Seekerville: The Journey Continues

"Figure of Christ," by German painter Heinrich Hofmann, 1884. [PD-US]

The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith."
The Lord replied,
"If you have faith the size of a mustard seed,
you would say to this mulberry tree,
'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.

"Who among you would say to your servant
who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field,
'Come here immediately and take your place at table'?
Would he not rather say to him,
'Prepare something for me to eat.
Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink.
You may eat and drink when I am finished'?
Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded?
So should it be with you.
When you have done all you have been commanded,
say, 'We are unprofitable servants;
we have done what we were obliged to do.'"

Luke 17:5-7

Join us in praying for all those who were in Ian's path. 

Lord, we lift up to you all those who lost homes and property, for those who were injured, and for those mourning the loss of friends and relatives who were victims of the storm.

Protect all who are working to build back the areas devastated by the hurricane.

God bless them all!

The Seekerville bloggers are praying for YOU and for our entire blog community. If you have any special intentions that need additional prayer coverage, leave a request for prayer in the comment section below. 

Please pray for our country and for an end to the problems that plague us at this current time, such as the increased cost of fuel and food and the rise in crime.

May the Lord bless you and keep you safe.          

Illustration of Lazarus at the rich man's gate, Fyodor Bronnikov, 1886. [PD-US]

Jesus said to the Pharisees:
"There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen
and dined sumptuously each day.
And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores,
who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps
that fell from the rich man's table.
Dogs even used to come and lick his sores.
When the poor man died,
he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham.
The rich man also died and was buried,
and from the netherworld, where he was in torment,
he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off
and Lazarus at his side.
And he cried out, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me.
Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue,
for I am suffering torment in these flames.'
Abraham replied,
'My child, remember that you received
what was good during your lifetime
while Lazarus likewise received what was bad;
but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented.
Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established
to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go
from our side to yours or from your side to ours.'
He said, 'Then I beg you, father,
send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers,
so that he may warn them,
lest they too come to this place of torment.'
But Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the prophets.
Let them listen to them.'
He said, 'Oh no, father Abraham,
but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'
Then Abraham said, 'If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets,
neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.'"

Luke 16:19-31

The Seekerville bloggers are praying for YOU and for our entire blog community. If you have any special intentions that need additional prayer coverage, leave a request for prayer in the comment section below. 

May the Lord bless you and keep you safe.         

By Debby Giusti

Today is the International Day of Peace, also known as World Peace Day, that was instituted by the United Nations and first celebrated in 1981. Fittingly, the logo for this day of ceasefire and non-violence is a dove. Initially, it was celebrated in conjunction with the yearly opening of the UN General Assembly on September 11^th, but after the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center in 2001, the annual date for the event changed to September 21^st.

Philippians 4:7 says, “The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” As Christian writers, we want to spread that peace of Christ through our stories, but first we need to have peace in our hearts.

Peace starts with the individual. We must find peace within ourselves before we can positively impact our readers, our family and friends, our community and indeed our world.

As writers, we have the ability to influence others through our stories. Attempting to change a person’s values or perceptions through debate--using facts and stats--is often difficult, whereas a story focused on those same ideas can resonate with readers who enter into the story and become emotionally involved. A well written story can change not only readers’ hearts but also their minds about even long-established beliefs.

In this time of social upheaval, when families are under attack and our Judeo-Christian beliefs are being assaulted, when much of what we hold dear is maligned and when the moral compass that guides us is considered archaic and discarded by so many, true peace can be hard to find.

So the question I pose today is, as writers, how can we find peace?

Here are a few suggestions:

1. Give God the first fruits of the day. Start the morning with prayer, with Scripture, with quiet time spent in praise and thanksgiving. Offer up all you do for his honor and glory.

2.Tend to the needs of your family. Foster loving relationships and encourage affirmation. Provide emotional support and counter negative influences. Invite Christ into your home and peace will follow.

3. Find time for self-reflection. Discard baggage that weighs you down. Ask forgiveness for your mistakes and be the first to forgive. Set goals, dream dreams and take concrete steps toward achieving those goals. Only then will your dreams come true.

4. Be a friend and make a friend. Reach out to those in need. Find ways, however small or seemingly insignificant, to enhance your community for the betterment of all.

On this International Day of Peace, let’s reflect on ways we can be peacemakers. How can we spread God’s message of faith, hope and love in our stories? Where can we plant seeds of forgiveness and reconciliation?

Remember that when we have peace in our hearts, our stories will reflect peace as well.

Share your ideas about being a peacemaker in the comments. I’m giving away two copies of my November book from Love Inspired Suspense, In a Sniper’s Crosshairs.Let me know if you want to be in the drawing.

Peace be with you, dear friends!

Wishing you abundant blessings,

Debby Giusti

www.DebbyGiusti.com

IN A SNIPER’S CROSSHAIRS

By Debby Giusti

An assassin’s loose in Amish country…

and she’s not the only target.

When a radio broadcast describes taxi driver Lily Hudson’s passenger as an armed criminal, she becomes his immediate target. Narrowly escaping, Lily accepts Matthias Overholt’s offer to hide at his Amish family farm for Christmas—until evidence reveals the gunman’s plan is tied to Lily’s past. Now to prevent an assassination, Lily and Matthias must unravel a years-old conspiracy…and evade a sniper who has them in his sights.

 Pre-Order HERE! 

Jan Luyken etching of the parable of the unjust steward, Bowyer Bible,  Bolton, England. [Free Art License]

Jesus said to his disciples,
"A rich man had a steward
who was reported to him for squandering his property.
He summoned him and said,
'What is this I hear about you?
Prepare a full account of your stewardship,
because you can no longer be my steward.'
The steward said to himself, 'What shall I do,
now that my master is taking the position of steward away from me?
I am not strong enough to dig and I am ashamed to beg.
I know what I shall do so that,
when I am removed from the stewardship,
they may welcome me into their homes.'
He called in his master's debtors one by one.
To the first he said,
'How much do you owe my master?'
He replied, 'One hundred measures of olive oil.'
He said to him, 'Here is your promissory note.
Sit down and quickly write one for fifty.'
Then to another the steward said, 'And you, how much do you owe?'
He replied, 'One hundred kors of wheat.'
The steward said to him, 'Here is your promissory note;
write one for eighty.'
And the master commended that dishonest steward for acting prudently.
"For the children of this world
are more prudent in dealing with their own generation
than are the children of light.
I tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth,
so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.
The person who is trustworthy in very small matters
is also trustworthy in great ones;
and the person who is dishonest in very small matters
is also dishonest in great ones.
If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth,
who will trust you with true wealth?
If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another,
who will give you what is yours?
No servant can serve two masters.
He will either hate one and love the other,
or be devoted to one and despise the other.
You cannot serve both God and mammon."

Luke 16:1-13

The Seekerville bloggers are praying for YOU and for our entire blog community. If you have any special intentions that need additional prayer coverage, leave a request for prayer in the comment section below. 

May the Lord bless you and keep you safe.        

Jesus eats with sinners and publicans by Alexandre Bida, 1875. [PD-US]

Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus,

but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying,
“This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
So to them he addressed this parable.
“What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them
would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert
and go after the lost one until he finds it?
And when he does find it,
he sets it on his shoulders with great joy
and, upon his arrival home,
he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them,
‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’
I tell you, in just the same way
there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents
than over ninety-nine righteous people
who have no need of repentance.

“Or what woman having ten coins and losing one
would not light a lamp and sweep the house,
searching carefully until she finds it?
And when she does find it,
she calls together her friends and neighbors
and says to them,
‘Rejoice with me because I have found the coin that I lost.’
In just the same way, I tell you,
there will be rejoicing among the angels of God
over one sinner who repents.”

Luke 15:1-10

The Seekerville bloggers are praying for YOU and for our entire blog community. If you have any special intentions that need additional prayer coverage, leave a request for prayer in the comment section below. 

May the Lord bless you and keep you safe.       

Jan Luyken: Invitation to the Great Banquet, from the Bowyer Bible. [Free Art License]

On a sabbath Jesus went to dine
at the home of one of the leading Pharisees,
and the people there were observing him carefully.

He told a parable to those who had been invited,
noticing how they were choosing the places of honor at the table.
"When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet,
do not recline at table in the place of honor.
A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him,
and the host who invited both of you may approach you and say,
'Give your place to this man,'
and then you would proceed with embarrassment
to take the lowest place.
Rather, when you are invited,
go and take the lowest place
so that when the host comes to you he may say,
'My friend, move up to a higher position.'
Then you will enjoy the esteem of your companions at the table.
For every one who exalts himself will be humbled,
but the one who humbles himself will be exalted."
Then he said to the host who invited him,
"When you hold a lunch or a dinner,
do not invite your friends or your brothers
or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors,
in case they may invite you back and you have repayment.
Rather, when you hold a banquet,
invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind;
blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you.
For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."

Luke 14:1, 7-14

The Seekerville bloggers are praying for YOU and for our entire blog community. If you have any special intentions that need additional prayer coverage, leave a request for prayer in the comment section below. 

May the Lord bless you and keep you safe.      

Jesus is depicted with the Alpha and Omega letters in the Catacombs of Rome from the 4th century. [PD-US]

Jesus passed through towns and villages,
teaching as he went and making his way to Jerusalem.
Someone asked him,
"Lord, will only a few people be saved?"
He answered them,
"Strive to enter through the narrow gate,
for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter
but will not be strong enough.
After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door,
then will you stand outside knocking and saying,
'Lord, open the door for us.'
He will say to you in reply,
'I do not know where you are from.
And you will say,
'We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.'
Then he will say to you,
'I do not know where you are from.
Depart from me, all you evildoers!'
And there will be wailing and grinding of teeth
when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
and all the prophets in the kingdom of God
and you yourselves cast out.
And people will come from the east and the west
and from the north and the south
and will recline at table in the kingdom of God.
For behold, some are last who will be first,
and some are first who will be last."

Luke 13:22-30

The Seekerville bloggers are praying for YOU and for our entire blog community. If you have any special intentions that need additional prayer coverage, leave a request for prayer in the comment section below. 

May the Lord bless you and keep you safe.     

Have you heard about the “NEW” Faith, Hope & Love Christian Writers organization?

It’s an online group for writers at any stage of their careers, from pre-published to established authors. If you’re a writer or are interested in writing, FHLCW is the organization for you!

The original FH&L was established in 1996 as a chapter of Romance Writers of America. In 2021, the 90-plus members disaffiliated from the national group and became an independent writing group that has seen its membership grow ever since.

The FHLCW website (https://fhl-cw.com/) provides an in-depth overview of the organization. Here’s some of what you can find there:

What is FHLCW’s purpose?

“To promote excellence in Christian fiction and/or fiction written from a Christian worldview. To help Christian writers establish their careers and to provide continuing support for writers within the fiction publishing industry.” We accomplish this stated purpose through our email groups, our online programs, our contests and awards, etc.

»FHL sponsors an email group where members can exchange publishing information, discuss writing issues, and receive encouragement.

»FHL sponsors the FHL READERS CHOICE AWARD to honor the best in published Christian Romantic Fiction as well as the TOUCHED BY LOVE AWARD for unpublished manuscripts.

»FHL seeks to encourage its members through special projects, including through online chapter programs via Zoom and Facebook Groups.

»FHL seeks to connect members with readers through social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

I told FHLCW President Nancy J. Farrier that I would be talking about FHLCW on Seekerville today, and she sent this lovely note to our blog community to help explain the many positive aspects membership in the organization entails!

I have been a member of FHL, now FHL Christian Writers, almost since its inception in the 90's. I love our group. Now that we are independent, we are striving to be a family of writers. We encourage one another. We have excellent programs with replays available to members. We have Zoom gatherings when we meet according to genre or location or one of many other topics to chat with one another. Our authors can connect with each other, even when they live in Australia or Europe. This year, we reinstated our Touched by Love Award for unpublished authors and were surprised at the eager response. I'm so excited to see these authors grow. We have several critique groups and next month we are having a workshop for members only to teach how to benefit from cross-promotion. Exciting stuff. My dream is for FHLCW to become more of a family. To have our own conference in the future--one that is an encouragement to all so that we build each other up. I'm excited to see how we're growing and look forward to new horizons. 

I also heard from longtime Seekervillager and now FHLCW Prayer Volunteer Coordinator Patti Jo Moore, who sent this message:

The FHLCW organization is such a caring group of Christian writers, and I'm thankful to be a member. Not only are members willing to share their expertise in certain areas, but more importantly, they are always willing to pray when a member has a concern or a prayer request.

My favorite aspect of this group is our Monday morning prayers. I am the Prayer Volunteer Coordinator for the group, and have been so blessed and inspired by the uplifting prayers that our members post. When I asked for volunteers, the responses I received made me realize just what a caring group I'm in! I truly feel the Lord is at work through the members of FHLCW.

Both messages reveal how the “new” FHLCW is a Christian organization centered on the members and their needs. Whether you’re actively writing or interested in writing, consider joining FHLCW. I feel confident you’ll enjoy the many benefits available to the members!

Happy Writing! 

Wishing you abundant blessings,

Debby Giusti

www.DebbyGiusti.com

#2 on the Publishers Weekly Bestseller list for Religious Books

A Two-in-One By

Debby Giusti

The Officer’s Secret

In the middle of the night, Maggie Bennett finds her army officer sister dead in her military housing. But as US Army criminal investigations agent Nate Patterson begins asking questions, Maggie can’t tell the handsome man everything she knows. Except that her sister was definitely murdered—for a secret Maggie can’t share. Then she walks into the killer’s trap and has to trust Nate with the truth…and her heart.

The Soldier’s Sister

Someone wants Stephanie Upton dead. Fearing for her life, Stephanie turns to Special Agent Brody Goodman for help. But can she trust him when he’s convinced her own brother is a prime suspect? Torn between her devotion to her brother and the agent she may be falling for, Stephanie doesn’t know who or what to believe. But soon she’ll have to choose sides to stay alive…

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Christ the Savior (Pantokrator), a 6th-century encaustic icon from Saint Catherine's Monastery, Mount Sinai [PD-US].

Jesus said to his disciples:
"I have come to set the earth on fire,
and how I wish it were already blazing!
There is a baptism with which I must be baptized,
and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished!
Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth?
No, I tell you, but rather division.
From now on a household of five will be divided,
three against two and two against three;
a father will be divided against his son
and a son against his father,
a mother against her daughter
and a daughter against her mother,
a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law."

Luke 12:49-53 

The Seekerville bloggers are praying for YOU and for our entire blog community. If you have any special intentions that need additional prayer coverage, leave a request for prayer in the comment section below. 

May the Lord bless you and keep you safe.    

Etching by Jan Luyken illustrating the parable, from the Bowyer Bible, Bolton, England [Free Art License]

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Gird your loins and light your lamps
and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding,
ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks.
Blessed are those servants
whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.
Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself,
have the servants recline at table, and proceed to wait on them.
And should he come in the second or third watch
and find them prepared in this way,
blessed are those servants.
Be sure of this:
if the master of the house had known the hour
when the thief was coming,
he would not have let his house be broken into.
You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect,
the Son of Man will come.”

Luke 12:35-40

The Seekerville bloggers are praying for YOU and for our entire blog community. If you have any special intentions that need additional prayer coverage, leave a request for prayer in the comment section below. 

May the Lord bless you and keep you safe.