The Bank in 1880 Town

Of course, the bank is an important part of any town. In 1880 Town, the reconstructed Western town in Midland, South Dakota, the bank stood as a solid building with the church sitting several yards behind it.  Banks were essential to the businesses in the area as well as to the citizens. Bankers were often considered leaders in their communities.

In the Wild West, banks were also targets for thieves, and bank robberies were always a threat. However, the actual attempts were rarer than Hollywood leads us to believe. Because banks were in busy towns, and the money was well protected at night, thieves often found it easier to rob individual travelers, stagecoaches, and trains.

Although I've yet to write of a main character who's a banker, banks appear often in my Western novels. Here are some examples for you to check out:

Willa's Woes - Willa faces bank foreclosure, so she becomes a mail-order bride.

Solomon's Secret - After Solomon is robbed and left penniless, he eventually takes a part-time job at a bank.

Inman's Impersonation - Unknown to Inman, his brother is involved with bank robbers who tell the law that he's part of their gang. When he runs, he sets off a string of events that he'd never imagined.

Simon's Shame - Simon's harsh, judgmental father owned a bank.

Forget-Me-Not Cookies by Fern - Fern's father also owns a bank. She hates it when her parents send her to an academy miles away, but it turns out for the best.

Taking Stock - Set during the stock market crash and bank foreclosures at the beginning of the Great Depression, banks play an important part in the story.

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Christian Character

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God (Romans 12:2).

Our Christian character is an important aspect of who we are in Christ. In a Yale lecture, Phillips Brooks said that "the great purpose of life" is "the shaping of character by truth." Someone once said, "Reputation is what people think we are; character is what God and the angels know we are." Warren Wiersbe explains, "People with character have integrity; what they say and do comes from a heart fully dedicated to God. Integrity means inner wholeness; we're not trying to fool others (hypocrisy) or fool ourselves (duplicity)."

He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments and live (Proverbs 4:4).

In the Bible, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Daniel, Mary, Jeremiah, and Paul, among others, had character. Character means making God your top priority and seeking to please Him above all else. For a Christian, Scripture and prayer play an integral part in this. Attending a Bible-believing church and having fellowship with other Christians also helps. The foundation of a godly life is character, and it's anchored by the daily decisions we make.

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap (Galatians 6:7).

Wiersbe tells us that "the deterioration of character is an 'inside job.' We drift from God and fall into sin, and then we try to avoid responsibility by blaming others or pleading extenuating circumstances; . . . The erosion of character usually begins with neglect: we stop reading the Word, or worshiping with God's people, or taking time to meditate and pray. . . . The process is deadly: first the drifting, then the secret sinning, then the hidden eroding of character . . . ."

Let's make sure we build our Christian character and never fall into intentional sin.

*Parts taken from 10 Power Principles for Christian Service, Warren Wiersbe.

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 The Post Office in a Western Town

The post office played an important role in any town, but especially in the West, where people felt cut off from much of the country and more isolated. The post office allowed them to keep in touch with family that might be far away and conduct business they wouldn't have been able to otherwise. Before the telegraph, the post office was about the only means of remote communication, and although it might be slow, the mail usually eventually got there.

The post office stood in a prominent place in 1880 Town in Midland, South Dakota. In many Western towns, the post office was located in a store, but others had separate buildings, as seen here. These buildings tended to be small structures, but since the mail was handed out regularly, they didn't need a large building.

Post offices often had a bulletin board as well. This was another way to distribute information. They might contain wanted posters, upcoming events, community information, or other news.

In any Western novel about mail-order brides, the post office served an important role, and I have quite a few mail-order brides novels. Below is a list that you might want to check out.

Mistaken Bride
The Writer's Rescue

Willa's Woes

Beckett's Brides

A Match for Marshall

A Match for Cord

A Match for Silas

A Match for Merle

A Match for Milton

A Match for Reece

Aida

Candace

A Christmas Snow for Sadie

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 Light or Darkness

Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness (1 Thessalonians 5:5).

Have you noticed how the dark can encourage negative thoughts? The what-ifs, uncertainties, and doubts often come to us in bed at night. Yet, things often appear much brighter in the morning light, both literally and figuratively. Darkness flourishes on making us feel frightened and alone. The first words God spoke in the Bible are "Let there be light." It is a fact that light dispels darkness. 

For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light (Ephesians 5:8).

Darkness cannot exist in the presence of light. It is the same in our spiritual lives. Jesus said, "I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life" (John 8:12). Satan wants to fill our lives with his darkness, but he can't do it when we have Jesus -- when we belong to Him. So, let us cling to our Lord and not let darkness have a chance in our lives.

For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6).

Jesus ushered in a new age. Now, believers no longer have to carry the burden of the law, but we can live free and at peace under grace. This makes it much harder for darkness to inch back in. We get to trade our sinfulness for His righteousness. His sacrifice on the cross covers us when we allow Him to be the Lord of our lives. Let's choose to live in the Light.

Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth (1 John 2:8-11).

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The Lumber Company in Old Western Towns

In the fast-growing West, lumber companies became an important business and building supplies in high demand. Most Western Towns had a place to buy lumber, and some had other related businesses, such as shingle and siding companies, as well. 

This was also true in 1880 Town in Midland, South Dakota, which I've been sharing with you since our trip there. Since the largest part of a lumber company was the wood stacked outside, the most prominent building housing wood supplies in this town was the shingle and siding company. Of course, there were a general store, hardware store, and other places to buy some building supplies as well. 

I also have connections to the lumber industry. My paternal grandfather owned a sawmill in the Appalachian Mountains, and my father worked for him growing up. Later, His older brother bought it, and Dad worked with him for a while. In my novel, Noah's New Bride, Noah Elder is a lumberjack in Oregon. But near the end of the book, he retires from that rugged life to become the owner and operator of a lumber company -- still related to the lumber industry but more conducive to a man with a family. 

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Lord, Lord

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity (Matthew 7:21-23).

Some people think they can mouth the prayer of salvation, be baptised, and they will have an automatic ticket into heaven. That's only true if you mean the words, accept Christ into your heart, and allow Him to change you.

We must make Jesus our Lord and Savior. Some people want Him to save them but aren't willing to make Him the Lord of their lives. They continue living much as they did before. They only open their Bibles when in church, if they attend church, and they rarely pray unless they become desperate.

Such people may claim they are Christian, but they are poor testimonies or witnesses to Christ. Nonbelievers look at them and think, "If that's a Christian, why bother? They're no different than me." As Jesus said in the verses above, these folks are in for a rude awakening on the Day of Judgement. 

Where do you stand? Make sure you've made God the top priority in your life, and your relationship with the Lord is your most precious possession. Pattern your life so that you will hear, "Well done, my good and faithful servant."

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The Writing of a Book

Although I mainly write Christian fiction and have 77 novels published on Amazon, about three years ago, I felt God calling me to write another non-fiction book. This has happened twice before, and the results were On the Road to Jericho and From the Top of the Mountain to the Bottom of the Sea: Lessons from Elijah and Jonah. However, this book was different because I struggled with it. That's why it took me so long to write it. I normally write the rough draft of a book in about 17 days and have my first 3 rounds of edits completed about 2 weeks later. From there, I send it to the professional editor. As I said, this one took 3 years to write the rough draft.

I started and stopped writing several times, finishing many novels between the attempts. I think one of the problems was that Satan tried to stop or delay the writing as much as possible. The title of it is Satan's Wiles. Eventually, I decided I just needed to push forward because I knew in my heart that God wanted it written.

Satan's Wiles will publish on May 2 and is on preorder now. It is an easy-to-read book that heavily uses what the Bible has to say about our main enemy. My pre-readers have been impressed, with one person saying how well-organized and laid out it was. The ancient Chinese general, Sun Tzu talked about how important it was to know one's enemy. That's especially true for Christians when it comes to the devil. He is more prevalent in the world than most people give him credit for. Don't miss checking the book out. It's encouraging as well as informative.

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