Devotionals for the Heart: What to do when God says no to your prayers

What is Your Response When God Says No?
A devotional written by Colette Lawrence

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”— Romans 8:28 (NIV)

When my siblings and I were children and asked our parents for things, the answer that excited and filled us with joy was “Yes.” Our ears seemed not trained to hear any other response.

In our limited mind view, hearing “no” meant we were denied what we through our young eyes thought was best for us, and we pouted or threw tantrums. We believed what we asked for was what was best for us, and hearing that response made us feel that our parents did not love us because if they did, they would have given us what we wanted. This is how we respond to the Lord at times.

2 Samuel 12 recounts how David sinned against the Lord by sleeping with Uriah's wife. The Lord sent Nathan the prophet to confront him about it, and he acknowledged his sin. Bathsheba became pregnant, but that child would die according to the word of the Lord. You may wonder what this has to do with God saying no. It has everything to do with it. The child became ill, and David decided to fast. This is a spiritual discipline where you abstain from eating food and drinking. You spend a lot of time praying to God from the depths of your heart about what you hope He will answer “yes” to in response. Perhaps in fasting, David thought the Lord would heal his baby and the child would live. But God said “no” in the answer to David’s prayers. David’s newborn baby died.

How often has God said no to your request, and your response is just like King David’s initial idea to fast and pray hoping God will change His mind? Maybe you haven't, but I can recall situations when God said no to me, and yes was the answer I thought I needed. My response was to fast and pray in strong hope that He would change His mind, but He didn't.

Sometimes we forget we serve a Sovereign God who knows the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10), what we need, when we need it, and what is best for us.

The Lord tells us in Matthew 7:11 (NIV), “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” Therefore, if we petition God for our needs and in His Sovereignty, He says no, then it stands to reason that His no is based on Him knowing all the facts, what is best for us and not giving something to us that He already knows would ultimately not work for our good.

Have you ever been so desperate for God to do something for you, so desperate for His yes, that when He responds differently than you expected, you are left in a tailspin, feeling dejected, neglected, and wondering if God doesn't understand what you need? That was me. In those times, I used to pout and be miffed at God because He denied me something I believed was best for me.

As we read further in the key scripture above, King David fasted and prayed. God still said “no” and his baby died. Consider David’s response from 2 Samuel 12:18-20 (NIV) that reads, “On the seventh day the child died. David’s attendants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they thought, “While the child was still living, he wouldn’t listen to us when we spoke to him. How can we now tell him the child is dead? He may do something desperate.” David noticed that his attendants were whispering among themselves, and he realized the child was dead. “Is the child dead?” he asked. “Yes,” they replied, “he is dead.” Then David got up from the ground. After he had washed, put on lotions and changed his clothes, he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request they served him food, and he ate.”

David's response should be our model response. He hoped he could change God's heart, but he couldn't because the baby wasn't part of God's plan for him. Instead of pouting and withholding his love from God in worship, David changed his posture. He cleansed himself, and then he went to worship the Lord Jesus Christ.

When we hear God's response to our request, and it doesn't meet our expectations, I believe the Lord desires us to come to Him, let Him know how we are feeling, and choose to worship Him instead. We need to trust in His Sovereignty and trust His heart for us. God’s response of “no” is never meant to withdraw or withhold anything good from you. But because He is all-knowing and has your absolute best interest at heart, if He says “no” then that answer is in our best interest.

What are you struggling with today? Have you fasted and prayed about it, and God has still said no? Would you choose today to respond like David by accepting God’s “no” then worshipping God for who He is, the King of all kings, the Creator of Heaven and Earth? Remember, God is your Heavenly Father and He loves you.

Today, let's choose to worship God instead of worry and trust that His plans for us are perfect. Whatever God’s response to our petitions are, our responsibility is to acknowledge His Lordship and Sovereignty then be reminded that God always work all things together for our good (Romans 8:28).

Let’s Pray:

Father God,

How grateful we are for your love and the good plans You have for us. We confess that we don’t always understand when our requests aren’t answered in the way we expect and want. Please forgive us for doubting your good plans for us. Thank You for being Sovereign Lord. Thanks for the assurance that we can trust You. Help us to remember that You always keep your word. Strengthen us as we wait on You.

In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “Sovereign (Live)” by Chris Tomlin. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Colette Lawrence is an empowered woman who inspires women to be who they were created to be. Her core message is empowerment. She is an author, certified life coach, podcast host, and trainer with the Maxwell Leadership team. 

Colette believes that an empowered woman empowers others and is powerful in knowing who she is and what she can accomplish. Colette is on a mission to impact the lives of the women assigned to her, whether she is their coach or trainer or shares a word that will transform their lives.

Colette utilizes her Christian principles as the base of all her engagements. She is passionate about fulfilling her life purpose of empowering women to know who they are, rebuild their confidence, and use their voices as tools to uplift themselves and others.

​​She is the founder of the M.E.E. Movement L.L.C., a faith-based empowerment ministry business that helps women of faith rebuild their confidence and use their voice to walk in their purpose through life coaching, mentoring, and empowerment speaking. Colette believes in using the gifts God has given her to help women be who God has called them to be and ultimately fulfill the purpose for which they were created. She lives by Romans 8:28 (NIV), that promises, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

A native of Jamaica, Colette resides in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She is the mother of two beautiful young women, a son-in-love, and two grandsons.

Colette enjoys reading, writing, watching good movies, and chatting with her daughters and friends.

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Connect with Colette:
Blog: https://www.colettemarie.online/blog
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colettemarie_cm/
Website: https://www.colettemarie.online/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ColetteMarie-cmc
Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2367935
Email: Colettemarieonline@gmail.com

Devotionals for the Heart: When you are called to serve your enemies

Serving Judas
A devotional by Tessa Huckstep

“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” 

–Matthew 5:44 (KJV)

How did Jesus manage to not only eat supper with the man who would betray Him, but also kneel down and wash his feet?

I have heard people marvel about how Jesus ate supper with Judas, but Judas was still there when Jesus performed the servant’s task of washing his disciple’s feet. Jesus was all-powerful, but He was also completely human. How could Jesus so humbly kneel before Judas and wash his feet, knowing that he planned to betray Him that very night?

I think we can all agree that there are some people we do not necessarily get along with in our daily lives. There are some people who are rude and some that drive us crazy. There are certain people we always avoid when we see them in the grocery store. These people do not hate us or persecute us, and yet, we do not treat them half as well as Jesus treated Judas. Why is that? What mindset was Jesus in as He served Judas? What are we missing?

Thankfully, the apostle John explains exactly what Jesus’s mindset was in this moment. “Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God” (John 13:3 KJV). Simply put—Jesus knew what He had, where He was from, and where He was going.

So, what do we have as Christians? We have forgiveness of sins (Ephesians 1:7). We have an inheritance (Ephesians 1:11). We have the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13). We have God’s love (Ephesians 2:4). The list goes on. Because of Jesus, we are now adopted by God and enjoy countless blessings as His children.

Where are we from? Though we all have different stories, there is really only one place we are from. We are from a life of sin. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23 (KJV). We fall short. We are human and we are broken because of sin. We must know accurately who we are if we are to serve as Jesus did. We must acknowledge who we used to be and praise God for interceding and making us new.

Lastly, where are we going? As children of God who have accepted the free gift of salvation from Jesus, we are all going to the same place (Heaven). Each of us will spend an eternity with Jesus, which is the greatest and most beautiful hope that we have here on earth. No matter what happens today or tomorrow, we are traveling upward the whole way. Heaven is our final destination.

Once you know what you have, where you are from, and where you are going, you can find true humility. I think humility is best described in this quote by C.S. Lewis: “True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.” Once you know who you are, you no longer need to think of other people’s opinions, how you appear, or how you want your life to turn out. You can stop thinking about yourself altogether.

Our confidence comes from who we are in Jesus Christ. We are given everything in Him. We were saved by Him. We will spend eternity with Him. Christ is who we should be centered on. Simply know, dear reader, who you are in Him.

Let’s Pray: Dear Jesus, thank You for Your servant’s heart and example of true humility. Please help us to remember who we are in You so that we can live out each day as Your faithful servants. Grant us the humility to kneel before the Judas in our own lives and serve them as You would so that Your goodness and mercy is revealed through us. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “Remember Who You Are” (song) by Crystal Lewis. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Tessa Huckstep grew up in rural Illinois to Christian parents and has known Jesus personally since the age of five. 

She is currently attending community college and majoring in elementary education. In the future, she plans to teach in the public school, hoping to bring the love of God with her.

God’s dream of Tessa becoming a writer was revealed to her at the age of sixteen and she hasn’t been able to stop since. Though she has not yet been published, Tessa enjoys writing historical romance novels and speculative fiction.

Tessa believes God loves stories, and through her writing, she wants to reveal the happily ever after God dreams of for each of his daughters—one where Jesus is the knight in shining armor.

Tessa loves all things Georgian/Regency, needlework, and dainty teacups of every size. When she isn’t writing or studying for exams, Tessa can be found in the kitchen with more flour in her hair and on the floor than in the mixing bowl, though the mess is always half the fun!

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Connect with Tessa:
Blog: https://beautifulbeloved937002841.wordpress.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/101227

Romantic Reads: The Maritime Cure

Interview with Michelle S. Lowe about her book, The Maritime Cure:

Alexis: Why did you write this book?

Michelle: I wrote The Maritime Cure in memory of my mom and her battle with MS.

Alexis: Describe your story’s heroine, Sage Patterson. What does she look/sound/act like? What are her primary passions? What is her best quality and worst character flaw?

Michelle: Sage Patterson is soft-spoken, with long auburn hair and green eyes that reflect how deeply she feels. She is passionate about helping others. Her best quality is her confidence as a nurse. Her worst character flaw is reliving the past, and of course, her hard-headedness when it comes to dealing with her estranged father.

Alexis: Why did you make Sage a nurse? What does she love about her job?

Michelle: I am a nurse and I love the nursing profession. I have been fortunate enough to work with so many wonderful nurses who put their patients first as Sage does in the story.

Alexis: Paint a picture with words of the beach house that Sage’s mother loves. Why is it special?

Michelle: Sage’s mother’s beloved beach cottage, once painted a bright beachy pink, is now weathered and unkept due to the last few years of neglect. The white porch and railings that were once pristine, now look abandoned and neglected under the tawny sunshine of late summer. The outdated cottage is surrounded by tall, invading dune grass swaying mockingly in the ocean breeze. The beach house is special because inside, Sage’s mother’s special touch remains in every detail and reminds her of her happy childhood.

Alexis: When did Sage adopt her rescue dog Molly? How does Molly help Sage in life?

Michelle: Sage adopts her beautiful Belgian Malinois, Molly, when the injured puppy is abandoned outside her clinic in Asheboro. Molly, with her unconditional love, is therapeutic to Sage during a year wrought with disappointment and the unimaginable.

Alexis: Why is Ocean Isle Beach a picturesque place? Paint a picture of it with words.

Michelle: Ocean Isle beach is serene with its ribbony sunsets of pink and gold against the beautiful blue-green ocean. Neatly manicured sidewalks and backstreets lead to treasured beach homes along the waterway. On quiet nights one can sit at the dock and hear the fish jump along with the low rumbling motors of incoming boats.

Alexis: What role does the unknown painter whose work Sage admires, play in this story?

Michelle: The role of the unknown painter is my favorite part of this story. This mystery man teaches Sage about forgiveness through his watercolor painting of praying hands without saying a word.

Alexis: Why does Sage feel that she needs to escape to Ocean Isle Beach to decompress?

Michelle: Sage’s personal and professional life have been turned upside down by someone she thought would never do her harm. She escapes to Ocean Isle in hopes for respite from all the shame and embarrassment she feels when in her hometown of Asheboro, North Carolina.

Alexis: Describe your story’s hero, Jacob Gable. What does he look/sound/act like? What is his motivation? What are his greatest strengths and worst weaknesses?

Michelle: Jacob Gable is a tall, handsome, distinguished attorney. But being down-to-earth and honest are his most endearing traits. He is dedicated to his faith as a Christian, and his greatest weakness would be falling for Sage the moment he sees her.

Alexis: Why did you make Jacob a real estate attorney? What makes him good at his job?

Michelle: I made Jacob a real estate attorney because having to sell her mother’s beach house has been something Sage has been avoiding for some time, and I really like the irony of her meeting and falling in love with the kind attorney who would ultimately be assisting her with that task.

Alexis: What is it about Jacob that makes Sage’s heart flutter?

Michelle: His strength, yet tenderness and composure, even when he’s upset.

Alexis: What is it about Sage that draws Jacob to her?

Michelle: Jacob is drawn to Sage immediately when he sees her accidentally squeal her tires at a stoplight, her loudly barking dog in the seat beside her. But he is especially moved when he witnesses the gentle emergency care she provides to a young boy having a seizure outside his office, with no thoughts of tearing her dress or ruining her sandals against the rough pavement.

Alexis: How does Sage and Jacob’s individual faith in God help them take a chance on love?

Michelle: Sage’s faith was there all along, she only needed a push from Jacob. At one point in the story, Jacob is forced to walk away from Sage, relying solely on strength from God.

Alexis: What is the theme of this story? Why?

Michelle: The theme of this story is forgiveness. I am amazed by a God that is willing to forgive me completely of my sins. This reminds me that we, as mere humans, should most certainly be willing to forgive others.

Alexis: What do you want readers to remember most about this book?

Michelle: I would like for readers to remember the freedom and healing that forgiveness can offer.

Alexis: Thanks for the interview, Michelle! Do you have closing comments?

Michelle: Thank you so very much for interviewing me Alexis. I am honored and I hope readers will enjoy my book.

~*~
Author Bio:

Michelle Smith Lowe lives in Asheboro, North Carolina with her husband of twenty years, Brian, and their son, Jake.

She is the proud owner of a very spoiled bluetick hound dog.

Michelle is a Registered Nurse as well as a Certified Multiple Sclerosis Nurse.

She has always loved to write and wishes to thank God most of all for her ability to write fiction.

Her hobbies include searching for Native American arrowheads on her property and cooking for her family.

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Book Blurb for The Maritime Cure:

Forgiveness can heal even the deepest of wounds 

Nurse Practitioner Sage Patterson is accustomed to giving her time and resources to others—and she wouldn’t want it any other way. But when someone she thought she could trust puts her reputation on the line, she can’t find the strength to move past the embarrassment and hurt. To make matters worse, she must now sell her mother’s beloved beach house.

Sage, along with her loyal rescue dog, Molly, head to picturesque Ocean Isle Beach where she finds refuge in watching the work of an unknown painter in the evenings. This tranquility is exactly what she needs to decompress… And then she meets real estate attorney Jacob Gable.

He doesn’t just turn her world upside down; he steals her heart, too. But will Sage’s anger and fear of betrayal get in the way of everything Jacob has to offer? Or will they, together with God, be able to move on from past hurts to embark on a journey of forgiveness and love?

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Buy Michelle’s book on Amazon

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Connect with Michelle:
Instagram: instagram.com/authormlowe
Twitter: twitter.com/Author_MLowe
Facebook: facebook.com/MichelleSLoweAuthor

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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: 

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Devotionals for the Heart: Dinner

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?
A devotional by Cyndi Staudt

He replied, “One of you who has just eaten from this bowl with me will betray me.”

– Matthew 26:23 (NLT)

Have you noticed the Bible talks a lot about meals? I’m not complaining by any means. This girl loves her food and even more so when I can enjoy that food in the company of good friends or family. Gathering together, especially for meals has always been a great way to connect with others and, much like Biblical times, many significant events happen around a table.

In the Bible we see that sharing a meal together is one of the primary ways relationships are established, deepened, and enjoyed both with God and with others. Old Testament prophets often compared life in the new heavens and earth with the picture of a divine banqueting table. In the New Testament, we regularly find Jesus “reclining” at a table during His earthly ministry, engaging with real people, furthering His kingdom work, fostering true community, demonstrating reconciliation with God, and building genuine fellowship among His disciples.

While we see that eating or gathering together is important, what might be more important is who we gather with. If we are going to establish, deepen and enjoy relationships around the table there must be others at the table. And who those people are matters. In fact, we can often tell a lot about a person by the people they hang around with. Typically, we tend to gather with people who are a lot like us – think like us, believe like us, maybe look like us, etc.

This got me thinking about those Jesus fellowshipped with while He was on earth. Jesus loved to hang out with people that made the Pharisees uncomfortable. It’s part of what got Him killed. Certainly, when you look at his closest crew, they were people that if we simply looked on the surface, might make us scratch our heads.

My study Bible has a chart that lists occupations, qualities and traits of the disciples and it’s somewhat comical to read through. Among the 12 disciples of Jesus Christ was Matthew the despised tax collector, James described as short-tempered and judgmental, Thomas the doubter, and Peter who was impulsive and disowned Christ three times. Yet they were all part of His ride or die crew – the ones He went everywhere with! It makes me feel good to read some of the people Jesus chose to spend time with – it gives me hope that maybe, in spite of my less-than-stellar traits, He would choose to spend time or share a meal with me too.

But, let’s not forget Judas, the betrayer. He too was in Jesus’s inner circle, part of His ride or die team. Judas was there for the miracles and the ministry. He saw the healings and heard Christ’s teaching. And he also had a seat at the table with Jesus many times during His ministry, including at the Last Supper. In fact, if we read the entire account of the Last Supper in the Matthew 26:20-30, we see in verse 25 that Jesus lets Judas know that He knows Judas will betray Him. Yet none of the disciples do or say anything in reaction to this statement. This would lead you to believe that Judas was sitting very close to or right next to Jesus at the table during the Last Supper—close enough for Jesus to say this and no one else to hear.

I also find it fascinating that the disciples were asking “Am I the one, Lord?” This indicates the disciples had no clue who the betrayer was and that they each knew they had the potential to be unfaithful, to be a betrayer, to Jesus as well. In fact, it wasn’t long after that they scattered and even denied knowing Jesus. If we are honest, we all have the capacity to be unfaithful, a bad friend. Recognizing this should prompt us to extend understanding and offer grace when others let us down and, yes, even invite them to our table.

Their questions also tell us that Jesus must not have treated Judas any differently during their time together. Nobody suspected Judas was the betrayer because, despite knowing that Judas would betray him, Jesus loved and treated Judas the same way He did the rest of the disciples. Every meal they shared, every conversation they had, every road they walked together Jesus knew Judas would betray Him, yet Jesus never treated Judas any differently.

Let’s be honest, how many of us would dine at the table with a person that we knew was going to betray us and hand us over to die? And how many of us would bend down before them and wash their dirty, dusty feet as we discover Jesus did in John’s account of the Last Supper?

Until we learn how to sit at the table with people who are like Judas, we’ll never fully understand the love of Jesus. If we want to love like Jesus and not simply be loved by Him, we must figure out how to reconcile our differences and personal agendas and accept everyone at our table – the person who votes differently than we do, the person who looks differently than we do, the person who loves differently than we do. We must learn how to sit at the table with our “Judas” and love them like Jesus did.

Let’s Pray: Loving Savior, thank You for Your unconditional love and abounding grace that You offer freely for everyone. Help me to search myself and locate those places where I am holding back love or withholding grace so I can open up the floodgates allowing both to flow without restraint. I want to open my heart to others without reservation, without hesitation and without inhibition so I am a vessel for Your overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love. In Jesus’s mighty name I pray. Amen. 

*Note from Alexis: Cyndi's devotional message reminds me of this "Nobody" song by Casting Crowns, featuring Matthew West. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Cyndi Staudt is a Jesus-loving, adrenaline junkie who is devoted to living her life for Jesus Christ until the day she is living with Him. 

With a passion for cultivating a craving for God’s Word, her devotions and Bible studies are saturated with faith and hope to stir your soul to connect with God in deeper, more intimate ways.

Through her writing she hopes to ignite your desire to read God’s Word, invite your heart to experience God’s love, and inspire you to live your live life “souled out” to the One whose love has no limits.

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Connect with Cyndi:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/souledoutcyndi/

Devotionals for the Heart: Let It Go

Don’t Nurse It. Don’t Rehearse it. Let it go.
A devotional written by Nanci Rubin

"And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offense toward God, and toward men." ~Acts 24:16 (KJV)

I cannot tell you how much time I’ve spent looking in the rearview mirror of my life and questioning why God didn’t answer my prayers. I have been so myopic over the hairline fractures in my life that I was blinded to what God had for me. There was a season where it seemed every sermon I heard dealt with past offenses and forgiveness. It took me over a year before I got it! You cannot see where God is leading when you’re looking backward. I can see now how God had things He wanted to get to me, but I was too dumb to receive them and beyond stubborn to forgive, which would have enabled me so I could.

When one is betrayed it opens one up for a tremendous propensity to not forgive and to become a martyr. I kept the pain of my betrayal hidden, or so I thought. I absolutely refused to give it up. It was my pain and I reveled in it. In the midnight hour I would rehearse the pain over and over, sometimes I mentally plotted revenge. I had imaginary conversations with my betrayer that I could never have had in reality. Somehow these nighttime scrimmages lent a measure of relief from the continuous pain I lived with. Make no mistake, betrayal is toxic. Unforgiveness is unhealthy and it kept me tied to the one I had been hurt by. Until I was willing to confess my unforgiveness and pray a blessing over those who had hurt me did I finally have peace over the pain of betrayal. I was stuck in my own misery.

We have to be mindful of the necessity of forgiveness. In Matthew 6:15 (KJV) Jesus said, “But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” He couldn’t have said it any simpler, we are compelled to forgive. It’s not an option, we need to do it.

We must be careful not to say we won’t forgive someone. I had a pastor many years ago, a wonderful man of God, married to an anointed woman gifted with a music ministry. The church prospered under their leadership and God was blessing it then overnight, it all fell apart.

The pastor’s wife had an affair with one of the deacons, but to add insult to injury, it was the pastor’s best friend. He could have chosen NOT to forgive, but he didn’t. He did not become embittered. Everyone in the church was in total awe of his ability to forgive.

Revenge not only lowers you to your betrayer’s lowest level, what’s worse, it boomerangs. One who seeks revenge is like a fool who shoots himself in order to hit his enemy with the kick of the gun’s recoil.

Revenge is the most worthless weapon in the world. It ruins the avenger, all the while confirming the enemy in the wrongdoing. All of this is the beginning of a root of bitterness. And what strange things bitterness can do to us. It slowly sets, like a permanent plaster cast, perhaps protecting the wearer from further pain but ultimately holding the sufferer rigid in frozen animation. Feelings and responses have turned to concrete. Bitterness is paralysis.

Bitterness is a cyclical, repetitive, tightly closed circle of self-centered pain. It carries us around and around the same senseless arc, around and around ourselves. Like a child learning to ride a bicycle, knowing how to ride but not how to stop, we pedal on and on, afraid to quit, yet wishing desperately for someone to come and take the handlebars, break our circling, and let us off. Bitterness is useless. Repayment is impossible. Revenge is impotent. Resentment is impractical.

Only forgiveness can reconcile the differences and restore healing to a relationship. God knew that we could not hold to offenses because offenses will eventually take hold of us. I am proud to report that my Pastor NEVER carried unforgiveness or bitterness. He befriended and continued to pastor the man he trusted most and who’d hurt him most. Although his marriage failed God blessed him years later with a wonderful woman of God who stands with him in their ministry. He has been blessed beyond measure. But would this have been his outcome if he’d held to unforgiveness? If he’d nursed his pain? Rehearsed his revenge?

No, God said we must forgive, and in doing so we can receive healing. Let’s not hold offenses and be locked to the past. Let go and allow God to intervene.

~*~
Author Bio:

Nanci writes Inspy Amish romance. She lives in Northern Virginia with her husband and two fur kids, Romeo and Juliet, rescue cats. She is working on her debut novel, Plain Justice.

She retired earlier than planned from nursing to care for her mother, diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Her mom passed last year at the age of ninety-nine and Nanci has delved more into her writing.

She is active in an intercessory prayer ministry in her church, belongs to The Woman’s Club, a service-oriented volunteer organization dedicated to the welfare and enrichment of the community and volunteers two days a week at the Mary Washington Museum.

Currently, she's enrolled in Rhema Bible College’s correspondence Bible studies. She belongs to ACFW and RWA. When she’s not working, reading or writing she’s hiking with her husband at Shenandoah National Park.

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