Sarah L. Frantz's Blog, page 6

Monday Morning Washing in His Word

Fresh coffee brewing and the sound of baby squeals echo upstairs, drawing me out of bed. Sweet grand baby clings to mama as eggs cook in a frying pan.

Morning medications and breakfast fill my dad, he will nap again through most of the morning hours so I come upstairs to my bible desk.

Psalm 42 begins with the well known and comforting words, “As a deer…” and a beloved melody dances through my thoughts comforting the aching nooks and filling the dark valley crannies.

My soul thirsts for God, too.

When shall I come and behold Your face?

A trail of lament leads on until the last group of “reminder” lines… the author commanding his soul to hope. 

“Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God.”

It’s a comforting and timely word as we launch a short fictional devotional collaboration this week. (Whew, try to say that three times fast.)

Eight years ago while writing The Quickening, a pause occurred with a direction — “Wait, write a short story for Julie for her 50th birthday.” 

Ash Island was birthed amid lenten ashes. Jesus beatitude promises form the premise about a young woman named Christa Lea shipwrecked on Ash Island. She’s not only lost her ship but also her purpose.

The story is laced with lessons Julie and I experienced first hand — mourning… weakness… questioning… during a particularly tragic and painful season.

We saw His faithful hand move time after time as we trusted and clung to His promise that we would see “the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living” (Psalm 27:13). 

And though we couldn’t see the outcome, we knew He alone could bring “a crown of beauty from the ashes” (Isaiah 61:3)

Her daughter, Abigail K. See is a senior in high school this year and has created the artwork for Ash Island.

What a full circle moment… my heart is in awe… The baby I held has grown up into a beautiful and artistic young woman using her gifts for His glory. 

Then, I asked my friend Abigail Wallace, author of Meek Not Weak, if she would consider writing devotional questions for each chapter. After reading 3-4 chapters, she said, “Yes!”

And my heart traces His hand in this trinity collaboration with two Abigails. Their name means “joy of my father, my Father is exulted.” 

And this is our prayer:

May He be glorified through the work of our hands, minds, and hearts for others’ good and our joy. 

May His children be encouraged in the reading and in the asking of questions, may hearts discover His goodness and faithfulness in the wilderness valley and cling to the solid anchor of our hope, Jesus Christ.

Monday morning washing in His word.

Psalm 22

“My God,
My God…”

Whispered here
Christ cries

Much later
From cross

His presence…
Not seen.

His deliverance…
Not felt.

Deep anguish
From Son’s

Sacrificed and
Holy heart.

Tell me
He doesn’t

Understand or
Doesn’t care

About your
Sinful self.

He agonized
In agony.

For love,
For joy.

Monday Morning Washing in His Word

Psalm 18

I love You, Lord

My rock, My fortress

My deliverer My rock

My shield My salvation

My stronghold Enemy slayer.

Choking cords,Death snares

I called, You heard

Your might Levels all

You reach Drawing me

You reward humble-livers

You gird With Strength

You gave Expansive space

For my Faltering steps

You overcame For me

You live, Blessed Rock!

I extol You, Lord!

Monday Morning Washing in His Word

Psalm 15

O Lord,

Tent dweller

May I 

Live with

You on

Holy Hill?

Walk blamelessly

Do right

Don’t slander

Shower friends

With good

Not evil

Don’t pick

Up reproach

Despise wickedness

Honor Lord-fearers

Fulfill oaths

At cost

Don’t lend

At interest

Don’t accept

Caustic bribes

Avoid these

Be immovable.

And His 

Holy Hill

Will be 

Our rest

Through Jesus

Only Jesus.

Monday Morning Washing in His Word

Psalm 9

Giving thanks

To Him

I tell

Wonderful deeds

Enemies left

Stumbled, perished

You rebuke

And who

May stand?

No one.

Your throne

Is just,

And righteous,

A stronghold.

I know

Your name

And trust

In You.

I sing

Your praises

And You

Consider them

You lift

And I

Praise all

The more.

Don’t forget 

Your God

And remember

Your humanity.

Monday morning washing in His word.

Psalm 3

People lie
And declare

He doesn’t
See or

Even care.
But I,

I do
Know otherwise.

My shield,
My head-lifter,
My glory,
My answerer,
My sustainer,
My courage-builder,
My fear-squasher.

He rises
And delivers.

He strikes
And breaks.

Your deliverance
Blesses me.

FROM THE SWING FICTION FEATURE FRIDAY: A Time to Give Up

by S. N. Montoya

S. N. Montoya weaves a first person story skillfully and honestly. As our protagonist grapples with the loss of a friend, the local bar is her remedy to dull the pain. Until… her future self comes calling with a warning.

You can learn more about S. N. Montoya here and 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.)

Monday Morning Washing in His Word

Job 42

Job answered
The Lord

“I uttered
Things too

Wonderful for
And unknown.”

God’s wrath
Kindled against

Eliphaz and
Two friends

Ask Job
To pray

For you
Have spoken

Wrongly and
In folly

They went
To Job

Offered burnt
Offering to

God, Job
Prayed and

Lord accepted
Job’s prayer

After, He
Then restored

Job’s fortunes

… his sibling came and ate bread with him
… they showed him sympathy and comforted him
… each gave him a piece of money and a gold ring
… The Lord blessed the latter days more than his beginning
… 14,000 sheep
… 6,000 camels
… 1,000 yoke of oxen
… 1,000 donkeys
… seven sons and three beautiful daughters

… Jemimah, Keziah, and Keren-happuch who received inheritances just as their brothers

Job lived
140 years

And saw
Four generations

And died
Old and

Full of
days.

Only God, can restore our fortunes
Only God, sees us rightly
Only God.

From The Swing Fiction Feature Friday: A Time to Search

by Allan & Aaron Reini

Should the young ever listen to the sage advice of their elders? Allan & Aaron explore this theme in a conversation between Devon and James.

James tries to warn the young Devon off the tantalizing “Searcher” position Devon longs to dive into — he is qualified and this last step is insurance against any possible negative consequences of the job. Plus, perhaps James will teach him a helpful thing or two.

(If I could be a time-searcher, I don’t think I would be warned off either… what a tantalizing prospect!)

Even as James shares more and more personal missteps, Devon is not dissuaded and in turn tries to correct where James went wrong.

In this flipping of positions, will James change his inherent bent toward using his “time travel” to fix the past, which he has already concluded is impossible, or will he accept and move forward from his current position?

The choice is his.

You can learn more about the Reini’s here, 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.)

Monday Morning Washing in His Word

Job 39

Whirlwind voice

Of Lord

Questions Job

Do you

Know time

Of births

From mountaintop

Goats and

Do you

Set the

Wild ass

Free and

Will wild 

Ox serve

You? Do 

You see

Ostrich cruelty

Is gift?

Horse’s might

Is not

From you, 

Nor Hawk

Soaring with

Spreading wings

Nor eagle’s

Craggy home.