I feel like God is moving in my family in enormous ways.
This “GRACE FLOW” talk started when our counselor was praying for us.
He blessed us with eyes to see the flow of God’s Grace upon our lives because we are willing to work on some “stuff” that has kept us stuck in our communication and family life.
He asked us to read Arthur Murray’s book, Humility. Out with pride. In with humilty.
We were challenged to release the wounds of our past. Healing begins.
We began to focus on how we could act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our God in all areas of our life. Love grows.
Bondage that has kept us stuck is being removed. Grace flows.
Photo from WheatonBible.org
Whew! Can I say OVERWHELMING!
So many beautiful things that are evidenced in a life surrendered fully to Christ.
We have trusted God for our marriage and our family.
Here are just a few things that have happened in our GRACE FLOW
- **Our book, My Message is C.L.E.A.R. was a finalist in the Reader’s Favorite book contest. We didn’t win but we made the top five in our category.
- **We recorded the audio version of My Message is C.L.E.A.R. AudioInk it is producing it in record time. Watch for news on this soon.
- **I orchestrated a successful writer’s retreat for The Northwest Christian Writer’s Association.
- **Steve and I had a blast speaking together at The Father’s Network conference last weekend.
- **Our oldest son, Zane, and his beautiful wife, Kelsey, are expecting their baby girl any day now.
- **Our youngest son, Gabe, is off on a whirl-wind speaking tour where he’ll touch thousands of lives in the state of Montana.
- **My Ebook, Caregivers’ Devotions to Go, was #1 on Amazon this past week when my publisher promoted it free for a day.
- **We have been blessed with some nice donations to our foundation.
- **We received an unexpected bonus.
- **Gabe is signing books tonight for My Message is C.L.E.A.R. at the Billings Barnes and Noble
- **Steve and Gabe will be speaking to a Businessman’s lunch in November
- **Several schools in Washington state have booked Gabe to speak in the new year.
Like I said – WHEW. GRACE FLOW!
I am truly humbled by the magnificant change taking place in my family and ministry life.
My friend. I want to see the flow of Grace in your life too.
I pray for you so often.
I pray that whatever might be keeping you in bondage and blocking the flow of God’s grace will be revealed to your willing heart.
I pray God will bring people into your life to speak open and honest truth.
Please email me or comment on my blog so I can pray for you about any area of your life.
God bless you with GRACE! Let it FLOW!
Gigi
I pray for you every time I think of you. Oh, how much I appreciate your support!
I’ve been busy promoting our new book, My Message is C.L.E.A.R. – Hope and Strength in the Face of Life’s Greatest Adversities, which released on April 13, 2012 on Gabe’s 22nd birthday.
We had a fabulous launch party at a gorgeous house – Serenity House – a gift from Gregg and Lafon Jantz. There were about eighty people who came to support us and hear Gabe’s “Endurance” message.
Available on www.GabesHOPE.org, Amazon or Barnes and Noble
I co-wrote this book with my son, Gabe. It was a blast writing it with him.
It is even more fun as we head out to promote it.
We leave Tuesday, May 8, 2012 on a road trip to Montana to get the word out about this latest book.
Gabe will be speaking at the Anaconda Boys and Girls Club on Wednesday from 3-4 pm.
Thursday, May 10, 2012, he will be at Beyond Necessity Gift Shop from 3-6 for a booksigning open house that should prove to be a whole lot of fun!
We are planning other book signings later in the summer at the Barnes and Noble stores as well as a few gift shops. So the rest of our time in Montana will be spent planning those future events.
FIVE STAR REVIEW!!
We were delighted to get a five star review this week from a book review website – Reader’s Review.
http://readersfavorite.com/review/6180
Hope to see you under the full moon sky this week. It is a SUPER moon and I think we are going to have a SUPER road trip.
God Bless your heart
Gigi
I hope you are faring well and are staying warm.
In spite of the epic storm that hit the Seattle region this week, I stayed warm and comfy.
I hope you did too.
Snow in Seattle January 2012
My job allows me to work from home so I didn’t skip a beat.
While house bound, I was also able to take care of some final work on Gabe’s book.
I am happy to say it is finished! And I hope that is the final word.
Last night I uploaded a few minor changes to my publisher’s website.
The next step is to agree on the back cover. Then it is off to the printer!
YES and AMEN!
During the week, I also had plenty of time to format the e-book and upload it to Kindle and NOOK.
E-Book Cover!
It wasn’t as difficult as I thought. I learned a lot and I’ll share what I learned in a future blog. I sent the ebook to a couple of reviewers and so far everything looks good.
I get so nervous when I picture you reading Gabe’s book. It tells a wonderful story of courage and hope but it was an emotional process to tell it all.
I want you to fall in love with Gabe. He is one incredible young man! I cry every time I read it.
We really appreciate your patience and support in this long process of getting the book published.
I guess when the authors share the entire journey, the readers get a better feel for how long it really takes to get a book from the idea to print.
For me and Gabe, this has been almost a six year process!
So you understand I’m like a pregnant mom just weeks from her due date, anxiously waiting to see her baby.
It is hard to wait and wonder, isn’t it?
I don’t know what you are waiting for.
But I want to encourage you that God sees you while you wait. He knows the desires of your heart.
Just like we waited for snow plows this week to move the deep snow out of our path, God is moving obstacles to make your way clear.
He knows the perfect time to say, “It’s time to move forward.”
I pray for peace and patience in the process.
God Bless Your waiting heart. Please tell me what you are waiting for so I can pray for you.
Gigi
PS – When I get the go-ahead from the publisher I want you to be the first to know. So I set up an email list for people who want to hear it from me first. If you’d like to receive an email when the book is released, please sign up below by entering your email address.
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I shared about TRUST from one of my favorite verses in Proverbs 3:5-6.
Have you ever ignored the voice on your GPS system, only to find yourself at a dead end when you went your own way?
GPS Directions
This happened to us when we were trying to find a restaurant while on a trip to Disneyland a few years ago.
“Maggie”, the nickname we gave our GPS system, knew that the road ended about a mile down the road and started up a few blocks later. The illogical turn she recommended was actually necessary to get around the dead end.
After we hit the dead end, our attempt to find the restaurant on our own caused much frustration and made us later for the dinner.
Sometimes we don’t listen to God’s direction either, and end up wasting time and energy on the wrong road.
At the NCWA meeting, I shared my story of how my publishing goals changed once I stopped working on my own plan and sought God for His plan.
I had just completed a Writer’s Digest University critique review of 35,000 words of my Hope in the Aftermath memoir. One day I was praying about the next step for my book and I strongly felt I needed to put this book on hold.
I strongly sensed that my story wasn’t finished yet and it was not time to tell it.
What? But Lord, I’ve just completed this 35,000 word review! I worked so hard on rewriting what the editor suggested. It’s a story that brings You glory! What do you mean it’s not time?
After much prayer and counsel, I exited the road to publishing that book and went a different route.
Remember that when it comes to direction, there is one “GPS” that is most accurate. For me, GPS now means God’s Plan Succeeds.
The book I wrote with my son is now in the final typeset review at our publisher. It was loaded up to Amazon’s Kindle for review the other night. Tonight I’ll get it loaded on Barnes and Noble’s Nook.
Once the book is reviewed we’ll make it available for purchase.
Trust me when I say we are chomping at the bit! But we know God’s timing is perfect.
May God bless you plans with His clear direction.
Gigi
Read more about it here at the blog for NCWA. You’ll see that I’m sure God’s plan was a better choice.
http://nwchristianwriters.wordpress.com/ ]]>
Recently, I was on a two day writing retreat at Camp Berachah in the Auburn-Black Diamond area of Washington State. My plan was to enter the final edits of my son Gabe’s book titled My Message is C.L.E.A.R., and enjoy some quiet time all by myself. When I arrived, I was given a tour of the grounds.
As I walked the path past the cabins, the pool, the dining hall and the sanctuary, my mind was flooded with memories of the week Gabe attended his first summer church camp at this facility. That was eleven years ago, but it felt like yesterday as emotions I hadn’t felt in years rose in my heart.
That summer of his fifth grade year, he had a wonderful experience at camp, but it was one of the times Gabe was reminded of his limitations. We had not been prepared for the disappointments he experienced when he couldn’t climb on the climbing wall. He was sad when he was unable to participate in the obstacle course. Many of the games we played in the gymnasium were too difficult for him. We had to figure out how I would help him in the boy’s bathroom without embarrassing him or the other campers.
I remembered trying to encourage him at the end of each day while I helped him get ready for bed. We brainstormed alternative ways to participate with the other campers so he didn’t feel left out. For most of the activities we found a way for him to join in, but there were some things he just couldn’t do. Gabe was discouraged and sad. I prayed with him asking God to help us figure things out.
I didn’t want him to feel my own sadness so I maintained a positive attitude whenever I was with him. At night, however, I cried myself to sleep in discouragement and disappointment at the realization of how different Gabe’s abilities were compared to the other kids. It was a very hard time for me but I didn’t want anyone to know I was struggling. I simply stuffed my pain, put a smile on my face, and moved through the days.
Even with these disappointments, there were treasured moments of seeing God at work that entire week. Gabe felt close to God as he made new friends. At most meals, a whole group of girls asked him to eat with them at their table. The camp counselors did a good job trying to accommodate our unique needs.
I call these moments when I sense God at work “kisses on the cheek from God.” These are reminders that He is with us even in the hard times.
One of my favorite memories was when the worship team led the campers in a beautiful song that encouraged them to give their struggles to God and to “come just as you are.” I watched Gabe get out of his wheelchair and walk to the front of the church. A group of new friends surrounded him with prayer as he set his discouragement on the altar before God. It was a sweet moment, and felt a little bit like heaven to see these young people ministering to my broken-hearted son.
By the end of this week of camp, Gabe sensed God’s plan for him to share his story with other kids to encourage them in their own disappointments. Even as a young fifth grade boy, He knew God would use his story to help others. Two years later, he joined a school assembly program and started sharing his story.
You can imagine the emotion welling up in my heart as I sat in my room at the camp, all these years later, finalizing his book in the very place where God met Gabe and ministered to his broken heart.
After entering the edits on the book, I took another walk around the campus and allowed God to minister to all the sadness I had stuffed so many years ago. I listened to worship music on my I-pod and let the tears flow.
It was such a sweet moment to see how God had taken all of us full circle in the process of laying our burdens at His feet. Now as Gabe speaks to thousands of people and as we near the date this book will be released, we can see that God had a plan all along to take Gabe’s disappointments and turn them for good.
I’m thankful for the healing that took place.
This photo is a perfect reflection of how I felt as the healing took place.
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There isn’t much that I can do. But I can share my hopes with you. And I can share my life with you. And oftentimes share a prayer with you as on our way we go. Author unknown
Hope on the Horizon
When I read this quote on my 365 Days of HOPE calendar, it reminded me of the desire of my heart for my writing.
As I write, I pray for ways to share how God has given me hope in the midst of difficult trials of life.
My current work in progress is the completion of a book I’m writing with my son, Gabe.
My Message is C.L.E.A.R. – Hope and Strength in the Face of Life’s Greatest Adversities is the story of Gabe’s triumph over trials.
Every chapter tells of God’s goodness and kindness in the face of sometimes overwhelming circumstances.
But in the midst of the challenges, I have never lost hope.
So I will share my hopes with you as I share my life with you.
I will many times share a prayer with you as on our way we go.
Have a blessed day knowing that in all things we can find HOPE on the horizon.
God Bless Your Heart with HOPE.
Gigi
Please join me in prayer that I can carve out more time to finalize this project and continue with my book too. ]]>