Devotionals for the Heart: Hope for the hard moments in our life story

In the Hardest Moments
A devotional by Jessica Brodie

Have you ever endured a challenge that turned out to be the greatest blessing in your life?

My daughter is 16, and about seven years ago she was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder. A couple of years after that, depression started. The last several years have been difficult, and though this last year she’s been in a really great place, this season has taken a toll on me emotionally and physically. I’m her “person”, and I’m in the trenches with her. It’s not easy.

Mental illness runs in my family. Like heart disease, high cholesterol, and cancer, some people are simply genetically predisposed to it. Thankfully, I knew how to recognize it. My daughter was an extremely challenging toddler with sensory processing disorder and very strong will. In the third grade, she started going almost daily to the nurse’s office at school for a stomachache and dizziness. Fast-forward through a lot of specialist appointments, lab work, and counseling, and we finally discovered it was anxiety. She was having panic attacks (disguised as overwhelming stomachache and dizziness), and we were able to get her the help she needed.

Then puberty kickstarted her depression, and it was touch and go for a couple of years. Today she’s thriving in her faith, extremely mature, and a great student attending a virtual charter school. While she has not perfectly mastered managing her moods, she certainly knows how to do so better than I did at her age.

Walking through her mental health journey wasn’t easy for her. It also wasn’t easy for me, for my marriage, and for our whole family, but we committed to fighting through and we’re on the other side now.

Getting to the other side took learning and relearning so many critical lessons and skills, such as listening, healthy boundaries, and the importance of structure and self-care. It took rereading the Bible through the lens of mental health. It also took phenomenal doctors, counselors, and Christian mentors.

Now I’m so grateful I was able to walk through this journey with her because it taught me so much as a person and as a mother. It also taught me a ton about God’s incredible love for us. Not only do we have the gift of salvation, but we also have a personal Savior—a Savior who’s not just there for the big stuff but the difficult everyday moments, too. He’s there in our grief and our pain, our depression and our heartbreak, our good times and our bad times. He might not take that grief or pain or sickness away, but He’s there with us, walking right next to us. There, right there, in the trenches with us.

During the hardest moments of our family’s mental health journey, I didn’t always “feel God” right there with me every step of the way, but I trusted that He was there. I also knew He spoke and cared through the people He sent to help us through. And looking back, I saw the evidence.

That’s how it is for so many of us. Most of us have experienced struggles in our life, but often it’s only later, when we look back, that we can often see God’s Hand clearly. Hebrews 4:13 tells us, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (NIV). And 1 Peter 5:6-7 says, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

Sometimes we go through situations and we’re so grateful to be done with them that we don’t look back. We think we got through because of “luck” or our own hard work. But consider today the beautiful, personal, and sometimes intimate ways God speaks to us and walks with us through our most painful moments.

If you are in the middle of a difficult season right now and you doubt God’s walking beside you, thinking you’re maybe in all of this alone, pause. Breathe. Take a look around. Ask Him to speak to you or show you a sign. Then watch as his love comes to life. Amen. Thanks be to God.

Let’s Pray: Lord, thank You that You care for me so personally. Even in those times I can’t see You or feel You, help me remember that You are there. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

~*~
Author Bio:

Jessica Brodie is an award-winning journalist, author, blogger, editor, writing coach, and devotional writer with thousands of articles to her name. 

Since 2010, she has served as the editor of the South Carolina United Methodist Advocate, the oldest newspaper in Methodism, which has won 123 journalism awards during her tenure. Her latest book is Preparing Our Hearts: An Advent Devotional to Draw Closer to God at Christmas.

She has won more than 100 writing awards. Jessica is a seasoned speaker and frequent contributor to Christianity.com, BibleStudyTools.com, and Crosswalk.com, among many others. She has a weekly faith blog at JessicaBrodie.com and is part of the team at Wholly Loved Ministries, with her work included in many of their devotionals and Bible studies. Jessica also produced a free eBook, A God-Centered Life: 10 Faith-Based Practices When You’re Feeling Anxious, Grumpy, or Stressed.

Jessica holds a Master of Arts in English. She graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in communications/print journalism from Florida International University. Born and raised in Miami, Jessica now lives in Lexington, South Carolina, just outside Columbia. She has also lived in Ohio and in the mountains of western North Carolina. She and her husband, Matt Brodie, have a blended family of four teenage children and stepchildren.

Jessica has written several novels and is actively seeking publication through her agent Bob Hostetler of The Steve Laube Agency. Her novel The Memory Garden won the 2018 Genesis contest for Contemporary Fiction from American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), and her novel Tangled Roots won a third place Foundation Award in Contemporary Romance at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference in 2019. She is finishing the third in the series, Hidden Seeds, now.

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Devotionals for the Heart: A life lesson about love and mental illness

When Love Looks Different
A devotional by Jessica Brodie

Have you ever done something incredibly dumb without realizing it?

Several years ago, I needed gas in my car. It had been a tough day, and I was frazzled and exhausted. I pulled into a gas station and started filling up—only to realize moments later I was actually filling my car with diesel instead of regular gasoline. Quickly, I switched to the correct gas, and thankfully, other than a little smoke, my engine was OK. I learned later it could have been far, far worse. Putting diesel in a car designed for regular gasoline can clog the fuel lines and damage the engine. It was a dumb move, but I learned my lesson: Don’t get gas when frazzled and exhausted.

Recently, I realized my mistake applies to another, far more important part of my life: My relationship with my daughter, Avery.

Avery, who turns sixteen next month, is an amazing, brilliant, and beautiful young woman who has strong faith in the Lord. She also has diagnosed mental illness, struggling with generalized anxiety disorder and depression among other things. Because of this, there are times when she doesn’t act rationally. She gets stressed out and overwhelmed by things other people—those without mental illness—might handle with ease. We have to do certain things to help keep her even-keeled, such as structuring our day and keeping checklists, things our other three children don’t require on the same level. Sitting down with her and fully explaining things, particularly when it comes to change, also makes a huge difference.

Like using diesel in a car designed for regular gas won’t work, Avery also takes a special fuel to run properly. There’s nothing wrong with this. Our awareness of this—and her own awareness—helps her thrive and our household operate more smoothly. Our other kids don’t need the same style of care, but they still get just as much love. Our love style with them looks different from the love style we use with Avery, but it’s all love, and it’s all important.

Recently, Avery penned her own story in a book I compiled titled Darkness to Light: Finding Jesus in the Valley of Mental Illness. Published by the Advocate Press, the book includes personal stories from people, in many cases sharing about how faith helped them on their road to wellness.

Avery shared how, during her toughest bouts with depression, her days were filled with hopelessness, pain, and numbness. She felt dead inside, and the enemy convinced her she was alone and that no one else was going through this.

As she noted, “Many of the people around me didn’t understand my struggles, either. They took it personally and thought ‘tough love’ would fix me. What they didn’t realize is that tough love doesn’t work with mental illness. I was in an extremely difficult and vulnerable time in my life, and others being harsh and demanding most certainly did not help.”

Finally, she understood Jesus was with her every step of the way, even when she thought she had no hope left. Because of that, as well as her hard work with counseling, medication, behavioral techniques, and family dynamics, she’s in a much better place today.

“Things will never be perfect,” Avery wrote. “I am diagnosed with mental illness. But because of my faith, I am stronger, wiser, happier, and filled with the Holy Spirit. I have hope, and all is well with my soul.”

We often use the word “love” for various things. Interestingly, there are as many as eight different Greek words for love, each referring to distinct types of relationships, levels of intimacy, and situations, such as agape (unconditional) love, or eros (romantic, passionate) love.

Each of these kinds of love might take different or special fuel, just like the different people in our world might require different fuel. The better we can be aware of what it takes to love the people in our world well, the better our relationships will be.

Jesus told us we must love other people. It’s our trademark, our identifying mark telling others we belong to him. As he said in John 13:34-35 (NIV), “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Sometimes people in our lives need different styles of love. Pivoting to love someone the way they need and want is a good thing, and it honors Jesus.

This week, take a look at your relationships. Is there someone in your life who seems to need a special fuel, a special style of love, like my daughter does? How can accommodating this help you honor Jesus’s command in a better and more merciful way?

Let’s Pray: Father God, thank you for loving me in such an extravagant and generous way. Even though we are sinners and undeserving, you sacrificed your son, Jesus, so that we may have eternal life. Help me honor this vast love by loving others as abundantly and generously as I can. In your holy name I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “Reckless Love” by Cory Asbury. Listen to it here.

~*~
Author Bio:

Jessica Brodie is an award-winning Christian novelist, journalist, editor, blogger, and writing coach and the recipient of the 2018 American Christian Fiction Writers Genesis Award for her novel, The Memory Garden. She is also the editor of the South Carolina United Methodist Advocate, the oldest newspaper in Methodism. 

This year, she’s released an Advent devotional for those seeking true closeness with God, which you can find at https://www.jessicabrodie.com/advent.

Learn more about Jessica’s fiction and read her faith blog at http://jessicabrodie.com. She has a weekly YouTube devotional and podcast.

You can also connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and more. She’s also produced a free eBook, A God-Centered Life: 10 Faith-Based Practices When You’re Feeling Anxious, Grumpy, or Stressed.

Devotionals for the Heart: Why we should have a compassionate heart

A Compassionate Heart
A devotional by Jessica Brodie

Many of you know I have a passion for helping people understand mental and emotional health. As a follower of Jesus Christ, I have discovered some Christians are leery of talking about these issues—or taking medication or seeking counseling.

Mental illness includes anxiety, depression, Bipolar disorder, Schizophrenia, and more. You cannot always tell a person has it. It’s often called an “invisible illness”, much like diabetes.

While I don’t have mental illness, my daughter does, as do several family members. I grew up understanding a lot. One thing that truly helps me love my people well is learning as much as I can so I can understand even better. When we understand what people go through—grief, addiction, mental health, relationship struggles, physical health, disabilities, trauma, and more—it helps build empathy and compassion.

The Bible tells us compassion is one of the ways we can model Christ and love others well in this world. One of my favorite verses, from the Apostle Paul, urges us to, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (Colossians 3:12-13 NIV).

I love the idea of “clothing” myself in a jacket or a robe of compassion and all these other qualities so people see the light of Christ through me.

Like many illnesses, mental illness can be a mysterious thing. Because it deals with the brain, it’s often tough to discover exactly what is going on, as we can’t really get in there and work on somebody’s brain on a regular basis. It affects hormones, adrenaline, light sensitivity, sleep…all sorts of things. Doctors know a fair amount about mental illness, but they don’t know everything.

It’s the same with cancer. You’d think by now we’d have a cure for cancer, but we don’t, and I’ve lost far too many loved ones at this point; perhaps we all have. We have medicine that can help put someone in remission, but sometimes the cancer comes back and spreads. It’s the same with diabetes—with all the money going into researching a cure, it certainly would be wonderful if we had a drug we could give someone that automatically and perfectly regulates their insulin for life. Instead, it’s just daily maintenance, checking and staying on top of insulin levels to make sure everything is okay.

It's much the same with mental illness—daily maintenance and constant checking-in are required for someone to live well and manage their disease. And it’s up to the people around them, those of us who love and support them (and are also very much impacted by their illness), to learn how to do this. That’s why something I learned recently really resonated, and I have to share.

Recently, I heard a Ted Talk speaker, Dr. Stuart Ablon, give a really interesting analogy about mental illness and the behavioral issues that often come along with it, comparing it to a learning disability. Ablon works with kids and teens experiencing mental and behavioral health issues and is the director of the Think:Kids program in the Department of Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital. He said research is making psychiatrists and other mental health professionals understand that it’s not that kids do well if they want to—rather, it’s that kids do well if they can.

That is, people with mental and behavioral health problems don’t necessarily lack the will to get better but the skills to get better. It’s up to us all to figure out what is standing in their way of getting better…how to develop those skills.

It’s an apt and powerful analogy, he said, to realize it’s much like a learning disability, except instead of having problems in reading, writing, or math, they have problems in problem-solving, frustration-tolerance, or flexibility.

I believe he’s right. I’ve seen firsthand how with mental illness, someone might have anxiety or depression or something else, but because they’ve learned how to control their emotions and behavior rationally—whether through therapy, medication, or other hard work—they’re able to function reasonably well with their illness. This is because they have learned to modify their behavior accordingly.

It is absolutely not my daughter’s fault that she has mental illness. It runs in the family and it’s something she inherited, and she’s working hard to manage it.

But it does get frustrating sometimes. That’s when it is helpful to try to understand it from a different perspective. I’m acknowledging that what she’s going through is tough and that she has to work extra hard at things that might come far more easily to someone else.

I wonder if that’s a bit how Jesus feels about us. As the Son of God, Jesus was born as a man. He spent more than three decades in a human body, experiencing life the same way we do. He faced the temptations we face. He understands what it means to overcome struggles, for he had to do that too. And he told us exactly what we need to do for salvation: We need to believe and repent. We need to keep his commands and love God and others.

But sometimes that’s easier said than done, isn’t it? It can be really hard to put our enemies, people who have done nasty things to us, on the same basic level as our loved ones, to care for them the same way we care for ourselves. It can be really hard to keep our thoughts on God when our bodies are tempted.

Maybe it was easy for Jesus to live without sin. We know he was the only perfect human being who walked the earth. Who knows—perhaps as the Son of God, he was more naturally inclined to be able to resist those things. I’m not exactly sure how the mystery of his divinity works, but I do know that he is aware of how hard it is for us. He knows how it feels to be tempted, and he knows all the moods and hormones and desires running through our bones.

Perhaps Jesus looks at us—all us sinful, struggling humans—with the same sympathy I have for my daughter. He sees how hard we’re working and hopes we can get it right for our own good because he loves us.

Loving people isn’t never easy, but it’s something we’re commanded to do. If you, like me, love someone with mental illness, do your best to try to wrap your head around what they go through. If you’re having trouble relating, see if comparing it to diabetes, or a learning disability, might help you open your mind a little bit more to their experience.

We live in a fallen world, and I think it’s so important that we extend grace to people in the same way God extends grace to us.

Let’s Pray: Lord, please grant me compassion to love others in the world around me in a way that honors and reflects the merciful way You love us. Help me to develop increased kindness and sympathy for those with mental illness and other behavioral issues. In Your Name I pray. Amen.

~*~
Author Bio:

Jessica Brodie is an award-winning Christian novelist, journalist, editor, blogger, and writing coach and the recipient of the 2018 American Christian Fiction Writers Genesis Award for her novel, The Memory Garden. 

She is also the editor of the South Carolina United Methodist Advocate, the oldest newspaper in Methodism. Learn more about her fiction and read her faith blog at http://jessicabrodie.com.

She has a weekly YouTube devotional and podcast. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and more. She’s also produced a free eBook, A God-Centered Life: 10 Faith-Based Practices When You’re Feeling Anxious, Grumpy, or Stressed.

Devotionals for the Heart: Anxiety

How to love someone with anxiety
A devotional by Jessica Brodie

Mental illness runs in my family, and several close relatives, including my daughter, have major struggles with anxiety.

I spent a lot of my life believing I had a personal responsibility to fix what was wrong in the world. That meant not only being an advocate and speaking up for those who are marginalized and oppressed in general, but also doing what I can to help those I love who struggle with anxiety, whether through advocacy, awareness or caregiving.

However, I am just one human being, and I have learned over the years that I am only able to do anything for others through the Lord Jesus Christ. What that means is “Jessica can’t fix anything nearly as well as God can.” In fact, the only thing I can really try to fix is myself—and even for that I need a savior! Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, not me!

But as a mom particularly, I still wrestle with that balance. It’s really important to me that my daughter feels loved and supported in the midst of her personal struggles with mental illness. Some days are far more difficult than others. They include panic attacks, or an inability to sleep because her mind-racing fears keep her awake far past her bedtime (and mine). Other days are far easier.

Our journey has taught me a few things I can do to love her well, and all these things are rooted in Scripture.

Here, then, are five key ways I’ve learned I can love someone with anxiety.

1) Listen well

James 1:19 (ESV) says, “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.”

There’s a saying I appreciate: God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason. Being a good listener is really important, especially when it comes to loving someone with anxiety. Sometimes it helps when my daughter, or others I love with anxiety, just have an ear. They can freely express all the issues spinning around in their brains. A really good thing I can do for them is hear them. Listen. Nod. Understand. It goes long way.

2) Acknowledge

The apostle John tells us in 1 John 3:18, “Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.”

This has a lot in common with listening, but it goes deeper. Acknowledging is more than just hearing someone, but rather accepting the full weight of what someone is saying or feeling, admitting its existence and importance to them. Anxiety and other mental illness are often considered “invisible illness,” so the world often dismisses it as “only in their head.” But like cancer, fibromyalgia and other ailments, it’s real. And there are often physical effects along with the mental. Acknowledging can help buffer that stigma and help your loved one recognize what’s happening and how to get through.

3) Support

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 reminds us, “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!”

A lot of times, people with anxiety feel very much alone, as though no one else can understand what they are going through. I might not be able to understand what a panic attack feels like or how to rein in the overwhelming sense of doom and dread my daughter experiences with anxiety, but I can walk with her. I can help her know she’s not alone. I can also do other things: help her cling to God in the midst of her pain, take her to therapy, give her access to medication if needed, and be a stable presence in the storm.

4) Understand I can’t fix it

God tells us through the prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 43:11, “I, I am the Lord, and besides me there is no savior.”

I can help my loved one with resources, get them the therapy and medication they need, and do all the other things mentioned above, but this is their journey, their struggle, their proverbial “cross to bear,” not mine. They must get through whatever that looks like. It’s not my job to fix the problem, nor is it possible, and I need to know that. They also need to know that; only Jesus is their savior.

5) Don’t take it personally

Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

Sometimes my daughter will lash out at me, as though I caused her anxiety. At times like these, it helps to remind myself she’s scared or upset at the problem, not me. Loving someone goes way beyond mere emotion. My love for her doesn’t depend on whether she’s nice or snippy or well-behaved or not. It doesn’t mean she can walk all over me—I have to set boundaries for myself, too. But it’s good to know it’s not about me.

How about you—do you have any other Scriptures or key ways that help you love someone with anxiety? Share in the comments below!

~*~
Author Bio: 

Jessica Brodie is an award-winning Christian novelist, journalist, editor, blogger, and writing coach and the recipient of the 2018 American Christian Fiction Writers Genesis Award for her novel, The Memory Garden. 

She is also the editor of the South Carolina United Methodist Advocate, the oldest newspaper in Methodism, and a member of the Wholly Loved Ministries team. 

Learn more about her fiction and read her faith blog at http://jessicabrodie.com.

Summer Love: Kristen's story about an island, illness and therapy

Interview questions for Kristen Terrette, author of Time and Tide:

Alexis: Time and Tide is book number two in this series about Moanna Island. What is your story about? Is it a real island or purely make-believe? 

Kristen: Time and Tide is about a man named Chad who is going through a major recovery. After almost killing himself and someone else in a car accident, Chad is dealing with legal problems, addiction recovery therapy, and physical therapy if he ever wants to walk normally again. They have become a part of his everyday life. He moves to Moanna Island, near Savannah, GA, to begin working for his family’s company after having to put it off for two years during his rehabilitation. He meets Ryan. A free-spirited, local girl, who opens his eyes to love, something he’s never had, and Jesus, who he’s never known.

Moanna Island is a make-believe island, but I pull from my childhood memories of vacationing on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina to develop the island’s look, layout, and character. It’s a low country island, meaning it has lots of greenery, trees, marshland, and extreme low and high tides.

Alexis: What characters from book number one, Safe Harbor, have roles in this new novel? Briefly note who they are and describe the significance of their role.

Kristen: The main characters, Eva and Thad from the first book, as well as Eva’s daughter, Willow, make appearances in Time and Time. It’s a small island, so it would be hard not to run into people. This is especially true since Time and Tide’s heroine works at the South Bay General Store which is the local go-to for just about everything since a “chain” grocery store is pretty far away. However, the biggest link between the characters is that Ryan attends Thad and Eva’s church and has joined a church small group held at their house. Eva and Ryan are roughly the same age and have become great friends. Ryan leans on Eva for advice.

Alexis: Chad Cusher is your story’s hero. Tell us about him. Describe his looks, personality, and struggles. What is his most prominent flaw and his saving grace (if any)? 

Kristen: Chad considers himself a loner and attributes this to being an only-child and hiding himself away to conceal his addiction. But he’s finding he’s less of one as he gets further away from his addiction and closer to a relationship with God.

His most prominent flaw is, by far, his leg which was injured in his car accident. The muscle on it is horribly mis-shapened, and he has a nasty scar the size of his hand there. It’s also very painful which causes him to have a limp and attend physical therapy. Lucky for him, he resembles the actor Ryan Phillipe. He has short hair, but it’s a little longer on top and almost curly. He has pretty, green eyes and a great smile. He’s a former athlete and still works out, so, other than his leg, he’s in good shape.

Alexis: What is Chad addicted to and why?

Kristen: Chad is a recovering cocaine addict. Why? He says his years in therapy have helped him see that he never learned how to deal with his father’s death and the broken relationship they had. He has been clean for a few years when we meet him, but his past brings daily struggles his way. 

I know it is a harsh set of circumstances, but as an author, I don’t want to shy away from addiction, and God’s saving power from it.

Alexis: What role does faith in God play in your character’s lives? 

Kristen: God is another main character in my stories! Ryan is a believer, and God uses her as His instrument to open Chad’s eyes to Him. Chad has never attended church or been around someone who is as vocal about Jesus as Ryan is. He knows very little about Him and His salvation. So, while Ryan’s faith shows us obedience and being steadfast, Chad comes to faith in the story. We get a chance to see him become a child of God.

Alexis: It sounds like Chad is very troubled and therefore jaded. He doesn’t believe in the pursuit of happiness, including finding a woman to love. What is it about free-spirited Ryan Mason that makes his heart long for these things?

Kristen: Chad hasn’t been in love before, so he’s unaccustomed to any emotional ties and longings. In the past, he’d only ever loved drugs, and the way they helped him turn off his emotions, make him numb. So, meeting Ryan awakens something inside of him he’s never felt. He’s drawn to her and how she always seems joyful, even when the circumstances around her are anything but. He realizes later one reason he’s drawn to her is because she has Jesus. He’s drawn to the Light in her that brings her joy.

Alexis: Ryan is your story’s heroine. What she’s like? Describe her looks, personality, and heart.

Kristen: Ryan is beautiful without effort. She has wild, wavy, long blonde locks, making her look like she’s always just come off the beach. She wouldn’t be caught dead in heels. It’s just not her style. She’s a flip-flops and frayed jeans kind-of girl. She’s not into material things and fits the stereotype of an island local, maybe a secret Jimmy Buffet follower. She’s smart, but hasn’t been able to finish college because she’s moved home to help her dad with her sick brother. She loves Jesus and has strong moral boundaries. She’s loyal and, therefore, a great friend.

Alexis: Describe Chad and Ryan’s meet-cute on Moanna Island. Why was it special? 

Kristen: Well, Chad actually sees Ryan for the first time at his rehab center. He’s there for therapy appointments and doesn’t know it at the time, but Ryan is there to see her sick brother. He’s taken back by how beautiful she is with her loin’s mane of hair blowing in the wind as she enters the center. She doesn’t see him then, and he assumes he’ll never see her again. A few days later, once he’s on Moanna, he walks into the General Store, and she’s the one who greets him. He makes an epic fail of a first impression but is determined to hit the “do-over” button and make up for it. Of course, he does. 

Alexis: What would you say is Ryan’s deepest fear and happiest moment in this story? Explain.

Kristen: Deepest fear: She’s going to hinder Chad’s journey to Jesus. Happiest moment: When Chad tells her his salvation story.

Alexis: Ryan’s brother suffers from a mental illness. What were the challenges of writing such real issue, one that people like to avoid, into your story?

Kristen: My uncle was schizophrenic. Sadly, he’s passed away, but I was able to pull from my own experiences with him growing up, as well as my mother’s stories about him before he became sick. My uncle was a wonderful man and a believer in Jesus. I think I wanted to be sure I portrayed Ryan’s brother like my uncle. He was sick, but that was only a part of him. He was also loving and kind and funny.

Alexis: Ryan’s joy draws Chad in but what makes him stay and fall in love?

Kristen: Ryan is fun and adventurous. Chad usually hides himself away and only has a few friends. Ryan is fun and extroverted, and he realizes he sees things differently when she’s around. He’s also incredibly attracted to her. They both comment on the electricity that ignites when they touch!

Alexis: What was your favorite adventure that you created for Ryan and Chad? Share details of what they experienced. 

Kristen: They go crabbing! When I was a kid, this was my most favorite thing to do on vacation. Crabs are unpredictable and smelly, but they provided me with some great opportunities for a few laughs.

Alexis: What is the Cusher Empire? Sounds fancy. How serious is it?

Kristen: Chad’s dad started a company that is now bigger than big. It’s real estate/investment/commercial development firm that spans the whole Southeast. It’s a company that builds malls, golf courses, and more. Chad’s the only son and sole heir.

Alexis: How will Chad’s “empire” inheritance affect his relationship with Ryan?

Kristen: He doesn’t think it has to at all, but she gets tripped up on it. She comes from a blue-collar family and can’t see how they’d be able to have much in common long term, can’t see how his family would be happy with her on his arm. It’s an insecurity Ryan has to deal with and try to overcome.

Alexis: What lesson do you want your readers to learn from this story?

Kristen: No one is too far from the reach of God. He can redeem and save even those who think they have no hope for redemption.

Alexis: Thanks for the interview, Kristen! Do you have any final comments?

Kristen: I would love to say thank you to my readers! You are allowing me to live my dream of telling stories! 

~*~
Author Bio:

Kristen Terrette has been an avid reader since childhood, a self-confessed book nerd, and always had characters running through her mind- ones she made up. She went back to school years ago to obtain a Master's degree in Theological Studies because she felt God's tug towards ministry, but she didn't know then what God had in mind. 

After five years on staff at her church, she followed God's leading to a different kind of ministry- one with words, love, pain, and real-to-life characters. She now stays at home during the day while the house is quiet writing stories she hopes will bring readers to a stronger understanding of how God works and His love for sinners like us. 

She always has contemporary romance characters and plots running through her mind and considers romance her first love...but she has a few amazing literary fiction novels up her sleeve as well. Both genres fight for time occupying her mind.

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Blurb for Kristen's book: Addictions destroy lives. Chad Cusher’s own dependencies change everything he thought he knew about his future. 

After almost killing himself and someone else, Chad’s legal problems, addiction recovery therapy, and physical therapy if he ever wants to walk normally again, are a part of his everyday life. He believes there is no chance at true happiness, certainly not love, and only hopes to become a better man than he was, to find redemption somehow.

Chad moves to Moanna Island, a small island close to Savannah off the Atlantic coast, to begin a job with his family’s real estate empire, a job he was supposed to have taken years ago.

Free-spirited Ryan Mason is a Moanna local girl from a blue-collar family. She’s dropped her own dreams to help her father care for her schizophrenic brother.

Their paths first cross at a Rehabilitation Center where Chad attends therapy and Ryan’s brother lives. Chad can’t believe his luck when he finds her on Moanna Island, forty-five minutes away from the Center, only days later.

Chad is drawn to Ryan’s joy, even through the pain and grief life tries to throw her way. His lonely void begins to dissipate with every island adventure spent with her. He soon finds out what her secret is. But is it possible to start over and be restored? Even so, can Ryan except Chad’s horrible, even criminal past? Can their crazy worlds ever fit together once she finds out he is the sole heir to the Cusher Empire?

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Buy Kristen's book on Amazon ~ Barnes and Noble ~ Kobo

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Connect with Kristen:
Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Instagram ~ Pinterest

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Enter this book giveaway contest for your chance to WIN a copy of this book by filling out the entry form on the Rafflecopter widget below: 

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Book Spotlight: Peach Blossom Rancher by Ada Brownell

Welcome Ada Brownell to the blog today! She's a familiar face who wants to share news about her new novel, Peach Blossom Rancher.

Ada's novel is an inspirational historical romance and it will be FREE from Nov. 20 to Nov. 24 on Amazon! Read Ada's post below about why she wrote this book. 

Book blurb for Peach Blossom Rancher: A handsome young man inherits a ranch in ruin and hopes to bring it back to its former glory and also marry a beautiful young widow who is an attorney. But she takes up the case of a brilliant doctor committed to an asylum because of one seizure. Will the rancher, the attorney, and the asylum patient achieve their dreams?

Suspense, romance, humor, murder, insanity, hope, fun, wrapped in a Western you won’t forget.

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Why I Wrote Peach Blossom Rancher
A guest post written by Ada Brownell

When you've written a novel and there’s unfinished business for some of the characters, you write a sequel.

Tall and handsome John Lincoln Parks is Jenny Louise Parks’ brother. Jenny is the leading lady of The Lady Fugitive. John set the example for Jennifer for running from abuse, actually his Uncle Danforth Shuster’s whip. John ran off in the night when he and the uncle had an argument over whipping horses and John’s back became the target.

Their parents were dead. The uncle, a judge, took over the ranch since he’d gambled away his home. John grabbed his half of the money their mother hid for them and hopped on a train for Minneapolis, where their mother’s sister lived.

He thought his twin sister would be safe. John barely noticed how she’d grown into a young woman and the judge kept looking her over. Sick because of his father’s death and the uncle’s maneuvering to get the ranch, John didn’t see it and fled to safety.

Jenny had more trouble escaping and didn’t dare share her fears with her aunt because of her friend Bellea’s experience when she was compromised by her employer’s son. No one, including Jenny’s aunt, would believe the girl’s story. Her employer threw Bellea out, even though her whole family had died in an epidemic. She had nowhere to go.

So in Peach Blossom Rancher Bellea shows up in John’s barn about to give birth. The judge is dead (murdered), and John has inherited the ranch. Jenny fell in love with a young Christian peddler and at her wedding John walked one of Jenny’s friends, Valerie MacDougal, a homesteader who had a law degree, down the aisle. John was best man. She was matron of honor.

John never forgot Valerie and since they exchanged addresses, they correspond, waiting until her mourning period if over before a courtship.

But Valerie being an attorney causes complications. An attorney working in Valerie’s father’s legal practice wants her to join him in helping to defend Dr. Dillon Haskill, a young physician, in court. Their goal is to help him be released from the asylum. He was committed because one seizure.

All these dangling stories beg to be told, so I told them in Peach Blossom Rancher.

I worked on a peach/horse ranch in my youth, and I covered a former asylum on my beat as a medical reporter for The Pueblo Chieftain in Colorado. I was given information and told much about the early years of asylums and the treatment of mental illness, interviewed mental patients, psychiatrists, psychologists, psych techs, and even the psychiatrist who determined whether a patient, usually a murderer from the forensic division, was insane at the time of the crime.

It was quite disturbing to learn some of the problems and conditions that could get you committed to an asylum in the early 1900s, the era of this historical romance.

But they’ve learned much about mental illness since. Yes, they still occasionally do shock treatments, but they are computerized to prevent bad side effects. Medications adjust chemicals in the brain that cause thought disorders, etc., and counseling and other treatments sometime help.

This book, however, is not about mental health treatments or how to raise peaches, but about some interesting characters you’ll love meeting. You’ll enjoy sharing their lives for a time. Not everyone has a serious problem, but all are fascinating.

Here’s what one my editors said: “I want Polly to live near me. Not just for the food, which made my mouth water, but she made my spirit sing too. I feel my absolute faith a little stronger after living with her and Abe this week.” – Deidre Lockhart.

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Author bio: 

Ada Brownell, a devoted Bible student, has written for Christian publications since age 15 and spent much of her life as a reporter for The Pueblo Chieftain in Colorado. 

She also is a veteran youth Christian education teacher. After moving to Missouri in her retirement, she continues to write books, free lance for Sunday school papers, Christian magazines, write op-ed pieces for newspapers, and blogs with stick-to-your-soul encouragement. 

She is the author of seven books and more than 350 articles and stories published in Christian magazines. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Ozarks Chapter of American Christian Writers. She and her husband have five children alive, one who died, eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

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Connect with Ada:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AdaBrownellWritingMinistries/

Twitter handle: @adabrownell

Amazon Author Page - http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001KJ2C06

Google+:  https://plus.google.com/u/0/+AdaBrownell/posts

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1654534.Ada_Brownell

Blog "Stick-to-Your-Soul Encouragement", http://inkfromanearthenvessel.blogspot.com 

Interview with Christine Lindsay, author of Sofi's Bridge

I'd like to introduce you to Christine Lindsay, author of Sofi's Bridge. The book just released today! In it, she's written on the topic of how people deal with grief. She also touches on the subject of mental illness and how society has evolved in dealing with those who have "nervous" problems. She does all of his through her new novel, Sofi's Bridge.

I hope that you will enjoy my interivew of this talented author.

*Questions by Alexis are in bold, answers from Christine are not in bold.

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Alexis: Why did you decide to make your heroine, Sofi, a debutant?

Christine: I wanted to counterbalance the life of a wealthy character against one who is financially poor. True joy and satisfaction in life doesn’t necessarily come from financial wealth. Sometimes money brings its own challenges.

Why does Sofi feel so fiercely that she must protect her sister?

Sofi grew up caring for her younger sister because their mother (a simple farmer’s daughter) never adapted well to being the wife of a wealthy man. Sofi’s mother lost a part of herself in the process so that she wasn’t the mother she should have been, causing Sofi to step in and be more to her sister than was good for all of them.

How did Sofi’s dad die? How is that detail significant to the story?

Sofi and Trina’s dad drowned when Trina was sailing with him in what used to be called the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Sofi’s Bridge is about how different people deal with grief, and the stages of grief. For example, some people struggle with survivor’s guilt, while others might self-medicate themselves like Sofi’s Mother does when she is prescribed laudanum for her nerves.

But Sofi’s Bridge is also about how Neil gives up his life in order to take care of his bereaved family back in Ireland.

Why would Sofi’s sister Trina need to be admitted to a sanatorium?

Trina is suffering from what we today call Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. Back in 1913, the whole science of mental health was making huge breakthroughs, as my character Neil notes about lectures he attended by psychiatrists Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung. At that time it was not unusual for people, women especially, to be admitted to an insane asylum for bad nerves. Sofi’s Bridge touches on that new awareness regarding mental illness at the beginning of the 20th century.

Where in your fictional story world are the Cascade Mountains located? Describe the look and feel of that mountain area. What makes it special?

The Cascade Mountains is a real place in the northern, central part of Washington State and going up into Canada. I live about an hour’s drive from the Cascades, and one of my favorite places in all the world is the alpine meadows in a park on the Canadian side of the Cascades.

One of my favorite scenes has my characters sitting in that alpine meadow where the peaks of blue-tinted glaciers seem close enough to touch. The flowers are native only to great heights and create a carpet of color from red Indian Paintbrush, blue lupine, white daisies, and so many more. Up there, all you hear is the silent rush of the wind. It’s like touching the sky.

Neil Macpherson, a gardener, wants to protect Sofi and Trina. Why? What’s his motivation?

Neil has a similar personality trait as Sofi. He too is a caregiver, a nurturer, which are traits found in many nurses and doctors. The downside to that trait is Neil can’t help himself from helping others even to his own detriment. No matter what is happening in his life, he will always do his best to uphold his Hippocratic oath.

What is it about Neil that attracts Sofi?

His caring heart, the tender way he tries to help her sister. But it is also his belief in Sofi’s intellect. In a time when a wealthy society frowns on women working for a living, Neil encourages Sofi to pursue the labor of her heart. He knows how fulfilling it is to do the work that we feel created to do, and how devastating it is to not be allowed to do that work.

What is it about Sofi that makes Neil’s heart melt?

Whenever Neil talks to Sofi he feels he is talking to an intellectual equal, and also that she has no biases about people. He wishes with all his heart that he could tell her the truth about himself, believing if anyone could understand it would be Sofi.

Why does Sofi have trouble trusting Neil?

He is masquerading as a gardener, hiding his true profession. Whenever she asks him, and sometimes pleads with him, he will not tell her why he left Ireland, nor why he is no longer practicing as a doctor.

You’ve got quite the plot twist with Neil’s secret! How does his secret affect the story?

One the plot lines in Sofi’s Bridge is how people deal with grief. The character flaw that both Neil and Sofi share is that they feel they are the only ones who can save the ones they love, and thereby give up their own lives in the process.

What’s the “act of faith” that bridges the “distance that separates the lies from truth and safety”? Tell us what you can without giving away the plot.

The bridge in this book is a metaphor for the bridge of Jesus Christ, only Christ can safely take people by faith to a life with God the Father. But the “act of faith” is different for each person in this story.

Sofi, already a believer, must learn to trust God and take up the labor He has inspired within her, no matter how physically dangerous that work may be. Neil’s act of faith will be recognizing that his own attempts to save the ones he loves has created a web of lies that have only made the situation worse.

How does your journey as a woman of faith play into this story?

There were so many reasons for Sofi to not pursue her dream, and being a Christian writer these days is a difficult journey. I gave up an excellent career as an administrative assistant at a local Christian university to pursue my writing full-time. This was an act of faith on my part. Yes, there has been financial loss, but I get such delight when a reader is encouraged in their faith because of something I wrote. Much of my journey trusting God for my creative life as an author comes through Sofi when she talks about building bridges.

What did you love the most about writing Sofi’s Bridge? Why?

As I mentioned in the previous question, trusting God for the creative labor He placed in my heart is what I love most in this book. So many of us—men and women—have a certain labor that makes our hearts sing. Sadly in life, we don’t all get to do the work that gives us the greatest fulfillment, but as in all things, we can look to our wonderful God and trust Him for the desires of our heart.

What was the most challenging part of writing this story?

With a complex mystery twist, it was a bit challenging in places to make all the characters’ actions and motivations plausible, but I believe I made it. 

What was your go-to food or beverage while writing Sofi’s Bridge?

I’m Irish born, so my go-to beverage is always a pot of Irish Breakfast tea, or good old Red Rose orange pekoe.

What do you want your readers to treasure about this book?

I want readers to be encouraged that often the dreams in our hearts have been placed there by God. Ask the Lord if that secret dream in your heart—such as mine was to be a writer—was put there by Him. Then trust your heavenly Father to help you toward that goal. Keep in mind, that often it is the journey toward the goal that is important to God and not necessarily success as seen by worldly standards.

~*~
Author bio:

Christine Lindsay is the author of multi-award-winning Christian fiction. Tales of her Irish ancestors who served in the British Cavalry in Colonial India inspired her multi-award-winning series Twilight of the British Raj, Book 1 Shadowed in Silk, Book 2 Captured by Moonlight, and explosive finale Veiled at Midnight. 

Christine’s Irish wit and her use of setting as a character is evident in her contemporary romance Londonderry Dreaming and her newest release Sofi’s Bridge.

Aside from being a busy writer and speaker, Christine and her husband live on the west coast of Canada. Coming August 2016 is the release of Christine’s non-fiction book Finding Sarah—Finding Me: A Birthmother’s Story.

Please drop by Christine’s website www.ChristineLindsay.org or follow her on Amazon on Twitter. Subscribe to her quarterly newsletter, and be her friend on Pinterest , Facebook, and Goodreads.

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Buy Sofi's Bridge:
Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Pelican Book Group