Balance by Tara Randel

Posted on January 30, 2023 by tararandel

Even before we started this year, I realized that I needed balance in 2023.

I’ve been fortunate to work for publishing companies that I love and will continue writing for, but the overlap finally caught up with me. I had to take a step back and reevaluate. How best to do that? On a long walk one morning, while I was pouring my heart out to the Lord and seeking His wisdom, I heard to word, balance.

My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, Lord, I will seek. Ps. 27:8

Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. Ps. 105:4

When we seek, God answers.

Trying to balance a busy life can be tricky, especially when you’ve let it become lopsided. But I’ve been making changes and have to say, I’m much happier. And that’s with a book due this week.

My goals for this year? Making time with family, exercise, eating right and spending more time outdoors.

One thing that has never changed, even with deadlines looming, is making sure I exercise. I’ve been taking an early morning class at my gym for years and would never give it up. Not only does it benefit my physical health, moving also keeps me sharp mentally. When I have a block in a story or need new ideas, I go to the gym and jump on a machine to get the creativity flowing. Before long I’ve figured out my problem and how to fix it.   

On the days I don’t take a class, I’ve started walking again. There is nothing as beautiful as being in nature while listening to praise music.

Now when it comes to my diet, hmm, that can be iffy. I’ll do really good for a long time, then eat things I know I shouldn’t. In fact, I did just that this weekend! Instead of stressing over it, I’ll do better tomorrow and go from there. See, already I’m making progress.

As far as family goes, I always made dates with my daughter, but had been a little lax with my husband. We started spending more time together and it has been a lot of fun.

Balance.

My point is, we all get to a point when we need to rearrange priorities or focus on what we value. It’s easy to get unbalanced, harder sometimes to acknowledge that fact and begin to make time for the important parts of our lives.

I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me. Proverbs 8:17

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13

Perhaps taking a good look at your life is a great way to start 2023. Seeking answers from God will only enhance every aspect of daily living. God reminded me that He is good and I’m thankful that He loves and cares for me so much that He helped see a way out of a situation I had created.  

Tara Randel is an award-winning, USA Today bestselling author. Family values, a bit of mystery and of course, love and romance, are her favorite themes, because she believes love is the greatest gift of all. Look for her next Harlequin Heartwarming romance, HER SURPRISE HOMETOWN MATCH, available March 2023. For more information about her books, visit Tara at www.tararandel.com. Like her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TaraRandelBooks. Sign up for Tara’s Newsletter.

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The Risk of Waiting by Vicki Hinze

Posted on January 27, 2023 by Vicki Hinze

Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.  –Psalm 90:12

People are very creative.  They get great ideas all the time.  New products, new methods, new projects.  These nudges grab our attention, our interest, fill our needs, and yet often we fail to act on them.

There’s an old saying that necessity breeds invention.  There’s nothing like needing something you can’t find to get your creativity flowing on creating it!  Yet even these nudges are often hampered by our failure to act.

We tell ourselves, when I have time, I’ll do that.  Or I’ll put it down for my next project.  Or I’m so overwhelmed right now, I can’t possibly add one more thing to my schedule or my life.

And so our great idea falls dormant until we again feel the nudge or someone else acts on a similar nudge and we’re too late.

The problem with someday is we have no guarantee we will be here for it.  We aren’t guaranteed today, for that matter.  Which means it’s probably a good idea to prioritize how we spend our time and what we wish to do with our lives.

Everyone is busy earning a living and caring for family and home and the like.  Of course, those things take top priority.  But we all can eek out a few minutes here and there, an hour here and there.  We make time for things that matter to us.  We get up a little earlier, go to bed a little later.  We multi-task during lunch breaks.

I once had an author friend who wrote at lunch time and on her commute from work to home and home to work.  She wrote several books a year this way, with a handheld recorder and she later transcribed.  She was married, two children, and worked a demanding full-time job.  But she had the heart of a writer and was determined to do it also.  She did because she didn’t wait.  She wrote when she could, and she’s written a great deal.

My point is, as the Psalmist wrote, our days are numbered.  That’ not a fatalistic comment, it is a fact, and if we bear it in mind as we plan our days, we’re exercising wisdom.  

Our personal resources are finite—time and energy.  We all require down time, too, and we shouldn’t trivialize the importance of it.  That too is exercising wisdom.  

It also makes it clear that we should think about what we do with our time and energy.  That we are exercising a heart of wisdom so that we do and accomplish what we most want or need to do and accomplish.

It seems to me that in doing so we will live a life of fewer regrets—and more accomplishments.  That sounds appealing to me, so when inspiration strikes, explore it.  Spend a few minutes here and there checking it out.  If you decide to invest your time—read that: part of your life—into it, give it what priority you can.  Ten minutes or an hour per day.  Something so that you don’t fall into the ‘failure to act’ trap.

What I’m suggesting here doesn’t collide with waiting on God.  We seek direction and guidance from Him.  Sometimes He answers immediately, and sometimes we must wait a bit.  In those circumstances, we wait, but we continue to explore.  God often answers prayers in our explorations…

Blessings,

Vicki Hinze

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Attitude Matters by Vicki Hinze

Posted on January 26, 2023 by Vicki Hinze

In 2010, I wrote a mini-article about attitude (copy below):

While the above mini-article was written about writers/authors, the same principle applies to everyone in whatever they are doing.  Discipline and enthusiasm are important, but it is purpose that infuses our efforts and gives us and our work that extra kick that carries it over the top into the success zone.

Of course, we strive to do our best, understanding that as we learn and grow, what we do grows as well.  As I’ve mentioned in other posts, I believe a key ingredient to success and doing well is loving what you do.  

When you love something (or someone), you nurture it, you care about it, you give it that extra time, attention, and focus because you love it.  You want to give it your very best.  That very best may not be perfect, but it’s the best to your ability at the time, and that means you’re closer to your vision of that perfection than if you attempt and effort and you don’t love it.

That’s worth remembering.

Your attitude toward what you do has an enormous impact on it and on you.  If you give your all, you can rest in that, knowing you did all you could and all you knew to do.  That insulates you from the impact of others’ views, some of which might be less than flattering because people tend to lash out now and then based on how things are going in their own lives and with what they are doing.

It’s not right to tear others down to elevate yourself, but some seem to feed on that.  You can’t control them, but you can control you–your reaction to them. Over time, you develop what I call rhino-hide.  And you couple that rhino-hide with understanding that some of the comments you receive well might have nothing to do with the work and everything to do with the commenter being in pain, being frustrated or generally unhappy.  

That tempers the urge to fire off a blistering response.  That rhino-hide tempered with compassion insulates, and that insulation is very helpful in times such as this.

Remember, no one has more power to impact you than you give them.  Weigh the value.  There can be gems in criticism, but that kind of positive criticism is never cruel or vindictive, and it never attempts to attack you, the human being.  It seeks to better the work to help strengthen the work.

Attitude isn’t everything, but your attitude is a big thing.  Again, because it’s so important, remember you can’t control others, but you can control you and their impact on you that you permit.  Exercise wisdom and judgment.  Not all comments are worth taking inside yourself.  Be fair and judicious!

And be grateful to those who offer you constructive feedback, suggestions.  After all, they don’t owe you either, but both do aid you in learning and growing.  That’s a gift.

Lastly, know that you choose your attitude. Choose wisely because the person most impacted by it is you.

Blessings,

Vicki Hinze

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Gord and the Leghold Trap by James R. Coggins

Posted on January 25, 2023 by jrcoggins

I don’t even remember Gord’s name. It could have been Gord. But I vividly remember the story he told, even several decades later.

Gord was probably in his thirties, he lived in the city of Winnipeg, and he had a wife and children. However, when he had been younger, he had apparently been a homesteader. That is, he had gone into the bush, cleared some trees, and built a cabin in order to obtain land. 

I was a member of the church council for a small church plant where Gord was a member.

One day, Gord came to the church council and said he had a message for the young people in the church. We welcomed the idea and decided to plan a youth service for one Sunday morning. We invited a contemporary Christian singer to come and present a mini-concert, and then Gord would deliver the morning sermon.

The church was between pastors, and we had just hired an older, semi-retired man as part-time interim pastor. The church council, on the other hand, was composed largely of younger adults. When we told the interim pastor of our plans for a youth service, he asked what Gord was going to preach on. We said that we didn’t know but that he had said he had something to say and we trusted him. The interim pastor asked if Gord had ever preached before and if he had any training. We didn’t think so, but we said we trusted Gord. The interim pastor thought we were crazy. He thought we should have asked more questions. He was probably right. But we trusted Gord.

On the day of the youth service, the musician presented his mini-concert. Then it was time for Gord to preach.

Gord called the older children and teenagers up to the front. When they had assembled, he showed then a leghold trap. This was simple metal device with a trigger pad and two powerful metal jaws. When the pad was touched, a spring would slam the jaws shut. Gord pried open the jaws to set the trap and then had one of the boys touch the trigger pad with a stout wooden stick a couple of inches thick. The jaws slammed shut, snapping the stick in half like a twig. The assembled youth were awestruck. A leghold trap is a vicious, cruel device that is used to trap small animals so they can be killed for their fur. It has been banned in many jurisdictions because of its cruelty.

Gord then told the youth to sit down. He asked us all to think about how it would be possible to get an animal to step into such a dangerous device and be trapped.

He said the answer is that the trapper would build a large V out of sticks, branches, and logs and place the trap in a small gap at the point of the V. Back at the outer edges of the V, the walls of sticks and branches were far apart and very low. An animal could easily step over the wall and escape. However, as the animal proceeded farther and farther into the V, the walls would get higher and higher and closer together until the animal had nowhere to go but straight into the trap. By that point, there was no way to escape.

Gord explained that Satan traps people just as the trapper traps the animal. Subtly, Satan directs people toward his trap. At first, the direction is subtle. There is a small temptation here, another small temptation there. At this point, it is easy for the person to escape. But, as the person proceeds further and further, the direction becomes fixed. Actions become habitual, and habits become harder to break. In time, the person becomes addicted—to drugs, alcohol, pornography, or some other evil—and is then inevitably trapped.

The point of the story was for the young people listening to step away from temptations when they were still small and easy to overcome—because later it would be impossible to escape.

I suspect many of those youth still remember that lesson. I certainly do.

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A Little Bit of Everything!

Posted on January 24, 2023 by Author Mary Alford
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

As a Christian romantic suspense author, I tend to search out books that are filled with adventure, suspense, faith, danger, intrigue, and romance. I’m a bit of an adrenaline junkie, and I love the rollercoaster ride that romantic suspense stories provide.

But did you know there is one book that has all of this and more and it’s an international bestseller? You guessed it. I’m talking about the Bible. And guess what—every story in the book is true.

The Bible is the most read book in the world. In the past 50 years, the Bible has sold over 3.9 billion copies.

If you’re looking for adventure, check out 2 Corinthians 11:26:

I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers.

Want a little suspense? Then the story of King Saul’s attempts on David’s life in 1 Samuel 19 is for you. Take a look at verse 9-10: But an evil spirit from the Lord came on Saul as he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand. While David was playing the lyre, Saul tried to pin him to the wall with his spear, but David eluded him as Saul drove the spear into the wall. That night David made good his escape.  

Do you like stories of great faith? Read about Abraham’s faith being tested in Genesis 22:2.

After waiting 25 years for his promised son, Abraham was told by God, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah and sacrifice him there.

Maybe you’d prefer a little more danger to your reading? The story of how the Apostle Peter escaped from prison in Acts Chapter 12 has that.

Need something with intrigue? How about a story about spies? A woman named Rahab from Jericho hid two spies on her roof. The spies escaped and promised to spare Rahab and her family when they returned to destroy Jericho. The men told her that if she and her family kept their secret and tied a scarlet cord in the window they would be spared. Joshua 6 recounts the story of how that promise was kept and Rahab became part of the lineage for Jesus the Messiah.

If you’re looking for a romance story, read the story of Ruth in the book by her name. Ruth, a Moabite woman followed her mother-in-law to Israel. In Ruth 1:16, Ruth says, “Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.”

Ruth converts to Judaism. She later marries an Israelite man named Boaz and became the great grandmother of King David and part of the lineage of Jesus.

As you can see, there’s something for everyone in the Bible. And if you’re looking for an epic love story, it starts in Genesis 1 and doesn’t end with the final book of the Bible, Revelation. God’s love for us is seen through every page in between.          

Mary

www.maryalford.net 

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The Greatest of These by Nancy J. Farrier

Posted on January 23, 2023 by Nancy J. Farrier

As I’m sitting down to write this post, I’m aware there was another mass shooting yesterday. It’s so heartbreaking. The loss of life. The loss of our safety. The loss of trust in anyone.

In 2021 there were 692 mass shootings. In 2022 there were 648. In 2023, so far there have been 33. But that may change before this post goes live.

Do you remember all these shootings? I sure don’t. There are so many we don’t hear about them unless there are many lives taken. Fifty-eight per month in 2021, fifty-four per month in 2022. Who knows what will happen in 2023?

We live in a society out of control. I’m sure, like me, you feel frustrated. There is the desire to do something. Something more than prayer, even though praying is the best we can do. We all want this to stop but have no way to combat the unknown shooter until that person becomes known—and even then, our hands are tied.

The best we can do is act as an individual and make a difference within our sphere of influence. In John 17, Jesus prays, “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world.” (vs. 6a NKJV)

He goes on to pray in verse 9, “I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me…”

We must take heart from this prayer and look around at those God has brought to us to interact with and include in our prayers and outreach. These may be friends. Jesus had his disciples and those who followed Him. They may be the leper at the side of the road or the person who is needy and touches the hem of the garment. It may be the rejected woman at the well.

Who is that person to you. Not just the people you eagerly hang out with, eat meals with, or do Bible study with, but the ones God has you notice that may not be as desirable? Who is within your sphere of influence.

Much has been made of kindness lately. I agree that kindness is good. We must treat each other with kindness and do acts of kindness. Yet, is that enough? Is acting in kindness the end result for a Christian? I don’t believe so.

Jesus said to his disciples, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”(John 13:34-35 NKJV)

I Corinthians 13:13 says, “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

To do acts of kindness is wonderful, but to love is an action on behalf of Jesus. Acts of kindness will spring out of love. Love will cause us to perpetrate these acts to those we normally wouldn’t notice or care about. Love will make a difference even if it’s just one person at a time.

Love isn’t easy. Loving that leper who is diseased and doesn’t know God or recognize Him, is hard. Loving the person who is demon possessed seems almost impossible. The same goes for loving the person you believe is far from God or influenced by Satan. Seemingly impossible. But with God those things are possible.

With God, we can take the news of a society gone wrong and focus on what we can do. Let’s focus on those around us by praying for the person God wants us to reach out to today. And then act. Act in kindness. Act in love.

That act may be a smile or a kind word. It may be a prayer or a short conversation. It may be taking food to someone, or helping them with something. Love is extending God to a world in desperate need. 

Share God’s love. Maybe that will be the one moment when you change a potential shooter’s life. When you help them to see God and His love for them. I pray that is true.

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What God Will Use Despite Us by Julie Arduini

Posted on January 20, 2023 by juliearduini

I’ve been part of this blog since the beginning, so if you’ve read my posts for any length of time, you know I am originally from Upstate NY and I really, really want to see the Buffalo Bills be in and win the Super Bowl. I’m writing this before the playoffs, so I have no idea where things stand. Truth is, I’m not a huge football fan. I follow enough to carry on a decent chat.

But my allegiance to the Bills goes back to the Jim Kelly era. I graduated from SUNY Geneseo (Jen-uh-see-oh) and back in the day, they used our track here and there. There were rumors on their off-time some of the players came to town, although I didn’t witness it. But we were closer to Buffalo than any of the other teams, and that made me a fan. Add that some of the students were from downstate and they were die-hard Giants fans, and if you remember the Jim Kelly era, you can imagine the craziness when those teams met.

I write all that because decades have passed and still no Super Bowl win. I continue to follow the team on social media and catch the games as I can. I was half paying attention to the Bills/Bengals Monday Night game earlier this month when I realized they were going to commercial. A lot.

Although I missed the play, I knew from watching NASCAR (another Upstate NY thing given I lived near the Watkins Glen track) when there are continuing commercials, someone is hurt. Bad.

During the broadcast and for days after, I wasn’t just a fan, I was a mom thinking of Nina Hamlin. I know what it’s like to have a dying child in your arms. I still couldn’t process what she must have felt seeing her son on the field, motionless.

I shared on Facebook that even more than a mom, I stepped into intercessor mode. I stood in the gap praying for Damar Hamlin, his family, his teammates, and the Bengals. This was traumatic for all.

Here’s what I posted:

“I watched the entire nation pray. They still are, even as Damar FaceTimes and posts on social media. Don’t miss what is going on. He was dead and brought back to life.

Twice.

God uses man and medicine and of course that is at play. But what we are watching is miraculous. He was without oxygen for ten minutes. He is on FaceTime. Talking. Writing.

Flat out miraculous.

I’ve long prayed for a fire to ignite this country that is holy and life changing. Those men praying on the field spread to each NFL team. Other sports. Sponsors. Communities. People.

God doesn’t change but don’t dismiss His ways. They defy our limited thinking.“

Can I be honest? I honestly believe we watched a resurrection take place. That’s going to change you if you’re around such a miracle. The NFL up until that night was definitely not prayer supportive. Yet all week I watched players pray. They held prayer meetings. Their social media was filled with messages and images about praying for Damar. It wasn’t a hashtag.

It was an authentic action.

As I type, Damar continues to recover. He’s young, but I sense he understands there is purpose to his life that goes beyond football. I continue to pray for him.

Here’s what I want to make sure we understand. God was in that game. He doesn’t create sickness but He will use it for good. The prayers I have prayed for decades, almost as long as I’ve wanted to see the Bills win, has been for America to rise up, shake off the apathy, and start praying. Believe God. Not just believe in but believe.

The NFL has teams all across the country. Won’t He use those praying players/teams/coaches/fans/communities who started a spark by praying? Those are little revival fires in the making.

But that’s not how Brownsville or Toronto or whatever miracle/revival you remember happened.

Exactly.

Don’t get caught up in what God did last time or 20 years ago or decades ago. He’s going to use whatever way He chooses to advance His Kingdom. And your approval isn’t needed. Nor is mine.

So that’s where I’m at. I believe what was meant for tragedy God is using for good, and using professional football players to pray and praise God. I believe we witnessed a resurrection, and for those at the hospital that night, he was revived again. In the first game following Damar’s injury, the players noted the “three” in their game. That’s Hamlin’s number, but they also realized three is Biblical.

I “billieve” we’re seeing a shift and if I may, from woke to awake. Asleep to alert and on it.

I don’t want to miss out on what God is doing.

How about you?

Image: Tampa Bay Times

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Ask and You Shall Receive by Ann Malley

Posted on January 19, 2023 by Ann Malley

This gallery contains 5 photos.

Hello dear readers. Happy 2023! Ann Malley here, empty-nesting author of inspired romantic suspense, contemporary western romance, & clean romantic comedy. I hope the new year has already filled you with abundant blessings and hope for the coming months. I’m … Continue reading →

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The Valley of Dry Bones by James R. Coggins

Posted on January 18, 2023 by jrcoggins

In Ezekiel 37, the prophet Ezekiel was given a vision of a valley full of dry bones. God told Ezekiel to “prophesy” to the bones, to tell the bones to join back together, take on flesh, and begin to breathe again.

The context of this passage is that during and especially after the siege of Jerusalem, the Babylonians slaughtered large numbers of Jews and left their bodies lying exposed in the nearby valleys. The rest of the people were taken into captivity in Babylon. There was no one left to mourn or bury the dead. Decades later, there would have been nothing left but mounds of dry bones. Could such bones ever be brought back to life? The idea is preposterous. Even Ezekiel could not conceive of such a miracle. But then God commanded Ezekiel to bring them back to life through prophecy.

God did not bring those literal dead bones back to life. This was a symbolic vision of the nation of Judah being brought back to life. This was as inconceivable to the Jews as the idea that dry bones could be brought back to life. Their nation was shattered and scattered. The Jews were spiritually dead, homeless, purposeless, and hopeless. Yet God did restore the nation a few decades later.

This chapter also picks up some of the imagery from the previous chapter, where God said, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh” (36:26). This image also involved bringing life to something as dead as a stone. The resurrection of the dead bones had two stages—the bones were covered in flesh, and then breath was breathed into them to make them alive. The same two stages were evident in Ezekiel 36:26—the people would be given a new heart and a new spirit. In the Old Testament, spirit and breath and wind are the same Hebrew word (ruah). The two stages recall the creation of humanity in Genesis 2:7: “Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” The image of the dry bones prophesied the restoration of the nation of Judah, but it also prophesied something greater—the spiritual regeneration of human beings through the new birth that Jesus brought. In John 3, Jesus described this as being “born again.” The same two stages are mentioned there: “Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit” (John 3:6). In that passage, Jesus also connected spirit with wind, the breath of God.

This image of dry bones coming back to life also prophesied the resurrection from the dead that Jesus would make possible through His own death and resurrection. Old Testament Jews had trouble believing in the afterlife. They wondered how God could resurrect those who were burned or were lost at sea. But God can do the impossible. Revelation 20:13 prophesies, “The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them.”

Ezekiel 37 is perhaps best known through the African-American spiritual song “Dem Bones.” The imagery in this chapter has specific applications, but throughout history it has been understood to apply to a whole host of impossible situations (including slavery) that God can redeem and restore. Jesus told His followers, “With God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26, Mark 9:23, 10:27, Luke 18:27). The contexts involved questions of whether the rich and the demon-possessed could be saved.

The odd imagery of dry bones in Ezekiel 37 is full of hope for many situations. It reminds us that with God nothing is ever hopeless.

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Rest by Peggy Webb

Posted on January 17, 2023 by Vicki Hinze

My grandson David on the beach in winter when he was a child.

“Find rest in God; my hope comes from him.” Psalms 62:5

“The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Exodus 33:14

“God is not a God of disorder but of peace.” 1 Corinthians 14:33

Do you ever feel guilty if you sit down for a minute to rest? Do you think of all the chores you have to do, the errands you need to run, the phone calls you need to return, the committee meetings you need to attend? And, of course, for me and my fellow authors, the pages you need to write? 

Children know how to relax. Just as my grandson David sprawled on the sand with his face to the sun, totally at peace with himself and the world, we should all take the time to rest and simply be. To let peace seep back into our souls. To shut out the noise of television and the chatter on social media. To let the telephone ring unless it’s family who might be calling about an emergency. To listen to music instead of the racket inside our heads. To learn to say no when our schedule is jam-packed and one more thing will put us into a state of constant frantic activity.

“On my bed I remember you. I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wing.” Psalms 63:6-7

 The Psalmist even gives us guidelines for a peaceful sleep at night. Sometimes it takes discipline for us to shut off the endless to-do list in our heads and climb into bed for a good night’s rest instead of staying up late to do just one more chore or go on the outing we planned but wish we hadn’t because we just don’t have the energy. 

Resting is not selfish. The Bible tells us so. It’s not lazy. It’s necessary to replenish our energy and to give us quiet time where we can rest in the shadow of God’s wing and be grateful. 

God is good! 

Peggy

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Proverbs 2

Posted on January 16, 2023 by kathc2

The Benefits of Wisdom

In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, I want to highlight his ministry and mission, particularly as a way of making clear the meaning of Proverbs 2 in today’s world. As I mentioned in my last article on Proverbs 1, when I read Proverbs for the first time as a young woman, it wasn’t always clear to me what the proverbs meant and how I could apply them.

In this article, I hope to show that Dr. King manifestly demonstrates how to apply Proverbs 2 in our lives.

Proverbs 2: 6-8

6For the LORD gives wisdom; 

from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.

7He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; 

He is a shield to those who walk with integrity,

8to guard the paths of justice 

and protect the way of His saints.”

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Love is one of the pinnacle parts of the Christian faith. There is another side called justice, and justice is really love in calculation.”

As a Baptist minister and civil rights activist, he played a major role in the American civil rights movement from the mid-1950s until his assassination in 1968. He is best known for his part in the advancement of civil rights using nonviolent civil disobedience based on Christian beliefs.

His life and teachings were highly influenced by Proverbs 2. This chapter in the book of Proverbs encourages the reader to seek wisdom and understanding, as they are more valuable than silver or gold.

Proverbs 2:6 was a guiding principle for Dr. King’s life and work: “For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.”

Dr. King believed that wisdom and understanding were essential for achieving racial equality and justice. He often quoted Proverbs 2:11, which states, “Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you.” He believed that through the use of nonviolence and peaceful protest, the civil rights movement could gain the understanding and support of the broader American public.

He believed wisdom and understanding were necessary for overcoming hate and bigotry. In his famous “I Have a Dream” speech he declared, “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.” This message of love and brotherhood was rooted in the wisdom found in Proverbs 2:12, which states, “Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse.”

Dr. King was deeply influenced by the wisdom and guidance found in Proverbs 2. One of his tenets was that through the pursuit of wisdom and understanding, the civil rights movement could overcome hate and bigotry and achieve justice and equality for all. His legacy continues to inspire people around the world to seek wisdom, understanding and make the world a better place.

Today we can all benefit from Dr. King’s example. How can we apply God’s wisdom and understanding to our lives and to the lives of others? How does Proverbs 2 touch your life now? I’ve found it’s important for me to seek God’s wisdom whenever I have tough decisions to make or when I’m not sure of the right or correct action to take.

“Proverbs 2: 10-11

10For wisdom will enter your heart, 

and knowledge will delight your soul.

11Discretion will watch over you, 

and understanding will guard you”

We can’t ask for more. 

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Nora Review: The London House by Katherine Reay

Posted on January 13, 2023 by Vicki Hinze

Nora St. Laurent’s review of THE LONDON HOUSE by Katherine Reay

The London House by Katherine Reay 

Published by HarperMuse 

BACK COVER: Uncovering a dark family secret sends one woman through the history of Britain’s World War II spy network and glamorous 1930s Paris to save her family’s reputation.

Caroline Payne thinks it’s just another day of work until she receives a call from Mat Hammond, an old college friend and historian. But pleasantries are cut short. Mat has uncovered a scandalous secret kept buried for decades: In World War II, Caroline’s British great-aunt betrayed family and country to marry her German lover.

Determined to find answers and save her family’s reputation, Caroline flies to her family’s ancestral home in London. She and Mat discover diaries and letters that reveal her grandmother and great-aunt were known as the “Waite sisters.” Popular and witty, they came of age during the interwar years, a time of peace and luxury filled with dances, jazz clubs, and romance. The buoyant tone of the correspondence soon yields to sadder revelations as the sisters grow apart, and one leaves home for the glittering fashion scene of Paris, despite rumblings of a coming world war.

Each letter brings more questions. Was Caroline’s great-aunt actually a traitor and Nazi collaborator, or is there a more complex truth buried in the past? Together, Caroline and Mat uncover stories of spies and secrets, love and heartbreak, and the events of one fateful evening in 1941 that changed everything.

In this rich historical novel from award-winning author Katherine Reay, a young woman is tasked with writing the next chapter of her family’s story. But Caroline must choose whether to embrace a love of her own and proceed with caution if her family’s decades-old wounds are to heal without tearing them even further apart.

NORA’S REVIEW: Readers get to see a more serious side of this author, as she pens an engaging WWII novel. Showing how hope can come out of tragedy, why secrets were kept, revealing a bigger picture neither of them could see. The author gives readers a front- row seat to the adventures these twin sisters (separated for the first time) go on to the London House and abroad, each fighting the good fight seeking to do their part for the war effort. Fast, forward to the future where we meet Caroline Waite, desperately digging to uncover secrets, that will bring healing and hope, to her family, setting them free from the shame and tragedy of the past. 

I enjoyed how this author used diary entries and personal letters between the twins, which helped Caroline and Mat get to the truth that would change everything. The author does an incredible job of whisking readers back in time. Showing one sister mixing with high society in the fashion industry and the other at the London House (family home).

Unlike the author’s other books that were fun, inspirational with flawed, relatable characters, this book has more of a serious tone. It takes readers to places the author hasn’t gone before. For example, we go to a few high society parties (with alcohol etc), where the sister hears designers briefly brag about scandalous designs, and intimate moments. Not graphic but gives readers a peek into that crazy world. This book almost reads as a non-fiction book about WWII very informative, and insightful, with no real spiritual thread like you find in her other books.

This was an enlightening, insightful story that shows a family torn apart and left fragmented by war. I enjoyed this mystery and how Caroline seeks to help her family heal. I also liked the splash of romance with Caroline and Mat as they discover some surprising secrets. Making this an engrossing story start to finish.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have received a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Nora St. Laurent

TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!

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5 Tips to Finding Books You’ll Love by Vicki Hinze

Posted on January 12, 2023 by Vicki Hinze

Tip 1.  You know your favorite kinds of books.  Look for authors who LOVE the same kinds.

One mistake authors make is to write to the market or to attempt to write what they determine the next “big thing” will be in books.  But after 34 years writing, I can tell you the only books authors should write are books they love.  Why?  Because their love for that book shines through in the story in incalculable ways.  It’s like anything else really.  When you love something or someone, you invest in ways you just don’t or can’t in those you don’t love.  So look for authors who love the same kind of story you love.

 Tip 2. Read the sample of the book before you buy.  

If you’re intrigued, feel a connection, and you want to read on, your odds of loving the book are better than if you find yourself skipping lines or paragraphs or (heaven forbid) pages.  Typically, you’ll have a good feel for a book within the first couple of pages.  Now that isn’t to say you won’t miss some lovely books that take a little longer to get into, but it’s a rule of thumb to gauge your interest and if you intuit the potential for a connection to the book. If so, read on! Odds are better you’ll love it.

Tip 3. Look for books recommended by authors whose work you’ve enjoyed in the past. 

 Generally speaking, authors are selective about works they endorse for other authors.  They agree to endorse books that are similar to their own, or books they’ve read, really enjoyed and deem have merit to their own readers.  An endorsement doesn’t mean the book is like their books, but it does mean it is one they believe is compatible with their readers and their readers will like it.

Tip 4. Consider the reviews on a book with an eagle eye.  

Some books click with some readers and others push one of their proverbial hot buttons.  Unless you share that hot-button, overlook the mention of it.  Seek the reviews that comment on story elements—a place, a personal trait, a situation a character is facing, a character you relate to—you enjoy.  Remember, reading is a personal experience.  An author brings the sum of all in them to a book, and readers read a book from the perspective sum of all in them.  But you can look at specific comments for ones that draw your interest, your attention, and are compatible with those books you love.

Tip 5. Keep an open mind.  

Because of that sum of all in the author, and that sum in all of the reader, it is easy to miss a book you would love.  If you find bits of things or elements that attract you to a book, give it a try.  You might gain some insight, open a new door, see something from a different point of view that proves beneficial to you and you find very enjoyable.

I hope these tips help and you find books you love.

Blessings,

Vicki Hinze

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Speaking with Alexa by James R. Coggins

Posted on January 11, 2023 by jrcoggins

Speaking with Alexa by James R. Coggins

When our daughter told my wife and me that she was giving us Alexa for Christmas, I admit it was the cause of some confusion. Entirely our fault, of course. We’re old and out of touch. Once we had clarified that she was not gifting us with a new granddaughter or a puppy or an endearingly named car, we were still a little mystified.

We finally understood that Alexa is an electronic globe that can tell us anything we want to know and do innumerable other things for us. I was still a bit confused. Did I really need a woman’s voice telling me everything I needed to know? I thought that was covered when I got married.

I had had some experience with Alexa. I mean the electronic globe Alexa in case my wife is reading this and might misunderstand.

You see, our daughter has Alexa. The same Alexa, but not the same Alexa. Apparently, Alexa has been cloned.

I was at our daughter’s house and was quizzing my grandson on the times table. I asked, “What’s six times seven?”

Without hesitation, he answered, “Alexa, what’s six times seven?”

An electronic voice answered immediately. Since Alexa knows everything, the times table should be a piece of cake. She got it right. I think.

I read something about Alexa on the Internet. A man asked, Alexa, why don’t my romantic relationships ever work out?” There was a pause, and then an electric voice answered, “This is Siri.”

Since our daughter is acquainted with Alexa, I thought she might be interested in hearing this story. I went to her house to tell her. I said, “There was a story on the Internet about a man who asked, ‘Alexa, why don’t my romantic relationships ever work out?’”

Before I could finish telling the story, an electronic voice answered, “Maybe it’s because you’re a drug addict or an alcoholic or because you gambled away all your money.”

Alexa might not know everything, but she sure is a know-it-all.

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What are you hoping for?

Posted on January 10, 2023 by Author Mary Alford

A new year always has me stepping into it with a little apprehension. While its exciting to think about what lies ahead, it’s also a little scary. Though 2023 is now in day 10, and is no longer a blank page, there is still a lot more year to traverse.

At the start of a year, many people choose Bible verses. It’s kind of a way of keeping us centered in God and holding onto His words throughout the new year. A reminder of His promises to us.

I chose Jeremiah 29:11 as my verse. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

What a beautiful promise is found in these words. God has thoughts of peace for us if we trust in Him. He wants to give us a future filled with hope.

Isn’t that amazing to realize that the God who created the universe knows each of our thoughts and concerns and He has good plans for us?

Before the end of last year, two words kept popping into my head. I normally choose a word for the New Year, but this year God gave me two. Trust. I want to trust Him more with every decision of my life.

Isaiah 40:31, “Yet those who wait for the Lord Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.”

And the hardest and most challenging word for me to actually do. . .Wait on the Lord. Sometimes,

I think I know His answer and I charge off and do something on my own only to have it fall apart. So, Proverbs 3:5 is a hard one for me. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.  

Whenever I lean on my own understanding, things work out badly, but when I wait and trust in God’s wisdom, the right answer will come, even if it’s one that I don’t always understand at the moment.

What about you? Did you choose a verse for the year, or a word. Or are you charging into 2023 trusting God to lead the way each day.

Happy New Year, everyone!

www.maryalford.net 

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