The Song that Silenced the Cappuccino Machine.

Someone forwarded this to me in an email and I don’t know who the original author is, however, it goes perfectly with the theme of a series of blogs I plan to share beginning next Monday.

We all have a purpose in life and potential. God gave that to us. When we allow dread, anxiety and worry to prevent us from fulfilling our purpose; writing, and allow that fear to make us feel as though we have nothing to contribute, please remember that God said we all have something to give back.

The SPARROW at STARBUCKS: The Song that Silenced the Cappuccino Machine.

It was chilly in Manhattan but warm inside the Starbucks shop on 51st Street and Broadway, just a skip up from Times Square. Early November weather in New York City holds only the slightest hint of the bitter chill of late December and January, but it's enough to send the masses crowding indoors to vie for available space and warmth.

For a musician, it's the most lucrative Starbucks location in the world, I'm told, and consequently, the tips can be substantial if you play your tunes right. Apparently, we were striking all the right chords that night, because our basket was almost overflowing.. It was a fun, low-pressure gig - I was playing keyboard and singing backup for my friend who also added rhythm with an arsenal of percussion instruments. We mostly did pop songs from the '40s to the '90s with a few original tunes thrown in.

During our emotional rendition of the classic, "If You Don't Know Me by Now," I noticed a lady sitting in one of the lounge chairs across from me. She was swaying to the beat and singing along.

After the tune was over, she approached me. "I apologize for singing along on that song. Did it bother you?" she asked.
"No," I replied. "We love it when the audience joins in. Would you like to sing up front on the next selection?"
To my delight, she accepted my invitation. "You choose,"
I said. "What are you in the mood to sing?"
"Well. . . . do you know any hymns?"
Hymns? This woman didn't know who she was dealing with. I cut my teeth on hymns. Before I was even born, I was going to church. I gave our guest singer a knowing look. "Name one."
"Oh, I don't know. There are so many good ones. You pick one."
"Okay," I replied. "How about 'His Eye is on the Sparrow'?"
My new friend was silent, her eyes averted. Then she fixed her eyes on mine again and said, "Yeah. Let's do that one."
She slowly nodded her head, put down her purse, straightened her jacket and faced the center of the shop. With my two-bar setup, she began to sing.
Why should I be discouraged?
Why should the shadows come?
The audience of coffee drinkers was transfixed. Even the gurgling noises of the cappuccino machine ceased as the employees stopped what they were doing to listen. The song rose to its conclusion.
I sing because I'm happy;
I sing because I'm free.
For His eye is on the sparrow
And I know He watches me.
When the last note was sung, the applause crescendoed to a deafening roar that would have rivaled a sold-out crowd at Carnegie Hall. Embarrassed, the woman tried to shout over the din, "Oh, y'all go back to your coffee! I didn't come in here to do a concert! I just came in here to get somethin' to drink, just like you!" But the ovation continued.
I embraced my new friend. "You, my dear, have made my whole year! That was beautiful!"
"Well, it's funny that you picked that particular hymn," she said.
"Why is that?"
"Well . . ." she hesitated again, "that was my daughter's favorite song."
"Really!" I exclaimed.
"Yes," she said, and then grabbed my hands. By this time, the applause had subsided and it was business as usual.. "She was 16. She died of a brain tumor last week."
I said the first thing that found its way through my stunned silence. "Are you going to be okay?"
She smiled through tear-filled eyes and squeezed my hands. "I'm gonna be okay. I've just got to keep trusting the Lord and singing his songs, and everything's gonna be just fine."
She picked up her bag, gave me her card, and then she was gone.
Was it just a coincidence that we happened to be singing in that particular coffee shop on that particular November night? Coincidence that this wonderful lady just happened to walk into that particular shop? Coincidence that of all the hymns to choose from, I just happened to pick the very hymn that was the favorite of her daughter, who had died just the week before?
I refuse to believe it. God has been arranging encounters in human history since the beginning of time, and it's no stretch for me to imagine that he could reach into a coffee shop in midtown Manhattan and turn an ordinary gig into a revival. It was a great reminder that if we keep trusting him and singing his songs, everything's gonna be okay.
The next time you feel like GOD can't use YOU, just remember....

* Abraham was too old
* Isaac was a daydreamer
* Jacob was a liar
* Leah was ugly
* Joseph was abused
* Moses had a stuttering problem
* Gideon was afraid
* Sampson had long hair and was a womanizer
* Rahab was a prostitute
* Jeremiah and Timothy were too young
* David had an affair and was a murderer
* Elijah was suicidal
* Isaiah preached naked
* Jonah ran from God
* Naomi was a widow
* Job went bankrupt
* John the Baptist ate bugs
* Peter denied Christ
* The Disciples fell asleep while praying
* Martha worried about everything
* The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once
* Zaccheus was too small
* Paul was too religious
* Timothy had an ulcer
* Lazarus was dead!

No more excuses now!! God can use you to your full potential. Besides you aren't the message, you are just the messenger. God bless you..

A Character’s Moral Convictions

Make Your Main Character Stand Out from the Rest

Do you want your main character to stand out in a natural and acceptable way? Try a subtle, yet powerful, character trait: strong moral convictions.

Moral conviction means making the right choice or doing the right thing. Usually, this involves making a sacrifice or letting go of something. When writing a story, creating a character with moral convictions shows, instead of tells, the reader that the main character either doesn’t fear being different, or would risk reticule from others for standing firm in his or her beliefs. To the character, the sacrifice involved would be worth making because it would result in the greater good for those he or she cares about.

For example, have him refuse to cheat at a game of cards though an opportunity presents itself. Or have him turn down the chance to be unfaithful to his girlfriend, even if he thought the other woman was irresistible. His courage in walking away would show he was a man of great self-control. In addition, it would show he had the insight to understand he would face consequences for his actions, even if no one else learned what he had done. Have her refuse to sleep with her fiancé before they are married. Or have her refuse to ‘fudge’ the books at work or steal cash from the company drawer, knowing no one would ever suspect her. She would know and that would be enough to keep her from doing it.

The point is, create a main character that wants a clean conscience. Overdone character traits like walking with a limp or chain smoking won’t due. However, a character that will follow his or her convictions instead of doing what everyone else does, just because ‘everybody does it,’ will. A character willing to make the necessary sacrifice because he or she believes the outcome of the situation would be worth it, stands out.

In addition, a character’s strong moral conviction shows, instead of tells, that he or she has an inner strength that the other characters, and the reader, can’t help but respect. Even if they don’t agree or believe in his or her moral convictions, both reader and supporting characters should be impressed.

Because it’s never easy for anyone to stand alone in what they believe, the fact that a major character does makes him or her a more memorable and endearing character. Isn’t that what sells books? Strong, unforgettable, engaging and interesting characters, that against all odds, refuse to compromise their ethical beliefs under pressure.

Finally, remember to reveal the convictions in a subtle way. The main character cannot preach or brag about his or her beliefs. That would turn the reader off. The convictions must flow naturally throughout the story, as part of the storyline. By the character’s previous behavior, these convictions should also show that it’s the only way this character could react to the situation.

Read more at Suite101: A Character’s Moral Convictions: Make the Main Character Stand Out from the Rest http://writingfiction.suite101.com/article.cfm/a_characters_moral_convictions#ixzz0qZbFAE3t

Favorite Opening Lines or Just Favorite Lines

Thanks for the feedback on the opening lines blog. Now I'd like to know your favorite opening lines from other novelists, famous or not, or just your favorite lines from a novel.

Right now my favorite opening line is from Harlan Coben's, No Second Chance. "When the first bullet hit my chest, I thought of my daughter."

Doesn't that make you want to stop everything and find out what happens next?

Your Opening Lines

Right now I'm struggling with the 'hook' or opening lines for my latest novel so I thought I'd ask for help. Nothing sparks the imagination like reading the opening lines of other writers.

Would you like to share your inspiration to help spark mine? I'd love to read your opening lines and have our readers comment on them. I believe we could all learn from this experience. What do you say?

Send me your opening lines and I'll post them and ask for feedback.