God in difficult situations:

Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?  (John 11:40)

Mary and Martha could not understand what their Lord was doing. Each of them had said to Him,  “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”  (John 11:21, 32). And behind their words we seem to read their true thoughts: “Lord, we do not understand why you waited so long to come or how you could allow the man you love so much to die. We do not understand how you could allow such sorrow and suffering to devastate our lives, when your presence might have stopped it all. Why didn't you come? Now it’s too late, because Lazarus has been dead four days!” But Jesus simply had one great truth in answer to all of this. He said, in essence, “You may not understand, but I am telling you that if you believe, you will see.”

Abraham could not understand why God would ask him to sacrifice his son, but he trusted Him. Then he saw the Lord’s glory when the son he loved was restored to him. Moses could not understand why God would require him to stay forty years in the wilderness, but he also trusted Him. Then he saw when God called him to lead Israel from Egyptian bondage.

Joseph could not understand his brothers’ cruelty toward him, the false testimony of a treacherous woman, or the long years of unjust imprisonment, but he trusted God and finally he saw His glory in it all. And Joseph’s father, Jacob, could not understand how God’s strange providence could allow Joseph to be taken from him. Yet later he saw the Lord’s glory when he looked into the face of his son, who had become the governor for a great king and the person used to preserve his own life and the lives of an entire nation.

Perhaps there is also something in your life causing you to question God. Do you find yourself saying, “I do not understand why God allowed my loved one to be taken. I do not understand why affliction has been permitted to strike me. I do not understand why the Lord has led me down these twisting paths. I do not understand why my own plans, which seemed so good, have been so disappointing. I do not understand why the blessings I so desperately need are so long in coming.”

Dear friend, you do not have to understand all God’s ways of dealing with you. He does not expect you to understand them. You do not expect  your  children to understand everything you do — you simply want them to trust you. And someday you too will see the glory of God in the things you do not understand.  J. H. M.

I know Corrie and Betsie must have asked why the Nazi's came to Holland, why their father died in prison, why they were suffering in a concentration camp. But ultimately they trusted God and ceased trying to understand why.

It helps me to know I don't have to understand all the ways God. It helps me to know I don't have to understand why God's blessings sometimes seem so long in coming. I will simply trust in my Abba-Father, the great I AM, right here where I am today.

In the grip of His grace,
Robin

Christmas in September

Okay, mid-September may be just a wee bit early to think about reading a story set in December with a Christmas theme. However, it's here. My hardcover novella, A Carol for Christmas, is now available at Amazon.com, and copies are available (or will be soon) at your local bookstore.

The packaging is beautiful, great for gift giving, and the novella length makes it a perfect read for the busy holiday season. So if you like to do your shopping early, I hope you'll consider A Carol for Christmas. Here's the blurb:

What would you give up for love? For Carol, it was her passion to sing. But was her sacrifice worth it now that her marriage is crumbling? In this heartwarming novella, two people discover the true essence of Christmas and its power to rekindle the flames of love.

a mile with Sorrow

I found this poem in today's Streams in the Desert entry, and it's too good and too true not to share:

I walked a mile with Pleasure,
She chattered all the way;
But left me none the wiser
For all she had to say.

I walked a mile with Sorrow,
And ne’er a word said she;
But oh, the things I learned from her
When Sorrow walked with me.

Like it or not, my character matures and changes more during times of struggle than it does in times of ease.

---

At present, I'm parking myself in the Psalms for my morning devotions. I'm joining with David and the other psalmists in praising God and exalting His name. In addition, I'm looking each day at an attribute or name of the great I AM and meditating on it. Psalm 29:4 says: "The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty." My meditation today is this:

I AM the Lord and My voice is powerful and full of majesty.

In the grip of His grace,
Robin

TBR toppling

I have a problem. "Too many books, too little time." That's what the t-shirt says, and it sure applies to me.

Every summer I come home from conferences with at least 30 or 40 more books. I am occasionally sent books by publishers. I buy books I find interesting or feel will help me in my spiritual walk or improve my writing or assist me in staying organized/cleaning my house.

Books have taken over my office, my library, my bedroom, my living room, and my family room. I swear they are multiplying while I sleep. If I live to be 100, I will never read all of the books I currently own and have not yet read. And what about my "keepers," books I've loved and want to keep even if I won't read them again?

I continue to think about downsizing my home, and the very thought of boxing up all of these books and moving them makes me want to climb under the covers in sheer horror. I have been taking a large box of books (mostly Christian fiction) about every third week to a local women's shelter. I've gone through some of my Christian living section and prepared a box for the local men's shelter. When I get another big box, I'll take another load.

None of the novels I've given away have gone unread. My mother reads all the time. But if I haven't read them, I have to go through a wrestling match. What if that is just the book I'll want to read a month from now? Still, I must be ruthless. I must be reasonable. And I must stop shopping at Amazon.com!!!

-rlh-

unusual suspect

Lisa at Author Intrusion posted this link to a Radar Online article about Stephen Baldwin and his new book, The Unusual Suspect. I don't know Stephen Baldwin and I have not read his book, but I have read some things about him since he was born-again in 2002, and his enthusiasm for Jesus is both contagious and exhausting. It makes me remember when I was a new Christian, thirsty to know the Lord more and more and more and to love radically and to give radically.

There was an excellent interview with Stephen Baldwin on Religion & Ethics Newsweekly in May of 2004. In the article, talking about the skateboard ministry LIVIN' IT, Baldwin says this:

LIVIN' IT was simply: How can we take this skate culture and create an outreach tool that is edgy, doesn't have that cheesy Christian thing that everyone complains about. Let's make something new, let's do something really cool. ...

It's not my message. This isn't Stephen Baldwin doing this. Stephen Baldwin became a born-again two years ago. And Stephen Baldwin went into the biggest Christian bookstore he could find. And some of them are pretty big. And I went, "Hey man, what's up, guys? I'm a believer and show me all the really cool Christian stuff." And the Christian employees of that Christian bookstore started laughing. And I was like, "What's so funny?" And they were like, "Well, there is no really cool Christian stuff." And I sat there and I said, "That doesn't make much sense. There's Christian billionaires. Eighty percent of the country's Christian. Where's all the really cool Christian stuff?"

It's my understanding now, based on my experience in business, that most Christians don't put their faith before their money. That's the reason why there isn't a lot of cool Christian stuff. Whenever there's a potential Christian opportunity for business, the first question any Christian investor will ask you is, "How do I get my money back?" And the reason I love Luis Palau is because this is a guy who is completely all about evangelism and reaching people and the lost with the gospel. The message for me, for LIVIN' IT, wasn't about Stephen Baldwin the guy who makes movies and Celebrity Mole and all this stuff and what he thinks about the Bible. It's not about that. I saw an opportunity to take skateboarders who were hard-core believers, who want to reach skateboarders and the youth and BMX bikers, and I wanted to focus on them. That's what LIVIN' IT is.

And later, this:

Jesus could come tomorrow. That was the revelation I had. And for me personally, it was all God's perfect plan for Stephen Baldwin's life. But not to become some guy who's, like, "Repent." I'm not that guy. I'm the new guy that is going to bring it to people and bring it to the youth of America in a new way that stays true and righteous to the law, which is the word of God, which is found in the Bible. I'm excited about the doors opening and the opportunity of doing that in the future.

Read the rest of the article. It's really quite good.

So why am I blogging about this? Well, I don't think Mr. Baldwin came off particularly well in that Radar Online interview. I think the interviewer was laying for him. (I've had that happen in the press and it's no fun.) Some believers may wish Baldwin would just shut up because they don't want him representing them as Christians. Some may think he is just a know-nothing celebrity who gets noticed (and a book published) because of who he is and not what he stands for or how much he knows about the Bible. Those kinds of reactions cause me to reflect on something that happened when I was a new Christian.

I was born-again on a Saturday morning after reading several books, The Hiding Place, Woman to Woman, and Prison to Praise. When I finished that last book around 6 a.m., I gave my heart to Jesus. I didn't have a church or a mentor or a Bible study (although I'd been reading The Living Bible New Testament for a number of months). It was just me and Jesus that morning. I found a church and great studies and sound teaching in very short order, but right then it was just the two of us.

A week later, full of the joy of the Lord, I walked into a friend's home one morning and saw that she'd been crying. I told her what had happened to me and that Jesus loved her. When I returned to her home after I got off work, she'd been born again, too.

Now if that doesn't prove the Lord can use anybody, I don't know what will. Sometimes it isn't how much you know but how excited you are for God that He uses.

Some years later, my friend's husband accepted Christ. The two of them traveled to Israel and were baptized in the Jordan. Only back home, I still heard his coarse talk, and he did some things that I didn't think a Christian would or should do.

One day God brought me up short on judging my brother in Christ. He told me that He, the Lord, was busy cleaning up the inside of this guy's "cup" and I was to keep my hands off the outside because it would eventually — and in God's good and perfect time — become clean too. It wasn't any of my business.

I guess that's how I feel about Stephen Baldwin and his interview with Radar Online. Whatever his answers, whatever his style of answering, whether or not he came off as a fool or a fool for God, God is using him and God is working in him. It's not my business to tell God how to use Stephen Baldwin or to judge the outside of Baldwin's "cup."

In the grip of His grace (and mighty thankful for it),
Robin

pray for those in authority

I've blogged before on the anniversaries of 9/11. Words are always hard to come by when I think of this national tragedy that has so altered the world I live in. Today, I'm revisiting what I wrote two years ago because I believe these words are still what I need to be saying and doing.

Where were you when . . .

In my lifetime, there have been several of those pivotal, unforgettable moments that are seared into the minds and hearts of many. JFK's assassination. The Challenger explosion. 9/11.

Five years ago, I sat on the sofa, my heart and mind crying out against the images I saw on TV. I live far, far away from New York City, but on that day, I became in some small way, as did many others, a New Yorker. In an instant of horror too much to believe, my innocence was snatched away from me, never to return. As a nation, we cared deeply for those who lost much. We reached out. We gave to others. For a period of time, we were united as a nation.

Sadly, our resolve has weakened with time. We were told that the war on terror would take time and sacrifice and that it would be unlike any war we'd fought before. At the time, the nation said we would take the time, expend the effort. But we Americans are too often a spoiled, impatient people who want everything in an instant and without emotional or physical cost. We have become a people who too often claim we are responsible for nothing. We often blame our bad habits and wrong actions on others (our parents, our siblings, the mean kids we went to school with, the coffee that was too hot at McDonalds). Hateful accusations are flung about with reckless abandon toward anyone who doesn't agree with our politics or our philosophies or our religion.

And so today I ask myself: When was the last time I prayed for blessing and wisdom for President Bush and others in authority? Too long. Too seldom. Shame on me. I should be doing it daily. If I want to walk in obedience to God, I need to pray faithfully.

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. As you make your requests, plead for God's mercy upon them, and give thanks. Pray this way for kings and all others who are in authority, so that we can live in peace and quietness, in godliness and dignity. (1 Timothy 2:1-2)

Obey the government, for God is the one who put it there. All governments have been placed in power by God. So those who refuse to obey the laws of the land are refusing to obey God, and punishment will follow. (Romans 13:1-3)

The authorities are established by God for that very purpose, to punish those who do wrong. So you must obey the government for two reasons: to keep from being punished and to keep a clear conscience.  (Romans 13:4-5)

For the Lord's sake, accept all authority — the king as head of state, and the officials he has appointed. For the king has sent them to punish all who do wrong and to honor those who do right. (1 Peter 2:13-14)

If you would like to pray for the Lord's protection against and defeat of terrorists, here is a great way to start. Brandilyn Collins at Forensics & Faith is using Psalm 10 for that very purpose.

In the grip of His grace,
Robin

Ireland, the novel

I've shared before with readers of this blog how much I enjoy audio books. I almost always have one going in my car, and I sometimes listen to them on my iPod when I travel.

Well, I'm listening to a beauty of a book right now. It is Ireland by Frank Delaney, read by the author. I bought it from Audible.com (as is my usual practice) and burned it to CDs for my car. It's a big book. Fifteen CDs worth.

For the first five to ten minutes, I wasn't sure I was going to like the novel. It's different in the way the story unfolds. But I quickly changed my mind. I am now on disk #8 and thoroughly entranced. Here is the publisher's blurb:

From a land famous for storytelling comes an "absolute masterpiece"*—an epic novel of Ireland that captures the intimate, passionate texture of the Irish spirit.

One wintry evening in 1951, an itinerant storyteller—a Seanchai, the very last practitioner of a fabled tradition extending back hundreds of years—arrives unannounced at a house in the Irish countryside. In exchange for a bed and a warm meal, he invites his hosts and some of their neighbors to join him by the fireside, and begins to tell formative stories of Ireland's history. One of his listeners, a nine-year-old boy, grows so entranced by the story-telling that, when the old man leaves abruptly under mysterious circumstances, the boy devotes himself to finding him again.

Ronan's search for the Storyteller becomes both a journey of self-discovery and an immersion into the sometimes-conflicting histories of his native land. As the long-unspoken secrets of his own family begin to reveal themselves, he becomes increasingly single-minded in pursuit of the old man, who he fears may already be dead. But Ronan's personal path also leads him deeper and deeper into the history and mythology of Ireland itself, in all its drama, intrigue, and heroism.

Ireland travels through the centuries, interweaving Ronan's quest for the Storyteller with a richly evocative unfolding of the great moments in Irish history, ranging from the savage grip of the Ice Age to the green and troubled land of tourist brochures and political unrest. Along the way, we meet foolish kings and innocent monks, fabled saints and great works of art, shrewd Norman raiders, strong tribal leaders, poets, politicians, and lovers. Each illuminates the magic of Ireland and the eternal connection of its people to the land.

A sweeping novel of huge ambition, Ireland is the beautifully told story of a remarkable nation. From the epic sweep of its telling to the precision of its characters—great and small, tragic and comic—it rings with the truth of a writer passionate about his country and in full command of his craft.

Okay. I'm an author. I know that back cover copy is created to sell a book. But as a reader, I can say that this isn't hyperbole. It doesn't hurt that the story is read by the author. His wonderful Irish accent deftly adjusts for each character, making the audio book a pleasure to listen to. If you prefer to read the novel rather than listen to it, I feel quite certain the experience will be just as wonderful. I know it has me dreaming once again of visiting the land of my maternal ancestors.

-rlh-

camino for mac

When I was still part of the Windows world (I am now seven months into my life as a Mac user), I made the switch from Internet Explorer to Mozilla's Firefox. Smart move for anybody using Windows. Firefox is just a better browser and lots more secure than IE from everything I've read. Happily, Firefox is also available on the Mac, and I preferred it over Safari (Apple's browser).

Tonight I was sitting on the sofa, icing my foot (I don't know what I did but it hurts and I'm limping) and browsing through the September issue of Macworld when I came across a review of Mozilla's Camino browser. Camino 1.0, made specifically for Macs, is a universal binary browser that runs natively on both PowerPC- and Intel-based Macs. So I jumped on the Internet and did some googling to learn a little more. Finally, I decided that the price was right (free). I downloaded the software and installed it.

Camino is significantly faster than Firefox in downloading web pages. I miss the particular way Firefox saves passwords, but Camino utilizes the Mac's keychain, so I can live with it. My Typepad blog entry page appears a bit different in Camino than it does in Firefox, but this too I can live with.

So if you are a Mac user (whether the older models or the newer Intel Macs), you might want to give Camino a test drive.

-rlh-

saturday sundries, week #36

I've kept my fanny glued to the chair in front of my computer over the three days since I last posted, but I did not make the progress I'd hoped I would. Progress, yes, but not enough. However, ideas are starting to pop a little more often. That's always a good sign. Especially since the writing schedule will remain intense for many, many weeks to come.

---

The Boise Valley has been gasping, hacking, and coughing in terrible Stage 1 air quality alert. Smoke from something like sixteen forest fires has drifted into the valley and nestled against the foothills, growing worse day by day by day. People have been told not to spend time outdoors, not to exercise, basically to try not to breathe more than necessary. A hot wind blew through on Thursday night, but all it did was make the air smell even more like the neighborhood was on fire (and I live on the opposite side of the valley from the mountains). No smoke blew away, but I did get more small branches knocked out of my curly willow tree.

I must admit that the smoke has made for some spectacular sunrises, turning the morning sky an unusual shade of pink.

You can click on the photos for slightly bigger images if you wish. The one on the left is taken from my front yard, pointing at my neighbor's house. The one on the right is a little clearer view from my backyard.

---

How about the Dems in congress threatening a TV network over a docudrama based on the 9/11 Commission report? What a ridiculous circus this has been! I have plenty I could say and would like to say, but I have had only limited time to follow the story and so don't feel qualified. But Hugh Hewitt has some informed columns regarding the matter. Here's a link to one called The Clinton Censors.

---

So if thinking about the government and upcoming elections makes you want to scream, here is a bit of scripture to take to heart so we can all start praying for those who will be in authority over us when the election dust settles:

Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.  Therefore he who resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.  For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same;  for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath upon the one who practices evil.  Wherefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience’ sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing.  Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.  (Rom. 13:1-7)

---

The governing authorities are established by God. That's something to ponder in this day and age.

Which brings me to the Name of God I am meditating upon at presence:  ELOHIM (e-lo-HEEM), God, the Mighty Creator. In the beginning, He created everything out of nothing. He could have made things very different than He did. He could have made me very different than He did. I am created in His image. Amazing!

---

And now it's time that I return to Patti and Al in the little town of Hart's Crossing where no politics or smoky forest fires are intruding on their lives. However, as is true of all of us, they have their own personal brand of trouble to deal with. My job is to make those troubles worse before things can get better. I am not a Mighty Creator, but I am made in the image of the Mighty Creator, so I create with a small "c" and hope to reveal some of His truth along the way.

In the grip of His grace,
Robin

confess your secret

Check out this site: MySecret.tv

take the lead

Take the Lead starring Antonio Banderas.

We've seen this story before in different variations. Music of the Heart starring Meryl Streep comes immediately to mind, only that was about students who learned to play the violin. Mad Hot Ballroom was a 2005 DVD documentary about inner city 11-year-olds learning to ballroom dance.

Take the Lead is about troubled NYC students in detention learning to ballroom dance. "Inspired by a true story" (as this film claims to be) can mean anything in Hollywood lingo. I've seen a few Hallmark movies that were "inspired" by novels I've read, and the only things that resembled the books were the movie titles and a few character names.

I did enjoy this movie. There isn't a very deep plot going on here nor, for that matter, deep characterization. You'll want to watch it for the dancing. Banderas was believable as a ballroom dance instructor, and of course, his accent is lovely to listen to. I don't recall a lot of bad language. I'm not saying there wasn't some, but my mind didn't take it in. Thus, I must believe it was mild or I simply tuned it out.

As much as I enjoy the ballroom dance movies (Dance with Me, Strictly Ballroom, and Shall We Dance, to name a few more) and (guilty confession) TV's Dancing with the Stars, maybe I should consider signing up for some ballroom dance lessons. Hmm. That'll have to be after my schedule smooths out a bit.

---

I'm happy to report that my writing went well yesterday and I'm hoping for a repeat of the same today. I'm trying not to focus on everything I have yet to do but to focus instead on just what needs done today. One step at a time, one day at a time. And worrying accomplishes nothing except to twist my brain into a useless pretzel.

-rlh-

deadline madness

I am in a rather crazy, hectic, overwhelming time in my writing life. I'm working on a novella with a looming deadline, and as of yesterday, I'm in possession of a revision letter for my novel that I turned in to the publisher in July. The revisions also have a looming deadline. The good news in the revision letter is that the book doesn't stink (always what I fear); the bad news is that I need to add a considerable number of scenes. (This may be a very quiet blog over the next month. We'll see.)

But God is good! Just as I was facing the reality of my calendar, I arrived at yesterday's reading in Streams in the Desert. It was like the words were written eighty-some years ago just for me today.

He saw the disciples straining at the oars.  (Mark 6:48)

Straining and striving does not accomplish the work God gives us to do. Only God Himself, who always works without stress and strain and who never overworks, can do the work He assigns to His children. When we restfully trust Him to do it, the work will be completed and will be done well. And the way to let Him do His work through us is to so fully abide in Christ by faith that He fills us to overflowing.

A man who learned this secret once said, “I came to Jesus and drank, and I believe I will never be thirsty again. My life’s motto has become  ‘Not overwork but overflow,’  and it has already made all the difference in my life.”

There is no straining effort in an overflowing life, and it is quietly irresistible. It is the normal life of omnipotent and ceaseless accomplishment into which Christ invites each of us to enter —today and always.

I want my life's work to overflow without stress, strain, or striving, and that comes from trusting God to do His work within me. I want to fully abide in Christ every day of my life. I want Jesus to overflow from my heart and my work and my actions.

---

I've begun a morning meditation on the Names of the Lord. This morning's name is "The Angel of Jehovah" (Genesis 22:15). Jesus, You are God's messenger who was called out of heaven, the Angel of Jehovah, who has brought new life to all who trust in You. You have covered my sins and made a new woman out of me. Praise the Name of the Lord. Amen.

In the grip of His grace,
Robin

brain cells dying

A while back, Zondervan recorded a little video of me talking about my next book, A Carol for Christmas. I memorized what I wanted to say, fixed my make up and wore something pretty and Christmas-like. Well, the results are in.

Is it agony for everyone to see themselves on tape? It is for me. I feel like I can see my brain cells dying an agonizing death as I try to remember that pretty little 83-second speech I wrote in advance of the taping. I do lots of public speaking and am totally at ease behind the podium. I've been interviewed on television and never broke a sweat. Speaking "off the cuff" in a Q&A session is natural for this extrovert. I used to do theater, so memorizing my lines wasn't particularly terrible. However, there was something quite stress inducing when I stared into that camera and tried to recall what I'd written.

But, since I dressed up and all (remember my post about Cabin Fever?), I'm not about to let this video die in obscurity. So if you'd like to see me telling a little about A Carol for Christmas (due in stores in just over a month), pop over to the welcome page on my web site and click on the video links. There is one for Quicktime and one for Windows Media. And if you get a bellyache from laughing at my dying brain cells, please forgive me.

-rlh-