JOY Has Arrived!

Do you believe God cares about your dreams?

Do you believe He inspires your dreams so He can accomplish His will through your life?

Becky Tirabassi, in her book Let Prayer Change Your Life, says "faith is a whisper, a call, an intelligible, but usually not audible voice directing us to achieve something for the good of others."

She says, ". . . it is in and through prayer that God has released a myriad of ideas, goals, and dreams. They might have been new or lying dormant, but when no longer hindered by fears of failure or tripped up by stumbling blocks such as personal sin, shame, or guilt, (we are) empowered to risk and dream. 

"When you begin to spend time with God on a regular basis, your fears, besetting sins, shame from your past, and list of reasons why you 'cant, didn't, or shouldn't' will begin to pass away, be resolved, or be exposed as excuses why you haven't reached your dreams or fulfilled your purpose in life. Prayer will wipe away those excuses and pry open the doors of faith, pushing you toward your dreams" (203).

January 2011 was the darkest time in my adult life.

It was also the month that birthed the dream for my devotional book, Joy in the Journey ~ Encouragement for Homeschooling Moms.

As Becky Tirabassi so eloquently wrote, it was a time of pressing hard into the face of Christ out of deep and desperate need. I was stripped of everything I had trusted in save the mercy and grace of God, and I learned it was enough.

I learned to pray the words of Daniel 9:18, "We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy." 

And His mercy met me there.

"Perhaps this is just where God would have us--helpless within our own strength, dependent on His deliverance. This balance in prayer," Tirabassi says, "allows Him to become strong in our weakness as well as receive the glory for the (often miraculous) answers to those prayers. Prayer fuels our faith to believe what we cannot see" (208-209).

In the broken and tender ground of my heart, God planted Joy in the Journey. I began to see Him at work, "the God of all comfort, Who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. "  

And to see His purpose for me, not despite my circumstances, but because of them.

"To comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion-- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair."

Tirabassi says, "Prayer doesn't stop with an idea or a list of to do's. God brings others alongside to believe in your dream. A great faith booster occurs when, after you have persevered in prayer, people come to you to offer help, even if you haven't told anyone your need.

"Oftentimes in the moments when you feel most rejected or discouraged, God brings His rescue, packaged in such a way to remind you that He is the designer, orchestrator, and giver of the dream" (209).


"What is the work or what are the dreams and desires that you believe God has given you to do that remain unfulfilled? 

When you pray, watch for small, medium, and large doors to open. These answers to prayer will be clear signs along the way of God's direction, goodness, faithfulness, and power being released on your behalf to fulfill the dreams He has put in your heart" (211).

 Joy in the Journey ~ Encouragement for Homeschooling Moms available now through Lulu.com

To God be the glory!

A Book is Born!

As my loyal subscribers, I wanted you to be the first to know.

At 2:08 a.m. this morning, Wednesday, June 15,  the book Joy in the Journey -- Encouragement for Homeschooling Moms was born.  It was a painful labor.  After the first 7-1/2 hours of labor, the manuscript was kidnapped into cyberspace, never to return.

Labor began again on Sunday afternoon and concluded this morning with a successful delivery.

Many thanks to my daughters who lent their typing fingers to the task as well as adopted daughters Katherine and Taylor.  Thanks also to those of you who have been praying for me and encouraging me along the way.

For those of you outside the homeschooling community, the book is a compliation of ten years of monthly devotionals that I have written to encourage and challenge homeschooling moms in our support group.  Over the years kind readers (Pat, I think you were the first)  have suggested that I would write a book someday.  I would smile politely, thankful for your vision, but didn't really believe you.  The possibility of publication emerged in January at writer's conference sponsored by Christian Devotions, a publishing company and owner of a website of the same name. Thank you, Lisa, for dragging me along!

The challenge of compiling 40 devotions into a cohesive document was daunting, especially given the fact that many of them existed in hard copy only and had to be typed into an electronic format.  As I read back through the years of writings, it reminded me again of the unique challenges that face homeschooilng families.  Knowing that the Lord might want to use my words to encourage an even larger group of dedicated homeschooling moms was strong motivation.  So we pressed on.

When two thirds of the manuscript was lost on Sunday, I recognized it as a defining moment .  I could quit or start over.  The words of the very title of my own book and blog rang in my ears.  "Be not weary in well doing, for you WILL reap a harvest if you do not faint."  I wanted to cry, but knew that I didn't have time for such nonsense.  I had to get back to work!  For some reason, in His sovereignty, God had chosen to discard the manuscript and wanted  me to begin again.  I lamented in a text message to my band of prayer warriors (thank you Susie, Mandy, Cheryl, Alicia, and Debbie) and started typing again.

Perhaps the words weren't just right.  Maybe there was a devotion that I had missed that needed to be in there because God has a person in mind who needs it.  Maybe I needed to learn another lesson in perseverance and trust to make me stronger.  Maybe I needed to enlist more prayer support for the effort (thank you Ladies Bible Study gals at Kilbourne Park).  Whatever the reason, I chose to trust God and press on.  I might still cry, but I'm too tired right now for such an effort.

What can you do now, my dear friends?  Pray and keep praying.  I received a confirmation receipt from the acquisition editor early this morning ( 7 am, NOT 2 am), so it is officially in the review process.  He will decide whether the book goes any farther with them, or if I should seek another venue.  This publishing company has a desire to reach out to the homeschooling community by publishing good quality materials, so it could be a good fit.

I'll keep you updated, though the review process is usually terribly slow. 

I love you all!!!!!

UPDATE AS OF DEC. 12, 2011:

Joy in the Journey is on its way to the printer. It is targeted for release in January and will be available through Mardel.com by early February.