Interview with Sarah S. Brown, author of "Even the Ashes Bloom" (book)

Author Interview with Sarah S. Brown about her book “Even the Ashes Bloom: Finding Beauty When You Feel Broken”

Alexis: What inspired you to write this book?

Sarah: There were seasons in my life where I felt deeply broken. Disappointment, heartbreak, unmet expectations…the kind that shake your identity and leave you wondering who you even are anymore. And in those moments, I found myself asking: God, what are You doing here? Can anything good really come from this?

As I began to heal, I realized something powerful—God wasn’t just meeting me after the hard parts. He was present in them. Gently restoring, reframing, redeeming. This book was born out of that journey and the answer to a prayer I prayed for many years—that God would use my story to help others.

I wrote Even the Ashes Bloom for the woman who feels like her life didn’t turn out the way she prayed it would. For the one sitting in the aftermath—of loss, betrayal, disappointment—wondering if beauty is still possible.

This book is a reminder that God does some of His most tender, redemptive work right there in the ashes.

Alexis: How did you create the title “Even the Ashes Bloom: Finding Beauty When You Feel Broken”?

Sarah: The title came from this image that kept coming back to me—How, after a wildfire, certain seeds only open because of the fire. They’re called “fire-followers.” What looks like complete devastation becomes the very condition for new life. That felt like my story.

Even the Ashes Bloom is a reminder that the very places that feel destroyed aren’t beyond redemption. They’re often where God is doing His most meaningful work. And the subtitle—Finding Beauty When You Feel Broken—speaks directly to the heart of the reader. Because most of us don’t walk around saying, “I’m in a season of transformation.” We say, “I feel broken.” And I wanted to meet women right there.

Alexis: How did God bring beauty out of the very thing that broke you? Share the story.

Sarah: There was a season in my life where everything I thought my life would be…wasn’t. A marriage that didn’t last. Expectations that unraveled. A deep sense of shame I didn’t know how to name, much less release.

But as God began to untangle the lies I had believed about myself and replace them with truth, He showed me that my identity was never rooted in my circumstances—it was rooted in Him.

What I've come to see now is that the very thing that broke me became the place where God rebuilt me. Not into the person I thought I was supposed to be, but into someone more grounded, more honest, and more anchored in Him than I had ever been before.

He took what felt like ashes—loss, disappointment, shame—and grew something new in that same soil: deeper faith, restored identity, and a hope that isn't dependent on everything going right. He didn't waste a single part of it. And that's the beauty I didn't see coming.

Alexis: What was it like to share your journey through heartbreak, healing, and hope? Was it hard to be transparent?

Sarah: Yes…and no. There were definitely moments when I paused and thought, "Do I really want to say this out loud?" Because once it’s on the page, you can’t take it back. But I kept coming back to this: Someone else is living this too. And if my willingness to be honest could help someone feel less alone, less ashamed, or more seen by God, then it was worth it. I didn’t want to write from a place of perfection. I wanted to write from a place of healing.

Alexis: In what ways do you hope your story will help your readers?

Sarah: More than anything, I want readers to find peace in the middle of pain and uncertainty—and to release the shame that has told them they are too far gone. I want them to rediscover their worth in Jesus Christ, to see how faith can flourish even in barren seasons, and to embrace healing through reflection, journaling, and prayer. And above all, I want them to trust that as long as they are alive, God is still writing their story.

Alexis: What do you mean when you say God is planting seeds of new life in scorched places?

Sarah: Sometimes growth doesn’t look like growth. It looks like loss. It looks like silence. It looks like everything falling apart. But just because we can’t see what God is doing, doesn’t mean He isn’t working.

I know this to be true because I’ve lived it. The areas I wanted to hide, the ones that felt the most barren, those became the places where He began reshaping me from the inside out. Not all at once, and not in ways that were always obvious. Because seeds don’t grow overnight and they don’t grow where everyone can see them. They grow in the dark. In the waiting. In the quiet work that feels hidden but isn’t wasted. Over time, what once felt lifeless begins to tell a different story.

Alexis: Was it hard to make the book part memoir and part devotional?

Sarah: It was a balancing act. The memoir pieces required vulnerability—going back into real moments, real emotions, real memories. And the devotional pieces required clarity—Asking, “What is God inviting the reader into here?”

The most challenging part was making sure the story always served the reader—not just my own processing. But the most rewarding part? Watching those two elements come together in a way that doesn’t just tell a story but transforms one. Because it’s not just about what I’ve been through—it’s about what God wants to do in them.

Alexis: How did God help you find peace in the middle of your pain and uncertainty?

Sarah: Peace looked like small, quiet moments. Sitting with Scripture, whispered prayers, and choosing to trust God when I didn’t understand what He was doing.

There were still questions and uncertainty. That part didn’t magically disappear. But over time, I began to realize that peace wasn’t the absence of pain—it was the presence of God in the middle of it. It was the sense that I wasn’t alone in what I was walking through. That even when everything around me felt unstable, I was still being held.

Alexis: How did God help you release shame and discover your worth in Jesus Christ?

Sarah: Shame has a way of convincing you that you are what you’ve been through. It doesn’t just remind you of your past—it tries to redefine you by it.

For a long time, I carried that weight. I believed the lie that my worth was somehow tied to my mistakes— that I had to spend my life making up for them or proving I was still enough. But God began to show me that shame is not from Him. It’s something He came to remove.

And He didn’t do that all at once—it was a process. Through Scripture, prayer, therapy, and the steady encouragement of people who spoke truth over me when I couldn’t see it for myself, God started to gently unravel the lies I had believed. He kept reminding me that my past does not define my worth—and that I don't have to earn His love. It was already mine. Little by little, that truth began to take root. I started to see the difference between conviction and condemnation. One draws you closer to God, and the other pushes you into hiding.

Over time, I began to understand that my worth wasn’t something fragile I could lose—it was something secure in Christ. I realized that God was never asking me to carry shame. He was inviting me to lay it down. And when that finally settled into my heart, it didn’t just change how I saw myself, it changed how I lived.

Alexis: What has God taught you about how faith can flourish in barren seasons?

Sarah: He taught me that barren doesn’t mean empty.

Some of the deepest growth in my life didn’t happen in seasons of abundance. It happened in seasons where I felt stripped down to almost nothing. The things I once relied on were gone or shaken, and I didn’t have the answers I thought I needed. But that’s where something shifted. Because that’s where my faith stopped depending on circumstances and started depending on God.

In those barren seasons, I learned that faith isn’t proven when everything is going right—it’s formed when you choose to trust God when nothing makes sense. When prayers feel unanswered. When the outcome is unclear. When all you can do is take the next step in front of you.

God showed me what looked like a barren season was a season of preparation. God was strengthening my foundation, reshaping my understanding of who He is, and teaching me that even when life feels still or uncertain, He is always at work.

Alexis: How did reflection, journaling, and prayer help heal your pain?

Sarah: They gave my pain somewhere to go. Instead of carrying everything internally, I was able to process it with God honestly and openly, without filtering or trying to “clean it up” first.

There were moments when I didn’t even know what I was feeling, just that it was heavy. Journaling helped me slow down enough to name it. To get it out of my head and onto the page. It was in those pages that I began to see patterns—lies I had been believing, fears I hadn’t acknowledged, and places where I was still holding on instead of letting God in.

Prayer became less about saying the “right” words and more about being real with God. Sometimes it was just a sentence. Sometimes it was silence. But it was a space where I could bring everything—the questions, the anger, the grief—and trust that He could handle it.

Reflection helped me look back and recognize something I often missed in the moment: God had been with me all along.

Even in the seasons that felt the most confusing or painful, I could begin to trace His presence—through people, through small moments of provision, through the quiet ways He sustained me when I didn’t think I could keep going.

It didn’t take the pain away overnight. But it helped me process it, release it, and slowly begin to heal instead of just carry it.

Alexis: What is the BLOOM framework? How does it work?

Sarah: The BLOOM framework is a simple, intentional way to move from reading to transformation. Each chapter ends with this rhythm:

• Believe – Anchor yourself in a core truth
• Linger – Sit with Scripture and let it speak to you
• Observe – Notice what God is doing in your life
• Offer – Respond through prayer
• Magnify – Shift your focus to God’s presence and respond through action

It’s not meant to be overwhelming. It’s meant to be invitational. My hope is that readers don’t just close the book feeling inspired but equipped.

Alexis: Thanks for the interview, Sarah! God bless you and your book.

~*~
Author Bio: 

Sarah S. Brown is a Christian author and speaker who helps women anchor their identity in Christ and find renewed confidence through life’s hardest seasons. 

A former teacher, she contributed to Hope for the Holidays, A Year of Hope, and bestseller Stories of Good Grief, Vol.2. Sarah was named a Woman of Influence by the Nashville Business Journal. Her book, Even the Ashes Bloom, invites readers on a faith-filled journey from brokenness to spiritual renewal. 

Sarah lives in Tennessee with her husband and two sons and believes strong coffee and shared stories can change the world.

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Book Blurb:

Have you ever wondered if God could bring beauty out of the very thing that broke you? 

In Even the Ashes Bloom, Sarah S. Brown invites you on a heartfelt journey through heartbreak, healing, and hope. After walking through the devastation of divorce, Sarah discovered a God who doesn’t discard broken soil—He restores it. Through her story, you’ll find comfort in knowing that your pain isn’t wasted, your story isn’t over, and God is already planting seeds of new life in the very places that feel scorched.

Part memoir, part devotional, Even the Ashes Bloom weaves together Scripture, storytelling, and soul-nourishing reflection to help you:

• Find peace in the middle of pain and uncertainty
• Release shame and rediscover your worth in Christ
• See how faith can flourish even in barren seasons
• Embrace healing through reflection, journaling, and prayer

Each chapter ends with Sarah’s signature BLOOM framework—a guided rhythm of believing, lingering in truth, observing, offering prayer, and magnifying God’s presence in your life. Perfect for personal reading, small groups, or quiet time study, this book will meet you tenderly in the ache and remind you that God’s grace writes better endings than we ever could.

Even when all you see is ashes, God is already growing something beautiful.

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Buy Sarah’s book:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Books-A-Million

Walmart

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Connect with Sarah:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorsarahsbrown/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorsarahsbrown

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/authorsarahsbrown/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/authorsarahsbrown/

Website: sarahsbrown.com

Watch "Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters" movie on PureFlix

My Review of Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters (movie)

Review written by Alexis A. Goring

Pure Flix VIP Ambassador program asked me to review the movie Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters. I watched this heartwarming movie on August 5. First, I’d like to describe the storyline in the words of talking points from Momentum then I’ll share my thoughts (review).

According to Momentum, this movie is based on the New York Times Bestselling book written by Dr. Meg Meeker. Here’s the summary for this movie: When a wealthy businessman learns his daughter is engaged to a missionary, he embarks on a quest to keep her closer to home. But when his efforts go awry, he must learn to give up control and trust God with her future. Steve loves all three of his daughters – but does he really know who they are? Discover the heartfelt journey of a dad who is desperately trying to hold onto his little girls but learns he must give up control and trust God with their future.

Now for my review:

This movie was inspired by Dr. Meg Meeker’s best-selling book, “Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters.” The movie features real-life married couples Bart Johnson & Robin Lively and Maria Canals-Barrera & David Barrera. I thought that was a nice touch that made the movie all the more personal and engaging! In the movie, Steve has three daughters: Abby (adult), Zoe (teen) and Bridget (young tween). But this movie is centered more on Abby who wants to marry a missionary. She announces her engagement to Oz (the missionary) as a surprise when she visits home and says they plan to move to Kenya after they marry. This clashes with Steve’s plans for Abby to join the family business in Corporate America and have her own office as Junior Executive. From that point forward, the audience is taken on a wild ride of family conflict, drama, faith in action, life lessons and plot twists you won’t soon forget.

Themes of this movie included:

• Seeing your children through different phases of life and viewing them through the eyes of others
• The difficulty of letting go as your children grow and allowing them to live their own lives (trusting them to fly the coop)
• Competition between dad and future son-in-law
• Who is in control? Us or God? 
• Parenting is about being present and available and encouraging them to pursue their own dreams
• Forgiveness
• Acknowledging mistakes were made in order to change and grow
• Seeing past your own expectations and allowing people to discover their own gifts and own path in life

I loved everything about this movie except the way they portrayed Kenya and talked about Africa. As a person of color who is part of the African Diaspora, I find it offensive when people in real-life or in fiction/media/movies, talk about Africa with words that paint a picture of it as a dangerous, dark and wild place filled with lions and poor people who live in mud huts.

Sadly, these were the kind of references made several times by the characters in this movie (mainly Steve who played the father of the bride). At one point, Steve said his daughter (Abby) would be “Living in a mud hut” if she moves to Kenya. And at another point, he told his colleagues that “She’ll be playing with lions and hyenas.” 

These type of comments are not taken personal by mainstream America and obviously by the people who made this movie. But for people who have roots in the continent of Africa, such portrayal of their ancestors’ homeland is not only hurtful but untrue. This is 2022, most countries in Africa are civilized and have rich cities, nice restaurants, five-star hotels, expensive houses and luxurious resorts. Sure, there may be parts of Africa and other countries outside of Africa that are still tribal. But with the way Africa was talked about in this movie, you’d think the entire continent was stuck in primitive days. 

For me, the way that Africa was talked about took away from the beauty of this movie. However, I think that overall it was a wonderful movie and the acting was superb. It’s just hard to get over the negative light they shone on Kenya (Africa) and sadly it also hurts because these are views that people have about Africa in real-life not just in fiction or movies. It’s hurtful and hard move past as a person who has roots in Africa.

Here's the website link to where you can watch Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters:
https://www.pureflix.com/movie/strong-fathers-strong-daughters

See the movie trailer:
https://youtu.be/M7piWfjoypc

Watch the Momentum Influencers Interview conducted by Jean Thomason featuring Dr. Meg Meeker, author of the book that inspired this movie here:
https://youtu.be/GNZvXTrk95M

Before you go, enter this contest for your chance to WIN one 3-month PureFlix subscription!

Please note: This giveaway is limited to U.S. residents only. The giveaway starts today and ends on August 14, 2022.

Here is the Giveaway Contest link:
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/f8dcb68c397/

Disclosure: Many thanks to Pure Flix for providing a sample of the product for this review. Opinions are 100% my own.

#StrongFathersMIN #MomentumInfluencerNetwork

Devotionals for the Heart: Emotions

Surrendering Our Emotions to God
A devotional by Monique Anderson

“So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.” 

– Galatians 5:16-17 (NIV)

When it comes to relationships in the natural, we depend heavily on our feelings.

We rely on how a person makes us feel to determine how good or bad the relationship is. If the person gives us butterflies, makes us feel good, or comfortable, or safe then we decide that this is a good relationship, and this person cares about us. Being human beings of this world, we are naturally led by our feelings. But as we know, this is a fallen world. So are our feelings reliable leaders for our lives?

Having emotions, or even being emotional isn’t necessarily a bad thing. God gave us different emotions for a reason. He wants us to feel joy, happiness, excitement, and love. At the same time we also have to go through feelings of sadness, sorrow, grief, and anger. It is not what we feel that causes a problem, it’s how we respond to those feelings that can be dangerous. The way that we respond to our emotions can either lead to healing and peace, or brokenness and conflict.

The Bible provides several examples of those who mishandled their emotions. Below are some examples (from books in the Bible) of where these people’s misguided feelings led them.

Example #1: Anger. In Genesis, Cain killed his brother because of uncontrolled anger and jealousy in his heart. 

Example #2: Fear. In Genesis, Abraham lied to Abimelech about Sarah because he was afraid of losing his life.

Example #3: Lust. In 2 Samuel, David was led by lust and committed adultery with Bathsheba.

Example #4: Guilt. Judas killed himself because of the guilt he felt after betraying Jesus.

Letting our emotions take control of our decisions leads to bad choices and puts a wedge between you and your relationship with God.

I am guilty of frequently using the phrase “I don’t feel like it” whenever it comes to things that I need to be doing; specifically, the things that God instructs me to do. Instead of prioritizing my time for the work that He has trusted me with, I instead succumb to my feelings and my mood. The time that should be delegated to writing or studying God’s Word (The Holy Bible), gets overthrown by how I feel at that moment.

I realized that this was starting to put a strain on my relationship with God. I am not serving Him well when my emotions led me away from Him. Unlike the relationships we are used to in the natural, me relying on my feelings does not strengthen my relationship with God. I am learning to detach from my feelings and align myself to the Holy Spirit.

This is how our relationship with God was intended to be. We are to walk with God through life and use His Spirit as our helper and guide. John 14:26 (ESV) tells us: “But the helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”

He is who we should rely on. The Holy Spirit can’t lie nor lead us astray … but our feelings? Our feelings will send us on an emotional rollercoaster, tossing us to and from. Our feelings change so frequently depending on our circumstances or mood. They are fickle and unreliable. So how can we allow the instability of our emotions to be the dictator of our lives? How can we make decisions based on feelings instead of God’s truth?

When we rely on our emotions more than the Holy Spirit, our emotions become our idol. We give into them. We obey them. They run our lives. We even allow our feelings to determine how much God loves us. When we don’t feel God’s presence, we think He has abandoned us. When we don’t feel the Holy Spirit when we pray or worship, we think God is not listening or paying attention to us. We are putting God in a box of how we think He should express his love for us.

We need to remember God is always present whether you feel Him or not. Don’t become so reliant on the “feeling” of God that you walk away from Him when He has actually never left your side.

So how can we respond well to our emotions?

We give them to God. We lay them at His feet. We surrender to Him everything inside of us that does not align with His character. We ask Him, “Why am I feeling this way?” Ask God, “What do these feelings really mean?” He will lead you in how to respond well. In our relationship with God, it is better to be emotionally detached than emotionally driven.

Let’s Pray: Heavenly Father, help us in detaching our emotions from our relationship with you. Help us to rely solely on the Holy Spirit to lead us in making the right decisions for our lives. I pray we no longer allow feelings to dictate how you love us. Give us the strength to not succumb to our feelings and make them idols. Holy Spirit, prompt us to follow your lead and teach us how to not follow our emotions. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

End note from Monique: I would like to recommend the following book by Peter Scazzero as a resource for remaining emotionally healthy in your Christian walk, Emotionally Healthy Spirituality: It's Impossible to Be Spiritually Mature, While Remaining Emotionally Immature.

~*~
Author Bio:

Monique M. Anderson is a writer, wife, and bonus mom to a 14 year old. She just recently unleashed her always present yet hidden talent of writing to the masses. She was born and raised in Mount Vernon, NY where she still resides, and serves on the prayer team of her church The Gathering Harlem.

Monique always felt like God was chasing after her, but never felt the need to surrender. Until that is when life started veering left, and she no longer wanted to steer so she finally gave Jesus the wheel. After forming her relationship with God she always felt compelled to share the revelations that the Word gave to her. She always felt the Holy Spirit prompting her to write, but was afraid of what people might think. So her writing started in her journal. The journal turned into a book, and the book into a blog.

Slowly but surely God’s love started to cast out all fear. She started to consistently update her bi- weekly blog called “Yours Truly, Moe.” Her obedience led to further revelation. God revealed to her that He would use her to help others along their walk the same way God helped her along hers. Since Monique did not grow up in church she always felt intimidated by the Christian life. She thought that she would be losing so much of herself, not realizing that she would actually find her TRUE self.

Since God has shown her who He really created her to be, she now feels it is her life’s work to help those that are taking their first baby steps in this walk with Christ. She is doing so through her blog, and soon to be published book. Monique is excited to extend her reach to podcasts and speaking engagements in the near future.

Her blog is the stepping stone to fulfilling the vision God gave to her – “Sharing God’s revelations so we can all reflect his image and fulfill his purpose.”

~*~
Connect with Monique:
Website: www.yourstrulymoe.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yourstruly__moe/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Yours-Truly-Moe-140255684101423

Romantic Reads: For the Love of Joy

The Story Behind the story For the Love of Joy by Janet W. Ferguson

When I started writing my novel The Art of Rivers which dealt with the very difficult topic of addiction, I had no idea I’d have the character of Davis Donnelly practically jump off the page with personality.

He was only planned to be a minor secondary character in that story who was a year sober and living in a sober living house. But his wit and his faith and hilarious sayings were such a blessing to me as I delved into such a sad topic to research and address. I believe this character was God’s gift to provide a bit of humor and relief both to me and the reader. He also showed up in the next novel Star Rising as a witty and encouraging friend to the heroine. At that point I knew Davis had to have his own story next.

In my mind, he’d had a tough background where he’d ended up in foster care. I knew that he’d been in the military in Afghanistan and had an IED blow up and kill one of his friends which contributed to his alcohol addiction. But what I didn’t realize right away was that there was a woman in his in past that he hadn’t quite let go of—his ex-wife Joy. Then as she began to fully form in my imagination, she was just as much a hoot as Davis. They were two sides of the same coin. She is a tough country girl who can hunt and fish and give Davis a run for his money, and her quirky colloquialism certainly rival his.

When I planned to write this story beginning in January 2020, I had no idea what a crazy year 2020 would be. Writing romantic comedy while the news is reporting doom and gloom was a challenge, but I also believe perhaps that was God’s plan too. I don’t know about you, but I sure needed something to laugh about!

~*~
Author Bio:

Janet W. Ferguson is a Grace Award winner, FHL Readers Choice Winner, and a Christy Award finalist. 

She grew up in Mississippi and received a degree in Banking and Finance from the University of Mississippi. 

She has served as a children’s minister and a church youth volunteer. An avid reader, she worked as a librarian at a large public high school. She writes humorous inspirational fiction for people with real lives and real problems.

Janet and her husband have two grown children, one really smart dog, and a cat that allows them to share the space.

~*~
For the Love of Joy (book blurb):

Is he married or isn’t he? 

Years ago, a Dear John letter and then an IED explosion overseas rocked Davis Donnelly’s world and left him unclear about his marital status. He’d signed divorce papers, but broken mentally and physically, he’d never bothered to find out if his marriage actually ended. 

Now that he’s about to start a new position as an outreach minister, it’s time to settle things once and for all. At the moment he tracks down his wife—or former wife?—she takes a tumble while chasing a little boy. Her son. And that’s when life flips upside down.

Joy Jennings Donnelly made her share of mistakes. But one thing she never considered a mistake was her child, and she’ll do anything to protect him. Even keep his paternity a secret.

When she’s suddenly injured with not a soul to help her or her son, Joy is forced to rely on the man who has the most reasons to hate her.

~*~
Buy For the Love of Joy on Amazon or Barnes and Noble
​
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Connect with Janet:
Website: https://www.janetfergusonauthor.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JanetwFerguson
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/janet-w-ferguson
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15138027.Janet_W_Ferguson

Celebrate Lit blog tour stop, featuring Tim Witte's book "Back to God"

Welcome to my blog's stop on Tim Witte (author of Back to God: The Journey of Hope Through a Broken World)'s book tour! I enjoyed reading this book by Witte. I hope that you will enjoying reading this details about his book and reading my review too! 

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About the Book

Book title = Back to God: The Journey of Hope Through a Broken World

Author: Tim Witte

Genre:  Nonfiction

Release Date: January 27, 2020

Back to God: The Journey of Hope through a Broken World is a timeless, grace-filled message from the Bible to bring us back to God. 

Sometimes we long not for escape but to find our way in the midst of the questions burning in our minds. Who can I trust? Do I have meaning? What hope do I have?

In a society where nothing is permanent, technological advances increase our sense of vulnerability, and relationships come and go, we long for one unchanging element in which we can trust and rest in wholeheartedly without fear. We long for hope. 

Author Tim Witte conveys just that with Back to God, offering foundational principles from the timeless truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ: the message of unfailing hope that meets us in our broken world, a promise from the only one who cannot lie and who will not fail, and a powerful word from God to bring us back to God.

Back to God is neither academic nor profoundly apologetic but is a truthful, down-to-earth dialogue filled with illustrations that will resonate with readers who long for true answers from the Bible for life’s biggest problems.

~*~

My Review:

Tim Witte, author of Back to God: The Journey of Hope through a Broken World, is a talented author! I am grateful that I had the opportunity to read and review this book for Celebrate Lit.

Witte’s storytelling skills are so smooth and completely captivating that I thought I was reading the first chapter of this book when I was only reading the Preface! I realized that after I turned the first few pages and saw the Acknowledgments section.

He takes stories from real life like the Columbine High School massacre that happened in Colorado in April 1999, and the fatal Space Shuttle Columbia disaster that occurred in February 2003, and makes them more compelling with a strong human-interest hook. Witte retells each story in a way that tugs at the readers’ heartstrings. His storytelling creates a deeper sense of empathy for the people who lost their lives during those tragic times in American history.

The author proves his point and presents his case for why humankind needs to return “back to God” throughout this book! He supports every claim with verses from The Holy Bible. Perhaps the verse on which this book was founded is Psalm 14:1-3 (ESV):

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”

They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds;

there is none who does good.

The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man,

to see if there are any who understand,

who seek after God.

They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt;

there is none who does good,

not even one.

The author presents his case early on in this book. It is a case for acknowledgment of and healing from what he calls “spiritual brokenness and pollution.” His findings are well backed by facts, statistics, and of course, the stories that fill the pages of this nonfiction book.

As a reader, I appreciated how the sentences flowed seamlessly into paragraphs and how the perfectly formatted paragraphs neatly filled each page. But it was the author’s fluid storytelling style that kept me turning the pages of this well-written book!

The author addresses deep questions that most people have in common because they are all a natural-occurring part of the human experience: “Who can I trust? Do I have meaning? What hope do I have?”

Witte effectively conveys in his book that we do have hope in Jesus Christ! Nothing that we face in life is utterly hopeless because God promises to never leave us nor forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6) and His Son Jesus Christ walks with us through the mountains and valleys of life here on Earth (Psalm 139:8). Jesus will be here for us until the end of human history (Matthew 28:20)!

This is one the most truth-filled, down-to-earth books filled with messages of faith and hope, that I have ever read! I truly enjoyed this read and finished the book with a feeling of encouragement.

*Celebrate Lit provided me (Alexis A. Goring) with a complimentary copy of this book, Back to God: The Journey of Hope through a Broken World by Tim Witte. My opinions in this book review are my own.

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About the Author

Writer and veteran Bible teacher Tim Witte holds a bachelor’s in Bible and Greek from Bryan College in Dayton, Tennessee, and studied computer science at Austin Peay State University.

He lives in northern Indiana with his wife of thirty years. They have three daughters, two sons-in-law, and two grandsons.

Tim enjoys teaching Bible classes at his church, woodworking, barbecuing, and spending time with family.

~*~

Words from the author (Tim Witte):

If I Should Die Before I Wake

Next to a chainsaw, the most dangerous tool you could find in my hand is a rhyming dictionary. The good news is I have not touched a chainsaw for months. The bad news is I recently dusted off New Rhyming Dictionary and Poetry Handbook. My subject is prayer so maybe, with much prayer, I can do more good than harm.

A Child’s Prayer

Writing Back To God made me reflect on the people and events God used in preserving my life and leading me to faith in Christ. Though I did not have a clear understanding of the gospel as a child, my parents laid a good foundation with biblical truths about God and myself. One of my earliest memories is of my Mom stooping beside my bed and having me repeat this prayer:

Now I lay me down to sleep,

I pray the Lord my soul to keep;

If I should die before I wake,

I pray the Lord my soul to take.

That nightly routine and the words of that little prayer helped establish a Godward orientation to my life. Not every child receives that. I learned some vital truths at a very young age:

• I learned I could pray to God. What a concept! Many PhDs have not figured that out.
•  I learned I was not ready to go to sleep until I had said my prayers. I don’t speak of praying in that way now; it sounds more ritualistic than personal. Yet, it conveyed the priority of praying to God.
• I learned that God could protect me, but I should not presume upon that protection. I should ask for it.
• The third line presents the possibility of death. It would have been bizarre and borderline cruel if, night after night, my mother had said, “Now remember Timmy, you might die in your sleep. Good night!” However, prayer is serious business, and I can talk to God about the scariest stuff.

Additionally, I learned my eternal destiny was not to be taken for granted; it was to be a matter of prayer. Ultimately, God would decide where I ended up.

As one would expect, my prayers became more varied and improvised as I matured. For most of my adolescence, I continued a somewhat sporadic pattern of prayer at night.

Gospel-ignited Prayer

However, the time came while in the Army when I ceased to pray. I recount some of this in Back to God. My life was a sinful mess. The last thing I wanted to think about was what happens “if I should die before I wake.” For prayer to be possible one has to have hope, but I was hopeless. Prayer would only be reawakened in me when another soldier brought me God’s message of hope.

Interestingly, my evangelist started the conversation by asking, “Tim, do you know where you would go if you died tonight?” From there, he proceeded to share the gospel of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. That prompted me to read the Bible, and particularly the book of Romans. I was overwhelmed by the astonishing message of God’s grace. Then the flame of prayer was reignited when I read, “For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved'” (Rom. 10:13). God heard my cry that day, and now I have the Holy Spirit dwelling in me and teaching me to cry, “Abba! Father!” (Rom. 8:15).

So recited prayers can be powerful tools for instructing small children about themselves and God. Such prayers may help them form a daily habit of praying. However, only the gospel has power to kindle the eternal flame of prayer in our hearts.

A Responsive Prayer

You may want to take cover now as I am about to wax poetic. Understanding the role that prayers can have in teaching important theological truths and the necessity of the gospel to ignite prayer in the heart, I recently composed a responsive bedtime prayer for my daughter and son-in-law to use with their young sons. I patterned it after the prayer my mother taught me, but I filled it with gospel hope.

Child:

As I lay me down, I pray,

Thank you Jesus for this day.

By your grace forgive my sin, 

Make me true and clean within. 

Parent:

Holy Jesus guard your sheep,

For you died our souls to keep.

Keep us trusting in your grace, 

Till we see you face to face.

~*~

                        Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, July 27

For the Love of Literature, July 28

Artistic Nobody, July 29 (Author Interview)

Inklings and notions, July 30

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 31

Simple Harvest Reads, August 1 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, August 2

My Devotional Thoughts, August 3 (Author Interview)

deb’s Book Review, August 4

For Him and My Family, August 5

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, August 6 (Author Interview)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, August 7

Mary Hake, August 8

Blossoms and Blessings, August 9 (Author Interview)

God is Love, August 9

~*~

Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, Tim is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon gift card and a signed copy of the book!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! 

Click the link below to enter:

https://promosimple.com/ps/fe35/back-to-god-celebration-tour-giveaway

Devotionals for the Heart: True Love

Deciding to Love
A devotional by Christa MacDonald

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” 
– 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NIV)

The very first novel I wrote I stuck in a drawer, never again to see the light of day. It was a mess, and after trying to fix it I decided it just wasn’t meant to be.

Occasionally, though, one of the scenes will pop into my head like a little echo while I’m writing something else. Often they’re the gems hidden in the dross. That was the case today when I sat down to write this devotional featuring the verse above. In a scene from that ‘lost novel’ a man named Owen is sitting in the office of the church pastor who is attempting a ‘come to Jesus.’ The pastor reads these verses to Owen, who realizes that real love requires sacrifice. Romantic love takes us over in a rush, but the kind of love God calls us to is different. Love is a decision. It’s choosing faith over fear.

In the same scene, the pastor also reads a quote from The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis:

“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.”

Owen is gutted by these words because he sees that that was what he had been doing to his own heart – walling it off, keeping all emotion at bay so he could function day to day – instead of facing his pain and receiving healing. A heart like that is incapable of love.

There has been a lot written about love, but nothing can match the example of love that Jesus Christ gave when He voluntarily laid down his life for us on the cross. On top of that, He actually bore our sins, which is something that we have no real ability to comprehend.

God’s Word (The Holy Bible) tells us that such a great sacrifice is the foundational truth for our love of other people, considering them more important than ourselves, praying for them, assisting them, and fulfilling God’s command in Scripture that calls us to love our neighbors as ourselves. True love is only truly understood through the revelation of God in the Bible, which calls us to love God first, thus fulfilling the requirements of what love actually is.

To love is to persevere. In marriage, in parenting, even in friendships love is tested. If we truly love, that love goes on. These verses give us the standard and boy is it high. Because love in its true sense comes only from God, it is only through a saving faith in Jesus Christ that it’s even possible to come close to attaining it.

~*~
Author Bio:

Christa MacDonald is a 2017 ACFW Carol Award finalist for contemporary Christian fiction.

A native New Englander, she was inspired by her travels through the north woods of Maine to write The Broken Trail, which would become the first in the Sweet River Redemption series published by Mountain Brook Ink.

Christa's writing focuses on the real-life challenges of the modern world, love’s sometimes crooked path, and the redemptive power of Grace.

When not working or writing Christa can be found ferrying her kids around, reading, or attempting something crafty.

She and her husband live with their three kids, two cats, and one dog along the coast of New England. Connect with Christa at www.christamacdonald.com.

Devotionals for the Heart: Time

Reflections on Time

A devotional by Chaplain Paul Anderson

Key Scripture: Ecclesiastes 12:1 and 1 Timothy 4:12

While traveling home on a plane recently, I listened to a playlist from the 80s. I can’t escape the fact that that was my era of preferred music.

The song “Time Keeps on Slipping Into the Future” by Jackson Browne came on. That song was soon followed by Teddy Pendergrass singing “Wake Up Everybody”. Can you hear them? While grooving to “my tunes” and feeling nostalgic, I realized that I don’t live there anymore. Time has slipped into the future.

I thought about where life had taken me. I thought about what I have seen, what I have done, what I have achieved and acquired. Time has treated me pretty well. But, time is not up yet. There is still life to be lived, work to be done, people to help, things to do and places to go.

I looked out of my window to the sky, not for inspiration, but just to see the sky and the clouds. The tracker said that we were moving at about 350 miles per hour. I thought, my how time flies.

As I peered out of the window at the tops of puffy white clouds and blue sky around us, the verse from Ecclesiastes 12:1 leapt into my mind. “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them”. It occurred to me right then, that I am younger right now than I will ever be. I need to value this time, cherish my freedom and invest my health and substance in things and people who matter. You do too.

Yes, we are younger than we will ever be, but we still have ideas and goals that are noble and meaningful. Some friends may say “Why now? You are retired already and old”. Immediately, another verse of scripture popped into my mind. “Let no man despise thy youth…”. “We are younger than we’ll ever be. Don’t despise our youth or allow anyone else to do so!” “Why not? Why not now? Why not me? Why not us?”

James Allen wrote in his book As A Man Thinketh, the following paragraph. “All achievements, whether in the business, intellectual, or spiritual world, are the result of definitely directed thought, are governed by the same law and are of the same method; the only difference lies in the object of attainment."

How we think influences what we believe and what we can achieve. I subscribe to optimism and recommend it to you. Whatever your station or circumstance in life, you can choose optimism or pessimism. One strengthens and ennobles, the other enfeebles. 

Remember that God is infinite, omnipotent and all knowing. Enthusiasm is the abode of divinity. It is where impossibilities are made kinetic and improbabilities are realized. You are younger now than you will ever be. What will you do? Where will you go? Who will you help? 

I close with an old poem about momentum, possibility, and enthusiasm:

Tis The Set Of The Sail – Or – One Ship Sails East

by Ella Wheeler Wilcox

But to every mind there openeth,

A way, and way, and away,

A high soul climbs the highway,

And the low soul gropes the low,

And in between on the misty flats, 

The rest drift to and fro. 

But to every man there openeth, 

A high way and a low, 

And every mind decideth, 

The way his soul shall go. 

One ship sails East, 

And another West,

By the self-same winds that blow, 

'Tis the set of the sails 

And not the gales, 

That tells the way we go. 

Like the winds of the sea 

Are the waves of time, 

As we journey along through life, 

'Tis the set of the soul, 

That determines the goal, 

And not the calm or the strife. 

~*~

Author Bio:

Chaplain Anderson served for 20 years as a U.S. Navy Chaplain. Over 26 years of active duty, he was promoted through the ranks from Seaman Apprentice (E2) to his final rank as Commander (O5) in the Chaplain’s Corps.

Prior to his Naval career, Chaplain Anderson pastored in the Allegheny East and Potomac Conferences of Seventh-day Adventists. His undergraduate preparation for ministry was completed at Columbia Union College (WAU) in Takoma Park, Maryland. He has subsequently earned four graduate degrees–a Master of Divinity from Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan, a Master of Education in Counseling and Personnel Services from the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland and a Masters of Sacred Theology in Religion and Culture from Boston University. His Doctor of Ministry degree was conferred by Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C.

Chaplain Anderson also completed four units of Clinical Pastoral Education at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. He also holds certifications in Suicide Awareness and Prevention, Civil Mediation, Alternative Workplace Dispute Resolution, Temperament Analysis, Marriage Enrichment, Workforce Diversity, and is a certified Life Coach.