Lord, Help!

For as long as I can remember, I've dreamed of becoming a writer. Over the years, I've had some articles published, written for various women's newsletters, and even sold quite a few of my poems. But my real dream has always been to write a book and see it published.

On Thursday, I received the proof copy of my first book, "Lord, Help! Here Comes Mom!" As I stood on my driveway and tore open the envelope containing the book, tears began to fill my eyes as I held my first book in my trembling hands. For a writer, it's a completely overwhelming feeling to see your words in print, complete with cover art and your photo on the back. I know this sounds silly, but to me, one of the most awesome things was to see the ISBN number on the back cover. It made the book "official" somehow, real and tangible.

As you may surmise from the title, my book is about my mother and her cross-country move to Kansas from Tennessee after selling the house she had lived in for 47 years. A pretty big deal for someone at 85 years old. The folks who have read the book say that you'll laugh and you'll cry and you'll think about elder care in a whole new way. You'll get to know a single mother, teenaged children and a feisty little lady named Louise. You'll share their lives and meet their hearts as all their lives change and grow and mesh when Granny joins their daily routine.

I've read a lot about the "Sandwich Generation," the group of Baby Boomers who still have children living at home and elderly parents who need their care as well. Many families across the country are now finding themselves in this stage of life, and they are struggling to find their way and do what is best for each family member involved. My prayer is that "Lord, Help! Here Comes Mom!" will be a light to these families and a testimony to the incredible provision God makes when we seek to follow His path for our lives.

It will be a couple of weeks before the book is available, and I'll post purchasing information then. Since I was allowed to set the price of the book, my royalties for each book are quite minimal. You see, for me, it's not about making big bucks as a writer. It's about helping another single mother who wonders how she will be able to do everything she needs to do in a day. It's about giving hope to a family who is wrestling with caring for their elderly parents and not shortchanging their children living at home. It's about sharing the miracles of God's amazing grace, love and mercy at the times we need them most.

Happy reading!

With This Ring

My first camera was a Yashica 35 mm film model with an attached lens. I remember well the day I purchased that camera with my hard-earned babysitting money at the beginning of my sophomore year of high school. I was 15 and completely convinced that I would someday become a photographer for National Geographic and travel the world in search of the perfect, award-winning photo.

While I haven’t become an internationally famous shutterbug, I have over the years taken some pretty decent photos. A stint as a family photographer taught me the skill of posing people for portraits and how to wrangle a smile from an unsure toddler. Nature photos on vacations and working for an ad agency taught me the art of capturing special moments that happen in the blink of an eye.

And now, having come into the world of digital photography, I’ve recently started shooting for money … photos, that is. I’ve shot some senior pictures and several weddings over the last year or so, and it’s been a complete blast of fun and excitement.

Weddings are such unique and special events in the lives not only of the bride and groom but those of extended family and friends as well. Most often, weddings are happy, joyful events, and everyone involved has a great time. But there are some that are not so happy … families are in conflict, a loved one is missing, the young woman becomes “Bridezilla” the day of the ceremony, and so on. I’ve been fortunate to photograph many more happy ceremonies than sad, which makes my job even more fun.

Perhaps it’s because the older I get, the more I seem to focus on eternity, but I often find myself thinking of heaven as I’m photographing a wedding. In particular, I think often of the wedding feast of the Lamb that is described in Revelation 19: 7-9. Joy, happiness and unbridled praise for our Lord will accompany the magnificent celebration that God has planned for those who have loved and faithfully served Him while on earth. While the confidence of being present at God’s ultimate wedding reception brings me great hope and anticipation, I am also saddened when I see the multitudes that will never be part of that celebration.

God has given each of us the opportunity to say, “I do.”

Are you coming to the party?

“Then he said to me, ‘Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’’ And he said to me, ‘These are true words of God.’” Revelation 19:9