#SaturdaySpotlight is on Barbara Britton @BarbaraMBritton & Christmas at Whispering Creek!

Good Morning,

It's a rainy day here in SW Louisiana. A line of storms moved in during the night and we've had lot's of wind and rain. What better to do on a gloomy day than relax with a good book and this time of year, a Christmas romance! Please welcome Barbara Britton back as she shares her new relase with us....

Thank you for having me back on the blog, Pam. I am thrilled to share about my first contemporary romance novel. It’s a Christmas novel, too. I’m known for writing Biblical Fiction, but I couldn’t pass up the chance to write about something I lived through—breast cancer. It would be difficult to write cancer into a storyline in Bible Times.

My young heroine, Samantha, is a breast cancer survivor. I’ve had breast cancer in my rear-view mirror for 6 years. Praise the Lord! I added a brief account of my journey at the end of “Christmas at Whispering Creek.” I hope you enjoy my story which is two stories—one fiction and one real.

All Samantha Williams wants to do is to use her teaching degree to instruct a classroom of second graders. But, after a breast cancer diagnosis at the age of twenty-three, and failed reconstruction surgery, Sam finds herself without a job and temporarily living with her parents. This isn't the life Sam expected. When a family friend dies and leaves Sam a house and land in Whispering Creek, Tennessee, Sam must decide if leaving Wisconsin for Southern living is in her lesson plans.

Nashville native, Cole Donoven, left his family' s electrical business to write country music. When Cole' s song-writing partner and girlfriend dumps him for a country music star, Cole abandons Nashville to hole up in Whispering Creek and compose one more song. The last thing Cole expects to find in the sleepy small town is a deceased friend, estate squabbles, and a Northern beauty. Will the chaos in Whispering Creek help create a bestselling song for Cole and possibly help him find a life-long collaborator?

Excerpt: Samantha eased away from Cole’s warmth not wanting to seem too needy. She was the queen of log throwing after all. But had she shared too much? Cole’s arm remained at her back, firm and comforting. 

     He picked up the string cheese. “How about some spoiled mozzarella.” 

     Sniffling, she laughed at his ploy to lighten the mood. “They’re expired. But totally edible.”  

 

     “How long have you been boyfriend‐free?” Cole’s comforting arm slid away as he stripped plastic from their second course of dinner. She missed the kindness in his touch. 

     Not long. “Since Thursday at lunchtime.” Would Cole think she was on the rebound? 

     “Three days?” He handed her the first roll of cheese. “I think you need this more than me. After three days, I was laying around in bed.” His leg jiggled as if he readied to run from this topic. “I didn’t get a good‐bye. I got a note on my kitchen table. Had to figure out what I had done to get left for another man. I’m not sure I ever will know the answer.” His gaze glanced over her head and out into the tree‐lined moonlight. 

     This wasn’t Christian of her, but in Sam’s book, Jillie Lynn became lower than a nightcrawler. How did you ghost someone as sweet as Cole? 

     “If I’m honest.” She swallowed a hunk of cheese, nearly choking. “Our relationship had been strained for months. Karlton traveled to cement a law firm offer—” 

     “Your ex was an attorney named Karlton?” Cole stroked his chin while a grin played with his mouth. “I don’t know whether to laugh or to punch the guy.” Cole’s protective streak had her sitting tall on the wooden bench. 

     “A week ago, I would have said laugh, but today, I’m OK with a punch. Nothing too bloody.”

     “Man, your boyfriend leaves, and then you find out about Ted?” 

     “A half‐hour later.” She jabbed an unwrapped cheese stick his direction. “And while I was on the phone with Chester, I saw Karlton and his neighbor holding hands as they walked across his apartment complex.” Rehashing Karlton’s betrayal to a handsome friend didn’t seem so bad. Cole had more emotional awareness in his thumb than her ex did in his entire designer‐suited body. “How’s that for a neat, tidy bow?”

Barbara M. Britton lives in Southeast, Wisconsin and loves the snow—when it accumulates under three inches. She writes Christian Fiction from Bible Times to present day USA. Her Tribes of Israel series brings little-known Bible characters to light. Her novel “Christmas at Whispering Creek,” is a compelling, yet fun story, shining a light on breast cancer. Barbara has a nutrition degree from Baylor University but loves to dip healthy strawberries in chocolate. You can find out more about Barbara and her books on her website www.barbarambritton.com.

You can buy Christmas at Whispering Creek at Amazon, B&N or wherever books are sold. And you can check out Barbara's previous visits HERE.

Oh, Wow, Barbara, I am SO excited for you with your debut contemporary romance and a Christmas one at that! Good luck and God's blessings with it!

Hope you enjoyed Barbara's post friends and that you'll check back weekly for Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time take care and God bless.

PamT

#WednesdayWordswithFriends Welcomes Jeff Rhodes!

Good Morning!

I am LOVING this weather... Cool nights, mild days, open windows, fresh air.....Hello Fall!

Today's guest is brand new to our blog so let's just turn it over to him. Take it away, Jeff....

Q: Using scripture and String Theory (of all things), you make the case that heaven is closer to us than we think. Can you explain?

A: I carefully lay the foundation for understanding what a higher dimension of space is. We only know three dimensions of space and one dimension of time. Picturing or understanding a fourth dimension of space is nearly impossible. That is why we usually make heaven an extension of our three-dimensional world. Everything in the Bible points to heaven being close—very close. Heaven was close to Jacob with a ladder reaching heaven (Genesis 28:10-12).  Elisha and his servant were able to see into the spiritual realm and the angelic beings were close. They were impacting the physical realm but were not detectable (2 Kings 2:9-11).  Stephen looks into heaven from the physical realm (Acts 7:54-60). God spoke to Paul from heaven (Acts 9:3-7).  Heaven was close enough for those present at Jesus’ baptism to hear God’s voice (Matthew 3:16-17). String theory says that more spatial dimensions do indeed exist. I believe heaven is in the next dimension, right next to where we reside in our three-dimensional world.

Q: You combine a lot of scientific research with biblical references in the book. How should Christians view the relationship between science and Christianity?

A: The Bible assumes the reality of the spiritual dimension while science points to a higher dimension or dimensions.  Scientific laws and truths reflect an intelligent creator. Christians should never fear science, nor should they shy away from it. The more we learn about the universe and what it is made of, the more we learn about the Grand Designer who created everything. Science can be a great way to reinforce one’s faith. We live in a mathematical universe, and we serve a God of order and laws. Whether it is space, the earth, or the human body, everything points to a Creator and not to billions of years of random chance. Though creation has been severely impacted in a negative way by sin, the fingerprints of the Creator can still be found the deeper and further we look.

Q: You say that angels can move across dimensions. How did you come to that conclusion?

A: There are occurrences with angelic beings in Scripture that are best explained if they are multi-dimensional beings. That means they primarily dwell in the spiritual realm or spiritual dimension but can enter our three-dimensional world. Angels are in God’s presence sometimes and sometimes in man’s presence. We usually think that an angel has some type of spiritual supersonic ability to travel from heaven to earth, then back. If heaven were 13 billion light-years above the earth, then that is some serious speed. I believe that the spiritual realm is a higher dimension, and it is close to us. Angels do not have to travel so far; they merely step into our dimension and easily enter our three-dimensional world from the spiritual realm. The Bible supports this belief with the example of Satan, a fallen angel, appearing in the physical realm and in the presence of God in the spiritual realm. Satan appears to Eve in the garden, Satan tempts Jesus in the wilderness, but in the book of Job we see Satan entering the presence of God after returning from walking back and forth on the earth. Satan is moving between dimensions. In Genesis 18, three angels visit Abraham. They eat, talk, and spend time with Abraham. Then two of the angels go to Sodom to speak with Lot. This is one of the clearest examples of angels moving across dimensions. In Genesis 28, Jacob has a dream where he sees angels ascending and descending from heaven to earth. God was revealing to Jacob the truth that angels move back and forth from the spiritual realm to the physical realm. In Luke 2, a host of angels appear to the shepherds in the fields and announce the birth of the Jesus. The Bible says that the angels left and went into heaven. This again is an example of angels moving from our physical dimension into the spiritual realm.

Q: Many Christians have dismissed the idea of a literal hell. What say you?

A: Though hell is a place most would rather not believe exists, the Bible talks about hell and gives warning to mankind to avoid ending up there. The Bible speaks of the reality of heaven and the reality of hell. Hell was created for Satan and his angels (Matthew 25:41). Therefore, hell is a place that spiritual beings will be located. The Bible also states that those who reject the gospel will be separated from the presence of God in hell. Just as we think three-dimensionally about heaven being way up, we tend to think of hell being down in the center of the earth. I attempt to challenge our thinking by suggesting that heaven is “up” in a higher dimension, where hell is “down” in a lower dimension. Hell is a dimension separated from God and His goodness (2 Thessalonians 1:9). The fact that the Bible speaks of the reality of hell is one of the primary reasons for the church to share the gospel and reach the world for Christ. If hell is not real, then it would certainly impact how (or if) we share the gospel at all. Christ came to earth, lived a perfect life, and died on the cross a humiliating and terrible death so people could avoid hell. If hell doesn’t exist, then Christ’s death was unwarranted. 

Q: You say in the book that many Christians are turning to dark spirits more and more. Why is that? Do you have some examples?

A:  In 2018, Father Vincent Lampert told The Atlantic magazine that he had received over 1700 phone or email requests for exorcisms, by far the most he had ever received in one year. More professing Christians than ever are expressing a profound belief in the supernatural, especially the demonic. Televisions shows and movies about zombies, vampires, ghosts, communicating with the dead, and searching for the paranormal are more and more popular even among Christians. The internet is easier to access than ever before. Youth are learning about sex, gender identity, drugs, and have easy access to pornography. According to stats from SimilarWeb, internet users access porn websites more than Twitter, Wikipedia, or Netflix. Satan is in a battle for our minds, and he uses these types of entryways to influence people’s thoughts. These gateways are areas where people willfully turn from truth and are deceived. Further examples of entryways could be practicing or experimenting in the occult, taking drugs, past sins, or various kinds of abuse or trauma. Satan will use these gateways to wage war against believers by getting them to believe lies instead of truth. 

Q: You say that the Apostle Paul tells us that we are in both a physical existence as well as a higher dimension existence at the same time. Can you explain?

A: Paul talks about the spiritual realm at length in his letter to the believers at Ephesus. He uses a Greek word translated “heavenly places” in the ESV five times. In every instance, Paul is speaking of the spiritual realm where heaven is and angels dwell. In Ephesians 2:6 Paul states that the believer is presently seated with Christ in the heavenly places. Some Bible scholars refer to the believer being positionally in the spiritual realm. In other words, they are not there yet but will be when they die and go to heaven. Pastor Tony Evans seems to believe they are there now, as quoted in my book. The believer is physically in the three-dimensional world, but when we were given life spiritually by God, we are at the same time in the spiritual realm with Christ. Our spiritual life gives us a connection into the spiritual realm even before we die.

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Dr. Jeff Rhoades received a Ph.D. in Biblical Studies from Louisiana Baptist University. He and his wife Paula were missionaries in El Salvador for nearly a decade, returning to the U.S. in 2013. Dr. Rhoades currently serves as a pastor in Topeka, Kansas. For more information visit https://wellingbooks.com

The Bible tells of a spiritual realm where heaven, angels, and God reside. Where is this mysteriously invisible realm? Science has opened the door to the possibility of higher spatial dimensions. Could this be where heaven is? Using God’s Word, this book will present evidence for the reality of the spiritual realm and also lay out the scientific evidence, from Einstein’s theory of relativity to string theory, that points to the possibility of a higher dimension or dimensions. Through this book, the everyday Christian will learn how to view the spiritual dimension or spiritual realm in a deeper way and will see clearly that there is much more to our universe than meets the eye. The seeking skeptic will also be presented with evidence that God is real and the Bible is His communication to man. The foundation is laid from the Bible, from science and from understanding that we are three-dimensional beings created by a Grand Programmer to live in the physical and spiritual universe. Because of sin, mankind lost the ability to see the spiritual realm, but through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, we can once again access the spiritual realm and live fully as God our creator intends.

Get your copy at Amazon.

What a fascinating subject, Jeff! I love it when Pastors or Scientists or Physicists prove the Bible and Heaven! Thank you for sharing.

Hope you enjoyed today's post, friends and that you'll check back each week for Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time, take care and God Bless.

PamT