In Between by Jenny B. Jones

~Saturday Stories~

Katie Parker is terrified of living with her new “picture perfect” foster family. But when your mom is in prison and you’ve been in a home for girls for six months, you do not really get to pick. Settling into In Between, Katie’s choice of friends quickly makes everything hard for her. Will she be able to survive the year without getting a mug shot? Can she help her foster family address serious questions instead of always pretending to have it all together?

In Between is quite a fun novel. Katie has an amazingly sarcastic voice that I absolutely loved. Still, the novel addressed serious questions. Katie tries to free herself from her mom’s legacy and is quite disappointed with herself when she fails every once in a while. She also deals with other people judging her because of her mom’s history and her own previous school offenses. Her foster family also deals with family issues, making their daughter’s story into a secret and arguing about it. 

I loved that the book showed the struggles of Katie’s foster family, even though they lived a picture-perfect life and had a strong faith. Throughout the series Katie is told many truths about God, but she is not sure about it all yet.  

In Between (currently free via kindle) is the first in the Katie Parker Production series. The rest are On the Loose, The Big Picture, and Can't Let You Go. 

For more on Jenny B. Jones, visit her website and Facebook page. 

I'll Find You

~Monday Movies & Music~

Lecrae and Tori Kelly made a song together this summer! It is absolutely beautiful and encouraging, and so I present to you: "I'll Find You."

"The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed,

   a stronghold in times of trouble.

  And those who know your name put their trust in you,

   for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you." Psalm 9:9-10 (ESV)

How about you? What is something that has been troubling you?

Rejoice; feel His peace

~Tuesday Thoughts~

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:4-7 (NIV)

Don't you love these verses? I do. I'm kind of making "joy" my word of the year, and it's just making this passage even dearer than it already was. "The Lord is near," guys! And there is not a moment between now and His second coming that we should not rejoice with all our hearts. 

Trials will come. They will be plentiful. But after we call out to our Father, thanking Him for what He has given us and asking for His help, a peace will overcome us. An undeniable unquantifiable peace. How amazing that God promised this! We did nothing to deserve joy and thankfulness and peace through trials. But God loves seeing us through the problems and the heartache. He loves showing us that no matter what happens, He will always be there.

How about you? Have you felt His joy and peace while going through a trial?

Christian Music Playlist Project

~Monday Movies & Music~

Hey, guys! I am working on an on-going project on YouTube, making playlists that are full of Christian music. There is everything from Britt Nicole to Matthew West, from Manafest to Adelaide. 

Not only is there a more general "Christian Music" playlist that songs get added to, but the songs are also sorted by message - "Christian Songs on Trials," "Songs of God's Forgiveness," "Christian Songs on Relationships" and much, much more. The ultimate goal is to have all Christian songs that are on YouTube on these playlists. 

I have done my absolute best to see that only the artists' or the labels' videos are on the playlists, not somebody else's videos with the artists' songs. This way you can more easily find more of their work and the artists and labels can get the "views" and "likes" for their amazing songs! 

Please head on over and immerse yourselves in truth-filled worshipful music as well as rap that glorifies our Savior. Because no matter the style, we can always praise our Almighty God with music

Unfinished

~Monday Movies & Music~ 

One of Mandisa's new songs, "Unfinished" (lyrics), is a beautiful reminder that God is still working on us. 

"being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6 (NIV)

God is making something beautiful out of you. He won't leave you mid-way. Don't ever forget that! 

P. S. Mandisa has a new album coming out next month. Be sure to check it out. Do you know of any other Christian albums coming out soon? Please share!

Praising Him and serving Him - always

~Monday Movies & Music~

NF has a cool song, "Oh, Lord." Check out the lyrics. 

It's so easy to ask God this: 

  "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

    Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?

  O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,

    and by night, but I find no rest." Psalm 22:1-2 (ESV)

And, yes, He hears us. 

But do we serve Him when everything is going well? Do we acknowledge Him in days when everything is "perfect?" Do we bless His Name when He blesses us? Do we talk to God all the time or only in times of struggle?

My everything

~Monday Movies & Music~

Owl City has a song named, "My Everything." Here are the lyrics. 

"casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7 (ESV)

"I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart,

    and I will glorify your name forever." Psalm 86:12 (ESV)

Can you run to God when everything seems bad? Can you praise Him no matter what?

Trouble (but take heart!)

~Thursday Thoughts~

"“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”" John 16:33 (NIV)

Recently I got the chance to see people I don't see that often anymore: my parents. It was an extreme blessing. But then they left again, and it hurt so much. I know this is definitely not the hardest trouble anyone has ever had, but it still hurts to miss someone so much. 

What has been hurting you? Can you lean on God for help?

"It's okay to be broken"

~Saturday Stories~

"It's okay to be broken. You know that, right?" -Mr. B, Angel Eyes

"It's like that first step. You have to take that first step, and then, if you want Him to, God can help you with the rest of it." -Renee, The Masquerade

"The key to everything is knowing that God loves you, and he shows you that love through Jesus. If you really want to believe that, you need to get to know Jesus better - not just in your imagination, but from who he is ... God has a book..." - Dr. Peter, Sophie's World

"Whatever His purpose, I understand something now I didn't before. A righteous God isn't bound by time. He has an eternity to make things right. In this moment I know. Even if He never reveals His reasons to me, even if He never explains why He allowed my mother and Ali to die, I'll still fight against the darkness so His light can spread." -Brielle, Angel Eyes

How about you? Have you ever felt guilty for being broken? Have you taken the first step and asked God to help with everything? Have you taken the time to get to know Jesus? Can you tell God that, even if He does not explain everything to you, you will still follow Him? 

If God is almighty then why…

~Tuesday Thoughts~

Our God is omnipotent (Job 42:2). Amen!

That, however, does not mean that every occurrence in this world is from Him. Satan “prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8). Man is sinful and continues to do what is wrong in God’s eyes (Romans 3:9-18).

God has given everyone a choice: they can believe in His sacrifice and follow Him or they can continue in their wrongdoing. At the final judgment He will judge us by that choice. “Whoever believes in [God’s Son] is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” John 3:18 (NIV).

Sometimes we suffer as a consequence of our own or someone else’s sins. Sometimes it is not because of our sin (Job and the blind man, for examples). Whatever happens, we know that God is in charge. We might not understand Him – His ways are way higher than ours- but He is in charge. Also, He has plans for us – good plans. Plans for our good. How amazing and incredible is that?

It might be hard to grasp His hand and to hold tight when the trials come. Yes, it might be hard. But it is worth it. He is God and He is love.

Why?

~Saturday Stories~ 

Sometimes
I don't understand WHY
And I think
I understand WHO
So I blame
The Creator for WHAT
We have messed up

Look to
The Bible WHERE
God tells you
That He saved us WHEN
We were in sin

HOW? Love
His amazing love

How about you? Have you ever struggled with something and wondered why God would let such a thing happen? 

Light and momentary troubles

~Tuesday Thoughts~

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:16-18  (NIV)

They don't seem light, those troubles. They sure don't seem momentary. But compared to the amazing things God has done and continues and will continue to do, they are. Let us fix our eyes on our Father!

Fall Apart

~Monday Movies & Music~

Josh Wilson has an amazing song "Fall Apart." Here are the lyrics.

   "The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;

    he delivers them from all their troubles.

   The Lord is close to the brokenhearted

    and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

   The righteous person may have many troubles,

    but the Lord delivers him from them all;" Psalm 34:17-19 (NIV)

  "The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;

    my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,

    my shield[a] and the horn[b] of my salvation, my stronghold." Psalm 18:2 (NIV)

How about you? Are you going through a tough time? Are you leaning on God for help? 

Boiling emotions, confused thoughts

~Tuesday Thoughts~

Sometimes life is extremely hard. We try to make it livable, but it doesn't seem to work. We pretend that everything's okay. We smile and loftily avoid the "how are you doing?" question. Or we give white lies. We're doing okay, aren't we? For sure no one needs to know how broken and confused we are. How many times we have cried in the safety of our bedroom. Except, is it even safe, if that's when the suicidal thoughts come in? If that's when we tell ourselves we're worthless? Where should our worth come from anyway? And why does it seem that everything that used to define us is suddenly lost? Who are we when everybody who used to care has moved on? Are we supposed to move on after having feelings for someone who will probably never have feelings for us? What are we supposed to do with the anger that keeps arising when we don't get what we've been promised? Why do we promise way more than we can do? What are we supposed to do when we don't measure up to our own standards?  

"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
    Why are you so far from saving me,
    so far from my cries of anguish?
  My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,
    by night, but I find no rest.[b]
  Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;
    you are the one Israel praises.[c]
  In you our ancestors put their trust;
    they trusted and you delivered them.
  To you they cried out and were saved;
    in you they trusted and were not put to shame. Psalm 22:1-5 (NIV)

No matter how confusing, annoying, harsh, and depressing life can get, we can always lean on God. This might seem like an overused statement, but God is really always there. He does not have to care for us. He wants to. He has never left His children before; the world is full of stories of His amazing love and grace. There is absolutely no one who will always have our back except Him. His unfailing mercy won't fail on us. We can cry out to Him and know that He hears our cry - or our yell. He will answer. Perhaps not when and how we want Him to, but He will answer. Amen? Amen!

"I might need some help" and more quotes

~Saturday Stories~

 "Oh, God, help me to figure this all out. And help me to be true to you. I love you, God. I want to choose you above all else. But I might need some help. Amen." - Caitlin, Becoming Me

"I don't think I really started to heal until I forced myself to talk about it, to share the details. I hate to think of what might have happened, of the stunted person I might have become, if I hadn't opened up." - Amy, So Over It

"I'm yours now, God. I guess I always have been, haven't I?"- Grey, Jupiter Winds

"God, help me ... Please, please, help me, dear God. I know that something is wrong with me, and it's probably all my fault for the way I've been treating my body. I've been stupid, God. I'm sorry. Please, help me, God. I want to change. I'll do my best. I don't want to die." - Emily, Faded Denim

How about you? Have you asked God for help in choosing Him over everything else? Have you shared with someone about a hard time in your life? Have you treated your body as you should? Are you ready to say that you are God's?

Loving and sticking together

~Friday for Friends~

  "Friends love through all kinds of weather,
    and families stick together in all kinds of trouble." Proverbs 17:17 (The Message)

Do you have friends who will always love and family that will stick close by? Are you a friend that will always love others and a family member that won't back away from helping in a time of need?

He said

~Monday Movies & Music~

"He Said" is a song by Group 1 Crew. Here are the lyrics.

"No temptation[a] has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted[b] beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted,[c] he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV)

Isn't it awesome that God won't let us be burdened more than we can bear?  

What has happened in your life that seemed like way too much to stand? How did God help you? 

Soul Surfer

~Monday Movies & Music~

Surfing. It is her first love. It is her passion. And she's got the skill to become a pro. At least she did. Surfing one day, Bethany gets attacked by a shark. Blood is lost in crazy amounts. She is rushed to the hospital. And although she survives, her left arm is forever gone. And with only one arm, pro surfing seems doubtful.  

But Bethany isn't about to give up. After tons of hard works, she faces the waves again abd declares to the world that nothing is impossible with God. 

I had seen a movie trailer of Soul Surfer a while ago and was pretty excited to watch this. Although I wish it was developed a bit more, it spoke of a great - and true! - story. Bethany Hamilton is a real person who lost her arm and is now a pro surfer. Praise God, who does such grand things!  

Have you ever felt that something is just way too hard? Nothing is impossible with God (Philippians 4:13), and it just might be that God will use your story to touch and inspire others.  

Celebrating while in grief

~Tuesday Thoughts~

Author and blogger Tessa Emily Hall has a good post on celebrating Christmas even when the world is grieving loss after loss. 

"In him [the Word] was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome[a] it." John 1:4-5 (NIV)

Amen! Amen! Amen!

In desolate places, through hard years

~Saturday Stories~

Here's something I wrote from a prompt:

 We are driving through a desolate place, and I'm about to tear up. Because I know this place. Every rock, really. My gaze sweeps the five dilapidated houses stuck in the middle of nowhere. My everywhere. God, why is this so hard?

 We stop, and Lily whispers softly into my ear. "Get out, Katrina. It'll be okay." I take my time opening the door, stepping onto familiar ground. I point. That's where I lived. That's Joanna's house. Kory's little hut that was also used as a church. The brown spot of ground where Jim's old RV trailer used to be. Everyone else back then were adults, but these kids were my life. Now I am an adult, and returning to Clay Village is something I don't know how to do. God, help.

 I ran the familiar half-mile track a couple times. There. I am home, if only for a little while. I come back to the car to where Lily holds the camera. "I'm sorry, Kat." "There was a drought. There was nothing we could do."

 A sudden quiet peace comes over me as I realize that, although God did orchestrate that drought He also saw me through the years that followed. All those hard years. I smile and reach out. "Let's go take some pics."

How about you? Have you had unwanted changes in your life? How has God seen you through?