Devotionals for the Heart: Taking joy with you in the journey through life

Taking Joy in the Journey
A devotional by Amanda Wen

“…being confident that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” –Philippians 1:6 (NIV)

This past summer, my family and I vacationed in Branson, Missouri.

A popular vacation destination for my area, Branson features the gorgeous Lake Taneycomo, a coldwater lake perfect for trout fishing. My grandparents, who were both passionate trout fishers, loved Branson, and we spent many happy vacations there as a family. In recent years, I’ve taken my own crew, and although we’re not super-experienced anglers, we do enjoy taking a day, renting a boat, and floating along the cool shimmering waters of Taneycomo to see if we can catch any trout.

To effectively catch fish, there are some important steps. Before we set out, we asked at the marina which part of the lake people had been having the most luck. We also asked what kind of bait had been most effective. The answer on this particular outing was to use Power Bait, a brightly-colored Play-Doh-like substance that trout apparently go nuts for. And not just any variety but the garlic scent. I am not a fan of garlic, so this wasn’t exactly music to my ears.

The same is true for whatever we’re seeking in this life here on Earth. Although God does occasionally drop blessings into our laps, blessings we were not looking for or working toward, many times He does want us to do our part. If it’s a job we seek, we need to make certain we’re gaining the necessary experience and expertise and applying in the right places. If we’re looking for new friends, we must demonstrate love and care for others.

But one thing I’ve discovered in my journey of waiting is that frequently it’s not always about the destination. As a certified Type A overachiever, I tend to want to take the most direct route to my goals, but that is not how God operates. He’s far more concerned about the refinement of my character: the cutting away of what doesn’t please him and the nurturing of what does. He uses our waiting times to mold our character and continue the sometimes-slow process of sanctification, of making us more like Jesus.

I learned on our fishing trip the joy of focusing on the journey more than the destination. The weather was cool and cloudy, most welcome in Branson in August. Lake Taneycomo is known for being foggy, and on this day, the fog never truly lifted, creating an almost mystical effect. The silvery lake was surrounded by rich foliage in a variety of green shades.

Spending time in the boat, in nature, having pried my family away from their electronic devices, was so relaxing and rejuvenating that I didn’t care if I caught a single fish. That wasn’t the point. The point was the trip itself, not the number of fish.

We didn’t catch many fish that day. In fact, I think between the five of us we caught only three. But it didn’t matter. It wasn’t about the fish. It was about spending time together as a family, relaxing in nature, slowing down in a way that has to be planned, intentional, and non-negotiable in our fast-paced world. And the memories we made that day far outweigh any fish we caught.

I pray that I’m able to take this attitude with me in my everyday life, too. That I’ll focus less on what achieving my goals looks like and more on the journey. I want to focus more on God, and what He’s trying to teach me, and how He is achieving the sometimes slow, barely-perceptible process of making me look more like Him.

Because even when I can’t see the progress, His promise is still true: He’ll carry on the work until all is finally complete at Jesus’ return.

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Author Bio:

Amanda Wen is an award-winning writer of contemporary inspirational romance and split-time women’s fiction. 

A first place winner in the 2017 Indiana Golden Opportunity Contest, she also placed first in the 2017 Phoenix Rattler Contest, the 2017 Great Expectations Contest, and the 2016 ACFW First Impressions Contest, among others. In addition, she was a finalist in the 2018 ACFW Genesis Contest.

Amanda is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and regularly contributes author interviews for their Fiction Finder feature. She’s also been spotted onstage with the worship team at recent ACFW conferences. Amanda is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency.

In addition to her writing, Amanda maintains an active and rewarding career as a freelance cellist, frequently performing with symphony orchestras, string quartets, and her church’s worship team. She lives in the Midwest with her amazing husband and their three adorable and hilarious Wenlets.

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Connect with Amanda:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/authoramandawen
Twitter: www.twitter.com/authoramandawen
Instagram: www.instagram.com/authoramandawen
Website: www.amandawen.com

Love is in the Air: Book review for Chance of Loving You

Today, I'd like to share a book I loved from beginning to end. Chance of Loving You is a wonderful book and I appreciated almost everything about it. Read on for my review of this delightful novel and be encouraged to buy a copy and read it too!

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Captivating characters take a chance on love
A book review written by Alexis A. Goring

Bestselling romance authors Terri Blackstock, Candace Calvert and Susan May Warren joined creative forces to produce a novel-length anthology containing three short stories, each story penned by one of the authors. The book is called Chance of Loving You.

The first feature about Chance of Loving You that immediately caught my eye and garnered my interest was the cover! It is so beautiful, mesmerizing and whimsical all at once! I love how a lovely couple stands in the center of a city street lined by buildings and illuminated by night lights. The lady is wearing a flowing dress and high heels that look like they went dancing for their date. She looks up at her man adoringly with her arms looped around his neck while he, dressed casually, stares deep into her eyes.

The cover, I admit, is what made me want to read and review this book and I am SO glad I did! Here’s a breakdown of what I thought of each of the three stories that compose Chance of Loving You:

“For the Love of Money” by Terri Blackstock

I give this story an A+ for humor and creativity! It is the most vivid of the three stories in Chance of Loving You. The story starts late at night inside a café with a scene between a man is who is totally devastated and a waitress with a caring heart and listening ear. The author Terri Blackstock did a wonderful job of making the reader care about her two main characters conversing in the café from the moment they start talking.

“For the Love of Money” is about Julie, a waitress who dreams of launching her own design firm and a man who is mourning the death of his dream. Julie meets this man during her shift at the café and is immediately drawn into a conversation with him, wanting to know more about this man whose story—and his good looks—had her at hello.

The author did a delightful job of using something as simple as a lottery ticket within a box of Valentine’s Day chocolates to start the action and take the characters on a whirlwind journey that leads to millionaire status, romance, heartbreak and restoration.

The story is so good! I loved every page of it though at first, I wondered how the author was going to pull such a random storyline off but to my relief, Terri did not disappoint. She is a master storyteller.

“The Recipe” by Candace Calvert

I loved this story! It was one of my favorites because it incorporated my love for food, family and romance. Candace Calvert weaves a beautiful tale full of surprises and heartwarming moments.

“The Recipe” is about hospital dietary assistant Aimee who believes baking is her calling and is hoping to win the Vegan Valentine Bake-Off . But as she cares for one of her patients who happens to be the elderly grandma of a very handsome crime scene photographer, Aimee starts to question if her passion for baking and determination to win that contest, is all she wants in life.

Perhaps Aimee learns that there’s more to life than working your dream job. Maybe she learns that you need to make time for finding and keeping true love. You’ll have to read the story to find out what Aimee determines!

Candace Calvert tells the story in such creative and sweet style that leaves you wanting to read more books by this author. I believe “The Recipe” is the first of what will be many of my favorite books by Calvert!

“Hook, Line & Sinker” by Susan May Warren

My least favorite story because it moved too fast and there wasn’t much room for backstory or character development. I would love to read more books by Susan May Warren because I heard she’s one of the best storytellers. But “Hook, Line & Sinker” was not very impressive.

The story is about graduate student Abigail who decides to enter a fishing contest. She’s competing against a handsome young man who is connected to a sad part of her past. Abigail is very defensive to this gentleman and first but you can tell he cares about her and wants her forgiveness. Susan does a good job of bringing about understanding, restoration and hope for these two characters but it’s not enough to make me love the story.

The author knows how to write a story but it was disappointing because I thought “Hook, Line & Sinker” would be one of my favorite stories ever because of the caliber and reputation of the author. But for me, it wasn’t.

However, I do plan on reading more books by Susan May Warren because given her reputation, I know she must have many wonderful books on the market, ones I will love and write glowing reviews about but this particular story was not one of her best—just my honest opinion. I’m sure there are other readers who disagree and would love this story.

Overall, I would give Chance of Loving You a solid “A” or “four stars” out of five (stars) for a fantastic fictional story world filled with captivating characters and intriguing plots that draw you in from the first page of the book and keep you reading until you reach “The end.”

Bravo!

*Tyndale PR sent a complimentary copy of Chance of Loving You to Alexis in exchange for an honest review.