Faith Inspired Books

Have you checked out the

FAITH INSPIRED BOOKS

library?

• Historical Fiction


• Contemporary Fiction


• Nonfiction

BIBLICAL WOMEN AND WHO THEY HOOKED UP WITH

~Nonfiction Bible Study~

Fact: Every relationship in your life past, present, and future is directly related to the state of your heart. So, let’s take some time to examine that heart of yours: do a little thoughtful introspection, examine its quality, realign your priorities, begin to fix what’s broken, begin to strengthen what’s weak, find what’s lost and … make God smile a bit.

Let me introduce you to: Eve and The Only Guy On the Planet – A Heart of Perfection. Sarah and The Guy She Was With For One Hundred Years – A Heart Of Patience. Leah and Her Sister’s Husband – A Heart Of Self Confidence. Tamar and The Guy She Picked Up On The Side Of The Road – A Heart Of Strength. Rahab and The Guy Who Got It For Free – A Heart of Belief. Bathsheba and The Guy Who Didn’t Give Her Much Choice – A Heart Of Trust. And Mary and The Perfect One – A Heart Of Obedience.Realize what is at the heart of the matter: A Heart Committed To God.

AVAILABLE AT:

• http://stores.lulu.com/store.php?fAcctID=681731

ROSAMUND'S BOWER (NO LONGER AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE!!!)

~Historical Fiction~

2008 Golden Rose Winner!!!

He was a prisoner of war at seven. She was a widow at fifteen.
For Thomas, bastard by birth, the opportunity to fight and serve the King was an honor he should never have expected, but by chance received. Focused and driven, his dreams were simple; just to have a place to call home.

For Rosamund, her beauty was renowned, yet it was her faith that was her strength. She struggled with the reality of her world; dreams were for fools and love was for wastrels.
Life in the 12th century, when King Henry II ruled, was a time when responsibilities and obligations were your birthright and honor demanded you saw them through to the end. The price was high, even to death. As Thomas and Rosamund struggle in the separate paths of their lives, the complications of politics and war and hatreds and revenge swirl around them making every forward step seemingly impossible.

And then things get even worse, for they fall in love.Could it really be that the path most difficult to follow is the only one worth choosing?

AVAILABLE AT:

• http://stores.lulu.com/store.php?fAcctID=681731
• http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=SUSAN+MCGEOWN&x=10&y=17
• http://books.barnesandnoble.com/search/results.aspx?WRD=susan+mcgeown

CALL ME BEAR (VOLUME I)

~Historical Fiction~

She is Elle Graves. She is 14. She is a captive. She is alone. She is frightened. She is no better than a slave. But she is not a red savage. Her story is wrapped within the historical facts of the Cherokee Nation in the early 19th century at a time when they were at their best and ultimately driven to their worst. Elle experiences the worst of hatred and the best of love as she travels down her life path and strives to reconcile the two worlds that she knows; her white one that she can never escape and the red one that she has chosen to embrace.

Elle discovers that family has nothing to do with blood. She learns that a life well lived involves difficult choices that transform you, making you not red, not white, but more closely pink. As she travels her life journey, which involves her head, her heart, and most importantly, her soul, she finds out that she was always a powerful woman even before she knew it.

AVAILABLE AT:

• http://stores.lulu.com/store.php?fAcctID=681731
• http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=SUSAN+MCGEOWN&x=10&y=17
• http://books.barnesandnoble.com/search/results.aspx?WRD=susan+mcgeown

CALL ME ELLE (VOLUME II)

~Historical Fiction~

Her name is Bear. She is happy here in the Indian village she has chosen to call home even though to look at her you would see that she has white skin. At 15, she is the mate of Bright Feather and the people of The Maple Forest are her family. All she loves and holds dear are in this special garden walled around.

This is the story of a captive white girl named Elle Graves who transforms into a powerful Indian woman, mate, and mother. The book encompasses a period in the 19th century during which the Cherokee achieved great success. However, dark struggles are looming, threatening all the things that she treasures. The greatest of all threats comes from the white world, a place that Bear was born into but chooses to reject. Worst of all, could her precious garden walled around be in greater danger simply because of the choices she has made to stay?

Bear discovers, the hardest of choices that anyone must make has to do with those you love.

AVAILABLE AT:

• http://stores.lulu.com/store.php?fAcctID=681731
• http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=SUSAN+MCGEOWN&x=10&y=17
• http://books.barnesandnoble.com/search/results.aspx?WRD=susan+mcgeown
  

CALL ME SURVIVOR (VOLUME III)

~Historical Fiction~

She is Bear, the mate of Bright Feather. She has matured from a frightened, captive, white girl to a mate, mother, and perhaps most importantly, Powerful Indian Woman. She is eighteen years old.
Wrapped within the historical facts of the Cherokee Nation during the early 19th century, we watch The Nation struggle inside and outside its borders. During this period, Andrew Jackson becomes president and under this presidency we see their forced migration to land west of the Mississippi and the tragic Trail of Tears in 1839. We see deprivation and deception, broken promises and sorrow. But we also see determination, hope, faith and honesty.

As the white world presses in on Bear’s precious garden walled around and all those she holds dear, she must fight to be able to call herself a survivor. For her ability to walk in both the white and the red world might be the best weapon they have to save them all.

AVAILABLE AT:

• http://stores.lulu.com/store.php?fAcctID=681731
• http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=SUSAN+MCGEOWN&x=10&y=17
• http://books.barnesandnoble.com/search/results.aspx?WRD=susan+mcgeown

A WELL BEHAVED WOMAN'S LIFE

~Contemporary Fiction~

What do you do when you discover that your entire adult life has been a lie? What do you do when you realize everything you believed in and trusted in was nothing but an illusion painted with deceit and framed in your own stupidity?

At fifty-two, the only fact that she is certain of is that her life is just about over. Standing, looking at herself in the mirror, the ravages of time and The Truth have turned her into a bitter, lonely, hateful, spiteful old woman. The peaceful, proper, well-behaved existence that has defined her entire life has gotten her absolutely nothing except an ocean of tears and a lifetime filled with regrets.

However, whether she likes it or not, Bee must gradually begin to face the fact that perhaps God has not quite finished with her … yet.

A Well Behaved Woman’s Life is a story that reminds us that even in our darkest times, God has anticipated our needs, reassuring us that anything is possible and it is never too late – even for love, dreams, laughter and happiness.

AVAILABLE AT:

• http://stores.lulu.com/store.php?fAcctID=681731
• http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=SUSAN+MCGEOWN&x=10&y=17
• http://books.barnesandnoble.com/search/results.aspx?WRD=susan+mcgeown
  
  

RECIPE FOR DISASTER

~Contemporary Fiction~

Nothing could be worse than being a bride abandoned on her wedding day, right? Wrong. Try factoring in an unplanned pregnancy that shatters what is left of Karly Martin’s dreams to be a missionary.

But Karly is a survivor, stronger and braver than she ever thought possible. Giving up her son for adoption and accepting a missionary position with a Navajo mission school gives her the chance to build on the dreams she thought she had had to abandon. Slowly, she begins to heal.

Earl Nezbegay sees to all of his responsibilities: caring for his quadriplegic sister, and her eleven year old daughter, and helping out at the Navajo mission school. Keeping busy enough not to think, keeping numb enough not to feel, and keeping distant enough not to interact. It’s not exactly living, but it’s surviving.

Recipe for Disaster brings together two very broken people. Neither is looking for love, but then life isn’t always what we plan or expect, is it?

AVAILABLE AT:

• http://stores.lulu.com/store.php?fAcctID=681731
• http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=SUSAN+MCGEOWN&x=10&y=17
• http://books.barnesandnoble.com/search/results.aspx?WRD=susan+mcgeown
  
  
  

RULES FOR SURVIVAL

~Contemporary Fiction~

Don’t talk to Claire Jenkins about how tough things can be. She’s had a front row seat experiencing the cruelties of life, literally from the moment of her birth. Just leave her alone, stay out of her way, and, don’t offer her any sympathy or charity. She may be living on the edge, but she can take care of herself thank you very much. But even the most seasoned survivor does have a breaking point…

Paul has a past that is as bleak as a burned out forest. And a skeleton in his closet that’s the size of Mount Rushmore. He knows that the only person to get him out of this mess is the same one that got him there in the first place: himself.

For Claire, her rules of survival, accumulated through her very own blood, sweat, and tears are not working. What’s a desperate woman to do? Perhaps, she may just have to throw out those old rules of survival and come up with a few new ones. Rules that are rooted in trust, love, and faith …

AVAILABLE AT:

• http://stores.lulu.com/store.php?fAcctID=681731
• http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=SUSAN+MCGEOWN&x=10&y=17
• http://books.barnesandnoble.com/search/results.aspx?WRD=susan+mcgeown
  
  

THE BUTLER DID IT

~Contemporary Fiction~

No one is ever completely what he or she appears …

Adam LeGrande, computer genius and billionaire, is drifting through the drudgery of his life. The highlights of his day revolve around verbal sparing matches with his annoying and shifty butler and refining his skill at “strategic alienation”. But hey, what’s a cynical man to do?

Just about everything Kathryn McFadden touches business-wise turns to gold. Which is just as well, because the personal side of her life is as vibrant as a burned out forest. And, no thank you, she does not want to discuss what area of her life needs the most prayer.

Miles Bishop is butler, chef, chauffer and personal assistant to Adam LeGrande. Always available with a cup of tea or a bitingly sarcastic observation. Which begs the question: If nothing is as it appears, what’s he hiding?

The Butler Did It illustrates the wonderful truth that through God’s love and grace we can become new people – no matter what we hide deep down inside.

AVAILABLE AT:

• http://stores.lulu.com/store.php?fAcctID=681731
• http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=SUSAN+MCGEOWN&x=10&y=17
• http://books.barnesandnoble.com/search/results.aspx?WRD=susan+mcgeown
  

JOINING THE CLUB

~Contemporary Fiction~

My name is Elaine.

Talk to my daughter Olivia and she’ll mention my lousy maternal instincts, blatant favoritism towards her sister, one-sided loyalties, and convenient memories regarding my personal disasters.

My friend Callie will tell you I have a wonderful relationship with my daughter Erin and a spectacular relationship with my grandson. She’s quick to point out that I’m “strong, capable, and resilient.”

Then there’s Alec. He says I’m the toughest woman he’s ever dealt with. He says that I’m smart and sharp and not at all shy or hesitant about speaking my mind. And he’s also quite certain that I’ve eviscerated lesser men.

Actually, I’m a moderately capable, semi-competent, usually reliable, vaguely lonely and uniquely insecure. Best served up in small, carefully managed dosages for the most successful result. Like strong cough syrup. Or Milk of Magnesia. Not intended for small children, not to be taken regularly, and never to be mixed with alcohol.

AVAILABLE AT:

• http://stores.lulu.com/store.php?fAcctID=681731
  
  
  
  

Wonderful Words of Others: Rick Warren

Abraham was old,
Jacob was insecure,
Leah was unattractive.
Joseph was abused,
Moses stuttered,
Gideon was poor,

Samson was codependent,

Rahab was immoral,

David had affairs and all kinds of family problems,

Elijah was suicidal,

Jeremiah was depressed

Jonah was reluctant,

Naomi was a widow,

John the Baptist was eccentric to say the least,

Peter was impulsive and hot tempered,

Martha worried a lot,

The Samaritan woman had several failed marriages,

Zacchaeus was unpopular,

Thomas had doubts,
Paul had poor health, and
Timothy was timid.

What excuse have you been using?

God's Kinda Woman

God's Kinda Woman is:

• Strong in the Lord

We have this treasure from God, but we are like clay jars that hold the treasure.

This shows that the great power is from God, not from us.

2 Corinthians 4:7 (NCV)

• Dedicated in her heart

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.

Proverbs 3:5 (NLT)

• Transformed utterly

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)

• Childlike in her trust

I Tell you the truth, you must accept the kingdom of God as if you were a child,

or you will never enter it.

Luke 18:17 (NCV)

• Joyful in her strengths

I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed,

but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body,

whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

Philippians 1:20-21 (NIV)

• Victorious in her weaknesses

Each time He said, "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness."

2 Corinthians 12:9a (NLT)

• Battle ready

Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.

Ephesians 6:10 (NLT)

REMEMBER:

I pray that from His glorious unlimited resources

He will empower you with inner strength through His Spirit.

Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him.

Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong.

And may you have the power to understand as all God's people should,

how wide,

how long,

how high,

and how deep His love is.

May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully.

Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Ephesians 3:16-19 (NLT)

Why Don't We Moms Take Care Of Ourselves?

The Martyr Complex

Well, the first thing that popped into my head was the aura that motherhood carries with it of the whole dignified, humble, nurturing person … the eternal martyr. You know, sacrificing for the kids, the husband, the good of the home. The words selfish or even “me first” is not supposed to be attributed to a mom, is it? We are the point woman for good examples so that means we’re always trying to share/be kind/be patient/forgive/etc. I don’t know about you but the phrase, “But I saw you do it, Mom,” is never used in a positive frame of reference in my house! I love the center bun in a pan of cinnamon rolls – it’s the gooiest – and the last time I’ve had one was around 1987.

This never ending position of motherhood makes us more tired because it’s an emotional thing rather than a physical thing. Why I’ve even got to be patient, loving and attentive when I’m woken up in the dead of night and someone is leaning over me saying, “Mom? I think I’m going to throw up …” I’m expected to say soothingly, “Okay, honey, let’s get into the bathroom quick!” as opposed to what I want to scream, “Well what in heaven’s name are you doing here? GET TO THE BATHROOM!!” Meanwhile husband snores away …


Self Denial Resentment

The self-denial resentment builds up in me. I get the whole whiney kid voice going on in my head that I certainly hope other mom’s recognize. “When was the last time I got to …” or “Will I ever be allowed …” or “Could I just have five minutes to myself …” or “I can’t believe he just said that to me …” or “Would everyone just pretend I died for a day and leave me alone?” And the resentment oozes out of me in bizarre places. I’ll eat a second Skinny Cow ice cream just because I Want To while everyone looks at me in stunned indignation (because no one else is allowed to). I’ll stay up late and watch a television show until eleven o’clock knowing full well I’ll be crabby as all get out the entire next day and everyone will have to walk around me slouched and trying to perfect invisibility. I’ll blow off doing the elliptical because … I Hate To Exercise And I Don’t Want To. My husband will give me The Look and offer to give me a backrub (yes, it’s what you think) and I’ll look him right in the eye (over the cover of my current trashy romance) and say, “My back’s just fine the way it is, thanks.”

I know, I know. All of you reading this are just stunned at my level of rebellion. You’re just in awe.

But self-denial isn’t the root of why it is so difficult for us to care for ourselves. My real answer (after I worked through the whole martyr scenario) is that we moms regularly let our priorities get screwed up. And once we do that … well, we’re in for big trouble.


Right Priorities

Quick, you have absolutely two seconds to list your top three priorities in life … or I don’t know … the dog will throw up on your new living room rug (and he’s just eaten the cat).

As my priorities scramble my self-denial morphs into not caring for myself physically, emotionally and … most importantly spiritually. I say all the above stuff with honesty and a little tongue in cheek humor but misplaced priorities aren’t a joking matter. The self-denial that hurts me most is when I get so far into the rebellion mode that I get rebellious with my spiritual life. “No I won’t do my devotionals today! I’m going to take some me time and read this trashy romance.” “Maybe I’ll just be sick tomorrow and not go to church. That’s a whole bunch of time to myself while the husband and kids go and do the God Thing.” “I’ve got so much on my plate. I’m going to skip Bible study today.” “Teach Sunday school? Are you out of your mind? I haven’t had time to shave my legs this month!” Of course, I get distant in my prayers when I start to spiritually unravel, too. Kind of like if I’m ashamed about how I’m behaving with the family then … whoa, forget about talking with God!

It’s a hole that is absolutely bottomless.

But here’s a surprise. It’s also my perfect opportunity to make God smile.

Do you know that in the entire Bible only one person is described as being “after God’s own heart”? That man was David, son of Jesse. Yeah, he's the one who defeated Goliath and became King of God’s Chosen People. So special that God had Samuel seek him out when he was just a young boy, David was part of the God club for almost as long as … me. (I was baptized at age eight.)

After all these year – meaning numerous failures, spectacular disasters, and jaw dropping bad decisions - I’ve finally decided I’d like to be just like King David. (And no, I don’t care to slay any giants, thank you.) What I mean is I am determined to be a woman after God's own heart – David’s female counterpart (I Samuel 13:14). You see, despite what you might think, David’s outstanding quality was that no matter how many times he failed (and he’s got a load of poor choices on his tally sheet including adultery and murder – I haven’t hit those yet!), he willingly acknowledged his culpability and recommitted himself back into God’s plan as soon as he clued in - even if he was kneeling in the smoking ruins of his life. Hey, I can do that! I’ve got plenty of spectacular failures to work with, that’s for sure. It’s the determination to never give up on God’s purpose for my life that I must continually remind myself about …

… For the Lord has sought out a man after His own heart … I Samuel 13:14 NLT

What are your priorities? I’ll tell you mine – yes, in order: God, my husband, and my kids. Kind of like an inverted pyramid working with the biggest and most reliable from top to bottom. My thinking is if God’s steering my head and heart, then that’s going to flow into my relationship with my husband. If my husband and I are united in like-minded purpose then that’s going to benefit our kids the most. I don’t really think any kid feels justified in saying, “Hey, no fair, you put God before me” or “Hey, no fair, you like Daddy more than me.” (And, if you have a kid that says that - and you think it’s okay - this brief article is hopefully going to make you think of seeking some serious family therapy.)

Committing a life to God means it’s a 24-7 obligation. It’s a serious, life-altering decision. God, by His own words, is a jealous God and does not share. That means if you put anything before Him on your priority list, He’s not happy and you’re already deviating from His prescribed plan. And, before you get all intimidated there’s really good news. God wants us just the way we are: imperfect, whiney, broken, … a mess.


God does His best work in our weaknesses. (Oh, thank goodness.)

Each time He said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” 2 Cor. 12:9a (NLT)

God doesn’t need us mature and experienced. In fact, He likes us the exact opposite. (Hmm, so that’s why my childish side is still around for.)

I tell you the truth, you must accept the kingdom of God as if you were a child,
or you will never enter it. Luke 18:17 (NCV)

God doesn’t need us particularly intelligent. (Ever think, “I don’t understand…”)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5 (NLT)

God doesn’t care about our past history. (None. Of. It.)

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 2 Cor. 5:17 (NIV)

God wants to reveal to us (that means you) The Truth of The Universe. (Not everyone is going to be told this you know. You’re already in an elite group.)

Then Jesus prayed this prayer: “O, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding the truth from those who think themselves so wise and clever, and for revealing it to the childlike.” Matthew 11:25 (NLT)

God is the strongest ally you need for anything that you could possible face in this world. Anything. (What are you afraid of?)

I'm absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us. Romans 8:38-39 (MSG)

We’re supposed to put ourselves in God’s Hands. We’re supposed to bring all of our weaknesses, failures, fears, confusion, and childish outbursts to Him and He … works magic. That’s how we’re supposed to care for ourselves.

All’s we have to do is stop. Just stop. Anywhere, anytime, anyplace. Stop and make sure that God is still at the top of the priority pyramid. Stop and make sure that you are being a woman after God’s Own Heart. Stop and make sure that whatever you’re doing you’re making God smile.



Susan McGeown is a wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, aunt, uncle (don’t ask), teacher, author … but, most importantly, a “woman after God’s own heart.” Living in Bridgewater, New Jersey, with her husband of over fifteen years and their three children, writing stories is just about the best way she can imagine spending her free time. Each of Sue’s stories champions those emotions nearest and dearest to her: faith, joy, hope and love.

Sue’s Website: http://www.faithinspiredbooks.com/
Sue’s Blog: http://www.faithinspiredbooks.blogspot.com/
Sue’s Books: http://stores.lulu.com/store.php?fAcctID=681731

Tamar And The Guy She Picked Up On The Side Of The Road

Believe it or not, the guy she had sex with on the side of the road was the best of the bunch …

A Heart Of Strength

Tamar’s story is one you may not be familiar with. I’ll also make a guess that at some point as you read about it now you’ll crack open your Bible (hopefully not for the first time, but probably …) because you just won’t be able to believe that her story is really in there. To put it bluntly, Tamar had a sucky life. She suffered abuse, betrayal, abandonment, false accusations, and was forced to absolute rock bottom until the men in her life finally clued in and stepped up to the plate of accountability and responsibility. At the mercy of the cultural dictates of the day, she was absolutely and completely defenseless. Called “the woman with a pathetic history” (Lockyer), Tamar truly had more to complain about than most.

Which make the lessons in her story all the more stunning. Unprotected, heathen, and literally unwanted by everyone in her life she rose to the exemplary status of being “more righteous” than the man chosen to carry on the covenantal promise of God. You see, all on her own with no one to teach her, help her or coach her, Tamar got it. Tamar discovered The One True God, believed in Him, embraced Him, and chose to dedicate her life to Him.

In doing the right thing, God honored Tamar and elevated her above all others. For you see, she joined the elite “Ancestress of Christ” club. Even though she was a heathen. Even though no one saw any value in her. Even though at one point her father – in - law thought her worth of being burned to death. God saw her goodness and value. He recognized her strength and exemplary commitment. Tamar’s story drives home the point that even if no one wants you or thinks you worthy, it’s only what God thinks that counts.

And as you read Tamar’s unbelievable story, I’ll caution you about one important thing. I pray you don’t need to go through all she did in order to gain the same critical understanding she came to. God speaks to us with a still small voice, but sometimes, if we don’t listen carefully, He might be forced to use a baseball bat. Come, learn about a woman whose life helped her grow a heart of strength.

Scripture References You Should Check Out: Genesis 38
Question to ask yourself and answer before you read any further: At your most desperate of times, who or what do you turn to?
What her name means: “Tamar” means “a palm tree”. The palm tree was one of the most important trees and evokes feelings of beauty and wealth when used as a female name.
Connections: Tamar led a frighteningly solitary life, facing tragedies, terrors and humiliations completely on her own. Along the way she discovered the companionship of The One True God. Purged by fire she came out the other side worthy of admiration. Strong and committed, she did not allow her trials to break her but instead determined to let them perfect her.
What The Bible Says About True Strength:
· Where it comes from: Exodus 15:1-3
· When we should use it first and foremost: Deuteronomy 6:5
· Why Strength Alone Will Get You Nothing: I Samuel 2:9
· Who Is Eligible To Have It: Psalm 29:11
· What Saps Your Strength: Proverbs 17:22b
· On Human Strength: Jeremiah 17:5

Questions We’ll Never Know The Answers To
Where, when and how did Tamar learn about the One True God?

Did you know? Interesting Biblical Facts About Tamar
Levirate Law: The Israelites of Biblical time honored the custom of the Levirate Law ( from the Latin word levir meaning husband’s brother) or the principle of the Kinsman Redeemer. (Deuteronomy 25:5-10) Simply stated, this custom required that should a man die before his wife conceives a son, the widow must become the wife of one of the dead man’s brothers. (Yes, in some cases this resulted in multiple wives.) The first son of such a union was considered the child of the dead brother, to carry on the dead man’s line and inherit his property.

Israelite Nation: Although it was Abraham who is considered the father of the Jewish nation, it was Jacob, Abraham’s grandson, who fathers the twelve sons that make up the twelve tribes of Israel. God renamed Jacob Israel in Genesis 32:38 because he “fought with God and man and won.” (“Israel” means “God fights”.)

Jacob’s Family: The family of Jacob/Israel consisted of twelve sons (and one daughter) which was the product of Jacob’s marriages to four women (two of them sisters). The sons, in order of their birth, were: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Napthali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulon, Joseph, and Benjamin. Now, this might surprise you (yes, you are detecting sarcasm), but the family of Jacob was somewhat dysfunctional. Despite the fact that the first son traditionally received the greatest blessing, Reuben lost the honor when he became romantically involved with one of his stepmothers. The next two in line, Simeon and Levi, were condemned by their father for the massacre of an entire town. Consequently, on Jacob’s deathbed, it was Judah who received the greatest blessing and it was through his family line that the ancestry of Christ was to be traced.

The Land of Canaan: Just to clear up any confusion the following terms all apply to the same plot of land: “The Land of Canaan” – which was the term used for the land when it was inhabited by the Canaanite people, “The Land of Israel” or “The Promised Land” – which was the title of the land when it was inhabited by the twelve tribes of Israel, “The Land of Judah and The Land of Israel” – which was when the Jewish nation divided after King Solomon’s death and the tribes of Judah and Benjamin went south (with Simeon’s tribe joining later) and all the rest of the tribes making up Israel were in the north, “Judea” – which was the Greek/Roman name for the land of Judah (“Judea” comes from the adjective “Jewish”), “Palestine” – which was the title of the land given by the Romans after the Jewish revolt of A.D. 135, and “The Holy Land” which is the modern title given to this same area today.

For all you Tamars out there…
Defining moments, crossroads of life, life-altering decisions … however you choose to label them, in retrospect, they are the stand out times of our existence: good and bad. If we are fortunate, then the good ones outweigh the bad. How’s your tally so far? Are you groaning with embarrassment right now, glad no one knows the reality of your world? Do you have any room for improvement?

Don’t let the best you have done so far be the standard for the rest of your life.
Gustavus F. Swift

Just like Eve taught us about achieving perfection, Tamar teaches us about achieving strength: strength of character, strength of faith, and strength of commitment. Physically isolated at the beginning of her Biblical tale, she was, technically, still physically isolated in the end. Tamar would always be that Canaanite girl the Judahs brought into their midst, who married two or three times (Who knew for sure? – roll your eyes), who gave birth to her father-in-law’s heir by playing the whore, and who managed to reclaim a solid if highly tarnished status in well-bred society.

But, the person that Tamar was at the start was exponentially different from the person that Tamar was at the end. She’d achieved a closer level of perfection by accepting and honoring The One True God. She’d exhibited a commendable level of courage under pressure that would put most of us to shame. And she learned the precious skill of being able to discern what was worth fighting for and what was not. Tamar learned what all of us can learn: that the things of most value are eternal.

All that is not eternal is eternally useless.
C. S. Lewis

Who Do You Rely On: When that gut wrenching panic grips your stomach, when worry invades your days and your nights, when your hearts pound with fear and trembling, when you are so filled with dread that you would rather not leave your bed let alone your home, what do you do? Who do you rely on? Perhaps you have a precious friend, or a loving mother, or a caring workmate who will listen to your tale of woe and offer some sincere insight and advice. But do you always do what they suggest? Do you then become filled with doubt as to which words of advice are sounder than the rest? Sometimes do you think that they have no idea what you’re going through; they just don’t understand what it’s like? Well Someone does understand exactly what you’re going through because He knows your heart and your mind. God would surely have known it, for He knows the secrets of every heart. (Psalm 44:21) Rely on the advice of Someone who knows you inside and out, what you’ve been, where you’re going, and how you’re going to get there. Make a conscious choice to learn more about Him, abide by His rules, and listen to His still small voice. Come on; give it a try at least.

Courage/Strength: We cannot do it alone. The courage and strength that is required to survive this life on earth is not something than any one person is capable of. Circumstances and people batter us from all sides until we eventually crumble. “How come this always happens to me?” “I can’t deal with anymore stress and trouble!” “I’ve never been so afraid in all my life!” “What am I going to do?!” “I’m lost.” “I’m frightened.” “I’m alone.” Not only does the Bible promise courage and strength from God, but along with it we receive a peace that cannot be truly comprehended. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

Hard Times: Every single person in this world faces hard times. No one is immune. Wealth, power, intelligence, and skill do not protect or prevent trials and tribulations. And you know what else doesn’t guarantee a life that’s a bed of roses? Being a Christian. Take a look at any person in the Bible, talk to any missionary, or consult any minister or faithful Christian person that you know. Being a Godly person doesn’t keep the hard times at bay. What being a Christian does do is give you one extra super-charged power source that the average Jane does not have. Do not diminish God’s capacity to guide, protect, and save. God is not a not a God of disorder, but of peace. (I Corinthians 14:33)

I arise today
Through God’s strength to pilot me,
God’s might to uphold me,
God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to look before me,
God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak for me,
God’s hand to guard me,
God’s way to lie before me,
God’s shield to protect me,
God’s host to save me…
From Everyone who shall wish me ill,
Afar and anear,
Alone and in multitude.
From, The Deer’s Path, St. Patrick,

The Best Kind of Satisfaction: We spend a major portion of our life trying to gain approval – from our parents, our mate, our superiors, our friends, our colleagues… But the reality is, the only place we should really strive for approval is from God. Does He approve of you? Of your life? Of your choices? Of your goals? Do you make Him smile? We were created, out of His great love, to bring Him pleasure through obedience and companionship. If that is not your focus, you are not on the right track.

The smile of God is the goal of your life.
Rick Warren

Faith: At some point over the course of the horrors that Tamar was experiencing, she found faith in The One True God. Rather than see what she was experiencing in the here and now, Tamar chose to look forward towards what she knew she was heading to. True faith believes in things that have not been seen or experienced. At some point Tamar chose to believe that God would see her through the fire of her life and bring her to something safe and good on the other side. While there may be many defining moments in our life, the single most imperative one is to believe in The One True God. So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. I Peter 1:6-7

Homework… Who Do You Have? Your Lifelines

God should be your first and foremost source of advice and comfort in times of stress, trouble, and sorrow. You know to say that (at least after reading this chapter) even if you don’t readily do it. In addition, God also surrounds you within your life with people that He embraces and speaks to as well. Someone took the time to speak with Tamar, answer her questions, and patiently guide her to the point where she could believe. Besides seeking out God through prayer, Bible study, and church attendance, you should consciously work to surround yourself with people who give you sound advice. Guidance that would cause God to smile and nod His head in agreement. Choices that would make you so strong that you become almost invincible against anything the world has to throw at you.

Who has God provided for you in your life? In your work? Now, don’t panic. It’s quality that’s best, not quantity. One sound person is better than ten damaged ones. Plus, you are much better off recognizing a void in one or more areas of your life and making wise choices to fill them in than grinning like a Cheshire cat oblivious to the sinking ship your happily rowing.

Would God agree with those people you surround yourself with? Pretend it was up to God to choose your top three in each area of your life: personal, worldly, professionally, and spiritual. Who would He pick? Write those names down in your heart. Take time to pray and be thankful for what you’ve got, to pray and ask for guidance to fill in gaps and, most importantly, to pray and ask God to give both yourself and these lifelines wisdom in all that is said, thought, and done.

You are truly blessed if your lists have:
· Your mother and/or father
· Your mate
· The same person listed more than once

This is an excerpt from the chapter “Tamar and The Guy She Picked Up On The Side Of The Road” from Sue's book: Biblical Women And Who They Hooked Up With available in print or electronic media at her http://www.lulu.com/ store: http://www.lulu.com/content/884852 Would you like to receive it as a free ebook? Email your request to Sue at: susanmcgeown@faithinspiredbooks.com and she'll be happy to send you a free copy!

Sarah and The Guy She Was With For One Hundred Years

She got a little bit tired of waiting after seventy years …

A Heart Of Patience

Sarah. The Hebrew matriarch. Or, the woman who had a baby when she was ninety years old. But what has always stood out for me was that Sarah gave her husband to another woman for want of a child. Her inability to conceive was the key factor in defining everything she was about.

Through Sarah and Abraham’s choices we have both the Israelite and the Islamic nations. Herbert Lockyer points quite an accusatory finger, “Sarah sacrificed herself on the cruelest altar on which any woman ever laid herself down; but the cords of the sacrifice were all the time the cords of a suicidal pride; till the sacrifice was both a great sin in the sight of God, a fatal injury to herself, to her husband, and to innocent generations yet unborn.” (Women of the Bible) Whoa. I guess she and Eve have a lot of common ground to discuss, huh?

But there is so much more to Sarah’s story than just a prideful, barren woman who wasn’t patient enough to wait out God’s perfect plan for her! She was an ancestress of Christ. She is one of only two women lauded for her faith in the “Great Examples of Faith” chapter in the book of Hebrews which says, “It was by faith that even Sarah was able to have a child, though she was barren and was too old. She believed that God would keep his promise.” (11:11) It was Sarah’s descendants that would carry the line of Christ’s ancestry. She was a woman that was chosen by God to be the one whom He would give His covenant to, so special that God distinguishes her by giving her a new name. Throughout the entire known world it was Sarah and her husband, Abraham, who were chosen not by chance but because they had all the necessary qualities that God required.

Exquisitely beautiful, passionately loved, strong, intelligent, and independent, there is much about Sarah’s story that we can learn from and apply to our lives today. Take some time with me and learn a little bit about pride and maturing in faith. Oh, and of course, patience. All of us can use a bit more of that … can’t we?

Scripture References You Should Check Out: Abram and Sarai’s story begins in Genesis 12. Sarah’s death is recorded in Genesis 23.

Question to ask yourself and answer before you read any further: What was the single most stressful/upsetting time of your life and was God pleased or displeased with your behavior during that time?

What her name means: Sarai is one of just a few people who are specifically renamed by God. (Genesis 17:15) Names given by God are called “sacramental names” for they are a sign and seal of an established covenant (promise) between God and that person. “Sarai” means “princess” while “Sarah” (the name given to her by God) means “Chieftainness” or “Princess”. With this name change came the covenant, “I will bless her and give you a son from her! Yes, I will bless her richly, and she will become the mother of many nations, Kings will be among her descendants!” (Genesis 15:16)

Connections: Patience is something that all of us can improve on exponentially. Patience, in my way of thinking, is the difference between our personal time clock and God’s. Our inability to understand, trust, and simply wait until God’s perfectly planned moment is a human fault that pulls each and every one of down numerous times over the course of our lives. Maybe the phrase “needing more patience” should be better said as “needing more godly focused patience”?

What The Bible Says About True Patience:
· What it’s better than: Ecclesiastes 7:8
· How to increase it: Romans 15:4-6
· Where it comes from: Galatians 5:22
· How we prove ourselves: 2 Corinthians 6:6
· How I illustrate Christ’s patience: I Timothy 1:15-17
· What profession teaches it: James 5:7
· Why we should be so thankful for Gods: 2 Peter 3:15

For all of you Sarah’s out there …

Abraham and Sarah’s story is a lesson in patience, faith, loyalty, and obedience. I don’t know about you but I am always so thankful that not one of these patriarchs and matriarchs was perfect. Where would that leave us? It’s always reassuring to me as I read the biblical accounts to think, “Oh whoa, that’s a mistake even I don’t think even I’d make.” And yet these are the people that God chose. Not because of their perfection but because they had potential. These imperfect people had specific qualities that we ourselves can have as well. When you read their stories and take the time to really study them, you can glean from it the lessons that you can apply to your own life.

God does not give us hopes and desires that He does not intend to fulfill.
My Mom

God called Abraham righteous simply because he believed. Sarah is given a child because of her faith. Like our own precious children that cause us such heartache and worry, God loves us unconditionally despite the fact that we repeatedly must drive Him nuts. Here’s what you should take away from Sarah’s story and who she hooked up with:

• God’s calendar and clock run differently than ours. Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, There's an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth. (MSG) Because we do not know everything we cannot assume to know what’s best for ourselves or anyone else. Practicing Godly patience requires trusting that God is in control and knows the best timeline for everything and everyone. I often hear people say, “I prayed about it and God did nothing!” We forget that God says, “Yes” as well as “No.” We must remember that while we only know infinitesimally, God knows infinitely.
  
  
• God is the perfect parent. God has all the qualities of the perfect mother and father. He gives instructions - some gently whispered and some loudly shouted - and then lets you make mistakes as well as wise choices, realizing that that is the way we must learn and grow. How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me. (Matthew 23:37b) Through it all He waits patiently and loves unconditionally, grieving with us when we weep and rejoicing with us when we smile. His advice is always reliable, His promises are always kept, His reasons are always sound, and His presence is always guaranteed. Now, if we would just listen and obey …
  

Prayer does not fit us for the greater works; prayer is the greater work.
Oswald Chambers

• When in doubt, pray. Never plan without God in the equation. Your best laid plans are not always God’s best laid plans. You should do nothing – nothing – without first going to the Lord in prayer. The value and power of prayer is not appreciated nor utilized enough by any one of us over the course of our day or life.
  


• God does laugh. Yes, He is the stern, immovable God that draws boundaries around what is right and what is wrong and expects us to behave according to His commands. That’s what a loving individual does: teaches and reproves. But a loving individual also laughs and delights when a job is well done and when success has been achieved. Work to be friends with God, not just distant acquaintances. “Friendship means identity in thought and heart and spirit.” (Oswald Chambers) Practice at making Him the first one you ‘call’ with good and bad news, the first one you seek for advice and counsel and the only one you rely in everything you say and do.



• No Matter How Good You Are, Your Spirituality Is What Defines You. Abram and Sarai were probably the best the world had to offer, but even with that distinction their hearts were not centered on The One True God. Over their entire lives God worked with them patiently and lovingly to help them grow and improve so they were better prepared for what was next on their path of life. Where are you on the spiritual maturity scale? Are you an infant, teen, young adult or mature warrior? Chronological age helps in the progress of these states but doesn’t guarantee anything. Stepping out on faith never makes sense to our human way of thinking. That’s why it’s called faith.

Faith is not intelligent understanding. Faith is deliberate commitment to a Person where I see no way.
Oswald Chambers

• Learn and grow from your mistakes as well as your success. While it is critical that you continue to succeed, it is equally as critical that you don’t need to make the same mistake more than once to learn your lesson. We don’t want God rolling His eyes and saying, “Not again. How many times do I have to explain this to you? How many times do you need to be corrected?” My father used to say, “I buy you books and buy you books but what do you do? Look at the pictures.” Make a conscious choice that you are going to improve yourself in a manner pleasing and acceptable to God. Let the difficult times as well as the good times draw you ever closer to God.

This is an excerpt from the chapter “Sarah And The Guy She Was With For One Hundred Years” from Sue's book: Biblical Women And Who They Hooked Up With available in print or electronic media at her http://www.lulu.com/ store: http://www.lulu.com/content/884852

Eve And The Only Guy On The Planet

If she couldn’t get it right, what hope is there for the rest of us?

A Heart of Perfection
You know Eve. The girl with the apple. The one Adam pointed to when God said, “Hey! Whose idea was it to eat the forbidden fruit?!” The person who consistently bears the brunt of the blame for the whole Garden of Eden debacle. Most famously remembered as the woman who caved when Satan decided to tempt, Eve’s punishment has affected womanhood to this day: to forever bear children with intense pain and suffering and perpetually submit to man as their master.

On account of [Eve] even the Son of God had to die.
Tertullian

Salimbene, a 13th century Franciscan monk compiled a collection of popular views of his day on women. Eve was definitely not thought of positively: “Woman was evil from the beginnings, a gate of death, a disciple of the servant, the devil’s accomplice, a fount of deception, a dogstart to godly labours, rust corrupting the saints; whose perilous face hath overgrown such as had already become almost angels. Lo, woman is the head of sin, a weapon of the devil, expulsion from Paradise, mother of guilt, corruption of the ancient law.” Whoa. How’s that for a thorough insult?

Personally, I think Eve got a bum rap. Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not here to offer excuses or place blame in another location. I simply wish that the whole person that Eve was, wasn’t defined by her famous moment of succumbing to temptation. (Look at it this way: How would you like to be remembered for your greatest personal disaster?)

The bottom line is that Eve was an ancestress of Christ. You and I can’t claim that. Nor can a lot of other women. She was unique, special, and chosen. At the time when God was recounting the consequences of both Eve and Adam’s poor choice, He also gave her a promise of redemption. She was the first person to be given the promise of the savior. It was her seed that was going to crush the head of the serpent, Satan. (Genesis 3:15)

Spend some time with me examining Eve, the person she was, and the guy she hooked up with. Take a peek into what it means to perfect. Maybe, if we try, we’ll learn something new about her and ourselves in the process. After all, haven’t you always wanted to achieve perfection?

Scripture References To Should Check Out: Genesis 1:26-31, Genesis 2-5

Question to ask yourself and answer before you read any further: What one thing would you like to change in your life that would ensure better circumstances for yourself?

What her name means: God given: “Adam” means “mankind” or “taken out of the earth” or “human being”
Adam given (while in The Garden): “Woman” means “man-ess” or “taken out of man”
Adam given (once they are thrown out of The Garden):“Eve” means “The Mother of All Who Have Life” or “Life-giving”

Connections: Even though Eve was perfect, lived in paradise, and was hooked up with a heaven-made match she had self doubts about herself. Her lack of self-confidence in herself and her God-given abilities left her open for Satan’s treachery causing disaster and misery for all.

What the Bible says about being Perfect:

• Regarding God and His Promises: Psalm 18:29-31


• Regarding Perfection: Psalm 119:96


• On Waiting For Perfection: Ecclesiastes 11:4


• On Our Own Personal Level of Perfection and What We Should Strive For: Matthew 5:47-48


• On Why We Cannot Judge What Is Perfect: 1 Corinthians 13:11-12


• Advice On How To Achieve It: Philippians 3:12-13


• Perfection On Earth: Hebrews 9:13-15


• What It’s All About: James 1:16-18
  

For all you Eves out there …
What lessons can you learn and apply to your life from the account of Eve and whom she hooked up with? First and foremost you must remember what Adam and Eve’s perfection was based on. Nothing external. It was all internal. Their perfection was gone in the blink of an eye the moment they both chose not to allow God and God alone to rule their hearts and minds.

Eve started out hooked up with God, but then fell away from that perfect direction. Blessed with her soul mate, Adam, she was able to get back on track and work towards getting back to the right relationship she needed to have with The One True God. We, as descendants of Adam and Eve, are creatures with the identical capacity for personal thought and childlike understanding. We also have the same God-given ability to choose to head toward perfection … or not.

I like the way the apostle Paul talked about perfection. “I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” (Philippians 3:12-14)
Forgetting the past …
Looking forward to what likes ahead …
Pressing on to reach … the heavenly prize …
Sounds like a plan, doesn’t it?

• Good Choices and Bad: Remember, Eve was wrong for her initial actions but Adam was just as wrong for saying nothing to stop her. Doing nothing is doing something. Not speaking up and voicing The Truth or not correcting a wrong when it is being committed makes you culpable. Culpable as in “deserving of blame or censure as being wrong, evil, improper, or injurious.” (Free Online Dictionary)

• Exemption: Being superior in appearance, position, or ability does not excuse our guilt. Just as God created the serpent to be cleverer than any of the other creatures that He had made, He also sentenced that same creature to eat dirt and die. Never, ever should any of us become complacent in our place within God’s plan. We are necessary for what we can do for His greater glory and design and nothing more. As soon as we step out towards our own agenda we are spectacularly and frighteningly alone and undefended.

• Focus: Being perfect does not guarantee that you won’t make any mistakes. In fact, it might actually blind you into a false sense of complacency so that when disaster sneaks up on you, you don’t even recognize it until after it’s way too late. Psalm 57:1-3 gives a good standard for how you should approach every step of your life:

• Recognize You Can’t Do It On Your Own:

Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy! I look to you for protection.
Know Where To Go In Times Of Trouble:
I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings until the danger passes by.
Know Who To Ask For Advice:
I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfill his purpose for me.
Recognize Where True Power Lies:
He will send help from heaven to rescue me, disgracing those who hound me.
Understand The Reasons Behind It All:
My God will send forth his unfailing love and faithfulness.

• Believe: The person that you are is exactly the person God needs you to be. You must believe that for what God needs you to do right this very minute: You. Are. Just. Perfect. Any flaw you perceive in yourself is only an excuse to not follow through with what God wants you to do. Rick Warren in his book A Purpose Driven Life says, “God never does anything accidentally, and He never makes mistakes.” Stop focusing on what you’re missing and concentrate on all you’ve got to offer.

• Forgive: Don’t. Keep. Score. Dwelling on past mistakes prevents you from forging ahead positively into the future. You must learn to let go of past failures of your own doing as well as your mate’s. God has forgotten your disasters as soon as you ask His forgiveness. Why can’t you? King David, an abject failure as a husband and father but also known as “the man after God’s own heart” sang about forgiveness in Psalm 32 (vs. 1-3 MSG): Count yourself lucky, how happy you must be - you get a fresh start, your slate's wiped clean. Count yourself lucky - God holds nothing against you and you're holding nothing back from Him.

• Trust: Just as Adam and Eve were provided with the perfect mate, you too have one out there somewhere in the world. And no, before you ask, I don’t believe you can find him or her on your own. That’s where faith comes in: believing in something that you can’t see or touch. Commit to pray for this person, commit to wait for this person, commit to believe that this person is doing the same for you, and commit to not settling for anything less than the very best. Trust me, it will be worth the wait in the end.
  

Be the change you want to see in the world.
Mahatma Gandhi

• Commit: Be determined to find the perfect heavenly-fashioned companion for yourself or create that sort of relationship with the person you are already with. He or she may not be as easily acquired as Adam found Eve and yet you have every reason to believe that God’s plan and desire for you is nothing less than “a perfect match”. Remember what Adam and Eve had in common that promoted their success: a like-minded spiritual focus, a similar passion for the environment in which they chose to live, an joint attitude of commitment, love and forgiveness, and a relationship rooted in innocence and purity.

• Remain Vigilant: Even the most perfect relationships must be nurtured and prized. Kind words never go out of fashion, loving expressions are always appreciated, and thoughtful signs of appreciation are never wasted. Even if your mate is not yet suitable for the “perfect” category, what areas are pretty close? Have you shared that with him or her lately? Temptation to become complacent is a danger we cannot afford. Temptation in and of itself is not wrong. Giving into temptation is where the problems start.

True freedom comes from obedience and knowing what not to do.
NLT

• Stay Faithful: Oswald Chambers says that, “Faith is the heroic effort of your life.” It’s pretty darn easy to be pleased with God when things are going well in your life and just as easy to blame God when things go down the tubes. You cannot be casual about your faith walk on the day to day existence of your life only to become intensely spiritual when things start to get rocky. Your relationship with God is either a committed, loving relationship or it is a casual acquaintance. You and only you must set the standards.

• Love: Remember that the dominating emotion that was the force behind the creation of this world was: love. Operating within that emotion towards yourself first and foremost and then towards all others redefines the world you live in.

How well do you know yourself? If you are unsure of what you want out of your life then you are on shaky ground trying to hook up with someone. You need to be The Expert regarding yourself spiritually, emotionally, socially, and physically. You need to think about who will compliment you best. What about your mate or the mate of your dreams? Do you know what you need? What you should be looking for? What qualities would ensure your success as a couple? Prayerfully and seriously consider these things. Don’t just reach into the dating basket, randomly choose someone and settle. Your choice of a mate should be based on what God has given you and what He would choose to be the best mate for you.


This is an excerpt from the chapter “Eve and The Only Guy On The Planet” from Sue's book: Biblical Women And Who They Hooked Up With available in print or electronic media at her http://www.lulu.com/ store: http://www.lulu.com/content/884852

The Facts vs. The Reality

Every relationship in your life past, present, and future is directly related to the state of your heart. That means who you love and who you hate, who you are repulsed by and who you are drawn to, who you befriend and who you choose to call enemy is all wrapped up with the internal, invisible, mysterious part of you. There is no exception to this rule. We call this “core” of ourselves, our heart.

The state of your heart is the very essence of who you are as an individual. That means the reason people love you or hate you, seek you out or avoid you, trust or mistrust you is totally reliant on the person you project to the world. While other people’s hearts and the image they project to the world are also viable factors in any relationship, if you are almost always the one who is wronged, abandoned, angered, unloved, avoided, fired, accused, or left out then that is a pretty big personal message about you and the condition of your heart. Life is not about lousy coincidences or bad luck. There is no such thing.

I’m just an old chunk of coal,
But I’m going to be a diamond some day.
Billy Joe Shaver

Who you are as an individual is matchless, one of a kind. That means you’re priceless. Irreplaceable. It means that all the qualities that you have inside you from your ability to remember the exact words to every top forties song that’s ever been sung to your inability to understand even the rudimentary concepts of basic algebra are all part of the precious person that you are. It’s all necessary.

The unique person that you are is a precise design carefully and specifically created by God. That means that the way you are is the way God wants you to be. More than that, God planned for your existence and the very person you were born to be with all the precision that a rocket scientist puts into his or her life’s work. Not only are all your talents and foibles accurate, they were desired and planned for to make you the person God needed you to be today.

God does not make mistakes. That means that the very person that you are as you sit and read this is exactly the person God needs you to be. The person that gets pure enjoyment from spending hours upon hours being lost in the magic of painting a picture. The person who is poetry in motion cooking up a spur of the moment meal using just the leftovers in the family fridge. The person who can listen to a car engine and know exactly what is making that funny rattle. The person that needs to only hear a person’s name once and never forgets it. In addition, your weaknesses are the very areas in which God intends to show His greatest strengths. Your talents are the very tools in which God intends to show you your greatest joy. Your passions and loves are the directions in which God intends to lead you on this journey called life. You’ve got everything you need to succeed.

The heart has reasons that reason cannot know.
Blaise Pascal

So why are people so unhappy? While we spend precious parts of our life dreaming of what we wish we could be, we miss out on the greatness of what we are already. Why do so many people feel lost? It’s all about the state of our hearts. Our hearts lack faith, self-confidence, belief, trust, strength, commitment … We might talk the talk but we don’t always walk the walk. “I believe, it’s just …” “I know we’re supposed to have faith, but …” “I’m never good at …” “I have trouble sticking to …” More often than not we are more steadfast in our excuses as to why we can’t then why we can.

Our heart, when spoken of in the Bible, is the special thing that makes us unique and precious from all of God’s other creations. It is from “deep in your heart” where “true knowledge exists” (Joshua 23:14). According to Job, instinct comes from the mind but intuition comes from the heart (Job 38:36). The animal world is loaded with instinctual behaviors while we human beings are pretty helpless right from the start. But this ability to be intuitive – knowing or sensing or understanding something without being able to rationally explain it all - ratchets us right up there to the top of the earthly living population. Only we have the ability to function according to our own free will. In giving us the ability to choose how we live, God gave only us the ability to please or disappoint Him.

Only us.

Biblical author Amos said, “For the Lord is the one who shaped the mountains, stirs up the winds, and reveals his thoughts to mankind.” (Amos 4:13b). We’re the only creatures God talks to and reveals His thoughts to. Whispers His desires and plans. Gives His instructions and commands. He does this through the inside being that we are – our heart.

Only us.

It’s your inside person that God looks at and values. He could care less about your job title, your bank account balance, or the number of wrinkles you have on your face. The Bible talks about this inside and outside concept a lot. Samuel as he searched for Israel’s new king was told specifically not to judge by appearance alone.

People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.
I Samuel 16:7b

Isaiah states clearly that Christ will “not judge by appearance nor make a decision based on hearsay.” (Isaiah 11:3) The truth of whom you are inside is all that He cares about and it’s where all of the most important things that He has given you come from. Not only does God delight in your uniqueness, He specifically desires for you to be one of a kind. He doesn’t want you to be like anyone else because He already thinks you’re exactly the way He wants you.
This life we live is one gigantic testing ground where we fumble and grope to succeed. And whether we are born rich, handicapped, talented, intelligent, or disadvantaged I firmly believe that the course of a lifetime pretty much levels the playing field for all of us. For you see, the measure of a person’s true success is not determined by the world’s standards but by God’s. The promise of salvation through Christ is the great equalizer. Our success is not dependant on anything but the choice we make or don’t make to have Him at the center of … you guessed it … our heart.

Once we choose the correct spiritual path, the different tools we have in our spiritual toolbox helps us refine the person God needs us to be. Are we using our God-given talents for Him? Are we utilizing those things that we enjoy doing towards godly pursuits? Does the primary way that I spend my time have a God-related tone to it? Am I making God smile?

My worth to God in public is what I am in private.
Oswald Chambers

Sigh. The human race hasn’t done a very good job in the listening and pleasing department. Right off the bat when the evilness of mankind got so bad “that every inclination of the thoughts of mankind’s heart was only evil all the time” (Genesis 6:5) God regretted ever making mankind saying specifically, “it broke His heart”. (Genesis 6:6)

On the flip side, “heart’s desires” (Job 17:11) are the most precious things we could imagine having or achieving. Only those whose hearts are “true and right” are the ones whom God shields and protects (Psalm 7:10). Finally, a person “after God’s own heart” (I Samuel 13:14) is the epitome of mankind’s God directed goals.

Obviously, from the biblical perspective the heart is the definitive way to measure a person’s credibility and worthiness. So, I’ll ask you: How’re your insides? Or, more specifically, are you a person “after God’s own heart”?

This is an excerpt from Sue's book: Biblical Women And Who They Hooked Up With available at her http://www.lulu.com/ store: http://www.lulu.com/content/884852

Biblical Women And Who They Hooked Up With

Fact: Every relationship in your life past, present, and future is directly related to the state of your heart. So, let’s take some time to examine that heart of yours: do a little thoughtful introspection, examine its quality, realign your priorities, begin to fix what’s broken, begin to strengthen what’s weak, find what’s lost and … make God smile a bit.

Let me introduce you to: Eve and The Only Guy On the Planet – A Heart of Perfection. Sarah and The Guy She Was With For One Hundred Years – A Heart Of Patience. Leah and Her Sister’s Husband – A Heart Of Self Confidence. Tamar and The Guy She Picked Up On The Side Of The Road – A Heart Of Strength. Rahab and The Guy Who Got It For Free – A Heart of Belief. Bathsheba and The Guy Who Didn’t Give Her Much Choice – A Heart Of Trust. And Mary and The Perfect One – A Heart Of Obedience.

Realize what is at the heart of the matter: A Heart Committed To God.


My first foray into nonfiction! Get to know, up close and personal, a few of my most favorite biblical women. Women who, stunningly, are very much like you and me ... except they didn't have indoor plumbing and a few other creature comforts.Biblically accurate, I work to bring these godly women to life with a little bit of humor, a lot of interesting facts and some thought-provoking questions.The very same struggles we face today, these women faced as well. Why not take a moment or two to check out how they handled things? Maybe you'll get a few new survival tips to help you along your way.

What My Books Are All About

My books are meant to inspire. Hopefully make you smile and feel encouraged. Perhaps make you think a bit about yourself, your life, and your relationships. It is my sincere hope that by spending your valuable time reading my stories, you will gain some insight into yourself and your relationship with God. Perhaps your life's perspective may change a bit for the better?

Women's Fiction, Historical Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Inspirational Fiction, Young Adult ... my stories seem to fit all these categories and none of them. I write from my heart and am determined to share these stories that I have been gifted with.

Philippians 1:20-21All God's people are ordinary people made extraordinary by the matter He has given them. ~Oswald Chambers~