MY BLOG POSTS
Poe Kids
I am related – distantly, by marriage – to Edgar Allan Poe.
I’m not sure how the relationship works. Poe never had kids. But my mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and niece all have Poe as their middle names. And that middle name has been passed down for generations before them.
So we’re related.
Once, when my three kids were little – 8 and under – I wanted them to connect with their literary ancestor. So I read them “Tell Tale Heart” (A guy kills a man whose eye annoys him; he buries the body underneath the floorboards. Brilliant work of fiction. Brilliant) By the time I finished reading it, my two daughters were in tears, clinging to my husband.
This is what happens when your mother is an English teacher and your father is distantly related to Edgar Allan Poe.
Moral of the story: Reading stories about deranged psychopaths to small children is not as good an idea as you’d think.
Java and Jesus
I love coffee.
The other day, I was sitting in my van, thinking about coffee. I was out running around and recalled that Pumpkin Spice Latte’s are out, again. I love Pumpkin Spice Latte’s. I couldn’t get them out of my mind. So I bought one.
It was wonderful. I turned the air way up in the van so I’d be cold. The coffee was warm going down, and I pretended it was a chilly fall day. It lasted until I opened the van door and let in the Florida humidity.
When I was finished with my latte, I just breathed in its scent, enjoyed the aftertaste in my mouth.
And then, uninvited, this thought popped into my head, “Do I love Jesus that way?”
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not one of those people who try to make others feel guilty for enjoying anything in life but a good Bible study. That’s not what I’m saying. God delights in giving us good gifts (like coffee :)), and we should enjoy them.
But it’s still a question worth asking: Do I love Jesus like I love coffee? Do I think about Jesus when I first wake up? Do I crave him when I’m sitting at my desk at school? Do I sneak a little Jesus in between classes? Do I grab some Jesus on the way home from work? Do I tell others about the goodness of Jesus as freely as I tell them about great coffee?
Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father but through him. He is God in the flesh. He is the reason I can be certain that I will spend forever in heaven. Is he better than coffee?
You better believe it! Better than a Venti Pumpkin Spice Latte with extra whip on a cool fall day.
I think I need to go out and get one, now, just to remind myself of that 😉
My Novel Story
God gave me the idea for the book a few years ago. I spent my mornings in the summer of 2009 going to the library and writing. I kept telling my husband (who stayed home to watch the kids so I could write), “I don’t know if anything is going to come of this. I don’t even know if I can finish it.” But he kept watching the kids, and I kept going to the library, and God kept giving me ideas. So by the time school started in August of 2009, I had written the first draft of First Date (originally titled Get Real).
This is me signing the contract for Thomas Nelson
God laughed on my 24th birthday…
Back when I was in high school….way, way back. Back when computer screens were green, Nickelodeon’s most popular show was “Clarissa Explains it All” and Micheal Jackson was not only alive, but still looked human. Back in the days when car phones were the size of a shoe box and reserved for only the wealthy and important. When hairspray came in metal cans and were meant to be bought and consumed weekly.
Back then, there was a singer named MC Hammer. Maybe you’ve heard of him. Big, baggy shiny gold pants. Coined the phrase (and the song and the dance move) “Hammer Time”. His most popular song was “Can’t Touch This”. But the song that I liked the best was “Pray.” In it, he rapped:
“You’ve got to pray just to make it today.” (insert Hammer Time dance — oh, yes, it was in all his music videos. Classic.)
Throughout the Bible, prayer is used as a means to worship, to cry out, to seek forgiveness, wisdom, clarity, guidance. Prayer is communication with God, but it isn’t just one-way communication. God speaks back to us – through His word, through His Holy Spirit, and through answered prayer.
But I have found that I often fail to offer prayers that I can see actual answers to. I pray, “God, bless Emma.” or “God, help me be more like you.” Good prayers, but how can I really “see” Emma blessed or myself becoming more like Christ? Those prayers are too vague, and so I miss out on the blessings of answered prayer.
My mother-in-law is one of the godliest women I know. She taught me the importance of specific prayer over a decade ago, when I was pregnant with my first child. She challenged me to pray specifically for the whole pregnancy and delivery. So I did. I had two pages of requests, from the time of day I wanted to deliver (not during rush hour, not when Dave was gone to work) to how long I wanted to be in labor (no more than 10 hours). I also had kind of a silly prayer. I was 23 when we found out I was pregnant. I thought 23 sounded too young to have a baby. Dave and I had been married two years at the time, but still. I don’t know why, but I really wanted to be 24 when I had Emma.
I went into labor January 30, at 11:00 at night (Dave was home and there was no traffic). I had Emma at 8:50am. Less than ten hours later, on my 24th birthday. Not only did God answer my prayer, but he did it with humor. I could just imagine Him sitting up there saying, “All right, Krista, you want to be 24? You’ve got it. Bam. Happy birthday!” (And, by the way, BEST birthday present ever!)
Since then, I have tried to continue to practice specific prayer. Not just for me, but for others. And not just requests, but praises. Not “Thank you God for everything,” but “Thank you, God, for this sunset.” “Thank you for keeping us healthy the first week of school,” “Thank you for the book of Psalms that teaches us how to praise and pray and cry out to You.”
It’s amazing what being specific does. It strengthens my faith. It draws me closer to God. It allows me to see His power at work in and around me.
MC Hammer may not be the best role model ever, but did get it right at least once. We really do need to pray just to make it today (insert Hammer Time dance — why not?). I have experienced the blessings of specific prayers and praises. Have you? If not, start today. Right now. I mean now. Walk away from your computer, iPad, phone or whatever you’re using to read this and get on your knees.
“You’ve got to pray!”
Praise be to God,
who has not rejected my prayer
or withheld his love from me!
Ps. 66:20