The Sharp Axe

While this is the third and final book in the Freedom Series, I’m sure there are people who are just learning about it. Would you please share what prompted you to write these books on such topic as relevant and difficult as human trafficking? I was finishing up my previous fiction series for New Hope Publishers (the Extreme Devotion Series, dealing with the persecuted Church around the world) when Andrea Mullins (the publisher at New Hope) asked me what topic I wanted to tackle next. We discussed a few possibilities, and then she suggested human trafficking. I was aware of it and thought it was terrible but had no idea how widespread it was. I agreed to do some preliminary research and get back to her. When I discovered there are more than 27 million people held in various forms of human trafficking (sexual slavery, forced labor or military conscription, involuntary donation of body parts/organs) and that many of them are children (including an estimated 100,000—300,00...

Now let's revisit with novelist Kathi Macias , author of The Deliverer (New Hope Publishers, August 2012). Kathi Macias is a multi-award winning writer who has authored nearly 40 books and ghostwritten several others. A former newspaper columnist and string reporter, Kathi has taught creative and business writing in various venues and has been a guest on many radio and television programs. Kathi is a popular speaker at churches, women’s clubs and retreats, and writers’ conferences, and she won the prestigious 2008 Member of the Year award from AWSA (Advanced Writers and Speakers Association), as well as 2011 Author of the Year from BooksandAuthors.net. Her novel Red Ink was a 2011 Carol Award finalist and won 2011 Novel of the Year from Golden Scrolls. A wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, Kathi “Easy Writer” Macias lives in Homeland, CA, with her husband, Al, where the two of them spend their free time buzzin...

Dawn Butler Viggiano BOOM, conflict in the ROOM !!!!! Apostle Paul withstood Apostle Peter "TO HIS FACE". Peter was eating with sinners but when pious religious people came around he withdrew and separated himself fearing their judgement. Under intimidation Peter and those with him were no longer "straightforward about the truth of the Gospel". The message was silenced and mans performance was exalted./Pressuring an ambassador to be excluded from sinners is not a good thing. Gal.2:11-16 It makes us zealous to please men rather than pleasing God by spreading the Gospel to those who need to hear it. Gal.4:17

SAGGY APRIL 2012 EDITION, RELATIONSHIP ISOLATION When I was at a support group, one of the questions someone asked was,   “What should a person do when someone who you're in relationship with, does something very hurtful or mean-spirited to you?” After a bit of discussion, there was one commenter who probably gave the best and most helpful advice. That person only said two words that were plain and simple, and although the language used was crude, it was also honest and helpful towards our situations. You can probably guess what that person said…. Recently while I was thinking about my online April Edition of SAGGY, which deals with Relationship Isolation, God gave me a special saying of my own; an idea based upon that comment, which I promptly shared with others. Here it is below... IF SOMEONE DECIDES THEY DON'T LIKE YOU AND HAS DONE SOMETHING VERY TERRIBLE TO YOU, JUST SAY "F... 'EM" BUT THE SPIRITUAL SENSE OF THE WORD IS DIFFERENT. SO WHEN YOU ...

CSS Virtual Book Tour | Kathi Macias | The Freedom Series shared a link . My great friend and mentor has delivered another open, honest, but suspense filled book, Special Delivery is book two in the Freedom (human trafficking) series. For anyone who may not have read book one, Deliver Me From Evil , can you fill us in on the focus of the series in general, and Special Delivery in particular? The Freedom series is a three-book fiction series built around the horrifying topic of human trafficking. People often ask me why I decided to write about such a dark topic. First, I explain that I’m not writing about a dark topic; I’m writing about the Light that shines in that darkness. And second, I believe the Church should be at the forefront of the modern-day abolition movement to set the captives (modern-day slaves) free. The three books in this series specifically follows the life of a young woman named Mara, who was sold into sexual slavery by her own parents in Mexic...

I wrote this letter below to one of my mentors who’s also a dear friend. I’m so glad God brings people together to share in our struggles and rejoice in our victories. So this thought crossed my mind , “Hmm, this would probably make a good blog posting ;) It’s silly how my mind works sometimes. So I’m sharing with a dual purpose: One to help me get my thoughts out there, and two by sharing, maybe it’ll help someone see that no matter what life throws against us, If we’re trusting and believing in God, He’ll make it all work out for the good, Rom 8:28 Always remember this… The pain does have a purpose! In Him, Al   I was sharing with someone about some of the personal and constant struggles I’ve been experiencing with someone I’ve been friends with a long time. I told how my friend and I been having a difficult time understanding and relating to each other. The two of us haven’t been connecting with each other and our frustrations with each other have been driving us further apa...

2012 WILL BE THE YEAR WHEN GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS WILL BE REVEALED TO HIS PEOPLE AND HIS FAVOR UNTO HIS SERVANTS. WE NEED TO STAY IN HIS WORD EVEN MORE THAN BEFORE. HOW CAN HIS BRIDE BE AWARE OF BRIDEGROOM RETURN, IF THEY'RE NOT PREPARED? Matthew 25: 1-13 The Parable of the Ten Virgins 1 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4 The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 6 “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ 7 “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’  “‘9. No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and y...

HOSEA 4:6 (KJV) 6 “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…” As someone who was trained, instructed, and is still influenced by the Word of Faith Movement, this was one of our most quoted bible messages. To this day, that scripture continues influencing my thoughts and behavior. It’s very easy to “hear and word from God” and get excited about it. There’s nothing wrong with that.  But many times, it’s also important to read the entire Bible passage.  Because I’ve read that Bible scripture many times, I must have thought that I didn’t need to continue reading what followed afterwards. You might know what I mean; sometimes we all get a little too full of ourselves, perhaps we even feel like we know it all, and become a little too proud. In either case, I would have benefited by reading what followed… “because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God…” Now, if you satis...