Welcome to those of you joining us from today’s Proverbs 31 Devotion. We’re glad you’re here and we’re delighted to introduce you to this month’s featured author, Christa Allan.
Christa Allan, a true Southern woman who knows that any cook worth her gumbo always starts with a roux and who never wears white after Labor Day, weaves stories of unscripted grace with threads of hope, humor, and heart. She contributes to Exemplify and Afictionado, the e-zine of American Christian Fiction Writers. Her essays have been published in The Ultimate Teacher, Cup of Comfort, Chicken Soup for the Coffee Lover’s Soul and Chicken Soup for the Divorced Soul. Christa is the mother of five adult children, a grandmother of three, and a teacher of high school English. She and her husband Ken live in Abita Springs, Louisiana, where they and their three cats enjoy their time between dodging hurricanes.
And because the only thing we love more than books is giving them away, two lucky readers will each win a copy of Christa’s debut novel, this months book club selection, Walking on Broken Glass. In addition, we’re also giving the grand prize winner a New Orleans Sweet Treat gift basket from Cajun Creations. Simply leave a comment on this post, or sign up for our monthly e-mail newsletter to enter. Winners will be randomly chosen on Friday.
You can read the first chapter of Walking on Broken Glass, here.
Leah Thornton, already sloshed from one-too-many at a faculty party, is cruising the supermarket aisles in search of something tasty to enhance her Star-bucks–Kahlua, for example. Two confrontations later–one at the grocery and the other with her friend Molly–Leah is sitting in the office of the local rehab center facing an admissions counselor who fails to understand the most basic things, like the fact that apple juice is not a suitable cocktail mixer. Rehab is no picnic, and being forced to experience and deal with the reality of her life isn’t Leah’s idea of fun. But through the battle she finds a reservoir of courage she never knew she had, and the loving arms of a God she never quite believed existed.
The moment we read the opening to Christa’s novel, we were hooked. And we’re certain you will be as well:
Patient Discharge Statement
If I had known children break on the inside and the cracks don’t surface until years later, I would have been more careful with my words.
If I had known some parents don’t live to watch grandchildren grow, I would have taken more pictures and been more careful with my words.
If I had known couples can be fragile and want what they are unprepared to give or unwilling to take, I would have been more careful with my words.
If I had known teaching lasts a lifetime and students don’t speak of their tragic lives, I would have been more careful with my words.
If I had known my muscles and organs and bones and skin are not lifetime guarantees, that when broken, snagged, unstitched, or unseemly, cannot be replaced, I would have been kinder to the shell that prevents my soul from leaking out.
If I had known I would live over half my life and have to look at photographs to remember my mother adjusting my birthday party hat so that my father could take the picture that sliced the moment out of time – if I had known, if I had known – I would have been more careful with my life.
Leah T.
August 4th
As you can see, Walking on Broken Glass is the sort of novel you settle into so that it can unsettle you. Smart, witty, and poignant, you’ll never look at grief and addiction the same way.
Would you please give Christa a warm welcome to the She Reads family? And make sure you enter to win a copy of this gripping debut novel.
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.
i cant wait to read this! thank you for the devotional
Reading the “Encouragement for Today” this morning, i KNEW that this was God, once again, telling me what I need to know, because of my strongholds, and my lack of submission. And reading this, i feel hope. Thank you, very much Christa Allan, for sharing your story. I needed to read that.
Welcome, Christa. Thank you for sharing your life and journey with us. I’m drawn to your book as I also am a recovering alcoholic. And, strongholds are still active in my life and pull me from God. I found and continue to find God in the midst of my pain and struggles. He meets me there and gives me the strength to keep on keepin’ on. While I certainly would have chosen a different way to find God and develop a relationship with him other than alcoholism, I cannot regret the things I’ve gone through because they led me to God and a way of life I never thought possible. I look forward to reading your book.
I have been sober for almost 22 years by the grace of God. I know I shall enjoy Christa’s book.
God is good, always.
You’re right…I’m already hooked.
I feel like I need a little unraveling myself right now, to get to the true me God wants me to be. Would love to jump right in to this story.
Thanks for the opportunity to try to become a winner!
Heidi
Sober today, only by God’s grace…so looking forward to reading this book!
Looks powerful! Can’t wait to read more.
I decided today to find some kind of online devotional to help with morning quiet time. Its not surprising God brought me here because I am struggling with an alcohol issue but I was not looking for anything about how to stop…again not surprised.
The devotion was helpful and I am looking forward to the book!
I love this ministry and this book has every indication of being my story. I would love to read it!
Welcome Christa,
This is a necessary book to give an understanding on the mind of an alcoholic and seeing their deliverance through God. It is the worse addiction faced in all communities through all life statuses. But in the world it is so easily accepted unless you are driving a vehicle. What about the destruction of lives this affects so deeply. I look forward to reading this book as a person on the other side, the wife of an alcoholic.
Be blessed
Christa,
Bienvenida! Welcome!..I look forward to reading your novel and learning from it. God places people like you and your novel in our lives and allows us to grow in ways only He knows we can grow. Dios te bendiga.
Thank you for your honesty. It was a beautiful devotion and a reminder that God is always there and can reach through to the greatest depths.I am a Christian and I have my strongholds, but I have been praying for someone else for 15 years now. Devotions like these are reminders that He hears and He is at work – just in His time.
I would love to read this book!
Welcome and thank you very much. I look forward to reading this novel. God is awesome and always waiting with open arms to bring us to himself. God bless you.
So true…..we all have strongholds we just don’t always recognize them as such. How thankful I am that God uses even these to draw us closer to Him. This sounds like an amazing read!
I hope I win the novel it sounds like something I need to read.
JUST FRM YOUR PREVIEW, I CANNOT WWAIT TO READ THIS BOOK. MY ONLY LIVING DAUGHTER IS “ADDICTED” TO SELF-DESPAIR FROM THE DEATH OF HER PRECIOUS TEN-MONTH-OLD SON. HAVING BECOME A CHRISTIAN AS A TEEN-AGER, SHE HAS NOW LOST HER WAY. I AM HOPING PERHAPS THHIS BOOK WILL SPEAK TO HER HEART.
Several years have passed and I continue to pray for a friend that has a drinking problem. I never doubt that God hears my prayers; it is simply not His perfect time to break the chain of destruction. When my friend drinks, a different person steps forward hurting those on the path. Tears fall from the family, angry words are spoken, relationships fall apart, trust begins to fade, respect diminishes. The families world becomes smaller and smaller as they focus on the one that will not admit the problem. Recently, the path seems to be changing…..God has begun to change dark nights into lighter days. Words of love are coming forth taking the place of words spoken to hurt those around my friend. A broken family is slowly coming back home. We continue to pray knowing that this drinking friend is in the hand of our Lord. God is always on time with His decisions, never late. We continue to pray for God’s perfect will in this person’s life. I know that I know, our Lord wants the best for each of us. Drinking is not His best. Why? Because when one chooses to drink, they are choosing “not to hear from God.” When one drinks, they are placing our Lord on a bookshelf until once again sober. What a “sobering reality.”
I look forward to reading your book in hopes of learning a bit more that may help my friend and others with a drinking problem that I will surely meet in this life.
God Bless.
Sounds like a wonderful book. Would be great to get some new reading material
The devotion today was so touching.
Thank you for the daily devotions. They keeps me focused on what’s really important and that is my realationship with God. In todays world, it is hard to remember that there is soneone who loves you, despite your faults. And that love will never die. May God Bless You.
Great devotion and looks like a great book!
Thanks Christa, for sharing your heart.
`Christa, thank you for being transparent. We all have stuff…my stuff may not be the same as your stuff…but it’s my stuff! Living with a “functioning” alcoholic for 25 years until his death from pancreatic cancer in 2007 was certainly an eye-opener for me. I also realized my role as an enabler during that time. “But God”…(probably two of the most wonderful words ever!) is good and faithful and He brought a pearl out of that stinky oyster! My faith and trust in Him was strengthened and He has given me boldness to minister each week to the homeless and destitute whose lives are ravaged by alcohol and drugs. Write on, Christa!
Great devotional..our God is a God of mercy and compassion who doesn’t let go of us. I look forward to reading this book.
`Christa, thank you for being transparent. We all have stuff…my stuff may not be the same as your stuff…but it’s my stuff! Living with a “functioning” alcoholic for 25 years until his death from pancreatic cancer in 2007 was certainly an eye-opener for me. I also realized my role as an enabler during that time. “But God”…(probably two of the most wonderful words ever!) is good and faithful and He brought a pearl out of that stinky oyster! My faith and trust in Him was strengthened and He has given me boldness to minister each week to the homeless and destitute whose lives are ravaged by alcohol and drugs. Write on, Christa!
Looks an interesting read! Looking forward to reading “Walking On Broken Glass”.
Funny how normal people look on the outside but are so messed up on the inside.
We all have a past that we are not proud of…it is refreshing to
see I am not alone. Looking forward to reading the new novel.
Bless you for sharing.
Thank you for sharing through your devotion. I would love a copy of your book. God Bless!
Thanks so much for this devotional this morning! Would love to read this book!
Thank you for your devotion!
When someone shares their life experience that shows how God came in and changed somethings around including them, this really helps me more. This book sounds like it will help bring some souls to Christ. Have a wonderful day!
Good Morning,
Thank you for today’s devotion. I believe it has the capability to speak to everyone in reference to some particular point in there life. I think some of the strongholds are often overlooked, and it would benefit us all to really dig deep within ourselves to really uncover what is holding us down.
The book sounds like a fabulous read. Looking forward to reading it.
Enjoy your day and have a blessed week.
Growing up in the home with my mother as an alcoholic (who of course never admitted it) I would love to read this book. Now that I am able to talk about my life as a child of an alcoholic I am healing. Alcohol affects the entire family.
Looking forward to reading this book! I just spent weeks studying strongholds and the grip they can have on our lives, but also how God can free us from them and make us new!
Thinking about a friend….and my own strongholds…. I pray for all the women today who have experienced such burdens and grief….bearing weight they were never meant to bear….May they discover they can surrender into HIS hands…and find safety and security there…May they discover the depth of HIS love…the tenderness of HIS heart toward them…Amen
I enjoyed the first chapter and can hardly wait until I win a copy to finish the book.
I love to read and spend most of my leisure time doing just that. If by some weird twist I do not win -too silly to even write, isn’t it?-I guess I will have to buy a copy.
Either way, I look forward to finishing the book.
Sue
Sounds like a good book to read and one to pass along to othrs. Thanks for sharing with us Christa. God Bless.
I loved the first chapter!!!I’m halfway through Beth Moore’s So Long Insecurities and this will be the next book I read.
They should compliment and complete each other. S
I’d love to win a copy of “Walking on Broken Glass” by Christa Allan. Please enter me in the draw. Thanks.
I loved the first chapter and look forward to finishing the book. Well done…Sue
I would love to read this book and I love all things Cajun. Please enter me.
julesreffner(at)gmail(dot)com
I can’t wait to read this book..whether I win or not!! The other things are just bonuses! God bless you! Loved your devotion today~~especially the line “He didn’t heal her—He healed me through her.”
This came at just the right time, as my only sibling is in week two of treatment for alcoholism and cocaine abuse. I’d love to read this book when time allows.
I am looking forward to reading your new book. Just another example of there is always hope. One should never give up! God does truly meet us where we are!
I can’t wait to read this book – looks to be very insightful and meaningful!!
Trying to let go of my “bottle” and let God take care of the rest.
Loved this statement in your devotion today, “Are you ready to put down your “bottle,” whatever that may be today, and reach for His hand?” Many of us are _____aholics! Can’t wait to read your book!
I lost my husband to alcoholism. First through divorce, then finally from liver failure. If I had known Christ at that time, perhaps I would have handled things differently. I look forward to reading your book and gaining a better understanding of what we both went through. I know it changed me forever, just as now being a follower of Christ has, and I look forward to delving into my own strongholds.
Welcome, Christa. Thanks for sharing your story.
As an unpublished author trying to fine tune my first novel, I am intrigued by the title alone and mini synopsis. Very creative. But it is Christa’s story and her willingness to share her past that is drawing me to read her latest book. I enjoy Encouragement for Today every day and this one is especially. Thank you. Melanie