How to Find Peace in the Pieces (& I Need Your Help)

Peter should’ve known better.

After all, he’d been with Jesus. Had observed amazing miracles. Had sat under His teaching.

So when he asked Jesus to invite him out of the boat and into the storm-tossed waves, he should’ve known where to focus his attention.

At first Peter kept his eyes glued on Jesus, but in his peripheral vision he caught sight of the enormous waves. In other words, he got distracted. All it took was a brief glimpse in the wrong direction, and he sank like a stone.

Thankfully, he immediately recognized his desperate position and cried out for help. Jesus stretched out a hand and rescued him, but not without admonishment. “Oh, you of little faith. Why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:22-33)

The Correlation Between Peace and Pieces

But really, we can’t be too hard on Peter. We’re just as guilty of sometimes losing our focus. (Or even worse–we refuse to get out of the boat.)

A truth about God’s peace and life’s pieces has become so transparent as I’ve written the Christmas novella, Pieces on Earth. I’ve been reminded of the direct correlation between our focus, God’s peace, and life’s pieces.

When we–like Peter in the beginning of his walk-on-water journey–keep our focus on God, we experience His unfathomable peace. But when we allow ourselves to get distracted, to focus on our storms rather than the Stiller of Storms, we sink into the crashing ocean waves of life’s broken pieces.

The Definition of Peace and Pieces

Man’s definitions are often a far cry from God’s, and peace is one such word. To most people, peace is defined as the absence of conflict, war, or strife.

God’s definition goes much further and deeper. The Hebrew word for peace is shalom, and it conveys a wholeness, completeness, and integration of the person at peace.

In sharp and total contrast, the word “pieces” reveals fracture and brokenness. In fact, the word “anxious” as used in the Bible, carries with it a splintering, division, and fracturing of the human mind and heart.

How fascinating (but no surprise to God) that His peace and life’s piece are on completely opposite ends of the spectrum.

How important that we learn to keep our focus on Him–especially when our lives feel shattered into a thousand pieces.

Can You Help?

No book launch can work effectively without a coordinated effort, and the message of Pieces on Earth–finding God’s peace in life’s pieces–is one that many need to hear, especially during the holidays. Did you know that something as joyous as a celebration of our Savior’s birth is sometimes the worst possible time for many? Statistics have proved that depression and sorrow and loneliness particularly abound during the Christmas holidays.

Because of this, I need your help in getting the word out about the book. My prayer is that our Lord will take the book to those who most need the hope and help His peace brings.

Below I’ll discuss three specific ways you can help, and I appreciate you for doing one or all:

Share the “Pieces On Earth” Cover Reveal Party on Facebook, other social media platforms, and via email/private messages.
Support the “Pieces on Earth” Thunderclap campaign.
Be a part of the “Pieces On Earth” Launch Team by reviewing an advance copy of the book and sharing its release with others through various channels.

1. Share The PIECES ON EARTH Cover Reveal Party

As you can tell via the graphic at the beginning of this post, the Cover Reveal Party for Pieces on Earth is this coming Thursday night, November 5, on Facebook from 7-8 p.m. CST (that’s 5 p.m. Pacific, 6 p.m. Mountain time, 7 p.m. Central, and 8 p.m. Eastern).

Facebook has dropped the number of people that one person can invite to an event, so it’s difficult for one person (read: me) to adequately spread the word about the book’s release. One way you can help is to share the following post on your Facebook page or in a group (you can also go to the event page and invite friends through the “invite” button). I’ve also included a tweet for those of you who’d like to share it on Twitter as well. And please feel free to change the info around so you can share it in a way that feels right to you, especially if you want to share it via email, phone call, or other social media platforms.

Save the date! The cover reveal for the new Christmas novella, "Pieces on Earth," is set for Thursday, 7-8 p.m. (Central…

Posted by Cathy Bryant on Tuesday, October 27, 2015

PIECES ON EARTH Cover Reveal Party
Thursday, Nov.5 ~ 7 pm CST
On Facebook https://t.co/mIFJXDi8YT
#ChristianFiction pic.twitter.com/JYWd0ye6kq

— Cathy Bryant (@Cathy_Bryant) November 1, 2015

2. Support the “Pieces On Earth” Thunderclap Campaign.

What in the world is a Thunderclap campaign? The following blurb comes directly from Thunderclap’s website:

“Social media is an easy way to say something, but it’s a difficult way to be heard. Thunderclap is the first-ever crowdspeaking platform that helps people be heard by saying something together. It allows a single message to be mass-shared, flash mob-style, so it rises above the noise of your social networks. By boosting the signal at the same time, Thunderclap helps a single person create action and change like never before.”

You choose which of your social media platforms you’ll make available for the mass-message about the book’s release. The three platforms currently available are: Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr. You can choose to support the Thunderclap on only one platform or all platforms.

But here’s the tricky part. I must have at least 100 supporters for the Thunderclap campaign or they won’t release the book launch anouncement. As you’ve probably already figured out, those 100 (or more–the more the merrier) are crucial to blasting the social media message about the book launch.

You can support the campaign by clicking THIS LINK or the embedded post below.

3. Be a Part of the “Pieces On Earth” Launch Team
As a member of the “Pieces On Earth” Launch Team, you’ll receive:
A free advance eBook copy (Kindle or Nook) of Pieces On Earth
Access to a private Facebook group for this specific book launch, where you’ll get a behind-the-scenes glimpse at what’s involved in writing and launching a book and a chance to interact with other launch team members (AKA new friends!).
The opportunity to give feedback on certain aspects of the book and book promotion ideas.
A special “thank you” post on my Journey blog with a brief blurb about you along with a link of your choosing (e.g. blog/website, Facebook group, social media profile, organization, charitable cause, etc.).
A free eBook of the Miller’s Creek novel or LifeSword Bible Study of your choice.
Entry into a $25 Amazon Gift Card drawing only for Launch Team members as my way of expressing my gratitude for your time and effort.
In return, I’m asking you to do the following:
Read the book and leave your honest review on Amazon and/or Goodreads (and your blog if you have one).
Spread the word however you can before and after the launch. (NOTE: Pre-Launch begins now. Launch Week is November 17-23, 2015.)
Share any promotional ideas you might have to get the book in front of as many readers as possible.

If you’d like to a part of the team, please leave a comment below, contact me via the Contact tab in the menu bar, or send an email to catbry1@yahoo.com (with “I’m in!” in the subject line).

Questions? Maybe the following will help.

Do I have to have a blog or large social media following to participate? Not at all! Each of us have various avenues of influence, and not all of them are online! Maybe you’re a part of a book club and could recommend the book to them for a Christmas read and discussion. Or perhaps you and some friends could pass out copies of the books to some shut-ins. It might be as simple as just e-mailing a few friends that you think would enjoy the book. Word-of-mouth is the most effective way of spreading the news about anything!

I’m not a marketing mastermind. Is my input valuable? Absolutely! Especially if you’ve read enjoyed some of my other books, you are exactly the person whose feedback matters most to me. I truly believe the truth of Proverbs 27:17: Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another. I welcome your input to sharpen me and make this a successful launch for the message of God’s peace in the pieces.

What time commitment is involved? It depends on how long it takes you to read the book and write a review. Since it’s novella-length, reading the book shouldn’t take too long. But in addition to reading and reviewing, I will also need your help in spreading the word about the book’s release. As a Christmas book, the most intense promotion time will be between now and Christmas. That being said, I know this is a busy time of the year and you have other obligations to fulfill as well. I just ask that you share when you can. I certainly don’t expect to spend all your time on this book!

Have a question not answered here? Feel free to email me at catbry1@yahoo.com with your specific question. Please put “POE Launch Team” in the subject line so I won’t miss your email.

Prayer Request

Please keep me and my wonderful hubby in your prayers. At the same time as the launch of “Pieces on Earth,” I’m also committed to writing the rough draft of the seventh Miller’s Creek novel during November. In addition, we’ll be making a trip from New Mexico to Arkansas to lead the music at a Revival, and there’s the Thanksgiving holidays with family to take into consideration as well. Needless to say, it is going to be busy month for us.

Oddly enough, my prayer request goes hand-in-hand with this post. Please pray that we’ll keep our focus on God and experience His peace, rather than being anxious, worried, and stressed.

Let me know if I can return the favor and pray for you in any way. I’m always both honored to lift each and everyone of you to God’s throne of grace and mercy. You can send me an email at catbry1@yahoo.com. Please put “Prayer Request” in the subject line.

Wishing you all a delightful Thanksgiving and Christmas season full of God’s perfect peace,

Cathy

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