Shannon here: Beth E. Westcott shares insight into her real-life romance, plus a chance to win a copy of her Contemporary Romance, Heart’s Desire. Head’s up, this is one of my editing babies. Comment or answer the question in this post to enter the drawing for a copy. Deadline: June 19th, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Beth:
We Met, He Proposed, I Left:
After finishing my junior year as an English major at Hartwick College, I looked forward to joining a group of English majors to spend a term in Brighton, England in September. We would be attending classes at the University of Sussex and have the opportunity to travel, fulfilling my dream of visiting the country of my ancestors.
I had committed to spending the summer as a counselor at Camp Joy, a part of Lakeside Bible Conference in Carmel, New York, owned by Children’s Bible Fellowship of Greater New York. This summer camp brought kids from the inner city of New York for two weeks in the country, to be fed spiritually and experience life outside the city. For this naïve country girl, Camp Joy was an eye-opening and challenging, but wonderful, experience.
Frank had been a counselor at Camp Joy for the two previous summers, and he now worked at a children’s institution not far from camp. When he stopped in one day to visit some of his friends, a mutual friend introduced us. We began dating on my day off each week and fell in love.
Six weeks after we met, Frank proposed. I didn’t give him an immediate answer. We hadn’t known each other very long, I was tired at the end of camp season, and
I knew I’d be leaving for England soon. I wanted time to pray and to return to a more “normal” setting before giving him an answer. I know waiting was hard for him, and my dad advised me not to make him wait too long.
Of course, I said yes, but it was in a letter just before I left to go abroad. For fourteen weeks we corresponded by international snail-mail. (I still have his letters.) When I returned to the U.S. in December, he bought me an engagement ring. We were married on July 14, 1973, one year after we met.
About Beth: Beth grew up in rural, upstate New York, the youngest of seven. After graduating from Hartwick College, she married Frank and served with him in Child Evangelism Fellowship for five years and beside him in the pastoral ministry for 33 years. The mother of three and the grandmother of five, she enjoys music, sewing, and gardening, as well as reading and writing. She has had church programs and devotionals published, and her short story “Sadie and the Princess” is included in Heart-warming Horse Stories on Amazon. Meadow Song, her first contemporary Christian romance novel, debuted in 2018 (republished by Scrivenings Press in 2020), and Heart’s Desire, her second novel, is scheduled for release by Scrivenings Press on July 27, 2021. Learn more & connect:
Beth’s Website Beth’s Facebook Beth’s Bookbub Beth’s Goodreads
About the book – Heart’s Desire: Neither of them is thinking about falling in love when they meet again at her brother’s wedding. Aubrey White doesn’t have time for romance to distract her from her career goal of becoming a college president. Jeremy Abbott is focused on completing his two years at seminary before finding the girl he’ll marry. When Jeremy chooses to attend Clark Seminary, which shares a campus with the university where Aubrey is completing her undergraduate degree, their growing attraction for each other threatens their stated purpose to “remain friends.” If she allows her friendship with Jeremy to grow into love, will Aubrey lose control of her life and fail to achieve her goals?
Misunderstandings, a broken promise, and a sister’s stubbornness threaten to extinguish the spark of romantic attraction between them. Is God showing Aubrey and Jeremy that the desire of their hearts isn’t His plan for them?
On pre-order July 13, 2021 Release date July 27, 2021 Hearts Desire – Scrivenings Press
Question for Readers: Is it possible to mend a broken friendship? If so, what are some steps you can take to do so?
Come back June 11th for Jeanette-Marie Mirich!
Be genuine and honest when talking with the person, whether it is in person or written. Choose words carefully. No blaming. Accept that rebuilding trust takes time. Accept that mending a broken friendship takes both people and sometimes the hurt is too deep for both people to be willing to rebuild the friendship; only time will tell for certain. Prayers definitely for both people are needed; even if only one of the parties is doing the praying.
Have an honest conversation. Talk about things that made the friendship go bad. Produce a plan, together, to mend the hurt feelings. Also, come up with ways to let each other know when things are not going well in the friendship. Remember what made the two of you become friends, and talk about those things. HONESTY is vital!
I agree with the above comments. First, a little time should pass so both can evaluate their feelings and let anger die down. Then, an honest conversation had to happen. It will take desire on both ends to renew the relationship.
Yes by being willing to talk about the problem and be willing to give and take forgiveness.
Building trust again might be hard but everything is possible through Christ <3
I have a winner! Cindy G. Carpenter won the drawing. I appreciate Beth for being my guest and everyone else for stopping by.