Grace Again

"Nothing in my hand I bring.  Simply to thy cross I cling."  That's how the hymn writer put it in the old song, "Rock of Ages". 

Now picture this:  a pastor, robes and all, lying prostrate, face down in front of the altar.  That's what our pastor did last night during his message, to illustrate how we come before a Holy God.  Totally dependent on His mercy.  We have nothing to offer God that is good enough for Him.  Instead He takes our inadequacy and replaces it with His Son, Jesus', merit--bought for us on the cross.

This, according to our pastor's message, is what Jesus meant when he said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven."

GRACE

Yes, I am taking weekends off from blogging, especially now during holiday bazaar season.  Have to manage to sell a few books.

So Grace.  It started with St. Paul, who wrote, "For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not your own doing.  It is by faith, so no one can boast."

I remember when a Lutheran pastor shared that verse with me at age 15 or 16.  It was like a light suddenly came on in my mind.  It was God's doing.  I didn't have to keep trying to be good enough to please him.  It lifted a burden from my soul, because I knew deep in my heart that I could never be good enough to earn my way to God--no matter how hard I tried.  Luther himself found this epiphany (enlightenment) also, reading St Paul's epistles 1500 years later.  And now, here we are--500 years after Luther.

I've seen a neat explanation of grace:  God's
                                                             Riches
                                                             At
                                                             Christ's
                                                             Expense

Like another contemporary song says it, "In Christ alone, my hope is found. 
                                                                  He is my strength, my all in all."

Happy All Saints' Day

The stirring tune by Ralph Vaughn Williams, Sine Nomine, (without name) is going through my head, with these words:

"For all the saints, who from their labors rest, who thee by faith, before the world confessed:
Thy name, O Jesus, be forever blessed.  Alleluia, alleluia.

"O may thy soldiers, faithful, true and bold, fight as the saints who nobly fought of old:
And win with them the victor's crown of gold.  Alleluia, alleluia."

On that second verse, I hear the descant part flying above the melody (in my head, though I can't sing it anymore).  This is my prayer and hope for All Saints' Day, as I remember all those in my family--past, present and future--may they continue to be part of God's family by grace.

Tomorrow, more on that word "GRACE"

The Midpoint: Darkness as a Blessing?

Well, it's finally here.  Halloween.  Samhain to the ancient Celts.  It marks the midpoint between the Autumn Equinox and the Winter Solstice.  A dark time in the northern parts of the Northern Hemisphere.   No wonder they marked it as a time when the dead were said to walk the earth for a night.  I'm glad the Medieval Church set it aside as the Eve of All Saints' Day, a time to remember those who have gone before us, and to think on their legacy to us.  So that's what I am doing, as I look into my family tree, I am remembering all the things my ancestors have left to me.  And I'm looking for ways to pass this legacy on to my children, the next generation.

THE OFFICIAL RELEASE HAS ARRIVED!

The Peaks Saga, Books 1, 2, and 3 are officially available!  If you search by author, M.F. Erler, all three books show up together. If by title, they're mingled with a lot of others in alphabetical order. They are also in paperback on Barnes & Noble.  Or your favorite bookstore can order them.  If they ask where, tell them "First Steps Publishing"  E-books are exclusive to Amazon currently. 

Be sure to order the books with the people on the cover! I've posted Jon from Book 2--he's my favorite hunk (after my hubby, of course). The old ones, with mountains, are not revised. Books 4 thru 7 will be coming out at about two month intervals over the next few months.  These are appropriate for Young Adult readers, and the Young at Heart.  If you have questions, you can contact me directly on Facebook, or at my blog

 PeaksAndBeyond.com

 or email me at mferler@peaksandbeyond.com

My new handle is "A not-your-typical-Christian author of sci-fi/fantasy, who melds music, nature, and writing with faith."

Sept. 22- Book Release Day At Last

Tomorrow is the first day of Fall, and Sept. 22 is the official release day for my newly re-written Peaks Trilogy.  Three separate books that won't break your pocketbook or your arm.  In other words, not 500-plus-page monster books!

You can get them in paperback or hardback on Amazon.com, or any bookstore can order them for you.  Just remember my author name is M.F. Erler.  And the books are "The Peaks at the Edge of the World"  Book 1, "Finding the Light"; Book 2, "Searching for Maia"; and Book 3, "Mountaintops and Valleys".  E-books will be on Amazon, too.

And over the course of 2019, there are four more in the Peaks Saga to come.
Questions?  You can reach me at mferler@peaksandbeyond.com

You Get a Better Deal if You Pre-Order

At last!  The first three books in the new Peaks Saga are available to pre-order.  My publisher just told me today that the prices are at their lowest right now.  They may 'go up a bit' (that's a quote) when they are released in September.

So now is a good time to get ahead of the game.  If the link below doesn't work, try copying and pasting it into your search engine.  Or type it.  Or contact me.  :)

https://bookstore.firststepspublishing.com/product-tag/the-peaks-saga

https://bookstore.firststepspublishing.com/product-tag/the-peaks-saga