Never Abandoned

It's often true that family relationships are complicated.

In my novel, most of my characters are from the same family. They didn't always get along. In the beginning there was an event that caused a rift - a chasm so wide it felt impossible to ever cross.

It took a lot of prayer, a change of perspective, and a heavenly visitor to get things moving in the right direction.

Now, if you have tension in your family, I can't promise God will send an angel to help - although He might! - but I do believe in the power of prayer to get the ball rolling.

The first relationship that must be restored is the one between you and Your heavenly Father.

Although it's not easy, it is pretty simple to get in right relationship with God:

• Admit you have messed up. 1 John 1:9
• Believe He is who He says He is - and say it! Hebrews 11:6 and Romans 10:9-10
• Change direction. Acts 3:19  (After all, the way you have been going hasn't been working for you, right?) 

Once you sincerely do those things, God looks upon you as His child. And He never gives up on His child.

For God has said, "I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” ~ Hebrews 13:5b - NLT

Then, you can concentrate on your other relationships.

And listen, God is all about reconciliation. He will work with you on making things right.

Talk to Him about it.

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Thanks for dropping by. Next time, we will discuss forgiveness which is key in working out relationships.

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This post was inspired by the prompt "abandon" shared at the Five Minute Friday community.

I'm including this post as part of my series, My Writing Life, which will have 1-2 posts a week exploring my life as a writer of a novel. 

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I write for believers, but if you are not a believer and would like to know more, visit A Ticket Home. to find the way Home.

Sharing at Five Minute Friday

All photos created in PicMonkey by Jerralea using personal, family and stock photos. Please do not copy

Not by Sight

Sometimes, our goals and dreams don't look like they are going to happen. But I'm here to tell you if God gave you a dream, it's going to happen.

I stand on 2 Corinthians 5:7 which says:

For we walk by faith, not by sight.

It might look unlikely but don't count your dream dead. If it is truly from God, He is working in the background, bringing things together and at just the right time, it will all come together, and you will be amazed.

For instance, I've poured a lot of effort into my novel. I've wrestled with the thing until it now numbers 98,000 hope-filled words. 

My vision is a book that will encourage people to believe no matter what they have done, there is still a chance for redemption. It's possible to become a new person. 

No, I don't have the book in hand yet, but it is closer to being completed than ever before.

I will not give up on my dream because the Lord gave it to me.

Do you have a dream that you are holding onto? Remember, if you could see it, you wouldn't need faith.

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This post was written in response to the prompt, "sight," provided by the community of writers at Five Minute Friday.

I'm including this post as part of my series, My Writing Life, which will have 1-2 posts a week exploring my life as a writer of a novel. 

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I write for believers, but if you are not a believer and would like to know more, visit A Ticket Home. to find the way Home.

Sharing at Five Minute Friday, InstaEncouragements Link-Up

All photos created in PicMonkey by Jerralea using personal, family and stock photos. Please do not copy

A Brief Intro

 

Hello readers,

For anyone new, I thought I would share a brief intro.

I'm Jerralea, a daughter of the King of the Universe, a wife, mother, and MiMi, author, blogger and bible teacher.

I always say, “I write bible-based words for the discouraged so they can have hope.”

You might ask, "What makes you qualified to speak to the discouraged?"

In my 70 years of living, I've experienced alcoholism in the family, infertility, my spouse having bipolar disorder, job losses, a flood trying to destroy my home, church hurt, loss of loved ones and many other changes.

Yet through it all, I have learned to stand on God's word. He has never let me down.

As a blogger, I invite you to drop in regularly for words of encouragement from the Word of God. I love to share the nuggets God gives me.

As an author, my book will be an encouraging read as well. My characters are not perfect by any means, but they have learned there is no pit so deep that God will not redeem you. Conflict and forgiveness are deeply engraved across the pages because everyone of us needs forgiveness. 

I invite you to follow along to learn more.

This  post was written in response to the prompt, "brief" chosen by the group of writers at the Five Minute Friday community.

I'm also launching a new series, My Writer Life, which will have 1-2 posts a week exploring my life as a writer of a novel. 

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I write for believers, but if you are not a believer and would like to know more, visit A Ticket Home. to find the way Home.

Sharing at Five Minute Friday 

All photos created in PicMonkey by Jerralea using personal, family and stock photos. Please do not copy

Who Is Really Responsible?

Sometimes I feel I'm responsible for everything.

Do you ever feel that way?

But as a believer, I must remember the Lord is really in charge.

Scripture tells me He is my strength, my help, and He will uphold me with His strong right arm of victory. (See Isaiah 41:10)

So what is my part?

No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good,
    and this is what he requires of you:
to do what is right, to love mercy,
    and to walk humbly with your God.

Michah 6:8

If I do what is right, be merciful and humble, that is all that is required. I'm not responsible for the rest. He is.

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In my novel, Dee McCloud takes out her frustrations on Sharon Ford for something her father did.

Let's listen in:

"Before Sharon could stop herself, words tumbled out of her mouth. "Mrs. McCloud, I'm so sorry you’re consumed with hate. My daughter and I are not your enemies. We can't help what my father did. We hate it just as much as you do!” Chest heaving, she spat out, “Are you held responsible for everything your family ever did?"

Later,

"Then Dee burst out, “I can’t believe she said that!”

Bill calmly laid his napkin down. “You mean, when she asked if we wanted to be held responsible for everything our family ever did?”

“I hate when people mention Uncle Buford and his shenanigans.”

“True,” Bill responded, “and it is unjust to blame us all these years later. It’s not like we encouraged him in his choices.”

She crossed her arms and stared at Bill. He looked at her steadily with a slight one-sided smile.

Finally, Dee’s resignation revealed itself in the form of a sigh. “And I guess it is unjust for me to blame Sharon for what that nutcase did 30 years ago.”

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Perhaps when we are frustrated with someone, we should look and see who is really responsible for the situation.

Something to think about!

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This  post was written in response to the prompt, "responsible" chosen by the group of writers at the Five Minute Friday community.

I'm also launching a new series, My Writer Life, which will have 1-2 posts a week exploring my life as a writer of a novel. 

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I write for believers, but if you are not a believer and would like to know more, visit A Ticket Home. to find the way Home.

Sharing at Five Minute Friday

All photos created in PicMonkey by Jerralea using personal, family and stock photos. Please do not copy

Are You Approved?

As a writer, my goal is to use my words to uplift and encourage, and sometimes, to make one think.

There are times when I hesitate to push the publish buttons because I want my readers to approve of my message.

But, there is Someone whose approval is more important.

Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15 NLT

 

I want to be a 2 Timothy 2:15 writer!

In my book, one of my characters, Darren,  observes how only wanting to associate with the approved social set in his world can lead to conflict.

"I see all the conflict that Joe Lee and Sharon have gone through. The family is in an uproar that he chose someone not approved from our social set. Some of them are quite ugly about it. I haven’t wanted to subject you to their nastiness.

It really gets me. We go to church and sing “Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world,” but heaven help us if an outsider wants to become part of our world.

I mean, Jesus wasn’t like that! Think about it. I’m not a preacher, but the story about the Good Samaritan tells me that a person with real religion helps people even if they are not from his same neighborhood."

The truth is: We will all present ourselves before God.  We need to be sure we know His truth and not what the world presents as truth.

Here at the Journey, and also in my novel, I am striving to share bible-based words of truth. I hope you follow along. 

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This  post was written in response to the prompt, "approve" chosen by the group of writers at the Five Minute Friday community.

I'm also launching a new series, My Writer Life, which will have 1-2 posts a week exploring my life as a writer of a novel. 

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I write for believers, but if you are not a believer and would like to know more, visit A Ticket Home. to find the way Home.

Sharing at Five Minute Friday, InstaEncouragements Link-Up, Let's Have Coffee

All photos created in PicMonkey by Jerralea using personal, family and stock photos. Please do not copy

Boundaries Must Be Set

As a writer, I have found boundaries must be set to protect my time.Time can flitter away before I know it. 

In fact, anything worthwhile needs time set aside to accomplish the goal. If it is worth doing, it's worth sacrificing your free time.

We live in a time when we are very easily distracted. We have an information overload going on and it can be very tempting to listen to every voice that comes along.

I will never be able to read all the books in the world  - I probably will never even finish all the books in my genre.

There is not enough time in the day to listen to every podcast - and I do love listening. But, I can't keep up with everyone.

So, I must choose between all the voices in my world.

Here's the best guide I have ever heard when it comes to who or what gets my attention:

Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies. Philippians 4:8-9 THE MESSAGE

 

I have determined to set boundaries against anything that encroaches on a positive, faith-filled mindset. I believe God has great things in store for me and my family. I am putting my trust in Him and keeping my mind focused on Him.

What about you?

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This  post was written in response to the prompt, "boundary" chosen by the group of writers at the Five Minute Friday community.

I'm also launching a new series, My Writer Life, which will have 1-2 posts a week exploring my life as a writer of a novel. This series will go well with my Birthing My Book series. Hope you follow along!

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I write for believers, but if you are not a believer and would like to know more, visit A Ticket Home. to find the way Home.

Sharing at Five Minute Friday

All photos created in PicMonkey by Jerralea using personal, family and stock photos. Please do not copy

Ordinary Life: I'm Here For It

 

Love this quote by Laura Ingalls Wilder:

"I am beginning to learn that it is the sweet simple things of life which are the real ones after all."

When you think back over your life, it's the daily little happenings that stick in your mind.

For example, I smile thinking of my childhood home and my dad saying, "Pass the rabbit food." (His term for a lettuce salad.)

My heart melts when I remember little things my children did when they were little: Lissa telling her daddy, "I gotta go home and cook," when she wanted to play with her new toy kitchen; Janae saying, "I too," when told "I love you," and Malia declaring, "Ever'thing good happens on a Sattaday."

I absolutely love recalling the grandkids sweet little voices singing happy birthday to MiMi and helping me blow out the candles on the birthday cake. 

I wouldn't take a million dollars for those memories!

In my book, I use Sister Clara's dining room table as the setting for a lot of scenes in my character's lives. There's just something about being at a table, whether having a meal, or sipping hot beverages, that embodies love and comfort. Words of understanding are expressed here. Open bibles and notepads often adorn the table as ideas are discussed. Sometimes both tears and giggles happen here.

Ordinary life happens at the table, and I'm here for it!

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Do you have favorite ordinary memories? We'd love to hear about it!

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This is Day 21 of taking my reader along a journey with me as I birth my book. I hope you consider checking in daily to see my progress.

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I write for believers, but if you are not a believer and would like to know more, visit A Ticket Home. to find the way Home.

Sharing at Five Minute Friday.

What are you reading?

Writers are readers. It's a fact.

I've always been a voracious reader even when I was a child. It was my coping mechanism. When life got too much, I would disappear into a good story.

One of the reasons I want to become an author is to write stories that give people hope. Maybe they will pick up something I have written when events have disrupted the flow of their lives.

I want words of truth woven into a good story to be a way the reader can be encouraged when the book is finished and it's time to step back into the real world.

Do you have some favorite authors?

Recently, I read Carrie Watts' book, Crisis of Faith. It was written for young adults but I think everyone can get a message of hope out of it.

Another recent treasure I found is the phenomenally popular, Theo of Golden, by first-time author, Allen Levi. It was a page-turner that was definitely hard for me to put down. I think one of the things I loved most about the book was the individual stories of every person Theo took the time to discover. 

It makes me wonder ... what are the stories of everyone I come across ... and how can I find out?

Do you reach for a good story when something disrupts the way you want things to be?

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This is Day 12 of taking my reader along a journey with me as I birth my book. I hope you consider checking in daily to see my progress.

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I'm also linking this post with the writers at the Five Minute Friday community. Their prompt this week is "disrupt" and I think a good story is the way to fight against disruption when it comes - as it always will.

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I write for believers, but if you are not a believer and would like to know more, visit A Ticket Home. to find the way Home.

Sharing at Sweet Tea & Friends, Five Minute Friday

All photos created in PicMonkey by Jerralea using personal, family and stock photos. Please do not copy

How I Shifted to Writing Fiction

Dear Readers, my blog recently celebrated its eighteenth blogiversary and my one millionth reader. (I know one million is not a lot for 18 years, but it's still exciting that a lot of people at least read some of my words over the years) 

I started blogging with the idea of relating family stories to preserve for my kids and grandkids.

As time went on, I really enjoyed blogging about insights I had received regarding the Word of God. I began to believe some day I would write either a devotional or perhaps a bible study.

One day, I saw on Facebook that a former creative writing teacher who had visited our church was offering a free Writer's Club online. She would give prompts, and then we would write a story on the prompt and turn it it. We would meet once a week to go over what we had written and she would teach us a nugget about the craft of writing.

I am always up for a challenge, so I dove in and became a member of the club. I absolutely loved it! I was such fun and quickly became the highlight of my week.

I learned there was a reason God had given me such an imagination.

In fact, one story I had written for one of her prompts would not leave my brain. I kept thinking of more to add to the story until I realized, "Hey, this character has a story that needs to be told."

And that is how I made the shift from blogger to fiction writer.

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This post was written in response to the prompt, "shift," provided by the Five Minute Friday writing community.

It was also written as Day 6 of taking my reader along a journey with me as I birth my book. I hope you consider checking in daily to see my progress.

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I write for believers, but if you are not a believer and would like to know more, visit A Ticket Home. to find the way Home.

Sharing at Five Minute Friday

All photos created in PicMonkey by Jerralea using personal, family and stock photos. Please do not copy. 

I can't afford to wait.

Readers, I'm in the last third of my life and I can't afford to wait any longer to share the story God has given me.

I'm hard at work on my fiction series in progress called "The Hesed Files," stories of how God uses His angels to participate in unfailing love and mercy. Book One, Morgan's Redemption, chronicles a family's journey through secrets, pain, bitterness, loss and transformation into children of God.

I wrote it to bring you hope. Because, all believers are being transformed into what God had planned them to be. You are, after all, His masterpiece.* But I know life can be discouraging and dark.

I want to share with you the hope I find in scripture. My passion is to show you through the words and ideas I share with you to convince you no one is beyond redemption.

Never give up praying. While there is breath, there is hope.

I also can't afford to miss telling you something the Lord impressed upon me in 2019 because I feel He wants me to share it with everyone. 

What if you believed, reqally believed, that goodness and mercy is chasing you down?**

Would that belief make a difference in your outlook? I believe it can.

Join me in the coming days and weeks. I'm going to take you with me on the journey of birthing my book. Dear Reader, will you come?

* Ephesians 2:10

** Psalm 23:6

All photos created in PicMonkey by Jerralea using personal, family and stock photos. Please do not copy. 

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I write for believers, but if you are not a believer and would like to know more, visit A Ticket Home. to find the way Home.

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This post was written in response to the prompt, "afford," provided by the Five Minute Friday writing challenge. We write for five minutes on a prompt. (Adding links, scriptures, graphics, etc. takes longer.)

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Sharing at Five Minute Friday and Sweet Tea & Friends

Come Follow My Journey Through the Phases of Becoming a Published Author

 A phase is a distinct stage in a process; a single part of a larger plan, project, or process.

As a writer, I'm in the developmental stage of achieving my dream. I've written my manuscript, I've worked on it with a coach, and now I'm in the editing phase. 

At some point, I will be in the launch phase where I encourage others to help me bring my message into the world

I found these statistics about wanting to be a writer:

80% to 81% say they want to write a book.
15% actually start writing.
3% manage to finish a full manuscript.
1% or less get a book published. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Hey! I'm excited! I'm in the 3%.

Since so many are interested in writing, I thought it might be fun to invite you follow me through the phases of being a writer.

In August, I will be writing a series of blog posts about the process of publishing a book.

I hope you will be a part of the series, read and comment. I can't know what readers want if I don't ask.

Here's my first question:  do you want to be a writer?

All photos created in PicMonkey by Jerralea using personal, family and stock photos. Please do not copy. 

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This post was written in response to the prompt, "phase," provided by the Five Minute Friday writing challenge. We write for five minutes on a prompt. (Adding links, scriptures, graphics, etc. takes longer.)

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Would you like to follow along in my Book Birthing series? Click on the links below:

Day 1 - Morning Routine

Day 2 - What's in Your Cup? 

Day 3 - Grateful for Salvation Stories 

Day 4 - The Book that Changed My Life

Day 5 - What Bible Verse are You Living This Week?

Day 6 - How I Shifted to Writing Fiction

Day 7 - The Writing Room

Day 8 - Sunset

Day 9 - Praising the Beauty Maker

Day 10 - It's Contagious

Day 11 - Gentle Humor

Day 12 - What Are You Reading?

Day 13 - We Need Reminding

Day 14 - Sharing Good Books

Day 15 - Grandparents Make Memories

Day 16 - Music to Type By

Day 17 - Tools for the Job

Day 18 - Knowledge is Never Wasted

Day 19 - Can I Ask You Something?

Day 20 - Experiencing Faith Even When There's A Problem

Day 21 - Ordinary Life: I'm Here for It

Day 22 - Grateful for the Help

Day 23 - He Is There.

Day 24 - Pantser or Planner?

Day 25 - Coming Soon!

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Thanks for dropping by the Journey! I want to always share my post, A Ticket Home. for those who might not know the way Home.

Sharing at Five Minute Friday and Let's Have Coffee