Some of you might remember my friend, Erin. I dedicated Mistletoe Movie Star to her, and she inspired the main character, Char. Erin is passionate about compassion ministry, and that did not stop when Char’s story ended. Erin is still raising awareness for those in our community who need our help. She wrote the post below.
It’s cold out there.
Frigid. Almost unbearable. Last night at the centre where I work, I was once again reminded of the severity of homelessness in our community. Two old friends from “Welcome Love” (our former tent city) came by. Their circumstances are complicated and sad. For various reasons that most of us could never comprehend, they “choose” to sleep in the rough. To them, it is the only option. Last night, they came by Why Not Youth Centre with frostbitten faces and ash-covered hands. They were invited in for a moment of reprieve from the harsh reality of their everyday lives. They experienced a moment of warmth, food, acceptance and kindness.
Last year, the issue of homelessness in our community was front and centre. All over social media, in the news, in the papers, top of the to-do list for council, “tent lit on fire!”…you could not ignore it. Many good things came out of those days, but last night I was reminded that just because we cannot SEE tent city does not mean that those beautiful God-created people are not still out there living in tents when it is -15 outside.
IN. A. TENT.
Hunger, a lack of viable resources, and safe, affordable housing are a daily battle for many of our youth and those experiencing homelessness in our city. It is literally a moment-to-moment game of survival. Last night, God freshly reminded me that there is still much work to be done. We hope and pray our youth will never experience this as their “normal.” We have some amazing supports in our community; Why NotYouth Centre is one of those places, but there are some massive gaps in services to the marginalized.
I see these gaps every time we advocate for youth or try to connect those deemed “hard to serve” with supports that could change the direction of their current life course. This is not a new problem. Still, we press on, show up and advocate for change because, despite the dire circumstances, we SEE God at work and these lives matter. When I said goodbye to our visitors last night, I truly wondered if they would survive the night. I prayed for them. I wept at our broken world. Then I decided to do something about it.
Be part of the solution
On February 20, together with thousands of Canadians across the country, I am walking and fundraising to support and serve people and families experiencing homelessness, hurt, and hunger in our community. Why Not Youth Centres is supported solely by generous community supporters and initiatives like this. We need support to keep our doors open. I have named the team the “WayMaker Walkers” because only God can fix this problem. I am praying He uses our team to affect change in our community in practical ways. Would you join me? Walk with me & pray with me as we call out to the LORD to do what only He can! If you cannot participate in the walk, you can still pray at home and donate to our team!
Marilyn Darby makes bad decisions. That’s what landed her in New York, working meaningless jobs as she strives toward dreams that insist on never coming true. It wouldn’t make sense for her to go after someone like Bo Sutton. Mr. Perfect Superhero—respectful, responsible, and exactly the kind of man her parents would want her to date. Bo is too nice. He’d be a fool to look at her. And she’d never be interested in him. So, why can’t she stop pushing his buttons and hoping he’ll change his mind about her?
Bo Sutton landed the perfect job, which also meant a perfect living situation and a life plan that finally looked solid, if only he ignores that he’s spent the last few years lying to his family about what he does, where he is, and who he spends time with. Details. Sometimes Bo hated details. One thing he didn’t need was a relationship to screw it all up. He’d be an idiot to get mixed up with Marilyn Darby—all that chaos and spunk. He needs a plan to get rid of her before she ruins everything for him. Or worse, he falls in love with her.
Her Best Bo – click the cover image for the buy link
Her Best Bo is an opposites-attract follow-up to Picking Daisy and Pushing Robby, featuring Daisy’s bodyguard Bo Sutton and her dance teacher, Marilyn Darby. This book can be read as a standalone novel.
Megan McCormick doesn’t leave Atlanta looking for love. Far from it. She runs to the mountain town of Laurel Crest to flee from her past and a broken heart. When she’s knocked over by Lee Grainger, handsome veterinarian and lover of small-town living, Megan’s life takes an unexpected turn.
Tired of fast-paced city life, Lee is considering a permanent move to the mountains. His run-in with Megan has him believing he’s in Laurel Crest for more than a partnership in an animal hospital.
After a case of mistaken identity is cleared up, Megan and Lee strike up a friendship. Lee is everything Megan ever wanted—smart, loyal and dedicated to his faith. But Megan has experienced deep betrayal twice, and she’s reluctant to give romance another try.
Can Megan come to terms with the secret that haunts her, get past her distrust of men, and accept the love Lee offers or will her heart be broken again?
Someone to trust – click on the cover for the buy link
“My desire for writing Someone To Trust was to take readers on a journey of forgiveness. A journey that not only encompasses the power and grace to forgive others but also one of accepting the forgiveness God offers us and forgiving ourselves.”
Because she survived a botched abortion, Piper McCormack has a super-sensitive skill which she uses in her job as a Fragrance Chemist.
Piper meets OBGYN Dr. Jake Connors on a blind date. Piper doesn’t know Jake fights a secret war. During Piper’s third date with Jake, three professional thugs kidnap him.
Piper uses her super skill to help the police track the kidnappers. Both Piper and Jake have difficult, life-choices to make. Will they choose danger and love? Or will they retreat into safety?
Will the baby have a voice?
A Small Voice – click the cover image for the buy link
Readers who love to read about contemporary issue as well as romance and suspense will love A Small Voice.
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 that he was involved in something a lot more sinister than shady 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.
Sisters Ever After – click the cover image for the buy link
Set against the stunning backdrop of northwestern Montana, Sisters Ever After is the first book in the Canadian Meadows series.
Yes, you read that right. This post is full of free short stories or novellas that can be yours. These have been generously offered to you by “clean read” authors as a Valentine gift. To download your copy, click the link under the image and enter your email. This subscribes you to the author’s newsletter, so you don’t miss out on any future deals. You can unsubscribe at any time. What a great way to discover new authors!
Disclaimer: I share a publishing house with the two authors below. Both are clean stories with an element of faith.
I’ve highlighted Carol James before, and I am happy to let you know she gives her newsletter subscribers a free short story called Promises. Isn’t the cover calming? Water scenes always help me relax.
Where is a special place you’ve always wanted to visit? Emily’s dream was to go to the top of the Eiffel tower on Valentine’s Day. But when her fiancé’s job prevents him from joining her in Paris, she must decide whether to go to the top without him or turn her back on her dream. Read more of Emily’s story in Promises.
E.A. West is offering a short romantic suspense called Saving Chasity. I’m drafting a suspense story, and I’m eating up titles that keep me in this mindset.
Security guard Kennedy Drake loves exploring dark places. His elderly neighbor’s call about strange noises in her basement provides the perfect opportunity to explore the space and ensure her safety. Instead of the burglar his neighbor expected, Kennedy discovers a woman trapped in a hidden room. After he hears that her police officer ex-boyfriend is stalking her, he’s determined to help her escape the nightmare.
I’ve also joined up with a group of 50 “clean romance” authors to offer you an early Valentine’s Day gift. Each author is giving away a sweet Valentine’s read! I HAVE NOT READ THESE STORIES, but I have been guaranteed they are PG-13 or under. Take a look. Maybe you’ll find one you like. And free is the perfect price-point for checking out new-to-you writers. To see the selection of titles, click the link under the image. It will take you to the selection of books. If a cover catches your eye, click on it, and enter your email. This subscribes you to the author’s newsletter, so you don’t miss out on any future deals. You can unsubscribe at any time. What a great way to discover new authors!
A while back, my daughter created a few comics as part of a school assignment and in the process, discovered she had a knack for telling visual short stories. It’s our hope that these comics will bring a little joy to what has been a difficult time for many. We will share one comic a month until we run out 🙂
With a new year upon us it can be a a good idea to find your “word of the year.” For 2021, my word is “yet.”
I was reminded last year to focus on what we have and not on what we’ve lost. It was a hard year for so many. Today, with the sinful world continuing to exhibit its need for a savior we should always contemplate the incredible gift of Jesus and the salvation He has brought to us. If you will indulge me, I’d like to do a little Bible word study with you.
I began looking at the word “yet” in Scripture (used about 400 times) and found it to be apropos to our discussion. (Too bad it wouldn’t work in a book title because one would think I was writing about Bigfoot [Yeti].)
Look at the following passages for a moment (emphasis mine).
Lamentations 3:20-22 (NLT) “I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss. Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease.”
Matthew 7:24-25 (NIV) “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.”
Habakkuk 3:17-19 (NIV) “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.”
Psalm 42:11 (KJV) Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
2 Corinthians 4:16 (NASB) “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer person is decaying, yet our inner person is being renewed day by day.”
In every sense Jesus is our “yet.” Everything before Him pales when compared to the after.
John 1: 11-12 (NIV) “He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”
John 11:25 (KJV) “Jesus said unto her, ‘I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.’”
He is our hope. He is our sustenance. He is our redeemer. He is the reason for all we do.
If all seems overwhelming… If all seems impossible…. Remember, God is not finished….yet.
He is our “Yet.”
Soli Deo Gloria.
This post first appeared on the Steve Laube Agency blog on January 11, 2021. Used with permission.
