Here it is, folks! Consider this like an . . . ultrasound of sorts! I'm SO tickled with the way it turned out and I've gotten lots of positive feedback, too. I think it totally captures the essence of what this book is all about. And I just love the pink, too! I'm such a girl!You haven't heard much out of me lately because things have been pretty quiet. The rough (and I do mean ROUGH) draft of The Heart's Journey Home was completed earlier this month and we are now knee deep in the editing phase, which is so fun! I explained it to my very good friend, Jana, this way: writing it was like running a marathon - fun and rewarding, but it took every last ounce of my creative juices. Editing is taking something that is already there and making it better. I LOVE that, and I'm still not very good at it yet, but my wonderful publisher is teaching me a little more about the craft as we go along. This has been an exceptional experience all the way around.
The very best part of the whole thing has been getting to know my characters. They are all so special to me! Point in case, I needed to write a scene that involved quite a bit of medical knowledge (of which I have NONE!), and so I called my sister who's an awesome RN to pick her brain in order to make the scene real and accurate. Do you know I started crying right there on the phone because of what this character has to go through? Sheesh! (Thankfully, Bonnie didn't think I was a nut . . . or, at least, any more of one than I already am! Ha! Ha!) I hope and pray that you grow to love these characters as I have, that they impact your life and touch your heart in some way.
Other than that, we've had a pretty uneventful summer. We visited with our family in Ohio for about a week which was wonderful. I posted a TON of photos from our trip on facebook. The girls have had swimming lessons for two weeks and are swimming like fish! Oh, and earlier this month when Olivia's platelets were rechecked they were up to 144K! 150K is considered normal so she seems to be completely out of the woods! Yay! It was a L-O-N-G 5 months!!! She'll be playing soccer in the fall which is what she really wanted to do so extra praises go up for that! I'm still going to keep her on the list of prayer concerns though until she gets her blood checked next month. Hopefully that'll be the last time and we'll just watch her carefully if she gets sick during the school year. Pray that this ITP never comes back!
Speaking of prayers . . .
PRAYER REQUESTS: Please pray for Leann. She is an 11-year-old who has been through quite a bit in a short amount of time. Now she has very real fears. Please pray that the Lord will work through those around her to ease her troubled heart. Pray that the Lord will just give her a peace that passes all understanding. Pray that the Lord will wrap this sweet young lady up in a warm, fuzzy blanket of His love and she will be comforted resting in His promises.
I need you all to pray for Billie Ensley. Billie is in her 80s and has recently been diagnosed with breast cancer. Thankfully, it was caught in the early stages, but she will be undergoing surgery in 3 weeks and that's not easy at any age. Pray for healing. Pray for peace and comfort for Billie and her family. Pray for wisdom for her doctors.
Please also pray for Nadja Welch. She is in her mid thirties, with four children and has recently been diagnosed with some serious health problems. Pray for complete and quick healing for this mother. Pray for her to have super natural strength and divine comfort. Pray for her doctors to have wisdom to know exactly what to do to make her better. Pray for her children, that they won't be scared or worry about their mommy but rest in God's promises.
Please, continue to pray for the others listed to the right, and, as always, pray for God's will to be done in all things. If you or someone you know is in need of prayer, please send me a message and I will be more than happy to add them to this list. There truly is POWER in prayer!
