Being About the Father's Business by Marianne Evans

Marianne Evans

“His Father in Heaven trusted him to fulfill the greatest mission of all. Jesus was about his Father's business until the bitter end. Even as he hung on the cross, he won souls for the Lord. We too have a mission for the Lord.” ~ Ruth Mytty, St. Monica Reflections Team

Those words are part of a daily devotion I read each day, and they gave me a lot to think about at church this weekend as Scripture verses unrolled, revealing the triumphant journey Jesus took to Jerusalem, and the rapid-fire fall from public favor that left him questioning everything.

Yes. Everything.

The most sacred season in the Christian calendar—Holy Week—is under way. As I near the end of Lent and my ‘journey through the desert,’ I’ve come to recognize, strongly, the Jesus was uncertain. Jesus questioned Himself. Jesus wondered whether or not He had accomplished God’s plan. He had doubts, like me. He was uncertain and fearful, like me. He wasn’t sure of his mission, like me.

Writing is a call I’ve embraced with all that I am. It’s a blessing I never take for granted. Does that make it easy? Oh, no. In fact, lately, my writing life has been fraught with timing struggles, insecurity and self-doubt. In my present season of change and challenge—of beauty and shifting priorities, I find myself struggling to focus on writing and carve out enough time to create. What does that mean?

Does that mean I’m not meant to continue writing? Is the process of creating books what He still wants from me? It’s not that I don’t love writing. It fires and inspires me like nothing else. It’s not that I don’t have stories to tell. God keeps planting fertile plot seeds. My struggle stems from finding the time and energy to write fresh pages each day.

In the shifting sands of life, I’ve found the only way through is to pray—to seek God’s guiding voice—to listen, and pay attention to the movement of His hand in my life. A hiatus from writing isn’t an option when such things as new releases, book tours and commissioned future titles fill my view. Yes, it’s challenging. Yes, the degree of influencing factors in my life sometimes leave my head to spin, but that’s when I think of Jesus and his very same struggle with the Mission God gave him.

Jesus understands. He had to battle turmoil. That’s assuring to me. No matter what the calling, I want always to be about the Father’s business. No matter the outward constraints, I intend to embrace my mission and rely on the prayerful support and encouragement of the people He leads into that path. That’s what leads me to the other side of doubts and anxiety.

If you’d enjoy more inspiration from St. Monica’s Parish, here’s the link where you can sign up for their daily devotions: ST MONICA’S PA RISH DAILY REFLECTIONS I’ve been a subscriber for years, and can’t tell you how many times the messages these authors share have lifted me up.

God bless, and HAPPY EASTER, friends!!!!

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Be about the Father's business
Experiencing a season of doubt in your mission? Jesus has been there.

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Marianne Evans is an award-winning author of Christian romance and fiction. Her hope is to spread the faith-affirming message of God’s love through the stories He prompts her to create. Devotion, earned the Bookseller’s Best Award as well as the Heart of Excellence Award. Hearts Communion earned a win for Best Romance from the Christian Small Publisher's Association. Finding Home won the Selah award for Best Novella. Marianne is a lifelong resident of Michigan and an active member of Romance Writers of America, most notably the Greater Detroit Chapter where she served two terms as President.

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Country music bad boy Chase Bradington is on the comeback trail. Fresh from rehab for alcohol addiction, and transformed by the power of Christ, Chase is battling to rediscover the music he loves and a career he nearly ruined. Then he meets up and comer, Pyper Brock, and instantly sparks ignite.

Pyper knows of Chase’s reputation, so despite a rampant attraction to the handsome and talented icon, she soundly dismisses his romantic overtures. Decades ago, her father, in a drunken rage, tossed her and her mother onto the streets. No way will Pyper make the mistake of falling for a man whose done battle with the bottle.

What happens when Chase’s quest to win Pyper’s love breaks down chains of resentment and eases the long buried wounds of her childhood? And what happens when Pypers father shows up in Nashville, clean, sober and seeking a chance to apologize?

Can Pyper follow a pathway to peace when it comes to her father? Can she fully trust Chase? Above all, can a sin damaged past be released in favor of forgiveness?

Releasing 11/1/2016 ~ Available for pre-order now at Amazon.com in PRINT and E-BOOK formats

Pass It On by Susan Tuttle

Image Courtesy of Ambro/FreeDigitalPhotos.Net

I was helping my son with his schoolwork recently, and we were studying about Samuel. He was a great man. An amazing prophet who God used to not only anoint Saul as King, but be a spiritual leader to Israel.

And he didn’t miss a beat. The man loved the Lord and carried his calling very seriously. He was dedicated to the Lord by his mother, Hannah, (one of my favorite stories) before he was even born. Raised under the priest, Eli, Samuel recognized God’s voice from a very early age and followed it willingly. He rallied under the passion God had given him to reach Israel and lead them as a Judge.

He pointed them to God. Helped them walk in His ways. Encouraged and uplifted the people with the sole purpose of bringing their focus to God. It was, in essence, his calling.

Except, in all his zeal, could he have missed something?

1 Samuel 8:3 says “…but his sons did not follow in his ways.”

He’d reached an entire nation, but missed his own children.

Now, I have no way of truly knowing if Samuel was a present parent or not. If he spent as much time teaching them about God as he did with Israel, and they simply chose another path. Believe me, I know this happens, and it is heart-wrenching. But as I read the story with my son, caution stepped in. A warning if you will. See, Samuel was so focused on carrying out his calling, that it’s equally as possible he missed bringing it to his family.

How do I know this? Because I am passionate about writing. Can anyone here relate? And writing for the CBA market isn’t strictly about entertainment. We write with a message, with a calling. We write to encourage other Christians and point non-believers to Christ. It’s an amazing purpose that we could so easily lose ourselves in because we see the value of it.

Problem is, the people in our immediate reach are our first mission field. If I write a bestseller that reaches a million plus people for Christ, but I neglect to show Him to my family or lose them in the process, what have I gained? Oh, I desperately want to reach an unsaved world, but not at the cost of my husband feeling neglected or my children never knowing Christ.

Please hear me, I’m not saying we don’t have deadlines, or that God hasn’t called you to write what’s before you. I am saying he’s placed your family around you for such a time as this. That God holds time in his hand, and He’s capable of proportioning it into the perfect amounts if you seek Him over what those are.

And I guess that’s where all this is going. Learning to balance your calling with the people he’s placed in your immediate sphere. Being present in their lives, so they don’t miss the presence of the One who created them. What you share with them is as important as the message you’re typing with hopes of reaching the masses.

Don’t let that calling pull you from the people within arm’s reach.


Pass it on.

Susan Tuttle

Susan Tuttle is a homeschooling mom of three who is crazy about coffee, dark chocolate, and words—both reading and writing them. Combine that love of words with her passion for leading women to a life-changing encounter with Christ, and you’ll find her crafting Inspirational Contemporary Romance stories laced with humor, love, and healing transformations. When not cheering on her Ironman hubby, chasing the family dog, or tackling complex math problems to teach her kids (yes, even the third grader), you can catch Susan at her blog, Steps.