by Roseanna White | Apr 7, 2016 | Thoughtful Thursdays, Uncategorized
Yesterday, I was talking to my husband about loss. His grandfather recently passed away; and this was a man we saw nearly every day. We’re currently living in the house he’d had built on the family property, just a short walk from the apartment we’d helped build for him at my mother-in-law’s house. Her last couple years have been dedicated almost exclusively to caring for him. To say he’s missed is an understatement.
My husband said something that really resonated with me. He said, “I’ve heard this analogy for sin–that every sin is a nail through us. And that when we’re forgiven, the nail is removed–but the hole is still there. I keep thinking that’s how grief is. When we lose someone, we’re left with a hole. That doesn’t just . . . go away in a few days or weeks or months.”
Brains being quick as they are, my first thought was the one you’d expect a girl raised in the church to come up with–that God fills those holes. That’s His job.
Then another thought quickly followed. Do we ever stop missing those we love? The pain fades, yes. God gives us new purpose, yes. God fills us, yes. But no. We never stop missing those we love. And we’re not supposed to. So in that respect, we always carry those holes with us. Like Swiss cheese, maybe?
Then an image filled my mind. You see, I’ve been knitting for about 7 months now, and some of my favorite pieces are lacework. Lace . . . such beautiful stuff, right? But when you’re making lace, it isn’t just about the yarn. It isn’t about the knits and the purls.
It’s about the holes.
One of the things I love about knitting is realizing how long people have been doing it. How this is something that has been passed down for literally thousands of years. Some things I wonder how anyone ever figured them out. But lace . . . I get lace. Lace is made by purposefully adding in holes that are pretty easily added by accident. Lace is taking a process that could have been a mistake and turning it into a work of art.
Maybe that’s what our lives are meant to be. We’re not supposed to just fill in those holes. We’re supposed to turn them into something beautiful.
Because there will always, always be loss. People die–it’s inevitable. And we’re supposed to feel it. We’re supposed to miss them. We can’t just push past it. We can’t just rush to fill in the hole their passing leaves with stuff, with activity, with new things. But each event like this in our lives is supposed to change us. Maybe . . . just maybe it’s up to us whether we’re left with a hole-ridden garment of our lives…
Or lace.
by Roseanna White | Apr 5, 2016 | Giveaways and Contests
To celebrate the release of The Reluctant Duchess, I’m giving away some things that would make Rowena smile.
~ Brookside chocolates.
Because . . . chocolate. Need I say more?
~ Pepperidge Farm cookies
A nice biscuit to go with her tea on a blustery day always hits the spot
~ Rooibos Red Tea
A little tea to go with those biscuits . . . 😉
(Try adding a dash of cherry juice and almond extract to this. Seriously good stuff.)
~ Traditional Music of Scotland CD
Rowena’s father says he has “a man McCloud who can pipe the faeries from their hills.”
This best-selling CD might be able to do the same. (Well you never know!)
~ Signed copies of both Ladies of the Manor books
(If you already have them, think gifts! Or substitute any of my other books)
~ The story of George Muller
(whose faith inspired the characters . . . and me. Oh so much.)
~ Vintage style red necklace
Loosely inspired by the Nottingham rubies. (I don’t have Nottingham ruby money to spend on giveaways. My apologies, LOL)
and a special something hand-crafted by me
~ Rowena’s favorite scarf
This beauty, in a deep red reminiscent of the cover and rubies, would give Rowena comfort on those blustery days. It could drape her shoulders when she has just a bit of a chill
or wrap around her neck to add a bit of style to her warmth.
Made from a wool/acrylic blend that is super-soft. Machine washable and dryable.
Can’t wait for the chance to win and need to read the book NOW? (Of course you do. Ahem.) Get it from your favorite site!
Contest will run from April 5 – 26.
Void where prohibited. Chance of winning depends on number of entries.
Winner will have 1 week to claim prizes before another winner is drawn.
Due to shipping costs, only US addresses are eligible.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
by Roseanna White | Apr 4, 2016 | Word of the Week
This is a simple one, but likely to be apt today, after I stayed up way too late last night watching the season finale of The Walking Dead. 😉 But I took a nap first. And when my husband came in from working outside right after I got up, I said, “I’m still groggy.”
To which he replied, “You were drinking grog?”
I knew right then that this is where that word came from. And indeed, it does. Grog, in the 18th century, first meant “any alcoholic drink diluted with water.” British General Edward Vernon, you see, ordered his men’s rum to be diluted with water; he was also known for the grogram cloak he wore (grogram is a stiff, coarse cloth), so his men started calling this drink grog, after his trademark cloak. The term, coined in 1749, caught on so quickly that by 1790, taverns were often called grog shops, though the “diluted” part got lost, and grog meant any strong alcoholic drink.
Groggy, then, by 1770 meant “drunk with grog until one staggers or stumbles.” It took on the figurative sense of someone just who is staggering or stumbling without necessarily being drunk by 1838. I’m not quite sure when it shifted toward the modern meaning, but today’s dictionary entries say, “staggering from exhaustion or blows; dazed or weakened from lack of sleep.”
Now, announcement. The Reluctant Duchess releases tomorrow!!!!!!! My big giveaway will go live at some point during the day tomorrow. Not sure what time, because I still need to take a picture of the giveaway items, and one of said items needs just a bit more work. 😉 But it will definitely be up at some point, and then you’ll have two weeks to enter!
by Roseanna White | Mar 31, 2016 | Thoughtful Thursdays, Uncategorized
What makes a hero of the faith?
A Paul? A Nicholas? A George Muller? A John Lake? A Mother Theresa?
What makes someone the kind of Christian that earns him a place in church history? The kind whose stories we tell each other to buoy each other up, to teach each other truths?
During out Bible study talks during church in this last month, we were talking about this. About how John Lake had given up his family fortune and set off to be a missionary, not funding himself but relying on God. About how George Muller had given up his family wealth and a promising career to live on nothing but prayer and faith and ended up in charge of over a thousand orphans.
That’s when the question came to me–are these men capable of making these sacrifices, these decisions, because they’re great men of faith?
Or do we know them as great men of faith because they were willing to make these decisions?
Are more of us called to the same sort of sacrifice, the same sort of faith . . . but ignore it?
My grandmother was quick to say, “More are called than answer.”
I think this is true. I think this is undeniable. I think, without doubt, God calls more people to do His work than those few toiling in the fields. So what happens? Where is the breakdown? Not in Him doing the calling, that we know.
The problem is in us. The listener. We are so quick to say, “Oh, He doesn’t want us all to give everything. He doesn’t want us all to be missionaries. He doesn’t want us all to be preachers.”
No. He doesn’t. But He wants us all to do something. He doesn’t call us all to the same thing, but He calls us all. And the call of God always requires sacrifice. Reading through the Gospels back-to-back as I just did, that stood out loud and clear. When Jesus calls people to follow Him, He expects them to follow. Not look back.
The Church today looks back. And back again. And wanders toward home. And has perfected the line they tell themselves and each other: “God doesn’t expect that.”
Well, I’ll leave us with one last question to chew on this weekend:
What if He does?
by Roseanna White | Mar 30, 2016 | Uncategorized
Not that they’re all started right now, but since I’ve been away from normal blogging for Lent, I wanted to take the time today to let everyone know about a few of the giveaways that are going on now or will be soon!
Giveaways for The Reluctant Duchess
Goodreads
15 copies coming directly from the publisher! You have until April 7 to enter.
Going on now!
A Holland Reads
One of my influencers was accidentally sent an extra copy, so she’s hosting a giveaway!
One copy available, going on now.
Ladies in Defiance
This will post on April 1, with a guest post about my heroine and a giveaway
The Nottingham Prizes
This would be MY grand giveaway, which will feature a slew of awesome prizes, ranging from the book to jewelry to some other special treats. It will begin on LAUNCH DAY–April 5–and will be live for two weeks. You’ll find this one right here!
And…
Christian Fiction Spring Scavenger Hunt!
I’m thrilled to be part of the Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt again! And quite excited to be hosting Angela Hunt on my blog this year for it. =) You’ll find my post that weekend on Lyn Cote’s blog.
And what all will be in the offering? Oh–SO MUCH.
I know it’s nearly a month away, but mark your calendars for this one!
Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary. 
