Madison Sanders Writes

You've heard people say they need an infusion of strength, but I know some of you need an infusion of hope. You are weighed down by the cares of this life. So many thoughts and voices are swirling around your head, trying to take root in your heart. Stop for just a minute. Things are not as bad as they seem. Grab ahold of hope today and don't let go. Hope is a lifeline that pulls you out of the deepest waters. Hope is the ray of sunshine after the rain. Hope is embracing the future with open arms. Hope is an expectation. Expect things to turn around. Dare to believe again. Stir up the hope within yourself. It's there, I promise. Hope never dies. It may seem like it at times, but it is there, nudging you to greatness. It is there urging you to see the light within. It is there with a glimpse of beauty in spite of the scars.  Hope is found at the Cross. Hope is in the here and now.  Hope means there is something to look forward to, even if

You have a chance to win Of Stillness and Storm by  Michèle Phoenix, the book  I just reviewed! A tale of troubled love and honorable intentions gone awry—don't miss Michèle Phoenix's new intimate and bold release,  Of Stillness and Storm .  It took Lauren and her husband ten years to achieve their dream—reaching primitive tribes in remote regions of Nepal. When a friend from Lauren’s past enters her life again, the tension of coping with the present while reengaging with the past might be too much. Will it be the family's undoing? Take Michèle's new book with you on your winter vacation and enter to win her Bookworm On-the-Go Prize Pack (because you can't take a stack of books with you when you travel).   One grand prize winner will receive: A copy of  Of Stillness and Storm A Kindle Fire tablet A Kindle Fire map cover A passport holder Enter today by clicking the icon below, but hurry! The giveaway ends on December 31.  The winner will be announ

I recently finished reading Of Stillness and Storm by Michèle Phoenix. It is a gripping story about a family who leaves everything normal behind to answer the call of being missionaries. The stress and tension slowly eats away at who Lauren is, while her husband, Sam, remains unwavering in his commitment to the Nepali people. She's lost the comforts of home, but seeing her son as a shell of himself is her greatest regret.  To add to the suspense, a long lost friend comes back into her life. I kept wanting to turn the page to see what would happen next. Aidan's no-nonsense approach to life was refreshing and relatable. The beginning was a little slow for me, but as I kept reading, Michelle Phoenix did a masterful job with the dialogue. It was heart-wrenching at times and profoundly insightful at just the right moments.  I also loved that Lauren and Sam weren't afraid of having the hard conversations...the nitty gritty of what was really bothering both of them. Th

On Monday, Mama and I took another donation of journals (this is the sixth trip in all!) and coloring books to the children's clinic in Athens.  The worker who took them said, "The kids are always asking, 'Do you have anything for us?'" This donation included beautiful scrapbooks from Paperchase in London. Juliet White, manager of Ten Thousand Villages store in Atlanta, was kind enough to send an assortment of journals also. These notebooks were donated by  Katie Leamon , a luxury card and stationery company in England. Their notebooks are so whimsical! I know the kids will love the five notebooks you sent! I also thank Chanel Cobb for her contribution to this project! This project of giving has become bigger than I ever dreamed when I started over a year ago! THANK YOU to everyone who has given! So many kids will smile knowing that someone cares about them this Christmas! -->  

I  finally got the chance to take a box of journals and coloring books to a children's clinic in Athens, GA. They treat various problems in children. Mrs. Gordy's Honor's Spanish class collected journals, coloring books and notebooks throughout the semester and gave them to me at the end of the school year. Life happened, and I was unable to take them until now. An employee said, "This is AWESOME!" The kids will LOVE this!  I also bought several journals thanks to a donation from Nancy Moureau. Thanks,  Nancy, Hart County High and Mrs. Gordy's students! I have another box filled with goodies from various companies that I will take at the end of November to this same children's clinic. If you would like to donate to this project, feel free! I just ask that you get journals suitable for girls and boys, bright colors, and preferably no composition notebooks. It is always great to give back! Pens and colored pens are ALWAYS welcome!

My joy was gone for about two to three weeks. Not on a vacation. It has been completely non-existent. I didn’t check my personal emails. I went to bed with a heaviness that often resulted in me being woken up in the middle of the night, unable to go back to sleep because of a pounding heart beat. That feeling of dread often carried over into the morning. I had things I needed to be working on, but I had ZERO desire to do anything. How did this happen? I’ll tell you. It resulted from me carrying things I had no business carrying. Matthew 6:25-27 reminds us not to worry saying, “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing?   Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to you

I lay myself on Your altar and say, “Here am I, Lord. Take me and use me. Make something out of me that is more than a pile of flesh. Inhabit me. Consume me. I am Yours. I surrender. Once I was broken. Wounded by people. Cut by words said and unsaid. You healed me. You put the broken pieces back together. You mended me. I confess there are still some areas of my heart that need mending. There are still some areas that are not whole. I don’t want to be a half-healed person. I know You are not a halfway God. I know that You are faithful to Your Word. I know that You have started a good work in me and You will be faithful to complete it. Empty me of my selfishness Empty me of my pride Empty me of the desire to have the last word, to prove I am right Empty me of criticisms You said, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” Create in me a clean heart I want to be pure I don’t be full of hatred and bitterness Anger and strife Empty me of myself So

Madison, I forgive you for wasting so much time For going around in circles Madison, I forgive you for fighting a battle that was never yours to begin with Getting so wrapped in thoughts that you've neglected the present You've been at a standstill You've made yourself even more tired I forgive you for being silent You lost your voice for a time You sank deeper in the mire Fighting with yourself is utterly exhausting Because you can't run away from yourself Your thoughts are there Your insecurities are there There is no one there beating you up You've done it to yourself Madison, you are more than the lies the enemy tells Madison, you hold the key to your freedom Summon the strength within The strength to fight the fight when life says, "Just quit." You matter! You are doing enough! Believe in yourself That is the difference between battles won and lost Madison, there is more than what you see

A sudden shift I pray for a sudden shift in your mind I pray for a sudden shift in your heart For so long you have labored under the burden So many cares, so many hurts Squeezing the life out of you Stealing your joy Robbing you of peace You could find no tranquility Try as you might You couldn't escape Though you changed your surroundings Those thoughts lingered Hanging like cobwebs in the corner of your mind Looping on repeat Taking you back in time Taking you back to the bad memories And words that should have never been said Oh, what a sense of dread What misery Each time that unwelcome visitor came He wedged himself into your innermost thoughts You couldn't separate what was real  You now believed that you didn't matter You didn't exist anymore You were always attached to someone To that elusive dream they had Now you are free Instead of spreading your wings, you are like a baby learning to walk

I am not weak because I don't fit the mold I am not weak because I ask for help I am not weak because I give I am not weak because I share I am not weak because I cry You can't live this life like you are invincible Being misunderstood is common Never succumb to other's opinions So many voices, so little time Do this, go this way You can't do this don't you know that? I am so tired of the underlying current It's in their countenance If not in their words It's as if everyone can feel but me I'm not sure why I'm not going to hide I'm not going away Please give me time Please give me space To process things To get strong Without you waiting to throw stones Everyone is pointing out my weaknesses When they have their own They are going around in circles Completely chaotic with no real purpose I'm done listening I'm done listening to the noise Blah blah blah Yadda y

Captain Mama's Surprise is the second book in the Captain Mama's series. It's another bilingual book in English in Spanish. This time, Captain Mama takes her son, Marco, and his second grade class on a field trip to see the airplane she flies on. The class meets the crew and learns what each crew member does and the process of refueling a plane in mid-air.  I’d seen airplanes refueling in movies, but I learned lots of new things while reading this book. I didn’t know what all a copilot of an airplane was responsible for, and I have never seen an airplane map up close. So cool! I could see many first and second graders loving this book! Since it has vocabulary words, it would be perfect for their age group. Graciela has also included an activity in the back of the book. When I found out the surprise, I wanted to be a kid in Marco’s class! I won't spoil the ending. Buy the book to find out what happens! I know the third book promises even more fun

Here's a closeup of one the pages.  Good Night Captain Mama is the first book of its kind, written in English and Spanish by female aviator, Latina businesswoman, and speaker, Graciela  Tiscareño-Sato . Good Night Captain Mama was inspired by a conversation that Graciela had with her own son one night when he saw her dressed in her flight suit. Although he had seen it many times before, he was curious about all of the patches. Graciela, better known as Captain Mama, is patient with him as he asks about each one and what the symbols mean. Captain Mama takes the time to tell Marco, the little boy in the book, all about what her job as an aviator is about. Each time she goes to a different country, she gets a new patch to add to her flight suit. The vivid illustrations done by Linda Lens allowed me to picture the story in my mind as it unfolded. The curiosity of Marco, the little boy, was captured wonderfully. The simplistic, yet thoughtful Captain Mama gave wer

I have to get the words out. I can't keep the pain in. Sometimes it hurts so bad. I am wounded each time I see it happen. My heart is stabbed again and again. The aching comes from that soft spot of my heart being hurt again. Don't you see it happening? Can't you feel it too? The sad reality is I think I am the only one who sees it, or at least one of the few.  It seems everyone else is living in a fog. Living in a bubble where nothing bad happens. They see everything as good and peaceful. They think everything is okay. When I see the blank stare looking back at me, a part of me dies. The burden is too much to bear. I pray for grace. I pray for peace of mind. Each time I see that image, those faces staring back at me, I am made aware. This is not a game. This is not a dream. This is reality. So many little faces. So many who have no one who cares. So many kids go without clothing and without food. But the scariest thing to me are those who don't know what love f

You know my pain You know my heartache I'm comforted in the fact That You have a plan that's greater than mine There's no going back No no I've given up my need to be right Pointing fingers and placing blame No sense goin' in circles When I can go forward Things are changing Shifting That ceiling is breaking I sense it I've pushed I've pressed I've kept going' when I didn't have anything left So yes, my pain has propelled me My pain has launched Just like You said This thing I know You can't move forward without somethin' breakin' That thing that has held me back Holds me no more I am on the verge On the verge of a breakthrough Greater than I've ever known I've tasted and seen that You are good One thing I know for sure You are faithful Even to the end All I gotta is hold on My breakthrough is near I endure I stand I keep pushin' I know I win