Janice Cole Hopkins's Blog, page 27

WorthlessRead Ecclesiastes 2:1-11Material possessions, ri...

Worthless

Read Ecclesiastes 2:1-11

Material possessions, riches, and success do not satisfy. If we think they will, we have believed one of Satan's many lies. This is the theme of the book of Ecclesiastes. As Solomon approached the end of his life, the wisest man to ever live realized that much of what he'd done was just vanity.  It would all fade away like the fog in the sunshine.

What will happen to all our possessions when we die. I'd guess, much of what we've stored back will be discarded as useless by heirs. They might argue and fight over our houses, cars, and money, but at the end of their lives, how much of it will remain? Has it really done them any good? It certainly hasn't made them content or brought them peace.

The only things that will last are the things we've done for God: the kindness we've shown others, our generosity, the souls we've sent seeking Him, and the way we've loved as Jesus did. This is how we store up treasures in heaven. This is what really matters.

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A Summer at Sagamore I am thrilled to have Lisa Prys...

 A Summer at Sagamore     

I am thrilled to have Lisa Prysock on my blog today. She has a new book that we want to share.

When Abigail Greenwood and her cousins settle in for their annual summer retreat at the stunning and impressive Sagamore Resort in the Adirondacks, all she wants is to spend as much time as possible plunking out stories on her typewriter. But when her cousins insist that she join them in the tradition of choosing a beau to adore from a distance during their stay, she reluctantly plays along, setting her sights on a mysteriously quiet and aloof guest. What started as harmless fun soon changes as Abby finds herself captivated by debonair—and handsome—Jackson Gable. Who is he, and why does his arrogant amused smile exasperate her so much?
When a series of events causing mayhem and mischief begin to occur at Sagamore, journalist Jackson Gable is determined to get to the bottom of it, since his father is an investor in the resort. Jack has a nose for mysteries, but he may have to use his recently earned law degree and some posh family connections to sleuth out the culprit. Are the events connected? Why are they happening? And why can't he get the beautiful Abby off his mind?

Lisa tells us -

Writing A Summer at Sagamore was so fun! Opening in 1883, the Sagamore is considered one of America’s Historical Hotels and Resorts. This Gilded Age Christian Historical Romance with mystery and intrigue just flowed for me. Jackson Gable (Jack) and Miss Abigail Greenwood (Abby) are the main characters, supported by characters from the Sagamore Resort where the story takes place, and members of Abby’s family.

 

The real Sagamore Resort is located on Green Island on Lake George in upstate New York. The resort sits up high on a hill looking down over the pristine waters of Lake George, located in the glorious Adirondacks. During the Gilded Age, the wealthy flocked to the Sagamore to enjoy the resort. Over the years, the resort offered secluded luxurious accommodations for boating, golfing, fine dining, and horseback riding. Many of its residents arrived by steamboat aboard The Sagamore steamship. The original Sagamore opening its doors in 1883, stood as a brilliant and spectacular example of Queen Anne-style architecture and received universal acclaim. Aiding their widespread acclaim, Lake George became nationally known in a picture inside James Fenimore Cooper’s book, The Last of the Mohicans. 

Myron O. Brown, a proprietor of the Mohican House in the area, came up with the idea to build a luxury resort to accommodate the many wealthy families he saw vacationing on a regular basis in the area. With the help and support of four Philadelphia millionaires and another joining them later on, the board of investors purchased Green Island for a sum of $30,000 and set out to build the resort by hiring an architectural firm named Wilson Brothers. Construction lasted a year and was considered a stunning and genius design and building feat. The first four investors owned mansions located on Millionaire's Row, a long line of homes on one side of Lake George, vacationing in them frequently. Myron retired in 1905 after filling the role of General Manager for many years. Under his management, the daily rate cost around $4.00 per room and remained constantly booked. His first summer as manager was considered a huge success.

A structural accident in 1894 and another incident in 1914 caused the Sagamore to rebuild various parts of the resort twice, the first completed in five weeks. The second incident caused the resort to sit dormant for nearly a decade before Ernest Van Rensselaer Stires arrived with help and inspired plans to be drawn up for a complete rebuild of Colonial Revival-style architecture. Construction stalled again during the Great Depression until another wealthy investor helped them. Over the years, the resort owners have changed hands and it has been updated and upgraded, continuing to thrive to this day. 

To order your copy of A Summer at Sagamore, a Christian Historical Romance taking place at this beautiful resort, here's the link where you may find it at your favorite retailer. https://books2read.com/u/bPNZQz

And here is more about Lisa -

Lisa M. Prysock is a USA Today Bestselling, Award-Winning Christian and Inspirational Author. She and her husband of more than twenty years reside in Kentucky. They have five children, grown. She writes in the genres of both Historical Christian Romance and Contemporary Christian and enjoys sharing her faith in Jesus through her writing. She has many interests, but a few of these include gardening, cooking, drawing, sewing, crocheting, cross stitch, reading, swimming, biking, and walking. She loves dollhouses, cats, horses, butterflies, hats, boots, flip-flops, espadrilles, chocolate, coffee, tea, chocolate, the colors peach and purple, and everything old-fashioned. A few of her favorite authors include Jane Austen, Lucy Maude Montgomery, Louisa May Alcott, and Laura Ingalls Wilder. 

Discover more about this author at www.LisaPrysock.com.

Links to Connect with Lisa:

https://www.facebook.com/LisaMPrysock

https://twitter.com/LPrysock

https://www.LisaPrysock.com

https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00J6MBC64

(Lisa’s page at Amazon Author Central.)

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lisa-...

https://www.facebook.com/groups/50059...

(Lisa’s Facebook Reader & Friends group.)

https://www.instagram.com/lisaprysock

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Too EasyRead 2 Kings 5: 1-15.Do you remember the story of...

Too Easy

Read 2 Kings 5: 1-15.

Do you remember the story of Naaman who came to Elisha to be cleaned from leprosy?  Naaman was a captain in the king of Syria's army, and he had his own ideas about how things should be done. However, desperate for a cure, he ended up seeking Elisha. When the prophet sent a messenger to tell him to go and wash in the Jorden River seven times, Naaman was insulted. He said, "Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper. Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers in Damascus, better than the rivers in Israel? May I not wash in them, and be clean?" Naaman turned away in anger, not intending to do this simple thing. However, his servants talked him into it, saying, "My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldst thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean." He dipped himself seven times in the Jordan river and was cleansed, cured of this dreaded disease.

There are too many people who are like Naaman. They think asking for forgiveness and for Christ to cleanse and save them is too easy. From a human perspective, there should be some cost involved, some punishment or penance. But God made it easy, so we would know that it was His gift and nothing we could earn. It is all Him and nothing of us.  To God be the glory!

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Simon's ShameI know I've said it before, but it bears re...

 Simon's Shame

I know I've said it before, but it bears repeating. I love the Hers to Redeem series. All of my five books in the series have heroes, broken from something in their past that cause them to try to hide away. A special woman comes into their lives, and they gradually began to see things differently. Simon's Shame, the next book to be released, is no exception. It's ready, on preorder, and waiting for publication on March 21. The Audible edition is available now. 

I have a new narrator for the Audible edition. Brad Leaf, who often does my books requiring a general American accent, was tied up with other projects, and I discovered Adam Skousen. I knew he would be perfect as soon as I heard him. He gave me the strongest audition of anyone I can ever remember, and I can't wait for listeners to hear what he did with the book. 

In Simon’s Shame, Simon Carlson becomes a recluse because everyone thinks he’s mentally challenged, although he's more intelligent than most. When he started school, it soon became apparent that he just couldn’t learn to read or write. Today, we would call this a learning disability and get him help, but they didn’t know about such things in 1887. His father never got over the fact, and he turned the community against Simon. When a new schoolteacher comes to Flagstaff, she doesn’t act as if he’s a moron the way others do. Can she show him that he has worth? 
As a writer and avid reader. myself, I had an unusual challenge in writing Simon. Before I knew it, I would have someone write him a note or want him to discuss a book he had read, and then I would have to go back and edit that out. Reading and writing are such an integral way of life for me it's hard to imagine life without it. Simon never learns to read or write any better, but he does learn some important life lessons and comes to realize a promising future.

Link to Simon's Shame

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God Sees God sees all -- all the past, all the present, a...

God Sees 

God sees all -- all the past, all the present, and all the future. He sees everything that takes place in the universe. It is in His full view all the time. Take a moment and ponder that. It's so awesome we can scarcely understand it. God has a special name because of this --  El Roi , the God who sees. 

He even sees beyond the physical and not only observes every human action and hears every word spoken, but he knows all thoughts, motives, and intentions. Many find this disconcerting. They don't like the idea of someone who is omniscient because they want privacy.

However, God is the Creator. We ultimately belong to Him whether we think we do or not, but this is different from belonging to His family. That only comes from the acceptance of Jesus Christ as our Savior. Yet, once we accept the fact that God knows all, and that He's a good, perfect God who only wants the best for us, then it is easy to give our lives to Him in trust. We would be fools not to surrender completely to the One who loves us beyond measure and who knows how to best guide us into a glorious eternity because He sees everything.

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What's in a Name?Naming characters is one of the fun par...

 What's in a Name?

Naming characters is one of the fun parts of writing for me, but I'm careful with it. Their given names need to match their character and personality, at least from my perspective. I collect names and keep two lists of them, one for male names and another one for females. I need to also keep the names I use in a story different enough that readers aren't likely to get them confused.

Surnames are important too. I try to make most of them common in the location the book is set in, and this is easy to research online. Once I met a reader, and she gushed about my book she'd just read while on vacation. It was set in the Appalachian Mountains, a region I know well because I grew up in that culture. As she traveled through the area, she was amazed to find businesses and mailboxes with the same last names as I'd used in the book.

I heard one author recently lament that, after writing so many books, she was having a hard time coming up with different names for her characters. So far that hasn't been a problem for me. I've written fifty-five books, and I still love naming the characters.

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Our Father Knows BestFor I know the thoughts that I thin...

 Our Father Knows Best

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil to give you an expected end (Jeremiah 29:11).

"Father Knows Best" was an old television show, but the only father that always knows best is our heavenly Father. Most Christians would agree that God knows best, but do they live their lives like it, or do too many try to push their will on God rather than do his will? Too often we approach God like a vending machine or a doting grandparent, expecting Him to give us what we want.

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not to your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5)


This all comes down to a matter of trust. Do we really trust that God has our best interests at heart, that He loves us unconditionally and wants to bless us?  What's best for us, however, is not always what we want. God knows the future, and we don't. We should surrender and depend on Him, but do we?

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).


I don't think any of us would say that God is fallible, but that's exactly how we act sometimes. Otherwise, we would trust Him implicitly. We give him human characteristics, but He is far above that. He is our perfect God!

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Mason's Memories Is Here!I am extremely excited about the...

Mason's Memories Is Here!

I am extremely excited about the new series, Hers to Redeem. I love these stories of hurting heroes who become recluses because of problems in their pasts. My first contribution to the series is Mason's Memories, but I'll have seven more in the series, continuing through 2024. There are sixteen books written by ten different authors scheduled in the series before it finishes in August 2024.

In Mason's Memories, Mason Greene comes back from the Civil War to find his family dead. The citizens of Yadkinville, NC, think his flashbacks of the war show mental deficiencies and want to have him committed to Dix Hill mental hospital in Raleigh. Mason sells the farm and runs away to Colorado where he becomes a recluse and lives on only what he can produce or find on his farm. However, when he rescues a young lady who has experienced a tragedy of her own, things begin to change.

Link for Mason's Memories

As soon as I'd finished writing Mason's Memories, I knew Jared Walters would be a perfect fit to narrate the Audible version. He had already produced Taking Stock, Candace, and The Prodigal Pastor for me, however, he was tied up in another lengthy project. I wanted him enough that I decided to delay the Audible edition and have it release later than the ebook and print editions. I will announce its release when it comes out. 

The novel released on Tuesday, and it's already doing well. At the time of this writing, it has nine reviews, and all of them are five stars. Maybe readers are also thinking this series is special.

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A Story of Hope Amidst TragedyIn November 2011, thirty-...

 A Story of Hope Amidst Tragedy

In  November 2011, thirty-three-year-old Andrew Davies checked into a hospital in Birmingham, England, with severe symptoms that, as a dentist and medical professional, he knew could mean trouble. The doctors didn't see what was happening, and he soon had a massive stroke in the area of his brain stem, which left him almost completely paralyzed and on life-support in what is known as locked-in syndrome.  As time progressed and he made little improvement, his parents, wife, siblings, and friends had to adjust their expectations for recovery and cope with seeing a loved one in this condition. The one thing that sustained them all was their faith.

It is natural to question God at times like this, but in their own way, each of them came to realize that they might never understand why it had happened this side of heaven, but they still could trust that God knew what was best. Andy, Emma, and Barbara, his mother, all wrote that their faith strengthened and grew through their struggles. Eventually, they could see some of the good that came from his tragedy.

Andy is home now with special round-the-clock caregivers. Meticulously using a special computer, a few head movements, an infrared box, and a tiny flicker of his thumb, the only movements Andy has, he has typed passages like:

I have tried to explain how my faith has not only been sustained, but also how my thoughts have served to reassure and possibly strengthen my convictions. Three years ago, my family faced an impossible decision. The doctors, giving a purely scientific prognosis said the damage to my brain was permanent and profound and I would only ever be able to blink, and it might be kinder to turn off the ventilator there and then. The other advice my family received was from Christians, who suggested it wasn't all over ...."

Emma, his wife, writes:

It goes without saying that when Andy's illness hit, people were concerned not only for Andy but also how I would cope. I am sure it was in answer to many people's prayers, but I straight away had a rich sense of comfort and peace.

The irony was that although on the outside my circumstances were as bleak as could be..., I was somehow being carried throughout the ten months that Andy was in the hospital, and knew a sense of courage, hope, and peace amongst the storm.

"... it is not always God's will to take away our difficulties, but for us to know His blessing in spite of them."

Barbara Davies, Andy's mother, writes:

Paul was in prison, chained, and under threat of execution, but the letter to the church in Philippi is full of hope and peace. ... being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6). The first time I heard this verse was when we were staying with Andy in November 2012 (about a year after Andy had his stroke).

I am absolutely convinced that God is in complete control, that He has a great divine plan for all of humanity, and personally I feel privileged that He has called me to be a part of the incredible things He is doing in the lives of those I love. The life-changing effects of Andy's stroke have had a deeply profound effect on all who know and love him, but also on many people around the world ....

(See the book, Pressed but Not Crushed, by Andrew, Barbara, and Emma Davies.)

They haven't lost hope that God will show His miraculous power and heal Andy, but if He doesn't, they can accept that because they trust God. If this family, who has been through and is still going through so much, can come out stronger and closer to God, and if they can see the good in everything, what excuse do we have for complaining about hard times or caving under struggles? God is good all the time.

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Simplifying ResearchAs a history and English major, I li...

 Simplifying Research

As a history and English major, I like doing research. However, as an author who will be publishing fifteen or sixteen books this year, my time is limited. Often, I don't need to wade through tomes and volumes about a place to do my background research; I just need some basic information. I've discovered juvenile books to be a good unexpected source for this. The available information is already condensed into what's most important, and yet they are more thorough than the internet or encyclopedia article.

This, of course, gives me the background information. As I get into the writing, I'll need to research some of the specifics that come up, but that's true no matter what sources I use for my background information and general research. I usually find some of these specific details on the internet.  If I can't find something I really need there, I start contacting libraries, museums, historical societies, or other appropriate organizations that might have the information or know.

Research is a lot like sleuthing or detective work. I guess that's why I like it. It can be a challenge, but I enjoy finding the answers.

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