‘I sat right here in this chair spellbound until I finished it!’

During the night it appears that Old Man Winter turned his countenance to the Southwestern USA and let out a sigh, even a deep, forceful exhale. From my vantage point on our covered back patio, a brisk, chilly wind blows across the greenbelt landscape before me. Standing tall, wild grasses sway wildly back-and-forth, and then abruptly change rhythm as the wind swirls as it blows. The undergrowth of the shadow casting trees oscillates in rhythmic motion compelled by the cool, breezy grip. With the accompaniment of wind chimes, realization dawns–we are on the cusp of winter.

Here we are just one week from Thanksgiving 2021, I realize I have been lulled by the comfort of beautiful, sunny Central Texas weather to this point. My sister in the Northeast USA has four inches of snow on her property. The blanket of white arrived a few days ago, the first snow of the season for her locale.

To the Northwest USA, our granddaughter resides safely on the third floor of an apartment building on a hill. Good thing, too, because ten miles of Interstate 5 is underwater and/or covered by landslide debris. From her residential perch atop the rise, she can see, a few blocks away, city street intersections awash in floodwaters. In her dutiful morning drive to work, she had to constantly review her pre-planned new route to circumnavigate all the flooding. In a drive that took her three times as long as normal–some two hours by the time she arrived at her work destination–she was ‘treated’ to the sight of other cars and trucks bobbing up and down in rushing floodwaters on adjoining properties and city streets. Old Man Winter decided to bring his presence to mind to those residing in Northern Washington, USA, and Southwest British Columbia, CAN. According to weather authorities, an ‘atmospheric river’ is emptying its contents. Our granddaughter has given us eyewitness reports attesting to that fact.

Me? Lulled by the lack of weather shenanigans here in Central Texas, I lingered in bed until just before 9 a.m.–three hours later than my normal rise from slumber. Granted, I didn’t fall asleep until after 4 a.m. The excitement of a late-night DM from a reader with a book review of BEYOND VENGEANCE TO FORGIVENESS had kept me joyously awake into the early morning hours. Paraphrasing, this reader jokingly blames me ‘. . . for the fact that I got absolutely none of my chores done today. I started reading your book and I sat right here in this chair, spellbound until I had finished it! What a great and inspiring story. It’s awe-inspiring to realize what God can do in a person’s life, isn’t it? Makes one wonder why so many of us struggle for so long with turning our lives over to Him. This reader closed by adding: ‘. . . just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed your book and to wish you and yours a wonderful and love-filled holiday season!’

Thank you, Lord, for lending your Spirit to especially amplify the message of this book to this reader. I pray for your continued efforts to guide those souls who need to read this message. — FM