I bent my glasses a week or so ago and had to bring out a pair that are several years old. They are bifocals, like the ones I usually wear, but there is something I noticed about this pair. When I look down at the ground, my feet appear close=er than they really are. They really aren’t, but from the perspective of my old bifocals, I look very short. (Not that I am tall at 5’2″, but I’m not as short as these glasses make me feel).
Today’s Monday Morning message is a quote within a quote. I received a small booklet called, “Grace for the Moment,” as a gift. It is quotes from Max Lucado’s books.
As I set out to write something for today, I picked up this book, which was on the stand beside my other devotionals. Today’s message, for September 20, fits in perfectly with what I was seeing through my glasses.
The Scripture that accompanies today’s devotional quote is 1 Peter 1:8.
“You have not seen Christ, but still you love Him. You cannot see Him now, but you believe in Him.”
From Max Lucado’s book:
“Some years ago, a sociologist accompanied a group of mountain climbers on an expedition. Among other things, he observed a distinct correlation between cloud cover and contentment. When there was no cloud cover and the peak was in view, the climbers were energetic and cooperative. When the gray clouds eclipsed the view of the mountaintop, though, the climbers were sullen and selfish.
The same thing happens to us. As long as our eyes are on God’s majesty there is a bounce in our step. But let our eyes focus on the dirt beneath us and we will grumble about every rock and crevice we have to cross. For this reason Paul urged, “don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to the things going on around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from His perspective.” (Col. 3:1-2 MSG).
(The Great House of God by Max Lucado)
My old glasses give me a distorted view of my feet. If I keep my focus ahead or up, then I can see clearly where I am going.
As we go about our day today, be it sunny or gray skies, let’s keep our perspective on Christ. See other people as souls who are in need of encouragement or comfort, not as problems we have to solve.
Today’s featured book is about high school friends who made a Love Pact to marry each other if they were still single at the age of 30. This Christian contemporary romance by Liwen Y. Ho is heartwarming and a great read any time of year.
Author’s Inspiration:
I was inspired by a web series I saw on YouTube titled Single by 30. That series had the same premise of my story, which is that the main characters made a pact while in high school to marry each other if they were still single by age 30. I thought the idea was sweet and fun and had the potential for a lot of tension and romance.
About the book:
Two best friends. One little girl’s prayers. And a love pact that may be the answer to all of their Christmas wishes.
Haven Alexander used to believe in happy ever afters—before she lost her husband and became a single mom. These days, she keeps herself busy as the event planner at Freedom Ridge Lodge, helping to make other couples’ dreams come true. Her other job? Humoring Miah, her spunky three-year-old daughter, who has a dream of her own: finding herself a daddy. This task proves challenging, though, when Miah sets her sights on Haven’s childhood friend who comes home for a visit.
Jeremiah Gilbert left Freedom a dozen years ago with a bad reputation and an even worse regret: not confessing his love for his best friend, Haven. He has returned, however, older and wiser, and ready to rekindle their friendship—and more. There’s a promise on the line, one they made in high school, that he longs to fulfill. Winning over her daughter, Miah, is easy, but helping to heal Haven’s broken heart proves to be nearly impossible.
When Miah gets into a dangerous situation, these old friends must put the past behind them and find new ways to trust in each other and in the One able to meet their deepest needs.
Excerpt:
Her breath caught in her lungs. It seemed like Jess couldn’t have a single conversation without mentioning her twin brother’s name. The guy Haven used to be best friends with and who was responsible for this wedding scheduling fiasco. Partly responsible, at least. She hadn’t seen or spoken to Jeremiah since they were eighteen, but she’d been following him on social media. And the day she’d scheduled December’s events into the computer happened to be the same day she found out he had gotten engaged. That bit of unexpected news had thrown her off so much, she’d gone and made a huge mistake that was coming back to bite her now.
If only she didn’t still care about Jeremiah Gilbert.
Haven decided to ignore Jess’s comment and instead asked the question that had been burning a hole in her mind lately: “Do you know if he’s bringing his fiancée to the wedding?”
“I think they might’ve broken up or will be breaking up soon.”
“Really? You think or you know?”
“It’s an inkling of mine.”
“You and your inklings.” Haven had learned long ago about the bond between the Gilbert siblings. She wouldn’t go as far as to call it twin telepathy, but there was something special that connected Jess and Jeremiah together. “What’s your inkling telling you this time?”
“That his love life’s not going so well. I thought he was finally ready to settle down with Gretchen, but he hasn’t mentioned her recently.”
“Oh yeah?” Haven tried not to sound too interested or excited at this news. She knew she’d never hear the end of it if Jess knew she’d had a crush on her brother since junior high. Had being the key word. She didn’t know Jeremiah anymore, apart from the pictures he posted online of his travels or of the gorgeous women—mostly redheads—that he’d dated over the years. He’d been fairly popular with the opposite sex and had even been named both Class Heartthrob and Class Heartbreaker. Meanwhile, she’d been voted Most Likely to be a Librarian.
It’d been nothing short of a miracle that they’d been friends. Haven chalked it up to the fact that they’d started hanging out before he’d morphed from a gangly, buck-toothed kid into a hot and hunky quarterback. Before he became more social, they, along with Jess, used to do everything together. During senior year of high school, however, they hung out less often when he started running with the wrong crowd. That was around the time Jess and Jeremiah’s dad had left their mom. Jeremiah had taken it hard and started partying and drinking and not caring about his grades. Haven and Jess had prayed every day that he’d find his way back.
Unfortunately, it’d taken a DUI three months before graduation to wake him up. Thankfully, no one had gotten hurt when he crashed his car into the church sanctuary one night, but it had shaken up his family and his future. Mrs. Gilbert moved the kids to California to escape their shame and Jeremiah decided to enlist in the Army to clean up his act.
Haven lost both of her best friends in one fell swoop, but she and Jess ended up reuniting at University of Colorado. They’d been inseparable ever since Jess moved back to Freedom after college. Jeremiah never returned, though, not even for a visit. Haven had lost any hope of seeing him again, especially when he stopped replying to her emails during his first deployment. She’d long stopped asking Jess about him, too, but she had to admit, she was growing more curious, knowing that she’d be seeing him at the wedding. She was about to ask for details about Jess’s inklings when something caught her eye.
Or rather, someone.
That profile looked so familiar. Thick dark brown hair, a straight nose worthy of a Greek statue, and a full beard. She couldn’t stop staring at the tall man standing at the registration desk ten feet away and marveling at how much he resembled Jeremiah. There was no way Jess’s twin would be here at the lodge … right?
Jess suddenly spun in place, her head cocked to one side. She scanned the area with narrowed eyes, looking from person to person, until her gaze landed on the same man Haven had spotted. “Jere?!”
The man turned around at the sound of her voice and sure enough, it was Jeremiah. His whole face brightened when he saw Jess, especially when she ran over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. It was a sweet reunion worthy of a Hallmark movie.
Haven’s steps faltered as she watched her childhood friends hugging. She missed the old days when she’d be in the middle of their embrace. So much had happened, though, since they’d become adults, she didn’t know if their friendships could ever be the same.
But when Jeremiah looked over Jess’s shoulder and locked gazes with Haven, the huge grin on his face made her doubts fall away. It was as if they were eighteen again with their entire future ahead of them. For the first time in as long as she could remember, Haven felt hope stirring in her heart. It was a strange, unexpected feeling that made her want to run over to Jeremiah and wrap her arms around him.
Could she?
About the Author:
USA Today bestselling author Liwen Y. Ho works as a chauffeur and referee by day (AKA a stay at home mom) and a writer by night. She creates sweet and inspirational contemporary romance infused with heart, humor, and a taste of home (her Asian roots).
In her pre-author life, she received a Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Western Seminary, and she loves makeovers of all kinds, especially those of the heart and mind. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her techie husband and their two children (AKA munchkins).
Learn more about Liwen and also sign up for her newsletter to receive an exclusive free book, news about her upcoming releases, giveaways, sneak peeks and more at liwenho.com.
My kids like to do jigsaw puzzles on the dining room table. For some reason, that attracts the cats. We keep a bottle of water nearby to spray them when they jump up there, but sometimes they are too cute and I take pictures first. Here are some of the latest:
Stormy
Ash
Of course, Ash, also known as the Tiny Terror, had to lay down and roll around, messing up the puzzle. Isn’t she cute, though?
Since all of our cats are rescues, I didn’t pick any of them, they just showed up. However, if I have to pick a favorite, it would be Elsa, below. She is a cuddler. She sleeps on my bed at night and likes to be beside me otherwise. I picked her up after I took this picture and held her for a few minutes. Having a warm, snuggly cat to hold and bury my face in its fur made my bad day seem a lot better.
Elsa
Cats can be characters, but what would I do without them now? They bring joy to us.
Please, Lord, let this week go better than the last two.
Two weeks ago, I locked my key in my car at a client’s house. I only had one key. I had to call a tow company to come and unlock it for me.
I had some spots on my arm that I wasn’t sure what to make of. I went to the doctor and found out it’s a reaction to the sun, a side effect of a medication I recently went on. The spots are ugly and hopefully will fade, but it’s nothing to be concerned about.
I worked the weekend at the deli. I did okay for the first few hours, but as the store got busy, anxiety kicked in so I did only 3-4 hour shifts.
I don’t remember what happened last Monday. It must not have been significant as it doesn’t stick out in my memory.
However, on Tuesday I was at a client’s house when the storm warnings came in. I left early and drove home to beat the storm. A tornado warning came in the town where I’d just left, and I would have been on the road during it. No tornado, fortunately, but a short day for me.
I got an early start to work on Wednesday. I couldn’t find my daughter’s car key. She needed it and I was the last one to use it. I searched for half an hour and no luck. I took my car and started to work. I’d been in a hurry to get home the day before and didn’t put gas in, so I needed it that morning. I drove to the nearest gas station and put my card, but nothing happened. I wasn’t sure what to think, so I went inside. I had to wait in line, and found out that pump was not working right. I had a $10 bill in hand so I prepaid, then got gas.
By that time, I was twenty minutes late for my first appointment. I headed to town, and came upon a road closed, detour sign. Now I was really stressed. By the time I would have taken the long way around, I would have been over 40 minutes late, and that would make me behind all day.
I started to drive toward the detour, and it hit me all of a sudden that I was grieving. A close family friend had passed away the night before. I hadn’t taken it in at the time I got the message, but now the sad news added to the complicated morning.
I pulled into a gas station (a different one) and texted my boss that I needed the day off due to stressful reasons. She’d just mentioned a couple of weeks ago that self-care was important. That comment had come up because I’d had a bad week at work earlier in the month and made a couple of mistakes with clients.
So on Wednesday, I took a mental health day and stayed home from work while someone else took care of my clients.
On Thursday, I went to work and cleaned my first house. The second client was a no-show. She’d gotten the week mixed up (I clean on a biweekly schedule). I moved the third client up and finished early. I was supposed to attend a staff meeting, but it was not required, so I asked my boss if I could pass on it, as I was still experiencing some stress and anxiety.
On Friday, one of my clients had to cancel due to a funeral.
It was a not-good ending to a not-good week.
On the way home, I thought there was no way I could get through the weekend.
However, I did. I didn’t get through everything on my to-do list. I didn’t go to a very special event because I didn’t want to be in a group of people. I did work a few hours at the deli and enjoyed that change of pace.
I did what I needed to do to be able to put the stress of the past couple of weeks behind me.
It’s time to move forward now. This is a good Monday morning, because I am alive and healthy.
So Good Monday morning to you, and I hope you have a great week. May the blessings of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ go before you, be with you and keep you in peace.
P.S. The car key was under my son’s lunch box.I had moved the lunchbox but hadn’t picked it up and looked beneath it. He discovered it later that day, but by then I’d already canceled the appointments and someone else was covering them.
Today’s featured book is the first in a series by Jessie Gussman. The heroes are “regular men”: truck drivers and mechanics. This is especially endearing to me as my husband was also a truck driver and mechanic. I can easily relate to these heroes.
This first book is my favorite, but the sequels are great reads, also.
Author’s Inspiration:
We own a trucking company and I’ve always loved reading books about regular men and women who do right and fall in love. I also love reading books where life is like real life, so that’s the kind of book I set out to write. Always With You is the first book I self-published and it’s one of my all-time most loved books.
About the book:
One night changed everything…
Cassidy Kimbell killed a man when she was only nineteen.
Torque Baxter took the blame, serving ten years for her crime.
He told her to flee the scene of the accident. He told her to run. He told her to keep her mouth shut, so that’s what she’d done. She’d let a boy with a crush become an innocent man behind bars.
Today, that man is being released.
Cassidy expects Torque to hate her. She knows nothing she has done to atone all these years can compare to what he’s lost. But she hopes becoming his sponsor on the outside, especially since she’s a lawyer now, might help.
Little does she know, Torque doesn’t want her to owe him.
He wants her to love him.
But to do that Cassidy would have to give up the life she’s built for the last ten years. She’d have to sacrifice it all, just like he did.
Excerpt:
Chapter 1
Cassidy Kimball stood on the cement sidewalk and faced the red brick Pennsylvania state penitentiary building. Hot July sunlight glinted off the razor wire that looped in circles at the top and beside the chain-link fence. Off to the right, the circular guard house, with its tinted windows, glared down at the parched brown and empty exercise yard.
Her stomach twisted like mangled metal in a car accident.
It could have been her on the inside. Not here, of course. But somewhere.
Swallowing the nerves that clenched her throat, Cassidy twisted the delicate linked gold of her wristwatch. Any minute now. Would she still recognize him? Of course, she would. The question was, would he recognize all that she had done as a tiny down payment on the huge debt she owed him?
When Torque had seen the passengers in the other car, when he’d known what the consequences were going to be, he’d never wavered. His brown eyes had been steady and level as he said, “Get out of here and don’t look back. You don’t know anything about this.” She hadn’t understood at first what he was going to do. Still shaken from the accident, she’d not really been thinking straight. But she hadn’t needed her brain to be fully functioning to know that she was in deep trouble. She’d already been fighting the urge to run. His command had prompted her to do what she subconsciously wanted to. “Hurry, before anyone comes.”
Then, he hadn’t accepted her calls, hadn’t graced her visits with his presence, hadn’t used the money she deposited in his account. Her letters returned unopened, and her emails disappeared into the prison of cyberspace. She didn’t know, couldn’t know, what he thought or felt.
She assumed he hated her.
A bead of sweat trickled down her temple. Her watch chain snapped under her shaking fingers. She shoved the broken links into her clutch.
Her hands stilled as the prison door opened. The jaws of a monster spitting out its prey. Prey she had fed it.
A man, tall and straight, strode out into the sunlight. Her eyes devoured him. Same casual arrogance dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. Same confident walk, with only a slight limp. The limp was her fault, too. With his slim build, Torque would never be bulky, but she could see the t-shirt that probably fit him when he first walked into this building as an almost-eighteen-year-old now stretched tight over shoulders that had widened and filled out.
Cassidy bit her lip and lifted her chin, taking a deep breath to calm the cramping of her stomach and disguise the curl of heat that came to life in her chest. Torque had always had that effect on her. She pushed the feeling aside and channeled her inner upper-crust snob—the only defense that had ever come close to working against the elemental pull that Torque exerted on her.
The last words that man had said to her were, “Shut up, Cassidy.” Now, she intended to get one question answered. Then she had to figure out how to pay him back. What did ten years of a man’s life cost?
About the author:
USA Today best-selling author Jessie Gussman writes sweet and inspirational romance from her farm in central Virginia. Having attended, but never graduating from the school of hard knocks, Jessie uses real life on the farm to inspire her cowboy, rural and blue-collar fiction.
When she’s not chasing kids, cows and the occasional roll-away haybale, Jessie enjoys wading in Naked Creek and not cleaning her house. Most of the time her main goal is to keep from catching herself on fire…again.
If you enjoy fun stories with vivid characters showcasing strong families with a ribbon of faith tying everything together, you might enjoy Jessie’s books.
Subscribe to her newsletter and find out why readers say, “I eagerly look forward to Tuesday mornings” and “Jessie’s newsletter is the only author newsletter that I read every word.” https://dl.bookfunnel.com/97elto4gwl
Inspirational Author 