Beauty for Ashes, Part I
Isaiah is one of my favorite Bible books. It may seem stuffy and archaic to some, but to me, it magnifies the glory of God. Certain sections in the last third of the book get delightfully apocalyptic in a Back to the Future sort of way. Like Daniel. Or Revelation.
Tucked inside all this rich, end-times prose, you’ll find this jewel:
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me,
Because the Lord has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,
And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn,
3 To console those who mourn in Zion,
To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.” (Isaiah 61:1-3, NKJV)
If you’re a solo mama, you probably know a lot more about ashes than you do about beauty, and mourning than joy, heaviness than praise. But how comforting to know the Lord promises to console those who mourn. Like those of us who mourn the loss of a marriage. Stability. Companionship.
Do you see anything missing in the passage? What about God’s promise to take away my troubles and give me everything I ask Him for? You mean, it’s not there?
So much for health, wealth and prosperity.
I keep having to come back to this verse every time I start thinking I don’t deserve my lot in life. Railing at God for the trials He’s forcing me to endure.
But if I didn’t mourn, how would I ever know his sweet comfort? If I didn’t know ashes, how could I know beauty? Comfort is much sweeter in the valley than on the mountaintop.
Next time, we’ll talk about a real-life example of beauty from ashes. And it’s about 60 miles from my home.
~DVC~
How Many Narcissists?
Q. How many narcissists does it take to change a lightbulb?
<drumroll>
A. Only one, but he has to wait for the whole world to revolve around him.
Those of us raised by narcissist parent(s) sometimes use humor to band-aid the pain. What do you use to cover the pain? For many years, I used alcohol. But I thank the Lord for the counseling I received during my recovery that opened my eyes. Twenty years ago, I hadn’t yet labelled the role I was forced into as scapegoating, one of the offshoots of narcissistic abuse. But you don’t need a label to recognize mistreatment.
How I wish abusive parents understood the following diagram:
Abused Children—> Mean, angry adults/Substance abusers—> Child abusers—> The Incarcerated.
See the vicious cycle? Abused children grow up mean and angry. They are more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol, and even abuse their own children. Often leading to incarceration.
Instead of Imagining no more heaven (a tragic visual), imagine no more abuse. Now that will be heaven!
I’ll close with the following quote from the attached link: “..behind closed doors, all pretense falls away. Only you, their child, knows what it’s like to endure their cold shoulders for days on end over a minor infraction, or bear the brunt of constant, age-inappropriate demands for perfection and strength. You know what it’s like to be parented by a narcissist.”
~DVC~
Puppy Love Part I
Meet Murf – Livy’s puppy in Sapphire Secrets. Isn’t he cute?
Here’s another little guy who isn’t having a very good day…click here.
The Pants of Shame
I couldn’t believe my eyes! Check out these pants ~~
https://warriorwriters.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/crochet_pants2.jpg?w=300&h=300
Source: The Pants of Shame
WHY, Chris Harper-Mercer…WHY??
WHY did you walk into Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon, and shoot all those innocent people? Did you simply want infamy, your five minutes of fame? National attention? Well, you got it. How does it feel over there on the other side?
WHAT demonic obsession made you decide that a shoot-out was the only way to get people to notice you?
Didn’t you realize there are many other non-destructive ways to get attention? You could’ve helped out at the local homeless shelter. That would’ve gotten you some kudos. Or you could’ve been a mentor, a big brother, to a needy kid.
Guess what? You’re not a hero. The other Chris — Chris Mintz, the guy who tackled you, will live on in the American psyche as the true hero. He’s going to survive, and he’s going to thrive. But the poor students you killed…c’mon, a nineteen-year-old? Again I ask, WHAT were you thinking?
I want you to know I’m currently writing my second novel in my Hot Topic Fiction series, and it’s about YOU. More specifically, a family who is victimized by a YOU. I’m blown away by your timing. HOW did you know I was already telling the world about you in my fiction?
But most of all…what’s going through your mind RIGHT NOW?
~~DVC~~
KL Dierking – Featured Author
It’s always fun to get to know fellow authors. KL Dierking speaks and blogs about overcoming the negative effects of abuse. Find out more about Victorious Living Team, and her new release, No Longer a Victim – Made to Be Victorious – here.
Memories…All Alone in the Moonlight
I love Cats The Musical. Picture a tribe of human-sized cats slinking around dark alleys under the moonlight, discussing deep subjects like happiness and the meaning of life. Then Grizabella leaps onto the scene, singing that heart-tugging number we’ve heard a million times on the radio, TV, and in karaoke bars, Memory– the anthem of single mothers everywhere.
Memory
All alone in the moonlight
I can smile at the old days
I was beautiful then
I remember
A time I knew what happiness was
Let the memory live again
~~Written by Trevor Nunn
Poignant, bittersweet. Celebration of a former life, Mourning over loss. The song turns dark, depressing, finally ending on a note of hope:
Look, a new day has begun.
But sometimes, during the dark days, before the new day dawns, we can barely make it through the now. And what about our kids? They suffer the most when a parent leaves. As I mentioned in a previous post, my divorce took its toll on my kids in numerous ways. If the divorce hadn’t happened, would they have been drawn to more respectable friends, instead of judging potential companions by their “cool” factor? Would my under-achieving son have lived up to his potential?
Sad to say, we’ll never know the answer to these questions until we get to heaven. In the meantime, I found the ministry Focus on the Family a wonderful source for solo mamas. The attached article tells how we can let God heal broken hearts…not only ours, but our kids most of all.
~DVC~
Meet My Guest for Today, Brenda S. Anderson. Author of Gritty Fiction
DVC: My fellow author Brenda S. Anderson is here to say hi and tell us about herself and her writing journey.
First of all, Brenda, thank you for visiting today. I am intrigued that you write what you describe as “gritty” fiction. It sounds a lot like the type of fiction I like to read and write. Tell us why you decided to write that type of fiction.
“When I sit down to write, the stories that come alive on my computer all tend to focus on broken people and messy lives. If you look at the majority of fiction released under the Christian fiction umbrella, you’ll see gritty fiction isn’t the norm, and the edgy books that are out there aren’t big sellers. So why write gritty fiction when the market doesn’t support it? Well, I have a number of reasons:
“It’s What I Enjoy Reading. When I look for books to read, I quickly skim past the sweet romances and cozy mysteries, not because they’re poor quality (which they aren’t), but because I prefer what I call meaty fiction. I want to read a book I can ‘sink my teeth into.’ I love stories that challenge me and make me think, not ones that merely provide entertainment. I want to read about God’s broken people because He can do such a mighty work through them.
“Out of Obedience. Most authors will tell you they’re called to write. They can’t not write. And that’s true with me as well. Although my stories aren’t your typical Christian fiction fare, they are all stories God puts on my heart—I have to tell them, and then trust that He will get them to the right readers.
“Writing Allows Me to Speak Out. I’m normally a quiet person, one who doesn’t like to make waves, but I also know God doesn’t want us to sit on life’s sidelines when we live in a very fallen world. Writing stories allows me to speak out on those topics I’m passionate about. My first published work, Chain of Mercy, centered around a man going through post-abortion syndrome. Pieces of Granite is about a couple who struggles with their marriage after learning their unborn child has Down syndrome. My new release, Hungry for Home, is about a homeless teen. Stories touch people’s hearts in a deeper way than non-fiction, so my hope is that my stories will get someone to think beyond their cozy little world.
“It Helps Me See From Multiple Perspectives. In Hungry for Home, I tell the story from a homeless teen’s perspective and a wealthy couple’s perspective, along with some minor characters points of view. All are going to see the world through their own unique lens. Writing their stories helps me see people’s hearts, the heart God sees, not that the world sees.
DVC: I love the cover of your new release, Hungry for Home. Can you tell us more about it?
About Hungry for Home
After a troubling encounter with a pregnant teen, Sheila Peterson-Brooks hurries from the crisis pregnancy center into the frigid Minnesota winter where she is mugged and left for dead. After a frantic search, Richard, her husband, finds her, and the police quickly nab the mugger …
A hungry, homeless teen.
The brother of the pregnant girl Sheila had just counseled.The girl pleads for her brother, and Sheila and Richard choose not to press charges. Instead, they open their home to the boy, a move that could cost them their possessions, and their hearts.And, in the process, teach them the true meaning of home.
Pre-Order Hungry for Home for Kindle: http://amzn.to/1VtIb8h
Brenda S. Anderson bio:
Brenda S. Anderson writes gritty and authentic, life-affirming fiction. She is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), and is currently President of the ACFW Minnesota chapter, MN-NICE. When not reading or writing, she enjoys music, theater, roller coasters, and baseball, and she loves watching movies with her family. She lives in the Minneapolis, Minnesota area with her husband of 28 years, their three children, and one sassy cat.
Readers can learn more about Brenda S. Anderson at www.brendaandersonbooks.com
Get in touch with Brenda:
- Website:http://brendaandersonbooks.com/
- Blogs: http://brendaandersonbooks.com/blog/ http://inkspirationalmessages.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrendaSAndersonAuthor
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrendaSAnders_n
- Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/brendabanderson/
- Amazon Author Page: amazon.com/author/brendasanderson
- Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/BrendaSAnderson
God, Where’s my husband?
For your Maker is your husband; The Lord of hosts is His name. (Isaiah 54:5).
If you’re a single parent, do you sometimes find it hard to attend church or other public events, because you know you’ll see all these happily married/taken couples everywhere you look? Sometimes it’s easier just to stay home.
The Lord knew how we’d feel, even 3,000 years before we were born. Because He came up with Isaiah 54.5. True, He’s talking to the nation of Israel, yet I’ve always found it a comforting verse. “But I want a husband with skin on,” you say. “Someone I can snuggle with at night.”
I wish I could tell you that God has one for you. I don’t know if He does or not. Which brings up a pet peeve of mine from my single-parenting days: well-meaning folks who claimed God had someone just for me. How presumptuous. There is no way a mere human can possibly know what God has planned for someone else.
But until He does send Mr. Perfect-for-you, cling to God as your husband. I’ve found His presence just as comforting as any man’s. Plus, He’s altogether perfect. Not merely Mr. Perfect-for-you. God can read your mind. A human husband can’t, as we’ve all found out the hard way. His love runs deeper and wider than the ocean, more intense than any man’s.
My kindness shall not depart from you. (Isaiah 54:10)
~DVC~
Dawn V. Cahill - Hot Topic Christian Fiction 
