Barbara Edema's Blog, page 7

When Prayers Aren't Enough

If it was your child, would prayers be enough?
If the child you sent off to school this morning ended the day in a morgue, with a bullet lodged in their body, would prayers be enough?
If your dinner tonight would be the salt of your own tears, would prayers be enough?
If the load of laundry you take out of the dryer holds the clothes that won’t be worn by their owner ever again, would prayers be enough?
I’m a pastor I believe in prayer.
I’m a pastor. I pray.
If my daughter, who teaches in a high school in Phoenix, was dead tonight with a bullet in her head, prayers wouldn’t be enough.
For the family vacations that won’t happen this summer, for the colleges that will have one less student in the fall, for the weddings that won’t take place and the grandchildren that won’t be born. Prayers aren’t enough today.
So, to those of you who are praying as you cling to your guns: JUST STOP. Your prayers are made of hypocrisy and betrayal.
To the politicians who have sold their souls to the NRA, you have blood on your hands. Again. Your prayers are a mockery.
And if it was your child, would prayers be enough for you on this day?
Because instead of graduation parties and diplomas and pomp and circumstance, funerals will be the event of the month.
For those of you who will plan those funerals, yes, I will pray for you through my own tears.  I will see your loved one’s pictures on TV and mourn.
But because I don’t believe prayers and mourning are enough, count on my action. And the action of countless others. We will march. We will vote. We will give. We will do. Because LOVE is an action word.
For when prayers aren’t enough.

February Ground

February Ground
As the snow melts into the cold February ground, water flows down the drain pipes outside.
It sounds as if the house is crying.
A preacher without a pulpit preaches sermons in her head. She studies scripture and looks at the world and then tells herself all about it.
Today she is preaching to herself about a man named Judas. A man who said he loved what was right and good, he followed a Savior. Judas was going to help make the world great again. But the murderers got a hold of Judas and said, “We need to know who he is, the Savior. He must die. They made a plan.
Judas had thirty pieces of silver jangling in his pocket when he kissed the Savior right in front of everyone. The murderers watched. They took the kissed man and killed the Savior dead.
And the world shuddered and sobbed oceans of grief.
A sister without a brother thinks about what a world without guns would be like. God’s Holy Mountain? Swords beaten into plowshares? Someplace nice?
But when things weren’t going right in her brother’s head, when pain and confusion reigned, he took a gun, a gun no one should have sold him, and shot himself dead.
And tears came down. Like snow sliding off a roof onto the cold February ground.
A writer without words, writes anyway. She creates a world where life is redeemed. Where a brother lives and breathes, and just maybe she can soothe her mother’s half-empty heart a bit. She writes about a Savior who didn’t stay dead.
The preacher/sister/writer watches the world. She watches the people who have power to change things for the better.
Then she watches breathlessly when mothers and fathers lose their hearts because their children have been shot dead.
When the people with power put on their oh, so, so sad faces for television and say they are praying for the families. Empty prayers from vacant souls. 
The preacher/sister/writer can hear the silver jangling in their pockets. NRA silver, jangles and jangles and jangles until she thinks she’s going deaf.
And she screams, “Just do one damn thing to keep our children from being shot dead.”
Because she sees you, all the ones with the power to change things. You held that rifle yesterday. Your finger pulled the trigger. Yes. You.
And waterfalls rush down, because the world is crying.
So, to all the powerful ones who will go home to their families this weekend with silver in their pockets, make sure to hug your children. Enjoy their company. Count your silver – your blood money. Continue to do nothing to make this nightmare go away. Just go around and around and around.

While other parents, the ones with shredded hearts, lay their children in the cold February ground.

Flashlight Friends

Two years ago we were blessed to meet a whole church of new friends.|
 Dr. William and Mitsuko Marx were two of them. They were members of the church Doug and I were visiting (and falling in love with). 

I shared the first version of, To Love and To Cherish (2015), with the book group at First Presbyterian Church of Lansing, Michigan. They took on the task of reading it! In the midst of all this, we in mid-Michigan endured a significant ice storm. Power was out for days for some folks. 

Not long after power restoration, I received the photo above from William (Bill). During the first night of the storm, Bill and Mitsuko decided to make use of the time. They set up several flashlights and Bill read Mitsuko, To Love and To Cherish, in a cold and romantic setting! The picture and the story warmed my heart :) 

I am not wishing another ice storm on anyone, but I'm hoping that for all of you who read the first version of this book, you will consider giving the new version a once-over too! Pen-L Publishing has given me the gift of fixing mistakes and creating more fun in Cherish. (Wouldn't it be fun to do that in real life? Fix our mistakes and make more fun?)

Bill and Mitsuko have remained faithful friends and are now reading, For Richer, For Poorer. Bill still reads it out loud to his beautiful wife.

It's quite a thrill to see the three covers of these books! I never would have thought of writing so many words in my life. It's fun to be a writer.

Three more covers are coming to complete this series. Watch for, For Better, For Worse, later this year!

Until then, I hope you enjoy these first three. If you haven't read any of them, look for the beautiful covers on Amazon.com or at Pen-l.com (don't order the old version of To Love and To Cherish-you'll want the 2018 version-cover above).

And maybe cuddle up with someone you love, like your cat, and read by flashlight or candlelight or twinkle lights. Just for the fun of it! 

Flashlight Friends

Two years ago we were blessed to meet a whole church of new friends. Dr. William and Mitsuko Marx were two of them. They were members of the church Doug and I were visiting (and falling in love with). 

I shared the first version of, To Love and To Cherish (2015), with the book group at First Presbyterian Church of Lansing, Michigan. They took on the task of reading it! In the midst of all this, we in mid-Michigan endured a significant ice storm. Power was out for days for some folks. 

Not long after power restoration, I received the photo above from William (Bill). During the first night of the storm, Bill and Mitsuko decided to make use of the time. They set up several flashlights and Bill read Mitsuko, To Love and To Cherish, in a cold and romantic setting! The picture and the story warmed my heart :) 

I am not wishing another ice storm on anyone, but I'm hoping that for all of you who read the first version of this book, you will consider giving the new version a once-over too! Pen-L Publishing has given me the gift of fixing mistakes and creating more fun in Cherish. (Wouldn't it be fun to do that in real life? Fix our mistakes and make more fun?)

Bill and Mitsuko have remained faithful friends and are now reading, For Richer, For Poorer. Bill still reads it out loud to his beautiful wife.

It's quite a thrill to see the three covers of these books! I never would have thought of writing so many words in my life. It's fun to be a writer.

Three more covers are coming to complete this series. Watch for, For Better, For Worse, later this year!

Until then, I hope you enjoy these first three. If you haven't read any of them, look for the beautiful covers on Amazon.com or at Pen-l.com (don't order the old version of To Love and To Cherish-you'll want the 2018 version-cover above).

And maybe cuddle up with someone you love, like your cat, and read by flashlight or candlelight or twinkle lights. Just for the fun of it! 

To Love and To Cherish and For Richer, For Poorer are bot...

To Love and To Cherish and For Richer, For Poorer are both coming soon! They will be available at Pen-L.com and Amazon.com.  Pull up a pew and get to know Pastor Maggie and her flock. You are welcome in Cherish!
Here is the latest review of To Love and To Cherish:

Review
Absolutely charming!The simple pleasures of life are brought to life in this endearing story about the young newly appointed pastor, named Maggie, of “Loving the Lord Community Church.”Maggie is youthful, loving and motivated to do her best to minister and guide the new flock that God has ordained her to shepherd. Readers follow along as she deals with the trials, disappointments and victories that all, naturally, come along with pastoring a small town congregation.
With help and mentorship from friends, Maggie learns to love the unlovable and help those in need. Her wisdom is astounding and I learned a lot through this realistic story. Through everyday life with its ups and downs, Maggie teaches her flock as well as readers how to maintain a life filled with joy, patience and love through Godly principles and guidance. Being so young, she is learning these life skills, as she progresses and grows in her position as Pastor and her own personal life.
I love all the quirky colorful characters that  Barbara Edema  has created in  To Love and To Cherish . They are all fully developed, each with their own distinctive personalities. Some lovable and some - not some much. But, even the unruly ones, are written in such an impactful way, readers are glad they are in the story.In,  To Love and to Cherish , the storyline is funny and engaging. The characters are woven within the plot so naturally and splendidly.

The account, revolving around the small town called Cherish, is bursting with life, beautiful vivid scenery and sensory delights.

As I was reading I kept thinking, “I want to live in Cherish.”
However, things aren’t perfect there, but it seems such a realistic delightful place to live and to be.There is a lot going on in this story, and a lot of characters, as well. However, Barbara Edema skillfully pulls it all together to create one picturesque town and one beautiful narrative.
Come and visit the town of Cherish and meet pastor Maggie and her congregation filled with fun loving and quirky townsfolk. Chick Lit Cafe fully recommends this wonderful inspiring and faith building story
Jewel HartManager Marketing/Social Media ExpertChick Lit Cafe
books4chicks@gmail.com

For Richer, For Poorer

For Richer, For Poorer, (book three of the Pastor Maggie's series) is ready for pre-order! Book groups, church groups, and other large groups can order directly from Pen-L.com for a discount!

www.Pen-L.com/ForRicherForPoorer.html


Here are some kind words about For Richer, For Poorer:

ChickLit Cafe Review:
For Richer or For Poorer, by Barbara Edema

Splendid, charming and compelling!This is the third book in the “Pastor Maggie” series. Author Barbara Edema has done it again. After reading and thoroughly enjoying book two, “To Have and To Hold”, I was anxiously awaiting the next installment in the series. And “For Richer or For Poorer” did not disappoint. It is excellent.
I was brought right back into the scene at Loving the Lord Community Church with all the interesting parishioners and characters.
As a wonderful twist, Pastor Maggie takes a group of her parishioners to Ghana, Africa for a mission trip. The chapters are beautifully interspersed, taking the reader back and forth from Cherish to Ghana.
All the characters are extremely well written and developed. Some of them have grown and evolved nicely from the previous books.
Once again I was drawn in by the personalities with their particular quirks, issues, strengths and weaknesses. I've grown to love some of these characters. They are fully developed, thought out and formed. Author, Barbara Edema has a special way of developing likable interesting characters that the reader will fall in love with. They are familiar and unpredictable. Their interactions with each other are realistic and endearing. They are woven into the storyline in a very simplistic smart manner.
I loved the plot. While it is full of drama, it is not lacking in warmth and fun. It is delightful and mysterious at the same time. It is filled with humor, anguish, and romance. The author has a way with words that is unlike many other authors. She keeps the reader wanting more. She writes with a lot of emotion that nourishes the soul, She skillfully develops the storyline, while meticulously interweaving the characters within.
Maggie has an awakening of the soul, as she ponders the differences between true wealth and poverty, generosity and judgment, the open-hearted and the close-minded. Her struggles embolden her ministry. 
I couldn’t put “For Richer or For Poorer” down. It is filled with many important life issues while keeping a fantastic work of fiction. The warmth of the characters and their interactions will make the reader smile and ponder many things. I turned the pages quickly wondering and anticipating what would happen next. The trials and triumphs of the people in Pastor Maggie’s congregation is inspiring. This is a very fun story as well. It shows what the power of love can do. It is creative and extraordinarily imaginative. I think that readers will be very satisfied, inspired and happy with this third installment of the “Pastor Maggie” series.

Jewel Hart, Chick Lit Cafe

Writing and Friendship

With Priscilla Flintoft and The Cavanaugh Lake Book Club in Chelsea, Michigan

However you describe friendship: "flowers in the garden of life," "pearls on the necklace of life," "soaps on the rope of life (tee hee)," I enjoy, and am thankful for the women friends in my life. I don't have a "posse." My friends are mainly scattered around the world. There may be a few in one city, but I don't have "girlfriend weekends" with all my college friends. I'm not in touch with anyone from college. Or seminary. My friends have come from my neighborhood, my mother is my friend as are my aunties, cousins, and women in the churches I've served over the years.

One bright Sunday morning in Chelsea, Michigan, I had just finished preaching and leading worship. As I shook hands with parishioners, a petite bright-blue-eyed woman, one I had never seen before, walked right up to me, took both of my hands in hers, and said, "I just love you! I'm Priscilla."

Now I'm going to be honest, I love hearing words like that. Who doesn't? Hearing them right after I preach, affirms who I am by what I do - or vice versa. To preach from the heart takes vulnerability, not just confidence. Affirmation is always welcome. That morning Priscilla affirmed the heck out of me.

We have been friends for over thirteen years.

For me, writing is also a vulnerable endeavor, but so different from preaching. Here's my comparison: preaching is like being in a stage play. The congregation is live, and you are aware of their reactions to every spoken word - those who are engaged and those who are asleep in the pew (Ha!). A book is more like a movie. It has been completed and edited long before an audience sees it. It's locked in time once it's released.

Caveat: Don't get me wrong, preaching is a uniquely spiritual and God-driven experience. It's not play-acting. I'm always amazed when people tell me they think it must be easy, or that they think they could preach a sermon with no problem. Preaching isn't just speaking. Amen.

With a play, or specifically preaching, there is always another Sunday coming. A new sermon, new inspiration, and a congregation with a whole weeks' worth of new experiences to bring before God.

Preaching is comfortable for me. Writing is getting more comfortable. Friends have been the ones who have walked with me through my first novel, and decided to read the second one anyway.

But I have received a great gift from my publishers, Pen-L Publishing: My first novel is not set in stone like a movie. They have given me the chance to re-do, go back, delete, add, clean-up, re-edit, and set up the whole series, now that I know where the series is headed.

I may be the only author who felt embarrassed by my first work of (mainly) fiction, To Love and To Cherish. In fact, it was hard to make myself re-read the book. But once given the chance to muck about in my manuscript, I had a blast. I am just now on the last pages of my own edits and changes.
Pen-L (thank you, Duke and Kimberly) will re-release this book in December. I can't wait!

I know I have mentioned this re-release in a previous blog, but after making the changes, I feel the gift of reparation more strongly. As much as I love being loved, I hate being embarrassed.

November will bring the release of For Richer, For Poorer, book 3 in the Pastor Maggie Series. I am proud of this novel, and I hope you enjoy more stories of Loving the Lord Community Church.

Back to friends, there is a circle of you who have intimately been apart of this odyssey called writing. The women I'm thinking of have all been in the pew, at one time or another, when I have been in the pulpit. But then I dragged you into being first readers, I talked about characters and plot lines until your eyes glazed over. I asked some of you if I could use your names in the books, and some of you if I could also use your personalities. None of you said, "no."  

Priscilla, I just love you, too! You will find yourself in For Richer, For Poorer. I hope you like you :)

For all of you dear and faithful friends, thank you for staying close. Thank you for letting me stay close to you as your own lives swirled with surprising changes, hopes, sorrows, and joys.

Because many of you don't know one another, my dream is to have a "girlfriend weekend" with all of you. I would like to introduce each one of you to some of the most amazing women I've ever known.

Hmmm...perhaps a Pastor's Posse.

Names and Dates

When a small orange and white kitten was hanging from our slider screen door in October of 2007, I knew his name immediately. I had always wanted an orange kitty named Marmalade. It was easy to work him into my first book To Love and To Cherish as Pastor Maggie's best buddy when she moves to Cherish, Michigan to pastor her first church. The real Marmalade sits with me every day as I write about his fictional life in the parsonage.

Coming up with names for the many characters who live in Cherish is fun work. Of course, several character's names are actual people in my life. All four of our grandchildren have found their way into Cherish. I'm excited for the expansion of the character of Addie (our granddaughter) in the third book of the series For Richer, For Poorer.

But some of the most fun is coming up with names to fit unnamed characters. I think about the personalities of these people, and then sometimes when I'm out walking or making dinner or feeding the birds, a name pops into my head.

I'm excited to work a new character into To Love and To Cherish before its re-release in December of this year (Pen-L Publishing). This will be someone who will give Maggie a little more to deal with as she tries to get her ministry in order and handle folks like Irena, Redford, and Mrs. Abernathy. I hope you will enjoy meeting Fitch Dervish the Cherish Building Inspector. He makes his return two years later in the fourth book For Better, For Worse. Poor Maggie!

To keep characters under control, I have a notebook in which I keep names, ages, and a few tidbits about all these fine people. I also use a separate calendar to keep record of everyone's actions.

To Love and To Cherish begins on June 1, 2014, the first Sunday in June. This book contains the entire first year of Maggie's life in Cherish.

To Have and To Hold continues in 2015 going from August to October.  Saturday, October 3, 2015 is a very special day!

For Richer, For Poorer picks up where To Have and To Hold leaves off. October 6, 2015. This book takes the reader from Cherish to Ghana in alternate chapters. Actual dates are important because world issues arise in real time. March 28, 2016 (the day after Easter) is where this book ends.

For Better, For Worse picks up on August 22, 2016. We'll see where it ends!

I like keeping these kinds of details written down. I don't know what other writers do, but this works for me. As I explore the backstories of different characters, (thank you to those of you who have asked about certain Cherish folks) I jot down specifics to keep track of who's done what.
Maybe I'm old, or maybe I've finally learned to write important things down. I know I'm unable to go to the grocery store without a list anymore!

These books are important to me. Besides sharing bits and pieces of my own life, I hope stigmas against clergy in general, and women clergy in particular, can be somewhat erased. I hope people who are unimpressed with organized religion can find a pew in these books, and see a group of people learning how to love one another, while trying not to embarrass God too much in the process.

I write this often, but I love going to Loving the Lord Community Church via my computer. I enjoy the characters who come from my fingertips. Saints and sinners all mixed together.

Names and dates are important, but I write from the heart. That's the joy of being a writer.

Once Upon a Time

A few weeks ago we joined friends, Pete and Priscilla, on our yearly visit to Stratford, Ontario. For those of you who also make this delightful trek, you may agree with me that to step out of the car in Stratford, is like taking a lovely journey into a time-gone-by. Our bed and breakfast is on a tree-lined street with flowers spilling their colors and fragrances from every garden. Our room is old fashioned with a fluffy bed, antique furniture, and a simple bathroom. The dining room is open and bright due to the large windows. There are bookshelves laden with classic books and trinkets from the different plays that have entertained so many. Fresh brewed coffee, a hot home-cooked breakfast, and freshly baked nighttime cookies add to the enchantment.

I don't want to jinx anything, but I have never met a rude person in Stratford. Ever. People are happy and polite and helpful. I take an hour-long constitutional each morning which brings me face to face with all sorts of folks as we watch swans, geese, and ducks preen, float, and count their young.  There are shops to explore, restaurants to enjoy, and some of the best literature in the world to be acted out on glorious stages for our pleasure.  It's like once upon a time time.

Over the last couple of years I've been told by a few people that my books remind them of Jan Karon's Mitford Series. It is an amazing compliment. Someone also told me they once read the Mitford Series, and that honestly, it was like reading a whole lot of nothing. Good to know. Humbling comments like that hurt a little, but I remember them and try to learn from them.

I love to write about small town life because it's fun and creative. I love to write about what I know and what I have lived as a pastor, wife, mother, daughter and friend. So I write about a sleepy little town called Cherish (based on Chelsea, Michigan), and an amazing church I was called to serve in 2004, The First Congregational Church. It was, and is, a lovely town full of good people, and few naughty ones. Being a pastor ultimately revolves around relationships. I've been invited in to the sacred and profane moments of parishioners lives. I am a keeper of secrets and a sharer of good news. I've baptized and buried babies. I've presided over holy matrimony, and then watched as divorce tore the bond asunder. I've also eaten cake at fiftieth wedding anniversary celebrations. I've held hands with those who made the final step from this life into the next. Ministry is a profound calling. Most of all, I've tried to bring the sacred and profane together in a holy, hopeful dance week after week. Being a pastor informs every word I write in my books.  For me, it's a whole lot of something.

The characters in my books don't swear a lot. I think that's okay. There isn't gratuitous violence. You would want to read another author for that. Maybe my characters have sex, but I don't write about it. My mother reads these books!

For me, to go to Cherish every day is like going to once upon a time time. Everything is not perfect and not everyone is on their best behavior. But somehow goodness keeps getting the upper hand. That's because I believe that to be true in real life. I believe in dark, dank tunnels with a pinprick of light at the far end. I believe we can give one another encouragement to love as easily as a license to hate.  I believe that through all the bumps and scrapes and dangers of life, there is an eternal happy ending.

To be honest, I suspect there may be one or two rude people in Stratford. I imagine there have been more than a few people who have chased the swans, geese, and ducks from time to time.  There's a good chance that other kinds of debauchery exist in this fairy-tale city. But I'll take my chances and keep showing up. I'll believe in the goodness I have witnessed.

And I'll keep on writing, even if some think I write a whole lot of nothing. Even if hopeful, happy endings seem boring and predictable. I like once upon a time time.  And I like happily ever after.

The Pastor Maggie Series - published by Pen-L Publishing (Pen-L.com)

To Love and To Cherish (to be re-released December of 2017 by Pen-L Publishing)
To Have and To Hold (available now at Pen-L Publishing and Amazon.com)
For Richer, For Poorer (to be released November 2017 at Pen-L Publishing and Amazon.com))
For Better, For Worse (to be released in 2018 at Pen-L Publishing and Amazon.com)
In Sickness and In Health (TBD at Pen-L Publishing and Amazon.com)
For as Long as We Both Shall Live (TBD at Pen-L Publishing and Amazon.com)

Boot Camp

My summer writing has been briefly interrupted with family visits and the opportunity for my husband and I to host a fundraising event for the non-profit organization Mama Hope.
One of our daughters has worked for Mama Hope for the past seven years and is the project manager for the organization. Mama Hope's work in several countries in Africa and also Guatemala, has changed lives by supporting villages and cities as they seek health clinics, schools, sustainable farms, orphanages, and other important projects. The women who run Mama Hope, yes, the entire staff is made up of women between the ages of 25-37, are educated, bright, creative, and they have the ambition to work with communities for positive change one village at a time.  And that's exactly what they do.
Three times a year Mama Hope has a boot camp for new global advocates. A global advocate is a person who has passion for the types of projects listed above. Once accepted into the global advocate program, the group (usually 7-10 people) come from around the country, and the world, for a five day training session. They will then devote the next nine months of their lives to raise a minimum of $20,000 for their projects, spend at least three months on site, and then share their experiences with family, friends, and strangers.
Seven of the Mama Hope staff and the thirteenth class of global advocates moved into our home on Pentwater Lake last week. Boot camp commenced! When my husband and I showed up over the weekend, we were joined by many friends and relatives. We were a captive audiences as we listened to the stories of advocates and their journeys to Mama Hope and beyond. It was as you would expect; moving, inspiring and emotional. We met seven young people who will now go to far away places. Because they have listened to the people of the village or city where they are going, the advocates will work along side their new friends. Lives will be changed, bettered, and even saved - villagers and advocates alike.
Boot camp, or "The Event" (as we've called it since planning it over a year ago) was successful in every way. It was the highlight of the summer.
But what about writing? (I'm now going to segue this Mama Hope blog into a Cherish blog.) My husband and I have had the opportunity to travel to Bawjiase, Ghana on three different occasions. Bawjiase (Bo-gee-ossy) is where our daughter lived for over two years as she raised funds to build an orphanage: United Hearts Children's Center. If you have read To Love and To Cherish and/or To Have and To Hold, then you know that Pastor Maggie and a group of parishioners from Loving the Lord Community church are planning a trip to Bawjiase. Mmmm...I wonder how that is going to go?
I am excited to share their experiences with you in the third book of the Pastor Maggie Series, For Richer, For Poorer, which will be released by Pen-L Publishing in November. The book incorporates life in Cherish (based on the real town of Chelsea, Michigan) as well as life in Bawjiase. Although the book is fictional, the Bawjiase chapters are taken from my personal diaries and experiences. You will get an excellent feel for the region, culture, and delightful people who live at Untied Hearts and in the village. I hope you enjoy the trip!
As for today, it's back to work for me. Pastor Maggie is tackling new problems and often being surprised by joy in the fourth novel of her series, For Better, For Worse. 
It's writing boot camp for me.
As Irena the crazy Cherish organist would say, "Onwarrds and forwarrds!"
www.Pen-L.com www.mamahope.org