Shirley Brosius

October 3, 2011

Dear Friends,
A dream of Friends of the Heart has turned into reality. Turning Guilt Trips Into Joy Rides, a devotional book Kim, Janine and I wrote together, should be ready in time for Christmas. We are excited.

Here is the Preface:
Turning Guilt Trips Into Joy Rides happens only by the grace of God, so this book is organized around the metaphor of G-R-A-C-E representing:
G – God
R – Relationships
A – Acceptance
C – Challenges
E - Emotions

Life is not perfect. We long for peace, yet we face challenges and changes. We feel responsible to promote harmony, and then when conflict arises, guilt sets in. We feel we’ve failed. We want to pull the covers over our heads and drop out.

But God—through his grace—makes a way for us to go on. Rain falls, but the sun rises. Day follows night. Spring follows winter. We grow in grace and faith as we confront our challenges.

Grace means we receive something we don’t deserve. After all, we are guilty of sin, every one of us. Yet God loves us. He carries our guilt and shame—so that we don’t have to. He provides for our every need—even though we don’t deserve it. He uses life’s challenges and changes—to build our character and draw us to himself.

So we can throw off the covers and face the world with confidence. We are not alone. God offers us his divine love and protection. That is what this book is about. On these pages we share stories of how God has made a way for us by his grace and pray that you accept that grace to meet your own needs.

Each reading offers a “Guilt Trip to Avoid,” a scripture verse, a story, and a way to “Take the Joy Ride.” Read one devotional a day, meditate on the message, and apply it to your life. The book includes 183 daily readings, enough to last six months.

We wrote this book so that busy women may stay connected with God and grow spiritually, especially after they return home from women’s retreats and other mountaintop experiences. Enjoy the journey as you turn guilt trips into joy rides. (End of Preface)

Hope that sounds appealing. In the December newsletter I’ll let you know the price and ordering information. If the book is ready earlier, I'll send an extra newsletter to pass on that information.

Thanks for all the good wishes you sent to Bill and me on our 50th anniversary. We enjoyed a wonderful weekend at Seven Springs resort with our family. A highlight was touring Fallingwater, a house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright that is built over a waterfall. Stay tuned, stay dry and enjoy the beautiful fall weather.

Sincerely,
Shirley Brosius

October and November Engagements:
October 1, 10 a.m. – Friends of the Heart, Women’s Brunch, Hillside Christian Fellowship, Millersburg, “At Any Age, At Any Stage: Celebrating the Christian Life.”
October 7-8 – Shirley, Montrose Retreat Center for a women’s retreat with Landmark Church, “If Our Closets Could Talk.”
October 9 – Shirley, Landmark Church, Binghamton, NY, offering a dramatic presentation of the book of Philippians from memory.
October 16, 8, 9:30 and 11 a.m. – Shirley at First United Methodist Church of Hershey offering a dramatic presentation of the first three chapters of the gospel of John.
October 22, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. – Shirley book signing at Country Cupboard, Lewisburg.
November 1, 11:45 a.m. – Shirley at Ephrata Christian Women’s Club, Stevens; 6:15 p.m., Lebanon After Five, “Passing On Your Legacy.”
November 2, 12 noon – Shirley at Lancaster North Women’s Connection, Lititz, “Passing On Your Legacy.”
November 3, 9:30 a.m. – Shirley at Elizabethtown/Mt. Joy Christian Women’s Club, “Passing On Your Legacy.”
November 5, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. – Friends of the Heart, Women’s Retreat at Pine Street United Methodist Church, Williamsport, “At Any Age, At Any Stage: Celebrating the Christian Life.”

Contact me (sbrosius@epix.net or 717-692-2721) for specific locations of the above events. All are open to the public.