God is in the midst of my suffering

All of us at one time or another have cried out "God where are you? Why is this happening to me?"
In the midst of our trial we are wanting answers.

In my upcoming book, "The Promise: We will meet again," this is the situation that Hannah finds herself in. Hannah has just been arrested by the Nazis. She watched in horror as they executed the Christian family that hid her right before her very eyes! Now she has been taken prisoner and shoved into a railway car full of Jewish people bound for Auschwitz to be exterminated. Inside the cramped railway car, there are Jewish people moaning, crying and praying, unsure of what exactly is happening to them. Inside the stuffy, dirty and hot railway car, a few shafts of light peep through the slits at sunrise. Hannah is terrified and filled with anxiety. Suddenly, she sees a group of people huddled together. She walks over to them and they give her a Bible to read. Hannah has never read a Bible before. Hannah's hands begin to tremble. Ironically she turns the pages to Isaiah Chapter 53. Her eyes gaze upon the words, "He was despised and rejected- a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief."
The words began to speak to Hannah heart. She has heard those words before when she was in hiding with the Christian family. At one time they had read this passage to her.
Hannah continues to read. " But He was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be made whole. He was whipped so we could be healed."
"Who is this speaking of of?" Hannah ponders to herself, whispering out loud.
The next words grip Hannah's heart. "He was led like a lamb to the slaughter."
For the first time in her turmoil and fear, Hannah feels a sense of peace. She can relate to and understand the graphic descriptions of Isaiah 53. Hannah feels like a lamb being led to the slaughter. She feels despised and rejected . Reading Isaiah 53, Hannah is gripped by the fact that God understands her suffering first hand, because He endured it! Gazing around in the tiny, crowded railway car, after reading Isaiah 53, Hannah recognizes that God is in the midst of their suffering. He was despised and rejected! He was acquainted with Grief. He was busied and beaten!
In the midst of her grief and suffering, Hannah kneels down in prayer and cries out to Yeshua for the first time.
I am very excited to begin writing this book in the Fall. I want my readers to hear, feel and experience the tremendous suffering the Jewish people experienced in the Holocaust. We need to do everything we can to stand up against hatred and intolerance. My new book will demonstrate how love and friendship can truly overcome the greatest of evils.

The Promise: We will meet again

During vacation, The idea for my fourth book came to me. The diary of Anne Frank has had a major impact on my thinking and writing. Growing up as a young teenager, I read the diary and watched the movie and was moved to tears and compassion for Anne and her family when they were finally discovered by the Germans and subsequently carted away to the death camps. In my first two books, "Beyond the Veil," and  "Shining Star" Nadia keeps a journal of her key life events very similar to that of Anne Frank.
Because I have been so influenced by the diary of Anne Frank and the horrors of the Holocaust, the idea of writing on this subject flashed upon my mind while I was lying on the beach at the Gulf Shores of Alabama. The story is about two young Jewish girls named Hannah and Rachel. They are the best of friends. The story opens in Krakow, Poland in 1939. They are attending a Jewish wedding and enjoying the festivities when suddenly the German Invasion of Poland begins. Fast forward two years later. Both Hannah and Rachel are at school and notice their classmates are quickly disappearing. One by one, their friends are being called up and ordered to report to the train stations where they are separated and hauled away to the labor and death camps. In desperation and fear, Hannah and Rachel make a solemn vow to each other, a promise, that if they are captured, that after the war they will meet again.
Through a series of circumstances, Hannah is captured by the Germans but manages to escape and is taken in by a Christian family to hide her from the Nazis. Eventually Hannah ends up in Auschwitz, the infamous death camp. Through some friends she learns the whereabouts of Rachel.
 Miraculously, both Hannah and Rachel meet again after the liberation of the camps and have incredible stories to tell each other.
I cannot wait to begin writing this story. The images of the holocaust and the horrible discrimination against the Jewish people has motivated me to compose a story of an enduring friendship against the backdrop of evil and suffering. I am writing this story to remind us to learn from the horrors of History and to demonstrate how love and friendship ultimately conquers the worst of evils. The name of the book will be, "The Promise: We will meet again." I encourage you to go to my profile page and click on the link that will give you the virtual 3d tour of the secret annex, the hiding place of Anne Frank and her family. Amidst the hatred and discrimination by the Nazis, you will discover how love and courage ultimately triumphed over evil. The diary of Anne Frank has sold millions of copies and has been published in several languages all over the world. If you have never read her story, please make this your summer reading. It is my prayer that my upcoming book will also demonstrate that love and friendship overcomes the evils of hatred and discrimination and makes the world a better place to live in.

Jesus Friend of Sinners

"What a friend we have in Jesus.
All our sins and griefs to bear."

 All of us are somewhat familiar with this classic, "hymn of the faith" written in 1855 by Joseph Scriven. The very concept of Jesus being the friend of sinners and tax collectors was what enraged the religious leaders, the pharisees and scribes. What was it about Jesus that drew people to listen to him?
Jesus was the master storyteller and he constantly told parables about The love of God. In Luke Chapter 15, Jesus tells a series of parables about God's love and care for sinners. The leaders and so called, "experts" of the law were among those in the crowd listening and waited patiently to accuse him as soon as he was finished. They were not concerned about the lost and wayward people knowing about God's love. They were more interested in trying to find something that Jesus said that was wrong and publicly denounce Him as a false religious leader.
In Luke Chapter 15, Jesus tells the story of the lost sheep, the lost coin and then His most famous and best loved parable about the prodigal son. The story of the prodigal son is very familiar to most of us. A son demands his inheritance now and runs off to spend it on himself. When he finally hits rock bottom, he longs for home but doesn't think his father will ever forgive him. In contrast, Jesus paints a picture of the father running up to his son embracing and kissing him and forgiving him of all of his sins. This enraged the pharisees and the scribes that God would forgive and love a son who did this to his father.
In The Quran, Surah 3:140, it reads, "Allah loveth not those who do wrong." This was precisely the attitude of the pharisees and the scribes. They had a view that God did not love sinners. Yet Jesus went out of his way to describe God as just the opposite. God loves the sinner, forgives the wayward child and heals the broken hearted. Jesus was not implying God condoned the sin. He painted a picture of God running to his prodigal son with his arms open wide and anxious to forgive and cleanse him. The Bible says in Romans 5:8, " God showed his great love for us by sending Jesus to die for us while we were yet sinners."
All of us wants our consciences clean and the stain of guilt removed when we do wrong. This is precisely the reason why the sinners and tax collectors were drawn to hear Jesus teach. They knew they had broken God's law and realized if they came to Jesus that they would hear about the father's unconditional love for them.

Jesus the master storyteller about God's unconditional love is still speaking to our hearts today. When you read the Bible and listen to what he says, you will then realize why Joseph Scriven wrote his famous Christian hymn. Jesus is indeed the friend of sinners and he invites us. "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)

Jesus Friend Of Sinners

"What a Friend we have in Jesus.
All our sins and griefs to bear."

All of us are somewhat familiar with this classic "hymn of the faith, " written in 1855 by Joseph Scriven. The very concept of Jesus being the friend of sinners and tax collectors was what enraged the religious leaders, the pharisee and the scribes. What was it about Jesus that drew sinners to listen to him?
Jesus was the master storyteller and He constantly told parables about God's love. In Luke Chapter 15, Jesus tells a series of parables about God's love and care for sinners . The Leaders and experts of the law are among those in the crowd listening and ready to accuse him as soon as he is finished. They were not concerned about the lost and wayward people knowing about God's love. They were more interested in trying to find something that Jesus said that was wrong and publicly denounce him as a false religious leader.
In Luke Chapter 15, Jesus tells the story of the lost sheep, the lost coin and then His most famous parable about the prodigal son. The story of the prodigal son is very familiar to us. A son demands his inheritance now and spends it all on himself. When he hits rock bottom, he longs for home but doesn't think his father will ever forgive him. However Jesus paints a picture of the Father running up to the son, embracing and kissing him and forgiving him of all of his sins. This enraged the Pharisees and scribes that God would forgive and love a son who did this to his father.
In the Quran, Surah 3:140, it reads, "Allah loveth not those that do wrong." This was precisely the attitude of the pharisees and scribes. They had a view that God did not love sinners.Yet Jesus went out of his way to describe God as just the opposite. God loves the sinner, forgives the wayward child and heals the broken hearted. Jesus was not implying that God condoned the sin. He painted a picture of God running to His prodigal son with his arms wide open and anxious to forgive and cleanse him. The Bible says in Romans 5:8, "God showed His great love for us by sending Jesus to die for us while we were still sinners."
All of us wants our consciences clean and the stain of guilt removed when we do wrong. This is precisely the reason why the sinners and tax collectors were drawn to hear Jesus teach. They knew they had broken God's law and they knew if they came to Jesus that they would hear about the Father's unconditional love for them.

Jesus the master storyteller about God's unconditional love is still speaking to our hearts today. When you read the Bible and listen to what he says, you will then realize why Joseph Scriven wrote his famous Christian hymn. Jesus is indeed the friend of sinners and he invites us. "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)

The Healing Of The Scars

"There are no scars too deep and there is no hatred too strong that the Grace of God cannot heal"

I was at work when I first heard the news that Osama Bin Laden had been killed. My initial reaction was a thankful heart for the incredible bravery demonstrated by our Military to bring to an end his reign of terror. Then I remembered the attitude expressed by God in Ezekiel 33:11, "As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I taken no pleasure in the death of the wicked. I only want them to turn from their wicked ways so they can live."
The heart of God desires that none perish but all come to repentance.
I then turned my thoughts toward my Muslim friends. I turned on my blackberry phone and wrote on facebook, "The Great impostor that caused so much pain for my Muslim friends is finally dead."
Ever since September 11, 2001, Muslims have been labeled terrorists because of this evil man's actions and for the last decade have suffered incredible pain and discrimination. I next wrote, "The healing of the scars has begun."
There is a scene in our upcoming book, "Tears in a Bottle: Seeing through their eyes," where Ariel is standing on a platform at a protest rally and giving a speech defending her Muslim friend Esther. The protesters have gathered to condemn the building of the Muslim Multi-cultural center so close to the site of the world trade center memorial. Distraught and tired of the stereotyping and discrimination against Muslims, Ariel addresses the crowd and urges them to stop falsely accusing Muslims of all being terrorists. She reminds them that true Muslims are peaceful and not violent like the counterfeit ones who brought death and destruction on 911. Ariel then appeals to both Christians and Muslims in the crowd to let go and release their bitterness because, "There are no scars too deep and no hatred too strong that the Grace of God cannot heal."
This is a very pivotal statement in the book that applies perfectly to the current situation. The real terrorist is finally dead and now the healing can begin. There can be real healing and forgiveness between Muslims and Christians through the Grace of God. Picking up on this theme, I wrote a song about the healing of the scars. The interlude of the song declares, "You were scarred with our shame and disgrace. You healed our wounds when you took our place. I never knew your love would go this far. You came for the healing of our scars."
Jesus bore our sin and judgment on the cross to bring the real healing for our scars.
We have an opportunity to be like Ariel and stand up for our Muslim friends by showing them unconditional love and acceptance. When we become true friends with no strings attached and no agendas then there is hope for the healing of the scars.

Why not begin today?

Becoming a shoulder for someone to lean on

Becoming a shoulder for someone to lean on
"Share each others burdens and in this way fulfill the Law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2)

There is a powerful scene in our upcoming book, "Tears in a Bottle: Seeing through their eyes," where Ariel is standing at her husband's graveside still devastated over his death. Esther, Ariel's Muslim friend, quietly steps up next to her and provides her a shoulder to lean on.
Everyone of us at one time or another, no matter what the situation, need a shoulder to lean on. We need someone to listen to our pains and heartaches thus allowing us the opportunity to let go of all of our sorrows. Our upcoming book is about the healing of the scars and the breaking down of the walls of discrimination. In another scene in the book, Esther listens patiently to the heartaches of Amanda, a Christian woman who lost her husband when terrorists slammed a commercial jetliner into the World Trade Center tower. This incredible scene takes place at the World Trade Center Memorial pool just adjacent to where the Islamic Multi-cultural center is being built. Once again, Esther provides a shoulder to lean on and Amanda is able to forgive Muslims and be healed from her bitterness and unforgiveness.
These examples in our book demonstrate a powerful principle: When we take the time to listen from the heart, we are sharing in the burdens of others and  thus Honoring Christ. Most of our lives are so busy that we preoccupied with just pleasing ourselves and forgetting that anyone else around us even exists. Yet there is a powerful blessing in taking the time out of your busy life to listen and encourage those around you who are genuinely hurting. It is the blessing of knowing that you made a real difference in that hurting person's life. You may have not solved the problem, but because you listened and cared, they are encouraged, they can move on and now their life has been changed because you took out the time to be there for them.
Because Esther showed love and compassion to Ariel, Ariel was able to begin the healing process and move on. In Amanda's case, Amanda was confronted with her bitterness and unforgiveness and for the first time in many years, she was able to forgive Muslims and find healing for her scars.
The amazing thing about our book is the unselfishness and compassion of Esther. Esther is the unfortunate target of a lot of hatred and discrimination, including abuse from her own husband Mustafa. Yet Esther is always reaching out in love and compassion and becoming the shoulder for others to lean on. Esther's example should be our mandate.
Are you willing to become that shoulder for someone else to lean on? Take the time out today and listen and when you do, your are demonstrating the character of Christ and becoming a source of healing and hope to the many hurting people around you.

The blessed joy of friendship

 "Friendship is born at the moment when one person says to another, What! You too? I thought I was the only one."  C.S. Lewis


It has been an incredible adventure having Avianne Asyiah Khalil as my co-author to write together the book, "Tears in a Bottle; Seeing through their eyes." Both of us are very excited to be writing the first ever Islamic/Christian fiction historical novel. In the process we have become good friends and as a result our novel is an exciting, dramatic journey that is changing and shaping us as well. One of the most important themes of our novel is the unconditional love friendship between a Muslim and a Christian lady. Esther is a Muslim woman struggling with an abusive husband and Ariel is trying to put back together the pieces of her life after her husband dies in Afghanistan.
Their individual unique circumstances results in a very close bond between them. Esther's visit to central park becomes a life transforming event when she meets Ariel painting at the Bethesda Fountains. What made this such a great friendship? Both of them had a void in their life at that time. Both of them listened to each other from the heart. Most importantly, both of them respected each other. There was no pressure to convert. They accepted each other from the heart. Ariel became the shoulder for Esther to lean on through her abuse. They agreed to disagree respectfully and instead focused their energies on exploring life together.

Amazingly this is much the same situation with Avianne and me. We text each other almost everyday and laugh and cry together. We enjoy our friendship and have a healthy respect for each other's beliefs. The result is a friendship that will last forever. It is truly a humbling and honorable thing to write a book together. The incredible thing is to watch us become like the very characters that we are writing about. 
The point Im trying to make is that friendship is a gift from God. When you pour your life, love and respect into that friendship, it is a treasure that can last forever. C. S. Lewis was not only a great author but also a great friend. He was kind, unselfish and a lot of fun to hang out with. We can learn a lot about life from reading his books. I know I have. I hope you will too.