Devotionals for the Heart: Ginger's thoughts on saying "Yes" to God

On Saying YES!
A devotional by Ginger Solomon

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven”

~Ecclesiastes 3:1 (ESV)

This verse seems fitting to use it since this is my last devotion for the "God is Love" blog.

God asked me to step out and do something I had never done before, and I did. I stretched myself by writing a devotion for you for the last twelve months. I enjoyed it and learned so much.

But just as the verse says, “For everything there is a season,” and my season here at God is Love is complete with this post.

I don’t know exactly what God is calling me to next in my devotion writing, but I know He wants me to continue in some way. Maybe on my own blog, or maybe with someone else. When He reveals His will, I will follow.

That’s the gist of what He asks of us. When He calls, we answer. We obey. We say, “Yes, Lord.”

Oh, but it’s so hard at times.

It was HARD for me to say yes to writing these devotions. I’m not a non-fiction writer. Let me come clean. I’m rarely a non-fiction reader. What do I know? I read the Bible. I struggle through devotions and self-help books of any kind. I can usually only manage a few pages. But that’s not the point here.

I said yes, and I was blessed for the experience. Even if no one read my posts, I learned from what I wrote. God loves me that way. Even as I sit and write my novels, God speaks to me through my character’s self-talk or dialogue. He teaches me through the words that come through my fingers onto the screen. It’s how “I” learn best. And God is so GOOD to teach me in such a way.

As the New Year dawns in a few days, I challenge you to listen to God’s call. Say yes. Even if it seems like God is calling you to a place you’ve already been, or it seems like a step backward from where you are. Say yes. Oh, the blessings.

Let me tell you a quick story. First, I should say that I didn’t believe I could conceive children.

Oh, the grace and humor of our Father.

Three months after my husband and I said I do, I found out I was pregnant. Surprise! I was ecstatic, elated, emotional, etc. LOL

And then the fun started. Here’s the quick version:

· Son 1 – 1991

· Son 2 – 1993 (2 years, 1 week)

· Son 3 – 1997 (3 years, 4 months)

· Daughter 1 – 1998 (18 months minus one day)

· Daughter 2 – 2000 (18 months plus twelve days)

· Son 4 – 2002 (2 years, 3 months)

· Son 5 – 2004 (23 months)

Oh, my word. Seven kids in thirteen years. FIVE of them BOYS!

Our family (pictured above at my son's wedding)

I always say that God has a sense of humor. My husband wanted five children, and after having one, two sounded good to me. My husband got his five (boys), and I got my two (girls).

And it was HARD. Oh, so hard. I spent many nap times crying out to God. I was tired, frustrated, struggling with everything, and did I mention tired? AND I homeschooled them all. Hahaha.

But God saw me through. I didn’t kill anyone, and the experience didn’t kill me.

It was a season.

But now I’m about to step out of that season. My youngest is 14. In a few short years, he’ll be walking into his future just as his older siblings have done.

And the “being momma” 24/7/365 will be over. Oh, let’s be honest. It’s already over. Mostly. My teens don’t need me as much. My adults rarely do.

It’s bittersweet.

But it also means I’m stepping into a new season. And it’s a bit scary. I’ve been a mom for 27 years.

And yet, I don’t have a choice, because all those years ago, I said yes to God when he asked me to trust Him with my family size.

AND, OH, WHAT A BLESSING IT’S BEEN!

So, say “YES!” when God calls you because I KNOW, KNOW, KNOW He will blow your socks off with blessings when you do. (BTW, that doesn’t mean it won’t be hard.)

Many blessings on you and yours,

Ginger

~*~
Author Bio:

Ginger Solomon is a Christian, a wife, a mother to seven, and a writer—in that order (mostly).

She writes or reads inspirational romance of any genre, and if she’s busy homeschooling, doing laundry, or fixing dinner, books are on her mind.

She’s a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), president of her local writing group, and blogs regularly for InspyRomance.com and at gingersolomon.com.

Christmas on My Heart: On Angels’ Wings by Ginger Solomon

The story behind the story On Angels’ Wings by Ginger Solomon:

One day as I was surfing through my social media, I saw a person standing in front of a drawing of white angel wings on a black wall. I liked the picture.

My son is a decent artist on his tablet, so I asked him to duplicate the picture for me (his wings are behind my characters on the cover). Then I had to decide how I would incorporate those wings into my story. Yes, I had my cover design almost before I started the story. That rarely happens.

Sadly, that meant killing a few people—my heroine’s family—before the story started. From their deaths, Jenna Wing, my heroine, received enough money to start her own business, Angels’ Wings Bakery. But it also meant moving away from her childhood home.

Fast forward several months to her first Thanksgiving without her family. Her former neighbor, a woman who had been like a second mom to her, asks her adult son to invite Jenna to dinner, but he forgot. On Thanksgiving Day, he shows up unannounced and refuses to take no for an answer, well, his mother does.

And that’s where Jenna is reunited with Thomas, my hero. Sparks ignite within her when he’s anywhere close. They had since she was a teen and had a huge crush on him. A crush that rushed back the moment he walked in her bakery.

The story just took off from there. I don’t want to give too much away, but Jenna and Thomas deal with the repercussions of an attempted suicide, grief, and the urge to protect themselves from additional pain of loving someone.

This story touched me in so many ways. Every time I reread one of the lines I highlighted as one that affected me, I remember God’s rebuke. And yes, He rebukes ME through my stories. Sometimes it’s very gentle, and sometimes it’s like a slap in the face.

One of the gentler ones came with this statement made by Jenna, “I have to remember it doesn't matter what other people think of me. All that matters is how God sees me.”

I’m a people pleaser. I always have been. I care what others think of me. Too much at times. But in this story, God reminded me that the world (in general) will not accept me and may even persecute me because of my beliefs. But I have to remember and be reminded that God’s view of me is all that matters.

Am I doing what He has asked of me? Am I writing the stories He puts on my heart? Have I raised my kids to love Him? Do I live the life I say I live? Is my heart focused on Him?

And so many other things I ask myself. I always say that I write for His glory and not for the monetary rewards (good thing, ‘cuz those are very limited) or accolades (those are limited as well). But do I really write for His glory? In my heart, yes. In my mind, sometimes I want the money and the pats on the back. Yep, I’m human. But at the end of the day, I come back to the 3x5 card I have posted beside my monitor. It says, “Write for God alone.”

With On Angels’ Wings, I think I did. I wrote a story that touched me in so many ways. It taught me valuable lessons about my lack of belief, lack of trust, and people-pleasing problems.

I pray it touches others in a similar way. But God has control of that. And if He’s pleased with me, with the words I put on paper, then I’m a success—no matter what the world thinks of me.

~*~
Author Bio:

Ginger Solomon is a Christian, a wife, a mother to seven, and a writer—in that order (mostly). 

She writes or reads inspirational romance of any genre, and if she’s busy homeschooling, doing laundry, or fixing dinner, books are on her mind. 

She’s a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, president of her local writing group, and blogs regularly for InspyRomance.com and at gingersolomon.com.

~*~
Book Blurb for On Angels’ Wings:

Bakery owner, Jenna Wing prepares to spend Thanksgiving alone—her first without her family. 

When her former neighbor, Thomas Hayes, invites her to dinner, she finds that she can’t say no. Their previous friendship turns to something more, but Thomas’s family issues threatens their new-found relationship. 

~*~
Book Ginger's book on Amazon

Ginger's book is part of a boxed set called, "The Heart of Christmas: A Romantic Christmas Novella Collection." 

Here's the blurb for the entire boxed set: Announcing five new stories filled with faith, hope, forgiveness, and of course happily-ever-afters. Each story focuses on an element of the Nativity, from the angels to the wise men. Be swept up in the love of the season and the promise of forever that the Christ child, the true Heart of Christmas, brings.

~*~
Connect with Ginger:
Website
Inspy Romance Blog
Facebook Author Page
Twitter
Pinterest
Amazon Author Page

~*~

Enter this book giveaway contest for your chance to WIN a copy of this book by filling out the entry form on the Rafflecopter widget below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Devotionals for the Heart: Fear Not!

Fear Not!
A devotional by Ginger Solomon

“But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.
I praise God for what he has promised.
I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?
What can mere mortals do to me?”
~Psalm 56:3-4 (NLT)

I’ve been dealing with a lot of fear lately. I’m not sure why. Crazy hormones? Bad eating habits? Too much stress? A teen with a learner’s license?

Two years ago, I also dealt with fear, but then I had a specific reason. I was facing brain surgery. My neurosurgeon was confident in his abilities, but any little thing could have gone wrong and caused my death.

At the time, I took out a notebook and searched for verses about fear. I wrote a bunch of them down. Not every verse applied to me, but many did. And God buoyed my faith in Him at that critical time.

Today, I struggle.

And, sadly, I have not yet overcome. I wallow instead of praying. *Shrug* What can I say? I’m human. I forget God’s promises.

I’m sure you’ve heard, but I’ll tell you again, in case you didn’t know and to remind myself. “Fear not” is in the Bible 365 times. (Someone else says 366 to account for leap year, but I didn’t check it out.) Every day, God has given us a verse to fight against the fear.

And yet, here I am, living my life afraid.

What am I afraid of? In essence, it boils down to one thing—getting hurt. I don’t like to be in pain. But then who does? And I find this utterly amusing because for the last seven years, I have lived with chronic back pain.

I’m not afraid of heights. I’m afraid of falling, or more accurately, of landing. I’m not afraid of cars. I’m afraid of car accidents (people are crazy drivers). I’m not afraid of writing stories. I’m afraid of disappointing God by not writing the right story. Do you see where I’m going?

But my fear is holding me back. And, more importantly, it’s starting to affect my family.

I’ve taught five children to drive (that’s scary, in and of itself). I should have this whole sitting in the passenger seat down, but I don’t. I still get nervous. My inexperienced child is behind the wheel of a four-thousand-pound vehicle. And there are IDIOTS on the streets (and no, I don’t apologize for that word because it is absolutely accurate). Anything could happen.

And therein lies the rub.

I’m scared of what could happen. It steals my joy of the right now. It makes my child think I don’t trust his driving abilities, and really, it’s not him so much as it is what the other people are doing.

What I need to remember, and yes, I’m still working on it, is that GOD is in control. My fear is in direct opposition to trusting Him. If I trusted Him like I should, I don’t need to be afraid.

I learned that lesson during the month before my surgery. I trusted Him like I never had before. It was a supernatural faith. And I want it back. I want to look at life through the lens of faith.

My Prayer: Dear God, whatever comes my way today, help me have faith. Help me to trust in Your divine plan and if pain is a part of that plan then help me rely on You to get through it.

~*~
Author Bio:

Ginger Solomon is a Christian, a wife, a mother to seven, and a writer—in that order (mostly).

She writes or reads inspirational romance of any genre, and if she’s busy homeschooling, doing laundry, or fixing dinner, books are on her mind.

She’s a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), president of her local writing group, and blogs regularly for InspyRomance.com and at gingersolomon.com.

Devotionals for the Heart: You are NOT alone because God is with you!

I Am Not Alone
A devotional by Ginger Solomon

“And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone,

 for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.”~John 8:29 (ESV)

I wish I could say I always do things that are pleasing to God. However, even when I make mistakes or willfully sin, He is faithful to forgive me when I ask. He is always near when I call on Him.

I remember when my children were little. All they had to do was whimper and I would hear them if I was anywhere close. I could tell who it was, generally, and if it was an "I’m frustrated" cry or an "I’m hurt" cry. As they grew, especially the boys, it became harder to discern who was who, but if I listened carefully, I could tell. They each had their own voice.

I imagine that God can discern our voices as well. In addition, He can tell if our hearts are sincere or if we’re only saying the words. I’ve done it. I’m sure you have as well. Sung a song or prayed a prayer by rote because it’s expected. God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7), but I imagine He also loves a cheerful, or at least sincere, worshipper and pray-er.

And yet, many times I’m not sincere. I struggle with selfishness or pain or . . .

Life is not always easy. It doesn’t always feel good. It doesn’t always turn out the way we expect and yet, God is there. He is always near when I call. He hears me. He hears my anguish, my selfishness, my pain, and He doesn’t turn away. He can take my frustration and anger. He can handle my questions. That doesn’t mean He’ll answer them the way I want.

How many places in the Bible book of Psalms do we see David cry out to God in anger and ask why? And then a split second later, he’s praising God and telling himself to, basically, get over his selfishness and trust God.

In Psalm 42:9, we see one example. “I say to God, my rock: ‘Why have you forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?’” A few verses later, he asks himself, “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?” And then he admonishes himself. “Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God." (Psalm 42:11)

God doesn’t mind our questions. He doesn’t mind our frustrations or our anger. But, once we’re done, He expects us to remind ourselves of His faithfulness, righteousness, and holiness, and then make a decision. To trust Him. To place our hope in Him. To praise Him. To desire to please Him. Again and again and again.

Have you experienced a time when you expressed your anger toward God, and then, repentant, cried out to Him to help you understand, to comfort you in your distress, or to bring you peace? I know I have. I also know He has always been there.

*All Scripture in this devotional is from the English Standard Version (ESV) of The Holy Bible.

~*~
Author Bio:

Ginger Solomon is a Christian, a wife, a mother to seven, and a writer—in that order (mostly).

She writes or reads inspirational romance of any genre, and if she’s busy homeschooling, doing laundry, or fixing dinner, books are on her mind.

She’s a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), president of her local writing group, and blogs regularly for InspyRomance.com and at gingersolomon.com.

Devotionals for the Heart: Light

Be the Light
A devotional by Ginger Solomon

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” 
–Matthew 5:14-16 (NLT)

Light. A simple term for a complex word. The dictionary defines it this way: “something that makes things visible or affords illumination.”

Khan Academy says this about it, “All we see is light. Your face in the mirror, the trees on your street, that donut in the bakery window—you can see them because light bounces off of them and enters your eyes. Our eyes are designed to detect light and analyze the information it carries about the world around us.”

Did you know darkness cannot overcome light? It doesn’t matter how dark it is, light always shines forth. Even when we can’t see the sun, it still shines. The light may be blocked for a time, but it still exists.

I think that’s why WE are the light of the world. We are not called to it. It is part of who we are.

Just like a candle or a flashlight, we need to shine where we’re placed. Our job is to illuminate the darkness—to chase it back.

But what if we don’t do our jobs?

What if a candle loses its flame or a flashlight runs out of batteries? They are no longer useful—unless you relight the candle or replace the batteries.

What if your light has gone out?

Well, we know the ultimate source of power—God. Seek Him. Matthew 6:33 (NLT) tells us, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” 1 Cor. 4:20 (NLT) tells us, “For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God's power.”

We have to “plug in” to the true source of power, and when we do, He will supply what we need to do the work He has called us to do.

As I was working on this post, an OLD song came to mind. It came out in 1995, but I think it’s even more apropos to today’s world. I hope you don’t mind. It’s a song by Kathy Troccoli called “Go Light Your World.”

If we all allow our lights to shine for Jesus, what a difference we could make in this dark world. I encourage you to think about it. I sure have been.

~*~
Author Bio:

Ginger Solomon is a Christian, a wife, a mother to seven, and a writer—in that order (mostly).

She writes or reads inspirational romance of any genre, and if she’s busy homeschooling, doing laundry, or fixing dinner, books are on her mind.

She’s a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), president of her local writing group, and blogs regularly for InspyRomance.com and at gingersolomon.com.

Devotionals for the Heart: Seasons

Seasons of Life

A devotional by Ginger Solomon

“To every thing there is a season,

A time for every purpose under heaven;

A time to be born,

And a time to die;

A time to plant,

And a time to pluck what is planted;

A time to kill

And a time to heal;

A time to break down,

And a time to build up;

A time to weep,

And a time to laugh;

A time to mourn,

And a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones;

A time to embrace,

And a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to gain,

And a time to lose;

A time to keep,

And a time to throw away,

A time to tear, and a time to sew;

A time to keep silence,

And a time to speak;

A time to love,

And a time to hate;

A time of war,

And a time of peace.”

~Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (NKJV)

If I might be so bold, I might add, “A time for the sun to rise; And a time for it to set.”

As I write this, I am sitting in the corner of a cruise ship, watching the sunrise. This is something I like to do. It’s quiet, except for the workers preparing breakfast. I can get a fair amount of writing done, and then be free to spend the rest of the day enjoying my vacation with my family.

But that’s not really the point of this devotional.

Today’s society thinks they can say and do anything they want at any time, and that it doesn’t matter. But it does. We all know it. There are right and decent ways to go about making your voice heard. And it doesn’t matter if you believe in God or not; the truth is the truth.

What needs to be learned now is how to keep our mouths shut. As I mentioned in my last devotion, my son recently married a wonderful woman of God who happens to be black. And even in today’s “politically correct” society, people have said derogatory things to them. Where is the “tolerance” in this situation?

It’s my opinion that those who scream the loudest for tolerance, equal rights, and free speech refuse to allow it if it is contrary to what they believe.

I’m all for tolerance. Not everyone believes the way I do. I’m not going to condemn you if you don’t have several children or any for that matter. I’m not going to say you have to homeschool your kids if you choose to have them. I’m not even going to look down on you if you choose a lifestyle outside of my religious beliefs.

Let’s be honest, not everyone is equipped to deal with kids. I know a few people who really shouldn’t have any. I’m sure you know a few too. Nor is everyone called to homeschool (and I personally believe it must be a calling, because without God’s grace my kids would be dead). And while I would love for everyone to follow God and know His love, we all know that’s not going to happen. I can’t force someone else to believe. The old idiom, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink,” comes to mind.

What does all of this have to do with the rising and setting of the sun? Probably not much other than realizing there is a time and place to say your piece/peace, and sometimes, we (yes, I’m including myself here) need to keep our mouths shut. Shouting your beliefs won’t make people believe like you do. In truth, it makes them less likely to hear you.

Just as the sun rises every day (whether we see it or not), so truth remains truth even it’s hidden behind all the lies and shouting of the enemy. And the truth is, God wins in the end. '

The only question that remains (at least from our side) is, "How many of us will choose the winning side?"

~*~
Author Bio:

Ginger Solomon is a Christian, a wife, a mother to seven, and a writer—in that order (mostly). 

She writes or reads inspirational romance of any genre, and if she’s busy homeschooling, doing laundry, or fixing dinner, books are on her mind.

She’s a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), president of her local writing group, and blogs regularly for InspyRomance.com and at gingersolomon.com.

Devotionals for the Heart: Fruit

The Fruit We Grow
A devotional by Ginger Solomon

“Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” – John 15:2 (ESV)

It’s fruit season where I live. We’ve been getting blueberries for some time. The peaches are ripening. The apples, cherries, plums, and blackberries should be available in the next few months. Everything in its season.

We have several trees that have died or are diseased. And just like the verse above, we trim them back every year and remove the diseased or dead parts (or rather my husband does). This allows for the healthy branches to get the needed nutrients and produce the best fruit.

There are many verses in the New Testament that refer to the fruit we as Christians are supposed to bear. A few short verses after the above, Jesus continues the fruit vein. “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.” (John 15:8) Matthew writes about those who don’t produce fruit. “Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” (Matthew 3:10)

The parable of the sower is the clearest example of our lives, I think. Here's the story as told in Mark 4:3-8... “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”

Stay with me for a moment, because you might be saying that this verse doesn’t say anything about fruit, but you’d be wrong. The word translated grain here is the same Greek word for fruit (karpon). And because I am a lover of words, here's the explanation: "Karpon" means "fruit, result or gain". Generally, it’s talking about vegetables/fruit or animals, but it can also mean deeds, actions, results, profit, or gain. Figuratively (which is what I’m discussing here), it refers to the things we do with Christ. It’s about a believer being united with Christ, allowing His life to flow through ours to yield eternal fruit. This is the definition from BibleHub.com.

And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

I heard a sermon recently about this topic. It prompted this post, actually. The pastor said that for us to have the fruit of the Spirit, we must first have the seed of the Spirit. Just as in this realm, that seed takes time to grow. It needs to be watered and fed by the Word. It must be tended. It doesn’t happen overnight. 

We grow in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Just as some fruits take longer to mature, so do some of these fruits. 

He also pointed out that there is no law against any of these fruits. They are all there for us to grow in and bless others with. No one is going to complain (or at least they shouldn’t) if you love them or have joy or are peaceful, or exhibit kindness, or...or...or. You understand.

John 15:4-5 says, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”

Without Him, I cannot produce fruit.

And now the hard question, one that I struggle with in my own life: What does your fruit look like? Is it withered or rotten? Are you tending the seed of the Spirit?

*All Bible verses mentioned within this devotional are from the English Standard Version of The Holy Bible.

~*~
Author Bio:

Ginger Solomon is a Christian, a wife, a mother to seven, and a writer—in that order (mostly). 

She writes or reads inspirational romance of any genre, and if she’s busy homeschooling, doing laundry, or fixing dinner, books are on her mind.

She’s a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), president of her local writing group, and blogs regularly for InspyRomance.com and at gingersolomon.com.

Devotionals for the Heart: Marriage

Marriage on My Mind
A devotional by Ginger Solomon

“Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies.” 

– Proverbs 31:10 (NLT)

I have weddings/marriage on the brain. My third child will marry his love in just over a week from the date of this post. And I can happily say that I love his choice. She is a “virtuous and capable” woman, and definitely “more precious than rubies.” I believe she will make my son a wonderful wife.

But I know they’ll have fights, disagreements, and issues. While they are religiously in sync, their backgrounds are varied. You see my son is white, but my future daughter-in-law is black. 

Even in today’s diverse society, people feel they have the right to make inappropriate comments about their relationship.

They will have the same troubles as the rest of us. Money, sex, children, dinner, chores, and the list goes on and on. We fight.

My husband says there’s only one surefire way to never have trouble with a spouse. Don’t get married. And it’s the truth. We are all selfish creatures – some more than others. Living with someone else is hard.

It’s one of the reasons my website sports the tagline, “Finding faith when your bed of roses includes thorns.” Marriage is not a bed of roses unless you include the thorns. Nor is it “as easy as pie.” Of course, I’ve never met a pie that’s easy, so maybe it is. LOL

In the end, the fights and disagreements don’t matter. Their relationship is what matters. With each other, but more importantly with God. A pastor once gave an illustration that stuck with me. He drew a triangle (point up). Here's one example of it from Google Images:

Man is in one lower corner. Woman is at the opposite bottom corner. God is at the top. As the man and the woman grow closer to God, they grow closer to each other. That’s not to say there aren’t bumps in the road or a slide toward the bottom now and again, but it’s a good picture to remember.

I leave you with this from Genesis 2:18-24 (NLT): 

The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.

~*~
Author Bio:

Ginger Solomon is a Christian, a wife, a mother to seven, and a writer—in that order (mostly). 

She writes or reads inspirational romance of any genre, and if she’s busy homeschooling, doing laundry, or fixing dinner, books are on her mind.

She’s a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), president of her local writing group, and blogs regularly for InspyRomance.com and at gingersolomon.com.

Devotionals for the Heart: Forgiveness

Forgiving Yourself
A devotional by Ginger Solomon

“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” 

~1 Cor. 13:4-7 (NLT)

We talk about love a lot. It’s important. But I don’t want to talk about love today. Today, I’m taking a snippet from this familiar passage.

The end of verse 6 says, “it keeps no record of being wronged.”

Many of us are record keepers. We hold grudges for AGES.

The rest of us shrug and move on. I’m a shrugger. Yeah, you might hurt me, but I’ll love you anyway. That doesn’t mean I have to put up with you, though. Your attitude is not worth my time, my health, my brain power, or the wear and tear on my emotions. I have better things to do than hate you for the rest of my life.

And yet, I still keep a record of wrongs done.

Except the record is of MY wrongs, MY misdeeds, MY ill-spoken words, MY angry outbursts... The list could go on and on.

As I write this, my brain is filtering through the many things I’ve said and done. It’s a “little black book” of sins.

And yet, in so many places in the Bible, we are told to forgive. Most of them are referring to the hurts others commit against us, maybe even all of them. I didn’t check each and every one.

I think it’s MUCH easier to forgive others than it is to forgive myself for my shortcomings.

When I’m tired, I get grumpy. I snap. If I’m frustrated with something, I snap. When my hormones decide to play on the teeter-totter of my emotions, I snap. Sometimes, I can take myself away and regroup. Other times, well, I sin. *gasp* I ask forgiveness of whoever happens to be at the other end of my sharp tongue, but it doesn’t excuse the behavior in the first place. BECAUSE I KNOW BETTER.

So, I keep a mental black book of things I’ve done to hurt others. Sometimes I don’t even know I’ve done it. I was informed earlier in the month that I hurt someone I love. I didn’t know. I still don’t know what I did, but I apologized.

That same week, we had a guest pastor for our Wednesday evening service. I don’t remember everything he said, but this stuck out for me: “We can’t offer a hand of forgiveness to others unless we’ve forgiven ourselves.” If I’m too busy holding onto unforgiveness against MYSELF, I can’t offer forgiveness to someone else. Because if I don’t think I deserve forgiveness how can I offer it.

And honestly, I don’t deserve it. None of us do. But God gives it to us anyway, and if GOD can forgive me, who am I to think I don’t deserve to forgive myself.

Psalm 103:12(NLT) says, “He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.”

Do you know the east and the west NEVER meet? If you travel east, you will never reach west and vice versa.

So back to 1 Corinthians 13. If LOVE never keeps a record of wrongs, why don’t we love ourselves enough to forgive our own sins?

It’s a struggle. One I deal with daily. I’m still learning. I’m still growing. And that’s okay. I’ll never be perfect this side of heaven, but I’m going to keep walking in that direction. I’m going to keep following the Savior. I’m going to apply what He’s teaching me through His word and through His messengers.

My Prayer: Father God, help us forgive ourselves. Help us to burn our little, black books of wrongs done to others. And if we keep one for the wrongs done to us, help us to forgive those people and rid ourselves of the baggage of unforgiveness. It’s a weight we were never meant to carry, and we . . . I lay it down at the foot of the cross right now. I forgive me. I release me. Amen.

~*~
Author Bio:

Ginger Solomon is a Christian, a wife, a mother to seven, and a writer—in that order (mostly). 

She writes or reads inspirational romance of any genre, and if she’s busy homeschooling, doing laundry, or fixing dinner, books are on her mind.

She’s a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), president of her local writing group, and blogs regularly for InspyRomance.com and at gingersolomon.com.

Devotionals for the Heart: Ginger's advice on how to find Jesus Christ

Do You Know How to Find Him?
A devotional by Ginger Solomon

“They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” 

~John 20:2 (ESV)

Can you imagine Mary’s consternation when she went to the tomb, saw the stone rolled away, and Jesus’ body gone? The man she’d loved and cared for was GONE! He wasn’t where He was supposed to be.

Have you ever gone looking for someone or something and not found it where you thought you left it?

I do it with my phone and or iPad all the time. Those times are bothersome, but I don’t get overwrought. It’ll eventually show up.

Once when my girls were five and six or seven, they followed their older brother and his friend into the woods behind the house where we lived at the time. The boys ran and dodged them until they were lost. My son came home but said nothing about his sisters. Not long after, we received a phone call from a stranger. My daughters asked her to call us because they were lost and couldn’t figure out how to get home.

My heart jumped into my throat. They’d wandered to a house nearly a half a mile away. I was devastated and frightened. Had they not called, I wouldn’t have known where to look.

Mary Magdalene didn’t know where to look either. She told whomever she saw her predicament. She wanted help in her search.

I think much of the world has the same problem. They search for something elusive to fill the Jesus-sized void in their hearts. They turn to drugs, sex, alcohol, work, money. The list could go on and on.

Sometimes as Christians, I think we think our “service” fills the void. We say things like:

· “I go to church every time the doors are open.”

· “I serve in the choir, as an usher, and on the finance committee.”

· “I go to nursing homes, prisons, and help feed the homeless.”

But we can’t find Jesus in those places or in those activities. Just as Mary didn’t find Him in that tomb.

Jesus reveals Himself to those with a searching heart.

Mary was searching. She knew what or rather whom she was searching for.

And she found Him. Or rather, He found her.

John 20:14-16 (ESV), “Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?’ Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.’ Jesus said to her, 'Mary.'"

She turned and said to him in Aramaic, ‘Rabboni!’ (which means Teacher)

How glorious that must have been for her.

I know how relieved I felt when my husband drove up our driveway with my daughters firmly in tow.

One of those daughters recently wrote this monologue and performed it for our church. I’ve only included a snippet here, though the whole thing is powerful.

She said: “We can’t just build up a wall of fake smiles to keep God from seeing what He already saw and honestly, I can’t accept living life without Him because once you know what full feels like you cannot be satisfied with empty, and nothing else in this entire world can fill you like God does."

Click here to see the video of my daughter's performance.

Do you know how to find Jesus?

Honestly, it’s no further than your Bible. You will find Him there if you search for Him. Because Jeremiah 29:13  (NIV) says, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

Matthew 7:7-9 (ESV) says it slightly differently, but the essence is the same. “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” 

It sounds trite. I know. And yet, the truth stands. If you’re truly searching and not just paying lip service, He will find you. And what a glorious day that will be.

~*~
Author Bio: 

Ginger Solomon is a Christian, a wife, a mother to seven, and a writer—in that order (mostly). 

She writes or reads inspirational romance of any genre, and if she’s busy homeschooling, doing laundry, or fixing dinner, books are on her mind.

She’s a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), president of her local writing group, and blogs regularly for InspyRomance.com and at gingersolomon.com.

Devotionals for the Heart: Ginger's thoughts about God's Temple

Temple of God

"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." ~1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (ESV)

I started a new way of eating today. It’s not a diet. Diets are temporary. I plan to make this a way of life. But it’s hard. I haven’t even made it through one whole day yet, and I want to quit.

I am very overweight. I need to lose 75 lbs to be on the top side of my “supposed” height/weight bracket. I weigh over 100 lbs more than when I got pregnant with my first child and 50 lbs more than I did 9 months pregnant with ANY child. But that was seven kids and 25+ years ago. And yet that’s no excuse.

I need to take responsibility for my bad eating habits. Today. Not tomorrow. I’ve put it off until tomorrow for the last 12+ years. Tomorrow has come.

I’m ashamed of how I’ve let my temple fall apart. I haven’t done my best. I’ve been lazy, kind of like the sluggard in Proverbs 13:4 (NIV), “A sluggard's appetite is never filled, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.”

Or Proverbs 26:15 (NIV), “A sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.” Except I brought it back to my mouth, repeatedly. Full of cookies, candies, soda, and every other kind of thing that “tasted” good. I didn’t care if it was good for me.

So now I’m making a choice to change. It’s not a diet. It’s a new way of life, a new way of eating. I MAY be able to bring back a few of the items I truly enjoy, but that’s a long way down the road.

I’ve made choices for most of my life to glorify God in my words, in my books, in my online presence, in my family, at my church, but my eating...not so much.

And today, I’m making a choice to honor God’s sacrifice. I’m choosing to glorify God in my body by making it the healthiest I can.

Let me be clear. I am not judging whatever you do. This choice is about me. It is between God and me. I don’t have any stake in your choices – good, bad, or somewhere in between – whether in regard to eating or anything else in your life.

It is time for me to change. To be as healthy as I can be. That’s all. And if you find a bit of encouragement in my struggle, then that’s all the better.

And along with the reminder that my body is God’s, I remember what Paul said to the Philippians 4:13 (ESV), “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

What is one choice or change that you’ve made that seemed insurmountable, but you persevered and accomplished your goal? I (and probably others) need the encouragement.

~*~
Author Bio: 

Ginger Solomon is a Christian, a wife, a mother to seven, and a writer—in that order (mostly). 

She writes or reads inspirational romance of any genre, and if she’s busy homeschooling, doing laundry, or fixing dinner, books are on her mind.

She’s a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, president of her local writing group, and blogs regularly for InspyRomance.com and at gingersolomon.com.

Devotionals for the Heart: God's care

Under His Wings
A devotional by Ginger Solomon

“He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day. Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday. Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you. Just open your eyes, and see how the wicked are punished.”~Psalm 91:4-8 (NLT)

This chapter in Psalms has long been one of my favorites. I fully understood these verses for the first time a few years ago. When we moved to Alabama, we bought land in order to raise chickens and maybe a few other things as the years progressed. And we did. We had chickens for probably ten years before I got tired of dealing with them.

In that time, we only had ONE hen who took it upon herself to lay eggs and brood (sit on the eggs so they’ll hatch) outside of our nesting boxes. I generally didn’t allow my hens to brood, because other hens would lay their eggs in the same box, and I couldn’t tell which were which. And as soon as you start messing with the eggs, the brooding hen would leave.

Anyway, she had three eggs, only one of which survived. She was a good momma, and whenever I would come around to check on her and the chick, she’d pull that baby under her wing and squawk at me.

Eventually, I ushered them back in with the other chickens. She was very protective of her baby, leading it around and teaching it things a baby chick needs to know. If another hen or the rooster came near, her feathers would plump, and she’d make warning noises. I think they were meant to scare off the offenders, but also to call her baby back to her side, because invariably the baby would hustle toward her.

This Psalm remains one of my favorites. Many times, I’ve been in a spot where I was scared or at the end of myself. I called out to God, sometimes on my face and sometimes just sitting in a chair because I couldn’t work up enough energy to even fall to my knees. He always responded. One time when my kids were still pretty small and needed a lot, I remember being in my room, listening to a Nichole Nordeman song (Holy) and crying out to God. I was on my knees with my face on the floor. It was naptime and I was tired. So very tired. And God met me there. I felt a PHYSICAL hug. Even now the experience brings tears to my eyes. It gave me the strength to get up off the floor and continue being the mom He had called me to be.

I truly think that at that moment in my life, God tucked me under His wing and provided a little protection from the fiery darts aimed at me. Because let’s be honest, having littles (I think at that time I was a homeschooling mom with seven kids, 13 and under) feels like someone is throwing fiery darts our direction. The house is never clean. The clothes are never all washed. Dinner is rarely on time. Someone always needs something. Life is busy. (Don’t get me wrong; I wouldn’t give up that time in my life for anything. I learned so much.)

But it is a season. And all too soon it’s over. My baby is 13 now, and several of my kids have moved away. My house is quieter. It no longer echoes with the pitter-patter of young feet. (Now I hear a few stomps from the size 10+ shoes.) The chorus of laughter from many young mouths is now a distant memory.

These days, God’s wings protect me from different things, but I hope to never “grow” so much that I think I’m too big to need his shelter. And if I do venture forth, I want to always listen to His warning of danger.

What’s your favorite verse and why?

~*~
Author Bio:

Ginger Solomon is a Christian, a wife, a mother to seven, and a writer—in that order (mostly). 

She writes or reads inspirational romance of any genre, and if she’s busy homeschooling, doing laundry, or fixing dinner, books are on her mind.

She’s a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, president of her local writing group, and blogs regularly for InspyRomance.com and at gingersolomon.com.

Devotionals for the Heart: On Anger and Righteousness

Is Your Anger Useful?
A devotional by Ginger Solomon

"Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God." 

~James 1:19-20 (ESV) 

I’m a verse-mapper. I love words and finding out their original meanings. When I did these verses, I found some things that I want to share with you. I know these are familiar verses. If you’ve been in church for any length of time, you’ve probably heard them. Bear with me for a moment.

Quick - in the Greek language, it means to do something without a time lapse.
Hear - listen; to pay attention to what is being said.

When my children were little, I used to tell them that obedience meant they needed to do what I said right away. Delayed obedience is disobedience. Here, we see that God is instructing us to be “quick to hear.” But what does that mean?

I think it means we must put away our thoughts, our responses, our phones, and LISTEN to what the person is saying, not only with their words but their tone and body language.

Imagine for a moment…

A little girl says, “I don’t want to go.”

It’s a simple statement. It could be taken many different ways. Without context, it is impossible to know WHY the child doesn’t want to go.

If then she stomps her foot and crosses her arms, then we know she’s angry.

If her lip trembles and tears appear, she could be sad.

If she withdraws within herself and barely whispers the words, she might be scared.

Without paying attention, without LISTENING, the hearer would miss important clues. Sometimes it matters why she doesn’t want to go. A LOT.

Let’s move on… I think I’ve made my point.

Slow - deliberate, unhurried — moving forward after considering the facts
Anger - comes from a position of being steadfastly opposed to someone; not a sudden outburst.

“Slow to speak” is self-explanatory. We need to consider what has been said, what has happened BEFORE we open our mouths to spout our opinions. We have to engage our brains in the process.

“Slow to anger” — this one caught me a little off guard. I’ve always considered anger to be something that spouts forth quickly like a geyser. But this word doesn’t mean that. It’s like the trickle of water that wears away the rocks and dirt to become a raging river. It grows over time. Not in hours or days, but in weeks, months, or years.

Produce - work, accomplish a trade/job; acquire by trade
Righteousness - justice; approved of God; what is deemed right by the Lord

“The anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” (vs. 20, ESV) Ouch!

God doesn’t need our anger, righteous or otherwise.

This anger is the same word as above. It’s not explosive. It’s built up. Even justified.

I’ve been there. I’ve been angry enough to know that if the person on the other end of my wrath had been in the room, or even within driving distance, I might have taken matters into my own hands. I would have done harm to the person. And yet, Ephesians 4:26-27 says, “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.” (ESV)

God doesn’t want or need our anger. It doesn’t produce the results He’s aiming for. Not in us, and not in the other person’s life. As hard as it is, God wants us to forgive and let Him deal with it. In one day. Before the sun goes down. But maybe you’re like me and it requires doing it over and over again, day after day, until one day it happens. I’ve forgiven the person, and the anger is gone.

Until we let God take care of it, nothing positive will happen, not underneath the surface, anyway. Not in the heart. And God is ALWAYS more concerned with a person’s heart than He is with their outward actions.

I pray your heart and actions align with the will of God today and every day. May you see everyone through His eyes of love.

Blessings,

Ginger

~*~

Author bio: 

Ginger Solomon is a Christian, a wife, a mother to seven, and a writer—in that order (mostly). 

She writes or reads inspirational romance of any genre, and if she’s busy homeschooling, doing laundry, or fixing dinner, books are on her mind. 

She’s a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, president of her local writing group, and blogs regularly for InspyRomance.com and at gingersolomon.com.

A devotional for February written by Ginger Solomon

Today, I would like to introduce a brand new feature for my blog, devotionals! Once-a-month, you will be able to find a devotional written by me or a guest--an uplifting Bible-based message that is ready for you to read, digest and share with your loved ones. 

Our first guest is Ginger Solomon and she truly has a God-given talent for using the pen to inspire the world. Originally, I wasn't going to post this until Friday, Feb. 28 (my original idea was to post a devotional on the fourth Friday of every month). But Ginger's message was so poignant that I believe I need to post this today because somebody out there in the world needs to hear it.

So read on and be blessed by God's inspiring Ginger to write this devotion, aptly called "The Blame Game". 

~*~
The Blame Game

(A devotional written by Ginger Solomon)

When bad things happen, we all want someone to blame. It’s been happening since the beginning of time. In Genesis, Adam had the audacity to blame God for “the woman you gave me,” then Eve blamed their sin on the serpent (Gen. 3:12-13).

Whether it’s sin or death or some other life-altering event, we want answers. We want an explanation. We ask, “Why is this happening to me?” Many times we blame God for the situation.

There’s a saying that’s been going around for a while, “God will not give you more than you can handle.” I beg to differ. If He were to only give us what we could handle, then we wouldn’t need Him.

In Luke, it is recorded that Jesus confronted the chief priests and scribes with the parable of the vinedressers. (Luke 20:9-19). When he finished the parable, he added a little history to his lesson with Scripture. Verses 17 and 18(NKJV), “Then He looked at them and said, ‘What then is this that is written: “The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone”? Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.’”

For years, I have pondered this verse. Many might find it discouraging, but I don’t. Why? Because I have realized that if I fall on Jesus, who is the cornerstone, I might be broken. It will probably hurt. BUT God, with grace and mercy, sent Jesus to heal the broken. (Isaiah 61:1, Luke 4:18)

We all go through trials and tribulations. In fact, the Bible promises that we will. It also promises that God will never leave us or forsake us (Heb. 13:5), and that He would always be with us (Matt. 28:20).

In my debut novel, One Choice, my heroine, Cahri, steps away from God when her parents are killed in the country where they were missionaries. For years, she lives “going through the motions” of being a Christian, but in her heart she knows how far she’s wandered from God. But God does not give up on her. Throughout the story, we see His loving hand on her life — guiding, protecting, providing.

God is faithful (Deut. 7:9, 1 Cor. 1:9) and He does not turn away from us even when we move away from Him. He prods at us gently – through nature, memories, friends, and so many other ways. He loves us and wants us to return to Him.

When bad things happen we must learn that blaming is not going to make us feel better. Only God’s presence can sooth our tattered and wounded souls.

Have you played the blame game with God? He doesn’t mind your questions, or your anger, but He always wants you to come to Him for your comfort. There is no better place to be than on the lap of Abba (Daddy, God) when life throws us more than we can handle.

~*~

Ginger Solomon, author

Author bio (short): Ginger Solomon is a Christian, a wife, a mother to seven, and a writer—in that order (mostly). When not homeschooling her youngest five, doing laundry or fixing dinner, she writes or reads romance of any genre. She’s a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, president of her local writing group, and writes regularly for three blogs.

Author bio (long): Ginger Solomon is a Christian, a wife, a mother to seven, and a writer — in that order (mostly). When not homeschooling her youngest five, doing laundry or fixing dinner, she writes or reads romance of any genre, some sci-fi/fantasy, and some suspense. She’s a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, president of her local writing group, and writes regularly for three blogs. In addition to all that, she loves animals, horses especially, likes to do needlework (knitting, crocheting, and sometimes cross-stitch), and loves to sing in the choir at church.

Ginger’s Links (select to view):

A Bed of Roses…Thorns Included

Writing Prompts & Thoughts & Ideas…Oh My!

Inspy Romance Blog

Facebook Author Page

Twitter @GingerS219

Pinterest

One Choice (book) blurb: Cahri Michaels is American by birth, but Belikarian by choice. Being selected to participate in the Bridal March forces her to give up the independent life she’s created for herself. She’s not ready to be anyone’s wife, much less to a man she doesn’t know. Prince Josiah Vallis despises the centuries old tradition—the Bridal March—that is forcing him to choose a wife from fifty women. Why does it matter that he’s twenty-five and still single? When Cahri and Josiah meet, sparks fly. Will it ignite a godly love that can see them through or will they be burned, never to be the same?

Buy One Choice via (select to view): Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Astraea Press and Smashwords