Becky Wade's Blog, page 89

Favorite new recipes—and game night!

I love finding new recipes! Especially quick-to-prep recipes that taste delicious. Here are three recipes our family has quickly grown to love.

The first is from Ree Drummond, the Pioneer Woman herself . . .

Fresh Corn Casserole with Red Bell Peppers and Jalapenos

Since I was crunched for time, I used frozen corn and it was still delicious! It comes together so quickly. The jalapenos give the dish a nice kick and it goes great with a taco bar! Or even a salad bar. : )

Note: The recipe calls for extra milk, which I did not add. It was soupy enough with the cream.

I brought this dish to a family game night this past Sunday evening . . .

I didn’t think to take a pretty picture of the corn casserole, but here’s a candid shot, and yes, I was talking. But you can see how festive it is with the corn, red bell peppers, and jalapenos. Oh so good. Thanks, Ree!

Incidentally, I’ll have you know I was beaten in Guess Who by a five-year-old that evening. But she’s adorable and won fair and square, so I’m owning it. : )

Next, an appetizer. . .

Spicy Artichoke Dip

Sorry, no pic of this one. But oh…this is the bomb when it comes to appetizers. So good! And again, comes together in 10 minutes. Thanks, Kim Pressley, for this recipe (and for being such a fabulous friend—and cook!).

Lastly, here’s a recipe that’s not so new to me. In fact I may have shared this one before. But I’ve made it a ton recently (or Joe has, bless him!) because life has been crazy, and my time in the kitchen has been next to nil.

Tricia Goyer’s Taco Soup

Yep, this is from the lovely Tricia Goyer!

Again, this is a quick and easy recipe—that is delicious! It’s even better the second day when all the flavors have had a chance to meld. Oh so good. Especially with sour cream and cheese and Frito’s. I’m telling you, you need this soup in your life.

Thanks, Tricia, for this pic!Visit Tricia’s site

I usually make mine with THREE pounds of ground beef and throw in an extra can of Rotel and either pinto or kidney beans. Again, delicious.

Do you have any new favorite recipes? Or easy-to-prep “go tos” that help with a busy life? If yes, don’t you dare keep them to yourself. Please share!

Much love from my corner of Tennessee,

Tammy

Enter to win this month’s GIVEAWAY

This is a phenomenal Bible study focusing on the history of the early church as recorded in Acts. It showcases God’s incredible power in His Kingdom that’s always on the move. I cannot recommend it highly enough!

Another Q&A

After reading a historical novel, lots of readers (including me) want to know how much of the story is true and how much is fiction. I always try to answer those questions in the back of my historical stories. This one is from DAUGHTER OF CANA, the first book in the Jerusalem Road series. The book is about Tasmin, the twin sister of disciple Thomas. In the story, Tasmin does not immediately decide to follow Yeshua like her brother–in fact, she is downright skeptical until after the resurrection. Even if you haven’t read the book, I hope you’ll find this interesting.

Q. Did Tasmin really exist? 

A. Yes . . . and no. We have no record of a woman named Tasmin who did the things in this novel. 

But Scripture tells us that Thomas Didymus means twin, so apparently he had one. And while Peter and Andrew were brothers, and James and John, Thomas’s sibling appears to be absent from the roster of disciples. Was his twin not a disciple because she was female? 

Scripture also tells us that Jude, Jesus’s half-brother and the author of the New Testament book, had a wife (1 Corinthians 9:5). I have no proof that Thomas’s sister and Jude’s wife were one and the same, but one is allowed to conjecture in fiction. 

One thing is certain: I do try to be as accurate and responsible as possible, because one day I will meet Jude and Thomas and their wives, and do not want to be embarrassed about how I portrayed them . . .

Q. Did the Virgin Mary really have a sister? 

A. Yes—see John 19:25 and Mark 15:40. By comparing these two verses, you can deduce which women were present at the cross: Mary, mother of Jesus; Mary’s sister, Salome; Mary Magdalene; and Miriam, wife of Clopas and mother to Jacob and Joses. 

Q. Did Jesus really have siblings? And did you use their actual names? 

A. Matthew 13:55-56 names all his brothers and mentions his sisters, but does not name them, so I invented names for his sisters. 

Q. What does Ima mean? And how do you pronounce it?

A. It’s what a Jewish child calls his mother. Pronounced ee-mah. The word for father is Abba. 

Q. Are the events of this novel true to the timeline of the Gospels? 

A. Yes and no. 

Jesus ministered for a period of three years, beginning with the wedding at Cana and continuing through his death and resurrection. I have tried to place the events and miracles in approximate order, but since not all the events are related in all the Gospels, it is difficult to pin certain events down to a timeline. I did exercise a bit of poetic license in this, using actual events at times and in places that suited my story. 

Q. Did I understand correctly—you have Jesus being crucified on a Thursday night instead of Good Friday?

A. Yes. I read an excellent answer for what has been called “the Passover problem” which details the Jewish feasts that coincided with the death of Christ. If Jesus died on Nisan 14, Thursday afternoon, Passover day, he died at the very hour the Passover lambs were being killed at the Temple. The people ate the Passover meal after sundown, on Nisan 15, which was a special Sabbath because it was the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The next day, Nisan 16, was a Saturday, a “regular” Sabbath, and the next day, Nisan 17, was the day after the regular Sabbath during Pesach—the Feast of Firstfruits. 

If we follow this pattern, Jesus fulfills his own words found in Matthew 12:40: “For just as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.” If Jesus died on a Friday night and rose on Sunday, he was only in the heart of the earth for two nights, not three. 

For more information, visit this link: https://www.torahclass.com/other-studies/47-other-studies-text/985-the-passover-problem-solved-by-tom-bradford

This is by no means a new idea; it has been around for years. But people are so accustomed to the traditional Easter story that they are surprised to realize that crucifixion on a Friday doesn’t fulfill Jesus’ prophecy. 

Q. I’ve never seen Mary Magdalene described as Miriam. And many of the names you use disagree with the names in my Bible. 

A. The conflict arises only because different languages are involved. Depending on which version you use, your English Bible was likely translated from Greek into English. The New Testament was written by people who spoke Aramaic, the common language of the day. But educated people also spoke Greek and/or Latin, and many people born at that time had both Hebrew and Greek names, like Salome Alexandra (Hebrew/Greek) and Alexander Janneaus (Greek/Hebrew). Some names were very common: Mary/Miriam (same name, but Greek and Hebrew variations), Joseph/Joses, Jacob/James, and Judah/Jude. 

Rather than aim for consistency and use only one language for names, I opted instead to use different variants to avoid confusion. By using Mary for Jesus’s mother, Miriam for Mary Magdalene, and Mary, wife of Clopas, for the third Mary, I hoped to make things clearer for the reader. In reality, all three women were known by the same popular name: Miriam. 

Q. Why do you refer to the cross as an “execution stake”? 

A. To give a complete answer, I have to go back to my church high school handbell choir. One Friday night, Jim Whitmire, our minister of music, arranged for us—kids from a Baptist church—to play for the service at a synagogue. Before we left for the service, Jim reminded us that God promised Abraham that whoever blessed his descendants would be blessed, and whoever cursed them would be cursed (Gen. 12:3). 

Ever since that time, I’ve had a strong love for Israel, and sincerely want to respect and bless the Jewish people. I have spoken at a Jewish book club and freely shared my faith. I have Jewish friends whom I treasure. I am open and honest with them, realizing that it is the Spirit who must bring them to salvation. 

Since entering adulthood, I’ve seen far too many Christians unintentionally offend Jewish people by saying that the church has “replaced” Israel in God’s plan (it hasn’t!) and by forgetting that we have been grafted into their family tree. God, in his mercy, has allowed us Gentiles to partake of the blessings brought about by the Jewish people and their messiah, Yeshua. 

Throughout history, overzealous Christians have used the symbol of the cross to force Jews to convert or die. Christian anti-Semitism has been all too real, and for many Jews, the symbol of a cross elicits the same negative emotions as a swastika.

For that reason, I and the messianic Jews who put together the Tree of Life Bible use both “cross” and “execution stake” when describing the instrument on which Jesus died. Changing the wording is a small effort for me, but it might make a big difference in a Jewish reader’s perspective. And if my small effort blesses them, I am blessed in return. 

That’s it! Hope you found this interesting, and have a marvelous day!

~~Angie

Inspired by Scripture

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“Do Not Be Afraid, for I Am With You”

When a verse pops into my mind that feels particularly relevant to my mood or situation, I’ll sometimes turn to it in the Bible and read the whole chapter that contains the verse. A few days ago the famous “See, I am doing a new thing” verse rose to the front of my thoughts. I paged to Isaiah 43. What a rich and powerful chapter of scripture! It blessed me and so I thought I’d share snippets of it here, in case its promises encourage you today, too.

Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name

Isaiah 43:1

Redeem means “to gain possession of something in exchange for payment.” He has paid for our freedom, delivering us from separation from Him, our mistakes, our shame. And now, that done, He’s summoning you by name. Our God is sacrificial and more personal than we can fathom.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.

Isaiah 43:2

You might feel like you’re drowning in worries, busyness, demands, stress. However, the water will not sweep over you. You will pass through. Because He is with you there, in the swirling and scary current.

When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior…

Isaiah 43:2-3

You might feel like you’re burning with grief, pain, anger, sickness. But the flames will not consume you for He is protecting you. And He is Lord. God. The Holy One of Israel. Savior.

I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead. Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you…

Isaiah 43:3-4

He has given much for you. In Jesus, He gave for you what was most valued and treasured. Let the following truths soak in today…. In His eyes, you are precious and honored. He loves you. He loves you.

Do not be afraid, for I am with you…

Isaiah 43:5

Many things might be stirring fear in you in this season but He gently encourages you not to be afraid. He offers peace and rest for your soul. He can do that because (praise of praise) you are not alone. You have Him. And if you have Him you have everything.

‘You are my witnesses,’ declares the Lord, ‘that I am God. Yes, and from ancient days I am he. No one can deliver out of my hand.’

Isaiah 43:12-13

A witness is one who “gives evidence” regarding what they saw and experienced. Imagine God entrusting us with this role! He has a calling for you, a unique way for you to serve and praise Him. As you dedicate yourself to that, He assures you that no one can deliver you from His hand. You will remain in His grip.

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.

Isaiah 43:18

I typically think of the verse that follows this one (v. 19) as a stand-alone. But this verse (v. 18) that comes immediately before it sheds so much context. It’s wonderful to remember the blessings of the past but if we grip them too tightly, we’re rendered motionless. Conversely, we can get stuck on things in the past that didn’t go our way. Disappointments, hurt pride, betrayal, grudges. Gripping those can render us motionless, too.

See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.

Isaiah 43:19

You can be sure that the Lord is not standing still. He is living and active. He is on the move, even at this very moment. Once you’ve set aside what has gone before, entrusting all of it to Him, you’ll be ready to see the new thing the Lord is doing. He is making ways in the desert for you. He is making streams in the wasteland. Do you perceive them? Because whether you do or you don’t, they are there. Waiting.

The Lord spoke to me through this chapter and especially verse 18! Did any of these verses minister to you? If so, which one?

London: A Change of Perspective

This morning a little after one a.m., we arrived home from our latest adventure. It’s the last as a family before our oldest gets married and we made the most of six days in London. I love exploring new to me places, but I appreciate the perspective shift that can come with travel.

One of the things I wanted to do this time was to see a show. London’s West End is famous, and we haven’t made it to Broadway or to West End, so it was one of our experiences. There were so many options (Wicked, Hamilton, Jersey Boys, My Fair Lady, etc.) that it was hard to make a choice, but when we saw the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, it became easy. It’s a classic story we all love and it was fun to see it translated to the small stage. It truly was so well done, and a great way end our first full day in the city. My husband and I saw a couple shows while we were in Berlin, and I think we will have to make this a regular part of our trips. This one was magical!

Since I’m talking books, we also drifted in and out of many bookshops, and our luggage was substantially weighted down with new book acquisitions. It’s fascinating to see how book covers morph in other countries. There are slight tweaks and big adjustmments, but this one caught my eye as pretty clever. A cover of covers. All different. For the same book.

One of the parks we wandered by had this statue of Mary Poppins (and next to it one of Gene Kelly in Singing in the Rain). I’ve learned when I’m traveling to always keep my eyes open because you never know when you’ll stumble across something like this. I’m honestly not sure if this referenced the book or the musical since that was playing a couple blocks away, but it was charming!

One of the last things I saw on this trip was the new WWII exhibit at the Imperial War Museum. One small part of that was this little arrangement about the woman who is the focal character of Kate Quinn’s new book Diamond Eyes. I had just listneed to the book before we left, so it was fun to find this tie to the real woman who did the things acknowledged and brought to life in that novel.

When we travel we go to a lot of museums and this trip was no exception. We got the London Pass so that we could pop in and out of museums without the accountant and me going “no, we have to stay for at least two hours because we just dropped a XX pounds to get in.” Many museums are free, but others are quite pricey, so this was an experiment that worked pretty well for us. While we were at the Tate Modern (free), we created our own modern art of our tired feet. I think they should hang it on the wall!

As with all our trips, I’ve learned to look up, down and around, because you never know when the next thing will surprise you like this building with Hello Darling scrawled across the front. I’m not sure if it was a cafe or what, but I loved the happy scrawl near the Waterloo (I think, or maybe it was Wellington) station.

It was London, so we spent a lot of time in the Tube. With the novellas I’ve been writing, that had my often thinking of the people who lived and slept in them during the Blitz in WWII. It truly is incredible to walk around and experience centuries if not a millenium of history as you explore Buckingham Palace, the National Gallery, and the Tower of London. As Beefeater Dave told us, all that history could have been ours too. I’m just glad I got to share it with my kids.

Have you traveled anywhere this summer? I’d love to hear about your adventures!

The Blessings of Friendship

Hi friends,

Happy Wednesday! I always look forward to spending these days with you.

Two weeks ago, I got to visit my daughter, her hubby, and my grandkids’ new home in Florida. Having them live fifteen minutes from our home for all these years, and now a fourteen-hour drive or two-hour flight away, is really hard. But, we had a wonderful visit.

We went to so many beaches surrounding their home.

We saw amazing sunsets every night.

Plus, I got to see my bestie of nearly twenty-five years. Lisa and I met when we moved in next door to her and her family on her son’s first birthday. They were so kind and generous and invited us right over to join them for the celebration meal. After a long, hard day of moving, enjoying a good meal was so nice. We’ve been friends ever since, through two moves and over two decades. Lisa and her hubby, Major, now live in Florida less than an hour from my daughter and her family.

We spent the day in Tarpon Springs. It’s a fishing community and adorable Greek town. We enjoyed an amazing meal and visited the unique shops lining the quaint streets.

Lisa has always been there for me through thick and thin. I’m so blessed by her friendship, by her enduring faith, her prayers, and having her as a partner-in-crime on our mini vacations.

Having such a close friend has influenced my writing. I enjoy exploring the depths and complexities of friendships in my novels. My Chesapeake Valor series features four childhood friends who were torn apart by a tragedy but are reunited by a crime that touches all their lives.

My current series, Coastal Guardians, features a team of Coast Guard Investigative Service agents, but their relationships reach beyond that of teammates into friendships. Combining, mixing, intermingling, and integrating the roles of teammates and friends is a delicate balance, particularly for the team leader, Noah Rowley. I enjoyed watching their friendships grow and deepen throughout the series, including my current release, The Deadly Shallows.

For my next series, Jeopardy Falls, I’ll return to family relationships as I explored in my Alaskan Courage series, though I’ve really enjoyed my time with two teams of friends.

Reader Question: How about you? Do you have a special friend? Do you enjoy reading novels about friends or do you prefer those that focus on a family?

Sidmouth: The Setting of my Upcoming Series

To me, choosing the setting for a novel is like designing an effective stage for the “actors” (in my case, fictional characters) to perform or live out the drama to come.

My new novel, The Sisters of Sea View (December 2022) is Book One in a new series called ON DEVONSHIRE SHORES. I liked the setting and characters so much, I decided to stay there for at least two more novels.

While I often fictionalize the settings of my novels, this one is set in the real seaside town of Sidmouth on the south coast of England in the county of Devon (more commonly known as Devonshire in the 19th century).

Jane Austen, her sister, and their parents visited this fashionable resort town in the summer of 1801. Some say she fell in love there and many believe the visit inspired her unfinished novel Sanditon. (You may have seen the recent miniseries based on it. See my review of Season 2 here).

Jane Austen’s connection to Sidmouth is one of the reasons I chose this seaside town for the series setting and I hope you will enjoy traveling there as well—at least through the pages of this book!

Sidmouth has grown and changed a lot since the early 19th century but here are a few more historical images of this beautiful place to help you visualize it as it used to be.

Which image is your favorite? Does this setting appeal to you? I truly hope so!

•♫♪ Happy birthday to Tammy! ♫♪•

Today just happens to be a very special day for my dear, long-time friend and writing critique partner of more than twenty years, Inspired by Life…and Fiction‘s own Tamera Alexander. •♫♪ Happy, happy birthday, dear Tammy! ♫♪•

Tammy is a great cook and baker and always dishing up cake and other delicious things along with her special brand of wit and snark!

I can’t say enough about what a blessing Tammy has been in my life. We first met at the very first American Christian Fiction Writers conference (then called ACRW, R for Romance!) in Kansas City in 2001. Tammy was unpublished at the time and when I shared that I was struggling with the plot of the novel I was on deadline with, she kindly offered to read my book and give feedback.

Wow! She worked her magic on my manuscript, I happily did the same for her work in progress, and the rest, as they say, is history. Tammy was published a short time later, has since joined the Christy Award Hall of Fame, won the RITA Award and many others, along with being a USA Today bestselling author.

We have now read every single book the other has written, and truly, I hope I never have to write without Tammy coming alongside me with her sharp eye and amazing insight.

This is the look I sometimes get when Tammy is critiquing my work, but most of the time she’s nothing but encouraging. We’ve been through many years (and even more hairstyles!) together.

But Tammy is so much more than a critique partner. She’s become the dearest friend I could ever ask for. We’ve raised our kids side by side, watched them spread their wings and fly, gone through the deaths of precious parents together, shared the ups and downs of the publishing world, and had some great adventures. (I’m so excited for Tammy’s newest adventure, the birth of her first grandchild later this year!) Happy birthday, dear friend!

Tammy’s beautiful family (with a tiny new member coming soon!)

And I can’t think of a better way to celebrate Tammy’s special day than giving away one of her amazing novels to one of our wonderful Inspired by Life…and Fiction readers!

Simply wish Tammy a Happy Birthday in the comments below (maybe let her know which is your favorite book of hers and why) and I’ll draw a winner and announce it here tonight. The winner may choose any one of Tammy’s many novels that are available on amazon.com (a few of my personal favorites pictured below).

Inspired by Scripture

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Plotter or Pantser

Plotter or Pantser. Those are the two terms authors often use to describe their method of writing.

The plotter (as you might guess!) takes the time to detail out the finer points of the story before beginning to write.

The pantser, on the other hand, doesn’t spend a whole lot of time (if any) on thinking through the story before starting it. She flies by the seat of her pants (hence, where we get the term pantser).

When I first started writing, I was a mixture of the two. I did a little bit of plotting. But I left the bulk of the story to develop once I got into it. Over the years, I’ve become even more of a pantser. I like to say that I give my creativity full reign as the story develops, letting everything unfold organically.

Last week, I had the special privilege of watching die-hard plotting in action. And I was truly amazed at the process—so different from mine, but utterly fascinating! I flew to Minneapolis to spend a week with the three lovely authors who will be writing with me to continue my Bride Ship series. The four of us met with Sunrise Publishing founders and editors, Susan May Warren and Lindsay Harrel, and we brainstormed for Bride Ships: New Voyages.

Left to right: Rebecca, Patti, Susie, Susan, ME, and Lindsay

When I say brainstormed, I mean we fried our brains in HOURS of debating, developing, and delving deeply into the story. One book per day. About ten hours each. We used Susan May Warren’s Story Equation for shaping both the hero and heroine as well as mapping out the book scene by scene.

As a pantser, I was slightly overwhelmed by the process. But as I watched Susie and Lindsay dive in and tackle each aspect of the story with precision and creativity, I grew to respect their process and was able to participate. I admit, it was even fun—especially the times when Susie really got into the story and practically acted it out. It was entertaining, to say the least, and we had some good laughs.

All that to say, I developed a new respect for plotters! And I’m SUPER pleased with the three new bride ships stories. Their characters already feel real and likeable. The plots are unique, exciting, and sizzling with romance! And we’re more than ready to start writing.

I hope you’ll be more than ready to read them. Keep on the lookout over the coming months for more information on titles and cover reveals. In the meantime, make sure you follow my three bride-ship authors so that you can keep up-to-date on all their doings: Susan Jane Anderson, Rebecca Reed, and Patti Stockdale. We had such a lovely time together, and I couldn’t ask to write with three sweeter and hardworking women.

Your turn! For the writers out there—what is your method in the madness? Are you a plotter or pantser? For readers, are you ready for more bride ship books?!