Well, I had a post all ready to go today, and then an amazing thing happened.  See, about two months ago, my editor Emily sent me my cover, but she told me I could NOT share it until August.  DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD THAT WAS?!?  Oh my goodness, when I opened it, my jaw dropped.  For everything I imagined it would be, it was so much more.  It is beautiful.  Gorgeous.  I want to turn it into a poster and hang it on my wall.  I wanted madly to splash it all over the internet and share it with everyone I knew.

But I couldn’t.

Until August.

You’re killing me here, Emily.

But yesterday, oh, sweet yesterday, Emily ran a cover preview on her Twitter feed. She’d asked a few weeks ago if she could post it.  I shouted and immediate yes.  And yesterday was the day.

Want to see it?

Click here. It is fabulous!

-JB

Who noticed there was no Word Wednesday last week?  Anybody?  That would be because, well, I went on vacation and I sort of forgot to set up the automatic post.  Oops.  I am so sorry!  But I am NOT sorry for the vacation.  I don’t think I’ve ever needed one so badly.  The ocean was amazing.  The quiet time with God was incredible.  The time with my family was wonderful.  Yep.  It was a great time all around, but more on that in Friday’s post.  For now, we choose our favorite verse from Genesis 13.  I’d love to hear yours in the comments!

Genesis 13:11 (GWT)–Lot chose the whole Jordan Plain for himself.  He moved toward the east. They each went their own way.

I look at the second half of that verse and my first thought is, “truer words were never spoken.”  Lot really did go his own way, didn’t he?  And his “own way” got him into some hefty trouble later on, but that’s another chapter in Genesis.

I’m kind of struck by Lot here.  Abram (soon to be Abraham) steps up and says, “You choose where you want to live.  I’ll take what’s left.”  So what does Lot do?  He looks around, sees that the east is looking like the most amazing choice, and takes it all for himself, even though two of the most sinful cities in the world sit right there.  Do you think he thought he could handle it?  Do you think there was some “me first” selfishness going on?

(Oh, and isn’t it interesting how many times “east” shows up in the Bible?  God kicked Adam and Eve out to the east of Eden… which, incidentally, is a really great John Steinbeck book.  Lot heads east here.  There are others, too.  Just an observation.)

It’s pretty easy to vilify Lot here, but we do the same thing.    How often have we chosen the best for ourselves? How often have we thought we could wander close to sin and not be attracted to it?  That’s kind of where I want to drop anchor for a minute.  Sometimes, we overestimate our own strength, don’t we?  It’s almost like we think we can poke the rattlesnake with a stick and jump out of the way before it strikes.  Sure, sometimes we can.  But how often do we hesitate an instant to long and get fangs sunk into our ankles?  It’s easy to look at “little” sin and think we can handle it.  But we can be like Lot.  “Oh, I can live in sight of it and not get involved.”  Then we step a little closer.  A small sin leads to a bigger one.  We look a little bit longer.  And before we know it, we’re living smack in the middle of downtown Gomorrah, wondering how exactly we got there.  Trust me, I’ve tripped down that road.  And I can point to you the exact moment I turned my feet onto that path.  It starts with a peek, doesn’t it?

Let’s not be like Lot.  Sin is a powerful force, and temptation is an ugly thing.  I often think of the devil in “The Passion of the Christ” when I think of temptation.  Mel Gibson took a beautiful woman and shaved her eyebrows, slowed down the frames in filming so that it appears she never blinks, did small things to make Satan at once alluring and repulsive.  That’s what sin is like.  It draws you in, but it’s ugly and deadly.  That’s what got Lot… He was drawn to the good things he saw.  The bad came along much later.  We’ve all been there, but hopefully we now are a bit more wary of the temptations fired our way.

-JB

Sometimes, I forget that worship can happen when we are silent.  If you think about it, standing in awe would involve silence, would it not?  When we are truly in awe, other than a possible whispered “oh,” do we speak?  Nope. We stand amazed.

I get a little crazy sometimes.  I blow through life like I’ve got a rocket strapped to my back.  I even blow through my God time that way.  “Hey, God.  I’ve got half an hour.  Here’s a little praise.  And I’m sorry about this. And thanks for that.  And can you help with that?  Peace.  I’m out.”  Box checked, day started, God involved.

That’s not what He’s after though.  He wants a relationship with me.  And part of a relationship is sitting quietly, isn’t it?  Aren’t there times with your husband, wife, best friend, child, whoever when all you do is just kind of sit together?  God loves that quiet time too.  And as I walked along the beach last week, He reminded me that sometimes just being mindful of Him is enough.  I don’t always have to talk.  In fact, when I shut my mouth, it gives Him time to get a word in edgewise.  It gives Him time to lavish me with love.  It gives me time to know that He is God, and He is amazing.

-JB

If you’ve never heard this before, you can’t miss it.  When I saw it on Wednesday, I had to stand. You can’t sit through this, not if you love Him. He deserves that honor!

This, folks, is what it’s all about.

“It’s Friday… but Sunday’s comin’!”

-JB

Abraham. For a long time, the early part of his journey with God was something I’d cling to every single time the Army decided it was time for us to move.  Again.  (Let’s be honest here…  moving every 18 months wears on you.  There at the end, unpacking became a “why bother” kind of thing.  “Who cares where the coffee cups go?  They won’t be there for long!”)  I’m excited to get to Abraham’s story this week and share another nugget, more than just the fact he had to travel.  A lot.  To that end, we have two versed today.  (Yes, I cheated.)

Genesis 12:1, 10 (GWT)–The Lord said to Abram, “Leave your land, your relatives, and your father’s home.  Go to the land that I will show you…”  There was a famine in the land.  Abram went to Egypt to stay awhile because the famine was severe.

God said, “Move.”

Abram said, “Okay.”  He packed everything up and took off from teh only life and family he’d ever known for a place God hadn’t even revealed to him when he started on the journey.  He travels, and suddenly, in Canaan, God says, “Right here.  This will be yours forever!”

I’m sure there was a sense of relief in Abram.  Done!  Settled!  Praise God!  I’m home!

And a handful of verses later… Famine so severe Abram has to pack up and go to Egypt.

Hm.  Welcome to your Promised Land.  Now get out.  Seems a little odd, doesn’t it?  I have struggled with this verse before, but I have to come to this conclusion.  It’s there for us.  How many times have we walked smack down the center line of God’s will only to be completely bumfuzzled by a landslide blocking the road?  A detour?  A sudden sheer cliff that seems to cut off the rest of the trail?

I don’t have the answers for why that happens.  Sometimes it’s a test.  Sometimes it’s a lesson.  Sometimes life just happens because we live in a sinful world.  In any case, I’m glad God set Abram in front of us as an example.  Things might divert us on the road to our Promise from Him, but they won’t keep us away forever.  That’s good to know, especially for those of us who have been called to write only to face rejections, roadblocks, and minimized writing time.

God’s call on your life is sure.  When you know it, walk in it.  And, know what?  Maybe enjoy the detours.  God’s certain to plant some roses along the way.

-JB

I had the privilege last week of hearing a precious two-year-old coming up the hall singing this song at the top of her lungs.  Folks, you haven’t heard this song until you’ve heard it that way.  There’s no way to translate that sort of preciousness into letters on a screen, but I can tell you, it was one of the coolest things I heard all week.

Newsboys – God’s Not Dead (Official Music Video) from emimusic on GodTube.

I wonder if we realize how dangerously close we are as a planet to “officially” declaring that God is dead. That closeness to the edge should make you take notice. We’ve all but said He doesn’t exist by our actions, by what we allow to happen without standing up and saying a word about it. (Oh, Lord, do we EVER need a revival!)

But, it doesn’t matter what we say. And it doesn’t matter how we act. God is NOT dead and can never BE dead!

But, again, how many of us can truly say He is “roaring like a lion” in our lives? How many of us live the kind of out loud, God’s-all-over-it lives that mark us as His? How many of us are willing to let Him have control and “roar like a lion” on the outside of us, too? Too often, we let the vocal speak out, and sometimes the vocal among us aren’t the ones who are truly right. Did that make any sense? We let others speak for us instead of standing up and speaking for ourselves and, honey, that gives the world the way wrong impression of who God is sometimes. You know it’s true.

I’m talking to myself here. I want God to “roar” through me. But how often do I withdraw into a meek shell or, worse, speak out of angry reaction instead of thought-out response?

Oh, Lord, help me to do better!

-JB

I don’t know if you read Jessica Patch’s blog, but you totally should.  She has this wonderfully quirky way of looking at life that I just love.  And when she gets into the spiritual side of things, look out.  The way God works in her mind will blow yours.  I got the privilege of “meeting” her when we were in a “Clash of the Titles” battle together.  We’ve been internet buddies ever since.  Do yourself a favor and check her out.

At any rate, she issued an “answer some random questions” kind of challenge, so I thought, “Why not?”  It’s been a while since we had a “Fun Friday.”  The deal is I answer her questions, then come up with 11 of my own.  I’m SUPPOSED to make 11 other people answer my questions, but I’m going to challenge all of you to do it, like she did.  Ready for some randomness about me?  I haven’t read the questions yet, so I’m about to be as surprised by this as you are.

My 11 Questions:
1. Chocolate or Vanilla and why?

(Jess, this is a waste of a question.  Really?  There’s a debate here?)  Chocolate.  All the way.  Dark chocolate.  Or, oh my goodness, once I had chocolate with sea salt.  Holy cow.  Unreal.

2. Have you ever shoplifted? Ever thought about it?

No and no, at least not that I remember.  It’s possible I contemplated it as a kid, but I don’t remember thinking it.

3. Colored polish or French manicure?

Colored.  What’s the point of a French manicure?  It’s just your nails jazzed up.  Right now, I prefer orange.  Or blue.  Or silver.  Yay.

4. Where’s the last place on earth you’d want to visit and why?
Well, there could be a lot of answers to that question, huh?  Probably too many to name.  There’s a whole lot of places I never want to set foot.

5. What’s your least favorite food?
Brussels sprouts.  Period.

6. How many licks do you think it really does take to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Pop?
For me?  One.  It’s straight to biting the things.  Oh, and I LOVE orange ones.  Yummo.  I ate so many Tootsie Roll pops and cherry Blow Pops in college that I had cavities when I graduated.  I had to have one whenever I wrote a paper.  Since I was an English major and a writing major, I wrote a LOT  of papers.  A LOT.  A lot of THIRTY PAGE papers.

7. Hotels or camping?
Hm.  Where am I going?  I don’t like hotels.  We have gotten to where we rent condos wherever we go.  It’s cheaper.  And there’s more room.

8. Which celebrity that is alive (there is no Jesus loop-hole here, people) would you like to meet and why?
I’d dearly love to meet George Bush, especially after reading his autobiography.  Does he count as a celebrity?  If it has to be a “celebrity,” then I have to say TobyMac.  Otherwise, my daughter will somehow KNOW I didn’t type him as an answer and come after me.

9. Do you have a smart phone? Can you live without it? Be honest…okay you can. Would you want to? Be honest.
I did not think I wanted one.  Then I got an iPhone.  And now I’m about as in love with a device as you can get.  I don’t even use it for everything you can use it for, but it’s fun beyond belief.

10. If you could be any animal which one would you be and why?  I kind of like being me.  But being a cat would be fun.  If I could figure out how to work a laptop and still write…
11. Home cooked or 5 star meal?

Who’s cooking?  Can I have a 5-star meal at home?  Honestly, give me a good steak on the grill.  With a baked potato.  And a great big salad with creamy Italian dressing.  And maybe a cheesecake for dessert.  Yeah.  That works.

Okay, now I have to come up with 11 questions.  You can answer in the comments if you don’t have a blog of your own.  Ready?

1. If you could have a vacation house anywhere in the world, where would it be?

2.  The lottery is up to over half a billion (BILLION) dollars.  Have you ever played?

3. Uhm, what ever happened to good TV that I wouldn’t mind my daughter seeing commercials for? (Just wondering.)

4.  What’s your dream job?

5.  What was your favorite subject in school?  And, bonus question, if you could go back to school, would you?  (I used to say if I ever got rich, I’d become a professional student.  Yes, I loved college classes that much.  Hey, I never said I wasn’t a geek.)

6.  What is the best book you’ve read in the past year?

7.  It’s a rainy Saturday and you have nothing on your to-do list.  What are you going to do?

8. What’s your favorite store?

9.  Who is your hero?

10.  What’s your dream car?

11.  What’s one random fact about you that you wish I’d asked?

-JB

I wonder sometimes if we realize how relative truth has become in our nation.  In many ways, we have come to the point of “if I believe it, it must be true.”  Sadly, we’ve also come to the point of, “if the TV says it, it must be true.”  I have been appalled by about five different items/comments I’ve heard on the news just in the past two days.  Items meant to discourage or inflame.  It seems that we are spiraling faster toward an unwillingness to accept real truth, especially when it is “inconvenient.”  I told my husband at breakfast this morning, “Maybe I’m just feeling cynical today.”  Honestly?  It’s hard not to.  But when I read Genesis 11, one verse jumped out at me in light of all of the above.

Genesis 11:6 (GWT)–The Lord said, “They are one people with one language.  This is only the beginning of what they will do!  Now nothing they plan to do will be too difficult for them.”

Voices in unison can be loud, can’t they?  What exactly happens when a mob mentality takes control?  Look at the near-rioting that happens on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill after a serious ACC win… or loss.  People do things in a group that they would never do as individuals.  That group vibe sweeps over and WHAM!  Mayhem ensues.

And now, thanks to social media and 24/7 television coverage, we are beginning to believe that anyone who speaks en mass is speaking the truth.  “If enough people say it…”  Oh, my heart hurts for us.

Why do we do that?  In a way, it is a little bit comforting to know that God witnessed it thousands of years before I came along.  And do you know what?  He did something about it.  He sees how humans can be.  And here’s the crazy thing… He loves us anyway.  Notice the people in Genesis 11 tried to reach heaven, essentially started trying to be their own gods.  But God didn’t destroy them.  He’d done that in the flood and promised not to do it again, so He scattered them.

Makes you wonder why He puts up with us, doesn’t it?  It’s all because He loves us.  That’s incredible.  And it takes that cynicism that’s been shoving in and squashes it.  No matter what the crowd may say or do, my God is alive and well and on His throne.  Amen!

-JB

So, the writing life got put on hold for a month or so.  It’s good to be back.  I think it was also good for me to “miss” my story for a bit, because I was seriously getting tired of revising it and the ending had me stuck.  With a little time away, the knots have unraveled and the problem has revealed itself.  Now to work that puppy through the last half or revision and to sub it!

So, why have I been silent?  Well, my amazing husband retired from the Army in June.  In November, we were given the opportunity to purchase my grandmother’s house.  She died nearly three years ago, and her home is the home I pretty much grew up in.  To be able to live in it was an amazing blessing to both my husband and to me.  After much, much, much dealing with banks and painters and plumbers and various other contractors, we moved in this month.  Let me tell you… there in a very big difference in having the Army pack and move you and in packing and moving yourself.  While you’re working.  And you’re in charge of your school’s spelling bee.  And grades are due.  And you have eighty poetry projects to get back to kids.  And you have to live in the middle of all of that.

But, glory to God alone, we did it!  The house is nearly unpacked.  As soon as I’m happy with how things look, there will be pictures because, let me tell you, I’m in love with my new office.  There’s a multi-layered story behind it that I can’t wait to share, but that can wait until another day.  First, I have to buy a rug to cover the hardwood floor we have yet to refinish.

Until then, hope all is well with you.  I’m over at Winning the War at Home today, blogging about the crazy “addictions” that get wives through deployment if you want to visit!

-JB