This week on Kitchen Chat: Agent Jenny Bent!

Don't miss this week's Kitchen Chat guest, Jenny Bent. Jenny has some fascinating insight into the publishing industry as well as some great stories of her own. So pull up a chair, grab a cup of coffee, and join us for a chat!

About Jenny: In a career spanning 15 years, I have made a practice of making bestsellers - either by spotting new talent or developing careers for multi-published authors. My list is varied and includes commercial fiction and nonfiction, literary fiction and memoir. All the books I represent speak to the heart in some way: they are linked by genuine emotion, inspiration and great writing and story-telling.

I was born in New York City but grew up in Harrisonburg Virginia in a house full of books where I spent many lazy afternoons reading in a sunny window seat. I went on to England to get a BA/MA with first class honors from Cambridge University. After graduation I worked in magazines, bookselling and agenting, most recently at Trident Media Group, before founding THE BENT AGENCY in 2009. I now live in Brooklyn in an apartment full of books and while there are not quite so many lazy reading afternoons, I manage to fit one in now and then.

One of Jenny's clients, Beth Patillo was on the show a few weeks ago. Check out her podcast here!

Kitchen Chat: Chatting with Author Beth Pattillo 02-12-2010

I'm so thrilled to have Beth on the show this week! I was fortunate to attend the launch party for her latest novel, Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart in New York this week! It was fabulous! Wow - Beth is lovely and a talented writer!

Have a question for Jenny? Leave it here on the segment post or call in 1-877-864-4869!

Join Margaret every Friday at 11:00 CST for Kitchen Chat!

Guest Blogger ... Rae Edlin

For years I felt guilty for not regularly making time to be in the Word, NOT because I didn‘t love and value the scriptures. I did. But the tyranny of the urgent seemed always to prevent quality time in it. Then I made a commitment to memorize scripture in my random moments, to control my thoughts and to not waste time in uncontrolled thinking. So I carried chapters of scripture with me wherever I went, and learned to apply my mind to it while doing other things.

Over the years, using what otherwise would have been wasted moments, I have memorized Ephesians, Colossians, Hebrews, James ( in two versions), I and II Peter, I, II III John, chapters of Romans and Galatians and the gospels, the first half of I Corinthians, many Psalms, and other portions of O.T. This is an embarrassed confession. I could have, should have, and wish I had done so much more. (I’m not through yet!)

MEMORIZING GOD’S WORD is His Idea

God says of His Word, “Hide it“, “treasure it” in our heart, “eat it”, “diligently seek” it, ( Jer. 15:16, Matt. 4:4, Heb. 6:5, Ps. 119:1-3), “bind it” on us (Deut 6:6-9), “meditate on it day and night” (Josh. 1:8, Ps. 1:1-2); cause it to “richly dwell in” us.

Col. 3:16 “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

(Practically) HOW TO MEMORIZE GOD’S TRUTH:

Deut. 6: 6-9 “And these words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. And you shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on you forehead, and you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” This is a practical how to do, as well as a what to do. We learn better as we are going and doing.

HERE IS HOW TO START:

1.Photocopy the pages of your selected passage. Or print them off from a Bible website and CARRY IT WITH YOU EVERYWHERE, to refer to “as you go”.

2. Select a chapter or a book of scripture, not a single verse, and disregard the verse numbers. (If you memorize a chapter you will remember which verses are in it, and you can turn to verses in it easily without the number “address”; if you memorize a book, you will know what is in each chapter by the time you have it memorized.) Forget the numbers. They are unnecessary. This is liberating!

3. Memorize in the translation (not a paraphrase) that you regularly use. Over time this will help you memorize faster as the cadence, sentence structure, etc. become familiar.

4. Memorize word perfectly, until you can recite the words flowingly not haltingly. Until you do, you have not really memorized it, and you will not retain it. You are not memorizing thoughts, but words, or else you are in danger of applying your own thoughts to His Word. The goal is to know His thoughts (Him!) through His words.

OBJECTIONS: THE “YEAH BUTS….”

Our self-indulgent flesh can think of lots of excuses, to at least put off this discipline:

“I can’t memorize"...You have memorized your phone number and address, your friends names and numbers. You obviously CAN memorize what is important to you.

Prov. 4:20-23 “My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your sight; keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and health to all their whole body.”

Rom.8:5-8 “For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward god for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so; and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. However, you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.”


“But I don’t have time”: It takes no time out of your day. “As you go” is using the time you are already spending on something else. It takes discipline; but it doesn’t take time that you don’t have. It uses time that you waste. Is God’s Word important enough to put before random thoughts? “Taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” is not about time!

“But I don’t get anything out of it”: Going over and over the words in our neocortex creates new neuronal paths in our brain that future scripture will join to for insight. This is how we cooperate with the Holy Spirit to be “renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self”. Eph. 4:23-24. To memorize is meditation even if sometimes it seems like mindless rote and just a difficult discipline. “Line on line, word on word, precept on precept” is God’s way. And not one second of it is wasted. It is seed sown for a harvest.



Isa. 55:6-13 “Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the Lord, and He will have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without watering the earth, and making it bear and sprout, and furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; so shall My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. For you will go out with joy, and be led forth with peace…”

“But I need help” A buddy for accountability requires time, scheduling, and increased complexity. For me it is better to challenge MYSELF, and commit to and answer to GOD. This builds intimacy with Him. He rewards me in secret. Remember, as soon as you COMMIT to renew your mind, He will step in to help and bless you in it. The Lord Jesus demonstrated that he knew all the Scriptures by heart. He quoted them at every turn. He was humbly diligent to consistently think only the Father’s thoughts in his human brain, not trusting His own, and He is the best one to hold us accountable. Say His own words back to Him, to delight Him.



The most important thing is to be a doer of the Word.

James l:21 “…putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. 25 But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man shall be blessed in what he does.”



Prov. 22:17-21 “Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise, and apply your mind to my knowledge; for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you, that they may be ready on your lips. So that your trust may be in the Lord, I have taught you today, even you. Have I not written to you excellent things of counsels and knowledge, to make you know the certainty of the words of truth, that you may correctly answer to him who sent you.”


The treasure we are seeking is Christ Himself, the living Word.

(Col. 2:1-3 “ For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf, and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally seen my face, that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”



John 5:38-40 “And you do not have His word abiding in you, for you do not believe Him whom He sent. You search the scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that bear witness of Me’



Luke 24:25-27 And beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures….31-32 And their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight. And they said to one another, were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?”

Your ability to memorize will increase exponentially, as you commit to memorize God’s Word.

The Lord to His followers: Luke 8:18 “Therefore take care how you listen, for whoever has to him shall more be given and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has shall be taken away from him.” Here is a principle: “He commits to you, so that you will commit to him, so that He can commit to you”.

____________________________

Rae Edlin is a woman of grace who lives with her husband in Oregon. She loves all the time she gets hugging on her grandchildren. Her smile is contagious and sincere.

On Kitchen Chat This Week: Dallas Jenkins!

Join me on Friday as I chat with the ever fascinating Dallas Jenkins from Jenkins Entertainment!

Jenkins Entertainment was formed by Jerry B. Jenkins and his son Dallas in February of 2000. Within a year, they had completed shooting on their first feature, the $2 million independent film, Hometown Legend. After a limited theatrical run, the film was distributed to VHS/DVD by Warner Brothers in August of 2002 and has thus far sold over 300,000 units. After a brief run on Country Music Television, it recently aired as the Sunday Night Feature on ABC Family and is being distributed all over the world. It was named by Movieguide as one of the Top Ten Family Films of 2002.

In 2004 and 2005, Jenkins Entertainment completed two short films: Cliché (in which every line, scene, and character is a movie cliché), and Midnight Clear (based on Jerry’s short story), both of which Jerry executive produced and Dallas directed. In 2007 they produced, and Dallas directed, the feature film Midnight Clear, based on the short. It won several festival awards and was released by Lionsgate in December 2007. They recently completed their latest feature, What If…, scheduled to be released in fall 2010.

ABOUT DALLAS JENKINS

Dallas Jenkins produced the independent feature Hometown Legend at the age of 25 and supervised every aspect of the production, from completion of the script to distribution by Warner Brothers. Dallas made his directing debut with the short film Cliché, which FilmThreat.com called “Fast and funny...ingenious,” and his next short film, Midnight Clear, starring Stephen Baldwin, won a Crystal Heart Award from the Heartland Film Festival and was the opening night selection of the San Diego Film Festival. He is the co-executive producer of Though None Go With Me, a Hallmark Channel feature that aired in April 2006. In 2007 he directed and produced Midnight Clear, based on the short, which won awards in festivals all over the country, including the Cinequest Film Festival’s Special Jury Prize for “Best First Feature,” and the “Audience Favorite” award at the Kansas Int’l Film Festival,. It was released by Lionsgate in December 2007. He recently completed directing his latest feature What If…, scheduled for release in fall of 2010.

Dallas shares his foolproof steak recipe with us! YUM!

Don't miss it!

Join Margaret every Friday at 11:00 CST for Kitchen Chat!

St. Patrick's Day

When he was in his teens, Patrick was captured by Irish raiders and taken from his native Wales as a slave to Ireland, where he lived for six years before escaping and returning to his family. Patrick recounts that he had a vision a few years after returning home:

I saw a man coming, as it were from Ireland. His name was Victoricus, and he carried many letters, and he gave me one of them. I read the heading: "The Voice of the Irish". As I began the letter, I imagined in that moment that I heard the voice of those very people who were near the wood of Foclut, which is beside the western sea—and they cried out, as with one voice: "We appeal to you, holy servant boy, to come and walk among us.

He returned to Ireland as a missionary. ||Wow.||

We also credit Patrick with teaching the Irish about the concept of the Trinity by showing people the shamrock, a 3-leaved clover, and using it to highlight our belief of 'three divine persons in the one God'.

Saint Patrick exemplified for Christians, that we can live out the Scriptural commandment to spread the word of God while “exalting and confessing his wonders before all the nations that are under the heavens.” Patrick’s example has inspired later missionaries to undertake great missions to evangelize abroad in later years.

While he is not a girl, St. Patrick's life is yet another wonderful example of one full of grit that God turned into beauty.

Psalm 103:1-5

Praise the LORD, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

Praise the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits-

who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,

who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,

who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

This week on Kitchen Chat: Carl Raymond

I'm thrilled about this week's guest - Carl is an amazing man who wears many hats. In some circles he's known Carlas Chef Carl and in other circles he's best known for his publishing expertize with Guideposts as the director of Marketing.

Carl's culinary passions began years ago combining his New England roots with interests in world cuisine. After spending a year living and studying in France, he returned to the United States and continued his studies in language and culture. He has studied at the French Culinary Institute and holds a diploma with highest honors in culinary arts from New York’s Institute of Culinary Education. Through extensive travel in Europe, notably France and Italy, Carl refined his passion and deepened his knowledge of regional cooking of southern France, Provence, Burgundy, Italy and Greece. He has studied Italian cuisine with such luminaries as Guiliano Bugialli, Anna Teresa Callen and Giulano Hazan. Additional studies have included coursework in food journalism with Alan Richman and food styling with Delores Custer. One of Carl's passions is the cuisine of India and he has taken class with Suvir Saran and has studied privately with Julie Sahni.

Carl has spent the major part of his career in the world of food media including both publishing and television. As former Publishing Director for adult readers at DK Publishing/Penguin he created a US based food and wine publishing program acquiring and launching such titles are MORIMOTO: THE NEW ART OF JAPANESE COOKING which was nominated for the prestigious James Beard and IACP awards. In addition, he published such acclaimed titles as THE ETHNIC PARIS COOKBOOK, IN THE KENNEDY KITCHEN, and SPAIN AND THE WORLD TABLE with the Culinary Institute of America among others. He has worked as a culinary researcher for After Five productions, producers of Emeril Lagasse television. In addition, he has worked as a recipe tester with the Food Network and has written and developed recipes for Rodale's PREVENTION magazine.

He lives on Manhattan's Upper West Side and continues to follow his culinary passions around the world. He is fluent in French and Italian and is currently at work on his own series of books. You can find out more by visiting his culinary blog.

Please call in with your questions during the show: 1-877-864-4869

Join Margaret every Friday at 11:00 CST for Kitchen Chat!

TODAY on Kitchen Chat: Susan May Warren

Join me as I chat with the oh-so-talented author Susan May Warren. We'll hear some surprises from her past as well as some funny stuff from the present. Susan will also be sharing about her latest releases Sons of Thunder, book one in her Brothers in Arms collection and Double Trouble, book two in her PJ Sugar series.

Susan is not only a writer, but she mentors writer's too. She's joined forces with Rachel Hauck and Sarah Anne Sumpolec to create a story-crafting service, My Book Therapy. If you haven't been to one of My Book Therapy's reatreats - sign up TODAY! The next one is in Seattle for all you northwesterners. Also, be sure to sign up for the Voices eZine - so many useful articles and tips.

Have a question for Susan - call in to the show: 1-877-864-4869

Here is the official bio for Susan: Susan May Warren is the RITA award-winning author of twenty-four novels with Tyndale, Barbour and Steeple Hill. A four-time Christy award finalist, a two-time RITA Finalist, she’s also a multi-winner of the Inspirational Readers Choice award, and the ACFW Book of the Year.

Susan's larger than life characters and layered plots have won her acclaim with readers and reviewers alike. A seasoned women’s events and retreats speaker, she’s a popular writing teacher at conferences around the nation and the author of the beginning writer’s workbook: From the Inside-Out: discover, create and publish the novel in you!. She is also the founder of www.MyBookTherapy.com, a story-crafting service that helps authors discover their voice.

Susan makes her home in northern Minnesota, where she is busy cheering on her two sons in football, and her daughter in local theater productions (and desperately missing her college-age son!) A full listing of her titles, reviews and awards can be found at: www.susanmaywarren.com

Don't miss the contest Susan is running for Sons of Thunder - visit the SHARE page at the Brothers In Arms website and share a bit of your family history for your chance to win a Memory Prize Pack (a hardback photo memory book, a 6-month membership to Netflix, and more)!

Win a copy of Double Trouble and Sons of Thunder by leaving a comment on Susan's segment post here (along with your email address!)

Join Margaret every Friday at 11:00 CST for Kitchen Chat!

Guest Blogger ... Kristen Welch

Her Name is Grace Because He is Amazing

This is the day I met my third child for the first time. I held her one week later, attempted to nurse her two weeks after that.





After God did a miracle in my marriage, I started dreaming of having another baby. A third child. We were already blessed with a girl and boy and thought we were done. 



But then, we fell in love again. And it just seemed right that a baby come from our new union. 



I got pregnant right away, but that precious baby flew to the arms of Jesus.



Several months later, I conceived again. I was very sick from the beginning and spent almost the entire summer in bed, watching my six and four year old play in the backyard from my window.



My pregnancy was a nightmare. I faced serious problems throughout from a kidney stone, among other complications. During my pregnancy, I was seen by 5 specialists, took 14 rounds of antibiotics, and had a medical procedure by a urologist when I was 27 weeks pregnant without anesthesia. 



At 32 weeks, my baby was diagnosed with a failure to thrive and an emergency delivery began.



I went through hours of labor and developed a fever from the infection that wracked my body and she was delivered by emergency c-section.



It was terrifying. I remember being rushed down the hall and the panic that surrounded me. And do you know how I felt? Even in that moment of terror, I was simply relieved that my hellish pregnancy was ending.



My tiny daughter was born and whisked away to the Neonatal Intensive Care because she wasn't breathing well and they were considering transporting her to a hospital downtown. 



I sent my hubby to be with her. He stayed by her side the entire night, praying.



She was born on Dec. 16th and bares the name Grace, to remind us of God's grace in our marriage. I spent my birthday and wedding anniversary in the hospital. She stayed through Christmas and New Year's.



Guilt was my friend during my hospital stay. I felt terrible for wishing for her early birth and scared that she wouldn't make it because of my body's inability to sustain her in utero.



The night that I will remember forever was Christmas Eve. We were home trying to make things 'normal' for our other kids. It was bedtime and we got a call from the hospital. Our baby had taken a turn for the worse and they wanted us to come.



My Mom slept on my sofa and my Dad went with us to the hospital. 



It was the most difficult night of my life, watching my tiny baby stripped naked, hooked to wires, fighting for her life. My Dad laid hands on her and prayed.



I cried. And God taught me again about grace. 



I was desperate, not from a shattered marriage this time, but from a place I'd never been before: fear my child would die.



Nothing else mattered at that moment. Not the car I drove, my home or the money in the bank. 



It was about life and not losing it. And about me, giving God my child.



That was hard.



She stabilized and we made it home just in time for an exhausted Santa to fill the stockings. 



We spent the rest of Christmas Day at the hospital and every day after that until our baby came home.

We learned CPR and she stayed on a heart monitor until she was six months old.



We return every Christmas Day to the NICU to celebrate her anniversary (with goodies for the staff). This was our third year.




December 25, 2009

This child was conceived amongst the rubble of a damaged marriage because of God's Grace. I didn't know that her very life--and wow, does she celebrate living as a wild toddler--would be a daily reminder of the grace that carried us through a very dark night.

I don't know where you are today, you may be hanging on by a thread. I write this to remind you that even in the ashes, YOU ARE NOT ALONE. 

It is His Grace that will carry you.

Because it is amazing.

This post was taken from (in)courage.me at the permission of Kristen Welch.

______________________________________

Kristen is a freelance writer, born and raised in Texas. Her work has appeared in Why Fret the God Stuff and Christian Women Online (CWO) and Blissfully Domestic. She writes at www.incourage.me and also at her well-read parenting blog, We are THAT family, which offers an honest mixture of humor and inspiration.

Each Wednesday, Kristen hosts the Works for Me Wednesday blog carnival. Kristen’s blog was recently named to the 2009 Neilsen Online Power Mom 50 Blogger list. Kristen is a sweet tea drinker, wife to her best friend of 15 years and in the throes of raising three hilarious children.
Follow Kristen on twitter as @WeareTHATfamily.

I need Your Help ...

for a new project! I'm putting together a proposal for my next project. (Details will be forthcoming!) The topic is loss/grief. If you would be willing to answer a few short questions please email Amy Lathrop amy@pearlgirls.info and she will send you a brief description and a few questions!

I would be so grateful if you would share your thoughts, experiences, input on this difficult topic.

Thank you.

Here's what you've missed ...

if you haven't been tuning into Kitchen Chat each week!

All the past shows are available for download at iTunes! Or you can listen here by clicking on the links below!

Thank you all so much for your support and for listening in each week - God has blessed the show with some INCREDIBLE guests! To view the schedule for upcoming shows go here.

Saturday 6th of March 2010

Kitchen Chat: Guest Julie Papievis shares her journey from severe brain stem injury to running a marathon 03-06-2010

On May 10, 1993 my life was changed forever because someone ran a red light. Featured on Lifetime's "Beyond Chance", CNN, Woman's Day Magazine, and top ranked WB's WGN News, my story is gaining national attention. After a life-threatening car accident, I suffered a severe brain stem injury and medically died, rating a "3", the lowest number possible on the Glascow Coma Scale. I hope my story of faith and determination offers an inspirational and practical approach to dealing with sudden changes in life. Like an oyster, I transformed the unexpected "grit" in my life into a precious pearl.

Friday 26th of February 2010

Kitchen Chat: All Things Amish with Suzanne Woods Fisher 02-26-2010

Join us as we chat with the author who has grown up around the Amish all her life. Her book The SWFChoice was #8 on the CBA Best Seller List last week. Wow! The Choice is book one in a fresh fiction series and explores what happens when one young Amish woman must make the choice of a lifetime… Suzanne chats about all things Amish!

Friday 19th of February 2010

Kitchen Chat: Protecting Our Kids with Marc Klaas 02-19-2010

Join us this week as I chat with the founder of KlaasKids Foundation, Marc Klaas, about what parents can do to keep their children safe. Marc's speaks from experience, his story is heartbreaking. On Oct 1, 1993 Marc's twelve-year-old daughter Polly, was kidnapped and murdered. Since then Marc and his family have worked tirelessly to prevent other children and families from becoming victims.

Friday 12th of February 2010

Kitchen Chat: Chatting with Author Beth Pattillo 02-12-2010

I'm so thrilled to have Beth on the show this week! I was fortunate to attend the launch party for her latest novel, Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart in New York this week! It was fabulous! Wow - Beth is lovely and a talented writer!

Friday 5th of February 2010

Kitchen Chat with the gals from Wings 02-05-2010

Listen in this week as I interview Rita and Rebecca from Wings. Wings is one of the charities supported by the work of Pearl Girls. We'll hear how Wings helps women and children in the community and what they hope to accomplish in 2010. Please visit the Wings website for more information about their services and programs.

Saturday 30th of January 2010

Kitchen Chat: Because I Said So's Dawn Meehan 01-30-2010

I'm thrilled to introduce you to my dear friend, Dawn Meehan. What a hoot she is - be prepared to laugh until you cry. :) Tune in to hear Dawn's amazing story - from ebay to the best seller list. A wonderful writer and blogger - so hilarious!

Friday 22nd of January 2010

Kitchen Chat with DaySpring's Holley Gerth 01-22-2010

Holley Gerth is an award-winning writer and an editorial director for DaySpring with over ten years of experience in the publishing industry. She recently launched an innovative site for Christian women called (in)courage, www.incourage.me, that had almost 60,000 unique visitors in the first month. Gerth is the author of over 2,000 cards, as well as several devotionals, articles, journals, and children’s books. She has a master’s degree in counseling and is passionate about bringing hope to the hearts of women. She loves deeply, as her husband Mark knows, and lives courageously. She believes that’s why she’s here on this earth…and she recently wrote her first devotional book, Rain on Me.

Saturday 16th of January 2010

Kitchen Chat: Achieving your goals with Para-Olympic Medalist Bonnie St. John 01-16-2010

I'm so excited to introduce my dear and amazing friend, Bonnie St. John today! Bonnie is a 1984 Paralympics silver medal winner in ski racing. Her education includes a degree with honors from Harvard, a Rhodes scholarship, and an M.Litt in Economics from Oxford. Her career includes positions as an award-winning sales rep for IBM and a Clinton White House member of staff. She now is a much-in-demand speaker, who makes nearly 100 speeches each year to corporations and civic groups.

This week on Kitchen Chat: Julie Papievis

Join me this week as I chat with my dear friend and co-author Julie Papievis! She'll be answering your questions on Kitchen Chat this Friday. Call in 1-877-864-4869 or send your questions via twitter! Also, leave a comment on Julie's segment post here to win a copy of Julie's book.

I co-wrote Julie's story, Go Back and Be Happy in 2008. Her story is AMAZING! In Julie Papievis' words: On May 10, 1993 my life was changed forever because someone ran a red light. Featured on Lifetime's "Beyond Chance", CNN, Woman's Day Magazine, and top ranked WB's WGN News, my story is gaining national attention. After a life-threatening car accident, I suffered a severe brain stem injury and medically died, rating a "3", the lowest number possible on the Glascow Coma Scale.

According to medical experts, 96% of the people with such a severe injury either die or remain permanently comatose. The few who survive typically face a non-functional life. I completely beat the odds even though I remained in a coma for over a month. Paralyzed and unconscious, I was transferred to the locked brain injury wing of a rehabilitation facility, where I awakened with vivid memories of my near death experience. During "death" I saw my grandmothers in heaven. They instructed me to "Go back and be happy" and assured me that my body would heal.

Although medical experts said I would never walk again, or be able to take care of myself, I didn't listen. I believed the words of my grandmothers. Through extensive therapy, I relearned how to stand, walk, and swallow. However, I faced the daunting challenge of facing the able-bodied world as a disabled person. After overcoming paralysis and battling severe depression, I embraced my gift of recovery as a true miracle. In 1999, I ran in a 5K race near Chicago on Mother's Day! In February 2007, I completed my first triathlon. I have become an advocate for other survivors looking for hope and guidance.

I hope my story of faith and determination offers an inspirational and practical approach to dealing with sudden changes in life. Like an oyster, I transformed the unexpected "grit" in my life into a precious pearl. Visit the Julie's website.

Join Margaret every Friday at 11:00 CST for Kitchen Chat!

Are you an aspiring greeting card writer?

Holley Gerth was recently a guest on Kitchen Chat. Listen to the podcast here: Kitchen Chat 01-22-2010

It was a wonderful visit. Holley has a beautiful spirit and it shows through her words and work.

For those of you who don't know Holley, she's a senior card writer and strategist for Dayspring as well as blogger at Heart to Heart and at (in)courage.me. She has found joy in her role of building up others with her words. Colossians 2:2 "My purpose is that they may be encourages in heart and united in love." She writes from the heart as she connects with people (through her words) by walking through their joy and pain.

DaySpring touches millions of people worldwide each year with encouraging messages. Would you like to be a part of that? Are you an aspiring greeting card writer? Holley has kindly offered to accept any greeting card submissions from the readers of Pearl Girls as well as authors. She will review and promote the top submissions to DaySpring. If you are interested, please follow the writing guidelines and editorial instruction at http://www.dayspring.com/corporate/contact/editorial.asp. You can submit them directly to Holley at holleyg |at| dayspring |dot| com. Holley would love to respond to each of you, but because of the volume of submissions, will only be contacting those who Dayspring would like to purchase from.

You can see some of Holley's card designs {CLICK HERE} and {CLICK HERE}.


Holley Gerth is an award-winning writer and editorial director for DaySpring. Her devotional book, Rain on Me: Devotions of Hope and Encouragement for Difficult Times(Summerside Press) is now available online and in bookstores. Holley is also a counseling intern for the women’s ministry and care center of a mega church with close to 10,000 members. She has been married to her college sweetheart, Mark, for almost nine years. Holley is not a morning person and once put chocolate on her alarm clock to bribe herself but ate it and went back to bed. You’re invited to find encouragement any time of day on her blog,Heart to Heart with Holley.

Special Offer for Pearl Girls readers: Get an extra 20% off with coupon code holley20 when you purchase Holley's book from the (in)courage shop on DaySpring.com.