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Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Jolene Speaks

I love thee God
How I love thee
Oh how I love him
He is so special to me
He is my dad when I had none
Oh what a God
A God that I love with all my heart
I love you beyond the glory
beyond my eyes I do love thee
Love, love is all I can say
Oh how I love thee.
Jolene Franklin
1-5-2001

Monday, April 13, 2009

Easter Monday

Over the weekend, I realized that I had "squandered" my Easter blog time slot. Silly me. It shows how I'm not thinking beyond the end of my nose these days.

Our church was packed yesterday, even the balcony. Yes, people came dressed in springtime finery. Children had enjoyed an Easter egg hunt. Fake grass lined the edges of the hallways and after the service I saw children tearing into packages of candy. But it was so much more than that ... the sheer joy and celebration that "Christ the Lord is Risen Today!" The cry of hundreds of voices responding "He is risen indeed!"

I love Easter. Without the resurrection, everything else I believe is meaningless. The fact Jesus returned from the grave proves everything He ever claimed and gives hope for my today and tomorrow. Without His resurrection--without the promise of my resurrection--Jolene is really and truly gone.

Even the rainy drizzle couldn't dampen my spirits. He is risen!

Say it back to me. He is risen indeed!

Amen and amen.

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Cats vs. Dogs

An oldie--but--goodie joke goes like this:

A man does everything for his dog. He feeds it, gives it a home, takes it for a walk, and lavishes love on it. The dog thinks, "Man must be a god!"

A man does the same things for his cat. But the cat, on the other hand, thinks, "I must be a god."

I can see all of cat-and-dog people out there nodding your heads and smiling.

This time, the dog's response has a lesson to teach us about faith.

Our heavenly father gives me my daily bread and keeps a roof over my head. He lavishes His love on me. He sent His own son--for me!

John reminds us that "we love Him because He first loved us." That's the dog's response. We recognize God as the source of all good things and love Him and follow Him.

But too often I'm like the cat. I feel like I'm entitled to all those wonderful things. Never do I call myself "god" with my words, but my actions proclaim my cat-like attitude. What makes me feel good and puts my needs first--that's how I expect God to treat me. I forget that He is God and I am but His creation.

Wow, look at everything He does for me! He must be God!

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Jolene Speaks

When I panic you calm my spirit.
When I am fearful you make my soul have peace.
I shall sleep within your arms
and angels hover over my bed.
I thank thee.


Jolene Franklin
1-10-01

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Rejection and Criticism

I will return to descriptive writing soon. But today, another topic presses on me. I received a rejection this week.

It was a good rejection. The reasons the proposal was rejected had nothing to do with my writing and everything to do with market needs. They even asked to see something else from me.

But rejection is always hard. I am struggling right now to focus on writing. I have run a writing marathon over the past year. Now I am fitting writing around packing and working extra hours. Without as much time to write and without a specific deadline to meet--I am not accomplishing as much as I would like.

Add to that content edits on one of the manuscripts I wrote last fall--with a general comment of "vary your sentence structure." It's been a while since someone said my writing was weak. It hurts.

I'm sure I'll learn from the experience. Improving my craft is important.

But in the meantime, I feel like I might have failed at the opportunities presented to me. And that this last year may be the highlight of my writing career, fizzling to nothingness as quickly as it arose.

Any suggestions out there on dealing with discouragement?

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Animal Fables

Looking for good in the minutiae of life. What has happened since Thursday of note?

Spring snow continues. Fellow Denverites, how many snow storms is this in the past week? Three or four? But God is good. Snow fell during the night and again this afternoon, but did not fall during the crucial morning hours when I had to get myself out of bed and to church.

I mentioned the deer near my place of work last week (that blog posted at the wrong time, by the way. It was supposed to be my Thursday blog). On Friday, they weren't satisfied with staying in the field. Two does trotted across the street in front of me on my way home. I love looking at animals.

My beloved lynx point Siamese is my constant companion. Last night I laid my head next to hers. She used her soft paws and teeth to unsnarl a knot in my hair. I enjoy someone working on my hair, so her attentions gave me gentle pleasure. A bit like God's tender mercies--perhaps a bit sharp, but reminders of His loving care.

As I've said before, faith is like my cat.

God is also at work in the minutiae I don't like. Going to a restaurant and seeing table after table with couples, while I sit alone. Getting news that a book proposal was turned down. Packing, sorting, shifting books, books, and more books. I can only do so much of that before I'm exhausted (and add in temperatures in the teens, my knees start complaining.)

I can't wait to see what mighty works God has in store for my life.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Jolene Speaks

How do I love Thee
the God who made me
Who planned my life since the beginning of life
The life I live
I live this life to worship Thee
He gives me my daily bread and
pours water daily in my cup
I drink his living water and
taste the life I will have
after I am gone
Oh Thy Lord what a mighty name
Is that a name I shall have
on the tip of my tongue
all night all day
You wash me clean of all my sin
which were scarlet with your holy blood
now they are washed as white as snow
All my life I shall adore you
You in three precious blessed trinity
How I love my God.