My son talked me into shopping on Memorial Day, and after picking up some fresh fruits and veggies, we stopped at Starbucks, and I had my first taste of a dirty Chai Tea Latte with lowfat milk. Yum! I still like their Tazo iced tea best, but this was good! Later, we worked together to clean the fridge and make fruit salad.

We’re also in the middle of redoing our kitchen. One wall is painted – much work yet to do – and the first half of the new windows are in. They look great! I can’t wait to see the first floor finished tomorrow! Of course, the new windows need new blinds, and that means the walls need new paint, and well…one thing always leads to another, doesn’t it? Too many projects, too little money. :)

Today, while the men were putting the windows in the upstairs, Randy went to the backyard to check things out. He neared the apple tree in the backyard and turned to find a young raccoon staring at him from the middle of the tree! Shocked them both. The raccoon stayed there all day and ran higher up the branches when Ryan mowed the grass later that night. But Randy was able to snap a picture. Isn’t he cute?

Though we don’t live in the country, we sure get our share of wild animals in the yard. Yesterday, when Ryan and I headed to the store, we found a cookie on the mirror. We don’t normally leave cookies on the mirrors of our cars, but the squirrels probably do.

Someday, when the new heaven and earth are here, I plan to play at length with the wild animals. The lion and lamb, the wolf and small child will lie down together, and snakes won’t bite. I won’t mind if snakes are less slimy looking…but can you just imagine snuggling a huge lion without fear? It will be awesome!

In the meantime, I’ll just love the wild things from a distance, and hug the domesticated ones up close. :)

Selah~

My lilacs are in full bloom and the weather here has bypassed spring and decided to grace us with summer a month early. According to Google, the weather where my sons are in Los Angeles is the way it is supposed to be here right now. Perhaps the maps are confused…speaking of confused, did anyone see the pictures of the hail-that-thought-it-was-snow in Colorado? Maybe the skies are confused…

Yet God is not the author of confusion, so I know He knows what He is doing and allowing. One has to wonder though, what in the world is going on sometimes.

My days are moving faster than they should, but I often feel that way. Right now I’m sitting on my porch enjoying the evening. There is a definite connection between the sun and me. We get along much better than we used to, though I have a healthy respect for its rays. Fair skin has to be careful, but sunshine in general makes my heart glad.

Some other reasons for gladness came last week. Randy and I celebrated 33 years of marriage. That same day I heard some great news from my agent and my publisher, which I soon hope to share with you all! Details are forthcoming! A little hint…more books are in the works!

To celebrate, Randy and I went out to dinner to a restaurant that we normally could not afford – at least not on a regular basis. But of course, anniversaries are once-a-year celebrations. So we got dressed up and went out. The waiter spoke fast, so you had to listen well. The menu was mostly a la cart, but we opted for the dinner package. Best Filet Mignon I’ve ever tasted! Of course, it was sizzling in butter…I didn’t ask how many calories…Turned out that Randy’s Ribeye wasn’t quite as good, though he would not have complained. The waiter noticed the gristle left on the plate and ordered him a new steak – a filet this time. We took it home. Then they took the price of the meal off the bill! So we got to celebrate on a budget in style. :)

The rest of the weekend saw more eating out with family and friends. (Whatever happened to my diet?) Then last night we got to reconnect with friends from South Carolina who were here for a visit. Kathy and I have been friends since Jr. High, I think. A forever friend and a prayer partner. One of God’s many blessings.

The kitties have been enjoying the sunshine too and sneak out every chance they get. Though here I caught them napping. It’s so hard to stay awake in the daytime when nights are so much more fun. They race around the house at bedtime, as though the day had just begun. Yawn…I don’t think so guys.

We’ve got lots to do to this weekend to prepare for new windows we’re getting next week. Our current windows are older than our kids. Definitely time to replace them. I can’t believe it’s June next week. Soon it will be time to work on edits for Bathsheba. At the end of June, I should be able to share the cover! I can’t wait!

Sarai’s story is at 76k words with about 15k or so to go. My goal was to finish the first draft by June. Now I’ll be happy if I’m done by the end. I’m hoping for at least a month break before edits begin, but one never knows.

I’m learning a lot about life these days, about being a mom and letting go. This having adult kids is so different than having little ones, yet a mom’s heart remains the same. Love has no age limit. It only grows deeper with time.

The lilacs smell so good tonight, and the sun is slowly setting. I love it when God paints the sky in flaming shades of orange and red. Not tonight. Maybe tomorrow…the mosquitoes have shooed me inside.

Selah~

Last Saturday, Randy drove me to Toledo, Ohio, for a booksigning at LifeWay Christian Stores. I thought you might like to see the set-up they had for me with yours truly posing for the camera – something my artsy sons would prefer had been taken without the posing. But oh well…I’ll just admit to not being artsy!

The booksigning went well, though I’m told that bookstores don’t see as many customers on sunny days. This may have been true for this Saturday as the weather was great! Though it was their “Fiction Day” they didn’t seem to have a lot of people looking for fiction. But I was only there a few hours. They did have a nice display and I was tempted to buy even more than I did. I found my friend, Deb Raney’s new release Almost Forever on the main display, but my picture of it on the shelf didn’t come out close up enough to post here. I bought the last copy though and can’t wait to read it! I also picked up Deeanne Gist’s Maid to Match, Cynthia Ruchti’s They Almost Always Come Home and my friend Kathy Fuller’s novella An Amish Gathering. My to-be-read pile never goes down…

Today was a new adventure for me. I gave my first “keynote” speech, which meant I was the only featured speaker. The widow’s ministry at my church asked me to speak at their luncheon, and while I had never spoken to a crowd like that before, the idea had long intrigued me. I’ve been asked if I spoke a few other times, but nothing ever came of those questions. This time, I told the Lord, if I was asked again, I would say yes.

I got ready this morning, going about my usual routine (which takes longer with each passing year!) (Who knew?) But when I headed down the stairs to eat breakfast, I looked at the clock and discovered I only had half an hour before I had to leave. I seriously think someone changed all the clocks to make me late…but I got there with time to spare. (I didn’t speed, I promise.) The luncheon was put on by a local restaurant – they did a fabulous job – and then after some singing, the coordinator introduced me.

For years I have sat at tables with various authors, editors, agents, and even keynote speakers feeling so privileged to meet them. To sit at a table knowing others were wanting to meet me was absolutely weird! Nice. But weird.

I’ve never enjoyed being the center of attention, and yet there was something truly fun about speaking to a group of people interested in what you have to say. And of course, I love to talk about the wives of King David and the writing journey I’ve known for 20 years. God has done so many amazing things and allowed me to witness them! It’s a privilege to get to share those stories – particularly the stories of the women in the Bible – with other people. And I got to give those present a sneak peek at the cover for Bathsheba! It’s still not post-able here yet, but soon!

After the speech, the church held a booksigning and gave a discount to the ladies who bought the book. They ran out of Michal so were going to order more to have me sign on Sunday. It was truly a blessing to sit and talk to the women who came through with books, to learn their names, and have a few minutes with them. One had the most lovely German accent. And two women told me they visit my dad in the nursing home through the ministry at their campus (same church, different campuses.) I’m so glad to know that God is sending such people to keep my dad company now and then. How blessed to be part of a church family that cares for one another in such a way.

I felt that caring in the prayers people had sent up on my behalf as well. Last night before the speech, I suddenly felt like I was getting sick with a cold. I think I might have been reacting to cleaning fumes from earlier in the day. (Never clean bathrooms the day before you are doing something important.) I asked for prayer through our Adult Fellowship Group (AFG) and my Facebook friends. This morning I felt totally fine.

After the speech, I drove to a fruit market nearby and while there a woman stopped me and asked me if I was Jill. I said yes. She told me she used to belong to our AFG and still received the emails and had been praying for me. Wow. Does God know how to surprise us or what? I cannot see the prayers that have been given on my behalf, but I appreciate every single one. Someday, I wonder if God will tell us just how many prayers he received from various people in our lives, praying and caring for us? I’d love the chance to personally thank each one!

In any case, the prayers for today were answered – at least as far as I’m concerned. I hope my talk blessed those who listened. There is something wonderful about studying the people God has immortalized in Scripture. Talking about that to these women, made my day!

~Selah