Hope Lives even as a Last Resort

Hope Lives even as a Last Resort
"Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. . . . For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words." 1 Thessalonians verses 4:13, 16-18
She and I stood in the front yard of the old apartment house. Lisa wore a light pink suit jacket, and her sad brown eyes looked directly into mine as she said, "I hope it's not cancer. I don't want to die." That visual image is sealed in my mind as vivid today as it was seven years ago when I lost my youngest sister. Bird-like hands clutched a shining gold star with a pearl-head pin. She handed it to me, "I want you to wear this." When she died, the heavens raged. Storm clouds covered the land and hurricanes blew in from the sea. That year, twelve blustery ones battered America's shores. The last, a storm named Lisa, tiny and non-threatening like her, eventually faded out over land. On September 13, a summons came for Lisa. Sent on a mission, angels ferried another angel home. As I fell to my knees bedside my bed and cried, I said a silent prayer. Then, I opened my Bible, and the Comforter sent me encouragement. I knew then, that even in death, hope lived, for I'd see my youngest sister again in heaven.

Dear Lord, thank you for Your encouraging Word and the gift of eternal life through Your son, Jesus. Thank you for opening my eyes so I no longer grieve without hope, Amen.

Lives disrupted:

You’re a young adolescent girl and life is too competitive--the competition is being the thinnest.

It's so sad when people diet themselves to death. Many lives are disrupted with the loss of a loved one. In my novel, Last Resort, the main character Faith has lost her sister to an eating disorder. This was an important topic for me to brooch because I lost my youngest sister in 2004 right after Hurricanes Charley and Frances. She wanted to share her story in hopes of helping others. Though my novel is romance, mystery, suspense, and intrigue entwined, this subject is one of several important messages I hope and pray benefit people. In school, author's purpose is taught. If you read Last Resort, you'll find I had several and this is one of the most important, but God's love is the most important of all. Without it, we'd all be lost. Even in death, there's hope, and I used this scripture in my debut Christian romance novel Last Resort to encourage those who have lost loved ones through death.

Set in fictional Bridal Wreath and Key West, Florida, the backdrop of a strawberry farm turns dangerous for Faith, when she's stalked. Last Resort is a 79,000 word woman-in-jeopardy novel that tells the story of Faith Grace Roussell, who escapes an abusive fiancé and endeavors to start a new life filled with peace and contentment. She returns to her family home to farm strawberries only to discover it's not a safe haven . Where will Faith be when the smoke clears? Will Faith and Matt's love survive? Five-star reviews on Amazon and B&N. Both men and women readers. Free sample. She's pursued by an ex-fiancé, shattered dreams, an awesome God, and a cowboy farmer. There's only one place she can turn . . . .There's only one last resort

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juwF0dLLX6M&feature=youtu.be
Book Trailer for Last Resort

http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-184/B-J-Robinson-Last/Detail.bok
Read a free excerpt from the publisher. May also be purchased here as a PDF file to read on your computer.

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/last-resort-b-j-robinson/1030124288?ean=2940012838063&itm=1&usri=last%2Bresort%2Bb%2Bj%2Brobinson Buy here if you own a Nook.

http://www.amazon.com/Last-Resort-ebook/dp/B005CQ7JQK/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1310918473&sr=1-1 Available here for the Kindle.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ©1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

B. J. Robinson lives in Florida with her husband, two dogs, and a shelter cat named Frankie. Her golden cocker spaniel, Sunflower, is featured as a character in her novel. Her children are all grown and have all made her a grandmother multiple times. She lost her mother and sister six years apart. Last Resort is her debut Christian romantic suspense. Southern Superstitions releases January 15, 2012, and Whispering Cypress releases August 15, 2012, all through Desert Breeze Publishing, Inc. Visit B. J. at http://barbarajrobinson.blogspot.com.

Give Thanks!

In this day of Thanksgiving, we think so much about the commercial things-the food, the shopping, and all that goes along with preparing for this special days. Sometimes, we get so busy that we take our minds off the greatest thing of all, Jesus. We're so busy in the hussle and bussle that we don't stop and thank the Lord for the many blessings that He's given us each and every day. The greatest of all is His Son. He died on that cross so that we can have a life full of joy. I didn't say it would always be easy, but it certainly is worth all the struggle and pain that we go through. In the comments section, I love for you to list five things that you're thankful for this Thanksgiving! For me, (1) Christian friends, (2) the ability that God has gifted me with to write for Him, (3) for my writing mentors-Nan Jones, Vonda Skelton, and Edie Melson, (4) the fact that the things I write encourage people, (5) the fact that I'm going to meet one of my dearest friends in Febuary of next year! So let's hear it, what are you thankful for? Can I pray for you?

Father, I lift up my precious readers to you. Lord in this time of preparation, help us all to keep our focus on You. Lord we love and praise You!

Shattered Places

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart
These, O God, You will not despise.
(Psalm 51:17, NKJV)

Do you ever feel like all you ever have to offer the Lord is a broken heart-a broken spirit? That's ok. He will not despise that. He says that our praise is a sweet sacrifice to Him, whether it's on a day filled with joy or filled with pain. Are you going through a betrayal? He's been there. He was betrayed by one of His closest friends, remember? If you're going through the loss of a child-a loved one, bring it to Him. Bring Him your broken pieces. Your broken heart doesn't go unnoticed by a loving and faithful God. Ladies, I can assure you, He will bring you through to the other side. When He does, you will have so much to thank and praise Him for! Until then though, let's praise Him in the midst of our pain, in the midst of our broken heart.

Father, hold these precious ladies in your arms of love. Remind them that they're not alone. Lord, we love you!

He Does More Than We Can Imagine

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.
(Ephesians 3:20, NKJV)

Have you ever had something in life happen to you that was hard for you to believe? I have. When I won a full scholarship to a writers retreat, I had never expected that. I felt like the odds were stacked against me. At the time, I had no transportation to get there or didn't think my family would even allow me to even attend. About a month before, I had some unexpected circumstances transpire that would allow me to attend this much needed retreat. That just goes to show that when we least expect it, God comes in and shows us that, Yes I will do this. You just need to wait on me. Is there something that you really want to do but just don't see a way to get it done? Let me encourage you, just wait on the Lord and if it's His will, He will allow you to do the thing you really desire to do.

Don't Worry!

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.
(Phillipians 4:6 NKJV)

How many of us have a problem with worry? This verse plainly states that we're to be anxious about nothing. That's saying to me, let the Lord handle the situation. I know that in life, we will all have those things that bog us down, but ladies, we need to give it completely over to Him! I know that's a lot easier said than done sometimes, but once we do that, we will begin to have peace. Are you struggling today with a trial that's bogging you down? I want to encourage you, give your wory to the Lord and let Him take care of it!