Sweet surprises along the writing journey
by Julie Lavender

My walk with God this week takes me on an unexpected publication journey, rather than on my usual nature walk blogpost. Most of my writing projects have followed a certain, expected path - pray, research, read, attend conferences, pray, query, wait, receive a few rejections, pray, query more, celebrate an acceptance, praise, pray, write, hit "send," wait, celebrate publication! 


But, I love it when God surprises me, reminding me that He is the author and perfecter of my faith, as well as my writings! 

Several years ago at a conference, I met Michelle Cox during one of the amazing classes she taught. Her effervescent personality, never-ending smile, joyous spirit, and heart for the Lord inspired me from the moment I met her. Her passion for God is evident in all that she says and does.

CONSIDER THE MAYFLY

Its name is a misnomer. The diminutive insect is active more often than just the month of May. My husband and I spotted a plethora of those dainty mayflies flitting about while we were walking on an Indian summer day.

“Look quickly – they only live a day,” said my biologist husband. “Sometimes two days, at most.”

Mayflies, in the order Ephemeroptera, have one job as an adult: to mate and produce eggs to start the cycle all over again. The female lays the eggs on top of the water. As the eggs fall to the bottom of the water, the female quickly becomes fish food for surface lurkers.

GUEST BLOGGER

I "met" my guest blogger, J.D. Wininger, through our Blue Ridge Bible Study Writers group on Facebook, but I'll meet him in person soon at the Enrich Conference in just a couple of weeks. J.D. writes a wonderful blog each week at "Around the Cross Dubya," and his posts center around the ranch that he and his wife own and take care of. On his blog, he states: "As a Christian writer, my sole desire is to bring glory to God by using the gifts and talents He gave me, in his service." One of those gifts that I've noticed in our friend J.D. is the gift of encouraging. J.D. is faithful to respond to others' posts and comments with some of the most encouraging words I've ever read, words that lend spiritual insight and wisdom to the subject at hand, and words that encourage the writer with kindness and empathy. Please enjoy J.D.'s powerful post below, and then check out his website for more great posts.

Nature’s Webs

by J.D. Wininger

This morning while watering the calves, I glimpsed a grasshopper that seemed to be hanging in mid-air. Like a stop-motion video, I turned to understand what I was looking at. Sure enough, a grasshopper had jumped its way right into a web from one of my garden spiders. Here, it was suspended between the side of one of my stock trailers and its rear gate. As I watched the grasshopper struggle to free itself for about fifteen seconds, I noticed the spider on the other end of the web approaching. It quickly made its way to the prey, subduing it by injecting a toxin.

This week, I'm veering just off the path a tad, away from my nature-centered blog, unless you consider teenagers a bunch of "wild" creations, and at times, I certainly did with my own teens and with the ones I volunteered with at my church! 

I wrote about that in a devotional that was published in The Upper Room, and I would be honored if you'd take a look at that devotional and join in on the comments on that page. 

God does take us down various paths "on our walk" with Him, and I enjoyed my time of serving Him while volunteering with the youth group for many years.

Please click here to read. 

Also, please take a look at "more from Julie Lavender" and you'll see pictures of the two grandmothers that encouraged me while "on my walk with God" as a youngster. I'd be delighted if you'd check that out, also. 

Thank you, as always, for reading. I treasure each one of you!

CONSIDER THE MILLIPEDE

by Julie Lavender

The steamy hot humid nights we’ve had lately in southeast Georgia have brought out a plethora of millipedes on my evening walks with my husband. My morning walks seem to catch those arthropods heading back to daytime shelter after nocturnal foraging for decaying leaves and other dead plant matter.

CONSIDER THE PAINTED LADY BUTTERFLY
by Julie Lavender

Beautiful Painted Lady butterflies caught my attention as I headed out for my morning walk with God. Flitting about the bright-colored lantana blooms, the winged insects searched for sweet nectar amongst the blossoms. Flashes of deep orange against black, with white-spot embellishments, are eye-catching and appealing as the butterflies never seem to sit still for longer than a few seconds.

CONSIDER THE CICADA 
by Julie Lavender

I love my walks with God anywhere, but I especially like the quiet, serene ones that take me out of my neighborhood and away from civilian life. Like the opportunity to hike in the mountains of north Georgia, where I know the roar of vehicles won’t interrupt my thoughts or the occasional plane flying over won’t distract me. Or the pleasant sounds of children playing won’t take me out of my daydreams or prayers.