Wait passionately for God,
don’t leave the path.
He’ll give you your place in the sun …
Psalm 37:34, Message Bible
Oh, what a perfect weekend for a “place in the sun”! For me, Memorial weekend harkens back to wonderfully warm memories of sunning in the open bow of our boat at Lake of the Ozarks (like the pic to the right, showing my daughter and me praying about something on a boat), or catching rays on the dock of the lakehouse we once owned when the kids were small.
Of course, as a young girl, I had a skin condition called psoriasis, so for me, the sun was very healing. I had a picture of me once at the age of 23, laying out on a blanket in my swimsuit next to a patch of snow in 47-degree weather, the rockin’ sound of oldies blasting from my transistor radio. You see, tanning was very important to me back then, because it all but eradicated the psoriasis on my legs. I would toss a tattered blanket on the lawn next to my apartment building to block the wind, then slather up with lots of cocoa butter, soaking up the warmth of the glorious sun through every pore in my body.
That was right about the time I met another “glorious Son,” who brought the warmth of His love into every pore of my spirit. Sweet Savior of my soul—talk about a “place in the sun”! God took me from a world of darkness as a rejected daughter, taunted sibling, and misguided young woman, into His glorious light, where His love soaked into my every crevice, transforming me into a woman aglow. Suddenly I had answers to all the deep and dark questions haunting my soul, showing me the truth for the very first time.
So on May 1st, when I embarked upon my month-long fast of Amazon and most e-mails for the sole purpose (or maybe I should say “soul purpose”) of seeking God’s will about what direction I should take with my writing, I knew He would answer.
I have to admit, it’s been a wonderful month of exploration and growth, drinking in the wisdom of Catherine Marshall in her life-changing book, Beyond our Selves (a gift from a dear friend—thank you, Carrie!) as well as Anita Higman’s truly anointed devotional, Where God Finds You (also from a dear friend—bless you, Carole!). Between these insightful books and Joyce Meyer’s Hearing From God Each Morning and, of course, the glorious Bible, I have been “hearing from God” in ways that have truly refreshed my soul. So let me thank each and every one of you who has taken the time to pray for me and my writing ministry during the month of May and beyond.
Today’s Scripture was from one of my Bible readings this week and I have to admit, it felt like a bulls-eye. Of course, anything with the word “passion” in it is a bulls-eye for me, so God really got my attention, especially when one more readily associates the word “patience” with waiting on God rather than “passion.” I’ve been told to “patiently wait for God,” yes, but “passionately wait for God?? A new concept to me, for sure, and one I didn’t think was possible, but God’s Word says it is.
To be honest, all three phrases in this Scripture spoke to me deeply—to wait on God with the same passion with which I long to write books that glorify Him; to not leave the path He has set me on, which is to write stories of passion, both romantically and spiritually; and finally, the promise of my place in the sun. To lay down in His “green pastures” (His will) with eyes closed, soaking up the warmth of the sun (and Son) while I listen to oldies but goodies (the Holy Spirt). Mmm … sounds like a perfect weekend (and direction for my writing) to me! 🙂
SCAVENGER HUNT WINNERS!!! A big THANK YOU to everyone who participated in last weekend’s Christian Fiction scavenger hunt, and you can check out the winners here: http://lisatawnbergren.com/2013/05/the-winners/
UNSCHEDULED REVIEW/GIVEAWAY UNTIL 5/29: If you’re looking for a chance to win Love at Any Cost, look no further because Dr. Jeannie Campbell has our pretty-boy hero Jamie MacKenna on the couch for therapy, so do check it out, especially since Jeannie is giving away a copy of the book!
MAY 31ST — NEWSLETTER CONTEST TO HAVE A CHARACTER NAMED AFTER YOU IN MY NEXT BOOK ENDS!! And guess what? It only takes ONE good review posted on Amazon for Love at Any Cost to enter a random drawing where a character will be named after you in book 2, Dare to Love Again. In addition, the winner will receive a signed copy of the book, so please contact me through my website if you have done so and wish to be entered, okay? The winner will be announced in my next newsletter due out this summer. GOOD LUCK!!
I wish you and yours a happy Memorial weekend, and may you soak up lots and lots of Son.
Hugs,
Julie
