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.