Happy New Year!

Things are super busy here in my world.

Lots of writing, homeschooling, baseball, preparing for college visits (WHAT IS HAPPENING?!), and bracing for my youngest to get his driver’s permit in February. He asked me for the keys when he was eighteen months. I’ve been worried ever since!

And let’s not forget that I have a book due on February 1st AND Last to Fall releases March 3rd!

Y’all.

It’s a LOT.

Several weeks ago, I looked at the calendar and knew that this past weekend was my only opportunity prior to my deadline to get away and focus on the new story. So I booked the hotel, made the plans, asked for prayer, and on Friday afternoon, got on my knees in a hotel room and cried.

Because y’all…this may come as a surprise, but I have no idea how to write a book. I really don’t. And yes, I know I’ve written a bunch of books. But every single one is a complete shock to me. And, at some point, usually multiple points, with every single one, I’ve wound up on my knees, crying out to the Creator and telling Him (as if He didn’t already know) that there was no human way for me to get a book written in the time available to me.

Truly, my entire writing life is a bit of a mystery to me. I’m as flabbergasted as anyone is that I do this. I’m a wife, I homeschool, I parent a lovely adult daughter with disabilities and two teenage boys who have the audacity to do things like go out with friends, date, play baseball, and keep me in a perpetual state of chaotic confusion. Not to mention that I have parents, a sister, in-laws, friends, and I even have a few hobbies that I sporadically enjoy.

And without knowing all of your details, I know that you have a similar story. You have responsibilities, obligations, relationships, and at times, maybe most of the time, you have no idea how you get through the day. The new year rolls around, and you’re stunned and amazed that, once again, you’ve made it through another trip around the sun.

So if that’s you, please let me offer a small slice of encouragement. When you hit the point where you know – you know in the core of your soul – that you have nothing left to give, that in your own strength you will fail, I beg of you, take it to your good, good Father who knows what you need before you ask.

On Friday, before I left home, my devotions were so spot on that it was like GOD KNEW EXACTLY WHAT I NEEDED. (Wild concept, I know! LOL!) And because this isn’t our first dance, I left for the hotel excited to see what He would do.

Unfortunately, when it was time to do the work, my excitement was gone, and just like the disciples, even though He has never failed me, and I’ve seen Him do more than I can ask or imagine, I still forgot, and my fear was riding me hard.

But as I prayed, He reminded me of the feeding of the 5000. So I asked him to take my small offering of words and multiply them in ways that were beyond my human capacity.

Full disclosure: I’m a bit too much of a realist at times, so I hedged my bets and said if that’s not your will, then please help me get whatever it is you want me to have out of this weekend. And help me be okay with it.

There were no audible voices, no angels singing, not even an overwhelming sense of peace that followed. Just a lot of hard work.

For the next twenty-four hours, I did more cutting and re-writing than new writing.

At some point on Saturday, things started flowing. I finished reworking the new idea in, and I knew where I wanted the story to go.

And I honestly don’t have an explanation for Sunday other than to say, “Wow. God is awesome.” I have written 10,000 words in a single day before, but I think only once.

When all was said and done, I wrote the equivalent of 1/4 of my book in 76 hours.

I could write another 1000 words about the timing of the Scripture I read, the devotions, the prayers, and the verses that were so perfect that a few times I found myself staring at them in awe. I won’t because this is already so long, most people won’t get to this point. And that’s okay. I’m not writing it for people. I’m writing it because God wouldn’t leave me alone about it today until I did.

I want Him to have all the glory! All the praise! And my biggest worry is that anyone reading this would think that I’m sharing so people will stroke my ego, or worse, think that they don’t have access to God’s power in the same way.

Y’all. I’m a sinner. I fail way more often than I “succeed” at anything. I’m so thankful for Jesus because I know He’s the only reason God can look at me and see anything good. It’s not my good. It’s all Jesus and His sacrifice. All glory and honor are His and His alone.

Because when the time is right, the LORD will make it happen.
The One who called me is Faithful.
When I’m weak, He is strong.
He’s the one who holds my hand and says, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”

Believe me when I say this: I still have no idea how to write a book.
But I know who does.

You may not know how to do whatever He’s called you to in this season. But you can rest in the One who has called you to it. And if you don’t know Him? Oh, friend, please reach out and let me tell you about my Jesus.

Soli Deo Gloria!

The post I Still Don’t Know How to Write a Book appeared first on Lynn H. Blackburn.

It’s Here!

ONE FINAL BREATH

BOOK 3 IN THE DIVE TEAM INVESTIGATIONS SERIES is now available for purchase in paperback, audio, and digital formats!

About One Final Breath:

When investigator Gabriel Chavez had his cover blown by an aggressive reporter, the silver lining was being able to rejoin the dive team. The downside? Dive team captain Anissa Bell–a woman who both fascinates and frustrates him.

Anissa grew up as a missionary kid on the Micronesian island of Yap and always planned to return after college. But she remained stateside, determined to solve the case that haunts her–the murder of her best friend and the disappearance of a three-year-old child.

When Anissa’s fractured past collides with Gabe’s investigation into the tragic shooting death of a teenage boy in Lake Porter, they’ll have to put their complicated history with each other aside in order to uncover the identity of a killer. What they’ll discover is that revenge has no statute of limitations.

Award-winning author Lynn H. Blackburn closes out her nail-biting Dive Team Investigations series with a story that will have you wondering how long you can hold your breath.

Y’all, I love this book. I really do. I love the way Gabe and Anissa overcome so many obstacles and how they rely on their faith in their darkest hours. I love the way their friendship with each other and their friendships with Ryan, Leigh, Adam, and Sabrina have continued to deepen and flourish. I can imagine them hanging out together by Lake Porter for the next forty years, and it makes me happy. 

For those of you who’ve already read Beneath the Surface and In Too Deep, I hope One Final Breath more than exceeds your expectations. And for those of you who are new to the Dive Team Investigations series, I hope One Final Breath leaves you excited to go back and read the previous books in the series. 

Most of all, I hope that as you read One Final Breath you grow closer to Jesus – because He is the BEST!

Note: If the backstory between Gabe and Anissa intrigues you, I’ve written a short story (5K words) that explains, maybe not everything, but a lot! It’s available today to my newsletter subscribers. If you haven’t subscribed, now would be a great time! You can subscribe here!

And tonight, at 9PM (Eastern), we’ll be celebrating the release of One Final Breath, LIVE on Facebook! I’d love for you to join us!

Grace and peace,

The post One Final Breath – Available TODAY! appeared first on Lynn H. Blackburn.

You know what’s true about August? It’s brutal. Every year.

I know it. I try to be ready for it. I never am.

This August will go down in the history of Augusts as a doozy. But if you looked at my calendar, you wouldn’t be able to tell what had happened.

• I went to MurderCon. It was AWESOME.
• Our family went to the lake. It was AWESOME.
• The boys started baseball practice. Their teams and coaches are AWESOME.
• Emma started a new high school. Her teachers and the culture there – AWESOME.
• Our homeschool year began. My boys are doing AWESOME. Our community is AWESOME.
• One Final Breath releases in a few days. Y’all. My 5th book. AWESOME.

Are you sensing a theme here? August was AWESOME! Right? 

Um . . . Yes . . . But . . .

August brought a lot of change to our family and especially to my personal routine, and here’s a fun fact for you: I don’t have a great relationship with change. It takes me longer than your average bear to regain my footing after any sort of upheaval. I get there. But it’s work, and I can’t say I enjoy it. At all.

I’m exhausted – physically, mentally, and creatively. For reasons that don’t show up on a list of highlights, that don’t make it into social media posts, that aren’t shared with the world, August has just been hard. 

But as August bows out and September takes the stage, the thing that I am most overwhelmed by isn’t the chaos and confusion.

It’s the grace.

Y’all. God is so good. In the past week, He has showered me in grace.

Subtle, quiet grace.

The grace of my mother-in-law having Emma spend the night with her. The grace of friends jumping in to help with the boys when I unexpectedly had to pick Emma up early from school this week.

The grace of a friend quietly saying, “The Lord has already gone before you” in some initial moments of confusion. The grace of takeout for dinner. The grace of a friend joining me for a long drive.

The grace of beautiful music and talented artists. The grace of coffee, chocolate, and grocery delivery.

The grace of the postal employee (shout out to Mindy at the Ace Hardware post office on Woodruff Road) whose kindness and willingness to offer a solution to what would otherwise have sucked an hour of my life away, quite literally brought me to tears.

A week ago, I told some friends that while I knew God was in control, the knowledge was all in my head. I knew it. I just couldn’t feel it. And I asked them to pray that the certainty of God’s presence and plan during this season would move from my head to my heart.

He has more than answered that prayer.

He is so, so good.

Let those who fear the LORD say, “His steadfast love endures forever.” Out of my distress I called on the LORD; the LORD answered me and set me free. The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?

~ Psalm 118: 4-6 (ESV)

The post When August Angst Gives Way to So Much Grace appeared first on Lynn H. Blackburn.

It’s time to edit the third book in the Dive Team Investigations series. While this is exciting and wonderful because it means that this book is getting closer and closer to being in the hands of readers, I have to say that, well, editing and I don’t have the best relationship. Please note that I said editing – not to be confused with editors – my editors are amazing and I’m extremely thankful for them!

As I’ve been processing my feelings toward this part of the process, I wrote this prayer and I thought I’d share it with you. I’d be honored if you would pray with me over the next two weeks as I dive into this story and try to make it all it can possibly be.

Dear Heavenly Father,

It’s me. Again.

I’m dreading this. Again.

Dreading opening the file and seeing all the places I got it wrong. All the places my meaning was murky and my words were misunderstood. 

I’m dreading the hours of work ahead. The rewording, rearranging, and rewriting. 

I’m dreading having my mistakes pointed out to me—over and over and over again.

Deep in my core, I want perfection. 

In some ways, I know it’s because that’s what I was created for. A perfect world where every day began—and ended—with no mistakes in it.

But the same sin that ended that perfect place also corrupted my desires. 

Now, my perfectionism is more about control. More about saving face. More about longing to be be impressive. More about the desire to be praised than about the desire to put something into the world that will draw others to praise You. 

Father, pry my fingers from my words. Open my hands and my heart to the beauty that is waiting on the other side of this journey. Open my mind and my will to make changes that will better convey the story that You gave me, the story that You want told. 

Jesus, thank you for dying and rescuing me from my own tiny world where I want to reign and rule. Thank you for living now and interceding on my behalf, even when I regularly try to take the throne away and sit on it myself. As I dive into this story would you, the Word made flesh, fill my mind with the words that will best draw readers closer to You?

Spirit, I long for a fresh breath of Your creative power. I need You to give me the desire to do this work with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. And when I falter, to remind me that all things are possible through You.

I’m so thankful that You’ve already gone before me into this day, into this story, into the future where readers will someday join me on this journey. You’ve proven yourself faithful—time and time again—as I wrote this story. Why would I doubt that You will be faithful as I finish it? Please help me see this part of the process, not as a painful necessity, but as a glorious opportunity to make every chapter, scene, paragraph, and word, matter for eternity. 

To You, the Author and Finisher, be the glory.

Amen

The post A Prayer for Editing appeared first on Lynn H. Blackburn.

For my first post of 2019, I thought it might be fun to share some of my “what worked/what didn’t work” list with you. 

I got this idea several years ago from Anne Bogel (Modern Mrs. Darcy). It’s simple and filled with grace. This isn’t a “beat yourself up over your mistakes” method, but a calm approach to evaluating what is or isn’t working so that you can work to eliminate the negatives and repeat the positives. I like to use this method of reflection to help me think well about everything from vacations to book launches. (If you’re a writer, you might find this post interesting- it’s about how I use this method for my writing life). 

Here are a few things that made my lists for 2018.

What worked, and what didn’t work for me in 2018. #NewYear #DiveTeamInvestigations
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What Didn’t Work for Me in 2018

Scrolling. I’m embarrassed to admit this, but my phone and I have an unhealthy relationship. It’s just so easy to scroll—when I’m tired, when I’m frustrated, when I’m bored. How many hours of my life have been lost to … what? The latest Instagram post? Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy social media and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with letting your mind disconnect and scrolling aimlessly. For a little while. But I found that it was becoming my default—standing in line at Costco, waiting on my kids’ during sports practices, at the end of a long day. There are much better ways I can spend that time. 

Not Reading Enough. I love to read. I was a reader before I became a writer. Books are my first love and best friends. Oh sure, I read my own words over and over and over again, but I didn’t spend enough time reading other people’s words. 

Traveling. I love to travel. But this fall I scheduled too many trips in too short a period of time. It wasn’t good for me or my family. Lesson learned. 

Running on Empty. I’m a very task-oriented person and it’s hard for me to give myself permission to relax when there’s work to be done. But when I don’t take the time to recharge my tanks—creatively, emotionally, spiritually, physically—I can’t do anything well. 

What Worked for Me in 2018

Audiobooks. I’m a visual learner and audiobooks are not my favorite way to consume stories and information, but they totally count as reading, and in the last half of 2018 I finally jumped on the Audible bandwagon. I’m so glad I did. Not only did my kids and I enjoy listening to books as we ran errands and zipped back and forth from ballgames, but I was able to “read” while I did laundry and cooked dinner. 

Saying No. I hate to say no to people. Truly hate it. But 2018 was the year I learned to say No more than I said Yes. Finally. There’s something very freeing about knowing your calling and knowing when saying no is the right thing. 

Learning New Things. I learned to scuba dive (barely – you can read my thoughts on the beginner life here) and I learned to crochet (you can read about that here). There’s something both terrifying and frustrating about being a beginner, but it’s also so rewarding. 

Choosing to Fuel My Creativity. My sister and I purchased season tickets to the Broadway series at our local performing arts center. It was a splurge and it felt very indulgent, but three shows in (and five more waiting on me in 2019) and I’m already planning for next year. I know that live performances are one of the best ways to recharge my creative well. Having set times to do that, already on the calendar and paid for, has already proven to be a true investment in my career. Plus, it’s just a lot of fun! 

As we dive into the new year, I’m contemplating all of these things (and many more) as I prayerfully consider what 2019 needs to look like.

I hope you’ll continue to join me on this journey! It’s going to be fun!

Grace and peace,

The post 2018 In Review – Here’s What Worked and What Didn’t appeared first on Lynn H. Blackburn.

March 2018

Wow. What a crazy month!

From time to time (in theory monthly but we’ll see about that) I’m going to be sharing a list of some of the thing I’ve learned in the past month.

This idea came from two of my favorite podcasters/authors, Emily P. Freeman and Anne Bogel (aka Modern Mrs. Darcy). I find it personally fulfilling to pause at the end of the month and record the big and small and weird things I’ve learned.

1. Having the right chair is a game changer. 

When my editor accepted In Too Deep, Book 2 in the Dive Team Investigations series, I celebrated.

By buying a chair.

I know. I know. I really should try not to be so wild.

Since we turned a storage area into an office last summer, I’ve been sitting in a folding chair from a card table set and it has been killing my legs and back.

But y’all. This chair makes me insanely happy. I went to several stores and sat in a lot of chairs. I knew as soon as I sat in it that this chair was going to make my office time much more pleasant.

And it has.

2. Sometimes you need to be willing to say “yes” but say “no” anyway.

I hate to see a need that I could meet and not volunteer for the job.

Of course, I’m also insanely busy and operating at the edge of my abilities. So lately, my default answer has been an emphatic “no.” But I’m learning that sometimes I need to be truly willing to say yes, even if I don’t know how I would manage it, and then wait for God to provide clarity and direction. Because sometimes in the waiting, He shows us more about Himself and His love for us than we ever would have seen if we’d jumped to the “no” without seeking Him first.

3. Sometimes you need to be willing to say “no” but say “yes” anyway. 

Regardless of how much I have going on, there are still things I really want to say “yes” to but I have to be willing to pass on. I have work to do. Books to write. Children to love and teach. A husband who puts up with an awful lot in order for me to do what I do. I need to eat and exercise and do ALL.THE.THINGS and even though it’s hard, I say “no” to a lot of stuff that I would really enjoy.

But sometimes, even though I’m willing to say “no,”  I get to say “yes” anyway. In March, I said “yes” and purchased plane tickets for a quick trip in April with my husband to Catalina Island. I will be doing a lot of writing on the plane, but I’m thrilled not to have to pass on the chance for some kid-free time with my husband.

4. Some advice is hard to follow.

There’s a general rule for writers when it comes to reviews.

“Don’t let the good reviews go to your head. Don’t let the bad reviews go to your heart.”

I haven’t figured out how to do that yet so I’ve decided the best approach to is to avoid the reviews as much as possible.

5. I cannot function without a written planner.

My love for my bullet journal is well-documented, but as much as I love it, sometimes I start thinking it will be okay if I don’t write things down for the next week.

WRONG!

I typically think through the coming week sometime during the weekend before. At least by Sunday night. But I spent Saturday and Sunday in SCUBA class and I was exhausted and crashed early. Then I tried to wing it for the next couple of days and, well, that wasn’t the best idea I’ve ever had. If I had paused on Friday to makes *sure* I remembered what I was committed to the next week it would have saved me from a couple of close calls (and I’m still not 100% sure I haven’t forgotten something). Needless to say, it’s Friday night and I have already planned out next week.

6. I was completely unprepared for #TeamGabe.

Have you read Beneath the Surface yet? Since its release in early March, one of the things that completely caught me off guard has been the love for Homicide Investigator Gabe Chavez. I’ve received emails, Facebook messages, and in-person questions about Gabe. Always the same question.

Does Gabe get his own book?

Answer: Yes. He does. I’m writing it now. And I love that y’all love Gabe!

7. Favorite quote of the month.

“Faith is acting like it is so,

even when it is not so,

so that it might be so,

simply because God said so.”

— Tony Evans

(quoted by Priscilla Shirer in her study, The Armor of God).

What did you learn in March? I’d love for you to share it with us in the comments!

Grace and peace,

The post 7 Things I Learned in March appeared first on Lynn H. Blackburn.

Hey y’all!

It’s been a busy couple of months for me. Lots of great stuff has happened and as I’ve had a few days to switch gears from “writing mode” to “Christmas mode” I’ve been feeling rather reflective – thinking about how God has worked and moved in ways I wasn’t expecting, but how His plans are beautiful and good and how excited I am to get to be part of His Story.

That got me thinking this morning about this blog post and I wanted to share it with you today. Because even though I wrote it seven (7!!!) years ago, it’s still true (except for the part about being pregnant . . . that little boy is now almost seven years old)!!

I pray you have a blessed Christmas and a joyous New Year. Things will really be hopping over here at LynnHBlackburn.com as we prepare for the release of Beneath the Surface in March. I hope you’ll join me for all the excitement.

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From the archives – Originally posted December 24, 2010

I have a confession.

Sometimes I read a book so fast the first time through that as soon as I’m done I need to re-read it.

Why?

Because I have the patience of a gnat? Possibly.

Mainly because I am so engrossed in the story, so engaged by the characters, so entranced by the plot . . . that I HAVE to know how it ends. As soon as possible.

I have never read the last page first. That’s cheating.

But speed-reading is perfectly acceptable.

And I can read fast. Very fast.

So I zip through the book, heart racing, chewing off one nail at a time, barely stopping for food, until at last, I reach the end and all my questions have been answered.

Or have they?

Because often in my rush, I miss stuff.

Which is why I have to go back and re-read at a slower pace. I savor each word and examine each plotline and I enjoy the journey.

Because I know how it ends.

I think sometimes I live my life this way. I can’t enjoy the moment because I’m trying to figure out how it’s all going to work out. How it’s going to end.

I can’t relax into motherhood because I’m thinking five, ten, twenty years ahead. I can’t enjoy the writing process because I’m wondering about publication. I can’t enjoy the Season because I have so much to do by Saturday!

All that, combined with my own pregnancy, has had me thinking a lot about Mary.

She knew, far better than we, the consequences of accepting God’s will for her life. When the angel said “You’ll conceive and bear a son” she knew the gossip, the looks, the potential stoning, that would follow.

But beyond that, she didn’t have a clue. She didn’t know she’d watch Him grow and then someday watch Him die.

Her response to the angel?

Be it unto me, according to thy word.

My guess is that this response is the reason Mary was chosen.

And it does make me wonder.

How many things do I miss out on because I don’t respond the same way?

I analyze . . . ok . . . over-analyze. I think . . . ok . . . over-think.

But how often do I accept? Not often enough.

My Christmas prayer this year?

That I can say “Be it unto me, according to Thy word.”

And mean it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From the archives – Originally posted December 24, 2010

The post My Christmas Prayer appeared first on Lynn H. Blackburn.

Today is a big day. This project has been several months in the making and this morning I’m thrilled to unveil the new www.LynnHBlackburn.com to all of you!

Katrina Glover of kikaDESIGN worked her magic on my very random ideas and I couldn’t be happier with the final product. I’d love for you to pop over and check out the information on my books, events, and a few random things like what I don’t leave home without and what I will never do. Ever.

I’m leaving tomorrow for the American Christian Fiction Writers Conference in Dallas where I’ll be co-teaching a class on the Mentor-Mentee relationship with *my* amazing mentor, Lynette Eason. I’m looking forward to spending real face-to-face time with people I usually only get to interact with online and I’m excited to make new friends from all over the country and the world who share my passion for writing. I have meetings and dinners with my agent and publishers and I’m praying for time to write as well.

My sister is coming with me and our first priority when we land in Dallas is to go find us some Texas brisket. Then she’s going leave me to work while she makes her way down to Waco to visit the Magnolia Market at the Silos. Knowing her luck she’ll actually see Chip or Joanna. #jealous

If you want to see my ACFW adventures in (close to) real time, I’d love for you to follow my author page on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. The links are ALL OVER the new website.

Most of all, I want to say thank you for joining me on this journey and ask that you cover my writing and speaking in prayer. I am so far out of the boat that every day is a new adventure where my own fears and faith collide. I sink below the waves often but Jesus is always faithful to save me from myself and set me back on the path he has for me.

Much grace and peace to you!

Lynn

The post Exciting News – My new website is LIVE! appeared first on Lynn H. Blackburn.

I’m sitting inside a warm, dry house. We never lost power, but thanks to Hurricane Irma, yesterday was the windiest day I have ever experienced. As far as I can tell, the worst thing that has happened to us is that we lost one tree in the backyard . . . and the stray cat that adopted us a year or so ago might think she is an indoor/outdoor cat now after we brought her inside to protect her from falling debris.

But all you have to do is turn the TV on and you can see that there is so much devastation all around us. Storms of different kinds are all over the place. Harvey in Texas. Irma all over the Caribbean and the Southeast. Western states are on fire and have been for months but it isn’t making national news. They are losing homes and acres and acres of precious natural lands. Earthquakes in Mexico. And that’s just some of what’s happening in North America. There’s a whole big world out there, and we aren’t the only ones being hit and hit hard.

Your storm may not have anything to do with the weather or natural disasters. It may be the illness of a loved one, a marriage in crisis. A child on a devastating path. Financial woes that never let up.

If you feel like you have nothing left, I want to share something with you that God showed me this week as I watched the hurricane coverage.

Have you seen the videos/images of the water being sucked out of the bays and away from islands? The first one I saw was video from the Bahamas and when it first popped up on my Facebook feed, I couldn’t figure out what I was seeing. But then it happened again and again as Irma made her way to the US. The Tampa Bay event received quite a bit of news coverage.

In case you didn’t see it, it turns out that as the storm comes by, it literally sucks the ocean away from the shore. People can walk around on ground that used to be the bay because the water is g-o-n-e. It’s absolutely fascinating and awe-inspiring to think of the natural phenomenon that is taking place.

As the storm passes, the water will return and things will return to “normal” – but during the storm Tampa Bay was empty. Dry. The reporters and people they interviewed kept going on about how they’d never seen anything like it. I certainly hadn’t.

It turns out that it takes a very big and powerful storm to do this.

I watched, completely fascinated, but then as He so often does, I felt that stirring in my spirit and God showed me something.

He isn’t surprised by this at all. He knows this happens in nature and He knows this happens in our lives.

We all have a certain tolerance for a “reasonable” amount of storm activity. We all get up and go about our day with various small storms – maybe even tropical force or Category 1 storms – brewing around us.

But the BIG storms quite literally suck us dry. We have nothing left to give because all our energy has been taken up by this powerful storm.

And yet we beat ourselves up over it. We say horrible things to ourselves and feel extraordinary amounts of guilt because we’re so tired and so empty, but God is not seeing it that way.

He sees our dry bays. He sees the empty shorelines. He knows the category 5 level storms we are facing and He is not sitting there wondering why we can’t get our act together and deal with it because *HE KNOWS* what has happened.

Others may not see it. They may not understand it.

But God knows. God sees. He is still 100% in control.

If you’re walking around every day like those crazy reporters, hunched over in the wind just trying not to get blown away, my prayer for you (and for me) is that we will relax in the grace God has shown us. That we will rest in the knowledge that He is not expecting more of us that we can give.

In his time, the water will return to the bay. The waves will again lap along the shore. The storm will pass.

Be kind to yourselves friends. Give yourself and those going through huge storms around you the same grace He gives.

Grace and peace,
Lynn

Click to Tweet: Powerful storms and dried up oceans. What God showed me about his #grace during #Irma.

The post Grace in the Storm appeared first on Lynn H. Blackburn.

I’ve been hearing about this book for a while now. Heard it wasn’t like anything else out there. Heard it wasn’t going to be “for everybody.” 


Once I finally got my hands on it, I understood.


It is NOT like any thing I’ve ever read. It’s part Christian living, but not like what you think of when you hear “Christian living.” It’s part devotional, but not like what you think of when you hear “devotional.”


It is other.


Which is appropriate, because overcoming giants? Living a fruitful life? That requires something OTHER.


You don’t need me to tell me you that. You already know. You already know that the usual stuff isn’t going to cut it. And that’s why you need to read this book. 


Lori is not interested in patting you on the back and telling you a fluffy story. This is a grown up story for grown ups fighting grown up giants in grown up battles.


If you’re looking for a book full of platitudes that will make you feel better, this book isn’t for you. If you’re happy remaining childish in your faith, then you should pass.


But it you want to take your childLIKE faith and put some muscle on it? 
If you want to explore what virtue looks like in this day and age?
If you want to learn how to use Biblical knowledge in battle?
If you have issues with self-control (um, ouch), know you aren’t always as steadfast as you should be, get a little nervous about “godliness,” struggle with how to juggle affection and confrontation, and suspect that there is something missing in the way you love…then Jesus and the Beanstalk could be the very thing you didn’t even realize you were looking for.


I know. Some of you are getting a little antsy. This sounds a lot like to-dos and those of us who consider ourselves to be recovering legalists tend to have a knee-jerk reaction to anyone telling us we NEED to do ANYTHING other than trust in Jesus.


Relax.


This book is not about condemnation. 
This book is not about doing more or pulling yourself up by your own bootstraps.


It IS about putting on the whole armor of God. 
It IS about growing in our understanding of Scripture.
It IS about seeking holiness and righteousness.
It IS about Biblical sanctification. 


It is OTHER.


And it can help you live a life that will point others to Jesus and the extraordinary, better-than-any-fairytale life He offers.

About the book: 

Lori Stanley Roeleveld is the author of Running from a Crazy Man (and other adventures traveling with Jesus) and Red Pen Redemption. Her blog, LoriRoeleveld.com, was voted Top 100 Christian Blogs by RedeemingGod.com and has enjoyed over 1.5 million views. Lori lives in Hope Valley, RI.

The post Jesus and the Beanstalk by Lori Roeleveld appeared first on Lynn H. Blackburn.