La Belle Design

  Deeper Still is a ministry for those with abortions in their past who recognize that rather than fix things, abortion has left them broken. It is a Christ-centered ministry that provides weekend   retreats free of charge to men and women so they can work through their past and be set free in Christ. Too many times the sins of our past keep us in bondage believing that we are not worthy to speak Christ into the lives of others,   serve Him fully, or worse--we believe we don't deserve salvation. Many who have gone through Deeper Still retreats have finally found freedom in Christ and their voice to speak out against abortion after years of shame that kept them silent. This growing ministry is not only helping those with abortions in their past but also helping turn the tide of abortions in the future. As a Christian and as both an adoptee and adoptive mom, abortion has long been on my radar. I am thankful I was born before Roe vs Wade and wonder if I would be just another statistic

This past week and weekend I was blessed to participate in the Missions Get Together 2024 in Brentwood, Tennessee. About 550 women from all over the state gathered to be encouraged, strengthened, and equipped in our walk with God. Numerous breakouts, corporate worship, updates from missionaries, and our keynote speaker all worked together along with fellowship with ladies from my church and others to make it a special time.  Our keynote speaker was Brenda Croston and she spoke on 1 Peter 4:7-11 ESV - The end of all things is at hand; therefore be  self-controlled  and  sober-minded  for the sake of your prayers. 8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since  love covers  a multitude of sins. 9  Show hospitality  to one another without grumbling. 10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as  good stewards of God's varied grace : 11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies--in orde

  (This blog post is from my 4/5/24 newsletter) I've written about rest before, and I can't stress how important it is that we not only rest our bodies but also our minds. Over and over again in scripture,  God makes rest a priority for his people . On the seventh day of creation in Genesis 2:2-3, God set the example, and Jesus did as well in the New Testament. Often the times that Jesus withdrew, scripture mentions it was to pray (Luke 5:16; Luke 6:12-13; Mark 1:35; Matthew 14:13, 23). We see in Matthew 4: 2 (Mark 1:12, 13; Luke 4:1-13) that Jesus went into the wilderness for forty days to fast. We should note that he was tempted at the end of this period. Jesus' temptation in the wilderness  is something we should all become familiar with as Christians. It is often when we feel the closest to God or everything seems to be going in a positive direction with our spiritual walk, that we are hit with spiritual warfare. We may not have Satan literally dangling promises of much

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ In The Designated Valentine Drew Taylor weaves past and present together to gradually reveal how Karoline and Mason went from long time best friends to enemies to love. This is a sweet, clean romantic comedy that doesn’t overdo the comedy and only contains kissing, though it does discuss the battle with attraction the main characters have and how they want to be careful because of their faith. Drew includes a warning at the beginning of the book that there is also some mention of alcohol as this book deals with a past addiction. Drinking is not promoted. Both Karoline and Mason think they’ve matured since they last spoke three years before, but they still have room to grow and as a reader I enjoyed my front row seat to see that growth. It’s a great representation of the battles we often face in relationships of all kinds — some from our misperceptions of who we are because of things people in our lives have said or done, and some because we struggle to forgive thinking the o

  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Hey, Jude Carpenter is a sweet Christian young adult book with a hint of romance by Storm Schultz. It’s ideal for early high schoolers through adults who love sweet clean reads and small town stories.  What would happen if Romeo and Juliet had a happy ending? This book has nods to Romeo and Juliet but is thoroughly original. Mona Montgomery’s life intertwines with Jude Carpenter’s more than they realize as they develop a friendship at the age of 14. Their family members are well developed and Storm does a great job exploring the emotional roller coaster that fills the mind of early teens as they react and try to navigate relationships and life experiences that impact them. Sometimes they have great ideas and reactions that aren’t tainted like those of adults who’ve experienced the hard things in life, and sometimes their reactions are driven by their ever changing emotions. I really enjoyed this book and wish it had been around when my three oldest were younger. I’m

There are many Christian  Indy authors just like me  who do not publish our books through a traditional publishing house, but instead do it ALL ourselves. This means we pay to have it edited, pay for the book cover designs, and any other costs incurred with advertising or publishing. Indy authors  are also responsible for marketing our books. Because of this, we depend on readers like you to help get the word out about our books. In the next section of this newsletter you'll learn about free ways you can help me and other authors promote our writing. There are a number of free   ways you can help with my writing ministry besides buying my books. 1. If you've read my books and like them, you can review them on Amazon and Goodreads  (or any online store that sells them, but Amazon helps the most. There is also Bookbub ). Below are the links to my author page to access the books and rate them. 2. Share about my books with friends. My website is easy to remember,  KimGriffin.org  

  If you haven't guessed, my favorite book is the Bible. It is the most beautiful love story, and it is also filled with intrigue, mystery, drama, poetry, and some of the most astounding stories (with a lot of broken families and people) you or I will ever read. The beauty of it is that it gives us a glimpse into the mind and heart of God. I can study it all my life and never mine a fraction of the gems found within. If you have never read it from beginning to end, there is no time like the present. Now it is easier than ever. Start with a plan like the ones below. If you find yourself short on time to sit and read, I highly recommend listening to the Bible on Audio. It is a great way to hide God's word in your hearts. There are a number of Bible apps that offer an audio option for free. I use the audio on both Bible Gateway and the ESV apps. If you need to stretch your plan to longer than a year or two, there is no condemnation. We have different seasons in our life when thing

  The Bible is my favorite book, and I have read it fully a number of times, which I highly encourage for all Christians. If reading it all seems daunting, you may prefer to listen to it. That may be especially helpful for some of the chapters that seem to be filled with endless lists or names that are difficult to pronounce. And while I think reading the Bible through is important, I also think all Christians should make time for more in-depth Bible study. Why? Because with a cursory reading, a lot of it is difficult to understand and much of its original intent can be lost when we don't have a framework to put it in. There are so many great ways to study the Bible. I have been leading Bible studies for over 35 years, and my favorite way to study the Bible is inductively. This method is the opposite of many study guides that tell you what everything means. Instead with the inductive method you study the scripture yourself and like a detective, determine what God's word says. T

At the beginning of each year people talk about their resolutions to do this and that thing better so their lives will be better and they will be happier. That is great, but I am hesitant to make hard and fast resolutions. I like to think of mine as a plan with room for God to redirect. I am a planner by nature but over and over again throughout my life, God has shown me that my plan isn't always His best. Sometimes I willingly lay down my plans, and other times He has to hit me over the head to get me to let go of them. I hope I am getting better. With that said, I will share some wisdom I have gained through the years that may help as you make your yearly "plans." God designed us with bodies that need rest. From the beginning of creation, He added a day of rest, the seventh day, not because He is a God who gets tired, but to set an example and a rhythm for us. He also created night and day. Again, not because He needs rest, but because those He would place on the earth