Thank you for the opportunity to share a snip-it of my life’s journey with you. I didn’t consider myself a “Lady in Defiance” when initially invited to guest blog but I trusted the person inviting me and her heart. I’m thankful I was encouraged. God opened my eyes to see that although I don’t view myself as this woman, others might.
I associated “defiance” as a negative until this post. As a child I realized I’ve focused on the negative instead of the positives. I defied my parents at times. As an educator of thirteen years, deviancy is a daily challenge to mold and nurture future generations. But to think of defiance as a positive or strength required my teen daughter’s help. She is wise beyond her years.
Easter Sunday, April 3, 1994 my only sister, Heidi Allen, arrived at work. Rather than finishing her shift, she was kidnapped and is presumed dead. Two men were arrested, one serving a twenty-five to life sentence. Heidi remains missing today and our family holds out hope to one day know where she is. We won’t give up. This is the foundation of my writing and speaking. I share hope, inspiration, encouragement, and my faith to motivate others, especially women, to never give up and a testament that it’s possible to overcome our greatest losses.
I spent the first decade after Heidi’s kidnapping searching for someone or something to fill the void and erase my pain. No one person or thing did this. I blamed God and He was the last person I planned to seek for help or healing. Yet God knew I needed Him, and used one of my students to invite me to church and tell me exactly what I needed, “Mrs. Buske, you need Jesus.” Over the past decade plus, I’ve endured the roller coaster of emotions, court hearings, media coverage, anniversaries, and additional losses with my eyes fixed on Him. In the midst of my greatest pains, I remember I was lost and running in circles until I stopped and let God intervene.
Am I a lady of defiance? Or am I a woman loved by God, using her life’s tragedy to help others? If publishing multiple books to encourage others after loss fits into this mold, then the answer must be yes! Where’s Heidi? One Sister’s Journey is my testimony and recollection of Heidi’s kidnapping and how it affected my life. When the Waves Subside: There is Hope is written to encourage the grieving parent, to help them see the strength in themselves that others see. No More Pain, I Can Fly is written to encouraging those grieving the loss of a loved one “too soon.” You are a Rainbow is a springboard to help children find their inner rainbow.
In addition to writing, I share God’s love and hope with others at churches, retreats, libraries, and schools. A woman writing and speaking for God isn’t ground-breaking yet it does require a daring boldness and ability to survive.
Lisa’s Contact Information:
Website: www.LisaMBuske.com
Blog: www.LisaMBuske.com/blog
Facebook: Where’s Heidi?
Twitter: @LisaBuske
Snail Mail: P.O. 261, New Haven, New York 13121
To Contact Lisa to Speak at an Upcoming Event:
Lisa Buske’s Biography
Lisa M. Buske, author and speaker since 2010, released her first book, Where’s Heidi? One Sister’s Journey, on the 19th anniversary of her only sister’s kidnapping, April 3, 2014. Lisa’s only sister remains missing, yet Lisa and her family have not given up hope. Lisa uses the gifts God’s given her to share encouragement and hope with her audiences. Lisa spends her week days as a teacher’s assistant investing time and heart into children of our future. Tragedy teaches an important life lesson, make the most of each day because tomorrow isn’t a guarantee, hence her focus on spending time with family and friends. Lisa’s writing and speaking emphasize these characteristics and leave her audience smiling and looking for the rainbow in their situation, not the clouds.