Reaching Out Into the Community

 I have read about it in books. I have seen it done by the government and charities. I have even written about it in my book, Redeeming Louise. But I have always wanted our church to do it. And this Christmas, we were able to reach out into our community.

Someone had contacted a missionary family that goes to our church about some Christmas shoebox gifts. Churches from all over were given 20 or so shoe boxes to fill with goodies for boys and girls, even adults. They wanted to know if our church would like the boxes to pass out in our community. We jumped at the chance. I don't know the exact number, but I think it was somewhere around 2,000 boxes with labels for young girl, young boy, 3-6 yr. old girl/boy 6-9 yr. old girl/boy, teen girl/boy, adult man, and adult woman. All the boxes had different goodies inside - anything from hairbows, toothbrushes, toys, and candy to gift cards - you name it. And each box was free for the taking.

When we got there and I heard we had an hour before it started and no one from the neighborhood was there yet, I was glad when my friend, Halee, wanted to sit on the swings. If I'm not busy doing something, then I get nervous just waiting.😊

Our first outreach with the boxes was in our bus neighborhood. It was led by my brother-in-law, AJ, and my sister, Brenna who run our bus route (really our van route at the moment). Many people from our church came to help. We met at the park in our bus neighborhood. We had a great number of people show up - mostly kids. A lady in our church baked three different Christmas cookies for us to hand out while people showed up for the giveaway. AJ was able to preach the Gospel, and two souls were saved afterward. Praise the Lord! One of them was even led to the Lord by my brother, Silas. It was his first time to lead a soul to the Lord, and we are so proud of him. After the Gospel message, our missionary family in charge of the boxes opened up the trailer and started passing out boxes. The kids and families were so thankful. We were also glad that the Lord had held back the rain for us.

That was on a Saturday. On Tuesday, we still had plenty of boxes left, so we went to the Fort White community center where they were doing a food drive. We had a lot of volunteers from our church again. There were three long lines of cars, and we did a lot of running back and forth. People were so thankful. We had one that quickly turned us away saying that they did not celebrate Christmas, but that was okay. We just kept on going to all the cars. I was so excited when we came upon a lady who had thirteen children since we still had a lot of boxes even after the fifty-something cars. We asked how many kids or grandkids they had, we gave the adults in the car a box, too, and we passed out Gospel tracts. That is the difference between us and the world: we don't just do giveaways. We care about their souls.

When we were finished there, we still had a lot of boxes left, so we decided to take the boxes and pass them out at Winn Dixie. Grammy and Uncle Marc had ridden in the church van for the morning outreach, so we took them with us. We grabbed a quick bite to eat at Hardee's, then met up with our missionary family to pass out the rest of the boxes. By this time, we mostly had boxes for children under 12. After we got permission from Winn Dixie, we set up two tables near the doors. As people came out and in, we asked them if they had any kids or grandchildren. Many were thankful. It was like a competition between the two tables. Grammy was trying her hardest to beat Dad's table. She was so excited when a teacher from Alachua asked to take some boxes to the kids in her school. We were there all afternoon. It was not quite how I imagined my Tuesday to go, but I had fun. 

Mom, Callie, Brenna, and I even sang some Christmas carols. I loved that part. It felt like I was in an old Hallmark movie. 😊When one of our church ladies showed up, we invited her to join us in singing Christmas carols. When we only had girl boxes left, we called it a day. By the end of the outreach, we had shown many families in Alachua, High Springs, and Fort White that there was a church that cared. Most importantly, the Gospel was given.

I felt like Louise and Agatha from Redeeming Louise with their mission of love. Though we do not base what we do on feelings as Christians, it does feel good to reach out into the community and show others that we care - even with something as simple as a shoebox gift at Christmas time.

Catching Up With the Author

 I feel like my life has been super busy the past couple of months. Not only has it been the holiday season, but it has also been NaNoWriMo, Church budget season, and Christmas revival. I'm enjoying this time of my life. I thought I would do one big post to catch up.

October Operations and Outings

My desire since I was 14 has been to write books for young ladies, but I cannot ignore the ministry God has also given me a ministry to serve in as the church secretary for Victory Springs. Our church changed our fiscal year to November 1 through October 31 that way we would not have to worry about budgeting for the new year during Christmas. Needless to say, October was pretty busy secretary-wise.

 I was also gearing up for NaNoWriMo. I wanted to learn more about London, so I checked out a few books from the library. I did not get to read all of them, but that was okay. One book that I really enjoyed was Dirty London: the Victorian Fight Against Filth. I learned so much about that period for the sequel to my second book, Redeeming Louise. In Redeeming Louise, the focus was on the London social season, but for my next book, I wanted to look into what life in London was like for the poor people. I took so many pages of notes. I tried reading another one, but it had a bad word from a source the book quoted. I was not able to finish that one. I also started reading David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. I only made it halfway through; I want to finish it eventually, but I will have to see when I get to it.

My family was able to go on a camping trip. It was Silas, Callie, and Micah's first camping trip, and we had to much fun. There is nothing like getting away for a few days and spending extra time with your family. It was very refreshing. We arrived at the park where we camped on Monday and left Wednesday to go to the Warner Robins Museum of Aviation. We got a hotel that night that way we could get cleaned up for church. I was not allowed to read any of my books on London while we were at the campsite, but I did read some of it on the way home.

I also posted more on social media. For some reason, I have always had a hard time keeping up with Facebook, but I have been enjoying having Instagram. Now, I just post on Instagram and link it to Facebook. It has been working well for me. I have also been using Canva a lot. I have designed so much within the past couple of months between Instagram posts and book covers, but that was more November.

November -- National Novel Writing Month

That sure was a busy but exciting month. I did not get to 50,000 words but I did reach just a few words shy of 30,000. I got sick twice in one month. First I had the stomach bug, then I had a cold right before Thanksgiving. I was doing better by Thanksgiving day though I could not smell through my nose very well. I had things going on three days in a row. Mom, Tabitha, and I went on our yearly Black Friday shopping trip. And on Saturday, a few of us from our church went down to Punta Gorda to help a church canvas the area for their opening day. My friend, Halee and I followed the church van, then after visitation, we stayed in Punta Gorda and got a hotel so we could attend their first Sunday morning services. My Grandma was even able to drive up to Punta Gorda to meet up with us for dinner. I really enjoyed the trip. It felt good to be a blessing, and I loved spending time with my friend Halee. Halee and her family moved from Washington state last fall. She helps me in the church nursery. She is such a blessing to me. We sure did laugh a lot on our drive home Sunday afternoon while stuck in traffic. 

Not only was I trying to get a good word count in, but I was also trying to get my second book ready for publishing. Though I did not reach the goal of getting it published by Black Friday, it was ready by the following Monday. I finally got my first payment from Amazon sometime in November. It's a far cry from 1 Million Copies sold, but that's okay😊. I have enjoyed hearing about those who have read it. One family that has been following my mom's blog for years read it. Even their boys read it. Some girls from a family that has visited our church a few times read it. Last Wednesday they came with their copy of King's Heart and asked me to sign it. That made me happy. And it felt a little surreal to be signing something. I have already sold quite a few copies already of Redeeming Louise.

Deck the Halls December

Or I could say, Designing December. I have used Canva quite a lot the past few weeks. I designed a book signing flyer, business cards, and a table top sign. I hope my designs have not been too crazy. I had so much to design and plan for my very first book signing. I even created a Book Signing Pinterest board. My mom created a video on my books signing. I still need to post it. It turned out very well. I had about 33 people come. I was so excited that my Grandma was able to make it. One dear lady brought me flowers. I had ordered 11 author copies (these were copies I ordered through Kindle Direct Publishing and only had to pay for the printing, shipping, and tax), but when Amazon said they would not arrive until the Sunday after, Mom and I both ordered copies through our personal accounts hoping they would come in on time. I ended up having 18 copies. At least four of them were gifts, and I had to keep one for myself. The order of 11 arrived Sunday afternoon, so I messaged the VSIBC ladies group on Group me and told them I would bring a few for them to buy. One other lady wants one and then I will have three left. I am so excited.

Whew! This turned out to be another long post. Can you tell how busy my life has been as of late? But it's been a good kind of busy. The Lord is so good.

Until next time, may you keep your heart.

Elisabeth Kristine

Author of Heart of Purity Literature

Genre of Redeeming Louise

Growing Up With a Love for the Old West

 Growing up, my siblings and I loved watching Westerns - movies and classic series like The Long Ranger and Bonanza. I loved everything Western: horses, cowboys, cowgirls, hats, and boots. One time we even sang Patch the Pirate's song, "Shoot the Gospel Gun", in church with our cowboy and cowgirl outfits and cap-guns, which we shot off at the end of the song. Some of my reading even included an occasional Western. Even though the Arty Anderson series was for boys, I ate it up too for it was a youth western series.

I was super excited when I got my own horse, well, mine and Brenna's until our feed money started running out and I was the only one left wanting to take care of a horse. Of course, that lasted until I ran out of funds and my parents could no longer fit the bill. It was fun while it lasted though, and I am grateful for a desire God fulfilled for me as a young person.

When I started writing my first book, it was set in the 1800s, like Little House on the Prairie. The next book in the series would be set on a cattle drive. Yes, all things Western and country life were my first loves.

Where I Find My Second Love

When I was around 15 though, I found my second love in reading - reading everything Jane Austen. When I had read most of hers, I started reading authors like Lori Wick (who wrote both of my favorite genres) Lawana Blackwell, Julie Klassen, Carolyn Miller, Sarah M. Eden, and others. I loved the fancy parties, the romance, the tea. Yes, I fell in love with all things Regency and Victorian. Even though I had liked the good old west and Indians growing up, I also grew up with a mother who loved tea cups. I would much rather drink a nice cup of hot tea in a pretty tea cup than a mug of coffee. Although, I do drink a cup of tea in a mug most mornings.

So, all that said, in 2021, I decided to write a book set in Victorian London, England. I heard about National Novel Writing Month (I think I accidentally called it National November Writing Month in earlier posts). I started studying the writing craft deeper, researching the time period I wanted, and plotting began. Thus Redeeming Louise was born.

I tend to write what I know, and as I have probably said before, I noticed that my heroines are all preacher's daughters. What do you know? :) 

Redeeming Louise is the story of a Baptist preacher's daughter living in London, England during the Victorian era. She, her sister, cousin, and mother minister to the poor people of London. She and her sister issue each other a challenge - Louise to find a Mr. Darcy and her sister to find a Mr. Missionary to see which one will help the poor the most. The key is, that they are to find their misters before the London season is over. The problem for Louise, the one who has already been starting to become discontent, is she decided to find him by hiding the fact from her parents that she is going to balls and fancy dinners behind their backs. One thing leads to another, and before she knows it, she has hurt her family and her Mr. Darcy who has only been saved a few months. Though she gets things right, it will take a while to redeem her time and win back their trust. That is Redeeming Louise in a nutshell. I only hope I did not give too much away...

Upon Which My Readers Begin Their Lookout

Right now, Redeeming Louise is in the editing stage. A dear lady from my church offered to edit it for me which I am extremely grateful for. She is on a hunting trip up north with her husband right now. I sent a little over half the book with her, and she will read the rest when she gets back. Hopefully and prayerfully, it will be ready for purchase by Black Friday. I can't wait. Meanwhile, I am starting the next book in the series during National Novel Writing Month.

I also need to come up with a title for my series. If you have any suggestions, I would love to hear them.

Until next time,

Elisabeth Kristine

The Journey of King's Heart Part 2

 In the post before last, I told you about the first part of the journey my first book has taken.

1. Formatting King's Heart

The next step of the journey was not necessarily my favorite part. I get frustrated with the nitty gritty details like formatting. Thankfully there is such a thing as YouTube. I have found a lot about writing and self-publishing. One of the first I would like to mention is Reedsy. Reedsy has been so helpful, from their posts to their YouTube tutorials. They are not a (Christian) organization, so when they use illustrations from the world's movies and books, I have to be careful. Another Youtuber I came across was Mandi Lynn with Stone Ridge Books. She has a lot of videos about self-publishing, formatting, and book covers. One more place I would like to mention is the blog - Helping Writers Become Authors.

  (Again, it is not a Christian website, so I have to be careful with the examples. I want to be a Christian author that has clean wholesome books for young ladies and even their moms to enjoy. At the same time, I want it to be professional and not cheesy. It is not okay to follow the world's standards, watch the world's movies, and talk like the world. But it is okay take advantage of things like writing tips that do not have anything to do with doctrine. Some of the people I have learned from are not Christian, but I have learned many helpful techniques and writing tips.) 

I may have mentioned it before. I found it around November 2021 during NaNoWriMo - National November Writing Month. It was very helpful when I was planning my plot and story arc for the book I started in November - Redeeming Louise. I was able to use some of what I learned for King's Heart.

It took me a while, for some reason, to decide what I wanted to use to format my book. I really struggled with it at first. Should I use Word? Find a different tool? Or should I use Kindle Create? I finally found a really handy template from Kindle Direct Publishing. After I downloaded it, I chose the English file then I picked the size I wanted. The download includes all the different sizes, including 8.5x5.5, which I chose for King's Heart. I do not know if it was the easiest way, but it worked for me. I could just download the Microsoft Word template and go from there since they already set the margins for me. I took out the contents page since King's Heart did not need it. I also took out the Acknowledgements page from the front and moved it to the back. Then I just started copying and pasting one chapter at a time. I actually started this part after my Dad had already helped me edit a few chapters.

2. Choosing the inside design

During the middle of this, I had to decide how I wanted it to look. What should the chapter page look like? What font did I want? Did I want my name at the top? The book title? These were questions that needed answers. I have heard that one of the best ways to decide is to look at other books and see how other authors/designers/publishers did it. Some things I looked up online, but mostly, I just pulled ideas from the numerous novels on my bookcase and Brenna's bookcase at her house. I even did some of this one afternoon at Brenna's house. A lot of ideas ended up being a lot of Brenna's mysteries, but that's okay. I did try to find some in my genre as well. Then I took them, opened them to their first chapter page, and lined them up side by side. I was able to see what I liked and what I did not like. 

I had read and seen that most chapter pages start on the right side of the book (or the odd-numbered pages). Once that was decided, I chose for the chapter heading to be six spaces down and to the right of the page. I also had to choose which font I wanted. One guy I watched on YouTube used Garamond. It looked good to me, so I went with that. For the Chapter heading, I made it gray, Lucida Calligraphy, and 16pt. font. I also added a Drop cap. I also learned from researching and playing around with Word that I could preset the Styles. I don't know why I never noticed that before. Once I had the Style set, it was so much easier to copy and paste and then click the style I wanted.

3. Designing the cover

I am so thankful for a brother that is good at graphic design. My brother Josh is the assistant to the pastor as well as the youth pastor at my church. He did the church website, and he also designs the thumbnails for our live stream services. I was so glad when he agreed to design my cover for me. I was not able to tell him the size for a while, for I did not know how many pages I would have until I was done formatting the inside. When I could give him a page count, then he was able to start designing. He asked for ideas of what I wanted. I went back to research and studied other book covers. I gave him a couple ideas from my bookcase then I looked up books at the main library in Ocala when I went there with Callie one day this summer. It was fun getting ideas.

Once I had a general idea, he ran with it. He ended up giving me six book cover ideas. I had a hard time deciding between the last two. Josh told me I should take a few days to decide what I wanted. He did them all on Canva, so I was able to log into Canva to look at them again. I made a copy of them so I could play around with them a little. It was a fine balance of not being nit-picky but getting the cover how I wanted it. I added the description to the back and my name to the front. I was almost going to go with a purple cover he designed. At first, he put a plane on the front, which had been Dad's idea. I liked it, but that was such a small part of my story that I did not know if it fit. I also was unsure if it would attract the readers I wanted. He took out the plane, and I liked it much better. Then I changed course and decided on Cover#5. We both played around with it. I liked the design, but I did not know about the color. I was able to keep the picture he had but changed the color of it on Canva.

Deciding on the cover took about three weeks, but I am very happy with the results.

4. Plugging it all in

I had already started setting up my account with KDP - Kindle Direct Publishing. I went to my new favorite Youtube videos by Mandi Lynn. I also watched other videos, though I don't remember which. After I set up my taxes for KDP, I started putting in my book details - title, subtitle, author, description, audience, marketplace, categories/genre, and keywords. That was the fun part. 

The next step was setting up an account on Bowker and purchasing my ISBNs. When that was done, I put it on KDP. When the inside and cover of my book were finished, then I uploaded them to KDP. After that, I previewed the book to check for errors before ordering a proof copy. A proof copy is the finished product but with "Nor For Resale" on the cover. The proof copy is for me, the author, to check for printing errors and other mistakes I may not have noticed. It said that I was able to order up to five proof copies - all I had to do was pay for the shipping and printing. Before I ordered the proof copy, I had to set the book price. I chose for my book to be $13.99. I get 60% of the royalties - which ended up being $2.97. But, hey, since I am publishing through Amazon, I don't have to worry about an upfront cost. Yay!

I hit publish Thursday, so right now, my book is in review while I wait for KDP to approve it.

5. Choosing the name of my book line

I wanted to come up with a name for what I would write under. I asked my family for ideas. I liked Ms. Francie Taylor's Keep the Heart. The first book I started writing when I was 14 was based off my purity ring. I wanted a name that would go with that and involve the heart as well.  I asked my family if it should have books, publications, fiction, literature, or something like that in the name.

Here is what I finally decided on...

Thank you, Callie, for helping me with the design!

I want to write books that are gripping, heart-touching, and encouraging. I want books that will encourage young ladies to keep a heart of purity. 

I've enjoyed the journey King's Heart has taken, but I am so glad it is almost published. I hope you enjoy reading The King's Heart in the LORD's Hands when you get your copy. If you enjoy the story, I would love for you to leave a review on Amazon. Meanwhile, you can now follow Heart of Purity Literature on Facebook and Instagram.

Until next time...

Elisabeth Kristine

The Night of the Shooting Star

 A Greater Pastime...

Reading is one of my favorite pastimes. I love a good story that grips my attention and makes me feel like the characters are my friend. I was going to read the novel I am currently reading, but I wanted to sit on the porch first with a glass of sweet tea. I like sitting on the porch when it is raining, early morning before the heat, or before bed. I also heard that there were supposed to be meteor showers this weekend. Dad, Callie, and Micah had stood outside for a while to watch for shooting stars, so I stood at the edge of the porch in the dark for a moment before turning on the porch lights and sitting on the porch swing.

I had not sat long when Dad came out of the house with a blanket and turned off the porch light. "Are you going to lay in the grass?" I asked curiously.

I followed him out to the front grass right by the porch. Callie and Micah followed soon after. One funny thing is I sat down for a moment when I realized and said, "Wait, isn't this where that ant pile was?"

"Oh, no, is it?" Dad asked, getting up and asking for a light. Sure enough, he had laid it right on top of the little ant pile. We quickly moved it a couple feet away.

When Mom came out, we laid back to watch the show. I don't know why we don't stargaze more often. It was fun. I smiled when Dad said we should pray together that God would allow all of us to see a shooting star together. A couple of us only saw one at first, but it was still awesome to look at all the stars. We started talking about stars in the Bible, and that got me to thinking of a song we had heard from the Sommerdorf family back when their kids traveled with them - the song was "What would they say if only stars would talk." We were out there for almost 15 minutes when one raced across the sky. It was super long, and I only caught the end of it, but it was still awesome. When the rest went inside, I stayed out there on a blanket, in the dark, all by myself. 

I started to quietly sing "How Great Thou Art" - softly enough to not take away from the moment. I just sang the part about the stars when all of a sudden, the biggest shooting star I have ever seen flew slowly across the sky to get even brighter as it went. I could even see the burning orange glow around it. I started crying. A true girl, I know, but I was just so amazed. I was laughing and crying at the same time. Even something as small as a shooting star made me think of how good God is and how He is mindful of me.  I was able to see two more shooting stars though they were much smaller and more fleeting. Just a few moments before, when everyone was out there, I felt so small looking up at God's vast universe.  Yet God cares for me. I thought of all the times I had put off time with God or chosen something else over Him, and I asked for forgiveness. How great He is to forgive! How great He is in His creation and care for his people!

Stars in the Bible...

I felt so humbled yet loved in that moment over something so simple, yet part of His amazing creation. God created the sun and moon on Creation Day 4, and the Bible adds, "He made the stars also," as if it was an afterthought. I am glad He did for stars are pretty to gaze at. Psalms 147:4 says, “He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names.” And Job 22:12 - “Is not God in the height of heaven? and behold the height of the stars, how high they are!”

  I thought of Abraham when God promised his seed would be as many as the stars of the sky. I thought of how humbled Abraham must have felt for God to choose him. God loves me and wants to use me.

Daniel the prophet wrote of the end of time when God shall judge the earth - “And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.” - Daniel 12:3.

The stars were made for a purpose - Jeremiah 31:35

“Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The LORD of hosts is his name:”

Stars should never be worshipped, but they should cause us to worship the One Who made them. How great He is!

The Journey of King's Heart Part 1

I am super excited about my book. It should come out within the next couple of weeks. Today, I thought I would share the journey of my first complete, unpublished novel - The King's Heart in the LORD's Hands. So here goes...

On a Sunday morning in January 2019, I was showering and getting ready for church when a book idea started running through my head. As soon as I was done with my shower, I hurried to write down my thoughts in a small notebook before rushing to finish getting ready for church. That was when King's Heart was born.

    Two different books were already in the works by this point, but this one really came together. Like any typical girl, I have watched Princess movies and even some Hallmarks (the good ones, at least). You know, the ones where a prince will leave to travel to the States and fall in love with a waitress or another young "peasant" girl with no royal blood or rich family. Yeah, I've watched a few of those. And yes, they end up being pretty much the same, but what girl doesn't love a cheesy romance? Not only did I watch all the clean princess movies, but my favorite female character in the Old Testament is Esther. I started wondering what I would do if I were taken from my home today to go to a new country and meet a handsome Prince. Since I am a Christian, it was interesting to imagine how my life would play out if I were in one of the princess movies I had watched. Thus came the story of Elaina. [I had first named her Bethany but decided I wanted to do a different name since I already knew a few girls named Bethany. It is kind of fun yet daunting at the same time to come up with character names. I liked the name Bentley from my favorite book series growing up - The Knights of Arrethtrae. Edward Bentley Monroe sounded cool, so I went with that. (I put the two and two together afterward that my Grandpa's middle name is Edward, so that makes it special.) Elaina becomes good friends with a girl named Josephine. I wrote of her with an old friend in mind - a young lady I was pen-pals with for a time. Not all the names I choose have a special meaning behind them, though.]

    I wanted a story with a girl like me - a girl with flaws and not drop-dead gorgeous in my eyes. Too many books and movies make the heroine so perfectly beautiful that you feel you can never measure up. Also, living with brothers, I have learned that guys can be gross. Even though the hero would be a king, I did not want him to be perfect either. As a side note, though you may meet God's best for you, it does not mean that he will be Mr. Perfect; he will have flaws just like you. Hopefully, the characters will be ones you can relate to. I would also like to note that even though the heroine, Elaina, will share some of the traits as me or like some of the same things as me, the events, names, places, etc., are fictional. 

    I wrote the Prologue at the beginning of writing King's Heart, so I would read it over and over to make sure it was well-written. I finished the first draft in early 2022 and asked my parents to read it. My mom had read it as I wrote it, but I wanted her to read it out loud to Dad. It took them almost a year, life can get busy, but anyways, I had other books to work on, like the next book I am hoping to publish before Christmas. I adjusted the parts they pointed out to make my story better and brought out my antagonist more. To save money, I started editing it through Grammarly. When I first started, I got a three-month discount for being a first-time user. I keep forgetting to cancel it, but I have been using it, so it is not going to waste. In fact, as I am writing this post, it has red underlining the grammar errors pointing out what I need to fix, so it has been very helpful.

    I made a PowerPoint slide in June to show my family what else I needed to do to finish my book, and we also talked about ISBN numbers. In April or May, our church ladies went to a conference. They had a Christian author set up a booth. I was able to meet her and ask her about publishing through Amazon, which I decided to do after talking to Krista Zarn, author of the Frontier Avenger series, and her sister Hannah Danford who also published a book through Amazon. When I asked about ISBN numbers, she advised that I purchase my own. When I showed my family my PowerPoint, I also talked to them about that. My dad offered to do one final read-through and help edit it, promising to do so faster than he and Mom were able to read it the first time. It took him two months. I am so glad he read it, too. He really helped me in bringing out the conflict. One of the sweetest compliments he gave me was, "Beth, you are a good writer." We will see what the rest of y'all think when you read my published book. :)

    Well, I noticed this post is starting to get long, so I will go ahead and end it here. This post will have to be in two pieces as there is too much involved in the process of writing and self-publishing a book. When I come back with another post, I will tell you about the formatting stage, who is doing my cover for me, and finally, I will "announce" (It seems so cool to say that:) ) what the name of my fiction line will be. So, until next time...

May you keep your heart while enjoying the wait

Elisabeth Kristine

Just a Thought...

As I was writing King's Heart and others, I craved approval. I wanted the guy I was talking to to be interested in my writing, but he never asked about it. (FYI: talking was short-lived when I learned he was not God's will for me). I hoped some friends would be interested, but I never really heard from them. Sometimes I wondered if it was God's will for me to write, even though I loved writing.  The first time my dad read it, it took a while, but I totally got that. 

Why do we want approval from others when we should be most concerned with pleasing God by our faith?

As I set up an account with Amazon KDP, I made a PowerPoint to show my family so I could ask them about certain aspects of my writing, book, etc. My parents volunteered to do one last read-through edit, albeit quicker than the previous read-through, which was read out loud. I was so glad when my dad started reading it on his own, for he is not a big reader like the rest of our family. A couple of days ago, as we were sitting at our desks, he editing on paper and me editing on my computer, he pointed out something in my book that he advised needed tweaking. Then, he said some of the sweetest words a writer wants to hear, "Beth, you really are a good writer."

Those words warmed my heart. That's the kind of approval I had been hoping for.

What about when it comes to God? Do we desire to hear God say, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant"? We should desire to please our Heavenly Father most of all. His approval is what truly matters. 

I think I had hoped too much for approval from people when I should have been seeking to please God. I want Him to be pleased by my faith, and I want everything I do to please Him.

 

May God be pleased by your heart of faith.     -Hebrews 11:5

Elisabeth Kristine

 

Press On

   I had been considering my generation a little bit ago. This generation can be discouraging at times. It is hard to get younger people in. Some give the excuse of anxiety. Some give the excuse of not being people persons. Whatever the excuse, it can be hard to get them to come to activities or simply be "all in". I've been a preacher's daughter and served in the ministry long enough to see it. It can be heartbreaking. You see so much for them. (How much more their heavenly Father?) Honestly, you go between wanting to shake them a little bit and wanting to bawl your eyes out. 

What can we do?

- Pray for them.

- Determine not to quit.

- Keep on doing what you are doing.

- Be there and be reachable, but know when to give them some space.

Sadly, there comes a time when after you've been there for them, encouraged them, and admonished them in the spirit of meekness, you just step back and give them some space. You never give up on them, but you let them reach out to you. For whether we like it or not, initially, it is their choice. You cannot force it on them. They have to want it. Then you pray, pray, pray for them.

I wrote this a few weeks ago, not knowing that I would need to put it all into practice. It has been heartbreaking. One of my friends stopped coming to church faithfully. I had been worried about her. She had not answered my texts. Then she let me know that she was going to a different church. It hurt. It broke my heart and made me weep. I thought I had done something to hurt her, and I felt awful. The truth was, it was not something I did. I had cared for her. Yet, I felt I had not done enough. I asked myself, "What if I had prayed more for her?" 

My parents were an encouragement to me. They said they were proud of me for being a good friend. After that, I went for a walk and cried out to my heavenly Father and my friend Jesus. It made me think of all He went through for me. He had all His friends forsake Him in His darkest hour. Then I thought of myself. How many times have I neglected my dearest Friend? I asked God to forgive me. Do you know what happened next? I saw a couple of cardinals up in the trees. If you remember, cardinals are my sign that God loves me. He put those cardinals in my path to tell me that He still loves me. He has always been there.

I came back to the porch to find my mom, my nieces, and my nephew Patriot on the porch. I sat on the swing, and Liberty came and sat by me. She had seen me cry earlier. She asked me to tell her a joke. I am not good at telling jokes, so finally, I pulled out Silas's joke book to read a few to her. Even though we laughed at some of the weakest but silly jokes, it was just what I needed. The Bible says that a merry heart doeth good like medicine. I found that to be true, and God used my little niece. You see. As I said earlier, I can't afford to quit. There are little ones watching me. There are other young ladies in the church. If I quit, what will that say to them? I must press on no matter how hard the journey, no matter how weary the well-doing can be.

I recently heard a song from Heartland BBC's new cd. The song is Press On. As I was listening to it while mopping, it touched my heart. It talks about a weight on your shoulders. It talks about standing strong while others walk away and about darkness that tries to shake your faith. But then it says that Jesus knows and is telling you to press on, for it's worth it all, even the cost. "You will make it through. Press on." We must continue to run our race and press toward the mark. There are still souls to be saved. There are still lives to be touched. Don't give up. Don't quit. Keep on fighting, praying, witnessing, walking, etc. Press on.

Praying you will have a heart that presses on,

Elisabeth Kristine

Writing of the King James Bible

On the backside of the desert on Mt. Sinai...

Moses climbed up the mountainside once more,  eager to hear the voice of the Lord again. He smiled when he reached the top, even though he was out of breath and his legs were sore. It could be worse. The years of man's life were three score and ten, and perchance fourscore. At 81 years old, Moses knew he was blessed. He was alive and healthy because God still had work for him to do. He wondered if it was in part because he still had more to write. The LORD had told him that he wanted him to record what had been happening with his people. He looked down at the writing tools in his hand. He was still amazed that God wanted him to write down His Words. Even now, Moses was prepared to write what God wanted him to. He reached the place he normally met with the LORD. He had to only wait but a second before he heard the voice of the I AM. As Moses listened, he carefully wrote the words God told him to. He hoped that generations to come would read the LORD's words and obey it's commands.

Years later in Jerusalem...

The scribe sat down to copy the law of Moses. He had a few scrolls set out,  and he had plenty of writing tools. He grabbed the law of Moses to set before him as he copied it down by hand. With careful strokes he wrote down the timeless words. Not one jot or tittle could be missing. If one jot or tittle was missing, then it would not be God's whole perfect Word then, would it? No, each and every word, each and every tittle and jot, must be written. The scribe did not know why men like him had needed to do so throughout the years, but he thrilled at being one of them. Many kings had come before the young king, Josiah. Now, like the kings before Josiah, the law of Moses must be copied down for King Josiah to have. 

In 16th Century Europe...

As the means of writing changed, so did the ways of penning God's Word. Nevertheless, it was still the same timeless, perfect, God-inspired Word. Tyndale looked down at the manuscripts before him. Finally, after long waiting to translate God's Word for the common man to read, the time was at hand. William Tyndale did not care that the enemy was out to stop him. The common man in the field must be able to read God's Word for himself. This drove men like Tyndale, Wycliffe, and many others. They had known it was God's will. Now it was time to put feet to that knowledge. As Tyndale carefully translated the Word from Greek to English, he made sure not one word was missing. Everything God had said in Greek and Hebrew could and would indeed be translated into plain English. Tyndale looked out the window. He had come this far, he must continue, even if it meant his own death.

1611-

The men gathered before King James. He was a good king. They prayed he would accept what they had to say. When they told the king their desire, he was all ears. With a smile he said he must authorize it. They named it the King James Bible after the king, but they knew it was truly God's Bible - His precious, perfect, infallible, inspired Word. The enemy had tried to stop it, burn it, break it, destroy it, but they failed. They could not destroy something that was eternal.

 The words of the King James Bible was perfect and complete, but the English language and way of writing had changed once more. The s was changed to f. Yet, there was still one problem. When a preacher asked you to turn in your Bibles, it took some time to find the place. The remedy - chapter and verse divisions. Once these minor details were changed, a third-grade reader could read it. Moses' dream, the Scribes' hope, and Tyndale's desire had been fulfilled. Now every man, woman, boy, and girl, could read the B-I-B-L-E for themselves.

Present Day...

The young preacher looked across the table at a man who wanted to debate the King James Bible. The young preacher shook his head. He had studied out the King James Bible. He had proved it to be true, perfect, and infallible, but the man sitting across from him did not believe it. As the young preacher listened to the man's faulty arguments, he thought on the journey his Bible had taken to get to him today. He looked down at his worn, King James Bible with a smile. This book had withstood much and had stood strong. The young preacher rubbed the worn cover tenderly and lovingly as he thanked God in his heart for giving him His Word. No amount of arguments could change his beliefs in this perfect book.

This is just a glimpse into the history behind the King James Bible. To go into a theological discussion on this would take post upon post. You can have your NKJV, your ESV, your NIV. Just give me the good old, timeless KJB. It is perfect, holy, inerrant, infallible, inspired, and reliable. I pray you may come to love this precious Book as much or even more than I do. Read this Book, study it, learn it, memorize it, treasure it, meditate on it, keep it, respect it, live it, and you will surely love it.

May you keep your heart by keeping His Word,

Elisabeth Kristine

I Went to Prison

 What a title, huh? No, I did not break any laws or receive too many speeding tickets. I have not been pulled over by the police either. I am a law-abiding citizen. You may still be wondering why I went to prison.

Don't worry. I will not leave you hanging for too long...

This past week, several members from our church had the privilege of going into the prison via a women's volleyball tournament with the Inside the Lines ministry to share the Gospel. It was my second year in a row to go. The first time I was really nervous. Not because of the prisoners necessarily, but because I am shy and generally have a hard time talking to people I don't know.

Our church's theme for the year is Hold Fast. Each quarter has a special focus and each month has its own nautical theme. The first quarter was about faith. For April, we were to Launch Out Into the Deep, by fasting one day a week and praying for one hour each week. Sadly to say, for the first couple of weeks, I was struggling spiritually. I fasted from books for the month, but I was having a hard time getting back into prayer. By the last week though, I knew it was time to work on that. I decided to fast from sugar that week. I only had hot tea in the mornings and one soda or tea at night. I knew I was lacking God's power in my life due to a failure to pray. I also knew I needed to pray for our church to receive $500,000 for our building fund. That was our prayer focus for the last week in April. I also knew I needed to be ready to give the Gospel if I was going to go into the prison on Saturday. 

Friday, I had a much-needed prayer walk with my Lord. It was a blessing to my heart, plus a good workout for my body. (I do not get enough exercise due to sitting at a desk a lot). I printed a soul-winning guide and felt ready to go minister to the women in prison. We had a lot of ladies and a few of our men signed up to go into the prison. I was excited. Last year it was just me, Brenna, AJ, the Washers, and another lady from a different church. But this time we were to have around 13 volunteers. It was going to be great. 

Then the call came... It was supposed to rain Saturday so we had to move it to Monday. Of course, that meant several of our workers were unable to go due to work. But God knew. It did not catch Him off-guard. (Remember: He's the God who told Gideon that he had too many men going to fight and needed to downsize his army.) 

So instead of 13+, we had 8. This time my mom was able to go. She was nervous at first, but I was so proud of her. She was able to have some good conversations with a few of the women. Not only was I proud of her, but later, she told me that she was so proud of me for talking to the women in prison. It was all God's grace, really. There's nothing like hearing a "Well done" from your parent, whether earthly or heavenly.

I even got to play a round of volleyball. I did not do so well hitting the ball back and forth. Yes, I know I am not athletic anyway, but I was still a little embarrassed. Then it came my time to serve. I missed the first serve (Excuse: I have probably not played since last year.😊) But then Bro. Washer, who was acting as referee, said I could have another try since I was one of his workers. I was so excited when I actually made a few serves and got to redeem myself. 

After warm-ups and lunch came the Gospel presentation. Bro. Washer did a good job. We just had to reiterate what was already said. At the invitation, several women came forward. I was able to talk to two of them. One of them was confused and not ready, but the other one seemed interested in knowing for sure. I stumbled through with nervousness, but God will use anyone who is willing. He does the work anyway. I told the girl I was talking to that I was nervous, but she said I was doing good. She had questions about faith but still sinning, so I told her that when we are saved from Hell, we are children of God. We will always have that relationship, but when we sin, our fellowship hurts. She seemed to understand. It was sweet when I was done going over the Gospel plan,  she said, "Okay, let's do this. Lead me in the prayer." I had heard stories, so I made sure to tell her that it was not my prayer that saved her but her heart believing and receiving Jesus as her Savior. When she was done, I asked her what it meant when she got saved. She said, "Once saved always saved."

Satan was really fighting. He has such a hold on these women. He takes joy in seeing them enslaved by sin. He is not ready to give them up. That was made clear. (For us, it's a balance of seeing that they're real people in need of God's love, but also remembering that they are in there for a reason. You can just tell.) But God has always been unmatched. Satan has never been able to fulfill his prideful dream of being higher than God. God's power is able to break the heaviest of chains. The rain can't stop Him. (Jesus calmed the storm.) It seemed to take forever to just get into the jail. Then many of the women had jobs or classes to go to instead on Monday. Some said that they heard possibly 100 inmates had signed up for Saturday. When we got in, the new guard they put in charge had a list of 20 and just with names A-C. By the afternoon service though we had four teams of at least 6. Some others watched. I think we probably ended up with around 30-40 for the Gospel message. God knew from the beginning what would happen. And Satan did not win. The Gospel was preached. Around 10 or so had reassurance of salvation. And one was born into the family of God. Praise the Lord!!! 

And yet, God chose to use me to help water the seed. I'm just awed by that. Awed that God would want to use me as an instrument. I'm humbled by it. I still struggle with being a witness and will continue to if I try to do it by myself. Jesus said, "Without me, ye can do nothing." I have found that to be true. Maybe only one got saved that day, but God has always found even one worth His sacrifice. After all, He left 99 in the fold so He could rescue the one that was lost. If that does not touch our hearts, we need to beg God to break up the fallow ground. Only the soft, good ground will bear fruit.

I know this turned out to be a long post, but I just had to share. If not to encourage you, then at least have that reminder that God wants to use me if I would simply willingly yield myself to Him. 

Keeping my heart so that others may keep theirs through yielding to Him...

Elisabeth Kristine 

A Step Closer

 I am nearing the finish line for two of my books. Yay! I am excited. :) 

For The King's Heart in the LORD's Hands, my modern-day Esther story, I asked my parents to read it. They were almost done when they gave me very beneficial advice concerning the antagonist. So, back to writing. I am glad that I had them read it because it helped me see which areas needed strengthening. My antagonist needed to be seen more throughout the book instead of just appearing all of a sudden at the end. I have enjoyed seeing the antagonist come to life. Being based on Esther, I wanted to get the antagonist right.

Recently, I made a goal list of things I would like to do before I turn 30 in 2028. That's only five years away! Sounds so old right? One of my goals is to publish five books before 2028. My hope is to publish two this year. 

The other book that I can see the light at the end of the tunnel is the book I started during NaNoWriMo of 2021, Redeeming Louise which is set in the Victorian Era. I recently sent it to a couple of my aunts to read. I read it to my mom, but I wanted to complete it before I read it to Grandma. Two weeks ago, we went to visit my grandparents in Fort Myers during spring break. On Wednesday, Grandma paid for Mom to take Silas, Callie, and Micah to tour the Edison Ford winter estate. Grandma was not able to take them because her knee was hurting so bad. (She just had knee surgery yesterday.) Since I had already taken a tour years before, I gladly volunteered to stay behind so I could read her my book. I was excited when she said, "Let's go to the tea room." I never pass up a good cup of tea, and a scone or baked good.😊 

Besides, it was the perfect setting to read this particular book since it is set in Victorian London England. (Would you like a spot of tea?) We ordered Cherry Vanilla tea and Lady London tea. For dessert, she picked creme brule, and I picked their special cheesecake - a peanut butter cheesecake with peanut butter cups then drizzled with chocolate and caramel and topped with whipped cream. The tea and dessert were delicious. Then I read a chapter in my book to Grandma. The other people could probably hear us, but oh, well. At least they heard the Gospel - in the particular chapter we read the preacher was witnessing to the hero of the story. We both enjoyed our tea time. Are not tea and books the perfect combination?

Next week, I have the privilege to head down south to help my grandparents out since Grandma just had surgery. I told her that I want to cook, clean, and of course, read my book to her. Perhaps after that and a few edits here and there, I will be ready to publish this book as well. I cannot wait to have the finished book in hand.  

Writing from the heart

Elisabeth Kristine

 One morning a few weeks ago, I stepped out onto the porch, and my eyes traveled to the bird feeder in our front yard. A cardinal perched there while eating his breakfast, and I was reminded of God's love for me. Every time I see a cardinal, I think, "God loves me," for that was the sign I chose several years ago. I noticed that cardinals often come out around Valentine's Day in January and February. They come out during more than just these two months, but I feel like right now they are making their presence more known.

The good thing is, God's love lasts more than these two months. Valentine's is just an extra special reminder. I may not have a human Valentine right now, but I have God - He's the best Valentine ever. He loves me. I am His, and He is mine. There is no love like God's love. God's love does not come and go or change like the seasons.

It led me to think of ways I can make God my Valentine this year. Maybe this will be a help to you, too. 

First, when we love someone or at least start to show an interest in someone, we want to get to know him/her.  We want to find out what he likes or dislikes. We want to know his personality and who he is. We want to know what they like to do. I am not in a relationship right now, but there was a short time that I talked to a young man. I wanted to get to know him and learn his likes and dislikes. No, it did not work out between us, but I did get to experience the talking stage of getting to know someone. We can do that with God. Last year for my devotions, I studied God and Who He is. I learned so much about Him last year. Even though I grew up in a Christian home, there is still so much to learn about Him. I will learn more all my life, and then I'll have eternity.

We can learn about God by reading His Word, studying it, memorizing it, and keeping it in our hearts. When you read His Word, it's like reading His valentine/love letter. (As a side note, do you know how couples would send letters to each other and they would spray their perfume/cologne on them? God may not do this with His Divine Letter to us, but when I get a new Bible, I like to smell its fresh paper and print smell. While that may seem silly to some, to true book lovers it would not. If you see my nose buried in a Bible, it's not because I can't see. It's because it is a new Bible with that new-book smell.☺) We can also get to know Him by watching Christians - the Christ-like children of God. Just about everything they do glorifies God. That's how it can be with people. We can sometimes learn about someone we are interested in by watching the ones they are close to or watching their family. The family has the inside scoop on how they act at home. Likewise, you can learn much about God by talking to the ones who spend the most time with Him.

Another way we can make God our Valentine is by talking to Him. When a couple is dating, courting, or simply in the talking stage. they will talk, and talk, and talk - sometimes for hours. God wants us to talk to Him in prayer. Pray without ceasing - be in a constant state of prayer like He is literally standing right beside us as we go about our day. I even like to write letters to God sometimes. Spending time with Him is a great way to make God our Valentine.

There is a place where spirits blend

Where friend holds fellowship with friend -

A place than all beside more sweet

It is the blood-bought mercy seat.

Not only can we make Him our Valentine by reading His love letter and talking to him, but we can also make God our Valentine by serving Him. This love language is called acts of service. Our lives are well spent when we spend them serving God. As one of our favorite preachers used to say, "It pays to serve God." Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my commandments." We can serve Him with our obedience and actions. When we love someone, we want to do sweet things for them. That is how it can be with our Heavenly Valentine. We also show our love for Him by serving others. Jesus said that the two greatest commandments are to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind; and to love our neighbor as ourselves. First John has much to say about loving God and loving others.

We can dive even deeper than this by giving our lives to Him. That is the most powerful way to show our love. Romans 12 calls it a living sacrifice. The Gospel of John goes yet deeper when Jesus talked of laying down one's life - "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." - (John 15:13) "We love him because he first loved us." - (1 John 4:19) John could write about love, for he was close to Jesus. He also said in 1 John 3:16 "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." We cannot say we love the God Who laid down His life for us if we do not love others.  

Lastly, but not finally, we can make Him our Valentine by talking about Him.  When a couple starts getting close via talking, dating, or courting, they constantly talk about each other. That is all you ever hear practically. "He did this... He said this... He likes this... Oh, he's just so wonderful. I am so lucky." Their heads are in the clouds because of that person. You can just tell they are Valentines because they cannot help but talk about each other. 

You know that is how it should be with God. Think of it this way. You cannot stop talking about God and all that He is or has done. You have spent so much time with Him. You have read His Love Letter a hundred times, or at least more than once. You are constantly doing things for Him. You have given Him your heart (which is another way to make Him your Valentine). You are His, and He is yours. So what do you do? You talk about Him. You praise and glorify Him in your speech, even in the songs you sing. You talk of all His wondrous works. You tell others about Him and His great sacrifice for us. You want others to know Him and get saved, so you talk about Him. You proclaim His name. Then that love inside changes your countenance. Sometimes you do not have to say anything (but you cannot help but say something) for your face, eyes, and smile show you are in love. They notice. They ask why you are so happy, and who is the lucky guy. You smile again, and then you tell them His name - God. You tell them Who He is - your heavenly Father, your Savior, Your Comforter. You tell them what He has done for your - laid down his life then rose again to save you from your sins then give you earthly blessings and heavenly riches. You cannot help but tell them - whether they ask or not. You talk about Him constantly because He's your Valentine.

Keeping my heart for my Heavenly Valentine

Elisabeth Kristine