Archive for: February, 2022

Thank you so much for joining me this week for the launch of my book! I hope you have been encouraged, blessed, and challenged to abide more and more constantly in God’s Word through this launch week. And if you got Memory’s Mind, I pray you find Kelton’s story a blessing that sticks with you and propels you nearer, still nearer to Jesus.

If you missed anything during this tour, you can always go back and find it:

February 12 – KICK-OFF DAY
Erika Mathews at Resting Life – tour intro, Meditation Challenge+giveaway announcement

February 14 – COVER REVEAL/PREORDER FOR ROMANCE’S REST DAY
Erika Mathews at Resting Life – Cover Reveal for Romance’s Rest, Meditation Challenge #1 
Autumn Lehman at Bursting Through the Darkness – cover reveal
Kristina Hall at Kristina Hall – cover reveal
Hannah Killian at The Writerly Worm and Facebook – cover reveal
Morgan Giesbrecht on Instagram – cover reveal
Joy C. Woodbury at Discipleship with Joy – cover reveal
Vanessa Hall at Vanessa Hall – cover reveal
Katja Labonté at Old Fashioned Book Love– cover reveal

February 15 – FREE CHAPTER DAY
Erika Mathews at Resting Life – Read the First Chapter for Free and Meditation Challenge #2
Autumn Lehman at Bursting Through the Darkness – Guest post by Erika on Practical Tips for Meditation
Stephanie Agnes-Crockett at Stephanie’s Ninth Suitcase, Instagram, and Facebook – Book review and paperback GIVEAWAY!

February 16 – BIBLE STUDY DAY
Erika Mathews at Resting Life – Bible Study on Keep and Meditation Challenge #3
Joy C. Woodbury at Discipleship with Joy – Book spotlight and exclusive excerpt
Chelsea Burden at Light in the Tunnel – Guest post by Erika on Biblical Meditation
Stephanie Agnes-Crockett at Stephanie’s Ninth Suitcase, Instagram, and Facebook – Romance’s Rest cover reveal

February 17 – SALE DAY
Erika Mathews at Resting Life – Taerna Books on Sale and Meditation Challenge #4
Chelsea Burden at Light in the Tunnel – cover reveal for Romance’s Rest

February 18 – LAUNCH DAY
Erika Mathews at Resting Life – LAUNCH DAY! Meditation Challenge #5
Kristina Hall at Kristina Hall and on Instagram – Book spotlight and exclusive excerpt 
Autumn Lehman at Bursting Through the Darkness – Book spotlight and exclusive excerpt
Morgan Giesbrecht on Instagram

February 19 – WRAP-UP DAY
Erika Mathews at Resting Life – Giveaway Winner + Meditation Challenge Wrapup
Katja Labonté at Old Fashioned Book Love and Instagram – Book spotlight, exclusive excerpt, and review
Vanessa Hall at Vanessa Hall and Goodreads – Book spotlight and exclusive excerpt

But wait! There’s more! Some lovely bloggers will be reviewing Memory’s Mind in the next few weeks, and I can’t wait to hear what they have to say.

March 1 – BOOK REVIEW SPOTLIGHT
Erika Mathews at Resting Life – What Readers are Saying
Vanessa Hall at Vanessa Hall and Goodreads – Book review

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Two other bloggers are posting about Memory’s Mind today. Don’t forget to check them out!

Katja Labonté at Old Fashioned Book Love and Instagram – Book spotlight, exclusive excerpt, and review

Vanessa Hall at Vanessa Hall and Goodreads – Book spotlight and exclusive excerpt

And now… the moment you’ve been waiting for!

Who won the Meditation Challenge giveaway??

It’s You!
Really. If you participated in the challenge, there is no prize I could give you that is greater than the one you’ve gained this week through meditating on Scripture. I truly hope you continue. I hope you go to your “meditation spot” or head out on a “meditation walk” today. I hope you ponder a passage in your head while you go to bed tonight. I hope you continue meditating on the Ten Commandments. I pray that Scripture fills up more and more of your mind throughout the day. For that is the true reward.

Look at just this small glimpse of a few of the things God has done in and through you in just these five short days!

WHAT MEDITATORS ARE SAYING

1 Corinthians 13:1-3: “It has helped me to see areas where I am not being loving and showing myself prideful in how much knowledge, wisdom, and giving I have.”

John 15:10-11: “Our joy may not be the way it’s supposed to be, but that doesn’t matter because we get Jesus’ joy!”

Hebrews 10:16: “I was struck again by the way in which He takes the responsibility for the covenant: ‘*I* will put…'”

Exodus 20:1-3: “I want God to be the only One I worship, not just the top, but the only. Not just the one I but above all other idols, but THE ONLY!”

Exodus 20:4: “He showed me some idols I may have in my life (or may be tempted to have), and reminded me that He is a jealous God, and He desires all my love and attention!”

I Corinthians 13:4-5: “I certainly can’t love others as He has called me.”

Matthew 6:32: “I was struck again by the fact that God already knows what we need & what we’re worried for.”

2 Corinthians 4:16: “I was really struck by the contrast between the outward and inward – I looked up the words and “Perish” literally means, “rot thoroughly” while “is renewed” means to “renovate”. I liked the contrast between the utter decay and the renovation – an upgrade, if you will. It was a cool thought that while our outward man may rot away, our inner man is being renovated daily!”

Exodus 20:5-6: “Visit: to go to see in order to comfort or help. ‘I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Him.’ They hate Him, yet he visits, points out their sin and says, ‘I’m here to comfort, to show you the way to redemption.’”

Revelation 5: 1-20: “Nobody is worthy to enter heaven, but by God’s grace we are allowed in, but your actions count, so you still have to act in kindness, honesty, and love.”

1 Corinthians 13:6-8: “I need to be careful of my reactions to others and be quick to seek forgiveness for not loving others as He loves me. I need to repent.”

2 Corinthians 4:17-18: “I marveled how our afflictions could be ‘light’ and ‘for a moment’ and looking up the literal translations of the words highlighted that momentariness as well as calling the ‘light affliction’ a ‘light pressure’ – which somehow gave me the sense of something pressing on your arm or hand – firm, yet not actually hurting that much, versus the ‘weight’ of glory so heavy we almost can’t bear it!! I remember hearing a story of a man who used to say ‘May the Lord bless you so much you can hardly stand it!’ and that’s kind of what I thought of!!”

Exodus 20:7: “God’s name is precious and holy, and it can’t be thrown around mindlessly. It also cannot be used as a cover for our sin.”

Leviticus 26:9: “God showed me that He wants to bless us. I know this might sound super simple, but I needed that reminder.”

Testimony: “I feel happier and more grateful today than I have in quite awhile! God is good.”

2 Samuel 14:14: I loved the meanings of the words that gave “devise means” a sense of weaving a plan, which made me think of how we plot stories 😉 and I also found it cool that “banished” and “expelled” were the same word in Hebrew, which made the whole phrase say that God “weaves a plan, that his banished be not banished” – it was such a cool thought, as well as a really comforting one!! God has made a way for His banished to be brought back!!

And look at ALL THIS SCRIPTURE that has been lodged in our minds and hearts, pondered repeated, and used to hear the voice of God this week! What a reward that is!
(Feel free to download and save any of these images to use as a reminder to set your mind on the Word of God.)

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And, in tiny token of that reward, I’m thrilled to grant a smaller prize to one of you. I’m honored to announce that the winner of the Memory’s Mind Meditation Challenge giveaway is…

LILY!

Congratulations!

Remember, you can still preorder Romance’s Rest! It’s currently 50% off and it’s coming April 21. If you’d like to join the launch team, you can do so here.

“Now go waste time with Adon Olam. He wasted a lot of time on you.”

Memory’s Mind, Erika Mathews

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It’s here!

If I could leave you with only one message from any of my books, the message of Memory’s Mind would be the one.

Not because it’s any more true or more Biblical than the message of my other books, but because if you, reader, can truly grasp and internalize the message of Memory’s Mind, you will—I guarantee it—find every other Scriptural and spiritual truth in a far deeper and more meaningful way than I could ever convey to you. 

For if you will choose to meditate upon God’s Word day and night, filling your mind and heart with Scripture to the exclusion of focus on earthly things, God will reveal Himself to you in ways far beyond my ability to express. He will prove Himself to be your perfect Teach­er. He will fulfill the promises of Psalm 1 and Joshua 1 in your life.

That is why I wrote Memory’s Mind.

And that, dear reader, is my heartfelt prayer for you.

Writing a fiction story about meditation proved to be an interesting challenge. If you’ve joined the meditation challenge this week, you might have discovered that meditating doesn’t make a very captivating story. It’s boring. It’s quiet. It’s lonely. It’s a struggle.

But it’s life. It’s rest. It’s peace. It’s knowing God. It’s loving God.

Yet how does one capture all that in a novel?

Memory’s Mind ended up being two parts: one part ten years earlier and the other seven years after the first end. Part One tells the story of Kelton’s inner struggles and his journey into learning to keep God’s Word. Part Two revisits the same struggles and follows him as he continues on that journey in everyday life . . . and amid the chaos of the capital city as the death of a king with no named successor leads to a gripping struggle for the throne. Intertwining Kelton’s journey with that of the palace people proved engaging – and presented truth in a gripping way that I can’t wait for you to read.

Check out these other posts celebrating the launch today:

Kristina Hall at Kristina Hall and on Instagram – Book spotlight and exclusive excerpt 
Autumn Lehman at Bursting Through the Darkness – Book spotlight and exclusive excerpt
Morgan Giesbrecht on Instagram

Memory’s Mind Meditation Challenge Day #5

Welcome to the final day of the Meditation Challenge! Although it IS the final day of the challenge, I hope and pray it won’t be the final day of your meditation. My prayer is that this will be a building block to continue the habit of meditation throughout your life.

How has it gone? What blessed you the most about this challenge? What, if anything, surprised you the most? What is one thing you’ll take away from this challenge when it’s completed? Leave a comment or shoot me a message – I’d LOVE to hear from you.

Most of all, THANK YOU for joining me and meditating together this week. Let’s go forth and seek God with all our hearts today!

If you’re just joining us, it’s not too late! Hop in and meditate with us today, then enter the giveaway.

If you missed the introduction post with its tips and ideas, you can catch up on the details here.

TODAY’S VERSE
You can choose any verse, but if you’d like some guidance, here are two suggestions for today!

Track 1: The Law with Liliora: Exodus 20:8(-11)

Today we’re continuing our meditation upon God’s law in Exodus 20. You might notice that we didn’t make it all the way through the Ten Commandments this week… this was intentional – to encourage YOU to continue on once the challenge is completed! But for today, let’s prayerfully fix our mind upon Exodus 20:8. “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.”

As long as he was abid­ing in the law of Adon Olam, he had nothing to worry about. Receiving the Word of Adon Olam was receiving His peace—a peace that no news could move. 

Memory’s Mind, Erika Mathews

Track 2: Kelton’s Favorites: Matthew 6:6

 Three times he repeated the words before his mind began to wander. Shutting his eyes, he pulled his thoughts back. Thy Father which is in secret. Thy Father which is in secret. If Father was in secret, Kelton guessed he’d better be in secret as well, if he wanted to find and know Him. It couldn’t get much more secret than in this ham­mock, alone in the woods in the middle of nowhere. 
His eyes still closed, he relaxed. Somewhere in the distance, the lake lapped. Birds chattered. A wave of sleep­iness rolled over him… He forced his eyes open. A squirrel scampered from tree to tree, pausing to keep a watchful eye on Kelton. Clouds rolled slowly past, peek­ing through the gaps in the tree leaves overhead, branches waving. 
Thy Father which is in secret.
This was a peaceful place to find Him.

Memory’s Mind, Erika Mathews

Now go meditate!

… Now come back and enter the giveaway! Remember, you can enter every day you complete the challenge. Today is the LAST DAY to enter.

What did God reveal of Himself and His Word to you during your meditation today?

Come back tomorrow for the tour wrap-up – and to find out who won the giveaway! And don’t forget the Taerna sale!

Tomorrow’s launch day, and today is the day that you can pick up ALL SIX Taerna books for under $10! Promise’s Prayer is free today only, and the rest of the series is on sale for 50-75% off! Plus the rest of my books are also on sale.

Now’s a great time to pick them up! And spread the word.

We have two other excellent posts today:

Chelsea Burden at Light in the Tunnel is posting the cover reveal for Romance’s Rest today!
Stephanie Agnes-Crockett at Stephanie’s Ninth Suitcase, Instagram, and Facebook is posting a book spotlightJ

Memory’s Mind Meditation Challenge Day #4

You made it to Day #4! I’m so thrilled that you’re here meditating on God’s Word together and drawing nearer to Him.

If you’re just joining us, it’s not too late! Hop in and meditate with us today, then enter the giveaway.

If you missed the introduction post with its tips and ideas, you can catch up on the details here.

TODAY’S VERSE
You can choose any verse, but if you’d like some guidance, here are two suggestions for today!

Track 1: The Law with Liliora: Exodus 20:7

Today we’re continuing our meditation upon God’s law in Exodus 20. May God wash you with the water of His Word today as you spend time listening to Him through His law.

Kelton began to meditate on the law throughout the day as he tackled the ordinary home tasks alongside of Liliora. 

Memory’s Mind, Erika Mathews

Track 2: Kelton’s Favorites: Matthew 6:24

 “‘No man can serve two masters,’” he muttered—not too loudly but still audibly. “‘No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other.’”
Several times he repeated it, pondering its meaning. Since he’d first heard this passage as a small child, he’d had questions. Why did it refer to hating and loving as well as holding to and despising? Wasn’t it just two different ways of saying the same thing?
Reaching the creek, he crouched at its bank and watched the slim stream sliding by. Someday perhaps he’d understand that verse. For now, he’d keep musing.

Memory’s Mind, Erika Mathews

Now go meditate!
See if God leads you to prayer through your meditation before the end of your time today.

… Now come back and enter the giveaway! Remember, you can enter every day you complete the challenge.

What did God reveal of Himself and His Word to you during your meditation today?

Come back tomorrow for Meditation Challenge #5 – and LAUNCH DAY!

It’s BIBLE STUDY DAY! Today we’re looking at a specific word in Scripture that’s very important to Kelton in Memory’s Mind–and to us also.

When you hear the word keep (as in “keep God’s law,” “keep my commandments”), what comes to your mind?

Many people define this word in terms of doing: obeying the law; or doing the commandments. And while obedience to God is essential (and discussed a lot in Scripture), it’s not what keep means. 

Furthermore, there’s a problem. Have you tried obeying God’s law lately? How successful have you been? In our flesh, we are unable to obey the law. Even our righteousnesses are as filthy rags, Isaiah tells us, and Jesus said we cannot enter the kingdom of God unless our righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees—the most rigid law-followers of His day. 

So let’s discover what the word keep means in Scripture! 

FAST FACTS

The word keep appears in the Old Testament (KJV) 300 times. 
197 times it is used (65% of the time), it is the Hebrew word shamar.

Shamar means, “properly to hedge about (as with thorns), that is, guard; generally to protect, attend to, etc.” (Strong’s Concordance).

Other ways shamar is translated are “beware, be circumspect, take heed (to self), keep (-er, self), mark, look narrowly, observe, preserve, regard, reserve, save (self), sure, (that lay) wait (for), watch (-man).”

But what about the other 103 times the word keep is used in the Old Testament?

25 of them are the Hebrew word natsar. And what does natsar mean?

“To guard.” (Strong’s Concordance). That’s almost the exact same meaning as shamar!

Of the rest of the occurrences of keep in the Old Testament that aren’t shamar or natsar, almost all of them are part of phrases like “keep silence,” “keep house,” “keep the Passover,” and “keep the feasts.” 

So when you see the word keep in the Old Testament, the vast majority of the time, the meaning of the word is guard and/or hedge about.

What about the New Testament? 

62 New Testament verses say keep. 33 of them are the Greek word tereo. 

Tereo means “to guard (from loss or injury, properly by keeping the eye upon…) that is, to note…” (Strong’s Concordance).

Of the remaining 29, 15 of them are other Greek words that also mean to guard or to watch carefully. Only 14 uses of keep in the New Testament have other meanings, and, once again, it’s almost always in a phrase like “keep silence,” “keep the feasts,” and so forth. 

Only one verse says “keep the law” where keep does not mean “guard.” (Romans 2:25, “For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep [to practice] the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.”).

This makes sense even in English. If I ask you to keep my children while I run errands, please, for all of our sakes, don’t obey them! I’d want you to guard them, watch them carefully, and protect them. If you ask me to keep your glasses while you jump in the pool, I’m going to guard them—to keep them safe.

So what does all this mean for us?

Jesus said, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.” (John 14:21).

If you guard His commandments (treasuring them, watching over them carefully, protecting them, valuing them), then you love Him—as He defines it. What’s more, God loves you… and will make Himself intimately known to you. Jesus also says that if His words abide in you, you can ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you—and if you continue in His words, then you are His disciple. In the Old Testament, countless blessings are linked with keeping (guarding, protecting) His law.

This isn’t talking about doing. It’s talking about valuing them and holding them close to our hearts, not letting them get away. 

That is why meditation and memorization of Scripture are so important: it’s one practical way to hold His Words close until they become a part of us—and we more intimately know Him. It’s about abiding in His words every moment of every day: until they are a part of us as continually and closely as breathing. 

But what about obeying? Surely that’s part of it!

Obedience isn’t specifically what Scripture is talking about by the word keep. But that doesn’t mean we’re off the hook for obedience! 

Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and keep, and do them. (Deuteronomy 5:1)

In Hebrew, this phrase is “learn and keep them to do them.” The purpose of learning and keeping/guarding His word is so that we can do it. Belief precedes behavior. What’s in our heart comes out in our actions. Our problem with not being able to obey God’s law isn’t a problem with our outward actions. Even if we couldoutwardly obey God’s law, we would still need Jesus—because the ultimate problem is our heart. And our hearts are only changed by the power of God, who renews our minds and washes us with the water of the Word. As we guard and treasure His Word through His Holy Spirit within us, He enables us to obey them. What’s more, we begin to want to obey in ways we never did before—because the more we keep, the more our love for Him grows.

So – my challenge to YOU is God’s call to you: keep His commandments! Guard them, treasure them, abide in them, roll them around in your mind – and receive His blessings as you do.

We have two other excellent posts today.

Joy C. Woodbury at Discipleship with Joy has a Memory’s Mind spotlight post and an exclusive excerpt from the book for you to check out!

Chelsea Burden at Light in the Tunnel posted a guest post I wrote on meditation! Don’t miss this one, as it defines what meditation is and is not – and talks about the two aspects of Biblical meditation.

Memory’s Mind Meditation Challenge Day #3

What has been your biggest challenge so far in meditating? What has been your biggest joy in meditating on God’s Word so far? I hope you’re discovering a little taste of the sweetness of fellowship with Him – even if it’s been a challenge. Message me or leave a comment – I’d love to hear how it’s been going for you.

If you missed the introduction post with its tips and ideas, you can catch up on the details here.

TODAY’S VERSE
You can choose any verse, but if you’d like some guidance, here are two suggestions for today!

Track 1: The Law with Liliora: Exodus 20:5-6

Today we’re continuing our meditation upon God’s law in Exodus 20. Pray that God will open your eyes that you may behold wondrous things out of His law (Psalm 119).

The words of the law flowed through his mind, and he continued. “‘Thou shalt have no other gods before me…’” His breath caught. “Is that it, Adon Olam?” he whispered.

Memory’s Mind, Erika Mathews

Track 2: Kelton’s Favorites: John 14:15

Through it all, the words of the hermit—in reality, the words of Adon Olam—reverberated through his mind. If ye love me, keep—guard—my commandments.
Guarding His commandments. Guarding His Word. What did that have to do with loving Him? 
Yet if Adon Olam said it, Kelton would believe it. He had to believe it. 

Memory’s Mind, Erika Mathews

Now go meditate!
Consider meditating for a little longer today than you have been.

… Now come back and enter the giveaway!

What did God reveal of Himself and His Word to you during your meditation today?

Come back tomorrow for Meditation Challenge #4 – and HUGE SALE DAY!

Welcome back to the Memory’s Mind launch tour! It’s FREE CHAPTER DAY – which means that you get to read the first chapter (and the prologue!) of Memory’s Mind right now.

Without delay, I present the free chapter:

Also today, Autumn Lehman at Bursting Through the Darkness hosted me for a guest post on practical tips for meditation. Do pay her a visit and check it out.

Memory’s Mind Meditation Challenge Day #2

You’re back! How did Day #1 go? Was it stretching? Challenging? Did it show you something about yourself or your mind? Did God teach you something about Himself? Did you see something in your verse you’d never seen before? Was it dry and boring, or interesting and exciting? Was it difficult or easy?

Any of those could be valid meditation experiences. Whatever yours was, I hope you learned from it and are ready to tackle Day #2!

If you missed the introduction post with its tips and ideas, you can catch up on the details here.

TODAY’S VERSE
You can choose any verse, but if you’d like some guidance, here are two suggestions for today!

Track 1: The Law with Liliora: Exodus 20:4

Today we’re continuing our meditation upon God’s law in Exodus 20. Ask God to reveal to you the depths of what He means by this commandment.

Liliora had mentioned the law. Should he do that? Maybe? Perhaps? He was much too weary to extend his mind further in thought. And Adon Olam spake all these words, saying… Already his mind was half-lost to sleep. I am your Adon Olam…

Memory’s Mind, Erika Mathews

Track 2: Kelton’s Favorites: Jeremiah 15:16-17

Kelton scraped a line in the dusty path with his ever-present walking stick before stepping over the mark and uphill. “I’m still thinking about the passage I told you about last autumn,” he began slowly. “‘Thy words were found, and I did eat them…’”

“Anything particular this time?”

“Today, mostly how necessary the eating truly is.” Kelton’s boots scuffed rocks, and he veered up a rougher section of the trail. “You know, when I’m in the Word all day, I receive enough into my being to keep me—to cause my soul to receive the nutrition I need. I’m eating it in all these different ways. But unlike food—”

“You don’t get dessert,” Philip interjected jovially.

“No, you never overeat. And I think about how diffi­cult it is out in the world, among people, even at home. If I fall into such complacency here, how much more temptation will I find there! Now is the time to plant the seeds that will be harvested tomorrow, next season, next year.”

Memory’s Mind, Erika Mathews

Now go meditate!
Get offline. Turn off your phone. Abide in the presence of your Lord. Know Him.

… Now come back and enter the giveaway!

What did God reveal of Himself and His Word to you during your meditation today?

Come back tomorrow for Meditation Challenge #3 – and a mini Bible study!

Two important things are happening today!

1. Day One of the Memory’s Mind Meditation Challenge and Giveaway
2. The introduction of the final book in the Truth from Taerna series, including the cover reveal!

Let’s start with the COVER REVEAL!

The sixth and last Taerna novel is Romance’s Rest. It will complete the series by telling the story of Kethin, the youngest Ellith sibling. A family-friendly Biblically-centered romance novel for those who avoid romance novels, Romance’s Rest follows big-hearted, animal-loving Kelton through his quest to know the true meaning of love—and covenant relationship with Adon Olam.⁠

I get excited when I read this book – there is SO much beautiful truth of God’s covenant and love in these pages that I pray is communicated in His way – and you can read it very soon! Be the very first to get the book by preordering in EBOOK and or in SIGNED PAPERBACK today!

If you preorder the ebook, it will automatically be delivered to your Kindle on April 21, 2022! If you preorder the paperback, you’ll receive a signed copy from my very first shipment. Preordering helps tell Amazon that this book is worth promoting and helps get it in front of more people.

ABOUT ROMANCE’S REST

Her love seems to have passed him by. 
Little does he know that true covenant Love is knocking at his door.

Kethin Ellith’s life is brimful: a new town, his dream job working with people and animals, an active social life, and now a spunky, godly woman who has captured his heart. But how can he have any sort of relationship with her when she’s not even interested in a single conversation?

Faeth Dale delights in being an avid flower gardener and the middle sister of a lively, close-knit family. She has her own non-negotiable reasons for avoiding all male friendships, particularly with spiritually shallow men like Kethin. But would Adon Olam give her this apparently conflicted guidance?

When rejection, grief, and longing jolt Kethin’s reality, knowing love seems permanently beyond him. And what is this spiritual concept of covenant he keeps encountering? As his struggles in this new relationship with Adon Olam intertwine with the struggles of his heart, Kethin comes face to face with both the starkness and breathtaking gloriousness of divine love itself—and a decision that costs him everything.

Without further delay… presenting: the LAST TAERNA COVER!

ISN’T IT GORGEOUS?

Cover design credit goes to Megan Mccullough
Graphic created by Katja Labonté

Preorder today!

If you haven’t discovered the world of Taerna yet, you can start with Promise’s Prayer. It will be FREE on Thursday! Or pick up the whole series for just $9.95! (regularly $22.94! That’s $13 saved!) Books 2-5 are all either 50% or 75% off all week!

Aren’t they awesome together?

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Check out the other cover reveal posts today:

• Autumn Lehman at Bursting Through the Darkness
• Kristina Hall at Kristina Hall
• Hannah Killian at The Writerly Worm and Facebook
• Morgan Giesbrecht on Instagram
• Joy C. Woodbury at Discipleship with Joy
• Vanessa Hall at Vanessa Hall

And now for the FIRST MEDITATION CHALLENGE!

Memory’s Mind Meditation Challenge Day #1

If you missed the introduction post with its tips and ideas, you can catch up on the details here. But here are the basics!

THE CHALLENGE:
1. Choose a length of time to meditate per day. (Minimum: 10 minutes). Comment with what length of time you picked.
2. Choose the Scripture verse you will be meditating on. It can be any verse!
3. Meditate on that verse for the length of time you chose.
4. Once you’ve completed the meditation challenge, enter the giveaway! Enter once each day.

THE GIVEAWAY PRIZE: a special meditation prize pack: “Abide” pocket journal, a golden pen, 16 Scripture cards, and a pocket New Testament

TODAY’S VERSE
You can choose any verse, but if you’d like some guidance, here are two suggestions for today!

Track 1: The Law With Liliora: Exodus 20:1-3

God talks a lot about His law in Scripture. Specifically, He speaks of meditating in His law “day and night” (Psalm 1, Joshua 1). He promises many blessings for those who keep (guard, protect, treasure) His law. What better place to start our meditation than in His law?

In Memory’s Mind, Liliora, Kelton’s sister, thought the same.

“We were doing a challenge—my friend Rita and I,” Liliora said. “Meditating on His law at night every night for the whole month, and then telling each other what part we meditated on. And then I’d try to do it when I woke up, too.”

Memory’s Mind, Erika Mathews

Track 2: Kelton’s Favorites: James 1:21

Haeward’s low-spoken words washed over him. “Receive in total emptiness of self the implanted word, which is able to save your soul.” 

Receive—receive—receive. The word echoed and splashed in his mind. Total emptiness. He certainly had that. Save your soul. Save my soul. Receive… 

Memory’s Mind, Erika Mathews

Now go meditate!
Set aside distractions.
Enjoy the presence of God.

… Now come back and enter the giveaway!

What did God reveal of Himself and His Word to you during your meditation today?

Come back tomorrow for Meditation Challenge #2 – and a free chapter!