WinterFest - Orcas Island - Part 4

Saturday, March 6

Morning Worship and Lecture

It was one beautiful sunny day!
This scene greeted me from my deck.

. . .and this scene greeted me arriving at Orcas Island Community Church! 

Our time together was then committed in worship to all that God had planned for the day.

Trinity Bell
Lighting of the Candle

I Arise Today

Psalm 108

"O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, . . .

 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: and thy glory above all the earth;

Worship Bulletin 

Cover Artwork: Morning Colors

by Ellens

Merely Christian: A Compelling Invitation to a Larger Hope

I only "thought" I could cull from my notes taken as I listened to Earl speak. He says so much and says it well and I have a few notes but know where to head to find excepts he read in my own copies of Lewis' books. 

But they are not going to be "here". There is plenty for you to see of the amazing WinterFest God gave to those of us who were present.

I finally just gave in and listened and enjoyed the journey Earl took us on. 

He is so animated with joy and expression when he speaks, getting a good photo was also hard. This one I posted came the closest to his being "still" in the moment I clicked the shutter button!! 

WinterFest - Orcas Island Part 3

I am continuing to blog my WinterFest journey after returning home on Monday, March 7th! 

It was impossible to do more postings after the actual event began. I was trying to keep up with all that was happening, jotting down notes during the lectures, trying to journal - simply needing to let it all soak in.

I do want to bring you to the event and  I "think" I can through some photos and quotes. That is my hope! 

The short version is that it was simply an amazing three days and I came home exhausted, overwhelmed, and equally grateful.

March 4

I mentioned in my last blog entry, after the Friday evening lecture, what a delightful presence Earl Palmer brings to his teachings. After 50 years in ministry, he "retired" as Senior Pastor of University Presbyterian church in Seattle, Washington in 2006. He has far from retired, continuing to teach and minister. His scholarship, theological background, wide interest in the arts, among other giftings, is a joy to experience. By conference "end", I wanted to rush home and re-read all the Lewis' books he shared within the context of his lectures. His enthusiastic highlights, deep insights and exuberant readings had us all enthralled. 

It takes a team to plan such an event.

In acknowledging these gifted men in the photos below, I do not want to skip a thank you to those at the Orcas Island Community Church who made that environment one of gracious welcome. The church decor, the refreshments at each break and fellowship in the community room added a wonderful touch for all of us who gathered.  I met the most amazing, friendly people - both those visiting Orcas for the event and those who call Orcas and this church their home. 

Dick Staub: Pastor of Orcas Island Community Church

Founder and Director of The Kindlings, a relational movement seeking to rekindle the spiritual, intellectual an artistic legacy of Christians in culture. Thank you, Dick, for overseeing the moments of the days we gathered, for sharing your insights, and covering it all in prayer and God's guidance. You are so appreciated!

 Rev. Earl Palmer in the center

Our worship leaders, Jeff Johnson (Ark Music) and Brain Moss, musician and also the 

Associate Pastor at Orcas Island Community Church. 

I've shared my appreciation for Earl. Jeff and Brian gifted us by filling the environment with the music from their hearts. Through their talents our own hearts were drawn into a place of worship in song. I have known Jeff and his music for years - often have it playing to fill my home with the reminder of God's presence. Brian is a wonderful leader, as well, and a new "voice" to me. Together these men helped us get our focus where it belonged - on the One who had gathered us together at this special time. I know each life was touched. 

Next posting - 

the Saturday events, including our morning worship! 

Journeying on Orcas Island - Part 2

March 4, 2016 

It was a blustery day but I bundled up, took my walker for stability and ventured out to get some exercise - to breathe in the fresh air. The way was bumpy and, at times, rutted with work being done on the Inn’s property. 

I crossed the highway and looked back 

 such starkness as spring awaits its coming  

much as we long for those first blooms to awaken us! 

But wait!

 Looking down amidst the dry and the needed restoration - new life is waking! 

And around another bend - more sunshine emerging and some fragrance in hyacinths. I asked the groundskeeper if I might pick a few blooms for my room and he gave an enthusiastic “yes”. 

I journaled the joys that are 

already greeting me here on Orcas!

I’ve a website to start designing. 

What will light my path? 

I do know the burst of creativity that only God can bring, 

 be it along a worn path, a well tended garden, or a soul that waits in the silence to hear His quiet whisper.

Oh, yes! 

Today some glimpses are blooming of what is to come! 

. . . and blooming!! 

I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud

by William Wordsworth

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils;  

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine

And twinkle on the milky way,

They stretched in never-ending line

Along the margin of a bay:

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,

Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they

Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:

A poet could not but be gay,

In such a jocund company:

I gazed—and gazed—but little thought

What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,

They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils.

from my journal entry (evening) March 4

after experiencing our first lecture by

Rev. Earl Palmer

Such a delightful man and speaker and a joy to share with him at the reception after the lecture. We spoke of mutual experiences and people from C.S. Lewis’ home (The Kilns). Earl heads to Oxford this summer to do the Study Week with our beloved friend, Kim Gilnett. 

I told him he may find my heart still settled there!

Oh, to share, to be embraced by this group of kindred souls, to “belong somewhere”. 

Thank You, Lord. How faithful You are! 

Amen. 

To be continued. . . 

Taking to the High Seas - More Updates on the Journey Toward Publication!

This is what got my attention!!

This is what got my attention NEXT!

Dick Staub and Earl Palmer in discusion on C.S. Lewis.

This Kindlings WinterFest is less intense with the number of events than the larger Summer KindlingsFest 

My reason for choosing to attend this March 4-7 event is two fold.

There is a potential to share with key people about marketing my book. Some of you will remember in 2010 my journey toward publication began here!

And the bonus is being able to hear Earl Palmer share about one of his passions: C.S. Lewis. I've heard him speak a number of times about Lewis and it is time well spent. 

I came a day early to try and get my head calmed down from the nearly hour long ferry boat ride. 

I am in a cozy Inn with a room just perfect for me and with a fireplace. I am putting colored pens to pad and fingers to key board to rough out idea for my website. There are a few other areas that need attention so I will see how that goes.

Thursday, March 3, 2016

Waiting for the Ferry in Anacortes

Heading to Orcas Island

Stay Tuned for Part Two

Update on My Self Publishing Journey!!

I naively thought I would “leisurely” do blog updates along my journey with the self publication of my book, Seeking the Light of God’s Comforter—When Challenges Dim Our View. 

As you will note, this is February, 2016 and the journey began mid November, 2015. Although there have been some breaks during the holiday season the intensity of this journey has left little energy to “leisurely” do more than exhale for some moments and catch my breath. That said, it is a fascinating journey. I have learned a lot. There are miles to go and more to learn.

After I signed my contract, I was assigned a Project Manager. All parts of this journey go directly to her so, wisely, files are kept in one place. My project manager lives in Ohio. We “met” and were instantly sharing prayer needs with each other as well as the professional essentials I needed to know at that beginning time.

She assigned me to a copyeditor, a woman who lives closer to me geographically and who I actually met the beginning of this month. In November she was finishing up another project and then turned to mine on December 1. We worked “online” one-on-one and she was a dream to work with. I learned so much, appreciated her input, and she was sensitive to mine when I needed to explain why I had done some particular parts of my text the way I did. She scrutinized every word, punctuation, grammar usage, and connected two sections for their coordinated identification. We worked in tandem, my checking over what she did, our coming to a consensus until we were totally in sync. By mid December, all was ready to be sent on to the Project Manager. That work is waiting to go on to formatting along with my 67 colored photos. I’ll explain the reason for the wait later. 

While my copyeditor was working on the texts, the graphic designer was working on readying my design of the book’s front cover. Her work was sent to me. With email exchanges and tweaks (all going to the designer through the Project Manager with my input going to the Project Manager to the designer), the front cover is ready. It will be picked up later when all the interiors of the book are set and approved. Then the graphic designer will work on the spine and back cover design.

January put the next steps on hold, but for good reasons. My Project Manager and her husband have recently welcomed, via adoption, a newborn baby - God’s gift to them after a 7 year wait and many disappointments. Understandably she/they are on maternity/paternity leave as we all rejoice and want to give them this priceless time.

My next literal steps will be to drive south an hour and a half from where I live and have time with the publisher to show her my compiled 3-ring binder where she will review my vision of the formatting of my entire manuscript (including the photos). I will take those 67 colored photos, now in the right format and pixel size, in a zip drive. I’ll hand that over to her! We will discuss what is possible and come to some conclusions. She is the one who will then communicate these needs to the Project Manager (off maternity leave and learning to REALLY multi-task). 

As there have been needed transitions in various positions at the Publishing Company, I chose not to walk into  those occurring during January. A date will soon be scheduled to take the drive south and get on with the next part of this process.

Originally it was thought the publication date would be February, 2016. Not so now. As I have been waiting for six years to be published, a few more months is not of concern as I always have been on God’s timeline. My guess is perhaps a book will be in my hands by April. 

Stay tuned and thanks for ALL your prayers.

I am using this time to tend to some preparation for marketing.

Here are some throw-back images from February of 2010.

I was away from home and using the time to try and figure out how to approach the four Introduction Sections in my book, as well as doing other edits. 

A handful of daffodils got me started. 

There is music in these waiting times. 

The blooms will emerge and oh, the beauty will be worth the wait. 

Click Here to listen a favored song that has kept me inspired along the roads of these years - the roads God and I have walked together while He sang his lyrics of promise.

xo Lynn

The Courage to Trust in God's Delays

And the Lord answered me:“Write the vision; make it plain upon tablets, so he may run who reads it. For still the vision awaits its time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seem slow, wait for it;  it will surely come, it will not delay” (Habakkuk 2:2-3).

Mid October I shared in a blog post that an opportunity for me to publish my devotional book, Seeking the Light of God’s Comforter, When Challenges Dim Our View, had come into my life. On November 17, I signed my book contract! Yes - it is all real now and progressing!

There were some major aspects of the book texts I felt a need to complete before signing my contract. There were  Acknowledgements (so many people to thank), an About the Author page (that was a challenge), and I still had a handful of personal property release permits to get so that my personal photos, taken on another person’s premises, could be published without any concern about liability. People who said they would endorse my book needed to be alerted that the time had finally come and then get their words to me. 

It has been an intense number of weeks but finally, I felt I could in good conscience, sign the contract with Redemption Press. I clicked the send icon, I heard from the publisher, the texts I sent are on their way to a copyeditor. I soon will meet my project manager whose name is Amber! She is bound to become a very important new person in my life and surely a friend! 

It was a significant day for me as one of my hopes, when an early retirement from teaching was necessary in 1992, was to write inspirational non-fiction. The hopes were that it would be published to be of value to others. I had begun another manuscript but a severe health set back in 2005 shoved that ambitious effort onto a shelf. What emerged out of that turn in my road was the invitation, 3 years later, to write devotionals for Rest Ministries, an online Christian site for those living with a chronic illness. The book to be published is a compilation of some of those writings. And a future goal is to get back to that original manuscript. 

As I have thought of the blessing God has brought with the signing of the contract to have the devotional book published, I’ve been led to look back on all the delays that were needed to get to His right time and place.

I was reminded, not only of the Habakkuk verse that heads this blog posting, but of an article I wrote that was published in 2006. I am posting that article below for surely it means a lot to me now and it may mean something to you if you are in a waiting time.

Living in the Questions

Nearly 20 years ago, I cut out a piece in a church bulletin and tucked it among other bits and pieces that have meaning to me inside my Bible. To the best of my recall, it was written by Chuck Swindoll. The paper upon which it is written is so small, there have been times I could not find it when purposefully looking for it.

“It is your future.

Don’t back into it.

Don’t grope into 

its mists blindfolded.

Put the hand of your faith 

into the Hand of God.

Get used to His voice.

He warns you of dangers 

and of strangers.

He leads you to experience 

His prepared future.

It does not disappoint.

There is always more

 for those 

who walk with Him.

He straightens question marks

 into exclamation points!”

Many questions about my future were present when I first read these thoughts. More erupted over the ensuing years including the continuing daily challenges with vertigo, cancer, follow-up treatment, and an early retirement from my teaching career. Somewhere along the trail of my life I got to thinking more deeply about the message this bulletin excerpt presented and I came to a conclusion that brought me encouraging perspective.

What could it mean to really live within the questions in my life? A question marks the spot of a seeking moment. It stops me. I want the right answer and I want it now! Often, I discover that the right answer requires a different timing than my insistent now. In such cases, all I can really do is wait.

I picture the literal configuration of a question mark with its curves and swirl. It actually is shaped like the outside of a human ear. What if I were to crawl right into a question mark? This would curl me into the fetal position, quietly waiting upon the Lord. I would need to depend upon him much as I had to during my own gestation time. When the answer is ready, the birthing takes place and reconfigures the  ?   Into an  !  . Right timing—God’s timing. Right answer—God’s answer.

My Bible and the various meaningful bits and pieces I have tucked inside it serve to remind me that there will always be questions—but eventually there will be answers. If I choose to live in the questions, curled up securely where I can listen for God’s voice and directions, I cannot wander far. I'll be near enough to hear his voice exclaim the answers when his time is right.

?   !   ?   !   ?   !   ?  !

photo: Lynn's desk