Peering Through Life's Window

  Luke 2: 11-12, “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. You will find a baby wrapped in cloths lying in a manger.” God sent Jesus to save sinners, because he loves us.  In the Bible the Pharisees asked Jesus, “…which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” He told them “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it. Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22: 36 – 39). Christmas brings the message of a Savior who loves us so much He suffered for our sins to the point of death.  Then a miracle occurred. Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into Heaven, but He didn't leave us alone.  Matthew 28:20: "And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."  His spirit and His love live with us today. Where does the love come from, and how can we get it? Sometimes we attempt to buy, demand or create love, b...

A Warm Welcome to Jean Pike Thanks so much for having me today, Gail. It's my pleasure.   There are so many Biblical truths I tried to incorporate into King of Hearts that I had a hard time deciding what I wanted to tell your readers about the story. But as I started thinking about one of my secondary characters, my thoughts seemed to fall into place. Clara Blessings spent her life giving to others. When my heroine, Harper, and her brother, Nicky became motherless, Clara stepped in to help raise them. A talented pastry chef, she devoted her life to using her talents for the glory of God. Along with to-die-for wedding cakes, she baked amazing birthday cakes for underprivileged children who might not otherwise have gotten one. When Clara becomes increasingly forgetful and starts to make unsafe choices, a social worker threatens to have her removed from her home. The town rallies around their beloved Clara with offers of help. A local contractor offers to install safety locks on the ...

  A Warm Welcome to Kristi Neace Kristi shares a devotional. She will start a new Bible study on Facebook in July. Watch for the announcement, giving the exact date and time on her  Facebook Page   Scriptural videos also available. See below.*  In a Pit? Psalm 40:1-3‚ “I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD.” Can you think of a time when God helped you out of a low place? Perhaps something had caused you to spiral downward, or maybe like the Old Testament character, Jonah, you had run away from God so as not to have to do what He was asking of you.  Through this passage, we see that David was experiencing this first-hand. He was in a place of despair, yet God was gracious, and after some time, placed Dav...

 Love Much As we’ve grown more distanced from each other, many of us still strive to help others. We’re doing it more and more through charities, online giving, and programs in our churches, but we’re all so busy surviving with almost no extra time, we often gloss over the little things, the simple gestures and kindnesses that bind human to human.  When we’re overburdened ourselves with life’s demands growing more difficult each day, we’re often mentally marking things off of our list, so it doesn’t occur to us to smile at each other.  Sometimes we’re having such a hard time keeping up with the day’s demands, listening to another person whose heart is troubled doesn’t occur to us, but it can mean so much.  If we’re pre-occupied, we can overlook that spur of the moment need that jumps out at us from nowhere.  These are little things, but they’re often important to the person who needs a bit of help. One day in a crowded restaurant where people place their orders ...

  A Warm Welcome to Penny Zeller Penny will give away either an e-Book or a print copy (U.S. residents only) of Dreams of the Heart. Winner’s choice.  To enter to win join the Rafflecopter contest below, leave a comment and an email address. Hi Penny, Lots of writers were avid readers as children. How about you? If so, what did you read? I was an avid reader as a child, which I credit to my mom, who read to us and encouraged a love for books. Two of my favorite books were Wacky Wednesday and Harry the Dirty Dog. When I was older, I enjoyed reading Trixie Belden, Nancy Drew, and Little House on the Prairie. Why do you write? Because I can’t not write. It is my ministry and my passion. Tell us about your latest book, Dreams of the Heart   Sometimes the hardest battles take place in the heart. Poverty and abuse at the hands of her drunkard father leaves Hannah Bane trapped and alone. Without hope, she prays for a miracle just on the off-chance God will hear her. Will the...

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY Photo courtesy of Dalle 2 I immediately added clean water and the preservative that came with my flower to the rose my husband gave me one Valentine’s Day. But the next day, February 15th, the stem drooped. That afternoon the sun shone through the opened blinds on the sliding glass door the brightest I’d seen since early December. But the rose sat there, it’s pretty head tilted down toward the table.   Wednesday morning I walked in the kitchen to find the rose straight again. Not quite believing it, I  leaned down and studied the flower. I checked it later that afternoon. And another time early in the evening. It wasn’t my imagination. At five days later the rose stood straight on its stem, its petals just beginning to age a tiny bit on the edge, otherwise intact. I’d never seen a flower do that, but I’m no horticulturist, so I thought maybe some varieties of roses perked up once the recipient put in the preservative. Even so, that wouldn’t explain w...

    A Warm Welcome to Regina Andrews Celebrate the holiday and enjoy a giveaway with Light a Christmas Candle or Reflections of the Heart.   Regina will give away an eCopy of either Light a Christmas Candle or Reflections of the Heart to two winners, who can decide which one they want. To enter to win one of the two books leave a comment and an email address and join the Rafflecopter contest below.  Hi Regina, thanks for sharing your thoughts about traveling and your books. We Are All Travelers The Christmas season is one that is always filled with hope, excitement, and most of all anticipation. It is also a time when many travel to meet their loved ones and to be reunited with family. In thinking about Christmas and the theme of traveling, the voyage of the Holy Family comes to my mind instantly. They had to travel long hours, day and night, over rugged terrain to finally find a stable where the baby could be born.  And all through his life, Jesus seemed to ...

  A Warm Welcome to Regina Andrews Regina will give away a mobi copy of Glory of the Heart . To enter the Rafflecopter contest to win, leave a comment and an email address below. Gail, thank you so very much for inviting me to visit your outstanding blog. It is always so interesting and enlightening, as well as beautifully presented. This particular topic is extremely engaging and I am  so grateful to be included as one of your guests to discuss this subject. It's my pleasure to have you. Thank you for participating in the series of blogs about Jesus. Regina shares what she learned about Jesus's commandment that we love one another and how it helps her today . I can remember Jesus‘s words “love one another as I have loved you“ from when I was very, very young. I was fortunate enough to live right down the street from a Catholic school, which I attended for eight years, from grades one through eight. During that time we were instructed by the Sisters of the Cross and Passion. T...

A Warm Welcome to Linda Weaver Clarke Linda gives away an e-Book of Holidays in Willow Valley.  To enter to win leave a comment and an email address below.  Short Stories to Lift Your Spirits Tales of Willow Valley and Holidays in Willow Valley are full-length books filled with short stories that have been released for the holidays. Historical Romance is about the adventure of living in a different time period. The romance draws the reader into a world of wonder, but the mystery keeps you turning the pages.  What was romance like in the 19th century? Suko’s Notebook wrote, “Is it just me, or are love stories set in the past more romantic than those set in the present day?” Set in the 1800s, each of the Willow Valley stories has humor, adventure, romance, and mystery. After reading Tales of Willow Valley , Author Gail Pallotta wrote: “Ms. Clarke brings us five love stories based on the lives of real people and true events. The heroines are brave, spunky women who attrac...

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. I Cor. 13: 13 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. I Cor. 13: 4 - 8 Talking Love At Valentine’s Day we think of romantic love, but there are many kinds of love, and they all enrich our lives. The love of children, Moms, Dads and friends. At first it seemed odd to me that I’d think of an atheist on a day celebrating love, but maybe not. When I was in college I used to run into him in the small cafe where ...

Christ Is Born "Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you:  You will find a baby wrapped in cloths lying in a manger. (Luke 2:  11-14) He Grows Up And Preaches A Gospel of Love Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. (Matthew 22: 37 - 38) Christ Dies On The Cross To Free Us From Our Sins "The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again." (Luke 24: 7) He Rises And He Lives Today "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"  (I Corinthians 15: 55)  Merry Christmas! A picture of my hometown, Forest City, North Carolina, from a painting by Daniel Robbins. Angel photo courtesy Google. Christ ...

Thank You God, For... The fresh summer breeze That rustles through the trees And wraps our hearts with love The warmth of sun rays That brightens up our days And fills our hearts with cheer The cool, pleasant rain That refreshes earth’s domain And gives us peace The glittering Heaven at night That makes our darkness light And lifts our hearts with hope The young boy, kind and strong Who helps the old lady  Move her grocery cart along The middle-aged man, hurried this day, Taking time to fix the tire For a lady stranded by the way The housewife, tired and weary, Baking cookies for a lonely friend Whose days are long and dreary The young couple, just beginning life, Who think to visit someone ill Hoping to relieve their strife The old man, with dreams that are torn, Who still smiles and says, “Enjoy today. Be happy you were born.” These things that push our problems away ...

A Warm Welcome to Larry Hammersley Larry will give away an e-Book of The Forever Bond . To enter to win leave a comment and an email address below. Tears/Weeping Includes favorite verse of Psalms 56:8 Name some reasons for weeping.  Tears are shed at funerals, weddings, pain, anger, happiness, fit throwing, loved ones leaving, for those who are sick and suffering. Tears not due to emotions are cold wind, dust storms, onions, tear gas. Is weeping just for women and children?  Is it okay for men to weep?  Ecclesiastes 3:4 says there’s a time to weep.  That’s not gender specific.  In Romans 12:15 everyone is included.  Job describes his face as foul with weeping. Both the New and Old Testaments include examples of men and women who wept.  In the Old Testament we have women such as Hannah, Hagar, Ruth, Orpah, Naomi and Samson’s wife.  Men include Jeremiah who described his tears as a fountain and a river, David on several occasio...