Kerry Johnson's Blog, page 8

Interview and Giveaway: Author Sally Bradley ~ Kept

I’m excited to welcome author Sally Bradley to my blog. Sally recently released her debut novel, Kept, a contemporary Christian novel that deals with the hard edges of life and how they’re refined by a God who specializes in bringing beauty from ashes.

Sally is a member of ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) and is a four-time finalist in ACFW’s Genesis Contest. She also won Novel Rocket’s Launch Pad Contest for the General Fiction category in 2014; RWA’s Great Expectation Contest 2013, Inspirational category; RWA’s Duel on the Delta Contest, Inspirational category; finally, she won ACFW’s Category 5 Contest for the Contemporary category.

Wow, right? There’s more!

Accolades from other writers:

“Filled with relevant issues handled with delicate poignancy, Kept is a refreshing change to the normal Christian fare…one of the most surprising and best books I’ve read this year.”

– MaryLu Tyndall, best-selling author of Legacy of the King’s Pirates series

“Gutsy and fast-paced, Kept sweeps the reader in and doesn’t let go until the final, riveting page. With keen insight into human nature and the tangled relationships of our times, author and pastor’s wife Sally Bradley explores romance against the backdrop of God’s infinite, redeeming grace.”

– Laura Frantz, author of Love’s Reckoning

About Sally:

Sally Bradley writes big-city fiction with real issues and real hope. A Chicagoan since age five, she now lives in the Kansas City area with her family, but they still get back to Chicago once in a while for important things—like good pizza and a White Sox game. Fiction has been her passion since childhood, and she’s thrilled now to be writing books that not only entertain, but point back to Christ. A freelance fiction editor, you can find Sally at sallybradley.com and on Facebook at Sally Bradley, Writer. Kept is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo.

From the Back of the Book:

Life has taught Miska Tomlinson that there are no honorable men. Her womanizing brothers, her absentee father, and Mark, the married baseball player who claims to love her—all have proven undependable. But Miska has life under control. She runs her editing business from her luxury condo, stays fit with daily jogs along Chicago’s lakefront, and in her free time blogs anonymously about life as a kept woman.

Enter new neighbor Dillan Foster. Between his unexpected friendship and her father’s sudden reappearance, Miska loses control of her orderly life. Her relationship with Mark deteriorates, and Miska can’t help comparing him to Dillan. His religious views are so foreign, yet the way he treats her is something she’s longed for. But Dillan discovers exactly who she is and what she has done. Too late she finds herself longing for a man who is determined to never look her way again.

When her blog receives unexpected national press, Miska realizes that her anonymity was an illusion. Caught in a scandal about to break across the nation, Miska wonders if the God Dillan talks about would bother with a woman like her—a woman who’s gone too far and done too much.

My Review of Kept:

Three times.

That’s how often my tired eyes were moisturized (aka, I cried) between 11pm and 1am when I was finishing Kept, a must-read contemporary Christian novel that skirts the darkness of life without Christ but ultimately pulls back the shadow to reveal brilliant, bright new mercies each morning.

I knew from the endorsements and reviews that this had to be a fantastic book; it’s much more than that. Kept is poignant, real, funny. It’s unforgettable. Kept’s pages are filled with characters I came to care deeply for. The author’s ability to keep the reader turning pages, rooting for imperfect characters and wondering what happens next, is a fiction-writing gift.

Miska is a city girl and book editor, hardened at life’s offering thus far but hiding a soft heart. Her life is driven by a want she hasn’t yet realized she doesn’t need. When she meets new neighbor Dillan, a youth pastor who lives with his brother Garrett, an unexpected friendship forms, setting the stage for a future neither expected. Together? How would that ever be possible?

Miska is such a well-written, imperfect character that I alternated between wanting to hug her and shake her. (Secondary character Tracy took care of that very well.) The friendship between the two women was beautiful and heartfelt; I especially appreciated the way the author doesn’t gloss over pain and betrayal but instead reminds the reader of God’s grace and forgiveness. Dillan’s struggle throughout the story was portrayed with truth and raw emotion that will leave readers rooting for him as well. The ending is fulfilling, leaving a lump in my throat as I closed the final page.

As a writer, I was completely taken with the author’s skillful use of dialogue to show who these characters were. The scenes between Dillan and Miska were so authentic, their interactions so realistic and powerful, that I felt like a fly on the wall in their high-rise condos, enjoying the view of Buckingham Fountain and the skyline of Chicago right along with them.

Best way to sum up this fantastic story? God is in the business of restoring what was lost and healing what is broken. Author Sally Bradley doesn’t sugar-coat the worldly view some of the characters have – and live – in Kept; instead she drops God’s grace plumb in the middle of the mess we can make of our lives without Him, cleaning dirty places and wiping souls clean with grace. Miska’s transformation is a powerful reminder that we don’t live under bondage but live within His merciful hands.

Kept is a keeper. Read it, ponder who you would be without Jesus, and praise God that he reaches the lowest depths to bring us back. I highly, highly recommend this story and look forward to reading Sally’s other books.

***

Try to put into words how it felt to hold your book baby in your hands for the first time. You’re a writer; you can do it! Five words or less (just kidding). Amazing, right?

SB: It was amazing for half a second! And then the very orange cover hit me. Like seriously orange. Miska looked like she’d gotten into really cheap, bad self-tanning lotion. And the Chicago skyline on the back of the book, the one with the sun setting behind the skyscrapers, looked like an atomic bomb had gone off. So it was a very weird moment. Cool, then disappointing because I knew I couldn’t unleash the print version on the world.

But when I opened up the book and scanned the pages, everything was good again. Yes, an amazing, amazing thing to see your baby in print!

Oh no! I think this cover turned out just beautiful. Kept is a powerful transformational story about God’s grace. It’s also a beautiful love story. The word that crossed my mind when I closed the book was ‘brave.’ Miska and Dillan’s story is brave, and so very relevant in 2014. What led you to write Kept?

SB: Lots of things. Christian women I’ve known over the years who’ve come from pasts like Miska. The way our society continues to become more immoral. How many people are being raised with absolutely no knowledge of God or exposure to a church of any kind. I wanted to portray where our society is and show that, yes, God is still bigger than that.

There’s much I loved about Kept…the characters, the fast-paced story, the realistic relationships. But my favorite aspect, as I mentioned in my review, is the incredible dialogue. To quote a random Pixar movie, “You so totally rock…at dialogue!” Was dialogue something you had to work on in your writing?

SB: Definitely! It was probably one of the first things in my writing career that I really studied, so I think it’s been a strength for a while. I typically don’t have to rewrite it, but I do need to narrow it down. Sometimes I just go overboard and it sounds too real—too many interruptions, every little grunt and groan. So I tone it down and cut the excess.

As for getting the men right… I did my research there. For several months, I listened to guys Dillan’s and Garrett’ ages on Facebook and Twitter and in true reality/documentary shows. I wrote down the unique things they said, then incorporated the phrases that kept popping up. So it’s been very encouraging to hear that even the men sounded right.

So glad you felt the dialogue worked, Kerry!

Great fiction contains characters we adore and characters we despise. Some we want to wrap in a big hug and others we want to shut the door in their face. Did you have a favorite character in Kept? How about a least favorite?

SB: Adrienne is probably my least favorite. From the very beginning, she and I just didn’t get along.

Of course, I loved my main characters, Miska and Dillan. But other than them, Garrett really grew on me. There was a point in the book where I wasn’t a fan and had some serious doubts about him, but then a couple pages later he’d crack me up. He might be the most complex character in the book, and I’m toying with writing a sequel about him.

What a great idea! Garrett really grew on me, too. You’re a wife, mom of three, active member of ACFW, reader, editor, and so on. You’d probably like to request a twenty-six hour day every now and then, like me, right? A little extra sleep, etc… How do you balance family and writing/editing?

SB: It’s really, really hard. I feel like I wing it every day and that there are things I forget or let go of every day. I wish there was an easy answer, but there isn’t.

My view is that I need to do the things that matter most. I often have a plan in the morning, but things come along that throw my plan out the window. So I’m constantly evaluating and prioritizing about what needs to be done next. Sometimes that means I need a mental break and a good book or a some HGTV or I play a little Black Ops with my kiddos.

We women have bought into the idea that you can do it all, but that’s a lie that causes a lot of angst and frustration. You cannot do it all. You have to pick and choose. So pick and choose wisely and give yourself some grace. And a break!

~ Quick Questions ~

Any pets? Nope. I have plenty to do as it is. But I do enjoy other people’s dogs.

Favorite Holiday? Thanksgiving. Awesome food, a real break, and then time to put up the Christmas tree and play Christmas music. Plus it’s not so cold yet that you loathe having to leave the house.

A color we’ll never see you wear? Orange. Oh. My. Goodness. I despise orange. Ironically, my two oldest look absolutely stunning in orange. They have their dad’s coloring.

Night owl or mourning dove? Night owl. I often go to bed early in the morning.

A book you’ll never part with? Chateau of Echoes. I love the story, the relaxed pace of it, the cheap vacation to rural France. It’s now out of print so I if I lose that book, I’ll never get to see the gorgeous cover again! That would make me sad.

Favorite way to spend a lazy day? Reading! Shocking, I know.

Sally, thank you so much for stopping by and sharing about this story! You’ve written a truly remarkable, grace-filled love story. I highly recommend Kept and look forward to your future books.

SB: Thanks so much, Kerry! I appreciate that.

As part of this interview, I’m offering a giveaway of one copy of Kept to a reader who comments here on my blog, or on the post on Facebook. Please leave a comment on this blog with your name and email address. The drawing closes Thursday, November 6th at noon. I’ll post the winner’s name on my blog and contact the winner by email.



Filed under: Musings Tagged: author Sally Bradley, candidkerry, Debut Novel, Kept, Sally Bradley, writing

Cole’s Corner: Book Review ~ Operation Tree Roper: An Eye Above

About the Book:

Twelve-year-old Declan Parker was only born with one eye, but all he seems to have trouble seeing in proper perspective is himself. All he wants is for kids to see him as normal before he starts a new school in the fall. To that end, he sets out to make money helping with his dad’s tree care business.

Unfortunately, when his dad lands in the hospital after a climbing accident, Declan’s surgery hopes are wrecked. His only hope remains in a neighbor girl and her uncle, a wounded army veteran. Can they help him save his dad’s business, or will Declan’s once-courageous drive turn into total despair?

Cole’s Review:

Operation Tree Roper: An Eye Above is a good book with an unusual plot. The main character Declan is a boy with one eye, but it does not stop him from being a tree roper. A tree roper inspects trees and cuts off limbs, not to mention climbs them. They can even rescue cats that are stuck in trees.

I learned about things tree ropers would know. There is a word and its definition beside each new chapter heading. That is one reason I liked the story. Also there is a very good plot, it made me want to keep reading to see the rest of the story. That is the second reason I liked it.

The author did a good job making the ending a big surprise. I didn’t know it would end like that. I would like to recommend this book to boys and girls that like unusual plots and like modern realistic fiction. I would like this author to write a sequel to Operation Tree Roper: An Eye Above.

Filed under: Musings Tagged: Anaiah Press, candidkerry, kids' book reviews, middle grades fiction, Operation Tree Roper: An Eye Above, Robert Polk, tree roper

Interview and Giveaway: Author Anne Mateer ~ Playing by Heart

Today I’d like to welcome author Anne Mateer to my blog. Thanks so much for visiting and answering questions about your book and writing experiences, Anne! I’m thrilled to have you here.

Anne and I met through ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) last year. I recently finished Anne’s latest release, Playing by Heart, a story I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend for historical romance fans.  I hope to read her earlier stories soon, as well.

Anne resides near Dallas, Texas and writes historical romance with heart; her stories are replete with faith and family, and touched by skillful brushstrokes of historical detail on each page.

From the back of the book:

Lula Bowman has finally achieved her dream: a teaching position and a scholarship to continue her college education in mathematics. But then a shocking phone call from her sister, Jewel, changes everything. With a heavy heart, Lula returns to her Oklahoma hometown to do right by her sister, but the only teaching job available in Dunn is combination music instructor/basketball coach. Lula doesn’t even consider those real subjects! Determined to prove herself, Lula commits to covering the job for the rest of the school year. Reluctantly, she turns to the boys’ coach, Chet, to learn the newfangled game of basketball. Chet is handsome and single, but Lula has no plans to fall for a local boy. She’s returning to college and her scholarship as soon as she gets Jewel back on her feet. However, the more time she spends around Jewel’s family, the girls’ basketball team, music classes, and Chet, the more Lula comes to realize what she’s given up in her single-minded pursuit of degree after degree. God is working on her heart, and her future is starting to look a lot different than she’d expected.

My review of Playing by Heart:

Playing by Heart is a heart-warming read, a story that kept me turning pages and wondering what would happen next. The author’s engaging prose and just-enough historical detail dot the pages in time to a lively story with a sweet, fulfilling ending.

Lula is strong-willed, intelligent yet vulnerable female lead, one whose single-minded focus on academics has banished the passion dormant in her heart. I really enjoyed the author’s reminder, through a couple of emotional, musical scenes with Lula, that God will patiently bring us back to our heart’s desire if we step out of His way and allow Him to lead.

Chet’s character is solid, patient, and honorable, though he is driven by familial burdens weighing him down, which often affected his decisions. Chet and Lula’s relationship begins when Chet, the boys’ basketball coach at the high school in which Lula takes a job, offers to help Lula as she’s also given the job coaching the girls’ team. Lula’s initial indifference toward the game turns to passion and determination to win, just as her resolve to protect her heart from handsome Chet weakens as she gets to know him better.

Memorable stories are created on the foundation of imperfect characters the reader comes to care for, and Anne Mateer does a meticulous job with this aspect of writing. Lula and Chet ring true on the pages and off. The author paints Lula and Chet’s chemistry and their budding relationship in a tender, beautiful way, especially given the turn-of-the century time period in which their story is set (female teachers were not allowed to date). Secondary characters like Lula’s sister Jewel and Chet’s widowed mother add depth and authenticity to the story as well.

****

Congratulations on your latest release, Anne! Has writing books been a life-long dream of yours? Did the child Anne ever imagine such a wonderful thing as holding your own book in your hands?
Yes! I can remember the moment, sitting on my bed, tears streaming down my face, clutching my copy of the latest Eugenia Price novel that I’d just finished, and declaring that I wanted to write historical fiction one day! Writing and publication were a long-held dream, seeing that I didn’t see my first book in publication until 40 years after that moment! It was, indeed, a wonderful moment to hold that first book—and all the ones after that.


What has been the hardest part of the writing journey for you? In turn, what part of writing a book do you enjoy most?
The hardest part for me has been learning to balance family life and writing. There were many, many days when I just wanted to write but my husband or my kids needed me to be there for them. It was a journey to learn to trust the Lord for writing time without neglecting those He’d given me to love and care for. My favorite part of the writing process is the discovery of new characters or story elements as I write. I am truly a seat-of-the-pants writer, though I’ve had to learn to have at least an idea of an outline due to writing on deadline. I love when the story surprises me, makes me laugh or cry as I write. While I actually enjoy the revision process more than the first draft, I love those moments in the first draft that weren’t planned out beforehand.


Now to your story. I was fascinated by the main characters’ names in Playing by Heart. Chet and Lula as monikers are both quite unique. How did you choose their names, and do you have a process for choosing character names?
That is an interesting story that I don’t believe I’ve mentioned in any other interview! I knew I wanted to use my grandmother’s childhood nickname, Fruity Lu, but I didn’t necessarily want to use her name, Martha Lou. I went to the Oklahoma archives one day to research and found myself listening to a bunch of oral history tapes. One was done by a man named Chet. His wife’s name? Lula! It worked perfectly!


I was pleasantly surprised that the story was written in first person point of view. Seeing the world through Lula and Chet’s eyes brought me into the story even more. Do you enjoy writing in first person?
I do. I have written in both third person and first person, but it was my first person voice in Wings of a Dream that helped that book stand out, so I continued. I have some background in drama, so I find it easy to fall into seeing the story through my character’s eyes, much as I would a part in a play. Of course Chet is my very first attempt at a first person male character. It was tough, but I hope I did him justice!


The bonds of familial love – and responsibility – run strong and true through your story, with both main and secondary characters. Does the theme of family and commitment tie strongly into all your stories?
Yes, it does. If feel that a strong sense of family is one of the things that characterizes all my work. I think it stems back to that earlier question where I mentioned my struggle to balance family and writing. I love my family. They are important to me. I think in some ways all my stories revolve around family to remind me of that.


I appreciate the strong lesson of learning to trust God’s plan that both Lula and Chet learn in Playing by Heart. How does your faith shape the words you put on the page?
It is a “chicken and the egg” kind of thing with faith and writing. My writing challenges my faith. As my faith grows, it appears more starkly on the page. I’m never quite sure which came first! My entire writing journey has been more about growing in faith and learning to love and trust God more than it has been about the product that was produced from that journey. My constant prayer is that my faith on the page with encourage readers to look at their own faith and press in closer to Jesus.


When she returns to her hometown, Lula ends up teaching two subjects she didn’t expect to – music and coaching girls’ basketball. I really enjoyed the exciting game scenes in the book, and giggled that the girls’ team was supposed to play a ‘gentler’ game than the boys’ team. (In other words, they weren’t supposed to run around and sweat during the basketball practices and games – where’s the fun in that?)  What was it like researching the early game of basketball?
I loved it! After years of watching my kids play basketball, it was so fun to learn some of the history of the game. Especially for the girls! My girl was as tough as they come on the court. She would have been very frustrated with that “gentler” game!

~ Quick Questions ~

Any pets? A dog, Abby, who is 12. But she is really hubby’s dog at heart.

Favorite holiday? Thanksgiving. I love the food and family and football.

A color we’ll never see you wear? Orange

A book you’ll never part with? My inductive study Bible. Too many years of notes in those wide margins!

Night owl or morning dove? Night owl. Which makes it hard being married to a morning dove!Favorite way to spend a lazy day? Reading, of course! Watching BBC shows or period dramas comes in a close second.

****

Thank you so much for joining me on my blog today, Anne!

Anne has graciously offered one commenter a copy of her latest release, Playing by Heart. Leave a comment either on my blog or in the comments section on Facebook. (If you leave a comment on my blog, please include an email where I can reach you if your name is drawn.)

The contest ends Friday, October 17th at noon. Entrants from the continental U.S., only, please.

Filed under: Musings Tagged: ACFW, Anne Mateer, Author giveaway, books, candidkerry, Christian fiction, Faith, Historical fiction, writing

Bouncy Balls and Grace

For most of the summer our backyard trampoline was littered with balls. Big ones, bouncy ones, little ones, tiger-striped balls, softballs, neon green balls, whiffle balls, Spiderman balls, juggling balls, even a stress ball thrown in for good measure.

Months ago a friend and her children visited, and our basket full of balls (my attempt to contain the craziness of boy stuff through organization – a ball basket) was brought from the playroom to the trampoline.

A contained arena of bouncy-ball happiness ensued.

This herd of mismatched balls created lots of fun times on the trampoline. Our younger, more social son doesn’t like bouncing alone, but with the dozens of colorful balls on the trampoline, he would spend a half hour jumping away the bouncy joy.

I finally went on too, curious to see if I could out-bounce the balls. I learned that wherever I walked on the trampoline surface became the lowest point, and the copious balls followed my feet like tie-dyed, pudgy poodles looking for treats, lapping over my toes in round determination.

No matter where I bounced, where I walked on the trampoline, the balls followed. Gathered around my bare feet.

They had to. It was their nature, their shape, the way they rolled.

After a bit, I found the ball pile-on frustrating, and I was glad to get off that springy surface and leave the clingy bouncy balls behind.

A few days ago I had a discussion with a much-loved family member. This woman and I go way, way back. We worked together and talked about many things spiritual, relational, and chocolate-al through the two decades we’ve known each other. She’s watched me grow up (I hope), and supported me during times she didn’t need to, showing grace and forgiveness across situations in which I’m not sure I could have done the same.

Recently this beloved family member went through a very difficult time. She said some things in frustration and anger to another person that she deeply regretted. (In her defense, I would probably have said and done the same thing, given the situation, but that’s not the point.)

The point is she’s been dogged by surprise at her angry, emotional reaction and has deep regret about that conversation, wishing she could take her words back and soften the resulting bitter relationship.

When we talked about the situation, we discussed how the deeply inlaid nature in us – our sin nature, the one that, like it or not, we’re born with – can come out and surprise us.

The sin nature that follows us around like the bouncy balls shadowing feet on the trampoline. Always there. Always ready to roll over us when we’re at the lowest point where we stand.

Hold on.

But…

However,

JESUS.

I read this quote this morning, as this blog post was percolating. “The revealed truth of the Bible is not that Jesus Christ took on Himself our fleshly sins, but that He took on Himself the heredity of sin that no man can even touch.” (Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest)

“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

“God made His own Son “to be sin” that he might make the sinner a saint… a man cannot redeem himself – redemption is the work of God, and is absolutely finished and complete.”  ~ O. Chambers

It doesn’t cost us a lifetime of hard labor. It doesn’t cost us a paycheck a month. Grace costs us nothing, yet it cost God everything.

But it’s offered to all sinners who believe. Free.

Jesus.

Thank You Lord, for the redemptive work of the Cross. Thank You Jesus, that your shoulders held the sin of humanity – our ugly nature – and defeated it. Thank You Holy Spirit, that You work in us to accomplish God’s work in this broken world, many times despite ourselves.

Filed under: Musings Tagged: 2 corinthians 5:21, A Lamp, A Light, candidkerry, God, grace, Jesus, sin, Sin nature

Those Who Wait

It’s been a dry summer.

That’s a relative term, of course. Friends who live ten minutes away are probably cocking their head in confusion because they’ve been popping umbrellas open all summer. But that’s how storms roll in Florida. A few drops here, flooded roads there.

I have a writer friend in California whose hometown has been in a difficult drought for years. They’re currently facing nearby wildfires and celebrate when the lightest sprinkles dot driveway pavement.

We have no wild fires, true. No threat of water shortage (yet). We’re hopeful for a wetter fall and winter to fill up our puddle-like ponds and lacking lakes. Florida is scorching in the summer and the normal, near-daily deluge is a reprieve from the heat while replenishing the beautiful foliage (and sweating people).

Not so much at our house this summer. Drip, rumble, drip. Sunshine again?

Part of my strong desire for rain is due to the new flowers and bushes in our front flower beds and in the backyard, planted last spring. The thirsty flowers rose up in the afternoons, purple and pink petals reaching toward the clouds overhead. Begging for moisture.

All summer long I excitedly checked my weather app when storms rumbled nearby. But most days it was sprinkler water dousing the daisies (okay, I don’t have daisies, but it sounded good), providing the necessary water to keep them alive in UV-drenched Tampa Bay.

At one frustrating point my hubby joked that our house was in a dry spot; a few days in a row, the rain clouds literally split around our neighborhood, drenching everywhere else but home.

Through this physical drought, I thought about droughts in our faith. About how God often calls us to wait. About sanctification making us more Christ-like because we learn to trust in the dry parts of life.

Trusting about a new job (or a job, period); a new(er) vehicle; finding a spouse to share our life with; having children to fulfill our family; receiving an answer to a specific prayer; trusting a loved one’s health to improve; believing a dream to come to fruition within His will.

Waiting. Trusting. Active verbs that build our faith in our Savior, Provider, Healer, Refuge.

Yesterday after church we finally had the pleasure of an afternoon storm soaking. It came on suddenly, the clouds more white-gray than black-rumbling. It didn’t matter; the rain gushed. I admit to dancing in the front doorway after putting some of my porch plants out in the rain. (Rain water is much better for plants because there’s no chlorine.)

The sound of pouring rain was a balm to my dry soul.

But…what came after was even better. Even better than the much-needed, oh-so-appreciated, flower-flooding rain?

Behind our house stands a dead pine tree. It’s the tallest tree nearby and kind of an eyesore. It’s a favorite roosting spot for a variety of birds; we often see shy Osprey land on it, wrangling flapping fish in their sharp talons. Cooing doves and alert Mockingbirds also dot the large, bare branches of the stark tree skeleton.

Yesterday, after the rain? A visitor I’ve never seen before.

A magnificent Bald Eagle.

(Oh, how I wished I had a good camera within my grasp.)

He remained on that high tree branch until night dropped in, his regal pose apparently necessary to dry his feathers, and I pondered some of my favorite scripture from Isaiah 40.

Have you not known?

Have you not heard?

The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth,

Neither faints nor is weary.

His understanding is unsearchable.

He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength.

Even the youths shall faint and be weary,

And the young men shall utterly fall,

But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength;

They shall mount up with wings like eagles,

They shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. ~ Isaiah 40:28-31

This morning, coming back from my wake-me-up walk with Jedi, the eagle swooped down unexpectedly from the dead tree, right above my head. He flew across the road, heading to parts unknown. So close! So close the sharp point of his beak was visible and his powerful wings whooshed wind in my ears and brought on goose bumps.

How amazing that we serve a God whose strength is for us. Whose grace was given toward us, free of charge, free of conditions except a heart emptied for Him. A God Who calls us to wait, to trust, to believe in His promises, because He is faithful and worthy.

Filed under: Musings Tagged: Bald eagles, candidkerry, Eagles, God, God's strength, Isaiah 40:31, Rain, summer