Patience’s Purpose

/ Gail Johnson / 12 Comments

My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. James 1:2-4 KJV

Aah…patience. Do you have all you need, dear reader? I don’t have to think about this one. I require more patience. Who doesn’t?

Gaining patience is hard work. It takes…well, patience! 😉

One of the secrets to having patience is understanding the reason behind the test. When we realize there is a point to it all, we are free to focus on Jesus and not our circumstances.

Action

When various troubles and trials come our way.

Reaction

Count it a joy. Not because we enjoy pain, but because there is a lesson to be learned. We will reap the benefits of the test!

Reason

The trying of our faith worketh patience. Patience has a purpose. Without patience, we aren’t complete.

Purpose

Experience produces maturity. How can we mature if we never face hardship?

Bouquet-2

This month’s theme is patience through trials. How do you view the different storms in your life?

Women of Faith and Fiction ~ Sonja Anderson

/ Gail Johnson / 10 Comments

Good morning, dear reader! This month we have a fifth Tuesday. Woohoo! To celebrate, I want to introduce you to Sonja Anderson.

Sonja, welcome to Women of Faith and Fiction. Please, tell us about yourself.

Sonja Anderson Profile PicI grew up in a small town in northeast Ohio, with a twin sister and two younger siblings, in a Christian home. I loved to read more than anything, and characters in novels were like beloved friends and companions. I actually felt pained when a book ended and I had to separate myself from them. As a result, I re-read my favorite books many times!

College and graduate school took me to exciting cities like Chicago and Boston, and then my first teaching job was at an international school in Tokyo! I’ve been happily settled in Seattle, Washington, for over 25 years now.

Wow! Tokyo. I can only imagine your excitement. I know what you mean about the characters and beloved friends. I have favorites also. When I’m not sure what I want to read, I pick up a favorite. Sonja, this month’s theme is Peace. Please share your thoughts with our readers.

Sophia's Quest Sonja Anderson

Sophie Topfeather’s search for peace is a major theme in Sophie’s Quest, so I’m delighted that this is your theme for the month! Isn’t God amazing the way he puts things together like that? When I think of peace, I think of John 16:33, where Jesus prepares the disciples by saying, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” I also remember the song that compares peace to a river, and it reminds me that when I have Christ’s presence in me, I don’t need to react to the world’s commotion with anxious ups and downs. Christ steadies me and carries me, no matter what else is happening.

I am continually amazed how God directs our paths! Now, life is a continual journey of learning, applying, and transforming. Have you ever experienced a season when you found it difficult to have peace? How did you overcome?

The two times in my life when I seriously questioned Christ’s presence in my life are, of course, as I look back, the two times when I found it the most difficult to have peace! The first time was when I lived in Japan and knew many lovely Buddhists. How could they all “be wrong”? I dove into a Bible study with friends and took God at His Word in a way I had never done before. When I read a promise, I held Him to it. By the time I returned to the United States, I was stronger in my faith than ever before and wanted to share Jesus with everyone in sight.

I thought nothing could shake my sense of peace again until I began to write Sophie’s Quest. I worried—could I discuss different religions in a way that respected the people God created and show Jesus to be uniquely Immanuel, God with us? I began to seriously wonder if a book like this should be written, despite the fact that I had felt clearly called to write it. My peace was shattered. One night, I was washing dishes and distinctly heard a voice behind me asking, “Are you sure Jesus is the only way?” I nearly panicked and prayed earnestly that God would clearly answer that question. The very next Sunday, I was visiting a church in Oregon, and the minister preached on this very question! Now, I work in a public elementary school in a very diverse community, and Muslims, Buddhists, and Hindus check out my book every day. What a privilege and a blessing!

 Thank you for sharing your experience with us, Sonja. I know others who’ve dealt with similar situations. It’s good to know we’re not alone. True, God’s always with us. But it’s comforting to have a kindred spirit on our journey. 😉

In what genre do you write and how does your faith influence your writing?

My published novels are children’s fiction for ages 8-12, my favorite genre to read, too! I’ve also written several picture book stories that also point children toward God, but I’m still waiting for God to point me toward the right publisher!

My faith has everything to do with my writing. It is my dearest hope and prayer that kids will find their way to Jesus through these novels. In fact, I almost stopped writing completely when someone once challenged me to “leave Jesus out of the novel” so it could get published more easily!

I also try to point kids to the idea that reading the Bible is an amazing adventure. One of my happiest moments since the books were released was a day in my public school library when two girls (who had just finished reading Sophie’s Quest) began crying over who would get to check out the only real Bible we had at the time. To me, that meant “Mission accomplished!”

I would have to agree with you, Sonja! Thank you for sharing your heart with us today.

To learn more about Sonja and her fantastic book visit:

Amazon Author Page

Twitter

Facebook Page

Wings of the Wind ~ Connilyn Cossette

/ Gail Johnson / 3 Comments

Wings of the Wind is the story of Alanah, a Canaanite woman bent on revenge after her father and brothers are killed by the invading Hebrew army in the battle with Arvad. Not a stranger to the weapons of warfare her arrow soon finds its mark. But Alanah hasn’t the time to rejoice before she is wounded. Buried beneath her fallen comrades, she is discovered by Tobiah, a Hebrew warrior.

wings of the wind

When Tobiah realizes the wounded enemy he’s found is a woman, he rescues her from the battlefield and enlists the help of Shira, a midwife, to tend Alanah’s wound. Shira reminds Tobiah of the Law and tells him the only way to keep Alanah safe is to marry her. Tobiah agrees. However, Alanah’s secret soon separates them and puts her and a friend on the path of destruction.

Will Yahweh save her or will she die among those marked for destruction?

4.9 stars out 5 stars

My thoughts:

I like a feisty heroine, and Alanah didn’t disappoint. She was confident, vibrant, and self-sacrificing without being obnoxious or weak. I commiserated with her need for revenge, her pain of betrayal, and her ache to be loved. Her relationship with Yahweh caused me to reflect upon my own. There is nothing I would change about this character except…

Tobiah was a breath of fresh air. He was a warrior, strong and adept. His love for Yahweh was evident but in no way did it emasculate him. His love for his family made him stronger still. And his need to protect Alanah from the brutality forced upon women during that time endeared him to me even more.

Without giving away anything, I would like to share what didn’t work for me.

Although I thought the familial tie in the final chapters unique, I couldn’t wrap my mind around the way the historical character was portrayed. For instance, she often seemed clueless about the whole situation unless she was told the facts by Alanah. I understand this is a plot thread to give Alanah a reason for being there at that particular time.

Yet, when reading the account from the Bible, this particular woman understands the rumors flying around concerning the invading army and is very much aware of the fear and dread that has taken hold of her city. Her decision to leave seemed to be at the last minute. Something I find hard to comprehend when you know what’s about to happen.

All in all, I wouldn’t change Alanah’s and Tobiah’s story. It is a story I will remember and probably read over and over again in the coming years. In fact, I loved it so much I bought the first and second installments of this series. I highly recommend this series to anyone who reads biblical fiction.

I received a copy of this book from Bethany House. The above comments are my own.