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).
Earlier this month, a family member asked my opinion on dreams. Namely, if it was better to pursue your big dreams, or focus on your daily needs and just having a good job that would meet those needs, etc. My opinion fell somewhere in the middle. I pursued some of my dreams, and the effort paid off. My novels were published, and I became a mom; my two big dreams as a youth. But I know very well that doesn’t happen for everyone, and even I have let some of my dreams fall by the wayside. Sometimes choices need to be made.
While having this discussion, it suddenly struck me, “I wrote that book!” And it just released this month. A story about a woman who sought to realize her dream of being an applauded singer, but the pursuit was taking her away from God. After “coming to herself” similar to the Prodigal Son in the Bible story, Lenora leaves that life and her “dream”. It is not an easy journey, but she begins to see her life differently, and her dreams begin to change—to align with what God wants for her.
Therein lies peace, confidence, and joy—when we seek God’s direction in our lives and seek after the “dreams” that He puts into our hearts. And sometimes He will ask us to pass us through hard things, trials that break our hearts. Because God’s fondest dream is for us to be—in Christ—a little more holy, a little more pure, and eventually return to His embrace.
When Lenora Perry’s dream of becoming an acclaimed singer dies a painful death, she attempts to escape her mistakes by fleeing north–directly into the path of an all-too-dashing Mountie. Though the man in scarlet appears eager to be rid of her, his home provides security, and his sister offers friendship–two things Lenora is desperate for after discovering her pregnancy. With the past dogging her footsteps and her future uncertain, dare she consider new dreams? Upholding the law makes up the fabric of Constable Edmond Bryce’s existence. As his five years of service draw to an end, he must decide whether or not to continue in his father’s footsteps–an increasingly difficult decision now that Miss Perry has infiltrated his life. Though she’s the daughter of a parson and a close friend to his sister, Edmond can’t push aside the feeling that Lenora hides more than she tells. But duty calls, leaving little time for matters of the heart.
To keep from freezing in the Great White North, Angela K Couch cuddles under quilts with her laptop. Winning short story contests, being a semi-finalist in ACFW’s Genesis Contest, and being a finalist in the International Digital Awards also helped warm her up. As a passionate believer in Christ, her faith permeates the stories she tells. Her martial arts training, experience with horses, and appreciation for good romance sneak in there, as well. When not writing, she stays fit (and warm) by chasing after five munchkins.
You can find Angela online where she enjoys “Making history and fiction fall in love.” Website Facebook Twitter Amazon
Today is the big day! To Sweet Beginnings in Sycamore Hill releases! This is the first fiction title for Grace and Love Publishing, and I am giddy with excitement. To Sweet Beginnings in Sycamore Hillis a short story sequence (also known as a short story cycle). This is different than a short story.
A short story sequence is a collection of short stories, but each story can stand alone while also building to an ending best understood and appreciated when you read the stories as a collection or group. There is an increasing tension as the reader makes story connections. This is the first short story sequence I’ve written, and it was a fun challenge.
In the sequence, To Sweet Beginnings in Sycamore Hill, you’ll meet Owen and Gloria, Ethan and Kathryn, Ben and Emma, Eli and Meg, and Jackson and Kim. (Each couple has an entire short novel dedicated to them that will release within the next 12 months. The first, The Sycamore Standoff, is up for preorder now!)
During a time when life feels a bit chaotic and out of control, I find escaping to Sycamore Hill a sweet reprieve. A few second chance romances develop that warm your heart, some family drama plays out, the past resurfaces, and tensions get high, but—SPOILER—every couple finds their happy ending because right now, we could all use a happy ending.
Read To Sweet Beginnings in Sycamore Hill, be encouraged, entertained, and filled with hope. Not hope in the right earthly relationship but hope in the Lord.
Sycamore Hill’s prodigal daughter returns, shaking up the small town, righting a wrong, and finding the faith and family she’d lost along the way. Gloria hasn’t returned to Sycamore Hill since her university declared her guilty of cheating. She’d lost more than her home that day; she’d lost her faith in humanity. But when a questionable drug study with ties to the university endangers the residents of a Sycamore Hill ministry, Gloria can no longer remain quiet. She returns to town, and Owen—the town’s unmarried pastor and the only person who believed in her innocence—helps her to finally and truly come home.
Ethan and Kathryn: Thursday 11:59 p.m.
When you mix two former sweethearts, one missing recipe, and a dash of secrecy, what do you get? A recipe for romance! Kathryn took something that belongs to Ethan. Correction. It belongs to his family. Taking it back isn’t stealing, and letting himself into Kathryn’s house to get it is not breaking and entering if he has a key. However, Kathryn’s not a thief. She’d found Ethan’s recipe. But when her actions threaten to spoil Ethan’s bakery, they whip up a solution on Kathryn’s internet morning show, Sycamore Hill at Sunrise.
Ben and Emma:Friday3:00 a.m.
God closes a door, but He opens a skylight, entwining Ben and Emma’s future in the twilight hours of a winter’s eve. Nursing school made dating impossible for Emma, and now that she finally had time to think about a relationship, the pickings were slim, especially in a small town like Sycamore Hill. She’d begun petitioning the Lord to drop Mr. Right into her life, ideally before a black-tie gala fundraiser. She couldn’t bear the idea of attending alone—again. When Ben—a local reporter—chases the scoop of a lifetime, he falls painfully into Emma’s kitchen. With a whistleblower about to rip the lid off a scandal that’ll put the small town on the map, Ben needs Emma’s help to follow the career-making lead and protect the residents of Sycamore Hill.
Eli and Meg:Friday 7:35 a.m.
At some point, a girl has to stop running and fight. Eli is willing to help Meg, but how can he fight an unknown enemy? Eli and Meg trained together every morning to prepare for an annual road race. When Meg is uncharacteristically late on race day, Eli knows in his gut that something is wrong. He finds Meg facing her greatest fear, and Eli thrusts himself between her and an aggressive dog. However, when Meg passes up an opportunity to escape to safety, he realizes no one in Sycamore Hill really knows Meg at all.
Jackson and Kim:Friday, 6:00 p.m. and Saturday morning
Kimdidn’t want to like her ex’s twin brother, but how could she not like the man returning her son? Kim doesn’t have the mental headspace to host the black-tie gala on the eve of her abducted son’s homecoming, but she must. As she grapples with conflicting emotions about the morning reunion, she clings to the message of Christmas: God with us. Returning his nephew to Canada destroyed Jackson’s relationship with his twin brother. And after all his brother had put Kim through, she might not welcome the continued presence of Jackson or his parents in Sycamore Hill. Sorting out the legalities won’t be easy, but the right thing rarely is. Jackson will do what is right, whatever the personal cost, trusting the message of the season.
I remember getting my haircut at a little salon in Waterford a few years back. It was a much-needed break from the daily crazy that homeschooling can bring. As I was leaving the salon and walking through the parking lot, I spotted a sunflower growing right up out of the crack in the concrete. It was a curious wonder right before my eyes. It made me marvel at our Creator, who can cause beautiful things to grow in hard concrete. It also made me think about how beautiful things can grow from a small divide in a crack between the driveway and foundation. I wondered how deep the roots needed to stretch to get water for this flower to bloom right there in the concrete. After all, I am a homeschool mom, and we always think about object lessons and science. <Insert smile>
We live in uncertain days, and the way that little sunflower made me take notice reminds me that even in the hard times, the divisions, the cracks and the uncertainties, God is still King and is creating beauty in it all. As a mom, I often ask the Lord, how am I supposed to encourage my kids when their world is constantly changing? They face disappointment from not being able to play sports or go to art class, lockdowns, differences in options regarding handling all of the most current protocols, questions about our Canadian democracy, and the war in Ukraine. Some of these things may seem minor, and others quite major. Still, in it all, if we are honest, we have all had to sort through these changing times in the small concerns and big ones too, and so do our kids.
The Lord has been so gracious to allow us to come boldly to His throne of grace in our time of need. He is our firm foundation. Colossians 1:15-20 has been a source of encouragement:
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.”
Colossians 1:15-20
We learn a few things about who Jesus is in these verses:
He is the firstborn of creation, which means He was at the beginning of time
He created all things, visible and invisible, all the thrones and rulers and kings
All things were created for Him
He holds it all together!
He is not only the head of creation, the kings and rulers but also of the church
He is our Saviour through the blood of his death on the cross.
What a comfort it is to know that Jesus is ruler over all, that He holds all things together, and He has saved us! This means that this world we live in is not our home. Jesus is preparing a place for us in heaven. In light of these verses, how should we live in Canada as home school moms in uncertain times? I think that we are called to action.
First, we are called to keep our eyes on the Lord, and we are to seek Him through His word and in prayer. We need to remind ourselves of Col. 1:17, He is before all things, and IN HIM, all things hold together.
We need to remind ourselves that God is King. Rev. 4:9 says that he is seated on His throne. He is not pacing back and forth in heaven wondering and worrying about what is going on in the world; no, He is sitting on His throne, perfectly in control of all things, holding it all together in His sovereign will. So we need to keep looking up.
Second, we have to be faithful in what God has called us to do. For those of us embarking on the adventure of home education, this calling includes homeschooling, among other things. Each day we can faithfully serve our families and homeschool our children diligently. We have an opportunity to disciple our kids. As parents, we model to our kids what following Jesus looks likes. They will see that we are imperfect people who sin and make mistakes every day, but they will also see how we handle our imperfections. Either our children will see us as parents who pretend to be something that we are not, or they will see us as parents who walk in the grace and mercy of the Lord. Through our imperfections, we can point them to the cross. We can show them how to turn away from sin and how to turn to the Lord. It’s good to let our kids see our walk with the Lord. We also need to remind ourselves of who we are in Christ. We are redeemed, and we are children of the Most High King.
We can also encourage our kids to memorize scripture, pray for other nations, study history, and learn about Canadian politics. The list goes on and on. When they are struggling, we can point them to verses like Phil 4:4-7, by everything in prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God, and the peace that passes all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. We have daily opportunities to share the hope of the gospel with our kids. Homeschooling is a privilege that we can’t take for granted. There are countries around the world that have banned homeschooling, and so even though the days can be long and the times are uncertain, we need to thank the Lord for the opportunity we have to teach our children.
God is making all things beautiful in His time. If we look, we see his beauty all around us. We take time to wonder and marvel at sunflowers that grow in divided concrete. We see God at work in our homeschools. We see how God shapes our kids’ hearts and minds, and we see God as ruler and King. He is our hope and strength in unsettling times. So, let’s keep our eyes up, pray continually, praise Him for flowers that grow in concrete and thank the Lord for His sovereign reign.
Susanne is a child of God, wife, mother, mother in law and entrepreneur. She started Cabin7 under the encouragement of her sister-in-law and it provided support in the ever-growing financial needs of her large family. God has grown her business and she is so thankful to God for allowing her the opportunity to work from home and the opportunity to home educate her children. Along the way she has been reminded that babies, children and life are truly a gift from the Lord. You can follow Cabin7 on Facebook and Instagram.
