He's home!

I left Tuesday for Joburg with no internet connection (it's been down lately more than it's been up, and even today it's sooooo slow) Arrived back home to no water, but. . .Scott is home!

I want to thank everyone Stateside who helped him during his trip-- through a place to sleep, meals, borrowed cars, financial support, and encouragement.

His trip was a blessing in a number of ways, so we can't say enough to those who blessed him along the way.

Thank you!

We plan to leave on Monday (as a family!) for Mozambique for two weeks of ministry and a bit of the sea. I'll plan to post a few pictures before we go, but will have limited access to the internet while we are gone. Will try to update as often as possible, but please do pray for us as this will be a remote area filled with its own unique challenges and joys.

Blessings,

Lisa

SOLD! An interview with Beth Goddard

I can’t tell you how excited it is for me to chat a bit with my long time friend, Beth Goddard. Beth and I began critiquing each others manuscripts. . .wow. . .I’m not even sure how many years ago. At least five or six. Today, I get to announce Beth’s first sale to Heartsong Presents! Beth happens to be a huge history buff, and spins a fantastic medieval tale as well, but her first sale happens to be a contemporary and will be released December of next year. What is really cool about this is the fact that her story, A Season for Love, is a part of a three book contemporary series set in Massachusetts. Lena Dooley and I will be writing the first two books in the series that combines romance and mystery.

Okay, enough from me. Let’s chat with Beth.

LISA: What was your initial reaction in finding out you sold your first book? In other words, tell me about. . .THE CALL

BETH: Well, as you know, with Heartsong, “the call” is actually an email. I’ve received so many rejections that when I first saw the email, I figured it was yet another rejection. I opened it and scanned the first line, quickly realizing that it wasn’t a rejection but congratulations!

I gasped in utter surprise, then ran up the stairs to tell my daughter. Before I reached the top of the staircase, I remembered that I hadn’t read the entire email. So, I ran back down the stairs to read the rest!

My daughter was on the phone with my mom so I told her too. She was thrilled to share the excitement with me since she, as well as the rest of my family, have supported my dream through the years.

LISA: Tell us some of the background behind the idea for your stories and about the story itself.

BETH: When I first began writing novels I trained my mind to stay tuned to those little nuggets of inspiration that could generate an idea for a novel. I saw a short news clip on cranberry farming. The bright red berries floating on top a bog as they were harvested completely intrigued me. I decided I’d love to set a story on a cranberry farm.

Several years passed before that opportunity came. I needed a story set in Massachusetts, the perfect opportunity to write my cranberry story. The other aspect comes from my background and education in computer software and technology.

In Seasons of Love, Riley O’Hare trades in her stressful corporate job for a season of peace. She leaves California and heads to a place closer to home and closer to her heart—her grandfather’s farm nestled in the cranberry bogs of Massachusetts. She’ll also be closer to her brother, but before she leaves for the New England state, he dies. Once Riley moves to the farm, her brother’s business partner at a forensics technology company offers to help Riley through the harvest season. She has no clue what Zane Baldwyn is really after and guards her heart.

Zane wants answers. The police believe the car accident that killed John, Riley’s brother, was nothing more. Zane has doubts. Before his death, John—a brilliant programmer—left a cryptic clue with Riley without her knowledge. Zane must discover what John believed was so important and if he was killed for it. On the verge of losing his heart to Riley, Zane learns that John’s alleged killer is searching for the same thing, and no one is safe.

LISA: Readers are going to LOVE this story! (I can say that, because I’ve read it!) On to the next question. I find in my own writing that I often grow alongside my characters, especially spiritually. Is there a character who you relate to and who made an input on your life?

BETH: There’s no doubt that writing causes you to slow down and look deeper into your own motivations as you explore those of your characters. In Seasons of Love, both the hero and heroine’s discoveries about their lives are based on my own experiences. Riley realizes that she doesn’t make enough time to spend with God because her life is consumed with work. Zane learns that maintaining control over his life and achieving worldly success is not going to make him happy. These are things I learned during my own stint at climbing the corporate ladder. I started out knowing these things about my characters, but what I learned from both of them was that I could have a deeper sense of trust in God’s plan for my life.

We spend our lives going to school, getting educated to have a career. I think it can be difficult, especially for women who choose to stay home with their family, to let go of your career. I thought I’d left behind that desire and drive to succeed in corporate America. The characters in Seasons of Love allowed me to release that remaining portion, though small.

LISA: What is the number one thing you’ve learned from your writing journey?

BETH: Well, I have to say that content, craft and connections must take a backseat to the spiritual side of things. Writing forces you to dig down deep and discover things inside you’ve ignored for years. It forces you to cry out to God and ask him why he called you to write. And because of that, the writing journey is more a spiritual journey. The desire to become published can be overwhelming. I’ve learned that the writing really has to be about God, for Him and to Him, and content in writing for Him alone.

LISA: Any future plans for your writing you’d like to share? Any specific dreams you’d like to accomplish in the area of writing?

BETH: I do think it’s funny that after working on historicals for so many years, the one and only contemporary that I wrote is what is getting published first. I have to say that I loved writing this story and it’s sparked a desire to write others along the same vein—suspense stories that include technology. But the main thing I’d love to accomplish is to write something that affects someone in a powerful spiritual way. Of course, author Francine Rivers comes to mind. I think the spiritual depth she achieves in her novels is something we all aspire to achieve as writers.

LISA: Because I know there are many aspiring writers out there, can you share any tidbits of wisdom on getting published, especially from someone who has just broken in?

BETH: I’m sure there is no new advice that I can offer. We all know that persistence pays off. To work hard. Read, read, read, and write, write, write. I think something that has really kept me going is the fact that I haven’t been bowled over by rejection. I’ve received plenty of rejections, yes. Coming from a sales background, I know that it’s all about the numbers. The more you write, the better you’ll become. The more manuscripts you complete and have circulating with agents and editors, the better your chances. I think it’s important to keep yourself thinking positive and when you receive a rejection, go back to the numbers. Look up one of those sites that lists all of the rejections received by famous writers. Because even the big guys have gotten them, and still do! That always encourages me to keep moving forward.

One more thing is to cultivate those relationships that God places you in because God will use those. We really do need connections to help us along the way. God has blessed me with some wonderful writing friends, people that I can say are really my best friends because who else can understand me better than another writer. The writing journey is truly about your relationship with God and with others.

LISA: Wonderful words of encouragement, Beth. Thanks! Can’t wait to see your story in print next year! Beth also spent time chatting with me on my books recently and that interview will be posted at two of her blogs, so please take a moment to check out www.bethgoddard.blogspot.com and www.favoritepastimes.blogspot.com.

For those of you dropping by to check out my interview with Beth, I’m running a contest this month for TWO free books. (TWO people will win TWO free books!) Leave a comment, and I’ll enter you for a chance to win book three in my historical Massachusetts series, Adam’s Bride AND a copy of the light hearted comical novella collection, Sweet Home Alabama that I’m a part of.

Have a great Holiday Weekend!

Lisa

Fellowship and bittersweet good-byes

Okay, I have to admit that I’m tired. The past week has been crazy with company, sick children, and life in general that is always busy at the end of the school year. Gabriel spent a week in bed with tonsillitis. You know Gabe is sick when he doesn’t want to get out of bed. Thankfully, he’s back in school now and doing fine.

Friday night, I had our English cell group over for sloppy Joes and enjoyed a night of fellowship, singing, and prayer for each other. It’s been a blessing to be invited into this group where we can fill ourselves up spiritually every week and enjoy the fellowship of other Christians.

Sunday after church, our Wednesday night Bible study came over for a traditional meal of pap (This is the staple food of South Africa, a porridge made from corn meal then cooked with water and salt to a fairly stiff consistency) rice and sauce. They also enjoyed the German chocolate cake I made. Darlington asked for prayers because his employer is forcing him to work on Sundays, and he hasn’t been able to attend church the past two weeks. I challenged them to continue encouraging each other, praying for each other, and persevering. Life is not always easy for these workers, especially for those who are away from their families trying to earn enough money to feed their families. Please continue to pray for these new Christians.

As for bittersweet good-byes, November marks the end of the school year for us, and with it comes many activities. Last Friday we celebrated the graduation of Jayden’s pre-school with a number songs and a Christmas party. I became the class photographer, and enjoyed spending time with Jayden and his classmates.

While the school Jayden and Mariah attend has been a blessing to us, we knew that we were going to need to move them at some point to Gabriel’s school for a number of reasons. Financially, though, we were not able to do it, so I prayed that if it was God’s will he would provide a miracle and felt content, in the meantime, to keep them where they were. Last week, the miracle came as our board told us to go ahead and move all the children to Gabriel’s school next year and the finances would be taken care of. That left me with last minute testing for Mariah, while Jayden filled the last spot for kindergarten. They have both been accepted, and it will be a blessing to have them all at the same school.

Despite the move, though, we are really going to miss the King’s Court, the teachers, and the blessing this school has been to our kids.

"But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soard on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:31

Soar with HIM today!

Lisa
Jayden at his end of the year celebration

The price of forgiveness

Have you ever thought about the cost of forgiveness?

I think I often learn as much or more from the studies we are going through with some of our new Christians. As we work through the steps of freedom from sin, I’ve been struck by what it really means to forgive. I can forgive the driver of a car for pulling out in front of me, or my kids for leaving out their shoes, but what about when the stakes run a whole lot higher? It’s something I’ve been pondering all week.

I mentioned a few weeks ago how one of our new Christians was beaten severely while crossing the boarder into Zimbabwe. The issue of forgiveness became real to him--and all of us--as we discussed the importance of choosing to forgive. He asked me what he should do if he ever encountered these men again. The study we were going through was correct when it said that forgiveness was most likely the most difficult step.

We live in a world full of pain, violence, and hatred. Almost everyone I know here in South Africa has been affected by crime. One close friend of ours lost his father when he was shot and killed for his cell phone. Later his uncle was murdered in his home for barely more than $100. Stories like these happen far more often than anyone wants to admit.

And yet Christ calls us to forgiveness.

Difficult? Yes.

Impossible? No

Lord, teach us to forgive the way you’ve forgave us.

Blessings,

Lisa

Win two of my new books!

To celebrate two of my books being released in the next few weeks, I’d like to offer a contest! Leave a comment and I will include you in the drawing. Two people will win a copy of both Sweet Home Alabama and Adam’s Bride. I will draw both names on November 30th. Remember, you can't win if you don't sign up, and be sure and leave a way for me to contact you.

SWEET HOME ALABAMA
An anonymous, old-fashioned love note-a literature student's homework assignment-has been misplaced by its author. Jason finds the love note and mistakenly believes his new employee, Nicole, is hopelessly infatuated with him. When Zak finds the note on his tool cart at the garage, he's convinced Ellen's snobby friends and wealthy parents no longer pose an obstacle and plots an all-out strategy to win her heart. A matchmaking sister uses the note to ignite romance between Samantha and friend Garrett. And the note causes a collision of mistaken identity for Callie and Darryl and results in true love for two lonely souls.

ADAM'S BRIDE
From book three of my historical Massachusetts series:
Adam Johnson’s brother was killed by a Polish man, and he judges an entire people based on one man’s actions. But when he falls sick and is forced to rely on the kindness of two Polish immigrants, will Adam realize his prejudice is wrong?

Lidia Kowalski knows the New World is filled with prejudice. She’s done her best to hide her Polish heritage, and yet she knows she can not change who God made her to be. After finding Adam half-dead in the snow outside his door, she helps harvest his maple syrup. Once he recovers and they share a stolen kiss under the stars, she realizes that she’s losing her heart.

When Adam leans that his brother’s killer and Lidia’s brother are the same, will intolerance and loathing steal away Adam and Lidia’s future?

Rejoicing

Last night, in the midst of hosting a Peace Corps friend for the evening, we had another baptism from our Bible study group. Jumbalonni accepted Christ and was baptized by David in our pool last night amidst songs of rejoicing from the rest of us. I challenged each of them to continue striving to know more about God and to encourage each other in their Christian walk.

Darlington, who was baptized three weeks ago, shared with me his excitement over reading about how God created the world for the first time from the Bible study book I gave him.

Have a great weekend!

Lisa

Light in the darkness

We just finished our Bible study, week one on freedom from sin, and confronted freedom from false religions with some serious issues like witchcraft, charms, and ancestors. During the study, I was struck by God’s great mercy and power. Tonight we had all seven of our group here, including Darlington, one of the new Christians, who just returned back from two weeks in Zimbabwe. Darlington shared how his way there, he and at least one other man was attacked, beaten by a group of men, and robbed of everything he had. The other man was stabbed in the chest and killed.

While Darlington is still having trouble with his ears, we praised God for saving his life. But more importantly, for knowing that he doesn’t have to fear death anymore because he is a child of God.

Toward the end of the study, two Elizabeth and Jombalani expressed a desire to learn more about accepting Christ and baptism, so David is continuing the study with them right now.

In a continent so full of darkness, please continue to pray that many will see the light of God and accept His love for them.

Blessings,

Lisa

Languages

My children have Zulu and Afrikaans words sprinkled into their speech.

My neighbor, and most of the town we live in, speaks Afrikaans.

I have friends who speak Indian, Greek, Xhosa, Venda, and Sotho.

Officially, South Africa has 11 languages.

Language is all around us and the impact on our lives continually proves to be interesting. Our weekly Bible studies are a prime example. Out of five people, last week, I could communicate with three of them in English. Two of the women can’t communicate with each other. God has blessed us with David, our translator, who can communicate with all of them and speaks about ten languages.

Pretty humbling for a girl with a college degree and a smattering of French. David never went to school to learn English or most of the languages he can communicate in.

In December, we will be working in Mozambique for three weeks where the official language is Portuguese. Because of our French background, Scott is able to understand about 70% of what is spoken and believes I will as well. (We’ll see how far my smattering of French takes me.)

I am excited though to pick up a bit of the Portuguese and am starting now with David’s help. I’m also using my daughter as my language tutor to pick up some Afrikaans.

So for now good-bye. . .or shall I say. . .

Vaarwel. . .Salut. . .Adeus. . .Sala sentle. .and Sizobonana!

Lisa

God's Love

I’ve started a discipleship class for some of our new Christians, and we had a great study last night doing an overview of the Bible. I was reminded once again of God’s love for His people, His never-ending desire to bring us back to Him no matter what we do, and His amazing gift of Christ on the cross.

Next week, we will begin going through the Steps of Freedom from sin, a simple adaptation of some of Neil Anderson’s fantastic material. We’ve found that many people don’t even have a clear understanding of what sin is. In a study I had a couple weeks ago with a woman, she said that the only sin she knew of was to steal. Because of this, discipleship has become a number one priority for us. It’s exciting to see the joy in their eyes as they learn God’s will for their lives, often for the first time.

We had a group of six last night and are waiting for the return of another new Christian who had to return temporarily to Zimbabwe. Please pray for these men and women as they seek to know God better.


On another note, I’m posting a couple pictures from Gabriel’s last swim meet. He is really enjoying the training and while he isn’t going to compete this year, other than a couple small meets at the school like this one, he seems to be loving every minute of it.

We also received feedback from Mariah’s ballet exams two weeks ago. She received an
A+ along with some wonderful comments on how graceful and poised she was. Way to go, Mariah!

Blessings,

Lisa

High crime and miracles. . .

It only took me a few hours being back in Joburg to be reminded of the horrid traffic and to hear stories of the city’s high crime rate over dinner. It also didn’t take long for me to remember just how much I missed many of the friends I made during the time we lived there.

With Scott leaving for the States on Sunday night, we left Friday and were able to spend time with some of our friends over tea, lunch, and even for a nice long chat during a thunderstorm. Sunday was a blessing as we worshiped at our old church’s new location and were blessed to see even more great people we’ve come to love.

It’s always struck me odd that I can miss the one city I was told to avoid living in. Joburg might be known for its crime, but thank God for wonderful friends who made it one of the best places I’ve ever lived!


One of my great Joburg friends, Gizela.

As for miracles, we are thanking the Lord doubly for His care and protection lately. Saturday afternoon, Scott dropped me off at a friend’s house. On his way back to the place we were staying, the brakes on our truck went out. I’m not sure if I’ve had the chance to mention it yet, but we recently traded in our double cab truck for a Land Cruiser. The mileage is low, despite the fact that the vehicle is fifteen years old. And while this is a very sturdy truck for our treks into the bush, there have been a few kinks to work out. The brakes, of course, are one of the more serious issues.

Scott managed to pull off the road with no problem, but discovered that a hose had cracked and brake fluid had spewed everywhere. Where’s the miracle in this? Well, the very next day I was to drive the four and a half hours home alone with the kids. The last hour of the trip is through the mountains, much of it being downhill. If the brakes had gone out then, it would have been a very serious situation. The second miracle was that the neighbor of the friend we were staying with was a. . .you guessed it. . .a brake specialist.

Isn’t God good! The man managed to find the parts needed on a Sunday morning and fixed the vehicle for us before I needed to leave for home.

So, today I’m thanking God for high crime cities filled with great friends and His abundant miracles!

Blessings,

Lisa

Pretty in Pink

One of the blessings of living in South Africa, is the opportunity for our kids to participate in various sports and cultural events. During the past few weeks, school children have been participating in various activities from art, to ballet, to speech, to drama. They are then judged in their category. Both Gabriel and Mariah entered the art competition and received gold stars. Last Saturday, Mariah and her ballet class preformed in Tzaneen in an informal performance we all enjoyed.

Here are a few pictures from her ballet as well as a picture of her artwork that was displayed in the mall recently.

Christmas shopping for something unique?

Christmas is just around the corner in case you haven't yet noticed the on slot of lights and decorations at your local Wal-Mart store yet. If you live in the Dallas area, Scott will be a part of a fun evening of fine dinning, silent auctioning, and live entertainment. This is all a part of a fundraiser for our ministry that will be held on the 29th of October. There are also dinners being held in Houston in November. The dinners will be a time of sharing about our ministry (with a cool new video) as well as our needs.

If you’re interested in attending, drop me an email and I’ll send you an official invitation with all the details.

I’ve posted a couple pictures of some of the African items that will be included in the silent auction. . .just in time for Christmas!

Blessings,

Lisa

Jacaranda trees. . .

Beth asked me to post a picture of a Jacaranda trees. The countryside around us is dotted with these trees and their bright purple blossoms. They're the kind of tree, though, that you want to enjoy in someone else's yard as their flowers leave a mess when they fall to the ground. All the same, I'm certainly enjoying them this spring!

Blessings,

Lisa

Rejoicing. . .

My week has been so full, I haven’t had time to check my email let alone post a blog. Trying to overcome the effects of jetlag, reconnect with my family, work on looming book edits and deadlines, as well as ministry have left me running, but God is good and has given me the strength to keep going.

For those of you who keep up with my blog, you might have noticed that one of our passions here in Africa is discipleship. When someone accepts Christ, we spend a lot of time training them in the Word (many here have never heard the story of creation or of David and Goliath. . .) and then we train them how to reach out to others and share their faith. The learning process and growth never stops after conversion.

David has been a Christian about a year. When he first started working for us in Joburg as our gardener, he had no interest in God. Two years later, David is now sharing his faith with everyone he comes in contact with, and it’s amazing to see the transformation in his life because of Christ and the Holy Spirit.

David brought a man, who’s working temporarily across the street, to our Bible study Wednesday night. Darlington was not a Christian, but expressed a deep desire to know more. He came back the next night to study with David and Scott and brought with him Joyce, a maid who recently moved into the area. Scott studied more with Darlington, while David and I shared with Joyce. After about two hours of study, like the Ethiopian eunuch, they both pronounced their desire to follow Christ and be baptized immediately.

So, despite a very chilly night and even chillier water, Joyce and Darlington were baptized into Christ beneath the stars of our Creator!

Rejoice with me today and pray that they will grow in their faith!

Lisa

Home again. . .

As much as I miss my friends, family, and the local Tex Mex restaurant, I have to admit that it’s good to be home. One of the things God really confirmed in my life while I was gone was that He has us exactly where He wants us to be. And for that I’m thankful, because while it might be hard to believe for some, I love where I live.

No, everything’s not perfect. There are things I really miss about the good ol’ USA, but God put a longing in my heart to serve Him here, so for me it brought a deep measure of peace to be able to visit, yet still hold an excitement to return home. I was welcomed by a beautiful mist across the mountains and the bloom of the purple
Jacaranda tree whose blossoms fill the view with their color.

The trip back was uneventful, for the most part, and LONG. I left Tulsa Sunday morning and after four planes with fifteen hours of layovers I finally arrived in South Africa on Tuesday. And we still had to drive the five hours home! I suppose the most eventful part of the trip was making our way down the steep and narrow pass through the mountains about forty minutes from home at dusk and discovering we had no headlights at all on our vehicle. Yikes! We managed to follow a car to where we were meeting Gabriel, then followed Allen on to our house because by then it was pitch dark with no street lights.

I do want to give a special word of thanks to my mom who made the trip possible. I enjoyed so much spending time with both my mom and my sister and her family. It was a true blessing to shop, chat, and drink coffee together.

Thanks as well to my wonderful husband who cooked, shopped, did homework with the kids and all of the other Mr. Mom details that have to be done to keep a house running while he had his own work and ministry as well. And my darling kids who did great helping dad, even fixing lunch for him one day so he could catch a breather.

Allen and Janelle, thanks for letting your teammate run off halfway around the world and supporting my family here.

Okay, enough of me sounding like I’m accepting some Oscar award, but I am thankful.

One the home front, I’ve jumped back into life with only one nap today. It was off to grocery shop, get the kids to and from school, start unpacking, straighten up the house for our Bible study, and try and stay awake until bedtime.

So, I'm back to catching up for now. . .

Lisa

Espresso Anyone?

Okay, we’re back to the subject of the unbelievable amount of choices in the USA again. This time? Coffee.

Tonight was girls’ night out. A rare night when I got the change to laugh with my mom and sister over coffee. The talking wasn’t the issue. Bring in the Barnes & Noble coffee choices and I stood out like a glazed over, wide-eyed giraffe.

My sister was my translator. “The difference between a cappuccino and a latte is foamed milk verses steamed milk. . .”

I raise my eyebrows, but the choices only continue.

Tall, grande, or venti.

Regular or decaf. (Okay, I get that one)

Latté, Cappuccino, frapuccino, or espresso.

Whipped cream or non-fat. . .

And wait! There's more. Now we move on to flavors.

Pumpkin spice, cinnamon spice, mocha, raspberry, almond, vanilla. . .

Choices. Choices. Choices. Don’t you love them?

So, if you happen to see me sitting in the back corner of a bookstore, I’ll be the one drinking plain black decaf coffee. . .with a dollop of whipped cream on top.

Blessings,

Lisa (who won’t even begin to go into the trials of trying to buy a pair of jeans. . .)

Technology and me. . .

It wasn’t too long ago when a blackberry was a juicy piece of fruit and a cookie was something you drank with milk. Today, the world has gone high tech and while I understand blogs, RAM, and hard drive space, I often feel left behind. Because of this, I have to admit that one of the things that always strikes me in coming back to the states after six years of living overseas is that life doesn’t wait for me to return!

Beside the fact that my niece and nephew have grown at least six inches since I last saw them, the technology advances always surprise me. I can never figure out how to swipe my card at Walmart, and who is that man talking into the air behind me with no phone in his hand?

Another thing that strikes me is the amount of stuff on the shelves. I know it shouldn’t come as a surprise. It’s not as if I’ve never lived in the states, but sometimes I still feel like a backward hick when I stand in front of an aisle of hairspray that seems to reach across the next state line. Is it really necessary to have to choose from five hundred bottles of sticky stuff that all do virtually the same thing?

I don’t think so.

So I skip the self-serve check out lines, don’t carry a cell phone, and try to avoid my ignorance at an espresso bar by ordering a tropical slushy. (That should make me feel at home, right?)

In spite of all my adjustments to being back in the States the past week and a half, it’s been such a joy to catch up on friendships and spend time with my family. Another cool thing has been to have a number of people tell me that they actually read my blog! I’m loving that. For those of you who have emailed me, I am behind on responding to emails as this has proven to be another one of those technological challenges for me as my South African server doesn’t seem to work here. J

Until my next post,

Lisa

Leaving on a Jet Plane. . .

Another (late) plane and I’m leaving Dallas on my way to Tulsa to see my mother. The ACFW conference was an incredible blessing. Seeing old friends, making new ones, meeting with editors, times of worship, attending the awards dinner, and being reminded as to why I want to write for Him made it a dynamic three days.

I was touched by so many things this past weekend. Besides working on the craft of writing, I enjoyed the encouragement and advice of other authors who have blazed a trail before me as I listened to their life changing messages.

Some things that I learned--

That success in God’s eyes is rarely the same as in human eyes. By human standards Jesus was a failure. Life isn’t about being popular. It’s about being like Jesus.

If God only worked through perfect people, nothing would get done.

We are to be holy as God is holy. This is success.

That my sale numbers aren’t as bad as I thought.

That it’s offering my gifts up to God daily to be used by Him and NOT sales numbers that really count.

A publisher is interested in my ideas to write international suspense set in Africa. (Yeah!)

I need to swallow my fear, move forward, press on, and keep going.

I didn't take nearly enough pictures at the conference, but I've posted a few below.

Be blessed today!

Lisa

Some of my writing buds!

Going Home. . .Yet now so far away from home

It’s an interesting place I find myself this morning. Halfway between the two worlds that I know. Frankfurt is overcast this morning, a stark reminder that I’m nowhere near my sub-tropical home in Africa where the sky is always blue. Neither am I near the home where I grew up where red, white, and blue flags fly in the breeze.

I wanted to shed a few tears yesterday and it wasn’t from Joburg’s hectic airport or from the fact that ‘I’m leaving on a jet plane’ played in the background. I was going home, while at the same time missed the home I was leaving behind. It’s an interesting phenomenon, living in two worlds, and being a part of two cultures.

I can’t deny who I am, or where I was born, and neither do I want to. My children, though, who still speak of Texas, now have a South African accent, love braiis, and riding in our bakkie. Gabriel plays field hockey and rugby while dreaming of becoming a Navy Seal.

Cultures mesh, languages flow together, seasons change, and I become more of another culture without ever wanting to lose who I was. And so I find myself going home, so far away from home.

Quick Update

It's funny how everything I see in Africa, I see in terms of would this make a great post or photo to share on my blog. Here's a picture of Gabriel dressed up as Willy Wonka for Roald Dahl day at school. According to Gabriel, whoever has the best costume wins his or her weight in Skittles.

This past week, though, has zoomed by with hardly a moment to breathe, let alone think of something worthwhile to post. Scott returned Wednesday night after nine days in Mozambique. (I will be sharing an update of his trip with pictures this weekend.) With him gone, things are always crazy. This week has been full of keeping up with the kids schedules, heavy book edits and deadlines. . .and packing.

Yes, packing!

I’m so excited because I leave on Monday for a short trip back to the states to see my mother. She called me a few weeks back and asked if I could please come for a short time since she was not able to make the trip to South Africa as she’d planned. It’s been a whirlwind of getting ready not only to see her, but I’m also going to the American Christian Writer’s Conference in Dallas. This is the frosting on the cake as I will have the opportunity to connect with some of my best writer friends, meet my new editor, and pitch an international suspense series. Yeah!

Speaking of writing, I have three books coming out between now and February--a romance, a romantic comedy, and a cozy mystery. (Can you hear the excitement in my voice?) I will be having a number of FREE giveaways in the coming weeks from my blog for all three books so check back often!

Until I return in three weeks, you won’t hear much from me except for a few updates on my trip from the other side of the world. (I’ll try not to bore you with my frequent excursions to Wal-Mart for socks and slippers and such!)

Until then, be blessed!

Lisa