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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