Dinner with Frank Peretti

So, I’m at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Indianapolis. It’s the end of a fabulous Saturday full of friends, teachings, appointments, and encouraging news. I’m on my way down to the lobby from my room on the fourteenth floor to meet my fellow Howard Books’ authors and editors for dinner at a nearby pizza place. If you’ve been following my posts, you may have heard me mention that my editors are also Frank Peretti’s and the Duck Dynasty fellows, too—Phil and Willie. I’m tickled with that and consider it an honor to be in such company. God’s blessed me so!

Frank Peretti, fabulous Christian author and me!

            So I step onto the elevator and who’s already aboard but the man himself. I say, “You’re Frank Peretti.”

            He nodded a little and smiled. “I know.”

            “Are you going to dinner with me?”

            He looked a bit puzzled at my question. “Well, I’m headed to the lobby to meet someone who texted and said be down there at 5:45 for pizza.”

            “Then you are! I’m a Howard author, too.”

            I started telling him about my historical Christian romance VOW UNBROKEN coming out next March. We walked through the lobby together and found our group. I’m pretty sure I sang the new song the Lord had just given me—well finished, He started it on the flight to Indiana—that day to sing for Kim Childress, the Zonderkidz editor I had an appointment with.

            I’m uncertain how we got off on tornadoes, probably speaking of Texas being in ‘Tornado Alley’ but I had the chance to witness that we are to tell a tornado coming at us to go “up”. Back up into the clouds. There’s a whole funny story about that. I also testified as to how I once prayed around a McDonald’s parking lot I had to pave telling the dark clouds—as I walked its perimeters—that they could rain on the other side of the highway, or there in the woods, but they could not rain on that parking lot. I rejoined the other contractors I’d been meeting with when one said, “Would you look at that!”

            It was raining across the highway, and in the woods, but my parking lot stayed dry and I was able to get it paved in time for the grand opening. I so love to give God glory and tell of His excellent greatness, how much He loves me!

Pizza dinner with Frank Peretti and Howard Books authors and editors!

            Anyway, once we’d all gathered, we headed for the pizza place and had delicious pizza. It was a wonderful evening and I so enjoyed speaking with an author I’ve loved since first reading his books PIERCING THE DARKNESS and THIS PRESENT DARKNESS. He has over FIFTEEN MILLION BOOKS in print now. The living Word tells us that God is no respecter of persons. What He’s done for my brother Frank, He can do for me! Heavy sigh! Now THAT IS an encouraging word!

           Father, continue to bless Your servant Frank and give him more wonderful stories to write for the advancement of Your Kingdom on earth! And give me a few as well because I want to bring You glory! Bless Howard Books and Simon and Schuster, the American Christian Fiction Writers, and all those in the publishing industry that seek to glorify You! In the name of Your beloved Son, I ask, and thank You, Abba! Amen!