PEARL GIRLS - Margaret McSweeney

Today's blog is a little different. Introducing a book compiled by Margaret McSweeney with stories by well-known authors. Many of the authors are my friends or write some of my favorite books.

Meet Margaret!

MARGARET McSWEENEY lives with her husband, David and two teenage daughters in the Chicago suburbs. After earning a master's degree in international business from the University of South Carolina, Margaret moved to New York City to work at a large bank where she met David. She became a vice president in the corporate finance division of a New York City bank and worked there from 1986-1993. Margaret is the editor of Pearl Girls, author of A Mother's Heart Knows and co-author of Go Back and Be Happy. Charity and community involvement are very important to Margaret. She has served on the board of directors for WINGS (Women in Need Growing Stronger) for over six years.

Margaret has been featured on Greg Wheatly's "Prime Time America," TLN's "Aspiring Women," and LeSea's "The Harvest Show." Margaret writes freelance articles for The Daily Herald, the largest suburban Chicago newspaper. Notable interviews include Wolfgang Puck, Thomas Kinkade, Susan Branch and Dr. John Gottman.

For more information please visit http://www.pearlgirls.info/

Pearl Girls:

Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace

After experiencing the death of both parents, Margaret McSweeney recognized the importance of community like never before. Through these difficult times in her life, she learned how God uses the gritty circumstances to conform us to the stunning image of Christ.

McSweeney also realized that she was not at all alone. It is for this reason that she decided to compile essays into an inspiring book: Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit Experiencing Grace. Through this collection, readers will be encouraged by the heartfelt writings that deal with loss and hardship in a real and honest way. Respected authors such as Shaunti Feldhahn, Melody Carlson, Debbie Macomber, Robin Jones Gunn and others help remind every woman they are not alone and that no circumstance is beyond the grace of God.

McSweeney uses the metaphor of a pearl in order to better describe the situations that ail us all. When an oyster takes in a peice of sand in order to create its coveted masterpeice, it is initially painful to the soft flesh of the creature. But after the pain, appears a clean, white symbol of simplicity, purity, and endurance that any woman would be proud to wear. McSweeney believes that each woman is a pearl and together, form a necklace of great worth. In this book, readers will discover community and encouragement: women are alone in neither their pain nor victories in life.

To find out more about Margaret, Pearl Girls, or her books check out her website at http://www.pearlgirls.info/ or her blog at http://margaretmcsweeney.blogspot.com/

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