Not Possessing the Land

Today's devotions had me reading through the middle of the book of Joshua. Here, Joshua had just given half of tribes of Israel their allotment in the promised land (that part I pretty much skimmed over - who actually reads the explicit details of this tribe settled by this river and as far south/north as this city and as far east/west of this mountain?).

But, I stopped when I came to the first part of Chapter 18.

"Now the land was under Israelite control, the community gathered at Shiloh and set up the Tabernacle. But there remained seven tribes who had not yet been allotted their grants of land. Then Joshua asked, 'How long are you going to wait before taking possession of the remaining land?'" Joshua 18:1-3.

I reread.

The seven tribes were at Shiloh setting up the tabernacle, waiting for their land allotment. But then, why does Joshua chastise them, saying "C'mon, people, why aren't you doing what you're supposed to be doing?"

I thought they WERE doing what they were supposed to be doing? Helping to build the church, waiting on the leaders, on God, to tell them where to go and what to do.

Took me rereading it a few times to see why Joshua was being hard on them.

Because, they already knew what they were supposed to do and weren't doing it. They were supposed to be conquering the rest of the land. The Canaanites had been driven out in most places, and too scattered to be much of a threat, but these seven tribes were hanging around the tabernacle.

Because it was comfortable there.

To go possess the land, they'd have to fight the enemy, they'd have to rebuild towns and set up new business infrastructures. It was going to be work. Long, hard work.

Yes, worship is key to growing in our relationship with God, and, yes, we should be helping out on church clean-up days. But, they were doing those things instead of what God told them to do.

My Bible commentary writes, "Often we delay doing jobs that seem large, difficult, boring or disagreeable. Jobs we don't enjoy require concentration and twice as much time...But to continue putting them off shows lack of discipline, poor stewardship of time and, in some cases, disobedience to God."

Ouch!!

I can't help but look at my own life. I know God has called me to write. I am working on a novel, and the largeness of the task is overwhelming, the difficulty is immense and it is downright disagreeable sometimes. It's easy to find other things to fill up my time other than sitting down to write. To procrastinate by choosing easier tasks/chores/ministries/entertainment, is to be disobedient to the calling God has for my life.

The reward for the Israelite's obedience? Joshua 21:44 - "And the Lord gave them rest on every side, just as he had solemnly promised their ancestors. None of their enemies could stand against them, for the Lord helped them conquer all their enemies. Not a single one of all the good promises the Lord had given to the family of Israel was left unfulfilled; everything he had spoken came true."

My reward for being obedient? God hasn't promised me a six figure book deal (or any book deal for that matter). He has promised to be with me and equip me and joy and freedom along the way.

What is God calling you to do? What is hindering you from doing it? I challenge you to step out from your comfortableness. If you're not sure what to do, find something that God has given you a passion for and get involved. As you are working, He'll guide the next steps.

He is with us and He is for us. Go take possession of the land!

Mackenzie Kay's Poetry Debut, "Look at the Stars"

My daughter, Mackenzie Kay, age 10, found a discarded ancient laptop and adopted it as her own. It has no internet capabilities and no battery life. The one thing it does have, besides Solitaire, is Word. She recently began typing out her own stories and poems. Today, she asked me to type them up on my laptop so that she could print them off and bring them to school for her English teacher. When I read this poem, I was so proud, I had to share with all of you. (FYI - I helped her tweak one line that she didn't like - not telling which line - the rest is all her).

LOOK AT THE STARS, by Mackenzie Kay Gibson

Look at the stars and how they shine,

They light up the night,

I wish they were mine.

Look at the stars and how they twinkle,

I love them so much,

They’re like silver sprinkles.

Look at the stars and how they’re so bright,

They dance with moon,

Ohh, what a sight.

Look at the stars and how they end,

Up comes the sun,

I can’t wait to see them again.

Breakfast Date

"They" say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Today, it was true for me. I battled rain, slush, bad directions and road construction to travel 30 miles just for a breakfast date with a dear friend. And it was worth it!

Living just an hour away from each other, it shouldn't be so hard to reconnect once in awhile, but it is. Both of us have jobs and kids and slews of activities. Our calendars alone would make most moms want to cringe - but try putting them together and its downright laughable. Despite the challenge, we were determined to carve out our own niche time together. We sacrificed a lazy Saturday morning, forgoing that much needed half hour more of sleep. We sacrificed morning snuggles with our spouses and kids. We sacrificed extra mileage and gas to meet half way between our two towns. That's just what friends do. When you're important to someone, you make time to spend with them.

I wonder how God feels, when we can make this kind of sacrifice for each other, but won't do it for Him. How many Saturdays (or weekdays for that matter) do I roll over and decide not to get up early this morning. We move around our schedules for sporting events, for kids practices, or even to help a hurting friend. But, when do we move around our schedule to make sure that have time for God?

I am guilty of this. Often.

I know God understands our hectic schedules. He is patient. He does not condemn. He just wants to spend time with us. And when we do, He is always waiting with open arms, and we are never disappointed.

Lets make a breakfast date with God. Sacrifice a little of our day in order to communicate with Him. He sacrificed everything for us!

God, the Author of our Lives

Yesterday I posted on Facebook, "Starting to read the last book in a series I've loved...I'm anxious...what if it doesn't end the way I want it to??" 

You ever have that experience? You're almost afraid to read on/to get to the end. What if it's not the fairy tale ending, the guy doesn't get the girl? What if the author chooses to kill off every single one of the characters in some deep lesson in social immorality? 

Well, my curiosity finally prevailed against any angst I had (those who devoured the third book of the Hunger Games can relate). Staying up till 1am - on a school night- I read finished NEVERMORE (part of the Maximum Ride Series by James Patterson). And I am sooo glad I did! The ending was better than I could have ever created! (SPOILER ALERT) She ended up living somewhat happily ever after, with her best friend-turned boyfriend by her side and all the flying mutant wolves destroyed. It was one of those moments where you just want to hug the book and shake hands with the author. Kudos, James Patterson!

This morning I was thinking about God as the author of our lives. How many times does my fear of the unknown keep me from the story He has written for me. "If I take this step of faith, what if it doesn't end up the way I want it to?" 

Guess what, friends. It won't. It'll end way BETTER than you ever could have imagined. He is the ultimate creator and knows our needs better than we do. Unfortunately, there will be brokenness and heartache along the way - you may not get the girl in the end. But when we follow His direction take His path, He leads us on a journey we could have never planned for, yet, so much more than we deserve. I am constantly amazed! And some day we will all have our happily ever after forever. Kudos, My Lord!

My Favorite Tweets

As you can see from my last post, I am a converted Twitter junkie. Ok, junkie is kinda harsh. But I do love to go on every evening (while the family is watching Cupcake Wars or -just recently- American Ninja Warriors), and check to see what you all have been up to. I skim through where you've been and what you've done, who just signed a contract or has a new book coming out. If I think it might speak to me, I'll read your blog posts, or the ones you have recommended. And because you all are amazing, most of the time its worth the extra effort. Someday, when I finally get my Amazon Fire (Santa missed me last year, but I am stepping up the campaigning efforts early so that doesn't happen again), I plan to download all the free books you have made available. Thanks!

However, my absolute favorite tweets are the inspirational quotes, whether on writing like Martina Boone @4YALit wrote:  Just as we must dance as if no one is watching, we must write as if no one is reading. — Robin LeFevers
or about living our Christian lives. Michael Minot @MichaelMinot: Being too busy, even if for kingdom purposes, can be detrimental to your level of intimacy with God.

Those are the ones that will most likely get my "retweet" stamp of approval. I need, I crave that encouragement.

I struggle daily with wanting to be a serious writer, but not seriously writing. I struggle everyday with being a good mom, being an involved parent vs. giving my teenager and preteen more space to explore and become. But mostly, I struggle with how God wants me to live my life. My flesh wars over what I should do and what I do do.  I can relate to Romans 7:14 that says "for I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate." I have it highlighted and underlined in my Bible. Just sitting here writing this blog post means that the dishes aren't getting the done, the laundry didn't switched and the kids are off doing their own thing in their only slightly unorganized rooms.

Every time I start get too hard on myself, I read through your quotes, words that have inspired you. It ministers to me. 

So, I share with you what Paul writes in Romans 8:1, Paul writes, "There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free form the law of sin and death." Jesus had paid the price for our sin and has freed us from that struggle. Our responsibility is to just live in Him (His Spirit). 

The dishes will get done later, the novel eventually.

No Time to Blog...I'm Tweeting!

I finally did it. I got a Twitter account. 

I resisted for a long time. I thought Twitter was for chasing (oh, I mean following) celebrities around and getting updates on their latest gossip. And though I admire many newsworthy people, I had no desire to hear them tell us how they were now at Baskin Robins buying Rocky Road ice cream for their child (I don't particularly care to read that on Facebook by people I actually know and care about). 

It wasn't until recently, after being encouraged by a good friend, did I discover just how wrong I was. Within minutes of setting up my account, I developed a community of incredible writers and organizations designed for writers. 

The first person to follow me was my best friend, Jenn - no surprise there, she is a Twitter junkie! My second follower was the famous author and speaker, Angela Hunt, who I briefly met last year at the Indianapolis Christian Writers Conferernce. Wow, how fun!

Every time I check my Twitter feed, I am amazed and inspired by the talented people out there! All of you who are spreading your wisdom, passion for the written word and your heart for God through blogging and tweeting continue to challenge me on a daily basis. Thank you. I hope to earn a place amongst you!

So, if you need me, I'll be there, tweeting and retweeting!

Inspiring the Writing Hand

Like many writers, I glean inspiration from a variety of different places, sights and sounds.  However, I have found my greatest source of inspiration while I worship the Lord. 

A few weeks after I had started writing my first novel (consistently, that is), I experienced this God-breathed inspiration for the first time.  There I was, standing with my arms stretched out in praise, thanking the Lord for who He is and what He was doing in my life, and then bam!  I got a flash of the ending of my book - the epilogue.  Not just a fleeting thought, like "oops, I forgot to put the clothes in the dryer," but a mental image of an entire scene.  It played out like a movie in my mind, along with the emotions of the moment stirring in my soul.  I was so taken aback that I literally stopped mid song and put my hands down for a moment.  That scene became the driving force for my entire novel.  Look, I still get goosebumps every time I talk about it!

The second time I was a little more prepared.  Again, I was worshipping on a Sunday morning, and I saw a glimpse of a character.  I had barely given this kid a name yet and now, instantly, he had a personality, a history and a destiny.

It shouldn't have surprised me (or continue to), after all, we are closest to our Heavenly Father when we spend time worshipping Him.  And, as we draw near to Him, He directs our steps, our will and, yes, our stories. 

I wish it happened every time I worship or pray - I'd have no need of those intense character sketches and plot point outlines.  But I have learned, the more I commit to Him, the more He inspires my writing hand.