According to Webster’s Unabridged, hodgepodge is a mingled mass, a stew of varied meats, a mess. That’s what our home represents this early spring. But it’s a good jumbled mess for a reason.

Rather than downsize to a town home, we decided to stay where we are. (Anyway, we love the country!) That entails renovating the kitchen, two updated bathrooms, flooring on the stairs to the second floor, a total of five rooms with new flooring, and painting most rooms.

Whew. My mind is a whirlwind. Stuff everywhere. Stuff to keep, stuff to sell, stuff to re-situate. I am so thankful the Lord brought a sequel to mind for my Christmas story, so I have one finished writing project. Only He knows if I will manage a second Christmas novella for this year as planned.

I considered all the happenings within the walls of our home, but my writing mind didn’t land on one topic for my March posting. That said, here is a hodgepodge of notes and quotes.

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“Consider this – God’s rule and His will are the same” ―Anonymous

1 Peter 5:7 – I must cast my anxiety on the Lord. “Fear is the painful emotion that arises at the thought that we may be harmed or made to suffer. This fear persists while we are subject to the will of someone who does not desire our well-being. The moment we come under the protection of one of good will, fear is cast out.” –A.W. Tozer

Lean on His untiring arms, LoRee. Do it [fill in the blank] scared. If God calls, He equips.

On prayer

“I look down to the book, and God speaks to me, and then I look up in prayer, and speak to the Lord, and in this way we keep up a holy talk with each other.” –Charles Spurgeon

“The Bible is a letter God has sent to us, prayer is a letter we send to Him.” –Matthew Henry

“Prayer will consume sin—or sin will choke prayer.” –J.C. Ryle
Prayer energizes and enables a Christian to don the armor of God [outlined in Ephesians 6:11-17], which grants strength and survival against the spiritual forces of this world.

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“A Christian is, in essence, somebody personally related to Jesus Christ.” –John R.W. Stott

“History…is a story written by the hand of God.”—C.S. Lewis
Charles Dickens used the phrase “Once upon a time” in his classic, A Christmas Carol, in 1843. But history shows it has been common in English literature since 1600, with its earliest use in 1380. Those words still send me a little thrill of expectation. The phrase cannot compare to the real, rather than fictional, promises I find in the Bible. ―I don’t know who said that, I’m guessing David Jeremiah

Psalm 119:130 expresses the essence of God’s Word, His love letter to us. The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.
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With those enlightening words from others, I’ll emphasize that no matter how chaotic the inside of my home or the inside of my mind, I can turn to the Bible and pray. God settles the anxious, the fearful, the hodgepodge, every time.

The Bible verse I chose for the beginning of “Christmas in Garland,” sequel to Christmas House, is Ephesians 4:29. “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”

The phrase “unwholesome talk” convicts me on occasion. The old sin nature can pop up at the most inopportune moments. That’s exactly what happened to me in mid-January. Later, after losing it and yelling at my dear husband, I realized that I hadn’t spent time with the Lord that morning. Oh, I had read the chapters in Illuminated Psalms, more focused on decorating the blank page than the words on the left page.

To top it off, we’d just had a sermon on Ephesians six and putting on the full armor of God. Ouch! Every day, sometimes more than once in a day, we need to arm our hearts and minds with God’s words in order to thwart the darts from the devil. His fallen angels still battle in a war that’s been won.

Awareness of these lessons to fight, armed by being in God’s Word, help in our Christian growth and maturity.

Words have always been a big deal to me. In some bios I mention that I could read at age four. In early blogs I wrote about country school and how I read every book shelved in that one room. We kids played hangman on the chalkboard. As a girl, I played multiple word games. Lists of words that sound the same but are spelled different. How many words can be formed from a long word. How many words I could list beginning with each letter of the alphabet. I still do word searches and sometimes crossword puzzles.

Since I work with words most of my waking hours, I looked around my study and wondered, How many words are in this room? Eight filled bookcases, multiple copies of books I’ve written, boxed manuscripts, scrapbooks, saved letters and cards, file folders filled with words on paper. Also on a shelf is a four-inch thick Unabridged Webster’s Dictionary. Who could guess how many words? Not me.

I’ll end this wordplay with a tidbit from my blog file with another reminder that the placement of letters matters:
No where = atheist
Now here = Christian.

The best words of all are found in the most precious book ever published. Wonderful words of life are in the sixty-six books of the Bible. I like to call it God’s Love Letter. Just for fun, a quick walk through the house led me to thirteen Bibles. From my fist KJV at age ten, from my parents, to my large print NASB that I carry to church.

Priceless, wonderful words from the God of creation, inspired by the Holy Spirit.

On one of the last days of 2022, when I recorded birthdays in two calendars, and when I wrote out a new prayer list (how about this for a run-on sentence?), I pondered the number of words that run through my mind on a daily basis.

I’ll start my list with Bible reading. This new year I’m reading the Psalms in a scriptural journal volume that is text on one side and blank on the other. Artistic talent is not one of my skills, but creativity is, so I’m giving it my best shot.

Next, I pray through my long list of people I care for that includes family and friends, neighbors, church needs, my publisher and editors, our country and government leaders. I add requests from fellow authors, Bible study friends, and other specific needs.

I deal with words all day long. My writing, I try to write something each day. Chapter critiques for friends. Journal entries. Then there are texts, email, blogs, social media, once in a while I gland at news that pops up. In the evenings, I read (two to three books a week), and do word search puzzles.

No wonder my eyes are weary by bedtime. Eyes. “Oh, Lord, thank You for my eyesight!”

Thousands and thousands of words whittled down to one for contemplation. THRIVE. Flourish is a synonym.

An online description says thrive is an intransitive verb that means to grow vigorously, to be successful or make steady progress; prosper. And good old Webster says basically the same thing.

Job 14:9―At the scent of water it [a tree] will flourish and produce sprigs like a plant. (NASB)

Job 22:8―The land belongs to the powerful, and the privileged thrive in it. (ISV)

Psalm 92:13―…[men] planted in the house of the Lord they will flourish in the courts of our God. (NIV)
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I want to drink from the springs of God’s Word and pray I thrive. God is a mighty God. I am privileged to be planted in Nebraska and growing in a Bible teaching, God honoring body of believers who are flourishing.
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December 2016, I began my first website blog with, “December is a time of reflection.” December 2017 was titled “Country School Christmas.” In 2018 I wrote about stealing my mom’s chocolate. “Flashes of Christmas Past” was the title in 2019. I called the 2020 post “Peace in His Present.” And last year my dear friend and helpful assistant, Sharon Dean, honored this space.

Any wise words of looking at a life experience escaped me this year, so I thought of something a little different. It was super exciting to have my ninth Christmas story published with White Rose Publishing (an arm of Pelican Book Group) this past October.

The back cover blurbs are on my website, but here are what I call my 40 words for each story:

A Blessed Blue Christmas Deena keeps her attraction for Simon secret while caring for his mother. Simon looks into Deena’s dark eyes, sees his wife, and relives her disappearance. Will his obedience to God include taking a chance on Deena’s love as well?

Christmas Rescue Route Izzy's car hurdles down an embankment. Brock comes to her rescue. Used to fending for herself, Izzy balks when he hovers. Is there hope for an enthusiastic goal-setter who avoids the college dating scene, and a nurturing do-gooder man? 

Christmas ‘Couragement Of wealthy means, she encourages the homeless. Photographer of the downtrodden, he lost his mother on the streets. His altruism is over. They reunite. She’s determined to encourage him to love Christmas again. Is love enough to heal old hurts?

Christmas Trinkets A lonely author abandoned at birth comes to dog-sit for the town pastor and meets an antiquities shop owner who desires he open his heart to God. Will a key unlock their wounded hearts as well as their matching jewelry?

A Cardinal Christmas Two lonely children met along the railroad tracks. She’s come home to help her parents. He returns to the home of his heart, still aching for her. Can she give up an exotic traveling job to follow her heart?
Hiding From Christmas Calissa slips back in time through recurring visions, seeking to discover what constitutes forever love. Monte encourages her to restore her belief in Christmas and the Lord. Is their love enough for him to make a lifetime commitment?

A Cup of Christmas Kindness Violet returns home. Her twelve days of kind Christmas deeds to help Heath through his grief instead churns bitterness. His daughter is intrigued by the Advent tributes, grows close to Violet, and seeks to draw the old lovers back together.

Christmas Phone Booth Cautious Nicasia doesn’t sweat the small stuff. It’s no small event when a lawman from the 19th century plows into her and knocks her from an antique phone booth. They face their pasts at Hotel Wilber. What about their futures?

Christmas House From storage unit to a home of her own, Pepper plans to have Christmas year-round. Hard-working Foxx keeps busy to avoid emotions, until he meets his unbelieving neighbor. An awful truth comes to light. Can they heal together?

It is comforting to know when we can all use a financial break, that Amazon offers the e-book titles for 99 cents during December. 

I wish you all a multitude of blessings as we close out 2022. That doesn’t mean a happy pie-in-the-sky life. We live in hard times. But if we’ve invited that Baby Jesus who later went to the cross, and focus on Him rather than earthly troubles, we will experience true joy.
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And remember, according to 2 Corinthians 4:17, Our momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison.

Journaling has been my practice for decades. Only once, did I attempt gratitude pages. I don’t remember now what year it was or how long I tried to jot what I was thankful for, but since it’s November, I’m thinking about giving thanks.

I did something I’ve never done before. I typed the word Thankfulness in my browser search bar, just to spark an idea. Now, I’ve looked up many words for quick access to Bible verses, but turning to the Internet for one word was new to me.
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Thankfulness is an adjective that expresses appreciation of benefit or gratitude. A list of over 100 synonyms and antonyms popped up, as well as the title of a song album. Definitions from various sources were listed, as well as countless plaque and wooden sign decor to brighten a home.

I wondered, how thankful is the average person? I typed that question into the search bar. “How Grateful are Americans?” came up first. American gratefulness, yes, I was curious about that. Well, shoot. I didn’t read it because the post was written in 2013. Our times, they have changed.

The next heading was, “Ten Ways to be a More Thankful Person” and something about health. But I didn’t check it out. Thankful references and how to be a more thankful person showed as headings. The twelfth subject line read “30 best thankful Bible verses / gratitude Scripture quotes.”

This search raised the question, “Do I need to look for the meaning of thankful- or gratefulness?” Naturally, over the years, I’ve used my Bible concordance to seek specific words. Verses speak the deepest to my heart and mind. Back to the best Source, highly recommended.

My New American Standard fills one whole column on Thanksgiving and lists multiple references. Christ is our best example since He thanked His Father in heaven. Psalms, songs, and spiritual songs can’t help but fill our hearts with gratitude.

May I suggest you find a quiet spot, either gazing out the window or sitting outside. Search your heart for what you are thankful for. Write them down and praise our great God.

The month of October makes me happy. Why is it one of my two favorite months? Maybe I like it because it was my mother’s favorite, since she was born on the 13th. Or it could be due to the autumn colors I prefer: yellow, orange, rust, rich brown; sumac, sunflowers, wild asters in the ditches; the green grasses that deepen and turn color. Wild sunflowers in country ditches.

The crisp air in the mornings is so much more pleasant to breathe in, compared to the heat and humidity of summer. I venture out and see more intricate cobwebs (and even a greenish-white spider in the grass), where my footsteps crunch the falling leaves. Sunshine and shorts in the afternoon give way to warmer clothes and a campfire in the evenings.

Sigh. Bring on October!

People in the Bible celebrate harvest. That excites some of you in modern times, or a local Octoberfest builds anticipation. I hope every reader and everyone I know sees the beauty of autumn. Whatever we celebrate, October is a month for treats. There are auctions, the end of farmers’ markets, book and craft fairs. Why not add a little romance? Local vineyards are a lovely place to visit at this time of year, where moseying along hand-in-hand adds to the flavor of the environment. Getting out and about also pleases people watchers. And who knows when writers get a spark for character ideas, dialogue, or settings?

In quiet moments, it’s a time to reflect. It’s also a season that calls for preparing to hunker down with inside handcrafted projects, hobbies, sorting photographs, or scrapbooking—those things we set aside for outside summer activities. My sewing crafts of yesteryear have given way to writing, maybe since my mind sharpens at this time of year. And I remember…

The kids in my one-roomed country school, all twelve of us, made the usual decorations from construction paper, carved the Jack-O-Lantern, and brought in gourds and pumpkins. We had parties that included bobbing for apples. I remember melting caramels for candy apples and popping popcorn to shape into colored balls, and drinking spiced apple cider: traditions passed on to our children. And one of my favorite songs from the green school songbook was “On Halloween Night.” I can still sing the first verse, and hear the voices of other students giving it a ghostlike echo. Oh, the sounds of harvest.

I consider events from my past that matter, such as the neighbors who came to my father’s rescue the year he was unable to harvest our corn. They rolled in with their pickers and tractors and trucks, while the women brought bounty from their own kitchens.

Life experiences build character. We gain grist for writing our characters’ emotions based upon our own past and what we’ve observed by living. Good and bad. I don’t believe any of us write totally for the sake of fiction—a bit of who we are has to come through in story. Whatever our memories, whatever our values, we’ve taken something from our past that reveals itself through the words we write.

I still smile when I add author to my roles in life, and I count continued blessings for me to be associated with a godly publishing company. But first, I’m a child of the living God, wife to a protective hero, mother and grandmother. With all of who I am, I look forward to the treat of celebrating all that God has planned for me in coming seasons.

Much like the lover (or both Righteous Brothers) who penned those words, my heart is at peace. I just started writing, and the writing flowed. Once again, my God shelters me underneath His loving arms, and I continue to carry out the assignments He has for me.
They aren’t always writing tasks, but they are a page in my life story.​

Ephesians 2:10
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
God’s Workmanship
Created in Christ, we are
God’s workmanship
I work at writing
My works for Him
I am God’s WIP,
His work in progress
Unfinished writer’s work
Is a work in progress
The star of words
In my own story
Is a story written by God
Who’s not finished yet
We are God’s workmanship
Made for fruition of His plan
Made to bring Him glory
And so are my WIPs.