Linda Brooks Davis's Blog, page 4
August 4, 2021
13 Reasons to Laugh 1.0 | Let’s Chat
Laugh nowadays? Some say it’s good for your health. Is that really true?
Ok. But have you laughed much lately? Admittedly, there hasn’t been much in the news to laugh about. But maybe some kids can tickle our funny bones. Let’s harken back to another era when the world was simpler and, by some accounts, more prone to laughter.
Take, for instance, these jewels of wisdom by first graders.
Art Linkletter asked them to complete some well known proverbs. Here’s what they gave him.
1. Don’t change horses . . . until they stop running.
2. Strike while the . . . bug is close.
3. It’s always darkest before . . . Daylight Savings Time.
4. Never underestimate the power of . . . termites.
5. Don’t bite the hand that . . . looks dirty.
6. You can’t teach an old dog new . . . math.
7. If you lie down with dogs, you’ll . . . stink in the morning
8. The pen is mightier than the . . . pigs.
9. An idle mind is . . . the best way to relax.
10. Where’s there’s smoke there’s . . . pollution.
11. You can lead a horse to water but . . . how.
12. A miss is as good as a . . . Mr.
13. No news is . . . impossible.
These kids told the unvarnished truth and gave some good advice wrapped in laughter.
My contribution: Back in the early ’70s when my daughter Lynn Lee was a 3-yr-old, we lived in Germany. I wanted her to hear about her family back home even though she hadn’t met them yet. At every opportunity, I’d ask when Grandmama or Uncle Dale lived, and she’d say, “In the States.”
One evening while I was reading her a bedtime Bible story that had a message about Jesus living in our hearts, I stopped and asked her, “Now, where does Jesus live?” And she answered, “In the States?”
Do you have any to add?
Coming soon: more proverbs from children. (And they may make you laugh even harder!)~ ~ ~
Lord, remind us that You want us to be joyful, even in suffering. And to laugh. Give us the innocent hearts of children.
~ For Jesus’ sake ~
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July 28, 2021
Valerie Massey Goree | Let’s Chat
Valerie Massey Goree, winner of the American Christian Fiction Writers Genesis Award, has authored several novels: Deceive Me Once; Colors of Deceit; The Stolen Lives Trilogy, Weep in the Night; Day of Reckoning; and Justice at Dawn. Set in Australia, Forever Under Blue Skies, is now available from Amazon.
After serving as missionaries in her home country of Zimbabwe and raising two children, Valerie and her husband Glenn moved to Texas. She worked in the public school system for many years, focusing on students with special needs. Now retired and living on the beautiful Olympic Peninsula of Washington State, Valerie spends her time writing, and spoiling her grandchildren.
Valerie loves to hear from her readers through her website: http://www.valeriegoreeauthor.com/.
Now, relax as Valerie chats about her latest release, Justice at Dawn. She’s offering this exciting and suspenseful novel as a giveaway in paperback or e-book format, so be sure to join our chat below.
Take it away, Valerie.
The Novel’s Journey by Valerie Massey Goree 
Justice at Dawn is the third novel in the Stolen Lives Trilogy. An International Retrieval Organization (IRO) agent in the first novel, Weep in the Night, is highlighted in the second, and an agent in Day of Reckoning is highlighted in the third. I always knew I wanted to tell Cooper’s story after his brief appearance in the second novel. Why was he single? How did he get his scar? What contributed to his being one-track minded in his work?
It is always exciting to create a backstory for a character. To uncover his fears, his shattered dreams, his greatest desire for the future, and discover how those events shaped his personality and his present life.
The Characters, Cooper and Kitty ClaireCooper Callahan has been an International Retrieval Organization operative for fifteen years. IRO agents are essentially private detectives on steroids. They have access to superior technology, and with a hefty budget, they can provide services regular PIs can’t. However, they have to abide by the state’s requirements to obtain a license to operate.
Of course I had to create a heroine worthy of Cooper’s attention. In my opinion, there are enough novels where the heroine is petite, helpless, always concerned about her perfect makeup. So … my heroine in Justice at Dawn is anything but petite or helpless, and she has a unique backstory. Now, don’t get me wrong, Kitty Claire is vulnerable and has issues from her past she has to overcome, too, but she provides the perfect foil for Cooper. You can tell by the cover that she’s a gal with an attitude.
When she first meets Cooper, he is almost left speechless.
“Please have a seat, Kitty.”
“Oh, no. Coop. I’m no kitty-cat.” She balanced on the edge of the chair. “Small and soft, that’s not me. The little assistant who showed me in, I can bench-press her in a heartbeat. KC. Plain KC.”
“There’s nothing plain . . . I mean, um. Let’s get started.”
Valerie Massey Goree: My characters talk to me as I reveal their stories.I knew a little of KC’s early years when I began, but then she filled in the rest and I nearly cried. Poor little girl to be—never mind. You’ll have to read the novel to find out more.
As the lead training agent, Cooper provides KC with the necessary course work she needs. He has never worked with a trainee like Kitty Claire Briggs. She attacks every task head-on, and he quickly discovers that when she said she was not a “run-of-the-mill gal”, he should have believed her. She has a mind of her own, a stubborn streak, and doesn’t hesitate to question his instructions. Overflowing with energy, KC isn’t quiet long enough for Cooper to think. But when the boss assigns them a training mission to follow Sadie, his wife, KC’s serious side emerges.
Sure, former stunt double, KC, wants to be an agent, but she also hides an ulterior motive—to be accepted by IRO—and she wants access to their superior technology.
Can she locate her quarry without Cooper finding out?As Cooper shares the finer points of surveillance with KC, her enthusiasm for the Lord and for the job strengthens his waning faith. When the training exercise turns into a real abduction, will KC’s naiveté lead to death or to a successful conclusion to the case?
Since meeting KC, solid, dependable, predicable Cooper’s life has been turned upside down and his lackluster faith challenged at every turn. She makes him face experiences from his past that have held his soul captive.
But no matter how much she has influenced his life, will she pass the course and become an IRO agent?
Justice at Dawn by Valerie Massey Goree releases July 31, 2021.It will be available from the publisher, Harbourlight Imprint with Pelican Book Group, and from Amazon. (No purchase links available before release day, but you can preorder now Justice at Dawn.)
Media: https://www.facebook.com/ValerieMasseyGoree/
Website: www.valeriegoreeauthor.com
~ ~ ~
Dear Lord, please bless each word Valerie writes for You.
~ For Jesus’ sake ~
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July 21, 2021
Dave Milbrandt | Let’s Chat
Dave Milbrandt joins us on Let’s Chat this week.
Dave Milbrandt was born and reared in sunny Southern California. He fell in love with writing in junior high and has been a storyteller ever since. His first stories were inspired by noir detective tales of the 1930s and 1940s. But he honed his writing skills on his high school and college newspapers. Then he took the leap to a local daily paper. He spent five years in journalism and public relations prior to his current career as a high school teacher and college professor.
It’s a delight to welcome Dave Milbrandt to our circle. Welcome, Dave.
Writing: My Side HustleWhile doing my day job, I spent nights, weekends and vacation time working on my writing. I wrote the first draft of what would become my debut novel in five weeks. But again, my ambition outstripped my ability, as agent after publisher after agent rejected my proposal. Eventually, I had amassed an inch-thick file of “No Thank You” letters.
Undaunted, I finally published Chasing Deception in 2013 via Amazon’s CreateSpace (now KDP), 15 years after that first draft. I assumed I’d never write another book again, but God, as He often does, had other plans. Undue Pressure released three years later and Running two years after that. These rounded out a trilogy of books that I never expected to be more than a standalone novel.
Iron Sharpening IronI have been blessed in my marriage in many ways, once of which is that my wife is a fellow writer. We often bounce ideas off each other. So, one day in late 2019 she pitches the following premise: When people win the lottery, why don’t they do something good with the money? My response was “Yeah, like run for president.” Thus the idea for Fool’s Luck was born.
I wrote this story in first person, which required getting into the mind of the character much more directly than I normally would have done. This was made easier because I created a protagonist who also was a high school government teacher with a snarky sense of humor. But, just to be clear, that’s where the similarity ends. I have absolutely no desire to run for high political office. Just read the book and find out what the main character goes through to see what I mean.
Finding time to write this book was a much easier than my earlier projects, as the global pandemic strongly curtailed my work hours for the first few months. To make good use of this spare time, I decided to pen the novel that was sitting under the chicken, as we say in my writers’ group. I also engaged in a new practice of praying before I started writing for the day. I think made the process easier and the final product better than it would have been otherwise.
Dave Milbrandt Goes ProOnce I was done with the manuscript, now I had to figure out how I was going to get the story into readers’ hands. Up to that point, I’d published three novels and one nonfiction book independently and was not eager to shop this project around. But, because of my wife’s constant encouragement, I did just that and Sam Lowry at Ambassador International decided to take a chance on me.
Going into the relationship, I thought I knew what I was doing. But the Lord reminded me about the importance of patience and reliance on others, two areas in which I admittedly struggle. Thankfully, I have the privilege of working with a team of professionals dedicated to partnering with writers to produce the best work possible. They have helped make Fool’s Luck the book I had hoped in my heart it would be. I can’t wait to share this story with the world when it releases on July 13th.
Fool’s Luck by Dave Milbrandt
A teacher wins the lottery and decides to run for President. What’s he willing to lose in order to win?
High school teacher Myles Bradford wins the Powerball lottery, but rather than buy a private jet or his own island, he does something truly unexpected: runs for president of the United States. Bradford is eager about the opportunity, but his family clearly is not. With little time to sway them to his side, he’s thrust into running a quarter-billion-dollar nationwide campaign, complete with cross-country flights and road trips, expert staff and armed security.
The people he meets give him a larger vision of America than he previously imagined, but not everyone loves him. While on the campaign trail, he faces attacks from new-found political enemies and false accusations of sexual assault in addition to a highly controversial debate performance. One of his opponents is sidelined by a stroke, making room for Bradford to secure the backing of a major political party and ease his journey to the White House.
As the race draws to a close, a new crisis on the home front opens up as his son’s cancer has returned. Bradford may be within reach of the highest office in the land, but he is unsure if the reward is worth the cost. Throughout his journey, Bradford wrestles with whether the Leader of the Free World needs to rely on a power higher than himself.
Check out Dave Milbrandt links
~ ~ ~
Dear Lord, please bless each word Dave Milbrandt writes for You.
~ For Jesus’ sake ~
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July 14, 2021
KD Holmberg | Let’s Chat
KD Holmberg is an award-winning historical fiction author and retired flight attendant who turned an empty nest into creating stories around remarkable women. She and her husband have five adult kids, live in the foothills of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, and love to travel and golf. They also run a girl gang of seven granddaughters, and have one male grandchild that the author can safely declare as her favorite grandson.
KD Holmberg in Her Own WordsYears ago, my mother-in-law said to me, “These are the best days of your life.”
Dirty dishes and laundry surrounded me, produced by five children, while my daughters quarreled upstairs. I peered at her as though she were mad but held my tongue.
Fast forward a few decades, and the truth she spoke settled hard on my heart. The school bus rolled down the street one morning and stopped at the corner. I turned, looking for lunches and backpacks, reflexively ready to yell, “the bus is here.” A silent house reminded me I was utterly alone. My baby just left for college, and the rest of my children had drifted into their own lives. That sweet season of being a full-time mom had ended. It happened so fast I barely noticed until the bus rolled away without one of them on board. I stepped out, sat on my porch, and sobbed.
My permanent loss came to roost on my empty nest.
KD Holmberg
Not long after, during a Bible study, the name Hagar came up. For some reason, she stuck in my mind. I began to research her earnestly by studying old manuscripts and the Hebrew and Arab tradition of who she was. They teach that she was a princess of Egypt before becoming a maidservant to Sarah.
How did that happen?
I had to find out.
The Midrash, an ancient commentary on the Hebrew scriptures, took me beyond the text and provided a clear picture of what may have transpired. Genesis Rabbah says, “When Sarah was in Pharaoh’s harem that he gave her his daughter Hagar as a maidservant, saying, ‘It is better that my daughter should be a servant in the house of such a woman than mistress in another house.'”
Two things baffled me.Ancient Egyptians never traveled out of Egypt because if they died out of the country and were not buried properly, they forfeited the afterlife. These people spent most of their time living, preparing for death.Amenhotep II declared, “From time immemorial, no daughter of the king of Egypt is given to anyone.”Yet, Princess Hagar was given to Sarah and sent out of Egypt. I knew I had to dig more and tell her story.
I started by studying the craft of writing and researching ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia.Approximately four thousand years ago, a young Egyptian woman named Hagar found herself embroiled in a fateful, contentious love triangle that changed history. The story of Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar produced two sons—Ishmael and Isaac. Two nations—the Hebrews and the Arabs. And three major religions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Even the roots of the modern Arab-Israeli conflict are bound up in this event.
The Bible introduces Hagar in Genesis 16 as the Egyptian handmaid Sarah used as a surrogate to produce an heir for Abraham. Hebrew and Islamic traditions take her story deeper and claim she was the daughter of the king of Egypt, making her a princess before she became a servant.
Abraham moved his tribe from Canaan to Egypt to escape a great drought. Sarah, being the most beautiful woman since Eve, was a perfect prize for Pharaoh. She soon ended up in his harem, which resulted in a web of intrigue and conspiracies. This is where she probably met Hagar and when their relationship’s twist-and-turn-filled story may have begun.
A princess in ancient EgyptLife for a princess in ancient Egypt saw little change through the dynasties. Royal children—boys and girls— received equal educations that included mathematics, reading, writing, the arts, and even politics. As the daughter of a king, the handmaid in Genesis 16 would have grown up in an opulent court, full of privilege and power, becoming an accomplished, refined, and cultured woman.
I intended to build the world Hagar and Sarah lived in and imagine them together in Pharaoh’s harem. Diving deeper into what life looked like for a princess in ancient Egypt, I found that Hagar was likely educated and sophisticated. Now, an even different picture of her presented itself.
After completing The Egyptian Princess, A Story of Hagar , the first agent I queried signed me as a client.She called one afternoon to tell me she found a publisher interested in my work, Mountain Brook Ink. At that moment, I stood cleaning out a bin filled with old school work of my children. As I sorted, I stumbled across something that belonged to me—a rewrite of Mary’s conversation with Gabriel beginning in Luke 1:29.
Before I heard the name Hagar, I attended a women’s event at my church. The speaker asked us to use our names instead of Mary’s, rewrite the prayer, and make it personal. These are the words I held in my hands when my agent called:
My idea became reclaiming Hagar’s story, and my purpose was to write a book about her. In those words, I saw God’s promise to me that I would do exactly that.
Hagar was the first person in the Bible to name God. She called him El Roi, The God Who Sees, because he saw her when she was in her most desperate state. I relate to her because four thousand years later, El Roi also saw me and gave me a promise and purpose just as he gave her.
On March 15, 2021, Mountain Brook Ink published The Egyptian Princess, A Story of Hagar. Next year, More Than a Handmaid will be released as book two in The Women of Valor series. In it, Hagar’s journey continues as she joins the tribe of Abraham. It provides a scenario where Hagar and her son, Ishmael, sent into the desert by Sarah to die, survive and thrive.
Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things
which were told her from the Lord.
Luke 1:45 NIV
Blessings, KD Holmberg
The Egyptian Princess by KD Holmberg
In the opulent court of Egypt’s tenth dynasty, Princess Hagar has always known her destiny. One day, she will marry Crown Prince Merikare and become the Great Royal Wife, the most powerful woman in Egypt. But dark dreams afflict Hagar when she hears of the latest addition to Pharaoh’s harem: the stunning, iridescent Sumerian, Sarai. Princess Hagar feels a powerful presence around the Sumerian woman. She suspects Sarai has brought black magic into the palace—but what can she do to convince Pharaoh?
The intrigue of Pharaoh’s court pales compared to that swirling in the Royal House of Women among the wives, children, and concubines of the king. Sarai’s arrival upsets the already precarious balance. Loyalties divide, and betrayal, jealousy, and tragedy plague the once peaceful household. When a series of disasters befall Egypt, Hagar must make a bold decision, and the stakes could not be higher. She could lose everything—her position, her power, her family, and even her life.
Torn between the silent gods of Egypt and the powerful presence that surrounds Sarai, Hagar’s world falls apart around her. She must acknowledge the terrible price of truth and decide for herself whom she will serve.
KD’s LinksThe Egyptian Princess: A Story of Hagar: Holmberg, K D: 9781943959990: Amazon.com: Books
www.Facebook.com/authorkdholmberg www.Instagram.com/authorkdholmberg www.Twitter.com/kdeniseholmbergWebsite: www.kdholmberg.com
~ ~ ~
Dear Lord, please bless each word KD writes for you.
~ For Jesus’ sake
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July 7, 2021
Linda Brooks Davis | Let’s Chat
Scenes and scents. Not long ago I wrote about my first Rose of Sharon bloom this year. At the time, I was mulling over the hymn “Jesus, Rose of Sharon” and noting how His mere presence scents our lives with love, grace, and truth. Today, as I note the pile of dead blooms at the root of my Rose of Sharon, I’m thinking about how He keeps us productive by deadheading our doomed blooms.
Going back to my Rose of Sharon …
Since the appearance of that first bloom, other blossoms have been popping out all over the bush—a riot of pink fluff. And at the roots, a pile of dead blooms.
A garden teaches patience and careful watchfulness.
~Gertrude Jekyll, famed British horticulturist of the 19th century
As a DIY gardener, I’ve learned Gertrude Jekyll’s observation above proves true in my flowerbeds in the blooming seasons.
I started working in flowerbeds when we purchased our first home in 1978. The builder included a few shrubs in the landscaping, but much improvement was needed. So I visited a local nursery to look for “color.” I made lots of mistakes, like choosing a “shade” plant for a spot in the “full sun” or vice versa. And I asked lots of questions about types of soil for types of plants. But I don’t recall getting my hands very dirty.
It wasn’t until we moved into our second home in 1979 that I bought a shovel, spade, trowel, and rake. And got my hands very dirty. Little by little, I learned about fertilizers, soils, types of plants, tools, and how very much work gardening requires.
I discovered never to leave the wilting blooms to dry up and fall off. Instead, I learned to remove them at the first sign of decay—to “deadhead” them, if you will. Why? Because the plant’s resources are best used for producing new blossoms rather than struggling to maintain the “doomed blooms.”
To deadhead properly, I must be patient, careful, and watchful.
Patient with the baby plants, as well as those past their prime. Careful where I set my feet and how I handle healthy blooms. And watchful for the first signs of dry, drooping heads.
This principle proves true in the garden and at my writing desk. But it’s the editor who wears the “dead header” cap, and—wow—am I grateful. Just as I snap off unappealing, discolored, sagging garden blooms, the editor deletes the unappealing and sagging words and passages in my garden of words. As a result, the rest of the passages breathe new life and bloom on the page.
According to Jesus, the same is true of our spiritual lives. Consider what He said about the Gardener and the vine He tends:
I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.
He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit,
while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes
so that it will be even more fruitful.
John 15:1-2
Would I ever maintain the bounty and quality of fruit that God is looking for? I would never measure up. Surely I was doomed.
But while working in the soil this spring, the Lord opened my mind to His deeper message. As I look over a bed of blooming plants, I find some heavy with flowers and others with only a few sprinkled through. Rather than pulling up and throwing away the plants with few blooms, I apply that patience and careful watchfulness Jekyll notes. I prune, feed, and deadhead them.
It’s only when a plant produces no blooms, turns a sickly color, and shrivels that I declare it doomed, pull it up, and throw it away.
What an encouraging realization: the eternal Gardener uproots the vines that produce no fruit. But He tends the others, especially those with few blooms—pruning, feeding, and watering to encourage more fruit.
Rather like when I lay my writing alongside many other writers’ work, my spiritual “blooms” are far less significant in size and quality than many others in God’s garden. But rather than pulling me up from the roots and throwing me away, the Lord deadheads my doomed blooms and prunes where needed. One bloom at a time.
Isn’t this at the essence of God’s amazing grace? I’d love to hear about your “deadheading” experiences.
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June 30, 2021
Penny N. Haavig | Let’s Chat
Penny N. Haaving joins our circle this week. Welcome to Let’s Chat, Penny.
This historical fiction author is a born-and-raised New Yorker. Her two grown daughters and five grand children live in Arizona and Massachusetts. Consequently, traveling the blue skies is a common practice for this energetic lady.
As a member of American Christian Writers Association, she attended two conferences where she took workshops on writing. Also, she has gained a wealth of information from Facebook authors. She also enjoys coffee in the morning with her husband, Tom, daily devotions, reading Christian suspense, going for walks, and volunteering at church.
A Word From Penny N. Haavig
Penny and TomI never thought I would be a novelist. My dream was to write children’s books, and my mother Violet would illustrate. Mother shared an amazing testimony of how mental illness brought her down into the depths of a nervous breakdown. Following many years of turmoil and unhappiness, Violet went to be with the Lord in 2011. She gave her testimony all over the country and to Power for Living in 1977.
I attended a writer’s workshop in Minneapolis led by Susan May Warren, a well-known author, where God inspired me to write my mother’s story. It was suggested that I write a novel about my mother’s tumultuous life and not a biography. The story would interest more people.
However, a year after the sudden death of my first husband in 2000, God intervened. Out of tragedy and sadness, came a wonderful man from Minnesota. I sold my Day Care Center and home and moved to the land of lakes. A close friend said,” Don’t look back!”
Cornfields, lakes, and continuous acres of pastureland drew me to my second love. Horses.
Penny’s pal, Dakota. Although, I no longer have my own horse, I lease a friend’s. Every time I put my foot in the stirrup, I thank God I can still ride. Riding soothes the soul.
Laugh, Clown, Laugh
This novel was published in 2018. Violet’s colorful life weaves in and out of three decades, beginning with the Vaudeville stage of Brooklyn, New York. It’s a flight from mental illness to sanity. Violet wears a mask to cover the turmoil in her heart. A beautiful love story evolves when she meets her knight without the shining armor. Henry is loyal and loving through the ugliness of mental illness.
A hidden talent emerges while Violet is recovering from a nervous breakdown. Consequently, she becomes a remarkable artist. Violet has instant success with her hand painted tile business. She paints a custom tile for Arthur Godfrey, the first television talk show host. Violet designs and paints a backsplash for Perry Como’s Long Island home.
However, she is an outward success but an inward failure. Contentment eludes her, until she picks up a book by Billy Graham. The Secret of Happiness changes her life. (Available on Amazon. Ninety-Nine cents, eBook)
Missionary to the OddballsThis story captures the goodness and glory of God. Violet’s heart desire is to share her newfound faith with everyone. Her family is first.
However, she must continue to overcome the mental issues of the past biting at her heels. She
forges through many adversities, therefore, making her stronger for it. Violet’s artistic talent skyrockets when her hand paint tiles become a household word in the small town of Miller Place. Family turmoil, broken relationships, a wavering marriage, and a demanding business play havoc on Violet’s plans. Her brain is on overload.
The shores of the Long Island Sound and the rumbles of a hurricane deliver a powerful opening to the novel. Darkness doesn’t scare her because there’s light in Violet’s soul.
Violet’s daughter, Jane, shows signs of mental weakness. Will she follow the family history of nervous breakdowns? Violet prays consistently this will not happen.
Available on Amazon.
Inspirational Scenes from Missionary to the Oddballs
Sunset over Port Jefferson Harbor, Long Island, NY.
Two blocks from Violet’s gift shop.
Violet’s gift shop in Port Jefferson, Long Island
Miller Place Beach, Long Island, NY.Violet’s house was on the top of the cliff. Several chapters of Missionary to the Oddballs take place here.
A fireplace mural designed and painted by Violet Pearl Funk. A wealthy finance mogul contracted Violet to this project for his exclusive Belle Terre, LI home.How to contact PennyPlease visit Penny’s website at www.pennynhaavig.com
Giveaways
First time readers can enter for a signed complementary copy of Laugh, Clown Laugh.
A signed, complimentary copy of book two, Missionary to the Oddballs.
A hand painted tile of your choice. This 4” tile is a good reminder for all of us when Satan tries to get the best of us. Available at: www.pennynhaavig.com.
~ ~ ~
Dear Lord, please bless each word Penny writes for You.
~ For Jesus’ sake ~
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June 23, 2021
Leah Fort | Let’s Chat
Welcome, everyone
Leah Fort honors us with her story this week. Welcome, Leah.
Leah grew up a “PK”—preacher’s or pastor’s kid—and she gave her life to Christ at the age of six.
Connecting people to redesigned life in Christ is her life’s passion. Her experiences as an ordained minister, singer, speaker, and author harmonize like notes on a music staff to create this Kingdom connection.
Also, Leah enjoys listening to good music—worship, modern blues, and smooth jazz. Coffee and conversation with friends. And retreating and writing at their mountain stream in Colorado. In addition, she loves spending time with Mike and their family. They call Amarillo, Texas home, and their daughter, Sydney, is married to Chase Clark. Their son, Lane is married to Neeley. Leah and her husband dote on seven grandchildren.
Please help me welcome Leah Fort to Let’s Chat, friends. She is offering two copies of her book!
Growing up in a pastor’s home, ministry milestones began as ministry moments for Leah.
My father served on staff in various pastoral roles. My mother played piano, organ, and sang. Subsequently, Christian ministry training came naturally. My older sister and I sang in a trio with our mother from the time I was about three years old. Our younger brother pursued other musical endeavors. We attended a number of weekly meetings and fellowships. My imaginative play was often a reenactment of real life. Therefore, I set up our child-sized chairs in the garage and invited the neighborhood children to play church. There, I pretended to preach, which reflected reality.
Daddy led me in prayer as I knelt at his big brown den chair. The moment I knelt, I knew my life was forever changed. Daddy—also my pastor—baptized me in our small-town church the following Sunday.
Leah Fort: My third-grade year, our family lived in Amarillo, Texas, and attended a large church.At children’s camp that summer, I experienced a new awareness of the Lord’s presence. Thereafter, enthusiastic passion filled my prayers. Later that year, I sat in the balcony of our church and listened to a missionary speak of global evangelistic endeavors. During that presentation, my sensitivity to the Holy Spirit heightened. This enabled me to sense the Lord’s calling to ministry.
I realized ministry was my life’s call. I also knew Mike Fort was my life partner. We met when I was seventeen and began dating just after my nineteenth birthday. We married six months later. Mike is an accomplished musician. Therefore, serving together in music ministry is a shared passion expressed throughout our marriage.
Early God-encounters transformed my life and thinking. Opportunities for leadership roles developed in school, youth ministries, and parachurch organizations. That training ground led to teaching Bible and leading women’s ministries. Later, I became a certified life coach, counselor, writer, worship pastor, and associate pastor.
Leah Fort: One constant resulting from children’s camp is undergirding all things with prayer.In the dark, early morning hours I rendezvous with the King of kings. I kneel by my specially assigned chair and commune with the Lord. One morning I opened my Bible to Isaiah, chapter 52. But this familiar passage seemed different. This time it resonated with me. The words came to life. I pored over it and saw myself.
I attempted to read further into the chapter but re-read the first two verses repeatedly. My heart shattered before the Lord, and I wept. God revealed that I was the woman in this passage, the one in chains. As I read, He illuminated how He had liberated me from captivity. In His abounding love, mercy, and grace, God reached into my private prison and rescued me.
That day, God used Isaiah 52 to reveal the healing process he had applied to my life. You see, while my Christian walk developed, other childhood encounters introduced the treacherous work of fear. At age six I was molested. A few years later, an attempt was made to kidnap me. Thereafter, fear dismantled me from the inside. It affected the trajectory of my life for more than twenty-five years. But the Lord broke that chain.
The result: Your Royal Rendezvous: Awake from Your Slumber, Arise from Defeat, Acquire Your Place at the Throne of Grace by Leah Fort. Through my story of healing, the reader receives a personally applicable five-step process. The reader learns to confront and collapse problems of the past. And to collect right information about themselves and their identity in God’s kingdom. Also, they learn the importance of prioritizing communication with God. Therefore, they convert their thinking and connect effectively in life and relationships with a redesigned life in Jesus Christ.
My search for a publisher was short-lived. In 2014, I corresponded with author, Kary Oberbrunner, regarding his book launch. He was both personable and accessible. While writing my book in 2018, I learned Kary had started a publishing company. Consequently, I interviewed and found his company to be the perfect fit. Thus, Your Royal Rendezvous was set to publish with AAE April 7, 2020.
However, my joy of a book-launch party deflated quickly. The pandemic created mass quarantine. Thus, I held a party-of-one, live-streamed from my back patio. Still, I was utterly thrilled to have completed this project.
Today, I serve as District Appointed Interim Pastor with the Church of the Nazarene.I am working on three new book projects. Plus, I host two programs on social media, Winning WINS-DAY and Wednesdays with Wellington. In recent years, I appeared on television and hosted my radio broadcast VineSweet Connection. Now, more than ever, disconnected people work without purpose. Therefore, my degree in Christian Studies & Biblical Counseling lends itself to equipping and positioning others to discover their potential and fulfill their Kingdom purpose. With the lifting of pandemic restrictions, I look forward to hitting the road and skies for book signings and speaking events. I hope to inspire many to lead a purposeful, well-connected life.
Contact LeahFor booking information: bookings@leahfortconnects.com
Your Royal Rendezvous is available everywhere books are sold.
Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/YourRoyalRendezvous
Website: https://leahfortconnects.com
Facebook: https://facebook.com/LeahFortAuthorSpeaker
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LeahFortConnect
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leahfort/
Linked-In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leahfort/
Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/leahfort
~ ~ ~
Dear Lord, please bless each word Leah writes for You.
~ For Jesus’ sake ~
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June 16, 2021
Rebecca Thesman | Let’s Chat
Rebecca Thesman (R.J. Thesman) is a certified life coach with a focus on writing, an editor and author. Trained as a Stephen minister and biblical counselor, she holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Education. She teaches at writers conferences throughout the Midwest.
Rebecca Thesman writes from the heartland of Kansas where she enjoys gardening, reading and cooking — especially anything with blueberries. Connect with RJ on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. Follow her blog at https://RJThesman.net.
Welcome, Rebecca!My writing journey began in early childhood. My mother would often find me on a limb of “my tree” on our farm, a Red Chief tablet and fat pencil in my hand. Those first stories were melodramatic, but precious to my burgeoning writer soul.
I was the kid in high school English who was thrilled when the teacher said, “Write an essay.” All my peers groaned.
But I did not follow through with a Journalism major in college. I felt God wanted me to serve in missions. So I majored in education, and my first teaching job was in Honduras at a school for missionary kids. During that time, my writing consisted only of journaling. Later, those journals became my first book, The Plain Path, which is now out of print.
Rebecca Thesman: During the years of teaching, then becoming a mother and working in various ministry jobs, I continued to write.Sometimes that meant getting up early or staying up late. In 1983, I attended my first writers conference and learned how to freelance. That conference was instrumental in pushing me forward, and I became a professional freelance writer and editor.
I continued in ministry but always wrote. Gradually I have built my publishing resume to 18 books and 800 articles. God has gifted me with creativity and the ability to use ministry as fodder for writing. Most of my books contain the theme of Hope.
In 2012, I became a certified life coach which was part of my ministry at a nonprofit for women.Then in 2017, after struggling through ministry exhaustion, I became a full-time writing coach, editor and author. I absolutely love what I do as I help other writers birth their words.
Through my ministry with women, I discovered so many who live in destructive relationships. Actually, the numbers are staggering. One out of four women live this way, including Christian women in Christian homes. They often receive no support from their church leaders who are patriarchal and demand submission from women.
I have counseled with pastors’ wives, deacons’ wives and women in all walks of life who wonder how long they can hold on to their sanity and their lives. They often stay because of finances. Most have invested their entire lives being wives, homeschooling mothers and volunteers in the church. They have few marketable skills. They sacrificed their own dreams for those of their abusive mates.
Several years ago, God directed me to write the fictional story of Abigail — the she-ro in First Samuel 25 .Abigail helped King David during a crisis, and scripture states “Nabal was an abusive man.” God Himself took care of Nabal. That story reminded me how God loves his daughters and does not call us to live in destructive relationships.
But I resisted writing the story as a novel. My writing resume included mostly nonfiction, and the topic was close to home. But as a workshop teacher, I often said, “Nonfiction tells the facts while fiction shares the truth.”
Rebecca Thesman: So I eventually stopped arguing with God and wrote No Visible Scars.
It is a contemporary version of the Abigail story with many of the same characters. But it shows how Abigail learns to set healthy boundaries and eventually, finds her freedom. No Visible Scars was released in 2018. It has sold to hundreds of women and hopefully, made a difference in their lives. Whenever I speak about domestic abuse, I sell copies to grandparents who are concerned about the danger their daughters or granddaughters live in. Domestic abuse is a tragedy in every part of society. It is a hidden problem in the church.
In this excerpt, Abigail begins to seek help. She is finally admitting her truth.
No Visible Scars by Rebecca Thesman
Abigail walked past the police station for the third time. She willed herself to draw closer, to yank open the door and state her business. But every cell in her body felt paralyzed. Her heart continued its thumping, louder and more insistent, squeezed by fear.
She had driven all the way to north Kansas City, to a station far from home, to find a police officer who would not know her husband. On her fourth trip around the block, she shook her head and clenched her fists. Finally, she pushed through her fear and stormed into the station. Breathless, she stopped in front of the main desk to face a female officer. A woman. She would understand.
A shiny badge with Officer Tamara in bold letters. Tamara. A safe person. Was she experienced in domestic problems, this petite woman with caramel-colored hair pulled back into a chignon? No earrings or makeup. No nonsense.
Abigail swallowed hard. “Uhm, yes, please. I have a question. Uhm…I have a friend who is…concerned about her marriage. Uhm…he’s kind of mean, but he doesn’t hit her. It’s mostly…well…words and emotional stuff and…my friend doesn’t know if she called 9-1-1, would you come to help her?”
She wanted to scream. Maybe she could commit a crime. Nothing terrible. Just enough to get her locked up. Far, far away from Nate. She twirled a section of her hair tight, then tighter until it hurt. The platinum mess Nate loved, so different from her natural shade. She couldn’t even own her hair color. She turned and pushed through the door. Gulping air, she wished she could have told Officer Tamara the ugly truth.
Rebecca Thesman LinksBlog: https://rjthesman.net/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RJThesman
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RJThesman
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccajthesman/
YouTube channel – Coaching for Writers: https://bit.ly/2QOkD6Z
~ ~ ~
Dear Lord, please bless each word Rebecca writes for You.
~ For Jesus’ sake ~
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June 9, 2021
Rose of Sharon | Let’s Chat
Family tragedies and health issues have sapped my emotions and strength the past four years. That means I’ve neglected a LOT around the house. Gardening is part of that lot. Clearing away the dead and planting the new. Fertilizing. Pulling weeds. Spreading mulch. And while stumbling around on uneven ground trimmed in river rocks, falling eye-first into a stone ledge on the exterior wall of the house. Ouch! (Fortunately, I’m OK now.)
Gardening is demanding, but it brings me peace as well. It gives me time to mull. Pray. And consider God’s magnificent creation. Today I stepped outside early (a prerequisite in Texas this time of the year) and discovered one of my favorites—the Rose of Sharon—in bloom. The blossoms touch a tender spot in my heart. And I know why.
Rose of SharonThe second chapter of Song of Songs refers to this flowering plant: “I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys.” It has come to be known as one of the names for Christ. Hence, it’s the subject of the old hymn, “Jesus, Rose of Sharon,” written by Ida A. Guirey in 1922.
Jesus, Rose of Sharon, bloom within my heart;
Beauties of Thy truth and holiness impart,
That where’er I go my life may shed abroad
Fragrance of the knowledge of the love of God.
Refrain:
Jesus, Rose of Sharon,
Bloom in radiance and in love within my heart.
Jesus, Rose of Sharon, sweeter far to see
Than the fairest flow’rs of earth could ever be.
Fill my life completely, adding more each day
Of Thy grace divine and purity, I pray.
Jesus, Rose of Sharon, balm for every ill,
May Thy tender mercy’s healing pow’r distil
For afflicted souls of weary burdened men,
Giving needy mortals health and hope again.
Jesus, Rose of Sharon, bloom forevermore;
Be Thy glory seen on earth from shore to shore,
Till the nations own Thy sov’reignty complete,
Lay their honors down and worship at Thy feet.
So, guess what I’m humming to myself today. Yep. “Jesus, Rose of Sharon”.By the way, Sharon is the Mediterranean coastal plain between Joppa and Caesarea. In the time of Solomon it was a place of great fertility. Look at the lovely spiritual applications of this rose in “Jesus, Rose of Sharon”:
Bloom in radiance and in love within my heart Beauties of thy truth and holiness impartFragrance of the knowledge of the love of GodGrace divine and purityBalm for every illTender mercyHealth and hope againBloom forevermoreGlory from shore to shoreLay down honors and worship at His feetWhen I garden, I think of the magnificence of Creator God. When I gaze at the latest Rose of Sharon bloom, I think of the radiance, love, beauty, hope, and glory of Jesus Christ, the balm for every ill. And when I kneel on the old chair cushions to snip deadheads, I’m transported to heaven where I long to worship at His feet.
Do certain plants remind you of Jesus? Betsy (Ella’s mother) in The Calling of Ella McFarland learned her homespun healing methods in the Ozark Mountains. Have you or someone you know used herbs and plants for balms?
Be thy glory seen on earth from shore to shore, O Lord.
~ For Jesus’ sake~
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June 2, 2021
Linda Brooks Davis | Let’s Chat
Politics can stir most anyone’s dander. Personally, I avoid it like a pandemic. But I can’t say the same for everyone. Can you?
Congressional discord and infighting are grim realities of today’s political climate. And violent racial protests on city streets have become almost commonplace. But they are hardly new. Take, for example, what South Carolina U.S. Representative Preston S. Brooks perpetrated on Massachusetts Senator Charles Sumner.
1857. Representative Preston S. Brooks https://www.loc.gov/resource/pga.13397/
Charles Sumner spent years recovering from the attack. https://www.ushistory.org/us/31e.aspB... Historical HistrionicsAccording to an account at www.ushistory.org, Senator Sumner, an avowed abolitionist, gave a bitter speech after the sack of Lawrence, Kansas on May 21, 1856 . He blasted the murderous robbers from Missouri. He called them hirelings, picked from the drunken spew and vomit of an uneasy civilization.
The Sacking of Lawrence occurred on May 21, 1856. Antislavery settlers from Massachusetts hoped to make Kansas a free state. Proslavery settlers, led by Douglas County Sheriff Samuel J. Jones, attacked and
Sacking of Lawrence, Kansas-https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services...ransacked Lawrence, Kansas. The incident fueled the irregular conflict in Kansas Territory that later became known as Bleeding Kansas.
Part of Sumner’s speech was a bitter, personal tirade against South Carolina’s Senator Andrew Butler. Sumner declared him an imbecile. “Senator Butler has chosen a mistress. I mean the harlot, slavery.” Stephen Douglas predicted that a fool like Sumner would likely get himself killed by another fool. The speech went on for two days. And another two days passed before the prediction proved true. (C-Span would have a field day!)
Representative Preston Brooks of South Carolina was a Southerner raised to live by an unwritten code of honor. Defending the reputation of his family sat squarely at the top of the list.As a distant cousin of Senator Butler, Brooks entered the Senate chamber where Sumner was working at his desk. “You’ve libeled my state and slandered my white-haired old relative, Senator Butler. I’ve come to punish you for it.”
Cane fight in U.S. Senatehttps://www.ushistory.org/us/31e.asp
Brooks struck Sumner over the head repeatedly with a gold-tipped cane. The cane shattered as Brooks administered blow after blow. But Brooks could not be stopped. Only after being physically restrained did Brooks end the pummeling.
Northerners were incensed. The House levied Brooks a $300 fine when they were unable to garner the votes to expel him. He resigned and returned home. South Carolina held events in his honor and reelected him to his House seat. Supporters sent replacement canes to Brooks from all over the South. This response outraged northern moderates even more than the caning itself.
His physical and psychological injuries kept Charles Sumner away from the Senate for most of the next several years. Massachusetts voters reelected him and let his seat sit vacant during his absence as a reminder of southern brutality. The Kansas violence had spilled over into national politics.
Sounds like a scene from a novel. Would you enjoy reading about such historical histrionics?
Which brings me back to politics today.News outlets have shown a few brawls in legislative bodies in other countries. And both violent and peaceful political gatherings have made the news in the U.S. Political and religious fanaticism has taken some to extremes. Unfortunately, we’ve had to turn off TVs to find peace amid the turmoil. Would you close a book for the same reason?
So far, we haven’t seen physical brawls among members of Congress like this one. But would it surprise you?
Lord, deliver us from such actions. Make us peacemakers instead. And – please – keep the canes out of Congress.
~ For Jesus’ sake ~
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