Beauty and the Book

Ooops! Messed up and missed my Wednesday post. Boo Hoo! And I was doing so well . . .

But I do have a wonderful excuse. Had a fabulous time at church last night and got home late. Will that do?

Hope so, because we got there at 6:00 p.m. and ate for an hour. Well, not the whole time. There was a lot of cameraderie and hugging going on, also. Then we sang praise and worship for another hour. Yep! And it was so good I could have gone on and on.

A little time for some beautiful testimonies and good stuff straight from the Word from Brother Lee. First thing we knew it was after 9:00 p.m. A little more hugging and the drive home made for a long and beautiful night.

And maybe . . . just maybe . . . I was supposed to wait until this evening to post. So I could talk about my day today.

Drove to Jefferson, Texas to visit with Kathy Patrick of Beauty and the Book. What a ball of fire she is. She has so many things going on I couldn't keep up with her. Beauty Shop, Book club with over 500 world-wide chapters, Author, organizer of amazing events like "Girlfriend Weekend" . . . But her main goal in life is helping new authors make their mark. And she's outdone herself there.

Thanks, Kathy for a sweet visit.

Than I went on to meet Ms. Willa Bose, Director of Waskom Public Library in Waskom, Texas. What a delight. We sat and had a cup of coffee in one of the many rooms of the library. And it was like "coming home." Thanks, Ms. Willa for your hospitality.

Got home to find my beautiful friend, Valleta Lanier (The Lanier Company . . . check out their FB page) has posted the announcement of the release of Handful of Demons everywhere except on her husband Gary's  forehead. And I'm not too sure it's not there, too. I love you, Valleta.

Got an order for six books from one sweet lady, whose name I won't mention right now on the outside chance it would spoil a surprise. But when I'm sure the books are all delivered, I'll tell you who she is, and how much I appreciate her!

So . . . I've had a grand day. I sang praises all day long. I guess that's why the Enemy couldn't get his talons on me!

But he's out there. Keep him at bay by praising the Lord. Because the battle is real!

The Nike Message

Those of you who know me well know my husband is a career pastor. He surrendered to serve when he was sixteen. That's sixty years ago this month. And his first "congregation" was comprised of the patients at a local home for the mentally challenged. I'm not making light of that. It was a wonderful place for a very green, young "pastor" to learn the ropes. His audience was made up of grown people. But their attention span, for the most part, was that of a group of children.

He ministered to them and loved them. And they loved him in return.

There's been a lot of water under the bridge since then. He'd already been in the pastorate for almost thirty years when I married him. His messages were always well-studied and just lively enough to keep the congregants' interest piqued, without losing the spirit of reverence that should prevail in a church sanctuary. I was always very proud to be "the pastor's wife."

But . . . there were some messages that stood out from the others. Ones that stay with me to this day because of their pertinence to our daily walk with the Lord.

"The Nike Message" was just such a teaching.

I'll not try to pass it on to you. I couldn't do it justice. (Perhaps someday I'll talk him into writing a guest blog for me and share the message.) But the main gist was "If the Holy Spirit tell you to do something . . . Just do it!" (Hence the title, The Nike Message.)

And just this morning, I had a reminder of how current that lesson is. It's as unchanging as Jesus Himself. I got up about 7:30 and had my coffee. Dee had to work this morning, so I was going to church alone. As I sat there drinking coffee and contemplating how much time I had to shower and dress, a thought popped into my mind. (Or should I say the Holy Spirit dropped a thought into my head.)

"Ask her to go to church with you." Her being a friend who's very much on my mind these days, having lost her husband recently.

I knew she and her husband had been looking for a church home, but didn't know if they'd found one yet. Their denominational preferences were different from ours. So I wondered how wise it would be to even ask her . . . knowing that in the past they hadn't really enjoyed the services we'd invited them to.

So, I more or less decided against inviting her. She'd never been to the church we're attending now, because we're fairly new there ourselves. But the style, the music, and the doctrine were our preference. Not hers.

However, if they hadn't found a church home, that meant she was alone on this Sunday morning. All alone. So the Lord tapped me on the shoulder again.

"It's too early to call." I argued.

"Not any more. You've already stalled for a good thirty minutes."

"Okay, I'll try. But she's not going to want to come."

"Try Me and see."

I called. She readily accepted, and we made a date to meet in town and drive in together.

You probably already figured out the end of this story.

The music, the service, the message, and a testimony given by a young lady were tailor-made to minister to my friend. She was loved on, hugged, prayed for, and made to feel welcome by some of the sweetest folks I've ever met.

And she's coming back!

When the Holy Spirit tells you to do something, don't make excuses . . .  just do it!

I Think I've Learned My Lesson

 . . . Well, maybe not.

Arguing is an exercise in futility. Today I waited for an hour and fifteen minutes in line at Chick-fil-A. Enjoyed a good meal, and came away feeling like a million bucks. Such beautiful camaraderie among like-thinking people, all out in support of either freedom of speech, Biblical traditional marriage, or both.

How can you say anything bad about such an occasion? Well, upon arriving home, I soon found out . . .  when I participated in what I thought was going to be an uplifting discussion about Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day.

A fellow Christian said - in so many words - that "voting" for our traditional values by eating a chicken sandwich was a waste of time. Time that should be spent seeking out the lost and leading them to the Lord. He pretty well labeled us all as wannabe Christians. Sure took the shine off my wonderful afternoon.

I pointed out that it's possible to show your support for something you believe in, and still be a worker in "God's harvest field." We have no idea how many of those who participated in what he termed the "demonstration" are very zealous soul-seeking Christians. But my opinions cut no ice with him. He said we did more harm than good, by convincing homosexuals we hate them.

And Christians care more about the Constitution than they do the salvation of individuals.

Am I to gather we must lie down and be trampled upon in order to not hurt anyone's feelings by disagreeing with them? Or be labeled "uncaring Christians?" Woe is me.

I exited that post and took a few minutes to reflect on what had just taken place. I had argued fervently for what I believe in and he had adamantly refused to budge from his position. And this is two Christians arguing. Supposedly on the same side.

But isn't this what all arguing amounts to?

No argument that anyone could present could ever convince me to try the Muslim religion, to become a lesbian, to move to the left side of the aisle, to support freedom of choice, to deny Christ, to hate any race of people, to trash the constitution, to defile the American flag, or to shed innocent blood.

I happen to think this is a good thing. But, sadly, I'm beginning to realize that everyone feels their beliefs are a good thing. And no matter how eloquently I put my argument to them, I can never change that which is embedded in their hearts.

Only God can change a heart.

So, here's what I learned today. Argue less and pray more.

The battle is real.

The Two Things I Hate

Recently, (since Dave Cathey took a stand), I'm getting involved in arguments about same-sex marriage. And I find myself getting angry. My pastor said from the pulpit this morning there is no room in a spirit-filled life for anger. I don't know if I agree with him on that. Even Jesus got angry at the money-changers and merchants, because they were defiling the temple.

A popular saying is: "God is Love." That He is. But even the most well-meaning people tend to get confused and begin spouting a "Love is god" doctrine. There's a tremendous difference in meaning when you switch those two words around.

One lady asked "What difference does it make what gender people are if they love one another?" It makes a big difference, because my God called homosexuality an abomination.


However, when I quote from God's word to bring home a point to the "Love is god" team, they drop out, never to be heard from again. They're willing to accept man's explanation of what Christianity should be, but not the word of our Holy Father. Or they waffle off into some pseudo-spiritual mumbo jumbo and it becomes like arguing with a two year old.

Political correctness should not be confused with kindness. Kindness comes from the heart. PC is a manipulative tool of the Devil. And it's here that I get into trouble every time. It seems I have no right to quote the Creator if what He said is not politically correct. News flash! God doesn't give a hoot about political correctness. He cares about truth. And I don't give a hoot about political correctness. I care about pleasing Him.


To please Him, I'm required to love.That's right . . . love . . . sinners. No problem, in my lifetime I've known and loved quite a few people who were sinners. I'd hope others feel the same about me when I'm out of God's will.


But He does not require me to love the sin. Quite the contrary, I am to pray for the sinner but hate the sin. How could I ever hope to escape Satan's clutches if I didn't learn to hate sin.


And there's that word. The one with which we are being blugeoned by the media on a daily basis. Hate. If we don't agree with the homosexual lifestyle, according to the media, we hate the homosexuals. How did this happen? To quote my friend Ellen Kennedy, when did the word "hate" replace the word "disagree?"


I hate only two things in life . . . sin (not the sinner) and the perpetrator of all sin, known as Satan. I cry for the misinformed, the ignorant, and the brain-washed who consider me a hater because I try to live by God's Holy word. And please note . . . I said I try.


Who do you think is stirring up the misunderstanding and hatred the has beset our people? Who came up with the idea of political correctness in place of honesty? Who laughes his ugly head off when one of God's people decides that the world leaders know more than the Heavenly Father?

 Three quesses.

The battle is real!

Lean on the Lord

Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path.

Do not be wise in your own eyes. Fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will mean health to your flesh and strength to your bones.

Man could write a thousand pages and not even come close to the wisdom contained in this Scripture.

Read it again. Let each line soak into your soul. Does any of it apply to you?

How easy it is to lean to your own understanding. How tempting it is to feel like you're the wisest person ever to come down the pike. And in this busy world, do we take the time to acknowledge Him in ALL our ways?

And then we get too busy, too stressed, and bummed out. (Just where the Enemy wants us.) When all we had to do was lean on Him.

The battle is real . . . 

Does God Hear our Prayers?

I awoke one day recently with God's commands on my heart. I had a job to do and I wanted to do it in accordance with His word. So I asked Him . . . "I know You require integrity, but what else do You require of me to do this job in such a manner as to receive Your blessings?"

His answer wasn't immediate, but before I arose to start my day, He'd laid on my heart the word "compassion." Nothing more . . . just one word . . . compassion. It seemed too simple. I'd expected some complicated instructions. I showered and put on my makeup, rolling the words over and over on my tongue. Integrity and compassion.

Integrity in the business world is, to a certain extent, required to stay out of trouble with the law. But compassion is from the heart and isn't regulated. Not by man's law. But if I'm to believe what I feel I heard from the Lord . . . it is required by Him.

I poured a cup of coffee and sat down to read the morning paper.

I don't remember the day of the week, but it must have been a Saturday, because I turned to the "Religion" section of our local newspaper. A small article was featured in the lower right hand corner of page three. I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw the subject matter. "What does God require of Christian business people?"

The referenced Scripture was Micah; 6:8:  He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, (Integrity) to love kindness (compassion) and to walk humbly with  your God?

Coincidence? There are no coincidences with God. Before you ask . . . beloved . . . before you ask He knows what's on your heart.

The battle is real; and God is the Winner!

It's Been Too Long

I got "thrown" a couple of months ago by my blog peeps. Now . . . I've been away from it for so long, they've changed the entire system. Hopefully, that's a good thing, and my blogging woes are a thing of the past. Crossed fingers. (Makes it hard to type.)

My debut novel "Handful of Demons" will be on the market in a matter of weeks. That means I've got to get my act together and become consistent in my blog posting. Part of my problem is I'm not too swift in all things technological.

For instance, posting from my telephone if I'm away from my office? That's probably not going to happen in this lifetime. So, I need to utilize my time more efficiently. There's all that wasted time between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. when I could be productive. And if I moved my computer to the kitchen I could keep the words flowing while meals are cooking. As it is, I've worn a path in the floor from the stove to my office . . . and burned more than my fair share of food trying to multi-task.

If I sound like I'm feeling sorry for myself . . . forgive me. I do feel a little overwhelmed right now. But, you know, there's not a single thing I do that I'd willingly give up. If only the blog ideas would  come to me while I'm sitting in front of the computer, and not when I'm in the shower or driving down the road.

Wednesday and Sunday evening. Those will be my blog post days. If I don't live up to that promise, please email me and complain. (That way I'll know someone out there is reading it. :-D)

email address: lynne@lynnewellswalding.com

And don't forget . . . we can have fun and still keep our eyes open. Because the battle is real.

Devilish Dilemma

I'm in a real quandry. I love my little blog site. But it has been fighting me, tooth and nail of late. I've had countless people tell me they were unable to sign up as "followers." And two of my original followers have been dropped. From time to time they will appear for "role call", but as a rule, they're somewhere out there in cyber-land, floating around, looking for "The Battle is Real."

They've changed the way I can post, and it's no longer possible to cut-and-paste an article or excerpt. I have to type everything out. It used to be so easy to work on a post in a document file, then transfer it over when it was ready. But that's a thing of the past.

Since "Handful of Demons" is slated for publication in August/Sept of this year, I think it's past time I get my author's website up and running. I can say and do all the things there that I could do on this blog (except I couldn't have that neat "old-building" background). And my time is so crunched, I don't know if I can find the time to tend to both. (Obviously, I've been neglecting the blog pretty badly already.)

The actual nuts and bolts of publication are very time consuming and draining. I've proofed "Demons" so many times, I bet I could recite it by heart. (All 300 pages) And next week it's on its way to a professional proof-reader. If he finds very much wrong, it's going to be very deflating. :-)

The front cover is finished . . . you've seen it . . . and it's time to get the back cover and spine nailed down.

But I digress . . .

I don't want to be a disappointment to anyone, and I know there are some out there who actually read "The Battle is Real" (Oh yes, I keep a close watch on the view counter!) I'd love to get some comments from you, letting me know if you'd visit my author website if I moved over there. Especially if I can get one set up that has a blog page . . . okay?

A demon scene from "Handful of Demons"

    
Enjoy!

The demon of pride banged his gavel on every available surface, including a few heads, like a carpenter on a drunken binge. “Look alive, scumbags! I’ve come up with an idea. The best idea yet. You’re gonna love it.”

Every slimy creature in attendance looked with contempt at the demon of pride. He always thought his ideas were the best.

Pride’s acrid voice rose over the crowd’s rumble. “The good pastor is so piously humble he surely wouldn’t dream of praying for his own finances,” the odious creature declared to his cohorts. “I think this is the chink we’ve been looking for.”

Talons extended, he slashed at the air. “Attack his finances. Begin with his car. Bring him to his knees. That puny so-called church is already overextended. They won’t be able to come to his rescue. Not soon enough to save him. It’s doubtful he would even ask for their help.”

He smirked, satisfied with his presentation thus far. His stomping and kicking had stirred up a stifling cloud of dust from the dirt floor. Slimy entities were hacking and coughing. Wretched eyes glowered back at him. Hatred hung like a thick black cloud over the gathering. The old shack shuddered under the weight of their malevolence.

“Think, you imbeciles!” He paced back and forth, thrusting insults into the crowd.

The more they sizzled in their hatred for him, the more effective they would be.

“Are you brain-dead? There are dozens of ways to squash him with money problems. Hello? Come up with a good enough idea and I’ll let you in on the kill, you putrid morons. Look at you. What a collection of hairballs you are.”

Pride had always been on the receiving end of the insults. What fun it was to stir up their rancor and watch them stew in their own animosity. His speech was followed by a tumultuous clamor as the vultures of the spirit world cursed and sputtered. He was sure they liked his idea. Just as sure as he was that they loathed him for thinking of it.

But the demon of pride didn’t tell all. He didn’t reveal to the others his pièce de résistance. The event that would leave Edward McAlester wounded and bleeding—not financially, or even physically—but spiritually. The happening through which he, and he alone, would pierce McAlester’s tough armor with one sharp talon. Ripping and tearing, he would gain ingress into McAlester’s very soul.

The battle is real . . . .

Mean and Green

Starting today I'm changing the name and the direction of my blog. Henceforth is will be known as "Mean and Green". I'll be writing on, and answering questions about, the wild killer frogs of New Zealand.

APRIL FOOL!

(May all your April Fool jokes be kind ones!)