DEVOTION: It’s Not Just About Cricket

by Sherma Webbe Clarke | @sdwc8181 

And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him. Luke 5:11(KJV)

The momentum starts to build in July. A friendly rivalry heats up. Flags wave on cars, lawns, and from storefronts like political candidates. Red and dark blue flags for Somerset versus light blue and dark blue flags for St. George’s declare fan support.

“Hey, bye, you’re wearing the wrong colors.”

“My team’s taking the cup this year!”

Like any staunch St. George’s fan, I don’t wear red in the weeks before Cup Match (the name of the event and the colloquial name for the holiday) to avoid being accused of supporting the Somerset team. The entire community, from bus drivers to shopkeepers to CEOs, engages in good-natured teasing about the other person’s team. After all, a trophy and bragging rights are at stake.

Cup Match enthusiasm is infectious. It’s an excellent time for visitors to mingle with locals and receive first-hand information about Bermuda’s culture. Everyone should go to Cup Match at least once just for the experience. The perimeter of the field fills with spectators, and the pitch is dotted with players in cricket whites. With its bats, balls, and catchers, the game loosely resembles baseball, if I may make that comparison for the benefit of those who are unfamiliar with the sport. Colorful terms such as wicket, silly mid-on, and “Howzat?” (How’s that?) are exchanged for home runs, shortstop, and foul balls. Cricket might appear sedate to the unfamiliar onlooker, but the crowd is another story. Engaged, loud, and sun-kissed spectators share their knowledge of the game with those who wear curious or befuddled expressions.

Emancipation Day Plus Somers Day Equals Cup Match 

Cup Match officially began in 1902, and it falls on the Thursday and Friday before the first Monday in August. The history of Cup Match goes beyond the frenzy of a two-day cricket match. It is comprised of two significant historical events.

The first day of Cup Match is an observance of Emancipation Day, August 1, 1834, when slaves in Bermuda were freed according to the Slavery Abolition Act 1833. Thus began the practice by former slaves to take August 1 as a no-work day. Eventually, the day evolved into a community celebration and swelled into a national treasure.

The second day, Somers Day, commemorates the event when the Sea Venture, captained by Admiral George Somers, ran aground in Bermuda in 1609. Although the survivors of the wrecked ship remained on the Island for 10 months, Bermuda wasn’t settled as a colony by the British until 1612.

Therefore, over Cup Match we remember freedom and discovery.

Discovery and a New Name 

A Christian’s story has similar themes. Can you remember when you discovered or found Christ? Some people can recall the exact time and place. I remember being baptized, publically declaring my decision to follow Him. I rose from the water free in Jesus as he promised in John 8:36: “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed”. He gave me a new name, not Somers Isles or Bermuda, but Daughter of God. He wrote my new name in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

Each day men and women make emancipation proclamations in their hearts. Jesus came to this world in the flesh to set captives free from the bondage of sin. He sends us into the field to tell others about the good news of salvation. When He returns, the loud cry of joy will be raised by His people, not Howzat? but Hallelujah!

Then we will celebrate in our heavenly home for eternity.

Praise God!

Let's chat: What unique holiday do you observe where you live?

About Sherma...

Sherma is a contemporary fiction writer, amateur photographer, reading enthusiast, and wife who often takes her husband by the hand to explore nearby and far-flung areas of the globe. This wanderlust has its perks. She credits many of her story ideas to these adventures, which provide great opportunities for research for short stories and the novel series she is currently working on. Quiet, early-morning walks along the railroad trails on her home island of Bermuda provide inspiration when she is homebound. She has been awarded prizes for short stories written for local publications, and her inspirational writing has been included in Christian devotional books: Grace Notes and Blessed. Sherma is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers.

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Writing in Season

What season is it for you?

Here in western Canada, it is the dead of winter, though I know some of you are in the heat of summer! Winter may be my favorite season to write. I can cozy up to my laptop near the fire with a mug of something hot – I'll be honest; that's usually a homemade mocha! – and dream of happenings in other places. There's no need to worry about outside work on the farm, because we no longer have livestock. A walk on the country road most afternoons is all the 'outside' I need.

It's just me and my story world, day after day, and that suits me pretty fine!

In spring, outside is rather enticing, at least once the mud dries up and the daffodils poke out of the ground. The flowerbeds need a good weeding, the yard needs a back scratch (ie: rake) and, later on, it's time to put the garden in.

Still, my thoughts are often having adventures with my imaginary friends, and I scurry inside to record what they are doing.

Summer brings heat and the ever-present balance between the need to weed the garden and the incessant buzz and bite of mosquitoes. I'm not a lover of heat, so I do the minimal amount of yard work and spend most of my writing time in the living room rather than my too-hot upstairs office.

Summer might be the second best season for me to write, though. Or at least it would be if we didn't go camping so many weekends. By camping, I'm not talking about the local KOA with electrical outlets. I'm talking about sitting by a creek, miles from the nearest current (or currant) bush. I get a lot of reading done when we're camping. Sometimes character building and other story planning, but actual writing is a bit tricky when the laptop runs out of juice so quickly.

Autumn weather pulls me outside again with cooler temperatures and fewer bugs. Also the garden harvest is in full swing with tomatoes and other produce to can and freeze. It's definitely the busiest season of all on the farm. The first frost of the year is welcome to end the bounty so calmer schedules can prevail.

In 2015 I wrote in all seasons, but I got a good start in the first five months by writing three novellas and one novel. Two more novellas and then most of a novel followed in the summer and fall – a novel I finally finished the first draft of last week, though I'd intended to complete that stage in 2015.

Writing in season means something else to me, too. I wrote a Christmas novella in August, listening to carols stream from iTunes and pretending it was ten below (Celsius) instead of thirty-five above! It didn't always work. The novel I just completed, Berry on Top, the final installment in the Farm Fresh Romance series, takes place from mid-December through mid-February, and I wrote it in October through January – a much better alignment.

What about you? Do you tend to read stories that take place in the season you're currently in? As a writer, how hard (or easy) is it for you to immerse yourself in the opposite season in your story world?

Valerie Comer's life on a small farm in western Canada provides the seed for stories of contemporary inspirational romance. Like many of her characters, Valerie and her family grow much of their own food and are active in the local food movement as well as their church. She only hopes her creations enjoy their happily ever afters as much as she does hers, shared with her husband, adult kids, and adorable granddaughters.

Seasons of a Writer's Life

Life is all about seasons, isn’t it? Year in and year out we see them in nature. But we see them in our personal lives, too—good times, bad times; times of prosperity, difficult times; sickness, health. I’m sure you’ll agree that the seasons are here for growth, whether in the flowers and trees, the birds and the bees, or our own personal emotional, physical, mental, or spiritual growth.

I found a great Pinterest board with encouraging sayings about this very same thing. Things like embracing the season you’re in, or that fact that seasons come and seasons go.  I’m sure you’ll enjoy a visit to https://www.pinterest.com/ladybnubian/seasons-in-life/

Even the Bible speaks about these seasons of life in the book of Ecclesiastes—a time for this, and a time for that. The same is true for the life of the writer. We have definite seasons of summer, autumn, winter, and spring. I believe for the writer, the seasons begin with...

...that awesome, fun, and exciting season when our minds explode with new story ideas, when words (excuse the pun) spring to mind. It’s a time of busyness, a time of planting—words, thoughts, ideas. Oh my, isn’t that manuscript going to be magnificent come summer?

Mark Twain has this to say about the season: “It’s spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you’ve got it, you want—oh, you don’t quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!”

And as writers, struck with spring fever, we want to get that story down on paper. So, with our ideas seeds sown, our story begins to grow, and before we know it, we’re into the heat of ....

...slogging and sweating to get to those last two words—The End—and reveling in the warmth of each day as we watch with excitement, anticipation, and yes, even anguish. Ten thousand words. Twenty. Fifty. As in nature, the days are longest during summer; the nights shortest. We work much, sleep little. Got to get that first draft done.

I love what Russel Baker has to say about this glorious season: “Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it.”

We delight in the writing process, but let’s face it, it’s hard work. And oh, don’t we just love it!

“There is something deep within us that sobs at endings. Why, God, does everything have to end? Why does all nature grow old? Why do spring and summer have to go?” ~ Joe Wheeler.

I hate seeing a manuscript come to an end, because it’s almost time to say goodbye to a place that I’ve spent hours in, and a hero and heroine I’ve come to adore. But there’s a season that’s waiting, that must follow summer—it’s the law of nature.

It’s also the law of the writing process. Editing is the writer’s autumn and there’s a good reason this season is known as fall. It’s a time for all those unnecessary words to fall away, a time to kill those darlings with the editor’s pruning shears. But autumn is also a beautiful, colorful season, and the same can be said for the writer’s autumn because it is in this busy cutting and shaping season that our writing takes on the rich hues of a piece worthy of publication. I just love these two autumn sayings:

• October’s poplars are flaming torches lighting the way to winter. ~Nova S. Bair
• Autumn carries more gold in its pocket than all the other seasons. ~Jim Bishop

How true—for nature, for the writer. But autumn must make way for...

 And so begins the long, cold season of life. Every mile is two in winter says George Herbert and he’s absolutely right. There’s no season I dread more in my writing life. That waiting, waiting, waiting for this endless season to cease with that glorious publishing contract we check our in-boxes daily for.

Awake, thou wintry earth -

Fling off thy sadness!

Fair vernal flowers, laugh forth

Your ancient gladness!

~Thomas Blackburn, "An Easter Hymn"

If you’re stuck in the dead of winter, ponder on this very wise proverb:  “No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow.” And when it comes, our minds come alive once more with the colors of spring. New story ideas. New heroes and heroines to fall in love with. New armchair places to journey to. And, along with that, a brand new book to begin marketing before that long-awaited release day.

More planting. More work. Another busy cycle in the seasons of a writer’s life. I think contemporary Turkish playwright and novelist, Mehmet Murat ildan, hit the nail on the head when he wrote: Winter is dead; spring is crazy; summer is cheerful and autumn is wise!

What season of your writing or personal life do you find yourself in today?

MARION UECKERMANN's passion for writing was sparked in 2001 when she moved to Ireland with her husband and two sons. Since then she has published devotional articles and stories in Winners, The One Year Devotional of Joy and Laughter, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Miraculous Messages from Heaven, and her debut novella, Helsinki Sunrise (White Rose Publishing, a Pelican Book Group imprint, Passport to Romance series). Her second Passport to Romance novella, Oslo Overtures, and her first Indie novella, Orphaned Hearts (Book 1 in her Heart of Africa Romance series), both release mid 2015. Marion loves writing romances set in novel places. She lives in Pretoria East, South Africa in an empty nest with her husband and their crazy black Scottie, Wally.

You can find her at www.marionueckermann.com or her Amazon author page.

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Think INSIDE the Box!

"My name is Valerie Comer, and I'm a box set addict."

Whew. It feels good to have that out in the open. Anyone who's been keeping an eye on my career in the past six months or more won't be surprised by my admission, though! I credit the first box set I participated in, Love Brings Us Home, with launching my career, even though I had five indie titles for sale before that box set released.

My primary goal was to get the first book in my Farm Fresh Romance series, Raspberries and Vinegar, into as many hands as possible in hopes that many, or at least some, readers would go on to purchase the other two books that were already available.

By cross-promoting with other authors, we'd not only gain access to each others' readerships, but rank high enough on Amazon's bestseller lists that continued organic reach would result. Wow. Did that ever happen! Love Brings Us Home stayed above the #10 spot on the Christian Contemporary Romance bestseller list for nearly six months and dominated at #3 or better for over half that time.

It was a total win/win. Readers got to read seven contemporary romance novels for 99 cents US. The authors split the 35-cents-per-copy-sold royalty and still made money because enough readers took a chance.

This whetted my appetite for a continued reach into the box set market. I contacted author friends and made plans for two sets for the summer season. The first released yesterday after six weeks on pre-order. It's called Summer of Love and contains 6 full-length previously-published romance novels from top-selling Christian authors, several the same as from the earlier set. Wild Mint Tea, the second novel in my Farm Fresh Romance series is included in Summer of Love.

The second summer set, Splash! 9 Refreshing Romance Novellas Filled with Faith contains only new material and will release in June. I'm thrilled my team includes Narelle Atkins and Marion Ueckermann, two other ICFW authors. Autumn Macarthur, from our ACFW Beyond the Borders group, also contributed a novella. This means that almost half the stories in this collection are set outside the USA for a fun international twist.

Splash! contains the following stories and locations:

His Perfect Catch by Narelle Atkins (Australia)
A holiday romance isn’t part of the plan when Mia Radcliffe temporarily moves to Sapphire Bay and lives next door to Pete McCall, her secret crush from years ago. Pete prefers the simple life. Can Mia leave behind her big-city dreams and settle with Pete in the seaside town?

Sweet Serenade by Valerie Comer (Canada)
Carly and Reed thrive on the rush of running rapids in a canoe until they capsize in both river and romance. Will secrets from the past drown their future, or can this idyllic summer romance lead to a lifetime of sweet serenades?

More than Friends by Autumn Macarthur (Scotland)
When nurse Catriona asks for help with her Vacation Bible School for disabled children, she never imagines how much could go wrong on a simple seaside day out — or that the colleague she's secretly loved for years might come to see her as more than his best friend's little sister.

Love Flies In by Heidi McCahan (Alaska)
He’s a seaplane pilot determined to honor his convictions. She’s a kayak guide who mocked his faith for sport. One small lakeside cabin in Alaska can’t house them both.

Testing the Waters by Lesley Ann McDaniel (Oregon)
After breaking up with her ultra-critical boyfriend, Teresa decides to reinvent herself. She meets a nice guy named Curt on the beach in Crescent Cove, Oregon, and tells him she’s Terése from Paris. Pretending to be someone else is fun until the unthinkable happens — she starts to fall for him.

The Lifeguards, the Swim Team, and Frozen Custard by Carol Moncado (Missouri)
Lifeguard Alivia Collins looks forward to another summer on the guard stand at the Serenity Landing Aquatic Center. This year, she’s going to have to keep herself from falling for the cute, new guard — or realize it’s time to give love another chance.

Time and Tide by Lynette Sowell (Virginia)
When out-of-work fashion journalist Karyn Lewis uses the summer to regroup on the coast of Virginia, she plans to lie low at Pine Breezes campground. She doesn't plan for her heart to be on a collision course with old friend Brodie Reed. They must decide if the past that looms between them will be too much for them to have a future together.

Draw You Near by Jan Thompson (Georgia)
Savannah artist Abilene Dupree keeps her personal life out of her commercial paintings except one. That one painting has now brought Londoner Lars Cargill back to the coastal town and into her art world. Can she hold him at bay before he invades her personal space and her heart?

Orphaned Hearts by Marion Ueckermann (Zambia)
His faith buried with his wife, Simon devotes himself to raising his daughter and orphan elephants. Lady Abigail postpones an arranged marriage, leaving England to teach the children of Africa. Will his past—or her future—keep their hearts orphaned?

Won't you give Splash! a try? You'll find links for pre-order on my website.

Meanwhile, a true addict is always thinking ahead where they might get their next fix. I'm already planning for the Christmas 2015 season!

Valerie Comer's life on a small farm in western Canada provides the seed for stories of contemporary inspirational romance. Like many of her characters, Valerie and her family grow much of their own food and are active in the local food movement as well as their church. She only hopes her creations enjoy their happily ever afters as much as she does hers, shared with her husband, adult kids, and adorable granddaughters.

Valerie writes Farm Lit where food meets faith, injecting experience laced with humor into her stories. Her debut novel, Raspberries and Vinegar: A Farm Fresh Romance, was awarded Best Contemporary Romance published in 2013 by The Word Guild.


Think Inside the Box Image courtesy of digitalart at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

Summer Vacation

Alice Valdal here, posting for Cathy West, who is still enjoying her summer vacation, dabbling her toes in a lake and inaccessible by Internet.
I'm just back from my own summer trip. I went home, to the place where I was born, walked the lane ways of my childhood, swam in clear, deep water and, one magical night, watched falling stars streak through the heavens. Ah, thought I, summertime!

Then we went visiting, reconnecting with my family, meeting the newest babies and greeting a bridegroom. We lived in a car, navigated strange cities, desperately seeking rest stops, and wondered loudly why "they" can't post signs for the blinking freeways. Ah, thought I, a visit is not a vacation!

Two nights in a stuffy hotel room, too much food, too much noise, too little sleep and I had a cold. With a determined smile, we waved farewell to family, boarded the subway and headed for the airport. On the way, the express bus broke down. We got caught in a cloudburst. We trundled through miles of airport hallways -- desperately seeking a rest stop -- printed our own boarding passes, tagged our own luggage and finally made it to the departure gate, only to encounter a long wait. The incoming plane was late. Finally on board, forty minutes behind schedule, we taxied down the runway. My head ached, my eyes burned but, I figured out the flying time and the time zone changes, and took heart. I'd be home before dark. Then the plane stopped. We waited again, while a brake cooled down. Ah, thought I, I hate holidays!

Landed at last on Vancouver Island. The temperature had dropped and a wind blew hard across the parking lot. At least the cool air felt good on my fevered skin. A short taxi ride and we were home. I dumpedthe suitcase of dirty clothes into the washer, waded through the drifts of cat hair that now covered the pristine floors I'd left behind, popped a cold tablet and fell into bed. Ah, thought I, my own pillow!

Next morning I turned on my computer and found 1000 items in my inbox. I opened the fridge and found it bare. I wandered out to the garden and beheld a jungle. Pumpkins grew through the roses, squash vines strangled the peas, bean plants bent under the weight of their crop. The grass was long, the weeds in full array and tucked into my freezer were buckets of plums my neighbour had plucked from my tree and saved for me. Ah, thought I, what a friend!

Today the laundry is done, I've fruit for jam, simmering on the stove. The cats have forgiven our absence. One is curled on my lap right now. The sun is shining. The lawn is mown, my inbox is empty and this morning's devotional is Matt. 11: 28. Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Ah, think I, rest in the Lord. Now that's a vacation!

Anyone care to share a vacation memory?

http://www.alicevaldal.com/