Help me choose a picture for my next Hero!

And win a $20 Amazon gift certificate!

This is the hero who goes with the heroine, Angeline Moore, whose picture you helped me to choose a month ago!!  This will be for my Escape to Paradise Series, book 3, which I'm currently writing.

Here a reminder about Angeline along with the picture you all chose.

 Angeline Moore
Even though Angeline is only 20 years old, she's already lived a life time of pain. Orphaned at 17, she went to live with an abusive uncle and ended up back on the street doing whatever she could to survive. She has auburn hair and violet eyes (eyes don't have to match). She stands at just 5'4" and has a voluptuous figure that attracts men.
Because of what she's been through, she is insecure, untrusting, volatile, fearful, and angry.  However, she is also kind-hearted, stronger than she gives herself credit for, and persevering. And she loves cats!  She bites her bottom lip when she is nervous and carries a pistol around , determined that no one will ever harm her again!

And now, here's a little bit about the hero, including a physical description.

James Callaway
James is 28 with light brown hair streaked by the sun. He is over 6 feet tall and muscular. Some might call him brawny. His eyes are the color of bronze.  James grew up with a perfectionist preacher father who never seemed to do anything wrong. Driven to follow in his father's footsteps at a young age, James's brief time as a pastor ended in ruin due to an indiscretion with a lady. You see, James has a weakness for beautiful women. So, he became a doctor and served honorably as a war surgeon in the Civil War until one day he could no longer take the blood and gore and abandoned his post. Now, he is terrified at the sight of blood!  James is patient, smart, loyal, and cares deeply for people, but he feels like he has failed at everything he has ever done. Including now being the new colony's only preacher.

If you think of any actors or models who might be a good fit, please post their pictures or send me a link to their pictures, along with their names if you know them. I'll be posting this on Facebook too, where it's a bit easier to post pictures, so if you prefer to go over there, here's the link:  MaryLu's Facebook

After I collect all the pictures, I'll display them on a separate post in a few weeks and allow you to choose your favorite.  The actor who receives the most votes becomes my new hero and the person who nominated him will receive a $20 Amazon.com Certificate!! 

So, give it your best shot!!!  And thank you! This really helps me out!!!!

Wordless Wednesday!

Headed down the trough of the wave!! Yikes!

When you're sinking in quick sand, stand on the truth!

I know so many people who are seriously struggling right now.  Some don't have money to pay the rent, others can't find work, some have life-threatening illnesses, others sick children. Some have wayward kids who break their hearts, others live in fear of the future. Some are having huge marriage problems. The list goes on and on. These are indeed trying times.

I don't know about you but whenever a major problem comes my way, my first reaction is an emotional one. Maybe that's because I'm a woman, I don't know. But I usually start to cry or tremble or even sometimes yell and scream. Then comes the pity party. Why me, Lord?  Why is this happening to me?  When that doesn't make me feel better, I start the blame game. Now, the blame game can include me, as it often does, but it can also include my husband, kids, and friends!  When I'm done with that, I normally roll up my sleeves and try to fix the problem. I come up with a plan of action, talk it over with everyone else involved, and hand out assignments. Don't believe me? Ask my family. (Yes, I'm a bit of a control freak!)

Many of you know the story of King David. He was anointed King of Israel at a very young age by the prophet Samuel. He slew a giant when the entire army of Israel stood trembling in their boots!  He then became a national hero. All the people loved David. But he wasn't king. Saul was king and he became jealous of David. So jealous, in fact, that he sought to kill David. For years and years he chased David around Israel and beyond, sending his entire army out to get the young man who would be king.

But have you ever thought about what David was thinking during that time? God had told him he would be king, yet for years David was living like a vagabond, hiding in caves, sleeping on the ground, eating cold meat, running for his life. He could never rest, never sleep without one eye open. He was hungry and cold and tired. I wonder if he doubted God's call on his life? I wonder if he got angry at God? We know that he did. He penned the most beautiful poems in the Psalms that tell of his mindset during these years.

Here's just a few. 

 Give ear to my prayer, O God;  And do not hide Yourself from my supplication. Give heed to me and answer me; I am restless in my complaint and am surely distracted,  Because of the voice of the enemy, Because of the pressure of the wicked; For they bring down trouble upon me. And in anger they bear a grudge against me. My heart is in anguish within me, And the terrors of death have fallen upon me.  Fear and trembling come upon me, And horror has overwhelmed me.       Psalm 55:1-5

Be merciful to me, O God, for man would swallow me up; Fighting all day he oppresses me.  My enemies would hound me all day, For there are many who fight against me, O Most High. Psalm 56

Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; Defend me from those who rise up against me. Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, And save me from bloodthirsty men. For look, they lie in wait for my life; The mighty gather against me, Not for my transgression nor for my sin, O Lord. They run and prepare themselves through no fault of mine. Awake to help me, and behold! You therefore, O Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel, Awake to punish all the nations; Do not be merciful to any wicked transgressors Psalm 59: 1-5

 Can't you just hear the terror, the agony in David's voice?? It's that desperation that says "God, are you listening? Do you see what's happening to me? Help!I've followed you all these years. I've obeyed you! What's going on?" Have you ever felt like that?? I Have!! Seems like we are in good company with David.& But what really got me was the end of all three of these Psalms. David starts out crying for help in the beginning, almost pleading with God, but by the end he was praising God and affirming God's faithfulness and goodness.

Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken. But You, O God, will bring them down to the pit of destruction; Men of bloodshed and deceit will not live out half their days. But I will trust in You. Psalm 55:22-23

For You have delivered my soul from death. Have You not kept my feet from falling, That I may walk before God In the light of the living? Psalm 56:13

But I will sing of Your power; Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning; For You have been my defense And refuge in the day of my trouble. To You, O my Strength, I will sing praises; For God is my defense, My God of mercy^{. Psalm 59:16-17}  

Had David's situation changed by the end of the Psalm? NO. Then how could he possibly be able to praise God? How could he say things like "You are my defense, You are my strength. You have delivered me?" Because David knew a secret. David knew that God's Word was true and in times of trouble, he remembered God's Word.

Yet how often when trouble comes our way do we avoid reading the Bible? I know I do. I usually go through the ritual cited above and then try to fix things myself. Jesus said the Words of God are life, His promises are Yes and Amen. When trouble strikes, the first thing we need to do is head to God's Word and remind ourselves of Who He is and what is His truth! I know it's hard to do. I know it's the last thing you feel like doing when you're upset and depressed, but it's the most important thing you can do. Read the Psalms outloud and join in David's prayer, head over to the Gospel of John and read about Jesus's love for you. And then pray. Pray your heart out and then trust God to come through for you. He will. Eventually He will, just like He did for David. 

 

Vampires and Jesus

My husband and I went to see the movie, Lincoln, last week.  We had a terrible time finding parking at our local mall where the theaters were located. In fact, we would have left except I already had paid tickets in hand!   Later, I mentioned it to my daughter and she told me. "Duh, Mom. The Twilight movie came out last weekend."  Like I was supposed to realize that mobs of people would fill every crack and crevice of the mall in order to be the first to see this film!  It just never occurred to me since I'm not one of those "Twilight fanatics". I mean, I have nothing personal against vampires. They just don't do it for me. Maybe it's the pale skin. Maybe it's the fangs. Maybe it's the whole obsession with blood. I don't know. But I prefer my heroes tanned, tall, straight-toothed and favoring meat and vegetables. Like pirates, for instance!  But I digress.

Anyway, it got me to thinking about the rising trend of the supernatural in movies and books. The wizards and spells in Harry Potter, the obsession with werewolves and vampires in secular romance, the movies about hauntings and demon possession and monsters. As I’m writing this, I just checked the list of current movies and here are some of the titles that have supernatural themes:    Resident Evil, Sinister, House on the End of the street, Frankenweenie

And of course, The Twilight saga.  Though there does seem to be an obsession with darkness in today's entertainment, I must confess I read spooky stories and watched spooky movies when I was a kid. Edgar Allen Poe was one of my favorite authors. I used to curl up on a stormy day and scare myself half to death with his stories. I also loved Saturday night creature feature. Does anyone remember that?  They hosted all kinds of scary movies with witches, warlocks, space invaders, severed hands that moved, even giant killer tomatoes!

Yet the Bible is clear about dabbling with the occult.

Occult is defined as of or pertaining to magic, astrology, or any system claiming use or knowledge of secret or supernatural powers or agencies.

Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft,  or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead.  Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord;  Deuteronomy 18:10-12

So, what is a follower of Jesus to do?

I posted this question on facebook a few days ago and got a ton of responses. In fact the argument became quite heated. Some Christians believe we should shun everything that has anything to do with the supernatural. Others believe certain films and books are okay, as long as they have good morals and give a redeeming message. They argue that Harry Potter, though a wizard, is a good wizard who fights on the side of good against evil. Yet others feel that kids who read Harry Potter are more likely to dabble in the occult than kids who do not. (I'd love to see a study on this!)

But where do we draw the line? What about Disney movies? In Sleeping Beauty, the queen casts evil spells. In Cinderella, the Fairy God Mother uses magic to dress Cinderella in a beautiful ball gown and change a pumpkin into a carriage. Do we ban ourselves from those as well? 

What about the Narnia films? Don't they have witches and evil spells and curses? Yet they are an allegory for the Gospel! 

When I was a new Christian, I tended to shun all these things! I was so happy to have found the truth, to have been "transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light" Col 1:13 that I truly didn't want to risk even sticking my little toe back into the dark!  Perhaps that was good for me at the time. I was a baby believer and I needed to protect myself from any evil influence and shore myself up with the life-giving words of God. 

Later on in my walk, I went a step further and decided to shun anything that did not "glorify God". What I ended up doing was not having much to watch or read!!  I realized that a book or movie can be good in and of itself with a good moral and a good theme without directly glorifying God. Nature glorifies God indirectly simply by its beauty! 

Now that I've walked with God a number of years, I've come to the conclusion, like Paul, that many things are premissable, but not all profitable. We are told to dwell on "whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.  Phillipians 4:8

Now, we all know and recognize that some movies and books are blatantly evil. However where things aren't so black and white, this becomes an individual decision between me and God. If I read Harry Potter, I know I'm not going to try to become a wizard or cast spells. I would value it for the good story telling and the battle between good and evil. If I go see Twilight, I'm not gong to start sucking people's blood. I will appreciate the chastity it espouses and the themes of eternal life. 

Now, I haven't read Harry Potter, nor have I read or seen Twilight. But that's a personal decision of mine. I just prefer other types of movies, and I have no interest in viewing a spirit realm I've encountered first hand.

However if I'm a weak believer and I know I have a weakness when it comes to the occult, then it would not be good for me to watch or read Harry Potter and I should avoid all such entertainment..  If I'm a teenage girl who begins to obsess over vampires and the occult then I should stay away. If you see your kids starting to dabble in magic or playing vampires, you should stop them from seeing these things. 

Of course some movies are obviously dark, evil, and have no redeeming qualities. I can't name any because I don't go see these shows, but you can tell from the description. We are told to walk in the light and avoid darkness.  Let the Holy Spirit be your guide.  The closer you become to God, the more you will recognize and shun the darkness. 

What are your thoughts?  And be nice!  

 

Free Holiday Story and Tea Party!

 

Happy Thanksgiving!!

As some of you might know, I'm one of the contributors over on a blog called Colonial Quills. It's a great group of ladies who love the American Colonial time period. Well, there are some really fun things going on over there I thought I'd tell you about. 

 

We are offering a holiday gift to our readers over at Colonial Quills. Through mid-January we have NINE authors contributing to a serial anthology of Christian historical fiction!  FREE!  Three of the chapters have already gone live--Carrie Fancett Pagels's, Susan F. Craft's and Carla Olson Gade's contributions.

Here is the schedule: Click here  Follow the links in the schedule to read each part of the three serials posted.

There is a giveaway associated with EACH serial post.  Leave a comment on each one to be entered for a book by Laura Frantz, Susan Craft, and/or Carla Olson Gade.  

Be sure to drop by tomorrow on Black Friday, when we are having aTea Party on Colonial Quills to celebrate publications by Kelly Long, Dina Sleiman, and Gina Welborn. We will be announcing the giveaways from the first three serials and also giving away THREE books: copies of a book by Kelly Long, Dina's ebook, and a novella by Gina.  We will also have a colonial gift basket for one winner who comes "in character" which always makes things so fun!!! Come on by!

Wordless Wednesday!

Exquisite colors!!  Sail away! Sail away!

Once Upon a Time and the Gospel!

For those of you who don't watch the TV show, Once Upon a Time, this may not make sense. For those of you who do, bear with me. I usually don't see the Gospel in everything, but there are sometimes that it just leaps out at me. I love Once Upon a Time. I love Fairy tales to begin with, but I also think the writers of the show are incredibly talented and have the ability to keep track of multiple storylines and somehow make them all interesting and connected with each other. But I digress.

Let's think about the main story plot:  A group of people live in a wonderful world filled with wonder, magic, true love, and happy endings.  One day an evil queen puts a curse on the land and instantly these people are transported to another land where there is no magic, no true love, and no happy endings. Worse, they are trapped there with no way to escape and no way to return to their world. Even WORSE, the curse has erased their memories of this magical place and turned their lives into monotonous, mundane existences. 

Then comes the promised one, the one who was prophesied to come and break the curse. She is the only one who can break the curse and set them free so they can remember where they came from and be able to get back. She does so, and another portal is opened between the worlds, but another evil spell is cast keeping the people from it. Yet, they do remember their old world filled with magic and happy endings. They remember who they are and their place in that world and they now devote themselves to trying to find a way to get there.

Okay. See where I'm going with this?  We are all made of heavenly material, created by God. We have eternity and heaven imprinted on our spirits. Heaven is a kingdom where God rules. It is a place of wonder and beauty and true love, and a place where dreams come true.  Yet a curse was cast and we now live in a world that seems flat and boring by comparison. We don't remember who we are and where we come from. We only know that something is terribly wrong and things are not as they should be. Then the Savior comes, the promised one, and he breaks the curse (by His death on the cross and resurrection)  Jesus opens the portal between earth and heaven and shows us the way home. But we can't go yet. The original curse still holds many people captive and it is our job to open their eyes, tell  them the Savior has come, and show them the way home.

Cool, huh? I suppose that's why I love Fairy Tales and movies like Narnia so much!  There is another world beyond this one. It's beautiful and wonderful beyond our wildest imaginations! It's filled with love and wonder and miracles and a place where all our dreams come true. There are castles and knights and adventures! Battles between good and evil. Everything you ever hoped for in this world is there. Its' real! Even people who don't believe in God know something is wrong with this world. They know that death and sorrow and agony are not right.  Something has gone terribly wrong. We are cursed, but God has lifted that curse and shown us the portal home. The portal is Jesus. Our home is Heaven. So, let's be about our work and wake up as many people as we can and tell them Heaven exists and we know the way!

Julie Lessman's Light in the Window Giveaway!

AND the Winners are:  Pam K  and Marissa!! Congratulations, Ladies

Today, I'm so EXCITED to introduce to you my good friend (twin sister. Not really but we both feel like we are) and FABULOUS author, Julie Lessman!!!  Julie has written a wonderful Christmas story that is also a prequel to both her Winds of Change and Daughters of Boston series. (If you haven't read those, you're really missing out!!)  Anyway, I had the privilege of reading her Christmas story, A Light in the Window, on my flight out to Tennessee and I'm telling you, this is her BEST book yet. Which is hard to do, since I love them all.

Julie is graciously giving away a Kindle (or E-book) copy to one lucky winner!!  So, read on and find out how to enter!!

First of all, a bit about Julie Lessman. (Isn't she cute?) 

Julie Lessman is an award-winning author whose tagline of “Passion With a Purpose” underscores her intense passion for both God and romance. American Christian Fiction Writers 2009 Debut Author of the Year and winner of 14 RWA awards, Julie Lessman was voted #1 Romance Author of the year in Family Fiction magazine’s 2012 and 2011 Readers Choice Awards, as well as #1 Historical Fiction Author, #3 Author, #4 Novel, #3 Series, and Booklist’s 2010 Top 10 Inspirational Fiction. Julie resides in Missouri with her husband, daughter, son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter and is the author of “The Daughters of Boston” series—A Passion Most Pure, A Passion Redeemed, A Passion Denied and the “Winds of Change” series—A Hope Undaunted, A Heart Revealed, A Love Surrendered. You can contact Julie through her website and read excerpts from each of her books at www.julielessman.com.

 

 A Light in the Window
One Woman. Two Men.
One stirs her pulse and the other her faith.
But who will win her heart?

Marceline Murphy is a gentle beauty with a well-founded aversion to rogues. But when two of Boston's most notorious pursue her, she encounters a tug-of-war of the heart she isn’t expecting. Sam O’Rourke is the childhood hero she’s pined for, the brother of her best friend and a member of the large, boisterous family to which she longs to be a part. So when his best friend Patrick O’Connor joins in pursuit of her affections, the choice seems all too clear. Sam is from a family of faith and Patrick is not, two rogues whose wild ways clash head-on with Marcy’s—both in her faith and in her heart.

While overseeing the Christmas play fundraiser for the St. Mary’s parish soup kitchen—A Light in the Window—Marcy not only wrestles with her attraction to both men, but with her concern for their spiritual welfare. The play is based on the Irish custom of placing a candle in the window on Christmas Eve to welcome the Holy Family, and for Marcy, its message becomes deeply personal. Her grandmother Mima cautions her to guard her heart for the type of man who will respond to the "light in the window," meaning the message of Christ in her heart. But when disaster strikes during the play, Marcy is destined to discover the truth of the play’s message first-hand when it becomes clear that although two men have professed their undying love, only one has truly responded to “the light in the window.”

 Hello, MaryLu here. Here's my review!!

I've been a fan of Julie's books for a long time now. There's just something about her characters that draws you into their lives and hearts until you feel like you've made a whole set of new best friends. Having read all of her prior books about the O'Conner clan, needless to say, I was so excited to finally read about how it all started with Marcy and Patrick. I wasn't disappointed. In fact, I was elated! This book made a 5 hour flight out east speed past in what seemed like minutes! It's the perfect Christmas story that will warm your heart and put you in the mood for the holidays like no other book. It's all about love and family and friends and Christmas plays and charity and helping those in need and walks in the snow, warm cookies in the oven, hot chocolate, and everything that reminds you of Christmas. But it's even so much more than that. There's a deeply embedded theme of what true love really is and the difference between passion and sacrifice and how to lean and trust in God to guide the way when everything seems muddled... it's an incredible story! One that every young person should read. One that resonates with us all. Don't miss this wonderful book! Let it put a smile on your face and warm your soul this Christmas.

Hey, and Julie is also giving away a Free Kindle on her Light in the Window Blog Tour. Click on the Icon below for more details!

 And in case this isn't enough, Julie has graciously allowed me to post a large excerpt from A Light in the Window so you can see how fabulous it is!! Click on:   READ IT HERE  Don't forget to hit the Back button to come back here and leave a comment to enter.

So, here's how to enter. Leave a comment with a remark about Julie, her books, or what you read about A Light in the Window, or anything about the excerpt!  Easy peasy, eh??   

Winners will be chosen on Saturday, December 1st!!!  (When I say winners, I've decided to throw in a free copy of Julie's book too!)  So tell your friends... 

Democracies always end in Tyranny!

In honor of America's recent election results, I thought I'd offer you some quotes from wise historians long ago.

Alexander Tyler (Tytler) 1747-1813
"A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship.

The average age of the worlds greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, these nations always progressed through the following sequence:

From bondage to spiritual faith;
From spiritual faith to great courage;
From courage to liberty;
From liberty to abundance;
From abundance to complacency;
From complacency to apathy;
From apathy to dependence;
From dependence back into bondage."

 

AND

“A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world's greatest civilizations has been 200 years.” Alexis de Tocqueville (1805-1859)

 

The good news is, there's a coming Kingdom to this world that will be righteous and just and good and ruled by a King who loves all His subjects and who will never be greedy for power or money, who will never put His own desires above the good of the people, who will never lie, cheat, steal, waste money on frivolous expenditures, who will never unfairly tax the people or restrict their freedom, who will never grow proud or arrogant, who will defend and protect His subjects at all costs. He is the good shepherd, the provider, the healer, the counselor, the Prince of peace. Wisdom sits on His left and Righteousness on His right. He is the Lord of Lords, the King of Kings, and of His Kingdom, there shall be no end!

Wordless Wednesday!

Hard to believe this is a painting! Gorgeous!

My trip to Tennessee!

As some of you may know, I spent a week visiting my Mom and sister in Gatlinburg, Tenn last week. I try to get over there once a year and sometimes down to Florida where my brother lives. I hate being so far apart from family!!  How did I end up in California? Geezzz.. I can't remember.  Anyway, here's a few pictures of my trip.

The view off my Mom and Sis's back porch! They live in the woods. So Relaxing!

The View from their back window! I live in the big city so this is really cool for me to see!

My Sister and I throwing snowballs at each other!

We drove up into the Great Smoky Mountain National Park where it had snowed!

Winter wonderland!

We went to a Parrot Jungle. So much fun!

Lorikeets landing all over us!!! 

Lunch in the Wild Plum Tea Room! The food was so good, I bought the Recipe book!

We went to the Gatlinburg Aquarium where I dove into a tank and began swimming!

This is a SawTooth Shark from below where we walked through the tank in a tunnel!

My sister's dog, "The Code Mister" or "The Codinator" 

 One of the best parts of the trip was when my brother flew up from Florida to surprise me!  I couldn't believe it when he walked through the door!

My Mom and her four children! She was in heaven! 

Thanks for traveling along on my journey with me! God and Family are everything!

Gatlinburg City on Dwellable

That's not fair!

Jesus tells a story in Matthew 20 about a farmer who goes out and hires workers for the day to work in his fields. He promises each worker a fair day's wage. But halfway through the day, he finds he needs even more workers, so he goes out and hires more. Then about an hour before quitting time, he goes out and hires more. Finally the long, hard day is over and all the workers line up to receive their pay. He starts out by paying the ones who came to work last, and then he pays the others who started at noon until finally he comes to the people who worked all day. Of course they expect to get more than the people who only worked one hour!! So when they get the same amount, they start to complain. Wouldn't you?

But he answered one of them, Friend, I am doing you no injustice. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this man hired last the same as I give to you. Am I not permitted to do what I choose with what is mine? [Or do you begrudge my being generous?] Is your eye evil because I am good? So those who now are last will be first then, and those who now are first will be last then. For many are called, but few chosen.  Matt 20:     Amplified

This story used to bother the heck out of me. It just didn't seem fair!  We Americans are obsessed with things being fair, aren't we? We've been blessed to have grown up in freedom where we have all had the opportunity for success. Granted some people have had to work harder to get there than others, but we've all had the same opportunity. So, we are quick to say when something isn't fair!! Why should so and so get paid more than we do for less work?

But the truth of the matter is, this is not so much an issue of fairness as it is an issue of the heart. The employer in this case is completely fair. He gave each worker what he agreed to give them. No more, no less. The problems come when we begin to compare ourselves with others, when we think someone else is getting something that we deserve.  As I read this passage, it occurred to me that there are two malevolent forces at work here: Pride and Selfishness. Both of these, in my opinion, are the reason for all of mankind's problems! 

You see, if these workers truly loved their neighbors as themselves AND if they weren't obsessed with promoting themselves and making themselves look good, they wouldn't have even noticed or cared what any of the other workers got. 

In fact, we can project this story into eternity (as Jesus was ultimately doing). Those of us who've been Christians for nearly our entire lives and who have slaved away for God, given up ourselves and taken up our crosses to promote His Kingdom, denied ourselves things and pleasures of this world, well certainly we would expect a greater reward then let's say, a famous movie star who spend his life squandering his fortune on wine, women, parties, pleasures.. only to receive Jesus on his death bed???   I mean. that wouldn't be fair if he got admitted into Heaven with the same privileges we got??

Perhaps this reminds you of another parable Jesus told of the Prodigal son who came home after squandering his entire inheritance on pleasurable living and his father threw a huge party and killed the best calf for dinner, and the other son who'd been slaving away for his father for years got angry. It wasn't fair!  

You know, I used to think the prodigal son was the bad one in that story, but lately I'm starting to realize that it was the son who stayed home who was the most evil. Why? Because his heart was filled with pride and selfishness. He didn't love his brother. He wasn't glad his brother came home and was saved! He only thought of himself and how unfairly he felt his father was treating him. This is the message of the story. And also of what Jesus is telling us in the first parable. 

The problem is not only the condition of our hearts, but also where our hearts truly are! In truth, the workers who were privileged to work for the father all day were the most blessed!  In truth, the son who didn't run away and squander his wealth, but stayed home with the father, was the most blessed.  Why?  Because he was with the Father the entire time!!   He didn't have to endure the pain and consequences of sin. He was priviledged to spend his days and nights with the Father. The same for the workers who worked all day. They didn't waste their day doing nothing or worse, doing something that ultimately hurt them and their loved ones. No! They got to spend the day working for their Father. 

In His presence is fullness of Joy!  Psalm 16:11

If you don't feel that way about God and the Christian walk.. if you look at the pleasures of this world with a longing in your eye, and consider being a Christian drudgery, then you don't truly Know the Father!  If you did, you would rejoice with workers who come in at the last minute, you would rejoice when the prodigal son returns. And you would be sad along with them that they wasted so much of their time away from the Father!

A single day in your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else! I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God than live the good life in the homes of the wicked.  Psalm 84:10
 

Flight of Fancy by Laurie Alice Eakes!

WIN a $20 Amazon Gift Certifcate!! 

For those of you who follow this blog, you probably know that Laurie Alice Eakes is one of my favorite authors. Not only is she an incredibly gifted writer, but she's a fabulous historian, and a good friend.  Her books remain on my shelf as some of my favorites because she combines history, romance, and suspense into the perfect read! My kind of book!

Her new release, Flight of Fancy, is no exception and a book I highly recommend!  Please welcome Laurie Alice as she tells us about how  Flight of Fancy came into being and how God transformed its message from one thing to something completely different...something that impacted both her life and is sure to impact the lives of those who read it.  

(Don't you love the cover?!)

Beyond the Romance

A Flight of Fancy started out to tell one story and ended up telling another. I followed my outline I had set down for the two years between when I signed the contract and when I had to write the book, and the story changed from a more light-hearted romp with mystery and suspense, to a story about the healing of broken hearts and relationships.

Locked into a marketing box, A Flight of Fancy is a Regency Romance. It is set in 1812 England, when the Prince of Wales became the head of the country due to his father’s madness; thus, a Regency form of government, and the specific backdrops of the consequences of the burgeoning industrial revolution, specifically the Luddite rebellion, which effected weavers. Power looms and automatic spinning machines were taking over their jobs.

We also have the rising—no pun intended—fascination with flight and the ability to go into the sky using hydrogen balloons.

Into this world, I drop Cassandra, who is a nerd of her day and wants to fly, and Geoffrey, Lord Whittaker, who inherits the kind of mills that are putting men and women out of work. Cassandra and Whittaker fell in love long before A Necessary Deception, the first book in the series, opened. They are supposed to get married in the first book, but their romance is rocky, partly because they are a young couple who do not behave themselves when alone.

For two people with strong faith and a moral code drilled into them all their lives, their tendency to allow their passion for one another to go a little too far at times, begins to burden them with guilt, and starts a fissure between their relationship with one another and their relationship with the Lord. With their wedding only a week away at the beginning of A Flight of Fancy, Cassandra and Geoffrey, Lord Whittaker find themselves in the midst of a street riot. This was a real riot in London when celebrations for the English finally winning a victory over Napoleon got out of hand.

But I digress.

A terrible accident occurs and Cassandra is injured in body and spirit. She breaks the engagement, believing now that no one will want her for a wife, especially not Whittaker. Broken in heart and soul, she goes to the country to recover and focus on her beloved balloons. But Whittaker has other plans for her. Though dealing with his own issues, he determines to win Cassandra back.

A Flight of Fancy has danger and intrigue, a fair bit about ballooning history, as well as the Luddite rebellion. It is, at its core, however, a romance between two people working through their guilt and the issues that separate them from the Lord and, because of that broken relationship, their broken relationship with one another.

A Flight of Fancy did not start out to be quite this serious, and when I began to write it, that is what ended up coming out. It was the story the Lord wanted me to tell. In my own past and in many lives I see around me, I encounter this theme—a broken relationship with the Lord too often equals a broken relationship with those we most want to love and have love us.

This is the story of how guilt can break relationships. This is the story of learning to not just forgive others who wrong us, but to forgive ourselves for the wrongs we knowingly commit. This is also the story of learning to love oneself despite these flaws, with the awesome power of God’s love.

And in the end, A Flight of Fancy is a romp through danger on the ground and in the air.

You can find out more about Laurie Alice and her books at  Laurie's Website 

Here's my review!

Two things I loved the most about this story were the great characters and the ballooning! Let's start with the characters. As in all of Laurie Alice's books, her hero and heroine are beyond compare. They are deep, unusual, interesting, flawed, yet extremely loveable. Cassandra Bainbridge is a bookish sort, highly intelligent, very compassionate, and not the belle of the ball. She feels she's too smart and quirky to be loved by any real gentleman. She is, after all, obsessed with hot air ballooning and flying through the sky! Not exactly a past time of women in the Regency era. The hero is equally interesting. An earl who doesn't wish to be an earl, who would rather go back to being the second son of an earl without the title, inheritance or the responsibility. An accident early on deforms Cassandra and makes her feel even less worthy of love. That same accident creates incredible guilt between her and the hero that keep them apart. The hero gets involved in some nefarious business to help save his wool mills but which also puts his and Cassandra's life in danger. So, you see this isn't just a romance. As in all of Laurie's books, there is great adventure and suspense. Now, add in the ballooning and it's all too fascinating! I loved learning about the Hot air ballooning! Laurie Alice's research is perfection and the scenes in the balloon had me biting my nails. Well done. A great story you won't want to miss!

Purchase Flight of Fancy at Christianbook.com , Amazon.com , BarnesAndNoble

 Enter here to win a $20 Amazon Gift certificate! 


a Rafflecopter giveaway