Cathy Bryant's Blog: CatBryant.com ~ Journey Blog, page 94

What Are You Living For?

"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." ~Matthew 6:33 (NIV)



The world is full of people. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the world population figures stand at 6.8 billion people.



It's easy to get lost in the crowd, or to give in to the thought that says: "I'm only one person. What can I do?"



It's also easy to be swept away in following the crowd. To get caught up in our day-to-day routines. To stumble along blindly without truly considering what life is all about.



All of us are living for something, even though we may never stop to consider what we're living for.



Some people live for that monthly paycheck, their entire lives spent working for something that disappears more quickly than it appears.



Some people live for pleasure and thrills. Life is all about moving from one adventure to the next. It's all about "how does it make me feel right now?"



Don't get me wrong. It's not wrong to have a job. The Bible is very clear about people working to support themselves and put food on the table. It's also not wrong to enjoy life. God is the giver of joy. The Creator of this beautiful planet full of wonders.



But we're not to live for those things.



We've all heard the analogies of life being a ladder we climb one day at a time, and what a shame it would be to finally reach the top of that ladder only to find it leaning against the wrong wall.



None of us want that, but do we really ever stop long enough to consider which wall our ladder is leaning against?



I want to live my life for four seconds.



Four seconds?



Yes, four seconds.



At the end of the world, it's all going to come down to about four seconds.



During those four seconds we're going to hear one of two things. Either, "Depart from me, I never knew you." or "Well done, my good and faithful servant." (Matthew 25)



So I ask you again, "What are you living for?"

Need Wisdom?

"If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault and it will be given to him." ~James 1:5 (NIV)



Wisdom. The quality or state of being wise; knowledge of what is true or right coupled with just judgment as to action; sagacity, discernment, or insight.





Sometimes in this crazy world wisdom seems hard to come by. And often it only takes one look at worldly wisdom to say "No, thanks."





But there is an alternative. The wisdom that comes from God is perfect and complete, and it's ours for the asking. Not just a little, but a lot. Our God gives generously. On top of His generosity, He does it without criticizing and finding fault.





Here are a few other Biblical facts about wisdom.





1. Wisdom begins with reverencing God. "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom..." (Psalm 111:10a, NIV)



2. The world was founded by wisdom. "But God made the earth by His power; He founded the world by His wisdom and stretched out the heavens by His understanding." (Jeremiah 10:12, NIV)



3. God is all-wise. "Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!" (Romans 11:33a, NIV)



4. All the treasures of wisdom are hidden in Christ. "...in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." (Colossians 2:2b-3, NIV)



5. Those who reject wisdom will suffer the consequences (Proverbs 1:20-32), but those who listen to wisdom (God) will be safe and untroubled. "...but whoever listens to Me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm." (Prov. 1:33, NIV)



6. True wisdom is God-given. "For the LORD gives wisdom, and from His mouth come knowledge and understanding." (Prov. 2:6, NIV)



7. Those who win souls are wise. "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise." (Prov. 11:30, NIV)



8. Those who walk with the wise become wise. "He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm." (Prov. 13:20, NIV)



9. God's wisdom far surpasses that of mans. "For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength." (1 Cor. 1:25, NIV)



10. God's Word can make you wise. "...and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus." (2 Timothy 3:15, NIV)



Heavenly Father,



We confess that you are Wisdom--a wisdom that far surpasses what we finite humans are capable of understanding. Your Wisdom created the world, Lord, and we thank You that You give it generously to us. All we have to do is ask. Grant us the wisdom of reverencing and following You--the true wisdom that only be found in the presence of our all-wise God. Give us a desire to be wise in a world that grows more unwise and ungodly by the second. Help us to see the wisdom in winning souls for Your kingdom, and to follow through in obedience to You. Give us wise friends, Lord, and help us to realize that You are wisest of all friends. Thank You, Lord, that Your Word is a word of wisdom, and that it holds the key to eternal life through Jesus Christ.



In His powerful and perfect name,

Amen  



* * *

OTHER "NEED" DEVOTIONAL POSTS:

Need Rest?

Need Peace?

Need Direction? 



 

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: "McKenzie" by Penny Zeller (& Book Giveaway!)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:



Penny Zeller is the author of four books and numerous magazine articles. She writes the humor blog "A Day in the Life of a Wife, Mom, and Author" (www.pennyzeller.wordpress.com), is an active volunteer in her community, serving as a women's Bible study small-group leader and co-organizing a women's prayer group. Her passion is to use the gift of the written word to glorify God and to benefit His Kingdom. She devotes her time to assisting and nurturing women and children into a closer relationship with Christ. When she's not dreaming up new characters for books, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends and camping, hiking, canoeing, gardening, and playing volleyball. Penny's most recent book, McKenzie, was released in September 2010 by Whitaker House and is the first in the Montana Skies Series. Her second book, Kaydie, a touching book of trust and God's provision, is scheduled for release in April 2011.



ABOUT THE BOOK:



Desperate times call for desperate measures is the reasoning that prompts McKenzie Worthington, a young lady of Boston's high society, to respond to an ad for a mail-order bride for a man in the Montana Territory. McKenzie is desperate, after all, to save her beloved younger sister, Kaydie, from her evil, abusive husband, who robs banks for a living. And so, it is with reckless determination that McKenzie runs away from the comforts of home and hearth to head West and meet her new husband-whom she'll divorce, of course, after she rescues her sister.



Desperate times call for desperate measures is the reasoning that also prompts Zachary Sawyer, a rugged rancher after God's own heart, to post an ad for a mail-order bride in various newspapers across the country. Managing a ranch and caring for his adoptive son, Davey, has become more than one man can handle alone, and Zach prays for God to send him a wife with whom to build a life and share his dreams.



When McKenzie arrives at Zach's ranch, she immediately puts her plan in motion, searching for her sister and doing all she can to keep her new husband from forming an attachment. But his persistent kindness and significant self-sacrifices begin to change her heart-and ruin her plans. God has a way of working things out to the good of those who love Him, though, as McKenzie will soon see.



Readers, Penny is graciously offering a copy of "McKenzie" to one of you. Just leave a comment (with a way for me to contact you if you're the winner) to be entered in the drawing. (If you're reading this post on Facebook or GoodReads, you will need to visit http://WordVessel.blogspot.com to enter the drawing.) I'll announce the winner on Friday, November 12.

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: "McKenzie" by Penny Zeller

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:



Penny Zeller is the author of four books and numerous magazine articles. She writes the humor blog "A Day in the Life of a Wife, Mom, and Author" (www.pennyzeller.wordpress.com), is an active volunteer in her community, serving as a women's Bible study small-group leader and co-organizing a women's prayer group. Her passion is to use the gift of the written word to glorify God and to benefit His Kingdom. She devotes her time to assisting and nurturing women and children into a closer relationship with Christ. When she's not dreaming up new characters for books, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends and camping, hiking, canoeing, gardening, and playing volleyball. Penny's most recent book, McKenzie, was released in September 2010 by Whitaker House and is the first in the Montana Skies Series. Her second book, Kaydie, a touching book of trust and God's provision, is scheduled for release in April 2011.



ABOUT THE BOOK:



Desperate times call for desperate measures is the reasoning that prompts McKenzie Worthington, a young lady of Boston's high society, to respond to an ad for a mail-order bride for a man in the Montana Territory. McKenzie is desperate, after all, to save her beloved younger sister, Kaydie, from her evil, abusive husband, who robs banks for a living. And so, it is with reckless determination that McKenzie runs away from the comforts of home and hearth to head West and meet her new husband-whom she'll divorce, of course, after she rescues her sister.



Desperate times call for desperate measures is the reasoning that also prompts Zachary Sawyer, a rugged rancher after God's own heart, to post an ad for a mail-order bride in various newspapers across the country. Managing a ranch and caring for his adoptive son, Davey, has become more than one man can handle alone, and Zach prays for God to send him a wife with whom to build a life and share his dreams.



When McKenzie arrives at Zach's ranch, she immediately puts her plan in motion, searching for her sister and doing all she can to keep her new husband from forming an attachment. But his persistent kindness and significant self-sacrifices begin to change her heart-and ruin her plans. God has a way of working things out to the good of those who love Him, though, as McKenzie will soon see.

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: "Mail Order Cowboy" by Laurie Kingery (& Book Giveaway!)

About the Book:

With beaux scarce in post-Civil War Texas, practical Milly Matthews and her "Spinster Society" friends have their hands full protecting their ranches. Their only hope: advertising for mail-order grooms. But aristocratic British cavalry officer Nicholas Brookfield isn't exactly Milly's idea of a cowboy—or a man she can trust. And the more Nick proves himself as a ranch hand, the more he must hide his past from the woman he longs to make his own. Now Milly and Nick will need all their courage to face hidden dangers…and believe in a love that can answer all their prayers.



About the Author: 

Laurie Kingery is an Ohio author who writes for inspirational historicals for Steeple Hill. Her website is http://www.lauriekingery.com. Her next release from Steeple Hill is MAIL ORDER COWBOY mid-November 2010.



Readers, Laurie has graciously agreed to give one of you a copy of "Mail Order Cowboy."(US/Canada only) (Don't you just love that title?) Please leave a comment (with a way for me to contact you if you're the winner) to enter the drawing. (If you're reading this post on Facebook or GoodReads, you'll have to leave a comment at http://WordVessel.blogspot.com. to enter the drawing.) I'll announce the winner on Friday, November 12, 2010.

Weekly Winners & Updates

Whew! I'm still panting after our mad dash through cyber-space last night at the Facebook Book Launch Party for A Path Less Traveled. (I felt sorta like the man behind the curtain in the Wizard of Oz!) A big hearty thanks to everyone who turned out. We had 390 comments with all the chatter--390!!! I hope everyone had as much fun as I did! You can tune in at the Book Launch page at noon (CST) time to see who won the Kindle!



Also, I need to say a special words of thanks to my awesome hubby, Travis, who helped keep track of things throughout the night. Thanks, honey! I couldn't have done it without you!



At the writing of this post, I have 9000 words written of the first draft of book 3 in the Miller's Creek novels, The Way of Grace . I'm really liking this story so far, especially my two main characters (& the creepy guy we talked about at the party last night).



A posting about the launch party for A Path Less Traveled popped up over at Woven By Words blog. Thanks Mimi! =)



Now on to our winners!



The winner of A Daughter For Christmas by Margaret Daley is ... Molly!

The winner of The Kiss of Judas by Renee Allen McCoy is ... Nancye!



Congrats winners! I'll send you an e-mail later this weekend. Please reply with your mailing address so we can get your books to you! Thanks to all who participated, and a big thanks to Margaret and Renee!



Hope you all have a wonderful, blessed weekend!



Until Monday...

Urgent Message

Time is running out.



The world is like a giant ticking time bomb, and we've been entrusted with a message. A message of hope and life.



Like a suspense thriller, we must deliver the message before it's too late. Before the bomb reaches the moment of detonation.



Do you feel the urgency? I do.



Sometimes it wakes me up in the night. Sometimes it sends me face-down before the Father in tears. Sometimes it forces me into His Word for answers.



But the urgent message isn't just for the rest of the world. It's for us too.



Here are some verses for meditation:



"As long as it is day, we must do the work of Him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work." ~John 9:4 (NIV)



"Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling..." ~Philippians 2:12 (NIV)





"Why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord' and do not what I say?" ~Luke 6:46 (NIV)



"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from Me, you evildoers!'" ~Matthew 7:21-23 (NIV)





"Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves." ~2 Corinthians 13:5a (NIV)



"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." ~Matthew 7:13-14 (NIV)





"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me." ~Revelation 3:20 (NIV)



"You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked." ~Revelation 3:17 (NIV)



"Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved." ~Matthew 24:12-13 (NIV)





"See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily as long as it is called Today so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first." ~Hebrews 3:12-14 (NIV)



"The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" ~Jeremiah 17:9 (NIV)





"If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." ~2 Chronicles 7:14 (NIV)



"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--His good, pleasing and perfect will." ~Romans 12:1-2 (NIV)





Dear Father God,



We humble ourselves before You, and proclaim that You are "Holy, Holy, Holy." We confess, Father, that sometimes we're so much like the rest of the world that people can't tell that we belong to You. Lord, wake us up! Shake us up! Help us to immerse ourselves in Your Word, so that we might be better people and might be a stronger light for the Kingdom. Make us painfully aware of the urgency of our message and our mission. Remind us that time is running out--not just for the world, but for us, too. Help us to test ourselves, Father, to see if we're in the faith. It's so easy to miss the narrow path and end up on 'Broad'way with the rest of the world. Help us to find You--that narrow gate--and enter in. Father, I fall to my knees for this country and Your church. Lord, we've become so prosperous that we stuff You in our back pockets to pull out when we think we need You. May we repent of that, God. May we repent from being rich and healthy, and realize that we are poor, sick beggars sorely in need of Your grace. Lord, I pray for spiritual awakening in this land. Lord, none of us wants to become part of a persecuted church, but if that's what it takes to wake us up, then it's what I pray for. It's much better to endure hell on earth, than eternity in the fires of hell. Father, clean house in this government and country, until we once more become "one nation, under God." And then, Lord, help us to look to the fields ripe for harvest. And when You ask for harvesters, may our answer be, "Here I am, Lord; send me." May all we do, say, and think be pleasing to You.



In the precious and perfect and POWERFUL Name of Jesus,

Amen

Links---(And You DO NOT Want To Miss This Party!)

You writers out there WILL NOT believe this site mentioned on the ACFW e-mail loop. It's basically a blog thesaurus, but it covers such things as emotions, setting, colors-textures-shapes, symbolism



Here are some of the places I've been--or more accurately--my latest book, A Path Less Traveled , has been:



The first book review of A Path Less Traveled at OneDesertRose's blog is up at http://onedesertrose.wordpress.com/2010/10/26/a-path-less-traveled-by-cathy-bryant/ (She was one of my beta readers, so her review is over the unedited version of the book, but I greatly appreciate her help as a beta reader, and in taking the time to review the book. Thanks, sweet lady!)



The book trailer for A Path Less Traveled popped up at GodTube: www.godtube.com/watch/?v=7YZGKGNX



I'm over at Kathi "Easy Writer" Macias' blog for an interview and A Path Less Traveled giveaway: http://kathieasywritermacias.blogspot.com/2010/10/interview-with-author-cathy-bryant.html



Writing friend, Linnette Mullin, has graciously put up the book trailer to A Path Less Traveled at her website: http://www.linnettemullin.com/ (Check under the Author Buds tab, but she also has the news about the Book Launch Party up on her home page. What a gal!)



Speaking of the Facebook Book Launch Party, here are a few places where it showed up this week. I'm sure there are more, I just haven't seen them yet:

http://newsodrome.com/fiction_news/facebook-launch-party-for-a-path-less-traveled-nov-4-2010-21507341



http://newswritingworld.blogspot.com/2010/10/facebook-launch-party-for-path-less.html#comments



http://fredasvoice.blogspot.com/



And if you haven't heard the details of the party, you might want to check out the fun below. Please, please, PLEASE let your friends know. The more people--the more prizes--the more FUN! The Scavenger Hunt alone is worth the price of admission, which is basically...well...er...FREE! ;0)



Post about it on your blog, your FB page, give us a tweet, whatever! If you'd like you can steal the HTML code for the Launch Party in the sidebar of WordVessel.



Here's the latest scoop:



DATE: Thursday, November 4, 2010



TIME: 6-9 p.m. (Central time)



LOCATION: my Facebook author page, under the Notes tab (http://www.facebook.com/notes/cathy-bryant/book-launch-party-for-a-path-less-traveled/107574039308014)



GRAND PRIZE: a Kindle! Two ways to win (and you can do both to get your name in the bucket twice!):·        Show up to the party and leave a comment or question below.·        Post the cover for A PATH LESS TRAVELED on your Facebook wall with a link to this page or to my website (www.CatBryant.com), then e-mail me at catbry1 at yahoo dot com (put KINDLE CONTEST in the subject line) or send me a message on Facebook.·        All entries must be in by the end of the party (9 p.m. Central Time). I'll announce the winner on the Facebook page November 5th at noon, so check back to see if you won!

BOOK PRIZES:·        1 Autographed print copy of A PATH LESS TRAVELED for every 20 comments below (must be 20 different people; 40 different people=2 giveaways; 60=3 giveaways, etc.)·        1 eBook copy of A PATH LESS TRAVELED for every 20 comments below (must be 20 different people)·        1 eBook copy of TEXAS ROADS for every 20 comments below (must be 20 different people)·        In other words, every time we get 20 new comments from 20 new people, I draw three names from the bucket for each of the three prizes above. And don't worry if you don't have an eReader—you can always read the eBook on your computer or pass it on to a friend who has an eReader.

"HAPPY FALL, Y'ALL" GIFT BASKET (for the Scavenger Hunt winner—more details the night of the party):·        An autographed copy of both Miller's Creek novels, TEXAS ROADS and A PATH LESS TRAVELLED·        A CD of This Road Leads Home, a song Hubby wrote to go along with TEXAS ROADS·        A coffee mug & Starbucks gift cards for those cool fall nights·        A journal to record your thoughts while you sip your coffee·        A candle to make it all smell nice·        Notepads & a pen for jotting reminders and lists·        (I think we've covered all the senses at least once!)

BOX OF CHRISTIAN BOOKS GIVEAWAY (for all "Heart for Home" newsletter and WordVessel blog subscribers—16 books in all—enough to last you all winter and then some!)·        If you'd like to become a blog subscriber, and get devotionals, new Christian fiction updates, occasional book giveaways, author interviews, and my random thoughts on writing and life in general in your inbox, visit http://WordVessel.blogspot.com and check out the side bar for how to subscribe. (I usually post 4-5 times a week, depending on my writing schedule.)·        If you'd like to become a subscriber to my monthly newsletter, "Heart for Home" which features a monthly devotional and a book giveaway, you can find out more at www.CatBryant.com under the newsletter tab.

OTHER PRIZES: Every 15 minutes I'll be giving out a CD of a song Hubby wrote for TEXAS ROADS, called This Road Leads Home. You have to be present to win these, so if I mention your name as a CD winner, respond as soon as possible to let me know that you're here.

Here's the tentative time schedule for the night (All times Central Time Zone):·        6:00 p.m. - Kick-off the party with pointers, prizes, and a tentative time schedule (and hopefully some book giveaways!)·        6:15 p.m. – Happy Fall, Y'all chat (and hopefully some more book giveaways!)·        6:30 p.m. - "Meet the Characters of A PATH LESS TRAVELED" chat (and giveaways)·        6:45 p.m. - "The Story Behind the Story" chat (and giveaways)·        7:00 p.m. - "The Message Behind the Story" chat (and giveaways)·        7:15 p.m. - "The Miller's Creek Trip" chat (Yes, there really is a Miller Creek!) (and giveaways)·        7:30 p.m. - SCAVENGER HUNT! (more details later)(and giveaways)·        7:45 p.m. - "A PATH LESS TRAVELED Video" chat (and giveaways)·        8:00 p.m. - "NaNoWriMo—Huh? What's That?" chat (and giveaways)·        8:15 p.m. - "Trip Back to TEXAS ROADS" chat (and giveaways)·        8:30 p.m. - "What's Next in the Miller's Creek Novels" chat (and giveaways)·        8:45 p.m. - Scavenger Hunt ends; Last Q & A session of the night; announce "Happy Fall, Y'all" Gift Basket winner; announce Box of Christian Books winner; and hopefully even more book giveaway winners!!!)

See what I mean? Like I said--you DO NOT want to miss this party! (BTW, it's a come-and-go party or come-and-stay-as-long-as-you-like party or come-and-go-and-come-back-again party!) =>D



Hope to see you there!



P.S. Just wanted to let you know about a special "two-fer" deal I have going for the month of November-- just in time for Christmas! ;0) You can purchase both Texas Roads and A Path Less Traveled for $23. That includes sales tax and S & H charges. The regular price is $28 PLUS S & H--an $8 savings. If you (or someone you know) would like to take advantage of this special, you can send your check or money-order to Cathy Bryant; PO Box 971; New Boston, TX 75570. Please put "two-fer" on the envelope or check memo line so I won't miss it, and don't forget to include a return address of where you want the books shipped.

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: "A Daughter For Christmas" by Margaret Daley " (& Book Giveaway!)

ABOUT THE BOOK, A Daughter for Christmas:





Dr. Max Connors had no idea he'd fathered a child thirteen years ago. Or that his baby girl had been given up for adoption. He locates his daughter in a small Oklahoma town and moves there, hoping to become a part of her life. But when he meets her widowed mother, Max is unsure how to reveal his identity. As he helps Rachel Howard with her plans to home-school the girl, he's welcomed into the family. But with the holidays approaching, Max must tell Rachel who he really is. Can he make his dreams of family come true by Christmas?



Hero Interview from A Daughter for Christmas by Margaret Daley:



1.  Dr. Max Connors, tell me the most interesting thing about you.

 I have a chance to be a father to a thirteen year old daughter I never knew I had. I'm excited and afraid at the same time.

2.  What do you do for fun?

Read--mostly non fiction books about history and biographies.

3.  What do you put off doing because you dread it?

Telling Rachel Howard her adopted daughter is my child--a child my ex-wife never told me she had when I was serving in the Middle East. I'm not looking forward to that, but I want to be a part of my daughter's life.

4.  What are you afraid of most in life?

Not knowing how to be a good dad for Taylor. Suddenly I've got a teenage daughter and I didn't have the years before to get to know her and establish a relationship with her.

5.  What do you want out of life?

Peace. As a doctor serving in the military in the Middle East, I've seen too much death.

6.  What is the most important thing to you?

Getting to know my daughter.

7.  Do you read books? If so, what is your favorite type of book?

Non-fiction about history and biographies.

8.  If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

Since my ex-wife left me when I was overseas in the military, I've become very cautious of letting myself get too close to another.

9.  Do you have a pet? If so, what is it and why that pet?

No. I didn't think it was fair to have one when I worked long hours in New York City at the hospital.

10. If you could travel back in time, where would you go and why?

That's hard for me to answer. There are so many historical periods I find fascinating. But I suppose if I had to pick it would be during the time when the United States became a new country. What an exciting time for us. Our founding fathers had such a vision. I would have liked to have been there and given them my two cents, especially in light of what is happening today.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Margaret Daley is an award winning, multi-published author in the romance genre. One of her romantic suspense books, Hearts on the Line, won the American Christian Fiction Writers' Book of the Year Contest. Recently she has won the Golden Quill Contest, FHL's Inspirational Readers' Choice Contest, Winter Rose Contest, Holt Medallion and the Barclay Gold Contest. She wrote for various secular publishers before the Lord led her to the Christian romance market. She currently writes inspirational romance and romantic suspense books for the Steeple Hill Love Inspired lines, romantic suspense for Abingdon Press and historical romance for Summerside Press. She has sold seventy-five books to date.



Margaret is currently the Volunteer Officer for ACFW. She was one of the founding members of the first ACFW local chapter, WIN in Oklahoma. She served as vice-president for two years in WIN-ACFW and is still on its board as an advisor. She has taught numerous classes for online groups, ACFW and RWA chapters. She enjoys mentoring other authors.



Until she retired a few years ago, she was a teacher of students with special needs for twenty-seven years and volunteered with Special Olympics as a coach. She currently is on the Outreach committee at her church, working on several projects in her community.



You can visit her web site at http://www.margaretdaley.com and read excerpts from her books and learn about the ones recently released and soon to be released.



Readers, Margaret is graciously offering one of you a copy of "A Daughter For Christmas." Leave a comment (with a way for me to contact you if your name is drawn) to enter the giveaway. The winner will be announced on Friday, November 5. (NOTE: If you're reading this post on Facebook or GoodReads, you will have to visit http://WordVessel.blogspot.com to enter the drawing.)  

Need Peace?

"You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in You." ~Isaiah 26:3 (NIV)



If you want peace, keep your mind on God and your trust in God. The KJV says "mind is stayed on You." When we keep our mind on our problems, we won't have peace. But when we focus our trust on God in spite of those problems, we have peace.



"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." ~Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)



One way to express our trust in God is by spending time with Him in prayer. The result is God's peace, which is more than just absence of strife and conflict. The Hebrew word, shalom, means complete well-being. I can only speak for myself, but that's the kind of peace I need and desire. An added benefit is that His peace will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.



"Great peace have they who love Your law, and nothing can make them stumble." ~Psalm 119:165 (NIV)



Spending time in God's Word and developing a love for it brings peace. When we hide His Word in our hearts, our feet are protected from stumbling. All the more reason to bury our heads in the Book, to eat the Bread, to partake of the Living Water of the the Word.



"Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife." ~Proverbs 17:1 (NIV)



This may seem like an odd verse to insert in this passage, but as I studied for this devotional this verse popped out at me. Our lives are crazy busy, and some of it is our own fault. We put far too much emphasis on making a living than on actually living. I'd much rather have a measly crust of dry bread with peace than a lavish banquet purchased with stress and strife.



"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand." ~Romans 5:1-2a (NIV)



True peace can only be found through Jesus Christ. If you haven't put your faith in Him, then I encourage you to find the red "Ready" button in the sidebar of this blog (http://WordVessel.blogspot.com) and learn about how to follow Him into perfect peace. If you have any questions or comments, I'd be happy to speak with you. You'll find my e-mail address in the sidebar as well.



Know Christ--know peace. No Christ--no peace. It may sound trite, but it's the truth.



"Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you." ~2 Thessalonians 3:16 (NIV)



Dear God of peace,



Thank You for making a way into perfect peace and well-being through Your Son, Jesus. Father, You've lavished us with so much grace that we're wading in it. Father, I say a special prayer today for those who don't know Your peace, that they will seek You and turn their lives over to You. I also pray that You'll make us aware of times that we're striving and stressing over things and stuff that can never satisfy. Help us to put our trust in You, to keep our minds stayed on You, to turn all our anxieties over to You in prayer, and keep ourselves immersed in Your Word.



In Jesus' name,

Amen