Ada Brownell's Blog, page 64

Divine Dining Author Janet Brown Lost 95 Pounds

    Janet Brown lost ninety-five pounds and has maintained the loss for seventeen years. One tool in my recovery remains the daily reading of inspirational books. I found my library incomplete when I searched for one that combined a twelve-step program with God as the Higher Power. The biggest secret to my success was giving up my will and letting God do it through me. I wrote a book of daily devotions that came from my journals and memories. This is one woman’s road for success. I pray these thoughts help others reach the same healing God gave to me. It’s all about God.Divine Dining: 365 Devotions to Guide You to Healthier Weight and Abundant Wellnesscan be purchased at:Pen-L Publishing www.pen-l.com/DivineDining.htmlAmazon: http://www.amazon.com/Janet-K.-Brown/e/B008Z4CMJU


Sometimes We Just Need HelpBy Janet Brown
     I’m a football fan, so fall is time for some football. Rivalry grows to a deafening roar on Friday night in Texas, but all in the stadium grow anxious and sad when a player is hurt. For a player with an injured leg to leave the field, two big players will anchor their teammate with one on one side and one on the other. The man can jump along holding up the bruised or crippled leg because others keep him upright.
But Moses’ hands were heavy, and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat theron; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.                                    Exodus 17:12
     I detest weakness in myself. I desire to help others, not the other way around. That same mentality caused me years of emotional problems and compulsive overeating. Being a people pleaser can be exhausting. A perfectionist’s work is never done. Helping others requires giving of ourselves. If we always give without allowing God to replenish, we soon drag our feet. Often, God uses other people, but they can’t help if we never confess to a problem.     This morning, I sat in service, tired in body and spirit. I love it when God uses me to pray for someone else, when I feel God’s power coursing through my prayers. Today, I was that one in need of prayer. I sat on that pew like a balloon that had lost its air. A hand slipped to my hand. A voice called out to God on my behalf. Strength from another flowed through my body and mind like healing water.      Sometimes, we all need a little help. Have you allowed the spotlight to fall on your weakness lately? As the old spiritual song goes, “It’s not my brother, nor my sister, but it’s me, Oh, Lord, standing in the need of prayer.”     Thank you, Lord, for reminding me that You don’t expect me to be superwoman. You want me to walk in Your strength. Without You, I am nothing, but God may want to use another of His servants to assist me.
     Janet K. Brown lives in Wichita Falls, Texas with her husband, Charles. Though she has written most of her adult life, since her retirement as a bookkeeper and medical coder, she writes as a second career and as a ministry.       Divine Dining is the author’s second book. It encompasses her passion for diet, fitness, and God’s Word.  Janet released her debut novel, an inspirational young adult, Victoria and the Ghost, in July, 2012. She continues to write short stories for teens and adults. The sequel to her young adult is contracted to release in June, 2014.     She and her husband love to travel with their RV, visit their three daughters, two sons-in-law and three grandchildren, and work in their church. Find her at http:/ /www.janetkbrown.comon Twitter, @janetkbrowntx , on Facebook @  http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Janet-K-Brown-Author/143915285641707

GOD IS IN YOUR FUTURE

 IMAGINE GOD CHANGING YOUR FUTURE Will He really be in your tomorrows?
God— the One who is, who always has been, and who always will be, is the most important person you can meet. He is your Creator, and what your future is like depends on your relationship with Him—because He’s the only Source of abundant life here and for eternity.I know more and more young people are atheists today. This is by design by the secularists who write curriculum, teach in our schools, the universities, and have taken over our government and media. There is active brain washing to assure you won’t believe in God.I’ve said many times in the past “atheism is the opiate of the sinner.” If wicked people at least think they don’t believe in God, it helps quiet their conscience. But their conscience won’t quit, so they blame it on other people. Apparently they know what Christians believe is real, so they target Christians. They think stopping the influence of Christianity will help them feel better in their sinful state. That is why religious freedom is in danger in the United States.So, your future is wrapped in whether you believe in the God of the universe. For that reason I will present the truths to you in this chapter you might not have heard.Besides creating you, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”





Ada Brownell bio
Ada Brownell has been writing for Christian publications since age 15 and spent much of her life as a daily newspaper reporter. She has a B.S. degree in Mass Communications and worked most of her career at The Pueblo Chieftain in Colo., where she spent the last seven years as a medical writer. After moving to Springfield, MO in her retirement, she continues to free lance for Christian publications and write non-fiction and fiction books. She is critique group leader of Ozarks Chapter of American Christian Writers.She is author of Joe the Dreamer: The Castle and the Catapult, released Jan. 15, 2013; Swallowed by Life: Mysteries of Death, Resurrection and the Eternal, released Dec. 6, 2011; and Confessions of a Pentecostal, published by the Assemblies of God’s Gospel Publishing House in 1978, out- of-print but released in 2012 for Kindle. Watch for her new book on Amazon, Imagine the Future You. All the books are available in paper or for Kindle.
      Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/AdaBrownellWritingMinistries     Twitter: @adellerella     Blog: http://inkfromanearthenvessel.blogspot.comStick to Your Soul Encouragement     Amazon Ada Brownell author page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001KJ2C06

TAKE THE 21 DAY CHALLENGE FROM HEATHER HART--GET FREE E=BOOKS AND ENTER TO WIN A GIFT CARD

Get 5 FREE eBooks - 2 Days Only

10/17/13 and 10/18/13

PLUS enter to win a $50 Amazon Gift Card!
 

Why 21 Days? 

It’s a commonly known fact that it takes 21 days to form a new habit. You may spend 21 days trying to form a good exercise routine or kick a bad habit, but what about taking 21 days to form a new spiritual habit? .
That’s the reason for the 21 days series - to provide you with 21 days worth of biblical devotions to help you form new habits that draw you closer to Christ. And for two days only (October 17th-18th, 2013) we're giving all 5 books away for free . After that, they will be available for only 99 cents each.

So what do you say? Will you join us in strengthening your walk with God? If so, download one or all of the books below at no cost to you during our free promotion - and scroll down to enter to win a $50 Amazon gift card as our gift to you!

 

Be Inspired...Join the 21 Day Challenge!

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Book #1:
21 Days of Generosity


Living a Life of Generosity: 21 Days of Generosity Challenge

Do you want to live a life of generosity?
Do you want your life to be a blessing to others?
Do you want to have a giving spirit that overflows from a heart that is fully trusting in God as provider?

If so, consider embarking on this 21 Days of Generosity through this short but powerful eBook.

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Book #2:
21 Days of Faith



Living a Life of Faith: 21 Days of Faith Challenge

Do you want to live a life of faith?
Do you want your faith to be more than simply saying "I believe in God"?
Do you want to have a genuine faith that overflows from a heart that is fully trusting in God in every area of your life?


If so, consider embarking on this 21 Days of Faith Challenge through this short but powerful eBook.

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Book #3:
21 Days of Gratitude


During a season of transition in my life, I found myself overwhelmed with negative emotions like self-pity and a complaining spirit. It was as if a dark cloud had descended over me. I prayed and asked God for wisdom on how to overcome these negative emotions. And I sensed Him leading me to do this 21 days of gratitude challenge.


Over the course of the 21 days, God began to change me as I spent intentional time being grateful for all I have been given. I did this through writing in my journal each day and also sending a hand-written thank you note to someone different each day.

And now I want to share what I learned with you in the short, but powerful book.

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Book #4:
21 Teen Devotionals... for Girls!



Our lives are ruled by habits. We are defined by them. How our days play out, how we act and react, and even how we eat, sleep and talk are all affected by our habits - for better or for worse.  It's said that it takes 21 days to form a new habit or break an old one, so why not spend the next 21 days forming a habit of spending time with God? If you've got 21 days, we've got 21 devotions specifically written for today's teen girls.
Are you up for forming a habit of spending time with your Creator?  If so, download this book and get started on these devotionals!

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Book #5:
21 Teen Devotionals... for Guys!


Teen Devotionals… for Guys!, brought to you by FindYourTrueStrength.com, are written for teen guys who want to find their true strength in Christ, these devotions designed to be read, pondered on and applied to daily life.

We want you to know that the Bible isn't just a book that’s over 2000 years old. It’s completely applicable to our lives today – even as teenagers. We know that girls and guys don't face the same issues in high school – not even close. So these devotions were written with today's teen guys in mind.

Go ahead. Dig in. Find your true strength in Christ.

Download on Kindle Here
 

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HAVE MORE THAN YOU CAN HANDLE?

Does God Give Us More than We Can Handle?

                   
By Tamera Lynn Kraft

I’ve heard the saying many times. God never gives us more than we can handle. But that’s only partially true. Here’s the verse it comes from.1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.It says in the verse that God won’t give you a temptation you can’t handle. But trials and difficulties are another matter. He promises we will have difficulties and lots of them. Some of them will be harder than we can handle on our own.Before I knew this, I used to get mad at God. I didn’t understand why He allowed things to come into my life that were beyond me. Then I learned this simple truth. There are reason God gives us more than we can handle. If He didn’t give us more than we can handle, we wouldn’t know how much we need Him. We wouldn’t be on our knees crying out to the only One who can help us through our difficulties. Jesus Christ is the only One who can speak to the wind and waves in our lives and command them to be still. That’s good news because I get in trouble when I think I can manage without Him.The other reason is to grow our faith and perserverance. The book of James tells us that trials are a good thing. They strenghthen us spiritually. When an athlete trains, he works at stretching his limits so he can get stronger. He puts a little more on himself than he can easily handle. It’s the same spiritually. God allows us to stretch ourselves spiritually by putting more on us than we can easily handle so that our faith can grow. When I look over my life, I find there are things I can manage easily now that would have thrown me years ago.In my novella, Soldier’s Heart, my main character went through things during the Civil War that he couldn’t handle. He  came home to his young wife with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or what they used to identify as "Shell Shocked" (Soldier’s Heart). When he learned to turn to God, it helped him deal with the horrors of war.So God will put more on us than we can handle. And that’s good news. I’m giving away a copy of Soldier’s Heart to someone who leaves a comment on something they went through with God’s help.


Here’s the description of Soldier’s Heart.After returning home from the Civil War, will his soldier’s heart come between them?Noah Andrews, a soldier with the Ohio Seventh Regiment can’t wait to get home now that his three year enlistment is coming to an end. He plans to start a new life with his young wife. Molly was only sixteen when she married her hero husband. She prayed every day for him to return home safe and take over the burden of running a farm.But they can’t keep the war from following Noah home. Can they build a life together when his soldier’s heart comes between them?

Bio:Tamera Lynn Kraft has always loved adventures. She loves to write historical fiction because there are so many stories in history. Soldier’s Heartis her first published fiction work, and she has a Christmas novella coming out December 1st called A Christmas Promise. Tamera has recently celebrated her thirty-fourth anniversary with her loving husband. She has two grown and married children and two grandchildren.Tamera has been a children’s pastor for over 20 years. She is the leader of a ministry called Revival Fire For Kids where she mentors other children’s leaders, teaches workshops, and is a children’s ministry consultant and children’s evangelist. She is also a writer and has curriculum published including Kid Konnection 5: Kids Entering the Presence of God published by Pathway Press. She is a recipient of the 2007 National Children’s Leaders Association Shepherd’s Cup for lifetime achievement in children’s ministry.You can contact Tamera online at these sites.Website: http://tameralynnkraft.netWord Sharpeners Blog: http://tameralynnkraft.comFacebook: http://facebook.com/tameralynnkraftTwitter: http://twitter.com/tamerakraft

If it hadn't been for the Lord...

By Josette Downey


If it had not been the Lord who was on our side....Psalms 124:2
I have to admit, I can usually come up with something quickly to write, but when I started putting this blog post together, my mind went blank. So I did what any practical christian writer would do, I picked up my Bible  and let the spirit fill it in.
This verse caught my eye and I couldn’t help but think about how it relates to my writing journey.
About two months ago, I put the first novel "A time to Say Goodbye" on amazon to be published. Since then my novel has been ranked in the top 100 of Christian fiction and number 13 for Victorian fiction.
It has been a fun emotional roller coaster ride especially since some days I would sell 30 books and then the next day I would sale 15.
What has amazed me the most, is people actually like my book. Once I hit published, I thought readers would hate my characters, find every grammar mistake and just shake their heads wondering why I ever thought I could write. But that has not been my case. Instead I have heard comments about how readers loved the emotional tough issues my characters face, got caught by the first hundred pages and just loved the story. I have received many 4 and 5 star reviews from people I have never met.But let me stop for second and give credit where it is due. See I did not make my novel successful the Lord did and all praise belongs to him. He was on my side.I’m still wondering what his plans are for it and where he will take it. There is one path I would like to see it take. Many nights I pray that when I get to heaven, I will get to meet one person who got saved because they read one of my works.

BioJ.M. Downey lives in the South with her husband and daughter. She has been writing since grade school and she earned a master's degree in English 2005. In her writing J.M. Downey focuses on women overcoming great adversity.
 New Release. Bonds of Tradition.What girl wouldn't want to marry a prince? Kat thought her life was over after her father dragged her to the backward Eastern European country of his birth. What would become of her dreams for her own business and a life of her own? But she has caught the country’s prince’s eye and Mikel is determined to marry her and and keep her by his side. Despite her growing attraction, Katerina does not want to let herself be caught.
Can love flower in a covered garden, can a dream bloom when faced with a harsh reality? Find out what happens when falling in love begins as an order and ends in passion.
Can be bought on amazon and coming to other ebook stores soon.
Connect with J.M. Downeyhttps://www.facebook.com/J.M.Downeysouthernrosepress
http://jmdowneysouthernrosepress.weebly.com
Question:

Do you have a short testimony of "If it hadn't been for the Lord...?" If so, leave a comment and briefly tell us what he did for you! -- Ada Brownell

Are you weary? Win an Amazon Gift card and read a book!

My husband had a knee replacement about two weeks ago. First the hospital; now rehab. It's a blessing he was able to stay in the rehab center, actually a division of the orthopedic hospital. Another blessing is it's close to our home.

Yet, going twice a day, sitting in really uncomfortable chairs, running here and running there tires me out. A woman often doesn't dwell on all the things her husband does. I never pick up prescriptions. He loves going to the store. I think he'd go every day if he could think of an excuse to do it.

But there I was, picking up my prescription and the druggist didn't even know me. "Where's  Lester?" she asks.

I do go grocery shopping when I have to because Les doesn't buy everything on the list. He mostly buys fresh produce and loves showing other shoppers how to determine which veggie or fruit will be the most delicious, how they can price match in order to buy it cheaper, and that sort of thing.

I ate what fresh produce we had and as the days went by my refrigerator shelves and drawers no longer had anything to offer. So I took my running list (I always keep a grocery list going) and it took me an hour and a half to get the stuff bought and hauled in the house.

Then I decided Les wasn't going to be up to spraying weeds, so I went out to spray, covering myself with repellents because mosquitoes and chiggers find me even on bright sunny days, The battery-operated sprayer wouldn't work. I changed batteries. I scraped away corrosion. I tried again and ended up shaking the little dab of weed killer out of the spout over the stubborn invaders. Needless to say, I didn't hit all of them.

So, I was off to Lowe's. We also needed fall fertilizer on the grass. Got the big jug of weed killer with a new battery-operated sprayer gadget attached, and the fertilizer.

I thought of spreading the fertilizer in the evening yesterday. But I had vacuumed that morning because I knew Les wouldn't let me do it after he gets home. I've had back problems for years and he vacuumed to spare my back. So I decided to get up early this morning and spread the fertilizer.

Well, it rained.

Being a writer, I try to keep my eye out for things that need done and I do them as quickly as possible. I write a while, jump up and do put laundry in the washer, then in the dryer, fold, put away in between emails and paragraphs. Mop the kitchen, clean the bathroom.

But life can't be ordered on schedule. My day must start and end with devotions. Our nation, the church and so many have serious needs that will only be answered by God's miraculous power. I must pray for God's blessing and spirit to be at work in the lives of our children and grandchildren, and I recall His promise that He is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11).

I've felt so weary. Then I remember, "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount upon wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint" (Isaiah 40:29-31.

Suddenly I feel strengthened.

Oh, and now that I think of it, I'd like to win Heart Failure by Richard L. Mabry, MD. I should be up to reading it now. But oops, he's not giving the book away; he's giving away an Amazon gift card so I can buy it! You can enter, too, at http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/9111d21

SELF CONTROL ENHANCES OUR FUTURE

As a medical journalist, I reported disease statistics every year. This is an excerpt from my new book, Imagine the Future You, which should be released this month. While principally written for youth, adults can profit from it as well.


                     HOW SELF CONTROL AND BOUNDARIES ENHANCE OUR FUTURE

By Ada Brownell

Scripture: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour” 1 Peter 5:8.
A high school human sexuality teacher who is a Christian did this experiment for me in a class I taught at our church.She gave paper and pencils to everyone. Before class, she marked an X on the back of one of the papers, but none of the kids knew it. She instructed students to shake hands with other teens and have them sign each other’s papers. They gathered signatures for 3-5 minutes, then returned to their seats.“Turn your papers over and see if there is an X on the back,” she told them. A girl found the X and raised her hand.The teacher told her to stand up. “She has Virus X. Who signed her paper?”Five hands went up and those kids stood.“Now these five have the virus. Who signed their papers?” Four more got out of their seats, also contaminated by the fictional “virus.” Six more admitted their fate.The remaining students signed the papers of those students, so all were “infected.”“This is how sexually transmitted diseases spread,” the teacher said. “When you have sex with someone you are essentially going to bed with every person that individual had sex with because once a sexually transmitted disease is shared, it is contagious until the disease is cured – if the disease has a cure. You might only be intimate with one person, but be exposed to multiple diseases.”Some STDs, such as herpes, cause severe misery, and are incurable, but they don’t kill. But the HIV-AIDS virus isn’t the only one that kills. Both Hepatitis B and C affect the liver and can take your life. Human papilloma virus (genital warts) sometimes causes cervical cancer. Chlamydia and Gonorrhea let untreated can affect joints, heart valves, cause pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility and even blindness. A story in the New York Times by Lawrence K. Altman published on March 12, 2008, said the first national study of four common sexually transmitted diseases among girls and young women has found that one in four are infected with at least one of the diseases.IMAGINE YOU—CLEAN! But the federal study could have pointed out three out of four do not have the disease. I imagine a large number of them were virgins.According to Kelsy McIntyre in “From Times Past,” white has been accepted as the preferred wedding dress color since Queen Victoria married her cousin Albert of Saxe-Coburg in 1840. Godey’s Lady’s Book in 1849 reported, “Custom has decided, from the earliest ages, that white is the most fitting hue, whatever may be the material. It is an emblem of the purity and innocence of girlhood and the unsullied heart she now submits to the chosen one.”A wedding gown probably is the most beautiful dress most women wear in their lives. Even the least expensive are exquisite.Young men, too, probably will never be more handsome than the day they stand at the altar waiting in a tuxedo for the beautiful bride.Children often like to play “bride and bridegroom,” and during their growing years, many girls dream of the day when they walk down the church aisle, dressed in white, as the wedding march fills the sanctuary.In 1953, about half of all women were married by age 20, and half of all men by age 22. In 2002, the average age for the bride was 25 and bridegroom age 27.  Today, thousands of couples are living together without being married, and every day hundreds and thousands of young girls are giving birth to babies without being married. In addition, 45 million babies have been killed by abortion in the United States since abortion became legal.Something happened. A large number of young men don’t bend a knee and extend a tiny box containing a diamond and ask his beloved to marry him. Instead, many just want to rush off to bed somewhere and perhaps live together.Some folks blame the lack of finances and waiting to earn a college education as the reason, but it doesn’t make sense. You can get a marriage license for a few bucks. A pastor will marry you for free, but it’s customary to pay him $100 or so. A couple can live cheaper than two single people, and you can get your education after marriage. Thousands of people earn their degrees later, and most of the people did from generations before us.But there is something else—and it’s huge--young women and men are giving away their virginity like they would drop a penny on the sidewalk and leave it there. Guys who already have a sexual relationship with a woman won’t hurry to get married. A woman who gives away her virginity before marriage risks never being married—especially to him!IMAGINE: UNBLEMISHEDWith throwing away virginity goes the dream of walking down the church aisle in a white wedding gown or a tuxedo as a virgin, pure and unblemished. Maybe the bride will wear white, but it won’t mean anything—especially to the bridegroom.In addition, sex before marriage causes emotional consequences. Physicians Joe S. McIlhaney and Freda McKissic Bush, authors of the book, “Hooked,”


©Ada Brownell October 2013

ARE YOU PRAYING FOR SOMEONE WHO NEEDS JESUS? Encouragement from author June Foster

GIVE US THIS DAY SUMMARY
Jess Colton gave his life to the Lord but failed to surrender an old habit. Fueled by alcohol, he spent the night with a former girlfriend, ignoring his Christian principles. Convicted of his wrong doing, he quit drinking but discovered another addiction. Now he can't manage his life as his weight soars and diabetes threatens to claim him. Jess is baffled when the beautiful Holly Harrison declares her love.            Holly Harrison lived  to please herself. But everything changed when a deadly motorcycle accident altered her life forever. Nowhere else to turn, she looked to God for answers. Now, she's convinced no Christian man would find her attractive. She doesn’t plan on falling in love with  the handsome Jess Colton, seeing past his bulk to the godly, tender man within. When Jess drives a wedge between them, she loses hope of a future together.
            Can Holly overcome her handicap? Does Jess find control over his eating and his life? Only God can provide the answers.
ARE YOU PRAYING FOR SOMEONE WHO NEEDS JESUS?

Is there anyone in your life - friend or family - that you'd love to see come to salvation? Have you been praying for this person for what seems like forever, and sometimes you ask God if He really hears your prayers? I have. And I'd like to encourage you. Don't give up.
Let's see what God's word says. First of all, He wants everyone and that means the person you're praying for, to come to Christ. 11Peter3:9 says "He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." Just as He waited until you were ready to receive Him, He's waiting to save your friend or loved one when they are, and He absolutely wants them to enter into His Kingdom.
Have you been praying with someone else for that person's salvation? Matthew 18:19 says "If two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven." I know - God doesn't violate a person's free will and force them to receive salvation, but I'd say that agreement in prayer sounds like a powerful tool in seeking God.
Now Acts 16:31 says "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved - you and your household." Again, that's no guarantee that another will be saved. But still, this statement is in the Bible and worth considering. If that person you're praying for is a member of your family, I'd take this verse to heart. To me it indicates that there is a good possibility other people in your family will be saved when or after you do.
11Timothy 3:16 says "All scripture is God-breathed." This means it comes from God's own mouth. So if God says something in the Word, we can trust it as truth. Pray for the person who's on your heart and remind God what He says in His word. I believe when you storm Heaven in this way, your loved one doesn't stand a chance to hide from God for long. I've seen it more than once in my own life

MEET JUNE FOSTERJune Foster is a retired teacher with a BA in Education and a MA in counseling. June has written four novels for Desert Breeze Publishing. The Bellewood Series, Give Us This Day – February 1, 2012, As We Forgive – September 1, 2012, and Deliver Us – April 1, 2013, and Hometown Fourth of July – July 1, 2012. June's book, Ryan's Father, will be available from WhiteFire Publishing January 2014. For All Eternity, Red and the Wolf, and Misty Hollow, God willing, will be published in the near future. June loves to write stories about characters who overcome the issues in their lives by the power of God and His Word. June uses her training in counseling and her Christian beliefs in creating characters who find freedom to live godly lives.

A VOICE FOR THE PERSECUTED

One Christian Author’s JourneyBy Nikki Arana
I first accepted Jesus as my Savior when I was twelve years old. It was completely an act of my own volition, but at twelve it was more about what was in it for me. I was going to Heaven!
As I journeyed on, the Holy Spirit continued to draw me, gently teaching me the bittersweet lessons that inspire spiritual growth: A marriage my parents didn’t approve of, but one that God blessed mightily; then the birth of my first son, born with a learning disability; then financial ruin. Hard lessons, but each worth the cost because they brought me closer to the Lord and made His words, “I will never leave you or forsake you,” a living truth in my life.
That marriage, disdained by my parents, is now thirty-seven years old . . . and my husband has become their caregiver. The beautiful boys birthed from it are grown and have successful lives. The financial hardships we endured are now fading. But the Holy Spirit continues to draw me deeper into intimacy with Christ. Just as He chose me before the foundation of the world, so I find He has ordered my life according to the good pleasure of His will. I understand now that my life experiences were the seeds of my books. The Winds of Sonoma, a telling of the story of how I met and married my husband. A I Have Loved You, the record of my first son’s struggle and triumph.
A few years ago the Lord orchestrated circumstances that inspired me anew. I became an activist in the Christian underground, and He gave me a ministry to Muslims here in America called A Voice for the Persecuted. Most American Christians know little of the Islamic agenda being carried out in the United States, or the terrible persecution Muslims who convert to Christianity face from their families, even when they live in this country. I passionately believe that now is the time to make this story known. That is what you will find between the covers of The Next Target. Not only a suspenseful novel about an ordinary woman who had to answer the question – Would you share your faith if it would cost you your life? – but what does it mean to follow the call God has on your life, how far are you willing to go to be obedient to the commandment to “Love one another. As I have loved you . . . ” And how will you respond to the Muslims who live and work among us?
My books have won many international awards, and I am often asked if I believe God called me to write. Over the years I have learned it isn't about a call to write, it is about intimacy with Him. It is about letting your dreams die and being willing to live out His dreams for you. It is about spiritual growth that has nothing to do with the writing itself. It has to do with the journey. It has to do with sanctification, being set apart for His purposes, realizing that you are not meant to serve God, you are meant for God to serve man through you. I no longer wonder if He has called me to write. I know He hasn't. He has called me to intimacy with Him. Everything else is just the fruit of that relationship.



Would You Share Your Faith If It Would Cost You Your Life?  
It only took one bullet. Austia's friend and student fell dead. And with a glimpse of a newspaper headline, the young and recently widowed Austia knows more about what happened than the police. From that fatal night, Austia’s secret outreach to the U.S. Muslim community—in the guise of English language classes—becomes a target. Local Muslim extremists set their sights on ending her ministry and even her life. And the women she ministers to will be next.A thick web of deceit closes in around Austia, and her circle of friends becomes smaller by the day, even as she finally opens herself to the idea of falling in love again. But who can she trust? Facing a spiritual battle that proves more treacherous than it at first seemed, Austia’s convictions are tested to their limits and her heart becomes primed for breaking. She must ask herself: how much she will risk to stay true to her herself, her faith, and to the lives of the women she serves?
http://www.amazon.com/The-Next-Target-A-Novel/dp/0781404312/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1378494408&sr=1-1
Nikki Arana is an award-winning author of suspense, women’s fiction, essays, poetry, and magazine articles whose work has been published in the United States and Canada. She has won several national awards, including The Carol Award - twice, and the Beacon Award. Her book, The Winds of Sonoma was named One of the Top 20 Books of the Year by Christianbook.com. Nikki is also the recipient of the Excellence in Media Silver Angel Award. All of her books deal with social, political, and spiritual issues that confront society today. She is an experienced speaker and has presented numerous, highly successful workshops on the craft of writing. Nikki also serves persecuted Christians who are under the threat of death through her ministry, A Voice for the Persecuted. Her newest release, The Next Target, was inspired by her ministry and recently won the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association’s 2013 Christian Book Award for Fiction. You can visit her website here: www.NikkiArana.com or connect with her on her blog: www.nikkiarana.com/blog  or as Nikki Arana, Author on Facebook.
Nikki Arana won the Gold Medallion logo given by the Evangelical Christian Publisher for the 2013 Christian Book Award for Fiction. More about that here: http://www.ecpa.org/?page=cba_1_overview )

Teaming up with Jesus: Author Angela Strong

Let’s Do ThisBy Angela Strong
In my most recent novel, I have an elderly Hispanic character who always ends her prayers with, “In Jesus’ name, let’s do this.” My main character is a little taken aback, but the hero explains that Mama Rosa doesn’t believe in praying for things that you aren’t willing to work for. Then he gives the example of how he prayed for God to help him with finances after he blew all his money on a motorcycle. Now, I’ve never bought a motorcycle, but I’m guilty of doing this very thing. Perhaps that is why the following verse speaks to me.“In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can’t get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God’s part.” –Matthew 6:14-15God is always for us. He gives us everything we need including his laws to protect us. When we pray for something that we aren’t willing to work for, it’s like asking God to keep us dry then stepping out from under his umbrella.I heard a sermon once that took the perspective that God didn’t take away the “thorn” in Paul’s flesh because perhaps he’d already given Paul everything he needed to take care of it himself. This sermon came the weekend when we were trying to decide whether to go out of state for a third Achilles surgery for my husband. People at church often surrounded us and prayed for healing—some even going so far as to suggest that my husband didn’t have enough faith to be healed. But when we heard this sermon, we knew we were supposed to make the trip.The surgery was an answer to prayer. A specialist from Boston just happened to be available to help with the surgery, Jim got the care he needed, and the whole hospital stay was covered. After two years of dealing with the injury, I would call this a miracle.
God has given a spirit of love, power, and a sound mind. I love this. Because of God, and only because of God, I have the ability to make good choices and find healing and pursue dreams. That’s what a relationship with the Lord brings. We are a team. So in Jesus’ name, let’s do this.
Blurb:Bethany Light, a minister's daughter, can’t forgive her father for running off with the church secretary. She goes to her own pastor for counsel, never expecting to fall in love with him. To make matters worse, she’s personal training his fiancé in preparation for the big day and somehow ends up in their wedding.Refusing to make the same mistake her dad made, Bethany tries to focus on fixing her family rather than face her own issues. How could a household that used to have it all together have fallen so far from grace? And how can she keep from following in her father’s footsteps when it feels so right?
Bio:Angela Ruth Strong sold her first article in high school and went on to study journalism at the University of Oregon. She currently lives in Idaho with her husband and three children where she writes for Idaho Family Journal. Angela's debut novel LOVE FINDS YOU IN SUN VALLEY, IDAHO received a four-star review from Romantic Times Magazine, and she is currently working on the sequel to LIGHTEN UP. When not writing, Angela teaches aerobics, coaches her kids in sports, and adventures throughout the Great Northwest. She'd love to have you visit her at angelaruthstrong.blogspot.com where she gets a lot more personal about the way God's love changed her life.