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!

~*~

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

12 Days of Christmas Joy: A Kiss Under the Mistletoe by June Foster

Interview with June Foster about her book,

A Kiss Under the Mistletoe:

Alexis: What inspired you to write this Christmas holiday story?

June: I love writing stories about twins and small towns.

Alexis: Paint a picture with words of this story’s setting. What makes it special to your characters?

June: Homedale, California is nestled close to the Sierra Nevada mountain range. The small town boasts of a grocery store, a small hospital, several safe and secure neighborhoods, and downright nice people. Residents can expect a white Christmas most every year. My characters, Carson and Noel, enjoy the local parks and small-town values.

Alexis: Describe the hero of your story, Carson Shumate. What does he look like? Sound like? Act like? What are his greatest strengths and weaknesses as a man?

June: Carson is five feet eleven inches and wears his light brown hair a bit long for a guy. Noel describes his eyes as midnight blue and electrifying. His handsome face makes her heart pound. As youth pastor at Homedale Fellowship, he enjoys speaking to his group of teens in his quiet, calm voice. Carson must always give the impression he’s in control to demonstrate to others – especially the church staff – that he’s mature and responsible, not like his alcoholic twin brother. Carson is available to his mom and dad anytime they need something. Especially when they ask him to rescue his brother Colin and keeps him from getting a DUI. He's a good Bible teacher and loves serving his church. His primary weakness is when he holds the truth about his brother from the pastor, staff, and the woman he loves.

Alexis: Describe the heroine of your story, Noel Kendrick. What does she look like? Sound like? Act like? What are her greatest hopes, dreams and disappointments?

June: Noel has hazel eyes and blond, highlighted shoulder-length hair. She’s very attractive, but Noel doesn't like her overweight body. Noel tends to sound off to others, but must calm herself and act like a professional when she’s caring for her patients. Because she doesn't trust men, Noel is aloof toward Carson. She enjoys having "girl talk" with her friend, Kathleen. Noel would love to be able to trust men again, but when she believes Carson has betrayed her, she hardens her heart. This is possibly the greatest disappointment she's experienced.

Alexis: Why have the men in Noel’s life always lied to her? How did this lifelong deception start?

June: Noel’s first love, a youth pastor in the town where she went to college, dated another girl at the same time as Noel. When she discovered the truth, she figured he was like her father—not to be trusted. The deception began when her father left her and her mother when Noel was twelve. Once when she was a little girl, he told her he’d always be there for her. Now she can't dismiss his lie.

Alexis: Who is Noel’s pastor and what role does she or he play in this story?

June: Pastor Fernandez is a godly, Hispanic man who pastors her church. He is instrumental in asking Noel to head the nativity scene. He sits on the hiring board and supports Carson when the youth pastor goes for an interview. Pastor is a great comfort to Carson in helping him find his way after his regrettable failure.

Alexis: What impact does your characters’ faith in God have in the story of their fictional lives?

June: For Carson, his faith enables him to repent of his failure and at the same time, minister to his teenagers and the congregation. For Noel, she holds on to the Lord when everything in her life seems to turn against her.

Alexis: How does working on the Christmas nativity scene project bring Carson and Noel together?

June: No one else in the congregation has volunteered, so Carson and Noel must complete the project together.

Alexis: What or who threatens to drive a wedge between Noel and Carson?

June: Lies, deception, and pride all come between Carson and Noel.

Alexis: What is it about Carson that makes Noel fall in love with him?

June: She believes him to be sincere, wanting to help the church teens. He's a godly contrast to the non-Christian doctor Noel dates.

Alexis: Why is Carson keeping secrets and hiding those secrets from Noel?

June: He fears rejection from both her and the church staff. He might lose his job.

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

June: Even holding a small amount of truth from the one you love is akin to lying.

Alexis: Did you play Christmas music while writing this story?

June: No, I'm sorry to say I didn't. I tend to have a one-track mind and become distracted. Though I didn’t play holiday music, my favorite is “Carol of the Bells.”

Alexis: What is your favorite Christmas holiday treat? Did it help you while writing this story?

June: I love sugar cookies with red and green icing. However, I try my best not to snack while writing.

Alexis: If you could give one of your characters a Christmas gift, what would it be?

June: I’d give Noel a brand-new wardrobe.

Alexis: Thanks for the interview, June. Merry Christmas!

~*~
Author Bio:

An award-winning author, June Foster is also a retired teacher with a BA in Education and a MA in counseling. She is the mother of two and grandmother of ten. 

June began writing Christian romance in 2010. She penned her first novel on her Toshiba laptop as she and her husband traveled the US in their RV. Her adventures provide a rich source of information for her novels. She brags about visiting a location before it becomes the setting in her next book.

To date, June has written twenty-two contemporary romance and romantic suspense novels and novellas. She loves to compose stories about characters who overcome the circumstances in their lives by the power of God and His Word.

June uses her training in counseling and her Christian beliefs in creating characters who find freedom to live godly lives. She's published with Winged Publications. Visit June at www.junefoster.com to see a complete list of her books.

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Blurb for June's book, A Kiss Under the Mistletoe: 

The men in Noel Kendrick's life have always lied to her. 

When she accepts her pastor's plea to head the Christmas nativity scene project, she doesn't realize the job requires her to work with Carson Shumate, the handsome youth pastor with midnight blue eyes. 

Despite her efforts to keep her emotional distance, she falls hard after a kiss under the mistletoe.

But Carson has a secret of his own. If he reveals the truth about his identical twin to his church, he fears they will fire him, and he could lose Noel.

A Kiss Under the Mistletoe is the sequel to An Unexpected Family.

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Buy June's book on Amazon

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Connect with June:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorjunefoster
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/June-Foster/e/B007ISUMPK
Twitter: https://twitter.com/vjifoster/

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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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Romantic Reads: Know You More

Welcome Jan Thompson to the blog! 

She's here today to talk about her book Know You More. 

Enjoy the interview!

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Interview with Jan Thompson about her book, Know You More: Christian Coastal City & Beach Town Romance (Savannah Sweethearts Book 1)

Alexis: Why did you write this book?

Jan: I wrote Know You More in part to show that multiracial and multiethnic Christians can worship God together in peace and harmony in a Christian church. In fact, Riverside Chapel somewhat mirrors the first century churches that the Lord led Peter and Paul to start. For example, in Acts 2:5-11, we saw a list of believers from many countries coming together to hear Peter preach at Pentecost. Also, back in the day, cities like Ephesus and Corinth were trade crossroads in which people from all over the known world congregated to do business and meet one another. Those were the places Paul planted churches.

Alexis: Describe the setting of this story. Why did you set it in a coastal city and beach town?

Jan: Know You More is the first book in my Savannah Sweethearts series (not counting the prequel, Ask You Later), and sets the tone for the entire series about a community of multiethnic Christians who attend Riverside Chapel, a church housed in a riverboat that’s docked on the Savannah River in Savannah, Georgia. The churchgoers live in the area, in the coastal city of Savannah, and also on the beaches of Tybee Island across the bridge.

I grew up on a tropical island, and my family lived about ten minutes (depending on traffic) from the bay and beaches. Many of my contemporary Christian romance books gravitate toward beach towns, and I find that my experience of having lived on an island and in a coastal city enables me to describe life by the ocean. I love the coasts and beaches, and so I write about what I love and have experienced in my own life.

Alexis: You’ve described this story, Know You More, as a “multiracial romance.” What is the ethnicity/racial makeup of your main characters Diego Flores and Heidi Wei?

Jan: Diego Flores’s father is a Hispanic-American pastor who is now the part-time counseling pastor at Riverside Chapel. The semi-retired senior Flores doesn’t want to do it full time because he wants to spend half his time traveling with his Italian wife, Diego’s mom, to Italy where they like to spend the summer. However, Diego still talks to his dad regularly to get pastoral advice on church and love.

Heidi Wei is a Chinese-American Christian who is an active member of Riverside Chapel, as is her brother, Ming, who happens to be Diego’s best friend. They all attended the University of Georgia some years ago before Diego was called into the pastoral ministry and went off to seminary. They all met again years later in Savannah, when Ming invited Diego to pastor their church. Know You More begins over a year after the friends have reunited.

Alexis: Describe Diego’s church, Riverside Chapel. What makes it special to him?

Jan: Diego has been an associate pastor in the previous churches he worked in. This is the first time Diego is the senior pastor of his own church. Needless to say, he is quite nervous about shouldering such a heavy responsibility. As with any growing church, finding space to house Sunday morning services becomes a challenge for him. Diego sees how God comes through for his church every time they have a need. As his church grows in number, God provides for them a bigger space. Even though it’s on a riverboat, it’s rent-free. Diego is thankful to the Lord that Riverside Chapel continues to grow without getting into financial debt.

Alexis: What role does faith in God play in the lives and hearts of your main characters?

Jan: As the senior pastor of Riverside Chapel, Diego not only preaches the Word of God, but he also has to live what he is preaching. As they say, he has to “walk the talk.” Diego sees that his friend Heidi Wei has a strong faith and wants to do everything she can to help their church grow. Together, they learn to minister to their congregation, while God works in their hearts about their relationship with each other.

Alexis: How does your real-life faith in God impact your fiction storytelling?

Jan: My Christian faith plays a very integral role in my storytelling. I have to understand what God is saying before I can write it in my books through the eyes of my characters. That is to say, if I don’t understand a Bible passage, I cannot explain it. In some of my novels, I allow the characters to study and learn more about the Scripture, and sometimes it becomes clear to me as I write out the scenes and chapters.

Savannah Sweethearts is more involved because all eleven books are about members of the Riverside Chapel church community, starting with their pastor. Diego and Heidi show up in every book, so I do have to remember what their theology is. After all, Diego is their pastor. In fact, he is also a counseling pastor to several people in my spinoff series, Vacation Sweethearts.

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

Jan: Thank you very much for inviting me to Romantic Reads for this interview. I appreciate it. I’m happy to write the books I enjoy reading, and I hope that there are readers out there who also love to read the types of books I like. My publishing imprint has a verse that has been an anchor for me in the process of publishing and marketing my books: “That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works” (Psalm 26:7). 

Ultimately, to God be the glory!

~*~
Author Bio:

USA Today bestselling author Jan Thompson writes clean and wholesome multiethnic contemporary Christian romance with flavors of women’s fiction, Christian romantic suspense with elements of mystery, and inspirational international thrillers with threads of sweet Christian romance. 

Her books are for readers who love inspiring stories of faith, family, and friends.

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Blurb for Know You More:

He loves her… He loves her not… She’s waiting for him to decide.

A young pastor of a growing church in a thriving coastal community, Diego Flores has to come to grips with God’s will for his pastoral and personal life as he falls in love with his best friend’s sister.

If you enjoy reading clean and wholesome Christian beach romance, you’ll enjoy USA Today bestselling author Jan Thompson’s Savannah Sweethearts series set in the coastal city of Savannah, Georgia, and the neighboring beach town of Tybee Island on the Atlantic Ocean. Savannah Sweethearts begins with Know You More, the multiracial romance of Pastor Diego Flores and Heidi Wei.

Diego’s Disquiet…
Diego Flores has been interested in his best friend’s younger sister since their college days, but his calling to grow Riverside Chapel takes up most of his time. 

When Heidi Wei becomes his strongest supporter in his church ministry, how does Diego show his feelings for her without giving her the wrong idea?

Does she see him as potential husband material or just the pastor of their church?

Heidi’s Hurdles…
Heidi suspects that Diego is sweet on her, but he seems to believe that his divine calling prevents him from acting on it. If it isn’t meant to be, she’s not going to push for it. Yet every time they are together, something happens between them. Have they moved beyond the platonic relationship they have enjoyed all these years to something more personal?

When a crisis hits Heidi’s family, Diego has to balance pastoring his congregation and ministering to Heidi without losing either one. Being in love while pastoring a church is difficult for him to juggle. Which path is more important? Which one should he focus on?

If you like Know You More, you’ll want to read the rest of the Savannah Sweethearts series. The next book is Tell You Soon, a romance with suspense featuring Heidi’s brother, private investigator Ming Wei. In this second book, there’s romance, there’s intrigue, and there’s a beach house for sale. Have some tea, settle in a comfortable reading chair, and enjoy these sweet celebrations of faith, hope, and love in Jesus Christ.

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Buy Know You More on Amazon

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Connect with Jan:
Website: JanThompson.com
Book News: JanThompson.com/newsletter
Amazon USA: JanThompson.com/amazon
Goodreads: JanThompson.com/goodreads
BookBub: JanThompson.com/bookbub
Facebook: JanThompson.com/facebook
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thompsonauthor

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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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My Blog's 10th Year Birthday Bash: LoRee Peery's book giveaway

Welcome to the 21st day of my blog's birthday bash!

Please welcome my author friend LoRee Peery.

She's here to give away two of her books!

Enter the book giveaway contest via the Rafflecopter widget the end of this blog post. Only residents of the USA are eligible to receive a signed paperback copy of this author's books. International residents will only receive ebook copies due to costs of mailing books outside of the USA.

Let's learn a little bit more about LoRee and her books ...

Author Bio:

Christian romance author LoRee Peery writes to feel alive, as a way of contributing, and to pass forward the hope of rescue from sin. 

She writes of redeeming grace with a sense of place. 

LoRee clings to 1 John 5:4 and prays her family sees that faith. 

She has authored the Frivolities Series and other e-books. 

Her desire for readers, the same as for her characters, is to discover where they fit in this life journey to best work out the Lord’s life plan. 

She is who she is by the grace of God: Christian, country girl, wife, mother, grandmother, sister, friend, and author. She’s been a reader since before kindergarten.

~*~

Back Cover Blurb for Repurposed:

Talia Ashby is a perfectionistic data analyst who, on occasion, sees her “fat” self when she looks in the mirror. As a svelte former obese girl, she reunites with her secret teen crush, now a pastor in the church she attends.

Cooper Valiant is dazzled upon meeting a high school friend he doesn’t immediately recognize due to her drastic weight loss. Since his sister had an eating disorder, he’d often felt empathy toward Talia as classmates teased and bullied her. In his pastorate position, he asks her to help girls in the youth group come to grips with body-image.

While working with the girls, Talia's recollections of youthful hurts stir up past insecurities. She must reassess her spiritual journey, and what bothers her in the present.

Added to the mix are her reawakened emotions toward the man who once came to her rescue. Will their joint journey include a personal relationship?

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Back Cover Blurb for Christmas Rescue Route:

On her way home for Christmas during a blizzard, college student Izzy hurdles down an embankment. Her worst nightmare is being trapped.Brock comes to her rescue, but after a night in the hospital, the roads are drifted shut and she can’t make it to her family home in the country. 

Izzy goes home with Brock and spends Christmas Eve with his family.Once the road clears, Brock gets Izzy home on Christmas Day but her car is totaled, and she needs a way back to college. Used to fending for herself, and safe now, Izzy balks at Brock’s offer to drive her. 

Does God have a plan for an enthusiastic independent goal-setter who avoids the college dating scene, and a nurturing do-gooder man?

~*~

Connect with LoRee:

Amazon Author Page: https://amzn.to/3kt79re

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LoreePeery

~*~

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

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Devotionals for the Heart: A Symbol of Jesus Christ's Promise to Return

The Folded Napkin

A devotional by Nanci Rubin

“And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.” – John 20:7 (KJV)

A few weeks ago, the Christian Church formally and personally celebrated Easter. The resurrection of our Lord is a time of joy, re-birth and appreciation. Within theology and Christology, there is definitely a place for the historical Jesus and the cultural context within which he lived, alongside the divine person of Christ Jesus who gifts us with salvation and eternal life and lives within us through His Spirit.

Many years ago, my pastor at the time preached a sermon on the folded napkin, it so impressed me, that I never forgot. We have to consider that Jesus was a reflection in many ways of the culture within which he was born and lived.

Why did Jesus fold the linen burial cloth after his resurrection? The gospel of John 20:7 tells us that the napkin, which was placed over the face of Jesus, was not just thrown aside like the other grave clothes. The Bible takes an entire verse to tell us that the napkin was neatly folded, and was placed at the head of that stony coffin.

Early Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. I can only imagine her fright and shock as she ran to find Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, “They have taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb, and I don’t know where they have laid him!” – John 20:2 (KJV) 

Peter and the other disciple took off running to the tomb so they could see for themselves. The other disciple being faster outran Peter and got there first. Cautiously he stooped and peered in. He saw the linen cloth lying there, but he didn’t go in.

Then Simon Peter arrived, breathless and without hesitation, went inside the tomb. He was stunned to see the linen wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying to the side.

Was that important? Absolutely! Is it really significant? Yes!

In order to understand the significance of the folded napkin, we need to understand a little bit about Hebrew tradition of that day. The folded napkin had to do with the master and servant and every Jewish boy knew this tradition. When the servant set the dinner table for the master, he made sure it was exactly the way the master wanted it. The table was furnished perfectly, and then the servant would wait, just out of sight, until the master had finished eating.

The servant would dare not touch the table until the master was finished. Now if the master was finished eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers and mouth, clean his beard, and wad up the napkin and toss it onto the table. The servant would then know to clear the table. For in those days, the wadded napkin meant, “I’m finished.”

But if the master got up from the table, folded his napkin and laid it beside his plate, the servant would not dare touch the table, because the folded napkin meant, “I’m coming back!”

Let us not only remember Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, but the fact that he did leave a folded napkin to symbolize that He is not finished and He is coming back for His faithful servants within His Church.

And Jesus commissioned His disciples after His resurrection and said to them, “I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” –Matthew 28:20 (KJV)

I am mindful when I eat out about the napkin. If I’ve enjoyed the meal and the service has been excellent, I always fold the napkin and place it by my plate. The establishment may not understand the significance of the folded napkin, but it is my way of saying, “I’m coming back.”

We not only have a hope, but a promise, because Jesus said He’s coming back.

My Prayer: Father (God), thank you for the sacrifice of your Son, Jesus, for all of humanity. Teach us, O Lord, to be kind and to love as Jesus taught. We will be your hands and feet on the earth and share the Good News of Jesus and the promise of the folded napkin. In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen.

~*~
Author Bio:

Nanci is a poet and short story writer published in Cypress News, Family Times E-Zine, Free Verse and the Commonwealth of Poetry. 

She belongs to RWA, ACFW, and Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild where she’s enrolled in his novel writing program.

Nanci lives in Northern Virginia with her husband and cats, Romeo and Juliette, along with their newest member of the family, Roni who is a seven-month-old Goldendoodle.

Recently, Nanci completed her debut novel, A Betrayal in Cross Keys. It is an Amish romance. She has placed it in her agent's capable hands. The rest is up to God.

Devotionals for the Heart: Forgiveness

Forgiving Yourself
A devotional by Ginger Solomon

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

~*~
Author Bio:

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

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

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

Celebrate Lit blog tour featuring "What Dreams May Come" (book)

Welcome to my blog's stop on Alana Terry's book tour with Celebrate Lit!

Alana is a pastor's wife with the heart of a missionary. This book "What Dreams May Come" is special to her because it's the fictional version of her real-life love story.

Read my review of Alana's book below and enjoy your time with Alana today! Remember to enter the fun giveaway contest toward the end of this blog post.

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About the book:

She’s got her heart set on becoming a missionary. He’s determined to recruit her for the job.

But is it possible to fall in love with someone you’ve never even met?

Susannah’s convinced that God has called her to the mission field. That’s why she’s serving him with single-minded focus in Orchard Grove, waiting for the day when she can leave her small town to take the gospel to the nations.

Is falling in love with her missionary recruiter part of God’s plan for her life or a distraction from the real goal?

Scott loves his life. Traveling the globe, offering spiritual support to missionaries around the world offers enough excitement that the loneliness hardly ever gets to him …

Until he receives an application from a young girl with a heart for the mission field as large as his own, a young girl he finds himself falling for even before they get the chance to meet face-to-face.

Unfortunately, a promise Susannah made to her family may tear her and Scott even farther apart than the miles that separate them.

Book one in an inspirational sweet romance series by award-winning Christian author Alana Terry, who has won awards from Women of Faith, The Book Club Network, Grace Awards, and several others, What Dreams May Come is based on the author’s own experiences falling in love with (and eventually marrying) her missionary recruiter.

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About the Author:

Alana is a pastor’s wife, homeschooling mom, self-diagnosed chicken lady, and Christian suspense author. Her novels have won awards from Women of Faith, Book Club Network, Grace Awards, Readers’ Favorite, and more. 

Alana’s passion for social justice, human rights, and religious freedom shines through her writing, and her books are known for raising tough questions without preaching.

She and her family live in rural Alaska where the northern lights in the winter and midnight sun in the summer make hauling water, surviving the annual mosquito apocalypse, and cleaning goat stalls in negative forty degrees worth every second. 

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My Review of What Dreams May Come:

This is a book that will make you believe in God-ordained destiny.

I love how the author wore her heart on her sleeve in this story as she detailed the fictionalized version of how she and her husband fell in love.

The author included as many memorable scenes with conflict that enhanced the story as she did sweet moments that can melt the heart of the reader. She made me as a reader smile, laugh and cry as I connected with her characters. 

There weren't many cliffhangers in this story but the author made the character arc captivating enough to keep me as the reader turning the pages.

"What Dreams May Come" touches on sensitive topics like a baby born with disabilities, a mission-minded single person torn between following her mind for mission work and her listening to her heart when it comes to the man she wants to marry. 

I thought that the letters between the heroine and the hero that filled the pages throughout the story were a nice touch, adding a personal element to the story.

Overall, this was a great book! I think it's well deserving of a four-star rating.

*Celebrate Lit provided me (Alexis A. Goring) with a complimentary copy of "What Dreams May Come". My opinions in this book review are my own.

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Guest Post from Alana Terry:

The cat’s out of the bag! Back in 2016, I wrote What Dreams May Come, a novel that was based on the way my husband and I fell in love … fourteen months before we ever met! It wasn’t until just before Christmas that I told Scott the romance novel I’d been writing was actually our true-to-life love story, and he was even more surprised than I hoped he’d be! Watch the video to see his reaction.

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Giveaway details:

To celebrate her tour, Alana is giving away a $50 CBD gift card!!

Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/c600

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Blog Stops

A Baker’s Perspective, February 8

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, February 8

Reading Is My SuperPower, February 9

Bigreadersite, February 9

Blogging With Carol, February 10

Zerina Blossom’s Books, February 10

Bibliophile Reviews, February 11

Purposeful Learning, February 11

Christian Author, J.E.Grace, February 12

C Jane Read, February 12

The Fizzy Pop Collection, February 13

Maureen’s Musings, February 13

Mommynificent, February 14

Texas Book-aholic, February 14

Mary Hake, February 15

Remembrancy, February 15

proud to be an autism mom, February 16

Avid Reader Book Reviews, February 16

A Greater Yes, February 17

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, February 17

Janices book reviews, February 18

Jeanette’s Thoughts, February 18

Carpe Diem, February 19

margaret kazmierczak, February 19 (Interview)

Simple Harvest Reads, February 20 (Guest post from Mindy)

Pursuing Stacie, February 20

God is Love, February 21

Joy of Reading, February 21

Book Boyfriends: Mary's hero

Interview with Price, the hero from Sparks of Love by Mary L. Ball

Mary: What is it like living in Freedom, North Carolina?

Price: Freedom, is a small town where people seem to know everything about each other. It’s also a place where everyone comes together and helps in times of need.

Mary: The townsfolk didn’t appreciate Lynette Cunningham coming back home. How did you handle that?

Price: I turned the other cheek and left it to the Lord to sort. We all face situations where sometimes that’s the only thing any of us can do.

Mary: Price, Lynette is the black sheep in town. Weren’t you afraid people would talk about the local pastor dating a thief?

Price: People gossip, at times even Christians. I had to trust the Lord and pray that they would find compassion in their hearts.

Mary: Were you discouraged when you and Lynette found out that the one thing she hoped would clear her name failed?

Price:  Yes, but I told Lynette to forget the past and move on with her life.

Mary: Price, what made you fall in love with Lynette Cunningham?

Price: Despite her attempt to keep me at arm’s length, I discovered she was as pretty on the inside as she was on the outside, and had a generous heart. That’s when I knew she was the one lady for me.

Mary: How did it make you feel when Lynette told you she was leaving town?

Price:  I thought I’d lost my soul mate forever. Still, I had to go on and believe that somehow she’d realized she loved me as much as I loved her.

Mary: Why did you hide in the garage and attempt to capture a villain singled handed?

Price:  I may be a pastor, but I’m also a man in love. I wanted to protect the woman I love.

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Author Bio: 

Mary L. Ball is a multi-published Christian author. 

She resides in the heart of North Carolina. 

When she isn't working on her latest story, she enjoys fishing, reading, and ministering in song with her husband at various functions. 

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Book Blurb for Sparks of Love: Misjudged and accused, Lynette Cunningham walks away from God and everything she loves.

Ten years later, a phone call from father offers hope when he announces he may have a clue to the unsolved crime that forced her to run. She’s scared, but encouraged. Maybe this will clear her name from slander in her small North Carolina hometown. 

Before Lynette returns tragedy strikes. A fire destroys her childhood home and kills her father. While she sorts through the ruins and hopes to find the clue, Lynette meets the new pastor, Price Fletcher. She must face the two things that scare her most. The past and a man of God.

The past wants to stay buried. Will Lynette stay alive long enough to prove her innocence and accept the love that is offered?

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Buy Sparks of Love (book) on Amazon

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Connect with Mary:
Website - http://www.marylball.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/gracefulbooks
Twitter - https://twitter.com/inspires4mary
Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8757890-mary-l-ball
Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/authormary/
Visit Mary’s singing ministry site - http://heirsofsalvation2.webs.com

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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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Cozy Christmas Reads: Hallee's story

Excerpt from the book "Christmas Star Sapphire" by Hallee Bridgeman:

When Madeline Viscolli arrived a few minutes late at the small auditorium on the east side of the University’s campus, she expected to see a few dozen people already there, but found only one lone man sitting on the floor with his back against the base of the raised stage. Frowning, she glanced at her watch. Surely on the campus of one of the largest universities in Alabama, the Cru program had more than one person involved.

Once called Campus Crusade for Christ, Cru served on college campuses all over the world. Cru provided students with worship and fellowship opportunities in a body of believers – a family away from family. While an undergraduate at the University of Florida, she’d spent hours and hours with her Cru family, and grew into a deeper relationship with God than she’d ever even thought possible. She’d gone on four mission trips spanning a total of eight different countries, volunteered in summer programs, and had developed friendships she knew she would treasure for the rest of her life. Now, pursuing a Master’s degree in business, she found herself on the coast of Alabama hoping to integrate into a new Cru group.

Never shy, Madeline walked into the nearly empty building and marched straight down the aisle. The man looked up from his book and smiled at her. He had light red hair and a goatee that looked nearly blond. As she drew closer, she recognized the logo on his T-shirt from her favorite seafood restaurant in Key West.

“Hello,” he greeted, setting his book aside and standing. Even though Madeline stood just two inches shy of six-feet, she had to look up at him. He smiled warmly and looked directly into her rich blue eyes as he held out his hand. “Joseph Westcott – Pastor Joe – though most people just go with Joe.”

“Madeline Viscolli.” She shook his hand. Even though he kept his grip purposefully light she felt the hard calluses on his palms. Her father, an avid rower, had similar calluses. So, he was a pastor. Why was no one else here, then? “Am I in the right place for the Cru meeting?”

“You sure are,” he answered, his green eyes shining with amusement, “and you’ll be right on time in about fifty-eight minutes.”

“Doesn’t the meeting start at six?” Madeline frowned checking her watch.

“Yes. It does.” He raised an eyebrow. “Still on east coast time?”

Why would he be asking…? Feeling her face flood with heat, she realized. “Of course. We’re in Central Time.”

With a friendly laugh, he gestured toward a cooler that sat on the floor near the stage. “Takes a little while to lose that hour. Water?”

“That would be lovely, thank you.” Accepting the ice cold bottle from him she slipped her bag off of her shoulder and sat in one of the comfortable auditorium seats. “I didn’t get in until just now. Came straight from the airport. I actually scheduled my arrival to coordinate with the meeting.”

“Where you comin’ from, Miss Viscolli?” While he casually dropped the verb much like a native, his accent didn’t sound Deep South to her ear. It made his manner of speaking interesting. His warm smile made it even more interesting.

“I graduated last spring from the University of Florida.” She took a long pull from the bottle, not realizing how thirsty she felt until the icy water hit her dry throat. “I’m going to be getting my Master’s here.”

“Gators? Let me think.” He hopped up onto the stage, facing her. He wore leather deck shoes with no socks and, despite the red hair, had a rather dark tan. “Chris Wilson still the Cru director there?”

Picturing the dark brown face and laughing light brown eyes of Pastor Chris, Madeline smiled. “He is. His wife just had their second baby.”

“He showed me pictures at our annual conference.” He gestured at his T-shirt. “I usually spend a good bit of the summer in Florida myself.”

The calluses on his palm and the tan lines despite his fair complexion had her guessing his hobby. “Do you sail?”

His eyebrows rose in surprise. “How did you know that?”

Madeline shrugged. “Lots of little clues, I guess.” Plus, she could see him, in her mind’s eye, on the deck of a little catamaran, skimming the turquoise waves off the Florida Keys. Her family had a home down there, and she had spent her childhood living in either Boston or southern Florida. Sailboats were just a part of what she considered normal in life.

“Quite observant, Miss Viscolli.” He pronounced her name perfectly, long o sound and all. He looked at his watch. “We have some time before the meeting. If anyone else had their times mixed up, they would have been here by now. Honestly, you should probably eat something now if you’re still on Eastern Time. You’ll be starving in a few hours. Want to grab a coffee and a snack or something?”

“Actually, I think I’ll skip tonight and go find my apartment.” She stood, almost instantly regretting turning down the offer. She suddenly realized she might enjoy getting to know Mr. Westcott better. “I thought I’d have more energy. I just got in from spending the last several weeks in England with my brother and his wife, and I’m a bit jet lagged.” Waving a hand around the room, she added, “Hence the mix-up with the time.” She picked up her bag and slipped the strap over her shoulder. “I look forward to the next few years, Pastor Joe Westcott. Cru has been a major focus of my life since my first day at college. I’m praying I’ll be able to develop the kind of friendships I had in Florida.”

He scooted off of the stage and held out his hand. Without hesitation, she placed her hand in his again.

“It was truly a pleasure to meet you, Madeline Viscolli. I look forward to seeing you again very soon and I’ll be sure to email Chris Wilson and let him know I met you.” He held her hand throughout this tiny little monologue, then gave her fingers a gentle squeeze before he released her grasp. Did he hold her hand a heartbeat longer than necessary, or was that just her jet lagged brain slowing everything down?

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Author bio: 

With over half a million sales, Hallee Bridgeman is a best-selling Christian author who writes action-packed romantic suspense focusing on realistic characters who face real world problems. 

Her work has been described as everything from refreshing to heart-stopping exciting and edgy. 

Hallee loves coffee, campy action movies, and regular date nights with her husband. 

Above all else, she loves God with all of her heart, soul, mind, and strength; has been redeemed by the blood of Christ; and relies on the presence of the Holy Spirit to guide her. 

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Blurb for Hallee's book, Christmas Star Sapphire: Madeline Viscolli finds herself on the Gulf shores of Alabama, where she takes part in a graduate program to earn her MBA. On her first day there, she meets Joe Westcott, team leader for a campus ministry. Despite a mutual attraction, Joe’s personal rule of no romance with any student keeps any kind of deep relationship from developing.

Joe has no desire to have a relationship with anyone, ever, anyway. He left a life of luxury and his family’s business behind to live alone on a sailboat and serve in ministry. Then Madeline walks into the auditorium the week school starts and Joe suspects his personal rules might not apply to this graduate student.

That is, until he discovers Madeline is one of the Viscollis, and that her destiny lay in running her father’s massive corporation. Having rejected wealth and all its trappings since childhood, Joe finds himself falling for the vivacious sapphire-eyed beauty.

Madeline knows she loves Joe, but is not willing to throw away her destiny of taking over at the helm of Viscolli Enterprises.

A Christmas Eve funeral washes all Joe’s plans away. Will their love succumb to the rising tide caused by their differences in lifestyles, or will raging seas calm and allow them to sail off into the sunset?

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Customer Review of Hallee's book (Christmas Star Sapphire):

Rating: 5 stars
Review title: A Must Read This Christmas Season

Once again, Hallee Bridgeman has written a superb Christian novella just in time for the Christmas season! Christmas Star Sapphire is inspired by the Jewell series and continues the storyline of Viscolli family. Madeline, the only daughter of Robin and Tony Vicolli, is being educated and groomed to one day assume the leadership role in the Viscolli empire of hotels and other enterprises. 

In traveling to Mobile, Alabama to work on her Master’s degree at the University of Southern Alabama, she meets Pastor Joe Westcott, the head minister of Cru which is the campus’s Christian organization for college students. Madeline’s feelings for Pastor Joe begin to grow into a desire to know him on a more personal level. Pastor Joe begins to feel the same, but there are two problems. One, she comes from a wealthy family and is being groomed for that life style. His childhood has left a bad taste in his mouth for money and power. Two, she is a student, and he is a staff member. Can Madeline and Joe overcome their pasts to make a life for their future together? Will Joe allow God to heal his heart and guide his life? 

Mrs. Bridgeman is able to present a deeply religious message within the pages of this short read. I recommend this light hearted novella for an enjoyable quick read this season. 

*I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.

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Connect with Hallee:

Website - http://www.halleebridgeman.com
Twitter - https://twitter.com/halleeb
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/halleebridgeman/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/authorhalleebridgeman/

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