Check out all the books in this giveaway! It's pretty amazing!
Summer is a great time for reading and I've partnered with several authors to give you a chance to win all these wonderful books. To enter, click the link below:
https://promosimple.com/ps/2ad83/2024-summer-kick-off-giveaway-share
Giveaway ends June 23rd. (Not affiliated with Facebook or Instag
Nothing is prettier than a garden of flowers....except maybe a garden of books! Who doesn't love row after row of books on a shelf? With this in mind, I have partnered with Celebrate Lit for a giveaway just for you to build up your own "garden" of books!
Here is your chance to win over 45 books or a $500 Amazon gift card to buy a ton of books for yourself in Celebrate Lit's Garden of Books.
Click here to enter: https://promosimple.
The giveaway is going on now through May 19
Normally, I'm a pretty healthy person. I get sick maybe once a year, and typically it's something minor, and I'm back on my feet pretty quickly. In that last six months, I've been sick three times. When I get sick, I am impatient to get better - and that makes me grumpy. When it affects plans I've made, that's even worse, and of course, all three of the illnesses I've had recently have been during plans I've made.
In December, I caught a cold right after Christmas. My husband and I had planned a trip to San Antonio to watch the Alamo Bowl. I debated about not going, but husband insisted it would be fine. However, I was in a bad mood the whole trip. I didn't feel well. I had wanted to enjoy time with my husband, and instead we could barely talk because my voice was gone. When I think back on the trip, my memories tend to be negative.
Then in February, my kids and I came down with covid during the week we had planned to go to Great Wolf Lodge with my parents and sister's family. This is a new tradition that we started last year and is my parents' birthday present to the grandkids. There was no way we could go. So not only was I miserable because I felt awful, but because I missed out on a fun trip with my family.
This month, we had planned to go see a favorite comedian that was coming near us. As the time approached, my throat began to tickle. Then I lost my voice. Each day closer to the show, I got a little bit worse. Once again an illness was going to ruin my plans!
Remember the book of Job? I hate it when people compare themselves to Job, because usually it isn't even close to the same, but in my case I could picture one similarity. Not in the intensity of the trial or difficulty of the situation, but in the purpose of the trial.
Probably because of my fiction-writing mind, I imagined Satan standing before God like he did in the beginning of the book of Job.
"Have you seen my servant, Courtney?" God says. "She's grown so much over the past few years!"
Satan chuckles. "Oh, yes! I know her very well. She's not even a challenge. All I need to do is make her ill."
"Okay," God answers, "you may do that. Only you can't keep her from her trip with Joel."
After my trip to San Antonio, Satan again stands before the Lord.
"Courtney didn't do too badly on your test," God says.
Satan rolls his eyes. "It wasn't good either! Did you see her attitude? If you had allowed me to interfere with her plans, then it would have been worse. You know how much she cherishes control."
God nods. "All right. You may make her ill and ruin her plans."
The thing is, I fully believed that Satan is absolutely right. In that situation, I would doubt, get angry, pout - and while I may not actually curse God, I certainly would give Him some of the blame, feeling like if I were in control, things would have worked out exactly right.
Praying to God, I told Him that Satan was right, and that this was a test I would fail over and over and over again. So would He please stop testing me on this? Tears fell as I admitted this, but I fully believed that this was one area of my life that I would never conquer, and I was so tired of going through it.
The very next day was Sunday. I stayed home from church feeling miserable. My symptoms were bad enough that I sent the tickets to my husband and asked my daughter if her friend would like my ticket. I sent the hotel reservation to Joel as well, and fumed that once again I was going to miss out on my plans because of a stupid sickness.
I watched my church's live stream that morning, and felt God tear apart my accusations and my struggles. We've been in the book of Acts and there was one line that my pastor focused on. "But as he left, he promised, “I will come back if it is God’s will.” Then he set sail from Ephesus." (Acts 18:21 NIV)
There's always mixed feelings when I know that God planned a sermon just for me. On the one hand, it's pretty incredible that God cares about me so much that He is willing to take the time and effort it takes to discipline me when needed. On the other hand, it kind of hurts.
"If it's God's will." I make my plans and if I even use the phrase "if God wills" it's more of the Christian version of knocking on wood. It's more of a superstitious catchphrase than because I actually believe it. I'll even use the 'southern' version that I picked up from my grandparents on occasion - "Lord willin' and the crick don't rise", but I don't actually mean it.
What I really mean though is "I made my plans and God had better have the same plans in mind". Yeah, it sounds pretty bad to me too when I write it out like that. However, it's the truth. I want my will in my time. I want the control. When I'm forced to recognize that I'm not in control, I behave like a toddler.
So there I was, sitting at home, feeling terrible and being convicted, knowing that I wasn't going to get my way yet again, and knowing that I had a decision to make. How was I going to handle it? Was I going to blame God and pout? Or was I going to accept God's will and bow to His authority?
Later that afternoon, I was forced to go to Minute Clinic and be seen. It turned out that I had a bad sinus infection and a double ear infection. My decision to stay home was a good one as I rested and recovered.
At home by myself, I confessed once again my faithlessness, my idol of control, and my poor attitude. I relaxed and allowed my body to heal (though still not with patience - I'm a work in progress). I'm not under any delusions that I'm going to get this perfect the next time it comes up. In fact, I will probably need this same lesson many times in my life - much to my chagrin. But I'm thankful that God is long-suffering and that He corrects me as my Father.
Photo by Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-lying-on-sofa-269141/
April is here, and we are hoping for nice weather with showers that bring about May flowers!
To celebrate the start of April, I have partnered with Celebrate Lit for a giveaway just for you!
Here is your chance to win 35 books or a $500 Amazon card to buy a ton of books for yourself in Celebrate Lit's April Showers Bring May Flowers Multi-Author Giveaway.
Click here to enter: https://promosimple.com/ps/29ac1/2024-april-showers
The giveaway is going on now through April 21.
Spring is almost upon us and it is the perfect time to curl up with a good book! With this in mind, I have partnered with Celebrate Lit for a giveaway just for you to build up that spring TBR pile!
Here is your chance to win over 35 books or a $500 Amazon card to buy a ton of books for yourself in Celebrate Lit's Hop into Spring Giveaway.
Click here to enter: https://promosimple.com/ps/294ea/2024-hop-into-spring
The giveaway is going on now through March 24!
One of my favorite words that is used in conjunction with God is 'lavish'. There's something in that word that just speaks to my soul about the quality of God's affection for me. It's so easy for me to believe the lie that God tolerates me, that He loves me because He has to, but that's not the case. God loves me with a lavish love.
"See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him." (1 John 3:1, NIV) To be adopted by the King of kings is a privilege indeed, and He doesn't adopt us out of obligation, but out of His great love for us. He was absolutely thrilled when that adoption was finalized, and we know that the Bible says that there was a celebration in heaven on that day. (Luke 15:7)
Because of this love, He also lavishes grace upon us. "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us." (Ephesians 1:7-8a, NIV) His measure of grace isn't skimpy or insufficient. It never runs out. He never gets tired of giving us grace or forgiveness. There will never be a time when we have used up our allotment of grace, or when we have done something so wrong that God throws His hands up and abandons us. He has an abundance of grace and from that abundance, He gives it to us lavishly. How amazing is that?
I spent so many years knowing that God loved me, but feeling like I had to prove myself worthy of His love and grace. I knew how unworthy I was and that I mess up all the time. In my head, I told myself that my best wasn't good enough (which is true) so I needed to try harder to prove I was worth it (which was not true). The very definition of grace claims that I can't earn it and the same is true with love. The fact that I'm not worthy of it makes it that much more precious.
God's resources of grace and love never run out. He is rich in both commodities. He is the author of both commodities. They are not dependent on me in anyway. I can't be good enough to earn them, and I can't be bad enough to lose them. There is a limitless supply, and God has no need to hoard it or save it, so He lavishly gives to all who believe. Hallelujah!
Photo by Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/seashore-269583/
Valentine's Day is here, and I wanted to take a moment to tell all my readers how grateful I am for your love and support. In light of this, I have partnered with Celebrate Lit for a giveaway just for you.
Here is your chance to win 45 books or a $500 Amazon card to buy a ton of books for yourself in Celebrate Lit's We Love Our Readers Giveaway.
Click here to enter: https://promosimple.com/ps/28cdb/2024-we-love-our-readers-multi-author
The giveaway is going on now through Feb 18
It started when I got a gift card for Christmas to Barnes & Noble. I was looking up books on my wish list and decided that one of my purchases would be Fervent by Priscilla Shirer. It had been on my list for a long time, and I thought it would be a good one to start the year reading.
For the month of January, my church has been focusing on a series called "Habits" about different things we should make a habit of in the coming year. One of the topics being prayer, of course.
Then our new Bible study started up. The study that was chosen is called When You Pray. Our leader has us paired randomly with a new prayer partner every week. We exchange numbers and text one another with prayers, requests, and encouragement throughout the week.
My principal started something new for our staff this year, too. She had all of us pick a verse for the year, then printed them out so that we could pray those verses for each other. In staff meeting, we take a some time to do it all together as well.
This past Sunday, when I was looking up a verse to share on social media as I do every week, what verse should just happen to pop up? Luke 18:1, "And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart."
I don't believe in coincidence. I believe that when things like this line up over and over and over again, that God is at work, guiding and directing my life. Obviously something that is weak in my life right now is prayer, and it's something that God wants me to grow in.
Here are some things that I have become aware of:
- I often jump straight to my requests and don't take time to praise God.
- When I make an effort to praise God first, my heart settles and becomes less anxious as I'm reminded of the God who is listening to my prayer.
- It's easy to say that I will pray for others, and harder to follow through.
- Having a specific focus (a prayer partner for the week, a verse to pray for someone) helps me to take the time to pray for others.
- It can be convicting when I pray, and God uses that time to align my heart to His, and to make me aware of the sins and wrong attitudes that I have so that I can confess them and repent.
I know that God is faithful to finish the good work He began, and that He will continue to grow me in this area. It will be interesting to see where He leads this year.
Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-in-white-sweater-and-blue-denim-jeans-sitting-on-bed-5199759/
As the new year begins, we wanted to say how thankful we are for all your love and support throughout the year! What a better way to celebrate you than with an awesome giveaway just for you. I have partnered with Celebrate Lit Publicity Group to giveaway over 45+ books or a $500 Amazon card to buy a ton of books for yourself in Celebrate Lit's Happy New Year Readers Giveaway.
Click here to enter: https://promosimple.com/ps/285a7/2024-happy-new-years-readers
The event and giveaway is going on now through Jan 21
