It's Christmas time!

Well, I imagine that most of you are as busy as I have been. I wrapped gifts all day today (with a few Christmas movie breaks in between). I simply cannot believe that Christmas is nearly here.

Time goes so fast!

This year is going to be very different for us. Many family members will be gone, and two of our three sons will not be home for Christmas eve or Christmas day. Makes me rather melancholy. I do get to see them the week following Christmas though!

This year has brought about many changes in my life. I have grown in many ways, and learned quite a lot! I continue to marvel at what God is teaching me.

As God continues to bring opportunities for Jeff and I to share our testimony, I am thankful for all the people that I meet. Each one has brought something special into my life and heart. I look forward to the special things that I will be doing in 2011.

We will be at the Bolivar Wesleyan Church on Sunday, January 23. Sharing at the morning service at 10:30.

I am learning to produce the Circle of Friends radio program on 95.9 the Light. I will also be attending another Writer's conference in February. I am hoping to be involved in the Ministry that I posted about in the previous post. I am writing a few things to record for it.

Along with that, I will also attend the Circle of Friends Conference on February 26, 2011.
Love Me Back To Life is the theme this year. It will be held at Fisher Auditorium in Wooster, Ohio. For more information go to www.circleoffriends.fm.

That will keep me busy until March, when I get to help cater for another Married Life Live at NewPointe church.

I will also be moving the GriefShare classes to Monday and adding a morning class for those that do not like to drive at night. If you are interested, be sure to contact the church for more information. Classes begin on Monday, January 3. 9:00 a.m. and again at 5:30 p.m.

Needless to say, my year continues to be busy, but I am looking forward to it!

Well, I will close this post here and wish you all a very blessed Christmas, and a Happy New Year.

A GREAT new ministry

Well happy December to all of you! I woke up this morning to find snow lightly covering the ground...it may be pretty, but it is COLD! Brrrr. Not a favorite of mine. Speaking of favorites, I now have a new favorite ministry that I want to share with you.

It is called Women Inspired, two minutes to greatness! www.womeninspired.org.

Do you know your purpose? Are you living with passion?

God wants you to succeed. He desires for you to live a life of abundance, joy, and purpose. He longs to fill you with passion for Him, for your family, your friends, and your work.

The Women Inspired Call is inspired women encouraging, inspiring, and motivating YOU, to live YOUR LIFE with intent, purpose, and joy, to the glory of God.

If you want to live your life more passionately or are searching for your purpose, we want to help empower you to find it and live it…THIS CALL IS FOR YOU.

• You’ll gain insight on God’s direction for your life.
• You’ll be encouraged to live with PASSION, by women who live passionately.
• You’ll be led to become more intimate with the Lord.
• You’ll receive daily motivation by women who have faced obstacles, but persevered, and overcame.
• You’ll be encouraged by women who understand life’s struggles and are committed to bravely support you, as you journey through yours.
• The daily calls will inspire you to receptively receive all God desires from you.

Want to be motivated, encouraged, or inspired to live a life of purpose? Do you desire more passion and joy? Long to live for the glory of the Lord? Or, know someone who does? If so, THIS CALL IS FOR YOU!!!

I personally know Julie Gorman, she is the "Tuesday woman" She is the host of a program on blogtalk radio called His Love Extended.
I had the privilege and honor of being interviewed by Julie on August 18, 2010. You can go to her link above and look in the archived programs if you would like to listen to that program.

Julie sent me a message a couple of weeks ago and introduced me to Clint Steel, who is the founder of the Women Inspired ministry. I responded immediately to the e-mail and left my phone number. Within a matter of five minutes I received a phone call from Clint! He shared his heart and the vision of this ministry. I was so impressed with all that I heard. He asked if I would like to sign up for the free ten days of two minute messages. I did, and I have been blessed by the wonderful words that I have heard for the past several days. I fully intend to be a permanent recipient of these encouraging messages. I will also be an occasional contributor, along with my friend Virelle Kidder, and a few other online friends.

If you click on the links directly below this paragraph you can hear two samples of these inspirational calls.
www.facebook.com/home.php#!/video/video.php?v=1487614795112

www.2minutestogreatness.com/choose-your-call/women-inspired go to this site to hear other calls.

www.facebook.com/home.php#!/profile.php?id=1376215153 This is a great advertisement with women encouraging you to listen!

This is something I think is important. Women, all women need encouragement. Please check this out and let me know what you think by sending me a message here on my blog!

Thanks for taking the time to read this and to take a listen for yourself!

What a blessing

I hope all of you that read this blog will be happily spending time with those that you love. This country has afforded us the opportunity to celebrate this holiday by feasting...stuffing ourselves with tasty but un-necessary foods. We all love the turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and so on. I know that I certainly do. This year my Thanksgiving will be far different than in years past. It will be difficult being without family members that we usually celebrate with. A bit melancholy to say the least. Nonetheless, I am grateful to God for all that we do have. My son's are all home for this holiday and for that my husband and I are truly grateful for! We live in a free country, we have jobs, although we have very little work at our business. I am not complaining since I am so thankful we have jobs.

What I am trying to say is I am thankful for so much, but I don't want to lose sight of the important things. Our health, our home, our family but mostly our God!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you, and God's richest blessings to you all!

Fall

Happy Fall! I hope all of you have been busy and blessed. My fall has been busy and will continue to be so so the posts are sparse.

In the past couple of weeks I have had two speaking engagements, the counseling center where I work has moved in to a beautiful new permanent facility, I finished my canning, I have another speaking engagement Friday evening, a banquet, a missions gathering, and small group! Whew I am tired.

Thanks for checking back to look for any updates.

Last night I was privileged to to speak to the Bolivar Wesleyan church Ladies group and met many new people and was thrilled to see a few familiar faces as well. Thanks ladies for your kindness and attentiveness! You all are a blessing!

I am excited about the Circle Of Friends' - Girlfriends event. This year we are hosting three different school districts at two events. Both of which I have the privilege and blessing to be a part of. Girls and moms, I look forward to meeting you, and if we have already met I look forward to hearing form you! What a blessing it is! And Rhoda Troyer from RIG and Co brought some great ideas to the girls about how to dress, what works and what doesn't! Lovely to see Rhoda again and to glean form her knowledge.

I hope you are all blessed and have a great day!!!

It appears that I have been too busy to blog

It's true, I have been so busy I have not had time to blog. Let me show you just what I have been up to: So what do you think?

Not convinced, let me show you a few more.









How about now? Still not convinced?

OK what bout now? Well nevertheless, I truly have been busy, but I will also reap the benefits of my labors time and again over the winter months. So, just enjoy the pictures and I'll think about you as I am enjoying the wonderful home canned goods.

I have also begun working on a new book. It is inspirational fiction. It is something to fill in between the edits of Through My Tears, and in addition to Hot Flashes With A Side Of Garlic Bread.

So there! I have reasons for not blogging. What is your reason? Please share it with me.

Blog Tour for Between A Rock And A Grace Place

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vo9BaL4p-xc&feature=playerembedded#!

The above link is a preview of Carol's book. Click on it and it will take you to youtube.

The links below are additional ways that you can win a copy of Carol's book Between A Rock And A Grace Place.

http://christianspeakerservices1.wordpress.com/blog/

http://www.facebook.com/CSSVBT.CarolKent.BetweenaRockandaGracePlace

Questions/Answers from Carol Kent

Tell us about the Christmas gift you received. How did it help you to find grace in the middle of a seemingly hopeless situation?

Two weeks before Christmas our doorbell rang at 9:15 p.m. It was dark outside and by the time my husband, Gene, joined me at the front door, we were surprised to find no one there. It was already dark, but my eyes fell on a large, exquisitely wrapped gift. The card on top said, “Mom.” Initially, it felt like a bad joke. Nine years earlier our son, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy had been arrested for murdering his wife’s first husband and he was in prison serving a life-without-the-possibility-of-parole sentence.

However, I am a “Mom” and the package was left on my doorstep, so I opened it. The note appeared to be in my son’s unique handwriting. The note expressed his deep love for me and his gratefulness for what I had done to help him since his arrest. He said a “friend” had helped him deliver the surprise. Opening the box, I discovered a gorgeous russet-colored silk jacket—and it fit me perfectly.

That night I discovered something new about God and something I had forgotten about myself. He loves to interject divine surprises into our lives. His timing is always perfect, but it had been a while since I had been surprised by joy, wonder, and grace in the middle of one of the tight spots of life.

What are “grace places,” and how can hurting people in need find them?

All of us experience tight spots when life turns out differently from our dream. When we face the overwhelming obstacles of life, we can experience the last thing we ever expect—the sweet spot of grace. Grace places have a variety of forms, but some include:

• Receiving love when we don’t deserve it
• Finding safety in the middle of a fearful and uncertain experience
• Being comforted by friends and family (people who are extensions of God’s love)
• Experiencing the embrace of God when we have run out of strength and courage

“Grace means the free, unmerited, unexpected love of God, and all the benefits, delights, and comforts which flow from it.” (R.P.C. Hanson)

How important are contentment and gratitude in finding grace and peace?

My son, Jason, is teaching me that I need to choose contentment and thanksgiving in all things. As an inmate in a maximum-security prison, all of his personal items must fit in one small one-foot-high and one-and a half-feet-deep and two-and-a half feet long steel lockbox. He has learned to live comfortably with very little, which brings him a surprising sense of peace.

When I was visiting him one weekend I asked how he holds on to hope in the middle of a life-without-the-possibility-of-parole sentence. He said, “Mom, I have a gratitude list. Whenever the clouds of depression try to discouragement, I get out a piece of paper and write down everything I have to be thankful for. I’m thankful I have two parents who will be my advocates for as long as they live. The average number of years a lifer gets visits is five years and then no one comes anymore. I’m also thankful I can be a missionary on a compound that houses up to 1,700 men.” I’m learning from Jason that I find contentment when I choose to be thankful and when I invest my time in helping other people.

What are some unexpected gestures of kindness you’ve received in the past, and how did they help you through difficult times?

A couple of years ago Jason’s appendix ruptured and he was rushed from the prison to a civilian hospital. Gene and I were not allowed to know where he was and I prayed for someone to care for him as a mother would. He had two armed guards in his room at all times. Nurse Betty was assigned to Jason’s care. She treated him with respect and extraordinary care—and I knew she was a direct answer to my prayers.

A group of people who called themselves our “Stretcher Bearers” received an e-mailed monthly update on how to help with our needs. We were blessed with meals, cards, and financial gifts, often just before we needed extra funds for the next legal payment. These amazing people waited with us for two and a half years through seven postponements of the trial.

How has your definition of adventure changed over the years, and why is it important to retain adventure in your life, despite your situation?

True adventure is seeing the potential of living for things that matter in the middle of your current circumstances. We had the adventure of launching a nonprofit organization that helps to empower our son to facilitate classes by having books and DVD teaching series sent to the prison. We also have the adventure of reaching out to other people who are in crisis, which brings purpose and deep meaning to our lives.

There is a theme of surprise throughout the book. What is one of the greatest surprises you’ve had?

The powerful story of Tammy Wilson and Matthew Ben Rodriguez is in this book. Tammy contacted me after I spoke at an event she attended because my son is incarcerated in the same prison where Matt, the man who killed her mother thirteen years ago is incarcerated. She had been praying for someone to lead Matt to Christ and asked if Jason would try to meet him. It turned out that Jason and Matt were already friends and this amazing story is one of forgiveness, redemption, and restoration that can only be explained in the supernatural dimension.

Between a Rock and a Grace Place releases 10 years after your son, Jason, was sentenced to life in a maximum security prison and includes excerpts from Jason’s letters. Can you tell us how he’s doing now?

He has just taken his 8th group of men through Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University Course and he will be facilitating a biblical counseling class on marriage and family this fall. He has a prayer group of twelve inmates who fast and pray for the needs of each other and their families. Prison is a depressing, dark, and sad place, but Jason is living for things that will outlast him.

When you received news about Jason’s clemency hearing being denied, how did you respond?

I wailed like a baby, sobbed, felt angry, hurt, and disappointed in God. Then we saw Jason a day after this devastating news. He was calm and very much at peace. He hugged me as I wept and said, “Mom, this case isn’t about having the best attorney or about having the favor of Florida’s top executive political leaders. If I am ever allowed to walk in freedom in this lifetime, it will be because God miraculously opened a door that was closed.” My son helps me to develop an eternal perspective and that day he comforted me.

What advice do you have for those who are stuck between a rock and a grace place?

In the middle of your own hurt reach out to someone else who needs help worse than you do. When you involve yourself in meeting the needs of others, you discover an unexpected freedom on the inside. Corrie ten Boom once said, “What did you do today that only a Christian would have done?”

As a result of your journey, you and your husband have founded the nonprofit organization Speak Up for Hope. What are the goals of the organization, and how can people get involved?

Our vision: To help inmates and their families adjust to their new normal.

Our mission: We exist to provide hope to inmates and their families through encouragement and resources.

Please go to www.speakupforhope.org for a list of practical ways individuals, churches, and organizations can help with specific projects. Our goal is to live out the truth of Prov. 31:8-9: “Speak up for the people who have no voice, for the rights of all the down-and-outers. Speak out for justice. Stand up for the poor and destitute!”

Where may we connect with you further or to purchase a copy of Between a Rock and a Grace Place?

I would love for you to visit my web site at www.CarolKent.org, browse through the various events and other resources available. You may also join me on my Facebook page, please click here.

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Read an excerpt of the book now

Between a Rock and a Grace Place by Carol Kent (Zondervan)

From bestselling author Carol Kent comes a riveting journey of facing the impassible obstacles of life and discovering the last thing ever expected—the sweet spot of grace.

Carol Kent and her husband, Gene, are now living what some would call a heartbreaking life—their son, Jason, a young man who initially had so much promise, is now living out a life sentence for murder in a maximum security prison. All their appeals have been exhausted at both the state and federal levels—humanly speaking, they have run out of options. But despite their hopeless situation, Carol and her husband live a life full of grace. Kent reveals how life’s problems become fruitful affliction where we discover the very best divine surprises, including peace, compassion, freedom, and adventure. Through the Kent’s remarkable ongoing journey, Jason’s riveting letters from behind bars, and true “grace place” stories from the lives of others, Between a Rock and a

Carol Kent

Grace Place reveals that when seemingly insurmountable challenges crash into our lives, we can be transformed as we discover God at work in ways we never imagined. With vulnerable openness, irrepressible hope, restored joy, and a sense of humor, Carol Kent helps readers to find God’s “grace places” in the middle of their worst moments.

About the Author

Carol Kent is the bestselling author of When I Lay My Isaac Down and A New Kind of Normal. Carol is an expert on public speaking, writing, and on encouraging people to hold on to hope when life’s circumstances turn out differently from their dreams. She lives in Florida with her husband Gene.

Carol Kent is a popular international public speaker best known for being dynamic, humorous, encouraging, and biblical. She is a former radio show co-host and has often been a guest on Focus on the Family and a featured speaker at Time Out for Women and Heritage Keepers arena events. She has spoken at The Praise Gathering for Believers and at Vision New England’s Congress. She is also a frequent speaker at Women of Virtue events across the country.

A complimentary copy of this book was provided to me as a blog tour host by Zondervan in exchange for posting this interview on my blog. Please visit Christian Speaker Services at www.ChristianSpeakerServices.com for more information about blog tour management services.

What the past week brought

Happy Friday!

I just want to give you all a heads up on what has been happening, and what is in the near future.

We had the opportunity to visit our son, Micah in Virginia this past weekend. We were able to attend the Awakening Festival. Third Day was AMAZING! I have a picture I want to post, but I need to get it from Micah. We stayed in a beautiful resort while there Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg!

On the right where you can see the windows with the curtains moved are a couple of the rooms/suites where it looked like some of the bands were staying.

Below here are a couple other views of the pools! Beautiful!!!





















Here you can see me standing in front of the clubhouse.


Here you can see my very intellectual looking husband, Jeff. He loves to strike a pose for the camera!


I have received word from the self publisher in regard to publishing Through My Tears. The price that was quoted was far above my budget, so it appears that is not the direction God will have me take. Unless the money appears miraculously.

I just sent in a sample of the book to another publisher along with their submission guidelines, so now, it is just a waiting game. I will continue to work with Virelle Kidder on polishing my manuscript to sent to a literary agent. Perhaps that is the direction I need to go.


What the next week will bring:


Now, I want to let you all know that I will be hosting a review on Carol Kent's new book Between A Rock and A Grace Place . on September 27 so be sure to check it out! I will also be holding a drawing to give away her book, so be sure to watch!

And make sure to follow directions for sign-up.

See you in a few days!