Allie Pleiter on Happy Moments

That’s me, 24 years ago today, dancing smitten with my new husband.  It’s my very favorite photo from our wedding, and I’m sure you can see why.  Even now, so many years later, it brings a smile to my face every time I look at it.

It’s good to mark the happy moments, to keep them alive in our memories.  It helps us balance out the bad recollections life is all too eager to hand us.   Too often, I’ve found, we devote lots of energy to “making the bad go away,” when that’s not really possible.  Better to spend our time and attention capturing all the good we find to serve as a counterbalance.

I’ve also found that frequently the good we seek hides inside what feels like tragedy.  It’s definitely been true in our lives--our son’s cancer was a devastating experience, but there have been so many blessings in that journey and his recovery that it’s “balanced out.”  I don’t think it’s an accident that his diagnosis date was March 10 and my wedding anniversary is March 11--both were launching dates of incredible journeys.  We acknowledge both.  I once had a character say, “that’s why God gives us two hands...one to hold the good and the other to hold the bad so we can balance them out.”  I believe it to be true.  It is one of the deepest lessons Holly and Mason learn in my new book “Family Lessons.”

Where’s the good in your life today to balance out the bad?  Finding good, hunting it down wherever you are, is a habit that can be learned.  Adopt my daily practice and find four good things in every day.  It will train your brain to find the good (even the tiniest good) in the life you have now, not the one you wish for.

One of my good things today?  Looking at that photograph and feeling myself smile.

Weddings, Springtime & Harlequin Heartwarming

Best wishes to you all!

Can you believe that Daylight Savings Time  changes this weekend? Don't forget to change your clocks!   It's a herald of coming spring, but here in the Midwest, it seems like we've had spring all winter long--with just the occasional frosting of snow.  Usually, we see a blizzard or two even into late March, but yesterday we enjoyed seventy degree sunshine and our two paint mares are already shedding. I sure hope they know what they're doing with losing those winter coats so early!  Still, other signs of spring are everywhere.  Budding trees, new life....Buttons is due to foal in a month, and across the fence, the neighbors already have some beautiful paint foals romping around.  This is Buttons, to the left.

We had an exciting event in our family over the winter months, though--our son and his fiancee were married in January and then went off on an adventurous honeymoon. They tell me the spiders were HUGE in Cambodia!  If you'd like to see some photos from the wedding, I've just  posted some at www.roxannerustand.com.

Have you ever picked up a Harlequin Heartwarming?   These are good,  clean reads--similar in tone to the Love Inspired line, but without the faith element. My next book, WHEN HE CAME HOME will be out April 1st, in paperback and as a download. I'm so delighted--Harlequin  just sent me a jpg of the cover a few minutes ago.  Isn't it pretty? 

Best wishes to you all for a wonderful spring!

Roxanne Rustand
www.roxannerustand.com
The All Creatures Great and Small Blog

Merry Christmas!

Carrie Turansky here, stopping by to say hello and wish you all a Merry Christmas! Here at the Turanskys we are enjoying a quieter Christmas this year with only two of our five young adult kids home for the holiday. Our younger son was married earlier this month, and all the family was together for the wedding....so they've all flown back home now. But what a fun time we had at the wedding! I headed up the flower and decorating team, and we put it all together in a three-day marathon.

I am excited about my new books coming out in 2012 - A Man to Trust in March and Snowflake Sweethearts in December. So be looking for those titles. In the meantime I would love to stay in touch with you! I offer an email newsletter every other month with book news, encouraging articles, recipes and lots of photos. The sign up box is on my website home page www.carrieturansky.com. I hope you will stop by and sign up to receive the newsletter. If you do, drop me an email, and I will send you a free download for my eBook Surrendered Hearts. Here's my email: carrie (at) carrieturansky (dot) com.

My your heart be filled with the peace and joy of Christ this Christmas.

Blessings,

Carrie

Mr. and Mrs. at last.

Pat Davids here.

I went to a wedding last Saturday. It wasn’t just any wedding. It was unconventional, and it was the wedding that I have been waiting thirty-five years to attend. My daughter got married.

This is her family. I wish I has some wedding pictures to share, but I haven't gotten my copies yet.

Now, I know some of you are mothers and grandmothers so you will understand when I tell you that I have only been happier than I was Saturday three times in my life. Once when my daughter was born, once when my grandson, Joshua, was born and again when his sister, Shantel, was born.

All brides are beautiful, but even as a writer I can’t begin to describe how radiant my girl looked as she came down the aisle on her daddy’s arm. Even as I’m writing this post I’m getting tears in my eyes just thinking about it.

I’ll bet you think I was the one crying at the ceremony, don’t you?
Nope. I did not. I smiled so much my face hurt, but I didn’t cry.
You know who was crying?
Not the bride.
Not the groom.
Not my husband.
Not my mother.
Not even the groom’s mother.

The one who was crying pure tears of joy was my daughter’s little girl. For Shantel, it was more than a dream come true. It was all her wishes rolled into one.

You see, my Kathy and Tony have been together for ten years. Shantel is nine and that child was happier and more excited than all the rest of us put together when her daddy finally married her mother.

She made a beautiful flower girl. She walked down the aisle proudly with the ring bearer at her side--Duchess, the family dog. Did I mention my daughter and Tony were unconventional?
They are, but they are finally husband and wife in the sight of God and what He has joined together let no man put asunder.

This momma is so happy!

Mom, guess what?

Patricia Davids, here.
Prayers get answered all the time. I know that, but I'm still in shock because my long ago prayers have finally been answered.

The call started with that most benign of statements. "Mom, guess what?"

What? Good news, bad news?

"I'm getting married."

Stunned silence on my part. My daughter is getting married.

Oh, that's sweet. I can hear all the congrats and well wishes, thank you, but you don't understand. My daughter is getting married to the man she's lived with for 10 years. They have a nine-year old daughter. It was a second relationship for both of them and neither of them believed a piece of paper could make them more married than they already were.

I had honestly given up on them ever making it legal. I still can't believe it.

And they want a church wedding! You could have knocked me over with a feather.

I finally get to be the mother of the bride. I'm going to cry. I'm so happy for them and for me, and for my darling mother who has prayed for this day all along. This is a wonder of wonders.

I just had to share my good news with the world. I'd invite you all to the wedding, but I'm not sure there will be room in the church, so wherever you are on Sept 18th, stop and say a prayer for Kathy and Tony and their new life together in Christ.

Pat
still grinning

February Is For Romance

Merrillee here. February is a time for romance, and what says romance better than a wedding? These are photos of my daughters when they got married on the beach near our home. Our daughters didn't get married in February, but my husband and I did. We were married on Valentine's Day. We have no digital photography from that day, but here is a recent photo taken at the wedding of one of our daughter's friends.



We will celebrate our thirty-fourth wedding anniversary on Valentines' Day.

In my February Love Inspired book, HOMETOWN PROMISE, my hero and heroine have their first date at a Valentine's banquet.



Do you have any fond memories about Valentines' Day?