Questions To Move Your Goal Setting In The Right Direction

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. – James 1:5 (NIV)

Sometimes it can be a bit challenging when setting goals to define clearly what you want to achieve. In the Make Your Year A Living Success Goals Workbook, you’re asked the question, “Where Am I Today?” which you use to rate and evaluate seven life areas. This can be challenging but it is necessary if you want to move forward. This exercise helps you to determine which areas of your life you need to focus on more.

Following that exercise, you will start setting your goals or creating your life plan. Again, even though you may have identified areas that you want to improve, putting a plan together can be quite the challenge. In the post I have created questions that you can use to help you plan in each of these life area.

I know for the most part taking time to question yourself may seem hard and time consuming. However, there is a benefit because for every question, even the hard ones, an answer can be found. As you start questioning yourself about your life, also ask God for already He knows the answer. He will search your heart and give you the wisdom needed to move your life in the right direction.

LIFE VISION

What would make you smile with satisfaction when you look back at my life?
How can you get closer to your 10-year goal in this year?
What can you do to make the world a better place?
How would you like to be remembered?

FAMILY

Who do you need to have a better relationship with in your family (spouse, children, siblings, in-laws)?
What family values and/or traditions (e.g. celebrations, fun events, special occasions, family devotions or prayer) do you need to develop or reinforce in order to leave a lasting legacy?
What family goals (e.g. buy a house, family reunion or vacation, stronger relationships) do you have for this year?

FRIENDS & COLLEAGUES

What relationships do you need to improve?
Is there anyone who you need to disconnect from because they are a negative influence?
Is there someone who pulls you down rather than lift you up and encourage you?
Are there people you interact with that drain your energy in one way or another?
Who do you most admire in your sphere of influence? How can you connect with them?

FINANCIAL

What are your immediate financial needs?
Do you have a workable spending plan? Does it need to be revised?
Do you have a financial plan aligned to your values?
Do you need to a financial increase? How much? What will you do to achieve this?
Are you satisfied with your current income level? If not, why and how can you improve it?
How much do you plan to give, save and invest this year?
Is there a plan to reduce debt or to get out of debt completely?

HEALTH – PHYSICAL

What can you do this year to improve your overall health?
Do you need to create and follow a healthier eating plan?
What plan do you have to keep physically fit (have a personal physical assessment and exercise plan, start walking, participate in fun sporting activities, purchase and use workout videos, partner with a few exercise enthusiasts)?
Have you booked your annual health checkup and regular doctors visits? Would you prefer to work with a nutritionist or with an alternative health practitioner?

INTELLECTUAL / PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Should you enroll in an academic or professional course or other course of interest to you?How many books do you plan to read this year?
What topics would you like to cover?
Who can you connect with as a mentor, coach or mastermind group to provide support and accountability?

CAREER / BUSINESS

Are you in the career of your dreams? If not, what do you need to do to get there?
Do you need to study in a particular field? Or do you need to get on-the-job training?
Do you need to make a complete change in your career and embark on a new adventure?
In what ways can you improve service and product offerings in order the generate business income and be profitable?
How can you better serve your customers (internal and external)?

SPIRITUAL

What can you do to have a closer relationship with God this year and beyond?
How can you better serve the Lord not only in church-related activities but in all areas of my life?
Do you spend enough time in prayer, bible study, reading books on Christian living to help you grow in your walk with the Lord?
How often do you set aside time during the day to spiritually rejuvenate (such as having moments of quiet reflection, listening to uplifting
music, watch short but inspiring videos or having a talk with God)?
How can you be a more effective witness for Christ?

This does seem like a lot of questions but they are just designed to get you started in your planning. You don’t need to answer all these questions or set major goals for each of these life areas. In some cases, you may need to set small goals – simple life habits – that can and will greatly improve your life. In other cases, based on where you are today, you may need to do a makeover on one or two areas of your life.

So take a step. Look at where are today and ask yourself a few of these questions to help you set purposeful goals. Ultimately, whatever goals you set, make sure that they align with your values and with the will of the God.

If you need help with goal setting, it’s not too late. Check out the Make Your Year A Living Success Goals Workbook.

Here’s to your best year ever!

PamelaC

Questions To Move Your Goal Setting In The Right Direction Read More »

9 Reasons Why Setting Goals Is Good For You

7 Comments / Business & Career Success, Financial Success, Relationship Success, Spiritual Success, Success Traits, Thinking Success, Wellness & Success

“Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.” — Habakkuk 2:2-3

In my last post, I discussed, 7 Quick Tips to Make the Best of Goal Setting. This week I want to highlight a few benefits to setting goals. People have a tendency to look at goal setting negatively mainly because of the time and effort it takes to start and continue the process. However, I hope that looking at the positives of goal setting will encourage you move towards a Living Success year.

Goals setting will…

1. Give direction or focus to your life

The aim of goal setting is to make you think about your life. If no one dreamed, planned, set goals and pursued them this world would be full of problems and no solutions. It’s the pursuit of man providing solutions to the problems that makes life better. God created you to have dominion, to be fruitful, to be productive, and to do good works. Setting goals is a start to being such an individual. When you set goals you are creating your life’s road map that brings everything you’re doing and will do into focus.

2. Energize you

The very act of writing your goals and seeing them in black and white will inspire you to start working on them. The more you act on your goals and accomplish them step by step, the more motivated and energized you become to keep working at them until they are completed.

3. Provide a challenge

Sometimes goal setting can be intimidating. Why? Because our dreams often feel bigger than we are. Your written goals can prove to be a challenge. Tell yourself, “If I dream it, I can do it with God’s help and strength.” The key to any challenge is to go after it in faith and with the certainty that God on your side. If God has put a dream or goal on your heart, He can give you the grace to achieve it.

4. Turn the seemingly impossible into possible

The purpose of goal setting is not to write down a few items on a list and leave them alone, there is more. Your goals need to be specific, definable and time sensitive and then be broken into smaller more manageable tasks. The aim of goal setting is the make impossibilities become smaller possibilities.

5. Hold you accountable to yourself

Writing down what you want to do have a way of standing out. When you keep your eyes focused on your written goal it speaks to you. What does it say? You need to make this happen. Studies have shown that those who write down their goals are more likely to accomplish them than those who don’t. The more you study your goals, the greater commitment you have to accomplish them.

6. Help you to believe in yourself

When you set aside time to dream and create goals, you begin to believe in your ability and God’s grace to complete them. What you really want and what your purpose is become clearer to you. As you write the desires of your heart, you become more certain that you can achieve them because they are aligned to God’s will and who you are in Him. As you review your goals regularly, the more you believe they are doable.

7. Bring you to live life to be fullest

What if you don’t set goals? Those I have known that set goals and pursue them, they are some of the happiest, thankful and confident people to have in your circle. For those who haven’t set and pursued their dreams, these often live in regret and talk much about what they could have done. Setting and pursuing your goals will cause you to experience a life that you once dreamed of. Go out and live your life as God intended for you.

8. Measure your success

Good goal setting provides a benchmark to compare to – Your goals vs your current successes. Every week, month or quarter you should take time to access where you are against the goals that you’ve created. When you do this you learn where you need to improve, what is working for you and where you need to adjust. Measuring your success is a good time to give thanks and celebrate what you have achieved with God’s help.

9. Help you overcome procrastinating

Identifying the next 3 action steps for each of your goals is an important part of the goals setting process. As you do this and assign timelines to these small tasks, you will be driven to do them immediately. The fact that they are manageable steps or easy tasks eliminates the intimidation factor present in large goals that often cause us not to pursue them.

10. BONUS Benefit: Make You Think Outside the Box

When you set goals, one of the questions you will find yourself asking over and over again is, “How am I going to do this?” With prayer, research and creative thinking, you will find the answers. Even when you are not looking for the answer, ideas or solutions will come to mind that you normally would not have thought of if you didn’t have goals to pursue. You’ll be surprised at the kind of “out-of-the-box” thinking you will do and the bold steps you will take to achieve your goals.

Goal setting really is worth the effort. When you habitual set goals and pursue them, you will happily look back over the years and be thankful that you did. One thing I have noticed is that goal setting has helped me to accomplish more than I thought I could and through this process I learned to trust God to fulfill the desires that He has placed on my heart.

Now you know why goal setting is good for you, will you take the time to create the life you’ve been dreaming of?

If you’re haven’t set any goals yet, it’s not too late to begin. If you need a step-by-step guided process to goal setting, I’d encourage you to download the Living Success Goals Workbook.

9 Reasons Why Setting Goals Is Good For You Read More »

Ultimate Christian Living Bundle

Business & Career Success, Christian Success Reading, Financial Success, Relationship Success, Spiritual Success, Wellness & Success

I recently came across this wonderful opportunity to have the Ultimate Christian Living Bundle. Honestly, I get so many emails that at times I just dismiss them but this one I couldn’t.

This bundle is packed with so much value that it’s hard to let this pass you by.

14 Christian Classics
13 Devotional Readers
7 Faith-Building Children’s Books and Music
14 Manuals for Christian Finance and Business
4 Amazing Bonuses valued at $99.97
…And much more!

When you think about it there is so much available that of course you can’t read or take it all in at once but what I plan to do is to use these resources throughout the new year. Usually, I aim to read at least one book a month and this year I have lapse a little, so this is a good starting point for the new year. With Devotionals included and books on Christian Finance and Business included I am good to go.

Have a look at the bundle and see what interest you and how much applying yourself to read these materials throughout the year will benefit you in your Christian walk. As I always remind myself and now you: Leaders are readers.

What intrigue me the most is the cost – you pay is far less that the value you receive. It’s rather generous of these authors to offer such great value for money. There is an option to upgrade from PDFs to ebook versions so you can have nicely formatted books on your Kindle, Nook or other ereader.

There is a benefit to every Christian who receives this Ultimate Christian Living Bundle. Several bonuses are included and the one I like the most is the FREE access to the “Stewardship of Healthy Living” curriculum, 24-day study guide, and the highly-acclaimed “Tempo Workout Video Series.” The program takes a uniquely biblical approach to exercise and healthy living, and points towards spiritual truths that our health is a means of praise. I am excited to start this!

Anyways, enough from me. Check out the Ultimate Christian Living Bundle and let me know how much you’ve gained from it.

Oh, don’t forget this sale ends on Monday, 10 November, 2014.

Ultimate Christian Living Bundle Read More »

7 Ways to Receive Your BreakThrough Part II

3 Comments / Business & Career Success, Financial Success, Relationship Success, Success Keys, Success Traits, Thinking Success, Wellness & Success

This is the short version of a message I shared at church. Be blessed!

BreakThrough

Now when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to search for David. And David heard of it and went down to the stronghold. The Philistines also went and deployed themselves in the Valley of Rephaim. So David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand?”

And the Lord said to David, “Go up, for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into your hand.”

So David went to Baal Perazim, and David defeated them there; and he said, “The Lord has broken through my enemies before me, like a breakthrough of water.” Therefore he called the name of that place Baal Perazim. And they left their images there, and David and his men carried them away.

Then the Philistines went up once again and deployed themselves in the Valley of Rephaim. Therefore David inquired of the Lord, and He said, “You shall not go up; circle around behind them, and come upon them in front of the mulberry trees. And it shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall advance quickly. For then the Lord will go out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines.” And David did so, as the Lord commanded him; and he drove back the Philistines from Geba as far as Gezer. — 2 Samuel 5:17-2

4. Be willing to wrestle with God all night. —Gen. 32:22-32

Jacob wrestled with God all night to receive his breakthrough. For him it wasn’t about money; he was wealthy. He needed a transformation in his life. His breakthrough was about getting a blessing that would change him from the inside out. Jacob held unto God all night until He blessed him. And God blessed Him and changed him from being known as a trickster or swindler (someone who couldn’t be trusted) to being a prince with God.

What life transformation do you need? Are there areas in your life that remain stagnant or become worse? Do you have character issues or a reputation that stains you wherever you go? Are you willing to stay up all night seeking the Lord to receive your breakthrough? To wrestle with God is to passionately pursue Him and have an encounter with Him that changes your life and perspective. Maybe seeking God in the night season when there are no distractions and you can fully focus on Him is the answer to your breakthrough. Don’t let go until God blesses you.

5. Your heart must hold onto the promise. Speak God’s word over your life not matter how bad it looks. —Joshua 1:8

Abraham believed God for his breakthrough – to have a son and become the father of many nations. In Gen. 12:1-3, the Lord gave Abraham (then Abram) promise that he would be the father of many nations. Years passed and in Gen. 15:1-6, Abraham confronts God about the promise because the only heir in his house was his servant’s child and Sarah wasn’t pregnant yet. God assured him of the promise, made a covenant with him and changed his name from Abram to Abraham (father of many nations). God also gave him a visual – the stars – to help him understand the vastness of the promise. Then Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him as righteousness. When Abraham is about to sacrifice his only son (Gen. 22), God reiterates His promise with two visuals – the stars of the sky and the sand on the seashore. All those years, can you imagine, Abraham had to hold that promise but God gave him the tools to do it: his new name along with the visual of the stars and sand. In everyday conversation he was being reminded of the promise every time someone called his name. He was being reminded of the promise when he felt the sand under his feet and gazed at the stars at night.

To get the breakthrough you have to hold unto the promise (the word God gave to you). You have to hold to the Word – meditate on it day and night and live it out in your life (Joshua 1:8). You have to keep speaking in faith what God promised you (Heb. 4:14) – be it healing, deliverance, or another promise He has for you. Jesus’ ministry to you is to bring to past the word you speak concerning yourself that is according to the will of God. Therefore be careful what you say – not only in the prayer closet but in your daily conversation. You must hold fast (keep speaking) that confession until your breakthrough happens.

6. Examine your heart (rather ask the Holy Spirit to examine you) and ask for forgiveness where you have fallen. —Psalm 51

Nothing severs our relationship with God like sin. Sin not only brings a barrier between you and God but it stops the blessing (Deut. 28:15-68). David is an excellent example for us. He wasn’t a perfect man, yet God calls him a man after His own heart. I believe one of the reasons he says this of David is because he was quick to repent whenever he faltered (2 Sam. 12:1-15).

Today, though we are under a better covenant than David was we too sin at times. However, God is faithful and just to forgive you and cleanse you (give you the ability to overcome the temptation) from all unrighteousness (1 <st1:bcv_smarttag>John 1:9). Don’t let sin come between you and the wonderful relationship you have with God. Be quick to forgive and be quick to ask for forgiveness. It is needed to continue in right relationship with God and to experience your breakthrough.

7. Don’t just call on Jesus but believe that you will see the glory of God. —John 11:1-44

Mary & Martha called on Jesus for their breakthrough; they wanted their brother to be well again. However, as scripture points out Jesus delayed his visit for a few days and by the time he reached there Lazarus was dead. But His intention was still to restore Lazarus though dead. He encourages Martha – at her objection to have the stone removed from the tomb opening – to believe and she will see the glory of God (vs.40).

Often times we accept our sickness or problems quickly and are ready to give up. But your sickness or problem is not meant to end you but to honour God and promote His glory. (vs.4). How? When God gives you your breakthrough you will by all means praise Him and tell others what He has done for you. Ask God to show His glory in your life. Why His glory? Because the God of the breakthrough can make the impossible become possible and real to you. He can destroy the works of the enemy and bring you the breakthrough you need.

8. Step outside the norm or the status quo. Ignore what others may say. —Mark 10:46-52

Bartimaeus needed a breakthrough – he wanted what he never had before – the ability to see. He was known for who he was – a blind man begging on the road side. Vision is something we take for granted but for him not being able to see meant living below standard and having to beg at the wayside in order to live. No vision was darkness over him – no work, begging all the time, being out in the scorching sun, being snubbed and ridiculed. Bartimaeus wanted more and saw the opportunity when he heard that Jesus was passing by. He was not willing to let this moment pass him by. He yelled out to Jesus until he got his attention. He ignored the naysayers and kept shouting until Jesus took notice of him. Then Jesus asked Bartimaeus … “What do you want me to do for you?”

Is there something in your life that you’ve never had before? Have you thought about how your life and those around you would be better if you could have your breakthrough? Maybe you need a clearer vision your purpose and help to get you started on that road but it’s hard to see or conceptualize and you need God’s direction. Hmm… What do you want Jesus to do for you? What breakthrough do you need from Jesus today? What is it that will get you on the path that God has ordained for you?

What are you willing to do for your breakthrough?

Will you pray and weep until your voice isn’t even heard or wrestle all night with God (pleading in desperation) to get your blessing. Maybe you need to mix your prayer with regular fasting, or make a vow to the Lord in advance of the breakthrough. For you, it may be as simple as asking God for direction or strategy or it may require boldness and faith doing to do what you’ve never done before.

Whatever the need, we all need a breakthrough – our countries, our churches, our families, and ourselves. Let’s pray to get the breakthrough coming….

Don’t forget to share with others to encourage them in the Lord.

7 Ways to Receive Your BreakThrough Part II Read More »

7 Ways to Receive Your BreakThrough Part I

1 Comment / Business & Career Success, Financial Success, Relationship Success, Spiritual Success, Success Keys, Success Traits, Thinking Success, Wellness & Success

This is the short version of a message I shared at church. Be blessed!

BreakThrough

And the Lord said to David, “Go up, for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into your hand.”

What is a breakthrough?

David described his victory over the Philistines like the powerful force experienced when water breaks over the banks of a river or like a tsunami that washes away everything in its way. In honour of the Lord he renames what was once called the house of the giant (Valley of Rephaim) to the Lord Who breaks through (Baal Perazim). Where the enemy (the Philistines) thought they were strongest because they had their baals (gods) with them, God proved even stronger!

Today you don’t fight the physical war against people but a spiritual one against the enemy of our souls. We fight against the attacks of the enemy – sin, sickness, failure, lack or poverty, defeat or oppression of any kind. These problems are like the enemy’s floods that are meant to carry you away or to destroy you (Is 59:19). However, when God is the Lord of your breakthrough for you, He advances over and above the enemy’s flood. The Lord pushes back the enemy’s flood of trouble, sickness, lack, and all negativity with the flood of His blessing, goodness, love, favour and every good thing you need in life.

** God wants to give you a breakthrough in those areas of your life that the enemy appears to be the strongest.

Do you need a breakthrough?

Is there a need that is long overdue?
Have you been waiting on the Lord for a long time and nothing seems to be happening? Do you need God’s hand on your life?
Are you pregnant with a vision, dream or desire that seems to mock you?
What is your need? To be healed, to have a house of your own, to be relieved of the burden of financial debt, to have a positive income stream to help provide for your family, to see family members come to the Lord…?

Whatever the need, the Lord your God, is the Lord of Your breakthrough. The Word shows us what others have done to receive their breakthrough from God. Let’s see what you can do to receive for your breakthrough?

1. Ask the Lord what to do. Be prepared to seek the Lord. —2 Sam. 5:17-20

David needed to fight and win the battle against the Philistines who had come after him. So David (as he often did) asked God what to do before going out to battle. He realised that he was in a better position whenever he consulted God. He not only asked what to do but he did as God directed. God gave him strategy on how best to defeat his enemies.

For you to receive your breakthrough you need to ask God and then step out in faith and in obedience to do as God said. God is the Master Strategist and has the upper-hand over the enemy, follow His leading and you will be victorious and rejoice.

2. Make a vow or commitment to do something for the Lord. —1 Sam. 1:1-20

Hannah desperately wanted a child. Being taunted by her rival about her barrenness didn’t make it easy to bear. Hannah poured her heart out to God. She wept her prayer and made a vow to the Lord to give back when she received her breakthrough. She offered to God the thing she wanted the most – a child. What a commitment!

What about you? Don’t be reserved. If you have to cry, then cry but let God know your burden and express your desire to Him (vs.10). If you are as determined as Hannah was about receiving her breakthrough, maybe you too need to make a commitment to the Lord. Is there an area in which you’ve been meaning to serve but haven’t yet? Is there something you will sacrificially vow to give to the Lord? I’ve seen friends vow their first pay check to the Lord when they needed an income stream and God blessed them. What can you vow? Make a vow to the Lord and when you receive your breakthrough be sure to follow through.

3. If you want to get something you never had, you have to do something you’ve never done before and fast your prayer. —Esther 4:13-17

Esther fasted and prayed to save her life and those of the Jews. She did something she never did before – she risked her life for the sake of her people by going before the king uninvited. However, before she took that risk, she and her people prepared themselves – they fasted and prayed to God for three days. Why? She knew only God could touch the heart of the king and give her favour with him.

Do you need to take some risk? Do you need to mix your prayers with fasting? As Jesus said there are some situations that would need prayer and fasting to bring deliverance, to be resolved or for breakthrough to come. Examine your life and the circumstances you are experiencing? Have you tried different ways to deal with your problems but they still prevail? Consider spending time in prayer and fasting. Even a commitment to skip a meal for a season would help bring light to your situation.

Next week, I will share the second part of this message.

Don’t forget to share with others to encourage them in the Lord.

7 Ways to Receive Your BreakThrough Part I Read More »

Living Separate Lives, a novella by Paulette Harper Johnson

Christian Success Reading, Relationship Success

A good read about relationships, forgiveness and emotional healing – Living Separate Lives

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old…or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today’s Wild Card author is:

Paulette Harper Johnson

and the book:

Living Separate Lives, a novella

Thy Word Publishing (November 9, 2013)

***Special thanks to Paulette Harper for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Paulette Harper is an award-winning and best-selling author. She is the owner of Write Now Literary Virtual Book Tours and is passionate about helping authors succeed in publishing and marketing their books. Paulette has been writing and publishing books since 2008. Paulette is the author of That Was Then, This is Now, Completely Whole and The Sanctuary. Her articles have appeared on-line and in print.

Visit the author’s website.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Four Friends, One Secret and The Weekend That Changed Their Destiny

Candace Walker, Kaylan Smith, Jordan Tate, and Tiffany Thomas have their share of sorrows, but neither of them realizes how deep the sorrow goes. What happens when they agree to meet for a weekend of relaxation in beautiful Napa County? Which one will leave the same or worse?

For Candace Walker, life has left her battered and bruised. Kaylan Smith has struggled with prejudice from her in-laws. After fifteen years of marriage, bitterness is trying to raise its ugly head for Jordan Tate, whose husband wants to call it quits. And for Tiffany Thomas, dealing with rejection has never been one of her greatest feats.

Although they have been friends for years, they thought they knew each other well. But will a secret destroy their relationship and bring the sisterhood to a complete halt? Will they be able to forgive and allow God to mend that which might be torn?

Product Details:
List Price: $8.10
Paperback: 146 pages
Publisher: Thy Word Publishing (November 9, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 098996910X
ISBN-13: 978-0989969109

AND NOW…THE FIRST CHAPTER:

“Who cares anyway if I die? I hate my life; I curse the day I was born,” said Candace as she rolled out of her twin bed to face yet another day of sheer disappointments. Her feet landed on the beige, shaggy, dirty carpet that had seen better days. As she sat on the edge of her bed, she looked around the small apartment as though she was expecting to see something different, but nothing had changed.

“Lord, can I get a break? Can something good happen in my life?” she cried as her head collapsed in her hands. She knew within herself that today would be like all the rest: gloomy, sad, and most of all, lonely. After all she had experienced in life, how could she think today would be any different?

Candace lived in a small studio apartment off of School Street in the city of Pittsburg, California, a city surrounded by the beautiful San Francisco Bay Area. Her apartment had enough room for only one dresser and a nightstand, which she got at the neighborhood Goodwill store.

The walls of her apartment were dirty from years of cigarette smoke that didn’t escape out of the window. Her kitchen table was made of plywood, which she covered with a red table cloth. The table was encompassed by two chairs, one for her and the other one she had hoped would be occupied by someone who genuinely wanted to be with her. The blue and cream décor in her kitchen came from visiting the neighborhood garage sales. Her neighbors knew her so well because of the frequent visits she made to their sales. Although Candace always had a roof over her head, she did not like the environment in which she lived. After looking intently at her dwelling place, she lay back on her bed and stared at the ceiling. Her thoughts shifted from her disappointing apartment to her anger about the issues she had to deal with, problems that had been with her for years, issues with her family.

Since high school, life was hard for Candace. Almost every decision she made never retuned a good dividend. The men in her life came and went, except for Derrick. He stayed the longest, but his bout with kidney failure ended whatever dreams she had of getting out of what she called the “ghetto.” Derrick was her sure ticket to a better life, she hoped. The only consolation to his memory was the pictures on the stained walls and a locket she wore around her neck.

Candace grew up with both parents and two siblings. Her sister, Monique, was three years younger than her; her brother, Zach, was two years younger. Candace always felt that she got the worse end of the stick when it came to Monique. Monique was light-skinned with long, black, wavy hair, which belonged to her, by the way. Candace’s skin tone was a few shades darker than Monique. She was short in stature; five feet, three inches tall, to be exact. She wore her hair down and straight, although it mostly contained black hair extensions, which she bought from the neighborhood beauty supply store.

Monique was the image of her mother minus a few inches of hair. She stood five feet, eleven inches with a small frame; she could have been chosen as America’s Next Top Model. But Monique decided to study law, passing the bar on her first attempt; she then started her own practice and moved it to Los Angeles. Monique and her parents could not figure out how Candace didn’t make more of herself. To them, Candace was merely existing and taking up space. They wrote Candace off years ago.

Her parents would say they didn’t show favoritism to any of their children, but let Candace tell the story; she would disagree. Candace didn’t have a great relationship with her parents, nor did she have one with her sister. She longed to connect with her mother, Vivian, even dreaming of having meaningful conversations with her, but that never materialized. Vivian grew up without love, so showing love was not something she did or knew how to do.

Nothing Candace did was ever good enough for her parents. She realized long ago that they would never validate or accept her for who she was. And that always bothered her. The only relative that Candace found solace in was her baby brother.

Zach was the comic relief in the family and the only one who tried to keep Candace from running away from home when they were teenagers. Despite what he saw from his family, he found laughter to be a source of comfort. A joke at the right time would always make Candace laugh instead of crying many days. Now that he was older, his life revolved around school, his baby, and opening up his own barber shop.

Zach had similar features like his dad. He had a body like LL Cool J, muscular in built, which required him to spend more time in the gym and less time getting into trouble. His skin tone was the same as Candace’s, and his hair was black and curly, which he kept cut low.

Their dad, Robert, didn’t care about too much except a good home-cooked meal and the wrestling matches that he saw nightly. He was content to spend his time sitting in his brown leather recliner with a blanket next to the wooden table that had enough room to hold his can of soda, the remote control, and the cordless phone.

While reminiscing about one’s family may bring happiness to others, memories of her family only angered Candace even more. The longer she lay there, the angrier she got. In order to avoid another day filled with anger, she started thinking about how much her life would change for the better if only she could win the lotto or meet a rich man. But that wasn’t going to happen any time soon, especially if she continued to linger in the bed all day like she had been doing for the last few days. Candace sighed and finally decided to climb out of bed. Maybe today would be her lucky day.

Candace made her way to the small kitchen and began fixing breakfast. Today’s meal consisted of a slice of toast and coffee. Once she finished her breakfast, she stepped into the shower and let the warm water sooth her. She grabbed a pair of jeans and a tee shirt, and headed out the door.

Outside her apartment she could hear the normal chanting from the neighborhood kids. “There she goes,” the kids began to yell. Candace was often referred to as “crazy Candi” because many times while walking to the corner store to pick up her soda, cigarettes, and a lottery ticket, they often observed her muttering to herself. Whenever they mocked her, she would turn around and yell back at them.“I ain’t crazy,” she would yell. “I know y’all think I am, but I’m not. I’m talking to God. That’s something y’all young hoodlums should think about doing sometimes.”

While walking along the street, Candace decided to do something differently. Instead of passing by the church on the way to the store, she decided to go in and pray. She made herself comfortable in one of the pews. The soft music that played inside the church made her thoughts wander to the first time she went to church.

Candace was introduced to Christ by one of her friends, Kaylan, To Candace, going to church was the last thing on her mind or on her agenda. But she figured church couldn’t be any worse than being home with people who didn’t give love or show love. “I’ll give church a try,” she said to herself. “Maybe I could find some answers to my probing questions as to why God didn’t give me a loving family and why nothing good happened to me. Maybe the church folks would love me and help me, but most importantly, pray for me,” she said to herself.

She remembered the first time she walked into New Life Christian Center on Christmas day. All the people were raising their hands, which was so foreign to her. It didn’t seem real. She was feeling something, but didn’t know exactly what to call “it” or if “it” had a name. This was one feeling she couldn’t identify.

The church décor was beautifully decorated with poinsettias placed around the stage area. For the first time in Candace’s life, she thought that maybe this was exactly the thing she needed. When she and Kaylan entered the sanctuary, the usher wanted to sit them close to the front of the church, but Candace would not have it. She leaned toward Kaylan and said, “Oh no, can’t we sit near the back? I might need to go to the restroom.” Kaylan agreed. Seating them in the front was not a good idea for more reasons than one. And Kaylan didn’t want Candace’s first visit to New Life to be her last.

Kaylan motioned to the usher, “We’d like to sit in the back, if that’s okay.” With reservations, the usher directed them to the empty seats in the back of the church. During service, the choir did not sing songs that Candace had ever heard. Luckily, the words were plastered on the screen for people like her, the un-churched. Yet the sound that came from the choir calmed her apprehension. The choir leader invited everyone to stand and join along. Kaylan turned to Candace, as she stood up to join in on the praise.

“Come on, Candace; it’s okay. Let go and let God.” Candace looked skeptical.

“Let go and let God,” Candace muttered. “What in the world does that mean?” Maybe Kaylan will educate her on the church lingo later, she thought. Candace slowly stood on her feet and joined Kaylan and all the church folks who didn’t have the same problem as her. Not feeling as comfortable as Kaylan, Candace left her arms by her side.

As the music continued, people began clapping, shouting, and running around the church. Candace’s brown eyes widened as big as saucers as she watched all this, and her focus went from the choir to the little lady doing what appeared to be some type of praise dance. All Candace could do was laugh. A nudge from Kaylan on her arm got her attention back on the choir. After thirty minutes into the singing, the Pastor emerged and took the podium. “That’s Pastor Jonathon Williams,” Kaylan proudly announced to Candace “That’s my Pastor,” she said with excitement.

“Good morning, saints. This is the day the Lord has made; let us be glad and rejoice,” Pastor Williams said in a baritone voice.

“Praise the Lord,” echoed the congregation to the pastor; well, everyone except for Candace.

“First, the usher wanted to seat us in the front of the church. Then they wanted us to stand. Now we get to yell back to the Pastor?” Candace whispered right before Kaylan let out a loud “Glory to God.” More claps and more shouting came, and the applauses became louder. The roar reminded Candace of a sports game when the winning team finally scored. She remembered that, but had no idea “church” was anything like that.

“Today’s text comes from John 3:16. You may be seated,” said Pastor Williams.

Candace and Kaylan exchanged glances, and Candace’s voice let out a soft “Praise the Lord.” They immediately started smiling and took their seats.

Candace’s five-inch, black stilettos were not the ideal pair of shoes to wear to church. They were cute, but being cute was not good enough. Candace didn’t realize that it took preparation to come to church, something she’d have to really consider next time.

Kaylan reached down into her purse that was located on the floor and pulled out her notebook, a Bible, and a pen— all of which Candace had none.

“You taking notes?” Candace inquired. “You didn’t tell me to bring a notebook.”

“Don’t worry. Here you go.” Kaylan quietly tore out several pieces of paper from her notebook and handed them to Candace along with a pen.

“The words will be up on the screen, or we can share my Bible,” Kaylan said as they moved closer together on the seat. In his message, Pastor Williams talked about the reason why Jesus came to the world and why people needed to be saved; in his message, he explained the real meaning of love. While Pastor was speaking, the ushers were walking around the sanctuary, offering Kleenex to those who were apparently shedding tears. Candace declined the offer. Instead, she wiped the tear from her face with the back of her hand when the Pastor began to talk about love, something she yearned for from her family and men.

“God is love, and God showed His love by given the ultimate sacrifice by sending His son, Jesus,” said the Pastor. At one point in his message, he stated, “We try to find love in all the wrong places; the void in our lives can only be filled by God’s love.”

During his message, Candace’s mind traveled back to all the times she wanted to be loved by her family, excluding Zach because he did love her. Her mind wondered about the men who had been in and out of her life. The Pastor was right; she had been looking for love in all the wrong places. Unable to stop the flow of tears, she realized the reasons why her life was in such chaos.

Loud shouts of “Amens” startled her, and brought her back from her reverie. At the end of the message, Pastor Williams gave what Kaylan called “an invitation to salvation.” Before Kaylan could ask Candace if she wanted to accept Christ, Candace was already making her way down to the altar.

Yes, it truly had been a while since Candace first felt that love and acceptance from others. After the death of Derrick, it was hard for her to see that God really loved her. But as she walked into the church this dreadful afternoon, she decided that it was finally time to make a change.

Living Separate Lives

Living Separate Lives, a novella by Paulette Harper Johnson Read More »

From Tenacity to Success

1 Comment / Business & Career Success, Christian Success Reading, Financial Success, Relationship Success, Spiritual Success, Success Habits, Success Keys, Success Traits, Thinking Success

dirkercken / 123RF Stock Photo

The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; but the soul of the diligent shall be made rich. —Proverbs 13:4 (NKJV)

It’s April already! Time flies. As my grandma often reminded me, “Time waits on no man.” So true, isn’t it?

Many of us started of this year with a bang. Full of excitement about what is ahead. We created our goals and looked forward to a productive and wonderful year, no doubt. Now we are into the second quarter of the year, and you may have slacked off from pursuing our goals or doing what the Lord has instructed you to do. On the other hand, you may have become distracted or lost your focus. Maybe you faced with challenges that were unexpected or not anticipated. For me, it’s a bit of all the above but I am still excited. I feel encouraged rather than discouraged. Why, because the year isn’t over yet! It’s just the end of the first quarter. I believe that with God’s help I can keep moving forward to accomplish what He wants me to do and some of what I desire to do. You too can succeed!

Recently when preparing to lead a prayer session at church, the Lord reminded me of the need to remain tenacious. Life requires tenacity. A certain amount of stick-to-itive-ness is required in order to succeed in life or to overcome life’s hurdles, to solve problems (yours and others). An inward stubbornness (so to speak) or persistence is needed. I know that is easier said than done but we’ve got to make the effort. If we press forward, we will gain the prize we have long dreamed for.

Personally, one way I keep moving forward is by revisiting or re-evaluating my goals. That does not mean that I give up on them if they are not progressing as I hoped but I rework some of them in order to get the desired effect I want. This is the time that I also celebrate – I create my season every quarter – to be thankful to God for all He’s done and will do in my life. It’s a time for me to reflect on what I have done, where I am and where I want to go. It’s time to recommit myself to the Lord and His will for my life. Through this God imparts His grace to stay tenacious.

Jesus encourages us to be tenacious in prayer. We must always prayer and don’t give up until we have an answer from God (Luke 18:1-6). In Matthew 7, Jesus also speaks of the need to keep keeping on – always praying, always seeking, always knocking. Jesus promises that if we be persistent in these areas, we will receive, we will find what we are looking for and we will have open doors or opportunities made available to us.

Keep on asking and it will be given you; keep on seeking and you will find; keep on knocking [reverently] and [the door] will be opened to you. For everyone who keeps on asking receives; and he who keeps on seeking finds; and to him who keeps on knocking, [the door] will be opened. —Matthew 7: 7-8 (AMP)

This tenacity in prayer affects every area of our lives. How is that? Prayer covers any and every thing pertaining to our lives and our walk with God. So what do you need to be tenacious about in order to reach your goal?

Looking for a promotion at work? Then be diligent in your work. Do your work well, seek to improve it in some way that benefits you, your co-workers and your employer. Promotion will come.

The hand of the diligent will rule, but the lazy man will be put to forced labor. —Proverbs 12:24 (NKJV)

Do you need to pass your next exams? Then create and work a system of study – set the place, length of time, frequency. It may mean giving up television, socializing or volunteering for a bit. Remember, studying and anything else for that matter, is for but a time but the achievement of the certification or degree will benefit you many times in the future.

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. —2 Timothy 2:15 (NKJV)

Do you need your business to grow? In this case, you may need to try new things, revamp an old method or business process. Think and move outside the norm and trust God for increased sales and profit.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. —James 1:5 (NKJV)

Do you want to build a strong family unit? Consider be persistent about having family times together regularly and consistently – maybe one-on-one special times with your children, going on a date with your spouse, or having family prayer times together. These both build you and your family’s faith and make the bond between all get stronger.

Through wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches. —Proverbs 24:3-4 (NKJV)

This week, consider taking some time to reflect on your life over the past three months – give thanks to the Almighty God and asking Him for the grace to be tenacious in whatever area of your life you need to push ahead. If you need to revise some of your goals in some way – do so and persist in prayer daily about them. No matter what don’t give up. Your tenacity will lead to prosperity and victory.

From Tenacity to Success Read More »

Christian Books Free & $0.99, March 27th – 28th only

Business & Career Success, Christian Success Reading, Financial Empowerment, Financial Success, Relationship Success, Spiritual Success, Success Habits, Success Keys, Success Traits, Thinking Success, Wellness & Success

Welcome to March Madness!

Where You Can Get Discounts, Free Books and More!
March 27th-28th only

For two days only, several best-selling authors have joined together to offer their books for free or 99 cents to avid readers.

Readers can download or order 40+ new books, saving over 50, and enter to win a $25 Amazon gift card to get even more books!

The books are listed below – Fiction first, followed by Non-Fiction, and the Gift Card Giveaway can be found at the bottom of the page:

Fiction:

Free Books

Dear Tiz by Aslaug Grbitz

This story is about two seventeen year old girls who live in two different centuries. They are connected in ways they have yet to discover.

The men in their lives are chivalrous and honorable, not to mention multi-ethnic – the Italian, the Irishman, the American Indian and the Norwegian.

There is true love, adventure, pioneering and a little magic involved. No wait, maybe it is the hand of God.

Free Today On Amazon Kindle:

The Difference Between Night and Day by Melissa Turner Lee

Nathaniel Taylor was a Christian who thought believers were exempted from “dark times.” That was until he entered his own long time in the dark. When he meets Lilly, a young woman in danger, it sends him on a journey to discover the difference between night and day and that during dark times, the Light is hidden, not gone.

Free On Smashwords With Coupon: UA44U

Prince of Alasia by Annie Douglass Lima

Twelve-year-old Prince Jaymin, heir to the throne of Alasia, barely escapes with his life when invaders from neighboring Malorn attack. Accompanied by Erik, his young bodyguard and friend, Jaymin flees to a nearby town to live in hiding. There, coming face to face with the hardships suffered by the poor, he determines to improve his people’s lives someday when he takes the throne, assuming he can reclaim his kingdom. In his struggle to retain his identity and yet blend in with children in the local school, Jaymin’s life depends on his ability to protect his secret from both enemy troops and unsuspecting townsfolk. Meanwhile, Erik must resort to his skills in unarmed combat to defend Jaymin against everyone from a gang of schoolyard bullies to the Malornians who regularly patrol the streets looking for trouble – and for the missing prince. As the search intensifies and his enemy’s suspicions grow, Jaymin seeks desperately for a way to save his kingdom and himself. Then he stumbles upon a startling discovery that will challenge his assumptions and forever change his view of Malorn and the events that altered his life.

Free Today On Amazon Kindle:

In The Enemy’s Service by Annie Douglass Lima

When the Malornian army invaded Alasia and Prince Jaymin was forced to flee for his life, what happened to those left behind? In the Enemy’s Service tells the story of ten-year-old Anya, imprisoned among other survivors and forced to work for the occupying troops. While pretending to follow orders and serve diligently in the palace, Anya discovers ingenious ways to spy on enemy officers and slip valuable information to the Alasian resistance.

But as she helps to craft plans that may eventually free Alasia, Anya accidentally uncovers a disturbing reference to her own family. Her fears are strengthened when she is confronted by a mysterious Malornian who seems somehow to know the truth behind the role she has been playing. Holding her life in his hands with that knowledge, he claims to bear information implicating her father in the betrayal that led to the Invasion itself.

Free On Smashwords With Coupon: MX74U

99 Cent Bargain Books

Times of Trouble by Cliff Ball

Terrorist plot expert.
Bodyguard to the President.
Tested faith and personal troubles–
How will Brian Atwood face the End Times?

Get Your Copy Now For Only $0.99:

Times of Trial by Cliff Ball

Three Christian families suffer from persecution as the President declares himself dictator, implements something called Order 21, and begins targeting his political and spiritual enemies. Meanwhile, tensions between Israel and Iran intensifies as the End Times approach.

Get Your Copy Now For Only $0.99:

The Book of the Harvest by Brad Francis

For those who chose to follow Jesus Christ in life, heaven is nothing short of paradise. Time has no meaning and all is blissful reward and endless praise and communion with the One whose very presence makes eternity glorious. These believers lack nothing and their eternal lives are made complete by uninhibited access to the King of kings and Lord of lords. Eternity leaves endless time to grow and worship and play and learn and discuss. It is not surprising, then, when a man begins to wonder about the lives he had a chance to touch during his life on earth. He has no idea where his simple question will lead.

Get Your Copy Now For Only $0.99:

A Dodge, A Twist, And A Tobacconist by Sophronia Belle Lyon

This series melds some better and lesser-known characters of classic literary fiction: A literary dream team of crime fighters including nods to Dickens, Stevenson, Alcott, Austen, Kipling, Doyle, and other writers across the pond, with plenty of homages to great books sprinkled throughout. Prowl the foggy London streets on the track of a ruthless enslaver of souls. Travel the Thames in a Giant Catfish. Soar over London in a stealth glider, and witness true redemptions and restorations no one ever imagined.

Get Your Copy Now For Only $0.99:

Nehemiah, LLC by Michael J. Findley

The surface of Mars is swept by violent storms but the Nehemiah Group lives almost idyllically beneath the surface in thousands of acres of “Glop-dropped” parks and sandblasted living quarters. Soothed by the buzzing of bees and chasing the occasional escapees from their small herds of livestock, these people actually research and develop methods to protect the lives and welfare of all the people of the Space Empire. When a plea for help with their specialty comes their lives are turned upside-down. Life support has failed on the balloon ship Sojourner.

Get Your Copy Now For Only $0.99:

Out Of The Wilderness by Anita K. Greene

Former Navy SEAL Grayson Kerr’s honor has eroded working as a soldier for hire. His newfound faith in God has him longing to restore his integrity. His new mission is to qualify for a job with the SeaMount Agency. He wants to be one of the good guys. In the midst of a wilderness survival trial, he discovers a woman and her children lost in the forest. Abandoning his own mission in order to help them could disqualify him for the job.

Get Your Copy Now For Only $0.99:

Purchase from Smashwords

Trapped by Gloria Repp
Book 3 of Tales of Friendship Bog

A boxful of puzzles.
A booby-trapped tunnel.
A baby squirrel gone missing.
—Pibbin needs a team for this one.

Get Your Copy Now For Only $0.99:

The Forever Stone by Gloria Repp

No matter what they think, Madeleine decides to go. She’ll help her aunt restore the old house; she’ll sign up for an online baking course; and she’ll bury–yes, bury–those terrible memories. ”From now on,” she tells herself, “I’m going to be strong and independent.”

Her plan seems to be working, except for the panic attacks, until she has to deflect the attentions of two men.

Get Your Copy Now For Only $0.99:

The Missing Piece by Carol McCormick

After only a few months of marriage, Lorraine left Dylan on a wintry night after he’d spent one too many nights out with the guys. Unable to cope with the loss, Dylan escapes the painful feelings by drinking them away. This decision costs him a year-and-a-half of his life after he stops in a little mountain town and ends up in the local jail. When he’s released, he returns home in search of a job to get his life…and his wife back.

Get Your Copy Now For Only $0.99:

The Earth Painter by Melissa Turner Lee

The Earth Painter is a Young Adult Supernatural Romance set in the small mill town of Chesnee, SC. It revolves around Holly Scruggs, whose family has just moved back to Chesnee after her dad lost his job along with pretty much everything they owned. Her image conscious parents correct her to the point of brokenness until she meets Theo. He is the artist responsible for all the beauty of the land and he thinks Holly is beautiful, too. Together they will fight against Fritz, the water painter, who hates humans and is hiding a secret under the high school.

Get Your Copy Now For Only $0.99:

Chosen by Barbara Ellen Brink

With tongue firmly in cheek and genuine Amish-made stakes at hand, Jael the vampire slayer is ready to kick some serious bloodsucker butt. Seriously.

Move over Buffy – there’s a new slayer in town! Raised in the desert of Nevada, and destined for the Minnesota Loon Lake Amish Community, Jael Shetler is the Chosen One.

Trained by her uncle and father in twenty-one different forms of hand-to-hand combat – she also throws a knife with the speed of a bullet, and is accurate to within two centimeters of a cold, dead heart with her crossbow – she is a bloodsucker’s worst nightmare.

Her parents, forced to leave their plain and simple upbringing to escape the clutches of the new Bishop – an ancient and powerful vampire with plans to use the Amish Community as his own personal Jamba Juice – raise and train their daughter to continue the fight begun thousands of years earlier by another Jael, and to fulfill the prophecy in the Book of the Shunned.

Get Your Copy Now For Only $0.99:

Hearts On The Road by Diana Lesire Brandmeyer

Will Randi find love on the open road? Abandoned, betrayed, and feeling forsaken by God, truck driver Randi Davis crisscrosses Wyoming with a broken heart, vowing never to love another man. Suddenly Matthew Carter, a pastor in search of a mobile ministry, is thrust into her life and into her cab. And there’s nothing she can do about it. Matthew sees the seedier side of trucking every day, and he feels a pull toward the people there—a definite call to minister to them. But getting this ministry established is proving more difficult than he imagined. Soon Randi and Matthew find themselves at cross-purposes. His life on the road has just begun. Her eight-year-old niece needs a parent to come home to every day. Will this be the end of the road for Randi and Matthew’s romance?

Get Your Copy Now For Only $0.99:

That Hoosier’s Cap by Dave King

Stan Leidel has vanished from Beatty … again … leaving his two sons, Tim and Mark, to once again fend for themselves. But this time, there just has to be a good ending to the story!

Get Your Copy Now For Only $0.99:

Julianne by Rebekah Lyn

Julianne is a story about a young woman’s struggle to find inner peace and spirituality. Julianne Finnegan has experienced relationship issues, career confusion, and is overshadowed by a successful sibling. Dissatisfaction is evident in every facet of her life. She meets Oliver, a handsome young actor who struggles with demons of his own. Through her encounter with Oliver, Julianne begins to learn about faith in herself and in others, although she is faced with some difficult choices when a former love appears. Julianne is an exploration of the guidance we may seek in establishing relationships with others and a higher power.

Get Your Copy Now For Only $0.99:

Joe The Dreamer by A.B. Brownell

When Joe’s parents disappear, he becomes the target of the radical militant group that enslaves them and his fate could be worse than death.

Get Your Copy Now For Only $0.99:

Deep In The Heart by Staci Stallings

Just out of college and completely alone in the world, Maggie Montgomery has one shot left to save her life from an abyss of poverty and hopelessness. Clinging to the last shred of fuel and hope, she arrives at the mansion of Texas billionaire Conrad Ayers. Although Maggie is clearly not what Mr. Ayers and his wife have in mind for a nanny, they agree to hire her temporarily until they can find someone more appropriate to fill the position. However, Maggie’s whole world is about to be up-ended by two way-over-scheduled children and one incredibly handsome hired hand. As she struggles to fit into a world she was never made to fit in, Maggie wonders if she can ever learn to become a perfect version of herself so she can keep the job, or is she doomed to always be searching for a life she can never quite grasp?

Keith Ayers despises his life. As the son of Texas billionaire Conrad Ayers and the fiance to a Senator from Texas’ daughter, it looks great on the outside, but inside, he is dying. He would vastly prefer to manage and train his father’s racehorses. However, everyone else thinks that is beneath him. He needs to get into industry and build on his father’s success. Suffocating under the constrictions of his life, he meets Maggie who begins to teach him that wealth and power is not everything in this life. But can Keith defy the most powerful men in Texas to follow his heart?

Get Your Copy Now For Only $0.99:

To Protect & Serve by Staci Stallings

Houston firefighter, Jeff Taylor is a fireman’s fireman. He’s not afraid of anything, and no situation is too dangerous to keep him on the sideline if lives are at stake.Lisa Matheson runs a semi-successful ad agency that’s on the brink of falling apart. Her employees are incompetent and her schedule has become exhausting. When she takes on a client with a brilliant idea for a big conference, she thinks that maybe, finally this is her lucky break. However, the fire station wasn’t what she had in mind for finding conference speakers. When she falls for a handsome but shy firefighter, it’s possible that life might just be going her way for a change. The only problem is she can’t control Jeff and the death wish he seems to have…

Get Your Copy Now For Only $0.99:

The Captives by Precarious Yates

Three lives weave together inextricably.

Qoshonni: the warrior.
Shunda: the orphan.
Mookori: the prince.

They fight against the MerKing and rescue the captives.

Can they trust themselves in their fight against this mutual enemy? Can they trust one another?

Get Your Copy Now For Only $0.99:

Pyromarne by Precarious Yates

The MerKing has access to the magical metal, pyromarne, and the world of Aiqua Marrin is falling apart according to his designs. All his pieces are set in place. But he doesn’t anticipate the resolve of men, the dedication of the Ulys or the purity of the aquavians. Is there enough time to defeat the MerKing before the end that was foretold comes to pass?

Get Your Copy Now For Only $0.99:

March Madness Revisited by Teirrah McNair

At first glance, Tiny, a young Silicon Valley worker, mightn’t have passed for much more than a pretty yuppie, up and about her sprightly life. When Tiny however meets an unexpected turn in her life, losing her job, without anyone to turn to for help, a desperate casting of doom spells over her.

She is left to fend with absolutely no money, no one to care or her, no rent money and not even gas money that can get her to her next job interview. Alone in a world that so suddenly turns perilous when one is without financial support, Tiny treads through her life with extreme caution, despair and just by blindly clutching on to hope, hope that will eventually redeem her, in a tale of twists, surprises and events that can only be described as put in place by destiny.

March Madness is about triumph of the human spirit. It shows how even people who seem like ordinary people can reach deep into themselves, to pull up amazing bouts of tenacity, fight, resolve and dogged determination, to overcome obstacles that just seem to keep tumbling down when they down on their luck.

Get Your Copy Now For Only $0.99:

Read Me Dead by Emerald Barnes

Alexia Wheaton’s problems go far beyond picking a dress and a date for the homecoming dance.

For seven years, Alex has lived with a painful memory – the memory of her parents’ horrific murder. As the sole witness, she has kept quiet about the identity of the murderer to protect herself and her family and friends, but when a journalist over hears her secret and writes about it in the local newspaper, Alex is plagued with fear that her parents’ murderer will soon find her – and silence her forever.

Alex is catapulted into a race against time to save her own life and bring her parents’ murderer to justice. She will face many secrets, lies, and betrayals before the truth about their murder is revealed.

Get Your Copy Now For Only $0.99:

Non-Fiction:

Free Books

Living a Life of Faith: 21 Days of Faith Challenge by Shelley Hitz

Do you want to live a life of faith?

Do you want your faith to be more than simply saying “I believe in God”?

Do you want to have a genuine faith that overflows from a heart that is fully trusting in God in every area of your life?

If so, consider embarking on this 21 Days of Faith Challenge through this short but powerful eBook.

Free Today On Amazon Kindle:

Desires of My Heart by Heather Bixler

The TRUTH is……You don’t have to be perfect to delight in the Lord. You don’t have to have it all together, or have the perfectly balanced life. For so long I thought before I could move forward in certain areas of my life I needed to at least have a perfectly balanced life.

But now I realize that isn’t so. God will bless your efforts, and He will honor your humility. So when you feel like delighting in Him requires action from you to improve or be better at being a Christian, know this, God is strong where ever you are weak, and your actions for the Lord will not go in vain.

Free Today On Amazon Kindle:

21 Teen Devotionals… For Girls! by Heather Hart and Shelley Hitz

Our lives are ruled by habits. We are defined by them. How our days play out, how we act and react, and even how we eat, sleep and talk are all affected by our habits – for better or for worse.

It’s said that it takes 21 days to form a new habit or break an old one, so why not spend the next 21 days forming a habit of spending time with God? If you’ve got 21 days, we’ve got 21 devotions specifically written for today’s teen girls.

Are you up for forming a habit of spending time with your Creator? If so, download this book and get started on these devotionals!

Free Today On Amazon Kindle:

99 Cent Bargain Books

Fuel For The Soul: 21 Devotionals That Nourish by CJ Hitz

It’s been said that it takes 21 days to form a habit. I don’t know about you but it sure seems difficult to break the bad habits and keep the good ones going. You may have several good habits you’ve formed in your life that have become second nature to you.

For me, running has become one such habit. What started out as a legitimate way to lose some extra pounds and help speed up my metabolism eventually turned into my favorite sport and primary outlet for competition. The daily run is something I look forward to as it leaves me feeling energized and full of life.

If you’re not a runner, you might not be familiar with something called an energy gel. These are little 100 calorie packets of mainly carbohydrates. Brand names include GU, Clif Shot, Hammer, and Stinger to name a few. They are a simple, easy-to-digest form of fuel. I’ve had several instances where I felt low on energy while out on a training run or in a race but then felt an energy surge after consuming one of these little guys. It’s amazing what a difference just 100 calories can make.

It’s my hope that these 21 days of devotions will serve as an “energy gel” or fuel for your soul. They’re meant to be quick yet powerful and thought-provoking no matter what time of day you prefer to read (eat) them.

Get Your Copy Now For Only $0.99:

Starting Off On The Right Foot: A Beginner’s Guide To Running Well by CJ Hitz

No matter the sport, everyone has to start somewhere. The simple sport of running is no different. Running came natural to us as kids but for various reasons, many of us gave it up at some point.

In Starting Off on the Right Foot, best-selling author CJ Hitz (Smoothies For Runners) shares some of the valuable information he’s learned along the way since picking up running again in 2008. After running in the 1989 State Cross Country meet in Eugene, Oregon as a high school
sophomore, CJ gave up running for nearly 20 years before being drawn back into the sport.

Get Your Copy Now For Only $0.99:

Another Second Chance by Troy Lewis

This is a very powerful book about the author’s experience in facing the ups and downs of kidney disease–After playing Jesus Christ in a local passion drama for 9 years, his world is turned upside down; As he states in the first chapter, “this would cause me to question who I was, all that I had believed, and God himself.” We live through Troy’s journey and the emotional and spiritual roller coaster with him, but always we sense God in control of the situation-even when all seems hopeless.

You will find yourself eagerly reading, in suspense, wanting to find out what happens next and how God will work. The author merely talks to us as if to friends, sharing something wonderful and awesome that happened to him; How at death’s door step, he found God’s Hope, Peace, and the reason for it all.

Get Your Copy Now For Only $0.99:

A Mom’s Battle Cry for Rest Battle Cry Devotional Series by Laura Marshall

Tired? Stressed out? Overwhelmed?

In this little book, set in an easy seven day format, join one Christian mom on her journey to enter into the rest that refreshes and find freedom from weariness.

This is a Battle Cry for Rest.

Get Your Copy Now For Only $0.99:

Body Image Lies Women Believe by Shelley Hitz

Are you insecure about your looks? Have you ever compared yourself to someone else and found yourself wanting? Do complements or put downs determine the image you have of your beauty?

Throughout this book, Christian women share their stories of how they have struggled with body image lies and a distorted view of themselves. However, each of their stories also contains hope – the hope of replacing these lies with God’s truth. Our prayer for you is that you find encouragement within these pages and allow Christ to transform you with His truth.
God has created each one of us with unique abilities, unique talents and a unique personality. As women we are influencers and God has given us that role and our beauty to share with others. Yet so often we settle for a counterfeit. The enemy has counterfeited our idea of beauty, convincing us to share our beauty with the world in a distorted way. Today that often means that we see our beauty as what we look like on the outside.

Get Your Copy Now For Only $0.99:

My Treasure by Heather Bixler

There are plenty of Christian resources out there telling us how to manage our money. From budgeting, to couponing, to saving, to investing, (there are numerous) books, courses, and blogs available for all Christians to learn how to steward their money to better honor and glorify the Lord.

I think these resources are amazing and have often used them in my own life in order to become debt free and learn how to better manage my family’s finances. But one burning question always entered into my mind as I began to budget, coupon, and bring down my debt – what’s the point? my heart still struggled daily with greed and fear when it came to money.

In this four week mini Bible Study, we are not going to examine how to manage our money. Instead we are going to examine our heart towards money. One thing I have learned when it comes to money is this, it’s really not about HOW much money you have that will determine whether you are broke or rich, it’s WHERE your heart is towards God and towards money.

Get Your Copy Now For Only $0.99:

Thoughts On Being Left Behind by Phyllis Sather

At one time or another we all feel left behind – whether because of illness, loss of a loved one, or the busyness of parenting and/or homeschooling. These timeless pieces, written by someone who went from the life of an active and involved woman to a near invalid within just a few weeks, speak to the heart of anyone who feels like they’ve been put on the shelf and possibly forgotten.

Get Your Copy Now For Only $0.99:

Purposeful Planning by Phyllis Sather

Does having your spouse’s undivided attention appeal to you? Planning weekends give you time to dream, to talk together about what you wish, or want, at a time when the other person is really listening.

Do you need a plan to keep your family moving in the direction the Lord is leading you? Perhaps you don’t know where the Lord is leading you. Phyllis takes you step-by-step through the process of planning a time together for your family to help determine the path the Lord is choosing for each area of your life. Her family has followed this format for over 12 years and has found that it provides the compass they’ve needed to plan and stay on course.

This time-tested method of planning will give your family new direction for the future. Start today! Choose the dates for your planning weekend, read her book which has the entire “how to” included, and go for it!

Get Your Copy Now For Only $0.99:

Swallowed By Life by Ada Brownell

In Genesis immediately after Adam and Eve sinned and knew they would die, God promised a Redeemer. Jesus was that Redeemer and He came to do something about death–and He did.

Does the book prove what we read in the Bible? Read it and find out.

Get Your Copy Now For Only $0.99:

FaithLeaps by Alyssa Avant

Do you believe God has placed a purpose and plan in your heart for business?Do you need help channeling your passion into profits?

Are you scared to death to pursue the plans you believe God has placed in your heart for business?

This Book is for You If You’ve Ever Considered Taking . . . A Leap of Faith

Get Your Copy Now For Only $0.99:

The Book of Esther: A Story Of Love And Favor by Deborah H. Bateman

The Book of Esther: A Story of Love and Favor is a Daily-Bible-Reading study of the book of Esther. In the book of Esther, Esther was adopted by her cousin Mordecai. In a series of events and through fasting, prayer and God’s favor Esther was placed in a position to save the Jewish people. Esther’s cousin Mordecai told her maybe she was born for such a time as this. God puts us all in circumstances where He can use us to further His kingdom and give Him glory, if we are willing and obedient. Esther found her identity in Christ and her purpose for life. Like Esther you were born for such a time as this. You too can find your identity in Christ.

Get Your Copy Now For Only $0.99:

Psalm 119: Thy Word is a Lamp unto My Feet by Deborah H. Bateman

Psalm 119: Thy Word is a Lamp unto My Feet is a Daily-Bible-Reading Study by Deborah H. Bateman. Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible and is located in the center of the Bible. It is about the importance of God’s Word, the Bible in your life. It is broken up into twenty-two stanzas of eight verses each so Deborah created twenty-two short lessons which can be used for personal daily devotions or weekly group Bible studies. Each stanza starts with a letter from the Hebrew alphabet so you will also learn about one letter of the Hebrew alphabet with each lesson. Deborah includes a prayer and a few questions at the end of each lesson for personal reflection or group discussion.

Get Your Copy Now For Only $0.99:

Proverbs of the New Testament by Lara Velez

A Relevant Study of the Book of James. Unlock the Secrets to Living a Victorious Christian Life… the Way God Intended

Get Your Copy Now For Only $0.99:

Holiness Revealed by Lara Velez

But just as He Who called you is holy, so be holy in all your conduct and manner of living; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” – 1 Peter 1:15-16The word “holy” seems to be completely insane and utterly unattainable at first glance. It can also make many cringe at the mere mention of it. In today’s culture, the words: “holiness” and “holy” sound like something out of the dark ages–or at the very least, words spoken by some overzealous religious lunatic.

Thankfully, being holy is not crazy, “old fashioned thinking” or unattainable! It is what we are called to, and if God calls us to it, then He will make a way for us to walk in it!

Get Your Copy Now For Only $0.99:

The Way of Salvation by Teirrah McNair

Comfort food for new Christians, The Way breaks down salvation basics into easily digestible bites. 5000 words. A great quick read for individual and group study.

Get Your Copy Now For Only $0.99:

Financial Empowerment Realign Your Finances To God’s Will by Pamela Carmichael

Are you in a constant financial struggle and juggle where there never seems to be enough? Do you wonder if God is able to or even willing to provide for you? Are you constantly paying bills and covering debt payments without seeing much progress? Are you faithful in tithing and giving but yet you cannot see on outpoured blessing?

Then this book is here for you. Financial Empowerment discusses the problems we face in different areas of our finances and shows how to manage money in a God-pleasing manner. In a simple easy-to-read manner, it provides biblical and practical solutions to personal financial management.

Get Your Copy Now For Only $0.99:

God’s Promises in 8 Key Life Areas That Will Change Your Life Forever by Krystal Kuehn and Violet James

God’s Promises in 8 Keys Life Areas That Will Change Your Life Forever helps you to know and understand who you are and what you have as a child of God. With personalized confessions of Scripture applied to 8 key life areas, you will easily be able to receive God’s promises and live life to the fullest. You will be empowered and changed from the inside out as you walk in the truth of God’s promises in your relationship with Him and others, in your life purpose, in your thought life and more.

Get Your Copy Now For Only $0.99:

Think Like A Winner by Krystal Kuehn and Violet James

One of the greatest challenges we face in our Christian walk is the renewal of our minds and the application of Biblical truth and principles to our lives. This is an ongoing process, and it is the key to our victory and fulfillment. Think Like a Winner – How Renewing Your Mind with God’s Word Empowers You to Win in Life will inspire and motivate you to live the fulfilling life Jesus died to give you. You will gain a deeper understanding of the power and importance of renewing your mind. You will be given examples and exercises on how to apply and practice Biblical truth and principles.

This book is a perfect companion to In Christ, I am… and God’s Promises on Who You Are in Christ that Will Transform You from the Inside Out. You can win every battle and have victory in your mind, relationships, family, work, health …. because you are born to be a winner!

Get Your Copy Now For Only $0.99:

Experience Life in Poetry Random Life Observations, Parenthood and Growing-up by Shannon Sonneveldt

This is volume one in the Experience Life in Poetry series, a series that reflects observations and emotions at any given moment in life from childhood to present time. Think of moments that stood out in time for you. Moments that made you laugh, made you cry, made you think or made you sigh. Hopefully, you will experience these same emotions through the poems in the book whether it’s wonder, laughter, understanding or something all together different. I hope it makes you think or makes you feel.

Get Your Copy Now For Only $0.99:

And Now For A Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Christian Books Free & $0.99, March 27th – 28th only Read More »

The Father’s Love

Relationship Success

As Father’s Day approaches you may be excitedly looking forward to honoring your father and celebrating with him while others may not. You may have a great relationship with you dad and enjoy being with him. Yet there are some who may not have that kind of relationship or even know their dad. Or you may know what it is like to have your father’s love while others long for it.

For some Father’s Day can prove to be a not so great day. However, regardless of our relationship with our earthly father, as Christians we can celebrate our heavenly Father. You have a Heavenly Father who:

Loves You BIG

The fact that God loved you even before you loved Him is enough to be thankful for (John 3:16). He showed His love by sacrificing Christ, His Son to suffer and die in our place. Therefore, appreciate God’s unconditional love. Receive His forgiveness and His love and love Him back. Your Heavenly Father loves you BIG.

Blesses You

God your Father is willing to give you whatever you need or desire. Since He willingly gave Jesus for you, what is there that He won’t do for you (Rom. 8:32)? He provides for all our needs and He has a good future planned for you.

Always Listens to You

Your Father God has time for you. You have 24/7 access to talk with your Big Dad God and to pour your heart out to Him. He does not only listen but He is able to give you sound advice and direction for your life. You can always rely on Him for guidance.

Protects You

Your heavenly Father is strong and absolutely mighty. He can protect you from any harm (seen or unseen). He has angels assigned to you not only to protect you from the enemy but from you hurting yourself (Psalm 91:11-12). You can always look up to Big Dad God and He will pick you up and hold you close.

Our Heavenly Father is the greatest dad ever. Although He expects us to honor and celebrate Him, He also wants us to do the same for our fathers. We glorify God when we:

Honor our fathers. God promises that when we honour them, He will ensure that we are successful and have long life (Eph. 6:1-3).

Pray for our fathers. There isn’t anyone who does not need prayer. No dad is perfect. Our prayers can go a long way in helping him to become the man God wants him to be.

Give thanks for our fathers. Yes, give thanks for him. After all, we are their seed.

Bless our fathers. Fathers’ Day gives you the opportunity to do something special for our dads and to say, “I love you.” Whatever little we do will be appreciated.

What special things are you doing to honor your dad?

The Father’s Love Read More »