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There are currently three novels in the Journey series:
1st - Journey of the Heart,
2nd - Abigail's Journey,
3rd - Terry's Journey (Terry
is a work in progress. A new chapter will be added on the 15th of EVERY month.)
Please read
this for more information on this series.
Chapter One
A New Journey Begins
"All thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace
of thy children."
~ Isaiah 54:13 ~
 leven
years after John and Izumi Johanneses' journey of the heart, their daughter, Abigail,
was now poised to set off on a journey of her own. At eighteen, Abigail was the image
of her mother. She had Izumi's deep blue eyes and raven black hair. However, unlike
Izumi, Abigail had a loving and secure childhood, so her temperament was considerably
more confident than her mother's ever was. It was proof of the loving atmosphere
that John and Izumi had cultivated in their nineteen years of marriage.
John and Izumi's love for each other, tended by God's loving hand, had only grown
stronger and deeper through the years. Their happily-ever-after love, was playing
out in simple, everyday life, proving that romance doesn't end after the "I
do's"; when two people become one, it's only the beginning of the story-- not
the end.
"John!" laughed Izumi, running from the living room, "Stop it!"
John chased his wife into the kitchen and caught her by the waist. From her bedroom,
Abigail could hear the playful laughter coming from the kitchen. The teenager rolled
her eyes. When were her parents going to act like adults?
Abigail's graduation had just taken place a week earlier. Both parents had proudly
attended the ceremony, each taking enough photographs and video footage of her graduation
to embarrass even the most devoted child. Now that she had completed high school,
her parents expected her to go to a Christian college. Abigail, however, was unsure
if college was in her future. She had long planned to continue her education, but
when it actually came time, Abigail was unsure. Much to the annoyance of John, she
couldn't explain her feelings. Abigail didn't know it, but the Holy Spirit had given
her a small still voice that told her to wait.
 With a sigh, Abigail
tossed her year book into a box, along with the memorabilia her parents had accumulated
of her graduation, and unceremoniously shoved it beneath her bed. She needed to think.
Never one to need an excuse to go fishing, Abigail grabbed her fly rod. After donning
her fishing waistcoast, sunglasses, and favorite green baseball cap, she stepped
outside and walked down to the shoreline, which was less than half a mile from her
front door. A cool lake breeze played in her hair as she took off her sandals and
waded into the fresh water of Three Mile Bay. Even though the constant breezes frequently
played with her fly line, Abigail reminded herself that at least it kept the mosquitos
away. The warm June sun had also enticed others outside to do some fishing-- mostly
tourists who wanted to spend their vacation at one of the largest freshwater bays
in the world.
Abigail loved the waterfront house that her great grandparents had left her mother,
and she loved Three Mile Bay, in Upstate New York. But, most of all, she loved to
fly fish! She could often be found on the beach, standing knee deep in water, her
fly rod in one hand, her slack line in the other, all the while her lips moving to
the music her iPod afforded. To Abigail, this was the closest thing to heaven on
earth.
While John's ancestors had been boat builders and fishermen by trade, the fishing
gene had bypassed him altogether, and gone straight to his daughter. Izumi could
not understand the attraction her only child had to the pastime, but like a good
mother, she was happy that Abigail was happy.
The fishing gene in Abigail had had some help, however, in the form of Terry Davis,
John's long time friend and Abigail's unofficial uncle. Terry had taught her the
basics of fly fishing, and had instilled in her a healthy respect for the rugged
beauty of her surroundings.
"God's creation is a wonderful thing, Abby," Terry would often say. "Just
think, He only took six days to create all this!"
While Abigail's interest had made her popular with the boys, most girls her own age
had a difficult time relating to a girl who could talk for hours on end about fly
lures. Because of this, Abigail's closest female friend was her own mother.
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