Music Album Release || Man in White

 

Hello Friend,

Happy last day of summer! *hugs*

I'm popping on here today to share a new favorite music album that was just released! *claps*

// MAN IN WHITE //

If you're wanting music to start the fall focused on Jesus, on looking forward to our future Hope, on the awesomeness of our God, and the Kingdom He is creating, this is for you.

((and epic instruments and vocals and all the feels too))

I've been so enjoying the songs by Faith Warrior Films! They encourage me to dream - to look forward to Jesus' return and be found faithful as we wait, longing.

I hope it brightens your start to fall and reminds you of the Hope we live for!

Scroll down for beautiful lyrics, then click the album cover to listen for yourself!

Majestic in all Your ways,

The brightness of Your own expression

Coming in the clouds (with glory and power)

But right now You are sitting on Your throne (beside your Father)

Waiting for Your time

Yeah you are waiting for Your time

In this age of darkness, the light that we can see

Is Your coming and Your Kingdom, we wait for patiently

When every sinful action and every evil scheme

Is shattered and broken before the King of kings

And oh, we long for You, long for You

Man in white, You are royalty, royalty

Man in white, I give my loyalty, loyalty

Man in white, You are coming soon, coming soon

Man in white, I live my life for you, life for you

// Your turn! What songs have been pointing you to Jesus? And Happy Fall! How are you celebrating? How are you hoping to spend this new season for the coming Kingdom?

Let's chat below!

...they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.

- Revelations 3:4-5

 

~♥~

The Torch Keepers || the Home

 

((giveaway winners announced below!))

"My child." He blinked several times, and his eyes glistened. "I have come to take you home."

"Home?" My shoulders fell, and I felt the heat of the scar that stained my skin. If only I could hide it, could keep him from seeing the twisted mark.

He pushed back the hair hanging around my face. "Come, child. I have searched the kingdom these years and found you. Come home with me..." 

My lips quivered. "I don't want to go back..."

Father didn't speak. His fingers squeezed my hand tighter. 

I spat out the words. "I have purpose here. I have friends. I won't live under the King's overruling ways that limit me to be nice and good like everyone else. Sometimes we're not perfect!"

"My child, I never asked you to be."

I jerked away from him. Inhaling, I caught myself from stumbling backwards, forced my face to hold together.

"I don't ask you to be perfect." The light reflecting on his face burned mine as his eyes searched deep. His voice lowered to a whisper like a breeze through the mountain trees--the trees I missed. "I ask you to come home."

// chapter 23

 

The Bible is all about Home, and I love that! It begins in a garden home, and when that reality is ruined by human mistakes, He promises a forever Home to His people, Israel. (Gen. 12)

They enter their land, leave, enter, leave. Sometimes, when they're in that chosen land, there are invaders that dictate their lives. Other times, they're dragged away into foreign lands, their nation destroyed. And it's because of their unfaithfulness, their willful hearts.

Yet God's promise remains.

Home.

A physical place where we can be free. Where we can curl up with a blanket and sit in quiet with people we love. Where we can be safe and laugh free and dance or sing sometimes too.

But the best: Home is where our Father is.

The One who loves us forever. Who knows all of us. Who can't wait to hold us and be near us and live with us.

That's home.

I invite you to imagine. Picture your dream house.

Mine would a cabin in a forest glen with wildflowers all around and a creek that you can hear every night as you go to sleep. There'd be a porch with a swing to watch the sky and clouds and fireflies. And inside, I imagine a fireplace and cozy rug.

But I write fantasy, so I have other dreams too. Maybe I could have a huge oak growing in my house, the trunk part of my wall, and there'd be a stream inside too and bunnies that could slip in and out of the house, cuddle at my feet. We could sleep in hammocks and climb trees and ride horses and write stories and have parties and be with Jesus.

The New Earth, that Home Jesus is making for us, it's so much grander than even my dreams. But hey, I'll keep dreaming! Keep imagining. Keep living for that Kingdom and the Father who invites me there.

Not because I'm more faithful or less willful than Israel. My heart mirrors their story. I need a Helper.

And yet, there's this Savior who arose out of Israel to save His people, and He adopts us into that family.

So I embrace what He has done. And I dream of Home, when Israel is restored on that New Earth, and we can be with God, loved.

That's why the story excerpt is one of my favorites! And I challenge you, like Kadira, come home.

Come to the Father's heart. Be with Him. Give yourself to Him.

And let Him take you Home.

Did you know Kadira's name wasn't originally going to be... Kadira?

Yup. In the first short story, she was named Elkira. (ahh, isn't it beautiful?!)

Then readers told me how they remembered her name. "It sounds like Erika!" One said.

Problem: that was not the feel I was going for in a fantastical world of Torch Keepers and flame-wings and armies clashing, loyalties undecided. Erika? Not exactly. Much too modern.

So Kadira was renamed, and I've loved her name ever since. And if you read her story, you'll find out she has another name-change in the text. But that's for you to discover. *wink*

And I'm especially excited if you were one of the winners of the giveaway!

I was thrilled to have a giveaway on here and on my Instagram last week! And now for the winners!

first place:

 

                        // Rebekah A 

 

second, third, and forth place:

                        // Anita S 

                        // Caroline R

                        // Grace L

Horray!! If you were selected, I'll be contacting you soon about how to claim your prize. Thanks to everyone who celebrated The Torch Keepers' second birthday celebration! May we both live for our Home and the Father who draws us near. *hugs*

“Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God."

- Revelation 21:3

~♥~

The Torch Keepers || the Father

 

"I--." That burning feeling came into my neck. I swallowed, and tears mixed with the rain. "I miss my daddy."

He rose and pressed me close. "I know. The King gave you a daddy for an important reason." Our gazes joined. "But now he's gone." Father let my feet touch the ground, and he knelt, taking my palm in his. Water trailed down his cheeks into his beard as he kissed the back of my hand. "My child, will you let me take his place?"

I inhaled quickly.

"And until the day when the King brings you and your daddy together again, can I hold you when you cry? Can I dance with you and know your secrets and share my home with you? My child," he said, "I love you."

I cried and let him hug me again. Father took me inside where we curled cross-legged before the fire and drank something warm that made steam in the air. And there, hiding on his lap with his finger caressing my hair, I nodded.

 

// chapter 9

 

Something I love about God is that He is a Father.

This almighty God, the Creator, the Sustainer, the One who makes the morning rise every morning without fail for thousands of years, who set the stars in their spinning formations like an unending top, who is the ultimate Judge of the world - somehow, I've been adopted into His family, and He calls me child.

Ooph.

And I'm just like Kadira.

I'm a normal person.

If you got to know me, you'd find out my quirks and weaknesses. I don't like being in big spaces. I stumble over my words, my hair randomly foofs, I'm so selfish inside, and sometimes, life just makes me scared. And I've messed up a lot.

I feel like Kadira: unworthy, broken, and I make a lot of mistakes.

Then, there's this Father. And He changes everything.

Not only does He create a home for us. He commands our hearts to keep beating right now, our blood to keep flowing. He writes life stories, sees the people we were created to be. He gives dreams and talents and excitements.

This Father delights in us. He wants to know us. And when we messed everything up with our own mistakes that separated us from Him, He made a way for us to be reunited with Himself because He made us to be with Him.

That's a life worth living.

And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

- John 17:3

He is good and does good.

That's my prayer for The Torch Keepers and the character of Father. May they remind you of the love - in the justness and truth and mercy - of our Father. May it encourage you to sit and get to know Him. To be with Him.

I've always loved the character of Father in the novel. Writing his story was hard, unique, yet beautiful, because it made me ask, what is the Father's heart? What would He do in this situation?

The fictional Father blessed me because it helped me know my Heavenly Father's heart a little deeper.

And I challenge you to be still and get to know your Father. To sing or walk or read or talk with Him and just let your heart be open and vulnerable. Let Him change you, convict you. Curl up, like Kadira, on your Father's lap, drink something warm and steamy and autumn-ish, and give Him permission to know you in your strengths and talents and humanness and quirks and weaknesses.

You have a Father.

And He invites you to be with Him.

Dearest Father

Closest Friend

Most beautiful

One thing I desire

Only this I seek

Just to dwell, dwell, dwell

Here forever

- Most Beautiful / So In Love 

 

// Almost every character in The Torch Keepers has a theme song that represents their character! But after this novel was completed, I realized the book itself has a theme song too.

Can you guess it? If you get it right, you definitely get an award for the most astute reader. *wink* Well, actually, it's not too hard of a guess. 

Hint: think themes of Fatherhood

What's your guess? Okay, okay. Here's the song:

The Torch Keepers' theme song //

(psst) I hope you've been encouraged by these bookish-themed posts! If you want to win your own copy of The Torch Keepers, click here to enter a giveaway! It's ending soon!

May this mid-week be blessed and may His face shine upon you; what joy!

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.

- Matthew 6:9

~♥~