Friday, January 8, 2016

On the Word Becoming Flesh {thoughts on A Time of Grace, book 3}



One of the more interesting parts of writing is when my characters do something and God uses that Something to help illuminate the depth of something so familiar to me in the Scriptures.

That happened this week as I wrote through a pivotal scene in book three of A Time of Grace, and I'd like to share my thoughts with you -- maybe you'll find some food for thought, too. :-)

In that scene, Sarah Picoletti meets face-to-face with someone to whom she's been writing for years but who has never written back to her. And in that face-to-face encounter, she discovers a startling Realness to her relationship with this person {who shall remain unnamed, for spoiler reasons}.

When I wrote that scene, from Sarah's perspective, it reminded me so much of John 1:14 -- "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."

And thus my thought began to rabbit-trail... :-)

  • Isn't that just what God did? The Father had been "writing" to us - His beloved lost children - for many centuries. But then Jesus came, in the flesh, when the Letter of love took on human bone and sinew...
  • And, in a way, is that not what we do as believers? As "little Christs"? We are God's little letters of grace and truth come to life - miniature editions of this same God-centered drama - Christ in us "becoming flesh" and living out His life through us - for don't we have in us the "hope of glory"?
  • And, in a way, extending that a bit... the whole of Christ's life and ministry becomes flesh in and through us -- thinking of 1 Peter 2 {clickable link} -- if we are faithful.
Well, I'm off to keep writing, friends -- Looking to finish the rough draft of book 3 soon and thankful for your prayers for me.

May you have a blessed weekend!

Grace and peace,
Alicia

Friday, January 1, 2016

First Friday: January 2016

"See then that you walk circumspectly {"looking all around you"}, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is."
Ephesians 5:15-16 {nkjv}

The Holy Spirit has been pressing these two verses on my mind and heart in recent months, and, as I pin a new calendar up on my door and see the year 2016 greet me, my prayer each day will be, by His grace alone, to "redeem the time" by walking in such a walk that I understand and do the will of the Lord, day by day, moment by moment. 



With that said, a happy New Year to you, friends! May we spend the next one in the new Jerusalem with our Lord and Savior.

Here's what I'm up to in January:

Looking forward to...
Sledding with my niece and nephew; drinking hot chocolate; feeding the sweet squirrels who congregate outside our windows; savoring the last few days of Christmas lights before they get packed away for next year; the sight of crisp stars in a velvet winter sky.

Reading...
Finishing up 1st Peter in my quiet-time; beginning L.B. Cowman's Streams in the Desert {a wonderful Christmas gift!} as my yearly devotional; starting the second book in Francine Rivers' Mark of the Lion trilogy; finishing Brother Yun's Living Water.

Writing...
Finishing the rough draft of book 3 in A Time of Grace and getting that off to my gift-from-God beta readers. :-)

What are you looking forward to this January, friends? What's on your reading/writing list for this month?

Grace and peace,
Alicia