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.
It seems that no matter how hard I try to get all of my to-do list done daily, I just don’t succeed. So instead of getting frustrated about it, I have turned my list over to God and asked Him to help me to prioritize it. On days like today, with over a dozen books published that I have reviewed, I feel anxiety creeping in to get that all-important review copied over to Amazon and other big publishers. But the priority is my time with God. Then, the rest of the day falls into place better. Time in His Word, time in prayer, time just telling Him how I am feeling and what I need help with. Then, the obstacles that seem so insurmountable become little anthills and I am happier tackling those chores. God is good…He gives each of us twenty four hours every day, and it is our choice what we do with them.
I love the analogy of being a work of art, a masterpiece as it were. But the addition to that is that the paint isn’t dry because God continues to work on us daily to make us more like Jesus. I don’t know about you, but when I start a project, I am anxious to finish it, to see the completed work and to be able to use it for what I made it for. I can just imagine God starting the project on me over fifty years ago and still patiently working to complete it, knowing what His ultimate purpose is for me. When I get frustrated because I keep making the same mistakes, God lovingly corrects and brings me back around to try again. He just wants me to be more like Jesus, like the person He created me to be. It boggles my mind that God pays attention to me and my growth in Christ. My paint may not be dry, but I am so thankful that God still sees a canvas worth working on!
What an eye-opening message today! We are worthy because God created us and He will work on us, tuning all of the keys of our lives, and ultimately completing His work in us so that we are perfect for the work He wants us to do. There is only one me…there is only one you. So, take time today to ask God what He wants you to do with the life he has gifted you and then get started doing it.
In our busy world with media and other people there with us all the time, we have to purposely pause in life’s busyness and just listen to God. We need to hear God’s Word but we cannot really get anything from it unless we are really listening.
Shaken by her parents’ divorce and discouraged by the growing chasm between herself and her serious boyfriend, Nikki Werner seeks solace at her uncle’s farm in a small Missouri hamlet. She’ll spend the summer there, picking up the pieces of her shattered present so she can plan a better future. But what awaits her at the ancestral farm is a past she barely knows.
Among her late grandmother’s belongings, Nikki finds an old notebook filled with handwritten German recipes and wise sayings pulled from the book of Proverbs. With each recipe she makes, she invites locals to the family table to hear their stories about the town’s history, her ancestors—and her estranged father.
What started as a cathartic way to connect to her heritage soon becomes the means through which she learns how the women before her endured—with the help of their cooking prowess. Nikki realizes how delicious streusel with a healthy dollop of faith can serve as a guide to heal wounds of the past.
My Thoughts
This book is like a primer on establishing relationships with the past and improving current ones. Nikki Werner flees to her Uncle Wes’s property in rural Missouri when her father’s leaving her mom breaks her heart, followed by a her boyfriend not being someone she can count on right now. At Uncle Wes’s farm, Nikki finds an old notebook that belonged to her grandmother and that contains handwritten recipes along with proverbs. As Nikki lovingly prepares the old recipes, she learns to put heart into her cooking as she thinks about all of the challenges in life that she is now facing. She meets new people, makes new friends and gets insight into what she is facing and how to face it. During the reading of this book, I was challenged to think about my own past and its effect on my present and apply God’s truth to what has happened and is happening. This is a book that teaches lessons about redemption, forgiveness, looking for the path God wants for you and not accepting less than God’s peace and His best in your life. I loved all of the characters, especially Aunt Emma who dispensed wisdom as well as unconditional love. The plot was well-paced and totally engrossing as Nikki invites one person after another and learns a lot about her past from each of them, all while pondering in her mind about what to do about her father and her boyfriend. The recipes are fascinating, too, making me want to try a few of them like the pancakes and the streusel. I am impressed with the author’s story within a story and the depth of her research. All in all, this is a wonderful book with a story clamoring to be read again and again and enjoyed by book clubs as they discuss the recipes, the importance of connection to the past and forgiving even when it’s hard. Disclaimer Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell, the publisher. 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 Advertisng.”
Rated G: clean Christian fiction
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sara Brunsvold creates stories that speak hope, truth, and life. Influenced by humble women of God who find His fingerprints in the everyday, she does the same in her life and her storytelling. Sara’s recognitions include the 2020 ACFW Genesis Award for Contemporary Fiction. She lives with her family in Kansas City, where she can often be spotted writing at a park or library.
When I get busy with life and all of its challenges, that is when I need to immerse myself in the refreshing water of the Holy Spirit. Paddling, wading, whatever it takes so that I am feeling alive again and not just going through the motions. I am enjoying this encouraging series and hope that you are, too. I will leave you with this admonition to think about.
“Don’t just prioritise your schedule; schedule your priorities. Set aside a regular time to read the Bible and schedule it as a top priority.” ~Nicky Gumbel devotional January 16, 2022
When Eliza’s life is threatened, she turns to a handsome veteran for help. I left everything I’d ever known behind. And that decision may cost me my life. The moving truck hadn’t even been unpacked when my fresh start went up in flames. A frightening letter left in my mailbox and signed Always Yours sends me running to the only man in town who can help me. Driven by his protective nature and a mission he believes comes from God, ex-Army Ranger Lance Knight agrees, despite the fact that I’ve made it no secret I want nothing to do with him–or anyone for that matter.
The longer we’re together, the more I begin to realize that Lance is more than I gave him credit for. Something that troubles me nearly as much as the fact that an unknown man seems to have already claimed me as his. Trouble is, my admirer has a jealous side, and it’s not long before Lance is pulled into the crosshairs right alongside me… Get your copy now and be ready to stay up all night! Pages of Promise is a swoon-worthy, faith-based, suspenseful romance between a jaded woman and the hero determined to protect not just her body…but her heart.
This is Christian fiction at its best with faith woven throughout the story. The main characters are Lance Knight, the owner of a protection and security agency and Eliza who needs protection in the worst way. Eliza has fled to Hope Springs after divorcing her abusive and philandering husband Erik and is planning on a completely fresh start on the east coast. Unfortunately, she has a stalker who is determined to terrorize her and get rid of anyone who stands in the way of his having her for his own. The pace is fast with action that doesn’t let up. There are a few clues as to the identity of the stalker but not enough to spoil the story, and I was not able to guess the truth and its ramifications for Eliza and Lance. The characters are well-rounded, with flaws that make them more relatable. All of the town’s characters are lovable and make the small town a place that seems hospitable and welcoming, even to a total stranger like Eliza. I enjoyed how the town came together to help Eliza and support her when she needed it. The secondary characters like Doc were important to the tale and the setting made the story seem more realistic, adding a well described and inviting location in the midst of the danger that was ever present. This is the first book I have read by this author and I enjoyed it so much that I plan to read the other books in the series when they are released. This book can be read and thoroughly enjoyed as a standalone as that is how I read it.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Just Read. 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.”
Christian Fiction
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
After spending seven years in the Army, Jessica Ashley set out to write novels that would transport readers to new worlds and help them escape reality with messages of underdogs and swoon-worthy romance. After eight years of a successful writing career underneath two pen names, she felt her faith pulling her in a new direction. Now, she writes sweet romance with messages of faith, hope, and the importance of trusting our hearts and the word of God. Her debut novel, Pages of Promise, is set to release in February 2024.
She resides in Texas with her husband of twelve years, their three kids, a flock of chickens, an orange cat who thinks he runs the house, and three dogs who don’t realize just how big they are. Connect with Jessica by visiting authorjessicaashley.com to follow her on social media and sign up for email updates.
Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight January 29, 2024 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on February 5, 2024. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
As I read this devotional this morning, the word “touchstone” jumped into my mind. I have read it in books, heard it from others but I didn’t really know what it meant. I only had a vague idea. So, I consulted the online Merriam-Webster dictionary and this is what I found. It is a stone used to test the quality or genuineness of something. Having read that definition, I decided that prayer is a touchstone for my relationship with God. The time I spend with God each day is important to me. It helps me to start each day knowing that I have touched base with the One who will guide and keep me throughout the day. I may not have a lot of time some days to pray long prayers, but I know that God is still there for me, waiting and listening and hearing and even answering as I call. I have said it before on this page, but I think it bears repeating. My prayers to God are like a long phone call. I call on him when I awaken and never hang up. He is still on the line for me all day long. The quotations in this devotional really spoke to me, especially the ones by John Bunyan and Corrie Ten Boom. Prayer isn’t just a thing I do…it is a part of me that helps me to know that my faith is genuine. I do really believe, even when times are hard and the doubts assail me from all sides. Prayer is my touchstone; faith is the rock upon which my life has been built and it is the rock upon which I will stand until God calls me home. My prayer time with God is always quality time, not because of me but because of the One who hears and spends time assuring me that He is there and always will be.
May your day be blessed with the touchstone of prayer.
www.bible.com/reading-plans/11667/day/17
www.bible.com/reading-plans/11667/day/16
www.bible.com/reading-plans/11667/day/15
www.bible.com/reading-plans/11667/day/13
www.bible.com/reading-plans/11667/day/12
Vickie's Book Nook and Meditation Corner 