Waste Not, Want Not

This morning God knocked on my heart and revealed how wasteful I've been lately. I was brushing my teeth when my gaze followed the trail of running water. Immediately I turned off the faucet and finished brushing before I turned on the water to rinse my brush. I don't have cups in my bathroom since I use my hands to catch the water for that purpose. Again, a big waste. And, I'd been grumbling about receiving the highest water bill ever this month.
Imagine, I waste water unconsciously, taking the blessing for granted, while children in other countries rely on mud puddles for survival. I have a glass of "filtered" water from the refrigerator, along with ice cubes to keep it cold. I don't worry about contracting a fatal disease by quenching my thirst.
As I look around my house, I see many things for my pleasure and enjoyment, all taken for granted. I live in a country of abundance. No wonder others look on me as a "rich" American. I may not be rich monetarily by the standards of our country, but I am rich in all the things that matter. God has provided all that I need, and while I give him thanks every day, I haven't realized the extent of how I'm wasting what He has so generously provided.
Currently, there is a shake-up in the publishing world with large conglomerate bookstores and publishers. Welcome to the new digital world of publishing. While we might look on digital books and ebook readers as extravagance, I'm looking at it another way. We are conserving God's gifts by purchasing digital books. I wonder how many trees it takes to make a production run of print books? While I believe print books are wonderful, POD seems a much better method of publication. No unnecessary waste. A book is produced only when there is a purchase.
I'm thrilled to be an ebook published author. And, I thank God every day for his gifts, and for this path to publication he has provided.
How about you? Have you purchased a digital book lately?

Carol Ann Erhardt
http://www.carolannerhardt.com/
Available now at White Rose Publishing: JOSHUA'S HOPE

Release Day for "A Girl Named Christmas!"

Today is release day for Kimberlee R. Mendoza's "A Girl Named Christmas," available at the Wild Rose Press - www.thewildrosepress.com. Here's the blurb:

Christmas is dragging her feet to her fortieth birthday, dreading the realization that she will never marry. In a vain effort to feel better, she begins to reminisce about her youth.

The year is 1955 in Ashabula, Ohio. Chris and her siblings are attractive young women forbidden to date until they are adults. When the gardener’s son Elijah begins to pursue Chris, despite her stubborn heart, she falls hard. When her mother finds out, a tragedy occurs and Chris turns her back on the only man she would ever love.

Is it too late for her? Or is it possible that her romantic journey is just beginning?

On Friday - ALVARADO GOLD by Victoria Pitts-Caine and NICK AND NOELLE by Kara Lynn Russell will be released by the Wild Rose Press. Both books will be available as downloads. NICK AND NOELLE will also be available in print. ALVARADO GOLD will be released in print soon. Friday is the day that Kimberlee R. Mendoza's YA novel LOVE THY SISTER, GUARD THY MAN will be available in print.

We will be drawing the first names for our book giveaway, so make sure you check back here to see if you've won. If you haven't entered the contest yet, there's still time. Just leave us a comment listing three of your favorite blessings.