Update: This giveaway is over. The winner is Ellen M. Lopes. Congratulations, Ellen, you have won a copy of Kim Vogel Sawyer’s book What Once Was Lost!
Dear Readers ~ Last week we heard from one of my author friends, Meg Moseley, and you had a chance to win two of her books. This week I am spotlighting another friend and Christian fiction writer, Kim Vogel Sawyer! You’ll love hearing from her about her favorite color, and then you’ll have a chance to win her new book that just released, titled
What Once Was Lost.
Here’s Kim…
Let them wear purple!
There are lots of things in life that make me smile: when my grand-kids giggle, when my dad or brother zing off a pun, when one of my kitties deliver a kiss on my chin early in the morning, when butterflies land softly on the flowers in my yard, and when people tell me they think of me when they see purple…
Purple? So what’s the big deal about purple, you ask? Let me tell you…
I’ve always loved purple. But as a painfully shy little girl, I never wore it. The color was too bold, too pretty, too special for someone like me. I admired it, but wear it? Nope. Couldn’t do it. So I wore my browns and navy blues and taupes and longed to wear purple.
Then on September 20, 2004, at the American Christian Fiction conference in Denver, Colorado, a lovely lady named Ruth took my hand and said, “I want Brandilyn to pray for you.” I thought Brandilyn was going to pray for my physical health. After all, I suffered from more than half a dozen different chronic illnesses resulting in constant pain and dizziness. I relied on a cane to keep myself upright. I wasn’t sure I wanted to bother Brandilyn–she was an awfully busy lady, but I couldn’t deny Ruth, so I went. And God revealed the real source of my difficulties–an emotional burden carried from early childhood. Using Brandilyn as His hands on earth, He stripped away that burden of shame, and the next day I cast aside my cane to step forward in a brand new, shame-free, pain-free body. To celebrate it, I began to wear purple.
You see, purple is the color of royalty. Purple reminds me I am a daughter of the King! I have no need to hide in shadows or hang my head in shame. I am loved by Him and I can proclaim it boldly. Purple is my declaration of freedom.
I wear purple every day, sometimes all out and sometimes what I call “purple light”–only in my accessories, but I get asked a lot, “So, is purple your favorite color?” And I have a ready answer: “Yes, it is. I’m a daughter of the King, so I wear the color of royalty.” The old Kim wouldn’t have been so bold. But thanks to those prayers in 2004, I’m no longer the old Kim. And wow, does it feel good to be free of those burdens!
2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” I realize it’s referring to salvation, but for me it has a secondary meaning as well. My “old things”–my way of viewing myself as tainted and unworthy–are passed away, and now all things are become new…and doused in a gorgeous shade of purple.
May God bless you muchly as you journey with Him! ~Kim
Kim Vogel Sawyer is a best-selling author highly acclaimed for her gentle stories of hope. More than one million copies of her books are currently in print with awards including the ACFW Carol Award, the Inspirational Readers Choice Award, and the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence. Kim lives in central Kansas, where she and her retired military husband, Don, run a bed-and-breakfast inn with the help of their feline companions. She savors time with her daughters and grandchildren.
Book Giveaway:
Today’s book giveaway is for a copy of Kim Vogel Sawyer’s latest book, What Once Was Lost. To enter to win, simply leave a comment at the bottom of this post.
If you are reading about this giveaway anywhere other than my website, such as on Facebook, in an email, or on Goodreads, please hop on over to my website by clicking here: https://www.cindywoodsmall.com/2013/09/24/kimvogelsawyer_purple/ and then leave a comment at the bottom of the post under the words “Leave a Reply.”
A woman meant to serve, a child in the dark, a man standing apart—can these three souls embrace a God with new plans for them?
On a small Kansas farm, Christina Willems lovingly shepherds a group of poor and displaced individuals who count on her leadership and have come to see the Brambleville Asylum for the Poor as their home. But when a fire breaks out in the kitchen leaving the house uninhabitable, she must scramble to find shelter for all in her care, scattering her dear “family.”
With no other options, Christina is forced to approach Levi Jonnson, a reclusive mill owner, to take in a young blind boy named Tommy Kilgore. Levi agrees with reluctance but finds himself surprised by the bond that quickly grows between him and Tommy. As obstacles to repairing the farm pile up against Christina, she begins to question her leadership ability and wonders if she can fulfill the mission to which she’s dedicated her life. And when an old adversary challenges Christina, will she find an unlikely ally—or more—in the aloof Levi? Can Levi reconcile with the rejection that led to his hermit-like existence and open his heart and life to something more, especially a relationship with a loving God?
Only comments left on my website will be entered into the giveaway.
The deadline for this contest is Tuesday October 1, at noon Eastern Time. The winner will be chosen using Random.org and will be contacted privately, as well as announced on next week’s post.
As always, please remember that all of my giveaways are limited to US residents only. Please visit my giveaway rules and FAQ page for a complete explanation of the terms and conditions of this giveaway.
Helpful info for first time commenters:
- For your protection against web crawlers gathering your e-mail address for purposes of spamming, please do not put your e-mail address into the body of your comment. Only write it in the field provided. That way only I can see it. Your e-mail address will ONLY be used to contact you if you win.
- When you leave a comment, you may see a note that says your comment has gone to “moderation.” That means it is in a holding place until either my daughter-in-law or I can approve it. That keeps spammers from being able to post a comment. If you comment while we’re away from our computers, we may not get to it until the next day.
- The commenter form asks for your name, feel free to only give your first name.
- Please be sure to type in the correct e-mail address so we can contact you if you win.
- The third field states: Got a website? This is simply a question. You may leave that field blank. If I could, I’d remove that field, but this is a WordPress comment form, and I can’t hone it to my liking.
- If you’ve been notified that you’ve won and you’re unsure about giving your postal address by replying to an e-mail, I welcome you to send the name of the item you won and your postal address through the Contact Cindy page of this website: https://www.cindywoodsmall.com/
about-cindy/contact/ We keep good records, so we’ll be able to verify your information and get the item in the mail as soon as possible. - Please be aware that I aim to get the items sent as quickly as possible, but at really busy times it can take up to six weeks. (I don’t have a staff. But I do have two daughters-in-law who help when they can. But they each have a life and professions not connected to my writing and giveaways. What?! <big grin>)
The winner of the blog post titled “Thoughts from a Writer Friend and a Giveaway” is Shirley Blanchard. Congratulation, Shirley! You’ve won copies of Meg Moseley’s books Gone South and When Sparrows Fall!
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