Wounded Hearts

Photo Credit: Kiomi

For a person who talks a lot, there are times when I have no words.

Yesterday I hugged a friend who is going through the grieving process of losing a loved one. I asked how she was doing and she replied, "Not very well." I tightened my arms around her and told her I was sorry for what she was going through. She said it hurt. I agreed. She said it was a process. I nodded. She said it takes time. She was right. She cried. I cried.

What do you say to someone when her heart is wounded?

Platitudes sound meaningless and insincere.

A couple of years ago, someone close to me miscarried. I made the comment about all in God's time or something like that. She replied, "I don't want to hear a meaningless platitude. I want to grieve and be angry. I'm hurt and angry. Please don't take that away from me."

That was an ear opener for me.

When those around us are hurting, we have to let them. We have to allow them to go through those stages of grief or loss in order to heal. If we seal their wounds with meaningless platitudes, then we are denying them the right to process their emotions. Of course, that is my completely non-academic Lisa-world way of thinking.

Life stinks. Sometimes things happen that are so unfair. One thing to always remember though--God is always there. We can be angry, yell and scream about the unfairness of the situation, but He waits to hold our hands when we're ready to allow Him to lead us down the road of recovery.

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted 

and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18

Your turn: How do you handle a friend's or family member's wounded heart? Have you ever been at a loss for words?

CFBA Blog Tour: Winning Him Without Words

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Winning Him Without Words Regal (February 15, 2011) by Lynn Donovan & Dineen Miller



ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Lynn Donovan

Verse: John 15:5 Apart from Me you can do nothing.

Tagline: Challenging Women to Live in Truth



A passionate writer and speaker, Lynn is a woman who presents a compelling message to encourage women to thrive in their marriage. She speaks at events nationwide where she challenges the myths women believe about love, pointing them to life-changing freedom through a relationship with Jesus. She reveals the zany yet meaningful stories of marriage challenges, truths, and triumphs in her life and invites women to share her view from her front row seat to an amazing journey; life lived for Christ.



Married since 1992 to her best friend and biggest enthusiast, Mike, she lives in Temecula, California. They have a son and a daughter and a wacky dog named Peanut. She loves to laugh, enjoys a strong cup of coffee and Fantasy Football and not necessarily in that order.



She lives each day in awe of the grace of God in her ordinary life.

Dineen Miller

Verse: Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Tagline: Igniting the Soul



Dineen readily admits that one of the greatest lessons she’s learning about life is that there’s purpose in our trials. And it’s all about trusting God and putting our hope in Him. Her favorite stories will always be of the miracles God has wrought in the lives of her family.



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 have prepared her for God’s calling on her life—to write for and speak to those in mismatched marriages like hers.



In addition to writing for Spiritually Unequal Marriage, Dineen writes for Laced with Grace and various other fiction online magazines and newsletters. She’s also won several prestigious awards for her fiction, and her devotional writing has been featured in Our Journey and Christian Women Online Magazine.



Married for 23 years to a guy who keeps her young, she lives in the Bay Area with her husband, two precious daughters, and their dog Shasta, who no doubt is an angel in disguise.



ABOUT THE BOOK

Week after week, they sit in church . . . alone. They are the spiritually mismatched, those who are committed to a spouse who does not share their faith. Feeling abandoned by their spouse and forgotten by their church, they live out their faith in survival mode, guarding the spiritual flame yet never feeling free to share it. But God wants them to thrive—not just survive.



Winning Him Without Words presents 10 Christ centered keys to thriving in a spiritual mismatch. Readers are encouraged to commit to Christian community, to release their spouse to God’s capable hands, to find peace in their relationships with Christ and with their spouse, to continue their pursuit of a growing faith and to love their spouse with fresh enthusiasm. God wants every marriage to exude peace and love, and Winning Him Without Words empowers readers to create that environment in their homes and thrive as God works.



Watch their book video:







If you would like to read a sample chapter of Winning Him Without Words, go HERE.

How do you like to read?

Taking an unscientific poll...

How do you like to read:
*Traditional book?
*eReader?
*Listen to audiobook?

My favorite way is reading a traditionally-bound book, but I love my Kindle for traveling. I love listening to audiobooks while doing tedious tasks like painting, housecleaning, or exercising.

I'm looking for a new audiobook to listen to since I completed The Help. What do you recommend?

God's Fingerprints

**This post was scheduled to go out on Monday, but instead of
posting as scheduled, it had gone to draft. Sigh. Hope you enjoy it today.

One of my jobs as mom and early childhood educator is wiping sticky fingerprints off windows, tables, appliances. Those little fingers may be covered in paint, markers, Play Doh residue, or even bodily fluids. Don't cringe--you know it's true.

But you know what? I don't mind those small fingerprints. Those children are learning to leave their marks on the world. Today they may be drawing four-fingered people with arms and legs coming out of lopsided heads, but tomorrow, those fingers may be holding pens signing laws into action, their autographs on published novels, contracts to better society--their possibilities are endless.

Turn your hands over and check out those swirls and whorls on the pads of your fingers. Amazingly, with the billions of people who populate this planet, no two fingerprints are alike. Mind blowing, isn't it?

While someone may share your skin tone, hair or eye color, or body shape, no one will share your fingerprints. When God made you, He gave you a distinctive mark--one of His own choosing. Short of burning them off, there is no way of removing God's identifying mark from your body.

Now think about God's fingerprints. What do those look like? Again, those are identifiers unique to the only one true God. His fingerprints are imprinted all over. Look out the window at His artistic nature creations. Who else could create gorgeous blooming cherry blossoms and the three-toed sloth with the same hand?

What about God's fingerprints in our lives? In our daily activities? In our writing? What do those look like? Our past experiences and the ways God has worked within our lives gives us boldness to recognize His fingerprints.

Think about your salvation moment. Mine came during the darkest time in my life. Yes, I wish I could take back some of the things I've said or done, but those actions helped identify God's fingerprints in my life. He changed my heart for the better.

Think about your writing. When did you want to write for the first time? Have you recognized God's fingerprints in your writing? No matter what phase you are in your writing, God's fingerprints are all over your future or present career. The key is being able to recognize that and to have the courage to step out in faith to go where He is leading you.

Like those smudgey prints on the bathroom mirror or living room window, our pasts are smeared with stains of our sins. Shame drops us to our knees, but Grace lifts us up. Our actions, thoughts and attitudes can show God's fingerprints in our lives if we allow Him to mold us and shape us into the people He desires us to be. I don't know about you, but that's one set of fingerprints I never want to wipe away.

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. Romans 1:20 NIV

Your turn: Do you see God's fingerprints in your life? In what way? 

LitFUSE Blog Tour: My Foolish Heart

My Foolish heart

Unknown to her tiny town of Deep Haven, Isadora Presley spends her nights as Miss Foolish Heart, the star host of a syndicated talk radio show. Millions tune in to hear her advice on dating and falling in love, unaware that she’s never really done either. Issy’s ratings soar when it seems she’s falling in love on-air with a caller. A caller she doesn’t realize lives right next door.

Caleb Knight served a tour of duty in Iraq and paid a steep price. The last thing he wants is pity, so he hides his disability and moves to Deep Haven to land his dream job as the high school football coach. When his beautiful neighbor catches his eye, in a moment of desperation he seeks advice from My Foolish Heart, the show that airs before his favorite sports broadcast. 

Before he knows it, Caleb finds himself drawn to the host—and more confused than ever. Is his perfect love the woman on the radio . . . or the one next door?

Read an excerpt here: http://www.susanmaywarren.com/novels/contemporary-romance/

Susan May Warren is an award-winning, best-selling author of over twenty-five novels, many of which have won the Inspirational Readers Choice Award, the ACFW Book of the Year award, the Rita Award, and have been Christy finalists. After serving as a missionary for eight years in Russia, Susan returned home to a small town on Minnesota’s beautiful Lake Superior shore where she, her four children, and her husband are active in their local church.

Susan's larger than life characters and layered plots have won her acclaim with readers and reviewers alike. A seasoned women’s events and retreats speaker, she’s a popular writing teacher at conferences around the nation and the author of the beginning writer’s workbook: From the Inside-Out: discover, create and publish the novel in you!. She is also the founder of My Book Therapy, a story-crafting service that helps authors discover their voice.

Susan makes her home in northern Minnesota, where she is busy cheering on her two sons in football, and her daughter in local theater productions (and desperately missing her college-age son!)

A full listing of her titles, reviews and awards can be found at: www.susanmaywarren.com.


Read what the reviewers are saying here.

Lisa's Thoughts: I received this book in exchange for promoting it on my blog. Even if I hadn't, Susan May Warren's books are instant buys for me. Her solid plots, flawed characters and artistic storyworlds are what keep me collecting her books on my shelves. Her Deep Haven series is what drew me to her as a reader. I have a fondness for the characters and was thrilled when I learned there were more Deep Haven books to come. In My Foolish Heart, Issy's world is limited, but when she breaks free of her fears, she realizes her perfect love is right next door. Susie takes her love of football and weaves it into a compelling story that even athletically-challenged readers like me can enjoy.  

Susan May Warren is thrilled to announce the release of her latest Deep Haven book, My Foolish Heart!

To celebrate this charming novel about a dating expert who's never had a date, Susan has put together a romantic night on the town for one lucky couple. One grand prize winner will receive a Miss Foolish Heart prize package worth over $200!

The winner of the Romantic Night on the Town Prize Pack will receive:


* A $100 Visa Gift Card (For Dinner)


* A $100 Gift Certificate to a Hyatt/Marriott Hotel


* The entire Deep Haven series


To enter just click one of the icons below. But, hurry, the giveaway ends at noon on June 16th. The winner will be announced that evening during Susan’s Miss Foolish Heart Party on Facebook! Susan will be chatting with guests, hosting a book club chat about My Foolish Heart, testing your Deep Haven trivia skills, and giving away tons of great stuff! (Gift certificates, books, donuts, and more!) Don't miss the fun and BRING YOUR FRIENDS! 

Painting Through Second Book Syndrome

My house, built in 1926, is a constant work-in-progress. When we moved in 15 years ago, the house was outdated with orange ceilings--no joke--and 70s decor, but had character and showed promise. Slowly, we’ve been working at making changes. Unfortunately the money tree in the backyard withered and died, so our changes are done on a budget.

My kitchen…sigh…is in need of a wrecking ball. In the meantime, paint has been my best friend. So since Memorial weekend I’ve been listening to The Help on audiobook and painting my kitchen. And I have to say, I’m loving it—both The Help and my newly painted blue and white kitchen. Definitely won’t be booked on the Better Homes & Gardens tour, but it’s definitely in keeping with my style—a cross between shabby chic and homey.  

So what does repainting my kitchen have to do with writing? Well, in a clichéd way, you could compare it to writing the rough draft that lays the foundation for the final polish.

I'm blogging today at MBT Ponderers, so head there to read what painting helped me escape my fear of writing my second book.