I’ve had my share of adventures, haven’t I? And way more near-death experiences than I’d wish on anyone, but God was with me through it all.

At least life has slowed down in the decade since Paul and I got married, and I am so thankful for the peace and stability that’s come. Sure, there’s still a lot of chaos in the world. Crime continues to run rampant and I have more than enough work to do as I contribute to the massive job of helping to uphold the law.

So what’s been happening in the decade since we last met?

Paul and I were married within about six months, and immediately began the process of legally adopting Maria. That sweet child, who’d endured more trauma than anyone should have to face, needed a stable and loving home. She and Paul had always had a special bond and she’s been a wonderful addition to our family.

I’m still working for the U.S Marshals office. Not the world’s easiest job, but I love it.

Crazy as it sounds, Paul’s started a consulting business, helping law enforcement catch some notorious criminals. Turns out that his connection to the infamous Stevens has given him a unique “in” with the dark criminal underworld.

A few of those collars netted some hefty rewards. A year ago, we’d finally saved enough to buy a bigger house and start our own group home. It’s been a little crazy, but every life we touch makes it worthwhile.

Take Maria. The scars from her past will always be there, but some great counselors have helped her heal. So much so, that she just started college, pursuing a degree in psychology. She wants to become a child psychologist and help other victims of abuse rise above their past.

We’re all shaped by our past. Even if you haven’t suffered great trauma, life experiences, opportunities, failures, successes, and hurts all leave a mark. It’s what you choose to do with the collection of your unique experiences that really defines who you become.

Paul and Stevens highlight the importance of our choices. Both experienced horribly traumatic childhoods, both chose to lead a life of crime, but only Paul chose to forge a new path. Stevens continued on his destructive path of death, while Paul chose to turn his life over to Jesus.

It brings to mind the choice God set before His people in Deuteronomy 30:19-20. “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life.”

At the root of our choices is what we believe about God. If we believe that He exists, our choices and the way we treat others matter because we are accountable to Him. The problem with our world today is that too many people have rejected God, which always results in lawlessness and chaos.

I’d urge you to consider Joshua’s challenge to the people of Israel at the end of his life. In Joshua 24:14-15, he told them: “So fear the Lord and serve Him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord alone. But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”

See, Joshua knew that we all serve something. Maybe it’s money, or status, or power. Maybe a relationship, loved one, or your family has taken God’s place in your life. Maybe it’s your career. It could even be church or church activities.

We all serve something or someone… but is it the right Someone?

Choose this day whom you will serve. Will you worship the things of our culture, things like celebrities, money, or influence? Will you be like Stevens, serving only yourself? Or will you choose to serve God? Whatever you choose, I will echo Joshua. As for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.

Hey guys. Boy, my life sure took a lot of unexpected turns, didn’t it? If you were surprised by some of them, don’t worry – so was I!

Truthfully, I shouldn’t even be here. When Deadly Alliances was originally written in the early 2000s, it was never intended to be a series. It was stand-alone. If you’ve already read the alternate ending, you know that in the original version, I was Stevens.

And I died.

Fiction is based on the premise of “what if.” What if a certain character, in a certain situation, had a certain thing happen? What if another character did this or that? What if…?

Then one day, God whispered the proverbial “what if” into my story. What if I didn’t die? What if Lana saved my life – knowing who I was, or at least who she thought I was – and at great risk to herself? What if I wasn’t even Stevens at all, but an accomplice? What if I came back in future books?

That simple “what if” changed everything. I got a new chance at life.

Bet you didn’t know that your story, which you’re currently living, is a lot like mine.

See, each one of us was dead. The story had ended. We had no hope and no future. Until one day, God whispered “what if”. What if it didn’t have to be that way? What if we had another option? What if we chose to accept the sacrifice Jesus made for us, the one that took the penalty for our sins and gave us new life?

Romans 6:13 tells us that we were dead, but now we have new life. That verse feels especially close to my heart, as I know how my story originally ended but, by the grace of God, was drastically changed.

The what ifs don’t stop there though. What if salvation and forgiveness isn’t the end of the story? What if God has a purpose for your life? What if He saved you for a reason?

1 Peter 2:24 provides a little insight. “He personally carried our sins in His body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed.”

Not only did Jesus give us freedom from sin, he gave us a purpose – to do what is right. Live in that purpose. This world tells us that what we do doesn’t matter, but the Bible doesn’t teach that.

Salvation was never meant to be the end of the story. Rather, it’s the start of a journey.

I hope you’ve heard God’s whispered “what if” in your life. I hope you’ve accepted Jesus’s gift of salvation. Jesus said in John 8:12 “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

Now if that isn’t the “what if” to which we should cling, I don’t know what is!

Hola, amigos. Como estas? Detective Zander Salinas here and do I have a lot to share with you!

It’s been six years since we lost Josiah. Even though we know he’s in heaven, with Jesus, there’s still this huge hole in our lives.

The man was really something. I didn’t realize how much I needed him until he was gone.

Elly and I moved onto the yacht. Trust me, I can hardly believe it myself. Me, living on a boat, when I’m not a big fan of the water. But after Josiah was gone, the yacht, which is pretty sweet, really, was just sitting there empty. Meanwhile, we were crammed in my little one bedroom apartment, with a baby on the way, paying a loco price for rent.

Zeke and Bethany didn’t want to move the kids away from their friends and school, so we made the move.

Renting a slip at the marina is a whole lot cheaper than that apartment, let me tell you. Quieter, too. And I’ve adjusted to being on the water, except during storms and rough seas. Not sure I’ll ever adjust to that.

But you know, even in the rough seas, God is here with us.

Elly and I have three kids now, two boys and a girl. All three of them are growing up in the water, and are better swimmers than I’ll ever be. Elly’s seen to that, and since we live on the water, I have to say I’m in full agreement.

Mi amigo Rafe is in full-time ministry. Knowing who he used to be, it’s still a bit loco to me, but God’s in the habit of taking the messes in our lives and using that for His glory. He’s the pastor of an inner-city church and very involved in prison ministry.

I’m still working for the PD. The job’s grueling, and I see more evil than I want to, but I’m making the world a little better place. That counts for something.

Some days that truth is the only thing that keeps me moving forward.

Being on the bay, we see a lot of human trafficking. It’s an ugly, horrible thing. Modern-day slavery. It victimizes some of the most vulnerable members of society and robs them of all dignity and hope, then traps them in a cycle of manipulation and abuse.

It’s often easier to turn a blind eye to the evil around us, but that’s not what God calls us to do. We’re called to take a stand. Sometimes that means looking evil right in the eyes and fighting.

In Isaiah 1:17, God tells us “Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.”

You notice all the active verbs there? Learn. Seek. Help. Defend. Fight. We were never meant to take an inactive stance against wickedness.

Micah 6:8 echoes those thoughts. “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.   And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”

You might think that it’s easy for me to say all this, since I get paid to do it as part of my job. But don’t discount the little things you can do to help. Financial support to legitimate organizations is huge. Volunteering, if you’re called to do so, is of incalculable value. Raising awareness, reporting suspected abuse, and praying for those working to help victims are all valuable tools you can use to combat human trafficking.

This doesn’t just apply to human trafficking, however. It applies to all injustice. We’re to be compassionate toward and concerned for the victims. Help in whatever capacity we can.

I’ll leave you with this: wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, act. Do what you can. And pray for those of us on the front lines who are in the heat of the battle.

G’day mates! It’s been six months since that nearly tragic day at the marina. The day Dak almost got blown up by an old friend and I nearly bled out from a gunshot wound.

Crazy how time flies.

And yet, at the same time, it almost feels like yesterday.

A boatload of trauma came on all of us that day, but the Lord heals what this world damages. We both have our moments when we flinch at shadows, but we’re getting through it. Together.

Dak’s still leading the team. My replacement, a recruit straight out of Quantico, has fit in pretty well.

As for me, my role at the Seattle PD has been far more fulfilling than I ever thought possible. I never thought I’d enjoy counseling, but seeing the brave men and women in blue face their demons and overcome them has helped me process my own trauma.

And I know Dak likes that I’m not rubbing elbows with criminals every day.

Dak popped the question last night. I still find myself looking at the diamond on my finger to believe this is real. After growing up without a father, I guess I’ve struggled to believe I’m worthy of love. Dak has proven, over and over, that a healthy, Christ-centered relationship is possible.

As for my father, well, he’s still in prison. Will be for a long time.

I’m not sure I even really have strong feelings about that. It’s impossible to miss someone who was never there.

He’s written me often. I’ve managed a few visits, and they were awkward.

Forgiveness has been a struggle to be sure.

It took me a while to say the words. I forgive him. It took me even longer to feel them. Honestly, some days I still don’t feel it. He doesn’t deserve my forgiveness.

But as I’ve grown in my faith and come to know Jesus better, I’ve realized a crucial truth.

I don’t deserve forgiveness either.

It’s been a long road, and I still battle the unforgiveness and anger sometimes, but when those old feelings surface, I make a conscious choice to forgive him. Again. If I were like Jesus, it’d be a one and done type of thing, but I’m not. I’m still struggling to follow the calling Jesus has given me, a calling that includes forgiveness.

In Luke 6:36-38, Jesus told us “You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate. Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven. Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”

You know, I think we often read that last verse and think it applies exclusively to money. Give and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back. Now, certainly there is application when it comes to money, for we’re called to be generous and to hold loosely to the things of this world. But what if we apply that verse to the ones right in front of it? What if Jesus isn’t talking only about money, but the amount of compassion and forgiveness we extend?

Your gift of forgiveness, compassion, and mercy will return to you in full. The amount of forgiveness, compassion, and mercy you give will determine the amount you get back.

I need the full measure of God’s forgiveness. Knowing how much I’ve sinned against God, which is far more than anyone, including my father, has wronged me, how can I withhold forgiveness from him or anyone else?

I’m not saying it’s easy. In reality, it can be really hard. Some things are easy to forgive, but many hurts leave deep scars. Those are usually the things we try to hold onto, but the thing about scars is that the more you pick at them, the longer it takes for healing to come. Forgiveness is the first step in letting that healing process begin.

One thing I’ve found with unforgiveness is that it hurts the person holding the grudge more than the one who is not being forgiven. In some instances, the person needing to be forgiven doesn’t even care that you’re holding something against them. Unforgiveness causes bitterness, which just makes us miserable. Power – and true freedom – comes in choosing to forgive.

If you’re struggling to forgive someone, ask God to help you. Pray for that person. Not that God would strike them down, although that’s often our temptation, but pray that God will move in that person’s life. If the person is not a Christ-follower, pray that the person will come to know Jesus. If that person is another believe, pray that God will guide that person in His will.

Prayer has a funny way of softening your heart toward someone and can be a powerful instrument used by God to lead you to a point of truly forgiving that person.

My name is Audra Parker, although I’ve gone by many names. You might call me Stormy. Or Zoe. Or any of the many other roles I’ve stepped into over the years, all for the sake of bringing down bad guys.

I’ve been in far more places and worn more hats that most people could ever dream.

Now, after witnessing the murder of my uncle and losing my memory for a spell, I’m finally learning who God always intended me to be. It’s crazy that it took nearly dying to really learn what living is all about.

And you know what, I’m thankful for it all. Without all that, I probably never would have given my life to Jesus. No one in my life in Charleston was pointing me that direction, and I sure wasn’t seeking Him on my own.

So God did what He does best. He got my attention.

Meeting Drew through it all was an added bonus.

It took me about two months after getting home to realize that Charleston wasn’t where I wanted to be any longer. Undercover work was no longer my passion.

Drew and I spoke nearly every day during those two months, and all I wanted was to be where he was. Sappy, I know, but it’s also the truth.

So I started looking for positions in Reno. And wouldn’t you know that a spot opened up at the Reno field office? You can guess who was first in line to put in a request for a transfer.

The new job took me out of undercover work, which was fine with me.

That chapter was the old me. God had something much better in store for the new me.

After I trusted Jesus for my salvation and started reading the Bible, I was struck by the story of Esther. I felt like I got her, you know? In some ways, she was living undercover, too. The king clearly didn’t know she was a Jew. Neither did Haman. Both were shocked when she dramatically revealed that Haman’s plot was a personal attack against her and her people.

I think Mordecai’s words to Esther are some of the most impactful I’ve read. In Esther 4:14, he asks her: “Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?”

That’s so important for all of us to remember. God is always moving and working. He puts us in positions and situations for purposes that are far bigger than we can imagine.

But we have a choice.

Esther could have chosen to stay silent and save herself while her people suffered and died. Similarly, we can choose to do our own thing and not walk down the path God puts before us. Sometimes that path is terrifying, but to those with willing hearts, God will provide all that is needed to accomplish His purposes.

Every path God leads us down is important.

The world says only the rich, famous, or powerful have influence, but in God’s kingdom that simply isn’t true. It doesn’t matter if you’re a stay-at-home parent, disabled, young, old, making minimum wage in a dead-end job or running a fortune 500 company – God has placed you where you’re at for such a time as this. You have influence on someone.

Pray for God to lead you, then willingly follow where He leads. You may be surprised where that path will take you.

Yo, dudes. Britt here. Not the Wolfe, as I used to be called. That guy is gone for good, by the grace of God alone.

It’s been almost a year since I nearly died. And a lot’s happened since then.

Bella and I are getting married. Wedding’s next week, in fact. I’m stoked, and honestly a little shocked, that she wants to marry me. We’re planning a pretty intimate ceremony, facilitated by my man Titus, the pastor who always travels with me when I go on tour. I’m flying her family and our closest friends to a private island and we’ll have a simple ceremony on the beach. Hopefully free of paparazzi, although you never can predict when they’ll pop up.

Avenging Shadows, the band that launched me and my buddies to stardom and made us millions, is officially a thing of the past. Hard not to be with the scandal after my friend Jon, who was also our drummer, was arrested for moving drugs across the country.

I’ve struck out solo, writing and singing songs that both point people to Jesus and rock hard. It’s going okay, I think. Not making nearly as much money as I did back in the day, but I feel a whole lot better about the songs I’m singing.

More than that, I think God’s happier with the messages going out, too.

Would it have been easier to replace Jon and hire a new drummer, then continue to make millions like we had been?

Sure.

But truthfully, the guys were pretty fed up with the new me and I was not feeling that great about the messages some of our songs conveyed. Or about the party scene that seemed to follow our band around.

One thing I’ve learned through all this is that we’ve got to guard our minds. Who and what we listen to matters. Proverbs 4:20-23 tells us: “My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, for they bring life to those who find them and healing to their whole body. Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”

Jesus followed this same idea when he said “A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.” Luke 6:45

I haven’t always followed the right people, but I’m trying. More than that, I haven’t always been someone worth following, although the millions of fans who listen to my band’s music don’t seem to care. I’m working to change that, to become someone worth following, but there’s already been plenty of damage done.

Take a good look at the leaders you follow. I’m not promoting rebellion, for scripture teaches us to be good citizens in our country and workplaces. You can check out Romans 13 and 1 Peter 2 for more on that.

What I am saying is to examine those who you admire. They might be church leaders, or podcasters, movie stars or rock stars, influencers, maybe even friends or family. Do those people love God and honor Him with their lives? Do they know scripture and hold the word of God in high regard? Do they strive to live lives of faithful obedience to the God who saved them? None of us does this perfectly, but following someone who isn’t even trying to live as God calls is a dangerous path.

The challenge is two-fold. Follow people who point you to Jesus. Then be a person worth following, one who points others to Jesus.

Life takes us in unexpected directions sometimes.

Honestly, it’s a little hard for me to even show my face these days. Knowing what happened on that snowy Colorado mountain two months ago.

Tari almost died. If not for God’s mercy, and His acting in response to the prayers of my friends, she would have.

Could I have stopped it from happening? I guess we’ll never know.

There’s been a whole avalanche of guilt these past eight weeks. Enough to almost bury me.

Did I make the wrong choice? Maybe. I’m still not sure. God clearly didn’t need me there. In fact, He worked miraculously in spite of me. But was He calling me to be there, to help my friends?

The answer wasn’t clear then, and it isn’t clear now.

All I know is that my decision that day changed everything. My relationship with my friends is strained. They don’t seem to judge me, or treat me poorly or anything, but things are different. We all feel it.

Choices have consequences, and that one had a boatload of them.

Allison thinks I made the right call, believes that if I’d been there I might’ve been the one shot. She’s still not a big fan of Tari, although I really don’t know why.

We’re still not regulars at church. The more we’re gone, the easier it gets to stay away. Life’s busy, you know?

But in my heart, I know the truth. God calls each of us to be part of the work He’s doing, both in His church and in the world. It doesn’t matter that I’m not the pastor, or leading worship, or doing something else that feels important. God has a place for me in His church, and my absence can hurt the body as a whole.

Just like my absence on the Colorado mountainside that day hurt my friends.

See, I think it’s easy for us to minimize our role in God’s plans. Does He need us? Absolutely not. But for some crazy reason, He chooses to do His work through us.

You might think – like me – that your absence doesn’t have much impact, but God has made you unique. Between your background, upbringing, life experiences, choices, mistakes, and successes, there is no one quite like you. You might be the exact person that someone else needs to talk to. You might have some wisdom or experience to impart to someone else that helps them through a trying situation or changes their life. You might have some spiritual gift that gives strength to another.

But if you aren’t there? Both you and the person you’re supposed to minister to miss out.

Sometimes I look around and wonder how I got here. What led me to missing out on what God might do through me. How I came to the point of abandoning my friends.

The answer is simple enough and can be summed up in a single word. Complacency.

Beware the complacent spirit. It can be easy to be self-satisfied. To look at what you have and what you can do and think you’ve got it all under control, but that’s not Biblical thinking. Remember what God said to the church in Laodicea in Revelation 3:17, which Malachi quoted to me: “You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.”

The complacent spirit leads to not seeing things clearly. It leads to thinking you’re doing well, when God sees you as desolate. Complacency leads to dullness, which can lead to dead ears and a hard heart. It can be a hard thing to break, so the wisest plan is to fight to avoid it altogether.

Don’t be like me. Ask God to show you where complacency might be creeping into your life. Is it in your prayers? Or maybe you’ve gotten lazy with your scripture reading? Or disconnected from church or Christian fellowship?

Do a spiritual check-up and let God, the Good Physician, fix the areas of your spiritual health that are sick or dying.

As for me, well, I continue to fight this spirit of complacency every day. It’s hard work, but God doesn’t give up on me… hey. I hear the theme music for my favorite tv show, and it’s calling my name. Catch you later.