Into the Fire

Gifts given, presents opened, sized up, returns ready. The day after Christmas when inventory is taken. Leftovers ready to roll on repeat. 

Some return to work, others finish the week off.

Hope your Christmas was beautiful and wonderful and definitely meaningful. 

The real reckoning comes with the continuation of realization about who Jesus Is and that super holiday that just celebrated His coming to earth. In the big picture, that's all that truly matters. Does the adoration of our Savior continue? Do we continue to walk in His ways and listen to His voice, His instructions? Or do we fall back into a pattern of life that leaves Him on the outside of it? That's the must-answer question of our intentions. 

I pray that as the first of 2025 gets closer that more people would decide to find out who Jesus really Is. There's no comparison to living life with Him. I've lived both ways: in the world and saved by the Lord Jesus Christ. Redemption is everything. 

In the Name of Jesus, Amen.  

"Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you: He is Christ the Lord."  Luke 2:11 (NIV) 

HE IS. HE came for us, to save us after being born into sin. HE's the Savior of the World. Do you want HIM? Ask HIM to rescue you. HE WILL. 

JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON. 

My dad was a giver. Birthday cards, Christmas cards, and lots of presents under the tree. He was the son of Italian immigrants with lots of brothers and sisters. As a boy in Butte, Montana, he physically had to learn how to fight to claim a corner to sell newspapers. Butte was a place of ill repute in the early days. Later on, he had to work in the mines. He lost the tip off his right index finger there. Following that, this Roman Catholic raised boy met and fell in love with a Methodist girl and they eloped on his 21st birthday. She was 16. My mom and dad almost made it to their 50th wedding anniversary, but cancer claimed my mother at the young age of 62. She gave so much to us.

I think I inherited his love of giving gifts. At Christmas, he gave gifts to the mailman, the garbage man, and the milkman. I have kept that tradition with the exception of the milkman – we haven't had one. I have a mail lady who is a joy. I've never met my garbage men, but I leave them gifts on the garbage cans on the Monday or whatever day before Christmas arrives. I would buy my husband multiple gifts more than I do (which are quite a few). Same with my sons, but after a point, they need or want less and less. 

Friends get gifts – and give me precious things besides their friendships. 

Giving gives me great joy. To experience smiles or great gratitude even for the little things is such a reward. 

God has been so generous and gracious to me my entire life. Giving is a gift within a gift. Thank God for His Greatest Gift of Jesus for salvation and redemption. Unequaled. Unprecedented. Unstoppable. The Great I AM. Thank you is never enough for all the gifts that come with Jesus. Amen.  

     Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

                   "Glory to God in the highest,

                       and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests."

     When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

     So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. 

Luke 2:13-20 (NIV)

A Police Procedural/Mystery with a romantic thread. Available here in print, e-book, and audible. 

A love story. He's a recluse. She needs refuge. Find them here.

Seeing . . . available in print and e-book here. She's broken. He knows who can mend her heart. Love story. 

You can find the rest of my novels here.

Writing love stories with a passion. Raw  Romantic  Redemptive 

Merry Christmas! 

Father, only you give me these stories and characters and the words to write them. Apart from you, I can do nothing. Thank you, Jesus. And I ask that you'd keep me writing, please. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Today is the last Thursday before Christmas. Yes, that's me. I've always loved Christmas even way back then. 

Thank you, Lord, for watching over me even when I was so far away from you. Thank you for rescuing me. You've been so gracious to me. Thank you is never enough. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Jesus Is The Reason for The Season. 

The season where the Light shines in the darkness.

Jesus Is The Reason for The Season. 

Thank you is never enough, Lord Jesus. 

The wonderful smooth voice of Bing Crosby singing this wonderful classic Christmas song. The lyrics are always heartwarming. 

Thank you, Jesus. 

I've tried to decide how to market my books, but marketing is not my gift. I appreciate my readers beyond words. They vary in age, tastes, and preferred genres. Not all of them "fancy" love stories/romance. The competition for novels is unlimited. Literally millions of love stories and romance novels have been written and are published regularly. 

Those who've reviewed my work have been wonderful for the most part with a few exceptions. 

Although I would sincerely enjoy an increased audience for my novels, I have zero control over that. 

Why this is my topic on this particular Monday, I have no idea. Just my thoughts after thinking about the "book shopping" posts. 

If you know someone who loves Christian Fiction in the love story/romance genre, someone who doesn't need a series to keep them interested, someone who isn't easily offended by Raw Romantic Redemptive and an author who writes love stories with a passion, you might mention my novels to them . . . Thank you!

Father, thank you for every word, character, story, and finished book. Apart from you, I can do nothing. Thank you is never enough. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.