GodSmiles
by
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Does God really smile? Indeed, He does. We are made in His image. We smile and laugh, rejoice and sing, and so does our Maker. In the book of Zephaniah, the Bible says that He delights over us with singing! King David was a man after God's own heart and he danced before the LORD with all his might (2 Samuel 6:14). If David danced, perhaps the King of Kings does too.
God also grieves. He weeps when we weep and mourns when we mourn. Our God is not without emotion like a somber statue or graven image. He is alive! He is real and personal.
Life is both bitter and sweet, like sea salt and dark chocolate; the salt brings out the sweet. It is similar with trials too. We can be sorrowful, yet always rejoicing, just as one can have joy or a gentle peace in the midst of sorrow.
So why a book titled GodSmiles? It all started over a decade ago when I had a doctor appointment at a cancer center. I was being evaluated for what might be leukemia. With a blank stare and a numb heart, I attempted to eat lunch at my favorite French restaurant. As I looked down at my bowl of fruit, an image of a smile stared at me, face-up on a cube of watermelon as if someone had carved it on purpose just to cheer me up. This evoked a smile, but it did not stop there.
Over the following months and years, my life became stamped with pain and weakness. I trudged through a long medical journey, trying to understand why I was getting sicker. Meanwhile, whenever pain or discouragement attempted to drag me under, or a new diagnosis was discovered, I would find a smile "planted" somewhere for my eyes to see. This remained a long-held secret between me and the Lord, one I never intended to share with anyone. However, after years of finding these hidden smiles, I could not keep them to myself any longer.
For more stories, visit my blog at www.mygodsmiles.net
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About the Book
How do you find God's smile in the midst of trials?
This collection of moving stories and devotions is based on the author's experience with chronic illness. She illustrates how you can look for God's hand and perhaps sense His smile in times of trouble.
Even if you aren't facing trials you'll find this book to be rich in life lessons everyone can learn from. She will show you how to look for His love in ordinary, everyday things: like a snowflake, a hat, or a song.
You will be touched by stories like Handing Out Hope where she shares about her husband's diagnosis with cancer.
You will laugh when you read about her children in An Acre Of Memories, and you'll be delighted to read heartwarming devotions such as Let It Rain and The Hat From Heaven.
You will also find hope and tremendous encouragement throughout GodSmiles, especially in stories like Love Without Conditions and You Are Mine, which testify about the Lord's unfailing love.
For more stories, visit my blog at www.mygodsmiles.net
About the Author
Angie lives in Texas with her husband and their three teenage children. She has suffered for almost two decades with lupus, fibromyalgia, and chronic pain. But she refuses to let disease define her. Besides writing, she loves to cook and grow anything that blooms. Angie is also the author of What I Learned Lying Down—Hope for the Chronically Ill.
For more stories, visit my blog at www.mygodsmiles.net