A Look Back at 2016

This is my final post of this year and I thought I'd take a moment to look back at where 2016 has brought me as an author. This year has brought a shift for me as an author from someone who writes as a hobby to someone who is pursuing writing as a career. I don't know if I'll ever be a published author - many people try and fail - but I feel like I'm on a path to give me the best opportunity right now.

January saw the publication of Resolution Room, the first book in my new Holliday Hotel series. I have to admit that I have loved this book. I love Carol Holliday and I am looking forward to seeing what happens at her bed-and-breakfast next. This book talked about pushing ahead of God's timing, which I fear that I do too often. When we wait on Him, though, things line up the way they ought to, and I'm always surprised at how easily things fall into place.

I started an author's page on Facebook at the beginning of this year. It's been an interesting learning experience for me and I'm still developing as I explore this more. I've enjoyed the more personal contact with my readers. I look forward to utilizing this page better in the future.

Another big step for me was joining American Christian Fiction Writers. This group helps writers to develop their skills through courses, peer review, conferences, and more. I've done a couple of the email courses, but haven't utilized it as much as I should. I'm hoping to be more actively involved next year.

I also signed up with Westbow Press to publish Resolution Room in a physical format. This was an interesting experience for me. The time it took to prepare it for this put me behind schedule in some ways which has been frustrating. However, holding my book in my hand was an awesome experience.

There's something special about seeing and holding your work in your hands. To turn the pages and see your name in print is amazing. The best part is that I really felt like God was directing me in this direction. I've learned a lot from the process and can't wait to see what this leads to in the future.

Part of this process led me to sign with Merge Left Marketing to help me figure out the best way to advertise for my books better. They will be designing a website and logo for me to start with. I really like my team and I think this will be a huge step for me.

Finally, I was able to publish a new Christmas novella. This was a difficult one for me to write, but I was happy with the final outcome. I also figured out how to do Amazon giveaways and was able to set one up for this book. It was fun to do and I think I'll probably do more in the future.

I only had two goals this year: to publish Resolution Room and to write a Christmas novella. I accomplished both of those goals, plus way more than I expected! I can only praise God for the extra blessings, because I know they're from Him.

Coming up in 2017, I can't wait to unveil the new website and logo that Merge Left Marketing will do for me. I'm hoping to publish the second book of the Holliday Hotel series in February. I'm pretty far behind on it right now because of publishing Resolution Room in print. I'm hoping for another Christmas novella this year and possibly something else - if I have time. God's really been moving me out of my comfort zone and it's been an interesting year for me. I look forward to where He will lead next year. Happy New Year!

Christmas Reflections about Mary

This Christmas season my church choir did its traditional program called A Festival of Carols. This year's program was called "Sounds of the Season" and was a radio show counting down to Christmas with emails and call ins to play specific songs. I don't know if everyone realized it, but all of the emails or call ins were true stories. One was about listening to "Twelve Days Confusion" while doing Christmas baking and another was about how after a trip to a friend's house with her large family, an only child found significance in the song "Silent Night". Another was about a mom who had made her son a quilt and when he had enlisted he took it with him. One year he asked for more quilts for all the soldiers he was with. With the help of other women and some online support to help with shipping costs, she was able to meet his request.

I was able to contribute one of the stories that was shared (I even got to record my voice to be a "caller"). I wrote about deep late night reflections I would have after my son was born. I thought as we head to Christmas that I would share it again.

"I hadn't thought much about Mary as a mother until I had my own son. After he was born, when it was getting close to Christmas, I found myself looking at his little face and thinking about what Mary felt when she looked at Jesus's face. Did she look for a family resemblance? Or did she look for His glory? When I rocked my son, I wondered how Mary would have rocked Jesus. When I held his little hands, I realized that the hands Mary held had formed man from the dust of the earth. As I wondered about my son's future, I questioned how much Mary really understood of what Jesus would accomplish. As I sang lullabies, I imagined what songs Mary sang to her Son. How nice it must have been to have a perfect Son who never sinned and yet . . . how convicting. How strange it would have been to see the Son of God taking His first human steps. How unique to teach the All-Knowing God to talk - the very One who spoke the universe into existence! Suddenly songs about Mary as a mother took on a whole new meaning. To this day, they bring tears to my eyes thinking about what an awesome responsibility and privilege it would have been to be the mother of Jesus."

The story of Jesus's birth can become so familiar that it loses it's awe and wonder. God Himself came down to earth because He loved us so much to take the death penalty that we deserved so that we could be reconciled to Him. That is the most wonderful thing that He could have done. As we celebrate Christmas this weekend, take a few moments to pause and really think about what Jesus coming to earth really means. Take in the wonder of that event. And have a very Merry Christmas!

Dedication: Snowfall

I've been blessed in my life, not only with my own amazing family, but with amazing in-laws as well. Rachel had already married one of the four Lyman boys when I joined the family. She's such a warm, friendly person that she really helped a shy, young girl feel welcomed and loved. She was the first member of the family that I really felt I could sit down and talk with.

Since then, she has become a dear friend as well as my sister-in-law. She and I had a lot of similarities in growing up years and we've talked about the culture shock when you marry into a family that is so unlike your own. We've both been involved in our children's schools, both worked with kids, and both direct our churches Vacation Bible Schools. We both chase after our children and try to keep up with their busy schedules. She's been a mentor to me in a lot of ways although I'm not sure that she realizes that. I very much respect her opinion, and I always enjoy the time I spend with her.

Although we're very similar, we have our differences, too. Rachel is much more outdoorsy than I am. I'm a city girl through and through while Rachel will go hunting and camping with her family. Her family lives in a rural area of Arizona. Her children have a much different lifestyle than my own children. My kids call them the "cowboy cousins". They participate in rodeos, raise livestock for 4H, and live in the country with chickens, cows, and horses.

One year Rachel invited all the cousins to have a cousins camp at her house. All but the youngest cousins went, and they had a blast. The city cousins were so happy to do farm chores, and the cowboy cousins were happy to show their city cousins what life in the country is like. It's an experience they still talk about and I'm sure they'll never forget it.

When I decided to write "Snowfall" I knew I was going to need a little help. I can do research on some things about ranching, but I wanted the opinion of someone who lived in that community Rachel was my obvious choice. She not only has been a part of that lifestyle for years, but she is an avid reader. She was by far my fastest editor to date. I couldn't believe how quickly she got it back to me. On top of that, she's been one of my biggest supporters. I know that she reads all of my books and that means so much to me! I was so thankful for her help, and I had to dedicate "Snowfall" to her not only for her contribution to the book, but for her encouragement and support to me from the moment I published my very first book.

Thank you, Rachel, for being my friend, my mentor, my editor, and my sister! I love you.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I have so much to be thankful for. Since today is November 24th, I've decided that I'll do 24 things I'm thankful for this year - particularly with my writing.

I'm thankful for -

1. The support of family and friends. They keep me going!

2. Having a book in print!!!! This one is huge! I feel like a "real" author now. (By the way, it's available in print from Amazon now!)

3. Getting a marketing team. I signed with Merge Left Marketing and I'm so excited to see where they take me next.

4. The stories that God gives me to write. While I would never claim that the words I write are directly from God, I know that He guides and directs me as I write.

5. The likes I have on Facebook. I just started this journey this year, and I really appreciate the people who have liked my page.

6. Publishing 2 books this year. January was when Resolution Room was released (it's now in print - in case you missed #2). Just this week, I released Snowfall, my new Christmas novella.

7. Having the opportunity to meet other authors and learn from them. Authors are so great at being willing to share their own experience, and give advice to new authors. It's been wonderful to have those chances to connect with others.

8. Being part of American Christian Fiction Writers. I know that I haven't yet begun to tap into this wonderful resource. I tend to get busy and forget it's there or find the emails a nuisance. I'm hoping to get better at using it this next year.

9. Killercovers.com and they wonderful covers they've given me through the years. With my new marketing team, I probably won't be using them anymore, but I've always loved working with them and their work has been beautiful!

10. Reviews. I'm very thankful that most of my reviews are positive, but any reviews are helpful. They're so important to people looking for a book to read so if you've written reviews for my books - thank you!

11. My editors. I can't afford professional editors so I'm very thankful for the people who have been willing to come alongside me and look over my book to try to catch as many errors as they can - Kim Larsen, Ashley Beaulieu, Meghan James, and Rachel Lyman.

12. Blogging. I know I'm not always as faithful as I'd like to be with this, but I enjoy having this space to write and share a little deeper.

13. Book series. I'm working on Holliday Hotel book 2 and I'm loving it. I feel like I get to go back and visit old friends.

14. The urge to write. If it's been too long between writing sessions, there's this strong urge to sit down and write. I need that motivation.

15. Incentives. My publisher has given me a few incentives during the publishing process, which apparently I need to get things accomplished.

16. God's guidance. There have been several times where I've been dealing with the business side of writing (not my strong suit) and I've felt God directing me.

17. Tea. I know it's funny, but I love sitting down at my computer with a cup of tea. It's something that indicates to my brain that it's time to slow down and focus so I feel ready to write when I have my tea with me.

18. My husband, Joel. He helps me make big decisions and oftentimes pushes me to the next level when I'd rather sit in my comfort zone. I wouldn't be where I am now without him.

19. My laptop. I couldn't write without it! And I love having the ability to take my writing with me.

20. Book sales. Although I love writing just for writing sake, it's nice to know that the hours I put into a book are worth something. Each sale makes me thank God and puts a smile on my face.

21. Typing classes in high school. It seemed so tedious at the time, but now I appreciate being able to type efficiently. (My kids are impressed when I can turn my attention to them and keep typing at the same time, too.)

22. Time. This is my friend and my enemy. When I get busy, my writing is one of the first things that gets moved to the back burner. It makes me appreciate when I do have time to write even more.

23. Self-imposed deadlines. I rarely meet my self-imposed deadlines, but I think I'd be even further behind if I didn't have them at all.

24. Readers. I'm very thankful for each of you who has taken time to read my books. I can't thank you enough! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! God Bless!

Learning about Marketing

I've discussed before how miserable I am at marketing. I hate to talk up my works, I hate feeling like I'm bugging people, and I hate pushing for a sale. However, it's necessary. Without it, no one every hears about me. No one buys my books. And I may as well just write in a journal to pass around to my family instead of publishing my stories.

So here's what I've learned lately. Marketing is expensive. To pay professionals to do things for you is costly. I've stared at the numbers I've been given with a sinking feeling in my stomach. There's no way this is feasible - at least not for me. Thankfully, I have a friend who has a marketing company. He's agreed to meet with me and see what I can do on my own, what his company can help with me for a lot less, and help me figure out the best plan of action. I'm so grateful for this. I've learned that I can't do it on my own, so I'm looking forward to having assistance.

The other thing I've learned is the importance of you - my readers. Publishers look for at least 50 reviews on a book before they take it seriously. The most I have on any one book is 18. I need your help! If you've read my books, please, please, PLEASE take a few moments to go review them! I want you to be completely honest. I learn from the reviews as well. Negative comments help me improve as a writer.

Another way you can help is by sharing with your friends and family. The number one advertisement is word of mouth. Talk to people about the books you like. Go on Goodreads.com and give suggestions to friends who you think would like my books. Your recommendation goes a long way!

I was on Amazon yesterday and just discovered that I think I can do give aways on Amazon now. So I'm going to be looking into that as well. I'm hoping to have my first give away set up on black Friday.

Hopefully all of these things will help me develop a skill that I sadly lack, but need. I really appreciate your help. You are the best marketing I can get.

Election Reflections

Before I begin, I want to assure you that this is not really a political post. I'm not intending to justify my vote or condemn someone else's. My purpose in writing this is to remind believers of how Christians ought to view and react to any election. With all the negativity we've seen this week, I certainly don't want to add more. I simply want to be an encouragement.

Elections can be divisive. I've witnessed it on many different levels. Emotions get charged up, feelings get hurt, winners can be boastful, and losers can be angered. Christians should have a brighter outlook on these events than anyone else - regardless of which candidate they picked. We have several things that set us apart.

First, we have a heavenly focus, not an earthly one. Sometimes it's hard to remember that as we struggle through the day to day life, as we get wrapped up in current events. But we're simply sojourners on this earth. Everything here is temporary, but one day we'll be in a perfect home with a perfect king forever. Philippians 3:20 says, "But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ," Regardless of how you feel about the current political situation, this is the true focus we should have. Our citizenship is in heaven. Whatever happens here is fleeting.

Second, God is sovereign. I get so tired of Christians acting like God fell asleep while events were happening on earth, like He woke up and was surprised by what had happened. When things are good, He is in control and when things are bad - He is still in control. This is especially true in politics. No matter who is in the White House, it's because God put them there. Daniel 2:21 says, "He changes times and seasons;    he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise  and knowledge to those who have understanding;" Daniel wrote these things while he was in exile. He was living under kings who were far from godly. He could have easily said, "They're not my king." Instead, he served under them loyally, but with the understanding that his first loyalty was to God. How could he do this? Because he understood that it was God who establishes kings and it's God who takes them down. We are one nation under God, but it's not just us. Every nation in the world is one nation under God - whether they acknowledge it or not.

Third, God tells us to honor those in authority over us. 1 Peter 2:21 says, "Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor." I just finished a study on 1 Peter and I was reminded that the emperor at the time this was written was Nero. He was a vicious emperor who did cruel things to Christians. Yet they were told to honor him. They didn't have to like what he did or agree with it, but they had to respect his position. Why? Because God put him there.

Fourth, we are to pray for those who lead. 1 Timothy 2:1-2 says, "First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way." Have you ever prayed for someone who you really had a problem with? I mean, they just made you so angry, hurt you so badly, yet you prayed for them anyway. I have. I found that when I'm lifting them up to God, the issues take on a new look. First, God usually shows me where I need to change. Second, when I put them in His hands, I no longer have to concern myself with them. Third, it reminds me of Who is in control. The same goes for our leaders. If we have a problem with them, prayer keeps our focus on where it ought to be. But more than that, our leaders are constantly under attack. They have to make weighty decisions everyday! We need to pray for them daily.

Fifth, we need to be the light in the darkness. It has saddened me to see the amount of darkness in social media and across the country this week. So much anger and hatred. We don't have to be that way. In fact, we shouldn't be that way! In all that darkness, our words should be a ray of light. Ephesians 5:8 says, "for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light" Whether our candidate won or lost, our words (whether spoken or typed) should be a reflection of Christ. I think social media has calloused us to the effects that our words have on people. We don't have to see the shock, the hurt, the tears that they cause, so we feel free to say whatever we feel like. But our tongue is a fire that can cause so much damage (James 3). We have to allow the Spirit to control what we say. As the world screams hatred and brings darkness over us, we should be the light that draws people to Christ. Our words should be chosen to make people want to know more about Him, instead of being repelled from Him. Our posts on social media should be designed to point people towards the Light of the World instead of pushing them towards the prince of darkness. 

No matter if you're overjoyed by the results this week or overcome with disappointment, we have a hope that transcends anything on this earth. We should see these events in a completely different light than anyone else. Our reaction should be so different from the world that they can't help but take notice. They should see us as reflectors of His Light.

In Everything Give Thanks

I love how God prepares us for things without us even knowing we’re being prepared. Last year about this time, I gave a devotion to my Bible study group on giving thanks. One verse in particular stood out to me, and I felt led to make it my verse for the year. It was 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “in everything give thanks, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” It struck me how often I wished that I knew what God’s will was and here I had it in black and white. So as I began this year, I decided to do 365 days of thankfulness (which turned into 366 days of thankfulness in February when I realized that it was a leap year). Everyday on my personal Facebook page, I put at least one thing that I'm thankful for.

What I didn’t know was how God was preparing me for this year. The verse says “in everything”. Everything isn’t just the good and lovely things, but it’s also the difficult and hurtful things as well. I don’t think we have to give thanks for those things, but there should be something that we can be thankful for even in those moments.

So this year began with my son hurting his knee. As we prepared to see the orthopedic doctor I prayed for two things: that it would be abundantly clear what the issue was, and that my (then) 8 year old son would still be able to be an active boy. As soon as the doctor pulled up the MRI, he said, “Well, here’s where the ACL should be . . . and it’s not there.” A torn ACL wasn’t what I was hoping for, but it was abundantly clear, just like I had asked. He is too young for the reconstruction surgery. He has to be 13 or 14 so they don’t risk damaging his growth plates. So he’s now in a brace – for the next 5 or 6 years. Again, not what I was hoping for. But, the doctor said that with the brace he can play on the playground, run around with his friends, even play in Little League still. God answered my prayers, and I could only be thankful.

Then around Easter we found out that my grandpa had kidney cancer. Once again this was not a situation that I was thankful for, yet I found there were still blessings in that situation as well. My grandpa had said that he just didn’t want to do chemo. He had seen my grandma go through chemo when she battled breast cancer and he didn’t want to go through that. Turns out that kidney cancer does not respond to chemo so that wasn’t even an option. Also, kidneys are something that can be removed especially if the other one is functioning – and it was. When they did the surgery, they found that all the cancer was contained to that one kidney. After he recovered, my grandpa felt better than he had for a long time. I certainly didn’t want my grandpa to have to go through that, but I was able to see so many blessings even in that cancer diagnosis.

Also around Easter, my dad went to the hospital with severe pain. Turns out he had gall stones and pancreatitis. They had to wait for his enzymes to level out before they could do surgery, but they were able to do the surgery lapraroscopically which they weren’t sure they would be able to do, so we were thankful. He felt so much better as soon as the surgery was done. Unfortunately, his white blood cell count was climbing which is never a good sign after surgery. An MRI was done and it was discovered that my dad’s pancreas had started eating itself. Somewhere between 10-20% of the pancreas was dead  - never to heal. Even in this, the part of the pancreas that produces insulin was left undamaged – definitely a blessing.

My dad was in the hospital for 28 days as they tried to figure things out. During that time, the Awana kids gave him a poster get well card which hung on his wall. Every nurse, doctor or tech that came in would stop to read it. Then they’d ask if he was a teacher and he would explain that he taught the Bible to children. It allowed him to witness to each of them – a tremendous blessing.

At long last they began to talk about sending him home, but with a feeding tube. Dad did not want to go home with a feeding tube. For some reason, they couldn’t get the feeding tube in the right spot. They tried to position it using X-ray and were still unable to do it. Finally they decided to just pull it out. When they did, they discovered that the tube had a knot in it. The doctors were amazed. They had heard about that sort of thing happening, but had never seen it. They also hadn’t seen the knot on the x-rays. Dad just said that God didn’t want him to go home with a feeding tube either. Something he was very thankful for.

My dad soon found out just how sick he had been. Doctor after doctor told him that they didn’t know how he had survived his illness. They told him that they were passing his chart around the hospital in amazement and everyone concluded that he should have died. Yet God spared him. When they doctors would shake their head in wonder, my dad would simply smile and say, “God isn’t done with me yet”. I am very thankful that God isn’t done with my dad here on earth quite yet.

Around August, my dad was back in the hospital with more pain. His pancreas had developed a pseudocyst that had filled with fluid and was pushing on his pancreas causing it to be inflamed again. Another surgery was performed – this time a more invasive one. While my dad was in the hospital, my sister was admitted to the hospital to deliver her third baby girl. The hospital staff moved my dad to the same wing as labor and delivery. He was able to gown up and go visit his new granddaughter. It was a tremendous blessing for them both to be in the same hospital. My mom particularly was thankful for the proximity as she would run back and forth between the two of them. We were also thankful that my dad’s hospital stay was only a week long the second time.

Maybe there have been issues that made this year less than perfect, but in each of those things, I was able to see the blessings that God arrange. I think I would have missed them if I hadn’t been intentionally looking for things to be thankful for. I probably would have said that this year was a rough year, a difficult year – maybe even a bad year, but seeing all the things I had to be thankful for, I can truly say that it has been a blessed year. God was preparing my heart to have a spirit of thanksgiving all year long and I was better equipped to get through the difficulties because of it. I hope that it is an attitude that will remain with me long after this year has ended.

I encourage you to take this month to find something to be thankful each day. Or maybe God is laying it on your heart to make it a challenge for next year to daily find something to give thanks for just like He did for me. I think you’ll find that those difficult situations become more bearable, and you’ll be surprised at how blessed you really are. 

Memorial Stones: Serve the Lord

The final memorial stone was established during Joshua's final address to Israel. Joshua challenges the people to choose whether they will serve the gods in the lands of around them or whether they will serve the God who brought them out of Egypt. In Joshua 24:25, he finishes with this well known phrase, "...As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." The people all enthusiastically agreed with Joshua and he set up a stone near the sanctuary to remind the people of the vow they made to serve the Lord.

We have this verse everywhere in Christian homes. It's a great verse to have on cross-stitch, pillows, blankets, knick knacks, etc. And it is a great reminder that we have chosen to follow the Lord. But the book following Joshua is Judges and it only took one generation for the nation to forget their vow and go serve other gods. One generation. That's scary. As a parent, that is the thing that I pray for my kids most often - that they will remain faithful to the Lord.

How do we serve the Lord? How do we demonstrate that to our children so that it's more than just a pretty saying on the decoration of our homes? The first thing that comes to mind is ministry. Do your children see you involved in church? If not in church, are you involved in Christ-centered ministries outside of the church? Each of us has gifts and talents that are God-given and intended to be used to help the body of Christ. Service isn't a suggestion, it's a requirement. Galatians 5:13 says, "For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another." 

When you serve, how is your attitude? Are you grumbling and complaining or are you joyful and excited? Believe me, kids pick up on attitude quickly. If you're serving, but you seem miserable, your kids are thinking, "I'm not going to get stuck doing that when I'm grown up." If you are enjoying it, then your children will look forward to the day when they can minister to others too. What I've found is that if I'm miserable in a certain ministry, that's not where God has called me to. When I have joy while serving, that's when I know that I'm doing what God wants me to. So if you're not enjoying your service, maybe that's not where you're meant to be. Maybe you're an eye trying to be a toe. When you're able, step out of that service, and prayerfully find somewhere else to serve. Being where God has placed you makes a world of difference.

Sunday School, church, Christians schools are great, but parents are the number one influence on their children. They have more time with their kids than anyone else. So what do we teach our children when we're at home? What things are more important than anything else? When our children do wrong, do we teach them what is right by using the Bible or do we give them a list of rules? Do they see the same parents on Sunday that they see the rest of the week? Is God only for church or is God visible in the home? Believe me, I'm asking these questions for my own benefit. Serving the Lord doesn't just occur on Sundays. Serving the Lord is a lifestyle. It should permeate everything we do. It should be apparent 24/7/365. It should be seen in a desire to know God more. It should be seen in a prayerful life. It should be seen in a desire for others to know Christ. It should be seen in the way that we love others. It should be seen in true, living obedience to God's Word. 

I want my children to really, truly know God. I want them to follow Him their whole lives long. I want them to pass it on to their own children one day. I don't want them to be that one generation removed from "my house will serve the Lord" to "everyone did what was right in their own eyes". That's scary. One generation.

Memorial Stones: Unity

God is faithful. We are unfaithful. God gives us second chances. We need to obey God's Word. God is gracious (even in our mistakes). We should demonstrate unity.

The sixth set of stones in Joshua was political in nature. The conquest was over. Land had been given on the other side of the Jordan River to a few of the tribes before Israel had entered the Promised Land. It was time for them to return home. As soon as they got over the river, they built an altar of stones. This got the rest of the tribes upset and they came ready to battle. They thought that the altar was a sign that these tribes were already departing from the one true God. The tribes from the other side of the river explained that they had set up those stones as a reminder in generations to come that they are just as much a part of Israel as the other tribes were. They didn't want future generations thinking that they didn't belong to Israel. They wanted a reminder that they were one people, one nation.

I feel like I need to be careful with this set of stones, because this was a political monument, not necessarily a theological one. But I do feel like there can be some (loose) connections.

Within the local church, we need to be one body. At the church I grew up in, after communion we would always circle the auditorium, hold hands, and sing "Blessed Be the Tie That Binds". As we sang and looked around at one another, we were reminded that there were all part of the family of God We might not always agree, or get along, but we were one body. It was always a time for us forget what differences we have and celebrate that Christ died for all of us and through Him we have redemption.

Have you ever visited a church far from your own home church, maybe even in a different country, and felt that same bond? It's incredible! After my senior year in high school, we went on a mission trip to Mexico City. The youth kids there didn't have a lot in common with us, our language barrier made conversation interesting as we stumbled through our poor Spanish and they stumbled through their poor English, yet there was a bond that only existed because we shared the same Father. We had all been saved by the blood of Christ and that was enough. That is the unity we find in the Gospel.

I want to issue a warning though. Not everyone who claims to be a Christian is one, and not everyone who teaches in the name of Jesus knows who He is. There are many false teachers, false doctrines, and we need to be able to draw distinct lines between truth and lies. We need to stand firm on the Bible, and not compromise for the sake of unity.

Just like the tribes were one nation, we are one body. But when we talk about unity we need to make sure that we are unifying the body and not trying to unify with the world. There is no accord between Christ and Satan.

Memorial Stones: God's Graciousness

The progression of the memorial stones in Joshua is amazing to me. The first reminds us of God's faithfulness, that God keeps His promises. But the second reminds us of our own unfaithfulness. The third is about second chances after we're unfaithful. While the fourth reminds us to be obedient to God's Word. When we are then we shouldn't have too many of the the second and third memorial stones behind us. (Wouldn't that be lovely?) The fifth is all about God's graciousness - particularly when we get in situations we shouldn't be in.

See Joshua and Israel had been tricked. They were told to wipe out all the people in the land of Canaan. The Gibeonites knew that was coming, and so they sent a delegation who acted as if they had been on a long journey. They met up with Joshua and the Israelites and told them that they weren't part of the land of Canaan and that they wanted to make a peace treaty with Israel. And Israel fell for it. Maybe they were tired of fighting. Maybe they just didn't think that anyone would lie to them. Maybe they felt like they were too busy to stop and ask God first. Whatever the reason, they made the covenant.

When the other kings in the area heard of the covenant between Gibeon and Israel they gathered forces together and attacked Gibeon. The men of Gibeon immediately sent for Joshua, and with the new treaty between them in place, Israel went up to defend Gibeon. During the battle, God caused the sun to stand still at the plea of Joshua. Joshua 10:14 says, "There has been no day like it before or since, when the Lord heeded the voice of a man, for the Lord fought for Israel." After their victory, they put the bodies of the dead kings in a cave where they had hidden and Joshua stacked stones at the entrance of the cave.

"[T]he Lord fought for Israel." I just love that phrase. I love knowing that the Lord fights for His people. He fights for His Church. He fights for His Bride. That just gives me shivers! But the thing I love most about that, is that God fought for Israel to protect a covenant that they should have never made in the first place. He could have sat back and watched them try to do it on their own - after all, they were in that position because they rushed ahead of Him anyway. But He fought for them in His graciousness. They didn't deserve it, yet He was there.

I don't know about you, but I can be like the Israelites. I can rush ahead of God, make decisions without consulting Him, and end up fighting a battle that never should have been mine to face. I'm so glad that when I do, He graciously fights for me - not with me - for me! I wouldn't want to do it on my own.

Maybe you rushed into a relationship that has turned out to be a battle. God can fight for you. Maybe you dug yourself a little too deep in your enthusiasm to serve. God can fight for you. Maybe you made a financial decision that has become a nightmare. God can fight for you. Whatever situation you're in that you know good and well is your own fault, God can fight for you.

I want to point out one thing though. God fought for Israel, but they were still in the midst of the battle. He did miracles for them, but they still picked up their swords. God may do miracles, He may fight, but we shouldn't just sit back and do nothing. If your finances are a mess, God may provide in ways you never expected, but you should learn how to make better decisions in the future. God can change a heart in a marriage, but you better make sure that your own heart is willing to change. God may give you the wisdom and energy you need to power through the busyness you're drowning in, but that doesn't mean you should continue to overwhelm yourself.

God helps us and fights for us because He is gracious. Yet He uses those times as opportunities for us to learn and grow.

Memorial Stones: Obedience to God's Word

When Joshua placed the fourth set of memorial stones, Ai had just been defeated. Joshua built an altar on Mount Ebal, and they offered sacrifices to the Lord. On this altar (made of uncut stones), Joshua wrote a copy of the law. It was at this point that Israel gathered on two mountains (Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal) and exchanged the blessings and curses that Moses had commanded them to do before they entered the promised land. In Deuteronomy 27:26 this ceremony ends with these words, "'Cursed be anyone who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'"

We can have Scripture cross-stitched in beautiful designs all over our house. We can post beautifully scripted verses on the internet. We can put verses on our clothing, our purses, our jackets, our coffee mugs. We can have ten Bibles, Bible apps, devotion books, commentaries, and reference books all over our house. But if we don't actually follow the commands of God, it's worthless. Jesus said it Himself in John 14:15, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." We can't claim we love Jesus if we don't live by His words. It doesn't work. Instead we show Him contempt when we refuse to obey Him.

In a later letter, John goes a little further. We don't only show love for God by obeying His commandments, but we show love for others. 1 John 5:2-3 says,  "By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments.  For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome." When asked which of the commandments was the greatest, Jesus responded that it was to love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and to love others as yourself. Obedience shows love.

While not everyone in the world has access to a Bible, there are more options than there have ever been before. In America, most Christian families each own their own Bible - most likely several. We have a Bible app on every device we own. There are websites that we can go to and read the Word in multiple versions with commentary. We have so many ways to read God's Word. That makes it even more sad when we don't obey. It's right there, all around us, but we act like we don't care.

I think because we have so much access to the Word, we don't internalize as we should. Psalm 119:11 says, "I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you." It's important to have God's Word in our hearts, in our minds, because it helps us to avoid sin. I know that when I face temptation it's a lot easier to combat it when a verse comes to mind. We can post Scriptures everywhere, but unless they're in our minds and written on our hearts (Heb. 8:10) it's so easy to ignore them.

The progression of these memorial stones is amazing. First God is faithful - always. Second, we are not faithful. We will sin. Third, God gives us second chances. Fourth, we keep God's Word in our hearts so that we can be obedient to Him. When we manage to obey His commands, then we don't have to suffer through the memorial stones of unfaithfulness or be given a second chance.

I challenge you to add verse memorization to your quiet time. It can be a verse that stood out to you that day during your Bible reading. You can look up verses on a topic (maybe something that you're struggling with right now) and memorize those. You can try to memorize a psalm or a chapter that means something to you. You can even attempt to memorize an entire book of the Bible. Whatever you attempt, I know that God will bless it and use it in amazing ways.

Memorial Stones: Second chances

The first memorial stones in the book of Joshua were reminding the Israelites of God's faithfulness while the second reminded them of their own unfaithfulness and the consequences that follow. The third reminded them of second chances.

After the defeat that Israel experienced at Ai because of sin in the camp, it was time to go against Ai again. This time Joshua sought the Lord's plan before attacking. Israel was successful and this time followed God's plans. Joshua set up a heap of stones over the body of the defeated king as a memorial. Israel had been given a second chance to defeat Ai. The first time sin had caused them to fail, but they succeeded during the second time because they had followed God's will for them.

If we look back at those memorial stones that remind us of our unfaithfulness, I'm guessing that nearby there is a memorial stone of second chances.

When we sin and repent, we will be given a second chance. Sometimes it's a second chance to avoid the temptation that ensnared us in the first place. Sometimes it's a second chance to repair damaged relationships. It could be a second chance to make amends in some way. Perhaps we'll have a second chance to do what we ought to have done in the first place. Whatever the opportunity we get, I'm so thankful that God doesn't just give up on us when we fail, but gives us the chance to make it right.

Some commentators believe that part of Israel's defeat at Ai was due to Joshua not seeking the Lord's will in the first place. The first attack, he sent spies, but there's no indication that he inquired of the Lord. The second attack, Joshua received a battle plan from the Lord and followed that in his attack. Joshua was given a second chance to get the correct battle plan. Sometimes that's how we get a second chance, too. We plunge into a situation thinking we have it under control only to fail. In my case, I generally find that I fail spectacularly. Then we regroup, we seek God's help, and we get a second chance to do it the way He wanted us to in the beginning. When we refuse to go where God is leading, He often gives us a second chance to go down the path He had intended for us to travel.

We will be unfaithful to God - whether because of sin or because we choose to do things our own way. But God gives second (and third and fourth) chances. When we look back on our failures, we can also see where He allowed us the opportunity to do it again and get it right.

Memorial Stones: Unfaithfulness & Consequences

While the first "heap of stones" in Joshua was to remind Israel of God's faithfulness, the second was to remind them of their own unfaithfulness and the consequences that arise from it. The Israelites had just defeated Jericho and were feeling pretty confident. So their defeat at Ai came as a shock. When Joshua asked the Lord why they had been defeated, he found that the camp had been defiled. Eventually, it was discovered the Achan had been tempted by the wealth of Jericho and had decided to take some for himself - something that God had specifically told them not to do. Achan was sentenced to death and a heap of stones was placed on top to remind Israel to remain faithful to God.

I have memorial stones set up in my mind at the places where I've experienced God's discipline for several reasons. The first is clear. It reminds me not to go down that road again. I can look back and see the pain I was in, the distance I was from God, the problems that I caused, and know that I never want to experience that again.

Second, those stones remind me to tell others about the experience. Not to glorify my sin, but to teach others not to go down that path. I know that some will have to experience it for themselves, but hopefully there are people who hear my story and change their own course. One of those experiences that  I've spoken of before was a time that I struggled with unforgiveness. I had been hurt - repeatedly. I knew that the ones who had done it would never apologize, most likely they didn't even realize what they had done. But I held onto every offense. I lived it over and over and over again. One day I had to admit that I had grown bitter. God reminded me of how much He had forgiven me. How could I not forgive them for the little they had done to me? It wasn't easy. I had grown used to wallowing in self-pity as I replayed all that had been done to me. I sort of enjoyed it in a sick and twisted way. Whenever I started rehashing it all over again, God would nudge me, and I would begin to pray. I would pray that He would help me not only forgive, but forget. I prayed that He would forgive me again. And (perhaps hardest of all) I would pray for the people that hurt me. Today, most of those hurts are just vague, fuzzy memories and many of them, I can't even recall at all. I don't want others to have to suffer through the bitterness that I did if I can help them.

Third it helps to keep me from getting arrogant. It's so easy to find fault in others, and so easy to overlook or excuse my own faults. If I find myself feeling pretty proud of my own "goodness", all it takes is a glance over to the memorial stones of unfaithfulness to remind me that any good in me is from Him. On my own, I'm just a sinner. With Him, I'm a daughter of the King. That's humbling, and helps me to keep my focus on God instead of me.

Just to be clear, these are memorial stones that I glance at on occasion when I need the reminder. I don't go sit at them. I don't set up camp in these places. Nothing good comes from that. Staying long in these places can make one feel like they are incapable of change, and then they find themselves falling again. That guilt that creeps in and tells us that God can't possibly love us because of this is a lie. None of us are "worthy" of God's love, but He gives it anyway. None of us "deserve" to be forgiven, but He offers it freely. He doesn't want us to stay in those places. He wants us to learn and grow. He wants us to move on.

We fail, we fall, but God is faithful. We can look back on our times where we weren't faithful to learn, to teach others and to remain humble. But even in those places, God is faithful. I'm so glad that He is always faithful and that His faithfulness doesn't rely on mine.

Memorial Stones: God's Faithfulness

I'm reading through the book of Joshua right now. There are seven times where Joshua sets up stones as a memorial of an event. Each one has it's own meaning, but they all serve the same purpose. "And he said to the people of Israel, "When your children ask their fathers in times to come, 'What do these stones mean?' then you shall let your children know,..." (Joshua 4:21-22a) We do the same thing today. Washington DC is full of memorials so that when we take our children and they ask, "What does this one mean?", we can tell them about Abraham Lincoln or World War II or countless other events or leaders. My children ask me every time they see a flag at half mast, "What happened? What does this mean?" Memorials are a great way to remind future generations of past events.

Joshua's first memorial was placed after the nation of Israel had crossed the Jordan River. (By the way, it's only after Israel crossed the Jordan that they are referred to as a 'nation' in the Bible.) The river was at flood stage, yet God provided a way for them to cross. He stopped the flow of the water so that they could safely enter the Promised Land - just as He had allowed their parents to cross the Red Sea a generation ago as He led them out of Egypt. Joshua wanted them to tell their children, "...Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground.' For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over, so that all the people of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever." (Joshua 4:22b-24)

Joshua wanted the memorial to teach the future generations that God was faithful. God kept His promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God freed them from Egypt "with a mighty hand and outstretched arm". God led them through the wilderness, remaining faithful to them when they were faithless. And now God had brought them over into the land that He was giving them.

I don't think that it was coincidence that this memorial was set up before Israel fought their first battle. Memorials not only point us to the past, but give us hope for the future. As Israel went forward into battle, they were aware of what God had already done for them. And if God had led them safely to this point, then surely He would be faithful to the end. They had just seen for themselves what God was capable of doing and they had heard of the things that God had done in the past. All that remained was to see how God would fight for them in the future.

It goes beyond just ourselves and our children though. Joshua said, ". . . so that all the people of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, . . . " They would hear what had been done, and know more about the one true God because of it. And through that, maybe they would want to worship this God, too.

At a ladies event one time, the speaker talked about this passage and setting up our own memorial stones. She suggested creating a rock garden with a new rock for each time God was so apparent that we had to give all the honor to Him. She said that you could even write on the rock to remember what it stood for. Or get a jar to fill with small rocks. The purpose of these was the same as Joshua's, so that when our children ask about it (or neighbors or family or friends) we could say, "Look what God has done! He is faithful!" I don't think it has to be rocks for that matter. Anything physical that can point to God's faithfulness would work: a collection, a journal, Bible notes, scrapbook, quilts - whatever you feel led to do.

When has God shown His faithfulness to you (perhaps even when you weren't being faithful to Him)? What have you done or can you do to remind yourself about that time? What can you do to make sure that others know about it?

Life is Precious

It's an overused saying. It's nearly lost all meaning.Usually you hear it when someone passes away unexpectedly - life is precious. But do we believe it? I feel like it takes those tragedies for us to remember just how precious - and fragile - life is.

I'm no different from everyone else. The reason why this is on my mind is because someone I knew suddenly passed away this week. She had longed for a baby and been told that she couldn't have one, but miraculously, she gave birth to a healthy baby. She had five days with her precious new life before she lost her own. Life is precious. Her life was precious. Her baby's life is precious.

I get so busy. Life moves so fast. I look at my children and can literally see time passing. Calendar pages turn. Each day is ticked off. We anticipate certain dates and countdown to them only for them to pass quickly by and fade into the past. I can almost sigh with King Solomon as he says, "Vanity of vanities! All is vanity."

If life is precious, what can we do that matters in the world? Life is vapor (James 4:14). It's here and it's gone. We don't know what tomorrow brings. Sometimes it can feel that we struggle and work for nothing. What is the point? Solomon summed it up nicely in Ecclesiastes 12:13. "The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man."

1 - "Fear God". God is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb.13:8) He is the all-knowing, all-powerful, sovereign God of the universe. He alone is worthy of praise. He executes justice and yet is merciful. He protects and provides. God is to be feared as the ultimate Judge, and He is to be respected as the King of kings. When we place God where He ought to be placed, when we revere and honor Him, when we allow Him to be in charge, life looks different. It's not that it's easier, or that we never question why certain things happen, but we can trust that He's control and that He has a plan and a purpose - even if we never see it.

2 - "Keep his commandments". There are many commandments: honor your father and mother, remember the Sabbath and keep it holy, you shall not bear false witness - and those are just part of the ten commandments. What about the other commandments? Which ones were for Israel and which apply to the church? Or are they all for both? Every commandment falls under the "Great Commandment". Lawyers asked Jesus which commandment was the greatest commandment. Matthew 22:37-40 says, "And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” Love God with every part of your being and you'll live your life in obedience to His Word. Love others as yourself, and you'll follow the rest of the laws. Loving God you'll put Him first, you'll want to please Him. Loving others you'll put their interests above your own. Those two things could change the world.

That's all. That's what matters. If we fear God and keep His commands, we'd spread the Gospel which can change lives. We'd love others so strongly that the world couldn't help but see Him. We'd be bold in the Spirit. We'd be a people of prayer because we'd finally understand the power that is found when go to the Almighty God with our requests. We'd want to know His Word so that we could follow Him. The church would look so different - I would look so different. 

Life is precious. Fear God. Keep His commandments. That is the whole duty of man.

When a Book is Done

I just finished writing my seventh book. I've gone beyond being surprised that this is what I do to having a sense of familiarity - most of the time.

As I'm finishing writing a book there's always a moment of a feeling that this has been a complete waste of my time, that I've written a story that makes no sense and serves no purpose. It's a feeling that I have to power through. I remind myself that I'm where I believe God wants me to be, and if I'm doing what He wants me to, then it's never worthless. So I finish it regardless of my feelings.

When it's completed I do a read through to correct any errors I find in grammar or plot. Sometimes I may add more detail that I didn't have at the time of writing. I may add another scene or two. Usually as I read through it I have a sense of re-reading a much beloved book, one written by someone else. I'm astounded that a story that I would love to read came from me. It's an odd feeling.

After that, I send it out to my editors. When I read through my books, I know what I meant to say so I sometimes miss obvious typos. My brain automatically fixes what I wrote, and I don't even see it. So I have multiple eyes check my work before I publish it. They also tell me when they don't understand something or when I've changed a name or a plot point and didn't fix it throughout. Even with four of us going through the work, I know that we don't catch every mistake, but we do our best. Considering we're all amateurs I think we do pretty well.

When I get their notes back, I fix my errors and get the book formatted to be published. I add a table of contents, add a letter to my readers a dedication page, and a Bible verse. I go order a cover to be made. Then I'm ready to post it on Amazon Kindle and it's available to purchase.

My seventh book is my second Christmas novella. I'm hoping to have it available to purchase by November. This is the first book that when I've finished I feel like I missed something somewhere. I don't know where it is, but I just sense that there was a point that I was on the verge of making that somehow got missed - maybe that I missed the point of the whole book. There's also a major plot point that I got to the end and feel like it just doesn't work. I've never had this before and honestly it makes me nervous. I wonder if it wasn't the time for me to work on this story, or if I've gotten so comfortable with the process that maybe I didn't rely on God as much as normal, and so He wasn't leading like He has. This story has been on my mind for three years, and yet it's caused me so much difficulty. I don't know what I'm going to discover when I go to do the read through.

I never like to start the read through. It's always a bit frightening to read what I've written because I'm scared that I'll find out it wasn't as good as I thought it was. But what happens when you're not even sure it's any good? It's going to be hard to make myself sit down and look through it.

If you would, I would like some prayer. Prayer does amazing things, and when we all band together and pray in unison, it's even more awesome. Pray that God will direct as I do my read through. I want everything I do to honor and glorify Him. I don't want this to be done in my strength and my ability. I want Him to shine through in every page. Pray that I am open to His leading. Pray that this story will touch lives somehow. This is my goal. It's all meaningless if it doesn't honor God.

Abba, Father

We just celebrated Father's Day, and I have been blessed to have some amazing fathers in my life. My  father, my grandfathers, my father-in-law and my husband are all men who I love to celebrate on this holiday because of the way that they have guided, loved, protected, and cared for me and my children. I got to thinking this year about how they remind me of how God is my Father.

Growing up, I quickly learned that one of my father's roles was disciplinarian. My dad likes to tell people about how early I found out that a sweet little "I love you, Daddy" could get me out of trouble, but it didn't take long before my dad saw through my actions and realized that he had to discipline me. He loved me and he needed to teach me right from wrong. My dad likes to explain the difference between discipline and punishment. Discipline is training one to act a certain way. It can involve punishment, or it can be encouragement, advice, or direction. Punishment is a penalty for an offense committed. Punishment without discipline is a dangerous way to parent. Giving a penalty for an offense without guidance in why the behavior was wrong, what the better choice would have been, and an assurance of love is not likely to succeed in long term behavioral changes. More likely it will cause rebellion. But when punishment is coupled with discipline a child learns from their mistakes and understands why they are being punished. My dad always talked to us when he had to punish us. To be honest, that was the worst part of the punishment for me because I couldn't stand knowing that I had let my dad down. He would discuss with us what we had done, what we should have done, and let us know that he loved us - and then he would hand out the punishment that we deserved. It's not a fun part of parenting, but it's an important part. God is a disciplinarian. Hebrews 12:6 says, "For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives." It's because of His love for us that He disciplines us, and He only punishes those that belong to Him. A parent only disciplines their own child. It's a sign that we are children of God when we've been chastened by Him. Sometimes it might be a gentle a prod, a reminder of Scripture, an admonition from a friend or loved one. Sometimes it might be more serious - oftentimes it's the normal consequences of our actions. The difference between God and my earthly father is that my dad eventually had to allow me to go out in the world and not be directly under his authority anymore. I am always under God's authority! The author of Hebrews goes on to say in verse 10, "For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness." I will never be perfect on this earth, but God will always be correcting me to continue teaching me what it means to be holy.

I was born into my earthly family. I belonged to them because of genetics. My father-in-law sort of "adopted" me into his family. I have his name although I don't have his genetics because I married his son. He has always made me feel as if I truly belonged to the Lyman family. God is my Father, not because I was born into His family. I was born a sinner, separated from God. Instead I was adopted through His grace into His family. Galatians 4:4-7 says, "But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God." Although I got the name "Lyman" through marriage, I didn't have to earn it. I didn't have to buy it, pass a test, prove I was worthy, or get a degree. Once I married Joel, I was automatically part of the family. In the same way, I don't earn my position in God's family. I didn't have to give my money, prove I was holy, perform any religious rites, or go to Bible school. God redeemed me  when I was still lost in my sins. As soon as I believed in Him, I became His child. This is my favorite part. I am a daughter of the King of kings and Lord of lords. The Almighty God, Creator of the universe, not only knows who I am, but welcomed me into His family because He loves me. Not only that, but I'm not a second class citizen, but an heir of God! Doesn't that just give you goosebumps? 

Our son is the spitting image of his father. They have the same impish smile, the same twinkling eyes, the same mannerisms - they even walk the same as a friend just pointed out the other day. They share the same DNA. I do not much resemble my Heavenly Father, but one day I will. Every day He is teaching me to be more like Him, but someday our family bond will be apparent to all. In 1 John 3:2 it says, "Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is." When He returns, I will be like Him finally and no one will be able to question that I belong to Him. Sometimes I don't look much like Him, and there are people who could say that I must not be part of God's family because they don't see a resemblance. I hate that. But someday, I will look so much like my Father that there will be no doubt that I belong to Him.

One thing that all of the fathers in my life have in common is love. They love me, they love our family, they love my children. It's love that motivates them to be such wonderful fathers - to care, love, protect, guide. It is love that prompted God to adopt us. 1 John 3:1 says, "See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him." It was in His love that He gave His life for us. We didn't deserve it, but He loved us anyway. In 1 John 4:19 it says, "We love because he first loved us." It was His love that drew us to Him. He loved us before He created the world! It was only in response to His love that we loved Him back. 1 John 4:7-8 tells us, "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love." God loved us because He is love. If we want to look like our Father, we should also demonstrate love. Now, we already read that love doesn't prevent God from disagreeing with us or punishing us. In fact, it's the opposite. God disciplines us because He is love. Our world today doesn't understand that. We can demonstrate God's love even when we disagree. But our love should be so apparent that others can see God in us. 

I know that not everyone got a glimpse of their heavenly Father in their earthly father. The men in my life aren't perfect any more than I am perfect. They did their best, but they sometimes made mistakes. When we brought home our first child from the hospital, my husband told me that we had to understand that we were going to make mistakes, but we had to pray that whatever mistakes we made wouldn't be severe. Maybe  your dad didn't resemble God at all. Maybe you didn't have a dad around. Even if you never got a chance to experience these things in a human father, you can still experience it in God. 

Happy Father's Day!