June Foster's Blog, page 9

Made in His Image

A few years back when we moved into our house, a lovely dogwood tree grew just behind the deck. Last spring, we enjoyed its glorious blossoms.

My dear husband knows I love dogwoods so he bought a couple at Marvin’s, our local hardware store. Their nursery department is extensive.

He planted two little trees next to the larger, more mature one.

One morning, I looked out at the forest behind our house. Because we were into the fall season, the leaves on the large dogwood were turning various shades of red, yellow, and orange. After gazing at the colors for a while, I glanced down at the smaller trees. Sure enough, as to be expected, their leaves were a similar red and orange. They looked like the larger tree.

The scripture from Genesis 1: 26 came to mind. “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness.'” We, as well, are made in God’s image, to look like Him. I think the passage means that God gave us a spirit, as He is spirit, and we will live for all eternity, just as He exists forever. But it’s up to us where we spend eternity. In His presence or not. I choose to dwell in His presence.

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9

Dear Lord, I have confessed You as Lord and have believed God raised You from the dead. Thank you for eternal salvation.

Poking Holes

Sometimes when I pray, I’ll admit I wonder if God is really listening. I’m not getting any immediate feedback, and I get discouraged. But then I read passages in the Bible which tells us God commands us to pray. If He wants us to pray—for our government and for everyone as He says in I Timothy, then He’s hearing us. The all-powerful God has chosen to let us help change the world with our prayers. Amazing thought. 

God wants us to intercede for others. It’s like poking holes in the clouds of spiritual darkness and allowing God’s light to shine through. We can poke holes in the dark clouds of irreverence toward God, dishonesty, selfishness, fear, worldliness, you name it. Let’s poke holes in the veil of darkness we see around us. 

“I urge first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone – for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. I Timothy 12: 1-4

Dear Lord, thank you for the assurance You love me and hear me and are answering my prayers. Amen. 

Question For People Who Don’t Believe In God

According to the Pew Research, 47% of people in American say they don’t believe God exists. I have a question for them.

Darryl Strawberry has four World Series titles under his belt, but his personal life was a mess. He was plagued by addictions, divorce, jail-time and many other issues. Today he and his wife are eager to serve the Lord Jesus Christ.

Chuck Colson served as Special Counsel to President Nixon and spent time in jail for obstruction of justice. While in prison, he found Jesus as his Savior and began a prison ministry later.

Semi-retired professional wrestler and actor, Dwayne Johnson secretly battled depression. Now as a Christian, he declares how his faith was instrumental in helping him win the battle against mental illness.

Montell Jordan was a popular singer in the 90’s. He left his life of pop music and now is a worship minister and released a gospel album.

Actor Stephen Baldwin, from the famous family which includes Alec Baldwin, said 9/11 terrorist attacks brought him to the Christian faith.

George W. Bush experimented with drugs and abandoned his religious beliefs at a young age. Later, the 43rd President of the United States, said faith in Jesus changed him.

Kirk Cameron was a TV star in the 80’s and 90’s and an avowed atheist. But later he converted to Christianity and now produces Christian films and is a known evangelist for his faith.

There are two people I know well, myself and my husband, who spent much time partying, smoking, drinking, laced with a few curse words in between. Now we both hold to the Christian faith and have no need for these former things.

Question: why do people like these and thousands of others change so radically? I’d love to hear some answers.

The Gospel in One Passage

I love the passages in the Bible which are described as a doxology. A doxology can be a hymn or a phrase offering praise to God. You’ve heard the pastor give a doxology when church is almost over. He reads a couple of verses to send you on your way. The final thought before you leave church. The words always energize me, and I take the thought with me out of the church doors.

The Book of Jude, which consists of only one chapter, is one that is not as widely quoted as others. However, I ran across a doxology in verse 24-25. I’d heard pastors read this one many times and enjoyed the blessing from the wondrous words. But as I read these two verses one morning, I realized something startling.

The full gospel is summed up in this one passage. What a magnificent verse of scripture.

“To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.” Jude 24-25

Dear Lord, thank You that You sustain us and will someday present us in Heaven without fault and with joy. I praise the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I Can Explain: how my contribution to my church’s Caring Center turned to sawdust

Most posts I write with the title I Can Explain are related to my church. Not sure how that is.

Recently our Sunday school teacher’s wife asked that we contribute gently used or new blankets to our church caring center. The Northbrook Caring Center distributes food items including canned goods to the needy of our community. Before Covid, they also provided clothing and other household items. This year during the cold months, they are providing blankets. In addition, the center offers counseling to individuals, couples, and families.

So, when I went home after church, I found two blankets in my linen closet that looked like new. Before I contributed them, I decided to wash each since I hadn’t used either in a while. The first blanket looked great when I took it out of the dryer. Soft, fluffy, and ready to keep someone warm.

The second was another story. When the washer turned off, I headed to the laundry room to take it out of the machine. Strangely enough, the blanket had disappeared. At first, I wanted to accuse the washer of theft, but then that thought fled as reality hit me. I peeked into the washer again. Instead of my blanket, I found a washer full of sawdust. Literally. I have the pictures to prove it.

I still contributed two blankets, but one came from Walmart. 

Serving God At Any Age

Sometimes I feel like the faded carnations I had to toss in the garbage because they were wilted and brown on the edges. But then I took one last whiff of the discolored petals. The aroma was divine despite their appearance

Just like these flowers that still possessed a heavenly scent, we, too are valuable despite our arthritis, failing eyesight, and hearing aids. God can use us at any age – until the day He calls us home.

Though outwardly we are wasting away, inwardly we are being renewed day by day. Take courage when you find that white hair or first wrinkle. To God we are the fragrance of the knowledge of him, the sweet aroma of God’s people saved by Christ.

“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” Isaiah 40:29

Dear Lord, thank You that You can use me for Your glory until the day I leave this earth. Help me to keep my eyes on You and not the way of the world and a failing body.

Happy Birthday, June FosterJune Foster

The Body of Christ

Because we lived and traveled in our RV, we had the opportunity to attend lots of different churches. On Laughlin Air Force Base, we had an astonishing experience.

Back home in Alabama, my husband and I attended a local Baptist church, which we loved. We had tons of friends there, loved the pastor’s messages, and felt comfortable with the style of worship. We always left feeling as if we’d met with the Lord that day.

So, when we attended the chapel on post, we weren’t sure what we were in for. The chapel was framed with stunning, stained-glass windows, giving a formal feel, but the worship team reminded us of our music leaders back home. But when the pastor walked to the podium sporting a clerical collar, I did a double-take. I wasn’t used to seeing a clerical collar in church.

The worship team sang all the old tunes we were used to and people even lifted hands of praise to the Lord, like in our home church. Including the pastor with the clerical collar.

At the end of the service, any who wanted to join with others for communion were invited to gather round the altar. Now the pastor had changed to a long white robe with gold tassels, and the participants read from a printed order of service. It reminded me of the Episcopal church I attended with my aunt in high school.

The communion involved little wafers and a chalice of wine, again different than my Baptist church back home. But participants gave us warm smiles as we left, and the chaplain offered a hearty handshake.  

Though not my home church, the service blessed me with God’s spirit, God’s people, and the opportunity to worship and listen to the Word. When my husband and I got into the car, the thought hit me. When we get to heaven, there will be no denominations.

“So, in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” Romans 12:5

The Parable of the Robin

One spring a robin pecked incessantly on our dining room window. It almost drove me crazy. I read on the internet that they are fighting the imaginary bird they see reflected there. I figure that poor bird must have damaged his beak and become exhausted by the end of the day.

The problem sparked a thought in my mind. The bird fought an unnecessary battle. He thought there was danger to his nest, but in reality, he only exerted unneeded energy.

The poor creature kept striving yet made no progress in accomplishing anything. How often are we like that bird, expending unfruitful effort when we could better utilize our time in other ways. I know, I certainly do. So, what’s the answer?

This scripture came to mind. Psalm 46:10. “Be still, and know that I am God.” God knows everything about us and has a perfect plan, if we will but quiet ourselves and listen.

John 10 speaks of the shepherd of our souls. “I am the good shepherd.” Allow Him to lead. 

An Interview With Fay Lamb, Christian Fiction Author

1. I’ve been a fan for quite a few years now. What is your primary motivator in writing Christian fiction?

Thank you, June, and thank you for allowing me to share with your readers today. My primary motivation is God’s goodness to me. I want to share with others that He is a God worthy of awe. He loves us even when we fail. He picks us up even when we have fallen due to our own failures. And when life happens and things occur that have no root in anything we’ve done, we can know that God is in control, and He has a purpose for the twists and turns our lives take.

2. How many years have you been writing fiction and how many books do you have published?

With the publication of All I Want for Christmas, this will be my twelfth book. I have four books in the Ties that Bind romance series, four in the Amazing Grace romantic suspense series, the first book in my contemporary fiction series, Serenity Key, the two books in the Mullet Harbor series, and one try at teaching the Art of Characterization (actually it’s all about writing deep point of view) in a non-fiction format.

3.What is your particular genre and why?

I hope you’ll allow me to rephrase this question because, as you can see from my earlier answer, I go against the grain of wisdom and write in different genres. I’d like to define the genre my writing will tend to incorporate unless I have to be careful to keep it out.

The truth is, that all genres that I write have an element of romance. Of course, romance stands out in the romance and romantic suspense series. Yet, though I consider my Mullet Harbor series romance, I tend to throw in some suspenseful elements. I mean, there’s an alligator in Mullet Harbor. Abercrombie’s a good guy, but you can imagine he must have some friends who are not quite so attached to the harbor’s residents. I believe that I have a natural bent for suspense, and it tends to creep into my stories.

4. I consider you a mentor in helping me learn the craft of writing. Your teaching always came with an extra dose of reassurance and encouragement. How are you able to guide others without frustrating their efforts?

I’m not sure that I keep from frustrating them from time to time, but early on, even when offering critiques, I realized that no one was going to learn without the truth. I do try to encourage while teaching or showing, but truth, when given correctly, is one of the greatest gifts we can give to one another. Someone who really considers us a friend will not lie to us, no matter what. I keep that in mind and do my best to deliver my comments in a loving way. I’m thankful for the grace and mercy of the writers who work with me both in freelance and in my role as acquisition editor for one of the largest and still-Christian-owned publishers.

5. How do you manage to organize your day so you have time for writing?

I believe most readers think they could answer this question in their sleep. “I know. I know,” they might say. “She sits down and doesn’t get up from her computer until she writes 1,500 words.”

Well … I’ve slipped into being a sporadic writer. In fact, I have gone for months lately without writing one word, and I had two books on deadline, six contracted, and a dozen characters waiting for their stories to be told. I used to fret the not-writing time, but recently, I’ve allowed it to flow, and I’ve finished one book—All I Want for Christmas—and I’m working on a mystery novella that involves a Big Foot expedition. That one is a detour before I write the second book in the Serenity Key series. Currently, I’m in a writing time.

What I do during the writing time is not so much to sit my bottom down and write 1,500 words at a time. I have a daily agenda, and I do what I call “work around.” This agenda includes yard work, housework, editing as freelance and acquisition editor, preparing a Bible study that I record for the publisher I acquire for, and writing. Under writing, I place tasks like interviews, promotions, preparing my newsletter, and of course writing. I break my word count into 500 words each time I work around during the day to that category. And like eating the famous potato chip, what author can write only 500 words. Instead of 1,500 words per day, I generally end up with around 2,000.

6. Who is your favorite author and why?

I’m going to step away from my favorites of those that I know and love because I know and love many great authors in this business, including you. I have been taken to places and enjoyed characters from those authors for years.

Instead, I’m going to say that I have two all-time favorites. These two are unique from each other. The first is James A. Michener. I was introduced to him in a social studies class when the rest of the class was told to write a research paper on an individual of his or her choice, and the teacher looked at me and said, “You, I want to write a book report on James A. Michener’s Centennial.” Piece of cake, I thought until we trudged down to the library and I found the tome. I wasn’t above cheating in my high school days, so I read half the book, did a report, and aced that baby. After graduation, though, I got to thinking about the characters and wondering what had happened to them. I purchased the first edition. Then I purchased another book and another and another by Mr. Michener until I have a full collection of first editions. And, yes, I ran into that teacher recently, and we had a long discussion. I told him that I’d cheated on that report, but that he’d actually one because I’ve read all of Michener’s work.

Another author is John D. MacDonald but only for his Travis McGee series. Mr. MacDonald was steeped into the lifestyles of the fifties and sixties that took America on a downward trend. Those were gritty times and gritty stories that I don’t recommend. But Travis McGee, though connecting with those lifestyles as a stranger, has a knack for solving mysteries, and Mr. MacDonald brought the character to life. I have read the entire twenty-one book series, and I’ve actually been thinking of rereading them again soon.

7. Tell us about your Christmas novel to be released in November.

All I Want for Christmas is the second book in the Mullet Harbor series of Christmas novels that involve the residents of a small swamp town. This is Abigail Brewster and Sheriff Remy Arneaux’s story. They are to be the maid of honor and the best man for their best friends’ wedding, and Abigail had every reason to believe that Remy would invite her to be his date. After all, they seemed to be moving slowly in that direction. Instead, Remy invites someone else.

In the midst of that heartache, Abigail’s estranged sister returns to the harbor bringing with her a boatload of trouble and a crime syndicate set on using Abigail to get the town mayor’s attention and make him do their bidding. But the town syndicate has never met the likes of the quirky residents of Mullet Harbor who have always protected Abigail, and they also have no intention of letting the mayor’s only granddaughter’s wedding go sideways because of a group of murderous thugs.

As an aside, I have to say that Abigail and the denizens of Mullet Harbor have done a lot for lifting me up and allowing me to find my humor amidst all the troubles we’ve all seen in the last two years. June, you asked me at the beginning why I’m motivated to write, and I left this one out until now. I write because I like to share emotions with readers. All I Want for Christmas is ripe with emotions, but the best one is humor. My thoughts after this long season of agony and pain was that God has not lost His humor, and why should we, and I wrote this story as a gift of love and humor to my readers.

Mullet Harbor is planning a Christmas wedding and knee deep in the preparations, Abigail Brewster’s heart is broken when she learns that Remy Arneaux has invited someone else to the affair. With Mayor Herb Miller’s edict that nothing should mar this occasion for his only granddaughter, Abigail presses onward. Then her sister returns with trouble that endangers Abigail’s life.

Remy Arneaux wants nothing more than to escort Abigail to the wedding, but he’s made a promise he can’t break and one he can’t share. With Abigail’s trust slipping away, her sister’s return puts Abigail in a world of danger and pulls their relationship a world apart.

Trouble has come to the quiet sanctuary, but trouble has never met the likes of the quirky citizenry of Mullet Harbor. 

All I Want for Christmas:

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Fay Lamb is the only daughter of a rebel genius father and a hard-working, tow-the-line mom. She is not only a fifth-generation Floridian, she has lived her life in Titusville, where her grandmother was born in 1899. Since an early age, storytelling has been Fay’s greatest desire. She seeks to create memorable characters that touch her readers’ hearts. She says of her writing, “If I can’t laugh or cry at the words written on the pages of my manuscript, the story is not ready for the reader.” Fay writes in various genres, including romance, romantic suspense, and contemporary fiction.

I Can Explain How My Sweater Disappeared

This time of year, you never know when you’ll need a sweater. October can be a tricky month in Alabama, weather-wise. So, when I went to my Bible study group, I took my sweater along. But sure enough, I didn’t need it, so I hung it on the back of the chair.

Great lesson, thanks to our leader Marie Maynard. Maybe I was so engrossed in thought because of Marie’s wonderful message, or maybe I’m getting old—not sure. But when I got ready to leave, my sweater was no longer hanging on the back of my chair.

I stood, looked on the floor on either side of the chair, and then asked if anyone had seen my sweater.

Marie points toward me and says “There it is.”

What? I patted down my dress I’d worn to church earlier that day and looked from one side to the other again. No sweater. I figured by this time I was getting forgetful. Maybe I didn’t actually wear a sweater, but Marie had seen one.

My younger friend, Sommer Folds, reached toward me and said, “Let me help.” She tugged on my back, and I realized she was pulling on the sweater. The mystery of the lost sweater was getting more confusing by the minute. Finally, Sommer said, “Stand still, June.” She worked and worked and finally handed me my sweater.

I found out later she had unhooked it from the zipper on my dress, which was no easy task according to Sommer. The fabric was totally caught on the part that zips up.

I’m still not sure what happened. Next time, I will drape my sweater over my lap.