by Roseanna White | Jan 19, 2012 | Thoughtful Thursdays, Uncategorized
Yesterday in our homeschool Bible reading, we got to one of the best-known stories of Elijah–where he challenged the 450 priests of Baal to an alter competition. (Okay, my words, not theirs, LOL.) You remember it, I’m sure. The priests of Baal build their alter, put on their bullock, pray and pray and pray to Baal for fire to come down from heaven and light the alter.
Nothing. I love this story partially because of how Elijah taunts them. Can’t you just see that wily smile as he says, “Maybe your god’s asleep. Or on vacation. Cry louder.”
And they do, LOL. Then, of course, after that fails, Elijah builds his alter on the exact spot it should have been all these years, puts on his bullock, and has TWELVE barrels of water dumped onto the alter. Now, it hasn’t rained for years and years at this point, so that was probably some precious stuff. Elijah prayed, and fire swooshed down from heaven, devoured the offering, the water, and the very stones.
AWESOME.
But something new jumped out at me yesterday. After the priests of Baal were killed, after everyone fled, Elijah and his servant prayed again. See, it was time for the promised rain to come. Time for the drought to end. Time to bring relief for the people.
So Elijah fell to his knees and beseeched God. God, the Lord, who had just an hour earlier sent heavenly fire for him. God, the Lord, who had led him here. God, the Lord, who had promised, “And then you’ll pray again, and I’ll send the rains.”
Elijah prayed. And his servant looked out over the sea and said, “Nothing. Not a cloud on the horizon.”
So Elijah prayed again. Still, there was nothing. So he prayed again. And again. And again. And again. Each time, his servant went to check the horizon. Each time, he saw . . . absolutely . . . nothing.
This is what hit me. Seven times Elijah had to pray before that mist began to rise out of the sea. Seven times! Do you think he was wondering what was taking so long? I mean, the fire had been immediate. So why the wait now? Why was God not listening? Had He changed His mind and not told Elijah? Can you imagine that prophet looking over his shoulder and thinking, “Wow, glad all those priests aren’t watching this now.”
Okay, so Elijah may not have had those thoughts, LOL, but I probably would have. I probably would have thought round about prayer number four, “God, You promised! You promised!! ‘Pray for rain,’ You said, ‘and I’ll make it rain.’ Well, I’m praying–so where’s the rain?!”
But Elijah was faithful. We don’t know how long each of these prayers was, but I have a feeling it was a little more in depth than, “Oh, Lord, please let it rain!” 😉 This man was prostrate before the Lord, begging. Begging for the rains to come.
What if he had given up? What if he said, “Sigh. Maybe the Lord doesn’t want me to be a prophet anymore.”? Had he only prayed, say, five times, what would have become of Israel?
Doubt, discouragement is natural–the very next day, when Elijah hears that Jezebel is out to kill him, he forgets to pray and just runs. Runs. Even though God sent the fire, sent the rain, Elijah doesn’t even think to ask him to save his life. But God catches up with him on the mountain he runs to, after sustaining him during the run.
God’s always there while we’re running. He’s there while we’re hiding in the cave. He’s there while we’re praying, stirring up the mists, even though we can’t see them yet. He’s there. Not in the whirlwind, not in the earthquake . . . in the whisper. In the whisper is the voice of the Lord, just waiting for us to quiet up enough to hear Him. Waiting for us to listen. Waiting for us to wait upon Him.
How many times have we prayed for the same thing? How many times do we not see it happen and get discouraged?
But the Lord is stirring up the mists in the sea while we pray. He’s working in the mysteries we can’t understand, working within our world, our time, our reality so that everything will line up just so for us. We can’t see all that–our eyes are only human.
But He’s there. Preparing the rain.
Our part is to stay on our knees until we see it.
by Roseanna White | Jan 12, 2012 | Thoughtful Thursdays, Uncategorized
Last year when I prayed for a word from the Lord to encompass my year, I received it in a thunderbolt of realization. A chill up the spine, a near overwhelm of feeling and knowledge. I was waiting for that again this year . . . but since when does the Lord do what we expect? 😉
These past two weeks as I prayed for His message for me for 2012, I had slow, gentle trickles of inspiration–the kind I easily mistake as my own thought. But the more I pondered and prayed, the more I circled back again and again to a theme encompassed by these two words: Thirst. Savor.
I try to ground myself in the Word and in prayer daily. But so often I get sidetracked or distracted or just plain forgetful. How do I stay focused on You, Lord?
Thirst.
No one (generally) has to remind me to take a drink of water. Why? Because I get thirsty. This year I’m praying that I stay thirsty for the Lord and for His word. That I wake up every morning hungering for that quiet time with Him. That it isn’t duty, that it isn’t obligation, that it isn’t habit or rote–that it’s need. Longing. Yearning. Thirst.
But that wasn’t the only thing that I kept thinking. Because what do I do once I’ve drank of the Living Water, once I’ve imbibed from the Word? What do I do with the blessings He pours out into my soul and my life?
All too often, I get excited at first and then let the irritations distract me. I get frustrated with what looks like a lack of progress. Or with demands on my time that interfere with what I want to be doing. How do I manage that, Lord? How do I make sure I don’t just gulp down what You pour out and then forget you ever did?
Savor.
When the Lord gives us a gift, we shouldn’t act like my 3-yr-old boy does on Christmas and go, “Wow! Cool!” then toss it aside and beg for the next one. I know I sometimes do this, so this is a crucial word for me. I need to dwell on gratitude. To appreciate each and every place God puts me in, and each thing He brings into my life. To savor.
I’m yearning, Lord, and I’m lingering on what You give me, tell me, show me when I seek You. I’m thirsting. I’m savoring. And with Your help it’s a lesson I’ll learn all the better in 2012.
by Roseanna White | Jan 5, 2012 | Thoughtful Thursdays, Uncategorized
It’s one of those days where I’m sitting here staring at my computer screen going, “Surely I have thoughts. Surely I do. I can be thoughtful about . . . umm . . . no, that’s stupid. But maybe . . . hmmm . . . no, I don’t think so.”
Yeah, little random in my thinking this morning. In a few minutes I have to get back to the final preparation for
Walks Alone, so it’s all set and ready to go in ten days. Then it’ll be time to begin the school day–lots to do there. My little boy keeps begging me to find that one little Matchbox car he misplaced, and keeps chasing around the cats and scaring them under the furniture. So typical, LOL.
One fun thing, if you didn’t see it on my Facebook page. I’ve decided to participate in a neat little blog series this year, the goal to read a chapter from the Bible every day. I like the idea of having some accountability and discussion in my daily reading, so this just jumped out at me as a great thing to sign up for! If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s at
http://mybible360.blogspot.com/. We’ve got some fun discussion going on so far. =)
Let’s see, what else is going on this first week of 2012? I’m still praying that the Lord will reveal a word to me to encompass the year. Anyone else doing this? Have you gotten one yet? I’d love to hear about it, if so!
Oh, and if you are or know a teen writer, I’m running a fun contest over at
Next Gen Writers this week–send in a 50 word blurb about your main character and get feedback and possibly a proposal request from WhiteFire.
Okay, I obviously need more coffee. Brain is still so sluggish . . . hope everyone’s week is swimming along well!
by Roseanna White | Dec 29, 2011 | Thoughtful Thursdays, Uncategorized
Last year when reviewing 2010, I mentioned that I prayed for a word for the year–a word to live up to, or that represented a promise from the Lord. He gave me the word shine. As I went through the past twelve months, I often reminded myself that my purpose was to shine for Him, to be the mirror to His light, even when I didn’t feel like it.
Did I succeed? Well, much of that is something I can’t know. But I know the effect it had on me. And I know that I saw Him shining in my life in 2011–a lot.
At the start of 2011, I was launching Jewel of Persia. It was a slow launch, but it’s been such a blessing to watch how it’s grown and multiplied, until finally it hit the Amazon Kindle bestseller list in its category. Its ranking changes hour to hour, but it’s there. That’s so stinkin’ exciting!
I spent the first month and a half of the year writing Love Finds You in Annapolis, Maryland. I wrote it with absolutely no idea if it would be good enough, if Summerside would like it, if it was my ticket to a big publisher or if–as I’d truly begun to think–the Lord wanted me to stay with our small press. Every single day, I woke up and gave that book to Him, saying more than once that it had to be His, because I just couldn’t write it otherwise. Unlike Jewel of Persia, it wasn’t a story I wrote from a fire within me, feverishly and without the desire to pause. I agonized through every chapter of Annapolis, uncertain the whole way.
I turned it in on my son’s birthday, 11 February 2011. For the next month, I couldn’t tell you how many times I prayed, “Make me okay, Lord. No matter what happens with it, make me okay.” Because I knew that one way or another, I’d have an answer soon, and that this was my only shot with this story.
On March 15, I got the call from my agent. Summerside was buying Annapolis, and it would release 1 December 2011. Nine short months away!
But in this business, you have to always be looking ahead. Publishing lines are scheduled so far in advance, that if I wanted another book out around a year after this one, I had to get cracking now. So throughout the spring and summer, I decided on my next project, found an editor interested in it, and wrote it. I signed with a new agent, the fantabulous Karen Ball. I turned in this project to the editor super-excited about it. Got an offer for another from another. Was offered a three book deal on the one I’d just finished.
A banner year–a shocking, wow-look-how-it-all-clicked banner year. I went from having one solid lead for a contract but absolutely no certainty that I could pull it off, to having five contracted books in the works. I got to watch my biblicals, the stories of my heart, find their foothold. I got to work with some fabulous authors with WhiteFire, contracting and editing three amazing works of historical fiction.
In my personal life, I got to watch my daughter grow by leaps and bounds in her schoolwork, and my son develop a single-minded pursuit of all things with wheels. My hubby and I celebrated our 10th anniversary with an amazing weekend in Niagara Falls, and we topped the year off with a gift of kittens for our kiddos–hands-down the best gift they’ve ever gotten, they say. =)
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| Misty morning view of the American falls |
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| My parents looking on while Rowyn jumps on the couch, totally startled, and Xoe squeals in delight. |
So here we all are, another new year on the horizon. I’m praying for another word from the Lord to represent 2012, and praising Him for my year of Shining, for all that He did and helped me do in 2011. I’m praising Him for the friends I made, the friends I grew closer to, giving to him my grief over the friend I lost.
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| My friend Mary, who succumbed to cancer this summer but lives on in the legacy of faith she left in many lives. |
Thank you, Lord, for a year of reaping after so many of sowing. Thank you, Lord, for the promise of all that’s to come. Thank you, Lord, for planting the garden of my life with so many amazing friendships that have bloomed and made my world beautiful.
Thank you, Lord, for carrying me through every shadow, every valley, so that I can again glimpse and cling to Your shining light.
How was your 2011? And what are you hoping for in 2012?
by Roseanna White | Dec 22, 2011 | Thoughtful Thursdays, Uncategorized
This is the last post I’ll have up before Christmas . . . and probably the last before I do a look-back-over-the-year on next Thursday. So first and foremost, I hope each and every one of you has a fantastic Christmas and that 2011 wraps up well for you!
Excitement is building around here! What presents have arrived are all wrapped–but I’m still waiting for the elves–i.e. the mail lady and UPS guy–to deliver a few. Yikes! Cookies enough have been baked to keep us, though we’ll probably make some more over the next week. Our homeschool week is all but done, and we’ve squeezed a full week’s worth of stuff into it. All that’s left is some reading-to-her and two math lessons. Woot! We’re going to celebrate its completion by watching the Christmas Carol movie that came out two years ago, the one with Jim Carrie and computer animation. I hear it’s great. =)
A few highlights for me thus far came from my publishers. The one I still can’t talk about yet sent out gifts to all their authors, and it was just so awesome to get that and realize
I’m one of their authors! =) And then I got an email from my editor at Summerside that included the information that the cover model for
Annapolis isn’t a stock photo or hired model as I had assumed, but the friend of someone at Summerside–so cool! And better still, that the model has read and loved
Annapolis, and her kids are now calling her “Lark.” =) This greatly pleased the folks whose friend she is, and they too are reading and loving the book and referred to me as Summerside’s own Jane Austen. Talk about making my day!
Well, my plans for the day involve getting the house ready to receive guests–and kitties–squeezing in some writing, and tying up any other loose ends so we can enjoy the Christmas break. Over which I’ll hopefully get lots of writing-work done, LOL.
Merry Christmas, everyone!
by Roseanna White | Dec 15, 2011 | Thoughtful Thursdays, Uncategorized
I’ll just come out and admit it–I like getting presents. I do. That surprise of ripping open the paper and finding something underneath that you didn’t choose for yourself. That feeling of appreciation that comes from knowing someone took the time to select something for you. And, well, just getting new things. 😉
I like giving presents. I like putting thought and care into what each person in my life wants and needs. I love finding those gems–like the year we gave my mother-in-law the leg lamp from her all-time favorite move, A Christmas Story. (Or as she calls it, Shoot Your Eye Out, LOL.) I love picking things that I know will make my kids squeal with delight.
But this year . . . I don’t know. We’re trying to clear some accumulated junk from our house, so I’m rather loath to bring in new junk. You know? In years past when buying for my kids, I would often just grab things to fill out the allotted funds from, say, my grandmother. To fill up the stocking.
After throwing out all the cheap toys that had broken and giving away many of the ones they just don’t play with, I’m not doing that this year. This year, my thought is, “I’m not spending the money unless I know they’ll love it.”
I think it’s a good philosophy–accept that it means I’m still not done shopping, and there are only ten days until Christmas. Aaaaggghhhh!
For someone who grew up in a family that celebrated Christmas with
Joy and generosity (even those lean years, my Mom managed to stretch each dollar so the under-the-tree looked bursting!), I feel downright guilty sometimes for choosing an approach that doesn’t result in such bulk. I’m afraid my kids will be disappointed–though we’ve never bought them a whole lot for Christmas, given how much they get everywhere else.
They never are–my kids don’t expect a gazillion gifts from us, and we try really hard to keep their focus on the giving, the giving in honor of Christ.
Still, this year . . . my daughter’s dresser is literally bursting with clothes. Literally. I cleaned out probably half their toys, and there are still so many . . . And the rest of my family?? What do they really want, really need?
Well, we solved the dilemma for the kids with these little bundles of
Joy. The two grays will be ours. =)
I was still stressing about some of the other members of our family, but last night my hubby and I went out on our annual Christmas Shopping Date, and we came up with good things for all, I think. Things that aren’t just going to clutter, but are rather going to add meaning.
See, shopping with my husband keeps me in that mindset. He’s from a family that gives only what, and when, they think will be special. I don’t always like this approach, but shopping with him keeps me from buying junk. It makes me think about how I’m spending each dollar. I needed that–that shift in focus. Our shopping date is in its third year now, and it’s a tradition I’m going to cling to just to keep myself in line. 😉
What are your shopping traditions for this often-hectic time of year?
Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. Having successfully launched two homeschool grads, she now spends her time writing fiction, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years, as well as a fantasy series and contemporary mysteries and romances. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary.