We shower. Put on deodorant. Pretty clothes and makeup.
We want to look nice. Presentable.
Which is good. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to look our best when we enter our local sanctuaries.
But sometimes I wonder….
Does our Sunday finest mentality affect the way we approach God?
Sometimes, I fall into the trap of thinking that when it comes to Jesus, I have to come clean. As if getting rid of the sin will make me more worthy to stand in His presence.
Only that’s completely backwards.
We don’t have to get clean to go to God. We go to God to get clean.
He washes away the dirt. He makes us new.
Not more self-control. Not a stronger will. Not a greater determination to “be good”.
Those aren’t the things that make us worthy to stand in His presence.
The cross and the man who endured it is.
Let’s Talk: Do you ever feel like you have to make things right before you can approach God?
If you’d like to win a free copy of my debut novel, Wildflowers from Winter (released yesterday), click on over to these lovely blogs:
Jennifer Hale asks me about my favorite scene in Wildflowers and what skill/talent I wish I had.
Sherri Johnson asks me about my greatest fear and my most embarrassing moment.
Megan DiMaria asks me what compliment from a reader has meant the most and why.
I got “The Call” from my agent on Friday, October 29th, 2010. Almost a year and a half ago. In that time, my emotions have run the gamut.
Now somehow, it’s here.
Tomorrow, one of my lifelong dreams becomes a reality.
My novel, Wildflowers from Winter, will be in book stores and libraries, on Kindles and Nooks. It will be out there for anyone to see.
And my body can’t choose an emotion. It switches back and forth, like malfunctioning traffic lights. Only instead of three choices, there are hundreds.
In a genius post titled Don’t Miss the Good Stuff, my agent, Rachelle Gardner, reminds us all to savor the victories and the milestones. In the busyness that surrounds the launch of a book, especially a debut, it’s easy to forget to savor.
I don’t want to forget.
I want to commemorate the day by doing something special.
If you find my book in a store or if you get a copy in the mail, snap a picture and send it my way! I’d love to post it on my Facebook page.
If you chose the book for a book club, take a picture of your group so I can add it to my book club page.
This is not a journey to be traveled alone. Thank you so much for being a part of mine. None of this would be nearly as fun without all of you. So from the bottom of my heart, thank you.
And just for fun, here is a hodge podge of thoughts and emotions on the eve of my debut’s release. Be warned. It slowly derails. This is what happens when I’m bored and excited and weird….
Let’s Talk:What would you do, or what have you done, to commemorate the release of your debut novel? How would you make the day memorable? I need suggestions!
My friend, Jill Kemerer, is throwing me a party on her blog today! Hop on over and join the fun!
Thank you SO much to everyone who participated in the Wildflowers from Winter blog tour! Every single story blessed my socks off. The winner of the $50 gift card (chosen using an online random number generator) is….Cheryl McKay. Congrats Cheryl!
Some are warm and exciting and filled with joy. A time when everything feels like a carefree, bare-footed summer.
Some, though, are cold and barren and lifeless. A time everything feels like a gray-skied winter.
You ready for something cool about nature?
The snowiest winters produce the most wildflowers in the springtime.
God reveals truth through nature all the time.
And this is truth.
He can use those winter seasons in our lives to bring about beauty.
This is one of the themes in my debut novel, Wildflowers from Winter, which hits shelves on Tuesday, May 8th.
This is the common theme in the real-life stories people are sharing today. Every single one involves a winter season. Every single one ends with hope. And hope is an incredibly beautiful thing.
What if Your blessings come through raindrops? What if Your healing comes through tears? What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near? What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?
-Laura Story from “Blessings”
The Wildflowers from Winter Blog Tour
Amber Mauldin: according to her friends, she is passionate, courageous and committed
Becky Doughty: a warrior princess, her weapon of choice is a pen and she loves the battle, even on days when she’s left flat on her back with missing limbs….
Wildflowers from Winter: An entire family is restored. A prodigal story of epic proportions.
Camille Eide: inspirational writer, church secretary, bass guitarist, passably devoted fan of classic rock, muscle cars and Jane Austen
Wildflowers from Winter: She confesses. She would’ve liked to be called somebody’s “Princess.”
Cara Putman: author, homeschool mom, university lecturer and attorney:
Wildflowers from Winter: Hope after Miscarriage, Letting God Use Our Pain (plus a giveaway of my debut)
Cheryl McKay: screen-writer of The Ultimate Gift, award-winning author, newlywed, Facebook-junkie, and avid scrapbooker
Gabrielle Meyer: writer, mom of four, history lover & small town girl
Wildflowers from Winter: A painful experience after the birth of her daughter led to panic, fear and doubt, but Christ entered her heart and brought forth a bountiful harvest from the darkest of winters. (plus a giveaway of my debut)
Heather Day Gilbert: homeschooling, Black-Ops playing mom, writing novels about love after marriage–living beyond the vows
Wendy Paine Miller: deep thinker, conversation starter, laughs from gut
Wildflowers from Winter: God in Daffodils, Hope after Repeated Loss (plus a giveaway of my debut)
…to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. Isaiah 61:2b-3a
He truly does make beautiful things out of the dust…
Let’s Talk: Have you experienced this theme in your life? Feel free to join the blog tour! All you have to do is blog about your story and post a link in the comment section!
You can read all the blog posts on Twitter by following the #WildflowersfromWinter hashtag.
If these real-life stories have piqued your interest, my debut novel is available for preorder on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Christianbook.com, and other retailers. It’s getting really encouraging reviews so far!
Most of us get cleaned up for church on Sunday.
Excited, giddy, nervous, uncertain, tired, ecstatic, anxious, happy, encouraged, discouraged, frazzled, blissful, delirious, hyper, hopeful, insecure, optimistic, pessimistic, confused, deflated, confident, overwhelmed, ready…
Life is full of seasons.