Guest Author, Sherry Shindelar

Sherry is a critique partner, prayer partner, and friend. You will be touched and encouraged by her books.

 

The Story that Held my Heart Captive

The story of Cynthia Anne Parker captured my heart a couple decades ago, and she still haunts my imagination. Her story inspired my novel, Texas Forsaken, and my newly released prequel, Wichita Path Sacrifice, which is part of the Freed by the Frontier novella collection.

Cynthia was taken captive by the Comanche at age nine during an attack on her family’s fort on the Texas frontier in 1836. Her father and several other extended family members were killed, and her brother John, her cousin Rachel, and a couple other family members were captured along with her.

Her Aunt Elizabeth was rescued a couple months after the attack. Her cousin Rachel, who had been badly abused by the tribe, was returned a couple of years later and died within a year of her return. John adopted the Comanche lifestyle and lived with the tribe for years before eventually leaving the tribe to farm in Mexico. But Cynthia became Comanche and became an integral part of the tribe for over twenty-four years.

She married an influential war chief, Peta Nocona, and had three children with him, including Quanah Parker, a powerful Comanche chief. Several times over the years, Indian agents and traders attempted to ransom her, but she refused to go, and the tribe refused to trade her.

In December 1860, Texas Rangers attacked her village and captured her and her baby girl, Prairie Flower (Topsanah), killing everyone else in the village. Eventually, one of Cynthia’s relatives claimed her and took her to live with his family, but she refused to accept this new life that was being forced upon her. Several times, she tried to run away to the open plains, desperate to find her husband and her sons. Her uncle eventually agreed to help her look for her people, but they’d have to wait until the Civil War ended.

Prairie Flower died, word came that Cynthia’s son Pecos had passed away, as well, and the Civil War dragged on. Cynthia lost hope of ever being reunited with two remaining members of her beloved family, Nocona and Quanah.  Overcome by sadness and longing, she sank into a deep depression and died of a broken heart. 

Cynthia Ann’s story, the story of a woman torn between cultures, has perplexed, intrigued, and haunted me since I read it. My heart aches for her loss, and questions flood my mind. Some stories are like that. They stay with you, and this one was all the more indelible because it was true and filled with unknowns.

The Lord placed the idea on my heart to write a story about forgiveness, healing from trauma, and love overcoming all odds.

In Texas Forsaken, Book One of my Lone Star Redemption series, I developed a character inspired by Cynthia Ann, started at the moment of crisis, and wrote a different trajectory. I couldn’t give Cynthia Ann a happy resolution, but I could give my character Eyes-Like-Sky a muted happy-ever-after. Eyes-Like-Sky has a second chance at life and love.

Wichita Path Sacrifice, my novella, which is included in Freed by the Frontier, is the prequel and is inspired by the captive stories of Cynthia Ann Parker and her cousin, Rachel Plummer. Eyes-Like-Sky must choose between fighting to escape back to the world she once knew, or daring to hope for a life with the warrior who has captured her heart.

In both of these stories, I wanted the reader to see that the Lord can bring good and blessings, even out of the direst of circumstances when we turn our hearts to Him.

“Weeping may tarry for the night,
    but joy comes with the morning.”  Psalm 30: 5b

 

 Buy link:

https://www.amazon.com/Freed-Frontier-Lone-Star-Redemption-ebook/dp/B0GX2WN3ZB/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0

 

Social Media Links:

Instagram: sherryshindelarauthor  https://www.instagram.com/sherryshindelarauthor/ 

FB Author: https://www.facebook.com/historylitgirl/   Sherry Shindelar Author 

Goodreads author page:  https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/134972322-sherry-shindelar  

Bookbub author page: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/527022753

 

Acts 29 Rerun

This summer we studied through the book of Acts at our church. This last week, we finished the book and wondered what was next for Paul. And what is next for us? What story is God writing for us next in our lives.

 

I found this post from a few years ago, another study of Acts from the same church.

 

April 21, 2023

 

At church this week we studied from the book of Acts.

 

Acts 1:7-8: He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

 

Our pastor, Matt, said Jesus gave a table of contents here for the rest of the book of Acts, through chapter 28. I’m not sure where I heard it, but someone said we are living in Acts chapter 29.

 

Acts 2:42-47: They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

 

Matt went on to talk about the church, a community of people who were joined together by belief in Jesus. He said this is talking about us in 2023.

 

The church two thousand years ago and now, are a group who give ourselves to God’s word, to prayer, to meeting the needs of those around us, and to showing why others should want to be a part of God’s family.

 

That is as true now as it was in the first century. God will add people to his church if they see us loving each other and those around us. We may not all be great friends or agree about everything, but we agree on this: Jesus, his word, his ways. 

Can I Memorize This?

I asked God to give me a message. These were the two verses I read next.

 

Proverbs 16:24

Kind words are like honey— sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.

 

Ecclesiastes 7:9:

Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry,

For anger rests in the bosom of fools.

 

I am so quick to snap at my family, especially my husband. I asked God to show me a few more verses about kindness. This is what he gave me.

 

1 Corinthians 13:4-8a

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

 

Ephesians 4: 32:

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

 

I used to memorize Scripture a lot. I remember that when we first got married, I told Murray that I was working on memorizing the book of James

 

My memorization goals became less as the years passed, but I know I kept that goal in mind.

 

Then fourteen years ago, when I was brain injured, I told myself that I didn’t even need to try. I would still read the Bible, of course, and write down special verses.

 

Now I wonder if I could try to memorize again. I’m not starting with full books, but I’m going to try just a few verses at a time. 

A Few Special Books

I am so grateful for the wide variety of books which are available to me.

 

Isaiah’s Legacy, A Novel of Prophets and Kings by Mesu Andrews. A beautifully written story set in Old Testament times. Surrounding the life of King Manasseh, the son of King Hezikiah, describing with incredible wonder God’s unfathomable grace in forgiving horrible sin when there is true forgiveness.

 

Embers in the London sky: a novel by Sarah Sundin. A Fascinating story of World War II in London. The Blitz and murder.

 

My beloved by Jan Karon. A fresh New Mitford story, with Tim and Cynthia, many old friends and some new. A lovely community, beautiful surroundings. God showers his grace on those who need it.

 

The Secrets Beneath by Kimberley Woodhouse. A delightful story of love and mercy and paleontologists in Wyoming in the 1880s. Part of a series.

 

They Turned the World Upside Down by Charles Martin. My favorite line in the book: “There is more grace in Jesus than sin in us.” There is a beautiful chapter on how much God wants us to know his fatherly love for us.

God is our Savior and Lord. To obey him, we make him and what he wants the center of our life, not ourselves and what we want. Luke 9:23-24: “Then he said to them all: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.’”

Beautiful pictures of God’s love and acceptance of us, of his taking our punishment so we could be with him.