For some reason today FEELS like a new beginning so I wish you ALL a blessed, happy & prosperous one!
Today's guest shared treasures with us a couple of years ago so she's practically a brand new visitor so please give Beth Vogt a huge welcome....
During a time of
discouragement, God used hummingbirds to remind me that he loved me.
Back in 1998, my
husband was still in the military and Uncle Sam had moved us from Florida to
Colorado, away from precious friends-who-were-like-family. Circumstances piled
up, making the move especially challenging. One morning, I prayed to God while
I worked out at the base gym.
I reminded myself—and God—that I knew he hadn’t forgotten me. That he was aware of all that was going on in our lives. I confessed to feeling alone. Worn-out. And then I asked him to please send me a sign that he loved me. And I suggested he use a hummingbird—not that those beautiful little birds meant anything significant to me at that time.
That was on a Thursday. The following Monday, I visited a nearby salon for a manicure. Gail, the nail technician, introduced herself and directed me to her workstation. Walking down a narrow hallway, I rounded a corner—and stopped short.
At her worktable, Gail had an adjustable white lamp—and dangling from the arm of the lamp was a crystal hummingbird.
My sign!
But that wasn’t
all.
On the wall
behind her table hung a hummingbird calendar. Next to the calendar was a stained-glass
image of yet another tiny, ruby-throated bird. The final touch? Taped beneath
the picture were the words God loves you. I
especially loved how God wrote his answer to my prayer in black and white so I
didn’t miss it.
Since then,
I’ve collected or been given a variety of hummingbirds of all types: crystal,
wood, origami, stained glass, and metal.
And in the
early spring or summer whenever I hear the whir of hummingbird wings, I hear
God whispering, “I love you.”
What a BEAUTIFUL testimony Beth! I love hummingbirds too and enjoy watching them every year when they come through and fuel up from our feeders.
Beth K. Vogt is a nonfiction author and editor who said she’d never
write fiction. She’s the wife of an Air Force family physician (now in solo
practice) who said she’d never marry a doctor—or anyone in the military. She’s
a mom of four who said she’d never have kids. Now Beth believes God’s best
often waits behind doors marked Never. Things I Never Told You,
releasing May 2018, is Beth’s first novel in her women’s fiction series for
Tyndale House Publishers.
Beth is a 2016 Christy Award winner, a 2016 ACFW Carol
Award winner, and a 2015 RITA Award finalist. Her 2014 novel, Somebody
Like You, was one of Publishers Weekly’s Best Books of 2014. Having
authored nine contemporary romance novels or novellas, Beth believes there’s
more to happily ever after than the fairy tales tell us.
An established magazine writer and former editor of the
leadership magazine for MOPS International, Beth blogs for Novel Rocket
and also enjoys speaking to writers’ groups and mentoring other writers. She
lives in Colorado with her husband, Rob, who has adjusted to discussing the
lives of imaginary people, and their youngest daughter, Christa, who loves to
play volleyball and enjoys writing her own stories. Connect with Beth
at bethvogt.com.
Beth's newest book, Things I Never Told You (Tyndale House) can be found at Amazon in Hardcover, Paperback and for Kindle!
Hope you enjoyed today's post and that you'll join me each week for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts, and Saturday Spotlight!
Until next time, take care and God bless.
PamT
11 comments:
One of the things I'll miss when we leave Montana - a pair of hummingbirds nest in a tree behind our home and drink daily from the sugar juice we leave outside our sliding glass door. They come here and nest every year at the same location. They are so pretty and so precious. A reminder that God loves even the tiniest creations. Thanks for visiting.
Good morning, Connie: How sweet that a pair of hummingbirds nest in the tree behind your home! It will be fun to see what God has waiting for you at your new home -- hummingbirds, maybe? Or something else to delight your heart? Thanks for starting the conversation today!
We had bluejays in the crabapple tree in our backyard. Their song brought us joy as well.
I just love how God used something that didn't have any prior significance, to speak to your heart. Now it is a precious little secret between the two of you! He is so faithful to us!
Hi, Jaqueline: Isn't it nice how the simplest sound -- like a bluejay's song -- can bring joy to our day?
Hi, Kelly: Yes, God proved Himself so faithful in such a surprising way. And I heard my first hummingbird of the spring last night while I was on a walk with my husband!
Enjoyed the post! Thank you for sharing.
Thank you, Kara!
Birds often remind me of God's care and provision, too. I love how He answered your prayer in such a precise way! Congrats on the new release!
Thanks, Emily -- it's always exciting to see an story idea become a real book!
Enjoyed the post...best wishes!
Hummingbirds come by my house, but not like the ones in Colorado. They are prolific there. So nice to learn more about you and your work.
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