SEVENTH DIMENSION CONNECTION: Devotional from "Am I Okay, God?" by Lorilyn Roberts

… for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.

I Peter 1:23

When we meet the king face-to-face, we either become more like him or we walk away, unwilling to submit to his authority.

Remember when the king cast the demons out of the cemetery man and later drowned them in the lake? I shared this in the first devotional. The story in The Door comes from the Bible.

While The Door is a fantasy, the events that happened surrounding the king are true. If you accept God’s salvation through Jesus Christ, Satan and his demons will not be happy about your newfound faith.

*~*~*~*~*~*

From Seventh Dimension – the Door, a Young Adult Christian Fantasy:

Descending from the heavens were beautiful creatures, too numerous to count, decked out in white. They wore glowing robes of dazzling splendor. As they tended to the man Baruch called a king, I watched, too awed to speak and too stunned to know what to think.

A few minutes later, I regained my senses.

“Now you know what an underling is,” Baruch said.

“A coward, a bully, a demon.” I shook my head, still stunned. “Baruch, you did see all of that, right? I wasn’t imagining it.”

“Heehaw. Now you know the king.”

—Shale Snyder and Baruch, the donkey, chapter  eighteen

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While we can’t see spiritual beings, the Bible makes it clear they visit us in our homes, at work, and in the car—angels and demons alike. Who have you entertained lately? Angels in disguise? Or did you let down your guard? Satan and his demons know how to trip you up.

In Ephesians 2:2, Satan is referred to as the prince of the air. We don’t see him because we have physical bodies designed to inhabit this world. I call the realm that spiritual beings inhabit the seventh dimension.

Scientists agree there are many galaxies besides our own. Less understood is how many dimensions there might be. Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, referred to being taken up into the third heaven. He didn’t know if he was in the body or out, but it changed his perspective of God and the future.

Here is something I want you to think about. If part of you changes in the physical dimension, then it’s going to affect the spiritual realm.

Planet Earth is the battleground for spiritual activity. While earthly kings go to war to conquer, demons fight for control or possession of unsuspecting people. The demons follow the will of Satan, and as they did to the demon-possessed man in Gadarene, they torture. Even with the demon-possessed man, however, the demons couldn’t prevent the man from seeking Jesus, who cast the demons out and later drowned them in the lake.

The only way to protect yourself from spiritual attack is through the armor of God (prayer and reading the Bible), and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Without going too far into the metaphysical aspect, let’s examine it in psychological terms. If you respond in a certain way to someone, he will act one way. If you respond in a different way, his response will be different. That’s a tiny way of looking at it.

If you change on the inside because of the Holy Spirit’s work in your heart, the change will be perceived by others, even on a subconscious level. Remember Newton’s law from your science class? For every action, there’s always an equal and opposite reaction.

Your responses to the world around you will be different because you’re now different. The Bible says when you become saved, you’re “born again.” Unless you’re born again, you can’t enter into a relationship with Jesus Christ.

When Shale returned home, she had undergone a metamorphosis. Her responses to her environment were different, forcing those around her to respond differently.

When I was twelve and accepted Jesus into my heart, I felt different. My father remarked a few weeks later, “You have been acting differently. You seem different.”

I wish I had shared the reason why with him. I was afraid he wouldn’t understand, but I knew why. The Holy Spirit had made a difference in my life.

It’s very difficult to change yourself. Try to change one habit in your life and see how hard it is, but when you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, he helps you to change. Sometimes the changes are subtle and at other times they are profound.

Sanctification by the Holy Spirit is a life-long process. God wants you to grow and learn. It’s in the process that we learn how to live out our salvation. The change in you will affect the world around you in ways that you aren’t even aware.

Thank you, Jesus, for giving me a new life in you—that I am born again and alive in you. I am thankful the Holy Spirit is helping me to become more like you.

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REJECTED AND ALONE: Devotional from "Am I Okay, God" by Lorilyn Roberts

Available on Amazon

Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.

—I Peter 4:19

Never will I [God] leave you or forsake you.

—Hebrews 13:5

Can you talk to your parents about your feelings—your desires, your hurts, your aspirations, and your fears? Perhaps you’re afraid they won’t understand you. I never felt understood and easily got my feelings hurt. I later learned that sensitivity helped me to be a caring person.

*~*~*~*~*~*

From Seventh Dimension – The Door, a Young Adult Christian Fantasy:

“I couldn’t even tell my mother. My father—he left me long ago.”

—Shale Snyder, chapter two

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Fear of rejection runs deep. We’ve all felt the sting. I married when I was young and put my husband through medical school. Seven years into our marriage, he had an affair. He divorced me to marry his pregnant girlfriend, much like my father’s desertion of me when I was a young girl. Rejection’s twin brothers are worthlessness and hopelessness.

Rejection is so familiar to me that I go to great lengths to avoid it. “Am I okay?” I often asked a counselor. I believed if people knew the real me, they would reject me.

I have probably robbed myself of opportunities to further my career or be encouraged in my faith. I still struggle in this area. I am a work in progress.

Rejection comes in many forms. Perhaps you fear you will say the wrong thing at a party.

Rejection may go deeper—a boyfriend drops you, you receive a pink slip at work, or a school you wanted to attend turns down your application.

Ask God to help you sort through your rejected feelings. Read the Bible. Seek out a teacher, a counselor, a coworker, or a fellow student in whom you can confide. If you need help, do not feel ashamed or embarrassed to ask for it.

If you have made poor choices in friends, it’s not too late to cut off those relationships. If someone is abusing you physically or emotionally, seek guidance. Don’t be afraid, even if someone has threatened you.

If you’re pregnant and unmarried, don’t abort. Help is available. You will live with that decision for the rest of your life. Don’t believe what the world tells you. Abortion kills a beating heart. Call: 1-800-366-7773 or go to http://prolifeacrossamerica.org/need-help/.

If you’re suffering from the effects of an abortion, don’t suffer in silence. There’s nothing so awful that God can’t handle it. Take that first step—seek help. God will not abandon you. You’re not alone.

Not everyone will disappoint you. Not every person is a bully, although it may seem like it at times. People who care about you will help you. Whatever is keeping you awake at night or making you overeat is important. God never meant for his followers to live alone or feel isolated from others.

God never gives up on you, but you must get to the point of recognizing your need and asking for God’s help. He can fill in the holes left by those who let you down.

Whenever I feel rejected, I remember how much I am loved by my heavenly father. I will lie on my bed and read the Psalms, remembering God’s care is greater than all the wrongs others have done. We have an awesome God who someday will make everything right—all the bad things done to us will no longer be remembered.

God understands how you feel. Jesus was rejected by his own people. The Jewish leaders mocked him and turned him over to the Roman authorities to be crucified. Jesus died willingly for you and for me.

 *****

Thank you, Jesus, for never leaving me. I know you will walk with me, even carry me, through the lowest moments in my life.

Help me to make good choices.

Help me to be wise and remember I am not alone. Please bring positive people into my life. The Bible says if I ask, you will answer me. Please help me, Lord, to trust in you.

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LORILYN ROBERTS BOOK REVIEW: “Tales of Faeraven – DawnSinger,” by Janalyn Voigt

I reviewed the first book in the Tales of Faeraven Series: DawnSinger, and found it to be a masterpiece that will someday no doubt become a classic. I look forward to reading Wayfarer.

Lorilyn Roberts’ Review from Amazon

DawnSinger is poetry in motion, woven into a classical story that penetrates the soul. Sometimes I found myself stopping to re-read a sentence where I just wanted to soak in the way Janalyn Voigt had penned it. 

As an author, I wanted to admire the craftsmanship. Where did she learn to write like that? You can’t teach this kind of artistry. Janalyn has a gift. 

If you love books by JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis, you must read DawnSinger as well as the second book in the series, WayFarer, just published. Otherwise, you will deny yourself the enjoyment of some of the best literature written in the last 20 years.

THE LATEST IN THE 

Tales of Faeraven Series 

WAYFARER 

To purchase WayFarer on Kindle, click here 

* * * * * *

Janalyn Voigt's unique blend of adventure, romance, suspense, and fantasy creates worlds of beauty and danger for readers. Tales of Faeraven, her epic fantasy series beginning with DawnSinger, carries the reader into a land only imagined in dreams.

Janalyn is represented by Sarah Joy Freese of Wordserve Literary. Her memberships include ACFW and NCWA.

When she’s not writing, Janalyn loves to discover worlds of adventure in the great outdoors.

Author Site for Janalyn Voigt: (author journals, travel journals, guest journals, and book news)

Site for Writers: Live Write Breathe (teaching articles plus free How to Edit PDF)

THE CURSE OF BULLYING: Devotional from "Am I Okay, God? by Lorilyn Roberts

Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

—Ephesians 4:30

Has someone taunted you or bullied you?

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From Seventh Dimension – The Door, a Young Adult Christian Fantasy:

“Why are you praying?” Judd snapped. “We aren’t here to pray.”

“Accidents happen.”

“She should be cursed,” Judd exploded.

“Don’t say that,” Rachel said.

“How do you know it was an accident?” Chumana asked.

I looked away. I couldn’t listen. My whole body quivered—what kind of curse?

—Shale Snyder, chapter one

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The best way to overcome the sting of bullying is to remember how much God loves you. He loves you so much he sent his son, Jesus Christ, to die on a tree 2,000 years ago. Jesus gave his life so that you could have eternal life in him. There’s nothing that can take God’s gift from you. If you have given your heart to Jesus, God will protect you from the worst spiritual attacks possible. The Holy Spirit seals  you and marks you as a follower—you can never lose your salvation.

Again, once you have accepted Jesus Christ into your heart, you’re saved. God is not whimsical. He doesn’t vacillate like the waves of the sea or give up on you in favor of someone else. Once you accept Jesus Christ into your heart, your ticket to heaven is good. Jesus paid the price.

You can grieve the Holy Spirit by the way you live or by the poor choices you make, but there’s nothing—no curse, no bully, or hateful person—that can separate you from Jesus Christ. Jesus sits at the right hand of God interceding on your behalf.

We live in a fallen world. When someone does something unbecoming or questionable, pray for that person. Pray for God’s love to touch that soul. Hurt people hurt people.

Don’t believe Satan’s lies—you can’t be cursed. The only control others have over you is the power you give them. No one can force you to think or act a certain way. Remember, you have the Holy Spirit within you.

…greater is he that is within you, than he that is in the world.

—I John 4:4

  

We have a taste of heaven here but the best is yet to come. Let God deal with those who bully, but make them accountable for their actions.

Go to a responsible adult. And again, don’t believe for an instant someone can curse you.

Thank you that I am created in God’s image. Thank you for the protection of the Holy Spirit No curse can befall me because your spirit dwells within me. Thank you that you reside in the most important place in my heart.

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To read more devotionals like this one, check out Am I Okay, God? Devotionals from the Seventh Dimension, available on Amazon.

PRETENDING: Devotional from "Am I Okay, God?" by Lorilyn Roberts

 

 

 

Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

—I Peter 5:6-7

 

Has someone done something that upset you and you pretended it didn’t happen?

I find it difficult to express my pain when it involves the offense of others. But it is not honest to pretend that I am not bothered by something when I am hurt.

Living in denial about our sin can be just as dangerous. For example, try to convince an alcoholic that he is an alcoholic. Unless he is willing to admit it, he will not be freed from his addiction. If you live in denial, you’re limiting your future. You’re limiting God’s ability to heal you.

How can God help you if you aren’t honest—painful are the wounds of the wicked or the dagger of an enemy. Persecution does not live in a pretend world. Satan is for real.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*

 

From Seventh Dimension – The Door, a Young Adult Christian Fantasy:

“Shale, why are you standing there? Come on or you’ll be late to class.” Rachel was waiting at the hall lockers.

I walked towards her as the bell rang.

“Are you okay?” She furrowed her brow.

“I’m fine.” I smiled, pretending nothing had happened.”

—Shale Snyder and Rachel Franco, chapter one

 

*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Jesus is known as the great physician. In the Gospels, Jesus healed many diseases and afflictions. He not only healed physical ailments but he healed people emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. If someone has done something to you and you can’t talk about it, go to the Bible and read the Gospel of Luke, allowing the words from Jesus to soothe your heart.

Jesus went through the shame and humiliation of the cross so you could be set free. Lay your burden at the base of the cross and rejoice that Jesus can carry this burden for you.

There’s no greater love than the love of the father for his children. His love is greater than any hurt. You may not believe it because you can exert a lot of energy minimizing an offense.

Cast all your anxiety on the Savior and receive his love. Love covers a multitude of sins.

Denying your pain will only bury it deeper. Minimizing it will not make you feel better. Ask God to help you. His love will lead you to healing and his word will bring you comfort.

After you have read the Bible and prayed, share your experience with your parent, friend, or counselor, trusting God to bring you deliverance.

 

 

Dear Jesus, thank you for comforting me when I feel down or confused or hurt. Whenever I doubt, I will remember that you love me unconditionally.

Help me to love others the same way you love me.

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LORILYN ROBERTS BOOK REVIEW: “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte

This is the first year (10th grade) that my younger daughter has been in public school. We homeschooled most of elementary and middle school with a stint in private school. I had no idea what to expect, except that I sincerely hoped she would get a good education that would prepare her for college. 

I have to admit, I am surprised that Wuthering Heights is one of the books she's had to read for English. I reviewed it a while back and believe it to be one of the most perfect books I've read. I praise the school system of Alachua County, Florida, for exposing my daughter to some of the best classics ever written. 

Wuthering Heights

By Emily Bronte

Critique by Lorilyn Roberts

Wuthering Heights is one of the most perfect novels I have read.  Here are my thoughts on what makes Wuthering Heights an outstanding read and why it’s considered a classic:

Characterization:

There are no extraneous characters introduced into the story. Each person serves a purpose and is often complementary to another character in the book, like a mirrored reflection or a duality, sometimes the same, sometimes opposing; i.e., Catherine and Heathcliff, Edgar and Isabella Linton, Hindley and Heathcliff, the younger Catherine and Hareton,  Mr. Lockwood and Nelly, Nelly and Joseph,  the two families at Wuthering Heights and the Grange, the mother Catherine and the younger Catherine,  and Isabella and Heathcliff. The relationships among the characters are complicated and evolving. If you were to take one of the characters out of this story, the plot development would be negatively altered. The plot is character-driven and tightly woven throughout the story.

Tone:

The tone of the story is brooding and dark. The sensuous feeling is foreboding, first exhibited in the setting that Emily Bronte describes in detail. There is an element of overarching suspense and aversion to the characters:  The morose Heathcliff; mother Catherine who dies of a brain disorder; the drink of Hindley; the tragic life of Isabella following her marriage to Heathcliff; the delightful younger Catherine who succumbs to depression after coming under the control of Heathcliff. The depressing scene and dysfunctional characters that greet Lockwood’s arrival prompt him to ask Nelly to explain the history behind Wuthering Heights.

Societal:

I was struck by how Emily Bronte weaves the social status of the characters into the story: Joseph and his barely intelligible English; Nelly, the servant, and principal narrator, and her portrayal of others from an inferior social position; the many differences between the upper-class Lintons and the middle-class Earnshaws; the emphasis on social structure with less opportunity for upward mobility, which impacted the “heart” of the story - mother Catherine sacrifices her desire for Heathcliff  to achieve a higher social status by marrying Edgar. The characters’ traits, flaws, and attributes within the structure of society make for believable people that the reader both loves and hates.

Multi-generational:

The differences between the generations were striking: Heathcliff and mother Catherine seemed unable to change with the passage of time or grow as individuals. They were locked into extremisms that became dead-end roads. Eventually, their flawed natures doomed them to early deaths, providing an opportunity for the next generation in Catherine and Hareton to overcome the past. In contrast to their parents, they were able to adapt and redeem the past, and through their transformation, the reader is filled with hope for the future. The multigenerational aspect of time adds to the completeness of the story—this is a family with a history, a past that threatens to destroy the future.

Spiritual/Psychological:

Emily Bronte probes deeply the psychological aspects of people’s behavior and the ramifications of the dark side of human nature. The story touches on the spiritual nature of the individuals, with references to the small church, the recurring battle with death, the repeated references to ghosts, and Joseph’s incessant recitation of Scripture.  

Themes:

The many themes are timeless—love that is forbidden, prejudices that hurt people,  the meaninglessness of life without hope, hate that destroys, the vindictiveness of human nature, and the darkness of the soul without God.

Setting:

Established in the first paragraph, a “perfect misanthropist’s heaven.” Right away, I am told a lot about this story in a unique way which encourages me to keep reading.

Classic Author Similarities:

I am struck by the fact that many classics, like this one, have been written by individuals who have experienced tremendous suffering. I wonder if there is a relationship between the giftedness to write great stories and the degree to which one has endured hardship. Perhaps the strong emotions that are pent up in a tortured soul find solace in the pen as a healing balm.

Risky:

Creative, original stories take risks. For instance, there isn’t one protagonist versus one antagonist in Wuthering Heights. Ninety-five percent of the story is dark and unsettling; the story reinforces negative stereotypical issues and characters. The orphan is the troublemaker and destroyer of the family, perpetuating a common “myth” among adoptees. 

Joseph uses the Bible in a beguiling way to demean people, contrary to the Good Book’s ultimate purpose. The submissive role of women and their inability to escape from abusive husbands or families is also perpetuated in Wuthering Heights, reinforcing the long-held notion that women are inferior to men.  Despite these risks, Emile Bronte creates a masterpiece.

Fictional Dream:

Emily Bronte immerses the reader into a world that is vivid and dream-like, with colorful characters and a complex plot. She uses literary techniques that make this is a compelling read, one worth pondering after the last page is finished. It’s a shame she died so young—what other books might she have written?