K. Dawn Byrd's Blog, page 33

Register to win a $25 Amazon gift card and a download of Amazing Love

I'm pleased to announce that Amazing Love is now available in print and eformat! Leave a comment for your chance to win a download of Amazing Love and a $25 Amazon gift card.

Amazing Love, the modern-day story of Hosea and Gomer from the Bible, speaks of God's unconditional love, mercy, and grace and how much loving someone that much can cost.
Gabe Knight, a pastor in a small coastal town, finds his life is turned upside down when Dee Dillow arrives and hires him to remodel an estate she's inherited from her aunt. Dee dashes his plans for wedded bless when on a drunken binge, she divulges that she's the highest paid call girl in Nevada and part-owner of the ritziest brothel in the state.

Gabe falls in love with her, but can't believe he's hearing the voice of God when a still, small voice tells him to marry her. After much questioning, they marry and he is deliriously happy. Until, Dee betrays him.

Gabe soon discovers just how hard it is to have the unconditional love God calls him to have for his wife, the kind of love God has for his children. When faced with losing her, Gabe realizes what true love is, how much it hurts, and just how much God loves and is willing to sacrifice for his children.




Excerpt from my prologue:
Dee signed the letter with a flourish and then read it aloud.

Maggie:
For the longest time, I blamed myself. There must be something terribly wrong with me, something so bad that even a mother couldn't love me. After years of therapy, I've learned that it's not me, it's you, Maggie. You're not capable of loving anyone. That's a terrible thing to say about a mother, but it's true.

Even here at Carpe Diem, I've continued therapy via technology. Today was a hard day because it's my birthday. As was expected, I never heard from you. Like my therapist said, it's not my fault you didn't call. It's a choice you made, Maggie, like so many other bad choices.

I used to dwell often on the things you allowed to happen to me. You had to have known that John was visiting my room almost nightly. You chose to ignore it even though he was your husband. And then, he sold me to his wealthy friends and you stood back and allowed it to happen. Whoever had the most money. That wasn't the life I would have chosen if given a choice. Even now, I long for a life of normalcy. A husband, a couple of children, and a picket fence is just a dream.

There are times I hate you, but I realize you have demons of your own. Something has happened to you to cause you to be so selfish and full of anger. That's why I try to overlook your hostility and lack of love toward me. You need a good therapist.

My therapist recommends that I write letters to you when I'm angry. It helps. This is letter 642. I've kept them all. You'll probably never read them, but they're not really for you. They're for me.

Your daughter, Dee




Amazing Love will be available soon at B&N, CBD, and other outlets. This book is available in both print and eformats.

Deanna Klingel's "Crack in the Ice"

Title: Cracks in the Ice
Publisher: Write Integrity, October 2012

Cover blurb:
Gina, niece of a mafia don, has dreams of Olympic gold as a figure skater. When crisis destroys her dream she is ill-equipped to cope. She spirals into depression and alcoholism. Two people who love her are able to show her God still loves her and help to restore her identity. She returns to the faith of her childhood and discovers a different kind of victory.

1) How did this story come to you?
Truthfully? I have no idea!

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
This book was easy to write once I researched the history and facts I needed to know. Write Integrity had just announced they were open to receiving YA novels, especially those that crossed over to women’s fiction, so I submitted to them. The editor loved the story, offered a contract and quickly took it to press. The proofreaders say it’s their best one yet! I’m honored and excited to begin selling the book.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
I’ve been married for fifty years, for one. For two, I’ve been married for fifty years to the same man, and for three, I’m happy as a clam and yes I would do it all over again.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I’ve got three finished manuscripts I hope to find homes for in the next year, I’ve just started writing another historical fiction for YA, and I’ve got a couple of ideas for the future. I’ve got enough ideas to last for the rest of my life!

5) Parting comments?
I love to read and write and love to share my enthusiasm with young readers at schools. Call me if you’d like a school visit.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
My website is www.BooksByDeanna.com. The last page is my schedule, so you can see when I’m in your area and could visit at your school. I blog as a guest a couple times a month, and those can be found by searching my name. I’m also on facebook, linked in, and Pinterest.

Register to win Deanna Klingel's "Crack in the Ice"

We have two giveaways this week. Please scroll down and leave each author a comment for your chance to win. Thanks!

We're happy to have Deanna Klingel with us today talking about her book, "Cracks in the Ice." To register to win a copy, leave Deanna a comment with your email address and if you've not done so, place your email address in my feedburner box to the right to receive weekly emails about giveaways. To learn more about Deannaa and her book, read on!

Title: Cracks in the Ice
Publisher: Write Integrity, October 2012

Cover blurb:
Gina, niece of a mafia don, has dreams of Olympic gold as a figure skater. When crisis destroys her dream she is ill-equipped to cope. She spirals into depression and alcoholism. Two people who love her are able to show her God still loves her and help to restore her identity. She returns to the faith of her childhood and discovers a different kind of victory.

1) How did this story come to you?
Truthfully? I have no idea!

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
This book was easy to write once I researched the history and facts I needed to know. Write Integrity had just announced they were open to receiving YA novels, especially those that crossed over to women’s fiction, so I submitted to them. The editor loved the story, offered a contract and quickly took it to press. The proofreaders say it’s their best one yet! I’m honored and excited to begin selling the book.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
I’ve been married for fifty years, for one. For two, I’ve been married for fifty years to the same man, and for three, I’m happy as a clam and yes I would do it all over again.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I’ve got three finished manuscripts I hope to find homes for in the next year, I’ve just started writing another historical fiction for YA, and I’ve got a couple of ideas for the future. I’ve got enough ideas to last for the rest of my life!

5) Parting comments?
I love to read and write and love to share my enthusiasm with young readers at schools. Call me if you’d like a school visit.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
My website is www.BooksByDeanna.com. The last page is my schedule, so you can see when I’m in your area and could visit at your school. I blog as a guest a couple times a month, and those can be found by searching my name. I’m also on facebook, linked in, and Pinterest.

Chana Keefer's "The Fall"

We have two giveaways this week. Please scroll down and leave each Title: THE FALL (Rapha Chronicles #1)
Cover blurb: This story has been told—but never like this.

No, Rapha would not strike with physical force this day. But he could not resist goading his enemy just once. Looking up, he fixed the peace of Adonai on Lucifer like a laser, held that malicious gaze for one eternal second—and smiled. A flicker of uncertainty stirred in Lucifer’s eyes.

Rapha opened a single thought to Lucifer as he disappeared with the creature still cradled to his breast:

“You always did hate secrets.”

Rapha, a powerful angel, had seen it all in his countless years of service. At least he thought he had. Then he met Adam.

Lucifer had it all, Adonai’s favor, Rapha’s friendship and unrivalled power throughout creation. But he wanted more.

1) How did this story come to you?
THE FALL was completely spurred on through prayer. I had been praying every morning for at least an hour for three years. It was during a morning prayer time in 2007 that God spoke to my heart, “What do you want?”

After bawling a while and being completely overwhelmed, I realized some of my “beliefs” about God didn’t fit with the fathomless love He was pouring out. I asked a question—and He answered. From there, it was as if I had grasped the tail of a comet. For about 40 days I would wake with a thought, statement or picture in my head. I would take it to prayer then write about that day’s revelation. When my hubby and another author friend saw the 250 pages of notes from that time they both said, “This needs to be a novel.”

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
As C.S. Lewis points out in The Chronicles of Narnia, God is not a tame lion. THE FALL was edgy, a bit shocking and didn’t fit into the careful parameters of most Christian publishers. On the other hand, there was way too much Bible in it for the taste of most secular publishers. I had kind of written myself into no-man’s land, especially as a debut author. I found a self-publishing company whose books reflected keen attention to detail since the person over the publishing process had worked for Simon & Schuster. We decided to work with this company since half of what they offered involved marketing and distribution. THE FALL ended up being excellent in quality and beautiful to boot—but much of what happened after publishing with that company has been a fiasco. Another huge growth curve.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
When I was eighteen, I went to an Engelbert Humperdinck concert with my parents. When I asked if we would get to meet the singer, a guy took me backstage. They thought I was some kind of groupie. Uh. No.

In my early twenties, I helped to smuggle Christian literature into a Communist country.

Also in my early twenties, I was a guest star on “Dallas.” J.R, Sue Ellen, South Fork—the whole nine yards. My twenty seconds of fame.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I’m working to bring my firstborn novel, “One Night With a Rock Star,” to Kindle very soon. Rock Star was the novel I cut my teeth on, so to speak, and I’ve worked on it off-and-on for the past seven years so it’s kinda hard to allow it to leave the nest. After that, I can’t wait to immerse myself in the sequel to THE FALL. At this point, I project three more titles in the Rapha Chronicles series. This next title will deal with Noah and Sodom and Gomorrah.

5) Parting comments?
I can’t recommend highly enough the practice of spending the first hour of every day on your knees before God. You don’t need a PhD and you don’t have to “be good enough” or receive special training to pray. We go to our Heavenly Father, climb up into His lap, and listen to His heartbeat. We simply come to Him as a little child.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
www.chanakeefer.com
FB: The Rapha Chronicles
Twitter: @chanakeefer

Register to win Chana Keefer's "The Fall"

We have two giveaways this week. Please scroll down and leave each author a comment for your chance to win. Thanks!

We're happy to have Chana Keefer with us today talking about her book, "The Fall." To register to win a copy, leave Chana a comment with your email address and if you've not done so, place your email address in my feedburner box to the right to receive weekly emails about giveaways. To learn more about Chana and her book, read on!

Title: THE FALL (Rapha Chronicles #1)
Cover blurb: This story has been told—but never like this.

No, Rapha would not strike with physical force this day. But he could not resist goading his enemy just once. Looking up, he fixed the peace of Adonai on Lucifer like a laser, held that malicious gaze for one eternal second—and smiled. A flicker of uncertainty stirred in Lucifer’s eyes.

Rapha opened a single thought to Lucifer as he disappeared with the creature still cradled to his breast:

“You always did hate secrets.”

Rapha, a powerful angel, had seen it all in his countless years of service. At least he thought he had. Then he met Adam.

Lucifer had it all, Adonai’s favor, Rapha’s friendship and unrivalled power throughout creation. But he wanted more.

1) How did this story come to you?
THE FALL was completely spurred on through prayer. I had been praying every morning for at least an hour for three years. It was during a morning prayer time in 2007 that God spoke to my heart, “What do you want?”

After bawling a while and being completely overwhelmed, I realized some of my “beliefs” about God didn’t fit with the fathomless love He was pouring out. I asked a question—and He answered. From there, it was as if I had grasped the tail of a comet. For about 40 days I would wake with a thought, statement or picture in my head. I would take it to prayer then write about that day’s revelation. When my hubby and another author friend saw the 250 pages of notes from that time they both said, “This needs to be a novel.”

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
As C.S. Lewis points out in The Chronicles of Narnia, God is not a tame lion. THE FALL was edgy, a bit shocking and didn’t fit into the careful parameters of most Christian publishers. On the other hand, there was way too much Bible in it for the taste of most secular publishers. I had kind of written myself into no-man’s land, especially as a debut author. I found a self-publishing company whose books reflected keen attention to detail since the person over the publishing process had worked for Simon & Schuster. We decided to work with this company since half of what they offered involved marketing and distribution. THE FALL ended up being excellent in quality and beautiful to boot—but much of what happened after publishing with that company has been a fiasco. Another huge growth curve.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
When I was eighteen, I went to an Engelbert Humperdinck concert with my parents. When I asked if we would get to meet the singer, a guy took me backstage. They thought I was some kind of groupie. Uh. No.

In my early twenties, I helped to smuggle Christian literature into a Communist country.

Also in my early twenties, I was a guest star on “Dallas.” J.R, Sue Ellen, South Fork—the whole nine yards. My twenty seconds of fame.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I’m working to bring my firstborn novel, “One Night With a Rock Star,” to Kindle very soon. Rock Star was the novel I cut my teeth on, so to speak, and I’ve worked on it off-and-on for the past seven years so it’s kinda hard to allow it to leave the nest. After that, I can’t wait to immerse myself in the sequel to THE FALL. At this point, I project three more titles in the Rapha Chronicles series. This next title will deal with Noah and Sodom and Gomorrah.

5) Parting comments?
I can’t recommend highly enough the practice of spending the first hour of every day on your knees before God. You don’t need a PhD and you don’t have to “be good enough” or receive special training to pray. We go to our Heavenly Father, climb up into His lap, and listen to His heartbeat. We simply come to Him as a little child.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
www.chanakeefer.com
FB: The Rapha Chronicles
Twitter: @chanakeefer

Beth Vogt's "Wish You Were Here"

Title: Wish You Were Here
Publisher: Howard Books (May 2012)

Cover blurb: Kissing the wrong guy days before her scheduled wedding leads Allison to become a runaway bride. But can it also lead to happily ever after?

Allison Denman is supposed to get married in five days, but everything is all wrong. The huge wedding. The frothy dress. And the groom.

Still, kissing the groom’s brother, Daniel, in an unguarded moment is decidedly not the right thing to do. How could she have made such a mistake? It seems Allison’s life is nothing but mistakes at this point.

Daniel’s adventures—chronicled through a collection of postcards—have always appealed to Allison’s well-hidden desire for something more. But how can betraying her fiancé’s trust lead to a true happily ever after?

Can Allison find her way out of this mess? Recognizing she doesn’t have all the answers won’t be easy because she’s used to being in control. To find her way again, she will have to believe that God has a plan for her—one outside her carefully defined comfort zone—and find the strength to let Him lead.

1) How did this story come to you?
At first, all I had was one scene: an unknown woman standing at the back of a church, waiting to walk down the aisle to be married. Then I realized she was saying, “I do. I can’t. I must.” And that her attention was focused not on the groom, but on the best man. I had to figure out how she got here – to the brink of marrying the wrong man – and if she was going to go through with it. Of course, if she went through with the wedding, all I had was a short story.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
Wish You Were Here was written because God took a season of burnout in my life and turned it into a bend in the writing road. He moved me from the nonfiction side of the writing road over to the “Dark Side” of writing fiction. I had a lot to learn – and I learned all about writing a novel during the three years I wrote and rewrote Wish You Were Here.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
1.) I said I would never write fiction. It’s one of the many things I’ve said I’d never do that God clearly showed me was part of my life journey. I now believe God’s best is often behind the door marked “Never.” 2.) I’m a gluten-free gal.
3.) I met my husband in a karate studio when he knocked me down … I mean, when he swept me off my feet.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I am in the final editing stage for my second novel, Catch a Falling Star. It’s also a contemporary romance set in Colorado and tackles the question: What do you do when life doesn’t go according to plan? Do you keep pushing Plan A? Do you pull Plan B out of your back pocket? Or do you settle? Next? More novels.

5) Parting comments?
Take a closer look at the doors you’ve marked “Never.” That just may be where you’re headed next.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
Website: bethvogt.com (http://bethvogt.com)
My blog, In Others’ Words, is embedded in my website. It’s all about quotes.
Twitter: bethvogt

Register to win Beth Vogt's "Wish You Were Here"

We're happy to have Beth Vogt with us today talking about her book, "Wish You Were Here." To register to win a copy, leave Beth a comment with your email address and if you've not done so, place your email address in my feedburner box to the right to receive weekly emails about giveaways. To learn more about Beth and her book, read on!

Title: Wish You Were Here
Publisher: Howard Books (May 2012)

Cover blurb: Kissing the wrong guy days before her scheduled wedding leads Allison to become a runaway bride. But can it also lead to happily ever after?

Allison Denman is supposed to get married in five days, but everything is all wrong. The huge wedding. The frothy dress. And the groom.

Still, kissing the groom’s brother, Daniel, in an unguarded moment is decidedly not the right thing to do. How could she have made such a mistake? It seems Allison’s life is nothing but mistakes at this point.

Daniel’s adventures—chronicled through a collection of postcards—have always appealed to Allison’s well-hidden desire for something more. But how can betraying her fiancé’s trust lead to a true happily ever after?

Can Allison find her way out of this mess? Recognizing she doesn’t have all the answers won’t be easy because she’s used to being in control. To find her way again, she will have to believe that God has a plan for her—one outside her carefully defined comfort zone—and find the strength to let Him lead.

1) How did this story come to you?
At first, all I had was one scene: an unknown woman standing at the back of a church, waiting to walk down the aisle to be married. Then I realized she was saying, “I do. I can’t. I must.” And that her attention was focused not on the groom, but on the best man. I had to figure out how she got here – to the brink of marrying the wrong man – and if she was going to go through with it. Of course, if she went through with the wedding, all I had was a short story.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
Wish You Were Here was written because God took a season of burnout in my life and turned it into a bend in the writing road. He moved me from the nonfiction side of the writing road over to the “Dark Side” of writing fiction. I had a lot to learn – and I learned all about writing a novel during the three years I wrote and rewrote Wish You Were Here.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
1.) I said I would never write fiction. It’s one of the many things I’ve said I’d never do that God clearly showed me was part of my life journey. I now believe God’s best is often behind the door marked “Never.” 2.) I’m a gluten-free gal.
3.) I met my husband in a karate studio when he knocked me down … I mean, when he swept me off my feet.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I am in the final editing stage for my second novel, Catch a Falling Star. It’s also a contemporary romance set in Colorado and tackles the question: What do you do when life doesn’t go according to plan? Do you keep pushing Plan A? Do you pull Plan B out of your back pocket? Or do you settle? Next? More novels.

5) Parting comments?
Take a closer look at the doors you’ve marked “Never.” That just may be where you’re headed next.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
Website: bethvogt.com (http://bethvogt.com)
My blog, In Others’ Words, is embedded in my website. It’s all about quotes.
Twitter: bethvogt

Diane Craver's "A Joyful Break"

Title: A Joyful Break (Dreams of Plain Daughters, Book One)

Cover blurb: After her mother’s untimely death, a twenty-year-old Amish
woman has a difficult decision to make: Choose to break from the Plain community and her boyfriend...or live in the English world permanently.

Rachel Hershberger wants to get away from her Amish home in Fields Corner, Ohio. For a year she’s been trying to fill her mother’s shoes by taking care of her father and siblings. She quit her job at the bakery so she could have more time to clean and cook at home. Before her mother died, Rachel was positive she wanted to marry Samuel Weaver, but now she can’t think about wedding plans. She blames her father for her mother’s death. If they had installed a phone in their barn or a shanty, her mother might have received medical help in time to save her life. Her mother’s death has made Rachel question if she should be baptized and join the church. She wonders if non-Amish women live longer and have less stress. Maybe her forty-four-year old mother would still be alive had she left the Amish lifestyle like her sister Carrie did.

When her Aunt Carrie invites her to go to the beach, Rachel decides the time away will help her to decide whether to join the Amish church or to live in the English world instead. She is conflicted because she loves Samuel and her family. Instead of a relaxing time away, disturbing events happen while Rachel’s in Florida. A photographer snaps troublesome pictures of Rachel because of her famous senator uncle, and a handsome and charming college student falls in love with her.

1) How did this story come to you?
My inspiration for this story came from my mother. Her grandfather was a Mennonite minister, and she shared stories about his faith. Even though, she wasn’t raised in the Mennonite or Amish faith, some of her values were similar to a simpler way of life.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
I did extensive research to portray this wonderful faith as accurately as possible. I didn’t start writing A Joyful Break until I visited an Amish community and felt like I had absorbed enough information about this faith.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
I’d love to learn how to play the drums and be in a band. (I don’t see this happening but girl can dream. LOL) My husband and I have lived in three different houses on the same street. I have six children with four delivered without any medication. No, I didn’t have short labors. The fourth and sixth babies were born by C-sections.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I’m working on the next story in my Amish series. It’s mainly about Rachel’s friend,vKatie Weaver. Also Rachel’s father becomes interested in Sarah, the co-owner of the yarn shop in Fields Corner.

5) Parting comments?
Thank you for having me on your fantastic blog. Readers, if you haven’t read any of my books, I hope you do! I’m published through a variety of houses, including Whimsical Publications, Samhain Publishing, Victory Tales Press, and Publishing by Rebecca. I’m looking forward to meeting your blog visitors. A JOYFUL BREAK is available in paperback and electronic formats.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
Website: http://www.dianecraver.com
Blog: http://www.dianecraver.com/blog
I belong to this wonderful group of talented authors, Jewels of the Quill. Here is their link: http://www.angelfire.com/stars4/kswiesner/jewelsofthequill.html
Facebook: www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Diane-Craver/153906208887

Register to win an E copy of Diane Craver's "A Joyful Break"

We're happy to have Diane Craver with us today talking about her book, "A Joyful Break." To register to win a copy, leave Diane a comment with your email address and if you've not done so, place your email address in my feedburner box to the right to receive weekly emails about giveaways. To learn more about Diane and her book, read on!

Title: A Joyful Break (Dreams of Plain Daughters, Book One)

Cover blurb: After her mother’s untimely death, a twenty-year-old Amish
woman has a difficult decision to make: Choose to break from the Plain community and her boyfriend...or live in the English world permanently.

Rachel Hershberger wants to get away from her Amish home in Fields Corner, Ohio. For a year she’s been trying to fill her mother’s shoes by taking care of her father and siblings. She quit her job at the bakery so she could have more time to clean and cook at home. Before her mother died, Rachel was positive she wanted to marry Samuel Weaver, but now she can’t think about wedding plans. She blames her father for her mother’s death. If they had installed a phone in their barn or a shanty, her mother might have received medical help in time to save her life. Her mother’s death has made Rachel question if she should be baptized and join the church. She wonders if non-Amish women live longer and have less stress. Maybe her forty-four-year old mother would still be alive had she left the Amish lifestyle like her sister Carrie did.

When her Aunt Carrie invites her to go to the beach, Rachel decides the time away will help her to decide whether to join the Amish church or to live in the English world instead. She is conflicted because she loves Samuel and her family. Instead of a relaxing time away, disturbing events happen while Rachel’s in Florida. A photographer snaps troublesome pictures of Rachel because of her famous senator uncle, and a handsome and charming college student falls in love with her.

1) How did this story come to you?
My inspiration for this story came from my mother. Her grandfather was a Mennonite minister, and she shared stories about his faith. Even though, she wasn’t raised in the Mennonite or Amish faith, some of her values were similar to a simpler way of life.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
I did extensive research to portray this wonderful faith as accurately as possible. I didn’t start writing A Joyful Break until I visited an Amish community and felt like I had absorbed enough information about this faith.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
I’d love to learn how to play the drums and be in a band. (I don’t see this happening but girl can dream. LOL) My husband and I have lived in three different houses on the same street. I have six children with four delivered without any medication. No, I didn’t have short labors. The fourth and sixth babies were born by C-sections.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I’m working on the next story in my Amish series. It’s mainly about Rachel’s friend,vKatie Weaver. Also Rachel’s father becomes interested in Sarah, the co-owner of the yarn shop in Fields Corner.

5) Parting comments?
Thank you for having me on your fantastic blog. Readers, if you haven’t read any of my books, I hope you do! I’m published through a variety of houses, including Whimsical Publications, Samhain Publishing, Victory Tales Press, and Publishing by Rebecca. I’m looking forward to meeting your blog visitors. A JOYFUL BREAK is available in paperback and electronic formats.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
Website: http://www.dianecraver.com
Blog: http://www.dianecraver.com/blog
I belong to this wonderful group of talented authors, Jewels of the Quill. Here is their link: http://www.angelfire.com/stars4/kswiesner/jewelsofthequill.html
Facebook: www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Diane-Craver/153906208887

Cathy Bryant's "The Way of Grace"

The Vastness and Costliness of Grace

By Cathy Bryant, ©2012

Grace. Can you wrap your brain around such a simple, yet amazingly vast, subject? And even more importantly, can you fathom the motive behind it, which is pure, unadulterated love?

I have to confess that they both stymie me.

Grace sees the foolish, the weak, the unlovely, and reaches out to help, to deliver, and to save. Grace doesn’t turn away when confronted with betrayal, hatred, and opposition. Instead it prays: “Forgive them. They don’t know what they’re doing.” Grace isn’t a drop or two here and a cupful there. It’s an ocean, so wide and so deep the finite human mind can’t fully comprehend its reach. It has no boundaries.

God’s grace is enough to wade in, to splash around in. Every second of every minute of every hour we’re immersed in it. 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, emphasis added)

Since grace and mercy are often used in the same phrase, for a long time I believed they were the same. Only as an adult (and a…ahem, “mature” adult) did I truly come to understand the difference. Mercy is not getting what I deserve—that traffic ticket when I sped through a stop sign, that death sentence for my sin. On the other hand, grace is receiving more than I can ever deserve and more than I’ll ever be able to repay—forgiveness, communion with the Almighty Creator of all that is, the assurance of heaven and home in spite of…well, me.

See what I mean? The more you try to plumb its depths and measure its width, the bigger grace grows. Even in the midst of the most heinous sin known to mankind, grace bursts forth, all-encompassing. As usual, God’s Word says it best: The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. ~Romans 5:20-21 (NIV, emphasis added)

I can only speak for myself, but the sheer vastness of God’s amazing grace moves me. It makes my heart swell with joy and gratitude. It removes barriers between me and those unlike me. It compels me to share God’s goodness with a world that could often care less.

And that thought brings me to another point I never fully considered until recently: grace is costly. As followers of Christ and ambassadors of His grace, we should be aware that our attempts to exhibit grace will often be met with the same suffering and opposition Jesus faced. Not everyone will appreciate our efforts. Some will betray us. Others will loudly denounce us. But still we must prevail in our efforts to make Him and His grace known. Following the leader calls for endurance, even to the point of costly grace—the same grace Jesus showed us on the cross.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. ~Ephesians 2:4-9

Cathy is the author of the Miller’s Creek Novels—Texas Roads, A Path Less Traveled, and The Way of Grace. Her desire is to write heart-stirring stories about God’s life-changing grace. Though Texas-born, she currently resides in the beautiful Ozark mountains of northwest Arkansas with her husband of thirty years and near the world’s cutest grandson. You can learn more about her and her books at http://www.CatBryant.com  and http://WordVessel.blogspot.com.

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