A Whisper of Freedom

Marina asked me to do this meme and since I think she is such a beautiful lady how could I say no! If you've never met her stop by and take the time to get to know her. Not only is she gorgeous, but her heart is even more beautiful. She's a woman after God's own heart.

Welcome to the blog tour and meme for A Whisper of Freedom!

Tricia Goyer is the author of twelve books and the recipient of the Historical Novel of the Year in 2005 and 2006 from ACFW, and was honored with the Writer of the Year award from Mt. Hermon Writer’s Conference in 2003. She also writes nonfiction articles for magazines and is a regular speaker at conferences. Read more about her at her website.


During the tour, you can enter to win one of FIVE signed copies of A Whisper of Freedom by signing up for Tricia's newsletter here!


Three players will be selected at random to win their own lost gold (gourmet chocolate coins and all three books in the Chronicles of the Spanish Civil War series). To enter, all you have to do is answer the meme on your blog and then leave a comment on Tricia’s blog tour post.

I tag each and every one that stops by! Please leave me a comment telling me that you played, answer the questions on your blog, and leave a comment at Tricia's post about your meme post.

Easy enough! On with the questions.....

1. List three things you would do with a chest full of gold (assuming you got to keep it!)

I don’t want to count my tithe in my three things because we all know the Lord gets the first of our fruits.

So the first thing I would be able to do is afford surgery for my bulldog, Wensleydale. She tore the ligament in her knee on Mother’s Day. The surgery will be at least $1800. Yowzers!

Secondly, I’ve had several surgeries this past year so I’ve acquired some large bills. I would pay off my hip replacements, my hospital bill for the E-coli and kidney stone removal and my latest adventure with some ovarian cysts.

Whew! Now that those are out of the way I want to take the rest of the treasure and give it to my family because they are the ones that deserve it! My husband, three kids and mom spent over a year bathing me, dressing me, feeding me, rubbing my back, lifting me and helping me go to the bathroom, whatever I needed or wanted. The list goes on and on. Never once was there a complaint from any of them.

I know each of them has material things they desire, but they also have a heart and a burden for missions and for people in general. I know that they would donate to their causes and if there was any money leftover they might be able to pick out a couple things they want. :o)


2. List three charities/missions/organizations you support (and why).

Even though Jerry Lewis makes me do one of my favorite things (LAUGH) I don’t support the Muscular Dystrophy Association because of him. My grandfather had MD and I have three cousins (from the same family) that have also been stricken with MD. My cousins, Glenn, Gary & Karen have also been an encouragement to me to keep pressing on no matter how tough it gets!

Something else near and dear to my heart are my friends Robert and Jody Frye. Not only did I grow up with Jody, but I have been witness to seeing God do mighty things through everyday, normal people like you and I! Robert was sitting in his comfy chair watching the telly when a commercial came on for feeding the poor children. I don't know exactly which commercial though. Anyway, the Lord laid this burden on his heart for the youth in Romania and he told his wife about it. At first she was hesitant and just said slowly, "OoKkaayy." But within a week her heart was burdened as well and so began their journey! It didn't take long for them to raise support and off they went to Romania to spread the Gospel of Christ and teach the young people carpentry and homemaking skills so that they might have a decent future. Talk about trusting in the Lord!

One more organization I support is our local animal shelter. As a child I was always bringing home stray cats or injured birds and maybe even a raccoon. Mom wasn't thrilled with the last one though! It breaks my heart to see animals roaming the roads with no place to call home. I know what a comfort my bulldog is to me and how much she loves being loved! I've adopted two older cats from the shelter and have convinced several of my friends that they needed some more pets too! I also send away for as many free samples and free coupons for any kind of animal food, treats, litter and toys that I can find. It doesn't take long to gather a large box of goodies either! This was something I was able to do easily while I was bedridden. I also support them with monetary donations and other things such as cleaning supplies and blankets, etc. But in all honesty I love getting the free coupons and going to the store and seeing what all I can get for free!

3. List three ways you have volunteered your time/services.

I’ve recently been on the receiving end of people’s time and services with meals being brought in and numerous cards sent to me to keep my chin up.

During this time I learned how important even the little things are. I was never a card sender until I received so many and realized what an encouragement they were to me. And I just don’t sign my name to them. No! I like to take the time to write the person. If they are home bound I let them know what’s going on with my family and any news from church. As long as it isn’t gossip! When you are home bound you long for any news from the outside world. I understand that part.

If they are recuperating from an illness or surgery I can write something funny and uplifting because they will get better. It’s not the same as being home bound.

Another way I volunteer is offering these same people my time by making trips to the grocery store or Wal-mart. Again, I understand what a chore this can be and it can save the person a lot of energy and potential pain if I do this for them now that I can with my new bionic hips!

And the third way I volunteer is at my church in the Awana program. I am the director of Chums, which is 3rd and 4th grade girls. Awana is sort of like a Christian Boys & Girl’s Scouts. I have four other leaders and together we make a great team! We have the privilege of teaching 15-20 girls each Wednesday night about God’s truths and salvation. Most of our girls come from unchurched families and they want and need someone to listen to them and more importantly to show them God’s love.

I know I go each week in hopes of being a blessing or an encouragement to the girls, but I'm the one that leaves with the blessing from watching these girls grow in Christ!

4. List three things you keep "hidden" when company comes over.

I have to be completely honest and tell you that what you see is what you get! When I was younger I would panic if someone was stopping by and I had laundry out on the couch or dirty dishes in the sink.

The older I get the more I have learned that when someone comes for a surprise visit it isn't the house they are interested in. It's me and my family! In fact one of my friends came when I was folding about three loads of laundry. Underwear included! She sat down next to me and started helping me fold it and we laughed and talked the entire time. :o) Nope, no need to hide things when true friends are around.


5. List the last three things you've lost.


Patience. Not with family or friends. But with the Lord. I had one of my worst weeks ever last week with one catastrophe after another. Well, they seemed like catastrophes to me. But God is bigger than all my problems! I was asking why me when I should have been rejoicing in all the many blessings He provides on a daily basis. After watching the news and seeing the devastation in China I quickly got my act together and asked forgiveness for being so selfish.

My eyesight. Well, not completely PTL, but I cannot see anything close up anymore. I have to stretch my arm out as far as it will go and then tilt my head and scrunch up my nose before I can read the label on my candy bar to see how many calories I will soon be enjoying! Last night at Target I bought a pair of those cheap (only $1) glasses that sit on the end of your nose and make you look really silly. And they are bright blue! If you don't know me you must know that anything blue makes me smile. So here I sit with my arm stretched out, head tilted, nose scrunched up, looking silly with an even goofier smile on my face because I see BLUE! TeeHee!

Money. I made a big mistake in the checkbook. I should have used a calculator instead of relying on my 1st grade math skills. Therefore, I bounced a check and lost another $35 because of my ways. I think I will bring out my trusty abacus next time!


6. List the last three things you've found.

Peace. I know my trials come for a greater purpose that I may not fully understand. Who am I to question the Lord? He died for me! For that sacrifice I should be able to handle some frustrations. Plus, He gives me the resources I need to tackle these challenges! Some days are easier than others I must admit, but even through my tears I can still rejoice and be thankful for my circumstances. I know through these times He is holding me in the palm of His hand! I can rest assured and do my very best and He will lead me if I just let Him.

Coolness factor. After 43 long years of no comprehension of fashion I guess I have stumbled upon hipness. And I'm not talking replacements either! My girls and I went shopping and I found not one, but two pair of jeans. And they fit perfect! Plus they were on clearance for $13. Sa-weet! My daughters say they are in style and I look really cool in them too. Bonus!

And lastly, I just found at Bed, Bath & Beyond a table that will hold my laptop if I am not feeling well and have to stay in bed. It's the right height and even tilts! There's a place for my mouse and even a little storage compartment. Probably for pens and paper, but more than likely I will hide a treat in there. LOL! Having this will be nice for me because I can still work from home with a little more ease and even work in a little blogging! Oh yeah, plus I got it on sale and also had a $5 off coupon. Score, baby, score!


I guess that's it for me! Please play along too and let me know!