Thank You hardly seems adequate for the overflowing amount of well-wishes and encouragement and congratulations I’ve received during this past week. I’m abundantly blessed! And humbled. To think God can use a simple farm-girl-turned mom… And that’s a reason to celebrate! So, we’re still celebrating here. Music is playing, I’m serving up healthy doses of chocolate, and the Giveaway is …
Amazing Grace – Playlist Song #6
MERCY … Merriam-Webster defines mercy as “kind or forgiving treatment of someone who could be treated harshly.” In other words, mercy is an unearned pardon. In Chain of Mercy, my hero Richard Brooks is granted mercy, but rather than grasp its freedom, he rejects it. By refusing to accept it, he lets mercy shackle him. This weekend Christians will celebrate …
When God Ran – Chain of Mercy Playlist – Song #5
” …we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’” Luke 15:32 Most of us are familiar with the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32). The son of a wealthy man takes his inheritance and squanders it on wild living. Once he’d wasted it …
Chain of Mercy Playlist – Songs #3 & #4
Abortion. A word that provokes emotion and stirs controversy. An act that has left an infinite trail of tears … broken hearts … guilt. In Chain of Mercy, each of the main characters is touched by abortion in some way, and it doesn’t leave them unchanged. It can’t. These two songs, Lucy by Skillet and The Healing Has Begun by …
Chain of Mercy Playlist – Song #2
Forgiveness is an underlying theme in Chain of Mercy as each of the main characters struggles with one aspect of it. The hero, Richard Brooks, cannot accept forgiveness. The heroine, Sheila Peterson, doesn’t realize that what she has done requires forgiveness. And a third main character, Meghan Keene, refuses to forgive. Matthew West wrote the song Forgiveness based upon a …
Chain of Mercy Playlist – Song #1
Music has always been a big part of my life, having grown up in a family that has often sung together. My parents would even sing duets when we’d go on day driving trips. Now, I have a daughter who’s a vocal performance major. Music keeps playing on. So, it’s no surprise that each of my novels has its own …
A Season of Lasts
To every thing there is a season, and a time for every purpose under the heaven… Ecclesiastes 3:1 With my oldest child about to graduate from college and the youngest from high school, this past school year has been a season of lasts. They’ve already had their last … Marching band event College Christmas concert High school holiday concert Jazz …
Lucy & Schroeder in Rice Park
I’ve gotta admit, I’m at a loss trying to think up a blog post for today … so since it’s not even a week since Valentine’s Day and since I talked about music this past Tuesday and since snow is still two-feet deep in Minnesota with a forecast of four to eight more inches falling today, I thought you’d enjoy …
Romantic Reads
Since tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, I thought I’d take a day to give plugs to my friends–co-Inkspirational Messages contributors who write romance. If you’re looking for the perfect romantic read, check out any of the authors and books below. Lorna Seilstad – If you enjoy historical romance with a touch of laughter, you’ll want to pick up Lorna’s books! While Love …
Uncomfortable Praise
Since announcing my contract signing with Winslet Press, I’ve been flooded with congratulatory emails, phone calls, notes, hugs, etc. Needless to say, it’s been pretty wonderful. But along the way, a few compliments have made me uncomfortable, not because what they said was bad. No, just the opposite. Their praise *felt* too good, describing me as persevering, faithful. Certainly they described …