Firecracker Frenzy - Going Over the Hurdles of Life

Hi Friends,

This weekend we did a gymkhana show - the Firecracker Frenzy. It was a lot of fun and all 3 of us who rode won prizes. One of the highlights was that Joelle got 2nd place in the Hurry Scurry (which is a course with 3 jumps). Little Oreo (her horse) jumped beautifully. When we got Oreo a few months ago, she was terrible at jumping - her back feet would bang the jumps, she'd stumble over, the jump would be all jumbled up afterward. It was ugly. But Joelle just kept practicing with Oreo, giving her a chance to figure out how to do it right. So, here at home, they'd canter around the arena and jump and jump and jump, until Oreo got good at it. And we didn't get mad at Oreo for not doing well at first, we just kept giving her chances to practice and encouraging her for each improvement.

I think God's like that with us. We all have things we're not so good at - maybe considering others first, or trusting Him in difficult circumstances, or finding peace in chaos (that's a tough one for me!), or fighting fear in certain specific areas of life. And I've noticed that our response is too often to beat ourselves up about that - feel down for not having enough faith or for not flying through a situation perfectly or not being as good as someone else going through a similar thing. And we may even think that God's upset with us too, thinking "why can't she just get it?!" But I think God's a lot more like Joelle - just giving us opportunities to practice, grow, and improve until we can jump smoothly. He doesn't expect us to be able to clear every jump the first time. He just gives us chances to get a little better, and little faster, a little smoother, until we've mastered the things that we once weren't so good at.

So, that's what I think God is saying to me lately, and maybe to you too. He's not scolding us for our stumbling, He's saying, "You'll get it, let's try it again. I'm giving you another chance, and another, and another, so you can get a little better each time." And perhaps, in time, we'll be flying over the jumps with our feet not even touching too.

Shades of Morning ... DONE!

Hi Friends,

Just doing the happy dance here because my next "Love Stories with a Twist!" was due in to the publisher today and I just sent it in via email. Whoo Hoo! The title so far is "Shades of Morning," and it due to hit the shelves next May. Between now and then it will go through edits, more edits, copy edits, galley edits, proofreading, and more read-throughs. Then, printing, cover design, blah blah blah. Lots yet to do, but I'm celebrating now that the main writing is done.

Here's hoping my new editor loves it. Bryan says it's my best yet, so we'll see. It's certainly my most fun story. :-) But I tell ya, it's some kind of miracle that this book got written at all, what with pregnancy, new baby, kidney stone surgeries, homeschooling, business running, and a zillion other things. So, yay God!

So, no other interesting thoughts this week (as my brain is fried), except to share with you the theme of Shades of Morning so you ponder it for your own life. So, here ya go:

God's gifts to us come in packages we often don't expect, don't like, and don't want. But they're gifts all the same. God wants to heal us, make us whole, and often those ugly gifts are the very tools He uses for our healing ... if only we let Him.

Praying for the “Have’s” When You’re a “Have-Not”

Hi Friends,

I'd like to share an article that I wrote for Radiant Magazine that many people are finding useful as they encounter situations where others have a type of life situation that they're longing for and yet don't have. This article is about infertility, but the principles are applicable to any have/have-not situation. I hope you'll find it useful too. So, here you go:

On the Infertility Journey
Praying for the “Have’s” When You’re a “Have-Not”
by Marlo Schalesky

Babies. Everywhere. In TV commercials, in strollers at the mall, in the arms of the woman in front of me at church, on the cover of my favorite magazine. It was enough to make me scream. Not that I didn’t like babies. I loved them -- so much so that my husband and I had been trying for years to have one of our own. But instead, all we got were endless trips to the infertility clinic, tests, procedures, more tests, and more procedures followed by phone calls from the nurse that too often began with “I’m sorry, but . . .”

I’d gotten another of those calls just that afternoon. So, as the sun began to slip behind the horizon, all I really wanted to do was forget – forget about cradles and bibs, diapers and rattles, everything that had to do with the baby I couldn’t seem to have. And the best way to do that was to drown my sorrows in a vat of salsa at my favorite Mexican restaurant.

But life conspired against me. There we were, seated at a table for two with gentle music drifting from the intercom overhead. A candle flickered merrily on the table before me. And best of all, we were the only customers in the whole place.

Then, it happened. The hostess led another couple to a table directly across from me. And of course, sitting on the table between the husband and wife, was a car seat holding a brand new baby. I couldn’t believe it. This was God’s fault.

“Well, it’s official,” my husband, Bryan, murmured. “God wants you to face this.”

I grimaced. “I don’t want to.”

“You don’t have a choice.”

I turned toward him. “Okay then, how do I find peace in a world filled with children not my own?”

The baby’s sharp cry interrupted our conversation. I turned to see her face bunch up as another wail rose from her tiny frame. A moment later, her mother looked as if she, too, were going to burst into tears. The woman turned to her husband and whispered, “I told you this would never work. We can’t go anywhere anymore.” She slammed down her menu, grabbed the baby’s car seat, and rushed toward the door. Her husband watched her go, then slowly set down his own menu, shook his head, and followed.

Bryan sighed. “It’s kind of sad, isn’t it?”

I nodded. “It’s absurd. You and I,” I tapped my finger on the table then pointed at Bryan, “understand better than anyone what a miracle a child is. Yet people like that, people who have no idea how blessed they are, have children when we don’t.”

“That’s not exactly what I meant. I didn’t mean we should be sad for us.”

“Who, then?”

“I was sad for them.”

“What?!” My eyebrows lifted toward the ceiling.

Bryan remained calm. “Don’t you think it’s sad that those people have a baby, but they don’t seem to be enjoying her, at least not right now. We should pray for them.”

“Pray for THEM???” My voice raised an octave as a hundred objections flew through my mind. I was the one who needed prayer. I was the one hurting. I was the one denied the miracle that they enjoyed. I was the one that Bryan should feel sorry for! I, I, I…the pattern of my thoughts struck me and left me breathless. I was thinking only of myself, my own pain, my own loss. And come to think of it, it was the same every time I saw a baby, or a child. Now, in a flash of understanding, I saw that this habit had done nothing but increase my pain.

What if, just for a change, the sight of a baby caused my vision to turn outward instead? What if I took Bryan’s advice and prayed for the parents of the children I saw? What if I prayed for the kids themselves?

Crazy! But I decided to try it anyway. “Okay, let’s do it.”

He smiled and I began, pushing the words through a throat that seemed suddenly too tight. “Lord, please help those parents to rely on You as they raise their baby. Help them know what a miracle a baby is and enjoy every minute with her, even when she’s crying. Strengthen them and give them wisdom in the days and years ahead. And bless the child, Lord.” I paused, unable to go on.
Bryan took up the prayer. “May she grow up to know You and love You. Amen.” His hand reached across the table to squeeze mine. “I think we’ve found your answer, or at least part of it.”

A faint smile fluttered across my face. “Maybe we have.”

From that day on, every time I saw a baby or a child, every time I again felt that painful tightening of grief in my chest, I stopped and offered a prayer for the child and parents. Sometimes the prayer was only a sentence long, and other times it lasted a few minutes, but I always asked for God’s grace and love to fill the family for whom I prayed.

So, while struggles such as infertility naturally lead me to pray for myself, my circumstances, and the perceived solution to my difficulties, I’ve also discovered that these struggles allow me a unique and significant opportunity to pray for others who have what I desire. For me, infertility has been a hard and heart-wrenching road, a path I wouldn’t wish on anyone. Therefore, it makes sense that I should thank God whenever I see others who have not had to endure this trial too. Further, because infertility has taught me the blessing and beauty of a new baby, it’s also given me a unique ability to pray with depth for families with small children. As I’ve done so, God has shown me how to change my prayer life so my prayers focus less on me and more on others. Now, when a mother passes with her stroller, or a dad holds his new baby at church, or a couple sits across from me with their carseat, their presence becomes less of a reminder of my pain and more of a opportunity to bless another.

The same is true for other difficult life journeys. A single person who desires to be married can pray for friends in significant relationships. Who else better understands the value of being in a close relationship than one who is desiring that? Those in troubled marriages, can pray for marriages that seem strong. Those who have lost a job can pray for others who still have theirs. Been through divorce? Pray for others that they won’t have to go through that same heartache.

Praying for the “haves” when you’re a “have-not” can be hard. But I’ve found that it helps to keep bitterness from settling in my soul. It helps to fight jealousy and despair. It helps me to love others and be less focused on myself. And I hope that it makes me more like Jesus. And that is even more precious than the baby I longed for.

For more helps for the infertility journey, check out the resources page on my website: http://www.marloschalesky.com/html/resources.html

And also check out my fiction and nonfiction books on this subject:
If Tomorrow Never Comes: http://www.marloschalesky.com/html/fiction.html
Empty Womb, Aching Heart: http://www.marloschalesky.com/html/nonfiction.html

The Vanishing Sculptor by Donita K. Paul

Hi Friends,

Here's the new book I have to tell you about this week! It's The Vanishing Sculptor
by my friend, Donita K. Paul. If you like fantasy, check this one out! Here's some info:

Summary:
Donita K. Paul’s 250,000-plus-selling DragonKeeper Chronicles series has attracted a wide spectrum of dedicated fans–and they’re sure to fall in love with the new characters and adventures in her latest superbly crafted fiction novel for all ages. It’s a mind-boggling fantasy that inhabits the same world as the DragonKeeper Chronicles, but in a different country and an earlier time, where the people know little of Wulder and nothing of Paladin.

In The Vanishing Sculptor, readers will meet Tipper, a young emerlindian who’s responsible for the upkeep of her family’s estate during her sculptor father’s absence. Tipper soon discovers that her actions have unbalanced the whole foundation of her world, and she must act quickly to undo the calamitous threat. But how can she save her father and her world on her own? The task is too huge for one person, so she gathers the help of some unlikely companions–including the nearly five-foot tall parrot Beccaroon–and eventually witnesses the loving care and miraculous resources of Wulder. Through Tipper’s breathtaking story, readers will discover the beauty of knowing and serving God.

Author Bio:
Donita K. Paul is a retired teacher and author of numerous novellas, short stories, and eight novels, including the best-selling DragonKeeper Chronicles, a series which has sold more than a quarter million books to date. The winner of multiple awards, she lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where she spends time mentoring and encouraging young writers. Visit her online at http://www.donitakpaul.com/.

For more info and/or purchase: http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781400073399&ref=externallink_wbm_thevanishingsculptor_aeb_0427_01

Big Bold Beyond the Night News!

Hi Friends,

Guess what - BEYOND THE NIGHT is now available as an audiobook! Yay! You can download on iTunes or through Amazon, etc. Just search for "Beyond the Night Marlo Schalesky" to easily find it.

If you remember, Beyond the Night is my first "love stories with a twist!" and is about a woman going blind, the man who loves her but can't tell her so, and an ending that has to be experienced to be believed. So, if you know anyone who has a lot of commute time, is going on a car trip/vacation this summer, or is visually impaired, this new audiobook would be a great gift!

Also, Beyond the Night was just named a finalist in the BOOK BUYER'S BEST contest sponsored by the Orange County RWA. This is a national contest for books with romantic elements. Beyond the Night finaled in the "Single Title" category (a non-inspirational category, meaning it was up against much steamier books). I'm continually amazed and grateful to hear how this book is touching hearts and lives!

Crescent City Courtship by Elizabeth White

Hi Friends!

Here's the new book I have to tell you about this week, then it's back to editing/rewriting for me ... my next book's due July 1st. All prayers appreciated!

Here's about this week's book:

Crescent City Courtship
By Elizabeth White
Steeple Hill Love Inspired Historical
June 2009
ISBN 0373828144

Where to buy:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Crescent-City-Courtship-Inspired-Historical/dp/0373828144/

ChristianBook: http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=828142

Abigail Neal dreams of someday escaping her life in the slums of New Orleans. But how can a woman alone and unprotected ever fulfill her dreams of becoming a doctor? Then young medical student John Braddock comes to pay a call on a neighbor. Though the scars left on her heart have taught her never to trust anyone, Abigail is drawn to John's caring nature. Soon an unlikely friendship develops between the son of privilege and the poor daughter of missionaries. But when Abigail's mysterious past comes back to haunt her present, will she call upon her faith to help right a wrong and make a new life with her very own Prince Charming?

Note from Beth: Crescent City Courtship is a sequel to Redeeming Gabriel, my November release from Love Inspired Historical, but it is a stand-alone love story set in 1879 New Orleans. For more information regarding my research into 19th century medical techniques, medicines and surgical procedures, including autopsy and hospital care, check out my website at http://www.elizabethwhite.net.

When God Lets Your Blocks Fall

Hi Friends,

I was thinking about how I handle life when things go wrong, and I remembered this story. I found it helpful. Maybe you will too!

Tommy sat at my feet in the church nursery with blue, red, and green blocks scattered all around him. He pushed at the blocks with one finger, then scratched his head.

"Why don't you make a house with those?" I asked him.

He looked dubiously at the square and rectangular bits of wood and finally nodded. One after the next, he placed the blocks on top of one another, his chubby hands eager to build the structure that I suggested. Red on top of blue, on top of green, each block was carefully positioned on the one below. He grinned up at me. “I’m making a mansion!”

“I see that.” I smiled.

But, as the house grew taller, I could also see that it would soon fall. Some blocks sat precariously on the ones underneath them. They couldn’t hold much more weight. I held my breath, knowing what was to come. Yet, I didn't reach down to fix Tommy's building. Instead, I waited.

A moment later, the structure teetered, then righted itself. But not for long. As Tommy placed a blue triangle on the green square beneath, the whole house came tumbling down around his feet. Crash! Tommy pushed his hands over the fallen blocks and promptly began to cry.

As I watched him, I realized that sometimes I'm not so different from a three-year-old. When things go wrong in my life, when God chooses not to save my house of blocks, I can get mad too. When God asks me to do something and it doesn’t turn out the way I expect, I can feel betrayed, angry, and even a little resentful. "God, how could you let me down?" I may say. In other words, I, too, might stick out my lower lip and cry, "Waa!” (in a more sophisticated manner, of course).

Yet, how were my actions with Tommy any different than God’s with me? I hadn’t chosen to save Tommy’s structure. Sure, I could have knelt down and shored up the building so it wouldn’t fall. But, how would Tommy learn and grow if I always rushed in to right the wrongs, always fixed the houses, never allowed him to fail? Even though I was the one who suggested that he construct the house, the building wasn’t as important to me as his growth. Could it be that God feels the same about me? Could my success be less important than my spiritual growth?

When Tommy’s blocks fell, he cried for only a minute, then he stopped and wiped a dirty sleeve across his nose. Without further thought, he picked up a green block, looked at it, then began to run it over the carpet. His actions were accompanied by the familiar "brrrmm, brrrmm" sound that indicated his favorite race car. Tommy, in his own childish way, showed me how to move beyond life’s fallen blocks.

By watching Tommy, I realized that when things go wrong, I have a choice. I can either get mad at God, or I can simply accept the fact that He didn’t intervene, although He could have. As Tommy discovered, obedience doesn’t always guarantee success, at least in the way that I often define it.

So, when faced with my shattered expectations, I can either spend my time pointing the finger of blame at God or I can learn to say, "Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him” (Job 13:15). From Tommy, I’ve learned that I need to be faithful, to trust God to run my life as He sees fit, even when I don’t like it very much. And that’s not easy.

But God has a right to do whatever He wants with my life, whether that means letting my blocks fall or not. And when they do, may I learn to make green race cars out of the remnants.