It's my distinct pleasure to introduce you to Valerie, a fellow author and friend.
Valerie Comer’s life on a small farm in western Canada provides the seed for stories of contemporary inspirational romance. Like many of her characters, Valerie and her family grow much of their own food and are active in the local foods movement as well as their creation-care-centric church. She only hopes her characters enjoy their happily ever afters as much as she does hers, shared with her husband, adult kids, and adorable granddaughters.
Valerie writes Farm Lit with the voice of experience laced with humor. Raspberries and Vinegar, first in her series A Farm Fresh Romance, released August 1, 2013. Visit her at http://valeriecomer.com.
It's a Matter of Control
The older I get, the more I like things to go the way I want them to. I make my plans, announce them to everyone they may affect, and expect them to fall in line, thank you very much.
Please tell me I'm not the only one!
It wasn't all that difficult to create a controlling character in my recently released novel,
Raspberries and Vinegar. I didn't need a lot of imagination. I took Josephine Shaw, gave her a goal and a little incentive, and turned her loose.
She doesn't understand why everyone around her can't see the issues as clearly as she can. You have a question? Hello! She has the solution.
And she's not just a talker. She's more than willing to put her shoulder where her mouth is. She may be barely over five feet tall, but she's got enough spunk and stamina to make up for her small stature.
It was mean of me, but I had to break her arm. She had to learn that the whole world did not depend upon her. She had to learn that God was bigger than her carefully spun plans and that He didn't, in fact, need her to accomplish His vision.
What?!?!?!?
To the controllers amongst us, that's crazy talk. Why did God make us the way we are if He doesn't need us to accomplish His will?
Think of Mary and Martha, sisters of Lazarus, when Jesus visited. Martha was the busy one, the ones with plans. Jo could identify with Martha. So, quite frankly, can I. I can think of 101 things to do to make things better. All three of us—biblical Martha, fictional Jo, and I—believe others should get on board with our ideas. Just think what could be accomplished!
Mary, however, sat at the feet of Jesus and absorbed His words. She drank in His presence and worshiped Him. Did Jesus tell her to run along and give her sister a hand? Not at all.
He said what Mary was doing was BETTER than what Martha was doing. That hurts, you know? Didn't He care if they ever got dinner on the table?
The motto here seems to be, "First Things First." And the first thing God wants of us is our worship. He wants us to be all wrapped up in His presence. To adore Him. To become one with Him.
His ways are not our ways, says Isaiah 55:8. His thoughts aren't ours. His are better. Higher.
We get like a wind-up toy that's set down just anywhere. Whizzzzzz we go in the direction in front of us until we crash and burn. Wouldn't it be better to be so in tune with our Jesus that all that energy can be sent in a direction He wants?
What about you? Are you convinced God can't possibly get His work done without you? Here's the thing:
God doesn't need you. He wants you, but He doesn't need you.
He's the master of the universe and He could change anything on Earth with a flicker of His will. He doesn't need our measly strength. What He desires is us. Adoring him, dancing in His presence, basking in His glory.
A wondrous place to be.
Breaking ground with the Farm Fresh Romance series, RASPBERRIES AND VINEGAR finds Josephine Shaw and her friends renovating a dilapidated farm with their sights set on more than just their own property. Transforming the town with their sustainable lifestyle and focus on local foods is met with more resistance than they expected, especially by temporary neighbor, Zachary Nemesek. Jo needs to learn that a little sweet makes the tart more tasty.
A Farm Fresh Romance Series:
A Farm Fresh Romance. This unique
farm lit series follows the adventures, romantic and otherwise, of three college graduates who move onto a reclaimed farm where they plan to take the rural area by storm with their sustainable lifestyle and focus on local foods.
Buy Raspberries and Vinegar at Valerie's website(includes links to various stores/versions on the right sidebar)
Buy through Choose NOW Publishing (includes various links)
To Connect with Valerie:
· Website: http://valeriecomer.com
· Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/valeriecomer.author
· Twitter: http://twitter.com/valeriecomer
http://twitter.com/towritestory
· Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/valeriecomer
· Blog: http://valeriecomer.com/blog
· Writing Blog & Free eCourse: http://towriteastory.com
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Thanks for visiting, Valerie. I enjoyed your post a great deal. I'm also a Martha and forget to sit and listen, and not just to the Lord.
All right readers, it's your turn. Are you a Martha or a Mary?
Blessings,
Ginger
Sometimes I feel like I'm not good enough for God or that He's forgotten about me, but I know it's not true. I know He will always be there as long as I want Him to be. He is a gentleman. If I kick Him out of my life, He will still be there waiting when I come back because He never leaves, but I have to open the door if I want forgiveness and healing.
When Kelli heads west on the orphan train as a helper, she expects to return to the orphanage and live her life there as an old maid, but once she sees the town of Emporia, she desires to stay. After overhearing a cowboy telling the general store owner that he is looking for a mail order bride, Kelli rushes forward to offer herself.
Teresa Ives Lilly is the author of a variety of Christian Romance Novellas and Novels. She also writes Children's Chapter books and has created over 300 unit studies that are used by both homeschoolers and the public and private schools. She lives in Texas. 
