Author Susan Lyttek is talking about change, her interpretation of Psalm 23, and how it connects to her new release, Portal Watchers. (I have to say, this book/series sounds like it would make a GREAT movie!)
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
Psalm 23:4
Change and the issues of dealing with it have been a theme and an instigator in the last couple of books I’ve been working on. We know change happens. Some changes we look forward to, even if they mess up our status quo. Others, in fact probably most of them, we dread.
God, Sheep, You and Me
God knows we need to grow and become more and more like His Son. He also knows we’re like sheep. Sheep resist change.
Now, I’ve never raised sheep, but I have helped herd them a couple of times. With my car. Trust me when I say, they don’t want to move. They don’t want the changes the shepherd has planned for their own good. Even honking a horn won’t dissuade the most stubborn of them from remaining in the rut it has found with a bit of brown grass and dirty water.
In light of what sheep are and how they behave, I’d like to say we totally miss the tone of Psalm 23. We see it as calm, reassuring and pastoral. We read it and see swathes of green grass, hear the birds chirping and feel ready for a nap. Uh-uh. It’s all about change. We should read it as an action-adventure novel.
Think about it.
It starts with the idea that we will not want. In order to not want, we have to follow the shepherd. First, he makes us lie down. Emphasis on the make. When sheep get agitated to the point that they no longer obey the shepherd, he will force them down, his hand on their backs until their breathing regulates and they see him.
From that point, he can lead them past water that might be brackish or poisonous, and they will follow without trying to drink. Before the next set of challenges, he will restore them with food and water. Then they follow him through narrow, craggy paths through the mountains, down into dark and dangerous valleys, and into the presence of predators. It’s only trusting the shepherd that makes any of the changes and obstacles good. Dwelling in his house forever is an attitude, not an absence of conflict.
In The Portal Watcher Series by Susan Lyttek, three young men (all around 14 as it begins) have their world upended. Without wanting to, they find themselves embroiled in prophecy and the instigators of change. Other than vague references, they don’t even know the Creator Tel who has singled them out for this fate.
But like the sheep that need to be forced down to see the Shepherd, the love of the helpless will use their inner characters to pursue good. Because as we know, when David says “surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life”, he means that God will follow him as well as lead him… Making certain he does what will change him and his world for the better. Or as David says in a later Psalm, You hem me in behind and before, and You lay Your hand upon me.
As Garth, Ne-tel and Bern find themselves hemmed in by their desire to protect the dinosaurs, change will happen and they will grow for their good. Whether they like it or not. And isn’t that how the best of changes in our lives often begin?
New release by Susan Lyttek
A world oppressed. An Ancient Prophecy
When Bern, Ne-tel, and Garth witness the appearance of a portal through which emerges a great flying creature, the three do not realize this is an event long foretold. These beasts, these dinosaurs, will be sent by the Creator Tel to aid his children in a time of great oppression.
Queen Subja rules Telantia with cruelty and malice. She controls the masses with her unnaturally powerful servants, the Vil. But the appearance of the three pterosaur eggs signals her reign over Telantia is nearing its end.
But the creatures have been sent to three young men. How they stand the face of such evil?
Sometimes the ordinary can accomplish the extraordinary.
Katherine Robles is here to tell us a bit about her new book, Falling For Forever – which releases today! Welcome, Katherine!
Years ago, when my kids were little, I went from working part-time at the Y, to part-time at a school cafeteria, to full-time as a school paraprofessional in the span of three years. Each job change added more hours and higher pay. One memory stands out vividly from my first week at the paraprofessional job. I was in the staff lounge with my new co-workers, feeling rich because I was making $8 an hour more than I had been three years before, and listened in shock as they complained that we don’t make enough money! No matter how much we earn, there will always be someone earning more.
Is It Wrong To Want Success?
Is it wrong to want success? A promotion, a raise, accolades for a job well done? Of course not. But that desire needs to be balanced with submission to God’s sovereignty and gratitude for God’s provision.
In Falling For Forever, Hillary aspires to climb the corporate ladder and have an influential life. But her dissatisfaction with her circumstances causes her to judge those around her harshly and almost costs her the love of her life. In Philippians 4:11, Paul says that he had “learned to be content whatever the circumstances”. Did you catch the keyword there? He learned contentment. Which means that we can learn it too. A great way to start practicing contentment is by giving thanks.
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Father, thank you for providing for my needs. Help me work heartily to please You and not man. You cherish and value me, and that is enough. Amen.
A Bit About Falling For Forever
Hillary is stifled by an entry level IT job in the Virginia suburbs and longs to move to Washington D.C. where she can make a difference in the world. When Javier comes to her rescue in Great Falls National Park, Hillary likes everything about him except for the gorgeous fiancee hanging on his arm. But things are not as they seem and he enlists her help to renovate a homeless shelter. Romance blossoms over paintbrushes and pipes until a career launching opportunity arises. Hillary can chase her dreams, but they might cost her Javier’s heart.
Today’s post comes from author Susan Spess, and Susan touches on the difficulty of naming her new book and her love for the “golden rule” in Matthew 7:12. Welcome, Susan Spess!
I had a difficult time naming my storybook town. First, I thought, Skinner, and then another unworthy suggestion, but my critique partners weren’t pleased with the names. So, I threw out “Jordan Valley.”
Yes!
They loved it.
But the name wasn’t original to me. It’s what my hometown was called a long time ago.
From okhistory.org: Before the Cherokee Outlet Opening on September 16, 1893, John W. Jordan as well as other Cherokee had taken allotments in the outlet. Soon after the opening, Jordan and others formed the Jordan Valley Townsite Company.
I’ve lived here (off and on) since I was five years old. I’ve read that my town had tons of saloons and brothels before statehood when oil was discovered, and men flocked in to work in the oilfields.
My hometown isn’t like that anymore. We have very few bars and no brothels! And we have lots of churches.
In ROUNDUP, Mitch puts his life on the line when Jessie’s horse, Buck, falls, and her foot is stuck through the stirrup. Afterward, his family takes Jessie home with them and gives her a place to live and work while Buck heals.
While she’s there, they introduce her to Christ by living for Him.
That always makes me think of the first scripture (or partial scripture) I learned. “Do unto others . . .” The Golden Rule says:
So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
Matthew 7:12, NIV
I really like how The Message translates the Golden Rule: Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them. Add up God’s Law and Prophets, and this is what you get.
Mitch Tanner, his red-headed brothers, and his mother live as true Christians, doing what Jesus said. Loving and sharing, they gently lead Jessie to Jesus, but they don’t force her.
That’s the essence of the Christian life, isn’t it?
Check out Susan Spess’s book, Jordan Valley Roundup!
While barrel racing to earn enough to pay her uncle’s debts, Jessie Cobler’s horse falls. She cries out to God, certain she’s about to die, but the quick action of Mitch Tanner saves her life. She accepts an offer to stay on the cowboy’s family’s ranch so she and her horse can rest and heal. It’s the perfect place to hide from those who threaten to tear her dreams apart.
Bull rider Mitch Tanner is determined to earn professional status to honor his deceased father, but running a ranch and helping with his younger siblings leaves time for little else. Having Jessie on the ranch is a distraction he can’t afford. After all, he doesn’t have time for love.
As Mitch and Jesse work together to rescue abused animals will Mitch discover there’s more to life than earning a status? Will he be able to help heal Jesse’s broken heart and spirit and lead her to the Lord?
Today’s guest post comes from author M. Jean Pike. It’s a delight to hear about her love for the parable of the Prodigal Son and learn a bit about her upcoming book release. Welcome, Jean!
Think you’ve run too far away for God to find you? Think you’ve messed up too badly this time to ever be forgiven? Think you’ve come to the end of God’s grace? Sweet friend, you haven’t. All those sins and shortcomings, all those terrible mistakes? Jesus paid the price for every one of them. Because his love for you is unfathomable.
I’ve always loved the parable of the Prodigal Son. I love the father, watching and waiting for his son to return home, and finally, seeing him far off in the distance, he runs to meet him. That’s how our heavenly Father is. As badly as you want to reconcile with Him, he wants that even more.
So, I wanted to write a story on this theme, a story that would offer hope to God’s wayward children. And hopefully, in some small way, encourage them to come home.
he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
Psalm 103: 10-14
Lord, help me to be mindful of your unfathomable love. Help me to live in a way that honors and glorifies You. And when I fail, give me the courage to seek Your forgiveness and start again. In Jesus name.
A little about M. Jean Pike’s new book, The Little Things
A decade ago, Rochelle Delany made a decision that changed her life forever. Wanting more than just football games and potluck suppers, she boarded a bus for California and didn’t look back. But instead of a glamorous life, she became trapped in a nightmare of labor trafficking. Now, she’s made a daring escape and returns home to Ohio.
Sandy Fairbrother has a problem with trust. Twice betrayed, he now puts his faith only in God. He’s a single dad doing his best to grow his construction business and raise his young son. But haunted by an impulsive kiss Rochelle gave him fifteen years ago, her unexpected return has him rethinking things. He’s been given a second chance to win her heart. And this time, he plans to succeed.
Safe for the first time in years, Rochelle slowly begins to rebuild her life. But when her past catches up with her, she finds herself desperately in need of help from the man she rejected, and the God she’s forgotten how to pray to.
A little more about M. Jean Pike:
Changing seasons. Unexpected blessings. Love that lasts forever. These are a few of M. Jean Pike’s favorite things. With a writing career that has spanned two decades, Jean combines an insatiable curiosity about humans and why they do what they do with a keen interest in the quirky and offbeat things in life to bring readers unforgettable tales of life, love, and the inner workings of the human heart. You can find M. Jean Pike on her website. You can order her book on Amazon or directly from the publisher, Pelican Book Group.
I am thankful for the three fathers in my life. My dad has always been my greatest cheerleader and a man of stability and love. His love for me made it easy to see God the Father as my loving creator. I’m thankful to God that He gave me my dad.
My husband is wise and gentle, showing me his love in a million small ways. I love to watch him with our children and listen to him preach the Word. Finding him every morning sitting in the same chair with his bible open on his lap is a blessing beyond my ability to communicate. I’m thankful to God that He brought us together.
“Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.”
1 Corinthians 16:13
I’m thankful that both these men, in their own unique ways, have illustrated the unconditional love of God my Father. I’m thankful for a Father in heaven who pursues me, loves me, and promises to always be with me.
