For Richer, For Poorer

For Richer, For Poorer, (book three of the Pastor Maggie's series) is ready for pre-order! Book groups, church groups, and other large groups can order directly from Pen-L.com for a discount!

www.Pen-L.com/ForRicherForPoorer.html


Here are some kind words about For Richer, For Poorer:

ChickLit Cafe Review:

For Richer or For Poorer, by Barbara Edema

Splendid, charming and compelling!

This is the third book in the “Pastor Maggie” series. Author Barbara Edema has done it again. After reading and thoroughly enjoying book two, “To Have and To Hold”, I was anxiously awaiting the next installment in the series. And “For Richer or For Poorer” did not disappoint. It is excellent.

I was brought right back into the scene at Loving the Lord Community Church with all the interesting parishioners and characters.

As a wonderful twist, Pastor Maggie takes a group of her parishioners to Ghana, Africa for a mission trip. The chapters are beautifully interspersed, taking the reader back and forth from Cherish to Ghana.

All the characters are extremely well written and developed. Some of them have grown and evolved nicely from the previous books.

Once again I was drawn in by the personalities with their particular quirks, issues, strengths and weaknesses. I've grown to love some of these characters. They are fully developed, thought out and formed. Author, Barbara Edema has a special way of developing likable interesting characters that the reader will fall in love with. They are familiar and unpredictable. Their interactions with each other are realistic and endearing. They are woven into the storyline in a very simplistic smart manner.

I loved the plot. While it is full of drama, it is not lacking in warmth and fun. It is delightful and mysterious at the same time. It is filled with humor, anguish, and romance. The author has a way with words that is unlike many other authors. She keeps the reader wanting more. She writes with a lot of emotion that nourishes the soul, She skillfully develops the storyline, while meticulously interweaving the characters within.

Maggie has an awakening of the soul, as she ponders the differences between true wealth and poverty, generosity and judgment, the open-hearted and the close-minded. Her struggles embolden her ministry. 

I couldn’t put “For Richer or For Poorer” down. It is filled with many important life issues while keeping a fantastic work of fiction. The warmth of the characters and their interactions will make the reader smile and ponder many things. I turned the pages quickly wondering and anticipating what would happen next. The trials and triumphs of the people in Pastor Maggie’s congregation is inspiring. This is a very fun story as well. It shows what the power of love can do. It is creative and extraordinarily imaginative. I think that readers will be very satisfied, inspired and happy with this third installment of the “Pastor Maggie” series.

Jewel Hart, Chick Lit Cafe

Writing and Friendship

With Priscilla Flintoft and The Cavanaugh Lake Book Club in Chelsea, Michigan

However you describe friendship: "flowers in the garden of life," "pearls on the necklace of life," "soaps on the rope of life (tee hee)," I enjoy, and am thankful for the women friends in my life. I don't have a "posse." My friends are mainly scattered around the world. There may be a few in one city, but I don't have "girlfriend weekends" with all my college friends. I'm not in touch with anyone from college. Or seminary. My friends have come from my neighborhood, my mother is my friend as are my aunties, cousins, and women in the churches I've served over the years.

One bright Sunday morning in Chelsea, Michigan, I had just finished preaching and leading worship. As I shook hands with parishioners, a petite bright-blue-eyed woman, one I had never seen before, walked right up to me, took both of my hands in hers, and said, "I just love you! I'm Priscilla."

Now I'm going to be honest, I love hearing words like that. Who doesn't? Hearing them right after I preach, affirms who I am by what I do - or vice versa. To preach from the heart takes vulnerability, not just confidence. Affirmation is always welcome. That morning Priscilla affirmed the heck out of me.

We have been friends for over thirteen years.

For me, writing is also a vulnerable endeavor, but so different from preaching. Here's my comparison: preaching is like being in a stage play. The congregation is live, and you are aware of their reactions to every spoken word - those who are engaged and those who are asleep in the pew (Ha!). A book is more like a movie. It has been completed and edited long before an audience sees it. It's locked in time once it's released.

Caveat: Don't get me wrong, preaching is a uniquely spiritual and God-driven experience. It's not play-acting. I'm always amazed when people tell me they think it must be easy, or that they think they could preach a sermon with no problem. Preaching isn't just speaking. Amen.

With a play, or specifically preaching, there is always another Sunday coming. A new sermon, new inspiration, and a congregation with a whole weeks' worth of new experiences to bring before God.

Preaching is comfortable for me. Writing is getting more comfortable. Friends have been the ones who have walked with me through my first novel, and decided to read the second one anyway.

But I have received a great gift from my publishers, Pen-L Publishing: My first novel is not set in stone like a movie. They have given me the chance to re-do, go back, delete, add, clean-up, re-edit, and set up the whole series, now that I know where the series is headed.

I may be the only author who felt embarrassed by my first work of (mainly) fiction, To Love and To Cherish. In fact, it was hard to make myself re-read the book. But once given the chance to muck about in my manuscript, I had a blast. I am just now on the last pages of my own edits and changes.
Pen-L (thank you, Duke and Kimberly) will re-release this book in December. I can't wait!

I know I have mentioned this re-release in a previous blog, but after making the changes, I feel the gift of reparation more strongly. As much as I love being loved, I hate being embarrassed.

November will bring the release of For Richer, For Poorer, book 3 in the Pastor Maggie Series. I am proud of this novel, and I hope you enjoy more stories of Loving the Lord Community Church.

Back to friends, there is a circle of you who have intimately been apart of this odyssey called writing. The women I'm thinking of have all been in the pew, at one time or another, when I have been in the pulpit. But then I dragged you into being first readers, I talked about characters and plot lines until your eyes glazed over. I asked some of you if I could use your names in the books, and some of you if I could also use your personalities. None of you said, "no."  

Priscilla, I just love you, too! You will find yourself in For Richer, For Poorer. I hope you like you :)

For all of you dear and faithful friends, thank you for staying close. Thank you for letting me stay close to you as your own lives swirled with surprising changes, hopes, sorrows, and joys.

Because many of you don't know one another, my dream is to have a "girlfriend weekend" with all of you. I would like to introduce each one of you to some of the most amazing women I've ever known.

Hmmm...perhaps a Pastor's Posse.

Names and Dates

When a small orange and white kitten was hanging from our slider screen door in October of 2007, I knew his name immediately. I had always wanted an orange kitty named Marmalade. It was easy to work him into my first book To Love and To Cherish as Pastor Maggie's best buddy when she moves to Cherish, Michigan to pastor her first church. The real Marmalade sits with me every day as I write about his fictional life in the parsonage.

Coming up with names for the many characters who live in Cherish is fun work. Of course, several character's names are actual people in my life. All four of our grandchildren have found their way into Cherish. I'm excited for the expansion of the character of Addie (our granddaughter) in the third book of the series For Richer, For Poorer.

But some of the most fun is coming up with names to fit unnamed characters. I think about the personalities of these people, and then sometimes when I'm out walking or making dinner or feeding the birds, a name pops into my head.

I'm excited to work a new character into To Love and To Cherish before its re-release in December of this year (Pen-L Publishing). This will be someone who will give Maggie a little more to deal with as she tries to get her ministry in order and handle folks like Irena, Redford, and Mrs. Abernathy. I hope you will enjoy meeting Fitch Dervish the Cherish Building Inspector. He makes his return two years later in the fourth book For Better, For Worse. Poor Maggie!

To keep characters under control, I have a notebook in which I keep names, ages, and a few tidbits about all these fine people. I also use a separate calendar to keep record of everyone's actions.

To Love and To Cherish begins on June 1, 2014, the first Sunday in June. This book contains the entire first year of Maggie's life in Cherish.

To Have and To Hold continues in 2015 going from August to October.  Saturday, October 3, 2015 is a very special day!

For Richer, For Poorer picks up where To Have and To Hold leaves off. October 6, 2015. This book takes the reader from Cherish to Ghana in alternate chapters. Actual dates are important because world issues arise in real time. March 28, 2016 (the day after Easter) is where this book ends.

For Better, For Worse picks up on August 22, 2016. We'll see where it ends!

I like keeping these kinds of details written down. I don't know what other writers do, but this works for me. As I explore the backstories of different characters, (thank you to those of you who have asked about certain Cherish folks) I jot down specifics to keep track of who's done what.
Maybe I'm old, or maybe I've finally learned to write important things down. I know I'm unable to go to the grocery store without a list anymore!

These books are important to me. Besides sharing bits and pieces of my own life, I hope stigmas against clergy in general, and women clergy in particular, can be somewhat erased. I hope people who are unimpressed with organized religion can find a pew in these books, and see a group of people learning how to love one another, while trying not to embarrass God too much in the process.

I write this often, but I love going to Loving the Lord Community Church via my computer. I enjoy the characters who come from my fingertips. Saints and sinners all mixed together.

Names and dates are important, but I write from the heart. That's the joy of being a writer.

Now if you'll excuse me, Marmalade and I need to get back to work.

Once Upon a Time

A few weeks ago we joined friends, Pete and Priscilla, on our yearly visit to Stratford, Ontario. For those of you who also make this delightful trek, you may agree with me that to step out of the car in Stratford, is like taking a lovely journey into a time-gone-by. Our bed and breakfast is on a tree-lined street with flowers spilling their colors and fragrances from every garden. Our room is old fashioned with a fluffy bed, antique furniture, and a simple bathroom. The dining room is open and bright due to the large windows. There are bookshelves laden with classic books and trinkets from the different plays that have entertained so many. Fresh brewed coffee, a hot home-cooked breakfast, and freshly baked nighttime cookies add to the enchantment.

I don't want to jinx anything, but I have never met a rude person in Stratford. Ever. People are happy and polite and helpful. I take an hour-long constitutional each morning which brings me face to face with all sorts of folks as we watch swans, geese, and ducks preen, float, and count their young.  There are shops to explore, restaurants to enjoy, and some of the best literature in the world to be acted out on glorious stages for our pleasure.  It's like once upon a time time.

Over the last couple of years I've been told by a few people that my books remind them of Jan Karon's Mitford Series. It is an amazing compliment. Someone also told me they once read the Mitford Series, and that honestly, it was like reading a whole lot of nothing. Good to know. Humbling comments like that hurt a little, but I remember them and try to learn from them.

I love to write about small town life because it's fun and creative. I love to write about what I know and what I have lived as a pastor, wife, mother, daughter and friend. So I write about a sleepy little town called Cherish (based on Chelsea, Michigan), and an amazing church I was called to serve in 2004, The First Congregational Church. It was, and is, a lovely town full of good people, and few naughty ones. Being a pastor ultimately revolves around relationships. I've been invited in to the sacred and profane moments of parishioners lives. I am a keeper of secrets and a sharer of good news. I've baptized and buried babies. I've presided over holy matrimony, and then watched as divorce tore the bond asunder. I've also eaten cake at fiftieth wedding anniversary celebrations. I've held hands with those who made the final step from this life into the next. Ministry is a profound calling. Most of all, I've tried to bring the sacred and profane together in a holy, hopeful dance week after week. Being a pastor informs every word I write in my books.  For me, it's a whole lot of something.

The characters in my books don't swear a lot. I think that's okay. There isn't gratuitous violence. You would want to read another author for that. Maybe my characters have sex, but I don't write about it. My mother reads these books!

For me, to go to Cherish every day is like going to once upon a time time. Everything is not perfect and not everyone is on their best behavior. But somehow goodness keeps getting the upper hand. That's because I believe that to be true in real life. I believe in dark, dank tunnels with a pinprick of light at the far end. I believe we can give one another encouragement to love as easily as a license to hate.  I believe that through all the bumps and scrapes and dangers of life, there is an eternal happy ending.

To be honest, I suspect there may be one or two rude people in Stratford. I imagine there have been more than a few people who have chased the swans, geese, and ducks from time to time.  There's a good chance that other kinds of debauchery exist in this fairy-tale city. But I'll take my chances and keep showing up. I'll believe in the goodness I have witnessed.

And I'll keep on writing, even if some think I write a whole lot of nothing. Even if hopeful, happy endings seem boring and predictable. I like once upon a time time.  And I like happily ever after.

The Pastor Maggie Series - published by Pen-L Publishing (Pen-L.com)

To Love and To Cherish (to be re-released December of 2017 by Pen-L Publishing)
To Have and To Hold (available now at Pen-L Publishing and Amazon.com)
For Richer, For Poorer (to be released November 2017 by Pen-L Publishing and Amazon.com))
For Better, For Worse (to be released in 2018 by Pen-L Publishing and Amazon.com)
In Sickness and In Health (TBD by Pen-L Publishing and Amazon.com)
For as Long as We Both Shall Live (TBD by Pen-L Publishing and Amazon.com)

Boot Camp

My summer writing has been briefly interrupted with family visits and the opportunity to host a fundraising event for the non-profit organization, Mama Hope.

One of our daughters has worked for Mama Hope for the past seven years and is the project manager for the organization. Mama Hope's work in several countries in Africa and also Guatemala, has changed lives by supporting villages and cities as they seek health clinics, schools, sustainable farms, orphanages, and other important projects. The women who run Mama Hope, yes, the entire staff is made up of women between the ages of 25-37, are educated, bright, creative, and they have the ambition to work with communities for positive change one village at a time.  And that's exactly what they do.

Three times a year Mama Hope has a boot camp for new global advocates. A global advocate is a person who has passion for the types of projects listed above. Once accepted into the global advocate program, the group (usually 7-10 people) come from around the country, and the world, for a five day training session. They will then devote the next nine months of their lives to raise a minimum of $20,000 for their projects, spend at least three months on site, and then share their experiences with family, friends, and strangers.

Seven of the Mama Hope staff and the thirteenth class of global advocates moved into our home on Pentwater Lake last week. Boot camp commenced! When Doug and I showed up over the weekend, we were joined by many friends and relatives. We were a captive audiences as we listened to the stories of advocates and their journeys to Mama Hope and beyond. It was as you would expect; moving, inspiring and emotional. We met seven young people who will now go to far away places. Because they have listened to the people of the village or city where they are going, the advocates will work along side their new friends. Lives will be changed, bettered, and even saved - villagers and advocates alike.

Boot camp, or "The Event" (as we've called it since planning it over a year ago) was successful in every way. It was the highlight of the summer.

But what about writing? (I'm now going to segue this Mama Hope blog into a Cherish blog.) Doug and I have had the opportunity to travel to Bawjiase, Ghana on three different occasions. Bawjiase (Bo-gee-ossy) is where our daughter lived for over two years as she raised funds to build an orphanage: United Hearts Children's Center. If you have read To Love and To Cherish and/or To Have and To Hold, then you know that Pastor Maggie and a group of parishioners from Loving the Lord Community Church are planning a trip to Bawjiase. Mmmm...I wonder how that is going to go?

I am excited to share their experiences with you in the third book of the Pastor Maggie Series, For Richer, For Poorer, which will be released by Pen-L Publishing in November. The book incorporates life in Cherish (based on the real town of Chelsea, Michigan) as well as life in Bawjiase. Although the book is fictional, the Bawjiase chapters are taken from my personal diaries and experiences. You will get an excellent feel for the region, culture, and delightful people who live at Untied Hearts and in the village. I hope you enjoy the trip!

As for today, it's back to work for me. Pastor Maggie is tackling new problems and often being surprised by joy in the fourth novel of her series, For Better, For Worse. 

It's writing boot camp for me.

As Irena the crazy Cherish organist would say, "Onwarrds and forwarrds!"

www.Pen-L.com

www.mamahope.org

Chick Lit Review of To Have and To Hold

Chick Lit Cafe has reviewed To Have and To Hold. Here's what they had to say:

Delightful, spiritual and engaging.

This is the second book in the Pastor Maggie” series.

I loved “To Have and To Hold.” Not having read the first book, I was still able to jump right in and follow the plot and discern the characters well. I was drawn right in as I got to know the individuals that are written into this story. I felt I knew them personally and cared for them by the end of the book. They are endearing, unique and quirky. I felt that the author really put a lot of thought into developing the characters and did an excellent job. As the fun and colorful characters are rolled out, you can’t help but to love them. They are all beautifully woven within the story

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The plot is  convincing, inspiring and some what suspenseful. It is very realistic. We get a glimpse of the inner workings of a church parish with it’s love and care for others. With plenty of conflicts and emotions the story is especially engaging and exciting. Pastor Maggie and the church go through trials, challenges and triumphs. Filled with blessings as well as oppression and sorrow, we see how people can be in weakness and in strength.

The thread of mystery made this story especially good. Wonderings of who has been lurking about causing trouble and fear, was in the forefront of my mind. I was fully engaged and anxious thinking it through and trying to figure it out. Who has been behind all the mysterious things that are going on? I was held captive in suspense.

The story is filled with emotion and brings up the reader’s own feelings of faith, doubt, fear, joy and more. To Have and To Hold had an impact on my own beliefs and spirituality. I felt my faith being strengthened.

I loved how the unconditional expansive love of God is depicted throughout.. This is a very inspiring read and an exceptional creative literary work written from the heart. “To Have and To Hold” will not disappoint. It’s one of the better reads I have come across in a while.

Mimi, Maggie, and Me

Dr. Mimi Elzinga Keller

It’s fun to write such a variety of characters in The Pastor Maggie Series. I’m always fascinated to hear questions from readers about particular characters and who they might be based on. Not surprisingly, Irena-the crazy organist-gets a lot of attention! She is based on a real person who taught my daughters how to play string instruments. She was a very scary little woman! Her physical description is the only connection to the real woman. Irena’s fictional backstory will be revealed in book three of the series For Richer, For Poorer. Look for it this fall!

But there is another character I would like to highlight. Maggie’s mother, Mimi Elzinga. Mimi is the no-nonsense, practical, intelligent mother of both Maggie and Bryan. She is also my mother. Writing her character in the books is a whole lot of fun. She is not as harsh in real life – I want that to be clear.

If you sat down with my mother, Mimi, she would sip a cup of coffee or tea, depending on the time of day, and listen to your story. You most likely would not learn that she has both a B.A. and Master of Science degree in Psychology. She has her Doctorate in Early Childhood Education. She did research at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute, researching child development. She taught special education in the classroom. She still works with Developmental Psychology majors at Hope College in Holland, Michigan. She’s been a three-term president of the Women's Literary Club of Holland. She’s a published author. She’s a violinist and a church organist – thankfully, nothing at all like Irena! (Although, the same size.)

Mimi is a badass. She would also never use that word. She is classy, well-dressed, polite, and appropriate in every situation. I wish I was more like my mother.

Maggie and I tend to be dressed in unmatched Old Navy items. We are clumsy, impetuous, emotional, and dramatic. We both have needed Mimi to “class us up a bit.” And settle us down.

Maggie isn’t a mother (yet). But I was fortunate as I raised my four children, to have a mother who could answer ANY question about every stage of their lives. That’s an important point: she waits for questions. She doesn’t shove herself into other people’s lives with her brain full of knowledge and experience. She waits until she’s asked.

I’ve learned a lot about children, having raised them and now as I watch them fly on their own. They live all over the country and world. I’ve also learned a lot by spending over two decades working with parents and children in the church. But if I have ever have a wonderment about a child, I call Mimi.

Twenty eight years ago, Mimi buried one of her two children, my brother, Todd. Her level of grief, her descent into hell, and her rising again to go forward in life, were agonizing and inspiring to witness. She’s simply, and complexly, an amazing woman.

She has given me a love of reading, writing, and cooking. I’ve given her a fictional son named Bryan, which is what she wanted to name Todd in the first place.

This Sunday is Mother’s Day. What would Maggie and I do without Mimi for a mother? We’d be lost.

So, Happy Mother’s Day, Mimi Elzinga Keller! You make this world a better place. You are an extraordinary mother, grandmother and mother-in-law. 

And you will continue to guide Maggie and me as we stumble through life, badly dressed, but with hearts full of love. 

Another incredible gift from you. 

Easter Women

The Easter Women came to the tomb with sorrow, tears and ointment to cover the smell of death.

The Easter Women came to the tomb of the one who had lifted them up, gave them a voice, and honored them as women.

The Easter Women came from a culture where they were property, where they could be abandoned, where they had no worth.

Jesus changed all that for the Easter Women.

Because his resurrection from the dead was for them.

The Easter Women saw it first. No dead body anywhere. The stories in the gospels differ, but they saw angels and Mary saw Jesus himself.

The Easter Women found the good news first.

There were men that day. Jesus’ best friends and his disciples. The Easter Women brought the best great good news to the men.

And the Easter Women were not believed. Their story of resurrection fell on skeptical ears.

Jesus had spent his ministry seeking women who were outcast in their own communities. He gave them resurrection and new life.

He defended a woman who was judged and set to be killed, because apparently, only women committed adultery. He gave her resurrection and new life.

He healed a bleeding a woman. Resurrection and new life.

He was merciful to a woman who had lost a child. Resurrection and new life.

He was friends with two sisters and raised their brother from the dead. Lots of resurrection and new life.

So…

To you Easter Women of 2017, please believe this: resurrection and new life are for you, too.

Easter Women, have you ever not been believed? Have you told the truth with your whole heart and had your words fall on skeptical or condescending ears? Were you dismissed? Were you called a liar? When, in reality you are a truth-teller. You speak with authenticity. You are not invisible. Our words are powerful. Our honesty is believable. Resurrection, new life, and our truth are real. We will believe that the one who has called us blessed and worthy, is the one who speaks the truth.

Easter Women, do you work for less pay than your male co-workers? Have you had your childcare taken away? Is there no place for your school-aged child to go after school anymore, because that’s gone, too? Are you wondering how your health will be cared for? Do you listen to men who know nothing of your life, telling you how to do your job, what you may and may not do with your own body, and expect you to take it?

Wait…is this sounding like a political statement? Sorry, it’s meant to be a human statement.

These days it can seem insurmountable. Our steps toward equality and fairness were steps made in the sand. And someone has washed away those steps. This is where Easter Women come together. We march together. We hold one another. We walk into dank, dark tombs together with sorrow, tears, and ointment to disguise death. But resurrection is ours, too.  New life is our gift, too. We will believe that the one who has called us blessed and worthy, is the one who speaks the truth.

Easter Women, have you ever been touched or grabbed where you didn’t want to be touched or grabbed? Did you believe you were expected to take it? Did something worse happen to you? Did something happen to cause part of your heart to die, part of your soul to die, something that left your eyes empty? It’s hard to come back from the dead. But I know it can be done. I really do. Along with some of you, I have walked into tombs, and have walked out again. Resurrection, healing, wholeness, and new life are possible for all of us. YOU are an Easter Woman.   

Easter Women, are you healthy in spirit, but sick in your body? Easter can seem somewhat lackluster when you feel like hell. You will be well. This is what I believe, we all will be well. We may be healed from disease on this earth. We may be healed from disease into eternal life. In fact, at some point, we all will be healed into the hands of God. But I have something to say to a very special lady: this summer is not what you planned. It sucks. But this summer will come to an end, and rejoicing will reign. Resurrection and new life are yours. And whenever one of us has resurrection, we all do. I love you.

Easter Women of 2017, there are so many other issues we could chat about. We each have our own concerns as we love, as we mother, as we work, as we friend, and as we family in our lives (yes, I used "family" as a verb. It's my blog). But like the first Easter Women on that first Easter morn:

We walk together, sometimes in despair, sometimes crying, sometimes hopeless, sometimes filled with hope, sometimes overflowing with joy, all the while we know that someone, a really Good Man walked this earth, he empowered women, he healed women, he died for women, and he rose again for women. Because we are part of the story. We are part of the “raising the dead” story. We are the ones he talked to first. We are the ones who shared the story first. We are the ones who haven’t stopped talking about it for over 2000 years. And we rock.

Who else is capable of birthing new life?

So…Happy Easter. Happy resurrection. Your life is renewed and renewing.

Dancing with Angels

 Greetings!

(The following is the story of how I went from hopeful Hollywood actress, to the streets of Jerusalem, to seminary, to pulpit, to being an author. Everything I have done has been because of the people around me. I dance with angels – you are one of them.)

At the age of 18 I had an agent in Hollywood and was on track to be another small, blonde actress. It was my dream, my hope, my only goal in life. Finding an agent took only one interview. I signed on the dotted line. Driving to studios for various auditions was a bit more difficult, because I am, and always will be, geographically challenged. In 1980 there was no GPS. But I made it to the interviews and found myself sitting in rooms full of girls who looked exactly like me. Humbling.

My father was an American Baptist Minister. Being a pastor's kid meant that when the doors of the church were open, we were there. I knew how the church functioned and which keys opened which doors. I can't say much went on with my personal faith. I knew how to smile and be polite and eat odd food when invited over to parishioners homes for dinner. Manners were most important.

One day, my father called and said there was a group of Christian actors going to Israel to perform a Nativity Play and a Passion Play. They needed one more woman. As aforementioned, my faith was as solid as a vapor, so I naively asked him where Israel was. Mmm…

After saying, "Sure, why not?" Life moved quickly. Within one day I had a passport (unheard of), within two days I had two packed suitcases with everything I would need to live in a foreign country for six months (false, I was woefully unprepared), within three days my brother threw a surprise goodbye party (fun), and on day four, I was sitting on a 747 bound for Jordan, then to Israel.

My grandma asked my mom where I was going to be living. "I don't know." My mother said. My grandma asked my mom how I could be contacted or if I would contact someone upon my arrival. "I don't know." My mother said. My grandma asked who I would be working with. "I don't know." My mother said.

My mother had just put her 18 year old daughter on a plane from Los Angeles to Israel for a six month stay. That was all she knew. When she looks back on that time, she says it was the Holy Spirit that kept her from asking questions, or there would have been no possible way in the world she would have put me on that plane. Thank God. I have an amazingly wonderful mother, I’m glad she was Holy Spirit-blinded that week.

I met nine American strangers when I finally got to Jerusalem. Our director, Francisco de Araujo, was a thin man with crazy white curly hair, which his fingers regularly ran through. He was artistic, visionary, and created two plays that changed many lives. Mine was one of them.

Over the course of six months, our small group became very close. We experienced things like being robbed, bombs going off in the Old City of Jerusalem, an important education about differing cultures and religions living side by side. We ate waffles covered in ice cream, and falafels covered in yogurt sauce. We walked the streets with Bibles opened, and read the names of the places where we stood in the pages of the Gospels. We went where Jesus had been and it was marvelous.

I had many roles in each of our plays. But in the Nativity Play, performed on the hills of Bethlehem, I played the role of an angel. The blonde hair was one stereotypical reason I received this part. All the other smaller angels had the blackest of hair and chocolaty brown eyes. They were local Arabs hired to perform with us, and they were absolutely beautiful. I danced with little angels on the hills of Bethlehem.

Six months in Israel, with more experiences than there is space to tell here, brought me to LIFE. Real life. When we all departed for our different homes, I flew back to Los Angeles and told my Hollywood agent bye-bye. I enrolled in College, then in seminary. I had lived the most fabulous story of Jesus Christ, from his birth in Bethlehem to his gruesome death and life-saving resurrection in Jerusalem. 

I wanted to tell that story with my life. It was my dream, my hope, my only goal in life. I wanted to make the story of Christ artistic, visionary, and creative. I understood why Christianity could be as boring as dirt, and also how it could light someone on fire with joy and excitement.    

I have been a pastor for 23 years. I now write fictional books about a young, small, blonde, twenty-six-year-old pastor entering her first church. I write about "Pastor Maggie" because I don't find many female clergy stories in this world. I also don't like how clergy are often portrayed in Hollywood, etc. Maggie is clumsy, impetuous, lacking life experience, and loves cats a little too much. Her church is full of people who may or may not have similarities to hundreds of parishioners I have served over the years. 

If you haven’t already, I’d like to invite you to settle into a pew at Loving the Lord Community Church, and make some new friends! 

So, how have you danced with angels? How have they changed your life?

Dancing with angels in REAL LIFE is more enthralling to me than a lot of what Hollywood puts together. It is truly the collision of our stories that make reality more powerful than anything else. It's the way we all dance with angels each and every day. 

The thing about dancing is, whether we are experiencing joy, sorrow, peace, or pain, there is always someone to hold or to be held by.

I'll meet you on the hillside.


*******************************************************************************

Three Men and a Book

"Three Men and a Book" is about two special men who have sadly died this year, and one man I am so thankful to live with. These three men did, and do, incredible things with their lives. Because this is a blog about writing, I'm going to share how they influenced and continue to influence my writing.  

Howard Baker died on January 27, 2017 at the age of 90. Howard gave me permission to use his name and charming personality in my Pastor Maggie Series. Howard owned and operated a book store in Ann Arbor, Michigan. If anyone knew books, it was Howard. Howard was also on the Search Committee of The First Congregational Church of Chelsea, Michigan. At that time I was seeking a call to be the pastor of the church. Howard was a huge flirt. He was generous to all. He changed lives for the better. Now, my books are not the kind Howard would have ordered from Amazon, or picked off his own bookstore shelves. But he encouraged me to write. He read the first two books in the series. It was after To Love and To Cherish that he surprised me with his first comment. Here is a small excerpt from the eulogy I delivered at Howard's funeral on February 3:

Thank you for saying “yes” when I asked if I could use your name and personality in my books. After you read the first book I asked you if you liked it. You said, “It was okay.” I could tell you weren’t thrilled. “Oh, didn’t you like it?” I asked (slightly heartbroken). Then you said, “Well, you married me off to that old bitch, Mrs. Abernathy! Why?”

I laughed so hard when you said that. And I responded, “You were the only man who could truly love her and make her a better woman.”

And Howard, that’s just who you were and are in our hearts. Everyone who has ever known you has become a better person. You were a man with a huge heart, a bit of a temper, a naughty sense of humor, a world traveler, and voracious reader, a creative builder, an honorable husband, father and grandfather. A man who loved and is loved so completely.

Howard Baker changed my life in many ways. Before he died he asked how the writing was going. He told me not to stop because I had stories to tell. I am thankful he will always be alive in Cherish, flirting with the ladies, encouraging the youth, living a life of generosity, and loving God.


My Uncle Craig Hubbell died on March 3, 2017 at the age of 76. Shock turned to heartbreak after receiving the call from my Aunt Vicki. Craig was my father's twin brother, and after my father died almost sixteen years ago, Craig stepped in as a dad to me and a grandpa to my four children. For all these years he kept his promise to love us. He and Vicki came to football games, concerts, plays, and church. Church was a big deal. He sang the hymns with his beautiful tenor voice, and he often wiped away a tear or two by the last verse. Craig had taken a decades-long break from church, but he and Vicki would drive to Chelsea for special services, confirmations, and graduation Sundays.

One of the greatest gifts Craig gave me was reading my first novel, and then the second, To Have and To Hold. Now, my books are not the kind Craig would have ordered from Amazon or walked into a bookstore to purchase. But he enthusiastically read early drafts and the finished copies. He made me feel like a writer. He said, "I need the next book. The people of Cherish are my community, they feel like friends. They are my church." He gave specific critique and also raved about his favorite story lines. He gave me a great suggestion for the ending of To Have and To Hold which I used, and the book was better because of him.

I sent him the first chapters of the third book, For Richer, For Poorer. The last time we spoke on the phone, he hadn't had a chance to read them. I told him to wait, that I would send him the entire book for his thoughtful edits. But I won't have his edits or suggestions this time. I will miss his insights and his willingness to critique. He definitely wanted the two characters of Bryan and Cate to, "make a match of it." That request is done and dusted. True love reigns.

Speaking of which, my husband, Doug, had his knee replaced on February 6, 2017. Because he came through the surgery so well, did all the things the surgeon told him to do, and had me for a nurse, I did not feel guilty asking him to read the third draft of For Richer, For Poorer.  Now, my books are not the kind of books Doug would order from Amazon or walk into a bookstore to purchase. But he bravely sat in his chair, leg up, ice machine whirring, and read. As a physician, he makes sure my medical references are correct. His pages of handwritten comments were immediately implemented into the manuscript. He knows some stories in my books are ever-so-slightly autobiographical (understatement). He also claims he is not as nice as Jack Elliot (total lie - he is as nice as Jack). We talked through plot lines and character development. We laughed at the stories we have lived together, and I gave him spoiler alerts of future Cherish happenings.

 I don't know...maybe my books are the kind of books these three men would order from Amazon, or walk into a book store and purchase.  Howard and Craig wanted to know more about the series progression and were eager readers. Doug encourages me every day as I hit the on-switch of my computer. Especially the days when being a writer isn't fun or productive. The truth is, each of these three men did buy a book (or two). Perhaps it was just sentimentality toward the author. But you won't mind if I choose to believe they enjoyed, and enjoy, the community and craziness of Cherish.

Howard, Uncle Craig, and Doug, Thank you for letting me be one of your authors. I write for you.

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In the Nook

There is a room in our home we call "the nook." It is cozy with my grandma Elzinga's writing desk, a love seat, two bookshelves (one is grandma's), a large window, a cat condo, and my great grandma's rocking chair. Although I've tried writing in different rooms, it seems to work best in the nook. Every day I bring steaming coffee and my imagination to this little spot, and take a trip to Cherish.

I'm never in the nook alone. The felines who live in To Love and To Cherish and To Have and To Hold (plus a couple who haven't been introduced yet), always join me. These rescue kitties, like Marmalade above, settle in for the day. Besides the occasional break to drink out of the toilet (yummy), they curl up and dream their way through the hours. Except when...

They don't. I am also caring for a small rescue bird named Smitty. So before six-hour cat naps commence, the kitties often take time to gaze longingly into the bird cage, which sits on grandma's desk. Smitty is usually surrounded by a minimum of three cats. Smitty is less afraid of the cats than he is of me. Which is annoying, because I feed him, buy him toys, clean his cage, and give him three Rice Chex a day (mixed in his birdseed) for a fun little snack. And because he needs salt.

Back to the point, I enjoy reading about other writers. I like to know where they write, how they write, and what inspires them. It's so different for every one. Some can write in any space and in small chunks of time. Others need a block of several hours. Some have a specific number of words they want to complete per day. Some don't. I admire writers who do intense research and create a story from another time or place. I write from experience, which sometimes feels like the easy way out.

Writing is so personal. It's difficult to tell someone how to write without the possibility stifling them.

The freedom to create stories and characters has no boundaries. We all see life from different angles. That's what I love about writing.

Pastor Maggie, the protagonist of my book series, listens for, and hears whispers from God. I do too. I know where my inspiration comes from. 

No matter what I write, I know where I write best. In a nook full of furniture belonging to strong and intelligent female relatives-my good heritage. I'm surrounded by cats who were each on their ninth life when they were rescued. There's a little bird who had been trapped in a suet cage, and now lives in a bird mansion. Lots of Coffee.

And you the reader. There would be no point in writing, if there weren't people interested in reading.

So, thank you! You are all crammed in the nook with me every day. Please don't step on the cats :)

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The Box

When the first box of books arrives it's...very heavy!

It's also exciting to see the dream of a story beautifully published, and ready to share with you. It was just as exciting to open the box with copies of the second Pastor Maggie book, To Have and To Hold, as it was with the first. I'm guessing a similar picture will be taken with the third book, coming this fall! I am so appreciative of my publishers Duke and Kimberly at Pen-L Publishing, Pen-L.com. 

I hope you enjoy another visit to Cherish, Michigan. Maggie is as clumsy and impetuous as ever. She's also growing her cat collection. Oh dear! And scrumptious Dr. Jack Elliot is never far away. It's a good thing, because someone is breaking into the church. Who could it be?

I enjoy going to Cherish every day via my computer. I'm often surprised by what my characters are up to, as the story often takes on a life of its own. Writing is a joy for me

To Have and To Hold is available for pre-order and will be released on Valentine's Day. What a perfect day to read a little romance. Order your copy on my website:
Click here:  www.barbara-edema.com

If you would like to order 10 or more copies at a discount for book groups or other gatherings, you may do so at Orders@Pen-L.com.

Would you like a free book? Send me a 100 word reason why you enjoyed Cherish, Michigan, and who your favorite characters are. I would love to know what you love about Pastor Maggie's world. You can do this on my website (under "contact").  The first 5 people who post will receive a free signed copy. Please include your home address. Enter by February 18. I will post the winners in the next blog.

Thanks again for your support of Pastor Maggie and Cherish. Many more Maggie adventures are on their way!

Barb

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Here we go!

Latest book in The Pastor Maggie Series! Pre-order now at Pen-L.com or Amazon.com

Praise for To Have and To Hold:

An enjoyable read. Not a murder mystery but a gentle exploration of relationships, connections and the power--and the mystery--of love. Pastor Maggie is one to watch.

--G.M. Malliet, award-winning author of the St Just mysteries and the Max Tudor mysteries

“To Have and to Hold”, is a welcome and worthy addition to the wonderful Pastor Maggie series.  Barbara Edema captures perfectly the joys and struggles of the Pastoral life, with all its complexity, mystery and grace.  It’s also a page turner!  This is the real deal. The Reverend Stanley Jenkins, Senior Pastor, First Presbyterian Church of Lansing, Michigan.

Hi friends,
If you followed my previous blog, A Little Good News from Pastor Barb, you will find this new blog somewhat different. I was going to call this blog, From Pulpit to Pen. But Barb's Blog is simpler.

As I am not serving a church presently, I have poured my overwhelming amount of spare time and energy into writing about the church. WAIT! DON'T LEAVE! IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!

The church can be quite funny. In the midst of the comfort and boredom of the church year calendar, the tragedies, struggles, and loss; the church is also full of creativity, personality and personalities, accidents, goofiness, forgiveness, and love. Each of these things is wrapped up in holy moments and outrageous grace.

This blog gives me the freedom to write about writing. Being an author has opened up a new realm of creativity and thoughtfulness. Decades of pastoring different churches has given me endless experiences. My books are fictional. However, some people and their stories have wended their way (with their permission) into this fun series.

The Pastor Maggie Series follows a young clergy woman into her first church with very little life experience. She navigates between loving her parishioners and wanting to occasionally smack them with a hymnal. That's because a church is a family. People full of different ideologies and belief systems. But a place where everyone is welcomed. To lead this crowd one must tread lightly, unless you're Maggie. Then you just blow in like a strong wind and find yourself on the receiving end of cranky old ladies, a creepy male parishioner, and the Chief of Police who marches you off to jail. Just a day in the life...

To Love and To Cherish is the first book in this series (available at Amazon.com) And the second book, To Have and To Hold will be released on February 14, 2017 at Pen-L.com and Amazon.com.
They are books full of sinners and saints, friends and foes. But perhaps that's who we all are at one time or another.

Howard Baker is one of those precious saints. He died last week at the age of 90. My heart wasn't the only one that was broken. Here is a small part of the eulogy I gave at his funeral on February 3, 2017:

...Thank you for saying “yes” when I asked if I could use your name and personality in my books. After you read the first book I asked you if I liked it. You said, “It was okay.” I could tell you weren’t thrilled. “Oh, didn’t you like it?” I asked (slightly heartbroken). Then you said, “Well, you married me off to that old bitch, Mrs. Abernathy! Why?”

I laughed so hard when you said that. And I responded, “You were the only man who could truly love her and make her a better woman.”

And Howard, that’s just who you were and are in our hearts. Everyone who has ever known you has become a better person. You were a man with a huge heart, a bit of a temper, a naughty sense of humor, a world traveler, and voracious reader, a creative builder, an honorable husband and father and grandfather, a man who loved and is loved so completely.

You wanted your funeral to be ten minutes long. Sorry. If you were here, I would take your hand, look in your tear-filled eyes, and say, “Now Howard, let’s be reasonable, how can all the love and sadness of this day be contained in ten minutes. You are just being ridiculous.” 

He was a precious man, and will live on in printed word married to Verna. Whether he likes it or not.

This new blog will share bits of my writing. I'm happy to answer questions-I would LOVE to hear from you! Once in awhile, I may just leave a thought or wonderment. I hope you join me as pulpit and pen are melded together in stories you can hold in your hands and hearts!

Barb

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