Interview with the authors of "Unexpected Blessings" (devo book)

Interview with the authors of 

“Unexpected Blessings: 40 Days of Trusting God in the Details”

Question #1: How did you and your co-authors meet?

Deborah: In Spring 2024, we formed a small Zoom-based writers' mastermind to help each other flourish. We were previously meeting via Facebook chat that Theresa set up after we had all been her Beta Readers for her Bible Study, “Posture of Victory.” Plus, we are all Compel Pro Group Leaders. Soon, God led us to write something much bigger than we planned with our first book, “Unexpected Blessings: 40 Days of Discovering God’s Best”, and now our newest book, “Unexpected Blessings: 40 Days of Trusting God in the Details.” We are five writers in five different states with a God-sized project who said yes. Only God could orchestrate five writers from five different states coming together to create this devotional book for our readers. All glory to Him!

Question #2: What inspired you to collaborate with your author friends and write this devotional book? Share the story.

Theresa: This is such a fun story because it really was all God. None of us could have orchestrated it with a premeditated plan and watched it unfold so seamlessly. It began as a simple idea among five writers to create a downloadable resource for readers called Unexpected Blessings: 30 Days of Discovering God’s Best. It was meant to be a small offering of encouragement to our community. On one of our Zoom calls, one of us suggested, “What if we took this all the way?” The idea was to write ten additional devotions, two from each of us, and turn that online resource into a 40-day printed devotional. The downloadable resource was released in November, and we spent December writing the extra devotions. Then we spent January preparing the manuscript for publication. The book was released just before Lent in 2025. Even before that first book was published, we sensed God nudging us toward a second one. What began as a small step of obedience became a series of little “yeses,” growing into something we could not have planned better ourselves.

Question #3: What was the most challenging aspect of collaborating to write this book? Explain how you overcame that challenge.

Nichole: So much of this project felt seamless. We shared a Google Drive folder to upload all our devotions and set deadlines to keep ourselves on track. It’s hard to say there were many challenges! Mostly, what was challenging is what is challenging with just about any writing project—editing the final manuscript. It was a joint effort of Traci checking formatting, Theresa checking grammar, spelling, and sentence structure, each of us fixing our own edits, and then I put the final manuscript into a form that could be uploaded and published. We were all working from a distance; none of us is close enough to each other to easily meet in person. So, a lot of communication was through group text. We had to be open to feedback from one another and flexible about how each of us envisioned the final product.

Question #4: In what ways do you hope your readers will be impacted by your message?

Susan: We want our readers to know that, whether it is the everyday struggles and disappointments we often encounter or the hard challenges we face, we are never the only ones who battle them. The enemy used to push me into a corner with the lie that I am the only one who has to battle what I have walked through. But whether it's struggling with doubt, fear, or even the lows from a bad day, we all go through the same things. And because we serve a faithful God, we never go through anything that we can’t overcome or walk through in the power and strength of the Holy Spirit. We truly serve a God who can turn everything we go through into our good and His glory.

Question #5: Is this the second book in a series of “Unexpected Blessings” or can this devo be read as standalone? Please explain.

Traci: While this book, Unexpected Blessings: 40 Days of Trusting God in the Details, is the second in our Unexpected Blessings series, it can also be read as a standalone devotional, just like our first book, Unexpected Blessings: 40 Days of Discovering God’s Best. Our goal for this series is for each book to stand on its own while helping readers recognize God’s extraordinary blessings and trust Him in the details of their everyday lives.

Question #6: In this devo book, you teach readers to trust God no matter how overwhelmed they feel. How have you learned to trust God when you feel overwhelmed by the demands of daily life?

Traci: I used to let overwhelming circumstances and the demands of daily life define me, and as a result, I lived with constant worry and intense anxiety. For many years, I missed out on the abundant life Jesus Christ came to give. Don’t get me wrong—life is filled with real concerns and overwhelming emotions, but God’s Word reminds us in 1 Peter 5:7 to cast our anxieties on Him. So what does that look like in my life? I picture myself laying down the pressures of daily life—schedules, work, family needs, and ministry—along with the emotions that come from them, at the foot of the Cross. Because of how I lived in the past, I know what it feels like to live under that kind of weight. Now, I choose to trust God because I know that is the only way I can live in true freedom and peace in the midst of everyday demands. God’s desire for us as His children is to live with hearts that trust Him and fully depend on Him.

Nichole: Overwhelm—in the negative sense—is a product of a fallen world. Our Heavenly Father doesn’t want us in that state. Whenever I start to feel like life’s pressures are overwhelming me, I know I need to go back to Jesus and ask Him to remove the yoke I’ve taken on myself. He promises that His yoke is easy and His burden is light. We take on a burden that we were never meant to shoulder. Daily immersion in the Word and constant communication with the Father help me keep things in perspective and lessen the overwhelm that life’s demands bring.

Question #7: What would you say to someone who feels like they’re experiencing a difficult time when God isn’t answering their prayers, and they feel like their delayed plans and dashed dreams feel too insignificant to matter? Explain how we can trust God because it matters to Him.

Susan: It took me years to learn that just because God doesn’t answer the way I want doesn’t mean I don’t matter or that I've been forgotten. Sometimes God is working more for my good through not answering my specific prayers or not bringing my personal desires to fruition. I often learn and grow spiritually more when He allows me to wait and endure delays. It is then that He teaches me much-needed lessons, such as perseverance, temperance, long suffering, and patience. It is also during the long waits that I often feel I don’t matter, that God is teaching me how to draw closer to Him.

Theresa: This is something I’ve experienced many times, and I know we all do at different points in our lives. What I’ve learned is that often what feels like a delay is God working behind the scenes. It’s a time of preparation, a season where God invites us to lean in and trust Him more deeply. It reminds me of Traci’s devotion on the theme of blooming where you are planted in “The Unexpected Blessing of a Broken Plaque.” Sometimes God invites us to grow deeper roots during those dismal seasons so that something beautiful can bloom in His perfect timing. If you’re feeling this way now, my encouragement is to be faithful with what God has placed in your hands today and to trust that He has something in store for you beyond your imagination if you don’t give up. So keep going!

Question #8: Share a testimony from your life when God showed you that He cares about your quiet struggles and He wants to alleviate what’s weighing heavy on your heart.

Deborah: Just recently, I was feeling put together on the outside yet falling apart on the inside. As a childless older woman, I was having a hard time fitting in at our church full of young families. I prayed, “Help me Jesus,” and He brought me a new friend to share my fears and burden with. Soon, I felt the comfort and peace of Jesus and rejoiced in my beautiful church family. I know I am not the only one feeling this way. It’s so easy, though, to think everyone else has got it together when maybe we’re all feeling a little messy inside. The beautiful truth is Jesus didn’t come for the perfect woman, He came for the messy and brokenhearted ones too.

Traci: One memory that comes to mind is a season when I quietly struggled with Imposter Syndrome. I felt completely unqualified for an opportunity God had given me, and the weight of doubt brought me to tears. When I shared my struggle with my son and later with a friend, God met me through their prayer and encouragement, easing the heaviness in my heart and giving me the strength to move forward. That moment taught me that God not only sees our silent struggles but also cares deeply about them, often providing comfort, strength, and peace in very personal ways. I actually wrote about this testimony in our first book in the series, Unexpected Blessings: 40 Days of Discovering God’s Best.

Question #9: I love how each of you as authors shared honest reflections from your real-life experiences over the years, in this devo book! What did God teach you or reveal to you during this process of sharing your stories?

Susan: Most of the time, when I write and share, it is during my own struggles and challenges. One of the greatest lessons I have learned from sharing my personal stories and lessons God is teaching me is that the more I share encouragement with others, the more I feel encouraged. Writing the devotions for this book has also taught me to be more mindful of looking for God’s blessings, especially in the ordinary day-to-day things. It is so easy to go through your day with your mind on completing tasks and to-do lists that we can forget to look up to see what God is doing all around us. Writing these devotions has made me more mindful to ask God to reveal Himself to me and help me to encounter His goodness.

Theresa: Sharing these real-life experiences has given us the chance to be honest and transparent and to reveal the transformative work of God through them. So many moments could have gone unnoticed, yet God is truly in the details. The more we look for Him, the more we see Him at work. That has certainly been true for me throughout the process of writing these devotions.

Question #10: Let’s end with a fun question! What is your favorite beverage, coffee or tea to sip in the springtime? Take turns answering this question, please, and explain what makes that favorite treat special to you.

Theresa: The hardest question yet! After my first cup of coffee in the morning, I’m a hot tea drinker. Mint is my go-to, but if I can handle a little caffeine later in the day, the Earl Grey London Fog beverage Nichole describes below is my go-to. My version is tea, honey, and a little cream–the same way I drink my coffee. Springtime allows for hot drinks around here, as winter can last through April and even into May some years.

Susan: I am from the south and grew up drinking iced tea. There is nothing more relaxing to me than sitting on my porch swing with a good book, sipping on my favorite tea. It is even more special after a long, cold winter to get that first burst of warmer spring weather to sit outside. My favorite teas are blackberry and strawberry.

Traci: Growing up in the Midwest, I loved drinking pop. A lot of people have no idea what I mean when I say that word. But in southern Ohio, where I’m from, “pop” is what we call any carbonated soft drink, no matter the flavor—cola, lemon-lime, orange, grape, ginger ale, and more. It’s what some people call “soda” or “Coke,” depending on where they live. While I don’t drink much pop anymore because I don’t love the sugar and calories in regular, and I can’t stand the taste of diet, I still enjoy sipping an ice-cold Pepsi on my porch every now and then as the weather warms up. It feels like a little springtime treat to me. In fact, my neighbor always has one cold and ready for me whenever I go over to visit her.

Deborah: I love making mason jars full of PG Tips iced tea. There is something about letting it brew and then later adding ice cubes. I don’t add anything else to it. It’s perfect to sip as my afternoon goes by, as the days warm with a book on the deck.

Nichole: I love Earl Grey tea anytime of year, especially when I make it into a London Fog (tea, steamed milk, and vanilla syrup). I prefer hot instead of iced year-round. I live in the Midwest, so it stays cool and rainy through the Spring. Sitting on my covered porch with a cup of hot tea is high-end cozy for me.

Thanks for the interview, ladies! God bless you and your writing ministry.

~*~
Author Bio for Deborah Rutherford:

Deborah's journey is one of following a deeper calling. She began her career in the film & television industry, where she was an Emmy Award-winning Makeup Artist. 

Making a significant transition, she set aside her professional brushes to pick up a pen and a mic. She now shares her voice as an Author, Poet, and engaging Podcaster.

She is the founder of the Behold-Her Beauty Podcast and Blog and one of the authors of the devotional Unexpected Blessings: 40 Days of Discovering God's Best. Her forthcoming poetry collection, Prodigal Daughter: Poems of Light for the Lost Ones, showcases her literary depth, which has also been recognized in journals like The Way Back to Ourselves Literary Journal, Vessels of Light Literary Journal, and Calla Press Literary Journal.

At heart, Deborah loves Jesus, being Don's wife, singing old hymns, and finding peace on nature walks under the Georgia pines.

You can follow her on Substack, Instagram, and at www.deborahrutherford.com.

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Author Bio for Theresa Miller:

Theresa is adventurous at heart and dedicated to pursuing spiritual, mental, and emotional healing for the betterment of future generations. 

Originally from the wooded East, Theresa now resides in the wide-open spaces of
Wyoming, nestled near the Big Horn Mountains. She cherishes her role as a wife to Rob and mother to their four children.

Weaving words has been her creative outlet since childhood, bringing clarity to life’s complexities. Theresa is the author of the Bible study, The Posture of Victory: Finding True Peace amidst Our Everyday Battles.

She actively serves in women’s ministries as a Bible teacher and a MomCo Mentor in her community. She co-founded Dandelions, Potholes, & Wrinkles and The Sisters on Purpose Podcast. In addition to guest appearing on several podcasts and blogs, she has been published in Calla Press Literary Journal, Moms Ezine, (in)courage, and various other publications.

You can find Theresa encouraging women to dig deeper to reach higher in their faith and calling on Instagram and Facebook @theresammillerauthor and on the podcast she hosts with her sisters, The Sisters on Purpose Podcast.

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Author Bio for Traci Shnider:

Traci is a passionate encourager, sharing hope and inspiration drawn from her journey of faith and resilience in the face of adversity. Her mission is to help others experience true freedom by deeply rooting their lives in Jesus, growing in His grace, and blooming into their God-given purpose. 

As a motivational speaker, Traci inspires women at Christian conferences and events, empowering them to walk boldly in faith. She is a co-author of the devotional, Unexpected Blessings: 40 Days of Discovering God’s Best and she’s been featured in Renew Your Mind: 40 Days to Quiet the Lies Inside Your Head through Proverbs 31 Ministries.

Traci is married to Eric, and together they have one adult son, and a quirky little terrier. In her downtime, she loves collecting seashells, painting, and unwinding with a good book on the breathtaking North Carolina coast she’s blessed to call home.

You can connect with Traci and read more of her work on her website, on Instagram @tracishniderwriter, and Facebook: @Traci Shnider-Writer.

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Author Bio for Susan Davidson: 

Susan is a freedom-from-striving pursuer and a sharer of encouragement enthusiast. God placed a pen in her hand to share His word and encourage others during one of her most discouraging and challenging seasons. She learned that encouraging others helps her live her own life more encouraged. 

She is a devotional writer featured in Clear Mind, Peaceful Heart: 50 Devotions for Sleeping Well in a World Full of Worry, and a co-writer of Unexpected Blessings: 40 Days of Discovering God’s Best. She has been featured in the Proverbs 31 Ministry’s publication entitled Hope When Your Heart is Heavy, in The Awake Our Heart literary journal, Callia Press online journal, and Her View from Home.

She calls the mountains of Virginia home. She is a wife, mother, Gran Gran, daughter, and friend who counts spending time with her special people among life’s greatest blessings. She is most content when she has coffee in her cup, pen in hand, and a great worship song in her heart. She loves going for dog walks in the park and spending quiet moments sitting on her porch swing with a good book in hand.

When she is not sharing words on her blog, you will find her sharing encouragement on Facebook and Instagram.

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Author Bio for Nichole Suvar:

Nichole is a speaker, author, and Intentional Living Strategist. 

With over 35 years of lived experience with anxiety, she writes and speaks on the topic of mental health and God’s design for mental wellness. Nichole has contributed to several devotionals, including Freedom from Worry, through Proverbs 31 Ministries. She is the author of I Don’t Have to Hold It All Together: Cultivating the Peace of Eden When Feeling Overwhelmed with Moody Publishers. She has also published Numbering Our Days: Combating Anxiety in the Power of Small Intentional Moments and other devotionals for Advent, Easter, and Teens.

Nichole has been a guest on numerous podcasts and blogs as well as a speaker on empathy for Great Kids MAKE Great Communities and writes curriculum for the National Suicide Hotline.

Nichole lives in the Midwest with her high school sweetheart husband Paul and their three teen children. She enjoys discovering new hiking paths, curling up with a good mystery novel, collecting cozy cardigans, and snacking on dill pickles with sharp cheddar cheese. 

She writes about living an overcoming life for Jesus, one intentional moment at a time, on her website livewithintent.org and on Instagram @nicholejsuvar.

~*~

Book blurb for Unexpected Blessings:

Do you find yourself overwhelmed by the small, unseen pressures of daily life—the unanswered prayers, delayed plans, and details that feel too insignificant to matter? 

Trusting God can be especially difficult when the questions linger and clarity feels just out of reach. You may wonder if God is truly present in the ordinary moments, or if He sees the quiet struggles weighing on your heart.

Within these Unexpected Blessings devotions, you will read honest reflections from authors who have learned to trust God not just in life’s storms, but in its details. Through stories of waiting, surrender, and faith in the everyday, these pages remind us that God is attentive, intentional, and near. Even when the path feels uncertain, He is faithfully working in the small things—inviting us to trust Him one day, one step at a time.

~*~
Buy this devo book on Amazon.

Celebrate Lit Tour: Waiting for God

Welcome to my blog's Sept. 15 stop on this book tour with Celebrate Lit!

We're promoting Xochitl Dixon's true story, Waiting for God: Trusting Daily in God's Plan and Pace.

Read on for my review of Dixon's book and remember to enter the fun giveaway contest at the end of this blog post!

God bless you, friends.

~*~

About the Book (Official Book Blurb from Amazon.com):

Inhale God’s Word. Exhale in prayer. Rest in God’s love.

If your heart is weary and longing for answers—for healing, for provision, for miracles—Waiting for God renews your hope with strong biblical truth and encouraging Scripture-based prayer.

Conquer your fears and frustrations as you inhale God's Word, exhale in prayer, and rest in God's love. Live a life of deeper connection and immediate communion with God that can lead to contentment in His constant presence, no matter what your days hold or how long God’s deliberate delays may last.

Xochitl Dixon writes each chapter with heart-touching transparency and vulnerability, as she shares her own story as well as the stories of others who are trusting God through waiting seasons with no apparent end in sight. As a woman who lives with chronic pain, Xochitl understands constant struggle yet chooses to put God on the throne of her life.

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My Review of Waiting for God: Trusting Daily in God's Plan and Pace 

I enjoyed reading this nonfiction book by Xochitl Dixon, titled, Waiting for God: Trusting Daily in God's Plan and Pace.

The author (Dixon) truly does write to encourage her readers to, “Inhale God’s Word. Exhale in prayer. Rest in God’s love.”

Every page is filled with precious words of wisdom – most gleaned from Dixon’s real-life experiences, trials and tribulations – that encourage the weary heart and refresh the soul. The author is transparent in telling her story. She doesn’t hold anything back in hopes of reaching people who need to hear how she survived challenges with God’s help.

Dixon has experienced God’s healing, provision and miracles in her life. Her book, Waiting for God testifies to all of that and more.

She backs up her claims with Scripture. The Bible does say that God is our Healer, Provider, Miracle Worker and (Best) Friend. I found her story to be inspiring! I admire her strength and tenacity. I believe that readers will be blessed by seeing how God can transform the darkest nights into bright days (regarding the seasons of life and the challenges that we as humans on sin-ridden planet Earth face).

After reading this book, I feel encouraged to conquer my challenges as I, as the author would say, “inhale God's Word, exhale in prayer, and rest in God's love.”

This book challenges the reader to go deeper in their search for truth, God’s Truth. The pages in this book don’t just keep the reader engaged; the message on the pages also propels them into God’s Word (The Holy Bible)! Ultimately, this book is an altar call to people who want to grow closer to God and learn how to cling to Him when life throws us curveballs.

Learning to trust God is an essential survival skill in this life. Dixon’s testimony about trusting God as she waits on Him is so inspirational! Her life story is proof that God never leaves nor forsakes His children.

Ultimately, Dixon’s story reminds me of the song by SELAH “Through it All.” God is faithful and forever loving to His children. Get a glimpse of God’s love for you too when you read His daughter Xochitl Dixon’s story about how He brought her through tough times and proved His love for her (and you)!

Endnote: If you live with chronic pain or know someone who does, this book is one that will encourage your hurting heart and point you to the Balm of Gilead! Trusting God when life is hard is not easy but Dixon’s story proves that it can be done.

*I (Alexis A. Goring) received an ARC of Waiting for God: Trusting Daily in God's Plan and Pace from Celebrate Lit. My opinions in this honest review are my own.

~*~
About the Author:

Xochitl (So-Cheel) E. Dixon has a heart for loving God and people. 

She’s passionate about intercessory prayer, nurturing spiritual growth, and the prayerful study and application of Scripture. 

Through her daily struggles with chronic pain, due to an upper back injury she endured in 1992, she writes with transparency, ministers to the hurting, and inspires hope through worshiping God in all circumstances.

She serves as a regular contributor to Our Daily Bread (www.odb.org), a ministry devoted to making “the life-changing wisdom of the Bible understandable and accessible to all.” 

Her devotional, Waiting for God: Trusting Daily in God’s Plan and Pace (Discovery House Publishers) released on August 7, 2019. She is a contributing author for the upcoming Our Daily Bread devotionals: "What Really Matters" (August 7, 2019), "And He Walks with Me" (October 2, 2019), and "Moments of Peace for Moms" (October 2, 2019).

Her devotions have also been included in All God’s Creatures (Guideposts, 2019), God Hears Her (Discovery House, 2017), Our Help (Discovery House, 2017), and This Far by Faith: Legacies of the Black Church (Discovery House, 2017). Her nonfiction has been published in My Amazing Mom (Chicken Soup for the Soul, 2018), Second-Chance Dogs (Revell, 2018), LIVE Magazine (2019), and Church Health Reader (2019).

She followed God from California to Wisconsin and is enjoying Midwest adventures with her best friend and husband of over 25 years, Dr. W. Alan Dixon, Sr. 

She loves their sons, A.J. and Xavier, spoils her service dog, Callie. Xochitl likes serving as a speaker, traveling, photography, reading, singing, sketching, studying Scripture, and nurturing authentic relationships.

Xochitl connects with readers and shares encouragement devotions, prayer, and Scripture-based memes on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and on her blog at www.xedixon.com. 

~*~

A Message from Xochitl Dixon about her book Waiting for God:

“Never pray for patience.”

My friend’s warning pricked at the back of my mind. Without realizing it, I began lacing my prayers with fear, doubt, and caution. I couldn’t risk being thrust into situations that would force me to develop patience, so I did everything in my power to avoid asking the Lord to help me be patient.

But even when I didn’t ask Him to cultivate the fruit of the Spirit in me, I always seemed to end up in circumstances that stretched my faith as much as my patience.

When my agent challenged me to write the book I had to write, I pitched Waiting for God: Trusting Daily in God’s Plan and Pace.

I thought I’d be sharing tips about how to persevere through trials and endure suffering with grace. But after I signed the contract and received a deadline for my manuscript, my husband received an unexpected job offer.

We followed the Lord from California to Wisconsin.

Writing became a challenge as I suffered a setback in my healing journey. I endured high levels of pain and fatigue. My husband and I struggled with frustration as we adjusted to life in the Midwest during one of the coldest winters in history.

And God changed my perspective on waiting for Him, which has nothing to do with patience.

I’ll be sharing my answers to the end-of-chapter questions on my blog (www.xedixon.com). I’m excited to invite you to join the adventure.

I look forward to growing with you as we wait for God, inhaling His Word, exhaling in prayer, and resting in His love as we trust daily in His plan and pace.

~*~

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, September 2

April Hayman, Author, September 3

Genesis 5020, September 4

A Diva’s Heart, September 4

Through the Lens of Scripture, September 5

AndreaChristenson, September 6

Kelly Harrel, September 7

Mary Hake, September 7

For the Love of Literature, September 8

Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, September 9

Just the Write Escape, September 10

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, September 11

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 11

Texas Book-aholic, September 12

A Reader’s Brain, September 13

janicesbookreviews, September 13

Inklings and notions, September 14

Cultivating Us, September 15

God is Love, September 15

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Giveaway Contest Details:

To celebrate her tour, Xochitl is giving away a grand prize package of a $25 Amazon gift card, a signed copy of Waiting for God, and a copy of God Hears Her

(Our Daily Bread 365-Day Devotional)!

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/eaef/waiting-for-god-celebration-tour-giveaway

Litfuse Publicity Group blog tour for Lee Wolfe Blum's book about beauty

Book: Brave is the New Beautiful
Author: Lee Wolfe Blum
Reviewed by: Alexis A. Goring

Author Lee Wolfe Blum’s heart of love shows in the stories that she’s shared in this book as she tries to encourage women to embrace all God’s created them to be in this life.

Brave is the New Beautiful was not an easy read. The author shares perhaps too many stories from different women. While each story has inspirational and life-changing qualities, the overabundance of viewpoints and glimpses into a variety of real-life situations made the flow of this story a bit choppy and difficult to follow. The reader can become a bit lost between the pages of this book.

The read may have been easier to digest if the author focused on a few stories and elaborated her points for each instead of sharing so many and having takeaway points for each one. It was overwhelming for this reader and at times, confusing.

However, this book is still worth reading. It’s a good collection of stories that will make the reader think and evaluate their own life story. The messages in this book will encourage their heart because the author proves her point that in God’s eyes, women are valuable, they are worthy, they are brave and they are beautiful. 

*Litfuse Publicity Group provided Alexis A. Goring with a complimentary copy of "Brave is the New Beautiful" in exchange for an honest review.

~*~
Author bio:

Lee Wolfe Blum is an energetic and passionate speaker who loves to help women find hope in healing from perfectionism and addictions. She works as a mental health practitioner in the field of Eating Disorders and Chemical Dependency. She lives in Minnesota with her husband and three boys. Find out more about Lee Wolfe at leewolfeblum.com.

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Book blurb for Brave is the New Beautiful: In a culture that bombards women with "thinspiration" messages and pressure to "do it all" while wearing the mask of perfection, women are left feeling alone and overwhelmed. How can they stop comparing themselves to others? How can they live out who they really are? 

Lee Wolfe Blum offers stories from everyday women who have answered these questions with their lives—and found true beauty in the process. 

In Brave Is the New Beautiful, Blum weaves reflections from her own journey with inspirational stories from everyday women who chose to take off their masks and live authentically. 

Through call-to-action questions and ideas, she encourages readers to be brave enough to be who they really are and the beloved that God knows they are.

~*~

Buy Lee's book on Amazon.

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Connect with Lee:
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/LeeBlumAuthor
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/lblum/
Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/blumtown/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/BlumLee

Book Review: Know Your Worth

How to “Know Your Worth”

A book review by Alexis A. Goring

Jessica Vaughn’s debut book, Know Your Worth: Conquering Your Past for A Powerful Future, is a gem!

She’s not shy on sharing her story from her heart, holding nothing back. Jessica’s honesty and transparency in sharing scenes from her life journey and lessons learned can truly make a difference in the reader’s life.

The first pages of the Introduction highlight Jessica’s experience in working in retail and how that work gave her “roughly four years of management experience.” So she was able to retire from her retail job in her early 20’s and open her first business as a fitness coach before 30. Jessica says that God used her experience in retail to prepare her for her work as a fitness coach. It’s not the first credit Jessica gives to God. She credits God for all of her successes. She shows that no experience in life is wasted, it’s all a part of God’s plan.

The author believes that God can use any experience to strengthen you, grow your character and help you become who He’s meant you to be in this life. A key example of this is a common theme throughout the book—relationships. Jessica talks about her failed relationships and the lesson she learned. She reveals her insecurities and shows her readers the value of knowing your worth and how it makes a difference in how you present yourself to this world.

A key quote from the book is found in Chapter 2 when Jessica says, “Everyday people are searching for a place to fi t in. Killing themselves for rank advancements, pay increases, more stuff, and so on. We want to feel loved and treasured, and we want to feel belonging. Your purpose in this world is far beyond anything you will ever be able to comprehend.”

Jessica talks about the importance of not being afraid to take a leap of faith. She quotes the Bible verse of Matthew 17:20 about how a mustard seed of faith in God can move mountains. A standout quote from Chapter 3 reads, “You will never be able to love yourself if all you do is listen to what everyone else has to say about you instead of what God has to say.” Such a quote resonated with me because I struggle with focusing more on what everyone has to say about me, everyone except God. It was a relief to know that I’m not the only one who struggles with that and I found inspiration in reading Jessica’s story about how she overcame that struggle. It gave me motivation to overcome it in my life too.

Another inspiring point was made in Chapter 4 where the author says, “Staring at the moon brought me to this thought: God is constantly working in our lives. We may never feel the move or the shift—we may never even see the progress we are making—but we have to remember He never leaves us. He is always bringing to my attention that when He is working it doesn’t always mean that things will be happy-go lucky. In fact, He could be forming you right now in His hands, and it may hurt just a little. God is moving in our lives even when we don’t feel Him or see the answers to our prayers. God’s promises are real, and when we find our confidence in Him—when we know who we are—then we can rest in His promises for us. We will know that, even when we don’t see our success right away, we will not grow weary and we will not worry. We must keep moving forward!”

The reader will move forward through this book in one sitting because it’s just that good! Every page leads you to wanting to know what happens next just like when you read a good fiction book. Only, this isn’t fiction; it’s real-life and that makes the story even more inspiring!

One of the take-away messages I received from reading this book is the value of “positive self-talk.” Jessica writes, “Your thoughts will change your life. Whatever you believe about yourself comes to light. Whatever you believe in your heart will show in the way you treat others and how you choose to walk around. So, let me ask you: What you are constantly telling yourself regularly?”

After reading that quote, I’m determined to speak words of life not just to other people, but over myself and I’m eager to see all the wonderful things God does in my life as I focus on His blessings and speak faith not fear or complaints.

Ultimately, this book is a great how-to guide. It shows you how to know your worth and see yourself as the priceless treasure of a person God created you to be. It shows you how to overcome negative thinking and gain a positive mindset. It shows you how to evaluate your relationships and let go of ones that are bad for you. It shows you how to have faith in God and trust Him with the outcome. Most importantly, it shows you how to never give up because God is always working in your life.

I’d recommend this book to everyone and anyone who doesn’t realize their value and needs to know their worth not in society’s status quo, but through the eyes of the Creator of the Universe who loves you endlessly and knows your worth.

*The author provided a complimentary copy of her book "Know Your Worth" in exchange for an honest review.

Love is in the Air: Is a Happy-ending Romance for Real?

What's a love story like when God is missing from the cast of characters?

Explore this real-life issue with Davalynn Spencer via her devotional below this message. 

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Is a Happy-ending Romance for Real?
A devotional written by Davalynn Spencer

During my recent Spring Break from teaching at the local community college, I spent one morning participating in an author event there. Several book tables were set up in the commons area through which attendees of a week-long Senior Mini-College passed between sessions.

“I used to read romance,” one woman said as she stopped to scan my table. “Used to believe all that stuff.” She swatted the air. “Humph! Three marriages later, I’m a cynic. Give me a good murder mystery any day.”

Not particularly quick-witted at that moment, I laughed and nodded. To each his own, right? Not everyone enjoys the same genre. But as I watched her walk away, regret rose—not from failing to sell her a book, but from failing to show her what God could do in a relationship.

And that’s why I write inspirational romance.

Some call it Christian romance. Call it what you will, the big difference between this type of romance and general market romance is not just in the absence of gratuitous sex, but in the presence of an unseen character.

I’ll take a stab at the type of romance novels the disgruntled woman read. “Slender thigh,” we used to called them. “Bodice-rippers,” with physically perfect heroes and heroines against whom no real human could stand. But the core issue lies far deeper than the stereotypical characters and plots. Guessing again at the woman’s type of romance novel, I’ll suggest that the stories she read were godless in the purest form.

God was missing from the cast.

The tiny book of First John in the New Testament tells us that God is love. The larger gospel of John shows us that God is love. And the last book in the New Testament, penned by the same man, is a spectacular display of God’s happy ending. It is, to overly simplify the matter, the romance between God and His bride, the church.

You see, that’s the difference between a love story and a romance. Consider Shakespeare’s classic love story, “Romeo and Juliet.” No happy ending. Not a romance.

Ever hear of a blockbuster movie from 1970 titled Love Story with Ali McGraw and Ryan O’Neal? Guess why it wasn’t called Romance?

Personally, I like happy-ending stories so I read them and write them. My favorites are full of fallible characters, with realistic challenges and heartaches, who involve God in their lives. Perhaps that’s the most important connection: God wants to be involved in our lives.

I think the Creator likes happy-ending stories too, because He wrote the best one of all. Talk about a hero who gives all for the one he loves (check out that book of John). And a hero who comes in on a white horse to rescue the object of his affection? You got it—Revelation. I take a heap of comfort in knowing that my relationship with Him is a happy-never-ending eternity with the Lover of my soul.

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Author bio: Davalynn Spencer writes inspirational Western romance, historical and contemporary, complete with rugged cowboys, their challenges, and their loves. 

Connect with Davalynn:

Website - www.davalynnspencer.com

Author Page - https://www.facebook.com/AuthorDavalynnSpencer

Twitter - @davalynnspencer

True Love Stories

Dear Readers of God is Love,

I am delighted to tell you about a *new* feature coming soon (like tomorrow) to my "God is Love" blog-- true love stories!

Starting tomorrow (Feb. 1, 2015...Eastern Standard Time because yes I know it's already tomorrow in Australia), real-life married couples will share their journey with you of how God brought their significant other into their lives and orchestrated their true love story! 

Now these special guest posts are not limited to only married couples, single people are welcome too because I believe that before you can meet and marry the person of your dreams, you need to first be a complete person in your relationship with God. So my single guests who are not yet engaged or married will share the story of their true love relationship with Jesus Christ and the peace it gives them as they wait for their true love who God made for them to marry.

But that's not all, there's a book review and author interview in the works! Author Gina Welborn wrote the book, Masterpiece Marriage for the Quilts of Love book series and my review of her book will go LIVE on my blog tomorrow morning, Feb. 1.

Gina will also be our special guest on Sunday, Feb. 8 when she will be featured on my blog by means of an author interview. So please stop by two weeks from now to learn about Gina as an author of Christian romance, a woman of faith and former script writer for a news station. Yes, she's one multi-talented lady and I believe you will be inspired by her faith journey and God-given career.

Especially exciting for me is the news that a very well-known, inspirational lady whose blog inspires thousands of people on a daily basis, will contribute her true love story to my blog here toward the end of the month! And to find out who exactly this talented writer is...well you'll just have to keep visiting my blog every day to discover the answer! :)

But honestly, you will want to visit my blog every day next month because it's going to be a wonderful experience for young adults and the elderly too!

So here's to embracing the sweetness and wonder of Valentine's Day, for the entire month of February through the celebration and sharing of true love stories about real people who believe in the God who not only created them but created their soul mate and orchestrated their love story in a way that's second to none!

Be blessed.

Love,

Alexis