Thursday, December 30, 2010

Monday, December 13, 2010

ANGELS, ROACHES TV'S AND CHRISTMAS: Devotional by Lorilyn Roberts



I never thought roach droppings would become part of one of my favorite Christmas stories. But stories have a way of writing themselves on our hearts. Each year between Thanksgiving and Christmas, my sister Paige invites my brother's family and my family to her house. The kids join us at the dining room table where lots of interesting knickknacks are transformed into Christmas decorations. Paige is an artist and enjoys sharing her talent with the children. It is a good thing for my daughters. Most of my art projects as a child didn’t go as planned. I always missed an important step along the way and my results were, should I say, memorable, but for all the wrong reasons. So I watch as the others dive in and create beauty.

Last year all the cousins created angels to hang on the Christmas trees. The little angels were dressed in white lace, had feathery wings, and a red rose dotted the front collar. Instead of halos, the kids crowned the angels with macaroni noodles. The golden hair created the same effect. Joy was proud of her angel and when we returned home from the long trip, she hung it on our Christmas tree. Christmas came and went. January rolled around; I reluctantly took everything down and packed the ornaments away in our attic for another year.


Last week I climbed up into the dark, dusty attic once again to pull out the Christmas tree and ornaments. Joy set up the tree and I opened up the first container. When I unlatched it and looked inside, dozens of roach droppings littered the bottom of the box. A few tumbled out onto the living room floor. Several of the ornaments had brown pellets clinging to them. I was quite repulsed, only slightly less than I would have been if live ones had scampered out or dead body parts had been left behind. I wondered why one suitcase had so many, though I found a couple in the other suitcase also. In years past there had never been any.


I fetched the vacuum cleaner and vacuumed up all the droppings. Visions popped in my head of hundreds of roaches crawling over my beautiful ornaments that I had accumulated through many Christmases. I grabbed some paper towers and wiped down the inside. How many roaches would it take to make that much crap? I cringed. Living in Florida has its dark side. I always hated climbing up into the attic. Now I hate it even more.

Then Joy cried out, “Mommy, my angel has no hair.”


“What happen to her hair?”


“I think the roaches ate it.”

We broke out laughing. The roaches had spent the whole summer feasting on my daughter’s angel’s macaroni hair! I am sure Joy will always remember this Christmas, but probably not because of any presents she received.



As I think back to my fondest Christmas memories, many of them are also quite eclectic. There was the Christmas in downtown New York when we got trapped inside a car on fire. The electric windows were stuck and my grandfather smashed the driver’s side window with a suitcase. I remember the screams. Mother pulled me out through shards of broken glass. Sirens blared and emergency lights flickered in the cold night air. We never did get to see the lighting of the tree. We spent the evening in a fancy hotel. Later Mother told me a Hollywood director was there for a children’s beauty pageant and had pleaded with her to let him take me to Hollywood. He wanted to make me a star. It sounds crazy but it’s true.


That was when I lived with my grandparents. My mother had just divorced and sent me to live with them until she found a job and place to live. I chose my mother’s pink bedroom to be my bedroom that winter, pretending I was her when she was little.


My most vivid memory from that cold, snowy winter was Christmas Eve when I heard Santa’s reindeer pounding on the roof of the tall apartment building. It was a loud swishing sound followed by gallops that woke me up. I didn’t believe in Santa Claus until that night. I lay in my warm bed imagining what Santa and his reindeer looked like. I wanted to jump up and peek out the window, but I was afraid if I saw them, he wouldn’t leave me anything. The next morning I ran to the window and looked below from thirteen stories up. To my surprise, there were large sleigh marks in the snow. Larger than any sleigh I had ever seen. I stared out the window for a long time.


I’ve thought about that more this Christmas than any other in recent memory because of a strange conversation over Thanksgiving dinner. I asked my brother’s wife if all their kids, who are younger than the rest of the Roberts’ children, knew there wasn’t a Santa Claus. As we talked, I shared my experience about Santa Claus at my grandparents’ apartments when I was little, but I mentioned only the part about the sleigh tracks in the snow.


Mother responded immediately, “I saw them, too, and heard Santa land on the roof!”


“You did?” I asked surprised. “I also heard the reindeer hoofs pounding on the roof. The swishing sound woke me up.”


There was a silence as we all thought about the strange coincidence. Mother had shared about the rooftop noise before I brought it up. Everyone looked at Mother and me like we were demented. To this day, I have no explanation. Sometimes I wonder if God allows fanciful moments to bring comfort to children. Maybe that’s what I needed at that time—to have something to believe in. Maybe that’s what my mother needed, too.


One Christmas my parents thought they were rich. They bought me a very special present. I was eleven, and the gift still sits in the top of a closet. On Christmas morning, I tore into the Christmas wrap and discovered a brand-new television set. I watched many episodes of my favorite show, Star Trek, on that TV. I took the television away to college. When I was older, I lugged it into the office and watched all the Apollo launches. I never missed one—except the Challenger that blew up on the launch pad.



Today the TV is a dinosaur in this age of color, digital-only cable/satellite/internet connections. But I still won’t part with it. When I see it in the closet, I am reminded of a pastime I can never have back. My father and grandparents are gone, my mother has remarried and doesn’t even live in the same house as we did back in those days. My brother and sister have families of their own. I am old (though not gray) and live in a different state. We have lots of TV’s that are far superior to that one. In fact, the TV takes up valuable real estate that could be devoted to something else more useful.


When I was in Vietnam on Christmas Eve to adopt Joy, who is now twelve, beautiful Christmas music wafted through the streets of Hanoi. It was here that unfathomable suffering occurred during the Vietnam War. Today many believers in Vietnam are locked behind dark walls for believing in Christ. But God’s words filled the nighttime air. I rejoiced, so far from home, realizing nothing can silence what God proclaims from the mountaintops—or loud speakers hoisted on poles in a godless nation.


God’s love reaches to the ends of the earth—in Nepal, where children love Jesus despite the Marxist Moasts who have killed many Christians; in Israel, where shepherds tend their flocks on the same hill where angels proclaimed glory to the newborn king. If we did not speak of the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes at Christmas, the rocks would cry out. The mountains and hills would burst into song. Wonderful Counselor, Prince of Peace, Mighty God, Everlasting Father; the greatest gift of all came through the birth of one small child on a Christmas morning two thousand years ago.


Joy’s hairless angel hangs proudly on our tree this Christmas (though I wish I could de-sanitize it some). All the gifts will be opened Christmas morning. I will eat far too much chocolate candy and then bemoan the five pounds I gain. I will make my usual promise to start exercising on January 1, which I will probably break by the middle of the month. We will enjoy all the traditions that this wonderful season brings, full of joy, giving, and love. Then the ornaments will be taken down and packed away until next year. Hopefully, the roaches will find something else to eat besides an ornament’s angel’s hair. My black and white TV will remain in the closet because I can’t bear to part with it. Life will resume its regular course, and I will be glad for the start of a new year.


But for now, during this joyous Christmas season, I will pause to reflect on the gift of the baby Jesus, wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger, knowing someday, too, I will bow before the new-born King. And, just maybe, there won’t be any roach droppings there!


Saturday, December 11, 2010

JOHN 3:16 MARKETING NETWORK GUEST POST: Lorilyn Interviews April W. Gardner About Her New Book “Wounded Spirits,” an Amazon Best-Seller, and More




LORILYN: I would like to introduce April Gardner. April is a gifted writer with a wonderful personality that shines through in her writing. I met April on Facebook and approached her shortly after starting the John 3:16 Marketing Network. It was with much fear and trepidation that I initially asked people to join. 

Luckily for me, April took me up on my offer; and for that I am grateful. She has been a tremendous asset to the John 3:16 Marketing Network, paving the way for others to follow in her footsteps. I share this short interview with April, which speaks to our hearts as each of us longs to write a best-seller on Amazon.

LORILYN: What motivated you to become a writer?

APRIL: There was a story that needed to be told. I came across the lives of the Creek Indians and the McGirths on the pages of history books and felt a burning need to know these people better, to understand how they might have reacted and dealt with the circumstances thrust upon them. There’s a certain mysterious and regal quality to our country’s Natives that lures me in. They had nearly perfected the true sense of community, selflessness, and passion. I just needed to live in their moccasins for a while.

LORILYN: How do you write fiction? Do you outline or fly by the spirit? Do you pick your characters out of thin air, or base them on people you know? And how did you create the historical setting of Wounded Spirits? Did you have to do lots of research or are you a history buff?

APRIL: I tried writing “by the seat of my pants.” Once. Nope, it’s not for me. I’m a detailed plotter. I build my characters based on what I need them to accomplish in the plot. Adela, for instance, needed to find it relatively easy to forgive some pretty unforgivable deeds. So I made her a people-pleaser. When wrong was done against her, she automatically found a way it might have been her own fault.

The historical setting for Wounded Spirits was practically created for me. Pickett’s History of Alabama is one of the most interesting history books you’ll ever read. It’s almost written in story form. Since Pickett interviewed many survivors of the Creek War, he was able to color the pages with amazing descriptions of the people and places found in Wounded Spirits. He made my research rather easy. Thank you, Mr. Pickett!


LORILYN: You reached number one status in Christian fiction as a brand-new author on the day of your public launch. Please share with others how you accomplished such an incredible feat!

APRIL: All the glory goes to God. He worked out the details and brought everything together at the last minute. Until a month ago I really didn’t understand the premise behind the John 3:16 Marketing Network. Looking back, it’s simple. Get everyone you can to buy the book on one certain day and the book’s Amazon ranking will rise—to #1, Lord willing. Offering e-gifts to everyone buying the book was key, which is why gathering supporters willing to donate a gift is so vital. At the John 3:16 Marketing Network, the support system is already in place. All an author has to do is ask for help and it’s there.

To make it seem less overwhelming, consider this. It doesn’t take much to start rising in rank. Four (known) sales the evening before the launch took Wounded Spirits from #800,000 (in Amazon Books) to #62,000. Creating specific subcategories for a book is essential. (“Historical” under “Christian fiction” under “fiction,” for example.) In the historical fiction category, Wounded Spirits competed against a much smaller number than under “fiction” which is what my book was originally categorized under. By 10am, Wounded Spirits had reached #1 in that sub-subcategory. A few hours later, the book reached #1 in Christian fiction which is a larger subcategory but not as large as “fiction.” It reached #2096 in books, which is excellent. One thousand more would have been even better, but I’m not complaining.

I have no idea how many books actually sold, but does it matter? Not really, because the goal was “best seller status” not “X number of copies sold.”

Two days later I’m still rather numb. It was certainly the highlight of my career so far. Yes, I now possess the title Best-Selling Author, but it was the incredible show of support from people who loved me and were rooting for me that brings tears to my eyes, even now. Acquaintances old and new turned out in droves to buy the book and cheer me on. It’s THEM I have to thank for my new title; and the Lord who somehow, amazingly, found me worthy of it.

I cannot say enough for the John 3:16 Marketing Network. It was a concept I struggled with for a good while, but once it clicked, I knew it would work. Its founder, Lorilyn Roberts, is amazing. She was there for me every step of the way, guiding me and cheering me on. Joining is free, so I encourage any author wanting to see their book sales go further to hop on board and see if this might not be the place for them. I’m betting it is!

LORILYN: Can you give us just a tiny peek into your upcoming next book?

APRIL: The next book, Warring Spirits, picks up four years after the war. The Creek are struggling to get back on their feet after being nearly decimated, and Lillian McGirth finds herself confronted with her own horrible life choices. To quote my editor “it’s a love pentagon” you won’t want to miss it. The war for land might be over, but the war in their spirits has just begun!

Sunday, November 14, 2010

SINGLE PARENTING WHEN GOD SPEAKS - SIXTEEN NUGGETS OF INSPIRATION: Devotional by Lorilyn Roberts







Recently a friend shared with me her daughter was in the processing of adopting two children. The little girls had been abused in their family of origin and the legal case was slowly making its way through the court system. As I reread her email, I prayed that God would answer every prayer my friend’s daughter sent up, just as He had answered mine.

Then the thought occurred to me: What would I say to a young mother-to-be whom God has called to “walk in my shoes”? I know each person’s situation is a little different, but similar in that a woman feels God is leading her to single parent an orphan, an abused child, or a child who might never feel loved. What wisdom would I impart after having been at this noble but difficult task for sixteen years?

I pulled out my keyboard and a plethora of thoughts gushed forth. May my words encourage you if you are chosen by God to save an orphan—whether you are married or unmarried, but particularly if you are single. With God, all impossible things are possible. Without Him, we walk alone.

1. Single parenting is the hardest thing you will ever do, but the most wonderful thing you will ever do.

2. I would never recommend a single woman adopt. It's too hard. I would never recommend a single woman not adopt. The blessings are too great. I would let God tell you what He wants you to do. If God calls you to adopt, never back down, give up, despair, or listen to those who tell you differently. If God is in it, there is nothing that will prevent you from being a mother to a child. God has a plan and a purpose. He does things His way, not ours. Trust in God. He will direct you.

3. You will never know what tired is until you have single-parented two kids on your own (or even one).

4. God is your husband, and the perfect husband.

5. You will come to understand how much God loves you by adopting a child who has no future and no hope, for that is how we are without Jesus.

6. You will share the heart of God; His hands, His hope, and His "all" with your children. They will know God through your sacrificial love.

7. You will love more than you ever thought you could; and you will fail miserably. But your children won't mind. In fact, they will love you anyway. Acknowledge your mistakes and move on. God can be glorified in your shortcomings. He loves your children more than you do.

8. God will not abandon you. He will meet every need you have more abundantly than you could ever imagine.

9. The day you sign the adoption papers will be the best day of your life. God has given you a great gift—a chance to share His love with an orphan. That is the essence of our faith.

10. “Mommy” is the most beautiful word in the English language.

11. Enjoy every moment of the journey. Your children will grow up too fast—in the blink of an eye. The years will wiz by, and you will wonder, where did the time go?

12. Make the most of every opportunity to love, teach, laugh, cry, and even be silly. Be a mother to the fullest. Give it your all. Go to bed exhausted. It's the best kind of tiredness you will ever feel.

13. Have a latte every once and a while, and read your Bible whenever you can.

14. Pray hard. God is always with you. Know this is your calling and your life's work. Your children are precious gifts from the Hands of the Creator. They are beautifully designed in His image with a future and a hope because of your love freely given in His name.

15. Love your children unconditionally. Be flexible. Learn to say "I'm sorry." It does wonders to restore the hurting soul.

16. Enjoy the journey and have a blast. There is nothing else like it short of heaven!










Friday, November 12, 2010

MEDIA: TV APPEARANCE ON ATLANTA’S 57 WATC, Friends & Neighbors



I am excited to share with you that next Tuesday, November 16, at 12:00 noon, I will be appearing on Atlanta’s 57 WATC Friends & Neighbors. The episode will re-air on Saturday, November 20, at 8:30 A.M.

If you are not in the Atlanta area, the show will be streamed live on their website at to be given as soon as I have it.

Here is a description of Friends & Neighbors from the WATC TV website:

“Meet Sherry Tatum, Donna Ritchie and Kim Gravel and feel the warmth and love of friends coming together. Viewers will be educated and encouraged every week on Friends & Neighbors.”

I had a delightful time taping the show and could not believe how quickly the minutes flew by. They asked me what I wanted to talk about two minutes before Friends & Neighbors started, and I said, “I think I want to share my testimony.”


It was the first time I shared my testimony in a public setting. Totally unrehearsed, God filled me with His spirit; and Joy made an appearance at the end of the show.

I actually went out and bought a new dress and shoes with high heels. I won't admit how long it had been since I covered my legs in those expensive things that run. What do they call them? Oh, yeah. stockings! Just kidding, but it had been a LONG time since I bought a pair.

I hope you will tune in. I was much more relaxed taping this than I was the Animal Planet’s ”Monsters Inside Me” Shape Shifters episode.

The producer Gregory West was wonderful and the hosts were spirit-filled, women of God. Children of Dreams has given me a welcomed opportunity to share my faith about God’s love.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

WILL THE REAL LORILYN ROBERTS PLEASE STAND UP TO FACEBOOK SECURITY ISSUES: Christian Blogger Lorilyn Roberts




Will the real Lorilyn Roberts please stand? I hope that's me. My Facebook page was copied by an impostor who wanted to be me. It's rather strange to see your picture and personal information being attributed to another person. Do I have a twin I don't know about? Am I still alive? Or am I losing my mind?


I admit I have a wee bit of curiosity as to who this other Lorilyn Roberts is. I wonder if she wants to pay my bills. Maybe she could solve all of my problems. I have enough issues to keep her so busy she won't have time to copy anybody else’s Facebook site. She can also feed my dogs and pamper my cats. Miss Impostor, if I weren’t a Christian, I would call you some other vile name that probably wouldn’t be found in a G-rated dictionary.

Facebook earns an “F” for their inability to deal with security issues. I wonder if they made any money off that recent movie. Maybe they could use the profits to invest in a phone line so victims like me can have a number to call and speak to a real person (not a fake). How about an email address? After all, it’s been five days since I filled out one of those help forms. In fact, I filled out multiple help forms.

Reminds me too much of the Washington bureaucrats’ healthcare plan. Did anybody ever read that thing? They probably took as little time to read that monstrosity as Facebook has taken to read my messages. Nilch!  Shoot, you give me access to that delete button and I will make that fake profile of Lorilyn Roberts disappear so fast you will think I am an alien with superpowers.

However, I do have the power of the written word at my disposal and I plan to use it to show the world how easy it is to be impersonated on Facebook; and did I use the word "inept" to describe Facebook’s quick response? Or how about lack of response? Good thing it’s just my reputation. Otherwise, I might hire a lawyer.

As a former court reporter, I have typed enough depositions that they fill my entire attic. Maybe I should dust off those old stenograph notes and find myself a good expensive attorney who will take Facebook to the cleaners and the fake Lorilyn Roberts to the brig. Maybe a few cents out of Facebook’s pocket might cause them to care about my time, my reputation, and my friends who have been harassed by this impostor.

And for those who happen upon my blog, don’t think you are immune. I am just an ordinary person living an ordinary life with an ordinary home doing an ordinary job. However, I do have extraordinary kids. But if someone would choose me to pick on, they could pick on you, too.

This scam artist used my picture, copied my profile, and contacted my friends representing herself (or him) to be me. This imposture duped eighty of my friends into becoming her friend. She sent messages to them on Facebook attempting to entice them to do something that nobody could figure out. Need a sampling? Here you go.

Agent Jean help deaf and hard of hearing in the state and I have get my money from them $50,000 real cash. They brought it down to my door step am really happy. wow!! thanks to Agent Jean deaf help, makes my life better. I saw your name on list of people getting money too, i saw it and i wonder if you get your money yet? 25 people get it here and i also see in deaf news paper too about your name. If you haven't get your money better contact,Agentjeanhelp@yahoo.com."

I actually did contact her on a specially-created Yahoo account for this devilish purpose. I would like to know who this other Lorilyn Roberts is who claims to be me, and this was her response:


Hello Lorilyn,
My name is Agent Jean Jose We have been waiting here online to talk to you I work for Federal Agency,We remember your Screen name on our list here and your money is available for you to claim, Let us know if you ready to claim the money and we Explain to you how we got your Screen name, You listen and read carefully.Am a Special Agent From the Obama help Organization.We recover the sum of $200,000,000(Two Hundred Million Dollars) from online scammers in the last 12 months. The Federal Government under the leadership of president Obama and the Nigerian government is giving out $50,000.00( fifty Thousand Dollars)To all Yahoo and AIM Sn was found on the scammers computer. And its apart of measure to stop scamming and to compensate those that their screen name was found on the scammers computer. We want to be sure we are giving the money to the right person. we want you to be honest with us in giving us the right information. When you done reading let me know.Congratulations, When you are done reading let us know so that you can claim your money.Thanks

While bringing the money to you at your home and i will like to know if you want a check or a cash money ... which one is preferable to you?

Alright, you will need to fill a form for security reason and where we will keep your info so we not going to send the money to Wrong person, are you ready to fill out the form now?

Postal or Home Address For Delivery *
Deaf or Hearing? *
Email
Text Phone *
Occupation *
Gender *
Age *
Do you want cash package or check (Cheque)?
Mobile phone #

Sorry, you ain’t getting one bit of personal information from me, you fool! May God have mercy on you. You will need it.

Sarcasm aside, I want the public to be made aware of this issue. Maybe I should contact the FBI, except they don't have an email address or phone number to call for complaints either. Does anybody care? I contacted two governmental watchdog groups for scams. I wonder if I will hear from them? Something tells me not to be optimistic.

In the meantime, I wage my public war with the pen. Perhaps the pen is mightier anyway. Who wants bad publicity, and if enough people complain somebody somewhere will do something. Justice usually prevails in the end. I am just impatient. I want it now, and I want this impostor caught and punished so she (or he) doesn't do this to anyone else.

I believe Facebook owes it to those who use its network and services to protect people's privacy and to respond in a prompt manner when security violations are reported.

Here is a screenshot of my impostor’s Facebook page.




It looks like my page, doesn’t it? Maybe she just liked my picture. Sorry, God made only one Lorilyn Roberts and that person happens to be me.

It’s been five days and Facebook has done nothing to remove this fake profile from their website, even after repeated notifications by myself and several of my friends.

If you want to help in a small way, leave a comment on my blog. Your comments will boost my placement on Google. Higher placement will increase the likelihood that someone who cares about these kinds of issues will see my blog. Hopefully, a Good Samaritan will help me to find justice in this preposterous situation.