The Storyteller | Mary Vee

Today I welcome  Sherri Langton, associate editor for Bible Advocate.  She has a Thanksgiving story to tell! And to show appreciation for you, oh reader who has worked tirelessly over Thanksgiving dishes and shopping, I am having a book giveaway. The winning commenter will be able to choose one book from a selection of five from my stack of great author books.       Scroll to the end of the post to see how to enter. I am honored to have Sherri Langton as my guest. She probably doesn't remember the first time we met, but I sure do. I attended the Write to Publish Conference one year and requested one of my teen articles to be crit. Sherri Langton crit that article. She wrote such supportive words AND sought me out to encourage me more. I've never forgotten her kindness.  This past year, Sherri has experienced some difficulties with her health. Knowing her love for God, I asked Sherri to tell us how God led her on her writing jour...

May the Lord Bless you and  Give you a wonderful time of celebration Photo courtesy Happy Thanksgiving!  See you Friday

photo courtesy I think the Great Orchestrator plans events tailored to each of us. God knows what sounds, sights, smells, textures, tastes bring the perfect affect to stir our hearts, or yank us away from someplace we should not be. God is so good, kind, loving, and caring. Happy November 25th! Whenever I see "25" as part of the date, my mind immediately leaps to thoughts of my favorite holiday. I love Christmas. Celebrating Jesus' birthday is an event I am willing to spend months in preparation.  This year, my extra efforts to celebrate and honor the One who came to save me involved making a unique Christmas card using an online company. I wrote a special message focused on Jesus, inserted special photos of my family and tailored cards for hubby's side of the family and cards for my side. It took two days on the computer to make them perfect. I can't wait to receive them in the mail then send them out to family and friends.  I kinda feel like the ...

Today I welcome  Karen Barnett, a tall, sweet-spirited gal who loves to write good stories.  Enter to win Karen's  2013 release, Mistaken or her soon to be released Out of the Ruins Scroll to the end of the post to see how to enter.  I'm so happy to share with you a piece of my conversation with Karen at  the  ACFW  conference   She is such a sweet and Christ-like spirit. I asked Karen to tell us how God led her on her writing journey. Here is what she said: OUR DREAMS--GOD'S HEART My husband and I were enjoying a quiet dinner out on the town without the kids—a rare occurrence. He eyed me across the table. “So, what’s going on with that book you wanted to write? The one about the San Francisco earthquake?” I swallowed, the food sticking in my throat. My life-long dream of writing a novel had fizzled after a few weeks of trying. “I don’t know. I started, but…” How could I tell him the very idea terrified m...

'Tis  the  season for all closet cooks to play in the kitchen. I am convinced play inspired some of the methods, my mother-in-law, aka Mama to my children, used in her cooking. As a seasoned European cook, my mother-in-law never used a recipe. When my husband first said he wanted a dish his mother made I quickly learned the futility of asking for the recipe. I brought a  notepad  and pen to each visit and followed her every move in the  kitchen to record the dump and hope measurements used to craft the family's delicious meals. For your entertainment, here are a few time proven crazy tips: The key step in making poppyseed cake :  "Mary" think strong German accent as you read "you must put the can of condensed milk out in the snow before starting the cake." "Why?" I scribbled this important step on my notepaper. "It will become the proper temperature for the frosting." "What if there isn't snow?" She raised...

You do realize how very wonderful you are, right? You're created in God's image. Today let's take a needed moment--before all the rush of the holidays, programs, gift finding, wrapping, Christmas cards, parties, house cleaning, baking, etc. and give ourselves a mental Calgon moment (a time when you can focus--in a good way--on you) Your Father You are loved by the only perfect Father. This Father likes to give hugs in many forms and always delivers them at the perfect time. This Father loves to sing to you (Zephaniah 3:17). Can you hear his voice this morning? Look for his voice in your surroundings. Listen. Enjoy the sweet music and enjoy the comfort it brings. Air Take a deep cleansing breath. Clear, fresh air. Raise your arms above your head and swing them gently down to your hips. Purposely take three full breaths. Moments after creation, God breathed (Gen 2:7) the breath of life into mankind. Taking a deep breath helps to draw our attention away from ...

Yes, Friends. There is a book giveaway today!! Montana.photo by Mary Vee Sometime Life doesn't go the way we want.  Little pebbles tumble in the way and create road blocks.  Tires go flat, accidents happen, sickness strikes. Still at these moments, God shows His lovingkindness by letting the sun rise, freshening the air, and letting the water flow. We all know someone who has had something fall into their path. I think of a little girl at my church who was recovering from leukemia, but recently had a relapse. Our church family is very concerned about her. I think of the people in the Philippines for their lose of life and damage from the typhoon. You may know someone who can't find their smile at work today. Let's reach out and bless those whose are working through issues . Share a blessing with those in your community. And praise God for His presence. Please share a comfort verse in the comment section. I will have a book give away this w...

So fitting for this week as we celebrate Veterans Day! The book I am reviewing today, When the Clouds Roll By , by Myra Johnson, is a compelling story that will keep you away from watching TV and keep you awake past midnight turning pages.  Set in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Lt. Gilbert Ballard dreads going home. His fiancé deserves to marry someone who has not been injured. Angry with his disability, Gilbert begs his friend, Sam, to take care of Annemarie. Although tempted by her beauty, Sam refuses, knowing one day Gilbert will heal mentally and learn to deal with his physical disability.  Annemarie loves Gilbert with all her heart. She begs to see him in the hospital, but he refuses to see her for weeks. Determined to let him know she still loves him, Annemarie talks Sam into helping her visit Gilbert. Her disappointment turns to hurt when Gilbert breaks off their engagement. As chaplain for the suffering soldiers, Sam complies with G...

Today we give honor to our veterans photo courtesy of morguefile.com I'm sitting in a hotel restaurant eating breakfast. The employees for the hotel and restaurant walk about doing their job. A custodian walks through with ear buds in and a bright smile on his face, clearly enjoying his music. Another stops when an animated movie on the central TV catches his eye.  Life walks by.  And it can. Thankfully thousands of soldiers starting from the American Revolution to military issues today have and are giving their lives to protect us. Not everyone enters the military with the intent to give their life for their country, yet many have found themselves in this position. Bullet whiz by, land mine explodes. One soldier sees another injured and helps him. Another signals danger. There is nothing glamorous about war. The soldiers didn't know me personally. Yet the result of their service is a gift to us. One that allows us to go about our daily lives in peace...

Today I welcome  Patty Smith Hill, a Georgian gal who loves to write good stories.  Enter to win Patty's  recent 2013 release, The Doctor's Bride Scroll to the end of the post to see how to enter.  I'm so happy to share with you a piece of my conversation with Patty. She is such a sweet and Christ-like spirit. I asked Patty to tell us how God led her on her writing journey. Here is what she said: Be Still My writing journey began in the darkest hour of the night. I’ve always had terrible insomnia. Even from the time I was about eight years old, I would walk the halls, my bed just a place where I’d toss and turn, unable to find any real comfort there. I become our family’s night watchman--checking the doors and windows, looking in on my siblings just to make sure that they could sleep even if I couldn’t. As I grew up and got married, the insomnia came in lulls. I took a graveyard position as an RN because I figured if I wasn’...