FOLLOWING THE CALL

Musings on Matthew 4:18

It must be significant that the first four disciples that Jesus called to follow Him were fishermen. The symbolism is telling, and the famous line, "Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men," was uniquely applicable to them. What a simple way to voice the vast change from being typical fishermen to incredible, supernatural disciples; men who would soon take hold of eternal truths from that time forward, and cast them out, catching men in the process, and saving souls from hell!

Think about what Jesus did when He called them: He took these blue-collar workers and transformed them

From FISHERMEN to FISHERS OF MEN,
From LOWLY occupation to DIVINE occupation,
From COMMONALITY to ROYALTY (sons of God)
From INSIGNIFICANCE to ETERNAL SIGNIFICANCE
From TIMIDITY to BOLDNESS
From POWERLESSNESS TO (Supernatural) POWER
From IGNORANCE to KNOWLEDGE
From DARKNESS to LIGHT

The same calling is for each of us, today. The Lord may not require all of us to drop our nets, but He does call us to follow Him. Each of us must discover the ways He wants to make us fishers of men. And ladies, raising children is to do so, by raising them in the "nurture and admonition" of the Lord. Don't drop that net!

For some, following Him will mean that their nets must be abandoned, and so be it.
His calling is higher.

Others of us will remain in our occupations as we serve Him; but we must find a way to serve in the midst of it: To be about the Father's business, not just our own.

A holy, high calling demands it.
It is this calling which, more than anything else life can offer, uplifts us into the transformations that the early disciples underwent, and which we, too, like every disciple, can enjoy.
From being a fisherman to being a fisher OF men.

When I write my novels, I keep in mind that the writing is not just for enjoyment or entertainment, but it is part of my "net." Part of the manner of calling God has given me, to fish for men for Him.

So--how's your fishing, lately?

Saving Faith

I have a line in my first novel where the heroine (Ariana Forsythe), speaking very softly but earnestly, tells the hero (Phillip Mornay) this:

You can choose at any moment to put your trust in Christ.

One of my goals when I wrote the book was to demonstrate that crossing over from the life apart from Christ, to one of living with and for Him, was not something out of anyone's reach. In other words, I wanted to show that becoming a Christian was a very real option for WHOSOEVER WILL.

There are times when it is appropriate to warn others to count the cost of discipleship, to remember that the just shall live by faith, not sight, and that this a challenge. Counting the cost was not the message I wanted to share, at least not in that book. And not because I don't deem it as important (it is, of course, equally valid) but because my emphasis was to encourage anyone--whosoever will--that Jesus welcomes sinners to his fold. Period.

For the most part, I am happy with that emphasis.
But if we look into the "meat" of the gospel, not the early, sweet milk for newborn believers, we do find a deeper calling, for it is God's intention to love us so well that we offer Him everything: our whole heart and lives. We must eventually offer Him all that we are, which, I believe, is NOT something we can merely choose at any moment to give, but must be overwhelmed by His majesty, love, and power, that we do it out of love and obedience and gratitude.

These do not come, usually, upon the whim of the moment. Contemplation, Bible reading, and experiencing the love of the Saviour in our day-to-day lives, however, do and must result in such submission in the life of a believer.

Call it what you will: sanctification, growth, counting the cost and paying it willingly, (as He has paid our way so that we can even CONSIDER giving back the little we call our own); by any name, it is discipleship, it takes determination and discipline and frequent "reality checks"--remembering that we owe all to Him.

Perhaps I'll even be privileged to approach these themes in another book someday.
My Full Life Bible says this, in the commentary: (which started my thoughts today)

"The preaching of repentance must always accompany the gospel message." And, "The definition of saving faith as mere 'trust' in Christ as Saviour is wholly inadequate in the light of Christ's demand for repentance. To define saving faith in a way which does not necessarily involve a radical break with sin is to dangerously distort the Biblical view of redemption."

There is an undeniable difference in emphasis between sending out the invitations to the wedding feast to any passerby; and warning the virgins to fill their lamps with enough oil for the bridegroom when he comes. This is a tension-filled double-edged part of the gospel. It is available as a free gift for anyone and everyone; and yet the way is narrow and many there be that miss the way, choosing to take the broad road instead, despite the cries of Wisdom, calling out to those in the street.

May you (and I) heed the voice of Wisdom when she calls to us, today.

Resurrection Day

A short while ago, I bought a bunch of buttons for my family which show three crosses, and the words "Easter Means HE LIVES."

Even more than Christmas, Easter is the day when Christians should rejoice, for it is the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ that our faith rests upon. If Jesus didn't first die for us, as our substitute, and then defy death by rising from the dead, we would have no faith to lean upon, no Saviour to trust, and worst of all, no hope after death.

It is the resurrection of Christ, even more than the birth of Christ, that gives us hope. It was the sacrifice of God the Son, fully God and fully man, that provides us with eternal joy.

I pray you can say with me,

Rejoice, for Christ is risen!

He is risen, indeed!
Let us take a few moments to meditate on and thank God for this priceless gift!

Kindle Freebies

Last night I got carried away when I was browsing titles available for Kindle.
As a writer, I love old books, and there were many "new" old titles available--and almost all of them were free. (How could I resist?)

It occurred to me that many of these books would be of interest to some of you. Lots of my readers are writers also, or mothers, homeschoolers, etc. (I have such smart women readers!) So, here's the list I picked up: Books are free unless otherwise noted: (If you don't have a Kindle, take a title that interests you and check Project Gutenberg for it. Most older books that are free in one place will also be available there, and you can download the books as a pdf. In addition, unlike the Kindle versions, Project Gutenberg offers books WITH illustrations intact. That's my biggest complaint with Kindle--illustrations are often missing.)

Anyway, here's my list of my latest and greatest free ebooks:

1.Tillie, A Mennonite Maid: A Story of the Pennsylvania Dutch
2. Woman's Life in Colonial Days
3. The Prairie Traveler: A Handbook for Overland Expeditions
4. The Paradise of Children (From, "A Wonder Book for Girls and Boys")
5. Under the Lilacs (Penny Books) (This one cost $1.00)
6. The Betrothed (Penny Books) (Also $1.00)
7. A Plain Cookery Book for the Working Classes
8. Woman's Institute Library of Cookery: Various Volumes (I got three)
9. Directions for Cookery, In Its Various Branches
10.Mary at the Farm and Book of Recipes Compiled During Her Visit Among the Pennsylvania Germans
11.The Homeplace (Singing River Series #1) (This won't be on Gutenberg)
12.Stopping Time, Part One
13. Stopping Time, Part Two
14. A Gift of Grace (Kauffmann Amish Bakery Series#1)(won't be on Gutenberg)
15.The Twelve Sacred Traditions of Magnificent Mothers-in-Law (I can't wait to see this one! HA.)
16. Publish on Amazon Kindle With the Digital Text Platform (this may help with a workshop I teach on self-publishing.)
17. The Grey Fairy Book (Also the Brown, Blue, and Lilac are available.)These are the classic books that Dover puts out, too.
18. Handy Dictionary of Poetical Quotations
19. Familiar Quotations
20.The Book of Three Hundred Anecdotes,Historical, Literary and Humorous: A New Selection
21. The World's Greatest Books, Volume Two: Fiction (I'm trying this one out. What the heck--it's free.)

Now you know why I love my Kindle! Every so often I go on a book "buying" frenzy and it costs me practically nothing. Actually, the real reason I love it is because it's truly helping me read more. I no longer have to annoy my husband with my reading light because the Kindle light is way less obtrusive to others in a room. He gets to sleep while I get to read!

I've had other book-gathering frenzies for my Kindle, which I'll share another time. But use this list to take advantage of freebies while they last if you have a Kindle, or check Project Gutenberg.

Happy Reading!!

Using Your Talents

"Don't be satisfied with a mere feeble measure of spiritual life. Strive to have the abundant life and to be well-rounded Christians. Seek to have every power of your life developed to its utmost possibility and usefulness."
J.R. Miller (from, 365 WWJD? by Nick Harrison)

As a co-leader of Greater Harvest Workshops, it is part of my responsibility to encourage our workshop participants to hone their God-given talents so they may use them in His service.
The workshops are primarily for writers, speakers and (ministry)leaders; but each one of us has been given unique talents to use uniquely--for God.

Have you given any thought lately to the unique talents that God has endowed you with? Joy comes from serving Christ with our gifts: the passions and skills and abilities He has given you. Read that again: JOY is found in giving them expression and using them for the Kingdom.

This is not the same thing as doing what other people ask or expect, unless those expectations are based on your God-given abilities. In addition, we all have things we MUST do in life that we are decidedly not passionate about, to say the least. But a "well-rounded" Christian will seek to hone and develop his or her unique gifts and talents to not only honor God, but to live the abundant life that He promises His followers.

What is one way you can develop a talent that you've kept buried for too long?
Ask God to open a door for you to use it. Today!
Remember the parable of the "talents"? The one servant who was AFRAID to use his talent buried it "for safekeeping," and the Lord described him as wicked!

Your gifts are not meant to be a burden, but a blessing--for you and for others. Consider one area that you are gifted in, and seek to use that gift this week to bless someone else's life.
The blessing will pursue and overtake you, too. : )

Whatever You Do...

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.
Colossians 3:23


When I thought about this verse today, I realized that the principle here, of working as to GOD and not man, reflects one of the first "commandments" of effective time management. When I teach a workshop on How to Write A Novel, I tell writers that the biggest and most effective thing they can do to reach the goal of novel writing is to FOCUS unswervingly from it. To work at it consistently, and without allowing distractions to get in their line of vision. Is not this the same as working at it "with all your heart"?



In this small verse, the Lord gives us one of the MOST effective principles to live by, period. Even people who live ungodly lives, if they follow this idea, of working at something with all their heart, can accomplish great goals.

This does not mean that we develop tunnel vision and ONLY work at one goal; it does not mean that we spend all our time obsessed with one idea. We can approach every area of our lives with the hope and privilege of bringing it to the feet of Christ, offering it to Him, and working towards improvement in that area for Him, and not man.

Think about something you have wanted to improve at, something that has long been on your heart but which you have not focused on, or made holy through consecration to the Lord. Can you think of one thing, one goal, one aspiration that has been on the back burner but needs to be brought forward? Perhaps you have a few things on the burners of your life, and they all need to be consecrated?

Give those things to the Lord today; do it right now.
Ask Him to empower you as you offer them to Him, that you may work as unto GOD and not man. Thank Him for the help and improvement you will receive.

And, if your goals are not in line with what God would have you do, ask Him to help you give them up, period. Life is too short to spend it on the wrong pursuits.

Whatever you do today, do it as unto Him!

Today's image from www.readthespirit.com

Does Beautiful Equal Thin?


Today's broadcast on Nancy Leigh DeMoss's "Revive Our Hearts" show discusses this with a youth pastor's wife who came out of bondage on this issue. I used to be there, just like her, and even now, I struggle with weight issues when it comes to self-worth. But I am far healthier than I was when I was stick thin.

I once caught a glimpse of myself by accident when I was walking down a busy sidewalk in Queens, NY. There was a wall that was mirrored, and I glanced ahead, not realizing it for a second. I saw a thin, lovely woman. Then I realized it was ME, and the image changed instantly. Right before my eyes, I gained weight. Because my self-image was not the same as my true image.

It was really never a weight issue, however, but a heart issue.

Like Erin on today's show, I never felt thin, even though I was. And I certainly did not feel beautiful.

Have you found your beauty in Christ? Have you discovered how he imbues us with value and yes, beauty, by indwelling us?

Take a listen or read the transcript:

Does beautiful equal thin? What does God think? http://bit.ly/a38gHl

I'm furiously at work on my next novel, which leaves me short on time for blogging. Until I meet this deadline with my agent, I'll be sharing mostly short, succinct posts or quotes from my personal collection. If I can team up a quote with a scripture, I'll do so.

When read often, encouraging quotes can be quite powerful, and scripture, of course, never returns to God void. In other words, it has inherent power. Use it in your life daily!

"Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time."
Thomas A. Edison

And, "With God, all things are possible."
Matthew 19:26

ARE YOU THIRSTY?

"Come all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!" Isaiah 55:1

I love this verse. God offers to meet our needs
fully and unconditionally if we only go to Him!
Notice he is aware of our thirst ("you who are thirsty")--and offers "waters."
The very thing we need. He not only has what we need precisely,but
he has an abundance of it! ("Waters, plural. There's plenty, he seems
to be saying.)

He is aware of our hunger, (come and eat) and
our poverty--our inability to meet our own needs effectively.
("you who have no money.")
Then, He tells us, we who have no money but are hungry,
to "come, buy and eat."

Why does he tell us to "buy" if we have no money?
There can be only one answer. Because what he offers
has already been paid for. It is free--to us. But there was a price,
and Jesus Christ paid it. He "paid our way" for the banquet
of God. We can feast on God as much as we like. We need
only come, with His "ticket" (our faith in Christ) and we get
entry to the feast.

Have you handed in your ticket today?
Or are you allowing your soul to hunger and thirst when the Lord
is eager and ready to fill your need?

"If a person is admitted into the vault of a bank, and told to help
himself, and comes out with one cent, whose fault is it that he is poor?"*

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, Thank you for being the answer to our
needs--of any kind. Thank you for the living water you offer, the
solace when we are hurting, the healing in your wings. Thank you for
having and being all that we need now, or will ever need. Help us
today to trust you for all that is required from us. May we rest
in your comfort, and your riches of mercy and grace to help us in our
need. May we drink freely from your fount, and eat of your bread
simply because we CAN--through Christ--and you encourage us to. Amen.

WORSHIP: Worship the Lord for how He can answer your problems today,
and meet all your needs, whether you can see his answer and help right now, or not.
(Remember, them that honor him, He will honor!)

hugs,

Linore

Note: Today's image is from livwat.com (their logo)

O Give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy
endureth forever. Psalm 136:1

This morning as I contemplated the day, and read a selection from
365 WWJD (by Nick Harrison) I thought how simple things become if
we only concentrate on GOD instead of ourselves.

All we need do to approach, to drink in, to absorb the beauty and
loveliness and blessing of knowing Him is to "give thanks unto the
Lord; for he is good!"

Rather than look at the daily concerns, needs, chores,
and duties that quickly engulf our time and hearts, let us look
up to the One who has provided for it all. He truly knows all
that we need, and has it under control.

O Give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy
endureth forever.

PRAYER: Lord, let us approach you with a spirit of praise
and thanks, for you ARE good! Your mercy endures forever!
Your mercies are new every morning! Surround us with your mercies
today, O God, and be with us through all that we must face. Give
us your wisdom to walk humbly with our God, and help us never
to forget that wherever we go, whatever we do, we are safely
within Your hands. We thank you and praise you, O Lord!

WORSHIP: Sing a song to God, or just continue worshipping
at His feet before going about your day. Bask in His presence
and Know that He is God.

love,

Linore

The Country House Courtship on the Blogosphere!
(Have Book Will Travel)


Today is the first "organized" blog tour for my newest release, The Country House Courtship. The book has been making the rounds among bloggers and book reviewers since it's release last month, but today marks the first day of a blog tour organized by someone other than me! My publicist, Rebeca Seitz of Glass Road Public Relations set this one up.

What does this mean? That something like forty bloggers will be posting about the book today, including many of their thoughts on it. I love getting feedback in the form of reviews, so I've been looking forward to this!
Some of the places you might see Country House today? Here's a few:

http://christinelindsay.com
http://ceceliadowdy.blogspot.com
http://Favoritepastimes.blogspot.com
http://bl.books.blogspot.com
http://www.christianromancewriter.blogspot.com/
http://novelreviews.blogspot.com
http://jessicacoultersmith.wordpress.com
http://wordvessel.blogspot.com
http://myheartbelongs2books.blogspot.com
http://cindykgreen.blogspot.com/
http://livingourfaithoutloud.blogspot.com
http://www.rorreviews.wordpress.com
http://lighthouse-academy.blogspot.com
http://ww.annetteirbyreviews.blogspot.com
http://ambermillerauthor.blogspot.com

If you've never been to some of these blogs, they are all well
worth a visit for book lovers, readers or writers. "Bookish"
places, all!

Here are some more:

http://hip2bhomeschooling.blogspot.com
http://cherryblossommj.blogspot.com
http://readinggrounds.blogspot.com
http://www.aweakrose.blogspot.com
http://www.mainlymystery.blogspot.com
http://www.myfriendamysblog.com
http://martasmeanderings.blogspot.com
http://ribbit-ribbit.blogspot.com
http://www.notesofjubilee.blogspot.com
http://wynsbooks.blogspot.com
http://reviewsplus.blogspot.com

(Are these great or what? : )

http://somanybooksblog.blogspot.com
http://jeanniecampbell.blogspot.com
http://yougottareadreviews.blogspot.com
http://www.teresaslack.blogspot.com
http://lynnmcmo.com
http://www.patiacuzzi.com

I may not have included everyone on the tour, and if
you see this and your blog is missing, let me know
and I'll post yours in a new entry!
And thanks so much for all the wonderful bloggers
and book reviewers out there that have featured
my book! I appreciate you!

NO Doubt About It

Part Two


Today we'll look at the New Testament for its clear and unmistakable instruction on when life begins. Again, our emphasis is not to condemn anyone for past mistakes regarding an abortion, but simply to reveal that there is only one "choice" that is biblical. Women are still told today that their babies are nothing more than a blob of tissue which they should not feel badly about aborting. If that is true, then we are all merely bigger blobs of tissue!

Matthew 6:26
Look at the birds of the air....Your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

Ephesians 4:23-24
Be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and (to) put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

Matthew 22:39
And a second commandment is like (the first): You shall love your neighbor as yourself. (If we should love our neighbor, who is not even a relative, should we not love what is of our own body? A child? Is it loving to ourselves to abort that which has been created within us by God? An abortion is a traumatic event, biologically and emotionally.)

Colossians 3:9-11
Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator......Christ is all and in all.

Returning to the Old Testament, here is the punishment for an involuntary abortion, caused by another: (It isn't the woman who is punished, but the perpetrator.)

"If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman's husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life" (Ex.21:22-23).

One website says: "God does not make exceptions that tolerate injury to any pregnant mother, or any child in the womb. (He provides them strong protection) In fact CURSES "come upon" and "overtake" nations that refuse to administer justice (Deut. 28:15)."

Links, information, a great many more Biblical references and more, can be found at Pro-Life America.

Feel free to share your thoughts on the matter.
Blessings, my friends.

NO DOUBT ABOUT IT!

The President continues to call for his health care "reform" bill. But when there is legalized abortion, can it be called "reform?" How long will our nation continue to enjoy the blessings of God while we are killing our most helpless future citizens?

For those who may doubt whether or not the Lord really condemns abortion, I offer the following verses from the Bible: Just read them once, and I think you'll agree there can be no doubt about it--abortion is the murder of a child. I don't raise this issue to condemn any woman who has undergone this traumatic event; I have, on the contrary, a great deal of compassion for her. "But for the grace of God, there go I." This is not to condemn, but to enlighten. Let's start right at the beginning of the Bible:

Genesis 1:26a "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.
Genesis 1:27-28 "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.'"

Psalm 139: 13-16 "For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them."

Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you;"

Notice these verses are from the Old Testament. Tomorrow I'll share some from the New Testament that speak equally strongly of how God is the creator of life, from the womb, and that there are no "accidents" in the divine scheme.

Blessings, my friends.

GREATER HARVEST WORKSHOPS

announces its first 2010 event for Writers on Sat., February 27th,
at the Healing Word Assembly of God, in Middletown, OH.
Do you have a book inside you? Want to learn more about how to make that book a reality? Come to the Greater Harvest Workshop and let our panel of experts answer your questions.

Presenters include Children's Author Donna Shepherd, Historial Romance Novelist Linore Rose Burkard,(hey, she sounds familiar!)Inspirational Novelist Teresa Slack, Children's book illustrator Liz Ball, and Freelance Writer Diana R. Jenkins.

Details, schedule of workshops, and registration information is available online at
http://www.greaterharvestworkshops.blogspot.com/
Seating is limited. Get your registration in soon! Workshop hours are: 8:30AM-1:30PM.

I'd love to see you there!!

HAVE BOOK, WILL TRAVEL--Around the Blogosphere, that is.
GIVEAWAYS GALORE! (The Blog Book Tour)

Interested in reading The Country House Courtship, but can't buy a new book right now?
Follow my blog tour and simply leave a comment to be entered in multiple drawings for giveaways of my book.

Here's this week's round-up of stops on the blogosphere: (Where you can read more about me or the book, and enter drawings to win a free book!)And most posts remain up (and the drawing is in effect) for up to a week, so check them out even if you miss the initial posting date.

Still Available: Sat. Jan. 9th
http://petticoatsandpistols.com (Catch me here discussing weaponry and duelling during the regency)

Monday January 11th:
Living Our Faith Out Loud
Word Vessel
Margaret Daly's Blog (DON'T MISS this interview with the heroine of Country House--Miss Beatrice Forsythe. You'll get some "insider info" as to what makes her tick.)


Wednesday, January 13th:
Inkwell Inspirations
Scones recipe from me at: Living our Faith Out Loud

Thursday, January 14th:
A personal post from me on Living Our Faith Out Loud


Friday, January 15th
The Sword and Spirit

Saturday, January 16th-17th
A unique interview with me on: International Christian Fiction Writers Blogspot

And don't forget that if you aren't on my mailing list yet, all new subscribers are
entered in a drawing to win a free book from me--it could be one of my books or a Christian fiction book by a different author which you'll love--so sign up today!
You'll also get my monthly "Regency Reflections" e-zine, with illustrated articles, specially chosen links for you to enjoy, and author news.

Catch my guest post today on PETTICOATS AND PISTOLS about weapons during the Regency.
I'll be stopping by once or twice to say hi to visitors, too. One of my daughters' turns 13 today, so I can only hop by quickly, but I'll do my best.

Even if you can't come and visit, think about this truth today as you go about your tasks:
GOD IS GOOD.
(Ps. 119:68; Ps.136:1)

GOD IS FAITHFUL
(Constant, loyal, reliable, steadfast, unwavering, devoted, true, dependable)
Deut. 7:9
Psalm 119:90
II Timothy 2:13

Just this past week, I had occasion to experience the faithfulness of God. It had snowed a little during the night, but I was up bright and early to go to an appointment I had. As I was driving happily along, I began to notice that the road was perhaps a bit slippery, and decided to slow down. It was a country road and I had been driving around 45mph. As I began to slow, in one second I was suddenly on an angle and unable to control my van.

I frantically tried to remember what to do when a vehicle is skidding, but watched helplessly as my van crossed the road and went headlong into a ditch. Even in the ditch it didn't stop immediately, but continued along until a large, bare bush stopped me, ruining the driver side mirror in the process. But I was okay!

Heart pounding a little, I reached for my cell phone only to realize I hadn't brought it along! "Oh, no," I fretted to the Lord. "How are you going to get me out of this one?" The road was empty, a few houses along the way were all quiet and still--no sign of life anywhere. First, I did the thing a stranded driver should not do: I tried to back out of my predicament. When the van moved a few feet, I felt elated, only to have it start to dig into the snow and dirt. After that, I was well and truly stuck!

I looked in my rear view mirror at the looong stretch of road I'd just come. My home was at least a mile away, maybe more. I was wearing snow boots, thankfully, but I was not relishing the idea of that long walk in the cold. I prayed, "Lord, I don't see how you can help me, but I know you can. Please help!"

I got out of the van to survey the damage, and saw that I was definitely not going to get my van out of the ditch. The back tires had carved a deep gully around them of about half a foot. (Probably less, but it looked deep.)
I stood by the van just looking across a wide, empty, wintery field and down the road in the direction I was going to have to walk. Out of the corner of my eye I saw movement. There was a woman walking a dog right on the side of her house.

Funny how good news brings energy. I was suddenly hurrying down the road towards that nice new house with a woman and a dog, but she was already disappearing around the back of her home. After a few calls, she re-appeared, and thus began my rescue.

She was visiting her daughter for the Christmas holidays, allowed me to use her cell phone to call my hero, er, my husband, and the next thing I knew I was inside that cozy home speaking with two sweet ladies who were so happy to help me. I love meeting neighbors, and a mile from home in the country means you're neighbors! It was great, and they were thrilled to discover that I was an author.

Later on, the woman's husband used a truck he owned to pull my van out of the ditch, so I gave the ladies a copy of my first two books. I love that I had them to give.
And honestly, sometimes I think that women who read and love Christian inspirational romance are the sweetest women on the planet.

Moral of the story: It doesn't have to look like help is there for God to have help there. : ) I missed my appointment, which was to have blood drawn for my annual physical, but that was rescheduled. Meeting those women was worth it.

At least it feels that way. When my husband gives me the bill for having the mirror fixed, we'll see. But THANK YOU, LORD. You have proved your faithfulness and loving kindness to me once again!

WHAT SHOULD I WRITE NEXT?

I'm working on a new book, but I thought I'd throw out this question to see what my readers might think. What would you most like to see from me, next? More regencies? An Early American? A time-travel? A contemporary?

Click this link and let me know. What Should I Write Next?

You could also leave your opinion on my Facebook Reader's Page.

I look forward to seeing what you want from me!

THE COUNTRY HOUSE COURTSHIP IS HERE!

My latest book is now "officially" released and in book stores across the country.

Do you have a blog? Would you like a ready-made post about this book, replete with images, an interview with me, and everything you ever wanted to create a great blog post about a book?

I have a handy-dandy "blogger's toolkit" for this book. You can access it HERE. And here's a bonus tip: If you're an author too, use this toolkit as a template for your next release. It'll save you scads of time and trouble.

If you choose to do a post to your blog about my book, let me know. I'll offer a free copy to one of your commenters, which will help increase traffic to your blog. The only catch is that you must garner at least ten comments from different people to offer the giveaway--but tell this to your readers and they'll help bring you more!

So, once again, here's the free and easy to use "Blogger's Toolkit" for The Country House Courtship. And if you're curious about the book, but don't blog yourself, you can access the toolkit too, and read all about the book. Is it for you?

Here's a short blurb for

England, 1818: It has been five years since Ariana Forsythe married The Paragon, Mr. Phillip Mornay. Now, Ariana's sister, Miss Beatrice Forsythe, is seventeen and determined to marry advantageously as well. (Surely Ariana's society connexions all but guarantee Beatrice's success-especially if Mr. Mornay is created a baronet by the Prince Regent!

But the Mornay's have disappeared from high society as they raise a family at their country estate. Can Beatrice persuade them to chaperone her in London? And what about her business with the curate, Mr. O'Brien, whom Beatrice rashly promised to marry years earlier? She is too sophisticated now to settle for a mere clergyman-despite his agreeable countenance and gentle, understanding ways. When Mr. Tristan Barton becomes tenant of the Manor House, Beatrice's hopes seem to have found their object. But when Ariana falls gravely ill, secrets come to light, motives are revealed, and pretenses that are easy to keep up in the darkness begin to crumble. As hearts are bared and truths uncovered, a country house courtship like no other cannot be far behind!

Fans of Linore's first books, Before the Season Ends, and The House on Grosvenor Square, will be delighted with final addition to the Regency Inspirational Series, as will all readers of historical romance.

Remember, if you post about the book and want to let me know or offer a giveaway, email me
at Linore (at)LinoreRoseBurkard (dot) com.
I look forward to hearing from you!

GOOD NEWS

Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, "Behold your God!"
Isaiah 40:9

On today's "Revive Our Heart" broadcast, Nancy Leigh DeMoss reminds us that we have GOOD news to share with this world. Are you weary of all the bad news today? Look up, and BEHOLD YOUR GOD.

Be reminded of the One who has all things in His hands.
Who has called you with an everlasting love,
Who knew you from the womb, before you were born,
Who is the same yesterday, today and forever;
Be reminded of the love of the Saviour for YOU.

To forget God in his glory and strength is to forget His love and care for you.
It is to falter from the wind and waves like Peter on the water.

Your life is the water, fellow believer.
Don't allow the wind and waves to frighten you, though at times they may be fierce.

Instead, BEHOLD YOUR GOD.
Accept his strong hand of help. Bask in the GOOD news that He is
ready and willing to help you across the sea of this life.
In fact, He knows precisely which direction for you to take.
He certainly has led me on my path! And I praise him for it.

Behold your God!
Amen.

Zoom Out
(reprinted from the CAN blog --Christian Authors' Network)

For many, 2009 has been a tough year. Very tough. I've watched friends lose their homes, battle horrible illnesses, lose a loved one in tragic accidents, have financial setbacks. My family has endured its share of hardships as well. But, I want to talk about zooming out this season, because this is a time when we tend to focus on hope and God's promise that came in the form of his Son.

When we're trying to find a place on a Google map, we zoom in and check out the nearby streets, so we know how many blocks to go before we have to turn left. But, with the focus so tuned in, we often have no clue where we are, relative to where we are going. We have to zoom way out to establish our location in the bigger locale--and once we see the freeways and neighborhoods printed on the map, we relax, knowing exactly where we are.

I propose that zooming out is the antidote to succumbing to despair when hard times overtake us. Some call it looking at the bigger picture. But I like this image of a map, because we can often recognize small landmarks around us--familiar stores and parks and such--but can't put them in perspective with the world at large. Those of us who know God's purpose for humanity and the hope He holds out to us have this magical "zoom" button at our fingertips. Anytime we want, we can just click on it and voila! We've pulled way back to a God's-eye view of our lives. The problem is--we often forget that little button is there.

What happens when we zoom out? We see things from God's perspective, from his sweeping view of time playing out over the ages. We understand a thousand years is only a day to the Lord, and as a watch in the night. Psalm 30:5 says "weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning." Jesus is our promised morning star, the daystar that rises in our hearts. Why are we told this? Because the promise of the morning star is the promise of a new day dawning. God used a star to lead the way to the infant Christ And so, in this season, we need to remember the promise of this star, which is foretold to rise in our hearts (2 Peter 1:19). The Bible speaks of "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Col 1:27). Do we ever really ponder this mysterious and precious gift--that Christ resides in our hearts--which is the promise of hope, a promise of glory.

So, as we weather more hard times to come--for there will surely be more--let's remember to zoom out. See things from God's view of time. Know that this "slight affliction" will pass and one day we will be with Christ and see him face-to-face. We are told to hang on to this hope, this anchor for our souls. May we be ever joyful in the midst of pain and sorrow, for the joy of the Lord IS our strength.

This article is reprinted from the CAN blog (Christian Authors Network).