inspiration

Don’t Back Up by Shelley Wilburn

/ Dora Hiers

I have met so many wonderful people online who I hope to meet in person someday this side of heaven. Shelley Wilburn is one of those dear friends. Right now, I’ll have to settle for a glimpse of her beautiful face here! 🙂 

Don’t Back Up is a brief snippet from her debut book, Walking Healed, which released recently. If you suffer from mental or verbal abuse or depression, be encouraged that you can be healed and live a joyful life! ~Dora

Shelley Wilburn
So many times in our lives, when we are making progress, something or someone will come along and try to knock us back. In the past that happened to me a lot. Whether it was at school or at home, or somewhere in between, there were many times that I just felt like I couldn’t catch a break. And I would back up. It’s very frustrating.
Even though I endured much intimidation and “put-downs” through those times, I never stopped trying to figure out a way to get to where I knew I needed to be. That includes even the very night I went to the Lord for healing. I have learned that sometimes you just have to press through the jungle to get to the river.

I talk about healing a lot, I know. But it is crucial in what I do now, and even more important that I tell others. Because when it comes right down to it, without the healing, I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing now. I can’t back up.

“I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.” ~Philippians 3:12, NLT

The old saying, “You’ve come a long way, baby” is true even for me. While I’m not a walking billboard for cigarettes, I am a walking billboard for the Lord. I have come a long way, baby! And you can come a long way, too. Just don’t back up.

I have come too far to allow someone or something to stop me in my tracks. My pastor tells us repeatedly that if you are in the will of God, nothing can touch you, not even Satan! Oh, he may think he can and he may try his hardest to mess you up, but in all reality, he has absolutely NO power at all… unless you give it to him.

So many times I hear Christian people complaining about their problems and “how hard it is” to do things. It really breaks my heart to hear them when I know that if they would take their eyes off the past and what is bothering them and put them back on Christ, things would begin to work out. However, I watch as they continue on a downward spiral into the black hole of unforgiveness, bitterness, and anguish, blaming everything and everyone who crosses their path.

“No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead…” ~Philippians 3:13a, NLT

“Well, you just don’t know what I’M going through!” I hear. It isn’t directly about what you’re going through. It’s about where your focus lies. If you aren’t focused one-hundred-percent on Jesus, then don’t expect positive things to happen! Plain and simple.

“…let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…” ~Hebrews 12:1b-2a, NKJV (emphasis added)

If you aren’t focused, if you have backed up, then how can you expect God to help you? However, if you are moving forward, trusting Him with everything you’ve got, then when the attacks come you will know what they are and how to handle them. You will walk through the fire unscathed instead of crumbling and complaining because you are under attack.

“When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior…” 
~Isaiah 42:2-3a, NLT

I’ve been there, too. I know. At some point you are going to have to ask yourself, “Is it worth it to continue to back up and let the enemy win? Or am I going to trust the One Who can get me out of it and make things better?”

Step forward today into the blessed life that God wants you to have! Start speaking positive things no matter what is going on. Speak to those things which are not as though they are. Put your foot on the neck of your enemy and declare your victory. And whatever you do… Don’t Back Up!

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“Sometimes… we have to get to a certain point in our lives where we are actually ready for God to use us. And God has to get us to that certain point in our lives when the clay is ready for the Master’s hands. I was at that point the night God healed me.” ~Shelley Wilburn, excerpt from Walking Healed

Have you ever wondered what life would be like if you weren’t suffering depression, intimidation, or even verbal or mental abuse? Depression is a very real issue for many people. It causes health issues, affects relationships, marriages, your weight, and even your walk with the Lord. Many people don’t understand that even Christians suffer depression. Shelley Wilburn knows and understands a life lived in the “black hole” of depression and intimidation. She suffered it for over forty years. She also knows what it’s like when God heals you from it all, sending you on a wonderful journey of walking healed.

In Walking Healed, Shelley uses personal stories and biblical truths to encourage others and experience the hope that she walks in every day. She uses her story of healing to help others know that even depression is curable and that “nothing is impossible with God.”
Shelley Wilburn and her husband D.A. live in a house they built together on five and a half acres they lovingly call their Rinky Dink Farm. Along with their moody little dog Buster, they love to raise chickens, ride motorcycles, and watch the wild deer and turkeys cross their field. Shelley and D.A. have three grown, married children and three grandsons.
              
Shelley began writing when she was twelve years old. She wrote on the Junior High School newspaper but didn’t follow her love of writing until years later. She secretly wrote poetry but never let anyone read her poems, keeping them hidden in a notebook. She has written several articles for various newspapers, women’s magazines, and newsletters but didn’t start writing full time until God healed her. That’s when she knew that writing was her full-time calling.
Shelley tells of the complete change God has done in her life through her ministry, on her website and through the motorcycle ministry she and her husband share. Using her love of writing, motorcycle riding, and wearing mismatched socks, Shelley has developed a unique ministry of encouraging others using biblical truths and stories from her own personal life.
             
Shelley loves to hear from her readers.
             
              You can find Shelley at:
              Her website: www.shelleywilburn.org
              Her ministry website: www.where2.org
              Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorshelleywilburn
              Twitter: @Shelley_Wilburn
              Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/shelleyawilburn

              Email her at: shelley@shelleywilburn.org

Excited about Reading ~ Just One Kiss by Wendy Davy

/ Dora Hiers
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The Cover Story~

After acting on a dare and kissing the hottest guy at Granbury High, Molly Parker was left with a broken heart and a legacy she couldn’t live down; Dustin McKinley left town the very next day, taking her hopes and dreams along with him. A decade later…they meet again.

Molly assures herself she won’t fall for Dustin’s charms this time, yet with his good looks and dimpled smile, guarding her heart proves to be more of a challenge than she ever expected.

When Dustin inherits his grandmother’s farmhouse he returns to Granbury intending to sell the property. However, he must first evict the tenant occupying the garage apartment—the woman he walked away from years ago and has never been able to forget.

Dustin assures himself he’s doing what must be done, but when he reunites with Molly his attraction to her rekindles, jeopardizing his carefully constructed plans.

My takeaway~
Just One Kiss was all it took for Dustin McKinley to bolt for New York, leaving Molly Parker embarrassed about accepting the dare that sent him running. When another man swindles her savings, she’s over men and dating, content to grow flowers over relationships. That is until Dustin returns, and both are confronted with feelings that never faded. A few hurdles stand in their way, though, an eviction notice, the demands of Dustin’s job, and Carter Hutchins, the guy who plans to seduce Molly.

With a twenty-something hero and heroine who both value purity, Just One Kiss is sweet and soft, the kind of book that leaves you with an “ahhh” at the last page.

“I want to be loyal to my future marriage. I believe my body is a gift I should save for my husband.” ~Molly Parker

I especially enjoyed the parallel woven into the story involving Lakota, a homeless Labrador Retriever who the whole town cares for, with Dustin.

“She just has to believe she’s found the right place to be.” ~ Molly Parker on Lakota, the town’s stray dog 

 If you’re looking for a pleasant read to curl up with for a few hours on a rainy Saturday, you can’t go wrong with Just One Kiss. 

~ Dora, Fiction Faith and Foodies Blog

Disclaimer: I purchased Just One Kiss. The opinions expressed in this review are my own, and I received no monetary compensation.

Excited about Eating by Ernie Hiers

/ Dora Hiers

For today’s review we headed south of Charlotte to the Elizabeth neighborhood. This neighborhood was named after Elizabeth College, a small Lutheran women’s college founded in 1897 and is now the site of Presbyterian Hospital. Bang Bang Burgers is tucked into the back corner of the Twin Oaks Shopping Center, our second visit here. Dora here. So many cool looking restaurants in this area to tempt us along the way! 

Bang Bang Burgers

Service was speedy. The Fried Pickles appetizer appeared within minutes. The fried pickles were worth the return visit, a combination between a dill and sweet pickle served with a homemade ranch dipping sauce, cut into spears with heavy batter. They had to be one of the best fried pickles that I have ever tried. Dora here, The Best. Fried. Pickle. Ever. Sweet and sour warred on my tongue. Why don’t more places fry sweet pickles? 

Fried Pickles


My Bang Bang Burger was served with American cheese, lettuce, tomato and their famous Bangburger Sauce while the onion rings were also served with the Bangburger sauce for dipping. The burger was moist, ample size, and charred well. The onion rings were good but I preferred the Maple dipping sauce that came with my wife’s sweet potatoes fries.

Dora’s Cowboy Burger was served with sharp cheddar, bacon, and a smoky BBQ sauce while the sweet potatoes fries came with the lick-your-fingers-delicious maple dipping sauce. Dora here. Burgers are my go-to, and this burger was OK, not great. It was missing drip-down-your-chin juiciness. Presentation was beautiful, and the fries were sweet and moist. They would have been great on their own, but the maple dipping sauce rocketed them to awesome. 

Cowboy Burger

I would rate this establishment 4 forks out of 5 for a family friendly restaurant serving great food.



Dora here. If you like after lunch coffee and a sweet, walk around the corner to Sunflour Baking Company. Yum! I’m so thankful for my foodie husband!

Chocolate Coconut Macaroon
Latte


Do you have a favorite burger spot?

Bang Bang Burgers on Urbanspoon