Michelle DeRusha

Every Day Faith. Faith Every Day.

Amy Sullivan

Gutsy Girls: The Ten Boom Sisters and How We All Need a Betsie

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You guys, I love, love, love this children’s series Amy Sullivan is writing for girls about Christian heroines. Her first book in the Gutsy Girls series was about China missionary Gladys Aylward, and she has recently released book two about sisters Corrie and Bestsie ten Boom. The illustrations are vibrant and exciting, the story is a-mazing, and Amy is so gifted at writing for the younger audience. If you have a young woman in your life, you must get her started on this series! Scroll down to enter the drawing for a free copy of Sisters: Corrie and Betsie Ten Boom [email subscribers: click here and scroll down to the bottom of the post to enter the drawing]. And stop by Amy’s blog to say hello – she is one of the most beautiful, spirited women you’ll have the privilege to meet.

 

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Post by Amy Sullivan

Two years ago, I found myself sitting in my car, bad top forty music blared, my hands clenched the steering wheel,  and my eyes fixated on a metal, jungle gym that sat in front of me.

Hanging out in my car proved somewhat problematic as twelve people were not-so patiently waiting for me to start a meeting, a meeting I was late for, a meeting for my job, a meeting which had nothing to do with me, but a meeting I needed to start.

If I trace my steps back and try to discover how I ended up in this paralyzed state of car sitting, the trail looks something like this: working a high stress job + making no time for God + having two close friends move away + creating no time for family + experiencing five deaths in three months + inability to sleep + hormones (um, ladies, let’s commit to talk more about how wonky our hormones make us as we age, shall we?).

This toxic mix of events left me feeling as if someone tossed a wet sleeping bag over my head. My world was dark and everything was wet, and I couldn’t see the sun.

That’s when one of my forever friends called. Forever friends have that intense something-is-not-quite-right radar.

Me: I have decided I will not get out of my car and go to work. Instead, I will sit here and listen to Katy Perry sing about a dark horse.

Forever Friend: Wrong. This is what you will do: take a deep breath, wipe your eyes, turn off the radio, and go to your meeting. This is what I will do: pray for you every day and every Tuesday, I will fast for you. I will do this until you see the sun.

As my friend’s words hit my ears, I actually wanted to turn off the radio and I did, and although, I didn’t want to go to my meeting, I wiped my face and I did. My world didn’t instantly turn brighter, but having someone pray for me when I lacked the strength to pray for myself helped.

We need people. We need the kind of people who steady us and see us through darkness.

We need people like Betsie ten Boom.

The Ten Boom Sisters

Do you know the Ten Boom sisters?

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During World War II, sisters, Betsie and Corrie ten Boom (along with their elderly father) risked their lives to help underground workers and Jews escape Nazi soldiers. Although the Ten Booms served people in a variety of ways, the sisters are known for hiding people behind a fake wall in Corrie’s bedroom.

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Man crawling into the Ten Booms’ hiding place

Many people know about the life of the Ten Booms because after Corrie was released from a concentration camp, she traveled the world sharing about God’s great love and forgiveness. What is often overlooked in the Ten Booms’ story is Betsie’s role.

See, it was Corrie’s sister, Betsie who prompted thanksgiving and praise in the darkest of times, and it was Betsie who prayed for Corrie when Corrie was unable to pray for herself. It was Betsie who held her sister up in a place full of evil, and it was Betsie who reminded Corrie though thousands were experiencing unimaginable pain, God was still present.

It was Betsie who made me thankful for forever friends who hold me up, and it was Betsie who reminded me I need to do the same for my friends too.

A Picture Book Series for Our Kids

I write picture books about strong Christian women who impacted the world, and I just released a book about the Ten Boom sisters.

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It’s my desire for our kids to know the heroes who came before them, heroes who risked their lives for others, heroes who were obedient to God, and heroes who prayed for the sun to shine again.

Sisters, Corrie and Betsie ten Boom are heroes who do just that (and much more!).

Your Turn: Do you know the Ten Boom sisters? Do you have a friend or a sister who prays you through dark circumstances? Are you that friend to others?

AmyHeadshotAmy L. Sullivan doesn’t always feel brave, but her picture book series, Gutsy Girls: Strong Christian Women Who Impacted the World allows her to comb through history and steal wisdom from the great women who came before her. Amy is host of Gutsy Girls Read, an online book club for anyone interested in discovering and discussing books written for girls ages toddler to teen. Connect with Amy on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

Enter the drawing to win a copy of Gutsy Girls: Sisters Corrie and Betsie Ten Boom [Email subscribers, click here and scroll to the end of the post to enter the drawing]:

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Living Gutsy for God {and a giveaway!}

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A year or so ago, my friend Amy Sullivan had an idea to write a series of picture books for young girls featuring strong Christian women from history. She pitched it to a few publishers, but alas, no bites. So Amy made a gutsy move: she decided to publish the series herself. I am delighted to announce that the first book in the Gutsy Girls series is now available on Amazon, and friends, it is brilliant: a fabulous, fast-moving story combined with fun, vibrant, energetic artwork. As I told Amy this week, it seems these days we parents have to work doubly hard to counteract the barrage of not-so-positive images and storylines our kids ingest from mainstream media. Sometimes, I admit, it feels like a losing battle, and that’s exactly why the Gusty Girls series is so critically important. The more tools we have, the better our chances of impacting and influencing our kids with the messages that matter.

 

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Text and Photos by Amy Sullivan:

If I think hard enough, I can remember times in my life when I acted bravely.

In sixth grade, I confronted a neighborhood bully who stole my jeans from a local Laundromat.

In ninth grade, I took on a gaggle of teens who were making fun of a student with disabilities.

When I was twenty-three, I planted myself in the middle of an isolated Navajo Reservation and loved on kids who were not my own.

When I was thirty, I hiked up a mountain with twenty-seven teenage boys. At the end of the trail, the boys and I took turns flipping off a twenty-foot cliff into the water.

When I was thirty-two, I discovered the power in praying for people I don’t know and places I’ve never been.

But if I think of right now, and I think of forty-year-old me, I can’t say my life is full of brave acts, and I am not just talking about flip-off-a-cliff-bravery. I am talking about living in obedience to God bravery. When I feel the Holy Spirit asking me to do something, I don’t want to evaluate it. I want to trust and act.

I want to live with gutsy faith, and I want my daughters to live this faith, too.

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Confession time: my daughters have known who the Kardashians are for a long time, but they have only recently been introduced to Lillian Thrasher. They know about Miley Cyrus, but they know nothing of Elisabeth Elliot. They can recite facts about Taylor Swift’s childhood, but they aren’t sure why Mother Teresa is well-known.

I know. I can feel you shaking your head at my seemingly lax parenting, but what I’ve discovered is that despite internet filters, restrictions on TV shows, preset radio stations, and bans on all things trashy, the world is determined to tell my kids who to admire.

I pump gas while a video screen pumps footage of a scandal involving an NBA player. I stand in line at the grocery store, and another screen reports the details of a fallen starlet’s latest escapades. I go to the library, and magazines and newspapers document the beachfront mansion bought by a girl who is famous for simply being famous. The world shouts, and my daughters take it in.

My kids aren’t bombarded with real heroes. Instead, they are bombarded with the world’s heroes, and I am determined to change that.

If you combine my sincere prayer for my daughters to know what it’s like to live gutsy for God with my fierce determination to provide my girls with real heroes, you get Gutsy Girls: Strong Christian Women Who Impacted the World.

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This picture book series focuses on one woman per book, and the first book highlights Gladys Aylward. Do you remember Gladys from Michelle’s 50 Women? If not, Gladys is woman number 42. Grab your book, and turn there fast.

Gladys was told she was not young enough, smart enough, or fluent enough to teach the people of China about Jesus. Determined Gladys ignored their advice, and set-out on an across-the-world adventure.

Gladys lived gutsy for God. She lived in obedience. She didn’t listen to those who  discouraged her from following the plans He had for her.

I am working hard to do the same.

Amy Sullivan HeadshotAmy L. Sullivan is the author of the picture book series Gutsy Girls: Strong Christian Women Who Impacted the World and the non-fiction book When More is Not Enough: How to Stop Giving Your Kids What They Want and Give Them What They Need. She writes for oodles of print and online publications, and she believes strong mamas raise strong girls. You can connect with Amy at her website, as well as on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Have a young girl in your life? Be sure to enter the raffle for a chance to win one of two copies of Gutsy Girls I am giving away this week [email readers: click here and scroll to the bottom of the post]:

 

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When More Is Not Enough {and a giveaway!}

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I’ve known Amy Sullivan a good long while now, and though I’ve never met her in person (is it weird to say that’s on my bucket list?), I admire her, respect her and downright love her. Amy’s heart for giving is incredible. What’s more, she doesn’t just think about giving and serving; she doesn’t just write about giving and serving; she does it. And Amy does something else that’s both challenging and at the same time hugely inspiring and encouraging: she gets her family involved, too.

So Amy’s gone and written a book – because she clearly doesn’t have enough on her plate as an educator, mother, wife and God-servant extraordinaire, right? I sat down one afternoon and read When More is Not Enough – How to Stop Giving Your Kids What They Want and Give Them What They Need in a single sitting , and I have to tell you, this book is good, friends — really, really good! Amy is funny, authentic and so, so relatable. She gives you the whole story of what it’s like to begin to change the culture in her household from “me, me, me” to a more serving focus, and it’s not always pretty or perfect. You’ll laugh at her foibles, you’ll nod along with her frustrations and challenges, but most importantly, you’ll come away with an invigorated passion for serving and giving, along with concrete, hands-on suggestions for how to gently and but definitively change the culture in your own household.

Oh, and by the way, Amy’s proceeds from sales of this book will be donated to a non-profit called Transformation Village, in her home state of North Carolina (more about that in the interview below). I know. I told you she was the bee’s knees!

When More is Not EnoughI recently had the opportunity to ask Amy a few questions about her book and her family’s giving and serving philosophy. Enjoy this interview, and then scroll down to watch the book trailer AND register for a chance to win a copy of When More is Not Enough.

Q: If you could suggest one place to start with cultivating a giving/serving family, where would that be? I guess a better way to ask the question is: where do we even begin?

Amy: Easy peasy. Start where you are. Start where you live. The easiest way to begin serving others is by interacting with the community around you.  Getting to know your neighbors, finding out what that woman down the street is passionate about, listening to an 82-year-old’s story, being present. I’m constantly shocked at how many needs surround our family, especially needs of people we know.

Q. Tell us a little bit about the non-profit organization you are donating book proceeds to. Why is it special to you?

Amy: My mother had me when she was barely nineteen. In addition to taking full time classes, my mom worked morning shifts at the university cafeteria, nights as a waitress, and weekends as a tour guide. Plus, she parented. Life was not easy, and I’ve always wanted to help other moms who struggle. The proceeds I make from When More is Not Enough are going to a project in Western North Carolina called Transformation Village. Transformation Village is a housing development my community is rallying to build. Transformation Village will house women who are veterans, single mothers and children, and families in crisis in North Carolina. It’s much different than a shelter in that it will focus on providing more than a meal and some clothes. Instead, Transformation Village will focus on providing a way for people to truly better themselves by offering counseling, mentoring, job training, and additional education.

Q. What’s the most creative service project you’ve done with your family?

Amy: I can take zero credit for our most creative service project. A nail polish stand was the brainchild of our oldest daughter. My husband and I discouraged our girl as she and a friend lined-up rainbow colors on a plastic tablecloth and stationed themselves on a corner in our neighborhood, but cars and walkers just  kept coming.

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Q. Tell us about a family service initiative that completely bombed? {make us feel better!}

Amy: I invited thirty people over to make shoes out of milk cartons and jeans. This was an obvious mistake for those who know me. The milk cartons stunk, the kids traced the wrong patterns, our two pair of dull scissors barely cut, and zero shoes were made. This was clearly a case of me getting sucked into a cool online video with great music, and ignoring the fact that I have zero crafting ability and therefore, it is not possible for me to lead a group of thirty in making shoes.

Q. What do you hope is the one definitive take-away readers will glean from When More is Not Enough?

Amy: Serving others is more than a series of tasks. It’s a way of life. It’s learning to love others the way God loves us.

Amy Sullivan HeadshotFor the past two years, Amy L. Sullivan looked harder, loved stronger, and discovered more by fixing her gaze on something other than the person staring back at her in the mirror. Amy writes for oodles of print and online publications and loves speaking with groups of any size. Connect with her online at AmyLSullivan.com.

{Email readers: please click here and scroll down to the bottom of the post if you’d like to enter the giveaway for a chance to win a copy of When More Is Not Enough}

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