Disclaimer

DISCLAIMER:

I do not read every book/author I spotlight or book tour I host!
Readers, Please research and use wisdom before buying

Saturday, March 29, 2014

Saturday Spotlight: Daffodils & Danger by Mary Manners!

Good Morning Friends!

It is my extreme pleasure to bring back to our Spotlight Pelican Book Group's talented and prolific, Mary Manners with the debut title to her brand new, Wildflowers and Wishes series, Daffodils and Danger!


Mary Manners is an award-winning romance writer who lives in the beautiful foothills of East Tennessee with her husband Tim and the cherished cats they've rescued from local animal shelters...Lucky and Gus.

Mary’s debut novel, Mended Heart, was nominated Best Inspirational Romance and was finalist for the Bookseller’s Best Award and her follow-up, Tender Mercies, was awarded an outstanding 4 ½ star rating from The Romantic Times Book Reviews and was also a finalist for the Inspirational Readers Choice Award. Buried Treasures, her third novel, was named Book of the Year by The Wordsmith Journal. Light the Fire took top honors for the Inspirational Readers Choice Award while Wisdom Tree garnered National Excellence in Romance Fiction. Mary was named Author of the Year by Book and Trailer Showcase. She writes romances of all lengths, from short stories to novels—something for everyone. 

Learn more about Mary Manners at her website: www.MaryMannersRomance.com.

Danger fails to bloom in the shadow of faith and family...


Wyatt Cutler manages to break away from family-owned Cutler Nursery--and Clover Cove—until his father perishes in a tragic accident. With no choice but to abandon his prestigious position at world-renowned Messer Dynamics and return to Clover Cove, Wyatt's only goal is to help his mother and brother, Reese, keep Cutler Nursery in business.

The laughter that surrounds Kami Moretto at her family's pizzeria has faded. Her mom is gone and, for her dad, depression has set in. With Pappy’s Pizzeria hanging on by a thread, Kami longs for days of the past and a time when her faith carried her through every storm. Across the street, she watches Wyatt scowl as he works and wonders how he can take his family—and his business—for granted when hers is in such shambles.

When tragedy strikes, Wyatt realizes he must let go of the past and cling to hope for the future; he’s in danger of losing his family, his business, and the only woman he’s truly loved.


Excerpt:
A bell over the front door chimed, signaling another customer had arrived. Conflict bit at Kami’s belly. She was thankful for the business that would help them stay afloat another week, but dragging on her feet. She prayed for the strength to make it to closing time. She couldn’t let her dad see how exhausted she felt. It would just add more worry to his already overflowing plate. She drew a deep, cleansing breath and turned toward the door. Philippians 4:13 washed over her, ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’

The breath whooshed out.

“Hi, Kami. How are you today, my dear?” Hattie Cutler’s grin was contagious, but that wasn’t what stopped Kami in her tracks. It was the man at Hattie’s side—her eldest son, Wyatt Cutler. Dark and mysterious…that’s how Kami always thought of him; the most elusive of the Wyatt clan and so different from his three younger siblings.

“I’m…fine.” Kami found it hard to speak while Wyatt’s eyes, like two pieces of polished bronze, scanned the length of her. A scowl formed as a single furrow along his forehead deepened into a thin line. Dark hair tumbled over the collar of his long-sleeved navy shirt in mussed waves of rich russet. How was it possible for any human to possess such impossible good looks? Suddenly, the carafe she held weighed fifty pounds. Her hands felt weak as globs of gelatin. She swallowed hard and managed a raspy, “Hello, Wyatt.”

“Kami?” His gaze narrowed and the scowl widened as he wrestled the wobbling carafe from her. “Don’t drop this. You’ll burn yourself. Are you OK?”

“Yes, of course I’m OK.” She smoothed her French braid, grimacing at the flyaway strands that had escaped an elastic band to dance around her heated face. Dad must have turned up the thermostat against the rainy chill, because suddenly she was sweltering. The palms of her hands were slick as she snatched the carafe back from him. “And give me this. I’m perfectly capable of handling it. What’s wrong with you, Wyatt? You look like you’ve seen a ghost. Do I look so different from the last time you saw me?”

“It’s been a long time, so yes…I mean, no.” He jammed his hands into the pockets of his jeans, his gaze capturing hers and holding tight. “It’s just…you’ve grown up.”

“Well, that’s a real shocker.” Frazzled nerves sizzled and popped as she swiped her free hand along the thigh of her jeans and adjusted her apron, splattered with a full day’s worth of preparing and serving meals. Her feet screamed in worn tennis shoes and her lower back cried out through a tangle of nerves. “Time does that to a person, you know.”

Looks like another winner, Mary!

Daffodils and Danger can be purchased directly from Pelican Book Group, at Amazon and B&N!

Well Friends, hope you've enjoyed this spotlight! Stay tuned next week for another Egg-cerpt exchange title on Tuesday Treasures, new Thursday Thoughts and of course another Saturday Spotlight!

Until then....take care, God Bless and remember....Live fully~laugh often~love deeply~forgive freely & you will create magic wherever you go!
 Pamela S. Thibodeaux
"Inspirational with an Edge!" 

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Thursday Thoughts: More on the movie Noah

Good Morning Friends!

A couple of weeks ago I shared some info on the movie Noah which is coming soon to theaters everywhere.

Here's a little more on the film....

Christian pastors, academics, media and organizational leaders are raving about Paramount Pictures' NOAH, in theaters March 28. Check out what they have to say about the epic new film directed by Darren Aronofsky and starring Russell Crowe, Emma Watson, Jennifer Connelly and Anthony Hopkins.

Grace Hill Media has created digital cards to help spread the word about this fascinating depiction of one of the great patriarchs in the Bible! 



Here's a video featuring clips from the movie and the thoughts of faith leaders who have seen it!






Tomorrow I'll be hosted at Author Roast & Toast with my short story, Lori's Redemption (spin off of Tempered Fire) so drop by and leave a comment for your chance to win a copy!

Until later....take care & God Bless!
PamT

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Tuesday Treasures: Egg-Cerpt Exchange with Diana Rubino!

Week 4 of  Tina Gayle‘s Eggcerpt Exchange from March 5th to April 20th, where several of us authors post excerpts and fun tidbits about our books. I'm hosting some authors right here, and I'll be guesting on their blogs. Looking for something new and exciting to read? Look no further than the Eggscerpt Exchange!

Today's Guest is Diana Rubino with er book, A Bloody Good Cruise!


My Italian vampire romance, A BLOODY GOOD CRUISE, is now on sale for Kindle and in paperback. Take a bite out of it below:




A BLOODY GOOD CRUISE is a fun-filled blend of the vampire world and luxury cruises.
          Romance writer Mona Rossi's book sales are slipping. She needs new ideas and fast! Her vampire love, Fausto Silvius is a doctor aboard the Romanza, a luxury cruise ship. Holding a "Motion on the Ocean" writer's cruise sounds like a great idea. What better way to combine a career boost with romance? But they soon discover hunters on board who give chase to Fausto and his fellow vampires. While he longs to bring Mona into his world, how can he convince her to join him with fringe lunatics on the hunt? In the prime of her life she's not sticking her neck out for a shot at eternity.

Excerpt:

Mona forced a dose of cheer through her jangly nerves. Vampire hunters wouldn’=t have the balls to attack Fausto and his friends on this ship. Security was tight. “Well, you’re here, so does that mean you’ve been going out, and aren’t confined to your house any more?”


Fausto shrugged. “Almost. I couldn’t wallow in self-pity forever. And I knew seeing you would make it worthwhile.”

She smiled and gave him a genuine Italian cheek pinch. “I’ll cheer you up, faccia bella, you can count on that. You must feel safe.” She gestured at the tacky duds. “I mean, relatively speaking.”    

“Don’t let this scare you, but –” He glanced around over the rims of his shades. Uh-oh. Whenever he said “don’t let this scare you,” it scared her. “I got an ominous message at the doctor=s office earlier.”

“What B” She swallowed a lump. “What kind of ominous message?”

He looked away, shaking his head. “Nothing to get alarmed about. The hunters just want me to know they’re here. After the initial jolt wore off, I said, ‘okay, I’m being stalked again.’ But I’m used to it. It doesn’t make me constantly look over my shoulder like in the old days. My family’s murder gave me a reality check. If they want me, they’ll get me. I can’t let it interfere with my work, or what little leisure time I have here. And you shouldn’t either.” He gazed at her adoringly and cupped her cheek. His hand was surprisingly warm. “But you’re still scared. All the blood’s drained out of your face, and not in a good way.”

Buy Links:
Tweet me @DianaLRubino

 Hope you enjoyed this Egg-cerpt Exchange!

Friday I'll be Roasted & Toasted on Author Roast and Toast and I'm giving away a copy of Lori's Redemption. Hope to see you there!

IMW....Take care & Be Blessed!
PamT











Saturday, March 22, 2014

Saturday Spotlight: Paula Mowery & Legacy and Love

Good Morning Friends!

Well today we're on our way to Houston, TX for my Angel Girl's 2nd dance competition so without a lot of fanfare, I'm happy to bring to you my guest, Paula Mowery with her brand new anthology, Legacy and Love.



Legacy and Love contains two stories and is available @ Amazon


The Prayer Shawl

Sean Holland is a magazine reporter always looking for the next story. Hope Weaver is a pediatric nurse who shares Christ through making prayer shawls. The shawls are just the touchy-feely story Sean needs, even though he’ll have to endure Hope’s strong Christian beliefs to get it. An unexpected connection brings them together as a couple. But, can they find love if they don’t share their faith?


Inheritance

Alex Lyndon’s life has been a series of fits and starts with no finishes. She finds herself jobless and divorced. Now her only family, Granny Olivia, is critically ill.

Chase Carson had to step into running the family business when his father died. The time is past due to visit Miss Olivia.


Alex and Chase must go on a treasure hunt. Will each find purpose and love for their lives in the process?



Paula Mowery is a pastor’s wife and a homeschool mom. She has always been an avid reader of Christian fiction. She began writing in the area of nonfiction creating three Bible studies which were self-published. However, she crafted fiction stories which she shared with friends and family. When one of her readers encouraged her to pursue publication, she joined American Christian Fiction Writers, learning more about the world of fiction. Her debut work of fiction is a novella published by Harbourlight, a division of Pelican Book Group – THE BLESSING SEER.

Learn more about Paula at her blog http://paulamowery.blogspot.com/
Read more of her writing in her monthly columns on ChristianMagazine.org.



Friday, March 21, 2014

Thursday Thoughts: Accomplishments

Well, it's not the first time I've posted Thursday Thoughts on a Friday and probably won't be the last. The days sometimes seem to just pass me by and although I work, some days I feel as though I haven't actually accomplished anything or much!

Ever feel like that?

How do you handle it?

I've incorporated a couple of things to help me cope....

#1: Prayer and Meditation. Doesn't have to be a long session either but taking a few moments to focus and center myself seems to help.

#2: Write a to do list and scratch things off. Although mine seems to never get finished because I scratch one thing off and add 2 or 3, at least I can actually see what I have accomplished!

#3: Take time for Self Care. One thing I'm learning is that even though the work is still there, I must take time for self care. This includes exercise! I'm guilty of placing this at the bottom of my list, especially during the winter months when it's too cold to walk but I'm working to change that!

#4: Celebrate your successes! Instead of bemoaning what hasn't gotten done, celebrate what did. This helps to stay motivated and focused.

These are just a few ways we can accomplish those tasks we've undertaken. I'd love to hear your take on this!



Until later...take care, God Bless and remember.... Despise not small beginnings.

"Inspirational with an Edge!"

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Tuesday Treasure: Egg-Cerpt Exchange with Tory Richards!

Well Friends, here we are at week 3 of Tina Gayle's Egg-cerpt Exchange blog hop.


Today's guest is Tory Richards whose tagline is "Romance with Attitude!" is multi-published in erotica so readers beware LOL!


What better way to spend your fiftieth birthday than with the hot male stripper you’ve been coveting for months! Proving you can have fun at any age, Happy Birthday Baby! from author Tory Richards is a celebration of life you won’t soon forget.

Excerpt - “Lana, wait.” I heard Joe’s voice and picked up my step, which was hard to do on gravel while wearing heels. He caught up with me in no time, gently taking hold of my arm and drawing me to a halt. “Are you okay?”

I knew we were looking at each other, but it was too dark to see his expression. “Yes. I just need some light to call a cab.”

“You’ve changed your mind about coming home with me?”

“I’m sure you can find a replacement,” I said, thinking about the waitress inside.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” he asked angrily. “What did that jerk tell you?”

“Enough to know you won’t be lonely. I only hope my friends didn’t pay you too much to sleep with me.” The hand on my arm tightened, revealing either I’d hit a nerve, or he was growing angrier. “I’m okay with it, Joe, really. I should have known a man like you would have to be paid for a little, ah, extra special attention.”

“A man like me?” His tone was low and gravelly, and I didn’t need any light to know he was clenching his teeth. “Well, let’s go then. I want to make sure I give you their money’s worth.”

Surprisingly, I wasn’t frightened of Joe. He brought out other emotions in me. So when he began pulling me behind him I didn’t protest. He was just too damned sexy, and arousal still hummed through my body. I knew that with his talents he’d have me eating out of his hand in seconds. He was a tall man, his steps much wider than mine, and it was inevitable that I’d stumble. When I did, he caught me, and pulled me up into his arms without breaking stride.

“This isn’t necessary.” A thrill shot through me in spite of my mild protest. I couldn’t recall the last time a man carried me.

He just grunted. When we reached his car, he dropped me to my feet at the passenger’s side door. I barely had time to notice it was a Corvette before he crushed me against the door and kissed me roughly. Caught totally by surprise, at first, I stiffened, but within seconds, I melted against him like ice cream on a hot sidewalk. Oh my God, the man knew how to kiss! When he reined in his aggressive attack, his mouth turned soft and coaxing, dragging me into a realm of endless erotic possibilities.

Available Liquid Silver Books
http://www.lsbooks.com/pre-order-coming-soon-romance-books-c322.php

More information about Tory Richards 
http://www.toryrichards.com 

Twitter - https://twitter.com/ToryRichards
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/authortoryrichards



Saturday join me on Anita Philmar's blog with my Egg-cerpt Exchange entry!

Until later...take care & be Blessed!
PamT

Saturday, March 15, 2014

Saturday Spotlight: Carla Rossi & The Living End of Cancer

Good Morning Friends,

It is my pleasure to bring to you once again my friend and fellow PBG author, Carla Rossi! This time though Carla is discussing her independently published non-fiction book, The Living End of Cancer...her personal journey through this dreaded disease!


Carla Rossi is a multi-published, award-winning author as well as a cancer survivor, life-long music minister, and speaker. She has been writing inspirational romance for Pelican Book Group since 2007. Carla lives north of Houston with her husband and writing partner - a Maine Coon Cat. She has three grown children and two grandchildren.

Connect with Carla
@carlarosswrite



In April of 2010, multi-published, award-winning author Carla Rossi felt the best she ever had. That all changed with one routine doctor visit. Tossed into diagnostic tests, surgery, chemotherapy, procedures, and targeted drug therapy, Carla gives us a transparent glimpse into what the journey was really like – good and bad. With friends and family at her side, Carla takes us through the ups and downs of her non-Hodgkin lymphoma cancer battle with practical and scriptural faith, humor, and her own understanding of the medications that helped save her life.

Excerpt:
My First Pet Scan
Friday, June 4, 11:15
John and I arrive at the PET scan place. I fill out paperwork.
The technician calls my name. The milligram of lorazepam I ingested only slightly keeps the panic at bay.
“I’m an anxiety patient,” I announce to anyone within earshot. “And I’m claustrophobic. The tube scares me.”
The technician smiles and tries to steer me from the waiting room.
I keep talking. “I can’t get into the tube without my husband. He is the only one who can keep me calm. I need him with me through as much of this as possible,” I explain. “If I can hear his voice and talk to him it will help me to not panic. He must be in the room with me.”
He cannot be in the room with me.
At least for a while.
“You’ll be all right,” he assures me. “I’ll see you as soon as I can.”
I decide I can’t be finished with all this until I get the tube over with so I walk on.
The nurse/technician is awesome. She tests my glucose and injects the radioactive fluid. I sit in a room alone with a television and a warm blanket while the neon juice flows through my body and finds the disease. Now that the extra-large cancer-clad ovaries are gone, maybe it’s a tiny patch of luminescent color the radiologist will see. I pray I don’t light up like an old-time pinball machine.
I fidget in the recliner and fly through the channels to find anything that will distract me. I stumble on Family Feud. Wow. That’ll do it.
After forty-five minutes, the nurse comes to get me. I explain again how anti-tube I am as I take off my earrings and wedding rings and place them on the counter. I am still sore and uncomfortable form the ovary removal so I have on my stretchy capris and a loose shirt. I lie on the moving slab and she puts a wedge under my legs and a warm blanket across my middle.
“Hurry,” I say and put the sleep mask over my eyes.
“I’ll get your husband when we’re about done,” she says. “He can sit at the end and talk to you, OK?”
“OK,” I agree like it’s really OK.
“It will take twenty to thirty minutes,” she tells me. “Do you want me to talk to you as we go or give you time updates only?”
I don’t know the answer to this. I don’t know what will help. “Let’s try updates.” I adjust my head on the pillow.
“Stretch your arms over your head. Make sure you’re comfortable. You have to be still for the whole test.”
She leaves me alone.
I hear her voice through the speaker. “First we’ll do CT scan. Then we’ll start the PET scan.”
What? There’s two parts to this madness?
Now I’m moving into the tube. My arms touch the sides and I become aware of how small the space is. Deep breaths, deep breaths... I pull them in closer and make a mental note to be more streamlined next time so I don’t have to suffer this surprise again.
Now back out of the tube.
“You’re doing fine,” she says. “We’re starting the PET scan now.”
I’m moving back in the tube and then stop. Flashes of light penetrate the darkness of my covered eyes and the whirling sounds tell me this is real. Air swishes through from the other end, giving me hope I’m not lost in here forever, that sometime in the next twenty-five minutes I’ll pop out the other side. I imagine my guardian angels are in the tube with me and that Jesus is reaching to pull me out at the end. It’s a comical visual as well as a comforting one.
I move again, deeper into the tube. “You’re doing great,” she says. “Fifteen more minutes.”
I resort to mentally quizzing myself. I list the seven dwarfs, the twelve disciples, the fifty states. This keeps me focused and takes a surprising amount of time when one stops repeatedly to begin again and scan one’s brain for the missing dwarf. Ah, yes, Happy. I forgot Happy. No wait. Is that six or seven? I start over.
I’m moving again and she announces she will get my husband. I hear him come in the room and speak to me like freedom at the end of the tube. He talks as if there is nothing unusual about this.
“It’s almost over,” he says and is able to touch my hand.
“That’s it,” she says. “I’ll come push you out.”
I remove the warm blanket and eye mask. My mascara has clumped and stuck to the silky material. I blink hard and fast, hoping to somehow re-separate my lashes. This is a futile exercise.
As I leave the office, the receptionist offers me a small handle bag and reaches into a mini-fridge to give me a Very Berry juice box. The oddity of this cracks me up, but I understand and appreciate the juice and snack since I know now most people leave here sick, starving, worried, and exhausted. There is also a book of encouraging quotations and anecdotes inside.
“They gave me a goodie bag,” I tell my husband. “It’s like I was at an awards show or something. And the award for the most uneventful PET scan goes to...”
“Well, the least you deserve is a goodie bag,” he says. “You conquered the tube.”
“Hardly,” I answer. “But thanks.”
I immediately stab the juice box with the straw.


Wow! Sounds like a great book to read yourself and/or give to someone you know who has or is going through this or something similar! You can purchase The Living End of Cancer on Kindle or Nook!

Thursday, March 13, 2014

Thursday Thoughts: Noah & The Ark

Good Morning Friends,

Since we are in the Lenten season and on Feb 27th I featured the movie Son of God, over the next few weeks my Thursday Thoughts, in conjunction with Grace Hill Media will consist of behind-the-scenes featurettes from Darren Aronofsky and Russell Crowe's upcoming film, NOAH.

This op-ed published yesterday by USA Today was written by Geoffrey Morin who is head of communications for The American Bible Society. The op-ed is entitled, “NOAH spurs debate pitting art vs. Bible” and poses the question, “How much artistic interpretation should be allowed?” 

I thought you might be interested in sharing it with your readers so I’ve included the link here: http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2014/03/12/movie-noah-bible-film-god-religion-darren-aronofsky-column/6342295/ 

Enjoy and look forward to the movie!

IMW go see Son of God, I know I'm going to!

)

Until later...take care, God Bless and remember....Jesus is the reason for this season too!
PamT

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Tuesday Treasure: Egg-cerpt Exchange with Tina Gayle

Good Morning and welcome to the 2nd installment in our Egg-cerpt Exchange event!

Today is the host of this event, Tina Gayle....


"Summer's Growth." - part of the Eggcerpt Exchange fun.


Blurb -


In the spirit-haunted Winston estate in Ohio, rooted in time and occupied by the lingering ghosts of a great family, the torch is about to pass...

Mattie Winston, sober, sensible, and steady, has served as Keeper to the family for decades. Amber Harrison, hovering on the edge of flunking out of college, unsure what she wants out of life, has barely even heard of the Winston estate. The family, however, has decided that it's time for the changing of the guard. These two exceptional women soon find themselves dealing with violence, murder attempts, and old family mysteries while each finding the love of her life. Two romances and a growing friendship, all twined around a brooding family tragedy, make for an outstanding paranormal mystery offering depth and charm beyond the commonplace. The growing love of Amber and Carter and of Mattie and Quincy offer readers a tender and engaging first novel in a winning new paranormal series.

Now the eggcerpt

“Trust us child to find a soul who will honor your position. Nothing will remove your fears until you can reclaim your life’s mission and enjoy the rest of your days on earth.”

 “But what if Amber doesn’t like it here? She’s a young college student from sunny California. Why would she move to Ohio where it’s cold? Even in the summer, we don’t have beautiful weather. The rain can last for days.”

 “There is no dispute,” Jonathan growled. “Amber is a Winston. She longs to live here.”
  “But you don’t get it. There’s no guarantee. Josh has lived here all his life. He’ll do a good job.” Mattie wished Jonathan could see her point. Things might not turn out like he’d planned.

“Besides Cynthia will be deeply hurt when she finds out everything is under the control of a stranger instead of her son. She won’t understand.”

 “The Council’s point exactly. Cynthia cares only for gold, not for others. It’s best for the family to have someone else as the keeper.”

  The havoc this decision would cause in Mattie’s life washed bitter bile through her mouth. She swallowed, hard. -


Purchase at:


Thanks for letting me share,

Tina Gayle

Hope you enjoyed this egg-cerpt! Stay tuned every Tuesday (and maybe some Saturdays) until Easter for more great excerpts!

Until later...take care, God Bless and remember....Jesus is the reason for Easter too!

Pamela S Thibodeaux
"Inspirational with an Edge!" 

Saturday, March 8, 2014

Saturday Spotlight: Janalyn Voigt & Wayfarer

Good Morning Friends!

Today it is my pleasure to bring my fellow PBG author back with book 2 in her Tales of Faeraven series, WayFarer!

Janalyn Voigt's unique blend of adventure, romance, suspense, and fantasy creates worlds of beauty and danger for readers. Tales of Faeraven, her epic fantasy series beginning with DawnSinger, carries the reader into a land only imagined in dreams.

Janalyn is represented by Sarah Joy Freese of Wordserve Literary. Her memberships include ACFW and NCWA. When she's not writing, Janalyn loves to discover worlds of adventure in the great outdoors.

Author Site for Janalyn Voigt: (author journals, travel journals, guest journals, and book news) 

Site for Writers: Live Write Breathe (teaching articles plus free How to Edit PDF)


Trouble stirs between nations and rebellion threatens Faeraven. 

When Kai returns with the supposed DawnKing, Lof Shraen Elcon cannot trust that the Elder youth truly is the prophesied deliverer. Driven to prove himself, Elcon banishes the boy and embarks on a peace-keeping campaign into the Elder lands, where he falls in love with an Elder princess betrothed to another. 

Sometimes the deliverance of a nation comes only through the humility of one. 

Declaring his love would shame the nations, but Elcon is torn. As war approaches, Elcon's choices lead him on a journey of discovery that will either settle the lands or leave them mired in conflict. Can his kingdom ever be united, or will the consequences of his decisions forever tear asunder the fabric of Faeraven?

WayFarer is available at Amazon in Print and for Kindle, at Barnes and Noble, at Pelican Book Group and ChristianBook.com!


Well Friends, I hope you enjoyed this spotlight. Stay tuned Tuesday for more Egg-cerpt Exchange fun, Thursday thoughts and of course another Saturday Spotlight!

Until later...take care and God Bless!
PamT

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Thursday Thoughts: Winning!

Well Friends it's been an eventful week.

Sunday I drove back to my home away from home, the Silver Spur Guest Ranch in Bandera, TX and haven't stopped since.



On the 23rd my beautiful Angel Girl danced in her first competition with Premier Dance Center out of Lake Charles and the team nabbed the gold! First Place!


She and her team will be participating in more competitions and I promise to keep you updated on those results too.



Speaking of winners... the Winner of Last week's Son of God gift pack is Bonnie Traher!

Although I'm excited to share these "winners" with you I'd like to remind you that in the game of life we're ALL winners!

Pamela S Thibodeaux
"Inspirational with an Edge!" 


Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Tuesday Treasure: Love Is A Rose; Egg-cerpt Exchange Fun!

Good Morning Friends,

Since tomorrow is Ash Wednesday and that leads up to Easter, a bunch of authors have gotten together to share book excerpts in Tina Gayle's "Egg-cerpt Exchange" blog hop again this year and I'm one of them!



Since Lent and Easter are very special to me, I'd like to focus on my devotional Love is A Rose for this egg-cerpt exchange so here again are the details....


Music is the magical entry into the spirit world; the golden gate into the Kingdom of God. But we mustn’t be of the mindset that God only uses Christian music to reach out and touch our mind, heart and spirit. God uses any and every means available to speak to His children.

Our job is to be open and receptive.

In this devotional, Pamela S Thibodeaux shares how God opened her spirit to a deeper understanding of the abundance of His grace and mercy through the words of the song, The Rose sung by Country & Western artist Conway Twitty.

Pamela offers Seeds to Ponder and a prayer as she parallels the love of God and the Christian life to each verse of the song.

EGG-CERPT:  Introduction

The Bible talks of harps playing and choirs of angelic hosts singing. It also tells us to “make a joyful noise unto the Lord.” The Israelites were ordered to send the praise and worship team—playing musical instruments, dancing and singing—ahead of the soldiers into battle. So there must be something special and powerful about music.

Music is an intricate element of worship, an aspect of praise that brings you into intimate proximity with the Lord. Music lifts you physically (fatigue disappears, pain is forgotten), mentally (your mind is filled with it, erasing everything else), emotionally (you are saturated with joy and peace) and spiritually (your spirit soars on the wings of His); opening your heart and mind to receive more of God’s presence, more of His truth.

Music is the magical entry into the spirit world; the golden gate into the Kingdom of God. But we mustn’t be of the mindset that God only uses Christian music to reach out and touch our mind, heart and spirit. God uses any and every means available to speak to His children.

Our job is to be open and receptive.

Nearly every Christian song I hear touches my heart in some way, urging me into a closer walk with God and bringing me a truer knowledge of Jesus. Amazingly though, the one song that really opened my spirit to a deeper understanding of the abundance of His grace and mercy wasn’t a Christian song but a Country one.

I’ll never forget the morning in 1995 when The Rose as performed by Conway Twitty came to me in its entirety with Bible references or Scriptures correlating to every verse…

Some say love, it is a river that drowns the tender reed“A bruised reed He will not break.”

Some say love, it is a razor that leaves your soul to bleed….Bible Conversion; a cutting or stripping away of old beliefs.

Some say love, it is a hunger, an endless, aching need"As the hind longs for running water, so my soul longs for thee oh God...”

I say love, it is a flower, and you its only seed…“If you have faith the size of a mustard seed…”

It’s the heart, afraid of breaking, that never learns to dance… David danced before the Lord.

It's the dream, afraid of waking, that never takes the chance"Entrust your works unto the Lord and your plans will succeed."

It's the one who won't be taken, who cannot seem to give…“Love is not selfish…For God so loved the world He GAVE…!”

And the soul, afraid of dying, that never learns to live"What shall a man give in exchange for his soul…For what is man profited if he should gain the whole world but lose his soul?”  Or more accurately…“Let not your heart be anxious, for I am with you always, even unto the end of time.”

When the night has been too lonely, and the road has been too long"I am going but I will not leave you alone. I will send you a comforter, a counselor to guide and help you.”

And you think that love is only for the lucky and the strong…. “God is love and he who dwells in love dwells with God. The meek shall inherit the earth…blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God.”

Just remember in the winter (of darkness and sin)....Jesus died so that we might have life, He conquered sin and darkness…. “I came so that you might have life, in abundance, to the full, overflowing.”

Far beneath the bitter snows...How can something so beautiful, so pure, be so bitter and cold? God is light. He washes us clean with the shed blood of His Son so that we might be as pure as the snow.

Lies the seed, (of faith)...that with the sun's (Son's) love...in the spring... (season of new birth, new life)...becomes the rose (an attractive flower).

Wow, what a revelation!

I immediately sat down and wrote the ensuing compilation paralleling the love of God and the life of a Christian to the words of this song.

Why do you suppose God used a country song to teach me about Himself?

I believe God was using a means familiar to me to show the depth and power of His love for me.

It is my prayer the words contained herein will do the same for you.

Before I begin, let me answer a few questions about myself. I am not a minister or even a candidate for the ministry. I have no degree or doctorate in psychology or anything resembling either. I am simply a Christian housewife and mother who's been blessed with a talent for writing and who desires to glorify the Lord of my life with that talent.

As I said in my opening statement, the Lord led me to write this analogy so the words in it (and I'm sure He also led the songwriter to write such a beautiful song) are His, guided through me by the power of the Holy Spirit to speak to you. So, let's begin.

Love is A Rose can be Purchased at:

Amazon in Print and for Kindle
Barnes & Noble in Print and on Nook
Smashwords for E-Readers and Deeper Shopping!

Find me at:
http://pamelathibodeaux.com
http://pamswildroseblog.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/psthib
https://www.facebook.com/pamelasthibodeaux

Thanks for letting me share!

Pamela S Thibodeaux
"Inspirational with an Edge!"