Journal Jots – Blog

“True liberty is doing the right thing.”

— For Love of Liberty by Julie Lessman

You know, most of the spiritual lessons in my books are things I have learned the hard way … uh, kind of like my characters do because, well, I hate to go through things alone!

But I have NEVER written a book where I actually learned the spiritual lesson ON THE SPOT.

Until my latest novel — For Love of Liberty. And yes, it is a short novel rather than the novella I originally intended it to be because frankly I have trouble writing short stories.

Oh, what a surprise! 😉

So, what’s the lesson I learned? Well, it’s our header quote today, which is taken from the book — “True liberty is doing the right thing.”

And how did I learn it?

Not easily, I can tell you that! You see, last week my husband and I were vandalized. Now, mind you, we live in a gated community, so we always feel fairly safe. Safe, that is, until someone slashed our tires. Unfortunately, we heavily suspect who did it, but we do not have proof. So we bit the bullet, and paid the $600 to rectify the situation.

Only I didn’t count on the barrage of fear and bitterness that came along with it.

Do you have any idea HOW many prayers I have prayed for the person who did this? TONS AND TONS. Because as most of you know, I believe in praying for those who persecute you and praising and thanking God in the midst of trials. So I do it all. Over and over again.

But you know what? I have blood in my veins. Which means I am a human being who, YES, has an Irish temper, and is also a CDQ (caffeinated drama queen). So no matter how much success I had in trying to pray, forgive, and praise God in this situation, somehow the devil always managed to sneak in and trip me up here and there. Like late at night when my body and mind are tired. Or when I was on the treadmill in front of the window — a window that just happens to look straight at the culprit’s house. Or whenever I looked out our kitchen window to the car that was vandalized, wondering if and when the vandal would do it again. Trust me — the devil has been relentless!

Case in point. I prayed nonstop for this vandal when it happened, asking God to bless him and bring him to know Jesus. And I did beautifully all day long. But when my husband and I went to bed that night, we got into a fight because he did not want to tell the police his suspicions of who we thought the vandal might be, and I wanted him to. “We don’t have any proof, Julie,” he said, and I argued that we needed to tell the police every hunch we had — hunches that were not only confirmed by our gut, but by several other people who’d seen things as well.

Yes, Keith and I finally did make up and go to bed, but it was difficult sleeping that night. For Keith because we’d argued, which we seldom do. For me, because I have an imagination like a runaway train, so I envisioned the slasher coming back and hurting more than our tires. Both of us wrestled with fear and anger for a long while that night.

Keith finally fell asleep, and I was reading, although I will admit that it was difficult to concentrate. And then, all at once, in my mind’s ear, I heard the phrase from my book, “true liberty is doing the right thing,” a spiritual theme I had sown into For Love of Liberty. Suddenly in one wild thud of my heart, I realized that true liberty for me was following God’s will in this situation, and not allowing the devil to turn me into an angry, unforgiving person like the person who slashed our tires. Because that’s what satan wants, and I will not give it to him. Fear and bitterness — the devil’s tools — were trying to ruin my life and my husband’s, and we will not let it. Instead we will honor God and pray for a person who desperately needs Jesus.

So I learned in a most personal way that “true liberty IS doing the right thing,” and true liberty is honoring God. I don’t know about you, but this is the mantra of my soul because I want to be free. How ’bout you?

 

🇺🇸 New Novel — For Love of Liberty!

It’s coming, I promise! I finally finished my prequel novella to my Silver Lining Ranch series, For Love of Liberty, scheduled for release November 24th.

 Only there’s one problem.

Uh, it’s no longer a novella, so I hope you guys don’t mind. Nope, it’s a short novel, which is why it took me a bit longer to get it out, but I hope you will think it’s worth it and consider pre-ordering. Here’s the jacket blurb:

She’s stubborn, educated, and looking
to give women the vote.
He’s bullheaded, successful, and looking
to give her a piece of his mind.
But when things heat up, they just may give each other
a piece of their hearts.

 PRE-ORDER FOR LOVE OF LIBERTY HERE

 

😳 Facebook LIVE — Q&A with a CDQ!

I invite you to join me for another fun Facebook Live THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2017 at 12:00 NOON CST, when I will be giving away THREE copies of For Love of Liberty.

How can you win? Just show up during the FB Live on my author page and leave a comment OR send me a question you want answered, and if I answer it during the FB Live, you automatically win your choice of any one of my e-books, including For Love of Liberty. So, be sure to put it on your calendar, and hope to see you there!

 JULIE’S FACEBOOK LIVE

 

🎉 Giveaway!

Have you seen the video interview I did for Cara Grandle’s Periscope show? It’s geared to writers, but I think readers would find it interesting, too, so come on by.

And if you DO and leave a comment, you’ll be entered to win a copy of For Love of Liberty, so I hope to see you there!

 JULIE’S PERISCOPE VIDEO INTERVIEW

📚 2 Novels/4 Novellas 99 cents each!

Gear up for the holidays with some fun reads for only 99 cents each, so do check them out!

A LIGHT IN THE WINDOW

ISLE OF HOPE

A WHISPER OF HOPE

THE BEST GIFT OF ALL

GRACE LIKE RAIN

THE GIFT OF GRACE

🤗 Hugs!

Julie

Boy-oh-boy, do I have some great giveaways/news for you!

 

🎂 A Birthday Party & YOU Get the Gifts!

First of all, please forgive me for failing to mention in my last Journal Jots that OCTOBER is the 10th BLOGAVERSARY for my group author blog, Seekerville!!

So what does that mean for you? Well, it means you have four chances to win one of FOUR $50 AMAZON GIFT CARDS, a KINDLE FIRE WITH ALEXA, and lots and lots of FREE BOOKS, another KINDLE E-READER, CANDY, and other fun gifts.

Add to this some of our best blogs of the year by guests such as Tamera Alexander, Susan May Warren, editors, and agents, and you have a win-win for anyone that comes by.

How? Just come on by Seekerville and leave a comment, and you’re in the draw — it’s THAT easy!! The more comments you leave (one per day is perfect), the more chances you have to win the daily prize, the weekly prize of $50 gift card, and then the monthly grand prize of the Kindle Fire with Alexa. Here’s the link — hope to see you there!

 🎉 SEEKERVILLE’S BIRTHDAY PARTY LINK! 🎉

👏 We Have Winners!

Whew! I’ve had a lot of giveaways this last month or so, and I have another planned below, so be sure to check it out. In the meantime, SUPER CONGRATS to the winners of the following contests, each of whom will have their choice of any of my indie e-books including my latest, His Steadfast Love, Romance-ology 101, any of my four newly released novellas OR an e-copy of my upcoming novella, For Love of Liberty (see surprise cover real down below for JJ readers only!). If you see your name below, PLEASE contact me through email or my website, okay?

 WINNER OF THE “50 SHADES OF PRAY” GIVEAWAY:

Laurie Wood

WINNER OF MY LAST FACEBOOK LIVE GIVEAWAY:

Kelly Reed Brown

WINNER OF THE IND’TALE MAGAZINE COVER VOTE

(which I didn’t win, but am grateful to all who voted!)

Martha Artyomenko

WINNER OF THE “SUITE T BLOG” GIVEAWAY:

Mindy Houng

😳 Facebook Live Tomorrow!

Come join me on my FB Author Page for another FB Live Q&A with a CDQ THURSDAY, OCT. 12, AT 7PM CDT. Laura Frantz was supposed to be my guest, but unfortunately she has come down with a flu bug and raspy throat, so I will be reading a few answers to questions y’all asked Laura last time.

But … I will be sharing one of my favorite TRUE stories, so you’ll want to stop by. AND … if you show up during the actual FB Live, you’ll be in the draw for a signed paperback from Laura and an e-book from me! Hope to see you there!

JULIE’S FB AUTHOR PAGE

📔 Cover Reveal for New Novella!

Good news, bad news.

The good news is I will be releasing a brand-new novella called For Love of Liberty in the near future.

The bad news is I am behind schedule on it, so I may or may not get it out in time for Christmas. 🙁

But stay tuned to Journal Jots because that’s where I will announce the release date first, okay? So if you have not subscribed to Journal Jots (which means you receive an email with the blog in it every single time I post), then I highly recommend you do so by entering your email into the SUBSCRIBE box at the top right-hand of this page.

More good news is that I will be giving sneak peeks at the 1st chapter in the near future, so keep your eyes peeled for Journal Jot emails, okay? Meanwhile, here’s the blurb:

A Match Made in Heaven?

Or Someplace a Whole Lot Warmer?

She’s stubborn, educated, and looking to give women the vote.

He’s bullheaded, successful, and looking to give her a piece of his mind.

 But when things heat up, they just may give each other

a piece of their hearts.

📹 Video Interview for Writers!

On Tuesday, September 26th, I had the privilege of being interviewed via live video on Cara Grandle’s Periscope show, which is geared to writers. But I have to admit, I had a blast, so I hope the interview is really fun for both writers and readers.

Almost three hundred people showed up, so THANK YOU to those of you who lent their support. Since the live interview, Cara has posted the video on Youtube, so here’s that link if you want to check it out:

JULIE’S PERISCOPE VIDEO INTERVIEW

WITH CARA GRANDLE

  📚 2 Novels/4 Novellas 99 cents each!

If you haven’t read any of the books below, then NOW’S your chance to get a sweet deal, so do check them out!

A LIGHT IN THE WINDOW

ISLE OF HOPE

A WHISPER OF HOPE

THE BEST GIFT OF ALL

GRACE LIKE RAIN

THE GIFT OF GRACE

🤗 Hugs!

Julie

 

And I’ll praise you in this storm
And I will lift my hands
That You are who You are
No matter where I am …

— Praise You in This Storm by Casting Crowns (GREAT video!)

If you have been reading this blog over the years, then you already know how seriously I take Psalm 34:11 —
“I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” 

Because frankly, anybody can praise God when things are going good, but it is people of faith and obedience who praise Him in the midst of the storms raging in their lives.

I had just such an opportunity this week when both my daughter and I praised God in the midst of a truly heart-wrenching situation. One that threatened to steal my peace, my joy, and my sleep, as well as my daughter’s. But we did what we always do —
we praised and thanked God in the face of our heartbreak and asked Him to make good from it like He promises in Romans 8:28: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose.”

And you know what? Suddenly the weight lifted off of our shoulders onto His, proving His Word true once again.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation,

by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,

will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

–Philippians 4:7

So this situation yesterday was a good reminder for me — and I hope for you too — that there is peace and power in praising God no matter what storm you are facing in your life. It’s one of the ways God’s given us to defeat our spiritual enemies — be they depression, fear, despair, whatever! By praising and thanking Him in the face of these trials, we can most effectively stomp on the devil’s head, channeling all our hurt and frustration into crushing that snake’s influence in our lives like God promised we would do in Genesis 3:15:

“He (man) will crush your head, and you (satan) will strike his heel.”

Yes, the devil strikes our heels over and over in this life, but WE have the victory in Christ AND the joyous opportunity to grind that slimeball’s head into the ground by praising God in the midst of awful situations. Painful situations inflicted by satan himself, not only to “kill, steal, and destroy, but to tempt us to turn on God like Adam and Eve did in the Garden. That jerk hopes our trials will cause us to curse God instead of him, but we have the last laugh by praising God instead — unleashing the Almighty’s peace and power to handle anything that nips at our heels.

Many of you will remember several situations in prior Journal Jots blogs when I did just that and came out the joyous victor, whether it was the day I was laid off from my job as a single woman with no other means of support or something as simple as praising God when I stubbed my toe and wanted to scream curse words instead. I crushed the devil’s head in both situations, and trust me — it’s a rush of peace and joy unlike any other!

Try it. You’ll like it, I promise! 😉

Hugs and Happy Stomping!

Julie

Check Out My Facebook Live w/Laura Frantz!

WE DID IT! Laura and I did FB Live together as a test, so check out the video below, then be sure to mark your calendar for my next Facebook Live on THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12 —
Q&A with Laura Frantz. There will be a double giveaway — one of my books and one of Laura’s, so do come by, okay?

 

Blog Giveaway!

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 – THURSDAY, 9/28/17:  Want another chance to win any TWO of my indie e-books INCLUDING my (shhh … it’s a secret, but I’ll be doing a cover reveal in my next JJ!) brand-new novella, For Love of Liberty that will be releasing December 1st!!

Well, you got it — just leave a comment on the SUITE T Blog of Southern Writer’s Magazine on September 25 -28, and you’re in the draw! Your odds are always good because comments are generally low, so give it a shot.

I will say, however, that I’m actually a little embarrassed, though, because somehow I inadvertently submitted the same blog to two different magazines, albeit months and months apart. So if you entered my Splickety Magazine blog contest a few months ago, this is the same blog subject. BUT … ALL THAT MEANS FOR YOU IS ONE MORE CHANCE TO WIN, right? Although I do encourage you to consider subscribing to Suite T blog because it’s a fabulous resource for writers. Here’s the link:

SUITE T BLOG (NOTE: My blog will not appear until Monday, September 25th!)

Quick Contest (Ends Sunday night)!

HELP! I need a favor. My cover for Love Everlasting is currently in the InD’Tales Magazine Creme de la Cover Contest, and I am in dire need of votes, so if you have time (and you like the cover!), can you hop on over to InD’Tale’s contest page and cast a vote for Love Everlasting? You have to subscribe to vote, but it’s a really easy process and most importantly, it’s FREE for a great magazine that will pop up in your email once a month.

And if you do, let me know, and I will enter you in a quick contest to have a character named after you in my upcoming novella, For Love of Liberty, a signed e-copy, and another e-copy of any of my indie books. Here’s the link and THANK YOU!!

 VOTE FOR JULIE’S COVER IN IND’TALE’S CONTEST!

 

Fun Video Interview Next Tuesday!

Tuesday, September 26, I am being interviewed on live video (gosh, I’m becoming a video freak, aren’t I???) next Tuesday on Cara Grandle’s Periscope show. I won’t have the link till Tuesday morning, so just check back here for the link if you’d like to see it. Hope to see you there!

LINK TO COME!

 

Get in the Mood for Christmas …

… with my Christmas re-releases that are only 99 cents, so if you haven’t read them yet — why not?

It can’t be the price at only 99 cents each, so I hope you’ll check them out. ESPECIALLY the incredible reviews, for which I am INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL to those of you who posted one.

EMOTIONAL GUARANTEE!!  I promise you that these are some of the most emotional novellas you will ever read, guaranteed to make you both laugh and cry. So where else can you get such an emotional ride (with a great spiritual message) for only 99 cents??? Here are the links and THANK YOU!!

The Gift of Grace     Grace Like Rain     A Whisper of Hope     The Best Gift of All