With Priscilla Flintoft and The Cavanaugh Lake Book Club in Chelsea, Michigan
However you describe friendship: "flowers in the garden of life," "pearls on the necklace of life," "soaps on the rope of life (tee hee)," I enjoy, and am thankful for the women friends in my life. I don't have a "posse." My friends are mainly scattered around the world. There may be a few in one city, but I don't have "girlfriend weekends" with all my college friends. I'm not in touch with anyone from college. Or seminary. My friends have come from my neighborhood, my mother is my friend as are my aunties, cousins, and women in the churches I've served over the years.
One bright Sunday morning in Chelsea, Michigan, I had just finished preaching and leading worship. As I shook hands with parishioners, a petite bright-blue-eyed woman, one I had never seen before, walked right up to me, took both of my hands in hers, and said, "I just love you! I'm Priscilla."
Now I'm going to be honest, I love hearing words like that. Who doesn't? Hearing them right after I preach, affirms who I am by what I do - or vice versa. To preach from the heart takes vulnerability, not just confidence. Affirmation is always welcome. That morning Priscilla affirmed the heck out of me.
We have been friends for over thirteen years.
For me, writing is also a vulnerable endeavor, but so different from preaching. Here's my comparison: preaching is like being in a stage play. The congregation is live, and you are aware of their reactions to every spoken word - those who are engaged and those who are asleep in the pew (Ha!). A book is more like a movie. It has been completed and edited long before an audience sees it. It's locked in time once it's released.
Caveat: Don't get me wrong, preaching is a uniquely spiritual and God-driven experience. It's not play-acting. I'm always amazed when people tell me they think it must be easy, or that they think they could preach a sermon with no problem. Preaching isn't just speaking. Amen.
With a play, or specifically preaching, there is always another Sunday coming. A new sermon, new inspiration, and a congregation with a whole weeks' worth of new experiences to bring before God.
Preaching is comfortable for me. Writing is getting more comfortable. Friends have been the ones who have walked with me through my first novel, and decided to read the second one anyway.
But I have received a great gift from my publishers, Pen-L Publishing: My first novel is not set in stone like a movie. They have given me the chance to re-do, go back, delete, add, clean-up, re-edit, and set up the whole series, now that I know where the series is headed.
I may be the only author who felt embarrassed by my first work of (mainly) fiction, To Love and To Cherish. In fact, it was hard to make myself re-read the book. But once given the chance to muck about in my manuscript, I had a blast. I am just now on the last pages of my own edits and changes.
Pen-L (thank you, Duke and Kimberly) will re-release this book in December. I can't wait!
I know I have mentioned this re-release in a previous blog, but after making the changes, I feel the gift of reparation more strongly. As much as I love being loved, I hate being embarrassed.
November will bring the release of For Richer, For Poorer, book 3 in the Pastor Maggie Series. I am proud of this novel, and I hope you enjoy more stories of Loving the Lord Community Church.
Back to friends, there is a circle of you who have intimately been apart of this odyssey called writing. The women I'm thinking of have all been in the pew, at one time or another, when I have been in the pulpit. But then I dragged you into being first readers, I talked about characters and plot lines until your eyes glazed over. I asked some of you if I could use your names in the books, and some of you if I could also use your personalities. None of you said, "no."
Priscilla, I just love you, too! You will find yourself in For Richer, For Poorer. I hope you like you :)
For all of you dear and faithful friends, thank you for staying close. Thank you for letting me stay close to you as your own lives swirled with surprising changes, hopes, sorrows, and joys.
Because many of you don't know one another, my dream is to have a "girlfriend weekend" with all of you. I would like to introduce each one of you to some of the most amazing women I've ever known.
Hmmm...perhaps a Pastor's Posse.
