From Rough to Polished: Carved By Heart Offers House Number Signs

One of the fun things about wood is that it can be crafted into so many useful and beautiful things. Take this box of wood we have. It can be used to make lots of projects, allowing us to repurpose old wood into something new.

From pine, crabapple, and even douglas fir, we have made many cherished items for the home. Pictured is a lamp carved from a dying crabapple tree.

Our house signs are popular items that get us many requests. We have signs for under the mailbox and those that can be attached onto the side of a house or hung from a lamp post.

Each sign is carved, sanded, painted, sanded again, and finished. We leave nothing untouched. Even the back sides of our signs are finished.

Some want an under-the-mailbox sign, carved on both sides. We assist with mounting instructions with each order.

We take custom orders and love to personalize.

Visit our Carved By Heart shop on Etsy to see more of what we offer and let us make a customized item for you.

The Battle We Lost

It can make you feel that you're sinking or suffocating, or going through a little of both.

Eighteen years have passed and you'd think the damage would be over. Battle complete. Troops moved out. Rebuild. On to business as usual.

If only we were made that way.

As the holiday weekend approaches, I watch the men and women in uniform being honored, the waving Red, White, and Blue, read the grocery store specials on ground beef and chips, and feel this overwhelming ache. There stands what only I can fully see---a little boy in a Barney T-shirt and a pair of shorts. The boy needs a hair cut. His Mama wishes she'd taken care of that.

But in one second, a hair cut is forgotten. Because the boy needs so much more. He needs immediate surgery, a Broviac catheter inserted into his back running to his heart for chemo. Later he will need radiation. And stronger chemo. And prayers.

After the first week of chemo, hair falls out in clumps, sprawled out on the back seat of the dusty green van. A hair cut is not needed. His five-year-old sister cries when she sees his blond strands and balding head. "It's so sad," she whispers. We buy him a red ball cap to wear, one with dinosaurs. We buy him a blue one, too. He wears them for a few days, but when his head is smooth and shiny, he goes cap-less.



I recall how friends from church were driving in their van and passed us. I saw their smiles and knew that they were on their way to the Memorial Day church picnic. They turned right; we veered left toward the hospital. That image remains.

Every year for me, Memorial Day marks the beginning of the end. Eighteen years later and it feels just like yesterday when I sat on the sofa the Friday of Memorial Day weekend in 1996. The cordless phone was in my hand. The pediatrician told me that my son had a malignant tumor in his neck. The war raged from that day on, and on February 2, 1997, it ceased. All the surgeries, the chemo, the fight, the hope, the prayers-----over.

There was no victory; we lost.

Every year on Memorial Day weekend I am reminded of how much we lost.

Pushing it aside does no good. I have to acknowledge my heartache-----own it, for it is mine.

That's how we mamas are made.

And so I write on my blog and for some reason, that helps. Writing unleashes some of the ache so I can go to the picnics, hear the bands play, watch the fireworks. Writing keeps me from shattering like a bullet fired in the dark night.

For me, Memorial Day honors all of our soldiers---those here and those here only in the delicate arms of memory.

World Blog Tour

I'm glad to be part of the World Blog Tour! First I am going to introduce a fellow author, Diane Tatum. Then per the Blog Tour instructions, I'll tell you a bit about myself and why I write what I write.

Diane Tatum grew up in St. Louis, MO. She started writing her own stories in elementary school. Her first novel grew out of a short story she wrote in high school. College was a detour to a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Business Administration and later a Masters in Teaching Language Arts. Between degrees, she stayed home raising her boys and began writing again. She started freelance writing for magazines and church Sunday school curriculum. She also finished her novel, Gold Earrings.

After teaching middle school language arts in Tullahoma City Schools for 11 years, she retired with her husband’s encouragement to write the historical fiction books that she had been starting and saving on her computer. Gold Earrings was published in 2011. She has started a generational series of historical fiction novels set in American history. The first in that series is Colonial Dream and is completed. She has started the second in the series set in 1809, Transforming Bitterness Into Joy. The third book in the series is set during the Civil War is completed, A Time to Choose. She has also added college professor to her resume teaching English as an adjunct professor for Motlow State Community College.

Read more about Diane at her blog.

Now I get to answer these four questions.

1) What am I working on?

I am breaking from novel writing and cultivating bits and pieces of what keeps me up at nights----the desire to write a memoir. My agent is currently pitching this memoir titled I Came To Life Late. Yep, that title says it all, doesn't it? Everyone else seems to have things figured out and I am still out in the cold wondering where the front door to get into the party is. That's been me as a child and even as an adult! The memoir reflects on my childhood in Japan as a missionary kid and also how my past illusions about life have kept me from living life as it really is----tough, filled with disappointments and multiple heartache, and in need of God's grace, mercy and patience. As I write, I want most of all to be authentic in my story, not taking the easy way out by sugar-coating anything and that includes my marriage, my financial woes, my children, and the death of my four-year-old son Daniel. I know that there are many----especially women and mothers----who expected their lives and families to turn out differently than they have. This memoir is for them, a way of holding their hands and encouraging them to keep on looking up. As long as there is breath, there is hope.

2) How does my work differ from others in my genre?

Since I have five novels published (with the sixth due out this fall), I'll focus on them when answering this question. I think that my published novels are a bit more literary and quirky than many who write inspirational fiction. I like to write in first person, it makes it easier for me than third. My novels are also less subtle in their Christian message because I want to entertain first and master that. People pick up my novels to be entertained and so I want to deliver a well-crafted story in the best way I know how.

3) Why do I write what I write?

I love to have that unique voice and am working hard to improve it with each novel and story I create. My characters are flawed and in need of mercy. I want readers to know that they are not alone in their struggles and heartache. There is a God who listens, is full of compassion and love.

4) How does my writing process work?

I get an idea that usually comes to me on one of my walks, jot down the story briefly, make a chapter by chapter outline and go from there. Ideally, I like to write about three hours every morning. But I have to admit that I don't live in an ideal environment.


One thing I must say is that I don't always follow directions or read the instructions, and today will show you an example of that. I was to invite three other authors to participate in this tour. They were to post on May 19th. Here it is May 12th, and as I craft this post, I realize I am behind because I have yet to ask anyone to be the bloggers for that date.

So here is what I am going to do. (This breaks all the rules, but like I said, I often don't follow instructions well.) If you are a Christian author of books and would like to be part of this tour, then email me. I need three authors to sign up, three authors willing to host me on their blog by including my book covers and a photo of me and then answer the four questions about the writing process. Next is to get three other authors of their choice lined up to post on their blogs. This is sort of like one of those chain letters. Your three authors you ask to post will post on May 26th. Confused? Obviously, I have been too. Email me at awisler3@gmail.com. I will have had another cup of hot tea by then and will be able to explain it all to you. :-)

Songs From Heaven

One night after my son Daniel died, I was out on our deck, thinking of him. When wasn’t I thinking of him? Who is going to remember this little four-year-old who ran outside naked to pick tomatoes from the garden? I wondered who, besides me, would recall his laughter and kisses—his life had been too short. Then the words, almost as though brought to me from Heaven herself, came: “Who will remember those who no longer sing on earth? We, who hear their songs from Heaven.”





The verse was first placed on glossy postcards with stars, and shared with those who had also had children die. But it expanded to anyone who had lost a loved one. A woman was sent one of the Songs From Heaven cards when her husband died, and to this day, she keeps it on her fridge door because it brings her solace.

Years later, when my husband and I opened our Carved By Heart shop, we created a plaque with the words. How meaningful it would be if people could add the name of their loved one under the verse that meant so much to me and to others. The plaque could be for either indoor display or outdoor, like at a gravesite, or in a garden. As orders came in, we were grateful to be able to offer these plaques to others with holes in their hearts.

We also thought of a plaque that could encase a memento (a shell from a beach trip, a trinket from a vacation in the mountains) as well as a color photo of a loved one. The plaques could tell the story of a special day or a week, and so our Story of a Memory plaque was designed.

Our memorial plaques are made of solid red oak, carved with love. We want to encourage others to recall their memories, whether they were many or few—it is important to remember with love.

Stop by our shop to see the remembrance items we have for you. Email us with ideas you’d like to see on a plaque. Our slogan is, “If you think it; we carve it.” We enjoy working with customers to create something memorable and fresh. Visit us at Carved By Heart.

~ Alice J. Wisler, author of Getting Out of Bed in the Morning: Reflections of Comfort in Heartache, speaker, writing instructor, blogger, and mom to Daniel (August 25, 1992-February 2, 1997).

Why Spring Can Make You Sad

Spring. Buds, blooms, color. Thick coats of yellow stuff. Pollen. It's invaded, giving me a headache right between my eyes. Tears come at unexpected intervals.

But I love the flowers and warm weather, so it has to be more than allergies that make me sad this spring. Spring comes in full force in North Carolina. It starts with daffodils at the end of February, and by April, central North Carolina is a decorated beauty queen.

Yet sometimes that can be too much color at once. It's not just color, it's other things. Oh, it's always other things when it comes to the death of a child.

It's Easter----that special holy day that sometimes falls at the end of April instead of in March (March is when nature is just easing away from winter and not as colorful). But when Easter falls on April 20th as it did this year, well, that's almost too much to take in.





The dogwood and azaleas show off their gorgeous flowers and my mind sails back to memories of laughter, eggs, and a three-year-old boy with a mouth covered in chocolate and hands equally as stained. It's Easter 1996. Who knew it would be his last Easter egg hunt, his last Easter to ask about angels pushing away the stone at Jesus' tomb?

Grief is part of my life now. Grief became a resident when Daniel took his last little breath. I hate it when people think you can get over it. Grief follows me everywhere now, although not as obvious as it once was. Sometimes it wears a camouflage cloak or hides in the shadows. I think it's been tamed, like a domesticated kitten. But when spring is at its finest and the smell of wisteria is in the air, grief lurks like a wild animal. It claws at my heart strings. It makes me have to go out and buy another box of tissues.

We didn't know he had cancer during our festivities that Easter of '96. It was a month later when the swelling in the left side of his neck would have a name other than, "Maybe allergies."

We were naive and innocent back then. We didn't have a clue that spring could be just as harsh on the heart as winter.

Now I know that spring, in spite of all her stylish beauty, can fill a mind with ugly reminders of a cancer diagnosis. How I wish that cancer had not knocked on our door that spring.

I like to remember Daniel at age four as an energetic kid. I like to look at photos of him with hair and smiles. But the truth is, cancer stole all that at the end. Daniel was a bloated child, unconscious, comatose, and covered in bed sores when I held him last.

Some memories I have to swing at, push them away.

Some memories are more sad than sad.

This Easter I cried. I sat in church as the choir sang and something happened. For the first time since Daniel's death, I felt comforted by those words people are always trying to comfort you with: "You'll see him again in Heaven." All of the times before when people had tried to comfort me with, "You'll see him again," I struggled because I wanted him here with me now. I also believed that my life with him as my little son had ended; there would be no more of me being his mother, watching him grow, teaching him how to read or how to ride a bike. Did people not realize that? Were people too ignorant to grasp that family reunions where families will recreate the life from earth in the heavenly places isn't going to be?

But there in that pew, I thought, it won't be a repeat of earth, but at least I will see him. And Daniel and I will be two people among billions of others, all free from pain and tears, all in new bodies.

So I sat in the pew trying not to let the tears soak my dress, thinking about meeting Daniel as an older person, as an equal. In Heaven. And the choir sang that Jesus is risen.

It's a mixed up life we bereaved parents live. It's joy at having had our child, but it's a big ball of sorrow right in the gut at losing him. Joy and sorrow. And grief. You have to know that grief is not a bad thing. It is an inevitable resident after the death of a child. And being sad at spring doesn't mean you can't enjoy an iris blooming in your garden. It just makes you more in tune with how life works and how love is.

And sometimes you have to take a break from all the color.

~ Alice J. Wisler 2014 ~ For more about living through grief and loss and love, read Getting Out of Bed in the Morning: Reflections of Comfort in Heartache..

Guest Author Pam Thorson

Today I welcome Pam Thorson, who has a new devotional, Out from the Shadows.

Pam Thorson is a licensed practical nurse, author, speaker, and full-time caregiver. She pioneered in the homeschooling movement from 1982-2006 and authored her first book, Song in the Night, in 2008. Her newest book, Out from the Shadows: 31 Devotions for the Weary Caregiver (Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas), pulls back the veil on the unique joys and challenges of caregiving. Pam resides with her family in the Northwest.

Synopsis for Out from the Shadows:
No place is so dark, no shadow so deep, that God can't find us.

Does the suffering you witness or experience seem pointless? Do you feel like your problems are endless? Do you wonder if God cares about you?

Caregivers live in the daily shadows of death, countless duties, and shattered dreams. But they don t have to exist in the shadows of their faith.

Nurse and veteran caregiver Pam Thorson offers weary families hope and insights gained from her own struggles. Out from the Shadows is a collection of thirty-one stories that pull back the veil on the unique joys and challenges of caregiving. Each devotion draws from the author s own experiences to reveal a fresh understanding of Jesus call upon our lives as we care for others.

I heartily recommend this book for anyone and everyone who deals with disability in the family! - Joni Eareckson Tada

Find Pam's book
Book Link & Info:
Amazon.com
Paperback: 180 pages
Publisher: Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas

Visit Pam here:
Pam's Website
Pam on Twitter
Pam on Facebook
Pam on Pinterest

Bible Study Expo features women authors and their books

Once again, it's time for the Bible Study Expo week. I'm a party hostess this year at the event which will take place at this website on April 17th between 1 and 4 PM (CT). For those in my time zone, that means it starts at 2 PM EST. Prior to that, many authors are featured on blogs across the Internet. Some of the authors I know who are part of this Expo are ones I've "met" via cyberworld:
* Kathy Howard
* Suzanne Eller
* Liz Curtis Higgs

Join the Expo on April 17th! http://www.biblestudyexpo.com/

Restoring the old into something new

Recently a customer asked us (Carved By Heart) to fix a kitchen knife. The plastic handle had come off due to wear and tear. "I know it's not an expensive knife," the customer said, "but it cuts well and I'd like to keep it."

Carl looked the knife over and said he could do something.

Owning the creative mind he does, Carl didn't just replace the plastic handle of the knife with a wooden handle. He thought of the couple who used the knife. One is left handed and one is right handed. And soon Carl had carved "Lefty" on one side of the handle and "Righty" on the other.

Carl's creativity supplied a wonderful repair to this old knife. When the customer came to pick it up, she exclaimed, "You went over and beyond what I asked. Thank you!"

Another customer asked for repair for one of her lawn ornaments because it no longer attached to the spike that allowed it to stick into the ground.

She also needed help with her rotting birdhouses.

These were simple fixes but important ones, as each one extended the lives of our customers' sentimental possessions. We here at Carved By Heart offer restorations as well as new products. Visit our Etsy shop to see the new additions to our carved items.

"You think it: we carve it!"

Do you journal?

Recently, I was invited to Career Day at Erwin Elementary School in Erwin, NC. I didn't even know our state had an Erwin, although I'm quite familiar with Erwin Road. After driving in the rain for an hour and a half from my home in Durham, I arrived at the school.

The staff in the office ushered me into a big, old library. Immediately, I was glad that I was to be stationed there. One of the things that captured my writer's heart was the cozy nook. What an inviting spot for young readers and even for me, an old reader.

The librarian set my novels on a podium in front of a white board. I barely had time to thank her when the door opened and in came a group of fifth graders. Full of questions, they were attentive. When I asked how many of them journaled, a dozen hands shot up. I was impressed.

Every thirty minutes after that, a new group of students entered and I repeated my spiel about what being a paid writer entails. Each time I asked, to my surprise, there were a number of third, fourth, and fifth graders who admitted to keeping a journal.

As I do with every student I encounter, whether young or old, I encouraged each of them to keep writing and reading.

~*~*~*

What does journaling do for you?

*Gives you a safe place to write your thoughts
*Allows you to unleash your hurts, worries, and fears
*Teaches you about yourself
*Shows you how you handle your joys and woes
*Helps you solve many of your problems

If you have lost a loved one to death, journaling about your grief is an excellent way to deal with all the tough emotions. Instead of keeping them bottled up, the act of writing them out provides a healthy way to heal.

Whether you use a plain notebook or a fancy book, why don't you enter the world of journaling today?

And if you'd like to explore more writing opportunities and discover what writing can do for you, join us on April 7th for the next Writing the Heartache online workshop.

[First posted at Alice's Writing the Heartache blog.]

A mama finds treasures in a duplo box

In my closet sits one duplo box filled with handwritten cards. The cards were for my little boy Daniel. The boy is now gone, but the cards written to him still remain.

When we moved from the house where Daniel lived, Daniel didn't get to go with us. But the yellow duplo box with cards did. A few of the cards he'd received were after hs first surgery before we knew the lump in his neck was cancer. Most were sent to him during the months he was treated at UNC-Hospitals. The duplo box had been where he'd stored all these cards, cards that shared hopes for his healing, prayers, and even birthday wishes.

It's been seventeen years since Daniel took his last little breath. Yet it was just yesterday when I, his mama, felt like I could conquer the box. I pulled out a few cards from kids who had been in pre-school with Daniel. I pulled out cards from church groups, missionaries, friends of mine, and Daniel's teachers and young friends.

This box might be silent to most, but to me it speaks. It speaks of love and hope and the kindness of others who took the time to write to my son. The box also says, this boy lived. He died at age four, but oh, yes, he lived.

One of the Precious Moments cards was from a girl who shared the same birthday month as Daniel. Her name is Sophie, she'll be 23 this year, and Daniel at age four called her "Tophie." Another card, made from construction paper, from a girl named Crystal, captured my heart for its simplicity. I have no idea who Crystal is, but if I were to ever meet her, I'd tell her thanks for being so bold to share her love for Daniel. Her words have brought joy to my day all these years later. Daniel was loved and he loved.

Now that I have conquered this yellow box, I'll continue to pull cards out and read, smile, and remember. And yes, I'll cry. For any mama who has lost a child to death, tears are never far.

If You're Going to Write a Negative Book Review, At Least Spell Correctly!

It's happened more often than we care to admit. The longer you are in the business, the higher your chances. Authors receive bad reviews.

It might just be one. Or ten. We know that everybody is entitled to his or her opinion. And as my husband says, "Opinions are like belly buttons, everybody has one and everybody's is different." (He also equates opinions with other body parts, but like my novels, this is a G-rated post, so I will refrain.)

When a woman wrote that she felt like goauging her eyes out while reading my debut novel, Rain Song, I must confess I was a bit bothered. As a new author, I hadn't expected such venom from another human. Then I ended up laughing as I tried to imagine what goauging eyes out looked like. Not finding a definition for goauging in any of my dictionaries, I thought that perhaps she had meant to write gouging. Gouging is a metal tool with a curved, sharp end that is used to cut and shape wood. Had that been what she felt like doing while reading my novel?

A bit gothic for this G-rated inspirational author to stomach.



Since Rain Song's debut at six years later, I still get unhappy reviews. Truthfully, I don't even read reviews for my novels anymore. In fact, I encourage new authors not to read the reviews for their books either.

You can get so bogged down in the poor reviews, you might feel like cow manure and never be able to lift a finger to write again.

That's not good.

However, I will let myself indulge in the reviews fellow authors receive. I have found some well-written unfavorable reviews on books I have enjoyed and some lengthy prose on books I wasn't as fond of, but the reviews were written with attention to detail and contained points that were thought-provoking. (To see examples of these, go to the Amazon page for The Help and look at some of those 2-star reviews.) I have also seen some poorly-written reviews for The Help as well as for lesser-known works.

Which brings me to, if you're going to write a bad review, can you at least do a little spell checking before letting it run wild and live on Amazon?

After writing a happy 5-star review for a book on journaling, I read a 2-star review for the same book. Sadly, the reviewer ended his review with, "Sorry to be such a "bad sport" about this book, but I just didn't find it worth whiled." Hmmm . . . I wonder if any book is worth whiled?

So let your voice be heard! Everybody needs an opinion! But if you are going to write a book review, particularly one that is negative, make sure you've gone over your grammar notes first.

Otherwise, you sound pretty silly.

Book Review: Journaling With Jesus

"How many of you journal?" I ask the participants in my writing workshops.

Many raise their hands, pros at knowing the value of putting pen to paper.


Others squirm in their seats and bite the end of their pens.

Some, after the workshop, vow to rekindle their journaling and make it a habit. Why? Because they learn the transforming power of writing through the heartache. After we've completed a couple of exercises like writing a letter or a poem, or even a psalm, they see how healing and healthy writing is.

Today I'm happy to post a review here for the books, Journaling With Jesus and The 40 Day Challenge. Both are by Carol Round, a self-syndicated columnist, Christian author, and inspirational speaker.



Journaling With Jesus is a practical book, short enough to read in one sitting. But that's not really the purpose of the book. There's more. Within the short pages is great advice, advice that Carol has found to prove true. She guides the reader into the art of prayer-journaling using examples from her own life and the lives of others. Does the book encourage others to partake in this wonderful gift? In a word, yes! In more words, writing for healing works!

As a mom who discovered the value of writing from loss when her son died, I was particularly moved by the chapter titled, "Writing through the Pain." Carol acknowledges that many of us have had lots of emotional pain. She ends the chapter with "Begin your journaling by having a dialogue with Jesus. Share the pain in your life."

And for those who are blocked and wake up unable to write? Carol suggests praying through a passage of scripture, such as a psalm. And there is nothing wrong with admitting you are blocked and being honest with Jesus. In fact, Carol stresses how using the tools of writing and prayer work so well together to bring us closer to an authentic relationship with Jesus.

The companion to Journaling With Jesus, is a workbook, The 40 Day Challenge. Each page of this book has a scripture verse, a short reflection, and a prayer. There is ample room for the writer to write a response on the lined page and then a "faith step" at the end of every page.

As an author and writing instructor, I recommend these books.

Both books are available on Amazon and these links will take you to them:
Journaling With Jesus
The 40 Day Challenge

Also, be sure to stop by Carol's website.