Devotionals for the Heart: God's mercies and faithfulness in our life

Between These Walls
A devotional by Colleen C. Howard

“For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”––Psalm 100:5 (NIV)

Years ago, while house-hunting, my husband and I walked into a new house that had never been occupied.

We’d seen multiple listings and expected this one to disappoint like the others. As I lingered in its not-quite-finished rooms, a distinct feeling hovered over me. This felt more than just another listing. It was meant to be our home.

Somehow, I knew our teens would become adults between these walls, and we would grow older. Life would happen here. Sorrows and sadness, laughter and love, and the seemingly ordinary days that sometimes take your breath away would wash over our hearts and move us forward in life. God gave me a tiny glimpse of the future, and I was certain it would occur in this home.

Thirty years ago, we moved into this brand-new house, and it became our home. But in 2025, the time to say goodbye was knocking at the door of our hearts. We had to answer these important questions:

What will we leave behind? A house that served us well. It survived the desert heat, winds, and monsoon rains. Its walls, roof, and foundation are still in good condition despite the passage of time. But when we step out, we’ll leave behind our home and a piece of ourselves.

What will we take with us? Memories. Between these walls, there were celebrations—birthday parties, graduations, and anniversaries. Loved ones were lost while we lived here, and we mourned. Five grandchildren were loved, prayed for, and rocked to sleep in our arms. Five generations of our family have graced this house with their presence and their precious memories will remain in our hearts forever.

How will we say goodbye? With sadness and fondness. God saw us through victories and defeats, anger and reconciliation, and a multitude of unexpected events. Each moment we’ve spent here has reminded us that we’re part of God’s family, and His faithfulness is never-ending. Our hearts overflow with gratitude for the grace, comfort and mercies we’ve received from our Savior (Jesus Christ) while living between these walls.

We’re three decades older now. Our children are grown and our grandchildren are teens and young adults. When our moving day arrived, we said a heartfelt “Goodbye” to this home that served us well and a hearty “Hello” to the new adventures God has planned for us. Praise be to God, who is always faithful, good, and His love is never ending.

Let’s Pray:

Dear God,

Thank You for your faithfulness to us. We move through time and seasons seamlessly without giving it much thought. Help us to navigate our days with grace and heighten our awareness of your presence in our lives. Help us to notice the signs of shifting seasons and prepare us for the changes to come. As seasons come and go, we will turn to you our Lord and Savior. Praise be to God. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” by Carrie Underwood ft. CeCe Winans. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Colleen C. Howard is a follower of Jesus Christ, educator and writer. She lives with her husband in the Arizona desert where the sunsets are spectacular, the summers are relentless and the winters are a little slice of heaven. 

Colleen earned her Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership. This degree opened opportunities to write science curriculum, develop district programs, work with Arizona teachers, community leaders, and more. With NASA Grant funding, she was also able to work with teachers all over the country and expand their knowledge of teaching science as a collaborative effort.

Over the last few years God has placed a strong desire in Colleen’s heart to shine a light on God’s presence throughout ordinary days and encourage women in their faith walk with Him. Although some days bring trials and others bring joy, Colleen believes that if you fix your eyes on Jesus then you will see the heart of God.

Colleen’s writing has been published in the following online publications: Living By Design, Her View From Home, Inside Out Worldwide, Inkspirations, and in anthologies like From Ruins to Restoration, Mountains Moved: 45 Devotions of Bold Faith, and The Miracle of Prayer. She is a monthly blogger for Dressing in God’s Love.

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Connect with Colleen:
Website: authorcolleenchoward.com

Devotionals for the Heart: Finding Joy

Finding Joy in the Losses
A devotional by Peg Arnold

“God, investigate my life;

get all the facts firsthand.

I’m an open book to you;

even from a distance, you know what I’m thinking.

You know when I leave and when I get back;

I’m never out of your sight.

You know everything I’m going to say

before I start the first sentence.

I look behind me and you’re there,

then up ahead and you’re there, too—

your reassuring presence, coming and going.

This is too much, too wonderful—

I can’t take it all in!”

—Psalm 139:1-6 (The Message Bible)

Have you ever had to give away or sell something that you love?

You may have found yourself in this situation for many reasons: financial need, a job change, or a move. Seven years ago, we were preparing to leave our home of 32 years. I couldn’t believe the time it took packing our belongings, throwing away what we couldn’t take with us, making critical decisions, and saying goodbye to a house filled with memories. I wasn’t prepared for the grief of letting go. It felt like a part of my heart was being torn out.

But God has a purpose in our transitions, moves, losses, and changes. He lovingly accompanies us, preparing new experiences and relationships on our new path. He composes the melody of our lives through each moment, weaving together joyous chords, minor melodies, pounding bass notes with drums, and sweet harmonies in our life song. At the same time, He uses what we give up or leave behind to bless others.

It was hard to leave my old home, but God revealed new insights to me that inspired me to write a poem. Read it below.

Melodies of the Home

Empty rooms and echoing halls once filled with

the music of laughter, voices, and footsteps.

Walls that were decorated with faces of loved ones’ smiles,

are now bare, with only the years of memories soaked inside.

Oh if these walls had voices, the ballads they would sing

If the floors were instruments, the rhythm of life would be a symphony

First the bouncing beat of babies and toddlers

Full of giggles and teary-eyed cries

Boo boos being kissed and bedtime stories retold

Next the chaotic cacophony of schoolbooks and

choruses full of chatter, chiding and cheers,

Interspersed with descants of backyard picnics,

Refrigerator Picassos, piles of laundry, and insatiable appetites.

As the family grows into the teen years, the symphony reaches a climax of

the dichotomous joys and challenges that accompany emerging independence,

Ending with a mournful melody interspersed with harmonies of joyful expectation!

This home embraces the many memories and movements carved into the

walls and floors from each season of life,

But just like seasons, houses change, families grow up and move on.

This house now silent, cleaned spotless, swept clear of generational legacies,

Becomes an empty score for the composition of a new family chorus.

God bless this home, the tunes that dwell within, and the harmonies of a new song.

Now, think about the changes you're going through. Maybe it's not about moving out of a house, but something else is changing. What's the tune of your transition? Is it a mournful melody or filled with joyful chords? What's there to appreciate in the midst of these changes? What life lessons can you take away from this experience? Look for a glimmer of hope!

Let’s Pray:

Dear Lord,

You are the composer of our lives. You see our past, and you know our future. You know how we will respond when we encounter changes and seasons. Help us to see the joys amid the losses, the hope instead of the fear, and cling to your faithfulness through it all.

In Jesus’s Name, I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “Seasons Change” by Crystal Lewis. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Peg Arnold, Speaker/Author/Teacher is a Drama Queen for Jesus. 

Her vibrant, interactive, and soul-stirring messages encourage all to embrace their God-given value. As a mom, wife, nana, mentor, with a master’s in counseling, she connects on a personal basis by sharing her joys and challenges of many life experiences through her dramas, messages, and witness. Whether talking with a friend over coffee or addressing hundreds of people at a conference, her passion for equipping women is contagious.

She has published devotions on YouVersion and in The Upper Room. In addition, she has contributed to two Chicken Soup for the Soul books, three anthologies, numerous articles, and blogs. Her devotional, Devotions for the Distracted Heart, received a 2022 OASIS award.

Peg desires everyone to know that their story is important and has a purpose. She grew up in Michigan and raised her family in Maryland. Later in life, Peg and her husband relocated close to their family in Colorado.

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Connect with Peg:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arnoldpeg/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pegarnoldwow
Website: https://pegarnold.org/ Get some freebies when you visit!
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC51V_iWr0RfGAQvQnWVXEoA
Devotions for the Distracted Heart blog: https://pegarnold.wordpress.com/
YouVersion: https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/22261-devotions-for-the-distracted-heart
Holiday YouVersion: https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/28680-holiday-devotions-for-the-distracted-heart
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/wonderofwomen/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/peg-arnold-wow

Devotionals for the Heart: When you let Jesus Christ be more than a guest

Beyond the Foyer
A devotional by Tessa Huckstep

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” 

–Revelation 3:20 (KJV)

Sometimes, I do not invite my guests to go beyond the foyer of my home—especially guests I did not prepare for.

Maybe this means I have poor hospitality skills, but some people just choose the absolute worst times to come over for a visit. Once I hear them knocking on the front door, I take about five seconds to make sure I look somewhat presentable before answering the door and allowing them to step inside the foyer—but no further.

Why? Here are a few reasons: There are dishes piled high in the kitchen sink, along with orange juice that was just recently spilled. There are at least three loads of laundry in my living room. And if that is not bad enough, I haven’t even seen my dining room table in at least a week because of the clutter. All of the doors inside of my house are shut in order to hide the mess.

Everyone can relate to the above scenario to at least some extent. For a long time, this is exactly how my relationship with Jesus was. He was my Friend. I wanted Him to come into my heart and spend time with me. But I never let Him go beyond the foyer. I did not want Him to see my mess. Or worse, I did not want Him to reject me for my mess. If I allowed Jesus to go further into my heart, surely He would make me get rid of some things—He would tell me to throw away the clutter I had grown accustomed to.

Some days, I would work at cleaning the mess myself. I told myself that after everything looked good, then I would let Jesus in. Somehow, my efforts only made things worse, and the mess only grew. Then, I would hear Jesus knocking. I was tired, despondent, and desperate. I needed help. So, I opened the door.

Jesus was not surprised by the mess I was in. He just wanted me to stop hiding and start building my relationship with Him. After that, I opened all my doors. One by one, Jesus would knock, and I would open. It was hard at first, but it got easier when I realized that by surrendering my heart, I was inviting Jesus to be the Master of my heart—not just a guest.

This year, I am going to spend time with Jesus as He shows me the plans He has for my heart. What about you? Where does Jesus stand in your heart? Is He standing in the foyer as a guest, or is He the Master who is allowed to see, heal, and restore all parts of your heart?

You can trust Jesus with your heart. He longs to go beyond just a Friend you think about on the weekends. He wants to be the first person you think about when you wake up in the morning. He wants to have continuous conversations with you. He wants to be more than just a guest.

Jesus is knocking. Are you going to answer?

Let’s Pray: Dear Lord, thank You for Your gracious acceptance and understanding. Please help us to open each door You knock on. Grant us the courage to open our hearts to You and be willing to make the changes You desire in order to grow in our relationship with You. Help us to surrender everything to You. In Jesus’s Name I pray, Amen.

Movie of Reflection: “The Perfect Stranger”. It’s a story about a non-believing woman who is invited to dinner with Jesus Christ in person. Watch the movie trailer here on YouTube. You can also watch the full movie for free on YouTube via this link.

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Author Bio: 

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

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

Tessa enjoys being active in her local church. She serves as a co-teacher for the two-to-five year old class where there is never a dull moment.

It is Tessa’s passion to be a girl after God’s own heart and through her studying of God’s Word, Tessa longs to draw closer to her Savior. Through her writing, she longs to take others with her on this journey of faith.

Tessa loves all things Regency, needlework, and dainty teacups of every size.

When she isn’t writing or studying for exams, she can be found in the kitchen with more flour in her hair and on the floor than in the bowl, though the mess is always half the fun!

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Connect with Tessa:
Blog: https://beautifulbeloved937002841.wordpress.com/

Devotionals for the Heart: God's Plan

Trust God’s Timing And Plans
A devotional by Julia Wilson

“For I know the plans I have for you” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” –Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

God has a plan for your life and He has a plan for mine. Sometimes He reveals His plans many years in advance. Other times, we do not even realize that we have glimpsed the plan for our future.

Let me share with you the plan that God showed me though I did not realize it at the time and I was too young to even know about God. My twin brothers are three years younger than me. This event happened before they were born. I do not know how old I was.

I remember my Mom dressing me in an all-in-one winter suit and my parents popping me in the car. We drove somewhere. We got out of our car and walked. I remember seeing a bridge across a river with rows of houses either side. I felt drawn to that place.

Bewdley in England (Photo Credit: Julia Wilson)

The longing for that place with the river, the bridge and the houses never left me. As I grew up I would constantly question my parents, asking, “Where did we go?” The answer never changed: They had no idea where it was nor did they know what I was talking about.

I got married, had a family and we lived in four different houses in three different towns. The sense that I desired to go back to that place never left me. I walked my children to school every day. It was about a mile and a quarter up to school and back. I did it twice a day.

One day as I was walking to collect my children, I rounded Beales Corner (as I always did). Suddenly, it was as if the scales fell from my eyes as I looked ahead.

There was the river with the bridge and the houses either side! The place I had been longing for all my life was the place I now lived, and had lived in for several years. Wow! I had done that walk so many times yet never seen it like I saw it that day. Years and years of yearning to return … and yet, I was already home.

Bewdley in England (Photo Credit: Julia Wilson)

I do not know why God put that desire on my heart as a very small child. I do not know why I did not recognize the place of longing the first time I walked to school. But what I do know is God was with me, even when I was too young to know Him. He planned my life out. He put a desire in my heart. And He fulfilled that yearning all in His timing.

I never need to worry about my life because God holds me in His hands. God holds us all in His hands and in His heart. Even when we do not know God, God knows us. He loves us and He cares for us.

If you do not know my caring and loving God, you can know Him today. You can trust His timing and you can trust His heart.

May I lead you in a prayer to help you get to know God?

Let’s Pray: Dear Jesus Christ, I know I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust You and follow You as my Lord and Saviour all the days of my life. In Jesus’s Name I pray, Amen.

~*~
Author Bio:

My name is Julia Wilson but I also go by Christian Bookaholic. 

I live with my husband and five cats in a small town in Worcestershire on the banks of the River Severn (England). We have four grown up children and three granddaughters.

I have always loved reading and have always been surrounded by books. I used to work as a teaching assistant for special needs in the local high school. Ill health forced me to stop working in December 2015. I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (known as M.E.) and fibromyalgia. I now have plenty of time to read and review books!

Our eldest son set up my Christian Bookaholic blog. I review every book I read. I read over 300 books a year. I read Christian and mass market. I prefer stories set from 1850 onwards. My favourite type of books to read is stories set in WWI and WWII, and Russia under Czar Nicholas II.

I am a historian, having a Combined Humanities degree where I majored in History and minored in English. I also love swimming. I only learned how to swim in 2017 and go swimming four mornings a week for 90 minutes before breakfast, it keeps my joints going.

I am also a crazy cat lady. I absolutely love my cats. I have grown up with cats and cannot imagine life without them. My dream is to own an old fashioned seal point Siamese … but not while we have our young rescue cat as she hates other cats!

I love God and love going to a large lively church called Lifecentral. I cannot imagine life without God. He gives a peace even when life does not. He guides my life. He is my Rock.

12 Days of Christmas Book Giveaways: Cindy Flores Martinez's stories

Let's welcome my author friend Cindy Flores Martinez to the blog!

She's here to give away one e-book copy of her Christmas story, Mia's Gift!

Meet Cindy:

Author Bio:

Cindy Flores Martinez is a USA Today bestselling author who writes Christian Romance.

She has an MFA in Creative Writing with an emphasis in Screenwriting. 

Her debut novel, Mail-Order Groom, started as a screenplay and movie project, which she shopped around Hollywood, New York, and other parts of the world. 

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Blurb and cover for Cindy's book:

Mia's Gift (Small-Town Christmas Wishes Series Book 1):

Mia Rosa is thinking of leaving Snowflake, Colorado for good. Her cupcake shop on Main Street isn’t doing well, and seeing her ex-fiancé around town is awkward. 

When she receives a letter from her old high school friend, Charity Hart, asking her to be a secret angel, she’s convinced that she can’t go through with it. 

But Mia soon learns that handsome Jesse Quinn and his fifteen-year-old niece, Kristi, are in desperate need of a miracle. The group home where Kristi lives is shutting down, and no other foster homes are available in Snowflake. 

Will Mia be able to secretly grant Jesse and Kristi’s wish for Kristi to stay in the town she calls home?

~*~

Connect with Cindy:

Website: www.cindyfloresmartinez.com

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorCindy

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Enter this e-book giveaway contest for your chance to WIN Cindy's book, Mia's Gift, by filling out the entry form on the Rafflecopter widget below:

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Devotionals for the Heart: Home

A Place Called Home
A devotional by Patrick E. Craig

Wallowa Lake, in the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, is one of my favorite places on earth. You head up from La Grande, Oregon through Elgin, over the Minam Grade, down the Wallowa River canyon, and suddenly you drive out into the most incredible valley, with green fields, flowing streams, and snow-capped mountains rising straight up all around you. 

It’s called the Switzerland of America, but it beats Switzerland all hollow. Wallowa Lake is set like a jewel, right at the head of the valley just past the wonderful little town of Joseph. I spent much of my childhood roaming the mountains around the lake, trout fishing, hiking, camping… I have always dreamed of living there.

But what I have learned after many long years in this broken world, is that even the most beautiful place on earth will pale in comparison to the glory that awaits us when we come into our inheritance in Christ and are seated in Him, in heavenly places, ruling and reigning over the new heavens and the new earth.

We are so focused on the earth, and our life here, that we forget that this creation is corrupted – forever spoiled and useless to God, because of the rebellion of a proud creature named Lucifer. One day, our God, who is a God of love, but also a God of righteousness who must judge sin, will complete His judgment of this corrupted sphere and it will melt in the fervent heat, to be replaced by a garden of unbearable beauty.

If the places I love on this earth are beautiful beyond description, then it is impossible for me to comprehend the wonder of His coming new creation… and how big the trout will be…

"For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now, and not only they but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body." ~Romans 8:22-23 (KJV).

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Author Bio:

Patrick E. Craig is a lifelong writer and musician who left a successful songwriting and performance career in the music industry to follow Christ in 1984. 

In 2011 he signed a three-book deal with Harvest House Publishers to publish his Apple Creek Dreams series. His current series is The Paradise Chronicles. The first book in the series, The Amish Heiress, a romantic suspense novel, was published by Patrick's company, P&J Publishing, in August of 2015 and remained on the Amazon Top 100 best sellers list in three categories for seven months.

The second book in the series, The Amish Princess, a historical romance novel, was released in December of 2016 and was on Amazon's Hot New Releases for over a month. Harlequin recently purchased the print rights for both books for their Walmart Amish series. Patrick also just released Cracking The Indie Egg—A Recipe For Publishing Your Own Book and it is available in most major digital bookstores.

Patrick and his wife Judy, make their home in Idaho. They have two married children and five grandchildren. Patrick is represented by the Steve Laube Agency.

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Connect with Patrick:
Website - www.patrickecraig.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PatrickECraig
Twitter - https://twitter.com/PatrickECraig
Amazon Author page - http://tinyurl.com/n6sfagg

Devotionals for the Heart: Fighting Fair and Not Winning Arguments

Fighting fair (or why you shouldn’t ‘win’ an argument)
A devotional by Jessica Brodie

One of the hardest things I’ve learned to do in my marriage is to fight fairly, but it’s been the most critical love lesson of all. For when it’s done right, I’ve learned, God is at the core.

See, at the heart of how a couple argues is how they relate to each other, how they respect each other. In the best scenarios, arguing stems from care, from a place of love, typically from frustration about a small or large issue threatening the peace of the home in some way. You might be bickering about how big of a house to purchase or some perceived slight, or it might be deeper, like a dark secret now come to light.

Healthy, loving marriages—just like healthy, loving friendships—don’t avoid issues, sweeping them out the door and hoping they’ll fly away. They shine holy light into the darkness, and in that light, a deeper love emerges.

Throughout the New Testament, early Christians are called to hold each other accountable. The Apostle Paul frequently acknowledges that disagreements happen. People sin, whether intentionally or not. But as he instructs the nascent church, don’t ignore the problem. Address it. As he says in Galatians 6:1 (NIV), “Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently,” or in Ephesians 4:25 (NIV), “Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body."

Be honest, he’s saying. If the argument has to do with a sin on someone’s part, gently tell the one you love there’s a problem, and urge them toward repentance.

Gently. That’s the key word here. I’m not saying you should have scrappy yelling matches or those long periods of the silent treatment. That’s just reacting, not communicating. When we address an issue in a godly manner, we are to do it with love and consideration, not accusation and anger.

Paul ends Ephesians 4:32 (NIV) saying, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Those same sentiments are reflected in his advice to the Colossians: “Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity” (Colossians 3:12-14, NIV).

Of course, not all arguments are that simple. Maybe you think your spouse or friend has sinned against you, but the proverbial log in your eye is preventing you from seeing your own sin in the situation. Or maybe you’re being called out for misunderstood or unintentional behavior and you feel hurt that your loved one would judge your actions in this way. Maybe one of you is just plain grumpy.

The best and only way through it is that one “greatest” attribute—love.

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

God is love. He commands us to love others as ourselves, to show our faith through our love, to point to Him through our love.

So when it comes to arguments, remember: the only way to win is for everyone to win. If you come through a battle with one arm unscathed but the other broken and bloody, you’re still injured.

We are one body, literally and figuratively.

~*~
Author Bio:

Jessica Brodie is a Christian author, journalist, editor, blogger, and writing coach. 

She is the editor of the South Carolina United Methodist Advocate (AdvocateSC.org), the oldest newspaper in Methodism. 

Learn more about her fiction and read her blog at http://jessicabrodie.com.
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Let Love Bloom: Where She Belongs by Johnnie Alexander

Find Your Way Home

A personal essay by Johnnie Alexander

My 2018 page-a-day calendar features a motivational message accompanied by one of Mary Engelbreit’s playful illustrations. I’m often inspired, amused, or delighted by the day’s design.

But last weekend’s page touched a special place in my heart. Along with Ms. Engelbreit’s adorable characters and a cute little cottage were the words "Find Your Way Home".

I couldn’t help but smile at this sweet token of God’s steadfast love.

You see, I’ve been a bit of a vagabond for the past several months. After living with my sister in the Memphis area for three years, I moved into my own apartment a couple of miles from my daughter’s family in Tampa.

Less than a year later, just a week before Christmas, I moved all my worldly possessions—except what I could fit in my Pontiac Vibe—into storage while I took off on a holiday road trip.

My route took me from Tampa to Memphis to Tulsa to Sierra Vista, Arizona to Tulsa to Clarence, Missouri, then back to Memphis.

When I left my apartment, I didn’t know where my next home would be. But that was okay because I knew that God knew.

Which brings us back to last weekend. By then, my two dogs and I had been hanging out with my sister for a couple of months.

I think of the message on the calendar page, “Find Your Way Home,” as an inside joke between God and me. The plans were already made. On Sunday I packed up my Vibe. And on Monday, I drove to my new home in Oklahoma.

In the opening pages of Where She Belongs, my heroine is trying to find her way home. Shelby is fulfilling her dream of raising her young daughters in the same house that gave her so many cherished childhood memories.

But as the story unfolds, Shelby realizes that home has a deeper meaning than even the most beloved house. She lets love bloom in her heart, and a new dream for her family replaces the old one.

God blesses us with our homes here on earth, but He’s preparing our eternal homes in Heaven.

His Word shows us the way.

~*~
Author Bio:

Best-selling author Johnnie Alexander imagines heart-tugging stories in multiple genres. Her debut novel, Where Treasure Hides, has been translated into Dutch and Norwegian. She also writes contemporary romance and cozy mysteries. 

Since Johnnie also loves to talk about writing, she interviews inspirational authors for Novelists Unwind, co-hosts Writers Chat, a weekly online show, and teaches at writers conferences and on Serious Writer Academy. 

Johnnie recently moved to Oklahoma with Griff, her happy-go-lucky collie, and Rugby, her raccoon-treeing papillon. 

Connect with Johnnie on her website or her Facebook Author Page.

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Book blurb for Where She Belongs:

Shelby Kincaid is ready to move on from her grief. With high hopes for the future, she longs to purchase her family’s ancestral homestead so she can raise her young daughters in the only place she ever truly belonged. She plans to transform the abandoned house into the perfect home of her memories. But she’ll have her work cut out for her.

AJ Sullivan never wanted the homestead. Inherited as a punishment from his grandfather, it has sat empty for fifteen years and fallen into ruin. He’s glad to finally unload it. But a clean break isn’t possible when he can’t get the young widow Shelby off his mind.

Welcome to Misty Willow, a place that will have as great a hold over the reader as it does over its inhabitants.

~*~
Read a free preview of Where She Belongs on BookGrabbr

Buy Johnnie's book on Amazon or Other Retailers

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Connect with Johnnie:
Website/Blog ~ Facebook Author Page ~ Twitter ~ GoodReads ~ Amazon Author Page  ~ BookBub

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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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Book Review and $75 Giveaway for "A Woman Overwhelmed"

About the book:

"A Woman Overwhelmed" is a phrase with which many women can relate.

But what would happen if we could see the insanity in our pace and embrace our overwhelming God?

There is a reason they say that a woman's work is never done- because it isn't! As women, we often are overwhelmed by the demands and circumstances of life, resulting in stress, fear, worry, impatience, fatigue, frustration, and even depression. The truth is that we were created to be overwhelmed . . . not by life but by God! When we learn to be overwhelmed by God, the fruit in our lives goes from rotten to fragrant-filling our days with peace, hope, love, and joy

In A Woman Overwhelmed, best-selling author Hayley DiMarco shares biblical insights and personal stories to offer a glimpse at the comedy of an overwhelmed life while encouraging us to discover the depths and heights of God's love and power.

Be empowered to find freedom in becoming overwhelmed with who God is-by learning to focus on what we know about God so that we can hold onto faith even when it seems that all is lost. For it is when an overwhelmed woman gives up the mission of me and exchanges it for the mission of God that being overwhelmed becomes a good thing.

Choose to bask in the abundance of the Father instead of the abundance of life as his unfathomable depths can surely replace our fathomable messes.

Learn more and purchase a copy.

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About the Author: Hayley DiMarco is the best-selling author of more than 40 books, including multiple books in the God Girl line, "The Fruitful Wife," "Obsessed," "Die Young" and "Own It." As the founder of Hungry Planet, a company intensely focused on feeding the world's appetite for truth, DiMarco speaks regularly for women's groups and events, including Women of Faith, dotMOM, Precept National Women's Convention and MOPS International. Hayley and her pastor husband, Michael, live outside Nashville with their daughter and four dogs. Find out more about Hayley at http://hayleydimarco.com.

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My Review of Hayley DiMarco’s book, A Woman Overwhelmed: Finding God in the Messes of Life: 

Hayley DiMarco is a talented writer who authored the book, A Woman Overwhelmed: Finding God in the Messes of Life. It’s an intriguing collection of reflections on her life.

More than writing lessons on her reflections, DiMarco shares her heart and doesn’t hold back in this transparent real-life story. She strikes a chord with her title and core message with one word “overwhelmed.” Many women can relate to this word because they’ve been there. Women who have many duties inside the home and the demands out in the real world can relate to this book! Readers will be inspired when they embrace the author’s main message which is a challenge for women to not be overwhelmed by life but be overwhelmed by God.

The author presents that God can fill your days with “peace, hope, love, and joy.” She sets out to prove it with every chapter in this book. Each chapter is from a page of the author’s real-life story. She shares scenes that are at times hilarious, heartwarming and somber. The most vivid illustration was part three of the author’s “My Overwhelming Introduction: No Wonder Italian Women Throw Plates”. Hilarious!

This book is presented in six sections that are divided by Roman numerals: I) So Much to Do, So Little Time, (II) Death by Comparison, (III) What I Can’t Control Controls Me, (IV) It’s Hard Being Me, (V) The Mission of Me, (VI) Overwhelmed by God.

Every chapter in this book ends with a “Thought to Ponder” page which is a good, insightful review of the highlights that the author talks about in each chapter.

Readers can appreciate this open view into the author’s life. Through sharing her story, DiMarco shows that you too can “discover the depths and heights of God’s love and power” and “hold onto faith even when it seems that all is lost.”

This book deserves a solid, four-star rating!

*Litfuse Publicity Group provided me (Alexis A. Goring) with a complimentary copy of A Woman Overwhelmed: Finding God in the Messes of Life. My opinions in this book review are my own.

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Hayley DiMarco's "A Woman Overwhelmed" $75 Giveaway

"A woman overwhelmed" is this a phrase you can relate to? If you answered yes, you need to read Hayley DiMarco's new book, A Woman Overwhelmed. The best-selling author shares biblical insights and personal stories to offer a glimpse at the comedy of an overwhelmed life while encouraging us to discover the depths and heights of God's love and power. Choose to bask in the abundance of the Father instead of the abundance of life as his unfathomable depths can surely replace our fathomable messes.

Become a woman less overwhelmed by life and more overwhelmed by God and enter to win Hayley's $75 Merry Maids Visa Card Giveaway to help lessen your daily load.

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A copy of A Woman Overwhelmed
• A $75 Merry Maids Visa Cash Card

Enter today by clicking the icon below, but hurry! The giveaway ends on November 3. The winner will be announced November 6 on the Litfuse blog.

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Character Interview: Estelle from Kimberly Rose Johnson's new book, "An Encore for Estelle"

Let's welcome Kimberly Rose Johnson's new character Estelle Rogers to the blog today!

Estelle is the star of Kimberly's story, An Encore for Estelle (Melodies of Love Book 2) and you're in for a real treat! She shares insights from her world as a professional actress and gets real with what's on her heart.

Enjoy her character interview and remember to enter the book giveaway contest toward the end of this blog post for your chance to WIN the book, An Encore for Estelle.

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Interview with Estelle (a character) from Kimberly Rose Johnson’s new book, An Encore for Estelle:

Alexis: What is the significance of the title to your story, An Encore for Estelle?

Estelle: I used to act, but gave it all up when the parts stopped coming. When I went to visit a friend for the summer, I never expected to help at the local children’s theater. Let’s just say it’s my second act.

Alexis: What drew you to a career as an actress? Now that you’re back home with Blake and Helen, are you thinking of a career change? Why or why not?

Estelle: When I was a kid, I was involved in children’s theater and the acting bug bit me. I knew from that point I wanted to be an actress. Oak Knoll isn’t really home. It’s more of a home away from home. A career change is the furthest thing from my mind, but you never know.

Alexis: What is your relationship with Helen Wood? Why do you feel that she loves you completely, flaws and all? 

Estelle: Helen is a dear friend. I met her six years ago when I was in a different place in life. She led me to the Lord and has been my spiritual mentor these past six years. I know she loves me for me because she saw me in spite of how I behaved six years ago, and she didn’t turn her back on me. She showed me how Jesus loves.

Alexis: Paint a picture of Helen’s garden that you love, with words. Why is it special to you?

Estelle: Helen’s garden is like a magical oasis. It’s situated between the main house and the guest cottage. It’s green and lush, with trees, and a walking bridge over a dry creek bed turned water feature. There are twinkle lights as well as lovely shade plants and flowers tucked here and there. And in the middle of it all is a bistro table set that draws you into the garden. If that wasn’t enough, the sound of singing birds and the trickle of water create a relaxing atmosphere.

Alexis: Blake, your hero, is quite a good-looking character! What about his features or traits were you most attracted to at first? How did that change as you got to know him?

Estelle: He is a ruggedly handsome man. Not Hollywood perfect, but cowboy kind of perfect. As I got to know him he became even better looking to me.

Alexis: How did you meet Jeff and why are you hesitant to say “yes” to his marriage proposal?

Estelle: Jeff is or rather was the chef at my restaurant in California, and that’s how we met. We were together for a long time, and I care deeply for him, but I don’t love him the way a woman should love her husband and that’s why I hesitated to answer him when he proposed.

Alexis: Would you describe your former self as a mean girl? Why or why not? 

Estelle: Oh, I really don’t like to talk about the way I was, but I suppose some people would have considered me a mean girl. I think I was more self-absorbed than anything though. I expected everyone to jump at my command, and I didn’t show compassion or understanding when I should have. I’m not proud of who I was, and I’m glad I’m not like that anymore—at least I try not to be.

Alexis: What role did Helen play in your faith journey with God and how did it change you? I noticed that you now go out of your way to be nice.

Estelle: Helen showed me kindness and patience when everyone else turned their back on me. She was there for me and introduced me to the Lord.

Alexis: In what ways do you hope to impact the children that you’re working with at the theater for the musical production? What do you love most about them?

Estelle: I want to be a good role model and an encouragement to them. I love their innocence. They haven’t been scarred for the most part and see life with stars in their eyes. They are so hopeful!

Alexis: What lesson do you want people to learn from your story?

Estelle: That no one is perfect and we need to forgive ourselves and move on rather than hang onto guilt.

Alexis: Thanks so much for the interview! It’s an honor to interview a movie star! Do you have any closing comments?

Estelle: I enjoyed this interview. Thanks for having me on your blog. I hope you will read my story and tell all your friends about it. Lol. I suppose I still have stars in my eyes.

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Author Bio: 

Kimberly Rose Johnson married her college sweetheart and lives in the Pacific Northwest. 

From a young child, Kimberly has been an avid reader. That love of reading fostered a creative mind and led to her passion for writing.

She especially loves romance and writes contemporary romance that warms the heart and feeds the soul.

Kimberly holds a degree in Behavioral Science from Northwest University in Kirkland, Washington. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers.

You can sign up for Kimberly's newsletter via her website at this address, http://kimberlyrjohnson.com/index.html

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Book Blurb: The theater ties them together but a painful past could pull them apart.

At a crossroads, former movie star Estelle Rogers, returns to the place that set her life on a new course. Although she expects a rough reception she is pleasantly surprised and quickly settles into her new position at the local children's theater. But her road back to acting isn't as smooth as she would like.

Tragedy brought Blake Price to Oak Knoll, Oregon, but it's love that keeps him there. His late wife and daughter loved acting, and he owes it to them to honor their memory with the children’s theater, but his new assistant is making changes he isn’t ready for both at the theater and in his heart. 

Can he forgive himself and move forward, or will he forever be tied to the biggest mistake of his life?

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Buy Kimberly's book on Amazon

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Connect with Kimberly on Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Amazon Author Page

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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: 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Words of Faith: Terry's story about finding what was missing in his life

One Man’s Forty-Year Itch
A Words of Faith story by Terry Dodd

For the forty years following high school I lived without the guidance of the Holy Spirit. I don’t mean I lived a life of crime or addiction, or even of randomness. No. It was worse than that. I was at the top of my profession. I had a wonderful marriage, my three grown children were all happily married, and my golf game was better than at any time since my early thirties.

What was the problem? All I knew was that I had an overwhelming feeling of something important missing in my life. In retrospect, I think of the Israelites who wandered in the desert for forty years. Moses did his best for them, but he may as well have been herding cats. In my case, other than for a rare wedding or funeral, I had not darkened a church door in forty years. One routine I rarely missed, however, was a Saturday golf game.

Although I did not know a lack of Christian faith was my problem, I was anxious to scratch the unrelenting itch in my life. One day, I received a flyer from a church I had driven past innumerable times over the previous sixteen years. It read: “Instead of watching Elvis re-runs this Saturday night, come as you are directly from the golf course at 6:30 to a new Saturday Sabbath service and hear about the true King.” From the golf course! I found that curious, but dismissed the idea. The following week a second flyer arrived. It, too, said to come from directly from the golf course. I thought, "Why not? I can then check that item off the list."

My first thought coming out the door of the church afterward was curiosity about having remembered the words to the hymns of my youth. I was certain the experience was nothing more than a fluke. I said as much to my wife of thirty-seven years, who I did not know had been praying for me since our first date in high school. I told her I would repeat the experience the following Saturday, but I doubted Jesus was my problem.

The second time I came out of the church my thought was slightly different: Have I come home? My wife and I began attending church on a regular basis. Sadly, however, I also had an ulterior motive. I had just shelved the first draft of a manuscript for a novel I had been writing during the previous year. It was built around conversational conflict through a casual golf match involving an atheist, an agnostic, a skeptic, and a Christian. The story didn’t work because I hadn’t a clue as to creating a fictitious resume for the believer. My veiled thinking was that perhaps if I better understood the “born again” concept, I might be able to salvage my manuscript.

Therefore, merely for the purpose of research (or so I thought) I would begin reading through the Bible. I was energized by the stories in Genesis, Exodus and the first ten chapters of Leviticus. But as the action slowed, I decided to jump ahead to the gospel. Things started out well in the book of Matthew. I only got as far as Matthew10:32-33, however, before I hit a stumbling block. Verse 32 was fine in that Jesus was saying, “Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.”

Verse 33 was the problem: “But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.” Disown? That person would be personally disowned by God? Guilt crushed me. That had come on the heels of absorbing the idea of man’s sin being so great that the sinless Jesus came down from paradise to be born of woman, to live among man, to give up His life for us, and be raised from the dead. All for me! The thought of being disowned by God was emotionally and spiritually overcoming. It was at that moment He revealed Himself to me. I realized I had to respond. What else could I do but go to my knees in surrender.

I shared the experience with my wife and then with a pastor at the church. A few weeks later, we joined the church. Two months after that, on Christmas Day of 1996, at my daughter and son-in-law’s home in Jacksonville, Florida with my wife, mother, and granddaughter present, at age fifty-eight I prayed aloud in publicly confessing that I was a sinner in need of forgiveness. I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior and asked Him to come into my heart.

Not only had my itch cleared, but much more importantly I had become a new creation. Not only that, but through God’s having freed me from my captive state I was also enabled to rewrite my manuscript and independently publish it. Ten years later The Foursome would win for me the 2012 Eric Hoffer Book Award in the Legacy Fiction Category.

God tells us in His Word that He created us to worship Him. If we do not understand and accept that Jesus came down to Earth as man to save us from ourselves, then we are missing the single most important thing in life. 

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Author bio:
Bullet Biography – Terry Dodd

· Survived life-threatening burns to ten per cent of his body at age seven

· BA degree in Geology from Florida State University

· Forty-year career as an advertising executive and entrepreneur

· Fifteenth year editing a bi-monthly Christian newsletter

· Author of a dozen Christian novels and inspirational narratives

· 2012 Eric Hoffer Legacy Fiction Award Winner for The Foursome, a golf novel of one man’s faith matched against doubt, ignorance and pride

· Lifetime member of Northside Hospital-Forsyth Auxiliary and former auxiliary board member and V.P. of Orientation & Placement

· Current active volunteer with There’s Hope for the Hungry, a 501(c)(3) food-and-faith outreach to the needy of north Georgia

· Juggling hobby led to a two-year Christian ministry to north Atlanta metro area assisted living facilities, which formed the basis for his book, Journey with Outstretched Hands

· Served as president of Georgia Association of Promotional Products Practitioners

· Married, with blended family of four adult children and seven grandchildren

· Active member of First Redeemer Church in Cumming, GA

· Leader/facilitator of a small men’s Bible study group

· Member of Atlanta Writers Club and American Christian Fiction Writers

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Connect with Terry:
Website- terrygdoddbooks.com
Email - dodd@bellsouth.net

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