Summer Indulgence

This Saturday:

The author Barbara Ellen Brink is preparing a series to savor in the Fredrickson Winery Series. As her daughter, I've had the opportunity to create all her cover art and advertising materials. 

This weekend, she is having a book signing at Cannon River Winery where she will be selling print copies of the first two books Entangled and Crushed, and taking pre orders for the third book Savor which will be available October 1st. 

Please come by the winery this Saturday between 10am-5pm to indulge in wine, live music, and products from various talented vendors. There is more information about the event at the bottom of this post and at http://cannonriverwinery.com/

If you can't make it to the event, you can purchase in paper back or ebook form any of Barbara's novels here: Barbara's Books at Amazon.com

Here's a little bit about the Fredrickson Winery Series books:

 One lost summer is time best left forgotten...

When Minneapolis divorce attorney, Billie Fredrickson, inherits her uncle's small California winery, she has no intention of actually moving to the west coast and starting a new life. Her only thought is to get it off her hands as quickly as possible. But her return to the winery after an absence of twenty years opens up more than the reading of her uncle's will. Childhood memories, long-buried, begin to surface, prompting more questions than anyone is able or willing to answer. 
A late night prowler, a break-in at the winery, and an unearthed box of shocking photographs is someone's way of pulling the Welcome mat out from under Billie's feet, but it only makes her dig her heels in deeper. More secrets lie buried beneath Fredrickson Winery's innocent facade and Billie intends to get to the root. But disturbing the past lays bare the skeletons of others, including her mother's. Can she live with the consequences of full disclosure or will she run home where everyone is Minnesota Nice?

 Creating the perfect wine can sometimes be murder... 

When Adam Fredrickson shows up at his sister’s California winery, footloose and carefree, looking for a temporary job and a chance to play his music, he doesn’t expect to find the winery struggling financially, or that the girl next door might just be the girl of his dreams. 

Margaret Parker, a single mom, newly hired as Chief winemaker at Fredrickson's, finds her simple world put to the test when her father is unexpectedly released from prison, and the man who got her pregnant at fifteen, shows up from Italy wanting to play daddy nine years too late. 

It's crush time at Fredrickson Winery and everyone is working feverously to get the grapes in and ensure a great vintage. No one expects murder to be part of the joyous harvest season.

Savor the moment, cause it just might be your last…

Newly married and trying to keep the romance flowing along with the wine, Billie and Handel find themselves knee-deep in another mystery. Defending a wealthy San Francisco businessman against capital murder, Handel soon discovers that media attention brings more than fame and fortune. When Billie’s life is threatened and someone starts vandalizing winery property, he believes it’s connected to the case.

Across the vineyard, Margaret has problems of her own. Davy’s Italian grandfather comes to town and starts right in where his son left off. Throwing the weight of his money around, and using the rash of vandalism as a weapon, he tries to prove that Davy would be safer and better off living with him in Italy.

This Saturday is the Summer Indulgence at Cannon River Winery

in Cannon Falls, Minnesota, 10am-5pm.

Check out the following news about the event from cannonriverwinery.com

SUMMER INDULGENCE

SATURDAY, AUGUST 24

Join us for a day of indulgence on Saturday, August 24 from 10 am to 5 pm!

Summer Indulgence is a delightful annual event complete with locally handcrafted jewelry, clay pots, art, artisan soaps, wine inspired gifts, clothing, and more!

Bring your friends, sisters, moms, aunts, and grannies. Enjoy a glass of our award-winning wine while you shop local!

Reservations are not required and there is no fee to attend. 

*Wine by the glass only.

Enjoy free live music by Brooke Ellis from 1 pm to 4 pm. 

Vendors attending:
Author Barbara Brink

Brie'sBoutique-Dawn Quist

Bella Mi Jewlery- Samantha Hurd

Sun Catchers-Pat Barsness

Touhl Jewlery-Grow Touhl

Creative Confectionaires Chocolate-Dave & Cindy

Pam's Pepper Jams-Pam Hoepner

Touch Awakenings Massages-Kathy Shaw

Bubbles by Brooks-Amy Brooks

Lucero Jewlery-Sally Lucero

Bijaux by Cindy-Jewlery-Cindy Spreiter

My Sister & Me- Hats-Denise Ellingson

Day Brightner Bakery-Mary Shepard

http://cannonriverwinery.com/events/summer-indulgence/

Big Catch

First day of fishing, second time out. We were trolling for something big. Although I grew up in Minnesota, land of 10,000 lakes, I had never been fishing until that day. I had my poll over the right side of the pontoon, waiting and hoping I was doing this “fishing thing” correctly. All of a sudden, I felt something pulling hard. “Uh, I think I might have something.” I said as I stood up and started trying to reel in the line. Jim hopped over beside me and began coaching me through it. The excitement in his voice made me believe this was going to be the best fishing experience of my life. “Keep it tight. Keep reeling!” he said. “Oh man, it’s a huge one! Look at your arms. Your muscles are really working! This is a really big one!” I wondered if his heart was healthy. The shock of a fish this big could give a middle-aged man a heart attack. Jim was totally freaking out, but I was too inside. I was putting all my energy into reeling in this extremely heavy “fish” instead of wagging my jaw. Also, I didn’t want to say anything stupid if it turned out to be a boot or a tire. This lake doesn’t have boots and tires though… We were all at the corner of the pontoon, and Dwayne was hunched down ready to scoop up my catch with the net. After reeling my “big catch” in for what seemed like 5 minutes, I brought it to the surface. It was the “biggest” catch of the day, the “largest” catch of the day, it was even the “longest” catch of the day. It just wasn’t a fish. We all started laughing as Dwayne grabbed it out of the lake and held it for all of us to see. It was a tree branch as tall as me. For all the excitement, adrenaline, and laughing this turned out to be my favorite fishing experience of the weekend.

Success

Lately I have been overwhelmed with the fact that I’m not succeeding. Basically failing everything, I let my stress, worries, and fears take over. Failings in my job, career search, art, relationships, living arrangements, finances. I felt judged and lost. Crying for my future that seemed to be so clouded. I just wanted to run away from it all. So I went to a friend's place where I didn't feel judged, and hid from the world for a while. The thing that pulled me out of my pit of despair was the truth of the gospel. My friend read some verses, I don't even remember what they were, but they were about Jesus. I had been so stressed over these things in my life, that in the end, won't even matter. My selfish heart longed for praise from people instead of desiring to please God. I needed to give my hearts desires up to God. I thought I had before, but my concern for the way the world measures success had gotten in the way. The world, culture, my family, school, they all perceive success in getting what you want, being on top, being the best, being known in the world. But God doesn't measure success like that. 

^"15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father^[d] is not in them. ¹⁶ For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. ¹⁷ The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of Godlives forever." -1John 2 15-17 NIV

A long time ago, Jesus saved my soul through his death and resurrection. When I believed in him, I also gave my life to him. I'm here for one purpose, to further the kingdom of God. Success in God's eyes is following Jesus Christ and following the Holy Spirit's promptings. Regardless of the outcome, because my expectations are from my earthly point of view. Simple obedience is the starting point. 

"'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' declares the Lord." -Isaiah 55:8 NIV

¹⁷ 
My career of choice has nothing to do with it unless God sees fit that I can share Jesus with the people in that place. I have heard many times that as Christians, we should be different from the world. The Bible tells people to act a different way from their culture. I need to act and think differently for God. I need to stop chasing after success of this world and start chasing after success in my Saviour.

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." -Romans 12:1-2 NIV

Since I have hope in Jesus Christ, repentance and giving up everything, is the most freeing feeling ever. It is followed by praise and thanksgiving flowing from a joyful heart. I have thanked God for showing me this so much in the past few days. I wish there were more words for thank you. 

^"4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." -Philippians 4:4-7 NIV

If you want to check out something in the Bible that relates to this, the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart on this subject through James 4, but really it is the gospel of Jesus Christ that is the point.

^"16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son." - John 3:16-18 NIV