The God of Spring by Jamin Baldwin

Walking through the woods yesterday, 

I stopped on the dirt path and looked up at the sunshine seeping through the bare trees, 

and smiled.

Spring was coming...

although there weren't any real signs of it yet...

I could feel it in the air. 

I had hope. 

Didn't Spring always come? 

Like a wave, revelation washed over me.

Why don't I have that kind of faith in God?

When it's bleak and cold outside, 

my belief in Spring never wavers.

When snow piles up outside and the weatherman predicts another week of frigid temperatures, 

I don't give up on Spring. 

I just know, in my soul, that spring comes after winter and winter cannot last forever...

But why, when life is cold and bleak and my troubles are piling up like the snow, 

do I waver in my faith?

Why, when the Doctor tells me that more storms are headed my way, 

do I begin to question God? 

Why am I tempted to throw in the towel and say,

'Well, I guess God isn't coming...'

As I stood on that dirt path, 

with my face lifted toward the sun, 

I felt a weight lift from my shoulders.

As surely as Spring, 

God is on his way. 

To take what is dead and ugly and turn it into something beautiful.

As surely as Spring, 

God will not leave us in the winters of life.

Lift your face, 

see the barren things with new eyes and smile.

The God of Spring is on his way.

About Jamin:

I have many writing passions, Historical romance and poetry topping my list of favorites. I also enjoy brainstorming and critiquing with other writers.

In Times Like These: a Devotion

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial,

because when he has stood the test,

he will receive the crown of life

that God has promised to those who love him.

James 1:12

There's an old, old song that an elderly gentleman in our church sings now and then.

It's called:  "In Times Like These"

The last verse goes like this:

In times like these, I have a Savior 
In times like these, I have an anchor 
I'm very sure, I'm very sure 
My anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock 

One of the main things we can do when going through trials

is to keep our focus on God.

Sometimes, life on this earth is an endurance test.

We're shocked, disappointed, hurt and confused

over problems, cares and trials that come into our lives.

It's hard at those times to "count it all pleasure"

because it's not.

Yet, when we look at God's promise to us--

A CROWN OF LIFE!--

one that will last forever. 

Unlike the ancient athletes who were given, many times,

wreaths that perished,

ours will never fade nor be destroyed.

It's a guarantee.

It's a promise.

From one who never breaks a promise!

And when the Chief Shepherd appears, 

you will receive the crown of glory,

that will never fade away.

--I Peter 5:4

***

LOVE to Read?

I have a giveaway offer for you!

I'll be posting twice this month on Stitches through Time.

Just comment on both posts,

and I will choose one person to receive a Kindle copy of their choice of

one of my Appleton, WV Romantic Mysteries. 

(Sabotaged Christmas,

Knight in Shining Apron,

Undiscovered Treasures,

Toby's Troubles)

Here's the link to check them out:

https://www.amazon.com/Carole-Brown/e/B00EZV4RFY/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1492661357&sr=1-1

About Carole:

Besides being an active participant in many writing groups, Carole is an award-winning author and enjoys mentoring beginning writers. She loves to weave suspense, tough topics, romance, and whimsy into her books and is always on the lookout for outstanding titles and catchy ideas. She and her husband reside in SE Ohio but have ministered and counseled nationally and internationally. Together, they enjoy their grandsons, traveling, gardening, good food, the simple life, and did she mention their grandsons? 

Personal blog: http://sunnebnkwrtr.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CaroleBrown.author

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God’s Plan To Get You Through Tough Times

Have you ever watched the Tour de France? Bicyclists power through the mountains in Europe, often topping speeds of 70 mph on their descent. This can make for horrific crashes when a cyclist misjudges a curve, slick road, or the distance between him and the cyclist next to him.

The race takes more than three weeks to complete, with 2,200 miles of rough terrain of the Pyrenees and the Alps intermixed with beautiful rolling countryside. Time trials are also part of the tour. Those riders who endure the entire race cross the finish line on the historical Champs-Élysées in Paris.

Power and speed are two integral components of the race, but the most important factor is pacing—much like marathon running. This is particularly true in time trials, where riders get to demonstrate their individual strength.

While full-speed crashes are less likely because time trials are very calculated and controlled, many factors can derail a racer’s success. Early fatigue from pressing too hard, lack of good preparation, yielding to outside or internal influences, and not enough training are just a few.

We can look at our spiritual lives and see similarities. We often zip through life with an overloaded calendar filled with more commitments than we can hope to accomplish well, and we pray that there isn’t a curve or slick road ahead.

Then a trial hits. Trials are mind-bogglingly slow and require the power that comes from the Holy Spirit to get through them. Getting alone with God through Bible study, peaceful prayer, and waiting is imperative for a successful outcome. Waiting isn’t something most of us are naturally geared toward.

In the Old Testament, Jeremiah finds himself in a desperate situation of trying to warn Judah of their impending doom while also trying to encourage them to renew their covenant with God. Jeremiah complained, felt depressed, and often showed downright despair. After one such complaint, in Jeremiah 12:5, God responded with “If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan?”

Basically, God said the trial is for your own good—to strengthen you for the tasks ahead. But he doesn’t just leave you there.

Don’t lose heart during a trial. There’s a promise of the finish line. The trial doesn’t last forever.

First Peter 1:6-7 reminds us that trials are “for a little while” and that we should rejoice in this. Trials have come to prove “genuineness of your faith”—of greater worth than gold.

We’re told how to run. Hebrews 12:1-2 reminds us to “run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfector of faith.”

And lastly, be encouraged by the outcome. James 1:2-12 gives us great encouragement that “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.”

We can persevere with God’s sufficient grace (2 Corinthians 12:9) and through the power of the Holy Spirit. Then we are refined to walk out our faith to help others going through similar trials, and in the end, receive the crown of life the Lord promised to those who love Him.

The Apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 4:7-8 said, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”

So feel confident that when the trial comes—you’ve trained for it, and the Master Coach will walk beside you, ensuring you don’t fatigue until you reach the end.

Isn’t that a great promise to hold on to? 

What are your go-to Bible verses in times of trouble? Is there a time you can look back on and know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God carried you through?

**Leave a comment to get your name in the drawing for Cloaked in Love by Stitches author Elaine Manders! Winner will be announced in the April 30th edition of the Weekly Windup.**

Blog photos courtesy of Pixabay.com.

Laura Hodges Poole is the author and co-author of several books, available on Amazon. Her Christian romance novel, Return to Walhalla, recently released. She is the 2016 ACWC Badge of Honor winner, 2014 ACFW Genesis semi-finalist, and 2012 RWA Emily finalist. Laura is also a non-fiction ghostwriter/collaborator. Her passion is encouraging others through her blog, "A Word of Encouragement." When she’s not writing, you might find her hiking, playing the piano, or being crafty. A mother of two, Laura lives in South Carolina with her husband.

Website: http://laurahodgespoole.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Laura_Poole
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When financier Penny Ruskin returns to Walhalla, South Carolina, she has one purpose—to settle her grandmother’s estate and sell the Victorian house she grew up in. Not an easy task with the downturned economy. What she doesn't count on are all the roadblocks thrown in her path.

Walhalla is Tommy McAllister’s life. Between his family’s feed-and-seed store and the bank he’s vice president of, he’s stretched thin trying to survive the recession. But when a girl he hasn’t seen since high school breezes back into town, he’s ready to push himself even further to help her feel at home—and convince her to stay. He reaches out to Penny, but the last thing she wants is to be trapped in a small town that holds painful memories—one dark secret in particular.

The town matchmaker and bank manager, Miss Betty, a motherless teen Emma who lives down the lane from Penny, and the church ladies of Walhalla’s First Baptist add both heartwarming and challenging moments to Penny’s life.

With the past dogging Penny’s steps, dredging up painful memories she’s tried to outrun, relatives threaten the future she has begun to hope for…But somewhere deep inside her, a spark of hope remains. Tommy isn’t the only one praying for a miracle.

Click here to read a FREE Preview of Return to Walhalla. 

Affliction

In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded. But you remain the same, and your years will never end. Psalm 102:25-27 

I feel afflicted and weak from time to time, in body, but also in my spirit and soul. What struggles frighten you and make you feel inadequate? We tend to act the way we feel, and allowing inadequacy and fear to take hold makes us weak.

A weekend trip to Colorado reminded me of just how small and insignificant I am. The mountains stand strong, robed in majesty, as they have for centuries, a testament to the power of the God who “laid the foundations of the earth.” God is so much greater than I am.

 Recently, I experienced a setback in my plans, a rejection of years of work. I felt weak, insignificant, inadequate, doubtful, and uncertain of the future. It reminded me of how small I am and how many people are better and more capable than I am. Surrounded by successful, confidant people who won awards for their work, the rejection of my own efforts was even harder.

The part of Psalm 102 that struck me almost as much as the word of the psalmist himself was the note my NIV Bible placed at the beginning. “A prayer of an afflicted person who has grown weak and pours out a lament before the Lord.” I was allowing myself to feel afflicted when, in spite of rejection, I received another opportunity and an unexpected blessing. God never leaves us at a dead end. He always has something else waiting up ahead.

Just as those mountains showed me how small I am in the scheme of things, they reminded me of how great my God is all of the time. The mountains will not stand forever. An earthquake could destroy them in seconds and God will someday bring them crashing down to be replaced with something better. However, the psalmist goes on to say that God remains the same forever, no matter what happens to His creation.

If you struggle against fear, inadequacies, and insignificance, look to your Creator. He has a plan for you, and He will see it carried through to completion. All that is required from us is to take the opportunities offered and do our best, seeking God’s help. He will never let us down when we are trusting in Him. He will offer another path. Look for it and go forward in His strength. I may feel afflicted, but God never fails.

© Copyright by Norma Gail Thurston Holtman, June 23, 2017

Don't forget every comment this month gets your name in the drawing for our Grand Birthday Prize and our Runner-Up Prizes giveaways!

About the author:

Norma Gail is the author of the contemporary Christian romance, Land of My Dreams, winner of the 2016 Bookvana Religious Fiction Award. A women’s Bible study leader for over 21 years, her devotionals and poetry have appeared at ChristianDevotions.us, the Stitches Thru Time blog, and in “The Secret Place.” She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America. Norma is a former RN who lives in the mountains of New Mexico with her husband of 41 years. They have two adult children. If you’re interested in connecting with me, I invite you to follow my blog, join me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Goodreads, or Amazon. 

Life Preserver

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you ... Isaiah 43:2

Helpless. Alone in a vast expanse of tossing, tumbling blue-gray waves, I searched the horizon for help when the shape of a small boat appeared. I called out as I fought against the pounding waves toward the only hope of rescue and saw something fly through the air. Was it a life preserver? My haven, my only source of survival—yet so far away I doubted my ability to reach it. When I raised my head for a breath, another wave smashed into my face. I choked and sputtered, my vision, blurred from tears and seawater, fixed on that one small, bobbing hope.

Thunder rumbled from dark clouds roiling above in a sky as dark as the water, dragging me back two strokes for every one I took. I had to make it. My legs ached. My lungs burned. My shoulders knotted with exhaustion. Waves crashed higher and higher, and the life preserver seemed to be floating away. 

I paused, treading water, and waved a quivering arm above my head. “Wait!” I spat out the salty water that washed into my mouth. “I’m coming. Please, don’t leave me! I can’t swim anymore.”

The life preserver sailed across the water, smacking against the side of my head, and I grabbed it. Relief. I wrapped my shaking arms around it, my spirits buoyed by the firm tug on the rope, grateful for the unseen hand pulling me toward my rescuer. I was safe at last.

The figure in the boat was obscured in darkness, but I clung tight, overjoyed as each tug on the rope drew me closer. Perhaps he had a warm blanket to ease the chills that racked my body. My teeth chattered until I could scarce take a breath. A drink of fresh water to wash the salt from my lips would be heaven. Just a few more yards to go.

My hand bumped against the boat and I looked up at the imposing form of my rescuer, silhouetted against a ray of sun shining through a break in the clouds. “Th-th-thank y-y-ou.”

No hand reached down to pluck me from the waves. No voice spoke words of reassurance. The man sat, taking up the oars and beginning to tow me through the water. Perhaps the boat was full? I saw no other survivors. There seemed room enough for me. “P-please, I can’t hold on much longer.”

His head dipped in a nod, but he only rowed on, strong, firm strokes drawing the boat toward a shore I could not see.

“Please sir, could you help me into the boat? I’m weak and numb—so tired.” The steady pull as the oars swished through the water was the only answer. I closed my eyes and concentrated on keeping my head above the water, praying to reach the shore.

“Trust me.” His deep tone resonated through my soul. I knew that voice. “You’re safe, my child, safe in the center of my will. Can you not trust the man who died for you to do what’s best?”

A wave, more massive any than I had faced washed over me, stealing the breath from my body. I sputtered as water streamed down my face and gasped, drawing air into emptied lungs. “Jesus? Is that you? Please, will you not help me into the boat?”

“When the time is right, my child. Hold on. I’m here.”

“But Jesus, the next wave could drown me. I’m so tired and cold.”

“Hold fast. Your rest will come. I’ve got you.”

I closed my eyes, tightened my tenuous grip on the rope, and leaned my weary head against the life preserver. My heart screamed what I felt too weak to say. My God is for me, so nothing can overcome me. Even these waves will not destroy me. Nothing can stand against His power.

With every ounce of strength, I heaved a breath. “How long?”

The swish of the oars stopped and the boat slowed as a gentle hand settled on my head. “Dear one, I am more interested in your character than your comfort. I forge my greatest servants in battle, not in ease. When the time is right, I’ll lift you up. Trust me. Breathe my name.”

***

I’ve been there. So weak I thought I could not hold on one more second. So weary I felt giving myself up to the waves preferable to holding on. So overwhelmed I had no words of hope for anyone. So fragile I could do nothing for myself. But my Savior says He holds me safe in the palms of His hands and underneath me are His everlasting arms. He keeps a bottle filled with my tears. He has numbered every hair on my head. He lifts the weary as on the wings of eagles. All is well when He is near.

Because I have known Him for a long time, and I have His word, I know that Jesus will never let go of me. I know He will bring me safely home in His perfect time.

Lord, give me strength to hold on when I cannot see the shore.

© Copyright by Norma Gail Thurston Holtman, August 1, 2016

About the Author:

Norma Gail is the author of the contemporary Christian romance, Land of My Dreams, winner of the 2016 Bookvana Religious Fiction Award. A women’s Bible study leader for over 21 years, her devotionals and poetry have appeared at ChristianDevotions.us, the Stitches Thru Time blog, and in “The Secret Place.” She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America. Norma is a former RN who lives in the mountains of New Mexico with her husband of 40 years. They have two adult children.

Connect with Norma:

Website: www.normagail.org

Amazon Author page: http://www.amazon.com/Norma-Gail/e/B00ILHXBAK/

Book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQbZIoC_JSE

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorNormaGail

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+NormaGailwrites

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/normagailth/boards/ 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7874459

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Norma_Gail

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/norma-gail-thurston-holtman/42/71a/3b2

Book Links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Land-My-Dreams-Norma-Gail/dp/1941103170

Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas: https://lpcbooks.com/norma-gail/

Complaining or Counting? What’s Your Choice?

Oh dear, sometimes I can be so cantankerous and crabby, complaining about all sorts of things that the devil throws at me trying to kill my joy, steal my peace, and destroy my witness in my effort to love! It’s such an easy route to ride. Our enemy gives us so much to fuss about! But if we’re complaining, perhaps we should remember this Word:

Numbers 11:1 “And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp.”

Paul reminded the Corinthians about how the Children murmured in the wilderness, saying “Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” I Corinthians 10:10-13

What a great lesson! He reminds us of their example and admonishes us to be careful! No thinking we’re doing good and standing tall, or we might just fall. I d find a comfort in knowing #1 that I'm not alone going through tough times #2 God is faithful (that ALWAYS comforts me!) and #3 There's a way of escape. So . . . what’s the way?

Which direction do we head when the troubles and trials pile on top each other, and we need to escape?

May I suggest that we have a choice? Daily, even hourly, we can choose. Consider this: our 'escape' lies in those choices; that it all boils down to them. Philippians 2:14 says to “do all things without murmurings and disputings.” We either choose to bow up and complain, murmur, and remain cantankerous, making everyone around us walk lightly and be pretty miserable right along with us!

OR, we can choose to actually be glad about it! Like James tells us in his first chapter, second verse: “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.”

The latter choice will leave you skipping through the tulips all sweet and cheerful, as you choose to trust God and believe Romans 8:28 is true: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” So we can sincerely count the temptations joy and “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice!” Philippians 4:4

So tell me, have you had the opportunity to complain today? 
How did you choose?


Giveaway: 
Would you count it all joy to get a free book in the mail? Comment and I'll enter your name into a drawing! :) For VOW UNBROKEN, book one in my Texas Romance family saga! Book nine MIGHTY TO SAVE debuts in May!

Bio: Caryl McAdoo loves writing stories for all ages that glorify God and is thrilled Christian fiction fits her life purpose so well. Bold not bashful, she’s quick to share the Bible principles she lives by through her characters and hopes each title ministers His love, mercy, and grace. Known as the “Singing Pray-er”—with a YouTube channel to prove it—the prolific hybrid author also loves praising Him with new songs He gives her. Her high-school-sweetheart-husband moved the family from the DFW area—home for fifty-plus years—to the woods and seat of Red River County. After Ron, Caryl counts four children and sixteen grandsugars life’s biggest blessings. The McAdoos live a few miles south of Clarksville in the far northeast corner of the Lone Star State with two grandsons.

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A Song in the Night

I remembered my songs in the night. Psalm 77:6

I could not remember the last day without pain. A week of small trials, following a prolonged period of physical pain and sleeplessness made me feel trapped, as if the sun would never shine again.

When a painful condition is unseen, others doubt and are quick to accuse. It is all too frequent for people to condemn the sufferer rather than console. The widow receives comfort for a while, and then life is expected to move on. Too often, the innocent spouse receives as much judgment as the guilty. The surgical patient receives more sympathy than the sufferer of an invisible disability.

A bird perched upon a dead tree outside my window, singing as a blanket of fog wrapped me in the silence of unrelenting hurt created a powerful picture. God is as close in the throes of misery and sorrow, as in the sunshine, but it is more difficult to run to Him when surrounded by blackness and thorns.

God spoke to Job in the midst of the storm and to Elijah in a still small voice after the tumult had passed. God answers when I call to Him. He does not leave me alone in the dark, hopeless, and afraid. When it appears He has abandoned, God whispers the comfort of His presence. I only have to sit still to hear. God rarely shouts His answers. He prefers the quiet solitude of our hearts to speak His most gracious words of comfort and peace. He desires me to lean my head on His chest, leaving my burdens at His feet.

It is not chance that Jesus was called the “Man of Sorrows.” He knows my own unique pain. He will not leave me desolate. He will bring balm for my aching soul as He sent the ravens to feed Elijah at Cherith, and angels to Jesus in the wilderness. When the times of pain and darkness come, I must remember the times God has given me songs in the night, adopted children in the midst of infertility, certainty of heaven in the midst of crushing grief.

Look for Him in the darkness. Call to God from the fog of pain. He may not take away the circumstances, but He is faithful to provide healing balm and restore singing to an aching heart.

After A Long Night

What will it be like

When in Your presence I stand,

When I reach out for You

And touch Your hand?

What will it be like

When Your face I see,

When I feel Your presence

Surrounding me?

I long for the day

When all pain is gone,

When my joy and my task

Is to sing Your song.

How will I feel

When I’ve been set free—

From the pain and struggle

That now enslave me?

I long for the day

When I see Your face,

When all of my sickness

Is healed by Your grace.

You are my strength

While I walk this sod,

But, Oh, what peace

To behold my God!

There will come a day

When I understand,

And behold my scars

Upon Your hands.

When I get lost

In the fog of pain,

I cry out for Your presence,

I plead in Your Name.

You are always there,

You never delay.

But still, in my heart,

I will long for that day

When all earthly pain

And sorrow are gone,

At last and forever,

I will be at home.

© Copyright Norma Gail Thurston Holtman

About the author:

Norma Gail’s debut contemporary Christian romance, Land of My Dreams, set in Scotland and New Mexico is the winner of the 2016 Bookvana Religious Fiction Award. She led weekly women’s Bible studies for 21 years. Her devotionals, poetry have appeared at ChristianDevotions.us, the Stitches Thru Time blog, and in “The Secret Place.” She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, FaithWriters, Romance Writers of America, and the New Mexico Christian Novelists. She is a former RN who lives in the mountains of New Mexico with her husband of 40 years. They have two adult children.

Connect with Norma:

www.normagail.org

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorNormaGail

https://plus.google.com/b/102717101441594679714/+Normagail/about/p/pub

http://pinterest.com/normagailth/boards/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7874459.Norma_Gail

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/norma-gail-thurston-holtman/42/71a/3b2

https://twitter.com/Norma_Gail

Book links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Land-My-Dreams-Norma-Gail/dp/1941103170/ or

Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas: http://store.lpcbooks.com/product/land-of-my-dreams/