Journal Jots – Blog

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 1^st, 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 31^ST — 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

“Keep your face always toward the sunshine –

 and shadows will fall behind you.”

— Walt Whitman

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU … each and every one of you who prayed about the weather for my daughter’s wedding — God heard your prayers and as always, is SO faithful!! The wedding was WONDERFUL and after five days of much needed rest, so are we!

True, it looked iffy on the day of — cloudy skies, temps straining to rise, and a thundering downpour 45 minutes before the wedding. But … then the rain left, and the temps rose, and the day was everything my daughter hoped it would be … and the photographer, too, who assured us cloud cover was far preferable for an outdoor photo shoot than sun — no shadows! And now, in the truest sense of our quote today, Amy and Nate are “facing the sunshine” in Jamaica, where the shadows will fall behind them … I hope, forever.

For them … and for us!! You see, Keith and I are officially empty-nesters, a blissful state we have experienced before when the kids would leave for college, but this time it’s for good. And just like Nate and Amy, we are starting a new life where our own love affair can grow and bloom all over again. Sigh … ain’t love grand? 

And now, here are some pics from the wedding. Wish you could have been there! 🙂

Hugs,

Julie

This is my precious granddaughter, the flower girl who cried. 🙂

Yes, it rained, but it was warm & dry on the veranda!

The video from “the proposal” made everyone tear up!

Chandler Hill Winery … a beautifully rustic venue!

Me, teary-eyed and proud over my hubby’s speech about his “little girl.”

Okay, the romance writer in me LOVES this pic!!

Two people who take God and prayer VERY seriously!

Me, my hubby, and my son before the wedding.

Can you see a bit of the dickens in the toddler for whom I called Poison Control 19 times??

Yep, she got her man! Never doubted it for a moment!

Doesn’t this shot remind you of the movie “Grease”??

THE END … AND THE BEGINNING!!

WHOO-HOO … Welcome to the 2013 Summer Scavenger Hunt!!

This hunt has 32 stops and runs 5/17-5/19/13. You can make the loop, reading unique content from 31 different authors, and if you complete the loop, and fill out the Rafflecopter form at Stop #32, you’ll be in the running for an iPad Mini (loaded with all our books), or one of two runner-up prizes — all 31 of our new releases in paperback. In addition, some authors are offering additional prizes, so be sure to read each post thoroughly to be in the running for all that are available. The contest is open internationally. 

If you’ve JUST discovered the hunt, I recommend you begin at the beginning, Stop #1, found at LisaBergren.com. But you can also begin here, and keep on rolling. Just be aware that you have to have the COMPLETED phrase in order, which you construct gathering the clue at each stop, within 24 hours of email notification from Lisa Bergren that you won. If Lisa doesn’t hear back from you with the correct phrase within the time limit, she will move on to the next winner Rafflecopter draws. Ready? Here we go… 

DEBORAH RANEY 

I am SO EXCITED to host Deborah Raney—not only because Deb is an award-winning author whose very first book A Vow to Cherish was made into a movie that I absolutely LOVED — but Deb is one of the nicest human beings you will meet on the planet. Her books are emotionally powerful, thought-provoking, and truly inspiring, and you will fall in love with her both as a person and an author just as I did. Without further ado … I give you Deborah Raney. 

Haven’t heard of Deborah Raney before? Here’s an official bio:

Deborah Raney’s first novel, A Vow to Cherish, inspired a World Wide Pictures film and launched her writing career after 20 happy years as a stay-at-home mom. Deb’s newest novel, The Face of the Earth, released in May from Howard/Simon & Schuster. She and her husband have four children and four grandchildren, who all live much too far away. More about Deb at Deb’s Website, Deb’s Facebook Page and Deb’s Twitter Page.

Like Deb, I’m a visual person, so it’s really fun to get a glimpse at the pictures that inspired her as she wrote her current novel The Face of the Earth, so enjoy! 

A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS

by Deborah Raney 

My novel The Face of the Earth released this week from Howard/Simon & Schuster and I wanted to share some of the images that inspired me as I was writing the novel.

When Mitchell’s wife, Jill, kisses him goodbye, he has no idea that he may never see her again.

When she doesn’t return and the police can’t find her, Mitch asks his neighbor, Shelley, for help.

As months pass, Mitch and Shelley grow closer. How can he honor his vows to a woman who’s vanished?

Being a very visual person, I like to create an “ideaboard” for each of my novels. Before programs like Scrivener and Pinterest, I would make a literal bulletin board in my office with photos of my characters, maps of the setting, items that inspired my story, etc. Now my “bulletin boards” are virtual, but those images from my novel are still an important way for me to really get to know my characters as I write about them.

I love casting my novel as if it were a movie. Using real actors and actresses helps me to not merely “see” my characters, but to hear their voices, and visualize their movements and body language.

Though I almost always write about fictional towns, I always have a real spot on the planet in mind when I’m writing, and usually my fictional town is anchored by a real city. In the case of The Face of the Earth, Cape Girardeau, St. Louis, and Springfield, Missouri; as well as Kansas City, Kansas, were cities that play a role in my story. 

Besides visuals for my character and settings, I go a step further and find images for my characters’ homes. I’m more apt to peruse real estate sites for a home for my character than I am for a home for myself! In fact, when my husband and I recently bought a new house, I often came across homes during our house search that didn’t suit us at all, but that I promptly saved the photos because they were perfect for one of my characters! Of course, I only use these images for my own inspiration, but if you happen to own the vacation cabin that I “stole” for the Brannons, or Shelley’s kitchen or the Brannons’ backyard, thank you! 🙂

I hope seeing the images that inspired me on my Pinterest page will make you want to read The Face of the Earth! And when you land on my post in this scavenger hunt, be sure to read to the end to find out how you can enter a drawing for the beautiful magnifying glass that played a special role in The Face of the Earth! 

Deborah Raney’s new release, The Face of the Earth is a heart-wrenching read that poses the question “How can a man honor his vows to a woman who’s disappeared from the face of the earth?” It is available at bookstores or online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Christian Book Distributors, and elsewhere.  

AND NOW, YOUR NEXT STEPS:  

Write down this clue: ideas,

Have it written down? Great! Now head over to Deborah Raney’s website, Stop # 7 for the next clue! Thanks for stopping by! 

BONUS PRIZE! 

Julie here, I’m giving away two copies of LOVE AT ANY COST in celebration of the April launch of my brand-new “Heart of San Francisco” series, in which I have three separate giveaways — TWO RANDOM DRAWINGS OF SIGNED COPIES of book 1 LOVE AT ANY COST (EVERY POINT GIVES YOU ANOTHER ENTRY FOR A BETTER CHANCE TO WIN) … PLUS the person with the MOST points wins the following:

1. $50 Gift Card from Amazon, B&N, CBD, Starbucks — you name it!
2. Your choice of one of any of my books including a printed spiral-bound copy of A Light in the Window or my January 2014 release Dare to Love Again— signed, sealed and delivered!
3. Your choice of three top CBA books from my personal library (brand new!)

Just follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter form below and GOOD LUCK!! PLEASE NOTE THAT I WILL RESPOND TO ALL COMMENTS! 🙂a Rafflecopter giveaway