Clinging to Faith

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1).

Faith goes deeper than believing because it also includes the element of trust. It has to be more than what we've been taught, a religious affiliation, an emotional experience, or what someone else believes and shares. We must have faith on a personal level, where it means something to us.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end (Jeremiah 29:11).

With faith, we know that God always wants the best for us because we know God and who He is. That doesn't mean that things will always be easy for us because we live in a fallen world where Satan has yet to be fully contained. Even when we make the right choices, others might not. But it does mean that God is always with us and, therefore, we can deal with what comes.

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).

With faith and knowing God personally, we can put our complete trust in Him and rely on Him. When we make Him the top priority in our lives, far above everything else, worldly problems shrink in comparison. This is how God intended for His people to live!

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 Writing Like Real Life

I often hear readers complaining that a book doesn't read like real life, especially the ones that have a happy ending after overcoming a multitude of problems. Of course, readers are diverse and read for different reasons, expecting different things. Personally, I don't care if a story reflects real life. I want a good novel that pulls me in, makes me care, presents me with some thought-provoking situations that teach an important truth, and gives me a happy ending. I'd rather it not be so realistic that it's gut-wrenching. Many read to escape real life, and romance readers expect a happy ending.

No one would like a book that truly reads like real life. Think of your mundane tasks and routine days. How much of what happens would draw readers in and make them want to keep reading. If you're like most people, not much.  I agree that a story needs to be believable; however, that's different than being like real life. Fiction sorts through what might have happened, keeping the important parts that move the story and discarding the rest. The best authors do this well. I hope I'm one of them.

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 Reaping What You Sow

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap (Galatians  5:7-9).

Most of us have probably heard the saying that you reap what you sow. Paul said it too. It's one of the Biblical principles that makes a lot of sense. Think of the people you know. Those people who are kind and seem to love everyone are usually well-liked and treated with kindness. Those who are angry, have a hair-trigger, and are given to outbursts often live unsettled lives filled with strife.

But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully (2 Corinthians 9:6).

This principle also applies to how giving we are. If we are selfish, hoard things, become a miser, and keep the best of everything for ourselves, we'll never be satisfied. A generous attitude brings much more pleasure, and God tends to richly bless a giving heart. This is one area in which God says we can test him (see Malachi 3:10).

Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself (Matthew 22:39b).

Jesus told us it's important to love our neighbors. This is another area where we reap what we sow. Love cultivates love, and hatred brings more hatred. Sowing a Christ-like love brings long-lasting results that reach far beyond what we see. It can change the world!

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 A New Narrator

The novels in the Idioms & Cliches series have been a challenge to produce in Audible because of several reasons. For one thing, although they are all connected within the same family, each book is about a different generation with none of the characters appearing from the previous book, even though some of the previous characters are mentioned. The only exception to this is when Robbie in A Few Bumps in the Road becomes Robert in Got Your Goat. However, he is a child in the first book and a man in the next. It's always bothered me when a series moves to another book, and the voice of the main characters in the first is now the voice of different main characters. Therefore, I wanted different narrators for each of these books.

Then, for three of the books, I needed someone who could not only pull off an Appalachian Mountain dialect but also do a general American one. I wasn't able to find anyone with an Appalachian background, but James Cheatham who narrated Going the Extra Mile lived in the South until he was a teenager and was familiar with the accent. Douglas Birk and Jennifer Groberg produced Got Your Goat. Doug is from Missouri, a state that has some mountains and "hillbillies" of its own, and Jennifer lived in North Carolina for a while and does a good Southern drawl.

That brings us to the last book in the series, Taking Stock. It needed someone who could do a D.C. general American accent and an Appalachian one, so I went looking. Because there are so many varied voices in this one, I had hoped to find a dual team, but none I contacted responded. In fact, I didn't hear anything from most of the twenty-six I reached out to, and only five sent in auditions. Jared Walter's audition stood out from the rest, and he accepted the contract.

I'm very excited to be working with Jared. He's from western Tennessee and has a smooth voice that I could listen to all day. He's also handling the variety of voices like the professional he is. Although no male is going to read a script exactly like a female, he does as good a job as anyone I've ever heard. I expect you'll be hearing more from him in my Audibles because he would be great for one or more of the four westerns I have coming out between now and the end of the year.

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True Repentance

I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish (Luke 13:3).

Repentance is one of the founding stones of Christianity. It is spoken of at least sixty times in the New Testament. When the Lord sent them forth, the disciples proclaimed that the people should repent. In fact,  the instructions Jesus gave them just before he ascended into heaven said they were to go into all the nations and preach repentance in His name.

Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out... (Acts 3:19a)

True repentance begins with recognizing sin. "The eyes of the repentant person are opened. He sees the length and breadth of God's holy law with distress and confusion. He sees the extent, the enormous extent, of his own transgressions. To his surprise, he discovers that he has been under a huge delusion by thinking of himself as a good person with a good heart. He learns that in reality, he is wicked, guilty, corrupt, and evil in God's sight. His pride breaks down. His high thoughts melt away. He sees that he is a great sinner. This is the first step in true repentance."

Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:3).

True repentance produces a deep sorrow over sin. "The heart of a repentant person is touched with deep remorse because of his past sin and transgressions. He is cut to the heart to think that he has lived so foolishly and wickedly." This leads to a breaking away from known sin. "The life of a repentant person is changed."

Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation (Isaiah 12:3).

"True repentance, such as that which I have just described, is never alone in the heart of anyone. It always has a companion -- a blessed companion. It is always accompanied by active faith...." Run to God for repentance without delay. "Without repentance, there is no real happiness...."

Taken from Repentance by J. C. Ryle

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Got Your Goat 

The fourth book in the Idioms & Cliches series, Got Your Goat, is now available for preorder. It is set on an Appalachian farm just after the Civil War. When Emily Rose Howard takes in four goats, she didn't know she was getting more than she bargained for. Nero is about as ornery a creature as she's ever heard of. However, life gets even more complicated when her neighbor's son brings his army friend home from the war and her art professor shows up too. Life in the Appalachian Mountains has never been easy, but Emily Rose is determined to face her problems with faith and fortitude the way she always has.

It's a long trip from Georgia to Kansas, and Robert Johnson agrees to go home with Lomax Greer to rest up before he continues on to see his sister and her family. He hadn't expected the Appalachians or Lomax's neighbor to be so lovely. He likes the small, mountain farm, even with all its complications, but he knows there'll come a time when he must return to Kansas. What will happen then if part of his heart will always remain in these mountains?

Amazon Link

The Audible book is already finished for this one, but I'm holding it until closer to the release date of July 14th. That won't be far off. My go-to team of Douglas Birk and Jennifer Groberg worked hard and fast on this one, and I think you will love their narration. I also think you'll love the antics of the too-smart goat, Nero. He made me smile several times.

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 Mustard Seeds of Faith

And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. (Matthew 17:20).

The mustard plant referred to in Matthew 17:20 could be the black mustard plant, a large annual plant that can grow to be nine feet tall. However, the seed for this plant is very small. In biblical times, it often grew in fields. The parable that Jesus tells here, suggests the kingdom of God will grow from tiny beginnings to worldwide size, and it will continue until the end of time. However, the parable also has implications for the Christian life.

And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you (Luke 17:6).

If we have just a minuscule, tiny seed-proportion of faith, God can use it and grow it into something big and useful. As our love and trust in God grow, so will our faith. They all go together and strengthen each other. Faith is both itself a miracle and it produces miracles. As told, it can move mountains and clear away obstacles.

And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth is less than all the seeds that be in the earth. But when it is sown, it growth up, and becometh greater than all the herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it (Mark 4:30-32).

Another type of mustard seed in the Middle East grows into a bush or tree. It can grow up to twenty feet and have far-reaching limbs. However, it, too, grows from a tiny seed. No doubt this is the plant some of the Bible verses refer to. However, either way, the message is clear. God can work with the tiniest amount of faith and grow it into something wonderful and even majestic to His glory. And nothing can inhibit the growth of faith or the growth of His kingdom.

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Wagons West and A Few Bumps in the Road 

As more and more wagon trains began traveling west, unsettled lands opened up to permanent residents. The midwestern states were first considered the untamed frontier, but after gold was discovered in California and fertile farmland in Oregon, more adventurous souls headed west. Forts were established to help protect the pioneers against hostile Indians and give them a place to purchase needed supplies. Forts Laramie, Bridger, and Hall were built of logs and boards in what is now Wyoming. Fort Boise in Idaho was first constructed of adobe, and Fort Kearney used adobe, sod, logs, and boards in Nebraska. Others also joined the long string. Travelers were excited to visit a fort to break the harsh, routine life on the trail. However, they found the prices outrageous due to the costs of getting the goods there, and many couldn't afford them.

In my new release, A Few Bumps in the Road, Judith Johnson takes her younger brother and travels along a portion of the Oregon Trail to Kansas as a mail-order bride after their parents die. She meets her intended and his brother at Fort Ferguson, a fictitious fort based on others I had researched. Her husband, although handsome and charming, turns out to be a womanizer and an alcoholic. Judith is determined to make her marriage work, and she keeps telling herself that her situation could be worse. At least, Calvin's older brother is stable and responsible, providing a home for all of them on the farm. However, farm life on the prairie can be difficult in 1850, and Calvin's attitude causes even more struggles. Yet, she believes that God has a plan somewhere in all this.  

Although A Few Bumps in the Road is part of the Idioms & Cliches series, like all of my books, it can also be read as a standalone. The novels are loosely connected by the generations in one family. They are all available in print, Audible, and Kindle. In fact, Brad Leaf, who also narrated the Audible versions of Maneuvers and Buy the Book, had this one ready before the print and Kindle versions were published. And the last two books in the series, Got Your Goat and Taking Stock are already up for preorders.

Link to Book on Amazon

Link to Audible

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How Do You Represent Christ?

Now then we are ambassadors for Christ ... (2 Corinthians 5:20a).

As Christians, we are ambassadors for Christ. People look at us and judge whether or not they want to become a part of the body of Christ. If we aren't true to our faith, then we give Christianity a bad name. Getting angry, making fun of someone, mocking our leaders, using profanity, gossiping, or being selfish and unkind are not traits that demonstrate the love of Christ.

Instead of reacting the way the world does and treating others the way they treat us, we should rise above that and treat everyone with kindness and respect. We should set the example of what it means to be a Christ-follower. Do you treat everyone the way you want to be treated? Of course, we'll sometimes fall short, but wrong behavior shouldn't become a lifestyle. 

What kind of representative are you for Christ? Think about it this week as you go about your daily tasks. Pray about it. If you need to make some changes, ask the Lord to help you. Let's all ask ourselves, "Do I misrepresent Christ?" And as we examine ourselves, may we become the people God wants us to be.

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