What does Christmas mean to you? A time to celebrate, or a time to crawl into bed and pull the covers over your head, hoping the season disappears soon.
So many people have lost loved ones in the past, and too often it's happened near a major holiday like Thanksgiving or Christmas. Or, a spouse is out of work (like at our house right now) and there's not a lot of extra income for decorations or gifts.
What do you do if you fit into one of these categories?
It's not easy and there's no simple answer, but I do have a suggestion that might help a little.
Find at least one person--maybe even two or three--that are in worse shape than you. That might be an elderly person in a nursing home who never gets a visitor and would love a plate of cookies, a hug and a smile.
It might be a child with both parents out of work (you can talk to the school, your church, or Social Services for suggestions) and see if there's an inexpensive item you can purchase that would bring them joy. If money isn't an issue for you, consider even purchasing something for the parents, as well.
Join a church or community function that reaches out in some way. It might be serving a hot meal to the homeless, singing carols in your neighborhood, or volunteering in some capacity.
Get involved. Giving of yourself and time will do MUCH to bolster your own spirits and take your focus off your own loss.
Jesus came to earth to give His life that we might have life more abundantly. Let's follow His example in some little way while here--the world will be a better place if we do.
Merry Christmas, From Allen and Miralee , and Lacey.
The picture I posted is Lacey, celebrating in her own special way....on HER couch near the wood stove and the Christmas tree!
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It's so much fun to visit the locations where I set my books. So far I've visited towns for 5 of my seven books and have discovered so much rich history. Here are a few pictures from three of the towns.
This set are from Blowing on Dandelions, my newest historical romance set in Baker City, Oregon
 The Geiser Grand Hotel, completed in 1889, a few years after my book, and restored 100 yrs later, is still in use today.
 A 'school bus' from the 1800s
 Watercolor painting of Baker City at its inception
From Love Finds You in Last Chance, CA, a historical (Western) romance
 The main street of Last Chance possibly taken in the 1880s or 1890s, close to the time my book was set.
 Last Chance hotel. The upstairs could only be accessed by a ladder on the outside of the building. Mostly unmarried miners used the large room. This building fronted Main Street.
 Four old fence posts in the formation of a corral. Very possibly the location of the blacksmith shop. Square nail heads show these posts date to the time of my book, pre-1890s.
Love Finds You in Tombstone, Arizona, the book that follows Last Chance
I had a ball researching this book as we traveled to the streets of Tombstone that are much the same as they were in the 1880s. Great fun!
 I got to dress up and pose for a few pictures while in Tombstone
 One of several old stagecoaches that tour the three blocks of old town streets, also going down a back street (this is Allen St, the main one that is very close to what it was in the 1880s) the full three blocks, through some of the residential area, also much the same.
 Cowboy loafers on the main street of Tombstone give it a very authentic look.
I saved over a dozen lives today. Seriously. A dozen babies, all trapped in a storm drain, with their mother pacing above them, crying and nearly wringing her hands....er...feathers, in despair.
All right, the truth? I did save lives today and am quite happy and content I was able to. Babies? Yes. A dozen tiny, newborn quail that were about 1 1/2" tall...three of them fit in one of my hands.
I pulled into our dentist office parking lot and as I did, I noticed a family of quail hovering over a storm drain grate. After parking, I went back to see what they were doing, and of course, try to get a picture of the family. As I drew closer I saw the mama quail pacing across the grate, peering down and calling over and over, in obvious distress. The daddy kept skirting the edges, not seeming to know what to do, and not doing much to keep the small brood of 8-10 remaining chicks away from the holes.
I edged closer and the mother herded her chicks away. Looking down into the grate I was horrified to see at least a dozen tiny babies had fallen into the hole below. None appeared injured, and thankfully, the ground was dry.
I tried calling the city works department. No one at their desk. Then the local newspaper, as it was less than a block away. They promised to try to help. I kept watch, praying a car wouldn't run over the remaining family, when a woman on a bicycle came flying down the steep hill. I flagged her down, explained the situation, and she bailed off to help.
Together we removed the storm drain cover, I tossed my phone and purse on the pavement and flattened myself on the ground next to the hole, then reached carefully in and captured the first baby. The young woman took the chick and raced up the road a dozen yards to the waiting parents huddled in some bushes, then returned for another chick. At least a couple of cars stopped and the drivers asked if I was injured, as I must have presented quite a sight, lying full length on the pavement (thankfully it wasn't a busy road), reaching into a storm drain hole.
About the time I grasped the last one, a reporter from the newspaper arrived, taking pictures and asking questions. Several chicks raced away from where we'd put them, and made a dash into the road. Catherine and I gave chase, recapturing our prizes and bringing them once more to safety with their clucking, happy family.
A city works employee arrived (called by the kind woman at the newspaper office) after the excitement was over. A dozen lives saved and a good day, all in all!
I'll admit to being just a little bit excited....ok, who am I kidding....a whole lot excited! Like, over the moon excited!
What's happening that would have me in such a state, you ask? Can you get a hint from the color of ink I chose?
Tomorrow night by this time our family should be welcoming a new granddaughter into the world. Kate Isabelle Ferrell is due to arrive tomorrow as they've decided to induce delivery. Our son and his lovely wife live about 2 1/2 hrs away, so it will depend on how late in the day the blessed event happens as to whether we make the trip tomorrow or Monday. We don't want to tire our daughter-in-law too much if she has a long day of it and is exhausted.
I'll post on Monday evening or Tuesday with the news, the stats and best of all, pictures! I hope you'll rejoice with me as I enter a new phase in my life--one I've been looking forward to for a long time--one of my kids presenting me with a child of their own. It doesn't get much better than that.
Mt. Adams, Washington State
Pretty, isn't it? I see this mountain every time I drive home, and I love it. But I'm not crazy about the mountains that keep rearing up in my path as I journey through life. We've had more than our share of those the past two years, and most of them have centered around financial challenges. Businesses spiraling, a job lost, people who took advantage, and debt that kept growing with not enough income to keep up.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, I'm simply stating what we've been dealing with for sometime. Mountains that looked nearly insurmountable--craggy outcroppings that left hands bleeding and raw just trying to hang on and not fall into a crevice.
Have you experienced that in your life lately? Maybe it's financial or a health issue--or a relationship you treasured gone sour. Someone who hurt you when you didn't expect it--a child who strayed down the wrong path or a spouse who deserted you when you needed them the most.
Whatever your mountain, let me assure you that God is NOT ignoring you. In fact, He may be trying to get your attention--or He may be quietly fighting on your behalf as Satan attempts to tear you apart.
Lately I've been doing something I used to do, but had kind of forgotten. I've been praising God out loud for His provision even when it seemed there was none in sight. I've been speaking scriptures while I pray, proclaiming that what He said is true....He WILL provide for our needs. He does want us to prosper and be in health, even as our souls prosper. He cares for us and will never abandon us, or allow us to carry more than we can bear...He will bear it for us.
And you know what? Hope is rising. God is moving. Things are changing in the spiritual realm, and I'm beginning to see changes in the natural, as well. Life isn't perfect by any means, but I know my God is in control and there is nothing that's happening that He can't change or turn for my good.
Hold on, friends. Press through to victory. Don't give up. God doesn't send the trial, he allows Satan to send them so
we can whip the enemy to bring glory to God.
1 John 4:4
New International Version (NIV)
4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
Blowing on Dandelions, by Miralee Ferrell
Katherine Galloway knew this moment of calm wouldn’t last, blown away like the dandelion seeds she scattered as a girl. In 1880, three years after her husband’s death, she struggles to run an Oregon boardinghouse and raise two girls alone. Things don't get easier when her critical, domineering mother moves in. Katherine must make the situation work, but standing up for herself and her family while honoring her mother isn't easy. And with a daughter entering the teenage years, the pressure on Katherine becomes close to overwhelming. Then she crosses paths with Micah Jacobs, a widower who could reignite her heart, but she fears a relationship with him might send things over the edge. She must find the strength, wisdom, hope, and faith to remake her life, for everything is about to change.
Releasing June 1 at a store near you, or purchase on any online book selling site,
This is the first book in a three-book series, but it does stand alone. The story will be completed in book one, and we'll follow two secondary characters from this book on into book two, with much of the plot taking place in a boardinghouse on the outskirts of Baker City, Oregon, in 1880.
Gorgeous, isn't she? This is our 51' sailboat that we've had listed on a few internet boat sites and apparently it was the perfect lure for a scammer.
We received an inquiry with a few specific questions, then the man, "David", said he was interested in buying our boat, but he wouldn't be able to come see it for a few weeks. He said he'd like to send us a check and have us hold it for him. Several emails later (that still didn't answer or clear up all of our questions) he sent a check via Fed Ex Overnight Global Express from Canada.
Now that should've made us feel confident it was real, as well as that it being a cashier's check, right?
Nope. I smelled a scam from the beginning, but figured there might be a 1% chance he was legit, so we decided to play it out. The check was for the exact asking price, and David was in no hurry to come get the boat. In fact, he stated he'd make transportation arrangements after it cleared. Hmm...so where's the scam?
I took the check to the bank and discovered it was counterfeit. Not drawn on a real account but a check designed to look real that was actually fake. Depositing it would have gotten us a bad check fee, and of course, if we'd tried to use any of it, our checks might have bounced.
We turned him in to the local Sheriff who could do nothing, since it was out of the country. He suggested the State Attorney General. They said they don't deal with fraud/scams/criminal cases and to take it to the FBI. They could have cared less since the check didn't come via the mail. Fill out a fraud form on the internet and don't bother us.
We let David think we'd deposited the check, and two days later discovered 'the rest of the story'. He wrote saying he'd caught his wife in bed with his best friend and since the boat was a gift for her, he needed his money back ASAP, although we could 'keep' 5% of the money for our trouble.
We ignored him, and he got more insistent for about 24 hrs, then quietly disappeared, apparently figuring out we'd uncovered the truth.
The lesson? Don't assume because it's a cashier's check OR arrives by overnight express that it's legit. Take it to your local bank and have them verify first, before you deposit it, and NEVER, NEVER send money back or let the person take the item you're selling until the check clears.
We're so thankful we didn't fall for this scam, but the sad fact is, a lot of people do, or these bottom-feeders wouldn't keep doing what they do.
Have you ever fallen for a scam? What happened and did the people ever get caught? Any other advice you'd like to offer my readers? Please share!
I've been thinking about this lately--who can I really trust? Not because I've been betrayed recently, but I want to use wisdom in where I trust my heart. No, I'm not looking for romance, as I'm happily married, and I do trust my husband. I also trust my mother, my kids and a few close friends.
That's not what I'm talking about here. When trouble hits and you want to talk to someone, but it's sensitive and maybe even hurtful, where do you turn? When everything seems to be falling apart, what do you do?
My husband and I have endured a lot of stress the past two years, with our business failing, Allen getting laid off recently, and getting hit with some health problems. I realized that, while I have friends and family who care, none of them could make the stress go away--none could offer the fix I wanted. So why was my first impulse to pick up the phone and call my mom, my grown kids, or a friend? Wasn't that putting my stress on their shoulders? Yes, they did pray, and I value that above all else.
But only God can change my circumstances. He is my provider, my healer, my comforter, my friend. He goes to war on my behalf, champions me when I'm despondent, fights for me when I'm under attack. He brings peace when I'm confused and gives answers where there are none. I can trust him. Totally. Completely. Forever. With everything.
By Kathi Macias Communicating the vision… (Hab.2:2)
And Moses said to the
people, "Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the
salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today.
For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever.
The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace." (Exodus 14:
13-14, NKJV).
At last, after years of enslavement and degradation, the Israelite's had escaped from Egypt! Not only had they escaped, but they had done so with jewels and money, livestock and clothing, and everything they'd been deprived of during their lengthy sojourn. Now they were free, and joy
bubbled up in their hearts and no doubt overflowed in their words and actions.
Then, in a brief moment, everything changed. They found themselves with the uncrossable Red Sea on one side and their infuriated former captors closing in on the other. There was no way of escape. None. The situation was as hopeless as it could get.
Ever been there? Who hasn't, right? You've been in the midst of a seemingly unending trial and then suddenly it seems deliverance has come at last. You've scarcely begun to celebrate when once again you find yourself on the verge of destruction. All hope of escape is gone. There is
nowhere to turn except to God. Which, of course, is what He intended all along.
Can you imagine the recently-delivered Israelite's level of terror and despair at that point? Their joy had just been turned to horror, and the only choice they had was between drowning in the sea or slaughter at the hands of the Egyptians.
Moses proved himself a wise leader at that crucial moment. He knew there was nothing he could do to help his people. Only God could deliver them now. And so Moses declared, "Do not be afraid. Stand still,
and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace."
Do not be afraid.
The Lord will fight for you.
Those are the words we all need to hear, not just when we're between the proverbial rock and a hard place, but always-every day, at every juncture of our lives. There is no reason to fear because the very God who delivered us from bondage will fight for us! Can there be any better
assurance than that?
Romans 8:31 asks, "If God is for us, who can be against us?" Who, indeed? Nothing or no one can harm or defeat us because God is the One who fights for us. Wow, what a great truth-one that should set our feet to dancing and our mouths to singing! For Romans 8 also declares that, no matter what difficulties or hardships we face, "we are more than
conquerors through Him who loved us" (verse 37).
If you're hemmed in by threats or enemies or circumstance today and there seems to be no way out, don't despair. Remember, it is the Lord who fights for you, and you are more than a conqueror through Him.
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