But let me back up a bit. A family situation laid me low in 2011. A loved one broke my heart, and I began sinking into daily despair.
I desperately needed God's Word, and someone suggested writing devotions. That's when I started Bible Love Notes with a handful of friends and family as subscribers.
Writing devotions got me into God's Word and restored me spiritually even though the heart-breaking situation continues to this day.
I'm not the best writer in the world, but God has given me a gift to write concisely, and my seminary training has helped me to accurately handle God's Word.
And I love God's Word. It not only saved me from hell when I was 23 years old, it saved me from despair in 2011. And it continues to sustain me in a million other ways.
Throughout the years, readers have written asking when I was going to write a book, but I have friends who've published books and I knew that the process involved attending writer's conferences, seeking out agents, and writing proposals. I didn't feel I had the time with all of my Bible Love Note's responsibilities.
But in the summer of 2021, right before my husband and I moved cross country, I asked God to make it clear if He wanted me to write a book. A week before our move, a Christian literary agent contacted me. He'd seen my online work and wondered if I wanted him to represent me for a book.
This is not typical. Usually a first-time author must seek out an agent. It seemed to be God's answer to my prayer. And when B&H/Lifeway Publishers gave me a contract a few months later, I felt especially blessed.
Then began some incredible months of prayer, writing, editing, re-writing, editing...
I used many of the same themes and subjects from my online devotions, but I added new content to each one, while maintaining a word count that fits my one-minute standard.
I was so pleased when my publisher created such a lovely hard-cover devotional, the perfect size for a coat pocket or purse. And I wanted people to get a bonus if they purchased the book, so I spent many hours writing a free Bible study download.
Isn't it just like our Lord to take a heart-breaking situation and use it for His purposes...to maintain my spiritual well-being all of these years, to help me develop new skills, to provide free Bible Love Notes subscriptions to thousands of people, and now to offer a book!
And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose. Romans 8:28, AMP
So, enjoy a free subscription to Bible Love Notes and have a one-minute devotion delivered to your email each weekday. Find out about it here: Stay Connected.
And please check out my book Wisdom for Life. Here's the description:
Do you desire daily wisdom—the kind of wisdom that can give you peace and comfort, guide your decisions, correct your misunderstandings, and teach you truths that help you mature in your faith?
Wisdom for Life is designed to offer exactly that, using the Old Testament books of Psalms and Proverbs.
Easy to fit in any schedule, each of the 100 devotions takes one minute to read.
They also offer multiple Scripture references and a bonus "For Further Thought" section so you can dig deeper when you have the time.
Whether you’re a new student of the Bible or a mature believer, enjoy relevant insights for your daily life and grow in your appreciation for the Psalms and Proverbs in Wisdom for Life.
Scroll down to hear me read the first devotion in the book!
You can order Wisdom for Life at many sites, but here are a few:
Lifeway Available as an e-book as well as hardcover
Click "Look Inside" to read the first four devotions on Lifeway or Amazon.
Amazon - Available as Kindle, audiobook, or hardcover.
U.K. Delivery:
Australian Delivery:
South Africa:
You can special order the book in the Philippines: CLC
Wherever you purchase the book, you can download the free Bible studies with proof of purchase at Wisdom for Life Devotional.
Let me read you the first devotion in my book!
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