Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light for my path. I have taken an oath and confirmed it, that I will follow your righteous laws (Ps. 119:105-106).
Veteran motorcycle riders understand that cars, vans, and trucks cannot see them on the highway as easily as they can see a four-wheel vehicle. So the manufacturers are making the newer bikes with running lights that stay on all day and illuminate the bike. The taillights flash or maybe the headlamps flash, but even then, owners attach additional lighting to increase their visibility.
In our world darkness is pervasive. Evil lurks around every corner, waiting to steal, kill, and destroy. God’s Word is our lamplight. It lights up the dark corners, illuminating our path with wisdom, truth, and knowledge so the evil one will not succeed in his mission.
The Bible reveals the entangling roots of false values and philosophies that tend to trip up our thinking. It helps us not stumble over temptations that come from all manner of sources, including our closest friends. The Bible gives us the strength to remain true to our faith in God and true to His purpose for our life.
Dinah was visiting with some of her biker buddies one evening when a friend asked her to come to his apartment for a private drink. Dinah remembered that God was watching. She also remembered that God wanted her to keep herself pure until marriage. She’d learned these truths from regular Bible study. Her answer was no. Keep yourself on course with a time of personal study today.
Coming in May
Title:Every Hill and Mountain (Time and Again) (Volume 3)
By Deborah Heal
About the Book:
Every Hill and Mountain
Visiting another century…not the summer vacation she had planned.
Those who have read Time and Again and Unclaimed Legacy know that Abby Thomas is a college student on a summer service project with 11-year-old Merri. And they know that the summer is not going the way Abby had expected—but in a good way. For one thing, she meets a very nice guy named John Roberts. And for another, she discovers a strange computer program called Beautiful House that lets her fast-forward and rewind life. Not her own, of course, but those of the people who lived in Merri’s old house. And the Old Dears’ old house, and…well, any old house.
And since the program worked so well for the Old Dears’ family tree project, Abby’s college roommate Kate hopes it will help her find out more about her ancestor Ned Greenfield. And Kate’s fiancé Ryan thinks the program has lucrative commercial potential.
Abby and John reluctantly agree to help Kate, but only on the condition that she and Ryan promise to keep the program a secret, because if it fell into the wrong hands…well, no one wants Big Brother invading their privacy.
The two couples take a trip to the tiny town of Equality, set in the hills of southern Illinois and the breath-taking Shawnee National Forest. According to Kate’s research, Ned Greenfield was born there at a place called Hickory Hill.
The mayor, police chief, and townspeople are hospitable and helpful—until the topic of Hickory Hill comes up. They seem determined to keep them away, telling them, “There’s nothing there for you to see.”
Eventually they find Hickory Hill on their own—both the mansion and the lonely hill it sits upon. Built in 1834, Hickory Hill stands sentinel over Half Moon Salt Mine where the original owner John Granger accumulated his blood-tainted fortune.
Abby and her friends meet Miss Granger, Hickory Hill’s current eccentric owner, and they eventually get the chance to time-surf there. Their shocking discovery on the third floor concerning Kate’s ancestor Ned Greenfield is almost too much to bear. What they learn sends them racing to the opposite end of the state to find the missing link in Kate’s family tree. And there they are reminded that God is in the business of redemption—that one day he’ll make all things new.
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Deborah Heal
Deborah Heal, the author of the Time and Again time travel mystery series, was born not far from the setting of her book Every Hill and Mountain and grew up “just down the road” from the setting of Time and Again. Today she lives with her husband in Waterloo, Illinois, where she enjoys reading, gardening, and learning about regional history. She has three grown children, three grandchildren, and two canine buddies Digger and Scout (a.k.a. Dr. Bob). She loves to interact with her readers, who may learn more about the history behind the books at her website www.deborahheal.com and her Facebook author page www.facebook.com/DeborahHeal.
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Oh how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long. Your commands make me
wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me. I have more insight than all
my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes. I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey Your precepts (Ps.119:97-100).
David learned to love God’s laws, his club rules. To become part of the gang, there are rules that we adhere to. We learn them and obey them. David spent time studying, meditating on, and memorizing Scripture with the knowledge that God’s Word made him wiser than his enemies, his teachers, or the elders in his life.
These same Scriptures, the ones David held in his hands, are available to us today when we open the Bible. But true wisdom does not come from knowledge alone. It comes when we apply what we’ve learned to our lives to change our attitudes and behavior. Jeremy 
purchased a new Honda Gold Wing in a magnificent shade of orange. When he got it home, he polished it until it sparkled, but he also read the manual that came with it. He spent hours poring over the pages to learn the intricacies of this particular motorcycle.
When he took his wife for their first ride, Jeremy applied the wisdom he’d gleaned to make their ride safe and comfortable. Reading our Bible provides us with the knowledge that we can relate to different situations as we come to them. The seeds of wisdom are cultivated when we change our attitudes and behavior based on what we’ve studied. We allow God’s Word to infiltrate our thinking.
Jeremy learned some new things about his latest motorcycle that he didn’t know before, but as the days wore on those things were no longer new but became part of his thinking. He no longer had to concentrate to remember what he’d learned; it was just there. Bible Study is like that. Take the time to study, meditate, and memorize daily so you won’t have to work to remember what God wants you to do in this situation or with that problem. You will just know.
I am a stranger on earth; do not hide your commands from me. My soul is consumed with longing for your laws at all times (Ps. 119:19-20).
Whenever Todd leaves for a road trip on his Valkri, he takes a map along so he can find his way. The map is his guide to state parks where he will camp for the night, to city byways where he can avoid the traffic congestion, and to many other pieces of information that make his trip a safe and enjoyable one.
The Bible is our map and our guide through life. David asked God in these verses not to hide His commands. David admitted he was a stranger on this earth. Since our home is in heaven, we too are strangers, here but for a short time. God’s Word is our guide through life. It shows us the way while we are waiting to enter the gates of heaven.
God’s map, the Bible, needs to be studied so we don’t lose our way, just as a map is studied before we make that once-in-a-lifetime
cross-country trip we’ve always dreamed about. We need to carefully select roads that will take us around hazardous territory, the same as we need to select and memorize verses to take us past temptations or hazards on our Christian walk. We need to develop a thirst for God’s laws to keep us on the straight and narrow pathway, just as we research the laws of the states we travel through. If Todd left his map at home, in all likelihood he would not find his destination. It is the same for us. If we leave our Bible sitting on the coffee table or a bookshelf to gather dust, we will miss our real objective, heaven.
Commit to a time each day for regular Bible study. Developing a good habit is always a challenge; Bible study is no different. Plan, read, study, and begin all over again tomorrow. Eventually you’ll have established a lifetime habit that you won’t want to miss. Bible study will become as common for you as breathing.
TITLE: Book Blast: Wacky Wishes by Susette Williams, Illustrated by Jack Foster – Enter to Win a $25 Amazon Gift Card!
Title: Wacky Wishes By Susette Williams Author, Jack Foster Illustrator
About the Book:
Tommy and Suzie find a wishing well and like children do, they begin making wishes. Imagine their surprise when their wishes start to come true! Are spacesuits the new dress code at school? What’s Tommy going to do with three heads? You’ve heard of, “Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.” When Tommy and Suzie’s wishing gets out of hand, will they be able to wish away the mess they’ve created before their wishes run out?
Buy on KindleSusette Williams Author, Jack Foster Illustrator
Susette Williams is a Best Selling Author. She loves writing various genres, both for children and adults. She usually can’t resist the urge to let her ornery sense of humor shine through in one of her characters and has always believed that laughter helps you deal with the obstacles life puts in your way. Susette and her husband have six wonderful children, all with intriguing and different personalities, like the characters she creates in her novels.
Jack Foster has illustrated over 25 children’s books. He is a Sunday school teacher, art teacher and the father of five terrific children and eleven wonderful grand kids. He lives just outside of Chicago with his lovely wife, dog and cat. Check out his work at www.jacksillustrations.blogspot.com
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For the Word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does (Ps. 33:4).
Years ago, when she was a new Christian, Alyssa looked up to and admired her new friends. She envied their upbringing in loving Christian homes and the opportunity they had to attend Bible camp as children. Alyssa’s home had been anything but loving. Abuse, anger, and a general lack of love from her parents marked her childhood memories. The people around her seemed to have it all together. They worshipped God, she thought, from a place of understanding who God was and what He had done for them. She felt she was beginning with three strikes against her and a long way to catch up.
Then disaster happened. Those very Christians fell off that pedestal Alyssa had placed them on. Her heroes in the faith had slipped. She stood in shocked horror as they grouped together and left the church one Sunday, never to return. Alyssa considered walking away from the hypocrites she’d admired, from the church, and from her belief in God.
When we focus our attention on people, we will always be disappointed. People are sinners, no matter how long they’ve been walking the path of a Christian. People fail miserably time and again because they are not perfect, just for given. God is the only true, righteous Being. His Word is true and right. God will never fail us, nor will He turn His back and walk away from us. God’s Word is as relevant today as it was when
it was written, and it should always be the book of choice when we seek wisdom.
Shadow Stalker
Book One -Finders Keepers Mystery Series
An ominous shadow hangs over her, as Christine Finder, alias Melissa Rompart, visits the brutal slaying of her parents most nights in a dream. The threat of discovery propels her to search for the whereabouts of the killer to see the man brought to justice. In the meantime, the killer stalks her mind while she operates Finder’s Keepers, an agency that searches for the people her clients hire her to find. Nathan Brent is only four years old and missing. Will she find him in time or will the killer find her first?
Prologue
Her vision seeped through the louvers on the utility room door. The images seemed broken as in a jigsaw puzzle until she leaned forward and placed her forehead against the wood. Her insides tightened. Everyone was shouting. She willed her body to stop trembling but it seemed to have a will of its own. The gun that the stranger held, just like on TV but different, was pointed at her father. This was real. Daddy had hid her … told me to stay where I am until … She couldn’t remember.
Daddy’s voice sounded like it did when he talked on the phone sometimes. “What do you want with us? You have no business being here. We said no contact.”
She watched his face get redder than she’d ever seen it, even when he’d been out in the sun too long. Mommy was shaking her fist. She never did that. The stranger smiled, totally silent, not intimidated, it seemed to the five year old. A shiver walked its way up her spine. She’d seen guns like that in the cartoons she watched. This one was a little longer though. Only business, the man said. What business, she wondered.
The man straightened his arm, the one holding the gun. Her vision blurred for a second, horror filling the empty spaces in her brain. The explosion echoed in the foyer. The bullet seemed to travel in slow motion. Just like the cartoons, she thought. Her daddy’s body slammed into the banister of the staircase heading up to the bedroom area and the maid’s quarters. The railing shook. Her father’s body flopped forward. His head smacked the floor. He lay still then.
Blood covered the wall behind where her father had stood. Her mother screamed and then was silent. Before her father’s body hit the tiled foyer, she watched the side of her mother’s head explode. Specks of blood and other gooey stuff splattered all over the walls, mixing with the blood from her father. Her stomach lurched. She wrapped a hand tightly across her mouth. A silent scream rattled around in her head seeking an escape. Get up, it said. Daddy. Mommy. Get up. Please. The scream evaporated, as if it had never been. They weren’t moving. In the cartoons, they always got back up. Why don’t they get up?
Tears filled her eyes, blurring her vision again. Daddy just lay there. Mommy lay beside him, covered in the blood that flowed from her body. Her sightless eye stared toward the girl, hidden. The girl felt as if she was going to throw up but she swallowed instead. She swiped at the tears that silently trickled down her pudgy cheeks. Her mother told her she had cute dimples, whatever that was. Her mother liked to touch her cheeks. Now…
She watched as the man, the monster, moved toward the entrance. Then he stopped. He looked up the stairs, then down the hall. He looked toward her hiding place, his eyes cold, calculating, wondering. Her stomach lurched, the fright almost real enough to touch. Could he see her? Her daddy had told her to hide here. He knew they were in danger. Why? Who was this man? How did daddy know him? Maybe it was mommy the man hated. Why? Footsteps interrupted her questions. The man was moving down the hall straight toward her.
She crept backwards, crawling on all fours as if she were a spider. Her gymnastics teacher had taught her that. I need to get out of here. He will kill me, too. She remembered her discovery when she’d hidden in here last week. Her cousins had come for a visit. They loved to play hide and seek in the large, multistoried mansion that was her home. She’d found a door leading to the garage where her daddy’s cars were kept under the chauffeur’s apartment. She’d sneak out that way.
Several hanging tools brushed her shoulders as she crept under them toward safety. They swung to and fro. It was as if they whispered, “She’s in here.” She twisted her head behind. She couldn’t see through the slats in the door anymore but the heavy tread of footsteps grew louder, closer. She reached the hidden door. It creaked as she slipped through.
“Wait.” His voice echoed through the tiny room, resonating off the walls of the small space, the sound carried over the creak of the door as he pulled it open. The menace in his voice was gone, replaced by enticement.
She scurried into the large garage. Ignoring the man, she skirted the three cars stored there. Her heart pumped so loudly in her ears, the sound blocked out the rustle of the man’s clothes as he squeezed through the same opening. She turned slightly and saw his shadow. Her short legs pumped toward the door leading to the stone walled courtyard and the gated entrance to the back yard. The wrought iron gate was open. Good.
Her feet flew over the paved driveway toward the gate. She turned once to see if the chauffeur was nearby. Benson played with her sometimes. He was nowhere to be seen. Then she remembered. Benson had asked for the day off to take Maria, the maid, to the beach. There’s no one to help. She streaked through the wrought iron gate.
The yard was tree filled, almost like a park. She ran like the wind, as if the devil himself was after her. He is. She reached the second gate in the high wrought iron fence that surrounded her parent’s property. It was slightly ajar. Her parent’s always kept this one locked but now… She almost forgot to breathe as she raced through it and into the street. The sidewalk led to town. Her legs pounded the pavement hard. “Wait.” The shout came from behind her. The man was following.
The sound of his footsteps bounced off cement walls and rock enclosures, the attempt of homeowners to protect what was theirs. Trees, thick for privacy, lined the street, hiding nearby houses from view. Traffic was non-existent along this street at this time of day. She ran. Her instincts told her that life, her life, depended on it. She rounded a corner but then peeked back. He was still coming, walking briskly in her direction. I need to hide.
She crawled under a nearby bush, its dense foliage the perfect cover, she thought. The picture of her mother’s head scattering debris all over the walls played like a ticker tape through her brain. Her stomach roiled again and she gagged. Mommy. Daddy. Please help me. Footsteps rounded the corner. The sound grew louder. He’ll find me. I have to leave.
She stood. He reached for her with one hand while the other, the one that had held the gun, was in his pocket. She ducked just out of his reach. She raced like the wind, staying off the sidewalk this time. She flew through the trees as if someone carried her, her feet barely touching the ground long enough to make an indent in the leaves. Her body slammed into low branches that scratched and tore at her clothing. She was shorter than the man so movement for her was easier here, she reasoned. The heavier footsteps had slowed, proving her right. She heard a twig snap. He was still coming. Maybe a policeman…
The girl ran. Her legs hurt. Muscles contracted painfully. Trickles of blood from scratches marred her perfect skin, skin that her mother would caress from time to time. Mommy. The thought hurt so much. Her daddy liked to swing her over his head. She almost smiled at the thought but then tears flowed again when she remembered. He’s back there. Lying on the floor. Blood oozed from his forehead. He never got back up.
The race continued. She rounded another corner. Her body slammed into legs encased in dark blue pants. Strong hands steadied her but she wriggled to be free. She looked over her shoulder, twisting this way and that. “Hey there. What’s the hurry?” The voice sounded kind, different than the one she ran from. She looked up.
“Melissa?” The man’s smile turned quickly to a frown, concern written all over his face. “What’s wrong?”
She pointed in the direction she’d come from. Her breaths were mere gasps, words impossible. Tears fell unhindered. She slipped behind the legs. Would the man shoot this person too? She pointed again as the man rounded the corner. She saw him stop before the policeman could look in the direction she pointed. The man ducked his head as his foot stepped backward. She watched him, silently and as quickly as he’d come, step behind the nearest tree, out of sight. Her heart felt as if it would leap out of her chest. Then she was sick. All over the shiny black shoes of the policeman she’d collided into.
“I don’t see what you’re trying to tell me, Melissa. Calm down. Just take a deep breath.” He saw her looking at the mess at his feet. “Don’t worry about that. I can clean them. But what’s got you in such a tizzy”
She swallowed, tears streaked down her cheeks as if they’d never stop. “He-he,” She hiccoughed. She pointed in the direction she’d come from. “He shot mommy and daddy.” She gasped for another breath. Her finger shook as she continued to point toward the corner where the monster had disappeared. “He shot them.”
Consider now: Who, being innocent, has ever perished? Where were the upright ever destroyed? As I have observed, those who plow evil and those who sow trouble reap it who sow trouble reap it 8).
Eliphaz rode the bike next to Job’s, pretending to be his friend, but Eliphaz was not a true friend. He did not proclaim truth to Job but half-truths, promoting sin and trouble. Eliphaz wanted to make himself look important by spouting bad theology, but Job wasn’t buying his argument. Job knew that eventually people who promote half-truths, who distort the Word of God, will be punished.
What makes this passage important? All Scripture is integrated into God’s Word by God’s choice, but not all examples are meant as illustrations for us to follow. Eliphaz is not an example for us to follow, but Job is. Sin, defeat, evil thoughts, and misconceptions about God are all part of His divinely inspired Word, but we shouldn’t copy those wrong choices just because they are in the Bible.
The Bible gives us insight into what we should do as well as what we should not do. Eliphaz was making false assumptions based on his own experience, a graphic illustration of what we should not do. Eliphaz thought he knew what was right from the little he’d studied of the Scriptures, but he only knew a small part of the things God has for us in the pages of His Word. Eliphaz assumed his interpretation was correct—which just goes to show what assuming can do.
Study God’s Word to get a clear picture of right and wrong. God is not a god of gray areas. He does not allow fence sitting. You either do what He says is right or you do what He has pronounced wrong. Ask for the Holy Spirit’s intervention as you study and pray about the choices you make—before you make them.
Love Lives On
by Sidney W. Frost
CHAPTER ONE
Karen Williams was fifty-four and divorced for so long she’d given up hope for that special marriage everyone talked about, but few probably had experienced. Then, a year ago, her life changed. Her college sweetheart charged back into her life, acting as if he’d never stopped loving her. He was waiting for her at the altar now as she touched up her makeup in the bride’s room of her church.
She hurried to apply mascara, but her right hand wouldn’t be still. The pencil hit the table with a soft clunk. Tears followed. Tears 
from nowhere. A glance into the mirror showed mascara running down both cheeks. What was happening?
Was it that feeling of unworthiness that crept in when she least expected it? Couldn’t be. God had forgiven her long ago, but she would never forget what had happened. Second thoughts? Definitely not. She loved Brian and he loved her. He would never do anything to hurt her. Not again.
***
Brian Donelson looked at his watch again. She was now officially late. The buzz in the congregation meant he wasn’t the only one who sensed something was wrong. All his friends and Karen’s friends were laughing softly, but he knew there was no reason to be concerned. Not yet. Surely she’d walk up the aisle in a few minutes.
Perhaps he should announce a delay. Ardis Twiss stared at him from her perch on the organ bench as if asking what to do. He shrugged and she kept playing.
All the turmoil he’d endured the past thirty years came back to him now. His sin. His self-loathing. His unhappiness with his life. He accepted that God had forgiven him for what he’d done, so why was he thinking about it now? He feared she’d changed her mind about marrying him.
Phil was all decked out in a tux with his gray hair complementing his caramel-colored skin. He took his best man duties seriously. He whispered to the pastor, just loud enough for Brian to hear, “We’re checking on the bride.” He then gave Brian a questioning look.
Pastor Jim Dunlap merely nodded and waited patiently. He didn’t seem flustered at all. Maybe this was nothing new to him.
Brian had a sudden image of Karen driving away from the church with a corner of her long white wedding gown sticking out from under the driver’s side door. He remembered she’d told him she wasn’t wearing a traditional bridal gown. His imagination adjusted to show her in a suit, but still in her car speeding away from the church. He saw himself running after the car holding the bride’s bouquet high in the air, yelling to her that she’d forgotten to get married so she could toss the flowers to all the single women. His legs were like rubber as he moved them faster and faster without going forward.
He took in a deep breath, tested his legs, and shook his head to erase the vision. Could their relationship survive one more difficulty? He hoped so.
***
Karen was glad she’d picked a dress she could wear again instead of a bridal gown. She’d worn a long white one when she married Steve only to have their marriage end in divorce.
“Well, is there going to be a wedding today, or not?” The question came from a large, some say full-figured, woman standing in the doorway. The floral dress she wore wasn’t much different from her everyday attire at the library, but it appeared to be newer.
“I’m glad you’re here, Liz,” Karen said, standing. “I need your help.”
Karen knew Liz was a hugger. Still, she was caught off guard when Liz put her arms around her and held her tight.
“What can I do, darlin’?” Liz asked as she let go of Karen and moved back to look into her eyes.
Karen’s hands quivered ever so slightly as she gripped them together in front of her chest. “I need to talk to Brian.”
That was all it took. No questions asked. Liz was heading out the door when she called back over her shoulder, “I’ll get him.”
He entered the room soon afterwards.
“Oh, Brian. I’m sorry for holding up the wedding, but I have to tell you something.”
“What?”
“First, let me say I love you deeply and I hope what I have to say doesn’t change your mind about marrying me.”
“Nothing could do that,” he said.
“Don’t be so quick to answer. Remember all the little and not so little surprises we had for each other during the past year? Well, this is one I wanted to tell you. I just didn’t know how to say it.”
“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. It doesn’t make a difference to me. I love you and want to marry you. No matter what.”
She smiled and hugged him. “I’m glad you feel that way. But, after so many years of keeping this secret, I didn’t know what to do.”
“Why are you bringing it up now?”
She gazed at those eyes she loved so much and kissed him. “Because I told you there were no more secrets.”
Brian smiled as he took her in his arms and held her close. “That’s all? No problem. Let’s get married.” He kissed her back. “Of course I want to hear all about it later. Okay?”
They turned and left the room, walking hand in hand down the hall toward the sanctuary.
***
Phil’s father George was the only one ready to go when Karen and Brian got to the narthex. Brian’s daughter Amy was talking on the phone while her own daughter Julie played some game on her smart phone. Karen’s best friend Cathy was stretched out on the couch with her eyes closed. George stood at attention at the door to the church waiting to walk Karen down the aisle and give her away.
He turned to the bridal party. “Let’s go, ladies. It’s show time.”
The three women came over and hugged Karen and got in line to walk down the aisle.
Brian handed Karen’s arm to George in a gesture for him to take it from there. “I guess I better get back to the altar before everyone leaves,” Brian said.
“Not to worry,” George said. “No one left. Ever’body wants to know how this soap opera’s goin’ to turn out.”
Brian smiled. “Everything is just fine.”
Karen nodded.
Brian walked down the hallway on the right side of the sanctuary to reach the altar while Karen looked into the church from the narthex. The organ music was nearly drowned out by the many voices all talking at once. The buzz from multiple conversations died down when someone noticed Brian was back and asked loud enough for all to hear, “Did you find her?”
Everyone chuckled as Brian smiled and gave a thumbs up. A rippling of applause began and quickly grew to a roaring accolade as he moved in next to Phil. Ardis sat up straighter on her bench and started shuffling the music on the stand.
Karen pulled George closer. “I think you’re right. Everyone’s here, and they’re pulling for us.”
“Amen,” he said. “Ever’body here loves you two and wants you to be happy.”
The music started softly as the bridal party walked down the aisle, but the volume quickly increased. Soon everyone was quiet and on their feet looking toward the entrance where Karen and George stood. Two photographers stepped into the aisle between them and the front of the church. One was the woman Karen hired and the other was a young man she’d never seen before. They both snapped photos then jumped out of the way.
When Karen and George reached the altar, the pastor asked, “Who gives this woman to be married to this man?”
George was resplendent in his tux. His glasses sat so low on his nose he gazed out over the top of the wire rims. His curly black hair speckled with gray glistened from perspiration or hair oil. As usual he stood erect with his head held high. Today, though, when the pastor asked who gave this woman, he seemed taller. “I do,” he said in his booming voice as he handed Karen to Brian.
She smiled as she moved into the position next to her fiancé and prepared to take her vows. Her mind stayed on the unknown photographer and the doubts she couldn’t explain. When she faced the congregation she turned toward George and mouthed a “thank you.” Her father walked her down the aisle when she’d married Steve, but both he and her mother died a few years ago. They would have loved Brian and been pleased she was marrying him.
The room was silent as George returned to his seat. Karen nodded at Phil who stood next to Brian.
“Who is that young photographer?” she whispered to Brian.
He looked around then shrugged.
Pastor Jim focused on Karen. “Is everything okay?” he asked, speaking softly.
“Yes. Sorry for holding up the ceremony.”
He didn’t seem upset that she’d kept him waiting. Standing here in front of her friends reminded her what a huge step they were taking. She took a few breaths to calm her body. Brian squeezed her hand. Was he nervous, too? Probably. He blinked more than usual and his forehead was covered with perspiration.
“Brian, face Karen and hold her right hand in yours,” the pastor said. After a pause and in a voice all could hear, he continued. “Now, repeat after me.”
She saw only Brian.
“In the name of God, I, Brian, take you, Karen, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death. This is my solemn vow.”
After they both repeated their vows, the pastor nodded to Phil and Cathy for the rings. “Bless, O Lord, these rings to be a sign of the vows by which this man and this woman have bound themselves to each other. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”
They placed the rings on one another saying, “I give you this ring as a symbol of my vow, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you, in the Name of God.”
The pastor joined their right hands and said, “Now that Karen and Brian have given themselves to each other by solemn vows, with the joining of hands and the giving and receiving of rings, I pronounce that they are husband and wife, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Those whom God has joined together let no one put asunder.”
When the ceremony ended and they turned to be introduced to their friends as Mr. and Mrs. Donelson, Karen saw more than friends. Another unknown person stood on the side of the sanctuary, staring at her. He seemed angry with his arms crossed. She should acknowledge those happy faces in the crowd, but she couldn’t take her eyes off the frowning one. As they walked down the aisle, she scanned the area for other strangers. She didn’t see one until they reached the narthex. The young photographer pushed his way past the woman Karen had hired.
Brian went with the pastor to sign papers while Karen hung back with the photographers. The same negative feeling she’d experienced before the wedding came over her again as a man she didn’t recognize approached her.
“Karen Williams Donelson?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry to bother you at this occasion, but I must give you this.” He handed her an envelope.
She took it, holding it away from her body as if it could harm her. “Who are you? What is this?”
“Ma’am, you’re being sued. I don’t know why. I only deliver the papers. Like I said, I’m sorry.”
“Sued? Who’s suing me?”
“I don’t know that either, ma’am. You’ll find all that information in the envelope.” He nodded and turned around to leave. Before he got far, Liz had him by the arm and walked him to the exit.
Brian returned and stood by Karen’s side. “Who was that?” he asked.
She held the envelope for him see. “A process server, I guess. He gave me this. Said I’m being sued.”
She pulled out the document and scanned it quickly before returning it to its envelope. “We’ll look at this later,” she said, holding the envelope next to her hip. “Right now all I want to think about is our wedding day.”
The rest of the wedding party moved in closer after the stranger was escorted out. Karen held Brian tightly and smiled at their friends. Still, she couldn’t help wonder about what she had seen in the envelope.
AUTHOR INTERVIEW
Q: When did you first know that you would be an author?
My earliest memory of writing is when my older sister, Barbara Cagle, decided we would publish a neighborhood magazine. We were living on Pete’s Path in Austin, Texas at the time, so I had to be about twelve years old.
By “publish,” keep in mind the magazine was handwritten and each copy was copied by hand as well. So there wasn’t a wide distribution and the magazine only lasted for a summer. When school started we were too busy to continue it.
It wasn’t until much later that I had that feeling I think all writers must get that boils down to a need to create something. I started several novels, wrote short stories, had a newspaper column for a while, and was assigned writing projects at various jobs throughout my career in computing.
Q: Who are your favorite authors?
My all-time favorite author is James Michener. I love the way he researched and described a geographical area so that it came alive. My favorite authors of Christian fiction are Jan Karon, Dee Henderson, and Philip Gulley. I review books for several publishers and belong to a neighborhood book club so I read a variety of books by many authors.
Q: Share with us your journey to publication.
The idea for writing Where Love Once Lived came to me while driving a bookmobile back in the 1960s. I was a college student at the University of Texas assigned to drive for a feisty librarian who got us into trouble with the head librarian several times because of helping our patrons in ways unrelated to books.
The nudge to write the bookmobile story came again in 2004, and this time I said no because I knew it was too hard. The very next Sunday, my pastor, Dr. Jeanie Stanley, said this: “Trust the Lord God with your dreams and he will help you achieve them.” Four years later I had a good start for what eventually became Where Love Once Lived.
Q: What advice do you have for aspiring authors?
I am often asked how one goes about writing a novel and getting it published. All I can tell them is about my own experience. However, I can add where I made mistakes so they can skip some of the trial and error I went through. For example, one thing I learned too late was that you should know the market before you start writing.
Another thing I tell people is to take classes. Not just for what you learn from instructors, but for what you learn from reading your classmates’ work and what they say about yours.
When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his robes. He gave these orders to Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Acbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the secretary, and Asaiah the king’s attendant: “Go and inquire of the Lord for me and for the people and for all of Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the Lord’s anger that burns against us because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us(2 Kings 22:11-13).
King Josiah was the leader of the pack. He’d read the Law of Moses, the Bible, and decided to institute some new rules for the gang. He believed these new rules were in everyone’s best interest, so he made them law. With just a short time in office, things became very different for the bikers who rode in his kingdom. You see, with just one reading, King Josiah became a believer and changed the course of a nation. Yet we read God’s Word repeatedly but make little or no effort toward change. Few are affected by the truths in God’s Word as Josiah was.
Studying God’s Word, delving into the passages with an open mind, should cause us to take action, to immediately reform our lives to bring them into harmony with God’s will. But we go through the motions, pretending He doesn’t know that our hearts are just the same as they were when we began. Nothing has changed.
God sees our heart condition. He knows whether our attitudes and behaviors are different or whether we are playing make-believe, putting on a good face for those around us. We can’t pretend to know how to ride a motorcycle—just like we can’t pretend to be a Christian in God’s eyes. God has the power to send us to hell for all eternity, while people only have the power to make our lives miserable here on earth, a short blink in the eternal timeframe.
Study His Word and take it to heart; your heart will change and God will rejoice. Forget about trying to impress the people around you. The only person worthy of our efforts to make a good impression is God Himself. He sees the garbage stored in our hearts, the stuff the people around you can’t visualize. He also knows how clean as snow He can make us through His Word. Take His Word to heart, won’t you?
This is an excerpt from Barbara Ann Derksen’s Devotional Straight Pipes.
This devotional is designed to encourage bikers in their Christian walk and, at the same time, provide them with a tool to disciple others. Within its pages discover the importance of spending time with God daily, studying His word, sharing your faith, and then discipling others. http://amzn.to/17vPTFS
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