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Month: June 2024
Living in Victory
www.bible.com/reading-plans/44512/day/4
Every time we take a step closer to Jesus and move away from sin, we are getting closer to the ultimate victory. I keep remembering that Jesus already fought and won all of my battles; I just have to be a good soldier of Christ and accept His sacrifice. As a military wife, it’s hard to imagine a commanding officer who goes into the middle of the battle, but that is exactly what Jesus does. He doesn’t stand on the sidelines and bark orders. He leads the charge and expects us to follow.
Review of THE PARIS WIDOW by Kimberly Belle
ABOUT THE BOOK
THE PARIS WIDOW
Author: Kimberly Belle
Publication Date: June 11, 2024
ISBN: 9780778307976
Format: Trade Paperback
Publisher: Harlequin Trade Publishing / Park Row Books
Book Summary:
From USA Today bestselling author Kimberly Belle comes a deliciously twisty new thriller following a married couple vacationing in Paris whose trip takes a dark turn when the husband goes missing, dredging up secrets from both of their pasts, perfect for fans of THE PARIS APARTMENT.
When Stella met Adam, she felt like she finally landed a nice, normal guy – a welcome change from her previous boyfriend and her precarious jetsetter lifestyle with him. She loves knowing she can always depend on Adam, which is why when he goes missing during a random explosion in Paris, she panics. Right after what is assumed to be a terrorist attack, she’s interviewed live on TV by reporters, begging anyone who knows anything about her husband’s whereabouts to come forward and is quickly dubbed “The Paris Widow.”
As the French police investigate, it’s revealed that Adam was on their radar as a dealer in the black market for priceless antiquities, making deals with very high-profile and dangerous clients. Reeling from this news and growing suspicions about her husband, Stella can’t shake the feeling that she’s being followed. And with Adam assumed dead, she realizes that whoever was responsible for the bombing will come after her next. Everything – and everyone — that Stella has tried to keep in her duplicitous past might be her only means of survival and finding out what really happened to Adam.
An irresistible and fast-paced read set in some of Europe’s most inviting locales, THE PARIS WIDOW explores how sinister secrets of the past stay with us – no matter how far we travel.
My Thoughts
This book gave me whiplash as I sped through the pages trying to find out quickly what would happen next in this twisted tale of love and secrets. Adam and Stella are on a dream vacation when an explosion occurs at a little cafe and Adam is gone. Stella is left on her own to discover what was really happening in Adam’s life that endangered him so much and at the same time, she makes revelations about the secrets she is guarding from her own past. There are a lot of shady characters in this book that deals with the underworld of stolen antiquities, so there’s a big question throughout the novel of who can be trusted and who should be avoided. Just for the record, I kept guessing incorrectly, but I kept guessing because that is part of the entertainment value of this mesmerizing book. The pace is fast, the characters are not all relatable but they are all realistic and dynamically portrayed. This book is a spy thriller, a psych thriller, a mystery and a romance all rolled up into a neat package and in several settings throughout Europe. It was obvious that the author knew the areas well as the details she offered about the various places were fascinating, adding to the atmospheric drama of the story. This is a book that is masterfully crafted to capture the reader and it succeeded with me, becoming one of my favorite thrillers of the decade.
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 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.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kimberly Belle worked in marketing and nonprofit fundraising before turning to writing fiction. A graduate of Agnes Scott College, Kimberly lived for over a decade in the Netherlands and currently divides her time between Atlanta and Amsterdam. She is the bestselling author of The Marriage Lie, Three Days Missing, Dear Wife, as well as The Last Breath, The Ones We Trust, Stranger in the Lake, My Darling Husband, and The Personal Assistant.
Social Links:
Author website: https://www.kimberlybellebooks.com/
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/kimberlybelle
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KimberlySBelle
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimberlysbelle/
PURCHASE LINKS:
Our Source of Strength
Sometimes, I reach out to the lamp next to me to turn it on and it doesn’t work. Why not? It isn’t plugged into the outlet so it has so source of power. That’s how we are when we decide to operate all on our own, making choices without praying and consulting the Lord. We move away from our source and lose our ability to make a wise choice. The source of all of our strength, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually, is our close relationship with Jesus. He wants to be our source all the time so that when the waves and storms rage against us, we are accustomed to running to our source and plugging into His omnipotent strength to help us through the situation.
I have been challenged lately with health issues that seem never ending. At my follow up appointment yesterday, the doctor pronounced that after more than a week of strong antibiotics, I still have bronchitis. No surprise for me to hear since I am still using my rescue inhaler several times a day! So, next week, I go to see a specialist to see if my vocal cords were badly affected by the medication that I reacted to. Then she wants me to see a pulmonologist. She couldn’t believe that I have reached my age (72), had asthma my entire life and never seen a lung specialist. Well, whatever. I will go where they tell me to go, pray about doing what they tell me to do and trust the Lord to be my source of strength and healer. I was talking with my husband yesterday and told him that I cannot imagine what it will be like in heaven to draw a breath and feel the air completely since I have never, not once in my life, had that experience. I know my body will be different and resurrected, but I am so looking forward to being truly healed and whole. In the meantime, I walk the earth, take the breaths God has given me and am thankful that I can live each day and see the wonders He has created. Do I feel strong? No. But I feel strengthened by the power of His love and might and know that He is working on me for His purposes. I want to end my days yoked to the One who knows and loves me best and who has cared for me all of these years. May everyone who reads these words know the real source of strength in your lives and come to know Jesus as the only support you really need.
When You Need Support
Everyone carries burdens, and the things we go through shape the way we view the world, and ourselves. But we weren’t meant to carry our burdens alone.
In fact, Jesus says to the people following Him—
“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. … For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30 NLTA yoke is a heavy wooden beam that lies across a pair of oxen, evenly distributing the weight of the loads they carry. But the term was also used by Jewish Rabbis. “The yoke of the law” symbolized complete submission to God’s law, and Rabbis taught that becoming yoked to it would free the Jews from enslavement to the world.
Jesus is using a phrase that His Jewish followers would have easily understood, but then He flips the illustration. He tells the crowd that they must yoke themselves to Him—because He is the fulfillment of their law.
When they do this, the burdens they carry won’t be heavy at all—because He will bear the weight of their burdens.
Paul references this teaching in his letter to the Galatian Christians:“Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.”
Galatians 6:2 NLTThe law of Christ is to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love others as ourselves (Matthew 22:37-40). But the only way we can fulfill the law of Christ is if we bind ourselves to Him. When we are yoked to Jesus, He becomes our source of strength.
He helps us endure hard situations and enables us to walk away from poor decisions. He fills us up with His love so that we can pour His love out onto others. He gives us the capacity to support other Christ-followers just like He supports us.
Just as Jesus bore our sins and suffering, we are called to bear the suffering of others. In this way, we show them the love of Christ and guide them toward Jesus.
Right now, spend a few minutes talking to God about the burdens you need help carrying, and then allow Him to show you the people in your life He wants you to support.
Seek Unity
www.bible.com/reading-plans/44512/day/2
As a member of a very large church, I am sometimes overwhelmed by the sheer numbers in the auditorium. Then, God will speak quietly to my heart and remind me that He sees me there as an individual, worshipping Him and learning from His Word. When I look around and see others worshipping, too, I am reminded that we are all there in unity for one purpose, to worship and to serve and to learn.
Review of FIND ME IN CALIFORNIA by Kerry Lonsdale
ABOUT THE BOOK
- ASIN : B0CLVQYLPG
- Publisher : Lake Union Publishing (June 11, 2024)
- Publication date : June 11, 2024
- Print length : 314 pages
An achingly romantic novel about chance meetings, buried secrets, and the multiple facets of love and family bonds by Wall Street Journal bestselling author Kerry Lonsdale.
Raised by her fiercely passionate and free-spirited grandmother, Julia Hope has never gone without love. But as she tends to her only living relative during her final days, Julia struggles to overcome her fear of being alone.
A thousand miles away, Matt Gatlin has managed to avoid the coldhearted grandmother with whom he once lived. But after twelve years of her being blessedly out of sight, she needs him. His resentments still raw, Matt packs up his car and reluctantly heads to California to confront a bitter past he thought was long gone.
Over the next six days, Julia’s and Matt’s fates intersect. An old diary exposes the tragedy of a long-lost love. A history of secrets in two families comes to light. And on a lonely back road, Matt picks up an unusual yet captivating hitchhiker with a secret of her own.
For Julia and Matt, something heartbreaking and heartwarming, mysterious and beautiful, will touch their lives—with neither of them realizing that maybe they’re destined for each other.
My Thoughts
I don’t know where to start to describe the genre of this book since it is steeped in romance, mystery and a little fantasy along the way, too. Matt Gatlin and Julia Hope are two sympathetic and relatable protagonists, both facing a difficult future after traumatic childhoods. Both were cast off by parents and raised by a grandmother. Julia’s grandmother, Mama Rose, was nurturing and kind, but there are secrets that Julia is discovering now that Mama Rose is dying and it would have been better for Julia if Mama Rose had been totally honest. Matt was raised by his grandmother, too, a Hollywood legend named Liza who was distant and cold to him, even leaving the room when he was present. His childhood was marked by rejection, first by his mother and then by his grandmother, so it is no wonder that he has a few problems with the present situation in which his grandmother is dying and requesting to see him. The way these two come together, via a nursing home where both grandmothers reside, is an original take on a meet-cute situation. Matt’s trip to get to his grandmother’s bedside is fraught with his own personality as he uses drugs along the way, hallucinates a relationship (maybe…not sure about what this really was but it was interesting) and finally arrives at the nursing home to actually meet Julia in person. The two have so much in common that it seems inevitable that they must become a couple, but that cannot happen until both of them deal with their pasts. I enjoyed the intricacies of this story, all of the background information about Liza, Mama Rose, Matt and Julia that were woven into the main story of a loss that was certain to come soon. This is a multi-layered, well-crafted story of relationships, secrets, forgiveness and finding hope in the most unlikely places. It is also a story of acceptance and love even in the middle of a messy life. The characters are deeply touching, unique and realistically flawed representatives of life. The complications in the plot are thought-provoking and I encourage readers to go through the discussion questions at the end of the book because they are a great way to reflect on the truths encountered within its pages. Insightful, captivating and magical, this book is a brilliant look at overcoming one’s past and facing a new future.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. 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.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kerry Lonsdale is the award-winning Amazon Charts, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and #1 Kindle bestselling author of the Everything series (Everything We Keep, Everything We Left Behind, and Everything We Give), No More trilogy (No More Words, No More Lies, and No More Secrets), and multiple standalone novels that include All the Breaking Waves, Last Summer, Side Trip, and Find Me in California. Her books have been Amazon Editors’ Picks, translated into twenty-seven languages, and have been covered by PopSugar, Buzzfeed, Parade, Redbook, Coastal Living, Travel & Leisure, Medium, Refinery29, and multiple other media outlets. She’s a founder of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association and lives in Northern California with her husband and three rescue cats. For more information about Kerry and her books, visit her website at Kerry Lonsdale
PURCHASE LINKS:
Review of FARMHOUSE DEVOTIONS by Cheryl Shuermann
ABOUT THE BOOK
- ASIN : B0D4N2LZ86
- Publisher : Bold Vision Books (May 19, 2024)
- Publication date : May 19, 2024
- Print length : 205 pages
From picture rails and antique church doors to prairie flowers and sticktights, Farmhouse Devotions: God’s Glory in the Ordinary invites you on a journey to enjoy God’s truth and wisdom in everyday experiences.
Combining sound biblical truth with the timeless appeal of anything farmhouse, this sixty-day devotional will encourage and inspire and satisfy.
Original artwork and family-friendly recipes are included in the book as sweet treats.
Grab your coffee, get comfortable, and discover God’s glory in Farmhouse Devotions.
Welcome to The Farm!
My Thoughts
This devotional offers practical and immediately applicable messages to encourage one’s heart and to guide one along the right path to a firm and steady relationship with the Lord. Each chapter begins with a scripture verse and ends with a prayer. The titles of the chapters are inviting, giving a small clue as to what treasures will be found within those pages. Reading the book in just a few days was thought-provoking, but now I must admit that I want to go back and savor the wisdom found there. The stories of grandchildren playing on the farm, of rocking on the porch, of seeing birds enjoying a sprinkler are all vivid reminders that life is good and is to be cherished, with a legacy to pass along to those who follow in our footsteps. This book presents a loving look at life lived and shared with others, with all of its challenges and its triumphs. This is a devotional to read again and again and get new truths from it each time as the words are appealing and fresh just like God’s Word.
I own a copy of this book and all opinions expressed are my own.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Cheryl Schuermann attended Oklahoma State University where she received a B.S. in Curriculum and Instruction and a master’s degree in Education with emphasis in Literacy. She devoted her professional career to literacy education and working with at-risk students. After many years in the classroom, Cheryl contracted as a literacy consultant and curriculum trainer in schools across the United States. She wrote and conducted dozens of workshops and presented at numerous literacy conferences.
In addition to writing, Cheryl facilitates a caregiver support group for her community. With a passion for children and families, she and her husband Stan have mentored and taught parents in their local church for over twenty-five years. Cheryl spends as much time as possible with her family: Stan (married 52 years), four sons, four daughters-in-law, and thirteen grandchildren. They are her inspiration and source of her many stories. The Farm is her favorite place to write, be with family, and host ministry groups. For more information about Cheryl and her books, visit her website at Cheryl Schuermann
Purchase Your Copy:
God Is Our Helper
www.bible.com/reading-plans/44512/day/1
When I first became a Christian over five decades ago, I thought, in my lack of real understanding, that one of the things that I could expect is that there would be no more problems in my life. Ha! I quickly found out that challenges in life continue, but it is our attitude towards them that changes once we are Christians. Left alone in a new place while my new husband was deployed, I faced loneliness, but God sent a friend who needed a place to live, so Rhonda moved in with me. Finding out I was pregnant and my husband was gone, I was devastated and frightened, but the Lord sent a church family to stand beside me and help me. God is good and sends what we need when we need it, never late and never early, but always just on time.
We know we have the ultimate victory, so whatever happens on earth is temporary and cannot stop us spending eternity with Jesus. The kinds of challenges I have in life changes as I age, but the truth of God’s Word stands forever. Achy, moving slowly and creaking as I go, I am still moving onward with God, knowing that He holds my future and He is trustworthy.
Sanctification
www.bible.com/reading-plans/39304/day/5
Sanctification is a process, not a once and done thing that happens immediately. We have to be willing to go before the cross daily, confess our shortcomings and sins and continue on with the Lord in the process of being made more like the Lord. Sometimes we fall…but we have to get up and keep going. As the song says, “He didn’t bring us this far to leave us.” And one of my favorite children’s songs is “He’s Still Workin’ on Me.” I am not done with life, and thank the Lord God that He is not done with me either. Let Him continue to work in your life…listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit when He prods you to change and grow. The Master Potter is making a masterpiece from the broken shards of your life…let Him have His way!
H
Knowing Jesus More
www.bible.com/reading-plans/39304/day/4
I never thought about identity in this way, but it’s awe-inspiring to know that the more I know about Jesus, the more I discover about myself. Since my identity lies in my Savior, I can only truly know myself as I delve into knowing Jesus more. Personality tests don’t help much, but reading and studying God’s Word opens the world of possibilities to really know who God intends me to me and the purpose for which He created me. Food for thought.
Vickie's Book Nook and Meditation Corner 