Today it is my pleasure to introduce author Mary Schmidt to this blog. Mary and I met through the Rave Reviews Book Club, where her book, When Angels Fly, has received notable recognition.
Mary grew up in Kansas, though she and her family now split their time between their Kansas home and Colorado. She is a retired nurse, who has worked for the American Cancer Society, as well as the March of Dimes. She is also an amateur photographer and graphic artist. When she writes, she uses the pen name, S. Jackson.
Welcome and thank you for joining us, Mary!
Mary grew up in Kansas, though she and her family now split their time between their Kansas home and Colorado. She is a retired nurse, who has worked for the American Cancer Society, as well as the March of Dimes. She is also an amateur photographer and graphic artist. When she writes, she uses the pen name, S. Jackson.
Welcome and thank you for joining us, Mary!
Thank you, Gwen, for hosting me as a guest on your Reflections Blog. Your blog is perfect for me to write about my experiences and my memoir, When Angels Fly.
For brevity’s sake, I will touch on bits and pieces so that readers can see what God has done in my life.
As a child, I was mentally, emotionally, and physically abused by my mother, and this abuse didn’t end until her death. Throughout all the cruelties, I knew something better would happen in my life, and I knew God was in control. My battered body cried out, but I thought God must be too busy to help me. From that abuse, I went into another relationship post high school, and it turned out to be abusive as well. I was caught in a vicious cycle of domestic abuse.
My oldest son, Shane, was stillborn. The one thing that I thought was all good and wonderful in my life was snatched away from me, and I was angry at God. I lashed out at Him with so much anger, that I fell into a deep depression, a hole I just couldn’t climb out of. I had tried so hard to become pregnant, and ended up burying my son.
After about a year, I learned I was pregnant again! Elation and fear took turns in my head and heart. When I reached eight months gestation, I knew I would have the baby I dearly wanted. After 36 hours of labor, my baby boy came into this world blue! Feverishly, the staff worked on him and then I heard his cry. God had intervened and breathed life into him. I doted on my baby boy, Gene, and I felt completely blessed by Jesus.
Fifteen months later, I had another boy, Sam. Elation soared and my boys took to each other instantly. Best playmates, best friends, they were inseparable. However my husband remained abusive in all imaginable ways. When my boys were ages four and five, I knew I had to leave him for their sake. Long story short, we moved into an apartment.
Sam, now five years old, started having multiple sinus infections, upper respiratory issues, and more. CT scans were done multiple times, and he never remained well. In hindsight, those scans were misread and my son was misdiagnosed for eight months! By then, cancer had spread from his neck into his brain and metastases found in both lungs. For seven and a half months, he fought for his life.
Most remarkable is that Sam wanted to go to Heaven! Sam knew Jesus! Sam knew God! Even though I was afraid to teach him about God, and my faith faltered throughout this time, my son knew! He said to me, “I want to go to Heaven, Mom.”
Twenty three years later, I started the process of putting my journals and events into digital format, followed by an award winning memoir, When Angels Fly. I now have 12 published books.
Thank you for inviting me to your site, Gwen. If your readers have questions about my books or art, they can contact me through any of the social media links listed below. I am always happy to respond to queries.
For brevity’s sake, I will touch on bits and pieces so that readers can see what God has done in my life.
As a child, I was mentally, emotionally, and physically abused by my mother, and this abuse didn’t end until her death. Throughout all the cruelties, I knew something better would happen in my life, and I knew God was in control. My battered body cried out, but I thought God must be too busy to help me. From that abuse, I went into another relationship post high school, and it turned out to be abusive as well. I was caught in a vicious cycle of domestic abuse.
My oldest son, Shane, was stillborn. The one thing that I thought was all good and wonderful in my life was snatched away from me, and I was angry at God. I lashed out at Him with so much anger, that I fell into a deep depression, a hole I just couldn’t climb out of. I had tried so hard to become pregnant, and ended up burying my son.
After about a year, I learned I was pregnant again! Elation and fear took turns in my head and heart. When I reached eight months gestation, I knew I would have the baby I dearly wanted. After 36 hours of labor, my baby boy came into this world blue! Feverishly, the staff worked on him and then I heard his cry. God had intervened and breathed life into him. I doted on my baby boy, Gene, and I felt completely blessed by Jesus.
Fifteen months later, I had another boy, Sam. Elation soared and my boys took to each other instantly. Best playmates, best friends, they were inseparable. However my husband remained abusive in all imaginable ways. When my boys were ages four and five, I knew I had to leave him for their sake. Long story short, we moved into an apartment.
Sam, now five years old, started having multiple sinus infections, upper respiratory issues, and more. CT scans were done multiple times, and he never remained well. In hindsight, those scans were misread and my son was misdiagnosed for eight months! By then, cancer had spread from his neck into his brain and metastases found in both lungs. For seven and a half months, he fought for his life.
Most remarkable is that Sam wanted to go to Heaven! Sam knew Jesus! Sam knew God! Even though I was afraid to teach him about God, and my faith faltered throughout this time, my son knew! He said to me, “I want to go to Heaven, Mom.”
Twenty three years later, I started the process of putting my journals and events into digital format, followed by an award winning memoir, When Angels Fly. I now have 12 published books.
Thank you for inviting me to your site, Gwen. If your readers have questions about my books or art, they can contact me through any of the social media links listed below. I am always happy to respond to queries.
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