People Need the Lord by Laura V. Hilton

… for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. (Matthew 16:7b KJV)

Laura V. Hilton

There is a song that was popular many years ago. Written by Steve Green and titled, “People Need the Lord,” it talks about the people he saw each day who hid their pain and how Jesus knew the cares of their hearts. (To listen on YouTube, click here.)

The lyrics have been brought home to me lately as I begin a new story. As readers know, for characters to become real, their struggles must be realistic. Like the song, their lives must be hard, but I also like my characters to have a fun side too.

I’m struggling with these new characters because I know nothing about them. What lies do they believe about themselves? What is their private pain? I don’t plot out stories, but there are a few basic things I need to know to start. And yes, it could be compared to the military’s: “Name, rank, and serial number.” Or law enforcement’s: “Just the facts, ma’am.” But not exactly.

In the story I just finished and turned into Whitaker House, the heroine believed she was too outspoken to find love. Yet she couldn’t quite seem to manage her tongue. She even struggled to believe that God loved her. Did He hear her prayers? The hero believed that he wasn’t worthy of trust. He wanted to prove himself, but how could he when he failed so miserably? He was limping through life with weak faith.

If you were to meet these characters in real life, you’d think they were happy people. They knew how to laugh and have fun. They had jobs they liked—most of the time. They even said the right words when they were around other believers so people didn’t know they were struggling with their faith.

Just like us.

Sunday I was sitting in church, shamefully not listening to the sermon, but instead mentally composing a letter I would never mail, telling a family member what I thought about their actions and how much it hurt me. I looked at the pastor. I turned to the scripture references. To all intents and purposes, anyone in church would think that I was paying rapt attention to the message. I can tell you the scripture reference… but that is it.

I laughed and spoke with the other members of the church. But not one person there (other than my family) knew how much I was hurting. How much I struggled with the words someone had said.

I needed Jesus. I needed His help to forgive this person, and His help not dwelling on the way I had been treated. God is helping me feel peace and work through the pain.

And that is real life. We play church. We laugh and talk. We hide our private pain. And our characters have to do that too. Yet, since we are in their heads as we read, we have to know what hurts them. What they believe. And how Jesus is going to be able to reach out and touch them in that dark, painful spot so they can begin to find healing.

Is there some way that you need God to work? Can Jesus help you forgive someone for something? Do you need His spirit to heal the hidden pain in your heart?

Dear Lord: You see our hearts and know the pain we’re feeling. Please help us to forgive and heal our emotions. We need You. Amen. 


For more posts by Laura V. Hilton, click here.

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 Love followed by her first Christmas novel, A White Christmas in Webster County, as well as a three book Amish series with Whitaker 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 Christmas Admirer. 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 blog: http://lighthouse-academy.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/

Firestorm

Firestorm by Laura V. Hilton

 
Bridget Behr and her family migrate from the bustling Amish community where she grew up in Ohio to the mostly unpopulated Upper Peninsula of Michigan after a stalker breaks into their home. While her father and brother try to find work in the area, the family is forced to reside in a borrowed RV until the house and barn are rebuilt. While Bridget is hoping for a fresh start, she’s afraid to trust anyone—even Gabriel, the overly-friendly Amish man who lives nearby. Bridget thinks he’s a flirt who serial dates and doesn’t even remember the girls’ names.

Due to not enough construction work in his Florida community to keep him out of trouble, Gabriel Lapp has been sent to Michigan to work. His father is desperate for his son to settle down. When the family walks into Gabe’s home in the middle of a thunderstorm and he discovers their circumstances, he offers to help with construction. For Gabe, the beautiful girl he teasingly calls “the recluse” once he discovers she doesn’t attend youth events, confuses him like none other.

As Gabriel and Bridget grow closer, they realize there is more to a person than meets the eye. Just as Bridget is finally settling into her new life, and perhaps finding love, tragedy strikes. Now Bridget and her family must decide if they should move to another Amish community, or dare to fight for the future they’d hoped for in Mackinac County.

It is Finished by Laura V. Hilton

Laura V. Hilton

After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!” Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth.  So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. John 19:28-30

I have just come off a tight deadline, typing “the end” on a manuscript, and sent it to the publisher. But my work is just finished “for now.” I still will have edits from the publisher, and this editor does them not once, but three times, making sure the book is as perfect as us mere humans can possibly make it. I can’t say with any measure of absolute “It is finished.”

Easter was a few days ago. Christians all over the world acknowledged Holy Thursday, Good Friday, the Saturday between with an air of expectation, and Sunday when “He is risen.”

Jesus Christ is the only one who can truly say “It is finished.” He did what the Father commanded. Came to Earth, was born as a baby, lived a perfect life even while experiencing the same sorrows, temptations, and pain that us humans do, took the world’s sins on His shoulders, and died an excruciating death on the cross. And then, after three days, He rose again, having victory over sin and death in order that we can spend eternity with Him.

It is finished.

Easter is the most important of Christian holidays because of what God the Father and God the Son did for us.

It’s about the cross.

As the lyrics to a song by that name (sung by Go Fish) say:

It's about the cross
, It's about my sin…

As we move past Easter into the normalness of the rest of the year, let us remember the price He paid for our sins. And to continue to shout from the roof tops, He is risen! Let us live that truth every day of our lives.

It is finished. 

Thank you, Jesus, for loving us enough to go to the cross, to suffer and die for our sins, and to defeat Satan and death by rising again. Help us to live to serve You every day. Amen.

What is one special way you celebrate the death and resurrection of God’s son?


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 Love followed by her first Christmas novel, A White Christmas in Webster County, as well as a three book Amish series with Whitaker 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 Christmas Admirer. 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/

Love by the Numbers

After her fiancé dies in a buggy accident, Lydia Hershberger is invited to Jamesport to manage her Mennonite aunt’s gift store while her aunt and uncle are on a mission trip. While there, Lydia gets acquainted with her aentie’s best friend, Bethel Bontrager, and her grown son, Caleb. Lydia is surprised to find herself drawn to the handsome clockmaker, Caleb Bontrager. But in spite of an instant flame of attraction between them, he doesn’t seem interested. In fact, pesky Caleb treats her like he doesn’t even like her.

Bright and sparkly. That’s Caleb’s first impression of Lydia. He’s always been attracted to sparkly things. In fact, his affinity for those things, and the trouble they can cause are exactly why he’s determined to change his ways and settle down. With Lydia’s aentie gone, he is handling the books for the gift shop and is forced to spend too much time in her presence.

When God offers Lydia a second chance at love and family, will she take it? Or will the secret Caleb harbors cause her even more heartbreak?  

Laura V. Hilton posts the first Tuesday of every month. For more of Laura's posts, click here.

Parties…Festivities…and Deadlines! OH MY! by Beth Wiseman

Keeping order during the holidays is challenging no matter what your profession, so how can we juggle our work commitments with holiday festivities and still celebrate the season? Oh, how I wish I had the answer. But I am trying to incorporate a few things into my routine in hopes of keeping the holiday cheer in the forefront while not letting obligations fall behind.

I’ve never been much of an online shopper. Until now. I live in a rural area, so I have to travel at least an hour round trip to get to the nearest store, and that doesn’t include any malls, which is almost three hours of traveling time. So, in my effort to keep sane, I’ve bought some of my Christmas presents online and also supported our local businesses when I could.

I also participate in a reward program that I invented just for me. Write ‘X’ amount of words, then enjoy whatever reward I’ve promised myself. It’s particularly helpful this time of year, although I have been known to cheat, which is sometimes the flaw in this plan. But overall, I’m trying to stay disciplined with word count so I can enjoy time with family and friends when I’ve met that goal.

Now, here’s a biggie that I’m reminding myself of daily. Everything doesn’t have to be perfect. The house doesn’t have to be spotless. Hubby will survive without a home cooked meal if I need to work late. We have enough clothes to survive if the laundry doesn’t get done in as timely a manner as I would like. And, most importantly, I’m going to thank God every day for my many blessings.

My mom is eighty, and I’m so thankful that I’ll be able to spend Christmas with her. However, this is my first Christmas in twenty-nine years that I won’t be with my oldest son. He is working in Singapore, and he will be going to Thailand with his employer for the holidays. It’s a wonderful opportunity for him, a life experience he will always remember, but I sure will miss him.

I guess, in a nutshell, I’m trying to keep things in perspective and not get weighed down with things that really aren’t important. Five, ten, or fifteen years from now, no one will remember if my baseboards were clean. But I’ll remember quality time with my family.

This probably didn’t offer up any whirlwind advice, but I wish you all a very Merry Christmas. Cherish your family and friends. Everything else will fall into place.

Peace to you!

Beth

Award-winning, best-selling author Beth Wiseman is best known for her Amish novels, but her most recent novels, Need You Now and The House that Love Built, are contemporaries set in small Texas towns. Both have received glowing reviews. Beth's highly-anticipated novel, The Promise, is inspired by a true story.

An Amish Miracle, a collection of 3 novellas released December 3, 2013

"Always Beautiful" by Beth Wiseman

Becky Byler is eighteen and overweight. She is overwhelmed by the embarrassment she feels when comparing herself to other girls her age. Having lost all hope, she considers taking her own life. As she stands before rushing water, unable to swim, Becky begs God for a miracle. In just several months, Becky sees her prayers answered as food and temptation lose their hold over her. She’s finally pleased with how she looks, but does she like the person she has become? And has the man she has dreamed of been right beside her all along, loving her exactly as she is?

"Always His Providence" by Ruth Reid
Widow Rosa Hostetler has one month to pay her delinquent taxes before the county auctions her farm. She’s prepared to sell whatever is necessary to pay the lien, but she isn’t willing to request money from the community’s widow fund. She’s embarrassed and refuses to admit she needs help. Rosa depends on income from selling eggs, but when that income is threatened, only a miracle can help Rosa accept the kindness of a neighbor.

"Always in My Heart" by Mary Ellis

Hope Bowman believes God is punishing her for giving up her firstborn son when she was a teenager. She’s hidden this secret from her husband, who is thankful for their daughters but longs for a son. Hope prays desperately, but the son God sends her isn’t a new baby but the fifteen-year-old boy she gave up years ago.

Includes Reading Group Guide and Old-Order Amish Recipes
Visit AmishLiving.com

The Result of Doing My Homework: a Best Seller! by Kate Lloyd

Kate Lloyd

I recall the plot for my first Amish novel unfolding. Its title, Leaving Lancaster, presented itself like a banner waving in the breeze. My characters came alive in a blissful flurry. I sold my proposal, a synopsis and three chapters, to David C. Cook, a distinguished publishing house. Hurray!

Then a wave of panic swept through my chest as I realized how little I knew about the Amish. I’d read Amish fiction, but I could hear my professorial-father’s words in my ear: “Do your homework.”

Questions and doubts inundated my mind. What if I characterized the Amish incorrectly? Could I honor them, yet remain true to my Christian beliefs?

I decided to give it my best and opened my laptop for a look-see on Google. The information I found about the Amish was sketchy. What became clear was: they are private and prefer to live along side us Englishers (anyone not Amish) but not engage in our hectic world. They tolerate us, but our modern conveniences are viewed as a bad influence to their tight family units. Old Order Amish follow the teachings of the Bible vigorously, and also an unwritten set of rules called the Ortnung that varies from church district to district.

I take pleasure in writing fiction and don’t balk at doing research, because a fiction writer has to have his or her facts correct or the reader will doubt the whole premise of the book. But how could I delve into a community that didn’t want me to know about it?

I purchased books and found, to my relief, I’d stumbled upon the world’s authority on the Amish. I contacted Donald B. Kraybill, Ph.D. and his research assistant, Steve Scott (see this link), who became a mentor and friend. Both scholars generously helped me, and I went to bed reading their books every night.

Amish farm

But how could I understand the Amish without coming to know them? I couldn’t call or email people who didn’t use the Internet or own phones in their homes. I’d have to go to Lancaster County, PA; my husband wanted to come too. I prayed I’d meet local Amish individuals who would read my manuscript searching for mistakes and inconsistencies. My husband and I cruised up and down many a country road, with care to stay clear of the horse and buggies. We were captivated with the expansive farms and bounteous fields ploughed by draft horses or mules. Through persistence, I met gracious people who agreed to read my manuscript. I now consider them friends. With each trip, I’ve forged new relationships I treasure and strengthened ties with family members living in the area. 

As I wrote and rewrote, I continued to do research on every facet of the Amish, including their unique language. I called the author of the most accurate Pennsylvania Dutch dictionary to verify the spelling and use of certain words. I’ve consulted with him several times since.

The result? Leaving Lancaster was a best seller in spring 2012! Its long awaited sequel, Pennsylvania Patchwork, released June 1, 2013. I’m working on the third book of The Legacy of Lancaster Trilogy for David C Cook. As long as I’m writing about the Amish I doubt my research will end, but the rewards are great!

Dora here.  How much homework do you do for your writing?

Does your research involve visiting your settings?

Purchase Link

The sequel to bestselling Leaving Lancaster is again set in the heart of Amish country. In Pennsylvania Patchwork, Holly Fisher tackles old grudges and secrets, struggles to make the right choice, and finds love.

Kate Lloyd is a novelist and a passionate observer of human relationships. She and her husband live in Seattle, the setting for Kate's first novel, A Portrait of Marguerite. She spends time with family and friends in Lancaster County, PA, the inspiration for her Amish novels, Leaving Lancaster and newly released Pennsylvania Patchwork. She is a member of the Lancaster County Mennonite Historical Society. She has worked a variety of jobs, including car salesman and restaurateur. To find out more about Kate Lloyd please visit her Website: www.katelloyd.net, her blog: http://katelloydauthor.blogspot.com, on Face Book: www.facebook.com/katelloydbooks or on Twitter KateLloydAuthor.