{"product_id":"9781945698101","title":"SMILE!!! Scripture Studies: Nehemiah","description":"\u003cp\u003eSmiley devotionals began in a small café, BJ’s market café, of North\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLittle Rock, Arkansas. I’ve been working at BJ’s for the past five years.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe devotionals were born out of a desire to share God’s Word with my\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ecoworkers and customers.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI began by writing a short Scripture at the very bottom of the menu\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003efor my co-workers. I began adding a smily saying to the Scripture, like,\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Smile Jesus Loves You! Smile if You Love Him too!!!” Then I began adding\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ea short commentary about the verse. Eventually, the short comments\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003egrew into a devotional on the back of the menus.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI began each devotional with a smiley face and “!!!” because sets of\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ethree are superlatives in Hebrew, and I ended each devotional with “!!!!”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ebecause that’s just the way I am. It also indicates that Jesus is over and\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eabove all superlatives!!!\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCurious customers began asking what I was writing. When they found\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eout it was a devotional, some started requesting copies. Others began\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ecollecting the devotionals.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI was surprised to learn that my little smiley devotionals were being\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eused in classrooms, at churches, at fellowships, and in a prison ministry\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003etoo!\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMore than a few told me that I should consider publishing them, a\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ething I didn’t think possible. However, God had other plans.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis book-- Nehemiah -- begins with Nehemiah’s contrite heart pouring out its concerns to God and ends with that heart simply asking God to remember it for good. Enveloped between these two beautiful prayers are years in a world full of tears, terrors, trials, tribulations, and even traps! \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIt is, however, because of these same things that joy, courage, triumph, and God's great grace shines brighter than ever. You see God's hand guiding all things for good toward this small, trusting heart. Join the journey, learn the lessons, grow in grace, and find reasons to smile no matter what you face!!!!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Published by Parables","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47040612073712,"sku":"9781945698101","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781945698101","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}