Ten Commandment #3 … BROKEN!!!

Posted by admin on Feb 20, 2018 in Blog | Comments Off on Ten Commandment #3 … BROKEN!!!

Something has been bothering me for a long time.

We all try to keep the ten commandments, right? Most of us think we do okay in that area … I mean we don’t kill, we don’t steal, we don’t commit adultery, we honor our fathers and mothers, etc. However, there is one commandment some of us break regularly, and many of us don’t even think about it.

Which one is it? Commandment number three: “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.”

How many times have we heard the phrase “OM__”?  I feel guilty even typing it because I know when you see it, you repeat the actual WORDS to yourself … even if you don’t want to. And I hate to break it to you, but I believe abbreviating the words is the same as saying the words, and it also makes others repeat the phrase in their heads.

Maybe most of us don’t know what “in vain” means. It means “without result or for no purpose.” In other words, unless I am talking about God specifically or praying to Him, I should never use His name in conversation, especially not as an expletive.

It makes me cringe when I hear people use God’s name in vain, but it makes me sad when I hear a Christian use them. Christians are supposed to know better … be more active in trying to keep the Ten Commandments.

Yes, I know we’re not under the law, technically, but God is the same “yesterday, today, and forever,” and I believe He expects us to respect and honor His name. (Hebrews 13:8) I think He will bless us for it.

In the past, people came up with alternative words or phrases to use in certain situations to keep from being guilty of using God’s name in vain.  If you research their history, you’ll find these words are all derived from God’s names. Word such as “Oh my Goodness,” “Oh my Gosh,” “Holy Smoke,” “Goodness,” “Gracious,” “Honest to Goodness.”

I’m not saying I think it’s wrong to use these alternative words … I’ve use a couple of them myself. Strictly speaking, they are not using God’s names, but I’m not sure how I feel about using them.  The Bible say, “But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.” James 5:12)

What do YOU think?

Book Review: What a GREAT Novella Collection

Posted by admin on Feb 19, 2018 in Blog | Comments Off on Book Review: What a GREAT Novella Collection

This was a fun book to read. Each story was short, but honestly, each novella had what it takes to make a great story. Each author was expert at fleshing out the characters and building complex plots in a short amount of time.  Even though the four stories included in the book were written by different authors, I loved each story for its own merits. The stories fit together to make a wonderful and enjoyable reading experience.

Over all, I give this book five stars. I highly recommend this book to anyone loving historical romances, and I will definitely be checking out other books by these authors.

I was given a free copy of this book by the publisher, but I was not required to write a review. My review is written with my own opinions and thoughts.

A New Home for Allie- a picture book for ages 5-8

Posted by admin on Feb 5, 2018 in Blog | Comments Off on A New Home for Allie- a picture book for ages 5-8

FREE GIFTS for PRE-ORDERING the NEW BOOK:

Click HERE if you would like to Pre-order:

Once you’ve ordered, make sure to visit Carrie’s page to learn how to get your gifts:  1) a free signed bookplate with a hand-drawn picture of Allie, 2) a FREE ebook: Moving: by Carrie Daws, 3) a 4″ x 6″ print of Allie, (the star of the book) and 4) an opportunity to join a private Facebook group where you will have access to all news about giraffe related giveaways and information. Carrie and I will also be available on that page to chat or answer any questions you might have about the book.

After you order, make sure to visit Carrie’s page to learn how to get your gifts: Click Here

Written by Carrie Daws and illustrated by Joanie Bruce, A New Home for Allie is about a sweet little giraffe whose father is a member of the Animal Jungle Patrol. When her father gets orders to move from Kenya to Somalia, Allie is concerned about leaving her friends and the only home she has ever known.

Carrie Daws, a prolific author of inspirational books for the military, helps military families survive and thrive while living in a regimented and unpredictable lifestyle. Now she has written a book for children 5-8 years old, helping them learn to find and make new friends wherever they go.

Here is what the book is about:

Allie loves her home in Kenya. But her dad works for the Animal Jungle Patrol, and he just got orders to move their family to Somalia. She has many questions, and the journey will be long. Will the new place be like what she knows? Will she find friends in her new home? And will she ever see her best friend again? What awaits her in A New Home for Allie?

Visit the home page of my website to check out the many endorsements we received for this sweet little book.

Merry Christmas!

Posted by admin on Dec 16, 2017 in Blog | Comments Off on Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! I hope you are all enjoying the holidays as much as I am. Last year my daughter was married on December 17th. Our Christmas went by in a whirlwind, so I’m enjoying every minute of Christmas this year. 🙂
It’s been a while since I posted, but I wanted to wish you all a VERY Merry Christmas, and let you know about the new Christmas Trilogy which released early in December.

“Holly, Ivy, & Intrigue” is a collection of three Christmas suspense/mystery stories written by myself, Alexa Verde, and Denise Weimer.

A kind book reviewer wrote this about the book:
“The collection of stories is fast and enjoyable. Each story offers a lot of adventure and intrigue. I love how the characters are fun to get to know. The authors have come together to give readers an enjoyable time of savoring their writing style.”

If you would like to know more about the book, or order a copy for a Christmas gift click here: HOLLY, IVY, & INTRIGUE

Please remember the reason for the season. God loved us enough to send His own son … as a little baby in a manger under the roof of a stable. What love!

Thank you all for your support and encouragement, and Merry Christmas to you and your family.

With love,
Joanie

Holly, Ivy, & Intrigue” book blurbs:

“Christmas Murder Mix-Up” by Joanie Bruce
“I have to get rid of her now.”
After four months of a blissful marriage, Paige is devastated to overhear her husband, Cooper, say those words to his best friend. Because of a suspicious Christmas gift, a gas leak, and a home invasion, Paige’s love for Cooper is tested to the limit. Will their marriage survive the Christmas Murder Mix-up?

“Holiday Pursuit” by Alexa Verde
When Brianna Rockwell’s brother finds himself in danger and disappears three days before Christmas, she does everything to rescue him. Brianna dodges bullets, escapes fire, and even turns to her longtime crush for help. But the closer she gets to solving the mystery and finding her only sibling, the more desperate someone gets to silence her forever…

A Holiday Intruder” by Denise Weimer
Kelsey Jordan prefers upcycling junk and refinishing antiques for her store in a Georgia mountains town to being the center of attention. When a robbery and an unknown benefactor shove her in the middle of a decades-old mystery, and a real estate developer and a former baseball star compete for her attention, Kelsey isn’t sure who to trust.

A Book Review for A Love So True

Posted by admin on Nov 15, 2017 in Blog | Comments Off on A Book Review for A Love So True

This book took me forever to read, but NOT because it was a slow-moving story. It was totally fantastic. It took me so long to finish the book because I have a million things on my plate  and could only read a small amount at a time. It hurt me every time I had to stop, because I was caught up in the story and wanted to keep reading.

What I liked: The details of the lifestyle and circumstances of this time period were realistic and believable. It was interesting, but sad, to read about women forced into prostitution and how they were treated by society—even when they longed to leave that way of life and start a more accepted life for themselves. Obtaining forgiveness and the acceptance of the “upper crust” of society during that time period was impossible, and I felt sorry for women caught up in that lifestyle, sometimes through no fault of their own.

What I didn’t like: Even though the plot never faltered, the story seemed longer than necessary. However, this was a minor complaint.

Over all, I give this story five stars. When I closed the book at the end, I was sad that I wouldn’t have it to come back to again. I highly recommend it to anyone loving a historical fiction. If you have to set it aside for a while, you will always look forward to opening it again. Great job, Ms. Jagears! I love your writing!

(I was given a copy of this book by the publisher, but the thoughts, the rating, and the opinions are my own and were not influenced.)

I would love to hear your comments about this post.

The God of the Stars

Posted by joaniebruce on Nov 12, 2015 in Blog | Comments Off on The God of the Stars

My friend and author, Carrie Daws, has opened my eyes to what a great God we have watching over us. Thank you, Carrie, for sharing this inspirational blog with us today.

Carrie:

How many stars can you name? Not movie or sports stars, but actual stars in the night sky. I know Polaris. And Orion–no, wait. That’s a constellation. And, ummm. Hmm. Yeah, I think I’m done. I can name exactly one star. Not very impressive, is it?

Have you ever wondered how many stars are out there? If you’ve ever been in a dark, country area where you aren’t surrounded by city or street lights, it’s amazing. Pinpricks of light cover the midnight sky, perhaps for no other reason but that God spoke them into existence.

I went looking for an estimate on the number of stars in the universe. Clearly, I’m out of my league here. Although it makes sense to me now, my very non-scientific brain didn’t even consider adding the detail “observable universe.” I suppose a piece of me believes that someone out there can answer my question with an exactness. A knowing that goes beyond complex formulas.

SkyandTelescope.com says astronomers estimate that the observable universe “has more than 100 billion galaxies. Our own Milky Way is home to around 300 billion stars. … By measuring the number and luminosity of observable galaxies, astronomers put current estimates of the total stellar population at roughly 70 billion trillion.”

Some websites agree with Skyandtelescope’s numbers and other websites have larger numbers, but it doesn’t really matter for this discussion. That’s a lot of stars, and no one on earth knows if that’s all of them.

But my heart instinctively relaxes when reading Psalm 147:4. It says that not only does God determine the number of stars, He calls them each by name. Billions of trillions of stars. And God calls them each by name.

If that’s not impressive enough, Isaiah 40:26 says, Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing. 

Not one changes form or explodes without God knowing. Not one.

I sometimes have trouble coming up with the right name for the one of my three children standing in front of me. And more than once I’ve walked the neighborhood looking for a lost dog.

But you see, that’s the point of these verses. God is bigger and smarter and more in control–way more than me or you. If He can keep track of the names and positions of billions of trillions of stars across more than one hundred billion galaxies, do you seriously think He’s going to have any trouble keeping track of the people who love Him? The people who seek Him?

Rest assured: God watches over you.

The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. ~Psalm 121:8

*************************************

Carrie is the author of over fifteen inspirational books, both fiction and non-fiction. Her non-fiction books were written to help military wives thrive and handle the different aspects of military life.

Please check out her website and the free gifts she gives away there, or her amazon page which includes a list of all her books:

Carrie’s website HERE

Carrie’s Amazon page HERE

All You Have To Do Is Ask!

Posted by joaniebruce on Aug 24, 2015 in Blog | Comments Off on All You Have To Do Is Ask!

Dear Readers: How can I help you today? My thoughts this morning are with my readers. Do you have struggles to overcome today? Are you raising small children and need a truck load of encouragement … just to make it through meal time, bath time and finally bed time? Do you have a sudden health problem, a financial payment due, or another disappointment to wade through?

I wish I could help each and every one of you in your battles for the day, but unfortunately, there is only one of me. So, I can’t show up at each of your houses with a home cooked meal, or chauffeur your children around for the day to give you a break, or help you with a financial setback, but I certainly have the ability and desire to pray for each of you.

Please let me know if you would like me to add you to my prayer list. I would feel it an honor to pray for you, because we know that God does answer prayers! All we have to do is ask.

“And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” Luke 11:9

Impatient? Me???

Posted by joaniebruce on Jul 29, 2015 in Blog | 2 comments

Dear Readers: Are you a patient person? Sometimes I think when God created me, He forgot to give me patience. ( Lol ) …..which is ridiculous, I know, since God makes no mistakes—but I am deficient when it comes to that trait. And the world we live in today which flaunts instant gratification with fast food, instant access, high-speed internet, and speed dial, hasn’t helped my lack of patience at all.

But today, I learned a lesson in patience … from my husband. Ben has a bat-wing mower that he uses to mow down thistles and briers in the pasture so the cows can reach the grass underneath. His mower has seen better days, and one of the mower decks was rusted through, making it impossible to use. So … being the industrious hoarder of junk equipment that he is, he happened to have purchased an older mower to use for parts. He decided to combine the best parts of each and build a serviceable mower.

That’s when he ran into a problem. The hinges on the used mower were so old and rusty, they would not move. He worked for three days … yes, I said three days … trying to break them free by pounding, oiling, heating, cooling, and using any other tactic he could think of, but they refused to budge. And yet, even after all of that frustration, he still came into the house each time with an upbeat “Hey honey,” for me. Even though he was covered in oil, grease, rust and dirt and was tired from the ninety-five degree heat, he still had a smile on his face.

Now that, my friends, is a lesson in patience. My husband provides me continually with perfect examples of long-suffering and forbearance, and this is what I’ve learned from studying his personality.

1) Admit your impatience: Acknowledging I’m irritated with a person or situation is the first step to overcoming those negative feelings. Being patient is a mental skill. If I exercise it, it will get stronger.

2) Agree that patience is a choice:  I can choose to be angry or aggravated, which makes me irritated even more, or I can choose to be calm and tolerant. The choice you make determines your outlook on anything that happens in your life.

3) Accept what you cannot change:  Slow drivers are a nightmare for me, yet I can’t make them go away. I can ride their bumpers, honk my horn, yell out the window, or make faces and hope they see me in the mirror, but chances are, they won’t even notice my behavior. When you can’t change it, accept it. Ben would probably say “Relax. Enjoy the ride.”

4) Analyze the situation, and come up with something positive to say about it:  Being behind a slow car might save me from being involved in a wreck further up the road. If I can change my feelings of pessimism to optimism, I find that I’m much happier.

So, my dear friends, I’m trying to make my life happier and more pleasing to God by living my life with a tolerance for others and without complaint. I’m not saying I will always succeed because I won’t, but I’m trying … and I hope you will as well.

Patience: 1) the quality of being patient, as in the bearing of provocation, annoyance, misfortune, or pain, without complaint, loss of temper, irritation, or the like. 2) the ability or willingness to suppress restlessness or annoyance when confronted with delay.

Do Certain People Push Your Buttons?

Posted by joaniebruce on Jul 15, 2015 in Blog | 4 comments

Do you have someone in your life who seems un-lovable? No matter how deep you dig, you just can’t seem to generate a feeling of love for that person?

Most of my acquaintances are pleasing companions, but there is one or two who seem to push my buttons—they make me want to run in the opposite direction when I see them in the grocery store. With this type of person, I find I need a different kind of love … an unconditional “God love.” That means I have to allow God to love that person through me.  When my sin nature only lets me see the “unlovable” qualities of someone I know, I definitely need God’s help.

Then…..I realize that in God’s eyes, I am just as unlovable—just as odd or sinful as anyone on this planet, and yet the Bible tells me that God loves me anyway. What a wonderful thought! To know the God of the universe loves me, no matter what I am or what I do. If such an awesome God can love me unconditionally, it’s a small thing for me to extend that love to others, even a person who is hard to love.

Do you have one of those in your life? Pray for God to give you His “God love,” and, pray for that person. When I pray for a “hard to love” friend, I find that compassion and concern for that person creeps into my heart … after that, love is close behind.

“He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” 1 John 4:8 –

Do I Smell Bad?

Posted by joaniebruce on Jun 19, 2015 in Blog | Comments Off on Do I Smell Bad?

Have you ever inhaled a strong whiff of ammonia? Whew! The sharp smell burns your nose and brings tears to your eyes no matter how little of a whiff you take. Sometimes I think that might be what God suffers when He sniffs the bad attitudes in my life: selfishness, deceit, laziness, pride, self-centeredness, complaining … to name just a few.

The Bible says “For we are unto God a sweet savour (aroma) of Christ …” (2 Cor. 2:15a)   But, I’m sure we are only sweet-scented when we honor and please Him by applying the fruits of the spirit: “love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.”

I want to be like a fragrant candle to my Father who has done so much for me.  ^“And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.” Eph 5:2

He gave Himself as a sweet-smelling sacrifice so that I might accept the gift of eternal life. Thank you, Lord!