Julie Arduini's Blog, page 31

When Valleys Bloom Again by Pat Jeanne Davis

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Q&A with Pat Jeanne Davis for Family Fiction Magazine, March 2020 Romance Issue

Q. What is the plot of When Valleys Bloom Again?

As war approaches in 1939 Abby Stapleton’s safety is under threat. Her father, a British diplomat, insists she go back to America until the danger passes. Abby vows to return to her home in London—but where is home? With her family facing mortal danger so far away and feeling herself isolated, she finds it hard to pray or read the Bible. Did she leave God behind in war-torn London too? Abby becomes friendly with Jim, a gardener on her uncle’s estate.

Jim can’t get Abby out of his mind. Did she have a sweetheart in England? Was it foolish to think she’d consider him? He curses his poverty and the disgrace of his father’s desertion and drunkenness haunts him. Can he learn to believe in love for a lifetime and to hope for a happy marriage?

Abby couldn’t know the war would last a long time, nor that she would fall in love with Jim—soon to be drafted by the U.S. Army—or that she’d have to confront Henri, a rejected suitor, determined by his lies to ruin her reputation and destroy her faith in God’s providence. Will she discover the true meaning of home and find happiness with Jim.        

Q. What inspired the story in your novel?

The opening for my WWII inspirational romancewas conceived after reading a biography on the life of Kathleen Kennedy, daughter of Joseph P. Kennedy, the United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom. He and his family were living in London when Britain declared war. Kathleen Kennedy’s story intrigued me. She was forced by her father to return to the US for her safety. Kathleen had made many friends while living in London and was determined to return some day. She eventually did go back, served in the British Red Cross, and married William Cavendish who was in line to become the next Duke of Devonshire. I based my protagonist, Abby Stapleton, loosely on Kathleen Kennedy’s situation at the outbreak of war in 1939. However, in this story Abby is the American-born daughter of a British diplomat. Her father sends her back to the US to escape impending war. She too vows to return to London.

Q. What were your goals writing this novel?

I’m a confirmed Anglophile living near many magnificent estates along the Philadelphia Main Line. I wanted to write an Anglo-American story set in the dark days of WWII, setting a portion of the story in my area and in Britain. A story that offers inspiration and hope.

There is continued interest in the World War II era evidenced by numerous current books and films. As the ranks of those who lived through this period get smaller, I wanted to highlight their lives in an instructive and entertaining way.

Q. What do you want readers to take away after reading this novel?

For those who love the Lord, all things work together for good. That with faith in Christ and submission to God’s will, we can be hopeful and steadfast in purpose during times of external and internal conflict. That ultimately good will prevail over evil. I hope readers will connect with the faith message in this story. That they will root for Abby and Jim and will be surprised with the twists in the plot.

Q. What are the challenges (or benefits) of writing “romances” as a Christian author?

In a world that places so much value on the material and the external, I seek as a Christian author to give God preeminence by weaving Him into my story. In my novel, When Valleys Bloom Again, I show how a couple from a different social class fall in love and grow in step with God’s plan for them as they live through the trauma of war on the home front and the battlefield. Abby and Jim are drawn together and changed by this event, while their relationship grows in depth and beauty.

When Valleys Bloom Again

As war approaches in 1939 Abby Stapleton’s safety is under threat. Her father, a British diplomat, insists she go back to America until the danger passes. Abby vows to return to her home in London—but where is home? With her family facing mortal danger so far away and feeling herself isolated, she finds it hard to pray or read the Bible. Did she leave God behind in war-torn London too? Then Abby becomes friendly with Jim, a gardener on her uncle’s estate.

Jim can’t get Abby out of his mind. Did she have a sweetheart in England? Was it foolish to think she’d consider him? He curses his poverty and the disgrace of his father’s desertion and drunkenness haunts him. Can he learn to believe in love for a lifetime and to hope for a happy marriage?

Abby couldn’t know the war would last a long time, nor that she would fall in love with Jim—soon to be drafted by the U.S. Army—or that she’d have to confront Henri, a rejected suitor, determined by his lies to ruin her reputation and destroy her faith in God’s providence. Will she discover the true meaning of home?

Excerpt:

Main Line Philadelphia

June 1940

Abby’s first year at Weston Teachers College over and classes out for the summer, she again offered to help out in the greenhouse. She’d overlook Jim’s response to her question two months ago on America joining the war and would work alongside him. She found him in the potting area, a large red, white, and blue handkerchief around his neck.

“I’m glad you’re here,” Jim said, grinning. He gestured toward empty ceramic pots on the ground. “I think we’ll tackle those, if that’s all right with you?”

Abby flashed a quick smile. Did he remember his curt reply back in April and her hasty departure afterwards? She squatted next to a jumble of ornamental containers.

Jim rummaged through them, then thrust his trowel into a bucket of thumb-sized stones. “About two inches of these should do.” He tipped the stones into one of the pots. “They provide slow drainage so the plant won’t dry out.” He crouched beside her. “Then fill up the container with compost—your ‘muck’—and a little top soil.”

 Abby scooted to one side. Still he was good at his job. “How much of each?”

“I’m sorry, I forgot this is still new to you.” Jim moved in closer. “Half-and-half, see? Put tall daisies in the back, red impatiens in the center, and lastly along the outer edges of each container, the trailing begonias, petunias, and nasturtium so they cascade down the sides.” Suiting action to words, Jim completed one arrangement and set it beside her. “Use this as your guide, leaving two to three inches between each plant.” He smiled. “If you have a question, I’ll be nearby.”

As she toiled, Abby sensed Jim’s eyes on her and tried to catch him at it. But whenever she’d glance over, he’d look down at his hands and whistle, making a game out of it and beating her every time. Then Jim set down his trowel and strolled over, giving her one of those captivating smiles. “Off for the summer, are you?”

Abby nodded, focusing on the flowers in her hands. Please don’t come any nearer.

He removed his hat and twirled it in his hands like the first day she saw him. “Is college all you expected it to be?”

Abby’s wall of indifference collapsed, and she gazed up into those intense blue eyes below his dark eyebrows. “I’m looking forward to going back.” Her throat tightened. “Still, sometimes I feel se-se-selfish. There’s so much I could be doing at home for the war effort.”

Jim rocked back. “Selfish?” His brow furrowed. “When you complete your training, you’ll be teaching kids who’ll be future citizens.”

Abby—without breaking the lock of his eyes—flinched, taken aback by his response.

“My squirt sister with the big mouth says she wants to quit high school.” Jim hunched beside her, lowering his voice. “And the older one who had great dreams didn’t finish school.” He looked into the distance. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t go on like that.”

Surprised by his revelation, her cheeks grew warm.

“I’ll probably be one of the first call-ups if we enter this war.” He stood and swatted his hat against his thigh. “But until and if that happens my duty lies at home.”

In a flash of self-reproach, she understood. She’d misjudged him. His mother and sisters needed him, and he doesn’t want to leave them. And what had he said about his job, and how grateful he was to have it?

Jim slapped his palms together to dislodge the dirt. “It’s none of my business, but you might think about teaching on the estate during summer.” He plunged his hands into a watering can. “I know some of your uncle’s staff have youngsters who could use help with their schooling.”

How clever he is. “That would never have occurred to me.”

Jim bent to pick up a toppled container. “I must go. It’s trout season,” he said, as if to explain the urgency of his mission.

Abby’s stomach dropped as he strode off between the long rows of tables. She wished he’d stay longer. When he headed back in her direction, her pulse quickened.

“You’re doing fine here.” He grinned. “If you like, when I get back I’ll take you to see the new bonsai collection.”

She let out a breath. “Let me know when you return.” What was it about the young gardener that stirred her senses?

Abby craned her neck to keep him in view as he strode off. He opened the door to his truck and glanced back. Their eyes met.

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PAT JEANNE DAVIS  has a keen interest in 20th Century United States and British history, particularly the period of World War II. Her longtime interest in that era goes back to the real-life stories she heard about family members who served during the war. When Valleys Bloom Again is a debut inspirational romance set in WWII. She enjoys flower gardening, genealogy research and traveling with her British-born husband.  She writes from her home n Philadelphia, Pa. Pat has published essays, short stories and articles online and in print. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Faith, Hope, Love Christian Writers. Please visit her at https://www.patjeannedavis.com

Links:

When Valleys Bloom Again can be purchased here: Amazon.com

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/when-valleys-bloom-again-pat-jeanne-davis/1130351044?ean=9781948888912

 ChristianBooks.com:  https://familyfiction.christianbook.com/when-valleys-bloom-again/9781948888929/pd/888932?event=ESRCG

Please connect with me on my social media sites and consider signing up for my latest newsletter on my website.

Social Media:  

Website:  https://www.patjeannedavis.com

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pat.j.davis.7

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/patjeannedavis/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18797403.Pat_Jeanne_Davis

Amazon Author Page: https://amazon.com/author/patjeannedavis

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/pat-jeanne-davis-34290422/                    

Pinterest:  https://www.pinterest.com/patjeannedavis/    

BookBub:  https://www.bookbub.com/authors/pat-jeanne-davis

The Stars in April by Peggy Wirgau

My debut novel, The Stars in April, is based on the true story of a twelve-year-old Titanic survivor, Ruth Becker. Released on March 30, 2021 by IlluminateYA, the book has been honored with a Starred Review from School Library Journal.

In 2012, during the hundredth anniversary of the ship’s sinking, I discovered among the survivors the name of a girl whose parents were missionaries in India. Twelve-year-old Ruth Becker was separated from her family as the Titanic lifeboats were loaded, yet she managed to share her blankets with others and offer a handkerchief to a stoker who had injured his finger.

What would make this young girl act so bravely when she must have been terrified? How did she feel about leaving her home in India, and what led to her decisions in a lifeboat full of strangers that cold, dark night? As I asked myself those questions, I began researching and realized I needed to tell Ruth’s story.

An excerpt from the back cover:

The year is 1912. When doctors in India are unable to treat her baby brother’s illness, Ruth’s missionary parents decide there is one solution: move her mother and the children across the world—to Michigan. 

But India is the only home Ruth knows. In a matter of days, she must leave Papa and all she loves behind, abandon her dream of one day playing violin in the Calcutta Orchestra, and embark on a four-week journey to England, followed by the voyage to New York aboard the luxurious, ill-fated RMS Titanic. 

Ruth’s story is one of courage and self-sacrifice as she earns her sea legs and faces the unknown, culminating in a desperate, tragic night she will never forget.

One of the best parts of writing the book was getting acquainted with Mr. Floyd Andrick of the Titanic Historical Society, who knew Ruth in her later years. He graciously provided several tales she had shared with him about her life in India and aboard the Titanic, and I was able to weave them into the novel. One that took place in India involved a tea party that her mother hosted for other missionary wives, only to have it interrupted by wild monkeys who had decided to invade their veranda and eat the sandwiches!

The most amazing story, however, is Floyd’s detailed account of how Ruth befriended two little boys on the ship, who were later known as the Titanic Orphans, because their father perished in the sinking. She had always thought they drowned as well, until she was reunited with the older of the boys at a Titanic convention 75 years after the voyage. A photo from that event, as well as others of Ruth and her family, are included in the book’s backmatter.

Ruth’s experiences come to life in The Stars in April, through a cast of characters from all walks of life and through her Sky Reports—journal entries she writes as she observes the stars and constellations and speculates on her future as she travels across the world. Ruth Becker’s story is for all ages, from kids who are interested in a true adventure, to adult history buffs and those looking for a heartfelt, first-person account from a survivor of the “unsinkable” Titanic.

“A captivating, honest, lovingly told story of a young girl’s courageous journey. If you only read one book about the Titanic, read this one!”

~ Francisco X. Stork, award-winning author of Marcelo in the Real    World, The Memory of Light, and Illegal

Amazon.com: The Stars in April (9781645263067): Wirgau, Peggy: Books (paperback)

Peggy Wirgau is a Michigan native and now lives in Delray Beach, Florida. She loves true stories from the past and writes through the eyes of ordinary people in history who faced extraordinary challenges and became heroes. Peggy has written for several magazines and contributed to Why? Titanic Moments. Her debut novel, The Stars in April, is based on the story of twelve-year-old Titanic survivor Ruth Becker. She is a member of ACFW, SCBWI, and Florida Writers Association.

Barb Roose: Breakthrough, Part 2

Part 2 of an Interview with Barb Roose,
Author of Breakthrough

For some, Christianity is a long list of rules to be followed, and it’s hard to be a “good Christian” because it always seems you’re breaking one of those rules. In Breakthrough: Finding Freedom in Christ (Abingdon Women), popular women’s conference speaker and author Barb Roose wants to help readers let go of the feeling they are not a “good enough” Christian and find freedom in Christ by studying Paul’s letter to the Galatians.Why do you think you have to be perfect for God?
 
Does God only show up or love you when you “get it right”?
 
Who has led you to believe you have to follow rules and “measure up”?
 
For anyone who has ever struggled with these questions or felt trapped by rules or religion, Breakthrough: Finding Freedom in Christ (Abingdon Women), by popular women’s conference speaker and author Barb Roose will provide a path to discovering freedom in Christ. Roose helps readers learn to:
  -Stop trying to measure up and embrace God’s grace
-Distinguish between lies and truth
-Embrace God’s promise of freedom




Part 2 of an Interview with Barb Roose,
Author of Breakthrough


For some, Christianity is a long list of rules to be followed, and it’s hard to be a “good Christian” because it always seems you’re breaking one of those rules. In Breakthrough: Finding Freedom in Christ (Abingdon Women), popular women’s conference speaker and author Barb Roose wants to help readers let go of the feeling they are not a “good enough” Christian and find freedom in Christ by studying Paul’s letter to the Galatians.Why do you think you have to be perfect for God?
 
Does God only show up or love you when you “get it right”?
 
Who has led you to believe you have to follow rules and “measure up”?
 
For anyone who has ever struggled with these questions or felt trapped by rules or religion, Breakthrough: Finding Freedom in Christ (Abingdon Women), by popular women’s conference speaker and author Barb Roose will provide a path to discovering freedom in Christ. Roose helps readers learn to:
 
Stop trying to measure up and embrace God’s grace
Distinguish between lies and truth
Embrace God’s promise of freedom

 
Q: What is the spiritual breakthrough you hope readers will experience by diving into your new Bible study?
 
In a word: FREEDOM! I’m so excited about the opportunity for readers to experience the freedom that comes from knowing that our God is at work in us and that we don’t have to jump through hoops to earn His approval, love or favor. He’s already given it to us in every promise that He’s made to us!
 
While spiritual breakthrough isn’t a term in the Bible, it is reflected in God’s promise to change and transform us by renewing eternally us in Christ (Galatians 2:20). I’ve seen a lot of descriptions of spiritual breakthrough that put the responsibility for spiritual growth or freedom on human effort, but only God can rescue us from the prisons of our pain, our past and our problems. We might be able to push against the prison bars on our own, but only God can break us free!
 
In fact, one of the key features of the Breakthrough study is the weekly Spiritual Breakthrough Exercise with unique tools to identify where God is at work. It’s been so much fun listening to women celebrate seeing where God is at work and their confidence in knowing that God is transforming them, and they don’t have to try to make it happen on their own.
 
Q: What are your six freedom principles?
 
As I studied Paul’s letter to the Galatian church, I created six Freedom Principles to capture the main themes of his letter. I pray that readers will use these principles as tools to apply to their lives when they feel like they need to do more to earn God’s love or blessing.
The gospel is based on God’s perfect promises, not our performance.
A relationship with God means that we receive from Him rather than follow rules for Him.
Your freedom in Christ cannot be shaken or taken away by anyone who chooses not to live like Christ.
Freedom in Christ is living free from fear and fully alive with joy and purpose.
Spiritual breakthrough is an ah-ha moment when we recognize that God is at work within us, receive what He’s doing, and respond to it.
You are God’s beautiful, loveable, capable daughter. You are confident in Christ and worthy of God’s best.
Q: There was a season of your life when, even though you were saved, you decided to disconnect from God because of religious rules. What made you decide to reconnect with God?
 
My mom explained the gospel to me when I was eight years old. I accepted Jesus as my Savior and was baptized when I was nine years old. I was so happy that Jesus saved me that I wanted to be a good Christian and make God happy. I had my list of religious “to-do” rules and worked hard to make God happy. I thought that following all the rules would make me more faithful to God, but I spent so much time in fear. I always wondered if I was doing enough for God and kept pushing myself to jump through those hoops, always trying to do more and do better.
 
When I got to college, I saw all the other students having fun. I wasn’t having fun while following all of the rules, so I decided to stop. The only problem was that when I abandoned my “good” Christian rules, I felt like I was abandoning what I called my faith.
 
When I eventually messed up my life so badly that there was nothing I could do to fix it, I experienced an ah-ha moment that changed my life. That moment was realizing that God’s love for me is based on His perfect promises, not my performance. This was when I finally understood the freedom that comes from God’s grace, not following religious rules.
 
Q: Can you give us some examples of legalism that hold us back from freedom?
 
In Breakthrough, I tell the story of my conversation with a lovely young believer who felt like she was a bad Christian because she saw other Christians who seemed to read their Bibles more and never miss church. She told me, “Well, I forget to read my Bible sometimes, and I still smoke. I feel like I’m disappointing God.”
 
My heart hurt for that young believer and so many other Christians who feel exactly like she does. Legalism wants us to believe that we have to earn God’s love and favor by reading our Bibles a certain number of times a week or never missing church. Legalism’s focus is on “what are we doing for God” and the problem is that when the focus is on us, we miss out on receiving what God wants to give us.
 
When we read our Bibles because we know that God’s truth gives us life, that’s freedom. But when we read our Bibles because we think that will make God happy, that’s legalism. When we go to church because the sermon and music focus us on Jesus’ love, that leads us to freedom. But, when we go to church because we think that God will punish us if we don’t, that’s legalism.
 
Q: What are the three hoops of legalism Christians get trapped into believing they have to jump through?
 
I call these the “To-Do,” “Do-More,” and “Do-Better” hoops of religion:
 
To-Do Hoop – Our attempt to gain God’s forgiveness or save ourselves from sin or struggle
Do-More Hoop – Our effort to compel God to act or gain favor (like a quid pro quo)
Do-Better Hoop – Our determination to fix ourselves or reduce our shame or guilt after we mess up.
 
Some of us grew up in religious traditions that promoted certain religious rules or perhaps you’re like me and made up your own legalistic rules to try to earn God’s love or favor. The end result of legalism is never freedom, but rather more fear and frustration.
 
Q: What is the format of Breakthrough ? How many weeks are there and what will participants do on their own vs. within a group?
 
The Breakthrough Bible study is six weeks long and it’s written for a solo use, but preferably in a group setting. I believe that life transformation happens when we gather together with each other to talk about God, our faith, and our life experience. God uses our individual stories to encourage and inspire each other. So, grab some friends and make a group! Best of all, geography isn’t a limitation. I love hearing from groups across the country who are using online technology to bring together friends for Bible study who live in different states as well as groups that meet in person.
 
Q: Where can participants access the videos that correspond with each week?
 
In response to the different ways that groups are meeting, I love that my publisher, Abingdon Women, has made a three video formats available: DVDs, digital download, and streaming media. There’s a solution for everyone!
 
Readers can order DVDs and access to digital downloads from cokesbury.com/barbroose or use the Amplify Media platform for streaming video access at amplifymedia.com.
 
If you’d like more information on those options, I recorded a video with my friend and fellow Abingdon Women author, Melissa Spoelstra that gives a demonstration of them all at barbroose.com/groupleaders.
 


 

About the author
 

Barb Roose is a popular speaker and author who is passionate about teaching women to live beautifully strong and courageous in spite of their fears so that they can experience God’s great adventure of faith and purpose for their lives.
 
Roose enjoys teaching and encouraging women at conferences and events across the country, as well as internationally, including national platforms such as the Aspire Women’s Events, She Speaks Conference, and many more.
 
She is the author of three books, Surrendered Devotional, Winning the Worry Battle, and Enough Already, and five Bible studies, Breakthrough, Surrendered, I’m Waiting, God, Joshua, and Beautiful Already. Her writing has been featured in many magazines, and she also writes a regular blog at BarbRoose.com. She hosts the “Better Together” Facebook Live events and podcast.
 
Roose lives in Toledo, Ohio, and is the proud mom of three adult daughters. Her perfect day includes sleeping in, taking a long walk outside, shopping for shoes and eating two big bowls of chocolate peanut ice cream.
 
Visit Barb Roose’s online home at barbroose.com . Readers can also keep up with her on Facebook ( BarbaraRoose ), Twitter ( barbroose ), and Instagram ( barbroose ).

Q: What is the spiritual breakthrough you hope readers will experience by diving into your new Bible study?
 
In a word: FREEDOM! I’m so excited about the opportunity for readers to experience the freedom that comes from knowing that our God is at work in us and that we don’t have to jump through hoops to earn His approval, love or favor. He’s already given it to us in every promise that He’s made to us!
 
While spiritual breakthrough isn’t a term in the Bible, it is reflected in God’s promise to change and transform us by renewing eternally us in Christ (Galatians 2:20). I’ve seen a lot of descriptions of spiritual breakthrough that put the responsibility for spiritual growth or freedom on human effort, but only God can rescue us from the prisons of our pain, our past and our problems. We might be able to push against the prison bars on our own, but only God can break us free!
 
In fact, one of the key features of the Breakthrough study is the weekly Spiritual Breakthrough Exercise with unique tools to identify where God is at work. It’s been so much fun listening to women celebrate seeing where God is at work and their confidence in knowing that God is transforming them, and they don’t have to try to make it happen on their own.
 
Q: What are your six freedom principles?
 
As I studied Paul’s letter to the Galatian church, I created six Freedom Principles to capture the main themes of his letter. I pray that readers will use these principles as tools to apply to their lives when they feel like they need to do more to earn God’s love or blessing. The gospel is based on God’s perfect promises, not our performance. A relationship with God means that we receive from Him rather than follow rules for Him. Your freedom in Christ cannot be shaken or taken away by anyone who chooses not to live like Christ. Freedom in Christ is living free from fear and fully alive with joy and purpose. Spiritual breakthrough is an ah-ha moment when we recognize that God is at work within us, receive what He’s doing, and respond to it. You are God’s beautiful, loveable, capable daughter. You are confident in Christ and worthy of God’s best. Q: There was a season of your life when, even though you were saved, you decided to disconnect from God because of religious rules. What made you decide to reconnect with God?
 
My mom explained the gospel to me when I was eight years old. I accepted Jesus as my Savior and was baptized when I was nine years old. I was so happy that Jesus saved me that I wanted to be a good Christian and make God happy. I had my list of religious “to-do” rules and worked hard to make God happy. I thought that following all the rules would make me more faithful to God, but I spent so much time in fear. I always wondered if I was doing enough for God and kept pushing myself to jump through those hoops, always trying to do more and do better.
 
When I got to college, I saw all the other students having fun. I wasn’t having fun while following all of the rules, so I decided to stop. The only problem was that when I abandoned my “good” Christian rules, I felt like I was abandoning what I called my faith.
 
When I eventually messed up my life so badly that there was nothing I could do to fix it, I experienced an ah-ha moment that changed my life. That moment was realizing that God’s love for me is based on His perfect promises, not my performance. This was when I finally understood the freedom that comes from God’s grace, not following religious rules.
 
Q: Can you give us some examples of legalism that hold us back from freedom?
 
In Breakthrough, I tell the story of my conversation with a lovely young believer who felt like she was a bad Christian because she saw other Christians who seemed to read their Bibles more and never miss church. She told me, “Well, I forget to read my Bible sometimes, and I still smoke. I feel like I’m disappointing God.”
 
My heart hurt for that young believer and so many other Christians who feel exactly like she does. Legalism wants us to believe that we have to earn God’s love and favor by reading our Bibles a certain number of times a week or never missing church. Legalism’s focus is on “what are we doing for God” and the problem is that when the focus is on us, we miss out on receiving what God wants to give us.
 
When we read our Bibles because we know that God’s truth gives us life, that’s freedom. But when we read our Bibles because we think that will make God happy, that’s legalism. When we go to church because the sermon and music focus us on Jesus’ love, that leads us to freedom. But, when we go to church because we think that God will punish us if we don’t, that’s legalism.
 
Q: What are the three hoops of legalism Christians get trapped into believing they have to jump through?
 
I call these the “To-Do,” “Do-More,” and “Do-Better” hoops of religion:
 
To-Do Hoop – Our attempt to gain God’s forgiveness or save ourselves from sin or struggle
Do-More Hoop – Our effort to compel God to act or gain favor (like a quid pro quo)
Do-Better Hoop – Our determination to fix ourselves or reduce our shame or guilt after we mess up.
 
Some of us grew up in religious traditions that promoted certain religious rules or perhaps you’re like me and made up your own legalistic rules to try to earn God’s love or favor. The end result of legalism is never freedom, but rather more fear and frustration.
 
Q: What is the format of Breakthrough ? How many weeks are there and what will participants do on their own vs. within a group?
 
The Breakthrough Bible study is six weeks long and it’s written for a solo use, but preferably in a group setting. I believe that life transformation happens when we gather together with each other to talk about God, our faith, and our life experience. God uses our individual stories to encourage and inspire each other. So, grab some friends and make a group! Best of all, geography isn’t a limitation. I love hearing from groups across the country who are using online technology to bring together friends for Bible study who live in different states as well as groups that meet in person.
 
Q: Where can participants access the videos that correspond with each week?
 
In response to the different ways that groups are meeting, I love that my publisher, Abingdon Women, has made a three video formats available: DVDs, digital download, and streaming media. There’s a solution for everyone!
 
Readers can order DVDs and access to digital downloads from cokesbury.com/barbroose or use the Amplify Media platform for streaming video access at amplifymedia.com.
 
If you’d like more information on those options, I recorded a video with my friend and fellow Abingdon Women author, Melissa Spoelstra that gives a demonstration of them all at barbroose.com/groupleaders.About the author Barb Roose is a popular speaker and author who is passionate about teaching women to live beautifully strong and courageous in spite of their fears so that they can experience God’s great adventure of faith and purpose for their lives.
 
Roose enjoys teaching and encouraging women at conferences and events across the country, as well as internationally, including national platforms such as the Aspire Women’s Events, She Speaks Conference, and many more.
 
She is the author of three books, Surrendered Devotional, Winning the Worry Battle, and Enough Already, and five Bible studies, Breakthrough, Surrendered, I’m Waiting, God, Joshua, and Beautiful Already. Her writing has been featured in many magazines, and she also writes a regular blog at BarbRoose.com. She hosts the “Better Together” Facebook Live events and podcast.
 
Roose lives in Toledo, Ohio, and is the proud mom of three adult daughters. Her perfect day includes sleeping in, taking a long walk outside, shopping for shoes and eating two big bowls of chocolate peanut ice cream.
 
Visit Barb Roose’s online home at barbroose.com . Readers can also keep up with her on Facebook ( BarbaraRoose ), Twitter ( barbroose ), and Instagram ( barbroose ).

Bonnie Engstrom: How NOT to Write a New Series

How not to write a series!

By

Bonnie Engstrom

I’ve been planning to write about this subject for a long time and now that The Candy Cane Series is finally complete I am following through with my intent. Most authors will write a trilogy or maybe a five book series. Those are the smart ones! The ones that have two to three main characters and maybe a few very minor characters. Often there is one MC that is featured throughout the series. I love all my MCs, all seven of them . . . with similar names. What was I thinking? I know. The series is based on a swim team of four girls and two alternates. I learned that from the many years my children swam competitively. So I guess there was some logic in my choice. But then Melanie came along.

Melanie is mentioned in Book One, Noelle’s Christmas Wedding, as the cause of the horrible accident to Doreen. She is a minor character for several books until . . . she takes over. Yes, characters do that, especially if they are complicated and interesting and have a background of their own. Melanie isn’t bossy. In fact she is loving and caring and prayful, and she is forgiven by Doreen. Wow, did that really happen?

Here’s short synopsis of the series to help readers understand.

ABOUT THE CANDY CANES 

Twenty years ago six high school freshmen in Newport Beach, California formed a swim team that became legendary. They won the state relay swim championship four years in a row. In addition to their skill and devotion to daily practicing, they prayed together and vowed to be sisters forever. Another thing that set them apart was they chose their own swimsuits making them a team within a larger team. They chose red and white diagonally striped swimsuits. Thus, became known as the Candy Canes. They always will be.

There are nine books in the series. Each book can be read as a standalone, although the stories begin when the women are in their twenties, they build on each other as the women progress in age. Each book touches on a social situation: abuse, alcoholism, interracial marriage, infidelity, life threatening disease.

Each book highlights one girl in particular, but all the girls and their families and friends (yes, boyfriends, too) are mentioned in every story because their lives are intertwined by a strong faith and strong friendships.

The weddings are as unique as the locations. A bouquet is tossed in one (Cindy’s Perfect Dance), a bride carries a newborn baby in another (Melanie’s Blue Skirt), a mother swings her son dancing in another (Natalie’s Deception), and a dog drops an athletic shoe in another (Doreen Finds Her Groove).

Each Candy Cane wedding takes place in a nontraditional venue – a famous public garden in Corona del Mar, a historic site overlooking the Newport Bay, on a Central American beach, in a health club, in a hospital lobby, in a famous hotel, and finally . . . That’s still a mystery to be revealed in Book Nine, Natalie’s Red Dress.

A Special Opportunity

My publisher just put The Candy Cane Series in a special Boxed Set Collection – $9.99 for all nine books. A great deal for a series that never intended to be a series. I hope you will take advantage of the special price. I know you will enjoy following the women through their trials and their loves. Please let me know what you think about all the similar names and all the women. Please leave a review and follow me on Amazon. I will be grateful. I answer emails. See below.

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Email me at bengstrom@hotmail.com with BOOK in the subject line.

May 2021 Fiction Finder New Releases

May 2021 New Releases

More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website

Amish Romance:

The Jam and Jelly Nook by Amy Clipston — In the final installment of Amy Clipston’s bestselling Amish Marketplace series, a young widow struggling to raise her son dreams of one more chance at love. Over time Emory and Leanna become closer friends, discovering how much they have in common. As single parents, they struggle with the limits of what they can provide for their children and feel somewhat responsible for what happened to their respective spouses. The two eventually realize they have feelings for each other-but when they try to date, their children resist. Will God pave a way for them to build a family together, or will hurdles block the path to a second chance at happiness? (Amish Romance from HarperCollins Christian Publishing (Thomas Nelson and Zondervan))

Contemporary Romance:

Stealing the First Mate by Tabitha Bouldin — Sometimes, happily ever after is as elusive as a pirate’s treasure. Darcy Riggins dove headfirst into the online dating pool and sank. Every time. Her lifelong dream of becoming a wife and mother becomes more elusive every year. So, taking the lack of a Mr. Right in her life as a decided “No!” from God, Darcy gives up altogether. Being single and content turns out to be tougher than Darcy imagined, and when she begins doubting everything she’s ever known, Nigel decides it’s time to admit his mistakes, tell the truth, and trust God for the outcome. (Contemporary Romance from Celebrate Lit Publishing)

Royally Confused by Jill Boyce — Will this doctor trade in her stethoscope for a tiara? Claire must decide by the night of the Royal Gala if she will accept her place on the throne as the Queen of Amorley–even if she might have to give up medicine or love to do so. Will she return to Boston and pursue her passion for surgery and turn her back on her newfound family, country, and the love of a lifetime? Will Claire trade in her stethoscope for a tiara? Does light overcome darkness? Can Claire learn that her worth does not reside in what she does, but who she is–the daughter of her heavenly Father and part of a royal priesthood. (Contemporary Romance from Winged Publications)

Once Upon a Summer by Toni Shiloh — Embrace the enchantment of summer with these contemporary twists on timeless tales. Let these five sweet contemporary Christian romances take you away this summer. (Contemporary Romance, Independently Published)

General Contemporary:

Shelter in the Storm by Laurel M. Blount — In this moving Amish romance, two broken hearts find hope in each other after a terrible loss. Unspeakable tragedy strikes the Amish hamlet of Johns Mill when an unstable Englischer opens fire in the Hochstedler’s General Store. In the aftermath, and under the media’s spotlight, Joseph Hochstedler struggles to hold his shattered family together, drawing unexpected comfort from a faithful childhood friend. Born with a serious heart defect, optimist Naomi Schrock has always longed to live a life of service. She rolls up her sleeves, determined to help Joseph cope with this terrible crisis. But dare she hope that his friendship will finally deepen into love? (General Contemporary from Berkley Penguin Random House)

Impact by Audra Sanlyn — She sat in the midst of fear and desperation, facing the biggest decision of her life. (General Contemporary, Independently Published)

Historical Romance:

Finding Home (Within the Castle Gates #4) by Candee Fick — Two hearts longing for home. A memorable first encounter brought them together, but then Susannah Stanley and Nicholas Pennington were torn apart by circumstances beyond their control. From the Lake District in Northern England to a Moroccan port along the African coast and the Napoleonic Wars in between, they struggle to hold onto hope they will be reunited. After being supplanted by her stepmother’s schemes and the betrayal of a friend, they finally meet again in the most unlikely of places. Now the battle is on to reclaim their rightful inheritance. (Historical Romance, Independently Published)

Gold Rush Bride Hannah by Linda Shenton Matchett — Hannah Lauman’s husband has been murdered, but rather than grief, she feels…relief. She decides to remain in Georgia to work their gold claim, but a series of incidents makes it clear someone wants her gone…dead or alive. Is a chance at being a woman of means and independence worth risking her life? Jess Vogel never breaks a promise, so when he receives a letter from a former platoon mate about being in danger, he drops everything to help his old friend. Unfortunately, he arrives just in time for the funeral. Can he convince the man’s widow he’s there for her protection not for her money? (Historical Romance from Shortwave Press)

Mystery:

Three Days Clueless by Luana Ehrlich — Mylas Grey is determined to find the person who shot a politician in broad daylight. There’s just one problem. The killer left no clues behind. Zip. Zilch. Nada. Mylas gets involved in an intriguing case of MURDER . . .When Mylas arrives in his hometown to spend time with Whitney, he agrees to help his father, a local private detective, examine the files of a politician who was murdered in cold blood. Mylas gets involved in an intriguing case of murder with NO CLUES . . .The wife of the slain politician believes her husband’s murder is connected to his duties as a state legislator, but the police find no clues to his murder and no evidence to support her claim. (Mystery/Crime, Independently Published)

Romantic Thriller:

Rising Danger by Jerusha Agen — t’s up to a K-9 handler and her canine partner to stop a bomber before it’s too late. Someone’s planting explosives on dams in the Twin Cities, and Bristol Bachmann and her bomb sniffing dog must move quickly to find them before everything ends up underwater. That means relying on the dams’ supervisor—an ex-boyfriend Bristol never thought she’d see again. Hopefully Remington Jones has grown up from the rakish charmer she knew in her academy days. Because lives now depend entirely on them…
(Romantic Suspense/Thriller from Love Inspired (Harlequin))

Dark Threat by Kimberly Rose Johnson — Reporter Trinity Lockhart pursues a story but then unwittingly becomes the story. Acting on a tip from an anonymous source, Trinity investigates an art trafficking ring at a high-end Seattle gallery. She turns to handsome FBI agent Kyle Richards for help after being spotted by the crooks. Kyle is drawn to the feisty reporter, but he can’t afford a beautiful distraction when lives are at stake. He must trust his friends at Protection Inc. to watch over Trinity while he investigates the gallery.
(Romantic Suspense/Thriller, Independently Published)

Plus check out these recent additions to Fiction Finder published within the past month:

 

  The Trouble with Jenny by Kathy Geary Anderson, She’s always getting into trouble. He’s always getting hurt. (Historical Romance)

 

  Courage in the Mountain Wilderness: Call of the Rockies, Books 4 by Misty M. Beller, Keeping her son safe on this epic journey may be harder than she imagined. (Historical Romance)

 

  Out of Range: In the Shadows, Book 2 by JL Crosswhite, It’s her chance to prove she’s good enough. It’s his chance to prove he’s more than just a fun guy. Is it their time to find love, or does he have deadly competition? (Romantic Suspense)

 

  Poppy’s Path to Love – Great Smoky Mountain Getaways by Elsie Davis, Escape to the Great Smoky Mountains with Poppy as she tries to hit the reset button on her life, only to discover there’s been a mistake and she has a limited window of time to prove herself and figure out where she belongs.
(Contemporary/Women’s Fiction)

 

  Juliet’s Journey to Love – Great Smoky Mountain Getaways by Elsie Davis, Escape to the Great Smoky Mountains with Juliet as she learns patience trying to figure out God’s plan for her life instead of trusting Him.
(Contemporary/Women’s Fiction)

 

  Seeking Sanctuary by Susanne Dietz, When Kellan’s deepest secret threatens their growing bond, will Paige be able to forgive him for the past he can’t forget? (Contemporary Romance)

 

  Grace Beneath the Frost by Christine Dillon, Professional success. Personal failure. (General Contemporary)

 

  The Good German Girl by Erica Marie Hogan, As they begin a dangerous correspondence, both Margot and Bernie embark on treacherous journeys. (General Historical)

 

  The Amish Teacher’s Wish by Tracey Lyons, She wants her own happily-ever-after…As an Amish bachelor repairs her school…can she heal his heart? (Romance/Amish)

 

  Surviving Carmelita by Susan Miura, Where Do You Run When Your World Implodes? (Contemporary/Women’s Fiction)

 

  Every Good Work by Urcelia Teixeira , Beware the eye of the storm…Adam Cross faces a life-changing decision when he returns in the gripping Christian suspense series finale!
(Thriller/Suspense)

 

  See You Monday by Kristen Terrette , One choice can change everything.
(YA Fiction)

Part 2 of an Interview with Jodie Niznik, Author of Crossroads

In her nine-week inductive Bible study, Crossroads: A Study of Esther and Jonah for Boldly Responding to Your Call (Kregel Publications), Jodie Niznik invites readers to learn that each Christian is uniquely equipped and called by God for a particular assignment in a specific time and place. As each of us stands at a crossroads, the choice is ours. Will we choose to boldly respond like Esther, or will we fight our calling like Jonah? With thoughtful questions and practical exercises, Niznik will gently help each participant examine their life through the lens of Scripture and take brave, bold steps forward in their Christian walk.
 
While Queen Esther and the prophet Jonah endured wildly different circumstances and had distinctly singular callings, they were both appointed by God. They were placed in a certain time and space in history. God carried them through unique experiences and gave them specific gifts. Despite their opposite attitudes of willingness, their lives are proof of the great things we can accomplish when we follow God’s call.
 
Q: Unlike Esther, Jonah’s calling from God was clear, and God was very much seen as a main character in his story. How can we discern our calling from God?
 
Jonah was fortunate in that he got to hear the unmistakable and audible voice of God directing him. While God can certainly tell us in an audible voice what he wants us to do, this is not our normative experience. We discover God’s calling in our lives as we prayerfully notice where God is, what he is stirring in us, and what we think he is leading us to. When I am trying to discern God’s leading and calling in my life, I like to use a tool called the daily examen.
 
An examen is an intentional time to notice and reflect upon the last twenty-four hours and to ask God to guide you into the next twenty-four hours. The examen uses a set list of questions that helps you reflect on each day by noticing where you felt close to God and distant from God—among other things. The intention is to help you start to see his presence and promptings throughout your day. While God may not speak to us in an audible voice, he is present and moving. He also leads us through his Word, his people, and the circumstances around us. The examen helps me pay attention to all these things. While God can sometimes feel mysterious to us, he will never make his will a mystery when we earnestly seek him and are willing to follow wherever he leads.
 
Q: We don’t get swallowed by a giant fish when we don’t follow God’s call, but how does God get our attention in other ways?
 
One of the ways that God gets our attention is through the storms of life. Jonah found himself in a literal storm and wound up nearly drowning, only to be saved by an enormous fish. For us, storms can come into our lives when we run from or resist God. These storms are never meant to punish us because we do not serve a punishing God. These storms are meant to help us turn back to God and away from our resistance and running. One of the things Jonah (as well as many other Scriptures) teaches us is that our God is a God of second, third, and even one hundredth or more chances. God lovingly pursued Jonah and gave him a second chance to do what he was asking. God does the same for me—and he does the same for you. Even if, for some reason, a particular calling has passed and just can’t be done anymore, God still wants us to follow him. He is full of forgiveness, grace, and mercy. Jonah shows us this.
 
It’s also worth noting here that not all storms come into our lives because of something we have done. We can see this in the fact that the storm Jonah kicked up also impacted a lot of innocent people around him. Sometimes storms come into our lives because of the actions of others, and sometimes they come just because we live in a sinful and broken world. But, no matter why the storm is there, God wants you to seek him in the midst of it.
 
Q: What should we learn from Jonah about talking to others about Jesus? Why did Jonah get mad when the people of Nineveh responded to his message?
 
Jonah was sent to the city of Nineveh with very specific instructions to tell them the message God would give him. Jonah was to go and tell. We are given a similar calling today. As believers, we are called to go and tell people about Jesus. Jesus himself commissioned us to do this good work (Matthew 28:18–20), and the book of Romans echoes this by reminding us that people need to know about Jesus, but “how can they hear about him unless someone tells them (Romans 10:14 NLT)?” As followers of Jesus, our calling to tell others about him is crystal clear.
 
The difference between us and Jonah is that we probably won’t be called to wander through a hostile town full of people who had terrorized and murdered our ancestors while heralding the good news and calling people to repentance. This is why Jonah ran away in the first place. He didn’t want to go to these people because he didn’t believe they deserved God’s mercy. And then, when he did go, the strangest thing happened—they repented and turned to God, and God had mercy on them. Jonah was livid. His worst fear had materialized. Oddly, we don’t get to hear how Jonah reconciled all this with God, but I’m pretty sure he came around and learned a thing or two about his own brokenness and need for mercy, because otherwise how would his story have ever been told? Someone had to tell all the details about Jonah’s journey, and the only person who knew all the details was Jonah himself.
 
Q: Do we all have a distinct calling? What do we misunderstand about our calling?
 
We do have distinct callings. We have been created on purpose for a purpose. Like Esther and Jonah, we have been providentially placed in a specific time and place in history and given distinct gifts and experiences that enable us to do things that only we can do. To help us discern the next steps of our calling, God will use things like our circumstances, trusted advisers, his Word, and prayer.
 
I do want to dispel a myth many people have about callings: your calling isn’t a needle-in-a-haystack hunt for the one thing you are supposed to discover and do for the rest of your life. I mean, I guess it could happen that way, but that hasn’t been my or most people’s experience. Callings change and grow; they ebb and flow. Some callings are bigger and longer, like my calling to be in vocational ministry. Some callings are smaller and more embedded into our lives, such as my calling to love my neighbor well by reaching out to her today. Some callings are temporary, like going on a mission trip. Some callings are lifelong, such as being a disciple of Jesus. We are chosen by God to do many things over the course of our lives. In order to constantly follow where he leads, we need to maintain a vital and loving relationship with him.
 
Q: Crossroads is the second release in the Real People, Real Faith Bible study series. In what ways does the series look at familiar people from the Bible in new ways?
 
I think sometimes we forget that the people in Scripture were real people who lived real lives. And while it sounds obvious, they had to live their lives in real time—which means they didn’t know how their story would end. We have the advantage of knowing their whole story, which on the one hand is helpful, but I also think it can be an impediment for a deeper understanding of their journey with God.
 
When I dive into a character’s story, I try to slow down and really consider what was it like for them to walk through those moments of not knowing. What was it like for Esther to enter into the king’s presence? What was it like for Jonah to find himself inside the belly of a fish? What was it like for him to share God’s message with people he despised? Every story in Scripture has so much to teach us about God and ourselves. My hope and prayer for each of my studies is that women grow deeper in their love for God and find courage to take another step with him in some way. 
 
Q: Can you share a little bit about Choose , which is the first book in the series? Who will the next study be about?
 
Choose: A Study of Moses for a Life That Matters follows the life of Moses. Like Esther and Jonah, Moses was invited to follow God on an extraordinary journey. There are so many practical lessons to be learned from Moses. Studying his life and seeing how he consistently chose to follow God’s lead inspires me to do the same. Moses truly led a life that matters, and so can we.
 
The next study coming out in the series is called Trust: A Study of Joseph for Persevering Through Life’s Challenges. As the title states, it is a study on the life of Joseph in the Old Testament. I wrote most of this study while we were in lockdown for COVID, which made it so timely for me. Joseph had so many hard things happen in his life—and each step of the way he trusted God. His life is a rich testimony to us that we can trust God no matter what comes our way. Joseph reminded me that God’s plan is good—even when the journey is hard or doesn’t make sense to us.   Click here to read an excerpt of Crossroads.  
About the Author  
Jodie Niznik has served in various roles on the pastoral team at her church over the last twelve years, including pastor to women. Her calling and passion is to equip people to take the next step in their journey with Jesus. She loves to write about and teach scriptural truths in practical and easy-to-understand ways. Niznik has an undergraduate degree in broadcast journalism from the University of Colorado and a master’s degree in Christian education with an emphasis in women’s ministry from Dallas Theological Seminary. She is the author of Crossroads: A Study of Esther and Jonah for Boldly Responding to Your Call and Choose: A Study of Moses for a Life That Matters, and the coauthor of Galatians: Discovering Freedom in Christ Through Daily Practice with Sue Edwards. She is also the host of the So Much More podcast. Niznik and her husband, Tim, live in the Dallas area and have two young adult daughters, Taylor and Billie. The Nizniks miss their daughters but love their quiet Saturdays. Niznik believes gummy bears and coffee are sweet gifts from the Lord that provide fuel as she writes Bible studies and prepares biblical teachings. To learn more about Jodie Niznik, visit  www.jodieniznik.com . She can also be found on Facebook (@JodieGNiznik) and Instagram (@jodieniznik) .

Restore: Changing How We Live and Love by Robert K. Cheong

Reframing Our Stories Within God’s Story

 
An interview with Robert K. Cheong,
Author of Restore: Changing How We Live and Love
 Everyone has their own unique story—a way of weaving together past experiences and relationships with current joys and sorrows to make sense of their lives. When we live our stories without looking to the master Storyteller, it’s easy to become lost and confused. In Restore: Changing How We Live and Love, pastor and author Robert K. Cheong helps readers reconnect with God and remember where their help and hope comes from.
 
Scripture describes God restoring the health, relationships, hearts, and souls of his people, and he chose an unexpected tool to make himself known and to show how he restores. He uses stories. He does the same for his children today, using our stories.
 
Q: Introduce us to your small group resource, Restore: Changing How We Live and Love.
 
You can view Restore as a discipleship resource that helps you to know how to abide in Christ as you live in a broken world. More times than not, we don’t realize how the fall impacts how we live and love. Restore uses God’s story to help you reframe how you see and understand life, how God restores your soul through your life with Christ, and how God redeems your story.
 
Restore will also equip you to engage in spiritual warfare and to encourage one another as we all struggle to live in the hard and harsh realities as we continue to live in the fall.
 
Q: What are the Spirit-dependent goals for readers to accomplish through doing the study?
 
The Spirit-led goals remind readers what God desires for all his people. We can often look at these goals as “out of reach” or “reserved for the spiritually mature” or “accessible only during a retreat.” Believe it or not, God delights when we:find rest in himremember he is our hope and helpreframe how we see life and even ourselves with his eyesexperience his comfort and love as he restores our soul damaged by evilregain confidence in himand grow in love for him and others. Every time we draw near to God through his word, his spirit seeks to do these and other things. You will be amazed that God can accomplish all of these goals in one evening. Many people fear that if they experience these realities once, they may not keep experiencing these realities. That is why I call them Spirit-led goals because only God can bring these about, plus he promises to do these things in us.
 
Q: How do we begin to reframe our own stories and struggles as we start to see them in relation to God’s story?
 
Because of the fall, our tendency is to view every aspect of our life through the lens of our story, or the events and experiences that we encounter as we journey through life. Our reality becomes our reference point, or the filter through which we see and understand life.
 
But God begins to reframe how we see and respond to life as we look up and realize we live in a bigger reality—God’s Story—where Jesus is our reference point, as he serves as our way, truth, and life. As we experience God’s heart through his story, and his words saturate and satisfy our souls, God changes our perspective and posture in life.
 
Q: What do all of our struggles have in common?
 
Our struggles must be understood within the context of God’s story. Knowing that God didn’t create us to know evil, we can understand how our struggles flow from the fall. As a result, our struggles, though we experience struggles personally and uniquely within our own story, are common to all people who live in this broken world. We see these common struggles emerge from the Garden of Eden as the first man and woman rejected God’s word and disobeyed his command.
 
As a result of the fall, we all struggle in common ways, impacting our relationship with God and others. All of God’s creation has been impacted by evil’s destructive and deceitful nature. At the core of our struggles is our battle with self-love and self-glory.
 
Q: Even though faith struggles are common for all of us, why do we have to take them seriously and make sure that we don’t leave them unchecked?
 
Yes, we all struggle with doubt and unbelief, and when we do, it doesn’t mean we are not good enough as a Christian; it doesn’t mean that God is not good or unloving, but it does mean that evil continues to impact us as we continue to live in the fall.
 
Even though doubts are common, they aren’t harmless. Doubts keep us from knowing and experiencing God’s love, his presence, promises, and power. As you consider the armor of God, the shield of faith protects us from the fiery darts of the enemy. Doubts lower the shield of faith which enables the darts of the enemy to impact our souls. Q: You write that a story doesn’t reach completion until it’s shared. Why is it so important to tell our stories to others? Isn’t that just focusing on the past and ourselves?
 
We share our stories as a way of helping others to understand who we are as a person. We also share our stories as a way to help others to know how they can encourage you and pray for you. When others share, we get to know them better and learn how we can encourage and love them.
 
If we merely share our stories because our stories have defined us or have imprisoned us, then we run the risk of focusing on the past and ourselves. But when we reflect upon and share our stories within God’s story and with his eyes and heart, we find hope and healing. As we work through our story in light of God’s story, He will help us to see how he is with us, how he is at work redeeming our stories as he restores our souls. God frees us from the past to live in the present and to continue our journey with him in the future. When we share our stories in this way, God is the focus, and he is glorified.
 
Q: Can you offer tips on how to respond when someone shares their story with you, especially in a group setting?
 
The Study Guide offers a section that offers a guide for how we can respond to one another when someone shares their story with us. As you listen to someone share their story, listen with your ears, eyes, and heart (unpack each aspect). Pray for them as they share. Weep with those who weep. Rejoice with those who rejoice.
 
After someone shares their story, thank them for their courage and faith to share, for entrusting a piece of their story with you. In the moment, don’t ask factual questions to find out more details, but offer loving encouragement centered on the realities of Christ. You can also pray for the person after others in the group take the time to encourage the person.
 
Q: What does it mean to have communion with God? What are the three aspects of a relationship with him?
 
God created us for communion with him, which simply means that he created us to enjoy the eternal fellowship of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Communion with God describes how we know and experience our relationship with God. Our communion with God ebbs and flows given our struggle to live in a fallen and broken world.
 
Our communion with God has three “KEI” aspects—knowing God, experiencing God, and imaging God. Knowing God is essential since eternal life is knowing God (John 17:3). Experiencing God is foundational because God wants us to experience and enjoy his love found through his presence, promises, and power. Imaging God is crucial since God calls us to hear and do his word as we follow Jesus.
 
Q: If God created us to love, why can relationships of all kinds be so difficult?
 
Relationships are hard because each person has been seriously impacted by evil, which seeks to keep us from love. Even though we were created us for love, the evil within us causes us to love ourselves more than God and others. As a result, we struggle to see others more important than ourselves and fail to consider the interests of others before our own.
 
The Enemy seeks to divide us from one another, causing disunity and division in relationships. The Enemy also seeks to undermine how we know and experience God and his love, which can hinder the fruit of the Spirit in our hearts and lives.
 
Q: How does Jesus restore us with love?
 
Jesus restores our souls as we abide in his love. Through his loving words and by the power of his Spirit, he renews our thoughts, empowers us to experience his heart, and redirects our desires as he stirs our affections. 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 tells us that when his love compels and controls us, we will live for him according to his word and how he created us to live.
 
As we live in God’s story of love, he reframes how we see and understand life as he redeems the hard and hurtful parts of our story.
 
Q: In what ways is Restore different than other resources on making life changes? How does Restore go beyond simply giving readers Bible verses and reminding them about Jesus?
 
Restore helps us to understand how our story distorts how we live and love; how evil damages our souls, and how our experiences can define their identities and story.
 
Restore then uses God’s story to reframe how we see our lives in a broken world, how Jesus restores our souls as we live in his love, and how God redeems the painful parts of our story so that we can live and love differently as we live in this broken world through our union with Christ.
 
Restore seeks to be a discipleship resource more than a counseling resource, since I believe God designed the church to bear one another’s burdens and to encourage each other to faith, hope, and love in Christ as we live in this fallen world.
 
At the end of each lesson, you will have the opportunity to abide in Christ through a passage that corresponds to the lesson. I believe that abiding in Christ is at the core of discipleship, care, and community.
 
Q: Tell us about how this study guide was designed to be used. What leader’s helps are included in the book?
 
You will get the most out of this Study Guide if you invite others to journey with you through God’s story. I believe God created us to live and learn in community with his people. Over the years, I have seen how God encouragers, comforts, loves, and confronts through his word and his people.
 
If you are married, I encourage you to go work through Restore with your spouse. As a husband and wife share their hearts and engage each other through the lessons, they will have the privilege to grow together in oneness with one another as they grow in oneness with God.
 
But, God will do amazing things if you work through this study on your own. If you do so, I would encourage you to share with others all that God is teaching, shepherding, and loving you through his story and word.
 
Q: What encouragement would you offer someone who is hesitant to do this study with a group because they feel uncomfortable sharing their struggles with others?
 
The hesitancy is natural. We all struggle to some degree with this issue. However, I have seen God work in beautiful and powerful ways as his people share honestly by faith, trusting God when he said there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. I encourage those who are hesitant to set your gaze on Jesus, like Peter did when he walked on water, trusting Christ for faith, courage, and strength.
 
I would encourage anyone who is hesitant to remember that God will grow and encourage them as they hear other people’s story and struggles. They will quickly realize that they are not alone in their struggles. Just as important, they will realize that God often reframes how we see and understand life, restores our souls, and redeems the broken parts of our story through the lives of others.
  Restore: Changing How We Live and Love
Study Guide with Leader’s Notes
by Robert K. Cheong
September 14, 2020 / Retail Price: $19.99
Print ISBN 978-1-645071-09-9
Religion/Christian Ministry/Counseling & Recovery About the author
Robert K. Cheong, PhD, serves as the Pastor of Care at Sojourn Church Midtown in Louisville, KY. He has a passion for helping the church to be confident in Jesus, and he is the executive director of Gospel Care Ministries, which trains leaders in churches, networks, and mission organizations for discipleship and care in community.
 
Cheong also serves as a Sojourn Network Strategist in the area of care and as a Council Member for the Biblical Counseling Coalition. He is the author of God Redeeming His Bride: A Handbook for Church Discipline and Restore: Changing How We Live and Love.
 
He enjoys life with his wife, Karen, their grown children, and their adorable grandchildren.
 
Learn more about Robert K. Cheong and Gospel Care Ministries at www.gospel.care, Facebook (@gospelcareministries), Twitter (@GospelCareMn) or Instagram (@gospelcareministries).

Pioneer

I learned a few years ago there is such a thing in faith as the pioneer. The pioneer is someone who sees/hears/reads/receives information from the Lord a little bit ahead of everyone else. It’s a lonely calling full of rejection and waiting.

Then, when the masses get on board, no one remembers the prayers/decrees/proclamations the pioneer uttered all along.

When I learned about the modern pioneer, the Biblical role model wasn’t very encouraging. John the Baptist was a pionner. He foretold the coming of Christ and begged people to make a way. His reward?

He was beheaded.

Sigh.

I definitely identify as a pioneer. There will be things I can discern from the Holy Spirit’s leading that are coming down the pike. Sometimes I’m meant to share it, but more than not, I’m to sit on it and pray. Either way, it’s hard. Lonely.

Since 2019, God has been asking me to pray for justice and for things happening behind closed doors that went against His will. I assumed it was the presidential election and prayed for that, but also for God’s justice and the end of those back door meetings. I certainly didn’t have a lot of information to work with. As 2019 ended and 2020 began, I sensed the year would be big.

I thought perhaps we would receive perfect vision about the matters I’d been praying about. That justice would be served. I kept praying.

Then Coronavirus. Quarantine.

I kept praying.

I sensed that Passover would be a breakthrough.

I prayed and praised.

And it was hard, because nothing in the natural seemed to prove I was on the right track.

I switched focus to the election and just prayed and prayed.

I felt that the back door meetings were tied to the election and that bad plans were in the works. Election night I was certain the pioneer prayers worked and injustice was avoided.

Until the results and the forthcoming witnesses and testimony from those who tried to vote or count votes and were denied justice.

We know where things are at and the pioneer ride for this prayer quest God has given me for justice has been as comfortable as a wagon ride down a mountain. Add to it the months I was away taking care of my mom, missing my family, and then devastated once she recovered to lose mom.

Quit?

I’ve wanted to play dead and hope God passed me by.

But true pioneers don’t quit, especially if standing in the gap in prayer is their calling.

I haven’t forgotten to pray for justice and the end of secret meetings.

I did forget it wasn’t for me to define what that meant.

And in surrendering that, God has opened my eyes to a piece of what the praying pioneers are fighting for.

The justice goes way beyond the election and anything secret going on in the USA.

Same for all the secret meetings and agendas.

The fact that we are at Defcon 3 is not a surprise or scary to me. Why? It’s one of the puzzle pieces God gave me as I prayed this out. These pieces are coming together fast and it’s hard, because most people are still unaware of the scale of this assignment.

Here’s what I can say.

You don’t mock God.

You don’t mess with His children.

God is loving but His wrath is real. Not something to guilt you into doing something religious, but it’s a true story when a person or people intentionally work to harm God’s people and His way. When those people start to think they are God, well, their future isn’t pretty.

I write all this because I believe very soon the masses will receive information that will unveil the justice puzzle and the behind the door meetings. It will be devastating. There will be names we know and love who have done awful, awful, horrific things. There will be names we never trusted or cared for, maybe even actively spoke against who were good guys all along.

It will be life changing.

Can I be wrong?

Certainly. I’m human. But He is a promise keeper and I know enough about Him to know children are everything to Him. He exacts justice. And I’m pretty sure reading in His word, you can’t mock Him for long and not suffer consequences.

If you have that pioneer spirit, I pray you are encouraged and hold on tight. Don’t give up. Press in. Press in with your relationship with God through prayer and reading the Bible. Avoid putting all your focus in the world. It’s easy to make idols out of something, even in your quest for information.

If the whole pioneer thing is foreign to you but you sense something is off, that the world just isn’t adding up the way you thought it would, I encourage you to ask God to show you. Read Elijah. Jeremiah. Ezekiel.

If you feel like the news you use isn’t giving you the information you seek, I challenge you to download Telegram. If you need names of channels/people to read, I’m happy to help.

May we all, pioneers and the masses unite and not divide. That justice be served.

And to God all the glory.

Carol Underhill: The Reluctant Bilionaire Excerpt

Amazon / Print / Goodreads

About the Book

With her husband’s ultimate betrayal, and the finalization of her divorce, Jessica Palmer’s dreams for her life go up in flames, leaving her devastated and lost. Now, she’s leaving Chicago and moving back into her parents’ house in an effort to rebuild her life. Longtime neighbor and friend, Liam Engstrom, is the only reason she hasn’t completely fallen apart, but the closer they get, the more she realizes the depth of his feelings.

Liam has loved Jessica since they were teens, but she never noticed him as more than a friend. Now that she’s single, he’s determined to show her how much he cares and that not all men are like her ex-husband–if she’ll let him.

Jessica is reluctant to trust again after what her husband did to her, and Liam refuses to be the rebound guy, but their attraction is hard to deny. So, together, with a little help from God, they decide to give love a chance. But between Liam’s recent inheritance and an unwanted public billionaire status that has people lining up with their hands out, and Jessica’s ex-husband monitoring her every move, their relationship is off to a rocky start. And when tragedy strikes, Liam pushes everyone away—including Jessica. Can they both learn to forgive and grow, or are they doomed to be alone?

About the Author

Carol Underhill lives in rural Michigan a few miles from the farm where she grew up. She is mom to three adult children and a spoiled Lab. Her household also includes several rescued cats. She likes finding new authors on Kindle and binge-reading all their books. Carol rewards herself for meeting deadlines with a cup of fudge-flavored coffee. She enjoys quiet mornings and spending time with her family.

https://facebook.com/authorcarolunderhill

https:twitter.com/@carolunderhill7

Website and blog: https://authorcarolunderhill.com

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57493857-the-reluctant-billionaire

Bookbub: @carolunderhill26

The Reluctant Billionaire Excerpt

“Liam’s here.” Her dad’s voice carried from the living room, jarring Jessica from her thoughts.

She took a deep breath and left her bedroom. Despite this being a fake date, there was nothing fake about the way her heart started racing when she walked into the living room and saw Liam standing there. He looked red-carpet ready in his black tux. It fit him as naturally as his work clothes or swim trunks. His white shirt set off his suntanned face with his trimmed beard.

His mouth gaped as his gaze swept over her. “Wow, you look great.” He walked over and stood in front of her.

“You’re too tall for Liam,” Julie said. “You should ditch the heels for something shorter.”

He put his hand on Jessica’s shoulder, and she blushed. “It’s okay. I like to be able to look her in the eye,” he said.

“Are you sure? I have a different pair of heels that would put me a couple of inches shorter.”

“You’re fine.” His voice was husky.

Jessica held up a necklace and a string of pearls. “I can’t decide which to wear. What do you think?”

Liam pulled a velvet box out of his pocket. Jessica gasped when he opened it, revealing a silver necklace with diamonds and sapphires. The necklace was obviously a Douglas Engstrom original and probably worth a fortune.

“Would you consider this appropriate?”

“It’s beautiful.” Jessica lightly touched the gems. “But it’s too valuable to wear.”

“I thought you could wear it in memory of Dad.”

“Oh, but—” Her gaze flew to his. “You should save this for someone special.”

His face paled, and she could tell he struggled with what to say.

Jessica’s dad stepped forward. “I think it’s a great idea. Fasten that thing around her neck.”

Liam hesitated. The velvet box moved as his hand trembled. He was nervous.

“I can do it.” Her mom took the necklace out of the box. “Turn around, Jessica.”

When Jessica turned her back to Liam and her mom, she met Julie’s enraged expression. And her dad’s gentle one. He seemed pretty pleased Liam was asking her to wear the necklace. Did her dad have an ulterior motive in mind? Was he trying to be a matchmaker? That was an unusual thing for him to do.

She walked over to the hall mirror. The reflection was of a sophisticated woman with her hair swept up and perfect makeup. Her dress shimmered in the light, and the diamonds and sapphires sparkled at her throat.

Liam appeared in the mirror behind her. His admiring gaze nearly took her breath away.

“I guess I’m ready.” She spoke a little too loudly, stepping away from the mirror and picking up her silver clutch.

Barbara Roose: Breakthrough, Part 1

Part 1 of an Interview
with Barb Roose,
Author of Breakthrough

For some, Christianity is a long list of rules to be followed, and it’s hard to be a “good Christian” because it always seems you’re breaking one of those rules. In Breakthrough: Finding Freedom in Christ (Abingdon Women), popular women’s conference speaker and author Barb Roose wants to help readers let go of the feeling they are not a “good enough” Christian and find freedom in Christ by studying Paul’s letter to the Galatians.
 In this six-week study, Roose shows women that even the believers in the early church struggled to let go of rule-keeping and performance in order to embrace God’s free gift of grace. In his letter to the Galatians, Paul pours out his heart and faith to set them straight, addressing so many of the same questions and problems we still face today such as: Who has led you to believe you have to follow rules and “measure up”? Why do you think you have to be perfect for God? Does God only show up or love you when you “get it right”?
 
Q: You wrote the Breakthrough Bible study to celebrate God’s amazing grace and unconditional love, especially for Christians who are afraid that they have disappointed God or feel like they have to earn God’s favor or blessing. Did you struggle with this?
 
Oh yes! I grew up in a religious tradition of lovely people, but there were a lot of rules! While I heard about the gospel at an early age, I remember hearing more “dos” and “don’ts” from Christians around me than God’s love for me.
 
As a result of their influence and my own thinking, I spent decades judging myself as a Christian by how well I followed the “good” Christian rules such as never miss church, read the Bible every day, and others. Of course, there were seasons of life when I did miss church, I didn’t read the Bible, and I made mistakes. During those times in life, I feared that God was disappointed in me and I felt like a terrible Christian.
 
Years ago, I shifted my mindset. Instead of focusing on my performance, I decided to ruthlessly believe God’s promises about me and watch out for how He was working in my life. As I noticed where God was working in my life, I stopped feeling the pressure to earn His blessing and favor because I could already see Him giving them to me.

Q: We hear a lot about having freedom in Christ, but what does that actually mean for a Christian?
 
In the Breakthrough study, I define “freedom in Christ” as living free from fear and fully alive in God’s joy and purpose.
 
One of the most tangible examples for me is Jesus’ encounter with the immoral woman in Luke 7. While we don’t know where she came from or what she went through, we know that she cried enough tears at Jesus’ feet that she needed to use her hair to wipe them away. I can relate to that woman’s anguish at certain times in my life.
 
I love Jesus’ words to her, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” She didn’t say any or to do anything to earn Jesus’ forgiveness. He gives her peace just because she came humbly to his feet and Jesus set her free.
 
This is a powerful lesson for us, especially when we’ve got big regrets or the whispers from the pit of hell try to remind us of our mistakes. Jesus died to bring us freedom and we don’t have to earn it, only receive it and live in it.
 
Q: Breakthrough is a study of the book of Galatians. Why do scholars consider Galatians to be one of the most significant books in the New Testament?
 
Scholars consider Galatians one of the most significant books in the New Testament because it establishes the importance of the gospel of grace over the law. As the Apostle Paul writes to the Galatians, he presents the gospel as well as explains the relationship between God’s covenant with Abraham, Jesus as the New Covenant and why the law was needed in between.
 
Much like it is now, the gospel was under attack in the Galatian church by those who taught that salvation by grace wasn’t enough. Paul calls this a “twisting truth” that fools people now like it did then. If we don’t get clear on the gospel, then we will miss out on the freedom that Jesus died to bring us because we’ll be too busy trying to make ourselves right with God—and that isn’t the gospel at all.
 
Q: Oftentimes we are hesitant to start the hard conversations about diversity at the risk of offending someone or making a situation worse. What are some ways we can start (and continue) discussions with the correct heart?
 
As part of Paul’s dialogue with the Galatian church, he emphasized that Christ came to break down the divisions between believers, but that doesn’t mean that God intends for us to ignore our differences. God intentionally created humans with differences in color and culture. In Galatians 5:13, Paul writes that we should use our freedom to serve one another in love.
 
The best way that we can love people who look differently than us is to love them through listening, especially when we don’t know them. Listening begins with inviting people who look differently than us to share their life stories. I like questions like, “Would you tell me about your life?” or “How did your family celebrate special holidays?” or “What’s been hard for you lately?”
 
When we’re willing to listen to others, it’s a demonstration of humility that we care and respect the other person and their story.
 
Q: How does taking a shutdown day or practicing walking and talking help us achieve our breakthrough?
 
When we purposefully stop trying to do and give ourselves an entire day without a “to-do” list, our hearts and minds are freed to hear from God. Taking a walk and praying while we’re walking focuses our hearts, minds and souls on God. Time and time again, I’ve experienced God’s presence, peace and often, divine revelation when I quiet my heart, mind and body.
 
Q: How do justification and sanctification fit in with your “finding freedom” theme?
 
Both sanctification and justification are a result of God’s activity in us. Justification is God’s “not guilty” declaration on us because we are redeemed through Jesus’ sacrifice for us. Sanctification is a combination of our willingness and God’s power to make us more like Christ. As we say “yes” to where God wants to transform us, He does the work in changing and transforming our thoughts so that we reflect Christ’s love, joy, peace and more.
 
Q: How can we be more supportive rather than judgmental Christians, especially with a friend that has fallen into sin?
 
This is such an important question! I’ve heard from so many hurting Christians who’ve walked away from the church because they made a mistake and Christians were quick to criticize.
 
We all make mistakes. All have sinned. Paul taught us that our role as believers is to gentle and humbly help those who’ve fallen. We’re not to add to someone’s guilt by telling them how badly they messed up and we’re gossip about them because Paul also taught in Galatians 6 that we’re all prone to faltering.
 
So, we gently and humbly help people when we follow in Jesus’ footsteps like he did with Zacchaeus the tax collector or the adulterous woman. First, we go to them, not avoid them. Then, we don’t shame them, but rather listen to their story. Finally, we affirm God’s truth and pray with them. We don’t have to save them or force them back on the right path again, that’s God’s job, but not ours.
 
Q: It seems like since the pandemic began last year that people in general have become more and more argumentative and staunch in their opinions over everything, even related to how the local church handles certain situations. What does Galatians teach us about agreeing (or disagreeing) together?
 
Unfortunately, churches have a reputation for what they are against more than what they are for. In his letter to the Galatians, Paul reminded the people that God sent Jesus to die for all. Paul teaches the principles of the gospel over and over again in Galatians because he knew how quickly people could get swayed by someone else’s agenda.
 
I have a dangerous theory: I believe that the gospel transcends and can transform even our greatest struggles as Christians and humans. The gospel addresses racism, sexism, poverty, family dysfunction and so much more. However, just as the Galatian believers began to listen to Judiazers with a false gospel agenda, as a Church, our ears have been bent by other agendas as well. Some of those agendas are very good things, but they aren’t the gospel.
Breakthrough: Finding Freedom in Christ
by Barb Roose 

Available April 6, 2021 from Abingdon Women
 Participant Workbook — Paperback ISBN: 9781791014223 / $16.99 — eBook ISBN: 9781791014230 / $16.99
Leader Guide — Paperback ISBN: 9781791014247 / $14.99 — eBook ISBN: 9781791014254 / $14.99
DVD ISBN: 9781791014261 / $49.99
 About the author Barb Roose is a popular speaker and author who is passionate about teaching women to live beautifully strong and courageous in spite of their fears so that they can experience God’s great adventure of faith and purpose for their lives.
 
Roose enjoys teaching and encouraging women at conferences and events across the country, as well as internationally, including national platforms such as the Aspire Women’s Events, She Speaks Conference, and many more.
 
She is the author of three books, Surrendered Devotional, Winning the Worry Battle, and Enough Already, and five Bible studies, Breakthrough, Surrendered, I’m Waiting, God, Joshua, and Beautiful Already. Her writing has been featured in many magazines, and she also writes a regular blog at BarbRoose.com. She hosts the “Better Together” Facebook Live events and podcast.
 
Roose lives in Toledo, Ohio, and is the proud mom of three adult daughters. Her perfect day includes sleeping in, taking a long walk outside, shopping for shoes and eating two big bowls of chocolate peanut ice cream.
 
Visit Barb Roose’s online home at barbroose.com . Readers can also keep up with her on Facebook ( BarbaraRoose ), Twitter ( barbroose ), and Instagram ( barbroose ).