Stay in the Boat Devotional Book: 30 Days of Hope for Hard Times

By Valerie Benton, Victoria Davis and Andrea Dozier

We need hope in hard times. In this daily devotional for women, seven women from various backgrounds have written words of hope, peace, and ordinary grace. Whether you're in a lonely place, ready to hit the panic button, or wanting to go deeper in your spiritual walk, this book is a gift to women in all w

• Language: English
• Publisher: Red Ink Circle
• Release date: Sep 24, 2021
• ISBN: 9781956634037

Valerie Benton

Valerie Benton is the visionary of the Red Ink Circle. As a former award-winning journalist for The Albany Herald and retired hospital public relations manager, Valerie knew that God was calling her to continue to reach the world through her words. The Holy Spirit impressed on her heart to gather other like-minded writers "to be Literary Missionaries, shining the light of Christ in a dark world with the written word." She truly lives this message with a bright smile and a tender heart, even in the midst of adversity. Valerie writes inspirational women's fiction, but also has non-fiction works in progress. She is the published author of "Greater Heights," a novel that follows the journey of a young, battered wife searching for answers in the midst of the 9/11 tragedy. Valerie is wife to Harold and mother to two grown sons, mother-in-law to their beautiful wives, and grandmother to three grandsons and one granddaughter. Besides writing, she loves to teach the Word, sing, read, and watch old movies ? oh, and drink all the coffee!

Book preview

Stay in the Boat Devotional Book

30 Days of Hope for Hard Times

Valerie Davis Benton

Victoria Ruth Davis

Andrea Dozier

Bethany Kimsey

Candace Roberts

Susan Sanders

A. T. Wari

The Red Ink Circle

The Red Ink Circle

Copyright © 2021. The Red Ink Circle. All Rights Reserved. Each author reserves all rights for their individual works.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher or in the case of individual devotionals - by the individual author- except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Some aspects of this book are memoir. It reflects the authors’ present recollections of experiences over time. Some names and characteristics have been changed, some events may have been compressed, and some dialogue has been recreated. We have shared all stories to the best of our recollection.

Scripture quotations marked (BSB) are taken from

The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible, BSB Copyright ©2016, 2018 by Bible Hub Used by Permission. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (CJB) are taken from the Complete Jewish Bible by David H. Stern. Copyright © 1998. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Messianic Jewish Publishers, 6120 Day Long Lane, Clarksville, MD 21029. www.messianicjewish.net.

Scripture quotations marked (ERV) are taken from the Holy Bible: Easy-to-Read Version (ERV), International Edition © 2013, 2016 by Bible League International and used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are taken from ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scriptures marked HCSB are taken from the HOLMAN CHRISTIAN STANDARD BIBLE (HCSB): Scripture taken from the HOLMAN CHRISTIAN STANDARD BIBLE, copyright© 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.

Scriptures marked (KJV) are taken from the KING JAMES VERSION (KJV): KING JAMES VERSION, public domain.

Scriptures marked (NASB) are taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scriptures marked (TLB) are taken from the THE LIVING BIBLE (TLB): Scripture taken from THE LIVING BIBLE copyright© 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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Contents

Why Stay in the Boat?

Victoria Ruth Davis with Candace Roberts

Dedication: The Other Boats That Surround Us

Bethany Kimsey

1. When the Current is Against Us

Susan Sanders

2. You Don’t Always Have To Be Strong

Andrea Dozier

3. Our True Father

Valerie Davis Benton

4. Comfort

Bethany Kimsey

5. Refuge in the Wilderness

A. T. Wari

6. Live Authentically

Candace Roberts

7. Jesus Is the I Am, Not the I And

Victoria Ruth Davis

8. Remember the Promise

Susan Sanders

9. The Last to Know

Andrea Dozier

10. Resting in His Story

Bethany Kimsey

11. Suffering Shapes Us into Successful Servants

Victoria Ruth Davis

12. The Invaluable Gift of the Holy Spirit

Candace Roberts

13. By His Spirit - from Start to Finish

A.T. Wari

14. Taking Dad at His Word

Valerie Davis Benton

15. Weak People Can Be Used in Wonderful Ways

Victoria Ruth Davis

16. The Anonymity of Womanhood

Valerie Davis Benton

17. The Stuff

Andrea Dozier

18. Mimicry

Candace Roberts

19. Our Shield and Buckler

Bethany Kimsey

20. From Excavation to Resuscitation

A. T. Wari

21. Perspective Matters

Susan Sanders

22. What Happened When We Thanked God for a Job Loss

Victoria Ruth Davis

23. Things Are Always Looking Up

Valerie Davis Benton

24. ‘Toxic’ to Transformed

Susan Sanders

25. The Great Discovery

A.T. Wari

26. The Transition

Andrea Dozier

27. The Music He Restores

Bethany Kimsey

28. He Knows How the Story Ends

Candace Roberts

29. Why Are You Angry?

Valerie Davis Benton

30. Fighting or Floating

Susan Sanders

What’s Next?

Prayer for the Red Ink Circle

Valerie Davis Benton

About Valerie Davis Benton

About Victoria Ruth Davis

About Dr. Andrea Dozier

About Bethany Kimsey

About Candace Roberts

About Susan Sanders

About A. T. Wari

About the Red Ink Circle

May this book and all we say

honor You, Lord, until The Day,

but above all, we praise the

Author and Finisher of our faith.

We ink a special note of love and dedication to Pastor Michael Catt from the authors of this book who call you our pastor, friend, and mentor. Your legacy will live long upon the earth until we all meet again in the glory of God’s presence. We also ink a note of love and dedication to Terri Catt, a leader of women with a heart of gold.

We also note our thanks to all the Christian female — and male — authors who have gone before us and set the bar for us when using our pens as literary missionaries.

Why Stay in the Boat?

Introduction

Victoria Ruth Davis with Candace Roberts

The little one-person ducky-canoe shoots through the eddies, quiet waters, and fierce rapids of the Nantahala River, propelled by my double-sided paddle. Well, these rapids fiercely tumble in my opinion, anyway.

Even on this brisk summer day in July 2020, when the pandemic painted the people off this usually crowded river into an empty canvas upon which we can brush the strokes of adventure, these waters can deliver both joy — and danger.

Although we’ve paddled this river dozens of times — usually in these solo duckies (rafts) where you truly