In Exodus 14, the freed Hebrew slaves reached the Red Sea only to be pursued by the hard-hearted Pharaoh and his army. The people complained about their plight and even said it would be better to remain slaves in Egypt than to die in the wilderness. In verse 14, Moses gave his famous, oft-quoted response, “The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”
When I read this passage, I usually find myself wondering how they could question God’s plans and goodness after everything he’d done to bring them out of slavery in Egypt. God sent unimaginable plagues to display His power to Pharaoh and freed His people from bondage to an incredibly powerful ruler without anyone lifting a sword or sling. Yet when they saw the Red Sea on one side and Pharaoh’s army on the other, they were overcome with great fear and what I like to call a case of spiritual amnesia. The fear inspired by their dire earthly circumstances was so great that it overshadowed and cast out memories of God’s miraculously displayed faithfulness, and they trembled with trepidation instead of looking to the Lord with expectant trust.
And we do the exact same thing.
While modern day Christians don’t have an Egyptian army on the left and a body of water on the right, we are hard pressed on every side by difficult jobs, broken relationships, loneliness, illness, depression, anxiety, rejection, ongoing sin struggles, and a whole host of issues. Like the freed Hebrew slaves, we often focus so much on what we can see with our eyes that we forget to trust what—or rather who—we cannot. Walking by faith instead of sight (2 Corinthians 5:7) and having faith in the unseen (Hebrews 11:1) doesn’t mean that we ignore the trouble surrounding us and stuff our feelings in an effort to seem like ethereal beings who are never touched by the brokenness of the world. It means that we look to Jesus during our trials, remember what God has done for us, and remind ourselves that if we can trust Him with our salvation, we can trust Him to comfort us in our affliction (2 Corinthians 1:3-4) and provide a way of escape during temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13).
Sure, we can’t say that God blotted out the sun or sent a plague of frogs to liberate us from draconian rulers, but we can say that God did what the Law could not do by using Jesus’ death and resurrection to make completely depraved people like us as righteous as His Son (Romans 8:1-4). He didn’t just deliver us from worldly troubles—He delivered us from death and judgment so we can have abundant, eternal life.
As anyone who has read Exodus or watched the classic movie The Ten Commandments knows, God didn’t lead the people to the Red Sea only to let them be destroyed by Pharaoh’s army. He parted the Red Sea so they could be saved from death and eventually claim the land He promised to their forefathers. Even though many of us may not have a sea-parting moment of deliverance from our worldly troubles, we can rest assured knowing that God has made a way for us to be with Him for eternity and will wipe every tear from our eyes like the loving, perfect Father He is (Revelation 21:1-4). The privilege of being with God forever is worth more than a thousand miraculous, situational rescues, and recognizing that can help us patiently, faithfully endure a million heartbreaks. God doesn’t just fight for us—He’s already won the war! So we can trust him with all of the daily battles that wage between now and His ultimate victory.
Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts
Thursday, February 8, 2018
Monday, June 6, 2016
Watch the Official Book Trailer for Eirwen's Dream: Inside Snow White's Sleeping Mind.
Get excited! Here is the official book trailer for Eirwen's Dream, the sequel The Jilted Bride! Available for pre-order for Amazon Kindle.
Three months after her father’s death, Princess Eirwen, affectionately nicknamed Snow White, is preparing to become the Queen of Talfryn. Unfortunately, as the princess rises in power and beauty and her love for Prince Roderick blossoms, envy drives her stepmother, Nerys, mad. The widow poisons her stepdaughter with an apple on the eve of her coronation, sending the princess into a dream like none she’s ever had before.
In Eirwen’s Dream: Inside Snow White’s Sleeping Mind, the fair princess sets off through the fantastical realm of Edwig with only a dwarf at her side to face trials and defeat a nefarious queen who acquires her power by bathing in the blood of virgins. However, what will save Eirwen from the poison running through her veins in the waking world, where there is no power in true love’s kiss?
Monday, May 16, 2016
I Was Demetria (How My Heartbreak & Healing Inspired The Jilted Bride)
In The Jilted Bride: A Footnote to Cinderella's Happiness, Demetria is crushed after being left at the altar for Cinderella. Like most women, she struggles with anger toward Cinderella and Prince Caspar and wonders why the charming prince chose a servant over her. It's a story a lot of us can probably relate to. I know I definitely can. While there were no royals, servants, or weddings involved, I had a heartbreak that definitely influenced me while writing this book, and the On This Day app on Facebook reminded me of that inspiration yesterday.
Several years ago, I met a guy who was very much like Prince Caspar. He was good looking, charming, and sought after by quite a few women because while he wasn't a prince, he was the lead singer of a rock band. We actually met because he initiated a conversation with me while I was in line to buy merch for a band he was touring with. I thought he was cute and I'd liked his band's set, so we casually chatted for a little bit and then talked again a few nights later at another tour stop.
Many concerts later in the spring of 2012, I was fresh out of a six month relationship and he'd also recently broken up with his girlfriend. I'd always had a bit of a crush on him for the reasons listed above, so I decided to go for it and tell him at their upcoming show in Dallas. Much to my surprise, he was totally into it and asked me to go out the next night since they had a day off in Texas. Of course, I said yes and was on cloud nine. To make a long story short, I had a great time and we ended the night with a kiss but on unsure footing because he still wan't over his ex. However, he still wanted to keep talking more so we could get to know each other better and figure out what was next.
After several days of talking and him checking in when he reached the next stop on tour, the communication ground to a screeching halt. No calls. No texts. Nada. I didn't quite know what to think about it until I logged on to Facebook and saw that he'd changed his relationship status to being in a relationship with another girl and all of the likes, comments, etc... that came with such an unforeseen announcement.
I was in shock, and I was livid.
Even though I wasn't in love with him by any stretch of the imagination and we weren't in a relationship, I'd expected more from him than a relationship status change and the cold shoulder since we'd been friends for a couple of years. Insecurity was a big struggle for me, so his rejection also triggered both anger and a stream of questions and comparisons. Was she prettier, cooler, or more interesting than I was? Had I done something wrong? Why wasn't I good enough?
At that point, I wasn't a Christian, so I hadn't been taught how to process through my pain well and to forgive, so that incident also left bitterness in my heart that didn't fully heal until I came to know Christ and realized that I needed to be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving to others since God in Christ had forgiven me (Ephesians 4:32). I'd been so hyperfocused on his part in our failed friendship that I couldn't see my own sin or forgive his.
Do I still have some regrets about that situation? Definitely. I wish that I'd been more rational, humble, gracious, and forgiving upfront instead of destroying our friendship by losing my temper and questioning how God created me, but I can't change the past. However, some of that initial pain and resentment I felt helped me write The Jilted Bride: A Footnote to Cinderella's Happiness. In the book, Demetria experiences heartbreak and embarrassment much greater than what I had to deal with, but she finds healing as I eventually did by focusing on something greater than her predicament.
As you read my Cinderella sequel and get to know Demetria, I invite you to think about your own past hurts and failed relationships. Are you holding onto bitterness? Are you letting a past rejection define how you view yourself? I know from personal experience that it can be hard to heal from heartbreak even when it's minor like mine was, but there is one person who can put you back together. Jesus.
He can help you not just forgive but love the people who have hurt you the most and fully, lovingly forgive you for how you've harmed others past, present, and future. While my latest book wouldn't be the same without my heartbreak, Demetria and I wouldn't have a happy ending without the restorative power of Christ. God sent Marianne into Demetria's life to help her with her heartbreak and countless faithful believers into mine to help me heal from the wrongs I'd committed and that others had committed against me. Jesus infinitely better than any fairy god mother, He's real, and He wants you to know Him and the perfect love He has to give.
Several years ago, I met a guy who was very much like Prince Caspar. He was good looking, charming, and sought after by quite a few women because while he wasn't a prince, he was the lead singer of a rock band. We actually met because he initiated a conversation with me while I was in line to buy merch for a band he was touring with. I thought he was cute and I'd liked his band's set, so we casually chatted for a little bit and then talked again a few nights later at another tour stop.
Many concerts later in the spring of 2012, I was fresh out of a six month relationship and he'd also recently broken up with his girlfriend. I'd always had a bit of a crush on him for the reasons listed above, so I decided to go for it and tell him at their upcoming show in Dallas. Much to my surprise, he was totally into it and asked me to go out the next night since they had a day off in Texas. Of course, I said yes and was on cloud nine. To make a long story short, I had a great time and we ended the night with a kiss but on unsure footing because he still wan't over his ex. However, he still wanted to keep talking more so we could get to know each other better and figure out what was next.
After several days of talking and him checking in when he reached the next stop on tour, the communication ground to a screeching halt. No calls. No texts. Nada. I didn't quite know what to think about it until I logged on to Facebook and saw that he'd changed his relationship status to being in a relationship with another girl and all of the likes, comments, etc... that came with such an unforeseen announcement.
I was in shock, and I was livid.
Even though I wasn't in love with him by any stretch of the imagination and we weren't in a relationship, I'd expected more from him than a relationship status change and the cold shoulder since we'd been friends for a couple of years. Insecurity was a big struggle for me, so his rejection also triggered both anger and a stream of questions and comparisons. Was she prettier, cooler, or more interesting than I was? Had I done something wrong? Why wasn't I good enough?
At that point, I wasn't a Christian, so I hadn't been taught how to process through my pain well and to forgive, so that incident also left bitterness in my heart that didn't fully heal until I came to know Christ and realized that I needed to be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving to others since God in Christ had forgiven me (Ephesians 4:32). I'd been so hyperfocused on his part in our failed friendship that I couldn't see my own sin or forgive his.
Do I still have some regrets about that situation? Definitely. I wish that I'd been more rational, humble, gracious, and forgiving upfront instead of destroying our friendship by losing my temper and questioning how God created me, but I can't change the past. However, some of that initial pain and resentment I felt helped me write The Jilted Bride: A Footnote to Cinderella's Happiness. In the book, Demetria experiences heartbreak and embarrassment much greater than what I had to deal with, but she finds healing as I eventually did by focusing on something greater than her predicament.
As you read my Cinderella sequel and get to know Demetria, I invite you to think about your own past hurts and failed relationships. Are you holding onto bitterness? Are you letting a past rejection define how you view yourself? I know from personal experience that it can be hard to heal from heartbreak even when it's minor like mine was, but there is one person who can put you back together. Jesus.
He can help you not just forgive but love the people who have hurt you the most and fully, lovingly forgive you for how you've harmed others past, present, and future. While my latest book wouldn't be the same without my heartbreak, Demetria and I wouldn't have a happy ending without the restorative power of Christ. God sent Marianne into Demetria's life to help her with her heartbreak and countless faithful believers into mine to help me heal from the wrongs I'd committed and that others had committed against me. Jesus infinitely better than any fairy god mother, He's real, and He wants you to know Him and the perfect love He has to give.
Monday, April 25, 2016
After the Glass Slipper: The Inspiration for The Jilted Bride
I've always loved fairy tales, and I think our culture is equally fascinated by stories of true love's kiss, glass slippers, and strange creatures. One common thread throughout many of these famous stories is magic. All you have to do is look at the box office over the past several years. With movies like Disney's Maleficent and the live action Cinderella and shows such as Once Upon A Time, we get to watch as fairy godmothers, evil queens, and more wield amazing power that can either create or solve issues for the protagonists, but what would happen if there wasn't any magic? What if the characters in the stories we all grew up with were bound by the same rules and restrictions that we deal with? What if their happy endings created more problems than they solved?
This is why inspiration struck after seeing the classic movie The Slipper and the Rose: The Story of Cinderella on television several times earlier this year. At the end of the movie, Cinderella (Gemma Craven) interrupts Prince Edward's (Richard Chamberlain's) wedding to another woman and they wind up married instead. Thankfully, the fairy godmother ensures that Edward's fiancee and his cousin fall in love, so everyone lives happily ever after. However, I started to wonder what would have happened without the fairy godmother's supernatural intervention.
That's where The Jilted Bride came from.
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| Demetria (left) and Cinderella. |
In my new book, the charming Prince Caspar leaves Demetria at the altar to marry Cinderella. With no magic to make sure everything is wrapped up in a pretty little bow, the duke's daughter has to deal with the aftermath of two legendary lovers' happy ending the old fashioned way. Demetria is understandably mistrustful of men and her parents as well for failing to choose a good husband for her, and she befriends a maid in the castle as she seeks to understand why the heir to the Aspasian throne would choose a servant over her. The jilted bride also has to contend with an unwanted suitor from a foreign land while struggling with her own disenchantment about men.
Cinderella's happily ever becomes Demetria's once upon a time, and the heartbroken heroine grows through her pain one page at a time as she finds new meaning and a new identity in a life that she had solely lived to find and please a husband of noble birth. While a fairy godmother's intervention would have saved the duke's daughter a world of pain, she also would have missed out on a great friendship and life lessons that magic can never teach.
For more information and updates about the upcoming release of The Jilted Bride, like the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/thejiltedbride/.
Friday, March 6, 2015
The Valley of Eternity and The Tower of London
I'm taking a break from my usual life in Dallas to visit London, England, and I spent part of today at the Tower of London. This was really exciting for me because the kingdom of Hesta in The Alazne Series is based on England during King Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I's reigns. In fact, Alazne's coronation in The Kings' Council is based on the coronations done in England.
The best part of going to the Tower of London was seeing King Henry VIII's armor. If you look at the composite below of Alazne on the cover of The Valley of Eternity (out this Fall) and Henry VIII's armor, you'll see several similarities. Pretty cool, huh?
The best part of going to the Tower of London was seeing King Henry VIII's armor. If you look at the composite below of Alazne on the cover of The Valley of Eternity (out this Fall) and Henry VIII's armor, you'll see several similarities. Pretty cool, huh?
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