Shannon here: Caryl McAdoo shares the inspiration for her latest Historical Romance, Texas Wildflowers. Comment or answer the question in this post to enter the drawing for an Advanced Reader’s copy. Deadline: Sept 17th, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Caryl:
How to Hear God by Caryl McAdoo
I want to thank Shannan for inviting me back to The Inkslinger! I love visiting with all y’all and always appreciate the opportunity!
Readers who know me are surely aware that I love Texas. Many of my stories are set in the Lone Star State and include much of its rich history!
What do I love about Texas? Its bigness and shape, its reputation of being tough, conservative, and God-fearing! Another thing I have loved about Texas since I was a little girl is its beautiful wildflowers! God has shown up and shown out!
And so, it stands to reason that book eight in my Cross Timbers Romance Family Saga is titled TEXAS WILDFLOWERS and that its cover features bluebonnets! This book is also the first in the fifth annual Thanksgiving Bs & Blessings Collection—a multi-author project, so I’m very excited to share it!
When I started this story back in May, I’d decided that Maisie Lowell, only daughter of Morgan and Charity, and her best friend, Rayne St. Laurent would be coming of age and serve as my joint heroines.
I believe this book will impact many of its readers and not be soon forgotten. It contains a pertinent message I believe many will want to hear. I want to tell you why it’s included.
For twelve years, my husband of fifty-four years has gotten up early and prayed for the first hour or so of his day. He’d be in bed by eight or eight-thirty every night while I would be up until the wee hours of the morning, often laying down for the night as he was getting up to pray. I was a professed, incorrigible night owl.
In the last year, that has drastically changed!
I told God, “If You will wake me up, I will get up and pray with Ron.”
My Father took me at my word. Holy Spirit woke me up at 2:19 or 3:33—even though I’d just gone to bed at 1:45 or 2:22! Because I profess to be a guardian of the Truth who abhors lying, I HAD to get up and pray, right?
I found I’d be very sleepy in the evening, much earlier than I ever was before. I enjoyed having so much time in the morning and going to bed when my husband did.
It’s been a year, and very occasionally, I’ll sleep until five or even six, but most mornings, I’m awake and praying with my sweetheart long before the sun shows up. So back in May, during one of my early morning prayer sessions, Holy Spirit spoke to me.
I love it when He does that and you KNOW it’s Him because you weren’t thinking about the issue He’s talking about, and you know it isn’t the devil because of what’s said.
He told me He wanted me to include a message in the story about how to hear Him.
This was a lesson my mother taught me when I was in my early forties. Sheathed in desperation, hating my life, I called her to tell her I was going to the chapel to pray and would not be leaving there until I heard from God! I hoped she might bring bread and water for me as I figured I’d be there for days!
So right then, she told me a method with which I could prepare myself to hear the voice and instruction of my Heavenly Father. What? I could do that?
This is the lesson Holy Spirit told me to include in my TEXAS WILDFLOWERS book, and so I did. That first time I personally used Mama’s method—all totally in line with Scripture—I had the oddest sensation!
It was as if some giant someone had turned off my brain like one would turn off a television. It was silent in my head—no thoughts fighting for attention. That’s when I asked my question, “God, what do You want me to do?”
And He told me!
And I did it—even though Mama implored me to speak with the pastor for guidance before I did it . . . and even though the pastor advised against it. I took the steps of her method again and asked my question again to hear the same instructions.
“But God! Mama says I shouldn’t, and Brother Henry does, too!”
He spoke so clearly to me. “Will you follow your head and what men tell you to do? Or will you follow your heart and obey what I have told you?”
I sniffled back my sobs and thought about that. Put that way, there was no question of what I would do.
“I’m obeying You, Father.” And post haste, I did exactly as He instructed and witnessed daily miracles thereafter. God moved on my behalf, and I could SEE Him working in my husband Ron. It was amazing! Our life together has never been the same.
I know someone needs to hear the lesson God taught Mama then she shared with me. I know He will use this book to bless its readers. I know that I know because He is so good and blesses me so much! There is no one to compare with Him or who comes close to His greatness!
Question for Readers: Have you heard the voice of the Lord before? Do you need to hear Him now?
About Caryl: Award-winning author Caryl McAdoo prays her story brings God glory, and her best-
selling novels—over sixty published—delight Christian readers around the world. The prolific writer also enjoys singing the new songs the Lord gives her; you may listen to a few on YouTube. Sharing four children and twenty-four grandsugars (six are greats), Caryl and her high-school-sweetheart-husband of fifty-four years—Ron—live in the woods south of Clarksville, seat of Red River County in far Northeast Texas. The McAdoos wait expectantly for God to open the next door. Learn more & connect:
Caryl’s Website Caryl’s Bookbub Caryl’s Newsletter
Caryl’s Youtube Caryl’s Facebook Caryler’s Choir Facebook Group
About the book – Texas Wildflowers:
Raise up your children in the way they should go, and when they are old, they will not depart from it.
Getting the babies old is the key!
Maisie Lowell and Rayne St. Laurent, each as beautiful as a wild Texas prairie rose, were born to privilege, reared in the fanciest hotel west of the Mississippi, and spoiled almost rotten–used to having their ways. In 1875 Dallas, Texas, the best friends determine to choose their own life paths to peace, joy, and love regardless of what their parents consider right or wrong. Do their choices and what their parents believe have to be so different?
Can’t wait for the drawing? Worried you won’t win? Interested in Caryl’s other titles?
Get your copy/copies now! Caryl’s books
Come back Sept 13th for Toni Shiloh!
Thank you again for the opportunity to share with all your readers! I pray they will be blessed along with you, Shannon!
I have never heard the voice of God except through his word, the Bible
I have heard the voice of the Lord many times through the answer of prayer and through the workings of the Holy Spirit. Thank you for the inspiring post.
We are so blessed to have a Father who wants to speak to us! You are welcome! Thank you for your encouraging words! 🙂
Hello, Shelia 🙂 I haven’t heard His voice with my ears, but I’d describe it more in my head–from the inside where Holy Spirit lives. Sometimes it comes so loud and out of the blue with Him saying something “so not what ‘I’ was thinking about” and something He would say that lines up with the Word that I know it could only be Him.
Other times when I’m distraught and praying, He speaks to me with a question, like DO YOU TRUST ME . . . Once He asked me that 3 times in a row . . . I remembered His question to Peter, “Do you love me?” Three times I assured Him I definitely did trust Him then later that afternoon, I didn’t act at all as if I trusted Him . . . again like Peter who denied Him the three times. Love and hugs and blessings to you, sweet friend!
I have a winner! Cherie J won the drawing. I appreciate Caryl for being my guest and everyone else for stopping by.