I am a Christian, a retired teacher, a mother and a grandmother. I love to read and I love the Lord Jesus Christ! Unless otherwise specified ,all visual illustrations are from the YOU VERSION APP of the Bible.
These days, with bad news everywhere and being broadcast 24/7, it is often difficult to focus on good things. I have come to the conclusion that this is a choice, to focus on the good things of God instead of the bad things in the news.
So, in that spirit, I choose today and going forward to focus on being hopeful and thankful. Is everything going the way I would like? No, but God is sovereign and He is in control. With that thought as my foundation, I thank God for waking me up this morning, for a cat who keeps me company, for the health of my children and grandchildren and for the opportunity to read Christian fiction from Christian publishing houses.
You may have to look around a little more since most of us, me included, tend to focus on the negative and ask God to change it. I want to focus more on the positive and be hopeful that God who made the entire world and all who are in it has not given up on it yet. He is still on His throne, and for that I am deeply grateful.
Have a blessed day, filled with hope and gratitude for all God has done, all He is doing and all He will do. 🙏🏻
This morning during my devotional, God spoke to me through various Scripture verses. I am grateful to Him for His Holy Spirit who leads me and guides me each day and shows me truth from His Word.
God works in each of us if we will allow Him to do so. He has a purpose and a plan and it pleases Him when we follow His plans instead of our own pursuits.
When we see others suffering and just pass by instead of being a Good Samaritan, then we are denying the fact that we are part of that suffering. We are all one, together. When one suffers, we all do.
Some of the people who consider themselves wise are not following the admonition to live humbly. I have always heard that if you toot your own horn, then no one else does. We are expected to make humble and wise decisions in ALL that we do, every day in every way.
This is a song that I used to sing in church many years ago, one that still gives me great pleasure as I focus on the coming Day of the Lord, when all of the Redeemed will gather together. There will be only joy, no sorrow or mourning. This particularly touched me today as a fellow co-worker from my school passed away Friday from Covid. He had been vaccinated, so there are a lot of questions in my mind about how this could happen. He was only in his fifties and leaves behind a loving wife and five children. I hope to see him again someday when all of us together go to Zion, singing with gladness because Christ has redeemed us and for all eternity there will be no more sorrow.
Thank you, my friends, for reading through today’s ramblings with me. I need God every day. I need to hear from Him every day. And, while I am still on earth, it gives me great pleasure to share His Word with you. Have a blessed day, filled with His Spirit. Be the Good Samaritan. Be the difference that the world sees and wonders about.
With non-stop, fast-paced action, this was a book that I had trouble putting down. Dr. Katherine Gilroy is a small town doctor and the sister of a fugitive, but when the story begins she doesn’t know that. At least, not until she meets Dominic O’Ryan, a federal Marshall intent on finding Noah and safeguarding him until he can testify against a drug lord. But Dominic is convinced that Noah killed his friend and fellow Marshall Carl, so he has even more reason to find him. The chase is on throughout the book, with more than one character getting injured in their quest for justice. I was happy to see Creed as the town sheriff since I got to know him in a previous book. All of the characters were realistic and the twists and red herrings were perfectly placed. In the genre of clean romantic suspense, this is a book not to miss! Evil is evil and good is good, and the ending, although not surprising, was wonderful to read! Disclaimer Disclosure of Material Connection Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Harlequin via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
Lynette Eason lives in Simpsonville, SC with her husband and two children. She is an award-winning, best-selling author who spends her days writing when she’s not traveling around the country teaching at writing conferences. Lynette enjoys visits to the mountains, hanging out with family and brainstorming stories with her fellow writers. You can visit Lynette’s website to find out more at http://www.lynetteeason.com or like her Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/lynette.eason
Heart pounding a rapid beat, Katherine pulled Hotshot to a stop between the men and the direction the bullets had come from, praying the person wouldn’t shoot the horse. She slid from the saddle, leaving the reins trailing the ground, then snagged the first-aid kit from the saddlebag. US marshals according to the vests the men wore.
Looked like their prisoner or fugitive had turned the tables on them. Which meant the person was either gone now that he’d taken care of the threat—or she was now a target because she planned to try to help the men. A quick scan of the area didn’t reveal anything unusual or worrisome, but the trees could easily be hiding the sniper.
Still using the horse as a shield, she hurried to the man closest to her. The bullet had hit him just above his left ear and he’d landed on his side. His brown, sightless eyes stared up at her and she knew he was beyond help. She checked his pulse anyway and got what she expected. Nothing.
She closed the dead man’s eyes then turned her attention to the other one. A pulse. She focused on his head. A gash just below his hairline bled freely. A low groan rumbled from him and Katherine placed a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t move,” she said.
He blinked and she caught a glimpse of sapphire-blue eyes. He let out another groan. “Carl…”
“Just stay still and let me look at your head.”
“I’m fine.” He rolled to his side and he squinted up at her. “Who’re you?”
“I’m Dr. Katherine Gilroy so I think I’m the better judge of whether or not you’re fine. You have a head wound which means possible concussion.” She reached for him. “What’s your name?”
He pushed her hand away. “Dominic O’Ryan. A branch caught me. Knocked me loopy for a few seconds, but not out. We were running from the shooter.” His eyes sharpened. “He’s still out there.” His hand went to his right hip, gripping the empty holster next to the badge on his belt. A star within a circle.
“Where’s my gun? Where’s Carl? My partner, Carl Manning. We need to get out of here.”
“I’m sorry,” Katherine said, her voice soft. “He didn’t make it.”
He froze. Then horror sent his eyes wide—and searching. They found the man behind her and Dominic shuddered. “No. No, no, no. Carl! Carl!” He army crawled to his partner and sucked in a gasping breath, cupped Carl’s face and felt for a pulse.
Katherine didn’t bother to tell him she’d already done the same—or what he’d find. After a few seconds, he let out a low cry then sucked in another deep breath and composed his features. The intense moment has lasted only a few seconds, but Katherine knew he was compartmentalizing, stuffing his emotions into a place he could hold them and deal with them later.
She knew because she’d often done the same thing. Still did on occasion.
In spite of that, his grief was palpable, and Katherine’s heart thudded with sympathy for him. She moved back to give him some privacy, her eyes sweeping the hills around them once more. Again, she saw nothing, but the hairs on the back of her neck were standing straight up. Hotshot had done well, standing still, being a buffer between them and a possible sniper, but Katherine’s nerves were twitching—much like when she’d worked with the police department. “I think we need to find some better cover.”
As if to prove her point, another crack sounded, and Hotshot reared. His whinnying scream echoed around them. Then he bolted for home. Katherine grabbed the first-aid kit with one hand and pulled Dominic to his feet with the other. “Run!”
Many thanks to Harlequin for the opportunity to read and review this Christian romantic suspense. I love when I can recommend books to all of my readers!
This is a well-written mystery for young adults, but I would add mature young adults since the content is not for everyone. There is quite a bit of “hooking up” and expletives were used freely. Jenna is going to a private girls’ school in a small town, living with her aunt who is a police detective, when one of her friends is killed. When another friend is a suspect, Jenna starts investigating on her own, determined to find out who killed Colleen. There are two sets of teens who are the focus of the story. The girls are Serena, Imogen, Brianna, Hollie and Jenna, all friends who attend a school called Preston Prep. Then there are the bad boys who go to Rookwood, the boys’ private school that seems to be for the incorrigible throw-aways of society, the ones that their parents can’t or won’t control or who just don’t want to deal with them anymore. That group comprises Adam, Max, and Tommy. Of course, the girls are attracted to the bad boys and visit a cabin near the campus where they party together. The scene was well set for conflict since the kids were meeting outside of the bounds of acceptable behavior and they were doing things that their parents and the schools would not approve of. Therein lies the appeal to the younger generation since a central theme is rebellion against authority. The plot was complicated, but not so much so that it was not easy to follow. There were lots of red herrings along the way, as the story is told from the viewpoint of several of the main characters, especially Jenna and Adam. At first, I was not sure that they were reliable narrators because of their differing opinions about what had happened, but I discovered as I read that they were both reliable and accurate. They just saw things differently because they had their own perspective. With deep understanding of the teen psyche and what teens really need from life, this was a well done character study as well as a blockbuster of a mystery. I was guessing whodunit almost until the very end, and even then I was surprised by some of the revelations. Fans of YA mystery will enjoy this book and should enjoy discussing it with a book group or their parents since it brings so much information out about growing up and choosing friends wisely. Disclaimer Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
I would rate this a M-YA book due to content, both language and sexual exploits of the youth as well as murders that make up the mystery.ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Gabriella Lepore is a YA author from South Wales in the United Kingdom. She lives in the countryside with her husband James and daughter Sophia. When she isn’t reading or writing, she can usually be found exploring the coastline. She enjoys cups of tea, bookstore coffee shops, stormy beaches, and autumn days.
JENNA Gardiners Bay at dawn is my secret. There’s a moment, right before the day starts, when the ocean is bathed in amber light. That first golden breath of morning. Everything is still, apart from the pelicans gathering near the water, their plump bodies shuffling along the shoreline. Sometimes I sit on the promenade for hours with my legs suspended over the pebble beach below, just watching the night turn to day. Watching the darkness turn to light. It’s often like this, just me and the birds. The only other people I tend to cross paths with at this hour are fishermen wearing heavy-duty gear and hugging their thermoses. They sit on the benches and swig their hot drinks while skimming the daily newspaper. Then they leave. A little while later, their boats drift out onto the water. Today, though, I’m the only one here. I raise my camera and adjust the focus, capturing the new light as it spills over the ocean. In the muted daylight, the silver tide is a murky, dull gray and frothing as it slaps against the shore. “Help! I need help!” My eyes dart across the shoreline. There’s a boy on the stretch of beach at the foot of Rookwood Cliff. He’s kneedeep in the water, fully dressed. He shouts again. I spring to my feet and run along the promenade. Ducking beneath the boardwalk railings, I jump down to the pebbled cove. The soles of my feet sting at the impact of the stones beneath my Converse. I scramble toward him, my footing slipping on the damp pebbles. It’s then that I recognize him. Adam. His jeans are soaked to the thigh. He’s wading through the shallows, his legs tangled in fishing net and seaweed. And a body lies limp in his arms. A girl. She’s swollen, her skin has turned purple, and one arm is swinging downward with the momentum of Adam’s labored movements. I press my hand to my mouth. “Call an ambulance,” he shouts. But all I can do is stand there, paralyzed by the sight. He lowers the girl onto the sand and begins CPR, breathing into her mouth. It’s too late, I want to tell him. She’s already dead.
With easy to read rhymes and illustrations that are colorful and enticing for children, this book is a perfect gift for the little ones in your life. Touting God’s creation and His goodness on every page, this little reader encourages children to look around them at all that God has made and be thankful for everything. It even mentions the fact that God creates the child and made them for a special purpose. I loved the simplicity of the verses and the illustrations and plan to purchase my own copy for my grandchildren. Disclaimer Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tommy Nelson Publishers via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
A children’s board book perfect for the little ones in your life!Photo from the author’s website on Amazon: Bonnie Rickner Jensen on AmazonBio from author’s website on Amazon: BRJ on Amazon
This lovely children’s book was published on September 14th and would be a welcome addition to your little one’s library. Purchase Links:
This is one of those books that entertains, teaches a life lesson (or several of them) and makes me think, all at the same time. Phoebe is a widow who also lost her young daughter in a horrible car accident. Still having difficulty dealing with her loss, she is startled by the appearance of Pauline Steele at the mortuary where she works, especially because Pauline is like a mirror image of herself. Thus her quest for the truth begins, taking her along a path that she never wanted to travel and one which will take her to the brink of insanity. Along the way, Phoebe is pulled back from the edge by friends like Renee and Mike, but she is also determined to find out the truth about her husband Logan and his possible relationship with Pauline. This book, with all of its complexities and hidden truths, was an engrossing read, one that I had to pause as I read in order to think about applications to my own life and the things that we take for granted. I enjoyed discovering about Phoebe’s strengths and weaknesses just as she was discovering them herself. My favorite parts of the book were her realization about the truth and the ending, a very satisfactory one, I might add. This is a book that should be savored, just as you savor a fine wine or a good meal. It sits there with you for a while, you think about it and then you move on to the next part of the story. The action was somewhat slow-paced, but I found that this technique worked for me with this book because I needed the pauses in order to reflect on what was really happening. The reality is there, just hidden beneath layers of self-deception and a psychosis that can destroy if not handled well. Fans of domestic drama with some suspense added in will enjoy this book and look forward to more from this author. Disclaimer Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author and publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
I would rate this a hard PG-13 because the content could be disturbing to some readers since it deals with love, loss and psychological illnesses.Photo and bio from the author’s website at http://www.ajbanner.com
Reading this book made me think about the meaning of life and how brief it is. It was thought-provoking in a really good way, so I hope that you will pick up a copy and enjoy your own self-reflection.
Please take the time to follow the link below and read this enlightening and thought-provoking article by Dr. Denison’s son Ryan. He makes some very good points here.
What a fast-paced, well-written romantic suspense! Leigh Larson is an attorney who takes on interesting cases dealing with sexual extortion and online abuse. Talk about keeping up with the times! This book does that and more. Homicide detective Brandon Reynolds crosses paths with Leigh when her client Vanessa is missing and he concludes that there may have been a murder because of the blood at the scene. Leigh decides to investigate on her own what happened to Vanessa at the same time that Brandon is investigating a possible murder. Leigh’s life is endangered by her own snooping and Brandon comes to her rescue. The romance is steamy at times, but it is a slow burn on the back burner. The real thrust of the story is what happened to Vanessa and why. The characters were three-dimensional and believable, with all of the angst that comes with trying to find out the truth while exploring a new relationship. For the mystery lover fans like me, there were plenty of red herrings and twists with an abundance of possible suspects. The mystery was well-developed, with clues given regularly for me to follow and to keep me enticed to continue to read. In fact, I could not read this book fast enough because I wanted to find out what happened to Vanessa as much as the protagonists did. The conclusion wrapped everything up in a nice, tight bow. I enjoyed the plotting and even the sub-plot of a relationship developing between Detective Antonio and Kate, Vanessa’s sister. Surprisingly, my favorite character was neither Leigh nor Brandon but rather Leigh’s partner Javi, an understanding and compassionate man who really had Leigh’s best interests at heart and wanted her to succeed in her quest for justice. I cannot say enough about how good this story was and hope that fans of creepy good romantic suspense will enjoy it as much as I did. Disclaimer Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
I would rate this book PG-13 since there are some steamy sex scenesoutside of marriage.Image and Bio from the author’s website at http://www.lauragriffin.com
Coming next week to a store near you! Pre-order now by following a purchase link below:
This is an enchanting Christian contemporary romance with such a sweet and original story that it was hard to put down. Leah Williams has a problem with trust issues since her father walked out on her. When she returns to the little town of Heritage, Michigan to re-open her grandfather’s store, she needs the help of Jon Kensington, a former basketball star who has a hidden crush on her, but her difficulty trusting him leads to issues between the two. There are also several sub-plots, like Jon taking over his deceased father’s company from an overbearing uncle, Jon’s rebellious sister Abby presenting extra trouble for him and a couple named Colby and Madison who also seem to have sparks flying between them. The entire story was brilliantly written, with believable interactions between the characters and a plot that wove around just enough to keep me absorbed. The addition of a hippo named Otis that moved around the town’s central square and then disappeared completely was a clever touch and one that added humor to the story. With an insightful theme of forgiveness, accepting others and trusting God as well as people, this book is a not-to-be missed conclusion to the Restoring Heritage series. There are three books in the series, and this is the final one. I have read two of them and can say without reservation that they can each be read as a standalone or enjoyed as a series. Disclaimer Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
Rated PG because there is a character who is pregnant and unmarried. This is a contemporary Christian romance, with emphasis on Christian…it is basically a clean read. Photo and bio from the author’s website at http://www.tarifaris.comCheck out this site…it’s a lot of fun to read!
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I hope that you have enjoyed this review and that you will get this book and read it. It kept me entertained for hours and is like reading a fairy tale as an adult. I love happy endings, don’t you? ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️❤️❤️❤️
bible.com/bible/1171/gal.2.20.MEV
Vickie's Book Nook and Meditation Corner 