...We often say that people don’t change.  We warn those in relationships of that very thing.  If you are in a relationship and think that you can change that other person with your love and care and nurture, you are wrong.  You will never change another person.

Same is true with friendships.  If you are staying in friendship that causes you grief, but you stay because you think that something you will do will change them, you are wrong.  You might as well raise up the white flag and abandon ship right now.  You will never change anyone. But...

... Jesus was and is the Word. As Christ's followers, we have all been given a seed of the Word. A seed or seeds that we are called to nurture and allow to grow in us, just as Mary did Jesus.

As it comes to maturity in us we are called to give it to the world, just as Mary gave us Jesus. Not to diminish the task laid out for Mary, the mother of our Christ, but what if we felt the same weightiness for the Word which we carry inside?...

...As you can see in my example above of a screenshot of my book The Water. I had maps and definitions, etc. to refer to as needed. Notice on the left hand side is my list of chapters and the sections in each chapter. I can go from one to the other simply by clicking on it.

There is so much more that I have not even used. It has so many more features that I would love to explore and plan to soon. It is truly a Ferrari in a Pinto world...

...Now, writing that first novel is not my favorite writing experience. I had an agenda and I get trying to force the story to fit the agenda. It was a mess. It was stiff and disjointed.

Once done, I knew I did not like the first half. So of course I set out praying about it. God’s words from year ago came back to me, “Just tell the story.”

At that point I asked for divine guidance to help me edit the mess I had created in the first half of the book...

As I was praying, I thought I would just go to the grocery store and see what I could get with what I had. I went, not even sure how much money I did have since I was afraid to look, and bought a few things.

When I got to the checkout stand I was very anxious, thinking I would have to ask our small town grocer to allow me to get what I had brought to the checkout stand on credit. I was trying to get up the courage to ask since I knew it was inevitable. I knew I did not have enough in my purse to pay for it all, even though it was only about five dollars or so. But...

But, I couldn’t make my sweet baby happy. I had no idea what to do. So, that particular night as we were rocking and crying, I cried out to God. I began to beg God for help. I begged him to make things better. I had been through so much and I just didn’t know how much more I could take before I crumbled into a heap.

I remember saying, there has to be more to life than this. Please God, please God, please help me...

...There were many contributing factors, but the drinking was a core sinister plot to tear our family apart. I grew up with fear, anger, sorrow, and trepidation resulting from my life at home.

My father never came to see me play one sports game, he never came to one awards ceremony, or church program. He came to my Jr. High and Sr. High graduations, but other than that, he did not participate at all.

But I loved my father dearly. I was Daddy’s girl, and I knew it...