Month: October 2024

Review of OVER THE EDGE by Irene Hannon

On By vickleaIn blog tour, Book Review1 Comment

ABOUT THE BOOK

ISBN-13:9780800741891 Publisher:Baker Publishing Group. Publication date:10/01/2024. Series:Undaunted Courage , #2. Pages:368

Trauma survivor Lindsey Barnes hasn’t fully recovered from the ordeal that almost took her life, and now she’s in the middle of another crisis. Not only is she the sole witness in a high-profile murder case, but someone is also pushing her to question her sanity. 

Police detective Jack Tucker doesn’t know what to make of her story, especially when her elusive enemy leaves no evidence behind to lend credence to her claims. Yet the more he gets to know the appealing personal chef, the more he’s convinced someone is targeting not only her sanity, but her life. 

And unless they can figure out who is behind the campaign to undermine her credibility, a murderer could slip away—leaving more than one body in his or her wake.

My Thoughts

The suspense starts at the beginning of the book, ramps up its intensity as the story continues and ends with a surprise revelation that includes even more suspense. This is a perfectly well-written romantic suspense, with characters that are relatable and flawed as well as totally believable. Lindsey Barnes is a personal chef who is in the wrong place at the wrong time and ends up being the only eyewitness to a home invasion murder. Detective Jack Tucker is the lead investigator who has difficulty at first believing Lindsey’s account of what happened and presses her to remember more details so that he has more to go on on order to catch a killer. The story continues with part of Lindsey’s backstory and why she doesn’t particularly trust the police and especially Jack. Fascinating details here! There is a secondary story of a handyman who was at the site of the murder and who is Jack’s first suspect. The author does an expert job of weaving the storylines together, including Lindsey’s need for counseling, her past trauma and Jack’s past as well. This book was hard to put down and an engrossing read with a compelling mystery that begged to be solved. I must confess that I love mystery and suspense and read them a lot, but the surprise revelation in this one had me gasping and loving the story even more. With a fast pace, characters who beg for a good resolution and twists that I never saw coming, this moves up to the top of my list of best romantic suspense books this year.
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.”

Rated G, Christian Fiction, Romantic Suspense

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Irene Hannon is the bestselling, award-winning author of more than sixty-five contemporary romance and romantic suspense novels. She is also a three-time winner of the RITA award—the “Oscar” of romance fiction—from Romance Writers of America and is a member of that organization’s elite Hall of Fame.

Her many other awards include National Readers’ Choice, Daphne du Maurier, Retailers Choice, Booksellers’ Best, Carol, HOLT Medallion, and Reviewers’ Choice from RT Book Reviews magazine, which also honored her with a Career Achievement award for her entire body of work. In addition, she is a two-­time Christy award finalist.

Millions of her books have been sold worldwide, and her novels have been translated into multiple languages.

Irene, who holds a BA in psychology and an MA in journalism, juggled two careers for many years until she gave up her executive corporate communications position with a Fortune 500 company to write full-time.

When not writing, she loves to sing, travel, hike, garden, cook, spend time with family, and go on impromptu dates with her own romantic hero.

She and her husband make their home in Missouri.

PURCHASE LINKS

Amazon

Baker Book House

Barnes and Noble

Christian Book

Audible

Target

Kobo

Apple Books

My review for INTO THE FIRE can be found here: Vicklea.com
With deep appreciation to Revell for including me in their wonderful blogger program!

Be an Active Listener

On By vickleaIn Scripture4 Comments

I am absolutely the world’s worst at listening, but God is prodding me to work on that skill, so I will share with you what I am learning so far. First, in order to actively listen, you have to really pay attention to what the other person is saying and look at their facial expressions. I have found myself frequently doing other things when someone (especially my husband) thinks that I am listening, and I really am not. I read, fidget, look at texts, check my calendar, etc. I do a lot of other things instead of listening actively and I need to stop that. Second, I need to practice not interrupting. Who knows what the other person might have said if I had not decided to put in my two cents before it was time? I will never know because I interrupted. I think part of that is because as I age, my thoughts are fleeting and I want to say them before they go away permanently. God is reminding me that if it is important enough for me to say, it can wait and He will remind me of it if I forget. The third thing is to respond appropriately. That is much easier to do if you are being an active listener. I have found myself responding to a question that wasn’t even asked because it was what was in my mind to say, regardless of whether it made sense in the conversation. The respectful thing to do is to listen actively, respond appropriately and don’t interrupt. The whole kindness thing that God tells us to practice in the Bible can be applied to listening, too. I am getting better, but I am not there yet. Stop…look…listen. That’s a good thing to remember, not just for crossing the street, but for being an active listener. Stop whatever you are doing. Look at the person talking. And listen…really listen. You might hear something important to you, to the other person and to God.

Bless the Lord

On By vickleaIn praise, Scripture, Video1 Comment

Think about what it means to bless the Lord at ALL times. When we are on the mountaintop looking down at all of our past troubles, I think it’s easier for us to bless the Lord. What about when we are in the middle of the valley experience and the top of the mountain seems far away or even unattainable? Do we still bless the Lord then? Are we still praising Him when we walk through the dark forest of our lives, not knowing where our next step might lead but aware of danger or circumstances beyond our control all around us? Note that this verse starts with a choice…I will. We choose to bless God at all times, to never let praise be far from us. With the praise of God continually coming from our lips, the situations we face won’t seem so daunting or scary. We know He is right there with us, in that valley and those dark woods.

I wish I could say that I have arrived at the place where I always make the right choice to praise God in spite of circumstances. But, that wouldn’t be true. I am a work in progress and sometimes the Spirit has to remind me to stop whining and to praise. That’s where the joy is found…right where God is. The Bible consistently exhorts God’s people to praise. So, if you need God right where you are, choose to praise.

I Will Bless The Lord-Josue Avila

Have a blessed Sunday…go to church and worship and bless His Holy Name!

Our Mediator

On By vickleaIn Scripture1 Comment

Do you know what a mediator does? What is his/her responsibility? What they do is to get between parties who disagree and help them to reconcile differences. That is the dictionary definition. Did you know that Jesus is our mediator? He stands between us and God and reconciles sinful man to our holy God.

Arbiter is a synonym of mediator. Have you ever seen this verse in light of the appearing of Jesus? Job was being assailed by one calamity after another and he recognizes God’s sovereignty. He also acknowledges that he needs a mediator…way back in the Old Testament. Some say Job was written before Abraham and after Noah. I don’t know about that, but I do know it was long before Jesus came and Job noticed that he needed a mediator between him and God. So do we all. That’s why God, in His sovereignty and wisdom sent Jesus.

One mediator…Jesus Christ! He is before the Father always and He always defends us once we know Him as Savior. He is the mediator that Job pointed to (with or without prescient knowledge, I don’t know). What I am thankful for is that there is so much in the Old Testament that points to Jesus in the New Testament. The two parts of the Bible all tell one story, of God’s plan. Aren’t you glad that you are part of it?

Fruit for Others

On By vickleaIn Scripture, YouVersion App2 Comments

If you are like me and get frustrated sometimes about the spiritual growth in your life that you don’t think is coming fast enough, maybe it’s because you have fruit and you aren’t distributing it. I could do a checklist of the fruit of the spirit and say to myself that I feel that I have those qualities internally. But they are not meant to nourish me; the purpose of the fruit of the Spirit is to nourish others, both those inside and outside of our Christian community. It’s great that I am patient with myself and give myself the time to do what I want to get done. But what about when I am waiting for my husband, the Christian closest to me, to accomplish something. At times, I feel like I am patting my foot on the ground and looking at my watch every few seconds waiting for him to “get with the program.” To me, that is evidence that I am not where I am supposed to be. The good news, though, is that since I am aware of my shortcomings and what I am supposed to do with the fruit that God’s Spirit is producing in me, I think I will be more likely to nourish others the way I am supposed to. Christianity is not an overnight change just as fruit does not grow the day after you plant the apple tree. It is a process, and I am thankful that God is still working on me to get my fruit up to par and ready to feed others who need that kindness, gentleness, joy and all of the other fruits. And it’s not one fruit at a time that we are growing but rather all of them so that we can call them up as needed when we are ministering to others or just being a witness to them of Christlike behavior. I want more fruit, don’t you?

The Fruit the Spirit Produces

Paul, the author of the letter of Galatians, spends a large part of his letter explaining what it means to live by the Spirit of God. He describes what it looks like for Christians to live according to the Spirit, and also what it looks like to live apart from the Spirit.

One of the key distinctions for those who live according to the Spirit of God is that they produce certain external qualities. Paul calls these the fruit of the Spirit.

Just like an apple tree produces apples and a vineyard produces grapes, so we as Christians are also meant to produce certain things in our life.

Paul lists nine character qualities that should be evident in someone’s life if they’re walking according to God’s ways. They are:

Love
Joy
Peace
Patience
Kindness
Goodness
Faithfulness
Gentleness
Self-Control

Just like the fruit of a tree isn’t meant for the tree itself, but for others, so also the fruit of the Spirit in a Christian’s life is not meant for themselves, but for others. We are to love one another, take joy in one another, have peace with one another, and be kind to one another.

The fruit of the Spirit is meant to be grown and harvested within Christian community rather than in isolation. We were created for a relationship with God and others.

Take a look at the list of fruit the Spirit produces in a Christian’s life. Be honest and ask yourself: Which fruit am I producing? Which fruit am I not producing, and why am I not producing it? Take note of a few small steps you can take to grow closer to God in those areas of your life and produce more fruit.

A Pure Heart

On By vickleaIn Scripture, YouVersion AppLeave a comment

The Levites were the closest people to God of all the Israelites because they ministered before Him. But they had to purify themselves repeatedly. I am not a scholar of Levitical law and practices, but I know that Aaron had to be purified before he first went into the tabernacle. I remember reading that those who were near dead bodies had to be purified and stay away from ministering for a certain amount of time. There were all kinds of laws about purification and offerings that the people made to achieve this goal.

The good news for us is that Jesus paid the price once and for all for us to be purified forever. Our sins were washed away and we are in right standing before God just because of Jesus’s sacrifice. No rituals, no animal sacrifices, just confession, repentance and maintaining that pure heart before the Lord by coming before Him regularly and telling Him where we have failed and need help. I am in awe of God’s plan. What started as so many laws and rituals ended in the cross and therein lies the pure heart that we all want to have before God. Jesus’s death was not an easy one and our daily walk may be filled with uphill battles against our own human nature to sin. But each day, we need to crucify our worldly desires and continue to make the choices to keep our hearts pure. Some days and some choices are harder than others. But it will be worth it…we have the promise to see God!

Is Your Heart Pure?

What do you think about when you hear the word pure?

Do you picture a tall glass of crystal clear water? A freshly washed load of white sheets? Or maybe someone who’s morally wholesome and good?

In the sixth of the beatitudes—a series of promises Jesus made about God’s Kingdom—Jesus said this:

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”
Matthew 5:8 NIV

The word “pure” means clean or blameless, free from corruption or contamination, purified by fire, or unstained by guilt. None of us can truly be pure on our own—despite our best efforts.

Before Jesus showed up, the highest ranking Levitical priests were charged with ministering and mediating in the holiest spaces (inside the tabernacle in the wilderness and, later, the temple in Jerusalem)—where God’s presence dwelled on earth. But even they had to be purified over and over again.

Now, because of Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice on the cross, He has paved the way for us. His blood covered our sins, and when we accept the sacrifice, He makes us pure. Now and forever, we can “come boldly to the throne of our gracious God,” where we can find mercy and grace when we need it most (Hebrews 4:16). Now, our bodies are the modern-day temples where God’s Spirit has chosen to dwell.

Being pure of heart is not about being perfect, but trusting in Jesus to purify our souls.

As Isaiah once prophesied…

“Come now, let’s settle this,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.”
Isaiah‬ ‭1‬:‭18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Have you been made pure by trusting in Jesus? Today can be your day. By believing in Him and trusting in Him, you become a new creation, pure and blameless through faith. He paid the price for you to be made pure. Do you receive it?

Daily Routines and God

On By vickleaIn Scripture3 Comments

Do you have a daily routine? Just about everyone does. You get up at about the same time every day, drink your coffee (or beverage of choice), eat breakfast, take a shower, get dressed and if you aren’t retired as I am, you go to work. What’s missing? Oh, yeah! God!

God does not want to just be part of your daily routine, the devotional you set aside time for every morning or the Bible reading and prayers that you offer to Him. He wants to be the center of everything you do, including your daily routine. I have my devotional each morning because that is part of my routine. But I hope that I don’t leave God behind in my den when I start my errands and get busy doing other things. I take Him with me…He is in my heart, guiding my choices and my activities, if I will let Him.

It’s more important than ever in today’s world to guard your heart. In Biblical times, the people were not assailed by technology and all of the images on screens of all kinds that are meant to tempt us away from a relationship with God. Don’t get me wrong. Technology has its place in a Christian life, but it shouldn’t be in the center of our lives, in the place that God should be occupying. And when we are using technology, we need to ask ourselves if what we are seeing or reading is for the glory of God or just to make us feel good. If Jesus were looking over your shoulder (note that as God, He is always there), what would He see and hear? Does our daily routine make it clear that the Holy Spirit resides inside us, so the ungodly things have no importance to us?

I am working on guarding my heart. It is a struggle daily because of all of the little darts being thrown every time I pick up my phone to check a message or go on Facebook to answer a question from a friend. There is a reason Satan is called the prince of the power of the air, and being aware of that helps me be more aware of what I am allowing into my heart and mind. The GIGO (garbage in, garbage out) principle is not just for technology. It also works the same way for us humans. We are “fearfully and wonderfully made” but what we do with God’s great creation (our minds and bodies) is our choice. Knowing that the course of my life and my relationship with God is affected by what I consume mentally, then I plan to be more consistently careful about my choices. I want God to know that He is welcome to be the center of my daily routine and to live like He is right there all the time, because He is, if I invite Him to be and make Him welcome.

Where Are You?

On By vickleaIn Scripture2 Comments

In my devotional today, I discovered something that has been in the Bible the whole time, but somehow I overlooked it.

God’s first command to man was not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Doing so would result in a consequence of death. That is pretty straightforward, isn’t it?

God’s Mercy

After Eve and Adam were tempted by the serpent, they sinned. When they heard God in the garden that evening, they hid. They didn’t seek out God; rather, He sought them. God is still seeking sinners today. And when He found them, He did not immediately strike them dead as those who are paying attention to what God said earlier would expect. Rather, God showed them mercy. From the very first sin, God reacted with mercy. Yes, there were consequences: hard work for Adam, pain in childbirth for Eve and the ultimate consequence was that both would die someday. But not right away! God was establishing His authority and His loving discipline from the beginning. He is still showing mercy, sovereignty and discipline. Why? Because, just as He loved Adam and Eve, He loves us.

The other thing that I had thought about previously, but it was like a fleeting thought was that this banishment from the garden and the plan for salvation in Genesis 3:15 was not Plan B. God knew what would happen when He told man not to eat of that fruit and He already had a plan in place. Repentance and salvation were always Plan A. That is hard for me to wrap my mind around because I wanted God to stop them before they sinned. That’s not how life works. The temptation is there before us and we have to choose to walk away from it. When we choose to sin (when, not if), then God has a plan to restore us to right relationship with Him. Confess and repent. God looks for us, finds us and desires to restore us.

If you are looking for a good Bible study, I suggest the one I just started with the ladies of my church. It is online and easy to read and understand. It’s on the YouVersion and is called THE BIBLE RECAP. I just completed my first day of the study and what I wrote above is a summary of what I put in my journal this morning. God showed mercy from the beginning. God sought sinful man from the beginning. God is still working on His Plan A. And we are part of that plan. Amazing insights for me…maybe you already knew all this and you are yawning right now. But since I have read through the Bible at least a dozen times, I am in awe that every time I open it, I can learn something new about God, His character and His plan.

May God bless you to have the best day ever! Be blessed to be a blessing.