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.
God has promised us eternal life with Him if we but choose Jesus as our Lord and Savior. That sounds so simple and like a really good deal, doesn’t it? But how many have not accepted God’s promise because they don’t want to step out in faith, believing in the salvation that God has promised. If Joshua had not taken God at His word and stepped out in faith, what would have happened to the Israelite nation? Would God have chosen another leader or another nation to favor? Fortunately, we don’t have to deal with that “what if” because Joshua was faithful and believed God. What do we miss out on when we turn away instead of stepping out?
This devotional hits all of the high points of Joshua’s taking over after Moses’s death. He was commissioned by God and he had a high calling, but he had to take the first step away from Moses and on his own. So often, we get caught up in the trap of living in the past instead of pressing on toward a hopeful future. May each of us know in our hearts that God has a perfect plan and promise for each of us and may we all resolve to follow Him to the end.
Think about why you sometimes find yourself in difficult situations, questioning why God would allow challenges to constantly assail you. One answer is in this short devotional. Developing your character is much more important to God than providing for your comfort. Which is more important to you? For me, I don’t like the tough times, but I do want to be more like Jesus…so whatever it takes and with total confidence that God will be with me, I choose character over comfort.
Christian O’Brady was pulled into a life of crime at a young age by his con artist parents. Now making amends for his corrupt past, he has become one of the country’s foremost security experts. When a string of Southwestern art heists targets one of the galleries Christian secured, he is paired up with a gifted insurance investigator who has her own checkered past.
Andi Forester was a brilliant FBI forensic analyst until her career was destroyed. She now puts those skills to work investigating insurance fraud, and this latest high-stakes case will test her gift to the limit. Drawn deep into a dangerous game with an opponent bent on revenge, Christian and Andi are in a race against the clock to catch him, but the perpetrator’s game is far from finished, and one wrong move could be the death of them both.
My Thoughts
This new series by Dani Pettrey begins with this book filled with heart-pounding suspense and developing romance. Two couples are introduced who are both tasked with solving two different crimes and also feeling attraction for one another. Cristian and Andi are the main characters and are working together to solve several high-value art heists. With their lives in danger and the attraction between the two of them beginning to sizzle, their story was engaging and totally mind-blowing at times. The second of the dual storylines deals with Harper and Deckard who are looking into the case of Andi’s being accused of mishandling evidence and getting kicked out of the FBI. Their story was just as compelling and also fraught with danger for the two who have chemistry that they both try to deny. The romance is realistic, the danger to the investigators produces non-stop action and characters that are dynamic and relatable. I really enjoyed the setting in New Mexico and all of the descriptions that let me imagine myself there, enjoying the beautiful patio in Christian’s house and the mountains that surround it. I loved this book and think it may be one of the best from the author, with details that made the story engrossing and research as well as faith that are seamlessly woven into the story. This is a book not to be missed by fans of romantic suspense, in a new place with new characrters and danger coming from unexpected places. I enjoyed the glimpses at evil that were shown at times as well as the clues and red herrings. Everything about this novel makes it the quintessential romantic suspense with a firm faith foundation and lots of information about the new characters in Jeopardy Falls. I am already looking forward to the new book in the series; I am hooked on Jeopardy Falls and the investigators there. Disclaimer Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16th CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
Intense suspense, rated PG. Christian Fiction
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Publishers Weekly and #1 Amazon bestselling author, Dani Pettrey has sold nearly 800,000 copies of her novels to readers eagerly awaiting the next release. Dani combines the page-turning adrenaline of a thriller with the chemistry and happy-ever-after of a romance. Her novels stand out for their “wicked pace, snappy dialogue, and likable characters” (Publishers Weekly), “gripping storyline[s],” (RT Book Reviews), and “sizzling undercurrent of romance” (USA Today). Her Alaskan Courage, Chesapeake Valor, and Coastal Guardian series have received praise from readers and critics alike. She’s been honored with multiple awards, including the Daphne du Maurier Award, two HOLT Medallions, a two-time Christy Award finalist, two National Readers’ Choice Awards, the Gail Wilson Award of Excellence, and Christian Retailing’s Best Award. From her early years eagerly reading Nancy Drew mysteries, to paging through Agatha Christie novels or watching on-the-edge-of-her-seat adventure movies, Dani has always enjoyed mystery and suspense. She considers herself blessed to be able to write the kind of stories she loves–full of plot twists and peril, love, and longing for hope and redemption. Her greatest joy as an author is sharing the stories God lays on her heart. She researches murder and mayhem from her home in Maryland, where she lives with her husband. For more information about her novels, click here.
This is plain speech for plain folks like me who understand that our journey towards Heaven requires some preparation on our part and keeping our eyes on the road. Please go to the original post and follow the author.
As a child, artist and potter Dani Bennett witnessed the brutal murder of her parents. With no memory of the incident or her true identity, she was forced to take on a new name and a new life, hidden away in Montana for the past 25 years.
Mae Richmond has spent the same stretch of time searching for her granddaughter, who went missing the night her daughter and son-in-law were murdered. Convinced the woman she saw in a pottery magazine feature is the woman she’s been searching for, she enlists the help of K-9 officer Mark Lassiter of Pearl Springs, Tennessee, who tracks Dani down.
Skeptical but curious, Dani sets out on a journey to uncover the secrets of her past and reclaim her true identity. But someone close to her is determined to keep the truth of what happened all those years ago hidden.
My Thoughts
This book is amazing as it follows the story of Dani Bennett whose parents were murdered when she was just a young child. Ripped away from her familiar surroundings by her Uncle Keith, she has been working as an artist in the badlands of Montana when she begins to get curious about her partial memories that keep surfacing. Returning to the little town of Pearl Springs, TN, Dani finds her grandmother and a protector named Mark Lassiter. She didn’t even know she needed protection until multiple attempts are made on her life. This book has riveting suspense and characters who are relatable with complicated personalities. This well-crafted story is totally addictive, with its non-stop action and its sensitive exploration of trauma as well as the way Dani’s lost memory is teasingly revealed slowly. I loved the descriptions of the settings, especially in Tennessee where the author made it easy for me to picture the winding roads and the isolation of some of the homes. With intricate plot threads that the author draws seamlessly together into one well written story, this book is one filled with depth and is brilliant in the way the multiple layers come together in the end. My favorite characters were the Puli dog that Dani owns who is well trained to protect her and Mark’s dog Gem who is nothing short of remarkable in his abilities and intuitiveness. This is a cleverly written page turner with a fast pace, tight plot and good chemistry between the characters. Fans of romantic suspense will love this book as it is one I could not put down! Disclaimer Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16th CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
Clean Christian Fiction with some intense suspense; Rated PG
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
USA Today best-selling author, Patricia Bradley is the recipient numerous awards, including an Inspirational Readers’ Choice Award in suspense, a Selah winner, was a Carol and a Daphne du Maurier finalist. Her romantic suspense novels include the Logan Point series, the Memphis Cold Case Novels, and the Natchez Trace Park Rangers. She is now hard at work on the second book in her new Pearl River series set in the Cumberland Plateau area above Chattanooga. The first book in the series, Counter Attack will release in mid-2023.
She has conducted writing workshops for American Christian Fiction Writers, the Mid-South Christian Writer’s Conference, the KenTen and Scrivener retreats (where she was the keynote), the Memphis American Christian Fiction Writer group, and the Bartlett Christian Writers group. She and her two cats call Northeast Mississippi home–the South is also where she sets most of her books, and when she has time, she likes to throw mud on a wheel and see what happens. For more information about Ms. Bradley and her books, check out her website at https://ptbradley.com/meet-patricia/
USA Today bestselling and award-winning author Patricia Bradley begins a new series set in the Cumberland Plateau around Chattanooga. A serial killer is stalking women in Pearl Springs, Tennessee, leaving chess clues at the scene of the murders.
With continued appreciation to Revell for this blogger program that gives me access to review such wonderful fiction!
I really enjoyed this devotional this morning because it has great insight into the role of the sheep and the leadership of the shepherd. I never thought about the fact that a sheep can drown because its wooly coat is so thick. Or that Jesus led the way first, not letting the sheep wander ahead of Him. Is there an image here that spoke to you?
No one that I know has a big desire to die. We are all so busy living life and doing things that we sometimes lose our focus and our biggest desire should be to die. Not physically, not taking your last breath and planning the funeral or last wishes. No, I am talking about dying to our own desires and letting God’s desires and purpose for us to take precedent. If we believe He is a good Father, then we should also believe that His plans are best for us. Thus, if we want God’s best, then we have to die to our own desires and plans and get in step with God’s. No matter how good we think our plans are, God’s will always be better. One line in this devotional really stood out to me: Jesus could not have been resurrected without being crucified first. We cannot have a new life without turning the old one over to God, completely and without any reservations. Our invitation is to die, but the result is a new life that is better than we could ever imagine.
Dying to Live
Dying to ourselves can feel like a bad thing. Most people want to exalt, applaud, and promote themselves.
But in God’s kingdom, dying to ourselves is essential.
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave his life for me.”
Galatians 2:20 NIV
A lump of clay cannot become a work of art unless it is shaped into something else. A container of paint cannot be used for a masterpiece unless it is first poured out. A carbon deposit must change in order to become a diamond. A caterpillar must give up its old way of life in order to become a magnificent butterfly.
The invitation to die is actually an invitation to live.
When we give our lives to God, we’re choosing to surrender our plans, our desires, and our gifts. And that can be hard. But we also know there is something better—and Someone better—on the other side.
God can realign our plans, reshape our desires, and repurpose our gifts for His glory.
The apostle Paul, the author of Galatians, knew firsthand the life-changing power of Christ. Christ’s power radically transformed Paul from someone who persecuted believers, into a passionate follower of Jesus.
Because of that experience, Paul knew that the only way to live was by surrendering every area of His life to Christ. And that’s why he invites us to do the same.
Jesus couldn’t have been resurrected without first being crucified—and the same is true for us.
So what do you need to give to Jesus today? What behavior, habit, or thought do you need to “crucify”? Come as you are to Jesus, and give Him permission to transform and renew your life.
Let’s be honest here. Being a leader is hard because all eyes are always on you, just waiting for you to make a mistake. The Bible gives the way good spiritual leadership works well and that is to designate others to help out. Mentoring them and guiding them and praying about who should hold positions of responsibility is the task of a good leader. I have seen churches fall because the pastor would not let anyone help out, keeping his finger in every pie and not really trusting the people to be led by God. That is an exhausting and ineffective way to lead! Jesus appointed the twelve disciples to go out among the people, but He didn’t follow them everywhere. He waited for them to return and report to Him, or perhaps for the people around them to let Him know what was going on. I remember the story of the healing that the disciples could not accomplish. Jesus stepped in when they fell short, not before they had even tried.
We can learn a lot about spiritual leadership by watching Moses and his interaction with Joshua and then Joshua and his interaction with the seventy elders. At some point, if we are called to lead any kind of ministry, we will have to relinquish control to God and to others. We have to be willing to step back if we are to be good leaders. As I am aging, it has been difficult to watch younger believers step into positions that I used to hold years ago. But it is the way of life; we do, we teach, we mentor and we step back, trusting that God’s working His plan in the lives of others just as He has done and is still doing in ours. I am grateful for the years that God has allowed me to serve Him, in teaching school and at church. But I am also learning to be grateful that there is a new generation ready to take the baton that God is offering them.
This summer, three friends find the courage to step into the next chapter of their lives…
The rules of summer book club are simple:
No sad books
No pressure
Yessssss, wine!
Besties Laurel and Paris are excited to welcome Cassie to the group. This year, the book club is all about fill-your-heart reads, an escape from the chaos of the everyday—running a business, raising a family, juggling a hundred to-dos. Even the dog is demanding (but the bestest boy).
Since Laurel’s divorce, she feels like the Worst Mom Ever. Her skepticism of men may have scarred her vulnerable daughters. Cassie has an unfortunate habit of falling for ridiculous man-boys who dump her once she fixes them. Paris knows good men exist. She’s still reeling after chasing off the only one brave enough—and foolish enough—to marry her.
Inspired by the heroines who risk everything for fulfillment, Laurel, Paris and Cassie begin to take chances—big chances—in life, in love. Facing an unwritten chapter can be terrifying. But it can be exhilarating, too, if only they can find the courage to change.
Ahhh! That is the sigh of total happiness and contentment I feel after finishing a new Susan Mallery book. This novel is friendships, relationships with men and life lessons all rolled into a very satisfying bundle. The story of three women with different challenges in their lives dovetails together beautifully under the hand of an author who knows her craft well and writes with humor and heart. The weaving together of their lives was a wonderful tapestry, and quite a work to behold when it was all finished at the end. The stories of Cassie, a homesick young woman from Maine, Laurel, a divorced single mom, and Paris, a woman who doesn’t trust her own emotional stability, are all focused in the idyllic setting of a small town in California named Los Lobos. Cassie has to learn how to live on her own without feeling as though she is disappointing her family or not needed. Laurel has to understand that she is lovable and not everyone runs away, and Paris has to learn the lesson that one can change in life and be better for it. I loved the story and the fast pace as the POV seamlessly switched between the three main characters. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know each one, complete with realistic flaws and real-life problems. Laurel’s children were portrayed in such a way that my heart went out to them and their dilemma with loving an absentee father. I enjoyed getting to know the secondary characters, too, and think that each one added to the depth of the story. This is one of my favorite books by the very talented Susan Mallery because of its exploration of difficult topics like facing your fears and accepting changes. I am sorry to finish the story of these three brave woman who face obstacles and have to work hard to overcome them and be their best selves. Wonderful story! Great romance! Fantastic life lessons, too! This book is the real deal, a book that gave me all of the right feels and kept me reading until I finished it. Then I sighed because I didn’t want it to end! Disclaimer Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book for the purpose of reviewing it. All opinions expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16th CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
Rated PG
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
SUSAN MALLERY is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of novels about the relationships that define women’s lives—family, friendship, romance. Library Journal says, “Mallery is the master of blending emotionally believable characters in realistic situations,” and readers seem to agree—40 million copies of her books have sold worldwide. Her warm, humorous stories make the world a happier place to live. Susan grew up in California and now lives in Seattle with her husband. She’s passionate about animal welfare, especially that of the ragdoll cat and adorable poodle who think of her as mom.
www.bible.com/reading-plans/13696/day/10
www.bible.com/reading-plans/13696/day/9
www.bible.com/reading-plans/13696/day/8
www.bible.com/reading-plans/13696/day/6
www.bible.com/reading-plans/13696/day/4
Vickie's Book Nook and Meditation Corner 