Bo Stern's "Beautiful Battlefields" Book Giveaway :)

Sometimes we come across a Scripture that resonates so loudly within our being and we want to share it with the world.  This happened to me yesterday and I meditated on this tasty morsel throughout the day.  However, upon waking this lovely Saturday morning, settling in with my coffee and Bible, my heart urged me to share in another way by encouraging a friend I have met in the past.

Oh, but first, the Word...

"Test me and try me, examine my heart and mind; for I have always been mindful of your unfailing love and have lived in reliance on your faithfulness."  Psalm 26:2, 3

My family and I are in a testing time.  Going through a transition.  We've had numerous injuries the past couple of weeks due to the fun of snowboarding season:)  We are transitioning back into full-time missions, which we served in for over 20 years in our earlier years.  We are nearly empty nesters.  My husband has always been a man "who can do anything, fix anything, build anything".  My daughter wrote recently that she was so glad "her daddy could fix anything...because she can break anything :) "   Well, our bodies are aging and we are realizing we can't do physically what we once did when we were in our 20's (and this has nothing to do with snowboarding...it has to do with physical 10-hour a day labor).  With medical costs, lack of employment and the transition we are in, it is a testing time of great proportions.  However, the  Word continually feeds me.

I am always mindful of YOUR UNFAILING LOVE and have lived in RELIANCE on YOUR FAITHFULNESS!  

We are in a battle...we knew we would be the moment God spoke to our hearts....I am taking you back into missions to continue the calling I placed on you years ago.  The work slowed down (my husband is self-employed construction); the invitations came to go back to Russia and surrounding nations.  My husband teaches and speaks fluent Russian. The fields are ripe with harvest....and the enemy is prowling to see whom he can devour.  We began to draw our swords.....

About 4 years ago I attended our church's annual retreat. Bo Stern an incredible woman from Bend was our guest speaker.  I was waiting on God for a word to proceed with something I felt He had laid on my heart.  God spoke to me through His servant.  She was back the next year and again, He spoke volumes to my heart.  I was privileged to be able to learn, glean and be encouraged from her life. She was smack dab in the middle of her own battlefield.  And because of her battle, she gave life to others in the midst of her own wielding of the sword.  I left with my sword polished, my armor fitted and a joy in this soldier's heart to keep marching.

Her book, Beautiful Battlefields, was released yesterday.  I already ordered it on Kindle at Amazon.  If I could recommend only one book this year...it would be this one.  Ladies, we are in a battle.  We need encouragement from each other.  We need our swords sharpened, our hearts reawakened, and our resolve deepened.  Our families and loved ones depend on us being able to wield that sword and fight that battle.  And you know what?  When He is in our battle,  in the end....WE WIN!!  There is no doubt on that!

“We march in step behind a brilliant Commander, He is not just a good God or a loving God; He is a winning God. When He fights, He wins, and if He is in our fight, then we will win too.”   an excerpt at the conclusion of her book

I've never done this before...and because this whole blog thing is still a challenge for me, I decided to do a new thing.  I am giving away a copy of her book.  I want so much to get it into your hands :)

Here's how you can win:

Follow my blog and enter to win a FREE copy of Bo Stern's "Beautiful Battlefields"

               Subscribe by email 

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               Join this Site with Google Connect 

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And don't forget to check out Bo Stern's Blog and Facebook page.

1)   “Like” Bo's Facebook Page.

2)  Visit and subscribe to Bo Stern's Blog  - you won't be disappointed!!

Lastly, IF you have subscribed by email to my blog earlier (entitled Woman2Woman), could you subscribe AGAIN...that blog title is no longer in use, so you won't get the email updates.  This way, by subscribing again.....you are also entered to win the book :)

The contest to win this book will run from today until midnight Monday, February 18th.  I will notify winner on Tuesday, February 19th.

If you feel comfortable, leave a comment in the "comments section" at bottom of this blog...what is your battle you are facing...and how can I pray for you?  You don't need to be too specific, just so I can uphold you in your battle!  From my heart to yours...be mindful of His unfailing love and live in reliance on His faithfulness!

Wielding our swords together in our battles,

Debby

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Windows of Latvia

Again, a post on windows.  There's something about windows in other nations that fascinates me. It isn't just the color or creativity, although that is a biggie with me.  But often as I walk down the streets of towns and villages, I wonder...

"Who is behind that window?"

"Is there a mother tending to her children?  Are they playing while she prepares their lunch of cabbage soup and black bread?"

"Perhaps there is a grandmother sitting at a worn old table, sipping her hot tea and reflecting on her years."

Often my heart wants to embrace the smells, the stories, the wonder behind the windows.  Windows that set right up against the sidewalk, seemingly inviting you to come in.  What lives are being lived out behind the framework and the pane?

And so...the windows of a town in the north of Latvia along the Baltic Sea.....

Perhaps a family awaiting a letter from a son or daughter in a faraway land...

I could just smell the "borscht" cooking for lunch...

I couldn't resist this guy....he was looking out his "window"...

A room with a view... in Riga...

Who wouldn't want to wake up to this ??

Anyone who has been in my home can attest to the fact that I don't like window coverings.  I like to see out.  I love light.  I want the outside in...

But it also allows others to see in (helps to live in the country where your neighbors aren't hugging the side of your house :)  Windows let us see out, but they also let others see in.  Hmmm...metaphorically speaking, do we allow others to see into our lives?  Are we vulnerable enough to want community and relationship with those around us to allow our windows to be open for them to see?  Or do we cover the windows of our life to keep people out?  I wonder if perhaps there isn't someone who wants to see beyond the window and sit down with you or me,  have a cup of tea and share our stories.  Lives are being lived out behind those windows.  Now that's a great line for a post....

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Unwanted, Abandoned, Deleted

From my heart to yours...

Walking the streets of old town Riga we came upon a sight I will never forget.   Entering the main square on Freedom Boulevard, you find yourself looking to the opposite side where a monument rises 138 feet upward.  The Freedom Monument was constructed to honor the soldiers killed during the Latvian War of Independence (1918 - 1920).  In more recent years, I have heard it called Lady Freedom.  She is holding her arms upward lifting three stars which center around the theme "Shine like a star".

Around the base of the monument there are pictures and sculpting depicting various aspects of Latvian life and history.  One of these is entitled "Family", a mother with two children.  I found it ironic when I saw what was in front of me. What I will never forget is what has been laid out in the square in the foreground of the monument.

Concrete sculptors of babies who have lost their lives out of fear, inconvenience, ignorance and modern day contraception.

Perhaps if your eyesight is better than mine...you can read some of the inscriptions...

Our hearts grieved over the sight, yet part of me was proud of those Latvians who are brave to face their society and put this out there....

One side of a plaza honoring those who gave their lives in a war for freedom (and rightly so) and opposite a display of those whose lives were taken from them.  Neither should be forgotten.

As I was editing, deleting and tweaking this post, I was reminded of how quick we are to "delete" what is unwanted.

There is a Father in Heaven.  There is a God who wants.  There is a God who does not delete.

Sorry if this posting is heavy and leaves our hearts deeply saddened.  It should.  It is very visual and should impact our lives.  It is meant to.  God give us hearts of love, deep love, patience and compassion, to reach out to those who too quickly and in anguish press the "delete" button in their lives.  Help us to be the arms, feet and heart of Jesus to bring love, forgiveness, redemption and freedom to those around us.

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Estate Sale Memories

Today I went to an estate sale with a good friend.  I did the Estate Sale 101 talk as we walked room to room.  Yes, this is more expensive...this sale is the result of someone passing away; their relatives hiring someone to organize, price and sell the accumulations from their loved ones' life.  A percentage goes to the estate people and the rest to the deceased's family.  It is a business.  But a business that helps a grieving family when the process of going through all the "stuff" is just to much to handle.  

Yes, that is ALOT to pay for that embroidered picture of a bird on the wall.  I'm curious what they do with the stuff they don't sell?  Anyone need a framed cross-stitched bird for their wall?

We ended up hitting the garage sales on the way home.  A fifty-cent colander and 25-cent potato masher later, we were happy.  And then we found the $2 cookbook, a $2 suitcase set and a $3 coat tree!  We are more garage-sale people I discovered, and we planned to hit a few more tomorrow.  She is moving soon and setting up "house".

I couldn't help but wonder as I walked through the estate sale..."this was someone's life...all this 'stuff' is from years and years of living."  And there were years and years, let me tell you.  What kind of life did they live?  Obviously, she enjoyed cooking and baking by all the kitchen ware for sale. She must have loved to entertain with all the crystal glasses and serving dishes gracing the shelves. He or she loved birds and dogs. And did they celebrate Christmas!!  

A person's life...possibly two persons' lives....laid out in the rooms of this house that was once a home.  How many holidays were celebrated around that table?  Were there shouts of joy when the children and subsequent grandchildren opened their presents surrounded by the lights and stuffed Santas?  

Somehow leaving a sale like that one always leaves me a bit contemplative. I hope IF there is an estate sale following my life, people are blessed by what they find.  (Actually I hope I give it all away before that time, I'd rather see it meet someone's need or want, rather than a sale...but I won't be around to consult, so that point is moot.)  Years ago, my mom and dad began to give away some of their belongings to the children who would appreciate them...a punch bowl here, a set of glasses there....it meant something to have it gifted rather than left to sell.  I guess my thought process here is....a person's life is more than what is "left behind" in terms of material possessions.  As I left that house, I hoped their lives had been full with family, friends, and adventure.  I hoped it had meaning and purpose.  And the "stuff" left behind goes on to bless others and not just end up in a junk pile somewhere.

I picked up a rolling pin at a garage sale one time and the lady told me "Many many apple pies were made for my family with that rolling pin."  I loved it!  And I bought the rolling pin!  Whenever I use it, I think of the many people blessed by her apple pies and now I do the same (hopefully.... my son likes his grandma's apple pie the best :) so with this pin, it is pecan).  

Our lives are more than stuff...they are memories and passing those onto those we love, and sometimes to strangers.  I have an ongoing appreciation for estate sales, but a love affair with garage sales...it is cheaper :)

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Wrecked for a Purpose

We are here for a purpose....

There is more to our life's story than what we are currently living....

We want our tombstone to say more than "he loved his car"....

We want to make a difference....for eternity....

Has there been a Divine Moment that changed your entire life's course...

Do you want to be ruined or wrecked for the ordinary?

I just began reading this book

I am a quarter of the way through it

And I strongly recommend it

I've felt like that turtle

I can usually tell if I am going to love a book or not...if I am highlighting sentences only 2 pages in, I think it is a keeper.  So far, I am bookmarking and highlighting to my heart's content.  Jeff is the same author who did the 

which I loved and learned lots!  His new book "Wrecked" has just been released and is available on Amazon.  Until August 11th, the ebook version is available for $0.99.  Just in case you didn't know, you don't need a Kindle to read a Kindle book. You can download a free Kindle app for your computer, phone, iPad, whatever.  And I repeat...it is only $0.99

I have been told by some of my family that just because I love a book doesn't mean others will.  We all have our own tastes and preferences.  But...I think this book will tug at your heartstrings  Perhaps even awaken a dream, or ask you to give one up for something far greater.  At any rate, why not give it a read and see what being wrecked means for your life.  And...it is only $0.99 :)

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Once Upon A Time...

Storytelling....images...a dad sitting on a bed cuddling a daughter in those precious moments before turning off the light....friends around the campfire....a princess...a prince....a hero....a damsel in distress....a tale worth remembering and repeating at just the right moment.

I may have shared this quote before, but it is definitely one of my favorites:

"If a story is never told it becomes something else...forgotten."

Is the art of storytelling soon becoming a lost art?  I hope not.  I have several friends who are gifted story tellers.  I know others who should be.  

A life worth living is a story worth telling.  (Hey, I just came up with that one all by myself!!)  For the past 39 years I have lived in a story worth telling (I know, I am not 39, but my stories really began around then).  I have traveled around the world, lived in some incredible places and met so many awesome individuals and their stories are crying to be told.  

Conversations with my daughter as of late have resounded with "Let's tell our story....those stories you told at our bedside each night need to be heard."  She is incredibly creative and a communications major.....I need all the help I can get.  

This morning I read an interesting Scripture and saw something I hadn't seen before. 2 Kings 8:1-6.  Elisha, the prophet, had earlier prophesied over a Shunammite woman about the birth of a son, which she did have and later died. Elisha prayed and he was raised to life. (2 Kings 4)  In chapter 8, Elisha's servant is retelling the "story" to the king.  This woman shows up having lived in the land of the Philistines for seven years due to a famine Elisha told her to flee.  She has come back to reclaim her land and the servant tells the king, "this is the lady in the story".  Through the retelling of the story, this woman's life and land is restored.  

Hmmm...through the telling of our stories, lives can be rebuilt, hope is restored, passion is rekindled, faith is revitalized.

Our personal history is ours, it is a part of shaping our destiny.  It is a significant part of who my family is and is becoming.  We all have a story to tell.  And it needs to be told.  If anything, to passed down to our children telling of the faithfulness of God, lessons learned, mountains climbed, valleys walked and sorrows endured.  

I'm in the middle of an exciting adventure of writing with God.  It may take months -  hopefully, not years.  But I have years ahead of me (again hopefully) to share the adventures already had...the experiences and exploits yet to be lived....the stories just waiting to be told and not forgotten.  

Once upon a time....in a galaxy far far away....a young lady got on a plane in obedience to God's voice to her.....and discovered the GOD who has a story to tell and He wants to tell it through me...and you!

  

photo credit: iStock photo

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Remember Educating Rita...Becoming Jane...Now Promoting Joan :)

Ever find yourself reflecting back on your life and being overwhelmed by the goodness of God and the friendships He has given you over the years?  Try doing this in the spirit of thankfulness and you will be blown away by how your friends have impacted your life, even through the small things - and the oh, so many, big things.  Right now in my life, I have some incredible friends.  They walk with me and share my joys, adventures, sorrows and struggles.  Some I see and talk to daily, others maybe once a week or every few weeks.  Recently, with graduation, birthday and wedding parties, as I look around, I am blessed beyond words to have such a full life of friends.  

With the writer's challenge I am participating in, I have come in contact with new friends, and reconnected with old.  I have asked for help and received some incredible wisdom and input.  The discovery of the community of writers and artists is amazing and oh so helpful to someone such as myself.  

Today our challenge is to promote someone...be generous. Because great writers share others work.   It didn't take much thought on my part to know immediately "who" I wanted to promote.  She is a writer, (I've read some of her awesome stories and poetry), but her first love and passion is photography.  She has been one of my closest friends for 31 years, although we have been separated geographically for several. 

We worked as missionaries together for years.  We have hilarious stories to tell of the adventures God has allowed us to have together...sweating and eating charred  corn-on-the-cob in 100+ degree weather in Croatia because it was a "delicacy" and would have been rude to refuse.  We've been stuck in bus strikes during the days of "Solidarity" in Poland in the early 80's.  Together we've squished into an elevator with Russian athletes who were two feet taller than us and ridden for days and nights sharing train compartments with unsavory characters and blue stinky cheese!  Hmm....maybe we should write a book :)  It would be full of adventures, but also filled with the stories of lives my friend has touched.  Today there are men and women in Russia, Poland, the Czech Republic and surrounding nations living a life of fullness serving God, loving and serving others due in part to the prayers of my friend and the impact she had on their lives.

These past years, health issues have prevented her from working a regular full-time job and she has put all her effort and energy into her passion to create an at-home business to generate an income.  However, it is not a job to her.  It is a life of color, art, passion and creativity that flows from her lens.  She tells a story through her photography.  She lives through her art.  And she is one of the most talented artists I know.  

So today, I want to introduce you to an incredible lady.  You can find her on facebook and her website.  I hope you will visit her, enjoy her creativity and support this woman who has given so much to others in her youth.

www.joan-e-photography.com

on facebook -  Joan E Photography

An added note...in this age of free-for-all internet, postings, bloggings, pinterest, etc. there is so much art we discover and want to share with others because we "like" it.  But...please remember copyright laws - respect others and refrain from copying and pinning the art.  The biggest compliment you can give to artists, is to recommend their site for others to view their work. 

I would love to end with a photo of hers, but you do have to go to her site as it is all copyrighted.  And it is definitely worth the trip :)  So I will end with a photo of my own which she liked. As I mentioned, she is a big fan of mine which I so appreciate and she gives me wise advice on photography and writing.  

I love you, Joanie...you are the best!

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