Another beautiful day

I can hardly believe this is Halloween week, the last week in October.  The temp last week, and again today, will be in the 80's, for heaven's sake! I should be huddling in sweaters in the evening and wearing warm sweats. Of course, I have those available--because I ALREADY PACKED AWAY MY SUMMER STUFF.  I did that  3 weeks ago, when, for a short time, it did feel like autumn.  Time to change seasonal clothing. Temp in the 70's and 60's at night.  Perfect   fall weather.  My bad.

But, it is going to be a beautiful day.

My writing has come alive again, with "Lucinda" sharing her story, and "Willie Out West" hitting the streets  in a catalogue.  My illustrator is working on "Nibbles: a Desert Mouse," and it should be ready for printing by end of November. Yea!

November is going to be a great month.

Still looking for an artist to illustrate "God Is . . .." The first high school art dept I contacted did not return the message, so on to another option. Anyone know a good artist who can create light, child-like illustrations for this children's book? I'm looking for just the right  touch to these read-aloud stories for very young children.

And, it is great to have the story ready for illustration and printing.

Ebola is still in the US, and apparently spreading, as is ISIS.   Very sad and concerning.

But,  it will still be a great day, a great month, and a wonderful period of growth.  WHY,  you ask?

Because God is at the controls of the ships of our lifes.  He knows my time, and where I need to be. He will not allow evil and death to prevail.  He does not create death, disappointment and destruction. But he will use those terrible things to bring great victories for Him, in His time.  He could strike
ISIS in their tracks, as He did in the Old Testament.  But, it is not their time to die, yet.  It will come.

And pessimistic forecasters of the doom of our globe because of global warming are wasting their time. Apparently, they made a few miscalculations.  But, it doesn't matter.  God decides what warms and cools.  It is in His hands, not global prognosticators.

My hopes for Willie grow by the day, not because I will it to be so. But, because I continue not to give up, and it is paying off. But most of all because, in the past, it wasn't in my best interests, or in God's plans for me.  It wasn't His time, so it could not have been good timing for me. Hopefully, it is now that time, as I'm getting good reviews and am excited about being featured in a book catalog.  We are at last ready to reprint, using our own logo. But, it is still in God's hands. I work, and He helps me succeed.

Each day is icing in my cake of life.  I choose to make that icing white and positive, to cheer myself and help others have a brighter day. It is my choice each morning when I awake.

What color is your icing?

THE COLOR OF ICING

Titles. We are all burdened with them. We are the manager, college grad, or doctor. It is important, however, to remember that titles are merely functions. They represent others’ expectations for you, and are not who you are.

To truly know yourself, you and others must look beyond expectations, to your physical and emotional health. It says much about your identify. Like a bakery cake, you are a combination of many ingredients: things that happen to and around you, current and past projects and events, the balcony people who support you, and the basement people who do not.

These ingredients, when blended, create your “cake.” They establish the uniqueness that is the essential “you.”

However, one final touch is necessary but often neglected, before being ready for “show and tell.” Both the bakery cake and your cake need decoration to make them appealing and attractive to others. What is that final touch that will draw others to that cake, and you? Icing, of course!

Your daily actions and thoughts (the icing), whether bright or dark, help determine not only your emotional and mental health, but also influences others’ desire to draw closer to you.

If you get out of bed in the morning in a gloomy mood, and drag a blanket of dark emotional icing with you, it affects both your physical health, and others’ thoughts of you throughout the day.

Just by rising each morning, gazing outdoors, and finding something for which to be thankful, that healthy thought creates a light layer of icing. By acknowledging the possibilities of a sunshiny day (even when it is rainy and cold,) you will feel warmer and more vital. In turn, others will feed off that warmth.

During the day, if you recognize a draping of dark icing hanging over your head, what then? Simply step into the kitchen of your mind, scrape the dark icing into the trash, think of something worthy of thankfulness, and step out of the kitchen to share the brighter icing of your renewed attitude.

The day is yours to choose.

What color is your icing?

Discovering a book-- again! Spiritual food in fascinating "fiction?"

I write, but I also read a lot just to relax. The other day, I finished enjoying a book earlier than I anticipated.  I must admit that once I get into a reading frame of mind, it is like an addict with his drug of choice. I must read until I cannot absorb another word.  This night, I realized that ceiling was not yet hitting my head. So, I began searching through my multiple book shelves for something I might enjoy reading again.  I don't usually read a book more than once, but my addiction was eating me alive, and I had to feed my hunger.

Five minutes later, I stumbled upon "The Shack," by Wm. Paul Young.  I vaguely remembered sitting down with the book a few years ago, but for some reason I did not read very far into the book.  Just returned it to the bookshelves.  This time, I read the back cover. The theme sounded solid: a man suffering immense loss and hurt is led back to his past, and directly into the scene of his greatest hurt.  There, he meets some familiar strangers.  Strangers, for sure; but, with a sweetness he remembered as once knowing, but sorrowfully long lost.

This time, as I settled into the book, I could hardly put it down to eat or sleep.  I believe everything happens for a reason, and if one looks objectively from a distance, the circumstances are always used by God for human benefit, whether evil or good,  happy or sad.  Young uses the question humans have asked for centuries as the basis for a fascinating voyage into the possibilities of God's nature.   Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain?   For personal reasons, the questions and discussions found within the story had a more resounding affect on me today than they would have if I read the book three years ago.  So much in my life has changed over those, and the past 25 years.  Taking time to consider the knowledge of God's nature as displayed in the book gives me a little more insight into my own condition, and I even made sense of some of the questions in my own life that have haunted me for years.

Faith plays a tremendous part in my life, and The Shack covers each page with faith: faith in God, faith in his deity and being, and faith in giving our hurts over to God so that He can work a miracle in our hardened and scarred hearts. Above all, faith that we are here to pass along God's messages through our good and not-so-good days, and that our lives are not lived in vain. God has a purpose that we are assigned to fulfill.

The Shack is a book of fiction -- but at its core is a book bespeaking of faith, prayer and soul searching. It was a #1 New York Times Bestseller and millions of copies were sold when first published in 2007.  The rich and famous, such as Kathie Lee Gifford, David Gregory, Michael W. Smith (recording artist), and artists, publishers and people of faith across the country endorsed the book.

Why not read it yourself?  If you already read it, why not read it again?  It will bring to remembrance why we are on earth and allow us a glimpse of heaven's glory at the same time. 

#faith, #God, #heaven, #sorrow, #healing, #spiritual healing, #God's nature, #Jesus the Son, #God the father, #the Spirit, #The Shack, #Wm. Paul Young, #eternity, #spiritual relationship

Finally able to get this show on the road! Excited to share thoughts, books, ideas and blessings with everyone

As in most "planned" things in my life, getting this website and my blogging up and running away with excitement has hit roadblocks.  Thankfully, God, and not my own strength, has seen me through the latest episode of "Rhonda's Not Like You'd Like It Life."

Just as I was preparing to begin daily blogging, my laptop crashed.  So, I had to go computer shopping.  Does the phrase "wicked confusion with as-yet-to-be-felt consequences" mean anything to anyone?  It does to me.  I had to tred the minefield of computer brands, services, browsers, features and prices. All the time, hoping I was making the right decision.  Hoping, because I absolutely refuse to go through this madness again!   It has taken me almost 3 weeks to finally get my latest (and assuredly the greatest) laptop purchased, processed, downloaded, transferred, registered, etc.  God bless the IT people of the world.  They actually live on a planet I cannot begin to reach with my mind.

In the midst of this unexpected activity, I had foot surgery.  No problem, I thought.   A couple of days with my foot on top of multiple pillows, and I'm up and going again.   NOT! Today is the first day of pain-free, almost-normal walking.  I will continue to wear this gorgeous blue boot for another 3-4 weeks.   But, I'm blessed that the surgery went well and, sometime before Christmas, I will once again wear actual shoes that cover my toes and protect against cold, wind, rain and snow.  (Well, probably not rain and snow.  Texas is in a prolonged ultra drought and we just finished North Texas'  longest September in history without rain.)

Then, the day before surgery, a guy decides to let the dog just brought from the groomer sit in the driver's seat as he pulls out from a parking space -- directly into the driver's side of my car.  It will eventually cost his insurance company $4,000 for repairs, when he finally admits to being at fault.  I wasn't hurt at all, but my first thought was, "things happen in groups of 3, so this should take care of it."    Thankfully, God sheltered me, so I was not hurt at all.  One foot further back, and it would have been a straight driver's side t-bone.

All of this is a reminder to me that God's plans do not always coincide with my carefully planned schedules.  I'm here, the computer is going to be great when I learn to use Windows 8.1, and I only lost 3 weeks.   I'm blessed!  Hope your last few weeks were blessed also.   Later.

#blessed, #blog, #God is my strength, #be blessed, #God's plan

WELCOME TO THE WORD ASYLUM BLOG!

The Word Asylum is the Online home of author, educator and speaker Rhonda L. Walker;
Rhonda possesses the unique ability to write in a variety of different styles for a range of audiences: from the youngest children who are just discovering books and reading, to sage adults who can share in Rhonda’s reflections on life.  She can be inspiring and imaginative, which she displays with her delightful children’s books that help young readers develop a love for books, and which make it fun for parents to read to their children.  She can also be poignant and honest, sharing her personal challenges and those of others. Rhonda is also often laugh-out-loud funny, which she highlights with her blog posts and her soon-to-be published new book of essays on growing up (not growing old).  Most intriguingly, Rhonda has the talent to be all of these things as one passionate author -- sometimes in the same paragraph.

find out more:

www.thewordasylum.com