The Story You Received Is Not the Story You Must Live A Sister Work to Trauma: The Modern Leprosy. The response to Trauma: The Modern Leprosy has been humbling. Many have written, many have shared their stories, and many have asked how the wounds of the past continue shaping the fears of the present. Their voices confirmed what the Lord had already placed on my heart. The desire to continue this work. Their reaching out showed that the need is real and the timing is right. This book is for anyone who has ever wondered why anxiety seems to follow them even when they long for peace. Anxiety does not always begin in adulthood. It begins in the shadows that shaped us long before we understood their names. And yes, our choices and affiliations in life can open new pathways to anxiety. In Trauma: The Modern Leprosy, we learned that the mind often returns to the past in ways that deepen the grooves. This book holds to that same truth. The anxiety you inherited. The story you inherited is not the story you must live. The book reveals how fear, rejection, and emotional exile can be passed from one generation to the next, not as fate, but as a script that can be rewritten. Anxiety often begins long before a person knows its name. It begins in places too small to remember and in stories written before the child ever opens their eyes. In Trauma: The Modern Leprosy, we learned that trauma hides in plain sight. It buries sensation, reshapes identity, and teaches the mind to survive at the cost of feeling. We learned that numbness is not failure, but protection. We learned that healing begins with surrender, not the endless weight of self-effort. And we learned that the Lord restores through presence, truth, and mercy. This book continues that journey. It explores the shadows a person inherits. It reveals how fear, rejection, and emotional exile pass quietly from one generation to the next. It shows how the Lord calls each person out of the story they were born into and into the story He has been writing for them all along. What follows is not the full book, but the foundation of it. It is an outline of the path ahead, a clear map of the themes we will walk through together. Each section opens a door into the deeper work that will come later, guiding both the wounded and the Safe One toward understanding, toward wisdom, and toward the healing the Lord offers. Section 1: The First-Time Biological Storm The Womb Catalyst Anxiety often begins in the womb. A first-time mother enters pregnancy without a blueprint. Her body becomes a crucible of fear and hope. Her nervous system remains on high alert. Her womb becomes a storm of cortisol and adrenaline. Science describes the primipara variable. Scripture describes a child knit together in secret. The Lord sees both. He sees the mother who is frightened. He sees the child who learns vigilance before safety. He sees the heart that begins its story already braced for impact. Section 2: Prenatal Programming and Epigenetic Locks The Molecular Echo of Fear Trauma does not rewrite DNA, but it rewrites how DNA is read. Chemical tags bind to the child’s genetic code, locking certain genes into a defensive posture. The Lord designed the body to protect itself, but fear can twist protection into imprisonment. In Trauma: The Modern Leprosy, we wrote that trauma buries itself. Here, we see where it buries itself first. In the code. In the locks. In the inherited blueprint of fear. The child grows into an adult with a fragile shield against stress. They carry a vulnerability they never chose. Yet the Lord calls them to a different story. He calls them to a healing that does not depend on effort, but on surrender. Section 3: The Thermostat of the Womb The Father’s Hidden Hand A womb does not exist in isolation. Its climate is shaped by the world around it. The father becomes the thermostat. If he is absent, volatile, or cruel, the mother’s fear spikes. Her adrenaline crosses the placenta. Her panic reshapes the baby’s developing amygdala. In Scripture, the father is meant to be a covering. In trauma, he becomes a storm. The Lord sees the child who grows beneath that storm. He sees the fear that was inherited, not chosen. He sees the anxiety that began with someone else’s sin. And He calls that child to Himself. Before we continue; what is amygdala? The amygdala is a small part of the brain that helps detect danger. In simple terms, it is like the body’s alarm system. When something feels unsafe, the amygdala sounds the alarm and tells the body to get ready to protect itself. That can look like: fear panic anger freezing running away feeling on edge always expecting something bad to happen So in the context of this discussion, when we write that a baby’s developing amygdala can be affected by fear or stress, that is to say: The child’s inner alarm system could be shaped early to expect danger, even before the child understands what danger is. With that being said, when the amygdala has been shaped by early fear, it can become too sensitive. It begins to sound the alarm even when there is no clear danger. The person may live as if something bad is always about to happen. (A precise example of anxiety, living in the present with the fear of the future) They may watch people closely, expect rejection, fear sudden change, or feel anxious without knowing why. This is not weakness. It is a nervous system that learned survival before it learned peace. When the brain stays in this survival mode, trust becomes difficult. The body is preparing to fight, run, freeze, or protect itself, so it struggles to rest in love. A person may want closeness but fear it at the same time. They may long for safe relationships, yet pull away when someone gets too near or a slightly change. Their heart is not refusing love. Their alarm system is trying to protect them from being hurt again. Trauma can also affect how memories are stored. The hippocampus, which helps organize memory, may not file the painful event in order like a normal story with a beginning, middle, and end. Instead, pieces of the experience may remain scattered. A smell, a tone of voice, a look, or a sudden feeling can bring the pain back as if it is happening again. The person may not remember everything clearly, but their body remembers the fear. Where fear takes root, gratitude is often absent. Yet gratitude is one of the keys the Lord uses to lead the anxious heart back toward peace. (We dealt with this in the previous book on Trauma, page 65.) Section 4: The Newborn Sponge The Psychology of the Unwanted Child Birth does not end the story. It begins the second chapter. A newborn absorbs the emotional climate of the mother. Her tension becomes their tension. Her fear becomes their fear. Her longing to escape becomes their sense of rejection. In Trauma: The Modern Leprosy, we wrote about emotional exile. Here, exile begins in the cradle. The Lord sees the child who learns early that the world is unsafe. He sees the insecure attachment. He sees the heart that grows cautious and distant. And He calls that heart back to Himself. The path back is not always dramatic. Sometimes it begins with stillness. The wounded person must learn to stop running, to be still before the Lord, and to trust Him even when His work does not yet make sense. If we understood everything our doctors did or recommended, we would have no need to go to the hospital. We go because we trust their knowledge beyond our own. Christ is the Great Physician. He knows the wound beneath the wound, the fear beneath the behavior, and the memory beneath the reaction. Be still long enough to hear the Lord without the noise of fear deciding for you. Surrender the need to understand every step before you obey. Practice trust even when healing feels slow, hidden, or unfamiliar. Let Christ treat the root, not merely the symptom. Return daily to His presence, because safety is learned again where love is consistent. Section 5: The Adult Daughter’s Blueprint The Search for False Protection A daughter who grows from this soil carries a void where trust should be. Her father was meant to be her first picture of safety. Instead, she inherits a blueprint of absence. Some daughters seek familiar pain. They chase volatile men and try to earn the love they never received. Others reject men altogether, not because they do not desire love, but because love has been tied too closely to danger. In either direction, the wound is speaking. One heart runs toward what feels familiar, while another runs from what feels unsafe. Her father’s absence becomes her conflict with men. Her mother’s tension becomes her conflict with women. But the Lord calls her to a different story. He calls her to a love that does not abandon. He calls her to a trust that does not break. He calls her to a healing that does not depend on self-effort. Section 6: The Adult Son’s Shadow The Perpetuation of Cruelty A son inherits a different wound. He starves for the father who rejected him. He mimics the father’s cruelty to feel connected to the man who left. He belittles women because he learned that women are targets. He hides his wounded boyhood behind anger and dominance. But the Lord calls him out of the shadow. He calls him to break the cycle. He calls him to become the man his father never was. He calls him to surrender the cruelty that was never his true identity. Section 7: The Tragic Intersection Trauma as the Modern Leprosy When a frightened mother and an absent father collide, the child inherits a double burden. Anxiety in one hand. Rejection in the other. This is the modern leprosy. Not visible. Not spoken. But deeply isolating. In Trauma: The Modern Leprosy, we wrote that healing is a homecoming. This book continues that homecoming. It exposes the inherited scripts. It reveals the biological and emotional origins of adult anxiety. It shows how the Lord breaks generational patterns. It shows how He rewrites stories that began in fear. It shows how He restores what was shaped in the womb, the home, and the heart. The goal is simple. To help the reader lay down the burden they inherited. To help them stop acting out the tragedy their parents wrote. To help them release the false script of fear and begin to see what the Lord has been writing in their life all along. To help them return to the God who has been calling them home since the beginning. Section 8: The Safe One and the Weight of Projection In Trauma: The Modern Leprosy, we spoke of the Safe One. The steady presence. The quiet anchor. The person who loves the wounded without losing themselves. They are needed again here, because anxiety does not only affect the one who carries it. It affects the one who stands beside them. A hurting person often projects their pain onto the only one they feel safe around. This is not cruelty. It is not betrayal. It is the mind trying to release what it has carried for too long. When a person feels a vivid flashback of pain, their nervous system reacts before their reasoning does. Their fear rises. Their memories surface. Their emotions spill over. And the Safe One becomes the nearest place for that overflow to land. This is not a matter of character. It is a matter of mental state. The Safe One must understand this. They must love without absorbing every projection. They must care without becoming the target of every wound. They must guide their peace with wisdom, because hurt people hurt people, and sometimes the hurt is not physical. It is verbal. It is emotional. It is the echo of a memory that has not yet healed. The Safe One must learn to recognize the difference between the person and the pain. Between the heart and the wound. Between the moment and the memory. The Lord calls the Safe One to love, but He does not call them to lose themselves. He calls them to patience, but not to passivity. He calls them to compassion, but not to captivity. A Safe One must learn to say: I see your pain, but I will not let it reshape my peace. I hear your fear, but I will not let it redefine my worth. I will walk with you, but I will not carry what the Lord has asked you to surrender. This is not abandonment. It is wisdom. It is stewardship. It is the Safe One protecting the peace the Lord gave them so they can continue to love without breaking. Section 9: How Projection Works Projection is not intentional. It is instinctive. It is the mind’s attempt to release pressure. When a hurting person feels overwhelmed, their nervous system seeks the safest place to express the fear. The Safe One becomes that place because they have proven themselves trustworthy. They have shown they will not leave. They have shown they will not retaliate. They have shown they will not abandon. The mind interprets this safety as permission. Not permission to harm, but permission to collapse. Permission to release. Permission to let the pain surface. This is why the Safe One must be steady. Not hard. Not cold. Not distant. Steady. Steady enough to recognize projection. Steady enough to not take every word personally. Steady enough to guide the moment back to truth. Steady enough to remind the hurting person that the Lord is the healer, not the Safe One. Section 10: The Safe One’s Calling The Safe One is called to love, but also to discern. They must know when the hurting person is speaking from fear rather than truth. They must know when the moment requires silence rather than correction. They must know when to step in and when to step back. The Safe One must remember: They are not the healer. They are not the savior. They are not the answer. They are the companion who points the hurting person back to the Lord. The Safe One must guard their peace so they can continue to love without losing themselves. They must protect their heart so they can continue to be present without becoming wounded by every projection. They must stay anchored in the Lord so they can remain steady when the hurting person becomes overwhelmed. The Safe One is not called to carry the wound. They are called to walk beside the one who carries it. Section 11: A Shared Hope This section is written for both the wounded and the Safe One. It is written to help every reader, believer or not, recognize the difference between a path that leads to peace and a path that leads to more wandering. It is written to protect them from voices that promise healing through effort, motion, or emotional destinations. It is written to guide them gently toward the One who restores, so that in time, even those who do not yet know Him may come to see that true healing is found in His presence. The Safe One and the wounded walk together, but they do not walk alone. The Lord walks with both. He restores both. He strengthens both. He teaches both how to love without fear and how to heal without striving. Section 12: How to Know You Are Walking the Right Path For those who know the Lord, and for those who do not yet know Him Healing is a journey, but not every path leads to freedom. Some paths lead to exhaustion. Some lead to confusion. Some lead to more fear than the fear a person began with. And some paths, though they look promising, quietly pull the heart away from the One who restores. In Trauma: The Modern Leprosy, we learned that healing begins with surrender, not the endless weight of self-effort. We learned that the Lord calls His people to Himself. We learned that numbness is not failure, but protection. And we learned that the mind often returns to the past in ways that deepen the grooves. This book continues that truth. It helps the reader understand how to discern the difference between a path that leads to peace and a path that leads to more wandering. This guidance is twofold. It speaks to those who already know the Lord. It speaks to those who do not yet know Him, but who long for rest all the same. Part One: For Those Who Know the Lord A believer often asks a quiet question: How do I know I am following the Lord and not another voice? Scripture gives a gentle warning. Paul spoke of another spirit, one that pulls a person toward striving, wandering, and restless searching. It does not lead to Christ. It leads away from Him. A person may love the Lord deeply and still find themselves following a voice that promises healing through a place, a ritual, a season, or a mental state rather than through Him. The Lord does not call His people to chase destinations. He calls them to Himself. He does not say go here for this length of time and do thus and so. He says come. He says abide. He says I will make you whole. The test is simple. If the path requires constant motion, constant doing, constant chasing, it is not the Lord. If the path leads to rest, surrender, and trust, it is Him. Healing is not found in a location. It is found in a Person. The Lord Himself is the place of restoration. A believer who longs to be set free must remember this: the Lord does not hide healing behind endless journeys, nor does He make freedom dependent on Christian discipline alone. Fasting, retreats, set prayer times, and spiritual routines can be needful. They help keep the believer aligned, focused, and disciplined. But discipline by itself is not the same as deliverance. A Navy SEAL may train rigorously, follow the right diet, strengthen his body, and sharpen his endurance. These things may keep him alive in battle. But if he does not know the enemy he is facing, he cannot defeat what he does not understand. Many Christians are like soldiers in training. They work hard, fast, pray, attend retreats, move from one place to another, and discipline themselves with sincerity. Yet they remain trapped in a battle of the mind they do not know how to win. Their effort is real, but effort without instruction can become exhaustion. There is a time for training, and there is also a time for returning to headquarters. There is a time for discipline, and there is a time to sit at the feet of the Commander and receive instruction. For the believer, that place is the presence of the Lord. He does not merely call us to more motion. He calls us to Himself. He places healing in His presence. Part Two: For Those Who Do Not Yet Know the Lord There are many who long for peace but do not yet know the One who gives it. They may not understand Scripture or the language of faith, but they understand the ache for rest. They understand the desire to stop running. They understand the longing to feel whole again. This book honors them. It speaks to them with dignity. It does not pressure them. It does not preach at them. It simply offers clarity. For them, the question is still the same. How does a person know they are on the right path? The answer is gentle. If the path demands constant striving, constant chasing, constant pressure to become someone new, it will not bring peace. It will only deepen the exhaustion. But if the path invites honesty, stillness, and the slow return of trust, it is leading toward healing. Even without knowing the Lord, a person can recognize the difference between pressure and peace. Between fear and rest. Between chasing and receiving. And in time, many discover that the peace they are seeking does not come from a place or a ritual. It comes from the One who restores the heart. The One who makes a person whole. The One who calls gently, not forcefully. This section leaves the door open for the Lord to meet them in His own way and His own time. Part Three: The Shared Path Whether a person knows the Lord or is still learning who He is, the truth remains the same. Healing is not found in a destination. It is found in surrender. It is found in truth. It is found in the quiet work of God. A person does not need to chase healing. They need to stop running long enough to receive it. The Lord does not say go. He says come. He says rest. He says I will make you whole. This book THE ANXIETY YOU INHERITED: The Story You Received Is Not the Story You Must Live, it is written to help every reader, believer or not, recognize the difference between a path that leads to peace and a path that leads to more wandering. It is written to protect them from voices that promise healing through effort, motion, or emotional destinations. It is written to guide them gently toward the One who restores, so that in time, even those who do not yet know Him may come to see that true healing is found in His presence. Closing Prayer: Returning the Story to the Lord Lord, we bring before You the story no one chose but many have carried. We bring You the anxiety that began before words, before understanding, before a child knew how to name fear. We bring You the wombs that carried stress, the mothers who were afraid, the fathers who were absent, cruel, volatile, silent, or unable to cover what they were called to protect. We ask You to meet every child who was shaped beneath that storm. Lord, touch the alarm system within the wounded heart. Quiet the amygdala that learned danger too soon. Calm the body that lives braced for what may happen next. Restore the mind that has been trained by fear, and gather the memories that were scattered by pain. Where the body remembers terror, teach it safety again. Where the mind expects rejection, speak truth again. Where fear has taken root, awaken gratitude and lead the anxious heart back toward peace. Lord, we pray for the daughter who carries a void where trust should be. Heal the wound left by absence. Break the pattern that sends her toward familiar pain. Free her from chasing love that wounds her, and free her also from rejecting love because it feels unsafe. Show her that she does not have to earn the love she was denied. Teach her to receive love that is steady, holy, and true. Lord, we pray for the son who hides a wounded boy behind anger, dominance, cruelty, or distance. Call him out of the shadow of the father who failed him. Break the agreement with pain. Teach him that strength is not control, and manhood is not hardness. Make him the man his father never became. Restore tenderness without shame and authority without violence. Lord, we pray for the Safe One. Strengthen the steady presence who loves the wounded without losing themselves. Give them wisdom to know the difference between the person and the pain, the heart and the wound, the moment and the memory. Teach them compassion without captivity, patience without passivity, and love without self-abandonment. Guard their peace so they can continue to point the hurting heart back to You. Lord, give every reader discernment. Protect them from voices that make healing feel like endless striving, constant motion, or another destination to chase. Remind them that You do not hide wholeness behind confusion. You call the weary to come. You call the anxious to rest. You call the wounded to surrender. Teach them to recognize the difference between pressure and peace, fear and truth, wandering and returning home. Christ, Great Physician, treat the wound beneath the wound. Heal what began in the womb, what was shaped in the home, and what was carried into the heart. Rewrite what fear tried to author. Restore what trauma tried to steal. Bring the inherited story under Your mercy, and help every reader see what You have been writing in their life all along. In Your name, Amen.

Have you ever felt like the weight of the world is on your shoulders? Have you ever been in a situation where it seems like all of life’s waves and billows are crashing over you? Do you ever feel like you’re drowning in your problems, uncertainties, and unspoken hurts? In these moments, it’s important to remember the words of Psalms 42:7-8 ‘Deep calls unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me. Yet the LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.’ Though written poetically, these verses carry profound truths. Together, we will dive into each verse and phrase expositorily, drawing lessons from the Psalms for life and living today. Let’s embark on this journey of discovery and healing, finding comfort and strength in the timeless wisdom of the Scriptures. Deep calls unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts. This phrase reflects the severity of the trials we sometimes undergo. It can feel as if the whole world is against us, with all of life’s challenges converging on our weary souls. All thy waves and thy billows have gone over me. Do we, at times, feel that even when we proverbially look up, all we see are our many uncertainties and problems, intertwined with unspoken hurt? Mental pain often leads to the physical deterioration of the body. Though the individual remains in the world of the living, their deeds, or lack thereof, portray the opposite. In such cases, feelings are numb, and interactions are merely motions without any sincere connection. However, this is where things begin to change. Remember, most wounds only heal when the discomfort intensifies, a process that is out of our control. This we read: Yet the LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime. Many of the problems we face in life stem from the absence of love. Individuals often try to find this missing love or fill its void, but when they go about it the wrong way, it results in more problems than initially anticipated. Moreover, there exist individuals whose consciousness is devoid of love. Their intentions, tainted by this absence, lead them to cause harm to others. The manifestation of their intent, whether through physical actions or verbal exchanges, inflicts damage and distress upon those around them. Nevertheless, the preceding phrase begins with the conjunction ‘Yet.’ That is to say, in spite of all that has happened, the Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime. Note, it is the Lord who commands His lovingkindness toward you. If you could have, you wouldn’t be in the situation you are in to begin with. Too often, we try on our own so that all may see our efforts and work, but our pillow remains our only friend, holding the countless secrets through the tears shed upon it. Now, it is time to let go and allow the Lord to command His lovingkindness upon you, for a change. One might question, ‘Considering God is all-powerful, why hasn’t He changed my situation already?’ Yes, God is indeed all-powerful, but God is also love, and true love never imposes itself, regardless of its power. Love must be accepted for it to be established. Therefore, when we surrender our will, the Lord steps in to transform what seems to be an unchangeable circumstance. At times, even though we experience the light of the day outwardly, within our hearts remains the darkness of anxiety and uncertainties. Yet, the LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime. No matter how difficult or challenging it may seem, there is always a hidden blessing or a positive aspect that can provide comfort, even if you are not yet aware of it. The Lord’s lovingkindness will serve as a belt and an anchor in your rough sea. As a belt, it will keep you composed, and as an anchor, it will keep you steady during the storm of life. So then, let us not fall for the same old mistakes, wrapping ourselves in the belts of our own making. Overworking to drown our sorrows, in the process, we slowly drown ourselves. Without a sure anchor, an individual is tossed back and forth by every change and occurrence around them. Impatient reactions without an anchor can lead to regrettable results. Yet, the LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime. Next, we read, ‘In the night His song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.’ Observe the phrase, ‘His song shall be with me.’ A song often speaks of praise. However, many individuals find themselves without any praise on their lips, not because they have an ungrateful heart, but because the music and songs they listen to trap their minds in a state from which they cannot escape. They listen to these songs that anchor them to the past, causing their presence to become obsolete and weary. So, what are you listening to? Many individuals are broken, and they listen to songs of brokenness, waking up the next day even more broken. Interestingly enough, they return to the same songs and more, echoing brokenness and pain. Many of the songs of the world (not all, but many) are not with you, nor do the singers know you or care about you. These songs are designed to lure you to a place that you cannot return to. But as the phrase reads, ‘His song (The song of the Lord) shall be with me.’ While certain songs are designed to draw you back to places of painful memories, the songs of the Lord, on the other hand, will accompany you in every situation. As a result, you will begin to have praise on your lips, seeing more of God and less of your problems. The right gospel song can become a prayer in your heart, forming an intimate bond between you and the God of your life. Even at times when you don’t know what to say or how to pray, let the lyrics of the many inspired songs speak through you. This allows you to connect with God rather than dwelling on your problems and your past. As you rest upon your pillow at night, these words plant seeds of change and hope for a new day. This sentiment is beautifully expressed in the lyrics of Helen Howarth Lemmel’s hymn. O soul, are you weary and troubled? No light in the darkness you see? There’s light for a look at the Savior, And life more abundant and free! Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace.

Understanding History, Faith, and Current Events: A Comparative Analysis Embracing Divine Direction: A Journey of Faith and Sacrifice Regardless of where we find ourselves in life, whether it’s in the broader context of the community or the land we inhabit, or on a more personal level within the family we belong to. As believers, we gratefully desire and long for the divine directional path from the Lord. And rightly so, one ought to. Like it was with Abraham, the father of our faith. This we read; Now the LORD had said unto Abram, get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee. Genesis 12:1 No matter how much sacrifice is required for the changes that lie ahead. If knowing it is the will of the Lord, there is a definite willingness to act and to adhere to such a call. Abraham and Sarah: Lessons from the Past and Understanding Our Times Such was Abraham and Sarah, then. The representation of a male and a female. Therefore, the lesson is for all, today. As we admire their action then, for a lesson to us now, let us also learn to understand the times that we may endure beyond the present for a glorious future. The account of Abraham and Sarah yielding to the call of God through their action to ahead to His call, is recorded in the 12 chapter of Genesis. However, before the call, there were things happening in the land and in the hearts of men. This we read in the preceding chapter of Genesis. Chapter 11. Failure to keep God’s covenant. Therefore, mankind erects their Tower of Babel. Though they reside under the heavens that God created, but they seek their own name and a fame upon the earth, without God in Heaven as their focus. Through this, confusion enveloped the land. As it was once said; “To exalt man without God in Christ is to elevate him to a dizzy height from which he is sure to fall into hopelessness.” Western Progress and Divine Covenant: A Reflection on Nimrod’s Legacy Such it is today, speaking from the Western perspective. For the past 400 years, the Western nations, through the British empire and other European countries and then the United States has been instrumental for a change for the positive, worldwide. But through the span of time, these nations have failed to keep God’s covenant of which they were built upon in the beginning. They have attempted to replace God through the glorification of self. They erect their own Tower of Babel, where men labor without any rest by the decreed and mandates of a few as it was with Nimrod of old. Now, in this day and age, confusion is everywhere. Concerning Nimrod, at his initial start, it seems he did that which was right. But often times, with great success comes failure, for the maintaining of the right way, without the Lord as the focus. He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD. Genesis 10:9 That is to say, by the LORD's help he (Nimrod) was a great hunter. Even so, there was a common saying back then. "May the LORD make you as great a hunter as Nimrod." Considering he was a mighty hunter. We can conclude he did that which was right, at the beginning. For at this point in history, the risk of a person being killed by wild creatures was higher than illness, or of age. Humanity was on a stage of repopulating, after the Noamic covenant. And so were the animals, it was after the flood the animosity and the friction between man and beast intensify. Most of these creatures were no longer herbivores – plant eaters. So, they became flesh eaters. One of the reasons for this sudden change was for the lack of vegetation, or the gradual regrowth of plant life which was destroyed or marred in the flood. From Nimrod to Modern Times: The Consequences of Power and Abandoning Divine Covenant Winged creatures were at liberty to see beyond their location for a better place. Consequently, they remained herbivores and at times omnivores. But for the larger creatures which did not travel as far as a winged creature, with the rapid birth rate of mankind, humans were not off their diet choice. So, one can see and reasoned, why Nimrod was considered a mighty man before the Lord. Hunting wild creatures meant saving lives and preserving humanity and the control of food distribution through the game of the animals hunted. With this, came fame and many followers of Nimrod, young men who learned the deeds and the skills of hunting, Therein, he became a leader. But soon, their hunting wasn’t limited to animals, but the eliminating of competition through the opposition from other humans. Without The Lord, man in his wrongdoing will find a means to justify their action.  Failure to keep God’s covenant, they erected their Tower of Babel as a place of knowledge and so-called progress. Instead of acknowledging the Creator, they worship the creation. Stars and planetary worship. Such it is today, some of the few who control the public, they did not initially start doing the wrong thing. But with power came corruption, the denial of God and the control of the masses. Enduring Faith: From Abraham and Sarah to Our Times Let us be aware of such times, not as a deterrence to our faith, but that we may be counted worthy as an Abraham and a Sarah of our times. For it was succeeding a time of rebellion, ungodliness, selfishness, danger, and confusion that Abraham and Sarah receive a call for a new beginning. That they may see greatness beyond the current circumstance. From their faithful act, by seeing beyond the world they were a part of and their circumstances, the result was the birth of Isaac – their son. The name Isaac implies laughter. Today, at times, when we look at our surroundings, and the circumstances, hope seems laughable and out of reach. So was Sarah, having heard the words of the Lord that she would become a mother, she laughed at such an idea. The possibility seems out of reach. Yet, through the passage of time, Isaac was born, and they did laugh again, but this time it wasn’t the laugh of doubt, but of joy and a new beginning. Today, where we are is because of the act of faith from our forefathers leaving where they were, to where we are now.  And within us all, is our Isaac, but let us understand the times that we may learn to endure beyond the present for a glorious future. The LORD had appeared to Isaac and had said," . . .  stay in this land, where I tell you to stay. Live here, and I will be with you and bless you. I am going to give all this territory to you and to your descendants. I will keep the promise I made to your father Abraham. I will give you as many descendants as there are stars in the sky, and I will give them all this territory. All the nations will ask me to bless them as I have blessed your descendants. I will bless you, because Abraham obeyed me and kept all my laws and commands." Genesis 26:2-5 Key points These reflections provide a thoughtful perspective on faith, history, and current events. They remind us of the importance of understanding our times, learning from the past, and seeking divine guidance for the future. Understanding History, Faith, and Current Events: It’s important to comprehend our present circumstances in the context of history and faith. This understanding can guide us towards a better future. Divine Direction: As believers, we seek guidance from the Lord, much like Abraham who followed God’s call to leave his country and kindred (Genesis 12:1). Willingness to Sacrifice: If we know it’s God’s will, we should be ready to make necessary sacrifices and changes, just like Abraham and Sarah. Learning from the Past: The story of Abraham and Sarah serves as a lesson for us today, encouraging us to endure present challenges for a glorious future. Failure to Keep God’s Covenant: The Tower of Babel represents mankind’s attempt to make a name for themselves without God, leading to confusion and chaos. Western Perspective: Western nations have brought about positive change worldwide over the past 400 years. However, they have failed to keep the covenant they were built upon, replacing God with self-glorification. Nimrod the Hunter: Nimrod was a mighty hunter with the Lord’s help (Genesis 10:9). His story reminds us that success can lead to failure if we lose focus on the Lord. Post-Flood Changes: After the flood, the relationship between humans and animals changed, with many animals becoming carnivorous due to a lack of vegetation. Nimrod’s Rise to Power: Nimrod, a mighty hunter, gained fame and followers, eventually becoming a leader. However, his leadership led to competition and conflict among humans. The Tower of Babel: In their failure to keep God’s covenant, mankind built the Tower of Babel as a symbol of knowledge and progress, worshipping creation instead of the Creator. Power and Corruption: Those who control society today didn’t necessarily start with ill intentions. However, power often leads to corruption, denial of God, and control over the masses. Abraham and Sarah’s New Beginning: Despite living in a time of rebellion, ungodliness, selfishness, danger, and confusion, Abraham and Sarah received a call from God for a new beginning. Their faith led to the birth of Isaac, symbolizing hope and a new start. Isaac, Laughter, and Hope: The name Isaac implies laughter. Despite initial doubt, the birth of Isaac brought joy and a new beginning. This teaches us that even when hope seems laughable and out of reach, we can still look forward to a glorious future. God’s Promise to Isaac: God appeared to Isaac and promised to bless him and his descendants, giving them all the territory and keeping the promise He made to Abraham (Genesis 26:2-5). These reflections provide a deeper understanding of biblical stories and their relevance to our current times. They remind us of the importance of faith, hope, and understanding the times we live in.

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Go behind the pages of Footprints in the Whiteout. View original concept sketches and read exclusive author insights on this short fiction collection by P. S. Wilmot. Commenting on Footprints In The Whiteout. The Short Stories Collection Stories of grace, clarity, and the quiet work of the heart Footprints in the Whiteout began as a quiet exploration of storms, thresholds, and the places where the soul learns to see again. In this space we look beneath the pages to the moments, symbols, and questions that shaped the journey. Here you will find the origins of the stories, the meaning behind the cycles, and the lessons discovered along the way. This is where the world of the whiteout opens, revealing how each footprint, each storm, and each moment of mercy found its place. FOOTPRINTS IN THE WHITEOUT This is not the longest of the stories I’ve written, not by a long shot. It isn’t even the length of a novel, and it certainly wasn’t the first book to come into existence. Yet it is the first to appear here in Behind the Books, and for good reason. This little volume serves as a kind of presentation, an early observation of what I often call an emotional landscape shaped inside an atmospheric one. In other words, the storms around us have a way of shaping or completely disheveling the person within. For me, that atmospheric landscape was the Northeast United States. Winter was not a season; it was a personality. Growing up in it, I learned to embrace the storm from without. And one of those places and occasion was my beloved school. And let me tell you, my school district believed no storm was strong enough to justify staying home. Blizzard? Ice? Snow up to your eyebrows? “See you at 8 a.m.” They almost never canceled, which, depending on your perspective, either builds character or character degradation. But those years did something. They formed a way of seeing. Storms teach you about endurance, about direction, about what matters when everything else is white and loud and cold. And through the years, those experiences shaped my perspective the very perspective that eventually became the heart of Footprints in the Whiteout. Most of my books, whether a full novel or a shorter work, they are usually written, polished, edited, formatted, and published in under a month. That is my normal rhythm. Efficient. Focused. A little intense. But Footprints in the Whiteout refused to follow that pattern. This one took years. A little over three years, to be exact. And looking back, there is a lesson in that delay, one that I learned along the way, and one you might find helpful too. Not everything good must be done quickly to prove it is good. And before anyone misquotes me, let me be clear: this is not an invitation to procrastinate. Romans 12:11 still stands. Not slothful in business. Fervent in spirit. Serving the Lord. In other words, work hard and do not be lazy. Serve with devotion. But there are some things, especially the meaningful things… that require time. They need space to grow, to mature, to become what they are meant to be. Forcing them only prevents them from coming to pass. Take Naharre, for example. Spoiler alert ahead, so consider yourself warned. When I first wrote Naharre, it felt complete and beautiful. But I sensed there was room for a continuation. A family. A deeper unfolding. And yet, for years, I could not write it. I tried. Nothing came. So I kept working on other things, not realizing that life itself was preparing me to write the continuation, the story that eventually became The Age of Plenty and the Poverty of Want, a crucial part of this book. That story could not have been written earlier because I had not lived the things that would give it weight. And that raises a question worth sitting with. How many things in our lives do we force simply because we assume urgency is good and delay is failure? How many good things could we have been part of, or produced if we had simply waited for the right season? Trees do not grow faster because we shout at them. Storms do not pass because we glare at the sky. Growth takes time. Roots deepen in silence. And sometimes the very storm we want to escape is the one preparing us for what comes next. If the storm outside teaches you endurance, the storm inside teaches you honesty. And between the two, honesty is usually the harder lesson. The external storm might sting your face, freeze your eyelashes, and make you question your life choices, but the internal storm is the one that sits you down and says, “We need to talk.” In Footprints in the Whiteout, the inner storm is not a dramatic explosion. It is a narrowing. A tightening. A quiet pressure that pushes a person toward the hard place, the place where excuses stop working and the soul has to face what it has avoided. Naharre learned this in a way he never expected. He wanted solitude, but what he truly wanted was control. He wanted the world on his terms, and that desire led him through a door he was never meant to open. Naharre’s storm was the storm of self-importance. His mind refused the new season even though his body was already in it. He tried to escape the noise of others, only to discover the louder noise of his own thoughts. The dim room, the second door, and the rugged hard place were not punishments. They were mirrors. They revealed what happens when a person chooses isolation over humility. And when he saw the old man fishing in the wrong pool, surrounded by better waters, he saw what he would become if he continued down that path. A life spent doing the right thing in the wrong way. A life trapped by its own stubbornness. The storm within is the threshold storm. It is the moment when the path narrows and you realize you cannot carry everything you once did. Some things must be set down. Some things must be confessed. Some things must be healed. And some things, as Naharre discovered, must be surrendered before the next chapter can even begin. We often think the internal storm is a sign of failure. It is not. It is a sign of formation. Trees do not grow strong because the weather is kind. They grow strong because the wind insists on it. Roots deepen because storms demand it. And the soul, in its own way, follows the same pattern. The storm within is not there to destroy you. It is there to reveal you. It is there to bring you back to the people who love you, even when you have forgotten how much you need them. Sometimes the physical storm will trap your steps and hold you still, not to punish you, but to teach you to face the storm within. There are moments when the snow piles high, the wind closes every path, and the world refuses to let you move forward. In those moments, the question is no longer how far you can go, but what you will do while you are stopped. What rises in you when you cannot outrun yourself. What truth you finally hear when the noise around you is taken away. Every footprint you leave in a storm tells a story. Some footprints lead a person deeper into the cold because they refuse to be still long enough to listen. Other footprints become a beacon because the person who made them learned something in the stillness that changed the way they walked. The two hunters in The Hunter’s Decision learned this in the hardest way. The storm trapped them, stripped away their plans, and forced them to choose between survival and compassion. Their footprints did not lead them deeper into the whiteout. Their choice to be still, to care, and to act with mercy became the very thing that saved them. What they thought would cost them everything became the path that brought help back to them. So ask yourself. When life forces you to stop, what do you discover about your own heart. When the path ahead disappears, what direction does your character take. And when the storm finally clears, will the footprints you leave behind show a person who ran blindly into the whiteout, or someone who came out of it with a clearer step and a steadier soul. This is why the book moves between the outer whiteout and the inner threshold. One storm shapes the body. The other shapes the heart. And together, they prepare a person for the journey ahead. As you walk through Footprints in the Whiteout, you will notice that the stories are not scattered pieces. They are arranged in cycles, each one carrying its own weather system, its own lesson, and its own kind of storm. These cycles are not simply categories. They are stages of the soul. They show how a person moves from survival, to confrontation, to clarity, to belonging. The Winter Cycle • The Hunter's Decision • Contriving • A Certain Man and His People This cycle deals with the storms that come from the outside. The cold that forces you to choose between instinct and compassion. The moments when survival and character collide. The Winter Cycle teaches that the footprints you leave in the snow reveal more about you than the storm ever could. The Threshold Cycle • The Standoff at Sundown • Do, Dunt, Dingle: The Gracie Combs Effect Here the storm moves inward. These stories deal with the narrow places of the soul, the moments when a person must face what they have avoided. The Threshold Cycle is where the internal storm speaks, and where the path forward requires honesty, courage, and sometimes a good hard pause. The Fable Cycle • Freedoh's Journey: Beyond the Reflection • The Hidden Peace of the Shallow Pond These stories teach through simplicity. They use small creatures, quiet ponds, and gentle metaphors to reveal truths that are often too sharp to face directly. The Fable Cycle reminds us that wisdom sometimes arrives in the softest footsteps. The Woodland Shrub Cycle • Naharre and The Feast of Woodland Shrub • The Age of Plenty and the Poverty of Want This cycle deals with belonging, identity, and the danger of being trapped in your own mind. Naharre’s story shows what happens when the mind refuses to enter the new season the body is already living in. The continuation reveals how abundance without gratitude becomes poverty of the soul. Now, if we are being honest, each of these cycles could have been its own book. A thicker one too. There is enough symbolism, enough life experience, enough theology, and enough human nature in these pages to fill volumes. And perhaps one day they will. After all, every story has a story behind it. Every cycle has its own origin. And every lesson had to be lived before it could be written. Many readers have asked what inspired these stories. What moments, what storms, what seasons of life shaped them. Those answers are not small. Some of them are humorous. Some of them are heavy. Some of them came from years of observation. Others came from a single moment that refused to leave me alone until it was written down. These are the kinds of things we will talk about more in the reader group. The inspirations. The questions. The behind the scenes. The artwork. The sketches. The symbolism. The choices. The things that did not make it into the book. And the things that almost did. So if you want to go deeper, if you want to ask questions, if you want to see how the paintings came about or why a certain scene was written the way it was, join us there. The conversation continues, and the journey through the whiteout is far from over. MORE

A place of resource and learning of the Word through experience, faith, and the testimony of the Lord. Books materials, at awalkingnewman, with Fine-Art drawings, and illustrations. About The Artist Failure is sometimes a revelation, if the heart desires a change. If it is a change by God. It is no longer a failure, but the mending of that individual by God, for an imputed righteousness by Faith. See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Herein, is a community of people worldwide, sharing and learning and growing together. Explore the site, the Forum, the books, blogs, Chat room, the Artworks with music and audio recordings, share with others. God bless you all. BLOG A collection of writings with insight to current events, discernment, Bible study and more. Continue ART GALLERY The 🎨PSW·3✒© ART Gallery Through art, the human creativity is expressed. We are what we expressed, through the reflections of the past, or the hope for tomorrow. Enter Feature Contents BULLETIN Testimony & Review The phrase judge not, should not be mistaken with the act of correction by discernment. To judge not, is in essence saying do not judge down upon an individual whereby lifting oneself above. However, to judge is not forbidden if it is to discern by pointing out an error, or discern in order to prevent a problem. REFLECTIONS Dividing Rightly dividing the Word of Truth Read More > RESOURCES The availability of that which we need, to be drawn from for support. Read More > Names Names and their significance Read More > Miscellaneous Collection of writings and short papers Read More > PRAYERS A prayer is a communication, a communication with God. In every effectual communication, there has to be a time to listen, and a time to speak Read More > Thy light is our shield. The persecution from the world is to extinguish the light by the fiery trials, but the fire is only a gateway to the ascending stairs of the heavenly delight. We shall stand and walk, but never bow. For the Lord our God is with us. Bible Study and More A Walking New Man AWalkingNewMan Frequently Asked Questions HERE Contact © ABOUT THE ARTIST A Walking New Man Share info2.awalkingnewman@gmail.com Do our pets go to heaven? 2