Welcome to my little corner of the world. I am a lifelong resident of the Pacific Northwest and was fortunate enough to spend my early years on the Northern Oregon coast. As an adult though, my home of choice is a city south of the Portland Oregon area. It’s a comfortable city just 60 miles east of the Pacific Ocean with a view of spectacular Mt. Hood and is surrounded by lush farm land.
I am blessed to be the author of Heart Seasons: A Journey of Miracles. This fictional story was inspired by real life events and the never-ending search for an understanding of life’s purpose and a path to filling that emptiness in the soul that only the love of God can provide.
In addition to writing, I am passionate about a Healthy Happy Lifestyle and Easy Real Food Recipes made with wholesome ingredients. As Lily, the heroine in Heart Seasons, would often say, “I love to read cookbooks as if they were novels!” And so do I! A theme that runs throughout Heart Seasons is Lily’s love of nutritious foods and cooking. That makes it a natural transition from writing to food photography and blogging for me.
A pastime of mine is to read any cookbook and get inspiration to create my own recipes using primarily “Real Foods.” Like 100% whole grains, plenty of fruits and vegetables, good quality protein, nuts and seeds, dairy products with no unwanted ingredients and minimally processed sugars. My #1 tip for grocery shopping is always read the ingredient list on any product that didn’t come out of the garden. If the list of ingredients is too long and full of things that are not real foods, don’t buy it!
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Following is one of my favorite quotes from Heart Seasons. And a favorite Bible quote that is the foundation of my novel.
A PEACE THAT SURPASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING
“Such a peace is difficult to describe. The closest earthly comparison for me would be the calmness you feel while standing on the beach, alone, on a perfect summer day, with the deep blue cloudless sky above, watching the warm glittery sunlight dance along the water as the cool waves of the Pacific Ocean roll gently up to your bare feet. And the vastness of the sea makes you infinitely aware of God’s presence.”
Lily Eastbrook Rhodes, Heart Seasons
“Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.”
1 Corinthians 13:13, NLT
Reviewed by Christian Sia for Readers’ Favorite
Heart Seasons: A Journey of Miracles by Dianna Donnely is a spiritually rich, emotionally endearing, and psychologically affecting narrative that captures the beauty of one woman’s journey of faith into understanding the different seasons of her soul. In a moment of inspiration — revelation — the author felt a strong connection between the colors of the rainbow and her heart, and felt compelled to share the story of this “Journey of Miracles.” Starting with the meaning of each color of the rainbow, the author crafts an inspiring story of the Rainbow Revelation and explores themes of illness and suffering, love and surrender, family and friendship, and her spiritual connection with God. It’s interesting how this journey transforms her perception of life and how it makes her see God through every season of her life.
While this memoir reads like a spiritual autobiography, it is a symbolic journey that offers readers a very fresh perspective into thinking about their relationship with God. The rainbow is an image — colorful and soothing as it is — that symbolizes God’s enduring love for humanity, an image that recalls His compassion after the devastating flood, a symbol of His compassion. Dianna Donnely’s writing reflects the colors of the rainbow — joyous, colorful, and filled with light. You won’t be able to read this book and look at your life in the same way again. One of the greatest lessons I learned from Heart Seasons: A Journey of Miracles is that one thing alone is constant — God’s love. Every other emotion we feel is transitory, like the seasons. You’ll be inspired and entertained by this book, a rare gift of love and faith that you’ll want to pass on to others.
“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.”
1 Chronicles 16:34, NLT
I love this tree! It shows all 4 Seasons in one. Starting from the left with Winter, then Spring, then Summer and ending with Fall. One of the reasons I love living in Oregon is because we are blessed to experience all the Seasons. In addition, Heart Seasons focuses on the seasons of our life, making this image an inspiration for me. It also has all the colors of the rainbow!
Dianna's Easy Real Food Recipes 