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Goodreads Book Giveaway

Rumors and Promises

by Kathleen Rouser

Giveaway ends July 31, 2016.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

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Out now from Heritage Beacon Fiction, an imprint of Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas:

Rumors and Promises,

a novel by Kathleen Rouser

Sophie Biddle is an heiress on the run with a child in tow,
trying to start over in a town that doesn't like secrets.
Will the scandals of her past destroy his hope for their
future? 

Don't Miss It!

On sale now for $0.99 on Amazon! 

Brave New Century - Four novellas
about love at the dawn of the 20th
century. 

Perfect for a quick holiday read this time of year
or to give as a gift. 

#5 of Top Five Posts on my Blog - Hope in Hard Times

Though this is a little early for Advent, I wanted to repeat some of my top five
blog posts. I thought this one was appropriate for the times we are finding this
world in today and hope it encourages you to remember how God sent His
only Son for you. 

Advent Thoughts - Week 2: Hope in Hard Times

Then his father, Zechariah, was filled with the Holy Spirit and gave this prophecy:

 “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and redeemed his people.

 He has sent us a mighty Savior from the royal line of his servant David,

 just as he promised through his holy prophets long ago.

Now we will be saved from our enemies 
and from all who hate us.

He has been merciful to our ancestors by remembering his sacred covenant— 

the covenant he swore with an oath to our ancestor Abraham.

We have been rescued from our enemies
 so we can serve God without fear,

in holiness and righteousness
 for as long as we live.

“And you, my little son,
 will be called the prophet of the Most High,
because you will prepare the way for the Lord.

 You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins.

Because of God’s tender mercy,
 the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us,

 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.”

(Luke 1:67-79, NLT)

Birth of John the Baptist, by Tintoretto

A priest in Israel, Zechariah wasn’t a young father filled with his own hopes and dreams. For many years, the dream of having a son eluded him. Yet, he and his wife, Elizabeth, the cousin of Mary, still followed God’s law faithfully. They must have trusted that God knew what He was doing, though they went through great disappointment.

Israel wasn’t going through the best of times either. The Lord had seemed to be silent for many, many years, they found themselves under Roman rule and they awaited the Messiah. Life was difficult. Under Roman oppression they were taxed heavily and their sons and daughters could be whisked away any time at the bidding of occupying forces.

Yet, when Zechariah’s wife, Elizabeth, gave birth to their son, John, the focus was on God’s own Son, still in Mary’s womb. The Holy Spirit testified to that precious life that Mary carried, a fulfillment of God’s promises. As Zechariah prophesied, “. . . he has visited and redeemed his people. He has sent us a mighty Savior . . . just as he promised through his holy prophets long ago.” God kept His promises in what might have seemed the bleakest of times. The Lord remembered the sacred covenant He made with His people, a covenant He cannot break, and sent His Son, Jesus.

Madonna with Child and St. John the Baptist
by Guido Reni

And in the moments of joy, when Zechariah named his son, the Holy Spirit gave him a glimpse of what that special child would do—introducing the Savior of the world to the people of Israel! There would be forgiveness of sins and the washing away of guilt. In a dark time when some waited for death, a deliverer was coming to give them hope and new life!

It encourages me to know that God remembers His people. Even in the hard times, He knows what I’m going through and gives me hope for the future. His promises are still true! If you are God’s child by faith, be encouraged that He has not forgotten you. As promised in Romans 8, He has a purpose in your life for what you’re going through and nothing can separate you from His love!

Father, help us when we hurt and feel left alone, to remember we are yours and You haven’t forgotten us. Please help us to focus on Jesus, even in the hard times, knowing that nothing can separate us from You and your love. Amen.

(Images in public domain. Source: WikiPaintings.org)

I am praying for those in Paris to feel God's comfort and

experience His grace and mercy during this awful time

and also for Christians suffering around the world.

Who are your special prayers for today?

Holding Down the Fort

Lilybits, not large, but in charge,
as usual.

Mom has been very frustrated lately. She’s trying to build a new website. After a couple of false starts, she believes she’s found the right theme for her WordPress site.  She doesn’t swear or use off-color language, out loud, anyway. However the bulging vein in her forehead tells me she is stressed.

A friend is trying to help her out. This is good. She has less bruises on her head this week from banging it on the wall. Poor Mom. She’s even given in to eating chocolate again. And she was doing so well on her diet! I do my best to beg for treats and distract her away from the pantry since my yummies are in a different cupboard. Or I sit on her lap to comfort her. This is getting old. It’s hard having such a needy, or should I say, nerdy mom.

I think she's missing the days of this:

and this: 

Well, maybe not the monkey. I make a better muse and secretary, except for the 

lack of opposable thumbs. 

Cat and computer.

Not to worry. I am holding down the fort. We hope to be back at the www.kathleenrouser.com web address soon. Right now it sports an experimental template to be replaced with her, or should I say, our content sometime in the next month. In the mean time you can still find us here at www.kathleenrouser.blogspot.com

Have fun checking out some other writers’ websites (in no particular order) Enjoy:

Linda S. Glaz’s new website: lindaglaz.com

Jen Colson’s new website: www.jencolson.com

Tom Threadgill: tomthreadgill.com -- He's scary!

Nick McDonald’s Scribble Preach: scribblepreach.com

Catherine Ulrich Brakefield: http://www.catherineulrichbrakefield.net/

Jodie Wolfe: http://www.jodiewolfe.com/

Lisa Betz: http://lisaebetz.com/

Do You Know Where My Mom Is?

It’s almost 10 o’clock at night. Do you know where my mom is? I’ll tell you where she is. She went to a writers’ conference without me . . . or even Dad! So while she’s enjoying a conference on the shores of Lake Michigan with all those strange people who stare at their light boxes and listen to the people in their heads, I’m left utterly alone. Well, okay, not utterly alone. But the big guy is busy going to work or working at home.

He is too busy for a little cat. I stand on his scooter and try to look pathetic. (It’s a medical scooter to help him get around since his ankle surgery.) He should be sitting in his recliner instead of at the kitchen table, so I can cozy up on his lap. Alas, the best I can do is watch the birds on a nearby chair. Sigh. I miss my full time servant—I mean—my mom. If you see her, would you please tell her she needs to come home and feed me right now!

All I can say is when she gets done talking to all those editors and important authors
at that writers' conference, she better have a big contract, so she can buy me more treats.
And if she hasn't, then she better have a good excuse. I do not find this amusing
whatsoever.

The All Night Kitty Buffet!

I'm ba-ack! Lilybits, not large,
but in charge (as usual).

Living here with my absent-minded writer mom and engineer dad has its perks. Like the night before last, Mom was feeding me a snack and she was distracted. Why? Because she had forgotten to put the sheets in the dryer earlier in the day, she was just running to get them out of the dryer at the end of the day, and rushing upstairs to make the bed. In the process she forgot to put away my wet food and left a can open on the counter in the kitchen. I discussed the reason for such forgetfulness in my previous post concerning MFADD.

Come closer and let me tell you a little secret: I’m not supposed to walk on the counter, but just between you and me, I do when Mom and Dad aren’t around. You won’t tell, will you?

BEST. NIGHT. EVER. I had the all night kitty buffet going. I mean I couldn’t believe it. I’d jump up on the kitchen island, look around, then I’d take a nibble from the can. If I wanted something crunchy, I’d go over to my dish for a few pieces of kibble and then back to the wet food. Then, when I’d had my fill for a time, I went upstairs and snuggled down between mom and dad—hee hee—without their knowing a thing.

Then, yesterday morning, Dad came downstairs first and blew my cover. Before I knew it, the contents of the can were absconded and the party was over. I noticed Mom didn’t give me a midnight snack last night. I need to perfect my whining and distraction techniques, so I can figure out how to get another all night kitty buffet again, soon!

Mmm . . . Mom's dinner looks good.

Then again, when everybody writes me in on their ballot and I’m elected president, I understand I can have an all night kitty buffet every night!

Tweet this: Lilybits says, "I have a secret to share. You won't
tell, will you?"