Life through a dog's eyes

(I posted this earlier today on Writes of Passage, a historical authors group blog I share with Robin Lee Hatcher, Judith Miller, Kim Vogel Sawyer, and Tracie Peterson)

Have any of you read The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein? I'm still reading so can't give a full-blown "Wow, you must read this book!" yet, but oh, what a treasure it is so far. Especially if you're a dog lover.

The story is written from the point of view of the dog, Enzo, a lab terrier mix, and my heart was hooked at the first paragraph:

Gestures are all that I have; sometimes they must be grand in nature. And while I occasionally step over the line and into the world of the melodramatic, it is what I must do in order to communicate clearly and effectively. In order to make my point understood without question. I have no words I can rely on because, much to my dismay, my tongue was designed long and flat and loose, and therefore, is a horribly ineffective tool for pushing food around my mouth while chewing, and an even less effective tool for making clever and complicated polysyllabic sounds that can be linked together to form sentences. And that's why I'm here now waiting for Denny to come home---he should be here soon---lying on the cool tiles of the kitchen floor in a puddle of my own urine.

One more thing--have Kleenexes handy. That’s all I'll say for now.

Life has been a blur in recent weeks, and in the midst of that blur I’ve latched onto a Scripture—as I often do in trying times—and have tucked it deep inside me. Here are the verses God is currently engraving on my heart, and this after He's just told the Corinthian church that He who raised Christ from the dead will also raise us with Jesus, and will present us to Himself together with the saints:

That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. (II Corinthians 4:16-18)

What burdens are you carrying right now? What "present troubles?"

Is a loved one terminally ill? Have the doctors handed you a much-dreaded diagnosis? Is your child struggling with something in school, being ridiculed for it, and therefore dreading the start of classes in coming weeks? Is your marriage not what you expected it to be, even after all these years? Are you losing your house? Your car? Your health insurance? Are you battling depression that feels like a bottomless dark pit? Or does a loneliness stretch out before you with no seeming end in sight?

Whatever "present trouble" you're shouldering right now, take heart! Because, as the scripture says, it won't last very long in comparison to eternity. And know that you’re not carrying those burdens alone. Not hardly. We pray for each other on this blog. We, as authors, pray for you friends who leave comments, and for those who may write us personally, and for those “quiet souls” who may visit but not comment. We're in this together, and God knows who you are.

As a friend just wrote me today, though sometimes God’s mercy seems anything but mercy to our eyes, be assured that He is with you. He knows the details of your life and of your “present troubles,” and He’s working for your eternal good.

I don’t know about you, but these days I’m concentrating on not looking at my present troubles, but rather, I’m fixing my eyes on the unseen things, and I’m gaining precious glimpses of “a glory that vastly outweighs them all.”

And for those of you holding my sweet mom close in prayer…

She’s entered the hospital again (and she was just released on Saturday). She’s so very weak that the doctor has shelved the chemo and has, instead, made getting her strength back the first priority. Mom can’t fight the cancer if she can’t even eat and drink. Your prayers are coveted and so appreciated as we fix our eyes on Jesus, and on the unseen things.

Mom and me shopping in Dallas (July 2007) while attending the RWA Conference.

Women of Faith Book Club's Selection for July

I'm honored that Women of Faith is featuring The Inheritance in their book club this month.

Click here to find out more. The Inheritance is also available in audio.

When you become an antique

I'm at mom and dad's house in Atlanta (mom's in the hospital again, more on that below), but as I was walking through the house this morning, opening blinds and grabbing my Diet DP, I saw a package on the dining room table addressed to me.

Sure enough, a friend had sent me something to this address. I opened it and what did I find...

Tammy cards!? From 1964!

Lisa Campbell, you sweet woman, thank you for these cards! Lisa and I went to high school together and also worked in a pharmacy back in high school together too. Had such fun times. She says in her note tucked inside with the cards (and I'm paraphrasing), "Saw these in an antique shop and thought of you. They look just like you! Sorry for the antique comment though."

I got so tickled standing there, but I kept thinking, Bless Lisa's heart, this doesn't look like me. And then...

Oh gracious... The truth sometimes hurts, doesn't it? I've got to find yet another hairstyle. LOL! Thanks, Lisa, you gave me such a sweet gift in these cards and in your friendship through the years. Not to mention a wonderful laugh that I needed.

As I said, I'm in Atlanta. Dad called late Sunday night and said mom wasn't doing well. I drove down to Atlanta yesterday, got here about noon, and sure enough, mom was fairly non-responsive. We got her to the hospital where they determined that she had a very high fever due to an infection (somewhere). Plus she was dehydrated and hadn't been eating much either. Possibility of pneumonia is also lingering.

Long story short, they gave her IV fluids and antibiotics in the infusion area of the oncologist's office then admitted her. She has another full body CT scan today and the doctor's hoping that scan will shed some light on what's going on internally. Mom ate a tiny bit last night so that was good to see her appetite returning, however small. She had her fourth round of chemo last Thursday, and this after entering the hospital on June 21 for 11 days. She's really been through it recently and we continue to appreciate your faithful prayers for healing and strength for her.

Now I'm off to the hospital...if I can get this antique of a body (and hair, apparently) in gear!

More pics from ICRS

(Click on the pic to make it larger, then click your "back" button to return to the blog)

Walking the convention floor on Monday was fun--meeting booksellers, seeing some familiar faces among them, and catching up with writer buddies. (L to R: Danica Favorite, Cheryl Wyatt, Camy Tang, Robin Lee Hatcher, Sunni Jeffers (peeking from the back), Deborah Vogt, me, Amy Clipston)

At my booksigning on Monday (signing copies of Beyond This Moment)

From the Christy Award Dessert Reception on Saturday evening

(L to R: Joy Jordan-Lake, Lynn Austin, Tom Pawlik, Chris Fabry, Cathy Gohlke, me)

At my booksigning on Monday (signing copies of Beyond This Moment)

On the convention floor (L to R: Sunni Jeffers, me, Lori Copeland, and Robin Lee Hatcher)

Me with Zondervan author, Deborah Vogt, on the convention floor (Deborah signed copies of her first novel, Snow Melts in Spring, on Tuesday)

Me with my roomies Sunni Jeffers and Robin Lee Hatcher

The sparkly and wonderful author and editor Karen Ball

A group of writers who met for a mini-retreat before ICRS began

And lastly, the sweet Terri Blackstock and her even sweeter husband (if that's possible),Ken

And now, to write!

Back from ICRS

As of late last night, I'm back from a writers retreat and from ICRS. And though the past week was a blast, it's also great to be home again.

Word traveled fast about the Christy Awards this past Saturday night, and I returned to my hotel room that evening to find tons of emails and Facebook posts from many of you. Thank you so much for celebrating with me on From a Distance receiving the 2009 Christy Award for Best Historical Romance. It was a humbling honor and one for which I'm most grateful.

The other two finalists in the Historical Romance category were Calico Canyon by Mary Connealy and Moon Over the Mango Tree by Pamela Ewen. I've read both of these books and loved them! They're excellent! Which made being listed alongside Mary and Pamela even more of an honor.

I'd love to share some snippets of this past week with you...

Brandilyn Collins and her daughter Amberly signing copies of their new book at the Zondervan booth at ICRS

Michael Hauge, Hollywood Screenwriter and excellent teacher, sharing his wisdom (in an oftentimes sarcastic but always hysterical manner) at a writers retreat I attended before ICRS. Fabulous! If you're a writer and want to hone your craft, check out Michael's The Hero's Two Journeys.

Me with one of my Bethany House editors, Charlene Patterson.

Me with Albert de Vos, a Holland Publisher, at the Baker/Bethany House Publishing booth on Monday. Albert's company just released Rekindled in the Netherlands. Revealed releases in Dutch this fall, with Remembered following in the spring. (And you can see a picture of Within My Heart, the third Timber Ridge Reflections novel, that releases later this fall, on the right.)

Me with the oh-so-talented writer Wanda Brunstetter

Yesterday I posted a few pictures on Writes of Passage before I boarded the plane to fly home, so click over there if you have a moment. And more pictures coming tomorrow!

Who says you can't go home again

Tuesday had me traveling from Nashville to Denver for an upcoming writers conference and ICRS, and for the past two days I've been in Greeley where we used to live for 17 years. I came into town early to visit dear friends and what fun it's been! Here are a few glimpses...

(Me with Paige and Mollie, Judy, Michelle, Suzi, Eileen and Casey, Naila, Darla, Cheryl and her REALLY tall sixteen-year-old son, Grant)

I love the lifelong friendships where you can pick right back up where you started, no matter how much time has passed. Where there's comfort in knowing that the person across the table knows you--really knows you--and loves you anyway, warts and all. Heaven's hope is sweeter knowing these dear friends will be there.

As I head to Denver early tomorrow morning (to meet you, Robin Lee Hatcher, at DIA...yay!), I'll be counting the treasure of friendship many times over, and am praying even now that you have these kinds of friendships in your life too.

And while you can "go home" again, in a sense, I'm already missing my family in Nashville and am reminded that home isn't so much a place anymore...as it is people.

Much love, friends, and more pics next week from ICRS!