Looking Out the Window: Read about Danielle Thorne's New Best-Selling Regency Romance, Proper Attire. She Shares a Beautiful Devotional and Gives Away a Smashwords e-book, Turtle Soup

A Warm Welcome to Danielle Thorne

Congratulations on her Best-Selling New Book! A Proper Attire is now available on amazon for 99 cents

Go to www.daniellethorne.com to get a FREE Smashwords copy of Turtle Soup

If You Had Been There

A Devotional by Danielle Thorne

I love the stories in the New Testament. We learn so much about the life and mission of Jesus Christ and about His apostles, too. We learn how to apply the principles of the gospel to our lives as we study them.

One of my favorite scriptures comes from the New Testament, from my favorite Bible story where Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead. The verse says: "And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him." (John 11:15)

You may wonder why such a nondescript verse is close to my heart. It is at the core of the story. Jesus knew Lazarus was ill; and when His disciples tried to hurry him toward Bethany, He let them know Lazarus was already dead. He not only doesn't hurry off when He hears his beloved friend is sick, He waits 4 days! By this time, the Jewish customs of burial are all but complete.

Surely some of the disciples must have wondered what good a trip to Bethany would do after so much time. When He arrives, the gut-wrenching accusation falls from Martha's lips, "Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died." She is so certain her brother could have been saved if only the Savior would have come sooner.

How often have we said those same words? "Lord, if you'd been there, things would have turned out right…"

Those familiar with the story know that Jesus not only wept to share their grief, He raised Lazarus from the dead. This marvelous miracle made it very clear to those who followed Him that He was indeed the Son of God with the power to conquer death. Lazarus died, so that he could be raised. It was an opportunity to convert others to the power and mission of the Savior.

Why do I love this story? Because it teaches me that sometimes He waits. Answers to prayers don't always come immediately. Neither does relief from pain and sorrow. I've learned that the Lord sometimes lets us experience hard things, so that He can show forth His hand after the fact. Whether it be a miracle or a lesson, when we come to know all things are done in the Lord's timing, we can practice the faith we need to press forward with confidence even in difficult circumstances.

Bio:

Danielle Thorne is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. She believes we are responsible for our own talents and will be accountable to God for what we do with them. She takes responsibility for her work by writing clean, uplifting fiction in the romance and adventure genres. All of her books have uplifting and inspirational endings.

Danielle writes from south of Atlanta, Georgia. She is the author of four and five star sweet romantic adventure books, both historical and contemporary. Other work has appeared with Espresso Fiction, Every Day Fiction, Arts and Prose Magazine, Mississippi Crow, The Nantahala Review, StorySouth, Bookideas, The Mid-West Review and much more. Danielle is a former editor for Solstice and Desert Breeze Publishing. Her popular blog, The Balanced Writer, focuses on life and the pursuit of peace and happiness. Currently, she is a freelance copywriter in-between working on her next book and pursuing a second degree.

Read more about Danielle and her books here and visit her blog here

About Proper Attire

New Release: Sweet Regency Romance - .99

An Top 100 Amazon Best Seller

Proper Attire

Pressured to marry for money, Julia Scott flees England and a cruel stepmother to determine if the West Indies is the paradise of her dreams. Attacked by pirates and desired by island natives, the only person she can trust is John Smith -- if that's her rescuer's true name. Reaching her uncle's station in English Harbor, Julia must find a way to face her feelings and deal with her traitorous family, a dashing new suitor, and the guardian angel, John Smith, who has no qualms sporting counterfeit names and less than what is proper attire.

Click here to buy on amazon

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