Shannon Taylor Vannatter, author of White Roses, had numerous devotions that easily could have made my top 20 of 2010. I chose this one because I am a firm believer in taking our thoughts captive and making them obedient to Christ. Negativity is like a rapidly growing cancer. The minute you let that first negative thought in, another one comes riding on its shirttails, and before you know it, your head’s swimming with negativity. When I read Shannon’s devo, I have a vision of this beautiful sister in Christ holding her shield of faith high as one flaming arrow after another came her way. Yet, she was shielded, protected, wearing her nice rose colored glasses.

Today’s devo first appeared on Inkspirational Messages on July 6, 2010.

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Since I’m an optimist, unsinkable faith is a no brainer to me. Yes, I get down, but I don’t stay there long and when I get up, I put my rose-colored glasses right back on.

For eight years, I’ve put my unsinkable faith into practice in my role as a mom. This is the hardest, most rewarding part of my life. Even harder than getting published. Since I’m the main care taker, I have a large responsibility to mold my son into a Godly boy, a Godly teenager, a Godly man, a Godly husband, and a Godly father. The teenager part already makes me shudder and I’ve been praying about it since before he was born.

For nine years, I put my unsinkable faith into practice while trying to get published. I never said, if I get published, I always said, when I get published. When I got a rejection, I sent out another query, or proposal I kept studying my craft, striving, and submitting. And eventually editors took notice.

For nine years, I’ve put my unsinkable faith into practice in my role as a pastor’s wife. I’ve said it before, but the hardest part to me is that people become part of my family. But sometimes, they don’t stay. I’ve learned to embrace each new visitor or member for as long as they stick around. And know that if anyone leaves, He’ll bring in new people to love.

For twenty-six years, I’ve put my unsinkable faith into practice in my role as a wife. My husband and I are pulled in so many different directions. He works full-time as a dental technician and is supposedly a part-time pastor. Much of his time is spent pastoring and putting together sermons. Much of my time is spent supporting him in those efforts. Often, my days are monopolized with writing, revising, editing, and marketing. All of our down time is spent keeping our son happy and healthy. All of this leaves little time for us.

But no matter how crazy and complicated life gets, even when the valleys come and we think we’ll never see daylight from the mountain top again, I know it will all work out okay. God said it would be: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

And that’s where I hang my unsinkable faith, on a God who keeps all His promises.  What areas of your life have required unsinkable faith lately?

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Shannon Taylor Vannatter married her high school sweetheart. Since then her husband answered the call to preach and they became first-time parents 16 ½ years into their marriage. 25 years later, she is a stay-at-home mom/pastor’s wife/writer. When not writing, she runs circles in the care and feeding of her husband Grant, their eight-year-old son, and their church congregation. Home is a central Arkansas zoo with two charcoal gray cats, a chocolate lab, a dragonfish, and three dachshunds in weenie dog heaven. If given the chance to clean house or write, she’d rather write. Her goal is to hire Alice from the Brady Bunch.

Her series with Heartsong Presents launched in May with White Roses. White Doves follows in October, and White Pearls in January. Each book ships to a 10,000 member bookclub, then to stores six months later. All three books are set in Romance and Rose Bud, Arkansas. Brides and lovebirds take advantage of the re-mailing program to have wedding invitations and Valentines cards mailed from Romance with a unique postmark. Romance also hosts several annual weddings with Valentine’s Day the most popular date.

Order White Roses at http://www.heartsongpresents.com/book/detail/9781602607552/. Learn more about Shannon and her books at http://shannonvannatter.com. Her new blog, The Inkslinger, features true love stories, inspirational author’s real-life romances, insight into the love lives of their fictional characters, book excerpts, romantic destinations, and weekly book giveaways at http://www.shannonvannatter.com/blog.

And a bit about her novel, White Roses:

Pastor Grayson Sterling loves his wife. The problem is, Sara was killed by a hit-and-run driver two years ago. Grayson knows he needs to move on, that the continuing depth of his grief is not healthy for him or his young son. Desperate, he convinces his church to hire Mark Welch as associate pastor to relieve him of some of his load. When Adrea Welch arrives at his church with her brother, Grayson cannot deny his attraction to her.

For years, florist Adrea Welch has been artfully arranging white roses for Sara Sterling. Now those flowers are carried to the cemetery by a faithful, grieving husband. How can Adrea be so attracted to a man still devoted to his dead wife? When secrets from Adrea’s past collide with their budding relationship, both she and Grayson must learn to lean on God’s abiding wisdom.