Continue the Journey

The journey of the past two weeks for Abundant Comfort and Grace on a blog tour has ended, but I hope the journey you are taking into your soul will continue. There are so many blogs with inspiring messages to share and help you on your journey. Here you will continue to find inspirational poems that will hopefully touch your heart and soul. Thank you for taking this journey with me.

Many thanks to all who have commented here and at the blogs along the tour. It has been a blessing to read them and have the chance to share some inspiration, comfort and a bit of God's grace with you.

The winner of a signed copy of Beautiful Moments of Joy & Peace is Nancy CL.
The $10 Amazon gift certificate goes to Just Be Real.

In the drawing for a $25 Amazon gift certificate from those who purchased a copy of Abundant Comfort and Grace from me or let me know they purchased it, the winner is J Olson.

Congratulations to each of you! The schedule will remain in the post Take a Journey with Me and on my website Blog Book Tour page for you to visit the blogs later, if you'd like. I'll end with the rest of the poem started on my previous post, Comfort and Strength.

A mighty Fortress, so strong and sure,
God’s strength enables you to endure.
As angels surround you to guard and protect you,
God in His wisdom will guide and direct you.

You are God’s chosen, to Him you are dear.
In God’s strength and love you have nothing to fear.
Find comfort today in God’s power and might
As love surrounds you and fills you with light.

Take a Journey with Me

You are invited to go on a journey with me the next two weeks. You don't need to get in your car or on a plane for this trip, you only need to travel into your soul.

When you need some comfort and peace of mind,
When strength for the day seems so hard to find,
Close your eyes and open your heart and soul
To receive the strength that will make you whole.
(Comfort and Strength, from Abundant Comfort and Grace)

Starting tomorrow, Monday, August 2, I will be visiting different blogs on tour with my new inspirational poetry book, Abundant Comfort and Grace, attempting to share with you the abundance of comfort and God's grace contained within (take a peek inside). There will be poems shared, devotionals, interviews and reviews by various fellow bloggers.

Please join me each day that you can, and I hope you will be inspired and blessed. There will be prize drawings at the end of the two weeks on Saturday, August 14. Two drawings will be held from all the comments during the tour, one for a copy of my first book, Beautiful Moments of Joy and Peace, and one for a $10 Amazon gift certificate.

In addition, there will be a drawing for a $25 Amazon gift certificate from those purchasing a signed copy of Abundant Comfort and Grace from me on my website, or if you would like to purchase online from the publisher RPJ & Company or Amazon and email me your confirmation at beautifulmomentsofjoyandpeace(at)yahoo(dot)com.

The schedule for the tour is:

Monday, August 2 RPJ & Company blog

Tuesday, August 3, Stories by JoAnne Bennett

Wednesday, August 4, Simply 4 God

Thursday, August 5, The Surrendered Scribe

Friday, August 6, Heading Home

Monday, August 9, Stuff Could Always be Worse

Tuesday, August 10, Reviews from the Heart

Wednesday, August 11, My Book Bag
The Bookshelf Newsletter

Thursday, August 12, Inspired Writing

Friday, August 13, The Old Silly's Free Spirit Blog

Saturday, August 14, Inspirational Poetry of Joy and Peace - conclusion and announcement of prize drawing winners

Be sure to leave your comment below and on each of the blogs for additional entries. Share about this tour on your own blog or tweet about it and let me know, and you'll receive extra entries as well!

Abundant Comfort and Grace

It is my pleasure to announce to you that a new book of my inspirational poetry has just been completed and will be available in June from RPJ & Company. These poems share the comfort to be found through God's grace, verses that inspire and uplift, reassurance of God's love, encouragement and hope. Each poem is accompanied by stunning color photographs by Gary Strader, who has allowed me to share some of his photography here with my poems previously. These photos reveal glimpses of God's grace and the beauty of creation. The beauty of the book is also enhanced by the creative layout, design and cover by Kathleen Schubitz. Below is an excerpt from the book.

A Glimpse of God’s Grace

To catch a glimpse of God’s grace
We need only to look around,
At any time or in any place
Evidence of God’s grace may be found,
Just look at the world around you
And you will see this is true.

The rosy beauty of sunrise
At the start of a fresh new day
As sunlight reaches wakening eyes,
Chasing the darkness away,
Then we can slowly grow conscious of
God’s grace as a sign of His love.

The visible signs seen in nature
Like rainbows after the rain,
Help us to know we can be sure
That hope for each day we can gain.
God’s grace will appear in everything
And give us a new song to sing.

Check my website for news of Abundant Comfort and Grace becoming available, to read other poems and for a special offer on my first two books, Beautiful Moments of Joy & Peace and Abiding Hope & Love, on sale at a clearance price through June. Be sure to check out the other inspiring books and services available from RPJ and Company.

A Good Listener

When you are really listening, you use more than just your ear,
Your whole being is involved if you truly want to hear.
In relationships with others you should always do your part
To give them close attention and listen with your heart.

Fully understanding just exactly what is meant
Requires concentration to perceive the true intent.
Listen for emotion, being careful to take heed
Of underlying meaning, an inward sense of need.

When listening with love and taking special care,
You may ease another's worries with your willingness to share.
A friend who really listens is a wonderful gift,
To offer hope and comfort, give the spirits a lift.

© Connie Arnold