If you’re looking for gift ideas, some of my writing friends have created a Gift-Giving Guide for readers who like devotionals and inspirational nonfiction.
This guide is available as a PDF to view online or to download. Please be patient and give it a few minutes to load–it’s beautifully done, which means lots of images and links to purchase anything that catches your eye.
Interested? Just click the image above or click here: Connecting with God.
Need a little daily encouragement this December?
Give yourself five minutes and pour a cup of your favourite hot beverage. Let’s read a Bible verse or two and remind ourselves of the Reason for the Season.
In your busyness and life circumstances, good or bad…
In your relationships, sweet or strained…
These short, uplifting readings will strengthen your spirit and inspire your heart.
May this Christmas season bring at least one new treasured memory, and may you be blessed to be a blessing.
Print version includes prayer journal pages.
For those in the Halifax, Nova Scotia, area on December 9, 2017… stop by and say hello!
GraceLaced, by Ruth Chou Simons (Harvest House Publishers, 2017)
We tend to experience life in seasons, not necessarily in order, and often repeating. Whether you find yourself in winter, spring, summer, or fall, this beautiful interactive devotional book will minister to your spirit.
The gentle artwork and photography quiets the soul and invites readers to slow down, drop their defenses, and be open to receive God’s Word. Many of the Scriptures are familiar, well-loved passages.
Some verses are printed in text, others are hand-lettered as art, and others are set out for readers to pursue in their own Bibles. Many verses are ones I’ve loved over the years, and others I’d like to go back and memorize to keep with me.
Each day’s devotional finishes with a prompt for reader response: to identify a person to encourage, a fear to release, blessings to give thanks for, etc. Readers may want to have a journal handy, because this book is too pretty to write in although the spaces are there.
I had the privilege of reviewing this hard-cover book (no ebook option, that I can see), and it’s beautiful, with thick, glossy pages, suitable for display on your coffee table (provided you’ve written your personal responses elsewhere!). The one thing it lacks is an attached satin ribbon bookmark.
I do confess being disappointed to see the book was printed in China, since the publisher is North American. It’s still very expensive, with $29.99 USD ($41.99 CAD) list price, but, that said, it would make a lovely gift for yourself or for a special loved one.
The book has just released (September 2017) and at the moment, Amazon has a significant discount: $14.99 USD / $27.41 CAD. As much as I prefer to advocate supporting local bookstores, this might be a time for online shopping. Check your prices first. (Canadians, I see Chapters-Indigo has it for a few cents more, but with free shipping…)
GraceLaced is the sort of book a person can revisit again and again, long after the first 30-day devotional journey is complete. Related products are a journal and 17-month planner.
As well as being a writer, Ruth Chou Simons is an artist, speaker, and entrepreneur. Her website is at gracelaced.com, where you can learn more about her, read her blog, and perhaps even find your favourite piece of artwork from the GraceLaced book available for sale.
[Book has been provided courtesy of Harvest House Publishers and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Harvest House.]
My new devotional book releases this month, and it’s time to share the cover!
You may notice a similarity to the background of my website. This image of a wild rose growing in a crack in a huge boulder speaks to me of perseverance and… tenacity! Trivia point: the photo was taken at Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia, home of a famous lighthouse, numerous tourist attractions, and a colony of extremely large rocks.
I’ll be adding more details to the book page soon, including the release date and pre-order options.
For now, here’s what the back cover says:
365 Daily Devotions to Warm Your Spirit and Encourage Your Heart
“Tenacity” is persistence. Holding on. Not giving up. It’s a quality we need as Christians, and the beautiful thing we discover as we spend time with the Lord is the depth of His tenacity toward us. We may falter, but His hold is sure, His love unshakable, and His grace without limit.
Like the wild rose thrives with its roots anchored in the cleft in the rock, we find life and security when we abide in our Rock.
A Year of Tenacity is a compilation of the best devotionals from the author’s blog, “Tenacity,” freshly updated for this book. Some are short, others fill a page, but each of these conversational-style insights and heart-sharing moments will bless and inspire.
Entries are numbered by day, not by date, so readers aren’t tied to a calendar year and don’t have to play catch-up if they miss a few days.
Honest, engaging, and uplifting, these devotionals are ideal for both long-time Christians and those just finding their way.