Robin Lee Hatcher's Write Thinking

farewell 2006

Recap: 2005 was the year of Endurance. 2006 was the year of Victory.  The words I believe God gave me for 2007 are Peace and Simplicity. Sounds good to me. I'm ready for some of that.

2006 was the year I became a Mac addict. Yep, it's true. I fell for my little beauties (iMac and MacBook) hook, line, and sinker. There have been moments of frustration, but most of those were because I was still thinking with a Windows brain.

The first three months of 2006 were when I read the entire Bible in 90 days. It was an amazing experience. I'm glad I did it.

2006 was the year I grew in my understanding of how God uses trials and pain in the lives of His children. I particularly found help and guidance in Streams in the Desert, one of the best devotionals I have ever used.

2006 saw the release of two new hardcover novellas and one "redeemed" paperback novel.

I lost about five pounds in March 2006, and at the end of the year, they are still missing. Yea!! However, I wasn't as successful as I wanted to be with my exercise program. It's been hit and miss. Hopefully that will improve in 2007.

Today I wrapped revisions on my final Hart's Crossing novella. {{Huge sigh of relief.}} A nice way to end the old year.

So farewell, 2006. Let's see what the New Year brings.

-rlh-

the veterans way connection

Okay, this amuses me.

I popped over to Amazon.com to see if the As Time Goes By DVDs are available in the US. (See how enamored I am with this show.) They are available. Complete set costs $132.99.

As I was reading the blurb on Amazon.com, it occurred to me that it sounds a little like my novella, Veterans Way. Jimmy and Stephanie first kissed on V-J Day when he was ten and she was nine. A few years later, they were high school sweethearts. Then Jimmy went off to serve his country in Korea. Stephanie fell in love with another boy and got married. Jimmy got out of the service, fell in love, married, and didn't return to his hometown. Fifty years later, with both of them widowed, James moves back to Hart's Crossing, and an old love is rekindled.

No wonder I like this TV series so much. Great minds think alike and all that. (Except my heroine was 69 and my hero was 70, if my aging memory serves.)

Ah, love.

-rlh-

as time goes by, part 2

Oh my goodness gracious! I am one happy camper.

Still enchanted with thoughts of the As Time Goes By shows I wrote about in my last post, I went searching to see if the series lasted after 1992 and if so, were they out on DVD. What did I find but that the series lasted through 2002, with a reunion special in 2005. And all of them are on DVD. Now those DVDs are all sitting in my Netflix queue.

I do so hope that the show remains this funny and endearing throughout all those episodes.

I was thinking as I drove to the airport late last night (to pick up someone returning from Christmas spent with family) why I enjoyed this show so very much. Quality of acting and quality of writing are certainly a huge part of it. But I think it's because I can relate to these characters. Judi Dench (as well as her character) is 58 at the series' start and the Lionel character (if not the actor who plays him) is 60. These are two intelligent people who sometimes bemoan what has happened to their bodies with age, their aches and pains, their "wrinklies." They know they are not so old they need to be put out to pasture, but they also have doubts about expectations in their later years. They remember all the falling in love feelings, but they have also experienced life's disappointments and heartaches.

Since I am no longer on the left side of 50, I understand these characters. I feel their wistfulness and their weariness. I love their humor and their crotchety moments, too.

You know, this is what I always want to do with my books. I want a reader to continue thinking about my characters and their world long after the book is closed. Speaking of which, my writing didn't cooperate yesterday, so I'd best get to work.

-rlh-

as time goes by

I just finished watching the BBC series, As Time Goes By, starring Judi Dench (Jean) and Geoffrey Palmer (Lionel). Not sure how I stumbled on this gem (via Netflix), but I'm so glad I did. The show aired in 1992.

The two main characters were in love in 1953. Then Lionel went off to the Korean War and Jean never heard from him again. Thirty-eight years later, their paths cross. He's divorced. She is widowed. Their journey through these 13 half-hour episodes is beautiful, funny, touching, engaging. In the later episodes, I had a few laughing spells that I thought might harm me.

For the writers among us, Lionel is a first time author of a rather dull autobiography, My Life in Kenya. His publisher shepherds him along from revisions (first episode) to book signing (thirteenth episode). Some things made me shake my head and say, "No way." Others had me going, "Yeah, it's like that."

Truly, this is a charming series. Rent it and enjoy it for yourself.

-rlh-

writing updates

Might as well report in regarding my two WIPs that have deadlines hot on the heels of the holidays.

SDD revisions are moving along, but I'm not done yet. Most of my revisions are in terms of new scenes so it is almost like working on a first draft.

Current / Goal (85.3% complete)

CMC is still a first draft and I have lots to write by its due date. Can't really work on it until the revisions above are done so hope that I generate well today. (Since this is a novella, I'm not quite as behind as it looks, although I'm not as far as I should be either.)

Current / Goal (39.6% complete)

Off to revise and write. Back later.

-rlh-

RIP, Gerald Ford

Former President Gerald Ford passed away on Tuesday at the age of 93.

I always admired President Ford and wish he'd had more of an opportunity as president. He stepped into office in a time of great turmoil (following Nixon's resignation) and served his country well and with honor. Certainly I wish he'd won the election in 1976. How different those next four years might have been.

President Bush on Wednesday remembered former President Gerald Ford as a "man of complete integrity who led our country with common sense and kind instincts" and helped restore faith in the presidency after the Watergate scandal.

"On Aug. 9, 1974, he stepped into the presidency without ever having sought the office," Bush said. "He assumed power in a period of great division and turmoil. For a nation that needed healing and for an office that needed a calm and steady hand, Gerald Ford came along when we needed him most."

Rest in peace, Mr. Ford.

-rlh-

Merry Christmas

In a few hours, my daughters and their families will arrive for Christmas Eve brunch. I've bought a Heavenly Ham and a hash browns casserole from the Cracker Barrel (still to be picked up). A scrambled egg casserole is waiting to be put into the oven as are the cinnamon rolls. Spiced cider is warming in the Crockpot, and coffee is soon to be made. We will eat, we will laugh, and the grandchildren will open a few gifts. Tonight there is the Christmas Eve communion service at church, and in the morning, we'll be at my cousin's home for another brunch.

Ah, Christmas.

May God grant you peace and joy, dear readers, as we celebrate the first advent of Christ. And may you know peace and joy as we eagerly await Christ's Second Advent.

In the grip of His grace,
Robin

quotable movie lines

For the movie lovers among you, here is a fun post to read.

The Official 79th Oscars Poster was revealed recently, and it includes dozens of memorable and quotable lines from motions pictures. This link will take you to a site that has lifted all the lines from the poster and written them out for us, along with the movie they came from. Fun reading!

How many of these lines have you tossed out at one time or another? How many have you used but didn't know the movie it came from?

-rlh-

when deadlines fall over Christmas

New Years deadlines. I try to avoid them. Honest I do. But somehow, they sneak into my life with great regularity.

I have another one this year. January 8th is highlighted on my calendar. I need about another 70 pages on book #53. Not all that bad in the amount of time I have left. Except this week, the revisions of my last WIP (book #51) dropped onto my desk, and this manuscript needs a lot of work, mostly in added scenes/new writing. About 25 pages worth. Not only that, but the editor asked if it could be returned by December 27th.

The 27th?!?

Okay, I'll see what I can do. Ho, ho, ho. Guess who will be working on Christmas Day.

---

I made an airport run at 4:30 this morning. We started getting snow yesterday afternoon, and it kept it up overnight. This morning we have a real winter wonderland. Although it took a little longer than usual to get to and from the airport, the roads weren't too slick, and it was a beautiful drive. Everything so white and still and peaceful at that hour of the morning. Boise rarely has a white Christmas, but it looks as if this could be one.

-rlh-

barna survey round-up

Barna Lists the 12 Most Significant Religious Findings from 2006 Surveys

December 20, 2006

(Ventura, CA) – Even though George Barna has been conducting national public opinion surveys for a quarter-century, surprises emerge each year from those studies. The California-based researcher traditionally ends each year by identifying some of the unexpected and most significant findings of the passing year. Barna released his list of the twelve most noteworthy results of 2006, and described a few themes that ran through this year’s surveys.

Noteworthy Outcomes

Barna selected the following dozen outcomes as the most significant findings of 2006.

Follow this link to read the rest of this interesting article on matters of faith in America.

by the numbers

Michael Hyatt at From Where I Sit has a couple of charts in today's blog post that show the Top Ten Trade Publishers and the Top Ten Christian Publishers.

Since shifting my focus from the mass market to the CBA, I've written for Zondervan (HarperCollins), WaterBrook (Random House), Tyndale, Baker Books, Multnomah, and Steeple Hill. And I'm contracted to do a book for Thomas Nelson next year (a Women of Faith novel due out in early 2008). Thus I found these lists quite interesting. Maybe the writers who read this blog will find them interesting, too.

-rlh-

they look like me!

Hat tip to From the Morning for this gem. Must admit that I rather like the 71% match with Parker and 61% match with Underwood. But do I really look like Rock Hudson? Hmm.

Okay, now I really must get back to my WIP. Maddie has a broken ankle, and she is much too attracted to Tony than she thinks is good for her. Robin to the rescue.

-rlh-

new adventure for a new year

In 1997, I began a ten year journey of Bible reading: I read through the entire Bible every odd numbered year and through the New Testament three to four times every even numbered year. In 2006, I did an extra read-through of the entire Bible by participating in the Bible in 90 Days, then read the New Testament two times through to finish out the year.

For 2007, I felt led to change things up a bit. Actually to slow things down in order to dig deeper. So I and my Bible reading companions/accountability group (who joined me on this Bible reading journey in 2004) have chosen to begin the New Year with Beth Moore's on-line study, Living Beyond Yourself. An on-line study is perfect for us since the participants of this accountability group live in other towns and states, and our communication is primarily via email.

I did Beth Moore's Believing God study in Aug/Sept/Oct 2003. It was a wonderful, faith-building study. I loved the on-line version because I could listen to the lesson at my convenience (which was often 4:00 a.m.). Thus, I am looking forward to beginning Living Beyond Yourself on January 1. This 10-week, 11-lesson Bible study explores the characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit and what it means to live by the Spirit.

My reading companions and I also chose a different devotional for 2007: Grace for the Moment by Max Lucado. Several of us already own this wonderful little book, but it is such a good one, we opted to read it again. And since I discovered there is now a Volume II of Grace for the Moment, I bought it, too.

If you are looking for a Bible study/reading plan, maybe the above will give you some ideas. Make it a priority to be in God's word daily in 2007. You'll be blessed if you do.

In the grip of His grace,
Robin

call back

The December 19 entry in Streams in the Desert (see quoted section below) really touched my heart, especially the line that says "we should 'call back' our encouragement to others."

It caused me to think of how many people have entered my life who "called back" encouragement to me when I was blinded by mist, fog, haze, and clouds. And I, in turn, as God has proven faithful, as prayers were answered, as I learned another lesson, as the summit was reached, have called back to those behind me.

It's one of the reasons I write Christian fiction — to encourage, to offer hope, to "call back" to those who are now walking the paths that I once walked.

---

This will result in your being witnesses to them.  (Luke 21:13)

Life is a steep climb, and it is always encouraging to have those ahead of us “call back” and cheerfully summon us to higher ground. We all climb together, so we should help one another. The mountain climbing of life is serious, but glorious, business; it takes strength and steadiness to reach the summit. And as our view becomes better as we gain altitude, and as we discover things of importance, we should “call back” our encouragement to others.

If you have gone a little way ahead of me, call back —
It will cheer my heart and help my feet along the stony track;
And if, perhaps, Faith’s light is dim, because the oil is low,
Your call will guide my lagging course as wearily I go.

Call back, and tell me that He went with you into the storm;
Call back, and say He kept you when the forest’s roots were torn;
That, when the heavens thunder and the earthquake shook the hill,
He bore you up and held you where the lofty air was still.

O friend, call back, and tell me for I cannot see your face;
They say it glows with triumph, and your feet sprint in the race;
But there are mists between us and my spirit eyes are dim,
And I cannot see the glory, though I long for word of Him.

But if you’ll say He heard you when your prayer was but a cry,
And if you’ll say He saw you through the night’s sin-darkened sky —
If you have gone a little way ahead, O friend, call back —
It will cheer my heart and help my feet along the stony track.

---

Thank you, the many who have called back to me throughout this year. Your words have encouraged, lifted, and strengthened me. Your words have given me guidance and help me find my way. Sometimes you haven't even known you were calling back to me, but I heard you anyway. God bless you.

In the grip of His grace,
Robin

Christmas books roundup

FaithfulReader.com has "compiled a list of books perfect to share with the whole family that reflect the richness of this meaningful holiday. In this roundup, you'll find inspirational, heartwarming and humorous stories, faith-stirring devotionals, and thought-provoking history and trivia, as well as guides to keeping old traditions alive and creating new ones in both the home and the community."

Guess what book is the second one in their list? A Carol for Christmas! Now I realize this has more to do with the alphabet than my story itself, but it was still fun to see it there.

-rlh-

nativity story

Yesterday after church, I went to see The Nativity Story. It was lovely and moving. I'm sure that it is more meaningful for Christians than for those who don't believe and/or don't understand the story of the virgin birth and the many prophecies that were fulfilled in Jesus. I couldn't help thinking of The Passion of the Christ, too. Either story alone is not quite enough. Together, they are a powerful testament to God's amazing love for humankind.

I encourage you to take the time to see this movie while it is still in theaters. It's well worth the price and will encourage filmmakers to continue producing high quality movies of faith. I will definitely add this one to my DVD collection when it's released so I can view it every December.

-rlh-

mrs. palfrey at the claremont

I believe it was a year ago on Christmas that my cousin told me she had seen this delightful film and said I should try to go see it. Unfortunately, it left the theater before I got around to it, so I saved it on Netflix and waited for it to release on DVD. At last it did, and I received my rental copy today.

That delightful film is called Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont, and it was every bit as good as my cousin promised. Touching. Insightful. Heartwarming. Sad. Lovely. Poignant. Here's the Netflix description:

Joan Plowright takes the title role in this heartwarming drama, based on the best-selling novel by the same name. After traveling to London to be closer to her 26-year-old grandson, the recently widowed Mrs. Palfrey moves into a local hotel while she waits -- and waits -- for him to return her calls. But when fate introduces her to a kindly young writer (Rupert Friend), she finds the family she's always wanted.

The beautiful relationship between the elderly Sarah Palfrey and the young Ludovic Meyer, who becomes her surrogate grandson, touched my heart in so many ways. It's a deceptively simple story with surprising depth. I loved it! Don't miss this one.

-rlh-

the Bible in America

From Michael Hyatt's weblog, From Where I Sit, this post:

The December 18 issue of New Yorker magazine has a great article entitled, The Good Book Business: Why Publishers Love the Bible. It focuses on the Bible publishing industry in general and Thomas Nelson in particular. It mentions several of our own employees—and former employees. Here’s an excerpt:

The familiar observation that the Bible is the best-selling book of all time obscures a more startling fact: the Bible is the best-selling book of the year, every year. Calculating how many Bibles are sold in the United States is a virtually impossible task, but a conservative estimate is that in 2005 Americans purchased some twenty-five million Bibles—twice as many as the most recent Harry Potter book. The amount spent annually on Bibles has been put at more than half a billion dollars.

Robin here: I confess that I buy many Bibles. I buy new ones for my own study and I buy new ones to give away. I am also given new Bibles by my publishers. I have been given so many Bibles in recent years that I recently gave away ten unused ones to a women's prison in Idaho. Sometimes when I think how persecuted Christians in other countries are overjoyed just to get their hands on a few lines of Scripture, let alone an entire Bible, I feel guilty. Can it be a sin for a Christian to own so many Bibles? Sometimes I think it must be.

I have my favorite Bibles, of course. They are underlined and highlighted and have notes scribbled in the margins and at the top and bottom of the pages. They worn and torn and wrinkled and are beloved because God has used them to speak to my heart. I like to have different versions of the Bible so I can compare translations and gain a deeper understanding. But there is something quite sad about an unused Bible. Better for me to have one less translation than for someone who needs a Bible to do without.

In the grip of His grace,
Robin

pc holidays

Remember when everybody said, "Merry Christmas," without worrying if they had offended someone? I do. Well, in order to make things easier for you, I've come across the politically correct greeting (credit: Mikey’s Funnies) for this time of year.

Best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress, non-addictive, gender neutral, winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most joyous traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, but with respect for the religious persuasion of others who choose to practice their own religion as well as those who choose not to practice a religion at all; plus,

A fiscally successful, personally fulfilling, and medically uncomplicated recognition of the generally accepted calendar year 2007, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of the other cultures whose contributions have helped make our society great, without regard to age, race, creed, color, religion, national origin, disability, political affiliation or sexual orientation.

(Disclaimer: This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal. It implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for him/herself or others and no responsibility for any unintended emotional stress these greetings may bring to those not caught up in the holiday spirit.)

-rlh-

braving the mall

I've said here before that I am not a "shopper" by nature, but today I am marching forth to do my Christmas shopping. I'm meeting Daughter #1, and we are risking life and limb at Toys R Us, Home Depot, CompUSA, and various stores in the mall. As a reward, we are then eating at Boise's brand new Cheesecake Factory. Not sure what I will eat for lunch, but Banana Creme Cheesecake is on my list for dessert.

Tonight I'm off to watch Granddaughter #1 perform in a Christmas choir program. I missed Grandson #2's school program because ... nobody told me when it was. (Boy, did they get a talking to!) Tomorrow morning, it's Daughter #2's preschoolers' turn to perform. Those Christmas programs are always fun.

Of course, I am supposed to be writing today and tomorrow (something that is moving more slowly than I would like), but kids are little such a short time. We don't dare blink or we'll miss them growing up. I'll just have to write more on Saturday to make up for the time spent doing life's more important things.

Well, the mall beckons.

-rlh-

moral fiction

If you are a writer, a reader, or someone who prefers movies without gratuitous violence, James Scott Bell has written a powerful piece over at Charis Connection. Don't miss this one.

-rlh-

a word for 2007

Last year, I began praying in November or December for God to give me a word for the upcoming year. The one He gave me was "Victory." Believe me, there were moments during 2005 when I thought I must have heard wrong. Victory didn’t look or feel the way I thought it should. But since my victory is in Christ, I reach the end of the year knowing it was a victorious one after all. He has instructed, comforted, strengthened, and restored me. He has given me new friendships and grown the ones I already had. He has deepened my roots in my local church body.

Victory is, indeed, mine.

So it's December again, and I'm asking God to give me a word for 2007. My church is currently embarked on a study of the book of Luke, and the teaching is falling under the umbrella slogan: "Believing for the advent-ure. Living a life of daring faith between Jesus' first and second coming." That's the sort of year I'm looking forward to. One of daring faith. An adventure.

Maybe the word God gives me will have something to do with that.

-rlh-

Harry Kraus: Christmas in Kijabe

In the summer of 2005, I was present for a slide presentation by an author friend of mine, Harry Kraus. But Harry is more than a writer. He is also a surgeon. And more than a surgeon, he is a missionary with AIM (Africa Inland Mission), providing medical care to people who would not otherwise have it. As I watched that slide presentation a year and a half ago, I knew that I had to provide support to Harry and his family so that they, in turn, could bring love and care to the people of Kenya.

This week, I received a Christmas greeting from Harry and his family. I was so moved by it, I asked his permission to use it on my blog. May it bless you as it blessed me.

---

Dear Robin Lee,

Christmas in Kijabe.  Never seems much like the season, here.  No snow.  No hype.  No consumerism.  OK, maybe it IS like Christmas, just different.  Seventy-five degrees and sunny is what December is like in Kijabe, whether it seems like the holiday season or not.

I've never been that thrilled with the way Kenyans sing.  Always from the front of their throats.  Nasal almost.  A bit too squeezed and narrow, not supported and full the way we're taught to sing in choirs back home.  But this morning was different.  I've been on my own as the only surgeon for the first ten days this month.  And it's been crazy-busy, fun in a twisted way, but stressing me out a bit to be on-call 24/7 for so many days in a row, and wearying, especially when dealing with so many suffering people.  Saturday night brought me two assault victims, both with open skull fractures, one a victim of rape.  Sunday and Monday brought me two babies, both with intussuception (a rather bizarre condition where the bowel telescopes inside out, rather like one section of bowel being pulled inside out and pushed downstream).  Both had emergency surgery.  Tuesday, I spent hours doing a complicated burn scar reconstruction to free the arm of a young Somali boy who had healed from a bad burn so that his arm was one with his chest from the shoulder to the elbow.  Wednesday, a tired bus driver turned the job over to an assistant who traveled less than three kilometers before crashing.  We saw fifty patients from that one accident.  The pace was near-brutal and I spent hours in the operating theatre repairing complex facial lacerations, and putting in chest tubes for punctured lung patients along with dealing with all of my elective case-load.  Thursday after a full day in clinic, I had to face a revision of a head-and-neck cancer patient, and two abdominal explorations, one with peritonitis from tuberculosis (something I never saw back home, but that is common in Africa) and another with bowel perforations from typhoid fever.

So this morning, I dragged back into the hospital wondering what craziness I would find.  And that brings me back to the way the Kenyans sing.  I was trying to write a note in a patient's chart when the private ward nurses gathered at the nurses station for morning devotions.  The young female nurse began the song by herself, waiting for the others to join in.

"Burdens are lifted at Calvary.
Calvary.  Calvary!
Burdens are lifted at Calvary.
Jesus is very near."

Immediately, my spirit soared with the message of the song.  I cared little about the delivery.  The message was water to my thirsty soul.  Calvary.  That's what makes all the work worthwhile.  My eyes filled with tears.  Another nurse asked me a question about one of my patients.  Does she see my tears?   I try to steady my voice to answer her.  The singing in the background continued.

"Days are filled with sorrow and care.  Hearts are lonely and drear. Burdens are lifted at Calvary.  Jesus is very near."

I joined the chorus, not able to sing much beyond a whisper.  "Burdens are lifted at Calvary.  Calvary!  Calvary!"  How easy is it for me to forget that Calvary changed everything!  I am forgiven.  Clothed in Christ's righteousness, because He died in my place.  I cannot even write these words without tearing up again.

"Cast your care on Jesus today.  Leave your worry and fear.  Burdens are lifted at Calvary.  Jesus is very near."

Yes.  Very near.  Only I need eyes of faith for the water of the truth to penetrate the dusty cover over my soul.

I worked through the day with the song never far from my lips.  Burdens are not necessarily evaporated because of the cross, but I've started to understand that God's grace, supremely manifested in the cross, is the same grace that sometimes comes disguised as daily "burdens".  And that knowledge makes the burdens seem lighter.  Sent by a sovereign God to work His way in me.

"Troubled soul, the Savior can see.  Every heartache and fear.  Burdens are lifted at Calvary.  Calvary!  Calvary!  Burdens are lifted at Calvary.  Jesus is very near."

I walked away from the private unit towards the operating theatre where I was met by a patient I'd treated months ago.  He cried and hugged my neck in gratitude for a service I'd provided to him.  He kissed my hand and handed me a large bag of Christmas presents.  I am broken to receive his gift of four beautiful pineapples and eight bags of black Kenyan tea.  His love to me was the second unexpected grace.  Gentle grace water-whispers to dry ground.

Tonight, I returned  to the hospital to see a pedestrian struck by a passing vehicle.  He was directing his donkey cart a bit too close to fast traffic.  He has broken at least five ribs and his scapula.  After admitting him, I walk down the hospital corridor and again, I am touched by music, this time coming from the hospital chapel.  "Hakuna kama wewe."  ("There is none like you.")  I let the meaning of the words wash over me.  None like you, Jesus.  None like you. 

I'm here to serve these people, but today, they have served me. 

When I arrived home, I saw a single strand of white lights that Sam and Kris strung along the roof of our house today.  Inside, a rather pitiful Christmas tree has been decorated with a few choice ornaments that Kris thoughtfully packed and brought to give our family a sense of home.  I smiled.  Yes, it is Christmas season in Kijabe.

We are so blessed to be His!

Wishing you a joyous Christmas season,
Harry for all the Kraus family

---

I can't imagine that you read the above without feeling a stirring in your heart and perhaps even getting tears in your eyes. And if you are seeking a place for your giving in 2007, perhaps Africa In Mission and the Kraus family might be the one. I would gladly forward your email address to Harry so he can tell you how.

In the grip of His grace,
Robin

complete trust

I received the following A.W. Tozer post on Monday and have been pondering it ever since:

Trials and Pain: Good In Thy Sight

Then Samuel told him everything, and hid nothing from him. And he said, "It is the Lord. Let Him do what seems good to Him." --1 Samuel 3:18

A determination to know what cannot be known always works harm to the Christian heart.

Ignorance in matters on our human level is never to be excused if there has been opportunity to correct it. But there are matters which are obviously "too high for us." These we should meet in trusting faith and say as Jesus said, "Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight."...

Human curiosity and pride often combine to drive us to try to understand acts of God which are plainly outside the field of human understanding. We dislike to admit that we do not know what is going on, so we torture our minds trying to fathom the mysterious ways of the Omniscient One. It's hard to conceive of a more fruitless task....

Under such circumstances the Christian thing to do is to say, "That thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.... Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight." A blind confidence which trusts without seeing is far dearer to God than any fancied knowledge that can explain everything....

To the adoring heart, the best and most satisfying explanation  for anything always will be, "It seemed good in thy sight." (The Next Chapter After the Last, pp. 54-55)

I will never understand God completely or the reason why some things are as they are. If I think I should understand everything, it means I am trying to bring God down to my level. God doesn't expect me to check my brains at the door, but He does expect me to trust Him, especially in those times when nothing makes sense, when I feel tossed and torn.

Father Tim in the Mitford Series says something like this: "Thy will be done" is a prayer God always answers. (Someone who remembers the exact quote, please add it to the comment section.)

Anyway, "Thy will be done" is a perfect prayer for every situation.

In the grip of His grace,
Robin

what accent?

Hat tip to It's Real Life for this quiz.

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Midland   "You have a Midland accent" is just another way of saying "you don't have an accent."  You probably are from the Midland (Pennsylvania, southern Ohio, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, and Missouri) but then for all we know you could be from Florida or Charleston or one of those big southern cities like Atlanta or Dallas.  You have a good voice for TV and radio.
The West
The Inland North
Boston
North Central
Philadelphia
The South
The Northeast
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Now, I should make it clear that I have lived my entire life in Idaho, so I sure am surprised by where this quiz thinks I might be from! Oh well. At least they think I sound good on TV and radio.

-rlh-

characters who breathe

I'm blogging about Knowing My Characters by Heart over on Charis Connection today.

Check it out, and feel free to leave comments if you wish.

-rlh-

P.S. I'm getting to know a couple of characters for my November 2007 release right now, which is the reason I've been more silent than usual.

of snow and spam and one good movie

December 1st? How did that happen? Didn't summer end just the other day?

Boise got its first real snowfall yesterday. (The mountains have been white for more than a week.) I was getting a massage when it started to fall. Went into the spa with dry roads and came out to snowy roads with already snarling traffic. It was worse when I got up this morning to go to the chiropractor's. The snow had turned to ice. Lots of fender benders around town. I am a cautious driver, leaving lots and lots of room between me and the car in front of me. Good thing, because when I gently applied the brakes to prepare to turn into my chiropractor's parking lot, I wasn't stopping. Ice had apparently built up on the pads (the temp was about 14 degrees F). I did the tap and release a few times, and then the old brakes started to work. But by that time, I was passed the parking lot. Had to turn into another lot, go back, and try again.

The snow did put me in the mood to get the Christmas decorations down from the shelf in the garage. I don't go all out the way I used to, but I do like to get some lights in the window and put up my little artificial tree. Most of my decorations are atop my upright piano.

Good thing I'm ready to get into the holiday spirit because it just so happens that the book I'm working on is another Christmas story, this time a romance for Steeple Hill to be published a year from now. To make this blog entry, I left my heroine skiing down a mountain, and I already know it isn't going to end well for her. She should have stuck to the bunny slopes. (The things we authors do to our poor, unsuspecting protagonists!)

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I bemoaned my email woes earlier this week. It really was a nightmare. The problem started when I canceled a special anti-spam program because it wasn't making any difference in the amount of spam getting through to me, so I figured why spend the additional money for a service that wasn't helping. Well, apparently when they turned off that filter they did something wrong because suddenly my email started bouncing back to senders. Despite three calls to Tech Support on Tuesday, it wasn't until my fourth call (made on Wednesday), that one of the guys figured out the problem. By Wednesday night, emails were starting to get through to me again. Then the server went down early on Thursday (meaning I couldn't get email and no one could view my web site). It was finally up and running by early afternoon.

Needless to say, I felt like I lost an entire week to technology snafus.

And speaking of spam, it really is awful right now. I must be getting about 100 to 150 of those "Michael wrote:" "Kathy wrote:" "Somebody wrote:" spam messages a day. And so is everybody else. My web hosting company says that they are being swamped by these messages. It is slowing down everything on the 'Net.

So here is the question (actually several questions): Who are these spammers and what do they think they are gaining? Do people really end up buying that stock they are trying to sell? Or is the stock bogus and they are just doing this to create havoc on the Internet?

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A friend emailed me this afternoon, wanting to know if I knew if the movie The Nativity is biblically accurate because she and her boyfriend didn't want to take their kids to see a biblical movie that wasn't ... biblical. Just in case any of my Write Thinking readers are wondering the same thing, here's what I told her:

The movie makes it very clear that Jesus is the Messiah and God made flesh. You can take the girls to this without a worry.

One place you can always check for Christian reviews is the Movie Guide. It gave The Nativity a 4 star (exemplary) rating. Here's the "in brief" portion of the review:

In Brief:
THE NATIVITY STORY is one of those very rare movies that brings the Gospel alive in a compelling, captivating, entertaining, and inspirational way that shatters expectations. The movie references and quotes Scripture throughout. King Herod sends out the troops to kill all the innocents in Bethlehem and stop the prophecy that there will be born a King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The movie then flashes back to a year earlier in the town of Nazareth, introducing the audience to the life of Joseph and Mary. Soon, an angel of God comes to Mary to tell her that she is with God's child, born by the Holy Spirit. Joseph and Mary have to journey to Bethlehem to register for the Roman census. In the fullness of time, the prophecies of God are fulfilled.

THE NATIVITY STORY is a nearly perfect movie. It has one of the best scripts ever for a biblical story. A sense of jeopardy is present throughout. The dialogue, the plot development, the turning points are refreshingly dramatic. Best of all, THE NATIVITY STORY testifies in every way to Jesus the Messiah and is clearly evangelistic without being preachy.

My edition of Christianity Today arrived this week, and they raved about the way Joseph is portrayed in the movie.

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Well, I'd best get back to my heroine who is surely just about frozen by now. Hero to the rescue.

-rlh-