Portals

Book One: PORTALS

"On the Way Home" Series

By: Susan Deborah Schiller

"My specialty is knives." Sara recalled the man's words as he looked her directly in the eye, searching for the faintest hint of weakness. A slight twitch maybe, or perhaps a sweaty palm. She knew the game well. It always came down to this point, a battle of wills. Each time he devised a little more sinister description of how he would use the knives, beginning with her feet and working upward.

She hadn't failed the test yet and he always thanked her, assuring her the prayers were making a difference, and that his urges to rape were growing less frequent. Their pastor was pleased with his right hand man's progress, for his amazing charismatic gifts were in strong demand, along with the dramatic signs and wonders that followed.

For Sara Baldwin it's the beginning of the end. The end of every illusion she once had about faith, family, and religion. Endings mean new beginnings.

Within her church and community, Sara Baldwin has discovered a covert organization whose existence thrives because "nice, busy people" politely turn their heads. Unbeknownst to the majority of people, it's been in operation for thousands of years, but never has it been as active as it is now, in these "last days".

All her life Sara has been a "nice Christian girl" and never bucked any system. Now she's uncovered a sinister web of deception threatening her life and those she loves. Her friends begin to "accidentally" die and her turn may be next, as she discovers that those who ask questions end up missing.

The answers, she is to find, come from within. The Kingdom of Heaven is within us. Sometimes we have to be physically asleep to the cares of our earth-world to see and hear what is happening behind the scenes.

“In a dream, for instance, a vision at night,
    when men and women are deep in sleep,
    fast asleep in their beds—
God opens their ears
    and impresses them with warnings
To turn them back from something bad they’re planning,
    from some reckless choice,
And keep them from an early grave,
    from the river of no return." – Job 33:15-18

Sara's quest for Truth unravels as her night visions usher her through portals in her dreams, where she becomes Laura Cantrell, a political prisoner who is held captive on the third floor of a boarding school that serves as a cover for enemy operations.

Laura is a warrior in Sara's dreams. In the process of escaping her captors, Laura slays dragons, flies through the sky, and fells giants, among other exciting exploits… all in the process of rescuing orphans and guiding them safely Home. The dreams are like lessons, which when applied, provide an extra layer of armor and a longer blade of Truth, for Sara Baldwin and readers, alike.

Sara records everything she learns in her journals, and as she applies the truth to her life, she finds she is co-creating her world and rewriting her future. All of her life circumstances begin to change, first on the inside and then in her outward life.

Based on a true story, "Portals" is a parable for anyone who is ready to be a part of ending abuse in our homes, churches, and communities. The dreams outline a map anyone can use to begin to eliminate abuse and the effects of abuse in their life and to set up an "abuse-free" zone in their community and church.

"Portals" is currently available for beta readers. A beta reader is someone who receives chapters, one at a time, while in draft form. They offer critical feedback regarding plot, continuity, grammar and spelling, and overall satisfaction with how the story is flowing. If you are interested in becoming a beta reader, please register here!

All my love,

Sue

Susan Schiller knows how it feels to lose everything: marriage and family, church and reputation, finances and businesses, and more. Susan's upcoming, interactive memoir, "On the Way Home," tells the story of how she came to be known as "the most abused woman" her counselors had yet met and how she learned to navigate her way out of hell to a rich and satisfying life. In her lifetime, Susan has served in duties ranging from home school mom – to pastor –  to full-time deliverance minister – and to Midwest regional prayer coordinator for a large international ministry. These days you can usually find Susan soaking in her favorite hot springs pool, reading a book (or several), blogging, baking bread, or hanging out with her family and friends. You can get a free copy of Susan's upcoming book, "On the Way Home" by registering here.

Copyright 2012, Susan McKenzie, http://TeamFamilyOnline.com. Permission is granted to copy, forward, or distribute this article for non-commercial use only, as long as this copyright byline and bio, in totality, is maintained in all duplications, copies, and link references.  For reprint permission for any commercial use, in any form of media, please contact Susan Schiller.

Tagged as: Deborah White Dove, Dreams that Shape A Legacy, Rewriting the Future, Writing a Life Story