Thanksgiving Blessings

 

Doctors in the West

A western town was blessed to have a doctor in the early years, but 1880 Town did. His office and living quarters were above the emporium. One took the steep outside stairs to get there, and a small sign above and to one side of the door announced Dr. Adam's practice. I don't suppose he had to worry about advertising his business. If someone needed a doctor, they would find him. 

If a man was brought there badly injured, it might be difficult to get him up those narrow steps. However, the doctor would be called out to visit most patients. Early doctors went to people's homes and rarely treated patients in their offices. Yet, they had that capability should it be needed, and victims of saloon or street fights could end up there.

The rooms were small but adequate. The doctor had his office, an examining room, and a bedroom. His hat and medical bag sat nearby, ready to be grabbed at a moment's notice. Dr. Adams must have been single because a family would have required more space.

I have a novel, Beckett's Brides, featuring a doctor as the main character. Beckett Steele is the doctor in Deadwood, South Dakota. In fact, I was going to Deadwood to do research for this book and attend a writer's festival when I toured 1880 Town in Midland, South Dakota. In the book, Beckett can't believe it when his aunt sends him twins who have no place to go, and he's supposed to provide a chaperone and choose which one he wants to marry.

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 Come, All Ye Thankful

O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever (Psalm 107:1).

When I was a child, the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas seemed long. Not anymore. The two holidays come back to back, running into each other. But then that's appropriate, isn't it? I'm certainly thankful for the meaning behind Christmas, for a Savior coming to earth to save me. We should all be thankful more often. True thankfulness dispels negative emotions and leaves us with a positive, joyful disposition. It makes us happy.

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

One of the hymns we sing at Christmas begins, "O Come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant." What if only those who are thankful and joyful could come? How many Christians would be there? Since we have Jesus and forgiveness, we have so much to be thankful for. We should show that in the joyous way we meet and greet those around us. As this holiday season begins, let's spread joy and cheer wherever we go because we truly have a thankful heart, and let's make it last the whole year through.

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 Jail in 1880 Town

Most towns in the West had some sort of jail, especially in the later years. However, 1880 Town was rather unusual. It had two buildings. One housed the marshal's office and jail, and the other was a small building where another prisoner could be locked up. It looked like it might have been a former house converted into a jail. These holding areas tended to be austere and rustic because they weren't concerned with providing comfort.

Can you imagine being locked up in a place like this? I suppose it helped act as a strong deterrent, but you can understand why those being pursued by a lawman might go to extreme measures not to be apprehended. Prisons were often worse because they also involved hard labor. 

My newest release, A Match for Reece, features a sheriff in a small Texas town. Finding himself middle-aged, Reece decides to finally send for a mail-order bride, but his intended is running from the Chicago mob, and he and his young deputy struggle to protect her. The book is available on Kindle, KU, print, and Audible. 

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 Fear Not

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8).

You've probably heard the often-quoted statistic that we're told in the Bible not to fear 365 times -- one for each day of the year. One of the reasons God tells us not to fear so many times is that it's such a paralyzing force, and Satan often uses it. It's one of his main weapons of attack.

Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you (1 Peter 5:7).

Fear and its rotten fruits, worry and anxiety, keep us from living the Christian life God wants for us. They immobilize us and prevent us from stepping out in faith. They take over our minds and steal our joy. We can't focus on God when we're occupied with such controlling thoughts.

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding (Proverbs 3:5).

I remember when I was preparing to go to the Philippines as a missionary to replace a man and his pregnant wife who were on furlow for six months. I didn't know a soul there, and I was going as a single female. The night before I left, I lay, unable to sleep for all sorts of bad what-if scenarios rolling through my mind. Satan would have loved it if I'd decided that going was too risky. However, I decided to trust God and put everything in His hands. I had a great six months.

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea. I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness (Isaiah 41:10).

Decide not to let fear into your life. Choose to turn to God instead. There is no fear in Him and His perfect love. Instead, Christ offers freedom from such burdens. Don't let Satan win but instead, be victorious in Jesus.

I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears (Psalm 34:4).

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 The Barbershop in 1880 Town and More

Most Western towns had a barber shop. Sometimes the barber would also take on different jobs, depending on the situation. Some were known to act as doctors, veterinarians, undertakers, etc. In 1880 Town, the barbershop also had a bathhouse, so cowboys, travelers, and others could get cleaned up.

The buildings and facilities would vary. Nicer ones could usually be found in the larger towns and cities, but one had to take whatever was available in the smaller locations. Although adequate, I found the barbershop in 1880 Town more rustic than the one I envisioned in my novel, A Match for Milton. 

Milton Cauley, the main character in A Match for Milton, is the barber in Pinyon Falls, Texas. A widower from a marriage that had turned unhappy in the end, Milton plans to spend the rest of his life single until a well-meaning friend secretly sends for a mail-order bride for him. Although Milton declares he'll have nothing to do with her, things don't turn out as he expects.

Link to A Match for Milton

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Two Opposites

He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love (1 John 4:8).

The Bible tells us that God is love. It's His nature, a part of who He is. And unlike most humans, He loves unconditionally. If we belong to God, His love will overflow from us into others. It's amazing that so many people reject God and His perfect love. They don't know what they're missing. It's a precious treasure.

And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him (1 John 4:16).

In opposition, Satan works against us, fueled with hate. The Bible tells us he was a murderer from the beginning, and the truth is not in him. He's the father of lies because he told the first lie to Adam and Eve and brought sin into the world when he convinced them to disobey God.

Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth,  because there is no truth in him. He speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it (John 8:44).

It's for each one of us to choose. If we don't choose God, we are Satan's by default.

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A Writer Who Loves Quilts

Before I retired from teaching and became a full-time writer, I used to dabble in many arts and crafts. One of my favorite things to do was quilt, and I made many of them, selling most of them in craft shows. I not only made quilts, but I studied them. Some of the first magazine articles I wrote were about quilts and quilting. I've even appraised their value.

With an Appalachian heritage, I come from a long line of craftspeople. My great-aunt, embroidered, made quilts, and did other crafts to be sent to a gallery in New York City and sold there. My mother was talented and did many crafts, but interestingly, I brought her back to quilting when I became so involved in it. She used traditional patterns, but she also liked to draw her own, like this morning glory appliqued quilt she made for me.

Now, my quilt background enters some of my novels. The first one that focused on a quilter was Got Your Goat. Set in the Appalachian Mountains right after the Civil War, Emily Rose was both a quilter and a potter, but she had more success with her quilting. Then, came Candace, who finds a way to make a quilt in a remote cabin in the Rockies without the proper supplies. Two quilts play a very important part in Lily finding a happy future in Lily: Christmas Quilt Brides. The next book of mine in the same series, Andrea, involves an avid quilter and will publish on December 6th. As much as I love quilting, I'm sure they will be included in more books to come.

Got Your Goat

Candace: Runaway Brides of the West

Lily

Andrea

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