Christmas, travels, and busyness has kept me from blogging for a little while, but I’m back. Today I spent 9 hours writing! It was wonderful. I think it must be like exercise. For SOME people I understand that getting back to exercise after a brief hiatus is like a breathe of fresh air. I’m not one of those people, mind you. For me exercise is painful…all the time. But writing…now that’s another story. I feel like the Energizer bunny tonight.

I’m really posting for two purposes:

First, I want to direct you to two other websites. Both of these are for women I have had the privilege of carrying to the Lord in prayer for a while now. The first is Charity George. I wrote about Charity several times back in May (and perhaps June and July). God is working a miracle in her life and it is with great rejoicing that we continue to pray for her. My faith has grown in the last several months as I’ve met Charity’s family and followed her progress via the internet after she left Mayo Clinic.  Please check out her website.

The second woman I want you to meet is Kristy Dyke. I have never had the pleasure of meeting Kristy personally, but I have “known” her via the internet for over a year as we belong to a couple of the same Christian writers groups. Kristy is a speaker, writer, wife, mother, grandmother, a Sister in Christ, and she has a brain tumor. Every day I read the postings that she and her husband leave as they journey through this life changing experience and, again, my faith is strengthened. Please check out Kristy’s blog and pray for a miraculous healing.

 The second reason I’m posting tonight is because I want all of us to be challenged. Charity and Kristy have been given unbelievable circumstances in which they, and their family and friends, are learning grace lessons. Many (perhaps most) of us will never experience anything like what these women are going through, but God will give us our own trials. He will place mountains in our paths so that our eyes will be turned toward Him and He can test our faithfulness.

James 1:2, in the Message, says, “Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.”

I’m reminded of an old song from my college days by Steve Green’s album (People Need the Lord). It was called “Find Us Faithful.” My prayer is that as each of us encounter different opportunities in our lifetimes to learn grace lessons, that those who come behind us will find us faithful.

We’re pilgrims on the journey
Of the narrow road
And those who’ve gone before us line the way
Cheering on the faithful, encouraging the weary
Their lives a stirring testament to God’s sustaining grace

“Ask faith to look through the keyhole of the promise and tell
you what it sees there laid up for him that overcomes; ask it to
listen and tell you whether it cannot hear the shout of those
crowned saints receiving the reward of all their services and
sufferings here on earth. And do you stand on the other side
afraid to wet your foot with those sufferings and temptations,
which, like a little trickle of water, run between you and
glory?” (William Gurnall in “The Christian In Complete Armour)

If you’ve been following my blog recently, then you already know that it has been a zoo around here. Just as my health was beginning to improve and I was regaining my energy, something new just had to happen.

This week Kadi’s basketball team played out of town early in the week and in town on Thursday and Saturday.  That meant lots of road time. The kids and I also did most of our Christmas baking, caught up on school work (Grandma’s funeral set us behind a bit), and I tutored my 4 kids. Did I mention that Kadi also turned 12? On Thursday she had a friend over for the afternoon and then we went to her ball game. Afterwards we took her to a fun pizza place where her grandparents surprised her and we had arranged for her entire team to show up as a surprise. It was so much fun! Her first surprise party!

On Friday the kids and I left the house before 8 to go to our friends’ home where we do science together on Fridays. I took the little kids (K-4) to the basement where we were studying the many different kinds of birds’ nests. Then we crawled on the floor and built 2 wonderful birdhouses.

That afternoon my parents, Caleb (5) and I spent time making lefse together. Then we cleaned up and took Kadi and another friend to the Macaroni Grill for supper. Just before we left for the restaurant I noticed that I had a strange pain in my leg…as if I had pinched a nerve or something. While we ate dinner the pain intensified. We needed to leave in a hurry to get to the theater because we had tickets to see “Alvin and the Chipmunks.” Well, suffice it to say, I nearly didn’t make it to the car, I was in such terrible pain.

To make a long story short, (yes, I know, too late, it’s already long)…the kids and my parents went to the movie and Mike and I went to the ER where we discovered that I had knee bursitis. It was horrible!  I mean, really really horrible! I’ve heard people say they had bursitis (usually older people) and I seriously did not show enough compassion! Now I get it.  After a couple of hours in the ER we came home with instructions to ice, elevate, and take 800 mgs. of Ibuprofen. Today (Sunday) I feel as good as new.  Crazy.

Because we traced the cause of this new ailment to me sitting on my knees while I drilled and screwed things for the birdhouse, my kids have decided I actually have Bird-sitis.  Works for me.  You better believe those are the LAST birdhouses I’ll be making.

As I looked for the perfect Scripture for this experience,  this is what I found. It actually made me laugh out loud.

Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest.  Proverbs 26:2

My Grace Lessons~ 1)Don’t make birdhouses while sitting on your knees   2)God is the great healer and He can heal quickly if you follow orders and it is his will…at least where Bursitis is concerned  3) Sometimes He will take creative measures to slow me down. I just need to submit.

 Are you spinning out  of control during this holiday season? If so…find rest.  Seriously. Just do it…or He will do it for you.

Karen Ball has done it again. She has given us another you-can’t-put-it-down novel. I read the second book in this series, Kaleidoscope Eyes, over the summer and absolutely loved it. Ball seems to have a way of including unique features in her novels…things I have either never heard of or have very little experience.  What Lies Within was equally engaging and entertaining. As a writer, I learn so much from reading Karen Ball’s work. She is a master story teller and literally captures you as a reader.

 I had the opportunity to meet Karen at the Mt. Hermon Christian Writer’s Conference last spring and she is as delightful as her books are amazing.  Check this one out!

About the Author ~

Karen Ball , bestselling novelist, is also the editor behind several of today’s bestselling Christian novels. Her love for words was passed down through her father and grandfather – both pastors who shared God’s truth through sermons and storytelling. Blending humor, poignancy, and honesty, Karen’s writing style is a powerful force for revealing God’s truth. She lives in Oregon with her husband, Don, and their “kids,” Bodhan, a mischief-making Siberian husky, and Dakota, an Aussie-terrier mix who should have been named “Destructo.”

About the Book ~

Nothing’s going to stop Kyla…

until the ground crumbles beneath her feet.

Kyla Justice has arrived. Her company, Justice Construction, is one of the most critically acclaimed, commercially successful companies in the Pacific Northwest. And yet, something is missing. Not until she’s called on to build a center for inner-city kids does she realize what it is: her sense of purpose. Now nothing can stop her, not the low budget, not supply problems, not gang opposition, not her boyfriend’s suggestion that she sell her business and marry him–and most especially not that disagreeable Rafael Murphy.

Rafe Murphy understands battle. Wounded in action, this Force Recon Marine carries the scars–and the nightmares–to prove it. Though he can’t fight overseas any longer, he’s found his place as a warrior in the civilian world. So he soldiers on, trusting that one of these days, God will reveal to him why Rafe survived the ambush in Iraq. That day has arrived.

Kyla and Rafe both discover that determination alone won’t carry them through danger and challenges. When gang violence threatens their very foundations, there’s only one way to survive: rely on each other, be real–and surrender to God. In other words, risk everything…
 

Hi! I’m Virginia Smith—Ginny to my friends—sending out a great big “Thank You!” to Vicki for inviting me to be her guest today on Grace lessons. I was asked a question recently that really made me think, and I want to expand a little on it. A woman asked, “How does your faith play into your writing?” My first reaction was, “How can my faith not play into my writing?” 

Fiction has played a huge part in building my faith from the time I was a child. From an early age, I totally inserted myself into the stories my mother read to me. I was Cinderella, and Ferdinand the Bull, and Sleeping Beauty. And actually, I was Prince Philip, too, fighting off the evil witch to rescue the princess. When Mom read C. S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, I completely understood Lucy’s awe-filled love for Aslan, and Edmund’s agony as he realized the depths of his betrayal. Aslan’s sacrifice painted a vivid picture in my child’s mind of Jesus’ sacrifice for me. 

I still insert myself into stories. As a novelist, one way I can create real, vivid characters is to pour myself into the pages. That doesn’t mean every book is about me. But it does mean that many of my characters reflect pieces of myself, pieces that I sometimes have to dig deep to find. In Bluegrass Peril, for instance, I can find elements of myself in so many of those characters. Heroine Becky Dennison’s struggles to make ends meet as the single mom of two kids – been there, done that. Her confusion over God’s will for her life – that’s me. Her agony over past mistakes and the pain they cause her kids – oh yes. I’ve shared Scott’s ambition to move up in my chosen career, and his anger over being falsely accused. I’ve had some babysitting disasters that would rival Amber’s harrowing evening with the Dennison twins! (Never cloned a horse, though…) 

So naturally, when my characters learn a spiritual lesson, it’s one I’ve learned at some point in my life. And my characters do learn spiritual lessons. Not through sermons – in fact, in Bluegrass Peril, you won’t find a single sermon! – but through living their lives out in the pages of the story. 

And the coolest thing of all is this: as my characters’ faith develops through the course of the story, my own faith is strengthened in the process. God still allows me to step into the pages of a story – the stories He is creating through me. I love that! 

Check out Ginny’s website (www.VirginiaSmith.org) and find out how you can win a $500 shopping spree!

1)While still a mystery, Bluegrass Peril is a very different style than your first two books. What inspired you to write about the

 All my books (so far) are set in

  But the research trip that had the biggest impact on me, and the inspiration for the story, came When I visited Old Friends (www.oldfriendsequine.org) in

2)I appreciated the way you handled Becky Dennison’s past. Did you encounter any challenges in addressing divorce in the Christian book market?  I was a little cautious to include such a “hot” topic, as you can imagine. If we lived in a perfect world, nobody would ever have to suffer through a divorce. But we don’t, and so many Christians are impacted by divorce—including me—that I just felt a desire to hit the issue head-on. In fact, a lot of Becky’s experiences with her ex-husband came directly from my life. Many people struggle with mistakes in their past, and especially mistakes that impact their children. But God has our futures in His capable hands. We can trust Him to lead us into the future He has planned for us, regardless of our past. That’s the message I hope people take away from

3)What surprised you as your wrote Bluegrass Peril?  When I “pitched” the idea for Bluegrass Peril to my editor, it was initially supposed to be a sequel to my first mystery, Murder by Mushroom. My editor said, “We love the book, but we don’t want a sequel. Change the characters’ names.” So I did. Then a funny thing happened. When I gave those characters new names, their personalities started changing! I can’t explain why—it just happened. Becky, the heroine in Bluegrass Peril, was originally Kathy in Murder by Mushroom. Kathy was a fearful, timid sort of person, when I changed her name to Becky and gave her a starring role in her own story, she became bolder and stronger and more capable. In Murder by Mushroom, the police detective was an arrogant guy named Detective Conner, but in Bluegrass Peril Detective Foster is much nicer and has a mustache. Readers of both books will recognize Jackie, the heroine from Murder by Mushroom, as Amber, Becky’s friend from church.  I initially included Margaret, the pastor’s wife in Murder by Mushroom, but when I tried to change her name and give her a lesser role in Bluegrass Peril, she resisted. She’s a strong-willed character who refuses to do as she’s told, so I had to take her out of the second book completely. But I have a feeling some day Margaret will return as the heroine of her own book. J 

4)Is the type of cloning that you discussed in the story really happening? If so, is this going to change the future of

  Oh, yes, horse cloning has been going on for a while now. The first horse in the

5)Becky’s boys cracked me up. Their antics could have been secretly videotaped from my house. Did you gain any special inspiration for these guys from someone in your own life or is there just a conniving part of your writer’s brain that loves to cook up a good mess for a single mom and her babysitting friend?  My sister has a 5-yr-old stepson who is absolutely hysterical. There’s only one of him, which is a good thing because there’s no way his two sets of parents could keep up with twins. The comment about the teacher being fat in pants came from him, and as was the rambunctious behavior, and the “men” Jamie carries around in his backpack in the book. He’s a picky eater, too, but so was my son, so some of the eating scenes came from my son’s childhood. The babysitting scene came from my experiences with my son, too. Chocolate absolutely sent him bouncing off the walls, and I always had to warn babysitters not to give it to him before bedtime.  6)What is currently on your “to read” list? Marilyn Griffith’s book Sassy Sistahood and Awaken my Heart by DiAnn Mills. And I have a couple of not-yet-published manuscripts to read from some promising new writers! 

7)Of all the characters in this book (including the horses…yes, I know they are stallions) which one is most like you and how? You know, I put a little bit of myself into every character I write. Well, maybe not the horses, except for the appetites. J But I’ve got some of Scott’s ambition to succeed and move up in his career, and some of Nick’s desire to be accepted (I’m a people-pleaser at heart), and some of Becky’s father’s protectiveness toward my kids. I can vividly remember desperately wanting to be loved, like Isabelle. I’ve even experienced a tiny bit of Kacy’s arrogance. (blush)  But I’m most like Becky. I’ve struggled under the weight of my past mistakes, as she does, and worried about the effect they will have on my children. Is there anything more agonizing to a mother than realizing that your children must pay the price for your mistakes? And like Becky, I’ve realized that the only thing we can do – the BEST thing we can do – is pray for our kids. We can’t fix everything for them, but God can. 

It’s here!  Bluegrass Peril is in stores now!  If you read like I do, then you have those familiar authors that are kind of like your favorite slippers. You slip them on and know you’re going to be wrapped up in warmth and comfort. That’s how I feel about Virginia Smith. Bluegrass Peril is her third book and as soon as I picked it up, I was swept away.

Virginia writes contemporary stories that promise a little intrigue, a little humor, and a lot of truth. Smith doesn’t “preach it”, but I never fail to close one of her books without being reminded of God’s goodness. Each of her books has left me feeling challenged to think/act differently in some area of my life. In my opinion, that’s what makes a book reader-worthy.

About the Book~

When the director of a retirement farm for thoroughbred champions is murdered, Becky Dennison teams up with the handsome manager of a neighboring horse farm to find her boss’s killer. The amateur sleuths uncover a trail of clues that lead them into the intricate society of Kentucky’s elite thoroughbred breeding industry. They soon find themselves surrounded by the mint julep set – jealous southern belles and intensely competitive horse breeders – in a high-stakes game of danger, money, and that famous southern pride.   Bluegrass Peril

Today I want to point all of you toward Virginia’s first two books. I’ve read and blogged about both of them in the past.  Just As I Am was her first book and it touched me deeply. I can’t tell you how many times I have referred back to things Virginia wrote in that book. See my blog on October 21, 2007 entitled “You Gotta Read It!”

 This is from the back cover:

“I’ve always said the Lord had to drag me kicking and screaming to His altar, but once I got there I pitched a tent, unrolled my sleeping bag, and made myself at home. Anyone less patient than the Almighty Himself would have zipped up that sleeping bag, sewn the top shut, and tossed me inthe Dumpster in the back parking lot.”  ~ Chapter 1

When purple-haired Mayla Strong struts down the center aisle of Salliesburg Independent Christian Church, the bug-eyed congregation strains to get a peek at her pierced nose and lip. But Pastor Paul welcomes her with a huge, infectious grin and baptizes her on the spot.

Determined to make her heavenly Father proud, Mayla’s sincere, and often hilarious, attempts to let Him change her from the inside out take her into some difficult places-like the hospital room of a man dying of AIDS.

Through it all, she grows in faith and wisdom-sometimes through pain, sometimes through humor, but always in a way that is distinctly Mayla.

Virginia’s second book was Murder by Mushroom. I blogged about it on August 6, 2007. This was such a fun, cozy mystery. I loved everything about it. The characters were delightful and the premise of the story was quirky and fun. I mean, really…murder by mushroom? Remind me not to eat at Ginny’s house.  Tee-hee-hee.

I’m borrowing the book summary from Amazon…I’ve shared my copy with my neighbor lady!  

Serving up murderous munchies at a church potluck social wouldn’t win any popularity contests, as Jackie Hoffner discovered. Someone had laced the casserole she brought with poisonous mushrooms… and the deadly dish had fellow churchgoer and town fussbudget Alice Farmer pushing up daisies. Now the gossip-hungry townsfolk suspected Jackie of foul play. To prove her innocence, she decided to conduct her own murder investigation, and Trooper Dennis Walsh’s helpful efforts and boy-next-door charm were welcome. Meanwhile, the town’s mysterious poisoner seemed to have more victims in mind….

Do check out these books! Here is the line up for the rest of Virginia Smith week at Grace Lessons….

Wednesday (or late Tuesday) ~ Hear all about Virginia’s new book Bluegrass Peril

Thursday ~ Enjoy my interview with Ginny

Friday ~ Virginia will be my guest blogger!

Stay tuned.

With the release of Virginia Smith’s latest book, I have decided to feature Ginny all week on my blog.  Ginny is one of my critique partners and even better, I call her a friend. She is a delight and if you haven’t read her books yet, you will want to add them to your Christmas list for sure! In fact, with all this winter weather blowing around…don’t wait for Christmas! Go get a Virginia Smith book now!

I planned this blog for months and then when the day came to write my “It’s My 4oth Birthday” blog…well, I think a low pressure moved in. So, instead of sharing 40 things I’m  most thankful for, I am going to share 40 things God did this week in my life.

1. Monday I went to the doctor to get help with asthma.
2. Monday night I realized that for the last month and a half I had been overdosing on the blood pressure medication that I take for migraines.
3. Severe respiratory distress Monday nights.
4. New game plan with the doctor.
5. Kadi played her first basketball game of the season. Her team won. Fun way to start the season.
6. Tuesday night I’m still very sick.
7. The kids and I loaded the van and drove to Minneapolis to the Guthrie Theater to see A Chrismas Carol.  It was amazing! Hopefully I didn’t distrub people with my coughing.
8. I cancelled tutoring students so I could “rest.”
9. Wednesday night we went out to dinner with our neighbors and friends, the Wolsky’s.
10. Thursday I felt terrible, but went to church to teach Bible study. So glad I did.  I love these ladies and God is so good. We are starting “Discerning the Voice of God” by Priscilla Shirer.
11. Sharon Olson (pastor’s wife) escorted me from the church and sent me home to bed. Too sick to really rest, but tried to take it slow. No supper for the family…again. No one is complaining.
12. Called the doctor. I begged off of going to the ER, but would see my doctor at 9 on Friday.
13. Friday, November 30…Happy 40th Birthday to me.
14. The doctor said she was “this close” to putting me in the hospital. My oxygen levels  saved me by a hair.
15. Doctor tests for whooping cough, TB, asks questions regarding heart failure, fungal infection in my lungs.  Yuk.
16. Increase steroid dosage for a couple more days and add nebulizer and Zithormax to my regimine.
17. Go to buy boots for the kids since a storm is coming.
18. Call Mike with news from doctor. He insists on coming home to take care of me. He is the best husband in the world.
19. I cried all the way to Mayo to pick up Mike. Felt terrible.
20. Should have had Mike drive home. I felt dizzy and struggling with vision.
21. As soon as we got home I lost all vision in left eye. Mike gave me migraine meds. After all the other meds I was afraid to go to sleep for fear I wouldn’t wake up.
22. Roused myself at 3 to call the Cities. I was supposed to speak for a Christmas brunch at Trinity Baptist Church in Maplewood, MN on Saturday. The forecast was for a huge winter snow storm plus ice.
23. Joyce Harley tells me they are decorating for the brunch. It’s on!
24. I pack a bag in a mental fog.
25. The family orders Godfather’s pizza for my big 40th birthday celebration. I feel terrible as I know they wanted to make it really fun and it was now anti-climactic.
26. Pizza tastes better than ever. I ate three slices!!!
27. Mike made me a homemade…from scratch…mocha cappucino cake! It was fabulous.
28. Mike and the kids gave me my very own iPod for my birthday! So excited. Now I have to learn what it can do.
29. We watch “Akeelah and the Bee.”
30. At 7:30 p.m. I load the van and drive to the Cities alone in order to beat the storm on Saturday.
31. The light goes out on my gas gauge while I’m driving. Praying I have enough gas to make the trip.
32. Had wonderful quiet time with the Lord on the drive and during the night. Put complete trust in Him for my safety…on the road and health wise, and surrendered all to Him regarding the talk that I felt ill prepared for. A wise friend told me that I needed to depend on Him and not on my preparedness. Amen.
33. Went to load the van at the hotel and discovered that the automatic locks wouldn’t open. Prayed that I could get into the van AND get it started. 
34. Finally got on the road. had to drive circles in the parking lot until I could make a left hand turn because the fluid in my steering is going out. Eventually left the parking lot…
35. Detours and road construction messed me up and I ended up on a wrong road. Gave it to God and He got me to the church…on time.
36. I coughed right up until my introduction…and then God stepped in and I didn’t cough at all during my 30  minute talk. I could breathe. God allowed me to serve Him as a vessel in a new way. It was totally Him and none of me and I was blessed beyond belief.
37. I left the Cities with a lot of snow coming down. Drove 30 mph for a long ways, but eventually made it home…keeping it between the white lines. Okay, so I couldn’t really see any lines on the road. I just kept it between the ditches.
38. Arrived home to learn that my Grandma (91) has been taken to the hospital and as of this morning the doctor believes she had massive bleeding in her brain. We expect that she will be with Jesus and my Grandpa soon.  I am waiting for the call.
39. I pinched a nerve in my neck this morning and Mike had to help me get dressed.
40. And here we are…number 40. Through the course of the last few days God has given me such a sweet sweet gift. It’s that little song that goes…”God is so good. God is so good. God is so good. He’s so good to me.”  That’s it. In a precious way He has given me another Grace Lesson for my birthday. He showed me how to trust Him in a new way on my birthday. I don’t know if I can even explain it, but it is sweet and tender and Ours. My heart is hurting because of my grandma and physically I feel crummy, but I have a song in my heart. God has blessed me with the most loving, supportive family in the world. My heart swells at the thought of Mike, Kadi, Ben, Caleb…and my parents and extended family. He has blessed me with friends who fill me up. Yesterday I told a couple of people that I feel like the guy in the Verizon commercial with his huge crowd of people with him. My entourage is made up of prayer warriors who carried me through this last week. My stretcher bearers.  God is so good. He’s so good to me.