Memorial Day Weekend, and the weirding of America

As America celebrates Memorial Day Weekend -- with the scent and buzz of barbecue in the air -- we have much to be concerned about. Local elections are on the horizon and we'd better choose carefully -- and prayerfully. We need to consider what took place in the last national election, and what has happened since. Many people find themselves saying, "I don't believe this is happening!" But it is.

What?

Well, that would take pages and pages to write about, and I'm smart enough to leave that with those who have eloquent expertise such as the American Family Association. But let's just say it gets weirder and weirder. If you don't believe me, check out American politics on snopes.com and see what's true and what isn't.

For example, it is true that they're building a Mosque right next to where the NY Trade Towers were -- where the 911 tragedy took place. Hard to believe isn't it? But it's true.

Still, I said I would write about it here so I won't. (Otherwise I'd also have to write about the increasing earthquakes, volcano eruptions, oil spill etc. to put it all in context.) We need to be vigilant and wise, think hard and pray. What is happening in this country is NOT normal. But, given what the Bible predicts will happen before Jesus' second coming, I guess it's to be expected. So, in that respect -- and only in that respect -- woo hoo!!!!!

Now, back to Memorial Day Weekend, this is a good time to pray for our military -- those that seek to protect our country's freedom -- and to pray for their families. Read my latest article on this subject in The Examiner.

Happy Memorial Day weekend to all.

Janey L. DeMeo M.A.
Copyright © May 2010

www.orphanfirst.org
www.JaneyDeMeo.com
Janey on Twitter

Tamara Lowe at Christ Fellowship

This says it all -- and says it better than most of us ever could. Awesome.

The Mother's Day Dilemma

Mother's Day is a huge dilemma for many people -- especially lonely moms, orphans and foster children.

Read my latest article on this subject here on The Examiner.

My article includes many useful links and a fascinating video. I'd love to hear your comments either here on this blog or on the page of the article in The Examiner. Thank you.

Also see my previous blog post on Haiti.

Janey L. DeMeo M.A.
Copyright©May 2010

www.JaneyDeMeo.com
www.orphansfirst.org
Follow me on Twitter

Orphans First in Haiti & John Gardner's gag order

Ok, it's time to share something about Haiti. I'm not ready to write much about it yet (still mulling it in my heart) but here's a few pix.



Hope to return to Haiti soon -- and I will be writing more about what's going on there.

Meanwhile, you can read my recent article in Examiner.com about the lift of the gag order on John Gardner.

Janey L. DeMeo M.A.
Copyright © April 2010

www.orphansfirst.org
www.JaneyDeMeo.com
www.twitter.com/JaneyDeMeo

Her Mother's Hope by Francine Rivers

I’ll soon post pics and details of my recent trip to Haiti. Meanwhile, I’m delighted to present an interview with Francine Rivers– one of my favorite authors. Read about her latest book, Her Mother’s Hope, and enjoy as she gives us glimpses into her life.

Can you tell us something about your Christian testimony?
I was reared in a Christian home. My parents were active in church, my father an elder, my mother a deaconess. I attended Christian summer camps, youth group and said grace at every meal. I thought being born into a Christian family and raised in the faith made me a Christian. It didn’t. Each person makes their own choice, and it took me years to surrender to Jesus – not until after I’d gone through college, married, had children and started a writing career. Rick and I went to church, but came away dissatisfied and knowing there must be something more. We both had personal issues that brought us close to divorce several times. We wanted our own way and to have control over our own lives. Having control is an illusion. As a child, I’d asked Jesus to be my Savior. What I didn’t understand is I needed to surrender my life to Him and allow Him to be LORD of my life as well.

Our marriage was on the verge of collapse when Rick started his own business. We moved to northern California to be closer to family. We made many outer changes, but no change of the heart. As we moved into our rental house, a little boy came over to help and said, “Have I got a church for you!” We weren’t ready to listen. The lady on the other side of our fence also invited us to the same church. Out of desperation, I went a few weeks later. It was my first experience with “expository teaching.” The pastor taught straight out of the Bible, explaining the historical context, what the scriptures were saying, and what they had to do with me in the present. I drank it in! I took my three children to church. They loved it. Rick resisted (after having a somewhat disheartening experience with a denominational church in Southern California). I asked the pastor if he would be willing to teach a home Bible study. He agreed -- if Rick agreed, which he did. Studying the Bible changed our lives. Our hearts and minds opened to Christ. We both accepted Jesus as Savior and LORD and were baptized in May 1986. Since then, God has been changing our lives from the inside out. The Lord also healed our marriage. We celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary this year.

How did you get started as a writer?
From the time I was a child, I knew I would be a writer. Because I didn’t know what I would write, I majored in English (emphasis in literary writing) and minored in journalism (emphasis on who-what-when-where-why). My parents had always been non-fiction readers. Rick’s family loved all kinds of books – and lots of fiction. Mom Edith loaned me novels and I loved them. On a dare (from Rick) I decided to write a combination of my favorite genres and wrote a “western-gothic-romance”. Romance novels were booming in the general market, publishers were on the look-out for new writers. My first manuscript sold and was published. I was hooked! I followed with eight or nine more (of what I call my B.C. (before Christ) books). They are all now out of print, are never to be reprinted, and are not recommended.

When I turned my life over to Jesus, I couldn’t write for three years. I tried, but nothing worked. I struggled against God over that because writing was my “identity.” It took that period of suffering “writer’s block” to bring me to my senses. God was trying to open my eyes to how writing had become an idol in my life. It was the place I ran to escape, the one area of my life where I thought I was in complete control. (Hardly!) My priorities were all wrong and needed to be put right. God first, husband and children second (we had three children by then) and third-- work. I prayed God would change my heart. My love for writing and reading novels waned and my passion for reading and studying God’s Word grew.

Rick and I began hosting a home Bible study. I began working with Rick in his business. The children came along and played in the office, hiding in the shipping popcorn. Writing ceased to matter. I was in love with Jesus and my husband and children. God never stops with the transformation process. We began studying the book of Hosea, and I sensed God calling me to write again – this time a romance about Jesus’ love for each of us. Redeeming Love was the result. It is the retelling of the Hosea story, set in Gold Rush-era California. After I turned it in, I wasn’t sure whether I would write anything more. I had so many questions about what it means to be a Christian, how to live for God, different issues that still haunted me. I felt God nudging me toward using my writing as a tool to draw closer to Him. I would ask my question, create characters that would play out the different viewpoints and seek God’s perspective. I began work on A Voice in the Wind. Writing has become a way to worship the Lord through story – to show how intimately He wants to be involved in our lives.

Where do you get your ideas for your plots?
Almost every story I have written since becoming a Christian has come from a question that regards a struggle in my own faith walk. The plot centers around the different ways that question can be answered by “the world” – but the quest is to find God’s answer. Here is a list of my novels with the questions that started each story:

• A Voice in the Wind: How do I share my faith with unsaved family members and friends who have no desire to read the Bible or hear me talk about my faith?
• An Echo in the Darkness: How many times are we called upon to forgive people who hurt us deliberately -- and (in many countries) would like to see us dead?
• As Sure As the Dawn: How do you deal with anger – especially when there is “good” cause? What is “righteous anger” and how does it look?
• The Scarlet Thread: What does “sovereignty” mean in man’s relationship with God? If He is in control of everything, what does that say about the bad things that happen to people?
• The Atonement Child: Is there complete forgiveness and restoration for a woman who has aborted her child? Does abortion have any effect on the woman and the man involved in the crisis pregnancy? Does it impact people around them? (This was my most painful and personal book because I needed to face and deal with my own abortion experience. The character of Hannah is based on my story; Evie is based on my mother’s.)
• The Last Sin Eater: What is the difference between guilt and conviction? This book came out of The Atonement Child. What I learned: guilt kept me imprisoned for years. Conviction sent me to my knees before the Lord where I received forgiveness and experienced His love and grace.
• Leota’s Garden: Are abortion and euthanasia connected? Is euthanasia merciful or an act of murder? This novel also came out of my work on The Atonement Child. While studying the abortion issue from all sides, I realized the arguments for abortion are exactly the same as those for euthanasia. While going through a post-abortion class with other women (one a nurse), I learned that the elderly are already at risk. One scene in the book continues to shock people. I wrote it for that purpose. I want people to understand life is precious. The movement toward legalizing euthanasia continues to gain momentum (and has less to do with “mercy” than saving money for care).
• And the Shofar Blew: What is a church? How do you build it? During my travels around the country and speaking at various churches, I saw many struggling through building projects and massive programs to draw more parishioners. Size of building and number of people in the pews seemed to define success or failure. Like a government out of control, the “church” (in many cases) has forgotten its foundation and purpose. Christ is the cornerstone. Believers meet together to study the Word of God, worship Him and encourage one another – and keep their doors and hearts open to those seeking God. Unfortunately, too many congregations have left their first love (Jesus Christ) and turned to idolatry (placing a building/drawing a crowd/being “politically correct” above a relationship with the Lord).
• Her Mother’s Hope / Her Daughter’s Dream: What caused the rift between my grandmother and mother? When my grandmother had a stroke, my mother raced from Oregon to the Central Valley of California to be with her. Grandma died before she arrived. My mother was heart-broken and said, “I think she willed herself to die just so we wouldn’t have to talk things out.” I have wondered since: What causes people (even Christians) to hold grudges? What might have brought resolution and restoration to these two women? Could my grandmother have loved my mother without my mother understanding it? The two books have many personal, family details woven in and I will be sharing this information in my blog.

Which is your favorite book of those you’ve written?
My favorite book is Redeeming Love. It was my first as a born-again Christian, my statement of faith, and the most exciting year I’ve spent writing anything. I felt God’s presence throughout the months of work, as though He were telling me His story through thousands of Scriptures as well as explaining the inner heart-ache and quest of each “my” characters.

Which book was the hardest to write and why?
The Atonement Child was the most personal and difficult to write because I had to face my own abortion experience. Added to the considerable research I did, and women who shared their experiences with me, I went through an intensive post-traumatic stress Bible study for post-abortive women at our local pregnancy counseling center. Reliving all aspects of my abortion decision and experience was excruciating – but healing. After twenty-six years of being imprisoned by guilt and shame, I was free through the power and love of God. Though the book was the most heart-wrenching to write, it also proved to be the most life changing. I’ve received countless letters from other post-abortive women and have learned my experience is not unique. Our nation is filled with wounded men and women. The character of Hannah is based on my story, Doug is based on Rick’s, and Evie is based on my mother’s.

Which character is your favorite?
My favorite character is Michael Hosea from Redeeming Love. He is like Jesus – the lover of my soul. I have another favorite: Hadassah from A Voice in the Wind. She is the kind of Christian I want to be.

What advice would you give to a new writer?
Write what you need to read. Write from your heart and. Write truth. Sometimes it hurts to peel away the layers of self-deception and see ourselves in the mirror, but it will also draw us closer to Jesus. And your work may minister to others struggling with the same issues. Read the Bible every day so that it will flow naturally into the story. Study the Bible from beginning to end. It is the most exciting reading in the world. It is also alive – and will help you recognize when you are entering into sin and need to realign yourself with the Lord. Keep your focus on Jesus.
Tell us about your current work.

I have just completed the second in a set of two books about mother-daughter relationship over four generations. This was intended to be one long novel dealing with the different ways generations have lived out their faith – but became so long it needed to be divided. Her Mother’s Hope will be released March 16, 2010. Her Daughter’s Dream will follow in September. There are numerous family and personal details woven into both books and I plan to share those things on my blog.

PLEASE NOTE: A complimentary copy of this book was provided to the me as a blog tour host by Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for posting this interview on my blog. Please visit Christian Speaker Services at www.ChristianSpeakerServices.com for more information about blog tour management services.

Janey L. DeMeo M.A.
Copyright © April 2010

www.orphansfirst.org
www.JaneyDeMeo.com
www.twitter.com/JaneyDeMeo

Earthquake Alarm

As promised yesterday, here's another update about earthquakes and their very relevant impact on our lives.

Please read my latest article, Earthquake Alarm, on The Examiner.

For those following the Orphans First Prayer Requests, you know what to pray for at this time.

Janey L. DeMeo
Copyright ©Apil 2010

www.JaneyDeMeo.com
www.orphansfirst.org
Janey on Twitter.

Easter Paradox -- & Earthquakes

Easter paradox -- and earthquakes.

If you check my Easter blog for 2009, you'll see I'm writing about the huge Easter quake in Italy. This year it's in Southern California.

Ok, so we had a 7.2 Earthquake on Easter Sunday here in San Diego county.. 900 aftershocks followed. And today, q 5.2 in Calexico, just over the border from San Diego.

The world is going berserk.

I'll write an article on this tomorrow. For now, read my recent article in The Examiner.

And check back here soon.

Janey L. DeMeo M.A.
Copyright © April 2010

www.orphansfirst.org
www.JaneyDeMeo.com
www.twitter.com/JaneyDeMeo