I’ve enjoyed getting to know author Elisa Mayo and am always excited to read first novels by authors! Let Me Fly has received some fabulous reviews already. Be sure to check them out.

From the back cover:

Celia Martin has the world at her door as she wrestles with the most important decision of her life. It is one that will set her feet onto a path from which there is no return. As she stands on the threshold of choosing her way, she faces the question every person wrestles with at some point in her life–which way is the right way? Let Me Fly takes the reader through the joys, heartaches, and victories of discovering God’s chosen path. This memorable story is filled with unforgettable characters that mold Celia and support the budding woman as she learns the hard lesson of where the path of the world leads. Will Celia marry the dark, handsome Vince and travel the world with a man claiming a never-ending love? Or will she wait for a different kind of security? Will her dream of happiness be crushed by an adulterous affair?

Mary’s thoughts

Let Me Fly has an old-fashioned pace to it that one can just sink into, following its heartbeat to the conclusion. I loved the theme: small town-turned big city girl searching for fulfillment only to realize that the path to true happiness isn’t always lined by ivory towers.

A loss in Celia’s past is a haunting one which continues to affect her and her relationships. I cringed for her at several turns in the book, relating to her inner doubts and struggles, and wondering how it could all come out right. Yet it does, in and around the picturesque community of Clear Creek, Celia’s home town. Author Elisa Mayo has put together a heart-warming cast of characters and a storyline with several surprises!

A brief interview with Elisa Mayo:

Welcome to Home-steeped Hope, Elisa, and thank you for sharing your book here with me and my friends.

How did Let Me Fly come to life for you? I’m curious if it was influenced at all by your own life and circumstances. For instance, are you a small town girl at heart? The country scenes in your book were very authentic, I enjoyed them.

Let Me Fly was a story the Lord laid on my heart years ago. I toyed with the idea, leaving it idle on my computer, until I finally accepted the Lord’s call on my life and finished the book. In some ways, the book has parts of me in it. But, it also has parts of other people–both real and imagined.

For some time I struggled with the world’s success and where I fit in the picture. Finally, I realized I didn’t. As a child of God, I could not pursue the world’s definition of success and the Lord’s perfect will. What I discovered was by following the Lord’s will for my life, I AM successful.

I was born and raised in a rural town. I thought at times I wanted to escape from the country and wrestle with the big city. In those dreams, I think mainly I was running from problems in my life. When, I finally handed those problems to the Lord, He showed me who I was and works everyday to remind me–I am His. That is where true contentment comes from. Now, if I can hold on to that for more than just a moment! (smile)

Great answer, Elisa. Especially the part about how the world’s definition of success vies with God’s. What is your hope for the readers of Let Me Fly?

My hope is the Lord uses the book to reach those He had in mind when I wrote it. Even if that was only me. I have had some responses from the book that touched me deep in my soul and even if I know Let Me Fly isn’t my best work yet, I know that there was a purpose. The Lord has a plan and already there have been many women say, “Wow, I always wondered if anyone else wrestled with that”. That’s when I realize that the entire process has been well worth it. Just for us to know that we have a kinship, beneath all of our imperfections, we have all been called for a greater purpose. I hope readers discover that nugget of knowledge.

That sympathetic unity is so important, especially as we share with others how God has been there for us, growing us through our own particular heartaches.

Have you a favorite scripture to share, or any parting words of wisdom for us busy moms, about keeping our priorities close to heart and home?

One of my favorite verses is, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.” So often we worry and struggle in anxiety, thinking the Lord isn’t working in our life, causing our hearts to be sick and sad. If in those times we would only put our hope in Him and His plans (those that we can’t see) our roots would grow deep and strong, able to hold us through the hard times and pull a deep knowing faith to the surface of our lives.

Also, hug your children and let them know they were created by an awesome God–so what does that make them? And love your husband–often, we neglect them and it is to our own detriment, their love and support is God’s blessing to us. Keep it alive!

Excellent advice, to keep our hope in Him and His plans, and trust Him to unfold them as we walk in His ways.

Thank you again, Elisa, and may God bless the next novel He lays on your heart!

Be sure to visit Elisa Mayo at her website:

http://www.elisamayo.com/

I now have two 15 pound birds in the house, thanks to our local grocery store having a buy-one-get-one-free deal on turkeys!

So it’s beginning to feel a lot like Thanksgiving!

I’ve been wanting to do some fun things this year, maybe start some new traditions. Here are a few appealing ideas–some I came across on the net, and some from me:

• Making a Thanksgiving apron for the Grandmas in your life…this is cute…they took a variety of autumn fabrics and traced the grandkid’s hands, cut them out and put them on the apron, and then decorated them into “turkeys” with puff paints!
• Having a Kernel of Thanks sharing time at the Thanksgiving table. This would be a good time to share the amazing story of Squanto and God’s plan and preparing him for the pilgrims…
• Thanksgiving games
• Watch the Macy’s Parade (did this every year growing up!)
• Make tissue paper leaves. Cut brown, orange, red and yellow tissue paper into small squares. Spread a section of contact paper sticky-side-up on your table and cover it with the tissue squares. Top it with another side of contact paper and trace leaves (that you’ve picked and traced onto cardboard). Cut them out. My kids loved this craft…and if you end up with enough leaves you can make a flat wreath…
• Buy a special Thanksgiving book to be read every year at Thanksgiving.

“Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow.”
- Edward Sandford Martin

How do you celebrate Thanksgiving? Tell me about it…your favorite foods, the places you visit, the traditions you return to time and again…

I checked the Shoemaker Update Blog this morning, and discovered that our sweet friend of many years died at 2 A.M. today.

I’ve blogged about Gail at least three times here at Home-steeped Hope. Twice asking for prayer for her and her husband of thirty years, and their six children. And one other time, about her influence on me.

After nine months of battling brain cancer, Gail is now with her Father in heaven…pain free, able to sing and move without the aid of a wheelchair. No doubt hearing Him say, “Well done, my good and faithful daughter.”

I couldn’t sleep when my husband and I went to bed around midnight last night. I lay there with goosebumps and tears in my eyes, feeling an incredible sense of awe and picturing Gail’s entrance into Heaven. Perhaps somewhere in the lyrics of the Acappella song I shared yesterday, lay the seeds of my imaginings, for at this point, I only knew that her Heaven-time was nearing. Little did I know that she was only hours from riding that chariot, meeting Jesus, and sitting at the welcome table.

Please pray for her family as they are encompassed by all the practical things that must happen when a loved one dies. How blessed we all are, to have known and loved Gail.

My seven year old has been learning portions of John 14 for Awana. What a great passage, reminding us that Jesus has prepared a place for all of us who love Him. And that His peace accompanies loss.

John 14:27
“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”

And finally a quote to sum up how bittersweet times like these are:

“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” ~Carol Sobieski

Thank you, Gail, for your servant’s heart, and for your love for Him, so evident to all who knew you.

Stevia is an awesome natural non-caloric sugar substitute available at your local health food store. And it packs 200-300 times the sweetness of sugar, so you don’t need as much. And you can use it in all your baking!

My next question is, have you heard of the dangers and side effects of Splenda? I recommend you read an article titled: Sugar Substitutes and the Potential Dangers of Splenda. The author, though very careful to remain objective, likens Splenda to pesticides. Scary.

Here’s some more info on stevia from the article. Incidentally, stevia has been used successfully in Japan for more than twenty years now.

“We’ve known about stevia in the US since 1918, but pressure from the sugar import trade blocked its use as a commodity. Today stevia is slowly gaining steam as a sugar substitute, despite similar hurdles. The FDA has approved its use as a food supplement, but not as a food additive due to a lack of studies. Stevia can be used for anything you might use sugar in, including baking. It is naturally low in carbohydrates. You can buy stevia at most health food stores and over the web. There will always be those who have a sensitivity to a substance, but based on reports from other countries it appears to have little to no side effects. For women who want to move through their cravings for sugar without artificial chemicals, stevia is a great option.”

For people on no-sugar diets, or for diabetics, or for anyone who wants to be more health-conscious–this is valuable information!

So, have you heard about stevia? If so, please tell us what you think…

For more info and The Stevia Cookbook, visit this stevia website!

One of our family’s favorite CDs is Live From Paris by Acappella. We can’t help singing along with these amazing guys whose only instruments are their voices. And when I hear this one, my emotions get me every time…my husband and I both want it played at our funerals! What a song of celebration it is!

Holy City

–Acappella lyrics

You know that I’m gonna view that holy city
Oh, I’m gonna view that holy city one of these days, Hallelujah!
I’m gonna view that holy city
I’m gonna view that holy city one of these days, one of these days

You know that I’m gonna meet my loving Jesus
Oh, I’m gonna meet my loving Jesus one of these days, Hallelujah!
I’m gonna meet my loving Jesus
I’m gonna view that holy city, (and I will) meet my loving Jesus one of these days, one of these days

You know that I’m gonna sit at the welcome table
Oh, I’m gonna sit at the welcome table one of these days, Hallelujah!
I’m gonna sit at the welcome table
I’m gonna view that holy city, (and I will) meet my loving Jesus, (we’re gonna) sit at the welcome table one of these days, one of these days

You know that I’m gonna feast on milk and honey
Oh, I’m gonna feast on milk and honey one of these days, Hallelujah!
I’m gonna feast on milk and honey
I’m gonna view that holy city, (and I will) meet my loving Jesus, (we’re gonna) sit at the welcome table, (and we will) feast on milk and honey one of these days, one of these days

Bridge:
You know that I’m…
One of these days… I’m
Way up there with my Lord
Hey… I… won’t be tired no more

You know that I’m gonna sing and never get tired
Oh, I’m gonna sing and never get tired one of these days, Hallelujah!
I’m gonna sing and never get tired
I’m gonna view that holy city, (and I will) meet my loving Jesus, (we’re gonna) sit at the welcome table, (and we will) feast on milk and honey, (keep singing) sing and never get tired one of these days, one of these days

You know that I’m gonna view that holy city
Oh, I’m gonna view that holy city one of these days, Hallelujah!
I’m gonna view that holy city
I’m gonna view that holy city, (and I will) sing and never get tired, (we’re gonna) sing and never get tired, (and we will) sing and never get tired, (oh, we’re gonna) sing and never get tired one of these days, one of these days

**********

Bet you didn’t realize I had a bit of “southern gospel” in me, did you? Listen, you’ve got to hear this, follow this link for a special experience! (Just scroll beneath the CD and click on the song title and be BLESSED!!!)

I’m in the middle of Tricia Goyer’s latest novel, A Shadow of Treason, book two in the Chronicles of the Spanish Civil War series (the first book in the series is A Valley of Betrayal). You can read the first chapter of Shadow of Treason here.

About Shadow of Treason…

Sophie discovers that nothing is as she first imagined. When Walt, the reporter who helped her over the border, shows up again after Guernica is bombed, Sophie is given an impossible mission. She must leave behind the man she’s fallen in love with and return to the person who betrayed her. Another layer of the war in Spain is revealed as Sophie is drawn into the international espionage schemes that could turn the tide of the war and help protect the soldiers from the International Brigade … she must find a way to get a critical piece of information to Walt in time.

Mary’s thoughts…

The kids? Outside. Supper? Leftovers. Me? Cozy in my reading chair flipping pages in this book! At chapter ten I tore myself away and quickly put this post together for my stop on her blog tour! I’m hooked. I love Tricia’s portrait of war-torn Spain, its passionate people and whew, intrigue all over the place! If you love historicals, and want to learn about the Spanish Civil War in a most enjoyable way…invest in this series!

Q and A with Tricia:

Q: A Shadow of Treason follows A Valley of Betrayal. This is the first time you’ve written books as a series instead of stand alone. Which way do you like better?

A: I love writing in series. It was great to continue with the same characters. In my stand-alone books I fell in love with these people and then I had to say good-bye after one book. It was wonderful to be able to continue on.

Q: In A Shadow of Treason Sophie must return to the person who betrayed her in an effort to help the Spanish people. It makes the book hard to put down because the reader has to know how Sophie’s heart will deal with it. Why did you decide to make this an element of the book?

A: There are very few of us who go through life without giving away a part of our hearts to someone who didn’t deserve it. Even though Sophie had the best intentions, she gave away her heart and she was hurt-not only that she must revisit those emotions.

I wanted to include this element-to delve into the topic that emotions are sometimes as big of a trap as any physical cage. Emotions are real and they guide us — even when we don’t want to admit it. Poor Sophie, not only does she have to deal with a war around her — she also has to deal with a war within herself. It’s something I’ve battled, and mostly likely others have too.

Q: There is an interesting element that arises in this book and that is Spanish gold. I know you can’t tell us what happens in this book, but can you give us a brief history of this gold?

A: Sure. When I was researching I came upon something interesting. The Spaniards, as we know, had taken much Aztec and Inca gold during the time of the conquistadors. Well, at the start of The Spanish Civil War much of this gold was still held in Madrid. In fact Spain had the fourth largest gold reserves in the world at that time. The Republican government was afraid Franco would take the city and the gold. They had to get it out of Madrid and this included transporting priceless artifacts. The element of gold does make its way into my story. It was great to include this little-known (and true!) element into my story.

Q: Another historical fact I learned about was the Nazi involvement during this time. Not only were the Germans active in Spain, but they had spy networks busy around the world. How did you find out about this?

A: I love reading tons of research books. Usually I find one little element that I dig out and turn into a plot line. This is what happened with my plot-line for the Nazi pilot, Ritter. I dug up this bit of research of Nazi involvement in Spain — and the United States — because a lot of people aren’t aware of the Nazi involvement prior to WWII. The truth is they were busy at work getting the land, information, and resources they needed far before they threatened the nations around them. The Germans knew what they wanted and how to get it. And most of the time they succeeded!

Q: A Shadow of Treason is Book Two. When will Book Three be out? Can you give us a hint of how the story continues?

A: Book Three is A Whisper of Freedom. It will be out February 2008. The characters that we love are all still in the midst of danger at the end of Book Two. Book Three continues their stories as we follow their journeys in — and (for a few) out — of Spain. It’s an exciting conclusion to the series!

Q: Wow, so we have a least one more fiction book to look forward to in the near future. Are you working on any non-fiction?

A: Yes, I have two non-fiction books that will be out the early part of 2008. Generation NeXt Marriage is a marriage book for today’s couples. It talks about our marriage role models, our struggles, and what we’re doing right as a generation. It also gives advice for holding it together.

I’ve also been privileged to work on the teen edition of Max Lucado’s book 3:16. It was a great project to work on. What an honor!

*********

Tricia Goyer is the author of six novels, two nonfiction books, and one children’s book. Her novel Night Song won ACFW’s Book of the Year for Long Historical Romance. In 2006, her novel Dawn of a Thousand Nights also won Book of the Year for Long Historical. Tricia lives in Montana with her husband and three kids where she homeschools, leads children’s church, and mentors teenage mothers.

You can find Tricia at any of these locations:

It’s Real Life Blog
GenX Parents Blog
CCM Blog
Shoutlife Blog
MySpace Blog
My Writing Mentor Blog

Or at her website: www.triciagoyer.com

And I’ve got to recommend two books and some great craft party ideas!

First, now is the time to be thinking about hosting a Christmas cookie exchange. Whether for the adult cooks in your life, or your own children and their friends (why not both?), this is a great way to kick off the giving we’re so fond of during the month of December.

In the book Great Parties for Kids by Nancy Fyke, Lynn Nejam, and Vicki Overstreet, you’ll find a two page spread on how to host a “Favorite Cookie Swap” for the kids in your life. Basically, each guest brings three dozen cookies, and the hostess makes about six batches of different kinds of cookies for sampling and giving away. Everyone leaves with several platefuls of variety to share with others. I like to emphasize that this is the time to make those fancy holiday cookies you only make once a year. It kind of dampens the enthusiasm if everyone brings chocolate chip cookies, know what I mean?

Also in this book, is a cute gingerbread man template to use for party invitations.

The second book I’ve got to recommend is Martha Stewart Living’s Crafts and Keepsakes for the Holidays. I was so excited to find instructions in this for classic looking homemade snow globes–something my 7 year old has been wanting to make since last Christmas! I marked several great projects in this book, from jingle bell wreaths to real ribbon chains (remember the construction paper chains we all made as kids for the tree?), to awesome silver origami ornaments to hang in your windows…

Do you have any great Christmas projects in mind for this year’s celebrations?

Dreaming of Christmas reds and evergreens,

Mary

I recently read Tamera Alexander’s Revealed, a historical fiction and the second in her Fountain Creek Chronicles series. What a great series, btw.

This one is about a reformed prostitute, Annabelle Grayson, who by marriage was rescued from the lifestyle, only to lose her new husband early on in their marriage. Long story short: she needs a driver/trail guide to take her west to her deceased husband’s ranch and the man volunteering for the job is her husband’s estranged brother. He also happens to be a self-righteous Christian who can’t see past her sordid past to the new creature in Christ that she’s become.

I cried in the book when I came to their first night on the trail. Annabelle trys valiantly to start a fire to fix their evening meal, but she’s never gotten the hang of striking a spark with flint. On her 70th or so strike, she finally succeeds only to glance behind at her brother-in-law (who incidentally wasn’t offering to help her–he can’t stand her) to see that he’s already got a huge fire blazing on the other side of the wagon, and has already bedded down for the night.

For someone who already felt “unworthy” because of her past…can you imagine the defeat, the sorrow, the hopelessness?

After this scene, Tamera Alexander wrote:

“For too long she’d been untouchable, like the leper she’d read about the other night, the one Jesus so willingly placed His hands on when all others shunned him and ran the other way. Then one morning, Kathryn Jennings had appeared in her life and that sense of isolation had begun to ebb. Kathryn had touched her life first. Followed by [other Christians]…” (my paraphrasing)

Never underestimate the power of Christ in you to change someone’s life. There are so many lost people out there being swallowed up by emptiness, haunted by the lies of the evil one. Feeling they could never live up to or be good enough for God’s “standards”.

And no wonder, with us, God’s people, being too busy *in* the church to ever look out around the church for these hurting ones. We may be the only lights in their darkness yet we miss opportunity after opportunity, lost in complacency or our own troubles…how our self-absorbedness must grieve our Heavenly Father.

Take a moment and ask God who in your life needs the kindling you can offer…and while you’re at it, don’t discount the unlovely people He may bring to mind.

I don’t want to let poverty or wealth (my own or someone else’s), beauty or ugliness (again, my own or someone else’s), abrasive people or needy ones–any of these things, come between me and God’s plan for growth in our lives.

Being willing is the first step. Wanting more of Him and less of me, is the second step. Praying for Him to open the eyes of our hearts and make us extra-sensitive to the needs of those around us is a good third.

Then it’s all about stepping out in faith, even if it means leaving our campfires in favor of helping others build theirs.

Two of my dearest homeschooling friends hosted a Fall Party this weekend. Perfect weather for it, too. We had outdoor games such as a “caramel apple walk”, treasure hunts, egg-and-spoon relays and a picnic-bonfire with a guitar-led sing-along time.

At the outset, I found myself with another mom, slightly older than me and a complete stranger, behind the scenes in the fishing booth. And as we hooked candy to clothespins and tugged away at fishing lines, we chatted about life, our faith, and homeschooling. Sharing from our hearts. Complete strangers with strong common denominators.

Afterwards, at home, I told my husband about it–through tears. Now I’m not easily given to tears. Perhaps they came more easily because I was losing my voice and in the beginning stages of a bad cold. Or perhaps it was our hugely busy week or my 2 A.M. bedtime the previous night. Mostly I think it culminated from weeks of feeling discouraged about the many flopping hats I’m attempting to wear in this life.

It really hit home to me the other day in the grocery line, when the friendly cashier asked me if I was still homeschooling. I told her I was and we talked about how busy life was, and that it never slows down. Then I said something in kind of a flippant manner:

“Homeschooling takes so much of me I have no time for other hobbies.”

I may have said it flippantly, but I’ve been really down about the lack of writing time since school started. I fear that my novels will still be waiting in their files when this computer crashes, and if they somehow survive on my flash drive it will be years before I get back to them. Part of me is okay with that. Part of me is viewing homeschooling as a sacrifice, which doesn’t feel good at all. Because really, what are mere books–which may never get published–compared to the lives and futures of my children?

I’ve held a lot of these feelings in because everyone in this world makes sacrifices. And I’ve got the most wonderful job in the universe…sometimes I wish the payscale was better…but that’s why my moments in the fishing booth were such a reward to my soul.

There are people who look down on families that choose to home educate. They’re always touting the perks of public education, they’re making good money with their two incomes and able to not only “keep up with the Joneses” but leave the “Joneses” in the white-out of their private jet streams.

I’ve been surrounded by these kinds of people lately, and buying into the lies of discontentment. Not seeing the wealth I have within arms reach. My children! My few little acres of promise here in the country. My freedom to love God, and to teach my babies to love Him (and enabling them to learn everything else they need to know). My hard-working husband who wants me here alongside him at the helm of our little world. Our amazing marriage. My parents and sisters who are my biggest cheerleaders in this homeschooling journey. Loving in-laws. My friends, new and old.

Homeschooling is hard! It takes hours of planning, especially now that I’ve got a 4th grader to keep up with (!)…it means saying “no” to many things I’d love to be doing. But it also means maxing out on family-love, and discovering awesome truths about this life together. It’s a team experience, where one looks out for all, and all look out for one. That kind of genuine love is a by-product of this lifestyle.

Not saying it can’t happen outside of homeschooling, not at all. My husband is proof that it can, as are many others. But it’s a truth of which I needed reminded.

And I was reminded. Behind the humble cardboard partition of a homemade fishing booth, which incidentally, was plastered with botanical pictures and scientific facts.

All in all, a very educational and enlightening experience.

It felt so good staying home tonight, gutting pumpkins with hubby and doctoring up the seeds with the girlies. Acappella singing “This Little Light of Mine” in the background and chicken stir-fry sizzling in the skillet.

My theory on Halloween is that it’s not worth losing friends over. Every year I’ve struggled with not wanting my girls to feel like they’re “missing out”, and you know what? They aren’t. Halloween is a big deal to my in-laws. We used to participate, dressing the girls up as princesses, ballerinas, ladybugs… and my middle daughter dressed as “Mary Had A Little Lamb” for about three years in a row. (Hey, it was a fantastic costume hand-sewn by yours truly! And middle’s a puny lil thing, youngest is growing into middle’s shirts and jammies, etc)

Clarification: When I say “participate”, I mean we’d go to Grandma’s with frosted pumpkin cookies for everyone and show off our cutenesses and then make a couple more special stops, dropping off more cookies as we made our short trip back home.

Last year we went to a church-sponsored Fall Festival. That felt even more like “Halloween” than dressing up and making the family rounds. Not for us. So my youngest had no idea what Halloween was about. We had dental appointments in town today, and of course, ran into some adults dressed…weirdly. She has now had an education about October 31st.

My oldest tried to prepare youngest for some cousins stopping by that would be dressed as witches. Oldest said very seriously, “they’ll be dressed like little old ladies in black, sweetie”…hee hee. Sigh.

I realize my viewpoints on dressing children as witches is antiquated and borderline offensive to most who see it as harmless. I *try* to give the benefit of the doubt, but knowing that the Wiccan religion is alive and well, and that there are actual colleges of witchcraft, well, seeing little ones treat it lightly kind of makes me sad. I know they’re only doing it in fun. Deuteronomy 18:10-12 and Exodus 22:18 show us God’s view of witchcraft. Why emulate something He condemns, even in fun?

So back to tonight. We bought candy at the Christian book store…strawberry cremes with scripture verses printed on the packaging, and we stamped crosses and verses on white treat bags before filling them with a variety of candies. When you live out in the country as we do, you don’t get many trick or treaters, and the ones you do get are usually family.

We had two! They brought us treats as well, which was the best of them! In case my oldest sister is reading this, thanks for the dirt cups…the worms were a real hit with 3 year old! After supper, she was happily digging in and said, matter-of-factly, “Is this out of Aunt K’s garden?”

And for the record, the pumpkin seeds we roasted were nasty. Definitely not as yummy as last years. Not sure what I messed up…

But all in all, still a very nice evening!