Showing posts with label 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. Show all posts
Monday, March 27, 2017
Tuesday, December 13, 2016
The Foundation of Hope
HOPING FOR JOY is part of the "LOVE IS" series based on 1 Corinthians 13. This novella is set in New Jersey in one of the small seaside towns with an amusement park. The heroine is frustrated because her fiancé keeps putting off their wedding and she doubts his love.
The hero has a valid reason for his inability to commit to a date. He is trying to save his sister's life and assist his ailing father in raising his sister's daughter. In other words, the hero has a ton of trouble, which only gets worse. His sister dies and while his faith in God was lackadaisical at best, he becomes firmly committed to the belief that there is no God.
I know many people who go through terrible trials in life and come to the same conclusion. On the other hand, there are those--like myself--who cling to their faith despite the slings and arrows of fate. Faith is believing even though there is no proof. Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1 NAB)
I cannot prove that God exists. Yet, I persist in my belief--even though I have lived through scary times--and if you read this blog on a regular basis you know about some of those. (Not all, but some.)
Everyone suffers through disappointments, failures, and loss. It is the human condition. There are those who tell me I am fortunate to have faith because it buoys me up through my difficulties.
Yes, faith helps, but while it is a gift I still have to work at it. I must pray, go to church, read the Bible, and help others. Otherwise, my faith will falter. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9 NAB)
HOPING FOR JOY is based on the truth that the foundation of hope is faith. If I didn't have faith, I wouldn't have hope.
Read HOPING FOR JOY and let me know what you think. Find it at Amazon!
Friday, July 15, 2016
Is It Love?
Another wonderful Prism Book Group author is my guest blogger today. See what she has to say about romantic love.
St. Paul took a whole chapter in I Corinthians listing various hallmarks of love. Rather than attempt a pat definition, he revealed some of love’s many facets, turning it over and over as one might a brilliant, perfectly-cut diamond.
Since love is such a broad topic, let’s zero in on one aspect—romantic love. When a special person makes the heart beat faster, regardless of the season of life, we begin to question our emotions. Am I in love? How will I know when it happens? How can I be sure when it is the real thing? Living a few years teaches us romantic love is accompanied with tender feelings, but that “gushy” feeling alone is not enough to stand the test of time. Love is more. Real romance involves two people who care enough for each to put the other ahead of themselves. In a “me first” instant gratification world, that kind of commitment is rare. Yet it is the kind of giving, sharing love we hunger for at our very core.
Do I love him? Does he love me? A simple test would be to consider each of the characteristics of love from I Corinthians. Are we kind to each other? Are we patient with each other? And so on. Many heartbreaks could be avoided by thinking through that Biblical checklist, and turning away from a relationship with too many “no” answers. Another person’s love is not directly measureable. We can’t take out a yardstick and see how it stacks up. Instead, we observe love by its impact. Oscar Hammerstein II is credited with this little rhyme that captures a singular way of looking at love:
“A bell is not a bell till you ring it.
A song is not a song till you sing it.
Love in your heart isn’t put there to stay.
Love isn’t love till you give it away.”
Prism Book Group’s “Love Is…” series takes its inspiration from I Corinthians chapter 13. Eventually there will be a short novel that takes its theme from one of the aspects of true love. My contribution to this series is “Evidence Not Seen”, inspired by “Love keeps no record of wrongs.” Or, if you prefer the lyrical language of the old King James translation, “thinketh no evil.” I hope those who read my story find it to be true to that sentiment.
In the final analysis, we are left with faith, hope, and love. What a marvelous trilogy! And the greatest, of course, is love. May we all practice it faithfully, daily, unrelentingly. Love never fails.
Check out Carlene’s contribution to Prism Book Group’s new Love Is series…
Evidence Not Seen
“Love keeps no record of wrongs…” 1 Corinthians: 13:5
Although attorney Jeff Galloway’s career is in high gear, his personal life is a mess. Just before his father returns home from a 27-year stretch in prison, his girlfriend dumps him. When a chance encounter begins to blossom into new romance, soft-hearted Melanie Clark encourages Jeff to find a way to forgive his father’s long absence.
Buy it at AMAZON!
Friday, July 01, 2016
Talking Love with Gail Pallotta
Please welcome my guest blogger GAIL PALLOTTA! Her latest release is one of the "Love Is" series of books from Prism Book Group.
When I was in college I used to run into an atheist in the small cafe where we gathered for Coca-Colas, hamburgers and French fries after class. I tried to avoid him, because he always hopped over to my table and started an argument about my faith.
Perhaps he comes to mind on the release day of Breaking Barriers for several reasons. One, he was angry at me because I am a Christian. Even though today I can’t recall which verses he used, he’d take passages from the Bible and try to make me say they weren’t true. When I wouldn’t, he’d retort with a scientific argument and claim it had to be right.
The second reason he comes to mind—it was the mention of God’s love that finally silenced him. One day I grew so frustrated I asked, “If there’s no God, where does love come from? Why don’t you mix me up a little bowl of it? If scientists could do it, they would, because they could sell a ton of it for lots of money.”
His mouth gaped.
He never trotted to my table again.
Since then I’ve read that we have chemicals in the brain that produce love. I’ve often wondered if he came up with that theory. Even if that were true, the chemicals in the brain came from somewhere, and that would still lead back to God. I hope it wasn’t him. I hope he thought about God’s great love for us and decided to read the Bible.
Check out Gail’s contribution to Prism Book Group’s new Love Is series…
Breaking Barriers
“…love is not easily angered …” 1 Corinthians: 13:5
Gunshots ring out as Ann Jones enters the church. She hides in the bathroom until they stop, then stumbles into the sanctuary. The congregation lies dead in pools of blood. To rebuild the church, she starts True Light Guardians. At the first meeting, she’s attacked by a terrorist, but rescued by James Crawford. He melts her heart, cold from her father’s abuse, and they fall for each other. She’s afraid to commit to love that might grow angry later, like the type she knew as a child. James yearns to stop other attempts on Ann’s life, but can’t. Tormented by her constant risks, he breaks up with her. When an assault sends her to the hospital, an unlikely ally shares Ann’s plight with James, but he reveals a lead that puts all three of them in even more danger.
Saturday, April 30, 2016
Talking Love With Paula Mowery
My guest blogger today is Paula Mowery! Read her own true story below.
We’re told in
Scripture that God is love. He definitely proved His kind of love is an
unconditional and undeserved type through sending His Son to die for our sins.
Some love isn’t
hard to conjure. God just helps us to enhance it. For example, I am still
head-over-heels in love with my husband of twenty-six years. But through God’s
Word and leading, I’ve learned to love my husband more like God planned for a
wife to love her husband.
When my little
girl was born, I was in love, even though it took a lot to get her here. But
God has shown me how to love my daughter through example and discipline.
I struggled with
infertility issues before finally conceiving my only daughter. My bitterness
heightened each time I would hear about a young woman or girl who conceived out
of wedlock and by accident. I cried out to God that this wasn’t fair. I wanted
a baby and would care for that child and love that child, giving her a mother
and a father.
Some years later I
was approached by the director of our church association’s Pregnancy Crisis
Center to become their devotional leader. I struggled with my answer for a bit
but knew God was pushing me to do this.
As I shared about
the love of God and then listened to these girls tell their stories, I had to
repent of my former bitterness. God taught me to love and care for these girls
and their babies. They each had a story with hopes and dreams of their own.
Everyone deserves
to know about the unconditional love God offers. This is what I hope readers
see in the story, The Crux of Honor.
Since God is love,
when we allow Him to teach us His kind of love, we can’t help but be richer and
enrich others.
Check out Paula’s contribution to Prism Book Group’s new
Love Is series…
The Crux of
Honor
“Love does not
dishonor…” 1 Corinthians: 13:4
Chelsea Wilson’s life is a
constant reminder of what living dishonorably looks like. At every turn she
continues to prove her mother’s shunning must be deserved.
Dr. Kevin Alley returns to the old home place to establish his medical practice. After running into Chelsea, he knows his love for her is still strong.
Chelsea is ousted from her small rented room when her mother bursts in, proclaiming Chelsea’s pregnancy.
Kevin takes Chelsea in, giving her space to live on the upper level of his house.
When Chelsea’s baby displays life-threatening symptoms, Chelsea must face her mother. Secrets unfold about Chelsea’s parents. Can Chelsea and Kevin uncover the secrets linked to Amish heritage in time to save the baby? Can the two find love together despite their history?
www.prismbookgroup.com
Friday, August 14, 2015
I Signed a New Contract!
Prism Book Group is planning a new series based on 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. Each author is going to be responsible for illustrating one part of the verse. I proposed an idea for Love Always Hopes--and yesterday I received the contract. :-)
My story will be titled Hoping for Joy. The series will begin in February. I am so excited to be part of this new venture and I can't wait to read the other authors' stories, too.
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