Monday, March 29, 2010

Let Me Do It Myself


Excerpt from Chapter 26 - Stand At The Cross Roads: Intense pain prevented me from rolling over to get up, so I tried to just sit up, but froze in agony, with my head and legs off the ground and my knees flexed. I could neither sit up, nor lie back down.
            Scott ran over to me, and upon realizing how bad it was, held my head on his knees. Yessica supported my legs while someone called Jennifer at the house.
            She sped down the drive, threw on the brakes, and jumped out.
            "Are you okay?"
             "No. Call an ambulance."
            The color drained from her face. She knew that if I said I needed help, it must be bad. She ran to the phone in the shed knowing full well that it rarely worked. The line was dead.
            Later, she told me, "I slammed that phone down and prayed, ‘God, I need this phone to work and I know you can do it.’" Absolutely confident it would work now… she picked it up and without listening for a dial tone, dialed 911...


My father-in-law is settling in and the beginning of a routine is developing. There are still quite a few bugs to work out, but things are looking up!  Thank you all for your continuing prayers.  

Friday, March 26, 2010

One Foot in Front of the Other


I HOPE you noticed that there was no post yesterday. LOL!  Last Wednesday morning my 91 year old father-in-law was transported from Missouri to our house via Medical RV. For the last few days Pat, his son Kevin and I have been consumed with obtaining all of the medical equipment, health care, etc... necessary to get him settled. Pat and I are blessed to be able to share our home with him.  My postings may be a bit shorter than usual for a few days and I would greatly appreciate your prayers for an easy transition for all of us.  Blessings and THANK YOU! 

ONE FOOT IN FRONT OF THE OTHER
Excerpt from Chapter 25 - Stand At The Cross Roads: In the movie What About Bob? Bill Murray as Bob Wiley has been told by his therapist that he can do anything he wants if he takes it in baby steps. That is absolutely my favorite movie.
       Throughout the film, Bob is murmuring, "…baby steps… baby steps… baby step to the elevator... baby step into the elevator..."
       At Cross Roads, we found ourselves so many days just putting one foot in front of the other, moving resolutely toward whichever current goal we’d set for ourselves. Occasionally, I found myself muttering, just like Bob. "Baby steps, baby steps. Baby-steps to improve our houses… baby-step to enclose the pavilion…."
       As I looked back at the previous year, I couldn’t help wondering if God was using the perpetual setbacks that kept shutting me down to teach me not to move so fast. Maybe He was saying to me, "Slow down, pay attention, what about Me?"

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

The Millenium Year


Excerpt from Chapter 2- Stand At The Cross Roads: Scott, with the help of Jim Smith, one of our biggest champions, organized a work detail to take apart the nursing home. For three weekends in a row during that hot summer, we salvaged lighting fixtures, wall switches, towel dispensers, tables, chairs, a stove and stainless steel table from the kitchen, wall hangings, and shelves. Nailed down or not, if it was salvageable, we grabbed it.
        If I learned anything that summer, it was that Melissa Dunn is a bull dog. When she gets hold of something, she won’t let it go.  God knew that Melissa was exactly the person we needed to kick us back into action and make us change gears. 


            Work detail at the nursing home



Monday, March 22, 2010

The Company of Others

Excerpt from Chapter 23 - Stand At The Cross Roads: ...when the leader arrived, who had not been among the scouts, she was appalled.
            "Where are the Masters going to sleep? Where will they eat?"
             Apparently, it wouldn’t do to have these holy men mixing so intimately with their local Buddhist community. In the end, they were given a separate cabin for sleeping, and small tables were placed out in the woods so they could eat privately. Women wearing white pajama-like tops and pants bowed and scraped as they carried food to them.
            Anyone who knows me knows that I found these practices difficult to watch. Concealing my discomfort and showering them with Christ’s love was a challenge. I failed.  It was the only time Carol suggested that I just go home and let her handle things. I think perhaps God was opening my eyes once more to the fact that Cross Roads was His camp, not mine and He’d bring whoever He wanted out here. Our job was simply to love them on His behalf. Yes, He dropped lots of surprises on us.
Nope, no photo for this one... Unfortunately, I wasn't there long enough!   LOL ;)


They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks, but I'm living proof that you can - if the tricks aren't to hard!  However, this BLOG "thing" IS hard. Fans on the Fan Page dropped back to 199 this morning. Any thoughts on why?  I'd appreciate any input you might have to help me improve this site.

If you are enjoying these excerpts from Stand At The Cross Roads, maybe some of your friends would, too.  If so, go to the Fan Page and under the photo is a link titled - Suggest To Friends - click on it - Your friends will pop up - you can invite them by clicking on their photos. It is my prayer that Christ will work through this book to touch and change many lives. Thank you for your continued prayers. 

Sunday, March 21, 2010

The Perfect Porch

 Excerpt from Chapter 22 - Stand At The Cross Road: While all of us were dancing and celebrating the bride and groom, my brother, John, a structural engineer, took me aside and mentioned that he’d noticed my house still needed finishing.
            "You need a porch," he said, as we attacked the dessert tray together.
            Concern shown in his eyes, as he reflected on the state of my house. No landing, no railing, just a shaky three-step ladder up to the front door.
            "I have a brand new chimney," I pointed out. After barely scraping together the resources for the fireplace, buying the materials to replace the porch was not in the budget.
            "We need to build you a porch," John said.
            Was he serious about taking on such a huge project? God had shown me, time and time again, that His way of taking care of me was through the people He sent my way.  Was He sending my brother, now?
My house didn't look quite this bad when John saw it.  The movers had put the two halves back together,  the roof had been patched with left over shingles, non of which were the same color,  and the fireplace had been rebuilt. 

We reached the goal of 200 FANS today,
Praise God!
Thank each of you for your help. I hope you are enjoying the excerpts and will continue to follow the the story and recommend it to friends. 


Saturday, March 20, 2010

Soaring On Eagle's Wings


Excerpt from Chapter 21 Stand At The Cross Road: Another high point of that year came by way of my best friend, Mary. I was in the habit of dropping by the office where she worked and having lunch with her in their coffee bar several times a week. Those were bright spots in my day and special, I think, for both of us. We solved all the problems of the world over countless burgers, or salads, depending on whether one of us was dieting. One April morning Mary called me.
            "Hey girl, you coming by for lunch today?"
            "Maybe. I have an appointment that could take a while."
            "Take your time, I’ll wait. I have an idea I want to discuss with you."
            No sooner had I sat down than Mary said, "You all need more help with Cross Roads."
            "No, you really think so?" My sarcasm only made her smile.
Her blue eyes glowed with excitement...


 Mary Stevens (singing)
ONE Fan Short of 200!   HELP!!!!
Pat clued me in last night that some of you may not know HOW to ask your friends to become Fans.  Just go to the Stand At The Cross Roads Fan Page.  Under the photo is a link titled - Suggest To Friends - click on it - Your friends will pop up - you invite them by clicking on their photos. If all 199 of you will just do that IT WOULD BE PHENOMENAL! Thank each of you for your tremendous support. Please don't stop now! It is my prayer that Christ will work through this book to touch and change many lives. Please continue praying as this book blossoms into the full potential that God has in store for it! 

Friday, March 19, 2010

The Year of Grace

Excerpt Chapter 19 – Stand At The Cross Road: March, April, and May are crucial months for a retreat camp. They promise the best weather for outdoor activities, and the natural surroundings abound with the wonderment of new life.
            Our spring at Cross Roads was packed with so much commotion that it passed in a hectic blur. No kitchen at the camp, meant that every weekend both our homes were invaded by three or four people busily cooking three meals a day plus snacks, which we would then load into my suburban and haul down to hungry campers.
            And it was fun. When I was younger, I didn’t want people dropping in on me because my house might not be perfect. I was too insecure to be a particularly social person, so I didn’t have much company. Cross Roads changed all that. Cooking meals together was a joyfully communal endeavor, with Carol in charge bossing us around. I loved it.

                                          Carol Moreland    Melissa Dunn     Debbie Batts
ALL GLORY TO GOD! This is His story, please help me get it published  We are SO close just 3 Fans away...Re-posting this on your Facebook page AND asking your friends to become fans will help reach the goal of 200 Fans.  Remember, publishers look for a minimum of 200 fans to indicate a potential market for a book.  ... This is a story of how He still works today in and through individual lives. It is ultimately a story of the healing, hope and purpose available to everyone.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

The Cross Walk


Excerpt from Chapter 18 – Stand At The Cross Roads: Unknown to the campers, people had been gathering at my house all morning, getting into costume and practicing their lines. Scott was nervous and uncomfortable about the enormous responsibility of portraying Jesus. He was determined not to put any words in Jesus’ mouth, to stick strictly with scripture whenever he spoke.
            Appearing at the top of the hill in costume, Scott started the Living History "Walk with Jesus" by beckoning to the campers.
            "Come, follow me," he called, and they ran to join him.

197 Fans  
Three more to go for the minimum needed to show publishers the book has a following!  
I KNOW you've got three more friends that would LOVE to become FANS!!!! 

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Winter Rains

Happy St. Patick's Day!  
We're up to 191 Fans!!! 
THANK YOU!
Excerpt from Chapter 17 – Stand At The Cross Roads: Meanwhile, our little family continued suffering from too much togetherness. Four people in a space the size of a small apartment were often three too many. When we moved there from the rental house in Chriesman, I'd put all my furniture in storage, except for my bed. Scott and Jennifer’s furniture was wall-to-wall in our tiny living area. Even our clothes were crowded, because houses built back then had no closets.
            So we were popping out at the seams. As we continued with the mountainous repair work our pet goats, Dave and Judy, poked their heads up through the floorboards to watch. The tensions grew as the house seemed to get smaller by the day. 

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Busy Hands, Busy Minds


Excerpt from Chapter 16 – Stand At The Cross Roads: For two months I was a basket case, anxiously waiting for the church to notify the winning bidder. Fortunately, with our frenetic schedule, I actually had little time to fret. We were determined to finish the cabins for overnight campers by spring.
            My friend, Mary, hosted a jumbo garage sale in the Baker Exploration parking lot in College Station, where she worked. She collected items from all over the Brazos Valley. Her garage sale raised $1,200, and after other folks chipped in with monetary donations, we finally had enough money to finish out the cabins and ready the camp for overnight retreats.
             Over the next two months we scheduled several volunteer workdays. Scott’s grand father, Jerell Fromme, helped with wiring. Vickie Novosad, her daughter Jennifer, and Brady Rockett from my church, Carol and her boys, friends Mike and Debbie Batts, my cousin, Mark Hellums, drove out from Austin to help, Jim and Kay Smith from Bryan and many others came to pitch in. Together, we stapled rolls of insulation between the two-by-fours in the walls and ceiling, cut and nailed sheet rock over it, then taped, floated, textured and painted. 
At long last the cabins were done!
          Brady Rockett                                                                                             Jennifer Novosad  
14 more FANS and we reach 200!                         

Monday, March 15, 2010

Catacombs

Excerpt from Chapter 15 – Stand At The Cross Roads: After a short break, Jennifer called the group back together. She explained how the early Christians had been persecuted and had to worship in secret. She demonstrated the signs and symbols Christians had used to identify each other, such as a fish (the Icarus) or a dove. She showed pictures of the real Catacombs in Jerusalem and talked about the painted symbols that still remain on the sides of the caves to this day, symbols that let others know where the fugitive Christians met to worship. Soon she had the kids brainstorming scriptures and Bible stories, explaining that the early Christians had no Bibles and had to rely on their memories.
            Then each camper painted a flat rock with a Christian symbol of his or her choice. Leaving the pavilion single file, we tramped silently down the narrow wooded trail to our newly erected Catacombs. Sitting solemnly inside the dark "cave," lit only by the flames of small candles gripped tightly in their hands, they shared all of the scriptures and Bible stories they could recall. Only the flickering light reflected in their eyes betrayed the excitement they felt by experiencing the dangerous reality faced by the early Christians. Finally, they left their rocks embedded in the cave wall to show others they had been there before them.
            Everyone walked back to the camp humbled and inspired by the experience. Days like these kept us going.

Today we are at the halfway point in the book and we have 181 fans!   WOW!!!!!  Join with me in praying that by the end of the thirty days we double that number!  Nothing is impossible with God – Right?  So, if you haven't already please go to the Stand at the Cross Roads Fan Page and click the “Become a Fan” button and then re-post this to YOUR Facebook page to encourage your friends to become Fans, too!  Let’s show those publishersthat contrary to what they think - people ARE interested in hearing about how God is still working in the lives of ordinary individuals today! Please pass it on!

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Dumb 'n' Dumber

Excerpt from Chapter 14 – Stand At The Cross Roads: We hired the only house movers we could find who were available on such short notice. Available - that should have been a red flag...

We stared in disbelief at the shattered remnants of our house.
            "Okay, that’s it for today," Dumber said, loading up to leave. "We’re out of here."
            "See you on Saturday," Dumb added.
            That was two days away. Never mind that rain was on the horizon, with the two shattered halves of our house open to the elements. Never mind that we expected our first group of campers on Saturday and had no time to deal with protecting our investment from further ruin. Dumb 'n' Dumber were taking the weekend off.
            Too numb to cry, we erupted in righteous indignation and outright anger. What were we supposed to do now? Holding hands in front of our expensive piles of rubble, we prayed asking God just what He was thinking, and for guidance.
Before the move
After the move


                                                                                   
I can't thank each of you enough. Your support has completely overwhelmed me. This morning we reached 179 fans!  If you haven't already please go to the Stand at the Cross Roads Fan Page and click the “Become a Fan” button and then re-post this to YOUR Facebook page to encourage your friends to become Fans, too!  200 is the magic number publishers look for to see if a book might have an audience. I know in my heart that God wants this story told.  It is a true story about how His faithfulness, grace and providence is as relevant today as it was in ancient times.  Please pass it on!

Saturday, March 13, 2010

The Barn Raising


The Barn Raising
Excerpt from Chapter 13 – Stand At The Cross Roads: Mid morning we sighted a truck at the bottom of the hill slipping and sliding, wheels spinning, as it attempted to pull a heavy trailer loaded with picnic tables up the drive. Half way to the top, it surrendered to the intractable mud. Within minutes, a swarm of volunteers encircled the truck and bravely mud-wrestled the tables the rest of the way up.
            Work details formed and dispersed to begin construction. Amazingly, women out numbered the men, and dripping wet, they wielded hammers, nail guns, saws, and all manner of tools as if they'd worked construction all their lives.
WHOO! HOO! 175 Fans as of this morning!   Keep spreading the word about joining the Fan Page and we'll get this book published before you know it!!!!!

Friday, March 12, 2010

Sand And Water


Excerpt from Chapter 11 – Stand At The Cross Roads: It was one of the hottest Septembers on record. Scott rented a trenching machine and dug a trough alongside our driveway to lay a quarter mile of water line. Jennifer and I followed behind, trying to lay down the twenty-foot lengths of PVC pipe before the baked sugar sand spilled over and refilled the trench. Hurriedly we glued and fitted each piece to the next, wiping gritty sweat from our eyes as we went. 
            Needless to say, none of us had ever done this before. When we finally attached the up-line, waited for everything to dry, and turned on the spigot, the puny trickle of sandy water that emerged was like manna from heaven.
            Unfortunately, a puny trickle was the most we could get. Scott went up to Woodson’s and asked a couple of his good ol’ contacts what we’d done wrong. Not a thing, they assured him. We just used the wrong size pipe. 
Heavy sighs and blank stares passed between us as the realization hit, but the second time is the charm - right?
Sorry, couldn't get the photo to load from my laptop!
I am SO excited - we are up to 147 FANS - closing in on the magic # of 200+!  Please suggest to your friends that they go to the FAN PAGE and Become A Fan.   I am so incredibly blessed by each and every one of you that I am speechless!

Thursday, March 11, 2010

A Diamond In The Rough

Excerpt from Chapter 10 – Stand At The Cross Roads: We watched three of them go, then our tractor was up. When I started bidding, heads turned again. I know the men were wondering, What’s up with her? Nina and I were just about the only women there, and I was definitely the only woman bidding.
            The exciting thing about an auction is not only the expectation of getting a bargain but that quiver in your stomach when you think, What if it’s a piece of junk? What if I’m throwing the hard-won cash from selling my diamond wedding rings into a red-and-gray money pit? Then you think, But what if it’s a steal, what if we drive home today with a real gem? Then again, you think, Am I being foolish, like Jack trading his cow for a handful of beans?

If you haven't already please go to the Stand at the Cross Roads Fan Page and click the “Become a Fan” button.  200 is the magic number that publishers look for to see if a book might have an audience. It would also be extremely helpful if you would re-post this to YOUR Facebook page to encourage your friends to become Fans, too!

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Out of Options

Excerpt from Chapter 9 - Stand At The Cross Roads: Looking back, I wonder where we found the nerve to keep hammering on doors.  Can you imagine banks refusing to loan a quarter of a million dollars to a divorcee with no collateral, no job, and no prospects, just 160 acres to her name, and with a loan against that?  I laugh about it now, but I must have been crazy to think they'd even consider it.

Once again, we weren't really in a picture taking mood at this point!


It was so exciting to open Facebook and find 6 more Fans this morning!  It’s like Christmas every morning now! We are up to 135 fans on the Stand At The Cross Roads Fan Page! If you haven't already please go to the Stand at the Cross Roads Fan Page and click the “Become a Fan” button.  200 is the magic number that publishers look for to see if a book might have an audience. It would also be extremely helpful if you would re-post this to YOUR Facebook page to encourage your friends to become Fans, too!

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

A Stinging Revelation


  "Ow!" I tripped and rolled.
            Scott halted to avoid stumbling over me. I got up, lurched a few steps and fell again.
            "Hilda, come on," he yelled, trying to help me back up while waving the bees away.
            "No, Scott, go on!" With my heart racing, my lungs constricted, I gasped, "If they get me they get me."
            Scott grabbed the back of my belt and hoisted me like a satchel. With my rear in the air, my head bobbing dangerously close to the ground, and my feet flopping, he ran for the cab of the trusty white farm truck we’d bought. Jennifer held the door while he tossed me inside and jumped in behind me.
            It’s funny now. but.....

Thankfully, there is no photo of this episode!   LOL!

We are up to 129 Fans!!! If you would like to help get the word out about God's work through Cross Roads please click the  “Become a Fan” button on the Stand at the Cross Roads Fan Page.  200 is the magic number that publishers and agents look for to see if a book might have an audience.  It would also be extremely helpful if you would re-post this to your Facebook page and encourage your friends and family to become a Fan, too!    

Monday, March 8, 2010

The Walk To Emmaus


Excerpt from Chapter 7 – Stand At The Cross Roads:  And so I did. And he was right, there’s no way to explain the enormous impact Emmaus had on my life. Yes, it’s a retreat for spiritual renewal, but it’s so much more than that. Before you renew you have to get rid of your baggage, through meditation, prayer, fellowship and sharing. For the first time in my life, and I was forty-six years old, I realized that I wasn’t alone anymore. I wasn’t the only woman who felt certain she’d messed her life up beyond repair. I wasn’t the only woman struggling to overcome the effects of a difficult childhood and my own bad choices.  I wasn’t the only woman who felt that, in a world of normal people, she was the odd duck, the problem child, the one who didn’t belong.  I realized that it was okay, God still wanted to use me.



Yeah! Yesterday 12 new people joined the Stand At the Cross Roads Facebook Fan Page!  We are up to 126 Fans!!! If you would like to help get the word out about God's work through Cross Roads please click the  “Become a Fan” button on the Fan Page.  200 is the magic number that publishers and agents look for to see if a book might have an audience.  It would also be extremely helpful if you would forward this to your friends and family and encourage to become Fans, too!    

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Hunkered Down

Excerpt from Chapter 6 - Stand At The Cross Roads:  About that time one of my next-door neighbors, Brenda Gaskins, began hounding me about meeting a Christian friend of hers. Brenda was a cheerful, friendly young mother of three with blonde shoulder length hair. Her friend lived "just on the other side of Chriesman," where Brenda pastured her horse.
            Ironically, once again I was too busy trying to figure out things on my own to get involved with people in the community, I kept putting Brenda off, and putting her off, and putting her off. She was relentless. One day she dropped by and found me, as usual, sitting in the dark, my face lit by the computer screen, books and papers scattered on every surface.
            "I’m going to check on my horse. Come get in the truck and go with me. You need to meet my friend."
            Not today. Wearing my usual cutoffs and t-shirt, my hair air-dried and unruly, I just didn’t need this right now. "Brenda - "
             "No excuses. You need to do this. Come on."

If you would like to help me get the word out about God's work through Cross Roads please click on the "Follow" button in the top left corner of this page.  Also, if you are on Facebook please join my fan page.   I have 17 "Followers" on this Blog and another 114 "Fans" on my Facebaok FAN page for a total of 130.    200 is the number that publishers and agents look for to see if a book has an audience.  It would also be extremely helpful if you would forward this to your friends and family and encourage to become Followers and Fans, too!    

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Roughing It


Excerpt from Chapter 5 - Stand At The Cross Road: The barely accessible, deeply rutted clay road ran along the west side of the acreage, and a small clearing sat at the top end of that road. To say it was hot understates the weather by about twenty degrees. Texas summers are always hot. But in a Texas thicket, surrounded on all sides by vegetation, by shrubs and vines that grab at your clothing and scratch at your face, the heat comes at you like a steamroller, sucking the breath right out of your lungs.
            There are also the no-see-ums, those tiny bugs that fly up your nose and into your ears and eyes. Scott and Dale faced quite a challenge setting up the tents. Tent stakes simply won’t hold in sand. Jeremy, with far less hassle, helped me hang my hammock between two oak trees, but Jennifer and Nina had to search forever to find rocks for the campfire ring. My nephew, Jay, watched from his perch in a tall oak as he insanely swayed the entire top of the tree a hundred feet off the ground. 

Friday, March 5, 2010

A Time To Fish Or Cut Bait!

Excerpt from Chapter 4 - Stand At The Cross Roads:  Cross Roads wasn't going to save my marriage.  With the nauseating realization that I was starting over again, I began the legal process of disentangling our two lives.  I had no idea how I could carry on with what I knew God had called me to do.  I'd been out of the work force for quite some time, was at an age where few prospects for meaningful employment were available, and was facing the reality of leaving the marriage with minimal resources.

For my entire life, I'd heard calls to faith, countless calls to rely on God.  Where God guides He provides. Was it true or not?   If not, then I'd wasted a lot of time in church.   It was time to decide what I really believed.   It was time to fish or cut bait.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

The Eyes Of My Heart Opened


Excerpt from Chapter 3 – Stand At The Cross Roads:  Sitting there beneath the oak trees, the thought occurred to me that if I could do anything in the world for the rest of my life, this would be it: Provide a place where God can break through the chaos of everyday life to touch, change, and empower young people. Watching the kids this weekend experiencing their spirituality at a deeper level than most adults experience in a lifetime, a striking revelation had hit me. Most youth camps I’d ever heard of were missing the point, with their swimming pools, basketball courts, and all the latest jazziest equipment for entertaining kids.  Those same distractions existed in kids’ everyday lives.  Here in this minimal, unsophisticated camp, they had embraced the simplicity of faith.

What might have changed in my life had I experienced God in this way at an early age? I realized then that I would give anything to help save one child, one person, from the pain of making some of the mistakes I’d made.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

God's Guide Posts: Learn as You Go

Excerpt from Chapter 2: Stand at the Cross Roads   
I knew nothing about using a chainsaw, but God placed one in my hands anyway.  I knew nothing about moving a house, but God gave me one anyway - and boy, did I fail that test, at least the first time around.  Before doing that, however, he gave me 160 acres, thick with yaupon scrub and thorny greenbrier vines.  He expected me to clear the land and build a retreat.

In preparation, many, many years before that, He gave me three beautiful children....

Daughters Jennifer on my right and Nina on my left.   (Son - Jeremy not pictured)


In pursuing the goal of publication, I need at LEAST 200 Fans, as recommended by several Literary Agents!  If you enjoy following the story, please recommend this Fan Page to your friends and family! 

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Discovering Community

Excerpt from Chapter 1:  Stand at the Cross Roads - The youth program's mission at my Houston church was to provide fellowship, build faith-forming relationships, learn to live life abundantly, and to worship passionately.  Although I'd always known intellectually that Jesus is there for us, I'd never realized that one way He accomplishes this feat is by working through His people.  In guiding me to volunteer with the youth program, He gave me the opportunity to learn.   I was learning what I taught as I taught it.  Yet as I coached these kids to be open, trusting, accepting, and to seek support and guidance from their Christian friends, I felt like a complete fraud.
 

Monday, March 1, 2010

Markers In Our Faith

I have heard from several publishers and agents with input on the "process" of getting a manuscript published. The advice ranged from "re-evaluate your commitment" to "embrace the challenge".   Rest assured I am continuing to work toward the goal of publication!  

Several agencies recommended building a following for the proposed book by blogging, so, I'm gonna get better at blogging.  Stand at the Cross Roads consists of an introduction and thirty-three chapters. Starting now I will publish a short except from each of the thirty-three chapters, one every day for the next thirty-four days.  Today's excerpt will be from the Introduction which was written by someone  near and dear to many of you. 

My goal is to attract between 200 to 500 "followers", as recommended by several agents.  If you like what you read - please officially join this blog by becoming a Follower and share this link with your friends.   Blessings to each and every one of you and thank you so much for your prayerful support of Stand at the Cross Roads as God guides it through "the process"!



 INTRODUCTION            

 Markers In Our Faith 




"I feel the spirit of God when I go through the gate at Cross Roads, and I like to think it is also the spirit of all the people whose lives have been changed and are being changed as you read the story of faith in the pages that follow.  If we were to place a plaque to mark the spots where the lives of men, women and youth were transformed at Cross Roads, we would be surrounded by names - in the conference room, the dining hall, the chapel, the outdoor tabernacle, the prayer trail, the ropes course and everywhere in between."   


Rev. John Warren
St. John's United Methodist Church 
Rockdale, Texas