Choosing Love in the Brambles (After Callie the Service Dog Denied Public Access) AND Celebrating New Book Releases!

In November 2023, my husband and I invited our pastor and his wife to a fundraising event sponsored by an organization my husband was affiliated with at the time. They had recently moved from Texas so we were hoping to introduce them to people in our community.

However, on Wednesday, November 29, 2023, the president of that organization denied my service dog public access to that event, a Gala scheduled to be held at the Meritage Resort and Spa on Saturday, December 2nd in Napa, California.

I figured she must have made a mistake. Service dogs are considered medical equipment according to the Americans with Disabilities Act. So, I sent the president an email requesting a Zoom meeting and a copy of the “laws” she claimed gave her the right to deny my service dog access to the public event.

I hoped we could clear up the misunderstanding, so my husband and I could enjoy a wonderful night of fellowship with our pastor, his wife, and our community.

Nothing could have prepared me for the president’s emailed response, in which she copied multiple board members and used all caps and unprofessional language.

I wrestled with sorrow and anger as I read her disrespectful criticism about my caregiver, my husband of thirty years and her elected treasurer of the board. I grappled with grief and resentment over her dismissive comments about my service dog and her demeaning remarks regarding my disability.

I feared I couldn’t respond without disrespecting Jesus and ruining my witness for Christ, so I prayed and chose not to respond.

But I planned on attending the Gala with my service dog.

The president, however, persisted in demanding my husband confirm that we would leave my service dog in a kennel during the Gala. She gave us an ultimatum. If we didn’t confirm by noon on Friday, December 1, 2023, she would refund the money for all four of our tickets.

As soon as the clock struck noon on December 1st, she followed through on her threat.

I was on the phone with the ADA Specialist, who affirmed that the president of the chamber had violated my civil rights by invalidating my tickets. She encouraged me to file a complaint with the Department of Justice and seek legal counsel.

As I prayed, grief mingled with anger. I couldn’t figure out why I felt compassion for a woman who had clearly discriminated against me.

I fell asleep with a debilitating headache.

When I woke up, the Holy Spirit had given me a vision of brambles dripping with blood and the title for my next teaching series, “Choosing Love in the Brambles.”

Brambles are thorny plants, often used in medieval art to symbolize sorrow, bitterness, sin, death, and even the fallen state of mankind.

Unsure of why God gave me that image or that title at the time, I continued praying for clarity and asked my accountability partners to join me in praying for the president, the organization, and for me as I processed my mixed emotions.

By the power of the Holy Spirit and with the help of my accountability partners, I prayed for the president’s salvation. I asked God to help me forgive her . . . because Jesus had forgiven me . . . and to help me love her . . . because He loves me.

When Alan and I called our pastor and his wife so we could pray together on Saturday morning, I asked God to redeem our evening.

While we were being excluded from the chamber’s Gala event at Napa’s Meritage Resort and Spa (not by the hotel management but by one of its patrons), we enjoyed a wonderful meal at Morimoto, a restaurant in the same town.

The manager and staff welcomed all of us. We weren’t surprised. We’ve never had any issues with my service dog at any professional establishment or with any professional community leaders.

I told our kind waitress that we’d been denied public access across town, then offered her a copy of my book Different Like Me for her son.

She teared up and said she was sorry about what had happened to us. Then, she accepted my gift and shared that her son had asked to be baptized a few days before!

I wrote a prayer and a message of encouragement inside the front page when I gave her a copy of my devotional, Waiting for God: Trusting Daily in God’s Plan and Pace.

Even while the president was dancing in her fancy dress in a crowd of people who had no idea (except for the other chamber board members) that she had just discriminated against me and my service dog . . . even while justice was not being served.

God was being glorified because . . . Callie was doing her job as I served God in that Michelon Star restaurant WHILE being discriminated against by the woman who was sponsoring the Gala event across town!

That ministry moment right smack in the middle of my affliction was a hidden treasure in a secret place.

To God be the glory, the honor, and the praise!

The Holy Spirit kept nudging me to stand up against the injustice as an advocate for myself and others.

So, on December 7, 2023, I filed a complaint with the Department of Justice. A week later, however, the DOJ informed me that they had too many complaints filed and not enough resources to follow up on every violation. They encouraged me to seek legal counsel.

After a month of prayer while seeking wise counsel, I saw no justice served while receiving no help from anyone I reached out to for help.

The injustice overwhelmed me.

As I was praying on a Saturday morning, the Holy Spirit nudged me to call the president of the organization and ask her to talk to me. I was shocked, but praised God, when she agreed to speak respectfully with me.

I prayed silently, asking the Holy Spirit to keep my voice calm, and shared honestly about the law and my hopes for healing and reconciliation so we could help our community learn more about disability awareness and access laws. Then, I invited her to speak.

She did not use a calm or respectful tone when she said she was “not sorry” and that she would not do anything differently.

After acknowledging Callie was a legitimate service dog, she said we were both welcome at all the chamber events throughout the year except the end of year Gala, which she felt was not an appropriate venue for “pets.”

This is how I discovered why people get away with discrimination against disabled people.

Some offenses can be avoided once people understand the laws.

However, there is no legal organization that will mediate between two parties to help them work out disagreements about the laws.

And when people don’t agree . . . the only way to move forward in peace without going to court is to agree to disagree.

When this woman refused to apologize and take responsibility for her actions, I knew I could not change her mind. I didn’t want to hurt the organization and the other businesses associated with it because of her poor leadership, so I chose Love, with a capital “L.”

I chose God ̶ who is Love (1 John 4:8) ̶ the only one who CAN transform hearts and minds.

I chose God’s way, the way of the peacemaker, in the face of injustice as I walked through the twisted and bloodied thorns of the brambles.

I told the president that I thought she was wrong regarding her interpretation of the law and her description of public events versus private events. She said she was fine with that.

I said I would be willing to agree to respect one another’s right to disagree so that we could move forward peace.

She said she was okay with that.

I also told her that I had forgiven her because Jesus had forgiven me, and that I would continue praying for her and the organization, only because I supported the purpose for which the organization was founded upon.

She didn’t even respond to that, but she did agree to support a training workshop to help our community learn more about service dogs and ADA Laws. She agreed it would be valuable to share our experience about disagreeing about the interpretation of the law.

Then, she said she was fine with me praying before we ended our conversation. I hung up the phone praising God and feeling a bit hopeful for our community.

So, I couldn’t explain why my heart felt heavy.

God soon revealed the reason behind my unsettled feeling.

Later, my husband received an email from the president informing him that she had removed him from his elected position as treasurer of the board, an act which went against the bylaws established by the organization. Since there is no governing board above her and the other board members are silent, there is no one holding her accountable for her abuse of power.

We no longer support this organization or any programs they sponsor.

Though on the surface it may look like injustice prevailed in these situations, in the end my husband and I know Christ prevails.

However, before I was able to move forward, the experience triggered a bout with situational depression that threw me into an identity crisis I had to work out with Jesus. I wrote an article about this on the God Hears Her blog entitled, “Remembering Who We Are.”

With the help of my doctor and my prayer partners, I used the resources and skills I’d learned over the years to work through my mixed feelings. As I picked through my raw emotions and struggled to choose love in the brambles, however, God led me to a passage in Lamentations 3.

I needed to lament, to release my grief . . . even though I couldn’t explain the depth of my heartache at that time. I needed to cry out to God . . . even when I didn’t understand my why I was feeling what I was feeling.

I needed to trust that God’s mercy was enough to carry me, while living in a fallen world where justice will not always be a part of the equation.

I needed to trust God to deal with injustice His way and in His time when the worldly systems failed me.

The prophet Jeremiah said, “I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss. Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease.” (Lamentations 3:20-22, NLT)

Jeremiah led God’s people to the truth they needed to hear: God’s unending love and mercy are enough to fuel life-giving hope.

The New International Version says: “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:20-23).

God’s people are not destroyed by life’s turmoil, injustice, and grief because of His unending faithfulness.

God’s moment-by-moment acts of loving mercy give us enough to be enough for that moment when we aren’t sure how we can possibly take one more blow, one more step, one more breath.

Jeremiah proclaimed, “I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.’ The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” (Lamentations 3:24-26, NIV)

God is all-knowing (1 John 3:20). He has ordained every step we take (Psalm 37:23-24). He plans all our days before one of them came to be (Psalm 139:16).

So, I am certain that He knew Callie and I would be denied public access a few months before What Color is God’s Love? would be released.

I’m grateful that He had me spend time researching Bible verses about His character for a year prior to this incident. He knew I would need the truth statements I used for each color when I was recovering from the blow of being told I wasn’t allowed to share the same space as other human beings because of my disability.

God knew that I would struggle to choose Love in the brambles.

God also knew that I would need to know I was loved completely by Him, so that I could choose love instead of hate, forgiveness instead of resentment and bitterness.

He knew I would need to be secure in His great love, so I would not be consumed or utterly destroyed by my sin or anyone else’s sins against me.

Why?

Because God’s compassions never fail!

Hallelujah!

God is so good! And He has already been redeeming my experience ̶ being denied public access with my service dog ̶ by blessing me with hidden treasures in secret places, ministry opportunities in unexpected spaces AND ministry expansion.

As I prepare for the release of What Color is God’s Love? in March, I’ve also been blessed to serve as one of the contributing writers for Tyndale’s Go Bible for Kids, which releases in September. Hallelujah!

By God’s incredible grace, WaterBrook is also releasing my third picture book earlier than expected. Wonderfully, Marvelously Brown is available for pre-order NOW and will be in readers’ hands in October!

Our Daily Bread Publishing is refreshing the cover of Waiting for God and giving me a new subtitle, just in time for the release of my second ODBM devotional in early 2025. I can’t share details about my second ODBM devotional title yet, but I can hardly wait to share what God did during that journey. The testimonies of the people I interviewed made me want to know God more, love God more, and serve God more!

But I know I can do nothing without Him or YOUR HELP!

So I am asking you to partner with me in ministry today. How?

  1. Pray for Callie the Service Dog and me at least once a week or once a month, as I trust God to send me more opportunities to serve Him as a writer and speaker.
  2. Love your neighbors by pre-ordering extra copies of What Color is God’s Love? to share as gifts today, using the exclusive access link (below)!
  3. Share the exclusive access link (below) with your family members and friends and ask them to pre-order What Color is Love? today, too!
  4. After you receive your copy of What Color is God’s Love?, write a review on Amazon and any other review platforms you enjoy. Please try to write your review within the first week after receiving your book. Reviews help me reach new readers. My goal is to have 500 reviews in the first 3 months after the release of What Color is God’s Love? and I can’t do this without your prayers or your help! To God be the glory!
  5. Share FUN and COLORFUL pictures of you enjoying your copy of What Color is God’s Love? on Facebook and Instagram and tag me @xochitl.e.dixon so I can celebrate with you!
  6. Keep connecting with me here and on social media, because God has more surprises in store for us! He’s got more ministry opportunities He’s sending my way. I received two calls last week from editors asking me to pray about potential projects. To God ALONE be the glory, the honor, and the praise!

Thanks for making a difference in my life and for serving Jesus with me in these special ways.

I’m excited to see what hidden treasures in secret places He has in store for us as we continue sharing His truth and love wherever He sends us!

Hallelujah!

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Scroll down for YOUR EXCLUSIVE ACCESS LINK for What Color is God’s Love? so you can pre-order your copies today!

What are readers saying about What Color is God’s Love? in their reviews?

In September 2023, Publishers Weekly said: “Xochitl Dixon writes a rhyming tale of the rainbow as a way to explore the full spectrum of God in What Color is God’s Love? (WaterBrook, Mar. 2024)”

In What Color is God’s Love?, a little girl and her service dog join their diverse friends as they celebrate the spectacular spectrum of colors God designed. Each color invites readers to explore their God-given emotions, becomes a reminder of God’s unchanging character, and empowers children, with and without disabilities, to play, work, and serve God together, by simply letting the colors of His love shine in and through them.

Love your neighbors by pre-ordering extra copies of What Color is God’s Love? as gifts today using this exclusive link sponsored by WaterBrook and Multnomah Kids Publishing:

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/711471/what-color-is-gods-love-by-xochitl-dixon-illustrated-by-darshika-varma/

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And . . . drumroll, please . . . help me celebrate God’s abounding love as I rejoice in how He brought about my third picture book, Wonderfully, Marvelously Brown, which will release in October 2024.

Wonderfully, Marvelously Brown is a love-offering inspired by my struggles with hating my light complexion because I was teased for being so light as a kid, and a conversation with one of my granddaughters who was struggling after being teased for her beautiful darker brown complexion.

I explained melanin to her by saying, “God chose one color when He made skin for His image-bearers ̶ BROWN ̶ but He chose to make us beautifully different shades of brown, from very light to very dark! So, we are all wonderfully, marvelously brown!”

Then, I told her I would write a book about this truth and dedicate it to her.

You can love your neighbors by pre-ordering extra copies of Wonderfully, Marvelously Brown today, by using this exclusive access link:

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/711470/wonderfully-marvelously-brown-by-xochitl-dixon-illustrated-by-sara-palacios/

Please share that link with others, too!

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Thanks for all you’ve done to help us place Different Like Me into the hands of readers around the world!

Different Like Me has been helping readers celebrate our differences and our sameness as God’s beautifully diverse and purposefully connected image-bearers.

Published by Our Daily Bread Ministries in 2020, Different Like Me was nominated as the 2021 ECPA Christian Book Award Children’s Book Finalist and translated into Simplified Chinese and Dutch. In 2022, I helped translate Different Like Me into Diferente como yo!

To God be the glory, the honor, and the praise!

Translating rhyme into Spanish was way harder than I expected and a task I couldn’t do without lots of help, especially since I am not as proficient in Spanish as I would like to be. As of January 2024, Different Like Me is now available in Hong Kong! Hallelujah!

These translations, as well as the ministry work done through Our Daily Bread each month, are answers to prayers I first let drop as tears into my Bible in 2001. He is using my words to allow me to serve as a missionary! Hallelujah!

Please join me in this amazing armchair missionary outreach!

If you don’t know a child you can bless with a copy of Different Like Me or Diferente como yo, you can donate copies to your local library, school, or afterschool program, on behalf of Callie the Service Dog.

Love your neighbors and Different Like Me or Diferente como yo by clicking HERE!

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Pause for Prayer is BACK! Hallelujah!

This month, I had the privilege of interviewing Sara Chinakwe and Chioma, the most adorable guest I’ve ever had on Pause for Prayer.

Sara Chinakwe is a wife, mother, teacher, and children’s ministry leader. She encourages women and children to pursue God’s purpose and embrace their God-given identity. Sara’s deep love for teaching and decade’s long career in education was shaped in California State University Stanislaus.

In this interview, Sara shares how God helped her through a personal journey of discovering her own ancestry as she wrote You Come from Greatness, a celebration of Black History and an invitation to rejoice in being made in the image of Christ!

To watch my Pause for Prayer Interview with Sara Chinakwe and Chioma, please click here.

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Here are a few of my favorite Black children’s book authors who are creating beautiful Christian books, resources, and programs.

Please pray for and support Natasha Tripplett, Dorena Williamson, Trillia Newbell, Dr. Lucretia Berry (founder of Brownicity), and Sara Chinakwe.

I’ve worked Dorena, Dr. Berry and Sara closely for years. Natasha is a fellow Redbud Writers Guild Sister, who lives in the Bay Area so I’ll be getting to know soon! And Trillia Newbell is one of my favorite Bible teachers and children’s book authors, who I have learned from (from afar) and would love to meet!

I thank God for the work these phenomenal women of God are doing to ensure my grandbabies see themselves represented in children’s books and resources.

However, I am even more grateful for the work they do that draws readers closer to Jesus!

Thanks for helping me celebrate Black History Month in a tangible way by showing support for Black Children’s Book Authors.

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I hope you know how much I need and thank God for your ongoing partnership in ministry!

I am committed to fulfilling the Great Commission while living out the Greatest Commandment, celebrating God’s beautifully diverse image-bearers and advocating for disability awareness around the world.

But I can’t do anything without God or your ongoing prayers and practical help.

Thanks for making a difference in my life and for making a Kingdom impact as you serve alongside me in this special way.

To God be the glory, the honor, and the praise!

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Three Gifts for Christmas – A New Book, A New Name, And A New Ministry!

We’ve faced many challenges over the last year, especially during the past month, but God has also blessed us with an abundance of gifts ̶ though none are greater than the gift of Jesus!

Today, I would like to celebrate three incredible gifts with you and give God all the glory!

  1. A new book!

Over the last two years, I have had the pleasure and privilege of prayerfully serving Jesus alongside the talented Bunmi Ishola with the WaterBrook and Multnomah Kids Publishing Family. We’ve been working with a gifted illustrator Darshika Varma and are excited to announce the release of What Color is God’s Love? in March 2024.

To God be the glory, the honor, and the praise, praise, praise!

What did Publisher’s Weekly have to say about my new book?

“Xochitl Dixon writes a rhyming tale of the rainbow as a way to explore the full spectrum of God in What Color is God’s Love? (WaterBrook, Mar. 2024)” (Publishers Weekly, September 2023)

All of my books empower children to celebrate diversity, advocate for inclusion and disability awareness, while spreading the Gospel and loving Jesus and their neighbors with their words and actions.

Pre-orders, like written reviews on your favorite review platforms, show my publisher that readers are interested in my books and will support my work going forward. Each book that you pre-order encourages my publisher to keep inviting me to create more books that point to Jesus!

You can help me show my publisher that you want more books like Different Like Me by loving your neighbors and pre-ordering extra copies of What Color is God’s Love? to share as gifts today!

Please use this exclusive Pre-order Link to order your copies of What Color is God’s Love? today:

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/711471/what-color-is-gods-love-by-xochitl-dixon-illustrated-by-darshika-varma/

Thank you for your partnership in sharing God’s truth and love to the ends of the earth by sharing Different Like Me, Waiting for God: Trusting Daily in God’s Plan and Pace, and What Color is God’s Love? with others.

I can do nothing without God or your ongoing prayers and support.

  1. A New Name!

This gift is not what you might expect. The name I’m talking about isn’t even mine. If you’ve been connecting with me on social media, you may have enjoyed photos of my husband, Dr. W. Alan Dixon Sr., wearing Christmas hats in November-December. We call this tradition the Dixon Christmas Hatstravaganza and Socktacular with Tinsel Ties, Glitzy Glasses, and Callie’s Bandana Bonanza.

This year, I interviewed my husband. I wanted share the backstory and the deeper purpose behind this fun tradition with the readers around the world who return to my social media pages every year to check out my husband’s crazy Christmas hats. During our interview, my husband also reveals his new nickname.

CLICK HERE to watch this exclusive Pause for Prayer Interview.

  1. A new ministry!

Something happened at the end of November. I’ve been struggling as I process the situation and trust God to work out the details. Though it’s been a hard month, through it all God has been revealing Himself intimately and giving me wonderful opportunities to serve Him. Hallelujah!

He’s been nudging me to be more consistent with sharing biblical encouragement and prayers here and through Pause for Prayer (my YouTube channel).

This month, I interviewed authors Christie Thomas, Dorena Williamson, and Valerie Ellis. You will not want to miss what the Lord revealed through our conversations!

To subscribe to Pause for Prayer, please CLICK HERE.

I can hardly wait to see what God has in store for us in 2024, as we live with a passion for Christ, rooted in God’s Word and growing with God’s people.

To God be the glory, the honor, and the praise, praise, praise!

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Saved by Words AND an Opportunity to Share God’s Love with Local Libraries

Suggested Reading: John 1:1-18

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1

As a latchkey kid, I spent a lot of time alone. Books became my best friends. Music became my therapist.

I traveled the world and learned how to see beyond my personal space through the pages of picture books and novels, and as I sang the songs that touched the depths of my soul. So, for years, I thought words changed and saved my life.

Words gave me power as I began writing. I wrote poetry to explore my emotions and express my feelings. I wrote fiction to escape my world.

But it wasn’t until my thirtieth year on this earth that I read the words that truly saved my life ̶ the Good News, the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1

I met the Word ̶ Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us ̶ through the Gospel of John in 2001.

I got to know the Word a little bit better every time I opened up my Bible and prayerfully read and studied the God-breathed words of Scripture that the Holy Spirit used and still uses to transform me. And now, God has blessed me with the pleasure and privilege of sharing His truth and love with readers around the world through the words He empowers me to write.

To God be the glory, the honor, and the praise!

This is why I thank God for every book He used to prepare my heart for Him and for every ministry opportunity He provides so I can share Him with others, whether it’s by placing a Bible in someone’s hands or writing the words He uses to touch someone’s heart.

This is why I’m so excited about the 2023 Love Your Librarian Book Giveaway!

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As a child, I didn’t go to church. I knew God existed, but I had never even seen a real Bible until I stole my first Bible in 2001. (Don’t fret or judge. I paid for that Bible two years later, after I learned that there was a small fee required to replace the Bibles taken from the church.)

Now, as I look back on the books I read during my countless hours in libraries as a child, I can see how God used many of those books to prepare my heart to receive the Gospel. I can see how God used those reading adventures to equip me for a lifetime adventure of enjoying Bible reading as an adult.

Our libraries need books written with a Christian worldview and books written to point readers to a life-saving relationship with the Word ̶ Jesus!

Yes. Dr. Seuss ignited my love for poetry. Mercer Mayer and Beverly Cleary sparked my love for humor and storytelling. However, The Berenstain Bears, Where the Red Fern Grows, and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe planted seeds of faith in my heart.

And this is why I thank God for every opportunity He gives me to write books for His glory, to support libraries, and to place Christian books on those library shelves and into the hands of young and older readers.

I would love to hear your stories about how God used children’s books and libraries to encourage you, comfort you, and draw you closer to Him during your childhood.

I would also like to invite you to join me in blessing your local public, church, school, or Free Little Library with16 Christian children’s books that honor God today!

I’m one of 11 Christian authors participating in the 2023 Love Your Librarians Book Giveaway on Instagram.

Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!

To ENTER for your chance to have 16 of our Christian Children’s books donated and sent directly to your library, all you have to do is:

  1. FOLLOW ALL 11 participating Christian authors on Instagram.
  2. Write the NAME, CITY, and STATE of your favorite church, school, public, or Free Little library in the comment section under THE ORIGINAL POST ON INSTAGRAM (Click HERE).
  3. ASK OTHERS TO ENTER (following all giveaway rules) on behalf of your selected school, church, public, or free little library.
  4. TAG the teacher, school, church, or public library or the librarian so they can ask others to enter on their behalf.

We’ll announce the randomly selected library that will receive these 16 Christian books on February 14, 2023 by 10 am Pacific.

NOTE: The mailing address of the randomly selected library chosen to receive these 16 books MUST BE LOCATED IN THE CONTINENTAL U.S. to be eligible for this Love Your Librarian Book Giveaway, which is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Instagram or any other organization.

Thanks for joining the FUN and showing your love to our amazing librarians and the communities they serve!

I’m looking forward to hearing your stories about the wonderful ways God used libraries, books, and writing to encourage you, comfort you, embolden you, and prepare you during your childhood.

And I’m looking forward to growing closer to Jesus as we spread His Word together!

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I am including the list of the 11 Christian authors and the 16 books we’re donating for the 2023 Love Your Librarian Book Giveaway.

I’m adding our websites so you can partner with us in ministry by: praying for us, subscribing to our blogs, liking or following our social media pages, and supporting us by buying our books, reviewing our books, and sharing our books with others.

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Chosen and You Are by Emily Assell

You Come from Greatness by Sara Chinakwe

Lions to the Rescue and Mystery of Crooked Creek Road by Amanda Cleary Eastep

Different Like Me by Xochitl Dixon

Chasing God’s Glory and Cora Cooks Pancit by Dorina Gilmore-Young

Easter is Coming and God, I Feel Sad (with Michelle Nietert) by Tama Fortner

Bedtime in the Barnyard by Dandi Daley Mackall

God, I Feel Sad by Michell Nietert with Tama Fortner

Unbetrothed by Candice Pedraza Yamnitz

Her Story, Her Strength and God’s Love is Like Sunshine by Sarah Parker Rubio

God’s Beloved Community and Color-Courageous Discipleship by Michelle T. Sanchez

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Radical Forgiveness Begins with a Prayer AND a LIVE Zoom Book Launch Party Invitation

(Suggested Reading: Matthew 5:43-48, The Message)

My husband and I enjoyed a community event to honor the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Monday. I’m smiling and praising God as I remember the beautifully diverse people surrounding us, standing-room-only.

As I reflected on the messages shared by the speakers, God brought to mind a woman who had sent me a private message chastising me over a year ago. She scolded me for using my writing platform to speak against systemic, institutional, and generational racism. I had responded with an invitation to pray and discuss these issues so we could better understand each other.

She then replied with a long email with a sharp and condescending tone, informing me of “all” my “wrong thinking.” She “didn’t mind me talking about celebrating diversity,” though she claimed “God doesn’t see color.” She said I needed to stop saying that the church should speak against systemic racism because “systemic racism isn’t a real thing.”

After all, she insisted, “racism ended with the Civil Rights Movement and everyone is treated the same and has equal opportunities in life now.” She ended her lesson with a list of a few famous African Americans who were “successful because they worked hard and had the same opportunities as everyone else,” which was her way of providing “proof that racism isn’t a problem now.”

When I first read her message, I got angry. My first impulse was to blast her in an email response and tell her how wrong she was about the things she claimed. I wanted to give her a point-by-point argument to prove she was wrong and I was right.

But the Holy Spirit stopped me in my tracks.

Instead, I called a friend who I knew would pray with me and offer wise counsel on how to deal with the situation.

After I read her the email, with tears flowing and my anger seething, I listened as she spoke wise words and sighed with relief as we prayed together. She recommended I ignore the email and pray for the woman but told me it was my decision to make as I prayed over the situation on my own.

After praying for days, I decided not to respond.

My words wouldn’t change the woman’s mind. She was convinced she was right, even though she was not a woman of color and could not possibly understand what she didn’t know or hadn’t experienced.

Maybe one day she would be open for a conversation, but my friend and I agreed that the woman’s tone and choice of words proved she was closed for discussions or learning opportunities at that time.

Besides, an email would not have been the best choice to communicate with her.

I thought my decision to pray for her and ignore her was wise, until I forgot to pray for her. Then, over a year later, I had to be in the same room with that woman during an event. As soon as I found out she would be attending the event, I started realizing that I had not completely forgiven the woman.

I asked God to forgive me and to help me forgive.

Then, I prayed He would bless that woman. Still, I didn’t really know if I’d really forgiven her as Christ had forgiven me . . . completely, unconditionally, and lovingly.

So, I kept on praying over the months I prepared for the trip, as I packed for the trip, as I traveled, as I got dressed for the first day of the event, as I entered the room, and as I walked up to her and said hello.

To my surprise, I felt relief, the peace of God, and an overwhelming sense of compassion toward the woman.

I continued praying this short blessing over her whenever I saw her: Lord, show her the limitless depth of Your love for her and help her love others as You love her.

I praised God when several of the speakers during our meeting spoke about the same things she had chastised me for sharing on my platform. I had no idea these topics would be on the agenda, but God did.

I prayed for her heart to be softened to the biblical truths being shared by others.

I also prayed God would soften my heart toward her and others who didn’t agree with me about these issues and any other beliefs or opinions I held, regardless of how right or biblical those beliefs and opinions.

As I prayed, the Holy Spirit led me to Jesus’ words:

“You’re familiar with the old written law, ‘Love your friend,’ and its unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy.’ I’m challenging that. I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst.

When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the supple moves of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves.

This is what God does. He gives His best ̶ the sun to warm and the rain to nourish ̶ to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty.

If all you do is love the loveable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that.

If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that.

In a word, what I’m saying is, Grow up. You’re kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity.

Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.” (Matthew 5:43-48, The Message).

God is still working on me, even as I type these words.

But as I practice surrendering to the Holy Spirit’s transforming love, I refuse to allow the enemy to distract me from fulfilling the Great Commission (sharing God’s truth and love to the ends of the earth) and the Greatest Commandment (loving God and others, loving my neighbors as I love myself).

As I pray for our world and for me to follow the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s example of loving like Jesus, I have committed to loving God and others as I share His truth and love wherever He leads me.

To love like Jesus begins with a prayer of surrender, the resolve to forgive as He has forgiven me, and a desire to stand firm on the God-breathed words of Scripture while being faithfully obedient to His Word, which is only possible through the power of the Holy Spirit.

So, as I pray for others, as I pray God will continue transforming my heart and mind, I’m trying to follow God’s leading and make the world around me a little better.

How?

I’m speaking against injustice and doing my part to reveal that, according to the Bible, systemic, institutional, and generational racism are sins that the enemy wants to use to divide and defeat us.

I’m sharing my devotional, Waiting for God: Trusting Daily in God’s Plan and Pace, with those who are weary as they trust God to work in and through their lives each day.

I’m sharing my children’s picture book, Different Like Me, now available in Spanish Diferente como yo, to help children (and some adults) celebrate our differences and our sameness as God’s beautifully and intentionally diverse and purposefully connected people.

I’ve completed two more picture books, scheduled to release in 2024, that equip and encourage readers to nurture deeper relationships with God and others while celebrating, embracing, and advocating for diversity and inclusion. Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! I can hardly wait to share more about these books! To God be the glory!

I’m using my platform as an author and speaker to promote peace and love while working toward creating safe spaces to experience a taste of the world the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke of in his speeches, specifically “I Have a Dream.”

I’m being intentional about lifting other “Kingdom Subjects” up in Christ’s love, supporting them as God uses them for His glory.

And I am praying for you, our world, and for my heart so we can be rooted in God’s Word while growing in love with God’s beautifully diverse and purposefully connected people!

As Alan and I settle into our new community, we’re excited to see what God has in store for us.

He was recently asked to join the Solano County Black Chamber of Commerce. We’re praying he can use his God-given gifts to promote God-honoring changes in our community. Thank You, Lord!

Because we live in a world that hates God, more wounds will be inflicted, more conversations will be uncomfortable, and those lines of division will be drawn in hardened concrete instead of sand.

But, as always, love will prevail!

When I thought about that woman today after the event that honored Dr. King’s life, I thought about Dr. King’s sacrifices and his love for all people, including those who hated him. I also thought about Jesus’ sacrifices and His love for all people, including those who hated Him.

As I type these words, I am praying for the woman in the story above, any other person who has offended and hurt me in the past, and anyone who is going to offend and hurt me in the future. I am asking the Lord to help me release my offenders into His loving and merciful hands. I’m asking Him to help me to live with a heart committed to radical forgiveness, so I can forgive others as Jesus has radically forgiven me.

Radical forgiveness starts with a prayer, just like the prayer Jesus said while on the cross at Calvary.

As we pray over our current relationships and dig deeper into Scripture, we can ask the Holy Spirit to help us submit to His loving and wise counsel and empower us to rely on His life-transforming love and limitless wisdom and power.

I look forward to hearing your stories of how God is blessing you with freedom and peace, as we commit to loving like Jesus by forgiving as He forgave us!

Holy Spirit, thanks for opening our eyes to see when we’re blinded by unforgiveness. Please forgive us for not trusting You to be judge according to Your perfect will and to extend mercy whenever You want to extend mercy. Give us hearts that overflow with Your love, the love that the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. exemplified through his life, and the love his family continues to exemplify, as we work together to bring about the changes necessary for Dr. King’s dream to become a reality.

Please remind us that You were intentional when You created Your image-bearers to be diverse and to live and love within diverse communities. Please eradicate racism from this world and from our hearts, Lord. Help us to be willing to listen to one another so we can learn from one another so we can love one another the way You love us . . . selflessly, unconditionally, and intentionally.

Please wrap us in Your supernatural peace as we walk in the freedom and joy of love, which defeats the lover of hate and dissension, the devil, and begins with our commitment to forgive as we’ve been forgiven. In Jesus’s name, Amen.

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I am so excited to invite you to a virtual book launch to celebrate the release of You Come from Greatness by Sara Chinakwe (chin-ah-kway).

You Come from Greatness is a celebration of Black history, an anthem for future generations, and a reminder for young readers to embrace their God-given worth. You will follow in the footsteps of greatness, kings and queens, doctors and dancers, poets and inventors ̶ like them, you were born to shine.”

When I first read You Come from Greatness, I was in tears. This book is everything I was looking for when my sons were growing up! This is the endorsement and review I wrote after reading Sara’s book:

In You Come from Greatness, Sara Chinakwe’s poetic prose and Ken Daley’s vibrant illustrations celebrate some of the great Black men and women who made a difference in Black History . . . American History . . . or more accurately, World History. Though written first as an affirming love letter to empower Black readers, young and older, You Come from Greatness can encourage all readers to honor past and current Black leaders, while embracing their own power and purpose as God’s intentionally designed and diverse image-bearers. You Come from Greatness is a much-needed resource that can embolden world-changers, with their identity secured in Christ, for generations to come.

– Xochitl Dixon, Our Daily Bread writer and the author of the 2021 ECPA Christian Book Award Finalist, Different Like Me and Waiting for God: Trusting Daily in God’s Plan and Pace.

Please love your neighbors by ordering your copy of You Come from Greatness and extra copies to share as gifts and to donate to local libraries, schools, and churches TODAY, and please take a few moments to write a short review on Amazon.

The more reviews Sara has, the more Amazon will help her reach more readers with this beautiful message of hope that points to God and empowers readers to DREAM BIG and be all God created them to be.

You’re invited to join us for a LIVE Zoom Book Launch Party. I’ll be serving as the moderator. We’ll have book giveaways, an exclusive Q&A with the author, and more!

Click here to join us on Saturday, January 21, 2023 at 11 am Pacific Time. 

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You can learn more about Sara and connect with her on her website at www.sarachinakwe.com today.

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To order your copies of You Come from Greatness by Sara Chinakwe, please click here!

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Xochitl Dixon is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: You Come from Greatness – LIVE Zoom Launch Party with Sara Chinakwe
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Making Room at the Table

Suggested Reading: John 20:30-21:25

For most of my life, my family spent holidays with people who weren’t related to us by blood. If we found out someone didn’t have a place to go, we invited them to join us.

After my husband and I got married, we continued the tradition. Our sons became accustomed to enjoying fellowship over food with others.

When we became Christians, we even rang in the New Year at church with a family game night.

My Bible study groups worked the same way. We always added an empty chair to the circle, as a reminder for everyone to invite and welcome new people.

We learned to consider making room at the table a pleasure and a privilege, as well as acts of obeying and worshipping God.

Life happened over the years. We moved out of our close-knit neighborhood, experienced our first heartbreak within the Church, and followed God’s leading to a new church family.

In 2018, we moved out-of-state and, two years later, returned to our home state to live in transition . . . for over a year . . . during a pandemic.

I can’t pinpoint when we stopped being as committed to being intentional about making room at the table.

But as we wait for our new home to be ready for move-in, I’m asking God to help us connect with the people He chooses to be our neighbors as we settle into a new community.

I’m asking God to help us commit to being intentional about connecting with our family and with people in all areas of our lives.

Having a full life as a believer in Jesus requires nurturing intimate relationships with Him and others.

These relationships will look different for all of us, since we are uniquely designed to function and fellowship with God and others in different ways.

For these same reasons, these relationships will also be complicated and sometimes include conflict.

However, the apostle John gives us four things we can do to help us navigate these relationships so we can live as Kingdom-Builders, people committed to living and loving for Jesus in every aspect of our lives.

  1. Engage with Purpose (John 20:30-31)

In John 20:30-31, the apostle defines his purpose in writing what we now know as the Gospel of John.

“Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.” (John 20:30-31, emphasis mine)

Believing in Jesus becomes the foundation that anchors us when we’re navigating through the various seasons of life. This belief also secures our purpose . . . our calling.

According to Jesus, we are called to obey the Greatest Commandment ̶ to love God and others ̶ and to fulfill the Great Commission ̶ to share God with others (Matthew 22:36-40; Matthew 28:16-20).

When we engage with purpose, we will approach our relationships with hearts committed to love and expanding the Kingdom of God.

We won’t have time for comparison, jealousy, or unforgiveness because our purpose will become more important than anything that can threaten Kingdom advancement.

  1. Embrace Obedience (John 21:1-14)

After Jesus’ resurrection, the disciples went back to using all of their own resources and coming up short. When they were ready to give up on their fishing day, Jesus approached with a simple command. After the disciples obeyed Him, they experienced the power of His provision (John 21:1-6).

Jesus connected with them over food, demonstrating a deep intimacy and willingness to remain present in their lives (vv. 7-14).

As disciples who are commissioned to live as fishers of men (Matthew 4:19), we can be tempted to use our own resources. We will come up short. Only God can save people. Only God can transform people. Only God!

But we have hope because He has empowered us with the Holy Spirit.

God promises to remain close to us, to connect with us intimately, and to provide as we rely on Him to help us live out the purpose He’s entrusted to us as Kingdom Builders ̶ those committed to loving God and others as we share His truth and love to the ends of the earth.

  1. Empower with God’s Truth (John 21:15-17)

Jesus checks our hearts to ensure that our motives are rooted in love for Him and others as He trusts us to fulfill our mission to lead others to Him (John 21:15-17).

He warns us to avoid comparing ourselves with others as we follow Him, individually and collectively (vv. 18-23).

When we engage in our purpose and embrace obedience, we won’t have to be concerned about what God is doing in and through the lives of others because we’ll be so excited about what He’s doing in our lives.

This perspective won’t make the journey easy or short, though.

  1. Endure with Perseverance (John 21:18-25)

“Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written” (v. 25).

We have been given the gift of time to share God’s truth and love to the ends of the earth. We can’t do this great task without God or each other.

Each of our stories will make a difference in the lives of those within our sphere of influence. God will give us opportunities to fulfill the Great Commission and the Greatest Commandment in our day-to-day living.

As we encourage one another and remember that we are better together, we can reach more people with the life-saving message of the Gospel of Christ.

With Spirit-empowered boldness and complete reliance on Him to serve as He created us to serve, we will be able to endure with perseverance.

There will always be room at God’s table, an empty chair waiting to be filled by a person He has placed in our lives and entrusted us to love.

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How have you made room at the table for someone else who is committed to Kingdom Building?

How have you invited someone to the table and shared God’s truth and love this week?

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Mighty God, please help us live for You as we learn to love You and others with Spirit-empowered and Spirit-refreshing faith and compassion and Kingdom-building commitment. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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There are so many ways we can make room at the table, building others up as we serve the Lord together.

During the month of August 2021, I have had the privilege of serving with three talented BIPOC children’s picture book authors as we’ve shared our personal stories through the Representation Matters Series.

Today, I’d like to introduce you to Tina M. Cho.

Tina is the author of Rice from Heaven, a picture book from Little Bee Books August 2018, Korean Celebrations, a nonfiction picture book from Tuttle, August 2019, My Breakfast with Jesusa nonfiction picture book from Harvest House June 2, 2020, The Ocean Calls: A Mermaid Haenyeo Story from Kokila, an imprint of Penguin Random House August 4, 2020, and her first middle grade graphic novel in verse, The Other Side of Tomorrow by Harper Alley Fall 2023.

Her book, My Breakfast with Jesus, invites readers to travel the world and explore the different ways God’s image-bearers eat breakfast.

“For more than 2,000 years, people have started their day with a delicious meal in their bellies and the love of Jesus in their hearts. From bacon and eggs in the heart of North America to fresh baked bread in Antarctica, believers from each continent gather in the morning to share good food and conversation, giving thanks to God for all the wonderful things He’s done.”

You can check out Tina’s other books on her website and encourage her in the comments under this original article, “Making Room at the Table.”

Tina shares a snippet of her personal testimony in her article, “Stories Shape Who We Become.” You can read the entire article and leave an encouraging comment under the post if you click here.

If you are reading this article in your email inbox, please  CLICK HERE and scroll down to the comment section to join the conversation.

I’m looking forward to connecting with you, hearing from you, and growing with you as we celebrate how God is using each of us to build one another up in love as we share His truth and love to the ends of the earth.

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The Power of Belonging to God

Suggested Reading: Psalm 100

“Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.” Psalm 100:3, ESV

As a teen, I got one pimple on the tip of my nose once a month. Only one. Only once a month.

God had blessed me with a clear complexion, so that one pimple would go away in a few days. Yet, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t stop dreading the arrival of that flaw I was certain everyone would be staring at when talking to me.

Over the years, I learned how to focus on other flaws, other failings, other things that made me feel insecure.

I truly didn’t understand what it meant to feel accepted and acceptable, until I discovered my place in the heart of God.

When I realized I belonged to God, I began to understand and believe that He created me with love, on purpose and with purpose, that I was accepted and acceptable simply because I was His . . . and that He called me good because He made me in His image.

This realization didn’t lead to arrogance. Instead, this truth brought me to my knees in gratitude and taught me how to see others through eyes cleared by God’s grace.

Belonging to God empowered me to love Him, the only perfect One, and to love His imperfect creations ̶ others and myself ̶ with a full appreciation of God’s sovereignty in designing every person, place or thing in His glorious creation.

How did we lose sight of celebrating the creativity of God?

Why did we begin defining normal, determining a standard for beauty, doubting our worth as God’s image-bearers?

As I explored this question, God led me to Psalm 100.

“Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs.” Psalm 100:1-2

The psalmist invites God’s people to celebrate Him, to worship or serve Him with gladness . . . with contentment.

God is beckoning us to honor and acknowledge Him as we approach Him, draw near to Him, with joy.

This display of closeness hints at an established relationship developed enough to be rooted in trust.

“Know that the LORD is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture.” Psalm 100:3

The psalmist turns our attention away from self to God and His unchanging character and role as our Creator.

By establishing we are created by the one we belong to, the psalmist declares we are acceptable, valuable, and intimately tended to as followers of God.

After affirming the surety of our belonging, the psalmist reminds us of our purpose, our inherited gift of intimate and mutual relationship.

We can rejoice in all circumstances because we have access to the One True God at all times.

“Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name.” Psalm 100:4

Hallelujah!

God gives us an open invitation to a victorious life of celebrating Him with gratitude for who He is and always will be, for all He’s done and will do.

Why?

“For the LORD is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.” Psalm 100:5

God is good and His love, His kindness, His steadfastness lasts beyond our personal space, through the lives of those yet to come.

We are acceptable and accepted simply because we belong to God and have value based on His qualifying traits not our own.

Embracing these truths causes sparks to fly as our love for God is ignited.

Hallelujah!

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Loving God, please help us love You completely and trust You courageously as we settle into our place as Your beloved children.

Help us accept that we are valued because of Your unchanging goodness as our loving Creator.

 Help us see others in the same light of this truth, especially when we struggle with the differences that threaten to divide us as Your precious and purposed family.

 In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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In this week’s article for the Representation Matters Series, Dorena Williamson affirms the power of belonging and realizing the extent of our worth as God’s beloved created ones.

She shares a personal story about her sweet little girl who picked up a book that God used to help her see herself as He saw her . . . likeable, acceptable, purposed and perfectly placed in this world He designed with His limitless creativity.

If you’ve ever doubted your value or struggled with insecurities, if you’ve ever faced others who deemed you as less-than, seen others as inferior or felt unseen or inferior, please take a moment to thank God for creating you and loving you . . . for creating and loving those who are different from you.

When we feel like we belong, we will begin to understand that God intended all of us to belong and to be represented in light of His truth and love.

ColorFull, GraceFull, and ThoughtFull are three of Dorena’s first children’s picture books that celebrate diversity through inclusion and positive representation.

In October, Dorena will be releasing The Celebration Place, a story that will “give children a window into the beauty of diversity in our church experiences.”

To check out Dorena’s article, “The Impact of Representation,” and to subscribe to her blog, please click here. To connect with Dorena on Instagram, please click here.

The Representation Matters writers will be sharing a special announcement and hosting a giveaway at the end of this August series, so please stay in touch.

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If you have received this article in your email inbox, please DO NOT REPLY. Instead, CLICK HERE to leave a comment below the original article on my website and join our conversation as we seek to be more rooted in God’s Word while growing with God’s people.

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I’m looking forward to growing with you, Blog Family!

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Seeing My Neighbor (Anniversary Book Giveaway Recipients Announced)

Suggested Reading: Mark 12:28-34 and Luke 10:25-37

 

When the pandemic started, someone asked if I thought God was testing the Church.

 

I smiled. “No,” I said. “I think He’s dispersing the Church.”

 

During our conversation I explained how God had equipped the Church to fulfill His mission. In the New Testament, the Greek word for Church (ekklesia) means “an assembly,” “to call out,” or “the called ones.”

 

“Church” was never intended to be defined as a meeting place or time.

 

The Church is a living organism made up of living organisms ̶ God’s image-bearers, believers in Jesus who are commanded to love God and love people.

 

Though I didn’t attend a service in-person during the pandemic, God provided plenty of opportunities to assemble with His people online.

 

He also presented me with opportunities to talk to people in person, as we honored the social distancing boundaries and wore masks as an expression of love toward our neighbors.

 

As the Lord called me out, I spoke to my neighbors, the people God loves who lived in my neighborhood, the people I’d only waved at in the past . . . sometimes as I rushed to worship Him with other believers at Sunday service.

 

I slowed down and saw my neighbors as I walked to the park, shopped at the grocery store, smiled with my eyes, and sent air-hugs as we stood six-feet-apart.

 

I saw my neighbors as they walked or drove by our home.

 

Seeing my neighbors led to praying for my neighbors, as God taught me to truly love my neighbors as He loved them and me . . . selflessly and sacrificially.

 

How had I lost sight of my mission as a disciple of Christ who desired to be obedient to His calling?

 

I found answers by reflecting on the responses of two men, one in Mark 12:28-34 and the other in Luke 10:25-37.

 

In Mark 10, a teacher of the law approached Jesus and asked which commandment was the “most important” (v. 28).

 

Without missing a beat, Jesus said:

 

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength,’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these” (vv. 30-31).

 

This man answered wisely, knowing Jesus had simply affirmed what was written in the Scriptures (what we now know as the Old Testament). The Bible doesn’t tell us what that man did after his conversation with Jesus. I like to think that he went out and fulfilled his calling, to love God and people.

 

In Luke 10, another man approached Jesus. This expert in the law wanted to “test Jesus” (v. 25).

 

When he asked what he needed to do to inherit “eternal life” (v. 25), Jesus asked him to interpret the law (v. 26).

 

Correctly, the man repeated what we have come to know as the Greatest Commandment (v. 27).

 

Jesus called the man to fulfill his mission: “Do this and you will live” (v. 28).

 

Sadly, this expert of the law seemed to be looking for a loophole in Jesus’ command. I sense a hint of sarcasm when I read the man’s response in verse 29: “And who is my neighbor?”

 

Jesus gives the man a clear image of how to love God and people when He shares the Parable of the Good Samaritan (vv. 30-35). He then asks the expert in the law to identify which person in the parable reflected the heart of a neighbor toward the injured Samaritan (v. 36).

 

“The expert in the law replied, ‘The one who had mercy on him’” (v. 37).

 

“Jesus told him, ‘Go and do likewise’” (v. 37).

 

Like this man, we are called out of our comfort zones to go and do likewise. We are called out of our self-centered pits of despair and discontent. We are called out of everything that hinders us from loving God by loving our neighbors selflessly and sacrificially.

 

God calls us to Him, to be transformed by His unconditional love.

 

He calls us to love our neighbors by turning away from everything that distracts us from seeing our neighbors, especially those who are different from us, less privileged than us, or carefully shoved out of our field of vision so we can forget about the things that make us feel uncomfortable or don’t personally affect us.

 

When everyone goes back to Sunday services, I pray we enjoy the fellowship as we grow closer to God and each other.

 

However, I also pray we remember that the buildings are not “the Church” and the times we assemble together for weekly services are not the main objectives of our mission.

 

Times of assembling with believers are meant to equip and encourage the Body of Christ to become more spiritually-matured disciples who are ready to be dispersed, so we can fulfill the Greatest Commandment and the Great Commission . . . wherever God leads us in person and online.

 

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Loving God, thank You for empowering us with Your Holy Spirit who enables us to know You and love You.

 

Please help us see all of our neighbors, especially those who are different from us and those we are more comfortable ignoring.

 

Empower us to love our neighbors the way You love them, selflessly and sacrificially, unconditionally and compassionately, intentionally and genuinely.

 

Show us how to love with our words, our actions, and our attitudes in person and online.

 

Please remind us that You never asked us to change our neighbors, to make them more like us, or to expect them to fit into our vision of acceptable.

 

Make us more like You, Jesus, so we can reflect Your character as we reach out to others and point them to You so that You can transform them through the power of Your Holy Spirit, as You are transforming us.

 

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

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As I ask God to help me see my neighbors so I can love my neighbors, I’m excited to be a part of a group of authors who celebrate God’s intentional diversity and inclusivity.

 

Throughout the month of August, I’m working with Dorina Gilmore-Young, Tina M. Cho, and Dorena Williamson to help others see their misrepresented and under-represented neighbors in the pages of children’s books.

 

This week, I would like to introduce you to Dorina Gilmore-Young, the author of Cora Cooks Pancit.

 

When asked about the lack of representation of BIPOC characters in Children’s literature, Dorina writes:

 

“We have tasted progress, but we have not yet arrived. Representation still matters. As an author, an educator, and a mother of three brave girls, I want to be part of carrying the torch.” 

 

Dorina’s family has teamed up with Dr. Lucretia Berry, founder of Brownicity, to present a membership program called Global Glory Chasers. Each month they highlight a specific country and introduce a list of books, movies, music, and recipes to help families learn about different cultures.

 

To read Dorina’s article in the Representation Matters Series, “Mosaic Voices: Why Representation Matters in Children’s Literature and Beyond,” click here.

 

To learn more about Global Glory Chasers, click here.

 

To follow Dorina on Instagram, please click here.

 

We have a special announcement to share at the end of August, so I hope you’ll stay connected.

 

I look forward to growing with you as we seek to love God and our neighbors together!

 

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Congratulations to the recipients of the Anniversary Giveaway!

 

Michelle Vegara, you will be receiving a signed copy of Waiting for God: Trusting Daily in God’s Plan and Pace.

 

Karen Condit, you will be receiving a signed copy of Different Like Me.

 

I will email the winners to request mailing information.

 

Thanks to all of you who took time to read and respond.

 

Stay tuned! We’ll have another special giveaway SOON!

 

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If you are reading this message via email, please DO NOT REPLY to this email. Instead, CLICK HERE to leave a comment under the original article on my blog. You will have to scroll down to the end of the article to join the conversation.

 

Thanks for being a part of my blog family!

 

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Committing to Truly Loving and Following Jesus

As I watch the divisions in the United States and within the Church widen, I cry out to the Lord.

My personal problems seem so small as I weep for the Church, asking God to reveal my wickedness, to purify my heart and mind so I can live in alignment with His life-transforming truth and love.

Still, I’m wrestling with God as I witness hate infesting communities and dividing people.

I watch in disbelief as well-known Christian leaders, blinded by idolatry, add checkmarks on evil’s scorecard by condoning, excusing, minimizing, and contributing to the sins that make folks want to run from Jesus instead of to Him.

I don’t want to drive people away from Jesus.

I don’t want to stray from Jesus, either.

So, I began to ask God a simple question:

How can I truly love and follow Jesus?

My search led me back to the basics.

“Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.” (1 John 4:20)

Jesus Himself said that loving Him is synonymous to obeying Him (John 14:15). He clearly declares the theme of love with the greatest commandment, too:

“Love the Lord your God with all you heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40)

As I studied Scripture, I began to realize that truly loving and following Jesus results in the Spirit-empowered obedience to sacrificially love our neighbors as we love ourselves.

Selfless and sacrificial love protects “our neighbors,” all the people God created and loves, more fiercely than we protect our earthly rights, our biased opinions, our political beliefs and affiliations, our traditions, and our need to be right instead of being right with God.

Christ followers cannot love sacrificially or selflessly if we’re content with cowering in the dark corners of our comfort zones, hiding behind apathy, indifference, or approval through silence to avoid conflict or criticism.

In the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), Jesus commends the Good Samaritan for having mercy on his fellow man and commands His disciples to “go and do likewise” (v. 37).

Oh, Lord. Forgive me! Change me and make me more like You, merciful Jesus.

How often have I chosen the sin of indifference, refusing to love someone with my words, actions, thoughts, and attitudes?

How often have I chosen the sin of idolatry, placing myself above You and everyone else?

The more I studied the Bible, the more I discovered God’s repeated emphasis on loving our neighbors as a commandment not an option:

“If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.” (James 2:8-9)

When we choose to truly love and follow Jesus, we can begin a wave of healing that ripples through our homes and into our communities, in person and online.

We may not experience physical restoration of a relationship or guarantee an offender’s change of heart when we’re the ones forgiving and choosing to love, but we can rely on God’s just and merciful love to work in and through the most painful circumstances.

Though the road toward change and healing will not be easy or short, our mission as Christ followers is clear.

If we say we love Jesus, we are commanded to love all people as Jesus loves us ̶ selflessly and sacrificially ̶ because He first loved us (1 John 4:19).

As we live for Jesus and love like Jesus, we can draw people to the hope we have in Christ and make disciples of all nations by being true examples of disciples of Christ (Matthew 28:16-20).

Love will always prevail because our victorious God Himself is love.

But as I cry out to Jesus today, I’m praying He’ll change my heart and transform my thinking so that I can prevail by living a victorious life in Christ ̶ truly loving and following Jesus, which will be evident in the ways I love others who are different from me, who believe differently than me, and even those who refuse to love me back.

What a glorious day it will be when God uses our loving obedience, our genuine and selfless love for Him and others, to draw others closer to Him, to inspire others to dig deeper into His Word, and to encourage others to delight in His love as they enter into His eternal Kingdom!

Hallelujah!

Lord, thank You for loving us, forgiving us, and empowering us to love and forgive others. As we watch the atrocities unfolding right before our eyes and grieve over the blatant hatred destroying lives, it is ever apparent that we need You, Lord.

Please reveal our wickedness so we can repent, turn away from our sins, and represent You while living as foreigners on this earth.

Help us place offenders in Your hands, so that we can be freed to make a difference in our world by refusing to be indifferent.

As we rest in the surety of Your constant presence, give us all we need to seek peace, celebrate diversity as we stand in unity, and love selflessly, sacrificially, and generously all the days of our lives, starting today.

 In Jesus’s name, Amen.

***

Who, besides Jesus, loved you into the Kingdom of God?

The Lord used so many people to love me as He prepared my heart to surrender to Him. However, I would like to thank Ms. Virginia, Winona, Barbara P., Cendy, and Miriam for loving me like Jesus before I’d even seen a “real Bible,” and while I was deliberately unloving and unlovable.

Who is God asking you to love into His Kingdom as you share the Gospel with them?

How are you loving Jesus by loving others in the against injustice?

***

As I seek to fall head over heels in love with Jesus more and more each day, I am reading through the Bible in a year with the Our Daily Bread reading schedule. If you would like to join me, please let me know in the comments section or send me a message.

For more biblical encouragement, please subscribe to my YouTube channel.

Please join me in loving our littlest neighbors by ordering extra copies of Different Like Me to share as gifts today.

I would appreciate your help spreading the word about Different Like Me, too.

One easy way to make a huge impact is by writing a short review on Amazon today. All you have to do is share what you like about the book and if you would recommend the book to other readers.

I look forward to being rooted in God’s Word as we grow closer to God’s people together!

***

 

Why I Wrote Different Like Me and Blog Tour Mega Giveaway

What are you?

That question used to trigger anger, frustration, and sadness, especially when people responded in disbelief because my answer didn’t fit the stereotypes they’d accepted as truth. My insecurities deepened, causing me to hate my own light-but-not-white reflection.

Years later, when I became a mom of two black sons, I didn’t want them to suffer similar insecurities. I didn’t want them to think their worth as people could be determined by the opinions, expectations, or biases of others.

I wanted my sons to love God, to love the way God created them, and to love all the people God created.

But my desires and best-intentions couldn’t protect them the ignorance and hate so prevalent in our fallen world.

One day, during a trip to an ice cream shop, an adult male glared at my five-year-old son and said, “What are you?”

The sting of his words ripped the scar off the wound on my heart that I thought had healed.

Asking God to help me forgive, I sought ways to help my sons rejoice in their uniqueness and God’s creativity in designing all of His people. While studying my Bible, I began learning how to embrace my identity in Christ.

The more I learned about God’s love for me, the more I began to accept I worth loving and the more I began to love others.

I wrote Different Like Me in 2001, shortly after receiving Jesus as my Lord and Savior.

Originally, I had planned to use the poem to teach my sons how to celebrate our differences and our sameness as God’s beautifully diverse and purposefully connected people. But the Lord kept nudging me to share the story with others.

God didn’t roll out His plans at the pace I’d expected.

In 2016, my agent and an editor read Different Like Me, loved it, but couldn’t move forward with publication.

The following year, I signed a contract for my first full-length devotional, Waiting for God: Trusting Daily in God’s Plan and Pace.

I set Different Like Me aside as I worked on the other projects the Lord had entrusted to me.

In 2018, shortly after submitting Waiting for God to my editor at Our Daily Bread Publishing, my agent and the editor who had loved Different Like Me in 2016 requested a complete proposal for the manuscript.

I scrambled to prepare my first children’s picture book proposal with the help of my friend and prolific children’s book author, Crystal Bowman. I submitted the proposal to several editors before prayerfully deciding to accept a contract from Our Daily Bread Publishing.

Then, I began praying for an illustrator who would avoid stereotypes and include children with special needs as heroes, not sideline characters.

Bonnie Lui (pronounced Louie) did a fabulous job. She weaved her own beautiful story into the gorgeous illustrations that breathe life into the whimsical rhyming text I’d written almost two decades earlier.

Bonnie even created a character inspired by my service dog, Callie, a Border Collie/Hound mix we rescued in 2018 from a kill-shelter and trained through Tails for Life after God moved us from California to Wisconsin.

Earlier this year, as I prepared for the August 2020 release of Different Like Me, tragedy divided our world.

I truly believe God delayed my path to publication so that He could prepare hearts to receive the message of love, unity, peace, and hope that He has brought to life through each page of Different Like Me.

This week, Celebrate Lit is going to be hosting an exciting blog tour with a mega giveaway!

The Different Like Me Celebrate Lit Blog Tour Mega Giveaway includes: a signed copy of Different Like Me with a bookmark and sticker, an exclusive coloring page signed by the illustrator, Bonnie Lui, a Different Like Me full-color 8 ½ x 11 poster, one box of Crayola’s Colors of the Word crayons (24-pack), a 4-pack of crayons, a Different Like Me fish shaped key chain, a fish-out-of-water finger puppet and lollipop, Swedish Fish, a colorful fish book bag, a custom made Different Like Me cup, and a $25.00 Amazon gift card to encourage readers to build up their collection children’s picture books that celebrate diversity.

Be sure to comment on the blog stops (posted below) for nine extra entries into the giveaway!

Inklings and notions, September 14

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 15

Texas Book-aholic, September 16

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, September 17

Splashes of Joy, September 18

deb’s Book Review, September 18

For Him and My Family, September 19

A Reader’s Brain, September 20

Simple Harvest Reads, September 21 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)

Mary Hake, September 21

Book Love, September 22 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Ashley’s Bookshelf, September 23

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, September 24

Artistic Nobody, September 25

Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, September 25

Locks, Hooks and Books, September 26

Sara Jane Jacobs, September 27

 

I’m looking forward to interacting with you in the comment sections of each blog post!

—–

 

Join Me On the Award-Winning Timothy Hodge Show on Blog Talk Radio! (Book Giveaway)

(Book Giveaway: Details in this post.)

God blessed me with a wonderful opportunity to chat with Mr. Timothy Hodge from The Timothy Hodge Show on Blog Talk Radio.

The Timothy Hodge Show started in August 2008 and was announced as the winner of the prestigious Hal Jackson Radio Award from the National Radio Alliance in Las Vegas on June 20, 2020.

This American talk radio show hosted by DJ Timothy Hodge shares live music, celebrity interviews, current events, entertainment news, live media events and much more. You can listen to the show on Power 93.4 FM and on the Blogtalk Radio Network, a subscription based internet radio service.

The Timothy Hodge Show is one of the highest rated syndicated radio shows on the B.T.R Network and has featured a variety of guests, including but not limited to: Montell Jordon, Keith Murray, Yolanda Adams, Jesse McCartney, Gloria Gaynor, Brandy, Regina Belle, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Winans, Mario Winans, Jasmine Guy, Nia Long, Oleta Adams, Evelyn “Champange” King , Stephanie Mills, Cissy Houston, and Regina King.

I enjoyed a great conversation with Mr. Hodge, who happens to be a fellow dog lover!

We discussed my children’s picture book, Different Like Me, our shared love for dogs, working to change the perception of people with special needs, and advocating for mental health awareness.

We also talked about how to stay encouraged and make a positive impact as we navigate through the pandemic and continue standing against racism, discrimination, and injustice.

Join me on The Timothy Hodge Show by clicking here.

Please leave comments on the show’s page and under this post.

I’ll be giving away one free signed copy of Different Like Me on Sunday, September 13, 2020, at 8 pm Central.

To be entered for your chance to receive that signed copy of Different Like Me, please listen to my interview on The Timothy Hodge Show then return to my website and let me know what you thought about our discussion (in the comment section below).

I look forward to hearing from you!


PRAISE: As of today, Different Like Me is still the #1 New Release on Amazon’s Christian Children’s Social Issues Category and the #1 New Release on Amazon’s Children’s Special Needs Category. Different Like Me has held that spot numerous times since its August 4, 2020 release date.

You can order your copy of Different Like Me or love your neighbors by ordering extra copies to share as gifts on Amazon today.

If you enjoy Different Like Me, please write a short review on Amazon and any other review platforms you enjoy. Every review makes a difference and can to help place God’s message of love and unity into the hands of more readers around the world.

I thank God for your prayers, your encouragement, and your help spreading the word about Different Like Me so that more children will learn to celebrate our differences and our sameness as God’s beautifully diverse and purposefully connected people!
—-

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