A couple of days ago, I was a part of Faith Blum’s cover reveal. She had a wrong email address on there, so if you tried to email the cover but didn’t get it, you have a second chance! 🙂 She is graciously extending the deadline to noon tomorrow. So hurry and piece her cover together for a chance to win a signed paperback copy of Lily of the Valley (in the future)!!
Email Faith your answer at:Â Â faith.blum.author[at]gmail.com
Category: Uncategorized
Coming Soon–FREE on Amazon!
If you haven’t gotten “Peace, Be Still” yet, you’re about to have the opportunity to get it for free on Amazon! I’ll be reminding you again, but get the word out! Feel free to copy this graphic and share it on your blog.
Word Wednesday #76 | Link-up
“Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.
Father, glorify Thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.”Â
(John 12:27-28)
When we face temptations and testings, how often we pray for God to relieve our pain, to ease the fiery trail, to remove from us suffering. And, in doing so, our focus is funneled on our pain, our suffering, our misery, and never on God and whether or not He is glorified. Where is my focus–the pain, or the glory of God?
Share a verse that God has given you today or copy the button if you’d like to join in Word Wednesdays with your blog!
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Lily of the Valley – Cover Reveal Tour
Happy Tuesday! Today we have a blog post with a cover reveal. But, there’s a catch. The author, Faith Blum, has split her cover into 15 different pieces! In order to enter her giveaway, you need to put it together and email her your cover. Or, if you don’t want to enter the giveaway, but you’d still like to see the cover, stop by her blog on Thursday.
The Prize
The winner will have to be patient, but the prize for this cover reveal is a signed paperback copy of Lily of the Valley. Unfortunately, due to the high cost of shipping internationally, Faith won’t be sending a paperback outside of the U.S. If you are international and would like to participate and win, you will receive an ebook copy of any TWO of my published books including Lily of the Valley. To help you a little with putting together the cover, here is the description:
Howdy, Teacher! You don’t know me, but my kids talk bout you a lot. I been lookin fer a wife and mother fer a few years and was wonderin iffen we cood meet and get to no each other a bit. I’ll come after school to git yer answer. Grover MillerÂ
Unruly schoolchildren, three suitors, and too many things to do. When Ruth Brookings rejects one of the suitors, he refuses to accept no for an answer. To make matters worse, when she prays for guidance, she’s answered with a challenge instead: To encourage her friend to find a wife—whether he wants one or not. Will she lose her friend just when she needs a friend the most? Will she be able to weather the storms she’s about to face?
Details
- Stop by each blog listed below to get their piece of the cover.
- Use a program like this website to put the cover together: https://www.befunky.com/features/collage-maker/. If you get a little extra space between each piece, your cover will still count toward the prize. It doesn’t have to be perfect as long is each piece is in the correct place.
- Email your completed cover to Faith at faith[dot]blum[dot]author@gmail[dot]com NO LATER THAN October 14th at 9:00 PM Central time. (If you have problems with time zones, shoot Faith an email and she’ll help you out).
- Stop by Faith’s blog to see the cover and who won.
Piece of the Cover #6
About the Author
Faith Blum is a 24 year old home school graduate who enjoys doing many right-brained activities such as reading, crafting, writing, and playing piano. Her favorite genre to read and write is Historical Fiction, more specifically, Westerns. In the Hymns of the West series, she has endeavored to create clean, fun, and challenging Western stories for the whole family. She currently has three novels and three novellas published. You can find her in various places online: Website | Blog | Facebook | Pinterest | Twitter | New Releases Newsletter | Amazon Â
Bloggers
Find the other pieces of the cover on these blogs. If you are coming in late and would like direct links to each of the blog posts about the cover reveal, please go to Faith’s website link here. She will update each link to go directly to the blog post about the cover reveal. October 12 The Overactive Imagination Rebekah Lyn Books—with Author Interview Morgan Elizabeth Huneke All Things Literary and Political Hello Precious Bliss October 13 With a Joyful Noise Ruth’s Real Life Flights from Aerie Jaye L. Knight Rachel Rossano’s Words—with Author Interview October 14 Zerina Blossom’s Books God’s Peculiar Treasure Rae Wildflower Acres A Brighter Destiny Writing Dreams October 15 Writings, Ramblings, and Reflections—with full cover and winner announcement
Psalm 119:69-71
Psalm 119:69-71(69)Â The proud have forged a lie against me: but I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart.
(70)Â Their heart is as fat as grease; but I delight in thy law.
Similar to verse 51 (“The proud have had me greatly in derision: yet have I not declined from thy law.”), it is another reminder to keep God’s commandments no matter what others say or do.
(71)Â It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.
Afflicted – OT:6031`anah (aw-naw’); a primitive root [possibly rather ident. with OT:6030 through the idea of looking down or browbeating]; to depress literally or figuratively, transitive or intransitive (in various applications, as follows):
We don’t care for affliction much – the idea of looking down, brow beating, depressed . . . but God does not send those experiences our way fruitlessly: “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” (James 1:2-4) – And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” (Romans 5:3-5)
What is our response to tribulation and testings? Do we see them as good and able to work good in our lives? (“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28) My response determines whether or not the affliction will draw me closer to God and help me to learn His statutes, or whether I will refuse.
If God be For Us…
Waiting for Morning | Book Review
“I think that’s why God’s so good to me,” Hannah had smiled pleasantly. “He knows I’m not good at forgiving.”That was Hannah’s childhood thought. Little did she know that the biggest trial of her life would occur when she was happily married with two daughters in their teens. Little did she know that the forgiveness she had briefly mentioned as a child, the anger she struggled with then, would blindside her in full force.
I finished this book with a “wow.” I admire Karen Kingsbury for tackling hard issues like drunk driving, suicide, anger, and bitterness–and balancing them with the truths of God’s Word. Her writing is well-researched and detailed. It is realistic–painfully realistic. I could easily envision real lives placed in the shoes of Hannah, Jenny, Carol, Matt, and Bryan.
At first, the multiple viewpoint changes were confusing, but as I got to know the characters, I looked forward to reading their different perspectives.
Hannah’s story…it was amazing to read how she fought against all of the hymns and verses brought to mind. It hurt to read her bitter and angry progression–yet a good illustration of how it can overtake a person. She sought to find peace in the revenge of Mr. Wesley…yet instead found herself being shackled with bitterness. Her fight against forgiveness rang too true–but so did God’s persistent reminder of Scripture and His promises. Oh my goodness! Hannah’s restoration to the mercy of God was so beautiful!! There is no other word for it and the beauty is that the restoration is Biblically true.
Jenny’s story…though not as detailed as Hannah’s story, I loved Jenny and my heart cried out for her, a girl struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts while her mom was busy fighting what she thought was the most important battle.
Bryan’s story…I’ll admit, I was so happy the way Bryan’s story turned out! How beautiful to see him using Scripture to combat his thirst for beer!
For those who are conscious of these things, there is a mention of drunk man seeing demons as well as mentions of unmarried couples living together. Nothing in detail though. There is a suicidal attempt with a bit of detail. Because of these things, I would personally recommend this book to readers twenty and above.
A couple of favorite quotes:
When Hannah finally prayed again: “Rather she had simply reached the end of herself, of everything she knew about coping.”
“She had suffered much this past year, but it had been worse because she had exchanged the truth about God for a lie.”
*I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.*
About the Author
Karen Kingsbury is a USA Today and New York Times best-selling author, with nearly twenty million books in print. Dubbed the “Queen of Christian Fiction” by Time magazine, Karen has written more than forty Life-Changing Drama, which encompasses the Redemption, Firstborn, and Sunrise series, as well as stand-alone novels such as Like Dandelion Dust, When Joy Came to Stay and This Side of Heaven. Karen and her husband, Don, live in the Pacific Northwest and are parents to six children, including three adopted from Haiti. Visit her website at http://www.KarenKingsbury.com.
Reflections of my Father
As far as the east from west — God removes our burden of sin. It is not puddling at our feet, where we can step in and get dirty from it again. It is rolled from our back and pushed away, far beyond what we can see.
“10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.Â
11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.Â
12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.”Â
Psalm 103:10-12
Word Wednesday #75 | Link-up
“Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not Mine, but His that sent me.”
(John 7:16)
We would do well to test the doctrines to which we cling. It is easy to get swept into the doctrines of men and then cling to it with a vice-grip, not even weighing it against God’s Word to see if the doctrine is of God. A good test is to consider verse 18, “He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.”
Whose glory are we seeking? When someone contradicts a doctrine (or belief, conviction) that we cling to, what is our reaction? Are we grieved because such does not glorify God — or merely upset and try to prove that our way is right? Share a verse that God has given you today or copy the button if you’d like to join in Word Wednesdays with your blog!
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A Word of Encouragement
Reading books so often encourages me. Authors’ thousands of words, forming devotionals or even stories, inspire me to encourage others in my writing.
Sometimes I get caught into the trap of thinking that the best way to encourage people is to write more stories or devotionals. But God is able to just as easily use a text, short email, or blog comment to be an encouragement as a novel.Â
If you have an opportunity today, encourage someone in the Lord!
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“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.” Ephesians 4:29
Amanda Tero Books 