Welcome to those of you stopping in from our Proverbs 31 devotion today. You’re just in time to hear the announcement of our March book club selection.
We’ve been waiting for the opportunity to feature a book by this gifted author, and her newest release proved to be exactly the kind of novel that makes us stand up and cheer. Please give a warm welcome (and a round of applause) to the lovely and talented, Christa Parrish! Her second novel, Watch Over Me, is this month’s book club selection.
Her rescue might be the miracle they needed…
Things like this don’t happen in Beck County.
Deputy Benjamin Patil is the one to find the infant girl, hours old, abandoned in a field.
As police work to identify the mother, Ben and his wife, Abbi, seem like the obvious couple to serve as foster parents. But the newborn’s arrival opens old wounds for Abbi and shines a harsh light on how much Ben has changed since a devastating military tour.
Their marriage teeters on the brink, and now they must choose to reclaim what they once had or lose each other forever.
You can read the first two chapters of Watch Over Me here.
Christa Parrish graduated high school at 16, with every intention of becoming a
surgeon. After college, however, her love of all things creative led her in another direction, and she worked in both theatre and journalism.
A winner of Associated Press awards for her reporting, Christa gave up her career after the birth of her son, Jacob. She continued to write from home, doing pro bono work for the New York Family Policy Council, where her articles appeared in Focus on the Family’s Citizen magazine. She was also a finalist in World magazine’s WORLDview short story contest, sponsored by WestBow press. She now teaches literature and writing to high school students, is a homeschool mom, and lives with her husband, author Christ Coppernoll, and son in upstate New York, where she is at work on her third novel.
We’re delighted to give away two copies of Christa’s novel, along with this hand made vase inspired by Abbi Patil, one of the main characters in Watch Over Me. Our grand prize winner will receive both the vase and a novel. And a second winner will get a copy of Watch Over Me.
You can enter to win by leaving a comment on this post, signing up for our monthly newsletter, or subscribing to our RSS feed. Winners will be drawn at the end of the week.
This poignant and powerful novel establishes Christa Parrish as one of the most talented new voices to emerge in Christian fiction. We encourage each of you to spend a few hours with this book and get to know characters so real you’ll miss them when you turn the last page.
Good luck to each of you. Thanks for spending a little time with us today, and we hope you come back on a regular basis.
About Ariel Lawhon
Ariel Lawhon is the co-founder of She Reads, novelist, blogger, and life-long reader. She lives in Texas with her husband and four young sons (aka The Wild Rumpus). Ariel believes that Story is the shortest distance to the human heart.
Interesting book. I will love to read the whole book. i hope i win.lol
joyce
Very good book to modern society. Your daily encouragements too, have contributed much to my christian walk. i believe i will win myself a copy of Watch over Me. May the good Lord God continue blessing you. Adams
i have not heard of christa before but this book sounds amazing
i hope i win joyce
i probably couldnt afford to buy it
wendy
Very intrigued about this one. Since I became I widow 7 yrs ago @ age 43 and a Suicide loss widow at that.. needless to say I dont fit the mold of “normal” anymore. I am however being reminded that I do fit HIS MOLD Forever =) Praying that whomever wins this book is Blessed and finds some healing thru its readings !!
what are our own behaviours or actions or attitudes which convey the message to others to fit into a mould? Either verbally or non verbally? implicitly or explicitly? Forget about me fitting the mould, but I think many of the “messages” I transmit – are fit the mould!!!!
I came over from P31 and look forward to reading this book. Whether I win the copy or buy it, this will definitely become part of my collection of books soon. In the devotion I felt like Christa was speaking directly to me. Thanks!
Being given away by my birthparents, adopted at age 3 and reminded often by my older adopted brother that he never wanted me opened the door for me to wonder what was wrong with me.
I always knew I was special, even though I was never told that. It wasn’t until I was 17 when I gave my heart to the Lord that it was from Him I was feeling that approval and affirmation all along.
Today, by the grace of God and through healing only He could give, I am a healthy mother of 5 (2 of whom are adopted) and the grandmother of 11, (4 of whom are adopted.)
What the enemy meant for evil, God has used for good.
Thank you for sharing your gifts to women of all walks of life. Truly God’s message and words of life have come alive through your works. You are a blessing not only to women world-wide, but I believe also to the very heart of God.
May you be encouraged, enriched and rewarded for the work you do in His name.
Pennie
Missionary / Whitehouse, Westmoreland, Jamaica
Would love to win!
I have this on reserve at the library just in case I dont win!
Tell me honestly, who has never felt like they were the odd one out, like they didn’t fit the mould? Maybe that’s just me but my suspicion is that it really is every one of us. Satan uses those lies, “not good enough”, “don’t understand enough”, “don’t do enough of the right things” and twists them until we buy into them. We all buy into those lies to some degree and only Jesus can teach us the Way, the Truth and the Life (’cause He IS)!
It took me almost 15 years to find out who I was in Christ. I was saved at age 17 but then shame from wrong choices kept me from listening to the Holy Spirit. By the time I hit my 20′s, my relationship with Jesus was ‘there’ but it was always in the back of my mind cause I was living in the world yet still could never find love or peace in myself. Thankfully God had the Holy Spirit working in my heart almost 3 years ago now so I fell in love with Jesus again, found my Home Church and have been striving to live for HIM and with HIM every day ever since.
I can’t wait to read this book cause I know just from this small portion that it touched my heart. God bless.
Today’s encouragement jumped off the page. How many of us struggle with fitting in. I have been searching most of my life for the person God wants me to be only to get tripped up by what other people think or say. God is faithful to keep drawing me to Him. We/I just have to let go and let Him!
Look forward to reading this story.
This message was truly inspiring. I am touched by this and plan to share this devotional with my friends. This is also a great devotional to share with our children.
This sounds like a great book. I would love to read it and have my teenage step daughter read it. Thank you and God Bless!
I am going to put this on my “must read” list. Christa thanks for sharing in today’s devotional, it spoke to my heart.
I, too, aprreciated today’s devotional and will be chewing on it for awhile. The book sounds great, too.
Thank you for sharing a new Christian author. It is so refreshing to read books that show real life problems and struggles. I look forward to reading about the way that God shows up.
I realized many years ago that I was a “unique” Christian, that just didn’t fit into the Southern woman Christian mold, and that it was ok to just be the me that God created. Coming to that realization was life changing, because then the guilt disappeared and the joy returned.
My teen-age daughter is now going through some of the same things and I feel blessed that we have a close enough relationship that I can talk with her about it. I think we will both enjoy reading this book.
I really enjoyed reading the excerpt from the book and your article at Proverbs 31. I can identify as not fitting in as my Mother was 40 when I was born so my values,etc. are not usually not of my peer group. I had asthma as a child and there was no talk of side effects back then. I also moved down South where it is another culture. Thank you for your message.
I received your devotional this morning through P31 and it was exactly what I needed. May I embrace who I am and fulfill my role in God’s body. Thank you. Oh, and I will be putting Watch Over Me on my list of “must reads”.
As a person who has never fit the “mold” but has begun to learn that God made with with is own mold just for me…and that he a has a direct purpose and place for me! Looking foreward to reading this book!
God Bless
C
Definately sounds like a must read! It is amazing how we all have felt the pain of not fitting in to some degree, but of course we don’t talk about it! What a wonderful story line!
God Bless!
I plan on reading the book whether I win or not. I will be looking for wisdom and insight I can share with my son who has a disability.
Thanks for giving us the opportunity to win this book – it sounds so intruiging, & deals with what my family is going through. We have not fit in with the town we moved to -for 4 yrs now we seem to always be the outsiders & feel like we won’t ever fit the mold.
Thanks for reminding me that I can still be used by God even with a physical disability. Look forward to reading your book.
I am so thankful that God’s “mold” for us is so much more rewarding than any mold we can try to put ourselves in.
This devotional was great. Thanks for sharing. Becoming Christ-like instead of other-like… that should be my goal. I would love to win the book too. Reading is a passion. The vase is gorgeous too.
I would love to win this book and vase, thanks for the devotional. It is always a great reminder to look for the “under-dogs” in church and even in school as I substitute teach, I love to encourage the kids that don’t quite “fit” in. We might not all look, dress or act how we think everyone should – but…..God made each of us the way we are!
I love to read and would love to read this book. I would love to win but if not I will look for this one in the book store. Joy,,,
Thanks!
Wow, the book sounds great! Wasn’t too sure about it at first, but I read the first 2 chapters and now I hope I win the book. The devotional was right-on. I too have struggled with the “feeling” of fitting in.
i haven’t found my way back to church for this very reason. I just don’t fit in i’m not much of a reader but i would love to read this and see if it can help me find my way. self doubt, and self esteem are proweful things…..
Christa sounds like a woman I would like to have as a friend. I am 59 years old and just beginning to learn these lessons. Volunteering for too many things to meet the expectations of other fellow church members left me not really knowing myself or Jesus as intimately as I needed. I say no a lot more and ask Him when should I say yes……and He lets me know.
I love the story, it reminds of me when I first became a christian in college about 20 yrs ago, I wanted so much to be like all the Christian women BUT I was hyper and women were supposed to be quiet and soft spoken. Now I know better.
Just by the way I haven’t won anything for a long time.. Can I win this please LOL
Your new book sounds like something we have all dealt with at some point in our lives. If I don’t win a copy, I will still check it out.
Blessings!
Wow! If this isn’t timely for me! Probably for lots of us ladies out here!! What a struggle this whole issue is!!! Lacking confidence and feeling overwhelmed by life is hard, too. I have started reading as I treadmill (for health and emotional reasons) — would I ever LOVE to read this book while walking!!!!! Thank you for sharing! ~Amy S.~
I’m always looking for another good Christian author to read. This sounds interesting and I’d love to see if I can put it on my “favorite author” shelf!
The book sounds great and I loved the Prob 31 devotional today. Could totally relate. Would be awesome to win that book! Thank you. Amy
Wow! The devotion today really hit home for me! Thank you for such a blessing.
What a beautiful vase. I really enjoyed reading Christa’s devotion this morning on fitting in. It was just what I needed to hear today.
The book sounds good; like one I’d love to read!
I loved what Christa said in today’s devo from Prov31 – the reminder to look to Jesus as the true example of what we should be like and also the reminder that He can and will use us and the gifts we have, right where we are.
Words I needed to hear right now…
Thanks, Christa!
I love the first two chapters of this book….great job!
Sounds like a great book!!!!!! I would love to win it!!
Intro to book sounds good. Thanks for sharing!
Wow!!! The devotional this morning just confirms our evening service at our local church. We are ALL important to the Body. I wish we would all realize that and do the work He has for us to do now. Thanks Christa can’t wait to read your book.
Watch Over Me sounds like an interesting book. I’ve lost a baby, but never found one. I think that would be amazing. I look forward to reading this book.
I loved this mornings devotional. The book sounds great.
Great devotional! I signed up for the RSS feed on my Google Reader also. Thanks!
This sounds like a wonderful book. I’d love to win a copy!
I read Christa’s first novel when it first came out and have been anxiously waiting for her next one. When I read the Encouragement for Today, I was so excited to see her name. I am putting the final touches on my own first novel and am inspired not only by her personal story, but also her writing.