We have all cringed when we hear someone—someone perhaps too quick to answer—quote Romans 8:28, “…all things work together for good…” but I find it’s very seldom that those are the words people need at that moment. You know what I believe most people need? I believe they need to know that God cares.

In the midst of pain, their own or their friends, people just want to know that God cares. In those moments of vulnerability, our enemy whispers lies in our ears, lies we wouldn’t listen to for a moment if we weren’t hurting so bad. He whispers, “God doesn’t see you, God doesn’t care, God…” And in the midst of his lies, we need hope.  Psalms 56:8 offers that hope:

PS 56: 8       You keep track of all my sorrows

                    You have collected all my tears in your bottle

                    You have recorded each one in your book

God keeps track of all of my sorrows?

He collects all of my tears in a bottle?

He writes them down in His book?

Why does God write it down—do you think He’s going to forget? I think it just might be so that someday He can tell us about it.

I believe that one day God will open the bottle of our tears and show us how He was walking through our sorrow with us.

Job says that there is courage that comes from hope and that’s what this little verse points to: hope.

(Nashville, Tenn.) – Thomas Nelson, Inc. announced the acquisition of the originally self-published title “God Makes Lemonade” by Don Jacobson. Slated to release May 2013, “God Makes Lemonade” will undergo editorial changes and additions before its official launch in time for Mother’s Day.

Don is the founder of D.C. Jacobson & Associates, an Oregon-based author agency, and the previous owner and president of Multnomah Publishers. “God Makes Lemonade” is a collection of inspirational, true stories in which God takes a seemingly dire circumstance and turns it into a blessing. Don and wife, Brenda, experienced this first-hand and want to share their story with others, as well as hear stories in return.

The website GodMakesLemonade.com was developed by the Jacobsons for others to share their lemon-to-lemonade stories. For the Thomas Nelson release of “God Makes Lemonade,” Don will read stories submitted via the website and consider them for publication in the book. “God Makes Lemonade” is a community effort, authored by the growing number of people who, against all odds, have found joy in the midst of their pain.

“We all have lemonade stories,” says Don, “so what would happen if we could share them with the people around the world who need them most? That’s the dream of the ‘God Makes Lemonade’ series: to publish true stories to encourage people in sour circumstances that God is at work making lemonade.”

Matt Baugher, senior vice president and publisher at Thomas Nelson, agrees: “The world seems to revolve around the power of story. Perhaps that’s why God seems to revel in changing our stories so dramatically at times. Seeing how others’ lives have been transformed, gives us hope that ours can be as well. That’s the purpose and the power of this book, and we have high hopes and big plans for ‘God Makes Lemonade.’ It’s a privilege to partner with industry veteran Don Jacobson on this work.” 

DON JACOBSON AND MATT BAUGHER ARE AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEWS.

TO SUBMIT A GOD MAKES LEMONADE STORY, VISIT GODMAKESLEMONADE.COM

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Thomas Nelson, Inc. is the world’s largest Christian publisher. The Company provides multiple formats of Bibles, inspirational books and digital content, with distribution of its products in more than 100 countries. Live Event Management, Inc., a Thomas Nelson company, is the nation’s leading producer of Christian live events. Thomas Nelson is headquartered in Nashville, TN. For additional information, please visit www.thomasnelsoncorporate.com.

GML: What are you up to these days?

Tracy: I live in Simi Valley, California with my son, Brandon. I work in children’s ministry at Simi Covenant Church and volunteer at a local elementary school.

GML: What inspired you to write your lemonade story?

Tracy: One of the reasons for sharing our story was to hopefully encourage anyone who has been told “never” either about themselves or someone they love. Doctors originally said that my son would never roll over, sit up, understand anything, etc. By God’s grace and healing, he is doing those things and more. God is so much bigger than all of the “nevers” in our world, and hopefully my son’s journey can be a reminder of that for others during their own hard times.

GML: What was it like to see your story printed in the book?

Tracy: Seeing the story in print is almost surreal. It is such an honor to be included in such an amazing book. I was able to share the final draft of our story with my mom shortly before she passed away. She was so happy that it had been chosen to be part of God Makes Lemonade and that it would be shared with others. She used to say that God brought Brandon to us for her, to show her His power, love, and grace and to give her strength and courage to face her own struggles and battle with cancer. I think knowing his story would be shared with others gave her comfort and hope that others could see God through His work in her grandson’s life.

GML: Have you had a chance to read other stories in God Makes Lemonade?

Tracy: Yes. There are so many amazing stories of God’s work in the toughest of times. The stories and the hope they provide have helped me in my own life with the recent passing of my mom. The book has been a great reminder that God is there, making lemonade, even if right now all I can see is a pile of lemons.

GML: Do you have any updates on your lemonade story since it was published?

Tracy: My son turned seven a few days ago. Since the story was published, he has learned how to ride a tricycle and is starting to learn how to climb stairs.

GML: Just for fun, if you could go on vacation anywhere today, where would you go?

Tracy: I would go to Florida. A few years ago, my son was given an amazing gift through the Make-A-Wish Foundation. We got to fly to Florida to see theme parks and stay at a place called Give Kids The World Village. GKTW is one of the most INCREDIBLE places I have ever seen or experienced. They provide children facing life-threatening struggles, and their families, with an amazing week away from their daily struggles. It’s a place where they can be the center of attention in a happy and positive way, where they can relax and enjoy life together as a family. I would love to be able to go back and visit and even volunteer for a day or two so I can help others have an amazing and life-changing week like the one I was so blessed to have with my little guy.

Tracy and Brandon on the Make-a-Wish trip

Thanks for stopping by and getting to know Tracy a bit better. Come back next week—we’re already working on another interview with the author of our next featured story. Or you can pick up a copy of God Makes Lemonade, where you’ll find more than eighty inspiring stories like this one.

Have you read this week’s Featured Story, “An Unlikely Christmas Tradition”? Anne Forline had a great idea for a local news article. She planned to be writing the article instead of attending her family’s Christmas tradition of feeding the poor that year. After Anne discovered some discouraging news about the article, she was able to participate in her family’s Christmas tradition—which turned out to be a very sweet experience.

At this point, I’ve heard thousands of lemonade stories about very typical life circumstances that are anything but simple or easy. All Anne had to do was put on cold weather clothes and spend the day in downtown Camden, one day of the year. It was simple. Anne’s family-tradition was taken for granted, something she could easily give up for a writing gig. After a painful chain of events, Anne decided to go anyway. Anne showed up. And she received the most unexpected and beautiful gift: hope. Sometimes, just showing up can be the most powerful thing you can do.

Anne’s story challenges me think of all the small, simple things we can do on a daily basis to bring hope into other people’s lives. Attend the church’s homeless outreach that happens to fall on the same night as your favorite TV show. Follow through on that dinner invitation you casually gave the single mom and her children in your neighborhood. Connect with an elderly family member who lives alone more consistently. There are a few more scenarios I can think of in my own life. Anne’s story challenges me to be more intentional, available, and sincere with people in my life. I want to show up.

Think about how encouraged your mother might be if you surprised her with dinner and a movie one day. Think about how delighted that mom in your neighborhood might be if you offered to watch her kids for the afternoon. And think about how encouraged you would feel if you made a new friend.

I hope you’ve been staying warm this week and that you’ll stop by again for another inspiring true story next week.

Maybe it’s a little early to be talking about New Year’s resolution doldrums. Or maybe you’re already struggling—maybe you resolved, like many others, to write more. You pour a mug of coffee in the morning and plop down at your desk. Moments later, you’re holding an empty coffee mug and staring at an empty computer screen. Soon, you find yourself at the gym, wondering how you drummed up the resolve to workout instead of write. You wonder if you could be more efficient by writing between red lights.

But before risking your health and the health of other drivers, check out this advice we compiled from some author friends about how to effectively “write more” in 2012:

1. Make writing a scheduled priority. If your Google calendar chronicles dinner menus, vet appointments and which kid to pick up where, then why isn’t writing in there? If you want to write more in 2012, then you need to put writing in your schedule and plan on it.

2. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. Telling yourself to just “write more” is about as effective as saying “eat healthy.” You need to identify what healthy means—maybe you need to increase your daily word count from 300 to 800 words per day. Maybe you need to schedule smaller goals such as increasing your word count by 100 words each month. Maybe “write more” means you divide your daily hour of writing into 20 minutes of “free writing” and 40 minutes of focused craft.

3. Don’t write alone. Do you share your work with anyone but acquisitions editors? Writing groups can do wonders for you. One friend asked her writing group to review her articles and eventually, she started landing gigs like the cover page article in Neue Magazine, which inspired everyone in the group to achieve more of their goals.

4. Find your inner-writer’s “happy place.” Do you write best in a café on your laptop? Or in the peace and quiet of your home office? Create a detailed description of what works best for you and make sure you’re writing in that environment. You may need to invest in some noise-canceling headphones, a babysitter, or a new desk. One author drops her kids off at school and heads straight to the library for some quality writing time.

5. Have fun. Maybe finishing your novel in 2012 is attainable for you, but the week your car breaks down and your husband comes down with the flu, that lofty 4,000-word completed chapter may not be attainable. Allow yourself time to breathe and stimulate your creativity. This may include scheduling time to walk through a museum, ride your bike, or listen to great albums. This may mean not writing every day, or scheduling time to write something completely unrelated to any of your projects. Remember, you want to write more—not suffer more!

Happy writing!

GML: Where do you live?

Anne: I live in southern New Jersey, in Bellmawr, which is very close to Philadelphia.  I live with my husband of thirteen years, Steven, and our nine-year-old daughter, Cara.  We also have two bunnies (Patches and JoJo) and a goldfish named Jaws.

GML: Have you been able to share your story with friends and family?

Anne:   After friends and family read my story, I share its special significance to them. You see, “An Unlikely Christmas Tradition” takes place in Camden, New Jersey, a city that is sadly known for drugs, crime and poverty.  This past August, my brother, Chip, passed away due to drug-related causes in the same exact lot that my family and I had been standing only months before.

GML: Wow. This must be a very powerful story for them. What are you up to these days?

Anne:  I’ve started a blog, anneforline.blogspot.com, and I’m working on a devotional that I hope will one day be a published source of encouragement for families that have a drug-addicted family member. I enjoy writing and telling stories. I write for the Gloucester City News and other local newspapers. Patches and I appeared in the “My Pet and I” column in the November 2011 issue of All You. I’ve also contributed stories to I Love Cats and Cat Fancy. Aside from all that, this is my fifth year home-schooling Cara.  In the afternoons, I work in an after-school program in Gloucester City teaching second-graders.  Steve and I help in our church’s junior department and we also enjoy coaching Cara’s soccer, basketball and softball teams.

GML: What inspired you to write your lemonade story?

Anne: As soon as I read the writer’s guidelines for God Makes Lemonade, I knew I had to send in my story. I am so happy that things turned out the way they did.  We had so much fun on Christmas Eve and we talked about it all year long.

GML: What was it like to see your story printed in the book?

Anne:  I still look at it sometimes and say, “Is that me?” I am still so appreciative of the courtesy and respect that the entire GML editorial staff has extended to me.  They all treat me well, and dare I say it? …like a “real writer!”  It’s still a tremendous blessing to see my name and story printed in a book.

GML: Thank you for the compliment, Anne. We love the opportunities we have to make a connection with writers and storytellers like you. Have you had a chance to read other stories in God Makes Lemonade?

Anne:  Yes, I loved Sarah Feusler’s “A Laundromat Love Story” because it was set in Philadelphia and was catchy and clever.  I also related on a heart-to-heart level to “Kyle’s Legacy” by Penny Whipps.

GML: Do you have any updates on your lemonade story since it was published?

Anne:  On Black Friday this year, Steve, Cara and I went out with other volunteers from Street Ministries to go shopping for all the toys that will be distributed on Christmas Eve.  We had a great time helping again this year!

GML: And just for fun, tell us a good dating story.

Anne: My husband and I both grew up in Bellmawr, but we didn’t meet until we were in our early thirties. I visited a new church one Sunday and there he was. He waited three months to ask me out, and when he finally did, we went to see a Living Nativity and Christmas lights and then out for dinner in Philadelphia. He asked me to marry him ten days later, on Christmas Eve! We got married six months later and we’ve been married for thirteen years.

Thanks for stopping by and getting to know Anne a bit better. Come back next week—we’re already working on another interview with the author of our next featured story. Or you can pick up a copy of God Makes Lemonade, where you’ll find more than eighty inspiring stories like this one.

Forline family with Santa & their unlikely Christmas tradition

This week’s featured story inspires us. Sarah and Al’s connection couldn’t be much more unlikely: a young college student learning the ropes of living on her own in an urban environment and a haggard, elderly homeless man. Whether you live in New York City or Altoona, Alabama, and whether you’re a homeowner in the suburbs or an urban renter, there are homeless people in your midst. On any given night, 1% of the U.S. population is homeless—but one of the most difficult things for anyone gathering data on homelessness, is the fact that many people are temporarily homeless or they’re just not documented because they’re living on friend’s couches, in cars, or they’re squatting in foreclosed homes. This Christmas, dozens of newspapers reported rising homelessness from Los Angeles to Chicago and Charleston due to the recession. So we decided to compile a list of some simple ways you can increase your awareness and share hope with the homeless around you.

1. Carry some homemade Care Kits in your car or bag. Add the following items to your next grocery list and hand them out in reusable, waterproof bags:

• A few pairs of socks and underwear
• Travel-size toiletries
• Small food items such as fruit, granola bars, instant soups
• Pre-paid phone cards and grocery gift cards
• A small card with names and locations of local homeless shelters
• An encouraging book—God Makes Lemonade is a great option!

2. Offer to buy the person a meal—you might even make a new friend this way!

3. Take down the person’s contact information (this may be a location instead of a phone number) and pass it on to a friend who might have an employment opportunity for the person.

4. Support a local organization. Food banks, shelters, after-school programs, medical services, social welfare referral programs, and soup kitchens need your support. Maybe you’re not in a place to share your financial resources, but you may be able to donate clothing, food, cars, appliances, time, or even your skills to these types of organizations. Don’t know where to start? Contact the local chapter of one of these national organizations: Salvation Army, National Coalition for the Homeless, Catholic Charities, or Habitat for Humanity.

5. Read. Gather up a few good friends or your book club to read one of these books: Under the Overpass, When Helping Hurts, Same Kinda Different As Me. You’ll be inspired by the powerful stories and tips for how you can reach out to the homeless—and imagine the power in joining up with a few of your closest friends to address homelessness in your community!

6. Keep an open heart. Live by Sarah’s example. She didn’t want her clothes smelling like old cigarettes anymore than you probably do, but if she hadn’t let her guard down just a little, she never would have had the incredible blessing of knowing Al. Sarah started with a “thank you” when Al folded her clothes—maybe you can start with a simple hello.

GML: Where do you live?

Sarah:   I currently live in a small suburb outside of Philadelphia with my parents. I transferred to Temple University this month, so I am currently on the hunt for a new apartment, preferably without a washer/dryer as I seem to get my best stories from going to Laundromats. I have a younger brother, John, who doesn’t live with us. He’s living in New Jersey because he’s a graduate student at Princeton University. So I only see him when he needs my mom to do his laundry. Kidding, he can totally do his own laundry… I think.

GML: What are you up to these days?

Sarah:  I am a full-time student and work as a tutor at my college, helping students in economics, math, statistics, and marketing courses. Although my schedule is mostly filled with paper writing and pleading with tutees to please, please, please do their homework and get to class on time, I enjoy spending time with my cat Harley (yes, I realize this will be published and that this statement makes me an official “cat lady”), shopping, reading, and unabashedly feeding my reality-TV addiction.

GML: No shame in being a “cat lady,” we’ve got someone on staff who might be considered a crazy “dog lady.”  What inspired you to write your lemonade story?

Sarah:  I first told my story to a group of fellow students when I was asked to give an “impromptu” speech in a communications course. So, while many of my classmates talked about their favorite pet or funniest childhood memory, I decided to tell my story about Al. The professor approached me after my short speech and suggested that I turn the speech into a written story. Two years later, God Makes Lemonade served as an outlet for me to share that story with others.

GML: What was it like to see your story printed in the book?

Sarah:  For lack of more eloquent and well-articulated wording, it was: crazy. I was very excited that my story would be shared with more than a classroom full of students. After I got the news that my story was accepted, I flooded friends and family members’ inboxes with the good news. Needless to say, anyone who knows me, knows my story.  I have not gotten through the entire God Makes Lemonade book yet, but they are all so inspiring, so incredible, so moving.

GML: And just for fun, if you could go on vacation anywhere today, where would you go and why?

Sarah:  I would hands down, no questions asked, book a plane ticket to Jamaica. I love the weather, the culture, the scenery, the music, the food, the people… just about everything. And mojitos never taste as good as they do when you’re in the Caribbean. That’s a fact. Google it.

Thanks for stopping by and getting to know Sarah a bit better. Let her now how much you enjoyed her story on Facebook. Come back next week—we’re already working on another interview with the author of our next featured story. Or you can pick up a copy of God Makes Lemonade, where you’ll find more than eighty inspiring stories like this one.

Sarah Fuesler

Most of us wouldn’t be who we are today if one person hadn’t lived out his own incredible story of hope. Today we take a moment to remember Martin Luther King Jr., a man who changed the lives of every American by his faithfulness to a dream, and hope in the God he served. MLK defied odds. He lived courageously and inspired courage in millions of others in the midst of a time when hate crimes against African-Americans were called “God’s justice” and African-Americans were called other names because we did not consider these people truly worthy of the rights and privileges of being an American.

Here’s an excerpt from his “I Have a Dream Speech”:

I Have a Dream, Washington, D.C., 1963
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

This will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with a new meaning, “My country, ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim’s pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring.”

And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!

Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California!
But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!
Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!
Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, “Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”

Read the whole speech and find more resources at www.thekingcenter.org.