My Summer Adventure!

It's a job! Oh I still write.... don't get me wrong. That's in my blood. But sometimes life calls one to other roads. You see, this summer until Labor Day, I am a ridgerunner along a forty mile stretch of the Appalachian Trail.

What is a ridgerunner? (I get asked that A LOT!)

Wikipedia sums it up pretty good.

"A Ridgerunner hikes sections of the Appalachian Trail, meets and greets hikers, provides Trail brochures and literature to inform visitors about the A.T. and its intended primitive experience, its location, regulations, and traditions. They take steps to encourage the best behavior on the part of hikers, to facilitate a positive Trail experience (particularly for those who are poorly prepared), and to elicit the support of Trail neighbors and those who live nearby, but who may not understand or use the Trail properly. Ridgerunners, by their presence, discourage and mitigate misuse of the Appalachian Trail and its environs by performing educational and public relations functions."

I work closely with Greenbrier State Park and its terrific staff of rangers. They are in constant contact with me as well as providing me rides to trailheads to begin my stretch of hiking. As one ranger told me, Hey, what a great avenue for new story ideas!  - after I told him about my work as an author.

To see what my "first day" as a caretaker was like - check out my blog on Blissful Hiking. If you read it, you'll see what I mean. The ranger is right. Story ideas are bound to happen at a job like this.

So stay tuned. 

Guest Blogger Ada Brownell on God's Love Breathed into Us

Blissful Life Journey welcomes Ada Brownell with an insightful look into who God has made us to be - living, breathing but also eternal beings. 

And coming in mid May - her book Swallowed by Life will be available FREE on Kindle!

LOVE BREATHED LIFE INTO HUMANS

By Ada Brownell

The earth has only a certain amount of water, which is constantly in a precipitation and evaporation cycle. Clouds, which are nothing but water vapor like steam, hold water until they become so heavy it rains or snows.  Then the sun comes out, water evaporates into clouds, and the cycle continues.

The Bible says our lives are similar to vapor.  (James 4:14) But when we die, we are still somewhere, just as the water isn’t gone when it becomes steam.  We are made to live forever.

Medical science shows us we are more than flesh. The human body developed from one cell and now has approximately 75 trillion living cells, which are constantly dying, and being replaced, according to Stanford School of Medicine’s School of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine Institute. Every body part, except for the central nervous system, has died numerous times during a person’s life and is rebuilt by new cells that know exactly what to make, such as skin, blood, hair, bone and your inward parts. Our skin is estimated to be rebuilt every seven days.

 The birth and the death of cells is not the only way we know we are more than a body. We can gain or lose weight and it doesn’t change who we are. Surgeons can remove a leg, parts of the brain, an organ and even insert another person’s and we remain the same.

            The person you are is more than flesh and blood. But you also have a unique personality, and a spiritual side. When God’s powerful breath went into Adam, the eternal soul was born and every person born since has a soul and spirit, which lives forever.

Watchman Nee, author of The Spiritual Man,[1] said humans are a combination of spirit, soul and body.[2] A person’s spirit is where spiritual things happen.  That’s the part of you where Jesus lives if you accepted Him as Savior. Some people call it your “heart.”  But it’s not the beating organ in your body.  It’s the HEART of you – the center of your being--the invisible person inside your body.

Your soul is your mind, will and emotions.  That’s where you learn things, make decisions, and feel things such as love, joy, hate and jealousy.

Your body is where your soul and spirit live, and all three parts of you work together to make you the person we see and God loves.

The person you are will never die—whether you choose to give your life to Jesus or reject Him. God in His love, made you so you could live forever with Him, but it’s your choice.  Hell was made for Satan and false prophets, but people who reject God also will be sent to that place of torment.

Can you imagine what it would be like if God didn’t love you?  What if Jesus hadn’t died for your sins and risen from the dead?

But God does love you. Jesus did die and He rose from the tomb—alive! Because He lives, we can live forever also.

©Ada Brownell 2012

---

[1] Christian Fellowship Publishers Inc., New York, 1968

[2]Ibid, Volume 1, pages 22 and 23

Releasing near May 18-20—free Kindle days for Ada Brownell’s book Swallowed by LIFE!  

Find hard copies on AMAZON and BARNES AND NOBLE

Guest Linda Rondeau with Inspiration from the Mountaintop!

Kicking off April and a new start to Blissful Life Journey after losing my mom a few weeks back...and what a way...with guest Linda Rondeau. Her inspiration goes to the heart of me as a hiker - "If You Don’t Climb the Mountain, You Can’t Get the View."

We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us (Romans 5:3-5 NIV).

I thrust a tired hand on the flat, rocky surface and with an assist from my husband landed on the top of the mountain. I had prevailed. If it had been a Rocky movie, I might have even jumped up and down with my fists in the air.

Once a year, I force myself to take to the hills and climb one of the peaks in our Adirondack area. Since I’m overweight and asthmatic as well as afraid of heights, climbing a mountain is perhaps one of the hardest things for me to do. While I can walk a straight line for miles, as soon as I start an incline my lungs object. I reach for my rescue inhaler before I reach the first quarter mile. Like an exasperated two year old I moan, "Are we there yet?”

As difficult as the journey might be, the hardship seems inconsequential when I get to the summit. The surrounding beauty fills me with so much awe I barely remember I’m in pain. From the top of the mountain, I get a small sense of what God must see when He views the world.

This particular climb was harder. It was fall—a tough season on asthmatics. I hated that my husband had to get behind and nearly push me through the steepest part, just before the top. My daughter, rail thin and fit as Angelina Jolie, stayed right by me, sometimes offering me a drink of water and letting me rest until lungs filled back up. Just when I was ready to quit and start back down, sunlight broke through the cloud of trees above me. I was nearly there. The revved my determination. I completed the journey on all fours, gagging for the air but with jubilation all the same.

After taking two puffs on my inhaler, I righted myself with the claps and celebration of family and a few other climbers who politely resisted laughing at my ashen face. As I basked in the circus of colors below, my heart gave praise to the Creator of such wonders. I thanked God for not letting me quit when the way was rough and for the support of loved ones on the journey. I discovered that day that at the apex of revelation, to be grateful for the hardship that brought me to the point of sight. For I could not have experienced it any other way.

Linda's new release!

These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them. I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them (Isaiah 42:16).

After setting out on a forced vacation, and literally running into a moose, Manhattan Assistant D.A. Samantha Knowles finds it’s not so bad being stranded in a quirky but intriguing Adirondack town. But when her three-year prosecution against convicted killer, Harlan Styles begins to unravel, she’s thrust into a whirlwind of haunting memories, fear, and danger. And suddenly, Haven isn’t so safe, after all.

With no future in Haven, and no way to escape the small town, teacher Zack Bordeaux fears he’s doomed to a life of mediocrity.

Haunted by the deaths of his wife and son, landscape artist Jonathan Gladstone feels bound to an estate he both loves and loathes. But when Zack and Jonathon meet Samantha, their lives take on a different course.

Three lives intertwined, tied together by dangerous circumstance and the faint echoes of an elusive hope. To make it through, each must find their way to the Light that’s found only on the other side of darkness.


Find The Other Side of Darkness here.

Linda's website.

**Congratulations to KarenK who won a copy of Linda's book! Be sure to visit often for more guest blogs and inspiration along life's journey. **

Spring Cleaning, Oh, the Joy of Life!

It’s that time of year. Winter is over—though here in Virginia, we wonder if it ever really arrived. Temperatures have warmed up quite a bit; in fact the frequent seventies are reminiscent of summer’s early arrival. And that brings to mind spring cleaning.

My husband has already launched in by doing a major work in our basement. Since our son moved out and is on his own, the area was still inundated with toys, games, and other reminders of childhood now long passed. He cleaned the area out and boxed up what might be good for grandkids one day and tossed out the rest.  To the curbside for pick-up went an old storage unit, bags of broken toys and other objects. The area looks beautiful now and quite livable, I must say.

Now I am tackling the outside. New vegetation is already emerging. I take away lots of leaves once used to shield the ground from snows that hardly even came this year. 

 I also dug up the ground to plant new seeds for a vegetable garden. We already have radishes, spinach and peas showing, the common fruits of springtime since they can withstand frost if it appears again. By late April we will turn to planting the hot weather crop of tomatoes, cucumbers and squashes.

Spring is also a time of new life for a Christian when we celebrate Easter and life when there was death. Just as winter seems so drab and barren, life quickly springs forth under warmth and light. Just as Jesus emerged from the grave in the newness of life, so we too can share in that same joy of the resurrection. 

What was once old and dirty, filled with debris and garbage, can be made whole again with God’s thorough cleaning.

Spring. A time for cleaning house. A time for renewed life in our hearts.

Guest Margaret Brownley - Excuses that Keep You from Writing

NY Times bestselling author Margaret Brownley guest blogs on that age old question that can plague us on our writing journey, "I'd write more if only...." Read what she has to say about excuses that keep us from writing and some tips for overcoming it.


UPDATE: Jo is the winner of Margaret's book! Congratulations.

I would write more if only…

           

This unfinished sentence was part of a survey sent to members of my writing group in preparation for a meeting. Completed surveys were sent to Dr. Kent, a family counselor, who agreed to discuss possible solutions.

Our members all agreed we would write more if only life wouldn’t interfere. Husbands, children, pets, work and next door neighbors—you name it—were cited as holding the creative muse hostage.    

Writing that compelling story takes time, concentration, determination, and energy—no surprises there— but according to Dr. Kent it also takes the setting of clear boundaries. “You must have a clear idea of how much time and effort you want to devote to your work,” Dr. Kent told us.  “If you don’t take your work seriously don’t expect your family to take it seriously.”

She then went on to explain that boundaries start with place.  Whether it’s a private office or cluttered corner of the living room it’s important that family members know this area is off-limits.  She didn’t say as much but if your office is in the bathroom, kitchen or car you might want to consider finding a more suitable place to work.

Next, according to Dr. Kent, it’s essential to establish regular working hours. This was a tricky concept for some who thought being a good mother meant being a full-time mother.  Fortunately, this was never my problems. I subscribe to the “don’t bother me unless your hair is on fire” rule so no one ever accused me of being a good mother.

Dr. Kent insisted that consistency is the key.  Children (like writers) need guidelines.  Dr. Kent pointed out that children tend to be what we need them to be.  “If they are making unreasonable demands of our time, it could be that we are consciously or unconsciously encouraging this behavior.”  She didn’t say as much but I suspect the same is true for husbands.

Of course it’s not just family that hogs writing time.  We eagerly pointed to Facebook, Twitter and email as time-robbing culprits. Someone once said that writing is 15 percent work and 85% avoiding the Internet—and we all know that avoidance takes as much time, energy and determination as writing—so why bother?  

In the end Dr. Kent made mincemeat out of our reasons for not writing more, calling them built-in excuses for procrastination.  This seemed to ring a bell because several members admitted that the number of interruptions increased when the writing was not going well or had stopped altogether.  I can attest to this because the splattered paint on the doorknob of my office has been distracting me all week.

The good news is that writing and family—and even an outside job—can be a winning combination by faithfully following these guidelines.

•         Keep your writing time and space sacred
•         Make your goals and boundaries clear.
•         Limit the time spent on the Internet and email
•         Put a sign over your desk that reads “No excuses”

Okay, now get to work.  I’ll join you just as soon as I scrape the paint off the doorknob.  :)

Be sure to check out Margaret's new release, Dawn Comes Early on her website, "Love and Laughter from the Old West."

Choose to Soar like an Eagle

The journey of life has been dealing all kinds of wicked cards these days. Physically, emotionally, spiritually. I’ve seen people angry at each other. A nation angry at itself. Tough economic times. Disappointments. Tremendous loss. Things can look pretty dismal.

Today I was out for a morning run and nearing home, I looked ahead of me toward the sky. There above me was an eagle flying high above the trees. At first he appeared to dive downward as if to come closer to earth. He would begin his decent, scan this earth as if to consider to himself, “No, this is not where I’m supposed to be,” and take once more to the skies above. I thought how free that bird appeared. At peace, above the circumstances of this world that can bring it down.  

Yes, we still must exist in this world. But the Bible speaks of being in the world, not of it. We can be like that eagle if we choose. To fly high above our circumstances and not allow them to make us fall. To drift along in God's air of mercy and grace, free, at peace.

Is life getting you down? Look to the eagle and fly above your situation, your troubles, even life itself which is fleeting.

…but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.   Is 40:31 NIV

Take a Journey Back in Time

The movie Monumental, hosted by Kirk Cameron, is a journey back into our nation's history to preserve our nation's future. Be a part!

Trailer.