AH … THANKSGIVING!
One of my favorite times of the year, not only because of family, fun, and feasting on turkey and dressing, but because it reminds me to thank God for all of His blessings.
As many of you know, I am having so much fun writing Gabe’s book, A Wing and a Prayer (which is oddly appropriate for Thanksgiving with the words “wing” and “prayer”), that I amost don’t want to do anything else but write. But since Thanksgiving is when I put up my Christmas decorations, yesterday I decided to put the computer away for the day to devote myself to church and getting ready for Christmas. It was a chilly November day, so Keith was going to build me a cozy wood fire while I decorated the tree, watched Hallmark Christmas movies, and made a turkey dinner with all the fixin’s for just him and me.
Sheer heaven!
Or would have been if not for one thing. First thing in the morning, I remembered I needed to send out an e-blast to my newsletter subscribers, telling them about some last-minute freebies beginning this week, so I spent the morning doing that before church and after. By the time we ate lunch, I needed to put the turkey on, so I did, and all at once I noticed what a mess my house was, with a dirty kitchen and boxes of Christmas decorations piled here and there. Add to that bad news we received about someone we loved and a phone call from my daughter asking for prayers for her dog who had a fever and ten new puppies who were suddenly losing weight, and what should have been an absolutely wonderfully fun and relaxing day became strained and overwhelming, with more stress radiating from me than heat from the fire.
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;
I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
–John 10:10
“Julie, why are you letting this ruin your day?” Keith gently asked, wrapping me in a tight hug, and all at once I realized just how many times the devil tries to steal the joy of God’s blessings. He does it to me all the time, and I’ll just bet he does it to you, too, especially during a busy week like Thanksgiving. But I wasn’t about to let him do it yesterday — the very first day of Thanksgiving week! So instead of listening to the father of lies, I decided right then and there to listen to God:
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in ALL circumstances;
for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
— 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
I cannot express just HOW MUCH joy I get stomping on the devil’s head by praising God in the midst of bad circumstances and thanking Jesus for all He has done. Not only in dying for our salvation, but to give us life “to the full” with blessings galore. And just why would He do that? Because He CARES about us, people!
Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.
— 1 Peter 5:7
So this week if and when satan tries to steal your joy and blessings, I challenge you (and myself) to grind him into the dust by praising and thanking the only One whose love never fails. Because if you do, I promise you — it will be a Thanksgiving like no other.
Hugs and Happy Thanksgiving.
Julie
P.S. Guess what? I spent two hours working on this blog and right when I finished, I lost it all due to a computer glitch. Yep, you guessed it — I praised God to the high heavens and thanked him like crazy. Then I fixed myself some chamomille and pepperment tea (calming teas) and wrote it all over again.
Take that, you lousy devil! 👍 😜
🗓 THEN … Be sure to mark your calendar for these freebies & giveaways!
In honor of Thanksgiving, I wanted some way to say “thank you” for all of your support and prayers, so if you haven’t read the following two books of mine, you’ll want to be sure to download them FREE during the dates listed below.
November 22-24, 2018*
*Note: Due to a snafu on Kindle Amazon, The Best Gift of All freebie now begins on 11/22. I apologize for any inconvenience.
(Free Download of The Best Gift of All
December 9-13, 2018:
Free Download of Isle of Hope
Win E-Reader & 21 Books!
CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE FUN.
CONTEST ENDS WEDNESDAY, NOV. 21 AT MIDNIGHT!
Win $150 G.C. &12 Books!
VISIT EACH AUTHOR’S FACEBOOK PAGE
ON THE SPECIFIED DATE TO ENTER
Win A Dream Fulfilled
Katie & Luke from the O’Connor saga finally get their own Christmas story, so if you haven’t read it yet, you’ll have a chance to win one of five copies I’ll be giving away on the ACFW Book Club (American Christian Fiction Writers) on DECEMBER 6.
To win a book and join the conversation, you will need to join the book club, but there’s no obligation or future involvement necessary unless you want to. It’s a great opportunity to be a part of your favorite book discussions AND be eligible for monthly free book drawings!
To join, simply send a blank e-mail to acfwbookclub-subscribe@yahoogroups.com or visit groups.yahoo.com/group/acfwbookcluband click “join this group.” You will receive a confirmation e-mail after joining. Follow the instructions given in the e-mail to complete your subscription to this e-mail list and that’s it!
Now you’re ready to discuss books if you so choose, meet new friends, and mingle with your favorite authors. PLUS … if you join in on the conversation with me on Dec. 6th, you could win my latest novel, A Dream Fulfilled, so hope to see you there!
Four of my Christmas Books
in One — Just 99 Cents!
