Everything Good Comes from God

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father . . . (James 1:17).

Have you ever stopped to think that everything good in our lives comes from God, and every bad thing comes from Satan and sinfulness? God may allow bad things to happen because he can bring some good from them, but He's not responsible for evil. With our limited minds, we may never understand His purposes in this lifetime, but we can trust that He is good and wants the best for us.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).

When we fail to understand this, it steals our joy. The Christian life should be freeing, joyous, and filled with peace. But for this to happen, we must depend upon God. We can't let false doctrine, Satan's lies, or our own worry and negative attitudes steal it from us. Life is always going to involve struggles, but we can trust God to see us through them and work things out, or we can be anxious, depressed, or unhappy. The choice is ours.

These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full (John 15:11).

And there's more good news. If we ask Him, God will help us learn to surrender to Him and find contentment in whatever situation we find ourselves like Paul did. This is what the Christian life can be, and we have the right to it as a child of God. We just need to recognize the truth and train ourselves to accept it as one of God's many blessings.

Not that I speak in respect for what I want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content (Philippians 4:11).

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Publishing Problems

Since I first started doing my own publishing, I've learned a lot and gotten much better at it, so I rarely have problems anymore. However, formatting and publishing Hurting Hero turned out to be more challenging than any I've ever done.  I tried everything I knew to do, and nothing helped. I even began uploading a chapter at a time to see if I could pinpoint where the trouble began. It started in Chapter Nine, but I kept getting the message from KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing), "Your manuscript cannot be uploaded." And it didn't tell me what was wrong.

My husband told me to call them. The last few times I've called any part of Amazon, it has been hard to get the help I needed, so I had my doubts, but since I had done my best to rectify the problem to no avail, I called KDP. The representative checked and said it was a problem with the drop-down capitals, and he would send me an email on how to fix it.

About ten minutes later the email showed up. I followed the instructions exactly, deleting all my drop-down capital letters at the beginning of each chapter and redoing them, making sure my fonts were on the normal tab. Apparently, this was where the problem came from. When I tried uploading the manuscript again, it still didn't go.

I happened to notice that my chapter titles were also on the heading tab instead of normal, so I deleted and retyped all of them. Finally, KDP accepted the manuscript, and Hurting Hero was ready to publish on June 12. If you read my recent blogs, you know about Amazon's punishment for not having a book on preorder ready by the promised date. That's why it's good to upload the book before the last minute, in case problems arise. Thankfully, this one is solved, and I hope there won't be another. Yet, with each problem, I learn something new and know more about how to troubleshoot in the future.

Link to Hurting Hero

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 Update -

Due to some upcoming events, I won't be able to post a new blog for the next two to three weeks, but after that, they will resume.

 Hurting Hero

Coming not long after Memorial Day and in time for the Fourth of July, Hurting Hero is the story of a wounded warrior who struggles with his new identity as a man in a wheelchair. He almost gives up before a young military widow makes him take a closer look at his attitude. It's a feel-good story that you won't want to miss, and you may just fall in love with Trace Durham. He turned out to be a wonderful main character. Hurting Hero publishes on June 12 and is available for preorder now.

Link to Hurting Hero

The Audible edition is also ready. However, I just got an email from ACX, saying that, because of some temporary changes with Audible, they were delaying its release until June 10. Jared Walters, one of my favorite producers, narrated this one for me, and he always does a great job. With an announcer and theater background, he has both a smooth, easy-to-listen-to voice and the ability to correctly interpret the story. Being from Western Tennessee, his accent and cadence also fit many of my stories set in the South and the West. 

This is my last book in the Small Town Holiday Romances series. I came into this MAP late and took the available two slots that I didn't already have a book scheduled near. The Prodigal Pastor published in late January as a Valentine's Day book, but it's equally appropriate for any time of year. Jared produced that book too. These are the only two contemporary novels I've published lately. Although, as an English and history teacher, I love historicals, it's fun to write one that doesn't require quite as much research now and then.

Link to the Prodigal Pastor

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 Potential

Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he (Matthew 11:11).

Christians have access to great power, but they rarely use it in the way the early disciples did. It's as if they don't know they have it, but Jesus told us we did. Of course, this power must be used for God's glory and not our own. Just as Jesus, and later his disciples demonstrated, it is to be used to help others in need.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father (John 14:12).

We can do greater works than all the prophets up through John the Baptist. How? Until the day of Pentecost after Jesus' resurrection, none of the prophets had the Holy Spirit's constant indwelling in them. But all who have accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior now do. This is where the power comes from. Where we are weak, He is strong. He was Jesus' promise and gift to His followers. to be with us when He wouldn't, not in the flesh.

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind (Matthew 22:37).

The key is loving God with our whole being and following where he leads. When we do this, He will use us. His love with flow through us into others, and we will be strong in Him. We will do greater things than we ever imagined for His glory. Praise be to God!

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Amazon Prison

Amazon has a strict policy for authors who submit a book on preorder and punishment for those who don't make their deadline. Writers refer to the punishment as Amazon jail or prison.  When this happens, an author won't be able to submit another preorder for one year.

One of the advantages to preorders is that the book publishes on an exact date, and that makes it easier to manage, especially if it's in a multiple-author series. They're also helpful with sales and promotions. Not being able to do this is a big handicap for an author, and a year is a long time.

However, I can understand why Amazon has a stiff penalty for non-compliance. The readers preorder books in good faith that they will be delivered when promised. It's like a breach of contract when they aren't. I do know a few authors who have endured Amazon prison for a year, but I haven't, and I pray I never do. I had Boone's Burden uploaded a week before the deadline, and that's the closest I've ever come. The novel published on May 30.

Amazon Link to Boone's Burden -

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 Whose Will Do You Follow?

In Jeremiah 42, the remnant, who were left in Judah, feared the Chaldeans would come back and take them, too, so they decide to flee to Egypt. However, first, they went to Jeremiah and ask him to pray for them, despite the fact that the nation had turned from God.

Let, we beseech thee, our supplication be accepted before thee, and pray for us unto the Lord thy God, even for all this remnant; for we are left but a few of many, as thine eyes do behold us. That the Lord thy God may shew us the way wherein we may walk, and the thing that we may do (Jeremiah 42:2-3).

Jeremiah agrees to pray for them, and then they make a promise.

The Lord be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not even according to all the things for which the Lord thy God shall send thee to us. Whether it be good, or whether it be evil, we will obey the voice of the Lord our God… (Jeremiah 42:5-6).

God answered them through Jeremiah.

If ye will still abide in this land, then I will build you, and not pull you down, and I will plant you, and not pluck you up; for I repent me of the evil that I have done unto you. Be not afraid of the King of Babylon, of whom ye are afraid; be not afraid of him, saith the Lord; be not afraid of him saith the Lord; for I am with you to save you, and to deliver you from his hand. But if ye say, We will not dwell in this land, neither obey to voice of the Lord your God Saying, No; but we will go into the land of Egypt, where we shall see no war, not hear the sound of the trumpet, nor have hunger of bread, and there will we dwell. Then it shall come to pass, that the sword, which ye feared shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine whereof ye were afraid, shall follow close after you there in Egypt, and ye shall die (Jeremiah 42:10-11, 13-14, & 16).

After asking for God’s direction and receiving a clear answer, what do these people do? They go to Egypt. Before we judge them too harshly, think of the times you knew you should do one thing in order to be obedient, but you did something else based on what you wanted. We all have been there, especially if we’ve been Christians for a long time. Of course, what God told them would happen did. Disobedience always has consequences. Thankfully, we live in a time where we can have grace and forgiveness, but it’s important to learn from our mistakes and know that life is so much better when we obey. Following God’s will shouldn’t be an option for us, but He did give us free will. Therefore, don’t be like his remnant from Judah, refusing to give up the plans that seemed best to them. Choose to always follow God and His will for your life.

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