Happy New Year

I have been given confirmation that this coming year of 2007 will indeed be a year to be remembered.
Six months ago I read an ad in the classifieds that offered a condo with panaramic view of the beach, the marsh and the ICWW. I was instantly drawn to call about the place I knew in my heart was to be mine for the next six months. My dream began in August and will end supposedly unless God intervenes in March. Tonight begins the New Year and the panaramic view truley was a treat and affirmably my gift from God. As I stood on my front deck I watched as fireworks were making a beautiful display on the beach and as far away as Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach, of which I have a clear view. All night the party has been displayed within my view. My back deck affords the view of the fireworks from the Boardwalk and Harbor. How beautiful it was, and how safe I felt as I watched from my dark secluded perch in the sky.
The weather man has foretold bad weather approaching from the west and indeed I felt sprinkles as I left work late this afternoon. My usual walk on the beach was lit by the lights on the pier. People that appeared as shadows began to join me at the seashore. The sky was dark as had the past few years been with the looming of impending death clouded my mind. I know in my heart that my days are numbered by God and the end of them has been heavy on my heart as of late. As I looked around through the darkness at the lives that were moving in search of the hope that a new year might offer, I wondered at the sight. Fifty eight years now seems like it was lived in the dark waiting for the hope of the new year.
I walked back to my palace that is to others a one bedroom condo. The quietness enhanced the sound of the few fireworks that came from the beach.
I went to bed and dozed for I know not how long. When I woke the sounds of the New Year were echoing throughout Carolina Beach. I moved to the back deck and was able to watch the light show from North East and West. It was pretty as the colors burst in the air. I thought of our men and women over seas ushering the new year in with a light show quite different than our own. Then it became quiet again; My children were heavy on my heart. What were they doing on this night of new beginnings? As I stood in the comfort of the cool night air, the moon made a glorious appearance through the clouds that were formed around it like the white of the eye around the pupil. It was as though the eye of God looked upon me and the brightness of the moon and it's surrounding cloud overcame the meager display of man's fireworks. Man will never be able to out-perform God. As I remained frozen gazing into His eye the stars came forth to shower the sky as the fireworks had earlier; only they do not fade away.
This night was for me. This night my Lord spoke to me from His Heavens and told me of a new year, a new day, a new path. This year will belong to my son. I will see my son. He has been the one that has lain in the background, denied the presence of his mother for all these years. But no more. He has asked nothing of me, required nothing of me; yet I know he needs me more now than ever. And this will be the year that I will be his. I will live this new year as though it were my last, whether it be so or not. I love my girls, but they have had me close their entire lives and thus take that closeness forgranted. He has been without me and I without him; each moment will be precious. I am anxiouse to begin this new year of our Lord, 2007.
May God be with us all and His will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.

Now it's HOME.

We (Harley, me-me, and myself) had a long drive back to Wilmington today. It rained without stop all the way. The entire time all I could think about was having to walk two dogs in the rain on the beach, and how I didn't have an umbrella or hoodie. The very thought made me feel wet. They rode well; Me-me settled on my lap as usual and Harley sat up in the passenger seat to see where we were going. Now and then I put the window down a few inches for him to get a scent of where we were. They need that if they ever get lost. After about an hour he settled in, curling up for a nap. Something I longed to do. As we neared hwy 76/74 at Reiglewood the rain began to let up. I was hopeful. Then I turned onto the hwy 76/74 and my hopes were dashed. That has got to be the darkest road in NC. Traffic was heavy and got heavier the closer we got to the bridge. As usual Me-me knew we were close to home when we went over the bridge and sprang up to the window like a kid looking for Santa after hearing something on the roof!
Carolina Beach Road is scarry at the least on a rainy night. Going over Snow's Cut bridge brought Harley to life and he whined all the way to the Condo. As soon as we parked and everyone was out of the car it was off to the races. Who was going to go first and in which direction was the old lady going to give in to? Harley immediately made the dog-walk grass HIS and naturally under the window of the lady that watches to see if you pick it up! I wasn't prepared to pick up cow-patties so we immediately made haste to the beach. Harley was led by Me-me down the beaten path, I tagged along. We were there only a few minutes watching the churning surf. The wind was kicking up the waves by the pier making them roar loudly. I could still hear them on my porch when we returned.
It is an unusually warm night and sitting on the porch eating supper was a joy. Harley excitedly watched a racoon playing around the swimming pool. He is taking to the condo really well. He is at present lying at the back porch door (it is open), Me-me is naturally in my lap with her head resting on my right arm as I type, and all is well with the world.
I am comfortable now. Another worry out of the way.
The Christmas tree is lit, with presents wrapped and awaiting their owners arrival on Sunday.
This will be the best Christmas I have had in a long long time.

It is a beautiful day at the beach. The sun is bright and the wind is calm. There is not one person on the beach. Not even me. I was on it earlier and it was just long enough to make me not want to go to work today. I have a client today that I dread dealing with. I would rather stay home and work on promoting my books and writing my new one. I would rather do my dishes and vacume. I would rather pull my fingernails out with pliers than go to work today!
But I am reminded:
Jesus had a job to do...
He prayed to God to let him out of it...
the answer He wanted to hear did not come...
He submitted to the will of His father...
and He went to work...
and I was saved.

Who knows who will be blessed today if I go to work?
At this point I don't see it being me.
Maybe the dreaded client will be blessed by my reluctant but submissive presence.
I hope so...
I pray so...
Somebody better get blessed out of me not getting to enjoy this beautiful day outside.

That's it.
I'm done.
Gotta get dressed.
Gotta go.
Heavy sigh.................

WHEN GOD SAYS: BRING IT ON! The keys to having the faith to hold on.
by Mary Catherine Pavlikianidis
Published by: Publish America
Available at: Amazon.com


You have to admit there are just some days that are better than others. Rainy days are soothing peaceful days for me. I like to sit and read my Bible and talk to the Lord about things that are on my mind. He always gives me insight pertaining to the different situations I bring before him and how He feels about them. There are other days that are bright and beautiful and He speaks to me through His creation. Everything in nature reveals the Glory of God. From thunder storms to butterflies His power and grace shine.
Throughout my life I have questioned why God allows things to happen the way they do. Good things happen to bad people and bad things happen to good people. And people we love hurt, and people we don't love never hurt. Or so it seems. I like answers. I like to know the why and how of things. Why can't a butterfly fly if you wipe the powder off of its wings? Why do babies die? Why? I don't have the answers. I always say when I get to Heaven I'm going to ask God why...And then I think, when I get to Heaven....it won't matter anymore. During these little talks with God I am given morsels to quench the hunger pains of doubt and frustration, and helplessness. We don't need to know why things happen the way they do. We need to know that God is going to get us through it. And that He really does care. I know this for a fact. I've learned to see His wisdom in everything – the good as well as the bad. I hope this book helps you see God the way I do. If you can get past the clouds… the SON is shining!

FORTY DAYS HATH SEPTEMBER
by Mary Catherine Aucoin

Excerpt:
“Well, here we go then. I said I wouldn’t go and I didn’t. I finally did what I wanted for a change, instead of the “proper” thing to do.”

Angela stood in the doorway taking in the room with one long sweeping gaze. As she made her way through the vacant room, she slowed in front of a picture that sat on the Baby Grande. The picture was oddly placed behind a large bowl of dying roses. The scarf that lay under it had slid, hanging softly to the floor. She was alone in the room. Odd, there were so many people in and out of the house earlier. The quietness seemed strange, lonely, and eternal.
The picture spoke without words. She wanted to touch it; but not the picture, the love. The love that was so evident in the picture. She wanted to touch the love, again. Off in the distance a movement caught her attention. She moved to a corner of the room where her presence would go un-noticed. She thought, “I don’t know why I think anyone would notice they hadn’t before.” She felt that most of her life had gone un-noticed. There had been no great deeds in her life to make anyone stand up and take notice. She was certainly no Joyce Meyer. Her ministry had never reached that level and she was not sure that she ever wanted it to get that large. Small intimate gatherings were more her style. Her comfort zone was with a few people and one on one ministering. Until now there was nothing that would make her memorable to anyone that did not know her personally. She questioned God constantly, never quite sure if she was fulfilling the plan He had set out for her. If she could start over what would she do differently? Well, there was no sense in looking back. “It’s the present that needs to be dealt with,” she thought to herself. She always thought too much. She had kept her thoughts to herself and put them down in her manuscripts. Writing had been a good outlet for her throughout the years. She enjoyed the opportunities to speak to women’s groups and organizations. But she found that in writing her deepest thoughts were somehow transparent.

There was only one person other than Jesus that she thought understood her insecurities. Joe always listened and at least pretended to understand what she was talking about. But he was gone. Even when he was alive he had never belonged to her. Their timing had never been right. When she was single he was not and vice-versa. But their friendship was stronger than any marriage she had ever known. Angela always attributed that to the lack of an intimate relationship between them. She had learned over the years that relationships somehow became all ‘muddled up’ as she called it when sex came into play. Joe had been a stabilizing force in her life of mountains and valleys, and deserts, and had always had a way of making her think straight. His six-foot plus frame carried him well. He was a striking man that exuded strength in character as well as having an almost Moses on the mountain persona when he entered a room. A powerful, no holes barred preacher that could and would be brutally honest when it came to where he saw a person in regards to salvation. At times that honesty made Angela cringe as though God himself had pointed his finger at an area in her life that had been hidden from her, but she welcomed it. “I wish he were here now,” she thought. “It would be good if he were here now.” There she went, thinking again.

Two elderly women had wandered through the door coming in from the hall on the other side of the room. The long span of hallway that ran past the great room allowed for two entrances into the room. The builders had sly little remarks about that. “Too good to walk the forty paces to the first door, I reckon,” she had overheard one of them say during the building.
The two women were speaking quietly and looking at the pictures of the family that Angela had on the far wall. She called it her family gallery. Angela tried to hear what they were saying but it was very faint.
“I really didn’t know her that well.” The one woman whispered to the other.
“Then why did you come?” the other replied. It was more of a reprimand than a question.
“My thought exactly,” Angela thought shaking her head and grinning.
There was no response from the lady for a minute or two while she seemed to question her motive herself. As they walked around the room it finally slipped out without her even realizing it.
“How beautiful this place is; I’ve always wondered what it looked like inside.”


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Forty Days Hath September is a love story...a story of a womans love for the Lord, a love for her children and a man she would never marry. It is a story of forgiveness and learning where God is when Heaven is silent.
A funeral brings together a family separated by distance and beliefs. While staying at their mother's house two sisters and their brother along with the grandchildren come to grips with their spiritual beliefs and see first hand the foundation of their mother's faith.
It is a story of perfect healing and the lives that "perfect healing" affects.
Gripping and life changing this book will reveal God in ways that you never dared to believe.
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"Forty Days Hath September sets a new standard for Christian Fiction. Honest, heartwarming and thought-provoking...with a surprise at every turn. With so much rich imagery, once I got started reading, I did not want to put it down!"
Janet Gibson Uffinger, Editor of NEXT! Magazine