Real Life Books and Media
Gone
Pink-tinged, white azaleas filled the giant bush
Then wilted and fell, one by one.
Don’t worry, lavender plumbago in the wings.
Spring Herbs
Beginning to peek over the tops of their boxes.
Tiny yellow flowers of tarragon.
Will we eat them?
Threatened
Blue and gray scrub jays with tough-guy voices
Discuss survival around the rim of the bird bath.
Welcome to the ‘sneak peek” portal for my newest novel Jessie.
After nearly two years of intensive research, writing and rewriting, I am pleased to announce Jessie will be available on July 20 in honor of the 45th anniversary of the first moon landing. Pre-orders are now available at a special price of $1.99 a savings of 60% through Smashwords.com, Barnes and Noble and iTunes. Kindle users will be able to purchase through Smashwords.
Nature, tide pools and technology merge in this coming of age tale set amongst countdowns and confrontations.
Download The First Three Chapters!
OR
Buy now at pre-release price of
$1.99
60% off the regular price of $4.99
We have exciting news to share!
Mary Harwell Sayler’s new book of Bible poems
Has just been released by Kelsay Press!
Mary says “Of all my projects, this book means the most to me as it combines my two favorite subjects – the Bible and poetry.”
Mary Sayler’s new book of poems, Outside Eden, is filled with fervent, rounded visions of our exile and our return from exile. Old Testament people become new again, familiar and yet transformed into transcendent projections of a mysterious eternity. I think the book could be epitomized by these lines from the poem Elevation: “I am / dust. I am / uplifted. My breath / takes in the wonder and the wind.”
—Pavel Chichikov, A House Rejoicing and other books of poetry and nonfiction
To read more about this new release or to purchase it from Amazon, click HERE
Do you ever sit down to write or to paint — and draw a blank—no thoughts, no feelings, no imagination about what you can do with the precious minutes you have set aside to practice your arts?
Do you ever sit down to write or to paint — and draw a blank—no thoughts, no feelings, no imagination about what you can do with the precious minutes you have set aside to practice your arts? Or have you ever needed to prepare a meal and tried to think of something that sounded good to eat — and failed?
I’ve been cooking meals for more years than most people have been alive. I do get jaded sometimes. When that happens, I pick up a cookbook or look at the Internet for an idea. When it comes, I do something similar to what I’ve found, but I never use the exact recipe.
This morning I had time for my quiet time, but I didn’t know what to do, so I took out my pack of Healing Scriptures from New Creation Gifts (www.newcreationgifts.org) and selected the first card on the pile. I wanted to paint or draw a small picture for the day, too, so I brought out a mat and drew a frame with it in my journal/sketchbook. I read the scripture reference and looked into my Message Bible to see how it was translated there. I also have cards from The Artist’s Muse that give suggestions for an art project. Since I had no preconceived ideas, I used the top one.
That card suggested drawing a tree like no tree you’d never seen. It said use a word and some numbers. I wrote EASTER up the trunk and wrote numbers in the shape of fronds. Then came a sea and a beach. Starting with the verse on the card, I read several others. It was a kind of wandering, where one scripture reminded me of another one. Then I saw my tree again and the water that washed up behind it reminded me of one of my favorite scriptures. By the time I’d finished I had a satisfying (to me, at least) page in my journal/sketchbook.
Here’s the tree and water, and here’s what I wrote, thinking and hoping that my Heavenly Father was guiding me.
Saturday, April 19, 2014
Dearly Beloved, (personalizing the scriptures as if my Abba were speaking to me.)
I am always the same. I never change. I am always drawing you into a sure thing, as I am teaching you to follow me, and to trust me.
You are a tree planted by water. Your roots never die because they have gone into my Spirit and are sustained by my waters. Your leaves will never wither or dry up. You will constantly bear fruit for me at the right time and in the right way even when you may not believe you are capable of bearing fruit. You succeed in everything you do. (I would debate that last, but I feel that the Lord wants me to accept it).
The scriptures came from Hebrews 13 and Psalm 1.
And by the way, I’m re-reading a wonderful book you might like by Richard J. Foster. He’s a Quaker minister and he has written many high quality books that can help us in our spiritual walk. This one is Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home.
