Ada Brownell's Blog, page 73
February 14, 2013
Win an e-copy of Joe the Dreamer Feb. 22-25
Blog hop interview
The Next Big Thing Blog Hop
A native of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, Pamela S. Meyers lives in the Chicago suburbs. Her debut novel, Book One in her On the Road to Love series, Thyme for Love, released November 2011, and Love Will Find a Way, Book Two releases in March 2013. Her historical romance, which is set in her hometown, Love Finds You in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, will release in April 2013. She is active in her church as a women’s life group leader.
Link to purchase Love Finds You in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin: http://tinyurl.com/b2jvwzq
Pamela’s blog: http://www.pamelasmeyers.com
In case you're curious, in a blog hop we cross promote one another's books, along with our own.
MAKE A COMMENT AND HAVE A CHANCE TO WIN an E-COPY OF JOE THE DREAMER: THE CASTLE AND THE CATAPULT
FROM ADA: Thanks for stopping by. Due to the ice storm that put my internet down and automatic posting not working during vacation, this is late posting. The good news: I'm giving away an e-copy of my new mystery/suspense novel Joe the Dreamer: The Castle and the Catapult. Just make a comment on this blog post.
Today, I'm blogging again about my debut teen novel, JOE THE DREAMER: THE CASTLE AND THE CATAPULT. The next Big Thing is Joe the Dreamer now is available for Kindle on Amazon and you can win an e-copy!
JOE THE DREAMER also is available as a paperback.The links: http://buff.ly/XeqTvH
ADA BROWNELL
BLOG HOP INTERVIEW:
• WHAT IS YOUR TITLE OF YOUR BOOK (OR STORY)?
Joe the Dreamer: The Castle and the Catapult
• WHERE DID THE IDEA FOR THE BOOK COME FROM?
I wanted a great mystery/adventure that not only would entertain youth, but also would leave a spiritual impact. Enter an area where people are missing and radicals want to obliterate Christianity from the earth. After Joe Baker’s parents mysteriously disappear, he finds himself with a vicious man after him. Joe and an unusual gang team up to find his mom and dad. The gang is dedicated to preventing and solving crimes with ordinary harmless things such as noise, water, and a pet skunk instead of blades and bullets. Joe reads the Bible hoping to discover whether God will answer prayer and bring his parents home. In his dreams, Joe slips into the skin of Bible characters and what happened to them, happens to him—the peril and the victories. Yet, crying out in his sleep causes him to end up in a mental hospital’s juvenile unit. Will he escape or will he be harmed? Will he find his parents? Does God answer prayer?
• WHAT GENRE DOES YOUR BOOK FALL UNDER?
Teen/adventure fiction
• WHICH ACTOR WOULD YOU CHOOSE TO PLAY YOUR MAIN CHARACTER IN A MOVIE RENDITION?
Joseph Adam Jonas (when he was younger).
• GIVE A ONE-SENTENCE SYNOPSIS OF YOUR BOOK?
After Joe Baker’s parents mysteriously disappear, he finds himself with a vicious man after him and he wonders if God answers prayer.
• IS BOOK SELF-PUBLISHED OR REPRESENTED BY AN AGENCY?
I went with Amazon’s CreateSpace. My first book, Confessions of a Pentecostal, was published by the Assemblies of God’s Gospel Publishing House. Traditional publishers today seem to want to work with younger writers and I wasn’t getting any younger, so I went with CreateSpace. I also like the royalty offered by CreateSpace, which also published my second book, Swallowed by LIFE: Mysteries of Death, Resurrection and the Eternal. Although I had some frustrations with this last book, when everything finally came together I have been quite satisfied with CreateSpace editors and designers.
• HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO WRITE THE FIRST DRAFT OF JOE THE DREAMER?
I probably had about 1/3 of the book written when I became distracted by other projects. After I finally got down to business it probably was about six months to the end of the first draft. I ran the story through critique groups under the title Terror Blasters, had professional critiques and positive feedback. Then I paid for a thorough edit. But the book also required so much thinking and rewriting! I caught flaws in the book---things or people were in the wrong place at the wrong time and a couple of times I called a character by the wrong name. I had to watch hair and eye color. I might add I caught quite a number of things the editor missed. I also took out many of the extra words she added such as “that” and “was.” MY editor’s suggestions for the book were much better in my estimation than her editing. I took almost all of her suggestions and changed or added things accordingly. Good thing we have “track changes” today. Can’t believe I started out my writing career using a typewriter.
• WHAT OTHER BOOKS WOULD YOU COMPARE JOE THE DREAMER TO WITHIN YOUR GENRE?
• Nightmare Academy by Frank Peretti, although my book is not speculative fiction. But it does have lots of suspense and ventures into danger and places the average teen wouldn’t see, such as a mental hospital’s juvenile unit. As a medical reporter, I’ve been in those.
• WHO OR WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO WRITE THIS BOOK? A need for young people to increase their faith and know God.
• WHAT ELSE ABOUT YOUR BOOK MIGHT PIQUE THE READER'S INTEREST?
• Robots, catapults, missing people, brain chips, spiritual conflict. Radicals who want to erase Christianity from the earth and plan to scramble the brains of effective opinion leaders, using Joe’s dad’s computer software knowledge.
The links to Joe the Dreamer: http://buff.ly/XeqTvH and https://www.createspace.com/3962829
The Next Big Thing Blog Hop
A native of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, Pamela S. Meyers lives in the Chicago suburbs. Her debut novel, Book One in her On the Road to Love series, Thyme for Love, released November 2011, and Love Will Find a Way, Book Two releases in March 2013. Her historical romance, which is set in her hometown, Love Finds You in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, will release in April 2013. She is active in her church as a women’s life group leader.
Link to purchase Love Finds You in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin: http://tinyurl.com/b2jvwzq
Pamela’s blog: http://www.pamelasmeyers.com
In case you're curious, in a blog hop we cross promote one another's books, along with our own.
MAKE A COMMENT AND HAVE A CHANCE TO WIN an E-COPY OF JOE THE DREAMER: THE CASTLE AND THE CATAPULT
FROM ADA: Thanks for stopping by. Due to the ice storm that put my internet down and automatic posting not working during vacation, this is late posting. The good news: I'm giving away an e-copy of my new mystery/suspense novel Joe the Dreamer: The Castle and the Catapult. Just make a comment on this blog post.
Today, I'm blogging again about my debut teen novel, JOE THE DREAMER: THE CASTLE AND THE CATAPULT. The next Big Thing is Joe the Dreamer now is available for Kindle on Amazon and you can win an e-copy!
JOE THE DREAMER also is available as a paperback.The links: http://buff.ly/XeqTvH
ADA BROWNELL
BLOG HOP INTERVIEW:
• WHAT IS YOUR TITLE OF YOUR BOOK (OR STORY)?
Joe the Dreamer: The Castle and the Catapult
• WHERE DID THE IDEA FOR THE BOOK COME FROM?
I wanted a great mystery/adventure that not only would entertain youth, but also would leave a spiritual impact. Enter an area where people are missing and radicals want to obliterate Christianity from the earth. After Joe Baker’s parents mysteriously disappear, he finds himself with a vicious man after him. Joe and an unusual gang team up to find his mom and dad. The gang is dedicated to preventing and solving crimes with ordinary harmless things such as noise, water, and a pet skunk instead of blades and bullets. Joe reads the Bible hoping to discover whether God will answer prayer and bring his parents home. In his dreams, Joe slips into the skin of Bible characters and what happened to them, happens to him—the peril and the victories. Yet, crying out in his sleep causes him to end up in a mental hospital’s juvenile unit. Will he escape or will he be harmed? Will he find his parents? Does God answer prayer?
• WHAT GENRE DOES YOUR BOOK FALL UNDER?
Teen/adventure fiction
• WHICH ACTOR WOULD YOU CHOOSE TO PLAY YOUR MAIN CHARACTER IN A MOVIE RENDITION?
Joseph Adam Jonas (when he was younger).
• GIVE A ONE-SENTENCE SYNOPSIS OF YOUR BOOK?
After Joe Baker’s parents mysteriously disappear, he finds himself with a vicious man after him and he wonders if God answers prayer.
• IS BOOK SELF-PUBLISHED OR REPRESENTED BY AN AGENCY?
I went with Amazon’s CreateSpace. My first book, Confessions of a Pentecostal, was published by the Assemblies of God’s Gospel Publishing House. Traditional publishers today seem to want to work with younger writers and I wasn’t getting any younger, so I went with CreateSpace. I also like the royalty offered by CreateSpace, which also published my second book, Swallowed by LIFE: Mysteries of Death, Resurrection and the Eternal. Although I had some frustrations with this last book, when everything finally came together I have been quite satisfied with CreateSpace editors and designers.
• HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO WRITE THE FIRST DRAFT OF JOE THE DREAMER?
I probably had about 1/3 of the book written when I became distracted by other projects. After I finally got down to business it probably was about six months to the end of the first draft. I ran the story through critique groups under the title Terror Blasters, had professional critiques and positive feedback. Then I paid for a thorough edit. But the book also required so much thinking and rewriting! I caught flaws in the book---things or people were in the wrong place at the wrong time and a couple of times I called a character by the wrong name. I had to watch hair and eye color. I might add I caught quite a number of things the editor missed. I also took out many of the extra words she added such as “that” and “was.” MY editor’s suggestions for the book were much better in my estimation than her editing. I took almost all of her suggestions and changed or added things accordingly. Good thing we have “track changes” today. Can’t believe I started out my writing career using a typewriter.
• WHAT OTHER BOOKS WOULD YOU COMPARE JOE THE DREAMER TO WITHIN YOUR GENRE?
• Nightmare Academy by Frank Peretti, although my book is not speculative fiction. But it does have lots of suspense and ventures into danger and places the average teen wouldn’t see, such as a mental hospital’s juvenile unit. As a medical reporter, I’ve been in those.
• WHO OR WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO WRITE THIS BOOK? A need for young people to increase their faith and know God.
• WHAT ELSE ABOUT YOUR BOOK MIGHT PIQUE THE READER'S INTEREST?
• Robots, catapults, missing people, brain chips, spiritual conflict. Radicals who want to erase Christianity from the earth and plan to scramble the brains of effective opinion leaders, using Joe’s dad’s computer software knowledge.
The links to Joe the Dreamer: http://buff.ly/XeqTvH and https://www.createspace.com/3962829
February 12, 2013
Join new website for Christian Readers.
NOTE FROM ADA
Sorry, readers, that this didn't automatically post while I was on vacation. But Staci has a great offer today, Feb. 19. She says, "On our blog, we're giving away another $25 Amazon gift card. Here's the tag and link," Enter! You might be a winner!
It's a CrossReads Book Blast!
Enter to win a $25 Gift Card to Amazon!
http://crossreads.com/?p=644
Staci Stallings, the author of this article, is a #1 Best Selling author and the co-founder CrossReads.com
a new website that gives Christian readers and authors a place to meet and fellowship. With a newsletter, a blog, a forum, and other exciting, inspiring areas to visit, CrossReads visitors can find fabulous Christian books they never knew existed.
Come over on Feb. 12-14, and get entered to win virtual baskets of ebooks, gift cards, and other prizes!
Don't miss out! Check it out now!
"Encourage each other daily"
Introducing:
a new place to meet, read, and fellowship...
Find books that uplift, authors that inspire, and a whole community of
fellow Christians who are looking to encourage and be encouraged.
CLICK HERE
To Join the Community today, and
Get Your Read On!
Staci Stallings, my guest, writes on Testing Your Faith
Testing Your Faith
A long time ago I believed that God sent “tests” to “test our faith.” As in, if you pass, you get in. If you don’t, hello darkness and gnashing of teeth!
Then God showed me graciously that I was a bit off on that concept. His greatest goal is for ALL of us to be with Him, and He’s not standing there with a stick ready to bop us on the head when we get it wrong. Nor is He looking for a reason to keep us away from Him. In fact, He knows we are going to mess up. He knows we are weak and that we are prone to make mistakes. So He gave us the Ten Commandments and said, “These are the guardrails. If you go through the guardrails, you will get hurt, and I don’t want that.”
Here’s an interesting concept to consider–God does “test” our faith, but it’s not a pass/fail to see if we get in or not kind of test like I used to think. That kind of test we are BOUND to fail.
In fact, I think it’s the concept of “failure” where we get hung up.
See, I always thought of failure as bad, negative, a huge black stain on my record. It was something to be avoided at all costs! And if it did happen, something to be covered up and buried lest anyone else ever see it.
But oh, my Father is so wise. He doesn’t see failure like that at all.
Take, for example, a bridge-builder. Now they actually have competitions like this for budding engineers. In fact, my niece is going to take “Material Engineering” in college this semester. I asked, “What is material engineering?” She didn’t know exactly as it hasn’t started yet, so we asked her cousin, which he replied, “It’s learning what types of material to use in what you’re building.”
Okay. That makes sense even though I’ve never really thought about learning something like that.
So, what do you do in this class? You use different types of material and strengths of material to build a bridge with your group. It has to withstand a certain amount of weight. So it’s a lot like those match-stick competitions where you see how much weight your bridge will hold.
You with me? You know where this is headed?
Well, when you build these bridges for the class or the competition, you do a lot of testing prior to the competition. After all, you don’t want your prototype bridge to fail with the weight of a marshmallow, right? You want it to withstand a bucket of wet cement!
But how do you know if it will or not? Simple.
You test it!
This type of test is different than the type you had in school (though it should actually be similar; however, in too many classrooms the “test” doesn’t determine where you still need work; it determines if you pass or fail the course!). The idea of “testing” your bridge is that when you test it, you can see where the structure or material is weak and fix it or strengthen it.
Until the competition, you will run hundreds of tests–with different weights at different angles. Every test gives you information. Every piece of information tells you if your bridge is strong or weak and how to improve it.
When you first start, you get a lot of failures. You find a lot of things that don’t work. But then, as you learn, your bridge holds up more and more weight–it gets stronger and stronger. Though even now, it will break at times.
In the Book of Job, God allows Job’s faith to be tested. He allows Satan to do some pretty mean things to Job. Why? Because we don’t know how strong or weak our faith is until it’s tested!
This is not a bad or mean thing like I used to think. It is actually very loving. Just like a baby walking, we have to learn how to stand, how to take a step, how to balance–and yes, falling (failing) is a part of that process.
So when your faith is being “tested,” just know that God is giving you a chance to see your weak spots and with His help improve upon them so your faith is like a bridge that can span a waterway and stand–no matter what!
Copyright Staci Stallings, 2012
Staci Stallings, the author of this article, is a #1 Best Selling author and the co-founder CrossReads.com a new website that gives Christian readers and authors a place to meet and fellowship. With a newsletter, a blog, a forum, and other exciting, inspiring areas to visit, CrossReads visitors can find fabulous Christian books they never knew existed.
A long time ago I believed that God sent “tests” to “test our faith.” As in, if you pass, you get in. If you don’t, hello darkness and gnashing of teeth!
Then God showed me graciously that I was a bit off on that concept. His greatest goal is for ALL of us to be with Him, and He’s not standing there with a stick ready to bop us on the head when we get it wrong. Nor is He looking for a reason to keep us away from Him. In fact, He knows we are going to mess up. He knows we are weak and that we are prone to make mistakes. So He gave us the Ten Commandments and said, “These are the guardrails. If you go through the guardrails, you will get hurt, and I don’t want that.”
Here’s an interesting concept to consider–God does “test” our faith, but it’s not a pass/fail to see if we get in or not kind of test like I used to think. That kind of test we are BOUND to fail.
In fact, I think it’s the concept of “failure” where we get hung up.
See, I always thought of failure as bad, negative, a huge black stain on my record. It was something to be avoided at all costs! And if it did happen, something to be covered up and buried lest anyone else ever see it.
But oh, my Father is so wise. He doesn’t see failure like that at all.
Take, for example, a bridge-builder. Now they actually have competitions like this for budding engineers. In fact, my niece is going to take “Material Engineering” in college this semester. I asked, “What is material engineering?” She didn’t know exactly as it hasn’t started yet, so we asked her cousin, which he replied, “It’s learning what types of material to use in what you’re building.”
Okay. That makes sense even though I’ve never really thought about learning something like that.
So, what do you do in this class? You use different types of material and strengths of material to build a bridge with your group. It has to withstand a certain amount of weight. So it’s a lot like those match-stick competitions where you see how much weight your bridge will hold.
You with me? You know where this is headed?
Well, when you build these bridges for the class or the competition, you do a lot of testing prior to the competition. After all, you don’t want your prototype bridge to fail with the weight of a marshmallow, right? You want it to withstand a bucket of wet cement!
But how do you know if it will or not? Simple.
You test it!
This type of test is different than the type you had in school (though it should actually be similar; however, in too many classrooms the “test” doesn’t determine where you still need work; it determines if you pass or fail the course!). The idea of “testing” your bridge is that when you test it, you can see where the structure or material is weak and fix it or strengthen it.
Until the competition, you will run hundreds of tests–with different weights at different angles. Every test gives you information. Every piece of information tells you if your bridge is strong or weak and how to improve it.
When you first start, you get a lot of failures. You find a lot of things that don’t work. But then, as you learn, your bridge holds up more and more weight–it gets stronger and stronger. Though even now, it will break at times.
In the Book of Job, God allows Job’s faith to be tested. He allows Satan to do some pretty mean things to Job. Why? Because we don’t know how strong or weak our faith is until it’s tested!
This is not a bad or mean thing like I used to think. It is actually very loving. Just like a baby walking, we have to learn how to stand, how to take a step, how to balance–and yes, falling (failing) is a part of that process.
So when your faith is being “tested,” just know that God is giving you a chance to see your weak spots and with His help improve upon them so your faith is like a bridge that can span a waterway and stand–no matter what!
Copyright Staci Stallings, 2012
Staci Stallings, the author of this article, is a #1 Best Selling author and the co-founder CrossReads.com a new website that gives Christian readers and authors a place to meet and fellowship. With a newsletter, a blog, a forum, and other exciting, inspiring areas to visit, CrossReads visitors can find fabulous Christian books they never knew existed.February 7, 2013
WHERE TREASURE HIDES
NOTE FROM ADA:
I'm so sorry the $1.99 promo ended on the 16th I was on vacation and had Johnnie's post scheduled to automatically post before that. For some reason, none of the scheduled posts ran. But I think you'll still enjoy reading this. Johnnie says, "It was a great promotion -- before it ended, Where Treasure Hides made it to #1 in three of the categories. I am still so ecstatic."
Treasured Moments
by
Johnnie Alexander Donley
Luke, the medical doctor and historian, uses almost the same words to write two of the most poignant verses in all the Gospels. We find them in Luke 2 (NIV):
• “Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart” (vs. 19);
• Mary “treasured all these things in her heart” (vs. 51b).
Mary preserved within her heart the mysterious splendor of the Nativity, the awe-inspiring moments when angels and shepherds joined in praise and worship to her newborn son.
Her second treasured event occurred about twelve years later when this same Son remained in Jerusalem after the Festival of Lights because He had to be in His Father’s house (2:49).
I’m not sure why these verses touch me the way they do, but I believe it has something to do with a childhood enriched by warm memories of love and laughter.
As a mom, one of my deepest values was to raise my children in such a way that they had joyful childhood memories to treasure in their adult hearts.
The word translated “treasure” in verse 19 is syntēreō. According to the Blue Letter Bible, it means “to preserve (a thing from perishing or being lost).”
In verse 51b, the verb “treasure” is diatēreō. It means, again according to the Blue Letter Bible, “to keep continually or carefully.”
Both translations define not only the events that Mary treasured and pondered, but also the cherished memories we preserve in our hearts, give to our children, and carefully keep as traditions for future generations.
Such legacies are priceless.
Father, You gave Mary a very special gift, Your only begotten Son. No wonder she treasured all these events in her heart. You’ve given us a gift, too. The gift of remembering our own treasured moments. We thank You for precious memories of joyful family celebrations and milestones, for sweet memories of quiet heartwarming moments. May we honor You and glorify You in all of them.
Where Treasure Hides Book Tour Info
Back cover image:
Back cover blurb
Artist Alison Schuyler spends her time working in her family’s renowned art gallery, determined to avoid the curse that has followed the Schuyler clan from the Netherlands to America and back again. She’s certain that true love will only lead to tragedy—that is, until a chance meeting at Waterloo station brings Ian Devlin into her life. Drawn to the bold and compassionate British Army captain, Alison begins to question her fear of love as World War II breaks out, separating the two and drawing each into their own battles. While Ian fights for freedom on the battlefield, Alison works with the Dutch Underground to find a safe haven for Jewish children and priceless pieces of art alike. But safety is a luxury war does not allow. As time, war, and human will struggle to keep them apart, will Alison and Ian have the faith to fight for their love, or is it their fate to be separated forever?
Brief Bio:
Author Johnnie Alexander Donley writes stories of suspense, intrigue, and romance set in World War II. Her debut book, Where Treasure Hides, won the American Christian Fiction Writers Genesis contest for Historical Fiction in 2011. A history enthusiast, Johnnie has also edited nonfiction manuscripts and textbooks. She is a founding member of the Central Florida chapter of American Christian Fiction Writers. A longtime Florida resident, Johnnie treasures family memories, classic movies, shelves full of books, and her papillon Rugby.
Website/Blog: Treasured Moments www.johnniedonley.com
Email: johnniedonley@ymail.com
Headshot:
Photo: Johnnie Alexander Donley
Buy Links
Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Where-Treasure-...
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/where...
Christian Book Distributors (ChristianBook.com): http://www.christianbook.com/where-tr...
Treasured Momentsby Johnnie Alexander DonleyLuke, the med...
Treasured Moments
by
Johnnie Alexander Donley
Luke, the medical doctor and historian, uses almost the same words to write two of the most poignant verses in all the Gospels. We find them in Luke 2 (NIV):
• “Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart” (vs. 19);
• Mary “treasured all these things in her heart” (vs. 51b).
Mary preserved within her heart the mysterious splendor of the Nativity, the awe-inspiring moments when angels and shepherds joined in praise and worship to her newborn son.
Her second treasured event occurred about twelve years later when this same son remained in Jerusalem after the Festival of Lights because he had to be in his Father’s house (2:49).
I’m not sure why these verses touch me the way they do, but I believe it has something to do with a childhood enriched by warm memories of love and laughter.
As a mom, one of my deepest values was to raise my children in such a way that they had joyful childhood memories to treasure in their adult hearts.
The word translated “treasure” in verse 19 is syntēreō. According to the Blue Letter Bible, it means “to preserve (a thing from perishing or being lost).”
In verse 51b, the verb “treasure” is diatēreō. It means, again according to the Blue Letter Bible, “to keep continually or carefully.”
Both translations define not only the events that Mary treasured and pondered, but also the cherished memories we preserve in our hearts, give to our children, and carefully keep as traditions for future generations.
Such legacies are priceless.
Father, You gave Mary a very special gift, Your only begotten Son. No wonder she treasured all these events in her heart. You’ve given us a gift, too. The gift of remembering our own treasured moments. We thank You for precious memories of joyful family celebrations and milestones, for sweet memories of quiet heartwarming moments. May we honor You and glorify You in all of them.
Where Treasure Hides Book Tour Info
Back cover image:
Back cover blurb
Artist Alison Schuyler spends her time working in her family’s renowned art gallery, determined to avoid the curse that has followed the Schuyler clan from the Netherlands to America and back again. She’s certain that true love will only lead to tragedy—that is, until a chance meeting at Waterloo station brings Ian Devlin into her life. Drawn to the bold and compassionate British Army captain, Alison begins to question her fear of love as World War II breaks out, separating the two and drawing each into their own battles. While Ian fights for freedom on the battlefield, Alison works with the Dutch Underground to find a safe haven for Jewish children and priceless pieces of art alike. But safety is a luxury war does not allow. As time, war, and human will struggle to keep them apart, will Alison and Ian have the faith to fight for their love, or is it their fate to be separated forever?
Brief Bio:
Author Johnnie Alexander Donley writes stories of suspense, intrigue, and romance set in World War II. Her debut book, Where Treasure Hides, won the American Christian Fiction Writers Genesis contest for Historical Fiction in 2011. A history enthusiast, Johnnie has also edited nonfiction manuscripts and textbooks. She is a founding member of the Central Florida chapter of American Christian Fiction Writers. A longtime Florida resident, Johnnie treasures family memories, classic movies, shelves full of books, and her papillon Rugby.
Website/Blog: Treasured Moments www.johnniedonley.com
Email: johnniedonley@ymail.com
Headshot:
Photo: Johnnie Alexander Donley
Buy Links
Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Where-Treasure-...
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/where...
Christian Book Distributors (ChristianBook.com): http://www.christianbook.com/where-tr...
February 6, 2013
LOVE AMONG FRIENDS
The following post continues our February emphasis on the different kinds of love, among them Eros (romantic love); Philia (friendship); Agape (unconditional love such as God's love); Storge (natural affection between a parent and child and a child for the parent). I'll also share other things the Bible teaches about love. However, the series will be interrupted by some interesting and special guests later this month who have good things to share and maybe even prizes. -- Ada
A CANDLE IS LIKE FRIENDSHIP. Sometimes friendships don’t last forever. School friends or friends in the neighborhood sometimes are lost. People go to different schools or graduate. They move away. Like a candle that burns out, friendships end.
Sometimes friendships end abruptly, however, like a blown-out candle. This usually happens when buddies have a disagreement and they say or do things they can’t take back.
Family relationships sometimes are like a flashlight. They will stay lit all your life if the batteries are kept charged or renewed (and this includes a marriage).
God’s love is like the sun, which keeps shining and warming the earth whether the skies are cloudy or blue. In the same way, God will never stop loving us.
Solomon wrote, “A friend loves at all times” (Proverbs 17:17); “A man who has friends must himself be friendly” (Proverbs 18:24).
Friends usually start with a friendly greeting and a conversation. Sometimes friendships begin with just a smile.
Jesus was accused of being a friend of publicans and sinners, but in reality, his closest friends were his disciples. Yes, he did go to Zacchaeus’s house, but Zacchaeus already had decided to follow Jesus. He showed Mary Magdalene compassion and friendship, but she already had repented of her sins when she wet Jesus’ feet with her tears. He talked to the woman at the well, who received with joy the news that he was the Messiah. Jesus told the woman to go and sin no more.
The Bible tells about the friendship of David and Jonathan. Jonathan was full of faith, like David. The Philistine Army challenged Jonathan just as the Philistine Giant later challenged Israel’s Army to a fight.
David and Jonathan met right after David slew Goliath.
The Bible says there was an immediate bond of love between them, and they became best friends. Jonathan made a special vow to be David’s friend, and he sealed the pact by giving David his robe, tunic, sword, bow and belt” (1 Samuel 18:1-4).
David married Jonathan’s sister, Michal, but King Saul, Jonathan’s father was jealous of David and hated him. He tried several times to kill David.
On one occasion, Jonathan saved David’s life. Jonathan once said he loved David as much as he loved himself (1 Samuel 20:16).
King Saul wanted Jonathan to be the next king, but David already had been anointed king. God rejected Saul because of his rebellion. Jonathan, who was likely to follow his father, apparently had no desire to be king, although he was a mighty warrior.
Jonathan was killed on the battlefield fighting the Amalekites, another nation like the Philistines, alongside his father.
Afterward David wrote a funeral song (2 Samuel 1) where he mourns Jonathan.
“How I weep for you, my brother, Jonathan!” he sang in sadness.
David had a wonderful friend in Jonathan. But sometimes friends can be a bad influence. David’s son, Solomon, warned his son about unwholesome friends. In Proverbs 1:10-19 he wrote, “My son, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them.”
One time I asked a class of children to write down the names of people they would like for a friend. Then they wrote their own name and glued it facing the other names. When it drie and they tried to tear them apart, they discovered a little of their name was left on the others, and theirs were left with theirs. Likewise, we leave a little of ourselves with every friend we make, and they leave a part of themselves with us. Good friends make us better. Bad friends can influence us in a bad way.
But good friends are great! Is there someone you would like for a friend? Pray this week God will help you to show yourself friendly. Then decide to call this person on the phone, invite them somewhere, or talk to him or her in person. It’s great to have lots of friends.
© Copyright Ada Brownell 2013
February 4, 2013
LOVE IS DYNAMITE
Do you know what a model is? One definition says a model is the standard of excellence—pretty close to perfection.
During the Super Bowl or any other football game where experts play, watch how the quarterback holds the ball. See how his shoulders are turned? See where he plants his feet? Young football players and people in almost every sport are helped in their game by watching an expert “model” the right moves.
Jesus is our model for showing love to others. He shows us love is powerful. Yet, just like the air we breathe or gravity, we can’t see love’s power.
My brother and I used to blow up paper sacks and pop them. When my mother traded her old wood-burning cookstove for a gas range, we invited company. While baking, not knowing how the stove regulated oven temperature, Mom noticed the only flame she could see was the pilot light and she was afraid gas was escaping. Several women circled the stove debating what they should do. My brother sneaked up behind them with a blown-up sack and popped it. We were fortunate the loud boom didn’t cause us to have to scrape women off the ceiling.
We couldn’t see the force that caused the little explosion and blew a hole in the paper sack. Dynamite’s power is invisible, too. The powerful explosive is made by soaking nitroglycerin into an absorbent, such as sodium nitrate and wood pulp. Usually when we think of dynamite, we think of something destructive. Yes, dynamite can kill and take down a skyscraper. But it also is useful for making tunnels – highway tunnels, railroad tunnels and mine tunnels. It helps miners find gold and other minerals. It’s used to blast rock for roadways. Most of the highways you see through the mountains probably would not be there if the construction crew couldn’t use dynamite to get through rock.
In the same way people are changed through love and you can see results of love.
The first type of love you probably experienced was your parents’ love and your love for them. We also have love for self, which apparently God wants us to do because He said to “Love our neighbors as ourselves.”
But can we love ourselves too much? How would we know? I would think the test for that is to see if we are selfish or unkind to others.
Love is powerful!
Because of its powerful force, dealing with love can be a tricky business. Jesus even told us to love our enemies and to do good to those that despitefully use us. Not easy, but the Bible tells us when we shower our enemy with kindness it heaps coals of fire on his head
While society equates love with romance or even lust, God created love and it is pure and builds up people’s charactaer. Genuine love is a positive force. Like air we breathe or gravity, we can’t see it, but we see it in what love does, enriching people’s lives and providing contentment and joy.
Love gone awry can be destructive, too. For instance, if a baby will cry because of an immunization, a parent might be tempted to avoid the shot—although it will protect the child later from deadly or debilitating disease. Or a mother won’t give a child medication that could save a child’s life because the child doesn’t like the taste.
Other ways love gone awry is when jealousy ends up in murder. Children sometimes are kidnapped or even killed in custody battles.
God loved humans in the beginning, and because of that love, He set boundaries for our good. For instance, breaking any of The Ten Commandments will either hurt me or someone else.
Because He loved them, God walked and chatted with Adam in the Garden of Eden in the evening. After He gave Adam a wife, the Lord said, “You can eat everything in the garden except from the tree right in the center—that one is the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat of its fruit, you’ll die.”
Adam and Eve disobeyed, but they discovered God still loved them because He promised to send a Redeemer that would take away the curse of sin and death. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whoever believes in him would not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16).
So Jesus came to earth and bled out for me and you—then rose from the dead, sat down at the right hand of the Father, to send the Holy Spirit and His comfort and power to us.
Does knowing God loves you make you want to change anything about yourself? What? How will you make these changes? Ask God to help you love Him and others more. I pray He will help me to allow God to love through me.
©Ada Brownell 2013
During the Super Bowl or any other football game where experts play, watch how the quarterback holds the ball. See how his shoulders are turned? See where he plants his feet? Young football players and people in almost every sport are helped in their game by watching an expert “model” the right moves.
Jesus is our model for showing love to others. He shows us love is powerful. Yet, just like the air we breathe or gravity, we can’t see love’s power.
My brother and I used to blow up paper sacks and pop them. When my mother traded her old wood-burning cookstove for a gas range, we invited company. While baking, not knowing how the stove regulated oven temperature, Mom noticed the only flame she could see was the pilot light and she was afraid gas was escaping. Several women circled the stove debating what they should do. My brother sneaked up behind them with a blown-up sack and popped it. We were fortunate the loud boom didn’t cause us to have to scrape women off the ceiling.
We couldn’t see the force that caused the little explosion and blew a hole in the paper sack. Dynamite’s power is invisible, too. The powerful explosive is made by soaking nitroglycerin into an absorbent, such as sodium nitrate and wood pulp. Usually when we think of dynamite, we think of something destructive. Yes, dynamite can kill and take down a skyscraper. But it also is useful for making tunnels – highway tunnels, railroad tunnels and mine tunnels. It helps miners find gold and other minerals. It’s used to blast rock for roadways. Most of the highways you see through the mountains probably would not be there if the construction crew couldn’t use dynamite to get through rock.
In the same way people are changed through love and you can see results of love.
The first type of love you probably experienced was your parents’ love and your love for them. We also have love for self, which apparently God wants us to do because He said to “Love our neighbors as ourselves.”
But can we love ourselves too much? How would we know? I would think the test for that is to see if we are selfish or unkind to others.
Love is powerful!
Because of its powerful force, dealing with love can be a tricky business. Jesus even told us to love our enemies and to do good to those that despitefully use us. Not easy, but the Bible tells us when we shower our enemy with kindness it heaps coals of fire on his head
While society equates love with romance or even lust, God created love and it is pure and builds up people’s charactaer. Genuine love is a positive force. Like air we breathe or gravity, we can’t see it, but we see it in what love does, enriching people’s lives and providing contentment and joy.
Love gone awry can be destructive, too. For instance, if a baby will cry because of an immunization, a parent might be tempted to avoid the shot—although it will protect the child later from deadly or debilitating disease. Or a mother won’t give a child medication that could save a child’s life because the child doesn’t like the taste.
Other ways love gone awry is when jealousy ends up in murder. Children sometimes are kidnapped or even killed in custody battles.
God loved humans in the beginning, and because of that love, He set boundaries for our good. For instance, breaking any of The Ten Commandments will either hurt me or someone else.
Because He loved them, God walked and chatted with Adam in the Garden of Eden in the evening. After He gave Adam a wife, the Lord said, “You can eat everything in the garden except from the tree right in the center—that one is the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat of its fruit, you’ll die.”
Adam and Eve disobeyed, but they discovered God still loved them because He promised to send a Redeemer that would take away the curse of sin and death. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whoever believes in him would not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16).
So Jesus came to earth and bled out for me and you—then rose from the dead, sat down at the right hand of the Father, to send the Holy Spirit and His comfort and power to us.
Does knowing God loves you make you want to change anything about yourself? What? How will you make these changes? Ask God to help you love Him and others more. I pray He will help me to allow God to love through me.
©Ada Brownell 2013
HOW WE BENEFIT FROM GOD'S LOVE
A FEW WAYS WE BENEFIT FROM GOD’S LOVE
His Character
1. He is compassionate
2. He is merciful
3. He is faithful
4. He is all powerful
5. He will never leave us or forsake us.
HIS WORK
5. He provided the sun, the moon, gravity, beauty for us.
6. He designed our bodies with seeing eyes, hearing ears and other awesome benefits
His gifts to us—if we’ll receive them
7. A plan for our lives
8. Forgiveness of sins
9. Peace
10. Supernatural joy
11. Eternal life
12. A home with Him in heaven. Jesus said, “I go to prepare place for you; and if I go, I will come again that where I am you may be also.
13. Communion with Him
14. His love, understanding and open ear to our cries.
©Ada Brownell 2013
His Character
1. He is compassionate
2. He is merciful
3. He is faithful
4. He is all powerful
5. He will never leave us or forsake us.
HIS WORK
5. He provided the sun, the moon, gravity, beauty for us.
6. He designed our bodies with seeing eyes, hearing ears and other awesome benefits
His gifts to us—if we’ll receive them
7. A plan for our lives
8. Forgiveness of sins
9. Peace
10. Supernatural joy
11. Eternal life
12. A home with Him in heaven. Jesus said, “I go to prepare place for you; and if I go, I will come again that where I am you may be also.
13. Communion with Him
14. His love, understanding and open ear to our cries.
©Ada Brownell 2013
January 28, 2013
CHANGING ZIP CODES
Courage for the little things…
For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right
hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.
Isaiah 41:13 NIV
Sometimes I feel like I have courage for the larger things in life, like surviving a car accident, giving birth to a premature son, or spending time living in a foreign country. It’s the little things where I fail, like fearing the walk into an unfamiliar church, unpacking and organizing a sea of
boxes in my family room, or getting oriented to a new town. Yes, can fly across the globe to a Bible college in New Zealand, but, “Please God, don’t put me on a freeway two miles away from
my new house!”
Our Heavenly Father offers courage for all situations. He doesn’t rate our need and say, “You’re on your own for this situation; it’s only a 2.4 on the fear scale and I don’t mess with such trivial situations.” What kind of God would that make Him? No, He loves us enough to subdue our daily fears. When we do our part and take a first step, He will watch our back and take away our fear, but we need to make the first move. In his book, The Neurotic’s Notebook, Mignon McLaughlin says, “Courage can’t see around the corner but goes anyway.”
Lewis’s outlook on courage is: “Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point.” If we are to be lean, strong men and women of faith, we can expect God to take us on some adventures where we know not where we are going. Courage opens the door and says “boo” to our fears.
What is your biggest fear about moving to a new area? Are you afraid your children won’t make friends? You won’t find a job? You will hate the weather? You’ll never see your extended family? You will never grow to love that dark galley kitchen? Look your fears straight in the eye and take one little action today to conquer them. God is great at matching our timid first steps and will be there to keep us moving forward.
Sometimes all we have is a community of two, but sometimes that’s enough…for a start.
Taken from Changing Zip Codes: Finding Community Wherever You’re Transplanted. This forty-day devotional for the uprooted, deployed, downsized, and displaced is published by Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas. It is available in print and ebook through Amazon.com
http://tinyurl.com/b7kaahx.
ENDORSEMENTS
“Carol Stratton has chosen to write to a topic that is addressed in few other
places: clinging to faith during times of change. The fresh daily format and
encouraging, biblical insights will encourage anyone who is struggling
through the idea of moving to a new location, as well as uplifting those who
are joyfully anticipating a move.”— Darla Knoth, Leadership Development/
Content Coordinator, National Women’s Department, Assemblies of God.
“After twenty-two moves, Carol Stratton is a relocation expert with a heart for
the newcomer. Carol’s warm and witty stories, based on personal experiences,
offer hope and encouragement to anyone faced with a move.” — Florence
Littauer, International Author and Speaker, Founder of CLASSeminar
ministry.
“Having moved fourteen times, I find Carol’s devotional book both encouraging
and inspiring for anyone relocating. Filled with biblical principles, it keeps
the reader focused on Christ during the upheaval of change that comes with
moving. Her hands-on experience with relocating adds humor and warmth
that will capture the heart of anyone who goes through the transition and
adjustment of a move.” — Susan Miller, Founder and President of Just
Moved Ministry and author of After the Boxes are Unpacked
“Using wit, humor, and entertaining facts (even about Zip Codes), Carol
Stratton provides helpful tips, insight, and cheerleading for those who are
facing the “big move.” She proves that God is everywhere, even among
new neighbors, new coworkers, and new church members. Let her words
encourage you.”— Dr. Dennis E. Hensley, author The Power of Positive
Productivity
COURAGE: Guest Carol Stratton author of Changing Zip Codes
CAROL STRATTON, wife and mother of four, from Mooresville, North Carolina, is a writer and speaker. Her articles have been published in national magazines.. Her devotional, Changing Zip Codes: Finding Community Wherever You’re Transplanted published by Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas, shares encouragement and humor learned in twenty-two moves. It’s available at: http://www.amazon.com/Changing-Zip-Co... . Contact her at http://www.ChangingZipCodes.com/contact.
Part of the proceeds of the book go to Family Life for scholarships for military couples for their Weekend to Remember.
A NOTE FROM CAROL
I might mention I have a fund-raising event going on my FB page. I am asking people give me a birthday present on my birthday, Feb. 2nd (Groundhog's Day) The gift to me is to let me know a reader has made a contribution to Family Life for for military couples to be able to attend Weekend to Remember. Here's the link: http://www.changingzipcodes.com/give-.... I am matching anything donated. So far no responses but I really believe in what they are doing for the military . Military marriages have had a sixty percent increase in divorce in the last few years....that an increase.
Part of the proceeds of the book go to Family Life for scholarships for military couples for their Weekend to Remember.
A NOTE FROM CAROL
I might mention I have a fund-raising event going on my FB page. I am asking people give me a birthday present on my birthday, Feb. 2nd (Groundhog's Day) The gift to me is to let me know a reader has made a contribution to Family Life for for military couples to be able to attend Weekend to Remember. Here's the link: http://www.changingzipcodes.com/give-.... I am matching anything donated. So far no responses but I really believe in what they are doing for the military . Military marriages have had a sixty percent increase in divorce in the last few years....that an increase.
