My last draft of the second book of the “Pursued by Evil, Called by God” series is nearly finished. The following is a quote I came across in the last edit of the book, and I thought, This is relevant to help us confront the Corvid-19 crisis.

“Hope is a strange word. When we think the worst might happen, but have some reason to believe the best could still overcome all that is trying to destroy us, there is hope. We can have hope that even the worst situation might still turn out well. I need that hope.“

I call book two in the series, Identity Confused. I’m hoping it will be available in a few months.

If you have not yet read, Book Pursued, the first book in the series, it is a suspense thriller that will give you a riveting read during these challenging times. It is available on Amazon as both a paperback and an e-book for Kindle. It helps to search under my name to find the book. The paperback is also available from Itasca Books, a local book warehouse.

Covid-19! How do I face this crisis? Do I cry out in fear, or do I trust in God to guide me through the dangers and frustrations?

I know Covid-19 is a virus that could make me extremely sick and possibly kill me. Will I survive the impact of its invasion? I don’t know—probably. Probably?

This is where my faith in the Lord begins. Whatever happens, I believe Jesus came to earth to live, die, and rise again to give me new life and ultimately eternal life with Him. That does not mean I won’t need to go through severe pain. Even Jesus shed tears as he faced His death. He knew the pain wouldn’t be permanent, and that His agony would give us freedom from our sins and failures. He died to save us, but until Jesus returns in glory, we will still face our human death. We want, however, to live a long and happy life first.

I sometimes think about how short our life on earth really is. What is one-hundred years compared to eternity. I cannot even begin to comprehend eternity. Yet, that is my hope because of the love and power of Jesus Christ to change my life forever—forever.

CRISIS! or FAITH, HOPE, LOVE! Let us choose faith, hope, and love. I choose to live every day with the peace that comes from my faith in Jesus, my hope in His salvation as I follow Him, and my love for God and my neighbors around the world.

The Church Club Rules:
• Attend the church worship service every Sunday.
• Put money into the offering.
• Enjoy the music, whether that is a band with drums, a musical group, a choir, or an organ.
• Sing along with the music leader.
• Meditate, listen, rest, or sleep during the sermon or homily.
• Feast on the food at church social gatherings.
• Look good, especially on Sunday.
• In church, act pious; outside of the church, do what you want to do.

Or Christian Faith and Discipleship:
• Love the Lord with all your heart.
• Love your neighbor as yourself.
• Truly worship God with your fellow believers.
• Believe in Jesus, not just about Jesus.
• Follow Jesus who is “the way, the truth, and the life.”
• Live a life of service and obedience to the Lord.
• Trust in God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit to guide us through this life.
• Lead others to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
• Reach out to those who have needs.
• Seek to bring the lost to the Lord so they may have eternal life with the God who loves them.
• Trust in Jesus to forgive your sins, but do your best not to sin.
• Pray often to the God who loves you.
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We may enjoy church. The praise music is captivating. We stand with those around us and raise your hands in an emotional response to the beat. Many of our friends are standing next to us. We listen to the sermon and think, “That was interesting.” Attending church feels normal. We feel like we belong.

But do we only belong like we belong to a club? How does the worship service impact us? How does our commitment to Jesus Christ change our lives? Do we have a passion for the salvation of people? Do we seek to help those around us to show the love of Jesus to them? Do we avoid sin?
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So, who are you? Are you committed to following Jesus? Do you believe in God, the Father? Does the Holy Spirit live in you? Are you a follower of Jesus who loves all your neighbors as yourself? Do you really believe Jesus lived, died, and rose again to save you? Do you trust Jesus to forgive all your sins? Do you believe in Jesus Christ or do you only think of Him as your club founder?
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Living the faith of Jesus is more amazing than simply living the club life of church and then walking out the door to live your own life with an imaginary membership card.

Second Book in the Pursued by Evil, Called by God Series

What is my identity? Who am I? Who am I becoming? These are confusing thoughts. Is who I am today the same as who I was when I was a teenager, or when I graduated from college, or when I had my first job? No, of course not. We all change, but our roots go deep—to the core of our being. 

In book two, George Mercy struggles with his identity. So who is he now? How are his roots affecting who he is in his new life? Where is his identity taking him? How are his thoughts about himself, the world around him, and God changing? What has happened to Jane? Does George find her as he moves into his new identity? These are some of the questions explored in Identity Confused.

I recently had a new proof copy of Identity Confused printed. I am having it read to me. Someone else reading a manuscript out loud helps find many errors that are missed when I read it on the computer.

I still need some input on a few scenes in the book, but the second novel in the series is finally moving toward completion.