Last Sunday in church, we were blessed with a visit by four Bible school students who made the 800+ km journey up here to Norway House, Manitoba from Steinbach Bible College. They shared their testimonies and one of them preached a short sermon. I was very impressed by this young man’s insights into God’s word and his ability to apply scripture to everyday life.
Malcolm (photo on the right) preached about the passage where Jesus asked Peter to step out of the boat. As long as Peter kept his eyes on Jesus, everything was okay but when he looked around at the wind and the waves, he began to sink. Malcolm pointed out that, even in our times of doubting, Jesus is there reaching out His hand to help us stand again.
I guess the sermon really spoke to me because once again, I am stepping out of the boat, taking a huge risk and making a large investment. It’s taken me almost a year to reach this decision. My book, The Little Ones, is doing well across Canada and people are asking for more books by the same author. I actually had the next book written but just wasn’t sure if that was the direction the Lord wanted me to go. I also have a manuscript ready for the very first book I wrote: Rachel’s Children, which is the very beginning (it even pre-dates Colin’s Choice which was published in 2005). Well, the long and short of it is that I decided to move forwards instead of backwards. This will be a brand new series even though it involves all the same characters as The Little Ones and occurs chronologically only 9 months after The Little Ones.
The new series will follow a fictional support group. Each book covers one week and there are seven books which explore various challenging topics such as teen pregnancy, abortion, the sex trade, homosexuality, AIDS, miscarriage, family relationships, verbal and emotional abuse, adoption, and Aboriginal issues such as residential schools and land claims (NOT all in one book!!). Woven throughout each story is the love of God at work in people’s lives, bringing hope and healing.
Each book also features one person’s story so the title of the first book is: Jasmine (subtitle: The Group, Week One).
Every book will have questions at the end for personal reflection or group discussion. These books can be used for small groups or can be enjoyed individually.
Wow – even as I’m making this announcement, I’m trembling in my boots! Or to go back to the original metaphor, I’m looking at the wind and the waves.
Stepping out of the boat sure is a scary thing to do! I’m so glad the Lord has promised to “never leave us nor forsake us.” (Hebrews 13:5)
Dorene Meyer
http://www.dorenemeyer.com/
author of (in chronological order):
Colin’s Choice, Deep Waters, Pilot Error (children’s), Get Lost! (children’s), The Little Ones and coming soon… Jasmine.
2 comments:
Dorene,
Congratulations on the success of "The Little Ones"! And it's terrific that you've the courage to venture forth with your new series.
Peter's faith, despite his faltering moment, continues to inspire generations of believers; and our Lord's outreached, strengthening hand continues to lift and save.
Good for you!! It sounds like a fascinating series and written from a unique (and uniquely Canadian) perspective.
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