Friday on Kitchen Chat: Lis Wiehl

We're thrilled to have Lis Wiehl on the show this week - just a fascinating woman! Be sure to call in with your questions 1-877-864-4869. Or leave them them HERE!

Lis will be chatting about her latest book, Hand of Fate.

Hand of Fate is a Triple Threat Novel - and follows on the super successful heals of Face of Betrayal. When the host of a popular radio talk show is murdered, the suspects almost outnumber his millions of listeners.

Outspoken radio talk show host Jim Fate dies tragically when poisonous gas fills the studio while his polarizing show, “The Hand of Fate,” is on air.

In the ensuing panic, police evacuate downtown Portland--and the triple threat of FBI Special Agent Nicole Hedges, crime reporter Cassidy Shaw and Federal Prosecutor Allison Pierce begin piecing together the madness, motive, and the mystery of what just happened. And this time it’s personal since one of the women was secretly dating the host and has access to his home...as well as possible evidence.

In the days following Fate’s murder, these three colleagues and friends must confront a betrayal within the team while unearthing the not-so-public life of Jim Fate. Together, they must uncover the stunning truth of who killed him, how close the killer really is, and the twisted motive for this cold-blooded murder.

About Lis:

Lis Wiehl is one of the nation’s most prominent trial lawyers and highly regarded commentators. Currently, hafshe is the legal analyst and reporter on the Fox News Channel and Bill O’Reilly’s sparring partner in the weekly “Is It Legal?” segment on The O’Reilly Factor. Prior to that she was O’Reilly’s co-host on the nationally syndicated show The Radio Factor. She is also a Professor of Law at New York Law School. Her column “Lis on Law” appears weekly on FoxNews.com.

Prior to joining Fox News Channel in New York City, Wiehl served as a legal analyst and reporter for NBC News and NPR’s All Things Considered. Before that, Wiehl served as a Federal Prosecutor in the United States Attorney’s office.

Wiehl earned her Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School and her Master of Arts in Literature from the University of Queensland.

Wiehl is also the author of The 51% Minority, which won the 2008 award for Books for a Better Life in the motivational category, and Winning Every Time.

She lives with her husband, CBS CBS Early Show analyst, Mickey Sherman, and two children in New York. For more about Lis, please visit her website at http://www.liswiehlbooks.com/.

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

Guest Blogger ... Mary DeMuth

Praying for those who stole

Those of you familiar with me or my story know this: at five, two neighborhood boys spent their free time abusing me. Under trees. In their room. In ravines. In parks.

I'm grateful, so grateful, that I don't suffer flashbacks anymore. I'm glad their yearlong actions no longer inform how I live my life. They tried to break me, but Jesus healed so many broken, awful, raw places. They meant harm, but now I'm free.

But sometimes, like right now, I think about where they are, how they are, what their lives are like. I've spent fruitless time on the internet trying to track them down, half from curiosity, half from pity. But I can't quite find them. Which is fine by me. It's not like I'd want to email one of them and say, "Hey, do you remember the year 1972? Remember our neighborhood? Remember me?"

Because what good would that do? Would it bring closure for me? Probably not. Because if statistics are correct, they will have never been brought to justice. They could be hiding this secret their entire lives. They could be tortured. Or wildly successful. They could have families. They could be perpetrators. They could be liars, or as honest as honest can be. They can be politicians, school teachers, gardeners.

A part of me does want them to remember what they did, if only for the purpose of realizing their own depravity and seeing their need (as I've seen mine) for a savior. And if statistics play out, the reason they perpetrated is probably because they were perpetrated against, which means those boys (now men) need deep, cleansing healing. In every possible way.

I do pray for them. I do think about them. But not with an ache for myself. I ache for them. For the men they've become. Perhaps they are haunted.

Perhaps they are reading this post right now.

__________________________

Author and speaker Mary DeMuth helps people turn their trials to triumph. Her books include Ordinary Mom, Extraordinary God, Building the Christian Family You Never Had, Watching the Tree Limbs, Wishing on Dandelions, Authentic Parenting in a Postmodern Culture and the first two books in the Defiance Texas Trilogy: Daisy Chain and A Slow Burn. Mary lives with her husband Patrick and their three children in Texas. Find out more at www.marydemuth.com.

About Thin Places: In this moving spiritual memoir-Thin Places-Mary DeMuth traces the winding path of thin places in her life, places where she experienced longing and healing more intensely than before. From surviving abuse as a latchkey kid to discovering a heavenly Father who never leaves, Mary's story invites you to a deeper understanding of your own story. She calls you to discover new ways to look for God in the past so that you might experience him more profoundly in the present. What if you could retrace your life and discover its thin places-places where the division between this world and the eternal fades? You can purchase Thin Places, {HERE}.

Do you have your own secret you need to share or perhaps you can encourage someone who is suffering - please visit My Family Secrets.

If you want to know more about Mary you can listen to Margaret's interview with her on Kitchen Chat {HERE}.

O Church Arise

by Keith Getty & Stuart Townend

O Church Arise and put your armour on

Hear the call of Christ our Captain

For now the weak can say that they are strong

In the strength that God has given

With shield of faith and belt of truth

We’ll stand against the devil’s lies

An army bold whose battle-cry is Love

Reaching out to those in darkness

Our call to war to love the captive soul

But to rage against the captor

And with the sword that makes the wounded whole

We will fight with faith and valour

When faced with trials on every side

We know the outcome is secure

And Christ will have the prize for which He died

An inheritance of nations

Come see the cross where love and mercy meet

As the Son of God is stricken

Then see His foes lie crushed beneath His feet

For the Conqueror has risen

And as the stone is rolled away

And Christ emerges from the grave

This victory march continues till the day

Every eye and heart shall see Him

So Spirit come put strength in every stride

Give grace for every hurdle

That we may run with faith to win the prize

Of a servant good and faithful

As saints of old still line the way

Retelling triumphs of His grace

We hear their calls and hunger for the day

When with Christ we stand in glory

Guest Blogger ... Kathi Macias

Do You Have Extreme Devotion?

He who has the Son has life;

he who does not have the Son of God does not have life (1 John 5:12).

I’ve been asked a lot of questions lately about how/why I came up with a new fiction genre that my publisher (New Hope) calls “fiction with a mission.” Let me answer that by telling you the name of the series: “Extreme Devotion.” This particular series has to do with Christians in other countries who often pay a great price for their faith, but the term “extreme devotion” applies to anyone, anywhere, who is so in love with Jesus that all else pales by comparison.

Now if we claim to have that level of love for Christ, that should mean that we are ready at a moment’s notice to lay down anything or everything to follow Him. Anything? Everything? Really? Words may come easy, but actions are a bit tougher, particularly when those actions include following a Savior who had little or no earthly possessions, always put the needs of others ahead of His own, and then willingly died an excruciating death to purchase freedom for those who hated Him.
Hmm. Sort of stops us in our tracks and makes us think a bit, doesn’t it? And yet we know that the very same Jesus who lived and died so selflessly then rose from the grave and ascended into heaven to rejoin His beloved Father for all eternity. If we are committed to following after Jesus in life and death, then we can be assured that we will follow Him right into eternity with the Father.

What on earth could possibly compare to that? What temporal gain is worth trading for that eternal promise? If the Son of God is truly our Savior, then we already have eternal life; if we reject Him, we are dead even before we breathe our last.
It’s all about extreme devotion, living each day with the reminder that He is all and everything, and we need nothing else. What freedom and joy that knowledge brings! May you increase in extreme devotion to Him today, dear friends.

________________________________

Kathi Macias is a radio show host and an award-winning author of thirty books, including her latest releases, No Greater Love and More than Conquerors, the first two books in the four-book international fiction Extreme Devotion series from New Hope Publishers.

It's American Idol Week on Kitchen Chat!!!

I'm thrilled to interviewing American Idols this week on Kitchen Chat! Be sure to tune in Friday at 11:00 am Central for all the inside scoop and to find out what the pat Idols are up to now!

Our first guest will be Carole MacIntyre!

Carole MacIntyre, mother of Season 8 Idol, Scott McIntyre, was born in Colorado and grew up in Redondo Beach, California. She was raised in an airline family and from an early age loved to travel. She has also lived in Toronto, Canada and now resides in Scottsdale Arizona. A graduate of Biola University in Southern California, she holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, minor in Bible, she also attended California State University Long Beach for a minor in Computer Science and Community College in Southern California. She was an exchange student in Japan, and later spent 6 months with the Christian organization Youth with a Mission in Hawaii. She has been married to her dear husband for 28 years. (Both she and her husband were contestants on Family Feud before they were married which, when they both found out about this coincidence, is what sealed the deal and they decided they should definitely get married!).

Carole has three children, (two are special-needs/ blind), all of whom she home educated in the US and Canada for 19 years from Kindergarten through High School. Both her two eldest sons graduated from University Summa cum Laude at 19 years old with Bachelor’s degrees; the eldest son in Piano Performance, and her second son in Musical Theatre and Economics. Recently her youngest 18 yr old daughter moved to Southern California, and attends Biola University on scholarship in Vocal Performance, while her 21 yr old son Todd relocated to Japan and is working as a lead singer/actor for Tokyo Disney. Her eldest, Scott received his masters degree from the Royal College of Music in London England, as a Marshall Scholar, a Fulbright Scholar for the UK, a Rhodes Scholar finalist and USA Today All Academic First team 2005. Carole enjoys lecturing and performing for organizations in the US and Canada including Home-School organizations, the Mayo Clinic, Braille Institute of Los Angeles, Canadian National Institute for the Blind, The Ontario Provincial Ministry of Education, colleges, churches, and charities. She and her husband and daughter have testified in front of the Arizona House and Senate Education Committees with regards to Homeschooling Disabled Children.

Carole recently assisted her son Scott as sighted guide throughout his year and a half long American Idol journey, living in a BelAire mansion and out of a suitcase for over 6 months - even sleeping on the guys tour bus as they travelled through 52 cities on tour. She has been interviewed on the “Today” show in NYC and danced on the American Idol Stage for the Tour Finale. Additionally, she has traveled as alto in the US, Canada and Japan with the "MacIntyre Family Singers" with performance highlights being ticketed concerts at the Kennedy Center in Wash. DC and Tokyo Billboard Live! in Japan. She is a licensed Realtor in the state of Arizona and works in promotion and management with Scott’s music Career and the release of his new album "Heartstrings" announced on American Idol. Carole’s heart is to share her wealth of practical knowledge and encourage parents in their progression of raising their children.
www.twitter.com/idolmom.

Tune in for Jessica Sierra during the second half of our show:
Known for her jaw-dropping performances on the TV phenomenon _American Idol _(FOX), singer/songwriter Jessica Sierra tenacity. After departing _Idol_, Sierra was riddled with constant media attention and controversy. Nearly swallowed up by the severe public scrutiny that followed, it was Sierra's heartfelt passion for music and undeniable strength that enabled her to find her true voice. With the upcoming release of her new single, "Enough," Sierra will once again share her incredible talents with fans and critics alike. Drawing upon the many ups and downs Sierra has experienced in her life, the single stands as an emotional declaration of power and resilience, and paves the way for her highly-anticipated album (Summer 2010).

Since the age of three, Tampa, FL native Jessica Sierra has had an undeniable talent and passion for singing. She began to realize her dreams at only 17 years-old, stunning the audience of CBS' _Star Search_ with her vocal range. Re-emerging three years later, Sierra became one of the stars on Season 4 of _American Idol_. Described by judge Simon Cowell as one of the strongest female vocalists in the competition, she finished in the Top Ten. Following the show, Sierra sang on the 44-city, sold-out arena tour with fellow _American Idol_ contestants, including Bo Bice, Constantine Maroulis and Carrie Underwood. Singing all over the world in unique places such as Kazakhstan, Sierra has had many memorable moments including performing for the U.S. troops in Iraq and Kuwait. Her popular single, "Total Eclipse of the Heart," is featured on the certified-Gold-album, "The American Idol Showstoppers."

After run-ins with the law, the media quickly targeted Sierra as the "bad girl," of Hollywood. Realizing that millions of fans looked to her as a role model, Sierra knew she had to take action. In 2008, Sierra joined Dr. Drew Pinsky for VH-1's _Celebrity Rehab_, where she underwent the grueling healing process with other troubled celebs. With the help of Dr. Drew, Sierra made a full recovery and triumphantly returned to her music. After her treatment, she released her "Deepest Secrets" EP featuring the hit single, "Unbroken."

With two years of sobriety under her belt and the birth of her first child, Kayden, in December of 2009, Jessica Sierra is a new woman. Volunteering at the Santa Anita Family Services Center in Monrovia, CA, Sierra works as a mentor for children motivating them to stay away from the path she once traveled. Currently living in Los Angeles, Sierra continues to embody the spirit of a courageous winner, soaring above her mistakes to new heights of success.

AND Carole has shared a yummy recipe for Dolmates with us. I'm making my shopping list right now! Check it out {HERE}.

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

Guest Blogger ... Dena Dyer

Hagar always obeyed Sarah, whether the task was difficult or mundane. She had even slept with Abraham, gotten pregnant, and carried his son, Ishmael. Usually, as long as Hagar kept a low profile, the two women got along fine.

However, now that Sarah had her own child, she seemed bitter and angry.Finally, Sarah kicked Hagar out. And so the servant wandered alone in the desert with her son. Her back ached, her mouth was full of dust, and her heart had never been heavier. She sat down to rest, wanting to cry but wondering if she had the strength.

Hagar drank one sip of her water and gave her baby the last of it. As he began to cry for more, she couldn’t stop the tears. With gut-wrenching sobs, she cried out to God. “Oh, Lord God, please save us! I can’t watch my son die!”

And God heard. With tender compassion, He opened her eyes and showed her a well. He saw her, just as he had when Sarah sent her away the first time—when an angel had appeared and told Hagar she was pregnant.

That story is the first time in scripture that the name “El Roi” is used for God. It means “The God who sees.” God had never left Hagar’s side, and He cared about what happened to her and her child.

What a comforting thought! God sees.

For parents, much of what we do goes unnoticed and unappreciated. Unfortunately, although we have the most important job in the world, there are no award shows for stellar skills. There’s not an Olympics where mothers get medals for “best diaper change” or “smartest disciplinary techniques” (but maybe there should be!). And there’s no bonus for a mom who cleaned an impossible stain out of a sofa…AGAIN.

So we can begin to feel invisible. After awhile, the endless long hours and thankless tasks can overwhelm us. Like Hagar, we feel abandoned. If we’re not careful, we can become bitter and angry.

Don’t forget, though: God notices. God sees. And He promises to meet our needs. When you’re up in the middle of the night, rocking a sick baby, He’s with you. When you rise early to fix healthy lunches before the kids are up, He applauds. When you listen to your teenage daughter’s ranting and stay calm, He smiles. And He will reward you. Maybe not with a gold statuette, but with His presence and peace.

So ask Him for His perspective, and remind yourself that He delights in you. To Him, you’re more than a medal winner. You’re His trophy—and He loves to show you off to the angels in heaven. “See my daughter?” he says. “She’s doing a great job!”

__________________________________________

This post was taken with her permission from her book, Mothers of the Bible.

__________________________________________

As a busy wife, mom, and entertainer, Dena Dyer constantly loses things—but she’s holding onto her sanity (barely). Her favorite forms of therapy? Cuddling with her two sons, date nights with her hubby, reading, and blogging.

When the opportunities present themselves, Dena also enjoys leading worship and mentoring aspiring writers. “When I was eleven, God called me to the ministry,” Dena says. “I couldn’t have imagined then the wonderful paths He would lead me down. I am grateful beyond words to get paid to do what I love—and encourage others in the process.”

Click here to find out more about Dena's books.

Protect Your Kids

Margaret recently interviewed Marc Klass on Kitchen Chat about protecting our kids. You can listen {HERE}. Marc 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. He is the founder of KlaasKids Foundation and is inviting you to come get your children fingerprinted for free.

PARENT NOTICE

Polly Klaas’ father Marc Announces:

KlaasKids Foundation Print-A-Thon

If you live in Minnesota,

Please Bring Your Children to this FREE Program!

WHAT: KlaasKids Foundation child safety programs are designed to promote awareness and

education for parents and children in an effort to protect children against violence

WHY: Following the 1993 kidnap and murder of Polly Klaas her father Marc formed the

KlaasKids Foundation, a non-profit organization that works with citizens, the private

sector, law enforcement, and legislators to develop ways to safeguard children against

violence.

No Data Basing:

Parents retain the only record of this visit

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: KlaasKids employs state-of-the-art equipment originally developed for Federal Law Enforcement Agencies. The FingerTips program is a computerized system that

fingerprints and photographs your children without ink or film. It delivers a pristine product on children as young as 3-months old. Also a DNA Collection packet developed for the Foundation by the California DNA Laboratory will be given to every child who participates at no additional charge. A KlaasKids Foundation coordinator will answer child safety questions and distribute child and parent safety information. Don’t miss out on this rare and unique opportunity. It is sponsored by Twin Cities Automotive and the KlaasKids Foundation. Fun activities, food and beverages will also be provided at each location.

WHEN: Saturday, May 22, 2010 from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at:

WHERE:

Inver Grove Hyundai

4625 South Robert Trail

Inver Grove Heights, MN 55077

Phone: 651.204.4400

www.invergrovehyundai.com

BMW of Minnetonka

15802 Wayzata Blvd.

Minnetonka, MN 55391

Phone: 952.303.7500

www.bmwofminnetonka.com

Coon Rapids Chrysler Jeep

10541 Woodcrest Drive, NW

Coon Rapids, MN 55433

Phone: (763) 421-8000

www.coonrapidscj.com

In addition, the first 50-families that bring their children to be fingerprinted & photographed will receive one Shrek Internet Browser CD or DVD of ‘Missing … What to Do if Your Child Disappear’.

Guest Blogger ... Deb Kalmbach

FOREVER CHANGED, FOREVER GRATEFUL

I was 18-years-old when I found out I was pregnant with our son, Chris. Randy and I were very much in love, and we were both excited about becoming parents, but fear of the unknown brought a lot of apprehension.


Movies always showed women writhing in pain during childbirth. I've got nine months before I have to deal with that, I convinced myself, trying to muster up some courage. My friend who had recently become a mom, reassured me there was nothing to it. Having a baby wasn't nearly as traumatic as Hollywood portrayed. I wanted to believe her, but somehow I knew she was holding out on me. Several months into my pregnancy, I realized there was no turning back. Once I made it through childbirth, our lives would be forever changed by a tiny life joining ours.


On a February day 39 years ago, Robert Christian arrived, and yes, our lives were forever changed by this amazing miracle of God's creation. It didn't take long for romantic notions about motherhood to wear thin. Chris had colic and usually cried all night. Randy and I took turns walking back and forth with Chris across our postage stamp apartment trying to quiet our squalling infant. I'm not sure how we survived those early parenting days. Parenthood is not for the fainthearted.


Three years later, Jeremy Barret joined our family. Another indescribable blessing. As much as I loved our sons, I was astounded by the amount of time and work it took to be a mom. While my friends were busy pursuing academic goals and their careers, I was watching Sesame Street and reading Green Eggs and Ham, Sam-I-Am. I packed more lunch boxes than I can count and sat on bleachers watching every imaginable sporting event.


We survived chicken pox, wisdom tooth extractions, colds, the flu. Chris learned to play electric guitar while Jeremy attempted to master the bassoon. Years passed as quickly as the more seasoned moms had predicted. Why hadn't I believed them? One day I was sitting at grade school Christmas programs, then at high school graduations, and then unbelievably walking past empty bedrooms with that hard-to-swallow lump in my throat.


I observe our now-grown sons, more keenly aware that the opportunity to influence a child is the most demanding, most heartrending, most rewarding job a woman may have in her lifetime.


And I wouldn't have it any other way. Becoming pregnant at such a young age wasn't convenient. We weren't ready. We certainly weren't mature enough to understand what being a parent requires. Yet there is no way to describe the depth of love we have for our sons and the pride we feel for the men they have become. Amazing that God entrusts us with the precious commodity of life! I am forever grateful.

____________________________________

Deb Kalmbach is the co-author of Because I Said Forever: Embracing Hope in a Not-So-Perfect Marriage and the author of a book for children, Corey's Dad Drinks Too Much. Deb and her husband, Randy, make their home in a tiny town in Eastern Washington. Visit Deb at her website or blog.

Friday on Kitchen Chat: Jill Hart and Mary Byers

I'm excited to introduce you to our guests this week: The Work at Home Gals! Both Jill Hart and Mary Byers have successfully navigated the Work At Home waters. We'll be talking about business strategies, what worked for them, what didn't work and of course FOOD! Busy moms on the go are desperate to find recipes for good food, fast! So don't miss the show on Friday, May 14th.



About The Work at Home Gals: Most Businesses Fail Within the First Five Years

Here’s a simple secret that can make YOURS a success!

For your business to succeed you need to find a specific need and fill it. Successful business owners are very focused and many (if not all) have a mentor they can turn to with questions and challenges.

If you work from home—or want to—the Work at Home Girls can be your mentors. Together, Jill Hart and Mary Byers have over 20 years combined experience running a business from home. One is a techie (Jill, founder of Christian Work at Home Moms and author of So You Want to be a Work-at-Home Mom) and the other is a wordsmith (Mary, freelance editor and author of five books, including Making Work at Home Work). They’ve teamed up to share what they wish mentors had shared with them when they started their businesses over a decade ago. Check out the 'Gals' webinars at the website.

About Jill Hart: Jill Hart is the founder of Christian Work at Home Moms, and co-author of So You Want To Be a Work-At-Home Mom. Jill is the co-host of the live internet radio show, “The CWAHM Network,” and the publisher of RadiantLit.com.

Jill has published many articles on sites like DrLaura.com and MomLogic.com. She is a contributing author in Laundry Tales, The Business Mom Guide Book, I’ll Be Home for Christmas, and Faith Deployed.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in human development and family studies. She resides in Nebraska with her husband and their two children. For more about Jill visit her website: www.cwahm.com

About Mary Byers: Mary M. Byers successfully juggles both a freelance writing and speaking business and her responsibilities as a wife and mother of two school-aged children.

She is the author of Making Work at Home Work, The Mother Load: How to Meet Your Own Needs While Caring for Your Family and How to Say No . . . And Live to Tell about It.

She is also a columnist for two professional trade journals and edits two others. Byers lives in Chatham, Illinois. Learn more about Mary at her website: www.marybyers.com

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

American Idol Week! May 17th - 21st

American Idols are on HerInsight!

As you may or may not know my Radio Program Kitchen Chat is part of the HerInsight Network. Well - they've done a fabulous job putting together a week chock full of past American Idol contestants!

HerInsight Media in conjunction with Toginet Radio are pleased to announce our American Idol week from May 17th – 21st.

Musicians are listed below and will be updated along with any new shows as they are confirmed. These a re the confirme d previous American Idol Contestants as of May 4, 2010.

You may listen to ALL of these shows here: http://www.Toginet.com

Podcasts and itunes will be available for EVERY SHOW.

ARE YOU A FAN AND WANT TO PARTICIPATE????

Follow the schedule below and call in to ask your favorite contestants any and all questions!

OUR GUESTS: Click on their names to go to a separate page with all their great information!

Kris Allen ♥ Scott MacIntyre ♥ Stevie Scott ♥ John Stevens ♥ Leslie Hunt ♥ Jessica Sierra ♥ Kinnik Sky ♥ Becky O’Donohue ♥ Tatiana Del Toro ♥

♥ Ann Marie Boscovich ♥ Carole MacIntyre (mom of Scott) ♥ Victorya Rogers (aficionado!) ♥ Paris Bennett ♥ Mishavonna

*********To listen to our shows during American Idol week and also to hear podcasts go to Toginet Radio

Monday, May 17th-

Million Dollar Mindset

Brilliant Essence

Sanity Hour

Tuesday, May 18th

MommyMentor

Time for R and R

Not So Soccer Mom

Believe in Fairytales

Wednesday, May 19th

Learning and Laughter with Louise

Paying it Forward

Dare to Dream with Deborah Dachinger

Getting It Done

Thursday, May 20th

Living the Dream Moms

Mommy on a Shoestring

Friday, May 21st

What’s Your Story

Kitchen Chat

Random and Unscripted with Natasha

Dara on Radio

Disclaimer: This event is not associated with American Idol ™ or 19 Entertainment Group.

Guest Blogger ... Holley Gerth

God’s Umbrella

The sky is deep grey, and I hear the steady beat of raindrops. The weather seems appropriate since I’m thinking about the rain I’m walking through. My infertility has taught me many lessons, but most of all I’ve learned what it means to have God’s umbrella in the storms of life.

Facing infertility

My husband and I started trying to have children a few years into our marriage. We thought we would get pregnant right away. But we didn’t. At first the disappointment was like a slow drizzle. Then I had a miscarriage. The drizzle became a downpour. We started fertility treatments, but they didn’t help. The storm kept raging. For over five years, we have walked through the rain of infertility.

A friend recently said to me, “I’m praying for the rain to stop. You must be soaked to your undies already!” I smiled at her comment. In a way, I understand just what she means. But in another way, I still feel dry even after all the rain. And that has been the biggest surprise of all.

Discovering God’s umbrella

A few months after my miscarriage, I was reading “Captivating” by Stasi Eldredge. In one part, she challenges women to ask God how he is showing them his love. “Okay, God,” I prayed, “I’ve been through a lot lately. How in the world are you showing me you love me?” In an instant, the answer came. I felt God say to my heart, “I’m walking through the rain with you, and I’m giving you my umbrella.”

As soon as I heard that, my mind flashed back to when my husband and I were dating in college. One day a storm blew in while I was in class. I was dreading the walk back to my dorm in the rain. But as I exited my class, I saw my husband standing outside the door with a smile on his face and an umbrella in his hand. He had come to walk me through the rain. It was one of the most thoughtful, loving things anyone had ever done for me.

Now I felt God telling me he was doing the same thing. As I looked back at the last two years, I could see it was true. There had been many times when I’d cried. But there were also moments of joy deeper than I’d ever known. There had been many days when I felt frustrated. But there was also an inexplicable peace covering my life. There had been many moments when it seemed like my dream of having children would never come true. But somehow I also had an enduring hope that made me certain God had a good plan.

Lessons from the storm

As I thought about all these things, I understood what God meant when he said head given me his umbrella. I also realized there were a few things I’d learned during my walk through the rain.

1. I’ve got to choose to stay under the umbrella. There are still times when I walk right out from under the covering God has given me. I get frustrated, scared and angry. So I walk out into the storm. I notice sadness creeping in, hope disappearing and I look down to find I’m soaking wet. That’s when I need to head back to God’s umbrella to dry off again.

2. God is the one holding the umbrella. I write greeting cards for a living. One of the cards I wrote said, “I wish I had a big yellow umbrella. I would hold it over your head and the drops would splash, splash and you would never even feel it. But I don’t have a big yellow umbrella–so I’ll walk through the rain with you.” I’ve learned that’s even truer than I thought. I don’t have a big yellow umbrella. Neither does anyone else. There have been many times on this journey when I’ve run to my husband, friends and family thinking they could stop the storm. I’m finally figuring out they can walk through the rain with me, but only God has the umbrella.

3. The umbrella doesn’t make the storm go away. God’s umbrella has kept me from getting soaked. It has given me peace, hope and even joy in the midst of the hardest time I’ve ever faced. But I’m still in a storm. When I was younger, I thought I had to have a smile plastered on my face all the time. Now I’ve learned it’s okay to admit I’m hurting. It’s okay to say I’m struggling. It actually seems God gets more glory when people know I really am in a storm, and He’s the only reason I’m making it through.

4. The umbrella is made of love. After my miscarriage, I spent a lot of time trying to make sense of things. How could a loving God let this happen? Why wasn’t he taking care of me? I still don’t have the answers to all of those questions, but I no longer wonder if God loves me. I can see his hand even in this time of difficulty. I can sense him grieving with me when I’m sad. Most of all, I have his umbrella over me and his presence with me. There’s a verse that says “His banner over me is love.” I have my own version of that verse now…His umbrella over me is love!

Believing the sun will come out again

As I finish writing this, raindrops are still splashing against the window. The storm outside looks like it will never end. Sometimes the storm in my life still feels that way too. But as I sip my mocha and stare at the sky, I know I will have God’s umbrella until the sun comes out again.

_______________________________

Holley Gerth is an award-winning writer and editorial director for DaySpring. Her new 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.

Are you struggling with infertility or another hard situation? We recommend Holley’s book, Rain on Me: Devotions of Hope and Encouragement for Difficult Times. Special Offer for Pearl Girls readers: Get an extra 20% off with coupon code holley20 when you purchase the book from the (in)courage shop on DaySpring.com.

Tomorrow on Kitchen Chat: Dallas Woodburn

I can't wait for you to meet our guest tomorrow! At the ripe old age of 22 she has dedicated her life to making a difference in the lives of others! She is so inspiring. She has created an orgainization called Write On Books which is dedicated to encouraging kids to discover joy, confidence, and a means of self-expression and connection to others through reading and writing endeavors.

Dallas is a 2009 summa cum laude graduate of the University of Southern California with a B.A. in Creative Writing and a minor in Entrepreneurship. She published her first book, There's a Huge Pimple On My Nose, when she was ten years old, and has been hooked on writing ever since. She is the author of a second story collection, 3 a.m., and has signed with a New York literary agent to represent her first novel manuscript.

Dallas Woodburn, 22, is the author of two award-winning collections of short stories and a forthcoming novel. Her short fiction has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and has appeared in numerous literary journals including Monkeybicycle, The Newport Review, and flashquake. She has also written articles and essays for Family Circle, Writer's Digest, Motherwords, The Los Angeles Times, and eight Chicken Soup for the Soul books. Dallas is the founder of Write On! For Literacy, an organization that encourages kids to discover confidence, joy, self-expression and connection to others through reading and writing. She teaches writing workshops, holds essay contests, and organizes an annual Holiday Book Drive that has donated more than 11,000 new books to underprivileged youth. Her latest endeavor is starting a publishing company, Write On! Books, that publishes anthologies of short stories, essays, and poetry written entirely by young writers. The first anthology, Dancing With The Pen, features more than sixty young writers from all across the U.S. and is scheduled to be released this summer. Learn more at www.writeonbooks.org and http://dallaswoodburn.blogspot.com/

Dallas has shared this scumptuous cookie recipe with us!

Magic Cookie Bars

1 stick melted butter
1 cup crushed graham crackers
1 cup chocolate chips
1 and 1/3 cup coconut
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a 9x13 inch pan, pour the melted butter to cover the bottom. Crush graham crackers in a plastic baggie, then pour into the pan in a thin, even layer. Add a layer of chocolate chips, a layer of pecans, and then a layer of coconut. Pour the can of sweetened condensed milk evenly onto the coconut. Bake for 25 minutes. When cool, cut into bars.

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