Sugar, Sugar! Oh, Honey, Honey!

Most of us remember this good old soul song. But lately it's taking on some new meaning for me. I used to be a sugar savant and sparingly indulged, but currently I can't get enough of it. We're talking major binging, here. One evening this week I ate 5 iced cupcakes! And then I still had room for some real food for dinner.

I wish I could crave God the way I do sugar. After all, craving God would be so much healthier and I wouldn't keep going up a dress size. I'm ashamed of putting my priorities upside down. In fact, sugar is like poison to somebody who has fibromyalgia--like I do. It increases overall pain and I am feeling it!

It's like Paul said when he talked about doing the things he shouldn't, and not doing the very things he should. He was upside down spiritually, just like I get upside down with my own cravings. Gee Willies! My one salvation is craving to sing His praises more than to eat cupcakes. I joined the choir at my church a year ago and it has been such a sweet time to practice and then to help lead the congregation in glorious songs about our God. We've even done a one night revival at a sister church in Gaffney that was so much fun.

Christmas is coming in less than 3 months and we will soon start working on that special music. We can't wait to get our mouths around the new choral tunes. Our choir has grown tremendously in the last year, and we're having trouble squeezing all of us into the loft. (Maybe others have been eating too many cupcakes, too?)

Well, I hope the rest of you are NOT running to get something sweet after hearing about my downfall. Go do...5 leg lifts, 4 sit-ups, 3 jumping jacks, 2 windmills, and drink fruit smothies with few'r calories (to the tune of "The Twelve Days of Christmas").

Pray for my resolve to return to normal and for sugar to be a poor substitute for the real meat of God's word!

Compliments of www.whfoods.org

Blessings and A-grape-eh?
Linda B. Greer

Building Character into Our Countrymen and Countrywomen

Another summer has come and nearly gone with the advent of children returning to public, private, and home schools. Our country sits at a tremulous crossroads while the world watches. Elections this November will decide the fate of those very children returning to school and during their adult life times. Will Romney prevail or will Obama stay in his power seat, throttling the democracy out of our constitutions and our Constitution?

Estimates are that many baby boomers with grandchildren in the schools won't survive the loss of Social Security for their retirement over the next decades and if Obamacare isn't revoked, they won't survive after age seventy because of rationed medical care anyway.

Our federal government is so deep in debt to China, if the communists called in their debt, we'd have to deed several states over to them--Alaska, Hawaii, Texas?? Who knows. Every new economic report tries to put a positive spin on unemployment while oil barons keep raising the price of fuel. The greed and corruption in our country and government are deafening.

Some say the young ones of today have been coddled and spoon fed with designer jeans and athletic footwear. The nearest they come to having a real social interaction is Skype, Facebook, and YouTube. They've forgotten who their neighbors are and turn inward into a place called My Space with smart phones and movies or violent games on their handheld droids.

It seems the age of information has become the first stage of great fragmentation. Where is the line between reality and existing for the sole purpose of playing with your newest electronic toys? When was the last time your grandson or kid sister had the grace and gratitude to write you a thank you note for their birthday gifts you mailed for a small fortune?

What will the USA look like in 20 years? Most Christians are murmuring about the End Times and all the obvious signs, but what if the tribulation is meant as much for lukewarm "Christians" as it is for atheists? Will our children stand for Christ in the face of mass persecution? Or will they kneel to a Stalinist One World ruler?

Our victory over bleak circumstances seems to all boil down to character, faith in Christ, and inner peace--those things no man can steal from you. The Bible says in Romans 5:1-5, "Therefore since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.". [New International Version]

This week I finished reading Ruta Sepetys' landmark young adult fiction based on fact entitled, Between Shades of Gray. It is a story told through the eyes of a 16 year-old daughter in an affluent family of four. Her younger brother, Jonas, and her two parents were Lithuanians during World War II when Stalin came to rape their country of all intelligentsia and influential people. Lawyers, judges, high commanders in the Lithuanian Armed Forces, academics, newspaper editors, and many millions of others from the Baltic regions of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia were quickly deported from a life of happy luxury into a hellish life of starvation, sudden deaths, and a social standing equal to thieves, street women, and beggars.

I read with greatest interest the character traits of those who survived the Siberian gulags. One-third of Lithuania's population alone never returned from Stalin's mass kidnapping and political cleansings. None of this was ever reported to the news media at the time because Russia was our "ally" in crushing Hitler and Mussolini. Even now, Ruta says the survivors are fearful to speak of those dark days when entire families would disappear in the middle of the night and Stalin's tanks rolled into their villages and towns.

So what of the character traits? There was pride in knowing love for your country could never be taken from you. There was love amongst family members who were, by sheer chance, not separated during deportation. Of course, the men were segregated from the women and children first, and most of them dumped into the worst conditions prior to their eventual deaths. The women devised intricate means to get written news to their husbands to see if they were still alive. Family was very important. Young love was even found in the backdrop of bleak circumstances and this kept some persevering.

Although God was not mentioned in Ruta's book unfortunately, it is a subtle underlining to the entire epic tale. Without Christ where would we be? If a ruthless super power took over our country and we were forced into the worst living conditions imaginable, would we persevere? Would we see it as a means of building our character? Would we be able to hope in the midst of all despair because of God's promises and proven miracles?

These are some serious thoughts to ponder as we begin the Fall slide into an important election year, perhaps the most important one of our lives. Can we recapture some of the majesty and morality of our country's foundations or will we crumble and quake as Christians? I chose not to fall into the hands of any interloper on my rights as a believer. How about you?

Please leave a comment. I'd like to know what you think!

Blessings and Agape,
Linda B. Greer

OOPS!

The new set-up for posting blogs to Blogger has got me stumped. I used Word for a Blog document, then pasted it in and still had editing issues. Tried to delete what  I thought was an empty "New Post" and wiped out the entire library of this year's posts to my blog, except for the one below! Well, I'm awfully sorry and as usual, I don't have a back-up for any of the others. Hope you all read them before they were wisped off Blogger!

Bashfully Yours,
Dr. Linda B. Greer

Interview with Kathi Macias: Special Delivery

 

Kathi Macias is an accomplished Christian writer who tackles some very tough social issues in her novels. Currently her focus is on the battle against human slavery and sex trafficking. I interviewed her on her first book in this Freedom Series on this blog. Please refer to that interview for links to organizations where you can take action and help in this fight! I hope you enjoy today's interview.(http://spiritualheartbeats.blogspot.com/2011/09/kmacias-interview-deliver-me-from-evil.html)

1) Your protagonist from your last book of the series (Deliver me from Evil) has survived and escaped captivity as a sex slave in Southern California. At the beginning of the book, she chooses to return to the same area to live. If it were me, I would want to live as far away as possible to avoid contact with anyone from my past. Can you explain her motives?

There is a law in the US that helps non-citizens who have been victims of a crime to get a sort of “fast track” to citizenship, but they need to have sponsors/connections who are citizens nearby. Mara’s only real friend is an older woman named Barbara, who lives in the San Diego area. Because the brothel where Mara had been held has been shut down and the men who were her captives put in jail, she was able to settle in the area without too much fear of repercussion.

2) Jonathan and Leah, the brother and sister, reappear in this novel. You manage to make their transition into more mature adults (college junior and high school graduate) so easily. Where did you learn this technique?

One of the biggest helps for me in developing believable characters was studying drama. Though I never aspired to a career onstage, it was a huge help to me to learn how to “climb in someone else’s skin.” I also did biblical counseling for several years on a large church staff, so that too was a great help in gathering insight into people and how to bring them to life.

3) The ties between two Asian sisters in this book who live continents apart and in such diametrically opposite circumstances seem like “a chord of three that cannot be easily broken”. Do you think this is typical of Asian siblings?

I don’t have a lot of personal experience in that area; but from talking to people who do, it seems to be the case. They take family ties very seriously, more than we do here in the West. It is not at all unusual to find several generations of a family living together in Asian cultures. I like that and think we could benefit from doing more of that here. Perhaps with our tight economy we may be forced to do so.

4) Leah promises to be an extraordinary good mother by her interaction and babysitting with Anna. Does this foreshadow her future in your next book of this series (The Deliverer)?

No, The Deliverer doesn’t go that far into the future. But you’re right that Leah’s responsible    personality lends itself to excellent parenting in the future.

 

5) Jonathan still has mixed feelings about Mara, the girl he helped free from sexual slavery in Deliver me from Evil. Do you think it is beyond practical and probable that they would have a future together and why?

I never want to discount the fact that God can do anything, though you’re correct. This is not a practical possibility for the two of them. However, book three, The Deliverer, will continue to develop the possibility—though I won’t tell you how it ends up. No spoilers!

6) Barbara is a staunch advocate for eliminating modern day slavery of children and your teens for sex trafficking. Can you give us a clue where you found your model for this character in your book?

Barbara is the lady we’d all love to have as an older friend and/or mother figure. I’ve known a couple of ladies through the years who had her qualities, and now that I’m in my “golden years,” I long to be that sort of role model to other young women.

7) Mara appears to be following in Barbara’s steps as she takes some chances in this novel to help another young girl. How wise do you think her character is in doing this and what do you think motivates her?

I’m not sure if Mara’s choices would be deemed “wise” for the plain and simple fact, they were dangerous. And yet there are times we must “throw caution to the wind” and step out in faith when someone’s life is on the line. Courage is about doing the right thing, even when we’re scared and our knees are knocking.

8) Klahan, an Asian middle-aged man, becomes a kind of hero in this book. Where do you think he gets his strength for this?

Klahan was indeed a “mixed bag” of personality traits. His initial motives weren’t exactly pure, and yet God used him to accomplish what otherwise seemed to be impossible. I believe his strength came from God, even if he didn’t realize it until later.

 

9) There’s a trap set for Mara in this book and it gets pretty frightening. What is the likelihood she could be found and helped by strangers in the middle of the night?

In real life, the chances are slim. In movies and novels, chances are much better. And, of course, figuring in the God factor, anything is possible!

10) Leah’s best friend, Sarah, gets a rude awakening in this book. Some of her long-time dreams are dashed. How do you think this will influence her behavior toward Mara?

This is a key element in the final book in the series, The Deliverer. Sarah will have to do some serious self-examination, not only of her own personal motives but of her lukewarm commitment to God.

11)   Give us a sneak preview of your final novel in this series. It’s due out in August of this year.

The Deliverer picks up just months after Special Delivery leaves off, continuing with the stories of Mara, freed from slavery but still struggling with scars and memories from the past; Jonathan, attending Bible college but strongly drawn to Mara, despite her past; and Lawan, having escaped the brothel in Thailand and miraculously reunited with her younger sister in the US and adopted by the same family. Will Mara be able to move past the pain and hatred that bind her, even if it means traveling back to the place where her parents betrayed her and sold her into sexual slavery? Will she allow The Deliverer to set her free—once and for all?

Thanks for the interview, Kathi! As usual, you have given us another well-knit novel in your Freedom Series. I can’t wait to read the final piece!

            For more about Kathi Macias, Christian Author and staunch believer in Jesus Christ and the transforming power of God, visit: www.kathimacias.com
           
To see Kathi’s book trailer for The Deliverer, go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NobFUST7xlk
           
If you’d like to pre-order her next book in the Freedom Series, please visit:
            http://www.amazon.com/Deliverer-Freedom-Kathi-Macias/dp/1596693088/ref=sr_1_19?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1341955699&sr=1-19&keywords=Kathi+Macias or go to

http://www.christianbook.com/3-the-deliverer-kathi-macias/9781596693081/pd/693081?product_redirect=1&Ntt=693081&item_code=&Ntk=keywords&event=ESRCP

Blessings and Agape,

Dr. Linda B. Greer

God’s Blessings Be Upon You

May you lift your gaze to the heavens and hunger for the Lord, your God.

May your help come from Him, the Maker of all creation.

May He not let your feet slip outside of His Holy ways.

May He keep you safe day and night, for He never rests.

May He encompass you as you go out and come in.

May the Lord be your shade by day so the sun will not harm you.

May He be your shelter when the moon shimmers by night.

May He protect you with His mighty hand and watch over you – now and forevermore.

    I borrowed the above from a Sunday School notice. It seemed to cover every aspect of our lives concerning God's interplay with our own. How often do we ask for specific prayer answers but not for the incomprehensible covering of our Almighty God's Blessings? Surely we believe in living within the will of God, but do we ask for the blessings to coincide with our efforts to be holy?

     As Easter weekend approaches, what blessing do you long for most in your life? Do you wish to fully comprehend the extent of Christ's suffering and share in his suffering for the sake of our Lord? Probably not. Who of us wants to ask for more pain and tribulation? The mysterious oxymoron in life is suffering was the birthing of our salvation and peace with God. It was also the doorway to His Blessings.
     If we, as Christians, never suffer we miss the whole point of the crucifixtion and the joy of Christ's resurrection into embodied glory. Give thanks to God for your trials. Give thanks to God for your suffering. Give thanks to God for tears shed in the dark of night. He is our Father, Abba. He wants good to come out of what the world sees as bad. That is the tranforming power of the Holy Spirit through our faith in Christ, Our Risen Savior! May your spiritual heartbeats echo the message of the gospel within your soul this week. (John 3: 16-21)

May God be with each of you this Easter Season,

Linda B. Greer

Lasting Memories and Loving Comfort

Dear Fellow Writers, Publishing Friends, and Good Friends,

After over two years of hustling in the writing world, I have finally earned my first small paycheck for a short story about dogs as part of an anthology to be published by Lonnie Hull DuPont. Oh, my! I guess it will cover the cost for all the paper I have used or thrown away trying to become an accomplished writer. Thanks be to God for His gracious gifts.

 

I had a wonderful time this past Friday at the First Presbyterian Church of Clinton (pronounced as Clinnon) with Dr. Edna Ellison who spoke to ladies from various area churches on "Putting God First in Your Life". I also made a closer acquaintance with two friends from our common writing group in Spartanburg, Blessed Temple and Dianna. We laughed ourselves into tears on our voyage.

Edna was gracious enough to let me have a small end of her long publications table, and I actually got 4 orders for Susan T. Osborn's anthology Too Soon to Say Goodbye. The women who came to my end of the table were recounting very recent suicides in their circle of friends. I was glad to be able to offer some comfort and a well-written book for them to give to the victims of suicide in their community.

Suicide is becoming an all too often end to lives these days. How sad to suddenly lose a loved one to such a hurtful death. It is an especially deep wound when there is no note left, and you are wondering, "Why did this happen? What could I have done? Were there signs I missed on life's roadway?"

 

I know, as a contributor to this anthology from my husband's sudden suicide in the Army oveseas, it took me at least three years of recovery to function. I still had two young daughters we brought into the world to mother.

Everyone takes their own path and time to grieve a suicide. Their spiritual heartbeats are weak, irregular, and pining to find God through a valley of tears. Putting time limits on a mourning person just adds to their weight of grief.

Another word of advice to well-meaning friends: When someone has told you their young relative or spouse has died, please don't ask what happened. The surviving members of the family don't know the answer to a suicide and may never know for sure this side of eternity. Offer the mourning person Christian comraderie, your ears, and your prayers. And give them lots of hugs, too!

Blessings and Agape,

Linda B. Greer

Sharing the Burden of Over Five Million Citizens

The Bible tells us not only to be concerned with our own problems, but to share the burdens of our brothers and sisters in Christ and do good to those of us in God's family. There is always time for sowing good seeds. (Galatians 6: 2-10). For over two years I have volunteered in Spartanburg as a support group leader for the National Fibromyalgia Association. The NFA is one of the largest world-wide groups to assist and educate the public, medical professionals, and people afflicted with Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS) and/or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), the most common comorbidity to FMS.

I had suffered chronically for about 10 years before proper diagnosis and couldn't make sense of the fatigue and achiness I would feel. Even my orthopedic doctor, a graduate of UNC-CH, misdiagnosed me as having tennis elbow with my first bout of FMS. In 2001, at the Pain Clinic at Duke University Hospital in Durham, NC, I heard the diagnosis of Fibromyalgia for the first time. It relieved me knowing there was a name for all the symptoms I was having.

When I returned to my home in Florida, our support group was a real life saver for me as my symptoms escalated with the murder of my elder of two daughters in 2003. I was already a widow of 15 years at the time. I was unable to provide a godly father figure for my children. As each year ticked away and they grew up without their own daddy, I acutely grieved the hole in their lives. 

After moving to South Carolina as an empty nester, I started a group because there was none. We meet monthly to share and care about each other and have a light lunch together. You can probably imagine how difficult it is to encourage people who don't feel good to dress, drive, and come to a meeting in my home, but I believe it is a necessary part of getting some social, spiritual, and medical networking done.

The Spartanburg Christian FMS/CFS Support Group is a tiny part of a community of chronic pain sufferers nationwide and deserves your support, especially since doing so is free! You can even forward this link to others.

This is the link:

http://www.igive.com/welcome/warm_reg_promo.cfm?c=52094

The igive team has made many improvements to their search engine recently, so they want lots of people to try it out and put it to the test. If you keep on searching or shopping after testing it out, so much the better for the Spartanburg Christian FMS/CFS Support Group .

The details:

- Offer is $1 for every new member to igive, active between noon, February 24, 2010 and 11:59 a.m., Februrary 25, 2010 (Chicago time). Make sure you select Spartanburg Christian FMS/CFS Support Group as receipient. 

- New members only (never have been an iGive member previously). All the normal rules of membership, searching, and purchasing apply; our site has the details. Real people only, who sign themselves up. It's not fair to sign your pets up, the new member has to sign him or herself up.

- Once they've given away $5,000 to all causes combined, the offer ends.

- The special link is important. No link, no $1.

- Visiting a store via iGive is crucial.

That's it. Don't forget to try the search portal (http://isearch.igive.com/) as well as checking out over 700 stores online. You may need to login or register first (personally, as an iGive member).

Blessings and Agape,

Dr. Linda B. Greer