FAITH, GRAFTED-IN

Faith, Grafted-In released July 2, 2010.
I'll remember that date until the day I die.
Why you may ask? The book's not that good is it?
NO!!!
But that's the day my son, Nate (Nathanael Klein) married Lyz (Elizabeth Lewis).

And there's a beautiful story behind that wedding.

First, a bit of information about Nate. He helped me develop the story line for AIRAM'S SECRET, a tween through teen book releasing this fall. Nate credits his interest in storytelling and writing with having grown up listening to my bedtime stories. Back then, the Teenage Ninja Turtles were all the rage.
I hated them, they were all about fighting and violence. So, in all my stories, the turtles traveled the globe on mission trips, doing good deeds.

Nate and Lyz met, dated, got engaged, planned a wedding and even their honeymoon plans were the kind of things romance novels are filled with.

Then two days before the wedding, a freak accident and a 50 foot fall, left my son with two broken crippled feet. When they brought him home from the hospital, it took three men to gently lift him from the truck and carry him into the house.
Beside himself with pain and guilt, Nate apologized to Lyz for 'ruining everything' over and over, even though it wasn't his fault.

Who knew if he'd ever walk again? Most of us could focus on nothing but the heartbreak. But not Lyz! She caressed his brow and offered words of love and encouragement. "...You're alive, that's all that matters!"
The nights were long, the days were endless. Through it all, she rarely left his side--and she never allowed him to despair. Hiding her own tears, and casting aside a fair share of dreams, she tirelessly monitored his meds, brought his ice packs, and ignored the unhappy grumblings of a young man overwrought with pain.
Her bravery didn't stop our flow of tears -- but it helped us refocus on our gratitude.

Two families, about to be united, pooled their resources, acted out their faith, and grew closer than we would have believed possible.
Then on July 2, Nate in a wheelchair, with purple and swollen legs and feet, awaited her at the front of the wedding pavilion. The furrows in his brow and the dullness of his eyes revealed the depth of his pain and desperation.
Then Lyz flowed down the aisle--and we watched a miracle take place as his face and eyes illuminated with an all-encompassing love.
The pastor said, "Lyz, you look beautiful--Nate, you look okay!"
Necessity required the service be shortened. When Pastor Frank pronounced them man and wife, Lyz, in her lovely gown, turned and said, "I've got this!" She grabbed the wheelchair's handlebars and went with him back down the aisle, past a thunder of applause.

There were a lot of people at that reception, and I don't know how many other weddings, cumulatively, had been attended by them. But I do know this--it was one wedding that won't be forgotten by any.
Joy overcame! Faith and the indomitable human spirit, as well as the ability to improvise ... allowed the most memorable wedding dance to take place that any of us had ever witnessed.
With Nate kneeling in his wheelchair, they swayed, kissed, spun, and even dipped. All conversations ceased, and there were few, if any, dry eyes in the room.

The story isn't finished. Surgery was performed on July 15, followed by nearly two months in a wheelchair. In mid-September Nate began the process of walking again . He's on crutches or using a cane ... and moving slowly but there is progress.
We don't know if he'll make a full recovery--but God is in control ... guiding, teaching ... and we will reap a victory!
And without question--no mother could ever be more grateful for the beautiful spirit of her daughter-in-law.

WHERE TO FIND LOVE, GRAFTED-IN

Thanks to Munce Marketing Group selecting my book, LOVE, GRAFTED-IN, for inclusion in their Christmas Catalog, it is now being carried by an international distributor and is available for either online orders or through any Christian bookstore. When purchasing, please think first of your local Christian bookstore. They are a ministry that exists in HIS service.
Our book sale website is: giftsfromabove.net
LOVE, Grafted-In may also be purchased through Amazon.com.

At present, HOPE, Grafted-In is available only through Christian bookstores, or our website.

THE NUTRITION INFORMATION IS ACCURATE

I've never really thought of myself as an author - but I am indelibly bound to a lifelong commitment to nutrition. Not the kind where you prescribe a vitamin pill or herb for every symptom (although I'm not bad at that either) but the type of nutrition where you actually eat for optimal health and longevity.

Anyway, when it came time for me to write LOVE, GRAFTED-IN, I found it impossible not to use the opportunity to provide valid nutrition information and education. I did it so much so that Terri and I changed the first draft of the book and took much of the information on the Anti-inflammatory diet out of the dialogue and included it at the back of the book (along with the Red Lentil Soup recipe).

If you've read the book then you know that one of my primary characters, Maribeth, has debilitating rheumatoid arthritis and learns how to treat her condition with diet alone. Her story and recovery parallel that of my own experiences, although, in response to one of the most often asked questions -- no, I am NOT Maribeth! (She's a lot more fun than I am.)

In HOPE, GRAFTED-IN (the sequel to LOVE, GRAFTED-IN) I continued with several other nutrition themes.

One of my favorite hobbies (such as with the pumpkin pie recipe I posted for you last week) is to take a favorite family recipe, increase its nutritional value and make it acceptable for the anti-inflammatory regimen. My grandmother's pumpkin pie recipe was a renowned prize winner - and even though the new recipe retains the taste and creamy texture - it has come a long way from where it began with a white flour and lard crust and excessive dose of sugar. :o)

Good eating -- good reading!

AMBER'S PUMPKIN PIE RECIPE

FOR THE CRUST

1 1/2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 Cup Unbleached White Flour
1 tsp Salt
1/2 Cup plus 2 Tbsp Light Olive Oil
6 Tbsp Cold Water

Sift dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. Using a fork, add Olive Oil and water and stir until flour is moistened. Form into two equal balls and roll out pie crust between two sheets of wax paper.
Line two pie plates.

PUMPKIN PIE FILLING

1 Can (29 ounce) Solid Packed Pumpkin
5 large Omega-3 Eggs
3/4 Cup Maple Syrup
3 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 Cup Sugar
2 tsp Vanilla
1/2 tsp Salt
8 oz Soymilk
8 oz Soft Silken Tofu

Puree together Soymilk and Tofu. In mixer combine all other ingredients, mix well.
Slowly add Soymilk blend to Pumpkin filling until smooth.
Pour half of mixture into each pie plate.
Bake at 420 degrees for 65 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Makes 2 pies. Best served cold.

Enjoy.
More nutrition information to come in my next post.

MOST DEFINITELY - THE GRAFTED-IN SYMBOL IS REAL

The 3-part Grafted-In religious symbol is indeed real -- it was discovered at an archaeological site in Israel late in the last century. It is not something I could have made up, nor would have been able to fabricate. To the best of my knowledge, all pieces of the pottery which were etched with the symbol (and there were more than just one) have disappeared. But -- not before they were documented and photographed.

In writing, I took liberties with the discovery -- for not only did the symbol fit well into my story line, but also having traveled to Israel (as well as taken group tours there) I was intrigued by the symbol itself, the message it bears and the fact that its discovery and existence has been overlooked by so many. I wanted to do whatever I could to bring attention to the piece and even now am making arrangements to distribute the Grafted-In lapel pin that was discussed in the story.

The research regarding the meaning of the symbol (as presented by Maribeth, Rose and Rachel) is accurate. Please share the information with a friend. <><

THE SCENE FROM THE ABORTION CLINIC

Over thirty years ago, as a young, pregnant and unmarried woman - I walked into that abortion clinic. Like many others I had been counseled by Planned Parenthood and assured that the fetus I carried was not yet a human being. For days I had cried and struggled with my decision - but in the end I chose what I believed to be 'the easy way out.' -- I chose abortion and promised myself that I would go on with my life as before. I would carry the secret of my abortion to my grave.

Throughout the entire procedure I continued to question my decision - still uncertain, I wrestled with my conscience. Before I even thought it possible, the nurse smiled at me and announced, "It's all over."

I was moved into the recovery room that I described in my book - the women I wrote about were real - especially the woman in the corner - today I can still feel her emotional agony and see her tears. I left without ever knowing her name - but she became the defining moment in my life.
Confronted by the reality of her desperation -- I realized for the first time what I had done.

It took me over ten years of anguish before I 'came out of the closet' with the story of my abortion and the years of regret that followed.

I included the scene in my book because it is my hope and prayer that I might convince even one more woman to allow her child to have the gift of life.

It's funny - 'our thoughts are not God's thoughts -- and our plans are not God's plans.'
The secret that I planned to take to my grave is the subject that I am most often asked to speak about. Oh, sure, I speak frequently on subjects of health, nutrition and chiropractic and even travel -- but the one subject that I promised myself that no one would ever know about is the one that God has perhaps allowed me to use the most.

THE BABIES ARE REAL!

The inspiration for LOVE, Grafted-In began over thirty years ago. As part of my postgraduate dietetic education, I was assigned, to a children's hospital to assist with their special feeding needs.

Today, when I close my eyes, the emotional impact of the babies lying in their cribs is still strong. I remember how overwhelmed I felt at the first sight of them. They existed very much as described in the story--many were in their thirties (older than I was a the time) --and yet no bigger than a one-year-old infant.

Many of the children were diagnosed with a 'genetic anamoly' but most were identified within the charts as merely a 'failure to thrive--cause, unknown.'

An aura of loneliness and hopelessness hung over the open wards and I walked up and down the rows gazing down at each one with tears flowing down my face. I wanted so badly to bring some love and comfort into their lives.

But my life was busy and my next day's hospital rotation was in New Jersey, hours away. I never got back--but I also never forgot.

I believe that the greatest blessing I have received since LOVE, Grafted-In was published came in the form of an e-mail from a woman in Maine--who since reading my book was inspired to begin working as a volunteer in a children's hospital. I am awed and humbled to realize she has done what I have yet to do.

Thank you for reading my story. I never dreamed that I would write a book--but from the time God planted the initial seeds of the story He gave me no peace until I completed the project.