by Roseanna White | Nov 11, 2010 | Thoughtful Thursdays, Uncategorized
Every now and then, I get tired. I get overwhelmed. I get bogged down with particulars, with comparisons, with frustrations. And that’s when the beast rears its ugly head.
Insecurity.
We all know it, right? It’s that voice that whispers in the back of our minds, “You’re never going to be able to pull this off. You’re doing a terrible job. So-and-so is so much better than you at this.” Which moves naturally into other whispered thoughts. “Why do you bother? Nothing ever works out like you want it to anyway. Just put it aside and take a break.”
I expect anyone who’s human goes through this from time to time. And if you’re like me, you can recognize it, but by then you’re already in its claws. Those voices tend to be sneaky, and they work fast. It only takes a few seconds for them to toss you into a downward spiral.
Those of us who are Christians know that when those moments strike, we need to pray, to give it to the Lord. I’ve tried quite a few versions of this. For years, I would pray, “Lord, send me some encouragement.” And he always, always did.
But lately I’ve turned to a different prayer. Lately I’ve stopped thinking that this is just a phase or a rut that He needs to pull me out of and have begun to see it’s one the enemy tries to push me into–and that I don’t have to go, certainly not without a fight. And if we fight in the name of Jesus, victory is guaranteed.
Several times over the past months, I’d done what I called with my friend, “Gave myself a time out and let God give me a talking to.” This is to combat the attitude resulting from that awful little voice of insecurity. And it works. Those feelings are never from God, so when I refuse to indulge them AND fill my mind instead with His word, with His truth . . . wow. It’s really amazing how things turn around.
Yesterday I had a headache, a mile-high to-do list, and I started hearing that nasty little whisper of, “You can’t pull this off, you know. It’s going to flop. And your WIP is just terrible, you’ll never get past chapter four.”
It only took me a second to realize this wasn’t something I had to indulge, that it wasn’t something I had to let be real. I squeezed my eyes shut then and there and prayed. I gave it all to Him, I soaked up His love, and I got back to work. (Okay, I also took a little nap to help the headache. Then got up feeling muuuuuuch better, so got back up to work.)
Fleeting thoughts need not rule us. Whispers need not find their voices in our mouths.
Because we serve the Word. We serve the Victor.
Whether we’re battling insecurity, fear, jealousy, or something more physical like exhaustion, illness, cancer, the battle has already been waged and won.
It doesn’t always feel like it–but it doesn’t have to. I have to remind myself sometimes that it isn’t about feeling. Feelings are emotions, which by definition involved motion–moving. But He never moves. He never changes. If we rest in Him, we don’t have to either. We can just be . . . at peace.
by Roseanna White | Nov 10, 2010 | Uncategorized
And the winner of Alice Wisler’s Hatteras Girl is . . .
Sheree! (neednspace@ . . .)
Congrats! I just sent you an email.
by Roseanna White | Nov 10, 2010 | Remember When Wednesdays, Uncategorized
I love Annapolis. I love the old-world charm, I love the maritime beauty, I love the ancient facades (or as ancient as facades can get in America) of the buildings. I love that when I walk along City Dock during boating season, I can hear conversations in German and French and Italian as well as Spanish and English. I love seeing the Midshipman bustling along in their pristine whites, I love seeing the Johnnies amble along with a book in front of them–yes, the students from my college sometimes read and walk at the same time. I’ve seen it, LOL.
Annapolis is a city very proud of its colonial heritage, of its importance in the wars that came after, in how it has stood strong even as Baltimore outgrew it. And I love it for that.
One problem . . . at the time I’m writing in, it wasn’t just a tourist spot for the yachting community. The Naval Academy wasn’t there yet. There was no St. John’s College. Which made me ask all knew questions. Like . . . what was College Creek called, then? Or, more importantly, College Avenue?
See, College Avenue slices right through the middle of town, a rather important thoroughfare if you’re dealing at all with the State House–which I am. In fact, one of my primary characters lives on North Street (which connects to College Ave) and teaches at King William’s School, which was (wanna take a guess?) on the other side of College Ave.
I looked everywhere I could think to. I searched through the old book I had on Annapolis. In three more provided by Google Books. I searched for maps from the era. But I couldn’t find the answer to that question. I discovered what Main Street used to be called, I discovered that College Creek used to be Deep Creek (and that Spa Creek used to be Acton’s). I learned any number of other useful facts about what was what back then–but not as concerns College Ave. Aaaaagggghhhh!
Then I found a promising link in the Maryland State Archives, which are blessedly online. A map–not quite old enough to help, but there were links to other, older maps. I clicked on the oldest one–still 90 years after my book, but the closest I could get online. And it looked good. It looked promising. That street crossing town definitely did not say College Ave. It said . . . crease?
Aaaaaagggghhhhh! Yes, this scanned map had a terrible crease RIGHT THROUGH THE NAME I NEEDED!!!!! All I could make out was “Tab” and “cle.” But that was enough to ding the bell of memory (an adage not in use in 1783, by the way, ha ha). Tabernacle! It was Tabernacle Street!!!
So, in a way that my middle school math teachers would fully approve of, now that I had my answer, I worked backward to check my work. I searched for Tabernacle Street in Annapolis, and voila! Documents verifying this was indeed what I needed. (Though heaven forbid they come up in my original searches–noooooooo.)
See how exciting historical research can be? đ
by Roseanna White | Nov 9, 2010 | Uncategorized
The Master’s Wall
By Sandi Rog
David never thought he would see his parents dragged away by Roman soldiersâand he certainly never thought he would wake up a slave. But when he’s taken to a villa outside Rome and told he will serve there, he knows exactly what he must doâeither earn or steal his freedom, so that he can find out what became of his sister. But invisible bonds hold him to the villa. His own word of honor . . . and the spirited granddaughter of his master.
Alethea already watched her father die because he was a Christian. When she learns her new friend David is one as well, she at once yearns to know about his God and wants to avoid Him at all cost, lest she lose her life as well.
âHe fights for his freedom. She fights for her life. Together they fight for each other.â
Can I just say âWow!â? Or maybe âStunning!â? I love stories set in the first century, and The Master’s Wall ranks as one of the best I’ve read to date. The characters are exactly what a reader wantsâfull of spirit, full of fire, full of temper that leads them into trouble . . . and faith that helps them through it. The setting is so richly portrayed that you’ll feel like you’ve donned a toga and are wandering through the villa.
Sandi Rog uses these gripping characters and stunning setting to execute a plot that will keep you guessing and dreaming and yearning along with Alethea and David. The Master’s Wall is so enthralling that it even haunted my dreams when I put it down halfway throughâand you can bet I finished it the next day!
There’s so much I loved about itâthe brutal reality of slavery depicted. The sweet hope of a girl whose innocence has been marred by tragedy. The enduring faith of a boy who determines to spread the Gospel, even in captivity. And when the depravity of man butts against the perfect will of God, you can bet there’s going to be a lot of conflict to keep those pages turning!
For lovers of Biblical and first century fiction, you will not want to miss this one! And for those unfamiliar with the genre but interested in history, pick up The Master’s Wall for a trip to Ancient Rome that will make it feel like home. This is one I’m going to be recommending to everyone I know.
*This book was provided free of charge from the publisher for review purposes
by Roseanna White | Nov 8, 2010 | Uncategorized
I’m straying from my usual Monday theme for a very important reason. Many of you who read this are on loops with me or see my Facebook updates so already know about Sandi, but if you haven’t heard, you need to.
Intro: I have a writer-friend named Sandi Rog. Sandi is one of the sweetest, most selfless women I’ve ever met. She approaches each moment with such enthusiasm that I often laugh when reading her gushing emails. She is quick with praise and slow with complaint. She is a true beacon of the Lord’s love.
Sandi’s debut book just released November 1, and it is AMAZING. The Master’s Wall takes you back to first century Rome and into the world where people can be killed for their faith . . . but where the fire of the Word is spreading like only the Truth can. David is a slave being trained to fight–Alethea is the granddaughter of a wealthy man being groomed to be the perfect Roman wife. But only when they fight for each other do they find their true purposes.
I’ve given a sneak peak of Sandi’s book
here and will be posting my full review tomorrow.
Now, here’s the deal. The very day her book released, Sandi was admitted into the hospital. (Not exactly the release party she had planned, but she’s been making the most of it and passing out bookmarks to everyone in the hospital–see what I mean about her amazing spirit?) They first thought she had lesions on her brain connected to her MS. Further investigation proved it to be not a lesion, but a brain tumor. There were no other masses in her body, so we were hoping it was benign.
It wasn’t. She’s been diagnosed with T-cell lymphoma, a very aggressive cancer of the blood. Her doctor thinks it’s a result of the drugs she’d been taking for MS and has reported it to the FDA. And the very day they got the biopsy results, she was moved into the cancer ward and began chemotherapy.
Sandi needs your prayers desperately. Her spirits are good, but she’s weak and tired and, well, sick. And my heart just aches for her and her family. She has four children, the youngest of whom is only a toddler. Please pray for the Rogs with me.
The outpouring on her behalf has been great, and many people have asked about helping out financially. Her response? “Just buy my book.” Which is actually selfless, because I guarantee you’ll get more out of it than the ten bucks it costs.
So. Please pray. If you feel led (or just want a really, really excellent read), buy her book. In any case, agree with me for her healing. And stop by tomorrow for the full review of The Master’s Wall.
by Roseanna White | Nov 7, 2010 | Uncategorized
Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, sheâs homeschooling her two kids, editing, 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. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her booksâŚto offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary.