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Tuesday, July 24, 2018

Walking Daily with the Lord, Hearing God's Whisper - by Chaz Douglas




“So Manoah asked him, `When your words come true, what kind of rules should govern the boy’s life and work” (Judges 13:12 NLT)?

As we live our lives for Christ there are specific questions we should ask God that are designed and tailor-made for us. There will be questions that only you can ask God because he has only given you the particular gifts and abilities.

Manoah didn’t see or speak to the angel but he prayed that the angel be sent again to teach him and his wife how to bring up their son. 

God has given us different gifts and we must go to him so we will know how to use what he has given us.  God only gave Manoah and his wife the gift of Samson so they will have specific questions for God based on the awesome gift they had been given. We have gifts, abilities, and talents that God has given us that we must ask specific questions of God about how he wants us to use them.

Here are some tips on what we should do with our gifts:

  1. God wants us to come to him to learn how he wants us to use the gifts that he has given us.  There are specific places, times, and groups of people that God wants us to minister to with our gifts.  We have to come to him so we can be where he wants us to be when he wants us to be there, and to help who he wants us to help.
  2. We should ask God questions to understand specifically what he wants us to do with our gifts.  God has made us to have completely different bodies, personalities, education, abilities, and resources.  It would behoove us to ask God specifically how he wants us to use our gifts with our unique bodies, education, personalities, abilities, and resources. Remember God gave Manoah the unique son of Samson so he had specific questions based on what God gave him.

What has God given you that only you can ask God about?





Chaz Douglas is an educator and member of the United States Air Force Reserve.  He has a Bachelors in Education from Eastern Michigan University and a Masters in Educational Leadership from Central Michigan University.
Douglas began teaching Bible Study for the Youth Ministry at his church from the ages 6-17.  He would later be asked to teach the Youth Ministry’s teachers learning strategies and biblical principles to assist them with the children that they would instruct.
He is currently taking a course by Tom Corson-Knowles an Amazon bestselling author. Douglas believes the course is preparing him to become an author who is producing what readers want.
The reason for writing this series was the experience Douglas had being deployed in the Air Force.  He was deployed for six months and used his time at Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait to increase his relationship with God.  As he prayed, read, and mediated on the Word of God the Holy Spirit increased his wisdom to be able to write biblical lessons that that men and women can apply in their lives.  The Holy Spirit led him to write this series to help all people have a better relationship with the Lord.

Friday, July 20, 2018

A New Mystery from Carole Brown


40786134

released July 10, 2018
$2.99 ebook
$11.99 Print
Buy on US Amazon
Book 4 in the series

About the book
Everyone loves Toby Gibson. A co-owner of Undiscovered Treasures, a unique shop of antiques, collectables and junk, Toby is friendly, generous to a fault, the director of the local plays in Appleton and supports his church's youth functions. But the minute his sister, Caroline and her new husband, take off for their honeymoon, a “ghost” begins to haunt the shop—or maybe it's just an intruder. If so, Toby has no idea for what the thing is looking. To add to his troubles, he suspects Amy, not only is bidding for the property he's wanted forever, but is in love with him. And he's not interested.

Amy Sanderson who owns the only flower shop in Appleton—Bloomin' Life—is drawn into capturing Toby's “ghost” when her own business is damaged by a destructive intruder. Having loved Toby since a teenager, she's more than willing to join forces with him. But she has no interest in being his best friend or a sister to him. And if she has to resort to schemes of outbidding him at his frequent auction attendences to get his attention, then so be it. She can be just as stubborn as the man who's determined to ignore her love.

In between the break-ins, destruction of property, thefts and personal competitions against each other, Amy and Toby work together to find the thief who seems so determined to find a valuable item, he'll stop at nothing.


Lisa Lickel's Review
Toby Gibson is sure he’s got a ghost in Undiscovered Treasures, the store he owns with his sister, who’s out of town on her honeymoon. He’s alone in the above store apartment, but as sure as he is that he’s got an unwanted visitor, he’s equally sure Detective Eddie of the Appleton Police won’t be able to help. Not until his friend Amy from the flower shop on the other side of the abandoned building between them and he start experiencing real break-ins, that is.

From the moment Toby meets a grumpy old man badgering Amy who outbid him on a piece of furniture we wanted at an auction and stole his dream of expanding into next building this fourth book in Brown’s series is like coming home to old friends.

Poor, clueless Toby, is about to get a lesson in the real meaning behind best friends. It’s a riot to watch Toby get what’s coming to him while working with his friends to unravel the mystery of dark family secrets in sunny Appleton, West Virginia.

Cleverly weaving businesses and friends from the previous stories and melding them into a new mystery, Brown makes Appleton a fun place to visit. Told from multiple perspectives with good pacing. Brown’s stories are clean and inspirational, and recommended for junior high readers and up.



About the Author

My photoBesides being a member and active participant of many writing groups, Carole  Brown enjoys mentoring beginning writers. She loves to weave suspense and tough topics into her books, along with a touch of romance and whimsy, and is always on the lookout for outstanding titles and catchy ideas. She and her husband have ministered and counseled across the country. Together, they enjoy their grandsons, traveling, gardening, good food, the simple life, and did she mention their grandsons? 
Connect:

Friday, July 13, 2018

Summer Catalog of Great Books by Southern Writers


 “You will find great books in this catalog for your enjoyment this summer. Click on the link and fill your summer vacation with rest, relaxation and pleasure. Feel free to share it on your sites, family and friends.  Click this link:  https://joom.ag/yoEY






Available for FREE on Kindle Unlimited
http://bit.ly/LP-Prescience

Tuesday, July 10, 2018

And He Was Given a Mouth Speaking Great Things and Blasphemies






I am extremely concerned about the role the American media is playing in the political arena. I fully expect this video to be deleted at some point in the future from Youtube, so I'm going to describe it. 

Basically, Lisa Haven is giving clips on the backlash against Trump, and it's crossed the line, folks. I believe a Civil War is coming to America. The liberals cannot accept the fact Trump won the election. 


We are a nation of laws. If this continues - the proclivity to violence and the attempt to undermine our President's authority - can our democracy survive? 



As I continue to work on my book, Seventh Dimension - The Howling, I came across this passage from Revelation 13:4-7:  



So they worshipped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshipped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?" And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If anyone has an ear, let him hear.



I've worked as a broadcast captioner for about twenty years, and before that as a court reporter for twenty years. The last forty years of my life I have been paid to write down the spoken word, to put those words onto the written page. Let me tell you, when Revelation says, "He [Antichrist] was given a mouth," that means he was given a platform, he was given a microphone, he was given a captive audience, to get his word out. 



The media gives people a mouthpiece so their voice can be heard. You've heard the expression, "fifteen minutes of fame." 

The Antichrist will have all the fame he needs because the media will give it to him. They will be his mouthpiece. They will be his voice. They will be his captive audience. Revelation 13:4-7 as quoted above tells us so.

For anyone who thinks Trump is the Antichrist, think again. He's too hated to be the Antichrist. The Antichrist will be loved by the media. He will be given a voice through their microphones, their pens, their websites, their blogs, their editorials - on TV, on the Internet, on Twitter, on Facebook, famous celebs and occultists. I don't need to tell you who they are. 

If you are a liberal bashing Trump, please stop. Think before you speak. He is our President. Do you want his presidency to succeed? Or do you want it to fail? If he fails, our country fails. 

Are you a true American? If you are, then support him. Stand by him. If you can't do that, then be silent and vote him out of office in the next election. 

Satan wants to cause division and strife in our country. His greatest weapon is deception. If he can use the media to present a partial truth, he'll do it, and, in the process, destroy the uninformed masses, those who don't question what they hear and don't know what's really going on. Don't be part of that. Satan is setting the stage for a future world leader who will be the Antichrist. He will use the media as his mouthpiece. 

Trump wants to make America great again. That goes against the New World Order and the agenda set by those who are bent on world domination and globalization. Don't fall for it. The only one who can rule this world effectively is Jesus Christ. 

Don't give the devil a voice. Question what you hear in the American news. And that includes the immigration issue. What you hear has been twisted to use children as human shields and evoke sympathy from those who don't realize the truth. 


Many of those children are being brought over for nefarious purposes by people who are not their parents. How many caring parents would risk their children's safety by entering a country illegally? Many of those children are being trafficked. 


The children need our prayers. They are the victims. One solution is rather simple:  Perform a genetic test to see if the children and the parents' DNA match. It takes less than twenty-four to get the results. Those that don't match have no business being here. And maybe those children really do need to be separated from those "potential predators."


Unfortunately, there is a bigger issue involved here, and it goes back to Trump. The media, the left, the elitists, and the New World Order are using this tragic situation to put forth their own agenda, one of which is to destroy Trump's presidency. I could say more, but my point is for you, the reader, to think. Don't take my word for it. Remember, II Thessalonians 2:11: For this reason, God will send them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie



Again, I say, question. Don't believe it's true just because the media says it's so. Don't fall for the lie. Be a thinker. Question more.






Friday, July 6, 2018

Centrifugal Force by Lisa Lickel



December, 2017
Fox Ridge Publications


Barnes and Noble https://bit.ly/2D5RisE


Review by Carol A Brown, John 316 Marketing Network Member


I thoroughly enjoyed reading Centrifugal Force! The story slides through several genres. There is so much in it—family relationships, reconciliation, consequences, suspense, and romance—all set in an academic setting, mostly! The story is filled with twists and turns and keeps you reading well past bedtime!

Plot: Author Lickel describes it thusly: In the turmoil of 2011, an American college administrator and a German socio-economics expert attempt to rectify the past to save their children and preserve the fragile world in crisis. Rachel Michels made a poor choice, which resulted in her biggest blessing, her daughter, Maeve. When the father of that blessing returns decades later, she knows he wants something she’d taken from him. Rachel has lived in near seclusion and mistrust, fearful of losing the one person who’s kept her life from coming unglued.

Professor Gervas Friedemann returns to Wisconsin, seeking a missing ancient artifact, along with help for his oldest daughter who is suffering from a rare genetic blood disorder. With the European Union at stake, blackmail could negatively impact a crucial vote in the German Parliament unless Gervas recovers an irreplaceable relic he left in the United States on a lecture tour a lifetime ago. He knows who took the piece of history he once flaunted—the woman who had stolen his soul. He only hopes she still has the ring.  

Characters are very believable—the kind of folk we all know—driven by fear, ambition, loyalty (sometimes misguided), etc. We live and work with these people.

Writing Craft – Lickel does a superb job. Her writing draws a person into the story without drawing attention to itself.  Her language creates pictures and evokes emotion. And her sense of story structure is spot on! The writing itself is free of typos and grammatical mix-ups, which I very much appreciate.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely, to all lovers of a good read!  5 stars

Note: A number of supporting information links about material in the book, such as Fanconi Syndrome, Etruscan Jewelry, and links to Germany can be found on the author's website book page.

About Carol A Brown
Carol BrownCarol has a B.A. in Anthropology and Languages from Bethel College, St. Paul, Minnesota, and elementary education teaching certification from Boise State College, Boise, Idaho.  She received her M.A. in College Instruction with special emphasis in English as a Second Language from Eastern Washington University, Cheney, WA.  She taught English language for foreign students at North Idaho Jr. College where she was also the foreign student advisor. She has also held teaching posts at Gonzaga University, and Whitworth College.  In addition, Carol also served for six years as Education Director for Elijah House Ministries, Post Falls, ID. As representatives of Elijah House, she and David ministered in Australia, Germany, Finland, and extensively across the U.S.  Later, they spent 8 years in Victoria, B.C. where David supervised the internship program for Elijah House Canada.  It was in Canada that Carol began writing as a ministry. She was written a number of books, including the popular, Mystery of Spiritual Sensitivity, which has been translated into four languages. She is also the author of the Sassy Pants Learns series, in which she distills some of the more mysterious truths of life into the language of children. Find more at her website and Amazon Author page.







Friday, June 22, 2018

Larry Vaughn and A Crash Course


A Crash Course in the Bible


US $2.99 eBook
US $6.99 Print
Buy on Amazon US

About the Book: 
God is the author of the Bible as well as the author of life. He reveals his heart and his mind through his words. And when you read his words, you get to know him. A Crash Course in the Bible contains approximately two hundred Bible verses. And these Scriptures will teach you what God wants you to know.

"God so loved the world that he gave . . . ." That's the essence of God. He's a giver. That's who he is and what he does. He loves us so much that he gave us his only begotten Son. And through him, God gives us everything that we need.

He gives us hope and joy and peace. He gives us the desires of our hearts. He gives us eternal life and many other precious gifts. A Crash Course in the Bible describes thirty-eight gifts that God has provided for you. And it tells you how to receive them.

Directions for Use: Take these Bible verses and study them carefully. If you take them to heart, they will add years to your life. They will comfort you and give you peace. And they will change your life forever.


WARNING: This book contains the pure, unfiltered word of God. And prolonged exposure to God's word has the following side effects: It causes faith to arise in your heart. It renews your mind and it makes you wise.

Larry Vaughn, author of The Bible Believer's Handbook, has released his latest work, A Crash Course in the Bible, Vaughn, a Vietnam Vet and former postal worker, took up Bible study when PTSD blindsided him. He's excited to share the things he's learned.









Thursday, June 7, 2018

Follow Authors For a Chance to Win a $50 Amazon Gift Card

Follow a few authors (or more) on Bookbub and Amazon to win a $50 Amazon gift card. You can follow Lorilyn Roberts in the fantasy category and help her build up her followers.






Friday, May 25, 2018

Three Strand Cord by Tracy Krauss



Kindle Ebook $2.99
May 2018

About the Book:
Tempest. Stella. Cherise. Fate brought them together, but can their friendship survive the tangled web of danger and deception that threatens their very lives? When Cherise convinces Tempest to pretend to be her so that she can sneak out of the country to be with her dashing Italian boyfriend, she is inadvertently implicated in an international drug ring. An unexpected complication forces Tempest to prolong the charade and she finds herself attracted to the very man who might be out to cause her harm. Meanwhile, Stella’s high ideals are met with suspicion and disdain at her father’s Texas ranch, until she uncovers a dangerous secret that could put all their lives in jeopardy. At the same time, her own errant emotions take over as she falls in love with two brothers at the same time. Things heat up when Cherise is kidnapped and the three friends must turn to one another – and God - to get out of harm’s way. Three Strand Cord is a story of intrigue and romance told from three different points of view, all coming together to prove that when it comes to true friendship, ‘a three strand cord is not easily broken’. 

All Good Things Come In Threes

Good things come in threes. Three act plays, primary colours, most fairy tale structures (three pigs, three bears, three mice), the three musketeers, and of course God Himself – Father, Son and Holy Spirit!

In my own childhood, this was certainly the case. I had two ‘best’ friends growing up and we literally spent every day with each other. We talked, we played, we told secrets – it didn’t matter as long as we were together. One friend moved away, but I soon gravitated to another set of ‘best’ friends during my teen years. The three of us were initiated into adulthood as we navigated those tempestuous waters, tasting the ‘forbidden fruit’ and all that other jazz that teens are ‘supposed’ to do. (My shortened version so as not to shock you, dear readers!) Even after we went on to college, we kept in touch. One introduced me to my husband, and these two were bridesmaids at my wedding.

Lasting friendship is one of the themes of my new novel, Three Strand Cord. The three friends, Tempest, Stella, and Cherise, have been through a lot together, but in this story their loyalty is tested to the limits as a simple ‘fib’ leads to a web of deceit that lands one of them in serious trouble.

I’m not sure how many readers will catch the hidden acrostic in the title. Three Strand Cord contains the first letters of each character’s name – Tempest, Stella and Cherise. It wasn’t originally that way.  I had the title down quite early in the project – not something that always happens – but I knew it fit perfectly with the theme of friendship as well as the theme that God is the truest friend anyone can have.  Originally, Stella was named Myriah, but somewhere I had an epiphany that if I changed her name to something with an ‘S’, it would mirror the title. I spent some time scouring baby name books and finally settled on Stella.


There are two more books in the series – Blood Ties and Tempest Tossed. In the end, the real theme of the series is that God is the best friend of all. He is the friend that sticks closer than a brother. I hope those that read it find encouragement to let Jesus be that kind of friend.

Lisa Lickel's Review:
Tracy Krauss gives her fans a new novel of friendship that takes her readers on a tumultuous ride across the United States and across the ocean to Italy.

Three friends who met at boarding school come from very different backgrounds. Tempest, the naïve orphan, Stella the cowgirl, and Cherise the spoiled rich daughter. All have secrets, weaknesses and strengths that draw them together and, as iron sharpens iron, helps make them want to be better.

The first half of the book is divided into three segments as each girl shares current events. Tempest wants to reconnect with her past, and when an unexpected opportunity falls in her lap, she reluctantly pushes aside her conviction of newfound faith to participate in a lie. She becomes an unwitting pawn in a game perpetrated by her friend Cherise’s equally spoiled brother. Stella, having completed a masters degree in environmental science, returns home to the Texas ranch where she was raised. Her complicated relationship with her stepmother and her best friends, the foreman’s sons, create tension, exacerbated when she stumbles on the not-too-subtle secret shame of the land she’s loved all her love. When Stella realizes her friends have grown up and no longer consider her a kid, either, all’s fair in love and war. The ranch becomes both battleground and haven when Tempest needs a safe harbor. Both Tempest and Stella’s devout housekeeper help Stella to reexamine her absent faith. Cherise lives in the moment, doing exactly what she pleases and forcing everyone around her to bow to her wishes. When she follows her Italian lover, she gets a rude awakening. But going home is impossible when she’s caught up in international intrigue. A secret phone call to Tempest sets up a risky rescue attempt.

Although there will be more stories in this series of friendship adventures, A Three Strand Cord is a complete story. Initially told from the three friends’ viewpoints, the second half of the story comes together beautifully as each of the three learn to rely on dependence and trust in each other and the Lord.

While inspirational, some of the situations in the story portray sexual situations and violence, as well as pet death. A Three Strand Cord is a big story, from the east to west coast US and Texas, as well as Italy, and covers a lot of action. With three very different personalities in the main characters, readers of contemporary romance with suspense and action will find the book a breathless read. 


Tracy Krauss is a multi-published novelist, playwright, and artist with several award winning and best selling novels, stage plays, devotionals and children’s books in print. Her work strikes a chord with those looking for thought provoking faith based fiction laced with romance, suspense and humor – no sugar added. She holds a B.Ed from the U of S and has lived in many remote and interesting places in Canada’s far north. She and her husband currently reside in beautiful BC where she continues to pursue all of her creative interests.  http://tracykrauss.com “Fiction on the edge – without crossing the line”

Monday, May 21, 2018

New Book Release, Tatum’s Teen Themes for Today, Topics and Resources for Youth Bible Study (Tatum's Teen Themes for Today Book 1)

How do I teach teenagers Bible truths and help them apply those truths to their lives?
This booklet is designed to help youth teachers create lesson plans as well as be a quick Bible study resource when the original teacher calls up an hour before class needing someone to do something with the teens.


This booklet contains resources to teach for Easter and Christmas and a Bible Study worksheet for any scripture, handouts for specific scriptures, devotionals, and pictures from/of famous places and things to spur conversation about Christianity and the development of the Bible.


Permission is granted to copy these pages for use in a Bible study class.


Sample Lesson Plan

On the next page is a Bible study worksheet to do an easy student-led Bible study.
1.     Determine the verses to be studied in the class period. Divide the scripture into short passages. Copy the worksheet and have at least 2 sheets for each passage.
2.     After your engagement activity, distribute worksheets to each student, creating as much variety with whom each student will work on step 3. Allow 5-10 minutes for each numbered question.
3.     Once students have completed the 4 steps, allow pairs with the same passages to read the scripture and share their insights into it. Add your own ideas from your own study as students share.
4.     What should students do as a result of this study? Ask students to consider how this Bible will impact their life this week.


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