Turn! Turn! Turn! by Laura V. Hilton

Laura V. Hilton

That sounds like me trying to navigate my husband through a huge city we’ve never been before . . . someplace like, oh, say . . . Cincinnati? You’ll understand that reference as you continue reading!

Actually, according to Wikipedia, that is the actual title (exclamation points included) of the song written by Pete Seeger in the late 1950s. The lyrics, except for the title which is repeated throughout the song, and the final verse of the song, are adapted word-for-word from Chapter 3 of the Book of Ecclesiastes, set to music and recorded in 1962. The song became an international hit in late 1965 when it was covered by the American folk rock band The Byrds, reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on December 4, 1965.

Ecclesiastes chapter 3 tells us,
There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,

3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,

4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,

5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,

6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,

7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,

8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

There is a joke that goes around the Baptist churches (and I’m sure other denominations too) that goes: 

Q. How many Baptists does it take to change a light bulb? 

A. Change?! Change?!

Some of us don’t handle change very well. And some changes are easier to handle than others. As you read the verses above, you’ll see. Some changes are good. Some are not.

Right now my family is beginning a time of changes.

1. My oldest son has left the nest. This is a good change because as you know from previous posts he is very good at disobedience, disrespect, dishonesty, and disrupting lives. 
2. My second son will be boarding the bus for the Memphis airport as you read this post. He might even be in the air somewhere between Memphis and Philadelphia depending on what time you get online. He is heading to boot camp for the United States Coast Guard. A good thing? Yes, probably. I’m in tears just thinking about it because he is my right arm. I rely on him so much for everything. And he’ll be gone. Yes, I know he needs to grow up, to experience what he wants to do, to take the next steps, but good or not, this change is hard. 
3. I have to go to Cincinnati. Okay, my husband will remind me that “I get to go to Cincinnati.” A big difference in attitude there. I get to go! Okay. There’s going to be a book signing and I am blessed enough to be invited to sign my most recent book. This is a change. I live in a very rural area. Cincinnati is not exactly rural. The idea of the traffic, the crowds of people, the unfamiliar geography scares me. This is a change that is probably good, but scary. 

Regardless of the circumstances you may find yourself in, it is very evident that you are not going to be able to continue in the same direction. You are going to have to TURN! And that brings new choices, new directions, and again you are going to have to TURN! TURN!

I don’t know about you, but all of that TURNING! can sometimes lead to motion sickness. Physically, emotionally . . . and spiritually. How does one maintain one’s equilibrium?

In Proverbs 3:5-6 it says 

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

In times of change and uncertainty, it’s good to know God is directing my paths. My son’s paths. Maybe even both sons’. I’m trying to learn to embrace this new season I’m entering. A not-quite-empty nest, but an emptier nest.

How do you handle change? Do you react as I do, with a “Change?! Change?!” or do you embrace each new season in life?

Dear Father, please help me to submit my ways to You as you guide me through this unfamiliar territory. I need Your peace. Your comfort. Help me to trust that You will direct my paths. Amen.

About the Author

Award winning author, Laura Hilton, her husband, Steve, and three of their children make their home in Arkansas. She is a pastor’s wife, a stay-at-home mom and home-schools. Laura is also a breast cancer survivor. Laura also has two adult children.

Her publishing credits include three books in the Amish of Seymour series from Whitaker House: Patchwork Dreams, A Harvest of Hearts (winner of the 2012 Clash of the Titles Award in two categories), and Promised to Another. The Amish of Webster County series, Healing Love (finalist for the 2013 Christian Retail Awards). Surrendered Love and Awakened Lovefollowed by her first Christmas novel, A White Christmas in Webster County, as well as a three book Amish series withWhitaker House, The Amish of Jamesport series, The Snow Globe, The Postcard, and The Bird House in September 2015. See below for information on Laura's latest, The Amish Firefighter. Other credits include Swept Away from Abingdon Press. Laura is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and a professional book reviewer.

Connect with Laura
http://www.amazon.com/Laura-V.-Hilton/e/B004IRSM5Q
visit her blogs: http://lighthouse-academy.blogspot.com/ &http://lauravhilton.blogspot.com/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Laura_V_Hilton or@Laura_V_Hilton
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Laura-V-Hilton/161478847242512
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/vernetlh/

Amish Firefighter
by Laura V. Hilton

The Amish Firefighter

A Beautiful Young Woman Banished from Home
Abigail Stutzman thought it was bad enough being dropped at the nearest bus station and sent to live several states away with some relatives she'd never heard about, much less met. But now, just a week after her arrival in Jamesport, Missouri, she finds herself at the scene of a barn fire. An intentional barn fire. And all fingers are pointed at her. She's desperate to prove her innocence and protect her reputation, but nobody's making that easy to do. And God certainly doesn't seem willing to help.

A Brave Firefighter with an Agenda of His Own
Sam Miller is in the process of turning over a new leaf. Determined to atone for the follies of his past, he is a volunteer firefighter, an EMT, and a doctor-in-training. When local barn fires escalate, everyone suspects arson. And since the Miller family are among the victims, no one is more determined to see the perpetrators brought to justice than Sam.

A Kindled Flame Neither One Could Have Anticipated
When their paths first cross, at the site of a barn burning, the emotional intensity rivals the warmth of the flames. Soon, they must decide whether this fire is one they should feed or extinguish. And they'll discover that the truth can prove more dangerous than a blazing inferno.

New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.