The Greatest and the Least

Then there arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be greatest (Luke 9:46).

We find some of the disciples vying for top position, wanting to be first, on more than one occasion. It seems to be one of man's tendencies. We want to be first, become the most successful, and be the wealthiest. We like to win any competition, and some can be cutthroat in their efforts to achieve. 

And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and the servant of all (Mark 9:35).

But this is not Jesus' way. He taught that it's better to have a servant's heart. He goes on to teach that the first shall be last and the last shall be first. It reminds me of when I taught school, and the children would try to push through to get to the front of the line. When they got out of hand or the problem escalated, I would reverse the line, making the first one last.

Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:4).

Jesus also reverses the line so the least on earth, those who have been kind-hearted servants, will be greatest in heaven. He honors the humble but criticizes the haughty, arrogant, and egotistical. Remember the proud Pharisee and the humble publican who went to pray in the temple in Luke 18:10-14. Jesus said the humble man went home justified, but the Pharisee did not.

Do you have a humble, servant's heart? It's what all Christians need. It's how we please our Lord.

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Appalachian Books

As you may know if you follow my blog, I grew up in the eastern edge of the Appalachian Mountains, and my parents came from deep within them. So, it was natural that the first books I published were set there. The Appalachian Roots series of four books include Cleared for Planting, Sown in Dark Soil, Uprooted by War, and Transplanted to Red Clay. Each book can be read as a standalone, but it is a family saga, so if you read more than one, you'll want to read them in order.

Mountain Mishap is a standalone set in the North Carolina mountains and one of my best-selling novels of all time. In it, Anna Allen, grew up in the Charleston Orphan House and ends up marrying a man from the Appalachian Mountains. However, life with Elbert Ramsey and his father turns out to be miles from her dreams. In 1851, Levi West decides to visit his brother in the Appalachian Mountains and finds he loves the area. When a hunting accident endangers his life, help comes from an unexpected source. Dare he hope for a family of his own, or will another woman just disappoint him again?

Three of my books in the Idioms & Cliches series are at least half set in the Appalachians. Again, these are in a generational series, but any of them can be read as a standalone.

In Going the Extra Mile, Aaron Johnson takes his siter back to her home in Trade, Tennessee, he gets caught in a blizzard in the Appalachian Mountains on his return trip. finding a remote cabin, he arrives frostbitten and in need of care.

Meghan Scott lives with her harsh uncle, but he's been missing for days. When a nearly frozen stranger comes to their cabin in a snowstorm, she reluctantly takes him in. However, she soon learns she has nothing to fear from the kind man trained to be a pastor, except maybe losing her heart and her reputation from harboring him. But when her uncle turns up dead, everything becomes complicated.

When Emily Rose Howard took in four goats in Got My Goat, she didn't know she was getting more than she'd bargained for. However, life gets even more complicated when her neighbor's son brings his army buddy home for a visit after the Civil War ends, and her art professor shows up too. But life has never been easy in the Appalachian Mountains, and Emily Rose is determined to face her problems with faith and determination the way she always has.

Taking Stock features Gage Bradford, who meets Allison Johnson soon after he graduates from law school. Theirs was a whirlwind romance. He had fallen hard and fast and wooed her with all the charm he could muster. In a month, they were engaged, and in six weeks after that, they were married. Moving to Washington, D.C., he set up his law practice and soon moved up the ladder of success. But when the stock market crashes and he loses everything, they move to her inherited farm in the Appalachian Mountains. Now, instead of Allison feeling out of place in high society, he was inept and out of his element in a remote mountain cabin. However, it turned out to be a learning experience in more ways than one, and he would change more than he ever imagined.

I enjoy writing about the Appalachian Mountains. My husband jokingly calls them "his mountains." I have at least three more books set there coming in the next two years. I hope you will check them all out.

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David's Song

Sing unto the Lord, all the earth;
Shew forth from day to day his salvation.

Declare his glory among the heathen,

his marvelous works among the nations. 

For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised:

he also is to be feared above all gods.

For all the gods of the people are idols:

but the Lord made the heavens.

Glory and honour are in his presence;

strength and gladness are in his place.

Give unto the Lord, ye kindreds of the people,

give unto the Lord glory and strength.

Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name;

bring an offering and come before him:

worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness;

Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice,

and let men say among the nations, 

The Lord reignth.

Let the sea roar, and the fullness thereof:

let the fields rejoice, and all that is therein.

Then shall the trees of the wood sing 

out at the presence of the Lord ...,

O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good;

and his mercy endureth for ever.

1 Chronicles 16:23-29 & 31-35

May we worship with the zeal and heart of David.

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The Colonial Trio

Although most of my books are set in the 1800s, which seems to be a favorite among historical fiction readers, three are set in the 1700s: When Winter Is Past, A Bird in the Hand, and my newest, South to Freedom. I'm not calling them a trilogy, because they're not connected otherwise, but they are special.

When Winter Is Past is set in Pennsylvania in 1739. Stanton Klein’s father had given up on life after his wife died and left Stanton orphaned to live with his grandparents. He decided he would never love like that. He and his first wife had fared well together, but she’d died in childbirth. Now he’s decided to find another woman to marry. After all, a farmer needs a wife and sons. However, with the changes come important lessons and dangers that Stanton never imagined.

Beth Evans has taken care of her father, since he fell from a barn roof and can no longer walk. People, like Fiona, have always made fun of her because she has a limp. When Stanton befriends her, she’s wary but also intrigued. What does her future hold?

A Bird in the Hand starts in Pennsylvania in 1776 and ends in what will become West Virginia. Jocelyn Wright would prefer to be outside with her twin brother instead of inside drawing rooms and attending social events. She has had to hide her true self and pretend to be the young lady everyone expects. But as Jonas leaves to attend Philadelphia College, the colonies’ rebellion against the crown heats up, her family is forced to quarter British soldiers, and Bennet Hart comes into the picture, she knows her future is bound to hold many changes. 

My newest book, South to Freedom, is the story of slaves escaping South Carolina in 1739 to go to Florida, where the Spanish will grant them freedom. When the master’s son pays far too much unwanted attention to Mae Briscoe, she decides to leave the plantation. She knows the trek will be rough, and it will be hard adapting to a new culture, but given the circumstances, the call of freedom is too strong to resist. Thus, she begins an adventure of a lifetime, heading south to freedom in Florida.

If you like early American history, inspirational romance, or just a good read, these books are for you. Be sure to check them out.

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Becoming More Christlike

He that saith he abideth in him [Christ] ought himself also to walk, even as he walked (1 John 2:6).

As Christians, Jesus is our role model, and there is no better. On this journey of faith, we are supposed to imitate Him. As Thomas à Kempis wrote in the fifteenth century, ". . . we ought to imitate His life and manners, if we will be truly enlightened, and be delivered from all blindness of heart. Let therefore our chiefest endeavor be, to meditate upon the life of Christ."

For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ (Galatians 3:27).

This is what sanctification is all about. It's an ongoing process of being transformed by the Spirit into the likeness of Christ. In His earthly ministry, His focus wasn't on what people thought of Him or of pleasing others. His focus remained on the Father. He would go off early in the morning and spend time in prayer, seeking His Father's guidance. Because he had an earthly body and self-imposed limitations, he trusted in the Word, depended on the power of the Holy Spirit, and prayed. We should too.

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5).

Warren Wiersbe tells us in 10 Power Principles of Christian Service, "Even his enemies recognized that Jesus wasn't moved by flattery or swayed by public opinion. ... . Jesus was gentle and forgiving toward the broken sinners, but stern and resolute toward people who were proud and hypocritical. ... . Jesus was a leader who served and a servant who led, and his great heart of love -- held this leadership and servanthood together and kept them balanced." This is the example we should be following. 

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 A Visit with Heidi Gray McGill

About Me

Hi, I’m Heidi Gray McGill, and I write Christian historical and contemporary romance that’s rooted in truth, touched by grace, and just real enough to remind you that God is still at work—even when life feels like a mess. I’m also legally blind, so I’ve learned to navigate both the writing world and everyday life by faith, not by sight. That perspective shapes every story I write. I don’t want to just entertain you—I want to walk with you, right into the heart of a story that reminds you you’re seen, known, and never forgotten.

About the Bundle

I’m thrilled to share Discerning God’s Best:Collection One, a four-story bundle that includes the first two novels in the series, a cozy Christmas novella, and an exclusive short story that’s only available in this collection.

It all begins with Desire of My Heart, where Rachel, a runaway orphan desperate for freedom, ends up in a marriage of convenience that God uses to bless her in ways she never saw coming. This story is for the one who’s weary of waiting, wondering if God’s silence means He’s forgotten you. He hasn’t.

In With All My Heart, we meet Singing Bird and Pete—two people from very different worlds learning to trust again. Their journey is slow, tender, and filled with tension—both cultural and emotional. This one is for the woman who’s given away too much of herself trying to belong, and the man learning how to carry his past with grace.

Stitched on My Heart is my Christmas novella, and honestly, it surprised me with how much heart it carries in such a brief space. Delphina and Moses aren’t flashy. They’re quiet, steady, and faithful. It’s a story about finding home—not the place, but the people who make you feel claimed. If you’ve ever felt like an outsider, this one’s for you.

And then there’s Where Hearts Belong, a bonus short story you won’t find anywhere else. I wrote it for those who feel like it might be too late—too late to be chosen, too late to change, too late to matter. It’s gentle and redemptive and, I hope, just the whisper of grace someone needs to hear.

Why I Wrote These Stories
I didn’t write these books to escape the hard things. I wrote them to face them with hope. Through characters who wrestle with belonging, forgiveness, cultural division, and the ache of waiting, I wanted to show that God’s best often shows up in ways we’d never expect. Sometimes through heartbreak. Sometimes through a stranger’s kindness. Always through grace.

Each book reflects something I’ve learned or am still learning. And together, they form more than a series—they form a reminder. That God is still writing something good. Even when it doesn’t feel like it. Even when you can’t yet see how it will all come together.

So if you’re in a season of waiting, wandering, or wondering… maybe this collection is for you.

🛒 Preorder now for just $9.99
📚 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0FHFD3SB9
💬 Let’s stay in touch at HeidiGrayMcGill.com There’s a free book waiting there for you!

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Spirit-Filled

How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power (Acts 10:38a).

In his ministry on earth, Jesus spoke about being guided by the Spirit of God. Warren Wiersbe writes, "If the sinless Son of God needed the Spirit's power for ministry, where does that leave us, his weak and sinful followers?" In the days of the early church, people were astonished at what God did though ordinary men like Peter, Andrew, James, and John. Early followers lacked many things our churches have today, and yet they managed to accomplish much.

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me (Luke 4:18a).

The secret of a successful Christian life in any place in any time is to be filled with the Holy Spirit and led by Him. In the case of the early church, the Spirit's fullness wasn't a privilege for just a few leaders. It was a common, everyday experience for the whole congregation. Also remember that all true Christians have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit from the moment they accept Christ into their hearts. It's a matter of learning to listen to Him and allowing Him to lead.

Wiersbe also says, "Any so-called spiritual experience that robs people of their God-given intelligence and self-control is not from the Holy Spirit. Perhaps some people who think they are filled with the Spirit are in actuality fooled by the spirits. ... However, let's not allow the excesses and counterfeits of some people to rob us of the blessings that the Spirit alone can confer on all who yield to him." As A.W. Tozer wrote, "The Spirit-filled life is not a special edition of Christianity. It is part and parcel of the total plan of God for His people."

*Warren Wiersbe, 10 Power Principles of Christian Service

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 South to Freedom

My new book, South to Freedom, was just published. It is story of slaves escaping from South Carolina in 1739 to find freedom in Spanish Florida. When Mae Briscoe learns that a small group of slaves plans to flee to Florida for freedom among the Spanish, she knows she must go with them. The master’s son has been far too friendly lately, and there’s no one to protect her. She knows the trek will be rough, and it will be hard adapting to a new culture, but given the circumstances, the call of freedom is too strong to resist. Thus, she begins an adventure of a lifetime, heading south to freedom.

This book came out of a trip my husband and I made to St. Augustine, Florida. There, we came across a state park on the site of Fort Mose, the place escaping slaves, who had no other place to go, could stay. It was also set up to be the first line of defense should the British to the north attack. As a history major, I found this information fascinating, and it called me to write a novel based on it. South to Freedom became that book, and I'm very excited about it. 

The book is available in print, Kindle, and KU at this time. The Audible version is in production. It was delayed because I had a hard time finding narrators who could do all the varied voices required. Finally, I sent out emails to many of my best narrators, asking if they knew of anyone. One of them stepped up to partner with another narrator he knew, and I'm very thankful to James R. Cheatham and Shamaan Casey. I can't wait to hear how they bring the story to life.

Be sure to grab your copy of the book today.

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