| home : about the book : about the author : excerpt : reviews : buy the book |
 My name is Linda Mansell Martin, and I am a native of Roswell, Georgia , the second largest city in Georgia, and the third best place to raise children according to a recent study. I’m now living in Ellijay in northwest Georgia , and am a graduate of Trinity University of Deerfield, Illinois with a BS Degree in Communications. In addition, I am a certified Precept Bible Teacher having taught Bible Studies for the past 25 years. I compiled a family cookbook, “A Measure of Love,” which has been widely distributed and a Bible Study on Marriage, “Love Beyond Measure” which I’ve also written and taught at several churches.I have been married 43 years to Alan Martin. We are a proud parents of three married sons, with three wonderful daughters-in-law and eight grandchildren. Jason Byce (Ervin Buice), my good friend, and I shared the same birthday, and we attended kindergarten through 12th grade together. He sang at our wedding. Bo Buice, his mother, was my favorite Sunday School Teacher, at Roswell First Baptist Church , when I was a young mother. She made a lasting impact on my life. As she puts it, “Linda was one of my students who didn’t forget me.” How could I? My mother died when I was 15, and I needed all the mothering and teaching I could get from older, wiser women. Mrs. Buice happened to be one of my favorites. Bo, MaryEm and I are all teachers, so we all have “taught” in the following pages. Teachers teach. Sometimes we didn’t always agree on everything, but we certainly chose to agree to disagree, but to keep our love flowing. Jesus instructed His followers to “Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, . . . . teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” (Matthew 28:20) Billy Graham has been known for and has found that “people everywhere, all over the world, respond to the gospel of Jesus Christ if it is presented simply and with Christian compassion.” This is what I’ve tried to do also in these pages. “It’s not about you,” is how Rick Warren’s book, The Purpose Driven Life begins. So this book is mostly about God and His purpose and plan for all of us. Yes, Bo, Luke, MaryEm and Ervin ( Jason) were the subjects used, but the real story is about Him and His purpose and plan for our individual lives. The Bible is made up of many true stories, and the lives of many people—people just like you and me. It doesn’t hold back on sharing the truth of their lives—the good, the bad and the ugly. In this way, we can identify with those people. Jesus taught in parables—earthly stories with heavenly consequences. I’ve chosen to do the same—share stories of people’s lives so that we can somehow try to identify and hopefully make the right choices. “Choose you this day whom you will serve . . . . but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” ( Joshua 24:15) My sister, after reading the book said, “It is wonderful—so interesting.” I hope that most of you feel the same. Linda Mansell Martin “A Measure of Love Cookbook” and “Love Beyond Measure Bible Study”.
|