Tomorrow is the last day to send me an email (not through web mail please – click on my name and send an email) to enter the drawing for one of Rene Gutteridge’s free books! She’s giving away two, so your chances are good!

I met Rene in Dallas and let me tell you, what a delightful lady! I only wish I’d had the chance to sit in on her classes. I wanted to hear her teach about writing humor, but the class happened right after the awards banquet and well, after winning first place in my category, I was a bit distracted! And my agent invited me to coffee, so late night chats were forgotten. Still, I know Rene’s class would have been great because she can make me laugh out loud when reading her books. So don’t miss this – enter the contest!

The weather here in Michigan isn’t anything like Dallas. On the flight home Ryan took pictures of the sun shining on the clouds. What beauty! Of course, when we landed we saw the underside of those clouds – mostly gray – no sun. That’s Michigan too much of the time.

But it made me think how often in life we see the gray of things. God looks down from heaven and sees not only the beauty above but our drab lives beneath. How small we look from up high, and yet God sees us, to the very heart of us, and He wants to turn our mundane existence, our sea of gray, into His sunshine and joy.

“I have come that you might have life, and that you might have it more abundantly.”

I used to long for the abundant life, to wonder what that would look like. And though I have my days of doubt and trials will always invade our space on planet earth, I know the joy and peace that comes from knowing Him. Someday, when I see Him face to face, my joy will be complete. Then those clouds will part and the brightness of the Son will shine through – all thoughts of gray forgotten.