Author Danyelle Read

Glimpses of Jesus bar-David Part One

This post is part of the l’Chaim! series on topics related to the Jewishness of the Messiah Jesus and how this can further our understanding and the living under the power of Holy Spirit in this generation.

My Jewish father used to bring us kids to Brooklyn to visit his mother. Grandma Wolfe-Cole stood at 4’11. Having escaped Hitler’s armies by emigrating to NYC, she kept a kosher household. As soon as we crossed the threshold of her modest Flatbush apartment, she would place her hands on we children’s heads and mutter in Hebrew and Yiddish, a mixture of Hebrew and German often spoke by immigrant Jews in New York. My father stopped to allow this, just as anyone else in the house fell silent, honoring, observing and agreeing. “What did she say, Daddy?” I asked and in response to my query, he would translate the beautiful prayers my grandmother had declared, ordaining blessings and peace. The effect on me was a profound sense of Adonai’s Presence.

Interestingly, speaking blessings over the children is very much alive in today’s Jewish households. A Jew may or may not choose to extend their faith in other ways, but blessing the children is one tradition seen everywhere, from orthodox to non-practicing.

Another cultural attribute is to encourage PDAs. Jews hug, men hug men and they also hug women, everybody hugs everybody. They express their feelings. Jewish men are not afraid to cry. There is good evidence that this makes people stronger and healthier, as long as it is kept positive.

Another thing which is often practiced among Jews, including my Dad, is to catch someone being good. When there may be a need to correct, it is done in a way that is not shaming.

Jesus often displays these hallmarks of Jewish culture. He was kind yet no wimp, He could express affection. He understood the ramifications of His authority, not for oppression but for service. He was a teacher par excellence, a counselor to all. His Jewishness clothed Him like a coat of many colors and sometimes we can catch a glimpse of it in the nuances of the written gospels. Here’s one example from Matthew, also a Jew:

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, He questioned His disciples: “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

“But what about you?” Jesus asked. “Who do you say I am?”

Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon bar-Jonah! For this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by My Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Matthew 16:13-17

As many will know, “bar” is Aramaic for son. “Blessed are you, Simon bar-Jonah,” there is such warmth and brotherly, even fatherly, affection conveyed in this phrase. Imagine a tutor or an elder calling you by your full name and calling you blessed at the same time. This is Jesus gushing, it goes way beyond approval, it’s love and pride mixed together, it’s joy because here, Jesus is “catching” Simon Peter being good. He’s ecstatic to see the fruition of what He knew was in Peter. The Savior then prophesies over him, bestowing upon him almost inconceivable honor and one of the most powerful calls anyone has ever received.

I’m not saying that Jesus was only a warm and fuzzy Jewish guy. He did a lot of rebuking and correcting, name calling and even whipped a few people at least a couple of times. He hated sickness and spiritual blindness, but lowest on His list were those who took advantage of others through religious belief. Highest were those who showed the qualities of recognizing God’s righteousness and love, faith in Him, and living out their radical faith. Actually, this is one of a few times I know of that Jesus ever gushed. The others were when He praised the woman who had given her last two mites in the offering, when the woman touched Him and was healed, and when the centurion (a non-Jew mind you) told Him not to take the time to come to his house but rather that if He simply said the word, his servant would be healed. Much as here with Peter, Jesus “marveled” at this man’s faith. (Mt 8:13). The recorded memoirs of the apostles tell us that He took greatest delight in people believing God was God. It wasn’t just that Peter’s answer was correct but that his heart was open to hearing from God, as radical as what he heard might be, which made Jesus so so happy.

Jesus was not a humanist. Every action of His short time on earth was pinned upon the axis of delivering and teaching supernatural faith which pulls us out of our self-absorption. Unlike Maslow, He didn’t put self actualization at the epitome of human achievement. He honored laying one’s life down for the revealed will of God.

That’s a very very different emphasis. He said only by Me can you find access to heaven, to God, to eternal life. And while the by product would often be many earthly joys, those should not be, and in fact cannot be, the focus for us to fully live as salt and light.

What if the Son of God had put His own “happiness” first. Would anything have stopped Him from achieving earthly fame and fortune? If He had decided to use His immense talents, gifts and power to become a general and take over the known world, He could have. His riches and His harem could have far exceeded those of Solomon. Jesus told us clearly, My kingdom is not of this world. The King of love and peace also knew what it would cost to achieve it, that His very own purpose was to come as a sacrifice, an atonement, a substitionary vessel for wrath, and as victor. Every generation of believers since Him have the overarching purpose of living out this victory, and showing the way to others. It is a cardboard facade to reduce the purpose of life to nothing more than self actualization or achievement for it’s own sake.

We are here to serve God according to how we are called. In Christ our lives are hid. This is only possible when we connect with God through the Holy Spirit after our full surrender to His salvation offered by grace and mercy. It’s only possible when we seek Him about one’s individual purpose and to hear from Him about every action, every decision, and oh thank you Jesus that it is possible! That He answers all such prayers. Wait, and though you wait, you will receive an answer in due time. Jesus honored this level of faith above all others.

This post would not be complete without an overview which the Judaic perspective would offer. Observe carefully the Body of Christ today. They are all in different stages of progress. Some are mature, these are the ones with generations of blessings that have fallen upon their descendants. They have given much, and they are reaping a hundred -fold. Spiritually blind critics may see only how much they have, not understanding how much they have given and are still giving.

Others among the fellowship are just beginning, others are at 30- and 60-fold. Jews understood this well. We too must realize that in surrendering to Jesus, there will be a return in this life, and glory in the next. There absolutely will be. I should really insert a few scriptures here. 3 John 2- “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” Mark 19: 29-31 Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

Here we see Jesus talking about the subject of prosperity. He gives two caveats: one is that there will be persecution for living out the gospel. The other is that there will be those who seem to be prominent on this earth (even among believers) who are not so in heaven. This is making the same point that I am making, that even in having wealth as part of the blessing of God, the person’s heart stance toward their wealth, how they continue to serve God while having it, is what is weighed by God.

What we do with the 30 to 100-fold return will be dependent on our ministry and calling. Some may be led to stay on the mission field until they die, and possibly reinvest every cent into it, so they may even appear to be poor. Yet they are not. They are the ones who know how to call in the funds and resources, who have developed a deep and abiding relationship with the Father who gives beyond measure. George Mueller comes to mind here. Others who have families and wish to enjoy nice houses, and lands and cars, jewelry and gorgeous dresses, and TV ministries with only the best makeup and hair, and whatever, they are free to do so. But for many many of these people, that was not what what they were after in the first place. This is what just happens when we really live for and hear from God! (Now of course, some have gotten side tracked, but let us pray for them, God is able to get them back on track.)

Those stuck in poverty may actually have a hindrance in their souls to receiving what God is trying to get to them. This is a subject for another time and there is much in the Bible about it. Only the truly spiritual can discern the motives of the heart. Alternatively, there are people who have been poor all their lives who are coming out of this cycle by God’s grace and by faith, who are so focused on their material success that they have lost the ability to see how others who are also being blessed, maybe much more than they, are serving God with their blessings in a different way. They are bragging on their blessings because they are bragging on God! And yet, the spiritual sensitivity just is not there. These are like the nouveau riche of Christendom. They are harmless. Let them enjoy their newfound blessings. But stay the course yourself! Seek to fellowship with those who remain humble, and who share. Be one of them. Don’t be afraid to wear your expensive jacket or dress, but neither shirk from taking someone out to the grocery store or the mall and buying them a few outfits either. Give a car away if you are at that level. Yet keep it on the down low, or people will seek you out simply because of this. If necessary, give anonymously. Above all, let them see Jesus.

Angel News Headlines: Rome crumbles, Hitler loses, Woke Culture fizzles, Christ’s Followers Set the World on Fire with Love as Economies Rebound. Liberty and Justice Comes to All Nations.

The news of John the Baptist’s death hit Jesus hard, yet He ministered to the crowd of those seeking healing, rather than insist on being alone to pray. Jesus kept ministering under the jurisdiction of an insane government. Paul and others following him did the same. This, dear friends, is how I’ve come to understand my response to be in the face of the insane corruption of the owners of various social media websites.

As I prayed for help and guidance, the Father has brought various scriptures to my remembrance. Jesus paying taxes and Paul’s insistence that we honor and pray for governmental leaders. Paul’s preaching in the Parthenon, which is exactly like posting on Facebook or Instagram or YouTube, his teachings on eating meat sacrificed to pagan gods. The gist is we don’t shrink back in the face of evil, instead we move forward in love and take back the territory. We overcome evil with good. Light shines in the darkness and darkness vanishes. Sometimes it’s not without a fight, but we always win. God’s response to Judas was to commission a Paul. We have the promise that the gates of hell won’t stand before us. Cancel culture, voter fraud, stealing rights and undermining the Constitution and the rule of law, these are all satanic gates, attempts at setting up corruption to an inappropriate place of power. History is very clear, Rome crumbled as Constantinople rose to power, installing Christianity as its official religion. In more recent times, Israel won the 6-day war supernaturally, in the very same way Israel won many other wars in the OT supernaturally. As Hitler marched through Europe, he seemed invincible. Yet, the allies did not give up, despite tragic and terrible losses, and he was defeated.

God Is the Greater One.

With all of this, there is a cautionary note to count the cost. Sometimes it’s high, sometimes it’s life itself. One day, there will be an ultimate clash between the kingdoms of light and darkness when Christ will return; things will get very dark before then. Could this be the prequel? It’s certainly a foreshadowing. We could call it ‘birth pangs’ as mentioned by Jesus.

As long as we are on the earth, we are salt and light here. How that plays out depends on your calling and your gifts. Still, we are never to stop hoping, believing, holding fast to what is good and true. America, and the world, needs a turnaround. And yet, such about-face’s have occurred in human history. Ya never know. God has brought the world back from the brink a number of times.

For the sake of all my friends and readers, especially the young ones with young families, I very much hope that’s what will happen in our times, in America and throughout the world. However, that really isn’t our priority. Ours is to abide in the Vine. Seriously, your one priority right now as a believer is to remain in Peace. You cannot do the work of Christ from any other basis. You will do the work of Christ when you are really, really, really resting in Him.

Here’s how I’m handling Facebook and all the other minions right now. I’m using FB on a minimal basis under a new, minimalist account, in order to be able to communicate with current events of groups I am involved with, particularly those which support my in-person relationships and don’t turn them into virtual ones. I’ll make plans for the next event or meeting on social media, but I’d much rather see the grandkids or hear about your fantastic, latest night on the town in person.

I’m staying off Twitter because I value my time. (Update: since Elon has revamped it, I visit Twitter once a month, to keep up with select people and groups posting there.) I don’t watch mainstream news, I sometimes watch Newsmax, but the Epoch Times and their sister organization NTD as well as OAN are by far the most factual and least editorializing of the conservative news outlets. RightSideBroadcasting has created its own infrastructure, and is another good outlet which we’ll need if YouTube totally flakes. Instagram and Pinterest are not worth my time either but again, take them over with the good news if they are yours. (I’m posting on the venues which I list below, including some personal things.) YouTube remains very helpful though I try to go directly to the site when it too hosts the video. In that vein, God.TV has some very worthwhile programming. I’ve closed Amazon Prime permanently but continue to host my books on Amazon.

In other words, it’s impossible not to be tainted by the surrounding culture. So as it is possible for you go ahead and move in on it, make it the vehicle for proclaiming the gospel. Use it for the purposes God has called you to. Do get out and speak to real people in real time and space.

Here is the promised list of alt venues, where I have an account and where you are welcome to join me. They are sometimes good sources of actual, factual news and information, as well as direct posts by some great patriots.

Update Dec 2023: My usage of these sites has diminished. To keep up, I receive the title of their posts in my email inbox. This lets me quickly grasp the latest news and current events in about 30 seconds, without it disturbing my peace as founded on Jesus Christ. It lets me know how to pray, and directs me in community outreach at times. It helps me recognize the signs of the times, and ultimately, it lets me be watchful for His coming. For we are in amazing times for seeing biblical prophecy unfolding. Witness the changes in the world just in the last few years.

The Christian stance is not one of prediliction. We are not soothsayers and psychics. We have the Holy Spirit telling us of things to come but there is much to understand how this plays out, above all it doesn’t come down to our knowing exactly who the anti-Christ is until he is fully revealed, or many other things. Jesus tells us exactly how to maneuver through political upheaval, to stay watchful, ever expectant and excited about His return, and yet we will not know the exact time! Predictions do nothing but make fools of leaders and give the world an excuse to denigrate Christianity.

In 2021, at the request of some people who wanted to keep in touch with me via social media, I wrote this list. It’s still got some good options for getting reporting from those who have been banned from FB and YT.

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/danyellewolferead If we’re friends, hit Add Friend or simply hit Follow. This is also a good place through which to contact me. The contact page may be accessed through the link above.

Telegram – name: Holistic One username HolisticOne

Gab and Rumble – AuthorDanyelle

Parler – @DayWolfe

Update in 2023: Several Christian platforms have their own news services which I will turn to: TBN, CBN are the most helpful. They also post on YouTube. I much prefer them to Newsmax anymore. Things have evolved. They are changing really fast. It’s okay to pivot.

If you have any trouble finding me on the above, reach out to me here on my website, I’ll help. Also, you are welcome to mention your own finds in the comments below.

In the end, the only question that matters is, Do I love the men and women who are destroying truth, justice, the rule of law and our freedoms right now? What does it matter what I feel when God does? God loves them, and by His Spirit, I can too. Does God condone what you’ve done? No, but Jesus has paid the price for it, just as for my sins, and none of us is any blacker or dirtier than another before we come to Christ. Sanctimonious? Not really, when you consider the Bible says all our attempts at righteousness are filthy rags.

Civil justice would be served if many of them spent the rest of their lives in prison. Without condoning them, God loves them. And therefore, so do I.

Listen Pray Stand

If you are experiencing anxiety right now (and any person with common sense would), it is not weakness. If anything, it attests to mental strength. But there is a better way to handle that ability. I’ve helped a lot of people overcome depression, but anxiety is a different sort of evil. It starts with a meme or an idea that takes over the soul. While it starts in the mind, it can and will pollute every other aspect of your being, emotions, body, even spirit.

The only real and lasting antidote for anxiety is to change your thoughts. I should know, I have had to fight this fight all my life. I’m here to tell you that I have won that war, though there are sometimes skirmishes. I never took meds for it, but if you have, it may be necessary, no worries. The main thing however is this: whatever the thing is that you are focusing on that is causing the anxiety, find the thing that is true regarding that same issue, and focus on it instead.

But Danyelle, you say, I keep hearing more and more facts about election fraud, the Biden/Harris actions, not to mention concealed historical crimes against the US and other countries, insane and horrific slaughter of innocent people in China, Iran, Syria, religious persecution on my job. Meanwhile, many respected preachers are saying this is the end! I can’t be anything but a mess!!!

Listen, sibling, I applaud you for doing your research in the areas of public policy and politics. I’ll try to write another blog soon listing the many alt media sites that I have found, as it is important to be informed!

The real issue is not that our country is in chaos, that you, dear friend, may be being targeted, or even that this could mark the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The real underlying issue is how to handle all the new information because how you handle it means the difference between staying the course with God or panicking, and it may even be as important to you as life and death. This has always been the case, even in peace times, but the acuity of our situation here in the US puts more pressure on every aware person and therefore increases the possibility of heading into a tailspin. No need for that!

First: Don’t hide from it. Denying the truth is worse than being upended by it. Think of how the early believers’ lives were totally changed. And yet many, most people who had been healed by Jesus turned their back on Him. No, I think I’ll go back to my safe little life, they said. Actually, it turned out not to be so safe. Go ahead and download, subscribe, sign up with apps with reputable voices on them. These may be where the censored, yet upright, people have opened new accounts.

Second: Take a break from it. Many of these new apps automatically queue notifications to your phone. You can simply mute your phone but you will still see the notifications. More effective is to turn off the notifications for these individual apps through your settings function. I log in to these apps when I am ready to take in more information. I pray about and schedule when I will do this. This is information that brings pain, grief and outrage, or it should. You must be bolstered and ready when you are reading it (see my next suggestion).

Third: Ready yourself! Start with worship, the Word, and the knowledge that God is greater than all the machinations of evil minds. You didn’t sign up for Jesus thinking this life was all there is. Keep eternity in mind. Listening to encouraging sermons from before the virus took over is also a very good idea. Find scriptures that become a living word to your spirit, and listen to the Holy Spirit. Use worship music to remember His goodness and protection over you. Psalm 91 is also great for this, as is John 14, Phil 3-4, there are many others. All of this will arm you, shield you, guard your heart and mind. As you pray, speak forth that truth and justice be done. What we say has a powerful impact, even if said in the privacy of your study. Listen and get God’s guidance. Then follow the leading of the Spirit for your own life. If you don’t do that well yet, you have many principles to follow from God’s Word. The Holy Spirit never contradicts the Word. Respect also that others may have a different call.

Fourth: There is something all of us can do regardless of your calling. You can take a stand for truth and justice by boycotting all lying media. I recently discovered that my tires were made in China! I needed two new tires so instead of buying that brand, I switched. Stop buying Chinese-made goods. Get off of Facebook, Twitter, Google and Apple to the degree that you can. Amazon Prime, cancel it! You don’t have to storm Washington, or even have arguments with your co-workers, but you can do this. Before you tell me what I’m advocating is extreme, realize this: Every time you log on, tune in or give attention to those TV and Cable channels or websites, you give revenues to people, people with lots and lots of money, enough to stop the legal system from doing its job of reviewing TONS of hard evidence that they are criminals and traitors participating in human trafficking and child sex rings. Enough to alter the results of a US Presidential election! If using a social media site is critical to your ministry or business, you have many other options. I hope to blog soon about my own migration from those disgraceful media outlets to ones that are doing a much better job and with integrity. Some I will clue you into. Others I will remain anonymous on, not because I am afraid, but because I am being led to. If you read my books or know me for any length of time, you will learn how to follow this leading for yourself. Also, if you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ, and want to, please feel free to contact me through my Goodreads account where I may be easily found. It would be my honor to assist you. God’s love and faithfulness never quit. I cannot imagine going through these evil times without Him. The good news is, you don’t have to!

Listen, Pray, and Stand. Inform yourself, turn your outrage into determination, your fear into courage, your anxiety to proactive calm. As you move away from anxious reactivity to responding, you will find yourself able to listen more, observe more, and possibly say something that will help someone else to become informed. Above all, you will stay in the center of God’s will with assurance, knowledge and guidance for He has you firmly in the palm of His hand.

PS Here’s a link to a book I’m enjoying right now. I am not getting any revenues from posting this! It’s a good example of what to put into your soul at this time.

https://www.davidjeremiah.org/resources/revealing-the-mysteries-of-heaven

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35273355-revealing-the-mysteries-of-heaven

The AHAV Bible

I’m excited about this Bible coming out, a rendering of the New Testament based on Aramaic, which is what Jesus and His contemporary Israelis spoke, which also Paul must have spoken, though He and many of them would have also been raised to speak and read the scriptures in Hebrew, as Jews are today. And doubtless, many spoke and understood other current languages of the day, for the empire was a vast conglomerate of disparate people groups.

As someone who speaks a few languages and have been trained in ancient Latin and even a little Hebrew, (I even dabbled in Hawaiian when I was living there – very very interesting language), I am so very aware that different nuances of meaning attend different languages. Studying languages has long been part of my love affair with words.

It will be really interesting to see what layers of meaning an Aramaic translation unfolds. An interlinear edition would probably be the next step, with a key, such as the Strong’s lexicon, which brings depth to one’s study and to which many online translations and interlinear versions are tied.*

About

*Though it has been useful, this is not a blank check endorsement of Strong’s lexicon.

Christmas Kittens and Writing Fiction

Like most believers who write, whether fiction, non-fiction, blogs, books, articles, I write because I have a spiritual mandate, an inner urge so forceful, I dare not deny it. I write because the Holy Spirit inspires me to think big. But thinking big is secondary to the mandate.

My books are developing a following today, in this world, even without much marketing on my part. However, I also enjoy my career, my “day job” in the medical field, and unless I am led to stop and write full time, I’ll do both.

It’s true that I am a creative and that writing gives me an outlet for that continually bubbling newness rising up from where soul and spirit entwines with God’s. It’s a magnificent challenge to write well, one I’ll spend a lifetime working toward and never achieving to my full satisfaction, I’m almost sure. But it’s a challenge worth the investment of joyous, painstaking hours adding up to a good chunk of my life.

Yet, there’s more! Writing is more than a way to express and develop creatively.

The truth is, that as much as I do believe my books are meant for today’s generation, my overwhelming sense with my first two novels is that they will serve future generations, as well. Spontaneously, it comes to me at times that my books will be read by people through the rise and fall of nations, by souls who are groping for a true understanding of the gospel in the end times. I see them stumbling upon my books, finding the living God and hope amidst a deep descending darkness, and then circulating them to their friends.

Already my books have sparked new faith in a number of people. And those are just the ones I know about. It’s hard to find the real gospel in these times, in any time, truly. I know that I have, but because I have, I know how difficult the challenge can be. I write in a way that will allow people to find it.

Another aspect of writing for me is to respond to the need for enjoyable, quality entertainment, especially among God-fearing people. How often have you come to the end of a long week, wanting only to sit and watch a good movie, listen to a podcast or read a good book, only to find the pickings are bare? All too often you’ve opened a book or a movie that promises action and/or romance of real intellectual and inspirational substance, only to find it leads your mind and heart into places you’d rather not go, places not even worth going. Suddenly you’re living in someone else’s anxious nightmare and all you wanted was a a little recreation! If you aren’t careful, many stories will take you from feeling fine to being depressed and hopeless. Quite the opposite of what quality entertainment should accomplish.

Good entertainment should inspire us to dream, not crush us. It might contain sad truths about this world, but in the end, quality entertainment enlightens and in so doing, it uplifts.

We need as many great movies and novels as we can get. Schindler’s List and The Passion, God’s Not Dead, Fireproof and The War Room, Gone With The Wind, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Killing Fields, Snow Falling on Cedars, all are blockbuster hits because they enlighten as well as uplift. Stephen Baldwin has been making some very interesting, offbeat films which carry extremely powerful messages for people of faith. There’s always room for a well-done, quality movie, book or podcast that lets us relax without turning away from God, but rather turns us toward Him. If not turning us directly to God, a good story might also turn us to a greater appreciation of our purpose and our worth. Stories like It’s A Wonderful Life show us the dark and light side of life but in the end help us realize that each of us has value when we light the place we live in. We could also argue that NCIS and Rocky do that for us, too.

My writing is for the hungry ones, the thirsty ones, to let them know that there is a banquet they can enjoy in real life, and where to find it.

A simpler way of putting is to compare writing with rescuing kittens. I have two tiny kittens in my home right now. I am fostering them for the humane society, getting them ready for their forever homes. They are coming along nicely and they are going to make great pets. (photo below) From me they have learned how to enjoy being in someone’s lap, how to be careful with their claws, how to use a litter box, how a human can play with them, how to come when called (to the degree that cats ever do that!). Both of them were quite wild when I got them and they have made phenomenal progress. They are being imprinted with my love and prayers, with the peace, joy and TLC I give them. All this they will take with them for the rest of their lives, as a gift I am giving to those who will own them, long after these little furballs have forgotten my scent or my voice.

In the same way, our spirits can be imprinted with the personality and character of Charles Dickens or an Agatha Christie by reading their books, though we will never know them this side of heaven, and even if they were alive today, we would probably not have the opportunity to become more than superficially acquainted with them. My books, and every book worth reading, really, are like rescued kittens, sharing what I hope is the better part of me in common with the Creator of us all, for the delight and well-being and solace of the family here on planet Earth.

A New (and very old) Form of Dialogue

By Danyelle Wolfe Read

Writing is part of my love language. So sometimes, my devotional includes writing a unique form of dialogue, a dialogue with God. He usually kicks it off with something profound, after which I respond, like an ant responding to an elephant. But He loves me, so He answers. God always answers.

Marriage (for singles)

by Danyelle Wolfe Read

There tends to be a romance in my stories. Sometimes it’s central, sometimes it’s part of other aspects which are driving the story. I portray love in such a way as to bring back the joy of it. As one who has practiced therapy for couples and families, I create realistic love relationships. The romances in my books are anything but fluffy. They are possible. The characters are not idealized, they are flawed. I emphasize their chemistry over their physicality (there is a difference).

To find the person who really cares for us is a blessing, going back to the first man and woman in Eden.

From Platforms to Circles

As a former seminary and Bible school student, one who is also single, I derive a great many things from a church. One of these is community. I cannot help but ponder ways a sense of community can be delivered more effectively. It’s been part of my life purpose to promote community, but not just any community. Rather, community based on and supporting hearing from the Father by His Spirit and His Word.