The Difference between Grace and Mercy

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in the time of need (Hebrews 4:16).

The New Testament often talks about God's grace and mercy. Just what's the difference between the two? Adrian Rogers and some others I've heard have given one of the best definitions I know. Mercy is God not giving us the punishment we deserve. Grace is God giving us the blessings and good things we don't deserve.

But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherein he loved us. Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) (Ephesians 2:4-5).

Let's face it. Because of man's choice to sin passed down from the Garden of Eden when the first man and woman chose to disobey God, their heavenly Father, we have all inherited a sin nature. We all deserve the worst punishment imaginable. But God loved us too much to leave us in this state. His mercy chose to make a way that we might be saved.

For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law but under grace (Romans 5:20).


In His love for us, God sent His Son as a permanent sacrifice for all mankind in order to break the bonds of sin. This is grace. While we were sinners, Christ died for us to set us free and reestablish our relationship with the Father. There is nothing we could do to save ourselves, and in no way did we deserve such a great gift, but it's there for us if we'll accept it. Why would anyone refuse? When we trade our sinfulness for Christ's righteousness by asking Him into our lives, that's just the beginning of God's great blessings.

______________________________

A Good Reason for Lengthy Books

All the research I've done indicates that readers prefer to read books around 250 pages in length. While this may be true for actual readers, there is another angle many authors now consider. If you ever want to have a book released as an audiobook, the long books sell better because listeners hesitate to use their Amazon Audible credits for a book under 7 hours. On average, a narrator will read between 9,000 and 10, 000 words per hour.

Of course, most authors let the story determine its length, and I do the same. I'm just finishing a first draft that turned out longer than I expected. Character-driven novels tend to do that. However, even then, there is some wiggle room, and that's my point. Don't worry about the length as much as telling the story that needs to be told regardless. Whatever its length, there will be readers and listeners if its a good story.

Books that are neither too long nor too short may sell best in print or ebook form, and long books may sell better in audiobook format. Even short books have a fan group from those who like short stories they can finish quickly. However, most readers prefer a story that's better developed than those. Yet, there is a niche for all of them. Read and write what appeals to you, and if you do it well, you will develop a following. But now, I do see another reason and a growing audience for more lengthy books if the stories warrant it.

_________________________________

National Dog Day

You have likely heard of the "Dog Days of Summer." These hot, sultry days can come anytime from late July through August in the Northwestern hemisphere. But have you heard of National Dog Day, which comes each year on August 26th to honor man's best friend? The day encompasses mutts, mixes, purebreds, and everything between.

It has been proven that having canine friends can make us healthier, happier, and better adjusted. Dogs have been used to help in all kinds of situations from abused children to lonely senior citizens. They are invaluable as service animals, such as with the blind and as work animals, like with the police. They are one of the most loyal of pets, and many stories abound of them going out of their way for their masters. No wonder they have earned the title of "man's best friend."

Too many dogs end up in shelters, however. Many times, a family gets a dog but are unprepared to take care of it or give it the attention it needs, especially if puppies come along. We need to take ownership seriously and be responsible. Shelters, however, can be a good place to find the dog you need and one who needs you. If you carefully consider and prepare for it, what better way to celebrate National Dog Day!

________________________________

Controlling Reactions

Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God (James 1:19-20).

We can’t always control what happens in life, but we can control our reactions to them. When I taught school, I tried to tell my students this. I had a few who always stayed in trouble because they would fly off the handle and attempt to take care of a problem themselves. I tried to show them they were letting others push their buttons and get them in trouble. Often, they were giving someone who wished them ill too much control in their lives.  If you’ve ever watched small children playing, everything usually goes along fine until one takes the toy another wants. Then, their selfish natures take over and it turns into a struggle. Adults sometimes do similar things.

Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord (Romans 12:19).

Jesus, however, taught that we’re not to retaliate when we’re wronged, especially if we’re insulted or humiliated. This doesn’t mean that we don’t report crimes, but it does mean we don’t seek vengeance. Look at what Jesus did from His arrest to His death on the cross. He’d been insulted, ridiculed, slapped, and stabbed. What did he do? He prayed, “Father, forgive them.” His eyes were not on this world but on His Father, where ours should be also. We are to let go of what we think we deserve and follow Jesus on the road of forgiveness and self-denial. Think of how many relationships would be saved if we did this. Many a divorce happens when one or both begin to say, “I deserve better than this.” Didn’t Adam and Eve think this in the garden of Eden when they took the forbidden fruit? This type of thinking puts us at the center of our world instead of God. Jesus said we are to love everyone, even those who wrong us. 

But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you (Matthew 5:44).

Our pride gets in the way. This is one of the reasons pride is a devastating sin. If we feel insulted, it’s a blow to our ego. To be followers of Christ it’s imperative that we let go of our inflated egos and pride. Jesus taught humility over and over again.

He teaches us to forget thinking we’re entitled to anything, and squelch our pride. Not only does Jesus tell us to not seek revenge, but we’re supposed to go out of our way to help others, even when those others aren't people we'd choose to help. Jesus’ standards include a greater degree of caring and kindness than is usually seen in the world. If you think this is too meek or cowardly, think again. His way takes a great deal more courage than fighting back.  But oh, how much better this world would be if we would pattern our lives after Him!

____________________________________________

Dust Storms

I'm excited to announce that Dust Storms, the final book in In from the Storms trilogy, is out early. This story is mainly about Aileas's stepbrother, Brady, and is set in Texas and Wyoming in the 1800s. I had not planned to write this book when I started the series. But when I finished Past Storms, the second book, I realized Brady's story also needed to be told.

After Aileas rejects him, Brady Shape leaves Wyoming and wanders to Texas. He gets a job at Double G Ranch and becomes their temporary foreman. However, he never feels comfortable in the job, although he’s determined to catch the cattle rustlers before he leaves. He can’t seem to forget Aileas, either. When he meets Nora Joseph, she needs rescuing from a desperate situation. He’s determined to see her situated before he leaves Sagebrush, but somehow, she talks him into taking her with him. The only place he can think to take her is back to Aileas in Wyoming. However, getting there will take battling dust storms, the storms of their pasts, and storms that loom in the future.

The two couples from the first books also make appearances in Dust Storms to conclude the series. This has been my first western series, but it won't be my last. Readers are telling me they love it and can't put a book down. There is another series of five books in the works set in early New Mexico. I lived and taught there for two years.

Here are the links for In from the Storms:

Mountain Storms (Book 1) is on sale for a limited time for only 99 cents - https://www.amazon.com/Mountain-Storms-Book-1-ebook/dp/B07R9X3PT1

Past Storms (Book 2) - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07TBGJBG9

Dust Storms (Book 3) - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07WH7HDY6

(Note: The print book isn't linked with the Kindle book yet but will be soon,  My copies are being printed, and I expect to have them in about another week.)

National Soft Ice Cream Day

August 19th is National Soft Ice Cream Day. You know, the kind that comes out of a large machine in swirls if you're skilled at filling a cone or dish. The most common flavors are vanilla, chocolate, and a mixture of the two, although there're other flavors as well. Soft serve ice cream, as it's often called, is my favorite. It has less fat than the scooped kind, giving it a softer, more delicate taste. The milk fats are what hard-freezes in the other ice cream. Also, soft serve is produced at 25 degrees Fahrenheit and regular ice cream at 5 degrees.

Tom Carvel is credited with inventing the treat. In 1934, Tom's ice cream truck had a flat tire in Hartsdale, New York, and his ice cream had started to melt before he got it to his usual spot. The customers loved it, and an idea came to him. He could have a fixed location with soft ice cream. Two years later, he opened his first store in the location where his truck broke down. Over the following years, he patented a lower temperature ice cream machine with a secret recipe.

Tom's ice cream became too competitive with the hard variety, and court cases ensued. In some places, such as Minnesota, soft ice cream was banned because technically it wasn't made from cream but milk and it was said to be false advertisement. At one point, it became called ice milk, however, this eventually changed. Today, it's sold around the world and even in some popular fast-food restaurants. I'm glad because I'm ready to have a cone to celebrate.

___________________________

Strong Commitment

Read Ruth.

Too many people don’t take their commitments seriously anymore, do they? Commitment usually comes with a cost, and if it inconveniences us, we don‘t want it. However, relying on God helps us keep our commitments. Take marriage for example. Marriage is really a covenant, a commitment, between two people, made to each other and to God. Happy feelings come and go many times in our lives, but commitment provides the mortar to hold things together through the rough spots. God should always come first. He should be on the throne of our lives and not ourselves.

And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thou God my God (Ruth 1:16).

In the Bible, Ruth demonstrated how committed she was to her mother-in-law and her welfare. Ruth left all that she knew to accompany Naomi back to a land foreign to the younger woman. She toiled hard gleaning in the fields to provide them with something to eat. And she humbled herself before Boaz because that's what Naomi thought best. Ruth's commitment to Naomi and her God was binding and permanent.

If a man vow a vow unto the Lord, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth (Numbers 30:2).

We can learn several lessons from Ruth. One is that our commitment to God should express itself in our commitment to others. When we serve others, we have the opportunity to deny ourselves and to honor God in obedience. Godly people will fulfill their commitments. And as a part of this, we need to be committed to telling others about Christ. It is our great commission and stems from loving, caring for, and serving others as Christ commanded. Honoring commitments is part of what it means to be a Christian.

_________________________________

Encouragement and Advice 
for Newly Published Authors

I've seen it happen over and over again. An enthusiastic new author is eager and exuberant to introduce his or her newly published book to the world, but the world shrugs and doesn't give it the attention it deserves. Only family and friends seem the least bit impressed. He or she takes a step back, regroups, studies marketing advice, and proceeds with more determination. Not much changes.

Every writer's experience is different, and a very few do find instant success with the first book. However, many more have less than expected sales. In fact, many give up after sluggish sales with the first or second book, but they shouldn't - not if they're writing for the right reasons.

It's much more common for sales to increase over time as a fan base grows along with the number of books sold. It took me about three years to get to the point where I was making decent royalties each month. Remember Aesop's fable of "The Tortoise and the Hare" and keep doggedly plugging along. If you've honed your writing skills and tell a good story, persistence and patience will pay off. 

_________________________________

National Middle Child Day

August 12th has been set aside to honor those in-between children in a family. Depending on how large the family is, this may be more than one child. For example, in my husband's family of six children, He and his sister were in the exact middle, and four children came between the oldest and the youngest.

In my daughter's family of three sons, however, there is a definite middle child (the first one in the photo), who doesn't share the spot with anyone else in the family. I like to quip that I'm the oldest, the youngest, and the one in the middle because I'm an only child. 

Studies have shown that birth order can play a part in personality development. Tradition has usually held that the first-born is often a leader, the youngest one is pampered, but the middle child is often neglected. Behavioral scientists believe that birth order contributes to the main personality traits of neuroticism, extroversion, conscientiousness, openness to experiences, and agreeableness. But the extent and specific details remain up to debate. Regardless, this is a day to make the middle children feel special.

______________________________

Seeking Unity

Behold, how good, and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! (Psalm 133:1).

God loves unity, but His adversary loves division and strife. As Christians, we need to be sure to choose God's way. In his book, Horizontal Jesus, Tony Evans reminds us that "Unity is not uniformity; unity is oneness of purpose." This means that we recognize the uniqueness of others while uniting for the common purpose of serving God. Since we know that God gives His children individual gifts to fulfill His purposes, we can appreciate how He made each one of us to be different and celebrate those differences.

Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no division among you, but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and the same judgment (1 Corinthians 1:10).

Whenever we allow our society, or anything else, to divide us, we are acting outside of God's will. Unity will keep marriages from divorce court, churches from splitting, Christian denominations from being at odds with each other, and countries from having as many conflicts. "Whenever we allow our history, background, class, race, gender, personality, or culture to overrule God's rightful place in our thoughts, motives, and actions, we are...hurting the cause of the gospel" (Tony Evans).

Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:3)

The Holy Spirit is the foundation for our unity. To preserve our oneness, He must have free access and control of our lives. We won't go wrong if we put God's Word into action. The entire New Testament is filled with ways to unify under God, and it's a favorite theme of Paul's. Yes, God loves unity. Let's not allow Satan to destroy it with his attempt to divide and conquer.

___________________________

It All Started at the Masquerade Audible

I'm very excited to announce that It All Started at the Masquerade has just been released on Amazon Audible. This is the heart-warming story of a scarred hero and the heroine who clings to her faith, even when her situation looks bleak. It is a sweet tale of the power of love that hints at the traditional classics. Set in Coastal North Carolina in 1795, readers have consistently told me this has fast become their favorite book. Now, those who like to listen can also share in the excitement.

Link to audible - https://www.audible.com/pd/B07VXRB5C9/?source_code=AUDFPWS0223189MWT-BK-ACX0-159323&ref=acx_bty_BK_ACX0_159323_rh_us

Link to book - https://www.amazon.com/All-Started-at-Masquerade-ebook/dp/B078FQ38JK

Jennifer Groberg

Jennifer Groberg again narrates this book. She did such a fantastic job with Mountain Mishap that it quickly became my bestseller, so I also chose her to produce On the Road to Jericho, my Christian non-fiction. It All Started at the Masquerade is more difficult to narrate than most books because it has such varied accents. There're Southern, slave, Irish, and British voices, but Jennifer comes through. I'm always impressed with her diligence and professionalism. With 69 books to her credit, she's definitely a pro. 

Man getting ready to listen while shelling cornfield peas

I'm becoming more and more an audio fan. I began just listening to them when I drove long distances, exercised, or did repetitive tasks that required little concentration. However, now I find myself listening to them when I'm tired and need a break or when I'm doing housework. I put it in a small pouch with a shoulder strap, and it goes where I go. I recently went on a tour of the Scotland Highlands, and I could watch the lovely scenery while I listened to a story, but I couldn't do that and read. I'm finding I like getting lost in the story with a good narrator. If you haven't tried Audible yet, you should.

As an added bonus for reading this blog, if you will email me at janicecolehopkins@gmail.com or message me on facebook, I will give you a code to get a free audible copy of It All Started at the Masquerade. This offer is good as long as I leave this paragraph up. I hope you will leave a review if you love it, but this is not a requirement. If you don't have an Amazon or pad device with audio, you can download a free app for your smartphone, and you can start an Audible account without joining and paying anything. 

_______________________________

First Traffic Lights

Lights being installed in San Diego in 1940

The first electric traffic light was installed on August 5, 1914, in Cleveland, Ohio. Before that, gas-powered lights were tried. The first ones were installed in the area of the Houses of Parliament in London in 1868. Horse-drawn traffic had become a problem in the congested area. Just one month later, one of the lights exploded, injuring a policeman. Needless to say, the lights quickly lost some of their appeal, but they continued to be used, especially in the United States.

Prior to the search for an apparatus to help direct and control traffic, the police did the job. A well-documented example can found around London Bridge in 1722. Three policemen directed the flow of traffic, trying to keep traffic on the bridge from clogging and coming to a standstill. This method is still used at times today, and over the years, some traffic directors have made their movements into almost an art form and certainly a form of entertainment.

Other methods had also been tried. The French put a traffic- controlling device on top of a tower in Paris in 1912. A policewoman manually operated the signal by turning a metal box with the words meaning "Stop" and "Go" on it. Roundabouts have long been popular in some areas and are becoming more so in others. However, electric traffic lights are by far the most commonly found means of traffic control in heavily congested areas.

__________________________________

Having Revival

Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee? (Psalm 85:6).

Revival shouldn't be just a few days of evening meetings with a guest speaker. Revival should be a special time with God when we are refreshed and renewed. It should cause our faith and love to spill over into all we come in contact with as we share our joy because we are filled to overflowing. In his book, Transforming Prayer, Daniel Henderson writes, "It is a period of unusual blessing when God brings a supernatural re-enlivening to His people."

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me (Psalm 51:10).

None of the great revivals in history started from the top down. To be authentic, revival, by the very nature of what it is, begins in individual hearts and spreads. It depends on our attitudes, surrender, and closeness to God. It cannot be treated as just another church service or tradition and duty. We must seek God and want revival - first in us and then in our churches, communities, states, nation, and world.

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land  (2 Chronicles 7:14).

And all true revivals start with the same foundation - prayer. A. T. Pierson said, "There has never been a spiritual awakening in any country or locality, that did not begin in united prayer." Christian history has proven the power of revivals and the power of prayer. God is waiting for us to initiate both with our open, yielded hearts.

_______________________________