An End That Begins

Well bloggers it's that time of year again, we say good-bye to one year and begin another in just two hours and 43 minutes Pacific Standard Time. Now is a time where many of us take a moment to make new goals, reflect on what has happened and celebrate a fresh start. I wanted to take a few moments to share some of my experinces with you.

Let's start with goals, one of my New Year's Resolutions is to get back in the habit of doing daily devotions even if it's only for a few minutes I want to spend time with my Lord. Here's another that you may be surprised to hear but I don't have a chance to write every single day, I want that to change so each day I'm going to try to at least jot down a few sentances on whichever project I'm working on.

Now reflection, this one's a little harder for me. So much has happened in 2013 and I can't believe how fast it's gone by! I moved to a new city, got a new job, got a new car, took a new direction in my writing career (I'm getting closer to publishing each and every day!) started this blog =) grieved with several close friends over their loss of miscarriges, celebrated with other friends as their children were brought into this world and with yet other friends who are expecting their little ones to arrive.
I attended the wedding of a dear friend, watched my amazing cousin publically propose to his girlfriend (she said yes by the way!) grew closer to the Lord in my personal relationship with him, watched some of my best friends do the same through their experince of going on a missions trip to Mexico.
I've learned so much, confronted demons that I've been hiding from, grew more confident in many aspects of my life, realized that old dreams long forgotted can come true and cried when others died yet celebrated when new ones were born. Spent time with family that I haven't seen in far too long and grown up a lot.

Now celebrating, there's not a good answer for this. I'm excited to see what 2014 will bring, I have so many exciting experinces coming up that I can't wait to share with you and I'm thrilled to be putting some of the hard times behind me. We learn from our mistakes, move on but never forget, that was my motto for this year and I hope to carry it on with me for many years to come.

So what's new for you bloggers? Who's heading out? Who's staying in? Who has goals? Who has reflections? Who's still struggling with guilt? For each of you I'll be saying a prayer, I may not know who you are but God does. Have a safe and fun night everyone!

Happy New Year!!!

The Simple Things

During this time of year people have different reactions to all the things that need done. There are presents to buy, Christmas cards to send out (shoot! I knew I forgot something!) decorations to put and even special music to put on. Every show has a Christmas theme and every corner has a Santa with a bell.
If we're honest we can admit that it can be more then a little stressful. Some people try to remind us that Jesus is the reason we celebrate Christmas and they're right. In my mind forgetting that or celebrating for some other reason is like attending a child's birthday party but leaving without even acknowledging the kid. But that's not my point. As I was saying this time of year can be stressful, there's no getting around that. But there's also a flip side to that.
When are families start coming into town our first reaction is to start listing all the things we need to do. Instead of enjoying the time we spend making pies we're studying the recipes and reviewing our lists.
When we're children we have as much fun playing with the boxes as the toys. We take as much pleasure in spending time with our favorite uncle as eating popcorn and summer sausage for dinner. Yet somewhere along the road we forget how important those things are. And I for one am tired of letting stress take over my holiday!
This year I'm going to cherish the feeling of my little niece curled up next to me with her new teddy bear as I take in the beautiful decorations and lights strung around my apartment. I'm going to have more fun watching my family open their gifts, however small or large, and stop worrying about my bank account. I'm going to put the Christmas music on and have a dance party without worrying about who's watching and I'm going to focus on the One who's birth is the whole point of the season.

So how are you going to take back Christmas this year?

A Simple Prayer For A Smalltown

This is a little different then most of my posts but this is something that I feel like I need to do. Many people know about the day a year ago that rocked this country and many, many lives when Sandy Hook Elementary School suffered an awful tragedy. I won't go into opinions about what happened because that's not what this is about. All I want to do is say a prayer for those who still have holes in their hearts and I hope many of you around the world will say it with me.

Lord, please be with the families and loved ones of those from the Sandy Hook tragedy. Touch those who live in Newtown and find a way to do the impossible, comforting them through this awful time. What happened is an incomprehensible tragedy to us and yet You knew. We don't understand why these things happen and we probably never will this side of heaven.
Even as our hearts cry out, begging for answers You know that what we need is healing. I don't know what that looks like, I don't know how that might come about but You are the God of miracles. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who led His people out of Egypt, parted the Red Sea and gave them the Promise Land. You are the God who sacrificed His only Son, for us, You love us more then we can even begin to imagine and You are the God who is now holding those precious little children close to His heart.
We don't understand, we may never, but we do know that we need you. More then the food we eat, the air we breathe or the very life that runs through our blood we need you. More then anything else, even if we lose everything we will still have you.
I beg you to be with those who are hurting God. Not to make their pain go away or to erase their memories but to give them the peace that transcends all understanding. Please God. Be with them and heal these hurting people, these hurting families, and this hurting country. Restore us to you Lord for we know that in the end, that You are our only salvation.
Amen.

Christmas Carols

"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas..." Has anyone looked at a calendar lately? It's already December 7th! We've only got 2 1/2 weeks until my favorite holiday of all year! And one of the best parts of Christmas? Christmas carols!!!

"Joy to the world, the Lord has come. Let earth receive her king! Let every heart prepare him room and heaven and nature sing..." I remember singing that one from the time I was little and used to stand beside my parents at church singing that song and others like it every year. At the time I loved the songs but it didn't go much beyond that, now I love the songs and the words.

"Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright." That's one of the first Christmas songs kids learn these days and yet it doesn't lose it's magic as we become adults. Sometimes we forget the first part though, about silence. We don't remember how important that can be.

"He's making a list, checking it twice, gonna find out who's naughty and nice. Santa Claus is coming to town!" One of my favorite memories is standing beside my Grandma as she was baking and singing that song with her. Later when she got cancer she was too weak to do some of those things but that's one memory I'll never forget.

"Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer, had a very shiny nose..." Now this is a Christmas classic. One day my dad and I actually rewrote it so that it talked about Randie the shiny-eyed cowgirl instead. It was silly but Dad knew it made me feel special and like always he wanted the best for me so he didn't mind how strange or silly it was.

"Hark the hearld angels sing, glory to the newborn king!" One of my favorite parts of the Christmas story is the part of the angels appearing to the shepherds. They didn't hesitate but immediately went to worship this baby who they already recognized as their king.

"Mary did you know that your baby boy would one day walk on water?" I love this one because it makes me really think about who Mary and Joseph must have been. To say they were just kids is more then an expression. They were impossibly young but they were found worthy in God's eyes to be the early parents of his Son. Now that is an incredibly legacy to leave behind.

"I want to buy these shoes for my Mama please, it's Christmas eve and these shoes are just her size." Now this one gets to me every time. It often brings tears to my eyes as I hear about the little boy's dedication, spending all the money he has to give his Mama a gift because he knows that she doesn't have much longer. My mom is one of the most important people in my life and I can't imagine something happening to her but in this song you realize that even if that little boy loses his mom she's already instilled some amazing values in him, including the importance of selflessness and the true reason for this season.

Chapter 3

Here's the next chapter in Whispers of War, let me know what you think!

Chapter 3

May 2 2231

“Try it again Sarah,” Amy instructed the teenager.

“I can’t do it Amy, I’m not like you. You’re good at this stuff, I’m not.” The girl complained, as she lowered the bow. “Why do I have to practice? I’m never going to get any better at it.”

“Not with that attitude anyways,” the young woman smiled down at her but decided it was time for a break. “Come on, we’ll take a break and practice again-“she didn’t finish her statement as she caught sight of Kyle approaching, a grim look on his face. “Kyle, what is it?”

“The Council is meeting; they asked me to come find you.” Amy didn’t reply, but turned to her student.

“Sarah, will you please pick this stuff up and get it put away.”

“Of course, I’m on it, you go.” She watched the two walk away and sent up a quick prayer, ‘Lord keep them safe, no doubt they’ll be sending them out again. Please be with them and bring them home safe.’ She turned to the chore of getting the bows and arrows put away, Amy and Kyle still heavy on her heart.

*

“Amy, Kyle, we’ve just received word that the team we sent out yesterday has discovered a group of believers hiding out,” Bill wasted no time in explaining the situation as soon as they arrived. “They sent a runner back asking permission to bring them here, we’ve granted that but they have several small children and the travel will take at least three days. We’ve decided to send a small escort group to accompany them. You two are our best archers; would you be willing to join the team?”

“Yes sir,” both responded immediately, no hesitation in their voices.

“Good, we already asked Adam to go; the runner, Tim, will show you the way. You’ll leave at dusk. A good portion of your journey will be by canoe. We’ve got four boats waiting down by the river; you’ll have to be careful, especially since you’ll be traveling in the dark.” He gave them a few more details before saying they needed to prepare. Recognizing the dismissal both took their leave. No words were needed, they were often sent out on missions together with Adam and sometimes others, for now they were focused on the task at hand, preparing to bring fellow believers back to the camp for safety.

*

The trip was long, and rough. Each of the young people took charge of one of the canoes, they knew that having all four boats was necessary for the people they would have to bring back, but on the way there it made the journey much more difficult. By traveling all night and most of the day, taking turns sleeping and keeping guard, they were able to reach the end of their river trip by the beginning of the second day. From then on, it took them the rest of that day, before they reached the cave where the others were hiding out.

“I was wondering who they’d send,” Matthew King greeted, when he met the team at the entrance to the cave. Tim stood to the side, quietly waiting for instructions until Matt sent him back to let the others know their escorts had arrived.

“Disappointed?” Amy teased her friend, as she greeted him with a brief hug and they walked into the makeshift shelter.

“To see you?” he gave an expression of mock horror, as he draped his arm across her shoulders and fell in step beside her. “Never! Them well…” he let the statement hang, laughing when Adam shoved him from behind. Matt had quickly become one of Amy’s best friends when they first moved into Paradise, about the same age they’d worked on the same team running messages to scouts and going on the dangerous missions back to town to obtain more information. When they needed a four man team, Matt, Adam, Kyle, and Amy were always the first to volunteer. Although he had a teasing manner, Amy knew that Matt took his job as seriously as the rest of them, for that reason she got right to the point.

“So, what can you tell us Matt?” Stopping to lean against the wall of the cave, Matt held his torch a little higher so he could see all of them, he told the story.

“We were sent on a routine scouting mission, you all know the drill. Everything was going fine until one of our guys thought he caught sight of someone following us. We took off and were able to lose them and took shelter in an empty cave, not this one a different one. We went on back, figured we’d rest up and head back the next night. Except the cave wasn’t empty, we’d barely gotten in there and made our plans when this little girl, three years old, wanders out and just stands there looking at us.  We searched the cave and found this group huddled up in a little cavern. They’d heard us come in and thought we were soldiers so they didn’t say a word, only no one had seen little Mary slip out. They’d been hiding for days in that cave.  We knew it wasn’t safe to stay there, so as soon as we could, we moved them all to a different cave, this one, and sent out a runner. Now here we are, they’re good people, but they’re terrified and travel won’t be as quick as I’d like. That’s why we asked for the escort.” During his story no one had said a word, but now it was Kyle who spoke up.

“Well, I guess we’d better meet them, then hadn’t we.” Matt straightened with a smile; Amy thought it looked a little odd. He was always happy, but now he looked particularly excited about something. Not wanting to risk an unpleasant surprise, Amy stopped his progress with a hand to his arm.

“Matt,” when he paused to look down at her she continued, staring hard into his eyes her heart beating anxiously. “What aren’t you telling us?” He stared down at her, his brown eyes softening, even in the flickering light she could see his smile. He turned his hand over to squeeze hers.

“Come see, I promise you it’s nothing bad, but it will be easier to show you then to try to explain.” Amy hesitated only a moment more before deciding to take the risk, this was Matt, he was like her brother, and would never lead them into harm ’s way, so why was she so scared? Quietly, she released his hand and stepped back allowing him to lead the way, she fell into step beside Adam, letting his comforting presence wash over her.

‘Neither Kyle or Adam seem upset, I’m just overreacting,’ she tried to comfort herself with the knowledge as they continued to walk farther into the cave, now having to stoop at the low ceiling. ‘Then why wouldn’t Matt tell me what was going on?’ The internal argument continued until finally they reached a tunnel that appeared to lead to another cavern. Matt stopped turning to grin at them before he blew out his candle; now that his light was gone they could see a faint glow coming from the other end of the tunnel.

 Matt’s voice echoed in the eerie stillness as he called out.  “I have saints, sent by the angel, to deliver you from your trouble.” Amy relaxed recognizing the familiar password, and its reply.

“Then come in and welcome, servants of the King.” As they entered the tunnel, having to crawl on their hands and knees, Amy could hear Adam making jokes from behind her.

“I thought you weren’t supposed to go towards the light at the end of the tunnel,” he said, making his sister laugh.  He may have continued, but just then they reached the end and climbed out to be greeted by ten pairs of eyes following their progress. Immediately, Amy spotted the source of Matt’s excitement. In his arms was a round faced little girl, with dark brown curls framing her face, and next to him was a young woman around her own age, Amy figured, standing close to Matt and grasping his hand. Her expression was a mixture of adoring indulgence and nervousness as she glanced between Matt and the little girl and the group who had just emerged from the tunnel.

She took a deep breath not sure what she was feeling, her friend hadn’t betrayed them at all, he’d fallen in love. She fought a smile and made herself turn to greet her other friends from the scouting group before greeting the strangers. When Matt introduced the young woman as Isabelle and the little girl as her niece, Mary, Amy smiled kindly but made no comment. She shot Matt a narrowed eye look, a sure promise that they’d talk later.

*

 They’d been seated around in a circle sharing dinner and telling stories. Matt told of their surprise at finding a toddler in a supposedly empty cave. When he finished he would’ve started another tale but Isabelle stopped him with a quiet word, Amy couldn’t hear what they were saying but she saw Matt glance down at the sleeping child in his lap and nodded. A moment later he was tucking her into a little bed made up in the corner. Amy smiled at the picture, it was no surprise Matt had fallen in love. Not just with the beautiful Isabelle but with the adorable wide-eyed Mary too.

She continued to watch for a moment but the scene was too painful, she had to wonder if there was any kind of future for them. Even if they did make it back to the camp, how did you start a new life in the middle of a war? Pushing the unwelcome thoughts away she turned to talk to Kyle and Adam, discussing their route back and the details, they were still talking when Matt slipped up.

“I’ve got to take over guard duty, come talk to me for a bit?” he asked quietly. She looked over at him and offered a tentaive smile, when they’d first come to the camp they’d been assigned guard duty together, they’d stayed up for hours talking night after night as they struggled to adjust to their new lives.

“I’d like that,” excusing herself from the conversation, she followed him outside away from the warmth of the fire.  She waited only until they were out of earshot before commenting. “So Isabelle,” she drew the name out letting in hang in the air a moment as they walked out into the icy cold night. “I like her,” she finally said, smiling when she heard Matt let out the breath he’d been holding.

“I was hoping you would,” he told her as they walked over to the lookout spot. He turned to the waiting guard, “all clear?” he asked. At the affirmative he sent the young man on his way before turning back to Amy. “So you really like her?” he asked, needing her approval. She laughed lightly, making him smile as he leaned back against the rock.

“You had doubts?” she teased.

Neither said anything for a moment as they sat, Amy staring up at the stars seemingly relaxed but in fact attentive to every sound, and Matt staring off in front of him, his eyes constantly moving even as he let one small part of his mind thank the Lord for his friend’s approval. It was Amy who finally broke the silence with a simple question.

 “What’s she like?” she asked quietly, the question coming out as a whisper so quiet that he almost didn’t hear it before the wind swept away the words. Matt looked over at her for a moment unsure of how to answer, then it hit him. They had often commented that they were like family, she the sister he’d never had, and he one more overprotective brother always watching out for her. Now here he was telling her he’d fallen in love and this calm, confident, stable, young woman was terrified that things were going to change.

“Aim,” he waited patiently until she looked over at him desperately trying to hide the fear in her eyes, but he saw through it, gently he wrapped an arm around her and, as they’d done so many times in the past, she laid her head down on his shoulder blinking back tears as she smelled the comforting scent of wood smoke and the forest, that meant family and unconditional love.

“Amy, just because I’m in love with Izzy doesn’t mean that anything’s going to change, you’ll always be my little sister and don’t even think about trying to get rid of me,” he teased her softly, relieved to hear her soft chuckle. “Yes, I love her, but she gets it Aim, she gets the sense of family. I’ve only known her for a week but she’s already heard so much about you, Adam, Kyle and the others that she already feels like you’re family.” He looked down into Amy’s pale face and felt his heart ache for this precious young woman. She was so tough and had everything under control most of the time that it was so easy to forget that she was so fragile on the inside. He hugged her close for a moment, “You’re my family Amy, nothing and no one will ever change that. You understand me?”

No reply was needed; he held her close for a moment more before releasing her. She straightened to lean against the rock, letting her guard down just a little. For a moment neither said anything, letting the silence hang in the cold night air. It was Matt who broke the quiet first.

“How’s Sarah’s archery coming?” Amy laughed, making Matt smile, for the first time in a long time the sound was completely genuine.

Ministry Moment-December

Not long ago I was on my way to visit family and I experienced a situation that can only be described as a divine appointment. It started with talking to the woman across from me on the train, a complete stranger but we struck up a conversation and before the end of the trip I had tears in my eyes, a thoughtful heart, an encouraged spirit and this ministry moment.

Many of you know the story of the apostle Paul and how much of his ministry was actually done in prison. Some of you have also heard of the amazing prison ministries that have been out there over the years, maybe a few of you have even been involved in this type of ministry before, although I admit that I haven't but this story struck me in an amazing way, my hope and prayer is that it might do the same for you.

His name is Matt, and he was nineteen years old when he was arrested for being in the car when a mairjuna deal went from a stupid idea to a deadly tragedy when one kid pulled a gun on another. Matt had stayed in the car and never got out but he was there and with it being just three weeks after Columbine the court was not in his favor. Matt and others with him were sent to prison, that was thirteen years ago and he's still there.

In that time Matt and another man, Leon, have not wasted their time. Like Paul they found a way to be a light in the darkness. It's called Redemption.

Through this incredible ministry inmates go through a program that teaches them from the inside how to live on the outside. They learn skills so they can get jobs when they're released. They're taught how to become responsible community members, good parents to their children, they're even taught how to become members of their churches. As Julie, Matt's mom, put it, they're taught to be the "best person they can be".

Matt's now working on another program so that families of inmates can even get support as they adjust to their new reality. They'll receive help as they learn how to operate in this foreign country they suddenly find themselves in. They will be able to contact others who have been through this and get the help that they so desperately need.

Now this in and of itself is incredible but there's more. Through Redemption they now bring highschoolers in to talk to them about the decisions they face every day. They give them a first hand look at real life.

Redemption has been such a great program they're now sending people out to other prisons in Washington state to set up this program there so that they can reach even more people!

Now I've heard a lot of amazing things in my life, I've read of and even met a lot of amazing people but Matt and Leon are definitely right up there with the best of them. Matt and his family took a hard situation and they've used it to change people's lives, people that many of us would have just written off. But these guys followed the path that God put before them and they are blessing countless people beacuse of it.

Right now there are people working behind the scenes to set up an online presence for Redemption so that even more people can  know about the incredible work that God is doing through these men. As soon as I have that information I'll pass it on and I encourage you to look into, talk about it, and do your own part to help spread the word.

You may not think that this ministry has anything to do with you and maybe it doesn't, but maybe it could help someone you know. Redemption is a ministry making a difference and that deserves to be talked about. Let us do our part to spread the good news of God's word like Matt, Julie and others, whether it's through telling people about Redemption or some other way, let your light shine. You never know who it might reach.

"In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16 a situation that can only be described as a divine appointment. It started with talking to the woman across from me on the train, a complete stranger but we struck up a conversation and before the end of the trip I had tears in my eyes, a thoughtful heart, an encouraged spirit and this ministry moment.

Many of you know the story of the apostole Paul and how much of his ministry was actually done in prison. Some of you have also heard of the amazing prison ministries that have been out there over the years, maybe a few of you have even been involved in this type of ministry before, although I admit that I haven't but this story struck me in an amazing way, my hope and prayer is that it might do the same for you.

His name is Matt, and he was nineteen years old when he was arrested for being in the car when a mairjuna deal went from a stupid idea to a deadly tragedy when one kid pulled a gun on another. Matt had stayed in the car and never got out but he was there and with it being just three weeks after Columbine the court was not in his favor. Matt and others with him were sent to prison, that was thirteen years ago and he's still there.

In that time Matt and another man, Leon, have not wasted their time. Like Paul they found a way to be a light in the darkness. It's called Redemption.

Through this incredible ministry inmates go through a program that teaches them from the inside how to live on the outside. They learn skills so they can get jobs when they're released. They're taught how to become responsible community members, good parents to their children, they're even taught how to become members of their churches. As Julie, Matt's mom, put it, they're taught to be the "best person they can be".

Matt's now working on another program so that families of inmates can even get support as they adjust to their new reality. They'll recieve help as they learn how to operate in this foreign country they suddenly find themselves in. They will be able to contact others who have been through this and get the help that they so desperately need.

Now this in and of itself is incredible but there's more. Through Redemption they now bring highschoolers in to talk to them about the decisions they face every day. They give them a first hand look at real life.

Redemption has been such a great program they're now sending people out to other prisons in Washington state to set up this program there so that they can reach even more people!

Now I've heard a lot of amazing things in my life, I've read of and even met a lot of amazing people but Matt and Leon are definitely right up there with the best of them. Matt and his family took a hard situation and they've used it to change people's lives, people that many of us would have just written off. But these guys followed the path that God put before them and they are blessing countless people beacuse of it.

Right now there are people working behind the scenes to set up an online presence for Redemption so that even more people can  know about the incredible work that God is doing through these men. As soon as I have that information I'll pass it on and I encourage you to look into, talk about it, and do your own part to help spread the word.

You may not think that this ministry has anything to do with you and maybe it doesn't, but maybe it could help someone you know. Redemption is a ministry making a difference and that deserves to be talked about. Let us do our part to spread the good news of God's word like Matt, Julie and others, whether it's through telling people about Redemption or some other way, let your light shine. You never know who it might reach.

"In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16