Linda Brooks Davis -- Overcoming Family Difficulties

Author Linda Brooks Davis

Linda Brooks Davis, welcome to Overcoming With God. I truly enjoyed meeting you at the ACFW in Nashville in 2016! What a sweet lady you are! Would you tell us about the one of the most difficult things in your life you have had to overcome, with God’s help?

The greatest trial of my 71 years is one our family is experiencing now. Minor children are involved, and the terrible case is still in the courts, so I’m not free to share details.However, I can “sew around the edges” a bit by sharing some ways in which the Lord has dealt with me. 

Once upon a time I believed I lived in a country blessed by the inalienable right of freedom of religion. I thought rearing children according to parents’ Christian principles wasn’t simply duty but a U.S. Constitution-guaranteed right. Naively, I believed Christian rearing was sacrosanct within the walls of a Christian home. Tragically, this isn’t necessarily so. Furthermore, I’ve learned godlessness has so invaded our institutions of government--even in a “conservative” state--that the agency and its arms tasked to protect children can become a Christian family’s worst nightmare.

I’ve learned the world’s ungodliness has so invaded this agency and the courts that right is labeled wrong and wrong is labeled right. I’ve learned testimonies of those who curse the name of Jesus are accepted as truth. And the testimonies of Christian parents--the father, a godly pastor/counselor--is not only suspect but declared a lie and the home’s teaching about the difference between “law and grace” labeled “abuse.”

   

And God has taught me some things about myself. I come from a long line of hard-charging women who wait for no one to act for them, double down when the way grows tough, and fight every ol’ demon in Hell for their children, as my mother said.

Recently, the Lord has shown me pride lurking in the shadows of self-sufficiency; bitterness and anger--better yet, rage--boiling in the teapot of my heart; and idolatry as I’ve gazed upon certain loved ones and grasped their hands before His.

What passages in the Bible have been most helpful to you in those times?

I’m reminded in Zechariah 2:13 (AMP) that the Lord is roused in my behalf, so I’d best settle down: “Be still before the LORD, all mankind; for He is roused from His holy habitation [in response to His persecuted people].”

What helped you get through or helped you cope with this difficulty?

As the Lord would have it, the theme verse for The Calling of Ella McFarland, 2 Corinthians 12:9, has become my life’s theme through this ordeal “… ‘My grace is sufficient for you [My lovingkindness and My mercy are more than enough--always available--regardless of the situation]; for [My] power is being perfected [and is completed and shows itself most effectively] in [your] weakness.’ Therefore, I will all the more gladly boast in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ [may completely enfold me and] may dwell in me.” (Amplified Version)

Pride and self-sufficiency have no place in the weakness in which Christ’s power is manifest; anger and bitterness exclude trust in God; and only open, empty hands can be filled with His.

Disability friendliness: Is this latest release available in audio format or do you have any other works available on audio?  Do your e-books have audio capability? Do you have any in large print?

 

My novel, TheCalling of Ella McFarland, and novella collection, A Rock Creek ChristmasCollection (A Christmas to Remember and A Christmas Measure of Love), will be available in audible form in the next few months.

In this latest work, do you have any topics useful for bibliotherapy, or therapeutic influence through reading about a disorder or situation?

I’ve just completed my second full-length novel. The working title, Where Healing Waters Flow, provides a clue to its theme. It picks up with Lily, one of the secondary characters in The Calling of Ella McFarland. The year is 1914, and this young woman who was horribly abused as a child finds a type of healing she hasn’t expected.

One of my favorite verses is Psalm 3:3 (KJV): “But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.” It’s the perfect theme verse for Lily’s story.

The Calling of Ella McFarland blurb:

1905 brings hope of Oklahoma statehood and the woman’s suffrage debate is raging, forcing Ella McFarland to make decisions about her faith, family, and aspirations. When she comes to the rescue of a young, abused sharecropper’s daughter, her calling takes shape in ways she never imagined. Education is Ella’s passion, but a new love is budding in her heart, and new purpose calls. Can she find God’s will amid the tumultuous storm that surrounds her?

CFP: I've been wanting to read this story for a long time, it sounds so good! And it's a multiple award-winning novel! Congrats, Linda!

Question you’d like to ask readers:

I would love to hear readers answer the questions I’ve been asked above. Sharing one another’s struggles and triumphs lightens loads while it strengthens for the road ahead.

Giveaway: The Calling of Ella McFarland Answer Linda's question, above, for a chance to win a copy.

Novelist Amanda Barratt -- Coping With Anxiety

Novelist Amanda Barratt

Amanda, welcome to Overcoming With God.

Thanks so much for having me today! 

Would you tell us about the one of the most difficult things in your life you have had to overcome, with God’s help?

While I absolutely love the word ‘overcome,’ it often carries the connotation of “over and done with.” So often, while we remain pilgrims in this broken world, our struggles are not overcome, as in “shelved,” but overcome day by day, moment by moment, through the tender constancy of our loving Savior. Such is the case with the struggle I’m sharing with you today. Anxiety is something I’ve experienced since my middle school years, and it’s something I still deal with to this day. About six years ago, I went through a period where my anxiety was HUGE. We’d recently moved into a new home, and within a few months of moving, I began to experience health issues—along with an increase in anxiety. This continued for over a year, but it was through this year, more than at any point in my life, that I began to seek and find Jesus like never before. While I believe the Lord didn’t cause my anxiety, He did use it to bring me closer to Him, and though it wasn’t a pleasant thing to experience, I can now look back on that period and see God intended it for good (Gen. 50:20.) The closer I became to Him, the less I focused on my fears, and the greater my trust grew in His power to calm my anxious heart. I remember being on an airplane traveling out of state, clutching the pocket Bible I use while traveling and just reading the Psalms and letting their truths sink within me. To this day, I still have days and weeks where I battle anxiety, but they occur less frequently, and when they do, I can trust that “Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well, with my soul.”

What passages in the Bible have been most helpful to you in those times? Psalm 91 is so precious to me, and last year I memorized it, so I can recall it, even when I don’t have a Bible. Jeremiah 29:11 is another, as is Isaiah 40:31.

What helped you get through or helped you cope with this difficulty? – Leaning close to God and spending time reading His Word. Also, being able to be raw and open during prayer, approaching His throne not as someone who has it all put together, but as a person who needs His help just to get through day to day. And realizing my limitations and not judging myself for them. People with anxiety always have things that trigger that emotion, and it’s helpful to put in place a coping process before actually being in a situation where you’re forced to confront a trigger. The support of my family was also an immeasurable blessing.

Disability friendliness: Is this latest release available in audio format or do you have any other works available on audio?  Do your e-books have audio capability? Do you have any in large print?  My Heart Belongs in Niagara Falls, New York, will release in large print hardcover format from Thorndike Press in 2018.

In this latest work, do you have any topics useful for bibliotherapy, or therapeutic influence through reading about a disorder or situation?  My characters struggle with trusting God, and what that looks like in difficult situations. Both my hero and heroine go through incredible challenges, but it’s only through those struggles that they are able to go deeper with God. (I’d add more, but I don’t want to give away any spoilers.)

BIO: ECPA bestselling author Amanda Barratt, fell in love with writing in grade school when she wrote her first story – a spinoff of Jane Eyre. Now, Amanda writes inspirational historical romance, penning stories that transport readers to a variety of locales – from the sweeping coastline of Newport, Rhode Island, to the rugged landscape of Central Texas. Her novella, The Truest Heart, finaled in the 2017 FHL Reader’s Choice Awards.

A member of American Christian Fiction Writers, she lives in the woods of Michigan with her fabulous family, who kindly put up with the invisible people she calls characters.

These days, Amanda can be found reading way too many books, watching an eclectic mix of BBC dramas and romantic chick flicks, and trying to figure out a way to get on the first possible flight to England.

Social links:

Amanda’s website Her newsletter Follow her on Amazon

The My Heart Belongs series website                

Book Links: MHBi Niagara Falls on Amazon 
On Barnes & Noble

Question you’d like to ask readers: My novel is set in the beautiful locale of Niagara Falls. Have you ever visited there? If not, what vacation spot have you visited that you have fond memories of?

Giveaway: We're giving away a copy of this brand new novel from Barbour this week! Leave a response to Amanda's question to enter.

Unfulfilled Familial Expectations - By Lucy Thompson & Giveaway

Author Lucy Thompson

Lucy, welcome to Overcoming With God.  We appreciate your willingness to share your testimony of overcoming with our readers. 

Would you tell us about the one of the most difficult things in your life you have had to overcome, with God’s help?

Unfulfilled Familial Expectations

We all think our family is “normal” until we grow up, possibly even move out, and are challenged by other people’s ‘normal’. Recently, I came across the terms Narcissism and Gaslighting. After reading and researching more on the subject I realized a lot of what is found within those terms described my childhood and first marriage “normal”. There is a short but powerful article here which describes more on this topic and, more importantly, some healthy solutions.

One of the hardest things I found to overcome is unmet family expectations. You know, where we (I!) expect a parent or spouse will treat us (me) one way and instead the reality is totally different. It could be something simple such as:

when I’m married my spouse will never leave his socks on the floor in front of the hamper…

Daddy will always hug me goodnight…

ALL of our family will always love Jesus…

Or, it could be something bigger. Something harder. You fill in the blank with whatever that may be.

But! But…God.

God is so faithful. Jesus truly is my Rock and one steadfast constant through life’s ups and downs. He alone determines my worth and makes my name successful. All this is to glorify Him.

What passages in the Bible have been most helpful to you in those times?

John 14:16a, 18 NLT is a comfort to me. “…I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you…No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you.”

Romans 8:28 NLT “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”

When I am tired this verse gives me courage and heart": Galatians 6:9 NLT “S let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.”

What helped you get through or helped you cope with this difficulty?

God doesn’t leave us as orphans. He places HIS family in our lives, stays with us personally, gives us strength when our own gives out.

Disability friendliness: Is this latest release available in audio format or do you have any other works available on audio?  Do your e-books have audio capability? Do you have any in large print? 

No audio formats so far. However, ebooks have the wonderful capacity to be enlarged to a large print standard. Handy! J

In this latest work, “Waltzing Matilda” in The Captive Brides Collection, do you have any topics useful for bibliotherapy, or therapeutic influence through reading about a disorder or situation?  

No disorders in particular. I mainly wrote about trusting God with his plan in the midst of challenging circumstances.

Question you’d like to ask readers:

Do you have a particular song or hymn that has helped you or been a comfort during any of your challenging seasons in life? YouTube links are welcome in the comments. Let’s lift up Jesus’s name. J

BIO:

Lucy Thompson is a stay-at-home mum to five precocious children by day and a snoop by night, stalking interesting characters through historical settings and writing about their exploits. A resident of Queensland, Australia, she loves her sunburnt country and loves to make new friends.

Lucy’s Links:

Blog: http://lucythompsonauthor.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lucy.thompsonauthor

Pinterest:  https://au.pinterest.com/lucythompsonaut

Book Links:

A Cowboy's Dare (Harding Family Book 2)

Tyrone woke up with a headache—and a wife. And he’s never been so scared in his life. 

$3.99 or FREE with Kindle Unlimited. Christian Historical Fiction.

The Captive Brides Collection: 9 Stories of Great Challenges Overcome Through Great Love

Waltzing Matilda by Lucy Thompson - Sydney, Australia, 1821

Henry didn’t plan on a runaway convict masquerading as a shepherd. Or on the woman’s baby. Keeping them safe will cost him his freedom—or will it?

Giveaway: I’m happy to giveaway an ebook copy (open internationally) of either Mail Order Surprise or A Cowboy’s Dare.  CFP: And I'm offering a paperback copy of The Captive Brides Collection (if you're an international reader, if Book Depository ships to your country, you're eligible for the giveaway.)