A Betrayed Woman Finds Hope and Courage

 

by Barbara Latta @barbaralatta

Intrigue, suspense, deception, rape, betrayal…and murder.

Does this sound like the scene from a crime documentary?

Would you believe a biblical cliffhanger?

The Benefits of Silence

 

by Barbara Latta @barbaralatta 

“Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10 NKJV).

I sat outside early one morning sipping my coffee and listening as birds graced the air with their songs. The air was unusually cool for a summer day and the breeze was refreshing. I watched a squirrel scurry down a tree and investigate something on the ground. A small, green lizard perched on the arm of my chair, its throat pulsating with orange. It stared at me for a few moments before scampering away in search of an insect meal. God’s creation was in symphony and my soul was at rest.

But as peaceful as this scene was there was still some noise. The noise of nature is beautiful with the chirping birds and the gentle wind blowing, but have you ever contemplated the benefit of total silence?

One of the instructors at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference that I just returned from was Eva Marie Everson. I purchased her book, The Third Path, Finding Intimacy with God on the Path of Questioning. I had intended to buy this book months earlier, but you know how intentions are, they don’t produce anything.

But I am glad I was finally in the place where this tome was before me and I grabbed it, excited to find out about the third path. This journey carries us through twenty-six questions God asked different people throughout the Bible and the result of their answers.

What is our answer to these same queries? How do they affect our lives, decisions, and relationship with our heavenly Father?

The goal of this volume is to encourage us to get away with God and experience total, complete silence. A quietness that is not disturbed by even the squeak of a door or the tick of a clock.

Then listen for the voice of the Holy Spirit.

When the Lord tells us to be still and KNOW that He is God, He is commanding us to put away everything else that gets in the way. We can find out more about our identity in Christ by KNOWING Him in a way we never have before. 

If you want to pursue a deeper relationship with God, I can highly recommend this book to help you think deeply about who you are and what the Lord means to you. You can find out the benefit of silence.

Join the conversation and share your thoughts. 

Find out the benefit of silence through The Third Path by Eva Marie Everson (click to tweet)

Image courtesy of  bess.hamiti@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

Common Mistakes Writers Make

Book Review Friday

by Barbara Latta

Eva Marie Everson outlines the most frequent errors even seasoned writers can make in their articles and stories.

Proper use of phrases, sense descriptions and elimination of repeated words teach the writer to be aware of these culprits.

Avoid Writing Mistakes

"If you want English 101, get a seventh-grade grammar book", Ms. Everson says. But you can get rid of “the wazzies” (overuse of to be verbs) with the tips from her instruction.

This little book is filled with helpful insights to correct mistakes we commonly overlook and is available at Barbara's Bookstore.