Ashton Raines, "Cowboy"

My name is Ashton Raines. You may know me as the reigning King of Country music.  

Now to be honest with you, a lot of people around me would tell you that I should be like Baby Jesus or something--you know, the center of attention, the center of the universe.  But I don't feel much like Baby Jesus.  Truth is, I don't even feel like I belong in that manger scene at all.  In fact, I kind of feel like the shepherd that stayed back on the hill while the others went to see what all the commotion was about.

You see, as the story goes, angels visited the shepherds and told them the good news about the baby king that was born to save us all.  And those shepherds went to see the baby.  But I know not all of them went.  Why? Well, because that whole thing might just be too good to be true.  Besides the darkness out here is much safer.  In the darkness, no one can see the pain I'm in.  No one even questions it.

I mean, sure it's dark and it's cold and I'm alone, but at least I'm not falling for something that might not even be real, you know?  Still, it would be nice to have that hope, to believe that this night could change everything, that any night could change everything, that I don't have to stay out here and wish the tears would leave me alone, that even I could be welcomed and loved.

Strangely enough, about the time I was getting ready to give up completely, one final angel appeared. She didn't look like the others--kind of ragged, tired and worn, but I could see the love in her eyes as she promised me Jesus is real and I will not be disappointed. On second thought, maybe I will go just to see... you know, in case what that angel says really is true...

 


Staci Stallings, the author of this article, is a #1 Best Selling Contemporary Christian Romance author and the founder of Grace & Faith Author Connection.

Staci has a special surprise for you today and tomorrow only... FREE ON KINDLE TWO DAYS ONLY!

December 4 & 5:

Cowboy "One of the most gripping contemporary romances I've read in the past three years." --Michelle Sutton, Amazon Top 1,000 Reviewer

Timothy Ashton Raines is at the top of his game and the end of his rope until one night, he walks away from everything... Available today as a free download from Amazon! Just click here: Cowboy (The Harmony Series)

Staci Stallings "Learning To...."

Learning to...

I'm going to ask you a very simple question that is going to get you into a lot of turmoil.

If you never have to do something, how do you learn to do it?

Let's say that I am going to operate on you.  Let's say further that you need a heart transplant.  Now, the good news is that I've read a lot about doing heart transplants.  I know the Anatomy book backwards and forward.  I've looked at all the diagrams and all of the graphs and charts.  So I'm pretty sure I can do this.

How confident are you in my ability to perform this task correctly on you?

(I see those nerves springing to the surface.)

But I don't see why you would be nervous.  After all, I have read all about the history of the heart transplant, and I've even read up on the most recent advancements.

Why are you nervous?

I'll tell you why... because I've never actually done a heart transplant, right?

In fact, truth be known, I'm really squeamish at the sight of blood and would probably pass out the second the incision was being made!  And in all honesty, I would not in good conscience even think I could do such a thing.  It takes years of practice to be able to even consider doing such a thing.

But the truth is we do this type of thing all the time in the spiritual realm.  In fact, we get indignant when a practice-session comes our way.

After all, we've read in the Bible that we're supposed to forgive.  7 X 70 times.  But what happens when our neighbor borrows our wrench and forgets to return it?  Or when such-and-such said something about us, and we heard it?

See, much like that heart surgeon who doesn't just read about heart transplants and thinks he or she just knows how to do them, we have to be presented with opportunities to test if we can forgive.  We need that knowledge to move from our heads to our hearts and through our hearts into our experience and our world.  Until we do that, we are as helpful as a surgeon who has read all the books.

And how do surgeon's practice?  Most of the time, they assist under a more skilled doctor for many years.  That's why they do internships and residencies before becoming doctors because they need to have the book knowledge move through them into their actual experiences!

So when Jack shows up, and he broke your mower blade... again.  Or Suzy made that comment, or Jill is mad, or Stan said...

Remember, this is how you learn to forgive and to love.

God's not mean for letting these people be in your life.  He's helping you to learn to be the person who doesn't just read the words but lives them.

 

Staci Stallings, the author of this article, is a Contemporary Christian author and the founder of Grace & Faith Author Connection. You can check out one of Staci's Best-Selling Christian Romances...

White Knight
~ The Courage Series~
Book 2

"Expect the unexpected..."

"Through a series of entertaining twists and turns and a lot of suspense, two very unlikely people find in each other a reason to laugh and love and live." 

--Amazon Reviewer, Myrna Brorman

The hardest part is losing the person someone else loves... 

Buy your copy today for:

Kindle Ebook: White Knight: Book 2, The Courage Series

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Copyright Staci Stallings, 2012