TEXAS BOOK TOUR!

Yes, I'm going on a book tour and my dear friend Cathy Marie Hake is coming with me. She says she does this because someone has to keep me in line. I've done book tours in the past with our own Judy Miller and Kim Sawyer, as well. We always have great fun - and they always have to keep me in line.



We're going to tour around parts of the gigantic state of Texas and speak and sign books and just enjoy the wonderful hospitality. One of our marketing people from Bethany House is coming with us, and we're hoping to initiate her in grand order since this will be her first book tour. Watch out, Noelle - we have plans for you!



The schedule is kind of lengthy, but you can get information at my website under events. I hope if you're in Texas and close by - that you'll come and at least say hi. We love to meet the readers and other writers who live in the area. Here's that link: http://traciepeterson.com/events.html



One of the things I enjoy about book tour is a chance to share my spiritual journey and how God brought me into writing. Writing for me is a mission field meant to entertain, educate and encourage. I call it my Three-eees.





I'm so blessed to be able to do this job, and I want never to take it for granted.



Hopefully, while we're on the road in February, we'll be able to send you some photos and updates about the trip - at least that's my plan.



If you think about - please pray for us. Pray that God will bring the right people into our lives, that we will be healthy and safe from harm, and that we will ultimately be a positive witness for Him.



Thanks and God Bless!

Hope

Sunday we had a guest pastor since our regular pastor is in Israel learning all sorts of neat things to teach us. Anyway, the pastor spoke on Romans 15:13 and the hope we have in God. He said that the translation for that word HOPE could be correctly explained as "confident expectation".





I was so blessed by that.
We can have confident expectation in God's love and promises.

We can have confident expectation that God will watch over us and keep us in His care, even when we are surrounded by the threat of harm. We can have confident expectation that no matter the circumstances that play out before us - God is control.
The world continues in turmoil. There are governments facing destruction and people killing each other over issues of religion, politics, and a hundred other things. Christians speak of end times and others speak of the world ending in 2012 because the Mayans said so. Personally, I think they probably just ran out of paper, but that's a whole other story.

We have natural disasters and political disasters. We have issues all around us regarding economic meltdowns and unemployment. But ultimately we have hope.

No, not the hope of a politician.

Not hope in the all important, almighty dollar. Not even hope in the good nature of people to come through when the rubber meets the road.





We have confident expectation in God alone!

He can be trusted. He can be counted on. We can believe and expect confidently that God has not forsaken us. I don't know about you, but that excites me and gives me energy to face tomorrow.

May God bless you in HOPE.

Back in the Saddle Again

It's great to be back. Thanks to Tammy and the others who helped me out and filled in while I was sick. I'm happy to say I'm pretty much back to normal. We had a lovely ice fog the other day and snapped a few photos I thought you might enjoy. I was hoping to find the spider frozen in the web, but I think he's the one that was crawling around my bedroom ceiling. My hero hubby killed him last night.



I have to say, however, I was a little frustrated to get both the flu and pneumonia after having had shots for both. I really hate getting injections anyway, but when they don't have magical powers to keep you from getting sick, I really resent that. When it ruins your New Year's Eve and your birthday and your anniversary, then I resent it even more.

But such is life. I spent a lot of time in prayer for all of you - especially those flood victims down under and those dealing with the shootings in Arizona. The loss of life is devastating. The world groans in anticipation of God's return, and the pains we're enduring are numerous.
My heart breaks at the negative news everyday. The killings and threats of war, the loss of innocence in the lives of our children, and the overwhelming fears that come in a fallen world.

But I am encouraged that God is not asleep. He hasn't been taken by surprise. He is faithful and will continue to lift us up above this and the sorrows of this world.

Psalm 43:5 says, "Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God."
Thank you for all your prayers, and the love you've shown me.

God Bless You!