Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Guest Post :: She’s...My Everything by Suzanne Woods Fisher | Pearl Girls™ Mother of Pearl & Giveaway

Welcome to Pearl Girls™ Mother of Pearl!

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 May 6th - May 13th and the winner will on May 14th. 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.'"



About the Author :

Suzanne Woods Fisher is a writer of bestselling fiction and non-fiction books about the Old Order Amish. Her interest in the Plain People began with her grandfather, W. D. Benedict, who was raised Plain. Suzanne is the host of Amish Wisdom, a weekly radio program on toginet.com, and writes a bi-monthly column for Christian Post. Suzanne can be found on-line at www.suzannewoodsfisher.com.

Re-printed 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!



My Previous Guest Post(s) by this Author : A Christmas of Kindness - December 2011

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Teaser Tuesdays: Tegan's Blood


  • Today's Teaser Tuesdays by MizB - click here


  • "Tegan's Blood" [The Ultimate Power Series, Book 1] by L. H. Cosway

    Book Teaser:
    “All I need you to do is stare into my eyes and concentrate on what I say to you.”
    Weirder and weirder, but if it gets me out of this odd situation then I suppose I should do it. “Okay.”
    He places a hand on either one of my shoulders and then gazes straight into my eyes. His are stone grey and mesmerising like Delilah’s. He continues to gaze at me for at least thirty seconds and then quite outrageously he demands, “Take off your dress.”
    I can’t answer, and for a moment almost completely against my will I feel like I’m actually going to do it. But then I snap myself out of it.
    “No chance.” I tell him. “What is with you people?”
    “Quite amazing,” he says looking gob smacked. “How do you do that?”
    “Well excuse me, but I don’t strip off at the command of strangers. Can I go now?”
    “That was the deal.” ~ within Chapter 1

    Guest Post :: Joy Comes from Perseverance by Shelia Walsh | Pearl Girls™ Mother of Pearl & Giveaway

    Welcome to Pearl Girls™ Mother of Pearl!

    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 May 6th - May 13th and the winner will on May 14th. 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 Shelia 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)



    About the Author :

    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!

    Monday, May 7, 2012

    Guest Post :: Priceless Treasures by Cindy K. Stiverson | Pearl Girls™ Mother of Pearl & Giveaway

    Welcome to Pearl Girls™ Mother of Pearl!

    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 May 6th - May 13th and the winner will on May 14th. 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 Treasures" 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.




    About the Author :

    Cynthia (Cindy) Stiverson is a speaker, writer, and artist. In 1998, she founded Woven: Women of Virtue Network, a spiritual formation and friendship ministry. She pastors the women at Newark Church of the Nazarene in Ohio. She is currently working on her fourth "Woven Workbook," and also a book for mothers and daughters on the subject of sexual abuse. Cindy considers raising her daughter, speaker/author Nicole Braddock Bromley, to be her greatest achievement. She loves the men in her life, hubby Mark, grandbabes Jude and Isaac, and son-in-law Matthew. You can find more of Cindy at www.WovenWomen.blogspot.com and www.CynthiaStiverson.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!

    Sunday, May 6, 2012

    Disappointmentville: Always A Bridesmaid by Cindi Myers

    - This is an ARC book - Available Formats through Amazon.com: Kindle Edition - File Size: 718 KB | Expected Release Date: April 23, 2012 | Publisher: Entangled Publishing | Obtained: Entangled Publishing

    "Always A Bridesmaid" by Cindi Myers

    My Book Summary : Stephanie's day has just gone from bad to worse. First, she finds out that the place she's leasing is going to be sold. Second, a close friend of hers is getting married and asked her to be a bridesmaid (something she never wants to be again). Then she finds a new place to live but instantly falls into lust with the landlord. Nevertheless, her life can’t get worse, can it?

    Mike (Stephanie's new landlord) hasn't had a "good" day in a while. After a few months of being divorced now, he's still been trying to pull together his life while being a good father to his son. However, he isn't prepared for Stephanie to come into his life or the instant attraction that they share.

    Do they have something that could really work between them? Are their feelings more than lust? Will they be able to overcome their so-called "issues" to be the couple that they long to be?

    My Book Review : 2.5 out of 5 stars. This is a sweet novel, about two people who are going through their own personal crises. The question is will they answer the door when opportunity comes a knocking...

    It was a cute book. There is no doubt about that. However, I got annoyed with how much they second-guessed each other and themselves. I know they had "issues" from Stephanie and her school along with hoping she won't be like her mother to Mike and making sure his son (Ryan) is fine with his parents being divorced while he's a good father along the way. Nevertheless, I just WISH they could have realized everything sooner since it drags on a bit and didn't keep my attention.

    Then after they DO finally realize everything, it just ends with no epilogue at the end to wrap it all up.

    So, I didn't like it that much but if you are interested in reading a sweet contemporary romance then you MIGHT like it more than I did.

    Click here to check out some "better" reviews from those doing a blog tour on this book. At least if you read everyone's thoughts you'll get a better perspective about this book and if it's really the book for you!

    Book Teaser(s) :
    "Dad helped. And Stephanie showed us how to make the paper and glue stuff look like rocks and lava and stuff."
    "Who's Stephanie?" Kaye addressed the question to Mike, her expression sharp---assessing. "Stephanie is one of my housemates."
    Kaye exchanged a look with Todd that Mike couldn't interpret. Was it It's about time he had another woman in his life? or What kind of floozy is he hanging out with now? "How many housemates do you have? And how many of them are women?" ~ within Chapter 8
    For more information on this book and/or any other books by Cindi, then please check out her website.
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