Monday, November 9, 2009

When God calls, I suggest you answer the phone!

Last week, we talked about how God can use our pasts (tragedies, struggles, heartaches, and even sins) to create a wonderful future for us--a future where He can use us in some great capacity for His glory and our good. (And it will be fulfilling, too!)

But we have to answer His call when He calls. So many people ask me how to discover God's will for your life. It's easy. God wants you to know what He wants you to do. He's not trying to hide it. May I suggest that the problem is on our end? Here's some reasons why we may not know God's will for our lives.
  • It's not time yet for you to know. You're not ready to do the task He has for you. (You need more time in God's boot camp!)
  • Disobedience - willful sin in your life
  • Rebellion - not fully surrendered to God
  • Not walking closely with the Lord - You can't hear Him if you don't know Him. You can't hear Him if you don't spend time with Him.
  • Faith - You have to believe God will show you when the time comes
  • Complaining too much. What was the one thing besides sin that kept the children of Israel out of the promised land?
  • You aren't answering the phone! Maybe God has already told you but you don't like what He said. Like Jonah, you're running away.
Remember Paul? He was killing Christians and liking it when God called him. How did God call him? With a blinding light and a strong voice. Paul fell on his face and became completely blind. But he had a choice at that moment. He could have complained and cursed God for making him blind. He didn't know if he'd ever receive his sight again, did he? He could have been angry and become bitter and never answered the call. And look at all he would have missed out on!! He was responsible for spreading the good news to the gentiles! What an important task. I thank God that Paul answered the call, aren't you?

Six years ago, I felt very strongly that God wanted me to write a story about a Christian Pirate. Lots of people around me thought I was nuts. I had never written a book before. I had no training, no skills, and I didn't know anyone in the publishing industry. But I did it. I answered the call. If I hadn't, I don't know what I'd be doing today.

So, do yourself a favor. Check your heart. Trust God, and answer Him when He calls you!

Friday, November 6, 2009

Book giveaway - Havah - The story of Eve by Tosca Lee

Happy Friday, everyone! I'm heading to West Virginia today with my husband for a family reunion at my brother's brand new cabin in the mountains! Yea!! We are very excited. I'm not bringing my laptop and plan on taking a break from business. We will return on Tuesday.

In the meantime, I want to offer you another free book. Havah The story of Eve by Tosca Lee.

Here's what the backcover says:

A single decision has the power to unravel mankind.

Created, not born. The world's first woman, without flaw until one fateful choice. Now all humanity must pay for the mistake. From paradise to exile, from immortality to the death of Adam, experience the dawn of mankind through the eyes of Eve--the woman first known as Havah.

I've read this book and it's very good. It really makes you think about what it must have been like to be Eve.

So, leave a comment and I'll draw a winner in 2 weeks!

Have a great weekend!

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Off to West Virginia!

My husband and I leave the grand state of California early tomorrow (6:30 AM. Uggg!) and travel to West Virginia. My brother built a cabin in the woods on top of a mountain there and my family is getting together for a sort of pre-Thanksgiving family celebration. My mother, my sister, 2 nieces, 2 nephews, and my brother and his wife will be there. I'm very excited to see my family! They all live in Florida, so I don't get over there very often.

I'm not taking my laptop, so if any of you write to me, I'm not ignoring you! I'm trying to be obedient to the Lord to truly take a break from my work and all it entails. But it's a short visit and I'll be back online next Wednesday. In the meantime, I have some blog posts already written and scheduled, including a book giveaway tomorrow. So, don't forget to drop by!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone and I'll see you next Wednesday!

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Reenactment of the War of 1812 - Fort McHenry

I took this video with my camera, but it's pretty awesome. I tried to load it on here my blog, but it was too big! So I put it on my website. And I have no idea how to edit it. It's about 15 mintues long, but at least stay until one of the cannons fires. It's pretty cool. Well, of course, I think so ! You can hear my voice in the background. I'm the one saying "awesome" a lot! Yes, I'm from California, and yes, I'm a big kid at heart. Enjoy!

http://www.mltyndall.com/BattleRenactment.html

Monday, November 2, 2009

God uses your past to create a beautiful future


If you're like me, there's probably many things in your past that you aren't proud of. Since I spent 37 years without God, you can imagine how much trouble I got into during those years. I was extremely wounded from my childhood, young, attractive, self-centered, and very volatile. When I look back, I cringe at some of the memories and ask God, why, why didn't you rescue me sooner? Before I hurt so many people, myself included. Before I ruined lives and created so much regret? I often battle tremendous guilt over some of the things I've done. Even though I know Jesus has forgiven me of all of it. Not only forgiven, but forgotten. Boy, do I praise Him for that!

Yet, it occurred to me lately that there's no way I could write the type of stories I write, there's no way I could write the type of characters I write about: broken, sinful, wounded, self-centered, vain, desperate characters, unless I had the exact past that I have. I began to wonder if God hadn't allowed me to fall so far into the pit just for this purpose. He always had ahold of the rope but as long as I was willing to keep moving downward, He was going to let me, because in His divine knowledge, He already knew that He wanted me to be a writer, and He already knew exactly the type of stories He wanted me to write, to reach certain people that He had already chosen to read my books so that they would come closer to Him.

Isn't that mind-boggling?? His incredible wisdom and knowledge astounds me. Then, I began to realize that my difficult childhood was also part of the plan, because without that, I wouldn't have fallen so deep and drifted so far from God.

How often do we complain about our bad childhood, or our abusive friends, or tragedies that have happened to us. When in reality, if we would only trust God, we would eventually see that He had a Good plan in the end?

But it goes so much deeper than that. Even our sins, our failings, He can use for His glory! Like the recovered drug addict who now helps addicts or the woman who used to be a prostitute but who now loves Jesus and she helps get young girls off of the street by telling them God loves them and there's another way.

It blows my mind! So, whether your past is filled with tragedies, difficulties, or sin, or all of the above, rest assured, God allowed it all for a reason. Everything!! Even your mistakes. (That doesn't mean your sin is good or that God approved of it in any way!) So, seek God's forgiveness, learn from them and ask God to show you the future He wants to create from your past.

Tune in next week when I'll give my thoughts on the precious moment when God calls you to do that task He's planned for you to do since before you were born.

Friday, October 30, 2009

545 people that maintain a dysfunctional government

I found this article online. It's written by Charley Reese who has been a journalist for 49 years.
It's long, but worth the read, especially if you're mad about what's happening to our country.

Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them. Have you ever wondered, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, WHY do we have deficits? Have you ever wondered; if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, WHY do we have inflation and high taxes?

  • You and I don't propose a federal budget. The president does.
  • You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does.
  • You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does.
  • You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does.
  • You and I don't control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does.
One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one president, and nine Supreme Court justices equates to 545 human beings out of the 300 million are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.
I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress.

In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but private, central bank. I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a president to do one cotton-picking thing. I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator's responsibility to determine how he votes.

The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes.

Who is the speaker of the House? Nancy Pelosi, she is the leader of the majority party. She and fellow House members, not the president, can approve any budget they want. If the president vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to. It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million can not replace 545 people who stand convicted-- by present facts - of incompetence and Irresponsibility.

Wake up America before its too late.I can't think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 people. When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.
  • If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair or don't care.
  • If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the red or don't care.
  • If the Marines are in IRAQ, it's because they want them in IRAQ.
  • If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it's because they want it that way. Its a windfall for them. One term, and their set for life.

There are no insoluble government problems.

Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power.

Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like 'the economy,' 'inflation' or 'politics' that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.

Those 545 people and they alone, are responsible. They and they alone, have the power. They and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses - provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees.

We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess!'

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

United States Naval Academy Women's Hockey Team!

Welcome to Wordless Wednesday (Well, almost wordless)
The very first women's ice hockey team at the United States Naval Academy, and my step-daughter is on the team!