Have you been watching the news about Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton? I’ll admit I’m not usually up-to-date on my news, but these two have gripped me. After riding out Hurricane Harvey in Houston and writing a book about a hurricane, I can't look away. I have several friends who were directly impacted by these storms and I want to help however I can, so I'm putting together a book fundraiser. Make sure to read through to the bottom of this post for details on how you can help!
Biblical Encouragement:
This week, my current devotional described “basement verses” that we can carry throughout our lives. These are the verses that, like a basement, we can run to in any storm to seek shelter and safety. They remind us of what truly matters, simplifying our faith and our lives when everything else feels too large and too overwhelming. They are the verses we never forget, no matter how loud the winds may howl.
There are a few that immediately came to mind when I think about my own “basement verses" and I'd like to share those here with you.
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind... Love your neighbor as yourself."
For me, this is my version of a "WWJD" bracelet. When I don't know what to do in a situation, I can return to this verse and ask if my actions are showing my love for the Lord, and a love for others.
"Who do I have in heaven but you? And I desire nothing on earth but you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart, my portion forever."
This has long been one of my favorite verses. It's a simple reminder when everything around me might feel like it's crumbling that I have one true hope.
"If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved..."
This is part of the famed "Romans Road" series of verses describing salvation (see more below), and a foundational verse for salvation. While man may try to add on requirements for salvation and debate over minor details, it's important to know what is truly essential to our faith. This is one of those verses.
If loving one another is our highest calling, do we know what that love looks like? As Romans 13:8-10 says, "love does no wrong to a neighbor." There are many verses that describe what this love should look like, but 1 Corinthians 13 is an obvious go-to for many people!
What about you? Do you have a list of “basement verses” to keep you rooted? I’d encourage you to take a moment and write them out somewhere.
Here are a few more you might consider adding to your list:
Psalm 119:11, and 119:105
Romans 3:23, 6:23, and 5:8
Book-related News:
Book Giveaway: I am giving away an audiobook copy of Outside of Grace! If you're interested, head to my Instagram post here to enter or enter on Facebook. I have extended the contest through October 14, so hurry!
Author Interview: Author Karen E. Osborne invited me to join her on her YouTube channel for a book chat. We talked about Reaching for Grace, and the authors who inspire us. It was such fun, I hope you’ll check it out.
Book Festival: I also had the opportunity to participate in the Word Wrangler Book Festival as a featured author and give a talk to a group of students. I was so impressed by the organization of this festival and the turn out. I enjoyed connecting with so many readers!
Book Donations: A local mom's ministry I help with hosts an annual raffle fundraiser and I reached out to a few authors to ask if anyone wanted to help me create a book gift basket. I was so amazed by their donations. We ended up with three book baskets and a wonderfully successful raffle fundraiser.
Shout-outs: My mom and my mother-in-law deserve many thanks this month. They each gave up a weekend in the last month to help with my kids so that I could do things like attend the book festival and work on wrapping up book three. I’m so grateful to them both.
Fun bonuses: If you haven't yet, be sure to head to the Bonus Content section for subscribers only and get a sneak peek of the characters coming in Book Three!
Hurricane Fundraiser
Last but not least in book news is the hurricane fundraiser. I have set aside a limited number of copies of Reaching for Grace for a fundraiser. If you purchase directly from me through the link below, 100% of proceeds will go to the hurricane relief fund through Samaritan's Purse.
That's all for October, thank you for joining me! I would love to hear about your "Basement Verses" in the comments!
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