The Affectionate Adversary (41 page)
The master said, “Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!”
Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, “Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.”
But the master replied, “You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate, why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.”
Then he ordered, “Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver. To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
(Matthew 25:14-30)
Jesus sat down near the collection box in the Temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts. Then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins.
Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on.”
(Mark 12:41-44)
It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration, so Jesus went to Jerusalem. In the Temple area he saw merchants selling cattle, sheep, and doves for sacrifices; he also saw dealers at tables exchanging foreign money. Jesus made a whip from some ropes and chased them all out of the Temple. He drove out the sheep and cattle, scattered the money changers’ coins over the floor, and turned over their tables. Then, going over to the people who sold doves, he told them, “Get these things out of here. Stop turning my Father’s house into a market-place!”
Then his disciples remembered this prophecy from the Scriptures: “Passion for God’s house will consume me.”
(John 2:13-17)
Look here, you rich people: Weep and groan with anguish because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you. Your wealth is rotting away, and your fine clothes are moth-eaten rags. Your gold and silver have become worthless. The very wealth you were counting on will eat away your flesh like fire. This treasure you have accumulated will stand as evidence against you on the day of judgment.
(James 5:1-3)
There are many more teachings in the Bible about money. Do you think you treat money the way God wants you to? If not, why don’t you ask God to forgive you right now—and then make a fresh start. That’s what forgiveness is all about!
Regular readers may recall that trifling tidbits need to be tidied:
What is to befall our pretty Prudence? Will she wed or be stranded on the shelf of spinsterhood?
What of maternal Mary and her humdrum husband? Will they be blessed with a boy … or will they dote upon a daughter?
Dear dapper Delacroix … sailing the seas in search of tea. Will he return safe and sound? Or will storms, shipwrecks, and savages undo him?
Amiable Anne, the prisoned parson’s poor daughter. Will she find happiness doting on a duchess in the Chouteau clan? Can she earn enough to ensure her father’s freedom?
And what of this rampant rumor about Ruel Chouteau? Has he returned from the dead? What will befall his beloved brother—the ambitious Alexander—who so happily hoped to inherit the duchy?
The duke and duchess of Marston … James Locke … young Danny Martin … a cast of characters currently left languishing.
Miss Pickworth recommends that her readers rush to gather all the gossip in the next tempting tale of
The Bachelor’s Bargain
.
Dear Friend,
I truly hope you enjoyed
The Affectionate Adversary
. My prayer is that God will use this series to provide you with respite from the cares of the world and challenge you to keep your focus always on Jesus Christ. It is only through Him that we can surrender ourselves and live in a way that pleases God.
Several years ago, the Holy Spirit opened my eyes to the possibility of writing novels with a Regency setting. I’ve always loved that period in England (1811–1820), when chaos reigned among England’s royalty, Napoleon was wreaking havoc on land and sea, and the writer Jane Austen—delightfully oblivious to the pandemonium—was penning her charming books.
You may be wondering what the Regency period was all about and why it fascinates me so. Please visit my Web site at
www.catherinepalmer.com
to step further into this wonderful world of lords and ladies, tea parties and pirates, grand manor houses and wee cottages, and of course, true love!
This new series introduces my favorite character, Miss Pickworth, London society’s witty tattler and advice dispenser. Who is this cleverly cunning columnist? Well, my dear friend, you’ll just have to keep reading to find out!
Blessings,
Catherine Palmer
Catherine Palmer’s first book was published in 1988, and since then she has published more than thirty books. Total sales of her books are more than one million copies.
In 2005, Catherine was awarded the Career Achievement Award for Inspirational Romance by
Romantic Times Bookclub
magazine. Catherine’s novels
Sunrise Song, The Happy Room
, and
A Dangerous Silence
are all CBA best sellers. Her book
A Touch of Betrayal
won the 2001 Christy Award for Romance, and
Wild Heather
was a finalist for the 2005 Christy Award. Her novella “Under His Wings,” which appears in the anthology
A Victorian Christmas Cottage,
was named Northern Lights Best Novella of 1999, historical category, by Midwest Fiction Writers.
Catherine lives in Missouri with her husband, Tim, and sons Geoffrey and Andrei. She has degrees from Baylor University and Southwest Baptist University.
T
HE DUKE OF
M
ARSTON
laughed, and Anne could tell by the glow in his eyes that he deeply loved his son. The marquess reached out and laid his hand over his father’s. Unwilling to witness the mutual tenderness between two men she was determined to despise, she lifted her focus to the fireplace and began counting the statuettes on Sir Alexander’s mantelpiece. Blackthorne had her lace, and she did not care if he and his father lived to be two hundred, she wanted it back.
“You cannot deprive society of your presence for another season,” the duke was saying. “I fully expect you to get yourself to London and select a young lady to marry, Ruel.” His voice took on an imperious tone. “Alexander has engaged the lovely daughter of the comte de la Roche; have you heard?”
“I have given him my congratulations.”