Honorable Disgrace - blog tour

Hey, I'm helping an author friend of mine on the release of her new book Honorable Disgrace.

Angie Adams joins the power-lifting team her junior year, but she has more in mind than just toning up—like getting closer to her crush, football star Cory Jacob, who, as luck would have it, is assigned as her spotting partner. When Angie’s feelings are unexpectedly returned, her life is suddenly filled with the giddy electricity of first love. But why, then, does Angie get a little flutter when her older and very hot boss, Brad, looks at her?

Angie seems to have everything going her way, until her world is torn apart by her sister’s betrayal which leads to a brutal rape.  Heartbroken and reeling in the aftermath, Angie has to find an internal strength to rival her record-breaking power lifts if she ever wants to feel worthy of love again.

Stephanie N. Pitman has taught preschool for over 12 years and is a motivated entrepreneur, currently operating two successful businesses with her husband, Travis. She writes fiction and nonfiction.

Her first novel, a YA Contemporary, Honorable Disgrace, is based on her own story of overcoming the ugly side of life, betrayal and rape. She is a graduate of the Institute of Children's Literature and an active member of the SCBWI. Stephanie enjoys spending time with her husband of 16 years, and their two boys, visiting the beautiful splendor and diversity of their home state of Montana. Along with being an avid reader and dedicated writer, she enjoys pushing herself to her best by competing in triathlons, relay races, and half marathons. She is also a Zumba and Yoga Instructor.


You can find Stephanie on Facebook  , Goodreads, Twitter , Amazon and Pinterest.

God's Nature, God's Law

I've said it before but it bears repeating: God is not our personal genie.

He loves us. It is His nature to do so. Within that love He disciplines us, passes judgment on us, and even shows His wrath against those who continue to sin and to rebel against Him.

If you really believe that God is perfect in His love for us then you must also believe that His will toward us is also perfect. God is omniscient (all-knowing), omni-present (is everywhere), and omnipotent (all-powerful).

When we hear words like commandments, laws, and judgments we naturally have a negative reaction toward them, yet we know those are the most necessary things in raising our own precious children. We are precious to God and He has put in place those ‘rules’ for our good. 

It is God’s nature to want the best for us, because He loves us. Do you want to know the real purpose of God’s laws? Here it is in the fifth book of the Bible:

“In the future, when your son asks you, ‘What is the meaning of the stipulations, decrees and laws the LORD our God has commanded you?’ tell him: … ‘The LORD commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the LORD our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today. And if we are careful to obey all this law before the LORD our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness’”

God's Name

I've explained before the symbolic meaning of the four Hebrew letters that make up God’s holy name (yod, he, and vav). Here’s what we are supposed to do with that name:

1. Give thanks to His Holy Name.

2. Bring glory to His name.

3. Rejoice in His name.

4. Trust in His name.

5. Love His name.

6. Praise His name forever.

7. Bless His name.

8. Call on His name.

9. Declare His name to others.

10 Fear His name.

Answering Questions About LOVE

1.  How do we know what LOVE is?

Answer:  1^st John 3, verse 16:

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.

2. How do we determine who LOVES God?

Answer: John 14, verse 21:

Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.

3. What can separate us from God’s LOVE?

Answer: Romans 8, verses 38 and 39:

… neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

4.  How should we LOVE God?

Answer: Matthew 22, verse 37:

Jesus replied: “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’”

5. How should we manifest our LOVE toward one another?

Answer: 1^st Corinthians 13, verses 4 – 8:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

Does God Interrupt Your Life?

God has a right, you know, to interrupt your life any time He wants to if you’ve given your life over to Him. He made you. You are His. He has plans for you. Jeremiah 29: 11 says:

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Imagine your boss at work giving you multiple assignments throughout the year. What if you only did half of them? Would you get a poor performance review? Probably, and you can forget about a raise. Worse yet, what if your actions get you fired? What then?

If God interrupts your life with an assignment, do it. If you don’t think you have the skills necessary, think again. He will prepare you. If you are faithful to obey Him, your reward will be wonderful.

Here are some assignments He may interrupt your routine with:

 1) Witness to someone 

2) Give your time to help someone

3) Visit someone in the hospital (or prison)  

4) Travel somewhere you don’t want to go to

 5) Stop doing something sinful in your life

Can you add to the list?