I’ve never tasted ice cream. I don’t think a Starbuck’s pup cup counts but that was an acceptable treat. Having said that, Karen Malley’s latest Christmas novella, Sweeter Than Ice Cream also qualifies as a sweet treat. Of course, as a dog, I’m biased. Any book that get’s Susan to sit and snuggle while reading is aces.
Hannah Parker is a bit of a doormat, bowing to everyone else’s wishes and setting aside her own dreams as being too fanciful. When her snotty sister is getting married, Hannah is almost run over by a car, only rescued at the last minute by a handsome young man, Drew Johnston who she runs into later at the wedding reception, as he serves her out-of-this-world ice cream.
Drew asks questions and challenges Hannah in ways she’s not comfortable with, even though she’s intriqued by him. Her best friend gives her harsh warnings to stay away from the man.
Drew is working hard to start his own business selling ice cream and faces his own challenges, including his increasing attraction to the lovely Hannah.
Life brings a lot of complications for Hannah and she’s finally forced to choose between comformity and losing her best friend, or taking a risk and follow her dreams which would mean upsetting her parents, oh and also upsetting her best friend. Will she trust God for all the details? Is it possible that the dreams she has were God’s way of directing her on a new path like her new friend, Drew, suggests?
It’s a Christmas story about faith, courage, and the dreams God plants in our hearts.
You’ll have to read the story to find out what happens and you’ll enjoy the journey to get there. As a dog, I give it five bones. I strongly recommend you read Sweeter than Ice Cream and give your pet lots of snuggles.
I don’t do New Year’s resolutions. Instead I stumbled upon the idea of one word which I first heard of in 2012 and decided to give it a try. My first word was for 2013 and was SHINE. Ah, don’t we all want to shine? That year I became an editor and started helping other authors on their journey to shining.
I’ve had ten more words since then and in 2014 I started adding Scripture. I eventually started making either Facebook headers or other images to help me as they would be there on my computer every time I sat down to work. I’m sharing some of them here so if they are helpful you could use them as well.
2014 was DIGNITY. My Scripture for that ws Proverbs 31:25, “Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she smiles at the future.” I’ll admit that was struggling with the effects of some verbal abuse and I think I thought this would help. It did. Words can hurt but my value and dignity are in Christ and in that I could wait on God for a better future.
2015 my word was TRUST. Psalm 143:8 says: “Let me hear of Thy lovingkindess in the morning; for I trust in Thee; Teach me the way in which I should walk; For to Thee I lift up my soul. I was taking steps to deepen my trust in God to lead me–and He has always been faithful to do that, even though I struggled to see that at times. My first full-length novel, Pesto & Potholes was released that year as well as my first novella, Fragile Blessings.
In 2016 my word was FEARLESS. I could have chosen brave or courage I suppose but fearless was the word I landed on. My verse was Isaiah 35:4, “Say to those with an anxious heart, ‘Take courage and fear not. Behold, your God wil come with vengeance; The recompense of God will come, but He will save you.'” More books released that year and there were challenges in my personal life that I needed to wait on God to resolve.
HOPE was my word for 2017. I actually had four Scriptures! God speaks a lot about hope in His word! Psalm 9:18, “For the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the afflicted perish forever.” Psalm 39:7, “And now, Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in Thee.” Psalm 71:5 says, “For Thou art my hope; O Lord God, Thou art my confidence from my youth.” And then in the New Testament, Romans 5:5. “…and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” In the midst of difficulties a wise mentor had told me, “You need hope. Cling to hope.” So I did. With the decisions God led me to and through that year, I had hope and peace beyond what I would have ever anticipated. Again, He proved Himself faithful.
In 2018 my word was HEALING. While 2017 had been a challenging year, I was free of the anxiety and fears of the past and standing in confidence in God’s work. 2018 would be a year of healing from the wounds left behind. I wish I could state I was fully healed but trauma takes time and I’m grateful God is so gentle as He continues to walk me through that. The Bible verses I clung to were Psalm 147:3, “He heals the brokenherted, and binds up their wounds.” Jeremiah 33:6 states, “Behold, I will bring to it health and healing, and I will heal them; and I will reveal to them an abundance of peace and truth.” God allowed six of my stories to be published that year! That was a record for me! I also had rotator cuff surgery, my first major health issue since becoming a single mom of three Hobbits. And then in the midst of all that, He graciously brought me what I did not deserve, a husband for Christmas!
2019’s word was INTENTION. I didn’t understand it at the time, but years of trauma make it challenging for the brain to move into a healthy life. Life was good! Why couldn’t I focus and get the work done that I needed to do? Psalm 57:2, “I will cry to God Most High, to God who accomplishes all things for me.” Psalm 138:8, “The LORD will accomplish what concerns me; Thy lovingkindness, O LORD, is everlasting; Do not forsake the works of Thy hands.” God was definitely at work helping me understand how to help myself through this healing process while still getting my writing and editing done!
In 2020 my word was SAVOR. God had done so much for me and I wanted to reflect and enjoy those moments instead of rushing on to the next thing. Psalm 34:8 states, “O taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!” After years of hardship, I had some time to heal, be loved and cared for, and savor what God done. Covid-19 helped make that even more possible when the world seemed to shut down. The image is one I took from when my hubby and I went paragliding in Key West in 2019. Amazing and a first time for us both.
In 2021 my word was CONTENTMENT. 1 Timothy 6:6 says, “But godliness actually is a means of great gain, when accompanied by contentment.” Philippians 4:11b affirms this when Paul writes: “…I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.” While similar to savor this was more finding the quiet joy in everydayness of life.
My word for 2022 was EMPOWERED. I had so much work to do. Several of my own books needed to be edited, there was more writing to be done, as well as edit for other authors, and although I only released two Christmas novellas, it was a busy year. I couldn’t do it without God’s help, especially juggling several projects at once. 2 Corinthians 9:8 says, “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed.” Timothy 1:9 says, “… who has saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace whic hwas granted to us in Christ Jesus from all eternity.”
This past year, 2023, my word has been DELIGHT. Micah 7:18d-19a states, “Because He delights in unchanging love, He will again have compassion on us.” Psalm 94:18 says, “When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your comfort delights my soul.” Then this popular one from Psalm 37:4, “Delight yourself in the LORD; and He will give you the desires of your heart.” I wanted to grow in my delight in God and also to more fully recognize that as my heavenly Father, He delights in me as well. I find myself smiling a lot more as I’m reading Scripture or studying it. God has been good to me – even though I did fall and break my upper arm forcing us to cancel a trip to the Virgin Islands. We did go to Florida where we got to spend hours listening to a young man’s pain and hurt and answering his questions and sharing with him the hope of Christ.
I’m still praying and listening to the Holy Spirit for my one word for 2024. Only God knows what the next year holds for me and my family so I am waiting on Him to give me that word to focus on. I journal, I brainstorm (sometimes with friends who also do this). It’s amazing to me how God will take one word, and HIS word to help keep me moving forward in faith on this journey He has placed before me. It was good this year to go back and review the previous years to again give credit to the ONE who has given me HIS WORD to cling to.
Have you ever done the “one word” thing? What was your word for 2023 and how did you see God use that in your life? Do you have a word yet for 2024? If not, I hope that these will help you as you seek God for that.
Over the years I’ve received gifts but it is rare for me to get one and not know who the sender was.
In December 2016, I had an awful Christmas. Our personal family celebration was depressing for me.
After Christmas I got a notice from the post office that there was a package waiting for me with postage due. It was under a dollar and I was intrigued. I went to the post office to pay for the package. It was a standard envelope that had to be hand stamped as there was a bulge in it and no return address. Whoever sent it had failed to realize it would cost more to get it to me.
I got home and eagerly opened this mysterious envelope. Inside was a silver necklace. It contained three pendants, a pearl, a silver circle with an engraved dove, and a larger silver circle with the words “She believed she could so she did.” There was no note. Nothing to identify the sender.
Whoa. First of all, I loved it. I found the words empowering and during that season I needed an infusion of hope. My word for that year had been fearless but I’d still had much fear. This necklace helped me have the courage to do what God led me to do the next year. I was heading into a year where my word for the year would be “hope.”
I wore that necklace all the time. It held no magical powers and to this day, seven-years-later, I still have no clue who sent it. It became a reminder that with God’s power, I could do anything He asked me to. Yes, I know that’s not on the necklace, but self-doubt is often the biggest stumbling block to obedience, isn’t it? It’s not as flawless as when I got it, filled with marks from the wear and tear it has taken, much like me! It still has value and importance.
I’m not saying I wouldn’t have had the courage to do what I needed to do for myself and my children a few months later, but those words were a reassurance that I would be just fine. I had no fear because I believed God was with me – leading, guiding, and providing. Two years later, I had a most wonderful gift of a husband for Christmas and this year we will be celebrating five years together of wonderful Christmases even though life has handed us some difficult challenges along the way.
I have occassionally sent anonymous gifts to someone. One time I got figured out which was disappointing but I understood it was a blessing nonetheless. I’m believing that whoever sent that gift was doing so at God’s leading. It meant more to me after a horrible Christmas as a reminder that God saw my grief and pain and loved me.
As we head into Christmas, the greatest gift wasn’t sent anonymously, although many people failed to recognize the Gift or the Sender. Jesus is the best gift ever!
As you give gifts, remember that sometimes it is the small things, the notes, the time spent over a cup of coffee or a meal, that have the most meaning. This gift was intensely personal and I had not shared with many people just how painfully difficult life was for me at that time. So, whoever sent it, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your gift was a blessing you couldn’t have anticipated. Since I couldn’t thank a human person, I’ve repeatedly thanked God for the gift, the sender, and the hope it gave me in a season of darkness.
Have you ever received a gift, anonymous or not, that helped in a significant way with your walk with God? What was it?
Reading Time: 2minutesElizabeth Camden’s latest book, Against the Tide is billed as Historical Fiction. As a sub-genre it is a romantic suspense as well and a hard book to put down once you start reading it.
Lydia Pallas is an unlikely heroine. Orphaned at age nine with very little understanding of English she grows up in an orphanage but is quick to learn languages. Once out on her own she craves stability and security and finds a position translating for the Navy. While serving in this position and in desperate need of money to save the only home she’s ever felt was her safe place to be, she meets the enigmatic Alexander “Bane” Banebridge who hires her for translation work that seems like foolishness. Desperate for the money, she engages in the work but along the way falls in love with the man.
Bane is on a mission to rid the world of opium. Having been held captive and eventually apprenticed to a master shipper of this substance he is now free on a new path of redemption after meeting Jesus. He needs Lydia’s help but can he survive the emotional connection he feels for her? Can he win his war without losing the woman he loves on the way?
Lydia has her own battles to face that could ruin any chance of a relationship with Bane but she steps out of her comfort zone to take on a risky task to not only save someone else but hopefully a future with the man she loves. Will she survive her many challenges and will Bane still be there to love her when it’s all over? Will she understand the grace that God gives to those who seek Him?
This book was hard to put down and a riveting read to see the prevalence of opium being fed to the general population in the late 1800’s in the United States. Reformation of this wrong was slow and painstaking and fought by people with great courage. This book is a worthy read and far more exciting than the front cover would indicate.
Reading Time: 2minutesTwo years ago I attended the Leadership Summit that Willow Creek Community Church puts on. I love learning more about leadership and God always has something profound to speak to my heart about at these events, usually on a more personal level than in how to lead better.
But good leadership ultimately begins in the heart.
Leadership in the Christian context ultimately begins with being able to follow a leader – Jesus.
That year, 2011, I had a “word” for the year and that word was “courage.”
Scary word.
God revealed to me repeatedly how much fear I had about the path he had me on. Fears I could do nothing about. He also showed me that often in His word the concept of courage was coupled with the words “Be not afraid.”
Courage means stepping forward in spite of our fears. If it were easy courage would not be necessary.
At this conference we were given broken pieces of terracotta pots. As we sought God in prayer we were to write on the clay, His words to us.
Mine says “Your courage, my obedience.”
It hit me then that courage really isn’t mine. I do not have it in my flesh to persevere against difficult odds. It is only something I can do as I submit myself to God and obey and let HIM deal with the consequences of those actions. He knows better than I do what those ripple effects of obedience will be. I have to trust Him for the results. My only job is to obey what He leads me to do.
A year and a half later I still look at that and remember. I’m challenged once again that I have to cast my fears at His feet and step into the scary work He sometimes calls me to. Ministry is hard and it has a cost and if we think differently we are probably not following God. It should scare us. It should stretch us beyond what we think we can do. God calls us to live beyond ourselves often so that we are forced to depend on Him.
Last year I stepped into being even more serious about my writing. I stepped down from leading a ministry to write more because God called me to. The minute I decided to obey, God started opening up doors and affirming my choice. When my ministry responsibilities were done, instead of feeling a loss, I felt a huge weight off my shoulders and greater freedom to lean into His calling on my life – to write. To encourage. To redeem some of my pain through words. He pushes me further with every step and fear rears its ugly head and I’m reminded once again that it’s HIS courage – not mine.
My job is to obey regardless of how I feel.
Having said that, in what ways are you being challenged to obey, and what’s holding you back?
I’ve never tasted ice cream. I don’t think a Starbuck’s pup cup counts but that was an acceptable treat. Having said that, Karen Malley’s latest Christmas novella, Sweeter Than Ice Cream also qualifies as a sweet treat. Of course, as a dog, I’m biased. Any book that get’s Susan to sit and snuggle while reading is aces.
Life brings a lot of complications for Hannah and she’s finally forced to choose between comformity and losing her best friend, or taking a risk and follow her dreams which would mean upsetting her parents, oh and also upsetting her best friend. Will she trust God for all the details? Is it possible that the dreams she has were God’s way of directing her on a new path like her new friend, Drew, suggests?
