When God Calls the Heart to Love E-Book

Brian Bird

• Herausgeber: BroadStreet Publishing Group, LLC
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Serie: When God Calls the Heart
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2019

Seitenzahl: 167

Beschreibung

Discover love in Hope Valley. Inspired by best-selling author Janette Oke and the Hallmark Channel original TV series When Calls the Heart, Brian Bird and Michelle Cox explore the love-filled moments from the fictional early 1900s town of Hope Valley. Stories of romantic love, as well as love between families, neighbors, and friends, will touch your heart and encourage your soul to recognize the potential of love in your life. Each of the thirty chapters contains a quote from one of your favorite citizens in Hope Valley, a Bible verse, a devotional reading, a prayer, and questions for reflection. You'll also find poignant real-life stories and love-in-action ideas for sharing God's love with others. Join us on this journey as we focus on tender moments found in Hope Valley. When God calls your heart to love, something extraordinary is about to happen.

Leseprobe

Heartwarming friendship and love, help through hard times, and humble trust in God’s good plans are found within the foundations of Hope Valley and within the pages of this book, When God Calls the Heart to Love. Fans of When Calls the Heart will discover new insights about the community members they love. More importantly, readers will discover how the love of God, friends, family, and neighbors can impact every part of our day as we consider God’s plan for our story, our community. This devotional book is one to treasure and share!

—TRICIA GOYER, USA Today best-selling author of 70 books, including the Big Sky novels, an Amish series

They say big things can come in small packages. Once again, Brian Bird and Michelle Cox have delivered deep stories with even deeper messages in their new book When God Calls the Heart to Love. Join with Hearties from all walks of life as they share God’s call to love and the difference it’s made in their lives and the lives of others. From cover to cover, you will laugh and probably cry, but you won’t be able to walk away untouched. You might even find yourself listening a little closer for God’s sweet voice directing you to someone who needs His love. This may be a little book, but it packs a big and powerful message—the message of God’s unconditional love.

—LYNETTE EASON, award-winning, best-selling author of the Elite Guardians series

A powerful love story can touch your heart and change your life. When God Calls the Heart to Love offers beautiful memories from Hope Valley to inspire you. Each devotional focuses on a scriptural promise and offers a guided prayer and thought-provoking questions and challenges. The touching, personal stories from the Heartie fans will encourage you to always choose love. A beautiful gift book or resource for your personal devotional time.

—KAREN JORDAN, speaker and author of Words That Change Everything

Hope Valley is a place where love is found in abundance—and it provides a great example for all of us to take into our everyday lives. That’s the basis for When God Calls the Heart to Love. This book is filled with devotions to inspire us, prayers, questions for reflection, and steps that we can take to put love into action. And then it’s rounded out with poignant love stories and tips, many of them submitted by the Hearties, the fans of When Calls the Heart.

—SUZANNE BROOKS KUHN, author and speaker

It’s one thing to watch an inspiring TV show like When Calls the Heart, but it’s another thing to read a devotional that highlights the love of God we see in every episode! Reading When God Calls the Heart to Love encourages readers to take the lessons of Hope Valley and apply them to their everyday lives.

—AMBER LIA, TV producer, best-selling author of Triggers: Exchanging Parents’ Angry Reactions for Gentle Biblical Responses

When God Calls the Heart to Love cleverly unearths the spiritual wisdom tucked within the popular TV series When Calls the Heart. The book also presents personal stories from the fans of the show. Combined, these features gently lead readers to both question and enhance their personal faith walk. A must-have devotional that belongs beside every bedside table.

—KATHERINE VALENTINE, award-winning Christian author and speaker

From reel life to real life, this daily dose of love—When God Calls the Heart to Love—takes us on a journey from Hope Valley to our own lives and communities, and we are reminded that love is the greatest gift of all.

—BOBBI SCHUTTE, secretary, board of directors, Hearties International

Rich with wisdom drawn from simple yet meaningful moments Hearties have experienced together in Hope Valley, this devotional is a treasure trove of beautiful, honest, and sometimes unexpected reminders that, although people fail and life brings difficult crossroads, love never fails. I Heartily recommend this devotional!

—CAMILLE EIDE, award-winning author of The Memoir of Johnny Devine, founding member of the Hearties

When God Calls the Heart to Love is inspiring and challenging at the same time. It includes vignettes from the TV series, along with inspiring stories from the lives of real people. While these vignettes and stories are touching, it is the daily prayer and practical prompts that will change my life. These prompts help me list concrete action steps I can take to put love into action. Michelle Cox and Brian Bird have done it again. One does not need to be a fan of the When Calls the Heart series to become a fan of this book, although Hearties will love it. And When God Calls the Heart to Love is not just a five-minute-a-day Christianity-lite book. The stories drew me in, and the prayer and journal prompts drew my focus upward to Jesus Christ, helping me deepen my walk with the Lord.

—KATHRYN GRAVES, author of Fashioned by God: A 30-Day Style Devotional

Brian and Michelle deliver a captivating devotional that unequivocally brings the greatness of God’s love from Hope Valley and pours it into our hearts and homes.

—DEBI WATSON BAILEY, director of Faith and Family Social Media, eBrandgelize Digital, board of directors, Hearties International

Keep the tissues handy as love is sure to stir while reading the heartfelt stories included in When God Calls the Heart to Love, by Brian Bird and Michelle Cox. Love stories written by the Hearties blend with devotionals based on your favorite characters in Hope Valley to create a pause in your day that is sure to inspire.

—CATHY BAKER, author of Pauses for the Vacationing Soul: A Sensory-Based Devotional Guide for the Beach

BroadStreet Publishing® Group, LLC

Savage, Minnesota, USA

BroadStreetPublishing.com

WHEN GOD CALLS THE HEART TO LOVE:

30 Heartwarming Devotions from Hope Valley

Copyright © 2019 Brian Bird and Michelle Cox

978-1-4245-5804-9 (hardcover)

978-1-4245-5805-6 (e-book)

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Unless noted otherwise, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Scripture marked KJV is taken from the King James Version of the Bible. Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188, USA. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright © 2000; 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Stock or custom editions of BroadStreet Publishing titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, ministry, fundraising, or sales promotional use. For information, please email [email protected].

Images from the When Calls the Heart series: Copyright © 2018 by Crown Media Networks, LLC, and used by permission. Other images by Jordan Blackstone: Copyright © 2018 Jordan Blackstone, and used by permission.

Published in cooperation with the Steve Laube Agency

Cover and interior by Garborg Design at GarborgDesign.com

Printed in China

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DEDICATION

This book is dedicated with love to Patty Bird and Paul Cox.

This was an easy decision for the two of us as we talked about the dedication page for this devotional about love. Both of us have been blessed beyond words by the amazing sweethearts God placed into our lives. With Brian and Patty’s thirty-eight years and Paul and Michelle’s forty-four years of marriage, we have more than eighty years combined of being married to our best friends. The two of us somehow snagged two of God’s finest, and we are beyond grateful that we get to do life together with them each day.

And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13:13 (NKJV)

CONTENTS

Foreword by Michael Landon Jr.

Love in All Its Splendor

1 When Sparks Fly

2 A Sacrifice for Love

3 A Friend Indeed

4 Love Is a Living, Breathing Promise

5 Second-Chance Love

6 Love and a Plate of Fried Chicken

7 A Sense of Belonging

8 Feelings Follow Actions

9 Love Does

10 Time to Get Unstuck

11 Redeeming Love

12 Talk. Pray. Love

13 Love Language Lifts Lives

14 Love That Intercedes

15 Love Is Spelled T-I-M-E

16 Paying Love Backwards

17 Love Is a Calling with a Cost

18 A Teacher’s Love

19 Love Changes Us

20 I Forgive You

21 To Love and to Cherish

22 When Love Springs into Action

23 The Father’s Love

24 Saying Yes to the Dress

25 Love One Another

26 Love like There’s No Tomorrow

27 Just Love Them

28 A Love Letter for You

29 I Wish I Had

30 Wrapped in Love

Acknowledgments

About the Authors

FOREWORD BY

MICHAEL LANDON JR.

For many reasons, the When Calls the Heart movie and television series should never have happened. The odds were stacked against Brian Bird and me from the very beginning when we were forced to shut down production in the middle of filming the movie in 2008. No one thought we were going to be able to resurrect the project. In fact, it took us almost four years to get cameras rolling again. And yet here we are in season six of the television show, and it does not look like it will end anytime soon.

In many ways, that success is one of the biggest, most surprising redemption stories of our lives. And the catalyst for that has always been love. Not only our love for one another as friends and partners, but God’s love for us and our families. In fact, God is the best explanation for the success of this show.

Love is also in the DNA of Janette Oke’s work. Her most successful franchise of books, which I was privileged to adapt into a series of movies, was appropriately titled Love Comes Softly. Her legacy is love, and we are honored to be carrying on that legacy.

I am also honored to introduce you to When God Calls the Heart to Love, a beautiful, uplifting devotional that Brian Bird and Michelle Cox have written with the help of some of the best TV fans on earth, the “Hearties.”

I believe it will inspire you and warm your hearts because it points to the many kinds of love which infuse life in Hope Valley. From romance to caring for your neighbors in need, to sacrificing your own safety for another, to forgiving your enemies, to passing along kindnesses, even when they are not deserved.

As you explore these thirty days of love moments in the episodes of When Calls the Heart, and then go deeper with the spiritual truths Brian and Michelle will guide you through, you will discover that the love story from heaven to earth is the cure for everything that ails us.

—MICHAEL LANDON JR.

LOVE IN ALL ITS SPLENDOR

One doesn’t have to spend much time in Hope Valley to know that it’s a town where love abounds. It’s a place where neighbors go out of their way to help when someone is in need. Where husbands and wives look for ways to bless each other. Where a community comes together to make a big difference. Where kindness, compassion, and love rule. It’s a beautiful example, an ideal to which all of us can aspire.

This book is a journey through Hope Valley to celebrate the love moments and life lessons that have been demonstrated there. Through the poignant, true stories and love tips submitted by the Hearties—the devoted fans of When Calls the Heart—we think you will be as inspired and touched as we were.

But we have to be honest with you about something. As we began working on this devotional, which is about the many kinds of love in Hope Valley, we were presented with a challenge. Given the epic romance between Jack Thornton and Elizabeth Thatcher for so many years, how would readers feel about further exploring their relationship now that Mountie Jack has passed on from the show? As we pondered it, we realized that just as in real life, when you lose someone you love deeply, it doesn’t mean you lose your sweet memories of them. Instead, those memories, those lessons from the heart, become even more precious to you.

So instead of avoiding grief, we decided to honor those treasured times that Elizabeth (and all of us) shared with Mountie Jack, as well as the values and guidelines for life that we’ve learned from all the wonderful characters in Hope Valley.

We pray that you’ll be deeply moved by When God Calls the Heart to Love: 30 Heartwarming Devotions from Hope Valley, and that God will speak to you through the pages of this book, because we’ve discovered something important: Love is not only patient and kind … it’s contagious.

This devotional is for anyone who is a fan of love. And Hearties—you precious fans of When Calls the Heart—have we told you lately that we love you? You are some of the sweetest people we know and we are so grateful to have you in our lives.

Now enjoy these love stories and love lessons and then go out and be contagious. Because there’s one thing for sure, this world needs more love—especially God’s love.

Brian and Michelle

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WHEN SPARKS FLY

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

1 JOHN 4:7 (NKJV)

Never let a day go by without serving somebody else.

—Jack Thornton

The wrong kind of sparks flew when Elizabeth Thatcher and Constable Jack Thornton first met. They simply didn’t like each other. Elizabeth was clearly out of her element in Coal Valley. The attack by outlaws, arriving to a frosty welcome from the town’s mothers, and accidentally burning down the teacherage had left her reeling emotionally.

Bumping into Jack didn’t help. He wasn’t happy to have been rerouted to the town—by Elizabeth’s tycoon father—from a more desirable posting in Cape Fullerton. As Jack put it, he was there, “to keep William Thatcher’s princess from stubbing her toe in a town she had no business coming to.” From there, it was all downhill for Jack and Elizabeth’s relationship.

Isn’t that sometimes the way it is for us too? Life sometimes throws us into relationships with people we don’t like. God asks us to love one another—but how can we love someone we don’t even like?

That’s where prayer comes in. Start by praying, “God, help me to love this person.” And then we need to take a deeper look at those who rile us because harsh exteriors often come from wounded interiors. When we extend kindness it can resolve conflict and reflect God’s love and mercy to someone who needs it.

And along the way we might discover that, not only has God helped us to like that person, but He’s put a love in our hearts for them as well.

PRAYER FROM THE HEART

Father, there are people in my life who are difficult to like, much less love. Help me to look beyond the surface and see their hearts. Let me see them how you see them. Remind me that emotional wounds are often the cause of less-than-lovable personalities. Soften hardened hearts … including mine. Please send me reminders to pray for those who are difficult to love. Thank you for looking beyond my faults and loving me anyway. I want to love other people like you do, so show me how to do that for them. Amen.

A LOVING HEART

•Why does God sometimes bring difficult people into your life?

•Why is prayer the key to loving the unlovable people you encounter?

•How can love make a difference in their lives?

LOVE IN ACTION

Think of someone who is difficult to love. Plan three specific things you can do to show kindness and God’s love to that person. Write those down here:

LEARNING TO LOVE GEORGE

From Heartie Michelle Cox

When God impressed on my heart, I want you to love George and tell him how to find me, I immediately thought, Can’t someone else do it?

God replied, “Why not you?”

I knew He had me there. George was wealthy, but his caustic tongue drove people away. I grumbled but finally said, “Okay, Lord, if that’s what you want, I’ll try, but this is going to be tough.”

I’d first met George when I took over the top slot in a community organization. He was about seventy at the time. Being around him was not a pleasure. I’d never before met anyone who took such joy in being rude and he couldn’t stand Christians. I dreaded working with him.

Over the next months, our paths crossed frequently. I learned his wife had a terminal illness, so I began calling him, “George, how’s your wife? Just wanted you to know I’m praying for her and for you.”

Time passed and his wife’s condition deteriorated. I called George again, “What can I do to help?”

I knew God had already started His work in George’s heart when I heard him say, “Just pray for her.” And I knew God had already started His work in my hard heart when tears plopped onto my cheeks because I knew George was hurting.

He was pitiful after his wife’s death. I checked on him frequently. Then after I couldn’t reach him for a few weeks, I learned he’d moved into a nursing home.

I went to visit the following day. Over the next few months, George and I shared many hours just talking and I realized something. Behind the grumpy exterior lurked a lonely old man who needed somebody to love him.

God burdened my heart for George, and I prayed fervently asking God to soften his hard heart. I enlisted one of my pastors and a friend, Larry, to visit George. All of us talked to him about God.

A few days later, George called me, “I have cancer, and I don’t have long.” I was devastated. George was running out of time—and he wasn’t ready to meet God in eternity.

I visited him later that day. I pulled a chair beside his hospital bed and just sat and held his hand. Tears dripped down my cheeks, “George, won’t you accept God before it’s too late?”

“Maybe later,” he responded.

I watched George steadily lose ground. On the last day that he was able to speak, Larry visited him. He sang that old song about how beautiful heaven must be. There were tears in George’s eyes, and before he left that day, Larry had the privilege of praying with George as that dear old man accepted God’s gift of heaven.

Two days later, George’s life clock ran out of time. I’m grateful for the lesson in love God gave me. You see, I thought I was going to touch George’s life. Instead, he was the one who touched mine.