Winter by Keven Newsome

Look at that beautiful cover. My friends Deanna Newsome and Holly Heisey created it for my friend Keven Newsome. Does that name sound familiar? It should. Keven is the founder of The New Authors Fellowship. Yes, that is the excellent joint blog I was asked to join last year. The same blog that has schooled me in the ways of the writer. I am forever grateful for the opportunity.

Enough about that. Today is all about Keven Newsome and his excellent book Winter that will release June 1 this year by Splashdown Books. Here is the blurb.

Winter Maessen didn't ask for the gift of prophecy. She's happy being a freak - but now everyone thinks she's crazy. Or evil.
Goths aren't all the same, you know. Some are Christians.
...Christians to whom God sends visions.

Students at her university are being attacked, and Winter knows there's more than flesh and blood at work.
Her gift means she's the only one who can stop it - but at what price?

Here is the trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=It8aP6speuo

And here is where you can pre-order:

http://www.splashdownbooks.com/winter.html

What are you waiting for, silly?

An Interview

Welcome and thank you all for coming back for today’s Anvil Interview with the muti-talented, Grace Bridges. Some of you may not know this, but Grace actually gave me my anvil. Silly thing had no idea it would someday be used on her. She never knew I would use it to reveal the truth. What is that truth? I’ll get to that in a minute.

Before I begin, let me go over the rules for entry in the drawing for two copies of Legendary Space Pilgrims. As always, leave a comment on the Interview and Review, post a link on Facebook for the Review and the Interview tomorrow, and go like Splashdown Books on Facebook. You may enter up until Tuesday the 19th at midnight Central time. Peyton will draw two names from his special hat. I will announce the winner on Wednesday the 20th with my blog post. The winner will have 24 hours to contact me with their address: dmgraham2001[at]yahoo[dot]com. Otherwise, Peyton will draw another name. I do reserve the right to extend the contest longer if I so choose.

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A Review and Giveaway

Yes, I know it’s been forever since I’ve wielded my anvil. As a matter of fact, I had to get the scrub brush out and give the old gal a little elbow-grease action. Please forgive me, dear friends. I’ll try harder from now on.

I am excited to present a treat for all of you. As you may know, I’m rather fond of indie publishers. One of my favorites is Splashdown Books. And today I’m honored to review Legendary Space Pilgrims by owner/ author Grace “Ace” Bridges. Not only does she have an uncanny way of choosing excellent speculative fiction, but the girl can write. I reviewed her book Faith Awakened at the end of December. Check it out if you feel so inclined.

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Pinky Promise

Little Katie sat in the lobby of County General Hospital. She twirled the frayed hair of her rag-doll between her fingers. The smell of bleach and poo made her eyes sting but she would not cry. Daddy said big girls don’t cry. He said Katie was a big girl now and Daddy is never wrong.

She tried to ignore hushed voices down the hall by scuffing her shiny buckle shoes on the dingy floor. She doesn’t have to hear them to know what is what. The doctor has blood all over his clothes. The officer might be crying. He was nice to Katie when he pulled her out of the car. He tried to give her candy but Daddy said Katie should never take candy from strangers. He is a stranger and Daddy is never wrong.

Katie could also see the funny lights dancing down the halls. Katie couldn’t count high enough to count all the lights. And she heard them singing. It was the song Daddy sang every night after Momma went. He said she use to sing it to Katie. Daddy told Katie that Momma had gone home because she was weary.

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Cookie Cutter People

So I am driving along with the kiddos and all is well. We are playing the game we call “Guess the Song”. Just something to pass the hour drive to the closest medium town. The older kids are getting them left and right, while Peyton sits pouting. He is younger and therefore doesn’t know as many. I ignore him. Why? Because he is acting foolish. Then, he makes the sad mistake of saying that it isn’t fair.

I saw red.

I calmly pull the truck over and verbally lay into my son. Now, I know you all probably think I am just awful but honestly, I don’t care. See, this is how I see it. If I would have coddled my son at that moment, I would have done him great harm.

He needs me to be honest with him.

He needs me to tell him to suck it up and get over it.

And so I did.

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My Momma

I think I am going to start listing links to NAF again. These are my two most recent blog posts.



My Momma


Entertaining Modern Morons

The New Authors Fellowship

As some of may know,I am posting at a joint blog. I mirrored my posts for a few weeks but find it is difficult to keep up with.I am going to post links below so all of you may link there easily.Love you all and thank you for all of your support.

The New Authors Fellowship - http://newauthors.wordpress.com/

On Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-New-Authors-Fellowship/304387794426?v=wall&ref=mf

On Facebook networked blogs - http://apps.facebook.com/blognetworks/blog/the_new_authors_fellowship/

Love Letter

Focus On the Family is having a love letter contest. I thought I would share the link with all of you and my letter.

http://valentines.focusonthefamily.com/#/home

No amount of words can truly describe how much I love you. A lifetime of your company is just barely enough time to know you fully. You are a blessing I have been given from God above and I will treasure you fully as our hair greys, our joints ache and our minds grow feeble. All these things I write and I mean them so but why do I want to grow old with you, my beloved? I can only say that you make me want to live until I die and dying will not be sorrowful because I lived life with you.

Our children will tell stories of our love and will in turn know how God intended a man and woman to live. They will tell how you adored me and I you. They will speak of sacrifice, hard work and laughter. But best of all, they will have learned how to love themselves. And we will rock in chairs upon our front porch and speak fondly of days gone by. And when I draw my last breath and you your's, Then I will know that the choice we made so many years before was the best choice we could have ever made. The rough journey of life was smoother because of you , my beloved. I will thank the Lord for the gift and enter heaven at peace in my soul.

Peace, love and God's will.

Don't Eat Yellow Snow

I know this is an old saying but today, it applies.

As I have mentioned before, we store water and do not have a well. Our storage containers are 300 gallons. You would think these would not freeze but they do. We have two 300 gallon ice cubes. Knowing the weather was going to get cold, I had my two oldest boys fill our drinking water containers. Guess what? They only filled two out of five containers. Instead of 30 gallons of drinking water, we had 10.

You can imagine my irritation this morning when I went to make coffee and tea and had no water. Needless to say, my boys had no excuse other than laziness. So they spent a good amount of the day collecting snow to melt for water. They quickly learned about yellow snow. They also learned that a five gallon container of snow only melts down into about a half a gallon of water. Bet they fill ALL the water jugs next time I ask them to.

Peace, love and God’s will.

I Do Not Negotiate With Terrorists

I do not negotiate with terrorist! That is one of my favorite things to say to my children when they ask why they can’t do or have what they want. I say it in jest but really I mean it and they know it.

This post is in response to yesterday’s post. Little Bobby was being a terrorist. Fools negotiate with terrorist and I am no fool. The problem with it is the terrorist is never appeased. They will only want more and more until you have given them everything you have and it is your fault because you didn’t want to deal with it and thought bowing down would be easier.

As a mother of five, I tend to run the house like boot camp. Order and routine are essential to keep everything running smoothly. It is also important to the general happiness of my children. Days when our routine is not kept, they tend to argue and disobey more often. Structure is needed not only for them but for me.

A few wonderful sayings my children will repeat when they are older:

1. I do not negotiate with terrorists.

2. Suck it up, life is not fair.

3. Doing right and being right are two very different things.

4. On Sunday morning, can you stand in front of a church full of people and say or do that? Yeah, I didn’t think so.

5. What part of NO do you not understand?

6. I do know where you sleep. Wink!

Peace, love and God’s will.

Parenting 101

Sometimes, I want to smack people. Have you ever gone to the store or a restaurant and heard a cranky little one? That does not bother me. I mean, they are children and do not know yet how to communicate their feelings or control their moods. They are learning and there has to be a curve.

Something that does bother me is the grumpy bystanders that turn their noses up and whisper under their breath how awful a child is. Get over yourself people! Once upon a time, you were a tired baby. You had a wet diaper and missed your nap. Have a little compassion. Can’t you see the worn and weary Momma struggling to make it through her shopping?

To the other extreme, sometimes I want to smack a parent. Have you ever gone to the store and seen a parent negotiating with their undeserving child? It will go something like this.

“Mommy, I want (insert whatever item the rotten child wants.)”

“No Bobby, not today.”

Bobby whines, Bobby cries, Bobby throws himself on the floor. Mommy caves because she is too weak to hold her ground. Bobby is rewarded for his bad behavior and Mommy lost a little more control of her home. Mommy needs smacked.

Don’t get me wrong, I have fit in that last category once or twice. Shame on me. I needed to be properly smacked. I was creating a beast. I had to tame it and caused myself more heartache because of it.

Remember, discipline is love. Discipline is boundaries in a world gone a bit insane. Discipline creates a safe and happy environment for everyone in the home and prepares your children for a life that is not always easy. I do not think a busting is always the answer but am not afraid to pop the rod across a deserving rear-end. I would much rather my child to have a hurt pride and sore hinny than to be unprepared for life.

Peace, love and God’s will.

Mountain Life 16

As many of you may have guessed, I love my family. They are the blessings and joys of my life. When God set us on a path to live the “Mountain Life” they rose to the challenge when others would have gone running for the hills; pun intended.

When the dozer finished clearing the pad, we had our work cut out for us. We tried to get an electric pole set for construction but since there was not prior electric we would have to wait for construction of lines. That was fine; we had a generator to begin with. We tried to get a well dug but could not get anyone to come down our road. That was fine also; we had a pond dug. It seemed like each time we tried to do something, there was a stumbling block.

When the engineer came from the electric company, he quoted us a price for construction. We set a little more aside and began construction. Thirty days after construction began and materials were bought, the engineer called back and said it would be four times as much as originally quoted. This was a problem because our budget did not allow for this. We were finished framing the first floor and half of the second.

I was disheartened to say the least. It seemed satan did not want us to have a mountain home. But he did not count on my very smart and talented husband. God blessed me with a man that knows a little or a lot about everything. Quinton told the engineer that it was all right; we would just generate our own power.

It was several more long months before we moved into our home but in Feb. 2009 we did. It was not finished but we decided a lean-to was better than the tiny trailer.

The house continues to be a work in progress. We have generated power and treat the water from our pond. We haul drinking water, cut wood for the fire and have fresh eggs from our chickens. There are things we can’t have but they weren’t important after all.

My oldest son cut 90% of all the wood used to build our home. All of my children will forever be able to say they cut a road old school and built a house by hand. I am so proud of them. They never complain about what they lost or what they give up each day because they know we were saved by God’s grace, love and mercy.

Peace, love and God’s will.

Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award

Okay, I am so torn. I really want to be published through Jeff at Marcher Lord Press but while I am waiting to hear from him, I thought I would enter Amazon’s 2010 ABNA. If, by some miracle, Jeff loves I Am Ocilla, I can drop out of the contest.

I thought I would recommend this to all of my writing friends. There are two contests…general fiction and young adult. Each winner will receive a $15,000 advance and a contract with Penguin. I have posted the link below. Happy writing all.They are taking entries until Feb. 7th.

https://www.createspace.com/abna

Peace, love and God’s will.

Mountain Life 15

Before I tell more about the building of my home, I need to tell you all of the next and final hearing.

A law note- In the state of Texas, CPS only has 30 days to build a case. In some instances, the judge may grant an additional 30 days if CPS has some evidence. When I say some, I mean they have a statement or the children but have not been able to prove there was an abuse. In any other legal situation, besides national security, law may only hold someone for 72 hours without charges being made.

In CPS cases and agencies like them, they have 30 to 60 days to hold children. In that time, the children are theirs. In that time, they may medicate the children with highly addictive narcotics, do vaginal exams on girls of any age (including babies), and restrain the children if they lash out at the injustice. Remember me writing about the number of children abused while in state care?

How is it that a privately owned corporation has so much power? How are they able to steal children without any evidence and do with them what they want for 30 to 60 days? You should be appalled and you should be mad. It is all masked behind the phrase that should make you tremble when you hear it spouted so freely; “For the good of the children.” If that were the case, the data would tell a different story. Numbers never lie and that is why I could not, in good conscious, allow my babies to be subjected to the ill fate of a corporation that makes money at that cost of innocence.

Back to the story. The hearing was a joke. The judge was furious that the court was unable to serve Quinton and me with papers to appear. CPS had no evidence and no children. They were effectively dead in the water. But the judge had a personal grudge also now and instead of dismissing the case without merit, he left it open for eternity. Is this legal? No but as you have read, this county plays by their own set of laws and the Constitution is a joke to them.

In all civil cases, there is a statute of limitations. In our case, if there had been evidence to prove a crime had been committed, the court would have two years to process the case. CPS only has 18 months to process their cases in the state of Texas. Either way, the case should have been thrown out. It wasn’t and until May 1st of this year, Quinton and I could be arrested and held for questioning in Montague county Texas. We have not been back to Texas. Each state has a different set of rules that regulate their agency.

In the months that followed our exodus, we received updates from various friends and family. It was said that Quinton and I must be part of a militia and the rumors were legion. People that we thought were our friends turned and disassociated themselves from that crazy Graham family. But there were others that stuck loyally to our side and stood up when the world wanted to persecute us. To them, I am forever thankful. To the others, I wish them well.

The Montague County Sheriff’s department had a house cleaning late in 2008 and early in 2009. 106 indictments were handed out to the sheriff, jailers and inmates alike. I have a link below with a nice little blog post. Even after the cat was out of the bag, the corrupt administration was allowed to finish their term in the sheriff’s department. The blog post asks some pretty good questions that I would like answers to some day. The judge I have talked so much about is mentioned in the post and still sits on his lofty throne. I wonder how long before he is knocked down.

Hollywood had his own demons later in 2009. He is now in jail for Official Oppression and soliciting sex with a minor. I did not have to do anything. God made sure these people paid for their crimes.



http://gritsforbreakfast.blogspot.com/2009/02/questions-regarding-completely-corrupt.html


Peace, love and God’s will

Mountain Life 14

In the days, weeks and months that followed our escape, God’s hand continued to move swiftly. At the time, it was hard to see but hindsight is 20/20.

As many of you know, the housing market stinks. Yet, we sold and closed on our house within thirty days of leaving Texas. God is so good. Quinton’s sister bought it for a very low price. I mean half of what it was worth. Some thought we were crazy for selling it for a loss but I disagree and let me tell you why. It is just a house. All the valuable things had been sent away on May 1st. Quinton’s sister needed a house and who better to have it than family. All paperwork was signed by Quinton’s mom. We have not been back to Texas.

We bought a twenty-foot travel trailer to stay in while we built our house. My aunt was wonderful enough to allow us to hook to her water and electric. I am not the happy-camper type and there were probably a hundred different times my family should have had me drawn and quartered for my bad attitude and general fit throwing. I was still trying to swallow the jagged pill of loss. It is not something I am proud of but I am able to admit I was difficult. Seven people and three dogs in 160 sq ft is a hard task for a weekend. We stayed there for 9 months.

First, we had to have the land cleared. Problem was we had to wait a month for an appointment with a dozer. Being the rock-heads we are, we decided to cut our road while we waited. Have you ever cut down a tree? I don’t mean a little sapling but a big thick tree. We had to cut down nearly a hundred. It was 950 feet to the beginning of our property from the county road. How about moving rocks? Have you ever moved a rock as big as your car? We moved dozens. All this in temperatures in the high 90’s or low 100’s.

We awoke before sun-up each day and worked until noon. We returned to the trailer, ate lunch and took a nap. Yes, I am 35 and love naps. At 4, we returned to the road and worked until night fall. I have to admit, there were days that I stood strike. I actually refused to move another rock or branch. Not once in this time did I have to prod the children to bed. They went happily and were asleep when their heads hit the pillow.

When I threw my pity-parties, my poor husband should have shaken me but he just kissed me and went with the boys or alone. See, he needed that time in God’s wilderness more than I needed shade and AC. I now realize it was how he was able to cope with what had happened to his family. He may not have been able to change what was done but he could cut a road with his own two hands and that was a sure thing when the world around us was crazy.

On day 30 of cutting our road, we made it to the build spot. The dozer showed up the next day, along with Quinton’s sister (cash in hand for the house.) We watched the dozer operator the same way others watch a ball game. He did in a few hours what would have taken us months or even years. It was a beautiful thing, let me tell you. Now, it was time for the real work to begin.

More tomorrow? Peace, love and God’s will.

Mountain Life 13

Since I have been asked by a handful of people to tell the rest of the story, I am going to continue. If you get bored, let me know…I do tend to ramble.

On Friday, May 9, 2008, Quinton and I had a hearing at 9 am. Only a few people knew we had left and even they did not know where we were going. Quinton and I felt it important to protect them. We did not want anyone to lie for us. We had broken no laws and did not want our friends and family to either. Not even our lawyer knew where we were that morning. He fully expected to see us.

I am repeating this account from what Tony, Diana and Quinton’s sister relied to me. I was not there. CPS had their side of the courtroom filled with officers and experts. Our lawyer, God bless him, caught on quick enough when Tony gave him an all telling look. I really wish I could have been a fly on the wall that day.

Before the court was called to order, the talk was all about a little video that someone posted on youtube earlier in the week. Our lawyer was called to the judge’s bench and actually questioned about it. Finally, Hollywood showed up and the excitement was ready to begin.

A little law note before I go on. A court order is not good if it is not served. Not to the lawyer, only to the person who’s name is on the order. It is definitely not valid if the serving authority did not sign it, place the time it was served and date it. Also, orders to appear only mean you have to show up and/or have someone show up on your behalf. You do not have to be present. The only reason we had to have a lawyer present is because Quinton was served properly.

CPS was ready to fry us. We were obviously criminals since we were not present. I mean, they had an anonymous (not really anonymous) call and the Graham’s had not cooperated with their office. It amazes me that they actually believe the load of crud they are shoveling.

Our lawyer was not having any of it though. There is a reason I wanted him…he is awesome. You know the fiery type; kicks butt and takes names. He is the Chuck Norris of Texas Law. He pointed out that his clients had not broken any laws and that Montague’s finest had failed in their job.

The court’s hands were tied but the judge took it personal that his orders were ignored. He contended that he saw the video and could clearly see that papers were given to me. He was also sore about the first set of papers, signed over 24 hours after the children left Texas, being ignored by the Graham’s; the papers ordering us to make the children available to CPS. He postponed the hearing until the following week. He signed orders demanding we be present with our lawyer.

Remember my note from above. When are orders good? That’s right, when they are served on the person being ordered to appear. Montague could not find us to serve the papers. Not that they didn’t try. They harassed our friends and family all week. They questioned them and pulled them over anytime they saw their vehicles.

Quinton’s sister and mother were packing our things and selling our house. Each time they were at my house, a CPS worker or officer would drive by slowly. A few times they stopped. It did no good. They could answer truthfully that they did not know where we were.

The next hearing came and I tell you, that judge was furious. He legally should have thrown the case out then and there but his ego was at stake. CPS had nothing but the testimony of a teacher. Hollywood was there but he was considered a joke; even by his peers. They are the ones to give him the nick-name Hollywood. What the judge did when he realized he ha not gotten his way should make you all tremble.

A note- It is NOT the judge’s job or responsibility to try a case. He is supposed to be neutral and only make sure the law is upheld.

Never should a judge be allowed to call before him friends and family of the accused that are watching the proceedings and question them. Never and I mean NEVER should a judge be allowed to threaten and intimidate these people under any circumstances. But this judge believes himself above the law and did just that. He made Tony, Diana, and Quinton’s sister stand in that court while he threatened them and told them he would see them in jail if he found out they knew where we were. Who gave him power beyond his scope?

He set another hearing date for a month later, I think. Montague Sheriff’s department had orders to detain us if they found us. They tried but God protected us.

Now I am all fired-up. I’ll have to stop for now. I’ll write more tomorrow. Peace, love and God’s will.

Mountain Life 12

Sometimes, God takes you kicking and screaming from the place you are in to the place you need to be. I’d like to say I was graceful about leaving everything behind but that would be a lie. I’d like to say that losing my home did not bother me and that my journey as a Christian has transcended me to a higher state of humanity but that would be a lie also. Truth be told, I wore anger and resentment for months. I had the “short end of the stick” syndrome pretty badly for a while. There were victories and I was thankful to be reunited with my children but the jagged pill of it all was bitter and hard to swallow.

Our actions helped trigger an avalanche of events in the small north Texas county of Montague. The Sheriff’s department was in the news for months and dozens of indictments were handed out. Not for what they did to us but things more heinous. Please, if you get the chance to look them up, you will be outraged at what was going on when no one was looking.

As for me and my family, we are well. I see now that God was always in it and I never had to fear. Everything and I do mean everything, had to happen as it did for me to be here now writing from my mountain home. I am not yet sure what God has in store for me and why he needed me right here, right now but I am thankful and blessed. He is on my side. Now, who will stand against me?

Peace, love and God’s will.

Mountain Life 11

What are you willing to give up to save the ones you love? Will you go to jail, lose your job, your car, or your home? Will you allow the community you love and call home slander you for no reason other than they can? Honestly, no one can answer these questions truthfully until they are put in the situation.

I told you in my last post that my lawyer called Quinton and he did. It was Thursday and my spirits had risen from the sell of our truck. At that time, I had been separated from my children for a week. Our house was spotless. Then, our lawyer called with good and bad news. The good news was that he would represent us for a reasonable price. Quinton and I were fully aware that we may go to jail. It was something we would do as long as the children were safe.

I must make note that we are law abiding people. The thought of being handcuffed and put behind bars was almost too much. Almost! The alternative would be to bow to their demands and that was something we were not willing to ever do without one heck of a fight.

The problem comes with my lawyer’s bad news. He let Quinton know what he thought would go down the next day at the hearing. Because we exposed the county and they appear stupid and incompetent in the youtube video, they would want to make us pay. Our lawyer said they would arrest Quinton and me and put out an Amber Alert for the children.

You may be asking how they can get away with that. I know I did. If we showed up in the courtroom, we would admit jurisdiction and therefore the judge can do whatever he wants. It won’t stick and will eventually be thrown out but by the time that happens, they will have what they want…the children. Eighteen months of jumping hoops and all because one woman had a grudge.

This was when I lost it. The afternoon and evening went by in a blur. I do not remember a whole lot because I went and crawled in bed and wallowed in my misery. Friends and family were in and out all day but I can not tell you everyone that came. I do not remember praying anything but mumbled sobs to God but I know He felt my pain and knew my heart could not bear any more.

I vaguely remember Quinton saying he would not allow it. He and Tony had their heads together again. Let me tell you, if the world is out to get you, these two men are the two men you want on your side. The patrols of our house were still running every fifteen minutes, around the clock. We had to go in waves and use several vehicles. We were going to leave it all. We drew up a Power of Attorney for Quinton’s mom and had it notarized by a friend. We left her with our bank accounts, the deed to our home and everything we owned; everything we couldn’t fit into my van. We had cash in hand from the sale of our truck

So we left separately and at different times. I have never been so afraid. When we met up and I was back with my husband, I felt safe for the first time that day. I shook so hard that my teeth rattled and I just couldn’t stop crying. When we crossed the Texas border, it felt like we crossed on the wings of angels. The heaviness that had weighed me down for the last week lifted. We fought the good fight and God was victorious.

Mountain Life 10

In the video I posted, you hear me say a lawyer’s name. She ended up not representing me. I had spoken to her that day and had a meeting with her the following day. She had told me on the phone that I could use her name if I had anyone show up again. Remember, my real lawyer told me he would not represent me. So effectively, I still did not have a lawyer.

On Tuesday, Diana drove me to Dallas to meet this lawyer. She claimed to specialize in CPS cases and that she was a staunch advocate for parent’s and children’s rights. My spirits were high. I really thought we had found someone willing to fight for what is right. Sadly, I was wrong. I must be fair. She was willing to represent us but at a cost of $10,000. With this hefty fee, she wanted us to also pay for psychological evaluations, medical evaluations for all the children.

Even if I had the money, which I didn’t, I would not have done what she wanted. She scolded me for not cooperating with CPS and the authorities. I showed her the video and she said I was wrong for being hard on the poor officer. After all, he was only doing his job. So, since when was it the job of hired servants to harass and violate their masters? I mentioned my rights as a sovereign American and she laughed.

I left in tears and Diana tried without much success to comfort me. I wasn’t sad or beaten…I was angry; a righteous anger. You know what I mean? Diana, bless her heart, got the front-end of my anger when she suggested raising money to hire that sorry excuse of a lawyer. A lawyer that, in my opinion, profited handsomely from a mother’s heartache.

See, Diana thought I was upset about the price. I was of course but only because it was insane. I informed Diana, not so nicely, that hell would freeze over before I paid to give up my children’s innocence, rights and happiness to satisfy a agency that has no right to order the free and not guilty; no Constitutional right any way. The fact that she is still my friend is a testament to her patience, love and overall kindness. I will forever thank God for her friendship.

One problem, I still had no lawyer and there was a hearing on Friday. I called dozens of lawyers and they all either wanted an absurd amount of money or they would not even meet with me. Quinton and I decided we would have to sell his Peterbuilt so we could hire a lawyer. I was going to have to eat my words…or so I thought.

Quinton placed an ad online Tuesday afternoon. We had dozens of calls and several people came to look at the truck the next day. There was a problem though. CPS and the Sheriff’s department did drive-by’s every fifteen minutes. I am not exaggerating. It was ridiculous and it seemed we would never sell the truck. Thousands of criminals in north Texas and this department had nothing better to do than stalk us. A call came in that night from the east coast. A man wanted to fly in to DFW and he had cash. I thought it was a joke.

In the mean time, I sent a final plea to my lawyer friend in form of email on Wednesday evening. I simply told him that if anyone could help us, I knew it was him. I also told him that no matter what, I wished him all of God’s love. That last part I nearly didn’t put in but I said a little prayer before I pressed send and quickly typed the last part. I did not get an email response. The next day, he called Quinton directly and asked for all the details.

He was going to represent our family and for only $1000. Thursday at 11:00am, Diana and I picked up the man at DFW airport and he brought a cashier check for the full amount of the truck.

I have goose bumps writing this down. See, God will always make a way for his children. Even when life beats you up and throws you down, God’s loving hand never leaves you. You may think you can not handle what life gives you but God makes you strong and he sends Saints to you in your time of need. He even muddles the mind of a cocky cop, whispers His will into the ears of a man on the east coast and warms the heart of a reluctant lawyer. It may not be when or how we think it should be but God never fails us.

Peace, love and God’s will.

Mountain Life 9

In the video I posted a link to before, you will note that the officer was trying to serve me with papers; papers ordering me to appear that Friday in court. Remember, they had served me the Friday prior with papers ordering me to allow CPS access to my children. Children that were no longer under that courts jurisdiction when the order was signed. They were out of Texas for over 24 hours as a matter of fact.

Back to this set of papers. This set of papers claimed that I had disobeyed the previous orders, orders that were not valid, by not producing the children. You may have noticed that Hollywood (nick-name for the “special” officer) tossed the papers on the ground after he beat my twenty pound dog and violated my rights of property ownership. I guess I upset him so badly that he forgot to do any of his job properly. He did not sign the papers. Therefore, he made the orders null and void.

My friend Diana had the video up by mid-night and I sent an email with a link to the video to the Attorney General of Texas, Health and Human Services, the Sheriff of Montague, Newspapers, TV channels, friends, and family. Not one news agency responded. It is not a story they want to run I guess. You will notice the comments have been turned off on the video link. Hollywood kept posting nasty-grams.

In the days that followed, God’s mighty hand was working hard. I was a mess, Quinton was a rock, our friends and family were saints and my church family sent out the Baptist prayer chain across the country. The mighty warriors of God fought with us against the evil that threatened to take us down.

I have said before that I could feel the heavenly host surrounding us and I mean it. I could also feel demons licking their lips; waiting for a chance to tear us apart. There is a wonderful hymn that played in my mind that week; Victory in Jesus. Also, Psalms 121.

Psalm 121
1 I lift up my eyes to the hills, where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip, he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The LORD watches over you the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD will keep you from all harm he will watch over your life;
8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.