Cathy Bryant's Blog: CatBryant.com ~ Journey Blog, page 33

No Way Out But Through

I hate the difficulties of life.

In fact, I hate them so much that I’ll do just about anything to escape them.

And I don’t think I’m alone.

Unfortunately those difficulties are guaranteed in this earthly life. “In this world, you will have trouble…” (John 16:33) Then Christ tells us to take heart because He’s overcome the world. Comforting words, but often not what I want to hear. Instead I want relief! And I want it now!

The apostle Paul also knew about those trials, and three times he asked God to remove his “thorn in the flesh,” “a messenger of Satan” sent to torment him. He didn’t get the relief and escape he prayed for. Instead he got this response: “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

No Way Out But Through

To our earthly way of thinking, this often seems unfair. Why would our Creator God and Heavenly Father subject us to such trials?

Many reasons actually.

How will we ever know His power in our lives unless we’re forced to depend on it? How will we ever learn to fully trust Him unless we’re put in a position of having no other choice? How will we ever grow into Christ-likeness without the fires of adversity?

Sometimes, God does deliver us from life difficulties, but sometimes relief lies on the other side of the difficulty looming in front of us. Sometimes, there is no way out but through.

That is when we must endure.

“The word endure comes from two Greek words that combine to say, ‘to remain under.’ Endurance is that capacity to stay under the load, to remain in the circumstances, without fleeing or seeking the easy way out….There is one other thing we should notice about the word endure. It is not primarily a negative or passive quality. It does not mean that we submit ourselves to difficult circumstances with a spirit of resignation and defeat. The idea behind the word is that of a soldier staying in the heat of the battle, under terrible opposition but pressing forward to win a victory.” ~Gary Inrig

 

Father God, I struggle with difficulty. I shy away from it. But Lord, help me to endure in a way that pleases You, reveals Your power in my life, causes me to depend and wait on You, and makes me more like Christ. In His perfect name I pray. Amen.

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How to Overcome Obstacles

Have you ever felt that for every step forward you take two back?

Ever have problems getting around what seem to be constant obstacles in the path?

Ever get to the point that you were tempted to throw in the towel?

Yeah, me too.

The truth is that there will always be obstacles in this earthly life. But God’s grace is enough. In fact, it’s MORE than enough.

Many times those boulders in our path take on more significance than they should because we fail to remember how great our God is.

Don’t give up. Hang in there. There’s a new day coming, when everything–including us–will be made new. Until that day comfort and encourage yourself with these words from the Word.

Verses for Overcoming Obstacles

I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. -Romans 16:17

Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. -2 Corinthians 12:8-10

More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. -Romans 5:3-5

He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”  -Matthew 17:20

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. -James 1:2-4

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” -John 16:33

And it shall be said, “Build up, build up, prepare the way, remove every obstruction from my people’s way.” -Isaiah 57:14

“This is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.” -1 John 4:5b

“`Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty” -Zechariah 4:6

“Be still and know I am GOD.”  -Psalm 46:10

Father God, thank You for being the remover of obstacles. When we face those boulders in our path, may we turn to You and wait on You and Your timing. Nothing is beyond Your control. Strengthen our feeble faith. Thank You that Your grace is more than enough. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

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What’s in a Word?

 

The ‘Word’ War

A famous author by the name of William Shakespeare penned the following in his classic tragedy Romeo and Juliet:

“What’s in a name? that which we call a rose

By any other name would smell as sweet;” 

While the passage refers to names, the implication could also be passed along to words in general. Sometimes it’s just a matter of semantics.

On the opposite end of the ‘word’ spectrum we have this quote by another famous author, Mark Twain: “The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.”

As a writer, I tend to side with Mr. Twain in the word war. Differences in wording can make or break the way in which a passage is interpreted.

Allow me to give an example. I recently read a wonderful book by a well-known author, but there was one passage where the word “rednecks” was used in the sense of a group of beer-guzzling, racist vigilantes. Where I come from, rednecks are hard-working men with families and strong values, so I was highly offended by the characterization.

In fact, I almost closed the book. I didn’t, and I’m glad I didn’t, because the book–other than the aforementioned example–was a great story with a great message.

My point is this: What might seem like “just a word” to some carries with it the attitude of the person or people who use it in a certain context. In that light, we MUST be careful not only about what words we use but the attitude of our hearts.

Words from the Word

Here are a few verses from the Bible that put it all in perspective.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits. -Proverbs 18:21

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. -Ephesians 4:29

But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. -Matthew 15:18

There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. -Proverbs 12:18

I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, -Matthew 12:36

Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body. -Proverbs 16:24

Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin. -Proverbs 13:3

A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. -Proverbs 15:1

A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver. -Proverbs 25:11

The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. -Luke 6:45

But no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. -James 3:8

Word of Conclusion

So, what’s in a word?

In a word, everything.

What is “just a word” to you might carry with it an attitude others find hurtful.

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Let Me Off! (and other Weekly Updates)

Another fast week.

I once thought that in my old age latter years life would slow down.

Oh my, was I ever wrong.

It’s sort of like that nauseating feeling I had as a child when someone pushed me too fast on the merry-go-round. The nausea that said, “Let me off! Now!”

Seriously though, I really shouldn’t complain. Life is good because God is good. In spite of the ups and downs and the feeling that life is spinning out of control, He’s got this.

Weekly Updates

There have been several new reviews posted for THE FRAGRANCE OF CRUSHED VIOLETS and A BRIDGE UNBROKEN. The place to read those is at Amazon. I’m delighted that readers seem to be enjoying both books.

There are also several blog giveaways going on for the Bible study booklet. The best place to find those is under the EVENTS tab at the top of this page.

I also have a special giveaway of the book going on for all the ladies who join the LifeSword Bible study group on Facebook by June 30. You can read about it HERE.

I found a new online toy yesterday called PowToon and created this fun video for the Bible study group:

I guess yesterday was my day to find new fun places to waste time play around because I also found out about easel.ly and made this fun graphic of my writing journey:

And just as a reminder, don’t forget about the Goodreads giveaway of three print copies of A BRIDGE UNBROKEN. It ends June 30. Also ending June 30th is the print copy giveaway of THE FRAGRANCE OF CRUSHED VIOLETS. You can enter either HERE at my website or HERE at my Facebook author page.

As for my writing, I’m closing in on being finished with the pre-writing for CROSSROADS, the next Miller’s Creek novel. I’m also working on the pre-writing for TREE OF LIFE, the book I’m writing with my sister, but haven’t had time to work on it this past week because of being sick part of the week and working on CROSSROADS. I’ve also done considerable research for various books on finding true home, heaven, and Christian apologetics. (Yeah, I have serious adult-onset ADD…)

Hope you all have a blessed and relaxing weekend,

 

 

 

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Forgiveness Day Giveaway

Remember, as a child, playing a game of make believe? I want us to do that today. First, pretend that we’ve all been slaves to a cruel and unkind taskmaster. Our lives are grim and without hope. Next, I want us to pretend that in addition to being enslaved, we owe tremendous debts without the resources to ever pay them off. But then a rescuer comes along, someone who is not only willing to redeem us from slavery, but to pay our debt for us.

By now you probably get the picture. This is exactly what Jesus did for us on the cross “in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.” On one side of the equation you have people enslaved to sin, poor, weak, and unable to pay an astounding debt. On the other side of the equation you have the One who owns it all, who created it all, and the riches of His grace are immeasurable and boundless. Mind-boggling, isn’t it?

Forgiveness Day

Did you know that today, June 26, is Forgiveness Day? (Actually, after researching it, there are several days throughout the year designated as Forgiveness Day by various groups.) In Deuteronomy, God provided the means for debts to be canceled every seven years, sins to be forgiven through daily sacrifices, and then in the year of Jubilee, slaves were released to go home to their families and property returned to its original owners. All of this was the perfect symbol of what Christ would do for each of us at the cross.

In honor of God’s work of forgiveness through Christ, I felt led to do something special to commemorate this Forgiveness Day. While it may not be much, I want to offer everyone who joins the LifeSword Ladies’ Bible study group on Facebook by June 30th a free digital copy of THE FRAGRANCE OF CRUSHED VIOLETS: FORGIVING THE INEXCUSABLE. This is the Bible study on forgiveness I wrote to go along with the spiritual theme of the last Miller’s Creek novel, A BRIDGE UNBROKEN.

On June 30th, I will include a post on the LifeSword group that gives instructions to everyone on how to download their digital copy in whatever format they prefer. Then on July 1st, the LifeSword group will begin a daily study of the topic of forgiveness. I will post a scripture passage and questions each morning, Monday – Saturday. Those who feel led to respond publicly may do so. If at any time you no longer want to be a part of the Bible study, please feel free to leave the group and keep your copy of the book.

Click HERE to join the LifeSword Ladies’ Bible study group on Facebook.
Help Spread the Word

I would appreciate all of your help in spreading the word about the Facebook Bible study group and free eBook. Please share it on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, other social media sites, and also via e-mail. You can use the social share buttons at the end of this post and/or the following tweet and/or pic. (To share the pic, right click and save to your computer, then share via social media or e-mail.)

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We Have Met the Enemy and…

Pogo, Copyright Walt Kelly

In preparation for several books I have in the works (the next Miller’s Creek novel, a story I’m co-authoring with my youngest sister, and a few Bible study books), I’ve been doing some pretty heavy reading, including Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis. In addition, part of my Bible study this morning was in Psalm 78, where David recounts the miraculous deliverance of God’s people and their resulting rebellion. Both of these sources come to the same conclusion: We are our own worst enemy.

The Enemy: Us

Most humans are born with an innate sense of knowing right from wrong, but we repeatedly do wrong even when we know better. Even the best of people are infected with this virus. And even those who deny the existence of God must surely realize the truth of the human genetic disposition toward wrongdoing. It explains crime and wars and unspeakable atrocities. The enemy lies within each of us.

Paul sums it up best:

For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good. So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? ~Romans 7:15-24 (NASB)

What We Need

We understand on a visceral level Paul’s last question. Where can we find deliverance from our tendency toward evil behavior? How can we stop being our own worst enemy? We desperately need a Savior!

The Rest of the Story

Radio commentator Paul Harvey was known worldwide for his “Rest of the Story” series, in which he would tell a story that seemed without hope. But he would always end with a short snippet–the rest of the story–that brought everything out right in the end.

Our story of the evil that exists within each of us isn’t without hope either. There is a Savior. Here’s the rest of the apostle Paul’s story–the rest of our story if we so choose:

Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! ~Romans 7:25a (NASB)

If we allow Him access to our lives, God can rewrite our life stories–in spite of our sin–and turn them around for our good and His glory.

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Not Much Of An Alternative

I truly believe there’s a home-shaped hole in each human heart that only God can fill. Unfortunately, many attempt to fill that hole with other things. In today’s post, I want to explore the alternative of what life is like when we choose not to make Christ our home.

ALTERNATIVE: ESTRANGEMENT

Therefore speak to them and tell them, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Any man of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, puts right before his face the stumbling block of his iniquity, and then comes to the prophet, I the Lord will be brought to give him an answer in the matter in view of the multitude of his idols, in order to lay hold of the hearts of the house of Israel who are estranged from Me through all their idols.”’ -Ezekiel 14:4-5

Idolatry has been a snare for mankind since the beginning of time. It was part of the devil’s temptation in the garden of Eden–the temptation to follow our own ways rather than God’s ways. We are made to worship, but if we choose not to make God the object of our worship, other things will take His rightful place. That is idolatry.

Lest we believers think we’re immune to this malady, consider this scripture:

‘This people honors Me with their lips,

But their heart is far away from Me.

‘But in vain do they worship Me,

Teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.’” -Matthew 15:8-9

Jesus spoke these words against the religious leaders of Israel. We can think and assume that we are following God, but our hearts still be far from Him. We are capable of worshiping Him in vain and teaching the traditions of our forefathers rather than God’s Word. That’s why it is so vitally important to stay connected to the Vine, to seek His face moment by moment, and to immerse ourselves in His Word. We must continually search our hearts to make sure that we haven’t inadvertently strayed.

ALTERNATIVE: EMPTINESS

Is there any word so sad as ‘empty?’ It screams of futility. Other than the empty tomb which signified our Savior’s living reign over sin and death, the word isn’t pleasant.

Emptiness  is often used in the Bible to describe those who willfully practice idolatry.

Thus says the Lord, “What injustice did your fathers find in Me, That they went far from Me And walked after emptiness and became empty?” -Jeremiah 2:5

Behold, all of them arefalse; Their works are worthless, Their molten images are wind and emptiness. -Isaiah 41:29

In Christ, we have fulness of life; without Him, life is empty.

ALTERNATIVE: EXCLUSION

Those who follow God are included, adopted into His family and fellowship with Him. But the opposite of inclusion is exclusion, and it is a sad reality for those not abiding in Christ.

Remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. -Ephesians 2:12

So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; -Ephesians 4:17-18

ALTERNATIVE: ENMITY

For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. -Romans 8:6-8

You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. -James 4:4

There is no middle ground, no neutrality when it comes to Christ. It’s an all-or-nothing kind of deal. Either we’re on God’s side or we’re against Him. If we’re not following His Spirit within us, we’re following the world and the flesh, both of which are enmity against God.

CONCLUSION

I certainly didn’t wake up this morning bent on writing a post that at first glance seems so negative, but sometimes the best way to show light in a painting is to contrast it with dark. That is my hope with this post. I pray that we can all see the blessedness of following Christ and abiding in Him rather than living  a life of estrangement, emptiness, exclusion, and enmity. More importantly, I pray it spurs us on to reach out to a lost and dying world. To me this alternative to life in Christ can be summed up with one word: hell.

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Preparing for Difficulty

“Into each life some rain must fall.”

I don’t remember when or where I first heard the saying above, but it goes as far back as my earliest recollections, seared into deep crevices in my brain.

While the quote comes across as negative, it’s an important truth worth exploring.

We teach our children to enjoy life and to go for their dreams, but too often we shield them from hardship and don’t adequately prepare them for difficulty. Then when they reach adulthood and experience hardships and difficulty, they’re ill-prepared to handle it.

So how can we best prepare ourselves and our loved ones for difficulty?

Preparing For Difficulty – Expect It

These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” ~John 16:33 (NASB)

Oftentimes, the difficulties that are the hardest are those that waylay us out of nowhere. We just don’t see them coming.

If we live knowing that difficulties will come–not in a fearful and paranoid way that keeps us always on edge and away from peace–but just recognizing this as part of our earthly existence, we won’t be taken by surprise. We must also recognize that we’re not alone and that Jesus has overcome the world.

Preparing For Difficulty – Decide Ahead of Time Not to Quit

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. -Hebrews 12:1-3 (NASB)

The typical thing to do when hardship arrives is to quit. Quit caring, quit hoping, quit believing, quit trying…the list goes on and on.

None of us welcome hard times. We’d just as soon side-step them and move on our merry way. But in God’s economy, difficulty is one of His best tools for shaping us into who He wants us to be. He does some of His best work in the fires of adversity. If we jump from the fire too quickly, we may not learn what God desires to teach us. We must decide ahead of time that we won’t quit, but will allow Him to have His way with us.

That’s not to say that we stay in abusive situations indefinitely. Instead, we endure in prayer and allow God to direct our steps.

Preparing For Difficulty – Ask the Right Questions

“Woe to the one who quarrels with his Maker—

An earthenware vessel among the vessels of earth!

Will the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you doing?’

Or the thing you are making say, ‘He has no hands’? ~Isaiah 45:9 (NASB)

It’s okay to cry out to God in times of adversity. He is by far the first place we should turn. But we need to be careful or we’ll take the same approach as Job–an approach that landed him in a whirlwind where God pretty much told Job what for.

Rather than asking “Why me?,” a better question is “Why not me?” And the best question we can ask in trying circumstances is: “Lord, what do You want me to learn from this?’

Preparing For Difficulty – Conclusion

Only when we realize that God has a purpose for what He allows in our lives, will we be able to weather those storms that touch all of us. Before hard times arrive, I pray we’ll understand the reality of difficulties, decide ahead of time to persevere, and turn to our Maker with the right questions and attitudes. Only then will we better equipped to handle difficulty.

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8 Tell-Tale Signs You’re A Book-Addict (Guest post-Grace Thorson)

Grace Thorson, guest blogger

Note from Cathy: Hey, reader friends, please help me welcome one of my online friends, Grace Thorson, to the blog podium today. You can find out more about Grace at her beautiful site: Grace Thorson | A Paradise of Colors. Take it away, Grace!

Guest Post by Grace Thorson

Book-Addicts often share the same tendencies – some more muted or extreme than others. But no matter the position we read in, or the beverages we choose to drink with a book {I like plain ol’ water}, one thing is certain – we love books, and we shall continue to read them. Are you one?

8 Tell-Tale Signs You’re A Book-Addict:

1. Book-lovers visit the nearest library or bookstore habitually. They either have a bookish list stored within them subconsciously or prefer to randomly browse the shelves of endless choices. Given to temptation for anything filled with pages, these addicts often check out with multiple books in hand.

2. Some of these self-proclaimed book-addicts smell the covers of old and worn-out books {preferably, hardcover}. They breathe in the scent of the ancient paper – treating it like a hidden treasure. Holding the cover of the book and breathing in deeply is normal and often follows this addiction.

3. Readers fight a tough battle against book-addiction. Dealing with the tendency to pick up a book… or two… or three… is usually lost on them. The book wins most wars and then some. Don’t be surprised if readers throw in a new and really cute bookmark to go along with their haul.

4. Bookish fiends visit the local library {or in extreme cases, drive multiple miles to reach it} to find the newest and most popular titles. Or if you’re like me, I choose to pick up the more obscure ones. These exciting journeys can be met with dismay though when that certain book by a certain author is unavailable. Readers request or… demand it! Sadly, readers are not given the option to demand a book.

5. If the library does not obey the bookish fiend’s demand… I… er… mean, obey their request for that certain book, they immediately order it from Amazon. Pre-ordering the next installment in a popular series online and waiting impatiently for its release is fraught with frustrations. Readers mark down the precise days to the release date and then wait for the processing and shipping of the item. In the meantime, they are stuck with a less exciting title until their esteemed book arrives.

6. Some book-lovers stalk authors on Twitter, Facebook, and other social media sites that mention the writer’s exploits and updates. Commenting incessantly on posts and tweets with an eager and over-enthusiastic exclamation point is used frequently. I, admittedly, am guilty of this!

7. Most book-addicts experience the common illness of staying up all night with their noses stuck in a book. Their face stays plastered to the pages until the eyes droop and sheer exhaustion takes over.

8. Bookworms stumble in a dream-like state for a library imagined to Beast’s gift to Belle from Beauty and the Beast. They collect every beautiful hard-bound book that can be found for that gigantic room someday. Their thoughts of making a space in their dream home for just such a place are common.

You are reading this, and realizing that one or more of these tell-tale facts fits your addiction of books. That’s okay. I’m a Book-Addict too.

How about you? What other tell-tale signs do you show?

From Cathy: Grace, thanks so much for this delightful post on book addiction. It is definitely a real malady! I confess to being a book sniffer–like one would sniff flowers or mountain air. I’ve also been known to stay up all night reading. Thanks again! (P.S. Today is the last day to get A PATH LESS TRAVELED [currently an Amazon #1 Best-Seller] for just 99-cents.)

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A PATH LESS TRAVELED On Sale for 99-cents

Happy Monday, everyone! Hope you had a great weekend, and praying your week is even better. Life is good when we serve the Lord, even when it’s difficult. I had a fibromyalgia flare-up over the weekend, but God used even that for my good. I was able to spend special time with Him–and much-needed time, I might add! Also managed to get some rest, which always helps with the fibro.

APLT On Sale

Anyway, doing better today, and praying my back holds up with all the things going on in writing world this week. First of all, A PATH LESS TRAVELED is on sale for just 99-cents for Kindle for just a few more days. If you’ve already read the book, please consider snatching up a copy for a friend while it’s still on sale. Did you know that you can gift a Kindle copy to a friend with only their e-mail needed? All you have to do is select the ‘Give as a Gift’ button on the far right side of the book’s page on Amazon, insert an e-mail address and your message, and then Amazon does the rest. Pretty cool!

99-cents sale: A PATH LESS TRAVELED Christian romance #Kindle #faith http://amzn.to/ZEm80l
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Book Chat for THE FRAGRANCE OF CRUSHED VIOLETS

Another event going on in book land is the upcoming Book Chat for THE FRAGRANCE OF CRUSHED VIOLETS: FORGIVING THE INEXCUSABLE, the new Bible study book on the topic of forgiveness. The chat is scheduled for this Tuesday, June 17, 6-7 p.m. on Facebook, and will include a Q & A time, discussion of forgiveness, and prize giveaways. Click HERE to RSVP and get your name on the prize drawing list. Looking forward to chatting with everyone!

Book Chat: THE FRAGRANCE OF CRUSHED VIOLETS Bible study on #forgiveness http://on.fb.me/1j55el6
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Online Bible Study on the Topic of Forgiveness

And if you haven’t already joined the rest of us, we’d love to have you be a part of our Facebook Bible study group, LifeSword, and our July 2014 study on forgiveness. It’s not necessary to purchase the book unless you just want to, as I’ll be posting the day’s scripture references and questions Monday through Saturday. (If that posting schedule is too often for those participating, we’ll back off as needed to allow folks to have time to fully study the Bible passages.) Even if you decide not to participate this time around, please pray that God will direct this study and bring healing to those who have struggled with forgiving an offense and/or offender. Praying for God to break those chains and to move me out of His way!

LifeSword online ladies' Bible study group ~ July 2014 study: #forgiveness http://on.fb.me/1qkuMCt
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Prayer Requests

Please pray that I’ll be especially attentive to the Lord’s leading on the two new books I’m working on, CROSSROADS (the next Miller’s Creek novel on the topic of a prodigal coming home) and TREE OF LIFE (a novel I’m co-writing with my youngest sister). Please pray for hubby and I as we make important decisions about recent damage to our house and vehicles from a hailstorm and other life happenings. I’m praying each of us have a wonderful week in the Lord, fully aware of His blessings, His provision, and His Presence.

Live loved,

P.S. Don’t forget about the Goodreads giveaway of 3 print copies of A BRIDGE UNBROKEN going on throughout the month of June. Also I have a giveaway of 1 print copy of THE FRAGRANCE OF CRUSHED VIOLETS going on at my Facebook author page throughout June.

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