The Heart of a Warrior

Michelle Mueller

Description

Jake and Dillon are best friends and star athletes on the Warriors basketball team. Their lives are turned upside down by a false accusation and an act of desperation. Marion and the Halo Kids are sent by God to restore hope and bring justice while a spiritual battle is fought for one boy’s soul.

Sujets

• Mueller
• Michelle
• Müller
• Fiction

Informations

• Publié par: Xlibris US
• Date de parution: 20 mars 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781669866121
• Langue: English

Extrait

The Halo Kids
 
The Heart of a Warrior
 
Book II
 
 
 
 
Michelle Mueller
 
 
Copyright © 2023 by Michelle Mueller.
 

Library of Congress Control Number:
2023904329
ISBN:
Hardcover
978-1-6698-6614-5

Softcover
978-1-6698-6613-8

eBook
978-1-6698-6612-1
 
 
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
 
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
 
All scripture is taken from The Holy Bible (NIV; NKJV)
 
NIV
Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. [Biblica]
 
NKJV
Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
 
Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.
 
 
 
Rev. date: 03/20/2023
 
 
 
Xlibris
844-714-8691
www.Xlibris.com
851055
CONTENTS
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
DEDICATION
This book is dedicated to my husband, Jim. You are a true warrior and a great coach. I couldn’t have written these basketball scenes without you. Thanks for all your help. I love you! I would also like to dedicate this book to my granddaughter, Jordan, who was instrumental in naming the characters and the locations for this book, as well as providing descriptions of our characters. Thank you! May God continue to bless your writing and all that you do for Him. I love you!
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
T HANK YOU, FATHER God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit for helping me write this book. I could not have done this without you. With you, all things are possible.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
“ Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”
~1Peter 4:8 NIV
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
“A warrior’s strength is measured by the size of his heart. He shows love, honor, and respect. He will stand and fight in the face of adversity for the ones he loves. He will be their voice. He will be their shield. He leads by example, always remembering who he is.”
~Author Unknown
CHAPTER 1
B AREFOOT, DANTE BENT over to examine the stones along the lakeshore. As he did, his halo slipped a little to the right but he ignored it. His blue eyes were focused intently on the task at hand. The sun shone brightly on his unruly copper hair. An untamed lock fell on his forehead as he picked up a smooth, round stone.
Beside him, Nova, also barefoot, stooped down and picked up a stone. Springing to her feet, her little blonde pigtails bobbed beneath her halo as she held it out to Dante.
“How about this one?” asked Nova, her blue eyes dancing with excitement.
Dante leaned over and peered at the stone in the palm of the little angel’s hand. “That’s a good one, Nova. Let’s give it a try.” They walked to the edge of the lake, the pockets of their white robes full of stones.
“You first,” said Nova, looking up at Dante. Nova was only seven years old in angel years. Dante, who was four years older than her, knew a whole lot more about skipping stones than she did.
“Okay,” said Dante. He reached in his pocket and pulled out one of the stones. “Hold it like this, between your fingers, and throw it like this.” They watched as the small stone skipped eight times across the surface of the lake before it plunged into the water.
Nova clapped her hands, jumping up and down. “You did it! You did it!” she exclaimed. “Let me try,” said Nova, holding a small stone between her fingers. She tossed it the way Dante showed her, and the little stone skipped six times across the water. “I did it! I did it!” she exclaimed.
“Good job, Nova,” said Dante, smiling.
Jordan looked up from the book she was reading and smiled at the two little angels. “Good job,” she yelled. She gave them a thumbs up and the Dante and Nova laughed. Leaning back against the tree, she continued to read.
Twelve years old, Jordan was the oldest of the Halo Kids. Tall and pretty, she was Japanese with long, black hair. Jordan was also very smart. She was like a sister to Dante and Nova and the younger angels looked up to her. Jordan wiggled her toes in the cool grass, absently winding one of her braids around her finger as she read.
“What are you reading?” asked Marion, as she spread a red and white checkered table cloth on the grass.
Marion was the younger angels’ mentor. Now that her students had graduated from Angel Academy, they were ready for Heavenly assignments on Earth. God appointed Marion to be their supervisor in Heaven and on Earth. Marion never thought of her position as just a job. She loved the three angels and enjoyed helping them learn and mature. The younger angels adored her. She affectionately called them her Halo Kids. Marion was centuries-old but didn’t look a day over thirty. Tall and slender, she was quite lovely. She was a Greek angel with a smooth, olive complexion and large, expressive brown eyes. Her shoulder-length hair was the color of caramel and layered with gold highlights.
“Psalm 91,” said Jordan, smiling. Closing her Bible, she sat down next to Marion and opened the wicker basket beside them. Jordan placed napkins and paper plates on the table cloth while Marion unwrapped their sandwiches and poured cold drinks.
“Come and get it,” called Marion.
Laughing, Dante and Nova raced over, plopping down next to Marion and Jordan.
“I’m starving,” said Dante, eyeing the food, hungrily.
“You’ve been working very hard skipping stones,” teased Jordan. Nova giggled.
“This looks deli…delisha…” said Nova, flustered.
“Delicious,” said Jordan, affectionately tapping Nova’s nose with her finger.
The little angel giggled. “Delicious,” she repeated, smiling.
“Who wants to pray?” asked Marion.
“I will,” volunteered Dante. They held hands and bowed their heads as Dante prayed. He thanked God for their food and asked the Lord to bless it.
“Amen,” said the angels.
Dante took a bite of his sandwich. “Mmm…mmm…good,” he said, rubbing his belly. Angel food is much different than food on Earth. It’s light as air and full of Heavenly vitamins for angels.
Nova took a sip of her strawberry drink. “Yummy,” she said, nodding her head in approval.
Jordan and Marion took their time eating while they made plans for later that day.
“What’s for dessert?” asked Dante. He had just finished his second sandwich. Dante was having a growth spurt and was always hungry. He had outgrown his last robe and Marion had sewn him a new one just last week. Even his wings were getting bigger.
Marion shook her head, chuckling. “My goodness! How about some cookies?” she asked.
As she reached into the basket, a white dove flew over and perched on the handle of the basket. He was holding a little white scroll in his beak. Marion gently took the scroll from the dove’s beak.
“Thank you, Holy Spirit,” said Marion. The dove cooed and flew away.
Marion opened the scroll gently. The message was penned in gold ink. Marion read the message silently while the Halo Kids leaned forward, expectantly. They knew it was a message from God. When she was through reading the scroll, Marion gently rolled it back up and the little scroll vanished before their eyes.
“What did it say?” asked the Halo Kids, excited.
“God has given you new assignments. Come on, Halo Kids,” said Marion. “It’s time to go.” The angels stood and spread their glorious wings.
“Ready?” asked Marion. The Halo Kids nodded. In the blink of an eye, they vanished.
*     *     *     *     *
 

 
The angels soared down from Heaven through the galaxies. Faster than the speed of light, they flew past millions of stars twinkling brightly. Angels can breathe in outer space so they don’t need oxygen like human astronauts.
“Look! There’s Saturn!” said Jordan, pointing to the ringed planet. With her arms stretched out wide, she twirled around Marion.
“It’s the sixth planet from the sun,” said Dante, as he flew in a loop above them.
“There’s Earth!” said Nova, pointing. She did several cartwheels in space. They looked where she pointed and saw the blue and green planet below them.
“Marion, where are we going?” asked Jordan.
“Santa Fe, New Mexico,” said Marion. “Follow me.” Marion turned and flew west toward Earth. The Halo Kids followed her and they descended into the Earth’s atmosphere.
Flying over the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, Marion and the Halo Kids hovered over Northridge Academy. Tucking their wings in, they spun like white tornados