Wishing you peace for the holidays

Hi Everyone, Danica Favorite here. Some of you may remember my last post, When the Holidays aren't Happy, and I wanted to share an update!

Ava finally had her surgery yesterday, and she is home and doing very well. She will have about a year of recovery, but she was in much better shape than what the vet had originally told us. So, from our family to yours, thank you for all the prayers and good thoughts you sent our way. Ava thanks you, too.

Ava just before surgery

For our family, we got the Christmas miracle we were all praying for, but I know that doesn't always happen for a lot of families. I want you to know that if that is you, and you are praying for a miracle that doesn't arrive, God still sees you, and He still loves you.

This Christmas, what I wish most of all of you is that you find the peace of the Lord in your heart. It's been a hard year for our family, though there have also been some bright spots. But as I reflect during this time of year, closing out 2018 (really not sad to see it go, I'll be honest!), the thing I am most focused on is the love of God and God's peace, which, if you keep your eyes fixed on God's love, is easy to find.

We haven't filled our holidays with a lot of activities this year, and the space under the tree will be a little bare (hello, vet bills!), and that's okay. It's given me the opportunity to focus more on the peace of the Lord, and to more fully know God's love.

I hope, as you close out this year, you take some time to recognize what a truly loving and amazing God we have, and allow that love to bring you peace.

About Danica:
A self-professed crazy chicken lady, Danica Favorite loves the adventure of living a creative life. She and her family recently moved in to their dream home in the mountains above Denver, Colorado.  Danica loves to explore the depths of human nature and follow people on the journey to happily ever after. Though the journey is often bumpy, those bumps are what refine imperfect characters as they live the life God created them for. Oops, that just spoiled the ending of all of Danica’s stories. Then again, getting there is all the fun.

You can connect with Danica at the following places:

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Peace, Peace, Peace

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.”  ~~John 14:27

Deb Kastner here. I have many friends who, as the new year dawns, ask the Lord for a “Word for the Year,” something on which they can focus their lives. I barely held on to 2015 by its coattails, so I wasn’t even in a frame of mind to be able to ask the Lord for a special word.

He gave me one anyway. In church over the past couple of weeks, the word “peace” has stood out to me, almost as if it were being said louder than any other word in the service. In the choir we’re singing, “Still, Still, Still.” The second verse is, “Peace, Peace, Peace.”

And boy, could I use a little bit of that. Though I didn’t ask for a specific word, I did ask--repeatedly--“Just one week, Lord, without any drama? Without anyone getting sick or with car troubles or with major appliances breaking down?”

Peace. Yeah. The Lord knows exactly what I need.

But peace is a two-way street. It’s not just finding peace, it’s giving it away. St. Francis of Assisi is credited with this poem:

And because the Lord tends to speak to me best through music, here’s a beautiful John Angotti song based on St. Francis’s poem. “Make Me a Channel of Your Peace.”

https://youtu.be/Q-gTzbxcUEs

Do you have a “Word for the Year?” Please share below!

Wishing peace to you and yours in this new year and always.

Deb's newest release, A Daddy for Her Triplets, will be available January 20th wherever Harlequin Love Inspired books are sold.

Not a Christmas Post :)

Being that it's December and I have a Christmas book in release (2 actually), I had intended to do today's post about Christmas. Makes sense, right?

But then today happened.

And I knew that this testimony was more important than another Christmas traditions post.

Twice in my life now I have had a similar situation, and twice God has reminded me of his presence.

The details don't matter (and frankly I don't even remember them from the first time), but both times I was having a really bad day and found myself wishing for a hug - you know the really good kind of hugs where the other person wraps you up in their arms and just holds you tight.

My father was the best hugger, but we lost him 13 years ago this month. I miss his hugs. One of my daughters was a great hugger, but she doesn't live at home any more.

Anyway, I remember the first instance so clearly. I was walking into church on a Sunday morning thinking of how I really needed a hug.

At some point I noticed a woman and young child sitting in front of me, and before long I recognized the woman as a former student - a girl I'd taught in sixth grade.

After Mass was over, she turned to me and said, "You probably don't remember me, but I was in your  class and you made me love science so much, that I'm going to medical school to become a pediatrician." We chatted for awhile about her desire to serve underprivileged communities, about the little girl who was her niece and how she would pick her up and bring her to church on Sundays so she knew God's love.

As I walked out of church, I remember thinking, "Lord, that might not have been the hug I was imagining, but you really came through for me." I'd felt so warm and loved in that moment, that whatever trouble I'd been having was washed away.

Fast forward to today - another day fraught with problems and I was wishing for one of those all-enveloping hugs from dad. I was chatting on the phone with my sister and we kept starting to get off, but then one more thing would lead to another until phone batteries were dying.

We were just about to hang up when she said, "One last thing. I've been meaning to ask if you know the group Casting Crowns?" I said I did, and she said, "I know you'll love their Christmas song."

After we hung up, I googled Casting Crowns to find the song.

This came up instead.

I'll admit, the tears were flowing freely as I embraced God's goodness and his answer to me. All day I have been trying to remind myself to just be in his presence. This song was just what I needed to hear, but it struck me that it's also the message we try to send with so many of our books.
I hope it helps you too.

I did eventually find the Christmas song. I bet all of you historical readers/writers will particularly enjoy the explanation in the beginning. And all of us can appreciate the message at the end.

Ask Elnora--About Dolphins--Lenora Worth

I have a thing for dolphins. I don't do the word-for-this-year kind of stuff, but if I had a word I'd chose the word "dolphin". I fell in love with dolphins when I first started seeing them years ago at the beach. Then we went to one of those Seaworld show and I got wet by the dolphins. I've loved them for a long, long time. So one of my biggest thrills is seeing them out on the bay. I watch for them and sometimes they oblige me by showing up. I've talked about dolphins here before. But I thought about what dolphins have taught me--

1. Patience. It's nice to sit still sometimes and just watch and wait. God tells us to be still and know that he is God. Elnora has never been very good at sitting still, but I'm learning.

2. Strength. The dolphins are strong and sure. They can be playful and swift or they can be sneaky and hard to find. They know when to play and they know when to go to deep waters. We have to be strong and swift at times--when life is pulling at us like a tide, and at other times, we need to go into our upper room and be alone away from the pull of life. The dolphins go underwater. I call this going "underground."

3. Routine and a plan. The dolphins follow the tides and live by the rules of the sea. They have an instinct that allows them to be friendly to humans but also allows them to swim away from most dangers. We need a routine of sorts to keep us on track with our faith and we need a plan that allows us to stay out of the path of things that can lead to trouble.

4. Serenity. Dolphins are some of the most docile creatures I've ever seen. That teaches me to be at peace, to let go and breathe, to push through worries and fears and keep on swimming against the current. Not an easy task for a drama queen who can throw a hissy fit at any given moment.

I look toward the dolphins as my calming symbol. I love them because they are God's creatures. He sends them to me to make me stop and watch. What kind of animals do you love? What creature brings you joy?

Ask Elnora--About Peace On Earth--Lenora Worth

Hello, my thanksgiving friends. This has been a long and strange week, but this blog will be short and sweet. Elnora is on the road again. I'm beginning to feel like Willie Nelson. While I'm traveling, let's discuss how to find peace on earth when it sometimes seem as if chaos is the rule of the day. I posted a picture on facebook because I found some peace when Big Daddy and I went for a sunset walk along the Gulf. Even though people are hurting, confused, cold, hungry and frightened, God is still with us. We do not live with a spirit of fear. God always sends us hope--to help those in need, to understand those who are different from us, to embrace grace and rebuke intolerance, to show love by putting out a hand in friendship instead of spouting out words of hate. Let's discuss finding peace on earth and if you don't want to discuss, then just listen and let God's light shine through you, no matter what. I'd rather shine a light in darkness than stumble along a road full of hate. What do you think?