Writing a Book Part 1

So you want to write a book....

Writing a book seems so daunting, overwhelming, you sit there and start with a blank page and your mind wanders. You have a million ideas but don't know where to start. When I started writing a children's book idea. I just started typing. I wrote and wrote and all the ideas tumbled onto the computer screen and I was so happy. I quickly thought to myself, "This is it! I have my book!" I emailed a friend to see what they thought...crickets...haha. I met up with her in person and asked her thoughts and she sheepishly said, 'I think you have a lot of good ideas there.' Critiques no matter what always cut deep when it's your art but I knew that I needed the critiques so I went onto find an editor. I asked an editor to review it, they too were so very kind and encouraging and also said, "You've got a great idea, wonderful story but where's the story arc?" Focus on one plot. 

It's hard or it was hard for me to focus initially as I had to get all the ideas out of my head and into written word then I can dissect and rearrange the words into singular stories. Having an outsider's input from not only editors but friends who know how to kindly advise us. 

It took me so long to get to this point of even writing the ideas. I felt like I had to have everything perfectly before I start but how can you? You have to start somewhere. You have to start with that one blank page, cursor blinking, waiting for that first letter to be typed. 

If not now, then when? Start. Try. If you need help, you can find so many avenues of help these days. On Fiverr you can find editors and so much more who are willing to help. The online world of the Internet has made writing and publishing books available to the little guys. 

www.johannamoses.com

The Children's Book

Pandemic Creations

The year 2020 began with all the excitement and anticipation of greatness. Our first baby, a darling little girl was due in January. Babies, such a sweet reminder of the ultimate creation of love and wonder. I was working as a Hospitalist Physician Assistant walking flights of stairs to the different medical floors seeing patients ill, improved and improving. Waddling down the hallways to see the never ending stream of patients coming in from the ED. We were neck deep into flu season. I was valiantly attempting to fend off all the viral infections as my due date came closer and closer as patients came sicker and sicker. Then baby came and everything else in the world faded as we focused in on being new parents and tending to this dainty tiny little human being. I had managed to work until 9 months pregnant fighting through flu season, delivering a beautiful baby and suddenly the world came to a complete standstill as SARs-CoV-2 (aka Coronavirus/COVID-19) came barreling from one end of the world to another depleting supplies, creating devastating economic changes and a sudden sense of dread when people coughed, sneezed or breathed. Death in a breath. Jobs lost. People tucked away in our own little homes. Governments seemed closed with news reels on a never ending whirl.

As the baby grew and we seemed to come out of our own little wormhole of q2hr feedings, changing, bathing, feeding, changing, bathing...we found we had time. Filled with stuff to do for and to baby yet I realized I needed to create. Seeing beauty in the mundane and admiring the wonders of nature has always been a part of my creative outlet. Change allows growth. A baby creates a world of change to new parents. We see a whole lotta change with resulting growth and development each and every day in the life of the little baby. This year this planet earth, our world, countries, economies, populations of people around the globe have seen enormous change. Change may seem bad at times. I know the change from sleeping peacefully all night and sometimes sleeping in to getting up every 1-2 hours to feed and do diaper changes seemed bad, so bad but things change. The cause of the change in our lives was this precious baby which we love and adore and though things were and are difficult we push through, we challenge ourselves, we choose to grow and develop strengths in the face of change. In our little world and the big world around us I know we are choosing to face the challenges of today with strength and grace, pushing through this testing of our time. A resulting growth and development will be obtained. We shall all see it through new eyes of wonder.

Through this pandemic and maybe some need for another outlet of creativity, this website was developed.

www.johannamoses.com

The Love of a Father

I look up and smile, my hand tightly holding onto his hand. Secure, content, without a worry in this world. He looks down and encourages me, speaking words of wisdom and instructions of care and discipline. 

Mathew 7:11 says, ‘If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give good things to them that ask?” 

We are imperfect individuals. I am blessed to have had a wonderful father and now I love seeing how much my husband dotes on our baby. Yet, many have experienced just how imperfect their fathers were and have felt the loss of the love, security, respect, care and discipline a father brings to the family. 

Jesus speaks to the crowds gathered on a mountainside. He teaches them characteristics of holiness, purity, peacefulness, meekness, to thirst after righteousnesses. He teaches them how to live, to be a light to others and how to pray. Jesus talks of who He is, the fulfillment of the law. We by our own efforts can not be righteous but only through the righteousness of Jesus. He tells those in the crowds that even the pharisees and teachers of the law though they attempt to keep each and every command can not enter into heaven. One would have to be even better than that. 

Impossibly perfect.  

Instructions, law, rules given to the lawless. Hearts deceived. Minds impure. Don’t kill. No! Don’t even hate! Don’t commit adultery. No! Don’t even lust in your heart! If you are persecuted, be glad and rejoice. Love your enemies. 

Forgive. 

Jesus knows our hearts, He knows our thoughts, what we hold most dearly and treasure and all our deepest worries. 

If we being evil still know how to give good gifts, how much more does our Heavenly Father give. 

Laws, rules, instructions are given to those who are in need of guidance. Jesus reminds them from the beginning that He is the fulfillment of the law. This gives us hope. Rule breaking, lawlessness, deceitfulness lies in the very heart of humans. We work to be good. We work to overcome evil with good. We work to turn our hearts to purity, integrity and we pray for virtue. Our endeavors struggle to keep up the facade of good. Even our good is not good enough. Our perfection never is. Through Christ Jesus we find solace and ease in knowing that simple faith and a quiet trust brings us under the cover of His righteousness. 

Ask, seek and knock not for things that bring us temporary satisfaction, not for us to have a more efficient performance of good. Keep asking for mercy, seek after His grace and knock on the door of salvation. You will receive mercies renewed each morning that will give you strength to face each new challenging day. You will find grace that is sufficient for you to see beauty in the day-to-day and rest amidst the strife.  You will find the door of redemption open, allowing you to see, know and feel the perfect freeing love of a perfect Heavenly Father. 

Hold on, trusting in the secure faith of the faithful loving Heavenly Father. 

A glorious redemption

Last Easter, we woke up to the news that churches and hotels in Sri Lanka were bombed by terrorist extremists trying to deter Christians. Churches were closed for several weeks. Many lost their lives while worshipping the risen Jesus, their Saviour. In one Church, during the children’s Sunday school little ones sang praises to the Lord, they raised their hands to show that they would give their lives for Jesus. Moments later the children lost their lives as a person filled with hate detonated a bomb selfishly, cowardly. 

This Easter, churches around the world are physically closed because of a viral pandemic. There is an enemy not just a virus nor one of literal flesh and blood but of spiritual darkness.

Our eyes are hopefully opened to the need of a healer, restorer, savior. Reliance on our own depraved works is not sufficient.

The world has come to a stop, our lives which were laboring daily to survive, has stalled. 

Circumstances, finances, health held in a delicate balance at its tipping point. 

Enlightening us of the deficiency within us and the imperfections of who we are. 

Light shines on the darkness and in eager hunger for truth and light we turn towards the knowledge of God. 

Desire for God comes by rejection of the love of darkness. 

The death of Jesus on the cross brought a deep darkness upon the earth. The hearts of those who hated the truth embraced the darkness that engulfed them. Their hearts quivered in fear but not of God. Their lives lost to the emptiness of the world. Death came. Darkness surrounded, inescapable. Lost was the light that had come. Late was the day of rejoicing. Gone was the hope of victory. 

In His mercy, the sparks of a light flickered, glimmered and shone through, igniting a revolutionary joy. One found not in human conquest but in the glorious nature of God. Jesus resurrected to life in body and spirit. 

God’s majesty and sovereignty revealed both in the death and bringing back to life. 

Though darkness surrounded the earth and the earth appeared void, a light was there. The Spirit of God lingered. 

In love by grace he provided a way for us to be redeemed. Believe in faith that Christ was raised from the dead. Cast off the shadows of the darkness, the death of sin and love of hate. Embrace instead and surrender our love to the glory of God’s love and redemption that eclipses the sinful poverty of our souls. 

A viral change of behavior

I’m so grateful to have seen a few different parts of the world but many places yet to see. Traveling provides a perspective into different cultures, practices and people groups. This pandemic has shown how connected we are in this current era. Our travels bring us near and far closer together. Technology brings us global neighbors. Our actions have very tangible consequences as seen in this pandemic. Actions created from habits that have been created by characteristics influenced culturally or familial. Innate tendencies and environmental impact. 

Our lives are interconnected in some big and some small ways. A small gesture of greeting trickles down to a waterfall of sickness. A small gesture of greeting, a handshake, a hug would previously hope to lead to a waterfall of pay it forwards of sharing and caring. Now, we are all confined to our small spaces. 

Actions, habits, behaviors may change with the new environmental influences but our innate characteristics of caring, sharing, and loving others hopefully doesn’t. Despite our confined isolation we can still be connected in communities larger than ourselves and continue to cause those cascading waterfalls of hope, love and care. What can I do for another? This happens to be the theme of Holy Week. Jesus gave the ultimate sacrifice for us to have an eternal impact of love, faithfulness and peace. An impact that transcends cultures and is given for all people. 

Salvation and surrender at the foot of the cross brings us all closer as it breaks down gender disparities, cultural conflicts, and socioeconomic barriers bringing us all equally content following in the footsteps of our Savior.

The Be-Attitudes 2

“You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.” Matthew‭ 5:3 MSG ‬
“God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.” Matthew ‭5:3‬ ‭NL‬T
—-We are all so unique and uniquely gifted. Perfectly designed to be just who God wanted us to be. We may feel we do not have much to offer or much in us but when you look to the Heavenly Father He shows you, your identity. We lose our identity when we try to fill it with what we feel emotionally will appease our sense of fulfillment. This leads us to do things that make us feel good for a time. When we choose to learn more of the attributes of God and faith in Jesus. We can then allow our minds and hearts to be changed from feeling ‘we are not enough’ to knowing that even if we are not enough, God with us is more than enough.

The Be-Attitudes 1

“You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.” Matthew‬ ‭5:4‬ ‭MSG‬‬
“God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5:4‬ ‭NLT‬‬
—-When we think we are all alone, He is there. When we think we have no hope, He is near. We tend to fill our lives up with so much ‘busyness’; things to do, places to go, people to meet. We feel fulfilled when we’ve got checkboxes checked and groups of people surrounding us. The question is and sometimes the reality is that people still feel very much alone. When mourning a loss, whatever it may be. You know what loneliness feels like. You tend to go to a quiet place. I pray that in the stillness. In the quiet. You will find the presence of a comforter. The One who wipes away our tears. The One who if you listen you will hear the words of, ‘you are loved’. ‘Keep up your courage dear heart.’ I pray you find the beauty in His presence of peace and a faith to believe in Jesus. The knowing of rest in your soul.

Stuck in the Moment

I look around and there is nothing but a vast empty chasm open before me. I look as far as my eyes can see and just beyond the horizon I see a faint piercing light. Something inside of me jumps at the sight, as if this sudden deep immeasurable desire of something more has finally been found. I look again the faintness of the light puts me in a bit of despair as if maybe there is no hope of reaching it, especially as I look dejectedly down at the abyss thousands of miles deep near my feet. What am I supposed to do? For miles around me a hopeless landscape covers acre upon acre of my view. There is not even anyone around me to help. As I stand there unable to move, stuck in the moment waiting, for what I myself am not sure? 

It seems that millions across this world are searching, uncertain if they could ever cross that rift between them and that faint hope across the horizon. There are so many who feel they have no business even stepping into the Church as their lives have been so messed up and the preacher is bound to look straight into their eyes and know every one of their sins. The distance and differences they feel between them and ‘cradle’ Christians are too vast and deep that they do not want to try too hard to know the source of the light and hope they can see ever so faintly. 

How did we become disoriented so much so that we have forgotten God’s grace and mercy which was generously poured out on our lives, we easily judge the ‘greater’ sins of those new in faith? We forget from where and how far we ourselves have come. Jesus came to save the sick, poor, needy, disenfranchised, the sinners. We all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, yet because we’ve been raised in the Church we forget that being saved is more than the prayer we prayed when we were six years old. This new life we live is about knowing God’s saving grace which has taken us across that deep chasm and abyss of fears and sins to that light across the horizon. It is a life that we live forever grateful for His love and forgiveness. Crossing over that gulf of emptiness is not defined by the number or intensity of our sins, it is about us realizing our fragility and allowing ourselves to trust in something greater than anything our minds can comprehend. 

The sins of our past are forgiven and forgotten but let us continue to live accountable and responsible for every breath we breathe. The great divide has been crossed, our lives and backgrounds may differ, and our ethnicities diverse. Yet our humanness brings us together in humility. Our thirst for that something greater than ourselves drives us to the level ground at the foot of the cross. 

Acts 10:15, 33 “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean…Now we are all here in the presence of God…”

*I wrote this a few years ago for IPF 

R. C. Sproul writes, “Men are never duly touched and impressed with a conviction of their insignificance, until they have contrasted themselves with the majesty of God

I wonder how Joseph felt in prison, innocent. I wonder how he felt when his own brothers rejected him. I wonder how David felt when his brothers laughed at him when he said he was going to kill the giant that dared to defy the God of Israel. How did he feel when he spent 13 years hiding in caves, running for his life when he had every right to sit on the throne in his own Kingdom. How did Moses feel while shepherding sheep knowing he gave up a life of palace luxury. 

I see a backdrop of colors, light, and darkness melting into one in an asian jungle sunset. 

A tiny seemingly insignificant creature buzzes around a field of colors sprouting, waving in the breeze.

As the cold air starts to frost and freeze a picturesque scene of woods and sky, a water's reflection, frozen in time.

Changes occurring every second of everyday, constantly moving, ever revolving seemingly leaving us behind.

Seasons come and go.

Waves crash upon the shores of time washing away what was, slowly dragging away what is to come. 

Because He Lives

The fact that someone would die for you is sometimes a hard thing to process. The fact that someone who is God and man would not only die for you but rise again makes it even harder to believe. Isn't it unbelievable that someone would be crucified for you, bear such shame, be beaten, whipped and mocked just for you? Isn't it amazing that someone could say because I died and rose again your sins are forgiven, your burdens are mine, your sickness and diseases, your shame, your guilt is gone. Is it hard to believe that someone would say I love you, I did all this for you and all you have to do is simply believe. Amazing isn't it, just believe. Jesus came so you can have life and life more abundantly. It's not an easy life but one that despite life's difficulties we find hope, we find joy, we find peace through Jesus. It is hard to believe that this can be true. Yet, my life will never be the same because I believe and I'm sure yours won't be either. 

For Unto Us

~A poem based on Isaiah 9~

A great light shines bright

Though still in the darkness

We see

For brilliant is the glow

Showing the way before us

To increase in our joy

As we extend His light

Rejoice for great is what we now see

Can you perceive what the light reveals?

For unto us a child is born 

Unto us a Savior to the world

For unto us a Son is given

Unto us peace now be upon the earth

Break free, we now can break free

Oppression defeated

A new grace bestowed

Our yoke now lighter

So wonderful we can now behold

A Mighty God, an Everlasting Father
For now we have a Savior for our world

Merry Christmas!! Have a blessed 2017 New Year filled with God's fulfilling and loving favor!

An Overcoming Faith

I miss my dad. As I read through his writings, Revelation 21:7 is one that my Father has typed up in bold on one page. “He that overcomes shall inherit all things, him shall I call my son, he will call me my God.” As I read further I am reminded of what my Father stood for. He was a person who knew where he came from, what he was about and where he was going. Forever, my Father is a hero in my eyes. An overcomer. My Father fiercely believed in the promises of the Word of God. He knew the life that pours out through God’s word, he knew the love that carries us all as the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. My father knew that one step of faith on his behalf would allow a lifetime of seeing God’s faithfulness in all circumstances. He knew of the life of an overcomer. By faith, he overcame and succeeded in a world that would have loved to slap a label on his life, family and circumstances and placed it all neatly into a little box. He knew by God’s grace he had overcome, he had ventured near and far across the world, studied at a doctorate level, lived life fully knowing he was going to make an impact in this world serving others. Despite coming from a small, tiny, little known island in the middle of the Indian ocean. Everyone in this world will always be just a little too self involved, too worried about our own, too consumed in our routines, too in love with our own, too comfortable that we may overlook, underestimate, or ignore what may not really intersect into our spheres. Reading through what my Father writes, I hear once again his voice, his words, his heart. He knew he could live life easily just making money for self and family. Yet, my Father knew he would gain a deeper, greater joy from serving the Lord. Doing the difficult, the less esteemed work of ministering, teaching the Bible, preaching the Good News of the Gospel of peace. I will never forget how my father would say with faithful determination and a calm peace that there was truly no greater joy than in serving the Lord.  He would say this as I knew my Dad was suffering in pain as cancer spread and metastasized through his body as he preserved in Sri Lanka.

I read chapter 21 of the book of Revelation and verse 4 & 5 states, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” There is not a day that goes past that in some way memories of my Father are present. If I dwell on it too long tears would surely spill down my cheeks and the throbbing stabbing pains in my heart would probably start up again. Grief is so strange. It lingers, it waxes and wanes, it subsides but it never ever goes away. Yet, we have this pain because we were able to have such great joy in our lives as our Father’s daughters. We had such a great Father and I am ever so grateful as I grow and live in this world where this has become such a rarity. The most precious inheritance my Father left us with was our faith. Our Dad and Mom taught us to pray, to read the Bible, the value our faith, our hope, our belief in a saving grace. This faith in the unfailing love of Jesus, our hope in the saving grace of our Lord has been at the very center of our lives ever since. This is why I read verse 4 and 5 of Rev 21 and it gives me peace, hope and joy. Knowing that one day there will be no more tears, no more pain. Reading further in the New International Version translation it states, ‘to the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life’. At the center point of my Father’s life was his thirst for the Lord, to serve the Lord, to know the Lord more and to share the love of the Lord with others. This faith in Jesus is for those willing to put aside ourselves, for those who let our souls thirst after a living God (Psalms 42:1-2) and those who hold fast to our faith. Faith in a God who is loving, faith in a grace that saves us. ‘Those that are victorious, those who overcome shall inherit all things, and I will be their God and they will be my children’(Rev 21:7).

Journey to Surrender

The land was rugged and desolate, the desert winds continuously sweeping the sand across the faces of the two travelers. They struggled onwards knowing soon, hopefully soon, the journey would end. The girl fought through the waves of fatigue and pain that coursed through her pregnant body, nine months pregnant to be exact. Yet here she was riding on the back of a donkey headed to a little town miles across the desert with her betrothed husband. This was not about a recent voyage through the desert. The process of this journey began months ago when the Angel appeared to her that fateful day saying to her, ‘Most favored one; you will bear the Son of God,’ of all people why her, she must have thought.¹ Imagine the thoughts running through her mind as she probably asked herself, “What will my family, friends, and relatives say?” Her plans for the future vanished and changed before her eyes with the one word from the Angel of the Lord.

We take years and months to decide and prepare ourselves for whatever the Lord may want from our lives. Oftentimes we even want several confirmations for our question, “Is this really what you want me to do Lord?” Mary was not allowed to do a careful cost-benefit-analysis of this call. She had no idea how long and where this journey would take her yet she simply said, “I am the Lord’s servant, may it be to me as you have said.” ²

Withholding nothing she surrendered her will, her life, and her body, everything to God. 

Journeying quickly to Elizabeth’s house her pregnancy was confirmed in a most delightful way as Elizabeth exclaimed, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! ...Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!” ³ What a wonder it must have been to first feel Jesus’ presence? In the midst of the fear and hardship, there was joy as the Holy Spirit inspired.

The thoughts, the fears, the realities Mary faced were put aside in that one decision to completely obey the Lord, in simple faith. Knowing the uncertainty of what lay ahead faith overruled fear. As she faced Joseph three months into her growingly obvious state he too had to make a decision to obey the Lord’s instructions. His character and faith were revealed as he allowed God’s perfect will to be accomplished in both their lives.

God has a call upon each of our lives; His will for us is more than anything we can imagine. Our plans can not compete with what God has in store. The journey is long and we may never know what lies ahead. The desert storms may rage around you and the pain of God’s plan birthing inside of you may bring you to your knees. With a child like faith we can conquer fear and surrender our lives to something greater.

Luke 1: 46 “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant…for the Great One has done great things for me-holy is His name. His mercy extends to those who fear him.”