When I was fifteen, our youth group went on a twenty-one-mile backpacking trip. At one point, we found ourselves standing at the top of a 2,000-foot sheer cliff. My pastor was hamming it up for the camera and stood on one foot waving his arms around as though he were about to fall to his death.
Hilarious, right?
Well, it did make for a humorous photo. But even as a teenager and the one taking the picture, I remember thinking about his pregnant wife at home and wondering what she and their baby would do if he slipped and died while goofing off with us.
Now, the story ends well. Our pastor had several feet of room before the rock fell away to that wicked drop, and he didn’t actually stumble. His son grew up with a dad’s love and care and is now a dad himself.
But that moment reminds me of the theme verse I chose when writing Spider Gap. Which incidentally, takes place on that very same hiking trail.
“The LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.”
Psalm 147:11
The fear of the Lord can be a baffling concept. Doesn’t God say that He loves us deeply, enough to chase after us as if we were the only lost sheep in the whole flock? Enough to die for us? Yes, yes it does! God’s incredible love for us is such a vital thing to remember. Don’t forget it!
Besides remembering, resting in, and reciprocating God’s love for us, we are also instructed to “Fear the Lord.”
Huh?
Not sure about you, but I generally don’t show a whole lot of love for people or even animals that I fear. I fear spiders. I don’t really love them, though. The people that I fear … loving them is an even more weighty thought to consider and a topic for another blog post.
Fear and love, two things that I normally don’t pair.
But the mountains, the vast majesty of the mountains help me to understand the value of “The Fear of the Lord.”
The wilderness is dangerous. Did you know that? Not cruel or evil, but dangerous. Mountains especially are dangerous places. Now, they are not trying to be deadly. But if they were safer and more like meadows and ponds … they wouldn’t be mountains anymore.
If you stumble while walking the narrow trails through the mountains, you can literally trip right off a 2,000-foot cliff and die a moment later. If you don’t pack the right clothes, food, or shelter; you can die of exposure in a single night. If you act in a foolish way around wildlife, you can meet your end swiftly. If you simply read your map wrong and head in the opposite direction, you can be walking so long and so far that no one ever finds you.
The mountains are dangerous. A smart person fears them even if they deeply love the mountains and trekking through their glorious beauty.
I love the mountains all the more because of their sharp, dangerous heights. I love the remote stretches of untouched forest. I love that rare wildlife lurk within them. I love the blast of alpine wind as you finally make it to the top of a vigorous climb and survey the land rolling away to the horizon.
If the mountains were not dangerous, they would not be mountains.
It is the same with God.
If He were not powerful, unknowable, vast in His understanding and strength … He would not be God. When I fear Him, I respect that He is God and I am not. I step back and am amazed by His strength. Like standing outside in the middle of a mighty storm, I relish the unknowable nature of God. It fills me with wonder that One so mighty loves me so very deeply.
Do not be satisfied with a God of meadows, ponds, and cleanly manicured lawns.
God is also a God of mountains. A God of howling wolves and shaggy bears. A God of thunderstorms and a God of twisty trails that lead to the top of 2,000-foot cliffs.
Spider Gap–Lilly, a first-year school teacher is roped into chaperoning a backpacking trip over the Spider Gap glacier. Unfortunately, she cannot find a sitter for her purse-dog and must smuggle him along on the trip. All her friskiest 6th-grade students are participating as well as a handsome ski instructor who resists her efforts to organize their trip in a mathematically pleasing manner. Can Lilly evoke a thirst for learning within her skeptical students, when she herself can barely survive the rigors of the trail?
Kristen Joy Wilks is an author, camp photographer, and the mom of three rowdy boys. When Kristen is not shooing pet chickens out of the house, she loves to write about the humor and grace that can be found hidden amidst the detritus of life. Much like the shiny quarter one member of their household swallowed and then found in the pot four days later. If God is good enough to grant us these gems, she figures that someone should be putting them to the page.
Jesus says my heart need not be troubled or afraid, but that feels impossible some days. The world has shifted in ways that appear to be ushering in unwanted change. My heart is troubled. It has been afraid. Yet, the unchanging Word of God says peace is possible. But where do we find this kind of peace? Would you be surprised to learn that you won’t find it at the end of a war or pandemic? Lasting peace belongs to Jesus, and He wants to give it to you.
Peace is an absence of anxiety, fear, and stress. It is a total trust in the Lord that is not anxious about anything (Phil 4:6-8). Jesus offers His peace (John 14:27), and this offering is different from the peace of the world. It has to be because we needn’t look far to see the world has no peace to give.
My flesh wants to believe that this type of peace is too hard, but the Spirit reminds me that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil 4:13). My flesh wants to scramble after man-made answers, but wisdom reminds me that God will meet every need (Phil 4:19). Yesterday, I cried. I was so overwhelmed. Today, I start again with the Lord and trust Him for another day. God’s mercies are new every morning. He is faithful (Lam 3:22-23). There is no failure or lack of ability that can derail God’s plans for the world’s future (Isa 14:27). I know this. Now, I must live like I believe this. As I mentally fight for biblical thinking one day (one hour!) at a time, I live and focus on this day, not worrying about tomorrow (Matt 6:34). This requires me to take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ (2 Cor 10:5).
When I commit my mind to the things of the Lord, peace follows. It is exhausting to redirect myself continually but freeing. It feels dangerous yet safe. It provides no worldly answers, but it causes me to depend on the One who holds the answers, and that is why it brings peace within circumstances that haven’t changed. Move your gaze from the headlines to the Saviour to have this peace. He is worth more than anything this broken world promises. Let your heart not be troubled.
When a person is diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, it’s typically not a surprise. Symptoms have alerted them for some time. I knew there was something causing the shaking of my hands. It had increased to the point where people noticed. I found myself tucking my shaky right hand out of sight or holding it still with my left hand. My primary care doctor suspected Benign Essential Tremor but sent me to a neurologist for an expert opinion. The neurologist matter-of-factly stated, “This is not Essential Tremor. You have Parkinson’s Disease.” I had suspected it and left his office not overly alarmed. Many people have PD. I shifted my care to a Movement Disorder Specialist, began medication, and continued with my life, working as an elementary principal. I joined an exercise group specific for people with PD and began attending info luncheons provided by our local PD support group. It was there that reality hit me in the gut. I saw people with advanced stages of the disease. Some who couldn’t walk without assistance. Some whose speech was garbled, rendering it incomprehensible. Some who tremored; some who swayed; some who drooled; and many with blank faces. I wanted to run from there and put my head back in the sand where I thought of PD as a nuisance instead of a life-changing disease. But that wasn’t possible. Once we learn something, we can never unlearn it. I cried and prayed but knew that without a miracle from God, PD isn’t curable.
I know that God is able, but instead of asking for a miracle, I prayed for peace and the ability to face my infirmity with grace. I believe that the Bible speaks to us about dealing with physical ailments. When Lazarus was sick, his sisters knew Jesus could heal him. Yet despite their pleas, he tarried for two days, and Lazarus died. They couldn’t understand why Jesus didn’t help them. But we know he had greater plans. The Bible talks about a ‘thorn’ in Paul’s side. Some scholars believe it refers to a physical ailment. While Paul asked God to remove it, God’s answer was this. “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Cor. 12:9. I cling to that truth. And sing the words of “Even If.” MercyMe – Even If – “Even if You don’t, my hope is You alone.”
God has done remarkable things in the ten years since my diagnosis. I retired from my position and turned my attention to writing—a lifelong desire. Here’s an amazing blessing. My compromised small motor skills prevent me from writing legibly (micrographia), but I can type with great fluency. I see that as God’s provision for me to write. I’ve had six novels published in those ten years, but this latest one is special to me. I wrote a character with Parkinson’s. I’ve wanted to do that for some time. My goal is to offer readers a quality story while bringing awareness to PD. I hope you enjoy Kate’s story. I noted some common symptoms in this message, but Though the Mountains be Shaken will expand your knowledge. PD is the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disease, second only to Alzheimer’s. Everyone knows someone suffering from this disease, so I hope you’ll arm yourself with information, whether through this novel or elsewhere.
Kate Dunbar puts 100% into everything she does—a career as a literary agent, a mom of preschool twins, and the wife of Ryan Dunbar, a criminal defense attorney. She appears to have the perfect life, until it begins to crumble piece by piece—her marriage, her health, and her job.
Kate blames emotional stress for her fatigue, stiffness, and tremors. As symptoms begin to increase, Kate finds herself unable to control her body’s erratic movements. At the same time that she and Ryan separate, she receives a diagnosis of Parkinson’s. Determined not to tell her estranged husband of her diagnosis, Kate faces an unknown future and the possibility that she’ll face it as a single mother.
As glimmers of hope for a restored marriage begin to surface, more upheavals await them. A case that Ryan is defending endangers his family and his career.
Kate and Ryan both harbor secrets that threaten their marriage. Can they mend their broken family? How will Parkinson’s affect their future? For better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, forsaking all others. Every vow they spoke eight years ago is being tested. Can they survive the storm?
Kathleen Neely is a retired elementary principal and enjoys time with family, visiting her two grandsons, traveling, and reading.
She is the author of The Street Singer, Beauty for Ashes, The Least of These, Arms of Freedom, and In Search of True North. Kathleen won second place in a short story contest through ACFW-VA for her short story “The Missing Piece” and an honorable mention for her story “The Dance.” Both were published in a Christmas anthology. Her novel, The Least of These, was awarded first place in the 2015 Fresh Voices contest through Almost an Author. She has numerous devotions published through Christian Devotions.
Kathleen continues to speak to students about writing and publication processes. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. Find Kathleen online:
Clare says that the main thing she learned during the writing of this book was patience. She first submitted it way back in 2019 as a freebie prequel to the Say A Prayer series. However, it got lost and when she resubmitted it, it needed a rewrite to put Isabel in instead of Zander’s original partner. Then, more time went by and the editor changed, and then it needed yet another complete rewrite. So patience. Lots and lots and lots of patience.
Find out more about Clare and the books she writes on her Author Page.
Lots of things bring me joy. Seeing my children thrive, personal success, and the realization of long-held dreams bring joy. A sunny day, the perfect cup of tea, and milk chocolate delight. But if I only pursue the kind of joy found in circumstances and preference, I will miss out on a greater joy produced by the Spirit.
Calm Delight
The particular joy mentioned in Galatians 5 is “joy, gladness, a source of joy. From chairo; cheerfulness, i.e. Calm delight.” It’s the same joy the wise men felt as they saw the star that led them to Jesus (Matt 2:10). It’s the joy of the person who hears the Word and receives it (Matt 13:20). It’s the joy of the man purchasing the field with the hidden treasure (Matt 13:44). It is the joy of the Master over the servant faithful with little (Matt 25:21). It’s the joy the woman felt in hearing Christ is risen (Matt 28:8). It’s the joy in heaven when a sinner repents (Luke 15:7). It is the joy of the disciples when they saw the risen Jesus (Luke 24:41) and the overflow of their hearts after Christ’s ascension (Luke 24:52). It’s the joy found in the Holy Spirit in the Kingdom of God (Rom 14:17). It’s a filling from God that produces hope (Rom 15:13).
The Source of Joy
The type of joy the Spirit produces in the heart of a believer has little to do with favourable circumstances or pleasure. It overflows from a regenerated heart no matter the conditions because Christ is the source of this joy. That means my joy is not tied to what the future holds, how my kids do or don’t behave, or whether I reach my personal goals. My joy is secure if my heart is fixed on God. If the churches in Macedonia can be filled with an abundance of joy despite extreme poverty and severe affliction, if the Thessalonians received the word in much affliction with joy (2 Cor 8:2, 1 Thess 1:6), so can I.
This is the joy James calls me to count during trials (James 1:2). It makes me pray that although I have not seen Christ, I will love Him. Though I do not now see Him, I believe in Him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of my faith, the salvation of my soul (1 Peter 1:8-9).
