getting posts prepped for the Clarion Hope release
Jesus is our Ruler. It is His trail.
Kimu (transcribed from a prayer by Elisabeth Elliot)
What I’ve been reading
Chasing the White Lion – James R. Hannibal
This is the sequel to The Gryphon Heist, and I really enjoyed it! It did get a little bloodier than I like, but I really loved how the author dug into one character’s backstory…and the banter and suspense from the first book didn’t disappoint in the second!
By My Own Betrayal – Cydnie Trenholm
Okay, I loved this one so much!! The sibling relationships, the disguises, the plot twists, the dangling end that leaves you hungry for the sequel…it was just amazing. Put it on your TBR.
The Butterfly and the Violin – Kristy Cambron
I picked this up without realizing it was a romance (if you’ve been around the blog for a bit, you probably know how I feel about those XD), but it pleasantly surprised me! The storylines were gripping, and the descriptions of the death camp were heart-breaking and thought-provoking. I learned quite a bit from this book.
The goal is not to have unrestrained disclosure in every relationship, but to know at any level of communication that we are not holding back our voice out of fear.
Rosalie De Rosset
From the journal…
God, thank You for the pain… Thank You for Your gracious “no”s and “not yet”s… Oh, You know best then, God, and You know best now.
Lord, I pray for unity in Your Church… Show us the art of dying on the hills You’ve told us to die on, and the art of being quiet when the hills aren’t big enough.
David refused to offer to the Lord that which would cost him nothing. Help me to have this heart, Father! May I never look for the easy way out…may I pay full price.
God, who am I to tell You how to write my story?
How was your March? Anything remarkable that you learned/read/did?
Book number two is out in the world…you can find it here.✨
It wasn’t a coincidence that I chose this day as the release day…
It’s right before we celebrate the ultimate victory ever won: Christ’s victory over sin and the grave, and through Him, our own victory. That’s what this book is all about, folks.
It’s my prayer that, as you crack open this book, you are reminded of your insufficiency, Christ’s complete sufficiency, and the hope and the power He gives you through His victory.
Here’s a bit of Scripture I read this morning that I found really applicable to today…
Then comes the end, when He (Christ) delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power.
For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet.
The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.
No more mourning.
No more tears.
No more grieving over the brokenness of a fallen world.
He has slaughtered death, and He will do it again.
(Yes, this is what was originally meant to be yesterday’s post smashed together with today’s post. It was a full, wonderful weekend…and that means not full of writing blog posts.:))
The Scripture in Clarion Hope
When you open Clarion Hope and page past the dedication and table of contents, you’ll find a passage of Scripture…
Now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.
Romans 13:11-12
I couldn’t have written a better introduction for this book that calls for courage and hope on sin-torn battlefields…for the casting off of the works of darkness and the donning of the armor of light. I was reading in Romans a few months ago, and this passage just jumped out at me, begging to be included in Clarion Hope in some way.
I couldn’t say no, could I?
the untitled poem
if I fear not death…
if the Defender holds my future…
if fear does not control me…
then what, pray, can steal my courage?
This simple gem marks the beginning of the third section of Clarion Hope: slaughtered fear.
A bit of a graphic title? Perhaps. But it drives home the point that I wanted to make: fear has no control over the redeemed child of God.
As a friend of the Death-Slayer, we can…
walk untrodden paths in confidence
ride out deadly storms
raise a solitary voice with no fear
…and so much more. Won’t you join me for the journey?✨
This poem comes from the second section of Clarion Hope: recovering Eden. Quite possibly my favorite section, it really hits on what Paul expresses in Romans 8 — “…the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now…even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.”
We see the brokenness of a sin-riddled world and we weep. Yet in the middle of that, we recognize that redemption is coming…that the perfect fellowship of Eden will one day be restored because of Christ’s perfect sacrifice.
For the windblown souls who have caught the notes of hope’s clarion call. May these words be the hug and the shove that you need.
clarion hope’s dedication (laurel Luehmann)
Last July I typed out a dedication for Clarion Hope in the Notes app on my phone. This one is nearly verbatim.
As I wrote, gathered, and selected the poems for this collection, one of my goals was “to comfort the disturbed and to disturb the comfortable.” (That’s been attributed to a few different people, so I won’t even try.XD)
I want Clarion Hope to be a refuge of truth and encouragement for the ones who have been broken…the ones who have wondered if they are beyond healing and redemption. I want it to speak truth and life into hurting hearts, serving as a reminder that there is no wound Christ cannot heal, no sin He cannot blot out.
For the ones who have become comfortable with the walls they’ve erected around their comfort zones, I want it to be a challenge and a call to action. An encouragement to see the courage and calling that is ours in Christ. A reminder that eternity yawns beyond the grave, and that the blip of life we’re given on earth is screaming to be spent in a worthy way.
but what songs will not be sung, and what tales will not be told if I venture not outside my door to burgle dragon’s gold?
from “wardrobe” – Clarion Hope
If that sounds like a reminder you need, feel free to snag your own copy of Clarion Hope here!
Do you have any favorite books that come to mind with these descriptions?
And so begins the countdown to Clarion Hope’s release day!
I’m going to be sharing a post a day until release day, so either buckle up or shut down your computer, depending on how you feel about Clarion Hope spam. XD
I wanted to kick it off by sharing a poem that comes from the first section of Clarion Hope.
The first section is titled fading scars, and it captures the emotions that fluctuate as we find ourselves to be broken people in need of healing…falling at the feet of the Healer. Regret, despair, gratitude, relinquishment…this section has it all.
Here’s one of my favorite poems from that first section.✨
ghosts
etch the tale in silver: how
we’ll break the chains of the past asunder,
and kindle a fire of
paper-thin ghosts
that once proudly bore our faces…
(for that’s you and me no longer.)
If you resonated with the themes of fading scars or enjoyed ghosts, you may want to get your hands on a copy of Clarion Hope. If you order today, it just may arrive in time for you to read it on release day!
Friends, meet one of my favorite books and the first one I’ve had the privilege of endorsing!
This Life of Mine has earned a forever home on my bookshelf and in my heart. Featuring memorable characters and a powerful stance on the sanctity of life, it had me in tears with its story of redemption in the wake of regret. Victoria Lynn has done it again, weaving a tale that holds out hope to the ones who have been broken…and to the ones who have broken others.
Laurel Luehmann
First off, let me introduce you to the book via the blurb…
Marcus is tired of losing those he loves. The last shred of his childhood has been uprooted, and he feels alone… again. When the ruler’s new policies take effect, the anger of the Rusalkan mountain king is unleashed upon the borderlands. With refugees streaming into Elira by the hundreds, the stories from the wall are horrific.
Marcus joins a convoy to lend his medical skills to those in need at the Eliran border. What he finds there requires him to face his own deformities. Will he be able to overcome them? Or will his life forever be marked by suffering and sacrifice?Dilara’s life as a slave in Rusalka was anything but idealistic. Consumed by a system designed to use, abuse, and discard the likes of her, she has been taken through the very depths. Carrying a traumatic secret and wounded in her frenzied escape, she finds herself with an unlikely protector and an even more confusing relationship. Can she traverse the waters of this new life of hers and make it her own?
“Curses often have a way of turning out to be blessings in disguise. It’s a wise man who will see the first and recognize it as the other.”
This Life Of Mine – The Chronicles of Elira
What I loved about This Life of Mine
The characters.
Even the side characters in this book had so much personality! Everyone was so endearing and just came alive so effortlessly in my mind. (I’ve got to admit that Keitha was probably my favorite side character.:) )
I loved how you got to see the main character’s flaws, too. The characters weren’t unrealistically perfect…they were believable and relatable.
Marcus’ prayers/conversations with God.
Every now and then, there comes a fictional character who challenges you to live your life differently, and Marcus’ effortless open dialogue with the Lord did just that for me.
The recurring imagery and parallels.
Man, oh man. This was so much fun. It was the ashes one that got me.
The reveal.
I can’t say much about this because of spoilers, but WOW. This was one plot twist I never saw coming, and the absolute beauty…
“Pain shared brings healing instead of making the wound grow deeper with each remembrance.”
this life of mine – The chronicles of elira
Intrigued? Purchase a copy from Amazon here or a signed copyhere!
This Life of Mine is the second book in Victoria Lynn’s series, The Chronicles of Elira, but this book can also be read as a standalone! If you’re interested in hearing more about the first book in the series, check out my review of Once I Knewhere.
Meet the author
Victoria Lynn has an insatiable desire for truth, light and beauty.
Traveling to destinations of beauty created by our Heavenly Father, reveling in creative pursuits that fill her with joy, or pouring her heart into words of life are some of her favorite things to do.
She seeks to bring the life giving words of the Savior to a dark and broken world that desperately needs to know of His sacrifice.
A writing and publishing coach, author, journalist, seamstress and creator, she loves spending time with any of her 8 siblings, exploring her native state of Michigan, and sewing gowns fit for a princess.
It does not matter how great the pressure is. What really matters is where the pressure lies – whether it comes between you and God, or whether it presses you nearer His heart.
Hudson taylor
What I’ve been reading
The Gryphon Heist – James R. Hannibal
“Also you are very small, no? You need the help.”
Eddie turned and walked away.
Man, oh man, was this an exciting read! I was very pleasantly surprised to find that, not only was it void of junk, it also had some cool forgiveness elements, as well. A great balance of action, banter, character depth, and plot twists.
Becoming Elisabeth Elliot – Ellen Vaughn
“He is my Rock. it is on Him I count, not on the purity of my own heart…His promises depend on His character, NOT MINE. This is the only foundation for faith.”
Yes, I’m still reading it…yes, I’m still loving it. (It does get a bit descriptive with some of the injury scenes, so if that’s something that disturbs you, be forewarned.)
The Magician’s Nephew – C.S. Lewis
The Bear lobbed the whole sticky mass over the top of the enclosure and unfortunately it hit Uncle Andrew slap in the face (not all the bees were dead). The Bear, who would not at all have minded being hit in the face by a honeycomb himself, could not understand why Uncle Andrew staggered back, slipped, and sat down. And it was sheer bad luck that he sat down on the pile of thistles.
I just finished this one! It was so fun to read it again.
(I also got to beta-read a dual-timeline novel that hasn’t been published yet.)
Teach me never to let the joy of what has been pale the joy of what is.
Elisabeth Elliot
From the journal
…thank You, Lord, that the love does not come from my meager resources, but from the incredible depths of Your love.
Purify my heart, Lord…let self-will die a quiet death in me.
Help me to live in pursuit of Your heart, Father. And yet it is not a pursuit…for You ask me to knock, and tell me it will be opened to me, and all I must do is keep in step with Your Spirit.
What memories/lessons are you taking away from February?
Laurel Luehmann 