In the Small Things

My little girl was turning two, so we planned a small birthday celebration. 

I decided on a menu, and my Mama said that she would take care of the cake. 

She helped me a lot this year. The crisis with my eye was just settling down, and I wasn't able to get out very much while it was healing. 

So she thought that it might be nice to order the cake - just something simple, from Stop-and-Shop, one of the local grocery stores. 

We were doing a Winnie-the-Pooh theme. My daughter loves Winnie-the-Pooh, and I thought that the bright colors and cheerful characters would be just right for a 2-year-old's birthday. 

We were excited as we planned out the details. 

About a week before, my Mom went into Stop-and-Shop to ask about ordering a cake. The Winnie-the-Pooh-themed cake was cheerful and sweet for a child's birthday; the colors were bright - and a simple Winnie-the-Pooh plastic centerpiece would be affixed to the middle of the cake, the lady behind the counter explained. But when my Mom learned how much just a small cake would be, we re-thought the decision; my Mom lives on a tight budget and the cake would have been a significant expense for her. 

But then she went back to the bakery department a few days before the birthday. She noticed a couple of plain cakes ready to be transferred to the reduced bakery rack. Then she learned that the Winnie-the-Pooh centerpiece could be bought separately from the cake. 

If she came back the next morning, one of the ladies told her, she could buy a plain cake from the reduced rack and put the centerpiece on it herself. 

So she bought the centerpiece. And then my Mom returned back again. Early in the morning. 

But the cakes weren't on the reduced rack yet. My Mom waited and then finally asked a different woman who was working in the bakery department when they would be going out. 

"I don't know what you're talking about," was the lady's huffy reply. 

"But someone in the bakery department told me that these cakes would be reduced today . . . " my Mom spoke to the woman.

"Well, I don't know who told you that..."

My Mom left the store, downhearted, disappointed by what had transpired. 

She told me that in the car, she brought it to the Lord, asking for forgiveness for being frustrated in her heart with the woman in the bakery department who had answered her brusquely. 

As my Mom drove, she suddenly remembered that there was another Stop-and-Shop nearby--

She entered the store, headed to that Stop-and-Shop's reduced rack, and looked in amazement. 

The brightly colored Winnie-the-Pooh cake sat there - without the centerpiece - and priced just under 10 dollars, in perfect condition. 

Amazed, she picked it up and paid for it, rejoicing and praising the Lord all the way home. 

And when we ate the cake on Sunday, it was deliciously fresh, even though it was a "reduced" cake. 

My little daughter loved it; the centerpiece adorned it beautifully, and again we were reminded that -

Our Lord's hand is in the small things - He works in the minutest details of His children's lives, He answers the simple prayers of our hearts -

Meeting a woman's need -

In His perfect, all-providing way, 

Down to the tiniest detail. 

Because He loves His children.   

You might find me on these link-ups:

Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth, The Modest Mom, What Joy is Mine, Yes They Are All Ours, Missional Call, A Mama's Story, Mom's the Word, Rich Faith Rising, Time Warp Wife, Cornerstone Confessions, Mom's Morning Coffee, So Much at Home, Raising Homemakers, Hope in Every Season, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Woman to Woman Ministries, Whole-Hearted Home, A Soft Gentle Voice, My Daily Walk in His Grace, Messy Marriage, My Teacher's Name is Mama, The Charm of Home, Graced Simplicity, Children Are A Blessing, Mittenstate Sheep and Wool, Imparting Grace, Preparedness Mama, A Look at the Book, Essential Thing Devotions, Count My Blessings, Beauty Observed, Christian Mommy Blogger, Renewed Daily, Soul Survival, Good Morning Mondays

An Interview with Author Alicia G. Ruggieri

I'm thrilled to interview Alicia G. Ruggieri on the blog today. :-) Alicia is the author of The House of Mercy, an exhilarating story of hope and redemption set in Arthurian Britain (you can read my review of that book here) and most recently, The Fragrance of Geraniums, a 1930's novel whose plot and storyline are masterfully woven together and so beautifully illustrate and magnify the love and mercy of our Heavenly Father through brokenness and pain.  

Alicia's writing always challenges me to know and love the Lord more deeply, to embrace the sorrows that He sends with the assurance of His Father-love, and to set my hope more firmly upon Him. 

Now, without further ado, :-)

An Interview With Alicia G. Ruggieri

A fourth-generation New England native, Alicia G. Ruggieri writes stories about the possibility of redemption for all things through the Cross and the cost of true mercy. With a degree in Communications and History, Alicia loves spending her days researching, writing, and caring for her family, and she avows that every life would be enriched through the addition of just one more dog.

When did you begin writing?

Well, the first thing I remember writing was a sequel to the original Little Mermaid. I was so disappointed that Ariel had left her entire family to choose a sea-less life! I think that I was around six or so. I've written since then. Thankfully, my subject matter has matured!

What was your inspiration/motivation to become a writer?

Books - good ones - were an integral part of my childhood and young adulthood. So, I suppose, writing stories was as natural to me as breathing. As a result of reading almost every day of my life, I've come to see nearly everything that I observe as part of a story. And I love the idea that everyone has a story and is part of the Great Story that God is writing. I'm not sure that there was ever a time when I decided to become a writer; but there was a time when I knew that God desired that I put concentrated effort into my fiction writing so that others could benefit from it.

What overall message do you want to send your readers through your writing?

A theme that travels through most - or even all - of my writing is that, through the Cross, all things can be redeemed: even the most ghastly sorrow, the most wretched circumstance. All can and will be made well - made right - by the Lord Christ, the one who crushed the Serpent's head. And that we, His children, can trust Him to do right.

How does your relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ influence/impact your writing?

For me, I see this world as a shadow, as something passing away to make way for the Real Kingdom. Gradually, that has led to a stronger focus on the spiritual - not in a preachy way - but in a way that, I hope, emphasizes that Real World and makes us understand better the solidity of the Gospel and its application to all of life, and not only to our moment of salvation.

What authors, past or present have had an impact upon your writing? In what way?

Wow, what a question! There are so many, from Gertrude Chandler Warner with The Boxcar Children series that I read so often as a child; to C.S. Lewis, whose 'Til We Have Faces revolutionized my thinking about Greek mythology; to George MacDonald, Oswald Chambers, and John Piper, whose theological writings have provided stones upon which to build from the foundation of Scripture. I also love different aspects of Louisa May Alcott, the Brontes, Jane Austen, George Elliot, and others.

What other activities do you enjoy, besides writing?

Drinking coffee. Taking walks in the woods. Playing with my nieces and nephews. Eating cannolis (If you've never had one, you've not lived.). Hymn-sings and prayer meetings. Laundry (Yes, I actually enjoy it!). Oh, and of course, reading!

My Review of Alicia's Novel:

The Fragrance of Geraniums is a beautiful, breathtaking, thought-provoking work of fiction. Alicia weaves together a dramatic story of sorrow and loss, and of redemption and grace through her character's pain and brokenness. Without being overly-sentimental, Alicia paints a poignant canvass whose dark undertones ultimately serve to emphasize the radiant, glorious, grace-imparting strokes of light and restoration, as a sunrise is illuminated by the darkness from which it rises. 

This is a heartbreaking story. Be prepared to taste the sorrow of Grace's family situation, to cry with Emmeline as she faces the prospect of a lifetime of barrenness, and to sympathize with Sarah, whose failing marriage leaves her broken, bitter, and hungry for something deeper than the lifeless religion that she has always known. 

And then be prepared to rejoice--rejoice in the unexpected twists and turns that the Lord's great mercy takes in the lives and hearts of these three women. 

This is a difficult book to put down; completely engrossing, the conclusion actually left me quite stunned. The way in which Alicia illustrates through her story the workings of the Lord's hand in each of her character's lives is masterful and utterly satisfying to me as a reader and as a Christian. 

Through Alicia's book, the reader is led to the conclusion that no matter what difficult, painful circumstances are seemingly hurled into our lives or gently placed there by a loving Heavenly Father, He is good--and that He is working all things together for His people who love Him. 

I also enjoyed the subtle, though not overt or distracting, romantic element to the book, and the delightful way in which the main character's friend and admirer, Paulie Giorgi illustrates the love and gentleness of Christ in how he relates to and interacts with Grace. 

So pick up a copy of the book, settle down with a cup of coffee or tea, and be prepared for your heart and mind to be deeply moved.  

This novel would also make a wonderful Christmas gift.


You can purchase The Fragrance of Geraniums on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/aliciagruggieri

Available on Kindle and in paperback.

Visit Alicia's blog: http://www.abrighterdestiny.blogspot.com
Follow Alicia on Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/AliciaGRuggieri
Find Alicia on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AliciaGRuggieri
And on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AliciaRuggieri




You might find me on these link-ups:

Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth, The Modest Mom, What Joy is Mine, Yes They Are All Ours, Missional Call, A Mama's Story, Mom's the Word, Rich Faith Rising, Time Warp Wife, Cornerstone Confessions, Mom's Morning Coffee, So Much at Home, Raising Homemakers, Hope in Every Season, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Woman to Woman Ministries, Whole-Hearted Home, A Soft Gentle Voice, My Daily Walk in His Grace, Messy Marriage, My Teacher's Name is Mama, The Charm of Home, Graced Simplicity, Children Are A Blessing, Mittenstate Sheep and Wool, Imparting Grace, Preparedness Mama, A Look at the Book, Essential Thing Devotions, Count My Blessings, Beauty Observed, Christian Mommy Blogger, Renewed Daily, Soul Survival, Good Morning Mondays

In Our Pain + A Giveaway for Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts

(In connection with this post, I'm hosting a giveaway for a new copy of Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts, a memoir-style book about understanding the grace of God in our pain and brokenness. If you already own a copy but would like to give one to someone else as a gift, please still feel free to enter the giveaway... It is a wonderful book, even for hurting unbelievers. Read to the end of this post to find/enter the giveaway.)


You might find me on these link-ups:

Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth, The Modest Mom, What Joy is Mine, Yes They Are All Ours, Missional Call, A Mama's Story, Mom's the Word, Rich Faith Rising, Time Warp Wife, Cornerstone Confessions, Mom's Morning Coffee, So Much at Home, Raising Homemakers, Hope in Every Season, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Woman to Woman Ministries, Whole-Hearted Home, A Soft Gentle Voice, My Daily Walk in His Grace, Messy Marriage, My Teacher's Name is Mama, The Charm of Home, Graced Simplicity, Children Are A Blessing, Mittenstate Sheep and Wool, Imparting Grace, Preparedness Mama, A Look at the Book, Essential Thing Devotions, Count My Blessings, Beauty Observed, Christian Mommy Blogger, Renewed Daily, Soul Survival

Neither life nor death shall ever

From the Lord His children sever;

Unto them His grace He showeth,

And their sorrows all He knoweth.

- Karolina W. Sandell-Berg

It all began a few months ago. The eye-watering, the pain; waking me from my sleep at night. 

I was already getting up a few times with my newborn and sometimes with my almost-2-year-old. 

So I hardly noticed the interruption in my sleep. 

It was an annoyance, but I just brushed it aside and attributed it to allergies and sleeplessness. 

But then it began to worsen. 

The pain would linger, so severe at times that I would rock back and forth to deal with it.

And then, just try to go back to sleep. 

It began happening during the daytime, too, until one Sunday morning - I was trying to get everyone ready for church - it just wouldn't go away. 

I tried to make it through that day and the next, but the pain became so severe, that I couldn't function. 

My Mom and my sister had to help with my little ones -

My eye swelled grotesquely and reddened, and when the pain finally became excruciating and unbearable, I called my husband at work to take me to the walk-in emergency center. 

They immediately sent me to another part of the building to see an eye specialist-

My sinuses were also affected and I couldn't stop my nose and eyes from leaking continually with cold-like symptoms. 

I was a mess. And there was nothing that I could do about it. 

The diagnosis was a severe case of "recurrent corneal erosion," and I was relieved at finally knowing what was wrong and being given medication to treat it. 

I joked about how I could to some small degree sympathize with the Apostle Paul with his supposed eye troubles - but the pain was not a joke. 

And I sat that night in my room, my nose leaking, my eye burning and watering, my little ones there with me. My daughter, almost 2, climbed up into the desk chair with one of her books that we read before she goes to sleep. 

As I sat on the floor in severe pain with my 5-month-old, I heard my daughter suddenly begin to recite one of the poems from memory that was in her book -

I hear no voice, 

I feel no touch

I see no glory bright...

And I knew that the next words of the poem followed:

But yet I know 

That God is near 

In darkness as in light-

At that moment, I knew the Lord's nearness to me in my pain - only a light affliction in comparison to what my Savior had suffered-

For the past few days before that, it had been difficult to even think - to take care of my babies - and even my tears were painful -

But the Lord knelt down to me there, in my suffering - in the suffering that He had allowed -  to draw me to Himself - so that I could relate in some small way to the sufferings that He had borne for me. 

That night was the most difficult - The doctor had said that it would take from 12-24 hours for me to have some relief from the pain.

I spent a sleepless night in agony, the dripping from my sinuses making me sick and giving me a terrible headache on top of the extreme pain in my eye. 

But I knew that He was with me...

And I made it through, by His grace. 

Made it to the morning.

And the next day there was some improvement; the severity of the pain faded. 

And His grace washed over me. 

C.S. Lewis says -

"Pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains. It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world." 

And He knows our sorrows and gives us a measure of what we are able to bear, by His grace. 

He walks with us through them, even when we cannot see Him for the pain. 

Because He is near. 

And because, as the rest of the poem in my daughter's book reads, 

The Father for His little child

Both day and night doth care. 

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Alicia G. Ruggieri's The Fragrance of Geraniums COVER REVEAL!

Look forward to an interview with Alicia on the blog, Thursday, November 13th. 

Sisters

For there is no friend like a sister
In calm or stormy weather;
To cheer one on the tedious way,
To fetch one if one goes astray,
To lift one if one totters down,
To strengthen whilst one stands.

- Christina Rossetti

I love my sisters. 

They are one of the greatest earthly gifts that God has given me. 

Kindred hearts, true friends, lovers of Jesus, my soul is bound to theirs, even  to joyful eternity-

And I am thankful for the treasure that God has given me in them. 

My sister, Londie . . . 

My older and wiser sibling, the one who I look up to and can always count on for practical advice. 

The mother of two little ones . . . devoted, dedicated, creative homeschooling Mom--who pours all of her heart and her soul into her work and never goes halfway. 

I love my Londie . . . she is the one who I tagged along with when I was younger, the one I constantly annoyed by attempting to creep into her bed at night when I was afraid of the dark, the one whose clothes I always borrowed (and thank the Lord that she had better taste than me! :-)). 

We sang together. Her sweet, rich voice blending with mine; her confidence giving me strength and prodding me on. 

To sing--and to live for Jesus. 

I have always looked up to Londie, my lovely artistic, winsome, wet-humored friend who lives for Jesus, and Whose strength and light shine brightly through her. 

Whose heart touches all that she does and whose creativity sparkles through all of her work. 

My sister is, I think, above all else, someone who perseveres, even when all of the odds are against her, even when the way seems "shut," even when she faces adversity. 

I know that, by the grace of God, my Londie will not give up, 

Will never give up. 

And her dogged perseverance has always inspired me--

Never give up. 

And then there's Lishy--Alicia--my younger sister by 3 years,  petite and fiery-hearted, passionate about all that she does and says and lives for. 

I can always count on Alicia to tell me the truth. 

Because she doesn't mince words and doesn't make up an excuse and won't offer a half-truth. 

Conscience steel-hard and yet her heart beats soft and gentle beneath. 

Her words, sometimes hard, always wrap around the freeing, beautiful truth and the hope of living righteously before Christ . . . 

In spirit and in truth. 

My Lishy--

Is sensitive--towards animals, towards other's suffering--

The one who has walked with me through deep waters, through our family's poverty, through persecution. 

She is the one who I know will pray for me, who has prayed for me when I could not pray. 

Who loves to read more than talking and who writes the most beautiful, thought-provoking stories that make me cry.

Who reminds me constantly through her words and through her example, 

Press on. 

I love my sisters. 

Two women who love the Lord with all of their hearts, whose lives are an inspiration to me, who help me to persevere and to press on in my walk with the Lord. 

How grateful I am--

And so I thank the Lord--

For this sweet gift of my sisters.  

You might find me on these link-ups:

Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth, The Modest Mom, What Joy is Mine, Yes They Are All Ours, Missional Call, A Mama's Story, Mom's the Word, Rich Faith Rising, Time Warp Wife, Cornerstone Confessions, Mom's Morning Coffee, So Much at Home, Raising Homemakers, Hope in Every Season, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Woman to Woman Ministries, Whole-Hearted Home, A Soft Gentle Voice, My Daily Walk in His Grace, Messy Marriage, My Teacher's Name is Mama, The Charm of Home, Graced Simplicity, Children Are A Blessing, Mittenstate Sheep and Wool, Imparting Grace, Preparedness Mama, A Look at the Book, Essential Thing Devotions, Count My Blessings, Beauty Observed, Christian Mommy Blogger, Renewed Daily,

An Interview on the Blog with Alicia G. Ruggieri

Stay Tuned for an Interview . . .

With Writer Alicia G. Ruggieri,

 Author of The House of Mercy

 

Focusing on . . .

Her writing, her faith, and her upcoming novel:

The Fragrance of Geraniums
(Set for release November 13th, 2014)

So, sit down with a cup of coffee, and join us for this fun, informative, encouraging interview. :-)

You might find me on these link-ups:

Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth, The Modest Mom, What Joy is Mine, Yes They Are All Ours, Missional Call, A Mama's Story, Mom's the Word, Rich Faith Rising, Time Warp Wife, Cornerstone Confessions, Mom's Morning Coffee, So Much at Home, Raising Homemakers, Hope in Every Season, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Woman to Woman Ministries, Whole-Hearted Home, A Soft Gentle Voice, My Daily Walk in His Grace, Messy Marriage, My Teacher's Name is Mama, The Charm of Home, Graced Simplicity, Children Are A Blessing, Mittenstate Sheep and Wool, Imparting Grace, Preparedness Mama, A Look at the Book, Essential Thing Devotions, Count My Blessings, Beauty Observed, Christian Mommy Blogger, Renewed Daily,

The Sweetest Flower

The chill of October steals into my room tonight and my  fingers, brittle with cold, touch the keys and write. 

And I remember colder days . . . 

It was the winter after my Dad left.

Barren, frozen winter and the days were cold and the nights wailed colder. 

We had no heat upstairs,

So my sister and I piled blankets high on our beds and we slept in the icy ache and we could see our breath in the morning. 

So cold that your bones creaked and your coffee cooled as soon as you brought it upstairs. 

It was the winter after he left, and we had nothing--

My sister and I worked at McDonald's --it was the only place where we could find a job --and the only place where we could both get a ride to every morning --

We sold almost all of our furniture. 

Because he left. Left us with nothing. 

Except Jesus. 

So our refrigerator was almost bare and we scraped and we sold what we could and the Lord was merciful to us and brought us through that wretched winter. 

Then the spring came and the days warmed and I remember thinking how good the new warmth felt on my frozen fingers.

How good . . . the Lord was and brought us through that winter--that winter of black nights and stifled tears and bitter memories. 

Brought us through. 

And it's easy to trust the Lord when all is well-- 

When circumstances dance hunky-dory around our days and a trip to Disneyland beckons in the distance.

It's easy to say that we trust Him when the money is rolling in and our bank account is padded and our children are not answering back and our cakes are never burnt.

It's easy to trust Him then. 

But take away every support, every aid, let the money in the bank dwindle, let the body be wasted by a disease or by debilitating depression or emotional pain.

Let the heart be wrent by an adulterous affair or a spouse who doesn't care or a child who turns bitter-prodigal.

Will we trust Him then? 

When our hands are cold and our hearts distressed and we can see the breath of our pain through the shadows? 

These are the times when our faith is tested --when we see that --

God moves in a mysterious way, His mercies to perform
He plants His footsteps on the sea and rides upon the storm

And we must--

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, but trust Him for his grace 
Behind a frowning providence, He hides a smiling face. 

And today I walked under clouds, under cold October clouds that threatened to rain down. 

I saw a tiny, innocent sparrow, wing hurt, hopping under the leaves in someones' garden, and my hands were full with my two babies, so there was nothing I could do but leave it in God's hands--

And my heart was heavy, too--with a prayer unanswered and the heavens seem brass--

And yet--

The promise of His grace--

His purposes will ripen fast unfolding every hour
The bud may have a bitter taste, but sweet will be the flower.

And I read about it today in my sister's story that she's been writing, read of barrenness and silence and the brass heavens. 

Until mercy moved and the unexpected came and the prayer was answered. 

Answered. 

By the God of mercy, the God who turns winter to spring and who heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds and who waits that He may be gracious to us.

Waits. 

Because what sometimes seems like unanswered silence is only a ripening bud--

That the flower may be sweet - a glorious bloom in the spring of answered prayer.

So I wait upon Him--

In hope. 

You might find me on these link-ups:

Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth, The Modest Mom, What Joy is Mine, Yes They Are All Ours, Missional Call, A Mama's Story, Mom's the Word, Rich Faith Rising, Time Warp Wife, Cornerstone Confessions, Mom's Morning Coffee, So Much at Home, Raising Homemakers, Hope in Every Season, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Woman to Woman Ministries, Whole-Hearted Home, A Soft Gentle Voice, My Daily Walk in His Grace, Messy Marriage, My Teacher's Name is Mama, The Charm of Home, Graced Simplicity, Children Are A Blessing, Mittenstate Sheep and Wool, Imparting Grace, Preparedness Mama, A Look at the Book, Essential Thing Devotions, Count My Blessings, Beauty Observed, Christian Mommy Blogger, Renewed Daily,