Journal Jots – Blog

“May all your troubles last

as long as your New Year’s resolutions!”

— Joey Adams

Goodness—where did this year go?? Only three more days of 2012, and then 2013 moves in. What will it bring?? Well, one thing I know for sure it will bring is a January 15 deadline for book 2 in The Heart of San Francisco Series, working title Dare to Love. I have 361 pages written and about 4-1/2 scenes yet to write, so say one for me, okay?

I hope your Christmas was as wonderful as mine. Being a grandma (JuJu) is more fun than I ever dreamed possible, and what a joy little Rory was opening presents, let me tell you. And, true to form, her favorite toys were bows (it’s in her blood as her CDQ grandma is a bow queen) and boxes. And, oh, I just have to share some of my favorite pix this Christmas, which my son calls “The Santa Claus Process” when he took Rory to see Mr. Ho-Ho-Ho. As you can see from the following three pix, the visit started out shaky, but ended up with a smile when Mr. Claus gave Rory a candy cane. Sigh … other than a realllly great hero or kiss, nothing melts my heart quite like the beautiful smile of a baby or child … especially a grandchild!!

Okay, believe it or not, I’m gonna make this Jot short and sweet (yeah, yeah, I know … you don’t believe it either), but it’s true as I need to get crackin’ on the book. My hubby is dragging me (yes, unfortunately, “drag” is the correct word when I have my nose to the deadline) out of the house every day to go to a rush-hour movie and dinner. We saw Les Mis yesterday (LOVED the spiritual aspect of that movie—WOW!!) and tonight we see Parental Guidance, which I hear is really cute. Keith wanted to see Lincoln, but I said, “Come on, babe—do you really want to go straight from a revolution to an assassination?? I mean, can’t we break it up with a few laughs?” So bizzzzzy day ahead …

MY FINAL GIVEAWAY OF 2012 takes place on New Year’s Eve, Monday, December 31st on Seekerville when I will be hosting the 4:00-5:00 PM EST slot for our Seekerville “Rockin’ New Year’s Eve Party. There will be AWESOME GIVEAWAYS — ONE PRIZE AN HOUR (FREE PAPERBACK BOOKS, E-BOOKS, CRITIQUES, PHONE CHATS, GIFT CARDS AND SURPRISE PACKAGES) plus RECIPES, so do not miss it!!! The party begins Monday, December 31, 12:01 EST at midnight and continues until  the clock strikes 12:01 CST on Tuesday, January 1st  2013 PST, so come say “hey” for a chance to win your choice of any of my books plus LOTS of other prizes! Here’s the link and hope to see you there!!

SEEKERVILLE ROCKIN’ NEW YEARS EVE PARTY

FINALLY … A HUGE, HUGE FAVOR REQUEST!!!

If you have read A Heart Revealed, A Love Surrendered or A Light in the Window and liked them, would you be kind enough to consider nominating one of them in the 2013 Inspy Award Contest? The INSPYs were created to select and showcase books with the highest literary standards that grapple with the Christian faith and were designed to help readers in their search for the preeminent faith-inspired literature of today. If you think my books fit this description, then click on the link below and nominate one of my books OR that of any other favorite author. Please keep in mind that both contest wins and good reviews are two of the best ways you can keep the authors you love in print, especially in an increasingly difficult economy where publishers are cutting their author ranks. Your support is GREATLY appreciated!!

INSPY AWARD NOMINATION LINK

I wish you and yours a WONDERFUL new year overflowing with God’s blessings … and may the year ahead bring each of us closer to Him!

Hugs,

Julie

“Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder …

But gratitude is straight from the heart of God.”

— Julie Lessman

FIVE DAYS TILL CHRISTMAS — YIKES!!!

If you’re like me, your house is a shambles with unwrapped presents stacked against the wall, rolls of wrapping paper propped up in the corner and cookie crumbs all over the unswept floor (and no, I didn’t bake them myself!). But … there are also twinkle lights over my hearth, hints of snowflakes dancing outside my window, and a brand-new Keurig coffee maker plugged in that Keith just “had to have,” brewing us everything from hazelnut to English toffee to pumpkin spice.

Ah, Christmas … there really isn’t anything else quite like it. And you know what? Despite a dirty house and a January 15 deadline on book 2 in The Heart of San Francisco series, I am actually enjoying this holiest (and busiest) of seasons. Why? Because for the first time in 62 years, I am ashamed to say, I am truly focusing on the Reason for the season rather than the season itself. Yes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and it’s all around me in the precious smiles of my granddaughter, in the beautiful gleam of the ring on my daughter’s finger and in her eyes, and in the little-boy excitement I see in my husband’s face every time he presses that silly button on the new-fangled Keurig.

But it’s my gratitude to the God who gifted me with all these people and things that truly has taken precedence for me this year and the result is a quiet joy and peace unlike anything the world has to offer. As author Ann Voskamp says in her amazing bestselling novel One Thousand Gifts: “God gives gifts and I give thanks and I unwrap the gift given: joy.”

A heart of gratitude—one of the greatest gifts I’ve ever received from the hand of God, and the gift that makes Christmas all it should be … and all the Savior meant it to be.

Did you know we can pray for a heart of gratitude and God answers that prayer? You bet, and the following story I wrote for the 12 Pearls of Wisdom blog series going on right now is absolute proof. Pearl Girls is a charitable organization to support the work of charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe, so I hope when you finish reading my story below, you will click on the link provided to enter the Pearl Girl’s wonderful giveaway of a pearl necklace, books, a gift pack, and music CDs and find out a little bit more about this wonderful group of women. 

Then I invite you to leave a comment on my story at the Pearl Girls blog, and I will enter you in a special drawing for a signed printed copy of A Light in the Window.  Happy reading and GOOD LUCK!!

When God Wraps a Present …

We’ve all heard the adage “it’s better to give than receive,” but never have I agreed more than the year I was engaged to the love of my life.

It was truly a Christmas to remember—spiced egg nog and snickerdoodles and shimmering presents unwrapped in a circle of love. Of course, we all ooohed and ahhhed over each gift opened, one at a time, reveling in the glow of excitement for giver and recipient alike.

And then it was my turn. Everyone waited while I tore into a small box, anticipation fairly shimmering in my fiancé’s eyes.

“Do you like it?” he asked, grinning like a little boy when I unearthed a very pretty silver watch.

No. “It’s beautiful,” I said with a shaky giggle, slipping it on and holding it up for everyone to admire. I quickly gave him a sweet kiss on the lips. “Thank you so much, babe—what a perfect gift!”

Perfectly awful, that is. You see, when you are a twenty-eight-year-old Type A career woman who is very set in her ways, there are just some things you have to buy for herself—books, costume jewelry, purses … a watch.

All right, yes, I’ll admit it—“high maintenance” is my middle name because heaven knows I’m one of the most particular people on the planet, especially when it comes to watches. They have to be digital, waterproof, have a day and date window, an alarm, chronograph, second hand, both silver and gold metal to wear with either silver or gold jewelry, stretch band skinny enough to fit my wrist . . . and a GPS. Okay, I’m pulling your watch chain on the last one, but you get the picture—NOT easy to find, especially with numbers big enough for someone blind as a bat.

So, yes, I faked it, of course, thanking my soon-to-be husband for the “prettiest watch I had ever owned,” because it was—I just didn’t like it. But did I “fake it” with God? Uh, no. I went straight to His throne in prayer and begged Him to help me love this watch because the man I loved gave it to me and I just flat-out didn’t want to hurt his feelings. I even went so far as to write the prayer request on a piece of paper and put it in my Bible so I could “wrap” it in prayer every single day, which I did.

Until the fateful moment years later when my husband used my Bible one day and found the note.

“You don’t like your watch??” he says, confronting me with hurt in his tone while his eyes flicked to the pretty watch on my wrist.

“What are you talking about?” I asked, somewhat confused.

He held up the note. “You told God you hated it in this note I found in your Bible.”

Uh-oh . . . BUSTED!

“Oh, babe,” I said with my brightest smile and a quick kiss on the lips. “That was then and this is now. It’s perfect for me, just like you, and I absolutely love it.

And you know what? I did!!

TO ENTER THE PEARL GIRLS™ 12 PEARLS OF CHRISTMAS BLOG SERIES:
 
You can Enter now on Facebook or at the Pearl Girls blog where the winner will be announced on January 2, 2013. If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info and see what they are all about. They exist to support the work of charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Please consider purchasing a copy of Mother of Pearl, Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace or one of the Pearl Girls products (all GREAT gifts!) to help the support Pearl Girls.

TO ENTER MY PEARL GIRLS CONTEST FOR SIGNED COPY OF A LIGHT IN THE WINDOW:

1.) Simply leave a comment on my Pearl Girl’s blog HERE.

2.) Then let me know via Facebook or the Contact Julie tab of my website.

3.) Extra entries for reading and commenting on all twelve author blogs, 1 additional entry per each author blog commented on.

FINAL GIVEAWAY THIS YEAR FOR WINNER’S CHOICE OF ANY OF MY BOOKS:

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21:Win your choice of any of my books including A Love Surrendered (paperbook or audio) and my Christmas e-book A Light in the Window: An Irish Christmas Love Story at a giveaway Mary Vee’s blog at:

“T’was the night before release and much to her dismay,

her nerves were all a flutter—what would the reviewers say?”

The Author’s Night Before Christmas by Julie Lessman

T’was a week and a half before Christmas and all through the Lessman house, not a present had been bought, not even a blouse …

Okay, okay, maybe a few presents have been bought, but not many, so today marks the day that hubby and I officially set book and project deadlines aside and kick up into hypergear to shop and wrap and mail. I have to admit, however, despite the busyness of the season, I am enjoying it and not freaking out as is my nature to do. Have even watched a Christmas movie or two, which I love, and I atribute this almost completely to my prayer partners and I, who started praying months ago that God would give us peace and wisdom and the ability to enjoy the holidays — a VERY wise thing to do!

And so, since I have until 4:00 PM CST today to make some hay on book 2 in the “Heart of San Francisco” series in which I have approximately 100 pages yet to write (deadline Jan. 15), I am taking a Mulligan and reprinting my Seeker post from this week rather than writing an official Journal Jot. It’s actually pretty appropriate because it’s called “A Christmas Story” and basically could be slated as an “Author’s Night Before Christmas” with a very important lesson I learned this holiday season. It includes a giveaway of the fabulous book that taught me the lesson PLUS winner’s choice of any of my books, NOT TO MENTION additional points in my December Contest at the end of this post if you leave a comment on my Seeker blog before 4:00 PM TODAY, Friday, 12/14.

But before I repeat the post here, I thought it would be fun to share a pic of my daughter who dressed up like the lamp in the window of the movie “Christmas Story” for her company Christmas Party and came in 2nd place in the costume contest. YAY, Amy and YAY, Mom, who actually took time out from her overdue ms. to glue fringe on a lamp. 🙂

And then the second pic is my son and daughter-in-law on our upper back deck with my precious granddaughter, now almost 15 months!! Goodness … what would the holidays be without family??

Once upon a time …

There was this not so bright CDQ author who had this very “bright” idea to write a Christmas story called A Light in the Window. Not just any Christmas story, mind you, but a prequel Christmas story that would tie a pretty bow around two series she’d written about an Irish family with a deep passion for God.

“Oh, it will have everything Christmas,” she exclaimed, hands clasped in delight, “from cookies and snowflakes to angels heralding at night. Laughter and tears, romance and more, all wrapped up with magic in a Christmas play fundraiser for the downtrodden and poor.”

As busy as an elf at the North Pole in July, she penned a 100 K novella that would hopefully make people sigh. Next she badgered her husband to design a cover extraordinaire, complete with snow globe from the story and her own daughter with silky-blonde hair. 

Dizzy with excitement, she spun into promotion without a single doubt, whirling and twirling to tell the world what Christmas was all about. There were blog tours and interviews till her fingers were sore, all coinciding with proofing and editing and contests galore. Facebook and Twitter and blurbs kept her busy, never as an author had she been in such a tizzy.

And then … t’was the night before release and much to her dismay, her nerves were all a flutter—what would the reviewers say? Worry and hand-wringing over rankings and reviews stole both her sleep and her joy—would they bring good news? Good news, bad, it didn’t seem to matter, for in her heart of hearts, gloom descended with a clatter. Stealing her hope, her joy, her peace all aglow, until that magical moment when she saw …

A light in the window.

A flicker, a flame, the warmth of a still, small Voice, take your eyes off Amazon, dear author, for you have much to rejoice. Your true joy lies not in sales or in the approval of but in the birth of a Savior who redeemed you from sin.

So let His light shine brightly within your window, aglow on your sill,                                      to spread the warmth of His love and peace, holy and still.                                                      To proclaim the true message of Christmas with all of your might,                                        that it may be a holy Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Regrettably, this Christmas story is true, but happily, ends well. You see, it took my own Christmas story—A Light in the Window—to focus my eyes on what Christmas is really all about. Yes, it’s about family and giving and reaching out to others with our love and our faith, but it’s also about receiving. Receiving His grace and His wisdom to focus on Him rather than ourselves. This “light in the window” came to me via my experience with my own Christmas e-book and a pretty amazing book entitled The Well, by Mark Hall, pastor and lead singer for Casting Crowns. My church has been urging each of its 6,000 members to read this book, and once you do, it’s pretty obvious why. Like Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well, He is the only source of “living water,” and to try and draw our confidence, peace, hope and joy from stagnant holes of our own devise will never truly satisfy and only make us sick.

Oh, as Christians, we all talk a good game and most of us even trust God and love Him with a passion most pure (sorry, couldn’t resist!), but when it comes to the source we tap for our hopes, dreams and happiness? I suspect most of us—or at least myself, for sure—dip into stagnant holes of our own choosing to make us feel better rather than drawing our sustenance from the Well of Living Water. These stagnant holes can be anything we run to instead of God—be it food, drink, money, approval, success—you name it—and we may not even be aware of just how much of an idol these things have become. I certainly wasn’t fully aware that I was trying to draw my happiness from success as an author, and yet the more I drank from this stagnant hole, the sicker and weaker I became. Sewer water that almost ruined the joy of the beautiful gift God has given me—the privilege of writing for Him!

And so my Christmas story ends happily and to celebrate, I would like to give away a copy of The Well, a book I truly believe every author and person needs to read, along with your choice of any of my books. Just leave a comment on my SEEKERVILLE POST, and you’re entered!!

EXTRA BONUS POINTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In honor of Seeker Sandra Leesmith’s book Current of Love releasing this week, I am offering TWO ENTRIES in this Seeker blog contest and FIVE ENTRIES in my December contest below if you order Current of Love in paperback at $7.16 or e-book at $3.99. Just indicate the letters “COL” with your comment and the extra entries are yours. Here’s the link: CURRENT OF LOVE.

THEN … five extra entries in my DECEMBER CONTEST FOR SEEKER COMMENTERS ONLY for signing up for a FREE SUBSCRIPTION to Book Fun Magazine or getting somebody else to (five points for each subscription). Just tell me so in your comment and YOU COULD WIN THE FOLLOWING ….

$150 GRAND PRIZE of a KINDLE (or equivalent gift card), a copy of THE WELL by Mark Hall, choice of ANY OF MY BOOKS including Love at Any Cost or audio version of A Love Surrendered AND your choice of five of the following top CBA books :

—Like Dandelion Dust by Karen Kingsbury

—Redemption by Karen Kingsbury

—And the Shofar Blew by Francine Rivers

—The Atonement Child by Francine Rivers

—Full Disclosure by Dee Henderson

—Faith by Lori Copeland

—Glamorous Illusions by Lisa Bergren

—Long Trail Home by Vickie McDonough

—Wedded to War by Jocelyn Green

—House of Secrets by Tracie Peterson

—Breathe by Lisa Bergren

—Twice Promised by Maggie Brendan

—Snow Angel by Jamie Carie

—A Lady of Secret Devotion by Tracie Peterson

—The Power of a Praying Parent by Stormie Omartian

IT’S EASY, IT’S FREE AND IT’S A GREAT MAGAZINE that will automatically come via e-mail each month, so here’s the link and GOOD LUCK IN THE CONTEST!!

Hugs and Happy Weekend!

Julie