Jul 29, 2022
Today we are wrapping up our all things fiction series with my conversation with new author Sara Brunsvold. In this conversation Sara shares about her turbulent faith journey of when she was younger and the role older women who were further along in their faith played in helping speak to her heart and help her to know who the Lord truly is.
As she began to find her footing in various seasons, a story began to form in her heart and from her experiences. The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kipp, Sara’s debut novel, is an exquisite look into a journey of surrender, facing the brutal and holy realities of life and death on this side of heaven, learning to trust God, and engaging life with a full hold on hope.
Sara and I both have lost close family members in the last few years, and we talk about the tension of grieving with hope, how we respond and wrestle as women of faith when we see or experience suffering, and the dignity that is found in walking someone home. BUT we don’t want people to be afraid of this book (or parts of this conversation!) because death is in the title and part of the story. In this story death is not the victor, nor is it the protagonist. It is a story wrapped in hope about what death can and cannot in the lives of those that we love, and how we choose to live this side of Heaven.
This is also a conversation about examining questions such as What does it mean to mentor? What does it mean to be discipled? What and whom do we allow to disciple us? Looking at how we all have influence and how we live and encounter others matters and more. There’s a scripture that says “Teach us to number our days so that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” I think that’s what Sara and Mrs. Kip are calling us to in Jesus’ name. There is a much much bigger story happening all arond us all the time. Yours adds to it in a way that is entirely unique to you and who you are, but its potential for impact can stretch beyond anything you could imagine. We need you and your story. I hope you feel encouraged to seek the Lord in it.
Connecting with Sara:
Book: The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kipp
Mrs. Kip’s Rules to Live By (for newsletter subscribers)
References:
-A great resource about mentorship is my episode 73 with Kelsey Chapman who wrote the book What They Taught Me: Recognizing Mentors Who Will Take You From Dream to Done
-What happened in Laos during the Vietnam conflict
-Laotian refugee community in Kansas City
-When America withdrew troops from Saigon and it fell
-The Vietnam humanitarian crisis
Scripture References:
2 John 4,3 John 3-4-Walk in truth
John 3:30,Galatians 2:20-21, Galatians 5:24-25, Philippians 1:21-dying to self
Romans 5:3-5, Romans 6:16-walking in obedience even when it hurts
Proverbs 3:5-6, Philippians 4:6-7 -trusting God even when it makes no sense
Proverbs 27:1, Matthew 6:33-34, James 4:13-15-we’re not guaranteed the next breath
Romans 8:31-39-Jesus’ victory is greater than the suffering and loss we face
1 Peter 1:3-5-We have hope in Jesus
Isaiah 61:1-3-beauty from the ashes
John 11:38-44-Jesus weeping as he saw the grief of the people He loved
Luke 24:50-53, John 19:28-30, Acts 1:6-11- Jesus went home when His work was finished (on the cross, and His ascension)
Matthew 5:16, Romans 12:13, Galatians 6:2, Hebrews 13:16-speaking life and hope into the lives of others
2 Corinthians 9:6, Galatians 6:8, -sowing seeds of eternity into the lives of those around us
Psalm 139:14-You are uniquely and wonderfully made
1 Timothy 4:12-Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young
Psalm 51:10-create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit
Ezekiel 36:26-take our heart of stone and give us a heart of flesh
Psalm 90:12-teach us to number our days
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*Intro and Outro music is from audionautix.com