Book Seven:
Hurricane
force of the wind
“Why does God allow evil?” the woman repeated.
She looked up at the sky and knew that the sun and clouds were a deception of what was to come. The wind screeched and squealed as she watched through the window. A window over the sink suddenly shattered as a large branch compromised its integrity. She stayed on the couch knowing she couldn’t do anything to stop the rain from pouring through. Loud thumps sounded on the roof as debris was flung by the force of the winds.
Jack and Jenny were in South Florida helping in the clean-up after a devastating hurricane. They had been challenged by their dad to consider that everything they did would be remembered as either good choices or poor decisions. As they cleaned up Paradise Palms they knew it would change how they lived and loved.
Book Eight:
Mine!
clenched fists
Devin’s cadence riveted the team as they listened. “It is a monumental error to buy into the lie that money will bring happiness, that more is better, or that we can take any of it with us into life after life here on earth.”
In the jungles of Ecuador, Jack and Jenny are faced with the dangers of materialism to their faith. The possession of things could do real, tangible harm. Together they learn that seeking the things of the world often obstructs our view of God.
Ecuador proved to be more than a lesson in materialism. Lying partially obscured by the underbrush was a corpse dressed in a stylish suit with shoes polished neatly despite the jungle location. The head of the corpse slumped against a tree as if the body was sleeping. There was no sign of struggle, no obvious wounds, nothing that would imply foul play.
Three years later, Jack and Jenny are thrust into a battle revealing who the corpse was and who had been responsible.
Book Nine:
Rau
lost scrolls
Suffering is a blight on our world and none of us are immune to its effects; there is no guaranteed way to deal with it on this planet. Both Buddhists and Christians offer a final solution. As Jack and Jenny visit Hong Kong to visit Jin and Ru they are faced with the realities of this dilemma. The issue of trust in the face of suffering pushes Jenny to the edge of her faith.
Jenny trusts Jack because she knows him and his proven dependability. Jack encourages Jenny to re-learn to trust God in the same way. How will Jenny respond? Her initial response doesn’t bode well. “And I suppose God has shown me that He has done things in the past that prove I can trust Him?”
Unperturbed, Jack and his friends, Jin, and Ru challenge Jenny to come to grips with God’s love. They point out how we are instructed to do something that is beyond any of our abilities, skills, or desires to do. How will faith win out in such trying circumstances?
Book Ten:
Toxins
one drip at a time
Pornography is a scourge that is polluting many minds. Jack and Jenny are thrust into a camp for wayward kids where they are tasked with helping to pull these kids away from the grasp of porn. The fact that the camp is in Hawaii doesn’t make it any easier. It proves to be a difficult task but one they tackle bravely.
Meanwhile, a tattoo on an arm makes a startling appearance and the race is on to uncover the mystery. The fact that the arm is regurgitated out of the stomach of a tiger shark only makes the details more macabre. Jenny and Jack find themselves, once again, in some tight spots but always trusting God to guide them.
Book Eleven:
Rage
overwhelming disappointment
Death comes to everyone and it was stalking Jack and Jenny’s family. Jenny was sinking deeper into despair as her mom drew closer to death. God, apparently, was doing nothing. The Great Healer was not healing this incurable disease. How could that be? How could she not blame God? Her anger bubbled not too far below the surface.
As they sat on their grandparent’s porch, the twins watched storm clouds approach. They recalled hearing that everyone is either about to go through a storm, is in a storm, or has just been through one. The storm was nearing and they would decide how to deal with the pressures of death.
Their grandpa would be a strong wall to help them deal with this storm. He knew that trust in God is what makes or breaks our faith. We either trust God in all things – as in everything. Or we don’t. He was determined to help the twins trust in all things.
Rage will help you face life’s hurdles with strength and poise.
Book Twelve:
The Forgotten
out of heart
A busy dad, a vacationing mom, and a missing daughter. In a sea of black, blond-haired Elsa Karlsson has not been seen for six months.
Jack Carlton travels to Hong Kong, with his twin, Jenny, to study the travesty that is human trafficking. His studies in journalism offer an opportunity to shine a light into the seedy corners of the world to reveal this crime. Jenny came with her brother for the adventure. Yet deep down she is hoping God will show up and transform her bitterness toward Him. God had failed to heal her mom almost four years ago – something needed to change.
Like breadcrumbs sprinkled in their path, circumstances and emotions draw them toward the hope that Elsa is alive. Faith drives Jack forward, and bitterness holds Jenny back. Together they wrestle with the opposing forces, using their innate skills to solve the story that is Elsa.