Devotionals for the Heart: When you wish you could start over

When You Wish You Could Choose A Different Ending 
A devotional by Angela Anderson

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” –Romans 8:28 (NKJV)

One day my oldest son came home with a book from the library.

He was so excited about this book and eager to get started because it was a book that allowed him to choose his own ending. Furthermore, this book was written from a second-person point of view so that the reader takes on the role of the main character. As the book progresses, the reader can choose the main character’s actions which determines the outcome of the plot.

My son found his favorite spot in his room and began to read the book. As time passed, he came out of his room appearing disappointed. He told me that he was not happy with the ending. Well, all he had to do was go back to the page in the book where he made the wrong choice, and then he decided to follow a different pre-written plot so that he could experience a happy ending.

Have you ever had such a bad day that you wished you could just start over? Maybe you recollected something that went wrong during the day, and you just wanted to rewind and do things a little differently. Perhaps there is a situation in your life where you regret a decision that you made. You wonder how things would be now if only you had made another choice back then. You wished it were as simple as turning back to a page in the storybook of your life and choosing a better ending.

Fortunately, God gives us another chance. He specializes in taking an unpleasant situation and creating a favorable outcome. The verse for today’s devotional thought expresses this the best: “…all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28 NKJV).

This is reassuring us that our God is able to make wrong things right, crooked paths straight, barren places fertile, and old things new. God does not want us to live a life of regret, or to wonder “if only.” Instead, He wants to forgive us of our past mistakes, and then provide us with the opportunity to get our lives on track. I am so grateful that when we serve a God of love and mercy.

Let’s Pray: Dear God, thank you for being a God of second chances. Your grace allows us to forget our past mistakes and walk boldly into the future, knowing that You have prepared the way for the best possible outcome. Thank you for working things out for our good. We love you and we will always serve you. In Jesus’s name we pray. Amen.

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Author Bio:

Angela Anderson was born in Brooklyn, NY, and raised in NJ. She found her love for writing when she was in elementary school. She continued writing through high school, college, and into adulthood. 

Angela is the author of a devotional book titled, Just When I Thought I Knew God, and a children's book that is not yet published.

In 2021, Angela started writing articles for an online magazine called Christian Women Living, where she focuses on writing messages for mothers and sharing advice on parenting. In addition to this, Angela wrote a devotional that is featured in a book published by Proverbs 31 Ministries. The book title is Hope When Your Heart is Heavy.

Angela has a passion for inspiring and impacting others through her writing as well as speaking. She is the co-founder of Anchor Moms, a ministry to cure loneliness in Motherhood. Currently, this ministry meets via a group on Facebook.

Angela has been married to the love of her life, Duane Anderson, for 17 years. Together, they have two sons: Thomas (age 9) and Ryan (age 4). Angela’s favorite pastime is journaling, and she also enjoys spending quality time with her family. Her personal mission is to empower others to achieve their goals and dreams.

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Connect with Angela:
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/angela.thomasanderson
Facebook fan page for her devotional book, Just When I Thought I Knew God:
https://www.facebook.com/jwitikg/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angelanderson1104/

Thankful Thursdays: My Thoughts on The Gift of Time and Friendship

Thankful Thursdays: The Gift of Time and Friendship

It’s Thursday and I’m thankful for the gift of time and friendship.

My friend Holly brought this to my attention about a year ago. We’ve been friends for a few years. We talk often and during one of our conversations, she told me, “You have the gift of time and friendship.”

Her words caused me to pause because I’d never thought of time as a gift. I’ve always thought that friends who God placed into my life are a gift. But never once did I consider nor did I realize just what a precious gift time is especially for those who are running out of it.

Holly’s words caused me to re-evaluate my life. She spoke those timely words to me during a tough time in my career journey. It had been years since I graduated from college and my career path looked nothing like I planned. But still, God was present and blessing me through all the detours He led me to take in the journey to my dreams.

I thought my dreams had come true last year when God enabled me to land a full-time job in Journalism at a major magazine without even interviewing for the job. However, that journey as a journalist ended after five months.

However, that was all part of God’s perfect plan, because once again I had more time to spend with Him and more time to finish writing my devotional book! My devotional book, Stories and Songs of Faith: My Journey with God, was published in April 2020. God confirmed that this was part of His plan. He confirmed it through the words of my friends who’ve read my book and through all of the ratings which as I write this blog post, are ALL five-star ratings!

My time with God has been and continues to be precious. I realize more than ever how important it is to always make room for Him in my life and spend time studying His Word (The Holy Bible). The older I get, the more I see just how precious His Word is and how important it is to apply His truth, promises and principles to my everyday life.

I have not landed a new full-time job since my magazine job didn’t work out last year but I have been abundantly blessed by God during this time with Him and with the people in my life who love me (family and friends).

The Gift of Friendship

Growing up, I loved to read books. Every summer, our dad would drive my brother and I to the local library to borrow books. My brother would borrow books about dinosaurs and puppies while I would reach for books about friendships and characters falling in love.

Never had I ever thought that when I grew up, I’d become friends with my favorite authors whose books I read as an adult! Thanks to Facebook, becoming friends with authors has become as simple as sending a friend request. But what I cherish even more than becoming Facebook friends with these wonderful writers, is becoming real-life friends offline! I’ve met most of my favorite authors at a Christian writers’ conference that God made a way for me to attend five years ago and He continues to connect me with more of my new favorite authors! It’s such a blessing.

It’s truly special to my heart when my favorite authors and I become such good friends that we call each other on the phone even if we cannot meet in person (my author friends live across the USA and around the world).

Just before writing this Thankful Thursdays post today, I was looking at my friends on Facebook and praising God for exactly what they are: blessings!

God helped me realize how He made all of this possible. He showed me that He has perfect timing and that He has good plans for my life (Jeremiah 29:11). God reminded me that He cares about my heart’s desires.

God knew who He would bring into my life before I even asked Him or petitioned Him in prayer. Just like God knows exactly who I need in my life, He knows who you need too! Trust Him to coordinate your connections!

It’s Thursday and I’m thankful for the gift of time and friendship.

What are you thankful for today?

Sincerely,

Alexis A. Goring, MFA
Founder of "God is Love" blog

Author interview: Laura Jackson

Today I am hosting a talented author who works a day job as a school librarian! Laura Jackson is her name and I hope you will enjoy getting to know her on my blog today.

But first, here's a gift just for you: Laura has agreed to give away one paperback copy of her book to a U.S. resident and one e-book if you're international (live outside of the United States of America)! You can enter the book giveaway contest by leaving a comment that answers Laura's question at the end of this interview. You need to include your e-mail address in your comment so that if you're the winner, Laura can contact you to arrange the deliver of your prize. The contest starts today, Jan. 11 and ends on Sunday, Jan. 25. The winners will be announced in the comment section of this blog post on Monday, Jan. 26. The winner will be selected via an old-fashioned random drawing conducted by me (Alexis).

Are you excited? I hope so! Now on to the author interview (questions by Alexis in bold, answers from Laura not in bold)....

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Alexis: Your second Young Adult (YA) novel, Worth the Time, released last Thursday. Tell us about it.

Laura: Routinely ignored by her single mother, high school senior Lindsey Hamilton hides her loneliness behind a mask of flirtatious self-confidence that has many boys wrapped around her finger. However, during community service required for graduation, she meets a shy guy with a haunted past who barely gives her the time of day. Why doesn't he like her? 

Then the father she thought had abandoned her before birth wants to meet, and she discovers everything she believed about him is a lie. How will Lindsey learn to trust so she can realize that she has been loved all along? 

Who is your leading lady and main man for your book Worth the Time? Give us a glimpse into their character and history.

Lindsey is the mean girl from book one in the Waltham Academy series, and I wanted to know why she was so hateful. I always root for the underdog, but I didn’t expect to love her as much as I do. I have a soft spot for the abandoned girl who is so desperate to be loved.

Sutton is a guy Lindsey meets when she has to finish some community service hours. He’s had a hard life, but he loves Jesus.

The book features them, but the most important relationship in the book is the one between Lindsey and her Creator.

Share an anecdote that shows how you fell in love with YA books.

I love the realness and open honesty of YA books, I love seeing characters figure out who they are. Once, I was reading Sold by Patricia McCormick during our silent reading time. It was quiet in the room, and I screamed out, “SAY YOUR NAME! JUST SAY YOUR NAME!” My kids all jumped, and I of course had to share a little about the book. Couldn’t keep it on the shelves after that.

Do you miss your first career where you taught 7th grade language arts for eight years? Why or why not?

I do sometimes, but I really love being a librarian. I see grades 1-5 every day for an hour, and we have so much fun. We read books and do crafts and play games in response to the book. 

However, I do miss the older kids, the great discussions you can have, the relationships you build when you have the same kids every day and are responsible for their education.

Do you still work for the school system? Why or why not?

Yes, I’m the librarian at an elementary school in a suburb of Houston. I love sharing my love of reading with over 700 kids every year.

Is writing your full-time job now? Why or why not? 

I sometimes wish I could write full time, but I think the experiences I have through my job inspire my writing. Working at a school also gives me plenty of vacation time in which I can write. So, it’s a win-win.

Who is your favorite YA author? Why? 
Ally Carter is fantastic. Every single one of her books is tightly written with amazing characters and a fast-paced plot. She’s amazing. Check her out. It’s not Christian fiction, but it’s very clean.

What’s your favorite YA book ever? Why?

Sold by Patricia McCormick moved me like no other book has. There You’ll Find Me by Jenny B. Jones inspired me to begin writing Christian YA.

Describe your writing space. 

I write in my bed, surrounded by pillows. One day, I’ll have an office, but for now, I’m comfy.

What do you love about writing the most?

I’m not good at talking about my feelings, and it’s nice to get them all out through characters.

What is your least favorite part about being a writer?

Editing it. I enjoyed editing my books the first time, but by the fifth or sixth time, I’m so tired of the characters, plot, etc., I just want to throw it away.

As a woman of faith, what role does your belief in God play into your storytelling?

I love Coming of Age books, and even the best ones often miss the point—we find who we are in Jesus. And it’s that belief that pushes me to write about girls finding their worth, their way, and their identity in the One who made them.

If you could be one of your characters in real life, who would you choose? Why?

I’d want to be Ellie because I love Josh.

It’s a New Year! What are your greatest goals for your writing career in 2015?

To be more consistent in my writing. I want to finish two full novels and a novella.

Complete this sentence: My favorite Bible verse is ________________ because _______________________.

My favorite Bible verse is Philippians 4:11b in ESV, "I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content” because I feel that’s where God has me—learning to be content no matter where God has me.

Alexis: Thanks for the interview, Laura! Please leave a question for my readers to answer so they can qualify for your book giveaway.

Laura: Why do you like Young Adult (YA) books?

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Author bio: 

Laura Jackson loves books—reading and writing them. A life-long reader, Laura studied English in college and taught 7th grade language arts before earning her Master's degree and becoming a school librarian. Now, she spends her days sharing great books with kids and her evenings writing books about teenage girls discovering God and His plan for their lives.

Buy Laura’s books on Amazon.com:

Worth the Wait, http://amzn.to/1xBXG48

Worth the Time, http://amzn.to/14kcxEP

Connect with Laura online:

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LauraJackson80

Blog: http://authorlaurajackson.blogspot.com/

Instagram: ljack80