You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

SC Women of the Revolution: Elizabeth Jackson

Please visit Stitches Thru Time blog and read my post about a remarkable woman, Elizabeth Jackson, the mother of Andrew Jackson.

Friday, September 20, 2013

Inspirational Christian Fiction

A to Z blog hop at Patterings.
This post is part of an A to Z blog hop. This week's letter is "I." Be sure to visit the blogs listed at the botttom of this post.

        People read inspirational fiction for many reasons, for escape and entertainment, but also for enlightenment. They seek a way to fill inner voids, to get into the heads of other people and see how they manage, and come back better prepared to face the real world.
        Not all inspirational fiction is Christian fiction, which has definitions and descriptions of its own:
“...celebrates God’s presence in our life”
“...characters’ relationships to God is the primary focus”
“...stories are about the journey of the soul”
“...wholesome, yet compelling”
“...God plays a significant role in the plot and the outcome
“...focus on ordinary people who are challenged to live their lives in accordance with Christian principles”
“...gentle Christian novels using charm and humor explore the everyday joys, frustrations, and sorrows of lives quietly led; they typically revolve around the activities of a small community of people, such as a small town, a church, or a gathering of friends; the realities of sex, violence, and other passions are downplayed and are never presented in a graphic manner”
“...edgy Christian fiction (sometimes a laughable term to the secular, general market) seeks to throw off the yoke of traditional Christian fiction and offer something more contemporary and less sterilized; gritty scenes; not sweet but brutal.”
        In a blog post that author Keith Madsen wrote, he said: Inspirational fiction is people facing the most fearful things in life: the death of loved ones, violence and crime, marital stress, the prospect of life failure, terrorism and war -- and in the midst of it all finding reason to hope. It’s stories that say you don’t have to put on blinders to the pain in life to believe that there is a good God at the heart of it all.    (http://www.keithmadsen.com/Wrestling-Alongside-Jacob----a-Blog.html?entry=inspirational-fiction-making-our-own)
        Author Jordyn Redwood, who is a nurse, wrote in her blog post: Since I experience the fragility of life, I want people to be confident in their beliefs about the afterlife. And I know many of us don’t have as many moments left as we think. A novel can be a less threatening way to introduce someone to the concepts of Christianity than handing them a Bible, and yet can still deliver a strong, compelling message. (http://wordservewatercooler.com/2013/06/09/why-i-write-christian-fiction/)

A lamp unto my feet...
        So why write inspirational Christian fiction?
        Author DeeAnne Gist answered, “I want to stand before God and have him say, ‘Well done, my child.’ I don’t want him to say, ‘I can’t believe you wrote that.’”

        Why do I write it?
        It’s my mission field, and I want to inspire responses from my readers like this person, who read my Revolutionary War novel, The Chamomile:
“Through all the trials, their faith carries the main characters through. The story portrays the integral place that faith played in the early colonies. They are so like us, like me, with questions, fears and doubts. I like how Craft has woven faith throughout the story without ever lapsing into preaching. She has portrayed seamy characters without using offensive language--bravo!”

Monday, September 16, 2013

Cast Iron Chamomiles:
Women of the Revolution
Emily Geiger

   

The Arrest of Emily Geiger

From the Pictorial Field Book of the Revolution, by Benson J. Lossing,
copied from the original painting by Flagg

        Emily Geiger was the daughter of German-speaking Swiss farmers and Patriots who lived in the backcountry of South Carolina during the Revolutionary War.
       In June 1781, General Nathanael Greene and his forces, after retreating from British troops at Fort Ninety Six, camped about two miles from the Geiger home. Greene let it be known that he needed to get a message to General Thomas Sumter, about 100 miles away near the Wateree River.
        Eighteen-year-old Emily, who knew the route well, offered to take the message. Greene accepted her offer, penned the note, and had Emily memorize the message in case she had to destroy it along the way. Mounted sidesaddle on a strong, fast horse, Emily travelled the first leg of the journey without incident.
        But on day two, Lord Rawdon’s scouts stopped her. Although Emily told them she was travelling to her Uncle Jacob’s home, they took her to their encampment to question her. Left alone in a room, Emily, concerned about the note, decided to eat it. Minutes later, a Tory woman, Mrs. Hagabook, was brought to search Emily, but found nothing on her person. The British officer in charge apologized for the error and provided Emily an escort to her uncle’s home.
      The next day, she completed her journey to Sumter’s camp and relayed the following message: “Lord Rawdon has determined to abandon Fort Ninety-Six. Moving down the southern bank of the Edisto River to Orangeburg, then they will divide their forces.” Sumter began moving his forces within the hour.
        On October 18, 1789, Emily married South Carolina plantation owner, John Threwitts. As a wedding present, General Greene gave her a pair of earrings and brooches. At a ball in Charleston, SC, given in Lafayette’s honor, Emily was honored as a distinguished heroine of the Revolutionary War.
     To honor Emily and commemorate her heroic ride, the woman holding the laurel branch on the South Carolina State Seal is designated as Emily Geiger.

Friday, September 13, 2013

Here's Mud in Your Eye!

A to Z blog hop at Patterings.

The A to Z blog hop letter this week is "H" -- Here's mud in your eye"

       Benjamin Franklin offered many toasts in his lifetime.
        Here’s one he gave at Versailles when he was the American emissary to France.
        The toasting was led off by the British ambassador, who said, “George the Third, who, like the sun in its meridian, spreads a luster throughout and enlightens the world.”
        He was followed by the French minister, who said, “The illustrious Louis the Sixteenth, who, like the moon, sheds his mild and benevolent rays on and influences the globe.”
        Franklin finished the round: “George Washington, commander of the American armies, who, like Joshua of old, commanded the sun and the moon to stand still, and both obeyed.”
     
        Here’s another toast the Patriots made during the Revolutionary War:
        To the enemies of our country! May they have cobweb breeches, a porcupine saddle, a hard-trotting horse, and an eternal journey.

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

My Interview on Novel Pastimes

Cindi won the copy of The Chamomile given away on Novel Pastimes. Congratulations, Cindi!!!!

Kathy Rouser interviewed me on the blog Novel Pastimes. If you have time, go by and visit and answer the question I left for a chance to win a copy of my historical romantic suspense, The Chamomile.

Monday, September 2, 2013

Quilting in Colonial America

I'm linking up with the Colonial Quills blog because Carla Olsen Gade has published a post about Quilting in Colonial America .  Beautiful pictures and lots of information.