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.

Review: Last Breath, a novel by Brandilyn Collins and Amberly Collins

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Last Breath, by Brandilyn Collins and Amberly Collins (Zondervan, 2009)

Last Breath picks up where Always Watching, book one in the Rayne Tour series, leaves off, and it’s been a long wait to find out what happens.

Shaley O’Connor is the sixteen-year-old daughter of rock star Rayne O’Connor. Book one took her through paparazzi harassment and even worse: the deaths of some key members of Rayne’s concert tour team. Shaley herself was in danger, and the villain’s dying words warned her the problems were far from over.

Then we had to wait for the next book to release!

Living the rock star life has stresses of its own, but Shaley’s biggest issue (apart from the danger she met in book one) is that she never knew her father, and her mother won’t even tell her his name. Mother and daughter have a good relationship, but Shaley needs to know.

When Rayne is hospitalized, Shaley won’t leave her side. Rayne overhears Shaley talking about the words the killer whispered with his last breath, and knows danger still haunts them.

Partly to distract Shaley while the police search for threats, Rayne decides to tell her daughter the truth about her father. This love story from the past alternates with scenes from the present as we watch suspicious characters plotting to reach Rayne and Shaley.

Last Breath is a young adult novel that adults will enjoy too. Grandmothers, mothers and daughters are all reading this series. I preferred Last Breath to Always Watching simply because there were no teen-girls-at-the-mall scenes (in my 40’s I don’t relate well, but I really liked both books).

This novel is both suspense and love story—and a bewildered teen trying to protect her mother, stay safe, and figure out life. I had the rare chance to read the entire novel in one sitting, and I’m glad—it would have been really hard to put down.

It ends with more closure than the first book, but I still want to read the last instalment: Final Touch comes out in May 2010. I have a feeling Cat, the malicious photographer, will find a way back into Shaley’s life.

You can read the first chapter of Last Breath here, but don’t read it unless you’ve already read Always Watching. The series is worth reading in order, with no spoilers. Also, check out an interesting podcast interview with the mother-daughter writing team at the Fiction Addict blog.

Thank you to Lena Nelson Dooley for offering Last Breath on her blog, A Christian Writer’s World. I won my copy there!

How Many Canadian Christian Authors Can You Name?

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There are more Canadian authors who are Christian than we know. Lots of times it’s because if we see their books in the stores, especially published by an American company, we assume they’re US authors. I always feel a bit of family-type pride when I see a Christian making it in the world of publishing, and if they’re Canadian it’s that much stronger.

Let me say clearly that I’m not claiming Canadians are better, nor am I saying my favourite authors are all Canadian. Neither statement would be true. But today I want to do a bit of flag-waving.

Of all the Canadian Christians who write, in book-length, short, poetic or lyrical form, many belong to The Word Guild and/or InScribe Christian Writers’ Fellowship. A good number belong to American Christian Fiction Writers as well or instead.

If you’re in the vicinity of Toronto (Scarborough), Ontario, on Friday 20 November from 7-9pm, you’ll find a gathering of more than 30 Canadian Christian authors at Faith Family Books and Gifts’ Christian Writers’ Expo. For directions, click here.

Wherever you are, if you’re interested in discovering more about Canadian Christian authors, a good place to start is The Word Guild’s annual Readers’ Guide.

Consciousness of God

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Your life is a journey you must travel with a deep consciousness of God. It cost God plenty to get you out of that dead-end, empty-headed life you grew up in. He paid with Christ’s sacred blood, you know…. It’s because of this sacrificed Messiah, whom God then raised from the dead and glorified, that you trust God, that you know you have a future in God.
1 Peter 1:18, 19, 21 MSG*

Is there such a thing as spiritual attention deficit disorder? “SADD” sounds kind of applicable. It’s so easy in the quiet of prayer to bask in God’s presence, but it seems as soon as I get around other people or performing routine tasks I forget to keep my spirit tuned to His.

I need to live each part of each day in relationship with Him, conscious of and relying on Him, serving and worshipping Him. Neither working in my own strength nor begrudging some duties because they keep me from the “important” stuff. Not leaning on my own understanding, trusting my own perspective.

It’s up to Him where He assigns me, after all. Whatever there is to do, I’m to be God’s child serving Him in that role at that time. Being with him there instead of wanting to be somewhere else.

Father, You know how easily distracted I am. Please open my heart and my spirit to a deeper awareness of You. Help me rely on You and rest in Your love. Help me be conscious of You and live in Your care wherever You place me. Thank You for giving me faith to trust You, and thank You for giving me a future in You.

There are some excellent songs lamenting how quickly we fall away or forget to follow through on our commitment to God, and celebrating His grace to take us back, but I can’t find a song that says “Help me remember You and learn to live moment by moment in Your presence.” If you know one, please leave me a note in the comments….

That being said, here’s Casting Crowns’ “I Know You’re There,” to celebrate those moments when we’re conscious of God’s presence… as a prayer that we’ll learn to stay there more and more.

Review: A Journey to the Heart of Evangelism, by Janice Keats

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A Journey to the Heart of Evangelism, by Janice Keats (Resource Publications, an imprint of Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2009)

A confident young woman sits across from you and throws out a challenge: “Tell me why I should follow Jesus.”

Umm… well…

You could probably tell her a few reasons, if you had time to think, but she’s asking now.

What Canadian author Janice Keats did in that situation was to share her own story of coming to faith. No debating or teaching or “shoulds,” just a personal experience that had credibility because she’d lived it.

Some people have amazing faith stories, complete with miracles and release from addictions. Others can’t remember a time when they didn’t know God.

A Journey to the Heart of Evangelism is for all types of Christians, and as the subtitle promises, each of us does have a story.

This is a slim book because our stories don’t need to be complicated – we just need to think through how to share them.

A Journey to the Heart of Evangelism maintains that although some are given the gift of evangelism, all are called to share Jesus’ message – with His help.

The five chapters are designed for personal or group study. Using Scripture, teaching, and application questions, the book addresses our many fears and excuses, and challenges us to live obedient to and dependent upon God.

By the end of the study, we’ll not only know why we need to be involved in sharing our faith stories, we’ll see it’s not as intimidating as we might have thought. And our faith will be refreshed by revisiting our experiences.

The final part of the book contains questions to help us discover and articulate what it is we want to say about this God who’s made a difference in our lives. There’s even a place to record the names of four people we want to remember to pray for and to share our stories with.

And like St. Peter says, we’ll “be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks us to give the reason for the hope that we have.” (1 Peter 3:15)

In A Journey to the Heart of Evangelism, Janice Keats has given us a helpful way to demystify sharing our faith: it’s about our stories, not about arguing or logicking people into the Kingdom. Most of us don’t have theology degrees, but we all have stories.

A Journey to the Heart of Evangelism is available from amazon.ca, amazon.com and from the Wipf & Stock website, and can be ordered into your brick and mortar store as well. For more about the author, visit her web page and her blog, The Master’s Path.

[Disclosure: Janice Keats is a personal friend, and that’s how I discovered her book. I think if it were written by a stranger I’d still speak as highly of the content. I like books that don’t just tell you what to do but – like this one – that equip you to do it.]

Time for a Cleanup

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Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
Psalm 51:1-2, 10-12 NIV*

King David wrote this psalm after sleeping with another man’s wife and then trying to cover things up by having the man killed: pretty drastic misbehaviour, and not surprisingly it inhibited his relationship with God. [I’m posting this on Remembrance Day, and it’s worth noting that the man who died, Uriah, was an exemplary soldier serving on the front lines.]

Sometimes Christians fall like David did. It shouldn’t happen, but it does. And I’m so glad our God is gracious to restore us rather than throwing us out. The Bible promises that if we sincerely confess our sins, He will forgive them. (1 John 1:9) And He’ll help us face the fallout of our actions.

Other times Christians avoid the “big” temptations but get numbed or dulled by the distractions of every day. Pressures, annoyances, bills, telemarketers, H1N1… you name it, there are enough things to take our minds off God if we’re not diligent to keep Him in first place.

Today seems to be a day for reflection. Have I let my focus drift from the God who loves me? Is He first in my heart, or has that place been taken over by my own feelings and opinions?

Father, please create in me a clean heart, washed from unwillingness, resentment and hostility. Renew a right, righteous, healthy and steadfast spirit within me. Draw me closer into Your presence, take down any walls I’ve built, forgive any ways I’ve quenched Your Spirit, and be pleased to dwell in me. Restore the joy of my salvation that I didn’t see was missing. I need joy. And grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Because of Jesus, in whom I put my trust.

This song by Echoing Angels, “You Alone,” speaks to me of the intimacy we need with our wonderful God.

Works in Progress

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Monday was my day to post at InScribe Writers Online: a few words of encouragement to remind us we’re God’s works in progress.

Review: I Run to the Hills, by C. Maggie Woychik

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I Run to the Hills: Reflections on the Christian Journey by C. Maggie Woychik (Port Yonder Press, 2009)

Committing one’s life to Jesus Christ is an act of faith – and the first step of a journey. I Run to the Hills: Reflections on the Christian Journey is a series of brief, interconnected readings that illustrate the deepening of this spiritual relationship from gratitude and obedience into love.

The mountain-journey theme and its allegorical feel evoke memories of Hannah Hurnard’s Hinds’ Feet on High Places and John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, although the language is clear and contemporary.

There’s something about presenting the message this way that lets it penetrate better than if it came via a direct essay or sermon. Jesus used story too – it sneaks past the hearers’ mental filters better than a frontal approach.

In typical journey fashion, and as every Christ-follower knows, the pilgrim travels and reflects, learns and grows… and occasionally takes unwise detours. These side-trips vary from person to person. I Run to the Hills highlights the dangers of the Desert of Duty and the Plains of License. The story doesn’t end there, though, but presses onward and higher toward the mountaintop.

Most of the readings in I Run to the Hills are only a couple of pages long. They’re grouped in longer chapters if you want to read them that way, or you can take them in morsel-sized moments. Either way, prepare to be challenged, encouraged and refreshed on the journey.

Author C. Maggie Woychik’s prose has elements of poetry and plenty of pithy sound-bytes. As we journey, she says, “Truths are for digesting, not just consuming.” And she tells us how: “Firmly clasp the piece of Light – catch it; then slowly release your fingers, using care not to allow it to slip away or be snatched by the cunning Truth-Robber.” (p.29)

C. Maggie Woychik is an award-winning author whose work has been published in a variety of magazines. I Run to the Hills is her first book. To learn more about Maggie, check out her website and spend some time on her blog, Encouraging Emerging Authors.

I Run to the Hills is a delightful, refreshing book to read and then to savour again over time.

What He Says

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For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
1 Peter 1:18-19, NIV*

Today is one of those days with more to do than hours to do it, and it’s been weighing on me since yesterday. But I think the same practice should apply here as if I were going into any other type of stressful or scary situation:

Trust in the Lord with all my heart, don’t lean on my own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
Pray for wisdom to discern what God sees as important for the day, rather than assuming my entire list is the day’s agenda.

He says He’ll never leave me. Matthew 28:20

He says nothing can separate me from His love in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:38-39

He says all I need to do is ask for wisdom, because He wants to give it. James 1:5

He says trust Him and don’t rely on my own understanding. Proverbs 3:5-6

He says my times are in His hands. Psalm 32:14-15

I choose to believe Him and to watch for and follow His lead.

Father God, thank you for redeeming me from the empty way of life handed down for generations. Thank You that circumstances and hurry-panic don’t own me anymore. Jesus, my Shepherd and the Overseer of my soul, has rescued me. Thank You that I’m in His care now, under His leading and authority. I choose to walk in that today, Christ being my helper.

The song God gave me is David Crowder’s “Every Move I Make.” How good of Him to choose a peppy one to energize me!

CD Review: Need, the new album from Todd Agnew

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Todd Agnew’s first CD, Grace Like Rain, blew me away and he’s been top of my musical list ever since. It was the first album I’d heard in a long time that was worth plugging in the headphones and cranking the volume. (This was before I got into the newsboys and David Crowder*Band, so I’m casting no aspersions there….)

Todd sings with a passion that proves the truth of his words – to me it’s as if he can’t not cry out to God. That’s where we all need to be, if we’re honest. He gives voice to the need of everyman/everywoman, and his lyrics have taught me more about grace than any other artist’s.

I love Todd Agnew’s music: his voice, lyrics, diverse musical style, and his honesty. Although I’ve had Need since it released on October 6, I couldn’t begin to write a review until I marinated in it for a while. Now it’s worked its way into my daily soundtrack, and I’m starting to hear snatches of different songs in my head throughout the day or even to wake with them.

I find it ironic that this new album articulates our hearts’ needs less than the previous ones (think “Wait for Your Rain” and “Always There”). Instead, it points to the One who meets these needs. At first I wondered why the title wasn’t “I Need No Other” after the song, or something like “We Need Jesus,” but I think it’s to prompt a question.

Need – What do you need? – Jesus.

Maybe I’m reading too much into the title choice, but this line of reasoning does follow nicely from the title of his recent album, Better Questions.

I’m glad I pre-ordered Need to get the bonus tracks. “All That I Have” and “Way of the Cross” are two of my favourites from what I’ve grouped on my mp3 player as “Need – the extended version”.

Each Todd Agnew album has at least one song that’s his fresh look at an established hymn. It’s a great way to bridge the musical generation gap and to remind us of the songs – and teachings – that have gone before. Some have the original lyrics arranged to vibrant new music, others are songs like “Grace Like Rain” and “Blood on My Hands” that mesh a public domain hymn with Todd’s additional lyrics.

Need delivers a blend of both types of songs, and you can’t tell the difference by the sound. I just discovered from the liner notes that the radio single, “Joy Unspeakable,” is one of the old-new hybrid songs, but “Jesus, the Hope of Glory” is all new.

Just so you know, “Give Me Jesus” is a different song from the one Robin Mark and Jeremy Camp sing.

I’d classify all the songs as “Christian rock,” but they weave in elements of blues, gospel, soul and country – all things I’d avoid straight-up but that nicely enrich the album. Some are fast, some slow, and with the variety of musical elements I’m sure there’s a song here for everyone.

As Joel Klampert says in his review of Need at The Joint Review, “If you like Todd then you will like this CD. If you don’t like Todd then you still might like this CD.”

Bottom line: I really enjoy this CD, and appreciate how it points us to Jesus as the Meeter of our need. Yes, we should articulate our specific needs the way “Written on the Wall” and “Did You Mean Me?” do, but in the end it all comes down to Jesus: let’s just run to Him and trust His care.

For more musically-literate reviews, see Worship Leader, Chosen for Grace and The Joint Review.

Todd will be introducing one song a week from the album, giving some background, interesting thoughts, and a taste of the sound. Check out his YouTube page. You can listen to “Joy Unspeakable” and “I Need No Other” from Need, as well as some of his other songs, on his MySpace player. Also you might want to check out his blog. He has some neat things to say.

PS Apparently there was a precursor to Grace Like Rain, an indie recording called Breath of God. If it were a book, the amazing database at AbeBooks.com would have found it for me by now, but I don’t have a good network for finding used CDs. If anyone knows how to obtain a copy for a reasonable price, please leave me a comment here or email me. Thanks!

Scattered Strangers

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Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To God’s elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood:
Grace and peace be yours in abundance.
1 Peter 1:1-2, NIV*

So begins the Apostle Peter’s first letter to the early Christians. What catches my attention is his use of the words “strangers” and “scattered” — I don’t know if they’d been intentionally scattered by persecution as some were, or if Peter is just talking about how the believers are few and far between.

Whatever the reason, telling them there are other Christ-followers spread through the area reminds them they’re part of a larger group. They’re not as alone as they may feel.

I think that’s why he calls them “God’s elect” too — it’s not a snooty term for “better than the others,” it reminds them they’ve been chosen by God and belong to Him. He loves them.

Living in obedience to Jesus Christ can make us feel like we don’t belong. In a sense, we don’t. We’re changing, and while we pray those around us will recognize that God has also chosen them, for now we’re the oddballs, the aliens. But that’s okay.

Our hearts need acceptance, but the world around us is not the place to expect to find it. Peter reminds us we’ve found acceptance in Jesus. We belong.

Father, thank You for choosing us, for knowing and loving us before we came to You. Thank You that Jesus came, God in the flesh, to heal the broken. Everyone is broken somehow, Lord, and you’re not willing that any should perish. Help each one recognize that You’ve chosen them too. Help them come into Your healing embrace.

This week’s song is an oldie from the group Petra. It’s a medley of the Doxology and their song, “Not of this World,” and it’s one of their quieter pieces. I’d forgotten how much I loved this album.