Happy New Year 2019!

Devotionals for the Heart: The Power and Legacy of A Good Name

What Is His Name?
A devotional by Quantrilla Ard

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, 

Prince of Peace.” ~Isaiah 9:6 (NIV)

I remember having grand ideas of what my children’s names would be when I became a parent. I would spend hours searching through websites and books, trying to put together the right combination of first and middle names although I wasn’t sure of what their last names would be (this began long before I was married). The sound of the name was important as I waded through names both traditional and non-traditional, and it had to have just the right ring to it. What I didn’t always take into account was the meaning of the names, and I am glad that I had a few more years yet to ultimately make that decision.

A saying that I hear quite often in my writing and professional circles is “Words mean things,” and names aren’t excluded in this overarching message of the worth and value of words. There is the belief that what you name a child will shape and/or define who they become – that they will live up to what you call them. Although it may or may not have some credibility, this belief was very influential in the naming of our children. So every time someone asks us what our children's names are, I feel a sense of pride knowing that their names were carefully and lovingly considered and chosen.

In this Advent season, I often think of how Mary truly felt. She had to have grappled with the weight of such a responsibility – being the mother of the One for whom all the world had been waiting. There was one burden she didn’t have to carry, naming him. Although it was typical for the naming of the children to be the duty of the mother, this time the baby that was to be born was named by His Father, not by Mary or Joseph.

Matthew 1:20-21 (BSB) says: “But after he had pondered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to embrace Mary as your wife, for the One conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.”

This name meant something, something special. This name wasn’t just thought up on a whim or conjured from the imaginations of well-meaning family and friends. This name was different. The salvation of the world depended on it. Acts 4:12 (KJV) tells us, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Can you imagine if Joseph and Mary had gotten that one thing wrong? I can’t. Mary and Joseph’s obedience in this matter was of the utmost importance, it literally was the difference between life and death.

While the naming of our children is not typically done in the fashion of Mary and Joseph, I still believe that God wants to be a part of how and what we name our children. I have met many mothers who like Hannah named their children based on God’s response to a specific prayer or circumstance. There are also family names that are passed down through generations, representing years of tradition. What I know to be true is that every time I say the name “Jesus” something shifts in my spirit. There is power in the name of Jesus and rightly so.

The next time you hear the question, “What’s his/her name?” take a moment and think about the name above all names, Jesus, and what a profound impact His name truly has in your life.

~*~
Author Bio:

Quantrilla (Quanny) Ard is a faith-based personal and spiritual development writer who lives in the D.C. Metro area with her husband and three littles. 

In addition to being a dedicated wife and mother, she is an entrepreneur, doctoral student, and curator of all things lovely.

As a woman on her own quest of shining a light on the shadowy, hidden places in her life, she writes as the PhDMamma about things she knows to be true in hopes to encourage others to do the same.

Her spiritual goals and her love for Christ propels her quest to share the journey with other women: to walk alongside them and encourage them with words, deeds, and wisdom. Quanny believes in the power that is within collective strength, community, and fellowship.

You will find her wherever people are sharing stories of triumph.

~*~
Connect with Quanny:
Website - https://www.thephdmamma.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/thephdmamma
Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/qyard08
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/quannyboo/

Devotionals for the Heart: Change

Change
A devotional by Gail Kittleson

“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

– 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NKJV)

Looking back over the decades of New Year’s holidays I’ve experienced gives me pause. December 31 and January 1 have always put me into a reflective mood that revolves around a word we often resist: change.

This word appears in the passage above as a strong verb. The New KJV translates change as transform. But the by remains the same, signaling the passive voice. Passive? How can we be passive facing a new year?

Normally on New Years, I spend time reflecting on the past 365 days, and do some journaling and list writing. What areas should I work on in the coming year?

In recent years, I devote more time to giving thanks for all the ways God has blessed and guided me during the year than wallowing in regret over my failures. That signifies progress, because all these years of trying to “walk the walk” have taught me that whatever true change occurs in me comes by grace rather than my own efforts.

We all know about the earth-shattering discovery of penicillin during World War II that saved countless soldiers’ lives.

In 1945, Sir Alexander Fleming, Ernst Boris Chain and Sir Howard Walter Florey won the Nobel Prize in physiology in medicine. Penicillin’s curative effect on various infectious diseases changed the world forever.

But here’s an interesting angle: Nearly seventy-five years later, doctors still say, “Take the whole course of antibiotics.” These instructions stem from Alexander Fleming’s belief, but modern research now challenges this idea, and many physicians believe that taking the entire course of antibiotics unwise.

With no medical expertise, I wouldn’t lobby for one action or the other, but it’s interesting to consider how difficult change can be, even in the scientific world. We can easily understand transformation being difficult in relationships, but since science is devoted to the study of alterations in nature and our society, we assume there would be less clinging to tradition.

As we face another new year, that word change looms before us. It’s only human to cling to the way we’ve always been and done things.

It’s easy to pray, “Change me, Lord,” but much more difficult to live through those changes, especially to allow God to choose what it is that needs to be transformed. This annual holiday reminds us to adopt the “Show Me” motto: “Show me what You want.”

My Prayer: Dear Lord of change and circumstance, grant me courage to embrace what You want for me in this new year of opportunity. Help me to remember that You love me and long for me to become more like Your Son.

~*~
Author Bio:

When Gail Kittleson's not steeped in World War II research, drafting scenes, or deep in an edit of her 1940’s novels, she does a limited amount of editing for other authors.

She also facilitates writing and creativity workshops, both in Iowa and Arizona, where she and her husband like to spend part of the winter in the amazing Ponderosa pine forest under the Mogollon Rim.

Favorites: spending time with grandchildren, walking, reading, meeting new people, and hearing from readers who fall in love with her characters.

Devotionals for the Heart: Ginger's thoughts on saying "Yes" to God

On Saying YES!
A devotional by Ginger Solomon

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven”

~Ecclesiastes 3:1 (ESV)

This verse seems fitting to use it since this is my last devotion for the "God is Love" blog.

God asked me to step out and do something I had never done before, and I did. I stretched myself by writing a devotion for you for the last twelve months. I enjoyed it and learned so much.

But just as the verse says, “For everything there is a season,” and my season here at God is Love is complete with this post.

I don’t know exactly what God is calling me to next in my devotion writing, but I know He wants me to continue in some way. Maybe on my own blog, or maybe with someone else. When He reveals His will, I will follow.

That’s the gist of what He asks of us. When He calls, we answer. We obey. We say, “Yes, Lord.”

Oh, but it’s so hard at times.

It was HARD for me to say yes to writing these devotions. I’m not a non-fiction writer. Let me come clean. I’m rarely a non-fiction reader. What do I know? I read the Bible. I struggle through devotions and self-help books of any kind. I can usually only manage a few pages. But that’s not the point here.

I said yes, and I was blessed for the experience. Even if no one read my posts, I learned from what I wrote. God loves me that way. Even as I sit and write my novels, God speaks to me through my character’s self-talk or dialogue. He teaches me through the words that come through my fingers onto the screen. It’s how “I” learn best. And God is so GOOD to teach me in such a way.

As the New Year dawns in a few days, I challenge you to listen to God’s call. Say yes. Even if it seems like God is calling you to a place you’ve already been, or it seems like a step backward from where you are. Say yes. Oh, the blessings.

Let me tell you a quick story. First, I should say that I didn’t believe I could conceive children.

Oh, the grace and humor of our Father.

Three months after my husband and I said I do, I found out I was pregnant. Surprise! I was ecstatic, elated, emotional, etc. LOL

And then the fun started. Here’s the quick version:

· Son 1 – 1991

· Son 2 – 1993 (2 years, 1 week)

· Son 3 – 1997 (3 years, 4 months)

· Daughter 1 – 1998 (18 months minus one day)

· Daughter 2 – 2000 (18 months plus twelve days)

· Son 4 – 2002 (2 years, 3 months)

· Son 5 – 2004 (23 months)

Oh, my word. Seven kids in thirteen years. FIVE of them BOYS!

Our family (pictured above at my son's wedding)

I always say that God has a sense of humor. My husband wanted five children, and after having one, two sounded good to me. My husband got his five (boys), and I got my two (girls).

And it was HARD. Oh, so hard. I spent many nap times crying out to God. I was tired, frustrated, struggling with everything, and did I mention tired? AND I homeschooled them all. Hahaha.

But God saw me through. I didn’t kill anyone, and the experience didn’t kill me.

It was a season.

But now I’m about to step out of that season. My youngest is 14. In a few short years, he’ll be walking into his future just as his older siblings have done.

And the “being momma” 24/7/365 will be over. Oh, let’s be honest. It’s already over. Mostly. My teens don’t need me as much. My adults rarely do.

It’s bittersweet.

But it also means I’m stepping into a new season. And it’s a bit scary. I’ve been a mom for 27 years.

And yet, I don’t have a choice, because all those years ago, I said yes to God when he asked me to trust Him with my family size.

AND, OH, WHAT A BLESSING IT’S BEEN!

So, say “YES!” when God calls you because I KNOW, KNOW, KNOW He will blow your socks off with blessings when you do. (BTW, that doesn’t mean it won’t be hard.)

Many blessings on you and yours,

Ginger

~*~
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.

Merry Christmas! God bless you.

Devotionals for the Heart: Finding God’s Love in the Little Things

Little Things
A devotional by Dana McNeely

It was a little thing. A walk through a Southern California neighborhood while visiting my daughter. A beautiful sunny day when I learned of a dark injustice.

“See that house?” My daughter indicated a cute craftsman bungalow with a blue door and empty flower beds, recently tilled. “The HOA made my neighbor remove her bushes. But they hadn’t really died, they were milkweed.”

“Milkweed? She grew weeds … on purpose?”

“Not really weeds. Butterfly bushes. She raises monarch butterflies. The baby caterpillars ate all the leaves on the bushes. She told the HOA they’d soon grow back, but they forced her to remove the bushes. She was really upset.”

So was I. Even though I’d never met the woman, her story inspired me to learn more about monarchs and other endangered butterflies. My husband and I live near Phoenix with no HOA to curtail our activities. We’ve planted several varieties of milkweed where monarchs and other butterflies lay their eggs. We then raised many other flowering plants to provide nectar for the butterflies and a treat for our eyes. Existing trees and shrubs provide shade and shelter.

Butterfly Wonderland

If the sun is out (and it usually is) butterflies will flutter around the milkweed, land on the zinnias, or swoop over the pool for a brief drink. If I bend down and hunt through the milkweed, I can spot a few caterpillars in various stages of growth. A fat one might be climbing up a wall, searching out a place to form its chrysalis, which will look like a piece of carved jade. If I’m lucky, a young butterfly may have emerged, hanging upside down to dry its wings before attempting its first shaky flight.

Finding God’s Love in the Little Things

The more I learn about butterflies, the more I’m in awe of our Creator. What beauty he created! How intricate, how amazing! God shows his love in the instincts he programmed in the butterfly’s infinitesimal brain.

For example, the butterfly lays its eggs on the underside of milkweed leaves, which is the only plant the juveniles will eat. The underside of the leaf provides shade and camouflage for the eggs. The plant itself contains a poison, which is non-toxic to the hungry baby caterpillars, but tastes nasty to birds and other predators who learn quickly to leave them be. In cold winters, the butterflies from northern climes migrate hundreds of miles to Mexico. Our Arizona butterflies winter over!

The life cycle of the butterfly parallels Christian rebirth and transformation. After emerging from the egg, it lives as a caterpillar. Instinct, or the voice of its creator, calls it to retreat into a chrysalis for a time of transformation. Finally, it emerges as a butterfly, free to soar above the earth.

Each time I see a new butterfly emerge, I reflect on what the Bible teaches about transformation and rebirth. Here are a few Bible verses on this topic:

John 3:3 (KJV) – "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV) – "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!"

Romans 12:2 (NIV) – "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing, and perfect will."

Finally, as Christmas approaches, I reflect upon one last little thing that reflects God’s love. God sent his baby son to grow and live among men. 

In closing and in celebration of this Christmas holiday season when we rejoice over the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem, I'd like to share this Bible verse:

Isaiah 9:2,6 (NRSV) –  "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness—on them light has shined…For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

~*~
Author Bio:

Inspired by the Bible story of Elijah and the widow’s son, Dana McNeely wondered why the prophet had come to stay with these two. Who were they? What was their life, before? And how did the boy change after dying, seeing the other world … and coming back?

Dana began research for her novel, Rain, which tells the story of the three-and-a-half-year drought from the boy’s perspective.  

No stranger to drought, Dana lives in an Arizona oasis with her hubby the constant gardener, two good dogs, an antisocial cat, and migrating butterflies. She writes biblical fiction, cozy mysteries, and has written for magazines and newspapers. Her short story “Death in the Butterfly Garden” appears in SoWest: Killer Nights (2017).

Connect with Dana on Facebook, Twitter, or DanaMcNeely.com.

Christmas on My Heart: A Cardinal Christmas by LoRee Peery

Interview with LoRee Peery about her book, A Cardinal Christmas:

Alexis: Why did you write this book?

LoRee: I wanted to contribute a novella to be included in Pelican Book Group’s Christmas Extravaganza.

Alexis: What inspired your story’s title, “A Cardinal Christmas?”

LoRee: To me, the sight of cardinals is the same as God saying hello through nature. I love the romance of cardinals. They mate for life. I’ve seen the male feed the female in spring. When they appear with snow as a backdrop, I’m reminded of the blood Jesus shed for us that makes us white as snow.

Alexis: Describe your story’s heroine Blythe. What does she look like? How does she talk? What’s her outlook on life? What makes her mad? What brings joy to her heart?

LoRee: Blythe is a beauty in her early thirties. She has a porcelain complexion, black hair, and expressive eyes. Think Penelope Cruz with sea-green eyes. She speaks distinct mid-western. That means clear consonants and no dropping the g on gerunds (unless she’s flustered by Werner’s presence). Her outlook on life has always been optimistic, but this Christmas finds her downhearted because of a recent break-up. She blames herself for being gullible. Laziness makes her mad, especially if she sees potential not being put to use. The Lord works through her family and the influence of friends, as well as Werner, restoring the joy of the Lord and the joy of life.

Alexis: Blythe loves her job! What does she do for a living and why is she so passionate about it?

LoRee: She is a vice president for an international resort chain and has a gift for spotting trouble in management. Who wouldn’t love that job? She gets to wear power suits, expensive shoes, and fly to exotic beaches in the middle of winter.

Alexis: Who broke Blythe’s heart and why did this heartbreak make her feel like she doesn’t need any personal relationships?

LoRee: The year prior, Blythe had shared with Hayley of Christmas Trinkets the exuberance of new love. She thought this guy hung the moon. Then he dumped her for someone younger who could make him look better and more successful in his climb up the corporate ladder.

Alexis: Why does Blythe’s father need surgery and why does Blythe need to return home?

LoRee: Ross is a mechanic and owns his business in the tiny town of Edgewood, Nebraska. Bette Jean, his wife and Blythe’s mother, works the front desk at Travis Auto. Ross required a knee replacement, which necessitates physical therapy right away. Blythe’s mother will be his caregiver and driver for at least two weeks. As their only daughter, one with a giving heart, Blythe takes off work to fill in at the shop for her mother.

Alexis: Describe your story’s hero Werner. What does he look like? How does he talk? What’s his outlook on life? What are his strengths and weaknesses? What makes him happy?

LoRee: Werner makes females take a second look. He’s over six foot, has coffee-colored dark, curly hair, facial hair, and blue eyes rimmed in navy. Though he lived in the northeast many years, he still talks as an educated Nebraskan. He believes the Lord’s got it, whatever life deals, so has the attitude, “what will be will be.” He has a strong work ethic and a gift for intuitive mediation. His lack of motivation sometimes comes across as laziness. He’s happy because he’s returned to Nebraska and reunited with Blythe.

Alexis: Werner has experienced tragedy. How did losing his parents and his job change him?

LoRee: Werner never forgot Blythe since they moved from Nebraska when he was a preteen. Since he lost his parents, he’s genuinely lonely for the first time, and jumped on the chance to return to the place his heart considers home.

Alexis: What is it about Blythe that takes Werner’s breath away?

LoRee: Blythe lit up his world because she was full of life as a ten-year-old. Seeing her all grown-up confirms that she’s always had his heart.

Alexis: What is it about Werner that endears him to Blythe’s heart?

LoRee: He’s a giver rather than a taker. As children, he offered his hand when Blythe slipped on loose rock, and continued to hold it when they walked the country railroad tracks. He answered an ad as a temporary mechanic without a qualm due to her father’s health situation, and later helps her mother decorate for Christmas.

Alexis: What was the most challenging part of writing this story? And the easiest?

LoRee: Setting is the answer to both. Blythe lived in downtown Atlanta. I’ve only been at the airport and seen the historical city thanks to “Gone With the Wind.” Edgewood is loosely based on any small Nebraska town, and was also the setting for Christmas Trinkets.

Alexis: Is your story’s setting of Edgewood, Nebraska, REAL or imagined? Paint a picture of it with words.

LoRee: Every time I drive through a village one mile from our acreage, I see a gorgeous postcard-visage white church complete with stained glass and cross-tipped spire. There’s also an ancient tiny, brick building that was once the bank. Across the blacktop road, the bank’s vault is in the town’s body shop. The hiking/biking trail curves through on the south edge of town, with two bridges over the same winding creek within a mile.

Alexis: What role does God’s timing play in this story?

LoRee: Blythe and Werner meet again at the perfect time. He answered an ad, calling him home. She went home at the same time. Blythe’s parents have a big house and Werner stayed as a guest before Ross’s surgery so he could get acquainted with the business. While there, he saw countless pictures of Blythe, and listened as her parents bragged. Blythe lost her necklace, Werner found it…but I’m telling the story. Meeting Werner again and her job situation reveal to Blythe how the ritzy condo in Atlanta had never been home. (I am telling the story!)

Alexis: How does your personal faith in God affect your storytelling?

LoRee: I can’t present a story without showing how God directs our steps and wants His best for us. We are all a work in progress and only find fulfillment by obedience.

Alexis: If you could spend a day with Blythe and Warner before this Christmas season is over, what would you do and why?

LoRee: I think that’s the easiest question of all. I’d walk the Mo-Pac trail (real, where I walked when it was still railroad tracks) on the lookout for cardinals, especially pairs. The trail crosses the same creek twice, where once we wandered off and discovered a beaver dam.

Alexis: What do you want readers to remember most about A Cardinal Christmas?

LoRee: Joy and strength come from the Lord.

Alexis: Thanks for the interview, LoRee! Would you like to share closing thoughts?

LoRee: I thank you back, Alexis. My closing thoughts include thoughts. There’s a cliché that we are what we eat. I believe we are what we think. If we are thankful, our thoughts turn to joy. If we picture heaven and humbly thank God for sending Jesus to save us, we rise above the troubles of this earth.

~*~
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.

~*~
Book Blurb for A Cardinal Christmas:

Blythe loves her job and doesn't need personal relationships, especially of the "love life" variety. 

Steeling herself from a recent heartbreak, Blythe focuses on furthering her successful career, but when her father needs surgery, Blythe returns home to help with the family auto shop. There, she comes face-to-face with the dreams of her past.

Werner has been content to let life pass him by. Following the death of his parents and the loss of his job, he returns to the only place he's ever called home. He finds Blythe more breathtaking than he remembered. But her presence is only temporary and she refuses to let him in.

Can Blythe leave her career behind for a whole new life? Though her heart cries to remain with Werner, can she risk being hurt again?

~*~
Buy LoRee’s book on Amazon and Pelican Book Group
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Connect with LoRee:
Website: www.loreepeery.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LoreePeery
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LoReePeery
Find her publications at Pelican Book Group: http://tinyurl.com/kwz9enk
Amazon Author Page: https://amzn.to/2PMh0rs

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