Author Archives: Janet Sketchley

About Janet Sketchley

Janet Sketchley is an Atlantic Canadian writer whose Redemption’s Edge Christian suspense novels have each been finalists in The Word Awards. She's also the author of the devotional collection, A Year of Tenacity. Janet blogs about faith and books. She loves Jesus and her family, and enjoys reading, worship music, and tea. Fans of Christian suspense are invited to join her writing journey through her monthly newsletter: bit.ly/JanetSketchleyNews.

Highlights of 2013

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The best way to live is in the present, not dwelling on the past or straining to reach the future, and so we step prayerfully into a new year and into each new day and embrace what we find.

But there’s something about the frenzy of “out with the old year, in with the new” that seems… hurried. Ungrateful.

It sounds like “good riddance!” Some years, that’s how we feel. But even in the bad there may be some good.

Butterfly on lilac, with text "Thank You, God"Looking back over 2013, I find much to be thankful for:

  • God’s presence in the good, the bad and the miserable.
  • Good health
  • Family and friends
  • Stable finances
  • Good books
  • Joining GoodLife and discovering I can enjoy group exercise.
  • Fencing lessons with one of my sons. I’m older and slower, but I can still learn.
  • Another son’s graduation from university.
  • A few oil painting lessons – who knew? I hope we can schedule more.
  • Fun road trips
  • Publication of my first novel – acceptance, editing, promotion, and finally holding a copy in my hand.
  • Although some of my extended family have had health concerns, we’ve seen God working in the details and we’re seeing improvements.
  • God’s ongoing renovation in my life to replace anxiety and its ilk with trust and good things.
  • Full-time, pre-Christmas work I didn’t want to take, that gave me far more good things than a paycheque.

Entering 2014, I pray we’ll be blessed to see God at work in and through us, and that we will grow in gratitude, in grace, in faith and in a sense of wonder.

What are some of the things you’re thankful for from the past year? What are you looking forward to in the days ahead?

Listening? Or Drifting?

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So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it.
Hebrews 2:1, NLT*

The writer of Hebrews has been refuting a false teaching that has crept into the church. It sounds like some form of angel-worship, but the warning applies just as well today and to a variety of falsehoods.

We can be led astray by error, or by lies. We need careful attention to the truth to keep us anchored.

One of the best ways to stay focused on the truth is to make Bible reading and prayer a daily part of our lives. Five minutes… fifty… God is more concerned with the quality of the time than its duration. And it doesn’t need to be one lump sum, either. Some people stop regularly throughout the day to say a quick prayer or to listen to His voice.

The point is to be intentional, and sincere. We don’t want to—don’t dare—drift away from the truth.

God who reveals Himself through His word and His Spirit, so many people don’t think there’s time to spend with You each day. They don’t see the need, or the danger, but You’ve warned us. Please stir each heart that believes in You, draw each one to desire You. Don’t let us drift from the truth we’ve received.

∞

To keep us focused, here’s Amy Grant with “Thy Word“.

*New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Review: The Adam Quest, by Tim Stafford

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The Adam Quest, by Tim StaffordThe Adam Quest, by Tim Stafford (Thomas Nelson, 2013)

Science and faith should be allies, not opponents, in the search for truth. (from the publisher’s website)

In The Adam Quest, Tim Stafford profiles eleven scientists whose work qualifies them to speak on the mystery of human origins. These eleven are Bible-believing Christians, and their respective stances range from Young Earth Creationism to Intelligent Design Creationism to Evolutionary Creationism. Mr. Stafford says they “live at the centre of the rift, trying to hold faith and science together under God.” (p. 9)

Each scientist is articulate and persuasive—and easier to understand than I expected scientists to be. This is, in large part, due to Tim Stafford’s conversational writing style. Each profile presents an individual and his/her accomplishments and personality, without commentary or judgment and without an overt agenda to convince readers of a particular view.

This is not the book to read to find “the right answer” to questions of creation, nor to prove or disprove your own opinion. Rather, it’s an overview of how people of the same faith may differ on their interpretation of Scripture and perhaps of scientific findings.

It’s a look at how faith and science can work together to find truth, and it reveals how difficult it is for Christians who are scientists to find people who accept them. Secular scientists think the Christians are a little weird, and the average church person doesn’t understand (and may be threatened by) the scientific mindset focusing on facts and proof.

It’s also a call to unity within the body of Christ, where instead of fighting over how and when the earth was created we can engage in respectful discussion, in ongoing exploration, and in the interim, agree to disagree. In the words of one of the scientists, “If your salvation doesn’t hinge on it, don’t make a big deal out of it.” (p. 108)

Author Tim Stafford writes both fiction and non-fiction, serves as Senior Writer for Christianity Today, and maintains an active blog.

[A review copy was received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.]

Lesson from a Christmas Carol

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If I told you God used a Christmas carol to reinforce something He’s been teaching me, you wouldn’t be too surprised. We have so many beautiful songs of the season, rich in faith and Christian heritage.

Which song do you think He used?

Silent Night?

O Come, All Ye Faithful?

Joy to the World?

Christmas tree

(I added the photo so you wouldn’t see my answer before you made your guess.)

Actually, it was Jolly Old St. Nicholas. A song I don’t even particularly like, which reminds me to be alert for God’s voice anywhere…

I’ve heard variations on the lyrics, but the version most familiar to me has the line “As for me, my little brain isn’t very bright; choose for me, dear Santa Claus, what you think is right.”

Wikipedia says the traditional lyrics are “As for me, I hardly know so I’ll go to rest; choose for me, dear Santa Claus, what you think is best.” [Wikipedia: Jolly Old Saint Nicholas]

Our brains are bright enough, but compared to God’s greater wisdom it’s clear we don’t have the whole picture. Yet how often do we come to Him in prayer, pleading for a specific response? We’re convinced we know best, but hindsight may prove otherwise.

There are times the Holy Spirit leads us in detailed prayer. Many times, though, we’re wisest to bring the issue to the Lord with a simple prayer of “As for me, I hardly know… give my spirit rest; choose for me, dear God of all, what You know is best.”

 

God and People, Reconciled

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The Saviour—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!
Luke 2:11, NLT*

Nobody was ready. They didn’t even know He was coming, especially not that way—as a helpless baby—and in that place and moment.

But He came. God incarnate.

Because we’d never be ready without His help.

God with us. Our salvation. Our redeemer. Our friend. Our hope.

The word “sinners” is out of favour these days, perhaps because it conjures images of pointing fingers and judging tones. But “sin” means anything that separates us from God. Sinners, thus, are those people who are separated from Him.

That means all of us, as long as we’re living in our own strength. The only One entitled to point the finger chose instead to take on human form, identify with us, and bring us back into relationship with Himself.

God and sinners reconciled.

Not a bad gift at all.

Merry Christmas and a blessed new year to each of my readers. Thank you for taking time with me.

Creator and Redeemer God, we could never earn Your favour, but You love us too much to abandon us when we fall short. As we accept Your great gift of salvation, all we can offer is our hearts in obedient trust and love. We are Yours, and we rejoice in Your presence.

∞

Singing about our reconciliation, here’s Austin Stone Worship with Hark the Herald Angels Sing (from their Christmas album, which is one of my favourites)

*New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Review: Christmas in Shades of Gray, by Tina Pinson

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Christmas in Shades of Gray, by Tina PinsonChristmas in Shades of Gray, by Tina Pinson (Desert Breeze Publishing, 2013)

We meet David Pareman as a terminally ill man in hospital, bitter and alone. There’s something about his voice, though, that appeals. I bought the novel after reading the opening online. Listen to how he describes himself:

It’s Christmas time, but I’m not feeling altogether festive. Given the strands of tubing attached to me and all the off sounding carols played by the machines keeping track of my body rhythms, and the packages of blood and saline tied up neatly on stands, I could be the Christmas tree… I am a Christmas tree. A Charlie Brown special—weak and spindly. [Kindle locations 83 and 203]

Chemotherapy is poisoning David, and the morphine makes him hallucinate. Still, his mysterious visitor, Arion, seems like more than a figment of the medication. In Christmas Carol style, Arion whisks David out of the hospital bed and into scenes from his past: unflattering scenes that reveal David at his worst.

Tina Pinson is wise to introduce us to David in a way that builds sympathy, because he is not a likeable man. He has ruined many lives, and parts of his story are hard to read. He finds them hard to watch, here at the end of his life.

The search for something—anything—redeeming in David’s and his children’s lives brings only despair. Reading, I assumed that Arion’s insistence on a reason why God should answer David’s prayer for his children was to bring David to realize he can’t earn favour and needs to ask for grace.

Christmas in Shades of Gray is a satisfying tale. The ending is hopeful yet realistic, and there’s a twist I didn’t see coming. If David’s sordid life tempts you to stop reading, push through to the end. It’s worth it.

Tina Pinson’s website says that she “started writing in elementary school. (it was that or get in trouble for lying).” She’s the author of the Shadows (American Civil War) series plus 5 other novels including Christmas in Shades of Gray.

[Review copy from my personal library.]

Letting Christ Shine In You At Christmas (Guest Post)

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Letting Christ Shine In You At Christmas
by Nike Chillemi

Nike Chillemi

Nike Chillemi

The Christmas season can get kinda funny when I start thinking about God’s will and plan for me. That’s true even though I dearly desire for God’s priorities to be my priorities.

Right after Thanksgiving, if not before, I’m in the Christmas spirit. Things seem a little lighter, a little brighter. You don’t have to be a believer to feel this. Lots of individuals who do not classify themselves as Christians have moments during the Christmas season when they get all warm and fuzzy inside and they can’t put their finger on why. I think the light of Jesus coming into the world as a tiny baby in a manger simply has that effect on people. As a writer, I love a good story and this story warms us inside.

And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. [Gospel of Luke: 7-11 ~ KJV]

On the other hand, my schedule is so full during this time of year that even though I’m all wrapped up in holiday goings on, I can forget the reason for the season, as they say. Then I have to remind myself to slow down and let Christ shine through me. To do this, I’ve got to push aside the decorating, the cooking, the menu planning, the Christmas card sending, and make sure I’m connected to God, listening to Him, letting him direct the show.

But God will have His way and very often at Christmas He presents to me somebody with a great need, somebody who’s lonely… and I will welcome that person as a friend, include them at my Christmas dinner table, and/or get them a gift.

In my 1940s Christmas novel GOODBYE NOEL, pediatric nurse Katrina Lenart has been asked by the local police chief to care for an infant whose mother has been found murdered in front of a decorated Christmas tree. Katrina soon falls in love with the baby and we see Christ’s love shine through her as she sets her mind and will to protect this child from a heinous killer. At one point, Katrina risks her own life to save the infant from a kidnapping. I loved writing this Christmas story and particularly enjoyed crafting Katrina, whose faith grows and deepens as the novel goes forward through all the twists and turns of a murder mystery novel.

Goodbye Noel, by Nike Chillemi

Purchase Links:

Amazon/Kindle, Christianbooks.com

Author Bio:

Like so many writers, Nike Chillemi started writing at a very young age. She still has the Crayola, fully illustrated book she penned (penciled might be more accurate) as a little girl about her then off-the-chart love of horses. Today, you might call her a crime fictionista. Her passion is crime fiction. She likes her bad guys really bad and her good guys smarter and better.

She is the founding board member of the Grace Awards and is its Chairman, a reader’s choice awards for excellence in Christian fiction. She writes book reviews for The Christian Pulse online magazine. She was an Inspy Awards 2010 judge in the Suspense/Thriller/Mystery category and a judge in the 2011 and 2012 Carol Awards in the suspense, mystery, and romantic suspense categories. BURNING HEARTS, the first book in the crime wave that is sweeping the south shore of Long Island in The Sanctuary Point series, finaled in the Grace Awards 2011 in the Romance/Historical Romance category. GOODBYE NOEL, the second book in the series released in December, 2011 won the Grace Award 2011 in the Mystery/Romantic Suspense/Thriller category. PERILOUS SHADOWS, third in the series released July, 2012, and DARKEST HOUR, the fourth in the series released in February, 2013.  She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and the Edgy Christian Fiction Lovers (Ning).

What Holds You Together?

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The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven.
Hebrews 1:3, NLT*

Jesus sustains everything. He holds it all together: atoms and solar systems, swirling in their created dance. He draws it out, lets it continue and resonate like a lasting chord played on a piano.

When life feels like it’s spinning out of control—or when I feel like I am—this promise is my anchor. We might not like what’s going on, maybe can’t see any sense or any good in it, but it doesn’t have to break us.

We are held. Together.

When we want to quit, the choice is ours. But if we choose to pray for help, to stand and trust God to sustain us, we will see Him at work.

Majestic and glorious God, You made heaven and earth and still you choose to care for us. You sustain and nurture us and draw us into relationships with Yourself so we can thrive. When chaos makes us doubt, help our unbelief. Strengthen our faith and help us choose to rely on You. Thank You for Your promise to never fail or abandon us.

∞

I love this song from the band Fee about God’s sustaining power: “Arms that Hold the Universe.”

*New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

 

Review: Goodbye Noel, by Nike Chillemi

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Goodbye Noel, by Nike ChillemiGoodbye Noel, by Nike Chillemi (Desert Breeze Publishing, 2011)

The year is 1946. In the fictional town of Sanctuary Point, on the south shore of Long Island, New York, life is getting back on track after the war. It’s Christmas time, and spirits are high – until Katrina Lenart finds one of her neighbours dead.

Who would murder this young woman while her baby slept in the next room? With the father nowhere to be found, Katrina gets permission to care for the infant. She is, after all, a pediatric nurse. And she lives with her parents, who will babysit while she’s at work.

Katrina and the detective assigned to the case, Ian Daltry, get off to a bad start but quickly fall for one another. Ian can’t forget losing his wife in a drive-by shooting, and he’ll do anything to keep Katrina, his daughter Amy, and baby Leslie safe.

But can he do enough? Why is the baby a target? And for whom?

Katrina is equally determined to protect the baby, and she quickly becomes Ian’s unofficial helper to solve the mystery.

Goodbye Noel is a fun mystery with plenty of clues and red herrings. It gives an interesting picture of this era, where children of immigrant parents still face discrimination (Katrina’s parents are Czech) and where there aren’t enough eligible bachelors to go around. It’s an elegant time, even for middle-class people like Katrina and her family, and we get to observe a high-society soiree as well.

Nike Chillemi has written four mysteries so far in the Sanctuary Point series. Goodbye Noel is the second. For more about the author and her books, visit her Crime Fictionista website.

[Review copy from my personal library.]