The Blessings of Living in America

I absolutely love being married to my husband, Catalin. Although intercultural marriage is not always a piece of cake, it is fascinating and fun, and it also offers myriad benefits and joys. My mother-in-law, Maria, recently came to visit us in Frisco for the first time. This was her first time on an airplane as well as her first visit to the U.S. It was fascinating to see the world through her eyes! We enjoyed our time (and her fabulous cooking!) immensely.

 

I also discovered some things that we in America (including yours truly!) often take for granted. Here are just a few:

 

-Our salvation (Thank you, Lord!)

-Living in a society that is (at least somewhat) friendly toward Christians  

-Cars

-Starbucks

-Swimming pools

-Going out to restaurants

-Going to the movies

-My clothes washer and dryer

-Glad Press 'N Seal

-Cookie, cake and brownie mixes

-Ross, Target, Wal-Mart, etc.

-Dry cleaners

-Having hot running water all the time

-Receiving quick service at stores, restaurants, government offices, etc. 

 

What are you most thankful for today? I'd like to hear from you. Please e-mail me or post a comment here. Thanks!   

NOTE: To view ALL of this site's articles on intercultural marriage, please go to the "Categories" heading on the lower right side of this page and click on "Intercultural Marriage." Thank you!

New Developments on the Poetry Front

Great news! Several of my poems were recently selected for publication in two literary journals. One of the journals is a relatively new Christian journal called 3.1.6.: A Journal of Christian Thinking, and the other is an established journal called Illya's Honey. I'll keep you posted on the poems' release.

 

For more information on 3.1.6.: A Journal of Christian Thinking, please see the316journal.com/home.htm.

 

For more information on Illya's Honey, please see dallaspoets.org and click on the "Illya's Honey" link on the left-hand side of the page.  

 

Thanks for your encouragement and prayers, friends! Blessings!

Congrats to Mary DeMuth, Christy Award Finalist!

My friend and fellow writer, Mary DeMuth, has been nominated for a Christy award in the category of "First Novel" for her book Watching the Tree Limbs. This is the compelling, redemptive tale of a young girl named Mara who grows to know and love the Lord even as she struggles to come to terms with difficult family issues and the painful abuse she suffers at the hands of a neighbor boy. 

 

I so enjoyed hearing Mary speak at Mount Hermon. Watching the Tree Limbs is, in many ways, Mary's personal story of suffering and redemption. I have read the book and enjoyed it thoroughly. It will entertain you, make you cry, and challenge you in your faith. I highly recommend it!

 

To purchase Watching the Tree Limbs, please visit your local Christian bookstore or click on this link: amazon.com/Watching-Tree-Limbs-Maranatha-1/dp/1576839265/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-5507309-9027364?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1179762040&sr=8-1 

 

For more information on the Christy awards and to view the names and book titles of the other finalists, please click on the following link: christyawards.com. 

 

To check out Mary's excellent blog and Web site, please see relevantprose.com. You may also sign up for her monthly newsletter.

 

Congratulations to Mary and all the other finalists! What a great honor!

The Artist's Life

What a joy it is to live the artist's life! Since I began working as a freelance writer, the Lord has opened my eyes and allowed me to enjoy the beauty all around me in fresh ways. Now that I have time to appreciate the Lord, people, nature, music, art, great writing, and all of the blessings I've been given, I experience so much more peace and joy in my spirit.

 

Sophocles wrote,

 

       O for mortals, what

Power there is in songs,

       What greatest happiness

That can make bearable this

       Short narrow channel of life!

 

Life is a short narrow channel. Amazing people, music, art, writing, the beauties of nature, and most of all, God, make it worth living.  

 

If you're a writer or an artist, what realizations have you come to as you have grown more introspective? In what ways have you drawn closer to God through the writing life? Please share your comments by posting here. Thank you!

Grace that is Greater than All My Sin

C.S. Lewis said that grace is the distinctive of the Christian life - the one aspect that separates the true Christian faith from all other religions and philosophies. We don't earn God's grace; it's a gift. We can't earn our way to heaven; the only way that we can receive the gift of eternal life is by placing our faith in Jesus Christ alone.   

My mother-in-law, Maria, just returned to Romania after staying with us for three weeks. She came to attend Catalin's graduation ceremony. We enjoyed her stay so much. We took her to San Antonio one weekend to visit the zoo and Sea World. She loved it! I learned a great deal from her over those few weeks, and I also learned more about my husband from watching the two of them interact. And I am thankful that my mother-in-law willingly let my husband, her only son, move half a world away so that he and I could be together.

During Maria's visit, I was reminded of how blessed we are to live in America, with all of its benefits and freedoms, and how wonderful it is to live in a nation marked by grace rather than legalism. We shouldn't take that for granted. Today, join me in celebrating God's grace!