LiteraryScape

Welcome back to another inspirational moment from historical Christian romance novels!

The Green-Eyed Monster

1 Corinthians 3:3 – You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men?

Paul had called the Corinthians infants in their faith because they were not yet spiritually mature. Jealousy can creep up on you or ignite in an instant. Either way, without God and a mature faith, you can easily be consumed with it. Without realizing it all your choices, words, and actions are centered around the green-eyed monster.

            Julie’s wisdom character, Mrs. Gerson, is one you will fall in love with. She is the sweet elderly neighbor who is an honorary member of the O’Connor family. Her wisdom is poured into Faith and Marcy throughout the series. In the snippet below Faith is remembering her conversation with Mrs. Gerson as she struggles with her jealousy over her sister dating the man of her dreams. Let me clarify, Faith’s sister Charity is dating the man Faith has been in love with since they were children.

“My dear, anger is a natural human emotion we all experience,” Mrs. Gerson had told her. “The Bible says to be slow to anger and sin not, making it clear anger in itself is not a sin. It’s what we do with it that’s right or wrong. Do we become bitter, or do we forgive? Ah, but jealousy, now that’s a horse of quite a different color. Jealously is a condition of the heart involving so many things that stem the flow of God’s blessings—self-pity, an ungrateful heart, bitterness, and a lack of faith that God knows what’s best for you. Understand me, Faith, few people can stand before jealousy.”

 (Julie Lessman, A Passion Most Pure, page 28)

            Stand rooted in God’s word. Grow in your faith. Beat jealousy back with prayer!

Boundless Passion

Song of Solomon 1:2-4: Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth—for your love is more delightful than wine. Pleasing is the fragrance of your perfumes; your name is like perfume poured out. No wonder the maidens love you! Take me away with you—let us hurry! Let the king bring me into his chambers.

If you are a fan of Julie’s work, then you know she packs her novels with passion. Not passion of the world, but God’s passion. We live in a fallen world and when we pursue its version of passion, we sell ourselves short of God’s boundless passion.

Yes, God is a passionate loving God and He intended for man and wife to experience that passion within the bounds of matrimony. If you don’t believe me then read Song of Solomon. Whew! That’s a love story packed with heat, desire, and passion! God put it in His word because He wants you to know that love and passion pursued according to His precepts is far more fulfilling than the passion of this world.

            Faith is struggling with the feelings and desires Collin stirs in her. Check out just a snippet of Mrs. Gerson’s response to her. This is just a small piece of a great conversation between these two that you’ll want to read!

Mrs. Gerson tilted Faith’s face in her hands. “Dear Faith, those same wonderful feelings will knit you to your husband some day in a romantic bond that God intends. The feelings you experienced when this young man kissed you—the racing heart, the lightheadedness, the overpowering warmth and sense of the moment—these are all good things. Created by a God whose love for you, if you can imagine, far surpasses how Collin made you feel. God intended for these wonderful feelings to be experienced between a man and his wife. But we live in a fallen world, my dear. Many choose to pursue such feelings outside of God’s intent.”  

(Julie Lessman, A Passion Most Pure, page 58)

            The world’s passion is cheap leaving you alone to wallow in your guilt and shame. God’s passion is rich and pure leaving you in your lover’s arms basking in love and fulfillment.

            There are so many more inspirational moments in Julie’s book, A Passion Most Pure. I could go on and on, but I will stop there. You are going to want to read this amazing love story, so I put a link below the blog post for this episode. However, I want to leave you with some words of wisdom from Mrs. Gershon.

“You know Brianna, I think of life as very much like a game. The one who created it gave us the rules by which it is to be played, rules designed to help us win, rules to help use be happy. The problem is many times we choose to play by our own rules, and then we’re at a loss to understand why we never win.”

(Julie Lessman, A Passion Most Pure, page 121)

            Seriously, read this novel! If you want an inside look at a Passion Most Pure, be sure to catch episode 76 airing this Friday on Rumble and your favorite podcast platform. Until next time happy and blessed reading!

In this episode Tiffanie and I discuss Julie Lessman’s prequel to her Daughters of Boston series, A Light in the Window. This is the love story of Marceline Murphy and Patrick O’Connor, the matriarch and patriarch of the O’Connor family.

            Julie captures her readers with an introduction to our hero, Patrick O’Connor, that is both humorous and romantic. Patrick is quite a rogue and bad boy. He and his best friend Sam are drinking the sacred wine in the confessional, because they can’t afford drinks at their favorite bar, Brannigan’s. Hilarity ensues when Father Fritz catches them. However, before they are caught Patrick shares his feelings for Marcy after seeing her from a distance.

“If I am sick, I’ve died and gone to heaven, then, ‘cause I saw my first angel today.”

“Did you, now?” Sam leaned back, a gleam in his eye as he hooked an arm behind his head. “Who and where?”

Patrick exhaled slowly, pulse picking up. “No idea who she is, but I saw her walking into the convent with Sister Francine today when I was playing basketball with Father Fritz and the guys…” He shot Sam a silly grin, but he didn’t care. “And all I can say is—I’m in love.”

(Julie Lessman, A Light in the Window page 13)

            Doesn’t that snippet make you sigh as you start to fall in love with Patrick?

            Of course, he can’t just get Marcy, the girl of his dreams. As the Southie neighborhood rogue, he’ll have to go through a God transformation to win her heart. This isn’t his first option as he makes a bet with Sam to see who gets to date Marcy. Not a good bet to make with your best friend as you can imagine.

            The battle between these two men for Marcy’s heart is rife with drama and heartache. Patrick is not the only one who must ask God to show him his weaknesses and help him make the right decision. Marcy Murphy is in love with an idea that could cost her, her happily ever-after.

Mima bent close, her words warm and husky in Marcy’s ear. “Not to worry, darlin’—the decision may be yours, but the strength and wisdom will be all His. Because never forget…” Mima tipped her face up, shoring Marcy with a deep faith carefully honed by time. “God honors those who honor Him, and He always answers their prayers.”

Her heart quickened at Mima’s word while thoughts of her struggles with Sam pummeled her mind. Those who honor Him…She closed her eyes, and peace descended while her lips moved in silent prayer. Oh, Lord please—let that be me! (Julie Lessman, A Light in the Window page 266)

            We can guarantee you will not only be hooked by A Light in the Window, but hog-tied! LiteraryScape gives Julie’s novel 5 lassos out of 3 as it exceeds our expectations!

The adventure, mystery, and romance level for A Light in the Window are as follows:

Adventure = espresso

Mystery = espresso

Romance = Double Latte

Rating Scale: espresso=very little, mocha = medium amount, latte = a lot

Be sure to get your copy of A Light in the Window Today, by clicking on our affiliate link below! Next week we’ll dig into A Passion Most Pure as follow Patrick and Marcy into parenthood and WWI. Until next time happy and blessed reading!

2 Corinthians 6:18: “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”

Welcome back to another inspirational moment from historical Christian romance novels!

First of all, I hope everyone had a wonderful summer break! As we head back into the school year, I pray God goes before you and blesses each day as you serve Him!

I am thrilled to come back from summer with a series by one of my favorite authors, Julie Lesman! Today’s inspirational moment comes from her novel A Light in the Window. We will be discussing this book further in Friday’s episode, so be sure to tune in!

Julie packs her novels with grit, drama, passion, and God’s truth, so I will share a few inspirational messages from her novel. They all circle back to the fact that God is our Father. We are His sons and daughters. And He is a good, awesome, and loving Father!

Thwarted View of God

I want to start by talking about the potential we have in carrying a thwarted view of God in our minds. Julie’s hero Patrick O’Connor has a demeaning father who is abusive both physically and verbally. Patrick compensates by leaning on his own confidence and ability to have any woman he wants. Which he does, as he is the Greek god of the Southie Neighborhood.

That is until he meets the woman of his dreams Marceline Murphy. She is a woman of God who has no desire to be with the neighborhood rogue. I say all of this to set up the snippet of a scene between Patrick and Marceline. He is practically begging Marcy to give him a chance. Let’s listen to the snippet and then dive in to find God’s truth! (This snippet starts off in Patrick’s head as he recalls his father’s words to him.)

“You’re a waste of a man, Patrick O’Connor,” his father would say, “selling your soul to the devil instead of living for God.” But then it was “God” Who belittled him through the very judgment in his father’s eyes, rejected him through the condemnation in his father’s barbs. While the devil had only given him free reign to be accepted and approved, if only in the eyes and hearts of Southie lasses. Defiance steeled his jaw. All but one. His gaze flicked up to the blue eyes soft with pity and angel’s face gentled with empathy that was nothing more than condescension in disguise. Oh, how he craved to turn his back the very faith she espoused. (Julie Lessman, A Light in the Window page 86)

The scene spirals out of control from here as you can well imagine. However, I want to stop and look at Patrick’s thwarted view of God. He equates God the Father with his earthly father, yet the two are nothing alike.

Unfortunately, many of us have been or still are stuck in this thwarted view of God, just like Patrick. In fact, Julie also held the same view as Patrick until she surrendered her life to our only one true Father, God Himself!

I was blessed with a wonderful loving earthly father who provided and protected. Which was quite a job for him as God gave him six daughters! Yeah, you can imagine but let’s get back to the topic here. I have always viewed our Heavenly Father as loving and protective because that is the example my father gave me.

Now, I don’t share this to make anyone feel bad about their father or to raise mine up because as great as my dad is, he’s still human and makes mistakes. I share my experience to show you how our earthly fathers have the influence and power to set us up for a loving relationship with God or to push us away to the point we hate our Heavenly Father and want nothing to do with Him.

A man’s lack of faith and willingness to compromise will be passed on for three generations. A man who stands in faith and lives for God blesses his family for generations to come. (Pastor Jim Brown) Our father’s carry a huge responsibility. One they can excel at if they surrender their life to God.

If your earthly father has not provided you with an example of our Heavenly Father that reflects God’s great love for you, then I want you to know that God is the best and most loving Father you will ever have. He will never leave nor forsake you. Don’t let your earthly father thwart your view of God!

I want to quickly address this line from Patrick’s thoughts: While the devil had only given him free reign to be accepted and approved, if only in the eyes and hearts of Southie lasses. This is how Satan works. He disguises himself and highlights the good while covering the death that comes from your sins. He accuses you and assigns you an identity in shame, keeping you from God’s freedom. (Pastor Mike Sillman)

Don’t fall for the devil’s schemes. Cling to God’s word and tell Satan to take a hike!

The Power of Prayer

Julie brings in a wonderful mentor for Patrick, Father Fritz. He’s full of wisdom and quite a hoot to boot! He lead’s Patrick through his God transformation. I am going to share a snippet of a conversation between the two of them where Father Fritz is encouraging Patrick to beseech God in prayer.

It was Patrick’s turn to laugh. “Come on, Father, do you really think God would listen to me any more than Marcy did?”

Father Fritz studied him with a faint smile. “Actually, Patrick, He has a propensity for prayers uttered from the heart, especially when one bows his knee at His throne.” He squinted, scratching the edge of his chin. “Tends to be a wee bit partial, He does, to a man after His own heart as I recall. Just look at King David in the Bible--a bit of a rogue such as yourself, lusting after another man’s wife, and yet God called him ‘a man after His own heart.’ Why?” Father Fitz leaned in, his gaze pinning Patrick to the wall. “Because he repented of his sins and moved on to be the man God called him to be--a man who not only lives his life for God, mind you…but with Him.” He slowly leaned back in his chair, his eyes never leaving Patrick’s face. “Something tells me, my boy, that before a man can truly win the heart of a woman like Marceline Murphy, his own heart must be aligned with God’s. So…if this young woman means to you all you say she does…”

A nerve twittered in Patrick’s temple. “She does.”

“Well, then I would think you’d want to hedge your bets with a chat or two with the Almighty, wouldn’t you?” (Julie Lessman, A Light in the Window page 196)

Wow, what a powerful scene! Prayer often tends to be our last resort, but it should be our first line of defense. In fact, praying and talking to God should be as natural as talking to your best friend and something you do daily. Prayer is powerful and I don’t say that to be cheesy, I truly believe it. I love how Julie says we should hedge our bets with a chat with the Almighty. All I can say is Amen because when God is in the middle of it, anything is possible!

Patrick is not the only one who struggles throughout this novel. Marcy is facing her own doubts and fears. She is blessed with a wonderful mother and grandmother who pour wisdom into her. Here is a snippet of a conversation with her grandmother.

Mima bent close, her words warm and husky in Marcy’s ear. “Not to worry, darlin’—the decision may be yours, but the strength and wisdom will be all His. Because never forget…” Mima tipped her face up, shoring Marcy with a deep faith carefully honed by time. “God honors those who honor Him, and He always answers their prayers.” (Julie Lessman, A Light in the Window, page 266)

God answers our prayers in His timing, which isn’t always aligned with our timing. Your prayers do not have an expiration date. Seek God’s will and pray unceasingly!

I could go on with the many inspirational moments Julie gives her readers, but I will stop here. You will love Patrick and Marcy’s story! I strongly recommend it along with all of Julie’s books. I will put a link to A Light in the Window below.

In Friday’s episode Tiff and I will dive into the novel and give you the scoop! Then next week we will follow Patrick and Marcy as they navigate WWI with their family, in Julie’s novel, A Passion Most Pure. Until next time happy and blessed reading!

1 Peter 3:7: Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives and treat her with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.

Welcome back to another inspirational moment from historical Christian romance novels.

There are many verses in the bible that address marriage and the roles and responsibilities of the husband and wife. Unfortunately, many of these verses are taken out of context to serve worldly views and selfish desires. Marriage is not for the selfish, but rather the selfless.

Marriage is a gift from God; therefore, he provides us with instructions so that we can fully experience His blessing. I love how Jody Hedlund weaves this into her novel, The Last Chance Cowboy.

This scene happens right before Dylan marries Catherine. Of course, their marriage was fast and one of convenience.

“I trust that you’ll make it your mission to love your wife the way Christ instructed?” “Didn’t realize Christ had instructions for me.”… “Yes.”… “The Bible most certainly has advice for how husbands are to love their wives.”… “Maybe we can sit down soon and you can fill me in on the advice.”

(Hedlund, Jody p. 73 The Last Chance Cowboy)

Our pastor always says that who you marry is the second most important decision in your life. Marriage is not something to take lightly. His advice is to pray and focus on running your race for God. Soon a man or woman of God will be running beside you. At that point turn and say hello!

I will leave you with this thought: Men of God make the best husbands. Women of God make the best wives.

            Today I am bringing you the third book in Crystal Caudill’s Hidden Hearts of the Gilded Age series(affiliate link). We had Crystal on the show back in March where we discussed the prequel and first two books in this series. I have to say, Crystal ups the game each time she writes a book. I cannot wait to read her future books! Now let’s dig into Counterfeit Faith!

            I just have to say that Crystal created the perfect woman for Josiah. Gwendolyn is sweet, courageous, and wise. Which makes her the best fit for Josiah, who is chivalrous romantic with a propensity to flirt and save a damsel in distress. However, when he finds the one, he is hopelessly devoted, and Gwen finds all his flirtations focused on her!

            Gwen and Josiah’s love story is quite the adventure, as there are many foul players with deplorable morals, living near them. As we know Gwen is the Matron of Final Chance House of Refuge. Taking in children from the streets is a joy, but there’s also danger. One of the former boys, Quincy, returns to make life miserable and dangerous for everyone.

            Crystal Caudill did an amazing job at creating a rather dark and dangerous character. Here is a little snippet from page 14.

“Maybe, I’ll start with setting flame to your skirts like the witch you always were.” Quincy stopped walking, lost in the imaginings of his depraved mind. “Yes, that’s what I’ll do. Just a foretaste of what can happen if you open your yap.”

There was no doubt he’d do it. He’d tortured animals that he’d claimed to adore. How much more delight would he take in harming his enemies?

            Far more is revealed about Quincy, that will send a cold chill up your spine. He is one depraved man, who soon gets his comeuppance.

            You will also discover why Josiah has been engaged nine times, plus he has a secret that only his family knows, until Gwen comes along. There are so many revelations throughout this book it is sure to keep you turning the page. I cannot share much more without giving things away, so I will stop here. Although I would love to discuss this book further!

            I am sure we will have Crystal back on the show this fall as her final novella for the Hidden Hearts of the Gilded Age, releases in September.

LiteraryScape gives Counterfeit Faith 3 lassos! We are sure this book will have you hooked, and hog tied!

Element ratings for Counterfeit Faith (affiliate link):

Adventure: Mocha

Romance: Mocha

Mystery: Latte

(Rating Scale: Latte= A Lot, Mocha = Medium, Espresso = An Expression)

Be sure to visit Crystal Caudill’s website to stay up to date on her latest releases. I’ll have a link in the blog post for this episode.

Titus 2:11-14: For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope-the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

Welcome back to another inspirational moment from historical Christian romance novels.

These verses from Titus are so encouraging as we face our temptations and vices on a daily basis. We all have them. Maybe for you it’s gossip, or lust, or alcohol, or vanity, or pride. Whatever the temptation or vice is, we have the strength to turn away from it when we turn to God.

I love how the verses say for the grace of God brings us salvation and teaches us to say no to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age. For the grace of God. What would we do without Him?

In today’s world where the devil’s lies have taken a root hold on society, and I am sure you can think of many of them, it becomes harder and harder to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives. Yet when we do, we honor God, further His kingdom, and strengthen the faith and backbone of our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. For it is not only for your sake that you turn from your temptations, but for the sake of others and God’s Kingdom.

We’ve been talking about Dylan from Jody Hedlund’s Last Chance Cowboy. He is the prodigal son who has run away from his vices not only for himself, but for the sake of others and to honor his God who saved him.

But since the day he’d left Chicago, he’d run away from his vices and hadn’t looked back. Like the prodigal son, he’d repented of his waywardness. He’d taken to hear the words of Psalm 1 and vowed not to walk in the counsel of the ungodly, not to stand in the way of sinners, not to sit in the seat of the scornful.

(Hedlund, Jody p. 36 The Last Chance Cowboy)

Dylan’s story is the perfect ending to Jody Hedlund’s Colorado Cowboy’s series. If you have not read this series yet I highly recommend it. You will be inspired by all the obstacles God helps this family overcome.

I will leave you with this final thought: Exercising self-control is possible with God.

Welcome back to another summer reading recommendation. Today I will give you the scoop on Beloved Beulah (affiliate link). This is the fourth book in Danni Roan’s Strong Heart Open Spirit series. (Read back cover)

Beulah is not your typical heroine and Silas is not your typical hero, yet their story will capture your heart. I think too often we say love and passion is only for the young, but we can have it no matter what our age. Danni Roan shows this in Beulah and Silas’s love story.

I enjoyed the sweet gentleness of this love story. If you are looking for a quick read with a slower pace then, this is the book for you. It is only 88 pages long and filled with a sweet and gentle love between Beulah and Silas.

There is also a surprise ending that I personally enjoyed, simply because of my own life’s circumstances. However, I will stop there because I don’t want to give the surprise away!

LiteraryScape gives Beloved Beulah 2.5 lassos! We are sure this book will have you hooked and semi-hog tied.

Element ratings for Beloved Beulah (affiliate link):

Adventure: Espresso

Romance: Mocha

Mystery: Espresso

(Rating Scale: Latte= A Lot, Mocha = Medium, Espresso = An Expression)

John 1:16: From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another.

Welcome back to another inspirational moment from historical Christian romance novels.

Grace is defined in my NIV bible as God’s free and unmerited favor for sinful humanity. Merriam-Webster gives these definitions: 1) unmerited divine assistance given to humans for their regeneration or sanctification, 2) a virtue coming from God, 3) a state of sanctification enjoyed through divine assistance.

When I think about grace, I always pair it with mercy which is forgiving and compassionate. I was once told that mercy is God sparing us from his full wrath because of our sin. Basically, sparing us from the punishment we deserve because of our sin. Grace is what God extends to us when we repent and turn to Him.

In Jody Hedlund’s novel, The Last Chance Cowboy, we finally get Dylan, the prodigal son’s story. If you’ve read the series then you know that Dylan has been chasing the pleasures of this world in order to satisfy the void in which only God can fill. His sins had caught up with him and he was driven from his home and family. God shows him mercy by providing a way for him to return home and start again as a man of God. Here is a little snippet of Dylan expressing his thanks to God.

“Thank you for lettin’ me come back here. For giving me a second chance.” His whispered prayer settled in the silence around him, broken only by the nearby trickling of a creek filled with melting runoff.

(Hedlund, Jody p.34 The Last Chance Cowboy)

We’ve all been in Dylan’s shoes. We battle with the flesh and sometimes our sinful nature carries far away from God. When we finally come back to Him, he showers us with His grace and mercy, through second chances. I don’t know about you, but I am glad our God is the God of second chances because I’ve certainly had my fair share of them.

I realize Dylan is a fictional character, but his story shows God’s grace and mercy in action. His life is filled with blessings as he reunites with his family. He isn’t spared from the consequences of his sin, but he is able to face them through the grace of God. You’ll have to read the story to find out how God blesses him even through his consequences.

I will leave you with this final thought: Our God is the God of second chances!

Welcome back to another summer reading recommendation. Today I will give you the scoop on Sadina’s Stocking (affiliate link). This is the third book in Danni Roan’s Strong Heart Open Spirit series.

Sadina’s story will capture your heart immediately. She married a man whom she thought loved her, but she soon found out he had wondering eyes. When he left her alone and destitute to raise their daughter, her mother-in-law turned on her along with others in the community. Sadina does her best to provide for her daughter, while staying in the shadows.

Edward has been in love with Sadina since they were children. Family affairs took him away for a few years. He’s come back with the hope of making Sadina his wife. He’s surprised by where her life is but not deterred from his goal of marrying his childhood sweetheart.

Sadina struggles to get past her trust issues and feeling unworthy of Edward’s love. Edward works to show Sadina she is not only worthy of his love, but it is freely given to her as she has captured his heart.

Moving to his ranch should be a fresh start for Sadina and her daughter, yet her insecurities haunt her. There is a beautiful young woman in town who is very forward with Edward in hopes of stealing him away from Sadina. You’ll love how Edward puts her in her place.

At this point you may be wondering why the book is titled Sadina’s stocking. Well, as you can imagine she lives with a fear of being  abandoned by her husband. Even though Edward tells her daily how much he loves her, the young woman from town places doubt in her mind. Sadina’s stocking provides her with a safety net should she need. However, she’ll use her stocking to show Edward he has won her trust.

This is a short and sweet romance that will have you falling in love with the handsome rancher, Edward and Sadina’s sweet daughter.

LiteraryScape gives, Sadina’s Stocking (affiliate link) 2.5 lassos! We are sure this book will have you hooked and semi-hog tied.

Element ratings for Sadina’s Stocking (affiliate link):

Adventure: Espresso

Romance: Mocha

Mystery: Espresso

(Rating Scale: Latte= A Lot, Mocha = Medium, Espresso = An Expression)

Sadina’s Stocking (affiliate link) is the third book in Danni’s Strong Hearts: Open Spirit series (affiliate link). All four books can be found on Kindle. Currently, they are part of Kindle Unlimited.

I am a big fan of reading paperback books, but I’ve recently enjoyed several books with my Kindle Unlimited subscription (affiliate link). If you find yourself traveling this summer, then Kindle Unlimited (affiliate link) is the best way to bring your library with you!

Until next time happy and blessed reading!

Christ the Solid Rock

Matthew 7:25: The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.

Welcome back to another inspirational moment from historical Christian romance novels.

Today’s inspirational moment gives such a visual and for me has been any easy concept to understand, but one that is easily forgotten during trials. I am going to read the entire parable, because Jesus said it best when he taught the difference between the wise builder and the foolish builder.

Mathew 7:24-27: “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.

Picture your dream home. The one you’ve built in your head a thousand times. Now imagine you have the opportunity to build that dream home. Would you build it without a foundation? Would you build it in a flood zone? Of course not!

Yet too often we end up like Ivy, in Jody Hedlund’s novel, Falling for the Cowgirl. She’s placed her hope in man and you slowly see her world crumble. First the man she loves walks away from her thinking it’s what’s best for after her brother’s chase him off. Then her baby niece, whom she is close to, dies. You can see how her world is crumbling. I won’t give any more away, in case you haven’t read the book. However, through these events and how she reacts to them, you realize she has been putting God on the back burner and placing her trust in man.

Thankfully, Judd pushes Ivy to get up and keep living.

"You get on with building your life on the good Lord 'cause He's the only thing that ain't gonna crumble away when the going gets rough and people leave you behind. Believe me, I oughta know."

(p. 297 Falling for the Cowgirl by Jody Hedlund)

Your life is your house. Jesus is giving you the opportunity to build your life, your hopes, your dream on Christ the solid rock. He will never leave you nor forsake you. During your trials he walks with you and give you strength, peace, and courage.

Don’t waste your time constantly rebuilding your life because you’ve placed your hope in man. Reach out and take Jesus’s hand. Build your life on Him and you’ll never have to rebuild your life from the ground up again.

I will leave you with this final thought: Keep your feet on firm ground by trusting in God, not man.