Stories fuel me. They take me places I could or would never go to do things I could or would never do. They walk me through valleys I have never been through and lead me up mountains I may never see. They teach me things about others and more importantly, about myself. There is simply something in my DNA that resonates with story.
And over the past few years, I’ve come to understand why.
We, Dear Sisters, are in the midst of an epic story. It’s a tale of love and war, of good and evil, life and death. And sadly, too often we don’t realize it, or if we do, we determine to make the story about us. It’s human nature.
But when we become followers of Jesus Christ, we are given a new nature. It is in this new nature that our eyes are opened to the story God is telling in the world around us. Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we’ll be able to discern right from wrong. We’ll learn to recognize the enemy’s attacks almost before they start. We’ll have a supernatural strength that gets us through trials we never thought we could survive.
Most glorious of all, we’ll no longer question our purpose, or if we even have one. When we give our lives to God and accept His sovereignty over everything, we’ll see His hand of providence has been with us, preparing us for this time and this place.
A Far Way to Run
As I wrote my book, A Far Way to Run, I was hit over and over again with the words for such a time as this. A favorite verse of mine, these words come from the book of Esther (Esther 4:14). If you’re not familiar with her story, I encourage you to read it now.
Esther has been forced to live a life she didn’t want and wouldn’t have picked if she’d been given the choice. Orphaned among an exiled people, she was forced to marry a pagan king. She may have lived in a palace with all the royal benefits, but she lived a life of bondage. She couldn’t even approach her husband without fear of being put to death.
And then there came a moment when she had a choice. When we read Esther’s story, we often think her choice was whether to risk her life or to play it safe.
But a deeper consideration reveals that the choice was really about story. Was her life to be about her story—the orphan turned queen—the end? Or was she willing to live her life as a part of God’s eternal story?
She chose well, and today we are still studying her life as an example for ours.
What will you choose?
We, too, are faced with that choice. We can live our lives as though the story is about us. Or we can step into the irreplaceable role God has created for us.
Few of us live an unblemished life. We have regrets over poor choices and past mistakes. We wrap ourselves in shame over things we’ve done or have had done to us. We lose our way in the larger story… if we ever knew it in the first place.
And we did. Our little girl selves knew there was a great and heroic adventure before us, and we were ready to play our part. But the world has told us we are unlovable, unworthy, and unnecessary until we find ourselves stuck in the chapter we’re in. Afraid or unable to turn the page, we soon forget we’re in a story at all.
There was a time when this was my life as well. I felt the weight of depression as I faced a black curtain that hid the future. Though I wanted to believe there was something on the other side of it, I couldn’t see past the curtain. I slipped down a dark hole where it felt as though there was no meaning to my existence. It was a terrible experience, and one I’ve thankfully left in the past.
Writing stories helps me remember I am in a larger story, whether I choose to embrace that fact or not. When I live as though my story—my life—is about me, I live a life with limits, where failures are failures and mistakes can’t be redeemed. But when I live my life as a part of God’s larger story, I live a life where the failures and mistakes can not only be redeemed but used for God’s glory. I may not understand the pain and suffering I’ve experienced, but I can trust that God has used it to prepare me for my such a time as this moment.
We’re all living in a story. The question for each of us is who will our story be about? This is the question my protagonist, Shayne, must wrestle with in A Far Way to Run.
Today may we all consider that question. There is freedom to be enjoyed when we embrace our roles in God’s greater story.
A Far Way to Run is a compelling story about overcoming the past to discover your purpose. This novel chronicles what happens when a woman traumatized by a violent sexual assault must make a life-defining choice to continue hiding, or stand up in the face of evil to save a stranger.
Possible Triggers: Sexual Assault, PTSD, Sex Trafficking
Multi-published author Lori Altebaumer describes herself as a wandering soul with a home-keeping heart. Her tag line of head in the clouds, boots on the ground, and heart in His hands isn’t just a catchy phrase, but sums up the way she lives her life. Lori has enjoyed both traditional and independent publishing. Her debut novel, A Firm Place to Stand, has been recognized as 2020 AWSA Golden Scrolls Awards winner as well as being selected as a finalist for multiple Selah Awards and the BRMCWC Director’s Choice Awards in 2021. Her work has been included in multiple compilations including Arise to Peace published by Right to the Heart and The Power to Make a Difference published by Lighthouse Bible Studies. Lori enjoys engaging with all facets of the writing industry and people who are passionate about the craft of writing. A life-long Texas, she loves her Southern roots, things that make her laugh, and the company of family and friends.
In Meet Me on the Porch, the main character is heartsick and broken over a bad choice from her past. She knows she’s been forgiven, but her actions have long-lasting consequences, and she still has deep feelings of unworthiness. When she finds a safe haven, she prays for peace, and understanding of where she went astray. She desperately desires to be used by God but needs to accept His mercy and most of all, forgive herself.
We’ve all been there, haven’t we? But there is HOPE in God’s promise in Isaiah 1:18: “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
Since 2014, Erin Stevenson has been writing faith-based romance novels for Pelican Book Group and Winged Publications. She is a member of ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers), where she has served as a judge and was a 2021 Carol Award finalist.
Grounding her novels in reality, Erin crafts characters who encounter events and hardships familiar to all of us. Her inspirational writing will take the reader down paths of both joy and pain, but always highlighting God’s faithfulness.
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.
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
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.
I’m a big fan of novels where opposites attract. I didn’t expect to write a book about friendship where the opposites were two men whose history would make them enemies.
I enjoy writing biblical fiction about little-known Bible characters. In “Defending David,” I follow a Philistine exile who arrives in Jerusalem on the eve of a rebellion. The exile is a Philistine giant named Ittai the Gittite. Ittai sticks by King David’s side when David’s own son is trying to kill David and seize the kingdom.
If you look up faithfulness in the dictionary, you will find words like allegiance, loyalty, and devotion. As a Christian, we know those words apply to our relationship with God. What struck me as unusual is that Ittai the Gittite pledges loyalty to King David, but first, he pledges loyalty to the One True God. Huh? Weren’t the Philistines pagans, and at war with Israel for years?
You only have to go back to David’s childhood to see the animosity between the Israelites and the Philistines. David slayed Goliath—a Philistine giant—for insulting God. And even after Ittai’s appearance in II Samuel 15:21, we see Israel fighting the Philistines (again) in chapter twenty-one, verse fifteen.
So where is the faithfulness? Look at Ittai’s pledge of loyalty to David in II Samuel 15:21.
“But Ittai replied to the king, “As surely as the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether it means life or death, there will your servant be.” (NIV)
Ittai pledges his faithfulness to God first and foremost. Then he pledges his faithfulness to David, a man after God’s own heart. (I Samuel 13:14). A foreigner who lived in a land of idols places God number one.
Being faithful to God and David will cost Ittai something. The Christian life isn’t always easy. Ittai and his fighting men have just arrived in Jerusalem after traveling across the desert. David tries to persuade Ittai to rest in Jerusalem and ally with Absalom, but Ittai refuses. He and his men will travel once more.
War is dangerous, Ittai will fight for David–God’s anointed king. He will have the responsibility to command a third of Israel’s army. (II Samuel 18:2). A Philistine leading an army of Hebrews? That is a miracle in itself.
So, what do we learn about faithfulness from a Philistine exile?
God should be number one in our lives. Jesus said it succinctly in the Gospels, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” (Luke 12:30). A rephrase of Deut. 6:4-6.
Ittai also loves his neighbor and friend, King David. Jesus mentions this in Mark 12:31 “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Loving and being faithful in your Christian witness isn’t easy. Ittai is tired from traveling. He risks his life to fight for King David. He does what he is gifted to do, and then some.
Ittai knows that he serves a living God. How does he know God lives? Traveling with six-hundred Philistines across Israel wasn’t an easy feat. It could have been a disaster except for God. I’m assuming Ittai and his men prayed to the One True God. You cannot have a relationship with a dead, hand-carved pagan god, but you can have a relationship with God who is alive.
We have God’s Living Word to guide us and encourage us on our Christian journey. We don’t know if Ittai had read some of Moses’ writings or heard tales of the parting of the Red Sea, or even heard David sing a psalm.
If a Philistine exile can place God first in his life and show faithfulness to the Living God, how much more can we today with the truth of Christ’s resurrection and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. I’m thrilled to have discovered a new Bible hero who just happens to be a faithful Philistine giant.
When a quiet journey to Jerusalem turns tragic, newly orphaned Rimona must flee a kinsman set on selling her as a slave. Racing into the rocky hills outside of Hebron, Rimona is rescued by a rugged Philistine commander journeying to Jerusalem with six-hundred warriors. Can Rimona trust this giant foreigner, or will she be betrayed once again?
Exiled commander, Ittai the Gittite, is seeking refuge in the City of David. Protecting a frantic Hebrew woman is not in his leadership plan. Though having a nobleman’s niece in his caravan might prove useful for finding shelter in a foreign land.
As Rimona and Ittai journey to Jerusalem, an attraction grows between the two orphans looking for a new home. The unlikely pair arrives in Jerusalem on the eve of a revolt against King David. Will the chaos separate them forever, or can a bold woman and a Philistine exile defend an aging king who has slain tens of thousands, but cannot control a rebellious son?
Purchase on Amazon, B&N, or wherever books are sold. Libraries can order the book as well.
Barbara M. Britton lives in Southeast, Wisconsin and loves the snow—when it accumulates under three inches. She is multi-published in Biblical Fiction and loves bringing little-known Bible characters to light in her stories. Her WWI Historical Until June released in 2020. Barb is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and Romance Writers of America. She has a nutrition degree from Baylor University but loves to dip healthy strawberries in chocolate. You can find out more about Barb and her books on her website at www.barbarambritton.com.
