A Spring Update (Plus a Giveaway)
Has spring arrived where you are? Our warm weather was followed by weeks of rain, much to the dissatisfaction of my three little ones who all learned to ride their bikes without training wheels last week! With the smallest break in the weather we are outside, and they go around and around our cul-de-sac. Oh, the joy of seeing these little children grow and flourish!
In addition to the spring flowers, there is a lot of new growth in my writing world too. Projects are bursting forth left and right, and I’m so thankful for all of them! I was just telling John yesterday what joy there is to know that God can use me in this way. What an honor to be able to work from home, balancing writing and caring for my family. God is good!
There is one story that’s been resonating in my heart, and that’s the story I heard from one of my young readers. Shannon* (not her real name) is nineteen years old and recently aged out of the foster-care system. One night when visiting our home she got excited about my novels so I sent her home with her arms full. The first one she chose to read was Love Finds You in Glacier Bay, Alaska. At the time Shannon had no idea that the main character was a young woman who aged out of the foster-care system.
Shannon was enjoying the book, but God met her through the pages. One day while Shannon was waiting for the city bus she came upon a message within the pages of the novel that resonated with her heart. “You’ve been through hard things, but God was with you. He will transform the hard stuff of life into something beautiful.”
I’m not sure if Shannon had never heard that message before or if those words just spoke to her in that moment, but it became a turning point in Shannon’s trust in God. Hope and peace flooded into it, and she shared the new revelation with numerous people. Isn’t it amazing that God can use fiction to transform lives!
Shannon was excited to tell me how much my book meant to her. She was also excited to let me know that this will be the first book she’s ever finished! Would you join me in continuing to pray for Shannon and all the areas that God is working in her life!
And, friend, maybe like Shannon you’ve been knocked around in life. Or maybe you’re looking at the storm clouds, wondering when the sun is going to shine again. The good news is that Jesus holds us—and our times—in His hands. The new growth of spring is a reminder that beauty and life is just around the corner. Cling to Jesus and you’ll never be disappointed. Like Shannon realized, God will transform the hard stuff of life into something beautiful. May every new spring flower remind you of that!
Giveaway
Enter to win a copy of Love Finds You in Glacier Bay, Alaska (I have four copies to give away). Only those in the U.S. are eligible to win.
I have a few books on sale right now! The Swiss Courier and Chasing Mona Lisa are only $1.99! The Promise Box is only $3.99! And Generation NeXt Marriage is $2.99. You can also get my four World War II novels in the Liberators Series for $13.99.
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Spring flowers remind me first of the death, burial and the ABSOLUTE DEFINITE resurrection of our Lord Jesus, then after 25 years of working in a floral shop, I was so tired of pine, poinsettias and red bows by the time the sweet little yellow daffodils and crocus began showing thru the snow!!! It always cheered me up!!
I LIKE you on FB and follow you on Twitter and Pinterest. Plus I always read with enthusiasm, your interviews, your opinions and reviews.
Thanks for the opportunity to enter the give a-way and thanks for sharing your God given talent with us.
I love spring flowers, too, Ruth. And thank you so much for all your encouragement and support. I really appreciate it!
Spring reminds me of Peace Lilys, Forsithias, Roses and mourning doves singing in my Rose of Sharon.
Beautiful!
I am literally brought to tears every spring as the flowers and leaves on trees remind me of rebirth in Christ and how only He brings life anew after a dark “winter” season.
Amen! Something for us to rejoice about!
Spring flowers remind me of new life.
Aren’t they beautiful? My favorite time of year!
Spring flowers remind of me sun and summer and WARMTH! Winter gets really long way up north and there is nothing like seeing flowers that are actually alive to know that it’s time to enjoy the outdoors with the sun warming your face! Thank you for this opportunity!
Spring flowers remind me of new life in Christ. Something beautiful coming out of the dark soil.
These books sound so good! I don’t like to read a lot, but this sounds great!
Spring flowers remind me of God’s love for us…His gorgeous creation is ours to enjoy!
Spring flowers remind me of rebirth & renewal. I love the Spring season, with things becoming new again – a new season of hope as the cycle starts over after the Winter. Spring flowers, to me, are the most beautiful of all.
Spring flowers, tulips especially, remind me of heaven. They’re just so beautiful and majestic in their own way. Surely, heaven is robed with lovely flowers.
I always love Spring flowers. Spring reminds me of new life and rebirth. I think mostly the flowers remind me that even though things may get tough, there is always a fresh start at the end, just like the new life that comes to the earth after being dormant in the winter.
Spring flowers remind me that summer, sunshine, color and warmth are coming. And peaceful, dewy mornings.
Spring flowers remind me of joy to come, new life and family fun.
Spring reminds me of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus and what it means to the entire world. What a sight that must have been! Can’t ya just imagine all the beautiful spring flowers blooming all at one time all over everywhere the day he arose! To me, that is a beautiful scene in my mind.
I enjoyed the interview and like the book review very much. Thanks for the opportunity to enter the giveaway and I would be delighted to be one of your winners. Thanks for sharing your God given talent of writing with all us addicted readers of good Christian books.
I love flowers and they remind me of new beginnings. My favorite flower is a daisy and pansies!
Flowers make me remember that there is life outside of the house and work. We can get rejuvenated.
Every year when spring comes the little people sprout up and have pretty flowers. We call the tulips little people is because when my daughter was little we use to watch a tv show called Caillou on PBS kids and Caillou had two stuff animals a bear and a dinosaur plus he had a cat too. One of the shows they went outside, saw tulips and called them little people.
Spring flowers bring me relief that the cold winter is over and the warmth of spring and summer are coming. In addition, it’s always like a miracle to see how new life is being born with flowers coming up, new leaves forming on trees and baby wildlife making its entrance into the world. Spring is the promise of new life everywhere.
Spring flowers bring me such joy after harsh winters! To see them reminds me of beauty and joy and all of God’s promises!
Spring flowers remind me of rebirth, of starting over and of the beauty that God gives us. I love seeing the flowers and plants grow and bloom.
Spring flowers remind me of my parents and the flower beds my parents had during my growing up years. We watched Dad take care of many rose bushes along with tulips, iris, begonias and many other flowers through the years.
Spring flowers remind me that God made everything and I always think of the verse in the bible about lilies!!
Spring flowers remind me that after all the bleakness of winter, good things are coming and the sun is getting ready to shine again! (:
Love Shannon’s story. You are blessed to know that what you do is having an impact on the lives of others. What joy that must bring you!
Spring flowers, all God’s beauty just for us to enjoy!
Spring flowers remind me of new life. Tulips remind me of my grandfather they were his favorite.
I love the colors of Spring! The yellow of my forsythia bushes and jonquils, the red in my redbud blossoms, Pink offered by my crab apple tree, and the green evident in all of the new growth. To answer your question about flowers, I think I would have to say Tulips.
Thanks for another great blog entry and giveaway! Easter blessings!
Just realized that I answered the wrong question. Spring reminds me that new growth can come from that which has died. Those of us who are Born-again are also promised new life after our physical death. That is the promise given to us on that Resurrection Sunday!
Would love to win this book:)
Pam
Spring flowers remind me of new life. I’m enjoying all of the daffodils, tulips, and other plants that are bring back to what seemed a cold and dark world during the winter. Thanks be to God that we can have new life through His Son Jesus Christ. Thank you for the oppertunity to share this with you and the chance to do the drawing for the book.
Spring flowers are reminders that after a hard winter, the flowers will return. This spring has been especially pretty to me for some reason. I am SO ready to be done with winter!
Spring flowers remind me of:
Resurrection
New Life
A Chance to Start over
All the beautiful colors of God’s Creation
sharon, CA
I love how Spring brings things like flowers and trees back to life and shows us that He can bring new life to us also. And a time to start over. Each day starts a new year for us and we can change our life and renew the things that we need to change. What beauty GOD gives to us. Even other seasons have their own beauty tho. Would love to win one of your books. The only way I will ever go Alaska. Thanks for this give-away and hope you have a wonderful Easter. I’m sure it will be with the three little ones you have. Every day is new. Maxie mac262(at)me(dot)com
Spring flowers remind me it’s getting warmer and more beautiful outside! Winter is OVER! (This last one was a KILLER! I never heard of the Polar Vortex before! Never want to again in my lifetime! LOL!)
My favorite spring flower is not a true flower, but a bud on a tree! The Cherry Blossom trees! I LOVE the shades of pink!
When my kids were little, and especially my daughter, since she was in ballet, would get their photos taken under this one tree we had in our yard until my NOT so helpful neighbor decided to trim it to nothing! Oh well, we don’t have to put up with living next to him now! If we drive past that house we used to own, it’s a fifty/fifty feeling to see it now because when I see it now, it reminds me of the children when they were little, so kind of sad, but lovely memories of them!)
Some of those photos are just as gorgeous today as they were yesterday! I can track the kids’ growth by that tree!
I love seeing that tree EVERYWHERE! It’s the same tree that Washington DC is known for!
It reminds me that we will have a period of about 5 or 6 months of leaves on the trees! Warmer weather, being outside more, and going to the park here where I live watching the freighters go down the river. It is so calming and relaxing there! I LOVE going there, but now it’s just the two of us. How time changes. Hmm, so fast!! Enjoy every moment of life you have because it changes SO FAST!
Thanks for this giveaway AND the post!
Laurie
Love seeing the new flowers!
Spring flowers remind me of new beginnings and the salvation I’ve found in Jesus Christ.
Blessings,
Andrea Cox
andrearenee2004@yahoo.com
Proofreader/Writer
writingtoinspire.blogspot.com
I love the colors. I know the grass will soon be getting green and the leaves on the trees will be growing.
Spring flowers remind me of Christ’s resurrection as everything is renewed and lives again. Often in the dreary dead grass or even snow, that pop of color gives me hope that the cold yucky weather won’t last forever and spring is just around the corner.
Sorry to be a downer, but I love the Fall and Winter, so flowers always remind me that this is over. It always makes me a little sad to know that we are entering my least favorite times of the year!
Spring flowers remind me of new life. Every morning is new. We should never “give up” and be discouraged, because “joy comes in the morning”, a promise from God I hold on to when things aren’t as joyful as I’d like.
Spring flowers remind me of new beginnings.
My son was born in march and when he was little he knew that daffodiles were his months flower. So daffodiles always remind me of him.
pretty day
Spring flowers, Jonquils, Tulips, Hyacinths all have such bright colors it lets me know spring is here. In our lives and in our hearts we have hope for a new tomorrow.