Playing Momma Kitty~

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I am home~ I have a lot of pictures to share but it will have to wait for Monday.

Because..........

For the past year or so we have been noticing a stray kitty. She was wild and stayed her distance. My Brian would pet her once in awhile when she passed through if she let him. We would try to feed her if she came close enough. About three months ago she appeared on our back porch only she brought me her babies too. I began feeding them and gave them a home in the barn. Well in no time at all Momma Kitty was looking mighty healthy~if you get my picture.

Sure enough Momma Kitty was dumping her babies on me to raise because she was about to have more than she could handle. She delivered five of the cutest baby kitties you have ever seen. They are all black and look to be long hair with bright blue eyes. Enough to melt our hearts. We made a nice warm bed surrounded by hay for the cold days that lay ahead in our barn.

Only while I was away in Texas my kids called me to let me know Momma Kitty had been hit.  Hannah has been bottle feeding the orphaned kitties and they have decided she is their new momma. Oh ~ my!




Only now I have a problem. My Hannah is leaving town and I will be out of town Friday and Saturday. So I am looking for a babysitter for Friday and Saturday. They love to eat from a bottle~ cuddle and play. We are sure My Brian and Caleb can not handle this. The only not so cute part is that you must wipe their bottoms to get them to go potty. See I told you my boys would not be able to handle this. Being a Momma is not for the weak at heart. Any takers???











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Austin, Texas

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I stepped off the plane when I landed in Texas and the stewardess says to me, "I love your hair." I grew up in the 80's and I have a full round face so my hair is a bit big and always has been. I was so excited- I am at home in the land of big hair. To be honest I am a Midwestern girl to my very core. This Missouri girl loves Texas.

Yesterday we toured the State Capitol of Texas and I have to tell you it is one of the most beautiful historical buildings I have ever seen. It was built in the late 1800's and the craftsman of that time is my favorite. It is just breathtaking. So glad I was able to see it. I have pictures but I am tapping away on an I-Pad- not easy for blogging. I will share pictures soon.

I was blessed by a little get away from My Brian and I am catching my breathe and getting some much needed rest.

I had great plans to sit by the beautiful pool here at the Onmni Hotel but the 90 degree weather has just turned into a high of 65 degrees for today. I think I may have brought my Missouri autumn weather with me.

Autumn in Texas is a sight to see. The tropical trees with pumpkins just don't seem to go together. And the stylish boots for fall here are paired with shorts and short sleeves-I always wondered how that went. Too cute! All in all Texas is one of my favorite places to visit.I am off to enjoy my day for all to soon I will be back to every day life.

I will be back soon.... Have a blessed day.

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Pumpkin Crunch Cake~

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Pumpkin Crunch Cake~


Pumpkin Crunch Cake~
1 yellow cake mix
1 can pumpkin
1 12 oz. can evaporated milk
3 eggs
1 1/2 cup sugar
4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup melted butter
whipped topping

Combine pumpkin, milk, egg, sugar,pumpkin pie spice, and salt in bowl. Pour into pan.
Sprinkle dry yellow cake mix evenly over pumpkin mixture. Sprinkle pecans over top. Drizzle melted butter over everything.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Cool completely and top with whip topping. Refrigerate left overs!



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Hungry For God~

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We are beginning to realize that we hunger for God and 
that for far too long we have settled for far too less.
-John Kirvan

Every year we Americans spend $40 to $50 billion dollars on losing weight. We join Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, pay for meals that are packaged and drink Slim Fast. All these weight loss programs work if you apply them but the only reason they work is that they basically encourage us to eat less and move more~then we will lose weight. Yet the diet industry continues to grow. 

Why are Americans as a majority over weight. Maybe because society has been selling us the idea that we are consumers~ society tells us we deserve to indulge. We are constantly being told what we should buy, eat or drink and that doing so will make us successful, happy and popular.

 We somehow get the mindset that if we can afford to indulge our appetites~ by gorgie~ we deserve that banana split~ even if we have consumed far to many calories that day. Our society also believes we deserve to buy more than we can afford and be immoral if it feels good. We try to fill our hunger with all sorts of things instead of God.

 Some new age Christians are even selling the idea that we have liberty and freedom in Christ so what has been sin is now okay. Least we forget~ we still serve a very Holy Righteous God and there is still consequences for sin. He turned Lot's wife into a pillar of salt for looking back when He told her not too. He destroyed the world with a flood~ He killed the Levites for touching the Ark of the Covenant and Moses never seen the promise land because he merely hit a rock.  If God says to do something~ we best do it. If He says for us not to do something ~ we best not do it. Ignorance is no excuse. 

An important step towards living a Godly life is to realize that our culture in not right. We are far more focused on consumption and acquisition than most of the world. We need to realize that some of our indulgences are not freedom but prisons to addition.  All while trying to put a band-aid on the emptiness in our souls.

It reminds me of a song~

Only Jesus can satisfy your soul~ only He can change your life and make you whole~ He'll give you peace you never knew~ sweet love and joy and Heaven too. Only Jesus can satisfy your soul. 

John 7:37

King James Version (KJV)

 37In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.


Matthew 11:28

King James Version (KJV)

 28Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.


Only Jesus Can Satisfy Your Soul
Lanny Wolfe
The world may try to satisfy
That longing in your soul.
You may search the wide world over
But you’ll be just as before.
You’ll never find true satisfaction
Until you’ve found the Lord,
For only Jesus can satisfy your soul.
Only Jesus can satisfy your soul.
Yes, only He can change your heart
And make you whole.
He’ll give you peace you never knew,
Sweet joy and love and Heaven, too.
For only Jesus can satisfy your soul.
If you could have the fame and fortune,
All the wealth you could attain.
Yet, you have not Christ within,
Your living here would be in vain.
There’ll come a time when death will find you,
Riches cannot help you then.
So, come to Jesus, only He can satisfy.
 Only Jesus can satisfy your soul:
Yes, only He can change your heart
And make you whole.
He’ll give you peace you never knew,
Sweet joy and love and Heaven, too.
Only Jesus can satisfy your soul.
Yes, only Jesus can satisfy your soul.


What are you trying to soothe your soul with today?~ Maybe it is time we get a real hunger for God.


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They Don't Know That I Go Running Home When I Fall Down

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MARK 6:30-32

30And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught.
31And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.
32And they departed into a desert place by ship privately.
I feel like sometimes I am spinning so many plates. Oh now hold on a minute~I have not lost my mind. I am not literally spinning plates. It would be a good reason to get some new ones though~I have a dish fetish! That's another devotion on being content! Metaphorically speaking I feel at times I have so many things I am focusing on at one time: my walk with God, prayer, Bible reading, homeschooling, chickens, homemaking, meals,  all my irons in the fire~ ect.... You know it is now called multi~tasking. Sometimes it leaves me energized when all the plates are spinning and I am getting it all done~other times it leaves me harried and frazzled! I get my attention divided in too many directions.

This morning my plates are all spinning~ a few have hit the ground so to speak.  My heart is heavy and grieving this morning over several different issues. In fact ~never have I had so many major emotional events happen in my life at one moment in time. To be honest I am so tired~ do you ever just get tired? I have been knocked down~ but I know where to go when I fall down.

 Life as much as we want it to be is just not perfect. Life is busy and at times it is just plain hard. If we are not careful these task, these burdens, distractions will cause our relationship with the Lord to suffer. When we are tired, when we are carrying a burden, when we just can't get it all together, when we are grieving ~WE NEED TO RUN HOME TO THE FATHER!
God doesn't want to be penciled in our schedules.
We can experience supernatural rest that is only found in Him. He wants us to come with Him to a quiet place and rest awhile. When life is hard I imagine myself crawling into His lap and laying my head on His shoulder and just crying my heart out to Him~it is amazing the peace He brings to my heart no matter how difficult life may be. Yes~He gives me sweet rest and peace.
You know one day life will go on without me and I will be in the presence with My God. With that in focus~I can start my plates a~ spinning but God chooses the outcome. I can trust God to keep them all spinning~AMEN!

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My Brian~

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Happy Birthday My Brian~
Today I celebrate the day God made you! I know He looked down through time and knew I would need you. I am so very thankful for this journey we have taken together. You are my rock! You are the love of my life and I promise you forever! 
I love you Big~
Love~
Me





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What Kind Of Person Are You?

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What Kind Of Person Are You?



Phillipians 2:4  "Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others."




Two Kinds Of People
 
There are two kinds of people on earth today,
Just two kinds of people, no more, I say,
Not the good and the bad, for 'tis well understood
The good are half bad, and the bad are half good.
 
Not the happy and the sad, for the swift flying years
Bring each man his laughter and each man his tears.
Not the rich and the poor, for to count a man's wealth
You must know the state of his conscience and health.
 
Not the humble and proud, for in life's busy span
Who puts on vain airs is not counted a man.
No! The two kinds of people on earth I mean
Are the people who lift, and the people who lean.
 
Wherever you go you will find the world's masses
Are ever divided in just these two classes.
And, strangely enough, you will find, too, I mean,
There is only one lifter to twenty who lean.
 
This one question I ask, Are you easing the load
Of overtaxed lifters who toil down the road?
Or are you a leaner who lets others bear
Your portion of worry and labor and care?
- Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Romans 12:10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;

Hebrews 13:1 Let brotherly love continue.


I tell you I just don't know how life can get any busier. The more I hurry~the farther I get behind. My to do list wakes me up each morning with more than I can possibly get done. So ~this morning I am talking with my Heavenly Father and asking for His help. I am so thankful He listens and He cares. Right now is a busy time in the Shindorf Household. However~I am so thankful God has jobs for us to be busy about!

My only concern is that with such busy agendas I just might forget what is most important in life. My God~My Brian~My Children~Others! I never want to get so busy that I fail to love and help others.  I need to constantly remind myself to lift my eyes off my duties and make sure others are not forgotton. 


Oddly enough~ animals go into hibernation this time of year. And some people do too!  As nice as that seems right now~ we are in the middle of moving to our new church and I am painting away trying to get the nurseries ready for the first service. I am tired.


 We must stay alert. Is there someone who needs a call? Someone who needs a hug? Someone who needs a homemade loaf of bread? Many elderly people live in isolation~don't let them be alone week after week. Please help cheer someone else's day.


If we just open our eyes and take our eyes off ourselves we will be amazed at the needs we can help fill. I hope this article will challenge you to go, this week, and do something nice for someone else. Be a lifter not a leaner.





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Something More To Give~

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When evangelist John Wesley (1703–1791) was returning home from a service one night, he was robbed. The thief, however, found his victim to have only a little money and some Christian literature.
As the bandit was leaving, Wesley called out, “Stop! I have something more to give you.” The surprised robber paused. “My friend,” said Wesley, “you may live to regret this sort of life. If you ever do, here’s something to remember: ‘The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin!’” The thief hurried away, and Wesley prayed that his words might bear fruit.
Years later, Wesley was greeting people after a Sunday service when he was approached by a stranger. What a surprise to learn that this visitor, now a believer in Christ and a successful businessman, was the one who had robbed him years before! “I owe it all to you,” said the transformed man. “Oh no, my friend,” Wesley exclaimed, “not to me, but to the precious blood of Christ that cleanses us from all sin!”

Mr Wesley really did have something more to give that night~ the good news of salvation.

 In the past month in coming to the reality of my father's early death I have been processing some things in my mind. Maybe realizing that some of my ideas and priorities need a little changing, My father was not able to take a thing with him that he thought was important. In fact I have his wallet on my dresser with all his important information. Only he doesn't need them anymore.

The only thing that really matters is reaching souls for eternity and giving them the good news that Jesus died to pay their sin debt and that He wants them to spend eternity in Heaven with Him.


1 John 1:9

King James Version (KJV)

 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.



There is a fountain filled with blood

Drawn from Immanuel’s veins;
And sinners, plunged beneath that flood,
Lose all their guilty stains. —Cowper


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I Am Still Here~

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I promise I will be back to posting devotions soon. It has been a busy October with face painting at the Orchard ~ and painting at our new church. I will post all the pictures when I get them all done. We will be having our first service at our new building this Sunday~ we are so excited.

  I have had several emails concerned with my MIA status ~thank you for asking. All is fine~ just too busy for my own good.

I have exciting news to share.


 I am excited to announce I am planning my Momma's wedding.  They will be married December 23 rd.

Remember the three little kittens who lost their mittens and their home? 
Well she has just blessed us with five more kittens. Anyone need a new kitten?


They are so very cute. Five adorable all black kittens. 
We already have two house cats~ now we have 10 barn cats.
Oh boy this could get out of hand fast!

The Indian Summer has ended and it is freezing here. 
So as I peg these keys I am in front of a blazing fire~kind-of looking forward to a long lazy winter.
Autumn Blessings to you~ I will be back to posting soon!


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It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Autumn~

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I think something about those leaves changing red, orange, yellow and burgundy just puts me in a good mood. I love Fall. It feels like I have noticed them for the first time this year.

I love riding in the car and looking at all the hay bales, pumpkins and mums. It is just beautiful. I have noticed more yards decorated this year. Maybe it's just that time has slowed for me a bit after burying my father. Maybe as I find myself getting older~ I seem to notice God's handiwork a bit more. It sure is beautiful in Missouri this time of year.

The Bible says ~

Psalm 118:24

King James Version
This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Each day He has given us beauty to enjoy ~ yet I fear we let the burdens of life rob us of this blessing at times.

I am face painting on the weekends at the orchard again this year. I really enjoy being outside all weekend.

God's the best artist in the world~ He has created so many different themes. I seem to love them all~ Winter~Spring~ Summer and Fall. Many artist try to capture the magnificence of them all but none can ever replace the real thing splashed across the sky and spilled over the world like the Master's display of His masterpiece. God 's creativity just can not be matched. Everyday is a brand new picture just as each snowflake has it's own face.

I am so thankful I know God ~the Master Artist of the Seasons on a personal level.  Today is the perfect day to enjoy the Master's Autumn.


Psalm 147:4

King James Version (KJV)

 4He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names.


Psalm 147:8

King James Version (KJV)

 8Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains.


Psalm 147:16-18

King James Version (KJV)

 16He giveth snow like wool: he scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes.
 17He casteth forth his ice like morsels: who can stand before his cold?
 18He sendeth out his word, and melteth them: he causeth his wind to blow, and the waters flow.


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No Place Like Home~Not Just For The Holidays

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Home is a place in all the world
where hearts are sure of each other.
It is a place of confidence. 
It is a place where we tear that mask of guarded 
and suspicious coldness which the world forces us to wear
 in self-defense, and where we pour out the unreserved  
communication of full and confiding hearts. 
It is the spot where expressions of tenderness gush out
 without any dread of sensation of awkwardness and 
without any dread of ridicule.
Frederick W. Robertson

I have a whole day at home until church this evening. I am so thankful for a day to catch up.  My October is packed way to full. I am finding myself coming and going~but going more!
 Home just happens to be my favorite place in the whole world~HOME!

Proverbs 24:3-4

 3Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established:
 4And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.
Home is a man's castle. It is a place where I want my family to come when they are weary and tired after a long day of travels. I guard the door~ to not let the craziness of the world enter into the walls to destroy the restorations of a calm and peaceful Home provided to those who live inside and cross its moat. I want my home to be a place of Heaven on earth where my family can turn away from the cares of this world and be restored. My Christian Womanhood teacher in Bible College taught me this is my responsibility as the Keeper of my Home. Ladies ~we are the Holy Spirit of the Home. We decide the tone and atmosphere that will be displayed within the walls of our Home! Will it be one of harmony or that of chaos?
 When I have my self stretched a bit to thin it becomes an even greater challenge ~so I go back and refresh my memory to these principles.


My goals as the Keeper of My Home:
*Keep a quiet spirit so it can be reflected in my Home.
*Talking politely to those I love the most.
*Using courteous manners.
* Keep Godly music in the Home.
* Make meals a time of celebration.
*Guard the schedule ~


Do I always succeed at this? ~ of course not.
I need to decide how to keep the walls of my home filled with peace, love and joy. In order to do this I must~ Say no to to the good things and save my yeses for the best! I have a hard time with this! When I allow myself to get our schedule too busy the Home suffers!  My first priority is to be the Keeper of my Home. 
Perhaps the greatest social service that I can be rendered by anybody to this country and to mankind is to bring up a family. ~Shaw

Autumn Blessings~

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He Never Promised Us A Bed Of Roses

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He Never Promised Us A Rose Garden~



PHILIPPIANS 1:29 (KING JAMES VERSION)


 29For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;



Somewhere in our thinking as Christians ~we grow to believe that we will always be blessed with health and wealth if we are living for God. It is just not so. Don't be surprised if you're living your life according to the Bible and you find it is not all a bed of roses.


MATTHEW 5:11-12


 11Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
 12Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

The Bible tells us that all who live Godly will suffer persecution, but the promise is that if we suffer or are persecuted for Christ sake will be rewarded.

Christ suffered for us on that cruel~rugged tree to pay for our sins. He paid a debt I could not pay. The JUST for the unjust!


ISAIAH 53:3 


 3He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.


If we walk with Christ~we will suffer at times. The world hated Him~why would we expect it to love us, his followers.

PHILIPPIANS 3:10 


 10That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;


Accepting Christ as my Saviour was the greatest decision I ever made. You see hard times, persecution, trials and troubles will come to all mankind. God never promised we would be exempt from it but He does promise to hold our hand and walk through the difficult days with us. I just would not choose to live life any other way.




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God Answers Prayers~

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Look what I got in the mail ~ from my Washington girl. My Ashley sent me this cute apron and I love it.  Of course the love note she sent was special too. I love you Ashley~ Colie. Thank you.

God Still Answers Prayer~

Numbers 14:9

King James Version (KJV)

 9Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not.



I have to tell you I have a party girl~ my Gypsy girl lives to have a good time. Funny thing is she is just like her momma. I love life and I love a reason to celebrate. Yet the past month has been a black cloud over me with my Dad passing away.  The tears have dried up for the most part but a thought or a song can cause them to fall again. I suppose maybe they always will. This girl hates goodbyes and separations something awful.

Inevitably trouble comes home to roost at times~ and it seems the older I get the more I become acquainted with sorrow. The possibilities are endless~ betrayal, death, divorce~ the list could go on and on but we get to choose what we will do when the trouble comes a knocking. But you know there are only two real options~ we can forge ahead on our own or we can turn to God.

Let me tell you this girl already has that figured out~ I am nothing on my own. Flying solo into the face of trouble is just not a good idea. That can cause us to have some really bad behavior patterns~blaming God~retreating into defeat and  unwise decisions. The Israelites did that time and time again~spinning out of control and into despair. NO THANK YOU!  (Num. 14:1-4)


When the spies brought a report of intimidating giants and dangers ahead they used the pronoun "we" seven times with no reference to the Lord. They were on the cusp of the ultimate blessing~ getting ready to be eyewitnesses to a miracle. They had just walked across the Red Sea in victory and they forgot their deliverance and turned their back on God leaving behind the Promised Land. 


Can I encourage you to never give up?~ As I am encouraging myself. Even when it seems like you have prayed and prayed forever with no answer.~ God is  still answering your prayers.  I have been praying for a miracle for seven years and I see God has been working all along! My prayers are being answered~ this God thing works. I promise.


Caleb and Joshua on the other hand ~opted to turn to the Lord with confidence and said~the LORD is with us: fear them not.




In this world of sin and trouble
Where so many ills are known,
If I shun the ways of evil,
I am kept by Him alone. —Smith

Today I am celebrating answered prayers!
God is so good!

And while I am talking about blessings~ I just have to take another Grammy moment.


Our Little Pumpkins

an st

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A Place To Belong~

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Do you ever just feel alone? I mean sometimes our men just don't get all our 1001 feelings and emotions. God love them!  This book is sort of an encouragement to start a prayer group ~ a circle of friends so to speak~ of Christian ladies who will step out and be prayer warriors for each other. It is a wonderful encouragement.

 I am so thankful for a handful of friends in my life who are my circle of friends. It has me considering starting a group in my home.  We all need friends that are in for the long haul not just fair weather friends. Friends that you can throw up on and they will still love you~ good Christian friends who want to carry your burdens with you and that you can call in the middle of the night. Do you have "real friends" like that?  

How about being that kind of friend to someone who needs it? 
Find a place to belong in a Circle of Friends~ maybe you need to be a friend in a Circle of Friends. Great book!



A Place to Belong:
Out of Our Comfort Zone and Into God’s Adventure
A moving message of hope and belonging from Circle of Friends President Lisa Troyer

616 Troyer cover LO.jpgEvery woman needs a place to belong—and that’s the underlying theme of the new book from Lisa Troyer, president of Circle of Friends Ministries, singer/songwriter and radio host. In A Place to Belong: Out of Our Comfort Zone and into God’s Adventure (Barbour Publishing), Troyer shares her own journey to acceptance as well as the story of a group of dynamic “women helping women” who call themselves the Circle of Friends. Troyer encourages readers to form their own circle of friends, a safe place of truth and love where women can develop lasting relationships and discover together the purposes of God for their lives.

Though refreshingly warm and simple, A Place to Belong is far from shallow. Troyer’s passion to lead others into the bottomless love of God compels her to plunge deeply into the heart of the issues all women face, but most keep to themselves. With tendencies toward depression, anxiety attacks and an eating disorder, she knows firsthand the bondage of secrecy and shame. “Living with a secret,” Troyer admits, “doesn’t make it go away. It doesn’t change your heart. As well hidden as your secret it, that is how deeply lonely you will be. I’ve been there. I know it’s true.”

As Troyer launches her story with a disclosure of an unsettling secret from her past, readers immediately sense that they are being drawn into a transparent and authentic conversation that may affect their own lives dramatically. They perceive, too, a gentle but persistent invitation to a place of true freedom and belonging in the very heart of God.

Coupling her unique personal story with related accounts in Scripture, Troyer offers sound instructional advice and inspired application. In A Place to Belong, she explores five principles that address the heart-needs of women today:

·         Acceptance, embarking on adventure in relationship
·         Authenticity, exchanging the familiar for the extraordinary
·         Affirmation, enriching the lives of those around you
·         Accountability, receiving the comfort of companionship
·         Action, stepping into the journey and walking into the purpose

By learning to apply these concepts, women will not only experience freedom themselves but will also develop a biblical, transformational ministry to lead others within their own sphere of influence to freedom as well.

Each section includes song lyrics, some penned by Troyer herself, and also discussion questions related to the song. Interspersed throughout the book are testimonies from those who have been a part of their own circle of friends group. Resources provided at the back of the book, including a one-year Bible reading schedule, tips and goals for leading a small group, accountability questions and recommended reading, make A Place to Belong a truly beneficial multi-purpose book.

A Place to Belong has the potential of changing the way women think about themselves, about others and about doing God’s work in this world. Troyer challenges readers to connect to one another, comfort each other and affirm each other in using the gifts God has given them. Ultimately, A Place to Belong offers a healing dose of real hope that life can be rich, life can have purpose and no woman need ever be alone.





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