Schleprock

            Schleprock had something unique about him, besides his name.  No matter where he went, he had a rain cloud over his head.  In case you’re not familiar with Schleprock, he was a cartoon character on Hanna-Barbera’s Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show.  He was the one who always had bad luck, hence his rain cloud.

            Ever feel like Schleprock when you have a run of bad luck?  I felt like it on Mother’s Day.  Actually, the day started off well with cards and candy.  It went downhill from there.  I cracked my car window about 9 inches while at my mother’s house for lunch.  When I went to leave, a bird had managed to fly into the cracked window and had gotten trapped in my car. Once I managed to get the frazzled bird out, it took me a while to clean my car on the inside.

            I’m not done yet.  That morning I was running late for Sunday school and forgot to take the trash out to the garage.  While I was gone, my dog, Little John, got in the trash and had a hay day!  So I got to clean that mess up too.  Later on I opened up a Diet Dr. Pepper and it spewed everywhere!  It was as if a small volcano was erupting. God had placed a rain cloud over my head that day, or did He?

In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing. Job 1:22(NIV)           

I’m the one who cracked a window big enough for a bird to fly in.  I’m the one who forgot to take out the trash.  I’m the one who went be-bopping through the house with a carbonated drink in my hand. I’m not going to blame God when I’m the one who made the wrong choices.  By the end of the day, I had to laugh. At that point, my cloud became a rainbow.

Flowers and a Grape Nehi

            On May 8^th, 1982, Tim and I had our first date and we’ve been together ever since.  I want to commensurate that occasion with a sweet story. 

            We had been married about 3 years when Tim came in from work one day with a surprise for me.  He asked me to close my eyes and hold out my hands.  What he placed in my hands meant the world to me.  It was a grape Nehi can full of beautiful little pink and purple flowers. At that point, I realized just how much I was on his mind and in his heart.

            Tim used to work next to a railroad track.  On this fateful day, he noticed the beautiful little flowers growing next to the track and thought of me.  He picked them, but he knew he needed to put them in something.  The only thing he had was an empty grape Nehi can.  So he cut the top off, cleaned it, and put water and the flowers in it.

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” Ephesians 5:25 (NIV)

            He could have shrugged and walked away. He could have picked up the phone and called a florist.  But he didn’t.  He loved me enough to take the time to pick the flowers especially for me.  You see, it’s not the big things that really matter, but the little thoughtful things.  The little things that say, “I love you and I’m always thinking of you.”  What “little thing” have you done for somebody you love?  It may mean the world to them.

Gumball Machines

            I am still a kid at heart and I can prove it.  I took my grandmother out to lunch Sunday and we had to wait in the restaurant’s lobby for a table.  That’s where I saw the gumball machines.  My heart skipped a beat.  What wondrous prizes those glass spheres hold. There were bubblegum balls, bouncy balls, and my favorite, jewelry. It was all I could do not put quarters in them and turn the handles.

            I grew up on a farm and we had a well for our water supply. Anytime we had a problem with the well, my mom and mamaw (grandmother) would take the laundry to the laundry mat. I loved to do that.  In the back of the building were rows of gumball machines. Oh my goodness!  I couldn’t wait to waste their quarters.  It was so exciting to put the quarter in the slot and turn the handle.  What exotic prize awaited me? 

             Of course I went to different machines, but I always got a bouncy ball first.  If there were other kids there, we would play together with them.  Sometimes we wreaked a little havoc.  The ones that held jewelry were a different story.  Very rarely did I get the pretty piece of jewelry I saw on the front of the machine.  Then I would have to beg and plead for another quarter as I tried for the prize I wanted.

“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” Proverbs 19:21(NIV)

            Aren’t life’s happenings like the prizes in the gumball machines?  We see the pretty prizes we want and try our best to get them.  Sometimes we do get the little piece of jewelry or the pink glittery bouncy ball we want.  At other times, we never get the prize that we want regardless of how many quarters we may spend. God knows what prizes are best for us and which ones are not.  Thankfully, His plans will always prevail and not ours.  Besides, I don’t know about you, but I don’t have that many quarters.

Hot Rods and Spaceships

Who doesn’t love a cool hot rod? Come on now, admit it. When you see one driving down the street, don’t you have to look? I do and I’m not a car fanatic, but my husband Tim is one. I don’t know how many car shows we’ve been to over the years or how many times he has slowed the car down so he could listen to the sound of a car or a truck going by. He’ll even turn down the radio. I don’t mind unless it’s a song I like.

As much as I am not interested in cars or most other vehicles, I love my husband more. I’ll put up with the cars, the races, the tractor pulls, and the slowing down because all that stuff makes him happy. And you know what? It’s a two way street. Tim has set through many Star Trek movies without complaint. And I just recently found out he can’t stand Captain Kirk. But he does like Captain Picard.
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.” Philippians 2:3 (NIV)


When you truly love somebody else, their happiness is more important than yours. Their safety and wellbeing are also more important than yours as well. That is also why Jesus went on to the cross. We were more important to Him than His self. To continue His work, we as Christians should value other people above ourselves, even strangers. This verse doesn’t say, “Just the others you know.” It means everybody, even if you have to be around hot rods and spaceships. J

Crooning Cosmo

I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Now don’t tell anybody, but I’m a Space Cadet Extraordinaire. To some of you that’s no surprise. Stars fascinate me. They are beautiful and mysterious. I can spend hours and hours staring at them. But to God, stars are more than fixtures He places in the Heavens for us to ooh and aah over.

“He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.” Psalm 147:4(NIV)
“while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?” Job 38:7 (NIV)

According to Psalm 147:4, not only does God know how many stars there are, but He calls them by name. By giving them a name, He gives them significance. They are important to Him. They are His awesome handmade creations. And the stars sing together. Yes, they really do. Ever hear of radio astronomy? Each star makes its own distinct noise. Even Jupiter and Saturn make static you can hear on your radio.

So what’s my point in all this? If God knows the stars and they sing to their creator, then what does that say about us as humans? Stars sing praises without thought, but we who have thought struggle with that. How much more does God love and adore us that He sent Jesus to die for our sins? We all need to sing praises to our creator, but the way I sing, I’m sure the stars’ static sounds better.

Waterfall

Who doesn’t enjoy a waterfall? That’s almost like not enjoying rainbows. Seriously! They are a special beauty of God’s nature. Waterfalls are magnificent to watch whether it’s a huge one as in the Niagara Falls or the small trickle in a branch. They fascinate me. I even did a little research (remember-I’m a geek.) * “3160 tons of water flows over Niagara Falls every second.” Wow! What tremendous power!

Wanna know something else that is cool? We as Christians have access to as much power if not more. I realized this one day while e-mailing my friend Paula, who is also a writer. I told her it was cool how the words flow from God, to your soul, to your brain, to your hands, and then out to the world. Kinda like water coming down a waterfall. Sometimes it's a slow drip and at other times it's a torrent. It doesn’t have to be words. Whatever your spiritual gift or talent is, open yourself up to allow God’s power to flow through you. When you do, your influence will flow out into the world.

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.” Ephesians 3:20 (NIV)
“for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” Philippians 2:13 (NIV)

　
* Niagra Falls State Park. Niagra Falls facts Niagra Falls State Park Inofrmation. Niagra Falls Facts. [Online] 2012. [Cited: April 5, 2013.] http://www.niagrafallsstatepark.com/amazing-facts.aspx.

Wind's Aria

I am very honored to have my friend Tessa Stockton on blog.  She's been a dear friend of mine for a few years now.  She is an elegant lady and talents writer.  Please read about her latest book: "Wind's Aria." 

1) How did you know God called you to be a writer?
I’ve always wanted to write, have always busied my hand at writing something. I sought freelance work and publication over the years. Unfortunately, it can be a bang-your-head-against-the-wall type of endeavor, especially in fiction. There were two times in my writing venture when discouragement caused me to walk away. Yet even when I had quit, I couldn’t escape. It was as if there was a perpetual nudge that said, “Now, now, you’re being childish and impatient. Go and get back to it!” You know it’s a calling when you let go of it but it doesn’t let go of you.

2) What gave you the idea for Wind’s Aria? 

My head is often in the clouds. I’ve always daydreamed or fantasized from childhood on. Music brings about resplendent images for me. I used to work as a choreographer. I was trained, and it was also very natural for me, to see things in my mind when I listened to music, and then transfer them to dancers to create a living, moving painting, so to speak. I find this process works the same for me in writing. While listening to Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings one day, the music inspired and breathed life into what is now Wind’s Aria.

3) There seems to be a musical undertone to Wind’s Aria, hence the name Aria. Do you mind to discuss that? 
Aria is the name of the chosen Songstress of her world. As long as she sings each morning, peace and abundant life belong to her people. Her voice is vital to existence. I come from a very musical family. I can’t imagine life otherwise. Therefore, I think just about everything I write in the fantasy genre is influenced by music. My mother was a classical vocalist. I, too, had several years of classical voice training. In fact, I had been indecisive at one point on whether to pursue the opera world as a mezzo soprano or dance. While dance won the toss, opera is still something I cherish.
4) How different or challenging is it to write a romance in a fantasy world?
It’s different in that there really are no rules. And I love that. It’s incredibly freeing to let creativity flow and not worry about research or structure or how boy-meets-girl, as most genres require. Fantasy is as made-up as you can get. Imagination rules the gamut, not format. The most challenging is shutting everything out while I write. Out of all the genres I venture in, fantasy, in its magical, romantic, colorful realms, is the most difficult to enter in and linger if there’s a lot of noise, or distractions. But that’s just me.

Blurb
Elected as the Songstress, Aria takes her place on the sacred platform to sing before every dawn. As long as she does so, peace and abundant life belong to her people. One morning, amidst a strange wind that brings with it a curse in its eerie howl, Aria loses her ability to make music. But the encroaching death that transpires isn’t her biggest tragedy. It’s that she adores the cause of her blunder, for he’s a magnificent winged creature who’s stolen more than her voice.



Excerpt One:
“Who are you?”
He pushed further back into the shadows as she strode closer. “Someone you need not know.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
When he didn’t answer, she sighed.
“What a strange, terrible day,” she mumbled. “Well, at least tell me your name . . .”
He stood, speechless, knowing he shouldn’t be there at all—conversing with a Meleyan—especially not their musical deliverer that he was set to doom the day after tomorrow.
A peculiar grumbling interrupted her insistence, to his relief.
“Sorry.” She patted her stomach. He could see, even in the blackened night, how her face turned a deeper shade of red than her hair. “I’ve forgotten to eat. I guess I’m hungrier than I realized.”
He plucked an apple from the tree he’d nearly become a part of and held it out to her. The girl approached tentatively. She reached for the fruit but recoiled when her fingers brushed his.
“Is touching me so horrible?” he asked.
Her jaw dropped open and her delicate brow furrowed. She inclined her head. “It . . . hurt.”
“How?” he asked, for her fingers felt good to him, soothing. Warm. He wanted to try again.
“I don’t know how to explain . . .”
“Hum.” Unsatisfied with the answer, he tossed the apple to her and watched as she crunched her teeth into it.



Bio:
Tessa is a veteran of the performing arts and worldwide missions, having come from a long line of musical arts professionals. She loved seeing the world and absorbing the beauty of other cultures . . . an enriching life full of dance, music, faith, and interesting cuisine. Over the years, she also contributed as a writer/editor for ministry publications, ghostwriter for political content, and headed a column on the topic of forgiveness. Today, she writes romance and intrigue novels in a variety of genres.

Social Media links:
www.TessaStockton.com
https://www.facebook.com/tessastockton
http://twitter.com/TessaStockton
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/tessa-stockton/29/553/222
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4639560.Tessa_Stockton

Purchase Links - Wind’s Aria:
Soul Mate Publishing: http://www.soulmatepublishing.com/winds-aria/

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Winds-Aria-ebook/dp/B00B1FEC2A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358964244&sr=8-1&keywords=wind%27s+Aria

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/winds-aria-tessa-stockton/1114146612?ean=2940016000206