A new outlook this Easter...

Easter is a season of forgiveness. Jesus Christ, free of sin, sacrificed His life on the cross for the sins of all men and women. God allowed His One and Only Son to suffer and die for each of us. Once I accepted this truth and repented of the sin in my life there was such a sense of relief. I’m not in this alone. I knew I couldn’t do it in my own strength and with the help of the Holy Spirit life started to move forward.

In 2006 the first manuscript of “Where’s Heidi? The Search Begins” was drafted and then put away to collect dust for a couple years. I attempted to revise and edit in 2008 but only made it partially through before the grief and pain started to overcome me. Another two years and with God’s strength and a lot of prayer I not only delved into some serious revision, I also shared my writing with complete strangers. This was the first step of truly trusting and letting go.

The past two years have been spent editing, revising, rewriting, adding to, and eliminating portions of “Where’s Heidi?” This is always done with much prayer and the support of my family and friends. Although there isn’t a contract or release date for “Where’s Heidi?” yet, people are asking, “What’s next?” A fun question and my mind races with the options.

Prior to this Easter season I planned to put together a book of my blogs but in the format of a devotional for grieving siblings OR maybe develop the fiction story I read this winter at The River’s End Bookstore OR maybe something about the healing process experienced through the final steps to seek publication of “Where’s Heidi?” BUT then this Easter season started and God has placed something completely different on my heart.

He woke me VERY early one morning and nine pages of notes later a 3-part retreat topic and book outline have been birthed. My husband, Ed, asked, “How can you write about that when you aren’t completely there yourself, yet?” I smiled and said this was more of a reason to do it. Who knows maybe I won’t seek publication for this book idea and it will simply be a 3-part retreat series. It is all in God’s hands, for now I will continue to write, study, pray, and trust.

Tomorrow is Easter Sunday. The most difficult day for my parents and some of you in relation to Heidi’s disappearance yet thanks to the blood shed by Jesus and the hope I have in my heart, Easter isn’t as difficult. I still think of my sister first in the morning with a special prayer but overall, tomorrow is a day of celebration. Jesus Christ defeated the cross and rose again, the only person to ever survive the cross…and He brought a thief with Him to paradise. I pray to be this forgiving too, are you?

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