JUST ROLL WITH IT - Janice Thompson - One Free Book

Welcome back, Janice. I’m so glad to host you on my blog again. What would you like for our readers to know about you personally?

I’m still here. Hahaha. Many of my readers know me because of my romantic comedies, which were written years ago. These days I’m focusing on devotions and cozy mysteries. I might write first-person comedies again, but for now, this is what the Lord has me doing.

Tell us about your family.

Thanks for asking! I have four daughters and nine grandchildren. All of my girls are Jesus-lovers. Many of them are also worship leaders. My grandchildren are feisty and fun. All of them are being raised in godly homes, which makes my heart sing. Recently I went on a trip with them and it brought such joy to my heart to hear the little girls singing worship songs in the back seat as I drove.

Have you written other nonfiction books?

Yes, I’ve written a total of 113 books so far. (I say “so far” because there are many more in the works!) About half of those are non-fiction books, mostly devotions.

Do you have any other books in the works right now?

I’m working on a cozy mystery for Guideposts, even now. It’s set in Lancaster County (the Amish country) and is part of the Mysteries of Lancaster County series.

What kinds of hobbies and leisure activities do you enjoy?

I love to bake. When I’m not writing or playing with grandkids, I’m often baking cakes or cookies for loved ones. I’m also a dog lover. I foster for my local shelter. I’m currently sitting on the sofa with two fosters curled up in my lap with my own three dogs cuddled up nearby.

Why did you write the featured book?

Several years ago I obtained my food handler’s license so that I could turn my kitchen into a commercial bakery. I ran my business (Nina’s Cakes and Cookies) and sold hundreds of tiered cakes, cookies, and cupcakes. So many funny (and sweet) things happened along the way, so I decided to chronicle my stories in this devotional.

What do you want the reader to take away from the book?

Even on the craziest of days (when everything goes wrong) there are lessons to be learned and joys to be found.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell my readers about you or your book?

Many of the stories in this book are about my mother. I was her caregiver for many years, until she passed away in 2017. She was an amazing baker and I learned a lot from her.

I loved meeting your mother and prayed for her. Please give us the first page or two from the book.

A Message to Readers from the Farmhouse Kitchen:

Welcome to my wacky, sugar-coated world, y’all! I’m Janice Thompson, Christian author and baker. In my world, books and baking go hand-in-hand. In my (somewhat messy) kitchen, you’re just as likely to find powdered sugar on the countertops as you are to find me wrapping up my latest novel or non-fiction book. That’s because I love to bake. Cakes, cookies, candies. . .you name it, I’m happy to make it.

 

I’m tickled to invite you into my disheveled domain, where you can watch me stir up sweet treats. . .and a bit of trouble. Pull up a chair and visit with me while I whip up a multi-tiered themed birthday cake or an order of hand-painted cookies. We’ll laugh and chat and talk about all of the things we’re learning about life—and faith—from my baking journey.

Why baking, you ask? Is there any finer way to forget your troubles? One minute you’re up to your elbows in flour and sugar, the next you’re sprinkling coconut and pecans on that delectable Italian cream cake or sneaking a nibble of that warm-from-the-oven snickerdoodle. One minute you’re softening butter in preparation for use, the next you’re adding dollops of homemade cream cheese icing to a luscious red velvet cake.

During those precious in-between moments—with your focus on mixing, scraping, and scooping—all of life’s cares disappear. You’re free to give yourself over to the process. There, with only the whirring of the mixer to distract you, God is free to speak into your situation.

And speak He does! He’s the Master Chef, after all, and you are His ready student, armed with mixing bowl and whisk. As you’re sifting powdered sugar, He’s sifting out the pain and turmoil of your day, leaving only peace. As you’re rolling out that pie crust or sugar cookie dough, He’s teaching you to let the cares of this life roll off of you. As you’re biting into that oozy chocolate chip cookie, He’s reminding you to taste and see that He is still good, no matter what you’re facing.

He is good, you know, and longs to meet you wherever you are. But why settle for an ordinary place when you can hang out with Him in the comfort and coziness of your home kitchen? There, between the mixing bowl, the pantry door, and the 350-degree oven, you will find your rhythm. Life will begin to make sense again. Hope will begin to rise inside your soul like bread dough rising in preparation for its eventual journey to the oven.

So, grab that rolling pin. Fire up that oven! Tie on that apron! Grab the baking powder, flour, sugar, and other necessities. It’s time to head to the kitchen to see what tasty tidbits God has in store for you, His precious child.  

Wag the Dog

I work with powdered sugar. Lots and lots of powdered sugar. And I’m notorious for getting it all over the place. It’s nothing to find the white fluffy substance on my floor beneath the mixer. You will most certainly locate it on the countertop, even underneath bowls and spoons. I’ve often found the sticky white powder in my hair after a baking spree! Nothing, however, tops my ultimate powdered sugar story.

I was making frosting for an Italian cream cake, and had creamed the butter until it was light and fluffy. I got ready to add the powdered sugar. Apparently, my male dachshund, Copper, decided this would be the appropriate time to hang out at my feet. (No doubt he was hoping for some overflow!) With the mixer whirring, I added the powdered sugar. Poof! The blades were moving so fast that white puffs of sugar shot straight into the air and flew to the ground below, coating everything in sight.

I slowed the mixer and kept working, my thoughts on the frosting, not the dog. Only when I finished mixing the buttercream did I glance down and discover that Copper’s back was completely covered in the white powdery mist! My black-and-tan Doxie looked like he’d been caught up in a snowstorm. He was absolutely giddy at his good fortune.

Now, dogs have a unique problem that humans don’t. They can’t reach their own backs. Had he really received this sugary blessing, only to find it out of reach? What a sad pooch! There was really no way to clean off the sugar, short of rolling around on the rug.

No problem! My female dachshund, Sasha, showed up moments later and went to work, cleaning Copper’s back. She had a blast, licking off that sweetness. Poor Copper! He got the powdered sugar shower; she got the benefits.

I got to thinking about how many times that has happened in my life. I’ve come so close to receiving a blessing, only to lose it in the eleventh hour to someone else. How sad, to watch as others reap the benefits while I go without.

We have two choices when we face near-miss blessings. We can either grow bitter or we can hang around at the Master’s feet to experience the next overflow. It is coming, you know. He’s got blessings in abundance for all of His kids. We’ve just got to be like Copper, ready to lap it up when the moment comes.

SCRIPTURE:
God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you’re ready for anything and everything, more than just ready to do what needs to be done.

II Corinthians 9:8 The Message

PRAYER:

Father, I long to sit at Your feet, not for the blessings You’re longing to pour down on me, but simply because I’m Your child. You are my loving Father. You shower me with sweetness when I least expect it. Praise You, Lord, for Your kindness! Amen.

I love that devotional. It’s so true. Where on the Internet can the readers find you?

Website: www.janiceathompson.com

Facebook: JaniceHannaThompson

Twitter: booksbyjanice

Thank you, Janice, for sharing this new book with my blog readers and me. I’m loving the devotional books you and Linda Kozar are writing.

  

Readers, here’s a link to the book.

Just Roll with It: Devotions from the Farmhouse Kitchen - Hardback

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