A Summer Stroll AND June Giveaways!

by | Faith | 9 comments

by Cathy Baker

Care to join me for a stroll in my garden on this sizzling
summer day?
E-X-H-A-L-E

Granted, my garden has seen better days. Days when wisteria
didn’t strangle the life from my beloved hydrangeas and lilies. Days when I
wasn’t as timid about stepping on fire ants (I’m deathly allergic!), helping to keep weeds at bay. At some point, I grew tired of the battle and bowed to the power invasive plants demand.

Still, there are moments when I step outside, exhale and
stand in awe of God’s artistic flair:

(Sorry, I couldn’t resist. After all, Buttercup is now part of the landscape — and a beaut!)

Thank you for joining me for the stroll as well as the June series. 
This Wednesday, I’ll announce our NEW
series for July but in the meantime, I have two gifts I’d love to share with
someone. One gift is a signed copy of Covert Justice by Lynn Blackburn
(remember this post?) The second gift complements our Summer Snippets theme, beach chairs and all.
Simply leave a comment on the blog and your name will be entered into a random
drawing to be held on Friday. The winner will be announced in next Monday’s
post!

Funny What A Few Flowers Will Do

by | Faith | 4 comments

by Cathy Baker

Sunshine warms the body but
encouragement 
warms the soul. 
 
E-N-C-O-U-R-A-G-E-M-E-N-T
We were enjoying a meal, my friend and me. Well, maybe enjoying isn’t the right word. She was struggling to come to grips with possible changes in her life and I was struggling for the right words to say. 
And then it happened. Joe, an older gentleman whose family once attended church with ours, approached our table out of nowhere and handed each of us a bouquet of flowers. 
The hands that offered us the flowers were Joe’s—the heart that prompted them, however,
 was God’s. 
Joe bought flowers that morning having no idea how greatly God would use them to encourage a person he didn’t even know. He simply felt prompted to buy and share them with others. 
Who could use a little encouragement in your sphere of influence this week? 
After all, it’s funny what a few flowers will a do. 

When a New Perspective Sneaks Up and Refreshes Your Soul

by | Faith | 4 comments

by Cathy Baker

Is there anything more refreshing than a an ice cold slushy or a splash in the pool on a sweltering summer day?

R–E–F-R-E–S–H–M–E–N–T

Turns out, there is.

If you’ve attended the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writer’s Conference there’s one particular room where dreams have the potential to either take flight, or deflate as quickly as Tom Brady’s fleet of footballs. On one side of the table sit the agents, editors, publishers, etc. On the other, attendees waiting to pitch ideas or ask questions within their fifteen minute appointment. If an attendee arrives for their appointment and finds the person ahead of them still pitching past their allotted time, we’re told to quietly go stand behind the other conferee, signaling their time is up. 

This year, while sharing my appointment time with Ginger Harrington, friend and fellow blogger, she noticed that her time immediately followed mine.

I smiled and told her to feel free to sneak up on me if my time ran over. Without hesitation she said, “I won’t be sneaking up on you, I’ll be standing there praying for you.” 

This is one of many reasons I love the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writer’s Conference: 
Prayer supersedes plans more often than not.

Our exchange that morning left me feeling refreshed—physically, emotionally, and especially spiritually. New perspectives have a way of doing that, don’t they? 

So, how has God brought refreshment to your soul via another person lately? 

(Congratulations to Ginger! She won 1st place in Blogging this year. Visit her site and you’ll see why.)

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