Friday, October 30, 2015

Susan B. Mead: Moving From Grief To Dancing With Jesus

Everyone's Story welcomes author and speaker Susan B. Mead. Susan joins us this week from Israel with the Proverbs 31 Ministries. I admire Susan for both her inner strength to move forward with her eyes on God despite life's stresses as well as her willingness to help others through tough times. It's my pleasure to host her and I hope you will enjoy her video, short interview, and her BookGiveaway offer. Both Susan and I look forward to hearing from you!


BookGiveaway:

Susan is offering 1 copy of her non-fiction book, DANCE WITH JESUS, to 1 randomly chosen commenter. The winner will be announced here on Friday, November 6th between 5-6 PM EST. To be entered in the Giveaway, please leave your contact information within your comment (you may choose to use the Contact Me form to privately send me your email address--the form is in the right-hand sidebar on the blog's main page, toward the bottom).




Questions for Susan Mead:

You come from a very tender place in wanting to help others move from grief to grace: the passing of your sister by her own hand, and then the passing of your son. Has this helped in your healing process?

I needed to see and or read about someone else who had lost and was living again-joyfully. I found a profound need to share my path for the next individual needing a helping hand and a guide along the healing journey. Someone who has been there and understands without any questioning, that’s one thing I bring to the table.

Does the calmness you speak about finding in the midst of chaos change daily? How can we learn how to be so adoptable?

Calm in the chaos of life does change, however, I choose to recalibrate often by renewing my mind daily. When I start my day in the Word of God, He calms the chaos of my day and orders my steps. Does it solve everything? No way! Yet it changes and settles the atmosphere. 

The song Lord Jesus Come is playing in the background right now.  How appropriate! To me calm is spelled J E S U S. He calms our chaos, just like He calmed the stormy seas, saying, “Quiet. Be still.” And the storm was quelled. So I invite Him into my storms and ask Him to quiet them for me.

Do more women than men tend to deal with guilt issues over “lightening up” after tragedy? If so, how can we overcome this?

I’m not an expert in this area. More women TALK than men, that we know, so the perception may be this is so. I learned that we have to accept the differences of individuals as they grieve. 

We can offer some possible things folks may (MAY!) experience, yet people simply grieve differently. And each person deserves respect for their needs, as long as it is not self-destructive or destructive to others. Then that would need a referral to someone else to guide them from a destructive to a constructive path.

So many folks simply need to know what they are experiencing is NORMAL feelings/behavior in an ABNORMAL situation. That brings a measure of calm into the chaos and is where being trained as a chaplain comes in handy!

On a lighter note, do you have a go-to favorite comfort food or other indulgence for one of life’s just-plain-old-yucky days? Myself, I find comfort watching movie-musicals!

How fun! I’ll have to try that sometime too. A great book with me curled up, tucked in and snuggled under a soft blanket on my little red love seat or sitting on a dock over water calms me. Or a massage – that always works to dump the junky stuff!

And Nestle’s Toll House chocolate chip cookies…RARE treat that my 91 year old mom makes for Thanksgiving each year-and we are getting close, so I’m thinking about them already! (Why is my mouth watering?)

Susan's Ah-hahs To Tweet
Everyone’s Story: Visit with author/speaker @SusanBMead to see how she went from chaos to calm. (Tweet This)

#BookGiveaway of @SusanBMead’s DANCE WITH JESUS: From Grief to Grace. (Tweet This)

@SusanBMead wants to know how you spell the word “Calm” and no, this isn’t a trick question! (Tweet This)

Author's Bio:
Susan Burfoot Mead is blessed to be married to my soul mate, Holt Mead, since 1979. She is the mother of two sons, Matthew, who lives in South Louisiana and Kyle, Forever 20 and in Heaven, where he is doing a Dance with Jesus. Kyle’s been there since March 29, 2008.

She wrote the book Dance With Jesus: From Grief to Grace as the answer to a question posed in the Experiencing God Bible Study she was in the midst of doing. The question asked was what does God want you to do, right now?
With the passing of her son Kyle, Susan realized things get broken, discarded or replaced. People Matter. She HAD to create time for the people who mattered MOST to her! Susan believes God gave her this gift of time to do what He wants her to do. Make His name known. Hold the hand of others as they walk a path of healing towards hope. Help others be transformed.


In 2014, Susan was ordained as a Sr. Chaplain with the International Fellowship of Chaplains, Inc. (IFOC) and certified by the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation in Critical Incidence for Stress Management (CISM) in Individual Grief, Group Grief and Grief Following Trauma.

Places to connect with Susan:

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Please note:

--I have a title change for my novel coming soon from Elk Lake Publishing: Always With You.

--I will soon launch a specially designed website that will incorporate Eveyone's Story blog. I hope you will follow me on this new site. When it goes live, I'll make the announcement!


Friday, October 23, 2015

Deanna Nowadnick: Buckle up! We’re going for a ride!

Everyone's Story welcomes back author Deanna Nowadnick. I've always thought that enthusiasm is catchy, in a positive way, and that's why I'm glad to host Deanna once again because she has a lot of zest to share. And, her source of energy is the Best! Please check out her BookGiveaway, her prologue of her new book, SIGNS IN LIFE, and her special words that she's chosen to share with you this week. Deanna and I look forward to hearing from you!




BookGiveaway:
Deanna is offering 1 copy of her non-fiction SIGNS IN LIFE to 1 randomly chosen commenter. The winner will be announced here on Friday, October 30th between 5-6 PM EST. To be entered in the Giveaway, please leave your contact information within your comment (you may choose to use the Contact Me form to privately send me your email address--the form is in the right-hand sidebar on the blog's main page, toward the bottom).



One day, Moses was taking care of sheep and goats for his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, and Moses decided to lead them across the desert to Sinai, the holy mountain. There an angel of the LORD appeared to him but it was not burning up. “This is strange!” he said to him- self. “I’ll go over and see why the bush isn’t burning up.”
When the LORD saw Moses coming near the bush, he called him by name, and Moses answered, “Here I am.”
—Exodus 3:1-4 (CEV)

    Prologue
           “If you’re going to ticket me, then ticket me!”

I scrambled out of the car, slammed the door, and kicked the rear tire. Squinting into the harsh glare of a flashlight, my first words were louder than necessary, “If you’re going to ticket me, then ticket me! I just want to get home.” Not giving the police offi- cer a chance to respond, I continued, still annoyed, still defiantly frustrated, “I’m tired. Really—I just want to get home!”

“And I just need you to slow down, ma’am. I actually stopped you, because I really just needed you to slow down and stop—at the sign back there. You’re in a school zone. It’s dark. There’s traffic.”

The officer was right. Traveling home from the gym, I’d failed to stop at a busy corner. Distracted by a young mother’s ever present to-do list, I’d rolled through an intersection, the middle school on my left, a railroad crossing on my right. Fortunately a man with a badge had cared enough to give me a much deserved warning and an undeniable lesson: road signs are an important part of safe travel.

Road signs are everywhere: SPEED LIMIT 25, SCHOOL ZONE, STOP. Yet even with signs telling us what to do and how best to do it, we still miss the signs, overlook and ignore them. But signs in life surround us for a reason and I’ve gotten costly reminders of their importance. A patrol car’s red and blue flashing lights have refocused my attention on the speed limit—more than once. Traffic cameras have reminded me to slow down in a school
zone—twice. And a police officer has re-emphasized the importance of coming to a complete stop at a busy intersection.

In addition to traffic signs, I have also overlooked and ignored directional signs. I live in Monroe, Washington, about an hour’s drive from Seattle. On a trip into the city, I programmed my car’s navigation system to get me from the freeway to a waterfront res- taurant. After three turns, I decided I knew better than my digital guide. I didn’t. I made wrong turn after wrong turn and silently cursed the afternoon’s traffic. The delay cost me time and patience and taught me a second undeniable lesson: road signs are not just an important part of safe travel, but there are consequences when ignored and overlooked.

So why don’t I follow the signs, block after block, turn after turn? Why don’t I heed the high resolution images on my car’s high definition screen? The signs were all there: a black and white sign alerting me to the speed limit, a red sign reminding me to stop, a yellow sign warning of the school zone. There were signs telling me of the exit ahead and the turn on my right. Still I ignored some, skipped others, and overlooked many. Why did I, why do I, ignore the help?

And if I struggle to get around the block, how will I ever survive the bigger journey? How will I navigate life? Not the quick trip to the grocery store, but the longer journey through adulthood? Not only the daily commute, but the more onerous trek through times of trial? Not just the trip into the city, but the turn into tempta- tion? What about my travels as a wife and mother, sister and friend? What about my travels with God?

I really do want to follow God more closely, but I’ve repeat- edly ignored the spiritual guidance that could’ve helped me in my quest. Too many times I thought I knew more, knew better. At other times I overlooked God’s directional signs and tuned out the audible instructions coming from life’s metaphorical console. And then there were those times I just didn’t pay attention.

I’m not alone. People long ago and people today, we’ve all sought to follow God more closely. The Bible shares example after example, stories that also remind us of our propensity to miss the signs. We question where we’re going. We complain about our

circumstances. In a story that spanned four decades, God led His chosen people, the Israelites, through the wilderness with a pillar of smoke by day and a pillar of fire by night, huge THIS WAY signs. Their leader, Moses, even encountered personal signs when he saw a burning bush and heard the voice of God. All these signs were important as God directed and redirected Moses and more than 600,000 Israelites on a journey that would take them from Egyptian slavery to the Promised Land.
God’s been active in all our lives, directing and redirecting. Through Bible stories and our own personal experiences, we see the signs. Through Bible stories and our own travels through life, we learn that God doesn’t just issue a citation and move on to the next offender. He steers us toward Him and His divine purpose, toward that promised place He has for each one of us. The man with the badge cared enough to warn me and cite me. God cares enough to guide me and direct me. And when I mess up? When we mess up? He forgives and redeems, redirects and refocuses—just as He did with Moses and the Israelites. And that’s a good thing, because I don’t know about you, but I need help and guidance. Often.
So here’s what you also need to know. I battle weight issues. My walk is a nagging reminder of past knee and hip surgeries. I place way too much importance on mascara and hair gel. My driving record lists way too many infractions. I get dazed and confused in places unfamiliar to me, also in places I know well. I can obsess over the smallest details, especially the insignificant and inconse- quential. I make mistakes. I wander off. I overlook the signs and miss the turn.

Moses and the Israelites made mistakes, too. On their journey to the Promised Land, they overlooked signs and missed turns. Their story is similar to my own in many ways, but strikingly different in others. I’ve never known the brutality of slavery, never been forced from my home. I’ve never had to walk through a desert, never been nomadic. I’ve never been a camper for goodness sakes! Still God’s traveled with all of us wherever we’ve been and wherever we’ve been going.

“Our travels with God are part of His story, His purpose, travels that begin right now.—Robin Dugall

Signs in Life tells of my journey and the divine signs I’ve encoun- tered along the way. In my travels, there have been directional signs, mileposts, and cautionary signs. There have been exit signs and speed limit signs. There have been signs that were seen and others that were heard. All have helped me follow God and find His purpose for my life. By sharing the signs in my life, I hope you’ll be able to see the signs in yours. I might be speeding through a stop sign—again!—while you’re navigating a busy street, but our journeys are very similar. I think we all want to be part of a greater purpose. We all want help and guidance in our understanding of God and His plans for us. And when we miss the signs, real and divine, we want to know that God will redirect and refocus us, that He will get us back on track. My pastor, Robin Dugall says, “Life with God is not just about a heavenly destination. Our travels with God are part of His story, His purpose, travels that begin right now.”

Whenever we got in the car, I used to tell my boys, “Buckle up. We’re going for a ride.” In life we’re all going for a ride. Our travels with God are an adventure in discovery and growth, an opportunity for each one of us to repeat the words of Moses, “Here I am.”

THIS WAY. This is my story, the signs in my life. So far. 





SIGNS IN LIFE: Finding Direction in Our Travels with God
by Deanna Nowadnick

I scrambled out of the car, slammed the door, and kicked the rear tire. Squinting into the harsh glare of a flashlight, my first words were louder than necessary, “If you’re going to ticket me, then ticket me! I just want to get home.” Not giving the police officer a chance to respond, I continued, still annoyed, still defiantly frustrated, “I’m tired. Really—I just want to get home.”

Yes, I was tired, but the police just needed me to slow down and stop—at a STOP sign. Sadly, it wasn’t the first time. I’ve hurried through more than one STOP sign in life. I’ve also overlooked and ignored other signs and mileposts. Through it all, I’ve learned the hard way (and the expensive way!) that road signs are an important part of safe travel, particularly the signs in my travels with God.

I’ve always wanted to follow God more closely—when it’s convenient, when it’s easy, when it feels good. But it’s not always convenient or easy, and too often I’ve ignored the spiritual guidance that could help. I’ve hurried through God’s STOP signs, overlooked and ignored His other signs. Too many times I thought I knew more, knew better. And then there were those times I just didn’t pay attention.


In my second book, Signs in Life: Finding Direction in Our Travels with God, I share my own mistakes and shortcomings both on the road and in my faith. Each chapter takes its title from a specific sign and opens with a related driving antic, some silly, some cringe-worthy. Anecdotes illustrate the spiritual signs that have highlighted my journey. Stories of Moses are woven throughout. God also used divine signs to help him navigate a forty-year journey in the wilderness. Together we take a metaphorical road trip.

I didn’t always recognize God’s signs in the moment, but looking back, I saw that I was never really lost, never ever alone. God directs and redirects. God leads us to His purpose. The signs are always there.

By sharing the signs in my life, I hope you’ll be able to see the signs in yours. I might be speeding through a STOP sign—yet again!—while you’re carefully navigating a busy street, but our journeys are very similar. I think we all want to be part of a greater purpose. We all want help and guidance in our understanding of God and His plans for us. And when we miss the signs, real and divine, we want to know that God will redirect and refocus us, that He will get us back on track.

What signs has God placed in your life?
Where have you needed to YIELD in life?
Where have you found yourself in a CONSTRUCTION ZONE with God"
As I used to say to my sons, "Buckle up! We're going for a ride!"

Deanna's previous guest appearance on Everyone's Story:


Deanna's Ah-hahs To Tweet: **Administrative note: Due to an absence at a writer's conference, these Tweets are NOT hyperlinked. Both Deanna and I would appreciate if you would please copy and paste these suggested Tweets onto Twitter and Tweet away. Thanks so much!

Meet author @DeannaNowadnick:How a speeding ticket redirected her back to God's intended journey. http://elainestock.com

Don't miss this one: #BookGiveaway of @DeannaNowadnick's SIGNS IN LIFE: FINDING DIRECTION IN OUR TRAVELS WITH GOD. http://elainestock.com


Authors' Bio:
When not responding to traffic citations, Deanna Nowadnick provides administrative support for The Planner’s Edge, an investment advisory firm in Washington State. She’s active in her church, playing the violin Sunday mornings and serving on the leadership team. She loves Bible study and delights in meetings with various women’s groups.

Deanna’s a Pacific Northwest native who’s been blessed with a wonderful marriage to Kurt. This is Deanna’s second book. Her first book, Fruit of My Spirit: Reframing Life in God’s Grace is also an inspirational memoir. Deanna’s books are available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Places to connect with Deanna:


*********************************************************************************
Please note:

--I have a title change for my novel coming soon from Elk Lake Publishing: Always With You.

--I will soon launch a specially designed website that will incorporate Eveyone's Story blog. I hope you will follow me on this new site. When it goes live, I'll make the announcement!




Friday, October 16, 2015

Jennifer Slatttery: Listening

Everyone's Story welcomes back author Jennifer Slattery. I've known Jennifer for several years now, yet her words never fail to lift  my spirits and help me to re-focus my heart and mind on the One who counts. I hope you too will feel encouraged this week with Jennifer's visit. Please check out her offerings of a blurb and thoughts on embracing the call, though told from the viewpoint of a writer, it truly applies to all of us. Jennifer and I look forward to your comments!


Blurb for Intertwined:
Abandoned by her husband for another woman, Tammy Kuhn, an organ procurement coordinator often finds herself in tense and bitter moments. After an altercation with a doctor, she is fighting to keep her job and her sanity when one late night she encounters her old flame Nick. She walks right into his moment of facing an unthinkable tragedy. Because they both have learned to find eternal purposes in every event and encounter, it doesn’t take long to discover that their lives are intertwined but the ICU is no place for romance….or is it? Could this be where life begins again?


Intertwined, part of New Hope Publisher’s contemporary fiction line, is a great reminder of how God can turn our greatest tragedies and failures into beautiful acts of love and grace. Readers will fall in love with the realistic characters and enjoy the combination of depth, heart-felt emotion and humor that makes Jennifer’s novels so appealing. Readers will be inspired to find God in every moment and encounter in their own lives.

Buy Links:
CBD
Amazon
B&N


Embracing the Call by Jennifer Slattery

When I was young, embracing risk came easy, mainly because I felt invincible, and thought very little about the future or the consequences for my actions. But then adulthood came and everything felt more serious. More… consequential, and suddenly I became risk-aversive.

When I first sensed the call to write…?

I fought it, hard, and for a long, long time. Couldn’t I do something else? Something more lucrative—with a definite paycheck? Something more secure?

I began to listen to all the naysayers, people telling me not to take my writing to seriously, to treat it more like a hobby, because, after all, very few actually get published.

So I asked God, “Could I maybe write on the side, while pursuing a real career?”

You know, the kind with clear expectations, health insurance, and a retirement plan?

His response: No safety net.

Trust.

But that was all I heard. Not, if you trust Me, then I’ll make your efforts successful. No guarantees of publication. No guarantees at all, except that I’d be resting fully in His will.

That should’ve been enough, right?

But my fears, oh, my fears…

One of my biggest? That I’d spend a lifetime pounding away at my computer with nothing to show for my efforts but a clogged hard drive full of files no one had read but me. And maybe my husband.


So I pretended not to hear, enrolled in school, and began taking math and science classes. Maybe if I poured myself into problem solving, busied myself with homework and study sessions, I wouldn’t hear that still, small voice calling me to surrender. To obey. To trust.

That was a hard, dark year. A year of inner turmoil and spiritual angst.

And eventually, of divine silence. Because that’s what happens when we begin to ignore God’s voice; it becomes harder and harder to hear Him, until we’ve lost all sensitivity to His Spirit.

One morning, an emotional mess, I grabbed my iPod, shoved my earbuds in my ears, and went for a run. To pray, and connect with Christ.

I longed to hear from God, to feel His presence like I once had, but the distance between us remained. About three miles out, I paused at a crosswalk, jogging in place, and stared up at the cloudy sky.

“What do you want me to do?” I asked.

His response: I already told you.

My swirling thoughts stilled, and a deep and peaceful certainty came over me. I knew what God wanted me to do, and it was time I obeyed.

Regardless of the results. Regardless of what lay ahead. Because He was worth it, and I absolutely couldn’t go through life feeling distant from my Savior.

That was back in 2009, and I’d like to say life, and my writing, was smooth sailing after that, but it wasn’t. The past six years have been hard, just as uncertain, and my fears, though quieter, remain. I’ve heard this is the writer’s plight, that insecurity is inherent to the creative brain. That may be true, or it could be that God wants to keep us attentively listening for that next step as we depend completely on Him.

What about you? When has God called you to do something uncertain or that you found risky? How did you respond, and what was the result? Share your thoughts here in the comments below, because we can all encourage and learn from each other.


Jennifer's previous guest appearances on Everyone's Story:


Jennifer's Ah-hahs To Tweet:
Everyone’s Story: meet @JenSlattery, penning stories of God in every moment of life. (Tweet This)

Author @JenSlattery: When has God called you to do something uncertain or that you found risky? (Tweet This)

Like #ChristianFiction? Check out @JenSlattery’s latest release of INTERTWINED. (Tweet This)


Authors' Bio:
Jennifer Slattery writes soul-stirring fiction for New Hope Publishers, a publishing house passionate about bringing God’s healing grace and truth to the hopeless. She also writes for Crosswalk.com, Internet Café Devotions, and the group blog, Faith-filled Friends. When not writing, Jennifer loves going on mall dates with her adult daughter and coffee dates with her hilariously fun husband.

Places to connect with Jennifer:
Facebook


*********************************************************************************
Please note:

--I have a title change for my novel coming soon from Elk Lake Publishing: Always With You.

--I will soon launch a specially designed website that will incorporate Eveyone's Story blog. I hope you will follow me on this new site. When it goes live, I'll make the announcement!



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