Archive | October 2012

Opportunity to share the Gospel tonight!

Oct31

 

For many years, I shunned the participation in the age old tradition of “trick-or-treating”.

The fact that it emerged from heathenism, I didn’t feel it was right to encourage the practice. However, about thirty years ago, the Lord prompted me to turn the darkness into “Light” by using the opportunity to share the Gospel (Good News) of the Lord Jesus Christ.

At first, I made Bible Verse cards on business card stock. I made goodie bags and included a card in each bag. Later, I learned that I could order Halloween, Harvest and “Kid” tracts from the American Tract Society and thus began a wonderful tradition.

One year, when I was providing child care in my home, teaching Sunday School and speaking in Awana, we had 92 children receive a Gospel goodie bag! That was an expensive year as I place at least three good candies in the bag with the tract.

We have had parents and children come to our door after Halloween, thanking us for the tract and expressing their delight.  As time went by, children who knew us and traditionally visited our home on Farm Road each year began to grow up. Teenagers stopped by knowing that they would receive a bag too.  Over the past ten years, we have given out less than fifty. This year, we had  only thirty-four tracts for children. We have had about a dozen adorable visitors so far. Not bad since this is only our second year in this neighborhood.

Praying for each child and their parents to read the Gospel tract and that some will receive Christ as their Savior.  We can shun events we do not approve of or we can turn it into blessing. John and I choose to share Christ tonight. How about you?

Oh, we couldn’t resist giving out my bookmarks and business cards to older girls and to Moms who love to read. Shameless advertising. The children are the most important tonight. May God bless each one tonight.

For more information or questions, please feel free to contact me at khpurdywrites4Him@hotmail.com

Till The Storm Passes By

Oct29

We do not need to fear the storm; He holds us in the hollow of His hand.

We had some bad storms tonight. A tornado hit near us and very close to our Church. I am sure there will be many stories tomorrow as people share their experience on Facebook.

I wasn’t afraid. There’s no need when we know the Lord is protecting us.

I was actually thinking about a little boy I used to keep while his Mom worked.  I kept several children in our home and implemented a preschool program for them as they got older.

From the time they were infants, I sang to them. One song that was often requested by a precious little boy every time it stormed was Till The Storm Passes By.  I thought of him tonight. Praying as he flies through the storms.

Click below to hear Vestal Goodman singing Till the Storm Passes By.

Till The Storm Passes By

Early Telephones

Oct26

Isn’t this a lovely print from Art.com? I love looking at pictures of life in the early twentieth century.

What kind of telephone was available when Isabel’s brother needed to call the hospital to check on their “Mama”? One like this one! He had to ride his horse to the nearest house with a telephone.

Difficult to imagine today, isn’t it? We are so used to using our cell phones for everything from talking, texting, checking email, connecting with friends on facebook, playing games, checking the weather and even watching movies.

Isabel’s family didn’t have electricity, a telephone and had a privy outside. Hard to imagine, isn’t it? If you know someone who lived in the early days of industry and technology, give them a call! They may have a great story to share with you. =-)

A Birthday Surprise Conclusion

Oct25

 

A Birthday Surprise Conclusion

Isabel joined her family in Papa’s car just as the sun was
beginning to set upon the day. “Thank you, Papa, for such a
beautiful day. I’ll never forget it.”
Isabel cuddled Raymond in her arms and sat back in her seat to remember her first birthday
without Mama, and yet, Mama’s presence seemed to permeate
the day. She breathed a prayer of thanksgiving for Mama, for
Papa, and for a loving family and friends, asking a special blessing
upon each person.

Isabel’s Birthday Surprise Part 3

Oct25
Isabel’s Birthday Surprise
Part III

“This is the best day we have had in a long time. Thank
you so much for making my birthday special,” Isabel said as
her birthday cake was presented after supper. Not only were
there gifts for Isabel, but also there were trinkets for each of the
children, including the babies, who were happy just playing
with the paper and boxes.

“This is just like Christmas,” Jimmy said. He jumped up
and down with excitement. “Except without the Christmas tree
and the snow.” Everyone joined him in laughter.
Before she had time to blow out the candles, a car horn
sounded outside. “Who could that be,” Jim said as he answered
the front door.

“Only your best friend in the world,” said a cheerful voice
from the foyer.
“Sally Anne!” Isabel ran to greet her friend and found that
she was not alone. She had brought her parents, a new baby
brother, Cookie, and Arlene Mason.
“Arlene, this is a surprise,” Isabel said as she tried to hide
her shock. “Thank you for coming.”
“You are welcome, Isabel,” Arlene said. “I came to apologize
for being so mean to you before. I hope you will forgive me.”
Isabel sensed that she really meant it. “Of course, Arlene,”
she said. She hugged her new friend. “This is the best birthday
ever. Come inside everyone, and have some cake and ice cream
before the boys eat it all.”

“Isabel,” Mrs. Albright said, “we have something for you
from your mother. She wanted you to have this. She made the
arrangements months ago, before the twins were born. I hope
you like it.” Mrs. Albright handed Isabel a large, handsomely
wrapped gift box that was tied with a large, satin bow.

Isabel’s hands trembled as she pulled the ribbon and opened
the box. Inside the tissue paper lay a beautiful drop-waist dress,
just as Isabel had seen in the windows at the stores in Roanoke.

“How did you know?” Isabel said. She choked back her tears.
“Your mama asked me to buy the fabric and pattern for her
several months ago. She did some sewing for me to pay for it,
even though I offered to pay the cost myself. She wanted to make
it for you, but she fell ill. So I had my dressmaker make it for
you. I knew Lizzie would want you to have it for your birthday.
No one in the school will have this fabric…it came all the way
from New York.”

“Oh, thank you, Mrs. Albright!” She ran to her benefactress
with a tearful hug. “This is the most beautiful dress I have ever
owned. Mama would be so happy if she could see it.”
“Well, keep looking, and you will discover a few more
surprises from Sally Anne, Mr. Albright, and me.”

Isabel lifted the dress and underneath found beautiful
gifts to match the dress. “Oh, look at this beautiful shawl. It
goes perfectly.” Isabel examined the lace wrap. “There is also a
handbag and a headband. Thank you so much. You were too
generous.”

“There are also some under things,” Sally Anne said, “but
you don’t want to show those.” Her announcement brought
laughter and good-natured teasing from the Greene boys.

“This isn’t much, Isabel,” Arlene said. She held out a small,
white box. “I saw it in the store, and it reminded me of you. I
hope you like it.”
Isabel opened the box and found a small pin with daffodils
hand painted on it.
“Oh, Arlene,” Isabel said. “It is lovely. How did you know
I like daffodils?”

“Well,” Arlene said, “I saw you pick one at your mama’s
funeral and put it into your Bible. I thought the flower must
remind you of her.”
“It does,” Isabel said with tears in her eyes, “and now they
will remind me of you too. Thank you for remembering.”

“We miss you, Isabel,” Arlene said.
“I miss you too,” Isabel said. She realized she had even missed
Arlene Mason.

“OK,” Aunt Jenny said with a box camera in hand.
“Isabel, I want to get a photograph of you with your little friends
so you can remember this day. Then we will take photographs
of everyone before it gets too dark.”

So Isabel stood with her friends for the moment to be
captured on film and cherished forever.

Isabel’s Birthday Surprise Sample 2 from The Vision of a Mother’s Heart

Oct24
Happy Birthday Surprise Part II

“Happy birthday, Isabel,” rang out as Papa’s Model T pulled
into Jim’s yard. Isabel swallowed a lump in her throat as she
looked around at her older, married siblings, nieces, nephews,
aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents waiting at such an early
hour to greet her on her eleventh birthday.

“What’s everybody doing here?” Isabel asked.
“We are here to celebrate your birthday with you,” Grandma
Betty said. “You didn’t think we would forget your day just
because your mother is not here, did you?”
“No, but the other children have had birthdays, and we
celebrated quietly at home, with just us.”

“That was because they had you to make their day special.
We knew you would bake a cake and make a big ‘to do’ for them
at home. Also, it was too soon, you know.” Grandma Betty held
her arms out to baby Raymond and was rewarded with a loud
squeal. She lifted him from Isabel’s arms.

“It sure is nice to eat a big ol’ delicious breakfast and not
have to cook it,” Isabel said. She fed Ralph his soupy oatmeal,
because he had not yet mastered holding a spoon.
“Well, you need not worry about cleaning up either,” Lena
said. “We have that covered, don’t we, Gracie?” Nine-year-old
Gracie smiled as she cleared the table, and Maggie jumped up
to offer her assistance. Isabel just enjoyed the moment.

“Why don’t all of you girls go outside and enjoy yourselves
while Grandma Betty and I love on these babies for a while,” Lena
said. She reached for Raymond as he jumped towards her.
“Play?” Isabel said.
“Yes, play,” Lena said. “You know, where you run and act
silly and just be a child again.”
“I think I have forgotten how.”
“Well then,” Grandma Betty said, “it is best that you
remember while you can. Go outside and enjoy yourself.”

Isabel left instructions for the twins and followed her sisters
and nieces and young aunts outside to play, feeling somewhat
exhilarated and yet strange to be treated as one of the children
again.

“Oh, what a shame,” Grandma Betty said as Isabel stepped
outside the door. “The poor thing has already lost most of her
childhood. If only Avil would let go of his pride and allow the
children to stay with some of us until he gets back on his feet,
I think everything would be okay.”
“I know,” Lena said, “but he’s “Papa”. What can we do?”

Isabel did not wait to hear the answer; she already knew.
There was nothing to do but to obey Papa. She shook dreary
thoughts from her head and looked at the smiling faces
surrounding her.

“What shall we play?” Isabel looked to Maggie, who looked
to Gracie.
“Why don’t we play Mother, May I?” Gracie said. She lined
everyone up for the game. “Isabel, you can be mother, since it
is your birthday.”
Isabel stood in front of the group and took a deep breath.
“OK,” she said, “take one giant step forward.”
“Mother, may I?”
“Yes, you may,” Isabel said with a giggle. “This is fun, isn’t
it? I had forgotten.”
It didn’t take long to finish the game, and Isabel became
bored with playing and was ready to go back inside to the babies.

“Oh, Isabel,” Gracie said with mock dismay,
“you aren’t fun anymore.”
“I know,” Isabel said. “But I promise to work on it. Maybe
we can play something else later.”

When Isabel entered the house, she heard Ralph crying and
knew that she had been missed. Her heart swelled with love for
her little brothers, who needed her.

 

Isabel’s Birthday Sample I from The Vision of a Mother’s Heart

Oct23
Last August, I published a sample chapter of The Vision of a Mother’s Heart in my Winepress blog. I thought I would share this with you in three installments. Happy reading!
The Vision of a Mother’s Heart
By Katherine Hinchee Purdy

A Birthday Surprise

ISABEL LOOKED AT the date on the newspaper, and her
eyes filled with tears: August 24, 1925. “It’s my birthday,” she
whispered to little Ralph, who lay quietly in her arms as he
teetered between sleep and wakefulness. He jumped slightly as
he edged closer to slumber, fighting to stay awake. Isabel smiled
as she looked down at her eight-month-old brother and thought
back in time to last year, when she had been so excited to enter
the grownup world of “double digits.”
“I wish Mama were here,” she whispered. A tear slid down
her cheek.

“I wish she were here too, Pumpkin,” said a deep voice from
the shadows, startling Isabel and the baby.
“Papa, I didn’t know you were awake. The rooster hasn’t
even crowed yet,” Isabel said with a hint of teasing in her voice.
She rose gently from the rocker.

“No, don’t worry about getting breakfast yet; it’s too early,”
Papa said. He took the slumbering baby and laid him in his crib.
“Besides, Lena is fixing a breakfast fit for a queen this morning,
and she said to be sure to have you and the children at her house
there in time to enjoy it while it’s hot. Did you get any sleep
last night? I think I heard the little ones exercising their lungs
a couple of times, but they had stopped before I could get up
to see to them.”

“They just needed a diaper change and their regular
4:00 A.M. feeding,” Isabel said. She stretched and yawned and
then walked to the sink to start a pot of coffee.”

“Now what did I just tell you?” Papa said with mock consternation
in his voice as he watched his eleven-year-old daughter
make a strong pot of coffee just the way he liked it—with nutmeg
and egg shells to make even the cheapest coffee taste full and
rich, just as her Mama had taught her. Isabel looked up just as
he was wiping away a tear with his handkerchief.

“Something wrong, Papa?”
“Not today, child. Just had something in my eye, that’s all.”
He wiped at his eye again and then blew his nose before folding
his white cotton fabric and putting it back into his pocket.

“Well,” Isabel said, “since Lena is fixing our breakfast, I’ll
just make some muffins to tide us over and may be the boys
will want to eat an apple with their glass of milk since they have
to milk the cow and take care of the outside chores before we
go. They will really be hungry, and it will take almost an hour
to get to Jim and Lena’s house.”

“That sounds reasonable to me. Just don’t tell Lena,” Papa
said. “She’ll skin me alive if she knows I let ya’ll eat before we
got to her house.”

Isabel rushed to get everyone dressed and ready for the trip.

No sooner was she ready to step out the door than one twin
needed changing and then the next. When everyone was finally
squeezed into the seats of the Tin Lizzie and on the road to
Roanoke, Isabel breathed a sigh of relief and enjoyed the view.
She hoped it would push back the beautiful memories of her
last birthday with Mama.