Anticipating the Blessed Hope
Cedarville 1989 alumna Donna VanLiere has experienced tremendous success as a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. Her 21 titles, many of them Christmas-themed, have sold hundreds of thousands of copies, and six have become made-for-television movies, among them The Christmas Shoes and The Christmas Blessing.
And although she loves writing and views it as a gift from the Lord, the greater gifts in her life are Grace, Kate, and David, who she and her husband, Troy, adopted internationally from China and Guatemala. Donna sees herself first as a mom, and writes only when the kids are at school.
Donna’s latest literary endeavor veered from the holiday motif to biblical prophecy. She realized while sitting in church one day that it had been some time since she had heard a message on God’s judgment or the return of Christ. She felt God’s nudging to write The Time of Jacob’s Trouble, which released this spring, and includes a look at end times teaching in Scripture.
In this year where anxiety and fear has spread as quickly as the COVID-19 virus, Donna points to God’s sovereign plan and faithfulness to fulfill His promises as Christians’ rock-solid foundation for peace and hope. This is what the Church, and the world, need to hear.
“I wish people would go into the Word, and say, ‘I know these are hard truths, but Jesus said these days would come; Jesus said there would be pandemics, there would be plagues,’ but He also said, ‘When you see these things begin to happen, lift up your head, look up, because your redemption is drawing near,’” Donna shares during the podcast. “Troy and I both had COVID. We’re still here, and I still know that things are looking up. I’m still looking for a blessed hope.”
Donna’s latest holiday story, The Christmas Table, is now available at your local bookstore.
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