Journal Jots – Blog

“I desire to talk to all of My children,

but many are too busy to listen. The “work ethic” has them

tied up in knots. They submit wholeheartedly to this taskmaster,

wondering why they feel so distant from Me.

Living close to Me requires making Me your first love—

your highest priority

—Jesus Calling, by Sarah Young

Ouch.

Okay, I’ll admit it — this daily reading from yesterday’s Jesus Calling pretty much nailed me to the wall, because frankly, the last month has been a real Houdini act for me, tying me up “in knots” during the busiest time of year. Add to that being out of town for two of the last three weeks (check out the pix below of some of the places and things I’ve been doing) while I have a brand-new book out, Christmas shopping and holiday parties, and well, let’s just say God got my attention with the quote above.

So … I did what I always do when that Still Small Voice whispers in my ear … I hung my head and repented, telling God that from THIS moment on, I was going to take a deep breath, s-l-o-w down, and focus on the reason for the season:

Him.

But it’s not easy, is it? There are presents to buy, gifts to wrap, packages to send. Not to mention decorations to put up and cookies to bake, all while we’re juggling the everyday business of life, from jobs and bills to pay, to family and friends to bless.

But psssst … I just found discovered the secret to getting it all done with peace and joy. And the answer lies in one of my very favorite things in the whole, wide world.

Romance.

Romance, you say? YES … romancing our “first love” and giving Him the first part of our day. Listen to the rest of the passage from our quote above:

“As you seek My presence above all else,

you experience Peace and Joy in full measure.

I am also blessed when you make Me first in your life.”

First.

Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding!

Put Him first. Goodness, what a “novel” idea, no pun intended.

And THAT means in the morning … before I tackle emails and blogs or even open up my computer.

You see, my prayer, Bible, and devotional time is very important to me, but I often don’t get to it till later in the morning because I get side-tracked. That’s because I usually drink my coffee and eat my breakfast first thing while I read and comment on Seekerville and peruse email.

But inevitably, something snags me that needs immediate attention and BOOM! Before I know it, I’m halfway through the day and “tied up in knots,” frazzled by all the things I still need to do. Which does a disserve to me and certainly to God.

So this week I vowed to put HIM first in the morning, reading His Word and talking to Him while I drink my coffee BEFORE I ever touch the computer, and you know what? It’s been working!! Not only am I more at peace, but I’m getting more things done too, so I highly recommend it, whether it’s five minutes or fifty. And the things I don’t get done? Well, that’s okay, too, because putting God first ties the old “taskmaster” up in knots rather than this old CDQ.

And I don’t know about you, but that sure says Merry Christmas to me!

 

GIVEAWAYS & SALES!!!

MONDAY, DECEMBER 21ST: This is it … my last giveaway of the year, so join me on Seekerville for “A NIGHT LIKE NO OTHER,” a blog about one of the most important Christmas novellas I’ve ever read, where you will not only have the chance to win one of three copies of A Night Like No Other, but I’ll match all THREE giveaways with winner’s choice of either my A Light in the Window e-book OR an e-book copy of my latest novel, Isle of Hope. Here’s the link — hope to see you there!

 http://seekerville.blogspot.com/2015/12/a-night-like-no-other.html

 

 TICK … TICK … TICK … Only SEVEN more days left to enter my ISLE OF HOPE CONTEST, where you can win a character named after you in my next book and a signed copy. Enter contest HERE! 


 And don’t forget Isle of Hope is available in both e-book and paperback for Christmas, so you can order it HERE!

$1.99 CHRISTMAS SALE ON BOOK ONE IN THE WINDS OF CHANGE SERIES! This is a great price on A Hope Undaunted (Katie and Luke’s story — hubba, hubba!!), which was on Booklist’s Top 10 Inspirational Fiction for 2010!
 And psssst … it’s my FAVORITE of all the books I’ve written, so if you haven’t read it, this is the time to do it!  Order it HERE!

 

 

 

 

 

And Now for Some Pix!

We had a GREAT visit with my daughter and son-in-law in Birmingham, where we hiked and ate … and hiked and ate …

 

I miss getting together with my prayer partners, Pat and Karen, but we still pray via Skype and Facetime, thank God. And we had our annual Christmas dinner in person, of course!

 

And although our annual sister’s prayer luncheon was small this year, I still had fun connecting with my sisters Rosie and Mary, sister-in-law Ginny, and spouses.

 

HUGS AND HAPPY WEEKEND … AND UNTIE THOSE STUPID KNOTS

BY GIVING JESUS THE FIRST PART OF YOUR DAY!!

Julie

“Mama said this was going to be the bestest gift of all, so was it?”

Brady’s eyes misted as he pressed a kiss to Molly’s nose.

“It’s pretty amazing,sweetheart, and it’s certainly up there,

but the best gift of all?”He turned to caress Lizzie with his eyes

before brushing his lips to her ear.

“It’s not even close.”

–– “The Best Gift of All”by Julie Lessman

from the Home for Christmas Historical Collection

The Best Gift of All???

Well … if you’re talking about Lizzie & Brady’s Christmas novella, then that would be getting it ON SALE FOR ONLY 99 CENTS!! And not just Lizzie & Brady’s story, mind you, but novellas by three other award-winning authors as well — the whole collection for ONLY 99 CENTS!!

And that’s not all!!

Charity & Mitch’s Christmas novella from last year, “A Whisper of Hope” from the Hope for the Holidays Historical Collection is ALSO on sale for only 99 cents — five more novellas from award-winning authors for ONLY 99 CENTS!!

AND it gets EVEN BETTER because there are contemporary collections on sale for only 99 cents too, so it’s a steal of a deal that could end up being “the best gift of all” for YOU!!

But don’t delay because the sale ends on December 11, so take advantage AND light up your Christmas with the O’Connors and other heartwarming Christmas stories!

PUT A LITTLE “HOPE” IN YOUR CHRISTMAS AS WELL with my new contemporary, ISLE OF HOPE, which is now available in PAPERBACK as well as ebook. Need a signed bookplate? I’ll be happy to send one to anyone who contacts me through the CONTACT JULIE tab of my website. I invite you to check out my Isle of Hope page as well as the reviews on Amazon to add a touch of “hope” to your holidays! Here’s the Amazon link and HAPPY READING!!

ISLE OF HOPE ON AMAZON

GIVEAWAYS!!

Okay, I only have a few giveaways left, so don’t miss out!

DECEMBER 1-7, 2015: Only one more day to join me on Alexis Goring’s “25 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS STORIES” blog series with a fun Christmas interview and THREE GIVEAWAYS!  So come by for three chances to win one of my Christmas e-books—from the Seekers’ Home for Christmas Historical Collection OR Hope for the Holidays Historical Collection, to my Irish Christmas love story, A Light in the Window. There will be other author giveaways as well, so here’s the link and hope to see you there! 

“25 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS STORIES” BLOG SERIES

DECEMBER 9-13, 2015: Join me for an interview/giveaway on Lena Nelson Dooley’s blog where you can win your choice of any of my e-books, including Isle of Hope. Here’s the link — hope to see you there!

INTERVIEW/GIVEAWAY ON LENA NELSON DOOLEY’S BLOG

CONTEST!!

There’s less than three weeks left to enter my Isle of Hope Contest, where you can win a character named after you in the next Isle of Hope book due out next summer, so I hope you check it out. ESPECIALLY if you have bought/posted a review for Isle of Hope OR for any of my Christmas novellas/novel because that will accrue you extra points in the contest. So here’s the link and GOOD LUCK!!

ISLE OF HOPE CONTEST

I’m praying your holiday season is little less crazy than mine right now because Jesus IS the reason for the season, so here’s hoping we ALL can focus on Him first and foremost!

Hugs and here’s to a happy, healthy, and holy holiday season!

Julie

 

 

“Thankfulness takes the sting out of adversity.

That is why I have instructed you to give thanks for everything.

There is an element of mystery in this transaction:

You give Me thanks (regardless of your feelings),

and I give you joy (regardless of your circumstances).”

— Jesus Calling by Sarah Young

Ah, Thanksgiving … turkeys roasting, pies baking, families laughing and loving like one of those hearth-and-home Wal-mart commercials with the Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond. A day devoted entirely to be grateful for everything we have.

Only, sometimes we aren’t grateful for “everything” we have, at least I wasn’t this Thanksgiving.

Okay, I can hear the collective gasp right now. Julie Lessman isn’t grateful for everything she has???

Nope because there’s two things you need to know about me.

1.) I have blood in my veins.

And

2.) I am a brutally honest person.

You see, family is everything to me, and if you can’t tell that from my books, then I’m doing something wrong. Yes, families have problems and trials and OH, soooo much drama, especially mine. But deep down they love each other and can conquer all with a solid foundation of faith, right?

Yes, I still believe that, but unlike the picture-perfect Wal-mart commercial, it doesn’t always come easy. For instance, take this Thanksgiving I just celebrated with my family — in the midst of all the laughter and love (and there was plenty, trust me), there was also an open wound festering. A hurt someone inflicted on me that teetered on the precipice of taking me down. And it did. For a full 24 hours — darkening my mood, damaging my soul, and in the end, wounding the God I adore as much as it wounded me.

And then God reminded me of a lesson I learned OH so long ago when He first saved my sorry soul and gave me His first assignment:

Love your father.

Love my father? The same father who beat me and demoralized me and told me not to think I was anything special as a woman because “any whore can get them excited” ???

Yep, that father. Which is exactly what my new book, Isle of Hope, is all about. How I learned to do that through the grace of God and come out on the other side with more joy, peace, and freedom (he whom the Son sets free is free indeed) than I ever dreamed possible.

Because like our header quote above so beautifully states, we give God thanks in “everything” regardless of our feelings, and He gives us joy (and success) regardless of the circumstances.

He did it for me with my father, and he will do it for me with this new wound that’s been inflicted. I will thank and praise Him for this situation, fully trusting that He will turn it around like He always has before when I apply His precepts.

But it doesn’t end there, you know, with just giving thanks. Nope, you have to pray for that person who wounded you after you praise and thank God for them as well.

And then comes the reallllllly hard part — You have to put feet to your faith. That means loving them unconditionally like Christ did for us whether you like them or not, whether you feel like it or not. A kind word. A kind note. A kind action. A piece of duct tape on your mouth if you have to. And doing it ALL without expecting anything back from them, just out of sheer obedience to the God you love to show HIM that you actually DO! You may not be able to stand this person who’s hurt you at the moment, but you ADORE God, so do it for HIM. That’s called unconditional love, and that’s what Isle of Hope is all about.

But you know what the real irony is about this book? I get to apply it ALL OVER AGAIN to the very situation that wounded me this Thanksgiving. And I will … because I know first-hand that it works. because like Tess, the secondary older heroine in Isle of Hope says to the primary heroine, Lacey Carmichael:

“Just remember, Lacey …” Her gaze was suddenly somber. “It’s not about you, honey, it’s about your father. Allowing God to use you and your burgeoning faith to shine His light and love into the dark and desolate world of a man who is so very lost.” She blinked several times, dispelling a sheen of moisture as she stroked Lacey’s cheek. “And I promise you, darling, with everything in me, that through your hard-won obedience, God will heal you both in the process, unleashing untold blessings that will bring so much joy into your lives.” With a gentle pat of Lacey’s arms, Tess pulled away. “You’re welcome to come back after if you like, but if you decide to go home, I’ll expect a full report the next time you come for dinner, understood?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Lacey gave a crisp salute as she picked up the ice cream, her grin misty. “Wish me luck?”

Tess’s smile was soft. “Oh, honey, you don’t need luck if prayer and faith are involved …”

And you don’t! Just God, His Holy Spirit, and His Word.

So Happy Thxgiving, maybe a day late … but  right on time for me to relearn a valuable lesson. And maybe … just maybe one you need to learn too.

Hugs,

Julie

 

THE ISLE OF HOPE PAPERBACK IS FINALLY HERE!!!

Yes, it’s true, you can now purchase the paperback for Isle of Hope, and trust me — it’s a whopper! And like I said on Facebook, if you don’t like it, you can always use it as a door stop! 🙂

SO … I would appreciate it GREATLY if you would spread the word about Isle of Hope, and if you purchase a paperback copy for yourself or someone else and would like to have it signed, just let me know, and I will send you a bookplate signed to you or whomever you give it to, okay? Here’s the link:

ISLE OF HOPE IN PAPERBACK

SALE ALERT!!! BOTH O’CONNOR CHRISTMAS NOVELLAS ONLY 99 CENTS DECEMBER 5-12 ONLY!!!

Yes, you heard me right. If you haven’t read Mitch and Charity’s novella “A Whisper of Hope” in the Hope for the Holidays Historical Collection OR my brand new novella, “The Best Gift of All,” which is Brady and Lizzie’s novella that’s part of the Home for Christmas Historical Collection, then NOW’S YOUR CHANCE! Because both novella collections (which also include novellas by other award-winning authors as well) will be ONLY 99 CENTS DECEMBER 5-12, 2015 ONLY!

And DOUBLE BONUS! Did you know you can get extra points in my Isle of Hope Contest for both the Christmas novellas too? Well, you can, so be sure to check out the CONTEST tab of my website for all the details and HAPPY READING!!

GIVEAWAYS OF ISLE OF HOPE!!

 

DECEMBER 1-7 for an INTERVIEW/GIVEAWAY ON ALEXIS GORING’S “25 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS STORIES where there will be THREE drawings of your choice of e-books of my two Christmas novellas OR A Light in the Window. Here’s the link and hope to see you there!

INTERVIEW GIVEAWAY ON ALEXIS GORING’S “25 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS STORIES