I GOT IN A CAR ACCIDENT! AARGH!!!

And the worst part of all -- it was MY fault! Oh, that's a hard pill to swallow. It is so much nicer if at the end of a day you can say, "That so and so sideswiped me while I was minding my own business." Not so in my case. No, the lady I hit is probably saying that - but in much stronger language.

I was on my way to a bridal shower when I noted the ribbons and tissue paper blowing all over (I had the top down on my convertible), also my stack of books was falling, so I was messing with that. That's when, in the blink of an eye, I heard a crash, a slash, and a loud rip. Ugh. Yanking my head up I saw a car to my right. Quickly, she pulled off as did I, and then I put my head on my steering wheel and started bawling like a B-A-B-Y! HOW COULD I HAVE BEEN SO CARELESS AS TO TAKE MY EYES OFF THE ROAD FOR EVEN A SPLIT SECOND?

This has been a huge eye-opener for me. Not to look for my phone, a tube of lipstick, a pen, my sunglasses - or anything - in my purse because all it takes is an instant and life can turn completely upside down. Praise the Lord in my case the only thing that suffered was my car, and while the ambulance did come and take a look at a young girl of about 12 or so sitting in the back seat of the other vehicle, everyone is fine and for the most part unharmed. Thank you, Jesus.

I post this as a gentle warning to all of you to BE CAREFUL and ALERT. There are distracted drivers out there (like me) who take their eyes off the road for mere seconds and wind up crossing medians, hitting cars head-on, slamming into trees, and ramming into buildings. PLEASE BE CAREFUL. I love you all too much to say good bye just yet!

Take a look at my fender and headlight. The damage extends for about half the car, but I'm just showing you the front part. I'm sick about it, but so very thankful for another chance to prove myself on the road. I CAN BE A RESPONSIBLE DRIVER!

LIFE LESSONS FROM THE DOG...Part 2

This is Peyton's place of refuge, his trusty kennel.



When life gets a little scary; i.e., the grandkids come over (they are loud and rambunctious!), I am running the vacuum, a bunch of company arrives, fireworks light the sky, or unidentified noises fill the air, this is the first place Peyton runs. I try to calm Him with a few words. "It's okay, nothing to worry about," I say even as he races past me to make a beeline for his kennel. I let him go, knowing his little "house" makes him feel safe. After some time, confidence restored, he once again emerges.

Do you have a safe place you run to when life gets out of hand? I do. I run to the Lord's open arms where I know I'll find comfort and peace. I feel secure there, resting in His big, warm and cozy embrace. I love that He loves me so completely, even when I goof up. I never did anything to deserve His love, but, still, He gives it so freely.

Sometimes circumstances come along to cause me pain, unrest, worry, discomfort, or heartache. At first I cry and fuss and fret until I finally remember my safe place. That's when I run into God's arms, and as He enfolds me in a big hug, I hear Him gently say, "It's okay, nothing to worry about."

What a kind and faithful Master.

MR. FED-EX GUY CAME TODAY!



I am so delighted to announce the arrival of Tender Vow, a stand-alone contemporary romance. You can check the synopsis if you scroll down on your left to my book listings then click on Tender Vow.

There's just nothing like the excitement an author feels when the book he/she has labored on for months returns from the printer and arrives in a nice big carton on said author's doorstep. You rip into that box like you had a ten-second window till detonation, rather like a 10-year-old tearing into his Christmas presents. It's just fun, no other word for it.

So, in honor of my fun--you wanna do a giveaway? It's easy to participate. Just leave a comment here, I'll copy your name and throw it in "the hat", and then we'll have a drawing on MY BIRTHDAY, August 26, how's that? So come on, help me celebrate. You know you want to!

Love to ALL of you!
Shar

LIFE LESSONS FROM THE DOG

Peyton is my sweet 11-month-old collie. I think of him as my "rescue dog" because he came to me at five-months of age with no real name, never having walked on a leash outside of his backyard, hair chewed off his hind legs due to a skin infection, fleas, knowing zero commands, no confidence, and extreme fear issues--as in this boy was afraid of bouncing balls, sounds of all kinds, people, other dogs, his shadow! All he wanted to do was hide in a corner, tail between his legs for days on end. And play? He didn't know the meaning of the word. He still has lots of problems, which we are working through on a daily basis, but he is EMERGING, my friends, and it's a beautiful thing. He's showing us who he is, shaking off his fears about life and darkness and spooky noises and squealing kids. He is becoming a new creature, and he's teaching me important stuff about trust and hope.

Tonight we took a long walk around my neighborhood. He walks like a champion now, head up, tail out, nose high and sniffing. I am a stickler about walks as in I walk him; he does not walk ME. (No dog should walk a person. Why do people allow their giant dogs to pull them on a fast gait down the road? How can that be fun?) When I first got Peyton he thought he was in charge. He pulled, bucked, and fought me with the whole leash thing. It scared him half to death. But slowly I showed him he had nothing to fear - that I was in charge, and I was going to keep him safe. He just had to trust me with this leash business and know that it was for his own good.

Do you see where I'm going with this? Trust is a learned behavior. If something hurts us, we tend to draw back to avoid the same hurt twice. God is our ever present help. We can trust Him. Others will fail us, disappoint us, drag us down bumpy, dangerous roads, but God can bring us back if we let Him take control.

He's a good Master. You can trust Him.

*Be on the lookout for future "lessons" from my pretty boy and, of course, more pictures!