Usually when an old year comes to an end, I face the coming one with a lot of trepidation and plain old fear. And as I remembered 2019 with all it’s sickness, paralysis, hospitals, pain and Death so close I could feel it’s evil breath on my face, I looked towards 2020 and couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed with … massive hope and excitement.
If you’re wondering what I did with the real Laura-Lee, it’s the exact same thing I wonder whenever I talk to the Lord or look in the mirror. The best answer I can give is I got zapped with the rushing wind of God’s Holy Spirit fire. And then the Scriptures started flowing into my brain and through my heart with fast fluidity. Jesus and I had a good talk on the night of December 31 and He said things to me He’s never said before and using a tone I’ve rarely heard from Him. Or maybe a tone I just didn’t want to hear. Because He basically said, “Hold on, Little girl. We are going for a ride!”
And, being the great woman of faith I am after 42 years of walking with the Lord, I instantly dismissed it as an overdose of cookies and hot chocolate and figured I’d be back down to feeling and acting “normal” in the morning. Except on the following morning of January 1, my devotional Bible reading was Hebrews 12.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”
And then the Lord worked out something between us that has been wrong all these years. No longer is He going to help me get through my life.
There’s something about facing death a lot (others and your own) that makes you know that each day really could be the last one you ever get on Earth. So if I’m near the end of my “race” I have to ask myself how and why I will be running those last steps. Then in just the few short seconds that it took for the answers to come, my life completely changed at the hands of Jesus for the second time. He’s the one with the Plan and I want to get in on whatever He is doing. It doesn’t sound like much of a different way of living, but it is completely different because I’ve realized I am His servant, He is not mine. And I can understand and echo what John the Baptist said. “He must become more; I must become less”.
I thought I should give you this prelude/prologue so that as you read this post and continue on with my blog through the months you’ll understand part of the reason why things are happening at this miraculous and speedy rate. And why I am no longer the person I was just mere months ago. Because the thing in my life that is changing the quickest and the most dramatically is … me.
Praise you, Jesus.
So this blog post is to update you on what is going on right now and what is soon to come, as far as I’m aware of. So if you are going to be a witness to my last days on this earth, then you will have to do your own amount of holding on.
Just before Christmas I started reviewing books, but one thing I forgot to tell everyone is that it’s not just me telling you about a good book I happened to read. I’m doing it professionally. I get the books for free from the publisher or author because I have an “audience” and it is part of a marketing push. Meaning you get the book at a hugely discounted rate. Some books will go as low as $1 or even for free on occasion. At the very least 50% off. So if you see me talk about a book that you think is interesting, that’s the time to go for it.
As well as spending my time reviewing books, I have also stumbled onto a group of Christian young people (in their teens and twenties mostly) that are extremely creative and talented. We all belong to the same 4 groups that focus on writing stories, songs, blurbs, book titles and whatever we can imagine. And one group is dedicated solely to illustrating. Each week there are various contests and creative challenges. We submit our entries and then the members vote on who is the winner. The reason I bring this up too is because these groups and these people have made a profound impact on me. Through the contests and their encouragement and tutorage, I have been learning, honing my skills and making contacts. Not to mention the contacts I’ve been making while dealing with publishers and new authors. Then after meeting all these people who are amazing as creators and people, I get the pleasure and privilege of letting the rest of you know more about them.
In fact, I will soon be starting a blog that is dedicated solely to book reviews where you’ll be able to add your own comments and ratings as we sort through the millions of books that are published each year without ever touching a piece of paper. We’ll find the really great ones that tell a wonderful, entertaining story that will shine the light of Jesus for the world to see.
And if that’s not enough yet, my blog, Master's Peace Theatre that I started in 2013 when Mom died, but have basically been ignoring all these years, is about to get up and running too. But this time in the way it was originally created for. Not just another blog for me to rattle away on, but for creative Christian stories from many people from all over the world. All brought together with the common desire to share their talents in order to spread the Good News. And boy, is the world ripe for some Good News. And with that in mind, I am totally thrilled to announce that in the next couple of days I will be publishing to the Master's Peace Theatre blog not only a story from myself, but it’s first story from Guest Contributor, Leyla, K. C.
All this has been so obviously orchestrated by the Lord and is just the tip of the iceberg. I, myself know only a portion of what His bigger plans are. Yesterday, as I was planning what to write for this post and thinking about the course my life was taking, I had come to the conclusion that my role as a writer and creator would be relegated to discovering and promoting other people of great talent. But in only 24 hours, two books of mine that have been shelved for the past two years were resurrected by an email and surprise phone call from publishers. One publisher new to me and the other one that has been checking back with me for many years, just to see if I was “ready” yet. And we’re only one month into the new year. “Hang on” indeed.
Plus, I am weekly, almost daily coming into direct contact with exciting new authors who are so extremely talented it makes me gobsmacked. And I can’t wait to tell you all about them and interview them to introduce you to them personally. Plus, I’m also going to be doing a Bible teaching series on YouTube. And starting to write and develop songs. Or so the Lord tells me. I hope He at least gives me a chance to catch my breath every once in a while, because all these plans He has are seriously cutting into my nap time. (Thankfully MONTY is here to pick up the slack in our napping home-quota.)
So if you want to keep track of all the Lord is doing around me right now, the best thing I can suggest is that you are watching my Twitter and Facebook profiles because whenever the Lord does something new to me or for me, I will make sure I tell you all about it there. (I’ll list the links you need below).
But Master's Peace Theatre is the place to watch in the next couple of days. With the story of my own going up today and then for the weekend I will be publishing our Guest Contributor, Christian writer, Leyla, K. C.
I know this post has been full to the brim with lots of information and stuff that’s coming, but I hope you will continue to visit me here on my personal blog too. Because there is one thing I have learned above all others in the past year. Delight.
Delight in the Lord. Delight in people. Delight in ourselves and the world God has given us. Joy has been so lacking in my life and now I understand why everyone thought Jesus’ disciples were all drunk on the morning of Pentecost."
He will show us the path to life and in His presence there is fullness of joy and pleasures for evermore at His right hand." That is the last thing my beautiful mother told me before she went to experience them first hand and in person. (Psalm 16:11)
So when you stop by for a visit, I will always be happy you came and more than willing to tell you one of my best Knock-Knock jokes. As long as there is breath in me.
So I hope you hang on too and come along for this ride with me. And you never know. If you are willing and you invite Him to, He will give you your very own adventure. Anything is possible when an ordinary person gives themselves over to an ETRAordinary God.
Sincerely, Laura-Lee Rahn
NOTE: MY story "Broken Glass", is now posted at Master's Peace Theatre blog. TOMORROW Second part of the Competition is posted. (First time a Guest Writer Contributing.)
"Finding You" COMING FEB. 8/20 Saturday
Leyla K. C.
BROKEN GLASS Master's Peace Theatre Historical Story
Master's Peace Theatre/NOTE: MY story "Broken Glass", is now posted at Master's Peace Theatre blog. TOMORROW Second part of the Competition is posted. (First time a Guest Writer Contributing.)
"Finding You" COMING FEB. 8/20 Saturday
Leyla K. C.
BROKEN GLASS Master's Peace Theatre Historical Story
Laura-Lee at Facebook
Laura-Lee at Twitter
And, of course, you always get something extra special for scrolling all the way to the bottom of the page.
It's become evident I can actually draw something more than stick figures and happy faces.
The photo of the boat was part of one of the Creative Writing Groups but I decided to also draw a picture OF the picture using my beloved crayons.
(And you thought I was just a pretty face. That's okay. EVERYONE thinks I'm a pretty face)
Love Laura-Lee
