Trust Chronicles – Georgie Taylor
The Trust Chronicles is a blog hop and collaborative project between five historical romance authors. Our desire is to bring you lasting hope through these letters, grounded in trust in our Lord that, and written from the fictional viewpoints of each book’s heroine. We’re so glad to have you join the event. Each day this week, a new Trust Chronicles post will go live, complete with a letter and a new giveaway for that blog post.
Today’s entry in the Trust Chronicles comes from Lt. Georgie Taylor, US Army Nurse Corps, written on August 19, 1943 from Termini Airfield, Termini Imerese, Sicily, where she serves as a flight nurse for wounded Allied soldiers. Georgie is the heroine of my novel, On Distant Shores, coming from Revell, August 1, 2013, book two in the Wings of the Nightingale series. The first book, With Every Letter, came out in September 2012.
Dear Daddy and Mama, August 19, 1943
By now you know the Allies have conquered Sicily. The 802nd Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron has been busy evacuating the sick and wounded to Army hospitals in North Africa.
Although my work as a flight nurse is important and fulfilling, I long for home. I sent a package with gifts for you. Please add the tea towel to my hope chest. For the appliqués, I used fabrics from Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Sicily. The little bird will always remind me of my dear friends Rose and Mellie, my fellow “nightingales,” bringing mercy on wing.
You know me well enough to know the real reason I’m sewing—to settle my nerves. This job requires me to make fast decisions, and I’m not good at that.
A pharmacist I know here owns a telescope and enjoys stargazing. I asked him why people trust in the stars instead of the God who made them. Hutch says people want quick answers, and God doesn’t give them to us—on purpose. He wants us to lean on Him and trust Him.
He raised a question I’m still chewing on: “Who are my stars?”
As the baby of the family, I’ve always turned to my loving parents and sisters for advice. But have I made you my stars? Do I turn to you when I should turn to the Lord?
The Book of Proverbs says, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” Well, I’ve never had a problem leaning on my own understanding because I don’t trust it. But what I do isn’t any better. I lean wholly on others.
Lt. Katye Swope of the 802nd Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron checks patients being evacuated from Agrigento, Sicily to Africa for further medical treatment in July 25 1943. (National Museum of the U.S. Air Force)
Hutch shared a verse I’ve always known but never really applied to my life, James 1:5-6. “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.”
That’s what I want! I want to be unwavering. I want the wisdom to make decisions. And God has promised—promised!—to give it. I’ve always longed for safety, but what I truly need is strength to stand in an unsafe world.
Nevertheless, my heart yearns for our lovely Virginia farm. Please give my Hammie and all the other horses a kiss and an apple from me. Hugs and kisses to you and all my family and friends. Apples are optional.
All my love,
Georgie
Wow, this letter truly hit home for me. Growing up my mom was my ‘star’. I guess you can say that I worshiped her. When the Lord decided to take her home at the early age of 58, I had to take a good hard look at my life and where it was going. I realized that I put too much energy into pleasing my mom and not enough into pleasing God. I hate that it took for my mom to pass for me to realize it, but sometimes that IS what it takes.
Home for me means anything that puts me at ease.
God bless.
debsbunch5[at]jesusanswers[dot]com
Thank you for sharing, Debbie! My mom was (and still is, thank goodness!) such an important part of my life. It’s so easy to put truly wonderful loving people in a place only the Lord deserves. I’m so glad you trust in Him!
I’m looking forward to this book coming out! Loved the first one in the series!
Home to me is peace. I love sitting in my “quiet spot” and hearing the birds singing outside my window! 🙂
charitree[at]gmail[dot]com
Thank you, Charity! I adore peace and quiet too! The window by my desk overlooks the rose bushes – and the birds that like to sit in them. My cat, of course, favors the spot too. She and I and the birds exchange some interesting conversation 🙂
That was a great letter from Georgie. It got me thinking too. My star has always been my Dad and home was always his house, my safety net. Now that my Dad has no home anymore and is living 3 hours away at my sister’s house, my safety net is gone. I do need to lean on God way more than I do. I do long for my Heavenly Home!
Thank you for the chance to win Georgie’s Prize Bundle.
Blessings!
Judy
sweetpea.judy(at)yahoo(dot)com
How blessed you are to have had a loving dad and a happy home! May you truly learn to lean on your Heavenly Father 🙂 Aren’t you thankful He never moves away? I certainly am!
Home to me is family. I’m at home wherever I travel if my family is with me or I’m visiting family.
I loved Georgie’s letter and am looking forward to reading her story. Although I’m not entering the drawing, I’d love to see the tea towel she made. 😉 What a cute idea.
Great entry!
Thanks for joining me on this journey! I feel the same way about family. We spent a whole summer in Germany in 2007 (long, wonderful story). Being disconnected from the culture, isolated from friends and extended family, and restricted by language barriers made me appreciate my little nucleus all the more!
Home to me is family. I’m at home wherever I travel if my family is with me or I’m visiting family.
I loved Georgie’s letter and am looking forward to reading her story. Although I’m not entering the drawing, I’d love to see the tea towel she made. 😉 What a cute idea.
Great entry!
Home is family (and my close friends!) as well. Wherever they are makes me feel comfortable. =)
Thanks for the great giveaway, Sarah! Loved Georgie’s letter, and am looking forward to reading her story!
lubell1106(at)gmail(dot)com
Thanks, Elyssa! It’s wonderful to have close family and friends – and I’m so glad you’ve been blessed with both!
Home to me is everyone in the same house, enjoying a quiet night at home with the candles lit and my family and I watching a movie together.
Great giveaway!
jennycohen104(at)gmail(dot)com
That sounds wonderful, Jenny! As my nest is slowly emptying, I appreciate moments like that more and more!
What is home? Probably somewhere that I feel safe and loved. Just being close to people and things that make me feel good about who I am.
Emreilly303(at)gmail(dot)com
Hi Emily! That is such an important role of the family – making you feel comfortable in who you are. The world will tell you to do this, and be this, and look like this. Isn’t it great to have a group of people who love you as you are? I’m so thankful you have a family like that!
Home is my husband and my cats! That might make me sound a bit like an crazy cat lady, but there you have it. 🙂
I loved the first book – looking forward to the second one!
michelleheumann(at)gmail(dot)com
Here’s to crazy cat ladies!!! If my husband weren’t a dog-man, I know I’d be one. Sadly, I only have one kitty. My teen daughter says her goal in life is to be a crazy cat lady. Or dictator of the world. Or both. (Be afraid)
I’m soo interested in WW2 history…it’s a very interesting period…What I like about being home…..It’s where my family is…but where my family is is where my heart is 🙂
writersjourney09[at]yahoo[dot]com
Jenna, that is so sweet!! I don’t think Georgie could have phrased it better. And she’s a family girl through and through!
What says “home” to me? Home is lying in bed and waking up to the gentle clip-clop of a horse and buggy slowly making its way by. Home is listening to the wind gently blow the leaves on the oak and maple trees and feeling the warm breezes blow through my bedroom window. Home is peaceful, quiet, and full of my parents early morning banter.
Like Georgie, I miss home, too. However, my situation is far less precarious than hers. I just grew up, got married, and moved away! lol
I can’t wait to read this book- this is my first introduction to your work and I have to say, it’s right up my alley! The 40’s and 50’s are my favorite decades.
mandycreasy[at]yahoo[dot]com
Mandy – I want the view from your childhood window!! That sounds perfectly delightful! But growing up and moving away is the way of life, isn’t it? I’m sure you’re creating new home memories that are delightful in their own ways.
And I love meeting people who are drawn to the 40s and 50s! Fascinating time period!
This is going to take some thinking. Home is where my husband and kids are and having my books and crochet material around me: whether we are on vacation or in our actual house.
Loved the book about Mellie and can’t wait to read the others.
jinnettm[at]bellsouth[dot]net
Chelle, I’m sorry to make you think so early in the morning. You must have had your coffee, because I love your answer 🙂 Books do help make a home, don’t they? I don’t crochet, but it’s such a lovely, homey activity!! My kids cherish the crocheted blankets their grandma made them.
Sarah, this looks like another great book! Love your heart for the timeperiod.
Hi Cara! Thanks for dropping by! I love your heart for the WWII era too 🙂
melanieinoh2003 [at] yahoo [dot] com
I think of the country as home. We recently moved from OH to KY, to a small farm and I still miss ‘home’ in OH. I think where your family is, you can make it feel like home.
Melanie
I know how you feel, Melanie! I relocated in my twenties, but part of me will always be where I grew up. But yes, you make home where you are. Enjoy the small farm – it sounds heavenly to this suburban girl!
Home to me is my family and my pets.If we are all together then it feels like home.Thank you for this great giveaway:)
kats7960(at)gmail(dot)com
Oh, the pets! They do add joy to life, don’t they? And entertainment. And…messes. Sigh.
Oh wow, I guess a place where you can put your feet up and read while watching tv, go to bed when you want, and just relax.
wfnren(at)aol(dot)com
I’m with you, Wendy! I have to put my feet up! Yes, my coffee table is dinged up, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I would love to win the book. Sarah’s books are well-written, historically correct, and inspirational.Connie Leonard [email protected]
Thank you, Connie! How sweet of you! I’m so glad you stopped by!
Would so love to win. Bonnie Traher [email protected]
Thank you, Bonnie! Have a lovely day!
What a beautiful letter – my father was in WW2 in Africa, so this really hits home. What strength it took for these “soldiers” to do their daily tasks. “Home” for me is whenever family is together
thanks for sharing
babykf629(at)gmail(dot)com
Thank you, Kim! The first novel in the Wings of the Nighingale series, With Every Letter, covers the war in North Africa, a campaign almost forgotten in America. I’m so impressed with what your father and all the others like him did over there. Without the lessons they learned in Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, the Normandy D-Day successes wouldn’t have happened. His service is appreciated.
Nothing says home to be then my family and a feeling a safety and security, a bit odd I know, but sometimes through lifes path the best feeling is one of security when it has been something that was missing for many yeas. I am so happy to come home to a house I feel safe in and the love of my family :)Michelle Corning
corningfamily[at]eastlink[dot]ca
I also love that sense of safety and security, Michelle! Enjoy it 🙂
Home to me is the 100+ acre farm that I grew up on – my father built the house 66 years ago & my parents still live there. It wouldn’t be home without my mother’s flower gardens (her passion)- she still works in them at the age of 88 & walks 2 miles a day on the farm.
The book sounds wonderful – I love WW II stories, thanks for the giveaway opportunity!
[email protected]
Bonnie, how wonderful to grow up on a farm! I’m so glad your parents are still able to live there – much less garden and walk 2 miles a day. I have new heroes 🙂
I really liked the first book in this series and would love to read more. Thanks! vjameson1 [at] net zero [dot] net.
Thank you, Vickie! Have a fantastic day!
Awww, I hadn’t realized this was Georgie’s story! She was so much fun in the first book. 🙂
What says home to me? Meals with the whole family around the table eating something Mom made. 🙂 THAT is home.
charityu.austenite[at]gmail[dot]com
Thanks, Charity! I’m glad you like Georgie! She was so much fun to write in this book too! The banter with Hutch just flew onto the page 🙂
Ah, home-cooked meals around the table! One of my favorite things too. I love listening to my kids joking with each other. Musical 🙂
I’m looking forward to Georgie’s story. I enjoyed meeting her in Mellie’s and am eager to for her and Hutch to find happiness after their heartaches.
I moved often as a child, so home to me is the lovely town of Placerville, California at the base of the majestic Sierras where Gwynly and I raised our daughter. I love the rich history of the Gold Rush area.
Hi Keli! I’m glad you like Georgie too! She’s such a social butterfly 🙂
Placerville is such a wonderful town – I can see why you love it. Beauty and history – and home 🙂
Georgie’s letter really made me think. Who are my stars? I think like Georgie I need to chew a little more on that question…
hannahpeasha(at)gmail(dot)com
Happy chewing, Hannah 🙂
Love all your books! Home as been many places over the past 33 years of following my husbands ministry. We are now in our 5th state and I can’t say it feels like home yet. However, I have learned to follow God’s plan, instead of mine and He will be our home wherever we are. Can’t wait to read On Distant Shores!
[email protected] or [email protected]
“He will be our home wherever we are.” Sigh. Simply beautiful. Thank you for sharing, Betsy!
Home to me is family. It wouldn’t be the same otherwise!
sereinalovesvintage[at]gmail[dot]com
Hi Sereina (my favorite Pinner!)I’m so glad you’ve been blessed with family that makes home wonderful!
Home to me is my family and my sweet, fuzzy little dog =) When all of us are together we’re happy. I graduated school last August and got a job and moved out in January. That has certainly made me realize my stars were my mom and dad. I always ask their opinions and advice and use that to make my decisions when I should turn to God first. Great letter and I’m SO looking forward to the new book!
ecriggs1990(at)aol(dot)com
Ah, the growing-up process doesn’t stop when we get tall, does it? I had to learn the same lesson – and so does Georgie :)I’m glad you have a sweet fuzzy little dog to talk to, by the way. Fuzzy things make life better.
Home to me is where my books are! Would love to win this new book. Read the first one and enjoyed.
Karen G.
kmgervais(at)nycap(dot)rr(dot)com
Karen – a home without books is merely a house. You’re my kind of woman 🙂
I adored this letter. I will cherish your books I am sure and will order your first in the series, and pre-order the second one, Georgie’s story. I love books about war, and have enjoyed those by Anne Perry about WWii. I am so much like Georgie. I don’t make quick decisions, and relied on my husband for leadership regarding our family and our lives. Now that I am a widow I am having to play catch-up, and I have struggles. The verse she gives in the letter is so choice! I will memorize it, for I too need to totally look to Him for wisdom in my life, as I learn to walk in the newness of grief. God is so great, and good, and wants His perfect plan for each of our lives. We learn to put faith, trust, hope, and joy in this truth. My email currently, as my old one is not useful at this time is my business email. [email protected]
My name is Bonnie Walker
Thank you for your War Series
Bonnie – thank you so much for sharing. My heart hurts for you in your grief, and I’ll be praying for you. That verse is definitely “choice” and means a lot to me too.
Home to me is my husband and kids. If they are there, it’s home! We have moved so many times, there is no place I can really call home (the longest I’ve lived in one place is 10yrs), so if my hubby is there it’s home… even better is if my kids are there. : )
ladettek[at]gmail[dot]com
Hi Ladette! Moving a lot can be so disorienting, but I’m glad you have a wonderful family to cling to 🙂
What a story I would love to red it. I saw the pic of the towel now i know the story behind it awesome. I would really love to win this.
Blessings
joeym11(at)frontier(dot)com
Hi Diana! I was wandering around Cost Plus, desperately looking for something for the giveaway – and saw the towel. It’s so cheerful, like Georgie, and with the little bird applique – well, it was perfect for her.
Home is Tennessee where my granny and pop live. Pop just turned 95 and was a pilot in Europe in WWII. They mean the world to me. Wielosiksj(at)gmail(dot)com. Miss them so much since I live in PA!
It’s hard to be separated from your parents, isn’t it? Mine are actually closer to you – they just moved to PA from CA – but I’m out here on the left coast.
Your father’s service is greatly appreciated! Researching the 8th Air Force for my novels gave me such respect for the airmen. They were so brave.
Loved this! LOVE Sarah’s WW2 books!! Someday, I’m going to write about WW2 in the Pacific, but for now, I can enjoy Sarah’s work.
jandjmajor(at)rogers(cot)com
Hi Jennifer! I do hope you get pulled to the dark side with us….mwa ha ha!!!
Loved this letter. But I will truly miss reading this blog. It has been such a blessing everyday to read. I have loved finding new authors too.
Georgie is like many of us today. We live in an instant society, we want to know answers now, not when God gets to them to us. Or so we think that is how it really is, or is it because God is making sure we are prepared for what the true answer is to be.
Looking forward to your book coming out Sarah. I will be sure to send one overseas too.
Hi Margie! It’s so fun to see “real” people I know from the “real” world in blogland 🙂 I’m glad you enjoyed the letter.
Home to me is family, where I am surrounded by the people who love me and whom I love.
I would love to read this book! I can’t wait to read Georgie’s story!
cassiebaker5[at]gmail[dot]com
Cassie, I’m thrilled you have such a loving family. What a blessing!
Home is my husband, brother and my little dogs. My aunt, too, for I’ve loved her as long as I’ve known who she was.
I think this book will be very good, although I’ve never read any of Sarah’s books.
Susan Snodgrass
[email protected]
Hi Susan – thanks for stopping by! I’m glad you’ve been blessed with such a wonderful family – and little dogs too 🙂
Something special to read. Home to me is where I am safe. Thank you. bealmm[at]comcast[dot]com
Sorry update: Something special to read. Home to me is where I am safe. Thank you. bealmm[at]comcast[dot]net
not com
Correction noted 🙂 That sense of safety is so vital to a true home, isn’t it? Even when our earthly homes aren’t safe, our heavenly home is.
Hi Sarah! I’m looking forward to checking out your books. You’ve got me hooked with this letter!
When I think of home, I think of the comfort of my mom’s home cooking. She makes a mean chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes. 🙂
Blessings,
Andrea
andrearenee2004[at]yahoo[dot]com
Andrea – mmm, sounds good :)I loved coming home from school and smelling my mom’s spaghetti sauce simmering, or chocolate chip squares in the oven!
Home to me is having friends and family over for dinner and fellowship. It is so very nice and fun. Thanks for the chance to win!
Beth Gillihan
rbgillihan[at]gmail[dot]com
Beth, I’m sure your family and friends love having a gracious hostess 🙂
After a week spent in the hospital, I have a new found appreciation for my home. I am grateful to be here and as others have said, wherever my family is – that is home. To be able to put my children to bed and rest with my husband, to eat together and just be in each others presence is in itself a gift. God is working in me to see that and to trust Him with my earthly family and my heavenly home of which this earthly home is just a shadow.
Thanks for your great books! Gods blessing on you.
larissaelaborates[at]gmail[dot]com
Larissa – first of all, I’m so glad you’re home and feeling better. Nothing like a hospital to make you long for home!
What an amazing lesson you received though – that our earthly home is but a shadow of our heavenly home! Beautifully stated!
Something that says home to me is being around my parents and 7 siblings. We are very close and truly enjoy each other’s company. Thank you for the giveaway. 🙂
writer_weaver(at)yahoo(dot)com
Anna – which is my daughter’s name, by the way 🙂 – 7 siblings!! I am so glad you truly enjoy each other, or life would be quite unpleasant 🙂 What wonderful parents you must have!
Sarah, I adore all of your books and I can’t wait to read Georgie’s story! And a pharmacist hero? Perfect! About time. 😉 Home is where I can close the door and be myself with no “performing” or “best behavior.” It’s being with those who will love me as myself. Something that always takes me back to my childhood home is photos of Mount Rainier. Now that I live in Oregon instead of Washington, I miss its faithful presence on the horizon. Well, faithful when it wasn’t obscured by clouds.
Between you and me, pharmacists just might get swollen heads 🙂 I can’t think of a single book with a pharmacist hero so far – and now two!
I have Mount Diablo in view out my window. Not nearly as scenic as Mount Rainier or Mount Hood – but not as potentially explosive either 🙂
Wow, with a name like Diablo, it sounds like it should be explosive. 🙂
Ha ha!! Great story behind the name, by the way. The legend is that a Mexican priest was up on the mountain, and the devil showed him a vision of white people invading California. The priest could avoid it if only he worshiped El Diablo. Of course the priest refused, which is why I’m there now 🙂
There’s speculation back and forth that it might perhaps possibly be – but they’re not sure – a very dormant volcano. More like a comatose volcano.
The letter is so good. And I am looking forward to the opportunity to read more of your well-researched writing!
Hi Heidi! Thank you 🙂 I hope you enjoy Hutch and Georgie’s story.
Home to me is cooking with my mom, watching drag racing on tv with my dad and one of my brothers, listening to my baby brother talk about the “funny stuff” that happened at his Awana club or youth group, and talking to my sisters about books and tv shows.
Thanks for doing this giveaway!
kristia4[at]hawaii[dot]edu
How fun that you share different things with each family member! Yours sounds like a fun and dynamic household. Enjoy 🙂
Can’t wait to read this book!
Home to me is having a bookcase full of my books.
aeputney[at]liberty[dot]edu
Oh yes, books! Have to have books!
Would love to win! Can’t wait to read this book!
Thank you! But I’ll need your email to enter you – or I’ll have no way to contact you if you win 🙁
Unless you’re the same as the anonymous above or below you…
To me, home is love. My husband is in the military, so we have moved a lot and not always to comfortable or pretty places either. So while I miss my family (parents and sisters), it has also helped me to appreciate them more. Sometimes, I took for granted living in the same state as them. Also, I feel like moving makes my little family, of my husband and children, even stronger. Regardless of my physical surroundings and in spite of the occasional loneliness, I will still always be at home.
malachony[at]yahoo[dot]com
Bless you and your entire family for your service. It must be hard being far from home and family. My family spent (only) a summer in Germany, and I didn’t realize just how much I’d miss everyone. But yes, it definitely draws your immediate family closer.
You’ll be in my prayers!
We read the first book in your earlier series for book club.
Home to me is going by a farm, and seeing the scenery. I grew up on a farm, and have fond memories of playing with my four older brothers. We would take a bunch of crackers, and spend the whole day traipsing around the farm. Doesn’t sound like much, but to me it was great!!
That does sound wonderful! I’ve always wished I’d grown up on a farm. And thanks for including your email in the below comment!
My e-mail: josieringer(at)gmail(dot)com
Martha
This looks like a great book! I love old 40’s black and whites and am now starting to enjoy books set in WWII.
I still live at home so I really don’t have anything that reminds me of where I am. However, when I leave on trips I always ‘look’ for the scent of fir and pine trees and the rising of snow capped mountains. I live in the mountains of Montana, was born in them, so I always feel at home where I can find those scents and sights.
Thank you for hosting this section of The Trust Chronicles, I have been enjoying each and every post all week.
Blessings!
Jasmine A.
montanamade(at)gmail(dot)com
I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed the Trust Chronicles, Jasmine! We’ve had so much fun putting it together.
Firs, pines, and snow-capped mountains…mmm! Sounds wonderful!
Sarah, this time period really grabs my attention, because my dad was in Sicily during WWII. I’m looking forward to reading Georgie’s story!
Thanks, Bonnie! The campaign in Sicily is quite interesting – a true success story!
Please leave your email address so we can contact you if you win!!
Very much looking forward to reading this one! 🙂
6harmers(at)sbcglobal(dot)net
Thanks, Denise! I hope you enjoy Hutch and Georgie’s story!
I definitely want to read this book and the others in this series. I am a nurse and love reading historical fictifiction. The fact that these are about nurses is even better. 🙂 I miss my parents home in the country and their huge yard. My boys are stuck with our tiny yard.
Cagould13[at]gmail[dot]com
Thanks, Carrie! It’s been a lot of fun writing about nurses. The WWII flight nurses were true heroes, real pioneers! On board the plane, the RN was in charge, with a male medic serving under her. No physician on board, most of the time, so SHE gave the orders! And she wore trousers 🙂
That is so cool! I am going to do some research of my own about these nurses! I bet there are some awesome stories.
There are! I’d highly recommend “And If I Perish” by Evelyn Monahan, all about WWII combat nurses, with quite a bit on the flight nurses.
Thanks. 🙂
Home to me is wherever my family is. My family is very close so I feel at home when I am with them. Thank you for the chance to win.
griperang[at]embarqmail[dot]com
Hi Angela! I’m so glad you’ve been blessed with such a close family.
Sarah, both ex-RAF hubby and I are looking forward to that release day (not as much as you probably do but close!). We like to keep up to date with news online (BBC) but for a little nostalgia, we check headlines on Under His Wings as you know by now.
Home? It brings to mind the saying ‘Home is where the heart is’! For hubby it is wartime Worcester, UK, rationing and a wealth of anecdotes from RAF missions, courtesy of HMS.
For me it remains the Flanders fields (truly) in all its splendour, canals and cobblestones!
It remains for us to say ‘Thanks for the Memories!’.
God bless,
phjones1954[at]yahoo[com]
Hi Noelle, my most faithful blog reader 🙂 I’m glad both you and your hubby have such good – and interesting – memories to relish.
What a beautiful letter, Sarah.
Home is always in my heart and soul…memories of wonderful days growing up.
karenk
kmkuka at yahoo dot com
Hi Karen! What a sweet way to describe home. It never leaves us, does it?
My home is where there is Peace, Love and you feel safe. Which is being around the people that you love and hold dear which is my family. This is an amazing story, one which I would enjoy reading. Thank you for sharing this with us. Blessings.
Peace, love, and safety – that sums up the ideal “home” perfectly. Thanks for sharing, Keren!
Home is where I was a teenager. There are so many memories tied up with that time period–and my mother still lives there. I love going home to visit.
whiteb08[at]gmail[dot]com
Hi Beth-Anne! I’m glad your mother is still at this home. That’s so meaningful!
I’m not sure really what says home to me. Probably walking into a house and smelling my mama’s pot roast or chicken pot pie. I’m really not sure. I share my love of reading with my mom. A homemade quilt from my grandmother is another thing I associate with “home.”
But truly, there’s so much more than that. I think it’s the fact that I know I’m loved and cared for that really brings about the sense of security.
dawn(dot)janis(at)gmail(dot)com
Well, what says love more than a book, a quilt, and chicken pot pie 🙂 Sounds heavenly to me!
Wonderful letter, Sarah!! Home is having the presence, love and peace of the Lord in it!! My brother and I are blessed with a Godly Mother. Seeing my Mother’s Bible in the living room was a comfort. She had a chair where she read her Bible and a chair where she knelt to pray. Many years later, I bought her a new Bible. Her’s was falling apart. Some years back, she gave her old Bible to my brother. I will inherit her Mom’s (my Grandmother) Bible. Grandma died when Mom was the age of fourteen. When my brother married, he had my Mom read “The Lord’s Prayer” from her old Bible at his wedding. Can’t wait to read your book. Thank you for entering me in your giveaway!
barbmaci61(at)yahoo(dot)com
What a lovely godly legacy your mother left you, Barbara! And how wonderful that those falling-apart Bibles are still with you.
Sarah, I have enjoyed your books! When I first started reading them I found them to be such a tribute to the nurses who showed such compassion during WWII, it brought back to memory a research article that I had read about nurses during that time. (Yes, I’m a nurse.) It also brought to mind the testimony of a dear man (now deceased), George Gonos, who’s Christian faith sustained him for over 2 years before the Japanese admitted to the Red Cross of holding him & fellow soldiers as prisoners of war.
Oh, thank you! I’ve been so impressed with the nurses of WWII, and I hope these stories let others appreciate their compassion and courage too.
SARAH what a touching letter, it makes me think of all the sacrifices soldiers have to make when they decide to defend their country.
Home to me is my three handsome boys (hubby and 2 sons) and of course my doggies that are always happy to see me come home, even if I’ve only been gone an hour to pick up groceries. 😀
Thanks so much for being a part of this blog hop!! It’s been fun going from blog to blog!!
avonmathews(at)yahoo(dot)com
Thank you, Teresa! We’ve certainly had fun doing the blog hop.
I’m rather fond of my boys, my girl, my kitty, and (sometimes) my doggy too. Dog is a yellow lab, so her energy about does me in ….
Oh, how I love Georgie’s letter! Her desires for growth in trust so echo my own. Thank you, Sarah.
Something that says “home”… I’ve been a-pondering this. I think it’s story. Not the ones I write or read… but looking back at the story God’s woven around me– His story for my life. It’s so intricate, every little turn drawing me closer to Him… and being wrapped in that? That’s home to me. Some of the threads are so miraculous I can’t even comprehend the big-ness of them… things like family. Some of the threads are those tiny little things that say “home” on a more tangible level: the sweet smell of desert rain, the mountains I love, the pages of a well-worn book.
Oh, Amanda, such gorgeous thoughts! Thank you so much for organizing and inspiring this wonderful project we’ve all enjoyed so much.
My parents recently moved from the home where they’d lived since I was three. I’ve actually gone through a grieving process. Every inch of that home was filled with memory and emotion, family and friends. My prayer is to create similar memories for my own children.
A year ago, home was a little yellow house in the city. Home was where my family ate at the dinner table every night. Home was where we played dominoes on the coffee table on Tuesday afternoons. Home was where my parents prayed with me in my bedroom every night before I went to bed. Home was where my best friend lived next door. Home was across the street from the pool, where we spent the majority of the hot California summers.
But then home changed. I knew it would never be the same–and I was scared. But I was wrong.
Home was still the place we ate together, played dominoes together, and prayed together. Home became a place to make new friendships.
In some ways, it changed. Home was now a brick house in the country behind a meadow.
But the inside of the home didn’t change much. Because in reality, all one needs to make a home is a family.
[email protected]
Esther – that brought tears to my eyes. That was worthy of a blog post all its own. Keep on writing, girlie 🙂
Thanks, Mrs. Sundin! 🙂
The book sounds awesome. Thanks for the contest!Home to me is family. rose blackard (@) gmail (.) com
Hi Rose! I’m so glad you came by! Reading the comments, I see family is the key for almost all of us. So thankful for family!
Wow, this letter raises a lot of questions to think about. Thanks for getting us thinking. Looking forward to reading this book.
You’re welcome 🙂 Love to make people think!
My husband and even some friends. Bookwormgal2011(at)yahoo(dot) com cant wait to read this book!
Thanks, Michelle! May your home always be filled with friends 🙂
My husband and children are what I think of when I think of “home”.
Brittany McEuen
[email protected]
Brittany, I’m so thankful you have such a wonderful family! Enjoy them 🙂
I’ve lived a lot of different places but “home” was wherever we were because we were together as a family.
I loved the first book in this series, With Every Letter, and am looking forward to reading Georgie’s story in On Distant Shores. It would be so much fun to win the book! Thanks for the chance.
pmk56[at]sbcglobal[dot]net
Hi Pam! I’m so glad you enjoyed With Every Letter, and hope you like On Distant Shores! And I’m very glad you have such a close family!
Georgie’s sweetness comes through so clear in her letter. I just loved getting to know her in With Every Letter and am really looking forward to her story! Home to me is always a quiet, restful place.
Thanks, Joanne! Georgie was so fun to write – a social butterfly. And I like those quiet restful places too 🙂
For me home is being surrounded by family and friends laughing together, encouraging one another, and enjoying life together. It is a place where I feel peace, love, and safety.
I’m also learning how to trust God and not wholly lean on the advise and opinions of others. I look forward to getting to know Georgie more and reading her story!
free2live_o4[at]yahoo[dot]com
That sounds like a wonderful home 🙂
And I think learning to trust is a daily, lifelong challenge 🙂
I loved Mellie’s story and can’t wait to read Georgie’s. About five years ago I moved across the country from my family and most of my friends. God has shown me He is the ultimate provider and though I do still miss home, He has allowed me to create one here too.
[email protected]
Rebecca, I’m so glad you’ve created a new home. It does take effort and determination, doesn’t it?
I’d really like to read Georgie’s story some day. I still live at home, but having. Having a lot of trees on and near our property helped when my family moved away from our home of 13 years. It’s not quite the same, but it helps.
I do like trees too 🙂 My parents’ home had 3 giant 50 year old sycamores (unusual for suburban SoCal), and I just love the sound of wind in the branches.
I grew up in a big family (the 5th of 6 kids), and we were always very close. Of course, we all have our quirks and can definitely annoy each other, but at the end of the day we are family, and whenever we are together we’re home.
Thanks for the giveaway! I am so excited to read the next installment of the Wings of the Nightingale series.
nightowlreading[at]gmail[dot]com
What would a family be without quirks and annoyances 🙂 That’s what makes us grow. And with your loving family, quirks just make it more fun.
I love the sound of trains. The lonely whistle as they chug along the tracks. I grew up in a town in southern Indiana where you could hardly drive anywhere without crossing tracks. My first childhood home was a few houses from the tracks…in 2 directions! My dad’s family business was right on the tracks. Spent many years there earning allowances and then paychecks. I live in a different town now but there are tracks that run past where I work and on the outside of town. A major rail yard is just a few miles away. I love listening to the trains at night when everything is quiet and the day is done. (And yes, I love, love, love the movie Polar Express because of the train!)So no matter where I am, especially when I go to bed, if I hear a train whistle, I think of home.
I can hardly wait for August! I love your books!!!
Tina
purplebugster[at]yahoo[dot]com
Oh! Another train lover! Reminds me of that line in “It’s a Wonderful Life” (which I’ll mangle) about the sound of a train whistle being one of the most beautiful sounds in the world. I’m also quite fond of the smell of airports, which my family thinks is hysterical.
“Do you know what the three most exciting sounds in the world are? Anchor chains, plane motors and train whistles.” I have to agree!!! I love the sound of the old planes. Loved watching crop dusters as a kid. My husband has been in aviation maintenance for over 20 years. We used to hang out at the airport when we first got married…no money to do anything else! Airports are exciting. Watching everyone and wondering where they are going or coming from. Is it a good trip or sad? Never been around a boat…except Dad’s musseling boat. That’s not the same! LOL
My husband and I just left home to come home. Our sweet young neighbors moved and invited us over for supper and a movie. The question asked was, “How are you enjoying the movie so far?” My answer, “I’ve fallen asleep.” So wonderful to relax and be loved. So home to me is where our family and friends are. Blessings to each of you and I so enjoyed the letters shared this week. The days went fast.
And, Georgie, the stars I love are the ones I put in my quilts!
Kathleen ~ Lane Hill House
lanehillhouse[at]centurylink[dot]net
Kathleen – home is where you can fall asleep, huh? 🙂 I love it!
By the way, Georgie is inspired to do some star embroidery in the story 🙂
I would love to win this ♥ I think the towel is adorable, and a pretty, unique, and homemade home makes me happy ♥ thehomemadecreative[at]gmail[dot]com
Hi Alena! I thought the towel was adorable too – so cheery, just like Georgie.
A homemade home – that’s such a sweet tag line 🙂
I can’t wait to read this series! It’s sounds great… And as a nurse I love to read out what it was like as a nurse in the past 🙂
deiselbuffs(at)gmail(dot)com
Thanks, Lisa! I’m fascinated by the history of nursing too. I was heavily influenced by Cherry Ames and Clara Barton as a girl, but I’m horribly squeamish. Thus, I chose pharmacy. It’s very clean 🙂
This post really hit home today for me because I feel like I have been trudging along through life and not trusting God enough. Maybe leaning on my own understanding too much and missing out on God’s best for my life. Thank you for the reminder to trust in Him with all of my being. I’m so excited for your next book to come out! I have read and loved all of them so far! I really enjoyed the sneak peek into Georgie’s life!
dawnloveskevin[at]yahoo[dot]com
Oh, Dawn, me too! I have to keep asking myself why I actually think my puny three-and-a-half-pound brain could know more than the infinite Creator of the Universe. We’re a strange species, aren’t we?
I love the feelings and thoughts in this letter! I cannot wait to read the whole series now!
Shari Shantz
[email protected]
Oh, thanks, Shari! On Distant Shores doesn’t come out until August, but With Every Letter is already out. And Georgie plays a vital role in the first book 🙂
Oh, Sarah! I just love your books, and you’re so down to earth. Your storytelling is a real blessing to me!
Emmy Sue
curlygirly90[at]gmail[dot]com
Emmy Sue – how sweet of you! And I guarantee the blessings are mutual. Readers are the BEST people in the world.
Love the letter. I couldn’t imagine being away from family. That is my home. The book seems like a great read. Thank you so much for sharing.
Jdevore1978(at)hotmail(dot)com
Thank you, Joelle! Believe me, Georgie never imagined being separated from her family either 🙂
One thing that says home to me is the Rocky mountains. I live right by them and I see them everyday when I drive to school.
Can’t wait to read Georgie’s story!
marissamehresman(at)aol(dot)com
What beautiful scenery, Marissa! Enjoy 🙂
I feel most at home in the country where I can hear the birds singing and there is a quiet place to think.
I am looking forward to reading this book. I like the way you weave the history with faith. 🙂
Julie Combos
[email protected]
Hi Julie! A quiet place to think, with birds singing – sounds lovely.
And I’m so glad you enjoy the stories!