Knowing that God is always present gives me a lot of hope and comfort. He is invisible, but He is always there. He is my place of refuge. He is the One who is my greatest comforter. How do I know that He is here with me? I read His Word and hide it in my heart so that when I am feeling lonely or depressed about something, I can call on the Words that I have stored in my heart and feel His loving arms around me. I covet prayers these days, my friends, because I can sense that change is coming, and I am not sure that I am ready for it. Nevertheless, I know that the same God who raised Jesus from the dead and who sent His Holy Spirit to live within us is alive and well and waiting to keep me steadfast through whatever happens. His is the glory and honor now and forevermore! Blessed be the Name of the Lord and may many blessings fall on those who call upon His Name!

This is an atypical Amish fiction book in that it deals with some “modern” topics like alcoholism, infertility, marital problems and fostering children. That being said, I loved it! I was immediately drawn into the story of Mollie and Sam as well as that of Izzy and Luke. Sam is a shy horse trainer who only wants to be around horses. Mollie is new to the town of Stoney Ridge and is an exuberant new member of the community. When Luke, in his position as a new deacon, suggests that the community take in foster girls while their group home is being repaired, Mollie takes that challenge immediately. In her haste, Mollie ends up with twin girls who are trouble with a capital “T.” The story of Mollie, the girls, Sam, Luke and Izzy is absolutely mesmerizing. Although I did not read the first book in this series, I was very easily able to follow along with this well-written plot. I really enjoyed the mystery that was part of the story, i.e. Sam and Mollie are both hiding something from their pasts. Throughout the story, the faith of the characters is the foundation that helps them to cope with all of the issues they face in this fictional tale. Fans of Amish fiction will enjoy this book, but I also think that fans of mystery will enjoy it. This book is a clean read and is a must read for those who enjoy fiction with a lesson to learn and a great story to tell!

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.”

Isn’t this cover beautiful? This wonderfully written book is available now at your local bookseller or online.

If you live here in the United States as I do, I don’t think that you nor I has ever seriously considered the cost of following Christ. We live in a country where we are free to worship our Lord and where people are not generally murdered for their faith. But others around the world are not so blessed. I was amazed to hear that the dangerous and despicable al-Baghadi was at last killed by U.S. forces. I was happily surprised that they dedicated their mission to Kayla Mueller. I read her story this morning from Dr. Denison’s Forum and I’m sharing it with you below. We must always be ready to suffer as Kayla did, to sacrifice all so that others may live and so that we never deny our faith.

https://www.denisonforum.org/columns/daily-article/the-martyrdom-of-kayla-mueller-the-transforming-power-of-courage/

This is a breathtaking and heartbreaking story of the undying love a mother has for her child. Harriet was the private maid to Mrs. Cecilia Barton. Cecilia is a gorgeous young society wife who finds herself in a loveless marriage. Harriet is married to Jacob, the love of her life who comes back from Normandy with a horrible case of PTSD. Rebecca is Harriet’s devoted daughter. Now grown with her own two daughters, Rebecca is faced with a crisis in both of their lives. Iris cannot get pregnant and Jessie suffers from postpartum psychosis. Written with poignancy and compassion, this is a story spanning three generations of strong women who overcome insurmountable obstacles in order to survive a harsh world. Fans of women’s literature will applaud this author’s efforts to deal with such difficult topics in such a forthright and empathetic manner.

Disclaimer

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher/Amazon via a Goodreads Giveaway. 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.”

This wonderful story is available now from Amazon. I highly recommend it, but there is some violence in it that is necessary to tell the story.

I’m getting ready to go on another trip, but before I leave for about a week, I want to share these verses with you. They give me hope, and I pray that they do the same for you all.

Blessings to you all for a day, a weekend and a week filled with God’s Word. May you keep His Word in your hearts so that it is there close to you just when you need it.

This is more of a prayer for where I want to be than a declaration of where I am right now. I want the sound wisdom of God to reverberate through me, letting me know when I am on the right path and when I stray. I want to follow the “good path”, don’t you? How do I hear God’s voice? Well, He spoke to me about that, too.

That “still, small voice” is only heard when I am quiet before Him, waiting and listening attentively. I’m sure you all remember classes in school in which you daydreamed. The teacher would be speaking and you would go off into your little world and then come back and the teacher would be talking about something else. I didn’t do that often, but I did it. Guilty! I’m also guilty of a wandering mind when I am supposed to be focusing on God and hearing His voice. I have to reign in my wandering thoughts and get myself back to where I am just listening, not telling God all of my problems or wants. Just listening. That way, I can work on finding that right path that He wants me to be on.

How about you guys, my readers? Do you ever struggle with just sitting quietly before the Lord? Our prayers, in my opinion, are not meant to be a one-way monologue or “wish list” that we present to God before we move on to our day. It is supposed to be a conversation with God, and in conversations, both participate. God is teaching me not to be in such a hurry to get on with my day, but to wait for His affirming or correcting words. No matter what He says to me, it is always encouraging and necessary for me to hear. This is not to say that God cannot and does not speak to me throughout the day. Of course, He does! But my special devotional time is when I hear Him most clearly and when He seems to speak to me the words that I need to hear to change the me that needs to conform more to him.

Have a blessed day, everyone, with listening ears and hearts.

This little book is absolutely full of encouraging words for those who are weary of walking through life and all of the problems that entails. There are ninety little devotionals in this book that is just short of 200 pages. You can read straight through them and let them speak to your heart, which is the way that I did. Or, you can read the Table of Contents and choose one that deals with whatever you are going through. This is a practical and easy-to-read devotional, with each one starting with a Scripture verse and then the author writing down what seems to be her meditation on that verse. Each devotional ends with encouragement for the reader to be and do better in life. Readers who are seeking a book filled with daily words of hope will want to read this book and keep it on the shelf to find just the words that are needed at just the right time.

Disclaimer

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via 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.”

This awesome little book is available now online or at your local bookseller. It would make a wonderful gift!

This little devotional is perfect for everyday and for crises! When you need to call out to the Lord and need His touch and His encouragement but you just don’t have the words, author Carolyn Larsen has provided just the remedy. This little book has ninety devotionals in it which you can read just one a day or you can find the one that applies to your current need and soak in the warmth of its wisdom. This is a book that gives comfort to all who need a daily touch from the Lord, and don’t all of us need that? I highly recommend this book to all women who serve and worship the Lord! We all have times when we need a helping hand, and when no one is around to reach out to you, this little book will do just that. It touched me in so many ways. I rushed through it to be able to review it, but now I will go back and savor its wisdom and loving words that speak to my soul and heart.

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.”

This wonderful little devotional is perfect for a gift or for yourself and is available now online or from your local bookseller. The size makes it perfect to fit into your handbag so that you can carry it along with you on errands and have an uplifting devotional on hand all day.