Scribble and Scrambles - A Prayer For a Dark Monday

Though the accountant calls with nauseating news regarding our tax return, I will trust God.

Though the American economic situation has reached the midwest and the pressure and uncertainty of what tomorrow may bring is pressing a little too close to home, I will trust God.

Even though all the "known" avenues of security and quick-fix have dried up ... I have no choice, I will trust Him.

I will praise Him for providing what He has and for promising to provide in His time.

I will praise Him that the unsettling call was from the accountant and not a doctor.

I will praise Him that even though tomorrow is uncertain, my future is not. I know where I will spend eternity.

I will praise Him for the huge, fluffy snowflakes today, following sunshiney spring yesterday. These changes are a reminder that He is in control and does not behave as I prescribe.

I will praise Him for purring cats, a reminder that He creates with humanity in mind. For why else would a cat purr, but for a human to receive comfort or pleasure?

I will praise him for the laws of the land. Because they help protect me, even when I don't like them.

I will praise Him for His mercy and His discipline. Without His mercy I would be crushed. Without His discipline I would be a fool.

I will praise Him that He is more powerful than a phone call and a tax law. I will praise Him that He has made me His child and promises to meet my needs from His bank accounts.

Now. I feel better.

Scribble and Scrambles - Books, Books, More Books

Ane blogged the top five reasons that she knows she has too many books on her to-be-read list...

Here are mine:

5) My cats lay on my books just to get a little attention and affection.

4) I have to take a running leap to clear the stack of books near my bed.

3) The puffy gold packages on my doorstep or in my mailbox induce a blend of guilt, excitement and weariness.

2) I have books in random stages of reading in my purse, on my bedside stand, in the kitchen, living room and bathroom so that I can catch a few paragraphs while stirring, waiting or winding down.

1) I wake up with random words "tattooed" on my forehead or cheek.

But, I must say, reading is a passion, pleasure and blessing. So, as long as they keep a coming, I'll keep on a reading.

Scribble and Scrambles - A Tag-A-Lag-A-Ding-Dong

No word from Ted, yet. But he always has an open invitation to stop by for a cup o' dregs.

So here's some Friday fun. Ane Mulligan challenged me to play along. So here are the rules (hence the next line.)

The Rules:

1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages).
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people.

And here are my three sentences.

From Tricia Goyer's Generation Next Marriage

"Years ago I loved reading secular romance novels. The men in those books said all the right things at exactly the right moments. They proved their love in extraordinary ways, the chemistry was hot, and they made my heart soar."

Now I'm going to tag Kim, Chanda, That Girl (she won't be quoting Dekker), Kristi and Jordan.

Scribble and Scrambles - A Long Night in Iowa

Do you ever feel your patience wearing thin?

Right now, the puppies are junk-yard dog wrestling.

Cute, except for the following facts.

It's 10:20 p.m.

Feral Will is on the desk teasing them. Two annoying things there....desk, teasing.

Dogs get bored. What? How can they be bored when there is another dog and humans to interact with, not to mention fifty million toys? They have spent the past-half-hour, while I'm trying to get my ducks in a row for tomorrow, nudging me, disobeying me, body slamming me, and begging. Now, they have curled up and are resting at my feet while Feral knocks items from the desk onto the floor.

The remainder of the evening was spent chauffeuring and attempting to be a good parent while taking sixteen-year-old to work, then returning to pick her up from work and rushing to school for a two-part drop off, then squeezing in an errand and returning to school for a band concert -- number seventy-two this year -- (okay slight exaggeration). I love music. I love my kid. But I do not love evenings spent hauling, sitting, hauling, waiting.

It's not a surprise to me that my mind wandered during the concert. I found myself dreaming up a book plot (and writing it down), then thinking about the bills I have to pay, and then why so many of the males on stage have shaved heads, and how the guys feel about wearing gold glitter sashes?

All of a sudden the musicians spotlights completely shut down. The band continued to play, but the audience as one, turned toward the light booth....just in time to see a brave man jump up on the last row of seats in front of the sound booth, pry open the sliding glass window and launch himself in. After being mesmerized by his khaki rear end and his flailing legs, I realized that the lights were back on.

Sweet.

Who was that masked man?

Serials and Scenarios - Adam.

Adam - Ted Dekker

Shudder. Big honken chickens -- run!!!!!

My Review:

Dekker fans are in for a thrill ride. Dekker is at his best when he writes thrillers. His fantasy is good, but his thrillers are breathtaking and sleep stealing.

Adam pivots on the usual Ted Dekker standard theme of man's fall and God's extravagant grace. An avowed atheist, psychological profiler on his quest to catch the bad guy enters into places he never believed existed, especially within himself. The woman who loves him gets entangled in the increasingly tense cat and mouse game between the ever-changing status of hunted vs. hunter. Dekker covers the murderer's intriguing backstory in a multi-part news expose which amps the tension with each segement of article.

The only negative is some ambiguity in the final sewing up of details. Dekker may very well have meant to be ambiguous as he left some story lines with opportunity for growth in future novels which would be very okay by me. The climax ended on a decided downbeat, too. But to have pumped any more intensity into the scene may have been overkill.

I'm calling Adam my favorite Dekker novel -- to date, you never know what's going to tweak his creative flow next.

Haven't heard back on the interview questions. So, Ted may or may not be appearing on Friday. We'll see what shakes loose. Whether we hear from Ted or not, the book is amazingly creepy, good, freaky.

Scribble and Scrambles - Coffee Shop Thoughts

I'm sitting in a clean and delicious smelling environment. My three housemates are working. I'm stranded at a....coffee shop.

Feel sorry for me don't ya?

I scheduled an interview a half hour from home then found out that daughter number one had to fill in for a sick manager at a branch two minutes down the road just after my interview would conclude. We carpooled. (Like the back to back world's longest and shortest sentences? I thought it was pretty spiffy. Okay, carry on.) So she played on the computer at coffee shop number one while I interviewed my subject. Now I am sitting in coffee shop number two before heading to the mall to pick her up.

I've had hours of uninterrupted writing and thinking, well, not totally uninterrupted, I occasionally catch a bang, a swoosh and the easy listening music grabs my attention now and again. But I'm cleaning out my inbox, saving blog posts for future posting, writing reviews and pondering my book series.

Really pondering my book series.

The woman I interviewed today felt like an instant friend. She has shared a marriage journey and learned and grown through the process. We thought alike and connected as I shared what God has taught me, and what He has taught her. Interestingly, He used some of the same colors from His amazing "trial and error wisdom" palette in each of our lives. As we spoke, she leaned in closer and listened to what I had to say. She asked when my book was coming out.

Is that confirmation? Every time I tell my story, every time I encourage someone with the fact that life isn't over when it hits the wall, I sense that the story I'm sharing is not my own, but His. Totally His. Because if it was up to me, I'd be divorced. If it was up to me, my kids would be broken and still bleeding.

I struggle with the thoughts that my ideas aren't special, that what "wisdom" I can offer isn't going to change anyone's life let alone mind. Who am I? Some chick from Iowa who is growing more silver hair by the day and still breaking out with zits... and I don't feel any more mature than either of my daughters. My son knows what he wants to do with his life. I sometimes feel like I'm still going through the motions. My "career" is just a day job to me. Writing energizes me and terrifies me in the same breath.

But when I breath really deep and stay really quiet I keep getting a whiff of a call into speaking and writing and somehow going out from my safe little corner.

Is that why I've nearly burned out on church work? Because what I was doing is coming to an end and was preparation for what I'm supposed to be doing? And Rob...he's feeling pulled and unsure, too. What does God have in store for us? I'm positive it will be beyond us, it always is, and it will electrify and terrorize, satisfy and stretch us. He'll use what He's allowed in our lives, and He wants us to bloom, plant and multiply.

The scent of coffee fills the cafe, a hint of spring is in the damp air that hovers, dark, beyond the windows, and spiritual buzz of expectancy for something I can't put my finger on has quickened my heart.

I can't sit here anymore and think. I need to get ready...spring is just around the corner. I'm going to open a fresh page in my word processor and see what comes tumbling out.

Scribble and Scrambles - Puppy Pictures to Brighten Monday

Lola helps Grandpa (trying to get used to that word just in case it's reality in the near-distant future) with the adding machine tape he just finished working on. Then she enjoys a lovely bath.

I think these are maybe my favorite pictures, ever, of Lily. Who couldn't love this face? She's even cuter than when she was a tiny puppy. She doesn't much care for bathtime. Auntie Oh! does scrub duty.

Lily, Lola and I hope you have a good Monday.