Hotels, Walmart, and Free Stuff
It was 1:00 a.m. when I got to the hotel. Err, motel. I had just driven an hour and a half from my daughter’s graduation. The moment I opened the door, the smell of cigarette smoke greeted me. That was the least bothersome thing about the room.
The orange chair had mystery stains, the towels were not fresh (aka dirty), the tub and toilet looked like they hadn’t been cleaned since the early ’90s, and neither the air conditioner nor the bathroom outlet worked. As I gingerly got into bed (yikes—I had to sleep somewhere), I kept reminding myself: This is better than camping. I think. It was certainly less than ideal.
Sometimes life is less than ideal, right? There’s not enough money for the month. Life doesn’t turn out the way we hoped. And hotel rooms are gross. But God is still in the middle of the less than ideal. He’s still there, showing up and holding things together, including us.
Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” John 5:17
Book Buzz
Well, that took longer than it should have. I’m not usually this slow… but Hidden Heartache is now officially available beyond Amazon—hello Walmart and Barnes & Noble! 🎉
Now there are more places for women to find hope and encouragement. Here’s how one reader found encouragement:
“If I had to describe Jody’s book in one word it would be COURAGEOUS. I recently experienced a tragedy far different than Jody’s, but I still found that her story resonated with mine in a way I didn’t expect. While her book speaks of great pain & sorrow, she also manages to bring wit & levity to her story and effectively reminds the reader of their ability to find hope and strength through Jesus, our Lord & Savior.”
Your review for Hidden Heartache helps women find hope. You can leave a brief review here. Thanks so much.
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9
Kindred Connections
If you’ve ever wished someone could make the Bible easier to understand, Kathy Howard is your girl. Kathy is a smart cookie with solid biblical training and years of teaching experience. Kathy has a gift for making deep truths easy to understand. Here are a couple of her resources to help you on your Bible study journey:
7 Common Bible Mistakes that are Easy to Fix
3 Steps to Help You Choose a New Bible
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Psalm 119:105
Favorite Things
Free stuff. That’s one of my favorite things. Maybe you love free stuff too. If so, this is for you!
I’ve teamed up with 7 other women for an incredible giveaway. Our GRAND PRIZE WINNER will receive a Dyson V8 Vacuum Cleaner (valued at $400). That’s way nicer than my vacuum cleaner.
SECOND PRIZE: The best part? Everyone's a winner! As a thank you for entering, everyone will receive a FREE gift/resource from each influencer emailed to them over the next few weeks. This is our gift to you—just for entering the giveaway.
Enter here: Dyson V8 Vacuum Cleaner Giveaway (valued at $400)
May your summer be full of clean hotel rooms and good books. ☀️
Jody
PS. For the skimmers: Enter our Dyson V8 Vacuum Cleaner Giveaway (valued at $400!) and you could win a Dyson V8 Vacuum Cleaner.
ENTER HERE: Dyson V8 Vacuum Cleaner Giveaway
IMPORTANT! The Dyson V8 Vacuum Cleaner Giveaway runs 6/17-6/19 at midnight. A random winner will be selected via KingSumo on 6/20/25 and notified within 48 hours. This giveaway is not sponsored or endorsed by anyone except this group of participating influencers. By entering the giveaway you agree to receive emails from the contributing authors as part of their email list, but feel free to unsubscribe at any time. All winners must confirm their emails via KingSumo's confirmation email. We reserve the right to make sure each winner's email address is valid. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. US Residents only. Must be 21+ years of age to participate. Thank you for entering!
