IN YOU, O Lord, do I put my trust and confidently take refuge; let me never be put to shame or confusion! Deliver me in Your righteousness and cause me to escape; bow down Your ear to me and save me! Be
to me a rock of refuge in which to dwell, and a sheltering stronghold
to which I may continually resort, which You have appointed to save me,
for You are my Rock and my Fortress. . . . For You are my hope; O Lord God, You are my trust from my youth and the source of my confidence. Upon
You have I leaned and relied from birth. . . My praise
is continually of You. (Psalm 71:1–6 AMP)
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Verse of the Day
Let
all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; Aad let those who love
Your salvation say continually, "Let God be magnified." But I am afflicted and needy; hasten to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD, do not delay. (Psalm 70:4–5)
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Monday, May 28, 2012
Verse of the Day
Your God has commanded your strength; Show Yourself strong, O God, who have acted on our behalf. . . . O God, You are awesome from Your sanctuary. The God of Israel Himself gives strength and power to the people. Blessed be God! (Psalm 68:28, 35)
Friday, May 25, 2012
Verse of the Day
"Ah
Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great
power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You." (Jeremiah 32:17)
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Verse of the Day
Therefore,
since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens,
Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For
we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses,
but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore
let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may
receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:14–16)
Monday, May 21, 2012
Verse of the Day
I wait quietly before God, for my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will never be shaken. I wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me. O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge. Interlude (Psalm 62:1–2, 5–8)
Friday, May 18, 2012
Verse of the Day
But as for me, I will sing about your power. I will shout with joy each morning because of your unfailing love. For you have been my refuge, a place of safety in the day of distress. O my Strength, to you I sing praises, for you, O God, are my refuge, the God who shows me unfailing love. (Psalm 59:16–17 NLT)
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Chameleon by Jillian Kent
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jill spent the first semester of her senior year of college at Oxford studying British Literature, where she fell in love with England. During this season, she came to appreciate the written word, the rich imagery of romantic poetry like The Highwayman, and historical novels of many types, including Jane Austen and all things Regency.
Jill received her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Bethany College in West Virginia, and her Masters Degree in Social Work from WVU, and she brings her fascination with different cultures and societies into her writing.
Jill has always been a romantic at heart, so readers will find a good dose of romance woven through each of her novels. Jill, her husband Randy, and children Katie and Meghan are animal lovers. They currently own two dogs, Boo-Boo and Bandit and a menagerie of cats, Lucky, Yuma, Snow, and Holden. Critters of all assortments make their appearance in her stories.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Lady Victoria Grayson has always considered herself a keen observer of human behavior. After battling a chronic childhood illness that kept her homebound for years, she journeys to London determined to have the adventure of a lifetime.
Jaded by his wartime profession as a spy, Lord Witt understands, more than most, that everyone is not always who they pretend to be. He meets Victoria after the Regent requests an investigation into the activities of her physician brother, Lord Ravensmoore.
Witt and Victoria become increasingly entangled in a plot targeting the lords of Parliament. Victoria is forced to question how well she knows those close to her while challenging Witt’s cynical nature and doubts about God. Together they must confront their pasts in order to solve a mystery that could devastate their future.
If you would like to read the first chapter of Chameleon, go HERE.
Review to come.
My Stubborn Heart by Becky Wade
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Becky Wade is a graduate of Baylor University. As a newlywed, she lived for three years in a home overlooking the turquoise waters of the Caribbean, as well as in Australia, before returning to the States. A mom of three young children, Becky and her family now live in Dallas, Texas.
ABOUT THE BOOK
This summer author Becky Wade makes her CBA debut with a fun -- and funny -- contemporary romance. Amidst the light-hearted banter and laugh-out-loud moments is a compelling spiritual journey of one woman's choice to listen to God and wait on him. Filled with humor and authentic romance, My Stubborn Heart is shaping up to be the hit of the summer.
Kate Donovan is burned out on work, worn down by her dating relationships, and in need of an adventure. When Kate's grandmother asks Kate to accompany her to Redbud, Pennsylvania, to restore the grand old house she grew up in, Kate jumps at the chance.
Yet, she discovers a different kind of project upon meeting the man hired to renovate the house. ;Matt Jarreau is attractive and clearly wounded -- hiding from people, from God, and from his past. Kate can't help but set her stubborn heart on bringing him out of the dark and back into the light... whether he likes it or not.
If you would like to read the first chapter of My Stubborn Heart, go HERE.
Review to come later. I'm at the Colorado Christian Writers Conference this week.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Verse of the Day
In God, whose word I praise, In the LORD, whose word I praise, In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me? Your vows are binding upon me, O God; I will render thank offerings to You. (Psalm 56:10–12)
Monday, May 14, 2012
Mother of Pearl—Day 7
Welcome to Pearl Girls™ Mother of Pearl Mother's Day blog
series - a week long celebration of moms and mothering. Each day will feature a
new post by some of today's best writer's (Tricia Goyer, Sheila Walsh, Suzanne
Woods Fisher, Bonnie St. John, and more). I hope you'll join us each day for
another unique perspective on Mother's Day.
[Contest is over.]
If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info and see what we're
all about. In short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women
and children in the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of
Pearl
Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace or one of the
Pearl Girls™ products (all GREAT Mother's Day gifts!) to help support Pearl
Girls.
And to all you MOMS out there, Happy Mother's
Day!
What I Didn't
Know by Rhonda Shrock
I always knew I wanted to be a mother. As a girl,
I played house with my dollies, shushing them when they cried and kissing their
plastic heads.
Looking back at that girl, I realize now that there was a
lot she didn't know. This morning over my fresh-ground coffee, this
mother of 22-1/2 years scratched out a list of 10 things she didn't know then
that she knows now.
1. I didn't know - how could I? - just
how completely a tiny, helpless scrap of humanity can capture the heart and
hold it forever. From that first whooshing heartbeat and
the first butterfly brushes, a mother's heart is never again her own.
For all eternity, it enlarges, walking and pulsing and moving outside
of her body; in my case, in the shape of a blue-eyed boy with rooster tails.
Times four.
2. I didn't know that the size of a
mother's heart is always changing, stretching to embrace each new
baby that comes, then growing again to love their friends and then their own
families.
3. I never knew, as I changed my dolly's
dress, how many reasons there are to worry when you're a
mama. Didn't know about the nighttime vigils. Didn't know
the anxiety of separation, the terror that floods when you turn around in the
grocery store and they're gone. Didn't know about the fear of the
pond next door or the concern that pays for swimming lessons. Didn't
know the thousand-and-one reasons that keep a mother awake, whispering prayers
on her pillow in the dark.
4. No one told me that loving so much
means that you will hurt hard and keen; that what pains
your child hurts you even worse. I didn't know then that a playground
taunt travels through that smaller heart and lands square in yours, stinging
and burning like fire. I didn't know that motherhood makes lionesses
of us all and that there'd be days I'd have to bite my tongue and pray to not
sin.
5. I didn't know how exhausting it
is, being a mother. I didn't know that it takes everything
you've got and then some. Didn't know the bone-deep exhaustion; how
it strips you bare and shows how selfish you can be, but, too, that you have
more strength than you know.
6. I didn't know, playing house, how much
joy mothers feel; joy so big that it makes up for the pain.
Just looking at those eyes and the curve of the cheek can make you so
happy it hurts. Watching them grow and find their talent and win at
something...all the money in the world can never buy that kind of
happiness.
7. I didn't know how making babies and raising
them, how it binds you to their father. I didn't
know the intimacy you feel when your eyes meet above those tousled heads, and
your smiles say, "Just look at what we've done."
8. That girl in the homemade dress, she didn't
know that letting go is one of the hardest things a grown-up mama will
ever do. Rocking those babies in that small rocking chair,
she didn't really know that babies grow up and walk away and there goes your
heart, out into the big, wide world. No one told her that part.
9. I had no idea how rewarding it
is, being a mother. How the happiness that comes from boy
kisses and awkward hugs can't be bought or sold. How proud you feel
when you see what they're growing up to be and that all the planting and
pruning and watering and feeding is finally making fruit!
10. I didn't know how much my babies
would enrich my spiritual life or how they would change the way I
pray. I didn't realize they would lead me to a deeper
dependence on the Heavenly Father or how I much I would need His wisdom to
raise them aright.
These are things I didn't know before I was a mother.
But I know them now. Oh, how I know them now!
And I’d do it all again.
###
Exciting News – the latest Pearl Girls book, Mother of
Pearl: Luminous Legacies and Iridescent Faith will be released this month!
Please visit the Pearl Girls Facebook Page (and LIKE us!)
for more information! Thanks so much for your support!
Mother of Pearl—Day 6
Welcome to Pearl Girls™ Mother of Pearl Mother's Day blog
series - a week long celebration of moms and mothering. Each day will feature a
new post by some of today's best writer's (Tricia Goyer, Sheila Walsh, Suzanne
Woods Fisher, Bonnie St. John, and more). I hope you'll join us each day for
another unique perspective on Mother's Day.
[The contest is over, so I'm not posting that information today. Sorry, conference prep for this week's CCWC sidelined me from the blog posts over the weekend.}
If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info and see what we're
all about. In short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women
and children in the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of
Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing
Grace or one of the Pearl Girls™ products (all GREAT
Mother's Day gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.
And to all you MOMS out there, Happy Mother's
Day!
He Will Walk With You by
Carey Bailey
As a little girl, I loved baby dolls. Loved them! I played
school, adoption agency, daycare operator and babysitter all day. I
felt like I was born to be a mama. Therefore, I was a bit anxious
when the ages, 22, 25, 28 and 32 came and went and there were no babies. Have
you ever desired something so much and feared never getting it? That was
me.
My day finally came at the age of 34. I soon realized that
God knew what He was doing when He had me wait. To my shock, it wasn’t as easy
as playing with dolls. I was surprised that it wasn’t the dream world I
imagined it would be! I felt like life became a gigantic prayer.
“God, HELP me!”
“Please, God. Please, please, please make it all better. I
can’t do this!”
“God, this feels impossible. Where are you?”
While I adore motherhood, it is harder and there
are more adjustments than I expected. (I am hoping there are some
nodding of heads and Amen’s being said out there in cyberworld.) Not only did I
have a new life to care for, but my identity suddenly felt all scrambled up. It
took me until my son was one to finally feel confident in my new role as a
mother, confident that I could drop my child off at preschool without crying,
confident that I could go out with the girls’ and the world wouldn’t fall
apart, and confident that I could go on a date night and have conversations
that didn’t revolve just around our son.
I was feeling settled in my new world and then WHAM! I
discovered I was pregnant again. Can I be vulnerable with you? I actually cried
when I found out. And they were not tears of joy. I feel awful saying that out
loud, and I hope you will give me a moment to explain. It was not that I didn’t
want another baby or feel like I couldn’t love a new life, it was just that I
got scared. Discovering a little person was on the way sent a panic through me.
Would my son still receive the love and attention that he deserved? How was my
husband going to feel about my body changing again? Would I ever be able to
pursue the vision I felt God had for me in writing and publishing? I was truly
wondering if I was going to be able to handle another intense wave of identity
crisis like the one I had just been through. I wasn’t sure.
God and I needed a serious talk. And in that conversation He
carefully reminded me of this:
“For I know the plans I have for you,"
declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to
give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
He reminded me in our time together that I, too, am His
child and He has every intention of loving me, caring for me, and giving me the
future that He has planned for me.
As mothers, we can get so caught up in parenting that we
forget that we, too, have a spiritual parent who loves us as His child. He
loves you as much as He loves the children He has given you. He will never
forsake you. And on those days when motherhood seems too overwhelming
and too impossible I step back and take a deep breath. Then I remember that
this journey I am on, right now, is the one He has designed and create uniquely
for me. I simply need to live in it, learn from it, and allow His love to sweep
over and through me.
He will walk with me! He will walk with you! Grab His
hand.
###
Carey Bailey is a recovering perfectionist, wife,
proud mama, and the Family Life Director for her church in Arizona. She hosts
an online community for moms called Cravings: desiring God in the midst of
motherhood where she strives to make God time easier. Not less meaningful, just
easier. She is the author of Cravings {The Devotional} which is a set of forty
devotional flashcards for the mama on the go. Visit Carey online blog: www.cravingstheblog.blogspot.com Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/CravingsOnline
and Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/careycbailey/
Exciting News – the latest Pearl Girls book, Mother of
Pearl: Luminous Legacies and Iridescent Faith will be released this month!
Please visit the Pearl Girls Facebook Page (and LIKE us!)
for more information! Thanks so much for your support!
Verse of the Day
Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken. . . . I will trust
in You. (Psalm 55:22–23)
Friday, May 11, 2012
Submerged by Dani Pettrey
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Just in case you’re curious…The real Dani does love traveling. She’s been to some amazing places (Greece, Hawaii, the Keys) and there are many more she hopes to visit in the future.
And while she’s not quite up to sky-diving, cave diving or heli-skiing (too high, too enclosed, too cold!) she and her family love hiking, canoeing, wave jumping, and a ton of other outdoor adventures a little further down on the risk scale.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Yancey, Alaska was a quiet town . . . until the truth of what was hidden in the depths off the coast began to appear.
Bailey Craig vowed never to set foot in Yancey again. She has a past, and a reputation--and Yancey's a small town. She's returned to bury a loved one killed in the plane crash and is determined not to stay even an hour more than necessary. But then dark evidence emerges and Bailey's own expertise becomes invaluable for the case.
Cole McKenna can handle the deep-sea dives and helping the police recover evidence. He can even handle the fact that a murderer has settled in his town and doesn't appear to be moving on. But dealing with the reality of Bailey's reappearance is a tougher challenge.
She broke his heart, but she is not the same girl who left Yancey. He let her down, but he's not the same guy she left behind. Can they move beyond the hurts of their pasts and find a future together?
If you would like to read the first chapter of Submerged, go HERE.
Margie's comments: Wow! It's been a long time since a book grabbed me right at the beginning and has me very reluctant to put it down. Granted I read a lot of books, so if a book grabs my attention right from the beginning, I will finish it. I'm still reading this one, and the only reason I am putting it down is next week's Colorado Christian Writer's Conference and I'm buried in last-minute details. However, the characters are real, they have very unique jobs that I'm finding fascinating, and they struggle with very real issues and have to face the mistakes of their past in order to move on into the future God has for them. I love the mystery/suspense of the story, too. It's intriguing and keeps pulling me along. An excellent read.
Mother of Pearl—Day 5
Welcome to Pearl Girls™ Mother of Pearl Mother's Day blog
series - a week long celebration of moms and mothering. Each day will feature a
new post by some of today's best writer's (Tricia Goyer, Sheila Walsh, Suzanne
Woods Fisher, Bonnie St. John, and more). I hope you'll join us each day for
another unique perspective on Mother's Day.
AND ... do enter the contest for a chance to win a beautiful
hand crafted pearl necklace. To enter, just {CLICK THIS LINK}
and fill out the short form. Contest runs 5/6-5/13 and the winner will on 5/14.
Contest is only open to US and Canadian residents.
If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info and see what we're
all about. In short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women
and children in the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of
Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing
Grace or one of the Pearl Girls™ products (all GREAT
Mother's Day gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.
And to all you MOMS out there, Happy Mother's
Day!
Stepping Out on
Faith by Bonnie St. John
"Darcy . . .”
“Yeah, Mom?”
I momentarily held the undivided attention of my teenage
daughter. Her thumbs, free of their ubiquitous texting keypad, quietly dangled
by her side. Her computer and its omnipresent Facebook page were completely out
of sight. I had almost forgotten what she looked like without all these
adolescent accoutrements. As we sat down together on the burgundy leather sofa
in our living room, I realized this fleeting state of electronic dislocation
was my chance to hatch a plan I had been formulating for the past several
weeks. Carpe diem.
“How would you like to write a book
together?”
“About what?” I asked my mom. Write a book? This was a real
surprise. I felt a bit suspicious, but still curious. I love to
write, and Mom kept telling me I was really good at it. I like writing poetry,
fantasy, and sci-fi, though. The books Mom wrote were all nonfiction.
I wondered what we could possibly do together.
“Well . . .” I hesitated. If I wanted her to commit to any
extra work outside her busy schedule at school—not to mention work alongside
her mother—I had to make this really great. “It would be about women
as leaders,” I continued, “a mother-daughter investigation into
leadership styles and structures.”
“Leadership?” I blurted. It came out as if I had a bad taste
in my mouth—which I did. I couldn’t imagine a more boring topic to
write about. What is there to say about leadership anyway? When you’re in
charge, you just get things done, right? Who wants to talk about that?
Her furrowed brow told me I was losing her fast. “Um . . .
we could find women leaders all around the world!” I said impulsively,
frantically casting the ultimate bait.
“Really? Would we get to travel a lot?” I hadn’t
thought about that. Heck, I’d write about the mating habits of tsetse flies
if I got to go to Africa to do it!
But this project wasn’t just about the influence it would
have on Darcy. I wanted to do something that could have a potent impact on an
alarming trend I had witnessed in workplaces across the country: far too many
women appeared to be making a choice not to apply for top leadership positions
when presented with the opportunities to do so.
This project, then, was a bit of a Trojan horse. On the one
hand, the saga of a mother-daughter journey could seduce female readers, who
might never bother to read the Harvard Business School dissertations on the
subject, into a meaningful conversation about leadership. At the same time, if
Darcy met a series of brilliant, accomplished women— people even a cynical teen
would be in awe of—perhaps they could tell her all the things I’d like her to
know—and more.
And she just might
listen.
But where to start? How would we make it work? I suggested
we do most of our research by phone, as I did for How Strong Women
Pray. My telephone interviews with a governor, some CEOs, actors,
sports figures, a college president, and others yielded great stories and
information. I promised my intrepid co-author, though, that we could punctuate
these conversations with a few visits in person to exciting and exotic
places—all with reasonably priced airfares.
“Why don’t we follow each subject as she goes about her
daily life? That way our readers get to come along with us and get a behind-
the-scenes look at what happens to them. Instead of just a boring interview,
we—and our readers—get to hang around with these women, see them in their
natural habitat, and even see how other people treat them.”
Although I agreed it was a wonderful approach, this idea of
“job- shadowing” each featured subject wasn’t going to be easy. Would these
high-powered, important women deign to allow us that kind of access? Would they
be able to impart the kind of wisdom that would resonate with our readers and
truly make a difference in their lives? We looked at each other, both
of us hooked on a crazy idea that we weren’t sure we could pull off.
“It sounds impossible, Darcy,” I said. “We might as well get
started.”
And so, we stepped out . . . on
faith.
###
Bonnie is a 1984 Paralympics
silver medal winner in ski racing. Her education includes a degree with honors
from Harvard, a Rhodes scholarship, and an M.Litt in Economics from Oxford.
Her career includes positions as an award-winning sales rep for IBM
and a Clinton White House member of staff. She now is a much-in-demand speaker,
who makes nearly 100 speeches each year to corporations and civic groups. You
can visit her on the Web at www.bonniestjohn.com.
Re-printed with permission from
How Great Women Lead by Bonnie St. John and Darcy
Deane
Exciting News – the latest Pearl Girls book, Mother of
Pearl: Luminous Legacies and Iridescent Faith will be released this month! Please
visit the Pearl Girls Facebook Page (and LIKE us!)
for more information! Thanks so much for your support!
Mother of Pearl—Day 4
Welcome to Pearl Girls™ Mother of Pearl Mother's Day blog
series - a week long celebration of moms and mothering. Each day will feature a
new post by some of today's best writer's (Tricia Goyer, Sheila Walsh, Suzanne
Woods Fisher, Bonnie St. John, and more). I hope you'll join us each day for
another unique perspective on Mother's Day.
AND ... do enter the contest for a chance to win a beautiful
hand crafted pearl necklace. To enter, just {CLICK THIS LINK}
and fill out the short form. Contest runs 5/6-5/13 and the winner will on 5/14.
Contest is only open to US and Canadian residents.
If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info
and see what we're all about. In short, we exist to support the work of
charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Consider
purchasing a copy of Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing
Grace or one of the Pearl Girls™ products (all GREAT
Mother's Day gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.
And to all you MOMS out there, Happy Mother's
Day!
What I Am Not
by Tricia Goyer
Becoming a mother is a complicated thing. Not only
am I trying to negotiate a relationship with my child, I am trying to negotiate
a relationship with myself as I attempt to determine how I mother, how I feel
about mothering, how I want to mother and how I wish I was
mothered.
— Andrea J. Buchanan, in Mother Shock3
Sometimes the easiest way to discover who we are is
to know who we are not.
• We are not our children. We all know
mothers who go overboard trying to make themselves look good by making their
children look great. I saw one woman on the Oprah television show who had
bought her preschool daughter more than twelve pairs of black shoes just so the
girl could have different styles to go with her numerous outfits! Just as we
-don’t get report cards for mothering, we also -don’t get graded on our child’s
looks or accomplishments. While you want your children to do their best and
succeed in life, your self-esteem -shouldn’t be wrapped up in your child.
Life as I See It:
My individuality will never end. There will be no
one exactly like me, not even my child. She will be like me in some ways, but
not at all in others. I -wouldn’t have it any other way.
— Desiree, Texas
• We are not our mothers. I remember the
first time I heard my mother’s voice coming out of my mouth. The words “because
I told you so . . .” escaped before I had a
chance to squelch them.
It’s not until we have kids that we truly understand our
mothers — all their frets, their
nagging, and their worries.
It’s also then that we truly understand their love.
Since you are now a mother, it’s good to think back on how
you were raised. If there were traditions or habits that now seem wise and useful,
incorporate them into your parenting. You also have permission to sift out
things you now know -weren’t good. Just because you’re a product of your
mother, that -doesn’t mean you have to turn out just like her. Repeat after me,
“I am not my mother.”
• We are not like any other mother out
there. Sometimes you may feel like the world’s worst mother. After
all, your friend never yells at her son — and
sometimes you do. Then again, your friend may feel bad because you have a
wonderful bedtime routine that includes stories and songs. In many cases, the
moms you feel inferior to only look like they have it together. All moms feel
they -don’t “measure up.” Instead of feeling unworthy, we should realize that
everyone has strengths and weaknesses. The key is where we place our
focus.
The Bible says, “Let’s just go ahead and be what we
were made to be, without . . .
comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we
-aren’t” (Romans 12:5 – 6,
MESSAGE).
The problem with comparison is, we always
measure our weaknesses against the strengths of
others.
Instead, we need to thank God for our strengths. We can also
ask God to help us overcome our weaknesses — not
because we want to compare ourselves, or look good in someone else’s eyes, but
because we want to be the best mom out there.
###
Exciting News – the latest Pearl Girls book, Mother of
Pearl: Luminous Legacies and Iridescent Faith will be released this month!
Please visit the Pearl Girls Facebook Page (and LIKE us!)
for more information! Thanks so much for your support!
Verse of the Day
Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. And do everything with love. (1 Corinthians 16:13–14 NLT)
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Mother of Pearl—Day 3
Welcome to Pearl Girls™ Mother of Pearl Mother's Day blog
series - a week long celebration of moms and mothering. Each day will feature a
new post by some of today's best writer's (Tricia Goyer, Sheila Walsh, Suzanne
Woods Fisher, Bonnie St. John, and more). I hope you'll join us each day for
another unique perspective on Mother's Day.
AND ... do enter the contest for a chance to win a beautiful
hand crafted pearl necklace. To enter, just {CLICK THIS LINK} and fill out the
short form. Contest runs 5/6-5/13 and the winner will on 5/14. Contest
is only open to US and Canadian residents.
If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info and see what we're
all about. In short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women
and children in the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of
Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing
Grace or one of the Pearl Girls™ products (all GREAT
Mother's Day gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.
And to all you MOMS out there, Happy Mother's
Day!
She’s…My Everything by
Suzanne Woods Fisher
“A mother is one who can take the place of all
others, but whose place no one else can take.”
--Cardinal Mermillod
Just a few more months. My mother was hoping Dad would hang
on long enough so they could celebrate their sixtieth wedding anniversary in
April. But on January 1st, as the sun rose on the new year, my dad’s worn out
heart beat its last. Dad had battled Alzheimer’s Disease for ten years. As many
of you know, AD is a long, hard journey. Hard on the one afflicted with the
disease, hard on the caregivers.
But not without its
blessings.
Four years ago, as I began researching stories for
Amish Peace: Simple Wisdom for a Complicated World, my path
crossed with a handful of Plain families who were coping with Alzheimer’s. It
was just about the point when Dad’s illness was shifting from early to mid stages
AD and the timing was a divine accident. I learned so much as I observed the
calm acceptance of these families. Rather than waste time shaking a fist at God
for allowing this disease to take their loved one, they put their energy into
trusting God’s sovereignty. They didn’t deny the difficulties and complications
and sadness of Alzheimer’s, but they didn’t dwell on them. “God has a plan,”
one woman told me. “He always has a plan.”
Something else I noticed was how privileged my Amish friends
felt about caring for their loved one. Caring for the elderly, they believe, is
the time to give back to them.
Those encounters shaped my perspective of Dad’s illness. I
started to pay attention to how God provided answers to new wrinkles created by
Alzheimer’s, just in time. God may be slow, but He is never late.
I started to cherish special moments or good days with
Dad—just as he was at each point in his illness. Not mourning the past, not
dreading the future.
I really miss my dad. I miss his scratchy whiskers and the
way his eyebrows would wiggle at us, even as words failed him. Yet I have such
peace in my heart that he was well loved and well cared for, right to the very
end. And as hard as Dad’s end of life has been, it isn’t the end. We will meet
again. As the saying goes, “Some may see a hopeless end, but as believers we
rejoice in an endless hope.”
There’s a beautiful story that illustrates my parents’
59-year marriage. This event happened about a year or two ago. My sister had
accompanied our mother to the doctor appointment for Dad at the Stanford Memory
Clinic.
Dad had declined quite a bit that month. He was weak and
lethargic, even to the point of whispering, as if it took too much energy to
project his voice. During the doctor's appointment, the doctor told my mother
and sister that Dad was now in late stages of Alzheimer's. Dad didn’t have much
vocabulary left, but when the doctor asked him who mom was, he whispered
something back. The doctor looked at Mom and asked, "Did you hear what he
just said?"
Mom shook her head.
"When I asked him who you were, he whispered,
'She's...my everything.'"
###
Reprinted with permission by
Cooking & Such,
www.sherrygorebooks.com.
Exciting News – the latest Pearl Girls book, Mother of
Pearl: Luminous Legacies and Iridescent Faith will be released this month!
Please visit the Pearl Girls Facebook Page (and LIKE us!)
for more information! Thanks so much for your support!
The Soul Saver by Dineen Miller
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Through this lens she also believes her years as a youth counselor, a Stephen Minister, a women’s ministry leader, and a small group leader fuel her desire to ignite the souls of others through words of truth.
In addition to writing for Spiritually Unequal Marriage, Dineen has won several prestigious awards for her fiction, and her devotional writing has been featured in Our Journey and Christian Women Online Magazine. She’s also a C.L.A.S.S. Communicator and has been featured on the Moody Radio Network, Family Life and Focus on the Family Radio.
Married for 24 years to a guy who keeps her young, she lives in the Bay Area with her husband and two adult daughters, who surprise her daily with their own creativity.
She is the co-author of Winning Him Without Words: 10 Keys to Thriving in Your Spiritually Mismatched Marriage and the author of The Soul Saver.
ABOUT THE BOOK
On an average day, God started her missions in her sculpting studio, revealing the face of the person she would meet at the grocery store, bank, or playground. The goal was always the same. Reach the lost, bring someone back to God, restore hope. But then came the tough missions—the ones that sent Lexie Baltimore into real battle. And she had a few battle scars to show for it.
Tormented that she can’t reach the one person she loves the most—staunch atheist and husband Hugh—Lexie finds her own hope waning when the battle comes to her doorstep in the shape of a pastor who represents everything she wants and everything her husband is not—a godly man.
Then false accusations and rumors spin her husband and family into a precarious position, and the only way out is to trust God. But how can she convince her husband when she’s struggling to trust God herself?
This time Lexie is the mission.
ENDORSEMENTS:
“Never before have I felt as if I were seeing someone’s life play out across a page until I read Soul Saver. Dineen Miller's prose had me sighing at the beauty of her word pictures. This is not a book to be missed – Life changing!”
— Robin Caroll, author of the Evil series and Injustice For All
“When you combine stellar writing, intriguing characters, and a fascinating plot the result is a story like Soul Saver. It’s the kind of novel I wish I had written.”
— James L. Rubart, bestselling author of ROOMS, Book of Days, and The Chair
If you would like to read the first chapter of The Soul Saver, go HERE.
Verse of the Day
"Don't be afraid, I've redeemed you. I've called your name. You're mine. When
you're in over your head, I'll be there with you. When you're in rough
waters, you will not go down. When you're between a rock and a hard
place, it won't be a dead end—because I am GOD, your personal God, The Holy of Israel, your Savior. I paid a huge price for you." (Isaiah 43:1–3 MSG)
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Mother of Pearl—Day 2
Welcome to Pearl Girls™ Mother of Pearl Mother's Day blog
series - a week long celebration of moms and mothering. Each day will feature a
new post by some of today's best writer's (Tricia Goyer, Sheila Walsh, Suzanne
Woods Fisher, Bonnie St. John, and more). I hope you'll join us each day for
another unique perspective on Mother's Day.
AND ... do enter the contest for a chance to win a beautiful
hand crafted pearl necklace. To enter, just {CLICK THIS LINK} and fill out the
short form. Contest runs 5/6-5/13 and the winner will on 5/14. Contest
is only open to US and Canadian residents.
If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info
and see what we're all about. In short, we exist to support the work of
charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Consider
purchasing a copy of Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing
Grace or one of the Pearl Girls™ products (all GREAT
Mother's Day gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.
And to all you MOMS out there, Happy Mother's
Day!
Joy Comes from Perseverance by Sheila
Walsh
One of the most important lessons I have
learned in my own life is the joy that comes from perseverance.
Eugene Peterson, borrowing a phrase from Friedrich
Nietzsche, wrote his book “A Long Obedience in the Same Direction
…Discipleship in an Instant Society.” He points to the Psalms as the way
believers have always learned to pray what they live and live what they pray
but it is not a short journey. It is an intentional commitment to keep
walking even when you are worn out.
*If we want to see lasting results in any area of life it’s
important to keep walking in that direction.
*If we want to have a better understanding of the Gospel of
John then it takes time and commitment to dig deeper day after day.
*If we want to be thinner this summer than last summer then
the work begins now not then.
So too in our relationship with Christ…..
*If we want to know Him at a more profoundly intimate level,
that also takes an intentional seeking after Him every day.
As a grown woman I have come to love the beauty of this
gift. Passing this “mined treasure” onto my son on the other hand has been an
interesting challenge. We live in such a fast paced,
attention-challenged culture where the latest thing can be delivered to your
doorstep by tomorrow for a few dollars more. But, as you know, by the time it
is delivered it has already been replaced or updated!
How do we speak then into the lives of our
children to help them understand and value
perseverance?
For me…part of the puzzle meant a large piece of poster
board, scissors, some photos and a bottle of Elmer’s glue. My son, Christian
and I spread everything out on a sheet in the game room as I explained our
project. “We’re going to make a family faith-tree,” I said. “These are photos
of family on your dad’s side and on mine. Many of them have gone on to be with
Jesus but the seeds they planted into our family continue to grow.” Then we wrote
down their names and when they came to faith in Christ (as many as I knew).
It was quite something to see when we were finished.
“Your life matters Christian. Running your race
well matters.”
That night we read these words from the writer to the
Hebrews,
“We are surrounded by a great cloud of people whose
lives tell us what faith means. So let us run the race that is before us and
never give up.”
Hebrews 12:1 (NCV)
###
Sheila Walsh is a Bible teacher, speaker, singer,
and best-selling author with more than 4 million books sold. Sheila Walsh is
the creator of the award-winning Gigi, God’s Little Princess® and her new
series, Gabby, God's Little Angel. Meet Gabby in Gabby's Stick-to-It-Day. As a
featured speaker with Women of Faith®, Sheila has reached more than 3.5 million
women by artistically combining honesty, vulnerability and humor with God’s
Word. She resides in Dallas with her husband Barry and son
Christian. Visit www.sheilawalsh.com
for more information about Sheila, her other books or Women of
Faith.
Exciting News – the latest Pearl Girls book, Mother of
Pearl: Luminous Legacies and Iridescent Faith will be released this month!
Please visit the Pearl Girls Facebook Page (and LIKE us!)
for more information! Thanks so much for your support!
Verse of the Day
I have trusted in Your lovingkindness; my heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, because He has dealt bountifully with me. (Psalm 13:5–6)
Monday, May 7, 2012
Mother of Pearl—Mother's Day Series
Welcome to Pearl Girls™ Mother of Pearl Mother's Day blog
series - a week long celebration of moms and mothering. Each day will feature a
new post by some of today's best writer's (Tricia Goyer, Sheila Walsh, Suzanne
Woods Fisher, Bonnie St. John, and more). I hope you'll join us each day for
another unique perspective on Mother's Day.
AND ... do enter the contest for a chance to win a beautiful
hand crafted pearl necklace. To enter, just {CLICK THIS LINK}
and fill out the short form. Contest runs 5/6-5/13 and the winner will on 5/14.
Contest is only open to US and Canadian residents.
If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info and see what we're
all about. In short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women
and children in the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of
Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing
Grace or one of the Pearl Girls™ products (all GREAT
Mother's Day gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.
And to all you MOMS out there, Happy Mother's
Day!
Priceless Treasure by Cindy K.
Stiverson
We've heard it said and often find it true:
You don't know the value of a treasure until you're
without it.
We take for granted the things in life that seem so readily
available.
A paperclip or rubber band, to hold
things together.
A tissue or napkin, to wipe our nose to
clean our face, to absorb our tears.
A Bible to speak words of wisdom and
instruction and life and love.
And a Mother, who is all these things and more.
She is readily available.
She holds things together.
She wipes our nose, cleans our face
(and our fingers, and, well…everything else!)
She absorbs our tears and calms our
fears.
"She speaks with wisdom, and faithful
instruction is on her tongue." (Proverbs 31:26)
She loves.
Within hours after my mother passed into the gates of our
heavenly home, I was missing her. Her quick wit…humor…charm. Her warm smile and
melodious laughter, which served her well to the very end, as did our Lord
Jesus Christ, who so graciously allowed her to slip quietly and peacefully into
His arms.
She simply stopped
breathing.
As I stood at her bedside in those priceless moments after
her passing, I wanted to touch her skin as much as possible while there was
still warmth in her body; to nuzzle my nose against her head and breathe in the
scent of her hair while she was still there. Priceless treasures I was guilty
of taking for granted, clouded by unmet needs. I was so consumed with what she
was not, that I never fully appreciated who she was. It’s like I was blind, but
now I see!
I see her strength, her commitment. Her
perseverance…sacrifice…her unspoken love. I see how much she meant to me, how
much she did for me, how much she taught me, and how much of the good in me was
modeled by her.
She was a virtuous woman, as described in Proverbs 31 of the
Bible.
“Her children stand and bless her… a woman who
fears the Lord will be greatly praised. Reward her for all she has done. Let
her deeds publicly declare her praise (vs. 31).”
This last verse of the poem serves as an epitaph for the
woman of virtue. It speaks of the legacy she leaves in her passing. It spurred
me to write a personal epitaph for my mother, which I read at her
funeral.
We publicly declare your praise today,
and in the days to come,
for you deserve to be praised and blessed,
"We honor you, Mom, for all you have
done!"
In my earliest of memories,
You worked so hard, striving for the rest.
You persevered through great trials
and did your very best.
I know you are being rewarded
in ways far beyond our reach.
We honor you now by practicing what you've
taught,
and even what you preached!
You've stood for us for all these years,
Today, we stand for you!
I pray that our applause on earth
will reach your heavenly ears.
With the reading of this poem, I asked everyone to stand. We
clapped our hands in celebration and praise of the life of my mother, Margaret
Alice Stiltner.
Imagine our surprise to discover that she had left a poetic
epitaph for us! She had clipped it from an old magazine and framed it. I found
it when I was cleaning her home, on a nightstand by her bed. My mother was never
versed at expressing emotion. This was her sweet way of kissing us good-bye: a
priceless treasure to remember her by.
###
Exciting News – the latest Pearl Girls book, Mother of
Pearl: Luminous Legacies and Iridescent Faith will be released this month!
Please visit the Pearl Girls Facebook Page (and LIKE us!)
for more information! Thanks so much for your support!
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