“See. That just shows that you ought to trust God more.” JT patted Tom on the back and then walked out of the courtroom hand in hand with his wife.
When they got in JT’s car, Cassandra leaned over and hugged him. “You’re a good man, JT Thomas.”
“Those words sound a lot like forgiveness to me, Mrs. Thomas.”
She kissed him, then said, “With the help of God, I have learned to trust you again; so, yes, I can now say that I truly forgive you for everything you put me through.” Then she held up a warning finger and added, “But don’t let it happen again.”
“Woman, you didn’t marry no fool. I’ve got my good thang, and I’m not trying to lose you ever again.”
He started the car, and as they drove down the street, Yolanda Adams’ song, “I Got the Victory” came on the radio. Cassandra thought the song was fitting because they had definitely been through the storm and the rain. And just like the song said, Cassandra truly knew all about heartache and pain, but God had brought her through it all. “Blessed be the name of the Lord,” Cassandra said, as she turned up the volume, leaned back in her seat and enjoyed the drive home.
The End
Reader’s Discussion Questions
1. JT had been a cheater, but God forgave him and from that point he desired to do what was right. But Cassandra struggled to forgive her husband. Do you think you could stay married to a man like JT Thomas?
2. JT’s high school sweetheart (Erica) had prayed for his salvation and deliverance for years without ever knowing if her prayers had been answered, even though JT had broken her heart. Could you pray for someone who had hurt you?
3. Cassandra’s lack of trust in God caused her to struggle with panic attacks and unforgiveness. Has anything ever happened in your life that caused you to lose trust in God?
4. At one point in the story, JT considered himself to be a victim of his own adulterous affair. However, Cassandra didn’t agree with him. What do you think? Who are the real victims when a pastor sins? Could it be his wife, the children and the church members? Who else?
5. Mattie was very bitter and unforgiving. Her bitterness eventually affected her health. What about you… are there things you need to let go of? Do you believe harboring bitterness can affect your health?
6. Bishop Turner suffered for years because of his hidden secrets. What do you think? Should Bishop Turner have admitted that Cassandra was his daughter when she was first born? Or do you believe he was right to hide his sins from the church?
7. Which minor character would you like to know more about: Diane Benson, Margie Milner or Lamont Stevens? Email me at [email protected] and let me know.
Coming in July 2012 – 3rd book in the Forsaken Series (FORGOTTEN)
Books available in Ebook and Paperback format: Forsaken, Forgiven & Forgotten
OTHER EBOOKS BY VANESSA MILLER
The Blessed and Highly Favored Series is available in ebook format only…
The Blessed One: Joel Morrison proved his love for God when he lost all of his children in the 1952 Kern County earthquake. He weathered those hard times, and God blessed him with five more children. But now that his children are grown and living their own lives, Joel worries that the devourer has once again set his sights on the family that God has blessed.
For the most part, Joel’s children are successful and rich yet very unhappy. Joel realizes that giving his children more money will not make them happy, nor will it secure a place in heaven for them, when their hearts and souls are not fully committed to Christ. So, Joel Morrison decides to change his will in an attempt to teach his children a lesson in giving. He invites his children on a family vacation in the Bahamas to tell them that he will be giving most of his money away to charity. However, Joel’s declaration is not the biggest surprise of their vacation.
Shockwaves are sent throughout the Morrison family, the likes of which they may never recover from.
The Wild One: Dee Dee Morrison-Milner is a movie star and the wild child in the Morrison family; you name it and she’s done it, with almost no regrets. However, when her younger sister, Elaine, asks her to adopt an African orphan child (Natua), Dee Dee agrees because Hollywood is full of actresses adopting underprivileged children--no big deal. But when a psycho fixates on Dee Dee’s maternal abilities and imagines himself married to the movie star diva, she finds herself running from a stalker.
When Natua is kidnapped, Dee Dee turns back to her estranged husband, Drake Milner, to help her find the child whose kind nature stole her heart. Along the way, Drake helps Dee Dee restore her relationship with the Lord.
The Preacher’s Choice: Isaiah Morrison is a man after God’s heart. Even though his wife divorces him, Isaiah continues to preach and declare the goodness of the Lord. He is content to live alone for the rest of his life, never imagining that God has something else in mind for him.
The first day Ramona Verse walked into Christ Tabernacle, she fell in love with everything about the church, and especially the handsome self-assured man behind the pulpit. But would a man like Pastor Morrison ever consider a woman with a dark past like hers? Ramona and Pastor Morrison are brought together through his need for someone to head his charity foundation, but Isaiah will soon discover that he needs much more from the secretive Miss Verse than he ever thought possible.
The Politician’s Wife: Eric Morrison’s wife, Linda, hits a teenage boy while driving drunk, and Eric covers it up by paying the teenager’s medical bills and giving a hefty donation to his college fund. Linda is now ready to atone for her sins. She finds the strength to stop drinking and gives her life to Christ. Eric is thrilled when his wife stops drinking. However, when she tells him that God wants her to start a Christian organization that helps recovering alcoholics put their lives back together and that she intends to use some of his father’s charity money to do it, Eric rejects the idea, convinced that it will put his bid for governor at risk.
Then a blackmailer threatens to reveal pictures of his wife’s drunk-driving accident unless he receives ten million dollars. If that isn’t enough, the media also begins attacking Eric because of his brother Isaiah’s outspoken, stop-sinning and come-to-Jesus style of preaching. Eric must decide whether he will stand up for the truth that his father taught him and that his brother now preaches or sell his soul for public office.
The Playboy’s Redemption: After a very public argument over increased child support payments, the mother of Shawn Morrison’s third child is found dead. Shawn is the primary suspect. Now in a fight for his life, Shawn turns back to Lilly, the woman whose heart he broke after she gave birth to two sons for him, but never even received an engagement ring. Lilly is now a born-again Christian. Will her forgiving heart and new attitude concerning morality finally help Shawn turn back to God in this, his darkest hour?
Love Isn’t enough (Short Story) ebook
Sometimes love just isn’t enough and Hannah Ellison is sick of pretending.
She promised to love, honor and cherish her husband, but Thomas kept secrets. And now as Hannah wades through all of Thomas’s unpaid bills, baby mama drama and her inability to conceive… she must decide if love is enough to keep her at home when her heart and mind is in turmoil over something that only God can fix.
This short story is loosely based on the Old Testament story of Hannah’s pleas for a child of her own (1 Samuel 1:1-2:26).
A Mighty Love (Novella) ebook
Shay Lamont was sick and tired of dating men who didn’t know the first thing about being faithful. She’d spent a lifetime chasing after losers, now she was determined to spend the rest of her life chasing after God.
Just as Shay sets her sights on God, Malcolm Harris sets his sights on her… and Malcolm is just as determined to get what he wants. If Shay can let her guard down and learn to trust again, she just may discover the mighty love God intended for her heart only.
The Rain Series is now available on ebook:
Check them out on your Kindle or No
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Titles:
Former Rain
Abundant Rain
Latter Rain
Rain Storm
Through the Storm
The Blessed and Highly Favored Series
The Blessed One
The Wild One
The Preacher’s Choice
The Politician’s Wife
The Playboy’s Redemption
AUTHOR BIO: Vanessa Miller
Vanessa Miller of Dayton, Ohio, is a best-selling author, playwright, and motivational speaker. Her stage productions include: Get You Some Business, Don’t Turn Your Back on God, and Can’t You Hear Them Crying.
Vanessa has been writing since she was a young child. When she wasn’t writing poetry, short stories, stage plays and novels, reading consumed her free time. However, it wasn’t until she committed her life to the Lord in 1994 that she realized all gifts and anointing come from God. She then set out to write redemption stories that glorify God.
To date, Vanessa has written four complete series and one single title mainstream book. Her readership steadily grows with each new release as she is a consummate promoter of her works. Vanessa believes that each of her books touch the heart and soul of readers across the country in a special way. It is, after all, her God-given destiny to write novels that bring deliverance to God’s people. These books have received rave reviews, winning Best Christian Fiction Awards and topping numerous Bestsellers’ lists.
Essence Bestsellers’ List March 2008; May 2008 (Former Rain)
Essence Bestsellers’ List September 2008 (Rain Storm)
Black Expressions Book Club Alternate Selection 2007, 2008, 2009 & 2010
#1 Ebook for fiction on Amazon.com November 2010 (Long Time Coming)
#1 on BCNN/BCBC Bestsellers’ List November 2010 (Long Time Coming)
Vanessa is a dedicated Christian and devoted mother. She graduated from Capital University with a degree in Organizational Communication. In 2010, Vanessa was ordained by her church as a minister. Vanessa believes that God has called her to minister through her writings and help readers rediscover their place with the Lord.
Most of Vanessa’s published novels depict characters that are lost and in need of redemption. The books have received countless favorable reviews.
“. . . Heartwarming, drama-packed and tender in just the right places.”—Romantic Times Book Review.
“Recommended for readers of redemption stories.” –Library Journal.
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