Monday, December 30, 2013

Our 2014 Word of the Year

Confession time. I didn't want a 2014 word. In 2011, I prayed for a word for the upcoming year, and the Lord gave me HOPE as our word. By mid-January, our family was hit with something so hard, so severe that it became a two-year ordeal, finally ending one week ago today. The journey was painful and unpleasant, and one I still have difficulty sharing, because it's not my story to tell. But through it all God reminded us not to give up HOPE. And during the past two years, I've developed a new set of eyes to see more clearly people who are suffering, and a new heart to understand and empathize with certain kinds of pain people live through on a daily basis. As much as we feel life needs to pause for a moment - to allow us to catch our breath - it doesn't. Life goes on, and so must we.

Our authors went through their own trials too, and the publishing companies began to grow.

At the end of 2012, I was eager to see the year go, so I eagerly prayed for a new word. This time the word was JOY. Again, by mid-January, we were being hit with other problems - some business, some personal, some health. And we're still dealing with them 11 months later. I shared some of the health problems I dealt with earlier this year - and although I had hoped the problems were gone when I wrote that post, they quickly returned.

But this year, we did have many moments of pure JOY and we learned, as James advised us, to count it ALL joy, through all the trials and tribulations. Definitely an easier task said than done, but we worked at it, and were reminded regularly that we needed to keep at it.

Our authors went through more trials of their own, and the publishing companies began to grow - and experience some difficult growing pains of their own.

So when December 1 rolled around this year, I began dreading the 2014 word. I even told a dear friend that I was AFRAID to pray for a new word because life seemed easier without one. (Yes, I'm a chicken.)

Yet God didn't let me off that easily. During the middle of the night - the same night I'd just told my friend I didn't want to pray for a word - God gave me the word. Not trusting myself - wondering if I'd forced the issue - I spent most of the next day praying, asking God to either delete that word or to confirm it as our word for 2014.

Confirm it He did. In the following 48 hours, that word came at me from every direction, from almost every possible source imaginable. So much of it in fact, I quit doubting, and began exploring. This word is used hundreds of times in the Bible. Biblegateway tells us it is used 309 times in the KJV, 346 times in the RSV, 263 times in the NIV, 275 times in the HCSB, and 277 times in the ESV.

But He quickly gave me the Scripture we're to focus on this year, and then confirmed it through a very unlikely source. Only God. Interestingly, the verse is almost identical in every single translation. That's rare.

As much as I dreaded the word, and as much as I know how positive and hopeful and joyous the other words were, and I'm still reeling, healing, and recovering from the years of those words, I'm once again excited about what the new year holds in store for all of us. I see the 2014 word almost as a challenge - something to DO, a proactive word, rather than an emotion or feeling. During this year, we'll seek manuscripts with this word/concept as the focus.

Last week, another friend shared a banner from Logos Bible Software on her FB page - and it had OUR verse on it. So I'm going to post it here to reveal our 2014 word. Thank you, Logos.



As dark as this world seems to be getting, in HIM there is NO DARKNESS at all. None. It is time to let our lights shine before men, shine into the darkness of this world as we abide in HIM. 

To God be the Glory!

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Glory to God in the Highest

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole empire should be registered. This first registration took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So everyone went to be registered, each to his own town.

And Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David, to be registered along with Mary, who was engaged to him and was pregnant. While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. Then she gave birth to her firstborn Son, and she wrapped Him snugly in cloth and laid Him in a feeding trough—because there was no room for them at the lodging place.

In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: Today a Savior, who is Messiah the Lord, was born for you in the city of David. This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in cloth and lying in a feeding trough.”

Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying:

Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and peace on earth to people He favors!

When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”

They hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the feeding trough. After seeing them, they reported the message they were told about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary was treasuring up all these things in her heart and meditating on them. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had seen and heard, just as they had been told.



Merry Christmas from all of us at Write Integrity Press!

Monday, December 16, 2013

Pinterest Contest Winner for A Ruby Christmas


The Pinterest Contest proved quite interesting - some of the images offered quite the challenge. 

Readers were presented with two images each day for nine days. They compared the images, and sent in a list of differences in the two photos.

The winner is:

Jaime Sugden

Congratulations, Jaime! Expect an e-mail from me shortly.




Several have asked me to provide the answers, so here they are.

Chapter One - Texas boots. Greenery was added to the window.
Chapter Two - Colorado biker. The "tail" of his orange bandanna is gone.
Chapter Three - Cocoa beach surfer. The dock piling on the far right now has a cover.
Chapter Four - Mountains of Virginia. The curved parking lot originally had two rows, now there are three.
Chapter Five - New York City. Just above and to the left of the "Shred-It" truck, there is a light pole. At the top of the light pole, a gray and red ball has been added. (You'll notice another gray and red ball in the bottom left corner, just above the PD. That was originally there.)
Chapter Six - London. Two changes on this one (although you only had to guess one of them.) Two of the round circles now have the white "honeycomb" windows in them.
Chapter Seven - Paris. Greenery added to the balcony above the blue storefront.
Chapter Eight - South Africa. A light fixture was added to the pole on the right.
Chapter Nine - Guatemala. Clouds were added on the right.

In case you missed any of the blog posts, you can find them all here, with links to the Pinterest contest, the authors' blogs, interviews, guest posts, devotionals, recipes, and more.

Read Chapter One here.
Read Chapter Two here.
Read Chapter Three here.
Read Chapter Four here.
Read Chapter Five here. 
Read Chapter Six here.
Read Chapter Seven here.
Read Chapter Eight here.
Read Chapter Nine here.




Friday, December 13, 2013

A Ruby Christmas FREE

Today is Friday the 13th!

Today is 12 days before Christmas!

Today is the release of A Ruby Christmas!

As our gift to readers, A Ruby Christmas will be FREE on Kindle for the next four days - Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday! Grab your copy while you can, and tell all your friends, too.

You'll find all eleven chapters in the book. For the past nine weekdays, we've shared the first nine chapters and some of the stories behind the chapters, and devotions about things Ruby learned on her adventure. If you'd like to go back to those blogs as you read the book as a whole, here are the links.

Read Chapter One here.
Read Chapter Two here.
Read Chapter Three here.
Read Chapter Four here.
Read Chapter Five here. 
Read Chapter Six here.
Read Chapter Seven here.
Read Chapter Eight here.

Thank you for joining us on this grand adventure. We hope you're enjoying the book!

For all of you playing the Pinterest contest - the last picture posted yesterday on Pinterest and on Phee Paradise's blog. Make a list of the differences you spotted in all nine photos and send us the list by Sunday, December 15th, midnight Eastern time. (Send to MagnificentHope [at] yahoo [dot] com. We'll notify the winner on Monday.

For those of you just joining us, here's what we're talking about:

A Ruby Christmas

Ruby Joy Buckner, cowgirl, has never left the Lone Star State, but at her father’s request, she takes her faithful canine companion and travels the world in search of Nativity pieces. As Ruby collects the pieces, she also collects a few unexpected surprises, including an awareness of the beauty in other cultures, and quite a menagerie of new friends, thanks in part to Yippee Ti Yi Yo who charms everyone they meet.

Ruby’s budding awareness of life outside Texas opens her eyes to a world of whimsy, and the Nativity pieces she collects are unusual. Will her father approve her eclectic collection … and the changes that travel brought to Ruby’s world?





Thursday, December 12, 2013

A Ruby Christmas Chapter Nine

UPDATE: A Ruby Christmas is FREE on Kindle 
Friday, December 13 through Monday, December 16. 


Read Chapter One here.
Read Chapter Two here.
Read Chapter Three here.
Read Chapter Four here.
Read Chapter Five here. 
Read Chapter Six here.
Read Chapter Seven here.
Read Chapter Eight here.

A Ruby Christmas
Chapter Nine
by Phee Paradise


When the plane started the approach to Guatemala City, Ruby pressed her face to the airplane window like a little kid. Mountain peaks spread across to the horizon with three volcanoes rising in perfect cones above them all. It was as if she had been transported into one of her favorite books, only she had never imagined God’s creation would be this majestic. She couldn’t wait to be down there looking up at them. But once she was in the airport, with the familiar sounds of Spanish, it didn’t seem so exotic after all. She moved through customs easily and went looking for Yippee’s crate. He was still sedated and at the sound of her voice moved his tail a bit without lifting his head. She squatted to get closer to him.

“You have to be Ruby. You look just like your mother.”

“Uncle Dwayne?” Ruby jumped up to look at her mother’s other brother whom she hadn’t seen since the funeral. She barely remembered him, but something about the way he tipped his head reminded her of Momma and Uncle Jared. She swallowed a sudden lump and took the hand he offered.

“And this must be Yippee. Let’s get him home so he can get out of that crate.”

Home was a cement block house near the Christian college where Uncle Dwayne taught archaeology. After he settled Yippee and Ruby in their bedroom, he offered her a cup of coffee.

“In Guatemala, they drink it with a gallon of milk and a pound of sugar, but I like mine black.” He pointed his chin toward a sugar bowl.

Ruby shook her head. “Why spoil the taste?”

He nodded, and they sipped in silence for a little while. Eventually he put down his mug. “So you’re on a quest for the perfect Nativity scene.”

“Well, I don’t know about perfect. I’ve found pieces in a lot of places in the world so, of course, they don’t match. It was all Daddy’s idea, you know.”

“Oh, yeah, I know.” He looked over her head as if he was remembering something.

“How well do you know Daddy?”

He took a minute more before he answered. “That’s kinda hard to say. I’ve lived here near twenty-three years. I’ve gone home, of course, but I don’t think I’ve seen him—or you—since your mother went to heaven.”

Before her trip, that phrase would have bothered her. After Momma died, people tried to comfort her by saying things like that. Even if it was true, it hadn’t helped, because Ruby had needed her here, not in heaven. But the way Uncle Dwayne said it, he sounded like he not only believed it, he was glad about it. And now she knew God had been there for her all along.

“They came to visit me before you were born. Eliza had always loved Guatemala. We visited a lot when we were kids. But your daddy wasn’t so sure about it.”

“Why not?”

Uncle Dwayne looked into his mug for a while before looking back at Ruby. “Let me tell you a story. A long time ago, a boy from Texas came to Guatemala on a short-term mission. His group stayed at a camp called Monte Sión where they helped get it ready for the campers. He fell in love with one of the girls in the group, and when they went back to the States they got married. They always loved Guatemala and came back with their family as often as they could. When their son grew up, he came to teach and never left. Their daughter wanted to be a missionary here, but before she finished college, she fell in love with a Texas rancher. He was sure God hadn’t called him to the mission field. But she convinced him to visit her brother, just to see if he was wrong. It wasn’t a very pleasant visit. She wanted him to love the country the way she did. He wanted her to go home and be his wife. They fought a lot.”

Ruby waited for the rest of the story. Daddy and Momma had been completely in love. She knew that, even though she had been a kid when Momma died. So there had to be more.

Uncle Dwayne stared at his coffee for a long time. “I’m not sure what happened to change them, but I know it happened at Monte Sión. When I took them out there, Eliza and Jake spent all afternoon at the campfire circle. When they came back to the car, they were holding hands and laughing. After that, they didn’t fight anymore. When they went back to the States they got married, and you know the rest of the story.”

“I wonder what they talked about. I guess I’ll never know, but I’d love to go to Monte Sión. Can you take me?”

Uncle Dwayne smiled. “Already planned. But you’ll have a better guide than me. Tomorrow you’re going to meet Rocksanda.”

Would seeing the place where Momma and Daddy had made their commitment to each other bring her closer to both of them? As she tried to picture this place that Momma loved, it was Jonathan she saw smiling back at her, beckoning her into a new exciting world.

In the morning, while they were finishing scrambled eggs and more black coffee, a short girl about Ruby’s age strode into the kitchen. She dropped a small cardboard box onto the table by Ruby’s plate, said something to Uncle Dwayne in Spanish, and disappeared below the table.

“Ruby, this is Rocksanda, my graduate assistant. She’ll be glad to welcome you to her country when she’s done flirting with your dog.”

The girl looked up from the floor where she was offering a hand to Yippee and tossed her long black braid over her shoulder. “Mucho gusto, Ruby,” she said. Then, in English that wasn’t too bad, “Welcome to Guatemala. Please, open the box.” She laughed when Yippee pushed his head into her small brown hand.

Ruby opened the lid and lifted out a brooch unlike anything she had ever seen. It looked like a slice of a tree branch, smoothed and polished, with a safety pin attached to the back. A tiny volcano was painted on the front with the words Monte Sión under it.

“Thank you. I love it.”

Rocksanda jumped up. “You’ll love Monte Sión more. Are you ready?”

During the drive out of the city, Ruby watched the people until the buildings disappeared and mountains surrounded them. There was always at least one volcano in sight. Barely stopping to breathe, Rocksanda chatted about her country, jumping from topic to topic so Ruby couldn’t keep up. She also drove pretty fast on the two lane highway, but she had to slow down when they crossed a bridge into a town with narrow cobblestone streets between high pink and turquoise walls.

Amatitlán,” Rocksanda announced. “We’re almost there.”

On the other side of the town, the road wound around the hillside above a lake and eventually they turned into a drive up the hill. Rocksanda parked the car in a dirt lot overlooking the lake and jumped out, opening the back door for Yippee.

He took off across a grassy field, and they ran after him, a breeze blowing back their hair. Ruby relished the reminder of her childhood, running across the ranch. By the time they reached the large building at the top of the hill, she was out of breath. Rocksanda leaned over and pressed her hand to her side, grinning at Ruby, sucking in deep breaths of air. Then she straightened, spread her arms, and spun around.

“Monte Sión. El lugar mas lindo en todo el mundo. The prettiest place in the world.”

Ruby looked out at the lake. There was a building behind her and several structures further down the hill, but the lake, sparkling in the sunlight, surrounded by tree covered hills with mountains rising behind, drew her. She gazed at it as her breathing slowed and then spoke Momma’s favorite verse from Psalm 121. “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills. From whence cometh my help?”

Rocksanda laughed. “Turn around.”

Ruby tore her gaze from the lake to obey and gasped. A sort of mountain lodge stood in front of her with a volcano centered behind it. The perfect cone dominated the sky. She spoke without taking her eyes off it. “I see why you love it.”

But Rocksanda was off again, Yippee at her heels. “Come see our Mayan stone.”

She ran down a path toward a swimming pool but stopped in front of a waist high rock outside the enclosure. She pointed to a hollow in the top of the rock and several narrow grooves carved in the sides. “This is where the Mayans sacrificed to the volcano gods. They cut chicken throats there and the blood ran down here.”

Ruby shuddered. The stone was so out of place at a Christian camp.

“But the important sacrifices are over there.”

This time Rocksanda ran around another building and down another path. Ruby chased after, wondering if the next attraction would be a place for human sacrifice. They stopped at the top of a little amphitheater where tiered stone benches descended to a fire pit. Rocksanda stood still, for once not laughing, as if she waited for something important to happen. Ruby stopped beside her, remembering Uncle Dwayne’s story.

“So this is it?” she whispered, stepping down to sit on a bench.

She pictured Daddy and Momma sitting here, wrestling with each other and with an irresistible God. Tough and forthright, Daddy wouldn’t have given in easily, and he would have told God exactly what he wanted. Momma. In the end, he had won her. But what had she given up for him? Momma had not only loved Daddy, she had loved God and wanted to serve Him. Life on a ranch wasn’t an exotic mission field, but Momma had served God there and loved doing it. It wasn’t a sacrifice for her. Ruby was sure of that.

Staring past the stone seats, across the field beyond to the glittering water of the lake, she wasn’t aware of tears until she wiped her fingers across her cheek. She thought of her own selfishness and wondered if she were strong enough to sacrifice something she loved to serve God. Once again, she pictured Jonathan beckoning her into the unknown.

After a long time, she looked down at Rocksanda kneeling by the fire pit. She walked down the steps to kneel beside her. A brown hand reached for hers and Rocksanda said something in Spanish. Ruby smiled. She didn’t need to know the language to know she had just been blessed.

On the drive home, they made plans to go shopping the next day. Uncle Dwayne said Daddy had insisted that she buy clothes made of the colorful native fabrics. Rocksanda had as much to say about the different styles and colors as she had about the archaeology, geography, and history of her beloved country.

This time they rode a bus across town, and Yippee stayed home. It wasn’t an open-air market like Ruby had imagined, but when they entered the huge building that housed the vendors, she was overwhelmed by the noises, aromas, and colors. She wanted to look at everything at once. Rocksanda pushed her way through the crowd between stalls enclosed by flimsy walls. Ruby glimpsed large gunny sacks bursting with black beans and rice, baskets of strange fruits, buckets of flowers, blue ceramic cook pots, and rows of plastic shoes before they turned a corner and stopped.

“This is the turista section. This is where you’ll find everything you want.”

Ahead of her were tables draped with red and blue cloths, covered with jewelry, wood carvings, and pottery. On the walls behind the tables hung shirts, skirts, and purses woven in the bright colors she had seen on the streets.

“Wow. Where do I start?”

She turned to the stall on her left, but although the turquoise jewelry displayed was tempting, that wasn’t what she was looking for. First she had to find a piece for the crèche. A pottery stall displayed several Nativity sets. She picked up a brightly painted wise man, turned it in her hand and put it down. The workmanship was rough. This was clearly folk art with an emphasis on folk. But she wasn’t here to find art. Otherwise she’d be in one of the expensive shops they had seen from the bus. She decided pottery wasn’t what she was looking for either.

She headed toward a table with carved plates and masks. There were several figurines among them. The vendor, dressed in ordinary jeans and a t-shirt with a picture of a bald eagle, came forward with a smile. Rocksanda spoke to him in Spanish while Ruby poked through the stuff on the table. From under it, the vendor brought out a Nativity scene. The pieces were smooth and polished. While she picked them up, one by one, he suggested a price.

“Ask him if I can buy just parts of it.”

His smile disappeared, and he shook his head.

“This is going to be hard.” While Ruby looked around his stall for figurines that weren’t in sets, the vendor and Rocksanda talked. Once more he bent under the table and brought out a handful of Nativity pieces.

“He says these aren’t finished, but if you pick some, he’ll polish them for you right now.”

He was right. They didn’t have the detail that the other set had. But there, in the middle of the pile, Ruby spotted what she was looking for. She put one in the palm of her hand and held it up. A shepherd knelt with his head bent a little, holding his crook in one hand. The edges were rough, but his posture showed humility. That portrayed Daddy perfectly. A humble servant. “I’ll take these.”

“These.” Rocksanda helped her count out the quetzales and centavos. The vendor picked up a piece of fine sandpaper and the girls turned to the next stall.

“We can come back after you buy clothes. We’re going to make you look like a chapina.” Rocksanda laughed.

**

When they dragged themselves into Uncle Dwayne’s place at supper time, he actually wanted to see her treasures. She held up a blue and green striped vest and several loose tops that would look great with jeans. Her favorite was a white blouse with embroidery around the neck and a silver chain with intricately interlaced links.

“That’s a beautiful Coban wedding chain. Should I be making plans for a trip to Texas?” He looked over at Rocksanda and winked.

“What? I didn’t know. You didn’t tell me.” Ruby glared at Rocksanda.

The girl was kneeling by Yippee. She held his jaws in both hands, pulling an ear close to her face to whisper loudly. “She’ll need it someday, won’t she, Yippee?”

Uncle Dwayne picked up one of the shepherds. “Yes. This embodies Jake’s experience, doesn’t it? Even though he insisted he wasn’t called as a missionary, I saw him on his knees daily while he was here. I think he sought the Lord’s will for his life and the life of your mother, and when he was sure of what God had for him, he took his cause to Eliza. I think he humbly asked her to marry him despite the fact that she had other ideas of where they would spend their lives. Then, when Eliza agreed, they served the Lord together in Texas.”

Ruby watched the uncle, who looked like Momma, holding the figurine that captured Daddy. Even though she had only been in the country Momma loved for a few days, she knew she had found her parents’ love story. She was ready for the last leg in her journey that she hoped might even end with her own tale of love and a humble surfing cowboy.


Check back tomorrow to get your own FREE Kindle version of A Ruby Christmas, which includes the final two chapters of Ruby's journey!

Our authors are blogging all sorts of fun posts, interviews, articles, devotions and more during the next couple of weeks too, so we'll try to keep an updated list so you can visit. Most of them are changing posts as often as we are, so if you see their names listed more than once, check out all the links, because it's a different post.

Thursday, December 12

For the Pinterest contest, visit Chapter Nine's Pinterest image and Phee Paradise's blog to compare the final photo. Then, send us your list of differences - magnificenthope [at] yahoo [dot] com - for your chance to win!
PHEE PARADISE on Delighted Meditations

From Wednesday, December 11

For the Pinterest contest, visit Chapter Eight's Pinterest image and Debbie Roome's blog
MARJI LAINE Chapter 8 Devotionon Faith~Driven Fiction
FAY LAMB hosts Tracy Ruckman who shares the family Christmas Divinity recipe
JENNIFER FROMKE
PHEE PARADISE


From Tuesday, December 10

For the Pinterest contest, visit Chapter Seven's Pinterest image and Marji Laine's blog
FAY LAMB on INNER SOURCE
PHEE PARADISE hosts MARJI LAINE for guest devotional on Delighted Meditations

From Monday, December 9

From Friday, December 6

For the Pinterest contest, visit Chapter Five's Pinterest image and Jerusha Agen's blog
DIANNE E. BUTTS
FAY LAMB posting on INNER SOURCE
JERUSHA AGEN guest posts at SERIOUSLY WRITE blog
MARJI LAINE Chapter 5 Devotionon Faith~Driven Fiction
MARJI LAINE Devotional about Light on A Woman Like Me Blog
PHEE PARADISE on Delighted Meditations

From Thursday, December 5

For the Pinterest contest, visit Chapter Four's Pinterest image and Ruth O'Neil's blog
DIANNE E. BUTTS
FAY LAMB posting on INNER SOURCE
MARJI LAINE Chapter 4 Devotion on Faith-Driven Fiction
PHEE PARADISE hosts Tracy Ruckman at Delighted Meditations

From Wednesday, December 4

For the Pinterest contest, visit Chapter Three's Pinterest image and Fay Lamb's blog
DIANNE E. BUTTS
JENNIFER FROMKE
MARJI LAINE Chapter 3 Devotionon Faith~Driven Fiction
FAY LAMB guest devotional at Phee Paradise's Delighted Meditations

From Tuesday, December 3

For the Pinterest contest, visit Chapter Two's Pinterest image and Dianne E. Butts' blog
FAY LAMB posting on INNER SOURCE
MARJI LAINE Chapter 2 Devotion on Faith~Driven Fiction
DIANNE E. BUTTS guest article about Christmas at Embattled Spirits
DIANNE E. BUTTS guest devotional at Phee Paradise's Delighted Meditations


From Monday, December 2

For the Pinterest contest, visit Chapter One's Pinterest image and J.A.'s blog to compare photos
Marji Laine hosts Sheryl Holmes
Dianne Butts
Fay Lamb
Marji Laine - Chapter 1 Devotional
Phee Paradise


About Phee Paradise

Phee Paradise is a freelance writer with diverse writing experience. Her work includes book reviews, newspaper articles and short stories, and she writes devotionals for her blog, Delighted Meditations http://delightedmeditations.blogspot.com/. She resides in South Carolina where she teaches public speaking and volunteers at her church. You can see some of her work at Faithwriters.com http://www.faithwriters.com/member-profile.php?id=42864


A Dozen Apologies
Coming Valentine's Day
2014

Mara Adkins, a promising fashion designer, has fallen off the ladder of success, and she can’t seem to get up.

In college, Mara and her sorority sisters played an ugly game, and Mara was usually the winner. She’d date men she considered geeks, win their confidence, and then she’d dump them publicly. When Mara begins work for a prestigious clothing designer in New York, she gets her comeuppance. Her boyfriend steals her designs and wins a coveted position. He fires her, and she returns in shame to her home in Spartanburg, South Carolina, where life for others has changed for the better.

Mara’s parents, always seemingly one step from a divorce, have rediscovered their love for each other, but more importantly they have placed Christ in the center of that love. The changes Mara sees in their lives cause her to seek Christ. Mara’s heart is pierced by her actions toward the twelve men she’d wronged in college, and she sets out to apologize to each of them. A girl with that many amends to make, though, needs money for travel, and Mara finds more ways to lose a job that she ever thought possible.

Mara stumbles, bumbles, and humbles her way toward employment and toward possible reconciliation with the twelve men she humiliated to find that God truly does look upon the heart, and that He has chosen the heart of one of the men for her to have and to hold.

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

A Ruby Christmas Chapter Eight

UPDATE: A Ruby Christmas is FREE on Kindle 
Friday, December 13 through Monday, December 16. 


Read Chapter One here.
Read Chapter Two here.
Read Chapter Three here.
Read Chapter Four here.
Read Chapter Five here. 
Read Chapter Six here.
Read Chapter Seven here.


A Ruby Christmas
Chapter Eight
by Debbie Roome

“Ruby Joy Buckner!”

Ruby turned her head, tracking the sound of a deep female voice with a guttural accent. The airport was a cultural milieu with skins ranging from deep chocolate to nut brown to toasted gold to smooth cream. “Wow!” She pushed her trolley toward the voice. “This place is like a box of assorted chocolates.”

A woman emerged from the crowd, stout but athletic and probably in her forties. Blonde hair lay loosely around her shoulders and her jeans and chiffon top were well cut. “Ellie Van Niekerk.” She stretched out a hand.

Ruby angled the trolley toward her, securing her suitcase and Yippee’s travel box. She’d read up on South African history. This culture was more formal than she was used to in Texas.

“It’s so good to meet you, Mrs. Van Niekerk.” She shook her hand.

“Ellie will do.” A warm smile lit the woman’s face. “It’s so good to finally meet you, too, darling.”

Realizing she was the only one wearing a winter jacket, Ruby slipped hers off, longing to put on shorts. “I never knew Momma had so many friends in far flung places.”

The woman relieved her of the cumbersome jacket. “I suppose we are a long way from Texas.” She dragged the word Texas into a drawl.

Ruby laughed. A sense of humor was a good start.

“So this is Yippee.” Ellie bent next to his travel box and let him sniff her fingers. “Poor dear will be glad to get out of that cage. We have a couple of Jack Russell’s on the farm as well as a few working dogs. Let’s get you to the bakkie.”

“The what-ee?”

Ten minutes later, she helped load her stuff into a double cab pickup—the bakkie. Yippee perched on her knees.

“Sure is good of you to have us to stay.” She scratched the dog’s ears. “I s’pose Daddy’s given you some background to my trip.”

“He has, darling. I’ve made some arrangements, and we’ll spend a couple of days on the farm, and then we’ll move into our townhome for the balance of your stay.”

“You have two homes?”

“Yes. It makes life simpler.”

Ruby reached up to pull a braid that was no longer there and fluffed her hair instead. “Sounds real strange to me. I’ve always lived on the ranch.”

“My husband, Michael, is away in Johannesburg at the moment.” Ellie turned onto a main road. “We come and go from the farm all the time, but the lifestyle suits us.”

Ruby nodded, trying to get her mind around this. Daddy might say she’s two sandwiches short of a picnic, but I like her. “Y’all have children?”

“One daughter who’s living in London at the moment.” Ellie pressed on the horn as a bunch of ragged children ran across the road. “Street children. They can be a real problem. If the windows are down or there’s goods in the back, they may try and grab stuff.”

Ruby shuddered. How could little children be criminals?

“This is the best view you’ll get of Table Mountain.” Ellie pulled off the road and onto the shoulder. “We’ll be going up there when we stay in town.”

The mountain rising steeply from the flat cityscape was far more impressive than its photographs.

“It has its tablecloth on.” Ellie flicked her hand at the windshield. “That’s what we call the layer of cloud that often rests across the top.”

“It’s wider than the state of Texas!” The poofy white wave begged Ruby to take a picture, but her camera was buried. “I was thinking more of a hillock with a flat top.”

Conversation slowed to a trickle as jetlag tugged on Ruby’s eyes. Long tar roads, acres of leafy vineyards, and hordes of brown-skinned workers blurred into a kaleidoscope of color … until she finally fell asleep, touching the part of her cheek Jonathan had touched.

**

“We’re here, darling.”

Licked on the chin, Ruby straightened out a kink in her back and stretched, nearly toppling Yippee who had his paws on the window. “I’m sorry ’bout that. Didn’t know how tired I was.”

The modern farmhouse had a wraparound veranda and cool shade trees. Thick lawns extended in all directions and a fountain cascaded near the front door. Ruby’s idea of a relaxing resort.

She skimmed her gaze out to a row of stables in the distance. “You keep horses, Ellie?”

“We’ve got five. Do you ride like your momma used to?”

“You betcha. I was born in a saddle.” She closed her eyes, imagining she was back on the ranch, saddling up Jester. “Do you ride?”

“I sure do. That’s how your momma and I got to know each other. We both volunteered at a camp for children with problem backgrounds. Taught them to ride and care for the horses. Spent time with the kids, loved them, and let them vent on us. I reckon it was the horses that did the work though. After a few days, the walls of self-defense and fear crumbled, and they were open to hearing that God loved them and how He could make a difference.”

Ruby faced the woman. “Was that here or in the USA?”

“In Texas.” Ellie’s eyes sparkled. “The temps were so high I was hot as a billy goat in a pepper patch during the two months I was there.”

You understand me. You understand where I’m from. Ruby relaxed into the assurance she was with a friend.
“We can head out for a ride later if you’d like.” Ellie cut the engine.

Swarmed by joy, Ruby swung open her door. “I know exactly where my boots are.”

The next couple of days unfurled in a haze of pleasure, punctuated with the smell of hay, fresh manure, and warm horses. The only thing that could’ve made it better was if Daddy’s data plan included the southern hemisphere. No exchange of texts with Jonathan, but the trip was winding down, and they’d soon be reunited.

“This is the closest I’ve felt to home in weeks.” Ruby cantered alongside Ellie. “Being able to talk about Momma to someone who knew her. The wide-open spaces. The horses.”

“It’s lovely.” Ellie reined to the right.

Yippee was enjoying himself, too, and one evening, Ruby gave an impromptu show for the farm staff. A row of dark skinned workers in overalls, and maids dressed in crisp pink uniforms sat on blankets on the veranda while Yippee walked on his back legs pushing a little trolley ahead of him. They guffawed when he rolled over and played dead and shrieked as he carried his little suitcase in his mouth.

**

A clear sky and sunshine warmed Ruby through the truck window. Riding in the bakkie, she eyed Table Mountain. No tablecloth today. The cable car glistened like a pearl on a silken strand, but as they drove closer, its size worried her.

She wiped her clammy hands on her shorts. “I’m not sure I want to ride that.”

“Nonsense.” Ellie jammed on brakes, honking at jaywalking street kids that disappeared into an alley. “It’s completely safe. Shuts down for a major overhaul each year and has never given problems.”

“Must be something else we can do.” Ruby searched for a tame, grounded attraction and found none.
“You’ll be fine, darling.” Her firm tone made this ride non-negotiable. “You can’t come all the way to Cape Town and not visit Table Mountain.”

Up close, the cable car was even bigger. With growing dismay, Ruby read aloud the brochure Ellie pressed in her hands. “It holds sixty-five people? And rotates as it ascends? Top speed of ten metres per second.”
She inched along in the loading line. “How long is a metre anyway?”

Ellie took her arm and squeezed her into the cable car with at least sixty other people. “Just watch.”

The doors slid closed.

Ruby found a spot by the window and grasped the thin handrail. “I still don’t think it’s fair that dogs aren’t allowed up here.”

She considered closing her eyes, but the panoramic view mesmerized her. Sheer rock faces, jagged and scarred, passed the window, and the base station and streets shrank. The ocean, navy with turquoise fringes, glistened in the sun, reminding Ruby of Jonathan. He’d probably love surfing here.

The five-minute ride passed too quickly.

At the top, Ruby stepped out and reached toward Ellie. “I’m sorry for acting like a kid. That really was amazing.”

“Let’s go for a walk, and then we’ll have a coffee.” The woman guided her with a hand on her back.

Gray, lichen-covered boulders tumbled across the summit, and little creatures that looked like rabbits with no ears hopped around.

Ruby raised her camera. “What in the world are those?”

“They’re dassies.” Ellie stopped near a stone outcropping. “Also known as rock rabbits.”

Ruby and Ellie walked slowly across the flat top of the mountain, stopping at different viewing points. Ruby straddled the stone barrier to soak up the scenery and capture memories on film.

“You’ll want a picture of that.” Ellie nodded toward a mound in the sea. “It’s Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was incarcerated for eighteen of the twenty-seven years he spent in prison. You should read the book.”

Ruby threw the woman a curious glance. “You throw a man in jail for decades and then invite him to run the country.”

“If you read his book, you’ll see that those years in jail made him into a good leader. The hardships and shame could have turned him either way, but he chose to forgive and grow through it.”

Ruby took a shot of the flat splotch of an island, imagining how she might survive on such an isolated speck. A forever view of real people living but never able to reach them. Stretching her gaze across the sea, she met the horizon, like a hope calling her on to something better. “I may have to get myself that book.”

Later that day, they transferred to the townhouse where she spent the night.

The next morning Ruby stretched in the twin bed and patted Yippee. “Show time.”

He jumped up, tail wagging like a fan.

Someone knocked on the door, and Agnes, the maid, entered with a tray of coffee, toast, bacon, and egg.
Breakfast in bed? Deciding it best to go with the flow, Ruby plumped up the pillows behind her back. “This looks delicious.”

Ellie’s townhouse, a smart three bedroom bungalow in a nice area, offered Ruby a sea view. Agnes, who lived on the property, kept it ready for visitors.

Ruby prepared for the day then joined Ellie on a stroll along the waterfront, which was a conglomeration of shops, cafes, and restaurants set along the harbor’s edge. The sky was blue and sunbaked. Yippee pranced along, ears pricked, eager for action.

“So where are we going to do our show?”

“Where those street performers are over there. Each of them is donating a performance to charity today, and the money collected will go to the Nelson Mandela’s Children’s Fund. Come have a look at the photo display.”

Perusing the images of children made Ruby’s eyes well. Some bore burns on their bodies. Others were emaciated. In one picture, a huddle of street children gazed down at her. “Their eyes seem so … vacant.”

“Because they huff glue.”

“It’s so sad.” Ruby wiped dry her eyes and followed Ellie into a café.

Those pictures made swallowing a spicy lunch of boerwors, a traditional South African sausage, difficult. The salad went down easier.

Showtime.

“Let’s do it, Yippee.” She set out props.

He correctly identified each colored toy, adding a little dance in between, which Ruby hadn’t commanded. As long as the crowd kept laughing, she didn’t care. He packed his suitcase then strutted across the stage, sending the audience into loud applause.

Ellie took the hat around several times.

Life is so much bigger than Texas. Ruby’s heart expanded at the sight of notes and coins overflowing the hat’s rim. God had a plan for her, and Cape Town was just another steppingstone.

Ellie embraced her at the end of the performance. “I’m going to miss you when you go, darling. Yippee, too.”

The terrier whined, his rear happily wagging.

Ruby’s throat tightened at the thought of leaving.

The woman kept a hand on her arm. “I guess it’s time to point you in the direction of that giant shed.”

A large, corrugated iron structure stood slightly apart from the main shopping area. Big white letters painted on the side read THE TIN SHED.

“You’ll find what you’re looking for in there. I’ll look after Yippee for you.”

Ruby stepped through the doorway and instantly immersed herself in a world of color. Creativity exploded. Farm scenes in three-dimensional art form, textured and layered. Mud huts and fences stood out in relief. Flamboyant costume jewelry combined bright gold with fire red stones. Carved giraffes taller than herself lined the walls.

Raw Africa.

“Holy belt buckles. This is amazing.” She stopped and admired painted wall hangings and cloths, bright and vibrant. African drums stood stacked in a corner and wildlife paintings combined a naïve quality with talent.
Momma woulda loved this. Sorrow crept in amid the fullness in her heart.

“Good afternoon.” A young woman approached her from one of the small shops. “Is there anything I can help you with?”

“I’m looking for pieces for a Nativity set.”

“Ah, you’ll need to see Elias.” The woman pulled out a colored brochure that showed a floor plan of the building. “He’s across the other side.” She pointed out the area.

Ruby thanked her and moved on, enjoying the aroma of wood shavings and earth.

The shop was easy to pick out, being the only one that sold Nativity pieces. Some were china and glass but most were carved from various types of wood.

A black man of indeterminate age, grizzled and dark with penetrating eyes, laid down his tools. “You’re looking for a set or a particular piece?”

Must be Elias. “Baby Jesus. He’s to fit in with a set that I’ve been collecting from places around the world.”

The old man folded his arms and rocked backward and forward. “That must be the most unusual request I’ve had in many years.” He rubbed his chin. “Wood, glass, bone, china, bamboo, or resin?”

“Wood, please.”

“Light or dark?”

“I’ll know what’s right when I see it.” She fingered a beautifully carved crèche. “Can you show me what you’ve got?”

Elias moved toward a display at the back of his store. He returned with a number of wooden babies displayed on a felt-lined tray and presented them to Ruby. All were carved with varying amounts of detail and showed the touch of a master craftsman.

Ruby picked up one. “Why is it three different colors?”

“Dark on one side, brown on another, white on the other.” Elias’s smile reached his eyes. “Could be the way that Jesus is seen by the world.”

She rolled the piece around in her hand. “Interesting.”

The old man locked gazes with her. “Well, we all see Jesus in different ways. History has it he was dark skinned. Not black like me or white like you. But somewhere in between. This piece will fit in to several different color sets depending on the way you position it.”

Cradling the baby in her palm, she moved the carving around, examining the different nuances of light. “Amazing.”

Elias bowed his head. “The Christ child is amazing.”

As he wrapped the carving in tissue paper, Ruby breathed in deeply the fragrance of freshly carved wood and resin.

Her trip was nearing its end, but the joy, peace, and understanding that layered her journey would stay with her forever. 



Check back tomorrow for Chapter Nine of A Ruby Christmas.

Our authors are blogging all sorts of fun posts, interviews, articles, devotions and more during the next couple of weeks too, so we'll try to keep an updated list so you can visit. Most of them are changing posts as often as we are, so if you see their names listed more than once, check out all the links, because it's a different post.

Wednesday, December 11

For the Pinterest contest, visit Chapter Eight's Pinterest image and Debbie Roome's blog
MARJI LAINE Chapter 8 Devotionon Faith~Driven Fiction
FAY LAMB hosts Tracy Ruckman who shares the family Christmas Divinity recipe
JENNIFER FROMKE
PHEE PARADISE


From Tuesday, December 10

For the Pinterest contest, visit Chapter Seven's Pinterest image and Marji Laine's blog
FAY LAMB on INNER SOURCE
PHEE PARADISE hosts MARJI LAINE for guest devotional on Delighted Meditations

From Monday, December 9

From Friday, December 6

For the Pinterest contest, visit Chapter Five's Pinterest image and Jerusha Agen's blog
DIANNE E. BUTTS
FAY LAMB posting on INNER SOURCE
JERUSHA AGEN guest posts at SERIOUSLY WRITE blog
MARJI LAINE Chapter 5 Devotionon Faith~Driven Fiction
MARJI LAINE Devotional about Light on A Woman Like Me Blog
PHEE PARADISE on Delighted Meditations

From Thursday, December 5

For the Pinterest contest, visit Chapter Four's Pinterest image and Ruth O'Neil's blog
DIANNE E. BUTTS
FAY LAMB posting on INNER SOURCE
MARJI LAINE Chapter 4 Devotion on Faith-Driven Fiction
PHEE PARADISE hosts Tracy Ruckman at Delighted Meditations

From Wednesday, December 4

For the Pinterest contest, visit Chapter Three's Pinterest image and Fay Lamb's blog
DIANNE E. BUTTS
JENNIFER FROMKE
MARJI LAINE Chapter 3 Devotionon Faith~Driven Fiction
FAY LAMB guest devotional at Phee Paradise's Delighted Meditations

From Tuesday, December 3

For the Pinterest contest, visit Chapter Two's Pinterest image and Dianne E. Butts' blog
FAY LAMB posting on INNER SOURCE
MARJI LAINE Chapter 2 Devotion on Faith~Driven Fiction
DIANNE E. BUTTS guest article about Christmas at Embattled Spirits
DIANNE E. BUTTS guest devotional at Phee Paradise's Delighted Meditations


From Monday, December 2

For the Pinterest contest, visit Chapter One's Pinterest image and J.A.'s blog to compare photos
Marji Laine hosts Sheryl Holmes
Dianne Butts
Fay Lamb
Marji Laine - Chapter 1 Devotional
Phee Paradise


About Debbie Roome

Debbie Roome was born and raised in Africa and moved to New Zealand in 2006. Writing has been her passion since she was six years old, and she now works at it full time. Her first novel, Embracing Change, was released in 2010. Her latest novel, Contagious Hope, was released earlier this year by Write Integrity Press and was named a finalist for the Australasian CALEB award. Her second book in the series, Fragrant Hope, releases soon.

Recent nonfiction books include Cyber-Bullying is Never Alright: Dealing with the Pain of Cyber-Abuse and Magnitude 7.1 and 6.3. She also has stories in a number of anthologies and over 500 articles on various websites. In the last few years, Debbie has received a number of awards for her writing as well as placing in many competitions.


One final adventure could cost her everything ... Savannah James, a young New Zealand therapist, volunteers for a six-week mission trip to South Africa. During her journey, she is confronted with AIDS, prostitution, murder, and even a midnight escape to a safe house. Her new friends have struggles of their own, and one may lead them into even more danger. Will Savannah, Blake, and Pumzile ever be safe again? Will they ever be able to make a difference in the lives of those around them or will their final destination put an end to it all?

Available on Kindle


Contributing Author to The Christmas Tree Treasure Hunt
** Amazon Best Seller **

Grace takes delivery of a package and her life is turned upside down by nine sealed mystery envelopes from her late grandmother. Grammie’s instructions require Grace to take the journey of her lifetime, not only to far off places, but also into the deepest parts of her heart. As she follows the trail laid out for her and uncovers her family’s darkest secrets, Grace is forced to confront the loss and betrayal that has scarred her past and seek the greatest Christmas Treasure of all.






Mind Games

A murder on New Regent Street in Christchurch throws Lindsay’s life into disarray. Things disintegrate even further when evidence in the form of a board game implicates her in the killing. With the help of her game collector friend, Sheridan, Lindsay sets out to solve this heinous crime and uncover the truth behind it. Set in post-earthquake Christchurch, the story highlights the charming aspects of life in New Zealand and also keeps the reader guessing until the end.

Available on Kindle








A Dozen Apologies
Coming Valentine's Day
2014

Mara Adkins, a promising fashion designer, has fallen off the ladder of success, and she can’t seem to get up.

In college, Mara and her sorority sisters played an ugly game, and Mara was usually the winner. She’d date men she considered geeks, win their confidence, and then she’d dump them publicly. When Mara begins work for a prestigious clothing designer in New York, she gets her comeuppance. Her boyfriend steals her designs and wins a coveted position. He fires her, and she returns in shame to her home in Spartanburg, South Carolina, where life for others has changed for the better.

Mara’s parents, always seemingly one step from a divorce, have rediscovered their love for each other, but more importantly they have placed Christ in the center of that love. The changes Mara sees in their lives cause her to seek Christ. Mara’s heart is pierced by her actions toward the twelve men she’d wronged in college, and she sets out to apologize to each of them. A girl with that many amends to make, though, needs money for travel, and Mara finds more ways to lose a job that she ever thought possible.

Mara stumbles, bumbles, and humbles her way toward employment and toward possible reconciliation with the twelve men she humiliated to find that God truly does look upon the heart, and that He has chosen the heart of one of the men for her to have and to hold.