Journal Jots – Blog

“Joy and pain, they are but two arteries of the one heart

that pumps through all those who don’t

numb themselves to really living.”

 —Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts

Salt and pepper, sweet and sour, comedy and drama—polar opposites that complement each other, enhancing the whole. Let’s face it—too much salt and not enough pepper prunes the tongue and scrunches the nose, ruining the taste. Too much sweet sickens the stomach, diminishing its appeal, diluting the wonder of favorite things like peach cobbler, red velvet cake or Reeses Cups. And I’m sorry, but those things are TOO wonderful to not enjoy fully.

And just when does one enjoy favorite things more fully? Well, how ‘bout that first burst of sweetness from a Hershey bar after a diet? That low moan when you sample a favorite dessert you haven’t had in a long, long time? Or even that first savor of chunky chicken noodle soup that you can finally taste when you’re appetite returns after the flu? The truth is NOTHING in life would look, taste, feel, smell or sound as good if there wasn’t a polar opposite to heighten the joy of things we love, an absence makes the heart grow fonder, if you will.

And actually, it’s the same thing with drama and comedy, as I point out in my Seeker blog this week entitled “Ho-Ho-Ho! Funny You should Say That … Or Putting Humor in our Writing (http://seekerville.blogspot.com/2011/12/ho-ho-ho-funny-you-should-say-that-or.html). Which, by the way, has a giveaway going on until tonight, Friday evening at 5:00 PM, for winner’s choice of a signed copy of any of my books or a top CBA book from my personal library and the detailed handout from Ruth Axtell Morren’s and my ACFW Workshop, “A Kiss is NOT Just a Kiss.” So do drop by if you get a chance, okay, because I hope it will give you a chuckle or two during this hectic holiday season.

You see, this blog on humor points out all too well how humor helps to enhance a dramatic scene as well as provide comic relief from anything too heavy. And quite frankly, too much humor makes my jaws ache from laughing and my stomach hurt because the bottom line is, we need the one to really enjoy the other.

Unfortunately, this is a fact I learned all too well this week. You see, I got some pretty distressing news that pulled the plug on my Christmas joy, popped my bubble of enthusiasm and yes—passion—to leave me flat, dull and without the slightest desire to open my laptop. The fire and fervor that usually flows through my veins sludged to a cold stop, robbing me of the ability to work on things with deadlines looming. I moped, I cried, I got mad. And then I got on my knees.

Oh the highs of lows of being a human being! That roller-coaster of laughter and tears, success and failure that zooms us to the heights, only to careen us into the valleys below. And yet, without the lows, the highs would never be fully appreciated and would, in fact, become commonplace and dull, grossly unappreciated, evoking little or no gratitude.

And gratitude, my dear friends, is everything. It’s the path to joy as Ann Voskamp so beautifully points out in one of the most AMAZING non-fiction books I have EVER read, the New York Times bestseller, One Thousand Gifts (A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are).

Soooo … how can the negatives of a being a human being—sickness, financial difficulties, conflict, etc.—possibly enhance our lives, you ask? Oh, honey, by drawing us closer to HIM, because when push comes to shove, hurt comes to tears, hope comes to despair, the God who loves us with “an everlasting love,” Who guards us as the “apple of His eye” is waiting to scoop us up, dry our tears and adjust our perspective. Gently, lovingly whispering in our ear that that awful thing that so disappointed us never did or ever could contain the joy we so desperately seek. No amount of success, money or even blessing from the hand of God such as a wonderful marriage and life, can EVER fulfill like the love of God. To teach the ongoing lesson that it’s only the lows, the valleys, the pain … that will set us free from focus on self, which like too much “sweet,” sickens the soul.

Today, the laptop is open and the hearth fire burning again, both in my cozy, twinkle-light hearth room and in my heart. Passion runs high once again because I know I have a God who loves me SO much, He takes great pains to keep my focus on Him—the true source of all joy, hope and peace. Like a loving parent who insists a child wear seatbelts no matter the tantrum, He knows our journey is SO much more enjoyable and safe when we rest in His arms and are girded by His precepts. It’s not about the pretty sights we pass as we look out the window, it’s about the destination and the journey home … where hearth fires burn and His love warms our souls. Home to Him … the God who has a plan and a purpose for each of us if only we focus on God instead of our circumstances, praising Him, thanking Him in the midst of good and bad, sweet or sour, laughter or tears. Because He is the God of all, the Light to our dark, the Hope to our despair and the true Path for our souls.

FINAL GIVEAWAYS OF THE YEAR!!!

DECEMBER 8-27, 2011

Join me at Project Journal blog for my SECOND final interview giveaway of 2011 to win a signed copy of one of my books including my new release, A Heart Revealed AND a copy of the very detailed handout from Ruth Axtell Morren’s and my ACFW Workshop, “A Kiss is NOT Just a Kiss.”

http://hcprojectjournal.blogspot.com/2011/12/wonderful-winter-smiles-stories-and-fun.html

Have a GREAT weekend and s-l-o-w- down to enjoy the season!

Hugs,

Julie

She opened her eyes, and like a lens to a blind eye,

it all came into true focus.

—Julie Lessman, A Hope Undaunted

True Focus. Seeing things God’s way, through the eyes of a grateful heart. All too often I find I rush through life without really and truly seeing (i.e. appreciating) the blessings God has provided for me.

For instance, when I was a new mother nursing my first child, I had a heck of a time because my infant son wanted to nurse every two hours throughout the night. And then, the little stinkpot would take his time, dawdling for an hour or longer, which meant by the time I finally got back to bed, I only had an hour or so to sleep before the next feeding. Needless to say, I did not enjoy nursing at night and almost dreaded it.

Until I adjusted the “lens” to see more clearly. “Lord,” I said one day, “I feel like a rotten mother because nursing is such a chore at night. Can you please help me to like it?” Focus, the thought came, as if every time is your last … because one day it will be. Do you know that single thought, that shift of perspective, that “true focus,” changed my whole attitude on nursing? After that I would rock that little boy in the dead of night, softly singing “Amazing Grace” while precious memories embedded in my brain—that of his soft baby scent or the curl of tiny fingers grasping my thumb or those tiny, little grunts he’d make, assuring me he was all boy! From that point on, I treasured each and every moment with a heart of gratitude for that fussy, little guy in my arms, day or night, and when the “final” nursing came and went, I had no regrets, only wonderful memories.

Or there was that time when I was 26 years old and the only single person in my family of 13 kids. “Lord,” I’d say with a whine in my voice, “I am so sick of being single, and I long for a love of my own.” Your single life is short term, Julie, the thought came into my head, why are you throwing it away? Why, indeed? Here I was, exactly where God wanted me for the moment and instead of focusing on it, enjoying it, I was wishing it away, complaining instead of thanking God for the gift of single life. So, you know what? I made up my mind then and there that I was going to “enjoy” my single life by focusing on the men I dated instead of myself—you know, really listening to them, praying for them, trying my best to give them the best date they could possibly have without physical intimacies. How’d that work out? Well, for one solid year, I had a blast and the best time of my single life, which ended up being very “short term,” indeed. Almost one year to the day, the guy all the girls went ga-ga over in the company where I worked asked me out, and my single life came to a screeching halt. Like the nursing incident above, I had seized the opportunity to really “focus” on where God had me at the moment and give it my all with a heart of gratitude. Oh my, what a difference that makes in the joy factor of one’s life!

A few weeks ago, I received an incredibly touching message from a dear reader friend, Doretha Campbell Stroud, who I didn’t know had lost her husband. She wrote a very short message that stirred my heart and brought tears to my eyes, not only because of her loss, but because of the message she brings to each one of us. Focus on where God has you at the moment and revel in the joy before you, which is a true gift from God. See each situation—be it a belligerent child, a sink full of dishes or work deadlines to meet—for the gift that it truly is. Not a belligerent child, but a gift from God that millions of infertile women would give anything to have. Not a sink full of dirty dishes, but the food and family they represent. Not stressful work deadlines to meet, but a job in an economy where too many people are unemployed. There’s always a flip side to every situation, and all it takes is a little “focus” to gain the right perspective and glean the joy in what is ultimately a blessing from God.

I’d like to end this Journal Jot with Doretha’s very touching note, and may it remind us all that we need to focus and “get lost” in the moments of our lives that God has given us, cherishing each and every one with a heart of gratitude. Because “gratitude” is merely perspective … and a true key to joy. Thank you, Doretha, for sharing the following beautiful story with each of us.

Been wanting to post this for some time now, hope it doesn’t sound preachy, I just want to share. This time of year is always hard for me as I really miss Coy during the Christmas season. So what I really want to say to all my married friends, or those with significant others….. Take time to get lost. I know this is a busy season and we think we have to do everything perfect, but its not the …things you miss when someone is gone, it’s the person. What I mean by taking time to get lost is……Many mornings as Coy and I sat drinking our morning coffee he would look at me and say, let’s get lost today. What that meant was, please leave the dishes and the house work and lets find some back roads and see where we wind up. We had some of our best days doing this. Driving slowly, taking time to just talk and LISTEN to one another. I would love the chance to have one more day to “get lost” with him. So during this busy season, leave the dishes in the sink, go for a ride with your spouse, I promise the benefit is well worth the messy kitchen once in a while. Take advantage of every moment you can grab with your love, what if it is your last?

What if, indeed?

FINAL GIVEAWAYS OF THE YEAR!!!

DECEMBER 8-27, 2011

Join me at Project Journal blog for my final interview giveaway of 2011 to win a signed copy of one of my books including my new release, A Heart Revealed AND a copy of the very detailed handout from Ruth Axtell Morren’s and my ACFW Workshop, “A Kiss is NOT Just a Kiss.”

http://hcprojectjournal.blogspot.com/2011/12/wonderful-winter-smiles-stories-and-fun.html

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14-16, 2011

Join me in Seekerville when my topic will be “HO-HO-HO, FUNNY YOU SHOULD SAY THAT … Laughter and Fun in our Stories.” This is your FINAL CHANCE to win your choice of any of my books PLUS a copy of the very detailed handout from Ruth Axtell Morren’s and my ACFW workshop, “A Kiss is NOT Just a Kiss.” Hope to see you there! Here’s the link:

http://www.seekerville.blogspot.com/

WHOO-HOO!!! COME “CHAT” WITH ME AT A LAST-MINUTE CHAT/GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY!!

Come chat with me for a full hour at a great romance website called ROMCON that has an Inspirational section!! Get all the scoop on The Cousins McClare, ask all the questions you’ve been dying to ask — this is your chance! When the chat is over, I will award one chatter their choice of my books PLUS a top CBA book from my library, so hope to see you there!! Here’s what you do:

MONDAY, DECEMBER 19th — 9 p.m. Eastern/7 p.m. Central, 7 p.m. Mountain and 6 p.m. Pacific:

Go to www.romconinc.com and click on the “enter chat room” selection under the book club menu.  You will be asked to log in or if you are not a member, you can become one by “creating a free account” with simply your name and e-mail. Then log in and click on “enter chat room.” I’ll be there to chat up a storm and pick a winner, so put the date down on your calendar, and hope to see you there!

Happy Weekend, Happy Shopping and Happy “Focusing”!!

Hugs,

Julie

 “Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary,

 use words.”

 —St. Francis of Assisi, paraphrased

Okay, is it just me, or is anybody else freaked out that it’s December 2^nd already?? I mean come on, it seems like just yesterday I took the Christmas stuff down in February (okay, okay, not one single word, please—January is my key month for cranking on the book, so I ignore everything else, okay? It’s a rule in our household, seriously, like gravity).

Anyway, this year I’ve cut WAY back on decorations and shopping because I’m getting close to the home stretch of book one of The Cousins McClare and am hoping to wrap it up by end of December (yeah, I have my pajamas on because I’m definitely dreaming), but it will probably be more like end of January instead. Consequently, I only put up one tree instead of my customary two and I paid my daughter’s girlfriend to shop for my daughter because she is very picky and hates whatever I buy. And the days of baking 60 dozen cookies (eight different kind that were literally works of art) for 30 cookie/rum cake plates for the neighbors (pink cellophane wrapped with sparkly bows and real holly from my bush) are long, LONG gone, thank you, God!!

So between less to do for Christmas and turning in the final FINAL draft of Steven’s story, A Love Surrendered THIS WEEK, I am breathing a lot easier and actually ready to enjoy the holidays, which is good because I’d rather not be a CDQ on espresso roaming the malls, if you know what I mean. Oh, no, I’d much rather reflect what the season is truly all about—celebrating a Savior who has dramatically changed my life for the better in every possible way and emulating Him so He can do the same for others.

What really brought this home to me this week was one night when my daughter came in and plops down on the couch across from the lounger where I write in my hearth room. “Want to hear a great story that happened to me today?” she asks with a spark of excitement in her eyes. “Sure, I say,” and I close my laptop as I always try to do when I know she wants to talk. She proceeds to tell me how she was studying in Panera when this guy sits at the table next to her with a woman who was apparently counseling him, and although my daughter had her i-Pod in, she could still hear the conversation. This young man was distraught and broken, recovering from drugs and a bad relationship with a girlfriend who’d introduced him to Buddhism.

Now let me interject right here that my daughter is a volunteer facilitator at our church for a Bible study that attracts people from every religion including Buddhists and Atheists. Consequently, she has had to learn how to discuss every religion out there and show why Christianity makes the most sense. This exposure to people hungry for the truth has literally invigorated her own faith, prompting her to pray for God to help her witness more, something she has never been comfortable doing. Uh … till Panera.

Suddenly out of the blue, she feels “compelled” to talk to this guy, which she actually did—a miracle in itself for my somewhat shy daughter—and they ended up talking for over two hours without any “official” witnessing. She simply talked to him, listened, asked questions and carefully used her learned knowledge about Buddhism to lead him to the truth of Jesus Christ. The amazing thing is that by the end of the conversation, not only did she discover she and this guy knew a number of friends in common who’d actually witnessed to him in the past, but she realized he was the same person her friends had witnessed to six months prior while coming out of an I-Hop. “He’s going to come to our church, Mom,” she said with tears in her eyes, and the fact that God had used her as one of the final steps in introducing a broken man to Christ had us both bawling like babies.

Now, let me just go on record to say I’m one of those Christians who has never been fond of the word “witnessing,” I guess because as a young agnostic myself at the age 23, I would have spit in the eye of anybody who tried it with me. Until, that is, my friend Joy “witnessed” to me at work one life-altering day. BUT … not with words, mind you, but with the peace and joy she radiated every single moment. Just like Amy witnessed to that broken guy with kindness and concern. It’s classic Francis of Assisi in action: “Preaching the Gospel at all times and when necessary, use words.”

I have to admit, my daughter’s excitement this week stirred my faith as well … to do more this Christmas season and beyond to show people just how much Jesus Christ can change a person—a life—for the better. Yes, I suppose I have my own way of “witnessing” with writing books that I hope and pray will show people it IS possible to have a personal, intimate relationship with an absolutely AMAZING God that can truly be “touch-and-feel” (i.e. we touch His heart through obedience, He feels joyous and so do we). But … suddenly, through my daughter’s tears, I felt compelled to do more. To “witness” with a smile in my eyes, a nod of my head, a prayer on my lips for every person I pass. It’s holding a door open for someone and not getting mad when there are no “thank yous,” but praying for them instead. Or simple things like letting someone else go before you or even telling a complete stranger that you like their purse. “Witnessing” at all times … with our actions of love … not words.

Years ago as a brand-new Christian, God said to me in a very supernatural way, “Julie, unless you love others, you cannot call yourself Mine.” Why? Because God IS “Love” incarnate, and if we claim to belong to Him, we must “love” (i.e. witness) at all times, but never more so than during the season of Christmas when the world’s eyes are not only fixed on Jesus … but on the “Jesus” they see in each of us.

And so, today on this 2^nd day of December, I throw out a challenge to each of us. To make this holiday season what it was meant to me—a celebration and an extension of God’s love to a world that so desperately needs it … just like we did … and do. I guarantee you, even one tiny incident of “witnessing” will not only put a smile on your face and that of the person to whom you witness … but on the very face of God Himself. And I don’t know about you, but that sure says “Merry Christmas” to me.

GIVEAWAYS THIS WEEK—GREAT FOR CHRISTMAS GIFTS!!!

DECEMBER 2-5, 2011

WANNA SEE THE BEST AND MOST UNIQUE PRESENT MY HUBBY EVER GAVE ME??? Then join me at Southern Sassy Things blog for a HUGE Birthday Bash featuring TONS of giveaways including books by Vickie McDonough, Ginger Garrett and Lori Copeland AND a chance to win a signed copy of any of my books including my new release, A Heart Revealed  OR a writer’s critique. As an extra writer’s bonus, you will also receive the official detailed handout from the ACFW Workshop Ruth Axtell Morren and I taught entitled “A Kiss is NOT Just a Kiss.” Here’s the link, and I hope to see you there:

http://southernsassythings.blogspot.com/2011/12/birthday-bash-day-5-with-special-guest.html

DECEMBER 5-11, 2011

Join me at Amanda Barratt’s blog for a interview giveaway to win a signed copy of one of my books including my new release, A Heart Revealed at:

http://amandabarratt.blogspot.com/ 

DECEMBER 8-25, 2011

Join me at Project Journal blog  for a interview giveaway to win a signed copy of one of my books including my new release, A Heart Revealed at:

http://hcprojectjournal.blogspot.com/

Happy Weekend, Happy Shopping and Happy “Witnessing”!!

Hugs,

Julie