Along the Way

Teaser Tuesday - Beyond Molasses Creek

2012-01-31T03:58:00.000-07:00

For the miles we've traveled, I have held this package in my hands. I cradle it, unable to open the twine just yet. I am not ready. I will wait for the moment when I can be ready. When the truth of who I am now meets the truth of who I once was. My fingers squeeze and the paper crinkles.

Beyond Molasses Creek
by Nicole Seitz
page 220

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Sweeter Than Birdsong by Rosslyn Elliott

2012-01-30T06:04:00.000-07:00

Music offers Kate sweet refuge from her troubles…but real freedom is sweeter.

In Westerville, Ohio, 1855, Kate Winter’s dreams are almost within reach. As the first woman to graduate from Otterbein College, she’ll be guaranteed her deepest wish: escape from the dark secret haunting her family. But with her mother determined to marry her off to a wealthy man, Kate must face reality. She has to run. Now. And she has the perfect plan. Join the upcoming musical performance--and use it to mask her flight.

Ben Hanby, Otterbein College’s musical genius, sees Kate Winter as an enigmatic creature, notable for her beauty, yet painfully shy. Then he hears her sing—and the glory of her voice moves him as never before. He determines to cast her in his musical and uncover the mystery that is Kate. Still, he must keep his own secret to himself. Not even this intriguing woman can know that his passionate faith is driving him to aid fugitives on the Underground Railroad.

A terrifying accident brings Kate and Ben together, but threatens to shatter both their secrets and their dreams. Kate can no longer deny the need to find her courage—and her voice—if she is to sing a new song for their future.

Sweeter than Birdsong is a stirring novel of hope and faith inspired by real historical people and events.

I read the first book in The Saddler's Legacy titled Fairer than Morning last year and loved it. Needless to say, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read more about the Hanby family. I always find it fascinating to read novels that are inspired by real families, and the Hanby's are still one of the most celebrated families of Westerville, Ohio.

I was immediately drawn into the story of Kate ... her alcoholic and abusive father, her controlling mother, and her rather shallow younger sister. Kate had almost crippling insecurities and yet nothing would hold her back from finding her own freedom and personal happiness, even if it means leaving everything behind.

Ben Hanby was a musical protege at the same college that Kate attended, and their paths would continue to cross both academically and socially in the community. Ben became involved in situations that some would label as heroic, while others would have not hesitate to have him arrested.

Much of this story revolves around the topic of slavery, and the Hanby family was very involved in the Underground Railroad. I especially enjoyed the notes included in the "afterward" which documents the true history of Ben and Kate Hanby.

I highly recommend both books in The Saddler's Legacy series.

Disclosure: Book received through Book Sneeze, in exchange for my honest review.

The Voice New Testament by Ecclesia Bible Society

2012-01-28T16:55:00.000-07:00

The Voice™ Bible translation is a faithful dynamic translation of the Scriptures done as a collage of compelling narratives, poetry, song, truth, and wisdom. The Voice calls the reader to step into the whole story of Scripture and experience the joy and wonder of God’s revelation. Created for and by a church in great transition, The Voice uniquely represents collaboration among scholars, pastors, writers, musicians, poets, and other artists, giving great attention to the beauty of the narrative. The heart of The Voice is retelling the story of the Bible in a form as fluid as modern literary works yet remaining painstakingly true to the original manuscripts. This translation promotes the public reading of longer sections of Scripture—followed by thoughtful engagement with the biblical narrative in its richness and fullness and dramatic flow.

This is an updated and revised version of the New Testament edition, now at an even more affordable price.

Features include:

Italicized information added to help contemporary readers understand what the original readers would have known intuitively
In-text commentary notes include cultural, historical, theological, or devotional thoughts
Screenplay format, ideal for public readings and group studies
Book introductions

The Voice New Testament is a revised version of the Bible stories that we all love. While I still prefer my favourite NIV Bible, I enjoyed reading this new translation.

One of my favourite stories is of when Lazarus was brought back to life in John 11. The in-text or added commentary shows the following:

Once again Jesus amazes everyone around Him. How does He raise Lazarus? What kind of man can speak life into death's darkness? Throughout His time on earth, those around Him are continually surprised by Jesus. He is unique. How does He have power over death? It takes a while, but more and more His followers become convinced this is no ordinary man.

The added text is clearly identified by using visible font differences and dividing lines. The reader can easily differentiate as to what is added text or commentary. I loved the commentary and the great questions asked will definitely inspire group discussion or personal study and reflection.

I found the "screen-play' format very interesting. As the book synopsis describes, this format is ideal for public readings and group studies. The picture below shows the different sections mentioned, click to enlarge photo.

The Voice New Testament is a great translation for new believers. The added text and commentary would be very helpful for learning the context and even history of the stories. Overall, I am very impressed with The Voice, and look forward to reading more as time permits.

Disclosure: New Testament has been provided courtesy of Thomas Nelson and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Thomas Nelson.

Highland Crossings by Laurie Alice Eakes, Pamela Griffin, Jennifer Hudson Taylor, and Gina Welborn

2012-01-28T07:37:00.002-07:00

Head to historic North Carolina where a brooch unites the lives and loves of four women. Dangerous accusations force Seona to leave Scotland with the brooch in tow, but will she find peace before her past is revealed? Years later, Fiona hopes to recover the brooch only to wind up on the whipping block. Can she trust the man who comes to her rescue? Seren sells the brooch to open a confectionery, but will the precious heirloom be lost to a hopeless dream? When the brooch is stolen, can Brynna reclaim it before she loses something even more valuable?

Title: Highland Crossings
Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc.
Pub Date: February 01, 2012
ISBN: 9781616266448

Highland Crossings is a collection of four unique novellas written by four talented authors. Each of the stories has a Scottish connection, and the characters are descendants of the same family.

What draws these stories together is a family heirloom of a priceless brooch that makes its way to America in 1739. There is a gap between each of the subsequent stories of about thirty years.

I love the titles of these stories ... Healer of My Heart by Pamela Griffin, Painted on My Heart by Laurie Alice Eakes, Sugarplum Hearts by Gina Welborn, and Hearts Inheritance by Jennifer Hudson Taylor.

Hard times call for desperate measures. Stowing away on a ship bound for America, desperately seeking the brooch as a good luck charm, keeping secrets of a troubled past, becoming an indentured servant, false accusations of witchcraft, and so much more ... this book is filled with action and drama.

Deep family roots and a faith that sustains through even the most difficult times is the glue that holds this family together over the generations, this is a collection that I really enjoyed.

Disclosure: Ebook received through Net Galley courtesy of Barbour Publishing, Inc., in exchange for my honest review.

Anything by Michael Baron

2012-01-26T18:45:00.004-07:00

Ken and Melissa are at the dawn of a magnificent life together. A passionate romance has led them to the doorstep of marriage. While searching for the perfect wedding present for Melissa, Ken stumbles into a mysterious shop. There, he is given an extraordinary opportunity – to look in on Melissa when she was a girl. Ken has always wished he could have known Melissa from the day she was born and this seems like an incredible blessing. Until he discovers a terrible secret in Melissa's past, one so awful she has found it impossible to mention to him.

Now Ken has another extraordinary opportunity. He can go back in time and change the horrible event that has left an indelible mark on Melissa. He can free her of this burden – but doing so could change things so completely that they might never meet.

Ken has repeatedly told Melissa that he would do anything for her. But would he truly do anything?

Title: Anything
Publisher: The Story Plant
Pub Date: October 18, 2011
ISBN: 9781611880212

Would we be willing to do "anything" for the ones we love? This story by Michael Baron takes that question to a whole different level.

Just days before their wedding, Ken has the bizarre opportunity to travel back in time and see what Melissa's childhood was like. What he witnessed was so terrible that he chose to go back a second time and change her history. Little did he realize that this choice would alter their very lives, and in fact their entire future.

While the story of time travel and altering history is far fetched, there is a much deeper underlying question that we could ask ourselves. How much would we truly be willing to sacrifice for others? Would we be willing to gamble our own future and happiness to ensure that someone we love is spared from difficult times?

This is a great book that captured my attention from the very first, and I will definitely be checking out other novels by Michael Baron.

Disclosure: Ebook received through Net Galley courtesy of The Story Plant, in exchange for my honest review.

Mornings with Jesus 2012 by Tricia Goyer, Judy Baer, Camy Tang, and more (Giveaway)

2012-01-24T17:55:00.003-07:00

"Be still and know that I am God.” is one of the most beautiful verses from the Bible, but it’s not easy to practice in this busy world. Mornings with Jesus will help you do just that—“be still” in Jesus’ beautiful and powerful presence.

For those who are seeking a deeper experience in their relationship with Christ, Mornings with Jesus offers a fresh perspective of who Jesus is (the Healer, the Son of God, the Comforter, the Good Shepherd) and what that means for day-to-day life.

With a warm and friendly voice, 365 short devotional writings on the character and teachings of Jesus encourage readers to greet each day by drawing near to Him and inviting His presence into their day.

Spend time with Jesus at the beginning of each day and experience His nearness and peace in a new way throughout the year.

Each day’s selection includes:

a Bible verse
an entry based on Jesus: His words, miracles, and parables; His wisdom, compassion, and comfort; His mystery, power, divinity, and humanity
a “faith step” that will inspire and challenge readers to apply the day’s message to their lives.

I will be posting my review of this book on February 20th, check back then for my thoughts.

Thanks to Litfuse Publicity Group and Guideposts, one reader of this blog will win a copy of Mornings with Jesus 2012.

For one entry, leave your email address.
For a second entry, be a follower of this blog. Leave a separate comment.
Only residents of the U.S. or Canada are eligible to win.
Giveaway ends Wednesday, February 22nd.

Promise Me This by Cathy Gohlke

2012-01-24T17:40:00.000-07:00

Michael Dunnagan was never supposed to sail on the Titanic, nor would he have survived if not for the courage of Owen Allen. Determined to carry out his promise to care for Owen’s relatives in America and his younger sister, Annie, in England, Michael works hard to strengthen the family’s New Jersey garden and landscaping business.

Annie Allen doesn’t care what Michael promised Owen. She only knows that her brother is gone—like their mother and father—and the grief is enough to swallow her whole. As Annie struggles to navigate life without Owen, Michael reaches out to her through letters. In time, as Annie begins to lay aside her anger that Michael lived when Owen did not, a tentative friendship takes root and blossoms into something neither expected. Just as Michael saves enough money to bring Annie to America, WWI erupts in Europe. When Annie’s letters mysteriously stop, Michael risks everything to fulfill his promise—and find the woman he’s grown to love—before she’s lost forever.

Title: Promise Me This
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers
Pub Date: February 01, 2012
ISBN: 9781414353074

Cathy Gohlke has captured the drama, devastation and aftermath of some horrible times in history. Her vivid descriptions of the Titanic, and the story of heroic and sacrificial actions by many key characters in this book made the fatal voyage seem so incredibly real and heart-wrenching, it was almost like being there.

Just when lives were getting back to a somewhat normal state, WW1 rocked the world. Once again, the vivid descriptions from the front lines through the eyes of war time nurses portrays images that thankfully most of us will never have to experience.

The cruelty of one particular woman in this story was very upsetting, and her impact and control over so many lives made me angry. It is hard to imagine what would make someone so evil and vindictive.

This book had me mesmerized right from the start, and is definitely a story that will stay with me for a long time. As the quote on the top of my blog says, it is not about the number of books that we can get through, but rather about the number of books that can get through to us. This story really got through to me.

Disclosure: Ebook received through Net Galley courtesy of Tyndale House Publishers, in exchange for my honest review.

Teaser Tuesday - Promise Me This

2012-01-23T19:51:00.000-07:00

It was a lie, Annie knew. Things would never be all right. But just for a minute, for a few minutes, until she could catch her breath, Annie resolved that she would believe the laughing, tearful woman with the strong arms and the resolute voice.

Promise Me This
by Cathy Gohlke
Kindle location 40%

Lost and Found by Ginny L. Yttrup

2012-01-23T06:00:00.004-07:00

It appears Jenna Bouvier is losing everything: beauty, family, and wealth. When her controlling and emotionally abusive mother-in-law accuses Jenna of an affair with her spiritual director and threatens to expose them, Jenna also risks losing her reputation as a woman of faith. Will she capitulate to her mother-in-law's wishes again or fight for what she holds dear? As Jenna loses her life, will she find it?

Andee Bell has found exactly what she wanted: fame, fortune, and respect. There's also a special man in her life-Jenna's brother. Despite her success, a secret quells Andee's contentment. As memories torment, will she find peace in a relationship with God, or will she sabotage herself while also taking down the only person she cares about? As Andee finds her life, will she lose it?

Moving between San Francisco and the Napa Valley, Jenna and Andee form an unlikely relationship that leads them to a crossroad. They can follow familiar inclinations, or risk it all and walk in faith.

Title: Lost and Found
Publisher: B&H Publishing Group
Pub Date: February 15, 2012
ISBN: 9781433671715

Ginny L. Yttrup is an accomplished freelance writer, speaker, and life coach who also ministers to women wounded by sexual trauma. She has two grown sons and lives in California.

Ginny L. Yttrup is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors, and Lost and Found is another exceptional novel!

Jenna Bouvier is a young woman intimidated and controlled by her abusive mother-in-law who has a very selfish agenda. Jenna is constantly told what to do, what to think, and how to act. Mrs. Bouvier senior demands total control over her son Gerard and her daughter-in-law.

Searching for an outlet for her personal thoughts and her faith, Jenna begins anonymously blogging about her life and her faith. She soon finds a substantial number of followers who eagerly look for more blog updates. One of her regular blog visitors is someone Jenna knows personally, and she does what she can to protect her friend's trust and respect, while at the same time keeping her own identity hidden.

Through some drastic changes that happen in the family, Jenna finds herself even more under the control of her mother-in-law and she has to make some life-changing choices or lose everything that she holds dear.

If you haven't read any books by Ginny L. Yttrup, check them out. You won't regret it.

Disclosure: Ebook received through Net Galley courtesy of B&H Publishing Group, in exchange for my honest review.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Find Your Happiness

2012-01-23T05:45:00.003-07:00

101 Stories about Finding Your Purpose, Passion, and Joy

Others share how they found their passion, purpose, and joy in life in these 101 personal and exciting stories that are sure to encourage readers to find their own happiness. Stories in this collection will inspire readers to pursue their dreams, find their passion and seek joy in their life. This book continues Chicken Soup for the Soul's focus on inspiration and hope, reminding readers that they can find their own happiness.

Once again, I have thoroughly enjoyed this brand new Chicken Soup for the Soul book. This one is all about finding your happiness. Here are the main sections, each one including about ten individual stories written by a variety of authors:

Counting My Blessings
Back to Basics
Finding My Passion
Attitude Adjustments
Overcoming Adversity
The Joy of Giving
Finding My Purpose
Simple Pleasures
Making the Best of It
Jumping Off the Hamster Wheel

It is difficult writing a review of a book that has such a varied selection of topics and different authors. However, this one is a definite keeper. It is totally inspirational, and packed full of great ideas to help us focus on the positive things in life, making the best of what we have. Sometimes all we really need is to hear that others have experienced the same things, and have been able to rise above their circumstances and truly find happiness.

One of my favourites from this book is titled "What If You Won the Lottery?" In this story, the author was questioned by her brother as to what she would do first if she won the lottery. Without hesitation, she said she would move to Italy. Her brother then encouraged her to follow her dream immediately, and he helped her to focus on whatever was holding her back. A great story that shows how anything really is possible!

Disclosure: Book received courtesy of Shelton Interactive/Chicken Soup for the Soul, in exchange for my honest review.

How to Be a Best Friend Forever by Dr. John Townsend (Review and Giveaway)

2012-01-22T06:00:00.007-07:00

The best-selling author of Boundaries (over 2 million copies sold) helps readers break through relationship barriers and reveals the eight vital skills necessary for building long-term, rewarding friendships. Includes study guide for individuals and groups.

Our world has diluted the meaning of friendship, but the reality is, there’s nothing like the sustaining strength of true-blue, forever friends. Still, many people are convinced that they’ll never find such lifelong connections—or that they don’t need them.

In this encouraging book, best-selling author and psychologist John Townsend delivers hope and help for making these relationships a reality—and for making them even better if you’ve already got a “bestie.” His eight principles for building the very best kind of friendship, along with his shared experiences within his own friendships (including mistakes he’s made), will move every reader to aspire to deeper connections and to stay the course when challenges arise. Townsend’s simple but profound concepts are sure to transform readers’ relationships and keep them from missing out on one of life’s greatest and most essential joys: the joy of having a best friend.

Five Best Friendship Rules to Live By, adapted from "How to Be a Best Friend Forever" by Dr. John Townsend

Is there room for more than one BFF in your life?

While some people prefer to have a #1 friend, Dr. Townsend says we need more than one best friend because each person brings a certain set of qualities to a relationship. Variety is the spice of life and BF should be a plural term.

What about best friends of the opposite sex?

Dr. Townsend says, exercise caution. Sharing feminine and masculine viewpoints helps balance us, grow us, and make us better people, but close opposite-sex relationships can bring fear and insecurity into our romantic relationships. If that's the case, both people should spend time with the BF, so the other person feels safe, loved, and assured that everything is on the up and up.

What if your spouse or your sister is your BFF?

You might be limiting your own growth because you are operating in a closed system. And if your husband or wife is your best friend, you risk smothering them and your marriage. Dr. Townsend encourages connections outside the comfort zone of family.

Does Facebook make friendships better or worse?

Digital connection is essentially neutral in friendships, but it does have drawbacks. It acts as a magnifying glass, making good friendships seem better and negative issues larger than they are. It also lends to "Instantaneous Dependency," where a person over-relies on external views, too afraid to trust their own.

What if you don't have a BFF?

Look for 3 must-have elements, "the DNA of friendship": knowing, liking, and presence. Knowing allows you to evaluate how deep the relationship will go. Next, are you drawn to each other? Liking serves as an anesthetic to get over rough patches. And third is time spent together. The more time you share, the better the relationship.

Dr. John Townsend is a psychologist, speaker and leadership coach. He has authored or coauthored over 20 books, selling 5 million copies, including the 2 million-unit bestseller Boundaries and Leadership Beyond Reason. He cohosts the nationally syndicated daily radio program NewLifeLive! heard on over 160 markets nationwide, with a listening audience of 3 million. Dr. Townsend and his family live in Southern California.

Day-to-day life so often seems like a fast moving merry-go-round. We do the same things day after day ... working, shopping, running errands, house cleaning, laundry, and then more of the same. When there are so many demands on our time, energy and resources, it is hard to find time for meaningful relationships.

Being passive about friendships will not get us the great connections that being proactive will. Being vulnerable, transparent, honest, and available for each other is what it takes. It is essential to have this type of open relationship in order to begin and maintain long-term and satisfying friendships.

I found this book to be a great resource on how to make and keep lifetime relationships. The section on facebook and online friendships was very enlightening. I especially enjoyed the 40 page study guide at the back of the book. The questions made me take an honest and reflective look at the friendships in my own life. I highly recommend this book!

Disclosure: Book received through PR by the Book/Worthy Publishing, in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to PR by the Book and Worthy Publishing, one reader of this blog will win a copy of How to Be a Best Friend Forever.

For one entry, leave your email address.
For a second entry, be a follower of this blog. Leave a separate comment.
Only residents of the U.S. or Canada are eligible to win.
Giveaway ends Friday, February 3rd.

The Accidental Bride by Denise Hunter

2012-01-21T08:55:00.000-07:00

When a wedding reenactment turns real, Shay finds she’s an accidental bride.

Shay Brandenberger is raising her daughter in Moose Creek, Montana, on her childhood ranch, nestled against the Yellowstone River. Despite the hard work, she can’t seem to keep her head above water—and now the bank is threatening to foreclose. She prays for a miracle, but the answer she receives is anything but expected.

Having agreed to play the bride in the Founders’ Day wedding reenactment, Shay is mortified to be greeted at the end of the aisle by none other than Travis McCoy, her high-school sweetheart—the man who left her high and dry for fame and fortune on the Texas rodeo circuit.

Then the unthinkable happens. Thanks to a well-meaning busybody and an absentminded preacher, the make-believe vows result in a legal marriage. But before Shay can say annulment, Travis comes up with a crazy proposal. If she refuses his offer, she may lose her home. If she accepts, she may lose her heart.

Shay isn’t sure if the recent events are God’s will or just a preacher’s blunder. Will trusting her heart to the man who once shattered it be the worst mistake of her life? Or could their marriage be the best accident that ever happened?

Denise Hunter is the best-selling author of many novels, including The Convenient Groom and Driftwood Lane. She lives in Indiana with her husband Kevin and their three sons. In 1996, Denise began her first book, a Christian romance novel, writing while her children napped. Two years later it was published, and she's been writing ever since. Her books contain a strong romantic element, and her husband Kevin says he provides all her romantic material, but Denise insists a good imagination helps too! Visit her website at www.DeniseHunterBooks.com.

Maybe I have forgotten how much I love stories written about modern day cowboys and cowgirls. It has been quite a while since I have found a book that I have enjoyed as much as The Accidental Bride.

From the front cover and right through to the end, this book is filled with entertaining, amusing and at times heart-wrenching episodes in the life of Shay Brandenberger. She had given up on love, and was determined to somehow raise her daughter and run her family ranch, even though her bills were more than she could handle.

At a community Founders' Day event, Shay is convinced to play the part of the bride in a wedding reenactment, and is horrified when she realizes that the groom is none other than her first love Travis, who had abandoned her at the altar some fourteen years earlier.

When Shay and Travis realize that the make-believe marriage ceremony was actually real, they make a decision that will change their lives forever. They finally have to face how they really feel about each other, and the road is not an easy one.

For a fantastic romance that kept me up way past my bedtime, I highly recommend The Accidental Bride.

Disclosure: Review copy received courtesy of The B&B Media Group, in exchange for my honest review.

Teaser Tuesday - The Accidental Bride

2012-01-16T20:14:00.002-07:00

Blast the man. Her cheeks burned, and she tore her eyes from his. She was a grown woman now, and she'd learned plenty along the way. Such as, a man who broke your heart once will surely break it again.

The Accidental Bride
by Denise Hunter
page 65

Chicken Soup for the Soul: O Canada

2012-01-16T19:03:00.000-07:00

For Canadians and by Canadians, this book will delight and amuse Canadian readers with its 101 new stories about the great northern country. Full of inspirational, amusing, and encouraging stories, this collection will touch the heart of any Canadian readers. Stories include a wide range of topics written by Canadians, from daily life and family to Canadian holidays and history, along with tales from tourists and visitors.

Being a Canadian, there were many stories in this book that had me laughing, nodding in agreement, or simply shaking my head in disbelief. Yes, I have to admit, Canadians can be a rather curious sort, and this book was a real treat to read!

One of the first things that made me laugh was a story titled, "You Might Be Canadian If ...". This is a list of a bunch of things that non-Canadians likely could not relate to, but it is hilarious. Here are some of the questions:

Can you locate Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump on a map?
Do you know what a Double Double is?
Do you have a stash of Canadian Tire money somewhere in your house?
Do you know what a toque is?

There are many stories about why Canadians love the game of hockey so much. From early childhood, most of us have been influenced in some way by the national sport that we are so proud of. Many of these stories could have been written by myself or by the kids I went to school with. I could totally relate!

This book has fascinating, inspirational and sometimes humorous stories about Canadian people, places, and traditions. If you are Canadian, or if you want to find out why Canada is such a great place to call home, check out this great new addition to the Chicken Soup for the Soul collection.

Disclosure: Book received courtesy of Shelton Interactive/Chicken Soup for the Soul, in exchange for my honest review.

The Loom by Shella Gillus

2012-01-15T14:49:00.003-07:00

Lydia was a common slave with a common life until the day she entered a world no slave had gone before. Pale skin and deceit opened the door to wealth and a power she had only dreamed of. But what she didn’t count on was falling in love. What she didn’t realize was life was not always black or white.

Visit the author's website at http://shellagillus.com/

THE LOOM
Paperback: 312 pages
Publisher: Guideposts (December 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0824948165
ISBN-13: 978-0824948160

The Loom is not a light read ... it is filled with the anguish and injustice of slavery and the never-ending hope for freedom and better days.

Lydia (aka Caroline) had spent her entire life as a slave, but she dreams of being free. Her best friend is her master's daughter, and Lydia has even joined her friend on some outings, and successfully pretended that she was white.

After unsuccessfully trying to escape, she realizes that her skin color might provide her only hope to live a somewhat normal life. She chooses to leave the love of her life in exchange for what she thought would make her happy.

What I loved about this story is how Lydia's heart never changed. She remained true to herself, to her family roots, and to her beliefs. Through unbelievably brutal and unfair circumstances, she remained a woman of integrity and honor.

Shella Gillus has written a stunning debut novel, and I highly recommend it!

Disclosure: Review copy received courtesy of Summerside Press, in exchange for my honest review.

The Keeper by Suzanne Woods Fisher

2012-01-14T18:15:00.002-07:00

A family. A farm. A heart. All in need of repair.

Life on Windmill Farm hasn't been the same since Julia Lapp's father has had trouble with his heart. But that doesn't stop Julia from hoping for a bright future. She has planned on marrying Paul Fisher since she was a girl. Now twenty-one, she looks forward to their wedding with giddy anticipation. But when Paul tells her he wants to postpone the wedding--again--she is determined to change his mind. She knows who is to blame for Paul's sudden reluctance to wed: the Bee Man.

Roman Troyer, the Bee Man, travels through the Amish communities of Ohio and Pennsylvania with his hives full of bees, renting them out to farmers in need of pollinators. A mysterious man who relishes his nomadic life, Roman especially enjoys bringing his bees to Stoney Ridge each year. But with Julia seriously at odds with him, Windmill Farm is looking decidedly less appealing.

Can Julia secure the future she's always dreamed of? Or does God have something else in mind?

Suzanne Woods Fisher is the bestselling author of The Choice, The Waiting, The Search, and The Keeper, as well as nonfiction books about the Amish, including Amish Peace. Her interest in the Anabaptist cultures can be directly traced to her grandfather, W. D. Benedict, who was raised in the Old Order German Baptist Brethren Church in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Suzanne is a Christy Award nominee and is the host of an internet radio show called Amish Wisdom and her work has appeared in many magazines. She lives in California.

Suzanne Woods Fisher is off to a fantastic start with her new series called the Stoney Ridge Seasons. The Keeper is the first book in the series, and it revolves around the Lapp family and their Amish community. I have read lots of Amish books recently, and was almost reluctant to begin reading, as so many seem to follow the same predictable pattern. I was pleasantly surprised and thoroughly enjoyed reading this one.

The Lapp family has had more than their fair share of heartache. Julia is the oldest sibling and she tries to keep the farm running, takes care of her ailing father, her younger siblings, and the majority of the household duties as well. What she really wants to do is get married and start a life of her own, but she knows that her first responsibility is taking care of her family.

Roman Troyer is a mysterious man that travels through the country with his ornery mule and a wagonload full of bees used to pollinate fruit trees. He arrives at the Lapp family farm, and something changes in his heart. Roman doesn't talk about his past, and he doesn't want anyone to get too close.

Family loyalty, redeeming hope and unconditional love are the central themes in this story. However, there are other sometimes controversial topics like organ donations and heart transplants. It was very enlightening to look at these topics from an Amish perspective.

The surprise ending caught me totally off guard, and I definitely want to find out what happens in the next book in this series.

Disclosure: Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

The Guardian Duke by Jamie Carie

2012-01-13T21:14:00.002-07:00

The Guardian Duke is award-winning novelist Jamie Carie's most exciting story yet, a uniquely arranged Regency-era romantic adventure where hero and heroine know each other through written letters but have yet to meet.

Gabriel, the Duke of St. Easton, is ordered by the King to take guardianship over Lady Alexandria Featherstone whose parents are presumed dead after failing to return from a high profile treasure hunt. But Alexandria ignores this royal reassignment, believing her parents are still alive and duly following clues that may lead to their whereabouts. Gabriel, pressured by what are actually the King's ulterior motives, pursues her across windswept England and the rolling green hills of Ireland but is always one step behind.

When they do meet, the search for earthly treasure will pale in comparison to what God has planned for both of them.

Title: The Guardian Duke
SubTitle: A Forgotten Castles Novel
Publisher: B&H Publishing Group
Pub Date: February 01, 2012
ISBN: 9781433673221

Jamie Carie is the author of Snow Angel, a ForeWord magazine Romance Book of the Year winner, USA Book News National "Best Books 2007" Awards winner, and 2008 RITA Awards® Best First Book finalist. Her third novel, Wind Dancer, was a 2010 Indiana State Library Best Books of Indiana finalist. She lives with her husband and three children in Indianapolis.

The Guardian Duke, book one in the brand new Forgotten Castle series, is an exciting race from one country to another. Young Alexandria Featherstone is positive that her parents are still alive, even though the King has declared them as dead. The King assigns Duke Gabriel as guardian of Alexandria and her family fortune.

Acquainted only through their letters, it doesn't take long for Alexandria and Gabriel to form a friendship that even they don't understand. Danger is coming at them from all sides, yet Alexandria is willing to risk everything to find out what happened to her parents. I loved how she always kept one step ahead of the Duke.

I actually groaned when I got to the last page of this book, and didn't want it to end yet. Some quick research tells me that book two in this series titled The Forgiven Duke is scheduled for release July 1st.

Trust me, I can't wait to get my hands on book two, and it gives me a little comfort just reading the title ... hmmmm ... The Forgiven Duke. Sigh ...

I highly recommend this one!!

Disclosure: Ebook received through Net Galley, courtesy of B&H Publishing Group, in exchange for my honest review.

Honor Redeemed by Loree Lough

2012-01-13T20:45:00.001-07:00

Honor Mackenzie works hard guarding the dark secrets of her past as she does training Search and Rescue (SAR) dogs. As for reporter Matt Phillips, not even his former SAR work is as important as protecting his twins.

Then a jumbo jet crash puts them face-to-face at the grisly scene--and forces Matt and Honor to reconsider their long-standing "single forever" status. Yet Matt has issues with Honor’s past, and is still struggling with them when he's told Honor has disappeared during a rescue effort.

Matt leads the search team, desperate to find Honor before a blizzard moves in. But even if he does, will they find their way back to each other or go back to living life alone?

Title: Honor Redeemed
SubTitle: First Responders Book #2
Publisher: Abingdon Press
Pub Date: February 01, 2012
ISBN: 9781426713163

Honor Redeemed is book two in the First Responder series, and I highly recommend reading book one, "From Ashes to Honor" first.

When we have been hurt, our natural tendency is to build walls around ourselves and make sure that nobody can get close enough to hurt us again. This is exactly what happens in both books in this series. Honor and Matt have a lot in common, and they are attracted to each other, but they are both scared. Matt's two young boys have figured it out, but it takes a long time for the adults to realize how much they mean to each other.

When Matt learns that Honor is lost in a winter storm in the mountains, he doesn't hesitate to go to her rescue. He is forced to come to terms with his true feelings, and Honor has had lots of time to think about their relationship as she waits to be rescued.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to checking out other books by Loree Lough.

Disclosure: Ebook received through Net Galley, courtesy of Abingdon Press in exchange for my honest review.

Teaser Tuesday - The Keeper

2012-01-09T19:45:00.003-07:00

Mary Kate lifted her tearstained face. She, of all the children, was the most like his Maggie. She would be fine, even if she didn't know it yet. "What does it feel like to die?"

The Keeper
by Suzanne Woods Fisher
page 206

From Across the Ancient Waters by Michael Phillips

2012-01-09T14:01:00.003-07:00

Return to Wales with best-selling author Michael Phillips in his latest historical novel. After being sent to his uncle’s estate, young Percy Drummond has no intention of letting the country atmosphere soften his rebellious ways. Then he meets a village girl Gwyneth Barrie and her friendship changes his life. When Percy later returns, his intriguing friend has grown into a young woman. But by this time, Percy has caught the eye of his beautiful cousin Florilyn . . . who has also become Gwyneth’s friend. What will result of their threefold friendship? And what repercussions will his uncle’s surprising request have for them all?

ISBN-13: 9781616265854
Publisher: Barbour Publishing
Publication date: 2/1/2012
Pages: 480

Michael Phillips has been writing in the Christian marketplace for 30 years. All told, he has written, co-written, and edited some 110 books. Phillips and his wife live in the U.S., and make their second home in Scotland.

If you have never read a novel by Michael Phillips, you are truly missing out. From Across the Ancient Waters is historical fiction of the very best kind, and is the first book in The Green Hills of Snowdonia series.

Percy Drummond arrived in Scotland as a rebellious and angry teenager. A preacher's kid, he wanted nothing to do with the church or the beliefs of his parents. He soon discovers more than he can imagine about himself, about God, and even about his upbringing. What he discovers that first summer away from home will set the course for the rest of his life.

What I love about Michael Phillip's writing is the deep character development. Rich in history, filled with breathtaking imagery and scenery of the hills and mountains in Scotland, I feel like I have been there for an extended vacation. I can imagine riding on horseback, exploring the crystal clear mountain lakes and hidden caverns in the hills, right alongside Percy and his new found friends.

The conclusion of The Green Hills of Snowdonia titled The Treasure of the Celtic Triangle will be published in August 2012, and is at the very top of my summer wishlist.

Disclosure: Ebook received through Net Galley, courtesy of the publisher Barbour Publishing, in exchange for my honest review.

River's Call by Melody Carlson

2012-01-08T12:14:00.007-07:00

What happens when the ties between generations are severed?

Anna Larson's daugher, Lauren, is confused, brokenhearted, and misguided. It's the turbulent 1960s and, feeling alienated from her mother, Lauren chooses to stay with her paternal grandmother. However, repelled by the woman's manipulative and spiteful ways, Lauren returns to her mother, the river, and the Inn at Shining Waters.

But as time passes, Lauren, now a mother to her own defiant teenager, faces a new crisis, one that puts the entire family at risk.

Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of more than 200 books, including Love Finds You in Sisters, Oregon, Limelight, the Diary of a Teenage Girl series, the TrueColors series, and the Carter House Girls series. Nominated for a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award, Melody is also the author of Homeward, which won a Rita Award. Melody and her husband live in central Oregon.

I loved the story of Anna and her family that began in River's Song. River's Call is the continuation of Anna's story. When Anna discovers the love of her life, and they start up a quaint country inn called The Inn at Shining Waters, they really thought their problems were all over.

Anna has finally escaped from a meddling mother-in-law and a daughter who is spoiled rotten, and she finally has a life of her own. When personal problems arise, her daughter doesn't hesitate to bring her problems right to Anna's doorstep. Anna graciously and unconditionally welcomes her with open arms.

Filled with broken hearts, tender moments and struggles through some very hard times, Anna shows her strength and determination to do what is right. Only years later will she see the rewards.

This is another fabulous book by Melody Carlson, and I hope there is another book or two in this series.

Disclosure: Ebook received through Net Galley, courtesy of the publisher Abingdon Press, in exchange for my honest review.

The Gospel Story Bible by Marty Machowski

2012-01-07T17:06:00.005-07:00

Sometimes it’s easy to forget Jesus in the midst of frantic schedules, family squabbles and conflicting priorities. For many Christians, God often becomes little more than an afterthought after days absorbed and depleted by the busyness of life. But the truth is that he is the hero of every story—including the mundane, ordinary ones we experience on a regular basis. That is why Marty Machowski beckons families to take time out from the daily grind to be transformed by the message of the Good News in his latest release, The Gospel Story Bible: Discovering Jesus in the Old and New Testaments (New Growth Press, November 2011).

Based on the ESV Bible, this uniquely illustrated Bible storybook uses 156 stories to present God’s plan of salvation in Christ from its opening narrative in Genesis to its finale in Revelation. This easy-to-read storybook written for children from preschool to high school introduces readers to many captivating people, places and events from the Bible’s Old and New Testaments. At the same time, Machowski skillfully connects the individual stories to the overall gospel narrative of how God redeemed a broken world through sending his son Jesus to save his people. Each story ends by connecting to Jesus and his gospel of grace. By sharing these Bible stories with each other, young and old will learn together the life-changing habit of recognizing the presence and workings of Christ in every moment of their day.

“The gospel is deep enough to keep the oldest and wisest parents learning and growing all their lives, yet simple enough to change the heart of the first grader who has just begun to read,” says Machowski. “That’s what makes The Gospel Story Bible ideal as a storybook for a preschooler, a devotional for a grade school student, a refresher for the adult believer or an introduction for the new one. Parents and children will learn together to read the whole Bible as one story, with one hero—Jesus Christ.”

Vibrant illustrations by A. E. Macha, child-friendly discussion questions and Scripture references accompany each story to help lead families in exploring the Bible. Parents and teachers will be delighted to discover how easily even a young child can understand the original text of a story that he or she has already come to love. A companion to the family devotional Long Story Short: Ten-Minute Devotions to Draw Your Family to God and the soon-to-be-released Gospel Story Sunday school curriculum (February 2012), The Gospel Story Bible is also a great resource for churches, Sunday school classes, home-schoolers and Christian schools who want to teach their children to apply the gospel to every situation and make Jesus the most important part of their everyday lives.

Marty Machowski is a Family Life Pastor at Covenant Fellowship Church, a Sovereign Grace Ministries church in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, where he has served on the pastoral staff for twenty-three years. Marty leads Promise Kingdom, the children’s ministry of Covenant Fellowship. He is also the author of Long Story Short: Ten-Minute Devotions to Draw Your Family to God and the forthcoming Gospel Story Sunday school curriculum. He and his wife Lois and their six children reside in West Chester, Pennsylvania.

The following video is actually for another book written by Marty Machowski titled Long Story Short. I recognized some of the same artwork from The Gospel Story Bible.

As a grandparent, I love discovering books that my grandkids will love. When I find something that appeals to many different age groups, I get really excited. I am certain that this book will be enjoyed by the entire family.

The vibrant colors and drawings will capture the interest of even the youngest listeners, and each story is covered in a two page spread. Each story ends with two or three questions to encourage further discussion.

Covering the most loved and well known stories of both the Old and New Testaments, The Gospel Story Bible is a fantastic way to make family devotions a vital part of your together time.

I was very interested in the Crucifixion story, and here is a quote from the story titled "The Crucifixion & The Criminals", page 230:

Two robbers hung on crosses with Jesus. One believed while the other mocked. The Bible tells us that God's arm is not too short to save anyone (Isaiah 59:1). Even the thief in this story, who led a sinful life all the way to the end, was saved from his sin on his very last day. We all have the same choice to make as these two robbers. We can reject Jesus, like the thief who made fun of him; or we can put our faith in him, like the one who asked Jesus to remember him. If we put our faith in Jesus, no sin is too great to be forgiven. Like the robber who repented, we all start out as God's enemies in our sin. But Jesus' death on the cross brings us back into a good relationship with God (Romans 5:10-11).

I highly recommend this book and can't wait to share my copy with my own grandchildren at the earliest opportunity.

Disclosure: Book received through The B&B Media Group in exchange for my honest review.

One Perfect Day by Lauraine Snelling

2012-01-07T16:11:00.002-07:00

This is the story of two mothers, strangers to one another.

The first has two children--twins, a boy and girl, who are seniors in high school. She wants their last Christmas as a family living in the same home to be perfect, but her husband is delayed returning from a business trip abroad. And then there's an accident--a fatal one involving a drunk driver.

Meanwhile, the other mother has a daughter who needs a new heart, and so the loss of one woman becomes the miracle the other has desperately prayed for. While one mother grieves, and pulls away from her family, the other finds that even miracles aren't always easy to receive.

What a heart-wrenching and yet beautiful story! I laughed, I cried, and felt so much emotion while reading this story. It is hard to imagine the anguish of losing a child to a horrible traffic accident, especially at Christmas time. At the same time, it is difficult to understand how a mother can bear to see her child struggling to stay alive, just waiting for a heart transplant.

This is the story of two mothers, both wanting a future for their children. Even in the loss of her child, the one mother agrees to turn her grief into blessing other families.

I also enjoyed reading about the important role that animals had in both families. It showed the compassion and love that animals have for us, especially when we are hurting. Animals know when we just need a body close by for comfort, and they don't ask for anything in return. I highly recommend this book!

Disclosure: Ebook purchased through Amazon.

The Resolution for Men by Stephen and Alex Kendrick

2012-01-06T22:17:00.003-07:00

“A man cannot be passive about what Scripture tells him to do for his family and expect to be found faithful to God in the end. He must see with spiritual eyes and realize that future generations are directly impacted by his daily decisions.”
—The Resolution for Men

The Resolution for Men is the inspiring book born out of Courageous, a new film by the makers of Fireproof coming to theaters nationwide in fall 2011. The movie, which presents a powerful story of strong male leadership, is an emotionally charged wake-up call to fathers whose influence upon their children and society is immeasurable. The Resolution for Men follows to challenge men of all ages to become as bold and intentional about embracing their responsibilities as leaders of their homes, marriages, and children.

Written by Stephen and Alex Kendrick, screenwriters of Courageous and authors of New York Times No. 1 best seller The Love Dare (five million copies sold), The Resolution for Men strategically inspires men to reconcile with their past, re-engage in the present by taking full responsibility for their wives and children, and then move forward with a bold and clear resolution for the future. Written in partnership with the movie and Priscilla Shirer’s new book, The Resolution for Women, it is designed to inspire a revolution.

Stephen Kendrick is senior associate pastor of preaching and prayer at Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia. He is also a screenwriter and movie producer and co-wrote the New York Times No. 1 best seller, The Love Dare, with his brother, Alex. Stephen and his wife, Jill, have four children.

Alex Kendrick is associate media pastor at Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia, and coauthor of The Love Dare. He helped establish Sherwood Pictures in 2003 and has directed and co-written each of its films: Flywheel, Facing the Giants, and Fireproof, playing the lead male role in those first two productions. Alex has appeared on ABC, CNN, FOX News, American Family Radio, The Glenn Beck Show, Janet Parshall's America, and many other national programs to discuss his award-winning work and ministry. He lives in Albany with his wife and five children.

Randy Alcorn is founder and director of Eternal Perspective Ministries and a best-selling author whose books include Heaven and Safely Home.

This book is the challenging partner of the book Courageous Living and is written directly to the men of the present and the future. Each chapter correctly identifies the problems we as men experience today. The cost we pay individually and collectivly as the result of not taking our place as leaders in our families, our communities and our nation and stand up for the truth and the reality of our faith. When you take up this book and start reading you see a lot of yourself in the problems that surrounds you. This is truly a wake up call for men to take back the position of being a man as specially designed by God. We don't have to listen to the entertainment media that tells us we have to be tolerant wimps by the silly and unreal shows that portray men as weak and passive husbands. We are men and lets take our position seriously and provide the leadership our families so desperately are looking for.

This is a well written book, full of challenges and when we heed the call has so many blessings for us in the end. Who can deny the truth? I can't.

This review was completed by my husband Dick.

Disclosure: Book has been provided courtesy of David C Cook and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from B&H Publishing Group.

The Resolution for Women by Priscilla Shirer

2012-01-06T22:15:00.000-07:00

Written in partnership with Sherwood Pictures' upcoming film, COURAGEOUS, in The Resolution for Women, popular speaker and author Priscilla Shirer challenges all women to be intentional about embracing and thriving in God’s beautiful and eternal calling on their lives.

Like the men in the movie who resolve to fully accept their responsibilities before God, Shirer explains how today's women can and should live out their own resolution. It is "a defining banner that hangs over your life, written in the ink of your own choices." A woman's banner should be an accurate reflection of who she desires to be-someone completely Christ-centered who blesses and changes things in her world for the better.

The Resolution for Women inspires women with intentional, spirit-filled living from three unique angles. Section one, entitled, "This Is Who I Am," helps a woman define herself as "authentically me, purposefully feminine, surprisingly satisfied, and faithfully His." Section two, "This Is What I Have," invites her to value "my best, my blessing, my honor, and my heart." And Section three, "This Is What Matters To Me," focuses on joyfully honoring God as a wife, mother, and family member while resolving to live with the grace that leaves a godly legacy. The Resolution for Women is designed to inspire a revolution.

Priscilla Shirer is a Bible teacher and conference speaker with a Master’s degree in Biblical Studies from Dallas Theological Seminary. She is also the author of popular books including A Jewel in His Crown, He Speaks to Me, Discerning the Voice of God, and One in a Million. The daughter of author Dr. Tony Evans, Priscilla is married to Jerry with whom she founded Going Beyond Ministries. They have three sons and live in Dallas, Texas.

The Resolution for Women is a truly life-changing book that should be required reading for any woman who strives to live a godly life. It is divided into three main sections: This is who I am, This is what I have, and This is what matters to me. Each of the three sections are further divided into smaller segments and each is followed by a personal resolution. At the end of each chapter, the reader is encouraged to examine her life and make a conscious and serious commitment to make positive changes in our lives.

There are thirteen awesome resolutions covered in this book, along with a place to sign and date your intentions. As with any great changes, we tend to take things more seriously if we have signed our name. It would be great to have a friend join in as well, and help each other to be accountable.

I highly recommend this book as well as the entire Courageous series.

Disclosure: Book has been provided courtesy of David C Cook and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from B&H Publishing Group.

Courageous Living by Michael Catt

2012-01-06T22:12:00.001-07:00

In the new film COURAGEOUS (from the makers of Fireproof), four police officers are confident and focused when it comes to facing danger on the job. But leading their families at home in a God-honoring way? That takes courage.

Because it is important to take a faithful, fearless stand in so many areas of life, pastor and COURAGEOUS executive producer Michael Catt offers Courageous Living as a closer look at biblical themes and characters that inspired the greatly anticipated movie.

Catt brings fresh insight to "stories of people in the Bible who displayed great courage when it would have been easier to play it safe... (who) challenge me to keep moving forward. They demand that I examine my priorities and deal with anything that brings fear to my heart."

Readers will catch a new wind of bravery in the bold accounts of Abraham ("The Courage to Get Going"), Nehemiah ("The Courage to Face Criticism"), and Ruth ("The Courage to Face an Uncertain Future"). There are also growth opportunities in the stirring stories of Moses, Elijah, Joshua, Daniel, Gideon, Nehemiah, Stephen, and Paul and Timothy.

Michael Catt has served as senior pastor of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia, since 1989 and is executive producer of the popular Facing the Giants and Fireproof films that originated from the congregation. He is the author of Prepare for Rain, Fireproof Your Life, The Power of Desperation, The Power of Persistence, and The Power of Surrender and is also founder of the ReFRESH™ revival conference. Michael and his wife, Terri, have two children.

Courageous Living by Pastor Michael Catt is about how the Godly people of the bible honored God by the choices they made, and were blessed in their choices with abundance in their lives. It is a book that acts as a mirror and we see our true selves. We call ourselves Christians and fall short of living out our faith in the God of the biblical past and of the present and the future.We fall short in honoring God by the way we treat our wives, treat and teach our children and the lack of compassion, understanding and respect for all our neighbors, that is our friends, our families, and the people we meet along the way. I have also failed in many of my choices and my failure to take a stand for God and my family and the people that matter in my life. Without God in our lives (God is love) we hurt the people in our lives. This book is brutally honest about our short comings and how we can find our way back to the favor of God's blessings for our lives and the ones we love.

Yes I believe that we can change the world, one person at a time, beginning with me.

This is a book anyone should read not only the men, but everyone. It is a must read to live a true Christian life and honor God not only on Sunday, but every day, in how we relate to our families and other people. Jesus said "love God and love your neighbor as yourself", meaning everyone you meet in your life. Leave your easy chair, stand up for your faith, for your wife and children, for your extended family, your friends and for the people that are hurting on the other side of this planet. Through this you show your love for the only God who is real, alive in our lives, and who loves us unconditionally.

This book review was done by my husband Dick.

Disclosure: Book has been provided courtesy of David C Cook and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from B&H Publishing Group

An Amish Wedding by Beth Wiseman, Kathleen Fuller and Kelly Long

2012-01-03T18:52:00.002-07:00

Three best-selling authors. Three possible brides. Three separate tales. They come together for an Amish wedding.

Priscilla King has dreamed of being married to Chester Lapp since she was sixteen. With the help of her sister Naomi’s matchmaking skills, Chester proposes to Priscilla on her nineteenth birthday. As the wedding day approaches, problems emerge: an attendant with poison ivy, a failed celery crop, and a torn wedding dress.

At the same time, Priscilla’s best friend Rose is convinced her fiancé is hiding something and she is intent on discovering the truth at any cost.

Naomi remains hopeful that she, too, will soon find her perfect match. When Chester’s cousin shows up, there’s an immediate attraction between him and Naomi—as well as an obstacle that may just as immediately derail their blossoming love.

Is God sending a message to stop the wedding? What is certain is that the hearts of these three women will be forever transformed by this touching Amish wedding.

An Amish Wedding begins with Luke proposing marriage to Rose, yet he doesn't show the romance that Rose was dreaming about. She almost reluctantly accepts, yet lets him know that she hopes they could "maybe kiss a bit more" now that they are engaged. This kind of sets the stage for their upcoming marriage, and the transition time is filled with personal discovery individually and as a couple.

Luke has a huge secret and he knows that the rest of the community would not understand his involvement with a non-Amish family in desperate need. He dresses as an Englisher to hide his identity, and hopes that nobody will recognize him.

Priscilla and Chester's upcoming marriage is filled with trials and setbacks, and they can't help but wonder if they should just give up and call off the wedding.

An Amish Wedding is a sweet collection of love stories, and the three co-writers of this book have done an awesome job.

Disclosure: Ebook received through Net Galley, courtesy of the publisher Thomas Nelson, in exchange for my honest review.

Daily Gifts of Grace (Devotional) by Women of Faith

2012-01-03T17:42:00.000-07:00

Women of Faith speakers share insight, advice, laughter, and maybe even a few tears in this daily devotional. Voices from fiction, recognizable names from Christian conferences, and well-known Christian writers also are included.

Daily Gifts of Grace is a daily devotional designed specifically for women, with a beautiful hardbound case and a magnetic closure. Readers will be pleased to open it for a devotion that will help them face the day or for an inspirational devotion to close the day.

Contributors include Joni Eareckson Tada, Lisa Whelchel, Jenna Lucado, Sheila Walsh, Kim Cash Tate, Patsy Clairmont, Natalie Grant, Lisa Harper, and others.

Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (January 3, 2012)
ISBN-13: 978-1400203642

What a great devotional book, and it is written by a collection of some of my favourite authors! How awesome is that?

Sheila Walsh is tender and transparent as always, and her devotionals often speak to my hidden and most tender places. Patsy Clairmont almost always makes me laugh, and that is a very good thing!

Natalie Grant is an amazing musician, and I was thrilled to read her short devotional titled "Finding the Real You", from page 80, the entry for March 19th.

Is there a secret in your life, something you've held on to for a long time, hoping nobody sees it? Something so painful, so far down in your heart, that you dare not even speak of it? If so, there's something you should know; you're not alone. I know you might not believe it now, but maybe soon you will. In the meantime, can you muster up enough courage to personalize those words and simply say, "I'm not alone"?

My poor self-esteem reared its ugly head as an eating disorder. What consequences are you struggling with as a result of poor self-image? Do you have secrets that make you feel worthless? In your effort to exert control, are you inflicting damage on yourself physically or emotionally? If so, you're probably overdue for a moment of divine intervention.

Natalie then encourages the reader to open their heart to God's presence and she continues with a simple prayer. She encourages us to be receptive to God's love and peace, even when we least expect it.

I have only named a few of the women who have contributed to this great collection of short devotions, and the writing for each day also includes a relevant scripture that would be perfect for memorizing.

I found this devotional book to be full of simple truth that points to forgiveness, establishing a stronger relationship with God, and the importance of friendships. I give this one a huge thumbs up, and look forward to using this book as part of my devotions in 2012.

Disclosure: Book received through Book Sneeze in exchange for my honest review.

Teaser Tuesday - Daily Gifts of Grace

2012-01-03T02:01:00.003-07:00

"As a little girl, I watched fairy tales through cynical glasses, never quite believing the knight-in-shining-armor myth. I told myself I didn't want to be rescued. I wanted to be the one doing the rescuing."

Daily Gifts of Grace (devotional)
The Most Wonderful Fairy Tale of All
by Sheila Walsh, page 153

Winner - Angels

2011-12-31T08:20:00.000-07:00

The giveaway for a copy of Angels by Robert J. Morgan has now ended, and a winner randomly selected.

Congrats to Tracy Suzanne, please check your email.

A Lasting Impression by Tamera Alexander

2011-12-31T08:18:00.000-07:00

Claire Laurent's greatest aspiration is to paint something that will bring her acclaim. Yet her father insists she work as a copyist. A forger. When she's forced to flee from New Orleans to Nashville only a year after the War Between the States has ended, her path collides with attorney Sutton Monroe. She considers him a godsend for not turning her in to the authorities. But after he later refuses to come to her aid, Claire fears she's sorely misjudged the man. Finding herself among the elite of Nashville's society, Claire believes her dream to create a lasting impression in the world of art is within reach--but only if her fraudulent past remains hidden.

The Federal Army has destroyed Sutton's home and confiscated his land, and threatens to destroy his family's honor. His determination to reclaim what belongs to him and to right a grievous wrong reveals a truth that may cost him more than he ever imagined--as well as the woman he loves.

Set at Nashville's historic Belmont Mansion, a stunning antebellum manor built by Mrs. Adelicia Acklen, A Lasting Impression is a sweeping love story about a nation mending after war, the redemption of those wounded, and the courage of a man and woman to see themselves--and each other--for who they really are.

Tamera Alexander is a bestselling novelist whose works have been awarded or nominated for numerous honors, including the Christy Award, the RITA Award, and the Carol Award. After seventeen years in Colorado, Tamera and her husband have returned to their native South and live in Tennessee, where they enjoy spending time with their two grown children.

Visit her Web site, her blog, on Twitter, or Facebook.

Tamera Alexander's new Belmont Mansion Novels Series launches with A Lasting Impression. The story begins in New Orleans in 1866 where Claire has been forced by her father and his associates to create forged paintings which they sell as originals. A brutal robbery and attack on her father results in Claire being on the run with basically nothing but the clothes on her back.

Almost immediately, she is hired as the personal liaison to Adelicia Acklen, the owner of the historic Belmont Mansion in Nashville. Mrs. Acklen's lawyer Sutton Munroe becomes a close friend, yet Claire can't take any chances. She dreams of security and friendship with Sutton, but her past must remain a secret.

Cara Netta, a young woman who has her eyes on Sutton, arrives at the mansion for an extended visit. Cara Netta is confident that her relationship with Sutton is headed for romance and marriage. Claire is devastated that her friendship with Sutton as well as the entire Acklen househould will be affected by her arrival.

Historically rich and full of drama and emotion, this book was a true pleasure to read from cover to cover. I look forward to reading book two in the Belmont Mansion Series.

Disclosure: Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group

Teaser Tuesday - The Loom

2011-12-26T20:21:00.000-07:00

"Smells bombarded her: the fresh scent of newborn skin to the musk of blood and sweat in open wounds. Steaming okra stew to the hum of neediness. Oh yes, indeed. There was a smell to poverty, sure as there was a sight to it."

The Loom
by Shella Gillus
page 165

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme,

hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

12 Pearls of Christmas: Jesus -- The Reason For the Season by Rachel Hauck

2011-12-25T06:00:00.004-07:00

Welcome to the 12 Pearls of Christmas!

Merry Christmas from all of us at Pearl Girls™! We hope you enjoyed these Christmas "Pearls of Wisdom" from the authors who were so kind to donate their time and talents! If you missed a few posts, I hope you'll be able go back through and read them on this blog over the next few days. If you'd like to keep up with Pearl Girls and our new book project, Mother of Pearl, coming this spring, just click this link and sign up for our newsletter (lower left sidebar).

Also, just a reminder that today is the last day for the pearl necklace and earrings giveaway! Enter now by filling out this {form}. The winner will on 1/1 at the Pearl Girls blog.

If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info and see what we're all about. In short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace or one of the Pearl Girls products (all GREAT gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.

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Jesus -- The Reason For the Season

By: Rachel Hauck

Through the narrow scope of 2000 years, Mary, the mother of Jesus, appears to be one lucky woman. Chosen by God to give birth to His son, the Savior of the world? All right, Mary, way to go.

“Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you,” Gabriel said.

How many of us would like a declaration like that? Highly favored. The Lord is with you. But Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.

The angel told her, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Mary’s seems confident and resolved when she responds, “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.”

She’d just been told the Holy Spirit will come upon her, that God’s power will overshadow her, that she’d become with child even though she wasn’t married, and she said, “I’m the Lord’s servant. Let your words be true.”

I find this amazing! A young woman. Ancient Bethlehem. Unwed mother. They stoned women for such things in her day. But Mary believed in God. And submitted to His will. He gave her the Holy Spirit – the same Holy Spirit given to us. If He gave her confidence, He will give us confidence. Even though, like Mary, our situation seems impossible.

Listen to Mary’s song later on in the first chapter of Luke.

“My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me Holy is his name…”

Conceiving a child out of wedlock, by Divine intervention. Not a girl’s every day existence. Yet she had a Yes in her heart to God. She rejoiced. She boldly said, “Generations will remember me!”

How we struggle to trust God with our children. Our finances. Our emotional well-being. We worry. We fret. And wonder why we have no peace.

Christmas is the season where words like joy, peace and love are bantered around like Christmas candy. Let’s not take them as just words, but as truth. Let’s be like Mary and embrace God’s favor on our lives. Boldly declare "He’s done great things for me!”

Out of the grit of our own souls, we can reach His heart, and feel Him reaching for ours. No matter the pain of our past, present or future, God is there for us. He is able. Best of all, He is willing. “My soul glorifies the Lord this Christmas!”

***

Rachel Hauck is an award winning, best selling author who believes God has done great things for her. She lives in Central Florida with her husband and ornery pets. Her next release is Love Lifted Me with multi-platinum country artist Sara Evans, January 2012. Then in April, look for The Wedding Dress. www.rachelhauck.com.

12 Pearls of Christmas: The Panhandler's Breath by Robin Dance

2011-12-24T06:00:00.008-07:00

Welcome to the 12 Pearls of Christmas!

Enjoy these Christmas "Pearls of Wisdom" from some of today's most beloved writer's (Tricia Goyer, Suzanne Woods Fisher, Shellie Rushing Tomlinson, Sibella Giorello and more)! Please follow the series through Christmas day as each contributor shares heartfelt stories of how God has touched a life during this most wonderful time of the year.

AND just for fun ... there's also a giveaway! Fill out this simple {form} and enter for a chance to win a beautiful pearl necklace and earring set ($450 value). Contest runs 12/14 - 12/25 and the winner will on 1/1. Contest is only open to US and Canadian residents. You may enter once per day.

If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info and see what we're all about. In short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace or one of the Pearl Girls products (all GREAT gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.

***

The Panhandler's Breath

By Robin Dance

He slipped in sideways between the closing elevator doors, as if he were late to a meeting; he pressed the "5" without looking. Instead of suit and tie, though, baggy pants and faded navy hung on his tall, slim frame...and his stealth entry stiffened the hairs on the back of my neck.

I had noticed him a few seconds earlier, just after we had parted a sea of clamorous teens. He was smiling, grandfatherly, standing maybe 30 feet away where the electric shuttle picks up.

I had no idea he had been watching us, studying us, predator patiently awaiting his next prey.

The four of us were sealed in a four- by six-foot metal tomb. Tomb--that thought really scampered across my mind. I wondered if he had a knife in his pocket. I wanted to protect my son. Fight or flight pumped adrenaline but there was no where to run.

Extreme and ridiculous, these thoughts - and more - flashed through my mind. The Stranger began speaking.

"Yessir, I see you're a family man with your wife and your son here..." and he nodded in my and my son’s direction.

"...you see I'm homeless and all I've got..." and on queue, he reached into his left pocket and pulled out two old pennies blackened with age. Two cents to his name?! It was all too contrived, too practiced, and I didn't believe a word he was saying.

It was then I smelled it ~ the small space lent itself to that ~ and I doubted my doubt.

His breath.

It wasn't the scent of alcohol. His eyes weren't red, his voice didn't waver; his wizened face matched his graying hair.

His breath was morning's, zoo breath, the pet name I'd given to the scent inhaled when kissing my children awake when they were little.

He needed to brush his teeth. I wondered how long it had been since he brushed his teeth.

The elevator door opened and I handed him my leftover pizza as my son and I brushed past him. My husband handed him a bill and the Stranger thanked and God blessed him.

The elevator door closed behind us. Conflicted, I was relieved.

We got in the car and blurted first reaction--

"I didn't believe a word he said."

"That made me nervous."

"I wonder if he'll really eat the pizza."

In the quiet, we were left to our own thoughts, contemplating the right thing to do. At the end of the day, this is what I decided: It doesn't matter whether or not his story is true; for an old man to resort to begging, he has to be desperate. The money my husband gave him will never be missed. It was a reminder we've been entrusted with much and given much. Materially, yes, but more so spiritually. Loved, chosen, forgiven, redeemed, graced, lavished--every spiritual blessing. E v e r y.

There's a part of me that wishes I would have been brave enough to ask the man his story, made sure he knew he was loved...and bought him a tooth brush.

Later, it occurred to me he could have been an angel. Doesn’t that mean generosity, kindness and hospitality is always the right response? Then it's not about you or the stranger or the circumstance, it's about a simple, God-glorifying response.

Had we entertained an angel unaware? We'll never know.

But it wouldn't be the first time the Breath of Heaven smelled like a zoo.

***

In a decades-old, scandalous affair with her husband, Robin also confesses mad crushes on her three teens. As Southern as sugar-shocked tea, she’s a recovering people pleaser who advocates talking to strangers. A memoirist, Compassion International Blogger, and Maker-upper of words, Robin writes for her own site, PENSIEVE, and also for (in)courage by DaySpring (a subsidiary of Hallmark) and Simple Mom. She loves to get to know readers through their blog comments and on Twitter and Pinterest. www.pensieve.me

12 Pearls of Christmas: Inside Out Christmas by Debora M. Coty

2011-12-23T06:00:00.008-07:00

***

Inside Out Christmas

by Debora M. Coty

My veterinarian friend, Dr. Katie, tells the story about the December when a woman brought a very sick black lab into her clinic. The dog was only ten months old, so she was really just a big puppy, but she’d been vomiting incessantly and her worried owner didn’t know what was wrong.

“Why don’t you go on home?” Dr. Katie told the owner. “I’ll need to run tests for about four hours. We’ll give you a call when we’re finished.”

Dr. Katie’s assistant took x-rays and hung them on the light panel for Dr. Katie to examine. Hmm. Something looked a little peculiar. Dr. Katie called her assistant over.

“Is it just me, or does that look like a … a camel to you?” she asked incredulously.

“Matter of fact, it does,” replied the astute assistant. “And look, there’s an angel here, a shepherd there, and down there in the colon, it’s Baby Jesus!”

At that moment the phone rang. It was the dog’s distraught owner. “I can’t believe this! I just got home and glanced at the coffee table where I put my manger scene yesterday. There’s nothing there but an empty stable!”

As I thought about this quite literal technique for internalizing the true meaning of Christmas, it occurred to me that sometimes I have the opposite problem. With all the bustling busyness, my inner joy in celebration of my savior’s birth never really makes it to the outside.

Oh, I have plenty of glittery, festive evidences of the holiday in decorations, baking galore, and gifts under my tree. But those things are for show. They’re merely the pretty wrappings, not the gift itself.

Can people really see the core-deep joy that radiates within me when I think of the true gift that Papa God sent the world in his son, Jesus? Is my immeasurable gratitude for eternal life evident as I dash through this hectic season?

I’m afraid all too often, the answer is no.

I’m just too preoccupied to allow my outside to reflect my inside so that nonbelievers recognize that I rejoice because of the hope that is within me. My joy is obscured by the mounds of clutter. Gratefulness is sucked out of my soul by the vacuum called urgency.

“But let the godly rejoice. Let them be glad in God’s presence. Let them be filled with joy” (Psalm 68:3, NLT).

This verse has become my prayer this Christmas season – that I would make the time to give priority to rejoicing, being glad in God’s presence, and letting my inner joy show for those who may be silently desperate to know the giver of true joy.

Yep, there’s a better way to internalize the gift of Christmas than the black lab technique. We can lodge the Little Lord Jesus in our hearts rather than our colons.

***

Debora M. Coty is a humorist, inspirational speaker, and award-winning author of twelve books, including Too Blessed to be Stressed, and coming in March, More Beauty, Less Beast: Transforming Your Inner Ogre. Debora would love to swap Christmas hugs with you at www.DeboraCoty.com.

12 Pearls of Christmas: Simple or Sparkle? by Tracey Eyster

2011-12-22T06:00:00.030-07:00

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Simple or Sparkle?

by Tracey Eyster

It’s a simple ornament made of thin cheap metal and it looks quite out of place on our CHRISTmas tree. But each year I lovingly and safely nestle it amongst its expensive and sparkly peers, without a care as to how unglamorous it appears.

Many of our CHRISTmas ornaments have a story and an uncanny way of welling up emotion in me, but this certain one causes an intense stir.

You see the ornament is engraved with the name of my grandmother, Sara, and was given to me by my mother, who ordered it from Hospice, after Grandmama’s death. Yes, the months leading up to her death carry memories of a frail and failing grandmama, but that ornament carries my thoughts to sweet CHRISTmas memories of the past.

CHRISTmas Eve dinners in her home, laughing, singing, gathering and celebrating a year filled with blessings as we remembered the birth of our Savior. CHRISTmas mornings, she was always there participating with glee, in our raucous CHRISTmas happiness. Her gifts were always bank envelopes gently tucked into the pine needles of our CHRISTmas tree, fresh cut from the property she grew up on.

All memories of my Grandmama make my heart swell. You see she was my Jesus with skin on. She lived her life full of joy, serving others and approached life selflessly with an attitude of, “What can I do for you?”

Just months before she left us, even as the Alzheimer’s was robbing her mind she shared her love of Jesus with a sweet little old lady friend, who came to know the Lord – a divine appointment. The very next day that little old lady silently slipped away to meet in person the One Sara introduced her to just the day before.

At the time I wept, realizing that regardless of our own frailties and failings, God can still use those of us who are willing to do His work and are well practiced at hearing His voice...no matter our lack of sparkle in comparison to others.

A simple life lived for Him, a simple ornament in memory of Sara...a simple truth for you to ponder.

***

Tracey Eyster wife, mom, relationship gatherer and Creator/Editor of FamilyLife’s MomLife Today is a media savvy mom making a difference where moms are, on-line. Through speaking, writing and video interviews Tracey is passionate about encouraging, equipping and advising moms on every facet of momlife. Her first book, Be The Mom will be released August 2012. You can connect with Tracey at www.momlifetoday.com, her personal site www.traceyster.com or www.twitter/momblog.com.

Real by Shelley Malcolm

2011-12-21T05:00:00.003-07:00

“REAL” is a collection of 60 inspirational stories by Shelley Malcolm, with photos by Terilee Dawn Ouimette. The stories are deeply revealing, while the photos are anonymous, focusing only on each subject’s hands. Subjects range from adolescent to elderly, from former gangster to humble homeless, international refugee to hero-housewife, from pro athlete to Hollywood celebrity.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

While “Real” is her first published book, Malcolm is no stranger to creative projects, as co-owner and restorer of an historic chapel, La Perla del Mar in Shell Beach, CA, and a set designer for theater and film. Shelley Malcolm was named Pismo Beach’s Citizen of the Year in 2011 for her extensive contributions and involvement in the community. Proceeds from the book benefit the author’s favorite charities. Shelley Malcolm graduated from University of Southern California with a degree in dental hygiene. Shelley Malcolm resides in Shell Beach, California with her husband, Doug. Shelley has four adult children. Her interests include painting, drawing, sculpting, building, playing piano and other musical instruments, outdoor activities including hiking, ocean kayaking, running, water and snow-skiing, international travel, sewing, reading, writing and others. For more information, please visit http://marthamartha.net/ or http://realthebook.blogspot.com/.

ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER

Terilee Dawn Ouimette specializes in photographing weddings, families and newborns through her business, Terilee Dawn Photography. Ouimette’s love of photography began with a gift of her first camera at the age of eight. Her collaboration on the book “Real” with author Shelley Malcolm represents the first published book for both women. Terilee Dawn resides in Shell Beach, California with her husband and the couple’s newborn son, Grayson. Ouimette’s hobbies include art, photography, crafting, reading, and travel. For more information about her work please visit http://terileedawn.com.

Real - The Book from David Malcolm on Vimeo.

Proceeds from Real go to various charities, find out more details at http://realthebook.blogspot.com/

Be sure to check out the "Real" notecards too!

Other blog participants can be viewed here

Q&A WITH SHELLEY MALCOLM

Thank you so much for stopping by my site today, Shelley. Your book Real is gorgeous. What prompted you to start this project?

Inspiration from a dream of similar images, that revealed the beauty in imperfections... the hand image is made beautiful by the life behind it, and it is a body part that is impossible to enhance or fake.

Is that why you chose the hands to symbolize a life lived?

The hand is more anonymous than a face or even eyes which show identity and emotion. Also, they portray our work, our affection, our worry, scars, and even our mistakes...

What is unique about Real?

I believe the concept is unique, the layout is different, and it feels like reading a yearbook or journal. It can easily serve as a devotional and it appeals to a widespread audience.

What do you hope the reader takes away after reading Real?

The simple pleasure of reading it, and more so, an appreciation of the beauty of authenticity of others or their own, and the "perfect plan of diversity". You can read more about this in my article on diversity located here. Pg. 35

With Christmas coming up, why would Real make a great gift for anyone on your gift list?

Real is artistically beautiful, gentle and inspiring, and can be enjoyed by men or women of all ages. It is easy for all to relate to and feel comfortable with. The subject matter feels familiar, even though it’s new, and readers always relate and have something to say about their hands or their story. Real stimulates memories and discussion and has even been used in several ways: a memorial, a devotional, as a hostess gift, and other gifts of course.

MY THOUGHTS

Every once in a while, I come across a book that I want to share with all my friends. Real is one of those books. The photographs and stories are simple, yet stunning and unforgettable. After reading this book, I think I might just spend more time looking at the hands of the people I spend time with.

The stories portrayed in this book are transparent, and everything is bared in an unusual way. Maybe by not showing their faces, the people interviewed dared to be totally honest.

Real is an ideal coffee table book, and each individual story is quick to read. The old saying of "a picture says a thousand words" is evidenced in each photo, and I can already imagine this book becoming a favourite of the guests in my home.

Disclosure: Book provided courtesy of Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for my honest review.

12 Pearls of Christmas: Enjoy the Ride! by Susan May Warren

2011-12-21T04:00:00.000-07:00

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Enjoy the Ride!

by Susan May Warren

We sit poised on the top of a cliff, a near drop off before us, that falls to a rushing river. In the middle, a bridge of snow and ice hints at our destination. My husband guns the snowmobile engine. “Ready?”

Ready? For a face plant into a tree, maybe reconstructive surgery? To feel my stomach ripped from my body as we plummet down the mountain? Let’s do it!

We live on five acres of woods in northern Minnesota that butts up to a national forest. Hence, our backyard is about a hundred thousand acres. Aside from harboring deer, lynx, fox, cougar and bear, it also makes excellent snowmobile terrain. And not long ago, Mrs. Claus gave her Santa a snowmobile for two.

I love snowmobiling. Flying over the snow, catching air over drifts. I love to drive, to be at the helm of the beast as I weave around trees and over hill and dale, my husband sitting behind me. I also love riding behind my husband as he drives, feeling those powerful arms as he’s muscling the snowmobile into the wilds. We follow unknown trails, driven by a Magellan spirit, hoping that we have enough gas to get us back to civilization. I love hanging on, simply trusting him, knowing that wherever he’s taking me, he’s going first.

But there are times, when I see where he’s taking me, and I just have to bury my head in his back. Like straight down a cliff.

However, my heart cheers, despite the terror as we gun it down the hill, over the river, up the opposite side. And, if we hadn’t let ourselves go, we would have never discovered the beauty of a winter river, a hidden jewel buried deep in the forest. Nor the exhilaration of facing the challenge together.

Further on, we find an enchanted forest of towering white pine. Catch a view of Lake Superior, discover an old cabin in the woods.

It occurs to me that snowmobiling is much like my spiritual life. Occasionally, I drive, and it’s me setting our course, weaving through the trees, getting us hopelessly lost. But when God takes the “wheel” and I hang on, trusting Him for the speed and destination, I see the scenery. I trust him to keep me safe. I trust him to bring me home, where there is an eternal supply of hot chocolate.

As Christmas season becomes more hectic, what if I let God drive? Maybe everything doesn’t have to be perfect, and maybe I don’t have to control every tradition, every holiday nuance. What if I just held on for the ride?

I’ll bet I’ll still get there, and I might even enjoy the scenery along the way.

How have you let go, and “enjoyed” the scenery of this hectic, exhilarating Christmas season?

Merry Christmas!

***

Susan May Warren is the RITA award-winning author of thirty novels with Tyndale, Barbour, Steeple Hill and Summerside Press. A four-time Christy award finalist, a two-time RITA Finalist, she’s also a multi-winner of the Inspirational Readers Choice award, and the ACFW Carol Award. A seasoned women’s events speaker, she’s a popular writing teacher at conferences around the nation and the author of the beginning writer’s workbook: From the Inside-Out: discover, create and publish the novel in you!. She is also the founder of www.MyBookTherapy.com, a story-crafting service that helps authors discover their voice.

Valley of Dreams by Lauraine Snelling

2011-12-20T21:12:00.000-07:00

When Cassie Lockwood's mother died, Cassie began travelling with her father's Wild West Show. Along the way, she became an amazingly skillful trick rider and sharpshooter, likened by some to the famous Annie Oakley. When her father passed away, she continued to work with the show, having nowhere else to go.

Now Cassie has discovered that "Uncle" Jason, the show's manager, has driven the show into debt, and he's absconded with what little money was left. Devastated, Cassie decides to try to find the hidden valley in the Black Hills of South Dakota where her father had dreamed of setting down roots. She has only one clue. She needs to find three huge stones that look like fingers on a giant hand. With Chief, a Sioux Indian who's been with the act for twenty years, and Micah, the head wrangler, she leaves the show and a bundle of heartache behind and begins a wild and daring adventure.

Will they find the valley before winter closes in on them?

Lauraine Snelling, an award-winning author of fifty-plus books with sales of over 2 million copies, also writes for a wide range of magazines and teaches at writers' conferences across the country. She and her husband make their home in Tehachapi, California. Visit www.laurainesnelling.com

Valley of Dreams is the first book in the Wild West Wind series, and what an unusual type of story. I was fascinated by the story of Cassie and her life as a trick rider and sharpshooter. With no warning, the only life she has known ends, and she is forced to make some drastic choices.

With very little information to go on, Cassie leaves in the middle of the night with a few animals from the Wild West show, a gypsy type buggy, and a couple of unusual but loyal friends. Their journey across the wild frontier is filled with danger and tests their basic survival skills.

I loved this book! The ending was totally unexpected and I can't wait to find out what happens next. This promises to be a fantastic series.

Disclosure: Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

12 Pearls of Christmas: Family Traditions: A Glimpse into Christmas Future by Tricia Goyer

2011-12-20T06:00:00.005-07:00

Welcome to the 12 Pearls of Christmas!

Enjoy these Christmas "Pearls of Wisdom" from some of today's most beloved writer's (Tricia Goyer, Suzanne Woods Fisher, Shellie Rushing Tomlinson, Sibella Giorello and more)! Please follow the series through Christmas day as each contributor shares heartfelt stories of how God has touched a life during this most wonderful time of the year.

AND just for fun ... there's also a giveaway! Fill out this simple {form} and enter for a chance to win a beautiful pearl necklace and earring set ($450 value). Contest runs 12/14 - 12/25 and the winner will on 1/1. Contest is only open to US and Canadian residents. You may enter once per day.

If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info and see what we're all about. In short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace or one of the Pearl Girls products (all GREAT gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.

***

Family Traditions: A Glimpse into Christmas Future

by Tricia Goyer

Have you ever thought about family traditions? As I helped my 1-year-old place ornaments on the Christmas tree this year I imagined her doing the same thing with her children—and maybe even grandchildren—one day. Traditions are beliefs and customs handed down through generations. By sharing meaningful moments with your kids you're sending yourself into the future. How amazing is that?

Sharing family traditions cause us to slow down from the busy, adult world for a while. We ignore the laundry to set out the nativity set with our kids. We set aside time in our schedules to drive around and look at Christmas lights.

Holiday traditions aren't only fun, they also help strength family bonds. Through traditions kids trust in the security of family unit. They think, “This is our family and this is what I do.” Of course, the most important thing to share isn't just what we do ... but why. Why do we put out a nativity? To remind us the real meaning of the season—Jesus coming to earth. What do the Christmas lights represent displayed on homes and on trees? They represent the Light of the World, Jesus.

Using traditions to bond our families and share our faith isn't new. I love these two Scriptures that talk about that very thing.

Exodus 12:25 says, “When you enter the land that the LORD will give you as he promised, observe this ceremony.”

Psalm 78:4 says, “We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done.”

What are you're traditions? Here are a few of ours:

Baking a Birthday cake for Jesus

Buying a new ornament every year for each child

Acting out the Christmas story (with props!)

Praying together before opening presents

What are your traditions? Write a list and appreciate them in a new way this year. Then ask, “If I could add one new tradition this holiday season, what would it be?” I'd love to hear what you choose! It also makes me smile to think of your children's grandchildren doing the same.

***

Tricia Goyer is a CBA best-selling author and the winner of two American Christian Fiction Writers’ Book of the Year Awards (Night Song and Dawn of a Thousand Nights). She co-wrote 3:16 Teen Edition with Max Lucado and contributed to the Women of Faith Study Bible. Also a noted marriage and parenting writer, she lives with her husband and children in Arkansas. www.triciagoyer.com

Teaser Tuesday - A Lasting Impression

2011-12-19T21:03:00.000-07:00

The girls' team, led by the spunky little blonde who had spoken up earlier, stampeded down the stairs. With cheeks flushed and spirits high, the girls crowded together as though intent on guarding their territory as the leader pressed a neat pile of clues into Claire's hand.

A Lasting Impression
by Tamera Alexander
page 188

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme,

hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Thank you, Secret Santa!!

2011-12-19T18:38:00.001-07:00

The Broke and the Bookish set up a Secret Santa event again this year, and I decided to join them for the first time. It was fun doing the shopping for my secret pal, and today I received an unbelievable parcel in the mail.

Hey, I wasn't supposed to wait for Christmas before opening it, was I?

You won't believe what my Secret Santa sent me. All I can say is WOW!

Awkward Family Photos by Mike Bender and Doug Chernack
Before I Wake by Robert J Wiersema

KIDS BOOKS:
Eye of the Crow by Shane Peacock
Zero Kisses for Me by Virgina Soumagnac, Manuela Monari
Cosmo the Dodo Bird, In Search of the Jewel
Cosmo the Dodo Bird, The Great Illusion
Cosmo the Dodo Bird, The Mysterious Substance
And a wonderful assortment of herbal teas!!

Dear Secret Santa, whoever you are ... thank you, thank you, thank you!!

I look forward to discovering some new-to-me authors, my grandkids are going to love the kids books, and I will be reminded of the generosity of strangers every time I have a cup of tea.

Merry Christmas, Secret Santa!

12 Pearls of Christmas: Let The Baby Grow Up This Christmas by Shellie Tomlinson

2011-12-19T01:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the 12 Pearls of Christmas!

Enjoy these Christmas "Pearls of Wisdom" from some of today's most beloved writer's (Tricia Goyer, Suzanne Woods Fisher, Shellie Rushing Tomlinson, Sibella Giorello and more)! Please follow the series through Christmas day as each contributor shares heartfelt stories of how God has touched a life during this most wonderful time of the year.

AND just for fun ... there's also a giveaway! Fill out this simple {form} and enter for a chance to win a beautiful pearl necklace and earring set ($450 value). Contest runs 12/14 - 12/25 and the winner will on 1/1. Contest is only open to US and Canadian residents. You may enter once per day.

If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info and see what we're all about. In short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace or one of the Pearl Girls products (all GREAT gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.

***

Let The Baby Grow Up This Christmas

By Shellie Tomlinson

When I was a little girl, Christmas seemed to take forever to make its way back to our little house on the end of a dirt road called Bull Run in northeast Louisiana. We kids started counting down the days before the leaves ever began turning. Sure, the adults said it came once a year but I wasn't so sure. Once Santa Claus left our humble abode it seemed like light years before he found his way back to the Delta.

That was a child's perspective. I imagine it hasn't changed all that much for today's kids. On the other hand, I'm operating under a completely different time frame these days. It seems like it was just yesterday when I pulled the boxes down from the attic and began pulling out the nativity scene, the miniature lights, and the keepsake ornaments. And now, just that fast-- Christmas Day is right around the corner. Soon the tree will be striped naked and the piled up presents will all be distributed. After a few more day it'll be hard to remember who got what from whom, and once again, I'll start packing all the decorations away for another year.

I was thinking about how bare and cold the house always looks after the holidays when I realized that, sadly, this scene would play itself out in many hearts as well. A lot of people will have had expectations that weren't filled and many of those same souls will be left with hurts that don't seem to heal. Unless this year is remarkably different from past seasons, my bet is, the New Year will bring magazines full of articles on combating depression and the talk shows will have experts on offering ways to fill the long days ahead and cure the winter blues.

I'm no expert, dear readers, but I'd like to offer you a suggestion that will go far beyond the creature comforts of a nice warm bath or a delicious bowl of hot soup. Your heart doesn't have to be bare and naked after the holidays. Do you want to know the real secret? It's simple, really. Don't pack up Christ with Christmas! As beautiful and special as the Christmas story is, it's only a part of heaven's miracle. The Christ child grew into a man and the man became a Savior.

This year, may we be determined to let the babe from Bethlehem live on in our hearts. If we'll allow Him to become the Messiah He was born to be, the joy of Christmas can be ours all year long.

***

Shellie Rushing Tomlinson is an author, speaker, and radio host from Louisiana. Her latest release Sue Ellen's Girl Ain't Fat, She Just Weighs Heavy was endorsed by Jeff Foxworthy as "laugh out loud funny!" You can find Shellie's weekly southern features, podcasts, video chats and more at http://www.allthingssouthern.com/ Make sure to get by the blog and read about the Super Christmas Giveaway Shellie is hosting for her readers and secure your chance to win a Mort Kunstler print valued between $700 and $1400. www.allthingssouthern.com

Made to Crave Devotional by Lysa TerKeurst

2011-12-18T21:21:00.000-07:00

Last year, author Lysa TerKeurst released the book Made to Crave, providing the Biblical answer to why people diet, regain the weight they lose, and continue to find themselves stuck in this vicious cycle. Made to Crave helped thousands of people finally achieve victory in their weight loss journey.

But, according to TerKeurst, "We need more than 19 chapters to stay motivated and on track. That's why I wrote this daily devotional with 60 inspirational entries. There is plenty of new material not in the original book. Rest assured, I also included your favorite nuggets of wisdom from Made to Crave."

Just like the Made to Crave book, this Made to Crave Devotional is not a how-to get healthy book. It is the road to finding the lasting ‘want to' that extends far beyond the surface issues of weighing less and wanting to wear a smaller clothes size.

Says TerKeurst: "There's a spiritual battle going on. It's real. And it's amazing how perfectly the Bible gives us specific ways to find victory with our food struggles.

"Even for girls who don't crave carrots."

Title: Made to Crave Devotional
SubTitle: 60 Days to Craving God, Not Food
Publisher: Zondervan
Pub Date: January 01, 2012
ISBN: 9780310334705

Lysa TerKeurst is the president of Proverbs 31 Ministries and the author of fifteen books, including New York Times bestseller Made to Crave. She has told her remarkable life story on national television and radio, including Oprah and Good Morning America. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and five children.

Author Website: http://www.LysaTerKeurst.com

I had the pleasure to read Made to Crave a few months ago, and when I heard about this 60-day devotional book, I couldn't wait to check it out. Each of us has a craving in our lives, and unfortunately we tend to fill these cravings with things that really don't satisfy.

This devotional continues in the same style and inspiration as the first book, encouraging us to change our focus from food to craving time spent with God instead. I have this devotional series on my Kindle, and have been picking it up and reading several each day.

Here are a couple of quotes, totally at random:

Prayer (Day 27): Dear Lord, I want to persevere and remain strong through this healthy eating journey. I commit each small food choice to You today, knowing that I am building a path to victory one choice at a time. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Thought for the Day (Day 28): Doing something in order to be loved is a trap, but doing something because I am loved is incredibly freeing.

If you are like me ... and have tried every diet plan out there, and still can't seem to find something that works, then maybe this is the answer for you too. What have we got to lose, except maybe some unwanted pounds? And what is there to gain, except a closer relationship with God ... and a healthier body? That sounds pretty awesome, doesn't it?

Disclosure: Ebook received through Net Galley courtesy of Zondervan, in exchange for my honest review.

Love Lifted Me by Sara Evans and Rachel Hauck

2011-12-18T20:08:00.001-07:00

Jade and Max share a deep love, though revelations from his past have recently shaken their marriage. And Jade is completely smitten with Max's little son, Asa, whom she is now raising as her own. Their blended family brings her the joy she's never known. But there is one more secret to be uncovered. One that will impact them all.

Max is doing his best to man-up and prove worthy of Jade's devotion. As well as that of his young son. Its seems like life in Whisper Hollow will pick up where they left off until Max is faced with an unusual opportunity -- leave his family's law firm to coach Texas high school football.

Realizing a fresh start will bring healing to their marriage, Jade takes the leap of faith with Max and moves with him and baby Asa across country, bidding goodbye to her beloved Blue Umbrella shop. But renewing her trust in Max begins in her own heart.

The fresh start in quaint Colby, Texas is soon sullied when Max discovers the high school program isn't all it seemed. And while Max struggles to rebuild a once glorious football team, Jade wrestles with news that could break Max's heart. And change their lives forever.

Title: Love Lifted Me
SubTitle: A Song Bird Novel
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Pub Date: January 03, 2012
ISBN: 9781595544919

Love Lifted Me is the third book in the Songbird Novel series, and each story gets better and better. Deeply hurt by her husband Max's secret past, Jade is faced with raising his son while Max is off at a drug rehab facility. She honestly doesn't know if she will ever be able to trust him again.

Longing for a child of her own after several miscarriages, Jade embraces her new role as caregiver and mother to young Asa. Her heart can't help but fall deeply in love with the sweet little boy. Yet she is still cautious about her future with Max.

Love Lifted Me is an honest look at tender relationships that need a miracle to heal all the broken pieces. If you enjoy a story of forgiveness and a second chance at romance, then you will love this series.

Disclosure: Ebook received through Net Galley courtesy of Thomas Nelson, in exchange for my honest review.

12 Pearls of Christmas: The Snowflake Party by Deborah Raney

2011-12-18T06:00:00.008-07:00

Welcome to the 12 Pearls of Christmas!

Enjoy these Christmas "Pearls of Wisdom" from some of today's most beloved writer's (Tricia Goyer, Suzanne Woods Fisher, Shellie Rushing Tomlinson, Sibella Giorello and more)! Please follow the series through Christmas day as each contributor shares heartfelt stories of how God has touched a life during this most wonderful time of the year.

AND just for fun ... there's also a giveaway! Fill out this simple {form} and enter for a chance to win a beautiful pearl necklace and earring set ($450 value). Contest runs 12/14 - 12/25 and the winner will on 1/1. Contest is only open to US and Canadian residents. You may enter once per day.

If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info and see what we're all about. In short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace or one of the Pearl Girls products (all GREAT gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.

***

The Snowflake Party

By Deborah Raney

The first snow of winter hasn’t fallen yet, but in our kitchen tonight we’re doing a pretty good imitation. The whole family is circled around the huge old oak table. The snip, snip, snip of scissors is background music as tiny scraps of white paper float down, making our floor look like a giant brownie sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Tonight has turned out to be the night for our annual Snowflake Party, a tradition that began when our children were toddlers. There has never been a date blocked out in red on our calendar, but one day we wake up and the brisk autumn air has turned bitter cold. Naked tree branches trace their stark calligraphy on a dull grey sky and we need a taste of the joyful promises of Christmas and snow. It’s the perfect time for a party.

On such a day, one of the kids will fly in the back door, fresh home from school, and declare “Hey, Mom! Tonight would be a good night for the Snowflake Party!” First we round up every pair of scissors in the house. This is one time when sharing is not a virtue. While the kids search for scissors, I cut white paper into squares and fold them caddy-corner multiple times. The resulting triangles are artfully arranged in a basket, awaiting the beginning of the party.

Later, while the supper dishes dry on the counter, I recruit a volunteer to help me stir up a big pot of hot cocoa. For the next hour it will warm on the back burner, tantalizing us with its aroma.

Now the fun begins with careful cutting and snipping, shaping plain white paper into intricate works of art. Each snowflake we create seems as unique and spectacular as the genuine variety created by God himself. As each masterpiece is unfolded, collective oohs and aahs go up.

When the last dregs of our creative juices are drained, Dad oversees the vacuum patrol while I pour cocoa into generous mugs. We spread our handiwork on the floor around us and sit, quietly admiring our work while we dunk marshmallows and sip rich chocolate.

With empty mugs piled up in the sink, it’s time for the judging to begin. There will be awards for ‘prettiest’, ‘most unusual’, and as many other categories as we need for everyone to be a winner. Dad is the judge because he studied art in college. He also usually wins one of the top prizes––because he studied art in college.

Snowflakes deemed runners-up might be pasted in scrapbooks or hung on the refrigerator. A few even “melt” into the trash that very night. But the winners are taped proudly to the picture windows in the living room for passersby to enjoy while they long for the day when genuine snowflakes will color the world clean and white.

Our oldest daughter went away to college last September. She called just after Thanksgiving to tell me that her dorm window was covered with snowflakes. No, not the real thing, but the ones she remembers from her childhood––paper ones that she spent an entire evening cutting and snipping while sipping hot cocoa.

That’s the neat thing about traditions: They go with us no matter how far from home we travel.

***

DEBORAH RANEY's first novel, A Vow to Cherish, inspired the World Wide Pictures film of the same title. Her books have since won the RITA Award, ACFW Carol Award, HOLT Medallion, National Readers' Choice Award, Silver Angel, and have twice been Christy Award finalists. After All, third in her Hanover Falls Novels series will release next spring from Howard/Simon & Schuster. Deb and her husband, Ken Raney, enjoy small-town life in Kansas. Their four children are grown now and having snowflake parties with their own children––and they all live much too far away. Visit Deb on the web at www.deborahraney.com.

Sean Quigley - Little Drummer Boy

2011-12-17T15:17:00.008-07:00

This is a refreshing version of Little Drummer Boy, sung by a 16 year old from Winnipeg, Manitoba. It started off as a Christmas song for his friends, and now has over one million hits on Youtube.

Check here for a CTV news story about Sean and this song.

12 Pearls of Christmas: Why I Decorate for Christmas by Elizabeth Musser

2011-12-17T06:00:00.005-07:00

Welcome to the 12 Pearls of Christmas

Enjoy these Christmas "Pearls of Wisdom" from some of today's most beloved writer's (Tricia Goyer, Suzanne Woods Fisher, Shellie Rushing Tomlinson, Sibella Giorello and more)! Please follow the series through Christmas day as each contributor shares heartfelt stories of how God has touched a life during this most wonderful time of the year.

AND just for fun ... there's also a giveaway! Fill out this simple {form} and enter for a chance to win a beautiful pearl necklace and earring set ($450 value). Contest runs 12/14 - 12/25 and the winner will on 1/1. Contest is only open to US and Canadian residents. You may enter once per day.

If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info and see what we're all about. In short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace or one of the Pearl Girls products (all GREAT gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.

***

Why I Decorate for Christmas

By Elizabeth Goldsmith Musser

An old cassette tape of Christmas carols—received in a package twenty years ago when we had first arrived in France as missionaries—fills our den with delightful piano music as I place one more ornament on the already over-laden Christmas tree. This one is a little white wooden rabbit with pink ears that move back and forth. It actually doesn’t look much like a Christmas ornament, but I bought it for our baby Andrew when my husband Paul was in seminary, and I was working for less than minimum wage in the library. This ornament was literally all I could afford.

As I hang it on the tree today, I get goose bumps and then a rush of warmth. And that’s why I decorate for Christmas. Not to impress but to remember. I remember those lean, lean years, and God’s faithful provision for us.

There are the cross-stitched ornaments I made our first year in Montpellier—for the boys (for by now we had two sons) and Paul and me. How I ever had time to do that, I don’t know. I remember our puny little tree—the kind they sold in France back then—in a pot so that it could be replanted later. We perched that tiny tree on a small table out of baby Christopher’s reach. I guess I watered it too much, because about halfway through December, it started smelling and then stinking, and it rotted there on Christmas Day!

I smile with these memories.

I look at the other ornaments on the tree. Many were purchased—one for each boy—when we attended conferences around Europe, and that makes me smile too. Getting to travel on a missionary’s budget to exotic places! There are the waxed red bear and red baby carriage from Wales, the brightly painted clay sun and moon from Portugal, the blue and white porcelain windmill and wooden shoes from Holland, the hand-blown glass Snoopys sitting on gondolas from Venice, and the delicately decorated eggs from Prague.

Other ornaments include the little pinkish shiny ball ornament with Paul’s name written in glitter—I think he made it when he was about six , and the little red velvet bows, bought at Michael’s after Christmas one year for a dollar. They bring a unifying theme to the tree. I say this, smiling, because our tree is, and has always been throughout the years, a hodge-podge of our life. And I like it that way. I don’t think I could ever have a ‘theme’ tree. Mine is a ‘memory’ tree.

The music plays softly in the background and I smile through tears, remembering God’s incredible faithfulness to call and keep us here in France for so many years. Heart-breakingly hard years, overwhelmingly joyful years—the same years, the same amazing God, our keeper.

Before we left for the mission field, I memorized Psalm 121 in English and in French, and over the years I have held on tight to those last beautiful words of the psalm: The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever. (NASB)

Of course He will. He is God with us.

We decorate to remember Christmases past, our lives, our legacy, and mostly, for those of us who have embraced Christ, we decorate to honor and praise Him for coming to us—Emmanuel! We make our homes ready to receive the Christ Child, with soft music and candles burning and the sweet flickering of angel wings on an over-laden evergreen.

***

ELIZABETH GOLDSMITH MUSSER, an Atlanta native and the bestselling author of The Swan House, is a novelist who writes what she calls ‘entertainment with a soul.’ For over twenty years, Elizabeth and her husband, Paul, have been involved in missions work with International Teams. They presently live near Lyon, France. The Mussers have two sons and a daughter-in-law. The Sweetest Thing (Bethany House, 2011) is Elizabeth’s eighth novel. To learn more about Elizabeth and her books, and to find discussion questions as well as photos of sites mentioned in the stories, please visit www.elizabethmusser.com and her Facebook Fan Page. www.elizabethmusser.com

12 Pearls of Christmas: Where is Comfort and Joy Found? by Sandy Ralya

2011-12-16T06:00:00.008-07:00

Welcome to the 12 Pearls of Christmas!

Enjoy these Christmas "Pearls of Wisdom" from some of today's most beloved writer's (Tricia Goyer, Babbie Suzanne Woods Fisher, Shellie Rushing Tomlinson, Sibella Giorello and more)! Please follow the series through Christmas day as each contributor shares heartfelt stories of how God has touched a life during this most wonderful time of the year.

AND just for fun ... there's also a giveaway! Fill out this simple {form} and enter for a chance to win a beautiful pearl necklace and earring set ($450 value). Contest runs 12/14 - 12/25 and the winner will on 1/1. Contest is only open to US and Canadian residents. You may enter once per day.

If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info and see what we're all about. In short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace or one of the Pearl Girls products (all GREAT gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.

***

Where is Comfort and Joy Found?

By Sandy Ralya

The year 2006 ushered unwelcome emotions into my life. My husband was unhappy in his job, two of my grown children were making poor choices, my mother-in-law was showing signs of Alzheimer’s, extended-family issues were surfacing, and I was writing a book. Things only got worse. Much worse.

Early in 2007, I was asked to represent the mentoring ministry for wives I founded, Beautiful Womanhood, and lead a women’s conference in Uganda, Africa. My husband wasn’t sure if traveling to Africa was a good idea, so we committed it to prayer. While we were listening for an answer, I sensed God asking me to fast from spending, except for groceries, for thirty days. Sometimes you know that you’ve heard God’s voice because you’d never have come up with those words on your own. This was one of those times. I’d never heard of a fast from spending. Tom needed no convincing that a fast from spending came directly from the mouth of God. He still gets excited just thinking about it!

During the fast, it became clear I had used spending as a way to gain a comfort fix. When I was spending money, I felt carefree and lighthearted. Instead of dwelling on the unpleasantness in my life, I was thinking of my purchases and how they would bring me pleasure. Not until I stopped spending did I realize how short-lived the fix really was. During the fast, when I felt the urge to spend—to anesthetize my pain—I pictured myself running into the arms of Jesus, the Great Comforter. Oh, what comfort I received!

One night, I told good friends my experience of gaining comfort through the power of the Holy Spirit rather than money. I exclaimed that I had never felt so comforted. One friend then told us about a dream he’d had shortly after hearing about the invitation from Uganda. After the dream, he had awoken and recorded the following thoughts:

“. . . this is for Sandy. Christ’s redemption of women is beautiful. Beautiful Womanhood is a result of redemptive wholeness. The visuals the ministry uses on the books, etc., are like a piece of beautifully veneered furniture. There is something going on with the ministry to the brokenness of abused women. In Uganda, there are hurting, abused women, and something is connecting their need and Beautiful Womanhood. Though there is nothing wrong with veneer, it is only the topping—the covering, and without good structure it is shallow and will not hold up. It is time to add a new depth to the ministry.”

Then these verses came to my friend’s mind:

All praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the source of every mercy and the God who comforts us. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When others are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. You can be sure that the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 NL

When my friend was finished sharing, everyone in the room broke down in tears, praising God for His work in my life. I’d learned to listen and God had spoken. I’d obeyed, and He’d acted. When He acted, I was changed.

Needless to say, I packed my bags and experienced some of the best days of my life in Uganda—offering God’s comfort to His troubled women.

***

Sandy and her husband Tom have been married since 1980 and live near Grand Rapids, Michigan. They have three adult children and a growing number of grandchildren. When not writing and speaking, Sandy enjoys shopping at yard sales for vintage clothing, cooking, travelling, and drinking really good coffee (black is best) with her husband. For more information, contact Sandy at sandy@beautifulwomanhood.com. Subscribe to Sandy’s blog at www.beautifulwomanhood.com/blog. Find Sandy on Facebook at Beautiful Womanhood. Follow Sandy on Twitter @MentoringWives.

My Favorite Bible by Rondi DeBoer and Christine Tangvald

2011-12-15T06:00:00.035-07:00

Bring the Bible alive!

The most treasured stories of the Bible come alive in My Favorite Bible.

Start your little ones on a life-long love of God's word!

This colorful and dynamic gospel-centered Bible storybook guides children through the foundational truths of Scripture. Each story is fully and vividly illustrated and includes a simple narrative with things children ages 4—8 love: repetition, rhythm, and energy, along with a key biblical theme, a key Bible verse, an activity page, and discussion questions.

Adults and children will cherish time together as they grow closer to God.

Rondi DeBoer sold her first series at age fifteen and now has more than 430,000 copies of her books in print. After graduating from WSU in Elementary Education and studying at Multnomah Biblical Seminary, she went on to become a classical Christian teacher. Now she spends her time homeschooling her three daughters and eagerly awaits the arrival of a fourth daughter from China. She and her husband, Brian, live in Washington with their family.

Christine Tangvald has been writing for children for more than 25 years, with nearly 100 titles to her name and almost 3.5 million books in print. After earning her Elementary Education degree, she worked with children for more than 20 years. Her passion is to personalize God and make him real and alive to small children. She lives in Washington with her husband Roald.

I am always looking for fun books to share with my grandchildren, and I am sure that My Favorite Bible is one that will be loved by the whole family.

I love the format and size of this book, and my grandchildren have already given their stamp of approval. The book begins with the creation story and many other favorites like Noah and the Ark, Joseph, the Christmas story, and so many more.

One of my favorites is the story of Lazarus and how Jesus brought him back to life. The theme is the importance of friendship, and the family fun activity to follow is simple yet effective. It describes how to make a simple family friendship chain out of strips of colored paper, and to write the name of one special friend on each strip of paper. This is a chain that can keep on growing as other friends are remembered and treasured. What an awesome idea!

The colorful and bold drawings in this book are exceptional. With only limited words on each page, children eagerly follow along from one page to the next. I highly recommend this book, and I look forward to reading more of these stories with the little ones in my life.

Disclosure: Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

12 Pearls of Christmas: Advent by Sibella Giorello

2011-12-15T05:00:00.001-07:00

Welcome to the 12 Pearls of Christmas!

Enjoy these Christmas "Pearls of Wisdom" from some of today's most beloved writer's (Tricia Goyer, Suzanne Woods Fisher, Shellie Rushing Tomlinson, Sibella Giorello and more)! Please follow the series through Christmas day as each contributor shares heartfelt stories of how God has touched a life during this most wonderful time of the year.

AND just for fun ... there's also a giveaway! Fill out this simple {form} and enter for a chance to win a beautiful pearl necklace and earring set ($450 value). Contest runs 12/14 - 12/25 and the winner will on 1/1. Contest is only open to US and Canadian residents. You may enter once per day.

If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info and see what we're all about. In short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace or one of the Pearl Girls products (all GREAT gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.

***

Advent
By Sibella Giorello

Consider the bride's walk down the aisle. We all know where that woman in the white is going but somehow waiting for her to arrive at the altar is an essential part of the ceremony. In fact, the waiting is so essential that even cheapskate Vegas chapels include wedding marches.

Why?

Because the wait adds meaning to the moment.

At Christmas time, we tend to forget this essential truth about anticipation. We're lost to shopping malls and checklists, rushing toward December 25th so quickly that we forget the quiet joy of the month's other 24 days -- and then we wonder why we feel so empty on the 26th, amid ribbons and wrapping paper and our best intentions.

Because the wait adds meaning to the moment.

And that is why Advent is so important to Christmas.

I'm as guilty as the next harried person. This Advent was particularly tricky because just six hours before it started, I was still trying to finish a 110,000-word novel that was written over the course of the year -- written while homeschooling my kids, keeping my hubby happy, and generally making sure the house didn't fall down around us.

It's an understatement to say my free time is limited. But waiting adds meaning, and Advent is crucial to Christmas, so I've devised several Advent traditions that are simple, powerful and easy to keep even amid the seasonal rush.

When my kids outgrew the simple Advent calendars around age 7, I stole an idea from my writer friend Shelly Ngo (as T.S. Eliot said, "Mediocre writers borrow. Great writers steal." Indulge me.)

Here's how it goes: Find 24 great Christmas books, wrap them individually and place then under the tree. On the first day of Advent, take turns picking which book to open. When we did this, we would cuddle under a blanket and read aloud -- oh, the wonder, the magic! We savored "The Polar Express," howled with "How Murray Saved Christmas," and fell silent at the end of "The Tale of The Three Trees" (note: some of the picture books I chose were not explicitly about Christmas but they always echoed the message that Jesus came to earth to save us from ourselves and to love us beyond our wildest imagination. In that category, Angela Hunt's retelling of The Three Trees definitely hits the Yuletide bull's eye).

This Advent tradition lasted for about five years. It gave us rich daily discussions about the season's real meaning, without being religious or legalistic, and it increased family couch time. But like the lift-the-flap calendars, my kids outgrew the picture books.

Because the wait adds meaning, and Advent is crucial, I prayed for another way to celebrate anticipation of Christmas. By the grace of God, last year I found an enormous Advent calendar on clearance at Pottery Barn. Made of burlap, it has large pockets big enough to hold some serious bounty.

But my husband and I didn't want the kids focusing only on the materialist stuff for Advent -- we already fight that on Christmas day. We decided to fill the daily pockets with simple necessities and small gift cards. We also printed out the nativity story from Luke 2:1-21 in a large-sized font and cut each verse out. From Day 1 to Day 21, there is one verse to read aloud. The kids memorize it, then get to open their present (again, on alternating days for each person). Then we tape the verse to the wall in order. By Day 22, all the verses are on the wall, in order, and the kids now try to recite the entire nativity story from memory. That's not as difficult as it sounds because they've been memorizing one verse each day. Still, the entire recitation -- verbatim -- usually requires Day 23 and Day 24. Whoever does memorize the entire thing -- without mistakes -- earns a bonus gift of $25.

Does that sounds extravagant?

It is.

Because we want our kids to understand that God came down and humbled himself and taught us about love right before He suffered and died on behalf of the undeserving -- which is every one of us.

"That's" extravagant.

And in the waiting, we find even more meaning.

***

Sibella Giorello writes the Raleigh Harmon mystery series which won the Christy Award with its first book "The Stones Cry Out." She lives in Washington state with her husband and children, and often wishes there were 36 hours in a day.

The Shadow of Your Smile by Susan May Warren

2011-12-14T06:00:00.007-07:00

A beautiful blanket of snow may cover the quaint town of Deep Haven each winter, but it can’t quite hide the wreckage of Noelle and Eli Hueston’s marriage. After twenty-five years, they’re contemplating divorce . . . just as soon as their youngest son graduates from high school. But then an accident erases part of Noelle's memory. Though her other injuries are minor, she doesn’t remember Eli, their children, or the tragedy that has ripped their family apart. What’s more, Noelle is shocked that her life has turned out nothing like she dreamed it would. As she tries to regain her memory and slowly steps into her role as a wife and mother, Eli helps her readjust to daily life with sometimes-hilarious, sometimes-heartwarming results. But can she fall in love again with a man she can’t remember? Will their secrets destroy them . . . or has erasing the past given them a chance for a future?

Susan May Warren is the RITA Award–winning author of more than thirty novels whose compelling plots and unforgettable characters have won acclaim with readers and reviewers alike. She served with her husband and four children as a missionary in Russia for eight years before she and her family returned home to the States. She now writes full-time as her husband runs a lodge on Lake Superior in northern Minnesota, where many of her books are set. She and her family enjoy hiking, canoeing, and being involved in their local church.

Susan holds a BA in mass communications from the University of Minnesota. Several of her critically acclaimed novels have been chosen as Top Picks by Romantic Times and won the RWA's Inspirational Reader's Choice contest and the American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year award. Four of her books have been Christy Award finalists. In addition to her writing, Susan loves to teach and speak at women's events about God's amazing grace in our lives.

Visit Susan's Web site at www.susanmaywarren.com.

Noelle and Eli were technically married, but they had virtually nothing in common. A horrible tragedy tore their lives apart, and their family had never recovered.

Noelle witnessed a brutal and senseless crime, and is herself a victim. When she wakes up in the hospital, she has totally forgotten her husband and her children, and thinks that she is single and attending college. The first look in a mirror shocks her world, and she doesn't recognize the old woman looking back at her.

The Shadow of Your Smile is a heart warming, tender look at a broken family who is given a second chance for wholeness and forgiveness. They get a second chance at love, if they are only willing to take the risk.

Susan May Warren has become one of my favorite authors, and this book was an absolute delight to read. Check it out, you won't be disappointed.

Disclosure: Ebook received through Net Galley, courtesy of the publisher Tyndale House, in exchange for my honest review.

12 Pearls of Christmas: A Christmas of Kindness by Suzanne Woods Fisher

2011-12-14T05:30:00.001-07:00

Welcome to the 12 Pearls of Christmas!

Enjoy these Christmas "Pearls of Wisdom" from some of today's most beloved writer's (Tricia Goyer, Suzanne Woods Fisher, Shellie Rushing Tomlinson, Sibella Giorello and more)! Please follow the series through Christmas day as each contributor shares heartfelt stories of how God has touched a life during this most wonderful time of the year.

AND just for fun ... there's also a giveaway! Fill out this simple {form} and enter for a chance to win a beautiful pearl necklace and earring set ($450 value). Contest runs 12/14 - 12/25 and the winner will on 1/1. Contest is only open to US and Canadian residents. You may enter once per day.

If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls, please visit www.pearlgirls.info and see what we're all about. In short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace or one of the Pearl Girls products (all GREAT gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.

***

A Christmas of Kindness

By Suzanne Woods Fisher

"You can give without loving, but you can¹t love without giving." Amish proverb

I do it every year.

I plan for a simpler, less stressful Christmas season and, every year, by Christmas Eve I'm exhausted! After our delicious and very-time-consuming-to-make traditional Swedish meal to honor my husband¹s relatives (think: Vikings), it's time to head to church. I'm embarrassed to admit it, but the last few Christmas Eve's, I have sent my husband and kids head off without me. The pull to spend an hour of quiet in the house feels as strong as a magnet.

It's odd. My children are young adults now. Wouldn't you think that Christmas would be simpler? Instead, it's just the opposite. Jugging schedules to share the grandbaby with the in-laws, trying to include our elderly parents at the best time of day for them, dancing carefully around recently divorced family members whose children are impacted by the shards of broken relationships.

The thing is: you can simplify your to-do list, but you can't really simplify people. We are just a complicated bunch.

Here's where I borrow a lesson about simplicity from the Amish. It's easy to get distracted with the buggies and the bonnets and the beards, but there's so much more to learn from these gentle people if you're willing to look a little deeper.

Yes, they live with less "stuff" and that does make for a simpler, less cluttered life. But it's the reason behind it that is so compelling to me: they seek to create margin in their life. Not just empty spacebut space that is available to nourish family, community, and faith. Their Christmas is far less elaborate than yours or mine, but what they do fill it with is oh so right.

Christmas comes quietly on an Amish farmhouse. There is no outward sign of the holiday as we know it: no bright decorations, no big tree in the living room corner. A few modest gifts are waiting for children at their breakfast place settings, covered by a dishtowel. Waiting first for Dad to read the story of Christ's birth from the book of Luke. Waiting until after a special breakfast has been enjoyed. Waiting until Mom and Dad give the signal that the time has come for gifts.

Later, if Christmas doesn't fall on a Sunday, extended family and friends will gather for another big meal. If time and weather permits, the late afternoon will be filled with ice skating or sledding. And more food! Always, always an abundance of good food. Faith, family, and community. That is the focus of an Amish Christmas.

And it's also how the story begins for A Lancaster County Christmas, as a young family prepares for Christmas. A winter storm blows a non-Amish couple, Jaime and C.J. Fitzpatrick, off-course and into the Riehl farmhouse. An unlikely and tentative friendship develops, until the one thing Mattie and Sol hold most dear disappears and then. Ah, but you¹ll just have to read the story to find out what happens next. Without giving anything away, I will say that I want to create a Mattie-inspired margin this Christmas season. Mattie knew inconveniences and interruptions that come in the form of people (big ones and little ones!) are ordained by God. And blessed by God.

Creating margin probably means that I won't get Christmas cards out until the end of January, and my house won't be uber-decorated. After all, something has to give. But it will mean I make time for a leisurely visit with my dad at his Alzheimer's facility. And time to volunteer in the church nursery for a holiday-crowded event. And time to invite a new neighbor over for coffee. Hopefully, it will mean that my energy won't get diverted by a frantic, self-imposed agenda. Only by God's agendathe essence of true simplicity.

And that includes taking time to worship Christ's coming at the Christmas Eve service. You can hold me accountable! This year, I will be there.

***

Suzanne Woods Fisher is the bestselling author of The Choice, The Waiting, The Search, and The Keeper, as well as nonfiction books about the Amish, including Amish Peace. Her interest in the Anabaptist cultures can be directly traced to her grandfather, W. D. Benedict, who was raised in the Old Order German Baptist Brethren Church in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Suzanne is a Christy Award nominee and is the host of an internet radio show called Amish Wisdom and her work has appeared in many magazines. She lives in California. www.suzannewoodsfisher.com.

Angels by Robert J. Morgan (Giveaway) ENDED

2011-12-13T08:48:00.003-07:00

Uncover the mystery of angels and their roles in your life. Angels have been present since the beginning of time, yet we know so little truth about them. In his warm, storyteller style, best-selling author Robert Morgan presents a long-term effort of research behind the mystery of angels—in the teachings of the Bible, their role in the story of Christ, stories of how they impact Christian and missionary history, and personal accounts of their presence in our everyday lives. This is a revealing look at what angels do for us, opening our hearts and minds to their power and personalities as they carry out their purpose and God's overall plan for His kingdom.

Robert J. Morgan is the senior pastor of The Donelson Fellowship in Nashville, Tennessee where he has served 32 years. He's a best-selling and Gold-Medallion-winning author with over 20 books in print and well over two million books in circulation. His products in electronic and audio format number hundreds of thousands. He is also a staff writer for Dr. David Jeremiah and Turning Points Ministries. Rob's books have been translated into multiple languages, and he has appeared on many national television and radio programs. He and his wife, Katrina, reside in the Opryland area of Nashville and in Roan Mountain, Tennessee. They have three daughters and eleven grandchildren.

Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/RobertJMorganMinistries
Twitter Page: http://twitter.com/RobertJMorgan
Blog Page: http://www.RobertJMorgan.com/journal

Click here to view flipbook

Angels by Robert J. Morgan is a great little gift book full of stunning photos and a variety of true stories of people who have encountered angels in their lives. I believe that most of us can remember times when we are sure that the protection of our own guardian angel has impacted our lives in one way or another.

There are eleven chapters including the following: What the Bible Says about Angels, The Best Verse in the Bible about Angels, The Power and Personality of Angels, Angels Protect Us From Danger, Angels Assist God in Answering Our Prayers, plus more.

I have always been fascinated with angels, and found this book to be extremely informative, inspirational and relevant. From Genesis right through to Revelations, there are 234 specific passages about angels, and in fact angels are referenced in 39 of the 66 books of the Bible.

Packed full of scripture references to angelic activity in the Bible, plus numerous modern day accounts, I found the entire book fascinating to read.

This is a book that I will definitely read again, and I highly recommend it.

Disclosure: Book received courtesy of Thomas Nelson in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to Kristen at Thomas Nelson, one reader of this blog will win a copy of Angels.

For one entry, leave your email address.
For a second entry, be a follower of this blog. Leave a separate comment.
Only residents of the U.S. or Canada are eligible to win.
Giveaway ends Friday, December 30th.

12 Pearls of Christmas

2011-12-13T06:00:00.002-07:00

Welcome to the 3rd Annual Pearl Girls™ 12 Pearls of Christmas blogging series!

We've gathered several of today's most beloved authors to share their Christmas "Pearls of Wisdom"! Please follow along beginning tomorrow (Wednesday the 14th) through Christmas day as Tricia Goyer, Suzanne Woods Fisher, Rachel Hauck, Sandy Ralya, Sibella Giorello, Susan May Warren and more, share their heartfelt stories of how God has touched their life during this most wonderful time of the year.

If you'd like to share the 12 Pearls of Christmas with your blog readers too, just email Christen and she'll send you the series.

AND of course there is a giveaway! Beginning tomorrow you and all your friends can enter to win a PEARL NECKLACE and EARRINGS valued at $450! The winner will be announced on New Year's Day! Pearls - a tangible reminder of God's grace to us all.

***

Just a quick note before the series begins on the 14th ...

As I write this, I imagine that we are sitting at my kitchen table and chatting over a cup of coffee while familiar Christmas carols celebrate the Season. My twelve year old Chihuahua, Pongo, barks for a pinch of pound cake while my Shih Tzu, Lilly, patiently sits by the chair and waits for a crumb to fall.

My name is not Martha Stewart, and I will never receive a neighborhood beautification award. Just look at my front stoop. Yes, my never-had-time-to-carve-the-pumpkin-that-now-suffers-from-frostbite slouches next to the front door which is decorated with a Christmas wreath. I plan to roll this large orange ornament to the garbage pile tomorrow. For now, however, I will pretend that my front stoop is a contemplative modern art exhibit capturing the essence of contrast.

Actually, I love the concept of juxtaposition – placing things together that don’t seem to belong together, yet somehow ultimately make sense being paired. A personal example for me this season is the phrase: “comfort and joy.” Having just completed my manuscript for New Hope Publishers about the aftermath of grief, I fully understand the contrast of those two words. How can comfort bring joy? How can one find joy in loss?

Perhaps, dear reader, you have experienced loss this year – loss of a loved one, loss of friendship, loss of health, loss of financial security, loss of trust, loss of love, or loss of direction. Even with the best intent, words of encouragement shared by others can somehow seem insufficient to address an inconsolable loss. A spoken word cannot fully restore joy to a broken heart; however the Word can. And that’s the bottom line message of Christmas! God gave us the most amazing gift: His Son - the Word of God, the Holy Comforter.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but shall have everlasting life.” (John 3:16).

You are not alone this Christmas, dear friend. Juxtaposed to the unexpected grit in life is the gift of God’s grace wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. This year I purposely placed a pearl in the Nativity scene as a metaphoric reminder. When we place our grit into the hands of the Lord, His grace transforms our pain into a pearl.

“Joy to the world!”

Thank you so very much for sharing the JOY of the Season with us this year.

God Bless,
Margaret
@mcsweeny

***

Margaret McSweeney lives with her husband, David and two teenage daughters in the Chicago suburbs. She is the founder and director of Pearl Girls. For more information please visit www.pearlgirls.info. Margaret is fast at work on several fiction manuscripts. Her book Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace was written to help fund the Pearl Girl Charities. She is also the host of weekly radio show, Kitchen Chat. Connect with Margaret on Facebook or Twitter.

The Dangerous Journey of Sherman the Sheep by Dean Davis

2011-12-13T05:30:00.000-07:00

When Sherman, a carefree lamb in the Good Shepherd's flock, grows into a young ram, he longs for adventure and acceptance by his peers. So, against his father's warnings, he climbs "Pleasure Mountain." There he encounters strange new enticements and dangers which at first seem exciting, but finally prove more than a young ram can handle on his own. Sherman finally admits his father was right when he called it "Sin Mountain," but how will he escape and get back to the fold? And what great adventure has the Shepherd prepared for him?

Watch Dean Davis reading a short, 4-minute section of The Dangerous Journey of Sherman the Sheep:

Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Dean earned a degree in philosophy from U.C. Santa Cruz. After several unsatisfying years on Sin Mountain, the Good Shepherd rescued him, and eventually Dean became a pastor and Bible teacher in Santa Rosa, California, where he currently resides.

Dean has often worked with children and youth, and enjoys story telling. He is currently director of Come Let Us Reason, a Bible teaching ministry specializing in the study of apologetics and the biblical worldview.

Dean and his wife, Linda, are the parents of two sons and three daughters, all of whom have flown the family nest. In addition to The Dangerous Journey of Sherman the Sheep, Dean has authored nonfiction books including In Search of the Beginning and The Test: A Seeker's Journey to the Meaning of Life (Pleasant Word).

Interview with the Author:

What attracted you to writing, and in particular, writing an allegory?

Dean: I trace my interest in writing back to the early 1970s, the time of my spiritual awakening. The more I read, the more I saw; the more I saw, the more I wanted to communicate. Soon, I began to write short stories, poems, and essays. When, after a good deal of wandering, the Lord brought me into His fold, my desire to relate fresh insights resurfaced and intensified. From the very beginning of my Christian walk I admired a famous old painting called The Good Shepherd, in which we see a Shepherd (with face hidden) rescuing a sheep trapped on a mountain ledge. That picture said it all. It also suggested a story which I told, with ever-increasing embellishments, to my children. Eventually, some of the folks who heard me tell it at church asked me to write it down. As I wrote, I found myself targeting adolescent - or pre-adolescent - boys, who today are in desperate need of godly role models, a clear vision of manhood, and a revelation of the thrill of genuine Christian discipleship. I started out telling my own story - which is simply "the old, old story" - in a way that young boys could grasp. Soon, however, I realized that an allegory was taking shape under my fingers, one that could well speak to kids of all ages. I hope it has, and I hope it will.

Tell us a little bit about Sherman.

Dean: "All we like sheep have gone astray," says Isaiah. In that sense Sherman represents any Christian whom Christ has graciously and lovingly rescued from sin. But I'd say Sherman specially represents kids who have grown up in the church but wandered away or have been tempted to try adventuring up "Sin Mountain." Dudley, on the other hand, is more like me - the guy who never had the advantage of a Christian family, but whom the Lord, with a mighty stretch of his long arm, somehow found.

Did you receive inspiration from watching your own five children?

Dean: Most definitely, especially from my two sons. Like Bertram (Sherman's father in the book), I observed their interest in the things of God, and also their interest in the things of the world. Like Bertram, I was concerned. Like Bertram, I wanted to be the voice of the Lord into their young lives, and the grace of the Lord, if and when they should fail. Sherman is not just for sons and daughters, but for dads and moms as well. I hope the story will encourage parents to trust in a good and sovereign God, and to aspire to work skillfully with Him as He ministers through them to His young ones.

You are a skilled writer of allegory. Are you a fan of writers such as C.S. Lewis?

Dean: I am definitely a fan of The Chronicles of Narnia. Those wonderful books penetrated to the depths, and I enthusiastically read them to all my children. I believe that in their fantasies Lewis and Tolkien did what they set out to do: to get a fresh hearing for the gospel among moderns hardened to the gospel. And they did it by giving us memorable characters shaped by the gospel, so we could see anew what godly Christian boys, girls, men, and women look like. If The Dangerous Journey of Sherman the Sheep will give the tiniest such peek to an impressionable tween, I will be pleased indeed.

Describe your typical writing session.

Dean: I like to compose on my computer. I have a wonderful homemade table that allows me to do so standing up (saves the back big time)! I'm a pretty slow writer: An excellent day's work will come to two or three pages. I suffer no interruptions, but toil on in more or less complete silence, holed up in my downstairs office. I keep lots of hot drinks by my side and take an occasional break to run upstairs and check out the latest developments in politics.

What other activities do you enjoy?

Dean: My wife, Linda, and I enjoy bicycling. I enjoy hitting a bucket of balls at the local golf course and sitting down for a pork tostada at Lepe's, my favorite Mexican restaurant.

Have you written other stories like The Dangerous Journey of Sherman the Sheep, for families to read together?

Dean: I have a few other stories tucked away in my heart; but they're on the back burner till I get a few theological projects out of my craw. I'm almost always writing. These days I enjoy posting short articles on my blog: devotionals, letters, essays, etc. Currently I'm doing a series on how to interpret Old Testament prophecies of the Kingdom of God.

Where on the Internet can people find you?

Dean: At my website: http://www.clr4u.org

Read the first chapter here

Retail price: $9.99
PUBLISHER'S CHRISTMAS SPECIAL: Dec. 12-17 only: $5.49 at:
http://www.cladach.com/Sherman-the-Sheep.html
Book Info: Fiction / Youth (For ages 6 to 12 - or kids of all ages)
Trade Paperback 160 pgs / 5" x 7"
Discussion/Activity Guide Available (Included in eBook)

e-Book Version
Buy Now in Amazon Kindle store for $3.99

Teaser Tuesday - Love Lifted Me

2011-12-12T20:29:00.000-07:00

"You're rigid. You don't like change. You're too controlling. Boys fear you but they don't respect you."

Love Lifted Me
by Sara Evans and Rachel Hauck
(Kindle location 3108)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme,

hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Merry Christmas Stories by Jeff R. Spalsbury

2011-12-12T06:00:00.030-07:00

These 25 short stories for the Christmas season will make you laugh, smile and just feel good about this magical time of year. These delightful stories, written in a variety of genre, all reflect Christmas love, hope and charity.

Detective Nick Tracer just wants to get drunk over the holiday season but an eight-year-old girl hires him to find Santa, and it changes his life. A magical Christmas bus enriches the lives of a veteran and his young daughter. The last S-2, an indestructable android, is given the toughest assignment of his long existence. A Christmas ghost discovers the real magic of Christmas, and on a beautiful California Christmas morning, two people in their 80s recall their lives while sitting on a park bench overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

A ghost plays matchmaker for his younger brother, and two children do the same thing for their single mother. A best friend turns the tables on his buddy, and a sad poem opens the heart of a lonely poet. A bag lady enjoys the view and receives an unexpected guest. And sometimes being too smart can be a disadvantage, particularly when there is a bronze olive involved.

These are just some of the fun and exciting stories in this compilation. There are stories of adventure along with humor, unexpected surprises, romance and poignent moments. These are feel-good stories, to uplift your spirit and to leave you with a smile or a warm feeling. Just the way Christmas should feel.

Jeff R. Spalsbury was born in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, and grew up in the small town of Logan, Ohio. He attended Ohio State University, San Jose State University and the University of Denver. He currently lives in Visalia, California. Before deciding to become a full-time novelist and short-story writer, he was a research librarian, director of a college library and a college professor. He writes Christmas short stories, contemporary, western and science fiction novels.

Visit the author's website at http://www.jeffrspalsbury.com/

Other Blog Tour Stops:

Monday, November 21st: The Road to Here
Tuesday, November 22nd: Reviews from the Heart
Friday, November 25th: A Chick Who Reads
Monday, November 28th: I Am A Reader, Not A Writer - Q&A/giveaway
Wednesday, November 30th: Cheryl’s Book Nook
Thursday, December 1st: Life in Review
Friday, December 2nd: 2 Kids and Tired
Monday, December 5th: Laura’s Reviews
Tuesday, December 6th: Book Maven’s Blog
Wednesday, December 7th: My Bookshelf
Thursday, December 8th: Deb’s Book Bag
Friday, December 9th: Living Outside the Stacks
Tuesday, December 13th: By the Book
Wednesday, December 14th: Nailing Jello to a Tree
Thursday, December 15th: Book Reviews by Molly
Date TBD: Peeking Between the Pages

Who doesn't love short stories that touch your heart and your funny bone?

When the holiday season demands more than our energy level can handle, this book of 25 short stories is just what the doctor ordered. A quick journey to visit with some new friends, discovering the beauty and magic of Christmas time. Tiny and the Bear, Too Old to Believe in Santa, The Hooker's Kids, A Kitchen by Christmas, That Old Witch on Main Street, The Legend of the Drums, and The Bronze Olive are just a few of the titles in this great Christmas collection.

I really didn't know what to expect when I agreed to review this title, and I was pleasantly surprised by the exceptional quality and variety of stories. This book would make an awesome gift for someone on your Christmas list!

Disclosure: Book received courtesy of the author and TLC Book Tours, in exchange for my honest review.

Quote it Saturday

2011-12-09T22:05:00.002-07:00

Quote it Saturday is a weekly meme hosted at Freda's Voice.

"I don't want expensive gifts; I don't want to be bought. I have everything I want. I just want someone to be there for me, to make me feel safe and secure."
Princess Diana

"Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers."
Garth Brooks

"The greatest gifts you can give your children are the roots of responsibility and the wings of independence."
Denis Waitley

The Christmas Singing by Cindy Woodsmall

2011-12-09T17:38:00.004-07:00

Christmas Eve has always been special to cake decorator Mattie Eash, who was born on the wondrous holiday. Yet the season lost its appeal three years ago, when her childhood sweetheart abruptly ended their engagement on Christmas. Mattie moved to Ohio, pursued her dreams of running a cake shop, and gave her heart to someone new. Someone who wouldn't break her heart.

But an unforeseen setback forces her home and into painful proximity to Gideon. Will learning the truth behind his rejection restore her Christmas joy-or open the door to even deeper heartbreak?

The Christmas Singing (Chapter 1 Excerpt)

And now for a really sweet deal ... just in time for Christmas!

WaterBrook Multnomah is offering 30% off and free shipping on The Christmas Singing (and any other title). Just use the promo code CHRISTMAS11 at checkout on WaterBrookMultnomah.com. This coupon code expires on December 20th, 2011.

The Friday 56 - The Shadow of Your Smile

2011-12-09T06:00:00.002-07:00

A nurse had entered after the doctor left and removed her from intravenous fluids, put a Band-Aid over the insertion point in her arm. It ached, but not like her head, which still had a long, slow throb as if her brain wanted to travel out through her eyeballs.

The Shadow of Your Smile
by Susan May Warren

The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted at Freda's Voice.

Friday 56 Rules:

Grab a book, any book.
Turn to page 56.
Find any sentence that grabs you.
Post it.
Add your link at Freda's Voice

Blame it on the Mistletoe by Joyce Magnin

2011-12-07T13:00:00.000-07:00

Is There Really a Fountain of Youth in Paradise?

Welcome back to Bright 's Pond, where strange happenings are afoot at the Greenbrier Nursing Home. Strange even for Bright 's Pond. The residents suddenly act like kids again riding trikes, climbing trees, and of all things falling in love. Some of the townsfolk blame it on the crooked new gazebo, or its builder, a quirky little man who quotes Don Quixote, collects water from the fountain at the Paradise trailer park, and disappears on a regular basis.

While Chief of Police Mildred Blessing investigates the mystery, Griselda and her friends deal with a luau Thanksgiving, preparations for the Christmas pageant, and maybe even an upcoming wedding. Only, in Bright 's Pond, nothing ever really goes as planned . . .

Joyce Magnin is the author of The Prayers of Agnes Sparrow, chosen as one of the "Top 5 Best Christian Fiction Books of 2009" by Library Journal. She's written several short fiction and personal experience articles. She co-authored the book, Linked to Someone in Pain. She has been published in such magazines as Relief Journal, Parents Express, Sunday Digest, and Highlights for Children. Joyce attended Bryn Mawr College and is a member of the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Fellowship. She is a frequent workshop leader at various writer’s conferences and women’s church groups. She has three children, Rebekah, Emily, and Adam; one grandson, Lemuel Earnest; one son-in-law, Joshua, and a neurotic parakeet. Joyce leads a small fiction group called StoryCrafters. She enjoys baseball, football, cream soda, and needle arts but not elevators. She currently lives in Havertown, Pennsylvania.

Blame it on the Mistletoe is book four in the Bright's Pond novel series, and it's definitely quirky, downright bizarre at times, and totally unpredictable. I have read one of the previous books, so had some prior exposure to the type of humour that Joyce writes.

Imagine a nursing home where all the residents start acting strange. One old lady is madly riding a tricycle up and down the hallway, constantly ringing the little bell on the handle bar. Or how about the old couple smooching in the gazebo? Nothing seems normal, so they call in the local police officer Mildred to solve the mystery of the weird behaviour. At the same time, there is a strange water fountain in the neighbourhood trailer park that some claim is the fountain of youth. Speculation is that these events might be somehow related.

Quirky characters, nonsense chatter, and a bunch of unbelievable events all combined in a crazy novel that is guaranteed to make you smile or even laugh out loud. And it will also make you scratch your head at times ... I still want to know what a "booby hatch" is.

Disclosure: Ebook received through Net Galley, courtesy of the publisher Abingdon Press, in exchange for my honest review.

Love Rekindled by Candi Adermatt

2011-12-06T05:30:00.007-07:00

When a wayward husband comes back into the lives of his wife and sons after years of separation, will they believe he has changed ... and can they forgive him? As a medical crisis forces the family members to face their fears, hurts and true desires, and the conflict develops toward a surprise resolution, the reader will feel the ebb and flow of subtle emotional tensions. Here's a relationship story with a twist - told from the man's point of view.

Candi belongs to the East Valley Authors writers group and is a member of Romance Writers of America. She has a B.A. degree in Business and works at Azusa Pacific University. She writes novels about contemporary issues from a Christian perspective that are the type of stories she wishes had been available to her as a young woman. Candi and her husband enjoy their four grown sons and their families and make their home in Southern California.

Interview with Candi Adermatt:

You're such a prolific writer. What gave you the itch to write?

Candi: Stories have filtered through my brain as far back as my memory can take me. I imagined myself as each character as they appeared in my head and became part of the story. That's pretty much the way things continued through the years. Several years ago the company that I worked for went into bankruptcy and layoffs were imminent. My boss asked me what career path I might choose if money wasn't an issue. Without hesitation I said, "I'd write a book." When I went home that night and told my husband of our conversation, he said, "Well, why don't you just do that? You don't have to be unemployed to write a book." With those words of wisdom, I began to write.

How did the idea of LOVE REKINDLED come to you?

Candi: I like tackling topics that aren't generally read about in Christian fiction. I wanted readers to be able to feel the wife's pain, the child's struggle with abandonment issues, and the stark reality for the husband because of his infidelity. I also wanted it to be an encouragement to anyone who had ever had to live through this heartbreaking situation.

Is there something you typically do while writing - like drink coffee or listen to music?

Candi: Yes, I always listen to music while I write, usually my favorite Christian radio station. That and a good cup of coffee are good writing buddies. In the absence of coffee and an internet connection for the radio station, my iPod and laptop are just as supportive.

Tell us about an activity you enjoy in your day-to-day life.

Candi: My husband and I are avid explorers and rock hounds. We love to go off-roading in search of all kinds of treasure (his license plate is GLDIGGR). He researches old books, maps, and archives that tell where gold was found or loot might be buried, and off we go with our metal detector in pursuit. We have never found anything of real value, other than the thrill of the hunt and the joy of being together. Love it!

What kind of a reader are you? Avid? Sporadic? What do you read most?

Candi: I love to read, usually contemporary Christian romance novels. The difficulty with that, though, is that it keeps me from writing. When I am in a serious writing mode (once I get started on a story, I don't want to stop writing until the story is finished), I don't read at all, as it interrupts my thought process. I almost never read a newspaper or magazine, unless it contains some story that someone has recommended to me. I much prefer to create my own reality!

What other novels are you writing?

Candi: I wrote several novels before and after LOVE RELINDLED. Most of these are Christian romances. The earlier ones still need a lot of polish. The most recent ones are ready for the eyes of a publisher.

Where on the Internet can people find you?

Candi: You can find me on my author page at Cladach or contact me by email.

Read First Chapter here

Love Rekindled is available through most book outlets including Amazon, Kindle version also available

Direct from the publisher at http://cladach.com/Love-Rekindled.html, on sale this week for $9.74

Teaser Tuesday - Blame it on the Mistletoe

2011-12-05T21:10:00.000-07:00

Agnes slapped her knee. "Oh, I hate the thoughts of that poor old woman getting locked away in the booby hatch."

Blame it on the Mistletoe
by Joyce Magnin
page 52

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme,

hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Nickels by Karen Baney

2011-12-05T17:46:00.002-07:00

Niki Turner has finally arrived. Her career as a Software Engineer is soaring—she has just been offered the company’s most sought after account, Helitronics. Life would be perfect, if she could stop her roommate from playing matchmaker.

Then Kyle Jacobs mysteriously re-enters her life. As painful memories resurface, his presence turns her life upside down and threatens to waylay her career. She must find a way to work with him—after all, he’s the helicopter flight consultant for the new flight control system she’s coding.

Can she forget the past and see him as the new man he has become? Or will her resentment keep her from finding what she has always been searching for?

This contemporary novel is an upbeat and compelling story set in the Phoenix Metro Area. Karen Baney shows a new side to her writing with great whit and banter between the main characters. Inspired by her love of romance and of computers, this story takes readers on a journey filled with laughter and tears.

Karen Baney, in addition to writing Christian historical fiction and contemporary romance novels, works as a Software Engineer. Spending over twenty years as an avid fan of both genres, Karen loves writing stories set in Arizona.

Her faith plays an important role both in her life and in her writing. Karen and her husband make their home in Gilbert, Arizona, with their two dogs. She also holds a Masters of Business Administration from Arizona State University.

Visit the author's website at http://www.karenbaney.com/

I have become a huge Karen Baney fan, and can't wait to see what she comes up with next! Karen's first series of books called The Prescott Pioneers was fantastic, and I honestly expected that she would follow with more historical fiction like the first three. Nickels is as far removed from the first series as night and day, and maybe I like this direction even more.

The main character in Nickels is a software engineer working with the Department of Defense on a software program that is very high tech and secretive. Niki is comfortable and confident in her career skills, and also in relating to powerful men. However she has experienced huge loss and disappointment in her life, and she won't let herself be vulnerable again.

Along comes Kyle. He teased her relentlessly when they were in high school, and she is not willing to give him a chance at friendship. They are thrust together in a working arrangement and forced to finally face their true feelings. Secrets from Kyle's past threaten to damage their fragile relationship.

Intertwined with a strong message of faith and forgiveness, this novel is a fantastic read. I loved the humor, the transparency and vulnerability of the characters. I highly recommend this book!!

Disclosure: Ebook purchased through Amazon.com, and I was not compensated for my thoughts.

Saving Grace by Annie Jones

2011-12-03T20:11:00.004-07:00

Every year on the night of New Bethany's annual Splendor Belle Gala, reclusive Sera Grayson appears on the porch of her aging antebellum home dressed in a tattered ball gown. Legend holds she is reliving the greatest disappointment of her life: waiting endlessly for the man who stood her up more than fifty years ago. Rosemary, Naomi, Gayle, and Lucy, first introduced in Jones's Prayer Tree, together decide to help out the eccentric old woman-partly to strengthen their own special bond, threatened by time and the demands of everyday life. Will their joint project instead tear them apart forever?

Annie Jones is the best-selling author of traditional (sweet) romances and the Palisades romances Irish Eyes and Irish Rogue. She lives in Lexington, Kentucky, with her husband and two children.

Saving Grace is book two in The Prayer Tree Series. At first, I really struggled with trying to figure out who all the characters were, and wishing that I had started with book one. This story focuses primarily on four best friends ... Rosemary, Naomi, Gayle, and Lucy. Each of the women have their own personal struggles with family, friends and their faith.

The lives of these women are complicated at times, yet they have a bond of friendship that any woman would envy. The humor, love and support that they show each other is heart warming. Their lives are so busy, and they wonder if their friendship will last. One of the women decides that they need to take on a new project, that of the reclusive Grace Grayson.

When I first heard about this story, I expected that it would revolve around Miss Grace, but only the last few chapters include much about her. Miss Grace was quite a character, and she was definitely the highlight of the story. This book was enjoyable, but I am sure I would have enjoyed it more if I started out with the first book.

Disclosure: Ebook received courtesy of Blogging for Books/WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing in exchange for my honest review.

Quote it Saturday

2011-12-03T05:30:00.020-07:00

Quote it Saturday is a weekly meme hosted at Freda's Voice.

"Books serve to show a man that those original thoughts of his aren't very new at all."
~ Abraham Lincoln ~

"Books! I dunno if I ever told you this, but books are the greatest gift one person can give another."
~ Bono ~

The Friday 56 - Merry Christmas Stories

2011-12-02T05:30:00.003-07:00

"Amazed? She's amazed? I don't want to hear amazed, I want to hear, yes, or, me, too, or I love you. Not, I'm amazed. She sits there staring at that stupid box, and she tells me she's amazed."

Merry Christmas Stories
by Jeff R. Spalsbury

The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted at Freda's Voice.

Friday 56 Rules:

Grab a book, any book.
Turn to page 56.
Find any sentence that grabs you.
Post it.
Add your link at Freda's Voice

The Names of God Bible

2011-12-02T05:00:00.007-07:00

Open the door to a more intimate relationship with God

Discover the Hebrew names of God within the biblical text
Encounter God through prayers, promises, and devotional readings
Experience God's character more deeply by studying his names

One of the best ways to get to know God on a deeper level is to know his names and titles as revealed in Scripture. Now the bestselling author of Praying the Names of God and Praying the Names of Jesus uncovers the richness of God's character and love found in his names right within the Bible text.

The Names of God Bible restores more than 10,000 occurrences of specific names of God--like Yahweh, El Shadday, El Elyon, and Adonay--to help readers connect with the Hebrew roots of their Christian faith and experience a deeper understanding of God's character. Perfect for personal study, prayer, and reflection, The Names of God Bible includes these special features:

- More than 10,000 names and titles of God restored to their Hebrew equivalent and printed in brown ink to stand out within the biblical text
- Names of God reading paths lead readers to the next reference of the name so they can pray and study the names of God throughout Scripture
- Name Pages feature
background information associated with the most important names and titles of God
key Scripture passages in which the name is revealed
devotional readings for each of the featured names
specific Bible promises connected to each of the featured names
Calling God by Name sidebars shed light on the relationship between biblical people and the specific names they called God.

Ann Spangler is an award-winning writer whose fascination with the Bible has resulted in books that have opened the Bible to a wide range of readers. She is the author or coauthor of several bestselling books, including Praying the Names of God, Praying the Names of Jesus, Women of the Bible, and Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus. Together, her books have sold nearly 3 million copies. She has held senior positions at two Christian publishing houses and lives with her two daughters in Michigan.

The Names of God Bible was a pleasure to receive, and it's sure to become a treasured part of my devotional reading. I have never been motivated to learn much about the Hebrew equivalents of the names of God and Jesus as traditionally portrayed in most Bible translations. However, after reading through many sections of this Bible, I want to find out more about the rich history and meanings behind the many different names of God.

I have heard quite a few of the names of God before, but love to have them all indexed in one place, along with pronunciations, meanings and a list of corresponding scriptures.

One of my favourites is El Roi, The God Who Watches Over Me. On the description page for El Roi, there is a short devotional about Hagar, one of my favourite Old Testament stories. This story reminds us of how God knows everything about our lives, past, present and future. Nothing is hidden from Him. The devotional is followed by a short but powerful prayer:

"El Roi, even the darkness is not dark to you. You know everything about me, the light and dark, the good and the bad. You know my dreams and desires, my failings and my fears. You know the good that I do and the good that I fail to do. Please come to me today and help me. Rescue me from dark places and hidden difficulties, and nourish me with your presence so that I, too, may proclaim you as El Roi, the God Who Watches Over Me."

I was not previously familiar with the God's Word Translation (GW), and find it easy to follow and understand. As noted earlier, this Bible will become a valued addition to my personal devotions.

Disclosure: Bible has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson

2011-12-01T19:11:00.001-07:00

Would knowing that your prayers will be answered change the way you pray? In The Circle Maker, Pastor Mark Batterson shares powerful insights from the true legend of Honi the Circle Maker, a believer who prayed miracles would happen to the people of God—and then they fell from the heavens like rain. Honi and Mark Batterson will help you bring your God-given dreams into being through bold, tenacious prayers that honor God and make the impossible come true.

According to Pastor Mark Batterson in his book, The Circle Maker, “Drawing prayer circles around our dreams isn’t just a mechanism whereby we accomplish great things for God. It’s a mechanism whereby God accomplishes great things in us.” Do you ever sense that there’s far more to prayer, and to God’s vision for your life, than what you’re experiencing? It’s time you learned from the legend of Honi the Circle Maker—a man bold enough to draw a circle in the sand and not budge from inside it until God answered his prayers for his people. What impossibly big dream is God calling you to draw a prayer circle around? Sharing inspiring stories from his own experiences as a circle maker, Mark Batterson will help you uncover your heart’s deepest desires and God-given dreams and unleash them through the kind of audacious prayer that God delights to answer.

Read a sample of The Circle Maker here.

Mark Batterson serves as the lead pastor of National Community Church, one church with seven locations in Washington, DC. Mark is the author of several best-selling books: In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, Wild Goose Chase, and Primal. Mark is a popular speaker at leadership conferences, denominational gatherings and men’s retreats. His articles appear in a wide-variety of periodicals including Leadership Journal, Rev, Outreach Magazine, and Relevant. Mark and his wife, Lora, live on Capitol Hill with their three children.

The Circle Maker is one of the best books I have ever had the privilege to read. It is the type of book that makes me read slowly, then put it down for awhile, and let the thoughts and promises slowly simmer and sink into my heart and soul.

Mark Batterson is the author of one of my other favourite books titled "In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day". Both of these books are incredibly life changing, and after reading this one ... I will never think about prayer in the same way. The concept of praying circles around our biggest dreams and fears may sound simple, but the results are far from small. The following quote from the book really impacted me:

"Don't just read the Bible. Start circling the promises. Don't just make a wish. Write down a list of God-glorifying life goals. Don't just pray. Keep a prayer journal. Define your dream. Claim your promise. Spell your miracle."

I loved the story of Honi the Circle Maker, as well as the stories of many others from Bible times and present day who claimed their promise and refused to sway from their dream or miracle. Some miracles took many years to be fulfilled, yet they stood firm.

For anyone interested in learning to pray circles around their family, their friends and their dreams, this book is a fantastic place to begin the journey.

Disclosure: Review copy received courtesy of Zondervan, in exchange for my honest review.

Smitten by Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, Denise Hunter & Diann Hunt

2011-11-30T21:03:00.002-07:00

Four friends devise a plan to turn Smitten, Vermont, into the country's premier romantic getaway-and each finds her own true love along the way.

With Smitten Lumber closing, residents wonder if their town can stay afloat. Then four friends and local business owners-Natalie, Julia, Shelby, and Reese--decide the town is worth saving. How will they do it? They'll turn Smitten into a honeymoon destination!

As Natalie, Julia, Shelby, and Reese work to save the town, each discovers romance in her own life. Meanwhile, the faith of a little child reminds the whole town what it means to have real faith in the God who is the always and forever Love.

Discover a novel written by four of Christian fiction's most popular romance novelists- friends in real life who've drawn an amazing story of four friends! Includes a Reading Group Guide as well as "Conversation over Coffee with the Authors".

Four best friends living in a small town called Smitten are smitten with the concept of love. When the local mill shuts down, their community is desperate to find a new source of income, or the town will disappear.

Together, the four young women come up with an unusual plan to turn their town into a honeymoon resort. They intend to cater to anyone in love, and they need all hands on deck to make their plan work. Little do they realize it, but their own lives will be touched by romance.

I really enjoyed the unusual format of this novel. Four great authors each write a quarter of the book, individually focusing on one of the four characters in the story. Each of the stories is intertwined, but the four sections give a deeper insight into each of the four best friends.

For a really fun read with a strong thread of faith and hope, I highly recommend Smitten.

Disclosure: Ebook received courtesy of Book Sneeze, in exchange for my honest review.

Teaser Tuesday - Smitten

2011-11-29T05:30:00.006-07:00

Once seated, Shelby took a quick glance at her friend in the navy T-shirt, work boots, and long jeans. With dark hair that shagged a little in back and drooped lazily over his ears, she couldn't deny Nick was handsome in a rugged sort of way. Strong jaw, deep-set dark eyes. But the stubble? What made a man want to leave little bits of hair on his face? It was like dark confetti strewn about that no one bothered to clean up. Once a mountain man, always a mountain man. How would he ever find a woman, looking like that?

Smitten by Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, Denise Hunter, Diann Hunt

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme,

hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Face to Face by Catherine Lawton

2011-11-29T05:00:00.000-07:00

Set in the tumultuous world during Jesus' earthly life, here is a timeless story of suffering, longing, and healing. Conflicts arise between a young woman's devotion to God and the demon that holds her captive; between her attempts to free herself and the judgment and condemnation of others; between the rabbi named Jesus and the legalistic religious leaders; between the daily reality of Roman oppression and the Jewish hopes of a Deliverer-Messiah.

A vivid imagining of the account in Luke 13:10-17, where Jesus calls the bent-over woman to himself.

Read the first chapter here.

Catherine was born in Colorado and grew up as a pastor's daughter in seven towns up and down the state of California. She has loved to write since she was a child, having her first poem published in a national periodical at the age of twelve, and since then her byline has appeared in numerous periodicals and book compilations. She has a BA degree in English from Pasadena College. She served as a church musician for many years, as a private piano teacher, a public school substitute teacher and English reader, and freelance writer and editor. Cathy and her husband, Larry, have participated in and led volunteer short-term mission teams to Mexico, South Africa, Venezuela, Sicily & Rome, and Peru.

After living in Santa Rosa, California, for thirty years the Lawtons moved to Colorado, returning to Cathy's roots. Besides the publishing business, Cathy enjoys gardening and hiking in the Rocky Mountains. The Lawtons love spending time with their two grown children and their spouses, and their five beautiful grandchildren.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Hello, Catherine. Your bio mentions that you became a published writer (in a national periodical) at the ripe old age of 12! Did that experience boost your desire to write more?

Catherine: It certainly was affirming and satisfying to think someone would want to print and read something I wrote (It was a little poem about Jesus being my Friend, and a Sunday school teacher encouraged me to send it in). But the desire to write was there already and it grew into a sense of a calling.

In your biblical novel, "Face to Face," you fictionalize a story about a woman who is miraculously healed by Jesus. She is mentioned in the Bible only once, in Luke 13:10-17. With so little known about her, how did you develop her character and make her so believable?

Catherine: That woman, who was healed by Jesus on the Sabbath, gripped my heart and imagination. She was unnamed in the story, so I named her Joakima, which means "One whom God has lifted up spiritually." She was bent over double for 18 years and "could in no way lift herself," which indicates that she had tried. I began to imagine what "cures" she might have used. Each has a parallel today, whether it's conventional wisdom and "old wives' tales," self-righteous religion, new-age spiritualism, or humanistic self-improvement methods. I considered the context of the scriptures and researched the historical period and life in those days. A good story needs conflict, and there's plenty in this account – between the woman and the spirit that crippled her, between Jesus and the leaders of the synagogue, between the people and the burdensome Sabbath laws, and between walking by faith versus walking by sight. I began to imagine Joakima in a colorful setting interacting with other vibrant characters until the story took on a life of its own. I was interested to see how my character would survive and finally thrive in the challenges of that setting.

One gets the sense that there may be experiences in your own life that parallel those of your character, Joakima. Is this perception accurate?

Catherine: The story formed in my mind while I was going through a period of inner healing. I read the book of Luke, and this woman who was so wretched and yet so tenaciously persevering, triggered my imagination as well as my faith. Jesus told the woman she was released and he said that Satan had kept her bound. This part is very personal. I have known people who are bound by various things 51; memories, addictions, sins, wrong thinking, bitterness, and even evil spirits. And I've seen people set free. I wondered what sort of spirit had taken hold of this woman, how Satan could keep a religious person of faith bound, and what might have caused that spirit to enter into her body and life. Luke also tells us that Jesus called her a "daughter of Abraham" which means she had faith. I wondered, how does such a person have such faith?

Now a question to help readers know you better. If you had three free tickets to go to any three places in the world, where would you go, and why?

Catherine: First I'd go to Israel to research my next novel! Next I'd go to Scotland and the Hebrides, where a mighty revival happened the year I was born. Third I'd go to Rome again, where there is a strong sense of the biblical world and the modern world intersecting.

Since music has played such an important role in your life: What music CDs happen to be in your player right now?

Catherine: I just put in a CD of Loreena McKennitt singing Christmas songs, and a Russian pianist playing Rachmaninoff concertos.

If you could spend a week with any historical person of the past ten centuries, who would that be?

Catherine: I might like to spend a week with Joan of Arc, though it might be dangerous. A simple peasant girl believed so strongly that God had spoken to her that she was able to convince leaders of her country and army to let her lead them to victory, out of a dark and troubled period. And talk about conflicts! Her faith and obedience led to her martyrdom. Amazing.

What writing projects are you working on now?

Catherine: Besides writing occasional poetry and other short pieces, I have started two other novels. As I was writing Face to Face, the character of Benjamin grew so strong and appealing, he almost took over the story. I would like to give him a chance to shine. I'd like to take Joakima and Ben to Jerusalem again, perhaps to be present during Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was outpoured, to be part of the early believers who were persecuted and dispersed. I'd like to see Joakima return to her childhood home of Dura-Europas. And like every good story, it would include lots of conflict and a little romance.

Where on the Internet can we find you?

Catherine: At my Cladach author page, my Amazon author page, and Cladach Publishing's Facebook page.

Anything else you'd like readers to know about you?

Catherine: Here are some things about me: I've played the piano for years. Currently, I accompany a gospel quartet. My husband and I enjoy beekeeping in our backyard. I own Cladach Publishing, a small royalty press; and I spend lots of time editing and promoting other authors and their books. Writing and publishing is quite an adventure. And hearing from readers is like frosting on the cake!

Trade Paperback: 192 pgs

Available through most stores and online retailers.

You can purchase it now at: Amazon.com

Just-released: Amazon Kindle Version

Or buy from the publisher on sale this week for $9.74

The World's Greatest Christmas Cookies

2011-11-28T19:11:00.001-07:00

Wonderfully unique, The World’s Greatest Christmas Cookies will delight cookie lovers and bakers alike, and make your holiday celebrations even sweeter! Featuring recipes organized into a variety of categories including no-bakes, filled cookies, bar cookies and more—plus creative tips, ideas, and inspiration for the season—this sure-to-become-a-favorite cookbook is overflowing with only the best cookie recipes for the entire holiday season and beyond.

The World's Greatest Christmas Cookies
Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc.
Pub Date: September 01, 2011
ISBN: 9781616263959

One of the first things I read in this book is that birthdays are all about cakes, and Christmas is all about cookies. I totally agree ... one of the best parts of Christmas is making and sharing a fabulous selection of delectable cookies with family and friends. We all have our old traditional favourites, but it is always fun to explore new recipes.

The very first recipe in this book caught my eye, as my family loves coconut. It is called "Coconut Dainties".

Ingredients: 2 egg whites, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, 2/3 cup granulated sugar, and 1 1/3 cups flaked coconut.

Directions: Beat egg whites, salt, and vanilla until soft peaks form. Add sugar a little a time, beating until stiff. Fold in coconut and drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 325 degrees for about 20 minutes. Yield 1 1/2 dozen.

Sounds very simple and yummy too! I can almost taste them now, and I think drizzling (or dunking) them with a little dark chocolate would make them even better.

This book has a extensive variety of recipes for drop cookies, bar cookies, no-bake cookies, and also rolled and filled cookies. There is also a section with frosting recipes.

My family will be trying out some new recipes this Christmas, and Turtle Cookies or Chocolate Mint Snow-Top Cookies might be next on my Christmas baking list. For a fabulous collection of cookie recipes with a variety of old and new favourites, I totally recommend this book.

Disclosure: Ebook received through Net Galley courtesy of Barbour Publishing, in exchange for my honest review.

Lost Melody by Lori Copeland and Virginia Smith

2011-11-28T18:15:00.002-07:00

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Lost Melody Zondervan (October 25, 2011) by Lori Copeland and Virginia Smith

The beautiful piano sitting in the corner of Jill King's apartment begs to be played. For over a year, it has sat untouched, ever since a terrible accident shattered Jill's ambition of becoming a concert pianist. The ragged scar on her left hand is a cruel and constant reminder of the death of her dream. But another dream is about to come to life---an unexpected, horrifying dream that will present Jill with a responsibility she never wanted. And choices she never wanted to make. Hundreds of lives depend on Jill's willingness to warn her small, oceanside town in Nova Scotia of a nameless, looming disaster. But doing so could cost Jill her reputation, jeopardize the political career of the man she loves, and ruin their plans for a future together. The fate of an entire community hangs in the balance as Jill wrestles with the cost of heeding one still, small voice.

If you would like to read a chapter excerpt of Lost Melody, go HERE.

Lori Copeland lives in the beautiful Ozarks with her husband Lance. Lance and Lori have three sons, three daughter-in-laws, and six wonderful grandchildren, and two great-granddaughters. Lance and Lori are very involved in their church, and active in supporting mission work in Mali, West Africa.

Lori began her writing career in 1982, writing for the secular book market. In 1995, after many years of writing, Lori sensed that God was calling her to use her gift of writing to honor Him. It was at that time that Lori began writing for the Christian book market. To date, she has had over 100 books published.

Virginia Smith is the author of more than a dozen Christian novels and over fifty articles and short stories. Her books have been named finalists in the Daphne du Maurier Award of Excellence in Mystery/Suspense, the American Christian Fiction Writer's Book of the Year Award, and ACFW's Carol Award.

A Certified Lay Speaker for the United Methodist Church, Ginny's messages are always well-received by a variety of audiences in conferences, retreats and churches across the country. When she isn't writing or speaking, Ginny and her husband, Ted, enjoy exploring the extremes of nature – snow skiing in the Wasatch Mountains near Salt Lake City, motorcycle riding on the curvy roads in central Kentucky, and scuba diving in the warm waters of Mexico and the Caribbean.

What would you do if you knew something bad was going to happen? Would you risk your reputation and warn others? Jill was caught in this dilemna, and she was terrified that she might make the wrong choice.

Still reeling from a horrific subway accident that devastated her physically and emotionally, Jill had to make some very tough decisions. Her relationship with her boyfriend, her personal career goals, and her faith in God were all tested.

I applaud the two writers of this exceptional novel, as they did a fantastic job. I really hope they continue to co-write books like this one!

Disclosure: Copy received courtesy of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance, in exchange for my honest review.

Journey to Christmas (DVD Review)

2011-11-26T21:56:00.003-07:00

Journey to Christmas is a fascinating new reality DVD series that invites you to explore Jesus’ birth through five modern-day explorers. Shot on ultra-high-definition film and packaged as a four-part DVD church curriculum, this unique study series chronicles the experiences of five very different people—a messianic Jew, a First Nations woman, a poet, a Christian radio personality, and an agnostic lawyer—as they journey through the Holy Land to discover the true meaning of Christmas. Guided by a local historian (Nizar Shaheen) with on-camera commentary from a team of Bible experts (astronomer Dr. Hugh Ross, ancient history expert Dr. Paul Maier, archeologist and New Testament scholar Dr. Craig Evans, Biblical times culture expert Claire Pfann, and others), viewers will see the Christmas story unfold though the eyes of each member on this unique pilgrimage. Journey to Christmas lets you immerse yourself in the culture, places, and people surrounding the Nativity. Stunning photography, a reality show format, exotic locations, and fascinating commentary from a team of Bible experts make this an unforgettable Bible learning experience!

Journey to Christmas
List Price: 19.99
ISBN: 978-1-4143-6508-4
Binding: 2 DVDs
Release: December 2011

The story of five strangers from Canada going on a 20 day journey to the Holy Land really intrigued me. Their goal was to discover the truth about Christmas. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I only wish I could have joined them.

The group traveled to vital locations in Bible history, beginning with a crazy camel ride through the Negev Desert. They slept in a tent in the middle of the desert, and they got caught in the worst sand storm experienced in over forty years. They journeyed to Masada, The Dead Sea, and to Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered.

They traveled to the Hippodrome, the Great Aqueduct of Herod, and St. Gabriel's Church where the same spring of water flows since Bible days. The Basilica of Anunciation, Nazareth Village, the ancient ruins of Caperneum, and the Mount of Olives were fascinating to see. And there was no much more that they experienced along the way.

The five travelers ended their journey on Christmas Eve in Bethlehem. Some had a solid faith before they went on this trip, and some were questioning if there was a God. The trip was different things to each of them, and it was discouraging to see that those searching for a deep relationship with God did not find what they were looking for. It is hard to imagine being in those holy places and not being profoundly impacted.

Presented in a reality-show format, this DVD series certainly has entertainment and educational value about the Holy Land and the birth place of Jesus. However, as a solid representation of what Christmas is all about, I was disappointed. I was wishing for more substance and was expecting that this would be a tool to reach unbelievers.

Disclosure: Copy received courtesy of Tyndale Blog Network in exchange for my honest review.

4 Great Giveaways Ending Soon!

2011-11-26T16:37:00.014-07:00

Mark at Thoughts of a Sojourner has a fantastic giveaway which ends tomorrow. Go check out Mark's review, and maybe you will be the winner of The Common English Bible.

While you're there, check out Mark's other giveaways:

God Makes Lemonade by Don Jacobson, ends December 3
The Christmas Shoppe by Melody Carlson, ends December 1
The Dinah Harris Mysteries (3 books) by Julie Cave, ends December 1

I can personally recommend The Christmas Shoppe, as well as the 3 books by Julie Cave. These are fantastic giveaways!

Quote it Saturday

2011-11-26T04:00:00.003-07:00

Quote it Saturday is a weekly meme hosted at Freda's Voice.

"Blessed is the man who having nothing to say, abstains from giving in words evidence of the fact." - George Elliot

"I have noticed that the people who are late are often so much jollier than the people who have to wait for them." - E.V. Lucas

Asenath by Anna Patricio

2011-11-25T08:29:00.001-07:00

Two Destinies...One Journey of Love

In a humble fishing village on the shores of the Nile lives Asenath, a fisherman's daughter who has everything she could want. Until her perfect world is shattered.

When a warring jungle tribe ransacks the village and kidnaps her, separating her from her parents, she is forced to live as a slave. And she begins a journey that will culminate in the meeting of a handsome and kind steward named Joseph.

Like her, Joseph was taken away from his home, and it is in him that Asenath comes to find solace…and love. But just as they are beginning to form a bond, Joseph is betrayed by his master’s wife and thrown into prison.

Is Asenath doomed to a lifetime of losing everything and everyone she loves?

Anna Patricio is a lover of ancient history, with a particular interest in Egypt, Israel, Greece, and Rome. She is also intrigued by the Ancient Near East, though she has not delved too much into it but hopes to one day.

She undertook formal studies in Ancient History at Macquarie University. She focused mostly on Egyptology and Jewish-Christian Studies, alongside a couple of Greco-Roman units, and one on Archaeology. Though she knew there were very limited job openings for ancient history graduates, she pursued her degree anyway as it was something she had always been passionate about.

Then, about a year after her graduation, the idea to tackle historical fiction appeared in her head, and she began happily pounding away on her laptop. ASENATH is her first novel.

Recently, she traveled to Lower Egypt (specifically Cairo and the Sinai), Israel, and Jordan. She plans to return to Egypt soon, and see more of it. In the past, she has also been to Athens and Rome.

Anna is currently working on a second novel, which still takes place in Ancient Egypt, but hundreds of years after ASENATH.

For more information please visit www.annapatricio.blogspot.com

The Friday 56 - The Circle Maker

2011-11-25T05:30:00.003-07:00

"He has a way of making our wildest dreams seem tame, our biggest dreams seem small."

The Circle Maker
by Mark Batterson

The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted at Freda's Voice.

Friday 56 Rules:

Grab a book, any book.
Turn to page 56.
Find any sentence that grabs you.
Post it.
Add your link at Freda's Voice