Archive for August, 2011

Posted on August 31, 2011 - by Dawn Ford

Down Home With Mary Connealy

With her newest release from Bethany House fresh off the press, Mary Connealy is anything but Out of Control. She is honestly one of the most down home, together, funny women I know. And only a few others can actually admit to knowing her as personally as I, having spent some time behind bars at the Squirrel Cage Jail with her.

It is, therefore, my distinct honor to welcome a dear friend and an inspiration to me, Mary Connealy.

Me: Mary, what author attracted you as a young reader that may have influenced you as a writer?

Mary: When I think back on all the books I loved, the ones I remember most vividly are The Black Stallion books by Walter Farley. Those are the ones I remember thinking I was reading sheer talent. The way he drew me into those horse races, his skill at making me part of the action. He is a huge influence, just because I know it can be done, even if I’m not sure how.

Me: The majority of your writing has been within the western romance genre. What is it that started you out writing the strong cowgirl characters that you are known for?

Mary: I wrote for ten years before I got my first book published. At the end of those ten years, when that first contract came, I had twenty finished books on my computer. That’s twenty finished full length adult novels. I also had quite a few children’s and YA novels written. The adult novels were mostly all romance but they ran the gamut within that genre. Contemporary, historical, sweet, suspense. The westerns are what sold. It’s really that simple. And I love writing them and living on a ranch allows me to bring a lot of authenticity to the books. So it was just finally me learning enough and (finding) the right publisher at the right time and I became an author of Romantic Comedy with Cowboys.

Me: Being an author usually means there is research of certain aspects of your story. What has been your favorite research subject or place and why?

Mary: The book that is releasing right now, Out of Control, is set in a fictionalized Carlsbad Cavern. This is a story I’ve wanted to tell for years. I’ve had this (and a zillion other) stories in my head. I wanted to set a book in a terrifying and staggeringly beautiful cavern and try to capture the thrill of fear, the danger and the lure of the wonders I saw in a long ago trip to Carlsbad Cavern.

Me: Having just read Out of Control, I can say you did a great job of bringing out the beauty and wonder of the caverns and calderas enough to make me want to go out and explore myself.

Me: Which story, from your own books, was your favorite to write?

Mary: Hard question. And a little mean hearted too. I have a tremendous love for Petticoat Ranch and it’s been the foundation of six books now, the characters in that first novel. I am truly and deeply in love with Belle Tanner from The Husband Tree. I just found out it’s a finalist for a Carol Award. That woman, feisty Belle Tanner is a character type I love, the independent, tough lady rancher. Every book she’s been in, when she walks into a scene, I’m just having a wild amount of fun. I just finished book three in The Kincaid Brides. Out of Control is book one in that series. I’m have had so much fun writing that book, tying all the stories up. Book two is In Too Deep. Book three is Over the Edge. I loved writing those books.

Me: I do love Julia from your current novel, but I have to say Belle Tanner is my favorite of yours from your book the Husband Tree. You had to have carved her right out of steel.

Me: What characteristics of your own to you transfer into your characters?

Mary: I don’t really think I’m writing books about myself. I think, instead, I’m writing about how I’d like to be. I’m a pretty quiet person. Pathologically non-confrontational. An island of calm in the tempestuous seas of life (or I avoid trouble by hiding under my desk, whatever). So I write tough, sassy women to let off some steam maybe.

Me: I can attest to that fact. Since I am resident troublemaker of our area’s writers group, it is my job to add some spice to our trips. I have to admit I had more fun wearing the Abraham Lincoln hat to lunch than everyone else who had to sit with me. Just think of it as inspiration for your ornery characters. You do make strong female characters seem easy to create, Mary. I know first hand they aren’t.

Me: Being a Christian who writes inspirational novels, what is it you want people to take home from reading Out of Control?

Mary: My main goal when I write a book is to be entertaining, to tell a story in the most fun way I can manage. I think there is a particularly strong Christian message in Out of Control but that’s not always my goal. I want the faith to be there, to be the foundation, but for me it’s story first, last, always. What Christian fiction does for me is allows me to write my stories without the almost required sex and profanity and immorality that is pervasive in most secular fiction. Being forbidden to do something I would never do, is fantastic. Within those restrictions of Christian fiction, I find complete freedom.

Personal information about Mary: Mary lives on a ranch in Nebraska with her husband Ivan. She has been a stay at home mother for 27 years and raised four girls who have grown into wonderful women. She is blessed to have 2 spectacular grandchildren who are more fun than a human being should be allowed to have.

A GED instructor by day, and writer by night, Out of Control is Mary’s twentieth book. Even though she states she is surprised to continue selling books, this interviewer can be counted among her many fans and is not surprised she has been a Christy award finalist, a Rita award finalist, and a Carol award winner.

Be sure to buy Mary’s newest book, Out of Control. You can find a list of Mary’s books  here,  or visit her blogs here, here, and here.

 

Posted on August 30, 2011 - by Shannon Vannatter

Jennifer Rogers Spinola on Life in Brazil, Adoption, Love, & Writing

Shannon here: I sat across from Jennifer Rogers Spinola at the Barbour Author Reception in Indianapolis last year at the American Christian Fiction Writers Conference. The first thing I noticed was how much she enjoyed the food. With each bite, her eyes closed as she savored the tastes exploding on her palate. After striking up a conversation with her, I noticed she’s just as pretty inside as outside. I learned she’s from South Carolina/Virginia, a former missionary who married a Brazilian she met in Japan, and she currently lives in Brazil, where there aren’t as many food choices. I featured her on my real life romance blog in February and she’ll back again in October to celebrate the release of her debut novel, Southern Fried Sushi. I haven’t gotten to read it yet, but my copy is coming as soon as it releases. Jennifer charmed me again with this interview. Some of her lyrical answers made me teary-eyed. She’s promised to pop in from Brazil today, so feel free to ask her questions. Without further ado, prepare to be charmed by Jennifer Rogers Spinola:

Q: What’s it like living in Brazil? What’s a typical day like?

A: Well, for starters, it’s really HOT! We live in Brasilia, which is a raised plateau with elevation of over a thousand feet, so it gets a bit cool in the evenings and sometimes the days, too, during winter—sort of like a desert. But during the days it regularly gets up into the 90s and higher. I’d say 85-90 is probably a good average. In Brasilia the air is extremely dry, so during the dry season (winter) it can go a hundred days without rain. Which means gorgeous blue skies, but also dry, brown grass, withered plants, and lots of blowing red dust. When rainy season begins, it’ll rain almost every day, scattered showers, or sometimes harder downpours.

Brazil is a hard country to capture in a description, but one that gets in your blood and stays there, for better or for worse. When I visited Brazil in the year 2000 as a writer/reporter for the International Mission Board, I immediately fell in love with its beautiful brown-skinned people, the warmth of the air and of the smiles and kisses, the dusty roads and simple family gatherings, and the passion for God and Brazilian soccer. I was so captured by Brazil that I couldn’t wait to come back. And then when I met a handsome young Brazilian exchange student in Japan… well, I did!

Now my image has changed a little after seeing what it’s like to really live here. I mean, the country is the same as it was on my first visit, but digging in over time has opened my eyes to things I didn’t notice back then: crime (lots of crime), poverty (LOTS of poverty), the huge gap between the elite rich and the millions of shockingly poor, the huge amounts of political corruption, and the immense difficulty for a person of even modest well-to-do means to accomplish things that are simple in the U.S., like buying a car (they cost 3-4 times our amounts here), buying a house, or even renting an apartment. I have been insulted and shunned for being an American, had two cell phones and my wallet stolen out of my backpack, taken my life in my hands by getting on buses driven by speed-breaking maniacs, taxis driven by “pirate” (i.e. fake) taxi drivers, and public vans that swerve up onto the sidewalk and around the stoplight fixture to avoid waiting at the light. It has not been easy! But I have never been mugged or “lightning-kidnapped,” as is common here, so I can count my blessings! And our little miracle baby, Ethan, is so much worth it!

A typical day for me is to get up and help my husband and son get ready for the day, all the while enjoying the beautiful Brazilian blue sky and breeze, early morning sunshine. We eat tropical fruits like papaya and pineapple for breakfast often, sometimes with coffee or tea and cereal, and I love this! :) Then I take care of Ethan for the day in our little rented apartment: wash the dishes, make lunch (usually typical Brazilian rice and beans, salad, and a fried egg or some chicken/beef), make dinner, clean the floor from tracked-in dust, do laundry and hang the clothes to dry (dryers aren’t common here), take Ethan out to play, teach him Bible stories and letters, write, teach an ESL class in the evenings, catch up on my blog, clean the floor after potty-training accidents, give him a bath, and so forth. I have no car during the day (my husband has it) so Ethan and I can’t go anywhere (a big frustration of mine), and I don’t even have a driver’s license because the process is so involved to get mine translated, and for five years out of seven we didn’t even have a car yet.

Apartments/houses run only cold water except in the shower, and we drink bottled water. When it runs out we either pick up fresh bottles at the store or have it delivered. Water pressure in the showers is weaker than in the U.S., and electrical outlets have poorer contact, so we have to jiggle things in plugs multiple times or hold the cords a certain way to get them to work. Power outages are fairly common—about once every two weeks or so, recently. I sometimes get tired of re-setting the microwave clock. :)

On weekends we visit my in-laws’ farm on the outer edge of town, which has horses, a crop plantation, pigs, and lots and lots of red dust. Athos’ parents have a house there with hammocks, and we enjoy letting Ethan ride his tricycle in the yard while we talk and enjoy the breeze. One of my favorite perks of Brazilian life: housekeepers. Athos’ mom pays a sweet Christian lady to come and do basic housecleaning/cooking every day, and she “lends” her to me twice a week if she doesn’t have guests or visits. What a blessing! If it weren’t for her coming, I’d get almost no writing done!

Q: What is the biggest writing challenge you’ve encountered this past year – craft, career, writing life, etc? How did you solve it?

A: I think my biggest challenge this past year was simply trying to write in the midst of life: computer viruses, a nearly destroyed laptop that Best Buy was SO incredibly gracious to fix FOR FREE, financial issues here in Brazil, learning how to juggle potty training and two-year-old needs with my wish for unbroken hours of time to concentrate and write. But it’s been wonderful, and God is good!

Q: What is the one thing you’d like to share with other writers?

A: I wish I could let unpublished writers know that just because their books aren’t published doesn’t mean their writing isn’t as good—or better—than many published authors. It’s all a question of God’s timing and everything coming together at the right moment—sort of like a woman waiting an extra-long while (like I did) to get married. And it isn’t about us—it’s about God and His plans for our life. He knows when the right time is, and when it comes, everything will fit together like pieces of a puzzle.

Q: If you weren’t a writer, what would you want to be?

A: Definitely a landscape designer. I love plants and flowers! It was always the second thing on my list after writing, and something (I hope) one day can be a second career. I’ve collected seed and plant catalogs since my childhood, planning the colors and species and layout of gardens I’d like to plant. If not a landscape designer, then I’d choose something like a forest ranger – like my dad – or a park service worker. I love the outdoors!

Q: Where is the coziest spot in your home?

A: I’d have to say our bedroom. It’s small, but gorgeous – lots of paneled cabinets and a roomy bedside table. My favorite part: the plant-filled, glassed-in veranda that runs along the side wall, closed by a sliding glass door and floor-length curtains. When I open the veranda window, air billows out the curtains. Lots of natural light! I love it.

Q: What is your favorite time of the day?

A: MORNING! I love anything in the morning – the earlier, the better. I used to get up at 5:30 a.m. every morning to write, and I miss seeing the sky turn from black to blue to gray to glorious gold. Everything smells so fresh, so clean. The streets are silent. Beautiful! I like to run while the air is still fresh and cool.

Q: In what ways do you think your writing journey has benefited your family? How does your writing affect your family?

A: Well, it affects my family in the sense that I’m not always as “accessible” every single second as I used to be, because sometimes during the day I’m either writing or editing, building up my website or doing a guest post, or critiquing one of my crit partners’ chapters. However, it’s been a tremendous blessing because I’ve been able to STAY home with my son rather than go out and work—all because of this unexpected gift of a three-book contract (and a fourth since that series). Here in Brasilia (which is currently more expensive than New York City) we feel a lot of financial strain, so it’s a big deal that I’m able to stay at home and write—especially since my husband’s parents both work full-time, which means I don’t have access to family babysitting. I don’t know a single other mom who works exclusively from home in Brasilia.

Q: If you could pick a theme song to play every time you entered a room, what would it be?

A: Well, this might be weird, but I really like Handel’s Messiah—the END part, with all the “Amens.” There’s this gorgeous piece right before the end called, “Worthy Is The Lamb,” almost all of which is taken straight from the book of Revelation, and it has all these fabulous crescendos. Put together with the gorgeous “Amen” chorus that comes next, which builds to this momentous climax, it just makes me feel like angels are falling in worship, the heavens are opening, and I’m stepping through the door to heaven. The conductor’s wand poised in mid-air. Goosebumps on my arms. Dirty laundry forgotten in a breathless hush. I guess that’s not a bad feeling for stepping into a room.

Q: What is your most laughable dating story?

A: Well, it’s kind of funny since Athos and I actually weren’t allowed to “date,” per se, when we met. I was a missionary in a program for young people, and one of the rules is that we refrain from dating while we’re on the field. So when I met Athos, I was so confused at what God was doing because while HE was all right, the timing was ALL wrong! Or so I thought. In fact, it turned out to be the most amazing thing ever because, without “dating” and cordoning ourselves off as a couple before we were ready, we got to know each other as friends—without all the pretension and attempts to impress. He helped our mission team often as a volunteer (he was a foreign exchange student at a nearby university) and attended mission church services, so we got to see each other under those circumstances, and occasionally a walk around town or a coffee in Starbucks. We were never, ever alone in either of our apartments, for example—even for five minutes.

So we did everything in reverse: became friends, felt seriously about each other, decided to marry—and then dated. Ha ha! We had our first “date” in the pouring rain at a dinky Tastee-Freez restaurant in my redneck small town after I’d just said “yes” and accepted his ring, and our first kiss was in front of the church on our wedding day.

Q: What woman in your life has had the greatest impact on you?

A: I’d have to say my mom. She passed away when she was 43 (I was nineteen) but I learned so much from her. I knew her life wasn’t perfect, and neither was she, but the one thing I really admire about her is that she loved God so deeply—and she loved my sister and me as well. I remember clearly one conversation we had when I was a child, where she told me she’d always love me no matter what I did. “What if I killed somebody?” I asked her. And her response was so perfect: “I’d be really sad if you did that,” she said. “But I’d still love you anyway.” That boggled my mind and stuck with me forever.

Q: Which TV family is most like your own?

A: I don’t really know because I’m so out of TV these days, especially American TV…   Maybe “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” is sort of like us, since I’m from a relatively quiet Southern family married to a Brazilian with a big, loud, partying, laughing, fighting, hugging, kissing Brazilian family—all thrown together with a gorgeous adopted child of a noticeably different and beautiful color, a first for both of our families.

 Q: Which amusement park ride is your favorite and why?

 A: I like roller coasters, but I love the Ferris wheel the most. I love sitting in that bucket, suspended over people like ants below, the golden rays of summer evening shining out their last bursts over the dusty ground. Higher and higher, up and over, against breathless blue twilight, and then down again. Slow enough that you can hear your thoughts, smell the cotton candy, but fast enough that your stomach jitters just a touch.

Q: What do you think is the greatest invention of all time?

A: Easy – the disposable diaper. I do cloth diaper as well, but oh, how I’d like to shake the person’s hand who invented disposables.

Q: Would you rather live a week in the past or a week in the future?

A: Definitely the past. I’m always so curious about how people lived in the past—what they ate, what they wore, how they experienced hopes and failures and births and deaths with the inventions and realities they knew at the time. I’m grateful that our modern progress in medicine, technology, and education has come so far, but at the same time I think we miss out on some of the beautiful simplicity, clean and unpolluted air, and less harried lifestyles that our ancestors of the past enjoyed.

Q: How do you balance writing, exercise, home, etc.?

A: My family comes first in everything. That’s the only way I can do it. Because if they don’t come first, then I think I’ve missed my purpose as a wife and mom. But they don’t need me 24-7, and there are lots of creative ways I can incorporate other aspects of my life into my family. I write when my son sleeps and when my husband gets home from work and spends time with him, and before my husband and I go to bed. If I’m on tight deadline I’ll get up early. I also take my laptop to my in-laws’ house so that when my brain’s tired of Portuguese, I can work (with other eyes helping me watch Ethan). Exercise – I run every other morning while my husband watches Ethan, and I take Ethan outside twice a day (at least) to play and swing and run. Which, with him being such an energetic kiddo, gives me pleeeenty of exercise.

Q: What’s your favorite family tradition?

A: My dad started ordering cheeses, sausages, and other goodies from a special holiday catalog at Christmas when I was a teenager. My mom didn’t slave all day cooking Christmas dinner—we just nibbled Swiss cheese and crackers, fancy mustards, and put a salad or fruit on the table and spent Christmas relaxing. But when my mom passed away in 1996, nobody felt like having Christmas anymore. My dad, however, still ordered the cheese and sausage, and we sat around the uncomfortably empty table, eating and remembering how much we’d enjoyed those days together. And year after year, as our hearts warmed again to holidays, we’d always order something from the catalog for Christmas.

This tradition has continued, nearly unbroken, for almost fifteen years now since my mom’s death. When I moved to Brazil with my husband, my dad still shipped—at great expense, sometimes totaling nearly a hundred dollars—a heavy box of the same special cheeses, mustards, sausages, and peppermint-chocolate layer cakes we’d enjoyed with my mom. And instead I ate it with my husband and then my beautiful Brazilian son, remembering and creating new memories. My husband loved the idea so much that he said we’ll continue it always—and I’ll never have to cook a Christmas dinner.

Q: Would you rather meet your great grandchildren or great grandparents?

A: Now in this question I might answer differently from the one about the week in the past versus the week in the future. Why? Because I want so much to know how my son’s life will be used for God’s glory. Every single dirty diaper, missed night of sleep, and day of tears and frustration will be worth to know that Ethan will have spent his life following the Lord, changed the world through Christ, and either been a single man who honored God with his life or raised a godly family that will continue spreading the message of grace and salvation. All of this, and I will die a happy woman.

Q: What role have your friends played in your success as a writer?

A: I am absolutely indebted to several people: Roger and Kathleen Bruner, who first encouraged my “Sushi” manuscript, edited it, and showed it to Barbour; my police-officer cousin, Lessa, who’s been my writing partner and endless idea machine ever since our first crazy childhood days together; and my four amazing crit partners who make my jaw drop with their talent and editoral suggestions. They are ALL incredible. I would never, EVER be where I am today without them.

Q: Who is your biggest cheerleader?

A: My husband first, who gives me time to work because he believes in what I’m doing (and tells me so). Even Ethan, who tries hard to be patient while I’m working, and often prays for “Mama’s books” at breakfast. And then definitely the friends I’ve listed above. I couldn’t do it without any of them.

Q: If you could ask God one question, what would it be?

A: I think my question would be, “Why me?” And I don’t mean, “A tree fell in the parking lot and smashed my car. Why me?” Although I do feel that way quite often. What I mean is, “Why would You choose me, Lord?” Why would He leave His home in glory and die for me, a sinner, who the Bible says “was His enemy”? There are so many people in the world who have never heard of God’s grace and forgiveness—who not only die without Him, but live their lives without the compassion, peace, strength, and joy He gives for daily living. Why was I allowed to grow up in Sunday school, reading His Word? Why did I get to meet Him early in life and change my sinful, self-centered life accordingly? Why eternal life instead of hell? Why me?

Q: If you could make up a holiday, what would it be and how would you celebrate it?

A:  I think I’d create a holiday called “Really Cool Single People’s Day.” I know so many awesome singles who want to be moms and dads, and would make great ones, but they never get to celebrate Mother’s Day or Father’s Day. And while all the other couples are making out over chocolate and fondue for Valentine’s Day, or kissing under the mistletoe at Christmas, these people are patiently and reverently waiting for God’s timing. So I’d give them the works: chocolate (lots of chocolate!), fireworks, a day off, flowers, a parade, an amazing dinner.

Q: What is the best book you’ve read recently, and why did you like it?

A: I really love “Just Do Something.” It’s a quirky little fast-reading book about the will of God. The main message of the book is that we don’t have to agonize over finding (or missing, more specifically) the will of God and His plan for our life. Instead of wringing our hands and paralyzing ourselves over which direction to take or which decision to make, the author says, in essence, “Just do something!” It was a refreshing, liberating book for me after so many years of doing exactly that – agonizing, wrestling, worrying. The very things we’re called NOT to do.

Q: What or who makes you giggle and why?

A: Two things come to mind: Ethan’s funny comments, and my cousin Lessa’s hilarious sense of humor. Cases in point: A few days ago Ethan picked up a shelled walnut half, and gasped in joy. “A pterodactyl!” he said, enraptured. This was right around the time he said, “Bye, poop! I love you!” while flushing, asked for ketchup on his apple, and called a buffalo a “dinosaur.”

As for Lessa, one of her most recent posts on my Facebook page said this (quoting): “Saw some roadkill. Thought of you. It was a skunk.” For somebody to think of me while seeing roadkill, it has to be good.

Q: What is your favorite season and why?

A: I used to always say spring and summer growing up, but since moving to Brazil I say fall. Why? Because I live in eternal summer, and I miss the change in seasons. I miss the hint of longing and sorrow that comes with the falling leaves, the bittersweet glory in bright fall colors, the apples and pumpkins, the chill, the frost, the glow. I miss it all.

Q: If you made a list of ten things you’d like to do yet with your life, what would be on it?

A: Oh, my… plant a garden, write more books, lead more people to Christ, have/adopt more children, buy a house, become a part-time landscape designer, learn to play the violin better…

Q: Besides writing, what are you passionate about?

A: Easy—adoption. Adopting Ethan has changed our lives forever. Actually I’ve wanted to adopt since I was a child, and my husband decided he’d like to adopt when he was a college student and went on a mission trip to Cambodia, where they worked with an orphanage. We talked about adopting when we talked about marriage—as well as having birth children. In our case Ethan came before our birth children, and since I’m past 35 now, I’m starting to wonder if he might be our only child…? Unless we’re able to adopt again in the future?

My reasons for wanting to adopt have nothing whatsoever to do with infertility, though. To me it’s simple: James says that caring for the widow and orphan is “pure religion” – and yet so few ever do it! As Christians we should fiercely guard the sanctity of life and oppose abortion, yet not many people seem to think about what happens next. Sure, those unborn children should be given life… but then what? I say they’re our responsibility—we who have argued (and rightly so) for their lives. We should give of our time, our families, our very lives to see that those precious souls, created in the image of God, might find love, hope, a chance at new life with a God-fearing family.

I wish so many more Christian families would adopt!

Q: The biggest challenge in writing this book?

A: Whew… there were a lot! I had a computer virus that set me back a while, and then I spilled water (seriously) on my brand-new laptop. It’s a sheer miracle of God that Best Buy was able to repair it since it was still under warranty, and my friend Vanessa offered to take it back to the U.S. during her summer vacation. In the meantime I used a borrowed laptop from my sweet brother-in-law, Kyle, but it was an older one that doesn’t run quite as smoothly as mine, so it took extra time to work with (as well as understand the Portuguese operating system). I was so grateful to have anything at all to use while I waited for mine to be fixed… and unspeakably glad to have mine back!

Q: What do the Post-Its around your computer/screen/ bulletin board say?

A: Grocery lists, the water delivery number (drinking water must be bottled), notes on Japanese fans and colors for the third book in my series, and editing notes as I work on finalizing that manuscript in (eek) just two weeks!

Q: What is your favorite research or reference book or tool?

A: The net! I’m an addict! I use it for everything—online dictionaries and good thesauruses, the Bible online, Bible commentaries, Google for Japanese culture questions, cowboy boot brands, types of pasture fencing, and so forth. I look up everything!

Q: When you were a child, what did you dream of growing up to be?

A: A writer! Really! I’ve wanted to write since I was about 4 or 5 years old, making little books out of paper and stapling them together (with illustrations). I’ve written my whole life—just gobs and gobs of stuff. Notebooks stuffed with novels and poems. Stories. So publishing this series with Barbour is a dream come true!

Q: If you were given $10,000 to give away, how would you spend it?

A: If using it to adopt an international child counts, I’d do that. If not, I’d break it up into little parcels here and there and surprise people anonymously: medical treatments for one friend, a trip home for another with her family, a new car for someone else.

Q: What is the most unusual costume you ever wore at a Halloween party?

A: I never did Halloween much. I vaguely remember dressing as a ghost when I was five or six years old, and then neighbor kids started throwing eggs at tricker-treaters, so we decided not to trick or treat after that.

Q: If you could have free unlimited service for one year from a cook, chauffer, personal secretary, housekeeper, or masseuse, which would you choose and why?

A: MASSEUSE!!! Why? Because every single thing on the list besides “masseuse” I can do myself! I can cook and drive myself, and so forth. And while it would be a great benefit to have a housekeeper, for example, I can do it. However, I physically can’t massage my own back, and I get very stiff shoulders. Ahhh… just thinking about a masseuse is making me sleepy…

Q: Which character in your books is the most like you? How?

A: Actually none of them, so much. The main character in the series is Shiloh, a fashionable journalist go-getter stuck in Redneckville. She’s got a biting wit, a touch of snobbiness, and sort of tough outer shell. I’m like her in the journalist sense (I used to be one) but my personality is much less acerbic. And I’m not nearly as fashionable. I liked Adam’s character a lot because, with him being a landscaper, I got to live out my second dream by writing about his work.

 Q: What jobs have you had in your life? Which did you like most? Least?

 A: Oh, soooo many… waitress and bookseller (like Shiloh in the series), shelver of government documents, secretarial/typing work, assistant copyeditor in a major TV and satellite guide, missionary, tutor, ESL teacher, middle school and high school teacher, coffee server, barista, restaurant hostess, hotel front desk clerk, computer lab monitor, journalist/staff writer, and… I’m sure I’ve forgotten some.

My favorites: The staff writer for the International Mission Board, the Southern Baptist mission-sending agency. I absolutely LOVED this job. Writing has always been my thing, but writing about mission work around the world—something supremely positive and exciting and international—was just amazing. I enjoyed being a missionary, too, but it was really difficult because you “are” your work—you’re never off-duty, and you have to start all over from scratch with languages and everything, as if you know nothing. A surprising like: waitressing. I worked for a little place where everyone was friends and absolutely loved it. And the front-desk clerk position at the hotel was really neat, too.

My least favorites: I worked for a year at an American-based school here in Brazil, and I was so exhausted I’d often skip dinner and sleep at 7 p.m.—and still not get all my grading, correcting, test-prep, class-prep, and lesson planning done. I liked the actual teaching, but not the strenuous pace. Teaching at an English school in Brazil was only slightly less stressful because they kept Brazil work laws regarding breaks and other requirements for teachers.

About Jenny: Jennifer Rogers Spinola, Virginia/South Carolina native and graduate of Gardner-Webb University in North Carolina, now lives in the capital city of Brasilia, Brazil, with her husband, Athos, and their son, Ethan. Jennifer and Athos met while she was serving as a missionary in Sapporo, Japan. When she’s not writing, Jennifer teaches English to ESL students in Brasilia. Find out more about Jenny at www.jenniferrogersspinola.com.

About Southern Fried Sushi: Ride the rollercoaster of Shiloh Jacobs’s life as her dreams derail, sending her on a downward spiral from the heights of an AP job in Tokyo to penniless in rural Virginia. Trapped in a world so foreign to her sensibilities and surrounded by a quirky group of friends, will she break through her hardened prejudices before she loses those who want to help her? Can she find the key to what changed her estranged mother’s life so powerfully before her death that she became a different woman—and can it help Shiloh too?

Giveaway: For those of you who stop by to chat, you’ll have an opportunity to win books by a couple of our guests: Deep Cover by Sandra Orchard, Love Remains by Kaye Dacus, and The Colonel’s Lady by Laura Frantz. PLUS, we’re throwing in two additional books from the Love Inspired line: Marrying Miss Marshall by Lacy Williams and Hearts in Flight by Patty Smith Hall.

Now, there are a few small rules you need to follow if you want a chance to win the books, but no worries, they’re not too difficult:

Contest Rules:

Comment on our “Company’s Coming” topic dated August 29, 2011 through September 9, 2011. Every time you comment, your name will go into a drawing for the books. Contest closes Saturday, September 10, 2011 at midnight. The winner will be posted on Sunday, September 11, 2011. Winner must provide a mailing address in an email to Brenda AT brendaandersonbooks DOT com. Do not post your address anywhere on this blog.

Posted on August 28, 2011 - by Lorna Seilstad

Thirteen Things About Laura Frantz

Thirteen? Lorna, isn’t that bad luck? Couldn’t you have come up with one more thing to say about Laura?

The truth is I had to stop somewhere. There’s only so much one friend can divulge about the other. Besides, I have to save a few tidbits for future author features on Laura. I think she’ll be writing for a long time to come.

Laura Frantz came to her first ACFW conference in 2009 after the fiction editor from Christianbook.com told her she needed to go and get some writer friends. She’d printed off the pictures of both Sarah Sundin and myself because we’d also been recently contracted with Revell. She found me, and the rest is history! This isn’t an interview exactly. It’s 13 things about Laura that I’ve discovered and think you’ll enjoy.

Her newest release, The Colonel’s Lady, is a breathtaking, poetically beautiful, and unbelievably riveting novel that has already received 60 5-star ratings on Amazon, been featured on Lifeway’s blog, and been reviewed by Publishers Weekly.

Since we met at ACFW, Laura and I have become close friends—mostly through phone calls across the country which I call Franz Fixes—as we traverse our first years on the publishing journey side by side. Today, I wanted to share some of the things I’ve discovered about this author who’s friendship is such a great blessing to me.

1.  History thrills Laura. In July, she went on a ten day tour of historic Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. She visited Valley Forge, Betsy Ross’s house, City Tavern and had dinner on a historic sailing ship. (I was quite envious of that particular story.) She’s also very brave. When she first arrived in Philly, it was about ten at night. She went out, on her own, and walked the area around her hotel. It was unbearably hot during that time, but she said she didn’t even notice her unbearably swollen ankles because she was so into what the tour directors (college professors) were sharing.

2.  Laura suffers from a condition called Richard Armitage-itis. She developed this condition after a reader introduced her to the BBC production North and South. This then lead to her purchase of BBC’s Robin Hood. Laura has actually been known to root against Robin Hood simply because Richard Armitage plays rival Sir Guy of Gisborne.

3.  With two boys at home, Laura is a busy mom. Her oldest son is 15 and a math whiz. Her youngest son is eleven and is already an accomplished fiddle player. She has to drive him 60 minutes for lessons every week. She home schooled the two of them until 2009.

4.  Recently, Laura’s mother and step-father moved to live near her and her family. Since they both suffer from health issues, Laura has taken on the difficult role of adult caregiver. Her giving heart shines through as she walks this new path and balances the challenges it brings.

5.  Laura’s brother Chris, accompanied by his family, is a missionary in Spain. He surprised her by showing up on their doorstep in November for their Smoky Mountain Christmas at their grandma’s farm.

6.  I got a little research help from Laura’s husband, a true craftsman, while I was writing The Ride of Her Life (Revell 2012). He’s a journeyman sheetmetalist (the modern day equivalent of an old-time blacksmith) so I asked him what kind of blow torch they’d use to cut chain in 1906. He was a huge help! However, Laura says when it comes to working in the kitchen, he doesn’t even know how to work the microwave.

7.  What’s in Laura’s closet? Well a gorgeous 18th century gown of course! She purchased the gown for the book launch for A Colonel’s Lady which she planned to hold in Kentucky. Unfortunately, the venue plans fell apart, and I can’t talk her into wearing the dress to ACFW. By the way, don’t forget that Laura is up for a Carol in the Historical Romance Category for Courting Morrow Little.

8.  Laura finally has her own “library.” She needed a place to write, to keep all her research, and to shelve her book collection. Recently, the family did some remodeling and she now has a sunny library with a cook stove and windows to call her own. Isn’t that an office, you ask? Shhhh, she likes the word “library” better.

9.  Laura writes all of her novels in long hand on yellow legal pads, then types them into her computer. She says this allows her to take her writing anywhere at any time. (Can you just picture her writing a kissing scene in Walmart’s parking lot?) She recently threw the foot high stack of legal pads where she’d written The Frontiersman’s Daughter away. I forecast that someday collectors will rue the day. Truthfully, I think she’d love to write them with a quill pen and a cut-glass bottle of ink on a fine piece of stationary.

10.  Last year at ACFW, Laura and I were nervous about attending our first author dinner with Revell. On the way up in the elevator, we had to remind each other they were not going to kick us out when we got there. We kept repeating our mantra, “We belong. We belong. We belong.” We planned to sit together for moral support, but when we got there, place cards indicated we’d be on opposite ends of the room. Still, we knew we had each other’s back, and we both had a delightful time. And surprise—we really are Revell authors.

11.  The inspiration for The Colonel’s Lady came from an old portrait that Laura saw while visiting Louisville, Kentucky. At a museum, she walked into the bedchamber of George Rogers Clark, the renowned and troubled explorer, she said, “I came face to face with this heroic man on canvas. I wished I could undo history and give him the happy ending I thought he deserved.” After a great deal of research, she sat down and began The Colonel’s Lady.

12.  How did Laura land her first contract? She’s one of the few who made that connection through The Writer’s Edge, a manuscript service publication where writer’s submit a summary description and sample chapters. Andrea Doering, who was Revel’s senior acquisitions editor at the time, left a message on Laura’s phone after reading her story in that publication. Unsure if she had a future as a writer, she didn’t plan to return the call. Only after her brother threatened to never speak to her again, did she call Andrea back.

13.   Have you noticed the beautiful pictures on Laura’s website? She has a natural eye for beauty and it shows up in her writing all the time. She speaks, moves, and lives a life full of grace, and she’s as beautiful inside as she is on the outside. I’m blessed to call her my friend.

Now a little about The Colonel’s Lady. Here is the book’s trailer.

Endorsements: Praise for Laura Frantz’s Writing

“Vivid and poetic. . . . You’ll disappear into another place and time.”–Jane Kirkpatrick, bestselling author of All Together in One Place and A Flickering Light

 
“Laura Frantz portrays the wild beauty of frontier life, along with its dangers and hardships, in vivid detail.”–Ann H. Gabhart, author of The Outsider and The Seeker

“Frantz writes with an inherent beauty that graces every literary aspect of her story, from exquisite prose and intricate characterization to meticulous historical detail and striking emotional connections. [Her writing] sets the standard in historical faith fiction.”—RelzReviews

You can purchase The Colonel’s Lady here, and today, Laura has gracioulsy offered to give away a copy of The Colonel’s Lady to one lucky commenter. Leave a question for Laura or a comment here about something you learned about her and we’ll draw a name at the end of the day.

Posted on August 27, 2011 - by Brenda Anderson

Company’s Coming!

Oh my, company’s coming to Inkspirational Messages!

And, we’re giving away books too!

Does that mean you have to scrub the floors? Dust on top of the ceiling fan? Take a toothbrush to the grout?

Goodness, no. Just make yourself comfortable. Take your shoes off, pour yourself a cup of lemonade, grab some chocolate, and relax in your recliner.

Ah, that’s better, right?

Now, who’s stopping by, you ask?

Well, we’ll be catching up with our own Lorna Seilstad, Shannon Vannatter, Linda Fulkerson, and Shari Barr. We’re welcoming some old friends: Laura Frantz, Mary Connealy, and Kaye Dacus. We’re even meeting new friends: Sandra Orchard, Gina Holmes, and Jennifer Rogers Spinola.

So, please come on over these next two weeks and chat with us. We’d love to meet you too!

Oh, and don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten about those free books. For those of you who stop by to chat, you’ll have an opportunity to win books by a couple of our guests: Deep Cover by Sandra Orchard, Love Remains by Kaye Dacus, and The Colonel’s Lady by Laura Frantz. PLUS, we’re throwing in two additional books from the Love Inspired line: Marrying Miss Marshall by Lacy Williams and Hearts in Flight by Patty Smith Hall.

Now, there are a few small rules you need to follow if you want a chance to win the books, but no worries, they’re not too difficult:

Contest Rules:

Comment on our “Company’s Coming” topic dated August 29, 2011 through September 9, 2011. Every time you comment, your name will go into a drawing for the books. Contest closes Saturday, September 10, 2011 at midnight. The winner will be posted on Sunday, September 11, 2011. Winner must provide a mailing address in an email to Brenda AT brendaandersonbooks DOT com. Do not post your address anywhere on this blog.

Posted on August 26, 2011 - by Kav

Dedicated to VBS teachers everywhere!

Just to get you in the mood, take a peek at this little youtube video. It won’t take but a minute – you don’t have to watch it all the way through – just long enough to bring back some memories. Then whip back here and read on.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kux0WH3tkSo

Way back in the day when I was a scrappy kid running wild (or very nearly) in Toronto, I met Jesus. I knew about him, of course. Back then, everybody did. We still recited The Lord’s Prayer at school every day. He was in my heart, but I didn’t know what to do with Him…or rather what He could do with me.

Take one foot-loose and fancy free eight-year old with endless day upon endless day of summer stretching out before her. Stick a United Church at the end of her street with the intriguing, hand-painted sign stuck on the lawn that promised popsicles and pioneers and my roaming days were over – for two weeks.

This is the church. Westminister United in Weston, Ontario.

I’d played all around the grounds. Collected confetti from the steps after Saturday weddings. Hid behind the bushes during games of hide-and-seek. But I’d never actually been inside the church. I was pretty sure that I’d be struck by lightning if I did since I knew from sad experience that Catholics and Protestants don’t mix. My mum and sister and I were Catholics but my Dad was a Protestant – throw in our Irish ancestry and, well, lets just say we had our own Troubles at home.

So I didn’t bravely march into that church and demand my popsicle. I kind of sidled around the building and listened in at the basement windows instead. They were frosted glass and grid-paneled but I could hear all kinds of interesting things coming from within. Like music – songs just like the one in that youtube video. And laughter and games and a lady’s soft voice reading bible stories. The popsicle part came at the end. I could tell because it got really quiet and I could hear slurping sounds.

The first two days or so I perched on the wide cement window ledge and listened in. I had no idea that my body cast a shadow or that the organizers of The Pioneer Club knew they had a spy. And then at the end of one meeting, a young woman came out and joined me. Now, I expect she was a teenage helper, but I thought she was awfully grown-up at the time. She brought me a popsicle and stayed and talked to me while I ate it. By the end of the conversation I had been officially invited to join their summer club – the church’s version of Vacation Bible School.

The part I liked the best (apart from the popsicles) was the singing. I’d never experienced music at church before. And the songs were so much fun. They had hand signs and catchy tunes that I would hum all around the house until my parents would tell me to stop. We did crafts as well and played games and the storytimes were all from the bible. I was enamored with everything – especially my teenage recruiter who, I realize in hindsight, took great pains to make sure I fit in. I was such a lost little soul and she must have recognized that. I’m ashamed to say I can’t remember her name but I do remember her guitar. And her beautiful voice. Kind of folksy, the songs took on a different lilt when she led the music.

They held the camp’s closing ceremony in the chapel. I was already awed by the beautiful stained-glass windows and the church atmosphere but then my teen-aged friend started strumming her guitar and sang the most beautiful song I’d ever heard: I Heard the Voice of Jesus. Perhaps it was the Celtic tune that pierced this Irish girl’s heart or maybe it was the spirit of kindness and love that had surrounded me for a few priceless days, but I embraced the words and understood Jesus’ voice for the first time in my life. I still remember the euphoria of that moment and am so grateful for complete strangers of a different faith who saw a needy child and took her in and braced her up for a lifetime of Jesus moments.

If you work or have ever worked with children in any church capacity – know that you are making a difference, transforming lives, preparing hearts to receive the best news of all. And may God bless you in your work.

If you have time, check out the youtube video below so you can experience the haunting melody of this century old tune.

I Heard the Voice of Jesus

1.

I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“Come unto Me, and rest;
Lay down, thou weary one, lay down
Thy head upon My breast.”
I came to Jesus as I was,
Weary, and worn, and sad;
I found in Him a resting-place,
And He has made me glad.
2.

I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“Behold, I freely give
The living water: thirsty one,
Stoop down, and drink, and live.”
I came to Jesus, and I drank
Of that life-giving stream;
My thirst was quenched, my soul revived,
And now I live in Him.

3.

I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“I am this dark world’s Light;
Look unto Me, thy morn shall rise,
And all thy day be bright.”
I looked to Jesus, and I found
In Him my Star, my Sun;
And in that Light of life I’ll walk
Till trav’lling days are done.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tH4OVm8nzXk

Posted on August 25, 2011 - by Regina

SOMETHING ABOUT THAT NAME

Favorite hymns . . . favorite praise songs . . . For a church musician, it’s like asking a mother which of her children is her favorite! Or asking an author which of her BOOKS is her favorite! A few weeks ago, I wrote a blog post about my favorite old-time hymn, Victory in Jesus. I could name several more, but that would be a book, not a blog post!

Once I settled down and really thought, it came to me immediately.

There’s Something About That Name.

It’s the song I sang to my babies as I rocked them. It’s the song I turn to when other lyrics escape me, and I just want to dwell on Jesus. His name.

I first remember hearing it when my cousin sang it at church, when it was still a new, “modern” song in the 70’s, and I’ve never let it go. Now it’s in my hymn  book!

Another favorite that I remember segueing into is I Love You, Lord. Then there was God Is So Good, Jesus Loves Me, and various modernizations of hymns – which is a whole ‘nother post that I’d LOVE to get into!

What is the connection between singing from my heart and certain songs that get me “right there?” It’s that intimate, family-relationship I have with Jesus that I wanted, and still want, so desperately to pass on to my children. Dwelling on His name, reiterating over and over that I DO love You, Lord, only draws me closer to the throne of Heaven.

I know that over the course of the last several years there has been a war waging between “traditional” and “contemporary” worship. Funny thing is, worship is simply giving glory to God. It has nothing to do with whether you put a Southern Gospel twang to a song or a modern rap beat to it. It’s whatever draws you to HIM. And more importantly, whatever GLORIFIES HIM, not us. Who knows, in Heaven, maybe souls will discern heavenly choir music in the genre they find glorifies God in their own hearts?

Interesting thought.

Me, I want to hang out with Fanny Crosby, Chris Tomlin, AND the Gaithers when I get to heaven. I mean, imagine it! You think the Gaither Homecoming choir is good? We’ll be in the BEST choir, and all we’ll care about is how much we love Jesus and pointing the glory to HIM!

I call the alto section!

Posted on August 24, 2011 - by Brenda Anderson

A Bowl of Stew

I don’t like waiting.

And, in this fast-food society, a society that demands instant gratification, I know I’m not the only one.

But, impatience is  hardly new to our millennium.

This past Sunday our pastor talked about Jacob and Esau–how Esau traded his birthright for a bowl of stew … because he was hungry and would die if he didn’t eat right then and there. (Genesis 25:29 – 34) Sound like any drama kings you know of?

And really? His birthright for a bowl of stew? Puhlease. I’d never do that! Talk about impatient.

Ahem …

While I’m waiting I will serve you …

How often has hunger/impatience overruled wisdom? What about sneaking that piece of chocolate before dinner? Or buying those jeans on credit? Why did I have to see that movie at midnight when I could have waited a day … a week or more? How often do you hear someone say, “If I don’t have that pair of shoes, I’ll just die!”

Hmmm, that looks like stew, doesn’t it?

While I’m waiting I will worship …

When I’m sitting at a stoplight and the driver in front of me doesn’t immediately go when the light turns green, why do I lean on my horn? When I’m standing in line at the grocery store, why do I tap my toes and make a show of glancing at my watch? Is my time truly more valuable than theirs?

That smells like stew, too.

While I’m waiting I will not faint … 

I want to be published NOW! I don’t want to wait one … two … five more years. Surely, God didn’t mean for it to take this long, did He? Maybe it’s time I took matters in my own hands and self-publish, even if He’s not pointing me in that direction.

Oh, boy, it even tastes like stew.

I’ll be running the race even while I wait.

Am I willing to trade God’s plan for my life so I can have instant gratification? Like Esau, is my hunger so pressing that I’ll exchange God’s gift for a measly bowl of soup?

Why is it so hard to comprehend that waiting isn’t punishment? Rather, it’s seasoning.

For me, making stew is a day long process. The longer it cooks in the Crock-pot, the more tender the meat and potatoes become as they soak up the flavors from all the other ingredients. When we finally eat it, the meat is falling apart, mouth-watering delicious. It’s absolutely worth the wait.

Isn’t life the same way?

Just think of the joys we’d miss if our children became instant adults? Imagine the wonder and beauty we’d miss if our climate didn’t go through four seasons. I cringe when I think about that initial draft I showed my first readers.

Without a waiting period–when we jump ahead of the plans God has for us–we miss out on the delectable seasoning God has for our lives. We fail to grow and learn. We miss our time in prayer. In worship. In reading God’s Word. In serving Him.

And there’s nothing better to abide in the waiting period with than music. John Waller wrote WHILE I’M WAITING during a waiting period in his life. It’s a song that inspires me and reminds me of the blessings of patience. (Click HERE to view and listen.)

When I’m patient–when I’m obedient, the wait turns from being all about me, into living a life of service, prayer, and worship. For Him.

I’ll take that over a bowl of stew any day.

Posted on August 23, 2011 - by JerriLynn

A Little Music is Good for the Soul

I have a confession. I’m not much of a music buff.  Oh, I like good music.  But I’m the last person on the planet any of my friends will ask about a group or an artist, group, or song title, because honestly, I usually can’t answer their question.  I’m just not that into it.

Now, that doesn’t mean I live under a rock.  In fact, I have pretty eclectic music tastes.  They run the gamut from the really hard stuff to country music, and even a little jazz.  About the only thing I won’t listen to is hard-core rap and opera music.  I also listen to both secular and Christian music.

But when it comes to songs that touch my soul, there are a few that I have always loved and a few new ones that fit (or at least have fit) my personal placement in life.

On the side of songs that touch my soul are Go Tell It on the Mountain. Specifically the Dolly Parton version.  I grew up listening to Dolly Parton, and I always imagined that she and I were soul sisters.  I remember very clearly walking the quarter mile gravel drive from the bus stop to the house during the time that my parents owned their farm, singing Dolly songs loudly the whole way.  Go Tell It on the Mountain was always the first song of choice. And the second was her He’s Alive.

Amazing Grace will always be a favorite traditional hymn. But if I’m telling you the whole story, I have always loved it, but there’s a new version that’s only been out a year or two by a popular Christian group that I absolutely adore.  Can’t remember the group, but I could belt out the song, given the chance and someone willing to listen.  That last part might be a bit of a stretch, though, because as we used to say in the hills in Kentucky, I can’t carry a tune in a bucket!

Not being able to carry a tune makes songs like Monster and Rebirth by Skillet great songs for me.  I can sing right along with those songs and they’re loud and screechy enough that no one really notices that I’m off-key. Those songs fit especially well for me when I’m just not feeling like my heart is in the right place.

Happy Plastic People is another favorite (again, I don’t remember the artist/group).  The point of the song is to be who you are instead of a happy, plastic person.  As I have re-discovered who I really am after years of pretending to be someone else, this has become an anthem of sorts for me.  I don’t want to be a pretend person…I much prefer genuine, even if that sometimes makes people uncomfortable.

Discomfort isn’t a problem when I’m listening to the newer version of Jesus Love Me that my husband introduced me to a couple of years ago.  It’s nothing like the version that we learned as kids.  Instead, it’s a jazzy, bluesy, wailing version that’s both very adult, and somewhat soothing. Even better, it lifts my spirits when I can’t seem to remember that no matter where I’ve been or what I’ve done, Jesus loves me.

I’m not the person who has to have music on all the time.  In fact, I spend most of my time in relative quite with no music or television for background noise.  I like the quite. The sounds of the house living around me when I’m the only person home or awake are more soothing to me than most music.  Those sounds, along with the sounds of the family and dogs are my hymns.  They speak to me every day of the love that God has for me.  He loved me enough to forgive me when I wasn’t worthy of forgiveness and he loved me enough to bless me with this family. So, to hear those blessings – to really hear them – is the best melody I could ever be granted the privilege of listening to.

Posted on August 22, 2011 - by Kim

How Can I Keep From Singing

As much as I love singing and the familiarity of the hymns I grew up with, it is the story behind the words that peaked my interest. Words that often grew out of the depths of despair where the very foundations of one’s faith threatened to crumble.

Take, for instance, Thomas A. Dorsey’s Take My Hand, Precious Lord. The words “Hear my cry, hear my call.?Hold my hand lest I fall.?Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home,” were penned in response to the overwhelming grief that can only be experience at the loss of a beloved wife and newborn son within minutes of one another.

Then there’s Fanny Crosby. Blind since early childhood, she still “saw” the amazing grace offered by God, penning the words “O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son.?And give Him the glory, great things He has done,” while others in her condition wallowed in self-pity and cursed their very existence.

And what about Horatio Spafford? In the span of three years, from 1870 to 1873 lost his only son, vast real estate holdings to the great Chicago Fire and all four daughters to a shipwreck as they and his wife crossed the Atlantic to England. Yet still, as he crossed that same body of water shortly after the disaster, he wrote the words “When peace like a river, attendeth my way,?When sorrows like sea billows roll;?Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,?It is well, it is well, with my soul,” and all the remaining stanzas to the well-loved hymn, It Is Well With My Soul.

How could these people and all the other hymn writers with similar stories still sing praises to a God who, when viewed from the deepest wells of despair, seems so very far away and unreachable?  How could they even put two coherent words together let alone line after line of faith-stirring poetry? Despite being a lifelong choir member, singer and Christian, I honestly didn’t have the answer.

Until yesterday’s choir anthem – How Can I Keep From Singing? as arranged by Bradley Ellingboe. In the words “No storm can shake my inmost calm while to that rock I’m clinging. Since love is lord of heav’n and earth, how can I keep from singing?” I found the reason why they could write such words despite their own despair. If God loved me enough to give his only Son. To watch him suffer and die in the cruelest way known to man just so I my soul wouldn’t be forever blackened by my sin, how can I possibly keep from singing His praises?

Posted on August 19, 2011 - by Linda Fulkerson

How Great Thou Art

The whole evolution theory has always blown my mind. I understand the concept behind the theory, though — if people refuse to believe in God, then (in their minds) they aren’t responsible to Him. However, the biggest problem with their whole idea is that, well, if you open your eyes and look around, it’s simply IMPOSSIBLE to not realize Somebody created our amazing world.

“The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork” (Psalm 19:1).

I love to sing. And I love to sing songs of praise to our Father. And one of my favorite songs to sing is “How Great Thou Art.” I’m not the only one who loves this hymn. In a poll taken by Today’s Christian magazine in 2001, it ranked number two in favorite hymns, behind “Amazing Grace.” It topped Great Britain’s list when BBC conducted a survey.

“How Great Thou Art” was translated into English from a Swedish poem written in the 1800s by Carl Boberg. According to a Wikipedia article, here’s one writer’s rendition of Boberg’s tale of the day he was inspired to write the poem that today has become a best-loved hymn:

“Carl Boberg and some friends were returning home to Mönsterås from Kronobäck, where they had participated in an afternoon service. Nature was at its peak that radiant afternoon. Presently a thundercloud appeared on the horizon, and soon sharp lightning flashed across the sky. Strong winds swept over the meadows and billowing fields of grain. The thunder pealed in loud claps. Then rain came in cool fresh showers. In a little while the storm was over, and a rainbow appeared.

“When Boberg arrived home, he opened the window and saw the bay of Mönsterås like a mirror before him… From the woods on the other side of the bay, he heard the song of a thrush…the church bells were tolling in the quiet evening. It was this series of sights, sounds, and experiences that inspired the writing of the song.”

I found some interesting history about this hymn’s publication. There was apparently some disagreement on which version of the translation to use. However, the issue was quickly settled when the publishing house that owned rights to the original translation requested an outrageous sum to use the words in hymnals. (You can read the entire story here.)

If you’re curious what the original (translated) words were, here’s the first (of nine) stanzas to “O Mighty God,” which today is “How Great Thou Art.”

O mighty God, when I behold the wonder
Of nature’s beauty, wrought by words of thine,
And how thou leadest all from realms up yonder,
Sustaining earthly life with love benign,

Refrain:
With rapture filled, my soul thy name would laud,
O mighty God! O mighty God! (repeat)