Barnes & Noble Book Signing

Update: Here are a few fun pics from the book signing! Thanks so much to everyone who stopped by!

 

I got to do the book signing with my fabulous friend and talented writer Gwen Ford Faulkenberry. She was signing her devotional A Beautiful Life and her Christian romance novel Love Finds You in Romeo, Colorado.

 

These are a few of my wonderful girlfriends--Andrea, Tena, and Kathleen.

 

And one of my favorite families, our dear friends Heather and Tony with little ones Micah and Lily.

I wish I had gotten a picture of everyone. When I'm nervous I tend to forget important things like how to spell my name (story below) and that there is a camera sitting right in front of me! I really appreciate all of you who were there and those of you who were thinking of me even if you couldn't make it!

I'm getting ready for a Rain on Me book signing at our local Barnes & Noble tonight. It's a bit of a "pinch me" moment. (Hopefully I won't blow that this time by walking into the men's bathroom and/or spelling my own name wrong.) I keep thinking about how God has brought me through the desert and into this place where I'm finally seeing blessings flow out of my pain. This devotional from Rain on Me describes my heart on that subject so I wanted to share it with you today...

The “Yes” You Never Expected

He stilled the storm to a whisper;

the waves of the sea were hushed.

                                         Psalm 107:29

A few years ago, a coworker came rushing up to my desk with good news to share. She exclaimed, “A greeting card you wrote has been nominated for an award!” I asked her what kind of card it was, and she replied, “Baby congratulations.”

After she walked away from my desk, I sat in stunned silence for a few moments as I considered the irony. An infertile woman might receive an award for a baby congratulations card!

As I looked back over the last few years, several other similar instances came to mind. I unexpectedly got to help develop a line of baby gifts. I published three books for children.

Slowly the Lord began to reveal something to my heart. I sensed Him softly whispering, I’ve said yes to every prayer that has been prayed for new life to come through you. It has just been in a different way than you expected. As I absorbed those words, tears came to my eyes. I knew it was true.

I also knew that I had believed a lie. That lie went something like, “You did something wrong, and so God is saying no to your prayers.” I thought if I could just be better, then somehow I could earn what I wanted.

Now, though, I suddenly realized God had been saying yes all along. In that moment God “stilled the storm to a whisper” in my life. Before then all I could hear was the rain pounding against my heart, and the steady beat sounded like no, no, no, no.

You’ve heard that sound, haven’t you? Late at night, when all is quiet. In the middle of the day, when you’re caught off guard by a painful longing or unwelcome memory. In the morning, when you wake up to another day where things are not as they should be.

Yet if we listen closer, there is another sound. It’s the heartbeat of our Heavenly Father. And it’s always yes, yes, yes, yes. Even when we don’t understand, yes. Even when it’s different than what we expected, yes. Even when it seems as if nothing good is happening at all, yes.

Over the next few months, five people told me on separate occasions that they felt God was going to bring new life through my words. I hadn’t told any of them what God had revealed to my heart, and it was further confirmation of what I’d sensed to be true. Not having a child still hurt, but I also found renewed peace in knowing that God was at work.

Perhaps it’s time for you to ask your Heavenly Father to “still the storm to a whisper” in your life and help you hear His voice in a new way. You just may discover a no in your life is actually a yes you never expected.

Comments

[Mandy]

Holley, I can't be there tonight, but I'll be thinking about you! I'm so proud of you and so grateful that you've chosen to encourage and inspire us every day with your words. God uses you to bring peace to my spirit every time I read one of your devotions! Have fun tonight! *M

[BJ Hamrick]

Holley,

As I read your blog, I can't help but wish we had spent more time hanging out at that crazy Mt. Hermon conference. (I just read your posts about The Bathroom Incident, and The Book Signing. You are hilarious!)

Thanks for writing from your heart. The world needs more of that. And I know I needed this today.

[Ally]

I was JUST telling my biblestudy woman Wednesday night how God had answered my prayers tin ways I never saw until I quit demanding that he answer them my way. Amazing how he fills those places of a mother's heart even when he doesn't give us our babies here on Earth.

[Cindy Shirah]

A GREATER YES
Verse 1:
It starts with a desire, planted deep within your heart.
You pray in faith, and wait for God to move.
Time passes and you wonder,
Did He hear me when I called?
Should I even have prayed that prayer at all?

Chorus:
You never pray a prayer, your Father will not answer.
He can’t ignore His child’s earnest request.
While you’re waiting and believing
For what you thought was best,
Trust God if He says no….. You’re still Blessed.
There must be a greater yes!

Verse 2:
There comes a time when child-like faith
Must graduate to trust.
Trials come and you’re convinced you’re on your own.
But the teacher’s often silent
During the hardest test
But He’ll answer when It’s time with what is best.

Bridge:
Sometimes God will answer – just like we prayed
Then other times, what’s on His mind
Is a better plan, a another way, a greater yes

Marcia Henry / Marcia Henry Music / BMI

[ginny martyn]

Beautiful...the kind of clam and pearl story that the world needs to hear. What a top night for you. Many congrats!