Sandra Byrd's Blog, page 8

Our Way Maker

In the Old Testament, the people of Israel carried around the Tabernacle, in which God dwelt among his people. It was portable so it could travel with them. God wanted to be with his people wherever they were, wherever life took them. When it came time for the hundreds of prophecies foretelling of Christ to be brought to a glorious culmination with his birth in Bethlehem, the most prized, resonant truth is that now he is not only among us but with us and in us.

Immanuel. God is with us.

“He came into the very world he created. . . . So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son” (John 1:10, 14, NLT).

I love the story of a swallow that flew into a burning barn. Other swallows were inside, and there was only one tiny hole at the top of the eaves from which to escape. Because of the smoke, the birds could not see a way out, until the new swallow—who looked just like them—entered through the hole to guide them to safety. Jesus came to be with us where we live so he could guide and lead us. Fully God and fully man, as his birthday proves.

Better, even, than living among us, with us, is that Jesus made way for God to live in us. His atoning death made us holy enough for God to indwell us in the form of the Holy Spirit. No further need for a traveling tent—God goes with us wherever we go. “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?” (1 Corinthians 3:16).

This day, let’s take a moment and wholeheartedly thank God for loving us so much that he not only made a way for us to be with him, eternally, he made a way to be with us right now, every day, wherever we may go in the here and now. Merry Christmas!

Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means “God is with us.” Matthew 1:23, NLT

Purchase The One Year Experiencing God’s Love Devotional.

Purchase The One Year Home and Gardens Devotion.

Purchase The One Year Be-Tween You and God: Devotions for Girls.

 

A Beautiful Tree

Washington is nicknamed the Evergreen State, and there is no better time to appreciate our evergreen glory than December. Shortly after Thanksgiving, the U-Cut farms begin to advertise their wares, and we head off, ax in hand. Some years I select a majestic Noble for the long arms that allow my ornaments to be freely displayed. I’m also fond of the Douglas. Its bushy green beard and pinched pine scent fill the room. I love, too, the Grand; its gray under-needle is sophisticated and vintage. Each has a unique beauty.

Despite that, once the tree is home, a decision must be made. Which side will face the wall?

Usually, it’s the side that appears a little thin or misshapen or has an unsightly hole or a dry patch. Sometimes branches hang so awkwardly that I can’t tie them back with twine to fake lushness. The side that I perceive as weakest or least attractive is pushed toward the wall, hidden from view. The best branches must face out.

I’ve recently realized that I sometimes present myself to the world, and to the Lord, in the same manner. I do the emotional equivalent of a tree-branch comb-over; I take my best, healthiest bits and use them to hide my bald spots. And if necessary, I use a wall to my advantage. I don’t want others to see my unsightly habits or where I have been singed, or where I’m spiritually dry. I want to be loved, and I mistakenly think I’ll find that by being lovely.

Artificial Christmas trees are perfectly lovely, but they are plastic. Even the best always seems a little unreal. Charlie Brown’s Christmas tree is the iconic unchosen leftover. Yet the reason we love his tree so much is that in its weakness, its vulnerability, its smallness, its beauty is found.

It is real. And so are we, you and I.

God sees your bald spots; he understands your weaknesses. He made you just as you are, and as the saying goes, he doesn’t make mistakes. There is no side of you that needs to face the wall. You are beautiful and beloved from every angle.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139:14

Purchase The One Year Experiencing God’s Love Devotional.

Purchase The One Year Home and Gardens Devotion.

Purchase The One Year Be-Tween You and God: Devotions for Girls.

Giveaway: Enter to win a copy of my The One Year Experiencing God’s Love Devotional! If you already own a copy, I’m happy to send a signed copy to whoever you choose! To enter, leave a comment below letting me know if you have trimmed your tree and home for Christmas or if you wait till closer to the holiday.

Due to shipping costs, this giveaway is open to US residents only. One winner will be selected at random. Void where prohibited.

Teacups and Coffee Mugs from Our 5th Annual Exchange!

Thank you, everyone, for participating! Renee drew a name from all who submitted a photo, and Caryl Kane is the winner of the vintage tea set from Quaintly!

Lady of a Thousand Treasures

“It’s a rare book that I put on my keeper shelf. Lady of a Thousand Treasures earns one of those coveted spots. Sandra Byrd’s writing is an absolute piece of art! The plot kept me guessing until the very end. The story, the characters, the intrigue all blend into a delicious read, making this tale one that lives on long after you close the cover. If I had to sum up this story all in one word, it would be satisfying.” — Michelle Griep, award-winning author of the Once Upon a Dickens Christmas series

Fifth Annual Teacup and Coffee Mug Exchange!

Welcome to my Fifth Annual Teacup and Coffee Mug Exchange!

Love tea? Coffee? New friends? Join us and get a beautiful treasure and a new tea-pal in the process.

It’s easy to participate! You agree to send a carefully packaged teacup and saucer (or a coffee mug) to someone, and she agrees to send one to you. Please select something to give that you would like to receive as a gift. You must use tracking and insurance, as I cannot be responsible for lost or damaged mail. If yours doesn’t reach your tea-pal, you’ll be responsible for claiming the insurance and sending a replacement. PLEASE NOTE: There is an important change to the exchange this year. To be able to continue keeping this exchange fun and fair for all involved, anyone who signs up for the exchange and does not send their partner a teacup and saucer or mug may be charged a $20 fee via Paypal to cover the cost of sending a cup or mug in their place.

Once all of the names are gathered, Renee will match partners and send each set of new friends the email and mailing address of their tea-pal. (You must be a newsletter subscriber to participate.) You and your tea-pal will correspond via email if you like, and ship your treasures to one another by Tuesday, October 8, 2019.

Please send a picture of your teacup and saucer or mug to Renee, after you receive it. She will place everyone’s teacup photo in a collage to feature on my website and social media pages. If you send in your photo by Thursday, October 31, 2019, you’ll be entered to win a lovely prize pack from Quaintly & Co.!

Hugs,

Sandra

Click here to sign up to join the exchange!

 

 

Pumpkin, Caramel & Chocolate Chip Cookies

The recipe for the softest, tastiest, chocolate chip cookies has been a “family secret;” now the secret is out.  It’s from Allrecipes. Truly, the recipe is too good not to share, and I’m indebted to the generosity of the women who originally posted it. Please enjoy these cookies with your new coffee mug or teacup.

Find the recipe HERE!

This recipe is also versatile.  You can change the flavor of the cookies by changing the flavor of the pudding and the size and flavor of the chips. This month, to usher in autumn, I’ve used pumpkin pie pudding (found at grocery stores or online), caramel chips, and milk chocolate chips.  But do what you like – and then eat and share.  The only tweak I make to the recipe, below, is to add 2t of baking powder in addition to the baking soda.  Extra fluffy, that way!

 

Lady of a Thousand Treasures Prize Pack Giveaway!

My publisher is offering a great deal on Lady of a Thousand Treasures this month. To celebrate, I’m sponsoring a contest with a lovely prize package filled with treasures related to my book! Due to shipping costs and expenses, this giveaway is open to US residents only. Please see the entry form at the bottom of this post for complete rules and details.

The winner will receive a package which includes:

~ A signed hardback of Lady of a Thousand Treasures

~ A clutch in the Wm Morrison pattern, Strawberry Thief.

~ A beautiful necklace by Buckley London, fashioned after the one Ellie, my heroine, wears.

~ Beautiful British-made tea vessels for hot or cold tea.

 

Follow the link below to get your discounted ebook, then share with others to enter the rafflecopter giveaway, below!

Please note: You’ll need to share both the graphic and the link below it in order to enter.  Thank you!!

 

Get Lady of a Thousand Treasures!

 

To share the e-book discount graphic above:

1 Right-click the image.

2 Save the image to your computer or phone.

3 Open your Facebook, Instagram, or email account and add in the image from your files.

4 Cut and paste this link to share in your Facebook post, Instagram caption, or body of your email: https://www.tyndale.com/p/the-victorian-ladies-series-1-lady-of-a-thousand-treasures/20601/e-book

5 Publish your post!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tokens and Treasures

Even as children, we are collectors: of pretty things, of tender hearts, of secret hopes and dreams.

When I was a young girl, my grandmother and I sometimes wandered around the empty elementary school playground across the street from her house on a summer’s afternoon, hand-in-hand.  Heads down, we sought bits of smooth sea glass tossed among the rougher gray rocks used as ground cover. Once spotted, I’d deposit the pretty pebbles one by colorful one into the washed baby food jar which she’d brought along to protect and keep them.

On the way back to the house, I’d hold the jar up to catch the fading afternoon sun, wanting to capture and keep it, and our time together, too. Later, I graduated to collecting chunky agates from the shore of Lake Superior, stones the color of iron-rich blood and shot through with black and blue veins so that, when polished, they looked like nothing so much as slick hunks of liver.  They remind me of the town in which I was born.

Why do we collect, and what is it that we find worthy of gathering and saving?

Sometimes we collect items that are very costly – pieces of jewelry, or art.  Mostly, I think, we collect tokens, physical representations of personal connection and emotional resonance. Our tokens are our treasures and remind us of someone or something we love, of wishes, of memories we don’t want to lose.  When my daughter grew up and moved out, she took one of my empty perfume bottles with her so that, when she was lonely, she could hold it to her nose, close her eyes, and remember home.  You’ll find something very like that in Lady of a Thousand Treasures.

Not only do my collections end up in my books, like many of you, I also collect the books themselves. Perhaps collect isn’t the right word – hoard, stockpile, showcase, defend, and about which I become territorial might be better descriptions.  The books I collect remind me of the years when I read them, after lights out in a blanket-tent in bed with a flashlight, sneaking in extra reading hours, or as a young adult escaping angst, or a grown woman stealing an hour of pleasure.

The first royalty check I earned on my own published works was spent at Powell’s bookstore in Portland, Oregon. I purchased hardback, dust-covered copies of the first edition of the Little House on the Prairie books which had been illustrated by Gareth Williams. I placed them in a glass-protected barrister’s bookcase, right next to my childhood paperback copies—edges yellowed and thin, frayed like old parchment, inside flaps claimed by a scrawled, “Sandie’s.” They remind me still of all I love in books, and why I have given my life to writing them.  When I met my husband and he told me he’d saved the Sugar Creek Gang and Louis L’Amour books from his childhood, I knew we had a future together.

As a child, I would pick up a penny when I saw one lying on the ground and then I’d save it; that habit followed me into adulthood. As a child, I hoped it would bring me luck. As an adult, I took comfort in the reminder, embossed right into the metal, that “In God We Trust.” Happy to reach for a dropped penny at any time, they were especially welcome when I was fearful, anxious, or down.  “In God I trust,” I whispered to myself as I tucked it into a pocket or purse.  I think that’s one reason that – aside from books – I favor small collectibles. I can take them with me. They are portable prizes. I collect them in penny collector’s books, now; the sheer number of them suggests the many occasions God has used them to recall his constancy during times of strength and times of fragility.

A loved one’s recent bout with cancer proved just how fragile are the lives of those I love. And yet, those lives are firmly held in the hands of one who loves them and also loves me. The Lord walks hand-in-hand with me, like my grandmother did, collecting treasures with me and then helping me protect them. To remind myself of that, I sourced and purchased uncirculated pennies minted in the year that each of us was born: my husband, myself, my son, my daughter, and my son-in-law. When my son marries, I will add her birth year penny, too.

I keep them close to me – the beloveds and the pennies – to remind myself that God created them in a certain year. He has them in his eye with more affection and oversight even than the sparrows. In God We Trust. I trust you, Lord. Those portable pennies are tucked into a drawer in my office and sometimes carried in a pouch in my purse, close at hand when my loved ones cannot be.

What do you collect, cherish, display, or tuck away? Whatever it is, you can be sure that your treasures whisper truths about you. As Matthew 6:21 reminds us, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be, also.”

Win a Signed Copy of Lulu’s Cafe!

To enter to win a signed copy of Lulu’s Cafe by T. I. Lowe, visit her website (https://www.tilowe.com/) and come back here and let me know that you did so in the comments below! My assistant Renee will select a winner on Tuesday, June 18, 2019.

 

Due to shipping costs, this giveaway is open to US residents only. Void where prohibited.

May Newsletter Giveaway!

Check out my growing YouTube channel! Leave a comment below letting me know that you have subscribed to my channel (see easy-peasy instructions, below) for a chance to win a complete French Twist ebook series or a copy of the series in paper proofs, as well as a $35 gift card to Ma-Ka-Rohn macarons! (Check out that link, but be prepared to drool!). If you forward my newsletter to a friend who might like to read Let Them Eat Cake, please let me know in the comments, too! You’ll get a bonus entry in the giveaway!

Be sure to visit Amazon and order a copy of the first book in the French Twist series,  Let Them Eat Cake for yourself or gift it to a friend. It’s free today!

My assistant, Renee, will draw a name using Random.org from the comments left below in order to select a winner.  Open to US residents, due to shipping requirements. Void where prohibited. This giveaway is not sponsored, facilitated, or endorsed by YouTube. YouTube retains no liability.

Instructions for subscribing on YouTube:

On PC or via web browser: Visit my channel here. Click the red SUBSCRIBE button near the top right side of the page! If you’re not signed in, it may prompt you to sign in to your Google, Gmail, or YouTube account in order to subscribe.

On the YouTube App: Visit my channel here. Click the red SUBSCRIBE button at the top directly below my channel header! If you’re not signed in, it may prompt you to sign in to your Google or YouTube account in order to subscribe.