That’s the reason for the 21 days series – to provide you with 21 days worth of biblical devotions to help you form new habits that draw you closer to Christ. And for two days only (October 17th-18th, 2013) we’re giving all 5 books away for free. After that, they will be available for only 99 cents each. So what do you say? Will you join us in strengthening your walk with God? If so, download one or all of the books below at no cost to you during our free promotion – and scroll down to enter to win a $50 Amazon gift card as our gift to you!
Living a Life of Generosity: 21 Days of Generosity Challenge
- Do you want to live a life of generosity?
- Do you want your life to be a blessing to others?
- Do you want to have a giving spirit that overflows from a heart that is fully trusting in God as provider?
If so, consider embarking on this 21 Days of Generosity through this short but powerful eBook.
- Do you want to live a life of faith?
- Do you want your faith to be more than simply saying “I believe in God”?
- Do you want to have a genuine faith that overflows from a heart that is fully trusting in God in every area of your life?
During a season of transition in my life, I found myself overwhelmed with negative emotions like self-pity and a complaining spirit. It was as if a dark cloud had descended over me. I prayed and asked God for wisdom on how to overcome these negative emotions. And I sensed Him leading me to do this 21 days of gratitude challenge.
And now I want to share what I learned with you in the short, but powerful book.
Are you up for forming a habit of spending time with your Creator? If so, download this book and get started on these devotionals!
Teen Devotionals… for Guys!, brought to you by FindYourTrueStrength.com, are written for teen guys who want to find their true strength in Christ, these devotions designed to be read, pondered on and applied to daily life. We want you to know that the Bible isn’t just a book that’s over 2000 years old. It’s completely applicable to our lives today – even as teenagers. We know that girls and guys don’t face the same issues in high school – not even close. So these devotions were written with today’s teen guys in mind. Go ahead. Dig in. Find your true strength in Christ.
This book blast is hosted by Crossreads. We would like to send out a special THANK YOU to all of the CrossReads book blast bloggers!
I read The Beloved Daughter on my Kindle not long ago and was deeply moved by it. The story is gritty and heartbreaking in places, but at the same time touching and inspiring. It burdened me to pray more for the people of North Korea, especially Christ’s followers who have been imprisoned and are enduring unspeakable suffering for their faith.
Today Alana Terry, author of The Beloved Daughter, is visiting my blog. She was kind enough to answer a few questions I had about her book, and below she talks about the newly-released audio version, as well as a giveaway!
Annie: I’m curious how you were able to describe in so much detail what goes on behind closed doors in such a closed country. What kind of research went into the writing of this novel?
Alana: Most of the research I gleaned was from reading and listening to interviews with defectors from North Korea. I also found resources from certain ministries like Voice of the Martyrs incredibly useful.
Annie: I like the way you preface each chapter with a verse from scripture. They’re not the common verses that we see quoted all the time, either! What inspired you to do this, and how did you choose what verses to use?
Alana: I can’t specifically remember why I chose to include Scripture passages with each chapter. I guess it probably went back to wanting to point my readers to the Lord. It’s such a heavy story that maybe God knew we would all need some Scripture thrown in there. As far as the verses go, I don’t really like just quoting the verses that have been hashed and rehashed until we’re numb to them. The Bible is so full of poetic imagery, so it wasn’t too hard to find verses to go with the tone of each section.
Annie: What can we expect in the rest of the series?
Alana: My next novel, “Not Alone,” is a follow-up to “The Beloved Daughter,” although it’s not exactly a sequel. It takes one of the minor characters from “The Beloved Daughter” and carries her story on. I hope to publish “Not Alone” as the first in a suspense trilogy, however my wrists have been giving me trouble and my writing is not proceeding as fast as I hoped. You can see the trailer for “Not Alone” at alanaterry.com/not-alone
The Beloved Daughter, an inspirational suspense novel by award-winning author Alana Terry, is a story of persecution and triumph set in the oppressive North Korean regime. The audiobook version of Alana’s bestselling debut novel is narrated by Kathy Garver, a four-time Audie award winner and Lifetime Achievement Award recipient from the Motion Picture Council. (You might also recognize Kathy as Cissy from the TV show Family Affair.)
(Listen to a sample of Kathy reading from The Beloved Daughter.)
Two Audiobooks for the Price of One!
If you order The Beloved Daughter audiobook and are one of the first 25 customers to email the receipt to [email protected], you will receive a code to also download a free version of What, No Sushi, book one in Alana’s new historical fiction/time travel series for kids!
The Beloved Daughter
Synopsis: In a small North Korean village, a young girl struggles to survive. It is her father’s faith, not the famine of North Hamyong Province, that most threatens Chung-Cha’s well-being. The Beloved Daughter follows Chung-Cha into one of the most notorious prison camps the contemporary free world has known. Her crime? Being the daughter of a Christian.
Acclaim:
*Winner, Women of Faith Writing Contest
*1st Place, Book Club Network Book of the Month
*Amazon Bestseller (#5 Christian Suspense)
Reviews:
“…an engaging plot that reads like a story out of today’s headlines…” ~ Women of Faith Writing Contest
“The Beloved Daughter is a beautifully written story that is…both personal and representative of the challenges that many North Koreans still face today.” ~ Sarah Palmer, Rescue Team Coordinator at Liberty in North Korea
“The author does a phenomenal job… HIGHLY RECOMMENDED – but have tissues handy.” ~ Pauline Creeden, Editor AltWit Press
“…the most compelling Christian novel I have read.” ~ Temujin Hu, Author of The Rage
(Click here to order your own copy of The Beloved Daughter.)
Enter The Giveaway
The author’s friend Nicole makes beautiful hand-made earrings out of bark, coral, and even teeth and bones. Six winners! To see what kind of work Nicole does, check out her etsy shop.
 |
| A sample of Nicole’s nature-inspired earrings |
And don’t forget to email your receipt of The Beloved Daughter auidobook to receive a free audio download of What, No Sushi, Alana’s children’s chapter book about the Japanese-American internment camps!
SEE THE AUDIOBOOK HERE
SEE THE PAPERBACK HERE
SEE THE EBOOK HERE
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Floyd and I just got back from an overnight getaway in Ali Shan, one of Taiwan’s beautiful mountain areas. It’s famous for its spectacular sunrise, which is the main reason most people visit. (However, I must confess that in the picture below, we’re standing in front of a mural!)
Welcome To CrossReads’ Fall Into Reading Book Sale!
Where We Invite You to Fall into Good, Wholesome Books – and Save Money!
Fiction:
Mystery, Suspense and Thrillers
Serenity Springs, Ohio by Lillian Duncan Mystery/Suspense
Times of Turmoil by Cliff Ball
Times of Trouble by Cliff Ball
Times of Trial by Cliff Ball Thriller Christians are persecuted when the President declares a dictatorship as the End Times approach.
John Ryan by Cliff Ball
Romance
The Difference Between Night and Day by Melissa Turner Romance Nathaniel Taylor was a Christian who thought believers were exempted from “dark times.” That was until he entered his own long time in the dark. When he meets Lilly, a young woman in danger, it sends him on a journey to discover the difference between night and day and that during dark times, the Light is hidden, not gone.
Rock and A Hard Place by Bonnie Blythe Christian Romance Faith Conrad is used to striving. After more or less raising her twin sisters because of an absent father and ailing mother, she knows the meaning of responsibility. She had to drop out of high school to pay the bills, hamstringing her future. When handsome Bureau of Land Management ranger Shane Zadopec rescues her from a rock climb gone wrong and reveals that he’s a photographer too, she feels threatened and rebuffs his attempts to get close. Will she ever picture them together?
Forewarned by Debra Ullrick Christian Romantic Suspense After a near fatal accident in the Colorado wilderness, Jasmine Moore suffers during the harsh Steamboat Springs winters. Unable to socialize because of pain, she goes online in hopes of finding some new friends to fill the void the long, lonely winters bring. A budding online friendship develops, and soon, Jasmine finds herself in danger.
Déjà vu Bride by Debra Ullrick Christian Romance Furious with God, Olivia Roseman vows to never trust Him again. Why should she? Once again her prayers have gone unanswered, and once again another loved one has been ripped from her. With no job and only a few dollars, Olivia makes a choice to start over again. Without God and without love. However, her handsome new boss isn’t going to make forgetting God or keeping her vow to never love again very easy.
Winter’s Past by Mary E. Hanks Romance When Winter speaks at a conference in Coeur dAlene, Idaho, and her ex-husband shows up, she is shocked by the change in him. Radically different from the self-absorbed guy she remembers, he stands before her crying—crying!—and humbly asks her forgiveness. This man who broke her heart, betrayed her, is now gut-wrenchingly sincere in his apology, prays for her like a long-lost friend, and he has a request. One unbelievable request that could change everything.
Three Hearts, One Town by Sarah Jae Foster Historical Romance More than courage, she needs faith.
Rocky Mountain Oasis by Lynnette Bonner Christian Historical Romance He’s different from any man she’s ever known. However, she’s sworn never to risk her heart again. Brooke Baker, sold as a mail-order bride, looks to her future with dread but firm resolve. If she survived Uncle Jackson, she can survive anyone. When Sky Jordan hears that his nefarious cousin has sent for a mail-order bride, he knows he has to prevent the marriage. No woman deserves to be left to that fate. Still, he’s as surprised as anyone to find himself standing next to her before the minister.
A Heart’s Home by Laura J. Marshall Christian Historical Romance Novella set in 1746, India Born in England and raised in India by her father after her mother’s untimely death, Asyra has been ostracized from her small village most of her life. News of her impending marriage arranged by her grandmother back in England only serves to confuse her further about who she is and where she fits in. When Madras is attacked by the French before Asyra’s ship sails, she must pretend to be the wife of her grandmother’s agent, who happens to be the elder brother of her intended. Can she move beyond prejudice to find her place in the world?
To Protect and Serve by Staci Stallings Contemporary Romance What happens when a control freak falls for a fireman with a death wish? Lisa Matheson runs a semi-successful ad agency that’s on the brink of falling apart. Her employees are incompetent and her schedule has become exhausting. When she takes on a client with a brilliant idea for a big conference, she thinks that maybe, finally this is her lucky break. However, the fire station wasn’t what she had in mind for finding conference speakers. When she falls for a handsome but shy firefighter, it’s possible that life might just be going her way for a change.
Fantasy
Armored Hearts by Pauline Creeden and Melissa Turner Lee Fantasy Steampunk When a crippled young lord rescues a girl falling from a tree, it reveals a secret about himself and his mother’s side of the family that could put him at the center of a war with beings he thought only existed in fairy tales. Tristan Gareth Smyth lived his entire life stuck at home at Waverly Park and left behind while his Grandfather makes trips to London, all because of his blasted wheelchair. Then an American heiress falls in his lap, literally, and he must find a way to keep her at a distance to protect not only his secret, but everyone around him from an assassin sent to kill him.
Time and Again by Deborah Heal
Unclaimed Legacy by Deborah Heal
Return to Kingsley by Cynthia P. Willow Fantasy Thirteen-year-old Callie dreams of having her own adventure in the magical world of Kingsley like her grandmother and her great-great grandmother before her. But she doesn’t have very high hopes since the portal to Kingsley was shut fifty-two years ago. Little does she know that the inhabitants of Kingsley are in desperate need. A plague is killing Kingsley’s creatures. But Callie doesn’t live on the lake, nor does she have the magical bracelet to allow her to breathe underwater. How will she get to Kingsley? And will she figure it out in time to save the land?
The Captives by Precarious Yates YA Fantasy When the mermen and peaceful aquavians turn violent, who will restore the seas?
Other Fiction
Sanctuary by Pauline Creeden Apocalyptic Science In a heart-racing thriller described as Falling Skies meets The Walking Dead, Jennie struggles to find a safe place for what’s left of her family. But it seems as though there is no place sacred, no place secure. First the aliens attacked the sun, making it dimmer, weaker, and half what it used to be. Then they attacked the water supply, killing one-third of Earth’s population with a bitter contaminate. And when they unleash a new terror on humankind, the victims will wish for death, but will not find it… When the world shatters to pieces around her, will Jennie find the strength she needs to keep going?
Diving in Deep by Nora BallewBefore long, even within the chaos that is the Eberly family, everyone is noticing her dramatic weight loss. Her aunt is praying. Her brother is lecturing. Even her new friends are studying her under a microscope. How thin is thin enough? If she gets too thin, will she be able to stop; or is she in too deep? With so much going on in her family, will anyone be able to help her resurface?
This is volume two in the Experience Life in Poetry series, a series focusing on observations about life. The second volume focuses on relationships including those between family, friends and romance. The poems are a mixture of fun, sweet, sad and touching moments and experiences, but then life is all these things as well.
Non-Fiction:
My Journey With Jesus Christ by Corine Hyman Children’s eBook My Journey with Jesus Christ is a personalized devotional, designed to help a child grow in their relationship with Christ while teaching them the key principles of the Christian faith.
Teen Devotionals… For Girls! by Shelley Hitz, Heather Hart and Contributing Authors
Purposeful Planning by Phyllis Sather Christian Living “Late for an appointment, a man hurried out and hailed a cab. Jumping in, he said to the driver, “Get going and drive as quickly as you can.” After a few blocks, he impatiently asked, “Are we almost there?” “Almost where?” replied the driver. In his hurry the passenger had failed to give the driver the address of his destination. That may seem like an unlikely story, yet today many people are so busy trying to keep up with the rapid pace of living, they haven’t stopped to consider what their goal in life is.” Millie Stamm Our book Purposeful Planning will help you figure out what goals the Lord would like you to have as a person and as a family.
Complete by Arabah Joy Christian Living Research shows it takes only 21 days to change the way we think. In Complete, Arabah Joy takes readers on a 21 day journey to think about themselves truthfully: that in Christ, we are complete. Believe it. Live it. 21 Days.
Thoughts on Being Left Behind by Phyllis Sather Christian Living At one time or another we all feel left behind – whether because of illness, loss of a loved one, or the busyness of parenting and/or homeschooling. These timeless pieces, written by someone who went from the life of an active and involved woman to a near invalid within just a few weeks, speak to the heart of anyone who feels like they’ve been put on the shelf and possibly forgotten.
The Godly Man’s Picture & A Godly Wife by Puritan Thomas Watson Spiritual Growth The soul being so precious, and salvation so glorious-it is the highest point of prudence to make preparations for the eternal world. It is beyond all dispute, that there is an inheritance in light; and it is most strenuously asserted in Holy Scripture that there must be a fitness and suitability for it (Col. 1:12). If anyone asks, “Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord?” the answer is, “He who has clean hands, and a pure heart” (Psalm 24:4). To describe such a person is the work of this ensuing treatise. Here you have the godly man’s portrait, and see him portrayed in his full lineaments.
Forgiveness Of Injuries by John Angell James Spiritual Growth “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times;” thus inculcating a breadth of forgiveness widely removed from the narrow law of the Rabbis on the one hand, or the supposed liberality of Peter on the other. Let us examine, then, the basis on which this doctrine rests, and the arguments by which it is sustained.
Reflections on Life by Staci Stallings Spiritual Growth In this thought-provoking Christian book, Reflections on Life, Staci opens her heart and shares with the reader the Anointed words God has given her to write. Find the power of prayer, faith, hope, and joy found in everyday life as you walk the Christian journey with Jesus at your side.
And Now For A Giveaway!
Title: Goddess Tithe
When a stowaway is discovered aboard the merchant ship Kulap Kanya, Munny, a cabin boy on his first voyage, knows what must be done. All stowaways are sacrificed to Risafeth, the evil goddess of the sea. Such is her right, and the Kulap Kanya‘s only hope to return safely home.
Anne Elisabeth is offering two proof copies of Goddess Tithe as prizes! (U.S. and Canada only)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
About the Book
Leonard, a computer programmer, has a unique gift: by words alone he can calm violent situations. Which is helpful with all these kids running around the streets behaving like zombies. He has his own set of sorrows to face, but he’s prepared for anything. Anything except Tamar, and the thunderous inkling that she will be his wife. This doesn’t make any sense to Leonard. She stole his wallet. And his heart. Painful circumstances ripped family and stability from Tamar’s grasp, but with gutsy tenacity she faces life head on. Meeting the gorgeous and single Leonard changes everything. But surely a guy like him would never fall for a girl of the streets like her.
LINK to KINDLE | LINK to PAPERBACK
Precarious Yates
Precarious Yates lives in Texas with husband, daughter, sheep, dogs, chickens, rabbit, lizard and by the time you read this some other exotic creature her husband or daughter has brought home. She had studied the plight of and worked toward the abolition of modern slavery for over a decade before sitting down to write Revelation Special Ops. She was further inspired by the work of her sister-in-law, who helped to found Love146, an organization that works to raise awareness about human trafficking and builds safe homes in vulnerable regions. Yates spent several years overseas as a missionary in Ireland, and also did missions work in India and the Philippines. Her passion for literature has become her means of further educating young adults of the realities of modern slavery, while producing hope through the power of Christ Jesus in us.
Follow Precarious YatesWebsite | Facebook | Twitter
Enter to Win a $50 Amazon Gift Card!
Enter below to enter a $50 amazon gift card, sponsored by author Precarious Yates! a Rafflecopter giveaway This book blast is hosted by Crossreads. We would like to send out a special THANK YOU to all of the CrossReads book blast bloggers!
-Annie
In verse 7, we are told that if we claim Christ, and live like it, then the blood of Christ will cleanse us from our sin. If we claim Christ, and live solely for Him, then He will save us. One thing that is absolutely necessary for us to understand is that works are not what saves us; it is Christ and His sacrifice that saves us. We show that He is our Lord through these works, and if He truly has saved us, then we will gladly shine for Him.
We are told to walk in the light, and we looked at what this means. This is the difference between claiming Christ, and living Christ. As Christians, we are called not only to proclaim Him as our Savior, but also to live our lives for Him, allowing Him to shine through us. This is the reason I have written my first book weShine: Foundations of a Strong Walk With God. It is a foundational guide to growing stronger in your walk with Christ, giving you the knowledge you need to start your journey of faith correctly.
You can find the paperback version of this book at bit.ly/weshine.
More information can be found on the official website at weShineSeries.com.
Also feel free to drop by JoshuaBedford.com/the-book for other information.
This morning at school the electricity went out.
There was a time when that wouldn’t have been a big deal. Back when I was a fifth grader, it might have meant simply the inconvenience of having a slightly dimmer classroom (which perhaps wouldn’t have been a very noticeable difference – I can’t recall how big our windows were or how much natural light they let in). If it happened on the day when we were scheduled for our weekly trip to the computer lab, the teacher would have had to plan something else for forty minutes or so, but otherwise, our day would have continued exactly the way it always did. And considering that power outages are fairly common in Kenya, where I grew up, I’m assuming that probably did happen at school fairly often. The fact that I don’t specifically remember any such instances just goes to show that they were no big deal.
But here and now, in Morrison Academy in Taiwan in September of 2013, it is a big deal.
I was sitting at my desk in my classroom getting ready for the day, and at about 7:20 a.m., the power suddenly went out. This is a rare enough occurrence here that I had no way even to guess how long it would be out, though of course I hoped it would only be for a few minutes.
I remember years ago, when I was working as a substitute teacher in California, there was a time when we had a lot of rolling blackouts because the whole area was short on power. One of the schools I subbed at had a list of instructions for teachers to follow in the event of a blackout. Things like, “Whenever possible, continue teaching normally,” and “If any parents show up in the middle of the day to pick up their children, remind them to sign them out in the office first.” I remember laughing about it at the time, thinking how silly American schools were to treat a simple blackout like a natural disaster.
But it wasn’t so funny today, and I must confess that the question of whether there was a chance school might even be cancelled did cross my mind. I immediately started thinking about my lesson plans and all the little daily tasks that involve electricity, and how I would have to change things if it didn’t come back on.
First of all, my parent helpers were scheduled to come in right before school started to make my photocopies for the week. Some of those were papers I’d been planning to use that morning. What would I do if the copy machine wasn’t working in time? In addition, I had promised to print something that my husband Floyd needed for a high school activity he would be helping with in less than an hour, but obviously my own classroom printer wasn’t functioning either. As soon as I thought of that, I picked up the phone to call Floyd and let him know, but I had forgotten that without electricity, the classroom phones wouldn’t work.
When my fifth graders first arrive in the morning, they’re supposed to do several things to get ready for the day. One of those is sharpen their pencils, which most of them do on our electric pencil sharpener (those who don’t have mechanical pencils, that is). They’re also supposed to pull their homework out and get it ready to hand in. Today that would have meant printing a document they had typed at home on their Alphasmarts, which is accomplished by taking the Alphasmart over to our classroom printer and holding it up to a sensor on the front, then pressing “print”. When they’re done with that, they’re supposed to read the week’s Bible memory verse from the screen in the front of the room where I project it from my computer and then copy it down onto their Bible verse sheet. None of those activities would be possible without electricity.
While the students are doing those things and generally getting ready for the day, I have a few things I normally do too. I always check the school website to check what the two choices for hot lunch entree are, ask the students how many of them want each kind, and then submit the totals to the cafeteria on a Google form. Then I record any absences or tardies on the online attendance form.
Every Monday morning, the student of the week gets to pick a people group that doesn’t have the Bible in its language, from Wycliffe’s book From Akebu to Zapotec, for the class to pray for. After I read the blurb in the book about that group and its culture, I normally use Google Maps on the SmartBoard to show the students that part of the world. They always enjoy zooming in, often close enough to see individual roads and buildings as well as larger features like mountains and rivers. In addition, as part of the day’s Bible lesson, I had been planning to use the projector to show the students a slideshow about the life of Joseph that I had put together with pictures I’d found online.
At least the reading lesson would be easy enough to do without electricity, but after recess our class was scheduled to visit the computer lab for our spelling pretest. That’s right, we take all our spelling tests at www.spellingcity.com, where I type in the words ahead of time and the students can take tests, play games, and practice in various ways with the words from our weekly list. Through their headphones, they hear the words read aloud and used in sentences, and after they’ve typed them all in, the computer grades it instantly. When they print their tests, it displays their total score both as a percentage and with the exact numbers they got right and wrong, as well as showing each word the way they typed it (marked with an X or a check mark). (Quick plug: it’s a great teacher time saver, and the basic subscription is free!)
After spelling, our writing lesson would have been fine without electricity for the most part. But I knew the students would miss the instrumental music I usually play from my computer in the background to inspire them while they write. In the afternoon, things would get a little more challenging. When I teach math, I always go to the textbook website and project the particular page we’re working on onto the SmartBoard. It’s easier to read through the instructions together and work on the practice problems when the students can come up front and show their work right by the problem itself.
In science, we’ve been learning about the different body systems. In addition to reading a couple of pages from our textbook and filling out a worksheet, I had two short movies from a science website that I had been planning to have the students watch and take notes on: one about the skeletal system and the other about the muscular system.
In short, my lesson plans for every subject except reading would have to change in some way. My head spun as I realized how much I count on technology (electricity-requiring technology!) in almost everything I teach now!
But though it would be inconvenient, there were ways around my planned technology use. However, there was one BIG problem that I could see no way around – one that would make a September day in Taichung very difficult to deal with. That was the one that made me wonder if there was any possibility school might be cancelled or at least dismissed early if the power failure lasted all day.
We would have no air conditioning.
Already, at 7:30 a.m., with the a/c and fans only having been off for ten minutes and no one but me in the room, I was sweating. What would it be like in there with twenty-six pre-adolescents as the day wore on? I opened the windows and door for airflow (at that point it was still a little cooler outside than in) and braced myself to find out.
Before the students even arrived, though, I discovered something else. The water on campus wasn’t working. Fortunately I had a full water bottle in my purse, but the students wouldn’t be able to use the drinking fountains or sinks, and the toilets wouldn’t flush. (I’m guessing this was because, though Morrison has its own water supply, the pumps in our water tower are electric.)
When my kids lined up outside the classroom, already uncomfortably warm and all discussing the electricity problem and how we were to survive the day without any, one of them was already worried about the water issue. “Mrs. Lima, I just used the bathroom, but it wouldn’t flush, and I can’t wash my hands!” I directed him to the container of hand sanitizer we keep in the classroom. First electricity-related problem of the day, solved. If only the rest would be that simple.
When the students were all at their seats, I passed around the little hand-held pencil sharpener I keep at my desk to those whose pencils needed sharpening, and encouraged students who had their own to share with each other as well. I wrote the memory verse on the whiteboard for them to copy. I told them just to put away their Alphasmarts and not to worry about printing their social studies review until tomorrow. And I offered rubber bands to anyone with long hair who wanted to tie it back and keep it off their neck. (Sweat was starting to drip by this time, and about half the girls took me up on that.) Four more problems dealt with. So far, so good.
We started our Bible lesson in prayer today (usually we pray at the end). There were plenty of volunteers eager to ask God to please bring back our air conditioning, and when I reminded them, to thank Him for the blessing of electricity that we get to enjoy most of the time, which many in the world don’t have. Afterward, I had them bring their Bibles, workbooks, and pencils, and we lined up and went to go sit outside. I knew that in a couple of hours it would be way too hot for that to be an option, so we might as well take advantage of the not-yet-scorching temperatures while we could.
The Bible lesson outside went okay, though there was so much background noise out there that I had to half yell the whole time just so the students would hear me. Many of them were almost completely inaudible when I asked them to read a verse aloud or share an answer. I was afraid my voice would wear out completely if I taught out there for very long, so it was a relief when we lined up to go back inside after the lesson was over.
But the classroom was starting to bear an uncanny resemblance to a sauna, so I was all set to let the students head back outside again for their silent reading time. Then, to everyone’s surprise, all of a sudden back came the electricity! The moment the lights went on, the room filled with delighted gasps and exclamations of relief, quickly followed by cheers when I turned on the air conditioning and all the ceiling fans. Twenty-six sweaty, sticky students and one very thankful teacher prayed together and thanked God for restoring our power.
Altogether, the electricity was only off for about an hour and a half, and when I think back about it, I have to chuckle. In retrospect, it really doesn’t seem like a very big deal. Growing up in Kenya, power failures that lasted for hours – sometimes even a day or more – were a common occurrence. The greatest inconveniences then were usually having to remember not to open the fridge more than absolutely necessary and needing to use flashlights or drippy candles at night.
But the technology that adds so many conveniences to our lives and makes certain aspects of teaching both easier and more challenging can be very hard to live without when it’s gone! I felt quite powerless, pun intended, at the thought of possibly going a whole day without electricity here and now. I think it’s good to occasionally be reminded, though, that life – even life in as technologically advanced and blessed a school as Morrison – is still possible without electricity. If nothing else, the inconveniences and the sweat can remind us to count our blessings and pray for those who live in much more challenging circumstances.
And I’m glad school wasn’t cancelled after all!
Here and now are the perfect place and time to get your copy of Unclaimed Legacy.
Those who have read Time and Again know that Abby Thomas is a college student on a summer service project with 11-year-old Merri. And they know that the summer is not going the way Abby had expected—but in a good way. For one thing, she meets a very nice guy named John Roberts. And for another, she discovers a strange computer program called Beautiful House that lets her fast-forward and rewind life. Not her own, of course, but those of the people who lived in Merri’s old house. And now Beautiful House comes in handy when Abby, John, and Merri agree to help the “Old Dears” next door with their family tree. Except Abby and John learn more about one of the ladies’ ancestors than they ever wanted to know. Convicted in 1871 of murder and arson, Reuben Buchanan is a blight on the family’s reputation. But was he really guilty? Abby and John must get inside the mind of a murderer to find out. And while they’re rummaging around in the Old Dears’ family history, they also find Nathan Buchanan, a heroic relative connected to the Lewis and Clark Expedition—and a legacy waiting to be reclaimed. But the most important discovery they make is that God’s promise to bless a thousand generations is true. “In this sequel to Time and Again Deborah Heal has taken pieces of real life history and woven them [into] a fantastic story geared to keep the reader entertained and on the edge of their seat… I adored every single bit of this. It has the perfect blend of history and action-packed suspense to keep young adults glued to the pages… I think she has mastered a home run here. This one easily rates a 5 out of 5 stars for me…and I hope it will work its way to the top of the best seller lists for young adults.”
The Clue of the Unclaimed Legacy
The blurb above doesn’t say a lot about it, but Unclaimed Legacy features my heroes Lewis and Clark. I’ve always been fascinated by them, partly because I knew the explorers spent the winter of 1803 at Hartford, Illinois, near where I grew up in Woodburn. They chose that site for the camp they called Camp River Dubois, because it was near the mouth of the Missouri River, which they would ascend the next spring. The captains spent the winter laying in supplies and training their men. I decided it would be fun to let Abby “time-surf” back to see Camp River Dubois. . .
Continue reading HERE to get my clues about Unclaimed Legacy.
As the blurb says, sometimes when Abby and John are “time-surfing” they learn more than they want to know about people from the past–like Bertram White a violent husband. Read my companion article about him HERE. Read a free chapter of Unclaimed Legacy HERE) Now, enter the contest to get your Kindle copy of Unclaimed Legacy for 99 cents and a chance to win the complete trilogy in paperback, personally signed by me. Oh, and a mug.
a Rafflecopter giveaway Deborah Heal Author Every Hill and Mountain (Time and Again) Read Now – http://bit.ly/13tVyYJ Twitter – @deborahheal