In Consider the Lilies, author Terry Hickey Abercrombie presents a heartwarming collection of stories and poems for her high school friend, General Wayne Downing; her dad, D. H. Hickey; and her large family—including six grandchildren. Her family and friends have provided much of the inspiration for this collection. In these personal stories of triumph over loss and of joy in the simple moments of life, she captures the true emotion and loving Christian spirit of the holidays, from the turkey she won but decided was designated for a higher purpose to the hug and kiss she received from her son on Christmas. She shares spiritual as well as emotional insights in each of her stories and poems. Consider the Lilies offers an inspiring glimpse into a life well-lived. Waiting for the Sunshine Oh! It’s so cold, dark and dreary. When I go out I feel weary. The sun won’t shine just for a while. Just to see it could make me smile. Windows are iced up as can be. Cars won’t start even jauntily. Everyone’s sick with colds and flu. Sub-zero weather makes me blue. I can’t wait till the sun comes out. It will warm everything about. Oh! To see the green grass and trees And hear birds singing melodies.

In Consider the Lilies, author Terry Hickey Abercrombie presents a heartwarming collection of stories and poems for her high school friend, General Wayne Downing; her dad, D. H. Hickey; and her large family—including six grandchildren. Her family and friends have provided much of the inspiration for this collection. In these personal stories of triumph over loss and of joy in the simple moments of life, she captures the true emotion and loving Christian spirit of the holidays, from the turkey she won but decided was designated for a higher purpose to the hug and kiss she received from her son on Christmas. She shares spiritual as well as emotional insights in each of her stories and poems. Consider the Lilies offers an inspiring glimpse into a life well-lived. Waiting for the Sunshine Oh! It’s so cold, dark and dreary. When I go out I feel weary. The sun won’t shine just for a while. Just to see it could make me smile. Windows are iced up as can be. Cars won’t start even jauntily. Everyone’s sick with colds and flu. Sub-zero weather makes me blue. I can’t wait till the sun comes out. It will warm everything about. Oh! To see the green grass and trees And hear birds singing melodies.

The stories of our lives are a lot like songs—beautiful, eternal melodies composed by our loving God. In Heart Songs, author Kathryn Slattery shares some of these songs through her own life stories, seeking to provide hope, encouragement, and inspiration.

In this collection, she explores the joys and challenges of life’s changing seasons—being a young mother; being a member of the “Sandwich Generation” pressed on both sides to meet the needs of her aging mother while also caring for her husband and children; being an empty nester and losing her mother; and being a joyful mother of the bride.

Throughout her life’s journey, Slattery discovers fresh, helpful, spiritual insights—“heart songs”—that she shares as a mother, daughter, sister, wife, and friend. With refreshing candor and gentle, self-effacing humor, Heart Songs captures those divine and fleeting moments when heaven’s music breaks through and our hearts sing in perfect harmony with our loving God.

Praise for Heart Songs

“Kitty Slattery writes not just for the heart but for the soul. She reaches deep into her own life as well as the lives of others to find the stories that lift us up and give us the greatest gift any writer can give—hope.”

—Edward Grinnan, editor-in-chief of Guideposts magazine and author of The Promise of Hope

“Heart Songs is full of heart-tugging warmth and wisdom, a chance to savor the wonder of a life well-lived.”

—Rick Hamlin, executive editor of Guideposts magazine

Author Connie Lounsbury admits that, at times, she has been slow to listen to how God wants her to live. Now immersed in the third act of her life, she shares her blessings, mistakes, and the secret she carried during her childhood as she learned to hear God’s voice—even in the most difficult times.

Lounsbury begins her story in 1950 on a frigid morning in rural Minnesota when, at just nine years old, she was terrified to hear her father shout, "The house is on fire!" Her father was able to save just a few items before their house burned down. He had no insurance or job, and so life was not easy for the family. As Lounsbury details her journey through childhood and the years beyond, she illustrates the importance of God’s presence during challenging times, of teaching children about God, and of living a faith-filled life. From remaking cast-off clothing to buying shoes in thrift stores, Lounsbury shares how her family somehow survived—and even thrived—by relying on love, faith, and a fierce determination to persevere despite many obstacles.

Thrift Store Shoes shares a poignant glimpse into one woman’s inspirational journey from when she first accepted Christ into her heart to today, as her life continues in God’s grace—and demonstrates that, no matter what, God is always with us.

Author Connie Lounsbury admits that, at times, she has been slow to listen to how God wants her to live. Now immersed in the third act of her life, she shares her blessings, mistakes, and the secret she carried during her childhood as she learned to hear God’s voice—even in the most difficult times.

Lounsbury begins her story in 1950 on a frigid morning in rural Minnesota when, at just nine years old, she was terrified to hear her father shout, "The house is on fire!" Her father was able to save just a few items before their house burned down. He had no insurance or job, and so life was not easy for the family. As Lounsbury details her journey through childhood and the years beyond, she illustrates the importance of God’s presence during challenging times, of teaching children about God, and of living a faith-filled life. From remaking cast-off clothing to buying shoes in thrift stores, Lounsbury shares how her family somehow survived—and even thrived—by relying on love, faith, and a fierce determination to persevere despite many obstacles.

Thrift Store Shoes shares a poignant glimpse into one woman’s inspirational journey from when she first accepted Christ into her heart to today, as her life continues in God’s grace—and demonstrates that, no matter what, God is always with us.

The stories of our lives are a lot like songs—beautiful, eternal melodies composed by our loving God. In Heart Songs, author Kathryn Slattery shares some of these songs through her own life stories, seeking to provide hope, encouragement, and inspiration.

In this collection, she explores the joys and challenges of life’s changing seasons—being a young mother; being a member of the “Sandwich Generation” pressed on both sides to meet the needs of her aging mother while also caring for her husband and children; being an empty nester and losing her mother; and being a joyful mother of the bride.

Throughout her life’s journey, Slattery discovers fresh, helpful, spiritual insights—“heart songs”—that she shares as a mother, daughter, sister, wife, and friend. With refreshing candor and gentle, self-effacing humor, Heart Songs captures those divine and fleeting moments when heaven’s music breaks through and our hearts sing in perfect harmony with our loving God.

Praise for Heart Songs

“Kitty Slattery writes not just for the heart but for the soul. She reaches deep into her own life as well as the lives of others to find the stories that lift us up and give us the greatest gift any writer can give—hope.”

—Edward Grinnan, editor-in-chief of Guideposts magazine and author of The Promise of Hope

“Heart Songs is full of heart-tugging warmth and wisdom, a chance to savor the wonder of a life well-lived.”

—Rick Hamlin, executive editor of Guideposts magazine

Secrets Hidden tells the true story of a woman rising from the ashes of her harrowing childhood. Living with her family in an old, dusty Mercury, author Robin Rae Schillereff traveled from state to state with her alcoholic parents and her older brother, Johnny. In this memoir, as she recounts the ups and downs of her journey as the daughter of a traveling salesman, long-forgotten memories emerge. Episodes unfurl with humor and pathos, guided by parents who were oft en too self-absorbed to understand how their frivolous actions affected their daughter. As she recalls her childhood in the 1950s, the dramatic response that she had to these life changes as an adult becomes clear. Robin also writes about her substance abuse and the very close calls she has with an overdose and her subsequent hospitalization. She opens up about all of the secrets she has held inside since her childhood— the feelings of abandonment by her father and her confusion about her early years. Moved by her will to survive, she was a girl who lived by the side of the road for much of her early childhood. Uplifting, funny, and heartbreaking, Secrets Hidden makes clear the resilience of one woman in the face of such an unusual childhood.

Growing up in Upstate New York during the 1940s and 1950s was idyllic in many ways, with wintertime sledding and summer days spent on the shores of Lake Ontario. But even though she was involved in school activities and had friends, Diane harbored a painful secret: her father was an alcoholic. Often out of work, he might explode with rage at the dinner table because someone chewed too loudly, or accuse Diane’s mother of infidelity, or pass out naked, sprawled across his bed, within sight of anyone who came to the front door. Not surprisingly, Diane learned to fear, resent, and mistrust her father.

Unfortunately, there are many stories like Diane’s, in which families are traumatized by abuse. Hers could have ended there, but thanks to a loving God, it did not. What makes Diane’s story different is that she learned about the power of forgiveness. In Choosing to Forgive she shares her insights into this most precious but sometimes mysterious gift from God. How do we forgive people when they have deeply wronged us? What if we don’t want to? What does forgiveness look like in everyday life?

Diane has asked these questions and others in her journey toward forgiving the man who caused her such pain. Intended for both those whose circumstances are similar to Diane’s and those simply want to learn more about forgiveness, this moving memoir tells the story of how forgiveness freed her to have a rich and happy life.

When 21-year old military wife, Betty Whalen and her five-month-old daughter, Kim, embark on the 13,000 mile trip from New Jersey to Taiwan to join her husband, Betty never dreamed the trip, undertaken in the days before jet travel and disposable diapers, would take nine days, during which Kim would be hit with colic and diarrhea.

Adding to the challenges the young mother would face was an unnecessary two-hour round trip by bus to San Francisco because of misinformation about her visa given to her by a flight operations specialist at Travis Air Force Base, California, her first stop. The error resulted in a tedious three-hour delay which caused Betty to miss a flight to Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii. Two days later upon arrival at Hickam, she faced another three-day wait. Then another exasperating four days in the Philippine Islands.

On Taiwan, Betty was the youngest American “Round-eye” to meet the legendary Taiwanese President, Chiang Kai Shek. While there she gives birth to her second daughter in a missionary hospital only to lose this child suddenly three years later. Upon her family’s return by ship, with two babies under two, from Taiwan, the angry Pacific Ocean brings their ship breathtakingly close to capsizing. During the voyage, 20-month old Kim faces emergency surgery on a ship that was bucking so badly, the surgeon was unable to stand upright without assistance.

Back in the states with a family of four, Betty hones the shopping practices that enabled her to multiply her dollars and earn her the designation: Queen of Thrift. Her four basic principles: never pay the retail price, know the brands, shop the discount stores, and be patient, have paid off big for her. They can for anyone willing to try them.

Growing up in Upstate New York during the 1940s and 1950s was idyllic in many ways, with wintertime sledding and summer days spent on the shores of Lake Ontario. But even though she was involved in school activities and had friends, Diane harbored a painful secret: her father was an alcoholic. Often out of work, he might explode with rage at the dinner table because someone chewed too loudly, or accuse Diane’s mother of infidelity, or pass out naked, sprawled across his bed, within sight of anyone who came to the front door. Not surprisingly, Diane learned to fear, resent, and mistrust her father.

Unfortunately, there are many stories like Diane’s, in which families are traumatized by abuse. Hers could have ended there, but thanks to a loving God, it did not. What makes Diane’s story different is that she learned about the power of forgiveness. In Choosing to Forgive she shares her insights into this most precious but sometimes mysterious gift from God. How do we forgive people when they have deeply wronged us? What if we don’t want to? What does forgiveness look like in everyday life?

Diane has asked these questions and others in her journey toward forgiving the man who caused her such pain. Intended for both those whose circumstances are similar to Diane’s and those simply want to learn more about forgiveness, this moving memoir tells the story of how forgiveness freed her to have a rich and happy life.

When 21-year old military wife, Betty Whalen and her five-month-old daughter, Kim, embark on the 13,000 mile trip from New Jersey to Taiwan to join her husband, Betty never dreamed the trip, undertaken in the days before jet travel and disposable diapers, would take nine days, during which Kim would be hit with colic and diarrhea.

Adding to the challenges the young mother would face was an unnecessary two-hour round trip by bus to San Francisco because of misinformation about her visa given to her by a flight operations specialist at Travis Air Force Base, California, her first stop. The error resulted in a tedious three-hour delay which caused Betty to miss a flight to Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii. Two days later upon arrival at Hickam, she faced another three-day wait. Then another exasperating four days in the Philippine Islands.

On Taiwan, Betty was the youngest American “Round-eye” to meet the legendary Taiwanese President, Chiang Kai Shek. While there she gives birth to her second daughter in a missionary hospital only to lose this child suddenly three years later. Upon her family’s return by ship, with two babies under two, from Taiwan, the angry Pacific Ocean brings their ship breathtakingly close to capsizing. During the voyage, 20-month old Kim faces emergency surgery on a ship that was bucking so badly, the surgeon was unable to stand upright without assistance.

Back in the states with a family of four, Betty hones the shopping practices that enabled her to multiply her dollars and earn her the designation: Queen of Thrift. Her four basic principles: never pay the retail price, know the brands, shop the discount stores, and be patient, have paid off big for her. They can for anyone willing to try them.

Secrets Hidden tells the true story of a woman rising from the ashes of her harrowing childhood. Living with her family in an old, dusty Mercury, author Robin Rae Schillereff traveled from state to state with her alcoholic parents and her older brother, Johnny. In this memoir, as she recounts the ups and downs of her journey as the daughter of a traveling salesman, long-forgotten memories emerge. Episodes unfurl with humor and pathos, guided by parents who were oft en too self-absorbed to understand how their frivolous actions affected their daughter. As she recalls her childhood in the 1950s, the dramatic response that she had to these life changes as an adult becomes clear. Robin also writes about her substance abuse and the very close calls she has with an overdose and her subsequent hospitalization. She opens up about all of the secrets she has held inside since her childhood— the feelings of abandonment by her father and her confusion about her early years. Moved by her will to survive, she was a girl who lived by the side of the road for much of her early childhood. Uplifting, funny, and heartbreaking, Secrets Hidden makes clear the resilience of one woman in the face of such an unusual childhood.

This continuing story describes my life after active duty and while in the navy reserves. It’s the story of my struggle to make a normal life for myself, all the while unaware that I was suffering from depression, ADD, and dyslexia.

Despite my family of origin placing me into foster care at age twelve, I attempted on numerous occasions to reach out to them, wanting to be accepted and loved by them. I failed to achieve this, so I’ve quit trying.  It only causes me more depression.

Some verses from 2 Corinthians chapter 4 sum up my feelings about that part of my life:

“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels … We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.”