Scripture Graphics #76

And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou. (Genesis 41:1, 39-40)

A lot can happen in just two years. In two years, Joseph could have become calloused against God in bitterness. He could have decided it wasn’t worth giving credit to God for his wisdom (after all, the last dreams he interpreted only kept him in prison). But here we see evidence of him staying faithful to God—and being rewarded about 700 days later. When it’s hard to stay faithful, we need to remember the testimonies of others before us.

And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain. (Exodus 3:11-12)

God didn’t answer Moses’ question of “Who am I?” Instead, He reassured Moses of His presence, faithfulness, and ability. It is never important who we are, or what our ability are. It is always important that we follow our powerful, mighty God.

And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt. Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, Intreat the LORD, that he may take away the frogs from me, and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may do sacrifice unto the LORD. (Exodus 8:7-8)

The magicians could repeat some of the acts of God, but never could they undo the miracles.

And thou shalt shew thy son in that day, saying, This is done because of that which the LORD did unto me when I came forth out of Egypt. And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that the LORD'S law may be in thy mouth: for with a strong hand hath the LORD brought thee out of Egypt. (Exodus 13:8-9)

The Passover was a memorial—an opportunity for parents to testify to their children of God’s deliverance, and by so doing, they would be inclined of gratitude to keep God’s law. We have every reason to do the same with salvation. Every Sunday (by going to church) is not too often to purposefully remember God’s deliverance of us, to testify it to others, and to be reminded of the merciful God Whose Word we should be inclined to keep.

What reminders have you had from God's Word this week?

Scripture Graphics #75

Abram fully trusted God at His Word when there was absolutely no substance (in Abram’s eyes) on earth to prove God would keep His promise. God had promised Abram descendents more in number than the stars or sand. Abram had no children and God didn’t accept Abram’s substitute of Eliezer. Even after Abram’s human plan was thwarted, he believed God. Today, we have God’s entire Word of promises and proof of His ability to keep His promises. Yet we struggle to fully trust in Him.

And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant. (Genesis 17:14)

Each individual had to be circumcised or they themselves would be cut off. It wasn’t enough that they were a member of a tribe of Israel. So is salvation—being a member of a Christian family means nothing for our salvation. Each individual must personally accept Jesus as Savior.

In his time of fear and need, Jacob first exalted God and humbled himself.

It was obvious to others that God was with Joseph. His circumstances never jaded his testimony. What about when our days are rough—do others see Jesus in us?

What lesson have you learned from Joseph's life?

Until We Find Home | First Line Friday, Review

When I saw a book by Cathy Gohlke come up for review, I grabbed it! I really liked how she incorporated history in her book, Promise me This. I liked this book even better! If you like WWII, this is another book to add to your shelves!

First line:

Lightning crackled, splitting the night sky over Paris, illuminating letters painted on the bookstore window across the street: La Maison des Amis des Livres.

Share a first line from a book you're currently reading (or the book that's closest to you!!
What is your favorite WWII book? 
 Connecting with Hoarding Books for First Line Friday! Hop over and connect with your first line!

My Review

Refugee children in WWII and the acceptance that they faced was truly heart-felt in this story. Not only did the children have obstacles to face, but their guardian had her own challenges. I enjoyed all of the characters in this book—though I’d have to say the doctor was likely my favorite. Having C.S. Lewis and Beatrix Potter featured in this book was a charming element. Me being a writer, I definitely loved all of the writerly threads portrayed. There was relatively little romance in this book. Claire had hopes of romance from page one, but the way everything progressed with her romantic life was not ultra emotional and roller-coaster. I enjoyed the romance aspect of this. The spiritual thread was definitely there. There were more quotes from Christian authors of the time than the Bible, and if I read it correctly, it appeared that one of the characters was saved when she was dreaming. That, to me, was a little odd, as I don’t see examples of that in the Bible.  In short, I enjoyed this book more than the other Cathy Gohlke book that I’d read. *I received this book from Tyndale Publicity Team and happily provided my honest review* About the Book For American Claire Stewart, joining the French Resistance sounded as romantic as the storylines she hopes will one day grace the novels she wants to write. But when she finds herself stranded on English shores, with five French Jewish children she smuggled across the channel before Nazis stormed Paris, reality feels more akin to fear. With nowhere to go, Claire throws herself on the mercy of an estranged aunt, begging Lady Miranda Langford to take the children into her magnificent estate. Heavily weighted with grief of her own, Miranda reluctantly agrees . . . if Claire will stay to help. Though desperate to return to France and the man she loves, Claire has few options. But her tumultuous upbringing—spent in the refuge of novels with fictional friends—has ill-prepared her for the daily dramas of raising children, or for the way David Campbell, a fellow American boarder, challenges her notions of love. Nor could she foresee how the tentacles of war will invade their quiet haven, threatening all who have come to call Bluebell Wood home and risking the only family she’s ever known. Set in England’s lush and storied Lake District in the early days of World War II, and featuring cameos from beloved literary icons Beatrix Potter and C. S. Lewis, Until We Find Home is an unforgettable portrait of life on the British home front, challenging us to remember that bravery and family come in many forms. Extras Read a Q&A with the author here! What inspired her to write this book? Why did she choose this location? Find this book on Amazon Add to your Goodreads "to read" list Visit Cathy's website

Quest for Leviathan!

Yep! I'm ready to spill some more news about my short story!

By God's grace, I finished the second draft of "Quest for Leviathan" last week, and it is now in the hands of some beta readers. I am hoping for a February release, but I'm going to try something new here: a few illustrations. No, not me. I can't draw. But I have a friend who's willing to try drawing some dragons for me! I'll definitely keep you all updated!

Now that that's finished and I'm not going to burst with the news anymore ;) ... a more detailed description of writing progress last week:

Goals from last week:

• Write 2000 words
• Wrote 1,958 (whoops, I should have checked that on Saturday!! :P )
• I'm giving myself a little room for error, because my writing was all in editing, which makes it harder to add words--I don't add words just for the sake of adding them. ;)
• Finish reading Fiction-Writing Modes
• Yep! See my review here.
• Start a research book
• I actually started and finished a book on the Warwick Castle! Review here.

From My Desk:

Or, my social media. ;) This week, I was actually active on social media. If you can see this video, it kind of explains why:

If you couldn't see the video, I decided to join up with the #janwritelog challenge, where basically you post and keep your followers regularly updated with progress.

Since I was editing Leviathan, I had several updates:

Beyond Leviathan...

Just sayin’... my sister knows how to get me the perfect gift!

Reminded that #lessismore in writing. #amreading 

“Fiction-Writing Modes” by Mike Klaassen. 

What book on the writing craft do you recommend? 

Any favorite writing quotes lately?

My Kindle has taken on a new important role lately, 

and has proven invaluable for beta reading!! 

I’m liking this device more and more as I use it! 

How do you use your Kindle?

Saturday projects: 
1) Tweaking the cover for “Quest of Leviathan”

2) Formatting a book for @faithblumauthor

What were your Saturday projects?

 

(not writing-related but...)

Books by authors I’ve not read yet. 

What should I bump up on my TBR {soon!} list?

Goals for this week:

Okay, I'm going to be quite transparent. I'm feeling really inclined to not make goals for this week. My energy level is still down from being sick after Christmas (vitamin D deficiency, we've discovered), and after pushing myself all week last week, I'm feeling way less motivated to do so for this week. BUT... I will attempt to make goals. However, each day this week, I'm praying that God will give me the energy to do what I need to do... and the wisdom to know what it is I need to do. It may not be writing this week. But, if the Lord so leads...

• Work on current project
• Let's say, add 1000 words. I'm half-rewriting some chapters I've already done (no, it wasn't a completed draft, I just had to change some things in the beginning before progressing)
• And nope, I'm not spilling details as to what project I'm currently working on! Sorry... ;)
• Read 30 pages in The Bowyer's Bible
• An incredibly detailed bow-maker's guide (yes, for research) and kind of tough for this non-bow-maker to understand!

What are your goals this week? Did you meet last week's goals?

Scripture Graphics #74

The winds of destruction are always relentlessly pounding on us. If we step away from Jesus, He has all authority to remove Hi hand of protection and allow a little harm to come our way. He holds our salvation, but if we are not walking cautiously—staying in God’s Word, holding faith and a good conscience—we could lose some battles and “damage our ship.”

God, our Creator-example, took six days to create the heavens and earth. Not only does this give us a pattern for a six-day work week, it is also our example in patience. God could have easily created everything in six minutes, if He chose. He also could have sealed perfection for everything at creation. But He chose to take days to create, and even still today, He is working in nature and the hearts and lives of men, for thousands of years. Why, then, do I grow impatient when things take a little longer than I want?

Compared to Genesis 2:17, Eve exaggerated God’s original command. While it may have been a wise idea to not touch the tree, God never said that touching the tree was a death-penalty. When we teach God’s commands, do we add our own (finite) wisdom of application and portray it as, “God has said?” There are many areas I can think of where I embraced my interpretation of God’s command stronger than His actual command, but in the long run, it confused the simplistic, defined command I was to follow. So, how are we viewing God’s commands? Are we embellishing them then clinging to the embellished version more than the original command?

When we take one step without seeking God’s counsel, it is all too easy to take another step the same way. Abram went to Egypt by his wisdom, then led Sarai to lie to protect him and their marriage by his wisdom, and others suffered. No decision is too small or big but we should seek God’s counsel over our own.

What is your favorite story or verse from Genesis?

With Love, from Me to You | First Line Friday, Book Review

Oopsie, this didn't post yesterday, so it's a day late!

It's not the month that we think of as "the love month," but this little book I'm featuring fits perfectly for any season of the year!

A red heart sends a message

that says "I so love you,"

but we can send those same words

in what we say and do.

What book are you currently reading?
Share a first line!!

Connecting with Hoarding Books for First Line Friday! Hop over and connect with your first line!

My Review

What is the true message of love that we wish to impart to our children? This book does an excellent job of explaining how love is not just words, but actions and sharing God’s love to others. It goes beyond to expound that love also isn’t giving gifts, but helping, forgiving, and sharing. There is so much sound, Biblical explanation given in this children’s book! It is written in nice poetic form in words that are easy for children to understand.

The art in this book is colorful and cheerful, depicting a polar bear postman on a train. How much cuter can you get?

This is a book I’m more than happy to have on my shelves, and I intend to share it with many children in my life.

*I received this book from Book Look Bloggers and happily provided my honest review* 

Check, check...

I surprised myself last week in writing. I was still under the weather, battling this sick bug that's at our house. On the days that it didn't drain my mental capacity, I didn't have much energy. Which, for a writer, you don't need a ton of energy to write (just mental capacity ;) ). So, by God's grace and His help I was able to...

• Write 3,742 words
• Finish two short story rough drafts!!!!! (check, check off my year's list)
• Read about 50% of Fiction-Writing Modes by Mike Klaassen

For being a sick week, I feel it was an extremely productive week, and my heart is full of gratitude for the Lord giving me the strength and ability to work!

I will probably wait and release this in July ("Christmas in July" ;) ), but I wanted to give you all a sneak peek at short story #1 finished:

And then here is the first paragraph from short story #2!

These are both in the hands of beta readers and will probably need some editing before they're released. You can be sure I'll mention something about them when release dates are set. ;)

From My Desk

For those of you who aren't on social media, here are some things I've posted on FaceBook and Instagram the past week:

Letter writing... it has been far too many months since I’ve done this! I challenge you: send someone a handwritten note in the next week! It will be a blessing to them!

Exact goal met for rough draft. Now that’s a first!

Teaching my sister how to format books! I love being able to share the things I enjoy with my younger sisters. What interests do you share with your siblings?

Goals for this week:

This week, I resume teaching. That means I likely will not have as much writing time. So, in considering that, I would like to...

• Write 2000 words
• Finish reading Fiction-Writing Modes
• Start a research book

What were you able to accomplish this first week of 2018?

What are your goals for this coming week?

And feel free to answer my questions from social media posts. :) Those are always fun to read!

Scripture Graphics #73

How am I using the breath that God has lent me? Do I use it to praise Him? Complain? Curse? Give thanks? Share His salvation?

This was before men had the entire Word of God—how blessed we are to not only have God’s Holy Spirit to guide, but also His Word to direct us to know His thoughts and understanding!

We have a level of fear and respect for the leaders of our country that keeps us from confronting them—but we have no problem with confronting God about our opinions in what He has allowed. Do we forget that He is far greater and the best of our wisdom is more foolish than the wisdom of God? Do we have no respect or fear of Him?

Have you been faithful to your New Year's Bible commitment? 
If so, share something from what you've learned in the past week!
If not, it's not too late to pick it up and make new changes to your daily devotion time! If you need help with accountability, I'd be more than happy to help you. Just shoot me an email at amandaterobooks{at}gmail{dot}com

Beneath a Prairie Moon | First Line Friday, Book Review

Happy New Year! This is the first "First Line Friday" of the year! :) And I've got a fantastic book for the first one! Beneath a Prairie Moon doesn't release until March, but you will definitely want to get it on your list to read! I know that I say this with every new release Kim Vogel Sawyer publishes, but... I think this may be my absolute favorite of hers!! Just re-reading the first line makes me want to stop and read the whole things once more. But I haven't time for that. So, here's just the first line...

"When're you goinna have your letter ready, Mack?"

What's the first line of one of your favorite books?
(or any other one, if you'd like)
Connecting with Hoarding Books for First Line Friday! Hop over and connect with your first line!

My Review

Be prepared for gushing.

Because I love, love, loooooved this book! So a cohesive review may not be possible.

This is probably my favorite of Sawyer's so far. I did NOT want it to end and when I passed it along to my sister, she said the same thing. I just wanted to stay with Abigail and Mack and Helena and Bill and Spiveyville. They were all so real and believable. They each had their struggles, their strong points, and their weak points.

And the men of Spiveyville. Oh wow. I mean, two women of prestigious, Eastern training coming into a town to train sixteen westerners who want mail-order brides? That is such an amazing idea and Sawyer executed it very well! I loved seeing the growth of the various characters, the vastness of their personalities. Yeah... I just loved the characters here!

As always, Sawyer portrayed strong, Christian characters (when applicable) or young Christians who needed room to grow. There wasn't a ton of preaching in this book because the characters lived out their Christian lives. That was so very refreshing to see!

The setting was completely amazing! I loved the many etiquette tips woven throughout the book and in Abigail's personality. It made it feel true to its era.

I forgot at times that the basis of this book was "mail order bride." There really wasn't much romance until the end. It was more of solid friendships being formed and developing into a relationship. There were a few hints of things, but nothing portrayed at all.

This really was just one of the sweetest, most exciting, and un-put-down-able books I've read this year!

*I received this book from Blogging for Books and happily provided my honest review*

Looking Backward, Looking Forward

2017 was definitely not the writing year that I had expected, but when I look back over 2017, it was a good writing year. I didn't get near as many words in as I had hoped, I'm not as far along in my writing projects as I had hoped, but I did make progress--and that's what counts, right?

Looking back at 2017, I was able to...

• Publish "Hartly Manor" (short story)
• Publish "The Secret Slipper" (book 2 of Tales of Faith series)
• Read 5 books on the writing craft (links to my reviews: The 12 Key Pillars to Novel Construction, Plot, The Story Cure, Creating Character Arcs, Write Well)
• Start hosting writing days at our house
• Finish second draft (major rewrite) of Nat's story and place it in the hands of beta readers
• Meet several new author friends
• Read 9 Civil War books (fiction and non-fiction)
• Read 2 medieval research books
• Purchase a couple (few?) dozen Civil War books (hey, thrift stores have amazing deals, okay?)
• Encourage others in their writing
• Begin keeping you all semi-regularly updated with my writing progress (and hearing you all comment--that has been a big highlight of my blogging/writing year!)
• Write some articles for Wordquill
• Start at least a half dozen short stories and novellas still unfinished :P

I'm sure there are plenty more writing blessings of 2017, but I'm coming off a week of sick-brain, which is fuzzy at best. ;) That at least gives you a glimpse.

Now, we get into 2018. I'll admit, I have some writing dreams and goals. All of these, I understand, will be carefully prayed through week by week. But you can't hit a target if you don't at least aim. I'm taking a challenge here--cause I usually am not one for big goals. So, with God's guidance and direction, I shall attempt to:

• FINISH NAT'S STORY!!! (yeah, that kinda has to be #1 with everyone breathing on my neck ;))
• Write book 3 of the Tales of Faith series
• Finish and publish 3 short stories that I began in 2017
• Start book 2 of Nat's journey
• Read 10 books on the writing craft (any suggestions?)
• Read 10 non-fiction/research books

Now, I'll admit, these look like crazy lofty goals for me because I realize how little writing time I usually have. So, while these are my goals, I'm also considering what I had asked y'all to be praying for a few weeks back: a balanced schedule. It is always possible that my teaching schedule will expand, and I'm going to try my best to keep an opening for family time. But when writing time happens, Lord willing those will be my goals.

What about you? What were you able to accomplish in writing 2017? Are you satisfied with those goals? Do they help you to make different goals for 2018?

Scripture Graphics #72

"Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips." Job 2:9-10

These words show Job's humility. He didn't think he deserved good because of his faithful life to God. He didn't say, "Look, God, I've not cursed You because of what You've allowed--You ought to bless me." He basically said, "God is God, I am fallen humanity." God didn't "owe him" because of his obedience. Job just stayed faithful, not expecting good. What trust!

Whether it is the unbeliever who hardens his heart against conviction and his need of God, or the believer who goes through a season of hardened rebellion, God is still God in control. We can never "stump God." Rather, we will find ourselves as the ones being troubled.

Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one. Job 14:4

Stopping here can be discouraging. Yet Psalm 32:1 says, “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.” 1 John 1:7 promises, “But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.” With God, nothing is impossible.

Plead (Hebrew word: riyb) – to toss, grapple, wrangle, i.e. to hold a controversy…
God is all-powerful to do anything He wants to against us. Yet so often, instead of finding fault with every area of our lives and snuffing us out as would a candle, He instead imparts to us His strength!

It's the New Year!!

What changes do you hope to make this year when it comes to Scripture reading and memory?

At the End of the Year...

When I look back at 2017, our family sure had its share of difficult days, weeks, and months. On paper, 2017 dealt us several harder blows than 2016. That is why, when I think back to 2017, I am amazed—because, for me, it was a much better year.

In 2016, I was a rebel fighter. I fought change. I fought schedule conflicts. I fought my little circle being turned inside out. I clung desperately to the way things had been and blamed people for changing everything that I was comfortable with.

 

via

Then 2017 came along. Our family faced far more changes (in 2017 alone, our family singing group changed its main singers and repertoire three times completely—that usually happens about once every four years). We faced a magnitude of heartache and trials like never before. But somewhere in between ‘16 and ‘17, the fight left me. The God Who continually works in me (Psalm 138:8, Philippians 1:6) didn’t give up on the “me” of 2016. Instead, He was patient. He never stopped speaking to me from His Word. He never stopped giving me “just the sermon I needed to hear.” He never took away godly family and friends who prayed for and counseled me. Over and over again, He would point me in the direction I should walk. He extended to me grace like I refused to extend to those around me. Oh yes, there were days in 2017 when I audibly declared, “I give up! I just give up!” The pressure was too hard. The change was too close. The hurt was too real. But you know what? No matter what God allowed our way, He held me close. He gave me the comfort I needed. He convicted me where I needed to be convicted. And He has used it all to continually mold, shape, grow, and mature me.

So when I examine my life, the biggest difference I see from 2016 and 2017 is me. In 2016 I was on the verge of being bitter, crushed, and critical. God’s grace opened my eyes to that and helped me to forgive, heal, refocus, and surrender.

I’m not saying all of this to at all exalt myself, but to exalt my Savior. My family can testify that there were many days this year where my attitude was pathetic, my focus awry, and my time mismanaged. But at the end of the year, the Lord and Savior I serve brought me through another year of ups and downs. Yes, we go through hard days. Yes, life is difficult. Yes, some years are more trying than others. Our God never changes. And, if we will let Him, He will use the merciless storms of life to show us a broader measure of His grace and mercy.

Coffee Shop Christmas | First Line Friday, Book Review

Happy Friday-after-Christmas! How many of you got new books this month? I know that I added several nice books to my shelves and added yet more book to my towering TBR pile!

I know it's technically past Christmas, but I'll still feature a Christmas book today by one of my author friends, Ryana. It was a good-hearted Christmas book.

The jingling of keys reached the ears of Deputy Ellis Wright.

How many Christmas books did you read this year? Any favorites?
Feel free to share a first line from your current read!
Connecting with Hoarding Books for First Line Friday! Hop over and connect with your first line!

My Review

I loved the premise of this novella: the widow of a police officer who has opened a coffee shop. And in that coffee shop, she has a solid platform on which to reach all sorts of people who need the love of Jesus Christ shown to them.

Katherine Shannon is a very likeable character—a strong Christian, a woman who refuses to hold onto bitterness. The other characters were also neat to meet as well. I really did like Sgt. Piper. I also appreciate the realistic view into a police officer’s life in a real world.

There was a lot of Scriptural content in this. At least twice the Gospel was shared, church was mentioned. It definitely had a strong spiritual thread.

Definitely no romance. Which I liked (I mean, more than just because romance isn’t my strong favorite), because it explored different problems that people have apart from relationship issues.

There did seem to be a ton of characters, situations, problems, and solutions presented for just a novella. The author in me thinks this would have seemed more believable had it been written as a novel, and the characters had more time to ponder the way their beliefs and lives were challenged. Because it was a novella, the characters made rush-choices in about an 8-hour span that took the “real-life” aspect out for me. But, just as a story, it was a pleasant read.

*I received this book from the author and happily provided my honest review*

Purchase here.

Add to your Goodreads here.

Scripture Graphics #71

I started to skip today with sharing Scripture graphics, since it's Christmas... but then, why? The best thing about Christmas is that it's a reflection of God sending His Son to us. And the more Bible I can get on Christmas, the better!

It’s not that God is silent or unwilling to show us His ways—how often does He point us to the right direction, yet we refuse to acknowledge it or change? We are responsible for every time we answer or do not answer His calling; every time we hear or refuse to hear His voice; every time we choose evil over His ways. And this applies as much in the “small areas” of life as in the “big areas.”

We are still able to stand by the words and epistles—the Scriptures which have been preserved for us. The question is, are we standing fast? Or do we listen more to what the world has to say than God’s Word does?

For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you; Neither did we eat any man's bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you: Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us. (2 Thessalonians 3:7-9)

This is written of the examples of church leaders/ministers, but how is our example? Are we living our lives so that others can follow? Though Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy were leaders, they did not abuse their position because they realized it would affect their testimony. Whatever stage of life we’re in…are we living with a thought of the testimony we’re leaving behind?

"Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land." Job 1:9-10

When Job's livelihood and family were taken away, it proved that his security was God, not possessions; his master was God, not things; his worship was God, not that which fades away. Do we view things in life above God?

Merry Christmas!
Today, instead of just commenting here, today makes a great opportunity to share Scripture with someone else, pointing them to Jesus Christ!