Amanda Stephan's Blog: God is Good, God is Great, page 47

I've Been Robbed

The other day, I was surfing the internet, and found an interesting article about the pirating of eBooks. Being an author, this interested me, so I checked it out.













And got nervous.



Then I went and did some more poking around some sites that were less than reputable, and I got mad.



Because my book was on there. And had been downloaded. Over 400,000 times. I even found what date these files were uploaded to these sites. June 20, 2012. That's a whole heck of a lot of downloads, isn't it? Too bad I can't claim those the next time I speak to an agent. Or editor. I just don't think it would be too good to say...





"Yes ma'am! I've had almost 500,000 copies stolen from me!"



(Not like stealing my dreams right from under me, right? Thanks, pirates. I appreciate it.)



I went back to these sites this morning, (I took screen shots so I could find them again. Life called me away from the computer so I couldn't get to it right then), and low and behold, guess what's different? Yep. You guessed it. I can't find those same sites now.



What to do, what to do...



I could sit here and ring my hands together, crying out to God to protect my precious books. I mean, hey. We're a single income family that has struggles just like anyone else. I make my own laundry soap and cleaning supplies to help save money, for crying out loud! I cook from scratch, (it's cheaper and much more healthy) and I shop at all the bargain shops like Goodwill (lovingly called The Boutique). I even make my daughter and my dresses for church. (The only reason I don't sew for our son is, well, frankly, there's just not much in the boy pattern department.)



I know there are always going to be dishonest people. I know people are going to steal my things. Things I worked hard to accomplish. Things I labored, prayed, and agonized over. This is a part of our world today. Unfortunate as it is.



So this is what I *Choose* to do.



- I will pray that each of these books will touch hearts for Christ.

- I will pray that God will use each of these for His honor and glory. Because it's His anyway.

- I will pray for the right heart attitude.

- I will continue to write for Him.

- and I will form a massive man-hunt for every one of those people who stole from me and infect their computers with pukey green jello...



See, every book I've written has the plan of salvation in it. And according to the Bible, God's Word won't return void. So guess what? I've just become a missionary and I didn't have to leave my home to accomplish it.



I don't do this because I'm a super, Holier-than-thou Christian. Um, absolutely not! If you know me, you know pretty well that I'm a mess-up. I get angry. I get frustrated. I get downright evil.



But I know something else...



I'm. Not. Perfect.



Just forgiven

And I choose to forgive those that have wronged me. Because the King of kings once forgave this pitiful, wretched sinner.



*Note to my beautiful friends and readers: If you find a site where you can download one of my books for free, email me at: kjv1611as at gmail dot com, send me the link and I will enter your name into a monthly $50 Amazon.com giftcard drawing. No questions asked, and no expiration date!*



Want to see what they've stolen? Check Here and Here

Understand why they were stolen now? I mean, $2.99 is a pretty steep price for a full-length, best-selling novel. (Please excuse my cynicism)




Lonely Hearts ~ a sweet Christian Romance
The Price of Trust ~ Christian Romantic Suspense
http://www.booksbyamanda.com

Our Summer Cooking Update...

Howdy ho friends. Summer is well under way and we have been as busy as bees in an orange grove full of sweet white blossoms; how about you? As I mentioned in an earlier post about how-to books, Emily and I have started baking. Our first lesson was a lesson in making home-made brownies, and I thought you would enjoy a photo tour of her first attempt. I must admit she was an apt student, listening to my helpful hints and reading the directions out loud. This child of mine might just grow up to be the next Martha Stewart, Paula Dean, or Rachael Ray; or maybe she will just write about food like I do. Whatever the case, at least she will know how to feed herself and will have fun doing it.









Getting Started!









Mixing Wet and Dry Ingredients.









Using An Electric Mixer.

 






They're In The Oven. 








                   They're Done.                








I Will Let Them Cool.









The Finished Product!







And just in case you want to have a lesson in baking brownies with your jr. chef and you need a great recipe, be sure to drop by my site Fun With Aileen and check out the brownie recipe of choice at our house.






So ends another episode of Kids Korner with me, Children's Author Aileen Stewart. Join me next week for another exciting episode same krazy time, same krazy channel. And feel free to drop by my personal blog Aileen's Thoughts any day of the week for even more on reading, writing, and life in general.Lonely Hearts ~ a sweet Christian Romance
The Price of Trust ~ Christian Romantic Suspense
http://www.booksbyamanda.com

Sundays with Kristi - Blessed: Pure in Heart

Why do you do what you do? What’s your motivation?

Today, as we continue through The Beatitudes, we’re going to be looking at our motives. As always, check out the previous weeks that discuss how to be Blessed by clicking on the “Sunday” tab above.

Matthew 5:8—Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Pure in Heart
We each wake up every single day. For many of us, the routine of things sets in almost before our first conscious thought of the day. For me, I hit the snooze button a couple of times, make sure my husband’s up, do my morning devotional, get the kids up and make sure they’re getting ready, get myself ready, eat breakfast, kiss my husband and kids bye as they head off to school and work, and then start work myself. I’ve just covered about an hour and a half of my day, but what was my motivation for doing those things?

Jesus says that the person who is pure in heart is blessed. How can I tell if I’m being pure in heart as I go about doing the things I’m to do during the day? The way to tell is found in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3

“If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not love, it profits me nothing.”

What we do throughout the day is important, that much is true, but the reason we do those things is of equal importance. Do we have pure motives for everything that we do? Are we doing things out of love for God?


See God
Jesus knew what he was talking about. Those people who are consciously focused on acting out their love of God, even through the most mundane of circumstances, the will see God in even the tiniest area of their life. Why? 1 John 4:7-8 holds the answer. “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”

If we are acting out of love for God, we will see God in ways that we didn’t expect because God is love. If we are consciously focusing on our love for Him while we are choosing and doing our activities, He will show us who He is and how He moves. We will be blessed in being able to see Him in even the ordinary routine of life.

Being Intentional
Finally, I just want to close with this idea. Being pure in heart, being motivated by love, does not come naturally and it won’t just “happen.” First, we cannot act out God’s love if we do not have God living in our hearts. This is not a type of love that we can conjure up on our own. Also, unless a person decides that they are going to act out of love, we will all just act out our own best interests. Being loving and active out of a pure heart requires that we be intentional about it. The “routine” that we have set up is not necessarily bad, it just makes it easy to lose sight of why we do those things.

Today, take a look at all the things you do, from the moment you are conscious in the morning until you close your eyes in sleep at night. Where throughout your day do you need to recharge your motivations and be intentional in acting out God’s love? Decide today to act being pure in heart, for you will see God in your life in ways you’ve never seen Him before.

Father, I want to see You. I want my every thought and motivation throughout today to reflect Your love. Help me to maintain this single-minded focus as I encounter both the routine and the unusual. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

Kristi Burchfiel, Christian devotional author and speaker
Living in the World – Living out the Word
Check out my website and daily devotions either on my blog or on my Facebook page
Lonely Hearts ~ a sweet Christian Romance
The Price of Trust ~ Christian Romantic Suspense
http://www.booksbyamanda.com

Ouch! That Really Hurts!

Honor God with everything you own; give him the first and the best.  Your barns will burst, your wine vats will brim over.  But don't, dear friend, resent God's discipline; don't sulk under his loving correction.  It's the child he loves that God corrects; a father's delight is behind all this.  (Proverbs 3:9-12, The Message)

Life is full of painful lessons.  Some are REALLY painful, like the ones I am learning right now.  Notice I said "ones."  That's because I am going through a season of chastening in which God is teaching me a few things about money, parenting, and my own character. 



The third chapter of Proverbs mentions chastening (the word used in the New King James Version).  Some translations render it discipline," which sounds a little easier to take perhaps, but hurts just the same.  Dictionary.com gives the following definition for the word chasten:  "subdue:".  From what I can tell, that is a pretty accurate description of my present circumstances.






But notice the last portion of the passage above.  "It's the child he loves that GOD corrects; a father's delight is behind all this."  Really?  I mean I know that God loves me, but could he really be behind the recent loss of my husband's job and the ongoing relationship issues we are having with our rebellious teenager?  Perhaps God has not directly caused these problems, but certainly I believe he has allowed them to teach us better financial stewardship, trust in his provision, and to mold in us a more Christlike character as we deal with our son's rebellious heart.  As difficult and painful as our present circumstances are, we can endure them knowing that God loves us and that this is all part of his best plan for our lives.



Maybe you are going through a trial of your own right now.  Do you know that God loves you so much that he is willing to allow suffering in order to build in you the ability and desire to trust him?  He doesn't waste heartache.  Whatever you are going through right now can and probably will be used by him to encourage someone else down the road. 


The more we resist God's chastening, the longer it will take for chastening to have its desired effect of making us more Christlike.  Jesus "opened not his mouth" as he was being chastened by those determined to strip him of his life and ministry, yet his message of love and sacrifice were clearly communicated to those who witnessed his ability to endure the suffering through the power of God in him.  Can we not do the same?  Can we suffer in such a way that others see the power of God at work in us?



Copyright © 2012 by Dee Dee
Wike.  All rights reserved.  www.deedeewike.com

Lonely Hearts ~ a sweet Christian Romance
The Price of Trust ~ Christian Romantic Suspense
http://www.booksbyamanda.com

Book Review: Freefall by Kristen Heitzmann

When a young woman stumbles out of the Hanalei Mountains on the island of Kauai with no memory of who she is or how she got there, Cameron Pierce reluctantly agrees to investigate the mysterious circumstances surrounding her arrival. As pieces begin to fall into place, he suspects her injuries were no accident, but he's far from convinced she's an innocent victim. And there's that nagging feeling he's seen her somewhere before....Now known as Jade, the woman begins to recall fragments of what led her to this place, and she realizes the danger isn't over. Jade and the cynical Hawaiian investigator attempt to reconstruct the threads of her identity, but the stakes are far higher than either expected. (book description)




I have always liked reading Kristen Heitzmann's writing and this book was no exception. It contained the intrigue that is signature to this author as well as romance and a glimpse into the life of a celebrity. I found myself on the edge of my seat multiple times throughout the book as the author took us through the dangers of "Jade's" life.




I was also pleased by the love stories in the book. I was glad to see that even though the characters desired each other and were struggling with their faith at the time, they chose to remain pure. And it was good to see one of the couple's reconcile after years apart.




All in all, I would recommend anything by Kristen Heitzmann, especially Freefall.


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Lonely Hearts ~ a sweet Christian Romance
The Price of Trust ~ Christian Romantic Suspense
http://www.booksbyamanda.com

Those Pesky, Necessary, Little Things

I


I have a love/hate relationship with commas.  Yes, I said commas.  It began in high school when one of my professors made a statement regarding the overuse of commas.



"People say a good rule of thumb is to place a comma when one would normally pause in conversation.  That's asinine.  What if you are an asthmatic?  Does that mean you should put a comma after every other word?"




This also began my love of the word asinine.  But that's another story.  I tend to over use commas.  Probably because I still have a tendency to put one where I would naturally pause in a conversation.  Even though I have the above memory to fall back on!  Commas drive me crazy.  But the absence of commas where they should be is sometimes worse.






I am reminded of Boromir's statement in The Fellowship of the Ring:  "It is a strange fate that we should suffer so much fear and doubt over so small a thing.  Such a little thing."



Well, perhaps that's pushing it a bit, but anytime I can throw in a Tolkien quote, I'll take it.  Really though, do you ever ask yourself whether that comma is supposed to be there?  Or do we have a choice?




Since my high school days I have had many other professors, and heard other rules for using commas.  They are varied, difficult to remember, and often I find myself second guessing whether or not one is necessary.  So let's go to the experts, shall we?  In Strunk and White's The Elements of Style, several uses for commas are spelled out.  





For time's sake, let's look at one.  The following is copied from Part II.  The Elementary Rules of Usage:




Enclose parenthetic expressions between commas.




 

The best way to see a country, unless you are pressed for time, is to travel on foot.


 
This rule is difficult to apply; it is frequently hard to decide whether a single word, such as however, or a brief phrase, is or is not parenthetic. If the interruption to the flow of the sentence is but slight, the writer may safely omit the commas. But whether the interruption be slight or considerable, he must never omit one comma and leave the other. Such punctuation as
 

Marjorie's husband, Colonel Nelson paid us a visit yesterday,




or
 

My brother you will be pleased to hear, is now in perfect health,


 
is indefensible.

In other words, if you are going to use one, you must use the second.  Just like we would not use only one parenthesis mark.  In the last two examples, where Strunk gives us the incorrect usage, the correct way would be thus:


Marjorie's husband, Colonel Nelson, paid us a visit yesterday.




If one places a comma before Colonel Nelson, one must also be placed after.  Similarly, there must be two commas in the following sentence.




My brother, you will be pleased to hear, is now in perfect health.




As Strunk stated, the trick is deciding whether or not the phrase you are inserting is parenthetic.  But with this rule, remember if your phrase could be left out or placed in parentheses, always use two commas to separate the phrase.




Happy writing,




Karina Harris

www.karinaharrisauthor.com













 








Lonely Hearts ~ a sweet Christian Romance
The Price of Trust ~ Christian Romantic Suspense
http://www.booksbyamanda.com

Common Sense or God Sense?

Let’s face it. Sometimes, God doesn’t make sense. Well, at least to our finite limited minds.



A few months ago I had the privilege of hearing Pastor Chaun Butler preach on obedience. She spoke on Joshua and the battle of Jericho. The people of Israel marched around the walls of Jericho, waiting for God to do what He said He would do, give them the land.



I loved her message. It got me to thinking. Then I took her teaching and expounded on it when preaching to my husband. Yes, I do preach to him at times, but he seems to enjoy it…at least that is what he tells me.



We were discussing the use of common sense. Or rather, when not to use common sense.



When God spoke to Joshua, I have to wonder if he didn’t for one split second think to himself “this makes no sense.” I mean think about it. Jericho is fortified. There are walls, tall, wide walls standing between the city and the children of Israel. And God says to Joshua in chapter 6 verse 2 “See! I have given Jericho into your hand, it’s king, and the mighty men of valor.”



This would have been me: Um, Lord, I’m not sure if you see this, but there seems to be a wall between us and Jericho, it’s king and the mighty men of valor.









The Lord goes on in verse 3: You shall march around the city, all you men of war; you shall go all around the city once. This you shall do six days.



About this time I would have been scratching my chin and looking perplexed. And what exactly does marching around the city do? This makes no sense! We are going to be the laughing stock of the entire known world. This is some new battle tactic!



And we all know the rest of the story, on the seventh day, the Israelites march around the city seven times, the trumpets blow, the people give a shout and the walls went down flat. I have heard that the earth literally opened up and the walls went straight down into the earth. Very odd. And, it makes no sense!





See what I mean? God makes no sense!



So, back to our conversation from this morning. My husband and I were discussing his job situation. And he said to me, explain this to me. If my job sucks, why wouldn’t I look for a better job? Doesn’t that just make sense? Isn’t that common sense?



My reply? Well, would you rather use common sense or God sense? In comparison to God’s sense, our common sense makes no sense! Confused yet?



It’s like this. No matter what God tells us to do, no matter how weird it may seem or how strange it may be it is a gazillion times better than what we could come up with. All we have to do is look at the out come. When we act in our own power, use our own common sense; we end up with human like results.





When we wait upon the Lord, and obey His voice, no matter how strange the orders, we get God’s results. Which would you rather have?
Lonely Hearts ~ a sweet Christian Romance
The Price of Trust ~ Christian Romantic Suspense
http://www.booksbyamanda.com

I Can't Believe

it's Tuesday. And I'm writing my post on Tuesday morning. *sigh* Although I knew what I was writing about today, had it planned since last Tuesday, I have procrastinated in the worst way. (I prefer the term 'sidetracked')



There are a lot of writer's conferences coming up, and if you're like me, you may get a little overwhelmed by all the information you need to take along with you. I attended my first conference in the beginning of June so I could see an agent. There I said it.



I'm looking for an agent. 

And this is the first I've mentioned this little news item to anyone. I'm going to save the 'why I'm looking for an agent' for a later post. So be patient, please.



When I signed up for this conference, it was in the future and I had plenty of time to hone, polish, edit, polish, re-write, and polish my manuscript for this particular agent's eyes. However, I knew it was nigh impossible this person would want to carry around my 90,000+ manuscript for the entire day. So I made up a One Sheet.



Basically, a one sheet is your ammunition against a poor, over-wrought, over-tired agent or editor. This is your One. Chance. to grab said agent or editor's attention. How do you do that? Easy, my dear Watson. (Yep. I enjoyed the Sherlock Holmes movies, by the way.)



On your one sheet, you'll want to include a few necessary items.



- Title of your book.

- Tagline. (this is your hook)

Find a picture or background that will somehow convey the feeling of your book. Stock Xchange has some great freebies.

- Brief synopsis. (this is where you reel them in) but don't give away the ending of your story. You want them to ASK you for the full synopsis. More on that later.

- Your book's genre and word count.

- Your name, home address, email address, and phone number. (Short of writing your name on the bathroom stalls, you want to make it easy for them to find you.)

- Your website.



Some Tips:

Make it look professional.

Make it look professional.

And most importantly,

Make. It. Look. Professional!

Remember why you're there. You're going to make an impression within the first few seconds of meeting these people. Make yourself stand out in a good way.



I actually worked several different one sheets up on my computer. This is a fine way to do it, but what I came up with didn't really excel in the quality department. So, I checked my email for inspiration. (I know. A weird place to check, but it was THERE!) And I went to Vistaprint and took them up on their offer of some free flyers. 25 of them, to be exact. Great! Wiggle room. If one got messed up, I had plenty to take its place.



And this is what I took to the meeting with that wonderful agent:





So what do you think? Have you been to writer's conferences, and if you have, what did you find useful? Not so useful?





Lonely Hearts ~ a sweet Christian Romance
The Price of Trust ~ Christian Romantic Suspense
http://www.booksbyamanda.com

The Unexpected is Sometimes the Best Blessing of All

As you all know, I usually post book reviews, author interviews, crafts, and other fun children's items; but today I thought I would post what I learned at the three day Christian Home Educators of Ohio Convention I attended as a vendor.



Let me begin by stating that how I expected the convention to turn out was nothing like how it actually turned out. In other words, as the Lord so eloquently tells us in his word, "My ways are not your ways and your ways are not mine."  I left the comfort of my home with the expectation that I would sell a multitude of books and would come home with a pocket full of cash. What I came home with instead was new friend in Christ, and a multitude of blessings brought on by the people I met on my three day journey of discovery.



The first day of the convention brought only two sales, but ever the optimist, I told myself I still had two days to experience glorious dealings with my future fans. The next day wasn't much better sales wise, but I met a young mother and knew when we were done speaking that it was the Lord that brought us together for our mutual benefit and blessing. She was a lovely young woman who asked about my book  but seemingly left much unsaid. The hesitancy in her manner led me to ask her if she was a writer or wanted to be a writer to which she replied yes. As she explained that she had a story to tell and the ability with which to tell it, but had no idea of where to begin as far as publishing was concerned, I longed to give her helpful advice. As her story continued to unfold, I found out that she was a young widow with three children under the age of five and had lost her husband two years previous only a month after her twin daughters were born. I was nearly brought to tears by her story, one familiar to me having lost my first husband when I was thirty-two. As we continued to bond and speak of many things, I began to slowly realize that selling my book was not necessarily the reason the Lord had led me to participate in this convention.



By day three of the convention it became even more clear to me that stellar book sales were definitely not what this convention was going to be all about. Instead, what the Lord blessed me with was a series of incidents that touched my heart in a way that only Holy Spirit induced moments are able. To begin with, a mother who had purchased my book the day before stopped by my booth simply to tell me that she had read the first story and absolutely loved it. I also had three teenagers who had no interest in my book which was a little below their reading level stop by throughout the day simply to spend time chatting with me. Apparently they just enjoyed my company so they kept stopping by my booth. Next I had a dad, who had just purchased my book, become so excited that when another woman walked up he turned to me and said, "Let me try and sell this one for you!" He then preceded to extol what he thought were the tremendous virtues of my book. I stood amazed at the fact that a virtual stranger would be so excited about my book that he would want to share his delight with others.



As the day drew to an end, my last sale of the day was the most unexpected of all. A gentleman approached me and asked the cost of my book. After I told him he placed ten dollars on the table. When I asked him if he would like me to sign the book to anyone in-particular, he said no. He then preceded to tell me that he wanted me to do him a favor. Sure, I agreed, all the time wondering what in the world he could possibly want of me. What he wanted was for me to give the book that he had just purchased to the next child that wanted one. I can honestly say that I was flabbergasted. I thanked him profusely for his kindness as he walked away and I set the book aside.



Several people came and went and I soon forgot about that book. Towards the end of that last day, a father and his daughter who looked to be about eleven stopped by my booth and asked about my book. The father seemed very interested and said he had seven children four of whom were in the appropriate age for reading my book. He told me he had a son that was a semi-reluctant reader and then he took a post card with my information on it and a character magnet and began to walk away. Suddenly the Lord reminded me of that book I had set aside. I said, "Wait a minute sir, the Lord would like to bless you today." I then told him about the man who had purchased my last book and what he had asked of me. "I think this book would be perfect for your family," I added.



This almost brought this tall, handsome father of seven to tears; It almost brought me to tears. I asked him if he would like me to sign the book to any of his children and he said he would like me to sign it to the son he had spoken of. He kept repeating what a blessing he thought my book would be and that he thought it would inspire his son to read. As I watched him walk away, I pondered the events of the day. Sometimes things don't always turn out exactly how we intend them to, but sometimes the unexpected is the best blessing of all.



So ends another episode of Kids Korner with me, Children's Author Aileen Stewart. Join me next week for another exciting episode same krazy time, same krazy channel. And feel free to drop by my personal blog Aileen's Thoughts any day of the week for even more on reading, writing, and life in general.Lonely Hearts ~ a sweet Christian Romance
The Price of Trust ~ Christian Romantic Suspense
http://www.booksbyamanda.com

Sundays with Kristi - Blessed: Mercy

But that person doesn’t deserve mercy!




Have you ever heard anyone say that, or a similar statement? Have you ever said it yourself? I know I’ve been guilty of having that attitude toward people before. Today we’re talking about how to have a Blessed life by showing mercy. As we work our way through The Beatitudes, feel free to check out the previous weeks by clicking on the “Sunday” tab above.

Jesus is speaking to a crowd and beginning one of his most famous messages and he shares this statement from Matthew 5:7, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”

Mercy – Both the Mandate and the Reward
This Beatitude is unique in that it is the only one where the very thing we are to be doing is what will be given to us as a blessing. However, our need for mercy is not unique. As a matter of fact, every single person needs it. So what is mercy?

Mercy is defined as “the kindness of God in withholding deserved judgment and extending undeserved compassion and forgiveness to man.”

The irony about mercy is that the very moment that you think you deserve mercy from someone, it ceases to be mercy. Mercy by its very definition is not deserved. We cannot do anything to make ourselves worthy of God’s mercy to us. The fact that we would even try is a slap in the face of the One extending the mercy.

Mercy – How?
So how are we to show mercy to others? Jesus explains how to show mercy just a little later in this same sermon, but we’re going to look at it from Luke.

“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” Luke 6:32-36

How can we show mercy? We are to bestow love, money, time, help, etc. upon people with the expectation that they will not repay us. Even more than that, we are to find the people who CAN’T POSSIBLY repay us and shower them with these things. Why? Because this is the very definition of mercy.


Mercy – Why?
Why is mercy so important? Because we all need it. Every single person ever created has done something wrong against God (Romans 3:23 and Isaiah 53:6). God came and sacrificed Himself on the cross because of His love for us and because He knew we had no way to pay the debt that our sin had created (Romans 5:8 and 6:23). God showed us mercy when we desperately needed it. He did what we could not do and can never repay Him for. He showed us mercy so that we could have a relationship with Him (1 Peter 3:18). Now that we have been shown mercy, how can we do any less for those around us who need to see mercy?

Do we deserve mercy? Does anyone deserve mercy? The answer is: No, absolutely not! But that doesn’t change the fact that God has given us His mercy and we can display that to other people who are also undeserving. Besides, mercy is the one gift that if you give it away, will be given back to you.

Father, being merciful to people is hard. My sense of justice and fairness has a hard time understanding and coping, but I know that You are merciful to me. You love me and through Your sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, You showed amazing mercy to me, a sinner. I praise You for Your amazing and undeserved gift of mercy. Help me to be merciful as You are merciful to those people I come across who, like me, are undeserving.

Kristi Burchfiel, Christian devotional author and speaker
Living in the World – Living out the Word
Check out my website and daily devotions either on my blog or on my Facebook page

Lonely Hearts ~ a sweet Christian Romance
The Price of Trust ~ Christian Romantic Suspense
http://www.booksbyamanda.com