Leap Day Author:
If you want to win a copy of Cheryl’s Wyatt’s newest book, A Soldier’s Family, please let me know at margaretdaley@gmail.com or leave a message on the blog with your email address. The winner will be drawn Sunday evening, March 2nd.
Cheryl’s testimony:
I didn’t truly give my heart to Jesus until my mid-twenties. God pursued me with a stubborn relentless love and I finally stopped running. He magnified Himself to me in ways that left me no room to refute His love and mercy toward me. So, I prayed alone in my room one day and had an experience with God that left me with a sense of being rescued. The person of His presence (The Holy Spirit) became tangible and my life has never been the same. I’d been in a relationship that wasn’t safe or good and living a life that would have incinerated me had I kept down that road. I was also drawn to God through the profound kindness of Christians who loved me as I was and didn’t push an agenda other than to pray for me. Some of those people aren’t walking with God now and it breaks my heart beyond belief. I will not cease to pray for them until they give in to the God who loves them. God continues to grow me and I want everything in my life to honor Him. He deals with me in kindness and humor, and knows the things I care about. He has made promises that have altered my outlook on life, and He sustains me through hard times. In short, I’m flat-out crazy about Him and hope I never forget His goodness and grace toward me and my family.
A Soldier’s Promise…I wrote that to honor two friends who lost daughters to cancer. I remember thinking as I watched those two women living every mother’s nightmare, how brave their little girls were during valiant battles with leukemia. If courage could cure cancer, those two girls’ fight and faith alone would have irradicated it from the earth. Promise is my tribute to the girls and their families, who miss them terribly. I hope my book will infuse people with hope no matter what their struggles are.
A Soldier’s Family…This book was birthed out of a very difficult time in my life following an injury that went undiagnosed/wrongly diagnosed for almost two years. I was in constant, excruciating pain that shook everything in my life except for my faith. Every relationship around me was strained and I could hardly function without God’s help due to outlandish pain. It altered my personality and doctors weren’t giving me medication or believing how bad I hurt because I’m not a complainer. When I admit I’m hurting, then I’m nearly dead. I guess because I didn’t roll around on the doctors’ office floor wailing and screeching, they didn’t understand the gravity and severity of my pain…even though I told them I was losing my mind and possibly my marriage over it. FINALLY, one doctor does more tests and realizes they’d missed something really big. No I didn’t pursue litigation because I God said, “Absolutely not.” And I didn’t wanna get squashed. Secondly because I was so thankful it could be repaired surgically that I couldn’t bring myself to be vindictive. So I had reconstructive surgery and intense physical therapy. From beginning to off wheelchair/walker was just under three years.
A Soldier’s Family was my outlet for pain and recovery. I took all my physical therapy woes out on my hero, Manny. LOL! So writing the book was therapeutic. That hard season taught me that I was safe in suffering however because God sustained me. I knew that He knew how bad I was hurting even though no one else truly understood. It gave me a compassion for people who live with chronic pain. One thing that time did in my life was Velcroe me to God because I literally needed His help with every step.
A Soldier’s Family was a way to vent the frustration of my pain in a positive way. There’s much, much more to the story than that, but as far as why I wrote it…that’s it.
Hugs,
Cheryl
And both books are so emotionally charged and filled, that you can’t help falling in love with the characters and root for them to overcome their obstacles. Bravo, Cheryl, for sharing your testimony with the rest of the world. How uplifting it was to read this morning! And thank you, Margaret, for hosting Cheryl. Blessings to both you lovely ladies!
Beautiful testimony, Cheryl, and somewhat similar to my own. I also “prayed alone in my room one day” after a gal I hated at worked witnessed to me. But, grin, I must be a bit more hard-headed than you because I didn’t have an immediate “experience” with God. Nope, that took months … but at least we both got there, eh?
Thanks, Margaret and Cheryl, for the opportunity to win Cheryl’s second book. Count me in!
Cannot wait to read A Soldier’s Family, Cheryl, because I remember the difficult time you had before and after the reconstructive surgery, and I’m very sure it’s written from the depths of your pain, patience and passion.
Love ya,
Julie
Cheryl, Thanks for sharing so much of yourself. Wonderful testimony and your courage facing pain, well maybe they’ve truly changed your personality but you’ve got a great personality so the refining fire has created something beautiful in you.
I loved a Soldier’s Promise. I can’t wait to get my hands on the next one! Keep it up, girl
What a wonderful interview! The God we serve is awesome and He would go to any lenghts to get us back! And I’m so thankful for that!
I’m looking forward to reading your book:)
Hi Cheryl,
First let me sing the praises of A SOLDIER’S PROMISE. I loved it, loved the hero, loved the strong writing voice and will not miss the next book.
I actually came over to the blog to relive the testimony that you shared with me in Dallas. I am moved to tears by your strength, stubborn faith, and ultimately healing. God, as my son and I often say, is just so COOL!
Linda Goodnight
http://www.lindagoodnight.com
ACFW Book of the Year
Thanks you guys. This has been my most personal interview to date.
Many of you prayed me through that very hard time and I am thankful for your friendship.
Praise about my books coming from some of my favorite authors..WOW! You all have no idea how great and grateful that makes me feel.
Carolyn…thanks for stopping by and for taking a moment to comment. I really appreciate that and hope you enjoy the books once you read them.
Hugs all! And a humongous thank you to Margaret…who mentored me first. LOL!
Cheryl
What a beautiful testimony, Cheryl! I’m even more anxious to read it now!
I’m so glad you shared that story. I’m just now beginning “Family” and I can tell it’s gonna be intense, seeing Manny go through this.
I have seen the faith that Cheryl has, and that personal relationship, in her book A Soldier’s Promise. I am very much looking forward to reading the next one, which I have already won on a blog awhile back: looking forward to seeing the stubborn faith come out in difficult circumstances seemingly too hard to handle.
Pam
Cheryl, I knew part of your story–the pain part, but not the first part–the part where you found the Lord. How touching. It is amazing how the Lord finds us wherever we are. And we each take our own time about it like Julie said. But thankfully He does. You are a brave and gutsy lady–inspiration to all of us.
I can hardly wait to read A Soldier’s Family esp now that I know some of the premise. I loved your first book, A soldier’s promise. I loved hearing what inspired that book. Good work Cheryl. Thanks again.
Thanks, Shauna, Pam, Pattie and Sandra, et all!
I appreciate you all coming by and offering your thoughts. Each of your posts have touched me in some way!
Thanks so much!
Cheryl
Cheryl, I know what you mean about ‘outlandish’ pain that has been misdiagnosed. Only mine was in my face. I had temporomandibular joint dysfunction for many years before it was diagnosed. It’s a wonder my 2 young boys are okay considering the pain meds I was under just to function each day. I didn’t need surgery, though, just a splint to re-align my jaw. I can’t imagine years of physical therapy and re-learning how to walk.
Praise God you kept your faith.
Cheryl was doing so great last time I saw her! No wheelchair, no cane! Praise God!
I just bought A Soldier’s Family last night. I can’t wait to read it! I loved her first book.
Great post, Margaret and Cheryl.
Missy
Cheryl, not only do you have a strong, beautiful faith, but you’re not afraid to share it. That puts you on my want to be like list.
I loved A Soldier’s Promise and can’t wait to read A Soldier’s Family.
Janet
Wonderful testimony. As lovely as the lady herself. As my youngest sons says To know Cheryl is to love her.
Both her books are just fabulous. The characters are so real you can’t help but cheer them on to a happy ending.
You don’t have to enter me, I bought her book on e-harlequin, along with your newest one, Margaret.
Love both of you!
Hugs,
Pammer
I’m with Janet, Cheryl! Your faith is truly inspirational, and you’ve lifted me up more than once! Thanks for sharing your story, and for all the ways you brighten this world with reflections of God’s love!
Margaret, thanks for having Cheryl on your blog. You always have such great guests!
Hugs,
Myra
Anita Mae…I feel for you and anyone going through pain. It’s not something a person can really understand unless they’ve experienced it and the collateral damage it causes.
I’m glad you’re feeling better!
I’ve had a rough winter with pain and it seems to be worse when it rains. My surgeons said that it has to do with barimetric pressure and the fact that I am armed with a lot of titanium. LOL! I also have a bone graft…so thanks if you’re an organ donor.
Makes me feel kinda weird to be walking around on someone else’s bones…but I’m thankful for the advances in medicine in tissue transplant, and also thankful to some family out there whose giving in loss brought restoration to me and my quality of life.
Missy, Janet, Myra, Pammer, you are all women I look up to and who I know are God-chasers too. You’ve each inspired me in ways you’ll probably never know until we get to heaven.
Thanks everyone for stopping by the interview.
My book is IN STORES NOW! Today’s the official release…so tell all your family and friends! LOL!
Hugs,
Cheryl
It sounds like a wonderful story and it was a great interview. Please enter me.
catslady5 @aol.com
Great testimony, this book book sounds like it could be real interesting. Please enter me.
what a great interview, thanks for sharing! please enter me.
WoW! Now that was inspiring. Please toss my name in for the book. I really enjoyed the first one. Thanks.
stacey_dale[at]yahoo[dot]com
Stacy, Stamped, Lady, and Cat (love your screennames!) thanks so much for stopping by.
Congrats on whoever wins the book.
Hugs,
Cheryl
Very nice interview! Please enter me for the drawing of the book.
Beautiful interview from two ladies filled with God’s grace. I’m blessed to know you both!
I think I loved both books because they both came from some place real. Thanks for writing them and for sharing your testimony.
God bless you, Cheryl. Your velcroe faith really blessed me. I can’t wait to read A Soldier’s Family. Coming from a military background I pray that your books will get in the hands of anxious soldiers and families. Bless you, Cheryl.
Margaret, another wonderful interview. Thank you! 🙂