Yield Not

This past week as I have somewhat followed the court case of Caleb Flynn I have felt a range of emotions from disbelief through to disgust and even almost-fear. For those who don't know (and DH is one of them because he avoids social media), Ashley Flynn went to sleep in the marital bed on the night of February 16, 2026 and never woke up. Her husband supposedly discovered her with two gunshot wounds to the head and claimed it was the work of an intruder. Three days later he was arrested for the murder of his wife and it quickly came to light that he was having an affair with worship leader Alleigha Botner from his church and who was almost half his age. Police have recovered over 107,000 text messages that they sent each other over a twelve to eighteen month period, which amounts to something like 300 messages a day. 

Church. Worship. Adultery. Lies. Secrets. Murder. 

If this has overtones of David and Bathsheba that's because there are some similarities. But there are also some critical differences. I want to examine them briefly perhaps as a means of being able to make sense of all of this.

Firstly, King David lusted after a woman who was off limits, just as it appears Flynn did. Flynn was a married man and despite any attraction he may have felt for Botner she was, and should have always remained so, out of his reach.

Secondly, King David wasn't where he was meant to be or doing what he should have been doing. He was at home at a time when kings usually went to war. He saw Bathsheba bathing and sent for her. There were any number of moments he could have prevented falling into sin. Turned from the temptation. Not acted on those thoughts or feelings. Flynn was a married man who apparently sent text messages to a single woman to whom he was attracted. At any point he could have stopped - either one of them could have. Botner could have ignored the messages. She could have gone to her pastor if Flynn refused to take no for an answer and while there may have been recriminations for one or both of them, surely that would have been better than the situation they find themselves in now?

Thirdly, King David tried to cover up his sin. According to court reports, Flynn and Botner were careful to keep their affair concealed. When Ashley reportedly saw messages on her husband's phone and asked Botner to meet with her, Botner was "too busy". Was "busy" a euphemism for guilty, I wonder?

Lastly, King David had Bathsheba's husband, Uriah, killed. While Flynn has not yet been found guilty of his wife's murder, he is standing trial for it.

However, there is one critical difference. When the prophet Nathan confronted King David with his sin, he repented. He still had to suffer the consequences of that sin (the loss of the son born as a result of their sin) but he repented and turned back to God. Only God knows the hearts of those involved in this court case and whether they have repented but to date Flynn is still maintaining his innocence. And that's something for the courts to decide.

Meanwhile, a woman is dead, her children motherless, and a family is hurting. Day after day her parents and sister and brother-in-law have to sit and listen to evidence that must continually open their wounds.

But as disturbing as all this has been to read, there's another question that haunts me: why are we seeing more and more news stories of a similar nature? Pastors, singers, authors, apologists, leaders, teachers who all claim the name of Jesus acting in such a way that even the world points a finger at us.

It seems that we've dropped our guard. Perhaps it's a natural outgrowth of having it too easy. Of always being able to satisfy our desires. In the western world at least, we lack for nothing. Freedom, food, entertainment, pleasures are all there for the asking. Our grandparents may have had a want-not-waste-not mentality, they may have chosen to save for something, but in our day of instant credit, purchasing at the click of a button, we've become used to having what we want when we want it. And I can't help but wonder if that's rolled over into our moral arena as well. We've never been deprived of even the smallest thing, that we have not learnt to say no.

There are multiple reminders in Scripture that Satan wishes to destroy and the necessity for us to be on our guard. In the Lord's Prayer where Jesus famously taught His disciples how to pray, He says, "And lead us not into temptation". He knew temptation would come and that we would need to resist it, and yet we seem to have forgotten that.

We fail to put boundaries up to keep ourselves and our marriages safe.

We walk into situations where we are tempted rather than turn aside.

We think we can handle it only to discover that we keep getting deeper and deeper into sin.

We rely on our own power rather than on the Spirit's power.

We turn our noses up at the idea of being set apart because we want to be accepted.

We dabble with sin and are so blind that we fail to recognise the chains that bind us.

As Christians, as the Church, as the Bride of Christ, we need to do better.

Open our Bibles. 

Rely on the Spirit. 

Recognise our weakness. 

And our enemy.

And never ever think we are above sin.

In 1868 H. R. Palmer penned the following hymn ...

1. Yield not to temptation,

for yielding is sin.

Each vict'ry will help you

some other to win.

Fight valiantly onward;

dark passions subdue.

Look ever to Jesus;

He'll carry you through.

Refrain: Ask the Saviour to help you,

comfort, strengthen, and keep you.

He is willing to aid you;

He will carry you through.

2. Shun evil companions;

bad language disdain.

God's name hold in rev'rence,

nor take it in vain.

Be thoughtful and earnest,

kind-hearted and true.

Look ever to Jesus;

He'll carry you through.

3. To him that o'ercometh

God giveth a crown.

Through faith we will conquer,

though often cast down.

He who is our Saviour

our strength will renew.

Look ever to Jesus,

He'll carry you through. 

Family Tree

In my first novel, Katie is wrongly accused of a crime and sentenced to seven years transportation to Australia. Over the years readers have asked me if there are any convicts in my ancestry and I've always answered, "I don't know."

Well, now I do.

This month our church's fellowship lunch had a missions focus and DH and I decided we would provide food from Ireland. In the past we have done the Shetland Isles, and Wales, places from which his ancestors emigrated, and I figured it was time that we did a country from my side.

However, the Irish connection has always been a little vague since details of my maternal grandfather's heritage have always been rather sketchy. Whether this was because his mother died when he was eighteen and a lot of that information was never handed down, or whether it was because his father had little time for worrying about those who had already died when his focus was on providing for the living, or whether for some other reason, even my own mother was not aware of how she was related to several individuals in our community and even in our church. Just that she was related. Somehow.

My previous foray into researching my family tree had turned up some links to individuals born in Ireland and I thought that was as much as I was going to discover. But then, only last night, as I was looking again at my family tree I noticed that a distant relative had been born in Australia prior to 1800 and I commented to DH that it was likely that his parents had been convicts or else his father a soldier. DH and I then proceeded to search and within minutes we were astonished at what we learnt. 

In 1791 John Tucker Snr (my great-great-great-great-great-grandfather) was accused of stealing almost five hundred yards of linen. Although he tried to protect his step-mother, she was accused of receiving stolen goods and both were sentenced to transportation to New South Wales, Australia. He arrived as part of the Third Fleet in 1791. 

In 1794 he married Ann (Heratage) Vales/Viles who had also been transported for receiving stolen goods from her then husband. Her husband and two daughters appear to have died on route to Australia or shortly thereafter.

John and Ann had two children, John Jnr and Charlotte. When John Snr moved to Newcastle to the closed penal colony (even free persons needed permission to enter or leave the town) to take up a position as the first storekeeper his children were the first colonial-born children in Newcastle. He held this position on and off for several years.

In 1812 John Snr began to farm land on the Paterson Plains where his son had been working as a sawyer (cutting cedar logs to fulfil government orders). It has been suggested that land was not granted to his son either because of his youthful age or because of an earlier indiscretion (he had tried to leave Newcastle without permission). John Jnr's first wife drowned only days after their wedding, and his second wife was a convict who had worked as a nurse and absented herself without permission and was consequently sent to Newcastle (as a secondary penal colony and a closed one at that, it was far harder to escape from Newcastle than Sydney).

So, it would appear that there are at least three convicts in the family tree on my maternal grandfather's father's side from whom I am directly descended. Since we know that there are also some Irish connections on my maternal grandfather's mother's side as well as on my maternal grandmother's side (as well as a lot of individuals whose parentage/heritage is at this stage still unknown), it's possible that a few more convicts may come to light. However, I have a vague recollection of one or more of these Irish relatives being granted assisted immigration which possibly means that they had a relative who had earlier been transported to the colony, or else they decided to take up the government's offer of assisted passage and hopefully make a new life for themselves in a distant land.

Only more research will reveal the truth. Meanwhile, I feel that I must apologise to each of my daughters-in-law who unknowingly married into the family unaware of its criminal history.

For a sneak preview of the farm that my ancestors originally settled and which is now a wedding venue go here. According to their website, Albion Farm was the first land settled in the Hunter Valley and is the oldest, continuously farmed land in Australia (some sources say outside of the Sydney basin, others omit this, but either is impressive).

For a slightly more in depth look at the history of John Tucker senior and Junior go here.

And to purchase any of my books, go here.

Resurrection

1 Corinthians 6:14

And God hath raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power.

One year ago today we stood by a grave and farewelled a beloved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. That year appears to have gone quickly, and yet we still find ourselves half-expecting to see her in her usual place at family gatherings or hear her voice as she shares stories and enjoys the antics of the younger generation. Although we miss her and at times still shed a tear, we do not grieve without hope.

1 Thessalonians 4:14

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

Today, we remember that two thousand years ago Jesus Christ rose from the dead. In a few hours (that will seem longer than usual due to Daylight Saving having ended during the night and little ones being awake earlier than usual) we will go to church and sing the wondrous story that our Saviour lives.

The world may scoff and accuse us of believing in a fairy tale, but those of us who trust Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins, know it to be true.

Romans 6:34

Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

Crucifixion was a cruel death and the Romans knew how to carry it out with exactness. If they said he was dead, then they ought to know. It is not something in which they would be mistaken.

Mark 15:44

And Pilate marvelled if he were already dead: and calling unto him the centurion, he asked him whether he had been any while dead.

Jesus was buried. He was laid in a tomb which was covered by a stone, sealed and guards posted. Even if somehow the Romans had been mistaken, lying in a cold tomb, alone, with no medical help, he wasn't likely to recover from the wounds sustained in order to move the stone away while inside the tomb and then overpower the guards on watch.

Matthew 27:66

So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.

He was seen by multiple witnesses, not the least, women, who were considered next to no witness at all. 

John 20:20

The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone take away from the sepulchre.

His disciples, who had fled at the first sign of trouble, after his death went out into the world boldly proclaiming the Gospel, facing persecution and the threat of death.

1 Peter 1:3

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Finally, my heart tells me it is true.

Job 19:25-27

For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God.

Faithfulness

As I look back over 2025 one theme reoccurs again and again and that is that God is faithful. 2025 was a year of blessing ...

We were able to celebrate my mother's 80th birthday with her. 

I caught up with two of my closest friends whom I rarely see.

We saw our two eldest granddaughters baptised.

We've watched family members grow.

We employed another Christian teacher at work.

Our needs were fully met.

Our car continues to go (and now has air-conditioning again).

DH got a good report after surgery.

Our dog is still with us despite several times giving us cause to think this might be goodbye.

But it was also a year of trial ...

We lost DH's mother.

Then not so long after, my sister's husband passed away.

And then my aunt's husband. 

DH had surgery.

DH is still experiencing side effects from that surgery (even ones that should have resolved by now).

And yet we can say with confidence, that God is faithful. He was with us every step of the way. In the good times and in the bad. It was often during those difficult times that we realised His faithfulness. That He was ever-present.

As we look towards 2026, we know that we have much for which to be thankful. But there will also be changes.

DH is looking at retiring.

This month we will celebrate 42 years of marriage.

We are excitedly looking forward to Son#5 and his family visiting (but not to the goodbye at the end).

We don't know what the future holds, but we know the One who holds the future. Happy New Year!

Emmanuel

Behold, a virgin, shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call His name Emmanual.

Isaiah 7:14

Emmanuel, God with us, in our human nature, in our suffering, in our work, in our punishment, in our grace - and now with us, or rather we with Him, in resurrection, ascension, triumph, and in His glorious return.

(Taken from Spurgeon's Morning and Evening.)

The kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared. - Titus 3:4

I have loved thee with an everlasting love.

In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

When the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. - The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father) full of grace and truth. - Great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh.

As the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.

Jeremiah 31:3, 1 John 4:9-10, Galatians 4:4-5, John 1:14, 1 Timothy 3:16, Hebrews 2:14

(Taken from Daily Light on the Daily Path, Morning devotion for December 25.)

Ready for Christmas

Arriving at Son#4 and DIL#4's home on Saturday to celebrate The Most Adorable Granddaughter#11's first birthday we were greeted by The Most Charming Grandson#3 who proudly informed us, "We're ready for Christmas."

At three he understands so much now, and, truth be told, Christmas last year was a little overshadowed by moving back into a newly renovated house and a baby who decided to go past her due date before arriving three days before Christmas! So this year, the excitement of bringing a tree home and decorating it certainly made an impact.

But his comment made me wonder: How ready am I for Christmas?

True, we have no tree this year, since I was not up to dragging in either our driftwood tree or a real tree while DH was still in recovery mode, but I have still placed the majority of our decorations around the house and I believe the house looks quite festive.

We've also baked up a storm with our traditional Christmas pudding, two Christmas cakes, and four batches of Christmas Mazurka. And while I've been rather lax when it comes to Christmas gift shopping, and I'm not likely to get through all my Christmas cleaning, there's been no shortage of Christmas carols blaring forth. So, hopefully, unless you happen to be our neighbours, there shouldn't be too many complaints when Christmas rolls around.

Except, again, that question: How prepared am I for Christmas?

Not the gifts. Or the turkey. Or the pavlova or desserts. Or even the salads. (I've just realised how much I still have to do!)

But the readiness to celebrate and worship the Saviour this year. 

To take a moment to reflect on the sheer wonder of God as a babe in a manger.

To remember the Messiah - who is also our Redeemer and Lord.

To comprehend a little more the great love that God would send His Son to earth.

To savour the wonderful incredible truth of Emmanuel - God with us.

Because all else is unimportant - superficial - if we aren't prepared for the King of Kings.

Awkward

 

Recently my editor asked for photos of me with my books showing how excited and pleased I was [am] with the finished product. She suggested a number of ideas that could work but the idea was that they did not look staged.

There were two problems. Unstaged I cannot do as I am extremely embarrassed in front of a camera. I blame my maternal grandmother for this as she would always hide her face whenever a camera came out. She passed away over thirty years ago and I have very few photos of her facing the camera. I don't understand as she was a wonderful person, always dressed beautifully and looked younger than her age.

The other problem was that the books arrived several months ago. That is, the second book in the series arrived sometime back in February or March. The first book is much older than that.

It took two different attempts (if you look closely you'll notice that the footwear and the jewellery differ - the necklace was deliberate but the other wasn't) but eventually we found some that weren't super cringe-worthy. They're bad ... but [perhaps] not that bad.

My grandmother taught me a lesson by avoiding the camera. I am trying to learn to allow myself to be photographed even when I feel that I don't look my best ... even when I think I look old in photos ... even when my weight is not where I want it to be ... because I hope that one day my grandchildren will remember me with as much love and fondness as I do my grandmother, and I don't want them only to have a collection of photos where I'm hiding my face.

However, if this is the best that they end up with, they might prefer to keep them hidden from view!

By the way, apparently my older granddaughters enjoyed my latest books but think it's weird that Nana writes romance. Awkward.