{Friendship: the gift to give} FREE ebook this weekend

Happy Mother’s Day weekend, friends. For all the mothers and others, for all the aunties and sisters and girlfriends and daughters and grandmas … to all you special women, I pray this weekend is rich with relationship. No matter your status or how full your quiver may or may not be, may your weekend be full of friendship. With your family and with the family of God, may this weekend be marked by peace, joy, forgiveness, reconciliation, forbearing, patience, grace, laughter … love.

If you haven’t had a chance to snag the ebook Friendship: A gift to give, now’s the time! This entire weekend Friendship is FREE! Even if you don’t have a kindle, you can get it on your computer, phone, any digital device. You can even click “give as gift” and send it as a gift to the girls in your life. So head on over to Amazon and get your free copies. Have a blessed weekend, friends–thanks for reading!friendship_podcast_615x615

Friendship: A Gift to Give

Female friendships – we love them and hate them. Perhaps we’ve tasted their sweetness—the intimate confiding, the side-splitting laughter, the unspoken understanding, the tender times of sharing. But also perhaps we’ve tasted their bitterness—the silent competition, the misunderstanding, the hurt feelings, and even the betrayal and deep wounds many of us have endured. At times we hunger for more friendship and at times we envy Eve, in Eden, where there were no other women around! Never have we been more connected and never have we been more alone. Jesus said there is no greater love than true friendship. So what is this type of friendship Jesus speaks of, and how do we find it? And how do we move past our wounds and insecurities to reach out a tender, vulnerable hand and grasp the one beside us? Through the stories of six scriptural duos—and a handful of contemporary ones—this book will inspire, encourage, and enable you to give the greatest gift—yourself—and discover heavenly friendship along the way.

I Will Look Up {New E-book FREE today}

Every single day there are countless opportunities to look down. Down in discouragement. Down in weariness. Down in shame. There are also countless opportunities to look around. Look around at everyone else’s success. Look around at all the things we think we need. Look around at all the endless tasks and needs and responsibilities surrounding us.

But something supernatural happens when we, like the psalmist, Look Up.: When we seek Him first. “Oh Lord, in the morning, will I direct my prayer, unto Thee and will look up” (from Psalm 5).

I Will Look Up is the perfect companion for any who desire to seek Him first. Thirty-one honest, scriptural, thought-provoking messages, along with practical action steps, will help readers live life with eyes upturned.

And it’s FREE today! I so hope and pray that this book is a blessing to you. Please share and spread the word so others can get the book for free. Here’s to a BLESSED 2014, looking up and seeking Him first. Thanks so much for reading. 

If you need a Bible reading plan, look here.

Let In Light {Another FREE E-book today only—A great way to start your year off right}

Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
—Psalm 119:105

In Your light we see light.
—Psalm 36:9

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Every morning I have to let in light.

Whether is 4am or 7am, it’s all the same this time of year: It’s dark. Very dark.

Every morning I push back the covers and slowly slide myself out of bed. I always want to sleep longer. But the strength of my spirit somehow supersedes the weakness of my flesh and by God’s amazing grace I stand upright. Then I shuffle into the living room–stopping only for the necessary cup of liquid consciousness–and turn on the lamp.

Then I open The Lamp.

I can see.

The quilt wrapped around me, I let in light. True Light. God’s Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. Jesus is the light of the World.

Every single day, first thing in the morning, I must let light into my world. We all must. Without His Light, we’re lost. We’re in darkness. Positionally we need Christ, the Light of the World, to bring His light into our hearts, awaken our spirits and make us alive to God.

But practically, we must daily turn on the Light of God’s Word, to allow us to see. Without His light, we’re lost. We’ll see the world through a distorted lens. We won’t know which way to go. We won’t have the wisdom we need for decisions. We’ll be stumbling along through life, groping in the dark each day, desperate for guidance, starving for hope.

He has given us everything we need for life and godliness.

But we must let light into our lives. Every single day.

I’m hoping many of you will join me this year as we adventure through the entire Bible in 2013. But no matter what your New Year Goals, do this: Let in light. Every single morning put the LIGHT of God’s truth into our life. Don’t stumble through 2013 groping in the dark. Don’t blindly face each day hoping good luck will be your guide.

Let in light.

Begin each day by letting in light. His truth, in some form.

And as one possible way to help make this habit one that lasts through the entire year, we’re offering another free e-book, for everyone this time. Moms, daughters, sisters, friends (Yes, even men can read this book!). For the first 31 days of 2013, begin each day with a dose of His truth. Get in the habit of rising and letting in light. I hope this little book of truth can be a blessing to you and those you love. It’s FREE today only 12/28, and then only $2.99 after that. Give this gift as a great way to start off 2013 right.

(As always, you can get this book on your computer, even if you don’t own a Kindle. Click “Available on your PC” over on the right-hand side.)

THANK YOU, dear readers, for your faithful friendship along this journey—YOU are a gift to me.

Let In Light

*No, there won’t be free e-books every Friday! This is the last … that I know of.

Plenty {FREE e-book today only — the perfect gift for moms everywhere}

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Fear.

Everywhere I look these days I see it. In the aftermath of recent shootings I see it settle over people like a thick, heavy blanket, pushing down spirits and dampening joy. I see it causing people to lash out at each other. I see it in Facebook statuses and comments. I see it making mothers react, knee-jerk, and cower, afraid of sending their children back into the world. I see it fueling frenzies around the world in response to the end-of-the-world-today prediction. I see it lingering even in laughter, the lightness of the season a thin veil shrouding a fear about the future.

Sometimes I see it in the mirror.

Fear is our enemy, sisters of faith. Because fear causes us to believe, There won’t be enough. There won’t be enough protection. There won’t be enough love for me. There won’t be enough safety and security. There won’t be enough money. There won’t be enough peace. There won’t be enough time in my day. There won’t be enough strength for me to face this trial. There just won’t be enough today.

That’s the lie we face.

Jeff has been asking me, “What do you want your readers to know this year? What one message do you want them to grasp in 2013?”

It’s this:

There is plenty

There will always be plenty to worry about. Not just guns. If we really knew all the dark forces at work every single day  in our world we’d go crazy.

There will always be plenty to do. Our to-do lists will always be longer than our leg, and we will never “arrive” and be “caught up.”

But, there is also plenty for us. 

There is plenty of grace to forgive every fault. There is plenty of mercy to help in time of need. There is plenty of love to cover a multitude of sins. There is plenty of wisdom given to us whenever we ask. There is plenty of courage to make us brave for the battle. There is plenty of strength to help us stand.  There is plenty of power for life and godliness.

There is plenty of joy in God’s presence.

Friends, and specifically you moms, I pray you would know today There is plenty. With Him there is no lack.

And in step with this, I’m thrilled today to offer you my very first E-book entitled,

Plenty: 31 sips of joy for moms everywhere. 

This 31-day devotional is a compilation (re-edited for this book) of 2012’s best Mommyhood posts. Posts such as This Beautiful Waste and Because sometimes, we just can’t remember have been re-edited and accompanied by a Today feature — ideas for living out these truths right now.  What better way to start off the new year than by spending the first 31 days filling your mind and heart with truth, reminding yourself there is PLENTY for each day?

And, for those of you faithful friends who are here today (December 21st) Plenty is FREE on Amazon all day long! 

Consider today getting five or ten copies to slip into the email inboxes or onto the Kindles or iPads of all your favorite mommy-friends? Delivery is immediate, so they can have their special book just in time for Christmas. This is a small, FREE way to give the gift of joy and truth to those precious mamas this Christmas. CLICK HERE to get Plenty FREE on Amazon. (It will then be $0.99 through Christmas Day, and $2.99 after that. Don’t worry, you know I’m cheap so the book will be as well!)

If you’re getting the book free today (and like it) would you please consider “like”-ing it on Amazon, writing a Review, or sharing this post on Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter (buttons below!)?  Thank you so much for sharing the love so plenty of Mamas can be encouraged as they begin the new year.

THANK YOU dear friends, for your constant love and support. May the next five days be full of anticipation and joy as we celebrate our Savior’s birthday. Thanks for reading.