Vote for my next Hero!!

For the next book I'm writing, entitled Illusive Hope, Book 2 in my Escape to Paradise Series, I need a good picture of the Hero.  Here's a little bit about him and then several pictures.  I would really appreciate it if you could vote for the man you think best fits the personality and description of Morgan Gale!!  You would really be helping me out. Thanks!

Morgan Gale
Morgan is 27, tall, sinewy, with dark coffee-colored hair and jungle green eyes. He is wolfishly rugged with a touch of refinement. Orphaned at twelve, he grew up on the streets, begging for each meal, until he leaned he had a unique skill. His charm, wit, intelligence and good looks opened many a door for him, and he became a confidence man. A swindler. A con man.  There is a dangerous edge to this charismatic man, yet he hides a tender, wounded heart behind his tough exterior.

Here are your choices!

 

Matthew Bomer

James Lafferty

Jensen Ackles

Ian Somerhalder

Ben Affleck

Unknown hunk

X-boyfriend

guy in car

Christian Bale

David Walton

Tis a Writer's Life for me! - Setting as character

Last week's post we talked about using setting as conflict. This week we'll extend that a bit further to using setting as a character in your story. Yes.. a real character. Now you know we have all kind of characters in our books. There's the villain or antagonist, the protagonist or hero, the best friend, the wise mentor, the trouble maker, the person who shadows the hero's flaws, the person the hero wants to be like, etc...

So, how can setting become one of those characters? Easy. If you choose wisely, a setting can do the following:

Befriend the hero

Imagine your hero (or heroine) has just had the worst day of their lives. Perhaps he fought off a dragon or his wife left him. And now, it's time for reflection and rest. So where do you put him? In the middle of a lively night club? A bull fight? No. Choose a calm serene place where your hero can recuperate and think things through like a deserted beach at sunset or a hike on a nature trail where the waves and leaves caress the hero's feet and face and listen to all his problems.

Destroy the hero

We talked about this last week. How setting can introduce trouble and conflict to the hero or heroine. A vicious storm. A flood. A dark night that causes the hero to fall off a cliff!  A jungle in which the hero becomes hopelessly lost and unable to reach his goal. Bumper to bumper traffic that keeps the hero gridlocked. An earthquake, rock slide, title wave (cause I can't spell tsunami).  The setting takes on a life of its own and does everything it can to keep the hero from succeeding in his quest!  In fantasy books you can even have the trees come to life and try to strangle your hero. Cool stuff!

Mentor the hero

The setting can become something that teaches your hero. What about a library? An old cave with ancient writings scrawled over its walls.  A cliff that the hero must climb so he can gain the confidence he needs. A tall ship where the hero must climb to the tops to overcome his fear of heights!





Mimic the hero's flaws
Let's say your hero has an alcohol problem, set your scene in a bar where he can watch what alcohol does to others. If he's a control freak, put him in prison. (I did this to Captain Merrick in The Redemption)  If he's greedy, put him in a homeless shelter.

Reveal who the hero wants to be

This would be any place that expounds goodness and honor and kindness.. all of those qualities to which your hero aspires: a church, a mission trip, a charitable foundation, the court of a good king, a loving home.

Setting can be a dynamic, breathing character in your story that can either assist or hinder your hero. When you use it this way, your story will have a whole different dimension!

When did Charles Town, South Carolina change to Charleston?

Charleston, South Carolina was originally named Charles Town after the British monarch King George I. However in 1783 after the American Revolution, the city was in turmoil due to many returning Loyalists (loyal to Britain) seeking to return to their home and set up permanent residency as well as British merchants wanting to sell their wares. Attacks on Loyalists were all too common. By June of that year four men had been murdered.

Dr. David Ramsay observed that "A spirit has gone forth among the lower class of people to drive away certain persons whom they call Tories". In July public meetings of the laboring classes called for the expulsion of the British merchants and Tories. Instead the city legislature changed the name of the city from Charles Town to Charleston and corrected the pronunciation to sound more like "CHAHLston" as a way of announcing their independence from Britain.

Wordless Wednesday!

Master and Commander's HMS Surprise

How American has changed

I'm starting a couple new "series" on my blog. On Tuesday, I'll be blogging about Christianity and Culture. On Thursdays, I'll be starting a Dive into History section which will give a really brief historical fact I've discovered during my research. Fun, huh? 

When I was a kid these things were common in America (and I'm not really that old!)

Mothers stayed home and raised their kids
Everybody I knew went to church on Sunday
Kids could play outside without fear of being kidnapped (unless you were rich)
I and my sister spent most of our free time outside playing in the neighborhood
America was the best nation on earth
America was strong and good
No one blew themselves up in order to kill other people
Gay meant you were happy
If you lived with your boyfriend, you were a loose woman
Divorce was frowned upon
There was no security at airports
Kids didn't go on shooting sprees at school
The drug of choice of most wayward teens was alcohol not ecstasy
Police were the good guys
Families could live comfortable on one income
Most people called themselves Christian
God wasn't a four letter word
Only sailors and loose women got tatoos
Married couples on TV slept in separate beds
Kids didn't talk back to their parents on TV ( or anywhere else)
Accepting charity from the government was shameful
People paid their debts
Families ate together

Can you think of any more? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Is there a judge on board?

Don’t you realize that someday we believers will judge the world? And since you are going to judge the world, can’t you decide even these little things among yourselves?  Don’t you realize that we will judge angels? So you should surely be able to resolve ordinary disputes in this life  1 Corinthians 6:2-3

Judge the world? Judge angels? (Gulp) Me?  Yet there it is, right there in Scriptures.  Let me tell you something. Most days I don't feel even qualified to judge my cat, let alone the world or angels!

What does a judge do exactly?

• Presides over trials
• Assesses the credibility and arguments of the parties
• Hears all the witnesses and any other evidence presented by the parties of the case
• Issues a ruling on the matter at hand 
• Settles disputes
• Interprets laws
• Sets bail
• Ensures the trial follows legal proceedings

Wow, that's quite a list. And quite a responsibility! A good judge surely must possess the following qualities: Wisdom, Honor, Integrity, Honesty, Discipline, Patience, Faithfulness, Goodness, Kindness, Knowledge, Self Control.  Can you think of others?

My step-daughter is currently in law school studying to be a lawyer. She tells me that she basically studies 12 hours a day and has no life. Law school is hard and it places great demands on its students, but you wouldn't want to hire a lawyer who goofed his way through school! Not when your life was at stake!

Good judges aren't just born judges. They have to be raised properly. They have to be trained, not only in the law but trained in morality, in honor and honesty. They must have strong moral characters that won't falter under pressure and strain. Characters that won't take bribes, that won't become prideful, that will be fair and just to everyone.

If we are going to be judges someday,  perhaps we should start our training now? God isn't going to just zap us and make us ready to judge when we get to heaven. It does matter what we do here on earth. How we run our lives and how we build our characters. Jesus tells the servant who worked hard while he was on earth "Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord."

I don't know about you, but I want to make my Father proud. I want to do my best here to prepare for my eternal purpose. So, how do we do that in these frail, sinful bodies?

Of course the obvious things are to: Pray, fast, read your Bible, fellowship with other Christians, give to charity, volunteer to help others, etc.  As well as stay away from things that Paul lists later on in that same chapter of 1 Corinthians 6
 Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God

Okay, so I do all of those good things, and I don't do any of those bad. Now what?  Paul continues to say All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

In other words, your choices in life matter. What you choose to eat, drink, who you choose to hang out with, what you choose to watch on TV, where you choose to go, what you choose to do for a career, who you choose to marry, what you listen to on the radio, and how you spend your time.  There may be nothing wrong with your choices, but we need to start filtering our decisions through a different strainer. We need to start asking ourselves:

Does this make me more disciplined, wiser, more honest, more honorable, more loving, stronger in my character? (Disclaimer: I'm not talking about rest. We all need to rest each day!)
How different our lives would be if we made all our choices based on that question!

To all who are victorious, who obey me to the very end, To them I will give authority over all the nations. They will rule the nations with an iron rod and smash them like clay pots. Rev 2:26-27

Winners of my HUGE Contest!!!!!

I can't thank everyone enough who entered this contest and who "Liked" me on Facebook and Tweeted about me and signed up for my newsletter (you won't be disappointed!) and liked my books and wrote reviews... you are all AWESOME!  I was overwhelmed at the response and how kind all of you were! I wish I could give each of you free books. 

I used Random.org to select the winners. And here they are:

Kelli Adkins
Teresa Matthews
Caroline McAllister
Amanda Davis
Micah Widdis
Heather Manning
Jennifer Whitney
Tracey Cooper
Faith Hope and CherryTea
Barb Hudson

Would you ladies please contact me with your addresses please??  

Tis a Writer's Life for Me - Setting as Conflict!

Conflict, conflict, conflict!!  Personally, I don't like conflict.  I try to avoid conflict at all costs!  But I LOVE conflict in a story or movie. In fact, without some type of conflict or tension, let's face it, the story would be kind of boring. Every tale needs a villain, someone or something evil who is trying to ruin the hero's life or at the very least steal away their happiness. That's what makes us sit on the edge of our seats, our hearts in a frantic twist, worrying about how the hero will overcome the odds and save the day!

But I digress. I'm not here to talk about conflict. I want to talk about setting. Last week we discussed the importance of choosing the right setting for your story in order to create the perfect backdrop, the perfect scenery, for the type of story you are writing.  But did you know that you can use setting as part of the conflict? I'm not talking about creating a certain mood or using setting as an antagonist. I'm talking about creating a setting that enhances the conflict in your story, adds to it, or creates new conflict.

Here's some examples.

Story Conflict

The heroine feels lost and alone in the world because she grew up without a father in an abusive home so she sets sail in search of her long lost father.
Setting Conflict
The girl is shipwrecked on a deserted island where she is all alone and lost. This setting at the beginning of the story is used to enhance the reader's understanding of the character's internal feeling of loneliness and despair.
The Redemption by M.L. Tyndall

Story Conflict
The heroine believes her husband is cheating on her and has abandoned her. She is angry and jealous and has been looking for him for months. She is about to run into him unexpectedly
Setting conflict
I set this scene in the middle of a tavern in the pirate haven, Tortuga. The place is filled with drunks and thieves who are all angry and jealous and greedy. Fights break out all around the heroine. Everywhere there is contention.  The setting greatly adds to the heroine's internal anger and jealousy.
The Reliance by M.L. Tyndall

Story conflict
Hero is trying to rescue heroine and their baby from an evil pirate trying to sell them as slaves.  He feels guilty for what he's done to them and has fallen in love the heroine, wanting more than anything to make up for the past.

Setting conflict
I threw the hero and heroine into the South American jungles where they must not only deal with their internal struggles but with the new conflict of dealing with the elements and vicious natives.
The Restitution by M.L. Tyndall

As you can see, setting is a powerful tool!  If you are writing a scene that seems to fall flat, try changing the setting to enhance the tension.  If your conflict needs a little push to crank it up a notch, try putting  your scene in a setting where there is a ton of conflict going on all around.  Even better, use setting to introduce more conflict into a scene. Such as a flash flood that keeps the hero from rescuing the heroine or a blackout that keeps everyone in the dark. You can even throw in a surprise setting that will take the reader off guard. Like a massive whirlpool in the middle of the sea or a graveyard in the middle of a fair ground! It's your world, you can do anything you want!

Can you think of other ways to use setting as conflict??      

Wordless Wednesday!

Thar be plenty of food in the hold!

For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: There will always be flour and olive oil left in your containers until the time when the LORD sends rain and the crops grow again!”
So she did as Elijah said, and she and Elijah and her family continued to eat for many days. There was always enough flour and olive oil left in the containers, just as the LORD had promised through Elijah  I Kings 17:14-16

When a ship was preparing to leave port and go on a long journey, it was necessary to bring enough food and water on board for every person to last until they could make anchorage at another port and resupply. But the seas were unpredictable. Storms rose up and blew ships off course and without modern navigational instruments, ships could easily get lost at sea. As supplies in the hold dwindled, the sailors went on half-rations, then quarter rations, and then finally were forced to live on very little food a day. They desperately cried out to God to bring them to an island or port before they all died.

Let's face it, we live in trying times. At the time I'm writing this, the price of many items in the grocery store has doubled in the past year. The cost of gas is nearly $5 a gallon and unemployment is at an all time high. Not to mention that our nation's debt is spinning out of control. Many people are having trouble putting food on the table for their families.

There is cause for great worry.  But should we be worried?  Our Father in heaven says "No".

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?"  Matthew 6:25


So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Matthew 6:31-33


God's Word is full of stories of God's provision. Here are just a few:

• The story in Kings 17 above where God provided for Elijah and the widow and her son through years of drought from just one bottle of olive oil and a bag of flour. 
• Earlier in that same chapter, God sent ravens to feed Elijah
• In 1 Kings 19, an angel fed Elijah in the wilderness
• In Matthew 4, Jesus was fed by angels in the desert after His temptation
• In John 2, Jesus changed water into wine
• Two times, in both John 6 and in Matthew 15, Jesus feeds first 5000 people and then 4000 people with only a few loaves of bread and some fish (you can probably double those numbers too since they didn't count women and children!) 

God provides! He can even send birds to feed you if He has to. He can make everything you have right now in your cupboard never run out!

I once read a story about a missionary in Jerusalem who ran an orphanage. Her name was Lydia Prince and her book is called Appointment in Jerusalem, if you're interested. Anyway, many times she wouldn't have any thing to feed the children for dinner. Yet instead of worrying, she would always pray for God to provide and then set the table with all the dishes and utensils they needed for a huge meal. And God ALWAYS came through. He would send food in different ways. A gift from a neighbor or a chicken walking into their home or the sudden appearance of some money, but she and the kids never went hungry.

So if the supplies in your hold are dwindling and you aren't sure from where or when you will be able to replenish them, never fear, for your Father owns the cattle on a thousand hills!

I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread  Psalm 37:25

Tis a Writer's Life for Me!--Setting

One thing people always say about my writing is "I felt like I was right there!"   I felt the sea spray on my face and the wind in my hair! I could hear the thunder and see the lightning!

So how do I do that? How does an author create such a vivid setting that the reader actually feels they've been transported to another place? The setting of a story is extremely important. A story about a romantic triangle will be completely different set on a deserted island than it would be if it took place in the center of New York City. What about a ghost story? How different would it be if you set it on a ship out at sea instead of at the World's Fair.

So, the first thing you must do is decide what sort of mood you wish to convey in your story. A bright happy mood. A dangerous mood. A lonely mood. A scary mood. A busy mood. An adventurous mood.  And then choose a setting that depicts that feeling, that sensation.

Most of my novels are set on tall ships out at sea, making it quite obvious that I am going for that adventurous, swashbuckling mood! However I have had some scenes and even a few books that have taken place mostly on land. In The Falcon and the Sparrow, I choose the dark, crowded, dangerous streets of London in 1803 as the setting for my french spy story. In Surrender the Night, I chose an isolated farm on the outskirts of Baltimore for my story about overcoming fear of people.

 In my current manuscript, Illusive Hope, I chose the jungles of Brazil for my supernatural battle between good and evil. There's nothing more illusive and mysterious to me then a thick tropical jungle!

Okay, you've chosen your setting. Now what? Unless your setting is your house or your backyard, you need to become intimately acquainted with it. That's the only way you're going to be able to transport the reader from their couch into the world you create.  If your setting is some place you can travel to easily, then your best bet is to go there and spend as much time as you can exploring every nook and cranny.

After I was contracted for my series, Surrender to Destiny, I spent a week in Baltimore. Even though my stories take place nearly 200 years earlier, there's still so much I can learn about a place from just hanging around. I went to museums, took a tour of a tall ship, visited Fort McHenry, took part in a War of 1812 reenactment, sampled the local cuisine (Yum), and walked around.  Every city has a certain feel to it, a certain spirit drifting through its streets.  I breathed in the scent of the bay, felt the wind on my face, listened to the sounds and stored up every memory for when I would return home and write my stories.

If you can't visit the setting of your story, never fear!  With modern technology you can have the next best thing. Let's say your setting is the Caribbean. (My personal favorite!) View YouTube videos of the Caribbean. Clip out magazine pictures. Read books on the Caribbean. Read Travel Guides. Search for diaries or journals of people who have gone to the Caribbean.  Interview friends and family who have been there. And voila, before you know it, you'll feel like you've gone there yourself!

Next week, I'll be continuing my discussion on setting by talking about setting as conflict
So how about you? What are some of your favorite settings for books?

Wordless Wednesday!

Tall Ship race in Ireland!

Moving Forward with God

Do you ever feel like you're just not making any progress in life?  I'm not talking about the things the world considers progress like career, money, success, marriage, kids, retirement account.  I'm talking about progress on what matters, on your character, your morality, your temper, your kindness, love, generosity, self-sacrificing,   self-control--all those things that make a person a true success in life, a true hero.

I've met countless Christians who've known the Lord for years, yet they are still struggling with the same old problems. They still struggle with addictions, with anger, jealousy, gossip, etc. They try and try and try and yet it doesn't seem that God is changing them. He's not renewing their mind. In essence they keep sailing around the same old island, round and round, and they never make any progress.  But why?

Christian brothers, I could not speak to you as to full-grown Christians. I spoke to you as men who have not obeyed the things you have been taught. I spoke to you as if you were baby Christians. . .You still live as men who are not Christians. When you are jealous and fight with each other, you are still living in sin and acting like sinful men in the world.  1 Corinthians 3:1-3

Last week we talked about how we must have our mind renewed in order to discover God's path for our lives. In order to stop sailing around in circles!  But that's easier said than done, isn't it? That old sinful nature coupled with Satan's tricks can be a very powerful pull in our lives!  So, how does one have their mind renewed? How does one allow God to change our sinful character?

May I submit my theory from experience? It's really quite simple. Not easy, but simple. Obedience.

Ah, come on now.. I can hear some of you moaning, some of you rolling your eyes, and others shouting at me "But I am obedient!"  How do I know what your'e thinking? Because I thought the same thing. Then I asked, no I dared, God to show me any area of disobedience. (Note to self: Don't ask if you really don't want to know)

Unfortunately, He answered my challenge. Turns out there were lots of little areas in my life where I wasn't being truly obedient. I wasn't being disobedient, I just hadn't gotten around to doing what God asked me. :-)  You know the little things I'm talking about: things  like telling someone the truth about something, apologizing to someone, calling that person who needs a friend and showing love, disciplining a child, admitting a wrong, going out of my way to show someone I care, talking to a neighbor or friend about God, volunteering at the nursing home...  all those things that we know in our gut God has asked us to do. But we haven't done them yet. Why? Because they are HARD.  They are hard to do. They cause us pain. We flat out don't want to do them!


The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!  Matthew 25:21


The problem is, God's not going to change us, He's not going to just zap us and improve our character. The only way to change character is to go through tests and trials. God gives you a test and then He waits until you obey to promote you up a step, where he gives you another test, then He waits patiently for you to obey before He promotes you again. And so forth and so on!  Building the Christian character is a series of steps. It's just that some people are still on the bottom rung!

Want to know what the steps are:

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 


For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins  2 Peter 1:5-9

So what do you say? Want to find stop sailing in circles? Want to find God's will for your life?  Trust and Obey. 

Win THREE free books or an Amazon Gift Certificate!

CONTEST is OFFICIALLY OVER!  Thank you all for entering.

Winners are: Caroline McAllister, Micah Widdis, Amanda Davis, Heather Manning, Teresa Matthews, Kelli, Jennifer Whitney, Tracy Cooper, Faith Hope and Cherry Tea, and Barb Hudson!!

I'm have a huge contest to try and bump up my fans on Facebook and also gather more Newsletter subscribers!

I'm giving away TEN 3-book prize packages. Yes.. that's ten lucky winners! The books will come from my awesome collection of wonderful reads that I'm sure you'll enjoy!  They are all new Inspirational Romances.








Here's all you have to do to enter

• Sign up for my newsletter at my website
• Like MaryLu Tyndall: Swashbuckling Romance on Facebook
• Share MaryLu Tyndall: Swashbuckling Romance on Facebook
• Share MaryLu Tyndall: Swashbuckling Romance on Twitter
• Like any of my books at Amazon
• Like any of my books at BarnesandNoble.com
• Write a Review on any of my books

Your name will be entered for each thing you accomplish. That's 7 times your name could be entered. 

Also, when I reach 750 "Likes" on my Facebook Fan Page, I'll be selecting FIVE names who will each receive a $20 Amazon Gift Certificate!  So, tell your friends!! 

When you accomplish any of the tasks above, please either leave a comment on this blog post or send an email to marylu_tyndall@yahoo.com with your name, email, and precisely what you did, and your name will be entered the appropriate number of times. Sound good?

Will you help me??  
Contest ends Friday March 23rd!!!! 

Tis a Writer's Life for Me! - Marketing!

Hey everyone, check out the new tabs at the top of this blog! Each one leads to a separate page that has all kinds of cool info on my individual books, including character pictures. Let me know what you think!

This week I've taken some time off from writing and worked on the dreaded, the insidious, the revolting and disturbing job of Marketing! Can you tell I don't like marketing?  Hey, if I wanted to sell things, I'd go back to working retail at a Christmas shop in Tennessee.  But I digress.

We authors have the internet and the invention of "Social media" to blame for this sudden overwhelming burdensome responsibility of "talking up" our books to any and every Sally, Jane, and Elma, sailing around on the cyber waves!  This includes but is not limited to:  Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter, Blogging, Google Plus, Linked-In, BookClub Networks, Gather, Myspace, Ning, Mylife and the new fish on the block, Pinterest!

And No, I'm not on each of those listed. There's only so many hours in the day! I mean, my real job is to write compelling stories that will keep you up at night. (In a good way, that is) And believe me, that is a full time job! So, that doesn't leave much time for all this other stuff. Frankly (and can I be frank with you?) I'm not very good at this social media stuff. In truth, I'm a introverted, social-inept hermit who would prefer to stay in my cave all day and night. Just the word, Social, causes hives to break out over my body.


If you feel the same way, yet you have a need to get out there and have your message heard, then here's some tips that have worked for me.

• Be consistent on your blog. Blog every week or on certain days and stick to a schedule so your followers know what to expect on what day when they visit your blog. (On this blog, I do a devotional on Monday, A Cool Picture on Wednesday, and Something about Writing on Friday)
• Be consistent in your Tweets and your posts on Facebook and don't use them to advertise yourself. Use Facebook to get to know other people. 
• In fact, it's important to approach Social Media not as a marketing tool but as a way to get to know a lot of different people. 
• Think of something you have to offer your "social" contacts, whether it be something instructional, something inspirational, something fun. That's why I do a devotional on this blog every Monday and something instructional every Friday. It's important to offer something of value to your social followers. 
• Gather a group of devoted friends/followers who will help spread the word about your books or whatever it is you're selling. This takes time and energy developing this tight group as you get to know people on these media sites. 
• And last, but not least, think of your interactions with others as a ministry not marketing. Jesus said "Give and it shall be given unto you"   Even though you may be trying to sell something, in God's economy, it's important to give freely first without any expectations and leave the results up to God.

That's what I try to do. I will use this blog and my Facebook to help promote my books from time to time, but the majority of the time I hope and pray you find it a comfortable safe place to come, get to know each other, be encouraged, and maybe learn something too.  I've made several great friends in the process and I love you all so much!!  Thank you for dropping by my blog and my facebook and all the other areas out there!  I treasure all your comments and your friendship!


Speaking of friendship, look me up on Twitter! I just joined!

So, what are your thoughts on Social Media? What do you use it for? Have you made new friends? Do you enjoy hearing what others are doing? If you are trying to sell something, has it worked?  Or are you one of those people who'd rather boil in oil than be social on the internet?  I'd love to hear your thoughts, comments, opinions and if you have any suggestions on how a true introvert can use these social outlets better.

Wordless Wednesday!

Abandon Ship!

How to find God's Will for your Life!

Plotting your course!

Early in the age of exploration, navigating the vast seas was no easy task! Without modern radar and satellites, captains were left with only the stars, the sun, and a few crude instruments.  As time went on maps were created, although they often were inaccurate. Most sailors came to rely on landmarks at the beginning of their journey. For instance if they sailed due east from the Canary Islands, they reached Africa. If they sailed due west, they reached the Bahamas. This type of navigating came to be known as "Dead Reckoning"

I wonder how many Christians navigate their lives by dead reckoning? They start off from the point of salvation and think they are heading in a certain direction where God wants them to go, but somehow along the way, their compass broke, the winds and waves shoved their ship off course, or perhaps they got distracted by the beauty of some passing shore and stopped for a rest. Either way, they are now wandering all over the seas in search of the course they should be taking.

I believe God does have a unique path for each of us! A path and purpose He created for us from before the world began. Some specific thing or things He needs us to do which requires our unique bland of talents, desires, and gifts.

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart  Jeremiah 1:5
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future  Jeremiah 29:11

But how do we find that plan? Maybe your ship is foundering among the vast seas and you have no idea where you are going or where you should be going. You truly want to fulfill God's plan for you but you have a broken compass and the stars aren't shining and all you see head of you is endless water!  But did you know God gave us a compass that would never break? He gave us a waterproof map. It is His Word. And in it, we find specific directions on how to discover His will

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2

Okay.. so if you'll be able to test and approve God's will for you, then let's assume you will know God's will for you, right? So how do you come to know it? By allowing God to transform your mind!  And did you notice that His will for you will be good, pleasing and perfect? Do you know why it will be good, pleasing and perfect? Because you were made precisely for it!

For example, God made me a writer. But I never knew that until after I gave my life to Him and truly allowed Him to change my heart and mind. (Took years, and still is a Work in Progress, by the way)

For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him  Philippians 2:13

Okay, so maybe you've giving your life to God, maybe you've been walking with Him for years and you still feel like you're adrift at sea, tune in next week when I hope to show you how God transforms your mind and why some Christians never seem to make any progress.