Written by my dear friend and children's book author (and Pastor's wife) Donna J. Shepherd, I just had to share this with you.

No Minor Rescue

by Donna J. Shepherd

"For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ" – 2 Corinthians 5:21 nlt

Every Thursday on my Facebook Fan Page, I post a 'Thursday Thanks.' Today I am rejoicing that rescuers saved 33 miners trapped for 69 days one-half mile down into the earth in Chile. The men are being called national heroes.

While I thank God for the miners' safety, I keep thinking about the drilling experts at Center Rock, Inc. who worked day and night to make an escape for those men – and way ahead of schedule, too.

But most of all, I cannot stop thinking about the first rescuer, Manuel Alejandro González Pavez, who got into a 900-pound capsule, not knowing for sure that it would work properly, and descended into that cave. The trapped men never made the choice to be there. Manuel did. A hero indeed.

And I can't help but think of Someone else who descended to earth to save me. Jesus Christ did not descend a half mile, but descended from Heaven, laid down His life on the cross, died and rose again to rescue me from the penalty of sin. The apostle Paul wrote to the Romans, "So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 5:21). Sin brought death and condemnation, but Christ's one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God.

The heroic rescue of the miners was broadcast live and watched by millions around the world. Jesus spoke of a day when He will return. He said, "But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory" (Mark 13:24-26). John says in the first book of Revelation that every eye shall see Him.

I watched each miner come to the surface to reunite with family and friends. Tears of joy streamed down faces as each one thanked his rescuers. I, too, have been rescued. I can hardly wait to see Jesus face to face to thank Him for saving me!

Prayer: Thank you, God, for your Love and grace and that You view me as worthy to redeem. Thank You that Jesus came to rescue me. I praise you for my salvation!

--
Posted By Donna J. Shepherd to Devotionals by Donna at 10/14/2010 11:35:00 AM. Please stop by the blog to leave feedback. Bless you, Donna

Did you get my latest ezine? I always include a free download, no strings attached. (But you need to be subscribed to get new issues.)
Click the link below, take a peek, and sign up if you like what you see. : )

Warmest blessings,

Linore


http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Linore-Rose-Burkard-s-E-Zine.html?soid=1102375433676&aid=bhPAw3JK-WU. Every issue comes with a free download

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card author is:

Susan Meissner

and the book:

Lady In Waiting

WaterBrook Press; Original edition (September 7, 2010)

***Special thanks to Cindy Brovsky of WaterBrook Press, a division of Random House, Inc., for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Susan Meissner has spent her lifetime as a writer, starting with her first poem at the age of four. She is the award-winning author of The Shape of Mercy, White Picket Fences, and many other novels. When she’s not writing, she directs the small groups and connection ministries at her San Diego church. She and her pastor husband are the parents of four young adults.


Visit the author's website.

Product Details:

List Price: $13.99
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: WaterBrook Press; Original edition (September 7, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0307458830
ISBN-13: 978-0307458834

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

Jane

Upper West Side, Manhattan

ONE

The mantle clock was exquisite even though its hands rested in silence at twenty minutes past two.

Carved—near as I could tell—from a single piece of mahogany, its glimmering patina looked warm to the touch. Rosebuds etched into the swirls of wood grain flanked the sides like two bronzed bridal bouquets. The clock’s top was rounded and smooth like the draped head of a Madonna. I ran my palm across the polished surface and it was like touching warm water.

Legend was this clock originally belonged to the young wife of a Southampton doctor and that it stopped keeping time in 1912, the very moment the Titanic sank and its owner became a widow. The grieving woman’s only consolation was the clock’s apparent prescience of her husband’s horrible fate and its kinship with the pain that left her inert in sorrow. She never remarried and she never had the clock fixed.

I bought it sight unseen for my great aunt’s antique store, like so many of the items I’d found for the display cases. In the year and half I’d been in charge of the inventory, the best pieces had come from the obscure estate sales that my British friend Emma Downing came upon while tooling around the southeast of England looking for oddities for her costume shop. She found the clock at an estate sale in Felixstowe and the auctioneer, so she told me, had been unimpressed with the clock’s sad history. Emma said he’d read the accompanying note about the clock as if reading the rules for rugby.

My mother watched now as I positioned the clock on the lacquered black mantle that rose above a marble fireplace. She held a lead crystal vase of silk daffodils in her hands.

“It should be ticking.” She frowned. “People will wonder why it’s not ticking.” She set the vase down on the hearth and stepped back. Her heels made a clicking sound on the parquet floor beneath our feet. “You know, you probably would’ve sold it by now if it was working. Did Wilson even look at it? You told me he could fix anything.”

I flicked a wisp of fuzz off the clock’s face. I hadn’t asked the shop’s resident and unofficial repairman to fix it. “It wouldn’t be the same clock if it was fixed.”

“It would be a clock that did what it was supposed to do.” My mother leaned in and straightened one of the daffodil blooms.

“This isn’t just any clock, Mom.” I took a step back too.

My mother folded her arms across the front of her Ann Taylor suit. Pale blue, the color of baby blankets and robins’ eggs. Her signature color. “Look, I get all that about the Titanic and the young widow, but you can’t prove any of it, Jane,” she said. “You could never sell it on that story.”

A flicker of sadness wobbled inside me at the thought of parting with the clock. This happens when you work in retail. Sometimes you have a hard time selling what you bought to sell.

“I’m thinking maybe I’ll keep it.”

“You don’t make a profit by hanging onto the inventory.” My mother whispered this, but I heard her. She intended for me to hear her. This was her way of saying what she wanted to about her aunt’s shop—which she’d inherit when Great Aunt Thea passed—without coming across as interfering.

My mother thinks she tries very hard not to interfere. But it is one of her talents. Interfering when she thinks she’s not. It drives my younger sister Leslie nuts.

“Do you want me to take it back to the store?” I asked.

“No! It’s perfect for this place. I just wish it were ticking.” She nearly pouted.

I reached for the box at my feet that I brought the clock in along with a set of Shakespeare’s works, a pair of pewter candlesticks, and a Wedgwood vase. “You could always get a CD of sound effects and run a loop of a ticking clock,” I joked.

She turned to me, childlike determination in her eyes. “I wonder how hard it would be to find a CD like that!”

“I was kidding, Mom! Look what you have to work with.” I pointed to the simulated stereo system she’d placed into a polished entertainment center behind us. My mother never used real electronics in the houses she staged, although with the clientele she usually worked with—affluent real estate brokers and equally well-off buyers and sellers—she certainly could.

“So I’ll bring in a portable player and hide it in the hearth pillows.” She shrugged and then turned to the adjoining dining room. A gleaming black dining table had been set with white bone china, pale yellow linen napkins, and mounds of fake chicken salad, mauvey rubber grapes, and plastic croissants and petit fours. An arrangement of pussy willows graced the center of the table. “Do you think the pussy willows are too rustic?” she asked.

She wanted me to say yes so I did.

“I think so, too,” she said. “I think we should swap these out for that vase of Gerbera daisies you have on that escritoire in the shop’s front window. I don’t know what I was thinking when I brought these.” She reached for the unlucky pussy willows. “We can put these on the entry table with our business cards.”

She turned to me. “You did bring yours this time, didn’t you? It’s silly for you to go to all this work and then not get any customers out of it.” My mother made her way to the entryway with the pussy willows in her hands and intention in her step. I followed her.

This was only the second house I’d helped her stage, and I didn’t bring business cards the first time because she hadn’t invited me to until we were about to leave. She’d promptly told me then to never go anywhere without business cards. Not even to the ladies room. She’d said it and then waited, like she expected me to take out my BlackBerry and make a note of it.

“I have them right here.” I reached into the front pocket of my capris and pulled out a handful of glossy business cards emblazoned with Amsterdam Avenue Antiques and its logo—three As entwined like a Celtic eternity knot. I handed them to her and she placed them in a silver dish next to her own. Sophia Keller Interior Design and Home Staging. The pussy willows actually looked wonderful against the tall jute-colored wall.

“There. That looks better!” she exclaimed as if reading my thoughts. She turned to survey the main floor of the townhouse. The owners had relocated to the Hamptons and were selling off their Manhattan properties to fund a cushy retirement. Half the décor—the books, the vases, the prints—were on loan from Aunt Thea’s shop. My mother, who’d been staging real estate for two years, brought me in a few months earlier when she discovered a stately home filled with charming and authentic antiques sold faster than the same home filled with reproductions.

“You and Brad should get out of that teensy apartment on the West Side and buy this place. The owners are practically giving it away.”

Her tone suggested she didn’t expect me to respond. I easily let the comment evaporate into the sunbeams caressing us. It was a comment for which I had had no response.

My mother’s gaze swept across the two large rooms she’d furnished and she frowned when her eyes reached the mantle and the silent clock.

“Well, I’ll just have to come back later today,” she spoke into the silence. “It’s being shown first thing in the morning.” She swung back around. “Come on. I’ll take you back.”

We stepped out into the April sunshine and to her Lexus parked across the street along a line of townhouses just like the one we’d left. As we began to drive away, the stillness in the car thickened, and I fished my cell phone out of my purse to see if I’d missed any calls while we were finishing the house. On the drive over I had a purposeful conversation with Emma about a box of old books she found at a jumble sale in Oxfordshire. That lengthy conversation filled the entire commute from the store on the seven-hundred block of Amsterdam to the townhouse on East Ninth, and I found myself wishing I could somehow repeat that providential circumstance. My mother would ask about Brad if the silence continued. There was no missed call, and I started to probe my brain for something to talk about. I suddenly remembered I hadn’t told my mother I’d found a new assistant. I opened my mouth to tell her about Stacy but I was too late.

“So what do you hear from Brad?” she asked cheerfully.

“He’s doing fine.” The answer flew out of my mouth as if I’d rehearsed it. She looked away from the traffic ahead, blinked at me, and then turned her attention back to the road. A taxi pulled in front of her, and she laid on the horn, pronouncing a curse on all taxi drivers.

“Idiot.” She turned to me. “How much longer do you think he will stay in New Hampshire?” Her brow was creased. “You aren’t going to try to keep two households going forever, are you?”

I exhaled heavily. “It’s a really good job, Mom. And he likes the change of pace and the new responsibilities. It’s only been two months.”

“Yes, but the inconvenience has to be wearing on you both. It must be quite a hassle maintaining two residences, not to mention the expense, and then all that time away from each other.” She paused but only for a moment. “I just don’t see why he couldn’t have found something similar right here in New York. I mean, don’t all big hospitals have the same jobs in radiology? That’s what your father told me. And he should know.”

“Just because there are similar jobs doesn’t mean there are similar vacancies, Mom.”

She tapped the steering wheel. “Yes, but your father said . . .”

“I know Dad thinks he might’ve been able to help Brad find something on Long Island but Brad wanted this job. And no offense, Mom, but the head of environmental services doesn’t hire radiologists.”

She bristled. I shouldn’t have said it. She would repeat that comment to my dad, not to hurt him but to vent her frustration at not having been able to convince me she was right and I was wrong. But it would hurt him anyway.

“I’m sorry, Mom,” I added. “Don’t tell him I said that, okay? I just really don’t want to rehash this again.”

But she wasn’t done. “Your father has been at that hospital for twenty-seven years. He knows a lot of people.” She emphasized the last four words with a pointed stare in my direction.

“I know he does. That’s really not what I meant. It’s just Brad has always wanted this kind of job. He’s working with cancer patients. This really matters to him.”

“But the job’s in New Hampshire!”

“Well, Connor is in New Hampshire!” It sounded irrelevant even to me to mention the current location of Brad’s and my college-age son. Connor had nothing to do with any of this. And he was an hour away from where Brad was anyway.

“And you are here,” my mother said evenly. “If Brad wanted out of the city, there are plenty of quieter hospitals right around here. And plenty of sick people for that matter.”

There was an undercurrent in her tone, subtle and yet obvious, that assured me we really weren’t talking about sick people and hospitals and the miles between Manhattan and Manchester. It was as if she’d guessed what I’d tried to keep from my parents the last eight weeks.

My husband didn’t want out of the city.

He just wanted out.

***************************************************************************

For Your Health

Since I'm posting scriptures of healing and well-being, I thought I should also share a link for a free pdf concerning how to buy foods that are not genetically modified. GMO products have been proven to be highly dangerous (see Mercola.com for the article) but how do we avoid them?

See if this guide can help.

God bless your day,

Linore

Healing Words

I'll be regularly posting "healing words" here, as I see no good reason to keep them to myself. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I have what I call "The Book of Healing which is a collection of God's Word--scriptures that speak of health, healing, and well-being.

May they speak and minister to you today:

Blessed be the Lord,
who daily bears us up;
God is our salvation. Selah
Our God is a God of salvation,
and to God, the Lord, belongs escape from death.
Psalm 68:19-20

The Lord will turn away from you every illness.
Deut.7:15a

But I am lowly, and in pain;
let your salvation, O God, protect me.
You who seek God, let your hearts revive.
For the Lord hears the needy,
and does not despise his own that are in bonds.
Psalm 69:29, 32-33

He delivers the needy when they call,
the poor and those who have no helper.
He has pity on the weak and the needy,
and saves the lives of the needy.
Psalm 72:12-13

The crowds..followed him; and He welcomed them, and
spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and
healed those who needed to be cured.
Luke 9:11

Warmest blessings,

Linore

Pick Up This Free Book

Crosswalk.com is giving away copies of R.C.Sproul's The Holiness of God.
People weep after reading this or while reading it.

I'm getting a copy--here's how you can, too.
Click HERE and grab a copy while they're free. Even shipping is free!

Blessings,

Linore

Words for the Hurting

There are so many people in my world who are sick right now with serious ailments.
One is my dad, who was recently diagnosed with Stage 3 Esophageal Cancer. I pray for him daily, of course, and try to send him lots of encouragement by email and phone calls.

What about you? If you are like most people, you probably know someone who is ill.

Years ago I started a notebook which I titled,The Book of Healing. A rather lofty title, no? But it wasn't going to be for my words or thoughts. My idea was to write down every single scripture I came across that spoke of healing or promised it--as I was doing my yearly read-through-the Bible.

I don't read through the Bible every year. And I often get sidetracked.

I did manage to collect a bunch of good verses, however, which I have read myself when I've been sick or in pain, and which may encourage you or someone you love, too. My original thought was to get a large collection of these Bible promises and put them on an audio tape. Listening to Scripture is one way to get it in our hearts--and sometimes to get it in our very bones, which can bring healing. I've known this to happen!

Anyway, here are a few for you or anyone who is sick:

"For I will restore you to health
And I will heal you of your wounds,"
declares the Lord.
Jeremiah 30:17a

I have loved you with an everlasting love;
Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.
Again, I will build you and you will be rebuilt,
O Virgin of Israel.
Jeremiah 31:3b-4

Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh;
Is anything too difficult for me?
Jeremiah 32:27

Behold, I will bring health and healing,
and I will heal them; and I will reveal to them an abundance of peace and truth.
Jeremiah 33:6

Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
It will be a healing for your flesh
and a refreshment for your body.
Proverbs 3:7-8

Father, bring healing today to those we love, to ourselves, and to your people. Thank you for being a GOD WHO HEALS. Thank you that in Christ, we have the privilege of laying our needs before your throne. Thank you that there is POWER in the blood! (Of Christ) Amen.

Have a prayer request to share? Please do so. I'll pray for you.
And while you pray, remember my dad, won't you?
Warmest blessings,

Linore

Mother Saves Baby that Doctors Left for Dead

There's nothing I can say that will beat the lift this story can give you.
Click on the title and see for yourself.
(I love this.)

Cheer Up! These Things Are True

Yesterday my pastor gave our church some truths to consider
which can make any dark cloud seem just a little brighter if you
think about them. The key is to really consider the meaning of these
four immutable and perfectly beautiful truths:

If you are a child of God (and not everyone is, you know)
then you can say the following:
1. I am CHOSEN
2. I am ADOPTED
3. I am REDEEMED
4. I am FORGIVEN

These things are true for the Christian no matter he or she feels;
no matter how low they feel they've gone;
no matter what they've done;
no matter what they think.

A person who has placed his or her faith and trust in Christ as
their Lord and Savior is always, at all times, irrevocably,
CHOSEN (called out from the crowd; set apart; picked specifically for God)
ADOPTED (Removed from their old life and into God's family; they have a new
identity; a new name; a new reason for being.)
REDEEMED (living for a purpose; given meaning to their lives; freed from
the chains of their past or their history)
FORGIVEN (made ready for heaven; no longer held guilty for sins--as long as there is ongoing prayer and asking for forgiveness.)

This really is GOOD NEWS.
I hope it's true for you as it is for me.
Have questions? Need to know how to become a part of God's family?
Leave a comment and I'll get back to you.

Warmest blessings,

Linore

THE WOMAN NEXT IN LINE

TobyMac is putting out a book of encouragement, and asked for contributions for the
website. I shared a very brief story about "the woman next in line." A true little thing that happened to me once,and which I hope will encourage you. You can read it, HERE. Afterwards, take a moment and browse the other stories people have sent in, and maybe even think about getting TobyMac's book when it comes out.

Warmest blessings,


Linore

Image from etfotolia.com

A Success "Secret"

On my blog for writers, today's post is about a secret to success. I think the secret applies to all of us in any area of our lives, so I'm giving you the link HERE.

As you read, translate the advice to whatever area you are struggling in, or are having to wait in. We are all working on some area of our lives or relationships or other, and this success "secret" is really all we need to focus on.

Hint: The last paragraph of the post tells it all. : )

Warmest blessings,


Linore

I saw a quote the other day that got me thinking. It said:

Raising children may be the most important job in the world, but you can't put it on a resume.
Ann Crittenden

Did you know that in God's economy He does precisely that? Raising children is a worthy entry on the resume of a woman of faith. Note the following:

No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband,and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the saints, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds.
1Timothy 5:9-10

Isn't that fabulous? Mothers, take heart: What you do day in and day out matters so much to God that He included it in his list for the assessment of widows in the New Testament Church. If they needed assistance in their old age, they had to qualify for it, and it wasn't a matter of the size of their monthly income. It was completely a matter of heart, of conduct, of value, and the Lord clearly values
raising children.

Kingdom values are not skewed according to what the world considers trendy or expedient. I like the saying, "Working Mother is a redundant term." Every mother is a working mother, and mom, your work is not in vain.
God bless you today whether you are a mom, a daughter, a grandmother or wherever you may be in life. Let me encourage you not to shirk the call of being a godly mother, or give it any less than the honor that the Lord grants it. It is a high and holy calling, and may your children rise up and call you blessed!
Hugs,

Linore

Five Reasons (Women of Faith) Lose Their Spark

Do these pitfalls apply to you? Check out this article from the site "Revive Your Spark" and find out.

You've heard of 'food for thought'? You just might get 'food for prayer,' here. I know I did.
Warmest blessings,

Linore

You can't be everybody's favorite mom all the time if you want a clean house. Much as I love, love, love, having a family around me, I get tired of all the work. (Read: constant cleaning. Same jobs, over and over.)

I've never believed that a parent should try to be their kids' best friend. (I feel sorry for those who play that game.) But at the same time, I've tried not to make their lives miserable by keeping as much fun as possible in our lives. I'm not meticulous when it comes to the house. I don't mind a bit of the "lived in" look.

But now I only have one child who is under ten, and the kids aren't getting much better at cleaning up after themselves--without prodding--than they ever were.

So--what's a girl to do?

Whatever it takes.
According to the children, when I get fed up, I get "mean." All this really means is that I make them work! I've pointed out that even Adam and Eve, in a PERFECT world, had work to do. In heaven there'll be wonderful, fruitful gardens, but I doubt they'll take care of themselves.

I guess I haven't done a great job in teaching them that WORK isn't all bad. It's necessary for a productive life, and it's definitely necessary for a smooth-running house. And a house that I don't mind living in.

Good thing I don't care about being everyone's favorite mom!

Victor Hugo said, "The supreme happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved; loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves."

I mention this because it seems to me that only the Christian faith gives us precisely such assurance of being loved. Only Jesus Christ, in dying for us who were rebellious, unlovely, and sinful, demonstrated the supreme love that can give us the supreme happiness.

God, who knows our every thought, who knows us just as we are, not as we would like to be or wish we were--died to win us for heaven, and for Himself.
"Oh, what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us!"

"The Armed Man Will Not Harm You"

Years ago I was told this true story, and it has never left my mind, though the names of the people involved have long been lost to me. I can't even remember who told it to me, but it was during a Bible Study somewhere.

There was a visiting evangelist at a church one Sunday who offered to pray for anyone who came up and knelt on the step that ran across the front of the podium area. The Pastor's daughter was one who went up for prayer. As the man made his way across the kneeling saints, praying for healing for one, for blessing on another, he was also "operating" in the gift of the Spirit, a thing which he had painstakingly explained to the congregation beforehand. His emphasis was on the gift of the Word of Knowledge, sometimes called the gift of prophecy.

When he reached the pastor's daughter, he prayed over her and then, very distinctly and clearly pronounced, with his hand upon her head, "The armed man will not harm you." He moved on, and when the girl got home she and her family discussed what the meaning of these cryptic words might be. What armed man? Why would she encounter such a person, and where?

The years went by and they remembered these words less and less, no longer discussing their possible meaning. If anything, they assumed the evangelist had made an error in her case.

A few more years went by, and the daughter took a job for a company where her responsibilities included taking the weekly receipts and depositing them in a nearby bank. She did this every Friday and had never encountered a problem. But one day, as soon as she pulled up in her car and had parked in the lot, there was suddenly a man at the door of her car. He had a gun and he was pointing it straight at her head. He demanded that she hand over that heavy, leather bag which held the company's money.

For a second, she wavered. Why not give it to him? Surely the money wasn't worth sacrificing her life for. But for some reason, and she wasn't sure herself what made her do it, she ignored him. She got out of her car, and he pressed the gun into her side, demanding she give him the money. But she felt strongly she did not need to. It was almost as though invisible hands were at her sides, moving her along, and she simply turned, behaving as though he wasn't even there, and started walking for the bank. Each step strengthened her conviction that she was doing the right thing, and she was hardly even frightened.

She didn't turn around but thought she may have heard him running away.

It was only later on when she and her family were discussing the matter, that someone remembered the evangelist's words: The armed man will not harm you.

Has God given you a few words that you know you must cling to, even though you aren't sure what they mean for you, at this point in your life? He told me about a year ago to "strengthen the things that remain." This made no particular sense to me, and I have puzzled over it many times.

Yesterday morning I was praying and it all fell into place. It made perfect sense. There are things I need to strengthen, and the Lord reminded me of this while I was praying about things I feel I have lost. Well, life does bring loss. Sometimes God restores things, replaces things, and sometimes He doesn't. I need to accept that some losses will never be replaced. Not in this life, anyway.

And yet, I can focus on things that remain, and even strengthen them. It takes work and study and effort to strengthen them, so I'm thankful He gave me this word. It will help me to follow through with it.

What word or phrase has He given you? At the right time, the meaning will become clear. Hold onto it and hope, for He is faithful.

YES, I CAN!

We Are Able

Hello from Bonnie in rainy Southern Oregon.


How often do you feel unfit to fulfill the call of God on your life? Once a month? Once a week? Once a day? More than that? I don’t keep track, but I know I frequently doubt my abilities as a writer, a teacher, mentor, wife and mother. When I don’t reach my expectations I feel I’ve failed. We’re all uncertain, some of the time, about our skills and our readiness to fulfill obligations. I believe our lack of confidence exists because we rely upon the wrong power source.

We tell ourselves we’re not smart enough, not capable enough, not gifted enough. And we aren’t, not when we rely upon ourselves instead of God. He decided long ago who we would be and what our life should look like. He created us with the gifts and talents and passions he wanted for us. When we can’t see beyond our own vision and desires we restrict the power of God to use us.

I've faced challenges with sucees, but there have been times when I’ve thought, “God you ask too much of me. This is too hard. I can’t do it.” In those moments I am weak and sometimes I've actually felt as if I’ve been set adrift. When I find myself in such a place it’s because I’ve sought strength in myself rather than in Him.

God is our supply. When we seek him with our whole heart and place all that we are in his capable hands, then he will whisper to our spirits, “You can do all things through me,” and we will believe it.

Sometimes we’re going to feel inadequate. It’s okay. We’re just human. But don’t stay in that place, trapped by unreasonable expectations and an inability to produce perfection. God doesn’t ask us to be perfect. He asks us to trust him more than we trust ourselves. When it’s hard to push on, reach for the true source of power. He lives in us and he will supply all our needs.

Seek him first. Never let a lack of natural ability keep you from fulfilling His call. He wouldn’t ask us to give if he hadn’t provided us with what we need.


[This is a reprint from the CAN blog (Christian Authors' Network) by Bonnie Leon.]


Posted at 02:27 PM in Bonnie Leon | Permalink

Is God Sovereign Over Human Disability?

This is a reprint from http://www.desiringGod.org/blog/, which is the blog of John Piper. I've been struggling with this question a bit lately, and I appreciated this "commentary" of Knight's. Please note that I changed one little thing: He had written "Apert Syndrome," but since one of my children has Asperger's Syndrome, I inserted it instead.

Posted: 05 May 2010 11:30 PM PDT

(Author: John Knight)

Yes he is. He tells us so in Scripture:

Then the Lord said to (Moses), "Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?" (Exodus 4:11)

As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus answered, "It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him." (John 9:1-3)

To be clear, God's sovereignty doesn't mean he merely permits disability. These verses show us that he sovereignly intends it, both for his glory and for our good—"that the works of God might be displayed."

With that in mind, what do you think about this expansion of Psalm 139:13-16? I've added some additional descriptors in italics to bring out what we really mean if we believe that God is sovereign over disability:

For you formed my inward parts with Down syndrome;
you knitted me together in my mother's womb without eyes.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made with cognitive challenges.
Wonderful are your works in creating me without limbs;
my soul knows it very well though my ears will never hear a sound.
My frame was not hidden from you as you made me with Asperger's Syndrome,
when I was being made in secret with autism,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth without Hexosaminidase A.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance with spina bifida;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me with cerebral palsy,
when as yet there was none of them.

FOLLOWING THE CALL

Musings on Matthew 4:18

It must be significant that the first four disciples that Jesus called to follow Him were fishermen. The symbolism is telling, and the famous line, "Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men," was uniquely applicable to them. What a simple way to voice the vast change from being typical fishermen to incredible, supernatural disciples; men who would soon take hold of eternal truths from that time forward, and cast them out, catching men in the process, and saving souls from hell!

Think about what Jesus did when He called them: He took these blue-collar workers and transformed them

From FISHERMEN to FISHERS OF MEN,
From LOWLY occupation to DIVINE occupation,
From COMMONALITY to ROYALTY (sons of God)
From INSIGNIFICANCE to ETERNAL SIGNIFICANCE
From TIMIDITY to BOLDNESS
From POWERLESSNESS TO (Supernatural) POWER
From IGNORANCE to KNOWLEDGE
From DARKNESS to LIGHT

The same calling is for each of us, today. The Lord may not require all of us to drop our nets, but He does call us to follow Him. Each of us must discover the ways He wants to make us fishers of men. And ladies, raising children is to do so, by raising them in the "nurture and admonition" of the Lord. Don't drop that net!

For some, following Him will mean that their nets must be abandoned, and so be it.
His calling is higher.

Others of us will remain in our occupations as we serve Him; but we must find a way to serve in the midst of it: To be about the Father's business, not just our own.

A holy, high calling demands it.
It is this calling which, more than anything else life can offer, uplifts us into the transformations that the early disciples underwent, and which we, too, like every disciple, can enjoy.
From being a fisherman to being a fisher OF men.

When I write my novels, I keep in mind that the writing is not just for enjoyment or entertainment, but it is part of my "net." Part of the manner of calling God has given me, to fish for men for Him.

So--how's your fishing, lately?

Saving Faith

I have a line in my first novel where the heroine (Ariana Forsythe), speaking very softly but earnestly, tells the hero (Phillip Mornay) this:

You can choose at any moment to put your trust in Christ.

One of my goals when I wrote the book was to demonstrate that crossing over from the life apart from Christ, to one of living with and for Him, was not something out of anyone's reach. In other words, I wanted to show that becoming a Christian was a very real option for WHOSOEVER WILL.

There are times when it is appropriate to warn others to count the cost of discipleship, to remember that the just shall live by faith, not sight, and that this a challenge. Counting the cost was not the message I wanted to share, at least not in that book. And not because I don't deem it as important (it is, of course, equally valid) but because my emphasis was to encourage anyone--whosoever will--that Jesus welcomes sinners to his fold. Period.

For the most part, I am happy with that emphasis.
But if we look into the "meat" of the gospel, not the early, sweet milk for newborn believers, we do find a deeper calling, for it is God's intention to love us so well that we offer Him everything: our whole heart and lives. We must eventually offer Him all that we are, which, I believe, is NOT something we can merely choose at any moment to give, but must be overwhelmed by His majesty, love, and power, that we do it out of love and obedience and gratitude.

These do not come, usually, upon the whim of the moment. Contemplation, Bible reading, and experiencing the love of the Saviour in our day-to-day lives, however, do and must result in such submission in the life of a believer.

Call it what you will: sanctification, growth, counting the cost and paying it willingly, (as He has paid our way so that we can even CONSIDER giving back the little we call our own); by any name, it is discipleship, it takes determination and discipline and frequent "reality checks"--remembering that we owe all to Him.

Perhaps I'll even be privileged to approach these themes in another book someday.
My Full Life Bible says this, in the commentary: (which started my thoughts today)

"The preaching of repentance must always accompany the gospel message." And, "The definition of saving faith as mere 'trust' in Christ as Saviour is wholly inadequate in the light of Christ's demand for repentance. To define saving faith in a way which does not necessarily involve a radical break with sin is to dangerously distort the Biblical view of redemption."

There is an undeniable difference in emphasis between sending out the invitations to the wedding feast to any passerby; and warning the virgins to fill their lamps with enough oil for the bridegroom when he comes. This is a tension-filled double-edged part of the gospel. It is available as a free gift for anyone and everyone; and yet the way is narrow and many there be that miss the way, choosing to take the broad road instead, despite the cries of Wisdom, calling out to those in the street.

May you (and I) heed the voice of Wisdom when she calls to us, today.

Resurrection Day

A short while ago, I bought a bunch of buttons for my family which show three crosses, and the words "Easter Means HE LIVES."

Even more than Christmas, Easter is the day when Christians should rejoice, for it is the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ that our faith rests upon. If Jesus didn't first die for us, as our substitute, and then defy death by rising from the dead, we would have no faith to lean upon, no Saviour to trust, and worst of all, no hope after death.

It is the resurrection of Christ, even more than the birth of Christ, that gives us hope. It was the sacrifice of God the Son, fully God and fully man, that provides us with eternal joy.

I pray you can say with me,

Rejoice, for Christ is risen!

He is risen, indeed!
Let us take a few moments to meditate on and thank God for this priceless gift!

Kindle Freebies

Last night I got carried away when I was browsing titles available for Kindle.
As a writer, I love old books, and there were many "new" old titles available--and almost all of them were free. (How could I resist?)

It occurred to me that many of these books would be of interest to some of you. Lots of my readers are writers also, or mothers, homeschoolers, etc. (I have such smart women readers!) So, here's the list I picked up: Books are free unless otherwise noted: (If you don't have a Kindle, take a title that interests you and check Project Gutenberg for it. Most older books that are free in one place will also be available there, and you can download the books as a pdf. In addition, unlike the Kindle versions, Project Gutenberg offers books WITH illustrations intact. That's my biggest complaint with Kindle--illustrations are often missing.)

Anyway, here's my list of my latest and greatest free ebooks:

1.Tillie, A Mennonite Maid: A Story of the Pennsylvania Dutch
2. Woman's Life in Colonial Days
3. The Prairie Traveler: A Handbook for Overland Expeditions
4. The Paradise of Children (From, "A Wonder Book for Girls and Boys")
5. Under the Lilacs (Penny Books) (This one cost $1.00)
6. The Betrothed (Penny Books) (Also $1.00)
7. A Plain Cookery Book for the Working Classes
8. Woman's Institute Library of Cookery: Various Volumes (I got three)
9. Directions for Cookery, In Its Various Branches
10.Mary at the Farm and Book of Recipes Compiled During Her Visit Among the Pennsylvania Germans
11.The Homeplace (Singing River Series #1) (This won't be on Gutenberg)
12.Stopping Time, Part One
13. Stopping Time, Part Two
14. A Gift of Grace (Kauffmann Amish Bakery Series#1)(won't be on Gutenberg)
15.The Twelve Sacred Traditions of Magnificent Mothers-in-Law (I can't wait to see this one! HA.)
16. Publish on Amazon Kindle With the Digital Text Platform (this may help with a workshop I teach on self-publishing.)
17. The Grey Fairy Book (Also the Brown, Blue, and Lilac are available.)These are the classic books that Dover puts out, too.
18. Handy Dictionary of Poetical Quotations
19. Familiar Quotations
20.The Book of Three Hundred Anecdotes,Historical, Literary and Humorous: A New Selection
21. The World's Greatest Books, Volume Two: Fiction (I'm trying this one out. What the heck--it's free.)

Now you know why I love my Kindle! Every so often I go on a book "buying" frenzy and it costs me practically nothing. Actually, the real reason I love it is because it's truly helping me read more. I no longer have to annoy my husband with my reading light because the Kindle light is way less obtrusive to others in a room. He gets to sleep while I get to read!

I've had other book-gathering frenzies for my Kindle, which I'll share another time. But use this list to take advantage of freebies while they last if you have a Kindle, or check Project Gutenberg.

Happy Reading!!

Using Your Talents

"Don't be satisfied with a mere feeble measure of spiritual life. Strive to have the abundant life and to be well-rounded Christians. Seek to have every power of your life developed to its utmost possibility and usefulness."
J.R. Miller (from, 365 WWJD? by Nick Harrison)

As a co-leader of Greater Harvest Workshops, it is part of my responsibility to encourage our workshop participants to hone their God-given talents so they may use them in His service.
The workshops are primarily for writers, speakers and (ministry)leaders; but each one of us has been given unique talents to use uniquely--for God.

Have you given any thought lately to the unique talents that God has endowed you with? Joy comes from serving Christ with our gifts: the passions and skills and abilities He has given you. Read that again: JOY is found in giving them expression and using them for the Kingdom.

This is not the same thing as doing what other people ask or expect, unless those expectations are based on your God-given abilities. In addition, we all have things we MUST do in life that we are decidedly not passionate about, to say the least. But a "well-rounded" Christian will seek to hone and develop his or her unique gifts and talents to not only honor God, but to live the abundant life that He promises His followers.

What is one way you can develop a talent that you've kept buried for too long?
Ask God to open a door for you to use it. Today!
Remember the parable of the "talents"? The one servant who was AFRAID to use his talent buried it "for safekeeping," and the Lord described him as wicked!

Your gifts are not meant to be a burden, but a blessing--for you and for others. Consider one area that you are gifted in, and seek to use that gift this week to bless someone else's life.
The blessing will pursue and overtake you, too. : )

Whatever You Do...

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.
Colossians 3:23


When I thought about this verse today, I realized that the principle here, of working as to GOD and not man, reflects one of the first "commandments" of effective time management. When I teach a workshop on How to Write A Novel, I tell writers that the biggest and most effective thing they can do to reach the goal of novel writing is to FOCUS unswervingly from it. To work at it consistently, and without allowing distractions to get in their line of vision. Is not this the same as working at it "with all your heart"?



In this small verse, the Lord gives us one of the MOST effective principles to live by, period. Even people who live ungodly lives, if they follow this idea, of working at something with all their heart, can accomplish great goals.

This does not mean that we develop tunnel vision and ONLY work at one goal; it does not mean that we spend all our time obsessed with one idea. We can approach every area of our lives with the hope and privilege of bringing it to the feet of Christ, offering it to Him, and working towards improvement in that area for Him, and not man.

Think about something you have wanted to improve at, something that has long been on your heart but which you have not focused on, or made holy through consecration to the Lord. Can you think of one thing, one goal, one aspiration that has been on the back burner but needs to be brought forward? Perhaps you have a few things on the burners of your life, and they all need to be consecrated?

Give those things to the Lord today; do it right now.
Ask Him to empower you as you offer them to Him, that you may work as unto GOD and not man. Thank Him for the help and improvement you will receive.

And, if your goals are not in line with what God would have you do, ask Him to help you give them up, period. Life is too short to spend it on the wrong pursuits.

Whatever you do today, do it as unto Him!

Today's image from www.readthespirit.com

Does Beautiful Equal Thin?


Today's broadcast on Nancy Leigh DeMoss's "Revive Our Hearts" show discusses this with a youth pastor's wife who came out of bondage on this issue. I used to be there, just like her, and even now, I struggle with weight issues when it comes to self-worth. But I am far healthier than I was when I was stick thin.

I once caught a glimpse of myself by accident when I was walking down a busy sidewalk in Queens, NY. There was a wall that was mirrored, and I glanced ahead, not realizing it for a second. I saw a thin, lovely woman. Then I realized it was ME, and the image changed instantly. Right before my eyes, I gained weight. Because my self-image was not the same as my true image.

It was really never a weight issue, however, but a heart issue.

Like Erin on today's show, I never felt thin, even though I was. And I certainly did not feel beautiful.

Have you found your beauty in Christ? Have you discovered how he imbues us with value and yes, beauty, by indwelling us?

Take a listen or read the transcript:

Does beautiful equal thin? What does God think? http://bit.ly/a38gHl

I'm furiously at work on my next novel, which leaves me short on time for blogging. Until I meet this deadline with my agent, I'll be sharing mostly short, succinct posts or quotes from my personal collection. If I can team up a quote with a scripture, I'll do so.

When read often, encouraging quotes can be quite powerful, and scripture, of course, never returns to God void. In other words, it has inherent power. Use it in your life daily!

"Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time."
Thomas A. Edison

And, "With God, all things are possible."
Matthew 19:26

ARE YOU THIRSTY?

"Come all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!" Isaiah 55:1

I love this verse. God offers to meet our needs
fully and unconditionally if we only go to Him!
Notice he is aware of our thirst ("you who are thirsty")--and offers "waters."
The very thing we need. He not only has what we need precisely,but
he has an abundance of it! ("Waters, plural. There's plenty, he seems
to be saying.)

He is aware of our hunger, (come and eat) and
our poverty--our inability to meet our own needs effectively.
("you who have no money.")
Then, He tells us, we who have no money but are hungry,
to "come, buy and eat."

Why does he tell us to "buy" if we have no money?
There can be only one answer. Because what he offers
has already been paid for. It is free--to us. But there was a price,
and Jesus Christ paid it. He "paid our way" for the banquet
of God. We can feast on God as much as we like. We need
only come, with His "ticket" (our faith in Christ) and we get
entry to the feast.

Have you handed in your ticket today?
Or are you allowing your soul to hunger and thirst when the Lord
is eager and ready to fill your need?

"If a person is admitted into the vault of a bank, and told to help
himself, and comes out with one cent, whose fault is it that he is poor?"*

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, Thank you for being the answer to our
needs--of any kind. Thank you for the living water you offer, the
solace when we are hurting, the healing in your wings. Thank you for
having and being all that we need now, or will ever need. Help us
today to trust you for all that is required from us. May we rest
in your comfort, and your riches of mercy and grace to help us in our
need. May we drink freely from your fount, and eat of your bread
simply because we CAN--through Christ--and you encourage us to. Amen.

WORSHIP: Worship the Lord for how He can answer your problems today,
and meet all your needs, whether you can see his answer and help right now, or not.
(Remember, them that honor him, He will honor!)

hugs,

Linore

Note: Today's image is from livwat.com (their logo)

O Give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy
endureth forever. Psalm 136:1

This morning as I contemplated the day, and read a selection from
365 WWJD (by Nick Harrison) I thought how simple things become if
we only concentrate on GOD instead of ourselves.

All we need do to approach, to drink in, to absorb the beauty and
loveliness and blessing of knowing Him is to "give thanks unto the
Lord; for he is good!"

Rather than look at the daily concerns, needs, chores,
and duties that quickly engulf our time and hearts, let us look
up to the One who has provided for it all. He truly knows all
that we need, and has it under control.

O Give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy
endureth forever.

PRAYER: Lord, let us approach you with a spirit of praise
and thanks, for you ARE good! Your mercy endures forever!
Your mercies are new every morning! Surround us with your mercies
today, O God, and be with us through all that we must face. Give
us your wisdom to walk humbly with our God, and help us never
to forget that wherever we go, whatever we do, we are safely
within Your hands. We thank you and praise you, O Lord!

WORSHIP: Sing a song to God, or just continue worshipping
at His feet before going about your day. Bask in His presence
and Know that He is God.

love,

Linore

The Country House Courtship on the Blogosphere!
(Have Book Will Travel)


Today is the first "organized" blog tour for my newest release, The Country House Courtship. The book has been making the rounds among bloggers and book reviewers since it's release last month, but today marks the first day of a blog tour organized by someone other than me! My publicist, Rebeca Seitz of Glass Road Public Relations set this one up.

What does this mean? That something like forty bloggers will be posting about the book today, including many of their thoughts on it. I love getting feedback in the form of reviews, so I've been looking forward to this!
Some of the places you might see Country House today? Here's a few:

http://christinelindsay.com
http://ceceliadowdy.blogspot.com
http://Favoritepastimes.blogspot.com
http://bl.books.blogspot.com
http://www.christianromancewriter.blogspot.com/
http://novelreviews.blogspot.com
http://jessicacoultersmith.wordpress.com
http://wordvessel.blogspot.com
http://myheartbelongs2books.blogspot.com
http://cindykgreen.blogspot.com/
http://livingourfaithoutloud.blogspot.com
http://www.rorreviews.wordpress.com
http://lighthouse-academy.blogspot.com
http://ww.annetteirbyreviews.blogspot.com
http://ambermillerauthor.blogspot.com

If you've never been to some of these blogs, they are all well
worth a visit for book lovers, readers or writers. "Bookish"
places, all!

Here are some more:

http://hip2bhomeschooling.blogspot.com
http://cherryblossommj.blogspot.com
http://readinggrounds.blogspot.com
http://www.aweakrose.blogspot.com
http://www.mainlymystery.blogspot.com
http://www.myfriendamysblog.com
http://martasmeanderings.blogspot.com
http://ribbit-ribbit.blogspot.com
http://www.notesofjubilee.blogspot.com
http://wynsbooks.blogspot.com
http://reviewsplus.blogspot.com

(Are these great or what? : )

http://somanybooksblog.blogspot.com
http://jeanniecampbell.blogspot.com
http://yougottareadreviews.blogspot.com
http://www.teresaslack.blogspot.com
http://lynnmcmo.com
http://www.patiacuzzi.com

I may not have included everyone on the tour, and if
you see this and your blog is missing, let me know
and I'll post yours in a new entry!
And thanks so much for all the wonderful bloggers
and book reviewers out there that have featured
my book! I appreciate you!

NO Doubt About It

Part Two


Today we'll look at the New Testament for its clear and unmistakable instruction on when life begins. Again, our emphasis is not to condemn anyone for past mistakes regarding an abortion, but simply to reveal that there is only one "choice" that is biblical. Women are still told today that their babies are nothing more than a blob of tissue which they should not feel badly about aborting. If that is true, then we are all merely bigger blobs of tissue!

Matthew 6:26
Look at the birds of the air....Your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

Ephesians 4:23-24
Be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and (to) put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

Matthew 22:39
And a second commandment is like (the first): You shall love your neighbor as yourself. (If we should love our neighbor, who is not even a relative, should we not love what is of our own body? A child? Is it loving to ourselves to abort that which has been created within us by God? An abortion is a traumatic event, biologically and emotionally.)

Colossians 3:9-11
Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator......Christ is all and in all.

Returning to the Old Testament, here is the punishment for an involuntary abortion, caused by another: (It isn't the woman who is punished, but the perpetrator.)

"If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman's husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life" (Ex.21:22-23).

One website says: "God does not make exceptions that tolerate injury to any pregnant mother, or any child in the womb. (He provides them strong protection) In fact CURSES "come upon" and "overtake" nations that refuse to administer justice (Deut. 28:15)."

Links, information, a great many more Biblical references and more, can be found at Pro-Life America.

Feel free to share your thoughts on the matter.
Blessings, my friends.

NO DOUBT ABOUT IT!

The President continues to call for his health care "reform" bill. But when there is legalized abortion, can it be called "reform?" How long will our nation continue to enjoy the blessings of God while we are killing our most helpless future citizens?

For those who may doubt whether or not the Lord really condemns abortion, I offer the following verses from the Bible: Just read them once, and I think you'll agree there can be no doubt about it--abortion is the murder of a child. I don't raise this issue to condemn any woman who has undergone this traumatic event; I have, on the contrary, a great deal of compassion for her. "But for the grace of God, there go I." This is not to condemn, but to enlighten. Let's start right at the beginning of the Bible:

Genesis 1:26a "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.
Genesis 1:27-28 "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.'"

Psalm 139: 13-16 "For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them."

Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you;"

Notice these verses are from the Old Testament. Tomorrow I'll share some from the New Testament that speak equally strongly of how God is the creator of life, from the womb, and that there are no "accidents" in the divine scheme.

Blessings, my friends.

GREATER HARVEST WORKSHOPS

announces its first 2010 event for Writers on Sat., February 27th,
at the Healing Word Assembly of God, in Middletown, OH.
Do you have a book inside you? Want to learn more about how to make that book a reality? Come to the Greater Harvest Workshop and let our panel of experts answer your questions.

Presenters include Children's Author Donna Shepherd, Historial Romance Novelist Linore Rose Burkard,(hey, she sounds familiar!)Inspirational Novelist Teresa Slack, Children's book illustrator Liz Ball, and Freelance Writer Diana R. Jenkins.

Details, schedule of workshops, and registration information is available online at
http://www.greaterharvestworkshops.blogspot.com/
Seating is limited. Get your registration in soon! Workshop hours are: 8:30AM-1:30PM.

I'd love to see you there!!

HAVE BOOK, WILL TRAVEL--Around the Blogosphere, that is.
GIVEAWAYS GALORE! (The Blog Book Tour)

Interested in reading The Country House Courtship, but can't buy a new book right now?
Follow my blog tour and simply leave a comment to be entered in multiple drawings for giveaways of my book.

Here's this week's round-up of stops on the blogosphere: (Where you can read more about me or the book, and enter drawings to win a free book!)And most posts remain up (and the drawing is in effect) for up to a week, so check them out even if you miss the initial posting date.

Still Available: Sat. Jan. 9th
http://petticoatsandpistols.com (Catch me here discussing weaponry and duelling during the regency)

Monday January 11th:
Living Our Faith Out Loud
Word Vessel
Margaret Daly's Blog (DON'T MISS this interview with the heroine of Country House--Miss Beatrice Forsythe. You'll get some "insider info" as to what makes her tick.)


Wednesday, January 13th:
Inkwell Inspirations
Scones recipe from me at: Living our Faith Out Loud

Thursday, January 14th:
A personal post from me on Living Our Faith Out Loud


Friday, January 15th
The Sword and Spirit

Saturday, January 16th-17th
A unique interview with me on: International Christian Fiction Writers Blogspot

And don't forget that if you aren't on my mailing list yet, all new subscribers are
entered in a drawing to win a free book from me--it could be one of my books or a Christian fiction book by a different author which you'll love--so sign up today!
You'll also get my monthly "Regency Reflections" e-zine, with illustrated articles, specially chosen links for you to enjoy, and author news.

Catch my guest post today on PETTICOATS AND PISTOLS about weapons during the Regency.
I'll be stopping by once or twice to say hi to visitors, too. One of my daughters' turns 13 today, so I can only hop by quickly, but I'll do my best.

Even if you can't come and visit, think about this truth today as you go about your tasks:
GOD IS GOOD.
(Ps. 119:68; Ps.136:1)

GOD IS FAITHFUL
(Constant, loyal, reliable, steadfast, unwavering, devoted, true, dependable)
Deut. 7:9
Psalm 119:90
II Timothy 2:13

Just this past week, I had occasion to experience the faithfulness of God. It had snowed a little during the night, but I was up bright and early to go to an appointment I had. As I was driving happily along, I began to notice that the road was perhaps a bit slippery, and decided to slow down. It was a country road and I had been driving around 45mph. As I began to slow, in one second I was suddenly on an angle and unable to control my van.

I frantically tried to remember what to do when a vehicle is skidding, but watched helplessly as my van crossed the road and went headlong into a ditch. Even in the ditch it didn't stop immediately, but continued along until a large, bare bush stopped me, ruining the driver side mirror in the process. But I was okay!

Heart pounding a little, I reached for my cell phone only to realize I hadn't brought it along! "Oh, no," I fretted to the Lord. "How are you going to get me out of this one?" The road was empty, a few houses along the way were all quiet and still--no sign of life anywhere. First, I did the thing a stranded driver should not do: I tried to back out of my predicament. When the van moved a few feet, I felt elated, only to have it start to dig into the snow and dirt. After that, I was well and truly stuck!

I looked in my rear view mirror at the looong stretch of road I'd just come. My home was at least a mile away, maybe more. I was wearing snow boots, thankfully, but I was not relishing the idea of that long walk in the cold. I prayed, "Lord, I don't see how you can help me, but I know you can. Please help!"

I got out of the van to survey the damage, and saw that I was definitely not going to get my van out of the ditch. The back tires had carved a deep gully around them of about half a foot. (Probably less, but it looked deep.)
I stood by the van just looking across a wide, empty, wintery field and down the road in the direction I was going to have to walk. Out of the corner of my eye I saw movement. There was a woman walking a dog right on the side of her house.

Funny how good news brings energy. I was suddenly hurrying down the road towards that nice new house with a woman and a dog, but she was already disappearing around the back of her home. After a few calls, she re-appeared, and thus began my rescue.

She was visiting her daughter for the Christmas holidays, allowed me to use her cell phone to call my hero, er, my husband, and the next thing I knew I was inside that cozy home speaking with two sweet ladies who were so happy to help me. I love meeting neighbors, and a mile from home in the country means you're neighbors! It was great, and they were thrilled to discover that I was an author.

Later on, the woman's husband used a truck he owned to pull my van out of the ditch, so I gave the ladies a copy of my first two books. I love that I had them to give.
And honestly, sometimes I think that women who read and love Christian inspirational romance are the sweetest women on the planet.

Moral of the story: It doesn't have to look like help is there for God to have help there. : ) I missed my appointment, which was to have blood drawn for my annual physical, but that was rescheduled. Meeting those women was worth it.

At least it feels that way. When my husband gives me the bill for having the mirror fixed, we'll see. But THANK YOU, LORD. You have proved your faithfulness and loving kindness to me once again!

WHAT SHOULD I WRITE NEXT?

I'm working on a new book, but I thought I'd throw out this question to see what my readers might think. What would you most like to see from me, next? More regencies? An Early American? A time-travel? A contemporary?

Click this link and let me know. What Should I Write Next?

You could also leave your opinion on my Facebook Reader's Page.

I look forward to seeing what you want from me!

THE COUNTRY HOUSE COURTSHIP IS HERE!

My latest book is now "officially" released and in book stores across the country.

Do you have a blog? Would you like a ready-made post about this book, replete with images, an interview with me, and everything you ever wanted to create a great blog post about a book?

I have a handy-dandy "blogger's toolkit" for this book. You can access it HERE. And here's a bonus tip: If you're an author too, use this toolkit as a template for your next release. It'll save you scads of time and trouble.

If you choose to do a post to your blog about my book, let me know. I'll offer a free copy to one of your commenters, which will help increase traffic to your blog. The only catch is that you must garner at least ten comments from different people to offer the giveaway--but tell this to your readers and they'll help bring you more!

So, once again, here's the free and easy to use "Blogger's Toolkit" for The Country House Courtship. And if you're curious about the book, but don't blog yourself, you can access the toolkit too, and read all about the book. Is it for you?

Here's a short blurb for

England, 1818: It has been five years since Ariana Forsythe married The Paragon, Mr. Phillip Mornay. Now, Ariana's sister, Miss Beatrice Forsythe, is seventeen and determined to marry advantageously as well. (Surely Ariana's society connexions all but guarantee Beatrice's success-especially if Mr. Mornay is created a baronet by the Prince Regent!

But the Mornay's have disappeared from high society as they raise a family at their country estate. Can Beatrice persuade them to chaperone her in London? And what about her business with the curate, Mr. O'Brien, whom Beatrice rashly promised to marry years earlier? She is too sophisticated now to settle for a mere clergyman-despite his agreeable countenance and gentle, understanding ways. When Mr. Tristan Barton becomes tenant of the Manor House, Beatrice's hopes seem to have found their object. But when Ariana falls gravely ill, secrets come to light, motives are revealed, and pretenses that are easy to keep up in the darkness begin to crumble. As hearts are bared and truths uncovered, a country house courtship like no other cannot be far behind!

Fans of Linore's first books, Before the Season Ends, and The House on Grosvenor Square, will be delighted with final addition to the Regency Inspirational Series, as will all readers of historical romance.

Remember, if you post about the book and want to let me know or offer a giveaway, email me
at Linore (at)LinoreRoseBurkard (dot) com.
I look forward to hearing from you!