Title:
Love. Hope. Faith Anthology
Complied
by:
Vanessa Miller
Genre:
Christian Inspirational, Non-Fiction
Paperback:
166 pages
Publisher:
Praise Unlimited Enterprises, LLC (February
18, 2015)
ISBN-10: 1508505330
ISBN-13: 978-1508505334
Stories of Love, Hope and Faith line the pages of
this spiritually uplifting anthology produced by bestselling author, Vanessa
Miller. Love. Hope. Faith. will take you on a journey toward your happy place.
The contributing writers of this anthology pour out their hearts to deliver
soul-stirring, Godly stories of triumph. The Love. Hope. Faith. anthology will
touch your heart as it allows you to believe again.
Excerpts
From
Trust-less to Trustworthy - By: Yvette Wilson Bentley
"When I looked at my friendships with women and
why I didn’t trust them, I realized that I had lots to unpack and examine. I
was okay not trusting women, but I knew that living as a Christian meant that
my attitude and mindset had to change. Was it something that I wanted to do? At
first, absolutely not! But I knew that to be of service to God and His people,
a change had to be made, so I became willing to be willing. "
Back
At One - By: Kendy Ward
“God, You promised that if I served You, followed You
with every fiber of my being, then You would restore my family. It’s been five
years. I don’t doubt that You can do anything. You specialize in the
impossible, but my faith is faltering.” Jason then prayed in his heavenly
language.
I am not a man that I should lie. I will complete the
good work I have begun.
Jason released a sigh of relief. “Thank You for
hearing me. I’ll wait. However long it takes, I will wait.”
No
Greater Love - By: Rita Moore
“A few weeks into my pregnancy the doctor told us,
the medications I had been taking caused harm to our child, test showed
abnormal fluid. He suggested we terminate the pregnancy, or prepare for a child
with birth defects! I was devastated, but my husband reminded me of the God we
serve! Abortion was not an option! We found a new doctor, a believer, a doctor
who trusted the miracle working love of God! Nine months later we had a
perfectly healthy baby girl!”
"On the day of my surgery, prior to being
wheeled into surgery, the doctor took my hand and said, “It is my custom to
pray with my patients prior to conducting surgery”. I have never known a doctor
to do that! Everything happens for a
reason. His prayer spoke of his faith and trust in God to guide his hands, and
he prayed for my complete healing. I felt confident he was definitely the
doctor I needed to perform the surgery. God said He perfects those things that
concern us!”
Leap
Into Your Destiny- By: Sherae Bell
One morning in late December, as I posted what I
expected to be my last prayer to Facebook, my seven-year-old granddaughter,
Anashija, ran into the room.
She stood beside me, put her arm around my neck and
politely, but in a matter-of-fact manner, said, “Grandma, are you writing your
God Notes?”
I did not realize that she had been paying attention.
Surprised, I looked at her and said, “My God Notes?”
“Yes, Grandma, your God Notes!”
“Why did you call them my ‘God Notes’?”
She took a deep breathe, sighed and then said,
“Grandma, because you write your notes to God every day.” She ran out of the
room as if she had completed her mission to confirm that my postings had
nothing to do with me and everything to do with God.
God’s timing is always perfect. Not until we
acknowledge that it is just that, His timing, will we be able to live as He has
designed. Every time I wanted to give up, He stopped me from waving the flag. I
realized that God ordained my words. I knew that He had more work for me. God
is faithful. He brings to fruition what He has ordained to be accomplished, no
matter the package used to deliver it.
Courage
To Stand- By Paulette Harper
Have you ever took a step of faith in what you
believed you heard from God and got mid-way through and wanted to turn back,
put the brakes on, put the car in reverse and start all over? You knew this was
not the way you had envisioned your current situation. Everything you see
before you tells you that somehow you’ve missed God. Fear settles in, doubt and anxiety comes
knocking at your heart.
Prior to taking that step of faith, confidence in
what you were doing was strong and un-quenching, yet all alone God knew exactly
what trouble awaited you, what problems were in the making and He knew you
would be in that place of doubt and disbelief.
In your mind, you began to question if God told you
to do this, did you really hear God? For sure if God told you then there
shouldn’t be any problems, no challenges, no regrets, right? On the contrary,
it’s in those places that we can be assured that God has us right where He
wants us. In places of trouble, in that wilderness, in that place where even
His still quiet voice is not speaking. This place is where your faith will be
stretched, the promises of God will be challenged or questioned. It’s in this
place that going back seems like the better solution, at least that’s what your
flesh wants you to believe. Clearly what’s in front is more difficult than what
is behind.
First
Comes Love, Then Comes Marriage - By: Valerie J. Lewis-Coleman
All eyes were on Jeanine as she took slow
orchestrated steps toward the altar. The beaded embellishments on her tailored
gown glistened in the sunrays that beamed through the cathedral windows. Every
strand of her short bob was in place, Mac makeup flawless. The elegant bouquet
of fresh-cut flowers bombarded her senses. For a brief moment, she stopped,
closed her eyes, inhaled. The pianist seemed to strike the keys in sync with
her racing heart. She opened her eyes and gazed down the aisle to see the groom
poised, ready to meet his bride. A full smile washed across her face, she
steadied her breathing. As she walked toward him, acknowledging each friend and
family member with a glance, slight grin and head nod, she whispered a prayer.
“Father, I thank You for this beautiful day.
Everything is coming together as planned; even the weather is perfect. I ask
Your grace upon this union. Let it flourish. Keep away the naysayers. Divorce
is not an option as this marriage will represent Your unconditional love. I
count my request as done. I just have one question: When will it be my turn as
bride? I’m happy for my girl, but…I’m tired of being alone, crying myself to
sleep. Smiling at every man I meet, hoping, praying that he’s the one. I love
my nieces and nephews, but I’m ready to be a mother. The official has shot the
gun to start the foot race and I’m stuck in the blocks watching my girlfriends
run ahead with husbands in tow. Why am I still single? What is it about me that
keeps me on this side of matrimony?”
As the tears flowed, Jeanine took her place, two
bridesmaids from the bride. She dabbed at the tears with a monogrammed
handkerchief provided by the groomsman who escorted her.
As
I Look Back - by: LaDawn Michelle
When I first got clean from drugs I learned in order
to positively deal with any feelings I must first identify them. Today there is
a popular saying going around “I felt some type of way.” That phrase doesn’t do
anything to promote healing. “I feel some type of way” does not identify a
feeling. You cannot heal emotionally by identifying with “feeling some type of
way.” The only thing the statement does is give a voice to the fact that there
is a dysfunction in your emotions. We must be careful that we do not allow our
spirits to latch onto the commonalities society gives us that do not promote
good emotional health by handicapping us with catchy phrases that mean
absolutely nothing once they are dissected. One of the first tools I was given
when I got clean from drugs was a feeling words list. In order to embark on a
journey of emotional healing, one of your first steps may be to get a feeling
word list and use it.
Triumphant
Victory - by: Kyna Williams
My mind had been tainted to believe that all the good
things in life only happened for the pretty girls with long hair or the
children with both parents in the home. I believed the world was filled with
two categories of people. One category consisted of “THOSE OTHER PEOPLE” who
seemingly have no problems, no hidden secrets, or shameful pasts that stripped
them of the freedom to live the “Good Life.” The second category consisted of
the broken souls, filled with hopelessness, like me. I was void of even the
faintest perception that I would one day have the opportunity to be one of
“THOSE OTHER PEOPLE.” I had decided within myself that I was damaged goods. I
carried with me the weight of emotional baggage my secretive fragile past had
attached to me, limiting my ability to dream of a future where I would be free
to live the “Good Life” or any type of life that did not require me to mask who
I felt I really was beneath the surface of my glamorous facade. If anyone were
to find out who I really was beneath it all, it would certainly result in the
complete ruin of the flawless public façade I had mastered displaying.
The
Visionary - by: Loureva Slade
“I need you all to trust me,” Pastor Gaines said as
he tensely tapped his fingers on the table, unamused by Deacon Clemmons’ humor.
“And if that is too difficult, trust that God has put me over this congregation
and trust that He won’t allow me to do anything that doesn’t align with His
will. Can you all just do that?”
Posts
