Many years ago, Judith Viorst wrote a story called “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.” I know that it has been many years ago because I read it to my children when they were little and my youngest is in his mid-thirties now. But I digress from my main topic which is that yesterday was that day for me. It started okay. Devotions? Check! Get ready to go to a church luncheon? Check! But then, the text came. The one that said my daughter got her package that I sent but it had nothing in it except a note saying that it had arrived in Pittsburgh without anything in it. What?!? I had sent her a Christian book that I had reviewed and that I thought she and her older children would really enjoy, and now it was gone. Disappeared between here and her home. I was livid! I was very upset that the post office could not be trusted to deliver mail. It was even more upsetting that it appeared that the envelope had been slit open at the bottom. Huh? No machine did that, I thought to myself. So…a thief! A thief who steals Christian books? Seriously? So, I went to my luncheon, enjoyed talking with friends and eating my packed lunch since I couldn’t partake of what was prepared (too much sodium), then my husband and I headed to the post office so I could talk to the man there who sent the package for us. He gave me a number to call. When I got home, I called and a lady names Jackie gave me another number to call. What I discovered is that there is no such thing as “customer service” at the post office. So, I am still dealing with that problem today, but with a new attitude. More about that later. My second phone call was to Lowe’s because I am supposed to have a new stove delivered today, a gift from my Colorado brother for my birthday. I didn’t really want a new stove, but Steve wanted me to have one since our oven stopped working several years ago and he knew that I had been using small toaster ovens to bake things. Anyway, bless my little brother’s generous heart, when he came to visit at the beginning of this month, he took me to pick out my stove and paid for it. But since Lowe’s didn’t have one in stock, they set up a delivery date almost three weeks later and told me that they would call about the time of delivery today. So, since I hadn’t received a call and it was late afternoon, I called Lowe’s. Once again, it was almost impossible to get to talk to a real person, but at last I managed to talk to Alex in appliances. He checked on my stove and came back to the phone and told me that it hadn’t arrived yet. I was irate with the whole situation and told him that was not acceptable. He told me he would call me back with a new delivery date. Since he didn’t call back after an hour or so, I called and asked to speak to a manager. Darrell checked what Alex had told me and called me back to tell me that my stove will be delivered today. (Who knows how they found my stove so quickly?). By this time, I had a headache, tried to relax and that just wasn’t happening, so I went to bed early, read and went to sleep. Now, do you see what is missing in this whole scenario of my terrible day? I didn’t pause to pray. I prayed for a couple of friends at the luncheon. But I didn’t pray about my frustration and out the window went my joy for the day. It was as if I forgot for about sixteen long, tortuous hours that God is sovereign. He knows what happened to the package. He knows my frustration over the whole stove thing. He knows, period. And I forgot. So, I am confessing here to all of my online friends that I am choosing to make today a a better day. No matter what happens, I am determined to stay in an attitude of prayer and thankfulness to my Father in Heaven. It may still be a terrible, horrible, very bad, no good day…but I will have my Father to lean on and that will make everything okay.

In my devotions this morning, I read about Elisha the prophet and the axe head that fell into the water.

And as I read, God spoke to my heart and told me that He is there with me through everything that will happen today. If my axe head falls into the water, I only have to tell the Lord what is happening and He will take care of it. Does iron normally float? Of course not! Am I a normally calm person when something (like the arrival of a new stove) disrupts my regular routine? No, but today, I am leaning on the Lord to be my peace, the calm in the storms of my life. I choose to rejoice and I hope that you do, too. Blessings!

Since Lisa Gardner is one of my favorite mystery authors, this was destined to be a favorite book, and it didn’t disappoint. My favorite character was a focus of this book, none other than the elusive and mysteriously quirky Flora Dane. The main character is the victim, Evie, who is also the person charged with the murder of her husband. Flora works with Detective D.D. Warren to solve the case and to find the bad guy. I must say that I was not able to figure it out until the very end, so it was a mystery that kept me interested until the very end. There are a lot of other characters, some not really present because they are already deceased, not the least of which is the man who long ago kidnapped and terrorized Flora. He still lives very much in her mind and influences her actions and choices. The mental stability of Flora could be in question, but she is so canny that she not only helps D.D., but she also initiates bringing other experts into the case. I enjoyed how the plot rolled smoothly, with the narrators being D.D., Flora and Evie. There were several surprises along the way, but I won’t share them because I don’t want to spoil it for others. Readers of procedural police crime thrillers and mysteries will definitely want to add this book to their shelf of books that have to be read and enjoyed 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. 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.”

Note that this book has a totally new look in the new paperback edition and it will also include an excerpt for her new book coming out in 2020.

The new paperback edition will be available for purchase on August 6th!

Debra Webb has knocked it out of the park again with her latest Winchester, TN romantic mystery/suspense! THE SAFEST LIES is about an FBI agent trying to rescue a young man named Levi from a cult in the deep woods and mountains near Winchester. Sadie is a capable agent, intelligent and more than willing to risk her life to save others. In her rescue efforts, Sadie meets Smith Flynn, a member of the cult who may not be who he seems. Sadie wants to know more about Smith and also wants to get out of the Resurrection group alive. The latter may be more difficult than she had counted on since the leader of the group is not just ruthless; he is just plain crazy! This book will capture the reader’s attention from the first page and make you want to just keep turning the pages until you find out what happens to Sadie, Smith and Levi. Fans of Debra Webb and those who enjoy romantic suspense with a healthy dose of suspense will thoroughly enjoy this book!

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. 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 fantastic mystery/suspense will be available on August 1st, but you can pre-order it now.

This is a “Cinderella” story with a “princess” who works at a caterer’s in NYC after her parents unexpected and tragic death. Without any friends, Blythe heads to NY to start a new life. There she meets Finn and Asher, both young men who want to marry her, but she can only choose one of them. The dilemma is one that all of us would like to have. After all, who doesn’t want two very eligible and good-looking men craving them? Blythe has to search her heart carefully to make a choice, but is it the right one? The author does a good job of telling the story artfully and with a style that keeps the reader engaged. The sub-plot, the connection between the two young men, is a mystery almost until the end and is another reason to just keep reading. This is a fast-paced book that will entertain and make you happy, regardless of Blythe’s final choice.

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. 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 is available today at your local bookseller. Includes some sex scenes and inappropriate language. So, at least a PG-13 rating, but an entertaining book.

I have always only considered this Scripture to be about sowing spiritual seeds and reaping spiritual rewards. But in my Joyce Mayer devotional this morning, my eyes were opened to see that this verse means so much more. It’s that word “whatever” again. Whatever can mean your words and your actions. If you are always speaking positive words, then that is what you will reap. That is what will come back to you. If, however, you gossip and say nasty things about others, then that is what will happen to you. If you treat people kindly and with gentleness and respect, then that is how you will be treated. There is so much in my life that I regret…so many words and deeds that I cannot take back. Today, in my later years of life, I can look back and repent but I am still reaping what I sowed. God has been very merciful and has shielded me from much of what I should have reaped. Nevertheless, I want the younger generation to realize that this is not a trite saying from the Bible. It is God’s absolute truth and He will bring it to pass! Living for God may not always be easy, but the fruits that come from it are righteousness, peace and joy! (Romans 14:17) Have a blessed day and sow good seeds as you go out today!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1fUZNaSo-k&feature=share

Other than the publisher and some miscellaneous references to God and prayer, I would not have known that this was a Christian book. Yes, it was a “clean” read as far as language is concerned, but there was a lot of violence, so just be prepared for it. The premise is that a man calling himself The Conductor has taken over a small college town and is wreaking havoc commanding people to do things because he controls their “string.” He either has family members or loved ones in imminent danger or he has blackmail to use. Without giving too much away, I will say that this book reads more like a Dean Koontz thriller than any Christian thriller that I have ever read. That is not to say that it is not a good book because it is. It moves very quickly with characters that are either definitely good guys or definitely under the control of The Conductor. The explosive ending finally reveals who he is although the reason for his revenge is exposed earlier in the book. Fans of thrillers will enjoy this book, but it may not be everyone’s cup of tea because of the violence or implied threat of violence that is prevalent.

Disclaimer

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

https://www.amazon.com/String-Deadly-Games-Caleb-Breakey/dp/0800735072/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1563923337&sr=1-1 (Link to purchase the book on Amazon)

This book is available now from your favorite bookseller. Please be cautioned, though, about the mature theme of violence and threats.

In my devotions yesterday and today, the Lord spoke to my heart that He wants to be a part of whatever I am doing. What does that word “whatever” mean? It means everything! When I am getting ready for my day, God wants me to be aware of His presence. When I sit and do my devotions, of course, He is there. But He wants me to know that He is with me when I sit and enjoy a movie with friends. He is there when I am alone and looking out my window at the birds and stroking my kitty. He is there when I go to medical appointments (as I am today), and He is with me when I am exercising, reading a book or any of the other normal parts of my daily routine. God is always there!

Now that I have been made more aware of His constant presence, what am I expected to do? I am to do all to the glory of God. Whatever I do, I want God to get the glory. For example, when I am brushing my hair in the morning, I can remember to give God the glory that I have hair and that He has them numbered because He loves me so much. When I am reading a book, I can give God praise that I can see to read and that I have the knowledge to know how to read. When I type on my computer, I give God the glory for the technology that has allowed me to do this and for His provision that I have a computer. Do you see where all of this is going? We are still going back to praise!

No matter what I am doing or what trial I am undergoing, God is right next to me. His Holy Spirit lives inside of me, so I take God with me everywhere. It’s easy to be shaken in a world that does not acknowledge God as Lord and does not want to hear His name unless it’s as a curse. But God does not want me to fear anything. He wants me to know that He is there with me. He hears and sees the same things that I do. I recall the song that I used to sing with my young Sunday school children, “Oh, be careful little eyes what you see! Oh, be careful little ears what you hear!” Doesn’t that same song apply to us as adults?

God Himself shows us the way that we should live. As we go down the correct path, the one that He has shown us, then we can have joy in His presence. We know that one day we will have eternal pleasures. Isn’t that worth making right choices, knowing that what we do affects the closeness of our relationship with God? He wants to be closer to us, we want to be closer to Him and then we go about our daily routine and forget about Him. That is not the way He wants things to be. He wants us to always follow Him so closely that all that we do springs from our love for Him and for us to see Him in the small parts of our daily routines.

I leave you today with praise. My heart rejoices in God, my Savior, and the fact that He wants to be with me throughout my day, not just during my devotions. Maybe you are saying to yourself, “Well, duh? I already knew that?” You know what? So did I, but I haven’t been putting this simple truth into practice because I get busy doing things, but I want to and I hope to do so, starting today. Blessings to each of you for a great day, whatever you do!