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A Sneak Peek At A NEW YEAR’S CAROL

Thank you to everyone who subscribed to my newsletter! I hope you find my posts interesting, informative and inspiring. I thought I would start with a sneak peek at the beginning of my novella, A New Year’s Carol, that is being released November 3rd! I am excited to share my work with you. My novella is, of course, based on Charles Dickens’s classic A Christmas Carol. In all my efforts, I tried emulate his work and continue the story he started. Below you can see the first page of my novella and beyond it are the explanations of the bullet points from the first page:

STAVE ONE [#1]

EBENEZER AND BOB [#2]

December 26, 1843 [#3]

Ebenezer Scrooge was alive [#4], of this there is no doubt, and the story that follows will bear faithful witness to it. I was the morning after the Christmas that the ghosts had visited him. Scrooge felt more awake and alive than ever he could recall. He looked in the mirror and wondered at the change wrought in the face of the man looking back at him. That morning his bed clothes were the same and his bed chamber was the same. The cold wind of a London winter morning whistling around his house and forming ice crystals on the windows was the same. He was not the same [#5]. He was getting ready to go to his office, as he had done a thousand times before. Today though, he had a purpose and that purpose filled him with an energy he had never known [#6]. Although at this time he could…

#1- What is a Stave? As my story took shape, I continued to go back to Dickens’ original work and I found that there were no chapters in his novella. Instead, he called them staves, which is just another word for stanza. It makes sense, his story is a carol and so is mine. I hope you find it to be a joyous carol as it was meant to be.

#2- Ebenezer and Bob– This is my title for the first stave. As you will find out, he is no longer the miser commonly known as Scrooge. He is Ebenezer and Robert Cratchit is no longer his slave driven underling but they are destined to be fast friends.

#3- December 26, 1843– A Christmas Carol essentially ends on Christmas Day, although there is certainly a hint of what happens as a result of the beginning of the redemption of Ebenezer Scrooge. My story starts right after that memorable Christmas and unfolds for eight days and then some.

#4- Ebenezer Scrooge was alive- The very first line of A Christmas Carol reads “Marley was dead, to begin with.” That line sets the stage for frightening encounter Ebenezer would have with not just one, but a total of four ghosts. My story begins with life. In fact, this very first line is one of the major themes running through the whole story. Ebenezer finds he is alive and throughout the story that follows he is learning how to live.

#5- He was not the same- A New Year’s Carol is all about redemption. Every January 1st, a new year begins and we have a chance at a fresh start. That is one of the gifts Ebenezer received that Christmas, a chance to change and not be the same as he was.

#6- He had a purpose- Ebenezer is grateful for the chance to change but throughout the story, he realizes it is not all about him. There was a reason he was restored and forgiven. There was something he had to do. As you will find out, it was not always going to be easy.

August 25, 2026
Abraham’s Servant

Every time I read through the book of Genesis, I have been struck by the character of Abraham’s servant as mentioned in the twenty-fourth chapter of Genesis. In this chapter, the servant is not named but many commentaries point back to the fifteenth chapter of Genesis and think this servant is Eliezer. The essence of my admiration for this man is his unselfishness. In Genesis chapter twenty-four, verse twelve, we have the beginning of his prayer recorded. “And he said, ‘O LORD, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today and show steadfast love to my master Abraham’” (Gen 24:12 ESV).

Abraham was nearing the end of his life and sent this man to find a wife for his son Isaac, the son of the promise. So, this servant must have shown himself to be faithful in his years of service to Abraham, otherwise, he would not have been chosen. The servant swears an oath to Abraham that he will do exactly as he is told. The servant goes on a very long journey then prays the prayer. The prayer is amazing in that while he does pray for success in his task, his prayer is really for Abraham, and not for himself. I am personally convicted by his unselfishness. I have prayed for success in my job, my duties, my relationships, my health and numerous other things. The operative word in the preceding sentence in ‘my’. This man prayed for success in his task so that Abraham will be blessed. Would I go on a long journey for my boss with an important task and have the same unselfishness? Or would my prayer go something like this: “God, please bless me in this business trip so that I make the sale, impress my boss, get the raise, so I can have more money?”

God blesses the servant and he finds Rebekah, who would go on to be Isaac’s wife. When the servant meets her family, they welcome him warmly and offer him food. Again, if this were me, I would probably figure that I earned a good meal after a long journey and am entitled to some pleasure along the way. It is not so with this servant. He does not decline the food but says in essence, “I will not eat until I have said what I came to say and complete the task that is before me.” The servant is successful, and Rebekah agrees to return with him to be Isaac’s wife. The servant responds with praise, “he bowed himself to the earth before the LORD” (Gen 24:52 ESV). I can learn from the example of this man. I can be more faithful in my duties to be entrusted with more. I can be the kind of man whom another would assign a most important task. I can pray for success in the tasks before me for the benefit of those who I serve. I can fulfill the tasks that are before me to honor my God. I pray then when I am done, I can thank God for His strength in enabling me to be faithful.

January 28, 2026
Quotes from my 2025 Journal Review

Inspired by Jim Rohn, among others, I have kept a journal for many years now. I try to review my journals regularly in order to, as Jim Rohn put it, gather up this year and invest it in the next year. I took a full day in December, no tv, no cell phone, just me and my journals from 2025. The following are some of the quotes that were most meaningful to me, although it was hard to narrow them down. Some of the books that had the most impact on me were the Bible, Exalting Christ in Isaiah ( a study guide), The book of Isaiah itself, Romans chapter 8, Humility by C.J. Mahaney, Real Christianity by William Wilberforce. Matthew Henry and John Gill are Bible commentaries that I turn to often.

“… if we are to make progress and restraining pride and manifesting humility, there must be purposeful application of truth and effort and pursuit on our part that God will use for sanctifying transformation in our lives”. Humility by CJ Mahaney pg 64

“Seek to be useful. Avoid idleness. Never settle for what you have already accomplished. Keep striving to be and do all you can. Run the race that has been set before you.” Real Christianity by William Wilberforce.

“Jesus is the paradigm of spiritual progress; not a self-aggrandizing struggle for supremacy, but a deep love for God and neighbor shown in deeds of service” ESV Bible study notes on Philippians 2:3-8

“ PRAY- if you have time to think or complain about something you have time to pray about it.” Sermon from 1/5/2025 Kevin Lorrow, Youth Pastor, Cuyahoga Valley Church, Brunswick Campus

“… she told anyone who would listen that there was no pit so deep the love of God is not deeper still.” From intro to I stand at the door and knock, by Corrie Ten Boom.

“Did you think you were cast off? Why do you think so evil of the Lord who has betrothed you to himself? Cast off such thoughts and never let them lodge in your soul again.” Spurgeon

“Our legacy is being written today, by our very thoughts and attitudes. We need to confront our own self-centeredness.” From Sermon 1/26/2025 Josh Hamm, Campus Pastor, Cuyahoga Valley Church, Brunswick Campus, ‘Living Beyond Yourself’ II Kings 20

“An authentic faith requires an honesty of mind, the consistent use of the means of knowledge and instruction, the humility that fosters a desire to be instructed, and an unprejudiced conclusion about what this inquiry reveals. If we approach the study of the Bible, this way, God fulfills his promise. If we seek and keep on seeking, we will find; if we ask and keep on asking, we will receive if we knock and keep on knocking, the door to truth will be opened, how can we refuse an offer like this?” Real Christianity, page 25

“When we come to grips with the true state of our condition, we are ready to fully appreciate what God has done to rescue us from ourselves.” Real Christianity, page 36

“When you put it together, it looks like this: our natural condition is weak and fallen, and our temptations are numerous; God is infinitely holy, yet he offers forgiveness, grace, and enabling power to those who get honest with him and are willing to repent.” Real Christianity, page 39

“God desires, that we relate to him with love, warmth, tenderness, and zeal” Real Christianity, page 48

“Jesus is not some remote abstract concept. He is a person. He is not ‘out there’ somewhere. It is a thin veil that separates us from him. He is present.” Real Christianity, page 53

“…live as meek servants of the true King, whose sovereign plan is for our eternal joy and peace.” From Exalting Christ in Isaiah, page 99, (re: Isaiah ch. 14-18)

“Through the suffering, servant king, God creates a covenant family of all nations who are awaiting the hope of God’s justice for a renewed creation, where God’s kingdom finally comes here on earth as it is in heaven” from the Bible Project Video on Isaiah

“His ineffable grace makes human wreckage beautiful and serviceable.” Moody Bible Commentary on Rahab page 307

“But he who is noble plans noble things, and on noble things he stands.” Isaiah‬ 32‬:8‬ ESV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

“Am I valuable enough to work on what all is still not functioning in my life to full capacity?”- Jim Rohn

“For those who would learn God’s ways, humility is the first thing, humility is the second thing, humility is the third thing.” Augustine

“If you believe he is who he says, he is the son of a man with authority to forgive, to heal, and to restore-then you will keep coming, keep praying, keep trusting, and keep carrying others to him.” Pastor Joe Valenti, Cuyahoga Valley Church, Broadview Campus, sermon 10/19/2025 on Mark 2:1-12

January 7, 2026
From Heaven’s Heart

Comparing Hell’s Heart to Heaven’s Heart

Herman Melville wrote a classic novel Moby Dick about Captain Ahab who was grievously injured by the white whale and then devotes the rest of his life in revenge and spite to slay the whale despite what it might cost him and those around him. In contrast, I wanted to write about the love of Jesus who devoted all of his life to save us. On the left are the last words of Ahab as he dies in his revenge.
Towards thee I roll, thou all-destroying but unconquering whale; to the last I grapple with thee; from hell’s heart I stab at thee; for hate’s sake I spit my last breath at thee. Sink all coffins and all hearses to one common pool! and since neither can be mine, let me then tow to pieces, while still chasing thee, though tied to thee, thou damned whale! Thus, I give up the spear!
From Herman Melville’s Moby Dick Ahab speaking as he dies trying to get his revenge on the whale who injured him.

From Heaven’s Heart

A poem by Dean Jeris

Towards thee I come with a heart full of grace and mercy.
To you who are my beloved children, lost and wandering, looking for me.
For love’s sake I freely give my last breath and last drop of blood for thee.
From Heaven’s heart I die in love for you to set you free.
Break free of every chain!
Rise up out of every grave!
Walk away from death in new life and joy that I bring!
Now, all of heaven is yours to be with your brothers and sisters.
Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

November 11, 2025