Wednesday, November 21, 2012

A tree ornament of peace and hope

Special Deal


We often lose sight of hope and peace when we are in turmoil or discouraged. Let this season remind us that hope and peace came into the world with the birth of Jesus. We are not finished yet, we have a ways to go, we are a work of art in progress and we can trust a God who is for us.

Order a copy of the new devotional, Getting Out of Bed in the Morning and an ornament for your tree. The ornament looks like glass, but is made of clear, durable plastic and decorated with colorful sequins, gold swirls, and the words peace and hope. Each ornament hangs onto the Christmas tree limb by a blue ribbon.




Order a copy of Getting Out of Bed in the Morning (retails for $13.99) plus a tree ornament for $20.99. Order by December 15th. Want two books and two ornaments? The cost is $33.99. For three books and three ornaments, the cost is just $47.99 (all prices include shipping/handling).

Choose the amount of books and tree ornaments you'd like from the PayPal menu below.

OR
Send a check for your selected amount to Alice at:
Daniel's House Publications
201 Monticello Avenue
Durham, NC 27707 USA

USA orders only!



Getting Out of Bed and Tree Ornament



A taste of Getting Out of Bed in the Morning




Each of my chapters in my devotional come with scripture, reflections, and prayers, as well as things to do if you walk. Below is an excerpt from page 118.


Prayer
Dear Lord, may I choose to be disciplined to seek
the good, the excellent, the praise-worthy in this
day. Help me to lift my head and my arms up so
that my spirit may be lifted.

When You Walk
Carry a note pad or recording device with you on your
walk today so that you can jot down or record ideas that
come to you about ways to celebrate life. These can be
simple things, such as inviting a friend over for coffee, or
more involved, like redecorating a room in your home.
Think of things that give you joy.

Paint a picture, grow an herb garden, take a class and
learn something new. There are dozens of possibilities to
add some zest to your life as you find ways to celebrate
who you are.
~ Alice J. Wisler
Copyright 2012

Friday, November 16, 2012

The Arrival of Getting Out of Bed (GOOB)

"You are a work of art in progress."

Yesterday, I was the happy recipient of a box of books titled Getting Out of Bed in the Morning. My two daughters (my son was at work) and husband were able to share in some of my excitement over the contents with me. My daughters breathed in the aroma of the pages, something I've taught them to do. There is nothing like the special scent of a newly-published book. Especially when your name is on the cover as the author.

Holding a copy of my devotional was a dream come true. I savored the feel of both the book and my heart. This book is compiled of forty devotions and a large piece of my broken heart.




In 1997 my son Daniel died after eight months of cancer treatments. He was four. I was thirty-six. I was angry with God for not healing him. The cancer hadn't killed him; it was the severe treatments that compromised his body. A staph infection took over and eventually his heart stopped. He died in my arms.

I was pregnant at the time. While my baby kicked inside the womb, my son gritted his teeth and left this earth. Three months to the day of his death, my fourth child, Elizabeth was born.

Getting out of bed each morning after Daniel's death was surreal. How could my son be gone? How could I still be alive? What was wrong with God? Why hadn't he saved my little boy from death? How would I live now? What was the point of going on?


I wrestled with questions, primarily to God. Why? How come? How could you? Why?

I wanted to die.

I didn't get to.

Instead, I put one foot in front of the other. And at the end of each day, I went to bed and woke to try again the next morning. One foot in front of the other. One day at a time. Deep breaths.

I would never ask God for anything again.

I knew too well that He could say, No.

Journaling was a lifeline. So was the support of the Wake County, North Carolina Compassionate Friends group. Some books helped. I wrote articles that made it into print magazines. I founded Daniel's House Publications and through it, compiled two cookbooks of recipes and memories in memory of children, who like my Daniel, had died way too soon. Slices of Sunlight came out in 1999 and two years later, Down the Cereal Aisle followed. I had an online newsletter.

I cried and missed my son. Birthdays came and I sent balloons up to him in Heaven. Christmases made me hollow and I was glad when the season ended.

I spoke at conferences. I taught on the benefits of writing through grief. I met some wonderful people---real people----the kind that know they are broken and that life is not for wimps.

I wanted to write a book on how God fit into my struggle. Believe me, I tried. I had agents and editors interested, but nothing stuck.

Until . . .

Last year, Leafwood Publishers said, Yes! This publisher took my fragile mother's heart and said, We believe in you. We read your words. You do have something to say.

I wrote Getting Out of Bed in the Morning to offer a morsel of hope to those without. I want to share with others that although they are weak and struggle, they aren't alone. God is the provider of the daily bread, the wisdom, the cup of cold water, the balm of healing, the hope of tomorrow. He has this awesome thing called sustaining grace. He supplies it. And He loves us, no matter how battered we might feel.

God is for the broken hearted.

God is for you.


To order an autographed copy of Getting Out of Bed in the Morning , head over to my Broken Psalms blog (join it, if you'd like) and visit the Rivers of Life Gift Shop.

[This post also appears on my Broken Psalms blog and my Writing the Heartache blog.]


Sunday, November 11, 2012

Looking Forward to Getting Out of Bed in the Morning

I am grateful to all who pre-ordered Getting Out of Bed in the Morning! While the special pre-order price offer has ended, books can still be purchased at the regular retail price. To order from this blog, go to the Rivers of Life Gift Shop. The link is right above this post. Or you can order from Leafwood Publishers.

I am looking forward to this devotional and hope it will be a comfort for all who walk the path of grief and loss.


Monday, November 5, 2012

Join this blog to enter to win a copy of Getting Out of Bed in the Morning!

That's right; join this blog, become a follower. Your name will then be entered in the hat to win an autographed copy of my new devotional, Getting Out of Bed in the Morning. The devotional comes out next month. Here's what others are saying about it:

* Believe me, you will be changed as you read this book, a book of grief and comfort. Written without easy answers but with gritty, courageous prayer, wrestling like Jacob with God's angel. ~ Eugene H Peterson, Professor Emeritus of Spiritual Theology, Recent College, Vancouver, B.C.; translator of The Message



* In Getting Out of Bed in the Morning: Reflections of Comfort in Heartache, Alice speaks to the heart from the heart! I found myself in many of the verses. Run, don’t walk and get this book. Peace and comfort are only a page away.
~Debby Stephenson, Founder/Director of Courageous Kidz- A Safe Haven for Kids with Cancer


* Truly wonderful book. Practical yet poignant. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is experiencing grief. Through her suggested prayers, insights, and walking exercises, Wisler guides the grieving soul to the Great Physician's healing.
~Linda Rondeau, author of The Other Side of Darkness


* Getting Out of Bed in the Morning brings a beautiful blend of practical steps with powerful messages from God’s Word. The invitation to action at the end of each chapter provides vibrant hope for the reader. Each stage of the book brings back the confidence that indeed we will wake up tomorrow—renewed and filled with God’s grace—so the day will be shining with a new peace and a sweet kind of joy. ~ Janet Perez Eckles, author of Simply Salsa: Dancing Without Fear at God’s Fiesta




* Writing with hard-won wisdom, understanding and compassion, Alice J. Wisler walks us gently through the valley of the shadow, turning the “holes in our hearts” into hope and softening grief’s pain. ~Margaret Brownley, author of Grieving God’s Way: the Lasting Path to Hope and Healing


* As I walk along my own journey through grief, there are many paths ahead of me that I could choose. The author shares wisdom gained through her own heart’s wrestle with God and gently encourages me onto a path that leads to healing, wholeness, and eternal hope. ~Elaine Howlett, bereaved mom, grief educator and speaker, author of “Lazarus, Come Out!”

* Hope stirs fresh in Getting Out of Bed in the Morning as Alice Wisler tenderly challenges the remnants of our grieving hearts to a healing journey. This book is a safe place to reconcile painful losses; a graceful guide through the uncharted and often complex landscape of grief and loss. Alice’s heart whispers an understanding that comes only from one who has tasted consuming heartache yet uncovered the hope of God’s sustaining grace. ~ Jo Ann Fore, Author, Founder of WriteWhereItHurts.org


* Alice Wisler has made a noble effort to put into devotional form a journey from deep sorrow, anger, and grief to one of trust and knowing God still loves you despite the tribulations of severe loss. Not everyone has lost a beloved child to disease, a car wreck, or murder, but those who have can connect with what Alice communicates in her new devotional, Getting Out of Bed in the Morning. ~ Dr. Linda B. Greer, Writer, Blogger, Bereaved Mother