Reggi Broach's Blog

Greetings,

This morning, in celebration of Mother's Day, several members of the congregation recorded short videos of things they learned from their mothers. As I listened to the legacies passed on from one generation to the next, I reflected on my own life. My mother died thirteen years ago and I miss her very much. My mother didn't have strong, mantras that reverberated through our lives. She was a strong Christian, but she lived it more than she spoke about it.

I was invited to include a video about what I learned from my mother this Sunday, but the thing that came to my mind first and seemed to get stuck in the forefront of my mind was "Always read a recipe all the way through to the end before you start to cook." Despite being sound advice, it just didn't compare to the things so many others mentioned this morning. As I struggled with the thoughts running through my mind, I knew I learned much more from my mother than that.

My mother prayed, quietly in her bedroom with the door shut. I didn't see it, but I know it happened. My mother studied her Bible because she taught Sunday School classes with adults who had genuine deep questions about spiritual matters. If she didn't know an answer, she researched until she had a satisfactory answer for her adult students. She taught children's programs so she knew how to explain things they could understand. My mother never claimed to be smart and even tried to claim the opposite. She felt educationally inferior to my father who had a Bachelor's degree and later a Master's. My mom went to college but never got a degree but she was still quite intelligent. My mother knew how to cook from scratch with or without a recipe and how to substitute ingredients when something came up short. She taught us about finances, relationships, even psychology. When my brother was little he kept cheating at a game. She played the game with him and watched him cheat repeatedly. She allowed him to get away with it. He finally reached a point where he got bored with the unjustified winning and he quit.

What does this have to do with tapestries? There was no one piece of advice, no one underlying theme that she preached or taught us aside from loving and serving the Lord. She taught the joy of singing the Lord's praises, but she never cried with joy, shouted, raised her hand, waved a hanky or ran the aisles. She taught me to speak loudly, clearly, and distinctly when speaking publicly. We were taught the importance of paying our tithe, giving of our time and talents for the Lord's work. She knew when we needed pep talks or metaphorical kicks in the seat of our pants. She gave us what we needed when we needed it. I have been woven together by the things she said, the things she didn't say, the things she did, the things she didn't do. The same is true for my father, but he'll just have to wait for Father's Day.

I got frustrated with Vol 7 of my book because there were so many plots and subplots going on simultaneously. I've been worried that it's too convoluted and busy. The point of my books is to point to God and give him glory. So many times in our lives God is working, weaving strong bold patterns into the fabric of our beings and balancing them with the more subtle complimentary colors and patterns. While he's working we may only see one little thing happening but beneath the surface, he's working an intricate, detailed splendor that we won't see the end result of in this lifetime. I got frustrated with my many plots and subplots, but God's subplots have subplots and he never loses track of a single thread.

Although my mother is gone from my life, her influence still weaves me into the person I am and the person I am growing into. As God continues to weave the tapestry that is me, the things my mother taught me are passed on to my children and now my grandchildren.

In these questionable times, God is weaving something awesome in our lives. I don't want things to go to what they were. I want to see what God is making. It's going to be awesome.

Love you,
Happy Mother's Day
Reggi

Hello,

I feel like God is fixing a pot of Beef Stew. When I make stew, I put the beef in the crockpot along with some water and seasonings and let it marinate and simmer for several hours. Next, I add my vegetables and let it cook and simmer for a few more hours, stirring occasionally.

Over the last few weeks, I have been challenged to read Nehemiah, Esther, Acts, and Judges. Some of them I have read and others I never got to. Through this time of sheltering-in-place, I have been able to spend a great deal more time reading scripture, praying for the needs of others, and watching not only my own church's services on-line but other churches' services.

It's like Beef Stew. I'm the crockpot and God places the meat in, (the scriptures) and I let them simmer throughout the past few weeks. As the meat starts to get done, he adds the vegetables (the sermons, devotionals, and songs) that I have listened to. I think on those added to what I have read and an amazing blend of ingredients produces a tasty and hearty meal.

Right now, I'm simmering on what I have read and heard and my goal is to provide sustenance for those around me. No, I don't have the answers to the mysteries of the universe. God makes the meals, I just want you to know how good it tastes and that his food supplies all that we need.

Mmm, I can smell it now. "Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him." Psalm 34:8 (NIV). Whatever happens in the next few weeks and the months to follow is going to be awesome. I love it already.

What is God cooking in your life?

You are blessed.

Reggi

Hello again,

I just wanted to give you a little picture of the things I have been seeing lately. I've been as busy as usual with work, housework, and writing. I'm editing one book and writing another. The one I am editing asks a question that the Lord and I have been discussing at length. When I say "at length" I mean for months. The question posed, in broad terms, is "What did Jesus do for you?" A character has suffered a loss and the other characters want to know how Arni (Jesus) actually did anything to help. To the eyes of the onlooker, nothing had changed. The loss was still there.

I lean on Jesus daily and I struggle with how to explain it. I still cry when I'm hurt. I still get angry. I still get frustrated, aggravated, tired and cranky. The scripture tells us to "be ye angry and sin not." I got saved when I was ten years old. My personality was barely established. I had committed no major sins, just the little things a ten-year-old could do. God had been a part of my life since the beginning. What would have been different if he wasn't there?

If Christ were not such a big part of my life, I think I would have fallen apart when my mother died, when my house burned down, when my husband and I went through a rough patch in our marriage. I'm pretty sure I would have done some very ugly things during that time.

I've had trouble listing the things God has done for me because it's like asking, "What were you wearing last Tuesday?" I don't remember what I wore. I just know I had clothes on. I know last Monday I was wearing scrubs but whether I was wearing black, gray or pink, I don't know. I may not be able to give you a detailed list of the many ways He has helped me, I just know I am covered. Jesus is a fact in my life. I know he loves me, he speaks to me, and he guides me.

I had a rough day at work this past week. I was on the verge of being cranky. God blessed me with co-workers who saw me drowning and came to my rescue. God has blessed me by being there for the big bad ugly things and the little tiny things. This morning I had a million little things nipping at me like little yappy dogs. I don't like little yappy dogs. I fall apart quicker under the stress of the thousand little things faster than the big things. Where was God this morning? He called me to be still and know that he is Lord. I stopped and prayed. My husband was experiencing the same things I was and he had the added stress of the entire church congregation waiting on the streaming church service. I went to the Lord with all of it and I went to the body of Christ for additional prayers. God answered. The church service happened with minimal problems, the little things stopped going wrong, and a sense of peace overwrote the stress.

I challenge you to join me this week in listing the ways God has blessed you. God has blessed all of us with some much-needed family time and a break from the rigors of hefty schedules. I normally see about four regular walkers in the neighborhood. Today, I saw a lot more than that. They weren't socializing with anyone outside their own household. It blessed me to see people living a life where they got to be together as a family and enjoying time together.

What has God blessed you with?

You are a blessing to me.

Love you,

Reggi

Hey guys,

Did you know, even in the subject line, you can't start a post with a "<" symbol. I realize it is a computer coding symbol, but when you put it into a field intended for text, I thought it would be irrelevant. It's not.

Hello Friends,

In the midst of the quarantine chaos, I still have to, or get to, work depending on how you want to look at it. I'm not upset about working, at least not any more than usual. I would love to be independently wealthy and not have to work. God hasn't trusted me with wealth and my track record with money is not spotless so I would say he has good reason not to trust me with it. In either case, I am a nurse so we will work through all of this. Two of my co-workers asked me a question the other day about what worried me the most about the virus and its implications. I told them I wasn't worried although having trouble finding toilet paper was starting to become concerning. That was a good solid three steps from the mildest of worries.

[EPIC FAIL]

1 Peter 3:15 (NIV) says:  But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 

This is why I write. I am lousy at speaking off-the-cuff. It isn't that I don't have hope, or that I don't know where my hope comes from. My problem is recognizing opportunities when I see them. I can only hope that those two coworkers took courage from my lack of worry.

In reflecting for the last few days since that question, I asked myself; what does worry me and why am I not worried about this? The things that worry me, in general, not just this set of circumstances, are; the unsaved around me, those who accept who God is and why his son came but don't really follow him, the struggles that my children face, and various issues faced by friends and family (health, aging, marital issues, etc). I sometimes lie awake at night worrying (needlessly) about past wrongs I have done. That's an entirely different battle.

I shouldn't worry about any of those things because worry is fear in disguise. There are at least 365 scriptures in the Bible addressing fear. That's one for every day of the week. My daughter expressed her worries about how this was going to disrupt her plans for graduation, her car payment, and other things. These are issues that are weeks or months away. I reminded her of the Lord's Prayer where we are to ask God for our daily bread, "Daily" not "Weekly" or "Monthly" or "Yearly." The Lord's Prayer is found in Matthew chapter 6 along with another long narrative about NOT worrying. The section in the latter portion of that chapter talks about the birds not worrying. The birds never know where their next meal is coming from. God values us more highly than the birds. We don't need to worry, because all worry does is cloud our minds and ruin our moods. Does this mean I never worry? No, it means I have sufficient provocation to stop when worries come.

My co-workers, the two who specifically asked me that question, have legitimate concerns. They are worried about being quarantined in the hospital. They have young children who depend on them as mothers. I understand their concerns and I would certainly have more angst if I were in that same stage in my life. These are worthy concerns. I suppose if I were going to worry about something, it would be about the plunge my retirement account has probably taken recently.

My first thoughts about this seemed slightly morbid and not encouraging. The apostle Paul tells us, "For me to live is Christ, to die is gain." I take courage and comfort from that passage. This goes back to my original worries. I worry when people I care about waste their lives living for self instead of God. To me, Paul's admonition is a win-win scenario. If I die, I will be in Heaven with my Heavenly Father, the one who has never left me or forsaken me. If I live, I will speak to Him daily and share his message of hope in the ways that I can. Anyone who has read my books will see this underlying theme in them if I live I'll do what God commands, if I don't I will join Him.

In Luke 12:4-7, Jesus tells us not to be afraid of things that can do us physical harm but we should be afraid of the one who has the power to throw us into hell. Again, this doesn't sound comforting to most. He also says again in that passage that we are more important than the birds. God knows exactly how many hairs every person on this planet has at any given moment. How many hairs did you lose this week? Humans are constantly losing hairs and growing new ones. The number we have isn't important, but we have a God who is SO in control, that he knows even such an unimportant thing as that everchanging number for the seven and a half billion people covering the Earth.

When I do worry, I worry because I am human and Satan would like nothing better than to distract me from God's promises. I'm also a slow thinker. Satan knows that too. He generally attacks me with worry in the middle of the night. I am also NOT a morning person. I don't wake up well. When I worry it is in those times when I am not in control of myself. Do I have nothing worth worrying about? Of course, I do. My point is, I have reasons to be hopeful and encouraged. God is ALL-Powerful. He is in control of ALL. I get into trouble when I don't trust him. What does that mean for this time of uncertainty? It means, I am a good steward of my resources and I trust him when my resources begin to fail me. I've seen a few people acting irresponsibly and I pray for them and the rest of us who have to deal with their actions. I pray for those at risk. I give thanks when I see those who take care of their neighbors who are at risk. There is a song out there "I Raise a Hallelujah." Look it up on YouTube and raise your own Hallelujah because hope isn't lost.

These are the reasons I am a writer. God isn't a sidebar in my life and His message is important but I'm not good at verbalizing. As you can see by the length of this post, there's a lot I can say, given the right format.

Stay safe, you are BLESSED by this, and lastly - wash your hands. :)

Love you,
Reggi

Hello All,

According to Gary Chapman's book, The Five Love Languages, there are five ways to express one's love for another. Words of Affirmation, although it is something I appreciate, is not something I am good at. I've studied prayer at length and some of the key factors in prayer are praise and thanksgiving. It doesn't matter who I am attempting to praise, my husband, my children or my God. It's difficult for me. It's something I am working to improve.

So what is my point? I owe God so much praise but I am lousy at praising. Part of it is a lack of verbal skills. I don't think quickly and events get past me too quickly. If you ever receive praise from me, write it down, frame it on the wall, whatever you need to do because it may be a while before you get another one. It doesn't mean you aren't worthy of more praise, just that I may not be able to produce another compliment for some time.

I asked myself why I was having trouble praising God. If anyone deserves praise and thanks, it's Him. It's my job to be a witness to what He has done for me. I thank Him for my food daily. What about all the other blessings He's given me? I wake up every morning in a comfortable warm bed. I have clean water to shower with. I have the task of writing (a counter to my verbal inadequacies), a laptop to write on, a job that pays the bills, a vehicle that gets me where I want to go, a wonderful husband, three beautiful talented children, three (soon to be four) awesome grandchildren. I have salvation and all of creation to be thankful for.

One thought that continues to awe me is that God knew before he ever said, "Let there be light," what treacheries mankind, myself included, would commit. He STILL said it. He still created man, knowing the pain and suffering it would cause. Scripture tells us that he doesn't want any of us to perish. If the rest of mankind got everything right and I was the only one who got it wrong, He would have STILL sent His Son to die in my place.

Is that not worthy of praise and thanksgiving? It is. I'm not giving up on my attempts to improve my verbal skills. I am capable of teaching, preaching, and leading a discussion, but this off the cuff stuff is difficult for me so forgive me if I haven't testified to things God has done for me or His greatness. It's my failing, not His.

My goals are to use my strengths (writing) to give Him the praise He deserves and continue to work on the verbal side of things. I have a friend on Twitter that posts daily gratitudes. I am going to begin posting testimonies about God's goodness on my various social media platforms.  Feel free to ask me what God has done for me recently. I challenge you to push me to think and respond.

Today, I am thankful for my salvation. God is good because he didn't have to do that. I didn't deserve his love, mercy or kindness. I am also thankful for a friend who Tweets daily reminding me to be grateful. I'm thankful God gave me the task of writing. I love it and telling his story in written form so much. I love you, my friends, my fellow writers, my fans, my family.

May God bless your day richly.

Love you,
Reggi

Some people have trouble understanding the concept of Christian Fiction. I write Christian Science Fiction (Sci-Fi) which seems to be even more confounding. I saw a question posted the other day from a writing acquaintance regarding the theology behind a Christian Messiah in a world of Elves, Humans, and Dwarves. My goal is not to discuss that question but the presence of theology in fiction.

Since entering the writing community two years ago, I've seen numerous theological questions present themselves and I've read other Christian fantasy books. In some books, the theology or scriptural parallels are obvious while in others not so much.

Thirty-five years ago I went to college with the intention of studying theology so that whatever God led me to write would be a sound teaching. I made some mistakes back then but the foundational education I received remained. I've since spent numerous years teaching Bible studies, Sunday School classes, and other things. I teach in an effort to learn. Some lessons God has tried to teach me several times over. I did virtually no writing until ten years ago.

Ten years ago when I started writing, I had to do some serious digging into the scriptures. I've been in the church since birth, I've studied the Bible in school, read through the Bible numerous times. If anyone, other than pastors or theologians, should know the scriptures, it's me.

In C. S. Lewis's book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, there are clear Biblical parallels. I've spent the last ten years attempting to follow this tradition. I'm coming up on my three year anniversary of being published. I haven't made the Best-Sellers' List and I haven't even made a profit. I got slightly discouraged at one point and nearly quit writing. I've learned a lot in the past year. The Lord and I had some interesting conversations about my doubts. He reminded me that he would have spared Sodom and Gomorrah if ten righteous men could be found there. Christianity teaches us that Christ would have died on the cross for even one person.

Putting strong theology in fiction increases my understanding of Biblical truths and hopefully explains it to the reader in a way that is spiritually edifying. The truth is the truth. I've never tried to rewrite the Bible. What I and others like me are writing is a colorful illustration of what we see and understand.

As writers, we may never know who will be touched by our writing. We may never know how many are reached. The thing I do know is that my writing is changing me. If I'm the only one who's changed, it is enough.

God bless you all,

Reggi

Hey All,


I have a friend and fellow author, Annie Douglass Lima, who among her other exciting books has released a cookbook. It's not just any cookbook, but it's an oatmeal cookbook. My husband has been experimenting with her recipes for a couple weeks now and loving every minute of it. Here's a little information about it.

My latest writing project is very different from anything else I've written. It's a cookbook! But those who know how much I love fantasy might not be surprised that this cookbook ended up with a fantasy theme. Many of the recipes have names inspired by fairy tales or fantasy stories, and I love the hints of fantasy in the two covers designed by the awesome Savannah Jezowski . 

Some people might be surprised, though, that the whole book is focused on oatmeal. After all, isn't oatmeal that boring goop that nobody really eats if there's anything else available? 
Are you tired of high-sugar, low-health-value instant oatmeals in tiny serving packets full of artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives? Once Upon a Bowl of Oatmealcontains 70 hearty recipes packed with natural ingredients and brimful of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants. All are gluten-free, assuming you use gluten-free oats, and vegan (or they come with a vegan option). Most require no salt so are perfect for a low sodium diet. Almost all of these recipes can be prepared in ten minutes or less, saving you time in your busy morning.
Oh … and no more math! Whether you’re cooking just for yourself, for a family of six, or any number in between, every recipe comes in the form of a handy table that shows exactly how much of each ingredient you’ll need for however many servings you want.
Tasty enough for kids to crave, but wholesome enough to appeal to health-conscious parents, these mouth-watering recipes will give you plenty of energy for your day while pleasing your taste buds too. Download Once Upon a Bowl of Oatmealnow and say goodbye to artificial breakfasts that don’t fully satisfy.




                                              
In this book, you'll find recipes for delectable dishes like creamy mango coconut spice oatmeal, cinnamon almond oatmeal, blueberry cream cheese oatmeal, and (my personal favorite:) caramel banana oatmeal with peanut butter. (Okay, so that one is a little closer to the dessert end of the spectrum than the porridge end!) 


And now for a free oatmeal recipe in the unique format I use in Once Upon a Bowl of Oatmeal:
 

Ready to grab your copy? Click  here  to download the ebook for your Kindle or to order the paperback cookbook. And if you enjoy the recipes, please consider leaving a review on Amazon, Goodreads, and/or Bookbub! 
Check it out!
This book is Reggi Broach approved. :)

Hello again,

My posts have been a bit scarce of late, but I am trying to change that. Life's been interesting recently. My husband was bitten by the writing bug and started a short story on Facebook. It's been fun watching what happens. He writes a small section and posts it on FB about three times per week and he has a following already. I've neglected to "like" or comment because I don't want to interfere or intimidate other people's comments. He does the same thing with some of my posts.

We've been making some change and advances in The Defender series. We're changing from KDP to Ingram Spark and in the process making a few other updates/changes. We have changed to a specific font and formatting for the covers which will make them all look like they belong in a series. We're replacing the artwork on the covers and using a model for the pictures. My writing has improved as I learn and we're going to make some improvements to the text when we move everything over to Ingram. The storyline won't change, just some awkward wording. The books will still be available on Amazon so don't worry about that.

Our "model" has already made an appearance on the latest publication, "Mission Abandoned" book V of the series. We did one photo-shoot and had a few problems with lighting so we're going to do a second photo-shoot and have put together a Commonwealth Interstellar Force Uniform for the occasion. My husband and I, with the advice and input from other writers, have designed a patch for the uniform. We're really excited about this. We may even have CIF patches available for purchase or gifts at some point.

Lastly, because of these developments, I may or may not be able to get Vol VI, "Birth of a Revolution" out before Christmas. Sorry about that, but it is our desire to get better quality products out to you and that you won't have to wait years between books. Having said that, if you are new to my series Books I-V are available on Amazon and can be ordered from your favorite sellers.

The Defender Series:
     "The Mission"
     "Defended"
     "Treasonous Acts"
     "In Evil's Grasp"
     "Mission Abandoned"
     "Birth of a Revolution" - coming soon
     "Birth of the Defender" - A Prequel to the Defender Series
     "Questions of Trust" - still being written
     "Tudoren: The Missing Months" - A bonus novella
     "Death of Captain Bowen" - A bonus novella(?) being written
     "Vol VIII" - untitled and unwritten

As always please share information about my books with friends and post reviews on Amazon and Goodreads.

Thanks for your support. Love you all.

Reggi

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.

What do workers gain from their toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

Ecclesiastes 3: 1-11

My season is changing. I have been thoroughly excited about writing and I put out some good stories with strong truths in them. My problem is the presentation could use some improvement. I went to a writer's conference recently. It was a good conference. I enjoyed it and I learned some things but I also came away with a sense of discouragement and feeling that I was doing everything wrong. God is using this event and several others to lead me into one of those teachable moments. My biggest problem is I look at things from an all or none perspective. After leaving the conference feeling defeated, we visited with some friends from college. One of them is my adopted big brother. In college, he always managed to give the push I needed and that day after the conference was no exception. He said, "You've got a good story." He's not the kind of person to artificially inflate one's ego. He said what I needed to hear, no more, no less. My stories are exciting, but they could be told better. I have considered them to be both an offering to God and a ministry.

Our kids VBS program was this morning and it was an awesome program. There was no sermon involved but that doesn't mean I didn't receive a message from the Lord. It was painful to learn that I didn't do a great job with my books, and there is a lot of room for improvement. Watching the kids in the VBS program today, I was reminded that I am a "child" of God. The emphasis here is on being a child. God loves me as his own, but I am still a child to be trained in the way I should go. My job is to be teachable. I can't be the stubborn child who wants their own way.

I have a mission and a gift. God intends me to use them in the best ways possible to honor Him. Guess what, you are the ones who benefit from this. As my writing methods improve, I expect my books to be easier to read and understand, a decrease in verbosity and maybe cheaper books if they aren't as long.

On a side note, I have taken the advice of some of my readers and shortened the chapters. I'm also making changes to my web site. We're changing the covers - lots of new things happening. I am also going to try and be patient. I want to put out the rest of my books when they are truly ready.

Love you,
Reggi