Guest Author: Toni Shiloh

Trust

Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV)—“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.”

Trust. It’s something that many of us deal with in our faith journey. In my novel, Finding Love, Delaney Jones is no different. Her husband died serving his country as an Army solider. Then Delaney meets one of his comrades and a spark is lit. But Luke is in the Army, doing the same job that cost her husband his life.

How can she trust that all will work out for good?

That’s probably one of the most difficult aspects in our faith journey. Often, we want a guarantee from the Lord that our life will be one of smooth sailings and sunshine. That we’ll wake up each morning with joy and ready to sing praises. Unfortunately, we live in a fallen world and sunshine isn’t a daily guarantee.

That’s where trust comes in. We have to trust that God is who He says He is. We have to trust that He’s never broken a promise. That He has our best interest in heart.

And man, oh man, is that hard to do. For every promise we’ve heard, we can come up with a situation where it appeared that God broke it. Yet our ways are not His ways, including our understanding. It’s why Proverbs cautions us not to look at life through our own lens. We cannot comprehend the good God wants to do in our life, especially when all we see is bad. But it takes a leap of faith.

We have to take a deep breath and make the decision to trust God. To remember all the times He came through, answered a prayer, provided for us, and loved us through our journey. If we forget those times, it’s very easy for distrust to build. Sit down daily and thank Him for the blessings He has showered upon you. Make a memory jar or list so that when times get tough—because eventually a season of trials will come—you’ll remember why He’s trustworthy.

About Finding Love:

Delaney Jones has finally started to pick up the pieces of her shattered life after the death of her husband, Parker. Just as she adjusts to a new normal, in walks Army soldier, Luke Robinson. When she finally makes the decision to trust him, the world deals her a heavy blow.

Sergeant First Class Luke Robinson can’t get over his part in the death of Delaney’s husband. Hoping to assuage his guilt, he offers to lend a hand. He never counted on the feelings she evokes with just a smile. Will his secrets widen the gulf, or will he finally find absolution?

Buy link: http://amzn.to/2r2NmFZ

About Toni:

Toni Shiloh is a wife, mom, and Christian fiction writer. Once she understood the powerful saving grace thanks to the love of Christ, she was moved to honor her Savior. She writes to bring Him glory and to learn more about His goodness.

She spends her days hanging out with her husband and their two boys. She is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and president of the Virginia Chapter.

You can find her on her website at http://tonishiloh.weebly.com

Social media links:

Facebook            Google+

Pinterest             Instagram

Goodreads          Bookbub

LinkedIn

Blogs Toni participates in: 

http://puttingonthenew.com ; http://heartwingsblog.com; http://diversitybetweenthepages.wordpress.com; www.acfwvirginia.com/blog

Guest Author: Elle E. Kay

Today is a Beautiful Day

Today is a beautiful day. The sun is coming up through the woods behind my house. When I look out front, I can see that the daffodils are beginning to open. The grass is turning green again. I can hear the birds singing their lovely songs. I can choose to focus on all these wonderful things. I can choose to trust God and enjoy the gifts He’s provided.

My stomach issues are bothering me this morning. A migraine is destroying my concentration. My son came home upset that he and his girlfriend had another fight. I can choose to focus on all these negative things. I can choose to be miserable and wallow in the difficulties of life in this world.

Which would you focus on?

Stella chooses God. She chooses life. And she focuses on her blessings. I want to be like her. To focus on God when everything around me falls apart. I want to be like the birds and sing songs to the Lord.  Life isn’t easy for me. I don’t think it’s easy for anybody. We all suffer different things. Yet, we can choose joy anyway. We can remind ourselves to spread the joy of the Lord instead of the pain of the world.

I recently finished my major edits for Claudia, the second book in the Edinsville Series. It is now in the hands of my capable editor and several beta readers. I struggled with the edits for that book. I wrote most of it in a month, but put it aside for a year and half before I finally sat back down to finish it. I don’t know why I procrastinated on editing Claudia, but what I do know is that I can celebrate the accomplishment of finally sending it off to the editor, or I can focus on my failure to do it sooner.

We have that choice with almost everything in life. Often I choose wrong, but today with the sun shining, the birds singing, and the flowers blooming, I’m choosing joy. I’m going to enjoy the blessings of the day and focus on them. I’m going to lift my voice in song unto the Lord. I will praise the Lord, focusing on the blessings.

I hope you will join me.

Psalms 146:2 (KJV)—While I live will I praise the LORD: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.

About STELLA (Edinsville Series, Book 1):

Heart-pounding suspense meet heart-warming faith and romance as Stella faces an evil beyond her control. Holding on to a thread of faith, she follows it home to Pennsylvania’s Endless Mountain region, where she meets Jason. A complication she’d rather not get entangled with. Stella must decide if she will let her circumstances destroy her, or if she will find the good and praise the Lord through the downpour.

This novel tackles the difficult subjects of rape, pregnancy, and kidnapping through a lens of faith and hope.

About Elle E Kay

Elle E. Kay lives on a farmette in the Back Mountain region of Pennsylvania. She lives with her husband, dog, and farm animals. She enjoys playing with goats and sheep.

Elle is a born-again Bible believing Christian. Stella is her debut novel. The next book in the Edinsville Series, Claudia is expected to be released this year. Elle writes children’s books under the pen name, Ellie Mae Kay. 

Guest Post: Present Tense (Jody Day)

I'm pleased to welcome fellow Pelican Book Group author, Jody Bailey Day to Chirp 'N Chatter. Jody brings a special post that I'm sure will touch the hearts of many people who need this little 'present tense' reminder. It certainly touched me in a very real sense!

Jody Day

I don’t usually go to a dark place, in fact, I’ve been accused of being annoyingly happy all the time. But not lately. Turning 60 in January, and then losing my mother in February threw me into  a Twilight Zone kind of upheaval.

A kind of panic and fear has tried to overtake me. My thought process runs through the mud: People my age are dying…who knows how long I have...I’ve not accomplished anything... there’s not enough time to do all the things I want to do...my husband, my kids, my grandkids...on and on, until I feel like curling up in the fetal position and checking out from the world.

Just like Scott in Wedding Express, fear clouds my thinking, confuses my perspective, and affects my decisions. My prayers seem to hit a concrete ceiling, and my heavenly Father seems distant. Scott’s Pastor Jack, the traveling preacher that serves at the diner church in the story, confronts Scott with his fears.

I balled my hand into a fist. “I can’t do this right now.‛ Please leave me alone.

“Why not? Haven’t you figured out through all this how quickly life passes by? Your uncle seems to understand that. He reached out in faith for love and he knows as well as anyone that we don’t know what tomorrow brings. The older we get, the word ‘now’ becomes very important.”

“That’s just it, where’s my faith? I can’t even pray anymore.” I bumped the table with my fist.

Pastor Jack reached across the table and squeezed my arm. “I’d say faith’s something you have to practice. I think you’re being tested in areas where you trusted in yourself. Youth and strength made you feel invincible. It was easy to trust then. But when life happens with death and sickness, faith must grow to a whole new level. Remember the Father said, ‘I will never leave you or forsake you.’‛

Pastor Jack and Scott discuss the scripture where Jesus says, “I will never leave you or forsake you.”

“Actually, God said that in several references. Deuteronomy and Hebrews. What Jesus actually said was “I am with you always. Present tense.”

I filled my lungs and slowly exhaled. Present tense.

“He’s with you now. So you can live now, love now, and trust Him for the future.”

Who knew that I’d be ministered to by something I was led to write two years ago? I may not feel it right now, but I need to practice my faith and know that I am not alone, that Jesus will never leave me. He’s got me in the palm of his hand, and just like Scott, I’ll get through this.

About Wedding Express

Book 2 in the Washout Express Series: Scott West is about to marry the woman of his dreams, but when delayed grief and a life-or-death event jeopardizes their relationship, Scott is forced to ask himself what kind of man he really is. Can he own up to the truth and risk losing the love of his life? And if he does come clean, will it be enough for Bailey? Discover the power of hope, forgiveness, and love in Wedding Express.

Purchase Wedding Express

About the Author

Jody Bailey Day writes inspirational fiction from her West Texas home. Writing, thirteen grandchildren, and a full time job at her local library keep her busy, along with her interest in crochet. She is President of her writers group, Critique Cafe, and is involved in Toastmasters. She is represented by Hartline Literary Agency.