A Chat with Author Diane Stortz

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Greetings, everyone, from Kevin Thompson! We’re in full summer mode in Florida. Wake up. Already hot. Muggy all day. Afternoon thunderstorms. Go to bed. Wake up. Rinse and Repeat. So, I’m inside where the A/C is cool, the air is dry, and the Lay-Z-boy is comfy. It’s here that we welcome children’s book author, Diane Stortz! Welcome, Diane! Tell us about your book, I AM: The Names of God for Toddlers. Bible stories, verses, and prayers help toddlers and preschoolers get to know God by discovering the meaning of twelve different names for God, such as Creator, Savior, Healer, Teacher,…

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Fresh Focus

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“I the Lord, do not change” (Malachi 3:6 NIV). Tumultuous circumstances jolted me out of my usual schedule. My routine changed drastically on a rainy Sunday morning. A call from our neighbors woke me from a deep sleep. “Your classrooms are flooding!” Torrential rains caused the river over the mountain to rush into the valley irrigation ditch that runs behind our property and overflow downward directly into our classroom building on our mission base––narrowly missing our house. Shocked at the sight of six inches of water in the classrooms, my husband and I splashed our way through and commenced the…

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Sunday Reflection: Humble Choices

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“. . . those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Luke 14:11)   He sat in my office, his marriage in ruins, yet he was pridefully proclaiming all the things his wife needed to do, his kids needed to do and even what God needed to do. Nothing seemed to be his fault. Is arrogance was the biggest roadblock to healing his own family. We can all drift into conceit and smugness unless we are willing to be humble. To humble means “to depress and in Hebrew, the word humbly implies a stance of bowing, stooping or crouching as in…

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Done…Now What?

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Done… Now What?  Done. That’s what I told the Lord, repeating it many times during a long drive, alone except for him. I’m a big dreamer, and I’ve spent my life pursuing dreams. That’s not a bad thing. Other people call this goal setting. I call it pursuing dreams because that’s the way I’ve lived it—chasing dreams the Lord put in my heart. I did a pretty good job of living in the moment—with plans always simmering. Then I seemed to reach the end of the path. No clear direction to move ahead. So I got honest with the Lord….

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First Christian Nation

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What country was the first Christian nation? I couldn’t have told you, either, until I read about St. Gregory the Illuminator. Gregory was born in Armenia, and following a Christian upbringing, he returned to Armenia, where the king appointed him secretary. After a major military victory, the king instructed Gregory to lay wreaths and laurels in a pagan temple as thanks to the gods. The young man refused. The king was ticked. “If you don’t worship the idols, I’ll have to kill you.” Gregory stood his ground. “I believe in Jesus and can’t worship anyone but the Lord God.” Furious,…

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Lessons from Little Ones

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Lessons from Little Ones By Susan G Mathis Children have so much to teach us. Last week I spent time with four young families. One had a newborn who slept peacefully in my arms while I gooed and giggled over every infant face she made. She was content. I want to be content too. Another family had four busy little ones ages 3-7. The twin three year olds presented me with “gifts” of scribbled drawings that I just can’t throw away. I want to give others more gifts—gifts of myself—even if they are a bit scribbly. The third family has…

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Got Soup for the Soul?

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Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Miracle of Love released June 5. The compilation includes a story by Susan G Mathis and others. She will sign copies of the book at Barnes & Noble, 920 Colorado Blvd., in Glendale, CO, on Saturday, June 16, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Heather FitzGerald is excited that her YA Fantasy book, The Genesis Tree, is a finalist in the Oregon Christian Writer’s Cascade Awards for Speculative Fiction. That makes it a finalist in three out of four contests entered this year (still awaiting ACFW). What a blessing and an honor!

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A Chat with Author Elaine Helms

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Greetings from Sarah Sundin in California! Today I have the honor of interviewing Elaine Helms, who has turned her passion for prayer and her amazing experience in national prayer organizations into books to benefit all of us. Welcome, Elaine! Tell us about your book, Prayer without Limits: Expanding Your Relationship with God. It is a nonfiction book about the greatness of God’s ability, yet we may be quenching the power of the Holy Spirit in the obstacles we bring to prayer. Once the obstacles are addressed and removed, we can work with God through prayer the way He intended. It…

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Following the Leader

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  “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us…Let us fix our eyes on Jesus” (Hebrews 12:1b-2a NIV). A baton strikes a music stand. Absolute silence falls on the auditorium. All eyes fix on the 500-voice choir—all of their eyes are fixed on the director. He lifts his baton and the orchestra plays. A few measures later, he brings in the sopranos followed by the alto section, then the men. They have learned to read his hand gestures, large and small. When to hush. When to soar. When to accent. When to cut short. When to start….

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New Releases, New Awards, and New Opportunities!

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Author Susan K. Marlow has two new releases to celebrate! Stepping Stones #5: Andi Dreams of Gold When news of a gold strike spreads through town, Andi is sure there’s gold in the creek by her special spot. But she and her friend Cory get more than they bargain for when they set out to pan for the glittery metal. Stepping Stones #6: Andi Far from Home An outbreak of scarlet fever prompts Mother into sending Andi to San Francisco for safekeeping. But the noisy city and Aunt Rebecca’s bossy ways may be worse to Andi than catching the dreaded…

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