Page turning and wonderful book by Connilyn Cossette

I love this book series!  Many months ago I finished the first one which was Counted with the Stars and absolutely was moved to think about things from a very different perspective of the Egyptians and the slaves when Moses returned to Egypt to bring the people to freedom.  It opened my eyes to think deeper than I ever had before on all the people that faced the horrible things that happened.  Yet Connilyn wove the story into such a beautiful tapestry that love flowed throughout her story just like God does with the Bible. 

Truly I felt the love of God with the book and the writing of Connilyn.  I was deeply moved so that I emailed her and thanked her for allowing God to use her and requested to be on her team when she wrote another book.  I am on her launch team for the second book in the series and it is just as fabulous!

I love Shira the main character in this story!  I love reading the words as she finds her true calling, her true love, and God at the foot of Mount Sinai.  Chaos swirled around yet Shira discovered all about hope and love through real life difficulties.   Along the way, I found the same. I will not share further details of the book because I don't want to ruin it for anyone.  God will use it in a mighty way, if you will allow Him to.  So order it now!  

Five stars!  Start this series for yourself and you will not regret it.  I was given this book for my honest review and honestly I LOVED IT!  I am counting the days until book 3!

Sweet blessings,

Debbie

Stirred!

I love this book!

I don't care, if you like sports or not you will be encouraged by reading this book.  I am a sports person and I am also a book person.  I still wondered would this book be worth my time and it truly was and is.  

I gauge a book by do I remember it once I finish it.  Did it move me to want to share it with others?  Does it change my way of thinking about something?  Does it give me hope?  And a really big one is this question.  Is is worth my time?  

Yes to all of the above.  I have always like Tim Tebow.  I admired his courage for standing up for his beliefs whether it was popular or not.  Yet, I still wasn't sure if this would move me and well it did.  

Tim was real and opened up about hurt, pain, doubt, fear, and all of these he faced in the public eye.  We face our fears in private not for the world to offer its opinion with each situation you face.  Tim is honest with his hurt and his questions that he was asking deep inside his soul.  

I think what touched me most is the way he shared the people that God brought into his life to touch and help him deal with his own journey.  People that faced cancer, a loss of their dream, or those that offered hope when others might not see hope.  

The book is a quick read that will stir your soul.  Tim shared a story that touched me so deeply and is a wonderful reminder that each of us matter so very much.  It is a story about an American missionary, Sam Wodgemuth that spoke to hundreds of young people in New Delhi, India.  After pouring his heart out, pouring his soul into these young people, he invited the people to trust in Jesus and to come forward to the front.

Only one person came forward.  Sam shared his disappointment and he couldn't believe that no one else came forward.  But the one man was Dr. Ravi Zacharias.  Check out who this is, if you don't know.  Google him.  One person matters!  He went for one person and the one person was Dr. Ravi Zacharias.  Tim sharing this story is a wonderful reminder that everyone matters even one!

Tim continued sharing from this story into the Bible story of Jesus feeding the crowds.  He made me think about questions from this story that made me think deeper.  The little boy that offered his basket of fish and loaves of bread.  Was he afraid to speak up to the disciples?  Did he wrestle with the decision?  Did he worry about people making fun of him?  After all, how could his little basket make a difference?  

Powerful thought-provoking and so much more, but I don't like to give away too much.  I want you to order the book and read it for yourself.  I want you to give it to someone that needs encouragement and hope!  I want you to read it with open eyes and heart and forget any opinion you may have one way or the other on the person Tim Tebow.  Allow God to use Tim to speak into your soul.

I happen to believe Tim is a fine young man that is allowing God to shine through him anyway possible, but honestly it doesn't matter what I think....it only matters what God thinks and Tim is willing to let each person  think what we want while he serves God openly and very authentically!

I was given this book to give my honest review of it, but I've already ordered my first one for a gift!  Order your copy today!

Sweet blessings,

Debbie Covington

God's way isn't necessarily ours, but His way is so much better!

1 Thessalonians 5:18

give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

I do give thanks to you Lord!  Your way is so much better than our little minds are able to comprehend or understand.  Thank you!  Thank you!

I am going to admit to something right off this morning.  One day several years ago, Kenny came in with a bright idea to purchase a home in Colorado.  I was dead set against this idea.  I argued we don't need a home anywhere else.  We don't and I won't enjoy this at all.  No.  Well, he went against my pleas without me even setting eyes on it and bought it.  Needless to say, I was very upset and angry!  How could he?  Well, I was wrong and he was right!  Okay Kenny I admit it in public!  I am so glad he went against my stubborn streak and bought this house.  But it's not the house that he purchased that God uses with me it's God's creation. Words simply can't express the gift of God that I've received from this place and the people that He brought into my life from this out of the box idea!  Thank you Lord for being so much bigger than I can ever comprehend!

I am so much closer to God through this out of the box place, against my grain purchase.  I notice things I never took time to notice in Louisiana such as birds, sounds, and nature of all types.  I was given the gift of time to explore and take an adventure like no other.  I set out days in this place not  sure where I'm going or what I will experience other than one thing is certain God shows up in every turn of the head or blink of the eye and it is spiritual.  Now even when I am in my home in Louisiana He is bigger here too.  I see Him even more  with the turn of my head or blink of the eye everywhere, because of creation.

I was suppose to experience this little slice of heaven this week again.  Yet, I couldn't take the uneasiness in my spirit away that I wasn't suppose to go.  I tried oh how I tried, but I couldn't do it.  So I cancelled the trip.  Well, Kenny has been sick all week and needed a little help.  He is fine, yet he needed me to be here this week and not in Colorado.  So I am glad that I listened to the Holy Spirit nudges to stay here with Kenny in Louisiana and to give thanks in all circumstances!  

Thank you Lord for being so much more than I will ever understand and for loving me beyond words.  I treasure the moments that without a doubt You show up and share with me a little piece of You.  I love you more and more with each turn of my head or blink of my eyes.  Amen

Sweet blessings,

Debbie

Increase my faith

Mark 9:23 ~ 24

"If you can?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes." Immediately the boy's father exclaimed,"I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief?"

Over the past few years I have prayed this prayer to increase my faith.  The Lord leads me into nature and through this journey my faith indeed increases.  I sit in wonder at His Mighty Works and I am reminded of His Amazing Power and of Who He is!

Look to nature and be reminded of who God truly is.  It's not about any of us.  It is about Him and whether we believe His Words.  I believe and my believing only increases when I am among His Words, His Creations, and In His Grace.  

Are you suffering?  Are you weary?  Ask God to increase your faith and allow Him to take your hand and show you who He truly is.  Things take on a different perspective when He is leading the way!

Sweet blessings,

Debbie

Why are we so afraid?

Mark 4:40

...Why are you so afraid?  Do you still have no faith?

The words Jesus spoke to the disciples after he calmed the storm.  Don't you  know that he is asking the same of us right now?  

So many things happening in the world, so little control.  So little peace.  So little happiness shown in this world and so many bad things happening.

Perhaps it is because we aren't believing the way we are suppose to! 

It is sad to watch television right now and to listen to everybody that knows exactly the right answer for every question that is ask and well only God knows the right answers.  So what do we do?  We believe and keep our eyes on Him!

Yes, we vote and follow what lines up with God's Word.  People ALL people are in the same boat lost without Him and we are all messy, messy people.  The mess just looks different on each one of us.  The problem is, when we forget that we are just as messed up as the next person.

So God gave me this scripture today.  I know that my eyes are to stay focused on Him!  He already knows who will win and He also knows the end of the story and we must keep our eyes focused on Him believing and trusting in Him the rest will work itself out.

Trust and believe in the Only One that matters Our Heavenly Father!  Everyone else falls short, so let's practice what God teaches us. 

Sweet blessings,

Debbie

True Beauty

Isaiah 61:3 

...to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,...

Friday night lights is where I truly witnessed this scripture come to life, since I had experienced it with my house fire.  Ashes represent loss, dirt, feeling ugly, crumbled up, and the crown beauty and transformation.  I know I've seen it in between these two experiences, but these two are very profound moments.  Where God truly showed up and spoke to my heart.  One moment I was right in the middle and the other I was just an observer, but yet I felt the scripture come to life.  God is so very good!

I was at the Evangel football game watching my nephew get to begin his football high school journey in a real sense.  He played for one whole half and midway beginning in the 2nd quarter.  He did great and I am a proud aunt, but this isn't the moment this blog is about...this is a human moment that I am sharing because I am a proud aunt.  Forgive me as I digress.

The moment happened at halftime.  It was homecoming and not being a regular I had noticed that many girls were really dressed up and many parents as well, but little did I know they were all queens!  Yes, they all took to the field to have their moment.  I am talking all senior girls, all shapes and sizes, all races, all book types and cheerleaders, all girls were the queens!  I happen to be sitting near a couple of the girls before half time and I noticed the excitement and the sparkle in their eyes.  Yes, girls that would perhaps never be recognized in such a manner were having their moment and they knew they were special.  The scripture was even shared several times from the announcer and you knew that each girl indeed believed it.  I had tears in my eyes and joy in my heart with realization that all young (and old) people need to know they are special.  

What a special moment to share with people I did not know, but a moment that reminded everyone we matter!  It doesn't matter what we look like.  It doesn't matter what we have or don't have.  It only matters that we know Jesus and that we are all beautiful in His eyes!  Evangel job well done with reminding all of us what truly matters and providing sparkle to ALL!

Sweet blessings,

Debbie

Fabulous book while you wait!

Do you wait well?  Well, this book is great to help with the wait!  

Need help, when you have been in a difficult time and it seems like it is going to last forever?  Well, this book will help you to look for moments in the wait that will change you deep in your soul.

Wendy Pope is a real woman that shares truth.  I absolutely love Wendy and don't know her that well, but when God uses someone to change your own journey they are special to you always and forever.  I am not sure how long ago I attended a conference that Proverbs 31 Ministries put together and I attended one of Wendy's sessions.  She challenged each of us to read the Bible through in a year and to watch the difference it would make in our life.  It did and it does!  I will forever be grateful that I could see in Wendy's eyes a sparkle that I desired and she was willing to share that it was all about God's Word.  Her book will add even more sparkle to a girl's eyes.  

Once again in this beautiful book, "Wait and See" by Wendy Pope she does it again.  I never realized how much our stories are alike and yet different.  When we walk in shoes that fit it makes the journey so much easier!  Wendy was real, honest, and vulnerable.  She shared things that weren't easy to share, but made the book so very helpful I know to many women and men.  Infertility, Husband job issues, health issues, job issues, the list goes on and on.  Real issues that we all face in life and we are made to wait.  What will we do with the wait?  Will it be useful?  

When a woman shares that she doesn't understand the why's of her life, it just opens the door for growth.  In our world today pretending seems more acceptable, but yet nobody is finding truth.  In Wendy's book, God is on every page and in turn things will change in our own wait periods if we allow the steps from David's story and Wendy's story to help us.  Is it easy to wait?  Is it really necessary?  Will the wait ever end?  Do you just want the wait to be done and over?  Well, please help yourself by ordering Wendy's book today from Amazon.com, Lifeway.com, or any other book outlet.  It will make a difference in your journey.

Again, I must thank Wendy Pope for allowing God to use her to change my life and I hope that you will order her book today and allow God to use Wendy to help change yours!  I was given this book by the publisher to read and review, but will be ordering for folks I love!

Sweet blessings,

Debbie Covington