I can hardly believe I’m writing these words, but today, my baby graduates from college.
Morgan was a force from birth. She entered our lives on a chilly April day just before Easter 2001. With a headful of hair and a loud cry, she made her presence known. Never one to back down or bow out, she took on life from the start. From dance to swimming, from field hockey to lacrosse, from getting her boater’s license at the age of 12 and knowing she wanted to be part of the medical community since way before that, Morgan has always worked toward her goals without letting anyone or anything get in her way. She was always a child of hope.
I talk about Morgan when I’m speaking to women about finding their purpose in life. Her journey to nursing is a key part of my teaching. When Morgan proclaimed, at the age of 16, that she wanted to be one of the primary caregivers for her grandfather in his last weeks of life, we watched in fear and then in awe. We hoped this was the right choice, but we worried that it was too much for a child. Would she be scarred? Would this experience turn her away from medicine? It did neither. Taking care of her grandfather, solidified her confidence that God was calling her to care for people in their greatest time of need.
Morgan’s college years were full of ups and downs, but she remained true to her spirit and to herself. Unlike so many kids her age and in her place, these years brought her closer to God and deeper in faith. It has been a true joy to watch her grow as a person, a woman, and a Christian, and I hope she knows how proud her father and I are of her.
Today is not an end, yet it’s not a beginning either. Morgan has been working toward this achievement her entire life. This is just the next part in the book she is writing, and chapter by chapter, her life will continue to unfold. Her story will continue to be told, adding layer upon layer as Morgan discovers who she is, what she will accomplish, and what we can learn from her example. She is a model of courage, love, perseverance, and hope.
Jeremiah 29:11 tells us, “For I know well the plans I have in mind for you—oracle of the LORD—plans for your welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope.”
Morgan, God’s plan for you is more than I ever imagined, though I find that I’m not surprised. You were destined for this, and I am blessed to have been able to watch you walk this path. Your journey is still in its early stages, and I know that you will go far.
“May the LORD bless you, and keep you; May the LORD make his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; May the LORD turn his countenance to you and grant you peace” (Numbers 6:24-26). Amen.
I love you.
Meet Amy in Person!
First Landing Wine Festival
Saturday, April 1, 2023 10:000am-5:00pm – St. Clement’s Island Museum
Amy will be a vendor at the Festiival. Experience a full day of fun sipping wine along the Potomac at St. Clement’s Island Museum with St. Mary’s County wineries on the First Landing Wine Trail, as well as local artisan and craft vendors, live music, food, kids’ activities, boat rides and more.
Event admission is FREE – there are various costs for food, museum admission, water taxi rides or any vendor or wine purchases. Official First Landing Wine Trail glasses will be available for purchase in the museum store, along with other great local items.
Get a discount on my books, Whispering Vines and The Good Wine!
Chincoteague Sunsets Trilogy Book Two Book Launch!
Date TBA – Sundial Books, Chincoteague Island
Amy will be signing the newest book in her Chincoteague Sunsets Trilogy! Details to come.
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Amy Schisler is an award-winning author of both children’s books and sweet, faith-filled romance novels for readers of all ages. She lives with her husband and three daughters on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Her books, Picture Me, Whispering Vines, and Island of Miracles are all recipients of Illumination Awards, placing them among the top inspirational fiction books of 2015, 2016, and 2017. Whispering Vines was awarded the 2017 LYRA Award for the best romance of 2016. The Good Wine, the sequel to Whispering Vines was released in June of 2021. Island of Miracles has outsold all of Amy’s other books worldwide and ranked as high as 600 on Amazon. Her follow up, Island of Promise is a reader favorite. Amy’s children’s chapter book is The Greatest Gift, and her most recent suspense novel is Summer’s Squall.
Amy’s second book in the Chincoteague Island Trilogy, Island of Promise, was awarded First Prize by the Oklahoma Romance Writer’s Association as the best Inspirational Romance of 2018 and was awarded a Gold Medal in the Independent Publisher Book Awards 2019 for Inspirational Fiction. It is the 2019 winner for Best Inspirational Fiction in the RWA Golden Quill Contest, Best Romance in the American Book Awards, and a finalist for the Eric Hoffer Award of Fiction. Amy’s 2019 work, The Devil’s Fortune, a finalist in the Writer’s Digest Self-Publishing Awards and winner of an Illumination Award, is based, in part, on Amy’s family history. The third book in Amy’s Chincoteague Island Trilogy, Island of Hope, was released in August of 2019. Amy’s book, Desert Fire, Mountain Rain begins her new Buffalo Springs series. Book two, Under the Summer Moon, was released in December of 2021. Amy’s latest book, Sapphires in Snow, was released in November, 2022.
You may follow Amy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Goodreads.
Amy’s books: Crabbing With Granddad (2013), A Place to Call Home (2014), Picture Me (2015), Whispering Vines (2016), Island of Miracles (2017), Stations of the Cross Meditations for Moms (2017), The Greatest Gift (2017), Summer’s Squall (2017), Island of Promise (2018), The Devil’s Fortune (2019), Island of Hope (2019), A Devotional Alphabet (2019), Desert Fire, Mountain Rain(2020), The Good Wine (2021), Under the Summer Moon (2021), Meet the Saints From A-Z, A Child’s Introduction to the Saints (2022), Seeking Tranquility (2022), Sapphires in Snow (2022).
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