Sunday, August 15, 2010

Welcome, Guest Blogger Author Myra Johnson!


by Myra Johnson

No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the Lord. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” —Jeremiah 31:34 NIV



I’ll never forget my first attempt to make a pumpkin pie with a real pumpkin. Oh, what a naïve young bride I was! I cut off the top and scooped out what I assumed was the “good stuff.” The problem then became how to separate the pumpkin from the seeds. But I persevered and made my pie. It looked pretty good, and it tasted . . . not too bad if you didn’t mind the stringy texture.

Then my husband noticed the rest of the pumpkin sitting on the counter—what I thought was just the shell—and even he knew the edible part of a pumpkin was actually what lay just beneath a thin layer of peel. Some thirty years later my family still shares a laugh over this blunder, one I doubt they’ll ever let me forget!

I sometimes wonder if God enjoys the occasional chuckle over our slip-ups. More often than not, He probably shakes His head in sorrow. But the good news—the gospel—is that in Christ we have complete forgiveness—and forgetfulness—of all our sins. As far as the east is from the west, that’s how far our Lord separates us from our transgressions (Psalm 103:12).

What’s your most embarrassing moment?

Can you laugh about it now? If not, ask the Lord to give you Christ’s perspective, and let Him restore your confidence.

~*~

Myra Johnson writes for Abingdon Press and Barbour Publishing’s Heartsong Presents line. her short contemporary, Autumn Rains, won the 2005 RWA Golden Heart for Best Inspirational Romance Manuscript and is a 2010 ACFW Carol Finalist. Myra writes full-time and is active in her church as well as local and national writers groups. She and her husband have been married since 1972. The Johnsons have two married daughters and five grandchildren. Visit Myra’s website at http://www.myrajohnson.com/.

AUTUMN RAINS
Healy Ferguson, a redeemed ex-con, arrives in town searching for the friend who led him to Christ, but he isn’t prepared for the news of his friend’s death, much less to find himself falling in love with his friend’s widow. Valerie Bishop’s life was shattered the night her husband died, but the man who begins to fill the empty place in her heart holds the key to a buried memory that could destroy her all over again. If their love is to survive, they must each confront the fears imprisoning them and trust in God’s healing mercy.

11 comments:

  1. Welcome Myra. Such a pleasure and surprise to see you here this morning! I loved your pie story. Oh my, that must have been an ugly pie! sorry.

    I recall making a dish my first year of marriage that I swear had baked cucumbers in it. Do you suppose it was supposed to be zucchini? Anyway, it was terrible. I tried some crazy recipes but like all experiences -good and bad- they lead us to improvement and growth.

    Thank God!

    I haven't read your book yet but I intend to get my hands on it soon. Congratulations on all its success!
    Deb

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks so much for hanging out at the inkwell with us, Myra! I would share my most embarrassing moment but digital is forever and for everyone. Just not sure I'm ready to open myself up to that kind of trauma! Believe me there are lots of moments I wish everyone would forget, including me!

    ReplyDelete
  3. MYRA!!! LOVE the pumpkin pie story, and that is SO something I would do, so thank you for making me feel better!! Remind me to tell you my garlic story sometime, which is along the same lines and has my family making fun of me to this day as well!

    I will be diving into Where the Dogwoods Bloom very soon and I cannot WAIT!!

    Hugs,
    Julie

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh, Myra, that's hilarious! One of my most embarrassing moments involved cooking. I was in college, and my parents were out of the country. So I decided to have some friends over for dinner at their house (was trying to be all grown up, cooking for this double date!). :) I made strawberry shortcake for dessert. The shortcake was made from Bisquick, which I'd done many times before. But for some reason, it didn't turn out that time. I was happily talking, then noticed the others hacking at their dessert. They finally broke out laughing, wondering if they'd need a sledge hammer to eat it. I was sooo embarrassed, but we got a good laugh out of it. Still, to this day, I don't know what those shortcakes hard as a brick. :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Myra,
    I wouldn't have the vaguest idea how to make a pumpkin pie from scratch, but I am getting hungry.:)

    Most embarassing moment was when I ran over the judge on my horse during an equestrian event when I was 12. Long story.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hey Myra! So nice to see you here. Loved your post.

    Snicker... even I know how to make a pumpkin pie from scratch... however... I betcha never made Baking Powder Biscuits - from scratch - using Baking Soda. LOL Yup. I didn't realize the mistake until hubby took a big bite (they looked delish) and his eyes started watering. I swear, everytime people talk about cooking mishaps, he brings up that story. And if that's the only one he remembers, then hurrah for me. :D

    (Waving to Missy and Julie)

    Anita Mae.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Myra, thanks so much for coming by and sharing with us today! I loved your devotional.

    I've made plenty of goofy mix-ups in the kitchen. One involved what I thought was rhubarb and even though I thought it looked wrong, I trusted the seller at the farmer's market. I think it turned out to be beet stalk or something. Needless to say, it didn't make a good cobbler!

    ReplyDelete
  8. ROFLOL!!! Loving all these comments and the reassurance that I'm not the only one who's made a silly goof in the kitchen!

    Now, about running over an equestrian judge . . . THAT could be a problem! Glad you survived to tell the tale, Jillian!

    Many thanks to the Inkwell gals for inviting me to share!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Myra, Cynthia's sister, Janice, and her husband invited us for dinner shortly after they were married, with homemade ice cream for dessert. Unfortunately, Janice forgot to add one ingredient to the ice cream: sugar. I must tell you, I'm voting that as the most essential part of any future recipes for ice cream!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Myra, your story is great. Max's sister made her first turkey with the giblets still in their little pouch inside the bird. I've done the baking soda/baking powder switcheroo, too, Anita! Burned way too many things to count. A few minor fires. And we won't even talk about all the inedible things that have come from my nimble, not so gourmet fingers.

    Excellent fun here today. And yes, I'm so grateful for a forgiving God . . . . . and husband.

    ReplyDelete
  11. You know what, Carla? I think I did the giblet packet thingy once myself! I was SO clueless in the kitchen! I've learned a lot since I first got married--no choice!!--but I still don't really enjoy cooking.

    Actually my least favorite part is the planning. After being solely responsible for shopping and meal planning for the first 30 years of marriage, I am frankly quite tired of it and ready for a personal chef. I've been trying to coerce hubby into that role, but he remains resistant. Good grief!

    ReplyDelete

Share This Post

How Our Giveaways Work: The Official Rules

We, the ladies of Inkwell Inspirations, would love to give free stuff to everybody. Since we can't, we will often have a giveaway in conjunction with a specific post. Unless otherwise stated, one winner will be drawn from comments left on that post between the date it was published and the end of the giveaway as determined in the post. Entries must be accompanied by a valid email address. This address is used only to contact the commenter in the event that he/she is the winner, and will not be sold, distributed, or used in any other fashion. The odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. NO PURCHASE, PLEDGE, OR DONATION NECESSARY TO ENTER OR TO WIN. ALL FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL AND MUNICIPAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS APPLY. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.

Pinterest