The other day a young girl gave me a special dessert she had made. She and her mother had even altered the recipe to fit my gluten-free diet. The cake was delicious, and receiving it made me feel loved and appreciated. So today, I’d like to share a yummy recipe with you. It’s taken from my novel, Lydia’s Charm.

Do you have a special recipe you would like to share? Or perhaps just leave a comment about some special gift someone gave you recently and how it made you feel.

Lydia’s No-Crust Apple Pie

1 egg
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Dash of salt
2 medium apples, sliced
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°. In mixing bowl, beat egg and add remaining ingredients; mix well. Spread into greased pie pan and bake for 30 minutes or until apples are soft.

Since Valentine’s Day is coming up soon, as well as my husband’s and my wedding anniversary, I’ve been thinking a lot about love. I’m reminded of a little song that my ventriloquist figure, Randy Right, sometimes sings when we are performing. It’s entitled “Love is the Key.” The words to the song go like this: Love, Love, Love is the Key. . . Love, Love, Love is the Key, The key for you and the key for me. . . Love, Love, Love is the Key.

How great would our world be if everyone loved each other and we showed it through our words and deeds? Although we have no control of how others treat us, we can control the way we treat each other. Are there some special ways you can show love to your family, friends, or even strangers?

Showing love to others can certainly be the key to happiness and peace.

What would happen if you found out someone has been impersonating you?

In my novel, The Forgiving Jar, which releases next month, Sara Murray had never met her mother’s parents and was surprised to learn after Mama’s death that her grandparents were living in Pennsylvania. When she is finally able to make the trip to meet them, and discovers they are Amish, Sara is shocked to learn someone else has been living with them and pretending to be her. Sara can’t understand how quickly her grandparents are willing to forgive the imposter.

Secrets and deceit seem to follow Sara, and she is so tired of it. Though soon, she meets Brad Fuller who is visiting her grandparents during Christmas. She likes him a lot, but when she is not totally honest with him, he pulls away from her.

Struggling, Sara finds an old canning jar hidden in the basement of her grandparents’ home that is full of encouraging prayers. Can Sara find a way to forgive the past and move on to building new relationships?

Has someone you know refused to forgive you for something you may have said or done to hurt them? Or is there someone who has hurt you in the past that you need to forgive? What better way to begin the New Year than to start it with a forgiving heart?