You make known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand— Psalm16:11
I assume you’re familiar with the quote, “The hurrier I go, the behinder I get”, from Alice in Wonderland. That’s been me the past few months, working in many directions as I prepare for Elk Lake’s publication of my novel, Colors of the Ocean. Release date soon to be announced. At least I finally got my blog converted to this awesome author website with many thanks to Tim McClain for his skill and patience. Photos taken, author bio and back cover rewritten, 3rd and final edits submitted. Check, check, check. I’m still building my social media platform using LinkedIn, and working on an email subscriber list, trying to decide who to use—Substack, MailChimp, or Constant Contact?
Believe me, I am not complaining. God has given me a wonderful opportunity and I’m thankful for this path of life He is leading me on. How blessed to share what I love to do—write—and set forth the inspiration gifted from experiences, people, places, joys, and sorrows. God has used the very worst to make the very best. This is a bit of my testimony.
In 2008, my only son, Shannon, contracted West Nile Virus. He wasn’t able to fight off the virus due to being on immunosuppressant meds because of a kidney transplant in 1992. His prognosis poor, he eventually awoke from a coma, but remained paralyzed and on life support for a year—the remainder of his life. There are no adequate words to describe the fear and deep pain of that year. But because of my helplessness and finally reaching out to God, who I’d mostly ignored for years, He bestowed hope and many miracles during those dark days. My faith journey began as I learned to trust God through the valleys, not just the mountaintops. I surrendered my life to Him and God gave me the courage and strength to persevere through and after Shannon’s passing in 2009. Then He showed me how to use those deepest emotions and rewrite the novel I’d been working on for a few years. Only this time, God was the author and I His pen and paper.
I began this blog with the simple intention of updating you on the progress of publication for my Christian Young Adult novel, an adventure that crosses an ocean and generational bridges. Instead, I’ve shared my testimony—the turning point of my life. That’s what God does. He takes over my thoughts and my heart. And I follow down whatever path he may lead me.
It’s been quite a learning experience, following, and not trying to organize and control my own destiny. But I’ve found that God knows what He’s doing, while I rarely do. His plans are always much better than mine. Not always easier, but always fulfill His purpose for my life. What is that purpose? To plant seeds of faith. To water, feed, and nurture those budding flowers. Good thing I love gardening!
True faith, true belief, isn’t possible where there’s not a daily doing of what Jesus says. They’re what make faith take root and spring to life … Neglecting the things he says, there’s no soil in which your faith can grow—George McDonald— “Knowing the Heart of God”
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