Find out the Ruby Secret in "Women of Virtue." Available at Deseret Book, www.amazon.com, and other sites and stores near you.

http://www.deseretbook.com/
http://www.amazon.com/

Holiday Picks--Suggested Reading for Christmas

During the holidays, it doesn't get any better than a steaming hot cup of cocoa and a good book.  So, if you’re like me and you love a good Christmas story check out these HOLIDAY picks.

First, may I suggest the old time classic, The Little Red Buckets. After reading it several years ago, I bought two red buckets for my family, so we could start a “red bucket” tradition of our own. At the beginning of December, my kids and I fill the red buckets with goodies and go delivering them anonymously to some of our neighbors. We love those little red buckets. We empty out the goodies on porch and ring the doorbell and run. We’ve had great memories the past couple of years carrying those red buckets from house to house. So, suggestion number one is: The Little Red Buckets-- a heart-warming story you’ll want to read again and again. Here's a blurb about it:  If you’ve ever wondered about angels, The Little Red Buckets offers an assurance. Yes, we can all serve one another and give care the way guardian angels do—but help can also come from beyond. Here’s a sweet and simple story of just such a time.

Christmas for a Dollar is an heir-loom storybook full of beautiful illustrations. It's 1931 in Bakersfield, California. America is in the midst of the Depression, and the Kamp family is struggling to get by, especially after Mrs. Kamp s untimely death. Now little Ruthie, with her mother gone and her father overwhelmed by doctor bills resulting from her brother s polio, expects another Christmas without presents or festivities. But when her father brings home one dollar in change and lets the children use it to buy special gifts for each other, the Kamps come to find that money isn't what fills Christmas with joy, love, and miracles. The Christmas Dollar can be found at Seagull, Deseret Book, and Costco as well as online at Amazon.

Santa’s Secret is a true story about a REAL Santa Claus. Phil Porter has been Santa Claus for 26 years. His true stories will touch your heart as he helps people deal with tragedy, divorce, poverty, unemployment and abuse. He spreads the true meaning of Christmas to those he serves, pointing them back to Jesus Christ. Check out this wonderful book at www.christyhardman.com/santassecret.html.

Two Stories of Faith: Eli, the Shepherd Boy and Abigail, the Innkeepers Wife are stories you’ll want to share with your family and friends. The two stories tell of the lives of two individuals who became followers of the Savior during his mortal mission and for the balance of their lives. No matter what age we may live in, the message of the Gospel is pertinent to our eternal happiness and we can and must "endure to the end." www.amazon.com/Two-Stories-Faith-Shepherd-Innkeepers/dp/1425952623/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258214653&sr=8-8

After you've had your hot chocolate rush and you just want a good book to escape with, try Missing.  It's not about Christmas, but it takes place at Christmas time.  A college choir tour in British Columbia turns out to be anything but ordinary when soloist Stacie Cox spots a kidnapped child during a performance. Before Stacie can alert the authorities, the little girl disappears. Find out more about Missing at http://www.rondahinrichsen.com/.


The Spirit of Christmas by Jennie Hansen, Betsy Brannon Green, and Michele Ashman Bell will help you rekindle the spirit of Christmas. A timeless trio of stories told by some of the finest storytellers will bring a heartwarming message for the Season. Will Sophie really be able to get what she needs by spending the holidays alone? Will Miss Eugenia be able to give a struggling family the Christmas they want? Has five-year-old Janie's visit from Santa really been cancelled because she was bad? Find out in this perfect assortment for sharing and celebrating the holiday season. http://micheleabell.blogspot.com/

A Candle in the Window, by Michele Ashman Bell, tells about a husband and three young daughters struggling to face their first Christmas without their wife and mother. Eight-year-old Emily is convinced her mother will come and visit her at Christmas. It’s a tender story of a miracle brought about by the faith of a young girl. It will surely bring the magic and wonder of Christmas into your heart. http://micheleabell.blogspot.com/

The Santa Letters, by Stacey Gooch Anderson, will leave you with a renewed sense of hope and Aubrey Mace’s Santa Maybe will bring a little romance into your holiday season. Check them out at www.thesantaletters.org  and  www.amazon.com/Santa-Maybe-Aubrey-Mace/dp/1599553120/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258214937&sr=1-1

I hope your holidays begin with the anticipation that something wonderful is about to happen.

With love and friendship always,

Jodi

"Women of Virtue", An Emergency Room, and A Coffee Table

"Thank you for giving my book, 'Women of Virtue', wings.

Recently, I had the unfortunate experience of being in an emergency room with my father.  He had fallen off a tall ladder and was seriously injured.  After x-rays and doctors examinations, we were lucky to hear the news that his back was only sprained, not broken.  Whooh!  After a while, when things had settled down a bit,  my father and I began talking about an upcoming book signing I was scheduled to do.  A nurse overhead us talking and asked me, "What book are you talking about?"

"Oh, I wrote a book called 'Women of Virtue,'" I said.  It was her response that surprised me.

"Oh, my neighbor has your book sitting on her coffee table.  It's got a purple cover, right?"

I was a bit awestruck.  I probably looked a little pale.  My book? Sitting on someone's coffee table?   I had never thought about that before.  My dad, lying there in his hospital bed, beamed with pride.  That was the only part of him being in an emergency room that was remotely memorable.  Wow!  My book in someone's living room.  I guess that's how it works.  You write a book.  People you don't even know buy it and read it.  And it ends up on their coffee table. 

That was an "ah-ha" moment for me. 

So, today, I, first, want to express grattitude for my father's good health.  He recovered from that fall as if her were thirty years younger.  A true blessing.  And secondly, I want to thank all of you, those I know and those whom I've never met, who have helped give my book, "Women of Virtue", wings. 

To those of you who have my purple-cover, "Women of Virtue", sitting on your coffee table, or in your bookshelf, or in your purse.  Thank you.  It's a message that all girls and women need to hear.  I needed to hear it, and I am so thrilled when I'm introduced to complete strangers who have read it or at least know about it. 

It's a big world for unknown authors and small books to get noticed.  It comes down to word of mouth.  Friends telling friends.  Neighbhors telling neighbors.  And so I thank you.  Thank you for believing in the message and for sharing the message with others.   

My book is being featured on a Book Review Blog:  so check this out. 
FREE BOOK OFFERED ON Sheila Staley's Book Review Blog
If you haven't, yet, read "Women of Virtue" and would like to WIN a copy, enter her contest.  Follow the link below and it will take you to her blog to enter. 

Let's keep talking about the beauty of virtue.  And how true beauty is felt more than it is seen.  For that is the only way to truly be happy.  Have a wonderful week.  CLICK ON "what are people saying about women of virtue" and you will be directed to the http://www.whybecauseisaidso.blogspot.com/.

What are people saying about "Women of Virtue"?

Don't Underestimate Your Influence--Speaking in Ogden, Utah

North Ogden Young Women.  (Paige is the second on the left.)

A few weeks ago, my book "Women of Virtue" was featured on a Book Review Blog and featured as a giveaway.  After the contest was over, I was given the winner's email address and name.  I quickly sent her an email to congratule her on being the winner and to get her address so I could mail her my book.  I mentioned to her that I spoke at firesides, etc., and to keep me in mind as a future speaker.

Well, I heard back from this winner shortly after she had received my book.  She said she enjoyed my book and wondered if I'd be willing to speak to her Young Women's group in Ogden.  Her email said the Young Women's president would be calling me to go over a few things.  I was excited.

"Paige just loved your book," the president said to me on the phone.  "And the message of your book is so right on with our Young Women's in Excellence theme."  After a long conversation, she said, "We'd love to have you as our guest speaker."  I told her I was grateful to Paige for passing along my information and that I truly believed that the message I had to share with the girls would strengthen their testimonies of virtue.  We ironed out the details and that was it. 

The night I was scheduled to speak, I arrived about 30 minhtues early.  The young women were practicing their musical number so I quietly went about setting up my computer.  I looked around wondering which leader was Paige.  I realized I didn't know what she looked like and figured she would introduce herself to me evenutally.  Shortly after I arrived a woman walked over to me, extended her hand, and I figured, she must be Paige.

"I'm Ellie, the Young Women's president.  Thank you so much for coming." 

"I'm so glad to be here and that song sounded beautiful,"  I replied.  For the moment, I forgot about her not being Paige and focused on getting ready to speak. 

Ellie asked me if I needed any help.  "No, I'm good, thanks."  I proceeded to get my computer set up and then greeted some of the guests as they arrived.  I kept looking around the room hoping that Paige would come meet me.  

Well, Ellie started the meeting.  And still no Paige.  We sang the opening song.  A prayer and the Young Women's theme was said.  And then the president stood to say a few words. 

"We are so excited to have our speaker tonight, Jodi Robinson.  And I'm now going to turn the time over to Paige to introduce her because she is the reason Jodi is here."  This is it!  I thought.  I'll finally find out which one of these women is the person who is responsible for inviting me here.  Yea! 

I then saw a lovely woman sitting across the room glace at the girl sitting next to her.  She gave her little nudge.  The girl stood up and walked up to the podium with a paper in hand.  Pagie?  Paige is one of the young women?  I had no idea.  It turned out that Paige is a second year Mia Maid.  She was the winner of the contest.  She was the one who had read my book and told her Young Women leaders about it.

Come to find out Paige had lobbied the Young Women's presidency for me to come and speak.  "Jodi has got to come and speak to us," she told them.  Wow!  Now I know why the young women's president had so many questions for me when she called me.  It wasn't a fellow young women's leader, or even a mother, who had made the suggestion that I speak.  It was one of her young women and she just wanted to make sure everything was kosher if they were going to have a guest speaker.  Once Paige finished introducing me, I walked over and gave her a great big hug.

"Paige, from your emails I had no idea you were one of the young women.  I am so touched that you would go to all this trouble to get me to come and speak," I told the audience.  I told her parents they should be awfully proud of their daughter being so professional and grown up.  She was polite, so together, and very gracious. 

Ellie, the young women's president, explained to me after the meeting that Paige had come to a planning meeting all excited about "Jodi Robinson and her book 'Women of Virtue'."  She was confident the message was just what the young women needed.  And so Ellie promised she would look into who I was and what my book was about.  Which she did. 

Thanks to Paige and her willingless to put herself out there, I was able to meet the young women and mothers in North Ogden.  And they were wonderful!  Wednesday night was a great experience.  Thanks to a Mia Maid named Paige. 

Don't ever underestimate your influence.  Whatever your age or your life's circumstance, you have the ability to influence.  And when you use your influence for good, good things happen.  Paige is proof of that. 

Thanks, Paige!

Witches Night Out

WITCHES PARTY 2009--It's a tradition, every October, for me to hold a Witches Party. Potions? Spells? And ghoulish delights? Well, not quite. We're the friendly, neighborhood witches, who consist of a group of women who simply crave a good girls night out with fun, games, and food. The witches hats are mandatory. No one gets in without a hat. I even have extras here at the house if they try. At the begining of the evening, twenty- plus neighborhood friends all "take flight" (in our mini-vans and suburbans) and deliver treats to a few unsuspecting neighbors. When we arrive at the door, we all chant:

"Cackle, cackle. Hee. Hee. Friendly neighborhood witches are we. Coming to give you not a trick or a fright. Just wishing you well on a cool Autumn night."

It's quite a hoot to see all of us dressed up in black witches hats carrying bags of cookies to share. Pass the Broomstick, a murder mystery, and a scary, but funny, story by professional storyteller, Julie Barson, complete the evening. Thanks to all the Witches for coming. I'm already looking forward to next year! Cackle. Cackle. Happy Halloween everyone!

P.S. Rights to Witches Night Out can be secured by contacting me, President of the Neighborhood Witches Association. Bring Witches Party to a neighborhood near you! Your neighbhors will love it!

A Halloween Celebration at a Drug Treatment Center

Two Fridays a month are my House of Hope days. It's been that way for eight years. My kids know that on Fridays that's where I go from 9:00 - 11:00 a.m.. They'll even say over breakfast, "Oh, yea, mom. It's Friday. House of Hope day." When my kids were really young, they all came with me to House of Hope (a drug treatment center for women in recovery). We'd wake up early and off we'd drive, in our wood-paneled jeep, down I-15 to the sixth south exit and into the heart of downtown Salt Lake City. We'd be greeted by 40 women, who would eagerly help me carry in my craft buckets and excitedly ask, "Jodi, what have you got for us today?"



"Today we decoupage!" I announce.



The crowd rumbles, "Yea!"


By trade, I am not a crafter, but I became one because I wanted to spend time with these wonderful women. I wanted to offer hope and healing to women recovering from addiction. Crafting and lifeskills classes gave me a reason to be there with them, to learn from them, and love them. It was the "something to do" so we could talk and share our life stories.

We talk about raising children, being wives and mothers, saving money, relationships. You name it. We discuss it. And the best part is there are no pretentions or worries about putting on a show about who we are and where we come from. They know I'm a Christian woman, a stay-at-home mom, who drives a mini-van, who has never had a cigarette and never tasted beer. And they accept me anyways. There isn't a "who does she think is" sort of attitude. They just love me for who I am and who I am trying to become.

I, too, know why the women at House of Hope are there--they are addicts.  Many have served time in jail. Many have been drug dealers. Some are in the process of getting their kids back and some have lost all rights to their kids. They come from all walks of life, religions, and economics. So, what do we have in common? Perhaps the most important thing; we are all trying to better ourselves and our lives. Just like they are trying to be better, I am trying to be a better. I'm trying to forgive more fully, love more deeply, and give more freely. They help me do this.

This past Friday was our Halloween party. Two good friends, came with me. Rootbeer floats, chocolate-frosted pumpkin cookies, games, and storytelling. It was all good, clean, fun. Even a little silly at times. There was lots of laughter. Lots of smiles.

I am blessed to know the faces and names of addiciton. I am blessed to hold their babies. To give them hugs. And to encourage their fighting spirits to continue fighting. I have learned more about hope, faith, overcoming fear, and living an open and honest life from the most unlikely teachers--drug addicts. It's been an incredible journey. These women teach me more than I could ever teach them. And the truth of the matter is; we are so much more the same than we are different. So, when they thank me for showing them how to make a flower arrangment out of a carved-out pumpkin, I readily admit the playing field is unequal because their gifts to me are priceless.

I often tell them that I wish when they graduate form the program how I would love then to come live in my neighborhood so I could protect them. Because I know that not everyone is going to look at a recovering drug addicts like I do. Life is about consequences and accepting responsibility for our own actions. But life is also about second chances. And don't we all deserve a second chance? I'm certainly not perfect. In fact, I'm due for a second chance right now. By the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ, I know I can receive one. And that's a beautiful thought.

"The cookies are delicious."

"Thanks for coming today."

"I had so much fun. I can't wait to do this with my kids."

Thanks House of Hope ladies for letting me and my friends be part of your lives. You are some of life's most beautiful blessings. 

For this week, let's concentrate on second chances. Let's give second chances to those who need them. Because, when all is said and done, we all do.

Sincerely,

Jodi

Unlikely Prayers In Unlikely Places

Unlikely Prayers In Unlikely Places

I’ve been praying like crazy these past few weeks because we’ve had some big decisions to make. We’ve needed some extra help from above, so the prayer circuits at the Robinson household have been working on overload. Thinking about prayer has reminded me of a sweet experience I had a few years ago. About one week before my 4th baby was born, I was doing some last minute shopping at the baby superstore. Standing in the blanket aisle of Babies R US, with swollen feet and a bulging belly, I was determined to buy a few, last minute items, when out of the corner of my eye, a woman started walking toward me. She wasn’t headed for the blankets. She was headed straight for me. I looked away but within seconds she was right next to me. A complete stranger, she smiled as if we had known each other since we were born. She asked, “Is it a boy or a girl?” Holding up a pink, blue, and cream chenille blanket, I cautiously told her we didn’t know what we were having thus the need for three different colored blankets.

“Oh,” she said with a hint of understanding. “Well, I’m having twins. A boy and a girl.”

“That’s perfect,” I responded feeling a little more comfortable.

I guess when you’re pregnant, every woman with a bulging belly is an immediate ally.

“What color is your nursery?” I questioned. Our conversation then continued on for several minutes. We talked about binkies, babbas, blankies, misplaced body parts and pre-labor anxiety. We laughed a little before the tone turned a little more serious. Her demeanor was so welcoming and genuine that I found myself sharing my whole pregnancy history, and how, even though I was almost full term, I was still a little worried because of what I had been through. It didn’t take long before she grabbed my hand and said “Can I say a prayer for you?” I was a bit stunned. First, this stranger approaches me out of the blue and now she was holding my hand and in my air space, which when you’re three feet wide is awfully close. I honestly did not know what I should do. I had never been prayed for by a stranger in the middle of Babies R US before. I was questioning proper protocol. Although I had bonded with this woman over small talk, I was a little uncomfortable about what other customers might think if they saw two women with their heads bowed and arms crossed in the middle of aisle six. She didn’t give me a chance to back out. She quickly launched into her spiel about being a member of a nearby church and how her pastor had asked everyone to pray for a stranger sometime that week. Apparently I was that stranger and she wanted to pray for me. So, there we stood. Hand in hand in the blanket aisle of the baby store as this total stranger asked God to bless me to calm my anxieties and fears. My eyes welled up with tears. It was really a touching thing to hear someone I hardly new pray for me. When the woman finished, I didn't know exactly what to say other than, "Thank you. That was the kindest thing anyone has ever done for me.” We finished our conversation about blankets and said goodbye. Every time I drive by Babies R US, I am compelled to think of aisle six and that prayer offered on my behalf by a woman who didn’t even know me. What a beautiful thing!

So, today, I am sending my prayers out over the Internet to anyone who needs to be prayed for. I don’t know all of you. But I know everyone can use a prayer. If you find yourself, feeling a little low today, just remember that someone, maybe even someone you have never even met, has already said for prayer for you just because.

Sometimes, prayers offered by unlikely people in unlikely places are likely to bless us in ways we never imagine. To the woman who prayed for me on a hot July day in the middle of the baby superstore, I thank you for praying for me. You taught me that’s how we all need to be. Less afraid to reach out and share God’s good graces. If you feel like it, I hope you, too, will say a prayer for those who need one and even those who think they don’t.

Sincerely,

Jodi Robinson
Author, "Women of Virtue"
True beauty is felt more than it is seen.