Christians Read

The Proven Power of Prayer

Posted on December 1, 2018 by writinginoverdrive

Opinion by Jim Denney,
author of Answers to Satisfy the Soul: Clear, Straight Answers to 20 of Life’s Most Perplexing Questions

Some years ago, my brother Tim was driving on a two-lane highway after dark, returning home from college in Southern California.

The Anchorite, a painting by Teodor Axentowicz

At that same moment, about fifty miles away, my grandmother was hosting a prayer meeting in her home. It was an eclectic group — a Catholic, several Mennonites, a Nazarene pastor, and a Baptist.

As they prayed, the pastor suddenly stood, a stricken expression on his face. He turned to my grandmother and said, “Anna, do you have a grandson who goes to college far from here?”

“Yes,” my grandmother said. “That would be Tim.”

“We need to pray for him right now! He’s in danger!”

So they prayed for my brother.

At that same time, out on the two-lane road, Tim came up behind a slow-moving tanker. He edged over the broken center line and saw no headlights ahead. It looked clear to pass. He pulled out into the oncoming lane and tromped the accelerator.

He didn’t know that there was a hill up ahead. Hidden below the crest of the hill was an oncoming car.

As Tim pulled even with the truck, the headlights of the oncoming car appeared in front of him. There was no time to react. The car was simply there, a glare of headlights rushing at him. In the next instant, the vehicles were three-abreast with the oncoming car on the left, the tanker on the right, and Tim sandwiched between them.

The next instant, the other car was disappearing in Tim’s rear-view mirror. Shaken, he swung around the tanker and pulled back into his own lane. He had escaped death by inches.

Arriving home, Tim was surprised to find my mother frightened and alarmed. “Did you almost have an accident?” she asked.

“About fifteen minutes ago. Mom, how did you know?”

“Well, for one thing, you look as white as a sheet. For another, I just got off the phone with Grandma. The pastor in her prayer group had a premonition that you were in danger, so they’ve been praying you.”

Tim was able to confirm that the pastor had voiced his fear for Tim’s safety mere minutes before his brush with death.

Coincidence? I think it takes more faith to believe my brother’s experience was a coincidence than it takes to believe that God answered the prayers of my grandmother and her prayer group.

When I was about fifteen, my Uncle Chet was seriously ill with cancer. At that time, I had never lost a loved one before, had never thought much about death, and knew little about cancer. I could tell from my mother’s concern that the situation was serious. But we were all praying for Uncle Chet, and I knew that everything was going to turn out all right. I remember a conversation I had with my cousin Cliff (one of Chet’s nephews) about the situation. Cliff and I talked it over, and decided that, with so many people praying, Chet was sure to recover.

But it was only a few weeks after my talk with Cliff that Chet passed away at the age of 54. I was stunned and bewildered. How was that possible? We had prayed so faithfully. How could God say no to all of our prayers? How could God let such a terrible thing happen to such a good man? I’ll never forget what a blow that was to my young faith. Ever since that first disappointment with God, I have been seeking answers to this deep mystery called prayer.

Can the power of prayer be proven? Can prayer be studied scientifically? Does prayer truly call forth the active, dynamic involvement of God in human lives?

“Unequivocally, yes,” says Dr. Larry Dossey, an internist and author of Healing Words: The Power of Prayer and The Practice of Medicine. “I base this answer not just on faith, but on the outcome of scores of scientific studies.”

The most carefully documented of those studies was published by cardiologist Randolph Byrd in the Southern Medical Journal in 1988. Over a ten-month period from August 1982 through May 1983, Dr. Byrd randomly chose (using a computer-generated list) 393 patients from the coronary care unit at San Francisco General Hospital. These patients were divided into two groups. One group was prayed for by home prayer groups; the second group was not prayed for.

Prayer was directed to the Judeo-Christian God by prayer volunteers from both Protestant and Roman Catholic churches. Each patient in the prayed-for group had from three to seven prayer volunteers, who were given the patients’ first name and diagnosis. Each prayer volunteer was asked to pray daily and specifically for a speedy recovery and for the prevention of complications.

It was a carefully constructed “double-blind” experiment: Neither the patients nor their physicians and nurses knew which group the patients were in—prayed-for or not-prayed-for. The results were startling. The study found that the prayed-for patients were five times less likely to require antibiotics than the not-prayed-for group; they were three times less likely to develop pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs). Prayed-for patients also “had fewer episodes of pneumonia, had fewer cardiac arrests, and were less frequently intubated and ventilated.”

According to Dr. Byrd, the findings were so significant, the differences between the un-prayed-for and prayed-for groups were so dramatic, that the odds of those findings occurring by sheer random chance are 1 in 10,000. Very few scientific studies ever reach such a high level of statistical significance.

Nearly every parameter measured by Dr. Byrd’s study was shown to be affected by prayer. Additionally, Dr. Byrd noted that there was no way to know how many people in the “un-prayed-for” group were actually being prayed for by friends or relatives who were not part of the study. If it were possible to completely isolate the “un-prayed-for” group from all possibility of being prayed for, the results might have been even more dramatic.

Other double-blind scientific studies (such as a dramatic study conducted at Saint Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri, published in 1999) have independently confirmed the results of Dr. Byrd’s study.

The scientific evidence is clear: Prayer really does work. The next obvious question is how does prayer work? What is the mechanism behind the power of prayer? Neither of these studies attempted to answer the question. “This trial,” concludes Dr. Harris, “was designed to explore not a mechanism but a phenomenon. . . . We have not proven that God answers prayer or that God even exists. It was intercessory prayer, not the existence of God, that was tested here. All we have observed is that when individuals outside of the hospital speak (or think) the first names of hospitalized patients with an attitude of prayer, the latter appeared to have a ‘better’ CCU experience.”

I want to underscore that patients should not abandon medical treatment in favor of prayer alone. These studies show that prayer works in concert with the best available medical treatment—not in place of medical treatment. Prayer is certainly not a substitute for bypass surgery or chemotherapy or an emergency appendectomy.

Prayer does not guarantee any particular outcome. Even though friends and family are praying for them and even though they pray for themselves, well people do get sick, sick people often get sicker, and eventually everyone dies. My grandmother prayed for my brother Tim, her grandson, and he escaped death. My grandmother prayed for my Uncle Chet, her son, and he succumbed to cancer.

Why does God say yes to some prayers and no to others? I don’t know.

But I do know that prayer is not a form of magic, and it does not place the total outcome within human control. Prayer can influence the circumstances in many cases—and even when the circumstances do not change, prayer can often change us. God is sovereign, and we are in no position to command Him to do our bidding.

But our sovereign God often chooses to pour out his grace in our lives, and in the lives of people around us, through the power of prayer.

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Note: Battle Before Time, the first book in my newly revised and updated Timebenders series for young readers, has just been released in paperback. Click this link to learn more.

And if you’d like to learn more about how to write faster, more freely, and more brilliantly than you ever thought possible, read my book Writing In Overdrive, available in paperback and ebook editions at Amazon.com. —J.D.

Jim Denney also blogs at Writing in Overdrive and Walt’s Disneyland.

Posted in Jim Denney, Uncategorized | Tagged answers to satisfy the soul, does prayer work, double blind, evidence for prayer, Faith, healing, Larry Dossey, power of prayer, prayer, protection, Randolph Byrd, scientific studies on prayer, unanswered prayer | 1 Comment

My Yearly Reminder (by Hannah Alexander)

Posted on November 27, 2018 by alexanderhodde

Does life seem a little high-pressure right now? It often is, and we’re hitting the Christmas season with great gusto. As we deal with all kinds of circumstances in our lives, it’s nice to have a place where we can go where we know we will always belong. I did that recently as I’ve done for more than a decade–returning to my roots. Every year some of us girls from high school meet in Branson MO and we have a pajama party.

Some folks might shudder at the thought. Yikes! High school? But after a decade or two or three or…well, anyway, after quite a few class reunions, our small class realized we really like each other. We enjoy spending time together. We share a lot of memories, and being the same age draws us together. We’re buddies.

So when we girls get together every year in Branson, all we care about is spending as much time with each other as we can, catching up on the past year, and eating. Oh yeah, we choose a place where we can all be in the kitchen at once and talk and talk and talk. And we laugh a lot. I drove two days–one of those days through a blinding snowstorm–just to get there and see the girls.

We support and love one another and have wonderful time of laughter. It’s a time of grounding. When you spend time with the right members of a family–or in this case, friends who knew you through your teens–you can get a clearer picture of how far you’ve come and how much you’ve grown from those awkward years.

Do you have people in your life who can connect you to your past in a good way? People who love and respect you, are proud of who you’ve become? I highly recommend you take the trouble to spend quality time with those people.

Posted in Hannah Alexander | Tagged friends and family, grounded again, shared history | Leave a comment

Death and Destruction in Paradise

Posted on November 24, 2018 by writinginoverdrive

Opinion by Jim Denney

I have visited Paradise.

Years ago, we visited my wife’s brother and his wife in their home in the northern California town of Paradise in the Sierra Nevada foothills. Our kids played in the snow on a wooded mountainside a short distance from Paradise.

Earlier this month, on Thursday, November 8, 2018, most of the quaint little town of Paradise burned to the ground. One of the thousands of homes destroyed was the charming home where my brother-in-law’s family once lived (they moved to southern California a few years ago).

The fire that destroyed Paradise, officially known as the “Camp Fire,” is now the deadliest and most destructive fire in California history. According to latest information, the fire has killed 84 people, trapping them in their homes or their cars as they tried to escape the flames. More than 600 people are as yet unaccounted for, so the death toll will certainly rise. The fire has destroyed more than 12,000 homes and 118 apartment buildings.

This is not the fire that destroyed Paradise. I took this photo in September of last year, when the mountain across the street from our southern California home was on fire, threatening many homes. My wife and I loaded up the car with photos and family videos and we evacuated. Firefighters saved our home and the other homes in our area from the fire. (I wrote about that experience on this blog.) The people of Paradise were not as fortunate. The fire was upon them so quickly, they only had moments to decide whether to live or die.

It’s a tragedy that does more than break your heart. The horror of that fire sears the mind. Even a believer with a strong faith in God has to wonder why God allows such terrifying events to take place in our world. The question of why an all-good, all-loving, all-powerful God allows evil and suffering in the world is a question most of us grapple with from time to time.

Those who are at a safe emotional distance from such incredible suffering can say, “The Bible tells us that we live in a fallen world, and calamity and tragedy are the result of the Fall, the result of sinful human choices.” Yet that answer seems inadequate when an innocent child dies of leukemia or a city is devastated by a natural disaster. Couldn’t a loving and all-powerful and all-knowing God design a world in which innocent people aren’t overtaken by tragedy? I’m not going to try to solve that question here.

Instead, I want to offer this opinion: I believe most of the suffering in the world is a direct result of human free will. We choose to do wrong, or we choose not to do what we ought to do, and innocent people suffer the consequences of our choices.

Take, for example, the tragedy of famine. We tend to assume famines are the result of drought and crop failure. Yet the two worst famines in human history (in Stalinist USSR in the early 1930s and Maoist China in the early 1960s) were the direct result of government policy. Tens of millions died because of deliberate choices made by government leaders.

What about the destruction and death toll in Paradise? The fire that destroyed Paradise was not a natural disaster. It, too, was the result of bad human choices.

Since 2010, the northern California power utility Pacific Gas & Electric Company has caused a series of catastrophes that have killed scores of California citizens. On September 9, 2010, an aging PG&E natural gas pipeline exploded in San Bruno, a suburb of San Francisco, killing 8 people, injuring 66 more, and destroying scores of homes. The explosion was so destructive that many witnesses thought an airliner had crashed into the neighborhood.

In October 2017, PG&E’s equipment started 12 separate fires in northern California, resulting in 44 deaths and billions of dollars in property losses.

Then, earlier this month, the “Camp Fire” destroyed Paradise, killing at least 84 people. So, over the past 8 years, a minimum of 136 people have died because of actions that PG&E took or failed to take.

The “Camp Fire” that destroyed the town of Paradise, photographed at 10:45 a.m. on November 8, before it had reach the town. Photograph taken by the Operational Land Imager on Landsat 8.

Obviously, these deaths were not deliberately caused by PG&E. The power company isn’t trying to kill its customers. But the power company does not appear to be making a good faith effort to protect its customers either. I believe PG&E could do much more to make its natural gas pipes, power lines, and transformers safer and less prone to cause fires. But PG&E appears to be more focused on protecting its profits than protecting the lives and property of its customers.

Prior to the San Bruno explosion, the company repeatedly ignored warnings from its own employees that the gas pipes there were a catastrophe waiting to happen. After the disaster, PG&E cut a deal with a member of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to reduce a proposed $2.5 billion fine to a mere $375,000 — a secret deal that fell apart only after the city of San Bruno filed suit.

The California Public Utilities Commission, which is supposed to regulate PG&E, seems to have a crony relationship with the power company. The CPUC is supposed to protect the people of California, but it seems more interested in protecting PG&E. The giant energy company has enormous political clout with the government of California. In three months alone, from April through June 2018, PG&E spent $1.7 million lobbying California officials to reduce its liability costs and penalties for the fires the company has caused.

In September 2016, California governor Jerry Brown vetoed SB 1463 — a wildfire-prevention bill that was passed by both houses of the state legislature, 75 to 0. That’s right, the bill passed unanimously, no opposition, and Governor Brown vetoed it. The legislature had 60 days to override Brown’s veto but didn’t. Why? I’m not sure. As near as I can figure out, state senate leaders decided not to challenge Governor Brown’s veto.

Governor Brown claimed SB 1463 duplicated actions already begin taken by the CPUC. That’s not true. SB 1463 was designed to accelerate the process and give city governments a greater voice in protecting their communities from wildfires. Governor Brown overturned the will of the people of California, as expressed by a unanimous vote of the people’s elected representatives, to concentrate all decision-making power in the hands of unelected bureaucrats who are closely tied to the power industry.

SB 1463 might have given cities like Paradise a chance to advocate for more aggressive forest management around the town (government policies have prevented clearing out dry, dead trees that provide abundant fuel for fires). The town of Paradise might have asked for improvement of the single two-lane road that was the only escape route from town. Local government is much closer to the problems and needs than a state bureaucracy — but Governor Brown’s veto left the bureaucrats in control.

Did Governor Brown’s veto cause the death and destruction in Paradise? No one will ever know. We do know that many California cities (including Malibu, which was also hard-hit by fires this month) wanted to have a greater voice in the state’s fire prevention policies. The Governor’s veto silenced those voices. It’s possible that Paradise might be standing today if not for that veto.

After the destruction of Paradise, state senator John Moorlach (who authored SB 1463), grimly observed that his bill was vetoed because it exposed “the madness of two state bureaucracies and their allegiance to the industry that they were mandated to oversee. They knew that there were serious dangers and calmly told everyone that everything was fine. Regretfully, even the Governor bought that line. Tragic.” Moorlach added that the bill was vetoed because it “crashed a cozy party enjoyed by utilities and state agencies” and would have put an end to their “lengthy foot-dragging behavior.”

When horrible things happen to innocent people, there are always those who ask, “Why didn’t God prevent this tragedy?” All too often, the question we should be asking is, “Why didn’t we?”

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Note: Don’t miss my interview with Christian science fiction writer Kerry Nietz, author of Amish Vampires in Space and Fraught. Kerry is a fascinating author who talks about the intersection of faith and imagination. Read “The Kerry Nietz Interview” at WritingInOverdrive.com.

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Note: Battle Before Time, the first book in my newly revised and updated Timebenders series for young readers, has just been released in paperback. Click this link to learn more.

Jim Denney also blogs at Writing in Overdrive and Walt’s Disneyland.

Posted in Jim Denney, Uncategorized | Tagged Bureaucracy, California, California Wildfires, Camp Fire, CPUC, Cronyism, Disasters, evil, Famine, Free Will, Good and Evil, Jerry Brown, Paradise, PG&E, San Bruno, SB 1463, State Government, suffering, Theodicy, Why Does God Allow Evil, Wildfires | 1 Comment

Every Day is a Gift

Posted on November 22, 2018 by Bridget

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone! What a glorious day. A holiday dedicated to giving thanks. It is one of my favorite days of the year. Although I do believe it is important to practice thankfulness all year, not just one day in late November. In fact, I feel so strongly about gratitude that I even wrote a book about it. And today I would like to share an excerpt from that book, Every Day is a Gift:

“Every day is a gift!” Since 2012 I have had that phrase as part of my email signature. That was the year when a friend from college died of sarcoma. It was only one week after Jennifer’s thirty-fourth birthday. She left behind a husband, a two-year-old daughter, loving parents, and countless friends. Jennifer had such a beautiful heart. She was always smiling, and always thinking of others.

I’ve often asked God why this had to happen. Why do some get to live and others die? Why would someone so young lose the battle? Why did a toddler have to lose her mom? Why would such a sweet spirit be chosen? This side of heaven, I might never know the answers to these questions.

Piercing moments in life like this can change us. Sometimes they will make us more resentful. But they don’t have to. We can choose to use these moments to cling to God, and ultimately to make us stronger.

When my friend died, this made me more thankful for Jesus. Why? Because Jesus gives me hope that I will see my friend again one day. And in the meantime, I want to cherish what she didn’t get – extra time on this earth. Extra time to love my family. Extra time to be a blessing to others. I want to remember that every day is a gift from God.

Happy Thanksgiving

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The “I See You” Snow globe by Julie Arduini

Posted on November 21, 2018 by juliearduini

This isn’t your traditional Thanksgiving Eve day post, but my prayer is you find hope and a spirit of thankfulness through our experience I’m about to share.

Fifteen years ago on this very day, we nearly lost our daughter. Over time, God has closed off many of those horrific memories and I’ve been able to focus on the many blessings. She is with us. She’s doing well. We were able to forgive.

The challenge has been since that day, she’s endured a lot of medical stuff. It’s a delicate line to walk because it is not life-or-death as we once knew, but daily care is required. At first glance, few would see what she’s been through or still going through. That almost makes things harder.

The past year has been harder than it has been in awhile. I believe her age has a lot to do with it, and that one of her issues is a rare condition where puberty is new territory. We don’t know what to expect. What used to be predictable isn’t, and what we couldn’t count on, now we sometimes can. It’s been frustrating at the least and devastating at times to see her in pain or not feeling close to her best.

Recently she’s had a cluster of appointments. Now that she’s older, their questions are directed toward her to answer. It’s overwhelming. Add missing school, new medicines, new medical stuff and it just has been a stinker of a time.

One of the appointments ran later than the others because they added a new component to the routine. Although overall it was a good thing, at the moment we were both feeling over it all. So many questions. Appointments. Specialists. Lack of answers. Frustrations.

As I finally dropped her off at school and decided to browse around until it was time to get her again, I lamented to God. I vented. I explained how unfair it all felt, how it doesn’t seem like her prayers get answered, that this is too hard to watch and not have control over it, how isolating it all is, I just said everything I was thinking. I drove to the Salvation Army and just let my words rest at the feet of Jesus. My thought was, “You’re taking all this, cuz I’m tired and I’m going to shop and forget about life for an hour.”

I walked the aisles, not really searching for anything, but always on the hunt for a bargain. Toward the back are shelves full of knick knacks that if I’m being honest, is often just junk. Broken pieces. Chipped paint. Missing parts.

Until a flash of glitter caught my eye.

I walked over and found a snow globe that against all that junk, and they were sorting through stuff that looked like some was literally garbage, the globe looked brand new. Pink flawless base with a glitter globe full of water. Inside was a little girl praying. I turned it upside down and it was musical. The song was from a comforting Psalm. Engraved across the inside was Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep. Engraved on the base was a name.

Our daughter’s name.

I knew right then that was God letting me know He hears. He cries when our daughter does, and when I do. He hates this as much as I do, but He also has a plan so amazing that makes sense. I might not understand it, but I trust Him. That globe said to me, “I see you. I hear you. This is going to be okay.”

It’s hard to see, but the engraving has our daughter’s name. A reminder God gave us that He sees, He cares.

Usually this time of year I wrap anything I find and call it a Christmas gift, but I made an exception. I shared my God moment with her, and her eyes lit up as she saw the globe with her name on it. In her favorite color. With sparkly glitter to add to the wonder of it all. Hours later I walked into her room and noticed as her and her brother put up Christmas decorations, they also re arranged things so the globe had a special place. She was receiving that gift for all it was intended to be.

If this holiday season has you burned out, over it, questioning, and just done, I understand. Your Heavenly Father is so specific and so present. Don’t be afraid to verbalize your fears, frustrations, the anger and the hurt. He can take it. He can take you asking for something that offers you hope and encouragement until you’re able to hug Jesus in the flesh. Look for the sparkles in the snow. The deer that locks eyes with you. That sunset. Or, like with us, that personalized snow globe.

I wish you the very happiest of Thanksgivings.

Posted in Julie Arduini, Uncategorized | Tagged Albrights hereditary osteodsytrophy, encouragement, Faith, Heavenly Father, invisible illness, Jesus, Julie Arduini, lament, praying life, Salvation Army, snow globe, Thanksgiving, The "I See You" Snow Globe | 5 Comments

Happy Thanksgiving!

Posted on November 20, 2018 by Author Mary Alford

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Thanksgiving is a favorite holiday of mine. By now, the weather has shifted from warm to crisp. The trees are still turning here in Texas, and it’s the kickoff of the holiday season. A time when families gather together to give thanks for all their blessings.

As I prepare the meal for this Thanksgiving, I plan to use my mother’s cornbread dressing recipe. I remember all those Thanksgivings past when I was growing up, watching my mother prepare the dressing for our family. Thanksgiving morning, the house would be filled with the mouthwatering aromas of turkey, dressing, pumpkin and pecan pies.

My grandfather lived close so most of our family would gather there with him to enjoy family and food together. After he passed, we’d gather at our home or my aunt’s. My uncle and aunt who lived out of town would come down as well. Through the years, so many loved ones have gone on to be with God. More and more seats at the table became empty. Yet, I can only imagine the Thanksgiving celebration they will be having in Heaven.

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So, as I prepare the meal for our family this year, the people seated around our table will not be the only ones there with us. In my mind and in my heart, all my loved ones will be there with me celebrating this Thanksgiving Day.

Wishing you and your family a very blessed and happy Thanksgiving.

All the best…

Mary Alford

http://www.maryalford.net

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Wishing You The Best by Tara Randel

Posted on November 19, 2018 by tararandel

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Can you believe Thanksgiving week is upon us? I must admit, October blew by and I thought I had a handle on November, but here we are. Ready for turkey day!

This year I’m cooking. I love the tradition of Thanksgiving and the comfort foods that go with it. To me, there is no greater pleasure than to have plenty of food set out for the guests who come to dinner. I do the basics; turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, and fun side dishes like sweet potato casserole, green been casserole and this year, a squash soufflé. And then there are the desserts; pumpkin pie and pumpkin cookies with plenty of whipped cream.

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Along with my family, I hope you, your family and friends have the most beautiful Thanksgiving. Whether you are cooking a feast at home or going to a special get-together to watch football, or plan on sneaking out to get ahead of the Black Friday crowds, I pray that God blesses your time, energy and talents this holiday season.

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Tara Randel is an award-winning, USA Today bestselling author of nineteen novels. Family values, a bit of mystery and, of course, love and romance, are her favorite themes, because she believes love is the greatest gift of all. Look for her next Harlequin Heartwarming romance, HIS HONOR, HER FAMILY, available FEBRUARY 2019 and The 12 Days of Heartwarming Christmas story, OUR CHRISTMAS PROMISE, available now. Visit Tara at www.tararandel.com. Like her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TaraRandelBooks. Sign up for Tara’s Newsletter and receive a link to download a free digital book.

Posted in Tara Randel | Tagged contemporary romance, family, food, love, Tara Randel, Thanksgiving | Leave a comment

Angels and Space Aliens: An Unexplained Personal Account

Posted on November 17, 2018 by writinginoverdrive

Opinion by Jim Denney

In the summer of 1970, before my senior year in high school, I went with a high school youth group from California to a Young Life camp at Malibu, British Columbia. During the long drive up the Pacific Coast, we stopped at a home in Oregon for the night. The girls slept inside and the boys sacked out in sleeping bags in the backyard.

As I lay awake, looking at the stars, I noticed one “star” moving erratically, zig-zagging from side to side and up and down, dancing rapidly in a seemingly random pattern. I wanted to call out to someone to confirm what I was seeing, but everyone else seemed to be asleep. I pulled back the flap of my sleeping bag and stood up.

“Hey, Jim,” someone whispered. I turned and saw that Dave, a guy I knew slightly, was sitting up in his sleeping bag, watching the same manifestation. “Do you see that?” he said.

“Yeah. I see it.”

We both watched the zig-zagging “star” for about a minute — then it shot straight up, fading to darkness as it ascended. In seconds, it was gone.

I asked Dave what he thought it was.

“I dunno,” he said. “All I know is that thing was weird.”

Front page of the San Francisco Call for November 23, 1896, reporting on a UFO seen by hundreds of witnesses in a number of California cities and towns, including Sacramento, Folsom, Oakland, San Francisco, San Jose, and Modesto. The UFO appeared for a number of weeks from late 1896 to early 1897, and the phenomenon has never been explained.

About a year ago, I sat and talked to a man in his eighties named Kenny. He’s a longtime friend of my mother and my late father, and a sober man of good judgment and good Christian character. He told me that, one time in the 1950s, he drove his pickup on California Highway 33, near the little oil town of Coalinga. Seven or eight miles north of the town is a place unofficially known as “Stinky Hollow,” due to the sulfurous “rotten egg” smell that lingers around the many pumpjacks that extract crude oil from the ground.

It was late at night when Kenny passed through Stinky Hollow. He noticed a bright glow off to the side of the road. Curious about the light, he pulled off the road, got out of his truck, and walked toward the glow. Coming over a rise, he saw something disk-shaped perched on the ground, glowing brightly and large enough to hold several people. He stopped, and while he was deciding whether he should approach it, the object lifted off the ground, ascended into the night sky, and faded as it traveled straight up.

He had no explanation for what he had seen, and he said he’s never seen anything like it before or since. I have no explanation for what Kenny saw, nor for what I saw. He and I both saw “unidentified flying objects” (UFOs) — with the emphasis on unidentified. Many people want to believe that UFOs are flown by alien beings (often referred to as “extra-terrestrial intelligences” or ETIs). That’s certainly one possibility.

I recently came across an article at the Huffington Post by science writer (and atheist) Jeff Schweitzer. His piece is called “Earth 2.0: Bad News for God,” and he suggests that the discovery in July 2015 of a seemingly earth-like planet orbiting the Sun-like star Kepler-452 (about 1,830 light-years from Earth) suggests that life may be common in the universe. He concluded that the discovery of alien life on other worlds would be “bad news” for those who believe in God.

I was intrigued. Why would the discovery of alien beings on other planets be “bad news” for God? Schweitzer explains: “Let us be clear that the Bible is unambiguous about creation: the earth is the center of the universe, only humans were made in the image of God, and all life was created in six days.”

Where does the Bible unambiguously say that “only humans were made in the image of God”? I’ve never seen any passage in the Bible that makes such an “unambiguous” statement as Schweitzer claims (he hangs his hat on a forced interpretation of Genesis 2:1).

The fact is, the Bible clearly contradicts Schweitzer’s claim. The Bible actually states that there are alien, extraterrestrial, nonhuman, intelligent beings in the universe. The Bible calls them “angels” (which means “messengers”). And if the alien race known as “angels” exists, why not other nonhuman races?

In fact, Genesis 6:1-4 refers to a mysterious race called the Nephilim. These are clearly nonhuman beings, as we understand humanity, but little is said about them other than that they were the offspring of the “sons of God” and the “daughters of men” prior to the Flood of Noah (the Nephilim are also referred to in Numbers 13). Some students of the ancient Hebrew language believe the word Nephilim means “those who cause people to fall.”

Page B of The Los Angeles Times for February 25, 1942. A UFO was spotted over the city of Los Angeles less than three months after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The UFO was spotted and tracked along the California coast and over the city for several hours, beginning a little after 7 pm and continuing sporadically until 4 in the morning. Ground-based searchlights lit up the object, and thousands of rounds of artillery were fired at the it, apparently without causing any damage. Falling artillery rounds damaged buildings, and the chaos caused automobile accidents that killed three people. The sightings were never explained, but Navy Secretary Frank Knox dismissed the entire incident as a “false alarm.”

Are UFOs piloted by aliens from distant planets? Are they piloted by angels? By demons? I don’t claim to know.

When I was writing my Timebenders science fantasy series for young readers in 2001-2002, I showed my editors a draft of the fourth book in the series, Lost in Cydonia, which featured some blue-skinned, golden-eyed aliens on the planet Mars. My editors said, “You have to rewrite this. You can’t have space aliens in the story.”

“Why not?”

“The Bible says there are no space aliens in the universe, only human beings.”

“Where does the Bible say that?”

“I don’t know, but that’s what I’ve always heard. We don’t want Christian parents to think that our books have space aliens in them.”

“Have you ever read the Space Trilogy by C.S. Lewis? He has intelligent alien races in Out of the Silent Planet — the eldila, the sorns, the hrossa. And there’s the Green Lady and her husband in Perelandra. No one objects to the space aliens in Lewis’s books.”

“When you sell as many books as C.S. Lewis, you can have space aliens in them. But right now, you have to take them out.”

I solved the problem very simply. I changed my aliens to angels, and otherwise left the story exactly as it was. My editors loved the book. Why? Because angels are an alien race. Both the unfallen angels of the Lord and the fallen angels known as demons come from — and belong to — an unearthly reality.

As the apostle Paul wrote, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12).

What did I see in the sky that summer night in 1970? What did Kenny see lift up from the ground and fade into the night sky over Stinky Hollow? Were they visitors from another star system far from Earth? Where they manifestations of spiritual “rulers” and “authorities” from the “heavenly realms”?

What do you think Kenny and I saw?

___________________________________

battle-before-time-cover-1

Note: Battle Before Time, the first book in my newly revised and updated Timebenders series for young readers, has just been released in paperback. Click this link to learn more.

Jim Denney also blogs at Writing in Overdrive and Walt’s Disneyland.

Posted in Jim Denney, Uncategorized | Tagged alien life, aliens, angels, Atheism, C. S. Lewis, Coalinga, ETIs, God, Huffington Post, Jeff Schweitzer, Kepler-452, Lost in Cydonia, Mars, Nephilim, Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, space aliens, Space Trilogy, Timebenders, ufo sightings, ufos | Leave a comment

A Bouquet of Words by Nancy J. Farrier

Posted on November 12, 2018 by Nancy J. Farrier

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Last weekend, on November 3^rd, one of my daughters got married. Although we live in separate States, I still helped as much as I could. My husband and I fixed most of the food, traveling to California a week before the wedding to help with last minute details and preparations. I loved being a part of this exciting event, but I wanted to tell you about an unexpected blessing that happened through the wedding.

My daughter didn’t have a long engagement so she had to be on top of getting things arranged and ordered. She contacted me one day in late May to talk about the Bridal bouquet and the flowers she planned to order. My daughters and I are almost all allergic to scents so having a floral arrangement so close to your face is a real challenge. Ardra decided to do something different and scent free. She wanted flowers made from the pages of books.

She found an artist on Etsy who makes flowers from books and has a list of titles to choose from. My daughter and her bridesmaids each chose a different book for their bouquet. Ardra chose The Hobbit for her bridal bouquet. She asked if I had a preference for what book would be used for my flower. My first thought was how wonderful it would be to have one of my own books made into flowers for her wedding and I said so to her.

Ardra contacted the flower artist, who lived in England. The designer said if I shipped her a book right away, she would use that to make flowers for me. I was so very excited. Ardra’s fiancé is a pre-published author. He sent me one of his stories to print out and send with my book, Bandolero. That way one of the flowers from his writing would be in his mother’s corsage. I believe Ardra carried one of his in her bouquet too.

Another of my other daughters crocheted some beautiful flowers in the wedding colors to use in the bridal bouquet and to add some color. The bouquet is pictured above. Most of the paper flowers are from The Hobbit, but mine is in there as well as the crocheted blossoms. This is a bouquet they will treasure, and one they don’t have to dry and try to keep.

I would never have thought of one of my books being used this way. What a privilege to have my words take part in their ceremony. As an author, you never know how your writing will be used. What a unique way to participate in the wedding.

Bandolero-Kindle

Posted in Nancy J. Farrier | Tagged Book Flowers, Bouquet, Nancy J. Farrier, wedding, Words | 3 Comments

Christian Unity in Times of Hate and Division

Posted on November 10, 2018 by writinginoverdrive

Opinion by Jim Denney

One of the great tragedies of the church today is the way Christians divide from each other and attack each other over politics. I’m not saying our political views are unimportant. As Christians, we are to engage with the world around us, and our political views ought to reflect our Christian convictions.

But in recent times, I’ve seen many Christians separate from each other, attack each other, and mistreat each other over a difference in political viewpoints or party affiliation. This behavior is condemned in God’s Word.

“The world is divided. America is more divided than at any time since the Civil War.”

I’ve seen Democratic Christians condemn and attack Republican Christians, accusing them of having no compassion for the poor and oppressed, accusing them of being selfish or racist or greedy or “evil.” And I’ve seen Republican Christians condemn and attack Democratic Christians as unbelievers, closet secularists, and apostates. By labeling and stereotyping people we disagree with, we dehumanize them, de-Christianize them, and convince ourselves it’s okay to hate them.

I believe that the Christians who disagree with me politically are not really all that different from me. If they are followers of Christ just as I am, then we have much more in common than we have in opposition to each other.

You may have voted for Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, or some other candidate. No matter who you voted for, I trust your heart. I believe you want a more secure and peaceful world. You want to end poverty and oppression and injustice in America and around the world. You want a strong economy, full employment, and a compassionate society. You want your children and grandchildren to have a secure future, a good education, safe neighborhoods, and protection from being bullied or abused. You want to end racism and hate, just as I do.

So if we agree on so much, why I we divided? Answer: Because we disagree on how to achieve those goals.

Democrats believe in accomplishing these goals through a strong central government, Keynesian economic controls, large-scale government initiatives (like Obamacare and a strong social welfare “safety net”), and the redistribution of resources to produce fair outcomes. Republicans believe in accomplishing these goals through free-market forces, lower taxes, less regulation, respect for property rights, and the rule of law. With few exceptions, your average grassroots Democrat and your average grassroots Republican pretty much agree on overall goals, but they disagree on how to get there.

If you and I have a political disagreement, that’s fine. Let’s talk about it. Maybe we can find some common ground and build on that. When it comes to our friendship, it’s not a deal-breaker that your vote canceled out mine. What matters to me is this: Is Jesus Christ the Lord of your life? If you can say, in all sincerity, that He is, then you and I are brothers and sisters in the Lord. As long as you don’t shout at me, defame me, or vilify me because of my political views, I consider you my friend.

Peter said, “Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind” (1 Peter 3:8). Paul told the Colossians, “And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony” (Colossians 3:14). And he told the Corinthians, “I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment” (1 Corinthians 1:10).

And the Lord Himself prayed in His high priestly prayer, the night before He went to the cross, “That they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me” (John 17:21). As someone once said, our oneness is our witness.

What does it mean to have unity of mind? Does it mean we should all think exactly alike, vote exactly alike, and become politically homogenized? No. That would be impossible. Being of the same mind means that we agree to love one another, accept one another, tolerate each other’s differences, and respect each other’s right to think for ourselves. It means that we trust each other’s best intentions, not assuming the worst about each other. It means listening to each other, learning from each other, and constantly looking for common ground upon which to build stronger relationships.

The world is divided. America is more divided than at any time since the Civil War. And yes, the church is divided all too often over politics. If someone in the church is corrupting doctrine, undermining the authority of Scripture, and teaching a false gospel, well, there are many passages in the Bible that speak to how we should deal with that.

But let’s not treat each other as enemies because of political labels. Jesus said that His kingdom is not of this world. His gospel is not a political gospel. His goals are not political goals. His methods are not political methods.

His kingdom is the kingdom of God, the kingdom of heaven, and His methods are grace, forgiveness, justice, and love.

___________________________________

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Note: Battle Before Time, the first book in my newly revised and updated Timebenders series for young readers, has just been released in paperback. Click this link to learn more.

Jim Denney also blogs at Writing in Overdrive and Walt’s Disneyland.

Posted in Jim Denney | Tagged Christian Love, Christian Unity, division, Donald Trump, forgiveness, Harmony, Hillary Clinton, King Jesus, Kingdom of God, Kingdom of Heaven, love, politics, voting | Leave a comment

It Is Well with My Soul

Posted on November 8, 2018 by Bridget

I am sure you have heard and even sang the words to the timeless hymn “It Is Well with My Soul.” These six words alone can teach us a lot. But when we look at the story behind the words, we stand to learn from them all the more.

These words were written by Horatio Gates Spafford in 1873. Spafford was a renowned lawyer in Chicago, an active member in his church, and he owned numerous pieces of real estate. Things in life seemed to be going quite well for this man and his family, until suddenly everything took a dramatic turn.

First, Spafford and his wife Anna had a four-year-old son who died of scarlet fever. Later, in the Great Fire of Chicago, Spafford lost most of his investments. Things now seemed to be dismal in the Spafford home. In an attempt to give the family a much-needed reprieve, he decided they should take a trip to Europe. He was delayed due to business, but he sent his wife and four daughters ahead.

In November of 1873, while they were crossing the Atlantic Ocean their ship collided with another ship. Most of the passengers perished, including all four of Spafford’s daughters. Spafford’s wife survived and was floating on a piece of the wreckage when a sailor rescued her. When Anna made it to dry land, she sent her husband a telegram, telling him that she was “saved alone.”

Spafford left immediately to reach his grieving wife. He got on a ship crossing the Atlantic, and when his ship was over the area of the ocean where his daughters had died, he wrote the words that would become a legendary hymn. I am in awe that one hundred forty-five years ago, these encouraging words were written in a place of deep pain. Yet they have inspired countless people for over a century.

This story has motivated me to look at my hardships from a different perspective. I have not had to endure the loss of four daughters at once. But like everyone, I have gone through my own trials. While it can be tempting to fall into despair, this story has stirred my heart and helped me to look at those difficult moments with a new vision.

By the way, life continued to have its ups and downs for the Spafford family. They had three more children, but one of them died of pneumonia. The Spaffords moved to Jerusalem in 1881. Spafford died there in 1888.

It Is Well with My Soul:

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,

When sorrows like sea billows roll;

Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,

It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Refrain:

It is well, with my soul,

It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,

Let this blest assurance control,

That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,

And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

Refrain

My sin—oh, the bliss of this glorious thought—

My sin—not in part but the whole,

Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

Refrain

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:

If Jordan above me shall roll,

No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life

Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

Refrain

But, Lord, ‘tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,

The sky, not the grave, is our goal;

Oh trump of the angel! Oh voice of the Lord!

Blessèd hope, blessèd rest of my soul!

Refrain

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,

The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;

The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,

Even so—it is well with my soul.

Posted in Uncategorized | 5 Comments

Thankful to Blog by Julie Arduini

Posted on November 7, 2018 by juliearduini

I can’t believe it’s November. I also can’t believe this is most likely the ELEVENTH year I’ve presented some form of a thankful series on my blog during this month. This year I’m taking it back to the beginning where I posted for 30 days. I did it back then as part of NaBloPoMo, National Blog Posting Month. Now I’m doing it because I love being thankful and it leaves me time to work on NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month. 50 k words in 30 days. Eeek!

Anyway, there is so much I’m thankful for and throughout the month on my blog I’m going to dig deep at times, and other times, be a little superficial. All of it, I believe, is ok in the praise department. When praise is going on, there can’t be dark thoughts. And I’ve been there.

Let’s do this.

I thought I would share a snippet of thankfulness here. This originally posted at juliearduini.com.

I could give the Sunday School answer where every answer, no matter what the question, is “Jesus.” And I am. And I don’t take that lightly or flippantly. But today I am thankful for blogging.

I don’t feel it is the star it once was, but I also believe everything comes back, so I’m not giving up on this. Blogging was the first avenue God showed me to test the writing waters. Everything about me is surrender oriented, and back then, fear paralyzed me. Fear of man, to be specific. I was so afraid of what people would think that I didn’t write for YEARS.

When I felt the stirring to write that would not stop, I knew I had to surrender the fear. I know this post is short compared to the level of fear I had to let go of. I prayed, I vented, I cried. I sought advice, and I received a mantra of sorts that I keep before me to this day. It set me FREE.

“Have the heart of a dove and the skin of a rhino.”

I’m a tad dramatic and a whole lot about giving God credit, so I went to blogger and started an account on December 31 at 11:30 PM. That little blog has changed to WordPress and seen lots of changes over the years, but one thing hasn’t changed. I love blogging. I love sharing my heart or what I’ve learned in order to encourage someone else. I love showcasing authors and organizations I believe in and I want people to know about.

Blogging changed my life, and I’m so thankful God gave me this vehicle to start with. I never thought when I hit “create” that not long after I would be an author. Now reviews are part of my life and although I don’t love low reviews, they don’t define me. God has done an amazing work in me, because that fear used to emotionally cripple me.

So, that’s what I’m thankful for.

How about you?

Let’s have fun! All this month I will be watching on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and my new subscribers for my monthly-0r-so newsletter. If you tag me @JulieArduini and tell me you’re #thankful or #juliearduinithankful, I’ll enter your name to win a copy of my fiction books. This includes Entrusted, Entangled, Engaged, You’re Beautiful and the boxed set of A Christmas to Remember (only available as eBook.)

If you live in the United States, you have the choice, if you are the one winner randomly chosen, of print (except A Christmas to Remember,) or eBook. If you are outside of the US, it is automatically eBook.

I’ll add your name once a day for each shout out I receive (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, plus one total entry if you are a new subscriber to my newsletter.) You may or may not receive confirmation from me for those entries, and my random draw is final. If winner doesn’t respond after 30 days, I will choose another. I’m thankful for you.

Posted in Julie Arduini, Uncategorized | Tagged author, blogging, Faith, fear, fiction, freedom, freedom in Christ, giveaway, Julie Arduini, Thankful, Thankful to Blog by Julie Arduini, Wordpress, writing | Leave a comment

Don’t Forget! (by Hannah Alexander)

Posted on November 6, 2018 by alexanderhodde

Hannah Alexander here to remind you that if you haven’t left notes for yourself everywhere in the house, and if you don’t typically know what day it is because your personal schedule is like ours–never the same day twice–this is the day! Time to vote! Mel and I have voted. This is one of our civic freedoms. Take advantage!

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

What Are You Thankful For?

Posted on November 6, 2018 by Author Mary Alford

When the calendar flips over to November, it seems that the times flies by to Thanksgiving, and then before you know it, Christmas. It’s so easy to get caught up in the frenzy surrounding the Christmas season and overlook the importance of Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving began as a day of giving thanks for the blessing of the harvest and of the preceding year. A perfect time to look back on the year and give God thanks for all its blessings.

And what better time to kick-off the Christmas season than to give thanks for the greatest gift ever. The gift of Jesus.

This year, I am thankful for my husband and family. For good friends and the community, I live in, the freedom to worship in church each week without fear of being arrested or worse. I am thankful to have a roof over my head and food to eat. And I am thankful that I get to write the books I love to read. I am blessed beyond measure.

And at this time of year, I am thankful for the day of Thanksgiving as well because it gives me a day set aside to pause and look back on all the blessings of the year and give thanks to the one who created it all.

Have a blessed and thankful month!

Mary Alford

http://www.maryalford.net

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

One Incident Changed Everything by Vicki Hinze

Posted on November 5, 2018 by Vicki Hinze

Can one incident change everything? Your whole life?

It can, and does for many. It did for Dr. Dana Perkins, a psychologist who taught Kindergarten because that’s where she felt she could do the most good for the kids. Dana is all about the kids. Getting them off on the right foot, giving them what they need to succeed in life. Giving them a love for learning and all she’s got to help them become their best. And then tragedy strikes her school and it is the one incident that rocks her world, and that of the students. Her deepest fear becomes reality.

Innocence is lost. The kids learn the meaning of death, of loss and grief. Dana struggles. But the children…their burden is even heavier. They don’t fully understand the finality of death. When you’re young and lack experience nearly everything is new and different. But when death occurs as a result of violence in the presence of kids… it’s life-changing. And for Dana, life-defining.

Kids are not shielded from the harsh reality of grief any more than adults. They look to adults they trust and how they react to see how they should react. And both need tools to cope. To know it’s okay to be sad, to miss those who died. Tools to protect themselves so they don’t always feel so vulnerable. They need to know they can heal and recover and continue on in life. That it’s okay to laugh and play and be happy again. It’s not an insult to those no longer with them.

Dana wants nothing more than to leave the school and forget what happened. But she can’t abandon her students now. Not when they most need her. So she struggles, determined to give them what they need. She’s a woman on a mission.

But that one incident changed everything. For her and for the kids. At the end of the school year, the kids moved on, and so did Dana—to Shutter Lake, where she accepted the position of principal at a new school.

Shutter Lake. The perfect town in a tranquil and calm community where there was no crime. Exactly what Dana needed to heal. And she was healing, had healed, until Sylvia Cole is murdered and Dana’s star student confesses to a crime Dana knows he did not commit. Again her world is rocked…and then in attempting to prove his innocence it is rocked again…and again. And yet again. Because nothing is as it seems, and who knew behind the illusion of perfection, Shutter Lake was rife with life-altering, life-shattering illusions. Who knew that the truth would rock not only Dana and her student but the entire town. Because it seems everyone is trapped in lives with so many secrets…

An Excerpt from So Many Secrets by Vicki Hinze

Five days.

Impossible to believe but that’s all it had taken for the idyllic vision of Shutter Lake, California, lauded by Country Living as the most perfect town in all of America, to prove perfection is a façade and all the safety and security sought and found in it had been an illusion.

One murder. Illusion shattered.

One murder, and so many secrets…

A shiver crept up Dr. Dana Perkins’s backbone. She stiffened against it, determined to reclaim her sense of security here. At the deli counter inside Stacked, a block off downtown’s main square, she ordered a grilled chicken sandwich with a side salad and a bottle of Evian berry-flavored water, then glanced over to the cluster of two-dozen tables. About half-full. A lot of people were having a late lunch today.

Dana took a table surrounded by empties then settled in and reached for a sheaf of papers from her tote. She had been through the school records at least a dozen times, but maybe in the sandwich shop, she would be more objective, gain some new insight, and see something she had missed.

Oh, but she needed to be certain she hadn’t missed anything. After Phoenix, to retain her sanity she had to be absolutely certain she hadn’t missed any warning sign.

There had to be a reason this year’s best and brightest student had confessed to murder. Some logical, rational reason that Vinn Bradshaw, gifted future nanotechnologist, studious, popular basketball player, who exhibited nothing short of fantastic leadership skills, confessed. Vinn could not have killed anyone much less a prominent Shutter Lake founder’s daughter like Sylvia Cole.

Nolan Ikard, about thirty, tall and lean with sandy blond hair and a handsome man’s confident swagger, paused at her table. Nolan owned The Grind, a coffee shop sharing a common wall with Stacked that Dana frequented every morning on her walk from home to the school.

“How’s our favorite principal?” Nolan asked. “Things settling down any at S.L.S.?”

Many students, current and former, referred to Shutter Lake School as S.L.S. “Getting better,” she said because it was expected and not because it was true. “The students are still rattled, but then aren’t we all?”

He nodded and avoided her eyes, his own gold-flecked ones clouded and troubled. “Guess the kids won’t settle down until their parents do. Maybe we will all get back to normal soon.”

“Maybe we will.” Dana smiled.

He walked on to his favored table beside hers and next to the front window. How many times in the last year had she seen him staring out that window as if he had lost his last friend? She’d been tempted often to ask if he was okay, or to offer to listen if he needed to talk, but something had held her back. She couldn’t say what, but she always followed her instinctive urges on things like that. In his case, she hoped she didn’t live to regret it.

A waitress Dana didn’t recognize delivered her order. She must be from Grass Valley. She hadn’t been one of Dana’s students.

That was a perk of being principal of a school with three-hundred students. You knew them, and they knew you. The other items on the waitress’s tray were Nolan’s. Cuban sandwich and a side of slaw. A hint of citrus, garlic and a splash of white wine gave the mustard on his sandwich a distinct scent that set her mouth to watering. It smelled spicy and tart, interesting. It smelled great.

When the waitress placed his food on the small square table in front of him, Nolan barely glanced at her. That piqued Dana’s curiosity and fired a red-flag warning too bold to ignore. Nolan Ikard not flirting with an eligible woman? Normally, he’d flirt with a lamppost. Oh, not offensive flirting, just friendly flirting. It was as natural to him as breathing. But not today.

Apparently his perfect façade of Shutter Lake also had shattered—and Dana certainly shouldn’t make too much of it. Everyone in the community seemed disturbed and wary and disillusioned these days.

Shifting her thoughts to her work, she studied the details in Vinn’s files and nibbled at her food, wishing she’d dared to order Nolan’s hot and spicy Cuban. Stacked made the best sandwiches and slaw in the tri-county area, but with Dana’s stomach acting up since Vinn’s confession, she didn’t dare to risk eating anything not mild.

About a third of the way through the teachers’ observation notes, she spotted KristinaSharapova’s name. Her image sprang to mind: long dark hair and eyes, pale skin and a mischievous smile that was nothing short of infectious because it was so rare. Kristinabent toward being serious, which was normal for a teenage Russian exchange student. They competed so fiercely for the chance to come to Shutter Lake to study.

Thanks to the wealthy and childless benefactors, the Windermeres, there were always foreign exchange students at Shutter Lake School. Attending there was an amazing opportunity for all the students really. A group of the most gifted professionals in the world in science, medicine, and industry designed and created the nearly self-sustaining community and they often shared their vast pool of knowledge and expertise with the students.

Dana was proud of the program she and Mayor Thomas Jessup had created. In two short years, its success rate at preparing knowledgeable, socially mature and motivated graduates had surpassed expectations and her wildest dreams.

On Kristina’s first day with them, she had been like a fish out of water. Who wouldn’t be? Strange school, no familiar friends or faces. Living in a strange country and speaking a foreign language. But Vinn Bradshaw had picked up on her uneasiness. Without prompting, he’d taken her under his wing and helped her fit in. They were, according to the file observation note, good friends.

Dana too had been wrong about that. She reached into her tote for a pen, accidentally pulled out a large Ziploc bag, and smiled to herself. Every teacher she’d ever known carried a waterproof bag in her handbag or tote. Old habits die hard. Stuffing the frosted bag back in, she snagged the pen and then scribbled a new note on a page she had labeled “Things to tell Laney.”

Laney Holt was the Deputy Chief of Police and lead investigator on Sylvia Cole’s murder case. A beautiful young blond who favored long hair and ponytails over short red hair like Dana’s and, guessing, a year or two younger than Dana’s thirty-four. Not just friends. She added the note to the list.

Laney Holt breezed by Dana’s table with an order of fries and a bottle of flavored water then dropped into a seat at Nolan’s table.

He didn’t look happy to see her.

Gauging by the level look she laid on him, she wasn’t happy to see him either. “I still need your DNA,” Laney told Nolan.

Dana didn’t deliberately listen but, when people seated three feet from you talk, unless you cotton-stuff your ears, you can’t help overhearing their conversation.

“Why?” Surprise flickered through Nolan’s eyes. “You’ve got your killer. Word’s out all over the lake Vinn Bradshaw confessed.”

Laney finished chewing a fry, swallowed and then sipped from her water bottle. “Paperwork,” she said.

“You want my blood to check off a box to make sure your case sticks?” He shot her a resent-laced look of disgust.

“Exactly.” Her lips curved in a smile that never touched her eyes.

“And?” He pushed.

“And a witness saw a man fitting your description running away from Sylvia Cole’s house the night she was murdered. Chief McCabe wants no loose ends.”

“I don’t care what McCabe wants.” Nolan frowned. “You clowns get a description that fits half the men around here and naturally you come after me.”

Laney’s voice stiffened, but her expression appeared as calm as it had before the tension between them rocketed. “This clownis trying to eliminate you as a possibility, Ikard.” She tilted her head. “Wait a second. Are you saying it was you?”

Silence.

Laney bit into another fry, let the silence stretch, yawn, settle. Finally, she asked, “Did Sylvia tell you she was planning a vacation to Venezuela?”

Dana’s heart rate sped. She kept her nose down and her gaze focused on her papers. One night after Yoga class at the Community Gathering Center, Sylvia had told Dana about that trip. A few weeks ago, Sylvia had even come to Dana’s cottage to see her mask collection. They’d talked for a few hours. Before Phoenix and coming to Shutter Lake, Dana had loved to travel. She’d spent her summers exploring, including three trips to Venezuela.

Nolan answered Laney. “Sylvia didn’t tell me anything about any vacation anywhere. We didn’t talk much.”

“So was it you—running away from her house that night?”

“No.”

As if she hadn’t heard him, Laney went on. “There’s one thing I don’t understand.” She polished off her last fry, took a long draw on her water. “Why did you climb out of the window instead of leaving through the door?”

No answer.

She dusted the salt from her fingertips with a paper napkin. “I get that Shutter Lake is a small community and maybe you two didn’t want to broadcast your intimate relationship, but…the window?”

“I told you.” Nolan’s jaw tightened and he leaned forward in his seat. “Sylvia and I were friends back in school. It was a long time ago. You knew her. That woman had no interest in a relationship with me or anyone else. She was as independent as people come.”

“Just in it for the sex. Got it.” Not one to cower, Laney leaned in, spoke to him nearly nose to nose. “So you went out the window to show her you’re independent, too. Uh-huh. Well, that makes perfect sense.” Her sarcasm couldn’t be missed. She scooted back her seat then stood up. “You’ve got twenty-four hours to come to the station and handle that DNA sample.”

“Or what?” he said, his voice a sharp and cutting tone Dana had never before heard him utter. “No. You know what? Forget it.” He glared up at Laney. “You want my DNA, get with my lawyer.”

“You have a lawyer?” Laney bared her teeth in a would-be smile. “Does he have a name?”

“Morris Barton.”

Her smile turned genuine. “Ah, here’s a tip. You might want to start looking for a replacement. Barton is Vinn’s lawyer.” She turned. “Twenty-four hours, Ikard.”

Nolan didn’t draw a breath until Laney exited the door of Stacked and stepped out onto the sidewalk.

Muttering and agitated, he finished his meal.

Dana ordered a cup of coffee, studied her papers with her mind whirling, and waited.

Finally, Nolan left and, when the door closed behind him, she phoned Laney. “You need to come back to Stacked right away.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Just get back here as fast as you can.” Dana caught the waitress two steps away from Nolan’s table. “Don’t touch anything.”

The startled waitress jerked back and darted a worried look at Dana. “What?”

“Don’t touch anything on that table.” Dana hated this. But Vinn’s whole future could ride on what happened next, and no one was going to rob him of it. Not on her watch.

Scant minutes later, Laney entered Stacked and rushed straight over to Dana. “What’s wrong?”

“I told you on the phone, nothing is wrong.”

Laney stilled, parked a hand on her hip. “Then why am I here, Dana?”

“On TV, I saw an investigator going through a person of interest’s trash. The can wasn’t on his property, it was at the curb, waiting for the collector. He said once trash is abandoned, it’s legal for him to look in it for evidence. Is that true?”

“Well, yes,” Laney said, looking a little bewildered. “If it can be proven that it wasn’t contaminated.”

Dana rubbed an itch at her earlobe, tugging it. “Meaning, no one else touched the abandoned trash?”

“Right.”

Dana nodded toward Nolan’s table. “Well, Nolan Ikard abandoned his trash at that table and left Stacked. His DNA is on that fork and glass.”

Laney’s eyes narrowed. “Has anyone—“

Dana cut in. “The waitress delivered his food, but since he abandoned the trash, the table and departed, no one else has come near that table. It’s untouched,” Dana said. “I’ll swear to it.”

Laney nodded, appreciation lighting her eyes. “Let me grab an evidence bag.”

Dana pulled the Ziploc from her purse. “Here you go.”

A smile curled Laney’s lips. “How long has that puppy been in your purse?”

Good question. One Dana couldn’t answer. “Not a clue.”

“Best use mine, then.” Laney retrieved a bag and gathered the evidence. She turned to the waitress. “You can clear the table now. Thanks for waiting.”

Dana gathered her papers and put them back into the sheath, then dumped the file into her tote.

Laney stepped over to her, the filled evidence bag in hand. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Why did you do this?” Laney’s sunglasses rested parked atop her head.

“I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation. An opportunity rose, so…”

“You seized it. I see.” Laney faced Dana squarely. “You’re convinced Vinn is innocent.”

“I know he is innocent, Laney. Just as I know, until the real murderer is behind bars, I have three hundred other kids still in jeopardy.”

“How do you know Vinn’s confession isn’t real? You’re a school principal and a psychologist, for heaven’s sake. You know better than most that given the right circumstances anyone can kill.”

“Yes, of course, I do. But Vinn didn’t. For those same reasons, I know that, too,” Dana said quietly. “I just can’t prove it.”

Amazon: So Many Secrets Her Deepest Fear

* * *

A Note from Vicki: I’m crazy about the BREAKDOWN series. There are four suspense novels of women seeking Sylvia Cole’s murderer in Shutter Lake and four short reads about the one incident—that life-defining moment—that drove each of those women to Shutter Lake.

GIVEAWAY:C omment with your life-defining moment, follow me on Amazon or Bookbub and post that you have in comments, or sign up for my mostly monthly newsletter and you’ll have a chance to win a copy of her deepest fear and so many secrets!

Her Deepest Fear is a short clean read about the life-changing incident Dana experienced in Phoenix.

So Many Secrets is the clean read suspense novel that rocks Dana’s world over and again in Shutter Lake.

Blessings,

Vicki