The leading man weighs 300 pounds and the lady has a prosthetic

June Foster interview

Questions for June Foster

1.      In Give us this Day, you don’t follow the traditional formula for inspirational romance. Your leading man is morbidly obese and the lady is physically and perhaps emotionally handicapped. Did Desert Breeze nab the book the first time out?

I had to laugh. The editor-in-chief of Desert Breeze confessed when she first read my blurb about a romance between a three hundred pound man and a woman with a prosthetic, she doubted it would make a good romance. But as she read the chapters, she was hooked. She contracted me for the entire series. That is one thing I love about Desert Breeze. They strive to offer "different" as long as the quality is there. 

2.      Do you have a scripture verse or a moment when you knew God called you to be a writer?

Yes, after I retired from teaching, I discovered a story lurking in my head. In November, 2009, I happen to tell my daughter the story.  She told me I should write it. That was the spark I needed. I knew then that God wanted me to write for His glory.

3.      How does your calling fit with fiction?

I'm praying readers might identify with some of the characters and find hope for the problems in their lives as well.

4.      Do you aim to bring encouragement and inspiration to your readers, or does it happen as your characters come to a crisis and then faith takes them through?

The latter. I hope that when a reader indentifies with one of my characters, he/she may find the same hope and faith which takes my character to a point of healing.

5.      Could you give us an example from one of your books of a character’s faith in action?

Yes. Jess Colton in Give Us This Day believes he is a hopeless food addict. Through the help of Tim Garrett who becomes Jess' support and accountability partner, Jess confesses gluttony as sin and finds healing through his faith in God and His Word.

            The scene from the book: The nurse’s assistant brought another pitcher of water and two cups. Tim poured a cup for Jess and one for himself. “Here you go.” He set Jess’s cup on his bed table.

             Tim cleared his voice. “Tell me how I can help you.”

            “As you can see by my size, I’m obese. Shall I lay it out for you without sparing words?”
            Tim nodded maintaining a steady gaze.
            “I’m a glutton.” There. Jess stated the facts. Just by doing so, another piece of Jess’s broken life fit into place. He gave a deep sigh..
            “By saying it, you’ve taken the first step.”
Later: “I’ve prayed so many times to be free.”
             “Have you first confessed this as sin and admitted to God that you’re powerless over your addiction?”
            Jess blinked. “No, not like that.”
           “This is a spiritual problem. Have you claimed God’s power and appropriated it in your life?”
          Jess found no words for Tim. The magnitude of his emotions didn’t allow them. For the first time, he had true hope. He could be free.
         Tim grinned. “I can see you understand what I’m saying. Let’s pray.”
          “You got it.” Jess blinked back a tear he hoped Tim didn’t see.
        6.      Do you start a book knowing your characters, or do they jump to life on the page—even amazing you?

Again, the latter. I create a profile of my characters writing out their personality traits, their strengths and weaknesses. But after I begin writing my chapters, sometimes the characters tell me things I didn't know about them before.

7.      It’s been said that truth is stranger than fiction, but I’ve found good Christian fiction often helps readers discover truth. Do you agree?

Give Us This Day is my debut novel and I haven’t had feedback yet from readers. I agree that a writer can lead a reader to discover God's truth through the situations and lives of the characters.  

8.      Electronic books seem to be the way society is going. How long have you been reading on electronic devices?

I received a Kindle for my birthday in November and now my husband has one as well. Since we have limited space in our RV, they work well for us.

9.      Give us this Day is part of a series. Will these same characters appear in your other books?

Yes, Holly and Jess will appear in As We Forgive. Tim Garrett, Jess' mentor, is the hero.. Tim will be the spiritual influence in the life of the hero, ex-drug addict, Jared Simms in Deliver Us. The heroine of Deliver Us, a GYN doctor, makes a brief appearance in As We Forgive.

10.  Will having sequels to write affect your marketing for this novel?

        Yes, but probably more than that, my inexperience in this area will as well. I have to admit, marketing is my least favorite part about being a writer.

11.  What other things have you had published in the past? Did they prepare you to write this series?

I wrote two others before this series. I believe the experience of learning how to write as I penned my first two books undoubtedly help me in writing the Bellewood Series.

12.  You write full time. How long does it take to create a novel?

It depends on the length of the novel, but generally four months.

13.  Is there anything else you would like to share?

I'd like to thank you, Ada, for your wonderful and insightful questions. I appreciate you having me on your blog.

14.  Where can we purchase your books?

The book is available at the publishers – Desert Breeze Publishing Company as well as the following ebook outlets: Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Sony Readerstore, Apple's ibookstore, All Romance ebooks, Christianbook.com and Books on Board ibookstore.

The links: http://www.amazon.com/Bellewood-Book-One-Give-ebook/dp/B0073NE9KO/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1329431902&sr=1-1-spell

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bellewood-book-one-june-foster/1108486110

http://desertbreezepublishing.com

Depressed?

           Antidepressants are the most commonly prescribed drug in the United States, according the National Center for Health Statistics. Often depression has a physical or chemical cause but as a medical journalist who has done many interviews about mental conditions, I learned that even clinical depression often is accompanied by something else going on in a person’s life. For some reason, many of them no longer feel they have hope.

Hope is an emotional state—the opposite of despair. Hope is desire for something, a looking forward with expectation. Hope is different from faith because faith is confidence in something or someone and that what we hope for will occur.

Hope starts with faith in God.

 The Bible tells us “faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see….By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible” (Hebrews 11:1-2NIV).

It seems easy for me to believe God created the universe. It’s preposterous to think that matter just appeared by itself and formed the sun, moon, stars, the planets, and the earth all revolving around in exactly the right places every day and every season. It’s preposterous to  imagine the earth with gravity, the right amount of oxygen in the air, water, and all the sustenance we need without a designer. It’s preposterous to assume we appeared on earth with the seeing eyes, hearing ears, and all of the body’s miraculous systems without Someone who loves us behind it all.

Then toss in the beauty, love and joy that humans and even animals enjoy and you really have a mystery without belief in our Creator.

How could I doubt a loving God created it all and sent a Savior to erase sin’s stain on the earth? I can’t.

BUT, let a crisis arrive in my life and I sometimes need to search around the dark places inside me for the light that has been planted there by the Word of God.

For faith comes from the Word: “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17, amplified version). I have to grasp the Word and believe it.

We don’t necessarily need to be wanting or needing something to have faith or hope, however. Hope for those with faith is a state of being and contentment. Yet, even Christians sometimes feel hopeless and that should not be.

 “Even your Word agrees, ‘In this world we will have tribulation,’” I complained to the Lord one day, I suppose to justify the mullygrubs that had me by the heart.

Silent a moment, I felt the agony of depression. Then the remainder of Jesus’ words from that scripture came to mind. “But be of good cheer! I have overcome the world.”[1] Suddenly rapturous joy filled me. I was reminded my joyfulness doesn’t depend on circumstances or people.

What happened to your joy?”[2] Paul asked the Galatian church after they were led astray by false prophets who made them forget hope and faith.

Paul spoke of joy often, although much of his God-inspired writing was done from a prison cell. Over and over he tells the Philippians, “Rejoice!”.

In the same conversation Jesus had with his disciples about cheer, He told them and us to “Ask God for the impossible, and receive, that our joy might be full.”[3] He explained for a little while they wouldn’t see Him, because He was going to the Father. “You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.”[4]

 Peter spoke of our faith in Jesus filling us with “joy unspeakable and full of glory.”[5] Joy sometimes came when the disciples and apostles faced seemingly impossible circumstances. Paul knew he probably would lay down his life for his faith, yet he wrote of joy.

Most amazing, Jesus for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.[6]

 In the letter Paul wrote to the Galatians asking about their joy, he listed joy among fruits that come from living for God in contrast to a life of sin. Most important, according to Jesus’ words in John 15, if we are to bear fruit such as unspeakable joy, we need to be rooted and grounded in Him and His Word. We also need to examine what we’ve been putting into our heads.

When my little branch is nourished by my Savior, joy pops out somewhere. Yet, faith doesn’t drop on you out of heaven and land at your feet like a peach from a tree.

Believing is a decision. Perhaps that’s why some call it taking “a leap of faith.” Are you ready to let go of your doubts, discouragement and jump?

---

[1] John 16:32-33

[2] Galatians 4:15

[3] John 16:24

[4] John 16:20

[5] 1 Peter 1:8

[6] Hebrews 12:1-3

What does a head on a platter have to do with love?

My article, "Love is Dynamite," is a guest post today. See it at www.kdawnbyrd.blogspot.com.

Check it out!

Happy Valentine's Day to all my followers.
Ada Brownell

The most romantic words ever spoken

                                
HOW WOULD YOU LIKE IT if your parents arranged your marriage for you? That still happens in many foreign countries. Would you guys marry a bride whose face is covered with a veil and you won't know who she is until the ceremony is over and you lift the veil to kiss her? Many Chinese men experienced just that.
            In 1960, The Encyclopedia Americana says more than one half of the total female population of India married before 15 years of age, and sometimes while they were still infants. In the western provinces of India, a bride remained at home with her parents until she went through puberty. But in Bengal, girls commenced their married life at age nine.
          In some countries, a hopeful suitor would give a girl’s father a certain amount of money or goods like cattle or sheep for his daughter, and sometimes the bride bought a “dowry” of property to her bridegroom. The amount depended on the status and economic circumstances of the families involved.
          Historically at the engagement, the suitor often gave an ornament of some value, which signifies his pledge. That was the predecessor of the modern engagement ring.
IMAGINE WORKING SEVEN YEARS FOR A WIFE
        In Old Testament times, most marriages were arranged.
 Jacob met Rachel leading sheep and was so smitten with her he kissed her. Perhaps it was on the cheek. Who knows?
        Jacob stayed with Rachel’s father, Laban, a month, working for him like a ranch hand. Finally, Laban asked what Jacob expected to be paid, and Jacob told Laban he was in love with Rachel and he agreed to work seven years for her.
        Finally there was a wedding feast, and after the ceremony, Jacob discovered he had been given Rachel’s older sister, Leah, instead.  He protested, and Laban said he couldn’t give the younger daughter before the older girl married.
         Jacob worked another seven years to get Rachel.
IMAGINE GOD GIVING A MATE
        Abraham arranged the marriage for his son, Isaac, and a servant actually picked her out in the story related in Genesis 24. But the servant asked God to show him the right girl out of the dozens of women who came to a well to draw water.
          “Oh Lord, God of my master,” the servant prayed. “Give me success and show kindness to my master, Abraham. Help me to accomplish the purpose of my journey. See, here I am, standing beside this spring, and the young women of the village are coming to draw water. I will ask one of them for a drink. If she says, `Yes, certainly, and I will water your camels, too!’ Let her be the one you appointed as Isaac’s wife. By this, I will know that you have shown kindness to my master.”
         As he prayed, a beautiful young woman, Rebekah, arrived with a water jug on her shoulder. She went to the spring, filled her jug, and came up again. Running over to her, the servant asked, “Please give me a drink.”
          “Certainly, Sir,” she said, and she quickly lowered the jug for him to drink. When he had finished, she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels, too, until they have had enough!”
         She emptied the jug into the watering trough and ran down to the well again. She kept carrying water until the camels’ intense thirst was quenched.
         The servant watched Rachel in silence. When the camels finished drinking, he gave her a gold ring for her nose and two large gold bracelets for her wrists.
             They soon got acquainted; the servant stayed with her family and told them about how his prayer was answered. But Isaac wasn’t even there.
             The father gave Rebekah to the servant, but only after Rebekah agreed to go.
             Isaac saw the servant coming home with someone and he went to meet them.
            When Rebekah saw Isaac coming, she dismounted, covered her face with a veil, and ran to him.
             Rebekah became Isaac’s wife and he loved her, the Bible says. She was a special comfort to him because his mother had just died.
            There is a reason arranged marriages work: falling in love is an act of the will.
Cupid doesn’t shoot you with an arrow like an Indian trying to keep wagon trains from killing all the buffalo and stealing their land. Love happens to you because of several circumstances.
1.       You are around the person of the opposite sex a lot (that’s called propinquity— what happens when you are near in time and space).
2. You desire someone in your life.
3. Your God-given instincts are telling you to create a family.
4. The person you see will build your ego. You think, Won’t everyone be surprised I have a boyfriend? Won’t everyone be impressed with how pretty she is or how handsome he is? Won’t everyone be impressed because of how popular he or she is? He’s so tall, he makes me feel so feminine; or she has such a great figure it makes me feel great to walk beside her. She or he treats me so nice it makes me feel so special.
5. Because you have decided to fall in love.
6. Because no one better is available.
7. Because you are lonely.
8. Because someone else thinks it’s a good idea.
9. Because you have similar interests, take time to know each other and allow the magic of love to happen.
10. Most important: Because God orders your footsteps and has a plan for your life.

Just as falling in love is a decision, we choose to remain in love. We choose to follow the Bible when it says "Don't let the sun go down on your wrath"  (Ephesians 4:26). Forgive. Forget the arguments. Agree to disagree about some things, but love in spite of it.

 Commit yourself to God and to each other as you vow to do before God in the marriage ceremony. Love and cherish in sickness, in health, in better times and worse times, forsaking all others, until death.

When those words are spoken in the marriage vows and lived--they are the most romantic lyrics ever to pass the human tongue.

©Feb. 6, 2012 Ada Brownell

A mix of humor and inspiration from Margaret Brownley

An interview with Margaret Brownley, a New York Times bestselling author of inspiring novels with Love and Laughter, thrills, mystery, and suspense. Her latest book, Dawn Comes Early, will be available in March 2012. You can order her other books now.

Margaret tells the story that she was writing for the church newsletter when after making the church picnic read like a Grisham novel, her pastor took her aside and said, "Maybe God's calling you to write fiction."

It turns out God was and Margaret did. She now has more than 20 novels to her credit. In addition, she's written many Christian articles and a non-fiction book. Still, it took a lot of prodding from God before Margaret tried her hand at writing inspirational fiction which led to her Rocky Creek series. 
 Ada Brownell's interview with Margaret Brownley
Have you always had a sense of humor or did it just pop out as you created your characters because they did and said hilarious things?
First, I want to thank you for letting me visit today. To answer your question, when I first started writing I wrote angst-driving contemporaries for Harlequin. I decided to try my hand at a historical and sent the proposal to my agent. When she told me that she practically rolled out of bed laughing I took it as criticism.  I had no idea I could write serious themes with humor. My characters do tend to keep me awake at night by whispering funny things in my ear.  If you can’t sleep you may as well laugh.

Could you share some of the things you do that other writers can practice to bring humor into their stories?

Humor has to spring from the characters.  It can never be forced.  To be humorous a character has to have a unique perspective and be passionate about something.  In “Dawn Comes Early” Aunt Bessie (fine Christian woman that she is) has a unique opinion of herself and her place in the world.   She considers it her god-given duty to see that everyone is properly married. This is her passion. This gives her a great deal of grief—and readers a good laugh.

Another way to inject humor into a story is through the choice of language. Can you think of more mouth-pleasing words than hornswoggle, caboodle or skedaddle?  And if they don’t tickle your fancy what about fiddlefooted, ranktankerous, rumbumptious  or splendiferous? A latte may be the haute cuisine of coffee, but give me an Arbuckle’s any day.

Do some of your attempts fizzle?

Interesting question.  I’ve dropped scenes that don’t work so the answer has to be yes.

Is faith and humor an unlikely combination?

Jesus had a sense of humor so I’ve never understood why people take religion so seriously. Why can’t we have fun with it?  There would certainly be less strife in the world if we did.

 In Dawn Comes Early one of the ranch hands prayers for rain.  “God, the Father, thank you for your many blessings and don’t forgit to send rain. And if you ain’t sending it to us, don’t go sendin’ it to no other ranchers, neither.”  Imperfect people make for imperfect prayers, but God still loves us and He may even find occasion to laugh.   

To qualify for inspirational fiction some writers only make their characters Christian in name and they attend church. Do you make an integral part of their lives? At the same time, is it difficult to avoid preaching?

I strive to create a spiritual arc.  No matter where we are in our faith there’s always room for growth, and so it is for my characters.  They may have to learn forgiveness, trust or humility but the journey is never easy.

As for preaching, a character in my book has this to say: “God says if you’re holdin’ a grudge you plumb better get over it or you’ll be a sad as a tick-fevered doggie.”  Preachy?  Or a worthy message delivered in a fun way?  You be the judge.

Among your 28 books do you have a favorite character you’ve created?  Why is he or she your favorite?

My favorite character is always the one I’m working on.

How do you develop characters who are likable, despite their faults?

One way is to give characters a worthy cause.  We tend to like people who make us laugh and the same is true of characters.  The ranch owner in Dawn Come Early is a tough old bird, but it’s her vulnerability that makes her likeable. 

Are your villains bad to the bone, or do they have some good in there somewhere? Are some of them converted and changed before the end of the book, or since you write about the Old West, do you create a hero who will kill him off?

In Dawn Comes Early Cactus Joe is the bad guy.  Making him “bad to the bone” would have been easy, but I didn’t want to do that.  He plays an important role in the heroine’s life, and I wanted him to be an interesting and complex character. I had to dig deep into his psyche to find out what makes him tick.  It turns out he’s an outlaw who can’t get any respect and respect is what he wants more than anything.  “The way this town treats criminals,” he complains, “it don’t deserve none.”  Bad to the bone?  Hardly. But he is funny. 

What is the biggest challenge in the genre of writing that you do?

In my other life I was a teacher.  At a teacher’s workshop I once attended the instructor asked the following life changing questions: At the end of your career which will you be able to say?  That you taught for 35 years?  Or that you taught one year 35 times?

 I use that same philosophy in my writing career.  I don’t want to write the same book 35 or 40 times.  So the biggest challenge for me is to stay fresh. 

 What has been the most satisfying part of being a novelist?

I get to talk to myself and no one thinks I’m crazy.  I also get to do the most amazing things through my characters.

Do you have a word of encouragement to writers?

Enjoy the journey. Being published comes with its own challenges, so you really have to enjoy each step of the way or you won’t survive.  Surround yourself with a support group and celebrate every success.  Celebrate when you finish a chapter; enter a contest; pop a query in the mail; or sign up for a writing workshop.  This is what kept me going during the five years it took me to sell my first book, and it will keep you going, too.     

A word of encouragement to people seeking faith or a deeper walk with the Lord?

Following the death of our son I had a crisis of faith.  Out of this came a deeper, more meaningful relationship with God.  I couldn’t have written the books I’m now writing without going through what I did.  I’m living proof that God is working on us and through us during good times and bad.  Or as that old cowhand Ruckus from Dawn Comes Early would say, “God ain’t finished with me yet and He ain’t finished with you, neither.”

www.margaretbrownley.com

Also visit Margaret on Facebook and Twitter\

Margaret’s also excited to announce that her non-fiction book “Grieving God’s Way: The Path to Hope and Healing” will be published in July—not bad for someone who flunked 8^th grade English.  Just don’t ask her to diagram a sentence.

How novelist Margaret Daley, ACFW president, approaches writing

Margaret Daley is Author of 82 published books and sold seven in 2011. Worked 27 years as a special needs teacher.  She was a Special Olympics coach. She serves on an outreach committee at her church and also works with the church’s vestry. She and her husband have been married 41 years and have one son and four grandchildren. You can visit Margaret at http://www.margaretdaley.com to see about her different books and read excerpts from them.

Ada:       Do you sleep? How do you keep up with your writing schedule?
Margaret:  Sometimes it is difficult, but I try to write almost every day.
Ada:  Each of your books on your website is an easy purchase because of the links to Amazon and Barnes and Noble.  How do published writers get these links on their websites or blogs?
Margaret:  I am an associate member of Amazon and they give me the links. The other I copy and paste from Barnes and Noble.
Ada:  Just going through your website is a lesson for beginning writers on creating a short book summary. I like the way each starts with a well-written hook. How long does it take to compose these blurbs, or does your mind automatically click them out?
Margaret: Some of the blurbs are mine and some are from my publishers. I think coming up with blurbs is hard.
Ada: How do you begin the writing process—to lay the groundwork? What system do you use for filing character profiles, setting and plotting? How deep and how thorough do you go at the beginning?
Margaret: I live with my characters for a while before I start writing. But as I write, I learn more about them the deeper I go into the story. I start with an idea and a framework for my story.  I know some of the details but a lot of them I figure out as I write--as the characters grow in my mind.

Ada: Is it easy or difficult to bring in the story complications? Have you had a character you loved so much you hated to bring in the hurt?  Ever wept with the people you created?
 Margaret:  What makes a plot is conflict and hurt is part of conflict. As a writer I owe my readers the best possible story I can give them. I go through the traumas with my characters, but I've never hesitate to put them through the wringer.
Ada:  Do you use photos and other things to stimulate your mind and enhance your writing, to paint scenes and bring in the senses?
Margaret:  Sometimes but mostly I imagine the story unfolding in my mind.
Ada:  Do you still participate in a critique group?
Margaret:  Not as much as I used to. I do have friends I brainstorm with and occasionally critique.
Ada: What event caused you to change from secular publishers to the Christian booksellers?
Margaret: God gave me a story that could only be told as an inspirational romance--The Power of Love, my first Love Inspired.
Ada:  Is there any part of writing that is a significant challenge to you?
Margaret:  Promoting. It didn't use to be as big a deal as it is in today's market. It takes a lot of time away from the actually writing. I'm not comfortable trying to sell myself.
Ada:  What was your first published book? How old were you when you started and how long did it take to achieve success?
Margaret:  My first book published was a Silhouette Romance in 1981 called Second Chance on Love. It took about three years from when I started to sell my first book.
Ada: Which among your books makes you most proud?
Margaret:  I have several favorites for different reasons. The book coming out in March called Saving Hope is a book I felt the Lord wanted me to write. He opened doors for me to get this story published. It is about human trafficking, a timely subject that needs to be dealt with in this country. Heart of the Amazon was a book of the heart. I had such fun writing it. It is African Queen meets Romancing the Stone. Another book that is close to my heart is my October 2012 from Abingdon Press called Shattered Silence. It is about different types of bullying in our society.

Ada in summary: Visit Margaret at http://www.margaretdaley.com  The visit will enlarge your vision of writing fiction. As you learn more about her, remember she sold seven books in 2011, but she also has a life ministering to others, working with other writers at American Christian Fiction Writers, and enjoying her family. I would say the Lord certainly blesses the work of her hands, and has enlarged her territory of influence by His miraculous power.

Why I Wrote Swallowed by LIFE: Mysteries of Death, Resurrection and the Eternal

By Ada Brownell
Faith is a force that must be fed.
Every day, we either nourish our faith or unbelief. It’s like depositing funds in the bank. Every day we use a little of our cash, but most of us know we need some put away for emergencies.
Life, especially in these times of media saturation, challenges our faith from many sides. Sometimes getting up in the morning is like stepping out into a shooting range between the guns and the target. We duck and wonder why we’re not carrying a shield to get through this mess. Then we notice the enemy of our soul lurks on the edges of the hillside. He roars like a lion and we realize this is no game.
“Where is my sword?” we ask ourselves.
Ephesians 6 tells us a little about preparing for the battle and what our enemy is like. “Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
The ultimate attack comes against faith in life and death issues. God warned Adam and Eve if they disobeyed him, they would die. Most everyone is subject to the ultimate lie Satan, that slimy snake, told Eve in the beginning.
Satan opened his fangy face and guffawed. “You won’t die.” His bony fingers grabbed a peach from the forbidden tree and thrust it toward Eve. “Eat it. It’s delicious!”
Eve ran to Adam and offered him one. Soon the couple bit in to the sugary fruit, juice dripping from the edges of their mouths as they watched one another change from immortal to mortal beings that would become ill and die.
Satan’s venom fills every earthly body and grave since that time.
Read about it in Genesis 3, but God had compassion and promised a Redeemer who would bruise Satan’s head, although the Redeemer’s heel would be bruised by the serpent when the Savior came to redeem every man who wanted to be saved. We know the Messiah was crucified. The amazing thing is death could not hold him!
Yet, although we all know the story, when Satan whispers, “Don’t even think about it. You won’t die,” we avoid putting that faith deposit in the bank, because when someone we know has a troubling diagnosis or dies, we’re deceived into thinking he or she is the only one going.
We think like the leaders of our nation that plunged us into owing $15 trillion in debt and the bank account is empty!
Perhaps that’s why it took me 15 years to see Swallowed by LIFE published. When I showed a proposal to editors, I suspected they thought the market for this category of books was limited, and it should be left to ministers who have a long list of credentials and a huge following.
Yet, I knew my book is unique because it has exciting news about life and how we are made, urging you to take time to see the evidence we are more than a body; to view the powerful hope everyone has in Christ as we look at all the aspects of John 3:16; asking you to look at heaven; to contemplate the joys of knowing God walks with us every day here and whether we live until He comes and we’re caught away to meet Him in the air; if we will walk through the valley with Him holding our hand.
In short, the book reveals exciting things scripture and medicine and witnesses tell us about life and the eternal.
I started with four sections to the book. The first chapters were similar to what I have now with the exciting things about our bodies and life, challenges to know the truth about who we are, and some about what happens at death, where the spirit goes, what happens at the Resurrection and what we’ll do for eternity. The second part focused on difficult choices, such as living wills, hospice, different beliefs about burial and cremation, including the controversies of assisted suicide and euthanasia. As a reporter I covered a number of conferences that featured medical doctors who believed in or practiced assisted suicide and euthanasia. The next section had to do with dealing with losses and changes in lifestyle as we age or suffer from illness. The last focused on ways to leave a legacy.
The section I felt needed to be published most was first part where the theme is “God created us so that we are more than a physical body. No matter what happens to the body, whether we constantly die cell by cell as they regenerate, whether we lose a hundred pounds, a bomb takes off an arm or leg, they cut off parts and perhaps replace them with a mechanical device, give us an organ from another human, implant the valve of a pig, or whether the body turns to dust--we LIVE and are the same person who started as an egg in our mother’s body, and if we know Jesus as Savior we will LIVE forever in joy and peace with Him.”
If you’re out of breath reading the above paragraph, you’ll see my topic fires me up. Satan thought he won by deceiving humankind so that they would be forever impacted by God’s judgment, but he was wrong. The person we are will never die and God, although he allowed the penalty for sin, loves us so much he forgives and Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us.
“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us…Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure” (1 John 3:1-3).
Put that in your faith bank along with the hundreds of wonderful scriptures that tell us about the abundant life God gives here and beyond. The deposit will come in handy sometime. Remember, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.
Can you tell? You being filled with faith is the reason I wrote the book. When our Carolyn became ill, she fed her soul on the Word and songs such as It is Well with My Soul sung by Sandi Patti. She died with her confidence in God, which she dug for on her own. Some of our faith accounts didn’t have much to share. But the Lord keeps helping me make deposits and now I can share.
You can purchase Swallowed by LIFE from me, or www.Barnesandnoble.com and www.amazon.com
©Ada Brownell, Jan. 16, 2012