Leisure Time With God is a collection of devotions from Where Media Meets Faith, Think Snow, Night Stories, and My Journey to the Holy Land.
Can God speak to us through movies, hobbies, travel, and dreams? The Bible is very clear that God can and does speak to us in a variety of ways. Kimberley Payne shares in short, simple stories the truth that God may have something for us to learn about our lives.
Best described as an emotional treasure of personal reflections, each devotional in this book holds a lesson of wisdom that can be applied to one’s life.
Book Excerpt
Author’s Note
Leisure Time With God is a collection of stories from Where Media Meets Faith, Think Snow, Night Stories, and My Journey to the Holy Land.
Over 60 devotions explore the movie scene, the joys and challenges of snowmobiling, night time dreams and their interpretations, and personal reflections of my pilgrimage to Israel.
I pray this collection of four small books in one will encourage and motivate you in your daily walk with God.
Where Media Meets Faith
Introduction
Where Media Meets Faith is a collection of short devotionals about movies and television shows that I’ve watched and what I’ve gleaned from them.
Movies included in this collection are The Passion of Christ, Time Changer, Pirates of the Caribbean, Bruce Almighty, The Little Mermaid, Murdoch Mysteries, Back to the Future, It’s a Wonderful Life, My Name is Earl, and Scary Movie.
Although most of these films are intended for a secular audience I’ve found that God has been gracious to show me Christian truths through them.
About the Author
Kimberley Payne is an award-winning author. Her writing relates raising a family, pursuing a healthy lifestyle, and everyday experiences to building a relationship with God. Visit her website.
Write Now Literary is pleased to be organizing a one-month book tour and book giveaway for Naked & Not Ashamed: The Transformational Devotional Experience by Chanelle Coleman. The book tour will run May 2- 27, 2022.
ISBN: 979-8985407600
Genre: Spiritual
Chanelle Coleman Wesley is a native of Milwaukee Wisconsin. She is the creative powerhouse of CeCi’s Ink, an innovative storytelling company that conveys stories through poetry, books, playwrights, blogs, fashion, and motivational speaking. Chanelle is significantly inspired by her late mother’s, Brenda J. Coleman, penchant for prolific storytelling and developing a strong sense of faith. As a survivor of abuse, Wesley believes in passing on the communication skills she developed to cope in those environments. She is also an accomplished playwright with her latest project, a gospel stage play entitled The Beautiful Truth About an Ugly Lie to be released soon. She strives to empower individuals who have lost their ability to advocate for themselves by challenging them to recognize the power of their voice. Her greatest accomplishment, however, forever remains becoming a mother to her six beautiful children and “GiGi” to her two adorable grandchildren.
Naked & Not Ashamed is a transparent conversation between Sisters. One that allows both the writer and reader to expose themselves without fear or sense of condemnation. It’s a journey towards healing that allows us to dialogue without masks, charades, or pretense. We explore familiar stories of women in the Bible. These powerful narratives of trial, triumph, failures, and flaws show the resiliency, redemptive and transformative power of encountering Christ. I also reveal personal experiences of my own Christian walk with all its ups, downs, twists, and turns. But the most amazing part of these chronicles is you! Right now, you are writing your story. Are you living with pain, grief, and regret that needs to be released? This book is designed to help you see your own undeniably powerful narrative. I want to challenge you to see the hand of God in your life and urge you to find the ability to tell your story. We accomplish this through journal prompts, activities, prayer, etc.
Tony instantly began screaming and yelling. I continued to bite down harder. I continued biting and grinding my teeth until I couldn’t bite anymore. I let go. He fell back onto the bed. I jumped up out of the bed, my heart was pounding, terrified I opened the door, and I was met with darkness. Hurriedly I ran out past the dining room, through the hallway to the kitchen. Panicked, I reached the back door. I began pulling on the door, but it was locked. Fear seized me as I began fumbling with the knob trying to unlock the door. The latch finally twisted up and I raced up the back-hallway stairs. At last, there was light. I ran as fast as I could through the open kitchen door. The light continued to welcome me as I forged ahead running through the hallway past the bathroom and my aunt’s and grandparent’s bedrooms, the dining-room and into the living room to the couch where my grandmother was sitting. I distinctly remember her shocked expression as I pounded towards her as she sat there speechless, on the couch holding my baby brother. I felt relieved and a sense of security momentarily came over me until my grandmother spoke. She stared at me, with her mouth opened in shock. She screamed, “Chanelle, you’re naked! Where are your clothes?” Momentarily, I had forgotten that I was naked, but the awful realization of my nakedness began to cover me like a garment. It was the evidence of my pain, humiliation, and fear. I stood there breathlessly as I gasped, painting for air, naked and ashamed, I told her my story.
If you know God loves your work, you can—as Paul put it—”work at it with all your heart.” But too often even Christians find it hard to engage fully with what occupies them for hours every day. This book will help you relate your work to God’s eternal Kingdom purposes. Here you will find not just one or two but several biblical reasons for getting up and going to work.
During your lifetime you will spend, perhaps, 100,000 hours working in paid or unpaid work. Will you see spiritual significance in those hours? In the end, will they really matter? These easy-to-read chapters will help you view your daily work within a new and much larger perspective. For example, what if you were to begin seeing your work as a worship offering that God gladly receives? Or what if you were to discover how he intends to use your work to further your own spiritual growth?
Get set to move from “Thank God, it’s Friday!” to “Wonderful, it’s Monday again!”
Book Excerpt
Have you ever thought of your ordinary, daily work as an offering? As an activity that can be offered in worship God gladly accepts? “Wait!” you may be thinking. “Like texting and driving, worship and work don’t mix. Each has its own proper place.” Sadly, too many Christians see worship and work that way.
It seems that a great many believers segregate the two in their thinking. Sundays for worship, weekdays for work. A neat way to compartmentalize. But stay with me for a bit. Let’s see if we ought to keep work and worship in separate drawers.
From the earliest Bible records, worship has involved offerings. Cain and Abel both came to God with offerings. God, we know, accepted only what Abel offered. Abraham trudged up Mt. Moriah, thinking he would have to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice—but God himself provided the animal for the offering. Tabernacle and Temple worship involved a whole range of offerings. The ancient Israelites offered a variety of animals: bulls, rams, lambs, doves, and pigeons. Some offerings included barley, wheat, red wine, yeast, and honey. All need for those Old-Covenant offerings, though, ended when Jesus offered his own body and blood on the cross. That’s why we no longer offer the slaughtered animals.
Does this mean New Covenant worship involves no offerings? Hardly. We are still to bring offerings to God—but not all those brought to the Tabernacle or Temple. Our offerings don’t atone for our sins. Instead, they spring from gratitude for the one-time sacrifice Jesus made for them. For example, one offering God still wants us to bring is praise. As Hebrews 13:15 tells us, “let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name.”
Worship as Body-Offering
But there’s another gratitude-sacrifice we can bring to God—one explicitly connected with worship. Paul wrote to the Christ-followers in Rome that as they gazed on God’s mercy in Jesus, they were to “offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship” (Rom. 12:1). What’s happening here? This one sentence connects offerings with bodies. Connects bodies with sacrifices. And connects bodily sacrifices with spiritual worship.
Have you ever considered your human body as a worship instrument?
“Not so fast,” someone might object, “bodies are so physical. How could they be spiritual? Praise songs and Bible and prayer and church meetings—those are spiritual. Bodies, on the other hand, are just biodegradable dust. They’re so mundane, so ordinary. They get dirty, sweat, need baths, get sick, and finally die. Souls and spirits—those are spiritual. They live forever. Aren’t they what we should be offering to God in worship?”
But wait. When Jesus said, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days,” what did he mean by “this temple”? Well, you say, “He meant his own body—the temple of his body. But of course he could say that, because he was Jesus—God in the flesh.”
True. But what did Paul go on to say about your body? Don’t you know, he asks, “that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit” (I Cor. 6:19)? So our physical bodies become spiritual instruments because of the One who lives in them—the Holy Spirit. And because these temple-bodies of ours are spiritual instruments, we can offer them to God in spiritual worship.
Work as a Body-Offering
When you get up, get dressed, and begin your day’s work, what instrument do you use to do it? Your body—the “house” that the whole you lives in.
If your work is driving a delivery truck, you use your hands on the steering wheel, your feet on the pedals, and your eyes on the road. Computer programmers use their brains. Singers used their vocal cords. And so on. In other words, this spiritual instrument, this temple of the Holy Spirit, gets involved to accomplish whatever the work may be, whether it’s paid or not. Paul urged the Roman believers to involve their bodies as spiritual vehicles: “So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God” (Rom. 6:13, NLT).
When Eugene Peterson came to Romans 12:1 in The Message, here’s how he put it: “So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life — your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life — and place it before God as an offering.”
Did you catch that reference to work in there? You are to place your “going-to-work . . . life . . . before God as an offering.” Yes—one’s work-life. Work done by the spiritual instrument of the body, the work itself, can be offered to God as an acceptable act of spiritual worship. This is not some radical new idea. Centuries ago, Martin Luther said, “Seemingly secular works are a worship of God and an obedience well pleasing to God.”
A Hebrew Word for Work and Worship
Or go back much, much further in history for a look at a surprising word. In the Old Testament, the Hebrew term avad is sometimes translated as worship. For example, at the burning bush God told Moses, “when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain” (Exodus 3:12). That English word “worship” translates avad.
Now for the surprise. In the fourth of the Ten Commandments, God said, “Six days you shall labor and do all your work.” (Exodus 20:9). Here, the word “work” translates avad. The same word that means worship also means work.
What links worship and work so closely that the same word can describe both? Deuteronomy 6:13 makes the connection: “Fear the Lord your God, serve him only.” The word “serve” in this verse also translates avad. In worship, we serve God. In work, we serve God. Do you recall what Paul told the Christian slaves in Colossae about their work? He said, “It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Col. 3:24).
Kamalini Kumar, a nurse, says, “Nursing is my profession, my daily work. But it is also an important way I worship God. For me, work and worship have become like two blades of a scissors; one is useless without the other. I see now that work is a ministry performed before God.”
The First Workplace Offerings
Cain and Abel made the first “offerings” we read about in the Bible. Both men offered something from their work. Cain, the farmer, offered what grew from his plot of ground. Abel, the shepherd, offered part of an animal from his flock. So each man offered that which stood for his work. God accepted only one offering. In the letter to the Hebrews, we learn why. Abel made his God-pleasing, workplace offering “by faith” (Heb. 11:4). Apparently Cain did not because, “Without faith, it is impossible to please God” (Heb. 11:6).
Our job descriptions define us as accountants, project managers, installers, or what have you. Those are useful as role descriptions. But they do not tell us who we are. Among other biblical terms that reveal our identity is that word “priest.” For Christians today, it takes faith to see ourselves doing our work as priests.
What do priests do? For Old Covenant priests, a large part of their work involved making offerings. For New Covenant priests, work makes up one of our major offerings. “Whatever you do,” Paul instructed the Corinthian Christians, “do it all for the glory of God” (I Cor. 10:31). That “whatever” wraps in everything, including our work. We are to offer, submit, donate our work to God as worship.
“What is That in Your Hand?”
The little drummer boy saw his drum-playing as worth little compared with the fine gifts of the magi. In a similar way, you may have considered so-called “secular” work unfit to offer to Jesus, the King. At the burning bush, Moses did not think he could do the work God was asking him to do—the task of delivering the Israelites from their Egyptian slave masters.
And so God said to him, “What is that in your hand?” Moses knew it was nothing but an ordinary staff. God told him to throw it to the ground. He did, and it became a snake. God then told Moses to take the creature by its tail. When Moses did so, it turned back into a staff.
What is that in your hands? What work has God given you to do? As you do your work for God’s glory, you turn it into a worship offering. As Matthew Kaemingk and Cory B. Willson say in Work and Worship: Reconnecting Our Labor and Liturgy, “Gathered worship in the sanctuary must become scattered worship in the streets.”
About the Author
Larry Peabody serves as adjunct theology-of-work professor for the Bakke Graduate University. His first book, Serving Christ in the Workplace was published by Christian Literature Crusade in 1974. Job-Shadowing Daniel: Walking the Talk at Work was published in the spring of 2010. Curing Sunday Spectatoritis: From Passivity to Participation in Church was published by Urban Loft Publishers in 2015. Peabody has served as a state employee, business owner, church planter, and senior pastor.
Write Now Literary is pleased to be organizing a two-week book tour and free book giveaway for My Sister Helped Me Heal: The Power of Kingdom Sisterhood by Chavon Anette. The book tour will run April 4- 15, 2022.
ISBN: 978-0578380049
Genre: Religion / Christian Living / Personal Growth
ABOUT THE VISIONARY
Chavon is an Amazon #1 International Bestselling Author, Transformational Speaker, Leadership and Life Coach, and Talk Show Host. She is the CEO of Purpose Unwrapped, LLC and non-profit Power and Grace Leaders, Inc. Also, a board member- COO- of an Accreditation organization- Governing Council.
Chavon is affectionally known as the Fire Leadership Coach. She marries practical and spiritual tools to empower and equip kingdom people to lead in the world. Formerly a high school educator, her mission is now to help Kingdom people Break Fear, Build Faith, and Lead Confidently online and beyond. She believes it takes commitment, confidence, and courage to impact culture.
She is also a transformational speaker who speaks with great passion in a way that empowers and challenges her listeners. She has been featured as a speaker on ABC news, TCT Today, Virginia Wesleyan University, and at conferences and other events such as globally recognized Comeback Champion Summit and Sister Leads Conference.
Chavon has published 4 books that are available on Amazon, and she has been a part of 7 anthologies. Three anthologies became Amazon #1 Bestsellers- Undeterred, (International Bestselling) Unveiled Transparency, Called to Intercede and Sister Leaders. Now, She is in the process of birthing out My Sister Helped Me Heal Anthology where she is the visionary.
Chavon Anette was the 2021 Servant Leader of the Year Award Recipient from ACHI Magazine. Also In 2021, she was nominated for ACHI as Entrepreneur of the year, mentor of the year, author of the year, and TV personality of the year. In 2018, Chavon was nominated for ACHI as Author of the year and Educator of the year, and in 2019 she was nominated for ACHI as Educator of the Year and Orator of the Year!
ABOUT THE BOOK
Chavon Anette and an amazing group of women join in an Anthology to share their story about the Powerful gift of Kingdom Sisterhood. The book is about real stories of Sisterhood That helped people move – from broken to whole – from hidden to walking in purpose – from rejected to accepted – from insecure to confident – from afraid to bold as a lioness.
EXCERPT
“Look at her”- my eyes meet my friend- “I support and love you.”
“Look at her”- my eyes shift to my next friend- “I support and love you.”
“Look at her”- my eyes turn to my other friend- “I support and love you.”
“Look at me”- my eyes are at my friend creating this moment- “I support and love you.”
It was moments before I would speak for my first in-person event. God led my friend Kiyanni Bryan to instruct me to turn and look at all my sisters in the back room with me – Lakia Perez, Ciara Mason, Melissa Daughtry, and herself, and allow them to say those words to me. With tears rolling down my eyes, the reality of their words sinking in brought me to a new level of freedom and deliverance.
It can weigh on you when you have had to manage the fights of ministry and fights in your
personal life. It never means quitting or giving up, but with the right people around you, it still means making sure you position yourself to heal in the areas where you have been wounded.
This book translates Jesus’ Kingdom-descriptive parables into modern instances kids can relate to, without first imagining themselves as grown-ups.
The Kingdom of Heaven (or the Kingdom of God) is a complex concept for humans to grasp. That’s one reason Jesus expressed it through stories in a context his audience could appreciate. He used adult characters and situations; yet he said, “Let the children come to me, don’t stop them, for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:14)
Kids need to be clearly assured that Jesus declares them capable—even exemplary—of Kingdom involvement! Identifying this from a young age will cultivate the simplicity and humility one will need throughout their life to participate in God’s Kingdom.
Book Excerpt
Many of the stories Jesus told were to help us understand what God’s Kingdom—living God’s Way—is like. Can you see what God’s Way is like in these stories?
Living God’s Way is like… when you plant a seed. You do the good work of putting it in the ground. That’s your part! The rest is up to the sun, the rain, the birds, and the bees.
Over time it will grow naturally, into a sprout, then a sapling, then a whole tree! God invites us to be part of growing goodness in the world.
About the Author
God wanted another artist, so God made Peter and gave him a love of drawing, design, and—just for kicks—puppetry. He has written short stories, scripts, and comics, but this is his first book. Peter lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with his even more beautiful wife and two sons in whom he delights. He also loves comedy, which involves two unrelated ideas resolving simultaneously—much like parables.
Against all odds, Landon Smith and her ordinary-hero neighbour Bobby Hawke survived a murderous plot six weeks ago. Now, she’s determined to leave solving mysteries to the experts—like handsome local police officer Dylan Tremblay.
But when a friend is nearly killed in a daring daylight attack, Landon can’t sit this out. Not when she knows the anger of being a victim.
Her faith tells her to leave room for God’s vengeance. Her heart says to retaliate.
The fight to expose Ciara’s enemy will uncover secrets and betrayal that could cost Landon her life.
Book Excerpt
Chapter 1
Thursday
What if I can’t do this?” Landon Smith twisted her fingers together in her lap until they hurt.
“Don’t let one toxic prof get inside your head.” Bobby Hawke looped the Corvette around another curve in the narrow coastal road. “She’s behind you now. Transferring to Halifax means a fresh start.”
“I ran away.”
“You made a strategic decision to regroup.”
Landon snapped her stretchy bead bracelet against her wrist. How could she explain her mounting anxiety when she didn’t understand it herself? She’d survived day one on her new campus. Next stop was a South Shore, Nova Scotia beach walk to unwind. Zero stress.
Except the drive from the city had given her time to think about the mountain of readings and the visible cliques among the other undergrads.
“Twenty-four isn’t that much older, but I feel like…” The hypnotic unfolding of the faded pavement drew her gaze. The throaty power of the convertible’s engine had them skimming the shore like a white seabird. “I feel like a trade-in car with dull paint and flat tires. What if I can’t keep up?”
The rays sparkling off the Atlantic Ocean dazzled her vision and churned the nameless dread in her gut, compounding the slipstream effect from the open roof. She ground her molars against a rising tide of heat. Spewing in Bobby’s Corvette was not an option.
Bobby slapped the vent control, and cool air blasted her cheeks. The car slowed. “Need me to pull over?”
Eyes closed, she inhaled deeply. The searing sensation ebbed, leaving a manageable queasiness. She gulped. “I’m good now.”
He eased back up to the speed limit. “You were getting kind of green around the gills.”
An oncoming police car chirped its siren once before whipping past.
Landon twisted to peer after it. “Was that Dylan?”
Bobby slowed again and jostled them onto the gravel shoulder, tires crunching to a stop. “Whoever it was just got a call. They’re coming back.”
Red and blue lights flashed, and the white cruiser paused alongside, its passenger window lowering. Constable Dylan Tremblay acknowledged them both with a nod. “There’s a pull-off around the next bend. Follow me.”
He cut the roof lights and drove on.
“Wonder what’s up.” Bobby signalled and eased the Corvette back onto the pavement.
Landon’s heart flipped. “Something’s happened at the inn.”
With the trouble at the Green Dory Inn this summer, Dylan had been the responding officer so many times that he and Landon had become friends. When she decided to extend her stay in Lunenburg, he’d adopted a protective big-brother role. Not that he or Bobby had more than five years on her.
She focused on the cool air streaming from the dash vent, but her nerves coiled tighter and tighter until she could barely breathe. As soon as Bobby cut left onto a grassy area and stopped beside the police car, she ran after Dylan toward the lone picnic table.
“Dylan, what’s wrong?”
He chose the bench with his back to the Atlantic. Behind him, the land fell away to where short, choppy waves sparkled like a net full of diamonds. The playful light contrasted with his unsmiling expression.
“Sorry about the theatrics. This needs more than a roadside chat.”
About the Author
Janet Sketchley is the author of the Green Dory Inn mystery series, the Redemption’s Edge Christian suspense series, and the daily devotional books A Year of Tenacity and Tenacity at Christmas. She likes her fiction with a splash of mystery and a dash of Christianity. Why leave faith out of our stories if it’s part of our lives? Janet writes in Atlantic Canada, and you can find her online at her website.
East City Girl is the story of a young girl growing up in a small Ontario town influenced by her parents’ Roman Catholic religion and Dutch heritage.
It’s a recollection filled with prose, poetry, and pictures from birth to Grade 8 in the 1970s and early 80s.
The story unfolds in a “scrapbook” format with diary entries, school projects, and report cards that draw you in from the start and transport you back in time with nostalgic memories.
Book Excerpt
My childhood bedroom had enough room for a single bed, a 6-drawer white dresser with a gold-trimmed mirror, and a small table tucked in the corner. The wallpaper displayed patterns of blooming pink and purple flowers. Holly Hobbie danced on my bedspread.
Although it was the smallest bedroom in the house I was happy it was all mine and I didn’t have to share space as my brothers did.
I kept it neat and tidy without Mom having to remind me. I also kept my bed made. It was easy since I went to sleep lying on my back (with my stuffed dog, Fonzi, under my arm) and awoke in the same position.
Mom cleaned the sheets on my bed regularly. She’d hang them outside to dry, even in the dead of winter. Then she’d iron them before putting them back on the bed.
I savoured the crisp, line-dried smell of the sheets.
At night, Mom would come into my room and tuck the sheets around my body. Snug in my warm bed, I’d close my eyes.
Sometimes she would tell me a made-up story. I treasured her stories.
She’d always say, “Don’t forget your prayers” after kissing me and leaving to turn off the bedroom lights.
And I never did.
I prayed, “In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Oh, Lord our God thy children say, grant us thy peace and bless us all. Lord, I pray for the poor, the sick, the needy, the crippled, the paralyzed, the lame, and all those who need help.”
I usually had no trouble falling asleep, but on those nights when I was still awake after saying the short prayer above, I’d start reciting the “Our Father”.
My mother created an atmosphere of security and affection with this simple bedtime routine. A routine of prayer I continue to this day.
About the Author
Kimberley is an award-winning author. Her writing relates raising a family, pursuing a healthy lifestyle, and everyday experiences to building a relationship with God. She also combines her teaching experience and love of writing to create educational materials for children about family, fitness, science, and faith. Visit her website.
DISCLOSURE: SOME OF THE LINKS IN THE PAGE ABOVE MAY BE “AFFILIATE LINKS.” THIS MEANS IF YOU CLICK ON THE LINK AND PURCHASE THE ITEM, WE WILL RECEIVE AN AFFILIATE COMMISSION. WE ARE DISCLOSING THIS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION’S 16 CFR, PART 255: “GUIDES CONCERNING THE USE OF ENDORSEMENTS AND TESTIMONIALS IN ADVERTISING.
Embrace your faith and tap into a boundless source of love, strength, and abundance through Christ.
Artfully blending a heartfelt message of faith with poignant reflections and timeless Biblical wisdom, this touching book seeks to open your mind and heart to Christ, encouraging you to embrace your faith and walk closer to God with the lessons of Scripture.
In Him – You Are challenges you to place your trust in Christ and experience the boundless love that propels us into a rich, fulfilling, and abundant life. As an enlightening antidote to pain, stress, and fear, this illuminating book shows you the path to Christ, gently reminding you that you’re a treasured child of God.
In Him – You Are welcomes readers of all ages and from all walks of life to accept an invitation to live the way God intended, freeing yourself from past trauma and failures to be reborn with the confidence to become who you were meant to be.
Book details:
• Thought-Provoking Reflections and Prompts For Readers To Practice Self-Discovery • Rich Spiritual Wisdom and Timeless Biblical Lessons • Includes Practical Insights For Living a Victorious Christian Life • Challenges and Inspires You To Confront The Lies That Keep Them From Living Fully • And Much More…
Perfect for both devout Christians and newcomers to the faith, In Him – You Are will take you by the hand and show you how to foster life-changing spiritual growth. No matter what kind of issues or trials you’re struggling with, this guide gives you a new perspective that will shape the way you look at yourself, the world, and God. Are you ready to create the life that God intended for you?
Book Excerpt
Our Triune God is sufficient within Himself. He does not lack anything. You are, whether you want to admit it or not, insufficient on your own. You lack the ability to save yourself from yourself; therefore, you need help outside yourself. There is good news! The God who lacks nothing makes you complete in Him. No amount of individual talent or treasure can make you complete or whole. Any sufficiency you have is firmly rooted in the eternal power of God. God’s completeness is the foundation of your wholeness. In Him you have everything required to live a life of fullness and abundance. You possess every resource required to endure suffering and humbly accept the victories brought by Christ. However, you must remember two key words—in Him. These words prove pivotal because outside of Him you can only rely on your limited resources for successful living.
About the author
Danny Davis, author of Rural Church Turnaround, is on a pursuit to bring transformation to individuals and communities. Davis uses the wisdom gained over 30 years in ministry to help others grow in their relationship with Christ. He and Sherry equip leaders and train church planters in Uganda, East Africa. When not writing or speaking, you’ll find Danny and Sherry enjoying a movie or catching up with their adult sons. Keep up with the Davis’ at their website — http://www.davisinafrica.com
DISCLOSURE: SOME OF THE LINKS IN THE PAGE ABOVE MAY BE “AFFILIATE LINKS.” THIS MEANS IF YOU CLICK ON THE LINK AND PURCHASE THE ITEM, WE WILL RECEIVE AN AFFILIATE COMMISSION. WE ARE DISCLOSING THIS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION’S 16 CFR, PART 255: “GUIDES CONCERNING THE USE OF ENDORSEMENTS AND TESTIMONIALS IN ADVERTISING.
Meeting Faith is a collection of 97 encouraging devotions from Where Family Meets Faith, Where Fitness Meets Faith, and Where Life Meets Faith plus three bonus devotions.
These devotions show the similarities between the challenges of raising a family, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and living life while building a relationship with God.
In the devotions, Kimberley shares stories from her personal life with candor and humour. She tackles everyday circumstances and common topics like worry, fulfillment, and happiness and brings scriptural solutions to deal with the problems.
The readings are written in a clear, conversational style which makes it feel like Kimberley is sitting across from you, talking to you about life and faith. Without being preachy, she finds answers in the Scriptures and points to God for strength.
If you’re looking for a book to encourage and motivate you in your daily walk with God, this devotion does a beautiful job of bridging true-life application with faith lessons. Even if your story is not exactly the same, the conclusion never changes as it reminds us of how much our Father loves and cares for us.
Book Excerpt
God’s Timing
My son asked, “Mommy, can I watch a movie?”
My answer was, “Yes, in ten minutes.”
His response started out as mild whining and then escalated into a full temper tantrum because he had to wait ten whole minutes. These ten minutes may have felt like a very long time for a child, but not the parent.
Just as we ask for our prayers to be answered God may indeed be saying, “Yes, but there is unfinished business that needs to be taken care of first.” However, we assume that since our prayer is not answered right away, God has answered, “No” or maybe He did not even hear our prayer.
I remember when I had listed my home to sell. I wanted to sell it the very first day and even expected the very first people to view the house to make an offer. You can imagine my disappointment when the first showing did not yield the desired results. Neither did the second, nor the third, fourth or fifth showings. I was distraught. I thought God was ignoring me. Maybe I had done something wrong and He was punishing me. Maybe He didn’t even hear my prayers. Maybe we weren’t supposed to be moving. All kinds of thoughts ran through my mind and I entertained each and every one.
What I know now, that I did not know then, was that God’s timing is very different than mine. Looking back, I know there are many good reasons that we were not ready to move when I wanted to. It is said that hindsight is 20/20, but God knows the past, the present and the future. We should not question His timing. We should accept that He knows best and accept that our prayers will be answered in His timing.
My son may not have understood why I asked him to wait ten minutes but I knew that I had to finish peeling potatoes for his dinner that evening, and if I did not do it then it may not have been done. I asked him to wait for his movie in order for him to have a nutritious dinner later. I knew the reason and that was good enough.
We should expect the same when we pray to God. Know that He knows best and He has the best timing. And many times His answer is, “Yes, but wait”. So instead of becoming impatient and trying to handle things in our own strength, we should live in the knowledge that God has heard our prayer and leave it up to Him to answer in His awesome time.
Instead of being happy that he would eventually get a movie my son pouted about when he would get what he had asked for. How many times do we pout about God’s timing instead of being grateful for what we do get?
“Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him” (Isaiah 30:18).
About the Author
Kimberley Payne is an award-winning author. Her writing relates raising a family, pursuing a healthy lifestyle, and everyday experiences to building a relationship with God. Visit her website.
DISCLOSURE: SOME OF THE LINKS IN THE PAGE ABOVE MAY BE “AFFILIATE LINKS.” THIS MEANS IF YOU CLICK ON THE LINK AND PURCHASE THE ITEM, WE WILL RECEIVE AN AFFILIATE COMMISSION. WE ARE DISCLOSING THIS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION’S 16 CFR, PART 255: “GUIDES CONCERNING THE USE OF ENDORSEMENTS AND TESTIMONIALS IN ADVERTISING.
In this sequel to The Lake Lights, Jonathan Oliver is chasing down an intruder on Lake Oswego’s Iron Mountain when he is trapped inside a cave holding staggering secrets from Oregon’s distant past. One of these relics sparks a remarkable spinoff from the Oliver family’s anti-gravity inventions. Together, Jon and his father incorporate their breakthrough into a revolutionary submersible design. At the invitation of Dr. Graham MacKenzie, the Gyrosensors team travels to one of Scotland’s wildest and remotest regions—and its deepest lake—to develop their secret prototype. While staying at Dr. MacKenzie’s retreat center, they meet a pretty but mysterious Frenchwoman. Across the loch, the reclusive caretaker of a Victorian-era hunting lodge is hiding monumental secrets of his own. During the prototype’s construction and sea trials, Jon and his family confront enemies on land, in the air and under the water. In the end, Jon rekindles a long-lost love and finds an ancient, holy treasure-hoard.
Book Excerpt
Prologue
Over the wind-whipped ocean waves they had voyaged, their sleek, high-prowed ships bearing fearsome figureheads. The seafarers had just pillaged a village on a peninsula jutting from the northeast corner of a dragon-shaped island.
Ordinarily, a celebration would have been in order, but the slaughter of unarmed holy men weighed heavily on the men’s hearts. Their chief prize was a splendid relic encrusted with gold and precious gems. The old monk had begged them not to take it, telling them of its significance and ancient origins. They listened to his tale of a foreign god of flesh and bone who healed the sick and raised the dead. In the end, they let him go but slew his defenseless companions.
Leaving behind little but ashes and death, they discussed the monk’s captivating story amongst themselves as they sailed around the island, searching for a place to overwinter. They also needed to replenish their stores of food and water before setting out again in the spring.
On the isle’s western shores, they entered a promising inlet and portaged to a long, freshwater lake dotted with islands and fringed by wooded hills and rugged mountains. Satisfied with the location, they sheltered in a shallow lakeside cave with a stream running through it.
The local natives were quick to defend their territory with clubs and spears, but their crude weapons were no match for the swords of the battle-hardened voyagers. After several one-sided skirmishes, the lake ran red with native blood.
The handful of those unfortunate souls who were captured alive as slaves appeared terrified of the water. When questioned, the captives babbled in their broken pidgin of a nameless horror that inhabited the lake, its islands and its shores. The newcomers dismissed this fanciful tale as nothing more than primitive superstition. For their part, they found the deep, rambling lake to their liking. Salmon and sea trout abounded in its frigid waters, and red deer foraged for food in the lush forests above it.
Then on a frosty October morning, the seafarers discovered the truth in the local legends. Their chieftain, a bearded giant named Krossbyr, had taken a small boat alone out on the lake to catch fish when its dark waters boiled to a froth, and a nightmarish ship’s figurehead emerged from the seething depths. Overwhelmed by waves, the boat capsized, and unable to swim, Chief Krossbyr perished.
His companions buried him with lavish honors and rich plunder in a natural grotto they had discovered beneath the lake. Leaving that ill-fated place, they sailed westward, never to return.
About the Author
William D. Burt is the award-winning author of the seven-title Christian allegorical “King of the Trees” series and of his new Creation Seekers series: The Lake Lights (Book 1) and The Vikings of Loch Morar (Book 2). All nine of Burt’s titles have been awarded five stars by Readers’ Favorite reviewers. Two of his first series titles (out of three submitted) were finalists in the 2014 Readers’ Favorite International Book Award Contest: The King of the Trees and The Golden Wood.
The King of the Trees subsequently won the 2014 Silver Medal in the category of “Christian Fantasy/Sci-fi.”
The Creation Seekers series is William Burt’s first foray into the realm of science fiction. The titles in this series feature the adventures of a fictional Oregon family of brilliant scientists and educators who turn the world upside down with their revolutionary inventions and discoveries.
As an Assistant Professor in the Special Education Department at Western Oregon University, Burt served as a successful grant-writer and program coordinator. He holds a B.S. in English from Lewis and Clark College and an M.S. in Deaf Education from Western Oregon University. Until his retirement, Burt was an RID-certified sign-language interpreter with over forty years’ experience. His interests include reading, foreign languages, botany and mycology. He is married with two grown children and five grandchildren.
DISCLOSURE: SOME OF THE LINKS IN THE PAGE ABOVE MAY BE “AFFILIATE LINKS.” THIS MEANS IF YOU CLICK ON THE LINK AND PURCHASE THE ITEM, WE WILL RECEIVE AN AFFILIATE COMMISSION. WE ARE DISCLOSING THIS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION’S 16 CFR, PART 255: “GUIDES CONCERNING THE USE OF ENDORSEMENTS AND TESTIMONIALS IN ADVERTISING.
Coaxed into finding the animal killer at Jamieson’s Outfitters, Tara Layne, with her sidekick, Boet, is welcomed by a threatening whisper and the unfriendly eyes of a rugged and devastatingly handsome manager. Wesley Clarke, both interesting and frustrating, holds an attraction for Tara that is both primitive and exasperating.
Intermingled with her search, Tara deals with her own heartbreaking buried secrets. When a strange old Native American probes into the recesses of her heart, he encourages her to face her bitter feelings.
As Tara closes in on her search, she finds herself—and Boet—the target of someone who’s determined to outrun and outsmart her. Someone determined not to get caught.
His theme: Fun as fast as you can, you can’t catch me. The question: Can Tara run fast enough to catch this real live Gingerbread boy before he decides to get rid of her and Boet?
Book Excerpt
A slight hiss interrupted her concentration. She glanced down at Boet who stared at something—or someone, mouth positioned as if waiting to hiss again. Was it mischievousness—or a warning—?
“Hey. What’s wrong with you? You be good now. I’ve got things to do.” She strode toward the larger building.
Close by, the muscular man talked with a group of people. His voice—deep and smooth—was confident and bordered on a whisper.
He was the one who had stared at her.
Tara’s skin prickled and her stomach tightened with a knot of suspicion.
Was he the whisperer from back on the path?
About the Author
Besides being a member and active participant of many writing groups, Carole Brown enjoys mentoring beginning writers. An author of thirteen, best selling, award-winning books, she loves to weave suspense and tough topics into her books, along with a touch of romance and whimsy, and is always on the lookout for outstanding titles and catchy ideas. She and her husband reside in SE Ohio but have ministered and counseled nationally and internationally. She has found that the traveling and ministering has served her well in writing her novels. Together, they enjoy their grandsons, traveling, gardening, good food, the simple life, and did she mention their grandsons?
DISCLOSURE: SOME OF THE LINKS IN THE PAGE ABOVE MAY BE “AFFILIATE LINKS.” THIS MEANS IF YOU CLICK ON THE LINK AND PURCHASE THE ITEM, WE WILL RECEIVE AN AFFILIATE COMMISSION. WE ARE DISCLOSING THIS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION’S 16 CFR, PART 255: “GUIDES CONCERNING THE USE OF ENDORSEMENTS AND TESTIMONIALS IN ADVERTISING.
Book I in the “CREATION SEEKERS” series by William D. Burt.
Published by: CREATION WAY BOOKS (an imprint of KOT BOOKS, LLC). June, 2017. (Softcover; 314 pages. Illustrated by Becky Miller.)
What are the mysterious lights flitting above Oswego Lake on moonlit nights? Marsh gas? Ball lightning? Or holdovers from the dawn of Creation?
When Jonathan Oliver makes it his homeschool project to track down the source of the Lake Lights, his search takes him to Iron Mountain’s abandoned Prosser Mine and its dark secrets. After his physicist father goes missing in the wilds of Afghanistan, Jon is left to decode a cryptic message leading to yet more mysteries and a remarkable, game-changing invention.
With his grandfather’s help, Jon matches wits with an unscrupulous scientist who will stop at nothing to steal the device and sell it to a shadowy criminal organization. Jon’s dual discoveries not only help him to deliver his city from total annihilation but also ultimately rock the scientific world to its very foundations.
Note from the author: If you love mystery, adventure, and suspense, this book is for you! It’s set in an actual location near where I grew up in the city of Lake Oswego. The Prosser Iron Mine is closed now, but in my story, something is living inside. Most of the mine’s history that I cite in the book is accurate, though I tweak it a bit for the purposes of the plot. The scientific information I weave in is factual as well. The scenic Iron Mountain trail also still exists and offers an easy hike through tall stands of fir and maple trees. I hope you’ll enjoy “The Lake Lights”!
Book Excerpt
Thuppa-thuppa-thuppa WHUMP. The window shook as muffled noises from outside jarred Jon out of his blue funk. Jumping up from his chair, he rushed into the kitchen, shoved open the sliding glass door and scanned the deck.
As soon as he opened the door, a gigantic, coal-black shadow rose from the deck and whirled into the night like a wind-driven leaf. Jon stood frozen in the doorway, hardly believing what he had just seen. Jennica and the grownups joined him in the kitchen. “What was that sound?” his mother asked him. “Did you see any lightning flashes? It might have been thunder.” Jon shook his head. “I don’t know what it was. Maybe I had better check out there to make sure everything is all right.” “I’ll go with you,” Reverend Sanford offered.
Nothing appeared amiss outside. Perhaps a fierce wind gust had blown someone’s black-plastic tarpaulin across the deck. Jon looked up, and his breath caught in his throat. The flickering stars massed overhead shed a remote, milky light that awed and humbled him.
“See the Big Dipper there?” Reverend Sanford said, pointing up at the breathless heavens. “It’s my favorite constellation, next to the Southern Cross in the skies over Papua New Guinea. I love stargazing.”
Jon tugged on the minister’s coat sleeve. “C’mere a minute,” he said. “I want to show you something on the lake.”
Jon led his guest to the deck’s back railing and pointed out the dark blotch that was Oswego Lake. Swarms of glowing objects were dancing and swirling above the water in a graceful aerial ballet.
“Our friend Dr. MacKenzie calls those ‘Lake Lights,’” Jon said. “Supposedly they’re caused by ball lightning or burning marsh gas.”
The minister’s jaw seemed to unhinge as he gripped the railing with white-knuckled fingers. “It’s just not possible,” he muttered hoarsely. “They’re here, too. I thought we’d seen the last of them. They’ve followed us halfway around the world to Oregon.”
About the Author
William D. Burt is the award-winning author of the seven-title Christian allegorical “King of the Trees” series and of his new Creation Seekers series: “The Lake Lights” (Book 1) and “The Vikings of Loch Morar” (Book 2). All nine of Burt’s titles have been awarded five stars by Readers’ Favorite reviewers. Two of his first series titles (out of three submitted) were finalists in the 2014 Readers’ Favorite International Book Award Contest: “The King of the Trees” and “The Golden Wood.”
“The King of the Trees” subsequently won the 2014 Silver Medal in the category of “Christian Fantasy/Sci-fi.”
The Creation Seekers series is William Burt’s first foray into the realm of science fiction. The titles in this series feature the adventures of a fictional Oregon family of brilliant scientists and educators who turn the world upside down with their revolutionary inventions and discoveries.
As an Assistant Professor in the Special Education Department at Western Oregon University, Burt served as a successful grant-writer and program coordinator. He holds a B.S. in English from Lewis and Clark College and an M.S. in Deaf Education from Western Oregon University. Burt has been an RID-certified sign-language interpreter with over forty years’ experience. His interests include reading, foreign languages and mycology. He is married with two grown children and five grandchildren.
DISCLOSURE: SOME OF THE LINKS IN THE PAGE ABOVE MAY BE “AFFILIATE LINKS.” THIS MEANS IF YOU CLICK ON THE LINK AND PURCHASE THE ITEM, WE WILL RECEIVE AN AFFILIATE COMMISSION. WE ARE DISCLOSING THIS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION’S 16 CFR, PART 255: “GUIDES CONCERNING THE USE OF ENDORSEMENTS AND TESTIMONIALS IN ADVERTISING.
Write Now Literary is pleased to be organizing a two-week book tour and $25 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway for The Many Facets of A. Starr by Amelia Starr. The book tour will run Nov 8- 19, 2021.
Genre: Memoir
ISBN-978-1647136864
Amelia Starr is the nationally published author of the award nominated memoir, The Many Facets of A. Starr: Purifying Truths. Ms. Starr holds an Associates of Arts in Communication; a Bachelor of Science in Business-Healthcare Management and she is also a Licensed Practical Nurse.
Amelia enjoys reading and writing literary works of all genres. Her love of writing was cultivated through her life experiences. Amelia Starr’s life has been riddled with uncertainty, rejection, violence and death. Fortunately, her life has also been a series of miraculously triumphant moments. Amelia incessantly strives to shine brightly as she embraces the light God placed within to illuminate spaces others cannot. She is destined to be, A. Starr! Additionally, Amelia loves being a mother, serene walks on the beach, and meditation.
None of us can control the circumstances we are born into. However, how we deal with our circumstances and the trials we encounter is the determining factor of our triumph or the reality of looming tragedies.
Amelia Isom chose the former. Her life was riddled with uncertainty, rejection, and violence/death, but her life has been a series of inconceivable triumphant moments.
This memoir will take you through a whirlwind of emotions from the beginning to end. Most importantly, you will know that life is not what happens to you…. But how you MAKE LIFE happen for you!
Carol attempted to get up. However, she stumbled a few steps and then fell forward toward Bill. Instead of helping her, he backed away and watched her fall. When she hit the floor he yelled, “Trick get up!”
Carol’s bloody nose dripped down onto her lips, her vision was blurred in one eye and the other eye was swollen shut. She was mercilessly battered and weak. It was impossible for her to muster up the strength to stand even with help!
Bill realized Carol needed to go to hospital, and the thought of showing any remorse or concern for her angered him even more. So, Bill lugged Carol into his car like a bag of trash, and spewed obscenities at her the entire 15-minute drive. “Trick stop bleeding all over my seats, I knew I shoulda left you!”
When they arrived at the hospital, Bill didn’t escort Carol inside. Instead with the same violent demeanor, he hatefully threw her out of his car! Carol stumbled inside trying not to fall, but her strength betrayed her. Her pregnant and battered body fell to the ground, while bystanders looked at her in shock and disgust… After what seemed like an unending couple of minutes, Carol was assisted by hospital staff and rushed to the maternity ward.
Why did I, an innocent child, have to enter life through such a treacherous path, that seemingly led to a dead end… broke – IN – this… my life.
Why do you write the kind of books you write? So far have only published a memoir.
Besides when you came to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life? The day I had my first born!
What is your current work in progress? A Suspense novel
What would be your dream vacation? Jambiani beach in Zanzibar
If you could spend an evening with one person who is currently alive, who would it be and why? Mary J Blige, she has overcome so many obstacles!
What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading? All things outdoors, preferably around water. For example, kayaking, scuba diving, walking on beach, hiking, hot air ballooning, skydiving, hang gliding
Tell us about (The Many Facets of A Starr: Purifying Truths) – A memoir will take you through a whirlwind of emotions from the beginning until the end. Most importantly, you will know that life is not what happens to you…. But How you MAKE LIFE happen for You!
Is there one particular message or “moral of the story” you hope readers walk away with? Don’t give up. Dark days will come, but they will also go. Do not quit!
Where do you like to write? Outside by stream, brook, beach
The Many Facets of A Starr: Purifying Truths is set in Brooklyn NY. What’s so special about Brooklyn? My mother spent many of her younger years in Brooklyn.
Write Now Literary is pleased to be organizing a two-week book tour and E-book Giveaway For God’s Unblinkable Eyes by Jane Asamoah. The book tour will run Nov 1-12, 2021.
Genre: Juvenile Christian Non-Fiction
ISBN- 978-1950685752
Jane E. Asamoah was born and raised in Ghana, West Africa. She lives in Roanoke, Virginia, with her husband and their three precious boys. She is the author of My Mommy’s Name Is Mommy. She will be serving as the new children’s supervisor for Bible Study Fellowship starting this fall. Her heart is to encourage parents to be intentional about helping their children understand God’s Word. The Bible instructs parents not to keep God’s Word to themselves but to tell it to their children so that they in turn will tell it to their own children and enable the next generation to know God (Ps. 78:1-8).
While his mom teaches him about the human eye, seven-year-old Kojo asks a question that sparks a whole new lesson about the eyes of God. Follow along as Kojo learns the many ways God sees His creation–from the plants, animals, and all of humankind to the wide expanse of the universe. God’s Unblinkable Eyes will introduce your family to the wonder of a God who sees–OMNISCIENT!
Check out the video for the Authors backstory to the book!
“During the day, God’s eyes continue to watch over you when you leave your house and when you come home.
He sees you when you are playing with the kids in the neighborhood. God not only sees us here in our house, but He sees everyone in every house in our neighborhood.
Kojo, I want you to think about all the different houses in our neighborhood, the families who live in each house, and each person in each family. God’s eyes see every child and every adult in every family, everywhere in the whole world at the same time.”
“Mom, do you mean God can see William right next door and Grandma in Ghana at the same time?” Kojo asks.
“Yes, He can because he is…”
“OMNISCIENT!! Kojo proudly replies.
“God’s eyes see everyone in every neighborhood in our city. He sees everything in every city in our state, every state in our country, and every country on our continent. In fact, God sees everything about everyone on all seven continents on our planet.”
What’s Your Story is a compilation of 25 testimonies from believers across the world coming to faith in Jesus Christ. These Christians share their authentic personal experiences of salvation that will encourage you in your faith.
What’s Your Story shares evidence of transformation that will inspire all who are lost to also give their lives to Jesus and ask Him to become their Lord and Saviour. Whatever your background, you will be inspired by these compelling stories from people in different walks of life. Being “born-again” changed their lives forever. It can also change yours.
Book Excerpt
Bett Harris: How This Believer’s Road Back to Jesus Hasn’t Been Smooth
Bett Harris was born in 1963 and gave her heart to the Lord at age 12. Though she knew of God growing up, and despite being saved at age 12, she never experienced God fully until her early 40s when a stranger guided her back to Him. Since then, her life has been overflowing with God’s love for her and for others.
**
“My awkward 12-year-old frame slouched into the cold hard pew beside my dad as I tried to make myself invisible. The small stadium was dimly lit. Stale tobacco mingled with the aroma of strong perfume. My muscles tensed, I felt alone despite being surrounded by so many people. A musical instrument let out a low whine that mingled with the beat of my heart, then everything went silent. The evening’s festivities were about to begin. Little did I know my life was about to change forever.
Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story. (Psalm 107:2, NIV)
Tonight, I was visiting my dad. I had lived with my mom and stepdad for six years, ever since my parents divorced. My home wasn’t a safe place. My mind drifted back to a few weeks ago when I’d been awakened to the screeching, yelling, smashing sounds of their fighting. I scrambled from my bed and peered into the living-room, afraid of what I’d find. Mom was sprawled on the floor with blood oozing from a gash on her lip. Stepdad barely dodged the sharp kitchen knife Mom just threw at him. I trembled, remembering how close that knife had come to my head.
I returned to reality as the music was ending. We took our seats as the minister began to speak. I didn’t understand much of what he was saying. He used words like ‘salvation’ and ‘repentance’. He repeated the phrase ‘the blood of Jesus’ more than once, which frightened me. I’d seen enough blood in my short life. I shivered under my skin. His words droned on. I tried to follow along but eventually got lost again in my own thoughts and worries.
My ears perked up when I heard, ‘Do you need a helper, someone to fill the empty space inside your soul?’
Yes! Yes, that’s exactly what I need, I thought. Had I heard correctly? I listened closer as the minister talked on. ‘If you want to accept Jesus as your Savior, if you’re ready to let Jesus into your heart, please stand and come to the front of the church.’
Without thinking, I stood and started for the front. I made my way down the stairs, almost running by the time I got to the bottom. Following the crowd, I found myself at the front of the church, on my knees. The minister called out, ‘Holy Spirit, come’. He touched the top of my head and something exhilarating washed over me. I wept. My tears ran full and my body trembled as the minister kept talking, his hand firmly on my head.
The next thing I knew I was making my way back to my seat. Dad asked no questions, which didn’t surprise me. I was used to the silence and loneliness of people not caring about me or my feelings. But that night, after my lone trip to the altar, I knew I wasn’t alone any more. Though nothing outside me had changed, something was changed on the inside. It was new, and I was excited. I felt safe and loved for the first time, ever.
However, being raised in a dysfunctional, and at times dangerous, home my feelings of safety and love slowly leached away. I attended a few churches in the first few years following my conversion but with no external support or encouragement, my young and fragile heart eventually found more concrete ways to survive. I learned to work hard, follow the rules, and stay quiet. I made it through high school, then left home as quickly as I could.
As an adult now on my own, my choices quickly began to show the lifestyle that had been modelled for me. Promiscuity, alcohol and drug abuse, a child out of wedlock, divorce, abortion, new-age philosophy, and a sexual identity crisis followed me into my late thirties. Things only began to change when, without prior notice, my mom died of complications after surgery. Then the proverbial sh*t really hit the fan. I remember clearly the day everything turned around.
Smoke hung heavy in my small room. Shimmering streaks of sunlight forced their way through the closed blinds and bounced off the dust and smoke. Laughter echoed somewhere in the distance. My body felt heavy, like a weight was slung on my back. I wept softly. Barely forty, I felt alone and lonely.
Desperation drove me to mumble a contrite prayer. I’m afraid Lord. Please help me. I was on the cusp of something new and the old had to fall away. It felt like the floor had dropped out from under me. I was paralyzed to take the next step alone.
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. (Deuteronomy 31:6, NIV)
My situation required a leap of faith, so I signed up for a small business workshop in my community. My muscles twitched with excitement and nerves. I counted 11 other people in the class. At the front of the room, a young woman began to speak. ‘Welcome everyone. My name is Kimberley.’ I felt a spark of hope as I sat up taller in my seat.
At the end of class Kimberley took me aside and said, ‘I’m intrigued by the ideas you shared in class about your business idea and would love to hear more about your plans.’ There was something inviting about her demeanour, her warm smile and confident matter-of-fact approach. We agreed to meet for lunch the next week.
I knew Kimberley and I would be friends within the first few moments of sitting down at the lunch table. We shared so many things in common, even to the point of finishing each other’s ideas on occasion. Before the end of our visit, I felt I had known her all my life. So, when she brought up the topic of faith and church I just went with it. Though I hadn’t attended church much over the years I suddenly felt excited about the prospect. With a new-found sense of adventure I accepted her invitation to join her at church that Sunday.
The building was smaller than I had imagined. An elderly man welcomed me as I entered. My eyes caught Kimberley’s, a huge smile on her face. ‘I’m glad you made it! Let’s grab a seat.’ I followed her to a pew at the back of the sanctuary. A lone wooden cross adorned the front of the church.
As the band began to play, a warm sensation stirred in my chest. Soon, my whole body was encapsulated in a vaguely familiar embrace. My heart thumped full as pieces of my soul, long ago torn and frayed, drew back together. I couldn’t stop my tears. Just behind me I heard a faint whisper, ‘Welcome home.’
I had drifted away from my faith over the years and lost my way. But God never left me. He had been with me all along, waiting patiently for me to come back home. I spent the next ten years voraciously studying God’s word, attending church and Bible studies. I got to know God for the first time. I was baptized in the Spring of 2005. I had found joy I had never known before, peace beyond my understanding, and the love I had yearned for all my life.
My struggles were far from over, but I learned to face each battle with a new-found determination and hope. God has since restored my soul. He has given me beauty for my former ashes. He has replaced my mourning with joy. He has filled me with praise where before there was only despair. God’s promises are real, and He is faithful to keep them. He did this for me and He can do the same for you.
Today, my days are filled with the joy of spreading His love to others. Because of my struggles growing up, God uses me to reach out and connect with others who are suffering. My previously wounded, broken, and tattered heart knows what it’s like to be alone, scared, and confused. I see a familiar pain in the eyes of others. My heart beats in tandem with the fearful soul searching for answers, searching for hope. I know what lost feels like. God urges me daily to stretch out my hand and guide lost souls home, just like a stranger did for me years ago.
God gave me this verse last year, as a promise and as a proclamation.
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives, and release from darkness for the prisoner, …to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve… — to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. (Isaiah 61:1–3, NIV)
Thank You, my loving and faithful Lord.”
About the Author
Kimberley Payne is a motivational speaker and writer. Her writing relates raising a family, pursuing a healthy lifestyle, and everyday experiences to building a relationship with God. Kimberley offers practical, guilt-free tips on improving spiritual and physical health. Visit her website.
DISCLOSURE: SOME OF THE LINKS IN THE PAGE ABOVE MAY BE “AFFILIATE LINKS.” THIS MEANS IF YOU CLICK ON THE LINK AND PURCHASE THE ITEM, WE WILL RECEIVE AN AFFILIATE COMMISSION. WE ARE DISCLOSING THIS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION’S 16 CFR, PART 255: “GUIDES CONCERNING THE USE OF ENDORSEMENTS AND TESTIMONIALS IN ADVERTISING.
Writers on Writing is a compilation of 35 interviews from writers of faith exploring where they get their ideas, what they like best about writing, and what inspires them. The writers offer insight into who influenced them to write and how their faith is reflected in their writing. They give a little snapshot into their personal lives and share writing advice. Writers on Writing is a must-read for anyone interested in gaining a deeper understanding of what it means to be a writer who is Christian and how we may write differently but come together for the glory of God.
Featuring interviews from… Abraham Raymond Eli, Andrea Cannon, Arulnathan John, Cara Ray, Chelsey Blake, Connie Mae Inglis, Danica Davis, Debbie Sorrentino, Diane E Tatum, Ed Newman, Gayle Kurtzer-Meyers, Grace Grossman, Ida Adams, Janis Cox, Jim Taylor, Jocelyn Soriano, Joe Serwach, Kian Ameli, Kimberley Payne, Kyle Davison Bair, Lela Markham, Mabel Osejindu, Marcia Laycock, Marianne Jones, Mary Gallagher, Mishael Witty, Mukti Masih, Nancy Booth, Robert N. McManus, Ron Mahler, Ryan Douglas Martin, Susan Elizabeth Henson, Thomas McDaniels, Verbieann Hardy, and Wanda Marie Thibodeaux.
Whatever your background, you will be inspired by these incredible interviews that contain a unique look into the world of a faith writer.
Kimberley is an award-winning author. Her writing relates raising a family, pursuing a healthy lifestyle, and everyday experiences to building a relationship with God. Kimberley, who lives near Toronto, Canada, offers practical, guilt-free tips on improving spiritual and physical health.
How long have you been writing and how did you come to it?
I have been writing since I was a young child…I wrote in diaries and journalled our vacations. I wrote poems and won a poetry contest in grade school. In high school, I wrote to pen-pals all over the world and had fun writing a fiction piece for my best-friend where we were the main protagonists.
Who are some of the people who most influenced your decision to write?
My mom always enjoyed my homemade cards with poetry. My teachers gave me A++ on written projects.
But it wasn’t until I was in my 30s that I received the call to “write to bring others closer to God.” I’d say God most influenced me.
Where do you get your ideas? What inspires you?
I am a life-long learner and love to read, take courses, and participate in Bible studies. Whenever I learn something I want to share it with others.
I am inspired by questions and comments my atheist and agnostic friends and family make and many of my writings are in direct response to these.
What do you like most / least about writing?
I want to leave a legacy for my grandchildren and feel that writing allows me to do this. I’m hoping that “greats” down the line will know a little about me and about God from my writings. I like that once I’m gone I’ll be leaving a little piece of me.
I don’t like not having all the time I want to write. But then when I do have a large amount of time, I seem to fill it with a ton of other things instead — like cleaning the toilet!
How do you balance professional time with personal time?
Balance?! We’re supposed to balance these times?
What are some of your favorite things? What makes you unique?
I love to ride my bicycle and kayak in the summer, hike in the spring/fall, and snowshoe in the winter. I absolutely adore my granddaughter and like to take her on my outings.
I have a lot of things that make me unique. I took a challenge years ago on Facebook to list 25 random things about yourself. I’ll share some of these with you (but spare you all 25):
I still have two baby teeth without permanent teeth following. I’ve never had wisdom teeth…I don’t believe I need them, I’m wise enough (haha).
I don’t mind the smell of skunk.
I’ve travelled to the Netherlands four times.
I’ve worked as a personal trainer, career counsellor, professor of accounting, waitress, photocopy jockey, and door-to-door salesperson.
I’ve met Ron MacLean in a bar in Calgary.
I’m not afraid of dying — I look forward to spending eternity in heaven.
I went White Water Rafting 3 times one summer. The last time I went I got tossed from the raft (thus the reason it was the last time!)
My life verse is Philippians 4:6–7, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
How is your faith reflected in your writing?
Everything I write is written through my lens of faith. I used to think that God was for Sundays and only interested in certain aspects of my life. But I’ve since come to realize that He wants all of me. Every day. Jesus is my Saviour and He is my Lord.
What are some things you learned from your own writing? From others?
Often as I am journalling I learn things about myself that I don’t really like — my pettiness, my complaining attitude, my jealousy. My writing reveals a lot about me. But I also like that God speaks to me through my writing.
What is your ultimate writing goal?
I used to have a dream to have my name on the spine of books scattered throughout Chapters/Indigo. I wanted to be known as a health and fitness guru, touring over North America giving presentations and selling my books. But now in my 50s, I’m happy to make at least $5 a month through Medium Partner Program to pay for my monthly subscription.
What advice do you have for a newbie on Medium?
Don’t get caught up in the numbers. It is easy to be drawn in by the stats, monthly pay, curation rates etc. And from there it can be very discouraging to continue.
About the Author
Kimberley Payne is a motivational speaker and writer. Her writing relates raising a family, pursuing a healthy lifestyle, and everyday experiences to building a relationship with God. Kimberley offers practical, guilt-free tips on improving spiritual and physical health. Visit her website.
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Crafting 30 different animals out of pipe cleaners, clothespins, googly eyes, and paint has never been so much fun!
Delight in this fun-filled book of clear directions and pictures of easy-to-create animals from Amazing Ant to Wiggly Worm. With only a few simple supplies you can make an afternoon of fun at home, at church or at grandma’s house.
Book Excerpt
About the Author
Kimberley Payne is an award-winning author. She combines her teaching experience and love of writing to create educational materials for children about family, fitness, science, and faith. Visit her website.
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Featuring inspirational verses from the Bible, these coloring pages will help you relax, unwind, and enjoy some creative fun while hiding God’s Word in your heart! All the passages have a theme of thankfulness, so you’ll be encouraged to cultivate gratitude and be reminded of all you have to thank God for as you color.
The verses are printed in colorable word art with decorative borders, blank on the back to make them easier to remove and frame or display, if desired. Each coloring page is accompanied by thought-provoking journal questions that will help you dig into the Scriptures even more as you focus on their meaning and application in your life.
Hide it in Your Heart with Thankfulness is an ideal Scripture memorization aid for Christian schools, homeschool programs, Sunday schools, or your own personal use. Children and adults will enjoy learning, practicing, and meditating on these artistically presented verses from the New International Version Bible. Order your copy today and start hiding God’s Word in your heart with thankfulness!
About the Author
Annie Douglass Lima considers herself fortunate to have traveled in twenty different countries and lived in four of them. A teacher in her “other” life, she loves reading to her students and sparking their imaginations. Her books include science fiction, fantasy, YA action and adventure novels, a puppet script, poetry, Bible verse coloring books, and a fantasy-themed cookbook. When she isn’t teaching, writing, or editing, Annie can often be found sipping spiced chai or pomegranate green tea in exotic locations, some of which exist in this world.
DISCLOSURE: SOME OF THE LINKS IN THE PAGE ABOVE MAY BE “AFFILIATE LINKS.” THIS MEANS IF YOU CLICK ON THE LINK AND PURCHASE THE ITEM, WE WILL RECEIVE AN AFFILIATE COMMISSION. WE ARE DISCLOSING THIS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION’S 16 CFR, PART 255: “GUIDES CONCERNING THE USE OF ENDORSEMENTS AND TESTIMONIALS IN ADVERTISING.
JumpStart is based on the BEEP Model (B—Bible Study, E—Eating Healthy, E—Exercise, and P—Prayer). My hope is that you will get into the habit of taking small steps every day to improve both your spiritual and physical health.
JumpStart is a 2-week program, Monday to Friday, with the weekends off to catch up on any days missed, repeat challenges you like, or take the time to rest and relax.
The format follows:
B – Each day you’ll be provided with the same scripture verse but a different word will be missing. You’ll be challenged to memorize this scripture by the end of the week. If you want to take your Bible study a step further, a “Go Deeper” question is provided. You’ll also be encouraged with a daily devotional.
E – You’ll receive an eating healthy challenge to encourage you to think about what you’re putting in your body. In addition, you’ll receive a new healthy soup, salad or smoothie recipe.
E – You’ll be provided with a short cardiovascular challenge and every Tuesday and Thursday it’ll be paired with a simple stretch. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays it’ll be coupled with a simple strength training move to try.
P – Lastly, you’ll receive a new way to model your prayer in a manner pleasing to God each day. I pray this will be a catalyst to a healthier year for you!
What better day to start a new health program than a Monday? Today begins the journey to create habits to improve your spiritual health through Bible study and prayer, and your physical health through eating healthy and exercise.
B – Bible Study
Read the verse below repeatedly over the day and commit to memorize it.
I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being. (Ephesians 3:16)
Go Deeper:
Read the Bible verses before and after the memory verse to better understand the context.
Devotional: 3 Reasons I Believe the Bible to Be True
I love to read my Bible. I especially enjoy reading the New Living Translation (NLT) Life Application Study Bible as it offers notes that help me to understand the culture, history, and context of what I am reading.
But there was a time when I didn’t read my Bible. I didn’t even really believe it to be true.
And I know a lot of people who feel this way. My own family members have questioned the accuracy and truth of the Bible.
Can we trust the Bible to be true and accurate? Does it have the authority to inform my life? Is it truly God-breathed?
Pastor Tracy of Causeway Christian Assembly in Ontario, Canada, recently preached on “Can I trust the Bible?” I found her short sermon to be right on the mark. She outlined what the Bible is and gave three reasons why we can trust it to be the Word of God. I found her sermon to be so well presented that I have shamelessly lifted it almost word-for-word and present it here:
What is the Bible?
The Bible is comprised of 66 books written by about 40 authors from different backgrounds. The writings span 1500 years in 3 different languages. It contains different literary categories including history, poetry, prophecy, song lyrics, etc.
They all tell one unified and coherent story. The creation of humanity, the rebellion of humanity, and the redemption of humanity. The Bible is God’s Word.
How can we trust the Bible is God’s Word?
1. The Bible itself testifies that it is the Word of God
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16–17)
The phrase “God-breathed” draws meaning from the creation story in Genesis. 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. God made humans come to life.
Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is alive and powerful.”
God ensured that what was written was what He intended to be said. The scriptures weren’t written by men that used their own ideas. The Scriptures were God-breathed and penned by those yielded to the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:20–21)
2. Outside evidence proves the Bible is historically accurate
By applying the same criteria for accuracy to the Bible as is applied to other ancient documents we prove the Bible to be accurate.
With thousands of ancient writings in original language text copied from each book of the Bible, we can compare ancient documents with each other to verify their accuracy.
This process for comparison was very rigid which even involved counting letters to ensure nothing was missing.
For example, Plato’s “The Republic” was written around 400 BCE. The earliest copy we have was in the 9th Century CE; a time span of about 1300 years from when it was originally written to the first copy. And only seven copies of this exist.
No one doubts the accuracy of this document.
Now, look at the New Testament in the Bible and apply the same criteria.
The New Testament was written between 50–100 CE. The earliest copy we have was from 125 CE; a time span of only 25 years. And over 24,000 copies in Greek, Latin, and other languages exist. Greek language copies are said to be 99.5% accurate to one another with none of the errors affecting interpretation but rather spelling.
If we can trust the accuracy of other ancient documents with the same type of test we can also trust the accuracy of the New Testament.
We can say the same for the Old Testament. When the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in the 20th century it was determined that the quality of biblical transmission was so rigid that even after 1000 years the copies were word-for-word identical in more than 95% of the text. And again most of the differences were spelling.
When it comes to the accuracy of the Bible, we can be confident to say that the Bible is the most accurately preserved and verified document of the ancient world.
We can trust the Bible because it says so and because it passes the accuracy test.
The Bible can be trusted for other reasons:
It accurately predicted the future
Its historical reliability is verified through archeological finds
There are no scientific errors. It tells us amazing facts about our world and our universe thousands of years before scientists discovered that they were actually true
3. The ability of Scripture to have a transformational effect
The Bible isn’t merely entertainment. As we read the words we encounter God. We learn about Who He is and how much He loves us.
We read about what He did to bring His people to Himself and what He is still doing and going to do.
We learn how to live our lives under the authority of God and as we do we experience the transformational power of a living God who would give us His living word to guide us.
And, of course, throughout every page and throughout every book we are pointed to Jesus, the One through Whom we are reconciled to God.
In a time when truth is subjective, we can trust the Bible. We can stand upon its promises. We can take comfort from the passages we read. We can learn from its wisdom. We can meet and get to know our Saviour.
I agree with everything Pastor Tracy says here and believe the Bible to be true. How about you?
E – Eating Healthy Are you guilty of eating while you’re distracted? It’s proven that we eat more when not paying attention to our food.
Solution: Do not munch your lunch (or any other food) while at your computer or in front of the television.
Recipe: Strawberry Banana Smoothie
Ingredients 5 frozen strawberries 1 ripe banana 1 stalk celery ½ tsp chia seeds ½ cup plain coconut yogurt 1 tablespoon raw honey Water for desired consistency
Preparation
Add all the ingredients into a blender or processor. Blend on high until everything is smooth.
Frozen ingredients work best if a thicker consistency is preferred. More or less sweeteners can be used, and water added to achieve desired taste and consistency.
E – Exercise
Improving your cardiovascular health doesn’t need to take hours out of your day. Try the exercise below and repeat it throughout your day.
Cardio:
Punch It Out – Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, and the right leg a few inches in front of the left. Raise the fists up and keep the elbows in. Punch the fist closest to your body in front of you, while rotating the torso. Give a good 10 punches before switching arms and leg stance.
Strength:
Biceps – Concentration Curl
Sit on the edge of a bench with your feet firmly on the floor about shoulder-width apart, toes pointed slightly outward.
Keep your back straight, lean forward, and place your left hand on your left thigh just above the knee for support.
Pick up a dumbell with your right hand, palm facing away from you, and brace the upper part of your right arm against the inside of your right thigh to isolate the biceps.
Curl the weight up toward your right shoulder smoothly.
After a brief pause at the top of the movement, lower the weight with control as you inhale.
Tips:
1. Never throw the weight up or use jerky motions to lift the weight.
2. Use only your biceps and work through the full range of motion.
3. Do the curl with one arm at a time to concentrate on the movement.
P – Prayer
God wants you to know Him more. The best way to do this is through daily prayer. Follow the PATH model to help you enter into a dialogue with God.
P: Lord, I praise You for Your love and …
A: I admit that I’ve thought, said, and done things that are wrong. Today I ask forgiveness for …
T: God, I thank You for security and …
H: Yahweh, I askYour help to grow in my relationships and …
Devotional: The Lie I Once Believed About Prayer
As a young teenager, I would take my dog for a walk in the back fields behind my house. Many times, I would sit on a rock in the tall grass and talk to God. I always looked at the sky and imagined Him up there. But my prayers felt more like wishes and I wasn’t sure whether He actually heard me.
We prayed the Our Father (Lord’s Prayer) before every meal but I never took the time to understand the prayer; it was just something we did. Like making the sign-of-the-cross (blessing yourself), it was more habit than anything else for me.
My mom always said, “Say your prayers” as she tucked us into bed at night. I would sing a prayer in my mind that I learned in Brownies:
Oh Lord, our God Thy children call Grant us thy peace And bless us all Goodnight, Goodnight.
But again, I wondered if God knew who I was. I didn’t put much stock in my own prayers. I didn’t think I had any prayer power.
Now on the older hand, I believed my eldest brother had prayer power. I believed he could bend the ear of God because he went to Bible College. He actually read the Bible and knew stuff.
So when I had a serious prayer request, I would seek him out and ask him to pray for me. I didn’t think I had any clout with God and so decided to leave the big prayers to my big brother. Herein lies the lie.
God doesn’t care if I went to Bible College. He doesn’t care if I trained to be a nun. God only wants my heart.
God desires a relationship with me and it starts with talking with Him, which is what prayer is about. It is communicating with our Creator.
God hears our prayers, and if we are genuine in wanting to be in relationship with Him, and walk in faith and obedience to Jesus Christ, we can expect to receive answers to our prayers.
I don’t need my big brother to act as intermediary for God to hear my prayers. I have Jesus to do this.
“For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus.” (Timothy 2:5)
Bonus Video
I’ve created a video series of 30-second quick tips on the 4 disciplines of Bible study, Eating Healthy, Exercise, and Prayer.
Kimberley Payne is a motivational speaker and writer. Her writing relates raising a family, pursuing a healthy lifestyle, and everyday experiences to building a relationship with God. Kimberley offers practical, guilt-free tips on improving spiritual and physical health. Visit her website.
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This short book holds a collection of devotional writings, which explore the joys and challenges of snowmobiling and building a relationship with God.
Book Excerpt
Introduction
“I’m a snowmobiler,” he said with a twinkle in his eye. I thought it was an odd comment to make to a girl he had just recently met (and in the dead of summer at that).
“I see,” I replied although I really didn’t. I was just being polite. Months later I understood what my future husband meant by that simple proclamation. He was a snowmobiler.
Around September, when the days become cooler and shorter, he starts to get a little spring in his step. The excitement and the anticipation of the upcoming sledding season carry him away. He whistles (as I sob quietly) while we pack the summer lounge chairs away in the shed. He rakes leaves with enthusiasm, as I pull in closer to the fire.
The first snowfall moves him to action. Into the garage the snowmobiles roar, released from their summer slumber. I have never seen a man spend so many hours lovingly tending to a machine.
I have learned what he meant by his claim, “I am a snowmobiler”. He thinks about snowmobiling all the time. He subscribes to four magazines that he reads daily. He talks with family about it. He searches the Internet and emails his friends about it. And I believe when he is making “vroom vroom” noises in his sleep, he is actually dreaming about it. My husband is a snowmobiler.
This has made me think. What if on first meeting a person I said, “I am a Christian.” Would they know what that meant? Would it become clearer after they talked with me for a while?
Do I subscribe to Christian publications and read the Bible? Do I talk with family and write to friends about God? Do I go to sleep with prayers on my lips?
There are many ways to describe myself—an avid walker, a recreational athlete, a motivational speaker, an author and a writer—but would I ever just say I am a Christian?
My faith permeates all that I do—well, that is my desire. But the question has just recently come to mind. How bold am I in my faith? I feel it’s a question that I’ll carry with me each and every day as I seek to know God better.
Just as snowmobiling has become a passion of mine (how could it not?) I desire to share with others the joy of having God as front and centre in my life. I am a Christian.
I hope you enjoy this short devotional and the photos that I’ve taken along our many snowmobile trips.
About the Author
Kimberley Payne is a motivational speaker and writer. Her writing relates raising a family, pursuing a healthy lifestyle, and everyday experiences to building a relationship with God. Kimberley offers practical, guilt-free tips on improving spiritual and physical health. Visit her website.
DISCLOSURE: SOME OF THE LINKS IN THE PAGE ABOVE MAY BE “AFFILIATE LINKS.” THIS MEANS IF YOU CLICK ON THE LINK AND PURCHASE THE ITEM, WE WILL RECEIVE AN AFFILIATE COMMISSION. WE ARE DISCLOSING THIS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION’S 16 CFR, PART 255: “GUIDES CONCERNING THE USE OF ENDORSEMENTS AND TESTIMONIALS IN ADVERTISING.
Chanelle Coleman Wesley is a native of Milwaukee Wisconsin. She is the creative powerhouse of CeCi’s Ink, an innovative storytelling company that conveys stories through poetry, books, playwrights, blogs, fashion, and motivational speaking. Chanelle is significantly inspired by her late mother’s, Brenda J. Coleman, penchant for prolific storytelling and developing a strong sense of faith. As a survivor of abuse, Wesley believes in passing on the communication skills she developed to cope in those environments. She is also an accomplished playwright with her latest project, a gospel stage play entitled The Beautiful Truth About an Ugly Lie to be released soon. She strives to empower individuals who have lost their ability to advocate for themselves by challenging them to recognize the power of their voice. Her greatest accomplishment, however, forever remains becoming a mother to her six beautiful children and “GiGi” to her two adorable grandchildren.
Amelia Starr is the nationally published author of the award nominated memoir, The Many Facets of A. Starr: Purifying Truths. Ms. Starr holds an Associates of Arts in Communication; a Bachelor of Science in Business-Healthcare Management and she is also a Licensed Practical Nurse.
Amelia enjoys reading and writing literary works of all genres. Her love of writing was cultivated through her life experiences. Amelia Starr’s life has been riddled with uncertainty, rejection, violence and death. Fortunately, her life has also been a series of miraculously triumphant moments. Amelia incessantly strives to shine brightly as she embraces the light God placed within to illuminate spaces others cannot. She is destined to be, A. Starr! Additionally, Amelia loves being a mother, serene walks on the beach, and meditation.
Jane E. Asamoah was born and raised in Ghana, West Africa. She lives in Roanoke, Virginia, with her husband and their three precious boys. She is the author of My Mommy’s Name Is Mommy. She will be serving as the new children’s supervisor for Bible Study Fellowship starting this fall. Her heart is to encourage parents to be intentional about helping their children understand God’s Word. The Bible instructs parents not to keep God’s Word to themselves but to tell it to their children so that they in turn will tell it to their own children and enable the next generation to know God (Ps. 78:1-8).
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