Is Your Siding Secure? by Barbara M. Britton

I am a cancer survivor. I am five years past the time when I had to say, “I have breast cancer.” One in five women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. At the time of my diagnosis, I never thought I would be “the one.” I am grateful to God for the medical treatment and skilled surgeons that removed my cancer and made it possible for me to still be hanging around earth.

At the time of my treatment, I remembered a song I sang with children at church. The song was about the house on the rock that stood strong through a storm. We sang about the strong house on the rock and contrasted it with the house built on sand that fell with a great crash. You can read the story in Matthew 7:24-29.

Jesus is the rock in the Matthew parable. If you have a relationship with God, you can stand the storms of life. Though, I was struck how much the house on the rock had to go through.

• the rain came down
• the streams rose (The rain was abundant)
• the winds blew
• the winds beat against that house

We can cheer that the house stood strong, but was there not even a little damage? Possibly a cracked window or a leaky roof?

I’m enjoying each new day as a cancer survivor, but I live with storm damage. I have scars, missing body parts, and a broken thermostat. Storm damage can be mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual. When life gets tough and you’re being battered by a storm, what do you do?

• Pray for strength to make it through the storm.
• Pray for wisdom to navigate the storm.
• Invite friends to combat the storm with you. Never suffer in silence.
• Read God’s Word when the winds are howling.
• Take time to enjoy God’s goodness. There’s stillness in the eye of a storm.
• Take heart that someday all will be made new.

During my cancer journey, I read my favorite verses over and over. Don’t miss Philippians 4:4-7. I also listened to Christian music, remembering refrains from old hymns like “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow” and “It is well with my soul.” I was thankful for prayer chains and warm meals. Allow your friends, family, and church family to show you some special love.

The storms of life are going to come. When you have a relationship with Jesus, He’s already given you the repair manual. God’s Word will encourage and strengthen you during the winds and the rain. And don’t forget your landlord with a generator–the Holy Spirit. God gave us the best Comforter to get our houses back in order.

 

 

In my novel “Until June,” Geoff Chambers navigates storm damage from an explosion in WWI. God saw fit to give Geoff a tomorrow, but it takes a tenacious caregiver to help him grab hold of life again.

When seventeen-year-old seamstress, Josephine Nimetz, agrees to take care of a WWI amputee in a remote Alaskan lodge to escape the influenza of 1918, there’s enough friction to melt the Mendenhall Glacier. Her position is only until June, and it pays well enough to overlook the hardship of managing a rustic home and a shell-shocked veteran, Geoff Chambers.

Geoff makes it clear that he isn’t too fond of the “runt” sent to take care of his needs, nor of her painful mistakes. Dealing with a depressed and addicted amputee, pushes Josephine to the brink of leaving, if not for the money her salary brings.

But Josephine is a perfectionist, determined to get Geoff back on his feet—figuratively. Though, sending a rich, handsome veteran back into society may cost Josephine the man she has grown to love.

You can find Geoff and Josephine on Amazon or B&N

 

 

Barbara M. Britton writes romantic adventures for teens and adults. She is multi-published in Biblical Fiction where she brings little-known Bible characters to light. She is also published in Historical Fiction. Barb is a Carol Award finalist in the short novel category. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, Wisconsin Romance Writers of America, Romance Writers of America, and American Christian Fiction Writers. Barb has a nutrition degree from Baylor University but loves to dip healthy strawberries in chocolate. Find out more about Barbara and her books on her website: http://www.barbarambritton.com/.