This post is about a very special person in my life. She is One-Hundred and Three and an amazing woman of God. We visited a month ago and she was practically bouncing off the walls of the nursing home. I wrote part of a poem on the way home from that visit.

We visited again over the weekend and she was not as perky and sharp. It made me think about how temporary this life is and how important it is to take time to learn from others. I finished the poem on the way home and would like to share.

Pauline

Dry crepe paper skin

Vacant blind eyes

Rambling words strung

Into memorized verses

Words mined from memory

To remind us of who

She Once was

She is not needy or unhappy

Not bored or lonely

Not today

Today she is glad

Glad we are here

Anxious to spend time

Time of which

She is filled to the brim

Time, she has the luxury

To waste without care

Tomorrow may or

May not come

She offers precious

Golden nuggets freely

She does not hold back

Offering all she has

All that is left of importance

Is contained in this vessel

That may or may not recall

Your name or relationship

Stories are repeated

Moments lost

Regained

New memories made

To pass to those who take

             Time to touch

        To learn

    To listen

To cherished words

Precious moments

That would otherwise

Be lost like morning fog

As we approach the birth of our Savior and a new year I am reflecting on this year!

I have been fortunate to publish two books, continue to own and work in my own business, have the love and support of family and friends and enjoy good health.

I am thankful for another year of blessings and want to be sure that I personally keep Christmas about Christ. Everyday is a day that we can choose to be Christ-like…that doesn’t mean that we present our smiling face in a church every Sunday and forget to be kind the rest of the week.

I have been the recipient a few times of someone paying it forward and it felt great. I want to be a person who pays it forward everyday. Paying it forward can be a monetary gift but it can also be a kindness.

Greatest Gift

A Shining Star
Does not waiver
Holds steady for
Kings to come
Not  yet born this 
Storied Savior
The Blessed Promised One

Three Wise men
From Orient lands
Travel to welcome
A King
For-told by prophets
So by faith 
Precious  gifts they bring
 
Would we believe
Would I follow that star
In this world of  doubt and fear 
Would we have thought it strange
And scoffed at what we now
Hold dear


A child is born in Bethlehem
Below a brilliant star
The Wise Men know
And leaders fear
This babe in swaddling clothes

We remember with
Poignant hymns
The Gift given that day
The King of heaven
The Son of  God
Born on a bed of hay

D.A. Irsik

Thank You and Merry Christmas!

Here we go again! The second book of the Heroes series will launch on November 2nd and officially on Amazon the 3rd. I will be running a promotion beginning the 3rd and one lucky reader will win a Kindle-fire in addition to the signed book and swag. T-shirts are not part of this promotion.

The Promotion code is: https://debrairsik.samcart.com/products/heros-journey

Get yours beginning on November 3rd. The first ten people will be put in a drawing for the Kindle!

Study Guide

Hero’s Journey

Study Guide

1. Do you ever just want things to stay the same?

Joshua 1:9

“Have not I commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord Your God will be with you wherever you go.

2. Do you think God was fair when Sela was punished for her disobedience?

Isiah 30:21

If you wander to the right or the left, you will hear His voice behind you saying, “Here is the road, follow it.”

Daniel 9:9

To the Lord our God belong compassion and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against Him.

3. Why couldn’t Sela see Joyous after she admitted she was wrong?

Proverbs 3:27

“Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do so.

Luke 6:37

“Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn and you will not be condemned; pardon and you will be pardoned.”

4. How do we know what God is calling us to do?

II Timothy 1:9

Who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity.

Acts 15:8

Any God who knows [all peoples] hearts, gave testimony [to their acceptance] by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us.

5. Is Mara justified in her feelings about Alex’s dad?

Leviticus 19:18

“You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself, I am the LORD.”

1 Timothy 5:21

I solemnly urge you, in the presence of God, and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, that you obey these instructions without showing prejudice, or doing anything out of partiality.

6. Do you think Zach should have told the girls about his dad’s mental health issues?

Galatians 6:2

Bear one another’s burdens, and therefore fulfill the law of Christ.

I hope this inspires some dialogue and exploration for my readers!

Yours in Christ

Deb Irsik

My Launch date is set for November 2nd at Ellen plumb’s City Bookstore. Watch for a pre-order date and Early Bird Deal!

I am excited for the direction these young people are going and looking forward to seeing where they take me in Hero’s Purpose. I do know that it will include some performance poetry and a teen activist group. The angels will also make an appearance! Stay tuned for information and fun!

I recently received a review that must be shared! I encourage all of you to review on Amazon, Goodreads, Instagram, Twitter, or wherever you can when it comes to books you enjoy.

…and on the third day…everyday miracles…

Heroes by Design by D.A. Irsik

Review by: Sharon A. Soetaert, MS.E.”  

September 2, 2019

“We and the world, my children, will always be at war.  Retreat is impossible.  Arm yourselves.  (Peace like a river.  Leif Enger. Ref.)

Against a backdrop of the celestial, a group of young teens are learning to navigate their way through life’s challenges, including death.  All the while, the temptations of entitlement, bullying, and overcoming jealousy permeate through this story of youngsters and their relationships by D.A. Irsik

Imagine losing your loved mother to an unexpected heart failure as a young teenager.

The resulting emotions of anger at God, even as a faithful Christian member of a church teen youth group ensue, as friends make attempts to bring their friend back to faithfulness , fun , and joy in the life of the Lord.

And yet, there is a background of the celestial with God’s saving grace permeating throughout this novel .Twists and turns in events bring all involved into a peaceful mediation, leaving the celestial angels to “voyage” on to their next assignment.

The names of: Mara, Victorious, Sela Anderson, Zach Brown, Emily Monroe, Persistence, Power, and Praise, Alex, Gloria, and others will have you anticipating the next Chapter of the lives and actions of these youngsters.

Lessons learned through the guidance of adults, their peers, and even the surprising angels, will leave you, the reader, with a renewed sense of armor in creating peace in today’s circumstances and everyday joys and challenges.

Miracles need a witness, and you, the reader, will be the witness to the subtlety of everyday miracles while reading “Heroes”. 

I am grateful and humbled by this and hope to live up to expectations with Hero’s Journey!

I am almost ready to publish Hero’s Journey! It is the second of the three series of books in the Heroes series.

It has tested my patience, lifted my spirit, and tested my patience again. The struggle to reach my intended reader continues but I have been thrilled with the response of the adults who have given so many positive comments to me personally and on my Facebook page.

I continue to encourage everyone to review Heroes by Design on Amazon, and Goodreads or even Instagram or Twitter. Parents who are looking for good books for teens will look and follow those reviews.

I will have my ARC, (Advance Reader Copy), by the end of next week and as soon as the beta reader finishes and I make the changes it will be all systems go!