Memorial Day Tribute

Today, I am veering away from my normal type of post.  I want to dedicate this post to all our lost heroes and their families.  The people who gave up their lives and those who gave up their loved ones for the cause of freedom.  Just the fact that I can sit in my own home, without fear and practice free speech and religious freedom is a reason to honor these lost soldiers and their families.   Being able to write my blog and post in other social media outlets about Jesus Christ the Son of God and faith in Him alone, is a testament to God's Grace, the freedom bought for me by the Soldiers willing to give their all and those who did give their all.  

Here are some of the quotes, poems, sites, videos and Bible verses that spoke to me.  I hope they will help you to be thankful and remember that freedom isn't free.  GOD BLESS AMERICA!!

“The patriot’s blood is the seed of freedom’s tree.”

- Thomas Campbell

“Our flag does not fly because the wind moves it.  It flies with the last breath of each soldier who died protecting it.”

- unknown

Memorial Day

In distant field of sunny France

Where strangers come and go,

Amid the farms of Flanders, where

The fragrant breezes blow,

Our solder-dead in quiet sleep

'Neath crosses row on row.

Here shrapnel shells once shrieked and burst

And took their toll of death;

The very wind, itself a foe,

Bore poison on its breath.

Above their graves the birds now sing

As round that home of yore,

When, carefree boys, they romped and played;

Those childhood days soon o'er,

The boys to brave and strong men grown,

They romped and played no more.

They put aside their childish toys,

A man's work each must do,

And when their country called for them,

To her they answered true.

"We must protect our native land:

She shall not suffer wrong

For she has reared and nurtured us,

We're men and we are strong.

We'll bid good-bye to those we love;

It will not be for long."

With aching hearts and tear-dimmed eyes

We watched them go away.

Some have returned but many sleep

In foreign lands today.

Where English roses bloom and fade,

In France where lilies grow,

Among the fields of Flanders, where

The scarlet poppies blow,

Our soldier-dead are not forgot

Though strangers come and go.

- Eula Gladys Lincoln

https://youtu.be/i-ZCvBct6lA

“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died.  Rather we should thank God such men lived.”

- George S. Patton

“No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in its preservation.” 

- Gen. Douglas Macarthur

“Those who have long enjoyed such privileges as we enjoy forget in time that men have died to win them.”

- Franklin D. Roosevelt

Freedom Is Not Free

I watched the flag pass by one day.

It fluttered in the breeze.

A young Marine saluted it,

and then he stood at ease.

I looked at him in uniform

So young, so tall, so proud,

He'd stand out in any crowd.

I thought how many men like him

Had fallen through the years.

How many died on foreign soil?

How many mothers' tears?

How many pilots' planes shot down?

How many died at sea?

How many foxholes were soldiers' graves?

No, freedom isn't free.

I heard the sound of TAPS one night,

When everything was still

I listened to the bugler play

And felt a sudden chill.

I wondered just how many times

That TAPS had meant "Amen,"

When a flag had draped a coffin

Of a brother or a friend.

I thought of all the children,

Of the mothers and the wives,

Of fathers, sons and husbands

With interrupted lives.

I thought about a graveyard

At the bottom of the sea

Of unmarked graves in Arlington.

No, freedom isn't free.

- Kelly Strong

John 15:13 

Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.

Proverbs 10:7 

The memory of the righteous is blessed, but the name of the wicked will rot.

1 Corinthians 16:13 

 Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.

2 Corinthians 1:3-5 

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so also through Christ our comfort overflows

Lastly, I want to share this site, that lists many of our fallen heroes and tells a little of their stories.  It was very sobering and humbling, looking at so many young lives lost.  They gave up their lives, so we could be free.  Don't throw away your freedoms.  Take the preservation of our Constitution seriously.  Every freedom you take for granted, is a step closer to fear and bondage.

In Christ,

Sandy Kay Slawson

Decisions decisions...

I didn't get quite as much self-editing done last week as I hoped I would, but I did have some great conversations with a couple Literary Agents from two different publishing houses.  One of them especially has impressed me with their quick responses, emails and sending information through the mail.  They were very helpful in providing information about how the publishing process works with them.  I don't want to jump into a contract, though, without much prayer and research.  They did tell me, though, that they are looking forward to receiving my manuscript. We also seem to be on the same page in our beliefs and mission.  If I decide to send my manuscript to them,  I will be on pins and needles, waiting to see if they will accept my work and publish my book.

I was told, that if they do decide to publish my book, the process takes about 10 months before it is ready for sale.  So, patience my friends, this is not an overnight deal.  There is also the possibility that my book is not a good fit for their company.  In that case, I would go to a new publishing company and start over.  I hope you will stick with me through all the ups and downs.  I will need the support, especially if my book is rejected.  That would be a real let down, but I have high hopes and feel confident that my story deserves to be read.

When my book is accepted, these are the steps to being published (at least according to these two companies I talked with):

1.  I will be given my own Publication Specialist who will work with me throughout the process.

2.  My manuscript will undergo a thorough scrutinization by a Professional Editor and we will work together to fix any errors I missed.

3.  A "Typeset Artist" will make my manuscript fit all the guidelines to put my manuscript into book form...style, line spacing, page breaks...etc.

4.  Cover Design---I am excited about this part.  One of the publishers, does not use generic templates, but they have their own artist who will work with me on designing my own cover.  That is very exciting to me, because I already have ideas for my cover and I would love to see what their artist could do with them.

5.  ISBN/Barcode---they will acquire these for me, so that my book can be sold at retailers.

6.  My book will then be printed and copies sent to their retail partners around the world.  I will also be sent some of the copies for my own use.  

7.  My book will then be converted to Digital e-book formats compatible for use on Apple devices, Amazon Kindles and Barnes & Noble Nooks.

8.  I will maintain complete ownership and rights over my book.  They will even file a copyright application for me.

9.  They will then give me a Publicity Team, who will work to Publicize and Market my book.

This all sounds so good to me, that I am skeptical.  So, as much as I want to say, 'Yes! Let's do it!', I want to be wise and make sure I choose the right group.  These two groups are Christian Publishing groups, so I am hopeful that they will do what they promise. Please pray for me as I seek God's Will in this.  He knows exactly what I should do.  Pray that He leads me down the right path, in Jesus' Name and for His Glory.

In Christ,

Sandy Kay Slawson

A Sneak Peek

After many requests and much trepidation, I agreed to show you a snippet of my book.  I know it is silly for me to be afraid to show people, since my ultimate goal is to get my work published, but showing it before it has been edited by a professional, is a little scary to me.  I have edited this page, many times, but as many authors/editors will say, I am too emotionally attached to my work to look at it objectively.  I realize this type of genre isn't everyone's preference, but I hope you will look at it with objectivity for what it is and what it is supposed to be, a Christian Historical/Romance Fiction.  If you spot any errors that need editing, please feel free to comment and help me out.   So, I am giving you a sneak peek and hoping you enjoy a glimpse into my story. Introducing......the first page in my book, Hope for Charity...by Sandy Kay Slawson.

Hope for Charity

Chapter 1

Husthwaite, North Yorkshire, England

1747

Charity Baines stood across the street looking at the mercantile.  O, how she wished there were another choice, that wasn’t a days walk away or more.  After overhearing what she did from her father and step-mother, Gwyneth, a few nights ago, she wished she never had to walk into that shop again. Now, she didn’t know if she would ever feel comfortable in there.  She wrapped her shawl around her shoulders tightly and gave a shiver.  Spring would be here any day and she could not wait.  She did not like being cold, although she tolerated it, when she had to, but give her a warm day and she blossomed with the flowers.    At least the clouds had vanished and the sun was unhindered from shining down and warming up the day to a bearable chill.  Charity glanced at the sun.  She had hoped to get an earlier start today, but here it was almost noon.

Charity looked at the mercantile and the shops surrounding it and noticed how the village was changing and growing.  Men, women and children seemed to be busy as bees going here and there and doing who knew what.  She wondered how many people lived here now and where they all came from.  Some of the women and men looked like they were wearing their Sunday best, unlike her in her everyday work dress. She supposed if they lived in the village, they didn’t need to wear work clothes like a sheep farmer’s daughter.  She didn’t come for a Sunday or Monday (as this day was) stroll, though. She had a list of supplies she needed to get and she needed to get it done in a timely manner or Gwyneth would throw a fit.  She just did not want to go in that shop.

As Charity mentally prepared herself for her task, she looked again at the buildings across the street. The mercantile connected with the post office and a barber shop.  It looked like someone had recently painted the front of all three places of business.  The mercantile had  some new stenciling in the window.  She read it out loud, “Hawksworth’s  General Store and Mercantile Since 1729.”  Almost as long as she had been alive.  She looked down the street and saw the smoke from the blacksmith and the houses along the street that were growing in number.  She saw men going in the tavern and heard a piano start playing a tune she wasn’t familiar with.  As the village grew, there would surely be more shops in the village and hopefully one of them would be another mercantile.  Charity chastised herself for her cowardice, that could be years away and she needed supplies now.  “I have to stop putting this unpleasant chore off,”  she told herself.

Delete and Rewrite

I know you are all as excited as I am to delve into my editing adventures. To learn about my adding in commas and fixing those run on sentences and let's not forget the oh so exciting misspelled words! But, for the sake of time....and not boring you to death.  I am only going to talk about one aspect of my editing the Delete and Rewrite. (I am up to Chapter 8, by the way.)  

As I was fixing the coffee yesterday morning, I was thinking about my editing. (Doesn't everybody?) And I was thinking about how as the creator of my story and my Characters lives, I have the power (HaHaHa).......I have the power to delete something they said or did and rewrite it.  It is then, as if it never happened.  It is from this thought, that I saw the comparison to our Creator, the Lord God Almighty.  Now, my little creation and God's CREATION is of course not comparable, but it is the ability to delete and rewrite or the way the Lord does it, wash white as snow and remake, that I would like to try in my own feeble way, to compare.

Isaiah 1:18

"Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool."

2 Corinthians 5:17 

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."

Now, when I rewrite a scene or a sentence, it only affects my one story.  When the Lord Jesus, takes a sinner and deletes their sin and remakes them, He is affecting, changing that person's life as well as every person they come in contact with.  Generations of people can be affected by one sin and generations of people can be affected by one sinner forgiven.  Some examples of this are: Adam, Sarah, Abraham, David, Saul....Me.  Look them up, great Bible stories that tell about sinners sinning and how we are affected, even today, by some of their sins.  And I can see in my own kids, the results of some of my sins and how that can be passed down to their children. (Sorry, Kids!) But, the Lord Jesus not only stands ready and willing to forgive, He is able to forget your sin....all of it.

Isaiah 43:25 

"I, I am He who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins."

As I delete and rewrite, I care that my Characters end up acting and looking just the way I want them to.  Our Creator wants us to act and look like Him.  He said, 

1 Peter 1:15-16

"but as He who called you is Holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am Holy."

I don't know about you, but if it weren't for Jesus Christ washing me clean, I would be awfully filthy with my sin.  I didn't want to carry that burden on my back.  We can't be holy on our own, but God is so good.  He thought of everything!  Listen,

2 Corinthians 5:21

"For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God."

So, He doesn't only wash us clean of our sin, He remakes us with His Righteousness (Holiness)!!!  What a deal!  You can't make things in your life unhappen, like I can in my book, but our Creator can bring beauty from the ashes.  He can forgive and forget completely.  Are there still consequences to our sin? Yes, because we live in a world full of other sinners, and it is hard for a sinner to forget or forgive and most of the time, they (we) don't even want to.  But, the Lord Jesus says, 

Matthew 11:28-30

"Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly of heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light."

Would you like for the Lord Jesus to delete and remake your story?  This is how,

Romans 10:9

"because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."

Romans 5:6-10

"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.  Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love for us in this:  While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  Since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through Him!  For if, while we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life"

My oldest brother recently shared a song by Singer/Song Writer Natalie Grant (one of my favorites), called "Clean" and I felt that this song really puts into words what I am so in-eloquently trying to explain today.  So, I thought I would end with it.  I hope it blesses you, as much as it blessed me.  

Thank you, Lord for using Your servant Natalie Grant to speak truth to us through song,  Please take my attempt at explaining Your amazing love, ability to completely forgive and forget and speak to someone's heavy, burdened, sin stained heart. In Jesus' Name Amen.