Introducing S. D. Grimm and "Breathless"

S. D. Grimm is an  author and a good friend. In fact, she's a cousin of mine--specifically, one of my dad's first cousins. I am thrilled to host a fellow author on Living in the Light today. S. D. is sharing about her brand-new book, Breathless, and has even given us an excerpt to read! Check out her website at www.sdgrimm.com. Please give her a warm welcome here--and if you want to buy her book, get it HERE.

First of all, I want to thank Jaimie for being gracious enough to let me post on her blog today. I am so excited about the release of my novella, BREATHLESS.

What if one touch could unlock a thousand memories?

Eighteen year old Claire Summers has a rare gift she must keep secret, she's a Breather— someone who can see other people’s memories by touching an object they’ve touched. When she stumbles across a memory of her friend in danger, she'll do anything to help rescue him. The problem is, her secret will be revealed. If the wrong people find out about her ability, they’ll hunt her because Breathers are powerful weapons.

I started writing when I was … well I actually can’t remember not writing. It’s kinda my thing. I love fantasy—epic, urban, sword and sorcery, all of it—so that’s what I write.

The way I look at it, God blesses us with talents and makes us passionate about them so we’ll use our talents. You can learn more about me and what I’m writing on my website: www.sdgrimm.com.                                                  




Breathless is an urban fantasy. For those of you unfamiliar with whatever that is, it’s fantasy set in a city, sometimes it’s in the future, sometimes present. The story takes place in a few cities—Podunk towns actually. Yup, there’s a road trip involved, and it’s in this awesome, awesome ride.

Yeah, I know.

And for your reading pleasure, here’s an excerpt:

My shoes crushed the thick grass. Thunder rumbled in the distance. Damp, summer air swirled around me unable to cut through the heavy fog. Headstones, cracked and crooked, spread across the grassy hill. I’d been here before. My dreams often brought me to this cemetery. The full moon lit my way down a familiar path. Even though I was dreaming, I was chilly in my tank top and shorts. 

I headed toward the tallest headstone on the hill’s crest. No flowers or American flags decorated this soul’s final resting place. I reached out, like I had the other times I’d dreamed this, and I knew what to expect. Before I could touch the stone, my subconscious would pull me back and I’d wake on my bouncing bed feeling like I’d fallen from somewhere high. 

The rough stone was cool beneath my fingers. 

Three translucent figures walked away from me, passing through the untouched fog. Two men, one held a young boy’s hand, the other followed them. The boy looked so familiar. They walked through the headstones littering the hillside as if they were insubstantial, and then flickered out. 

My hand jerked back. A chill skittered across my chest and spread over my whole body leaving me with goose bumps. Heart racing, I willed myself to wake. 

I didn’t. 

My chest tightened. Was I dreaming or not?  Thunder rolled closer. I backed away from the creepy headstone and stepped on something slippery. Arms flailing, I lost my balance. I landed in the moist grass. Pain shot up my elbow as it connected with rock. 

“Back here. Quick.” The whisper turned my blood to ice. 

“I’m dreaming,” I said aloud since this was too freaky to be real. 

“Dream? No, sweetheart, you’re in a trance. Snap out of it or whatever it is you Breathers do.” 

The stranger’s voice rasped. 

I froze, watching him inch closer. Breather? What was he talking about? My head cleared like a fan turned on and blew the fog from my brain, and I realized my situation. I so wasn’t dreaming. 

This was real. This was real? 

I faced the stranger hiding behind a headstone and caught a glimpse of his rifle. Oh holy night.

What do you think? Does this sound like something you'd just love to read? I ABSOLUTELY want to-- you can get it HERE on Amazon!

Weekend fun and exciting happenings!

Happy Friday! I've spent the day so far doing laundry at my grandparents' house. They are officially AWESOME. I love them.

I also love my husband, who took me out for lunch today (Subway, yum!). And who is working super-hard, like he always does, to help provide for me. Seriously blessed with that man.

I have two exciting things to tell you. One is that I'm guest-posting for Lindsey Brackett today! She is one of my favorite bloggers, and she asked me to talk about one of my favorite things: loving our husbands. From that post:

The source of all love—whether love between friends, between children and parents, or between husbands and wives—is God.

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God, and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” 1 John 4:7-8

We know what love is because Jesus has modeled it for us. “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.” 1 John 3:16 “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”  John 3:16

God has described to us what real love looks like. 1 Corinthians 13 is a great starting point, although that kind of love is only shown perfectly by Jesus himself. Jesus said that the greatest commandments are these: to love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:36-40).

These Scripture passages all give us a great definition of what love is and where real love comes from. But what does love look like, practically speaking, in a marriage?

Head to Lindsey's blog HERE to read the rest, and leave her some comment-love! And read her other posts...she has a beautiful family and a beautiful heart for the Lord.

The second exciting thing I can't actually tell you about yet. It's TOP SECRET business. But not for long. Keep an eye on the blog, and my Facebook page-- trust me, you're going to want to hear about this the second the word is out!

Finally, I'm really looking forward to this weekend. Today's payday, which means grocery shopping (I'm probably one of the few people in the world who has fun meal-planning, grocery-list-writing, and playing the how-little-can-I-spend-on-groceries-and-still-get-lots-of-good-food game). Plus tonight we're going to an ice cream social at my in-laws' church and going to see the new Wolverine movie with my brother-in-law and his friend, and tomorrow we get to see another of Joshua's brothers and pick my friend Sara up from the airport. Mini road trip with my hubby? Yes, please! I'm also hoping to squeeze some garage sale-going in there...we're on the lookout for a couple of bedside tables and a hutch for the kitchen. Dreaming big!

So. Go read my post on Lindsey's blog. Keep your eyes and ears open for the news I'll finally be able to share soon. Have a fantastic, joy-filled weekend. And tell me in the comments what you're up to! I love hearing from you!

Advice is Overrated--Encouragement Isn't

I am honored and blessed to have Tim Fall writing for me today!  Tim's blog is Just One Train Wreck After Another, where he writes about faith, family, books, and life as a Christian judge in California.  Tim is known for his encouraging blog comments, and I hope you are as blessed by this post as I have been.


[My son K is 22 and recently graduated from UC Berkeley. My daughter J is 20 and a third year student at UC San Diego. A lot of parents write advice letters to their young adult children, laying out what they want their children to learn. I'm not one of those parents. Instead, I'm writing them a letter pointing out what they've already learned.]

How old were each of you when you first left the country on a missions trip? 9, 10? Something like that. We all traveled together to Mexico to serve in one of the poorest places I've ever seen. K, we took you with us for the first couple trips, and J you joined us for several trips after that.

And then you went overseas on your own mission trips. You still do.

K, you even went on one all by yourself without a missions team. Seriously, Vietnam on your own? I know you'd been there twice before with a team, but to hop a plane and get to work with the organization over there without any team training or support was impressive. And now you are preparing to return as head of a team you are putting together to minister to the people you've met there over the years.

J, those trips to western and eastern Europe and into Israel started while you were in high school. Then South Africa came along, but you weren't going as a member of the team. You led the team. And this summer you are going to do it again.

So I said this was about what you have learned. Here goes:

You've learned how to take initiative: Mom and I never asked you to go on these trips, never even brought up going on overseas missions. You thought of it, you explored it and you figured out how to get it done. It may not have always happened the way you expected, but it happened. And you learned that God has some great plans for you, even better than your own.

Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. (Proverbs 19:21.)

You've learned to adapt: J, when your co-leader in charge of logistics had to back out 2 days before leaving last year, you and the other program leader stepped up and took on the duty, all while handling all your own responsibilities. K, you knew you had several weeks in a foreign land without anyone your age that you knew so you went to the coffee-house and made some friends, good friends that you loved to hang out and play music with even if you didn't speak each others' languages all that well.

So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10.)

You've learned to trust God: K, when you were 17 and started team training for that first trip to Vietnam, you didn't know anyone else, student or adult. But you trusted that God had put you there and that he would see you through. J, when you were getting ready to fly off to training for your last trip to Europe and got so sick you could barely stand, you trusted that God would work it out so you could still go, even if it meant joining the team late. God saw both of you through those times and so many more.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him, and he will direct your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6.)

You've learned the God's word is not only powerful, but a joy: K and J, each of you have learned over the years how to study God's word. I wish I could take credit for that, but it's really your own relationships with God that have drawn you deeper into his word. I get to have the fun of talking about Scripture and doctrine and theology with you, and often you are the ones who bring up points I've never thought through. This is a joy for us in talking about it, and I can tell that you get a kick out of reading his word and studying what theologians and other writers have to say about it for yourself too.

When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, Lord God Almighty. (Jeremiah 15:16.)

There's more of course, but I hope you've learned one more thing in particular. Mom and I are not only proud of you, but we are so pleased for you in your relationships with God and the people he has put in your lives. I told you when you were young and I'll tell you now:

K - you are my wonderful boy.

J - you are my wonderful girl.

And your wonderfulness has nothing to do with whether you've learned anything at all. Your wonderfulness has everything to do with the fact that you are blessings from God.

[For those reading this who aren't K & J, please know that your heavenly Father is even more pleased with you than I am with my kids. He loves you eternally and without limit, and I hope that encourages your socks off.]

Tim is a California native who changed his major three times, colleges four times, and took six years to get a Bachelor’s degree in a subject he’s never been called on to use professionally. Married for over 25 years with two kids (one in college and one just graduated, woo-hoo!), his family is constant evidence of God’s abundant blessings in his life. He and his wife live in Northern California. Tim blogs here.

Lessons Learning: Life lessons from the mission field and beyond

I am so honored and excited to be writing on Tim Fall's blog today!  He'll be visiting here tomorrow, and we have semi-coordinating posts.  I'm writing about what I've learned in my experiences in mission work, and he's written... well, you'll have to come back tomorrow to find out!

Despite being young, I've learned a lot of important lessons in my life so far.  God has used some amazing circumstances to bring me closer to him and teach me some things I really needed to learn.  Some of the biggest lessons he's taught me are remembering that He has my life in his hands, how to love others the way I've been loved by Him, and trusting him in ALL things, even when trusting is scary.

When I was thirteen I read several books about missionaries which sparked my interest in mission work.  The summer I turned fourteen, my family was visiting my grandparents.  At church during that visit, my mom ran into some friends who were, at the time, missionaries in Hong Kong and China.  She asked if they knew anyone with whom I could be pen pals, and they suggested that instead of doing that to learn about the life of missionaries, I just come visit them.

For the rest of this post, head over to Tim's blog! 

How to be a Titus 2 Mentor

I'm guest posting over at New Life Steward for Mary Beth today!

(Remember, she posted here last week about cultivating your marriage after a baby?)

~~~~~~

As bloggers, our sphere of influence is much wider than just the people we meet in person every day.  Our words enter the homes and hearts of hundreds and even thousands of people each day.  Mary Beth asked me to answer the question, “How can older women bless younger women through their blogs?”

I’m one of those younger women.  I’m twenty-one and I have been married for just over a year.  I have learned a lot in the last year, but there is so much more I don’t know.

Those of you who have more life experience than I, and others like me, have so much to share with us!  We younger women desire your teaching, advice, and encouragement.  You are a blessing to us.

So, here are a few ways, applicable to blogging and in some cases to your real-life relationships, that Experienced Women Can Bless Those of Us Who are Younger...

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Head on over to New Life Steward to read the rest!

Linking up today:  Far Above Rubies; Growing Home; Cornerstone Confessions; Lessons from Ivy; Time-Warp Wife

Cultivating Your Marriage After a Baby {Guest post by Mary Beth}

Today I am delighted to welcome Mary Beth from New Life Steward!  Mary Beth and her husband have recently welcomed their first son, Thomas.  She, therefore, has experience I do not: being a mommy and a wife!  She has written a post with some really great, very wise suggestions for cultivating one's marriage after the birth of a baby.  This is information I will be glad I have in the future!  I hope it's a blessing to you as well.  Here is Mary Beth!

Our first date night after Thomas was born (3 weeks).

When we bring that little one home from the hospital, we want to give them the best of everything. We nurse or buy the best formula for their little tummies. We get the fancy diapers, softest blankets, and newest gadgets. We cuddle and love and nurture that little one--giving them the best of ourselves. Some new and expectant parents wonder what is it that my newborn really needs? What is the best thing I can do for this child who now holds my heart? One of the best things you can do for your newborn really does not involve your newborn at all. Cultivating your relationship with that tiny, new person's father will have long-lasting beneficial effects on his life. You relationship with you spouse is your child's first picture of how Christ loves the church. As she grows up watching you love each other sacrificially, she will gain a better understanding of how Christ loves her. I know it seems like time is stretched thin with a million chores to be done but taking time to focus on your spouse will reap long term benefits for your family. Leave the laundry piled on the couch and the dishes sitting in the sink and spend some time with your husband. Both of you will feel refreshed and renewed if you do.

5 Ways to Focus on Your Spouse When a New Baby Arrives:

1. Send texts and e-mails throughout the day. If you are reading this, then you likely have easy access to internet either via your computer or your smart phone. Send the love of your life pictures and updates once or twice a day. They don't all have to be about the baby. Remind him of what you love about him. Thank him for working hard to provide for you and the baby. This will help him to feel connected and involved in your day.
2. Eat at least one meal a day together, at the table, with no TV or phones. Eating meals as a family is a lost art in our society. However, research shows that families that eat dinner together raise more successful children. It only seems logical that eating with your spouse will enhance that relationship. From the first days of his life, we laid Thomas in a reclining high chair (or his was on the nursing pillow nursing) and ate dinner as a family--even if dinner was just cold cereal. This provided a time to reconnect after my husband had been away work all day.
3. Go on dates. Some of the best dates you will have once you enter the parent club are with a newborn in tow. Time it so that you can feed the baby and immediately head out for your date. Odds are, the newest member of the family will sleep through the whole affair. Remember, dates don't have to be expensive. Take a walk together, pack a picnic dinner, or browse Target (a favorite of ours!). Just get out of the house (I know, your mom told you not to take the baby out of the house until he was XX weeks old, it'll be okay. Just throw a blanket over the carrier. That is a universal DO NOT TOUCH sign.)
4. Do not neglect the marriage bed. You knew this was coming right? A professor in seminary (I have a Master's in Marriage and Family Counseling from a seminary) once told us that a good indicator of the health of a couple's marriage is the health of their sex life. That's scary, huh? I know the thought of sex probably freaks you out. After all, you either just pushed out a human being or had major surgery to bring the little guy into the world. But when the doctor gives you the all clear, remember your hubby has been patiently waiting for likely over 6 weeks! Inform your husband of the need to be gentle and slow, and then enjoy the wonderful gift of marriage God gave you. Know it will take time to get back to normal, but you will get there!
5. Pray together. Parenting is hard. Adding a child to the family is a huge transition no matter how many times you've done it. Take time to pray together for your child(ren), for each other, and for any needs you have. Also remember that thank God for the incomparable gift of your child. Even in the hardest days of parenthood, children are such a treasure.

How do you stay connected with your spouse? What are your tips for after the arrival of a baby?

Mary Beth loves Jesus, her husband, and her son. A Southern girl, she enjoys football, a glass of sweet tea, and walking barefoot in the grass. She spends most of her days collecting rocks with her son. She blogs about being a good steward of the gifts God has given her at New Life Steward. You can also find her on Twitter and Facebook.

Linking with: Far Above Rubies; Growing Home; Thankful Homemaker; Time-Warp Wife; Call Me Blessed; Cornerstone Confessions; Lessons from Ivy; To Love, Honor and Vacuum

Guest Post at The Atypical Housewife!

I'm writing today over at Monica's blog, The Atypical Housewife!  I have the pleasure and honor of being her very first guest poster.

Guest Post by Jaimie at Living in the Light | The Atypical Housewife: "Today I am happy to share my first ever guest poster, Jaimie!  Take some time today to read her marvelous post, and visit her at her blog and on facebook!

Hello!  I’m Jaimie from Living in the Light, and I’m so happy to be guest-posting for Monica today.  She’s given me the privilege of sharing my story–mine and my husband’s–and I can’t wait to tell you how God has worked in our lives."

Monica calls herself “The Atypical Housewife.”  One reason I connectedwith her so much is that I’m pretty “atypical” myself–I like to call it “counter-cultural.”  

Head on over to The Atypical Housewife to read the rest!

'via Blog this'

guest posting @ Young Wife's Guide

I'm guest posting today!It's extra-exciting because it's at one of my favorite blogs, Jami Leigh's Young Wife's Guide.She and I have a fair bit in common--we have the same name (just spelled differently), we're both young wives, we are sisters in Christ, and we live near our husband's family (for now; she and her hubby and moving soon).Here's a preview of my post:

Since I was a little girl, getting married and being a wife has always been at the top of my list of what I wanted to be.  One of my favorite dress-up dresses was a bridal outfit.

I never expected, or planned, to get married as young as I did.  I never dated in high school—mainly because the guys I was interested in never asked me out, and the only person who ever asked me on a date was someone I had no interest in at all.  So when I met my husband, on our first day at college, I definitely didn’t see where it would all go, especially not as fast as it did.

Head over to Young Wife's Guide to read the rest! :) 

a few little things

blessings

Most delicious pork roast ever: rub roast with a little oil and then a mixture of herbes de Provence, garlic (I used powder) and ground pepper.  Massage it into the meat, and then sear in a hot pan until brown on all sides.    Meanwhile, rough-chop one onion, two stalks of celery, four cloves of garlic, and if desired two (large) carrots.  Place in slow-cooker.  Rest browned roast on vegetables, pour 1 1/2 cups water over all, cook on high for five hours.  Bliss.  Plus your house will smell incredible all day.


I realized something: having a clean, organized house actually does make me happier.  I am now even more motivated to finish off my big cleaning list.  I checked a few things off it yesterday: the closet is now reorganized, mostly cleaned up, and mostly decluttered.  A little bit is left for today, and I intend to leave it perfect.  I got rid of a fair bit of trash; it was fantastic.


Apparently my husband really likes it when I sit down with him when he comes home instead of when I keep working.  He actually forced me to sit down and stop cleaning last night.  Then, since we had friends over, my friend Ruth did the dishes so I didn't have to.  I realized something else: when I get into "cleaning mode," it's really hard to stop!

My maternal grandmother called last night.  I get to see her on Friday.  I'm pretty excited.

My mom called this morning.  I also get to see her on Friday.  And my dad, my siblings, and other family and friends.  Can. Not. Wait.


Hubby and I had a fantastic morning.

I am guest-posting again today!!  At a fellow young wife's blog--actually, it's Jami's at Young Wife's Guide.  She's such a lovely lady, and she and her husband just found out last week that they're pregnant with their first baby!!  I am thrilled and honored to be guest posting for her today (and tomorrow, with part 2 of the post).  Stop by Jami's blog to read my post and leave her a little love!


We are so blessed.  I'm so thankful.  God is SO very good.