Author
"Reading is my favorite pastime," admits Margo. "I wonder if I could write a book?" she once thought after reading a story by one of her favorite authors. So one day she took pencil and paper in hand and began. It wasn't long before she realized that writing was even more satisfying than reading.
Margo (Nygaard) Hansen was born and raised in northern Minnesota. Her first fifteen years were in the small, mining town of Hoyt Lakes, which she remembers as being "a wonderful place to grow up."
When she was about eight-years-old her family began attending a Bible church and she heard the Gospel message and accepted Christ as her Savior (see personal testimony below). "Being raised in a Christian home was such a privilege. I am so thankful for a family who loves the Lord and for parents who steered me in the right direction for my life."
Margo married Bruce Hansen and together they raised three children. It was during the time she homeschooled her children that Margo began writing. "I knew that I wanted my children to have good, Christian literature to read." Now a grandmother, her dream of being an author is finally coming true.
After their children were on their own, Margo and her husband moved to Chicago for three years for Bruce's job and were able to do some European travel. "Seeing other parts of the world and other cultures helped broaden my thinking." It also gave her more time to devote to her writing and she formed most of A Newly Weds Series during that time.
"Books are my friends. I read and re-read them over and over." Margo admires many of the Christian authors; her favorite is Lori Wick. She has read every one of Louis L'Amour's Westerns, and for mysteries she likes Alistair MacLean. "There are many, many others, too many to list," she says.
"It is my hope that my books will entertain my readers, but more, it is my prayer that Christ and the message of the Gospel will be evident in everything I write."
Enjoy reading A Newly Weds Series.
I was saved when I was a little girl.
I was afraid of the dark and of “monsters” under my bed, like the “Boogey Man”. When my sister Nancy was away and I was alone in my room, I was terrified. I knew that if I jumped out of bed, “something” would grab my ankles and pull me under the bed. But if I jumped far enough I could escape the monster, but then I would have to face the ones that were lurking in the dark hallway between my room and my mom and dad’s room. If I ran fast enough I could get past the monsters without them getting me. I always ran fast enough.
My family had attended a church for a time. I was quite young, but I remember hearing that I needed to ask Jesus into my heart to go to Heaven. So on those fearful nights when I was afraid, I would huddle down in my bed and repeat over and over, “Jesus, come into my heart!” as if I were saying a magical incantation like “Abracadabra!” and the monsters would vanish and I wouldn’t be afraid anymore. It didn’t work.
After my dad got saved, we started attending a Bible church and I quickly began learning Bible verses and hearing about Jesus dying on the cross for my sins. I understood the Gospel message well enough that I could and did share it at school and led some classmates to the Lord. I was a good memorizer and soon was winning stars and awards for my Bible memory work. All was well.
But then I’d find myself alone and afraid of the dark, and I would start in with the “Jesus, come into my heart!” prayer again. One particular night I stopped and thought about what I was doing. Bible verses started going through my head. Verses like:
Eph. 2:8-9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Rom. 5:8 “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
I Cor. 15:1-4 “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:”
Col. 1:14 “In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:”
That night a startling thought came to me. Jesus Christ was thinking about me when He died on the cross. He was taking care of my sins, in my place. And I realized that I had never trusted Him as my Savior. I knew all the right words to explain the Gospel to someone else, but I hadn’t made that decision for myself. It wasn’t enough for me to just know the facts; I needed to believe those facts and believe that Christ’s sacrifice for me was a gift to me. I didn’t need to beg or ask Jesus to come into my heart. I simply needed to believe what He did for me on the cross by dying for my sin, being buried, and rising from the dead. He offered the gift of salvation to me through His sacrifice. That night I understood and I accepted that gift by faith.
All my fears didn’t end that night. But now when I am afraid, I know that I have my God and Savior with me. My salvation is secure (Eph. 1:13 “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise”),my sins are completely and eternally taken care of (Col. 2:13 “And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses”), and I know that someday soon I will be with Him in Heaven for all eternity (Titus 2:13 “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;”). I look forward to that day.
Copyright 2011 Margo Hansen. All rights reserved.