Light shone through the distant trees. Daybreak was on the cusp of presenting itself—but would it bring the sun or more clouds? She needed a ray of hope after the darkness.
Buried Grave Secrets
What is your worst fear? I know you have one. I do.
After my father passed away, I was terrified of losing my mother. The thought of life without her was unbearable.
In 2006, Mom was diagnosed with the unthinkable. A fast-moving cancer invaded and seized her brain. My worst fear became reality. I wanted to crawl back into her arms and never let her go.
That wasn’t the end
Then a few years later, the other shoe dropped. My dear brother was diagnosed with bone marrow cancer. Really, Lord? You’re going to take us through more darkness…so soon?
Again, I wanted to curl up in a ball, hide under the covers, and let the pain pass.
But God had other plans. He opened the door of my fears and let in a ray of light.
Hope and Light
After wrestling with Him, I began to learn I couldn’t run away from my fear. I had to walk through the darkness into the hope of His light.
If we don’t face our fears and learn to rely on God, we become stale and this inhibits our growth. We skirt around issues and try to live thinking they will go away. We run in circles and don’t get anywhere. Do we really want to live like that?
No. We need to face our fears and learn from them. Of course, this is not easy and I don’t have all the answers on how to do it, but I do know the One who can help. Our Savior. All we need to do is ask Him to turn on His light. Let it shine through the cracks to get us to the other side of the darkness.
In Buried Grave Secrets, Dr. Jordyn Miller battles her fears and in the end comes face-to-face with them in a cold, dark place. However, as a light emerges, so does her hope in God. Jordyn struggles with being a light in a darkened world, while Constable Colt Peters wrestles with his own inadequacies. Thankfully, they both were able to trust God, put their pasts behind them, and forgive not only others but also themselves. In doing so, God’s light lit a spark and soon illuminated their world.
What darkness are you going through today? I encourage you not to walk in circles around it but ask for God’s Light, and walk through it.
It’s the only way.
Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
When bones are found at an unmarked grave site—and then shots are fired—forensic anthropologist Jordyn Miller knows someone wants old secrets to remain buried. She’ll do anything to uncover the truth about these suspicious deaths, including accepting the protection of her ex-boyfriend, Constable Colt Peters, and his K-9. But with targets on their backs, can Jordyn stay alive long enough to bring a serial killer to justice?
Darlene L. Turner is an award-winning and best-selling author and lives with her husband, Jeff in Ontario, Canada. Her love of suspense began when she read her first Nancy Drew book. She’s turned that passion into her writing and believes readers will be captured by her plots, inspired by her strong characters, and moved by her inspirational message. You can connect with Darlene at www.darlenelturner.com where there’s suspense beyond borders.
For many years of my Christian walk, I thought God answered prayer with either yes or no. Then about ten years ago, I heard a wonderful sermon and learned there is a third possible answer. It’s not “maybe,” it’s wait.
It’s all about God’s timing
Chapter 3 of Ecclesiastes tells us, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens” (NIV). In my own experience, waiting stretches my faith muscles. I am assured that if the answer I’m hoping for is best for me, it will come in God’s time. And if it’s not in His will for me, He will firmly shut that door. Even if I am disappointed, I can have peace knowing that the Master Designer sees the bigger picture and will bring about the best answer at the right time.
I heard a great object lesson once that illustrates this. We’re watching a parade through a knothole in a fence, seeing only the present frame. God is at the end of the parade, seeing the entire thing from beginning to end.
In Sisters Ever After, the main theme is trusting God’s timing. Gianna seeks answers to the reason for her husband’s recent death. Brock is on the run with his daughter, looking for safety. When Gianna and Brock meet, they begin to unravel the mystery of Gianna’s husband’s death but keep running into walls. Soon, their friendship takes a turn. Both fight the attraction. It’s too soon. What will people think? A threat causes Brock to prepare to flee again. Why can’t they find the answers they need?
But God whispers to both of them, “Trust my timing.” When the still, small Voice speaks to us, we need to stop striving, and know that He is God (Psalm 46:10, NASB) and that He will work all things for good according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).
Can God work in the hearts of two single parents so their daughters can be Sisters Ever After?
Gianna Harper is living on borrowed time. Newly widowed, she’s struggling to hold things together at home and keep her business afloat while dealing with her late husband’s effects. But something’s not right, and now, Gianna is convinced he was involved in something a lot more sinister than questionable business dealings.
Brock Hennessey fled California to make a fresh start in northwestern Montana. He hopes he’s put enough miles between him and danger—banking on a promised job to give his family a new start in a safe place.
Circumstances pit Gianna and Brock against one another, and neither one is willing to give an inch. As their professional dealings grow more acrimonious, their daughters become best friends, and suddenly, the four of them are thrown into situations that have them acting, looking, and sounding like a real family.
But there are hurdles to overcome, and danger threatens. Can God work in the hearts of two single parents so their daughters can be Sisters Ever After?
The world could use some peace. It longs for a silent night. A single night without bombing, attacks, or viruses. It needs calm, and the whole world groans with longing.
Instead of quiet we hear shouting. We feel rage and anxiety. We live in chaos and anguish. It’s on the news. In the papers. Social media. Groaning.
So much anger and fear.
Our souls sure could use some peace. We long for the sweet rest of the beloved. But this present time keens with suffering, aching to usher in hope’s conclusion that began one bright and holy night.
This peace arrived with the moaning and pains of childbirth. It slipped out of a womb and into our sorrow, unassuming and humble. Heavenly peace.
How is it possible for heavenly peace to arrive amid political turmoil and religious unrest? How is it possible for heavenly peace to soothe our souls amid instability and sectarian conflict? Yet, this is how the Prince arrives. And He sleeps, so the song says, in heavenly peace.
He sleeps in a manger, completely secure that teenaged Mary and inexperienced Joseph will fulfill their roles in His earthly story. He sleeps in peace as the heavens declare the glory of God in an angelic display and shepherds fall to their knees in awe. He sleeps in peace as the Maji set out on a two-year journey that will change their lives. He sleeps in peace as a massacre meant to destroy Him begins, and those wide-eyed teenagers follow supernatural instructions to flee.
Heavenly peace. And He offers it to us.
Peace, not as the world gives, but the kind only He can give. A peace that looks backward in order to look forward. A peace that anticipates a holy day when creation will be set free from its bondage to corruption. A peace that knows the glory that is to be revealed will surpass all the hardship.
Until then, our bodies ache. Our souls yearn. Yet, we can sleep in peace because the Babe slept in peace. He slept in peace because He knew that the world now twisting in agony would be redeemed because He would redeem it.
We sleep in peace despite the wars, despite the viruses, despite all that is wrong in this Genesis 3 world because our King has promised us one day the groaning will end. One day, the babe that came in peace, died in violence, and rose in victory will return in triumph. This Prince of Peace will bring the peace of God to every knee that bows and tongue that confesses Jesus is Lord.
Oh, come, Lord Jesus, come. Come again. Come in victory. Save us from our sorrow.
Thank you for the promise of that holy and glorious day foretold in a garden and birthed in a barn. Thank you for making a way for sinful people to find peace with God through the Prince of Peace. Thank you that in a world of chaos the heart can rest, singing, “all is calm, all is bright” because Peace makes all things well in my soul.
The Bible tells us all who live godly in Christ will suffer. Trials are inevitable. As Christians, we should expect them. If you are not facing a trial now, I can guarantee at some point, you will encounter one. In my Christmas romantic suspense novella, 12 Days, the hero, Scott Newton, has trust issues stemming from growing up in a home with an alcoholic father. With God’s help, Scott’s faith grows.
Trials in 12 Days
Scott works as a deputy with the fictional Chanckoc County Sheriff’s Office in Blanchardville, Ohio. He and his partner, Cole Linville, are shot by a suspect. Scott is injured and recovers, but Cole dies. Cole’s death tests Scott’s faith again. As the story progresses, Scott will have to learn to trust God again as he faces yet another trial—the disappearance of his girlfriend.
Trials in my Life
In my own life, I have faced many trials, including experiencing infertility. Trusting God can be hard because unlike some Bible characters, like Hannah, for instance, we may not have a specific promise from God. We do have wonderful promises such as God’s promise never to leave us or forsake us. But when we pray about a specific situation, we usually don’t know the outcome. We have to trust God no matter what. When we read the Bible, we find sometimes God was there with His people and rescued them miraculously, like with the parting of the Red Sea. At other times, God didn’t provide a rescue, like with Stephen being stoned to death. Stephen died, but even in the face of death, God was still with him. Sometimes, when we feel let down by God, it’s because we trusted God, but only to provide the outcome we desired. We have to make sure our faith is in God regardless of the outcome of our situation.
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
Hebrews 11:1
12 Days by Heidi Glick
Scott Newton retires from the sheriff’s office after a fellow officer is killed. Wracked by sorrow and the need for justice, Scott grows distant from his girlfriend, aspiring crime writer, Lindsay Billings. But, when Lindsay goes missing, and Scott discovers her research on the missing person cases thought to be the work of a serial murderer known as the Christmas Killer, Scott vows to find her at all costs. Police have never found the bodies of the people who went missing many Christmases ago, and Lindsay won’t become just another statistic.
Then, someone kills again in Blanchardville. Police locate a corpse atop one of seven inflatable swans on a pond, and another body in a pear tree. Scott receives odd texts from Lindsay’s phone and deduces they’re from the killer.
In order to save Lindsay, Scott agrees to meet the madman and play his game. As time runs out, Scott must learn to trust in God again, no matter what.
Author Karen Malley writes on adjusting our expectations, even at Christmas.
We’ll decorate the house with lights, I’ll make a ridiculous number of Christmas cookies, we’ll attend the candlelight service on Christmas Eve, we’ll set up a tree and exchange presents, we’ll gather with family…
We set expectations for Christmas, and frankly, for most things in life. We think we know what life is going to hand us, but sometimes God surprises us. In my new Christmas release, the main characters attend a church service where the pastor says the following:
“How many of you have certain expectations for Christmas?” Pastor Micah took a moment to gaze around the congregation. “I’m sure Mary and Joseph did, too. I can’t imagine Mary ever expected to deliver the Savior of the world amongst animals. She certainly didn’t expect shepherds to be the first to greet her newborn child, or for him to be laid in a feeding trough miles and miles from home.” “We have certain expectations about Christmas as well. And some of those are good. But keep in mind, God’s plans for you might be different. Life isn’t always about our plans. I encourage you this Christmas to open your heart to what God has planned for you.”
Unmet Expectations
There have been many times in my life when things didn’t go according to my expectations. Losing my dad, job loss, a cancer diagnosis, dear friends announcing a divorce… None of these were things I expected to happen. But God is faithful. He never says He won’t give us more than we can handle. But He does say He’ll be with us in the midst of it all.
The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.
Deuteronomy 31:8
Sometimes, we have certain expectations, and God goes beyond them. I’m on the other side of my diagnosis, I’m in a job I love, and I’ve been blessed to be able to write multiple books! We don’t know the future, but God does. There’s such comfort in that. He knows exactly how to guide us because He knows the way. He’s never surprised by what happens to us. So why do we fight to try to figure it out for ourselves? I’m so grateful God is willing to stand by our side. Not only that, He wants to be there with us. The Creator of the universe wants to walk with us through our struggles and our blessings. I don’t know about you, but that’s pretty amazing, in my opinion!
New Christmas Release
In my latest Christmas book, Lucy has to adjust her expectations of what Christmas will look like. I hope you are blessed by the story, and maybe learn a thing or two about God along the way!
Lucy loves her familiar Christmas traditions. Why shouldn’t she? At sixty years old, they’ve become a part of her. But this year, they’re all thrown out the window when she drops everything to drive across the country to care for her sister in Arizona. So much for a white Christmas! Between her anxious dog, her sister’s thieving kitten, and a way too attractive ice cream truck driver, will she learn that trying something new might just be what God has planned for her?
Cactus for Christmas is on sale for only 99 cents! Purchase at Amazon
