ANOTHER GLIMPSE OF HEAVEN

By Rolie Grady

Do you ever wish you could leave the pain of this world and live somewhere else? You’re not alone. Every person carries that dream in his heart. Deep within us lies a true picture of what life was meant to be. It’s a place where everything comes together perfectly….so unlike what happened this last week.

Much has already been said about good versus evil. Why does it take a huge tragedy for us to see the essence of evil? I don’t know. As layers of denial and deception implode, we either sink in the ashes or cry out for truth. At that moment , we are closer to permanent change than ever before.

When my son, Kyle, died in 1990, I already knew Jesus as Savior. His strong grip got my husband and me through the Valley of the Shadow of Death. Years went by as we struggled through the deepest pain of our lives. His presence became the turning point. We read the Bible with new urgency, knowing His voice was the only lifeline we had. Our eyes were opened to a different reality, and our ears attuned to the frequency of heaven.

Like our tragedy, this one sought to obliterate all traces of life. The media hypnotically focused attention on a downward spiral of death. Despair sucked the life out of families everywhere, leaving fear in it’s place.

Did God take a vacation on December 14, 2012? No. Like you, I grieve with bereaved parents in Newtown, Connecticut. But I also want to pass on a message I received the next day from Gary Fick, a professor at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. He writes:

“…this morning at the midyear recognition for our current graduates, ‘by chance’ I happened to meet a family whose church is in Newtown, CT. The mom was the Vacation Bible School teacher for some of those killed. She shared that in the morning before the murders happened, she had had a vision of those children climbing all over Jesus on His throne and kissing Him. They were so happy.

At the time, she said she did not know what it meant, but we know now. Right now I cannot understand and I do not really know what to do. But I am comforted by the knowledge that Jesus is with those who have died so wantonly. And I pray again that His comfort and direction will come to us who continue to live in this dark and troubled world…”

When darkness threatens to swallow hope this Christmas, follow me to Psalm 91 and find a well lit refuge. Remember that we can always go vertical, letting the true light of Heaven reveal everlasting life.

Learning to Bend

By Kathryn Lang

I bend, but the storms have helped me develop the strength not to break. Unexpected ice storms cause me to creak. Strong winds storms push me to my limits. The heat of summer forces my roots down even deeper. Through it all I stand.

But there are days when the bending, creaking and stretching seem like to much to take.

It would be easier to quit. The stress and strain of it all seems like a ridiculous choice when the toughest times are at hand. There is an easier way. There is a better way. There is a way that would make me happier. There HAS to be.

Relax in the midst of it all and just bend. Do it right now. Bend your head forward and breathe. Bend to the sides and breathe. Bend just a little and soon you break the hold the storm has on your life.

Today it was working through papers for my dad that had to do with my mom. She died in March, but the pain of her absence hit me with a vengeance I could never have expected. One thing piled up on another thing and soon something as trivial as being put on hold caused me to break down.

Bend.

I cried. I bent over my desk and let the tears fall for a moment. It was too much.

Bend.

I wiped the tear and took a deep breath. Pain will happen. Tears will fall. But I will not break. I will keep bending and shifting and bending and shifting until the storm has passed.

Pushing on with a writing career, no matter what direction that career takes, is not for the weak. The attitudes and behaviors of people thrown at something you cared for and molded will cause some to want to fold. Cruel words, rejections, and the lack of sales can all drive you to want to give up. It can push you to the breaking point.

Just bend. When it comes down to it, bend your head down. Now say a prayer. And let the peace that passes all understanding be the soothing water that makes it possible for you to keep bending until you find your way.

What If Your Husband Didn't Come Home?

This year Cynthia Ruchti will once again be Assistant Director for the Quad-Cities Christian Writers Conference, held April 8-9 in Eldridge, Iowa.  For more information about the conference or to register please visit http://www.qccwc.com.  She would love to meet you there and so would we! 

Last year, Cynthia's first novel was released to great success.  What follows is my review for:
They Almost Always Come Home
Cynthia Ruchti's debut novel.

Move over Ted Dekker. “They Almost Always Come Home” is one of those books that grabs your attention on the first page and holds your heart all the way till the last. By the time the first chapter ended, I was hooked on this story of a real woman facing real problems the best way she knows how.

Libby’s husband, Greg, is late coming home from a wilderness/camping-fishing trip. But Libby is not sure if she’s mad or glad about that. The loss of their young daughter has put so much stress on Libby and the marriage that some days she isn't sure if their life together can survive or if she even cares any more.  Despite Libby's conflicting emotions, Greg's mysterious absence is all she can think about.

After taking the waiting as long as she can, Libby enlists her best friend, Jenika, and Greg's wilderness-savvy father to join her in a trip attempting to retrace her husband’s steps to find out what really happened.  Libby & her friend are as far from campers as you can get and she has never really gotten beneath the hard exterior of Greg’s father. She leaves half-expecting to find Greg has left her for another woman. Her journey and what she finds cause her to reach to the very depths of her faith in God.  At this point the story really kicked into high gear for me and became as suspenseful as any John Grissom or Stephen King I’ve read.

The book had me reading late into the night. The gripping story took twists and turns I never saw coming and kept me turning pages, on edge and nervous for the characters. As I read this story I felt I was reading behind the scenes of a real life mystery as it unfolded.

Author Cynthia Ruchti’s writing is REAL. You can feel Libby’s frustration and fear, her anger and grief; her humor and sentimental moments all ring true. Libby, Jenika (her sister in Christ and best friend in faith) and Frank (Greg’s father) seemed like friends I might run into at the corner store or Wal-Mart. The faith and commitment they exhibit is never overdone, but always just people doing what people who really care for each other do faced with a crisis.

It was one of the things that made this book so satisfying to read.

I hope if you’re a mystery or suspense fan you won’t be disappointed in “They Almost Always Come Home."  And come join Cynthia and all the other professional faculty at the QCCWC.  Maybe your book will be the "blest-seller" I review next year!