Brenda S. Anderson's Blog, page 4

Book Sale and Pre-Order and Giveaways, Oh My!

It seems like it’s been forever since I posted here, so I have a lot of updates! I’ll try to catch you up on what’s going on in my writing life below …

What Makes a Family?

Anyone who knows me well, knows that I—along with my husband and three twenty-something kids—LOVE the Marvel movies. Since Iron Man came out eleven years ago, we’ve attempted to see each subsequent movie on opening night, often at midnight. With the release of Avengers: Endgame, the first round of Marvel movies is complete. And I’m very sad to say goodbye to many beloved characters.

I pondered why they had such a draw and impact on followers, and I came to a conclusion: Family. These characters, working together, represented family. They loved each other, yet fought with each other. Yes, they had super powers, but they also had super flaws. And, as was shown in the final two movies, any of the heroes would sacrifice themselves for the others.

Families come in many shapes, colors, and sizes. It is not only drawn together by blood, but with love and sacrifice.

And that’s what The Mosaic Collection authors will be showing in our books throughout the next year as we spotlight families created by His design.

Starting today and going through July 20, meet the authors of Mosaic and have an opportunity to win the package shown above! To enter click on the above graphic.

First Mosaic Collection Book Now Available for Pre-Order!

The first novel in The Mosaic Collection is now available for pre-order, and for only 99¢! The price will go up on release day, so order now.

WHEN MOUNTAINS SING

My Father’s House Series, Volume 1

by Stacy Monson

When the truth cost her everything,

she thought there was nothing left to lose.

Mikayla Gordon loves nothing more than sleeping under the stars, reeling in the “big one,” and long hikes in the wilderness. A medical crisis reveals a 30-year-old secret that turns everything she’s known and believed upside down, unraveling her dreams and her identity.

In search of answers, she follows a trail from Minnesota to Colorado and discovers more unwelcome secrets even as she falls in love with the majestic beauty of the Rocky Mountains, and a wilderness camp leader who shares the greatest secret of all.

Knowing her life can never go back to what it was, she must make decisions that will impact far more than just her future.

Pre-Order Here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07TGFS6MC/

Christian Romance FREE or 99¢!

Searching for your next favorite Christian Romance story?

Look no further! Several bestselling authors, including some of my fellow Potter’s House authors and Mosaic Collection authors, have teamed up to offer a delightful selection of books for 99¢ or Free on Amazon. Available for a limited time.

Click below to find Christian romance reads:

https://books.bookfunnel.com/christianromancefreeor99c/g8d3zu0xzi

The post Book Sale and Pre-Order and Giveaways, Oh My! appeared first on Brenda Anderson Books.

Introducing THE MOSAIC COLLECTION!

I’m thrilled to announce the coming of a new book series, The Mosaic Collection Books! We’re an international group of authors who will be bringing you stories celebrating families created by God’s design.

Starting in August with multi-award-winning author Stacy Monson’s When Mountains Sing, we’ll release one full-length novel per month for the next year, and hopefully we’ll continue on after then. All the novels will be contemporary Christian. Some gritty, some suspense, some romance, some women’s fiction, and more, so you’ll get a variety to read.

Joining me on this journey are:

Johnnie Alexander

Eleanor Bertin

Barbara Ellen Brink

Hannah R. Conway

Sara Davison

Joy DeKok

Deb Elkink

Angela D. Meyer

Stacy Monson

My first book, tentatively titled, A Beautiful Mess, (November release) is about a woman who ends up raising her now-deceased ex-husband’s toddler. As the title suggests, it’s a mess! But God can create masterpieces out of chaos.

While we wait for the first book, we’ve set up a Reader Survey so you can help us bring you compelling content beyond our stories. To complete the survey, go here: Mosaic Reader Survey.

To be the first to hear about updates, sign up for my newsletter–Subscribe–and receive a Free copy of Coming Home, a Coming Home Series short story.

You can also learn more about The Mosaic Collection at our website: Mosaic Collection Books.

A reader’s group, devoted to you, will be coming soon!

The post Introducing THE MOSAIC COLLECTION! appeared first on Brenda Anderson Books.

Winners – HOME ANOTHER WAY

Congratulations to the winners of paperback copies of HOME ANOTHER WAY from the Book Release Celebration!

Robin Weiss

Jan Hall

Linda Romer

Lisa Lee

Laura Waltz

An email has been sent to each winner. Please reply with your mailing address.

Thank you all for celebrating with me!

The post Winners – HOME ANOTHER WAY appeared first on Brenda Anderson Books.

Blog Hopping with Home Another Way

As with all new releases, I’m doing a lot of blog hopping with Home Another Way. Here’s where you can find me:

Shannon Taylor Vannatter’s Inkslinger Blog: https://shannontaylorvannatter.com/brenda-s-anderson-romantic-character-interview-part-1-of-1/

Dani and Austin, my heroine and hero, are interviewed.
Book Giveaway

Regina Rudd Merrick’s Blog: https://reginaruddmerrick.com/wednesday-writings-guest-author-brenda-anderson/

The beginning of The Potter’s House Books and how the story for Home Another Way came about

The Potter’s House Books Blog: http://pottershousebooks.com/happy-release-to-brenda-s-andersons-new-book-in-the-potters-house-books-series-another-way-home-grab-it-today-for-just-99c-or-free-with-ku/

Intro to Home Another Way

ChristianBookaholic: http://www.christianbookaholic.com/2019/02/05/home-another-way-by-brenda-anderson/

Book Review – Re-shaped by The Master Potter

Purchase Home Another Way:

Amazon | Kindle Unlimited

And don’t forget, I’m having a (5) book giveaway! Go HERE to find the Rafflecopter form:

Giveaway: Home Another Way

The post Blog Hopping with Home Another Way appeared first on Brenda Anderson Books.

Giveaway: Home Another Way

A Book Birthday Means a Book Giveaway!

It’s time to celebrate! After months of writing and agonizing and re-writing and editing and editing again and again and again, Home Another Way has finally made it to the online bookshelves! I can’t wait until you get to know Dani and Austin, who both have hearts for serving the homeless.

They just go about serving in different ways….

Amazon | Kindle Unlimited

Realtor Dani Chamberlain’s passion for bringing attention to the homeless, regardless of the method, has once again backfired. Along with being sentenced to one-hundred hours of community service feeding the homeless, she’s also being kicked out of her home—by her own mother! She has less than two months to find a new place, or she’ll be living on the street herself.

Once a homeless teen, Austin Lang is now a school teacher and coordinator of the Family Table Meal for the homeless in his community. And he can’t wait to purchase his own home. When Dani Chamberlain breezes into the Family Table Meal wearing high heels and a haughty attitude, his life and plans are upended.

Dani is instantly drawn to the quiet, selfless man who puts his faith into action, and Austin can’t stop his attraction to the passionate woman who dives in to help people without thought to her own safety. Along with working together serving the community, they join forces to search for their new homes, deepening their attraction.

Then each of them receive news that shakes their foundations and threatens to tear them apart permanently. Can they overcome their differences and learn what it really means to serve and to love?

Want to know more? Then hurry over HERE to purchase your copy of Home Another Way, only 99¢ for the Kindle version (for a limited time). Or you could try winning one of five (yes I said 5!) paperback copies of Home Another Way! Just fill in the Rafflecopter form below. Contest goes through midnight on February 11, 2019.

Thank you for celebrating with me!

Question for my Readers: What community service organization(s) do you love to support?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The post Giveaway: Home Another Way appeared first on Brenda Anderson Books.

ACFW – February 2019 New Releases

February 2019 New Releases

More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website.

Contemporary Romance:

Home Another Way by Brenda S. Anderson — Can a senator’s daughter and convict’s son overcome their differences and learn what it really means to love? (Contemporary Romance, Vivant Press)

Ocean’s Edge by Cindy M. Amos — Tired of Kansas, Wynn Yardley places her wish to touch the ocean into Dreams Come True Director Teague Montgomery’s hands, and then launches into an adventure to the seashore with him to discover the tidal zone–and affections for her companion. (Contemporary Romance from Winged Publications)

Love, Lies, and Homemade Pie by Sally Bayless — Cara Smith has a whole new life planned in Abundance, Missouri. If she can just avoid questions from that intriguing guy at the newspaper, no one will ever find out about her past. Will Hamlin, local editor, desperately needs a big story to keep his newspaper afloat, and Cara Smith is clearly hiding something. But after Will’s initial inquiries fail to turn up anything, he grows less interested in Cara’s past and more interested in winning her heart with slices of pie and stolen kisses. When a crime is uncovered at city hall just as Will unearths Cara’s dark secret, the repercussions shatter their romance. Has Cara really left her past behind? Can Will finally find a way to save the paper? And can they each place their trust in God and together find freedom in the truth and overcome the obstacles to their love? (Contemporary Romance, Independently Published)

Their Family Blessing by Lorraine Beatty — She owns the lodge but he owns the land. When single mom Carly Hughes the Longleaf Lodge, she gains a heap of trouble – her teenage crush Deputy MacKenzie Bridges. Her father left Mack the land around the lodge. While Carly wants to sell for her daughter’s sake. Mack wants to stay for his niece’s. and if they can’t work together, they’ll both lose everything… including the renewed spark between them. (Contemporary Romance from Love Inspired [Harlequin])

Courting Calla by Hallee Bridgeman — Calla Vaughn is trying to get her life in order so she can go back to culinary school. No matter how hard she works, though, she feels like she is just treading water and can’t see any way out of the hole dug for her by a con artist who stole her identity. When flowers she sends to her best friend with a dinner invitation accidentally get delivered to Ian Jones, she decides to cook him the best meal he’s ever had. By the time she admits that the flowers were never for him, he is as convinced as she is that God orchestrated the mistake in the first place. All that’s left is to tell him the dark secret about her father’s widow. She waits a little too long, though, and is carted off to jail for questioning on felony charges before she gets a chance. Will Ian understand her situation, or will the deception surrounding Calla destroy any trust he has in her? (Contemporary Romance, Independently Published)

A Different Season by Jennifer Heeren — How do you go on when your heart is broken? Twenty-two-year-old Lisette Carter is grief-stricken over her husband’s death—which occurred before she knew she was pregnant. Now in her last trimester, she meets David Baranski, who has a tragic past of his own. He seems to care for Lisette, but she’s not sure she can trust him. Besides, her sorrow and survivor guilt are all she can handle. (Contemporary Romance, Independently Published)

One Thing I Know by Kara Isaac — Rachel Somers, ghost writer for America’s #1 relationship expert, is running out of ideas, but it’s keep up the charade or lose the income required to care for her father. The last thing she needs is her boss’s publicist concocting a scheme to pair her with some radio star in hopes it will spark the next book idea. Lucas Grant didn’t expect his fame on a late-night sports show to come with constant calls from women wanting relationship advice. Which means he has to waste hours on the phone with an expert like Dr. Donna Somerville talking about feelings when he’d rather be talking about his first love: football. Then a deal opens up with a big-time producer who suspects Dr. Somerville isn’t what she seems, and he wants Lucas to discover her secret. To do that, he needs to win over her tight-lipped assistant who holds the key to his success and—he begins to suspect—his heart. Can love find a way through the lies that force them apart? (Contemporary Romance from Howard [Simon & Schuster])

Season of Hope by Lisa Jordan — His dreams can all come true…but only if his ex-wife will agree! Jake Holland’s peaceful dairy farm is a sanctuary—one he wants to share with other worn and weary veterans. He just needs one more piece of land to start his program…and it belongs to Tori Lerner, his ex-wife. A collaboration could benefit them both, but with a past full of secrets between them, is there any hope for renewed love? (Contemporary Romance from Love Inspired [Harlequin])

Carolina Grace by Regina Rudd Merrick — She knows about God’s grace for her life, but pushes it away. He hasn’t experienced it, but finds grace in a way he never expected. First-year Special Education teacher Charly Livingston demonstrates God’s love on the outside, but is resentful that God allowed back-to-back tragedies in her family. Rance Butler is a top-notch medical intern. He’s on his way to the top, and when he meets Charly, he knows things will only get better. When he discovers family secrets and a dying father he never knew, his easy, carefree life seems to disintegrate. Even in the idyllic ocean breezes and South Carolina sunshine, contentment turns to bitterness and confusion except for God’s amazing grace. (Contemporary Romance from Mantle Rock Publishing)

The Street Singer by Kathleen Neely — While planning her own wedding, a law student works to help her favorite recording artist who has fallen on hard times. She finds an attorney who will work pro bono, but will her growing friendship with him come between her and her fiancé? (Contemporary Romance from Harbourlight Books [Pelican])

Amish Romance: 

Convenient Amish Proposal by Jan Drexler — When Bethany Zook’s childhood friend returns to Indiana Amish country a widower, with an adorable little girl in tow, she’s willing to aid him in any way. But there’s just one thing Andrew Yoder needs – a mother for little Mari. And he seems convinced Bethany is the answer, just as she’s sure any union between them would be one strictly of convenience… Andrew thought Bethany had married another. Now, determined to keep Mari despite his mother-in-law’s interference, he offers Bethany marriage in name only. But she’s quickly becoming more than a housekeeper and a mamm. Can he leave the past behind to claim a family of the heart? (Amish Romance from Love Inspired [Harlequin])

Historical Romance: A Love Most Worthy by Sandra Ardoin — During the Nome, Alaska gold rush of 1900, a merchant sends for a serious-minded bride to help him raise his young nephews but welcomes a cheery and adventuresome woman who tests his determination to hold her at arm’s length. (Historical Romance, Independently Published)

When Valleys Bloom Again by Pat Jeanne Davis — After fleeing impending war in England, nineteen-year-old Abby Stapleton works to correct her stammer and to become a teacher in America, only to discover this conflict has no boundaries and that a rejected suitor is intent on destroying her name, fiancé, and fragile faith. (Historical Romance from Elk Lake Publishing, Inc.)

Ladies of Intrigue by Michelle Griep — The Gentleman Smuggler’s Lady, Cornish Coast, 1815: When a prim and proper governess returns to England from abroad, she expects to comfort her dying father—not fall in love with a smuggler. Will Helen Fletcher keep Isaac Seaton’s unusual secret? The Doctor’s Woman (A Carol Award Winner) Dakota Territory, 1862: Emmy Nelson, daughter of a missionary doctor, and Dr. James Clark, city doctor aspiring to teach, find themselves working side by side at Fort Snelling during the Dakota Uprising. That is when the real clash of ideals begins. A House of Secrets, St. Paul, Minnesota, 1890: Ladies Aide Chairman, Amanda Carston resolves to clean up St. Paul’s ramshackle housing, starting with the worst of the worst: a “haunted” house that’s secretly owned by her beau—a home that’s his only means of helping brothel girls escape from the hands of the city’s most infamous madam. (Historical Romance from Barbour Publishing)

Love’s Rescue by Linda Shenton Matchett — Sold by her parents to settle a debt, Rolande Bisset is forced into prostitution. Years later, shunned by her family and most of society, it’s the only way she knows how to subsist. When the Germans overrun Paris, she decides she’s had enough of evil men controlling her life and uses her wiles to obtain information for the Allied forces. Branded a collaborator, her life hangs in the balance. Then an American spy stumbles onto her doorstep. Is redemption within her grasp? Simon Harlow is one of an elite corps of American soldiers. Regularly chosen for dangerous covert missions, he is tasked with infiltrating Paris to ascertain the Axis’s defenses. Nearly caught by German forces moments after arriving, he owes his life to the beautiful prostitute who claims she’s been waiting for the Allies to arrive. Her lifestyle goes against everything he believes in, but will she steal his heart during his quest to liberate her city? Inspired by the biblical story of Rahab, Love’s Rescue is a tale of faith and hope during one of history’s darkest periods. (Historical Romance from Shortwave Press)

The Sky Above Us by Sarah Sundin — Numbed by grief and harboring shameful secrets, Lt. Adler Paxton ships to England with the US 357th Fighter Group in late 1943. Determined to become an ace pilot, Adler battles the German Luftwaffe in treacherous dogfights over France as the Allies struggle for control of the air before the D-day invasion. Violet Lindstrom wants to be a missionary, but for now she serves in the American Red Cross, where she arranges entertainment and refreshments for the men of the 357th in the base Aeroclub and sets up programs for local children. Drawn to the mysterious Adler, she enlists his help with her work and urges him to reconnect with his family after a long estrangement. Despite himself, Adler finds his defenses crumbling when it comes to Violet. But D-day draws near. And secrets can’t stay buried forever. (Historical Romance from Revell [Baker])

Mystery: 

The Watch On the Fencepost by Kay DiBianca — In a deserted park on a cold winter day, twenty-seven-year-old Kathryn Frasier discovers a gold watch on a fencepost, and she has an ominous sense that it was deliberately left for her to find. But when she identifies the owner of the watch, she uncovers a dark family secret and a suspicion that her parents’ recent deaths may not have been an accident. (Cozy Mystery from CrossLink Christian Publishing)

Coffee Club Mysteries by Darlene Franklin, Cynthia Hickey, Elizabeth Ludwig, Dana Mentink, Candice Prentice, and Janice Thompson — The coffee shop on the corner of First and Main in Oak Grove, Kansas, seems to attract a series of mysterious events. Or perhaps it is the six women who frequent the shop for book club who are the magnets for trouble. . . . Morgan Butler, owner of the Coffee Perk, finds a project worker hanged at her shop. Evelyn Kliff discovers a church meal organizer dead. Harper Daggett is being stalked for an antique jade owl she bought. Baker Jeanine Gransbury’s charity event money goes missing. Jo Anderson shares hazelnut coffee creamer, sending a man into anaphylaxis shock. Penny Parson finds a gun in one of her beehives. Join them as they unravel six unexplained events that have the potential to ruin business and spoil friendships if not handled with care. (Cozy Mystery from Barbour Publishing)

The Sleuth’s Dilemma by Kimberly Rose Johnson — A high school English teacher’s life is turned upside down when she becomes the object of someone’s anger. (Romantic Mystery from Mountain Brook Ink)

Romantic Suspense: 

Restoration of the Heart by June Foster — Leaving his beautiful fiancé’s world of alcohol, parties, and nights at her apartment, Luke Chamberlain returns to his Christian values, rededicates his life to the Lord, and vows never to fall into the lifestyle again. When the state of Idaho’s Tourism Department offers his construction company the contract to renovate Silver Cliff, an 1890’s silver mining ghost town, he accepts. Janie Littleton, project historian at the restoration of Silver Cliff, Idaho–an 1890’s silver mining ghost town–believes no man would find her attractive, with her extra pounds, eye glasses, and mousy brown hair. So when contractor Luke Chamberlain shows an interest in her, she doubts his sincerity. But strange turns to worse when someone claiming to be the miner who founded Silver Cliff in 1890 intimidates her with frightening midnight visits. Can Luke convince Janie he’s in love with the godly woman she is? Can Janie hold onto her faith as she’s harassed by frightening appearances of old Ezra Barclay who died a hundred years ago? (Romantic Suspense from Forget Me Not Romance)

Innocence Denied by Mike Garrett — Derrick Walton, to atone for past sins, helps an Arizona socialite hide out in Alabama while a nation-wide manhunt ensues. Can he help Larissa see the need for her soul’s salvation in time? (Romantic Suspense from CrossLink Publishing)

Speculative: 

The Soul Searcher by Erin R. Howard — Elnora’s parents gave her one rule: Stay hidden away at all costs. Elnora Scott is used to her survival depending on the decisions of others. Locked away in her safe house, it is easy to follow her parents’ dying wishes until an angel, demon, and seer show up on her doorstep. Now, waking up in a dirty cell, she wishes she would have gone with them when she had the chance, because the very ones who unknowingly ushered the kidnapper to her location may be the only ones who can save her now. When Thea learns that Elnora may be in danger, she doesn’t hesitate to go find her. Thea thought stepping through the portal would be her greatest obstacle, but it only reveals a more sinister threat. (Urban Fantasy from Mantle Rock Publishing)

Women’s Fiction: 

A Vow to Cherish by Deborah Raney — When his precious wife receives a devastating diagnosis, John Brighton feels his world has fallen apart. As Ellen slips away from him day by day, their love is tested as never before. Desperately needing someone to confide in, John meets Julia Sinclair, a young widow who seems to understand his pain as no one else can. Torn between doing what he knows to be right and what his heart tells him surely can’t be wrong, John soon discovers that the heart cannot be trusted where true love is concerned. (Women’s Fiction from Raney Day Press)

Young Adult: 

You’re Amazing by Julie Arduini and Hannah Arduini – Middle schooler Jazmin’s a natural at dance until a series of changes make her wonder if she should even keep up with her favorite hobby. Lena’s a mom with young children overwhelmed with her schedule when a woman remarks that what Lena does isn’t even important. Both Jazmin and Lena belong to Linked, a mentoring ministry where all ages encourage each other and build friendships. Can these two surrender the lies they are believing and realize they are amazing? (Young Adult from Surrendered Scribe Media)

The post ACFW – February 2019 New Releases appeared first on Brenda Anderson Books.

HOME ANOTHER WAY ~ Now Available for Pre-Order

HOME ANOTHER WAY, my 3rd and final book in The Potter’s House Books series, is now available for pre-order for only 99¢! (Kindle version only) It will arrive on your Kindle on February 5, 2019.

Pre-Order HOME ANOTHER WAY

About HOME ANOTHER WAY

She’s a senator’s daughter.

He’s a convict’s son.

Both have a heart for the homeless.

Can they overcome their differences and learn what it really means to serve and to love?

Realtor Dani Chamberlain’s passion for bringing attention to the homeless, regardless of the method, has once again backfired. Along with being sentenced to one-hundred hours of community service feeding the homeless, she’s also being kicked out of her home—by her own mother! She has less than two months to find a new place, or she’ll be living on the street herself.

Once a homeless teen, Austin Lang is now a school teacher and coordinator of the Family Table Meal for the homeless in his community. And he can’t wait to purchase his own home. When Dani Chamberlain breezes into the Family Table Meal wearing high heels and a haughty attitude, his life and plans are upended.

Dani is instantly drawn to the quiet, selfless man who puts his faith in action, and Austin can’t stop his attraction to the passionate woman who dives in to help people without thought to her own safety. Along with working together serving the community, they join forces to search for their new homes, deepening their attraction.

Then each of them receive news that shakes their foundations and threatens to tear them apart permanently. Can they overcome their differences and learn what it really means to serve and to love?

Additional News!

Not only is HOME ANOTHER WAY up for pre-order, you can now download my first two books in The Potter’s House Series for only 99¢ each! Or read them for FREE on Kindle Unlimited.

Order LONG WAY HOME ~ Amazon

Order PLACE CALLED HOME ~ Amazon

The post HOME ANOTHER WAY ~ Now Available for Pre-Order appeared first on Brenda Anderson Books.

2019 Anticipated Reads

2019 Anticipated Reads

This is by no means a complete list for 2019 as many books aren’t listed on book sites yet, but these are currently on my must-read list.

Are any of these books on your to-read list?

 

In Too Deep

(Dive Team Investigations, book 2)

by Lynn Blackburn

 

A Bound Heart

by Laura Frantz

 

We Hope for Better Things

by Erin Bartels

 

Carolina Grace

(Southern Breeze Series, book 3)

by Regina Rudd Merrick

Comes out February 5, 2019

 

Never Let Go

(Uncommon Justice, book 1)

by Elizabeth Goddard

Comes out February 5, 2019

 

American Omens: The Coming Fight for Faith

by Travis Thrasher

Comes out February 12, 2019

 

Convergence

by Ginny Yttrup

Comes out March 1, 2019

 

The Noble Guardian

(Bow Street Runners, book 3)

by Michelle Griep

Comes out June 1, 2019

The post 2019 Anticipated Reads appeared first on Brenda Anderson Books.

Favorite Books from 2018!

2018 was a down year for me when it came to numbers of books read. I’d set a Goodreads goal of seventy-five books, which is low for me, but I only read fifty-one. Ouch! Not even a book a week, but I guess that’s what happens when you publish three books within eight months.

But, of those fifty-one, there were several gems. Below you’ll see my Favorite and Recommended Reads from 2018.

And be sure to stop by tomorrow when I’ll share my most anticipated read for 2019!

Have you read any of these books?
What were your favorite reads from 2018?

The post Favorite Books from 2018! appeared first on Brenda Anderson Books.

Unwrapping God’s Gifts

(Originally Posted on December 12, 2013)

Fluorescent light and a thump on the bed awake you. You blink, slowly bringing your child into focus. His eyes are wide with expectation. “Wake up! Santa came!” And though, as a teenager, he doesn’t believe in the Santa of the red hat and white beard anymore, Santa’s spirit is very much alive.

You shoo your teen from the room and sit up with a stretching yawn. Then the fever hits. Christmas fever. The excitement you saw just moments ago in your child’s eyes, now bubbles in your heart. You can’t wait until he unwraps the present you so carefully purchased, knowing it was the perfect gift for him.

After tying on a robe, you walk with your spouse to the living room. Lights blink on the tree. Stockings overflow with candy, fruit, and, of course, a toothbrush.

Camera in hand, you hold your breath as your child rips the paper. This moment needs to be recorded. He lifts the cover on the box. Excitement drains from his eyes, and for just a moment, his smile falls. But you’ve trained him well. He looks at you, and his lips curl upward, but disappointment clouds his eyes as he murmurs, “Thank you,” his gratitude an obvious lie.

“You’re welcome.” You return the disheartened smile.

Weeks later, you discover that gift buried beneath your child’s bed, entombed in plastic. Didn’t he know it was chosen specially for him?

Have you experienced that as a parent, or even as a child, excitedly tearing into wrapping paper only to discover that the gift wasn’t at all what you wanted or asked for? I know I have. There’s seems to be a disconnect between the giver and the receiver, a moment of truth when you realize you really don’t know each other.

Just think how God feels when we ignore the gifts He’s given us, when we hide them away unused. When we bury them so deep, they will never bear fruit, and oftentimes erode away.

For years, that’s what I did with my writing. It certainly wasn’t a practical gift, so I stored it beneath my bed, buried beneath years of dust, and behind other unwanted gifts. Eventually, I forgot about it.

But, God doesn’t forget. Over time, He kept nudging me, reminding me of that closed box. Finally, I listened and dug out that box. I opened the lid and, telling no one else, I pulled out the gift and started using it. As time passed, I slowly told others about my present, fearing their response. No one chided me. No one called me lazy. Instead, I’ve received unexpected praise and encouragement.

But the best thing of all was experiencing God’s joy in finally using His gift. The distance between us has abated, and His voice is clearer as my disingenuous “Thank you,” becomes living gratitude.

And an act of worship.

As we move through this Advent season, celebrating God’s greatest gift to us, I dig beneath my bed, wondering what else I’ve hidden. What other gifts have I failed to use? Have I buried my faith beneath home decorating, stuff-buying, and card writing? Or do I live that faith so others will see it and accept His gift?

I push boxes aside beneath my bed. It isn’t long before I find another abandoned present. I open it and remove sheet music. It’s time I demonstrate my gratitude.

Yes, I can hear God rejoicing.

The post Unwrapping God’s Gifts appeared first on Brenda Anderson Books.