The world could use some peace. It longs for a silent night. A single night without bombing, attacks, or viruses. It needs calm, and the whole world groans with longing.
Instead of quiet we hear shouting. We feel rage and anxiety. We live in chaos and anguish. It’s on the news. In the papers. Social media. Groaning.
So much anger and fear.
Our souls sure could use some peace. We long for the sweet rest of the beloved. But this present time keens with suffering, aching to usher in hope’s conclusion that began one bright and holy night.
This peace arrived with the moaning and pains of childbirth. It slipped out of a womb and into our sorrow, unassuming and humble. Heavenly peace.
How is it possible for heavenly peace to arrive amid political turmoil and religious unrest? How is it possible for heavenly peace to soothe our souls amid instability and sectarian conflict? Yet, this is how the Prince arrives. And He sleeps, so the song says, in heavenly peace.
He sleeps in a manger, completely secure that teenaged Mary and inexperienced Joseph will fulfill their roles in His earthly story. He sleeps in peace as the heavens declare the glory of God in an angelic display and shepherds fall to their knees in awe. He sleeps in peace as the Maji set out on a two-year journey that will change their lives. He sleeps in peace as a massacre meant to destroy Him begins, and those wide-eyed teenagers follow supernatural instructions to flee.
Heavenly peace. And He offers it to us.
Peace, not as the world gives, but the kind only He can give. A peace that looks backward in order to look forward. A peace that anticipates a holy day when creation will be set free from its bondage to corruption. A peace that knows the glory that is to be revealed will surpass all the hardship.
Until then, our bodies ache. Our souls yearn. Yet, we can sleep in peace because the Babe slept in peace. He slept in peace because He knew that the world now twisting in agony would be redeemed because He would redeem it.
We sleep in peace despite the wars, despite the viruses, despite all that is wrong in this Genesis 3 world because our King has promised us one day the groaning will end. One day, the babe that came in peace, died in violence, and rose in victory will return in triumph. This Prince of Peace will bring the peace of God to every knee that bows and tongue that confesses Jesus is Lord.
Oh, come, Lord Jesus, come. Come again. Come in victory. Save us from our sorrow.
Thank you for the promise of that holy and glorious day foretold in a garden and birthed in a barn. Thank you for making a way for sinful people to find peace with God through the Prince of Peace. Thank you that in a world of chaos the heart can rest, singing, “all is calm, all is bright” because Peace makes all things well in my soul.
The Bible tells us all who live godly in Christ will suffer. Trials are inevitable. As Christians, we should expect them. If you are not facing a trial now, I can guarantee at some point, you will encounter one. In my Christmas romantic suspense novella, 12 Days, the hero, Scott Newton, has trust issues stemming from growing up in a home with an alcoholic father. With God’s help, Scott’s faith grows.
Trials in 12 Days
Scott works as a deputy with the fictional Chanckoc County Sheriff’s Office in Blanchardville, Ohio. He and his partner, Cole Linville, are shot by a suspect. Scott is injured and recovers, but Cole dies. Cole’s death tests Scott’s faith again. As the story progresses, Scott will have to learn to trust God again as he faces yet another trial—the disappearance of his girlfriend.
Trials in my Life
In my own life, I have faced many trials, including experiencing infertility. Trusting God can be hard because unlike some Bible characters, like Hannah, for instance, we may not have a specific promise from God. We do have wonderful promises such as God’s promise never to leave us or forsake us. But when we pray about a specific situation, we usually don’t know the outcome. We have to trust God no matter what. When we read the Bible, we find sometimes God was there with His people and rescued them miraculously, like with the parting of the Red Sea. At other times, God didn’t provide a rescue, like with Stephen being stoned to death. Stephen died, but even in the face of death, God was still with him. Sometimes, when we feel let down by God, it’s because we trusted God, but only to provide the outcome we desired. We have to make sure our faith is in God regardless of the outcome of our situation.
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
Hebrews 11:1
12 Days by Heidi Glick
Scott Newton retires from the sheriff’s office after a fellow officer is killed. Wracked by sorrow and the need for justice, Scott grows distant from his girlfriend, aspiring crime writer, Lindsay Billings. But, when Lindsay goes missing, and Scott discovers her research on the missing person cases thought to be the work of a serial murderer known as the Christmas Killer, Scott vows to find her at all costs. Police have never found the bodies of the people who went missing many Christmases ago, and Lindsay won’t become just another statistic.
Then, someone kills again in Blanchardville. Police locate a corpse atop one of seven inflatable swans on a pond, and another body in a pear tree. Scott receives odd texts from Lindsay’s phone and deduces they’re from the killer.
In order to save Lindsay, Scott agrees to meet the madman and play his game. As time runs out, Scott must learn to trust in God again, no matter what.
Author Karen Malley writes on adjusting our expectations, even at Christmas.
We’ll decorate the house with lights, I’ll make a ridiculous number of Christmas cookies, we’ll attend the candlelight service on Christmas Eve, we’ll set up a tree and exchange presents, we’ll gather with family…
We set expectations for Christmas, and frankly, for most things in life. We think we know what life is going to hand us, but sometimes God surprises us. In my new Christmas release, the main characters attend a church service where the pastor says the following:
“How many of you have certain expectations for Christmas?” Pastor Micah took a moment to gaze around the congregation. “I’m sure Mary and Joseph did, too. I can’t imagine Mary ever expected to deliver the Savior of the world amongst animals. She certainly didn’t expect shepherds to be the first to greet her newborn child, or for him to be laid in a feeding trough miles and miles from home.” “We have certain expectations about Christmas as well. And some of those are good. But keep in mind, God’s plans for you might be different. Life isn’t always about our plans. I encourage you this Christmas to open your heart to what God has planned for you.”
Unmet Expectations
There have been many times in my life when things didn’t go according to my expectations. Losing my dad, job loss, a cancer diagnosis, dear friends announcing a divorce… None of these were things I expected to happen. But God is faithful. He never says He won’t give us more than we can handle. But He does say He’ll be with us in the midst of it all.
The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.
Deuteronomy 31:8
Sometimes, we have certain expectations, and God goes beyond them. I’m on the other side of my diagnosis, I’m in a job I love, and I’ve been blessed to be able to write multiple books! We don’t know the future, but God does. There’s such comfort in that. He knows exactly how to guide us because He knows the way. He’s never surprised by what happens to us. So why do we fight to try to figure it out for ourselves? I’m so grateful God is willing to stand by our side. Not only that, He wants to be there with us. The Creator of the universe wants to walk with us through our struggles and our blessings. I don’t know about you, but that’s pretty amazing, in my opinion!
New Christmas Release
In my latest Christmas book, Lucy has to adjust her expectations of what Christmas will look like. I hope you are blessed by the story, and maybe learn a thing or two about God along the way!
Lucy loves her familiar Christmas traditions. Why shouldn’t she? At sixty years old, they’ve become a part of her. But this year, they’re all thrown out the window when she drops everything to drive across the country to care for her sister in Arizona. So much for a white Christmas! Between her anxious dog, her sister’s thieving kitten, and a way too attractive ice cream truck driver, will she learn that trying something new might just be what God has planned for her?
Cactus for Christmas is on sale for only 99 cents! Purchase at Amazon
Author LoRee Peery is writing about how it pleases God when we care for widowed mothers. It warms my heart to read of Christian love lived out so practically. Welcome, LoRee!
Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need. But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God.
1 Timothy 5:3-4
The spiritual theme for Christmas in Garland, my 2023 contribution to Pelican Book Group’s Holiday Extravaganza, is “It pleases God for children to care for widowed mothers.” This story is the sequel to Christmas House. Just when Foxx and Pepper are excited to get on with their lives as a couple, they are torn because their mothers need attention.
A Lack of Control
More and more as I grow older, I realize how little control I have over most things that touch my life. What I can possess is the ability to accept those life circumstances I can do nothing about. For example, I recently invited twenty-seven family members for a gathering to celebrate our recent six-room remodel. Seven people showed up.
Except for a second-grader and great-grandchildren, my grandchildren are grown. Three worked that day, along with one son-in-law, another grandson had worked since early morning and needed to go home and sleep. One son’s family had Covid in the house. Two other grandchildren were ill. I couldn’t get upset. Those present sat around one table and we had a lovely time of reminiscing and fellowship.
Then, I bagged up, handed out, and froze three and a half of the four purchased pizzas. I had no reason to feel disappointed or sad. Those select few around my table were there according to God’s plan, not mine.
Real Life Meets Fiction
That real-life day amounts to nothing compared to the ongoing situation of my story people. Foxx and Pepper have quite the tough backgrounds. This year’s Holiday Extravaganza, Christmas in Garland, continues Pepper and Foxx’s story, which began in Christmas House.
Pepper Rainwater is thriving in newfound faith, blooming love, and her own Christmas house. But the appearance of her mother brings back all the ugliness of growing up in a storage unit. Can she face family issues from a new perspective and forgive her parents for the past?
The discovery of Foxx Haven’s true beginnings shattered his sense of security. For the first time, he questions his father’s love and now his birth mother has entered his life. Did God really plan this mess for him? He’s such a wreck inside, how can he be the man of faith Pepper deserves?
Their mothers bring challenges and time constraints on Pepper and Foxx. He longs to show his love, she yearns to bask in his attention. How will they help their widowed mothers, make life easier for one another, heal appropriately, and look toward a bright future?
Next will be Pepper’s sister’s story in Christmas Fulfilled.
Before the busty holidays hit us, take time to be thankful for family. And always pray for the people God surrounds you with.
I have a confession to make. I’m a mean person. Yup, it’s true. And you’re probably thinking that being mean is nothing to boast about, especially at Christmastime, when little elf ears might overhear and put me on Santa’s naughty list. But I’ve got to tell you, I’m proud of how hard I’ve worked to cultivate my mean streak. I had to!
After all, no one wants to read about perfect characters that nothing bad ever happens to. We might want to read books with a happy ending, but first, we want the characters to earn the right to get there.
That was the most important lesson I had to learn when I started writing for publication. I had to force myself to be really, really, really mean to my characters.
Of course, ultimately, my goal in making my characters’ lives miserable is to bring them out the other side as better people. There’s a reason why James instructed believers to consider it pure joy when we face trials and tribulations. Because the testing of our faith helps us to mature.
So, if I have such good intentions for my created characters, how much better must the intentions of God—the author and perfector of our faith—be for us?
Now, unlike me, God’s not deliberately being mean.
Even if it can feel that way sometimes.
In a novella I recently finished, my characters were missing out on their happily ever after because of their fears of being hurt. Or at least that was their problem as I—the character’s creator—saw it!
But hey, what do I know?
I came to realize, thanks to Stacey’s insight, that what was really going on is something that happens to a lot of us when our life derails and we get hurt. We attempt to control everything within our power as a means of coping with our fear of the future.
And that quest for some semblance of control can usurp God’s rightful place in our heart and become the thing we cling to instead of God, because we’re no longer willing to trust Him with our future.
Granted, it’s easier for me to tap a few keys on my keyboard to compel my characters to not let fear rule their lives, than it is for us to do it in real life. But if you’re feeling in a dark place this Christmas season, I urge you to trust that God still has an amazing story to tell with your life.
The angels’ proclamation to the shepherds that first long ago Christmas is good news, precisely because our salvation through Jesus is a gift, not something to be earned.
Speaking of gifts, it’s tempting to think if I just had—fill in the blank—I’d be happy. Children sure think that way when they eagerly write a Christmas gift wish list.
Yet, oftentimes, when the stuff we think we want is stripped away is when we finally see what we truly need. For myself, I’ve noticed that when I don’t spend time with God, dissatisfaction can quickly seep into my days. Have you ever had that happen and found yourself blaming your job, or spouse, or children, or the state of your home, or whatever?
The glorious news of the Christmas story is that you were created by a God who loves you. A God who sent his Son in the form of a precious babe to deliver us from the sin that separates us from Him. And finding our hope and purpose in Him alone is the best gift we can unwrap this Christmas.
Jillian Green’s holiday cheer nosedives when her great aunt’s friend, Herbert, is killed while helping them decorate for a fundraiser. But the case is more tangled than a strand of twinkle lights, and if Jillian can’t uncover the killer, Herbert’s night might not be the only one silenced this Christmas.
At the time of posting, Boughs of Folly is part of a three-book bundle. This set of three hardcover books, currently on sale for $9.95 USD at Annie’s Catalog, would make a great gift for the cozy mystery reader on your Christmas list.
Sandra Orchard writes fast-paced, keep-you-guessing stories with a generous dash of sweet romance. Touted by Midwest Book Reviews as “a true master of the [mystery] genre,” Sandra celebrated the publication of her 25th novel, Boughs of Folly, in 2022. Her novels have garnered numerous Canadian Christian writing awards, as well as, an RT Reviewers’ Choice Award, a National Readers’ Choice Award, a Holt Medallion and a Daphne du Maurier Award of Excellence. She writes for Love Inspired Suspense, Revell, Annie’s Fiction and Guideposts. Connect with Sandra through her website (SandraOrchard.com) or Facebook.
