Lady Traveler travels to Heaven ...

I Dreamed I traveled to Heaven ...

... I wasn't in a plane over Belize ...

It will happen in a moment,

 in the blink of an eye,

when the last trumpet is blown.

For when the trumpet sounds,

those who have died will be raised to live forever.

I Corinthians 15:52 NLT

... I wasn't in a hot air balloon over Paris ...

I was in my dream,

last Friday night.

And no, I haven't seen

"Left Behind." 

Suddenly,

I was lifted up off the earth,

traveling fast!

Before I knew it

I was in the clouds,

then above the clouds.

Clouds of orange, purple and yellow.

"Yikes!" I thought,

"This is really happening!"

Then I awoke.

I didn't know if I was relieved 

or disappointed.

I thought I was ready,

but the magnificent event took me by surprise!

Most Christians think about the coming rapture,

but no one really knows when this miraculous event will take place.

Some of our family and friends don't even believe in the rapture.

Hmm, perhaps you don't.  Well,

I do.

They think we are Crazy. Weird. Strange.

That's okay.  I'm not trying to win any popularity contest.

I know what the Bible says.

That's why I believe.  I serve a big GOD.

Do you?

What concerns me and saddens me are those people who think 

Christians are Crazy. Weird. Strange 

will be 

left behind.

I certainly don't have all the answers.

I have studied the Bible through the years.

I have studied other religions, 

but all roads led me back to

The Holy Bible.

My 'rapture dream' felt very real,

not like I was dreaming at all.

This particular dream reminded me that we can be

outta here in a flash!

Just like in the movies!

But one day, it will be real.

Will you be left behind?

For GOD so loved the world,

that HE gave HIS 

only begotten SON.

That whoever believes on Him,

will never perish,

but have everlasting life.

John 3:16

Therefore be ye also ready:
for in such an hour as you think not,
the Son of man cometh.
Matthew 24:44

God loves YOU, and so do I.

wRite, publish ... AND speak??

Preparing to speak at
The Golden Hills Garden Club 2014
*deep breaths*

Surveys show that men's (and women's) two top fears are:
death and public speaking.  
Not me.  Mine are needles and public speaking.

Since the publication of my debut novel, Lady and the Sea, I have attended several writers conferences. I was doing great until a New York Times bestselling author announced, "Now that you are an author, you must also be a speaker."

Huh?

Since then, I have been invited to speak at various groups--a Jewish Culture Class, Oakleaf Village--to name a few.  Excitement is my first emotion.  Then fear hits.  My Aunt Eunice didn't help matters at all.  When I told her, "Auntie, I'll be speaking at various venues, and possibly appearing on The Katie Couric Show," she grabbed my shoulders and said, "Shaa-ren, you have got to start Botox-ing immediately!  Until then, stick to the radio."  Great.  Public speaking.  Now needles. 

my Aunt Eunice

I went home and sat myself down in my office.  Sipping my third cup of coffee, I tried to analyze the whole speaking situation.  Why are we so afraid to stand and speak in front of an audience, no matter what size?  Lots of reasons.  Fear of rejection.  Fear of being judged, or made fun of.  Fear of forgetting, or ... and ... ugh ... saying those empty words.  And what if people begin to nod off?  Fear of being boring.  The list goes on.  Oh, yeah, almost forgot.  After I finished giving my speech in my 11th grade Speech Class, I fainted.  The 'A' I received never made up for the embarrassment I experienced waking up underneath a table, with a cute football player holding my hand, asking, "Are you okay?"  

You have your own fears.  Those are a few of mine.

Then I got hold of myself.  Hey, girl, its not all about you.  Speak about the journey that God has you on.  It's all about Who you are speaking about.  It's about encouraging the woman who needs to lose sight of her safe shore and jump into a new ocean ... art lessons to create what is in her heart, singing lessons to share the melodies in her soul.  The lists are endless.  Inspiring that person in the back row who has lost faith for her forgotten dreams.  Dreams to help the helpless, both near and far away.  That's what it's all about, girlfriend.

Every time I prepare to speak about my journeys, I take a deep breath and tell myself, It's not about me, Lord, it's all about You.  Then I know that I will be a success, no matter what happens when I take center stage.  And I wish the same for you, my friends.

P.S.  No botox-ing for this girl.

Hear, for I will speak of excellent things; 

and the opening of my lips shall be right things.  

For my mouth shall speak truth...

Proverbs 8:6-7a

www.sharonleaf.com

To Sochi, With Love ~ Part 2

The Sea of Marmara, Istanbul, Turkey,
Near the entrance to the Black Sea on our way to Sochi, Russia

The 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia begins this week.  Anticipation is in the air for many reasons and I plan to be watching in the comfort of my living room.  But there was an event  in 1995 that transported me out of my living-room-comfort-zone, to a place I had never heard of before: Sochi, Russia.

Rob and I in crew uniforms on deck ofWWII ship MS Restoration
 Athens, Greece, last port before arriving in Sochi, Russia
June 1995

As I mentioned in my last blog, I am including an excerpt from my book, Lady and the Sea, that tells of my own personal moments of anticipation when the WWII ship, MS Restoration, arrives in the Sochi Harbor.  It is the moment the crew has been anticipating for fourteen months.  Now, one morning before the break of dawn, we are finally at the Sochi dock, picking up the Chosen Eight, as we endearingly named our beloved passengers. I truly believe these eight Russian Jews were hand-picked by God to make the five-day Breakthrough Journey from the Black Sea to Israel.  Now, for a few moments, travel back in time ...

Excerpt from Chapter 46:

... The crew held out their hands to greet the Chosen Eight as they walked carefully up the gangway.  The captain's wife shook the hands of each man, and wrapped her arms around each woman as if she were welcoming an old friend to her home.

     "Welcome to the Restoration," Tina said.

      They smiled and shyly answered, "Spasibo."

     Tina took the stewards aside and gave them specific instructions, as if she had done this many times.  

    "We cannot imagine what our passengers are thinking and feeling as they leave the port.  We must allow them personal time and space.  They are leaving their homeland and are wondering about this Promised Land they have heard so much about."

     The Restoration pulled away from the dock as the new day broke.  Silently, a mother held her daughter as they watched the shoreline fade from sight.  A family of four stood together, holding onto the ship rail and to each other.  An older couple, with arms wrapped around each other and tears streaming down their faces, made small conversation in their native tongue.

     Rosie and Tina watched from the balcony.  "Now I see with my eyes what this ship is all about," Rosie said as her own tears fell to the deck.  "It's about these eight brave souls."

     "Yes, the Chosen Eight.  But this is only the beginning.  Many more will follow.  As the Bible predicts, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will guide them out of the darkness, into the light. and to a life they have only dreamed about until now."

     Rosie put her arm around Tina.  "And this is what your dream is all about."

     "Yes, this is my dream come true.  And what is your dream, Rosie?"

     "When I was a young girl, my dream was to travel the world with Jesus, and with the man I love.  Now, as I am participating in this prophesy on this ship, my dream is coming true."

     Together, the two dreamers cried tears of joy.

Our tiny one-room cabin
WWII ship MS Restoration May 1994 to July 1995
Notice fan & stereo at foot of our bed; shortwave radio next to Rob's pillow;
Reading lights hooked on metal headboard
The good life.

We all have our moments of anticipation, especially when we are right smack dab in the middle of that moment.  Have no fear; know that God has placed you there for a purpose.  Then when you look back, you too might want to write about it.  If not a book, how about a short story to give to your family--so they won't forget.  Or at least a note to yourself in your journal--so you won't forget.  Believe me, time has a way of filling the brain with so much stuff that it sometimes pushes the important events out.

Remember,

~ You cannot discover new oceans until 

you are willing to lose sight of the shore ~

Until next time, I wish you oceans of blessings!

www.sharonleaf.com

Lady Traveler, the painting

"Lady Traveler"

We had just moved from Southern California to South Carolina in the summer of 2006. 

Rob had to fly back to California to finish up details in Huntington Beach.  

Tired of unpacking, and weary from my latest case of writer's block on my novel, 

Lady and the Sea, 

I decided to take a few hours off to explore and stroll the local mall.  

That is when I came across a lovely painting in an art studio, titled 

Lady Traveler.

As I stood gazing at Lady Traveler, 

I felt inspired. I sighed.

"She is me." 

I had traveled the world.  I loved hats. And I was a lady.  

I knew if Lady Traveler were hanging somewhere in my new home, 

she would inspire me to complete my book.

So when Rob returned, I took him to the little art shop and showed him the painting. 

He smiled.  "That is you.  We must buy it."

Do you have a dream that needs a little inspiration?  

Are you finding yourself at a crossroads and asking yourself, 

shall I just drop the whole idea OR 

shall I continue pursuing my dream?

I hit the wall many times as I pursued writing Lady and the Sea.  

Was this book part of my destiny? Part of of my DNA?  

Was it a life-changing project?  Perhaps.

But how would I know until I completed this task-at-hand?  

Through hours of toiling at my computer, laptop, iPad, anything that I could write on, 

I continued on until ...

... September 2011 -- my D-day of publication!  

I was estatic!  I was thrilled!  

I stood next to Lady Traveler and clutched my first copy of Lady and the Sea.

We did it!

Then I launched my Lady into the world.  

And that's when my world slowly changed.  

Receiving emails, phone calls from as far away as Norway, Sweden, 

telling me how Lady had given them faith for forgotten dreams.  

Two women completed and published their books because of my words of encouragement.  

I can't even remember their exact words I spoke to them, but who cares?  

They know.  God knows.

I'm sharing this with you to say,  

Don't give up on your dream.

You have a special gift that can touch others.  

You may think it's small, but that gift is very BIG in the eyes of God.

Your dream may be to reach out to help others. 

To help people live a healthier life. 

To feed the poor.  To paint, or to start a blog or ... write a book!?! 

 My word to you is GO FOR IT!

  

Be a Dream Maker.  

Take baby steps, keep taking them, and before long, 

you'll find your dream unfolding before your very eyes.  

Your challenges and your passion will take you to the finish line!

  

Until next time, I want to leave you with two verses that 

encouraged me on days when I was discouraged and asked, 

"God, did you really call me to write my story?"

That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works.  

Psalm 26:7

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publish peace...that publish salvation; that sayeth to Zion, Thy God reigneth!  

Isaiah 52:7

Happy days while writing in Belize

My Lady, my dream

I'm Drawing Circles ... not to be confused with running around in circles!

Dream ... and BeLeaf!

I'm beginning the new year by reading The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson.  I read Chapter One this morning, but I stopped dead in my tracks after reading the first sentence of Chapter Two:

Every book has a backstory.  There is a moment when an idea is conceived in the imagination of an author and this idea is destined to become a book. 

All you writers and authors can relate to this statement, but the concept is for all of us who are alive and well on planet earth.  The backstory of our lives--what has happened up until now--is an important part of who we are today.  Good or bad, happy or sad, those choices we made yesterday make up our character--and believe me, some of us are real characters--and who we are today.


Mark's words were yet another confirmation to me that I made the right decision to keep my backstory in the novel, Lady and the Sea.  After all, the book is based on my true story.  This past year, readers have told me how they related to the ups and downs, the pain and the happiness of my life.  That is what Lady is all about ... touching lives for the better ...  finding faith for forgotten dreams.

What is your backstory?  I know some of you have experienced a failed marriage, the loss of a loved one, a serious illness.  My heart goes out to you.  Like you, I don't have all the answers.  But I do know that each time I sought the Lord ... He heard me.  He was there for me, and led me through to the light at the end of each tunnel.  He still does today.

I can't wait to delve into The Circle Maker.  But I'm more excited about delving into this coming year, knowing that our backstories are behind, and a promising future is ahead.

Dreams can come true.  Pray circles around them, and see what happens!

The signposts of God are clear and point out the right road.

The life-maps of God are right, showing the way to joy. 

 Psalm 19:7-8 The Message

www.sharonleaf.com

Dreams do come true!

Extreme makeover by granddaughter, Destinee
(make-up artist for Mac Cosmetics)

Happy 2013!

My year began with a dream of long ago coming true!  A silly dream for sure, but still, a teen-ager's dream that transpired in her 66th year.  I'm telling you this to encourage you that those dreams you forgot about and buried deep in a hole somewhere still have time to transpire!  Let me tell you my story in a few random thoughts.

When I was in ninth grade I tried out along with fifty other girls for a school fashion show.  Long runway in the auditorium, bright lights, the works.  I was a shy teen-ager, but something inside of me whispered, go for it.  So the next day, shaking from head to toe, I made my way down the runway in front of three women from Bobbie Lynn's Dress Shop.  
Note: I didn't realize until after the fashion show that the women were looking for specific measurements for the clothes to fit perfectly.  I had the right numbers:  34-26-34!  
Confession: This was the only time in my life that I was thankful for small boobs.  

The following week, as I strutted down that runway wearing four beautiful ensembles, focusing on holding my shoulders back, smiling big, and making sure I didn't trip, my mind was telling me, Sharon, you were born to be a model!  That night in my bedroom, I declared in my diary, Some day I shall model again!

... fast forward fifty-three years ...

Last month my neighbors invited me to the annual Golden Hills Garden Club Christmas dinner.  I joined the club, and two days later I received a phone call, asking if I would be one of the models in their annual January Fashion Show.  My heart raced as I answered, "I would LOVE to!"  I hung up, looked at the calendar and sighed, "I have three weeks to lose twenty pounds."  Yeah, right.

Last week at Mae's on Main,  I proudly pranced down the aisle towards a room full of sophisticated garden gals, and I tripped.  I quickly composed myself, smiled, and said, "Doesn't every famous model trip up once in awhile?"  And so the fun began ... I was living yet another dream.

I hope this year will be a time for buried dreams to rise up to the surface of your lives.  Old dreams, new dreams, God's dreams.  Some times we have to step out and take a chance, even if we trip up ... hopefully not in a room full of people.  I've learned over the years that laughter is the best medicine and not to take ourselves too seriously.  It was worth the little trip for me to see those women's faces light up and to hear their laughter.  And so it continued throughout the evening.

Being a runway model is exhausting!

Life is short and we never have enough time for gladdening the hearts of those who travel the way with us.  Oh, be swift to love, and make haste to be kind.

The Lord has told you what is good, and this is what He requires of you: to do right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.  Micah 6:8 NLT


www.sharonleaf.com

Lady Traveler's First time--for everything!

Biltmore Estate, Asheville, NC

As I write my first Lady Traveler blog, 

the thought crosses my mind"

 there is a first time for everything. 

The simple days of typewriters are long gone.

I typed my first two manuscripts in the 70's on a Smith-Corona.

I have slowly dog-paddled my way into the generation of 

laptops and an Iphone.

Yep, my husband bought me one of those gadgets last week.

I sleep with it (joke).

I will be writing about my travels thus far

--living in Sweden for a year;

traveling through Siberia 

on the former youth Communist propaganda train; 

volunteering on a World War II ship for over a year 

to transport Russian Jews from Sochi, Russia to Haifa, Israel; spending time in Russia, Israel, Greece, Turkey, and 

other exotic destinations. 

I'm writing to encourage women everywhere 

that it is never too late for your dreams to come true. 

My international travels began when I was forty-four

--more about that later. 

I'm not sure that I'm blogging correctly, 

so I will close for now. 

If I am, I will celebrate by writing a real, 

honest-to-goodness blog tomorrow.

I wish you oceans of blessings on my first day of blogging!

www.sharonleaf.com