Vicki Stewart

There’s something about the word ‘never’ that always causes me to hesitate before using it.  I think it’s because by definition never is considered to be improbable and not likely to be true or to happen so by saying the word; it’s like I’m tempting fate.  I’m sure you’re familiar with the saying ‘never say never.’  In my past experiences, as soon as I’ve said, I’ll never do something it’s like a challenge to prove myself wrong.  Then there’s the saying ‘it will never happen.’ Equally frustrating to hear when it’s something you very much want to happen.

For Tori and Ben, having children was always something they both wanted.  When Ben learned about Tori’s legacy and the children of Remiel were always girls, he had to come to terms with the fact that he would never have a son.

But as ironic as God’s lessons often are, the word never, never applies to Him.  Here’s an excerpt from book four showing us that very example.

Children from the Light, Chapter 10 “…“Both your daughter and your son appear to be in perfect health,” Dr. Matthews smiled.

“What did you just say?” Ben argued.

“I said both your daughter and your son appear to be in perfect health,” Dr. Matthews repeated.

“D-did you say, son?” Tori whispered, her eyes widening in surprise.

“I did!” Dr. Matthews exclaimed.  “Congratulations!  I’m printing off copies of the images now so you can take them with you to show your family and your friends.  The printer is in the room next door.  I’ll be right back.”

As Dr. Matthews left the room, Tori turned to Ben, whose eyes were equally as wide as hers.  “We’re having a son, Ben,” she whispered.

“How is that possible?” he whispered back.

“Mystical powers, maybe?” Tori raised her eyebrows, questioningly.

“Heck if I know!” Ben replied.  “The lineage of the Remiel has always been daughters. There’s never been a recorded birth of a boy before.”

“That we know of,” Tori pointed out.

“That we know of,” he repeated.  “What does this mean?” he asked, searching her eyes.

“I don’t know,” she admitted.  “I need to talk to Remy.”

Unseen by either of them, Remy stood silently in the corner of the room, equally shocked by what he had just heard.  Looking upward towards heaven with troubled eyes, he quietly asked, “Father, what have You done?”….”

The poem I dreamt on March 9, 2015, inspiring book four.

Here we are at the beginning of May when kids are counting down the final days of school, and parents are trying to figure out how to budget the money needed for the family summer vacation.

But there’s one being who never takes a vacation. He has many names; the devil, Satan, Beelzebub, Lucifer (or Luc, as Tori likes to call him), and he’s always watching and waiting for an opportunity to catch someone off guard or in a moment of spiritual weakness.

That’s not to say Lucifer only focuses on the weak in spirit. Some of his greatest joy is in bringing the strongest believers to their knees, even Tori. Here’s an excerpt from Chapter 3 of Children from the Light of one of those moments.

Children from the Light, Chapter 3 “…And you’re all making it quite obvious that someone has been assigned to be with me at all times when Ben’s not with me, which I would assume is his idea!” Tori exclaimed. “Look, I appreciate what everyone’s doing, but I am capable of being alone without fear of Luc trying one of his death games. Besides, Goliath can sense him when he’s near so everyone needs to relax!”

Agent Hughes gave a heavy sigh and admitted, “Okay. I’ll come clean. Ben did ask that we all keep an eye on you. And before you say anything,” he added when she opened her mouth to speak, “for me personally, I’m actually enjoying this chance to spend more time with you. It’s given me an opportunity to learn more about your abilities and how effective they are in honing your skills as a profiler.”

Tori grinned and readily admitted, “Thank you for saying that! I really am enjoying it and was hoping you didn’t feel like you had to work with me due to the new arrangements.”

“Not at all!” he assured her.

“Then would you mind if we referenced each other on a first-name basis when it’s just us? I know Agent Hunter likes us to be formal outside of the team, but you can call me Tori, you know,” she offered.

“Fair enough,” he agreed, inclining his head. “From now on we’re Tori and Riley.”

“Perfect!” Tori replied.

As Tori approached the wall where a large whiteboard was attached, Goliath’s head whipped up towards her, and he began to whine, nervously.

“What’s wrong, Goliath,” she paused, looking at him curiously.

Suddenly she heard a cracking sound on the wall behind her. As she turned, she saw the whiteboard falling towards her. “Oh!” she exclaimed in surprise.

“Tori look out!” Riley yelled, quickly rushing forward to grab the edge of the frame.

Jumping backward, she barely cleared the board’s path as one corner crashed to the floor. “Whew, that was close,” she breathed heavily.

Lowering the board to the floor against the wall, Riley came to her and gently placed his hand on her shoulder. “Are you okay?” he asked worriedly.

“I’m fine,” Tori replied. “Just give me a minute to catch my breath.”

Glancing back at the whiteboard, Riley looked up at the mounting brackets and shook his head slowly. “That was too close,” he decided angrily. “Those brackets should have held better than they did.”

“It’s not the brackets fault, and you know it,” Tori replied with a scowl. “I was wondering why Luc has been so quiet lately.”

Pausing briefly, Riley took one last look at the board and then turned to Tori. “Still feel like you don’t need someone with you at all times?”

Chuckling quietly, she replied, “Okay, so maybe Ben did have the right idea.”

“Odd timing that you mention Lucifer and then this happened,” Riley thought out loud.

“That was his way of reminding me that he’s always paying attention,” Tori advised. “Evil never takes a break…”.

I find it interesting when I hear someone say, “Make sure you have your affairs in order,” they’re often referring to your financial situation and not your spiritual relationship with God. Personally, I would rather leave this earth buried in debt than buried in sin. And by saying that, in no way am I saying I am without sin – FAR from it. I make mistakes every single day. God knows it, and He expects it. The key is to recognize those times when we make those mistakes, learn from them, ask for forgiveness, and never do them again.

If you take your eyes off the cross, it’s very easy to lose your way.

So make sure you have your spiritual affairs in order. Our time on this earth is short. Here’s an excerpt from Chapter 1 of Children from the Light as an example of someone who lost their way.

Children from the Light, Chapter 1 “…Wade saw the looks when they went out together in public. The glares from the women when they caught their husbands looking at Wendy embarrassed him. He became tired of giving those women looks of apology in reply, which immediately became looks of sympathy back at him.

Wendy seemed oblivious to it all. She enjoyed the attention she received from other men and soon, people stopped asking them over for dinner parties. No one invited them to join them on weekend trips anymore. They were no longer the couple everyone wanted to be.

The moment he knew he lost her was the day she finally turned her eyes to his, and her once bright, beautiful blue eyes, stared back at him through filmy, green contact lenses. Emotionless; dull; and empty. The once wide-open windows to her soul were now clouded over by her fear and insecurities. He couldn’t see his reflection in her eyes anymore so after a while; he stopped looking.

Then he met Julia. Beautiful, exotic Julia.

They met at the health food store one day when he was buying whey protein. He remembered turning down the aisle and nearly stopping in his tracks at the sight of her.

She was that beautiful.

She had been reading the label on a container of the same brand of powder that he used. That had given him the perfect opening to talk to her when he took a container off the shelf beside her, barely avoiding brushing up against her hand in the process.

Then she had turned to look at him and in an incredibly soft, sexy voice she had asked, “I see that you’re buying this same brand. Is it good? I’m not sure which one to try. Perhaps you could help me?”

One look from those incredible brown eyes had been all it took and for the second time in his life, he had been captivated. She was one-hundred percent all natural; no preservatives; no artificial fillers; a voluptuous all-American beauty.

In the beginning, they were just running partners. After he had introduced himself as a personal trainer, she asked for his help so when he offered she happily accepted. They began meeting twice a week in the mornings for an hour, here at the lake. Within a few weeks, she had matched her pace to his, and they were running seven and a half miles, stride for stride.

It was nice having someone to run with when she was able to meet him. She was easy to talk to, not to mention easy to look at. She hadn’t seemed to mind that he was married. He told her everything. And instead of looking at him with pity afterward, he had seen compassion and understanding in her eyes.

Then one day, they got caught in a downpour and had to wait out the storm in a section of the woods under the protection of the trees. They laughed at each other, at first; seeing each other soaked to the skin. But he couldn’t keep his eyes from wandering over her. The shape of her body through her wet clothing set his pulse racing and when her eyes met his, the mutual desire he saw reflecting back at him was too overpowering. The storm of emotions raging inside of each of them unleashed as they grabbed one another into a passionate kiss; that turned into a lust-filled hour in the back seat of his Town Car.

Did he love her? Maybe; he wasn’t sure. All he knew was when he was with her; he felt alive again like he was a part of something special. And when he touched her, she was warm and soft and real. Everything a woman should be.

Completing another pass by the kayaks and canoes, he checked his pulse again and realized he was up to one-hundred and ninety beats per minute. “Easy, man,” he warned himself. “Stop thinking about the girl and focus on your stride.”

Laughing at himself, he adjusted his pace, blew out a deep breath and locked his eyes on the path ahead, trying not to think about her.

Distracted by his thoughts, he didn’t notice the red dot on his shirt, located where is heart was racing at one hundred and ninety beats per minute.

When the bullet struck him, there was no time to react. With his veins and arteries wide open, he felt his heart faltering at the sudden loss of blood, and his legs gave way beneath him.

As he fell to the ground, the last image in his mind were Julia’s beautiful chocolate brown eyes…”.