Ordinary Angels (movie) review and a special giveaway just for you

My Review of Ordinary Angels (movie)

Today, I have another movie review for you and a giveaway contest at the end of this post! In case you didn’t know, Great American Pure Flix is like the faith-based version of Netflix. It works the same way the difference is in the content that points you back to Jesus Christ and shows you how much The Creator of the Universe loves you!

Great American Pure Flix is a one-stop shop for faith and family-friendly movies and shows where you can confidently stream in your home with the entire family. With new premium and exclusive original entertainment choices every week, Great American Pure Flix streaming service has the largest variety of high-quality, curated, positive, encouraging, wholesome movies, series and kids' content in one service.

Great American Pure Flix VIP Ambassador program asked me via Momentum Influencers Network to review a new movie Ordinary Angels.

Here’s the synopsis of Ordinary Angels with words from Momentum: Based on a remarkable true story, Ordinary Angels centers on Sharon (Hilary Swank), a fierce but struggling hairdresser in small-town Kentucky who discovers a renewed sense of purpose when she meets Ed (Alan Ritchson), a widower working hard to make ends meet for his two daughters. With his youngest daughter waiting for a liver transplant, Sharon sets her mind to helping the family and will move mountains to do it. What unfolds is the inspiring tale of faith, everyday miracles, and ordinary angels.

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Now for my review:

Hilary Swank played Sharon perfectly. She came across was a party girl who drowned her sorrows in booze and forgot about tomorrow. At the beginning of this story, she was all for living in the moment and being the life of every party. It takes her best friend to convince her to attend a meeting for alcoholics and that is the catalyst that changes her life because in the meeting the group facilitator challenges everyone to live for a bigger purpose. Soon after, Sharon reads a story in the newspaper at a local store that inspires her to help. The story is about a little girl who needs a liver transplant. She makes it her mission to help this little girl live. It becomes the purpose of her life and it starts when she meets the girl’s dad (Ed) at the family funeral.

Alan Ritchson played Ed. When he meets Sharon, he looks very guarded because it is as clear to him as it is to the viewers of this movie that Sharon is on the Hot Mess Express. He lovingly and very protectively steers his daughters away from her with a polite goodbye. But Sharon is determined to make a difference in his family life and it helps that the youngest of Ed’s two daughters liked Sharon from the moment they met at her mother’s funeral.

Watching the story unfold is like being on a rollercoaster that takes you through highs, lows, twists and turns but always gives you a safe landing. Ordinary Angels is based on a true story which makes the movie even more inspiring! The acting was superb. I especially loved how every time Ed needed to take his daughter to the hospital for urgent care, he made light of the situation so as to not upset her, by saying “Want to go on an adventure?” Each and every time her eyes lit up and her little angelic face shined when she enthusiastically replied, “Yeah!”

This movie had heartwarming and endearing moments but it also didn’t shy away from the hard stuff such as the pain Sharon faced privately over the years trying to reconcile with her estranged son. But despite all the trials and tribulations the characters in this movie face, the producers did a great job of bringing everything together in the end in a way that was so touching.

I think you’ll love this movie. But don’t take my word for it. Go see it for yourself!

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More words from Momentum:

Buy tickets today to see Ordinary Angels in theaters starting February 23, 2024!

Don’t miss this powerful film, based on a true story! You’ll leave feeling inspired to be an angel to people in your own community! Help us make the impossible possible. Every $1 you donate eliminates $100 in medical debt. Together with RIP Medical Debt, we aim to erase $10,000,000 in medical debt relief. The gift of debt relief is life-changing—and every dollar makes a difference. #OrdinaryAngelsMovie #KingdomStoryCompany ordinaryangels.movie/rip

Watch the trailer for Ordinary Angels:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXTEFyoaGDU

Official website for Ordinary Angels (movie):
https://ordinaryangels.movie

Buy tickets to see Ordinary Angels in theaters:
https://tickets.ordinaryangels.movie

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Final Notes:

Enter the giveaway contest via the Rafflecopter link below for a chance to win a $10 Amazon gift card. This is limited to U.S. winners only.

Here is the Giveaway Contest link:
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/f8dcb68c490/?

Disclosure: Many thanks to Kingdom Faith Marketing Services, LLC for providing a sample of the product for this review. Opinions are 100% my own.

#OrdinaryAngelsMIN #OrdinaryAngelsMovie @KingdomStoryCompany @Lionsgate

Devotionals for the Heart: Stillness

Be Still
A devotional by Mirachelle Canada

“Be still, and know that I am God.

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth!” 

– Psalm 46:10 (ESV) 

“Be still...”

I heard the words but knew I was alone. I opened my eyes and scanned the empty room as I lay on the ER gurney with wires tethered all around my heart and a pulse finger oximeter strapped to my pointer finger. I felt my heart flutter and drop, as it had been doing for the past couple of nights. I waited but no one came through the door, so I closed my eyes again, trying to keep my pulse low. Something irregular was happening at home, mostly while I slept, and I wanted proof for the doctors to see because something felt off inside my heart.

“Be still and know...”

This time I heard the phrase in my head, but it was in a voice I recognized. God was speaking and now He had my full and undivided attention. “Yes, Lord, I’m listening,” I said and pictured Jesus Christ standing beside me. Then I felt a warmth, though moments earlier I had covered up with a blanket to block the room’s chill. I knew beyond any doubt He was in the room with me.

How did I know? How could I be sure what I sensed was really God? Because of over forty years of tested faith and coming through impossible trials. Just like the old hymn "‘Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus" says, God had proven Himself to me over and over. In my current trial, He was reminding me all I had to do was “Be still and know.”

We all face situations when we don’t know. We immediately question what we should say or do. It’s hard to wait before acting or reacting because of our innate desire to know, especially when we feel vulnerable or uncomfortable. There are times when all we can answer is, “I don’t know.” These are the moments we choose to be the most truthful, and they provide opportunities for us to wholly trust God.

Not long ago I had a dear friend whose husband tragically died. I didn’t know what to say or do when I saw her for the first time after the loss, but I knew she needed something from me. I prayed God would show me what to do or say while she grieved in front of me. I sat and listened to her talk about anything and everything, waited and listened, and waited some more. Later, I simply sat nearby as she slept, even during the middle of the day. In the stillness I found my own comfort and peace. I felt God’s presence and songs of worship and praise came into my mind. The song called “Everlasting God” by Chris Tomlin reminded me that when I wait upon God, His strength will rise in me. God gave me the strength to simply be present—to be still—as I sought how to help my friend. I didn’t need to have the answers to her grief. 

In the same way, as I was laid up in a hospital room for over six hours while they ran tests on my heart, it felt like a mere few hours because I heeded His words to “Be still.” While I waited upon the Lord, I felt His love and peace flow over me once again. I rested, assured He was in control of the outcome because I relinquished my need to know what was going on to Him. All that mattered was my willingness and obedience to “be still” and submit to His will for me to know “He is God” – the one who will be exalted among the nations and in the earth!

What a peace it is to know the ruler of all things holds my heart securely in His hands!

Let's Pray: Dear God, thank you for always being with me in every situation, even when I am unsure of myself. Help me to be still and know you are God, acknowledging you are greater than my circumstances. Through your son, Jesus, you overcame the world and I know that same power will help me. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Question from Mirachelle: 

In what situations have you learned to “Be still”? Tell us about it in the comments section!

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Author Bio:

Mirachelle Canada is a writer, playwright, screenwriter, and theatre director/producer from Northern Virginia, where she teaches television production at her high school alma mater. 

She earned her Master of Fine Arts in Script & Screenwriting from Regent University and is an alumnus of Act One: Hollywood Film & Television Writing Program.

Mirachelle is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, American Fiction Writers Virginia Chapter, The Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild, and Your Novel Blueprint.

She is currently working on her first historical fiction novel set during WWII.

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Connect with Mirachelle:
Website: www.mirachellecanada.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mirachellecanada/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/miracan

Devotionals for the Heart: Radiance

Reflecting the Radiance of Christ
A devotional by Karen Marstaller

“Those who look to Him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.”

— Psalm 34:5 (ESV)

A couple of weeks ago, I walked into a room full of women whose faces were illuminated with their love for God. Their radiance brought back a long-forgotten memory.

It was just a tiny, dusty little west Texas town, but I was home from college when I heard that an old Bible teacher in our church was dying. Mrs. S. had always been kind to me, and for some inexplicable reason, I decided to go visit her.

Since I wasn’t a Christian at the time, it seems strange that I willingly walked into the same hospital where my mother had died just a few years earlier. The memories of that day clung to me like burs as I approached the front desk.

Pointing down the hallway, the woman in charge gave me the room number and then said, “The family can’t get here until the weekend, so I’m glad someone will be with her.” It seemed like a cryptic comment, but I shrugged it off and walked quietly to my destination.

Mrs. S’s room was large, with her bed in the middle of it. What was unusual was the light. The windows were bare, facing the mountains that surrounded the community. Sunlight poured through the plate glass, lighting everything in the room—the bed, the IV drip, the morphine dispenser, and even the gleaming floor. It enveloped the room with comfort and warmth.

Asleep for a few blessed moments, Mrs. S. wore a peaceful smile on her face. Then my eyes saw the ravages the cancer had inflicted on her. The hands that had clapped for joy, or patted discouraged shoulders, or eagerly reached for her Bible to teach young people about her Savior, lay motionless on the bed covers. Well, almost motionless. One pulsing vein was slowly doing its job. It was clearly visible; Mrs. S’s skin was translucent.

Two nurses came to check her. Gently they woke her, stroking the sparse hair that had escaped the colorful scarf she wore. Tenderly they replaced the IV bag and checked the port in her hand. Lovingly they held her fingers between their own to warm them. “Mrs. S., did you see your visitor?” one of them asked.

When she searched the room for her guest, her eyes finally focused on me, and her emaciated face radiated joy. Speech was beyond her, but I’ve always thought she recognized me and was glad to see me. She was beautiful.

Through all the years of her life, Mrs. S. had poured out her days in order to serve the Lord. Faithfully she had taught squirming, inattentive children the truth about Jesus, the Savior of the world. Tirelessly, she had loved and nurtured all the kids in her classes, always making sure we knew that we mattered.

One insignificant little town, a “wide place in the road” was where God sent Mrs. S. to share the truth about Jesus to a bunch of skeptical girls. I can’t recall a single lesson she taught in our classroom, but the lesson from her hospital bed is the one I will treasure for the rest of my life.

Mrs. S. spent her life in the presence of the Lord. She shared her love of Jesus with everyone she met. And even in her dying, her devotion to the Lord was evident everywhere I looked. It was mirrored in the faces of her caregivers. It poured into the room through wide-open windows. It even reflected off the wax on the floor.

It’s taken a long time to understand the enduring lesson from my old teacher. Because Mrs. S. had obeyed the Lord in taking on a class with my jaded, disbelieving self in it, I was given a glimpse of a life well-lived for Christ. In her room that day, God’s peace was apparent. She rested in the glorious light He allowed me to witness.

The Lord knows all our days, and has recorded every one of our names, along with the number of days He gives. And for those of us who have accepted Jesus as our Savior and follow Him, He gives the privilege of sharing His joy, His radiance, and His light with the people around us, just like Mrs. S. did.

In the Amplified Bible, Psalm 116:15 says, “Precious [and of great consequence] in the sight of the Lord is the death of His godly ones [so He watches over them].”

Let’s Pray:

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You for the teachers we’ve had who taught us about Jesus Christ. Thank You for shining Your holy light into our lives, even when we don’t know Who You are. Please teach us how to spend time with You, and to be faithful in reading Your Word, the Bible. Please give us strength to obey You all the days of our lives. Help us to become a reflection of Who You are, the only true God, King of the Universe. 

In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

~*~
Author Bio:

During this time of quarantine, Karen enjoys reading, writing, and connecting with friends and family via phone calls, texts, emails, blogs, live-streams, and video conferencing.  

She is grateful that the Lord has provided so many ways for humankind to stay in community, even when we are all hunkering down in our homes.

Karen says, “In this unprecedented time, we know that He has prepared us for such a time as this! To God be all the glory!”

You can reach Karen by emailing her at this address: klmarstaller@gmail.com

Devotionals for the Heart: A life lesson on giving and receiving love

You are someone’s neighbor
A devotional by Jessica Collazo

‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ –Luke 10:35 (NIV)

The month of February has a way of bringing LOVE to the forefront of our thoughts.

Many people think love can only be celebrated in a romantic fashion. Dinner for two, flowers, chocolate, all of the cliché things, which are not bad or wrong. But, what if this month we spend some time remembering the greatest command that God has given us in Mark 12:31?

God tells us: Love your neighbor.

In the parable of the Good Samaritan, the man that was beaten and left for dead did not ask for help. The Samaritan took pity on him and went above and beyond to help. He saw the need and he tended to it.

Our problem today is that we see or hear the word “pity” and we allow our pride to take over.

Yes. Pride. You may ask “How?” 

Here’s how: We say things like, “I don’t want anyone’s pity” or “I don’t need any handouts.” But in reality we are saying, “I don’t want anyone to have compassion on me.”

I’m guilty of that. God recently allowed me to see that I do not allow my neighbors to love me. In my mind, pity equals weakness, and I did not want to be seen as weak or incapable of handling what life throws at me. Loving others? I can do that. But allowing others to love me? Well, that was the hard part … until recently.

Recently, my family has gone on quite the roller coaster ride. My youngest son was born with a severe health condition that one day would require an organ transplant. That time came and in less than three months, we decided to move forward with the process, received approval to have him listed on the organ transplant list, got a match and completed the surgery. And while there are many miracles that happened in that short span of time (we will talk about those another time), one of the most beautiful things that I was able to witness and experience was the love of God through how others loved us.

Just like the Good Samaritan, we had people who took care of us without us needing to ask. Friends who created meal delivery sign-up sheets, people who we met once sent us gift cards or delivered food to the hospital, text messages, phone calls, but most importantly they prayed.

I cannot tell you how the prayers of so many people, including strangers, carried us through. I felt the love through the army of people that prayed us through that entire ordeal.

Now back to that pride thing: If it were any other time, or any other situation, I probably would not have been so receptive to receiving the love and support (emotional or financial) that was so freely given to us.

So, if you are the one who is struggling to allow others to love you, I urge you to let your guard down, swallow your pride and say yes. Allow yourself to experience God’s love and peace through your neighbor’s love.

If you are the neighbor who doesn’t know what to do, how about you start by asking, “How can I pray for you?” Then do something. Walk their dog, take them a meal, rake their leaves, shovel their snow, sit with them, send them a Scripture, and once you do something, pray again. It will be their lifeline as they walk through whatever they are walking through.

Let’s Pray: Father, I pray that as we think about what it means to love our neighbor and how we can show others the love of Christ, that you would bring to our minds someone that needs to be reminded that they are loved. That we would act as the Good Samaritan did, and most importantly, that we would allow ourselves to be loved by our neighbors because we must remember that we too are someone’s neighbor. In Jesus’s Name I pray, Amen.

~*~
Author Bio:

Jessica Collazo is a Chicago native with a heart that beats for Jesus. Her passion is to challenge women to think differently, gain a new perspective and live confidently. Because she knows it’s possible. 

Using God’s Word, a little bit of humor, along with a strategic way of thinking and sharing personal stories, Jessica offers a fresh take on where to go when women feel stuck, overlooked or overwhelmed.

Jessica’s greatest passion is to help women take off the identities they have been given by the world and realize who they are in Christ: known, dearly loved, set apart, and chosen.

Jessica is the customer experience manager at Proverbs 31 Ministries who lives in Charlotte, North Carolina with her husband, Jerry, two sons and dog, Sawyer. Prior to working at Proverbs 31 Ministries, Jessica has over 10 years of experience working in women’s ministry, marriage ministry and outreach.

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Connect with Jessica:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_jessicacollazo/
Website: https://jessicacollazo.com

Celebrate Lit blog tour for "There Is Hope" (book) by Carla Huelsmann

Welcome to my blog's stop on the Celebrate Lit blog tour for There is Hope: Bloom Where You are Planted (book) by Carla Huelsmann!

Read my review of Carla's book below and enjoy your time with her today! 

Remember to enter the fun giveaway contest toward the end of this blog post.

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About the Book:

Title: There is Hope

Author: Carla Huelsmann

Genre: Journal, devotional, memoir

Release Date: August 2018

52 life lessons for those struggling with major illness will inspire hope and encourage those suffering to take back control of their lives.

Carla Huelsmann dealt with the daily impact of seizures since age two. Her life-long battle with epilepsy impacted all parts of her life, family, career, self-confidence, and independence until corrective brain surgery ended the seizures. Free from the debilitating seizures and their accompanying residues of doubt and fear, Carla Huelsmann lives independently and shares her story to help others along their own journeys.

Part journal, part devotional, and part memoir, this is a book of hope, faith, and inspiration. The book addresses the fears, challenges, and questions about the future those going through a major illness, debilitating injury, or life crisis may have. Designed as a traveling companion for those facing challenging circumstances, each one-page entry is accompanied by blank space for the reader to journal his or her own thoughts and prayers.

My goal is to give hope, help, healing, and resources. I want to walk alongside others and assure them they are not alone; there is hope. -Carla Huelsmann

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Buy Carla's book on Amazon

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About the Author:

Carla Huelsmann earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Eastern Illinois University, subsequently taught grades five through eight, and now works for the US Department of Veterans Affairs in St. Louis, MO.

The alumnus of a fiction-writing course at Southern Illinois University, and the CLASS Seminar with Marita and Florence Littauer, she is also the author of articles on her experiences, and is available to speak.

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A Message from the author (Carla):

I want to inspire and equip others struggling with epilepsy or other major illnesses to take back control of their lives. Eighteen years after corrective surgery, I live a seizure-free life that I feel in control of. And, I want to share my story and lessons learned with others facing serious challenges. 

My goal is to give hope, help and healing and resources of helpful information in one book. I want to walk alongside them and assure them that they are not alone and there is hope!

I’ve dealt with seizures, epilepsy and their daily impact since the age of two. It has impacted my family, career, self-confidence, independence and much more. Through it all, family, friends and faith have provided bedrock sources of strength. In addition, timely interventions by doctors, new contacts, new techniques and self-discipline came at opportune times through perseverance.

Now free from the tunnel of doubt, fear and debilitating seizures, I’ve gathered up my collection of personal journals and thoughts in order to help others along their journey. There Is Hope: Bloom Where You are Planted is a devotional for someone going through major illness, major injury, or life crisis.

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My Review of Carla's book:

There Is Hope: Bloom Where You are Planted is a book with a beautiful cover that makes you want to pick up the book, open to the first page and inhale deeply as the reader!

However, as I journeyed through the pages of this story, I found it to feel incomplete.

My impression is that the author wrote the manuscript, telling her story but then simply divided it into chapters that were not complete. As I turned the pages of this book, I found chapters that were barely two paragraphs long! And at times, the endings of the chapter felt more like a beginning that hadn't started or middle that's missing. It left me feeling like the author's story, as formatted in this book, is not complete. Halfway through the book, the author had letters to her doctor as full chapters that were only about one or two pages long! I didn't understand how that was considered a chapter and I've yet to read any other nonfiction story written with this type of layout in any other book in my lifetime thus far.

However, I do think that the author does a good job of putting her heart out there and I admire how she isn't scared to share deep details of her personal real life story in a way that will help the reader have hope in hard times. And I do realize that the summary of the book says the these are "52 life lessons" that compose this book. However, I still do think that some of these life lessons throughout this book could have been elaborated for stronger impact. Sometimes the lessons were too precise and concise. 

But I couldn't move past the feeling that this book was incomplete and the chapters didn't feel or look like chapters. It doesn't take away from the message of hope and resilience that is at the core of the author's story. But it just feels ... incomplete.

*Celebrate Lit provided me (Alexis A. Goring) with a complimentary copy of "There is Hope" (book). My opinions in this book review are my own.

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Blog Stops

Texas Book-aholic, January 13

janicesbookreviews, January 14

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 15

Older & Smarter?, January 16

Inklings and notions, January 17

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, January 18

For the Love of Literature, January 19

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, January 20

Through the Fire Blogs, January 21 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, January 21

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, January 22

CarpeDiem, January 23

Splashes of Joy, January 24

By The Book, January 25 (Author Interview)

Stephanie’s Life of Determination, January 25

God is Love, January 26

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Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Carla is giving away the grand prize of an autographed copy of the book! Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter:

https://promosimple.com/ps/f46c/there-is-hope-celebration-tour-giveaway

Devotionals for the Heart: A story about a mother's prayer and a miracle!

A Mother’s Prayer
A devotional by Heather Martin

“And this is the confidence we have before Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” –1 John 5:14 (NIV)

“The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and rescues them.”

 –Psalm 34:7 (NIV)

Seems like I have heard this story my entire life, on several occasions, but somehow, I never get tired of hearing her tell it, so I’ll share it with you.

It was 1960. She was 18 years old and newly married. She didn’t belong to any church and wasn’t super religious, but she knew how to pray.

She gave birth to her first child, a son, and she fell in love with this chubby little boy instantly. With a fat face, red cheeks, and sandy hair, he was perfect!

At around six months old, she noticed he wasn’t feeling very well. He had a fever. After doing all she could to help him get better, she decided it was best to take him to the hospital.

When she arrived at the hospital, they ran tests and decided to rush him to an isolation unit because he was contagious with something called spinal meningitis. Spinal meningitis is an infection of the fluid and membranes around the brain and spinal cord. Once infection starts it can spread rapidly throughout the body. If untreated, it can cause brain damage in a matter of hours and can be fatal within 24 hours.

Although she didn’t understand it all fully and had never heard of this disease, she felt in her heart that he would get better. However, as the weeks in the hospital passed, she began to lose hope. Would he ever get well? She was exhausted, barely sleeping, and never wanting to leave her baby at the hospital alone.

One day a nurse convinced her that everything would be okay and to just go home to take a shower. So she did, and no sooner than she stepped out of the tub, the phone was ringing. It was the doctor on the other line telling her that if she wanted to say goodbye to her baby, she’d better hurry back to the hospital.

Her in-laws drove her to the hospital, and when they arrived the doctors began to ask if there was a family plot and where her baby would be buried. He was hardly breathing, couldn’t move, couldn’t cry, so sick and he seemed as if he was about to take his last breath.

They removed all the IVs and his little body looked so limp and lifeless. They rolled his bed out into the hallway and she followed, leaving the doctors and her in-laws in the room to talk about the funeral.

While in the hallway, the only prayer she remember saying was “Lord don’t let my baby die.” Before she finished this prayer, she says it was like something out of the movies, a cloud of white smoke appeared and the hospital hallway doors swung open. A man she’d never seen came through doors and touched her baby then disappeared.

Her baby began to cry and scream and look up at her! He was full of life in seconds! The doctors came running out of the room to see what had happened. She was in a daze because she herself was stunned at what just happened. God had sent an angel to touch her baby and heal him.

The doctors were in disbelief, so they ran tests and told her that she could probably expect him to be mentally delayed and not live a productive life. Well, 59 years later, and my Mother still reminds my only brother George to live the right life because when she prayed, God saved him by the touch of an angel.

Maybe you’ve been praying for something to happen and given up hope today. Maybe you’ve never prayed or not sure if you believe in prayer. Maybe you pray, but you don’t really believe that anything will happen.

Whatever the circumstance, I hope this story inspires you to pray and watch God give you a testimony to tell for years to come.

~*~
Author Bio:

Heather Martin was born the last of six siblings in New Orleans, Louisiana. She was raised by an amazing single mother (Rebecca Trotter) and was taught at an early age to love God and how to sing! 

She graduated from Oakwood University with a Bachelors Degree in Language Arts Education and later received a Master’s Degree in Education from Kaplan University.

Shortly after graduating she followed God’s call to minister. She joined the Stellar, Dove, and Grammy-nominated gospel group Virtue, which was founded by her two older sisters Ebony Holland and Karima Kibble several years prior. Virtue has used their talents to spread the love of God across the world! They have recorded 7 studio albums and have been the recipients of numerous awards.

God has not only blessed Heather professionally, but personally. She met her husband, Dr. Colin Martin, and they have been married for 14 years. They have four children: Colin Jr. 11, Harper 10, Clark, 7, and Charleston 5. In 2016 Heather started an online blog and vegan and allergen-friendly cooking channel called “Chef Mommy.” Heather (Chef Mommy) has cooked with numerous celebrities and top chefs to spread the news of healthy cooking and lifestyle.

In addition to this busy schedule, Heather enjoys, running, reading, writing and spending time with her family.

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Connect with Heather:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeatherTMartin
Instagram for Heather: https://www.instagram.com/thechefmommy/
Instagram for Virtue (Heather’s singing group): https://www.instagram.com/virtuegirls
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chefmommyhm

Devotionals for the Heart: Hospital Codes and God's Grace

Reason Together with God
A devotional by Shellie Arnold

“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land." ~Isaiah 1:18-19 ESV

I once worked in a hospital as an admissions clerk. As part of the job, I was responsible for inputting all pertinent patient information, especially regarding insurance coverage. This information had to be documented on the appropriate computer screens—sometimes several of them—via the appropriate codes. The information had to be complete and correct. After all, timely billing depended on accuracy. Those screens directly affected how the hospital got paid.

Six months into the job, I learned that on that particular payday, I would not be picking up my check from the payroll clerk, as usual. Rather, my paycheck was held by my supervisor. Twice a year, I was required to meet with my supervisor and get my paycheck directly from her. What I did not expect, was sitting with my supervisor and being shown every error I had made on any patient information screen for the previous six months. Literally, someone had been assigned to go behind every admissions clerk (not just me) and audit their work. The errors were printed, and the corresponding stack of errors was given to each employee, along with our checks.

My stack of printed errors was huge. So huge, I was put on probation. I was at risk of losing my job.

Understand, I had pages of notes from when I was trained. Every day, I carried with me a full notebook of memos containing policy and procedure changes. And I consulted them throughout my work shift. Still, my number of mistakes was very high.

As I looked through the printouts, I realized I hadn’t made dozens of different mistakes. Rather, I’d made a few, same mistakes dozens of times. I was consistent. Consistently wrong, but still.

I shared this with my supervisor. “You can see I was consistent, which meant I thought I was doing it right. Why didn’t anyone tell me before now, instead of letting me do these things wrong for six months?”

She had no answer other than to quote the departmental policy, which in my opinion was flawed. Why set up your employees to fail?

I am so glad and thankful God doesn’t treat us this way. When I discovered Isaiah 1:18-19, I understood I was never at risk of having the same dynamic in my relationship with God. He doesn’t keep a running list of mistakes, simply so He can surprise us with them later. He doesn’t keep a tally to make us feel guilty and afraid.

Instead, He invites us to talk with Him about everything, even our sin. Scripture encourages us to “reason together” with Him. When we approach Him with a willingness to be obedient in the future, God will talk with us about our failings and mistakes. He wants to help us understand why we do the things we do, say the things we say, and think the things we think, even if those things aren’t necessarily pleasing to Him.

He doesn’t leave us alone to figure out how to live righteously. No, He’s always there, waiting to converse with us. Explain things to us. Share truth with us. Teach us. So that next time, with our better understanding, we might make better choices and suffer fewer consequences.

Don’t hide your failures and sin from God. Talk to Him about them. Ask Him why you did what you did. Ask Him how you can behave differently next time. God wants you to be successful in your spiritual journey. He’s not setting you up to fail. He’s in your corner. And He’s ready to listen and talk.

~*~

Author Bio:

Shellie Arnold is a writer and speaker on marriage and family. She truly believes—despite baggage, neglect, or mistakes—if a husband and wife listen to God, they can live happily ever after. Her passion is sharing how God is helping her do exactly that. 

She maintains a blog at www.shelliearnold.com and is the founder of YOUR MARRIAGE resources.

Shellie is a mother of three and has home-schooled for over twenty years. She lives in Ohio with her husband of thirty-one years.

~*~
Connect with Shellie:
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/shellie.arnold.7
Twitter - https://twitter.com/ShellieArnold1
Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/ShellieLArnold/
Website - www.shelliearnold.com

Devotionals for the Heart: God as your source of strength

Where Strength Is Found
A devotional by Shellie Arnold

“But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” 

~Isaiah 40:31 ESV

In August 2002, I was a homeschool mother of three (including one toddler), I worked part-time, and my husband commuted over an hour each way to work at a church that had seven services each weekend. I was pursuing a career writing and speaking on marriage and family issues. Busy doesn’t begin to describe my life.

I was also scheduled to have a much-needed surgery that included three procedures. I was nervous about that, and a bit unhappy about the recovery time involved, as well as the accompanying disruptions to life and schedule. Consequently, in the days leading to the surgery, I had trouble sleeping. I expressed as much to my doctor, and he prescribed something to help me sleep.

Unfortunately, I was highly allergic to that medication. After taking it, I had an anaphylactic reaction and almost died. My husband found me and called an ambulance, and I spent the rest of that night in the critical care area of our local emergency room.

That reaction fried something in my brain and left me with residual symptoms that increased over time. I experienced coordination issues, tremors in my hands, memory issues, and headaches. But the worst problem was intermittent paralysis on my right side. As days and weeks passed, my right side often looked like I’d just had a stroke—my right foot turned in, my right hand drawn up, my head falling over, mouth and eye drooping. Eventually, I had to take a medical leave from work, I could not drive, go to church, or do other normal life things to take care of my family. My career pursuits completely stopped.

To say I struggled with God during that time is an understatement. I could not reconcile a holy God who called me to write and speak, yet left me with a body that could not write or speak. Sitting in church while others sang around me, left me feeling hurt and abandoned.

As I sought God and He impressed upon me three things: Shellie, do not go to dark places inside. Do not tell yourself your life is over. Thank me for every breath.

With all my physical abilities nearly gone, I determined to be obedient to what I felt God saying in my spirit. And I decided if the only thing I could offer as a sacrifice to God was my attitude—not my writing or speaking or anything else—I was going to have the best attitude possible.

So, I waited for healing. I waited and waited, following what God had spoken to me, and maintaining the best attitude I could. Positive, hopeful, and thankful. And I learned the meaning of Isaiah 40:31.

It is in the waiting we find strength. Not when our needs are met. Not when we get relief from our burdens. Strength is found only when we wait on God. When we stay in His presence, listening for His voice, following His directives, and in total dependence on Him. That’s where strength is found.

God healed my brain on May 18, 2005, almost three years after the reaction. But I know it took more of God to carry me through those years than it did for Him to heal me. If I had not found strength in waiting on Him, I’m certain I would have lost hope, become bitter, and turned from Him.

I’m so thankful for this verse because it takes the pressure off. We don’t have to figure out the answers to our challenges. We don’t have to guess or figure out how God is going to take care of us. Rather, we simply have to wait in His presence with hopeful expectation as He does His work. Rest in Him, my friend, and find strength.

~*~
Author Bio:

Shellie Arnold is a writer and speaker on marriage and family. She truly believes—despite baggage, neglect, or mistakes—if a husband and wife listen to God, they can live happily ever after. Her passion is sharing how God is helping her do exactly that.

She maintains a blog at www.shelliearnold.com and is the founder of YOUR MARRIAGE resources. 

Shellie is a mother of three and has home-schooled for over twenty years. She lives in Ohio with her husband of thirty-one years.
~*~
Connect with Shellie:
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/shellie.arnold.7
Twitter - https://twitter.com/ShellieArnold1
Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/ShellieLArnold/
Website - www.shelliearnold.com

Devotionals for the Heart: Jo's story about God's Healing Power

Equipment for Valley Travel
by Jo Huddleston

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you” (John 14:27).

My bedside vigil stretched into days as I watched meningitis suck precious life from the still form of my college-age child. Sunday afternoon I sat alone with my daughter, watching the disease apparently winning its battle. Gone were the twinkle in her eyes and the ready smile on her lips. The nurse had just left, the same one who had been coming in every 15 minutes to take vital signs. Pained and discouraged, I watched when she recorded on her chart a blood pressure reading only half what it should be.

Alone again in the hospital room, each of us experienced our own unique agony. Lying curled in a fetal position, my daughter moved only her eyes. With them almost swollen shut, she looked up at me through her consuming torture. "Mother, this may be my time to die," she whispered. No panic or fear registered in her words or in her fevered eyes.

The same thought had been silently hammering inside my mind all afternoon. Holding her limp hand in mine, I leaned closer and said quietly, "Darling, it may be." She shared a labored smile with me and slowly closed her eyes.

Amazingly, I did not curse God or offer him any arguments or attempt to bargain with Him to spare her life. I knew without doubt that my daughter believed in God's Son and trusted Him for her salvation and eternal life.

As precious minutes slipped away in that lonely hospital room, I trusted God for his comfort and everlasting strength to support me (Isaiah 26:4). I rested in the assurance that my daughter also claimed these same promises. I saw peace on her swollen face when she closed her eyes. We both accepted God's will.

Our pastor and his wife came by after evening church services. They barely concealed their shock at seeing my daughter’s hands and face twice their normal size. After speaking encouragement to her, they prayed with us in that still, quiet hospital room.

Looking back, I can only believe the Holy Spirit influenced every medical move my daughter's doctors and nurses made. The next day, her health made an unbelievable change for the better. Since she was fully recovered by Wednesday morning, the doctors released her from their care.

On Wednesday evening when our pastor found my daughter's hospital bed empty, he asked about her at the nurses’ station. Later he told us how much the nurses had marveled about her unexplainable recovery. "It's just a miracle that she survived," one nurse told him. We all smile now, knowing what absolute truth that nurse spoke.

Does a Christian experience valleys between the mountaintop experiences? Yes. Those trying days when it was evident I might outlive my daughter was one of the deepest valleys I’ve traveled. God promises His buffering strength and calming peace for valley travel. We can always cling to His promises, "For he himself is our peace" (Ephesians 2:14).

~*~
Author Bio: Jo Huddleston is a multi-published author who writes novels inspired by her fascination with the 1950s and her love of her native American South. 

Novels in her endearing Caney Creek series, her West Virginia Mountains series, as well as her stand-alone release, Tidewater Summer, are sweet Southern romance novels. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, the Literary Hall of Fame at Lincoln Memorial University (TN), and holds an M.Ed. degree from Mississippi State University. 

Visit Jo at www.johuddleston.com. 

Devotionals for the Heart: Paula's story about how God intervened

A Call to Life
A devotional written by Paula Moldenhauer

“I came that they might have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).” ~John 10:10 AMP

Life and death are only a split second apart. These words were spoken this January 1 by my husband from his hospital bed in ICU.

I nearly lost my husband.

There is no exaggeration in that statement. The main artery to the heart, the “widow maker,” was ninety-nine percent closed. As the ambulance blared its way to the hospital, everything was fading to black. He prayed, “Lord, if You’re taking me now, please be with Paula and the children. It’s going to be very hard on them.”

Instead of that final covering of darkness, he heard the EMT yelling, “Jerry! Stay with me.”

God intervened.

Modern medicine intervened.

Today Jerry sits across the room from me in our home office. The days spent at the hospital are already fading into memory. Now we live.

I like how our opening passage reads in the New Living Translation. “My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”

When you think about that word “life,” is there anything more satisfying than our God? Doesn’t the richest, fullest life begin and end in Jesus?

Jesus tells us in John 14:6 that He is life saying, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (NIV).

I understood Jesus as the way when I was about seven. I heard that to live with God forever, you had to accept Jesus as Savior, so I did.

I’ve known Him as the truth since my early 30’s. Before then "truth" was a tiny set of doctrine that was exclusive to my particular brand of religion. Jesus did away with that kind of thinking, showing me that He is Truth with a capital T. That simple, but profound understanding took my life to a whole new level of living. I quit focusing on a “small truth” to-do list and began focusing on Jesus. It changed everything.

I experienced Jesus as the life.

When Jesus is our life, relationship with Him becomes integral to who we are and everything we experience. As we surrender to Jesus as our life, He ushers us into a grand adventure of relationship with Him, astounding self-discovery, and living as His beloved.

Jesus wants to give us the most robust life possible, the life only He offers. Jesus didn’t only come as the entrance into a relationship with God (the way). Nor did He only come as the One who sets us free by love (the truth), but He also came as the One who becomes our all (the life). This life that He is offers a doorway into new, abundant living. Jesus came that we could have life and have it to the full (NIV).

I’ve only dipped my big toe in the ocean of life in Him. Much of it has been crazy-wonderful. Some of it is breathtakingly scary! He’s taught me much that changed the trajectory of my life and the life I give to my family. He’s given me adventure and courage and unconditional, joyful love. Still, that rich, satisfying relationship with Him as my life doesn’t mean everything has been easy.

Maybe you’re thinking your day doesn’t feel rich, satisfying, full, or abundant. I get it. I mean hospitals and near-death experiences aren’t exactly fun. The first day home from the hospital I felt like Jell-O. It was amazing how exhausting the four days were from the heart attack to Jerry’s return home. But even those days of ambulances, stents, and heart monitors were about life.

A life possible only because God ordained it.

It doesn’t take a heart attack to know that God is the sustainer of life, but a near-death experience certainly brings it to the front of our thinking. My friend, you and I (and my husband) are here because God chose us to live, to experience life with Him. The Amplified version of John 10:10 says he wants us to have and enjoy life. Let’s pause and ask Him to help us receive life as He wants to give it.

This is my prayer for you: Jesus, please help me to discover You as my very life, a life grounded in love. I want to enjoy this gift of life that You’ve given, even on the hard days. Draw me closer to You that I may release my burdens and walk with You in a trusting and joyful, relationship. Show me who You really are and how to live in abundance and satisfaction.
~*~
Author Bio: 

Author, speaker, and mom of four, Paula Moldenhauer encourages others to live free to flourish. She shares this message when speaking at women’s events, and it permeates her written work. 

Paula has published over 300 times in non-fiction markets and has a devotional book series, Soul Scents. Her first published novella, You’re a Charmer Mr. Grinch, was a finalist in the ACFW Carol Awards, and she now has six published works of fiction. Her most recent release is included in A Bouquet of Brides. 

Paula and her husband, Jerry, are adjusting to a sometimes-empty nest in Colorado. They treasure time with their growing family of adult children, spouses, and spouses-to-be. Paula loves peppermint ice cream, going barefoot, and adventuring with friends. Visit her at www.paulamoldenhauer.com.

Cozy Christmas Reads: Susan's story

Joy to the World
A personal essay by Susan M. Baganz

My daughter is what is now known as a “rainbow baby.” A child born after a loss to miscarriage or stillbirth. I didn’t know I was having a girl and in spite of being pregnancy number four and she was ten days late in coming.

Then they announced it was a girl. I seriously was expecting a boy but was elated with this bundle of joy God had given. But he almost took her away as well. A shot given at birth resulted in seizures where she would stop breathing. Rejoicing turned to fear as she was transferred to a Children’s Hospital.

I forgot my Bible in my haste to get to the hospital. But I had my journal and had written the Scripture in there from the last Sunday’s sermon. Psalm 37:4 (a Bible verse) was written in there: “Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart.”

I was able to stay in a room at the hospital to be close to her as they ran all kinds of expensive tests. I prayed for my daughter. I told God: “She belongs to You, Lord. My desire is to keep Joy (her name) but if You decide to take her, I will trust You in that as well. And, Lord, while you’re at it can we leave the hospital on Sunday?”

Joy Lucille will become a teenager this December. We did go home that Sunday and long story short, she is seizure free due to the help of a naturopathic doctor since other doctors refused to treat her because we lacked insurance.

Maybe it’s not unusual then that I put a baby in my Christmas novella, Gabriel’s Gift. Babies are special at any time, but a baby born near Christmas makes the season seem more personal. And every year I remember the sorrow and anxiety of those days battling doctors to spend time with my baby who was 9 pounds in a NICU and kicked off her leads and sent the alarms off.

She’s grown into a lovely young woman. And God gave me the desire of my heart in allowing me to keep my baby with me. Having godly desire isn’t bad and it’s the core of my novella. Gabriel desires Mattie but she’s reluctant. He lays that desire on the altar of God much like I did my daughter. And then He waited in faith for God to work.

Joy’s middle name is after my great grandmother who I adored. Put together her name means “joyful light-bearer.” My hope is that my novella shines the light of God’s love as much as my daughter does. And every day I still need to entrust all my children to God’s care. They have problems and issues that they have to cope with. And as they become more independent I have less influence on their choices. I only hope and pray I’ve invested enough in them to bear fruit and impact the kingdom like my main characters do in their book.

My books, like my kids, have a life of their own and it’s fascinating to watch and see the impact they make in the lives of those who read them. Perhaps it’s for fun, but hopefully the truths buried in the pages will be the way God can get into those dark places He longs to touch and heal.

~*~
Author Bio: 

Susan M. Baganz chases after three Hobbits and is a native of Wisconsin. She is an Editor with Pelican Book Group and writes adventurous historical and contemporary romances with a biblical world-view. 

Susan speaks, teaches and encourages others to follow God in being all He has created them to be. With her seminary degree in counseling psychology, a background in the field of mental health, and years serving in church ministry, she understands the complexities and pain of life as well as its craziness. She serves behind-the-scenes in various capacities at her church.

Her favorite pastimes are lazy ones—snuggling with her dog while reading a good book, or sitting with a friend chatting over a cup of spiced chai latte.

~*~
Book Blurb for Gabriel's Gift: Gabriel Morgan returns to the Northumberland village of Corby as the new church pastor. Eager to serve his parishioners, he settles into the position with energy and enthusiasm. He doesn't expect to run into Mattie Wilson, the girl he grew up with—the woman he fell in love with—and then lost years ago. 

Reconnecting with Gabriel stirs up long-lost dreams in Miss Matilda Wilson, but her father's overindulgences and shameful death, have brought her down in the world since her carefree, youthful days with Gabriel. Ashamed of her father's past and struggling to understand her Grandfather's quiet brand of faith, she struggles with believing anyone can find her worthy of love—especially Gabriel, whose love for God tugged him away from her once already.

As the two become reacquainted, and Gabriel recognizes Matilda's broken, hesitant spirit, his heart aches for her. While he eagerly shares with her the wonder of God, a small miracle binds them together—the discovery of an abandoned baby.

As Christmas draws near, can Gabriel break down the walls of Matilda's heart to see the wonder of it all? His affection for her blooms as he watches her uncover the greatest gift of all—unconditional love.

~*~

Buy Susan's book on Amazon

~*~
Connect with Susan:
Website - www.susanbaganz.com
Twitter - https://twitter.com/susanbaganz
Facebook - www.facebook.com/susanmbaganz

~*~
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Fall into Love: Kristen Terrette's story

Labor, Delivery, and A First Look at Love

A Fall into Love story by Kristen Terrette

It was a hot summer evening in Georgia when I got a call (on a landline) saying my friend was in labor. We’d only just graduated high school, so this baby was a big deal, a first for my young friends and I. I arrived at the hospital with six friends to wait as long as needed to see the new baby girl arrive. We found ourselves sitting in uncomfortable, dated hospital chairs, watching the muted nightly newscast from a boxy TV attached to the wall in the corner. As if eighteen-year-old girls hanging out in a labor and delivery ward weren’t unique enough, a super cute handful of nineteen-year-old boys were sitting opposite us.

Most of us had yet to meet the buddies of the dad-to-be. They were from a different high school and had never been on our radar, but they sure were after that night. My friends and I chatted softly, excited about the baby and the hotties breathing the same air as us, though neither group made an effort to meet one another. We were all content to simply stare.

One of my friends, the only one to have met a few of the boys previously, told us the cutest of them was named…let’s call him Joel. I scoped out the herd, and located Joel in his faded red Georgia Bulldog hat and a white t-shirt. He was gloriously tanned which only amplified his light blue eyes. He was fit and lean like only an athlete could pull off well. One look had me agreeing with my friends. Joel was the cutest.

After a few hours, we’d lost count. My friends and I were standing by the big double doors leading to the elevators, preparing to leave. Joel, who I’d watched relentlessly, got up to from his chair and walked to the doors…towards us…towards me. I can still remember him glancing over his shoulder to tell his buds goodbye. When he swung his head back around, he was only a foot away, and his eyes caught mine, sealing the deal. It was love at first sight¾at least on my part. (Not really…but kind of.)

I’ll never forget the flush on my cheeks and how my mind replayed our brief eye contact over and over in slow motion. After he was long gone, my girlfriends kept talking about Joel. I was very confused and finally spoke up, telling them Joel had already left the hospital. My friends gave me raised eyebrows and creased foreheads cueing me in that I’d missed something. They told me Joel was still there and nodded to a guy who was cute, but definitely not my Joel, the guy who’d already left the hospital. When my friend realized the mistake I’d made, she told me the guy who’d left was named Ashley, not Joel.

It was an interesting name. One I would never forget. And God had a plan for our future.

A few weeks later, my girlfriend wanted to set me up with a guy who’d started working for her dad. I was very against any “set up” at first, but then she remembered a very important fact. She told me it was Ashley, the guy whose identity I’d mistaken at the lobby.

After I’d recovered and picked up my stomach from the floor, I agreed to meet him. Our brief meeting ended with him later getting my home phone number from my friend. He called that evening and asked me out on our first date the next day, a Friday. We ended up talking for a couple hours. Not only was he cute, but he was sweet and hilarious too. Our first date was followed by our second the very next day. After it, I came home and told my mom I was going to marry Ashley. And that I did.

This past summer we had a special anniversary. We had our first date when I was eighteen, and just had the eighteenth anniversary of that first date. The love of my life has now been with me for half of my life. And it’s only getting better. 

~*~

Author Bio: Kristen has a Master's degree in Theological Studies and was on staff as a Children's Ministry Director for over five years. She cherishes her Southern roots and currently lives forty-five minutes outside of Atlanta, GA. 

With the support of her husband and two children, she stays at home writing Christian fiction, making up fantasy places and characters, allowing God to take the story where He needs it to go. She is also involved in the women's leadership team at her church, and writes for Wholly Loved ministry at WhollyLoved.com. To see her blog and current novels, check out her website at www.kristenterrette.com.

~*~
Book Blurb for Safe Harbor: Eva Elliott is left with a jaded heart after the death of her boyfriend while she was pregnant. She pushed away the idea of God and love, focusing solely on her daughter, Willow. 

She accepts an offer from her mom to move to Moanna Island, off the coast of Georgia. She hopes the move will help her tuck away the guilt for the role she thinks she played in her boyfriend’s death.

Thad Smith’s Pro-Football career came to a crashing and embarrassing halt, sending him running to Moanna Island. He enjoys living under the radar and finds a new purpose as he dedicates his life back to Jesus, but he feels guilty for the sting of loneliness that’s crept into his seemingly full life.

When he saves Willow from drowning in the ocean the first day Eva arrives on the island, he can’t deny the electricity between them. Eva stubbornly fights the stirring in her heart the moment Thad smiles, but since Thad coaches the football team where Eva teaches and lives down the street, God continues to intertwine their lives. When he tells Eva he’s not only falling for her, but Willow as well, she thinks maybe…just maybe, it would work between them.

She doesn’t expect Thad’s ex to throw a kink in the fragile plan, nor for Thad’s relationship with God to convict her own shame and brokenness. Just when she opens the door to God, finally ready to make things right, an accident occurs that could leave Willow an orphan and Thad all alone again.

~*~
Buy Kristen's book:
Amazon ~ Kobo ~ Nook 

~*~
Connect with Kristen:
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/authorkristenterrette/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/KTerrette
Instagram - @kterrette

Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/kterrette2/

~*~

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