This morning, I got my email from Dr. James Dobson’s organization and it had an excellent article that I want to share with you.

https://www.drjamesdobson.org/blogs/james-gottry/james-gottry/2019/08/14/horrific-shootings-are-the-symptom…the-heart-is-the-cause?sc=cb3

The author states succinctly and unabashedly that the problems that we have in the U.S. with violence are because there is a heart problem. Men have turned away from God and violated His statutes that command us to consider life sacred. More gun laws will not change that problem. We need to get on our knees before the Father of all life and ask for forgiveness for not revering what He created, seeing men as expendable, much like the old car in the garage that we plan to replace soon. Once a life on earth is snuffed out, it cannot be replaced. Fathers in homes that won’t be coming home again can’t be replaced. Mothers that won’t hold their children ever again cannot be replaced. Little children whose lives have just begun to blossom cannot be replaced. When will we learn the lesson that God is trying to teach us? Life is sacred from the moment it begins (I believe that is conception) until God calls that person home. Life is meant to be embraced, enjoyed and cherished. Blessings for you and your household as you guard your hearts and seek the One who created you!

Photo courtesy of webmd.com

I live in a very rural area. In fact, when we first moved here twenty years ago, my husband got a big piece of plywood and spray painted a sign on it in bright orange, “Vickie, Turn Here” just so I could find out driveway when I came home from work. I tell everyone that we live between the trees and that is pretty accurate. Once you make the first turn onto our little road, then you have to be careful to bear left between the trees in order to arrive at the correct house. It’s very complicated, but people who want to find us can. We used to have a sign put at the beginning of our part of the driveway that said our house number, but it didn’t last long because the neighbor drives a big truck and knocked it down. So delivery drivers just have to know where the house is. Some find us and others leave our packages at the front house, with the neighbor who has the big truck. What I’m trying to say is that it takes me or my husband giving very detailed directions for people to find us.

Now, relate that to finding Jesus. You have to tell people about what He has done for you for them to find their way to Him themselves. And it is not an easy road to find; it takes searching the Scripture with an open heart and being willing to admit that you have sin in your life. People who really desire to find Jesus can! So many people in today’s world are lost, really lost. They have found their worth in things like socializing, a career, family life, and pleasure. They are losing out on God’s great gift of His Son because they are following the way of the majority of the world; they are lost, but they don’t know it. Some will want to know, and it is our responsibility to tell them. Others have no desire to change their lifestyle and become what God wants them to be. No matter what, we are to tell all about the Lord and let them choose the way that they will go. We give the directions to Jesus, but they have to choose to follow them.

Photo courtesy of Pinterest

Sometimes it seems that our sharing the Gospel is just not getting us anywhere. The people that we talk to aren’t changing; they haven’t accepted the Lord as their Savior. In my frustration, I have been known to say, “Well, if you want to go to hell, that’s your choice, but it isn’t what God wants for you.” Harsh? Yes, it is, but sometimes I get weary of giving the same directions to the same people. Nevertheless, that is what we are supposed to do, hoping and praying that God will open their eyes to the narrow way that leads to eternal life with Him. I have many family members who don’t believe in the Lord and in eternal salvation. That’s not okay with God, but that is their choice. I still share my faith with them and live in such a way (I hope) that they will see the change in me and want something more in their lives. I can’t take people down the narrow road that leads to life everlasting, but I can show them the pathway to take and leave them with the choice to go that route or not. That’s what the Christian life is all about, making wise choices daily and continuing down the narrow way.

Bless you all who read this to the end and who are continuing on this journey with me! I hope that your way is narrow and that you have found the way to His gift of eternal life!

I read. A lot! In fact, since my retirement, I read about six hours each day. I also review books and one of my pet peeves is an ending that doesn’t go with the rest of the book or one that doesn’t give enough lead in for the ending, It just sometimes seems that the author got tired of writing and just ended the book. So annoying!

One of the books that I read daily is my Bible. I am doing a devotional plan with the You Version App, so I use that to make sure that I read through the entire Bible during one year. I also read other devotionals as I need them. Anyway, I am saying this to point out that the Bible has an ending and it’s a good one, at least for those of us who call Jesus our Savior and Lord. One of the sayings that I have heard in the church is, “I’ve read the end of the Book and it’s good!” Well, I have read through the Holy Bible numerous times and it is a good ending. But it is also a sudden one, and it is not a good ending for everyone.

Sometimes I wonder if this global warming that the environmentalists keep warning about is a foreshadowing of what God has planned for the end of the earth. His wrath is real, just as real as His love. So, although this particular Scripture verse can be scary, it shouldn’t be for those of us who have found salvation in the person of the Son of God. This judgment is not for us!

Those of us who know Jesus as our Savior have been adopted into the family of God. He is our Father and He does not enslave us but frees us to be all that He created us to be. We cry out to Him and He answers us, not with wrath, but with the love of a Father for a beloved child. That is why I do not fear the sudden ending that is promised in the Bible. I don’t fear the triumphant return of Jesus. I look forward to it…to the end of all sin and death. Now, that is an ending that I can really savor! Blessings to all of my readers and prayers that all of you know the freedom and hope that comes from knowing Jesus!

I have always been a worrier. I worried about the weather, plans for the day, my health, my husband’s health, etc. You name it, I have worried about it. But God has a different plan. He wants me to turn over everything to Him and trust Him for the outcome. I like His plan a lot better. That’s not to say that I don’t still choose to worry sometimes, but I really try not to because God doesn’t want me stressed. I think too much stress led to my stroke. After all, it was during exam time and I was tasked with getting over 140 exams graded and all of my grades averaged in less than a week. So, stress! So, now, when I see stress coming, I close my eyes, focus on God and His goodness and love for me and work on being worry free.

His Eye Is on the Sparrow

Blessings, my friends, for a wonderful day and a safe and happy weekend!

Once again, I have been blessed with friends who traveled out west and allowed me to use their photos with Scriptures. Be blessed, my online friends, even as God has blessed me with the vision of His wonderful world!

Photos courtesy of Terri Ruff McCormick and Michael Allen McCormick.

This is a book that starts with a kidnapping of a young wife and daughter. In an instant, she disappears from the life of everyone who loves her. If not for the courage and persistence of veteran detective Terrence Cooper, then Julie Montgomery might not live. The Christian faith of all of the main characters is a source of strength for each of them and a major part of the story. I enjoyed seeing how Luke Montgomery matured during the course of the novel. I also really liked Detective Cooper because he was a real thinker who knew who his source of strength was. I highly recommend this book to those who enjoy Christian fiction with a lot of suspense.

Disclaimer

Disclosure of Material Connection: I own a copy of this book on my IBooks App. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own.

What a feel-good story, at least at the end! Kristan Higgins does a masterful job of leading the reader through the lives of two stepsisters, Kate and Ainsley. Ainsley is distraught because her boyfriend with whom she has lived for over a decade has just dumped her. Worse, Eric has been posting about how awful she was on the web. Kate is mourning the sudden loss of her husband of only a few months. The two move in together and support each other through the ups and downs of their lives. I enjoyed the interaction between the two sisters and the way the author told the story through both of their eyes. Ainsley is the more fun sister, the one who doesn’t take anything seriously, so she is devastated when Eric throws her to the side. Kate is already taking life seriously and enjoying her role as the wife of a well-respected and successful architect. Too quickly, Nathan is gone and Kate is like a ship without a rudder. I think that my favorite character was Daniel, the “Hot Firefighter.” He was funny and quirky and showed just the right amount of empathy to Kate, giving her a compass to hold on to during her time of deep grief. Readers of romance that tell a good story about friendship and family will really enjoy this book. I certainly did!

Disclaimer

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a signed copy of this book from the author via an online contest. 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.”

Kate is a high society mother, wife and doctor in Baltimore. Her husband Simon is gorgeous, her daughter Annabelle is delightful and her life seems to be charmed. That is, until the night that her mother Lily is murdered. Then Kate spirals into a maze of not believing in anyone, ricocheting from accusing her father to her husband to everyone and anyone who could possibly be a suspect. For many years, Kate has been estranged from her former best friend Blair. But now, during her tumultuous time of grief, she calls on Blair to come to her side. I thought it was very strange that Blair left behind her career as a bestselling author, her co-author husband Daniel and her high life in New York City in order to rush to Kate’s side. Nevertheless, that is what she did and stayed by Kate’s side throughout the ordeal. Not everything is as it seems though because there is a murderer close to Kate, very close. This psychological thriller is not as fast-paced as I would have liked it, but it was very well-written, drawing me quickly into the dilemma of Kate’s family and circle of friends. Lies are at the center of the story as is infidelity, but it is well concealed until the conclusion who is being truthful and who is not. Fans of the author will not want to miss this book!

Disclaimer

Disclosure of Material Connection: I checked out a copy of this book from my local library on the Overdrive App. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own.