Prayer 5 - Sometimes we need courage....

Prayer 5

Sometimes we need courage...

When you fear something do you shy away or take courage? 

Does that fear loom large and heavy in your mind?

Sometimes the thought is greater than the reality that is behind the door.

God says "Do not be afraid" 

Isaiah 41:10 (NLT) "Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand."

God is with you. 

He wants to hold your hand.

He loves you.

God bless,

Margaret xx

Author of How to Make Victoria Sponge

Christian book review - day one

How to Make Victoria Sponge blog tour

My blog tour with Celebrate Lit began today with the first blog stop. I was delighted to receive the following review:

Endearing and one of a kind . . . How To Make Victoria Sponge will make you laugh, cry, and delight you all at the same time! The British vernacular incorporated was a welcome surprise and was such a nice aspect of the book- I felt the sudden need to have hot tea while reading :) This is such a unique book because it's so relatable to any mother or wife and all the chaos that comes along with it though you love each person that causes the chaos. It's also unique because it's not written like your typical book- it is more of a chronicle of events that happen in Victoria's life and how she responds to the stress and happy events that come her way. We learn that simply saying Yes to the Lord on a daily basis brings Him great joy and glorifies Him. We learn that being a mom and wife is ok even if we feel like our lives are just mediocre, because God is pleased with us simply trusting Him and obeying Him. He sees us all as special, unique children of His no matter how simple our lives may seem when we glorify Him with our actions. He loves to speak to His children as we communicate to Him which we see so clearly in Victoria's monologue of prayer and the Lord's response. Honestly, this book felt like as much of an inspirational devotional as it was a heartwarming read. We see how Victoria rises above the stress to be a loving wife and mother, a loving, supportive daughter of aging parents, a friend who is there in times of grief, and more all because she learns to constantly communicate with the Lord and meditate on His strength and His words to provide strength and direction. While we all know that we need to constantly depend upon, communicate, and meditate upon the Lord, this book actually challenged me to realize how much being aware of the presence of the Lord is a need in my life. You will be completely delighted with this book from all aspects of its' wonderful surprises. Thank you for an inspiring, emotionally packed, heartwarming read Mrs. Kazmierczak! :)

https://areadersbrain.blogspot.co.uk/2016/09/how-to-make-victoria-sponge-by-margaret.html?showComment=1475175000508#c4224310234834047425

I am delighted that my ebook blessed the reader and hope that it will bless more readers who read the review and decide to purchase the ebook.

God bless,

Margaret xx

Author of How to make Victoria Sponge

Free Giveaway ebook - final day today

Free Giveaway ebook

How to Make Victoria Sponge

Final day today

https://giveaway.amazon.com/p/cb7877b1ab9f5531#ln-ln

Prayer 4 - Sometimes we battle...

Prayer 4

Sometimes we battle......

When there is conflict in your family do you fight back?

Do you ask the Father to bring harmony?

To send His Peace?

To quieten the storm?

Disunity brings tears to God's eyes, 

breaks up families and dominoes into the world. 

Peace starts at home.

God loves you, He wants unity.

Seek peace within yourself.

God bless,

Margaret xx

Author of How to Make Victoria Sponge

Prayer 3 - Sometimes when we are broken...

Prayer 3

Sometimes when we are broken......

Is your first response to take your troubles to the Father?

Do you look to the Cross and see the Crucified One?

He understands.

He loves you and wants to fix your pain.

He can make you whole again.

God bless,

Margaret xx

Author of How to Make Victoria Sponge 

Prayer 2 - Sometimes we trip and fall...

Prayer 2

Sometimes we trip and fall....

Do you know where you are going?

Have you asked God for directions at the beginning of your day?

The Father wants you to travel lightly in His Grace. 

You are important to Him.

He loves you.

God bless,

Margaret xx

Author of How to Make Victoria Sponge

Prayer 1 - Sometimes we can't see for looking...

Prayer 1

Sometimes we can't see for looking..... 

Do you look to God when you are searching for something?

Even those things that are unimportant are important to God.

Seek and you shall find. 

When you are lost, ask God to reveal his presence to you.

You are important.

God bless

Margaret xx

Author of How to Make Victoria Sponge

Introduction - who am I

Introduction - who am I

Hi, 

My name is Margaret Kazmierczak. 

I am a wife and mother of three children and live in England. 

I love to write and blog especially encouraging other christians. 

On September 19th this year (2016) my ebook, How to Make Victoria Sponge, was published by Celebrate Lit Publishing. 

I loved writing this book as it took me on a journey of faith. It challenged me to think more deeply about how God is part of my life. 

Here is a sample from Chapter One.

   I believe that two elephants are descending the stairs as the racket is deafening.

  ‘Mind the light’ the kid’s father reminds them as they jump the last four steps. Too late, there is a ping and the light blows as Henry head butts it out of the way. Johnny is the first to the kitchen and picks up a plate with eggs and bacon on it. His hair is all over the place and it looks and smells like he did a spot lick instead of having a shower.

   Oh Lord, wash me clean from my sins and renew my flagging spirit.

   ‘Thanks mum’ he says and opens the fridge. He downs a pint of milk in one go and puts the empty bottle back. He then takes half a loaf of bread for his lunch and leaves for school.

   ‘What about your sandwiches son?’ my husband asks.

   ‘I've got them’ he calls out, not realizing that the half a loaf of bread was for the other sandwiches I need to make for the hungry mob that is left. 

   Oh Lord, give me wise words to feed my children with each day. Help me to point them to your LOVE and quench their thirst.

Victoria Sponge lives a normal family life. Her life is full of chaos, with both funny and tragic events filling her week. 

It is so easy to live and fit God in whenever we can, however, this book shows that our friendship with our Heavenly Father can be so much more. 

Come and see, don't settle for crumbs when you can have the whole cake.

Blessings on you all for reading my post.

Margaret

https://www.facebook.com/writerandblogger/

www.margaretk.co.uk

https://www.amazon.com/Make-Victoria-Sponge-Margaret-Kazmierczak-ebook/dp/B01LZFFOLR

Book - Cake or Character?

Victoria Sponge

              Cake                               or                            Character?                            

Both

In the world of the imagination anything is possible. Even the heroine being named after a cake.

My dear friend, Caryl McAdoo, author of a wonderful Texas Romance series, dropped by my facebook author page, asking me to share why. 

https://www.facebook.com/writerandblogger/

I had no idea that "Victoria Sponge" was a kind of cake. :) 

I think we call it Angel Food in the States. :)It's almost like air in your mouth and used a lot when preparing strawberry shortcake. I make mine with vanilla pound cake...thicker and chewier. :)

I wonder how you came up with naming your heroine after a cake?:)

Would you like to share that story? :) <3

My reply to Caryl was:

Caryl, thank you for your question. 

I don't know about you but my ideas often come at 4am in the morning when I want to be asleep.

Before I went to sleep I was brainstorming trying to think of a title for the book. Nothing wowed me from this exercise. 

Then I woke up at 4am and the name shot out of nowhere. Victoria Sponge. 

Why? Because God made us. He put together all the ingredients and made the perfect person. Like a cake we put in the best ingredients, lovingly mix and bake.

The result we hope will be perfect. 

In my case it is not very often. So the idea of a woman called Victoria Sponge was mainly to do with my baking skills. She would be imperfect, like my cakes, but her best ingredient would be God. With God in the mix Victoria Sponge had the opportunity of rising through the messiness of life. This analogy seems to fit perfectly with the contents of the book. <3

Do you have a question? 

Victoria Sponge talks to Margaret Kazmierczak

Victoria Sponge talks to Margaret Kazmierczak

Delighted to meet you Margaret.

Thank you Vicki. 

Seems odd, me chatting to my creator.

It's a little strange, but then we like to be different.

My question plain and simple is, how was I cooked?

Well, my cooking skills are notorious for being a bit challenged. Cakes particularly emerge from my oven flat. Now it could be because the cooker is old and has seen better days, or my ingredients. My gut feeling ventures towards the ingredients. 

You were a classic recipe, a mix all in one go, and hey presto, pop in oven and out comes a delicious cake. Not so, you came out flat until I realized that I had missed out the most important ingredient.

And what was that?

God.

God?

Yes, without a doubt a key ingredient. You can make characters come alive and tell their story, but you needed to be different. A normal woman, struggling with family, work and life has been written about many times. The difference with you and what makes you unique is your relationship with God. It is not a Sunday ritual. You live out your church each and everyday through your prayers. 

So not everyone does that?

So many people have said to me, I don't know how to pray. You were baked in order to show people, how to fit prayer into their daily lives. 

I see, how exciting. But wouldn't that be a bit dry for many readers?

It could be, however, you are most certainly not. Into the mixture I put a husband, four children and a cat. 

They are the flavouring.

Yes. Lots of scope to bring in funny and tragic stories.

I love the way you have blended God into my life.

Thank you Vicki. I am hoping that a lot of readers will find your story encouraging and helpful. It has certainly helped me to understand Philippians 4:6 - Don't worry about anything; instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. (NLT)

Thank you Margaret for talking to me.

It's a pleasure Vicki. 

Have you a question for Victoria Sponge?

Free Giveaway

Free Giveaway

Today is the release day of my ebook, How to Make Victoria Sponge. 

To celebrate this my publisher Celebrate Lit Publishing is organizing an give away. For you chance to win visit this link:

Congratulations to Margaret Kazmierczak! It is release day for How to Make Victoria Sponge! We are celebrating with an #amazon #giveaway! 

Click below to enter!
https://giveaway.amazon.com/p/cb7877b1ab9f5531https://giveaway.amazon.com/p/cb7877b1ab9f5531


Order your copy of How to Make Victoria Sponge today:http://amzn.to/2cKtZKmhttp://amzn.to/2cKtZKm

How to experience God in everyday life

How to experience God in everyday life.

It is easy to compartmentalize God. To think that God is for times of trouble, for Sunday, baptisms, marriages and death. However God is not a distant relative that we visit occasionally. He is, if we allow it, our friend and constant companion. 

This intimacy is written about in How to Make Victoria Sponge, where everyday life is intricately linked with God through funny and tragic situations.

If you don't know how God is involved in your life then reading this book will help you understand where God is, in all the messiness that life produces.

We can all feel lost at times.

Maybe Victoria Sponge can help you find your way again.

Many blessings Margaret xx

www.margaretk.co.uk

https://www.facebook.com/writerandblogger/

Where to buy:

Amazon.com-https://www.amazon.com/Make-Victoria-Sponge-Margaret-Kazmierczak-ebook/dp/B01LZFFOLR/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8#nav-subnav

Amazon.co.uk-https://www.amazon.co.uk/Make-Victoria-Sponge-Margaret-Kazmierczak-ebook/dp/B01LZFFOLR

How to survive life

How to survive life

Matthew 6:26-33New Living Translation (NLT)

26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

28 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.33 Seek the Kingdom of God[a] above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

So How do we survive life? Do we look to the world for the answers or to God?

The choice is yours - but the outcome depends on your answer.

Many blessings Margaret

www.margaret.co.uk

https://www.facebook.com/writerandblogger/

How we experience Gethsemane

Gethsemane an experience to share with Jesus. 

Have you encountered Gethsemane?

Facebook Author Page 

 It is a pleasure to announce the publication of my ebook in America.

I had a fantastic Cover Real Party hosted by Celebrate Lit. So many people turned up to the online party and contributed with comments and suggestions, all nice ones thankfully.

Since then I have produced a facebook author page for readers to connect with and join in the journey of this author’s book. Please pop on over and ‘like’. From time to time there will be free giveaways and possibly a competition or two.

https://www.facebook.com/writerandblogger/

Look forward to seeing you on my fb page.

Margaret x

The ebook can be pre-ordered from this link:
https://www.amazon.com/Make-Victoria-Sponge-Margaret-Kazmierczak-ebook/dp/B01LZFFOLR/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1473859801&sr=1-2&keywords=how+to+make+victoria+sponge#nav-subnav