Lillie Ammann's Blog, page 17

Devotion for Saturday after Ash Wednesday

For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law.

~ Romans 2:12-14

We are judged by our actions, whether or not we know God’s law. The Scripture calls us to be the doers of the law, not the hearers of the law. The Israelites thought they were saved because they were God’s people; many people in church today believe they are saved by their church membership or attendance. But our righteousness is not determined by what group we belong to, but by what we do.

Holy, everlasting God, I know I am not justified on the basis of going to church. You look at what I say and do—and on that basis, I am not righteous, Lord. I do things I should not do, and I do not do things I should. Going to church doesn’t make me righteous. I will never stand in my own righteousness; I need Your righteousness. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

These daily devotions are available in a book The Grace of God, with all profits donated to Love for the Least to share the compassion of Christ with an unreached world. L4L shares the Good News of the Gospel with the least and unreached by making disciples of Jesus who make disciples (2 Tim 2:2) and by helping to meet the physical needs of the poorest of the poor.

Devotion for Friday after Ash Wednesday

He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality.

~ Romans 2:6-11

Wrath and fury for those who don’t obey the truth, tribulation and distress for all who do evil. Many people today believe God is love—and He is!—but they think that means He is tolerant of everything. “My God wouldn’t send anyone to hell,” they say. But that’s not what God’s Word says. The Bible says sin will be punished severely. What sad news that is, until we learn the rest of the story.

Lord, You are a just God and You must punish sin. You cannot tolerate evil. Those who say “their” God wouldn’t send anyone to hell don’t know You, the one true God. Loving You are, but You are just as well. You show no partiality, which means that all sin must be punished. Open the eyes of all who believe their sin will be tolerated and accepted, those who put their feelings about how You should act above Your own Words. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

These daily devotions are available in a book The Grace of God, with all profits donated to Love for the Least to share the compassion of Christ with an unreached world. L4L shares the Good News of the Gospel with the least and unreached by making disciples of Jesus who make disciples (2 Tim 2:2) and by helping to meet the physical needs of the poorest of the poor.

Devotion for Thursday after Ash Wednesday

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

~ Romans 1:18-20

Those of us introduced to God through our families or friends are extremely blessed. However, God has revealed Himself even to those who have never heard the Gospel. Look at the sun, the moon, and the stars. See the beauty of flowers and hear the delightful songs of birds. Feel a gentle breeze or a soothing rain. Experience the miracle of a baby. How can anyone enjoy God’s creation without seeing the power and majesty behind the creation? No one has any excuse for not recognizing that there is an almighty deity. Those who has never heard of Jesus may not know the full Gospel of salvation, but they can certainly see the hand of God at work.

Lord God, Almighty Creator, thank You that You have revealed Yourself to everyone in Your creation. All we have to do is to look around us at what You have made. Thank You that even more than simply creating the world and the people, You love each one of Your children so much that You sent Jesus to redeem us from our sins. In His name I pray. Amen.

These daily devotions are available in a book The Grace of God, with all profits donated to Love for the Least to share the compassion of Christ with an unreached world. L4L shares the Good News of the Gospel with the least and unreached by making disciples of Jesus who make disciples (2 Tim 2:2) and by helping to meet the physical needs of the poorest of the poor.

Devotion for Ash Wednesday

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

~ Romans 1:16-17

The Jews were God’s chosen people, and they thought they had an exclusive claim to God’s benefits. Through the Gospel, God reveals His righteousness, and it’s available to all who believe, to all who have faith. As incredible as it is, God imputes the righteousness of Jesus to each of us when we believe. By our faith, we obtain righteousness—not of ourselves, but of Christ.

Lord God, You give us forgiveness of our sins, Your righteousness, and eternal life. All we have to do is to believe, to accept Your glorious gift by faith. I believe; Lord, help my unbelief. In the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, who reigns with You and the Holy Ghost forever and ever. Amen.

These daily devotions are available in a book The Grace of God, with all profits donated to Love for the Least to share the compassion of Christ with an unreached world. L4L shares the Good News of the Gospel with the least and unreached by making disciples of Jesus who make disciples (2 Tim 2:2) and by helping to meet the physical needs of the poorest of the poor.

The Grace of God: Lenten Devotionals

Each year during Advent and Lent, I follow a Bible reading plan. I journal a short meditation and write a brief prayer on each day’s reading. The following year, I publish the devotionals on my blog, in a PDF download, and a paperback book.

The meditations being published in 2020 are my personal devotions from Lent 2019. I usually find a reading plan online, but last Lent I did something different. I read through the Epistle to the Romans, dividing the book up into daily readings that took me through Romans between Ash Wednesday and the Saturday before Palm Sunday. For Holy Week, I read Matthew’s account of Jesus’s Passion and Crucifixion, concluding on Easter with the Resurrection. I hope you are blessed by these Scriptures, thoughts, and prayers during this holy season.

Profits from the sale of the paperback version of The Grace of God: Lenten Devotionals will be donated to Love for the Least to share the compassion of Christ with an unreached world. L4L shares the Good News of the Gospel with the least and unreached by making disciples of Jesus who make disciples (2 Tim 2:2) and by helping to meet the physical needs of the poorest of the poor. To learn more, visit lovefortheleast.org.
May His blessings abound in your time alone with Him.

Order the paperback book from Amazon.

Download the free PDF.

Or, beginning on Ash Wednesday (February 26), return to this blog every day to read that day’s devotion.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all those who are penitent; Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

~ 1928 Book of Common Prayer, Prayer to be said every day from Ash Wednesday until Palm Sunday

Valentine’s Day Love Poems

My late husband Jack and I dated more than fifty years ago, during a time when people wrote letters on paper and mailed them with a stamp in the Post Office. No expensive long-distance phone calls, no emails, no texts.

Although I’m not much of a poet, through the months I was away at school, I sometimes wrote love poems in my letters.

On this Valentine’s Day, more than seven years after his death, Jack is still the love of my life. I miss him every day, so in his memory, I’m sharing a few of my favorite poems I wrote for him.

To Jack

The heart can feel more deeply than the intellect can express.
My love for you could never be adequately conveyed by words.
Yet I feel compelled to attempt to convey my love, and words are my only tools.
Though my attempts are feeble, they are made in the deepest sincerity.
So let your heart be your guide and know that I love you.

Love is not an accident;
Man is not wise enough to plan it—
Therefore, it must be ordained of God.

Promise

I’ll love you forever—
From now until eternity;
Darling, I’ll be true.

A devoted helpmate ever,
Your constant companion I’ll be,
For I love you.

My soul fills with emotion,
Tears of joy down my cheeks flow,
For your love.

Time lessens not my devotion;
Daily my love will grow,
For you I love.

Guest Post from Betsy Wagner: Life is Full of Surprises—Part 3: Marketing

In parts one and two of this blog, I shared the highlights of writing and publishing SPIRIT OF GONZALES. The final phase of my journey has been the marketing. After all, if you spend ten years creating a product, you should do something with it.

When Lillie and I first saw a light at the end of the Spirit tunnel, she began to encourage me to do some pre-marketing. “You’ll need a website,” she said. “You’ll need a Facebook Page,” she said. I rolled my eyes in pain, Once again I was thinking, How do I do that? I know less about marketing than I did about writing! She noticed my anguish. “I’ll help you,” she said.

We considered my options; I could 1) put the book on a shelf in a closet and close the door to my secret treasure. 2) give copies to my cousins and feel the joy of having completed a goal for my family. 3) I could sell it to people outside my family. I decided I’d really try to sell the book.

And so we began. Lillie put me in touch with another gracious woman who completed the website I started. As a partner with another expert, I learned more about the technology of marketing. With a proper website I had some exposure.

Then Lillie asked me, “Who is your audience?”  I happily quipped, “Everyone who wants to read my book!” She swallowed hard, and before I could realize how naive I was, she explained, “No book is suitable for everyone. You really must put some consideration into your appropriate audience.” I knew she was right, but I had no idea. So I began to think about that.

My first thought was to find my audience in familiar territory. Maybe my readers would be among those people who knew me.  I joined the Chamber of Commerce in my little historic hometown, and committed to a booth at monthly markets at the historic courthouse square. I knew the folks attending those markets were connected to a similar history (Texas from 1831-1836). In fact, my little hometown was mentioned in my book. I knew I’d be among friends. I’d be safe. This was a good place to start selling books while I was trying to figure out my audience.

A new set of surprises began to flow.

Based purely on respect for other people, I initiated conversations by listening to people who stopped by our booth. I didn’t want to be intrusive, so I tried to focus on what they had on their minds. If folks just wanted to chat, our conversation went toward the weather and family news. On the other hand, if they commented on my book, that opened the door for a promotion of the story. Those who were interested asked more and more questions, and frequently that led to a purchase. Then, on subsequent visits to the same market, previous customers came by and shared their enjoyment of the book. A natural connection to the setting, the times, the characters and events of my story began to snowball. I realized my audience revealed themselves by our common interest. I began to imagine who those people would be in other communities, and I thought about how I could connect with interested people in other markets.

I got a notebook and began to list organizations that might be interested in SPIRIT OF GONZALES. I listed teachers of Texas history, the students of those teachers, the parents and grandparents of those students. I remembered the various organizations in our state who celebrate their heritage, such as the Daughters of the Republic of Texas (DRT) and Sons of the Republic. I thought about the museums and historic sites with gift shops. I went on line to search other small town markets in historic communities. I called local bookstores and asked for author visit signing dates. The list grew, and I was soon able to clearly identify my audience. Lillie had told me the rule was “not everyone.” I made a rule for myself: “Only those who express an interest.”

Following that rule has brought me surprising opportunities. Eight months after the birth of my book, I have sold more than two hundred copies. I’ve presented the book to schools, libraries, book clubs, and ladies’ groups. I’m scheduled to teach a history class in the spring. My calendar is full for the next six months. The Chamber of Commerce in Gonzales is featuring my book in the gift shop in the jail house museum, and my name is on a list of recommended DRT speakers across the state of Texas. All of these contacts are opportunities to sell books to people who “are interested.”

I’m also working on the sequel to SPIRIT OF GONZALES. I don’t have another ten years to complete it, but now I won’t need that long. I have learned enough to get it done in a fraction of the time. I hope in some way, by sharing my learning curve, you might also discover your own writing surprises.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: See Part 1.

Guest Post from Betsy Wagner: Life is Full of Surprises—Part 2: Publishing

Part 1: Writing

Earlier this week, I shared the surprises of my writing life—the ten years from 2008 to 2018 digging out the facts and discovering the names and dates of my family’s story. It was a great wallowing in the weeds. At last I realized it needed to be published. But how?

I began to talk to anyone I thought knew anything about publishing. I found them resistant. Could it be I was so green it showed in my face? Was it possible that in spite of my efforts, my ignorance surfaced in my conversations? No one wanted to partner with me. I was too needy.

Late in 2017, I began to give serious consideration to the possibilities.

FIRST – I consulted with a traditional publisher in Houston. They advertised “We are everything Texas!” That sounded like a good fit for a historic novel about a family in Gonzales! They had cookbooks, travel books, picture books—all about Texas. But after three re-writes they still said, “At this time we feel your book is not a good fit for our catalog.” So, I asked myself if I really even wanted to work to their perfection, only to give my work away with no ownership rights. Maybe traditional publishing wasn’t right for me anyhow.

SECOND – I considered the many vanity presses. I searched the internet and requested publishing kits. I called their offices and discussed my need for editing, illustrations, a cover, and whatever help I could buy. My inbox was bombarded with reminders that I needed to send my manuscript to them and they would take care of everything. In this case, I had a sense of abdication. Could I trust someone thousands of miles away, someone I’d never meet? Could I feel good about the changes they would make in my ten-year project, a personal story about my own family? Could I just send the pages, pay their fee, close my eyes, and hope it was something I’d be proud of in the end? I waited and searched.

THIRD, and finally – I got the surprise of independent publishing. Sometime in the spring of 2018, my husband took me to attend a friend’s book launch. We arrived early and chose a seat at a table with a nice lady who welcomed me and talked to me as if we were already friends. I felt comfortable with her, and I remember wondering, Who is she, and how does she know my author-friend? By the end of the event I learned she was Lillie Ammann, my friend’s editor. I hoped maybe I had found my publishing partner.

Lillie and I consulted several times. In late 2018, we signed a contract. She began editing, sending me each and every suggested change or correction. She recommended two other specialists who worked with us for layout and illustrations. We exchanged our input throughout the winter. I had a voice in every decision. In February we agreed the manuscript was ready.

Lillie sent the manuscript to the printer (Kindle Direct Publishing) in the last days of February. On March 6th I got notice that my proof copy was ready. If you read my book, you will see that these dates coincide with the most important historic scenes in SPIRIT OF GONZALES. I called Lillie to thank her for being so concise about the dates and making these amazing memories for me. She said, “I didn’t do it—it just happened that way.”

 Life really is full of surprises!

Next time I’ll share my marketing experiences.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: See Part 1.

Guest Post from Betsy Wagner: Life is Full of Surprises—Part 1: Writing

My writing life is a surprise—a good surprise. I love it. But it hasn’t been easy.

In March 2019, I published the book SPIRIT OF GONZALES, the story of a young woman who came to Texas just in time for a revolution.

The book started as a surprise. In 2008 my sister handed me three files she had been given at a family reunion. When I opened one of the files, I discovered some branches of my father’s family tree. The individual at the top of the page was a young man who died March 6, 1836. That was the day the Alamo fell, and that’s where he died. Then I noticed that his wife gave birth that same month. Knowing what I knew about Texas history, I knew there was a story there. I hadn’t planned to be a writer, but that’s where it began. I started my research, and the surprises just multiplied.

On my first visit to Gonzales, I met a woman at the Archives Library. Vicki Frenzel was already a published author and celebrated historian. Our meeting was brief. The wisdom she shared went to a deep place in my soul. “Don’t be discouraged,” she said. I wondered what she meant, and in time I found that to be very helpful advice.

I decided this story deserved to be preserved for future generations, so I planned—maybe a little journal, maybe a simple little notebook. But it grew. I wrote a timeline of the facts I found and read as much as I could about Texas history in general to fill in between the facts. The months extended to years. I found myself learning more and wanting more and searching for more. It was fascinating. After ten years, I finally had a complete story. Precious members of my family died, and I realized if I didn’t get it into print, the people I wanted to have this story would be gone. I had no idea then that the audience for this story would expand beyond my kinfolks.

Somewhere along the way, I realized that what I was putting together was a snapshot of Texas history. It was exactly the information taught in middle school Texas history classes. This idea expanded my vision and drove the work in a slightly new direction. As I chose the words and described the scenes, I kept in mind that someday not only would my future relatives read the story, but any number of students in our great state might also read it. For this reason, I reread the story with young adults in mind and conducted a few more rewrites.

The ten years of research led me to some amazing people. I met an artist who in 1998 had painted a mural of my story in a church in Gonzales. I met with a teacher who had spent most of his forty-year career teaching the same story I was telling.  I met a fledgling writer who was just publishing his own books, and his kind invitation to his launching celebration led me to meet his editor. The editor I met that day was Lillie Ammann, a kind and gracious woman who was willing to take me from clueless beginner to a published author. The journey has been an exciting one.

It is said that writing is the fun, and publishing is the work. Truly, there has been an element of fun in every phase, but every phase has also been work. If you have discovered a story that needs telling, I encourage you to get started with the writing. Don’t let yourself be discouraged and find an editor like Lillie who will shepherd you along.

This edition of Lillie’s blog is an introduction to my writing journey, and in the next two editions I’ll share with you the publishing and marketing legs of my journey. Let’s embrace the surprises of life together!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Betsy Wagner is a native Texan. She retired from public education in Texas after a career that also took her to schools in Louisiana, Hawaii, and Germany. She became interested in her family history after a discussion with her cousin, Steven, at a reunion. After years of research, Betsy created a story blending historical and fictional characters with events drawn from early Texas times. Today she lives with her husband in San Antonio, where she enjoys visiting with her son.

Sanctity of Life

What do the people in the photos in this collage have in common? They are all wonderfully made by our Lord, in His image. Even the one who is visible only in the shape of her mother’s body. Even the dirty one begging on the street. Even the ones who can’t walk, whether because of infancy or disability.

I’ve been thinking a lot about this for several reasons. January 22 was the twenty-eighth anniversary of my stroke—the event that made me recognize my own mortality. Praise God, I recovered, and while I have “deficits” as the medical community calls them, I am functional. January 22 was also the forty-seventh anniversary of the egregious Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision, effectively declaring unborn babies less than human and worthy of death. I have recently returned from visiting a relative diagnosed with terminal cancer, making me think of the increased acceptance in society of euthanasia.

It doesn’t matter if the baby is unborn, if the elderly person is useless by society’s standards, if the sick person is going to die soon. Each of them is still a precious child of God and worthy of life, dignity, and care. None should be murdered in the womb or killed before God’s timing or abandoned without care.

God is the only One who has the right to determine when we are born and when we die. Sometimes our plans don’t coincide with His, but in that case, we must follow His plan and not our own. Anything else is trying to put ourselves in the place of Almighty God.

I believe that we should honor all life and not end any life too soon. On the other hand, I believe that when God calls us home, it’s time to go. If we have a condition that can be treated, by all means, use God’s blessings of medical providers, medicine, surgery, and medical equipment. But if are at the end of our lives, we don’t have to desperately grasp at straws and try to extend our lives by extraordinary means.

My father had dementia, and for several years, he was totally uncommunicative with no control over his bodily functions. He had been born on the family farm and had lived there his entire life except for his time in the Army during World War II and the last years in a medical facility. He required round-the-clock care that couldn’t be provided at home, and the nearest facility that could meet his needs was about an hour away from the farm. We had asked the facility staff to let us take us home when he was near death so he could die on his beloved farm. They called us one Tuesday morning and said he was a few hours from death.

Daddy couldn’t sit up, so we strapped him into a wheelchair and loaded him in my sister’s handicap van. My sister and brother-in-law led the caravan, followed by another sister and my mother in one car, and me in the car behind them. All the way home, we prayed that Daddy would live until we got to the farm, as he had always planned to die in the place he was born and lived his life.

When we arrived home, Daddy was very confused and fought my brother-in-law and nephews trying to get him out of the van. He had the look of a trapped animal in his eyes. After they managed to get him in the house and into his own bed, he calmed down. He couldn’t speak or even make eye contact, but we were convinced he knew where he was. He began to calm, and over the next few days, the look in his eyes turned to one of complete peace. My mother, my sisters, my nephews, and I shared time with Daddy. One of us sat with him all the time, looking out the windows that wrapped around the room and telling him about the fields and the cattle we saw. He couldn’t see anything, and he couldn’t respond to our words, but we knew he was aware at some level of where he was. And whether he understood the words we said, he certainly heard the love in our voices.

Although he was expected to live only a few hours from the time the facility called us Tuesday morning, he was still alive on Friday night. The only change had been the look of fear being replaced with a look of total peace. I left Friday night to return to my home a hundred miles away to attend a meeting. But before I left, I shared some words with Daddy I never had before.

“Daddy, we’ll miss you if you’re not here. But if God is calling you home, it’s time to go. You’ve lived a good life, and you’ve done what you were supposed to do in this life. We’ll take care of Mama and the farm. You don’t have to worry about it any more. Your work is done. We all love you and will miss you.”

A few hours later, I got a call that Daddy had peacefully passed. He had answered God’s call.

Abortion, suicide, euthanasia, and ignoring problems like drugs and abuse that lead to early death are all wrong. Christians led the fight to end slavery, and thanks to their prayers and actions, institutionalized slavery in this country was abolished. Christians, let us lead the fight for life—advocating against abortion, suicide, and abortion and advocating for the homeless, victims of abuse, and those suffering the addictions of their choice.

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.

Psalm 139:14

O God, the Creator and Preserver of all mankind, we humbly beseech thee for all sorts and conditions of men; that thou wouldest be pleased to make thy ways known unto them, thy saving health unto all nations. More especially we pray for thy holy Church universal; that it may be so guided and governed by thy good Spirit, that all who profess and call themselves Christians may be led into the way of truth, and hold the faith in unity of spirit, in the bond of peace, and in righteousness of life. Finally, we commend to thy fatherly goodness all those who are any ways afflicted, or distressed, in mind, body, or estate; that it may please thee to comfort and relieve them, according to their several necessities; giving them patience under their sufferings, and a happy issue out of all their afflictions. And this we beg for Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen.

1928 Book of Common Prayer