Storm Chase by K.M. Carroll

I'm so excited to present this book. Released on Amazon.com November 20, 2013. (The same day the author gave birth to a baby girl, by the way) Kessie and I have known each other for about two years. I met Kessie on a chat Forum established by Jeff Gerke called Where the Map Ends. She invited me to join a critique group, spin off from that forum. My interaction with that critique group was invaluable and I cannot thank Kessie enough for scooping me under her wing and letting me play with her friends.

But enough about me!

Kessie stopped by to chat, and I asked her a few questions. I thought you might be interested in knowing what she said, so, pull up a chair and fill your cup...

Here is our conversation:

I think Christian Fiction writers always have an amazing God moment or two when they write their stories. Did you have one? What was it?

For me I think it was a whole God process. While writing, I found the Marcher Lord Press website and visited the forums. There I found a link to the Sandbox critique group. The Sandbox proceeded to pummel Storm Chase while I put it through multiple drafts. If God hadn't guided me to the critique group, I wouldn't have really learned to write and edit. I wouldn't have met Dana Bell and had multiple stories published in anthologies. Really, God's hand has been on my entire writing journey. It's wonderful. :-)

Why did you choose to write Storm Chase?

The story that became Storm Chase has been part of my life since high school. It's my husband's story, you see. He's been writing it and rewriting it for years. Finally, one day I got sick of it and said, “I'm going to write it for you and then it will be DONE.”

Ten drafts later, it finally is.
 
 Are any of your characters based on a real person? Can you tell us who?

Carda is a caricature of my husband. Naturally we had to change Carda quite a bit, though!
 
Your dialog was spot-on for the age of your characters. How did you do that?

I love writing dialogue and listening to people talk. I have a bunch of teen and adult siblings, and I love listening to them and the slang they use. They also coin hilarious phrases and say really funny things with a completely straight face. My kids, although younger, are the same way.
 
What inspired you to write this story?

Well, I was writing my husband's story, really. But a lot of other influences crept in—Lovecraft and Diablo influenced the angel-with-tentacle-wings. I'm a fervent admirer of Diana Wynne Jones's work, and I adore her multiverse, and the way she wrote magic happening in the real world. In later Spacetime books I go nuts with the multiverse aspect.
 
I happen to know the male main character in this book drives a particular car, would you like to tell the readers why his car has special meaning to you?

When we got married, my husband drove a red 1990 Mazda Miata. So of course Carda did, too! Although my husband no longer owns that car, it lives on in Storm Chase. I have fond (albeit terrifying) memories of zipping along the highway in that thing and almost getting blown off the road in storms.
 
 I also know you just gave birth to your fourth child, but do you have hobbies, other interests besides writing and taking care of the kids?

I've been in art class since I was little, and taught art to kids for about five years. I swap between writing and drawing to rest my muse. I also adore videogames and computer games, usually of the simulation sort: SimCity, The Sims, Rollercoaster Tycoon, and the like. I love building things.
 
Can you tell us something interesting about you that most people do not know?

My preferred pet is a reptile. Lizards, usually. Snakes don't have eyelids and can't give you sarcastic sideways looks. I had iguanas growing up—and then bearded dragons became popular, and I always wished for one. But I have small children, and small children do not mix well with reptiles that consume crickets and mealworms. (Hint: Twenty-five escaped crickets inside your house is a LOT.)

That's very true, and wise of you to realize it's not your season to have reptiles. But, when the kids get older...  Right?  Thank you for stopping by! I have enjoyed our chat.  And if you'd like to know more about Kessie, scroll down. And I'd love to hear from you in the comments.

About the Book

Carda is the Strider of Chronos. But figuring out what that means may cost him his life.
Struggling through high school in Phoenix, Arizona was hard enough, but now Carda’s hands are burning with magical fire and lightning. Worse, they affect time and space. Now all kinds of people want Carda dead, from a killer angel to the head of the extra-world Council.
Fortunately he has allies—his twin sister Michelle manipulates gravity with dance. His rival Indal is secretly a time mage—until Carda accidentally turns him into a werewolf. There’s Ben, a black time-traveling lizard. And Xironi, a gorgeous catgirl with a growing crush on Carda.
Together they face the most horrifying enemy of all—an inept mage with far too much power. This power unleashes a chaotic subspace storm that consumes worlds—and Earth is next on the menu.
Young Adult fantasy, 12+


It's available for 99 cents at Amazon.com

About the author

K. M. Carroll got her start writing fanfiction, which she did for the majority of her teens. After marrying her high school sweetheart, she began collaborating with him on what became the Spacetime Legacy series. She also enjoys painting, raising chickens, and cooking delicious meals. She currently lives in Phoenix, Arizona with her husband and four children.

You can stalk, I mean contact Kessie at: 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kessie.carroll

Website: http://spacetime.netraptor.org

Blog: http://netraptor.org/blog

Email: netraptor001 (at) hotmail (dot) com

http://spacetime.netraptor.org

http://netraptor.org/blog

Thank You U.S. Veterans

I posted this last year to honor the Veterans in my life. It has since then won an award. Columbia University's 2013 Student Gold Circle Collegiate Award.

M8. Non-fiction interview1. Kirsten Clark, “5,000 mile man,” Indiana Daily Student, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN;
2. Kate McCullough, “Somalia,” Convergence, Humber College, Toronto, Ontario, Canada;
3. Megan Washausen, “Katy Sullivan,” The Ampersand, Webster University, St. Louis, MO;
CM. Matthew Glowicki, “Growing up together,” Indiana Daily Student, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN;

CM. Lynn Donovan, “The eleventh hour,” Telolith, Seward County Community College, Liberal, KS;

CM. Laura Petro, “Framed for Success,” The Walk, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.

 

What an honor for me, and for my Dad, whom this was written to honor in the first place. Daddy past away April 2005 and needless to say, we miss him very much.  So... This is for him and all of those who served in the Armed Forces.

 

Thank you for keeping us safe and free.
God bless you and protect you always.

 

TheEleventh Chapter

“I know I am going to Heaven

because I have already been to hell, in 1968.”

SSG Donald L Conant, Sr.

Retired Army DAV

Dad sent a surprise in the mail to each of us kids, but when my brother read it, he had a surprise for Dad. For months our dad had sat at the computer typing, crying, pacing, and staring into space. This was no labor of love. It was a confession of his soul. He wrote about the year he spent in Vietnam.

We knew very little about that year. All we knew was he had a pathological fear of having a flashback. At times it was debilitating. My siblings had seen him come home blanch-faced and mousey because he heard about a buddy “losing it” at a filling station. The buddy shot several people, killing them, because he thought he saw “gooks.” Loud noises and closed-in spaces terrified Dad. My sister and I laughed at him for years. While our brother, Donnie, stayed silent as if he understood.

Donnie hated it at times, because they couldn’t do the things other fathers and sons did, like hunting, because Dad couldn’t handle the affects it had on him. He tried once, I’ll give him that, but when they got into the woods, holding their guns at the ready, Dad had to stop. He was in tears as he apologized and hurried back to his truck. They drove home in silence. As soon as they were home, he went to bed. Donnie didn’t see him for three days. Mom said he was sleeping. But Donnie wondered what he had done. Still Donnie didn’t blame him.

After Dad typed his memoirs into the computer, he printed every gut-wrenching word onto tear-apart track paper, tore the perforated edges off, punched holes in it, and mounted each set in a black manuscript folder. He autographed them for each of us kids. At last, we could read the things he refused to tell any of us, his deepest, darkest secrets. Finally, we would know the causes for his insomnia, why he drank so much, and the reason why he dove into depression when I married a Filipino.

Dad had a comedic style for telling stories, so we expected humor mixed with seriousness, like watching a war movie. We had no idea what horrors would be revealed in this manuscript. A lump formed in my throat as I read his dedication.

DEDICATED TO:

My family, who I am sure suffered as others did, that had loved ones in Vietnam. I love them all and I thank them for their support and understanding.

DLC

I turned the page and began to read. I laughed and I cried throughout his stories. I couldn’t put the manuscript down. However, my brother had a very different reaction.

The words, the descriptions, the tales were vivid, graphic, and haunting, all the while, familiar to Donnie. How could they be so familiar to him? He knew this book was a project, suggested by the V.A. doctors, for Dad to gain control over the insanity he felt nipping at his heels every waking and sleeping moment.

But, when he read Chapter Eleven, he had to pick up the phone.

“Dad? I am reading your book,” Donnie told him. He didn’t know how to tell Dad what he knew, so he simply said, “You’ve told me these stories before.”

“No, son, I haven’t told anybody about these things. I just couldn’t talk about it.”

“No, you’re wrong. You told me these stories. I remember them distinctly.”

Silence crackled across the phone line.

“How could you remember?” he asked.

“I don’t know, but I do. I remember lying in a bed. You wore your straw cowboy hat. It lifted up as you pressed your head against the side rail. I remember the red indentation the metal made on your forehead. You talked to me for hours. I think that’s when you told me these stories—was I dreaming?” 

“Oh my god.” Dad’s voice broke into sobs.

“I wasn’t sure until I got to Chapter Eleven,” he said. “When I read about the local village being slaughtered, about the dead people everywhere, and you guys walking in on the mess.” He hesitated. Should he go on? Dad was already crying. He hadn’t heard Dad cry too many times in his life. It broke his heart. “Dad, when I read about the children strung upside down in the trees, their mutilated bodies, their Asian eye-lids sliced off and the grotesque death stare of each of them, I knew this was not anything you would talk about, yet I knew the story. How could I know these stories, Dad, if you didn’t tell them to me?”

He sniffed and blew his nose.

“Dad? Are you alright?”

“Son, when you were ten, you got sick.” He cleared his throat. “You were in a coma. The doctors told us you were dying. I told them, ‘Look here, I don’t wanna know what my son died from. I wanna know what’s killing him!’ Those doctors ‘bout wet themselves, yes-siring me and running off to figure out what was wrong with you.” He sniffed, and I heard ice clink against his large plastic cup. He took a long drink. He knew it was RC Cola. “The nurses were really nice. They told us to talk to you. Even though you were unconscious, just talk to you. About anything, it didn’t matter. Your mom and I thought they were crazy, but we were willing to try anything. So I sat down by your bed, and I talked. I didn’t know if you could hear me or not. Eventually, I ran out of things to say, and you still didn’t move, so I started talking about ‘Nam.”

Now Donnie sniffed. His tears wouldn’t stop flowing. Finally, he knew why he had empathized with Dad’s fears. He had told Donnie these stories, and Donnie had remembered. That was my brother’s surprise for Dad.

Although we lived in three different states, we were talking about the manuscript within a week. After Chapter Twenty-One, his final chapter, we understood why Dad couldn’t carry a gun in the woods. It was too similar to the jungle in Vietnam. A flashback really could be triggered without warning. After reading about those mutilated children, we understood why almond-shaped eyes, especially children’s, put a chill in his heart. We admired his ability to overcome this branded nightmare for the sake of his two Filipino grandchildren.

Our dad was, once again, our hero. He had survived a bloody, senseless “police action.” His memories had been his prisoner of war. Thank God the V.A. doctors had suggested he write them down. By doing so, he was able to set them free. He was able to let us know what he had been through. More importantly, he was able to face what he feared most—what we would think of him. He found out we still loved him. We did not judge him for what he had done, what he had seen, or what he did not do.

“Chapter Eleven was the toughest chapter to write,” he had told us. It required him to stand toe to toe with the devil and spit in his face. He feared it would break his sanity, yet he kept pecking the story onto the screen. It was the bravest thing our father ever did. Well, second bravest. The first was surviving Vietnam, 1968.

 

Personal note:  I love you Daddy! (deceased 4/13/2005)  Thank you Veterans. I appreciate and pray for you all the time. Gold Circle Awards

The Wishing Well Curse is Featured in Southern Writers Magazine!

I'm on page 5!

Feeling the Love



Binx

I think

my husband, Paul, is trying to tell me something. He keeps commenting on how sweet our Yorkshire terrier is because when Paul comes home from his 12 hours shift at the hospital, Binx always greets him at the front door with a shoe, or a sock, or a flip flop.

Now, mind you, this is indigenous to the breed. They carry something to you in order to greet you. But still it is cute and out of three dogs in our house, Binx is the only one who wakes up and runs to greet the master. Because of this inbred ritual, Binx is the favored one to be allowed to ride along on outings which do not involve leaving him in the truck during warmer weather...
He gets to go!
He loves to go!

But this got me to thinking. Doesn't Paul know I love him more than life itself. Just because I don't greet him when he comes in at eleven o'clock at night is no reflection of the dedication I feel in my heart? Isn't that what I'm showing him when I make nice dinners, wash his laundry, make decisions not to buy myself something I don't really need, so the money is there for his hobby/projects?

Perhaps, those things are too much behind the scene and are not as noticeable as Binx's excited tail wagging, nose bumping, shoe carrying exhibition of love and welcome.

So the other night, when I heard Paul open the front door, I put down my Kindle, put on my glasses, slipped out of bed, walked into the living room...

 

and handed him my shoe.

 

I hope he felt the love.

Cover Reveal of MoonBow by Sheila Hollinghead

Look what will be released soon! 

Moonbow
by Sheila Hollinghead.








A widow, a doctor, an unborn child. Three lives are at risk in this high stakes suspense. Die Auserwahlten, the Chosen Ones, have impregnated Gisa with an embryonic clone. Is it evil or just a child? It's up to Dr. Rayden Brooks to untangle the web that keeps them captive and to save their lives. But will Gisa trust him?

Will be published in ebook format on December 17th by Alt Wit Press.

Sheila Hollinghead

Raised an army brat, Sheila Hollinghead discovered a treasure trove of books in the furnace room of a house while living in Toul, France. She became immersed in the books, becoming enamored of sci-fi and fantasy as well as mysteries and the classics. Many, many years later, she's married and lives on a farm with dogs, cats, and chickens. As a Christian author, she is learning to be the bow that bends in God's hand. She agrees with Emily Dickinson who said, "I know nothing in the world that has as much power as a word. Sometimes I write one, and I look at it, until it begins to shine.” 

 

 

You are going to want to keep an eye on this author!  Here's how:

Visit her on her blog, Rise, Write, Shine, www.sheilahollinghead.com, 

or on her website, http://sheilahollinghead.weebly.com. 

on Facebook, Sheila Odom Hollinghead, Author 

and on Twitter, SHollinghead.  

Happy Anniversary

Today is our wedding anniversary!

October 20th

 

 

 

Thank you Paul, for six wonderful years. You are the best husband, friend, step-father to my children and Pop Pop to our grandchildren. I love you will all my heart!

Here's a little poem I wrote, just for you, baby:  Ahem!

You are my sunshine

You make my bones strong

Without your love,

I'd fall apart

 

 

I know, I know, it gets ya right there! Don't it?

 

But seriously...  I thank God for you everyday. You are an answer to my prayers when I thought He wasn't listening. I am amazed by how much you love me. How much we have in common. And how much you put up with me and ... well you know ... all the stuff. You make me happier than I ever thought possible. I will love you forever.

 

*Insert BIG SLOPPY KISS*

And all the kids go: "Ewwwwwwww!"

 

 

Here's the Anniversary card sent by my Step-mom, Betty. I think it looks just like us, don't you?

 

ROFL!  Thank you Betty! We love you too!

Secrets Kept is Released!

I am tickled to pieced to present Secrets Kept by J.L. Mbewe.

NOTE: be sure to scroll down and enter for a chance to win a lot of wonderful prizes! Including a signed copy of Secrets Kept.

Jennette is a friend, colleague, and an amazing woman!  We sat down and visited about this exciting release of her first full-length Novel. Here's what we said:





Jennette, Welcome to my porch!  I am so excited about this book. I loved the story and I cannot wait for the sequel. But enough about me. Tell me: I think Christian Fiction writers always have an amazing God moment or two when they write their stories. Did you have one? What was it?

It’s been going on 10 years since I started seriously writing and my memory isn’t want it used to be. Ha! But what comes to mind is the day I was reading through the parable of the talents. The one where they are supposed to do something with what they received from their master, and God asked me, what are you doing with what I gave you? And I was like, what did you give me? And the word writing popped into my mind, literally, I could see it. So I set out to write. Who knows where this will go, but I am writing. ;-)

What inspired you to write Secrets Kept?

My spiritual journey. When I started out, having no clue about the industry, I desired to create an allegory of how truth can set us free, but not obvious like Pilgrim’s Progress or Hind’s Feet on High Places. Yeah, that didn’t last long. I abandoned the idea of allegory after the second rewrite as the characters took on more life than chess pieces and the real story began to unfold. 

Are any of your characters based on a real person? Can you tell us who?

None of my characters are based on real people. Sorry to disappoint!

How much and what sources did you use for your research to get the time period right.

After I got the rough draft done, I spent a lot of time surfing the web and borrowing books from the library researching ancient history up through the 1600’s to get an idea of what life might be like during those times, but then I branched out from there. And I probably spent way too much time thinking about the lay of the land and how that would influence weather patterns. I did buy a Lord of the Ring’s Weapon and Warfare book. J

The made-up language seemed authentic, what was your secret to creating that?

Oh, I don’t know if I can reveal that yet. ;-)

What are your hobbies, other interests besides writing?

Hmmm…parenting? I love playing board games/cards, etc., with friends. I love being creative whether it’s painting, drawing, sewing, cooking, baking, etc. I love outdoorsy type activities. I love collecting rocks, and it shows. You should see my kitchen! Oh, and reading!

Can you tell us something interesting about you that most people do not know?

Um…hmmm… I have swords? Or is that just expected? Sorry, I’ve got nothing!

LOL, Jennette, I think having swords is unusual, but then again, who knows. I think you are an amazing woman, writer, and a wonderful mom and wife. Thank you so much for taking the time to share with me and my friends about this exciting season in your life. I love it that God asked you to articulate your stewardship and you stepped up and delivered!  Not everybody is so courageous! I pray many, many successes with this book and all the others that will follow!

Thank you so much for inviting me to your blog! 

Of course!  Jennette, you are welcome on my porch any time!!!

Secrets Kept

by J.L. Mbewe

With a curse, she will build an army.
With the dagger, she will undo the last sacrifice.
But first the sorceress must find the secret keeper.

Torn from her homeland and thrust into a betrothal against her wishes, Ayianna learns her family has a deadly secret that now has her on the run. She joins forces with Kael, an embittered half-elf, and Saeed, an elderly High Guardian, to seek answers to her father’s death, the destruction of Dagmar, and the plains people’s bizarre behavior.

Ayianna discovers there is more at stake here than just her mother’s disappearance and her familial duty to her betrothed. The sorceress has cursed the plains people, and it is a race against time to release them before the sorceress resurrects an ancient evil.

Find it at Amazon and Goodsreads.

More from J.L. Mbewe!  Here are three short stories which are related to Secrets Kept. Really good reads, I might add! 

Welcome to the World of Nälu!

The Tales.

 

 Can a desert princess find love with a foreign king?

Johari lives in the shadow of her beautiful sister until a foreign king notices her, but in her haste to prove herself worthy of affection she finds herself compromised and on a difficult journey to make things right.

Find it on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, and Goodsread

 

What if all you knew had been a lie?

The teaching of the Guardians has guided Semine's footsteps since her infancy. When her mentor shows up with information contrary to what she's been taught, she doubts her decision to follow in their footsteps. She must decide if there is life beyond what she has always known or embrace a new, mysterious path and reject the Guardians' legacy.

 Find it on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords

To what lengths would you go to save the world?

Elothryn keeps the darkest secret of Nälu: The cursed dagger of Raemoja. A weapon powerful enough to release the greatest evil from the underworld. For generations, his family has lived without incident until now. The hunters have his scent and will stop at nothing to reclaim the dagger. Elothryn and his son flee, seeking help, but will they find it?

Find it on Amazon and Smashwords

Coming soon: All three Tales of Nälu in paperback!



Author: Jennette Mbewe

Writing as J. L. Mbewe, Jennette is an author, artist, mother, wife, but not always in that order. Born and raised in Minnesota, she now braves the heat of Texas, but pines for the Northern Lights and the lakes of home every autumn. She loves trying to capture the abstract and make it concrete. She has two short stories published in The Clockwork Dragon anthology, and is busily creating worlds inhabited by all sorts of fantasy creatures and characters, all questing about and discovering true love amid lots of peril. Her debut novel Secrets Kept and her short stories set in the world of Nälu: Desert Rose, Dragon Thief, and Indestructible are now available. She is currently living her second childhood with a wonderful husband and two precious children who don’t seem to mind her eclectic collections of rocks, shells, and books, among other things. For more information about her journey as a writer mama and all things creative please visit her at http://www.jlmbewe.com/

You are going to want to keep an eye on this author. Here's how:

Social Media  Connect with Jennette!

Website/Blog  Facebook Twitter  Pinterest  Goodsreads  Google+


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Follow this Blog tour all this week:

October 16^th

J. L. Mbewe: Release Day Kick-Off

The Writer’s Window: Meet the Characters Part 1

Sitting on the Porch with Lynn: Interview

In Darkness, There is Light: Excerpt

October 17^th

The Wonderings of One Person: Meet the Villains

Lightly Salted: Guest Post

Aaron DeMott: Excerpt

Writing without Compromise, Clare Davidson: Top Ten favorite YA novels

October 18^th

J. L. Mbewe: Top Secret Project Reveal

Anne Elisabeth Stengl: Meet the Characters part 2

Emerald Barnes’ Dreaming Awake Blog: Interview

Pauline Creeden: Dream Cast

Sheila Hollinghead’s Rise, Write, Shine: Review of Dragon Thief

Southern Writers Magazine Features

Southern Writers Magazine invited me to post a guest blog today, Friday, September 27, 2013.

Suite T


But wait! There's more! Saturday there is a feature at Southern Writers Magazine called Mic Night.

  You can hear me read 5 minutes of The Wishing Well Curse. And Must Read TV has the trailer for The Wishing Well Curse. I hope you will check it all out this weekend. And...Enjoy!

Buy it on Amazon.

It's My Birthday!

 

 

September 14, 1957  3:22 pm Martha Lynn was born in Amarillo, Texas.

 

I was such a surprise to my dad, 'cause he wanted and expected a boy. Ha! I fooled him!  His first words were, "Put it back, it's not done cooking yet!"  That's okay, because later he told me the first time I crawled up in his lap and kissed him on the cheek, he didn't care if I was an alien, a boy or a girl, he was so in love with me!  hehe!  We girls do have a way of wrapping our daddies around our little fingers!  Huh?

 

Why do I go by my middle name?  Well, because I was named after my father's mother, Martha Mary. She came over to see me when I came home from the hospital. They were calling me Martha and Martha Lynn. Grandma asked my mother to call me Lynn so there wouldn't be confusion between the two of us. Mom, naturally, said "Okay."  (Lynn was my mom's mother's maiden name.) I've been called Lynn ever since...except when I was in trouble, of course! 

 

So, today I want to give rather than receive!  You, my friends, fans, and followers will have several opportunities through out the day to win e-books published by AltWitPress, (click on image to learn more from Amazon.com.)

 a paper back copy of my book, The Wishing Well Curse (US only),

 

 

 

and a $10 Amazon.com gift card.

      

Be sure to follow me on Facebook all day Saturday, September 14 ML Donovan Facebook Page and like my Author page Lynn Donovan Author Page so that you will catch the flash giveaways, and other opportunities to WIN WIN WIN.

 

Now, have you counted up my years?

 

 

 

 

 

Can you guess how old I am today?

Any idea?

 



 

Come on you can give it a try!!!

This is why we WON'T use candles on my cake!  HaHa!!!

 

Leave a comment and you will be included in a final drawing on September 15 at 3:22 pm for a Grand Prize.

 

 

 



Women's Role as Helper

 

What is our role as women?

A joke: In the beginning, God created man. At the end of the day, He stood back and looked upon man and said, "This is good, but I can do better." Then he created woman.   {cue laugh track}

The bible tells us in Genesis 2:18, "The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” (emphasis mine).

So we are to be a helper. And we are to be suitable for him.  What does that mean?

If I were to walk up to you and you were trying to work in your garden, but you didn't have any tools. You were digging with your hands. I could hand you my tools, a rake, a shovel, gloves, etc. and that would help you very much. Right? Well, I'm going to give you some tools to help you be the helper God would have you be.

As Christians, we are told in Galatians 5:22, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control." 
Okay, we know we are to strive to be all these things at all times. But what are we, as women, supposed to do to be what God intended us to be for our husbands?

1 Peter 3:1 says, "Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, ² when they see the purity and reverence of your lives."


Again, I ask: What does that mean?  Well, I think there are two things we woman are called to do by God for our husbands.

1. Be the best Christian we possibly can be. We do that be reading the word of god. The Bible. Do you read your Bible every day? It's an excellent habit to have. For one it puts the Word in you and allows the Word to work from within you. Then when a situation merits, the Word will come to your mind and you will be able to apply it, quote it, make a valid , Godly point. But another advantage is internal. By getting God's word inside of you, it will nurture you when you are at your wits end. And we all know we women get at our wits end a lot! God's word will give you guidance to handle all things appropriately. Even if that means simply closing our mouths and not saying a word! A tool to begin reading the Bible is a one-year reading plan.  This is one put together by a local radio station KJIL here in SW Kansas. There are others, but if you don't have one, you may borrow mine!

2. Prayer. I believe our role as women and helpers who are suitable for our husbands means we pray for them. We pray for ourselves, our husbands, our children, and then for others. We pray and pray and pray. How long do we pray?

Remember this: PUSH.  Pray Until Something Happens.
I'm reminded of the lyrics by John Waller: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kc7orBfhEmk 
While I'm Waiting by John Waller
I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait

I will move ahead, bold and confident
Takeing every step in obedience
While I'm waiting
I will serve You
While I'm waiting
I will worship
While I'm waiting
I will not faint
I'll be running the race
Even while I wait

I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am peaceful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it's not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve you while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting on You, Lord

What I did, while I waited for God to do what God does:
I joined teams at the church, Hospitality, Prayer Warriors, Breakfast Committee, and Praise and Worship.  At work, (I managed a Car Rental Company) I made a commitment to help Church rentals by setting a reduced price for their rentals and never charged them mileage.

These things were my seeds. I planted these seeds with high expectations that my harvest would be the answers to my prayers.

Now. Here's a tool for prayer. If you aren't sure what to pray or how to pray, here's a place to start.  Ephesians 3:14-21. But here's the key!  Every time the passage says "you" or some form of it, substitute the name of the person you are praying for. Even if it's yourself, use your name instead. 
Ephesians 3:14-21: "For this reason I kneel before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family^[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶ I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen {insert name} with power through his Spirit in {insert name}'s inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in {insert name}'s hearts through faith. And I pray that {insert name}, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that {insert name} may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
²⁰ Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."

This is such a powerful prayer. Pray it over your husband daily, for 30 days and see for yourself. It will move mountains and change hearts and minds. Pray it over yourself. Pray it over your children. Other prayers in the Bible work the same way, but this is a good place to start.

So these are your tools. This is my interpretation of being a Helper and Suitable for him.
1. Read the word of God daily, from now on until the end of your days.
2. Pray. Pray until something happens.
3. Plant seeds while you wait on the Lord to answer your prayer (reap a harvest).

What do you think? Have you experienced any of these things and seen remarkable results? Tell me about it. I love to hear what God has done.