A Lesson for Every Writer

George Orwell said, in his 1946 essay, Why I Write:

From a very early age, perhaps the age of five or six, I knew that when I grew up I should be a writer. Between the ages of about seventeen and twenty-four I tried to abandon this idea, but I did so with the consciousness that I was outraging my true nature and that sooner or later I should have to settle down and write books.

All writers know the faith it takes to put words on paper. We have seen the faith required to search for the right word, the right phrase, the right nugget of truth that will mark our work as top-notch. Ultimately, we know the gut-wrenching faith it takes to turn our written baby over to someone who might reject it outright.

We know hope too. Even after we have been kicked to the curb by an agent who probably didn’t even read the first sentence of a query, hope prevails.

After a few days of chocolate and Kleenexes, hope surges again. Maybe the next editor will love it, buy it, publish it, and send it to be included next to J.R.R. Tolkein’s on the front table of every bookstore in the country. If you are a writer, you know that hope is real.

One element, however, sometimes gets lost when faith and hope begin to emerge in our writing journey. That element is love. Sure, we love it, or we wouldn’t stress ourselves out to learn how to do it better, to find someone to publish it, and to put ourselves on the chopping block of rejection time and again. It’s almost a given that we love it. The problem is we forget that we love it.

You know, real writers would write for squirrels if they would listen. But too often, the longer we write, the less we remember what we love about it. Our focus shifts from writing for love to writing so others will love what we’ve written.

When we write for the love of it, every frustrating moment is an exhilarating challenge. Shaping those picturesque phrases in our minds into something coherent and fluid is like no other experience. The very act of putting that last piece of our word puzzle into place has no equal.

I remember the journals I kept, the poems I wrote, and the short stories that are still tucked away in some old notebook. I wrote those not to gain love but because they were burning a hole in my soul to be put on paper.

Then I began writing not for love but to gain love. I became convinced that I had to twist my writing to meet what others believe is marketable or publishable. And so I let my love for writing morph into wanting my writing to be loved, sometimes at all costs. I twisted myself into a pretzel, learning perfect grammar, point of view, and the correct way to write a marketable manuscript.

Learning and growing in your writing is one thing, but when that gets so tangled in the rules that you forget why you started in the first place, that is another thing. Love is the key to writing real. As the Bible says so eloquently:

"In the end three things shall last, faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love." –1 Corinthians 13:13

It’s a lesson every writer should take to heart.

(c) 1999-2008 April Lorier | Related Posts

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Campus Crusade for Christ Needs Bibles for Soldiers!

Despite the troop reductions expected this year, there remains a tremendous demand for Bibles for our men and women in uniform. In fact, in response to numerous requests, 38,000 Rapid Deployment Kits were distributed to service members in December and January alone.

Each RDK contains a New Testament with Psalms and Proverbs, a daily devotional, and an evangelistic booklet all packaged in a waterproof bag. Requests for these Kits continue to pour into Campus Crusade for Christ's Military Ministry—still for an average of 15,000 to 20,000 RDKs each month.

Requests for these Kits continue to pour into Campus Crusade for Christ's Military Ministry-still for an average of 15,000 to 20,000 RDKs each month. Fulfilling all these requests is only possible with the help of people who care.

Including shipping and distribution costs, it still takes just $3.25 to get an RDK into the hands of a service member. Each RDK includes a camouflage New Testament with Psalms and Proverbs, a 90-day devotional, and a booklet, Would You Like to Know God Personally? that clearly and simply shares the Gospel. All the materials are packaged in a waterproof bag small enough to fit into a soldier's pocket.

Again, the demand for RDKs remains high. Young men and women are still being deployed into dangerous circumstances all the time—many of whom have never heard about Christ.

If you would like to give a gift via regular U.S. mail, please send your gift to:

Campus Crusade For Christ
Attention: Rapid Deployment Kits #HW2100
100 Lake Hart Drive, Dept. 2400
Orlando, FL 32832

If you wish to give a gift by telephone please call: (714) 568-1023

Or, visit Campus Crusade for Christ International

Submitted 2008 April Lorier | Related Posts

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Treat Your Family With Courtesy!

I ran into a stranger as he passed by,
"Oh excuse me please" was my reply.
He said, "Please excuse me too;
I wasn't watching for you."
We were very polite, this stranger and I.
We went on our way saying good-bye.

But at home a difference is told,
how we treat our loved ones, young and old.
Later that day, cooking the evening meal,
My son stood beside me very still.
As I turned, I nearly knocked him down.
"Move out of the way," I said with a frown.

He walked away, his little heart broken.
I didn't realize how harshly I'd spoken.
While I lay awake in bed,
God's still small voice came to me and said,
"While dealing with a stranger, common courtesy you use,
But the children you love, you seem to abuse.

Go and look on the kitchen floor,
You'll find some flowers there by the door.
Those are the flowers he brought for you.
He picked them himself: pink, yellow and blue.
He stood very quietly not to spoil the surprise,
and you never saw the tears that filled his eyes."

By this time, I felt very small,
and now my tears began to fall.
I quietly went and knelt by his bed;
"Wake up, little one, wake up," I said. "
Are these the flowers you picked for me?"
He smiled, "I found 'em, out by the tree.
I picked 'em because they're pretty like you.
I knew you'd like 'em, especially the blue."

I said, "Son, I'm very sorry for the way I acted today;
I shouldn't have yelled at you that way."
He said, "Oh, Mom, that's okay. I love you anyway."
I said, "Son, I love you too,
and I do like the flowers, especially the blue."

Author Unknown

Submitted 2008 April Lorier | Related Posts

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What God Has Promised

This poem hung in my parents' home all through my childhood. It is, to this day, one of my favorite poems. I pray it blesses you as it has blessed me.

God hath not promised
Skies always blue,
Flower strewn pathways
All our lives through.

God hath not promised
Sun without rain,
Joy without sorrow
Peace without pain.

But God hath promised
Strength for the day,
Rest for the labor
Light for the way,
Grace for the trials
Help from above,
Unfailing sympathy
Undying love.

Author Unknown, but much appreciated

Submitted 2008 April Lorier | Related Posts

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Marriage Takes Three, Not Two

I once thought marriage took
Just two to make a go,
But now I am convinced
It takes the Lord also.

And not one marriage fails
Where Christ is asked to enter,
As lovers come together
With Jesus at the center.

But marriage seldom thrives,
And homes are incomplete,
Till He is welcomed there
To help avoid defeat.

In homes where Christ is first,
It's obvious to see,
Those unions really work,
For marriage still takes three.

(c) 2008 April Lorier | Related Posts

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Am I a Leader or a Follower?

When leaders make a mistake, they say, "I was wrong."
When followers make mistakes, they say, "It wasn't my fault."

A leader works harder than a follower and has more time;
A follower is always "too busy" to do what is necessary.

A leader goes through a problem;
A follower goes around it and never gets past it.

A leader makes and keeps commitments;
A follower makes and forgets promises.

A leader says, "I'm good, but not as good as I ought to be;"
A follower says, "I'm not as bad as a lot of other people."

Leaders listen;
Followers just wait until it's their turn to talk.

Leaders respect those who are superior to them and tries to learn something from them;
Followers resent those who are superior to them and try to find chinks in their armor.

Leaders feel responsible for more than their job;
Followers say, "I only work here."

A leader says, "There ought to be a better way to do this;"
Followers say, "That's the way it's always been done here."

Submitted 2008 April Lorier | Related Posts

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You Have To Let God

As Children Bring Their Broken Toys
With Tears For Us To Mend

I Brought My Broken Dreams To God,
Because He Is My Friend

But Then Instead Of Leaving Him
In Peace To Work Alone,

I Hung Around And Tried To Help,
With Ways That Were My Own

At Last, I Snatched Them Back Again
And Cried, "How Can You Be So Slow?"

"My Child" He Said, "What Could I Do?
You Never Did Let Go!"

Author Unknown

Submitted 2008 April Lorier | Related Posts

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I Refuse to be Discouraged! How About You?

I refuse to be discouraged,
To be sad, or to cry;
I refuse to be downhearted,
And here's the reason why . . .

I have a God who's mighty,
Who's sovereign and supreme;
I have a God who loves me,
And I am on His team.

He is all wise and powerful,
Jesus is His name;
Though everything is changeable,
My God remains the same.

My God knows all that's happening,
From beginning to the end.
His presence is my comfort,
He is my dearest friend.

When sickness comes to weaken me,
To bring my head down low,
I call upon my mighty God;
Into His arms I go.

When circumstances threaten
To rob me from my peace,
He draws me close unto His breast,
Where all my strivings cease.

And when my heart melts within me,
And weakness takes control,
He gathers me into His arms,
He soothes my heart and soul.

The great "I AM" is with me,
My life is in His hands,
The "Son of the Lord" is my hope,
It's in His strength I stand.

I refuse to be defeated,
My eyes are on my God;
He has promised to be with me,
As through this life I trod.

I'm looking past all my circumstances,
To Heaven's throne above;
My prayers have reached the heart of God,
I'm resting in His love.

I give God thanks in everything,
My eyes are on his face;
The battle's His, victory is mine;
He'll help me win the race.

Author Unknown

Submitted 2008 April Lorier | Related Posts

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The Secret for Rejected Women

How many women have lived their lives for "that man" and regretted it later? As Christian women, we are to expect only from God, not from any man. There is a woman in the Old Testament (Genesis 29) who eventually came to this knowledge. Her story inspires me every time I read it.

Remember Leah? She was the older sister of the exquisitely beautiful Rachael. Their father, Laban, was somehow related, maybe distantly, to Jacob. Jacob sought out Laban and once he found him, he met Laban's daughter, Rachael, at the well. Jacob fell head-over-hills in love with Rachael the minute he saw her. And he made no secret of his passion! He was truly inspired to stick around!

During that time periord, it was customary for the oldest daughter to be married first, then the next oldest. They were very "organized" in their traditions!

Old Laban gives Jacob a home and a job. Then about a month later, Laban says - my version here - Hey, Jake. Just because we're related doesn't mean you should work for free. What do you think is a fair price for your labor?

Jacob says, I want Rachael! Let me marry Rachael! I'll work seven years for her!

Old Laban, knowing the tradition, says, OK, kid. It's a deal! Now Laban secretly intended to deceive Jacob, and maybe Jacob even deserved to be tricked. He had done his share of deceiving, himself. Even Jacob's name means deceiver. Jacob is encouraged and works seven years, twice the usual time, in return for being given Rachael as his wife.

Seven years later, a big wedding takes place. The bride stands secreted in a thick veil over her face, and is not allowed to speak because of the sacredness of the event. Then the married couple goes to the secret darkness of the tent and consummates the marriage. In case you're wondering how it was that Jacob didn't know he had been swindled, remember: bride's face covered with a thick veil, and she's not allowed to speak because the moment is sacred.

I imagine many men have been shocked the morning after, as they see what their bride really looks like. But not like Jacob! And he does not hide his displeasure when he sees Leah in his bed. He makes it double-dog clear that he has been swindled, that he loves her sister, wanted her sister, and will always love her sister, Rachael.

God looks down on this poor rejected Leah, and feels her pain. He opens up her womb. Now remember, during that time the way a woman earned her worth was by bearing children, especially sons. So Leah says, Now Jacob will finally love me. Wrong!

For at least the next four years, Leah keeps bearing him sons. She gives him Reuben, Simeon, and then Levi. But Jacob's interests are directed towards how much of the next seven years are left. Oh, he has Rachael as his wife, but she is barren! Imagine the tension between those two sisters during those years. After every son, Leah has been encouraged, has been sure this new son will cause Jacob to change his heart and love her.

Then Leah bears the fourth son and names him Judah. Jacob still shows no affection for her; but this time, Leah gets it right. Instead of saying, This son will cause Jacob to become attached to me and love me, she says, This time I will praise the Lord!

It took Leah several years to understand that God, alone, was her hope and inspiration. It was God, alone, who could encourage her in her deepest rejection. It wasn't sons, it wasn't a man. It was God. And at that point, she stopped having children. Rachael's womb was opened, and she began bearing Jacob sons, one of which was Joseph.

But the cool part of this story is that it is Leah's son, Judah, who is listed in the genealogy of Jesus. Rachael's son, Joseph, is not listed in that genealogy. Judah means praise and it was through his line that our Savior came.

Girls, it doesn't matter why you have been rejected, and it doesn't matter if you're divorced, or never-been-married. What matters is that you "get it" -- invest yourself, your expectations, your joy in Jesus! It is God, alone, who sees your heart's secret chambers. It is God, alone, who has the power to satisfy your deepest longings. And if He wants to, He can, at any time, send a man into your life that will have the ability to love you for who you are. He will be a man who loves the Lord as much as you do, and it will have been worth the former rejection.

(c)2008 April Lorier | Related Posts

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February 29 - How Will I Spend It?

I just realized I have an extra day this year! And it's coming up very soon, too. In high school, it was the weekend girls were allowed to ask out the boys. Any other week it was deemed unladylike and unseemly. So, what is this leap year thing all about?

Well, it takes the Ms. Earth slightly longer than 365 days (24 hours each) to make it around Mr. Sun, so we need that extra day to keep the calendar in line. Otherwise, after 100 years we would wind up something like 24 days ahead of the seasons. Now that would mess up my computer calendar!

The idea of leap year has been around since the Julian calendar was introduced in 238 BC. We currently use the Gregorian calendar, which is OK, but it may need some adjustment in about 3000 years. When the Gregorian calendar was adopted in Italy, Poland, Portugal and Spain in 1582 they lost 10 days of October! Whoa! I feel sorry for all those people whose birthdays were during that time! I would not have liked to be without my birthday presents, I can tell you.

I grew up in New Mexico, and I happen to know that Anthony, Texas or Anthony, New Mexico -- Anthony is exactly on the border, so what state you're in depends on which end of town you're in! -- is the self-proclaimed Leap Year Capital of the World. Every 4 years they have a festival that includes a hot air balloon launch, a parade, and birthday party for those born on February 29. If you are a leap-er, by all means, free to stop by and join in the fun!

Now we have an extra day this month, and the big question is what should be do with this extra Friday? It is a gift, of sorts, and it is on a Friday. I have been thinking about this and it seems to me that I can either spend this extra day on my "wants" or my "needs" or I can give it to someone else.

I could use it as a day of total self-indulgence, or I could use it as a day to organize all of this paper mess around me, or I could use it to visit an old folk's home and bring cheer to some of those special senior citizens. Or, even more radical, I could use it as a day to commune with my Creator - worship music, dancing before my Lord, Bible reading, prayers of thanksgiving, and soaking up His magnificent creation.

However I use choose to use this extra day, I will be grateful for it. Every day is a gift from God, wrapped up in pretty possibilities and fluffy dream bows. Or, as the Psalmist said, This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24

However you choose to spend your extra day, rejoice and be glad for the extra Friday!

Winner Article on SearchWarp.com 2008

(c)2008 April Lorier | Related Posts

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10 Life-Saving Sources for Survivors

How does a survivor of abuse, any kind of abuse, find help? Well, you could use the search engines, and click from link to link, of course. But what if you're a Christian and you want to make sure the resource is biblically based? I offer these ten resources to help. Each source has other sources, so be sure and click on the links!

1. Christian Survivors Ministry

Christian Survivors came into being due to one survivor's realization that a need existed on the internet to have a place where survivors of abuse could deal with their issues safely, with the goal of healing firmly in mind. At that time, there were many survivors groups online, but they were, sadly, filled with conflict, gossip, flaming, and negativity. They held very little positive input from either staff or members. In addition, many of these forums treated people's belief in God as a very negative crutch, and there were few safe places to talk about survivor issues within a Christian context. We are an active community for survivors of all types of abuse. Our aim is to bring friendship and support to survivors in need, and ultimately to help one another come to a place of healing in our lives!

2. Set Free Today

Set Free Today is designed to show people, with everyday as well as life-changing issues, the path to freedom through emotional healing and inner change. Our team members have been-there-done-that. That’s why we can offer you a safe gathering place complete with loving guidance and a hand to hold. We provide practical biblical counsel, support, encouragement, hope, and prayer. Our mission is to help you experience wholeness and freedom to pursue your present and future. A Christian Ministry.

3. Prodigals International

Breaking through the bonds of sexual addiction.We are a Christian ministry dedicated to helping men, women and families overcome sexual addiction. Our 12-step program provides resources and support for the man who is struggling, the wife who is hurting, and the pastor or counselor who wants to help.

4. Spiritual Abuse Recovery Resources

We hope the resources at this web site will be helpful to you who have been spiritually abused. The damage that has been done is not irreversible. It is possible to feel safe again. It is possible to learn to rest again. It is possible to regain that sense of blessing you once had when you first realized that God's stance towards you, God's 'yes', was not based on your performance, but rather on God's very own performance, that of Jesus, signed, sealed, finished, available in gift-form only.

5. The Wounded Healer Journal

This site is the oldest point of presence on the web for psychotherapists and others who have experienced the devastation of trauma including child abuse. Created and maintained from 1995-2002 by Linda Chapman, TWHJ is now managed by Carol McClure of Healing-Journey.net.

Topics discussed in the TWHJ Forums include: Treatment after abuse and trauma (counseling, psychotherapy, psychiatric care), psychological effects of child sexual abuse, neglect, physical and verbal abuse, domestic violence, dissociative identity disorder (DID - formerly multiple personality disorder or MPD), PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder), dealing with emotional maltreatment, abandonment, ritual abuse, depression, panic and anxiety, incest, sexual assault, self injury, eating disorders, alternative therapies including EMDR and energy therapies like Healing Touch, mental health resources, health issues, male survivors, relationship issues, crisis lines, finding a therapist, bipolar disorder, addiction, grief and loss, and spirituality -- to name a few.

You'll also find out how to report child abuse as well as links to sexual offender registries.

6. Preventing Divorce

No marriage is hopeless! There are numerous ministries and organizations that are demonstrating remarkable results in saving troubled marriages. This is a Christian Referral Service. The website offers links to ministries which can help to prevent divorce and solve marriage problems. Good resource site!

7. Healing Streams for Survivors

This site is specifically for long-term incest survivors. Joy walks through her own 10-year recovery with wisdom, sensitivity, and deep insight into the Biblical Approach to recovery. Her post "Paid In Full," in which she describes her forgiveness towards her father on his death bed, shows the spiritual depth of this woman.

8. The Healing Path Resource Page

This site, built by Ann Randall who is an incest survivor, is outdated, but on Page 8 she lists some valuable resource sites for further recovery.

9. From The Inside Out

For Christians who are survivors of all kinds of abuse. If you are living with the consequences of your own or another's sexual abuse, ritual abuse, mind control or dissociative conditions, you are welcome to join us here.

If you are going to work with ritual abuse survivors, you must also get educated if you want to be effective. And you must learn to be humble. Trauma survivors do not need to be around ignorant, modern-day Pharisees. Survivors in pain need people who will connect with them on an emotional level, get right down in there where they are, and listen. --Kathleen Sullivan

10. Christian Recovery International

At this site you will find every resource imaginable for every age, type of abuse, every country, and a lot of help for pastors, too. An excellent resource site for other links to help you through your Christian Recovery - even Twelve Step Groups! This site is loaded with help for those in trauma.

I do hope these sites will aid you on your journey to emotional and spiritual health and a deeper walk with Christ. Please feel free to pass this article on to those who would profit from it, with my blessings, and with God's blessings.

Submitted 2008 April Lorier | Related Posts

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Pro-Gay Booklet in Every School? Stop the Madness!

Personally, I can't believe what I'm hearing. What has happened to the people in our school systems? I pray parents will rise up and make their voices heard! And most of all, I pray Christians will fall to their knees and ask God to intervene in this madness.

Schools are being told that messages about leaving homosexuality are harmful!

All 16,000 public school superintendents in the U.S. will be receiving a copy of Just the Facts about Sexual Orientation and Youth, a 24-page booklet that concludes homosexuality is a "normal expression of human sexuality."

“What’s so scary and dogmatic about this report is that it communicates that religious-based viewpoints are harmful, and even dangerous," said Candi Cushman, education analyst for Focus on the Family Action.

The pamphlet is endorsed by more than a dozen professional mental health and counseling organizations, education associations and one liberal religious group. The theme: Schools are only allowed to provide one message about homosexuality — that it's normal and should be embraced.

Alan Chambers, president of Exodus International, said he knows that’s not true.

“Allowing people to choose what is best for their lives is respectful, it’s tolerant, it’s everything that the other side uses as their mantra, but really fails to respect and live up to," he said.

The publication ends with a warning: "Schools should be careful to avoid discussions of transformational ministry in their curriculum.”

Brian Raum, senior legal counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, called that a thinly veiled threat.

“What they’re trying to do is create a fear factor here," he said. “There’s nothing in the Constitution that would prohibit a teacher from presenting to a student all of the programs that are available, without endorsing or promoting any particular one.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Visit Exodus International and Love Won Out online.

Submitted 2008 April Lorier | Related Posts

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Words: A Poem

Words: A Poem (by David Reinstein)

Words to express and
Words to conceal.
To create a dream
Or describe the real.
Words to engage and
Words to reject.
To be in agreement
Or to curtly correct.

Words to make love and
Words to make war.
To hide what we know
Or share what we saw.
Words meant to sooth and
Words meant to fight.
To darken a day
Or lighten a night.

They've no life of their own
Or are worth e'en a cent,
But that which we give them
With certain intent.
To use them with care
With our own inner light
Whenever we use them
To speak or to write
Is a goal for all people,
But one hard to achieve-
When internal impulses
Appear on our sleeve.

Words are forever and
Words can be lost.
They seem to be free
But can carry a cost.
Knowing and caring
Are two different things-
As is being aware of
What words can bring.

Words can sing and
Words can cry-
To express our deep feelings
Or reject and deny.
How we use them
Defines our own way
To all those who read
Or hear what we say.

(c) 2008 David Reinstein, All Rights Reserved
(Used with David's permission)
For More Poems by David

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Amazing Grace:Only The Black Notes

Amazing Grace is the best-known hymn of all times. And now it is making a huge comeback in popularity on YouTube, thanks to Wintley Phipps who is one of my favorite gospel singers. I have owned his cassettes and CDs for more than twenty-five years. He is also the President of The U.S. Dream Academy, an organization for children of prisoners.

He makes a statement that most Negro Spirituals were written on the black keys of the piano, and then he proves it. He plays "Every time I feel the Spirit", "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot", and then "Amazing Grace", a so-called "white spiritual." The white spirituals were written by white composers who used only the black keys.

Because I am a music teacher, I know those five keys (notes) are called the pentatonic scale, but in early America were referred to as the "slave scale". They build the power and pathos of the Negro Spirituals with their unique West African Sorrow Chant sound.

The words to Amazing Grace were written by John Newton, a former Captain of a Slave Ship. After Newton came to salvation through Jesus Christ, he heard a melody coming from the belly of the ship, and it is believed it was to that sorrowful melody that he wrote the words and named it Amazing Grace. Go to the Copyright Office and you will see "Words, John Newton. Music, Unknown."

Wintley says he believes God planned it to be written that way to remind us that we are all humans in common, no matter what race, creed, or color we happen to be. We are all connected by God's Amazing Grace.

In his deep, passionate voice, Wintley then begins - without words - to sing Amazing Grace in the way he imagines John Newton first heard it coming up out of the belly of the ship. His pathos is overwhelming, and his natural singing talent puts it over the top. If you have not watched the video you are depriving yourself of an encouraging inspiration that transcends words.

Amazing Grace, Wintley Phipps

To date, 2.5 million people have watched the video, and most of them may never have realized how powerful this song, played only on the black keys of the piano truly is.

In case you want to sing along, or you have never heard all of the verses, here they are.

Amazing Grace
Words by John Newton 1779

Amazing Grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found
Was blind, but now I see.

'Twas Grace that taught my heart to fear,
And Grace my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear
The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils, and snares
I have already come.
'Tis Grace hath brought me safe thus far
And Grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me.
His Word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures.

When we've been there ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun,
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we'd first begun.

May God bless you as you listen to Wintley Phipps, a beautiful African-American singer, singing only the black notes.

(c)2008 April Lorier | Related Posts

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Scars and Supernatural Knowing

God has been whispering to me from so many sources this week - articles I have read, TV stories I have viewed, and circumstances. The main message I've been getting from so many different sources is, "Where will this ultimately lead?"

Children do not have the ability to know consequences of choices until they have been trained by loving parents. As so adeptly illustrated by "The Nanny" each week, these must be mature parents who are willing to mix 6 parts love with 1 part consequences and be consistent. Once children get the connection between their behavior and immediate consequences, they stop to ask "Is this worth what I already know will happen?"

I watched an inspiring story about an all-male school for black boys where they were required to wear suits and ties, and I was so encouraged to hear one of the boys say, "At first it bothered me a lot, but then I asked myself, 'Will girls get me where I want to go to be a success?'" Whoa! From a fifteen year old, this is a big revelation!

Then I got an email from a friend who was celebrating her one-year anniversary of being a non-smoker. She had realized the cigarettes would not get her to her destination: living long enough to enjoy her grandchildren. Her problem was an addiction to nicotine, but it could just as easily been an addiction to porn, television, the computer, food, or disastrous relationships.

I've had a life-altering week, much of it spent in hospital rooms. God's Spirit whispered to me as I was being shuttled into an ultra-ray tomb-like machine, "The results will be negative. This is just a test... this is just a test... this is just a test." I said to the man running the machine, "I already know the results will be negative." And when my doctor called to tell me he had good news, I immediately said, "I know, Doc. I knew in the hospital."

My doctor wondered what in the world I was talking about; but how do I explain supernatural "knowing" to another human being? Do I risk sounding like a kook by saying, "God told me"?

There comes a time for every person following Jesus Christ and relying on His Grace when that supernatural knowing comes. It is not something one can explain or analyze. It is The Holy Spirit, The Comforter, Who plants that knowledge in our spirit. I call it The Knowing, but it could also be called "The peace of God which passes all understanding." It is a grace gift from God The Spirit at a time which is critical. It is a gift of knowledge.

God has shown me that because of a childhood in which I was the recipient of so much violence, I am scarred. The scar is not visible to the naked eye. It can only be seen as a fruit of violence, and its name is STRESS. Abused children become nervous adults who are unable to handle stress, yet seek it because it is familiar. The consequences are spastic colons, ulcers, spasming esophagus, heart attacks, or pulmonary thrombosis. So what is one to do?

Fortunately, I have been developing a habit of singing to The Lord. At night, especially, I put myself to sleep with lullabies to God my Father. And I have been learning to "Be still and know that I AM GOD." There is nothing my Father cannot do! I have been growing into that knowledge by faith. Further, He has increased my ability to believe that He loves me as much as He loves His other children, and if I ask, He will usually give me what I am asking for. He doesn't love me less (or more) than his other children.

So yesterday when that knowing came to me, I was not surprised. I had been poked, prodded, and stuck like a prize pork roast. I had indulged in normal human fear of the worst. But, in the end, I had been in position to receive the knowing.

So where does this lead? Spiritual maturity! Having the ability to look down the road and figure out where each choice of mine will lead me. It is inexplicable to anyone who has not experienced it, but pure joy for those who know, from their own experience, what I am talking about. I have been encouraged and inspired this week to reach yet another level of spirituality and calmness in my walk with Jesus. It will benefit me with physical health, spiritual maturity, and emotional calmness. But, in the end, it will be to the Glory of God.

(c)2008 April Lorier | Related Posts by April

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Lodebar: Grace Unexpected and Distrusted

When I was five years old, my mother was too obsessed with finding bargains the day after Christmas to notice I had been left behind. We were visiting the big city of El Paso, Texas where there was, in the middle of downtown, a huge park with an alligator pool as the main attraction. I called it the Alligator Park and those creatures fascinated me. So, finding myself lost in the store, I found my way to the Alligator Park and sat on a bench watching people hurriedly pass in front of me on their way to work or stores. I remember feeling so lost. If only one kind lady would smile at me as she passed by; but no one did. At five years old, I knew what Lodebar felt like.

Lo-Debar (Lodebar) was a real place during the reign of King Saul and then of King David. Mephibosheth, the son of Prince Jonathan, and grandson of King Saul was five years old when his father and grandfather fell in the Battle of Mount Gilboa. The child's nurse hearing of this calamity fled with the boy from Gibeah, the royal residence, and stumbled. Because she dropped the child on the ground, Mephibosheth was permanently paralyzed from the waste down. He was carried to the land of Gilead, where he and the nurse found a refuge in the house of Machir at Lo-Debar (Lodebar).

Lodebar was a dismal place of no pasture, no hope - total desolation.

You ended up in Lodebar when you were crushed by the storms of life and believed that life was over for you.

Perhaps my love for this story has a great deal to do with being told repeatedly that I was the shame of my pastor-father's church. When one is made to feel shameful from earliest memory, it sets up beliefs of worthlessness, as well as feelings of fear and self-doubt that must be fought and conquered so much later in life. It makes you hide from life, either through passive behavior or through over-compensating behavior.

I can just imagine this five-year-old's nurse telling him they would surely be killed if the new King David ever found out they were alive. I can hear her telling Mephibosheth: This is King David's fault you are like this. You know what would have happened to you after your grandfather died. You would have been killed because it is the custom! If I had not run with you, you would be dead, and if I had not been so afraid, I would not have dropped you. It's David's fault you are crippled, but better crippled than dead.

Some years later, when King David had subdued all the adversaries of Israel, he began to think of the family of Jonathan, his best friend with whom he had made a covenant. David had covenanted with Jonathan that when he became king he would never cut off his kindness from the family of Jonathan. So he asked his advisers if there was anyone left of the House of Saul (and Jonathan) that He could bless. He took the initiative to seek out Jonathan's relatives that might still be living. All his advisers could come up with was there was this crippled kid, son of Jonathan, who was hiding out in the desolate place. David told them to find this boy and bring him immediately.

Now I can just imagine what was going on in the mind of Mephibosheth when the King's men came to his door and told him King David was summoning him. Think of all he had been told by this nurse whom he had trusted with his life. He had lived in fear of David since he was five years old! My guess is that Mephibosheth thought this was the end for him. He would die.

But what choice did he have? Surrounded by these representatives of The King, he had no choice but to proceed with them. Little did he know that the thing that brought him out of hiding was grace – grace from the absolute authority of King David.

Now, flash forward. Picture Mephibosheth sitting at The King's table! He looks like royalty; he smells like royalty; he speaks like royalty; and with his crippled legs under the King's Table, he appears to be royalty to everyone else in the court!

Each of us has experienced our own Lodebar. Some are hiding out because of the shame of divorce, or abuse, or economic disaster. But everyone has been to Lodebar. And it is only the benevolent grace of Almighty King of Kings, Jesus Christ that can bring us out of hiding. Sometimes the shame we feel or believe is nothing but a lie we have believed. Some one fed us the lie, and for whatever reason, we believed it.

Even those who seem to have everything valued by this fallen world can be lost in Lodebar. They are lost. They need a Savior – a King – who takes the initiative of bringing them out of their lost-ness. His name is Jesus, The Name above all names, and He offers redemption to all residences of Lodebar!

Sometimes, those who know Christ as Redeemer and Savior can visit a psychological Lodebar. How long the visit is and how desolate depends on how intimately they know God and His Sovereignty.

A husband betrays a wife after thirty years of marriage and everything she thought her life was about is now gone. Who is she now? Was the whole Christian Marriage just a big sham? Where can she go? Every place they shared is uncomfortable. Even friends are now distant, uncomfortable, and suspect. Stuck in Lodebar, she cries out to God: Is this how a daughter of Yours is meant to live? People look at her with that question in their eyes: What did YOU do to break up your marriage?

Creedence Clearwater Revival had a hit song, Lodi in 1964. Though hardly as profound as being spiritually lost, a thumbnail view of being lost and trapped, both literally and metaphorically, was given by John Fogerty. So this is not a foreign concept, even to those who don't know Jesus. It is no fun being trapped in any way.

Even at five years of age, I knew what it was to feel both trapped and lost. It was the first of many times, and God has extended His Grace to me in the most unusual and unexpected ways. I suspect I will feel the pull toward Lodebar again and again before I meet Jesus face-to-face; but each time I visit is a shorter visit than the time before. It is not because of who I am, but Whose I am that makes all the difference. He knows the way out of Lodebar and I know the way to Him!

©2008 April Lorier | Related Posts

Sources:

I Samuel and II Samuel, Old Testament

Covenant between David and Jonathan: I Samuel 18, 20, 23

http://www.biblestudytools.net/Dictionaries/SmithsBibleDictionary/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_and_Jonathan

http://healingstreamforsurvivors.blogspot.com/2008/02/from-disgrace-by-grace.html

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Eulogy for Common Sense

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.

He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as knowing when to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm, why life isn't always fair, and how, on occasion, maybe it was my fault.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you earn) and reliable parenting strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned, but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a six-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job they themselves failed to do in disciplining their unruly children. It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer aspirin, sun lotion or a sticky plaster to a student; but could not inform the parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband; churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims. Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar can sue you for assault.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust; his wife, Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility; and his son, Reason. He is survived by three stepbrothers; I Know my Rights, Someone Else is to Blame, and I am a Victim.

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.

(Please note: I received this from a friend and am passing it on. Author is unknown, but very much appreciated. Feel free to pass it on.)

Submitted by April Lorier | Related Posts

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Character Molding - Backwards Philosophy Insight

But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. Jeremiah 18:4 NIV

I had just brought my pottery class friend to a saving knowledge of Christ the week before and, to inspire me, she hand-weaved an elegant ceramic breadbasket for me. "Read the inscription," she said, beaming with obvious satisfaction.

What you ARE is God's gift to you; what you BECOME is your gift to God.

It was a popular quote at the time, and meant to be encouraging. I was familiar with it, but it bugged me to distraction. It seemed such a little thing; but later, as I stared at the message, it dawned on me that while the message was meant to inspire me to be all I could be, it was contrary to scripture: it was backwards!

What I was -- a self-centered traveler on the wrong road -- was my gift to God. When I came to Him all I could bring was my sinful nature and my past mistakes. Any efforts to be good enough were as filthy rags to my Holy God.

What I become by the grace of God is God's gift to me. It is all His doing! My journey to become the person God wants me to be is sometimes filled with disappointment, pain, loneliness, and more questions than answers. The kneading, molding, and spinning He puts me through is designed to get rid of the hidden defects so that I will not burst in the heat of the kiln.

My job, as the clay, is to yield to my Potter's touch. Daily, as I put on the mind of Christ, He molds the clay of my character into the exquisite sculpture He wants me to become. When I cooperate with His plan, people are attracted to my changed spirit because I'm infinitely more attractive. People see Jesus in me!

My purpose, here on earth, is to attract people to Jesus, and I cannot do that unless I submit to the refining touches of the Master Potter. Oh my! How easily I, and many others, had been duped by a backwards philosophy!

Help me remember, God, it is You, The Potter, who shapes and reshapes me. Thank you for what I am becoming because of Your work. May I glorify You and attract others to You as You rid me of my defects. You know, Lord (just between You and I), I can hardly wait to see the finished product of Your gift to me!

Copyright 1997-2008 April Lorier | Related Posts

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Touched by Encouragement: Martha Williamson is BACK!

She was one of the few bright spots of my week for more than ten years. As executive producer of Touched by an Angel for nine years, Martha Williamson brought a consistent message of God exists, God loves you, God is only as far away as your heart keeps him away.

Already a veteran a television through such shows as The Facts of Life, Under One Roof, Jack’s Place and Promised Land (the spin off series from Touched by an Angel), Martha Williamson brought more than 25 million viewers to their television sets each Sunday night on CBS. From 1994 through 2003 she was what I looked forward to on television. For three of those years (2000 through 2003) she also produced Promised Land, another highly successful show for CBS. I loved that show, as well. Both shows were blatantly Gospel, encouraging and inspiring to millions of viewers.

Her life was going at 110 miles per hour for those nine years, and then with the cancellation of both shows, her life came to an abrupt stand still. But she and her husband adopted two little girls from China and then her life was filled with all that instant motherhood entails: diapers, feedings, sleepless nights (and now brownies, PTA, and Sunday School). They also spent months traveling across the U.S. in an RV, rediscovering and getting back in touch with the heartland, much like her characters on Promised Land.

Back in Los Angeles, by the time her girls entered preschool, Martha’s next milestone was turning 50. She got serious about doing things she had always wanted to do by that age. She wrote a one woman show and performed it several times at the Pasadena Playhouse and in Williamstown, MA. She did some teaching and wrote some TV pilots. While autopsies and murders have recently ruled prime time, Martha felt the pendulum needed to swing back towards uplifting television programming. Another goal Martha Williamson had was getting healthy and under the care of her physician. She has recently lost 120 pounds. (She is gorgeous, too!)

Then "just by chance" Martha had a business breakfast with a friend who is a Christian businessman in New York City. Their conversation stretched through the morning. As Martha was getting ready to depart, her friend’s lunch appointment arrived. It was Steve Waldman, co-founder of the Web site, BeliefNet.com. Martha was surprised when Steve said that BeliefNet would not exist if it had not been for Touched by an Angel. He credited the series with helping the public talk about faith and values.

Because it is a multi-faith Web Site (Christian, Jewish, Muslim, pagan, etc.), Martha’s first reaction, when Steve mentioned that he would love to have her as a part of BeliefNet, was to dismiss it. Until she heard the inner voice of the Lord say, “Keep your mind open.” She realized this would allow her to go where many Christians are not. Martha wants to light a candle instead of cursing the darkness.

So the good news is that Martha Williamson is back! She now has two inspirational video posts each week called “A Touch of Encouragement”, as well as a regular blog the rest of the week on BeliefNet. Instead of one or two line responses to her postings, Martha is getting long responses, as folks pour out their hearts to her. People are allowed to bare their souls anonymously, so she has plenty to answer.

Martha has always seen herself as part of a bridge between groups. She encourages folks to log on to her website, where they can reach out to each other from all parts of the world, post comments, share scriptures, and become a community that encourages each other.

I have been on her site and I am a regular reader of her blog and I can tell you that Martha Williamson is truly a woman of encouragement and inspiration! One post, in particular, talks about the woman voted as The Most Annoying Woman in America, Rosie O’Donnell. It is not what you’re expecting, I can tell you! Martha exudes the Spirit of Christ with every word she writes or speaks.

I’m just so tickled that Martha Williamson is back in the public eye, contributing as a wise, loving, inspirational Christian that I had to share it with everyone! I encourage all to visit her site, her blog, and be encouraged! Everyone needs encouragement, and Martha Williamson is just the girl who can deliver.

©2008 April Lorier | Related Posts

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The Gift of The Fear of God

Today I am thinking about Joseph, one of my favorite characters in the Bible. Just like Jesus, Joseph was so much like his father, Jacob. And the similarities between Joseph and Jesus are amazing to me. In fact, most scholars believe Joseph is an archetype of Jesus.

Joseph occupies a very important place in Rabbinical literature, and no patriarch was the subject of so many Midrashic narratives. Rachel, his mother was visited by the Lord on Rosh ha-Shanah (Talmud). Joseph is represented as a perfectly righteous man (tzadik gamur) and as the counterpart of his father; not only did Joseph resemble his father in appearance and in having been born circumcised, but the main incidents of their lives were parallel.

Both were born after their mothers had been barren for a long time; and both were hated by their brothers; both were met by angels at various times. Joseph is extolled by the Rabbis for being well versed in the Torah, for being a prophet, and for supporting his brothers. According to Phinehas (the grandson of Aaron, and son of Eleazar the high priest), the Holy Spirit dwelt in Joseph from his childhood until his death. So Joseph and his father, Jacob, shared much in common, with the exception of the deceitful nature of Jacob. Remember: Joseph, being pursued by Potiphar's wife was not deceitful and suffered for years because of it.

What intrigues me most about Joseph is the scene relating to his brothers coming to Egypt to appear before The King, or his viceroy, to beg for food in the middle of a devastating drought.

When last he saw them, he was being thrown into a pit to die. Then they changed their minds and decided to sell him as a slave. Joseph suffered through years of empty promises, undeserved slavery, and testing by God, only to become the absolute last word in Egypt as Ruler over Potiphar's house. His power was absolute. One could die or live with just one word from Joseph the judge.

What has always intrigued me was how he behaved towards his brothers. He was very tough -- almost mean, I think -- to them. Then he left the room to weep in private. Then back to his brothers, who still did not recognize him, with the same vengeance as the judge. He was only Zaphenathpaneah the Egyptian viceroy of The King to them, for their eyes had not been opened. Then back to weeping in private so his brothers could neither hear nor see. He demanded they make two long journeys back to his father's house, even setting them up to be unjustly known as thieves. He demanded them to offer up what was most precious to them (and to his father) before he gave them badly needed food. Finally, the time came when he revealed himself to them, and they were petrified. With their eyes wide open, they wondered what would their brother do to them? They deserved worse than death, and they knew it! Their fear of Joseph was real, deserved, and got their undivided attention.

But what pours out of Joseph? Only grace, embraces, provision, tears of joy, and gratitude for the supernatural reunion with his brothers and then his father. Joseph then intercedes for them, winning them VIP status in Egypt. This whole scene is so inspiring to me because it bears such a resemblance to Jesus The Savior, Jesus The Resurrected, Jesus The Judge, and Jesus The Advocate. It encourages me beyond comprehension to believe in the ultimate grace of God -- the same God Who tried Joseph in order to build up a healthy respect (fear) of God.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. I believe God has often put me through my paces to bring me to that same place: running back to Him. I think it is part of His love, this ordering of events. There are times I would not have dropped to my knees, nor hovered under my covers crying out to God in desperation had it not been for those trying times. Those times of utter pain that have put me in a position to open up to Him, willing to submit to His sovereignty no matter what happens. It has only been my own insufficiency that has made me realize just how badly I need His Absolute Sufficiency.

Years ago, I prayed, "God please do not let me be as the donkey in the Bible who had to be hit over the head before he would obey." I still pray that prayer. I do not wish to be as my earthly parents were, but as Jesus was and is. He humbly walked to the cross after a night of wailing and begging for another way if there was one. He broke out with actual bleeding through his skin because of His anguish. But in the end, He said Nevertheless, not my will, but Your will be done. He was talking to His Father. He was like His Father in every way. He distinctly said, If you have seen Me, you have seen The Father.

I have to admit, though I want to be like Jesus, I am not asking for the same suffering. I am a coward and I know it. But what's more important is that God knows me. He knows what I can and cannot survive, and He has promised He will not give me more than I am equipped to bear. So once again, I ask to be more like Jesus, just as He was like The Father: sort of like Father, like daughter.

I'm grateful today for the gift of a healthy fear of God. It is His gift to me so that He can further gift me with wonderful grace and joy, unspeakable and full of glory.

submitted 2008 by April Lorier | Related Posts
Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_(Hebrew_Bible)
Psalm 111:10
Mark 14:36
John 14:9

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Focus: I Can Do All Things

Today I am struck with the importance of staying focused. This world is so noisy and I have "musician's ears" (great hearing! It is getting harder and harder to focus on what is really important. My health, the budgeting of my time and concentration, and loving relationships. But most of all, I have been impressed of the importance of keeping my vision pointing upward instead of concentrating on what is going on around me.

Peter (Jesus' disciple) was successful walking on the water as long as He kept his eyes on Jesus. But once he looked down at the water, he was a goner. When he took His eyes off of Jesus, he lost His inspiration, encouragement, and belief.

Today I am taking my eyes off of the water and focused on my Source. Life is just too hard when I see all the problems instead of the sufficiency of Christ. I know I can, indeed, do all things through Christ Who strengthens me. The trick is keeping my eyes on Him. I can't lose the encouragement He gives.
2008 April Lorier | Related Posts

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