Ellen Gable's Blog, page 134
March 11, 2011
"Powerful and Inspiring Historical Romance"
Special thanks to Krisi Keley, author of "On the Soul of A Vampire," for the wonderful review of my second novel, In Name Only, which she also posted on , Goodreads, Smashwords and Barnes and Noble.
In 1876, nineteen year old Caroline Martin journeys to Philadelphia to live with her uncle and cousin after the death of her beloved father, whom she has taken care of for many years. Uncomfortable in her new surroundings because of her own modest background, but welcomed by her wealthy uncle, she settles into her new life and is soon courted by her kind and upstanding neighbor, Liam O'Donovan, as well as frustrated by the presence of his vice-ridden, womanizing brother, David. Despite her concerns over Liam's wealth and their differing views on some subjects because of it, Caroline finds happiness when she becomes Liam's wife. But when a terrible tragedy strikes, she finds herself forced into having the relationship she never wanted with the troubled and troubling David.
In her second novel, author Ellen Gable has crafted another beautiful historical romance which examines difficult issues faced by people in every age. While her exceptional attention to historical detail allows the reader to feel immersed in the story's post-Civil War era, the challenges the characters must deal with – lust, adultery, abortion, class and gender prejudice – all are still very real and relevant to a modern audience. Handled with amazing sensitivity, In Name Only is not simply a novel about one man's redemption from the addictions that plague him, but a story about how love can change us all if we let it. Through the evolving relationship between Caroline and David, it shows not only how love makes us want to be a better person for the beloved, but also how love as an act of the will, rather than simply an emotion, can open us to the truest, most precious type of all – the kind that sees and sympathizes with the pain and struggle in others and allows us to recognize that these human weaknesses are not so different from our own.
Although this is an outstanding Catholic novel which celebrates the Christian ideals of charity, forgiveness, faith, redemption and the sanctity of life, I highly recommend it to anyone who cherishes a wonderfully well-written story featuring complex and superbly-developed characters, whose challenges are universal – above all the one that calls us to love another truly, not in spite of human frailty, but in it.
March 9, 2011
Ash Wednesday – Life is a Pilgrimage
Excellent homily (from 1997) on Ash Wednesday by Cardinal O'Connor: http://www.ewtn.com/library/BISHOPS/LIFEPILG.HTM
"The emphasis on Ash Wednesday is that this life is a pilgrimage. We are here today and gone tomorrow. We saw this tragically just the other night with the train crash in Washington. As a priest, of course, the first question I ask myself, without any implication to the contrary, is "Were the people who died in a state of grace, prepared for death?" The Church still teaches heaven, purgatory and hell. None of these has been abrogated. The Church still teaches that if we actually die in the state of mortal sin we may be facing eternal suffering which never ends in accordance with the divine Word, the Word of the merciful, compassionate God. Of course God is abundantly merciful and can forgive in the flash of an instant, so even if we but say the words at the moment of death, we can be forgiven."
To read the homily in its entirety:
http://www.ewtn.com/library/BISHOPS/LIFEPILG.HTM
March 7, 2011
The Rosary Workout
The Rosary Workout
by Peggy Bowes
Published 2009 by Bezalel Books
Have you ever wanted to know more about the rosary AND get in better shape at the same time? If so, "The Rosary Workout" by Peggy Bowes is the ideal book for you to shed excess pounds and be edified spiritually as well.
For the past five years, I have almost always recited a rosary (or part of it) while walking on my treadmill every day. So I was thrilled to hear there is a book which combines physical activity with spiritual well-being. "The Rosary Workout" can be used by anyone: those who have never exercised, those who occasionally exercise as well as the seasoned athlete.
This is a book which should be on everyone's shelves as a great resource not only for learning about the Rosary, but also for educating about better health. It is filled with helpful information and references.
In Part 1, the author gives an overview of the Holy Rosary including the History and Devotion to the Rosary. Part II includes beautiful reflections on Mary as our Advocate and Teacher. Part III lists the many benefits of regular exercise as well as exercise fundamentals. Part IV lists the Prerequisites for beginning the Rosary Workout and includes sub topics such as proper time and season, discipline, setbacks and solutions, keeping track of the rosary prayers while exercising and role models. The author advocates examination of one's body AND soul before beginning any exercise routine. This is such an important part of the book because many secular health enthusiasts only focus on the body. Part V includes the different level workouts.
I highly recommend "The Rosary Workout" as a book which can benefit everyone both physically and spiritually!
You can purchase "The Rosary Workout" at the book's website: Rosary Workout Website
Copyright 2011 Ellen Gable Hrkach
March 6, 2011
Free For One Week Only
To promote "Read an E-Book Week," I am offering my second novel, In Name Only, for FREE. Click on the link below:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
And use the Code RE100 at check out.
Enjoy!
March 3, 2011
Who Gets the Drumstick?
Long before the Duggar Family became famous on TLC's reality show, there was the Beardsley Family. For those familiar with either the original 1968 movie, Yours Mine and Ours, or the remake in 2005, the Beardsleys were a blended family. In 1961, Helen North, a widow with eight children, married Frank Beardsley, a widower with ten children. Together they had two children, for a total of 20 altogether. The movie is a fictionalized account of their story together and loosely based on Helen Beardsley's book, "Who Gets the Drumstick?"
I recently borrowed this book from a friend of mine. "Yours, Mine and Ours" starring Lucille Ball and Henry Fonda has always been one of my favorite movies. So I was very interested in reading the true life story written by Helen Beardsley. I found it to be a wonderful, entertaining read.
While it is dated in some of its attitudes, it is a beautifully inspiring story of what it means to be open to life. Just after their first baby together (Joseph) is born, Helen Beardsley shares some revelations:
"It was 5:42 in the morning….How can anyone alive not revere life? To see the beauty of a newborn child is more startling than the most glorious southern sunset; more enchanting than purple mists on the mountains. What could be more beautiful than a new little life? A little form born of love? What sounds could quicken your heart, what knowledge fall more happily to your mind than the recognition of a new little life?"
And later…
"But the new baby was important…he was a blessing over the new love between Frank and me. He was our answer to the weak-hearted, those afraid of life; more, he was our answer to our own fears. We placed little Joseph John Beardsley and his future into the hands of the Lord with faith that was a reflection of Abraham's. By all the rules of our time and society, we should have been afraid. We had by any modern standards too many children to support and raise properly. Now we had another. Joseph John Beardsley was the greatest act of faith we could perform. I hugged him as a mother and loved the life in him and was deeply grateful than his father was a man of faith in this age of doubt."
In this day and age of widespread abortion and contraception, Helen North Beardsley's thoughts are even more relevant and inspiring. She died in 2000.
The book is no longer in print, but several Amazon sellers still carry it. I highly recommend it!
To check out more interesting information on the Beardsley Family:
http://personal.morris.umn.edu/~webbrl/YoursMineOurs/
March 1, 2011
Birth Control: Relevant Quotes From Scripture
My latest column at Amazing Catechists is entitled "Birth Control: Relevant Quotes From Scripture."
Many Christians (and some Catholics) attempt to cite Scripture to justify their use of artificial contraception saying that the Bible has nothing to say on this topic. I agree that nowhere in the Bible are the actual words "birth control" (since this term was first coined by Margaret Sanger in 1914). However, Scripture does have a lot to say in support of the 2000-year Catholic teaching which states that the use of contraception and non-life-giving behaviors is immoral. Fertility and children are always seen as a blessing.
Genesis 1:27-28: "And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. And God blessed them; and God said to them, Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth."
Psalm 127:3-5: "Behold, children are a gift of the Lord; the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children on one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; they shall not be ashamed, when they speak with their enemies in the gate."
Even from the moment of conception, children are seen as a gift from the Lord:
Psalm 139:13-14: "For You created my innermost being; You knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made."
Isaiah 49:1,5: "Before I was born the Lord called me…and now the Lord says, He who formed me in the womb to be His servant…"
Barrenness is seen a curse:
Hosea 9:10-17: "And they became as detestable as that which they loved. As for Ephraim, their glory will fly away like a bird…No birth, no pregnancy and no conception!"
Exodus 23:25-26: "But you shall serve the LORD your God, and He will bless your bread and your water; and I will remove sickness from your midst. There shall be no one miscarrying or barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days."
Deuteronomy 7:13-14: "He will love you and bless you and multiply you; He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, your grain and your new wine and your oil, the increase of your herd and the young of your flock, in the land which He swore to your forefathers to give you. You shall be blessed above all peoples; there will be no male or female barren among you or among your cattle."
The clearest indication that birth control and non-life-giving behaviors are immoral is the following passage about Onan, whose brother, Er, had died before he was able to father a child. Onan was being asked to follow the Levirate Law, which commanded him to have intercourse with his brother's widow.
Genesis 38: 8-10: "Then Judah said to Onan, Go in to your brother's wife, and perform your duty as a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother. Onan knew that the offspring would not be his; so when he went in to his brother's wife, he wasted his seed on the ground in order not to give offspring to his brother. But what he did was displeasing in the sight of the Lord; so He took his life also."
The Levirate Law was in place in order to preserve the family line. If a man refused to perform his duty, his sister-in-law could strike him in the face with his sandal. The death penalty was never involved. God considered this incident more than a refusal of duty. It was such a serious offense that he killed Onan.
The following excellent article by Fr. William Saunders is an extensive list of the contraceptive references in the Bible:
http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/religion/re0663.html
February 28, 2011
Come My Beloved: Inspiring Stories of Catholic Courtship
"Come My Beloved: Inspiring Stories of Catholic Courtship" is Full Quiver Publishing's exciting new book to be published this June. It contains 12 stories which will inspire, captivate and entertain readers. We are currently working on the "Come My Beloved" website and we'll post the link when it is finished, as well as the links where the book will be available for purchase.
The idea for this book came about on Valentine's Day two years ago, when several mothers were enjoying each other's fellowship as our children played and exchanged cards. We began sharing how each of us met our husbands. One by one we recounted our stories. It became evident that God's hand was truly and firmly present in bringing each couple together. Kathy Cassanto, one of the mothers present, said, "It's too bad there isn't a book available with Catholic courtship stories." My initial response was, "Well, if there isn't, there should be."
I immediately went online and discovered that there wasn't a book containing Catholic courtship stories. So I asked Kathy to be my co-editor, and we set out to find inspiring Catholic courtship stories. We didn't have to search far. Oftentimes, I simply listened to a small quiet voice prompting me to ask a particular couple, "Would you be willing to share how the two of you met?"
We agreed that the easiest and fastest way to gather the stories was to interview the couples, transcribe the interviews and edit the stories. Most of the stories in this book were from recorded conversations, then transcribed and edited, although some were written by the couples themselves.
As we interviewed each couple, a clear picture was emerging: that true love was far different from the infatuation which is so often portrayed in movies and books.
Each of these courtship/dating stories has its own theme, but all of them illustrate that God is the ideal matchmaker. The stories are uplifting, inspirational, funny, hopeful, romantic.
Over the past month, I have featured excerpts of the following stories. The complete versions of each story will be included in the book, along with updated family photos of all the couples. Here are the links of each excerpt:
Andrew and Regina
Michel and Jeanette
We are currently working on a second courtship book to be published the summer of 2012, so we are actively searching for more inspiring and entertaining Catholic courtship stories. If you have a dating story you'd like to share, please email me at info@fullquiverpublishing.com and write "courtship story" in the subject line or leave a comment below.
Text and photo copyright 2011 Ellen Gable Hrkach/Full Quiver Publishing
February 26, 2011
Ecce Ancilla Domini
My first article at Catholic Exchange is entitled "Ecce Ancilla Domini" and is an updated, revised version of an article which appeared in Family Foundations magazine four years ago.
"Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord…" Mary's words in Luke 1:38 echoed loudly in my heart when I found out that I was pregnant for the first time. To say that I was thrilled would be an understatement.
"A sword shall pierce your own soul." These prophetic words also echoed loudly in my heart when I lost twins early in that pregnancy. And, with the loss, came the realization that being open to life didn't always mean having a baby in my arms.
"Openness to life" is a phrase often used to describe the attitude of those using Natural Family Planning, whether they are avoiding or planning a pregnancy. However, when it comes to actively seeking a pregnancy, another form of "openness to life" comes into play. I like to call it "openness to God's will." For, in this openness, a couple truly becomes vulnerable — naked, in essence — before God, exposing them to whatever God allows.
This type of "openness" can mean dealing with a whole range of possibilities: infertility, miscarriage, a baby with abnormalities, a pre-term delivery, a stillborn baby, or a healthy, full-term infant. But, in a sense, this is the same "openness" that Mary embraced when she was informed that she would be the mother of our Savior: "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord…"
To read the rest:
Ecce Ancilla Domini
Copyright 2011 Ellen Gable Hrkach
February 25, 2011
It's God's Will That We Get Married
Today's excerpt from Come My Beloved: Inspiring Stories of Catholic Courtship tells James and Pati Mikulasik's courtship story. Years before, they had dated briefly.
James: When I was starting to re-date Pati (dating Pati Part II), it was just like putting it in the Lord's hand and saying, "Lord, here is this relationship, I still have feelings for Pati, I'm just going to abandon to You and whatever you want, it's Your will, Your will be done." I think that was a key thing.
One really cool thing that happened during our first date down there – it was long distance dating — and we were going for a walk outside of St. Paul in a place called Stillwater. There was a beautiful full moon. I really felt like Our Lady's hand was on us, like Our Lady was just watching over us, and taking care of us during that time. It was the most beautiful full moon I had ever seen.
Pati: It's funny because I walked out of the restaurant, and I also saw the full moon over the river. I thought, oh no, that looks like a sign. He thought the same thing, but in a hopeful way.
Taking it back to the beginning of the night, I had purposely dressed quite casually, because I didn't want to get anything started. As soon as I opened the door, there was a look in his eyes, and I knew that nothing had changed as far as he was concerned. He was still in love with me. What surprised me was that I didn't mind, even though I had been kind of preparing myself, keep it down, you don't want to lead him on; you don't want to hurt him again. I kind of liked the look in his eye and that surprised me, the first little surprise.
Our date was very enjoyable. We have so many mutual friends and so many mutual memories, and it was just a really nice time to catch up. But a couple times during the meal, I caught that same look in his eye, and I was just bewildered that it didn't bother me. I think that's as far as it went for me, though. I had taken off the veil in December, and this was only July. So I still felt like my ears were exposed. I was really adjusting to the fact that I wasn't a sister anymore, so it was all very new. In fact, when he came down for the weekend, I told him, "You know, we can go out Friday night, but after that, I don't know. That might be it. I might not be able to handle any more than that." So after Friday night, he said, "Can I see you tomorrow?" I said, "Well, call me in the morning; I'll see how I feel." I wasn't sure how much I could take of this. Then we ended up going out that Saturday night. He called me on Sunday and I said "No, I couldn't handle Sunday." Then he called me Monday and asked if we could go out Monday. So I said, "Yes, we could go out on Monday." But I just wanted to go to a park or something, kind of simple, casual.
That Monday night when we were leaving the park, he was going to drive me back to my house (where I was living with my parents), and he basically confessed his love for me, just told me how he felt and I had nothing to say in return. I didn't know how to respond, so I didn't say anything. A few moments of silence went by, and he said, "You have to talk to me, Pati. You need to tell me what you're thinking. Whatever it is, just tell me what you're thinking."
I said, "Well, I think you have virtue up the wazoo, but I'm not attracted to you. I don't see this going anywhere. I really don't want to break your heart again, and that's all I can foresee."
He said, "My heart is my responsibility. And I'm willing to take that risk." Then he said, "I would just really like to see you again."
There was something about that, well, it's true, his heart is his responsibility. If my only reason for not seeing him again is because I don't want to hurt him, he was saying, let me make that decision. So I thought, okay, I'll let you see me again. When he dropped me off in the driveway, his last words were, "How often can I call you?" I said, "I don't know." He said, "Well, can I call you every day?" I said, "Well, you can call me every day, and if it gets to be too much, I'll let you know." Then he said, "Can I write you letters? Can I send you flowers?" I said, "Yeah, I guess you could do that."
What was funny is that about two weeks before, this other man from Canada had come down, kind of a blind date, and we had gone out about three or four times. The last night he was leaving, he dropped me off in the same place in my parent's driveway, and I said to him, "Well, where do we go from here? Are we going to call? Are we going to write or…" He said, "Well, you have my number." I thought, I do not have your number anymore. The first thing I'm going to do is throw it away. This guy had everything I was looking for. He was a philosophy professor. He spoke Italian, French and Spanish fluently. He could salsa dance like nothing, and he was very suave. Yet those were his final words.
Then James, who was not at all what I was looking for as far as all those kinds of qualities, his last words to me in the exact same spot were, "How often can I call you?" That really hit home for me. I think it was kind of the first wake up call that I think I was looking for the wrong things in men.
James: During that weekend, she said, "Well, I'm just not attracted to you." I said, "Well, let's just take it in baby steps here. Compared to the beginning of the weekend, do you like me more or do you like me less?" She said, "Well, a little bit more, yeah." I said, "Well, when you start liking me less, you let me know. Let's just take it in stride here."
Pati: James said, "Why don't we just keep going out until you find that you're liking me less?" I couldn't argue with that. So those two points, I thought, okay, I can do that. I think in our relationship, that was July of 2001.
I attribute a lot of my falling in love with James to his perseverance. Like those answers, I would come up with a reason. Over the next three, four months of our dating, I regularly tried to end it and would say, "You know what, James? All I see is that I'm just going to break your heart again. I can just feel it. It's going to end in nothing and you're just going to be heartbroken," and he would come up with something again that would be very beautiful and very manly. I would say "Okay" again, and he would give me whatever it was to keep going.
James and Pati Mikulasik have been married eight years and have two sons. Read the entire version of their courtship story in Full Quiver's new book, Come My Beloved: Inspiring Stories of Catholic Courtship.
Text and photo copyright 2011 Full Quiver Publishing
February 24, 2011
Among Women Podcast
Today, I am Pat Gohn's guest on her Among Women Podcast. The topic is "Miscarriage and Pregnancy Loss." I share my story of experiencing seven pregnancy losses and we discuss the emotional, spiritual and physical challenges of losing a baby before birth. Click on the link below to listen to the podcast.
Among Women Podcast # 89: The Sacred Heart
