Guest Blogger - Lisa M. Buske

I have a guest blogger today!   I met my friend, Lisa Buske at a woman's conference hosted by our denomination and her story touched my heart.  The first impression you get of Lisa is overwhelming, bubbly joy.  She loves to smile and laugh.  So one would think that her life has just hummed merrily along.  But it has not.  Lisa's only sister, Heidi, was abducted at the age of 18 and is presumed dead.

Lisa has written a book that is being released on April 3rd called Where's Heidi? One Sister's Journey.  I will be writing a book review here on February 28th, but in the meantime I invited Lisa to write an author's note about her new book.  I should also note that Lisa just had a book released and you can purchase it on Amazon.com called, When the Waves Subside - There is Hope.

Let's hear from Lisa! 

 Author Note by Lisa M Buske

Author of Where’s Heidi? One Sister’s Journey

I am blessed to be visiting Terri and all of you here on “Hearts in Service” today. I met Terri a couple years ago at an Alliance Women Spring Refresh event. Thanks to Facebook and the Internet, we have kept in touch and developed a friendship and the Spring Refresh and Fall Refocus are now reunions. I love that. Isn’t the family of God so cool? 

I’m grateful for Terri’s hospitality and invite to share my first book, Where’s Heidi? One Sister’s Journey, with each of you. Although I’ve only known Terri a couple years, the first draft of my book was written over six years ago and has transformed from seventy-six pages of emotional vomit to an expression of love, healing, and hope for those who will read it after its release on April 3, 2013.  

My relationship with Jesus opened the door to a hope and healing I didn’t think was possible. I am living proof it is possible to survive when God is part of the equation. My husband Ed, daughter, Mary and my parents, are not only family but the support network necessary to write and speak fulltime while still working as a teacher’s assistant at the local elementary school too.  My faith in God and dedication to family motivate and inspire me to do and be the best woman, wife, mother, and sister I can be.

Nineteen years prior to this date, my only sister, Heidi M. Allen was kidnapped while working alone at the local convenience store. Two men were charged, one acquitted and the other convicted with a twenty-five to life sentence for her kidnapping and presumed death. The journey between April 3, 1994 and today has been a long, challenging, and ever-changing rollercoaster ride. I would give anything to have my sister back yet I recognize I am a different, stronger, and redesigned person because of the loss experienced after Heidi disappeared.

Where’s Heidi? One Sister’s Journey invites the reader to join me on a journey no one ever expects to take – a journey through abduction and the loss of hope, family, and faith. With a soft and comforting tone, I speak to the sibling left to deal with the stress and grief experienced when their brother or sister is tragically taken from their lives. Through my experience, you will recognize similar emotions with new or renewing perspective; you aren’t alone, someone else understands, and there is hope to get through with True Joy.

God gifted me to write, with my sister as my inspiration. He changed my heart. He strengthens and guides me with each word written or spoken. I want others to know there is hope and healing after loss, even a tragic one.

My theme verse for my writing is 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”

If you, or someone close to you has experienced tragedy, death, or live with loss ~ I pray you will read and share Where’s Heidi? One Sister’s Journey. I pray you are blessed half as much as I was to write it.

Thanks for having me,

Lisa M Buske