Cheryl Wyatt Touched by a Special Reader

Cheryl Wyatt here. I had a really neat thing happen to me today. I had a reader, who has also been a friend of our family since childhood, desperately trying to get an older book from my Wings of Refuge Series that she'd been missing. I also haven't seen her since I was in elementary school. When I found out several weeks ago that she was unable to find the book anywhere, I sent her a copy since I had a few left.

For the last couple of months, I've been shopping for a good set of knives. This is something I've never had but that I've been told by those observing my cooking (thanks Camy and Danica and Kristy!) that I need. Apparently every knife I have is dull and cheap. LOL! I almost bought a set day before yesterday but something (God?) stopped me. Not only that, school just started and WOW were supplies expensive. With some other bills coming up, I decided that good knives aren't in my budget this month. Also, my husband and I decided yesterday that we were going to tighten our spending so we would have more money to donate to our new building fund for the church youth group to enjoy. So basically, I gave up on getting good knives for now.

Today my grandmother called me over to her house and told me there was a surprise waiting for me. She beamed as I walked in the door. Next thing I know she's handing me a packet and guess what was in there?

That precious reader and family friend sent me a GORGEOUS set of specialty knives. I tell you when I opened the felt box up and saw that, I just knew it was not only a gift from a thoughtful and perceptive human, it was a gift from God. I had to fight tears back at the touching gesture. So, Marie Allen, if you ever read this...THANK YOU! I will most definitely use them, though they are so pretty all I want to do is look at them. LOL! They'll make many family dinners and snacks and contribute cutery to many potlucks I'm sure as well as meals to families in crisis or brand new mothers who need to rest rather than cook for their families for a few weeks.

So, LI Blog readers, I want to know about you now. What has been your most thoughtful gift lately, either given or received? Why so?

I'd love to hear about it so please chat away!

Warmly,

Cheryl Wyatt

Steadfast Soldier by Cheryl Wyatt is IN STORES NOW

Hey all, Cheryl Wyatt here.

Today is the official release day for Steadfast Soldier and all other June Love Inspired books. Be sure to pick a few up on your next trip to town because they only stay on shelves for a matter of weeks.

I didn't realize until this weekend how fitting it was to have Steadfast Soldier release on Memorial Day weekend. In this story we know that Chance, the hero, has just experienced the death of his mother followed immediately by his father falling ill to a debilitating stroke. Having Chance's mother die was not my original idea but one my editor suggested and for good reasons. Every editorial suggestion has strengthened my books. I trust my editors. They know the readership and they know story. So I simply killed off his mom by writing her out of the synopsis and it was as easy as that, right?

Wrong.

In order to evoke emotion in readers, authors sometimes have to "go there" in their minds. Meaning, imagine what that particular trauma would be like. My mom is still with me and TRUST ME, I did NOT want to go there. That aspect of the book was the most difficult to write because, due to a certain scene involving my hero and a tattered tea pot, I had to think of all the things I'd miss about my mom if she were gone. Simply put...I'd miss EVERYTHING about her.

Unfortunately I know many of you out there have lost your moms and my heart goes out to you.

This weekend, I'm sure many of you spent time and probably a few tears remembering loved ones who've already stepped into Eternity.

My hope is Jesus and the cross. When He rose from that tomb to live again, so did hope that we will see our loved ones again if we only believe.

Please believe.

I don't want this to be a one-way conversation, so I'd love to hear who you miss the most today and why. They deserve to be remembered. No one wants to be forgotten. It's okay. Let your heart go there today...



And I pray that God will lift you up into His lap and hold you. He promises to wipe all of our tears away for good one day. While you draw near to Him in the remembering and let Him draw near to you, I pray that you will experience Him in a deep way. Feel Him lift your chin in the mourning and as eye-meets-eye, you see joy sparkling in His eyes for the tears that have hovered in yours. See the compassion of a God who is Eternal and whose love will never die. Feel Him plant the promise on your cheek through mercy's kiss. You will see your loved one again. Let Him love on you today and thread the hope of Heaven more deeply into your heart.





My heart has been heavy for several days over the loss of a girl I've never met. My niece was informed this week that a good friend of hers comitted suicide a few days ago. Especially painful was the fact that she mentioned my niece in her note and asked that she be thanked for being the only kid at camp to stick up for her when other kids relentlessly teased. Three weeks before she took her life, this seventeen year old girl sent a message through a mutual friend to tell my niece thank you for reaching out and making her life better.

My niece's tearful, agonized-to-the-soul reply: "Cheryl, if I made it better then why did she do it?"



I feel her pain. Such a senseless, preventable death. Those are hard. I can't imagine. I don't want to. Still...a story idea keeps swirling in despite that I continually bat it away.

But if the book can save even one life...I'll go there mentally in a heartbeat. Pray protection over our youth against suicide if you are reading this today. The suicide rate among soldiers is especially high these days too. Lift them up. Support them with your prayers whether you agree with the war or not. The fact is these brave men and women are sacrificing EVERYTHING so that you don't lose everything.



God help us to see the sadness in the eyes of those who may be on the brink of suicide and enable us to reach out and make THE difference of a precious life saved instead of lost.

Feel free to share about a loved one you miss so that we may know a special thing about them and remember them today. You are in my prayers!

As you remember your loved ones today, also remember the hope of Heaven. God is very near to the broken hearted. He loves you. He made a way. Jesus did it. Heaven is real. Hope lives. Sorrow has a definite end. God made sure of it. He is intimately acquainted with your pain. He will help you.

Believe.



Warmly,

Cheryl Wyatt

Splinter faith and pre-order splendor

Okay so I know that title was kinda cheesy...but I'm headed out the door to visit my granny Veda in the hospital.

God literally breathed life back into her a couple days ago. The extended time we've been given with her is a precious gift and I want to go treasure her. Hold her hand. Hear her voice. Make her laugh with silly stuffed dogs that wiggle and giggle. She also has a little clacker rabbit that bounces across her bedside table and causes her to smile.

For more of that story, visit my personal writing blog here.

In other news, my next release is up for pre-order now. Wahoo! Steadfast Soldier is a June release...my goodness this year is flying by. Here are some links if you're interested.

Christianbook.com

Borders

Or you can Google it.

It will also hit store shelves around May 26-June 1 or so. For those of you who follow the Wings of Refuge Series, this is Chance's story.

I'd love to know what good trait or traits that one or more of your grandparents passed down to you or to one of your siblings or to your children.

I think I have my granny Veda's ornery sense of humor. So does my Aunt Linda, her middle daughter. My niece has her selfless generosity. My mother has her kindness and gentleness and her unconditional understanding. My sister and my aunt Anna (her olded daughter) have her tenacity. My children and some of my cousins, Joey and Jodi have her high cheekbones, courtesy of her American Indian heritage. And by marriage, my dad inherited her fishing skills. Unfortunately I did not. LOL!

And today, we all have her. Just her. Live. In person. Not yet only a memory. I can't begin to explain how overwhelmed with thankfulness I am to have been given more time.

If you've lost your grandparents, you are deep in my prayers today. May God bless you with many happy memories and with the hope of Heaven that Jesus gave us when He made a way for us to reunite with our loved ones. Heaven will be one enormous family reunion, yes, but I'm also glad to treasure time and their essence this side of eternity too.

If you don't live close to your grandparents or your parents, get offline right now and call 'em. LOL! Tell them you love them and languish in the sound of their voice. If they're close in proximity or geographically, get over there and hug them a little tighter and a little longer today. :-)

Thank you for supporting our blog with your readership.

Don't forget to share what good qualities you or your family members inherited from your grandparents. I'd love to hear it in the comment section.

Have a wonderful day.

Cheryl Wyatt