Journal Jots – Blog

Prayer is the portal

that brings the power of heaven down to earth.

It is kryptonite to the enemy

and to all his ploys against you.

— Fervent, by Priscilla Shirer,

a novel inspired by the movie War Room

Boy, it seems like FOREVER since I’ve sat down and really talked to you guys, doesn’t it? But I hope you had fun throughout the month of February with the “It’s Time to Fall in Love” Treasure Hunt that Debbie Lynne Costello, MaryLu Tyndall, and I hosted And … I hope and PRAY some of you won prizes from both Deb’s and MaryLu’s giveaways as well.

And speaking of “prayer,” I absolutely LOVE the quote above that I read in my devotional this morning because it reminds me all over again that prayer is THE key to unlocking a heart of faith. You see, it was the prayer of a hard-hearted agnostic young woman some forty-odd years ago that changed the course of my life. I can still see myself sitting in my bedroom at the age of twenty-three, eyes on the ceiling with almost a sneer on my face. “This girl at work says You love me and want to be part of my life,” I said in a curt tone, “but frankly, I don’t believe it. So … if it’s true and You really are up there and I’m not just talking to a ceiling, then make me know it. Come into my life and change it for the better.”

Well, I guess I don’t need to tell you how THAT prayer turned out! I was a pretty angry woman the day I first called on God, uttering my very first prayer in a hard, sarcastic tone. But like my daughter just said to me on the phone this morning, “God doesn’t care how we come to him — be it anger or rebellion — he just wants us to come to Him. To talk to Him. Seek Him. Counsel with Him. And sometimes cry and rant at him, somthing I’m not ashamed to admit I’m pretty darn good at.

Since that day in my bedroom, my life has been a series of answered prayer, each and every petition a stepping stone across a sea of doubt to solid ground on the other side. To solid rock, which is exactly what Jesus is. For in GOD the LORD, we have an everlasting Rock. — Isaiah 26:4.

The quote above is from the book, Fervent, by Priscilla Shirer, based on the excellent movie, War Room, about how Christians need a battle plan for prayer, and I couldn’t agree more. One of my prayer partners raved about the book, so I bought it and just read the 1st chapter this morning, which is where today’s quote came from. And, WOW, did I need to read it.

Absorb it.

Relearn it.

Don’t get me wrong, I pray every single day of my life, with more specific and in-depth prayers relegated to weekdays, but I will admit that lately, my prayers haven’t been as “fervent” as I would like. It just seems like I’ve been slammed with a lot of bad news in my family and from my friends recently, so my faith in prayer has wobbled a wee bit of late.

But when my daughter called this morning after a truly painful and difficult month, telling me about a remarkable answer to our fervent prayers that truly confirms “God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask, think or pray” (Ephesians 3:20-21), my faith was deeply stirred. Suddenly, I realized all over again just how powerful prayer is and what a gift it is from God. And not just a gift, but a battle plan to defeat the enemy and “all his ploys against you and me.”

So I don’t know about you, but I’m bracing to do battle with a new fervor and fire that comes straight from the throne of God, reigniting my faith in prayer and in Him. And just in the nick of time, too. Because you see, yesterday I learned that a very dear and precious friend of mine was given nine months to live by her doctor. But I am clinging to Psalm 112:7, which says “She will have no fear of bad news; her heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD. Her heart is secure, she will have no fear; in the end she will look in triumph on his foes.”

That’s what I’m believing for my friend, and I believe that with all of my heart for each of us today as well, no matter what our prayers may be. So before I go, I’d like to ask each of you who are reading this today a favor. Will you take just a moment to stop and say a pray for my friend too? For her healing, her wisdom, and her peace. And that God will be the lamp unto her feet, guiding her along His path and His plan for her life. A plan for her well-being and not her calamity, and to give her a future and a hope.

Thank you and have a blessed weekend!

Hugs,

Julie

FREE DOWNLOAD on my MOST

Favorite Novel I’ve Ever Written!

If you haven read book 1 in the Winds of Change series, A Hope Undaunted, now is your chance! Because I promise you that the passionate and tumultuous story of Katie O’Connor and Luke McGee is one you won’t soon forget.

Honestly? I love this book SO much I reread it every single year, so what does that tell you? If the gal who loves passion, drama, angst, faith & family in large doses rereads this O’Connor novel more than all the rest, you probably should too! 😉 Here’s the link — PLEASE spread the word!!

 

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A HOPE UNDAUNTED HERE!

 

Have You Read Isle of Hope or A
Glimmer of Hope yet?

Because if you have and posted a review on Amazon or Goodreads, you can get points in my newsletter contest to have a character named after you in my next book and a signed copy, so PLEASE let know if you do, okay?

Most people don’t realize how critical good reviews are to authors, but because so many potential readers base their book-buying decisions on the number of good reviews posted, that’s the best way to bless an author you love. So please consider posting a short 1- or 2-line review for the books that you love, whether they or mine or those of another author you enjoy. Thank you!

 

We Have Winners!!

in the

❤️ IT’S TIME TO FALL IN LOVE ❤️

Treasure Hunt! 

 

YES, WE DO HAVE WINNERS IN THE “TIME TO FALL IN LOVE” TREASURE HUNT — LOTS AND LOTS OF WINNERS!!

 

A HUGE thank you to everyone who participated in our treasure hunt — we hope you had fun! And now the moment you’ve all been waiting for …

 

❤️💜❤️💜❤️💜❤️💜❤️💜❤️

 

 

THE WINNER OF THE KINDLE FIRE IS:

Baley Field

   

❤️ JULIE’S WINNER … a $50 Amazon Gift Card, a copy of ISLE OF HOPE and A GLIMMER OF HOPE, and a character named after her in my next book is:

Patty Hamblin Rude

❤️ MARYLU’S WINNERS OF THE FOLLOWING PRIZES ARE:

 

💜 Ocean-themed Gift Basket:  KayM

 
💜  Signed poster of Charity’s Cross Book cover: Mary Ann Clud

 
💜  Ship coffee mug with starbucks certificate: Lisa Bugajski

 
💜  Ship coffee mug with starbucks certificate: Callie!

 
💜 Swabbie ship cook book : Joan Arning

 
💜 Signed copy of Charity’s Cross: Annie JC

 ❤️ DEBBIE’S WINNERS OF THE FOLLOWING PRIZES ARE:

💜 The Kindle Fire from Debbie’s giveaway: Elizabeth Dennison

💜 The Charleston Bag of Goodies: Amber Ludwig

💜 The Starbucks Cup and $10 gift card:  Pam Graber

💜 The Antique Spoon Bracelet:  Jamie Gil

💜 Signed Shattered Memories and Sword of Forgiveness:   

 

Pam Westfall

 

💜 E-book Shattered Memories and Sword of Forgiveness: 

 

Linda Golubski

❤️💜❤️💜❤️💜❤️

 

SUPER CONGRAT TO ALL THE WINNERS,

AND THANKS FOR PARTICIPATING IN OUR TREASURE HUNT!

 

Hugs!!

Julie

Welcome to the 

LAST DAY OF

❤️ IT’S TIME TO FALL IN LOVE ❤️

Treasure Hunt! 

 

Ready for today’s treasure hunt? Good!

Just read the blog below and answer the question

in the Rafflecopter box at the end of this post.  

New to the hunt? No worries!

Details on what you can win and how

can be found HERE. 

 

Welcome to my Journal Jots Blog!

Okay, this is it — our very last day of the “It’s Time to Fall in Love” promo AND the day you get to enter your treasure-hunt sentence into the Kindle Rafflecopter below, so GOOD LUCK!!

First of all, I want to say THANK YOU to everyone who joined us this month during the promo and I hope you were inspired to read both Debbie Lynne’s and MaryLu’s new books because they are two of my favorite authors!!

Secondly, I want to say THANK YOU to each and every one of you who voted for Isle of Hope in the Family Fiction magazine’s Top 15 Books of 2015 because WHOO-HOO — Isle of Hope MADE THAT LIST!!

And now, for our final day of the promo, I am going to show you my very favorite spiritual scene from Isle of Hope because these are words straight from my heart, and I hope from yours too.

Here’s the spiritual clip. Just read it to find the final answer to the final question in the first Rafflecopter box below, and your are entered into my invidual contest.

THEN …insert the 15-word treasure-hunt sentence (gleaned from clues on each of the blogs throughout the hunt) into the second Rafflecopter below for a chance at the grand prize of a Kindle Fire and GOOD LUCK!! Winners will be announced here and on Debbie’s and MaryLu’s blogs this Friday, March 4th, so be sure to come back, okay?

❤️💜❤️💜❤️💜❤️

        His body quivered with a depleting sigh before he rose and walked to the far edge of the dock, hands buried in his pockets while he stared at the river. “Once it happened,” he whispered, “I swore it would never happen again, but of course it did, brick-walling my pride more and more just to keep out the guilt. Until everything came crashing down …” He turned toward Jack with a slump of shoulders and a glimmer of pain. “I lost my wife, my family, my friends, and my church. The only way my pride could cope, Jack, was to cling to the lie that Karen and I belonged together, to believe that I was the one to deliver her from her troubled marriage and she from mine.” He inhaled sharply, releasing it again in a slow, tenuous breath. “So we left.”

        “You mean ran away with your tail between your legs.” Jack’s words hissed in the air.

        “Yes,” his father said calmly, “I ran away like the coward I was.” The aura of peace and calm Jack had sensed before settled over his father’s shoulders again like the mantle of moonlight that broke through the clouds. “It took losing everything, Son, including my life, to finally understand what I was too blind to see. Everything to liberate me from the same pride that lost Lucifer his soul. And that is—God alone is the Alpha and the Omega. He is the beat of my pulse. He is the strength in my bones. He is my beginning and my end, and there is no hope in anything—” His father took a step forward, an almost ethereal glow of faith in his eyes like nothing Jack had ever seen, “anything … except Him.”

        Unable to speak, Jack couldn’t move a muscle, eyes locked on the father he’d considered shallow and weak. The same man who now radiated a strength and peace that seemed to envelop Jack as well. His father gave an awkward shrug as he approached, hands deep in his pockets and smile sheepish. “Sorry—I get a little carried away at the magnitude of Who He is, Jack, and just how much He loves us. Enough to allow us the freedom to choose. And enough to allow those choices to strip us of everything that stands in the way of our ultimate happiness—Him.”

         His smile faded into sobriety while his gaze bonded to Jack’s. “I don’t deserve your forgiveness, Son,” he said quietly, “anymore than I deserve God’s, but I’m asking for it all the same.” He peered up at the sky, as if drawing strength from the shaft of light that split the billow of dark clouds overhead. “I don’t deserve it, Son, but you do. I don’t want to see you make the mistake I made, choosing pride over God. I learned the hard way that pride is man’s greatest weakness. It felled Lucifer at the beginning of time and it will do the same for anyone who relies on his or her own strength rather than God’s. It will rob them of God’s blessings and steal their hope and their future.” He studied Jack’s face in a silent plea. “And it will rob us of the ability to forgive if we let it, so I’m asking you, Jack, please—” He paused, grasping Jack’s shoulder in a firm hold. “Don’t. For your sake as well as your mother’s.”

        Eons passed, it seemed, as Jack stared, feeling the battle within to forgive or to turn him away. This was the man he’d loved and revered most of his life. The man of God who’d inspired him. The father who’d taught him to fish and swing a bat. The parent who’d nurtured and encouraged him. His eyelids lumbered closed. And the hero who’d disappointed him, falling from his sky like Lucifer, flinging his family into the abyss.

         And yet, here he stood, a man on the precipice of eternity, giving the greatest gift of all.

         The truth.

❤️💜❤️💜❤️💜❤️

 

OKAY … to enter my contest for a $50 GIFT CARD, A COPY OF A GLIMMER OF HOPE,  A COPY OF ISLE OF HOPE, AND A CHARACTER NAMED AFTER YOU IN MY NEXT BOOK, just answer the question for February 29 in the Rafflecopter box below.

NEXT … before you go, make sure you WRITE DOWN THE FOLLOWING  WORD CLUE in our 15-word sentence that you’ll need to enter the Kindle giveaway Feb. 29–March 3.

WORD CLUE #14:  WOMEN

THEN HEAD ON OVER TO DEBBIE’S AND MARYLU’S BLOGS FOR MORE CLUES AND PRIZES.

Happy Treasure Hunting & Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway