Sunday, June 21, 2020

Words of Encouragement and Praise

'If you have ever needed a pat on the back to get you going in the right direction  read on.

1 Thessalonians says to encourage one another and build one another up. We may never know the difference that words of encouragement make.

Praise from my across-the-street neighbor a few weeks ago led to a new book.

 Eyes twinkling, he said, “Your best book is that one.” He pointed to my front yard where he had  put out a 4th of July fireworks blaze a couple of years ago. The following Christmas, I made a booklet of life events for family, friends, and neighbors It showed how God has cared and provided for me and my family since my early childhood. Stories included

  • being chased by an angry bull

  • a near-drowning

  • being stranded on Interstate 5

  • desperately needing a job

  • needing a home

  • facing losing everything from a lawsuit

     The final story was that of the caring neighbor who extinguished a late night, rapidly-spreading fire in tinder-dry grass in my front yard.  Left unchecked, it could have destroyed the neighborhood. I could have died.

     The comment made me think. "If he likes the book that much, why haven't I offered it to my publisher?" I did. Thanks to a few words from a neighbor, whose last name I had to ask, Walking with the Master: Celebrating His Presence is print and Kindle.

     My neighbor's last name? Angel.


Colleen's Author Page 

3 comments:

judy said...

This one sounds good, too. I posted a review on Amazon of The Remembrance Book.

Colleen L. Reece said...

It is such a good review I am posting it here. Thanks, Judy.
A cross-country family vacation reminiscent of Madeleine L'Engle's The Moon By Night and fictionalized true adventures that bring to mind Laura Ingalls Wilder can be found in THE REMEMBRANCE BOOK. From encounters with lions and horntoads and bears (Oh, my!) to imaginary friends--and from reading trips by the light of an Aladdin's lamp to answered prayer over serious illness--this collection of stories is suitable for bedtime reading aloud or private enjoyment. My personal favorite has a surprise ending for a girl who longs to be an angel in just one Christmas play.

judy said...

WALKING WITH THE MASTER is one of your best, IMO. Here's the review I wrote for Amazon:

Multiply published author Colleen L. Reece walks the walk of her talk--in her nonfiction, her stories and novels, and in her everyday life. She has the kind of faith most of us can't comprehend, let alone practice. WALKING WITH THE MASTER provides vividly described examples of radical trust in God such as coping with life-threatening illness, on-the-job harassment, computer scams, a totaled car, property fire in the middle of the night, and a lawsuit that threatens Ms. Reece's newly purchased home and recent commitment to write full time. Recommended for anyone needing a lift, and for fans of Catherine Marshall's published prayer experiments of the 1950s and '60s.