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  • Promises…Promises…

    And the king took an oath and said, “As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life from every distress, just as I swore to you by the Lord God of Israel, saying, ‘Assuredly Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place,’ so I certainly will do this day.” 1 Kings 1:29-30

    This verse introduces a solemn oath. David would confirm the previous promise he made to Bathsheba, that her son Solomon would become the next king, and he promised to settle the issue that very day. He would abdicate the throne and give the crown to Solomon and crushed the plans of his other son.

    David shows us he made the promise before God and he would keep his promise.

    This verse calls to mind that when we make a promise, we must keep it.  It doesn’t matter if it’s a small promise to go to lunch with a friend or if you’ve promised to take care of a task for a sibling or parent or if you have pledged a possession.  It doesn’t matter.  When a person breaks a promise, it’s hard to trust that person again.

    And it’s especially hard when we give promises to our small children and break them.  Children depend on their parents and guardians to tell the truth and not break a promise, no matter how insignificant that promise may be. Our children are our greatest resource.  We must treat them with kindness and care where our promises are concerned.

    David was the King, a leader.  It calls to mind our leaders today.  They rarely keep their promises and wonder why their constituents don’t trust them.  In today’s world, it’s all right to break a promise if it furthers that leader’s career goals.

    Same in the business world.  If you promise your client you will call him on a specific date..  Call.  Keep your promise.

    Have you ever made a promise you reneged on?  I have and this verse convicted my heart.  The easiest thing to do is to NOT promise unless you are certain you can keep the promise.  So the wisest thing to do is say, upfront, what the expectations are.

    Many business people use the vernacular:  Under-promise and over-deliver.  A great way to do business. I wish everyone lived by that philosophy, don’t you?

     

  • Birthday Blessings

    It seems fitting to write a blog today about birthdays. Yes, it’s my birthday but I won’t tell you how old I am. Those of you who know me…family, classmates, and friends, know how old I am so I won’t bore you with the details.

    I want to talk about a few things concerning birthdays.

    A toddler doesn’t really know what the big hub-bub is about. They smash cake into their mouths, play with the many toys but do they know it’s their birthday and they are a year older? Surely not! Then when that child gets older, he or she looks forward to their birthday. There’s cake, ice cream, friends and family and sometimes even something special like a pony ride. As that child progresses, birthdays are fun and they may even extend to a birthday “week” rather than just a single day but when a person reaches a certain age, having a birthday seems like it’s just another day. But it isn’t, really. Being remembered makes all the difference in the world.

    With social media, birthday reminders are always popping up on my screen and I try to wish all of my family and friends birthday wishes and they reciprocated today with an outpouring of words of encouragement and even telephone calls. Birthday presents? I can do without them. When I watched the number of Birthday wishes increase today, I told my wonderful husband how loved I felt. I still do.

    But then I thought about God and His role in my birth. The psalmist David said in Psalm 139:13-18 (NKJV):

    For You formed my inward parts;
    You covered me in my mother’s womb.
    I will praise You, for am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    Marvelous are Your works,
    And that my soul knows very well.
    My frame was not hidden from You,
    When I was made in secret,
    And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
    Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
    And in Your book they all were written,
    The days fashioned for me,
    When as yet there were none of them.
    How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
    How great is the sum of them!
    If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand;
    When I awake, I am still with You.

    And another verse about how God loves us in Matthew 10:30 (NKJV) the Apostle said:

    But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

    I can’t even comprehend that kind of love…that He numbered every hair on my head…and yours too! His unconditional love is awe-inspiring and I want to thank Him for my life today and I pray I can measure up to the person He wanted me to be.

    These verses prompted me to do a little study on birthday verses from the Bible. These verses have also lifted me up today. I hope you will print out these verses and have them to bless you on your birthday…an

    For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Eph 2:10 NKJV

    For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jer 29:11 NKJV

    For by me your days will be multiplied,
    And years of life will be added to you. Proverbs 9:11 NKJV

    You will show me the path of life;
    In Your presence is fullness of joy;
    At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalm 16:11 NKJV

    May He grant you according to your heart’s desire,
    And fulfill all your purpose. Psalm 20:4 NKJV

    So teach us to number our days,
    That we may gain a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12 NKJV

    With [a]long life I will satisfy him,
    And show him My salvation. Psalm 91:16 NKJV

    GODS LOVE 3 Delight yourself also in the Lord,
    And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
    Commit your way to the Lord,
    Trust also in Him,
    And He shall bring it to pass.
    Psalm 37:4-5 NKJV

    Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed,
    Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning;
    Great is Your faithfulness. Lamentations: 3:22-23 NKJV

    And finally Psalm 139:1-6 NJKV
    O Lord, You have searched me and known me.
    You know my sitting down and my rising up;
    You understand my thought afar off.
    You comprehend my path and my lying down,
    And are acquainted with all my ways.
    For there is not a word on my tongue,
    But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.
    You have hedged me behind and before,
    And laid Your hand upon me.
    Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
    It is high, I cannot attain it.

    No matter when your birthday is, I’m wishing you a very Happy Birthday with God’s love and peace in your life.

  • Military mourning.

    And they mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son, for the people of the Lord and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword. 2 Sam 1:12 NKJV

    The context of this verse is that King Saul of Israel and his son Jonathan died in battle with the Philistines.  David, who would be the next King of Israel, and his men are those who are mourning, fasting and weeping for the two men.

    David loved King Saul, and he was a best friend to Jonathan and it hit him harder because he lost both of them.

    Those of us who have lost someone dear to us can relate to this verse.  And while I have not lost a dear one in battle, there are many that have.

    It seems fitting that we talk about men and women lost in battle.  Any family who loses a loved one in war is a tragedy.  But a family who loses all of their children at one time is unthinkable. That’s just what happened to the Sullivan family during World War II.

    While the Sullivan boys stipulated they wanted to serve together in January 1942, they were all lost at sea when their ship, the USS Juneau, sunk in November 1942.

    Several years after the Sullivan parents lost their entire family, and another family lost four members of their family, the military adopted the sole survivor policy which is a set of regulations designed to protect members of a family from the draft or from combat duty if they have already lost family members in military service.

    Parents who lose a baby or a child are overwrought with the pain of loss but to lose five sons in one fell swoop, I can’t even imagine the pain of suffering that family endured. Some may say, it was a long time ago or time has a way of healing.  That may be true to some extent but a parent who loses a child whether that child is a baby, child or an adult, can’t ever be consoled and time doesn’t heal.  It only covers the grief until the anniversary of their child’s birth or death.

    Parents who have lost children have said it never goes away and I believe them.  It’s always there, in the corner of their heart. Jumping into the forefront of their minds when they least expect it.  Something or someone will trigger a memory and grief rushes into their hearts.

    May we all have an extra measure of compassion for those parents who have lost a child.

     

     

  • God’s timing.

    Then she made a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.”  1 Sam 1:11 NKJV

    Let’s put this verse in context first and I’m paraphrasing here:

    Hannah was one of two wives to Elkanah.  In ancient Israel, the practice of polygamy was common. While Elkanah’s other wife had children, Hannah was barren.  The other wife derided Hannah because of her barrenness.  And while this is cruel and unjust today’s society, in ancient times when a woman was barren, it brought shame to her.

    The family had gone to Shiloh to bring a sacrifice to the Lord God which was their custom. Elkanah gave a double portion of blessing (meaning food) to Hannah because he loved her and because she was barren and looked upon with derision. But Hannah wept and would not eat.  She begged God to open her womb.

    That’s what this verse is about.  Hannah begged God to give her a child who she promised would be given to Him, consecrated as a Nazarite and set apart for God.

    God did open her womb and gave her a son named Samuel. This verse is not about Samuel but about his mother, Hannah, who could only depend on God to fix her circumstances.

    What heartbreak the woman must have endured at the hands of not only her husband’s other wife but all the women in her community!  And yet, she went directly to God for help.  It reminds us to look to God when situations are dire.

    Some might ask, “Isn’t no even harder to endure?”  I would say, no, because when a no comes, I believe God has a better plan than what I proposed.  Thus, it goes hand in hand with wait.

    Do you go directly to God when you are in dire situations or do you go to your friends for counsel?  Who is better prepared to handle your situation?

    What are your thoughts? 

     

  • The Human Spirit

    Never underestimate the power of the human spirit!  There are those who, when burdened with an overwhelming life event come through it stronger and more able to stand against the next crazy life event that could have them crawling on their knees. Then there are others who, when dealt a crushing blow, are devastated to the point of immobility and can’t rise above the situation.

    When a person has a life-threatening health crisis, like latter stage cancer, does that person stand up and fight it with their last breath or do they resign themselves to their bed to die?

    In a health crisis, we never see those who have lost their battle to cancer without a fight.  Some retreat into themselves to waste away and die with their family and friends dismayed they wouldn’t fight to live…not only for their family and friends but for themselves.  Some give up when their friends and family never wanted them to give up.  Others fight until their last breath. Even though they lose the battle, they have fought.  Even through death, they have risen above their circumstances. If you’re suffering from cancer, fight the good fight, be strong, and give yourself and your family hope!

    A couple of great examples of high-profile individuals who had fought the fight to their last breath.  Farrah Fawcett looked for every known cure and Patrick Swayze continued to work throughout his treatment.  Both lost their battle with cancer but did so with dignity and strength.

    What about when a kid is bullied?  Does he constructively fight back or does he retreat into himself possibly committing suicide?

    We often hear about kids committing suicide because they were bullied.  Sometimes it’s a genuine wish to shed light on bullying and how awful it is for the kid’s family and friends.  But oftentimes, it’s a political entreaty to advance someone’s agenda which is totally not cool.

    But what about the kids who rise above the bullying?  Why don’t we hear about those kids?  Today I watched a video of an 11-year-old kid who took free violin lessons because the kids at school bullied him because he had cancer.  Kids can be cruel and merciless.  They have no filters or have not been taught any filters.  But this boy made my heart sing.  He appeared on America’s Got Talent and blew everyone away with his violin playing.  He made it to the television show.  What an example of how the human spirit can overcome.  This boy chose music to overcome his heartache over being bullied. Other’s may choose sports or some other positive way to overcome.

    What about when a person has lost every possession to a hurricane, tornado, or flooding? Does the person retreat to a homeless shelter never to be heard from again or does he take action and rebuild his home and his life?

    When a person loses everything, it is total defeat. They have nothing.  No clothing, no memorabilia, no means of personal identification. They become lost. How do they come back from such a devastating life event?

    Personally, I trust in the Lord when some life event brings me lower than dirt.  I know it works.  It gives me peace and strength.  God gives us what we need when we need it if we call on Him to help in our time of need.

    Several years ago, my 61-year-old husband lost his job.  I was afraid at first then I remembered God had it all in the palm of His hand.  I told my husband we’d pray about it and let God lead us.  And lead us, He did.  My husband got a job offer not three weeks later.  To say it was a miracle is an understatement.  Who hires a 61-year-old man who is almost ready to retire in a few years? God can do anything, even heal the sick and restore a home.

    I don’t know if any of the people described here trusted in the Lord but I believe the Lord gives us strength and power to overcome.  It comes from within.  It comes from Him.

    What are your thoughts on where your strength comes from?

     

     

  • A model daughter-in-law

     But Ruth said:

    “Entreat me not to leave you,
    Or to turn back from following after you;
    For wherever you go, I will go;
    And wherever you lodge, I will lodge;
    Your people shall be my people,
    And your God, my God.  Ruth 1:16 NKJV

    This verse was the response to her mother-in-law, Naomi, who had lost not only her husband but also her only two sons.  Naomi wanted her two daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth, to stay in Moab, the country of their birth.  But she, Naomi would travel to her hometown of Bethlehem.  In those days a childless widow was among the lowest and most disadvantaged. They had no support you and had to live on the generosity of strangers. Thus, Naomi was desperate and had to leave but didn’t want Ruth or Orpah to come with her as they had family in Moab.

    But Ruth’s dedication to remain with Naomi was the noble and loving commitment of a daughter-in-law to a mother-in-law.  Something we lack today.  Naomi’s life and love of God made an indelible impression on Ruth.   Naomi had lost her husband, her two sons…her entire family and yet she continued to honor God.  Her character was impeccable.  She trusted God to take care of her.

    Ruth saw Naomi’s lifestyle and love for God but never gave up her gods.  But when Naomi made the declared she would return to Bethlehem, that’s when Ruth left everything behind. Her gods.  Her family. And took Naomi’s God, the one true God as her God.  And stayed with Naomi for the rest of her life.

    Her story is one that is beautiful.  She honored her mother-in-law and God had mercy on her and gave her another husband.

    The website women of noble character had these ten tips for being a better daughter-in-law:

    • Speak to her and about her with kindness and above all don’t complain about her to your husband.
    • Make an effort to listen to her advice – even if you don’t agree with it or take it.
    • Allow her to spoil your children as long as it’s within reason.
    • Don’t make comparisons of your parents and your in-laws either to yourself or to your husband.
    • Offer help when you can.
    • Cultivate a relationship with her by treating her as you would a girlfriend by calling or inviting her to do things with you.
    • Don’t take advantage of her good nature and expect a built-in babysitter all the time. she may not mind but don’t overdo it.
    • Don’t say negative things about your in-laws to your husband.
    • Make plans for the holidays ahead of time with your in-laws to avoid any hurt feelings.
    • Thank your in-laws for the way they raised your husband.

    How have you cultivated a relationship with your mother-in-law?

     

     

  • Lichtenstein Castle

    Castle Lichtenstein

    The last adventure on my adventure page was the last castle we toured while living in Germany. It was the weekend we found out we had to vacate Germany within 30 days (another story for another time).

    We decided we wanted to visit one last castle before the stress of moving began and we wouldn’t have time to do much sightseeing.  This one is Castle Lichtenstein (not the country of Lichtenstein, of course.) It is in the state of Baden-Wurttemberg.  That probably means nothing to you but it’s near Stuttgart—where Mercedes and Porsche have their headquarters (also another story for another time.) It’s about 40 kilometers from where we live but Julie (our GPS guide) was not helpful.  I had printed out a Google map because I didn’t have an exact address.   We knew it was west of Reutlingen.  So we plugged in Reutlingen and then stopped when we got there and try to find it using the Points of Interest feature on the GPS.  It worked.  The GPS listed the castle. Thank goodness!

    Other Buildings from the drawbridge of the Castle itself.

    As expected, we traveled up a hillside to get to the castle, parked the car and trekked the rest of the way to the entrance.    Enchanted by the German castles, as always, this last trek was no different.  “Castle Hopping” which military personnel and ex-patriots (those who were in the military or civilians who live in Germany or any other foreign country) call visiting castles was our most favorite thing to do while living in Germany.

    I’m always amazed at the size of the grounds and this castle was no different.  The outer bailey had more out-buildings than the other castles we visited.  They had converted one building from a lodge to a restaurant for visitors.  The Tudor type building housed a museum of sorts and a place to buy cold drinks.

    Castle Keep

    The castle itself is a “fairy-tale” castle.  One that easily could have been the subject of a dark fairy tale given where it sits.  It’s on the edge of a cliff and to get to it, we had to walk a bridge to the keep.  It’s smaller than most of the buildings on site but the beauty of the rooms and the artifacts were amazing.  Weapons mounted on walls along with various shields captured my husband’s attention. These remnants of the past are irreplaceable.

    What surprised me was how small the rooms were but they were so ornate.  Every available wall and ceiling was gilded or painted or a combination thereof.  The detail and intricacy of the work made me stop and stare. I didn’t know where to look first.  The other thing I noticed was how many stained-glass windows were in this castle but in the other castles, there weren’t many, if at all.

    An ornate room in the Castle.

    I didn’t have the heart to take the picture but our guide showed us bullet holes where the German army in WWII took over the castle and shot up the walls.  They didn’t see the value in the castle.  Such a waste and so sad.

    After the tour, we had a bite to eat at the cafe.  We sat outside under an umbrella.  We split an order Maltauschen (a rolled-up ravioli with spinach – the Germans call them ‘noodle bags’) with egg and a salad.  It started to rain as we started to eat but we thought we could wait it out and sure enough, the rain was just a drop here and there.

    Thank you for allowing me to share this adventure with you and taking me down memory lane that was an enjoyable and lovely day!

    View from the drawbridge to the village below

  • God is with you!

    No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. Josh 1:5 NKJV

    Joshua 1:5 is another of those Bible verses that is a promise of God. Even through trials, no one can come against you and that He will always be with you.

    To make the verse more personal, substitute “God” or “Jesus” for “I” and your name or “me” for “you” making it a personal verse to memorize and repeat when in a trial.

    For example, my life’s verse could read: “Jesus will be with me. Jesus will not leave me nor forsake me.” Or it could read: “God will be with me. God will not leave Seralynn or forsake her. And while the latter is in the third person, it’s personal and becomes a prayer. And bonus…the prayer is scriptural and praying God’s word back to Him. There’s immense comfort in it. Comfort that surpasses all understanding.

    Even in my darkest hours and there were many over the years, I always knew God was with me. And I know He’ll be with me until I breathe my last breath.

    Do you know God is with you and will be with you until your last breath?

  • Hohenzollern Castle

    The first castle my husband and I visited in Germany was Hohenzollern Castle in Hohenzollern, Germany.  Where else?

    We had been in Germany for less than two months and we were still getting over what my husband’s colleagues called the “German crud”.  But it was a Sunday afternoon, and we wanted to do something but we needed to stay close to our apartment in Bonlanden, Fielderstadt (outside of Stuttgart). There were three castles to choose from less than an hour’s drive.  We chose Hohenzollern.

    I misspelled the name when I entered it in the GPS.  Goodness but those German names are hard to spell!  I was not yet proficient in spelling the cities and didn’t think I’d ever be proficient.  Difficult was an understatement, German was nearly impossible to learn even though English has its roots in the Germanic language!

    It was one pm when we arrived and we could see the castle in the distance.  It was magnificent.  This was the first castle my husband had ever seen.  I’d seen a few when I was a teenager and traveled to Italy with my grandparents but this was different.  These castles were high on hills in a defensive position and not in the center of a village.

    We felt it was in our best interest to take the shuttle to the top of the hill where that majestic castle stood.  The trip in that shuttle was a nail-biting horror.  The road was narrow, and the shuttle was wide.  There were shuttles going back and forth not to mention people who chose not to ride the shuttle walking up to the top of the hill. But the driver was skilled and took the road’s hairpin turns with ease.  With a sigh of relief, we got out and walked toward the arched opening that perhaps had been the drawbridge centuries ago.  Going through that arched opening led us to a road that had high walls next to it.

    What’s exciting is you don’t know how long you’ll have to walk to get to the actual castle and you don’t know how high you’ll have to go.  Upward we climbed on the cobblestone “road” walking through various archways.  My romantic imagination thought those on horseback may have hidden under those archways waiting for severe rainstorms to subside.

    As we walked on we went through another archway.  This time, it was a tunnel of sorts.  It was May, but that tunnel chilled us.  On one side the tunnel had small windows that let a little light in but not much warmth and the other side had small gated cells.  I thought they housed the horses but my husband seemed to think that’s where the castle kept their prisoners.  Think dungeon and creepy.

    We kept moving in a circular fashion until we finally saw sunshine and the castle rose above us.  Seeing that huge stone castle made the walk through the cold, creepy tunnel worth it.

    The Germans had transformed the gardens on the side of the castle into an area where people could buy a meal and sit outside.  There was live music that day, too.

    We took the tour of the castle even though we couldn’t understand the tour guide. At least we could see the inside of the castle.

    The German castles are exceptional and so well-maintained.  It’s a tourist attraction but still, there are many castles in Europe which are not well-maintained. Plus there’s a large army base right there in Stuttgart to bring in even more tourists. Like us.

    We ambled along and realized the tour would take a good hour and hoped the tour would end so we didn’t miss the bus.  We did not want another escapade like the one we had in Heidelberg.  (That’s another story for another time.)

    Anyway, we climbed the stairs into the castle.  We were the last ones in and the tour guide shut the door behind us with a loud kerthunk.

    We walked into an extraordinary room. There were about fifty or sixty people crammed into that small room. We sat on wooden seats attached to the wall.  My husband pointed out the tourists were all wearing felt slippers.  I didn’t see where or how they got them and since we didn’t understand the language we were at a loss.  It’s confounding when you can’t communicate!

    I snapped photos of the room (the family tree on the wall) then I noticed the ceiling was all wood and the chandelier had real candles in it. I couldn’t imagine trying to light those things every night, not to mention the fire hazard and being burned.  But it was gorgeous.

    Buying a tour book in English would have helped us follow along with the tour guide but we didn’t even know where to buy it.  The tour guide droned on and on and seemed to describe the castle’s heritage and the family ancestry. The tour guide said something to me but I didn’t understand him and kept shooting photos.

    An elderly woman with a cane pointed it at our feet and motioned we should have slippers on. Well, we would have if we had known where to get them.  She realized we didn’t speak German, turned and pointed to the room behind us.  At that point, we saw the large wooden boxes hidden from our view when we crammed in the ancestry room.  I trotted back to the box and pulled two pair out. We weren’t being disrespectful, we just didn’t understand the instructions.

    Back in the Dining Hall that same elderly woman turned to us and motioned to the camera and said, “Ist verboten.”  We understood she meant taking photos was forbidden inside the castle. Now that bummed me out!

    I apologize I don’t have photos of the many rooms we saw but the craftsmanship of the woodwork was extraordinary.  The cost to repair or replace any of the woodwork details or the fine furniture and artifacts would be astronomical today. We were told the camera flashes have a negative impact on the tapestries and fabric so that’s why no photos were allowed. I wonder if that’s still the case especially with phone cameras.

    We came to a room with a small door.  Inside that small room was a small bed (a twin size but very short) and a dressing table with a mirror.  I told my husband it must have been the King’s bedroom, but he thought it was the Queen’s bedroom.  The tour guide who said he could only speak a little English told us it was the King’s bedroom.  I would have thought it would have been more palatial, but it wasn’t. Three or four centuries ago maybe it was palatial.  I had to wonder how the lower-class people lived and I shivered.

    One of my favorite photos of this castle. I loved this circular stairway.

    We toured more and more rooms and ended up on an enclosed circular stairway that led outside but the tour guide escorted us back into the castle’s first floor where suits of armor and various kinds of weapons were on display.  What struck me was how heavy those suits must have been.  How cold in the winter and how hot in the summer?  I can’t even imagine it.  Perhaps that’s one reason soldiers died young. Who knows?

    Gold chalices, silver pieces, and place settings were on display.  It’s amazing those priceless pieces have endured all these centuries.  But in the final room, we came to a glass case with the King’s crown covered in precious jewels. Magnificent.  I asked my husband if he thought the jewels were real.  He said he thought so because it was an electronically monitored case.

    Once back outside in the courtyard, the band had moved to the outdoor dining hall, and it was curious to hear a Simon & Garfunkel song in such an ancient setting. We had a snack in the courtyard to tide us over before dinner.

    While having our snack we noticed the castle had dog bowls with water.  The Germans love their dogs and allow them in restaurants and all stores except grocery stores. And those dogs behave themselves, too.  I loved the sign above the doggie bowls.  It translates to “Doggie Bistro”.   Funny.

    The wind picked up, and we took the shuttle back to our car and another work week then another adventure in the lovely country of Germany.

     

  • Just Do It!

     Look, the Lord your God has set the land before you; go up and possess it, as the Lord God of your fathers has spoken to you; do not fear or be discouraged.’ Deut 1:21

    This verse is definitely a life verse when considering career choices or stepping out in Faith. That was me when I wrote inspirational romances. I felt ill-equipped to write. I needed instruction on how to write and how to use the language to its fullest potential. But, God gave me a vision, and I have stepped out and worked many hours to learn the craft and I’m still learning and I will continue to learn every time my fingers hit the keyboard.

    I faced discouragement from fellow writers who critiqued my work, from instructors who made it clear it was difficult to get an agent in this day and age let alone find a publisher willing to take on a new author. But the reason for writing was so strong none of those naysayers would keep me from my purpose for writing.

     

    What “land” are you trying to possess and what are your fears?