Shannon here: Paula K. Parker shares how her husband surprised her for their anniversary, plus a chance to win a digital copy of her Biblical Fiction title, If I Perish plus 3 other books. Comment or answer the question in any post dated June 18th – 30th to enter the drawing. Deadline: July 11th, 11:59 pm central. Here’s Paula:
Special Gift for Our Special Day:
The first part of November 2023, I spent a week watching our grandchildren while our daughter and son-in-law went on a cruise. Mike spent Saturday and Sunday with me, and on Monday he went home to work and take care of the house. He was going to return on Thursday—once our daughter and son-in-law were home—to get me. The day they were returning was our 49th wedding anniversary.
During the week, Mike and I stayed in touch via texts, phone calls, and even video chats, discussing how our days were going, situations we were facing, fun things that had happened, and how we were looking forward to being together again on our special day.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Life360 app on my phone told me Mike was traveling to a nearby town. That seemed odd, as we generally do not go there.
When he called later, I asked him about it.
“I had to go to Lowes to get something that our local Lowes didn’t have.”
“What did you need?”
“Oh…a tool.”
It was that hesitation that clued me in. In the past years, whenever I was away from home for several days, Mike would do some remodeling of our almost 100-year-old home.
“You’re doing something to the house, aren’t you?”
“…yes…but please don’t ask what it is. I want it to be a surprise for you on our special day.”
Over the next few days, I wondered what he was doing and what it would look like.
On Thursday, our 49th anniversary, as we were driving home, I asked, “Is the special thing finished?”
“Yes, it is. You’ll see it once you walk into the house.”
It turned out to be our dining room. Mike had added beadboard on the ceiling, added a beadboard wainscoting, a chair rail, crown molding, and fresh paint. It was beautiful!
When Jesus was on Earth, He spent time with His Bride; His disciples and His other followers. Over the three years He was with them, He taught them many things, including, “ In My Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there Ye may be also.” John 14:2–3 (KJV)
We who have accepted Jesus’ salvation are part of the Bride of Christ. He is still working, preparing something special for us.
While we wait, we talk to Him each day, we learn more about Him through the Bible, we grow closer to other members of the Body and Bride of Christ.
One day soon, Jesus will return—on our special day—to take us to our forever home. We will see what He has done for us; the home He has prepared for us.
It will be beautiful beyond what we can imagine.
Reader Question: 
Have you or your family ever done any do it yourself remodeling? What did you do and how did it go?
June Book Bundle #2
My Journey into Writing Fiction by R.F. Whong, to download this giveaway, you’ll need to sign up for my weekly newsletter
Romancing the Elements by Jenny Carlisle, Contemporary Romance Novella Collection, print
If I Perish by Paula K. Parker, Biblical Fiction, digital
Second Chances and Second Cups by Donna Schlachter, Short Story Compilation, print or digital
About Paula: Paula K. Parker is a Pulitzer Prize nominee, award-winning, best-selling, and internationally acclaimed author, playwright, magazine writer, entertainment writer, devotional writer, curriculum writer, and corporate copywriter. She writes books, articles, plays, reviews, curriculum, and inspirational devotions. Paula lives near Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband Mike, who is also a writer, a professional actor, and a filmmaker.
Her biblical novel, IF I PERISH; A Queen’s Sacrifice reached multiple best-selling charts and was nominated for the prestigious Pulitzer Prize and was a Finalist in the 2025 Storytrade Book Awards. Her biblical novel, THE CARPENTER AND HIS BRIDE; The Birth of Hope, also reached multiple best-selling charts and won the Bronze Level in the Inspirations Christian Book Awards. Her biblical Sisters of Lazarus trilogy—BEAUTY UNVEILED, GLORY REVEALED, and GRACE EXTENDED—reached multiple best-selling charts. Learn more & connect:
Paula’s Website Paula’s Author Facebook
Paula’s Facebook Paula’s Instagram
About the book – If I Perish: A Queen’s Sacrifice:
She was an orphan. She was an outcast. She was the queen of the most powerful empire the world had ever seen. And she was born…For such a time as this.
A bold new retelling of the Story of Esther by Pulitzer Prize nominee Paula K. Parker.
Haddasah was born into a loving, wealthy Jewish family in the Persian Empire’s capital city of Susa. But before she even comes of age her world is swept away by events over which she has no control. Her parents murdered, she is left with only one living relative, her much older cousin, Mordecai, who shelters her as his own daughter. Just when life regains a semblance of normality, on the eve of her betrothal, she is taken against her will into the King’s harem, where she assumes a new name and is admonished to never speak of her family or heritage.
Over the course of a year, she had become an orphan and an outcast. Yet even here she is destined to serve the purposes of God. As Mordecai prophesied, she was born for such a time as this.
Worried you won’t win the drawing? Interested in Paula’s other titles? Need extra books for gifts?
Get your copy/copies now!
If I Perish – barnesandnoble If I Perish – Amazon
If I Perish – books2read If I Perish – Autographed
My husband has always been pretty handy and did the majority of the inside work when we built our house 41 years ago. He also helped a builder add the upstairs a few years later. He and I put together a spiral staircase to access the upstairs. He has a tendency to get things usable even if they are not quite 100% finished out. There are places still without trim and the shower upstairs has not been finished, although the toilet and sink as well as the floor and walls are finished. He has saved us a lot of money over the years but is no longer able to do as much as he used to do, but neither am I.
Shout out to Paula and Mike. I had the privilege to meet you at the Nashville book fair. Love you guys and your Beauty Unveiled Sisters of Lazarus book 1 looking forward to reading more. To answer your question about home remodel, Oh boy! When my daughter and I moved to TN a few years back, the house we were renting was being renovated to split the upstairs from the downstairs to make it 2 different living areas. We were upstairs and the Landlord’s son was downstairs. Well let’s just say when we moved and showed up the place wasn’t completely livable, it was halfway done. So my daughter and I had to help the contractor finish the job upstairs and downstairs. Because we couldn’t live in a hotel and continue living out of the moving van. We learned how to paint, caulk, put in ceiling fans, drywall, and plumbing plus electric sockets. Yep, a real diy experience. But we did have fun. Learned alot about Clarksville Tn where we had moved to really fast. It was an amazing adventure. We have since moved to KY but the adventures still keep going.
Yes when my Husband was alive and we always rented we always had to do some remodeling on places we were moving in as he was a Carpenter and Construction worker it made it a lot easier on us we would paint and sometimes have to hang new sheetrock and do the mudding and taping and then the sanding please enter me in this amazing giveaway as I Love reading print books Thank you for this post have a great weekend!
My husband’s career was manufacturing and installing synthetic marble. If he didn’t know how to do something, he knew someone who did. We rented my mom’s house from her when our kids were growing up. We repainted, replaced kitchen countertops and bathroom floors with the beautiful product of his daily labor. When we built our own house, he told the builder, “I’ve got the bathroom surfaces taken care of.” I trust him implicitly for all of our projects.
Oh yes! My family has fully embraced the “How hard can it be?” approach to DIY remodeling. We’ve tackled everything from painting to flooring, and every project starts with confidence… and usually ends with at least three trips to the hardware store because someone forgot a “very important” part.
One project inevitably includes the phrase, “Well… that’s not how the YouTube video did it.” Another family member insists they don’t need the instructions, while everyone else quietly prepares for Plan B.
Somehow, after a few laughs and a little friendly debate, it all comes together. We may not always finish on schedule, but we do end up with great memories – and a few stories that get funnier every time they’re retold! 😂
My husband and his family replaced all the carpet in our house with vinyl flooring. You can tell it wasn’t done by a professional in some places, but we saved a ton of money, so I can deal with it.
I have a winner! Joannie Sico won the drawing. I appreciate Paula for being my guest and everyone else for stopping by.