Vicki V. Lucas's Blog, page 7

Next Step

The first draft of Rancid is finished!

If you follow me on Facebook, you already know this. (And, by the way, if you don’t follow me on Facebook, you should. You get lots of cool information and get to vote in some of the decisions surrounding the next book. Find me here!)

But what does this mean? Does it mean that Rancid will be hitting the shelves next week? I thought I’d give you an update of what is coming next for me and how soon you can expect Rancid to be completely finished.

First of all, let me say that Rancid has taken far longer than I ever planned to finish. My only excuse is that I was pregnant and now have a wonderful girl to care for all day (and all night). I think that is a good enough reason. My plans for the future are for books to come out a lot faster. In fact, I have a lot of plans for the future that should keep you busy reading for a long time!

But let’s return to Rancid. The first draft is finished. That means everything from beginning to end is on paper – well – on the computer screen. Next, I will go through it and edit it. This involves putting in sneaky clues to give you a small idea of what might be coming next. I’ll make sure the action is tight and plentiful, and the suspense is gripping. I might even have to cut a few words since it’s pretty long right now.

Then, I’ll give it to a few very trusted individuals to edit it for me. You can pray for me during this process. (Actually, you can pray for me during each step. I need all the prayers I can get!) Their job is to find every tiny little mistake and problems. If I spelled something wrong, *gasp* it’s their job to find it. If I have a weak plot point, *double gasp* they have to point it out to me. It is absolutely wonderful that they do this because it makes a better book for you to read. Sometimes though, it gets very disheartening. After these people go through it, I go back and fix all the errors. Then I read it and reread many times to make sure everything is just how I want it.

During this time, I’ll be working with a graphic artist to design a cover. I already have a few ideas, but I’m excited to see how the ideas turn out. I’m hoping that by the time the edits get done, the cover will be finished.

Finally, with everything ready to go, I upload to a publishing company. I believe that I will use Createspace again. I haven’t completely decided yet. However, I format the manuscript and upload it. In a few days after that, I receive a sample copy. If it’s fine, then we are good to go. If not, it takes a couple of days to fix whatever needs it. At the same time, I will be uploading it to Kindle to be available as an e-book.

So, it all comes down to this question. When will Rancid be available for you to read?

I have no idea.

It depends on how fast the editors work, on how smoothly it goes into print, on how quickly Amazon can make it available as an e-book.

I hope it will be ready sometime in March, but there are no promises.

What can you do until then?

Re-read Toxic. There are some clues in it that will tell you what happens in Rancid. See if you can find them. If you lost your copy, you can buy more here!
Review Toxic on Amazon. Since it’s fresh in your mind after a re-read, feel free to jump onto Amazon and give it a review. These reviews help other readers decide if they want to read it or not, and they always make me smile!
Stay in touch. There are going to be lots of exciting things happening as we get closer. Make sure to follow my blog here and like me on Facebook so that you don’t miss out. You might even get to help me select what is on the cover! So stay tuned!
Spread the word. If you like Toxic, lend it to a friend or even an enemy – if you don’t get it back, you can always buy another one! Share the story. Isn’t that what books are all about?
Pray for me. As a new Mom, sometimes I don’t get a lot of sleep or a lot of time to work. The better I can focus when I have time, the faster it will get done! Pray, also, that the message God wants me to give will be found in the words He gives me to write.
Stay being wonderful! I am constantly overwhelmed by the love and support of you and all my fans! It thrills me to no end when you purchase it and let me know that you liked it. I am so honored to bring a story to you and am very honored to have you a part of this incredible journey. Thank you so very much for believing in me and giving the book a try.

 

And now I’m off to talk to the graphic designer about the cover! I’ll keep you posted!

 

The Next Big Blog Hop

This is The Next Big Blog Hop. This provides an opportunity for authors to show off their craft to others. I was tagged by @Findmeb427, Thank you, Allisia, it has been a pleasure getting to know you, and I am very glad we have met!

I have tagged @RachelRossano and @elainehbaldwin. These ladies are very special and have great talent. You should check out their books and blog! Next Wednesday all three of these talented authors will be posting on their blogs, so visit their blogs and keep the Hop going! Let the questions begin:

What is the title of your book?

Toxic

 Where did the idea for the book come from?

From blood, sweat, and tears! The story grew as the writing progressed. While the general idea popped into my head as I thought about it, a lot of the twists were carefully and slowly planned. I had a desire to write a book for teens that would be packed with action and adventure, something that would be fun to read, but it would have a God-glorifying theme running through it. I did not want to write something that preached. Instead I wanted to give my readers a great adventure and weave the message into the story.

What genre does your book fall under?

Technically, it is a Young Adult Fantasy, but people from ages 7-75 have read it and love it. Also, it is a high fantasy which means that the whole story is in another world. There is no crossover from Earth to some other place.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

I have already self-published Toxic. I love self-publishing for many reasons. It is available as paperback or eBook through Amazon. You can see more about it here.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

It took me about six months on the first draft. That was writing most of the day and sometimes into the night. Of course, there is the second, third, and fourth draft, and then the endless editing process.

Give a one-sentence synopsis of your novel:

An untrained warrior with the help of two teens and a winged horse seeks to purify the toxic water in Eltiria before it poisons everyone physically and spiritually.

 What other works would compare to your story?

This is such a tough question. It’s like Eragon in that it’s in a different world, but I have winged horses instead of dragons, and it is written from a Christian perceptive. It’s like The Chronicles of Narnia, but it is for a bit older of reader. It’s like Ted Dekker, Bryan Davis, and many more, but with my own creative twist.

Who or What inspired you to write this book?

I wanted to buy my nephew a book for his fourteenth birthday. When I went into the secular bookstore, I was shocked at the romance, vampires, and magic that filled the books. I then went to the Christian bookstore and couldn’t find any books for teens at all. When I asked a worker there, they told me that they don’t sell any. I continued on and asked my nieces and nephew what Christian authors they like to read. They didn’t really have many although they are avid readers. My niece then said, “You should write one, Aunt Vicki.” And the rest is history.

What else might pique the reader’s interest?

My goal is to hit edgier topics than normal. This series deals with magic. Can it work? How is it different than belief in God and prayer? Is it okay for a Christian to be involved with magic, even small things like crystals? Why or why not?

Other blogs to look at:

Elaine Baldwin – www.OneAnotherLiving.com

Rachel Rossano – http://rachel-rossano.blogspot.com/

A. Edrington – http://traditionallydefiant.wordpress.com/

Book Alert ~ The Witches’ Sleep

One of my biggest pleasures is walking through the library with my finger trailing along the books on the many rows of huge shelves. Something catches my eye, and I stop to pull the book from the others. I look at the cover, read the back, flip through it, and then either put it back or put it in my pile of books which is almost too big to carry. It only adds to my joy when I find a new author whose books I can devour.

But I don’t go to the library that often anymore. I’m either too busy, or it’s out of the way, or there’s the convenience of finding books online. However, the convenience of online doesn’t have the same feeling as the library. For this reason, I’ve decided to give some space on my blog to books. You may or may not want to read them. That’s for you to decide, but take a minute to browse. The books I will highlight are from independent (self-published) authors. This means they are working very hard and love all the support they can get!

And so we start with The Witches’ Sleep from Kaitlyn Deann!

Synopsis: At only seventeen, Ella Barnes is shot and killed for an unknown reason. She is shocked when she wakes up in a different world, a world of witches. Ella has to learn to adapt to a new body, new life and new world, surrounded by new people. As Ella gets to know Raena, the world of the witches and its people, she realizes they aren’t the perfect creatures they believe themselves to be, and she’s not the type of person to stand around and twiddle her thumbs. Will Ella succeed in changing the mindset of the people? Or will she be doomed to die another cold and tragic death because of her rebellion?

Author Bio: Kaitlyn Deann is a seventeen-year-old homeschooled student. She’s an avid reader and writer. As a writer, she wants to be able to keep a reader turning the pages late into the night and give them something to think about long after they finish the last page. She loves her friends, family and God. Activities include piano, singing badly and not caring, breathing, eating too many cuties (fruit) at inappropriate times, braiding hair and of course writing. Laughing is her favorite calorie burner. She lives in Texas with her family. To know more, visit www.kaitlyndeann.com

Interview: I caught Kaitlynn and asked her a few questions.

1. What made you want to write a book?

I’ve always been a writer, and I’ve always loved stories. Writing a book wasn’t a hard decision for me. It was the publishing part that I had to consider greatly. Did I want people reading what I had? I ultimately went with yes (obviously) because I know God gave me this gift for a reason. If I touch people’s lives through a book I write, even if it’s one life, that’s something to live for.

2. As a homeschooled author, did you have a hard time writing The Witches’ Sleep?

Not really. Everything I struggled with is something any author/writer would struggle with. I think homeschooling has helped me grow significantly as a writer because I’m able to excel in what I enjoy doing. I studied English and the art of writing in my free time–and still do, even though I’ve finished high school English! Homeschooling has taught me that I never stop learning, and that whatever I do in life I should try my best at it for the glory of God, which includes learning how to do it well and not settling for less. I really believe whether I was homeschooled or not, I would eventually be a published author, but I know for a fact I wouldn’t be published right now if I wasn’t homeschooled.

3. From the title “The Witches’ Sleep,” I assume this is about witches. Is it appropriate for a Christian teen to read?

Yes, it is appropriate for any Christian, I believe. The name witches is slightly deceiving, and that was an accident on my part. When I first started the book, witches was what I called them because I couldn’t think of anything else to call them. I told myself I’d change it later, but the name kind of stuck, and I never changed it. I give the excuse all the time that I called them witches because of their natural powers, which is a little bit true, but not really. I put a lot of Christian morals in ”The Witches’ Sleep” because I believe that what you read can take ahold of you.

4. How did you get the inspiration for this book?

I was watching the movie Inception with my family, and the main character said something along the lines of, “When we die, we’ll wake up,” and it all started snowballing from there. One thing led to another and BOOM, I had a story.

5. If you could have one super-power, which one would you choose? And why?

I would love to have the power of invisibility. How cool would it be to stalk someone without being detected?

 Kaitlyn is also an intern for a webpage called Lets Home School High School, so if anyone is interested in homeschooling, they can check it out! Make sure to watch the blogs there, too, as she is one of the bloggers.

You can also find her at these places.

Website: www.kaitlyndeann.com

Blog: www.authorkaitlyndeann.wordpress.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/KaitlynDeann

Twitter: www.twitter.com/kaitlyn_deann

Tumblr: www.authorkaitlyndeann.tumblr.com

 

 

Be Bold

I knew someone was outside the motor home when I heard the gravel crunch. Then my dog started growling and barking at the door with her hackles raised. I knew without a shadow of doubt three things:

It was late at night, I was alone, and someone was coming to my door.

I was parked in my parents’ driveway while my husband had to take a weeklong trip. So far it had gone wonderfully. I spent my days visiting with my parents and then would walk with Zoe, our dog, out to the motor home for the night. They live in an area that is in the woods where moose and deer roam by the house, and I reveled in the solitude and beauty of the night sky on my short walk.

One night, towards the end of the week, I walked out of my parents’ house and heard a group of men laughing across the street at the neighbors. What if they know I’m over here in the motor home alone? If they are drinking, what would they do? Quickly I ducked in and locked the door. Zoe and I were settled down for the night when my husband called to tell me about his day.

As he was chatting, Zoe started to act strange. I told my husband to be quiet for a minute as I tried to listen. Zoe is normally a very friendly dog, but not tonight. Although I should have been grateful for her presence because she’s a good sized dog and would be great in a fight, her actions were only terrifying me.

Somehow over her barking, I heard the familiar sound of a footstep on the gravel. Someone was only a few feet from me.

I knew something bad was going to happen. My parents were already in bed and would have called before coming out to talk to me. It wasn’t them.

My heart began to pound so hard it hurt. I could barely hear over it. You know how in fiction, the hero always has that movement when he or she hears a small voice to be calm, and then he or she is washed with a large dose of bravery. That didn’t happen. My hands began to shake violently as I waited to see what would happen next. I ended up frozen with fear and dread. All I could think was that I was about to get brutally murdered, and my parents would never hear my screams for help.

Looking back, I shake my head. I had time to grab a knife from the kitchen. I had the keys to the motor home. I could have told my husband to call someone. Why didn’t I take action? Why didn’t I prepare to defend myself or get ready to run?

I don’t know why I didn’t. All I know was that there was some small hope in me that it wasn’t happening or that whoever was out there was perfectly harmless. And so I stayed quiet, trapped by my fear.

Does this describe you? Are you alone and trembling in your fear?

We often hide our beliefs out of fear. Do you hide being a Christian or standing up for your beliefs because you’re afraid what others may think? I’ve been there. I used to cleverly change the subject if someone asked me my opinion on same-sex marriage or abortion because I knew they wouldn’t agree with my position. I was quite aware of the fact that I would be considered brainwashed, old-fashioned, or close-minded if I stated what I believed. And, so I stayed quiet, hoping that my lifestyle was enough to draw people to Jesus. Relying on just my lifestyle to be a witness was like using a small candle in an enormous stadium. Sure, there was a little light, but it didn’t reach much.

To make a difference, you must be bold. The Apostles didn’t just go home after the resurrection of Christ and live their life in such a way that people would be drawn to Christ. They took bold action and proclaimed the truth while being persecuted and put to death.

What do we face? Certainly ridicule; perhaps some might lose their jobs. But you rarely hear of a martyr in North America. And, if you think persecution doesn’t happen anymore, go to www.persecution.org and take a peek at their reports of what’s happening around the world.

I know it’s hard. I have stayed quiet because I was afraid of ridicule or loss of friendship. Too often I didn’t say a word because I didn’t want to offend anyone and push them away from Christ.

The word “boldness” used in Acts 4:13 is parresia and has the idea of outspoken, frank, plain open, courageous, confident, fearless and bold. Does this describe you when you are speaking about your beliefs?

Our dreams often stayed trapped by our fear. Do you have something big you want to do? I’m not talking about a vacation to Hawaii. I’m talking about changing people’s lives, of helping orphans on the other side of the world, of changing your community. I’m talking about that one thing you would like to do, but you haven’t yet because it feels too big, or you are afraid of what people might think.

A quick look at history shows that anyone who changed the world was regarded as crazy. Abraham Lincoln, William Wilberforce, the Wright brothers, Isaac Newton, and, of course, Jesus Christ.

I don’t know what you want to do, but I know one thing. If God has laid it on you to do, you can do it. It may be difficult, people may criticize you and think you’ve lost your mind, and you may want to quit at time. However, if you persevere with boldness, you will see it come into life. Don’t hide in fear.

As for me in the motor home that night, I guess you already know that I wasn’t murdered. The footsteps got louder as they came closer. My dog was at the door barking with every hair on her neck raised. And then there was a loud knocking on the door.

My hands were trembling so badly that I dropped the phone. Trying to sound bold and brave, I shouted over the barking, “Who is it?”

A voice answered, but I couldn’t tell who it was. I knew it was a man, but it wasn’t my Dad. “It’s me!”

My first thought was “What kind of sick murderer starts with that?”

I shouted back, “Who’s me?” Even in the terror of the moment, I knew that this was a pretty dumb conversation, but I wasn’t thinking clearly enough to really response with anything clever.

The answer didn’t help. “ME! Open up!”

At that moment, I looked down at my dog. She had stopped barking and was wagging her tail vigorously. When I saw her reaction, I knew exactly who was at the door. My husband had come home early to surprise us. But he was the one surprised when I flung open the door and collapsed, a shaky mess, into his arms, babbling on and on about how glad I was to see him.

Sometimes the thing we fear the most is really a blessing. Open the door and face your fear! What are you waiting for?

Empty Spaces

I spent my high school years in South Dakota, a place of rolling plains, frigid winters, and scorching summers. The farmers around where I lived liked to plant winter wheat. I was always fascinated that they had to plant it before the first frost. The seed spouts, but then becomes dormant until the spring. It bursts into life and then waits for the sun to warm it nine months later.

Nine months later.

Ever notice this phrase in a book or movie? It’s is a common technique that authors and directors use to move the time along.

Two weeks, seven months, two years.

It’s a space of time when nothing of importance occurs during that time. Nothing changed. Nothing interesting or remarkable happened. Everything stayed the same.

That’s what I call an empty space.

How does the tiny Winter Wheat plant feel when the first snow comes? Does it know that it live, it must first spend months frozen? The days must seem endless. The months seem like years. And just what does it think? Maybe it wants to give up hope during the long, cold months of winter.

Are you in an empty space? Are you just waiting for the Author of life, God, to quietly write in the words Three years later, and then the changes you have been waiting for will appear.

Perhaps you are waiting for a job, and nothing is changing. Maybe you desperately need that raise, but you have to wait the required year before you see it. Waiting for a loved one to accept Christ? Time ticks slowly by as we wait, and wait, and wait.

J.R.R. Tolkien writes in “The Hobbit” how there is nothing to write about during the good times – that the bad times are what makes a story. In the same way, there is nothing to say during the empty spaces.

So what if you are in an empty space?

Psalms 27:14 says Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!

Don’t rush time. Don’t push past the Lord. Wait, hold on with all the bravery you have, and wait.

Galatians 6:9 also tells us “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”

If you are in an empty space, wait. Be brave. Hope. Continue doing your best. Soon the Author of life will pick up His pen and continue the story.

Nine months later.

And then the Son will come with His warmth, and the empty space will be filled.

Are you in an empty space now? What keep you holding on?

Follow the Instructions

I took on the project of revamping my webpage this week. Now I realize to some of you this would not be a huge task, but for me, well, let’s just say there was a huge learning curve, especially since I had to change my hosting company. Thankfully for me, I have a wonderful friend, Gretchen, to help me know what to do. (By the way, you should check out her blog.)

She seems to be a strong believer of the teaching philosophy “Learn by doing.” I am too, but only when I’m the teacher. However, she sent me a list of nine things I had to do to get this project done. I skimmed the list confidently, but my heart fell further and further with each step.

Her list was filled with all these things I had no idea what they were or what they did. For example, she told me to wait while the nameservers propagated. So just what are nameservers, how do they propagate, and why do they do that??? Then she told me to install WordPress via Fantastico. Now doesn’t Fantastico sound like something from Disney and not some web hosting company? To top it off, she kept sending me these cheery little notes, “Don’t forgot to set up a redirect” or “Be sure to change your permalink style.”

There was only way I could make it through this. I started at the beginning of the list and began to follow her instructions step by step. When I got stuck, I researched it and then I’d ask her. And, bit by bit, you can see the almost-finished result.

I wanted to ask why a million times. I still don’t know what a lot of that stuff was that I did. But, I have refined from bombarding her with all my questions because I probably couldn’t understand the answers at this point of my learning, and I don’t really need to know. I trust her and know that she will lead me the right way and not waste my time.

The process made my head hurt, especially after I pounded it on the desk in frustration. It was humbling when I got stuck and had to ask for help. And yet I found myself cheering when I finally got the shopping cart on my new webpage to work ALL BY MYSELF! As I am coming to the end of this project, I am extremely thrilled about the new webpage and am so glad that I took the time to change it.

It made me think about God and His instructions for us. We have been given a list of instructions in the Bible. Some times God explains them for us, but some things He just asks us to do it. Maybe we can’t understand it with our limited comprehension. Maybe it doesn’t really matter if we understand it or not. The point is this: We need to follow God’s list, no matter how hard or confusing it is. We may not  know why we are doing what He has asked us, we may not find good answers. We will be confused, frustrated, humbled, and want to give up. But if we persist, there are great things in store for us. As Paul said in 2 Timothy 4:7,8 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day–and not only to be, but also to all who have longed for His appearing.”

As for the web page, it is not quite done. I’m going to adding new pages and features to it as time goes by, so be sure to check back often! Of course, I will be releasing Rancid soon, and you don’t want to miss it.

One page that I’m going to add is going to be reviews for Toxic. I would love to have some of you who have read the book to write two or three sentences about it in the comments here. You could write about your favorite book, what surprised you, or what you enjoyed. I just might put yours on my Review page. I would be so grateful if you did!

I truly hope you like the webpage, and I hope you keep following God’s list, no matter where life takes you.

The Hobbit in Us

While the thought of spending hours with dwarves, hobbits, elves, dragon, orcs and goblins have some people running away in disgust, I get an urge to strap on my sword. Some of those people who dislike fantasy have asked me…

What do fourteen dwarves and one hobbit have to do with our world? I don’t like to read/watch anything that isn’t real. And just what does it have to do with our problems in our world school shootings, war, or fiscal cliffs?

To people who say such things, this is my reply.

1. Bilbo shows that it is easy to become a little too comfortable. The spirit of adventure, the drive to do great things, was hidden away in Bilbo at the beginning of the book. His legacy was from hobbits who did great and mighty things like riding into battle and hacking the head of a goblin off. Other descendants were known for riding into adventure and battled back evil. Bilbo, however, had become fat and lazy, comfortable in his garden with his books.

As Christians, we have a legacy of giants of faith from the beginning of time until today. But it is so easy to become fat and lazy, comfortable in our pews and routine. We need to get out of our comfort zone, seize our sword of truth with an iron grip, and battle back the evil.

Edmund Burke once said, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” If all we are doing is going to church, we are not doing enough. Imagine for just a minute what would happen to your community if every good man and woman did something to fight back the evil around them. When you really think about it, it’s overwhelming! The hungry would get fed, the poor would find financial relief, the cold would have blankets, the depressed would have a friend, and the lost would be found.

2. Bilbo demonstrates that what we think about ourselves may not be the truth. At the beginning, Bilbo doesn’t think he has the courage or ability for the adventure. Gandalf recruits Bilbo as the company burglar. (If you haven’t read the book, that sounds odd. Just read it, and you’ll understand.) Bilbo uses his inexperience as an excuse not to go. However, he already possesses all the skills and bravery he needs. He just doesn’t know it and has very little confidence about himself. And yet, not only does he accomplish mighty deeds; he sets into motion events that affect everyone – dwarf, elf, and humans – of his world.

Sometimes we need someone to believe in us. Perhaps that person challenges us to do more than we have done. It’s not comfortable, whether it’s speaking in front of a group or teaching a children’s class at church. Too often we limit ourselves with our own thoughts. One of my favorite quotes comes from Henry Ford. “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t–you’re right.”  The Apostle Paul says in Philippians 4:13, “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.”

You are not too small to do great thing. You are not undereducated. You are not unable. Look at whom God used in the Bible. The youngest son who was a shepherd and easily overlooked became one of the greatest kings of Israel. If you don’t know, his name was David. An uneducated fisherman became one of the main apostles. His name was Peter. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that you can’t.

3. Bilbo reveals to us that hardships can lead to great benefits. Bilbo loved his home. He was comfortable. He was surrounded by what he loved. He never went hungry or was cold. He didn’t have to worry about being killed. If he had chosen to live his life exactly as it was, there would be no gain. But instead he left his home and went through horrible situations. He was hurt, terrified, and almost killed. However, he gathered great friendships that lasted his lifetime, he experienced beautiful places, and became quite rich. (I’m not saying what actually happened because I don’t want to give it away to the people who haven’t read it yet.)

Maybe you are going through a hard time right now. While you’re probably not fighting goblins, it may seem like you are fighting for your life. Perhaps it feels like the battles never end, or that the enemy keeps getting stronger and stronger.

Don’t give up! Don’t surrender and never retreat. Keep pressing on and lean on God. Join with a group of people who can support you and carry through what you can’t do on your own. There are great rewards on the other side of the fight. You will make it one step at a time.

Like Paul says, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing.” (I Timothy 4:7, 8)

Feeling small? Insufficient? Incapable? With God, none of that matters. And with God, great adventures lie ahead.

Merry Christmas

I don’t have to tell you that nowadays some people say that saying “Merry Christmas” is not politically correct. They say that it’s much better to say “Happy Holidays.”

I don’t care.

I don’t care if we got the date wrong. I don’t care if this day was significant to other religions for other purposes. I don’t care if the person I say it to believes something else.

I will not say “Happy Holidays.”

To me, Christmas is a day when God came down to our world in the form of a baby to live with the purpose of dying to save me and everyone in the world from the curse of death sin brought me and everyone else who has lived, is living, and will live. Because He chose to be born, I have eternal life.

We can downgrade Valentine’s Day to “Happy Holidays.” I’ll say it on Thanksgiving if that’s what you want. But Christmas is special. Christmas is about Christ. It’s a day about love incarnate, hope realized, and peace promised.

I say “Merry Christmas” to honor Jesus and His sacrifice set into motion on this day so long ago. I say “Merry Christmas” to wish you love, hope, and peace. I say “Merry Christmas” to show the love and joy knowing Jesus has brought me with His gift of salvation.

If love, hope, peace, and joy truly offends you, just don’t say “Merry Christmas” back.  You can ignore me or say “Happy Holidays.”

I’m ending this blog now because I am taking a short break to be with family. I truly hope that this time finds you filled with joy, love, hope, and peace. May you be warm, safe, and loved this week. May you have a precious time with your family. May you always remember the true meaning of Christmas.

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

A King Among Us

After college, I spent seven months in Macau to see if I liked teaching English as a second language before committing to more schooling.  For a girl from the quiet mountains and prairies, I absolutely discovered a whole new world. And I wasn’t even on a magic carpet.

Just to give you a quick picture, Macau is a tiny peninsula about 37 miles west of Hong Kong and is connected to China. One of my favorite things to do was to take a boat to the small islands that surround Macau and Hong Kong and drink in the beauty of the rain forests and the jade green of the Pacific Ocean while watching the fishermen bring in their catch of the day.

There are approximately 573,000 people stuffed into 10 miles of space. I’ve heard that it’s the highest population density of any place in the world. Navigating through the streets was always a constant challenge due to the press of people. It seems to be a game to squeeze as many people as possible onto a bus so that the one lone American in the back would have to literally crawl over everyone to get out at the correct street. They also drive on the other side of the street. That seems like such a harmless fact. Believe me, it’s awfully easy to forget and that has heart-attack consequences. On top of that, since Macau was once ruled by Portugal, streets names are Portuguese while everyone speaks Cantonese and/or Mandarin. I was constantly lost. And constantly hot. With temperatures in the high 80s, the humidity was between 75% and 90%.  (Think back to the bus situation with those temperatures in mind. Deodorant didn’t even have a chance.)

Macau was a complete opposite of what I knew. And I loved it. It was a whole new world. Everything was completely new, especially the food. Instead of hot fudge sundaes, McDonalds served red bean sundaes. I got to eat octopus, oxtail soup, and chicken feet. (By the way, if anyone ever offers you a chicken foot to eat, don’t accept it.) And during the meals, I found my favorite thing about Macau. It’s something that I still find myself doing today.

I hadn’t been there long when I noticed that something was going on when someone at the table refilled the tea. The people whose cups were being filled would tap the table lightly with their first fingers three or four times. Conversation never ceased. No one acknowledged the actions. Yet it never failed to happen.

I finally questioned the coordinator of the school where I taught about it. In heavily accented English, he told me this story.

Many, many years ago, the emperor wanted to mingle with his people. He was a good emperor and wanted to find out what the common people thought and what they needed. But mostly he wanted to spend time with his people. He knew that if he went as emperor, no one would ever treat him as an equal. So he had his servants bring him some clothes that would blend in and slipped out of the palace unobserved.

Several of his servants and bodyguards went with him as they feared for safety. However, he gave them strict instructions not to reveal his identity, no matter what happened. During his time out of the palace, they sat down at a meal. His servants were horrified that they were sharing a table with the emperor like he was a commoner, but they obeyed their orders and kept his identity a secret. And the plan worked. The commoners didn’t recognize that the stranger at the table was the emperor.

During the meal, the emperor observed others refilling everyone’s cups with tea. Eager to fit into his new role, when the time came, he took the teapot and began filling the cups. The servants and bodyguards watched in horror as their emperor served them – the one they had committed their lives to serve.

Unable to express thanks or bow to show honor, one man tapped the table with his fingers curled as if they were bowing. Quickly, the other servants and bodyguards followed suit, eager to show their emperor respect and gratitude.

The emperor was elated by the success of his outing that he continued to travel incognito many times. As it always happens, word quickly spread of his jaunts. Soon all the people of his land began to tap the table with their fingers just in case the emperor was sitting with them and they didn’t know it.

Today the custom still continues as an expression of gratitude. And who knows? Maybe an emperor is sitting beside you at the table.

There are so many applications I could pull from this story. But let me remind you of the King of kings, the Emperor of emperors, who decided to leave his throne and mingle with people. He left his wealth, his privileges, and comfort to be born in a barn and raised by a carpenter. As an adult, he had no home. His closest friends were fishermen and tax collectors. He was not recognized but rather despised, rejected, and hated. He was innocent but died the death reserved for the worst of criminals.

And why? Like the emperor long ago in China, this Emperor wanted to be friends with the citizens of his country. But there was another reason. The goal was not only to join his people, but to have his people join him. By his death and resurrection, our Emperor made it possible for every person to join him in his palace. In case you didn’t know, this Emperor’s name is Jesus, and we are all his people.

So, this Christmas, as we celebrate the birth of our wonderful Emperor, remember what he left behind, how he lived, why he died, and where he is now. He’s not in that grave. He’s waiting in the heavenly palace for us.

But take a moment and consider this: The Emperor of all emperors, the King of all kings, may be pouring you tea at your next meal.

 

Hop On Over!

Every once in a while I write a blog post that I completely and totally love. This happened to me a few weeks ago. But instead of putting it here, I gave it away!

Kayse Pratt was kind enough to post it on her blog. You can find it here.

It’s my sincere hope that you hop on over to read it. It’s one of my top favorite blogs I’ve ever written.

I hope you enjoy it!