Sarah L. Frantz's Blog, page 2

Monday Morning Washing in His Word

Psalm 136

O Soul

Give thanks

The Lord

Is good

And His 

Steadfast love

Endures forever

He who

Remembered our

Low estate

And rescued

From foes

And famine

His steadfast

Love endures

He is

The God

Of heaven

Christlit Book Award 2025

Ash Island won an award!

We are so happy to share this news!

Book News!!!

Christlit Book Award 2025

Ash Island won an award! We are so happy to share this news!

Monday Morning Washing in His Word

Psalm 129

How does

This Psalm

Sit with

Me today?

My own

Sins are

The enemies

I wrestle

With and

In Christ

They weaken

And cry

For mercy

But I

Will grant

Them none

May they 

Wither like

Rooftop grass

Without root

To be 

Trodden underfoot

Monday Morning Washing in His Word

Psalm 121

Lifted eyes

seek help

The Maker

Sees me

He Keeps

He Shades

He keeps

from evil

He keeps

our goings

For now

and forevermore

FROM THE SWING FICTION FEATURE FRIDAY: A Time for Peace

by Liz Deppner

Liz Deppner weaves a beautiful story of confrontation, conviction, and genuine repentance as our hardened hired killers give little thought beyond the lucrative contract on offer. But as boxes are ticked off their task list, the destruction of several space colonies takes its toll, poisoning their souls.

Will the treasure of friendship be reclaimed as our protagonist is confronted with the past and offered redemption?

Only time will tell.

To learn more about Liz Deppner’s writing please visit here.

Ben Avery edited this diverse, edgy, eclectic, thrilling, masterful anthology inspired by Ecclesiastes 3.

If you love an anthology and want to add ours to your library, you may purchase your copy here!

It is available in Kindle, paperback, or hardcover!

Or you can visit my Etsy, Somebody’s Luggage to find single signature author prints by me in hardcover and paperback.

(And please consider following our anthology authors on Amazon and/or Goodreads if this is your jam.)

2025 Word of the Year

wraps, ata

My 2024 Word of the Year was “unfurl.” 

And it was fitting… the Lord faithfully unfurled metaphorical petals within me like a flower blooming — through service to my family, my dad, and one of our granddaughters on a more regular basis. 

One of our kids and their spouse moved in with us while they hunted for their “perfect first” bigger home and we awaited the birth of their second child, Heidi.

Lane and I had a quick trip to Colorado to meet and be enveloped by the love of our son’s future in-laws before returning in September to attend Jacob and Erika’s beautiful wedding.

This year some of my observable labor included serving at a few weddings, learning to format a collaborative work with the two amazing Abigails, launching Ash Island, a devotional novella, into the wild, writing weekly for an online women’s community, and spending time with the babies in church nursery.

Then a quiet pause before hosting Christmas Day with our family. 

My daily devotions during this stretching season included reading a chapter or two of the Bible each morning, and a couple of weeks ago a word “bopped” me on the nose and firmly said, “ I am your word for 2025.”

There would be no use in arguing I knew.

“The LORD wraps (ata) himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent”

Psalm 104:2

Since then all things about candles, light, warmth, sunlight, the cosmos have been thrilling my heart as I consider His glory, creative ability, and person.

Wraps. In Hebrew, three characters compose this active verb, literally “who coverest”, transliteration ata and pronounced aw-taw.

Strong’s defines the word- 1. To wrap 2. To cover 3. Mourner, one who covers.

In this Psalm’s verse it is 1. The active verb of wrapping.

God atas himself in light as with a garment. 

Light. Candle light. Heavenly lights. At Christmastime especially I’m considering His light birthed into the world and illuminating this dark, crying cosmos in such dire need of natal comfort. 

His breaking in through a womb to be a babe in a manger. 

And a young Christian friend shares a picture of a candle in her observance of Hanukkah… pointing out no shadow is cast by the light. The flicker completely overwhelms the darkness.

Even a blind person feels the warmth of its flame.

The Psalm 130 based lyrics of Watchmen Wait by Middlebrook Music, Stephen Hester, 2024 prods me further to consider the anticipatory aspect of waiting for this Light’s return. 

“More than Watchmen wait for the morning light, I’m longing for the day of Your appearing.”

And in my imagination I am in ancient Jerusalem standing guard on one its gates — warm breath exhales and is caught away on winter wind. The star laden sky hides above grey clouds as I shuffle on cold stone in the darkness. I lean against a waist high parapet and gaze toward the dawn of His appearing. My gut is taught, shoulders tense. I take deep breaths to calm myself. Inhale. Exhale.

Will He come today? The anticipation is limned with pain in this pinching pause.

Then back to present day, reading in the glow of a computer screen. He is clothed in light, wrapped in it… James 1:17 reiterates He is the Father of lights, with whom there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Just like Elena’s flickering Hanukkah candle.

He is the one we need. For direction, warmth, growth. He is the Light of the world.

Our Flame ata in light will dispel the darkness when He returns making everything new with plenteous redemption (Psalm 130: 7).

Monday Morning Washing in His Word

Psalm 116

Because You

Heard me

I love

You Lord

Death encompassed

And yet

Like Job

I cried

“O Lord,

Save me.”

Gracious, Righteous,

Merciful, Protector

Return and

Rest soul

My soul

Lives on

My work

Not done

Faith-walking

Through affliction

And He

Has heard

His bounty

Yields tokens

Of love

From my

Feeble heart

To His

Gracious One

Who gathers

His faithful 

Through death

Precious Ones

To Him

Thanksgiving sacrifices

Walk beside

The overflow

Of my

Grateful heart,

“Praise the Lord!”

FROM THE SWING FICTION FEATURE FRIDAY: A Time for War

by J.J. Johnson

J.J. Johnson’s written a fast-paced futuristic thriller where AI and surveillance has secured dominion over mankind.

Elara and Finn have prepared for this moment, planning, spying. When shackles fall away chaos ensues and Elara is the target, with her cover blown will she elude her enemies? Only time will tell.

You may read more about J.J.’s writing here, here, or here.

Ben Avery edited this diverse, edgy, eclectic, thrilling, masterful anthology inspired by Ecclesiastes 3.

If you love an anthology and want to add ours to your library, you may purchase your copy here!

It is available in Kindle, paperback, or hardcover!

Or you can visit my Etsy, Somebody’s Luggage to find single signature author prints by me in hardcover and paperback.

(And please consider following our anthology authors on Amazon and/or Goodreads if this is your jam.)

As Bilbo Baggins said, “I’m going on an adventure!”

If I were to name my January/February 2025 Devotional Book List it would be Fiction-Laced Adventure.

First off — my friend Julie gave me The Making of a Hero by Elizabeth Prentiss for Christmas. 

This little beauty is published by Lamplighter and if you are interested here is a link where you may purchase a copy.

In the preface Mark Hamby explains the original title was Aunt Jane’s Hero.

Our family read this book years ago during our homeschooling journey and I look forward to revisiting this moral tale of a prayerful surrogate mother and her worldly adopted son.

Elizabeth Prentiss’ author preface delighted my soul — it’s my favorite entry from Mrs. Charles E. Cowman’s Streams in the Desert.

The quote is so good I must share it with you. Here it is on Goodreads.

If you don’t have Streams, I highly recommend it! It was gifted to me many years ago by the same dear friend. My copy was published by Barbour Publishing, Inc. by special arrangement with Zondervan Publishing House.

Here is a link for it.

I also retrieved this from my bookshelf to augment my ponderings. 

Next is A Hobbit Devotional by Ed Strauss, published by Shiloh Run Press, an imprint of Barbour Publishing Inc. 

I was fortunate to find a used imitation leather edition which was like new.

Swoon.

Rachel Dodge recommended it. She is the author of several devotionals. You can find her work here.

My granddaughter and I are currently reading through this title by Rachel.

As I adventure on through the Psalms I will also be reading Chris Tomlin’s book How Great is Our God, Living a Worship-Led Life in a Me-Driven World. Another gift from my dear friend, Debbie.

Disclaimer: I am not compensated in any way for sharing these resources.

Hope you enjoy!