Moments with God Giveaway with Thais VanGinHoven; A Cancer Survivor
Here I am in Michigan–snowed in again!
A perfect day to make a big pot of hot soup, some crusty, hearty bread and curl up with a good book.
In the pot?
Hamburger Soup; a veggie-laden savory contribution from my friend Pam that was published in my latest book.
On the bread board?
Homemade honey-whole-wheat. Hot out of the oven with a tad bit of butter.
In my hands?
A wonderful book by a cancer-survivor and lover of God, my sister-in-love, Thais VanGinHoven.
Thais VanGinhoven is a breast cancer survivor. She is also a mother, dental hygienist, writer, speaker, artist, and friend.
Her pursuit is to bring glory to the name of God through her daily life and the telling of her story. She believes that as long as she is alive God must not be finished with her yet. Thais lives in southwest Michigan.
Okay…that was her professional bio. Now for the real scoop!
Thais (pronounced Ty-ese as in Thai food) is the oldest sister of my husband Todd. The “funnest” Aunt around, as my kids say, she can often be found on some wacky adventure, quietly riding her horse or encouraging a hurting soul.
Quite the cook, like all three of Todd’s sisters, she makes the absolute BEST appetizers—usually laden with some fancy cheese (an Ehman trademark) and bakes one killer white-chocolate raspberry cheese cake (also in my latest book). She has a knack for decorating, for making you feel as if you’ve known her all your life and for turning tragedy and adversity into opportunites for growth.
Perhaps this amazing lady ‘s life philosophy can be best summed up by the sign that hangs in her quaint 1880’s farmhouse (the former Heinz Pickle Farm’s overseer’s residence):
“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well-pressed body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, latte in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming, ‘Whoo-hoo! what a ride’ “ :-)
Thais recently published her first book Moments With God; Diaries of a Cancer Survivor.
I’ll never forget the day we got the call.
Thais had breast cancer, but it didn’t have her. Not for one moment!
Fast forward 8 years. She has lived through not only the cancer, but also an unwanted divorce that cost her the dream house she lived in and her comfortable, county-club lifestyle.
Soon after she found herself alone, she suffered a severe brain injury from a fall and had both her adult children move states away just as her divorce was final.
Thais was forced to start her life over again, finding and adjusting to a new “normal”.
Through it all, she kept a journal. That journal is now her book!
To be entered to win a signed copy of this encouraging volume along with a $10 Barnes and Noble gift card (to buy your own journal or to use at their coffee house) simply leave a comment here today.
Tell us, if YOU could write a book, what would it be? Fiction? A memoir? A self-help book?
I FIRMLY believe everyone has a story within them. What would yours be? Or what would you write about if you could? If time is tight, simply say “I’m in!”
And would you please hop over to Thais’ site too and leave a comment on her blog?
I would so love that!
But be sure to leave your comment here too for the giveaway!
I’ll see you back here on Wednesday!
Cancer-kicking Blessings,
Praise God for Thais’ perserverance in the Lord. It would be natural to be overwhelmed and burdened with such a life threatening illness but praise God we are victorious in Him over anything and what the enemy can intend for bad through things like Cancer, disability, depression, etc. God turns around for our good and uses to impact His kingdom in a mighty way!
I agree that everyone has a story to tell. I have been an unofficial writer for majority of my life and back in 2008 God gave me the title of my first book which would be a memoir of my journey from Islam to Christianity and how my life was transformed by the resurrecting power of Christ as well as how real the impact my conversion has had on family acceptance and relationships.
I have not really started writing yet but I believe God will give me the go-ahead when it’s time and when that happens He will use it for His glory.
Have a blessed day, Karen! We’re staying in today too :)
I’m in…I had written a longer response, but when I hit the submit, it said the page was under maintenance or something.
What an inspiration! I, too, am on my way to healing through the journey of breast cancer. I am looking at writing and actually attended the P31 She Speaks last summer. (Thanks to some friends who believed in me…a present for completing a rather rough road.) I am still in the defining part of my writing. However, a book that is in my heart: The Potter’s Vessel–Finding Hope in the Brokeness.
What a great story and one that I would love to read. After struggling with a head injury from a car accident 10 years ago that left me with severe dizziness and nerve damage I too have had to live a new “normal” life. If given the opportunity I would write a book about how to help people try and understand and embrace what they are going through. It would be about encouraging people struggling with injuries internally when externally they seem like nothing is wrong.
All this talk of snow and good food makes me miss Vermont even more!
If I could write a book about anything, it would be about my life as a military spouse: the long hours I spend alone while my husband is a work, the months I spend away from him while he’s deployed (which btw he’s currently deployed to Afghanistan but comes home in April!!), the sad departures and the amazingly beautiful homecomings, the sisterhood of the Corpswives. I would so love to write a book about this!
Great giveaway, what an inspiration.
I could never write a book! I”m in.
Sounds like a wonderful read…I’m in.
I’ve often thought about writing a book about my story (I’m only 29, but I have a great story of God’s blessings and redemption in my life)…maybe one day!
How wonderful to have the funnest aunt be such an inspiration! My story would be about my mom…how being raised believing and trusting God helped her through losing 3 babies, losing her husband (she was 36, he was 42), being a working, single mom trying to pay off all the medical expenses from daddy’s cancer, taking care of her elderly parents, remarrying at 68…I could go on and on!!! She’s almost 81 now, and you wouldn’t know it by how active she remains! She is my inspiration!
Wow, only God can sustain us and give us the desire to redo our normal. I would love to meet Thais, but the next best thing would be to win a copy of her book. I need some encouragement today. Your email was timely. Blessings,
Bobbie Gillette
http://www.youravon.com/bgillette
Wow, only God can sustain us and give us the desire to redo our normal. I would love to meet Thais, but tthe next best thing would be to win a copy of her book. I need some encouragement today. Your email was timely. Blessings,
Bobbie Gillette
http://www.youravon.com/bgillette
Wow, it is stories like this that remind me that I need to stop whining and just trust if God, if people like her can do it, so can I.
I would actually love to write a book. I would love to write fiction, but recently I have though I would love to write children’s Bible studies.
I come across this through Facebook & Proverbs 31 Ministries. You know there are just some times God wants you to stumble across stuff and this was one of them. I guess so many of us have horrific battles in life to endure. Mine personally was a custody battle that nearly destroyed my life emotionally, physically, and financially. I fought so long on my own until there was no fight left in me. That is when I gave it to God! No -God did not make it all disappear but he held me up to survive the battle. There are days that are still a struggle but with God I know that I will be able to survive anything! I look forward to reading this book and Praise God for women like Thais!
I can’t begin to imagine what I would write about. God continues to teach me SO many things, as I humbly submit my life and will to Him, that it would be hard to pick one area to write about.
im in
Just when you think you have finished your mountain climbing in life, you look over that peak, and there is another mountain. Thanks for sharing the inspiration to keep on climbing!
Im in!
This book sounds wonderful – I love reading true stories of people who share how God has worked in their lives through both joy and heartache.
I’m in. I like to look for positive and encouraging quotes and sayings, so if I were to put a book together it would probably be a round up of lots of those, to share with my family and friends. I am afraid I am not very good at putting the words together myself, but LOVE to read them!
I think I would write a self help book. But I am not truly sure. I would do alot of praying about it that is for sure!
If I could write……and I can’t….I would probably write about growing up in a disfunctional family of 7 kids and parents who really should never have married much less had so many kids. Being the 5th of the 7 kids, I viewed our life from a middle child perspecitve. There was almost 7 years between me and the brother who was born before me and two more born after me. I had the perfect place to observe the older and younger siblings and how they were treated. If I were to write anything it would be for myself as a healing process and how I’ve seen God work in my life and protect me from myself and the world. I’m sure no one else would want to read it.
On the cancer topic…..my Mom had breat cancer twice once in 1980 and again in 1999 and mastectomies both times. 4 of her 5 sisters had breast cancer of some type and I have had one cousin recently die of it. If I were to get breast cancer……from seeing how it re-occurs years later……my husband and I have discussed it and I would have double mastectomies right then…..implants would depend on my age at the time. I have had exploratory breast surgery in the past and a few scares. My surgeon actually suggested that I have the double mastectomies as a precautionary measure. I opted for breast reduction. My Mom lived a long time after mastectomies without breasts and did fine. She passed away a year ago tomorrow….2/22/10….at the age of 86 and it wasn’t from cancer.
Thank you for the opportunity to win this book. It is always interesting to see how other people handle what life throws at them
God Bless
I would love to get a copy of this book. Need a good Christian read so I can stop feeling sorry for myself and what I deem to be my current crummy circumstances right now!
If I were to write a book right now, it would be the auto-biography of my 3 year old daughter, who will be 4 on Wednesday. It would be entitled, “When I was a little girl….” – that is how almost ALL of her conversations start off these days…and we would have LOTS of imagination friends to write about – the latest ones being Sally and Tinka. :)
If I were to write a book right now, it would be the auto-biography of my 3 year old daughter, who will be 4 on Wednesday. It would be entitled, “When I was a little girl….” – that is how almost ALL of her conversations start off these days…and we would have LOTS of imagination friends to write about – the latest one being Sally and Tinka. :)
Thrilled to hear the news of your anticipated book. Yeah God! Can’t wait to hear more triumphs and successes!
If I was to write a book, I would write one that encourages women.