Friday Fiction: Entertaining (Ideas of) Angels

Karlene Jacobsen

is hosting Friday Fiction this week at

"Voices".

I meant to enter this story in the FaithWriters challenge for the topic "Hacker or Virus", but it didn't quite make it. I didn't think it was "finished" enough, but when I tried to add a beginning and and end, I got stonewalled. (Not to mention, being out of routine because the Christmas schedule, I lost track of what day it was and missed the deadline.)

So here it is, as is. I'd love to know what you think. (I keep changing the title, too. Titles and I don't get along, as you may have noticed.)

Blessings!
Cat

---------------

ENTERTAINING (IDEAS OF) ANGELS

Lissa? Hi, sweetie.

I’m good.

It’s going okay. I was going to work on that stubborn plot-transition chapter some more this morning, but…that’s why I called.

Lissa, did you maybe mess with my computer?

Well someone did.

Because I fell asleep while I was writing last night and ...

I know! Like mother like daughter right? Anyway, when I realized I was sleeping, I shut my laptop lid and went to bed. And then when I opened it this morning, there was a chapter written that I didn’t write. Or I don’t remember writing. I don’t know which is scarier.

I don’t know how you did it. You’re the computer whiz. I figured you hacked in somehow from your apartment …

Okay. Sorry. I just didn’t know who else to ask. I was actually hoping it was you, otherwise, some random person has access to my computer. And out of all of the malicious pranks he could pull, he chooses to add to my current work in progress?

Yeah, actually, it was—SO good. Even better than my writing, which is another reason I thought it might have been you.

Yes you are! I’ve always said that, because I’ve always known that. You inherited whatever talent I have and then some.

Oh, hush, admit it. Okay, so let me ask you an off-the-wall question. You know that TV show you liked so much, “Angels Among Us” or something like that?”

Yeah, that’s the one. So do you think that maybe it could have been … I mean could an angel have helped me with my novel? I was stuck, and this new chapter is the perfect transition to the next scene.

Who do you think it was then?

Yeah, right. Sleep-writing. If I could do that, I’d have a lot more time to spend with my grown-up baby girl.

No. I know you told me to watch it, but I just haven’t yet.

I said I know you did. And I’ve been meaning to, really.

So, listen, why don’t you bring an episode or two over now, and we can watch them together?

Because I gave you the entire series for Christmas, that’s how I know. Come on, I really want to see what these angels do. Plus I need some mommy-daughter time anyway.

Good. I’ll start the popcorn. See you in a few.

Love you too.

= =


Roseanne snugged her robe tighter around her. She was kind of spooked now. When Lissa had as much as laughed at the idea of hacking into her computer, Rosanne had thought she was at a loss for words.


So where did that question about angels come from?

------------------------

Friday Fiction: Christmas Fiction!

 Rick (Hoomi) Higgenson is hosting Friday Fiction this week, and he put out a call for Christmas stories. I knew I had plenty of those to pick from, and I rediscovered this diamond in the rough I started for the "Christmas" quarter at FaithWriters.com in 2008. I worked on it off and on then forgot about it. I like it so far, but I'm clueless on title. :) 

Merry Christmas one and all!! Don't forget to visit Hoomi at Pod Tales and Ponderings for more Christmas fiction!

---------------



John peeked around the doorjamb and spied his young wife, Marcy, still asleep, and tiptoed across the rough plank floor to her bedside, the package hidden carefully behind his back.

His tender gaze caressed her face, and his eyes misted as love clenched his heart. A tiny noise escaped his throat.

Marcy stirred and squinted against the intrusion of the light streaming through the window. “What a fine sight I behold as I open my eyes to the world this morn. Good morrow, my love.” Marcy turned her face up for a kiss.

“And a good morrow to you, my wife.” John bent down to oblige her, and Marcy’s arms struggled out of the bedclothes and wrapped around him. Her hands found the package John secreted behind his back

“Well, now, what’s this?” Marcy sat up in bed, and tried to see what John was hiding.

It's coming! Are You Ready?

Only a few days remain until the church bells start ringing in Christmas!!!

So....will you come sliding into Christmas on a a wing and a prayer, diving for home under the tag, or will you jog around third base and on into Christmas morning, smiling and waving your cap to the sold-out host of angels cheering you on from the bleachers?

Are you lying awake at night, dreading the beginning of the end, or are you jumping up and down like a kid on Christmas Eve, refusing to go to sleep in anticipation of what’s to come?

A few weeks ago, the holiday panic started rising up in me--until I remembered past Christmases, seasons when things were even more hectic and stressful. Specifically, I recalled the years I finally admitted I couldn’t do it all, and turned it over to God. I mean really let go of all of it.

I embraced the truth: If it absolutely MUST be done, God will make a way, and it WILL be done. (Can I get an Amen?)

Besides, Jesus may come back tomorrow! Then what would all the gifts and trimmings matter? Nada.

As a result of my letting go, nothing critical was ever left undone. My stress level, however, went way down, and my joy level went way up.

That was God.

And He doesn’t just work on major holidays.

Whenever I don’t worry about it, just do what I can (or what I chose to on occasion) and let God work out the details, the details start ‘mysteriously’ start falling into place ‘on their own’. [wink]

This week, Amazon emailed me twice to notify me of a status change on orders scheduled for post-Christmas delivery. Everything for Christmas will be here PRE-Christmas now, plus my sister, daughter, and I all got boxes a day early.

My husband was offered overtime for the first time in months, and he’s working late all week. I’ve been able to retrieve and hide the boxes from Amazon before he sees them.  Plus, the overtime will help TREMENDOUSLY to pay the January credit card bills.

God is Good, all the time!

"It just keeps getting better, doesn’t it??" ~Lisa Mikatarian

Yes, Lisa, it does, when you ‘let go and let God’, or as Carrie Underwood would woud say, when we let ‘Jesus take the wheel’.


“Unto you is born this day a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”*

“And you shall call his name JESUS, for He will save his people from their sins.”*

And this baby Jesus grew into a man who brought PEACE ON EARTH through his life, death, and resurrection!!

Until He steps foot on the new earth (and he will!), His Peace, in the person of the Holy Spirit, resides IN us, not AROUND us.

If you don’t know this kind of peace yet, God the Father offers it to you: Peace in your heart. Forgiveness for your mess-ups. Life abundant. Life never ending--in His presence.

Ah…the perfect Christmas present.

Will you accept it?

If you aren’t sure, will you attend a church service this Christmas and find out more?

And if you’ve received it, will you share the perfect present with someone else this Christmas?

Christmas LOVE and Blessings!
Cat

~~~

PS: Wouldn’t it be ironic if God chose the morning of Christmas Eve for His Son and our Savior Jesus to return? Would He find find us stressing over our preparations for the end of the Advent or joyfully anticipating the Return of the King?

*Luke, 2:11, Matthew 1:21

Photos:
http://shannonphilpott.com/2011/12/15/the-christmas-balancing-act/

Light of the World
http://whowillyouserve.blogspot.com/2010_12_01_archive.html

Gift
http://www.sxc.hu/profile/canna_w

We have a "Living Dead" Winner!

~~THANK YOU~~

to all who read my review of "Night of the Living Dead Christian"!!
If you left a comment, you were automatically entered to win
your very own copy.

The drawing was held just few minutes ago in my den by my two assistants, neither of whom was a contestant.

The names of the entrants

were written out and cut apart:

My husband stirs them thoroughly
while my doxie Ralph supervies:

Ralph, picks out a name:

And the winner is:

LINDA C!!!  Woo Hoo!! Congrats, Linda!!!

I know how to get in touch with you, and I look forward to handing you a certificate for a FREE copy of "Night of the Living Dead Christian", redeemable at your local bookstore or by mail from Tyndale.

Thank you to Tyndale and to Matt Mikalotos!!

Christmas Blessings,
Cat

God-Incidences: She will give birth to a son

You may or may not know this about me, but in real life I work with the children at my church.

Please don't get me wrong -- by “work”, I in no way mean “toil.”

In addition to teaching these amazing children of God, I get to play and laugh, pray and feast, and listen to and learn with and from "my kids".

And I get to share Jesus with them.

I teach the 5th grade Sunday school class  this year, and God blessed me with all girls - six of them – a perfect number.

Last Sunday, we made Christmas cards for our shut-ins and I had the radio on  a popular Christian station to listen to carols while we talked about why Jesus came to earth.

A commercial came on for a ministry to help those whose marriages are in trouble for a list of reasons. I wasn't really paying attention to the radio, but when one girl asked, “Miss Cathy, what's an affair?” I realized what the commercial had been talking about.

Part of me was angry with the “family friendly” station for allowing, in my opinion, a questionably family-friendly word, another part of me was realizing that these kids all surely know a friend whose parents have split up because of marital infidelity, but the biggest part of me was praying for the right words while continuing the conversation without any awkward, embarrassing pauses.

God was faithful (of course), and I managed to explain what an affair was without mentioning anything to do with birds or bees. They all understood and were sad, and after some discussion (which included someone asking, “Miss Cathy, have you had an affair”), a unanimous conclusion was reached that affairs were bad and the conversation moved on naturally.

Whew. Thank you God!

However, the part of me that was miffed at the radio station lingered and stewed in her own righteousness.

After we'd finished the lesson, made a couple dozen cards, and prayed, we still had about 5 or 10 minutes to fill. (Unheard of. I'm usually scrambling at the end--we tend to be long-winded.) I asked the girls if anyone had any questions or had something they wanted to talk about.

Conversation moved back to the Christmas story, and the same girl who asked what about the word “affair” told the class that Joseph was going to stone Mary, and that he actually had a stone in his hand but changed his mind.

Hmmmmmmmm....... God?

I told her I didn't remember reading that part in the Bible, but I did see it in a movie once. Of course, all of the girls thought it was horrible that Joseph was going to stone her. I told them that he did have the RIGHT to put her to death – and then had to explain why. And we read the Joseph’s story in Matthew’s gospel.

And that part of me that was mad at the family-friendly radio station for allowing the word “affair” blushed.


Because my girls understood, REALLY "got", what an affair was, they grasped a bigger sense of why Mary being pregnant was such a big deal.

Wow! Joseph thought Mary had an affair! Until the angel appeared to Joseph and told him what was really going on.

And the angel's words to Joseph were our memory verse.

“She will have a Son,
and you are to name Him Jesus,
for he will save his people
from their sins.”
Matthew 1:21

And that, my friends, is what I call full circle.

Was it a coincidence that we heard that commercial as we started our lesson?

Or was it a GOD-incidence?

Merry Christmas! My gift to you.....
A chance to win one of the best books I've read this year. Get the 411 HERE!!!
Quick! Time is running out!

Night of the Living Dead Christian: Book Review and Give Away!

Zombies and Werewolves and ... Jesus?

Oh my!!

I don't think any book has made me laugh out loud as much as Matt Mikalotos' ridiculously funny romp through theology, "Night of the Living Dead Christian". When I wasn't laughing, I was gasping in horror at the very real monsters he reveals. 

Matt himself is the main character in his novel. He finds himself teamed up with a mad scientist, a werewolf, a vampire, and an android in a hunt for monsters in his own neighborhood. He finds more than he bargained for behind the closed doors and leaking hearts of people he thought he knew.

Holey Holidays

Are you missing someone this Christmas?

Is there a hole in your holiday?

Me too.

I found some encouragement in God's Word - join me at Jewels of Encouragement today. I'd LOVE to share it with you.

Catrina Bradley
"God rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes." Psalm 18:24 (Msg)