#ThursdayThoughs with Theresa Lynn Hall!

Hello Again and Welcome!

Today's guest has been in our spotlight and shared treasures with us so please give a great big welcome back to Theresa Lynn Hall as she shares some thoughts with us....

Sometimes we never know how our work has touched someone’s life. We often think that what we do goes unnoticed by many, and maybe you even questions why you do what you do in the first place. I think this holds true for everyone—no matter their profession. As a teacher, mom, writer, wife, friend, aunt, co-worker, etc., I can honestly say that I’ve often felt unappreciated or unnoticed. To inspire me, I often think about what the Bible says regarding our works. "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. —Jeremiah 29:11

This year, I struggled with my job as a second grade math and science teacher. I struggled with a co-worker, with my health, and with finding new and exciting ways to teach kids how to add and subtract by “regrouping” (borrowing and carrying back in the old days!). Basically, the school year was not exciting to me. I felt like I was in a rut. Like my work didn’t matter. For the first time in a long time, I just didn’t want to go to work.

As the end of the school year drew nearer, I began to get notes from my students and parents. Sweet notes telling me how much they love me. Notes thanking me for everything I’ve taught them. I began to get letters from parents telling me how much of an impact I had made on their children this year and how their child had a new love for coming to school. The notes and emails brought me to tears. The whole time I had been struggling, God had me exactly where he wanted me. I was making a difference to someone and I didn’t realize it. He never said it was going to be easy. He never promised me that I would receive accolades or even a thank you. He just put me where He wanted me to be. Looking back, it wasn’t about me. It was about how he was using me to impact someone else’s life. I was only needed to do the job I had been placed there to do.

I think we often miss the forest for the trees because it’s in our nature to try to figure out the direction of our life. But God’s plan for us is so HUGE that we often misinterpret it, too. His plan is awesome and great. It’s THE BEST plan we have and if we follow it, we are guaranteed to make a difference on someone else’s life.

As a writer, I have to apply this same lesson. I may never know if my stories touch anyone. All I know is that all things work for good through Him. He never promised me things would be easy. He simply called me to do a job and promised to carry me through it.  No matter what you do in life, give it your best and let God handle the rest. We all make a difference somehow.

      ”You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours." —Psalm 128:2

Oh Wow...how sweet and pretty, Theresa! Thanks for sharing these thoughts and another treasure

with us!

Theresa is an award-winning author of Christian Fiction. A native Texan, she loves to write suspenseful stories that happen in small Texas towns with old fashioned Southern values. She’s an elementary teacher and mom to two boys—the oldest being in law enforcement, which comes in handy when she’s researching.

When she’s not teaching kids or writing, she loves to cook, read a good suspense, and binge-watch episodes of Dateline. Someday she plans to seek help for her chocolate addiction, but she’s just not ready yet. She loves to hear from readers and can be found at www.theresalynnhall.com

Find and follow her on Facebook, Twitter (@theresalynnhall) and Pinterest!

Her new book, Ransom in Rio can be found at Pelican Book Group and at Amazon!

Thanks again Theresa! Good luck and God's blessings with your new release!

Hope you enjoyed today's post friends and that you'll join me weekly for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time, take care and God Bless.

PamT

#TuesdayTreasures with Theresa Lynn Hall @theresalynnhall

Good Morning!

Well, we've made it to Port Angeles, WA and visiting Olympic National Park. Next stop will be Concrete & Cascade Ntl. Pk then on to Montana. I'll be sharing another west coast vacation post on Thursday, meanwhile, please welcome Theresa Lynn Hall back to our blog with something she treasures!

 A Special Treasure

I never thought much of time when I was younger. Twenty years away seemed like an abstract amount of time. I was living minute to minute. It felt like I had all the time in the world before twenty years would come to pass. Looking back, I’m grateful for my ignorance. If I had only known how quickly it would go by I would been sad.

My oldest son is now twenty-one and is a police officer. My youngest graduates next year and is planning a future in the military. My babies. My little boys. Had I known then what I know now I would have fretted over every single day that passed, knowing it was going to fly by and one day be only a memory. I guess it's a good thing our kids keep us so busy. We don't think about them growing up and moving on. Time has become precious to me now and I think I grow more sentimental the older I get. Not just about time or memories, but also about things.

I know all moms are sentimental about things their kids give them. I have a cedar chest full of school papers, pictures, baby clothes and who knows what else from the years when my boys were growing up. Each and every memento means the world to me, but there’s one special gift that my kids gave me when they were young that touched my heart—an engraved locket with the single word “MOM” on the front of it. They begged my mother to find this for them so they could give it to me. I’m not sure where they had seen it or how they knew exactly what they wanted, but my mother searched high and low for this particular locket until she finally found it. What an awesome grandma! Ironically, I hardly ever wear it because I’m so afraid of losing it! It means the world to me and I treasure it more than any other necklace I own.

Now that my boys are grown, I look at the little things like a locket, an “I love you, Mom” note in big chunky handwriting, a picture they drew me, and I wonder where the time went. How did they grow up so fast? How did twenty years pass in a blink? I just don’t know. Now that they’re grown, and taking on jobs of brave men in a dangerous world, I pray for their safety and God’s protection over them. They will probably never know how much I will always treasure the little “Mom” locket they gave me so many years ago, or know how much I love them until they have children of their own.

God says that we are chosen by Him, his special treasure. I don’t see myself as a treasure. How could God treasure a sinner like myself? Still, He does. And I am so blessed to know He sees past all of my sins and has chosen me as His treasure.

Deuteronomy 7:6  For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.

What a wonderful gift, Theresa and definitely something to treasure! Thanks for sharing with us.

Theresa is an award-winning author of Christian Fiction. A native Texan, she loves to write suspenseful stories that happen in small Texas towns with old fashioned Southern values. She’s an elementary teacher and mom to two boys—the oldest being in law enforcement, which comes in handy when she’s researching.

When she’s not teaching kids or writing, she loves to cook, read a good suspense, and binge-watch episodes of Dateline. Someday she plans to seek help for her chocolate addiction, but she’s just not ready yet. She loves to hear from readers and can be found at www.theresalynnhall.com

Find and follow her on Facebook, Twitter (@theresalynnhall) and Pinterest!

Her new book, Ransom in Rio can be found at Pelican Book Group and at Amazon!

Thanks again Theresa! Good luck and God's blessings with your new release!

Hope you enjoyed today's post friends and that you'll join me weekly for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time, take care and God Bless.

PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Theresa Lynn Hall & Ransom in Rio!

Good Morning from Lake Texoma!

As I've mentioned many times before, I love promoting authors and their books, but having a fellow PBG author is just the bomb!

Today I am so very excited for my guest, Theresa Lynn Hall who is in our spotlight with her brand new release, Ransom in Rio a Passport to Romance title from Pelican Book Group!

Please give her a great big WELCOME!

Private Investigator, Braden McCoy wants nothing more than to finish out the week doing a little fishing from his boat. The ex-special ops vet enjoys his peaceful life and loves his new career. He’s learned to put his past behind him and enjoy his blessings. Until a mourning redhead walks into his office and changes his plans.

Lexi Ramos always knew her family was dysfunctional. Until the sudden death of her brother, she never knew exactly how much. Consumed with questions surrounding his accident, she seeks the help of a private investigator. What starts out as a murder investigation in Cozumel, quickly crosses borders and escalates into a race against time to save them both from Brazilian kidnappers, who somehow know more about her family secrets than she does. Lexi soon realizes that life comes with a price.

Excerpt: 
Her worst nightmare had come to life.

Now, the fear of what she would do if it ever happened was over, but the loss of her brother came with a burden she hadn't foreseen. It left her to deal with her family alone. To carry the legacy. To protect the empire. To convince everyone to believe the lies.

“He was always so careful,” she muttered to herself as she drove.

Snow had started falling as the last “Amen” was said at the cemetery. The heavy white powder made the pale yellow lines on the road fade in and out of sight. Lexi tugged her sweater tighter around her body with one hand and gripped the steering wheel with the other. The funeral had drained her of what little emotional strength she had left. It was crazy, but several times throughout the day she'd found herself picking up her phone to see if Jace had messaged her. He used to text or call every day. Silly stuff sometimes, like never walk the dog with no shoes on. Once he'd texted that he had the hiccups.

“I just can't believe he’s gone.” Lexi glanced at her friend. She didn’t expect Kristy to say anything. Nothing she could say would make the pain go away.

Jace had been the perfect big brother, Lexi’s best friend. From an early age, they learned that sticking together in a dysfunctional family was their only hope. One thing Lexi knew for certain was that Jace wouldn’t leave her here alone. He would not have put himself in danger for a stupid fishing trip. His chance to break free of their crazy family was finally around the corner. He'd just bought his girlfriend an engagement ring. They had plans to move to New York as soon as the wedding was over. Now he was gone. None of it made any sense. Why was she the only person who could see that something was wrong with ruling the cause of death as accidental?

Lexi brushed at her red hair with a careless hand and caught a glimpse of her swollen, blue eyes in the rear view mirror. She hardly resembled her brother at all—a fact that had always bothered her, but she’d never questioned it the way Jace had. He had always asked where he'd gotten his blonde hair.

“Lexi, why don’t you stay with me tonight?”

The sound of Kristy’s voice startled her. “I’m sorry. I’m really out of it.” She smiled and wiped a stray tear from her cheek. “Thank you for everything. You’ve done more than enough for me over the past few days.”

“You know I’m always here.”

 “I know.” She swallowed hard. “Kristy…”

“What’s wrong?”

   

“I can’t stop thinking...I just don’t think this was an accident. It couldn’t be. Jace didn’t even like to fish. He wouldn't charter a boat to go fishing in Cozumel. He liked nice restaurants, museums, theaters. Not fishing. And then there’s the fact that he didn’t take Selena with him. He always had Selena with him. Why doesn’t anyone else seem to think this is odd?” 

Great excerpt, Theresa! Where can we get a copy?

Pelican Book Group of course LOL!

Wonderful....now let's find out a little more about you....

Theresa is an award-winning author of Christian Fiction. A native Texan, she loves to write suspenseful stories that happen in small Texas towns with old fashioned Southern values. She’s an elementary teacher and mom to two boys—the oldest being in law enforcement, which comes in handy when she’s researching.

When she’s not teaching kids or writing, she loves to cook, read a good suspense, and binge-watch episodes of Dateline. Someday she plans to seek help for her chocolate addiction, but she’s just not ready yet. She loves to hear from readers and can be found at www.theresalynnhall.com

Find and follow her on Facebook, Twitter (@theresalynnhall) and Pinterest!

Thanks again Theresa! Good luck and God's blessings with your new release!

Hope you enjoyed today's post friends and that you'll join me weekly for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time, take care and God Bless.

PamT