I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to read and study God’s Word. But it is also important to put it into our hearts so that when we need it, it’s there for us…and for others.

We don’t study God’s Word once in a while. The word used in the MEV is “continually.” That means always, daily and as often as you can. How do you meditate? I know that I just sit quietly and let God’s Word for the day speak to my heart and ask that He show me how to apply it to my life. I want to be obedient, even though I must confess that often I fall short. Nevertheless, my desire is to obey and to take His Word to a hurting world. There is so much wrong in our world today. I hesitate sometimes to turn on the morning news because I simply don’t want to hear the bad news. But I never hesitate to read His Word because I always find encouragement and love there. It’s like my daily hug! God’s Word is important because it’s His message to us, His children. Blessings for a day filled with His love and may His words to you bring you the comfort that you need for the day. Then, go out and bless someone else!

Have you read any of Debra Webb’s series with her heroine, “The Undertaker’s Daughter”? I will be giving away a copy of her latest release, THE LIES WE TELL, next week. If you enjoy romantic suspense, you will really love this book. Watch for more details on Tuesday, release day!

This delightful Christmas novella totally enchanted me! I love Melody Carlson’s books because they are all quick and fast-paced reads. This little book was a real joy to read and to prepare one’s heart for the holiday season. Krista Galloway, the main character, doesn’t really like Christmas at all because she spent her childhood in foster homes and has no good memories of the holiday. She does want to create good memories for her daughter Emily, though. The two have just moved to the little town of Winter Hill as Krista has accepted the job of city manager there. Unbeknownst to her, Krista has also accepted the job of managing the town’s annual festival called Christmasville. It will take a local man and his daughter to convince Krista that there can be good in life, and especially at Christmastime. Fans of Carlson and Debbie Macomber will enjoy this book because it touches all of the right chords to make your heartstrings hum.

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.”

This sweetly clean tale is available now from your local bookseller or online.

Although this is the third book in the Dive Team series, it is the first one that I have read and I really enjoyed it. There were some gaps about the characters that made me wish that I had already read the other two books first, but nothing that was big enough to disrupt my enjoyment. This is the story of Gabe Chavez and Anissa Bell. Gabe is an investigator and Anissa is a dive team captain who are thrown into investigating the same shooting when it happens on the water. Gabe and Anissa have a past that they have to overcome in order to build a romance together, and I enjoyed how Ms. Blackburn built their relationship together slowly. I liked the intriguing plot and the surprising ending; I was not able to guess who the villain was although, upon reflection, Ms. Blackburn did leave subtle clues. This is the first Blackburn book that I have read but it will not be the last because it included all that I look for in Christian romantic suspense. It was a clean read and very satisfying! Fans of romantic suspense will enjoy this book, but I do recommend reading the other two books in the series first.

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.”

This clean romantic suspense is available now from your local bookseller or online.

This book is a good start to a new cozy mystery series. Set in Mississippi, it is a southern mystery, with the setting of Sugar Springs. The town is getting ready to have a big high school reunion, with the guest of honor the famous writer and alumni, Wally Harrison. Arlo Stanley and her friend Chloe own the local bookstore and are happy to sponsor Wally’s homecoming. Unfortunately, Wally ends up dead on the sidewalk in front of the bookstore. Since Chloe was the last to see him alive, and has a history of a relationship with him, she is the prime suspect and is ultimately arrested. Arlo’s Friday Night Book Club, consisting of septuagenarians and older, are determined to prove Chloe’s innocence. Thus the plot is set and the funny romp through the twisted clues begins. I loved the parrot in the bookstore, named Faulkner, and the book club member Helen. All of the characters were portrayed in a delightful way that made the book come alive, It was an easy and quick read and I will look forward to more books in this series. Fans of cozy mysteries will really enjoy this one!

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.”

This book will be available to purchase on October 29, 2019.

I awakened this morning with a subtle heaviness on my heart. I knew what the day was and what it meant. It’s 9-11, the day that America the Beautiful was attacked and would never be the same. It is the day that eighteen years ago, I was sent home early from school, only to receive a frantic call from our son who lived in New Jersey at the time. His pregnant wife worked only four blocks from the World Trade Center. All of the phone towers were inoperable and he couldn’t contact her to make sure that she was all right. Our daughter-in-law saw some horrible sights that day and cannot even talk about it or watch a single memorial about the awful events. But thanks to the hero firefighters and paramedics who saw that she was pregnant, took her out of the fray of the rushing crowds trying to flee and washed all of the dust off of her, wrapping her in blankets and eventually putting her on a ferry home about midnight. Those were long hours of not knowing where Melissa was and how our first grandchild-to-be was doing. But imagine with me how long the day was for the victims, their families, and survivors, for the first responders, for the administration in Washington deciding the American response. The tragedy continues because so many are still dying from the effects of the dust from 9-11. There are others suffering from PTSD after having witnessed the horrors of the event and also the survivors who may be living with the guilt of surviving while so many others died. I am posting these images not to horrify you, but to ask that you remember and give thanks for a country that is still free, for a country that has “In God We Trust” as our motto and for the grace of God that has kept the rest of us safe for the last eighteen years.

From Facebook yesterday:

❤️On this day 18 years ago . . . 246 people went to sleep in preparation for their morning flights. 2,606 people went to sleep in preparation for work in the morning tomorrow. 343 firefighters went to sleep in preparation for their morning shift. 60 police officers went to sleep in preparation for morning patrol. Eight paramedics went to sleep in preparation for the morning shift of saving lives.

None of them saw past 10:00am on Sept 11, 2001. In one single moment life may never be the same. As you live and enjoy the breaths you take today and, tonight before you go to sleep in preparation for your life tomorrow, kiss the ones you love, snuggle a little tighter, and never take one second of your life for granted.

💔

Images are from, in order from top to bottom, Fox News, 911memorial.org and 911blogger.com

Those who committed these horrific acts were no less than evil, but God is good and will walk with us through the shadow of today. I pray for the first responders, for the survivors, for the witnesses and for Americans to remember the unity that came after this event and to return to God. I pray that you will be touched by this post and pray, also, for those who survived, for the families of the victims, for the witnesses and for the United States of America. Evil still lives, but God is greater and always will be!

Just about every summer since I can remember, we have gone to the beach, at least for a few days. This summer was an exception, and I missed seeing the endless waves hitting the shore, knowing that God had set the ocean there and put it in motion for us. But it made me think this morning about His Word. God’s Word has so many promises for us, promises that we need to claim and remain steadfast in our belief that He will bring it to pass. Many others make promises that they never intend to keep; God doesn’t do that. If the promise is in His Word, He makes sure that it happens. Now, I am NOT talking about “a name it and claim it” kind of belief. I’m talking about the things that God put in His Word that are His will, those things He will bring to pass because He has ordained them. Salvation of our souls is the most important promise in His Word.

God’s Word makes me think of the ocean coming in and going out again. God’s Word comes into us, those who are believers, and goes out again to those who need to hear it. Then we return to the Word to get more truth to share, and out we go again. Just like the ocean waves, a never-ending cycle of motion. I love God and His Word and I want to learn more from it daily, not so that I can sit with it and meditate (though that is useful, of course), but so that I can share what I have learned with other believers and those who are seeking His truth but aren’t quite there yet. Are you part of a wave in the ocean or just a drop in a lake that doesn’t move but is waiting for God to fill you again? Did you know that you can stagnate if you don’t move? I want to be part of the wave, don’t you? I hope that this post has made sense today. I feel like I have rambled, but I hope that I made my point and that it was understandable. Blessings for a day filled with new insight into God’s Word that you can share with others!

In one of the last meetings that Jesus had with His disciples, He told them that those who receive the ones He sends are also receiving God. After all, the Father sent Jesus to save us and then Jesus sent the disciples and all believers to others. So, I am one of the sent. When I feel rejected because of the message that I am trying to tell others, I have to remember that it is not me who is being rejected but the Lord. That is a hard thing for me to deal with because I have never dealt well with rejection of any kind. I listened to some harsh words from my mother as I was growing up and as a result, I never felt that she really loved or accepted me. Then, when I became a Christian, I finally felt loved, like I belonged. He has sent me to tell the Good News to others and I have to put myself “out there” and if I am rejected, I have to remember who it is that is really being rejected. So, I will continue to try to be one of the sent and not worry about what others think or say about me. It is my sacred duty to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit and share as He gives me the boldness and the words. I hope that is what all of you who know the Lord as your Savior are doing. Share as the Spirit leads and expect God to bring the harvest. Blessings on your day! And remember to say a prayer for the Bahamas!

The conclusion of the Evelyn Talbot series left me breathless, anticipating the worst but hoping for the best. In this final book, Evelyn has been kidnapped and Amarok is determined to move Heaven and earth to find her and his unborn child. The mastermind that has her is equally determined to keep her as his own and goes to great lengths to cover his tracks and to force her to do his bidding. The action is fast-paced and non-stop, so this book delivered everything I would want in a romantic suspense novel. At times, with all of the actions of the perpetrator, the book seemed more like a thriller, a book that was almost impossible to put down. I really wanted to read this book slowly, knowing that it was my last book in the series that is my favorite. But my mind would not let me put it down until I had read the last page and discovered what happened to Evelyn and to Amarok after her capture. What a thrilling book! Breathless! Absolutely breathless! Fans of Novak will definitely want to read this book and new fans will want to read the entire series, beginning with HANOVER HOUSE. Loved it and recommend it to all of my friends, family and others who like a good book that is tautly written, with characters that you either love or hate.

Disclaimer

Disclosure of Material Connection: I purchased a copy of this book from Apple Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own.

This fascinating book is available now from your local bookseller or online. Caution to my readers: this book deals with violent psychopaths, so there is a lot of violence portrayed in the book.

This is the debut novel by Tari Faris, but I was not able to tell it. The author painted lovely word pictures of a small town in Michigan called Heritage. Hannah, the female protagonist is on a mission to save her hometown and want the help of her longtime friend, Luke. In order to help Hannah, Luke has to face his past, the sad tale of an orphan whom no one seemed to want, not even his foster mother. This is a poignant love story, but it is also the story of the people who live in this small town. There are heroes, heroines and villains. The villains, of course, are the members of the family who want to buy up all of the property in the town and develop it, razing the historical homes and replacing them with the modern buildings that they think will draw new life to the town. This novel is an absolutely clean read, with faith sprinkled throughout. I enjoyed the portrayal of the characters in the diner and the give and take between Thomas and Janie. Thomas broke up with Janie before she went to Europe and now has a new fiancée. But, as we see in the novel, he may be regretting this life choice. In fact, making choices that affect our life as well as the lives of those around us is a central theme of the novel, along with love for history and our “heritage” that is found in our hometown and our background. Fans of Christian romance will enjoy this book and look forward to more from this author.

Disclaimer

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, Revell Books. 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 clean Christian romance is available now at your local bookseller or online.