I Thought I'd Never See It Published

 

I've never had this much trouble formatting or publishing a book - ever!  Non-fiction is a whole different animal from fiction. Just compiling the content, all taken from my popular blog posts, took me weeks. 

The editing took months as the posts needed to be revamped in book form. The cover took several more. Once all of this was done, the technical challenges for non-fiction formatting were another nightmare. 

Two full days I struggled with technical issues, but it's done and now live on Amazon in both paperback and eBook. 

Whew! 

A God for All Seasons 

Through tears, sorrow, joy, and even humor, these personal true stories, scriptural quotes, and meditations encourage and give hope through all the seasons of our lives.

 Come, spend a little time in prayer and contemplation. Lift your eyes from the mundane and the ordinary and gaze upon the divine wonders surrounding us, evidence of God’s direct involvement in our lives.

He may whisper to us in the quiet of a hospital room or shout at us through a storm. Wherever we are, he’s there, comforting, encouraging, and strengthening.

“For all things have their season.” Ecclesiastes 3: 3.

 

It All Began With the TV...

The previous owner of our home used a piece of plywood to extend a wall niche for a TV mounting. His DIY project was not very esthetic, but my husband and I could not figure out how to improve it without spending a fortune. So, we decided to use our old console instead. 

Well, you know what happens when you move something be it furniture, an appliance, or a picture. It seems to cause an avalanche of other changes.

First came rearranging the kitchen cabinets to accommodate the china and glassware from the console I was using as a much-desired china hutch.

After moving it and some bookcases to balance it on the wall, we were happy with the results, which made moving all those books worth it (sort of).  

Then came the scramble to find a place for the displaced love seat and end tables. I argued to move them to the third bedroom, an office-guestroom which I never used. I prefer to sit in my recliner with my laptop to write.

Moving my small desk and chair out made plenty of room for the love seat and two tables. We thought we were done until we discovered the love seat wouldn’t fit through the door. We had to take the door off its hinges to get it into the room. Our little rearranging idea turned into an all-day monster, but I love the results.

A little later my husband blew away my sense of contentment and accomplishment when he announced he didn’t like the old console and wanted a new one. I wasn’t thrilled about the console he picked out, but we couldn’t agree on any of the others, so I compromised. The piece would grow on me, right?

When it arrived, we spent several hours putting it together and several more moving the old one back into the dining room. The new arrangement did look better, even with the new console.

The wall where the TV hung looked  much better too.

As I glanced around the house, I felt content. We finally had everything the way we wanted it, well almost. 

That reminded me of the rich man and his plans to build new storehouses. After they were built, he swore to relax and enjoy life, but that night was to be his last upon the earth. He wasted his entire life pursuing things he’d leave behind.

Then, I recalled a conversation I overheard not long after my second husband had passed away. The woman fretted and fumed because her new kitchen cabinets didn’t match her new counters. She acted as though it was the worst tragedy of her life. Maybe it was, but it seemed trivial to me after my loss.  

How many dreamed of a warm house and the many blessings I enjoyed and would consider my issue with a TV console just as trivial?

The next morning my listed devotions emphasized that thought. “Love not the world, nor the things which are in the world.” 1 St. John: 2:15.

The new console is now a reminder not to be too attached to the things of this world for they pass away whereas the things of God will last for eternity.

Lighting Our Lamps

Now that the days are shorter, I take Cooper, our little Brittany, outside in the dark, morning and evening. My flashlight is a necessity. So, it was appropriate that my Gospel reading for today told the story of the virgins and their lamps waiting for the bridegroom.

In my devotional, Living Faith, author Patricia Livingston suggested a new twist. She used the imagery of faith. We can run out of oil, wearied by too much responsibility and not enough quiet time. Rather than being selfish, it replenishes, allowing our light to burn brighter.

Streams in the Desert, also had an excellent example. Our spiritual life is like a garden. The more we tend it, the more beautiful it becomes. Perhaps our neighbor will decide to improve his own. Frantic busyness doesn’t accomplish anything other than to prevent refilling our spirits.

As I walked out in the country dark this morning, the stars were a brilliant canopy of light. I even saw a meteor. Later, while back inside my warm house, dawn shimmered along the eastern mountains, first in hues of rose, then gold. The wind stilled, and so did my racing thoughts.

God doesn’t need my constant chatter. Sometimes, a quiet silence offers as much praise as a litany of prayers. Done often enough, it will take root and grow, keeping my lamp lit regardless of how long the bridegroom tarries.