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.

God’s Urgency

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How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me.
Matthew 23:37, NLT*

Jesus came because we needed rescuing. I love Mark’s description of Jesus’ reaction to a large crowd:

“He had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.” (Mark 6:34, NLT*)

He had compassion on them. The Good Shepherd saw their need and longed to meet it.

Hear His longing in our opening verse, where He laments over the city of Jerusalem. He’s lamenting still today, calling out to so many lost and confused souls who don’t even realize their state.

Sometimes I catch an echo of his heart… the Creator, the King, calling… almost begging… for souls to turn His way.

It matters that much to Him. We matter that much to Him.

And I feel like time’s running out.

We can’t convince people to trust their hearts to Jesus. That’s His work. But we can pray for them, we can demonstrate His care for them, and we can speak a few words when they’re open to hear.

Fierce and gentle Shepherd, call Your lambs and help them to listen. Rescue them from where they’re trapped, from menacing predators, and let them experience the true and good care that only You can give.

∞

Here’s Don Francisco‘s song, “Adam, Where Are You?” Hear the urgency in the final verse, and pray for those still in the darkness.

*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 Shadow Lamp, by Stephen R. Lawhead

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The Shadow Lamp, by Stephen R. LawheadThe Shadow Lamp, by Stephen R. Lawhead (Thomas Nelson, 2013)

A diverse cast of characters assembled from various times and places on Earth, a mysterious quest, powerful enemies, inter-dimensional travel to multiple Earths… The Shadow Lamp is an intriguing tale of adventure where even the smallest detail can have great significance.

This is a novel where the objective omniscient point of view works very well. There are too many plot threads for readers to benefit from a more intimate, deeper point of view, and somehow the omniscient approach gives the feel that we’re seeing the whole picture. There are even occasional moments where the narrator points to something the characters should have seen.

If you prefer tidy, self-contained fiction, you might want to give this one a miss. But if you enjoy the chance to explore a sprawling, multi-novel series with diverse and exotic settings, dive in.

You may want to start at the beginning with The Skin Map, but it didn’t take me long to orient myself in The Shadow Lamp with no previous experience. (It’s Book 4 in the Bright Empires Series.) The book opens with a list of key characters and a recap.

Some of the character descriptions, as well as the tone of the recap and the chapter titles, hint at a light-hearted touch to the narrative, and while it didn’t turn out to be as funny as I’d hoped, I didn’t mind. The story itself kept my interest. I didn’t find it particularly tense, but I always wanted to see what would happen next.

Although there are some deep concepts in this novel, readers don’t have to be scientists or intellectually-inclined. Characters travel between dimensions along something known as “ley lines,” which readers learn about by watching the characters learn. Multiple universes are touched on in the same non-threatening way.

The Shadow Lamp comes from a Christian publisher, but it feels like the sort of novel to please mainstream audiences as well. There are Christian characters, agnostics, and even an ancient priest of the Egyptian gods. Faith (or lack thereof) gives the characters their worldviews, but they don’t spend much time talking about it.

The most significant faith-talk comes in philosophical and scientific contexts: free will, and the effects of Jesus’ resurrection on the past/present/future. Toward the end, they talk more about science, generally accepting the Big Bang (or Alpha Point) theory and the measured expansion of the universe. Readers don’t need to agree with the characters’ opinions to enjoy the novel. It is, after all, speculative fiction.

Stephen R. Lawhead is perhaps best known for his mythic history novels about Arthurian times, and the Bright Empires series continues to bring to life richly-imagined settings from the past. To learn more about this internationally-acclaimed author and his books, visit his website: stephenlawhead.com.

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

Tenacity: 5 links and a photo

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It seems I’m not the only one thinking about tenacity lately (Wednesday’s post was The Tenacity of God). Here are five links worth following:

Mary Waind writes “If a tiny creature refuses to give up when he’s all but done for, Father, help me to seize the thing that’s come against me and fight in faith.” (Beech Croft Tales: Never Give Up)

Author Dan Walsh describes how we gain strength in the “wonderful exchange that happens whenever God’s children turn to Him in times of trouble, instead of turning to other things.” (Dan Walsh Books: The God Who is There)

Reba J. Hoffman reminds us that “Sometimes I won’t see His plan but when I can’t see His hand, I can trust His heart.”  (Magellan Life Coaching:  When You Can’t See His Hand, Trust His Heart)

Jenny Svetec looks at some of the hardships we face and gives us this encouragement: “Cheer Up, Jesus says.  I have overcome and so will you.” ( Jael’s Peg: Look Again)

And Marcia Lee Laycock shares some ideas to strengthen the perseverance of those of us who write. (Writer-lee: Of Muse Jars and Other Essential Things)

Freshwater turtle on a log

What better example of tenacity than a turtle?

The Tenacity of God

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Long ago the Lord said to Israel:
“I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love.
With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.
Jeremiah 31:3, NLT*

When I named this blog “Tenacity” I was thinking from my own perspective as a Christian, a human and a writer: so much of what we do is what Eugene Peterson calls “a long obedience in the same direction.”

It can be a slog, but something drives us to keep on, to refuse to quit. If we don’t do our part, who will?

We need tenacity in our faith, to keep believing and obeying in the dry times. To keep applying the lessons God teaches until we finally “get” them—or at least “get” one step and graduate to the next.

We need it in our relationships, in our responsibilities, our jobs.

Writers and other artists may need an extra helping of tenacity because so much of what we create is in our heads, and it battles with a slew of fears and inhibitions just to get out. Then we painstakingly shape it to the best of our abilities, learn more and reshape it again, until it’s ready to release. And then… we need to find a way to share it with the readers/ viewers/ listeners whose hearts we hope to touch.

Most of what I write, fiction and non-fiction, grows from a reliance on God’s character, His strength and His love. His desire to draw all people into relationship with Himself, no matter how much we resist and try to go our own way.

He can be trusted. His love doesn’t get tired of reaching for the wayward and the stubborn. The Bible warns that there will be a day when His invitation ends, but there’s still a bit of time.

God calls His people to be holy, because He is holy. Compassionate, because He is compassionate. Patient, kind, loving, merciful, just … because those attributes reflect His character.

Tenacity? It’s all about God, after all.

God of the highest heavens, who stoops to dwell in human hearts, You keep Your promises, You are patient beyond belief, You work to bring Your plans to fulfillment despite the knots we tie. Help us to be a people of tenacity because You are a God of tenacity. Draw us to Yourself, help us hold onto You as You hold us in the shelter of Your strong hand. And help us live confident in your everlasting love.

∞

Matt Redman’s song, “Never Once,” declares the tenacity of our faithful God.

*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: A Better Way to Think, by H. Norman Wright

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A Better Way to Think, by H. Norman WrightA Better Way to Think, by H. Norman Wright (Revell, 2011)

Our minds can be a scary place to dwell, but that’s where we live—and often not with the kinds of thoughts we were designed to entertain. A Better Way to Think does a good job of helping readers stop and notice our thoughts. When we notice, we can evaluate. When we evaluate, we can see where we need to intentionally change our thinking.

The book’s subtitle is “Using positive thoughts to change your life,” and it offers biblically-sound advice on how to do just that, with both thoughts and self-talk. One of the key points it raises is that we can’t change our thinking in our own strength. We need to rely on the power and help of God. And we need to give it time.

I was challenged by Dr. Wright’s statement that talking to ourselves is

“a habit you’ve cultivated… hundreds of statements you can play at will… The more these play, the more we begin to believe them. We think, This is reality! This is true!” (p.79)

The early chapters prompt us to pay more attention to our thoughts—our self-talk—to discover its origins, observe the damage it’s doing, and decide to change. The biblical mandate to “take every thought captive to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5) is difficult at the best of times, but it’s impossible if we’re not aware of those thoughts.

I found these early chapters clinically sound, but I kept wanting to see faith-based strategies for addressing the problem. Those come later in the book, so if you have the same reaction, read on.

The author uses brief case studies to reinforce what he’s saying, and they make the concepts much easier to understand and remember. Just recently I was driving, late for an appointment, and I remembered his illustration of two men in the same traffic jam and how each one’s thoughts affected their individual experiences. That helped me choose calm thoughts instead of berating myself for not leaving earlier.

The case studies also reflect how one person’s negative thought life can affect his/her relationships. Later chapters focus on defusing this, specifically in marriages.

As the author points out, our negative self-talk has been building up for a long time, so it will take time to replace it with healthier thinking. Time and prayer.

This is one of those books I’m glad to keep on my shelf, and I’ve found myself talking about it in numerous conversations. God has been challenging me about my thinking, probably most of my life, but in the last year or so I’ve finally been ready to hear Him. A Better Way to Think is one of the tools He has used in my life for growth and healing, and I highly recommend it.

H. Norman Wright is a licensed Marriage, Family and Child Therapist and the author of more than 70 books. For more about the book, visit the Revell website, which includes a link to read an excerpt.

[Review copy from my personal library.]

Remembering God: Hope and Worship

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So each generation should set its hope anew on God,
not forgetting his glorious miracles
and obeying his commands.
Psalm 78:7, NLT*

The Israelites passed down their experiences with God from generation to generation, and somehow the Holy Spirit worked an alchemy in believing souls to change “heard” knowledge into “heart” knowledge.

Knowing the stories was never enough; the other nations knew them, and trembled. God wanted relationship with His people, where they could love and trust Him as well as revering and worshiping Him.

When they “set their hope anew” on Him, they thrived. When they forgot what God had done—and He did some highly memorable miracles—or when they stopped believing or rationalized it away, the psalmist describes them as “stubborn, rebellious, and unfaithful, refusing to give their hearts to God.” (Psalm 78:8, NLT* emphasis mine)

The same goes for us today, and for our children and their children. We have the miracles—and commands—of God preserved in the Bible. We have the testimonies of other Christians in person or in print. We have our personal encounters with the Lord of Heaven.

We need to remember them, and set our hearts and our hopes anew on God no matter what circumstances surround us. We need to pass them on to the next generation, but that generation is responsible to take them personally.

Faith isn’t a history lesson, or literature, myth or fairy tale. Theoretical nods to God don’t do much except set us up to fall.

Father God, You have drawn us to Yourself with a love stronger than we can know. Refresh our faith, rekindle our first love for You, and work in our children’s and grandchildren’s spirits to awaken them to Your love too. Let us not refuse to give our hearts to You. Let none of us be lost.

∞

Let the Newsboys’ new song, “Live With Abandon,” be our prayer.

*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: Rules of Murder, by Julianna Deering

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Rules of Murder, by Julianna DeeringRules of Murder, by Juliana Deering (Bethany House, 2013)

Drew Farthering: From the tip of his black Homburg to the crease in his cheviot trousers, he’s the epitome of a stylish 1930s English gentleman. His only problem? The body he just discovered. (from the back cover)

Drew is charming, urbane, and he wants more than the party circuit that absorbs many of his peers. He and his best friend Nick (son of the family butler) enjoy mystery novels, so what better sport than to investigate this crime? Except when the second victim appears, the deaths become personal.

Madeline Parker makes a delightful third member of the sleuthing team. Newly arrived from America, she catches Drew’s heart at their first meeting. But in a house of mourning, it’s not a good time to explore their mutual attraction.

Rules of Murder has the delightful tone and setting of a Golden Age English house party murder mystery, worthy of Agatha Christie herself. It has a gentle thread of faith, as Drew begins to wonder about the God he thought he outgrew.

The title comes from Father Knox’s Decalogue: The 10 Rules of (Golden Age) Detective Fiction, regularly quoted by Nick in the novel. Drew and Nick – and author Julianna Deering – know the rules, but this case wants to break each one.

I’m not much for villains who give a full explanation at the end, although in this case I’m not sure how else readers could have had our questions answered.

Rules of Murder is a satisfying mystery novel notwithstanding, with well-developed characters, layers of meaning and splashes of humour. I’m looking forward to the next Drew Farthering Mystery.

Julianna Deering is the pen name of historical fiction novelist DeAnna Julie Dodson. Check out this excerpt from Rules of Murder (the first paragraph convinced me to settle down and enjoy this book) and the author Q&A with Julianna Deering. You can read another interview with the author at Divine Detour.

 [Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group.]
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Sneak Peek: Chapter 1 of Heaven’s Prey

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Heaven’s Prey releases November 1 — All Saints’ Day — but I’m allowed to let you read a sample chapter now. Click the link below to meet Ruth Warner, her husband, Tony … and champion race car driver turned serial killer, Harry Silver.

Heaven’s Prey, Chapter 1

As I said before, if you like this sort of story, I hope you’ll read it and spread the word. And if it’s not what you like, I hope you’ll tell your friends who might enjoy it.

My newsletter subscribers got the first chance to see this. They’ll see the cover first too, so if you’d like to be in on that, click here to subscribe or use the link in the sidebar to the right.

Christians and Temples

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“We promise together not to neglect the Temple of our God.”
Nehemiah 10:39b, NLT*

The returned Israelite exiles have vowed to keep themselves pure, to live God’s way, and to provide all that’s needed for the upkeep of the Temple and its ongoing offerings.

The Temple is where they worship God, where they’re forgiven and restored. Where they go for wisdom.

It’s the symbol of their relationship with God.

The Apostle Paul wrote, “Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God?” (1 Corinthians 6:19a, NLT*)

We’re responsible to keep our bodies pure and healthy, and to maintain our spirits. “The church” is the people of Christ, not the buildings in which we meet, but we do need to care for our corporate worship sites, since they’re visible signs of our worship. More than that, we need to care for one another.

Jesus said, “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” (John 13:35, NLT*)

We need to guard our relationships with God, to put Him first in worship and to offer ourselves as living sacrifices to Him. (Romans 12:1, NLT*)

God who longs to reconcile all people to Himself, You are holy. We are not. Yet You designed us for relationship with You and we’re not complete without it. Rekindle our first love intensity for You. Draw us nearer, remind us how vital it is to stay close to You. Help us to live for You and to love one another and to keep our “temples” in good order.

∞

May this be our prayer this week, from Mark Schultz: “Give us clean hands“.

*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.