Today A Bed of Roses…Thorns Included is pleased to welcome Cindy Thomson.
Cindy Thomson is a writer and an avid genealogy enthusiast. Her love of history and her Scots-Irish heritage have inspired much of her writing, including her new Ellis Island series. Cindy is also the author of Brigid of Ireland and Celtic Wisdom: Treasures from Ireland. She combined her love of history and baseball to co-author the biography Three Finger: The Mordecai Brown Story, which was a finalist for the Society for American Baseball Research’s Larry Ritter Book Award. In addition to books, Cindy has written on a regular basis for numerous online and print publications and is a mentor for the Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild. She is also a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and the Historical Novel Society. Cindy and her husband have three grown sons and live in central Ohio. Visit her online at www.cindyswriting.com.
Concept of Home
by Cindy Thomson
Lord, through all the generations you have been our home! Psalm 90:1 NLT
The concept of home is difficult for some of us to define because it can change or even be lost. When I think about Dorothy Gale from the Wizard of Oz, I realize that when home is lost, it can be something we desperately want to get back.
In my new book, Annie’s Stories, I explore the idea that a new immigrant coming alone to America who has lost her only family member might believe she has little chance to have a true home again, not if the definition of home is what her deceased father had always told her: Home is found in the hearts of those who love you.
Like Dorothy, Annie finds herself in a strange new land, and she eventually discovers friends who walk with her on her path to finding what she wants. They each are seeking something different, but together they find success. Dorothy wanted to go home, and she does, reunited finally with Auntie Em and Uncle Henry, who don’t seem so bad now that she’s found her way back. But when someone dies, we can’t be reunited here on earth in this lifetime. What then?
Annie learns that her father’s statement is true, but not in the way she had first thought. The Bible verse above describes what Annie learns. At the beginning of the story Annie was convinced that God had abandoned her. Is there a limit to God’s love?
We are on a continual journey as life changes, twists, and turns–whether or not we want it to. Our lives are in a constant state of change, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have stability and a place to call home. As J.R.R. Tolkien said, “All who wander are not lost.” Home seems to be a fluid concept, but it’s not truly, not if we let go of the idea that it is something we create or that others can create for us.
If we are only at home in the hearts of those who love us, who can possibly love us more than God?
Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. John 4:7 NLT
More about Annie’s Stories:
The year is 1901, the literary sensation The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is taking New York City by storm, and everyone wonders where the next great book will come from. But to Annie Gallagher, stories are more than entertainment—they’re a sweet reminder of her storyteller father. After his death, Annie fled Ireland for the land of dreams, finding work at Hawkins House.
But when a fellow boarder with something to hide is accused of misconduct and authorities threaten to shut down the boardinghouse, Annie fears she may lose her new friends, her housekeeping job . . . and her means of funding her dream: a memorial library to honor her father. Furthermore, the friendly postman shows a little too much interest in Annie—and in her father’s unpublished stories. In fact, he suspects these tales may hold a grand secret.
Though the postman’s intentions seem pure, Annie wants to share her father’s stories on her own terms. Determined to prove herself, Annie must forge her own path to aid her friend and create the future she’s always envisioned . . . where dreams really do come true.
Annie’s Stories can be found at Amazon and other fine retailers.
Thanks for joining us today, Cindy. Best of luck on your recent release.
Since Cindy spoke of home, what makes a place home for you?
Blessings,
Interesting concept of home, Cindy – but true!! Thanks!!