Wearing Your Faith on the Outside of Your Shirt

Some time ago I was having lunch with a colleague who I knew to be devout in her faith. I noticed the little gold cross around her neck was tangled in her collar. I reached out to help her straighten it until it hung on the outside of her sweater.

“Thanks,” she said and grabbed the delicate chain, “but I have to keep this on the inside of my clothes at work.”

Obviously she’d been told somewhere in her career that symbols of faith should not be worn in the workplace. Perhaps those who believed differently would find it distracting or inappropriate. Maybe she’d been flat-out instructed not to bring her faith to work. Whatever the case, I understood – but I didn’t have to like it.

The question is: Are you wearing your faith on the outside of your shirt whenever possible? Or are you keeping it hidden because it’s the easy thing to do?

It’s not hard to share your testimony or invite someone to hear a special speaker at your church when you’re safely within your own group of fellow believers. It becomes a lot harder to step out when you don’t know what or who you’re dealing with. But isn’t that exactly when God expects us to? Just remember that more than half the people you’ll cross paths with today are having a worse day than you are – and a lot of them have not experienced Christ-like love or encouragement.

The challenge: Wear your faith on the outside of your shirt in 2009. Invite someone to church, tell that struggling mother of teenagers about your awesome youth group, keep church brochures in your car for that new person in your neighborhood…you get the idea. What’s the worst that can happen? A blank stare? A polite or not-so-polite “no, thank you”?

Not all encounters will be met with a positive response, but the one that does is the one that makes a difference. And the difference depends on how you wear your faith.

Carla Rossi is the author of Limited Light and Almost Home.
Visit Carla at http://www.carlarossi.com/ or by e-mail at carla@carlarossi.com.

Holiday Baking

Good Morning,

Baking for the holidays is a tradition in most homes, so that's why I incorporated it into the story in Through The Eyes of Love. Today I'd like to share a recipe passed down from my Grandma Ross. This is an easy and quick recipe that requires no cooking or baking so it's great for little hands to help with!

Creamy Chocolate Pie

1 small box of instant chocolate pudding
1 cup of milk

Mix together with whisk until thick. Add 1 1/2 cups whipped topping(lite doesn't work well). Pour into premade graham cracker crust. Top with the remaining whipping topping and sprinkle with chopped nuts.

I hope you enjoy this pie as much as my family has over the years.

Rose

Dog Days Of Summer

The phrase "the dog days of summer" refers to the hottest, most sultry days of summer. They usually fall between July and early September but the actual dates may vary. The Old Farmer's Almanac lists the traditional timing of the Dog Days as the 40 days beginning July 3 and ending August 11, which coincides with the ancient heliacal rising of the Dog Star, Sirius. So know you know.....

Well the Dog Days of summer are here in Phoenix and it’s time to break out those eggs. Fried or scrambled? Poached? Now you’re pushing it. The kids are home and going stir crazy. Is it possible to watch too much SpongeBob? (Not in my book.) Still, I can’t wait until August when school’s back in session. I’ll be the one dancing in the hallways while the teachers all have that deer-in-the-headlights look.

The Wild Rose Press is offering free reads at www.thewildrosepress.com. These short stories are between 750 - 2500 words and are listed on the main book store page under FREE READS. Our very own Kara Lynn Russell, Kimberlee Mendoza and Victoria Pitts Caine have some wonderful stories uploaded, so enjoy your dog days of summer even more by grabbing some stories and discover some new authors.

Blessings,
Kim Watters

Release Day for "A Girl Named Christmas!"

Today is release day for Kimberlee R. Mendoza's "A Girl Named Christmas," available at the Wild Rose Press - www.thewildrosepress.com. Here's the blurb:

Christmas is dragging her feet to her fortieth birthday, dreading the realization that she will never marry. In a vain effort to feel better, she begins to reminisce about her youth.

The year is 1955 in Ashabula, Ohio. Chris and her siblings are attractive young women forbidden to date until they are adults. When the gardener’s son Elijah begins to pursue Chris, despite her stubborn heart, she falls hard. When her mother finds out, a tragedy occurs and Chris turns her back on the only man she would ever love.

Is it too late for her? Or is it possible that her romantic journey is just beginning?

On Friday - ALVARADO GOLD by Victoria Pitts-Caine and NICK AND NOELLE by Kara Lynn Russell will be released by the Wild Rose Press. Both books will be available as downloads. NICK AND NOELLE will also be available in print. ALVARADO GOLD will be released in print soon. Friday is the day that Kimberlee R. Mendoza's YA novel LOVE THY SISTER, GUARD THY MAN will be available in print.

We will be drawing the first names for our book giveaway, so make sure you check back here to see if you've won. If you haven't entered the contest yet, there's still time. Just leave us a comment listing three of your favorite blessings.