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.

Blessing

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Summing up: Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless—that’s your job, to bless. You’ll be a blessing and also get a blessing.
1 Peter 3:8-9, MSG*

Our job is to bless. And we can only do this in the power of the Holy Spirit, as He enables us to follow Jesus’ example and commit our lives to the God who judges justly.

No victim mentality or martyred airs—living confident in God, with our hope securely in Him.

Peter says then people will wonder how we can carry on so well in life’s stress. When they ask the reason for our hope, we can gently tell them how Jesus sustains us.

Father, please help me fix my heart on You, live confident in You, and live to be a blessing.

I love the way John Waller articulates the choice between blessing and cursing in his song, “The Blessing.”

Who me, fret?

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There’s an article at Thoughts Selected that I think we all need to read: “Fret Not Yourself.”

Author/teacher M. Hernandez begins with “Among our many human weaknesses, one of the most outstanding is fretting or complaining.” Instead of stopping there, she offers a simple, practical way to train our spirits in gratitude and praise to God.

Spiritual exercise, like physical, takes time and persistence. But it brings results.

God is on the Job

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Friends, when life gets really difficult, don’t jump to the conclusion that God isn’t on the job. Instead, be glad that you are in the very thick of what Christ experienced. This is a spiritual refining process, with glory just around the corner.
1 Peter 4:12-13, MSG*

Peter tells us to commit ourselves to our faithful Creator and continue to do good (1 Peter 4:19). And our doing good is to be with a willing heart (1 Peter 5:2).

Instead of fighting—our own circumstances, God, others or ourselves—Peter says, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:6,7 NIV**)

Peter wrote to strengthen the persecuted believers, for their own sakes and so that the people around them would see Jesus in their behaviour and attitudes. We can apply what he says, the principles and the hope, to our daily stresses and relationships.

Father, help me remember daily to commit myself to You, to live in trust of Your hand on my life. Help me recognize You in my day, help me serve You with a willing heart. Help me treat others with the love You desire. Thank You for taking care of me. Your grace is amazing.

Songs like Bebo Norman‘s “I Will Lift My Eyes” help me pray and keep focused on trusting God.

Obedience

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Monday was my day to post at InScribe Writers Online. If you want to check out Obedience, it carries on the theme of Let Go, Let God (my post last week here).

Blessings today!

Let Go, Let God

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When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.
1 Peter 2:23, NIV*

We may not be able to change our circumstances, but we can change our reactions to them.

The Apostle Peter tells us Jesus “entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.” The Message says He was “content to let God set things right.”** That implies He trusted God to be willing and able to do so.

And in chapter 3 Peter tells us to live the same way.

Pain, tiredness, worry… whatever stresses me-I have a strong emotional response. Same with anything I dislike or think should be done differently. Control issues, I know. And who actually rules the universe? Let me think: not me!

So when things go wrong in my day, my agenda’s thrown off-course, someone chooses to do something at home or at church that’s not what I’d choose… if I’m tired or in pain… I’m to entrust myself to God who judges justly.

Not to lie down and play martyr. Or passively-aggressively sulk. (Who, me?) Actively, positively… trust God. Commit my way to Him.

Father, sometimes there’s pain. Or tiredness, fears or struggles. But if I can’t walk away, please protect me from making things worse. Give me Your peace. Help me know You’re with me and that You have a plan.

Help me trust You and live submitted to Your leading. Help me cooperate as You retrain my mind into healthier patterns. Thank You for Big Daddy Weave’s version of “Trust and Obey” on the radio this morning to cement the teaching. Help me keep it simple, LORD. Help me trust and obey.

Here’s our song for the week: “Trust and Obey,” from Big Daddy Weave.

Blogging on “Fiction Matters”

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Pop, there it is: the perfect title for your story. Perhaps it even comes first, teasing you to discover a plot to do it justice. Or perhaps it has to be coaxed from some deep pocket of your brain.

If you’re a writer who’d like some help with titling your work, pop over to Bonnie’ Grove’s Fiction Matters blog. I’m happy to be part of the lineup of guest bloggers, and I share what’s helped me in finding titles for my stories. [Edit: Guest post is under the pen name of Joanna Mallory, which I was using at the time.]

Declaring God’s Praises

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But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
1 Peter 2:9-10, NIV*

As Christians, we are chosen, changed. Rescued, because God loves us. Having experienced God’s mercy, we get to tell others how wonderful He is.

And our message isn’t just “trust Jesus so you can go to Heaven when you die.” It’s “trust Him now, to experience new life now.”

Jesus paid to rescue us from the darkness that trapped each one. For some of us it may have been twilight-level darkness, for others the pitch black of a deep cave. Compared to God’s clear light, it restricted our vision and diminished our quality of life.

“Now I belong to Jesus, Jesus belongs to me” and I need to share the amazing opportunity with those who want to hear. Not a pushy “sister, are you saaaaved,” but “tell me your story, and let me tell you mine”.

When I see God at work in my life, touching my day, I need to praise Him and I need to share it. It may cause someone who doesn’t know Him yet to think about Him. It’ll definitely encourage the heart of someone who already knows Him. We’re on this journey together, let’s help one another along the road.

Father, please open my eyes to recognize what You’ve already done in my life and what You’re doing each day. Grant me a grateful heart, and help me share You with others.

Most days our stories aren’t as dramatic as the one in this song, but I pray the LORD will stir us to want to share them. Here’s Don Francisco, singing “Gotta Tell Somebody.”

In All I Do

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Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way. …And don’t just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best. …Keep in mind always that the ultimate Master you’re serving is Christ. The sullen servant who does shoddy work will be held responsible. Being a follower of Jesus doesn’t cover up bad work.
Colossians 3, MSG*

Last week I made my annual pilgrimage to Ontario for Write Canada. It’s a “double your money” event: professional development and spiritual retreat. Quality instruction, meeting old friends and making new ones, worship and excellent food-all in a beautiful setting.

By Friday morning I was tired and experiencing a degree of brain overload. Did I really want to work this hard to develop excellent writing?

In my brief devotional time before leaving my room, these verses from Colossians jumped out at me. Then, to be sure He had my attention, He echoed the theme in our worship session an hour later.

Father, please help me do my best, from the heart, for You. Help me not be sullen or reluctant, but to remember it’s You I’m living for and to embrace the leading You give. It’s not my place to decide if I like it or if I’m willing. I’m to be willing, because I’ve surrendered to You and can fully trust Your goodness. Please give me discernment to know Your leading so I don’t waste time and energy on rabbit trails.

The song He used was “You Are My King (Amazing Love),” written by Billy James Foote and performed here by the Newsboys. Note the “honour You in all I do.”

2008 Best New Canadian Christian Author Award

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Congratulations to Dr. Kevin Dautrement of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, winner of this year’s Best New Canadian Christian Author Award for his historical novel, The Golden Conquest.

Although my contemporary novel manuscript, Praying for the Enemy, didn’t win, it was encouraging to hear that all of us short-listed were considered to have publishable manuscripts. So the hunt goes on! [Edited: Want to know what happened with Praying for the Enemy? In 2013, it became Heaven’s Prey, published first by Choose NOW Publishing, and re-issued as a second edition in 2014 by Janet Sketchley after the publisher closed its fiction line.]

I want to say a special thank you to Larry Willard of Castle Quay Books and to The Word Guild for working together to offer this contest each year. In a time when it’s hard for first-time authors to break into book-length print, an opportunity like this is invaluable. This is especially true in Canada, particularly for Christian fiction, because there aren’t a lot of publishing options. (Government subsidies for a faith-based publisher? Not likely to happen.)

So thank you to Castle Quay books for investing in the future of Canadian authors who are Christian, and congratulations to Dr. Kevin Dautrement for a well-deserved award.

Not Breaking Faith

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…set your heart to honour My name…set your heart to honour Me.
Malachi 2:2, NIV*

The study notes in my Bible say to read Nehemiah 13 to get the background for the prophet Malachi’s rebuke to the priests and the people of Israel. They’d returned from the Babylonian captivity, but they weren’t honouring God. And the people had broken faith: with one another, with their spouses, with God.

Some of the negatives Malachi said to them resonated with me as positive reminders of how to live.

Daily, we need to set our hearts to honour God.

We need to be like the first Levite priests, who “revered Me and stood in awe of My name.” (Malachi 2:5b)

“So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith.” (Malachi 2:16b)

God’s name is His character. If we know Him, we can trust Him. If we say we’re His but don’t live like it, that gives others a poor example of who He is.

Father God, please grow in me a proper reverence for You, a love for You and awe of You. Help me to set my heart to honour You. Help me guard myself in my spirit, that I not break faith with You or with those around me. On my own I can’t do this, but I praise and thank You for Your grace, that the blood of Jesus has saved me and that Your Holy Spirit dwells in me. He can do what I can’t.

Our music for this week is Matt Redman‘s “Heart of Worship.”