In My World

I’ve been wanting to write an updated post here for weeks, maybe longer, but every time I try to put my thoughts down, I decide they aren’t worth reading. Maybe that’s because too much has changed in my life this year and I’m still trying to figure out what the future looks like.

The year started out with the unexpected joy of babysitting our almost year-old granddaughter in Oregon. There is something amazing and precious in watching a child grow and change so quickly. I’d forgotten what it was like to have an almost toddler around. Now, every time we see her she is doing something new.

Proverbs 17:6 tells us,

“Grandchildren are the crown of the old,
And the glory of sons is their fathers.”

I’m not so sure I want to be counted in that “old” part! I used to say I wasn’t going to grow old gracefully – rather kicking and screaming! Now…I accept that every year we live is a gift and brings us one step closer to being with Jesus. Win-win.

Still, I have a not-so-secret wish that we could live closer to our kids and grandkids. Grandchildren bring such joy!

I never thought that experience of babysitting, which was the best highlight of our year thus far, would be followed by so many funerals and cancer and surgery. But then none of us knows whether we will have tomorrow.

I have to admit, cancer has made a significant change in my life. I believe the cancer is gone now, as that’s what the tests showed. But we all know that any one of us can get the disease or some other disease and once you’ve had it, it can come back. It’s not one of those things we take lightly and blow off. But I will admit, I’ve been overwhelmed with all of the research it takes to figure out how to keep it from coming back, especially when you choose to follow a more natural path. That’s not to say I don’t believe in traditional medicine – I know people who think doctors are the worst – but I happen to like my doctor and he is super supportive of me. He helps me in the ways he can, and I keep him informed of what I’m doing. So far, so good. But my main goal now is to find natural ways to heal fibromyalgia while keeping cancer at bay. That means a drastic change in diet and other things. But I’ve found it isn’t such a good idea to change everything too quickly. So it’s three steps forward, two steps back right now.

And then there is my day job. I just finished edits on The Prince and the Prodigal. Now they go off to page proofs and Tiger can eat my homework once again.

Speaking of Tiger…he’s another concern this year. He’s 15 1/2 years old or so and he’s lost weight that he shouldn’t have lost. We’re keeping him as healthy as we can, but I see him aging. He’s kind of frail now, and I pray he still has a few good years left with us. But only God knows.

Like I said, we’ve had a lot of loss of family and friends in the past few months. Losing my brother was probably the hardest and strangest of them all. Strange because you don’t expect to lose a sibling. I know that’s rather silly since I’m the youngest and he was 14 years older than I am. But my mom is still living, so he should be too, right? No parent, however old, wants to lose a child. And sometimes it still makes me stop and pause when I realize I can’t call him on his birthday any more. We are all grieving in our own way.

I’ve learned a lot in all of these joys and trials. I think God has shown me what it means to focus on Him, to seek Him and ask for His perfect peace. To pray with persistence because some things take time and God doesn’t want us to give up. To love with a forgiving heart. It’s really easy to hold grudges and not even know we are doing so. I’ve rediscovered my need to journal my hurts and forgive each one as they come to mind. Amazing the love that replaces the hurt when we obey God and forgive as we’ve been forgiven.

All of this helps me as I write Eve’s first draft. I had to go back to the beginning with her story because I was getting lost in the ending and how to give the story the theme it needs. I think I know now, but I wasn’t sure when I began. First drafts can be that way sometimes.

In the midst of these tumultuous days, I thank God for providing me with a new assistant. Her name is Jessica, like my editor, so now I have to make sure I’m emailing the right person. She is a God-send and has been managing my social media for me. She will be heading up a launch team for The Prince and the Prodigal, if my publisher and I agree to go ahead with one. Stay tuned as more information will be forthcoming on that.

As an aside, I would also like to remind you that I am selling some of my copies of my books, autographed, with shipping and handling included in the price. Slide on over to my Contact page and click on Signed Copies if you’re interested.

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That’s a snippet of what’s going on in my world right now. I hope your world is one where God is teaching you through whatever circumstances you are facing. All of the joys and trials of life would not be worth much if we didn’t learn along the way. God never wastes a moment. May each of our moments count for Him.

Selah~