We are in a drought. Only with sporadic rain or a little snow melt in March have we seen water in our spring-fed creek for going on three years.

I’ve often written of how the month of April has showered blessing upon me and made life memorable. I’m adding another reason. The following notes are from my 2010 writing journal:

4/6 – White Rose sent me a pre-contract for MOSELLE’S INSURANCE. I’m walking on air.

4/8 – I did some Internet research. Lots of e-mail with questions to published authors. Made a file of congrats on Moselle.

4/9 – HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME. I received the contract and promo paperwork.

What a whirlwind it has been! So fast my head is spinning, after all the ups and downs and even the months I quit writing. Looking back, my editor sent a “congratulations” e-message at 11:30 Mon 4-5. I returned the pre-contract on 4-6. I was on cloud nine, so hard to absorb after feeling I was so close to publication for several years.

4/11 – I contacted a writer friend about preparing a Web site for me.

4/12 – Sent my signed and notarized contract to WRP. Did lots of research on the Internet. Announced the sale to several in my address book.           I AM AN AUTHOR!!!!

4/13 – I finished the promo/info sheets except for a photo. Put my congrats messages in a file. Wow, the support is amazing. My domain name, www.loreepeery.com is available at 1/3 the cost I thought it would be. While outside this afternoon, many publication questions came to me.

4/16 – I have appointments Monday for hi-speed Internet and with my Web site lady.

4/17 – Got my photos on the computer.

4/18 – I received a Prairie Rose from writer’s group for the White Rose contract.
The past fifteen years have made retirement from a day job a chapter that feels as though it belongs to a different woman. Never to be taken for granted, publication is an honor. And though I write in isolation, many people are part of such an accomplishment.

For me, God has honored what Paul wrote in Colossians 3:23. “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord and not for people.”

Moselle’s Insurance began the Frivolities Series, which I hadn’t dreamt of as part of a series when I wrote it. Three more stories came to be. And now? I have thirty-one titles on Amazon. One Christmas story is with my editor now.
I have begun a series of six stories titled “Soul Singers.”

Sing a Song
Sing a song of praise
A song to my Rock

Sing a song of love
A song to my Fortress

Sing a song of thanks
A song to my Savior

Sing a song of witness
A song to my Deliverer

Sing a song of honor
A song to my Anointed

Sing a new song of praise
A song to the great I AM.

March is the transitional time between winter and spring. And oh, boy, did we have winter in February! I’ve often thought because of winter’s last broo-ha-ha, those four weeks are the shortest of the months for a reason.

​I was curious about the meaning of March in the Bible. If you are wondering, here’s the link. 

In the New Testament, the month of March is traditionally linked to the season of Lent, though it really doesn’t specify the month. Lent, as you know, is a period of forty days of fasting, prayer, and penance leading up to Easter Sunday. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, which falls in March, and ends on the Saturday before Easter.

Lent for the year 2025 starts on Wednesday, March 5th and ends on Thursday, April 17. Our church choir will be singing this Good Friday rather than on Easter Sunday.

Easter is all about the death of Jesus on the cross followed by His miraculous resurrection that we celebrate on Easter. Never forget that Easter and Christmas are linked. Salvation is based on that sacrificial cross. I’ve always believed Jesus died for my sin.

Do you know why humanity needs salvation?

Have you noticed that the word sin has been scrubbed from many pulpits in recent years?

Is sin considered a dirty word?

Or possibly by pretending sin doesn’t exist, a person erases the guilt of sin?
So many questions.

The first answer, the first step, is an admission of sin.

Believers have hope in the cross. “For sinners crucified” is a line from a David Clydesdale song entitled Behold the Lamb. This is a beyond beautiful song I first sang in choir over forty years ago, and will sing again on Good Friday.

Has your human heart ever asked the question “How can I be saved?”

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me (John 14:6).

I am the Way.

“How can I be sure?”

I am…the truth.

“How can I be satisfied?”
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I am…the life.

We read in John 8:58 that Jesus said, “before Abraham, I AM.” Do you remember reading I AM in the Old Testament?

Then in the New Testament, Jesus was the walking Word, truth incarnate. And He’s just as alive today as those thirty-three years when He walked the earth as a man.

Does the word hope speak to you? It may be viewed as trite, but I did a word search of hope in my blog file. With this post, I’ve used it seventy-seven times in my monthly words to you. I pray HOPE encourages you to turn to Jesus. He is our ultimate Hope.

Hope in a dark world transforms into hope in the cross. For sinners, He was crucified.

Are you hungry for the Word?

For the word of God is living and active… (Hebrews 4:12).
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I’ve mentioned before that I’ve inhaled books since age four. I’m ashamed to admit that I spend ninety percent more time reading for pleasure or out of curiosity than I read one of my Bibles. But when I’m in the Word, I’m whole.

Over the years I’ve read various versions of the God’s Word from cover to cover during the span of a year. King James, New American Standard (the most times), using different plans, Women’s Devotional Bible at least three times, and The Daily Walk Bible two or three times.


Thy word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path (Psalm 119:105. One of the first Bible verses I memorized, it is a verse to meditate upon and follow.


Sometime in the past year or two, I searched for a large print Bible in chronological order and couldn’t find one in my chosen version. Now in 2024, I’m reading chronologically based on an online schedule. Using my NASB with the tattered red leather cover, a gift from Bill for our tenth anniversary, I’m keeping on schedule so far.
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The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever (Isaiah 40:8).

Have you noticed how much noise there is in the world? I’m not talking about children in the house, the television blaring, motorcycle engines, pounding bass speakers from the street, or the neighbor’s pulsing music if your home is an apartment. I’m talking about the tech noise we absorb silently. What we take in from various screens is often what we live out. And it can be loud.


The unfolding of Thy words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple (Psalm 119:130).


Wouldn’t the world be sweeter, and even more lovely, if what we live out and talk about refers to the Word of God, Scripture breathed out by Him? Think of it as Word in, Word out.


All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16). 


A word study of the Word in Scripture gives a rich result. I challenge you to check out some of the verses. One online search revealed a list of fifty-five references. That sounds like a time well spent. 


In the beginning was the Word [Jesus], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1).
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It makes sense to me that if we take in the words of the Bible, we breathe out Jesus. I hope to remain hungry for God’s Word.

Some days I feel old. Some days I feel tired.

As soon as I admit those feelings to the Lord, I get a breath of energy. A zing of assuredness. My work on earth is not done.

Years ago, I heard a pastor say the word retirement is not in the Bible. And I am reminded of the age of greats throughout history. There is even a claim that the decade between ages 60 and 70 is one of the most productive.

I am reminded of my own dream-come-true success story. On my 61st birthday, I signed my first contract, launching Moselle’s Insurance and my years as a novelist.

One of my earliest motivational phrases has kept me going. “If God calls, He equips.” A quick browser search will give you nine Bible verses of encouragement. Nothing is mentioned of age.

My go-to word for 2024 was anticipation. Each day I tried to anticipate the steps my God had ordained for me that day. Such thoughts backed by Scripture are encouraging and generate energy. Even when busyness, health, or pain seem to interfere, we Christians are able to pray. Praying for others should never stop, and it something we can do until we draw our last breath.

There are times when I’ve felt ignored and overlooked. These young ones are in a world of their own. For some, they are surely concentrating on survival. If they’d stop to think how each person has been given unique experiences, along with talents, they might be curious about the lives of seniors. Those of us with gray and white hair have decades of knowledge gained by living out the story of an individual life. Experience and wisdom are meant to be passed on, enabling others to learn.

Speaking of wisdom, I recently learned the root word of wisdom is skill. We elderly have skills to pass on and share with those willing to learn.

As we age it’s also easier to admit when we’re wrong. Why get upset over the small stuff? For years, I thought a particular shade of lavender was called heather. Only to be told be a friend that heather is gray. I’d always associated heather with England. Then I looked it up. Purple heather is a shrub in Scotland. So, hmm. We can always learn no matter how old we are.

That said, just because I’ve read the Bible umpteen times, I can still glean new concepts. I read it chronologically for the first time in 2024. Is what we learn from Scripture meant to be kept to ourselves? May it never be! The Word of God is for us to share. And when it comes to wisdom, King Solomon knew what that was all about.

Solomon wrote the books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs. He also penned a few Psalms and a thousand songs. Gifted by God, Solomon reigned as king for forty years, but only lived into his mid-fifties. Some readers may think that old, but I sincerely doubt he ever thought he’d quit writing or doing what he was called by God to do.
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No matter how old we are, we can remain children at heart. For some crazy reason, “Heigh Ho” from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs came to mind when I thought about writing. Those little guys sang and whistled as they happily worked. A viewer is meant to smile and sing along. 

May we all strive, as Paul said in 2 Timothy 4:7. “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” I hope to end my days satisfied that I continued to work out what I was called to do. 

That said, my word for 2025 is RENEW.

Dear Father God, thank You for renewing me on those days I feel tired and lack energy. Please renew my commitment to writing. Renew my connection with those I love. Renew my love for You, Lord, as I work, rest, give thanks, trust, experience victory, rejoice, and thrive. Thank You for a song in my heart at those times I am weary. Thank You for giving me work, no matter how small the task. I continue to anticipate the day set before me. In Jesus’ Almighty Name, amen

I have known my Jesus on a personal level for forty-eight years. He knew me before time began. And I am still learning the depth of His love. It is fathomless.
At the close of this year 2024 I look back on full months of good, bad, and crazy endless busyness. Pain. Another surgery. Three months of three times a week medical, chiropractic, and physical therapy care.

The unprecedented release of four nonfiction volumes and a trilogy still boggles my mind. We celebrated our fiftieth wedding anniversary by me driving over 3,000 miles. That trip to the Grand Canyon and further was followed by the final phase of an extensive remodel.

Are you tired yet? Forgive me if you’ve read or heard this before.

None of those events comes close to the eye-opening reality of reflecting on the reveal of God through the lyrics of “Wrap This One Up.” He provided the details of our Savior coming to earth as a Lamb without blemish.
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“…but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:19)

How often, even when singing, do I not see the depth of meaning in the words? The carols we sing by rote are much like Christmas decorations that surround us. Shiny on the surface.

This December I am making an effort to savor the words I hear and sing on a deeper, soul level. Those familiar phrases set to melodies we’ve grown up with far surpass lights on a tree or glistening baubles.

Far greater than the lyrics of Christmas is the love our Shepherd King showered on us by the shedding of His blood on the cross.

As much as I rejoice singing “Gloria” or “Hallelujah,” the incomparable richness of God’s Word speaks to me on a daily soul level. He is talking to my heart, a communication that is written to reach the depths of my innate being.

I suggest you go deeper as well by slowly digging into God’s Word.

Picture the setting.
Ponder the significance on your life.
Relish the richness of what you read and sing.

I challenge you to ponder the lyrics you hear and sing this Christmas. I randomly selected a few:

Verse four of O COME, O COME, EMMANUEL.

All lyrics of COME, THOU LONG-EXPECTED JESUS.

Verse two of SILENT NIGHT! HOLY NIGHT!

Verse three of AWAY IN A MANGER.

Verse six of THE FIRST NOEL.

Verse three of O LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM.

Speak out loud the whole of THOU DIDST LEAVE THY THRONE.

Oh, I could do this for hours! I pray you discover Him speaking to your heart on a new level through familiar verses as well as new lyrics of Christmas. And that you carry the significance of those words into the new year.

I hope and pray that each of you can look back on the previous months of this year and count your blessings rather than be weighed down by the state of the times in which we live. As with me, I wish you all have hopeful reading material to place your focus on our Lord. Please dwell on Him rather than the negative.
With that in mind, I turned to my Worship Through Verse volumes to set my heart where it needs to be. (Not that anything I have written replaces what is found in the bible.)

From Shelter in the Night:
Ephesians 5:20
Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Thankful Trust

I thank You for everything
For every little thing

It’s difficult, but even
For pain, I thank You

Thank You for being my Friend
Thank You for the truth

Thank You for being my Helper
Thank You for giving me hope

Thank You for being my Peace
Thank You for the Spirit

Thank You for being my Joy
Thank You for giving me courage

It’s difficult, but even
For pain, I thank You

I thank You for everything
For every little thing.
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From Gratitude for All Moments:
Philippians 4:6
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Pray and be Thankful

Many times it is easy to say
“Don’t be anxious,” but I can be

Especially about what’s ahead
Pray before focus turns unclear

Be thankful God has today
Let Him worry about tomorrow

Believe God will answer
He already knows our hearts

Remember what He’s done
He’s watched all our lives

Honor Him and be humble
Ask, believe, be thankful

God is bigger than troubles
Give Him yourself; receive peace.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

Rejoice, Pray, be Thankful

Rejoice always, at all times
Not obstacle, but opportunity

Give thanks for all things
God has a plan for my life

I praise Him for a rich life
God didn’t have to save me

He is God, I am not
His purpose will come

The Lord God orchestrates
The symphony of my life

I choose to pray with joy
And pray with thankfulness.

I pray you experience blessed thankfulness. And may your heart be filled with joyful gratitude. Please share your thankful heart with others this holiday season, as well as the anticipation of celebrating the Prince of Peace.
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In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps. (Proverbs 16:9)

It’s been a fast, productive year, and hard to believe only two months remain of 2024. The months of May to September make me smile.

 As I consider the unprecedented release of four volumes of devotional poetry (that still seems as though it happened to another writer), the layout of the flowers on the pages of the Worship Through Verse volumes satisfies my soul. And I wonder if I have more verses buried within. Only the Lord knows.

The Ivy Inn Series that followed, with their gorgeous covers, makes me sad to say good-bye to that rural setting in northeast Nebraska. 

We can plan…I wanted to write, but struggled with a time travel project that I started a while back, and finally set aside after getting nowhere. Again. I didn’t push myself to finish a Christmas story that I have yet to send to my editor. Christmas Fulfilled ends the Rainwater sisters’ new lives that began with Christmas House, and should, God willing, come out in 2025.

I’ve taken on the challenge of doing a series of six novellas. My brain hurt some days as I worked on creating twelve main characters, their backstories, and personal testimonies. The romance part should be a lot of fun, and I have done pre-writing on the first story. But I won’t dig in until November.

My plans have been delayed.

Have any of you readers served on jury duty? There was a time when I longed to do just that. Once I was summoned and showed up as instructed, following a long holiday weekend. We were told the case had been settled out of court and there wasn’t time to notify us. Due to my age, I could have been excused this go-round, but it’s still something I wanted to do for the experience.

That calling also put our 50th anniversary driving tour to the Grand Canyon on hold. I’ve never been to Arizona, let alone visited my sister in the Phoenix area. Here again, the Lord is in charge of the timing as we walk the steps He has ordained.

These thoughts roamed through my mind several times recently: I can make plans. Does God laugh over them?

We shall see if I visit my friend in Colorado, if we step on the Four Corners Monument, what we see and do in Aztec, NM, how many nights we spend on the rim of the Grand Canyon, and what we will see in Cave Creek, AZ where my sister lives…
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So, a little prayer. Dear Father in heaven, thank You for knowing all my tomorrows. You know the plans I make but You also know the steps You ordained for my life, before time began. I can’t grasp how big You are, how powerful, how all-knowing. But I can relax in the fact I don’t have to be concerned for tomorrow. You’ve got it. And you have me in the palm of Your hand. Amen

Psalm 19:14 “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Yahweh, my rock and my Redeemer.” (Legacy Standard Bible)

Our pastor recently switched from using the New American Standard Bible to Legacy. There isn’t a whole lot of difference except LORD in the Old Testament now reads Yahweh. I used that formal address often in my Worship Through Verse series. To me, the Word is like a breath.

During one of my notebook and paper purges from my study, I combined computer files and came up with a process for beginning a new writing project. Since I’m struggling with my current Work in Progress, I’m going through my remaining papers.

​I have no idea where this originated, or if I composed some of it while taking notes along the way on my writing journey, but the following struck me as something to think about as I copied it for my readers this month.

Touch God First

The type of mindset that allows God to use other people to guide, nurture, educate—and yes, correct—is transferable to all areas of life. Such spiritual growth will be directly recognizable in one’s writing. It is hard to write something that will move others spiritually if our own spiritual life is nominal or “on the rocks.”

Ultimately, then, it is the true spirituality and maturity of contributors that gives a Christian publication content God can work with. And here we have the full cycle of our Lord’s watch and care over us. We read and study from the material we can relate to and receive from. Then we turn and create material we have a burden and desire to create. And that becomes food for others.

​When we are at our best spiritually, God can best use what we write. And I believe [LoRee’s note: I wish I had noted who said this.] it is only then that we are the most creative.

Our goal as Christian writers and communicators should first be to become better Christians. If the Word isn’t firmly lodged in our hearts, it can’t find its way to the surface of our expressions. We can’t just gush some “God words” and expect Him to bless them because they sound good. As we grow and mature in Christ, though, we find we have more to share and, somehow, find it easier to express and to be heard. In our eyes, our writing always needs fine-tuning. In God’s eyes, we need fine-tuning first.

Following this quote I jotted these notes:

Prayer should be a Foreword rather than an afterthought

A story is not everything that happened—it’s everything important that happened

Writing is a gift
Writing takes discipline
Writing takes responsibility.

And I’ve always liked this for motivation to write:

DESIRE to write
DRIVE to write
DETERMINATION to stick with it
DEDICATION to see it through

For the first time, I realize the same can be said for growing in Christ.

Oh, Magnify the Lord

Proverbs 20:24 The steps of a man are from Yahweh, How then can man understand his way? (Legacy Standard Bible)

The above verse ties in with my chosen word, Anticipation, for the year 2024. Each morning, I look forward to taking the steps ordained by my Lord. Even if that includes fumbling around with technology beyond me…

I also fumble with words on occasion. A person would think that with access to a treasure trove of ideas, notes, quotes, and verses, writing a blog should come easy. That felt like a run-on sentence.

These days, my brain is tired. A wise pastor once said the word retirement is not in the Bible. That said, I will write as long as He gives me words.

In less than a year, I’ve purchased a new phone and a laptop with a larger monitor. I tried three times to import photos from my phone to the computer. Without success. The old ones were so easy, but the new ones remind me that tech stuff is not my niche.

A grandson came to the rescue. He said there was no reason to sync my phone, and then showed me how to access the photo file. Wow. All I needed was knowledge as to where to click. He left me with a file of pictures to sort into folders. I recycled the pictures I’d already printed, dragged the shots into separate file folders, and realized along the way that I didn’t have the phone shots relatives had texted me.

That search and transfer will be for another day.

I prefer printed photos set within albums in chronological order compared to looking at them on a device. In late July, I finally took my phone to a neighborhood drugstore and couldn’t figure out how to access them! There wasn’t an employee within thirty feet. I tried three times, my limit when it comes to technology, because I become anxious. I left the store with over a hundred pictures left to develop from my phone.

All that to say, these expressions remind me of the devotional poetry I recently released. In this post I’ve switched from lamenting my lack of tech ability to how mighty my God is. No matter what, as Hagar said in Genesis 16:13, My Lord sees. El Roi. He sees me as blameless. He sees me as a righteous saint. He sees me washed white. He sees me as worthy.

But anything that touches my life is not about me.

Our pastor recently went over the verses of Luke 1:46-55. Known as Mary’s Magnificat, she says my or me a handful of times, but uses He or Him fourteen times in the NASB. She also refers to Him as my Lord, God my Savior, the Mighty One.
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And so it should be with you and me. Yes, I anticipate each day and what He has planned for me. Even when I face limitations or external trials, life is about my God and yours. He is our magnificent Lord who plans our way, sees exactly what happens, and who we are. We are His.

What is the meaning behind Christmas in July, you ask?
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Christmas in July's meaning is simply to share joy and recreate the wonderful feeling of Christmastime. 

My name is Sharon and I am taking over LoRee’s blog to share with you LoRee’s wonderful Christmas stories this July.  Stories that will warm your heart as they have mine.  Let’s go on an adventure for Christmastime joy, love and hope...  

Pepper Rainwater has just bought the first real home she' s ever had, and she' s decorating and celebrating Christmas with everything she has. The neighbor' s miniature donkeys and meeting Foxx interrupt her life. Can she turn from all she' d been taught and trust strangers?  Find Pepper’s story in “Christmas House.”  

Continuing with Pepper’s story, she continues to thrive in newfound faith, blooming love, and her own Christmas house. But the appearance of her mother brings back all the ugliness of growing up in a storage unit. Can she face family issues from a new perspective and forgive her parents for the past?  Journey to “Christmas in Garland” to read more.

In “A Cup of Christmas Kindness” we meet Violet Steele as she returns to her parents' home in small-town Nebraska to pay off school loans. But her first social activity is the celebration of life for a woman she'd dreamt would someday be her mother-in-law.  Will Violet's deliberate holiday deeds lead to romance?

After her grandparents as forced to live apart through assisted living, and then die within nine days of each other, intrepid entrepreneur Calissa Ladd is devastated. She's always wanted to experience the same lifelong love modeled by her grandparents, but her heart isn't where it needs to be as she clings to the past for answers and then starts having vivid dreams of a long-ago time period.  Let’s follow Carissa’s journey in “Hiding From Christmas.”

Blythe loves her job and doesn't need personal relationships, especially of the "love life" variety. Steeling herself from a recent heartbreak, Blythe focuses on furthering her successful career, but when her father needs surgery, Blythe returns home to help with the family auto shop. There, she comes face-to-face with the dreams of her past.  Will “A Christmas Cardinal”  bring a whole new life for Blythe?  

She was looking for coffee and conversation. He was looking for a quiet place to write. What they found was a connection that would make this Christmas unforgettable. Hayley and Kameron’s story unfolds in “Christmas Trinkets."  

Liam once approved of helping others, but not anymore. He lost his mother due to a crazed street person, and he's hardened his heart. Now a successful photographer, he’s returned to set up shop in his hometown--directly across the courtyard from his sister’s best friend.  Will he find love in “Christmas ‘Couragement?”  

On her way home for Christmas during a blizzard, college student Izzy hurdles down an embankment. Her worst nightmare is being trapped. Brock comes to her rescue, but after a night in the hospital, the roads are drifted shut and she can’t make it to her family home in the country. Izzy goes home with Brock and spends Christmas Eve with his family. Once the road clears, Brock gets Izzy home on Christmas Day but her car is totaled, and she needs a way back to college. Used to fending for herself, and safe now, Izzy balks at Brock’s offer to drive her. Does God have a plan for an enthusiastic independent goal-setter who avoids the college dating scene, and a nurturing do-gooder man?  Find out in “Christmas Rescue Route.”  

When Sloan Letheby left town, Dahlia Delisi drifted away from God andpoured her life into her store, The Blue Dahlia.  Sloan Letheby's brush with death brought new meaning to his faith in God, and he needs to right old wrongs.  However, there's a murder plot in the way of his reunion with Dahlia.  Can he find a killer before it's too late?  And can Dahlia accept him...and God, back into her life?  “A Blessed Blue Christmas” will for sure warm your heart.  

In “Christmas Phone Booth” cautious observer Nicasia is at the Wilber Hotel for a wedding. She is careful when it comes to small spaces due to an attack as a teen, but intrigued by the antique phone booth, she steps inside to investigate. A just man with a star, Logan grew up at the end of the nineteenth century in a very religious home. But his reverend father led two lives and left Logan believing there was something wrong with him.  Each wants to forgive those who hurt them and put the past where it belongs, but neither knows how. Will they help one another?

I hope you enjoy these 'Christmas in July' stories LoRee has written over the years.  Warming the heart and soul with characters who will become your friends, may they bring the magic of Christmas joy, love and hope to you always.