Janice Cole Hopkins's Blog, page 2

Worship the LordThe Lord is my strength and song, and he...

 Worship the Lord

The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him (Exodus 15:2).

"Worship isn't a warm-up before the Word. It's a weapon of warfare." When someone mentions praise and worship, most Christians might think of hymns and Christian music. These can be important, but worship is much more than that. It's a condition of the heart. You can listen to Christian music and not worship, and you can worship any time and any place, not just in church or with singing. 
O come, let us worship... (Psalm 95:6a).

Worship and praise come from a joyful, thankful heart. It flows from an understanding, at least in part, of who God is, and you're awed by Him and all that He's done for you. Worship is an opportunity to demonstrate that God owns your heart and to draw closer to Him. Satan hates true worship, and he will flee from it.
And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten (2 Chronicles 20:22).

"In the Old Testament, when God's people worshiped. walls fell, enemies fled, and victories were secured. Worship confuses the enemy and shifts the atmosphere.... In 2 Chronicles 20, when Judah was surrounded by enemies, King Jehoshaphat didn't send warriors first -- he sent worshipers. They didn't have to fight. God did it through their worship."
Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness (Psalm 29:2).

"You don't need perfect words -- just a surrendered heart. Worship in your home, in your car, in your spirit. Let praise rise, and the enemy scatter." Worship God with all that's within you!

(The quotes above are taken from: Violet James and Krystal Kuehn, The Full Armor of God).

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Building Something BeautifulI am excited to introduce my ...

Building Something Beautiful

I am excited to introduce my newest book in my long list of those published. Building Something Beautiful came together smoothly (dare I say beautifully), and I enjoyed writing it. The title came from the fact that Isaiah Yates, the hero of the story, is a skilled carpenter. However, there is also a double meaning that becomes apparent toward the end.

As they often do, I think the children in the story steal the show, especially Leanne Moss's nine-year-old twin boys. Sammy is the mischievous one and Danny the more responsible; yet they are steadfastly loyal to each other. Many times, they had me smiling as I wrote.

The story has a theme that comes out loud and clear: honesty is always best. The way it plays out has an ironic twist similar to "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry that I remember from high-school literature class, but the main characters learn their lesson, and this story has a happy ending. One reader has already told me how much she loved it and that she stayed up late to read, wanting to finish it.

It's available in print, Kindle, KU, and Audible. Be sure to check it out - https://www.amazon.com/Building-Something-Beautiful-Affection-Determination-ebook/dp/B0F2B84YD2.

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Attitude. . . for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for m...

 

Attitude

. . . for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart (1 Samuel 16:7b).

Christians need a Christlike attitude. The Bible implies over and over that we need to serve the Lord in the right spirit, not grudgingly or from a sense of duty, but from our hearts. Attitude is important. When I taught school, I tried to impart this to my students. I recalled a quote that I read from some motivational speaker. It said, "It's attitude, not aptitude that determines altitude."

I know a young man that illustrates this well. He loves baseball but wasn't necessarily built for the sport or gifted with remarkable talent. However, he worked harder than anyone, putting hours and hours into extra practice. And he had a great attitude, friendly, supportive, and encouraging with his teammates and easy to work with for his coaches. He has done well and gets lots of playing time. Currently, he's a catcher for a college team.

I like what Charles Swindoll writes about attitude: “The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes.”

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life (Proverbs 4:23).

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Appalachian LanguageI find language and how it evolves f...

 Appalachian Language

I find language and how it evolves fascinating. Part of that might be due to my Appalachian background. For years, Appalachia was an isolated pocket that maintained the language landed down from the Old Country longer than the rest of the country. Terminology resembling Elizabethan English was spoken there well into the twentieth century. In fact, I heard some of it as late as the 1980s.

Google says Americans are and were more likely to call the piece of dining room furniture a sideboard than a buffet, yet my parents called it by the older term, a buffet. When I took some college courses a few years ago, a literature class studied a Renaissance-era play that included the term "fly flap." None of the other students knew what it meant, but my mother often used the term, especially in the summer. It means a fly swatter.

Some other common words that are familiar to me, and perhaps to you, that directly came from Renaissance England are afeared (afraid), britches (pants, trousers), poke (bag), sallet (wild greens prepared like collards), yonder (over there), reckon (think or suppose), hit (it), and right smart (a lot). There are many more. I've used these in writing the dialect for my novels set in the Appalachian Mountain. Refer to last week's blog, and check them out.

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The Greatest and the LeastThen there arose a reasoning a...

 

The Greatest and the Least

Then there arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be greatest (Luke 9:46).
We find some of the disciples vying for top position, wanting to be first, on more than one occasion. It seems to be one of man's tendencies. We want to be first, become the most successful, and be the wealthiest. We like to win any competition, and some can be cutthroat in their efforts to achieve. 
And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and the servant of all (Mark 9:35).
But this is not Jesus' way. He taught that it's better to have a servant's heart. He goes on to teach that the first shall be last and the last shall be first. It reminds me of when I taught school, and the children would try to push through to get to the front of the line. When they got out of hand or the problem escalated, I would reverse the line, making the first one last.
Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:4).
Jesus also reverses the line so the least on earth, those who have been kind-hearted servants, will be greatest in heaven. He honors the humble but criticizes the haughty, arrogant, and egotistical. Remember the proud Pharisee and the humble publican who went to pray in the temple in Luke 18:10-14. Jesus said the humble man went home justified, but the Pharisee did not.
Do you have a humble, servant's heart? It's what all Christians need. It's how we please our Lord.______________________

Appalachian BooksAs you may know if you follow my blog, I...

Appalachian Books

As you may know if you follow my blog, I grew up in the eastern edge of the Appalachian Mountains, and my parents came from deep within them. So, it was natural that the first books I published were set there. The Appalachian Roots series of four books include Cleared for Planting , Sown in Dark Soil , Uprooted by War , and Transplanted to Red Clay . Each book can be read as a standalone, but it is a family saga, so if you read more than one, you'll want to read them in order.

Mountain Mishap is a standalone set in the North Carolina mountains and one of my best-selling novels of all time. In it, Anna Allen, grew up in theCharleston Orphan House and ends up marrying a man from the Appalachian Mountains. However, life with Elbert Ramsey andhis father turns out to be miles from her dreams. In 1851, Levi West decides to visit his brother in the Appalachian Mountains and finds he loves the area. When a hunting accidentendangers his life, help comes from an unexpected source. Dare he hope for afamily of his own, or will another woman just disappoint him again?

Three of my books in the Idioms & Cliches series are at least half set in the Appalachians. Again, these are in a generational series, but any of them can be read as a standalone.
In  Going the Extra Mile , Aaron Johnson takes his siter back to her home in Trade, Tennessee, he gets caught in a blizzard in the Appalachian Mountains on his return trip. finding a remote cabin, he arrives frostbitten and in need of care.
Meghan Scott lives with her harsh uncle, but he's been missing for days. When a nearly frozen stranger comes to their cabin in a snowstorm, she reluctantly takes him in. However, she soon learns she has nothing to fear from the kind man trained to be a pastor, except maybe losing her heart and her reputation from harboring him. But when her uncle turns up dead, everything becomes complicated.
When Emily Rose Howard took in four goats in  Got My Goat , she didn't know she was getting more than she'd bargained for. However, life gets even more complicated when her neighbor's son brings his army buddy home for a visit after the Civil War ends, and her art professor shows up too. But life has never been easy in the Appalachian Mountains, and Emily Rose is determined to face her problems with faith and determination the way she always has.
Taking Stock features Gage Bradford, who meets Allison Johnson soon after he graduates from law school. Theirs was a whirlwind romance.He had fallen hard and fast and wooed her with all the charm he could muster.In a month, they were engaged, and in six weeks after that, they were married. Movingto Washington, D.C., he set up his law practice and soon moved up the ladder of success. But when the stock market crashes and he loses everything, they move to herinherited farm in the Appalachian Mountains. Now, instead of Allison feelingout of place in high society, he was inept and out of his element in a remotemountain cabin. However, it turned out to be a learning experience in more waysthan one, and he would change more than he ever imagined.
I enjoy writing about the Appalachian Mountains. My husband jokingly calls them "his mountains." I have at least three more books set there coming in the next two years. I hope you will check them all out.

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David's SongSing unto the Lord, all the earth;Shew forth ...

David's Song
Sing unto the Lord, all the earth;
Shew forth from day to day his salvation.Declare his glory among the heathen,his marvelous works among the nations. For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised:he also is to be feared above all gods.For all the gods of the people are idols:but the Lord made the heavens.Glory and honour are in his presence;strength and gladness are in his place.Give unto the Lord, ye kindreds of the people,give unto the Lord glory and strength.Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name;bring an offering and come before him:worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness;Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice,and let men say among the nations, The Lord reignth.Let the sea roar, and the fullness thereof:let the fields rejoice, and all that is therein.Then shall the trees of the wood sing out at the presence of the Lord ...,O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good;and his mercy endureth for ever.1 Chronicles 16:23-29 & 31-35
May we worship with the zeal and heart of David.
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The Colonial TrioAlthough most of my books are set in the...

The Colonial Trio

Although most of my books are set in the 1800s, which seems to be a favorite among historical fiction readers, three are set in the 1700s: When Winter Is Past, A Bird in the Hand, and my newest, South to Freedom. I'm not calling them a trilogy, because they're not connected otherwise, but they are special.

When Winter Is Past is set in Pennsylvania in 1739. Stanton Klein’s father hadgiven up on life after his wife died and left Stanton orphaned to live with hisgrandparents. He decided he would never love like that. He and his first wifehad fared well together, but she’d died in childbirth. Now he’s decided to findanother woman to marry. After all, a farmer needs a wife and sons. However,with the changes come important lessons and dangers that Stanton neverimagined.

Beth Evans has taken care of her father, sincehe fell from a barn roof and can no longer walk. People, like Fiona, havealways made fun of her because she has a limp. When Stanton befriends her,she’s wary but also intrigued. What does her future hold?
A Bird in the Hand starts in Pennsylvania in 1776 and ends in what will become West Virginia. JocelynWright would prefer to be outside with her twin brother instead of inside drawingrooms and attending social events. She has had to hide her true self and pretend to bethe young lady everyone expects. But as Jonas leaves to attend PhiladelphiaCollege, the colonies’ rebellion against the crown heats up, her family isforced to quarter British soldiers, and Bennet Hart comes into the picture, she knows her future is bound to hold many changes. 
My newest book, South to Freedom, is the story of slaves escaping South Carolina in 1739 to go to Florida, where the Spanish will grant them freedom. When the master’s son pays far too much unwanted attention to Mae Briscoe, she decides to leave the plantation. She knows the trek will be rough, and it will behard adapting to a new culture, but given the circumstances, the call offreedom is too strong to resist. Thus, she begins an adventure of a lifetime,heading south to freedom in Florida.
If you like early American history, inspirational romance, or just a good read, these books are for you. Be sure to check them out._________________________

Becoming More ChristlikeHe that saith he abideth in him [...

Becoming More Christlike

He that saith he abideth in him [Christ] ought himself also to walk, even as he walked (1 John 2:6).

As Christians, Jesus is our role model, and there is no better. On this journey of faith, we are supposed to imitate Him. As Thomas à Kempis wrote in the fifteenth century, ". . . we ought to imitate His life and manners, if we will be truly enlightened, and be delivered from all blindness of heart. Let therefore our chiefest endeavor be, to meditate upon the life of Christ."

For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ (Galatians 3:27).

This is what sanctification is all about. It's an ongoing process of being transformed by the Spirit into the likeness of Christ. In His earthly ministry, His focus wasn't on what people thought of Him or of pleasing others. His focus remained on the Father. He would go off early in the morning and spend time in prayer, seeking His Father's guidance. Because he had an earthly body and self-imposed limitations, he trusted in the Word, depended on the power of the Holy Spirit, and prayed. We should too.

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5).

Warren Wiersbe tells us in 10 Power Principles of Christian Service, "Even his enemies recognized that Jesus wasn't moved by flattery or swayed by public opinion. ... . Jesus was gentle and forgiving toward the broken sinners, but stern and resolute toward people who were proud and hypocritical. ... . Jesus was a leader who served and a servant who led, and his great heart of love -- held this leadership and servanthood together and kept them balanced." This is the example we should be following. 

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A Visit with Heidi Gray McGillAbout MeHi, I’m Heidi Gray...

 A Visit with Heidi Gray McGill

About Me

Hi, I’m Heidi Gray McGill, and I write Christian historical and contemporaryromance that’s rooted in truth, touched by grace, and just real enough toremind you that God is still at work—even when life feels like a mess. I’m alsolegally blind, so I’ve learned to navigate both the writing world and everydaylife by faith, not by sight. That perspective shapes every story I write. Idon’t want to just entertain you—I want to walk with you, right into the heartof a story that reminds you you’re seen, known, and never forgotten.

About the Bundle

I’m thrilled to share Discerning God’s Best:Collection One, a four-story bundlethat includes the first two novels in the series, a cozy Christmas novella, andan exclusive short story that’s only available in this collection.

It all begins with Desire of My Heart,where Rachel, a runaway orphan desperate for freedom, ends up in a marriage ofconvenience that God uses to bless her in ways she never saw coming. This storyis for the one who’s weary of waiting, wondering if God’s silence means He’sforgotten you. He hasn’t.

In WithAll My Heart, we meet Singing Birdand Pete—two people from very different worlds learning to trust again. Theirjourney is slow, tender, and filled with tension—both cultural and emotional.This one is for the woman who’s given away too much of herself trying to belong,and the man learning how to carry his past with grace.

Stitched on My Heart is my Christmas novella, and honestly, it surprisedme with how much heart it carries in such a brief space. Delphina and Mosesaren’t flashy. They’re quiet, steady, and faithful. It’s a story about findinghome—not the place, but the people who make you feel claimed. If you’ve everfelt like an outsider, this one’s for you.

And then there’s Where Hearts Belong,a bonus short story you won’t find anywhere else. I wrote it for those who feellike it might be too late—too late to be chosen, too late to change, too lateto matter. It’s gentle and redemptive and, I hope, just the whisper of gracesomeone needs to hear.

Why I Wrote These Stories
I didn’t write these books to escape the hard things. I wrote them to face themwith hope. Through characters who wrestle with belonging, forgiveness, culturaldivision, and the ache of waiting, I wanted to show that God’s best often showsup in ways we’d never expect. Sometimes through heartbreak. Sometimes through astranger’s kindness. Always through grace.

Each book reflects something I’ve learned oram still learning. And together, they form more than a series—they form areminder. That God is still writing something good. Even when it doesn’t feellike it. Even when you can’t yet see how it will all come together.

So if you’re in a season of waiting,wandering, or wondering… maybe this collection is for you.

🛒 Preorder now for just$9.99
📚 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0FHFD3SB9
💬 Let’s stay in touch at HeidiGrayMcGill.com There’s afree book waiting there for you!

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