Culvers caramel cashew sundae.
With chocolate custard instead of vanilla.
‘Nuff said.
Let’s Talk: What’s your favorite sweet treat?
Author: Katie Ganshert
I write Christian romance and my debut novel, Wildflowers from Winter, releases in May, 2012 through Waterbrook Press (a division of Random House).
A Worry-Less Life
My pastor tweeted something once that went something like this…
“Worry is temporary atheism. An absence of trust in God and His timing.”
And I was like, “Whoa, now there’s some conviction.”
I wouldn’t describe myself as a worry wart, but I do obsess over things.
I find myself hitting refresh on my email or a certain private Facebook group, fretting over something that is absolutely beyond my control.
Here’s the thing.
My worry does not help.
My obsessing doesn’t serve to speed up the process.
All it does is drive me insane.
Worry begets worry. Obsession begets obsession.
There are times when I just need to step away. Get out of my own head. Play with my son. Hug my husband.
Shift my focus away from all these things I cannot control to the One who controls all things.
The One who holds the entire universe in His hand.
Do I trust in that God?
Do I trust in His timing?
Do I trust that He is good, no matter what?
Do I trust that He has me on the journeys He has me on for a reason?
Can I let the rest go?
What would life be like – for real – if we did not waste our energy and our emotions on things we cannot control? What would life be like – for real – if we trusted Him at all times? Through every hiccup. Through every setback. Through every unknown. Through every agonizing wait. Through every heartbreak. Believing with confidence that His plan is best and through all things (from the small and annoying to the huge and all-encompassing), He is working.
You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You because he trusts in You. ~Isaiah 26:3
Let’s Talk: Why do you think it’s so easy to obsess over things we ultimately have no control over? What would it be like if we didn’t?
A review, an interview (including what Bible story most inspires me), and a giveaway of Wishing on Willows! Check out Lisa Bartelt’s blog!
Easter Egg Blog Hop
Welcome to the Easter Egg Blog Hop! Today I am hosting the seventh stop along this ten-stop-hop.
What’s the Easter Egg Blog Hop? Learn more about it here, and join the fun!
Today’s stop is all about Easter Trivia! It’s amazing what you can find out about Easter with a simple internet search. For example, did you know the largest chocolate rabbit was created in South Africa in 2010 by Harry Johnson? It was over 12 feet tall, and weighed 3 tons. That is a lot of chocolate!
Of course, we know that Easter isn’t about the chocolate rabbits or the Easter eggs. As Little Cub discovers in God Gave Us Easter, this holiday is the most important celebration of all because we are celebrating the gift of life God gave us that first Easter day. So while we do remember and give thanks for God’s gift this Easter, we can also spread a little Easter cheer with a few fun facts about this amazing holiday!
Did you know…
- Eggs were traditionally used in pre-Christian festivals as the symbol of new life, purity or fertility. Later customs concerning eggs were linked with Easter because the egg provided a fresh and powerful symbol of the Resurrection and the transformation of death into life.
- President Rutherford B. Hayes and his wife, Lucy, started the traditional Easter Monday Easter Egg Roll at the White House in 1878 after a new law passed in 1877 preventing children from rolling their Easter Eggs on the lawn of the Capital Building. The tradition has continued every year, with the only exceptions being during the war years of World War I and World War II.
- Decorating and coloring eggs for Easter was the custom in England during the Middle Ages. The household accounts of Edward I, for the year 1290, recorded an expenditure of eighteen pennies for four hundred and fifty eggs to be gold-leafed and colored for Easter gifts.
(Thanks to a few resources, including www.us.gov, for the information!)
The Numbers…
- 16 Billion…that’s the number of jelly beans that are made for Easter each year
- 70 percent…of Easter candy purchased is chocolate
- 8,968…pounds: the weight of Guinness World Records’ largest egg ever made
- 5 million…marshmallow chicks and bunnies are made daily in preparation for the holiday
- 90 Million…chocolate bunnies are made for Easter each year
- 76 percent…of Americans say people should eat the ears first on a chocolate bunny
- 2.1 Billion…dollars spent on Easter candy annually
- 28.11…dollars: the amount the average American spends on Easter candy
(Thanks to ABCNews.com for the information!)
Today’s Easter Egg: Did one of these facts surprise you? Head on over to the entry form and let us know which fact you found most interesting today!
Have you ever struggled when it comes to balancing the many demands of life? Check out my guest post over at Shondra Brown’s blog!
Casey Herringshaw and Stephanie review Wishing on Willows!
Pre-order your copy of Wishing on Willows and my publisher will send you 7 free downloadable devotionals written by me! All of them touch on important themes from the novel.
Mark your calendars for the Wishing on Willows Extravaganza from 6-7 pm CST on March 19th! I will be video chatting with readers, giving away 6 prize packages, and there will be guest appearances form Becky Wade and Courtney Walsh!