What Southern women know about faith : kitchen table stories and back porch comfort

Come, sip a glass of sweet tea and sit for a spell with Ronda on the porch swing as she tells you stories of happiness and heartache, friends and family, and a faith that's strong enough to handle anything life throws your way. As Ronda shares, Southerners don't just talk about God, they have a 'kitchen-table faith,' that feels like a comfortable, trusted neighbor who sits down and stays for a good, long visit. It's a faith you live and breathe, day-in, day-out, whether it's praying to the good Lord as you sit on the porch swing or finding joy in a delicious pan of cornbread. As Ronda says, Southern faith 'is a faith that is plain, simple, and sturdy, that is utilitarian in practice and that fits as comfortably in the hands of Southern women as a baby, an iron skillet, a hair brush, a telephone, or a broom.' From stories of moonshine and revivals, Sunday dinners and new Easter outfits, prayers answered and griefs shared, you'll discover a faith that supports you when the trials and heartaches of life cause you to stumble, a faith that grabs you by the elbow and steadies you on the path. The rural South is a place that still recalls a simpler time, a land where kudzu grows unrestrained, the dirt is impossibly stubborn, and honeysuckle vines are heavy with blossoms, beauty, and fragrance. If you listen closely to the stories Ronda Rich tells, you'll hear the soothing sound of a screen door a-bangin', or a cow lowing, or the hard work of a farmer interrupted as he cusses out an old tractor that's broken down once again under the broiling, relentless sun. But when his day is finished, he'll scrub the red soil from his hands and then, most likely, clasp those hands together in prayer over supper as he thanks the Lord for the bounty of the land that nearly whupped him that day. Southerners are an optimistic people, a trait they learned from the long line of folks who have gone before them. And always, in good times and bad, they celebrate their inheritance of sterling, bold storytelling. In this - the first collection of stories gathered from her weekly newspaper column - Ronda pays homage to those she proudly calls "my people." This is a heapin' helpin' of the South generously seasoned with some of its most entertaining characters Bestselling author, speaker, and columnist Rich draws on her rich legacy as an 11th-generation Southerner to celebrate the faith heritage of the country's Steel Magnolias. (Practical Life). Introduction -- There's power in the blood -- Southern Sundays -- The cornbread of life -- Bless my soul -- On a wing and a prayer -- God helps those that helps themselves -- Be careful what you pray for (you might get it) -- Speaking it into existence -- The devil be danged -- Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling -- The goodwill circle -- Carry me back, Lord -- Praise the Lord -- Glory be -- Ye shall reap what ye sow -- The kindness of kindness -- Do good unto others -- Sitting up with the dead -- Come ye heavy laden and I will give you rest -- The amen corner -- The Lord be with you 'til we meet again. Ronda Rich ; foreword by Stevie Waltrip.