Sweet Scent of Forgiveness, Delia Latham

I’ve found a new (to me,) fun author to share with you.

Delia and her husband Johnny live in East Texas, where their pampered Pomeranian, Kona, kindly allows them to share her home. The author enjoys multiple life roles as wife, mother, grandmother, sister and friend, but above all, she loves being a princess daughter to the King of kings. She admits to a lifelong, mostly unbattled Dr. Pepper addiction, and loves hearing from her readers.

www.delialatham.net

Sweet Scent of Forgiveness (The Potter's House Books Two) by [Latham, Delia

Kindle

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A life-changing message lies within the petals of a rose...

Norah Bradley has a delightful seven-year-old son, owns a thriving nursery business in the Sierra Blanca Mountains of New Mexico, and adores both. She’s past the horrors of earlier years and life is good.

Then Marcus Corman walks into her nursery looking for a couple of special rose bushes. Norah is surprised by her immediate attraction to the handsome customer. She hasn’t experienced this kind of magnetism since the day she met her late husband over eight years ago. Now she has neither time nor inclination for romantic nonsense.

Marcus isn’t looking for love either. His ex-wife abandoned him and their infant daughter years ago. Why bring another possible source of pain into little Juliet’s life?

Despite their reservations, Norah and Marcus find themselves thrust together when their children meet and become fast friends. But as their attraction becomes undeniable, a dark shadow from Norah's past finds her and her son. Will Marcus turn away as all is revealed?

Within the petals of a rose lies a profound message. Will they find it in time to save Norah's life and open the door to love?

Speakeasy: Collection 1 Kindle Edition

by Delia Latham(Author), Jean Pamplin(Author), Janet Ellington(Translator)

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Come on in...the atmosphere is cozy and the coffee’s a delight at the Speakeasy Coffeehouse in Quitman, Texas. The authors of this collection love the Speakeasy, and were inspired to write stories based around our favorite coffee venue. The building is old. Sometimes you just gotta wonder...if walls could talk, what fascinating tales might they tell? While we cannot discern the secrets forever sealed within the coffee shop walls, we hope you enjoy our contemporary fictional stories in which the Speakeasy is its own vivid character. Grab your favorite coffee and dive right in!

THE ROYAL GLITCH

The Speakeasy Coffeehouse’s brick walls seep history and the Royal typewriter fits right into the time period. The trouble is, it brings some guests with it.

COURAGEOUS HEARTS

A brief encounter with ‘Mr. Right’—that is, Nelson Wright, a retired international photographer—turns BrookLynn Laird’s heart upside down in the small town of Quitman, Texas. Two years a widow, she backs off, convinced she’s betraying her deceased husband. Will these two hearts, hesitant and haunted, ever find the courage to join as one?

SOMETHING ALMOST HEAVENLY

Business brings Mary Manners to Quitman, Texas. Soon after, in the Speakeasy Coffeehouse, she meets a mysterious new friend with a gentle, calming spirit, and a handsome minister whose kindness and sense of humor steal her heart in a flash. But along with those new relationships come unexpected changes of heart and startling peeks into her family’s history.

Psalm 119:113-120, Samekh

ס Samekh

I hate double-minded people,

    but I love your law.

You are my refuge and my shield;

    I have put my hope in your word.

Away from me, you evildoers,

    that I may keep the commands of my God!

Sustain me, my God, according to your promise, and I will live;

    do not let my hopes be dashed.

Uphold me, and I will be delivered;

    I will always have regard for your decrees.

You reject all who stray from your decrees,

    for their delusions come to nothing.

All the wicked of the earth you discard like dross;

    therefore I love your statutes.

My flesh trembles in fear of you;

    I stand in awe of your laws.

Father God, your word is clear about your love and grace, your patience and forgiveness and mercy. I believe this.

But your word is also definite about your hate for evil and unfair treatment of people.

Let me hate the evil and unfairness you hate, and teach me to offer your mercy and grace to those around me.

Flash's Story

My husband Murray and I are now teaching a braille transcribing class at a women’s correction facility.

This is not for people who are visually impaired, but to train students to produce braille books and other documents for those who do need to read braille.

Braille transcribing is much harder to learn than braille reading. I found this out when I took the transcribing class, after I’d been a braille reader for nearly forty years.

Transcribing has many rules about how to use and not use the different braille symbols, formatting the documents, much more. It is a tough course, and Murray and I appreciate how hard the women in our class are working to accomplish this difficult skill.

Part of what I do is come up with lessons to practice transcribing skills, as well as actual braille documents for the students to read, in order to practice proofreading.

Brailling out these reading practices is a challenge for me. The braille writer I use is similar to a manual typewriter. If I make a mistake toward the end of the page, I have to do the whole page over. I am so tempted to scratch out the mistake and explain it to them, but I want to encourage them to make their documents as perfect as possible.

So, yes, I have started many pages over. I also have to make sure not to use symbols which they haven’t learned yet. All this helps me appreciate the effort the women are putting into their work.

This week my reading practice lesson ended up being a story about my Mom’s dog, Flash. Next time I see Flash, I need to thank him for giving me material for a lesson.

Flash is the name of my mother’s dog.

His favorite day is Sunday because my brother Rodney brings treats.

When Mom leaves the house she says, “Flash, stay here; you’re in charge.”

The cats know now that Flash is old, he won’t eat their food.

When he was younger, he used to jump on everyone who came near.

Sometimes he ran so fast to jump on Mom, she feared he might knock her down.

He still takes his work seriously and barks every time we drive up.

My brother Jim gave Flash to my father as a puppy, and he brought Daddy joy for many days.

Those are some sweet memories I have, thinking of Daddy with his dog.

Mom never has been a real pet lover. “Dogs and cats need to stay out of the house,” she said. But I know she likes going out on the front porch to talk to old Flash.

Grace and Truth: John 8:1-11

The gospel of John is my favorite book of the bible, and here in chapter 8 is one of my favorite passages.

The Jewish leaders brought a woman caught in adultery to where Jesus was in the temple and asked if he thought they should stone her, as Moses said.

They didn’t care about the woman breaking the law. What they wanted was to trap Jesus, so they would have a reason to accuse him.

He was not threatened.

He said whoever had never sinned could throw the first stone, then he quietly went back to what he was doing.

They didn’t like Jesus, but his words convicted them. Every one of them left.

Jesus was left alone with the woman, the only one who rightfully could have stoned her.

But he said, “Then neither do I condemn you.”

Jesus was so calm during this interaction. The men must have been shouting; the woman was probably crying.

But Jesus, steady and unruffled, offered her hope for a new life. Uncondemned. And with confidence, he told her she could lead a life without sin.

She had probably given up on herself and her ability to lead a clean life.

And it wouldn’t be easy. Jesus knew that. He knows that for us too. But he is confident we can do it with his help.

Verses 9-11: At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

“No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

Matthew 11:28-30:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,

for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”