"Be an opener of doors for such as come after thee."
I would rather be what God chose to make me than the most glamorous creature that I could think of. For to have been thought about, born in God’s thoughts, and then made by God, is the dearest, grandest, and most precious thing in all thinking.
George MacDonald, Scottish author, poet, and minister
Inspiration to J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, and G. K. Chesterton
A photo of my grandmother, Marion Rossman Mann, with tablecloths she crocheted.
My grandmother loved to knit, tat, and crochet. She embellished the edges of plain cotton pillowcases and handkerchiefs with tatting, a delicate lace made by looping and knotting a single cotton thread. She crocheted beautiful doilies and tablecloths, which now grace the homes of her children and grandchildren.
And, of course, she made practical items, cranking out mittens and slippers faster than any cottage industry. In fact, Nannie became so proficient at mitten production that in her later years (she lived to be 102), the only diagram she needed was a rough tracing of a little hand on some old scrap of paper. Then she went to work, giving life to her creation from the patterns stored in her memory.
Sometimes a family member would ask for a specific color or buy a skein of yarn for her to make into something special. But I found I was most satisfied when I simply let her create. Then whatever piece I chose carried the style and design that was uniquely hers.
Even our college roommates recognized Nannie-made mittens and asked for them as Christmas gifts.
In the same way, each creation of our Heavenly Father illustrates His distinctive flair for design—including you and me. Continue Reading…
Have you ever been afraid to believe in God’s love?
I wrestled with this question along with the main characters of Siri Mitchell’s novel Love’s Pursuit.
Love’s Pursuit takes place in the Puritan village of Stoneybrooke, Massachusetts, during the 1640’s. The story starts out like any typical historical romance. First, we meet Susannah Phillips, a gently-reared girl, unaware of her own beauty. She obeys all the rules, including setting her sights on the right man to marry. Enter Daniel Holcombe, handsome soldier of the king, to shake up Susannah’s world. Daniel questions the whys and wherefores of Susannah’s chosen life and stirs her heart in a most disturbing manner.
There’s also a poignant subplot, involving a woman who keeps to the fringes of society. A cruel father named her Small-hope and convinced her that’s all she could expect out of life. Small-hope’s transformation becomes a compelling part of this novel.
It all sounds familiar, yes? But don’t assume you know where this tale is going. Love’s Pursuit is more complex than that. The author takes her richly-drawn characters on an unforgettable journey and stirs up questions in the reader’s heart along the way.
Siri Mitchell’s novel is a celebration of how—in the way of a man with a maid—God pursues us, wishing only to lavish us with His love.
Now that I’ve enjoyed reading this book, I’d like to give it away to one of you!
My First Book Giveaway
Since I’ve been wanting to do Book Giveaways on my blog, I decided try one out to see how it goes. If enough people participate, I’ll do some giveaways of Christian fiction through companies that provide those books when they’re hot off the presses. This Giveaway Contest will involve a name being randomly drawn from all those entered. This contest ends on October 5th.
Here’s how you can initially enter the contest and then add to your chances of winning:
#1 Subscribe to this blog. To do this. enter your email address in the sidebar subscription space—but you’re not done yet. An email will be sent to you. You must click on the link provided in the email to complete the subscription process. You are not subscribed until you’re verified through that email. Note: If you’re a new friend, you may have to include your email in your comment so I’ll be able to match your name to the address. Be sure to write it like this jenniebee[at]yahoo[dot]coma and not like this jenniebee@yahoo.com.
#2 Add a comment here to let me know that you are now a subscriber and would like to be entered for a chance to win this book.
#3 You can increase your chances of winning by commenting on any post on this blog. Each time you comment, I will add your name to the drawing again.
#4 You can become a follower through Google Friend Connect to enter. If you enter this way, you will need to include your email address in a comment that lets me know you are now a follower. Please type you address like this jenniebee[at]yahoo[dot]com instead of like this jenniebee@yahoo.com. This foils the plots of the auto-spammers.
#5 Get a friend to join my blog and make sure they tell me in their comment that you sent them!
Treat yourself to an excerpt from the novel: Continue Reading…
I’ve always loved the story of the Woman at the Well.
I first experienced it as a teen, during a summer spent teaching Backyard Bible Clubs. Once a week for ten weeks, I told the woman’s story. Each time, in a different backyard to a different group of children. The kids and I especially appreciated the visuals, in which a sweet-faced Samaritan woman gazed at Christ from eyes filled with questions.
I remember thinking, She looks just as uncertain about letting this Stranger into her life as I was!
During the fall of my junior year in high school, I gave my life to the Lord. I’d been attending a teen Bible study taught by a young Christian man, who won our hearts with his gentle friendliness and clear teaching. Through the influence of our teacher and my older sister, I became a believer.
Soon, I began attending church and spending time with fellow Christians. Though the folks I met at church and study and youth events were always encouraging and kind, I couldn’t help but feel I’d entered a strange new world.
I wonder if that’s how the Samaritan woman felt on the day she encountered Christ. Continue Reading…
Lesson for a Teacher has been added to the new short story section of my blog. Take a break, pour a cup of coffee, and spend a moment reading an uplifting story.
The more we let God take us over, the more truly ourselves we become. Because He made us. He invented us. He invented all the different people you and I were intended to be. It is when I turn to Christ, when I give up myself to His personality, that I first begin to have a real personality of my own.
C. S. Lewis, novelist, essayist, academic, Christian apologist, and unique child of God
While driving back and forth to school this week, I was transfixed by the beauty of the clouds. You can see in the photo how they filled the sky as far as my eye could see. They brought to mind a Bible verse that speaks of the invisible, spiritual cloud which encircles our world today.
Hebrews 12:1 reads, Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.
Imagine a multitude of witnesses watching with wonder as we live out the lives God gave us. And who are the witnesses He honors by mentioning them in the lines before this verse? People like Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Gideon, Sarah, and Rahab.
Do you know their stories? They were liars, cheats, usurpers, cowards, manipulators, murderers, and more. Continue Reading…
This year I joined with Project 2, 996 to repost a tribute to one of the fallen heroes of 9/11. Click on this link for the Project 2, 996 Blog to find short tributes for some of the other men and women we lost on September 11, 2001.
Lt. Paul Thomas “Big Daddy” Mitchell
World Trade Center
In every firehouse in New York, somebody like Paul T. Mitchell takes the probies under his wing, nurturing them and giving them just enough grief to make sure they can endure. In Fort Greene, Brooklyn, at the Tillary Street firehouse, Big Daddy Mitchell taught everything: how to jump in when trouble calls, what to grab when you hear seven bells — the code sending Ladder 110 on a run. Continue Reading…
I teach literature in a Christian high school by day and write inspirational fiction by night. I love to share heart-touching quotes and stories on my blog, Doorkeeper. I'm so glad you stopped by to visit me. Blessings! ~Renee Ann Smith~
