5 Ways to Strengthen Your Marriage: Building Intimacy, Not Walls

Close. Closer. Closest possible. Intimacy is part of the whole ‘two becoming one’ mystery that exists in marriage. Yes, sex is piece of intimacy, but not the whole. It’s deeper than physical desire, and aligns itself more along the lines of a fierce loyalty, connection, a one-ness.

I’d argue as women, we crave intimacy more than the physical attraction and desires in marriage. It’s that ‘thing’ that makes us feel safe and connected knowing no matter what, it’s ‘til death do us part.

Over time, and through the obstacles of life, intimacy can become a challenge, but take heart ladies. We get to choose intimacy, just like we often choose to build walls. Sometimes we enter marriage with walls already built, or perhaps life has built some for us after marriage. Whatever the case, choose to build intimacy, and not walls. In fact, the closer we become to our hubby, those walls tumble.

Here are a handful of ways we’ve found handy in our marriage.

1: Holding hands:

Touch means so much, and I’m not talking the sexual kind. Yes, sex is a VERY important part of marriage, but there needs to be more physical contact going on that just the Ooh-la-la kind. Several studies confirm the power of positive touch such as hand holding, hugs, and cuddles. That doesn’t surprise me since we often find Jesus using touch in the Bible to heal and comfort. So grab your hubby’s hand and hold tight! Not too tight though…that would be a negative touch, ha. J

2: Playing & Laughing Together:

Wrestle. Tickle. Go for a walk. Hike. Bust out a board game. Watch silly videos on youtube (one of our favs). Find ways to play and laugh with your spouse. Life is filled with stress, even marital stress. If we find ways to laugh with our spouse, and play with our spouse, it helps us to grow closer and build intimacy instead of building walls to divide. Besides, laughter and having a playful spirit is such good medicine prescribed to us by God.

3: Bedtime chats:

Spend some time at night chatting with your spouse about the day. About hopes, dreams, goals. Not about money. Not about a heated topics. Asks questions to get to know your spouse better. What interests them, and why? Just talk and keep the conversation positive.

4: Date nights:

I’ve heard it said by many older couples that it’s ‘cheaper to hire a babysitter, than to pay for a divorce,’ meaning it’s better to invest in time alone with your spouse than to let your marriage fall apart.

Totally agree. However, being a military family for many years, finding a babysitter we could trust was often a challenge. Eventually, we found couples at church and on base we were able to connect with and swap childcare, but until then, our date nights/days/mornings/afternoons (whenever we made time), had to be creative, often simple, and budget friendly. Nothing wrong with simple, and nothing wrong with eating off a dollar menu on a date night, or staying home parked on the couch in front of a Netflix TV series when the kids are in bed. The key is to spend alone time with your hubby.

5: Praying together.

Oh, this is a big one, and something that can be challenging at first. My prayers are personal, often done alone when everyone is still sleeping, and frankly, I don’t wanna share them or my prayer time. BUT, we’re building intimacy, not walls, and who best to help us knock down walls and bond us closer together than God?

Think of marriage as a triangle, with God at the top. The closer you grow to God, the closer you grow together.

Don’t know where to start in this praying together venture?

How about over dinner? Bless more than just the food.

How about with the kids, and make it a family prayer in the morning, before school, at dinner or bedtime? How about grabbing hubby’s hand after bedtime chat, and asking to say a prayer. Nothing huge or elaborate. A simple ‘Thank you God for my spouse,’ is a good way to begin. Then go from there, asking God to help your prayer-life grow.

If hubby won’t pray, or doesn’t pray, don’t let that discourage your prayers. Grab your Bible, and keep praying for others, for him, for your family, for yourself. Prayers work, and all are answered, most often in ways we don’t expect, and in a time frame we would’ve never expected –spanning even years.

Hang in there!

Have any other suggestions to help build intimacy in marriage? Want to share something from experience? Feel free to comment below. J

Military Family Appreciation Month! And Give-Away!

True story: A sour faced woman once told me that military wives, and families, should never complain about the 'military life' because they knew what they were getting themselves into.

I'm pretty sure I heard everyone reading this say 'Oh no she didn't,' while waiving a hand in the air, especially if you're a military family member. I resist the urge to dismantle this particular woman's argument on this blog post, however, one word from her soap box message stood out to me in a positive way: complain.

So, I smiled and made sure steam wasn't coming from my ears, said a prayer, and responded. "Most military families don't complain. In fact, they're the strongest people I know. They carry on when life gets hard, and don't quit."

That shut her up. :)

In my mind, I see the faces of my military friends, and family. We've laughed, cried, shared meals together, and helped one another when in need.  And while I love my 'civilian' friends dearly, there's a bond amongst the military that simply cannot be ignored, only appreciated, and honored.

November is Military Family Appreciation Month, and I'm excited to honor you and your family!

Thank you for the sacrifices you make for this nation. Thank you for the sacrifices you make for your spouse's career, often putting your own dreams on hold for the bigger picture.

Thank you for going where you're ordered. It's not easy moving duty station to duty station at a moments notice, or even if you have months to prepare. Packing, planning, deciding to live on base or off, locating schools, church shopping, and finding new friends takes time, prayer, and a lot of perseverance.

Oh, and you have perseverance. The military family knows all about persevering. Deployments, last minute order changes, late nights, unexpected TDY, continuing with family schedules even if a little one comes down with a cold. They persevere through it all, while help taking care of each other.

The military family also understands the value of family, and friendship, knowing all to well the fragility of life. With this in mind, many use their days off and leave time to visit relatives, forsaking family vacations of their own. They celebrate life with each military gathering, mandatory fun event (lol), FRG (Family Readiness Group) meeting, and ball.

So here's to you, Military Family! We pray for you! We love you! We appreciate you! Keep at it, and don't give up!

It's my pleasure to offer this prize give-away to one military family! If you're a military family enter to win. Anyone not affiliated with the military, please share this post with military friends and family. Yes, non-military folk may enter to win, but I do ask that in the event you win, please gift this prize to a military family.


Prize Includes;

• $5 Starbucks Gift Card
• Stress Away Bath Soak
• Free eBook Code for The Wounded Warrior's Wife
• Prayers for our Nation booklet
• 365 Devotions from America
• Notebook
• Popcorn & Movie for a Family Night!

CLICK HERE TO ENTER

Service, Love & a Cold Fighting Soup: Living Like Jesus

Moms don't have time to get sick, and Military Wives whose spouse is deployed or away, dreads the thought of falling ill.

Never in my adulthood had I ever caught the flu....until my hubby was on his last deployment. That's how it goes, right?

Well, I got it, and got it BAD!

Woke up drenched in sweat, chills, fever, the whole nine yards, yet I still needed to care for my kiddos. A mom's job, well, we all know it's never done.

I'm not one to ask for help, or share my burdens on social media, but that day, I wrote a simple message about being ill and needing prayer to get better soon.

An outpouring of love and support ensued. Several ladies brought soup, movies, meals, and crafts to keep my youngest occupied. They watched my youngest, made sure I didn't have to prepare supper for a few days, called to check on me, and even helped pick up my house! Kinda makes me wanna get sick again, ha. :) 

These wonderful women demonstrated love by taking a moment to step away from their life, their obstacles, their problems, and their to-do-lists to help a friend in need. What a blessing they were to our family!

1 Corinthians 13: 7 says, “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” 

No one lived out this verse better than Jesus. He continuously demonstrates his love for us, but in this particular instance we find Jesus not only living out love, but giving us an insight to how to handle our trials and hurts. In Matthew 14 we find Jesus in mourning after the gruesome death of His cousin and friend, John the Baptist. He takes a moment to be alone and grieve, and then we see Him get up, and go out to serve and meet the needs of others.

When we shift our eyes from our burdens, busy schedules, hurts, and trials to meet the needs or serve someone else, we live out love. We live like the ladies who helped me in my time of need. We live like Jesus, and that's the best way to live.

Think of ways to serve others. Think of ways your family can join in, and though it can be difficult, remember it's okay to be the person who may need help.

And if there's ever a need for a hearty, cold battling soup for family, friends or yourself? I got ya covered! Check out the recipe below, and it's GLUTEN FREE:

 

Fight a Cold Soup

5-6 cups of Chicken broth (I'm sure veggie broth would be okay too)

2 Whole Carrots

3 Celery Stalks

1 Half of Onion Chopped

2 Tblsps of Minced Garlic

Kale & Baby spinach

1 1/2 tsp of Sea Salt

1 1/2 olive oil

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 50-60 minutes

Chop or dice carrots, celery, and onion. In a pot large enough to hold the soup, heat up olive oil on medium-high heat, and sauté the carrots, celery, and onion. Add in the garlic. Stir constantly. Add in 1/2 of broth, cover pan, set to simmer for 10 minutes. Add the rest of the chicken broth, and sea salt. Bring to a low boil and add the kale and spinach (use as much as you'd like; I do a handful of each).  Let boil for 5-7 minutes, then simmer for 30-40 minutes. Check the tenderness of the veggies and serve when they've reached desired firmness or softness. Feel free to add to or take away. Hot sauce and paprika goes well in this soup too. ENJOY!

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Pumpkin Flavored What? 5 Ways to Add Pumpkin to Your Family Meals

I've noticed no matter what I'm writing about, my characters end up in the kitchen making something that sounds delicious, and I always end up trying out the recipe, like petit fours (miniature cakes) Whitleigh in The Wounded Warrior's Wife rocks.

Sad to say those sweet treats turned out better in my book than in real life.

Sigh. Frown.

The character in my latest work in progress, Leanna, is a vegetarian. So, well, that's been interesting, but I've surprised myself with how much fun vegetarian recipes can be. Still, I love me some chicken.

In real life, I love food just as much as my characters do, and while they all have their own specialties, my love is pumpkin. Yumness! My characters can fill you in on their concoctions, but let me welcome you to my world of pumpkin foods!

As an often frazzled stay at home mom and Army wife, I had a two strong longings: the desire for fall flavored lattes, and an overwhelming need to sneak vitamins and veggies into my family's food. Pumpkin rose to the challenge, and long before the Pumpkin-Flavored-Craze swept the world, I was adding that orange goodness filled with vitamin A to whatever my taste-buds demanded.

What's worked so far?

Chili:  Trust me, it's great! Add 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree to a pot of chili. No one will know, and the fam gets the added bonus of pumpkin vitamins!



"Fall" Pancakes

Creamy Chicken Soup: Add 1/2 cup of pumpkin to a pot of creamy chicken soup. Now. it turns the soup a light shade of orange. If your fam is any sort of picky like mine, add some cheese, and/or a pinch of hot sauce to disguise. Ugh, how manipulative do I sound right now?

Pancakes: Instead of pumpkin pancakes, I call them "fall" pancakes. Add 1/4 or 1/3 cup of pumpkin puree to your pancake batter. Add 1 tsp of Vanilla extract, cinnamon, ground ginger, and pumpkin pie spice. Delicious!

Oatmeal: Yes, this has to be my favorite way to use pumpkin. I add all ingredients to taste, but to get started, add 1/3 cup of pumpkin to a pot of oatmeal meant for a fam of 4. Add about a tablespoon of brown sugar or maple syrup, 1 tsp of cinnamon, ginger, and pumpkin pie spice. I also like to add chopped almonds, chia seeds, raisins, and quinoa. It's a hit!!

Smoothie: So many ways to do this, but one of my favorites...don't judge, just try, is pumpkin, apple, spinach, and ginger with a squeeze of lemon. Add ice, 1/4 cup of water, 1/2 honey crisp apple, 1/4 pumpkin, handful of spinach leaves, 1/2 tsp of fresh ground ginger, squeeze of lemon, and blend!  YUM!! Plain greek yogurt, stevia packet, apple, and pumpkin with cinnamon is great blended up too. :)

Pumpkin Oatmeal

No matter how you decide to use pumpkin, you and your family will receive many health benefits! Long live the pumpkin craze!!

Thought up a crazy way to add pumpkin to your food? Let me know about it!





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Reflections from a Christian Writer's Conference: The Take Away

It's been close to a week since I returned from the annual ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) Conference, and I'm still trying to digest all that I learned. Is that even possible?

I've been rolling around the key concepts, lessons, and skill building tools in my mind to share since returning. So much information, good information, so what do I want to latch on to, focus, and apply to my life and writing?

Here are six points/lessons that keep churning to the front of my brain:

1: God is priority in our lives.
    This means:
    *We make time to read the Bible, pray, & hang out with other believers.
    *Writing must not come before our time with Him or our time with our family.
    *We must trust God & His timing with our words, whatever that means in our life situation, whether published or not.
    *Understanding we are unique. Some people write quicker than others. For me, I can write a book in about a year. Others well, they are bionic, and can pump out more. Ha. :) Hugs to all you bionic writers out there. :)

W/ my Publishers from Olivia Kimbrell
Press, Author Hallee Bridgeman &
her hubby Gregg!

2: Set writing goals. Tangible goals. Write them out. Put them were they'll be seen.
    My goals now hanging at my desk:
   * Write a minimum of 1,000 words a day, 4 days a week.
   * Market on Social Media 15 minutes a day, 6 days a week (Market not only my books but books and blogs by other people, fun pics, quotes, recipes, things happening in my life etc.).
    * Replace a teacher's salary with my books, turning my part time income into a full time income within three years.
  Will I achieve these goals? Maybe. Maybe not. But they're there, and if I fail, then I'm closer to the goals than if I hadn't set any.


Speaker, Author, Film Producer
Bill Myers charges us to always
say 'Yes' to God.

   


3: Use a timer to help get things done.
   Whether doing dishes, cleaning around the house, blogging, scheduling social media posts --whatever-- a timer helps. When the timer beeps, time to move on to the next thing. The timer has FREED me ya'll!

4: Don't quit.
  * Always continue to develop writing skills. Study the craft. Read books that you enjoy.
  * Just write.
  * As followers of Christ we were meant to persevere -- even if a publisher or agent rejects our work. It's alright. No is a part of the game. He's given us a talent and desire, so we should hone our writing craft, and use our words to bring Him glory.

Author & Founder of My
Book Therapy,
Susan May Warren
 encourages
& equips writers.

5: Treat Readers the way we want to be treated
  * Connect with readers, reply to their posts as often as possible.
  * Share bits and pieces of our life with them.
  * Make them feel special, because they are.

6: Write from the Deep.
   *We gotta be in God's Word, and spending time with Him to do this.
   *Writing from the deep goes to those places in our lives that we don't want others to know. It's that hurt, that question, that thing unresolved, a fear down in our core. It's opening up our heart to let God clean out the cobwebs, and work out a novel from those depths. It's authentic, and readers will appreciate that.
    *This is where I wanna stay, wanna be, when I'm writing. I want to give my readers something real, and meaningful.

Wondering if investing in a writer's conference is worth it?



Gifts to Share with Readers, & to
review, enjoy & share with others.

Yes. It is. Every penny!
Conferences are like college course for writers. They're an amazing time for growth in many avenues of our life, renewal & refocus, networking, encouragement, and mentoring.

Looking for Christian Writer Conferences close by? Check out this list of events.

Thanks for stopping by today, and God Bless You wherever you are in your writing journey!

In class with Authors Dani Pettrey &
Becky Wade, learning how to tame
the social media beast!

ABOUT HANNAH: 
Hannah Conway is a military wife, mother of two, and speaker. Her novels are a deployment experience of their own, threaded with faith, and filled with twists and turns sure to thrill, and encourage. Hannah is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, and My book Therapy. She and her family live in Tennessee

( A / IBook /BN / K )

CLICK the Links Below The Image to Download Your eCopy of WEDDING A WARRIOR! 

Helping Kids Cope with Deployment

September 11th means many things to Americans--many things we aren't even able to put into words.

It's been 14 years.

Doesn't seem like it.

I've often thought it strange that my children cannot remember a time when our country hasn't been at war, nor do they quite grasp why their Daddy has had to be gone for long periods of time to fight the bad guys.  So today, Dear Readers, we have a special Guest Blogger & Army Wife who is going to talk with us about helping our kids cope with deployment. We want to honor our brave men and women who keep our country safe, and support their families with all the love and encouragement we can muster.

Welcome, Julie Provost!

~   ~   ~

Helping Kids Cope with Deployment

My oldest son was only about 2 years old when his Dad deployed for the first time. By the time my husband deployed for the 2nd time he was 4 and his little brother was 2. By our 3rd deployment my boys were 6, 4 and 2.5 months old. Then the 4th they were 8, 6 and 2.

As I look back over the years I can see how each time they handled the deployment a little differently. This is normal because different kids in different ages tend to do that. Some kids can handle deployments better than others. Sometimes it is because of their personality, but sometimes it is because of their age and how much they can understand.

There is a lot you can do as the Military spouse to help your children cope during a deployment. If you have a small baby, one who can’t even talk yet, you might just keep sharing photos with them. Some people will laminate them and put them up in the nursery. Just so your baby sees their Dad and gets used to his face.

For a toddler or preschoolers it might get a little more difficult. They might not be able to explain to you how they are feeling about the issue but they might act out a little more because they are missing their other parent. It is best to keep that in mind as you go through your day. Try to set up Skype chats if you can and just be there to help them through it.

When your kids get a little older and can understand what the word “war” and “Army” means you can sit down with them and have conversations about it. You can check in with them about how they are doing and what they might be worried about. Have them help you with care packages and have them talk to their Dad as often as possible. Just let them know that you understand how hard it is for them.

You can do some fun activities around the house that might help them through it. Have a chain of deployment days. Put up pictures of your spouse. Have them help make the homecoming posters. Get them excited when you know it is coming to an end.

Remember to pray with your kids for Daddy every night. Pray for his safety and the safety of his Company, Unit and the whole Army. It can be a good way for kids to get used to praying for others too.

There isn’t a lot you can do to change the fact that your spouse will be deployed when they are in the Military. It happens and could happen more often than you would like. But, you can be there for your kids and get them through the separations. You can be the person that they can always go to when they are feeling too sad about it. You can help them cope.

Tweet: "There is a lot you can do as the #MilitarySpouse to help your children cope during a #deployment." http://ctt.ec/4Uc1o+

Julie is a blogger & social media addict living in Tennessee. She has been married for 13 years to her National Guard Soldier and has three boys, 10, 8 & 4. You can find her at Soldier’s Wife, Crazy Life and on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest & Instagram.

RELATED POSTS:
All Because of One Woman: A Mother, Wife, Author, Speaker Point of View
5 Ways to Strengthen Your Marriage: Building Intimacy, Not Walls
Loving My Soldier: Hindsights & Insights of PTSD
Army Wife Tips


ABOUT HANNAH: 
Hannah Conway is a military wife, mother of two, and speaker. Her novels are a deployment experience of their own, threaded with faith, and filled with twists and turns sure to thrill, and encourage. Hannah is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, and My book Therapy. She and her family live in Tennessee

( A / IBook /BN / K )

CLICK the Links Below The Image to Download Your eCopy of WEDDING A WARRIOR! 

The Journal & the Journey: The One Who Knows the Way

Not too long ago, I stumbled on an old diary at a flea market. The journal year? 1888.

Wow!

What a treasure for a history lover like myself. Of course I bought it, then struggled whether or not to read it. I wouldn't want a stranger snooping through my journal! Friends assured me no moral dilemma existed considering the age of the document, and we were all curious, so...well, we read it. :)

To our amusement and utter awe, Sierra Hunt, the writer, described her life, and it's simple, often mundane tasks. With her words, this young teen, transported us back in time. Glorious experience!

Not much changed from Sierra's day to day routine. School, fetching water, helping Ma in the kitchen. On Sunday she walked to church. She made mention of the weather, social gatherings, a family friend getting ill, and visitors. At times, she seemed frustrated by her simple life, and skipped several days in the journal --a sad thing for all of us reading.

Sierra had grown used to her life, and it's routine. I found myself able to relate well this young lady of the past. For years I've stayed at home with my children, raising them, and moving from state to state with the military. At times the life set before me seemed so rote, and blah. Even as a 21st century grown woman, I understand Sierra's century old teenage rant.

So we continued to flipped through the journal, thoroughly enjoying each entry, until it stopped mid sentence.

She wrote on July 6, 1888: "Warm & Pleasant. I worked for Mrs. Struthers this forenoon. Sewed some. Scottie [her brother] and I went up and got the "

And that's it. Nothing more. We're left wondering where she and Scottie went, what they were doing, and what ever happened to Sierra. Did she finish school? Get married? So many unknowns!

If our lives were a journal, how many unknowns would we have?

For me, plenty.

We don't know what tomorrow brings, or what our future holds when our paths in life change. We're on this journey, and our journals are filled with unknowns.

But God knows. He knows what happened to Sierra, and I intend to ask him one day. He knows the paths our lives will take, and we can trust Him with all our unknowns. All of them -- the career choices, parenting tips, finances, the good & the bad of it all. I'm learning this day by day as I transition into a new phase of life with my hubby retired from the Army, and my youngest starting school.

A new path doesn't have to equal uncertainties when we are certain of The One guiding us.


"And whenever you turn to the right or two the left, your ears will hear this command behind you -- this is the way, walk in it." Isaiah 30:21

Many blessings, and a journey full of joy for all of you.

Click to Tweet: "A new path doesn't have to equal uncertainties when we are certain of The One guiding us." ~Author @hannahrconway http://ctt.ec/6IC6h+

3 Steps to Finding the Grace to Chase a Dream by Cara Putman

Hello Dear Readers! Today we welcome Award Winning Author Cara Putman! Cara has some great advice to share with us today & will be giving away a copy of her novel, Stars in the Night. Enter to win below!


Without further ado, let's give Cara a warm welcome!



 

~    ~    ~

ONCE there was a 14-year-old who quickly realized her favorite authors simply could not write books fast enough. Because she was young, she decided she could write books, too. Her mother smiled and allowed her to write as part of her English. Slowly two novels grew on an old computer, paragraph by paragraph, page by page. She loved creating ideas, research, writing. The process delighted her soul, and she wondered if she’d found what she was created to do.

        Then life got busy. College, a career. A husband and a family. Writing was pressed to the perimeter of her life by the busyness of a full life.

                Most days it was enough.

                But some days, the whisper to write became a roaring ache to try. When this occurred, this girl grown into a woman would take the dream to God, hold it in open hands, and ask Him if this was His dream for her. If not, show her so she could kill the dream and focus on His will for her life.

                In due time, He announced it was time to follow her dream. Nine years later she’s awaiting the publication of her 18^th and 19^th books later this year.

                You may have already guessed: I am that girl. I know what it’s like to have a dream burning inside me and wonder if anything would ever come of it. I want to encourage you. If this is you. If you’re convinced your dreams have disappeared under a pile of laundry, dirty diapers, and grocery lists, that there are ways to live with grace until the appointed time for the dream to burst to life.

                Here’s what I learned on the journey:

1)      Hold the dream loosely. Pry your tight grip from the dream and offer it to God. Ask Him for wisdom to know if this is the time or the dream. Seek Him first. A dream without Him at the center is simply not as fulfilling.
 

2)      Prepare when you can as you can. For me that meant continuing to read voraciously. Through that I had a core understanding of what made a story and characters work. I might not have known all the lingo, but I intuitively gained an education. It also meant I read how-to write novel books. Each time the itch would resurface, you’d find me in the stacks looking for another book, so I could get structural understanding.

3)      Be prepared to run when God gives you the go-ahead. The years since God told me it was time to test the dream have been a whirlwind of work. It has required immense discipline and stick-to-it-iveness. I’ve had to let go of things to make room for the dream. Are you willing to do the same?

Waiting for a dream is hard. But with God’s grace, the waiting can be a time of preparation and drawing closer to Him.

Cara Shares Some of her Faves!

Favorite Dessert:                           Apple pie

Favorite Restaurant:                     Runza   

Favorite Branch of the Military (I won’t judge you if say anything other than Army, lol J) : ARMY – My dad flew Heweys in Vietnam and Desert Storm

Favorite Genre of Music:              Praise and worship

Favorite Subject in School:           history

Author Bio:

Cara C. Putman, the award-winning author of 20 books, graduated high school at 16, college at 20, and completed her law degree at 27. FIRST for Women magazine called Shadowed by Grace “captivating” and a “novel with ‘the works.’” It received the Christian Retailing BEST award for Historical Fiction and the HOLT Award of Distinction. Cara is active at her church and a lecturer on business and employment law to graduate students at Purdue University’s Krannert School of Management. Putman also practices law and is a second-generation homeschooling mom. Putman recently received her Master’s in Business Administration at Krannert. She serves on the executive board of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), an organization she has served in various roles since 2007. She lives with her husband and four children in Indiana.

Shadowed by Grace:
Shadowed by Grace is a dramatic story inspired by the Monuments Men of World War II by acclaimed author Cara C. Putman. Desperate to save her dying mother, Rachel accepts her newspaper's assignment to travel to Italy to capture images dangerously close to the front lines of WWII. Her real motive - to find the father she never knew -- an artist she hopes can offer the comfort and support both she and her mother need to survive. It's an unlikely situation for love and faith to flourish, but soon Rachel not only finds herself, but also her long-lost earthly father, and ultimately, the man her Heavenly father created to cherish and provide for her

Connect with Cara:

Website: www.caraputman.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/caraputman

Twitter: www.twitter.com/cara_putman

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/caraputman

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/CaraPutman

 

Enter Below to Win a Copy of  Stars in the Night: 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

4 Reasons to Host A Backyard Bible Club

Hi! Thanks for stopping by my blog!

My name is Hannah Conway, Army wife for more than a decade, and the author of The Wounded Warrior’s Wife, and Wedding a Warrior from Olivia Kimbrell Press.

This summer, our family hosted our very first Backyard Bible Club! We want to share the experience, and encourage military and civilian families to host your very own Backyard Bible Club for several reasons:

 

1: We’re promoting community, and that’s always a good thing!

 

2:  We’re cultivating relationships when we invite your neighbors over, and living in a military community it’s so vital to make connections with others we can trust, learn from and grow together. So to my military families out there, I challenge you to host a club.

 

3: The third and most important reason to host a backyard bible club is, we get to share Jesus with kids! How often do we sit in our homes and ever really get to know our neighbors, let alone work up enough nerve to tell them about Jesus or even let them know we’re a follower. A backyard Bible club helps to bridge that gap.

 

4: The 4^th reason to host a club…well, that’s pretty easy! We get to have a lot of fun…a lot of messy fun…or not so messy, but our family likes messy games…really messy games! We’ve got the pics to prove it!

Thinking of starting your own Backyard Bible Club? Check out Lifeway.com for easy-to-use curriculum or use any of our ideas, lessons/agendas, crafts, games etc.

 

Feel free to comment below with suggestions for next year’s club, or suggestions/advice for anyone interested in hosting their own club.  

Scripture Blocks Made From Scrap Wood, Paint, Construction
Paper, and Modge Podge.

The Lady BorneKova: Meet the Author & Amazon Gift Card Giveway!

Hello Dear Readers! Today we have Author Sara R. Turnquist here with us! She's giving away a $10 Amazon Gift Card, my friends! Enter to win below. Share with your friends and family for more entry points! And now, enjoy getting to know Sara! She's a fabulous person & talented author!

 

Welcome Sara! Please tell us about your latest novel, and any personal inspiration behind it.

The Lady Bornekova is set in the Czech Republic on the cusp of the Hussite Wars. Which were a religious civil war of sorts for the Czech (Bohemian) peoples. My novel follows the journey of one young lady, Karin Bornekova, and what happens to her throughout the events leading up to the start of the Hussite Wars. My personal inspiration? For several summers just after I graduated college, I went over to the Czech Republic on short term mission trips to teach English to college students. I absolutely fell in love with the culture, the country, the people. I was very inspired. Each year, our team leader would find something unique for us to do to kick off our time in the Czech Republic. One year we went to visit this massive chateau outside of Hradec Kralove. Touring the chateau and the grounds was the inspiration for this story.

 

That's so interesting! And it all sounds so beautiful! I know you've finished this novel, but do you have any current projects you’re working on? Care to share?

I have just finished working on a novel set during the Trail of Tears. It's been a really difficult novel to write. The Native Americans suffered so much between the removals and the actual journey along the trail. I am finding it a daunting task to undertake to do justice to the historical events and honor the people who endured these events. But there is a story to tell and I'm determined to tell it.

I admire that determination and appreciate the passion you show for historical events. Writing can be a daunting task at times. Is there a favorite time of the day you like to write to help with the writing process? What about a favorite place?

I write whenever I can. I have three small kids ages 6 and under, so it's really whenever I can! Sometimes that's naptime, sometimes that's at night...whenever. A favorite place? I have a little makeshift desk and comfy chair in the bedroom that I write at most of the time. But I have to share the scene with my husband when it's finished. I just need the sounding board and instant feedback.

We're in agreement there. There's something about reading what you've written aloud that helps ALOT. Now, you're a follower of Christ. Many of our readers are as well. Could you share with us your favorite scripture and why?

For I have not give you a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7; I just love that this verse speaks to where I struggle so much with mommy fears and Sara fears and silly fears...and a little craziness. Honestly. But God doesn't want me to be fearful, He hasn't given me a spirit of fearfulness, but a spirit that is powerful and is full of love. And I just love that He even speaks to my other insecurities here and tells me that He gives me a sound mind! Love. It.

I love that too! I've dealt with the same thing! Thank you for sharing. Now onward we go! I’m an Army Wife, and all Military Wives have to be flexible. Plans change at the drop of a hat. So, pretend you’re a Military Wife. Ok. Ready?! Your spouse came down on orders to relocate and you’ve got 30 days to move. What are the first three things you do to prepare? GO!

I assume you mean the first three things after I freak out, right? First things first, a list. I always, always, always need my lists. Next I'd prioritize my list (boring, right? But true, so true). Then I'd arrange a family meeting with a full blown typed out Itinerary and “To Do” lists for everyone. Yeah...I'm that person.

LOVE the response! I giggled out loud! :) I FOR REAL carried a clipboard around with me during each move we've made! You've given great advice! Let's see what other nuggets of wisdom you have to offer. I’m a Stay-at-Home-Momma of two. It gets a bit crazy around my house especially when I have edits to get to! Could you share some advice for all those parents out there raising their babies?

It's really okay if you can't “do it all”. There's nothing wrong with calling in reinforcements or getting help. It doesn't mean there's anything wrong or lacking in you. It means you're human like the rest of us. That whole 80s/90s “women can do it all/have it all” garbage is just that – garbage. No one can do it all, at least not well. Something will suffer. That's what we have back-up for. Whether that's hubby, or family, or friends, or babysitters, or a mother's helper...use the resources God is giving you.

That's even BETTER advice! Thank you for sharing with us, Sara! Before we move on to excerpts, and the giveaway info (squeal!!!!), is there anything you’d like to say to your readers? I know they’d love a personal note.

Thank you for your support and encouragement. I appreciate each and every one of you!

Thank you so much for joining us today, Sara, and thank you to all who stopped by! Remember to enter the $10 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway below!!

~ BOOK EXCERPT (Oh I love these little snippets!!) ~

Karin sighed as she leaned on Pavel's strong shoulder in blissful sleep. They had not been underway for long, but the movement of the carriage had rocked her to sleep in no time. Pavel's nerves worked double-time, having her so close to him. But he dare not move away, lest he wake her. So, he sat still, enjoying the same kind of closeness he had earlier that evening. The contact, while they danced, had been exciting. This was peaceful but, due to his nervousness, elating all the same. As she rested, he listened to the rhythmic clip-clop of the carriage. Just then, Pavel was startled by a crunching sound, followed by a loud crack! The carriage pitched to the side. He grabbed Karin and held her tight to his body. Karin awoke with a start, eyes wide.

"Don't move!" he commanded, wrapping his arms tighter around her as the carriage landed hard, jolting them both. It continued to roll, slamming them into the side, threatening to throw them out of the carriage window into an even more dangerous position. Pavel kept his body stiff and held on to Karin. He could barely breathe. It was his body that had slammed into the wall and cushioned Karin's hit. The car had not stopped moving, and it threatened to roll onto the roof, teetering precariously between the roof and side. How much longer could he hold onto her? How much longer could they endure?

~ ABOUT THE LADY BORNEKOVA ~

The red-headed Karin is strong-willed and determined, something she inherited from her father. She tries to keep her true nature a secret to avoid being deemed a traitor by those loyal to the king. Karin and her father butt heads over her duty to her family and the Czech Crown. She is then sequestered to the Royal Viscount’s hunting lodge.

Not aware of everything that is happening, she becomes the target of an individual with murderous intent. Her heart soon becomes entangled though her father intends to wed her to another. The turmoil inside Karin deepens and reflects the turmoil of her homeland, on the brink of the Hussite Wars.

~ ABOUT THE AUTHOR ~

Sara resides with her family in Middle TN and though she has enjoyed her career as a Zoo Educator, Sara's great love of the written word has always drawn her to write. An avid reader, she has been, for many years, what she terms a “closet writer”. Her travels and love of history have served to inspire her to write Historical Fiction. Sara has made several trips overseas to the Czech Republic for short stints in the summer over several years. Her time among the Czech people and the landscapes of the country inspired her and greatly influenced her work on her debut novel, The LadyBornekova, set in the Czech town of Hradec Kralove.

~ STAY CONNECTED WITH SARA ~

Website: http://saraturnquist.com/

Email: sara.turnquist.st@gmail.com

Facebook: Sara R. Turnquist
Twitter: @sarat1701
 

~ GIVEAWAY ~

 

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