Life in His Hands – A Call to Godly Surrender and Purposeful Living is a 60-day devotional by author Jill Holler. If you have doubts about God and His word, if you long for something to change your life for the better, this book will help you. For those seeking truth, desiring to know and experience the power of God, Life in His Hands will change your life. Jill will be giving away a signed print copy of her book. We would love to hear your comments! Signing in on the Rafflecopter offers even more opportunities to win! 

 

Fabulous Fridays

Life in His Hands

Welcome, Jill! Tell us a little about your background and family.

I grew up on a farm in rural Illinois. I loved farm life and didn’t mind at all being surrounded by nothing but pastures, cornfields, bean fields, and other wide open spaces. I now live in a “big city” (population 30,000) in eastern Iowa with my husband and two daughters, where I teach part-time, raise my kids, attend numerous sporting events that my husband coaches, and of course…write.

Please share the events that impacted your life and led to the writing of Life in His Hands – A Call to Godly Surrender and Purposeful Living.

Writing this devotional book was definitely a prompting of the Holy Spirit – not just to write – but to truly surrender my life to Christ. I asked Jesus to be my Savior as a child, but unfortunately as a young adult I turned away from my faith, wanting to live by my own standards—not God’s. But thankfully, God never gave up on me. He kept pursuing me relentlessly, and once I humbled myself, I confessed to Him that I needed Him more than anything else on this earth. He began to kindle a fire in my soul for Him, and over the past 10 years I have been growing by studying His word and meditating upon it.

But as God prompted me to begin writing this devotional book two years ago, I knew He wanted me to go further. He wanted to take me to the point of truly surrendering to Him, to willingly say, “God, I will go wherever you lead me, no matter where that is.” I knew without a doubt that I could write this book if He wanted me to. Without Him, I never could have done it, but with Him I had an unstoppable drive to do what He had called me to do.

Since Life in His Hands is your first published book, tell us a little about your road to publication.

I had absolutely no connections and no idea how to publish a book, but God kept providing all sorts of “coincidences” which led me to the Write-to-Publish Conference in Wheaton, Illinois. I took my book proposal and my manuscript (which at that point contained only 20 devotions) and headed to the conference, nervous yet excited about the opportunity. I presented my devotional book idea to Cindy Sproles of Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas, and she really liked the sample devotion I provided. As we talked, I could see the passion she had for Christ, and I had a feeling that LPC would be the publisher for me. A few weeks after the conference, LPC offered me a contract for my devotional book, and I was delighted beyond words.

With a family and job, what is the biggest challenge/obstacle you face in protecting your writing time?

As a mom, wife, writer, and part-time teacher, I always have a mental list running in my head of things I need to do, and the list never gets shorter. Those constant demands are the biggest challenge to my writing. If I put writing last on that list, it would never get done. Therefore, I have to prioritize the list and remember that God has a calling on my life and I want to honor Him with what I do. Sometimes cleaning and doing dishes get put at the bottom of the list in order to do my writing. When I get my priorities out of order, I remember this saying: “Only what is done for Christ will last.” That is what I want to teach my children, and that is how I want to live my own life.

What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?

God is teaching me to keep my eyes on Him and nothing else. He is teaching me to let go of all of my expectations and self-made plans and instead rely on Him. He is building in my heart a desire to find joy in Him alone, not in the fading treasures of this world. I believe He is trying to break through every level of my own selfishness and show me how to live the crucified life.

How would you like to inspire your readers with Life in His Hands?

I want readers to be drawn to the heart of God. I want them to see that He is our source of true joy, peace, and purpose – that He is the treasure we have always been searching for. I want them to celebrate the fact that our lives are full of purpose when we follow Christ—and there is nothing greater than living for Him.

What is one of your favorite Biblical passages (or books) to study through?

This is a tough question because the wonder of who God is, is displayed all over Scripture. But the book I turn to again and again to learn how the circumstances of my life intersect with the word of God is the book of Psalms. When I open that book, I am astounded at how God meets people right where they are and reaches out to them; I am comforted by the fact that we are free to cry out God with everything that is in our hearts, and he hears us and cares deeply for us.

What do you see ahead for your writing career? Do you have any projects in the works?

I hope I can keep writing for as long as I live. I find such joy and such a deep connection with God when I meditate on His word and write about it. The act of writing makes my mind active, and God takes me places I would never go without it.

Currently, I am working on a devotional book about living the crucified life that God calls us to. I feel God is leading me down that path because He has so much more to teach me in that area. I think I’ve only brushed the surface of what that means, and He wants to take me further. In addition, I have written a children’s devotional book based upon a quirky cat who gets into some silly situations but also learns some important lessons. It is a book that my two daughters begged me to write, and I hope it will bring both laughter and Godly insight to young readers.

Can you tell us something that your readers might find surprising about you?

I have a twin sister named Joy and no one can tell us apart. We look identical, sound identical, and have the same mannerisms. We confuse everyone! Whether we are at church or at the store, people never know which name to call us. We’ve considered wearing name tags as a part of our normal attire, but we are both forgetful, so we never remember to do it.

Please share one of your favorite passages from Life in His Hands with us.

No matter how busy I think I am, it is never worth it to miss out on the peace and strength He offers. I will never regret any time I spend in God’s word or in prayer. The following passage is the opening paragraph to my devotion, “At the Feet of Jesus.” It is one of my favorites because it reminds me of my daily need to be still in the presence of God:

Come, sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to him, even when the pressing responsibilities of life urge you away. Set aside the weight of your own agenda and the endless obligations that try to steal each moment away, and present Jesus with the offering of your time. How gladly he will receive it, and how refreshed you will be as his peace rushes over the worries of your heart. Nothing in this world can strengthen our souls like the quiet moments with Jesus, when his words become strength to us and his presence settles upon us.  When we choose Jesus over the distractions of this world, we, like Mary, have “chosen what is better and it will not be taken away from [us]” (Luke 10:42).

Book Blurb:

A Life in His Hands: A Call to Godly Surrender and Purposeful Living is a 60-day devotional book that calls believers to rise above the doubts and challenges that close in upon them and instead embrace the life-changing power of God’s word, which can embolden them to live the life that God has called them to.

About the author:

Jill Holler is a mother, wife, teacher, and writer who holds a master’s degree in English from Western Illinois University. She has taught writing classes at both Joliet Junior College in Illinois and Muscatine Community College in Iowa. Yet far beyond her education and career, the words in the Bible have opened her eyes to truths that have forever impacted her life. Once blind to the power that resides in God’s word, Jill now seeks it with all her heart, knowing that within the pages of the Bible are the truth and life she has been longing for.

Connect with Jill:

Website: www.changedbyhisgrace.com

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/JillHollerAuthor/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/JillHoller

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jill_Holler

Amazon Author Page: https://amazon.com/author/jillholler

Book Link:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Life-His-Hands-Surrender-Purposeful-ebook/dp/B01JD9XJYM/

 

 

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