My Life, Unscripted!

It's in stores NOW!

Well, it's only in Barnes and Noble NOW, but I'm super excited about that! If you happen to be in a B&N in the month of August I'd love to hear if you saw my book! If you let me know, I'll enter your name into a drawing to win a $25 dollar gift card to Barnes and Noble (of course you'll have to use part of that to buy a copy of the book--just kidding.)

If you take a photo of the book on the shelf, I'll enter your name into the drawing 10 times!

So RUN, don't walk to the nearest Barnes and Noble...and if you're like me and the nearest one is over 100 miles away feel free to take your car! :)

Also, as you know I'm gearing up to start the blog tour for My Life, Unscripted in September, you can find out more about that here...if you're interested in joining, email my assistant, Amy amy@triciagoyer.com and she'll get you all set up!

And, if you don't have a blog, but would like to help spread the word, look what my friend Susie Larson has done:

Also this week, I received Tricia Goyer's Ezine promoting her new book. She asked us to send this announcement on to anyone who works with teen girls. My sister is a youth pastor so I forwarded the email with the message, "Tricia is a friend and fellow author. Will you consider using this book with your girls?" My sister looked into the book, got excited about it, and ordered a stack for her girls. How cool is that? And how simple it was!

Wow! how cool (and easy is that)! I'd love to send a book to anyone who would like to spread the word! You can read the first chapter here and find out more about the book here!

Look where I'm at now...

Check this out...I'm on CCM!

Tricia Goyer

4:19PM EST on July 23, 2007

This award-winning author has published several books and more than 300 articles for national publications. Her novels include A Valley of Betrayal and the upcoming A Shadow of Treason. She has led numerous Bible Studies, and her study notes appear in the Women of Faith Study Bible (Zondervan). On her myCCM.org blog, Tricia shares her thoughts about life, faith, and her writing. Add her to your myRSS reader now.

Blog Tour for To Dance in the Desert!

Meet Kathleen:
Raised in the American Southwest, Kathleen began her love affair with the desert as a child. Before becoming a writer she, among other jobs, worked in both the juvenile facility fro incarcerated girls and a home for emotionally disturved children. Mother of two, sh lives in Northern California with her husband and youngest son. Visit her blog, Reading, Writing, and What Else is There? She is a member of the CFBA, too! Give her a holler!

About the book:
“Not a safe world.” How many times had she heard it over and over again? Well, it is not a safe world and Dara Murphy Brogan knew it better than most, which is exactly why she had tucked herself away on a desert mountaintop. Now it was just her, the voice inside her head and the boxes of hastily packed odds and ends—all that was left of her pathetic excuse of a life. Hadn’t she chosen the desert because it was barren and brown and dead looking and far, far away from anyone who may have seen the news?

So what was this, this trespasser, this interloper, this wacked out earth mother doing dancing outside her window? Celebrating life and the Spirit in a way Dara never could have dreamed. Until she opened her door and met Jane Cameron.

Endorsements:
A book that makes me laugh is a joy, a book that makes me cry is a rarity. But a book that moves me to dance is sublime. To Dance in the Desert is a spectacular experience. Beautifully written, deeply moving, and warmly engaging—that this is Kathleen Popa’s first novel astounds me. That she will quickly be counted among the top caliber of Christian novelists delights me. I simply loved this book.
~Kathryn Mackel, Author of The Hidden

Kathleen Popa creates a compelling vision of a small community’s power to coax waning spirits back toward life. This gem of a novel worked on me like a dream. Popa’s evocative prose captured the nuance and complexity of transformation with equal parts mystery and truth. She conjures the deserts of Dara Brogan’s life with intimate clarity, reminding us along the way of the profound strength of what we take far too much for granted—the deep friendship of kindred spirits. This is a journey worth taking.
~Jeff Berryman, Author of Leaving Ruin

Buy The Book!

Everyone needs a little support …

I've been blessed to have many people who God has dropped into my life during the writing process. I first became interested in novel writing by a friend and wanna-be novelist, Cindy Martinusen. Cindy is now an author of five novels, but back in 1992, she introduced me to the writing world.

During my first Mt. Hermon Writers Conference I met Robin Jones Gunn. The next year I joined with Robin and a few other wonderful authors in a private email prayer group. We're still praying together fourteen years later! Robin has been an amazing mentor to me through encouragement, advice, and sometimes a kick in the pants. Her life is also an example to me. She writes and lives with grace and truth.

Another mentor is my agent Janet Grant. I was one of Janet's first clients, and she has been an amazing cheerleader, advisor, and a rock for me to turn to. Whenever I'm struggling, Janet gives me a call, "Let's look at what's happening this way ..." and she can open my eyes to seeing with new perspective.

Finally, I can list dozens others I've met: Steve Laube, Ethel Herr, Gayle Roper, Lisa Bergren, Joanna Weaver, Brandilyn Collins, Robin Lee Hatcher, Anne de Graaf, Marlo Schalesky … and others, who God has connected me with at just the right time to speak wisdom and truth into my life.

Yes, it DOES take a community to raise a writer.

Radio Interview

My newest interview for A Valley of Betrayal will be:

Thursday 26th

www.wctsradio.com

8:30 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. CT

30 minutes!!!

Live stream

With Friends like these...

Check out my friend Dena Dyer's post over at Crazy Hip Blog Mamas!

And...I have to add that I am so grateful for my friends! God has been so good to provide me with GREAT! friends for every need, for every moment! You all make my life that much BETTER every step of the way!

A friend loves at all times, according to Proverbs 17:17. But not all friends love in the same way. To round out your circle of friends, add these:

On-Your-Knees Friend. The greatest role my friends fulfill in my life is as pray-ers, says Janet Holm McHenry, author of My Prayer Buddy Devotional: For a Sisterhood of Prayer
Partners. With four kids and a busy career as a high school teacher, she says, I always have some need for prayer, and I’ve found that my deepest relationships are those with the women who pray with and for me.

Go-for-the-Gusto Friend. Your idea of a great vacation is a mountain cabin filled with good food and a big-screen TV. His is hiking to the highest peak and rappelling down. Why not join in the adventure once in a while? It just might do you some good. After all, it feels great to get out of our comfort zones now and then, right?

All-in-the-Family Friend. After her mother died, Susie Ratliff found a new friend in her mom’s sister. Our relationship has grown since Mother died, she says. Shelley is not a substitute mom, but we love each other and we’ve helped each other through grief by sharing past memories and building new ones.

Puzzle-Piece Friend. This friend fills in your gaps. Laurie Copeland, co-author of The Groovy Chicks Road Trip to Peace, says, I spent many years making friends with people just like me. But my best relationships have been with people who were my polar opposite. Like Rocky Balboa said [of Adrian], She’s got gaps, I got gaps; together we fill gaps. We may rub each other wrong at times, but we become better people because of our differences.â

Been-There-Before Friend. Mentoring expert Edna Ellison says we all need friend who’s further along in her spiritual development, who walks alongside you, counseling and guiding you toward a closer walk with God. Mentors can also lead us into a more satisfying career, help us make savvy financial and family decisions, and steer us toward Christ-centered priorities. Ellison says we can be that friend to another when we share our wisdom, no matter how small it is, with
another who needs to know what we’ve learned from God about life.’


Read the rest here!

Check out these books!

All in One Place by Carolyne Aarsen

All In One Place picks up where The Only Best Place left off.

Terra Froese had dropped out of her sister's life for nine months and suddenly shows up in Leslie's town - in jail. She has come to
reconnect with her sister and then move on with her life, literally and figuratively. But events conspire to keep her in Harland and closer to Leslie's new found life and faith than Terra would like.


and



One Step Over the Border by Stephen Bly

Meet Stephen: Stephen Bly is a pastor, a mayor, an antique Winchester gun collector and a writer.

He's mayor of a town of 308 in the mountains of Idaho, on the Nez Perce Indian Reservation. In his spare time, he pursues the three R's of ridin', ropin' and rodeo...and construction of Broken Arrow Crossing, a false-front western village near his home.

That keeps him very western. And he collect old Winchester rifles, which reflects his love of historical accuracy. He's also a fan of Jimmy Buffet music.

Stephen says about his writing, "I write about the West (historic or modern) from the inside. Born and raised on western ranches, I have both the heart and mind to describe things as they really were...and are. There are those who think the frontier has long passed and with it the ‘code of the west.’ The truth is, both are still around...and it’s fun to show that in a contemporary story. The West is so big, so diverse, so enchanting it’s a thrill to write about it in any era."

Stephen is the author of ninety-five books and hundreds of articles.

And here is a bit about the book:
Some call it CowboyLit. Rodeo cowboy Hap Bowman’s on a search for Juanita, the gal of his dreams, whom he hasn’t seen in 18 years. He seems stuck on 12-years-old and the enchanting girl he met then.

"An idiot obsession," his roping partner, Laramie Majors, chides.

But Laramie agrees to a final summer’s trek along the Rio Grande. If they don’t find Juanita during those months, Hap promises to drop the idea of the hunt for the mystery senorita. But if they find her, will she feel the same as Hap does about their years ago interlude?

In One Step Over The Border the time tested values of cowboys rub up against contemporary mores. It’s a crazy story that becomes more logical as the reader delves deeper into it. It will make you laugh and shed a tear or two.

Getting back to Hap’s pursuit . . . don’t we all have someone in the past, that we knew for only a short while, that we wish we could have known better, longer? Stephen Bly has!. So when Hap and Laramie ventured out on a quest for Hap’s Juanita, Stephen decided to invite others to go along too. Folks have been e-mailing Hap hapandlaramie@yahoo.com and asking for their own “Juanita Search Kits.”

They get a bumper sticker, magnet, bookmark, stickers, flyers, etc. It’s a whole packet of material that will equip anyone to join the fun of finding the Juanita with “the mark of God.” If they send Hap a picture of the places where they stuck their Juanita signs, they’ll receive a free copy of the book. It’s all there on the website at http://www.onestepovertheborder.com/

And there’s a very special feature on http://www.amazon.com/...some more adventures about Hap and Laramie that did NOT appear in the book, can be found on AmazonShorts in the story entitled, Aim Low, Shoot High.

Why Christian Fiction?

Someone recently asked me why I write Christian Fiction. This is what I came up with:



I write Christian fiction because humans are made up of a mind, body, soul and spirit. Inspirational novels allow me to dive into to God's work in the lives of men and women. This touches on this spiritual aspect of our human nature.



I write about the dark times of World War II/pre-WWII, and many elements of my stories come out of the true experiences of people who were there. War, death, and darkness invaded the land, but the human spirit found glimpses of hope and compassion ... and this is the core of my novels.

More buzz...

...About My Life, Unscripted!

Check out Tasra Dawson's blog...it's great!

Here's an excerpt: My Life, Unscripted. Not really "my" life, but everyone's life. Your life, your daughter's life...my fellow author, Tricia Goyer's life. This is her upcoming book and she nailed it! She gets it, she's writing about it and I love her for that. Most of us know that young girls hit their teen years and struggle. They struggle with self-esteem, depression, body image, eating disorders, insecurity, harassment, and finding their voice. We know it, we see it, and we want to help. But, the problem is that even if we've been through it, we don't always know how to help.

And Big News!

My Life, Unscripted is available now to buy at Barnes and Noble!

My Tween Central

Check out this great resource for teens...and parents of teens!

They've posted an article of mine, Chore Wars!


It's a great (and safe) place for your teens to check out the latest in books, movies and music.

They also have a newsletter just for parents. It will let you know all the scoop about what's new on the site, as well as, all the buzz on new releases.

Photo Blog...ICRS

In a word...Whirlwind.

Here's some pictures!

Me and Sunni Jeffers

Me and Robin Jones Gunn

Karen Ball

Linda Windsor and Francine Rivers

Me and Sarah Sumpolec

Sarah Sumpolec and Nancy Rue

Me and Robin Lee Hatcher

My roommate, Tamera Alexander

JOY!

And check out Camy Tang's blog...she's captured ICRS!

When opportunity happens...

From Christian Retailing:

Authors, media float ideas
Authors from Multnomah Books and WaterBrook Press met members of the media during an informal "Coke Float" dessert reception on Monday afternoon of the International Christian Retail Show.

Publicist Katie Schroder told Christian Retailing that around 25 WaterBrook and Multnomah authors, whose books release in 2007, shared stories and ice cream floats with between 15 and 20 members of the convention media.

"Our goal was to do a one-stop shop where media can meet our authors," she said.

Authors included Tricia Goyer, author of Generation NeXt Parenting and the upcoming Generation NeXt Marriage; Robert Elmer, author of Like Always; Lori Smith, author of A Walk With Jane Austen; and first-time author Amy Wallace, whose suspense novel, Ransomed Dreams, released in April

XXXXX

I'm home from Atlanta.

Okay, I got home last night 24-hours late ... after getting caught on the runway (for three hours) in Atlanta because of storms in Memphis--one of my two connections. (More about that on another blog.)

Knowing I would never make my connections, I called Northwest from the plane and rescheduled my flights for the next day. I'm glad because once we got to Memphis there were 200+ people in line looking for new flights.

Hotels were another problem. I didn't think ahead to reserve one of those two. (Save this info for next time ....) When I got to Memphis, the only thing with rooms was the $44 Travelodge--with doors on the outside and scary! But it was all they had!

They wouldn't hold a room over the phone, so I headed over. Before leaving I saw an editor from Revell. I gave her my cell in case she couldn't find a room.

In the end, I secured beds for three grateful editors. Vicki and I shared a room. There wasn't even a little shampoo bottle! No clean clothes. No makeup. No hairdryer. But I got to know the wonderful editor better. She's very nice!

As for the media event with Coke floats (mentioned above). I TOTALLY crashed it. My Generation NeXt Parenting book came out in 2006. One publistist mentioned the event at the booth, and I KNEW I hadn't been invited. Then, another mentioned it when I was at the hospitality suite for another media interview. I was just getting back from a radio interview with HomeWord when it started. So I stayed ... (my excuse was I introduced some of the new authors and helped them talk about their books ... which helped them). I pulled books off the decorative shelves and GAVE them to the media people. (Can you guess which ones? Yup, the books mentioned in the article!)

The funniest thing is that I really connected with the guy from Christian Retailing. He was super nice. He was a Gen Xer, we graduated in the same year, and I'm just three weeks older. I showed him the chapter titles and we started singing all the 80s songs. So ... oops. I didn't mean to crash or get my name mentioned ... but there you go!

Blog Tour

The Cure By Athol Dickson

Imagine a medicine that cures you of your worst vice.

One dose and you’re free. How much would a person pay for such a cure? How far would they go? Would they lie for it? Steal for it? Kill for it?

Riley Keep, former man of God, former missionary, has been a beggar on the streets for years, desperate to forget the past. His wife, daughter, work, and faith were all lost in the aftermath of one far-flung act of wickedness. Believing some things cannot be forgiven in this life, lately Riley has begun to think of giving up the ghost. Then he hears the rumors.

Miracles are happening in Maine.

An old woman fleeing a horrific monster, a lonely wife and mother tempted by forbidden desire, an impoverished lobsterman lured by tainted wealth, a young girl weighing life and death decisions, a small town cop with a murder on his hands . . . these are just a few of the citizens of Dublin, Maine, a picture postcard village slowly suffocating underneath an avalanche of hungry people searching for a miracle. But only Riley Keep will find what he desires. And only then will Riley learn if it will save him, or if it’s true what people say . . . .

Sometimes The Cure is worse than the disease.

Advance praise for The Cure:

“…well-written, intelligent follow-up to Dickson's Christy Award-winning River Rising. An involving, suspenseful take on God's transforming grace, it tackles a serious issue while providing an absorbing story.” (Library Journal)

“…unpredictable and surprising, even though clues are sprinkled throughout the book. The final twist was chilling…the author does a wonderful job weaving in the deceit and the actions of those unrestrained by ethics and driven by the bottom line…a powerful book, one that will remain on my bookshelf for a long time to come.” (Crosswalk)

“Rich with local dialect and scenery…. Dickson's approach is thought-provoking, and his prose beautifully evokes the taciturn spirit of the Mainers who people this novel….full of interesting ideas and well-developed characters.” (Publisher’s Weekly)

About the author:

Athol Dickson’s writing has been favorably compared to the work of Octavia Butler (Publisher’s Weekly) and Flannery O’Connor (The New York Times). His They Shall See God was a Christy Award finalist and his River Rising was a Christy Award winner, selected as one of the Booklist Top Ten Christian Novels of 2006, and a finalist for the Christianity Today Best Novel of 2006.

Learn more about Athol Dickson and his work at www.atholdickson.com or visit his blog at http://whatatholwrote.blogspot.com/

Buy The Cure at http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764201638 or directly from Bethany House Publishers.

Oh, and I nominate...

Camy Tang

Michelle Sutton

Gina Conroy

Cara Putnam

and

Mary DeMuth

for the Rockin' Blogger Chicks Award!

Blogger Award

Check this out! I've been nominated two different blog Awards! Wow!

Ronie Kendig nominated me for the Rockin' Girl Blogger award and Amy Wallace nominated me for the Thinking Blogger Award!

Thanks girls...

Okay, my turn, for the Thinking Blogger award, I Nominate:

Brandilyn Collins

Robin Lee Hatcher

CAN Blog

Girls, God and Good Life

Windows to my soul

Generation NeXt Marriage

Coming in January 2008!

What do you think?

Meeting God at the Ball ...

I’ve been reading through 1 Corinthians and what I read this morning perfectly summarizes what I experienced last night while sitting at the Christy dinner. First of all, it was wonderful attending with no expectations and no agenda. I was not a Christy award nominee, nor was I sitting with a publisher—as wonderful as they are! I was there with friends to celebrate friends. And to cheer on those who God used to write amazing novels for His glory.

The people in attendance wore the most wonderful dresses and suits you can imagine, but for those who I’ve had the honor of getting to know personally, what really sparkled was their hearts.

I’m not sure how many people attended, but I’m sure there were a few hundred. And what struck me the most as that I was sitting there with them … I was included, invited in. Not by any organization, but by a God who called me to this work.

A girl born in a place called Weed—a not-much-there town, born to a single mom.

A young woman who made all the wrong choices, except one … to give her mess-ups to God at 17-years-old and trust He could do something better with her life.

A former teen mom. A mom of three by age 22. A person bearing no degrees which confirm I excel at my understanding literature or have been trained in higher education.

Someone who should have won the: least-likely-to-be-a-published novelist award at my first writer’s conference in 1994 (if they’d given such a thing out). And there I was, sitting among the top publishers, top agents, top writers, feeling grateful and in awe of God-at-work.

1 Corinthians 1:28-29 says: (Amplified version)

And God also selected (deliberately chose) what in the world is lowborn and insignificant and branded and treated with contempt, even the things that are nothing, that He might depose and bring to nothing the things that are,

So that no mortal man should [have pretense for glorying and] boast in the presence of God.

Last night as I sat in that banquet room that sparkled and shined with fine china and finer smiles, I felt the presence of God. Through God’s power, and for His glory, we were there to celebrate the fact that ideas—just simple ideas—had been transformed into powerful stories worthy of acknowledgement.

God used a team, which include writers, editors, publishing staff, marketers, … and, yes, even readers to share His heart through the written word. He created a story where none existed before. He brought to life the breathings of His heart in a way readers will understand, even more than that embrace.

I had a hard time holding back the tears. From the opening prayer to the closing one, I just wanted to let the tears flow. (Okay, a few times during the prayer they did, but that’s just between you and me.)

I was there to celebrate, and celebrate I did—my friends, good fiction, teamwork, honor, and God. God who uses weak things for great purposes. God who shares His heart as we dare to take that nugget of idea He gives us, and listen as He begins:

Once upon a time …

Update and Christy Award Winners!!!

Greetings from Atlanta !

Today was another day of workshops with fiction writers. We talked about marketing, business planning, and the “other” part that comes with book editing.

I’ve also had a chance to talk with a lot of writer-friends and get free copies of their new books, yeah! It’s great to be around a group of people that can talk deadlines, sales, marketing, etc.

I haven’t been outside yet today. So, currently “ Atlanta ” means the inside of the Hyatt and the Marriott. (Okay, I did cross the street to get from one hotel to the other.)

Tonight was the Christy Awards, and all I can say is AMAZING. The friends were wonderful. The keynote by Lauren Winner was FANTASTIC. And everything else from the prayers, introductions, and awards presentation really was well-done.

And the winners of the Christy Awards ...

Contemporary Stand Alone: Winter Birds by Jamie Langston Turner!

Contemporary Series, Sequels, and Novellas: The Brethren by Beverly Lewis!

Historical: Madman by Tracy Groot!

Lits: Sisterchickes in Gondolas by Robin Jones Gunn!

Romance: The Measure of a Lady: by Deeanne Gist!

Suspense: Plague Maker by Tim Downs!

First Novel: Where Mercy Flows by Karen Harter!

Young Adult: William Henry Is A Fine Name by Cathy Gohlke!

Congrats to all the winners!

Update!

Greetings from Atlanta!

Friday, 11:42 p.m.

Today was an amazing day in Atlanta. I spent the whole day in a Donald Maass workshop with a ton of other writers. If you haven’t bought “Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook” run, don’t walk to get it. I’ve been using it to help plot my novels for a couple of years.

Afterwards, we went to Agatha’s Dinner Theater in Atlanta. It was great fun—but the best part is connecting with all my friends.

YAWN. Okay, another big day tomorrow. I just want to post and say, “HI.”

Greetings...

Greetings from the Minneapolis Airport. I'm sitting here checking email and waiting for my flight to take me to Atlanta, Georgia for the International Christian Retail Show.

I'm excited because for the next two days I'll be at a fiction workshop, hanging out with my writer-friends and also attending a workshop with Donald Maass. I LOVE his workbook, "Writing the Breakout Novel," and I've been using it faithful as I've written the last four books or so. It will be an interactive workshop, and I'll work on my third novel in The Chronicles of
the Spanish Civil War series. The title is A Whisper of Freedom.

Please pray that I'll be rested during this trip, and I'll be able to absorb this great teaching. Pray I can connect with old friends and meet new ones, and that I'll be able to let God's love shine.

I hope I can update lots over the week ... if I don't get the chance, please pray for me for next Monday and Tuesday, especially as I meet with editors about possible future projects, speak to International booksellers (my books have been translated to Spanish, French, Dutch, and German, yeah!), and sign books for booksellers.

Mostly pray for Divine Appointments. I'm heading to Atlanta with the expectation that God will do great things. I'm eager and trusting in all He does.

P.S. Finally, I interrupted writing this blog to give some of my postcards to three women who were sitting by me at the airport and talking about their favorite books. It takes me about five minutes to talk myself into jumping into conversations like this, but then I'm so glad I did. After all, who knows why I sat by these people??? God does, and maybe it will be a great connect!

Prayers, PLEASE!

I would love your prayers for July. (Yes, all of July.) Today I’ll be flying to Atlanta to attend the International Christian Retail Show. I am going to a fiction writer’s retreat, various banquets, having a book signing, speaking to International booksellers, doing two media interviews with national programs, and having three meetings with very important editors. Your prayers are SO appreciated!

Also, everywhere I’ll be will be wonderful people in the Christian retail industry. Please pray for DIVINE APPOINTMENTS. I’m eager to see what God is up to!

Mostly, I want to “spread the love” to everyone I meet. ICRS can be SO overwhelming, and I’d love to show love those who need it. I’m praying God’s love will shine through me … and that’s a lot of love!

Also, my novel is due July 21^st. (I still have 25,000 words to write.) The next day I’m heading to children’s WOW camp. And I’m leaving from there to attend a writer’s retreat in Coeur d’ Alene. That’s not mentioning the two radio interviews I’ll be doing from home mid-July, and the two articles due—one for Focus on the Family and the other for Christian Single.

Can you hear me saying, “In my weakness God’s strength is complete?!”

Where my heart is this 4th ...

Hey, YOU ... that's who I'm talking about!

Tricia Goyer here.

You know what I've been thinking about? I've been thinking about YOU.

1. You matter. You are significant, not because of what you do, but because of who you are.

2. You are wonderful. When you see yourself as God sees you, you don’t have to worry about an identity crisis. You are his child. You have amazing strengths that are unique to you.

3. You can succeed. When you take time to explore your dreams and dare to grow by trusting God to help you, you become more of the person he designed you to be. You also become a gift to those around you!

4. You are loved. Intimacy means connecting with someone who touches your heart—through communication, time spent together, and love shared. True intimacy is found when you connect with those who appreciate you for YOU. They are concerned about you and honor you in every way.

5. You are smart. We receive instruction from school, through special training, and from life. Focus on being instructed by those who want you to succeed and are willing to help you.

6. You can’t do it alone. Everyone needs a support system--friends, parents, teachers, and mentors. Also, if we ask for his help, God never makes us struggle alone. His help may be bringing another person into our life. It may be giving us the courage to deal with our bad habits or to get out of a destructive relationship. His help may be providing the strength to go to attend school, to work, and take care of yourself. Jesus is available 24/7. Just ask.

7. You need to recharge. We can’t work 100% of the time. Everyone needs to enjoy life and rest. When God created the world, he worked for six days, then rested on the seventh. He didn’t need to take that long. He didn’t need a day off. He did it as an example for us. God created within us the need to balance our work with rest. This includes a physical breather—actually setting aside time for recreation. We don’t need to feel guilty for the way we were made. Taking time to have fun is just as important as taking time to meet our other needs!

8. You can’t do it all. Perspective means focusing on what will last—especially our family, other relationships, and God. They are the things we will never regret giving our time, energy, and love to. Focus on those.

9. You matter. Everyone needs to feel that what they do is important. If you ever doubt if you are important ... just look into the face of your child. No one can take your place!

Liberating and intimidating...

Well, a few months ago my friend Jeff mentioned that I needed to read the book, The Search for Significance. I took his advice and read this book by Robert McGee. It was so wonderful and liberating! I highly recommend it.

Then, today I did a radio interview with his wife Marilyn for my book, "Generation NeXt Parenting." She does a show "Stand and Deliver." She said she's been doing a lot of political shows, and I was very refreshing after Islam experts and political experts like Ann Coulter. Okay, that was a bit intimidating, but I'm glad to know it was refreshing to talk about the issues and problems today’s parents face :-)

I’ll let you know when you can listen on-line ….

A messenger by God's choice, for God's purpose

This morning I started reading 1 Corinthians, but I didn't make it past the first three verses. You see, this week I'll be flying out to ICRS, the International Christian Retail Show. While I'm there I'll be attending workshops, banquets, and publishers' events. I'll also be signing books and speaking. I'll pretty much be interacting with all levels of Christian Retail--publishers, editors, marketing people, salesmen, book buyers, book sellers, and other authors.

It's wonderful because I see friends, new and old, and meet some of the people I work with face-to-face. It's hard because ... although I know I shouldn't seek the approval of others, I want to be appreciated. And while I know God looks at the heart, I never feel smart enough, pretty enough, or talented enough when surrounded by so many "stars." (In this business that means those who sell lots of book, have amazing ministries, and who are well-known and greatly valued.) These stars have long lines during signings, back-to-back media events, lots of big banners plastered everywhere, highlighting their work. And ... then there is the rest of us.

Can you see why I needed to dig into God's word this morning?

Here is the text: 1 Corinthians 1:1-3, The Amplified Bible

1 PAUL, SUMMONED by the will and purpose of God to be an apostle (special messenger) of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes, 2 To the church (assembly) of God which is in Corinth, to those consecrated and purified and made holy in Christ Jesus, [who are] selected and called to be saints (God's people), together with all those who in any place call upon and give honor to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:

3 Grace (favor and spiritual blessing) be to you and [heart] peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

The main message/theme God spoke to me this morning is "God CHOOSES holy messengers to speak HIS Word to those chosen BY GOD and called BY GOD."

I almost left out the word "holy" in that sentence. It's seems okay for me to consider myself a messenger, but calling myself a holy messenger, seemed to be pushing it. But these verses reminded me of three things:

1. Holiness happens through Jesus. Jesus consecrated, purifies, and makes us holy.

2. My job is to CALL on the name of Jesus.

3. And 1 + 2 = giving honor to the name of Jesus.

After reading these verses a few more times, I also became okay with the idea, especially when I saw the benefits of holy people:

1. They are given worthwhile duties, like being a special messenger.

2. They are connected with other believers local and world-wide.

3. They get grace (special favor and spiritual blessing) from God.

4. They receive heart peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus.

So how does it apply to ICRS?

--What a privilege! I am one of many who have been chosen to be a special messenger of God. One way to look at it, ICRS is a mini-gathering of those God has chosen during our moment of history to spread His Good News.

--Anything I've done, great or small, has been through Jesus. The same can be said of the others at the show. Even though there will be a lot of bling and marketing junk, if you look to the core, it's evident that Jesus has been at work in the heart of His messengers to spread His word, for the glory of His name. Looking at the numerous ways Jesus' message is going out is like seeing His work on display. How cool is that?!

--My job is to CALL on the name of Jesus. When I'm excited, discouraged, overwhelmed, tired, and joyful. If I'm focused on that, Jesus' name will be honored through me.

Finally, because of our duties and our connection in God's body, those at ICRS will get to see a glimpse of God's will and purpose.

This show should also should be a showplace of God's grace (special favor and spiritual blessing) and heart peace (from God our Father and the Lord Jesus).

Will it? My attitude change won't make or break the show, but personally I know that when I accept my calling, applaud God's work in His assembly, and see the core of Jesus-at-work in the hearts of the men and women ... then GRACE and PEACE will flow. It will flow in my heart first. And maybe it will flow to others as I join them in joyfully celebrating God's calling in them and work through them.

Time to celebrate God at work in the hearts of His messengers everywhere!

I'll keep you posted on how it goes!