Growing Seasons

It’s been my dream for many years to have a redbud tree in my backyard, so I was delighted when Project Guy (that would be my husband) gave me one for Christmas! It’s always a little scary planting something in the winter when all the signs of life and growth are hidden deep within the branches. But we did so in faith. Project Guy followed directions to dig the right-sized hole and set the tree at the proper depth. After making sure the tree stood straight and tall, he backfiled the hole and added pine needle mulch to keep the roots nice and cozy through the rest of winter.

With the arrival of warmer days, I’ve been going out to check for any signs of those gorgeous magenta blossoms I’ve been anticipating. At the end of February, I could see the tiniest little buds peeping out along each branch. I’m so excited for the brilliant burst of color yet to come!

Waiting for my tree to blossom reminded me of what it can be like to write a novel. At the first glimmer of an idea, the signs of life may be minimal. Is there enough here to develop into a complete story? Before I’ll know for sure, I must do some digging and cultivating. I need to figure out who my characters are at the outset, what they most need to encourage their personal growth, and what events might either hinder or help that growth along so their happily-ever-after can come to full bloom. 

Once the story begins to sprout, the characters come alive in my head and often tell me things about themselves I never expected and wouldn’t have imagined during the early planning stages. At that point, I have to be careful the characters don’t completely take over and send the story off on tangents irrelevant to the central plot. 

Carrying the tree metaphor even further, I may need to do some judicious pruning so that the overall story doesn’t lose its shape.

When I’ve done all I can to make the story as good as it can be, I send it off to my editor, who may do even more pruning and shaping. A few months later, when those first copies of my novel arrive on my doorstep, it’s a thrill to see how that tiny germ of a story idea has blossomed into a published book!



Share your thoughts today. Are there aspects of your daily life where you can see the seasons of planting and growth? Possibly an assignment at work, or a craft project like knitting or quilting? Parents can certainly see the results of their nurturing as they guide their children to grow and learn. How about our faith lives and the ways we nurture them to greater maturity? Any other areas you can think of?

By the way, my next newsletter goes out today! Subscribe now, and you might have a chance to win my March giveaway!

About Myra: Award-winning author Myra Johnson writes emotionally gripping stories about love, life, and faith. Myra is a two-time finalist for the prestigious ACFW Carol Awards, winner of Christian Retailing’s Best for historical fiction, and winner in the Inspirational category of the National Excellence in Romance Fiction Awards. Originally from Texas but now residing in the beautiful Carolinas, Myra and her husband love the climate and scenery, but they may never get used to the pulled pork Carolinians call “barbecue”! The Johnsons share their home with two very pampered rescue doggies who doesn’t always understand the meaning of “Mom’s trying to write.” They’ve also made room for the cute little cat (complete with attitude) their daughter and family had to leave behind when they moved overseas.

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Happy November. Make a joyful noise--Lenora Worth

I can't believe it's November already. On the one hand, I'm so ready for next week to pass. I don't want to get into politics, but I'm ready to focus on being thankful for what's right in the world instead of hearing everyone bickering about what's wrong.

But enough about that. I'm here to celebrate some of the beauty of fall and find out what's happening with the rest of you. If you visited the Love Inspired Harvest Festival on the Harlequin website a few weeks ago, you probably heard some of this there. Fall is a great time to regroup and settle down and snuggle up. Hot chocolate and s'mores, football and falling leaves, good books and crisp breezes in the air. Taking a long walk on a pretty path. Thanking God for the bounty of the earth.

Since I just finished a book ahead of deadline, I'm in a cooking mood. Gumbo, French bread, maybe some pumpkin bread and other yummy fall foods. Red velvet brownies, maybe?

And my favorite--pie:

What are your plans for fall?

Do you find you read a different type of book as the season changes?

What are some of your favorite fall foods?

I hope you have a great fall. As we go into the holiday season, I hope we cling to these verses from Psalms 95:

"Oh, come let us sing to the Lord;

let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!

Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;

let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!"

Thanksgiving and songs of praise. Joy. I pray we always find the JOY!

What's your favorite thing about fall.... Lenora Worth

It's that time of year. The time where Christmas decorations start popping up right after school starts. We have Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas, usually in that order but lately things are getting a little confusing. It's like Valentine's Day with Mardi Gras thrown in. Beads or Chocolate?

What is your favorite thing about fall?

I don't like to rush things so I truly wish retailers would go with the order of things. Plenty of time to put out Halloween things after the back-to-school-rush. And let's enjoy Thanksgiving before we dive into standing in line for bargains to put underneath the tree. This can be the most wonderful time of the year if we celebrate at the right time of the year.

But not to worry, fall is still magical and wonderful and part of the process that God put on the calendar that week he created the earth. Spring--things are reborn, Summer--things get a little world-weary and warm. Fall--things turn golden and misty and the earth reclaims the leaves from the trees. Winter--a big chill makes us long for blossoms and sitting on a green hill. It's a system that works if we just allow each season to have it's very own reason. So in honor of how the four seasons are set up I'm going to share some pictures of nature and it's bounty today. In case you missed Summer because you were searching for pumpkins and in case you missed fall because you were knee-deep in Christmas decorations! Enjoy: These moments are brought to you by God! His world is amazing :)



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This last one is a reissue of one of my Christmas favorites from 2009!

Had to get in a book cover, of course!

 



The Cycle of Life. Christine Johnson

This time of year always reminds me of the ever-changing cycle of life. Spring's reawakening and brilliant colors usher in a burst of energy for those of us living in the north. The days get longer. The sun wakes me at five in the morning and stays up until almost ten o'clock at night. I feel energized.

Autumn brings a less exciting promise. The sun will sleep longer. The leaves turn color and fall to the ground as the earth prepares for the long winter's rest. My energy wanes, and I look forward to an extra hour of sleep when we move from daylight saving time to standard time.

It's at this time of year many years ago that my grandfather died from cancer - my first brush with death. Recently, friends have lost family members - sons, husbands, wives. How easy it would be to see only the falling leaves and the stark earth, yet God has given us a promise through His Son. I see that promise in the vibrant colors of autumn leaves. They remind me that spring will arrive in due time with rebirth and renewal. So too will life begin again in an entirely new and vibrant way, far beyond anything we can imagine. Through all seasons, He is there, showing us hope.

Give someone a hug today and shine a little light in their lives.

To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven. (Ecclesiastes 3:1)



Christine Johnson
Groom by Design - coming July 2014
http://christineelizabethjohnson.com
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Twitter: @ChristineJWrite