I am a Christian, a retired teacher, a mother and a grandmother. I love to read and I love the Lord Jesus Christ! Unless otherwise specified ,all visual illustrations are from the YOU VERSION APP of the Bible.
www.bible.com/1171/hab.2.14.mev
This is my prayer for our nation and for our world. These are undoubtedly scary times, but God has this!
Here’s a quotation from my devotional today in the You Version App:
True ‘holiness’ is when you leave every person more alive than when you found them.-Nicky Gumbel
I pray that we will all strive for true holiness. Be blessed, my friends, so that you can be a blessing.
Yesterday, the Pope stated that the civil union of same-sex couples is okay with the church. Really? Seriously? Is it okay with God? Has God changed His mind? Or His Word? Just because man has become more tolerant of sin does not mean that God has. So, in my very humble opinion, I think that the Pope has made a grave error. I must state here that I am not Catholic, so I do not revere the Pope as holy or anything similar. Only God is holy, and that includes all parts of the Holy Trinity. I don’t mean to offend anyone, however. I just want you to take an honest look at what the Bible says and what the consequences are of not following God’s instructions. Once again, Dr. Denison says it a lot better than I ever could.
Dr. Denison Oct. 22, 2020 Pope and Gay Marriage
In my inbox today, along with Dr. Denison’s newsletter, was good news from the You Version Blog. May these testimonies bless and inspire you just as they blessed me.
May you all have a blessed day! Seek God’s face in His Word and find yourself in the hollow of His hand, ready to face the new day and whatever it brings.
The Essence of Jesus
— Read on ettingerwriting.wordpress.com/2020/10/21/the-essence-of-jesus/
Please go to the original post and follow David.
God has forgiven me much, and I’m sure that if you believe in His Son as your Savior, He has done the same for you. Yet, sometimes, I find myself holding onto grudges, past hurts and insults. How do I know that I am doing that? Well, when a certain person’s name is mentioned, I clinch my teeth and say things like I hope that I won’t see them in Heaven. What a horrible, horrible thing to think, much less say! God spoke to me this morning about this attitude. Since He has forgiven me so much, who am I to tell the person who offends me that they don’t deserve His forgiveness? He died for ALL!
Finally, I read in Dr. Denison’s article today about a man who killed the wife of a neighbor…vehicular manslaughter, and suddenly a family with four children had no mother. Yet, the father forgave the man who drove into his wife. Forgave him! Imagine! My heart was breaking at the idea of such a great ability to forgive! Then, the Lord spoke quietly to my heart and said that He forgave me great things and He wants me to forgive others of great and small things. Just like that, my eyes were opened and I know that now I will forgive, because I choose to do so. Just as Jesus chose to lay down His life for us and for our reconciliation with the Father, He forgave from that cross on the hill outside Jerusalem. I pray that from this day forward whenever I hear the name of a person who has offended me that I will pray a prayer of forgiveness for them and wish them well. But, more, I pray that they will come to know the love of the Savior so that they can experience Heaven with me. God bless each of you as you go through your day and may you reach out to those who need forgiveness and extend your hand of love.
Dr. Denison October 20, 2020 Husband Forgives Distracted Driver
What a delightful and light-hearted Christmas romance! WIth the holidays approaching, Catherine’s friend Denise convinces her to go on a European cruise with her. After all, Catherine’s two children are busy leading their own lives, Catherine has a serious health issue to deal with after the holidays, and Denise really is a god friend. Also on the cruise are sisters Sophie and Sierra. Sierra is married but her husband reneged on the cruise at the last minute, so hypochondriac Sophie decides to travel with her sister. The cruise is all that they dreamed of, and all that I could dream of, too, if I had been along. Sumptuous meals, beautiful port cities with Christmas shopping all along the way. Plus, Trevor is on the cruise, the chocolate king of Cupid’s Chocolates. Of course, there is lots of matching up in couples, lots of drama, lots of romance and plenty of Christmas. My favorite part was the slide show presented by Sophie and Sierra’s brother at their family celebration. Seriously, this was like watching a Hallmark movie or living right in the scenes with the characters. The whole book was that realistically portrayed! The characters were three-dimensional and the plot was extremely well-written with no loose strings left at the end. (Or should I say missing Christmas tree bulbs?). Anyway, this was one of the best Christmas books that I have read and I highly recommend it for those who love the holiday and the romance that it brings. And if you don’t love the holiday, you will enjoy this book because it’s that good, even for Scrooges!
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.”
Although this is the fourth book in the series, I read it as a standalone and understood the plot and was able to catch up quickly on who the characters were and the roles that they played. Taking place both in the U.S. and Canada, the basic tale is one of a RCMP detective, Liam Bearsmith, who had fallen in love with a witness in protection two decades previously and now sees her, follows her and the action really begins. It seems that Kelly and Liam have a daughter named Hannah who is married to a computer hacker names Renner. The plot got very unbelievable at times, with a gang called the Imposters determined to capture Renner and get a master key that he had discovered. The cutest character, by far, was the infant named Pip who is Hannah and Renner’s daughter, and thus Liam’s granddaughter whom he has just met. There are numerous other characters, members of Liam’s team, who jump into action to assist him. Again, many of the scenes during rescues and hostage-taking were far-fetched, but they were still entertaining. It was a fast-paced Christian romantic suspense with plenty of action to go along with the tons of characters. I I didn’t even try to keep the characters straight; I just kept reading to find out the ending. I knew that it would all be okay, but I didn’t know how that was going to be possible since one character would get out of trouble and another would fall into a trap. I liked the settings, rural and very Canadian wilderness like. Fans of clean romantic suspense who enjoy constant action will enjoy this book.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Harlequin 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.”
Author links:
Author website: http://www.maggiekblack.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maggiekblack
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaggieKBlack
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6984422.Maggie_K_Black
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/christmas-witness-conspiracy-maggie-k-black/1136599837?ean=9781335403100
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Witness-Conspiracy-Protected-Identities/dp/1335574689
Indie Bound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781335403100 good
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53850363-christmas-witness-conspiracy
Google books: https://books.google.ca/books/about/Christmas_Witness_Conspiracy.html?id=XVBqzQEACAAJ&redir_esc=y
Harlequin.com: https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9781488061417_christmas-witness-conspiracy.html
Excerpt, CHRISTMAS WITNESS CONSPIRACY by Maggie K. Black
He turned and walked toward the restaurant, so quickly and firmly she couldn’t have grabbed his hand again if she’d wanted to. She followed him up the stairs and across the deck—the empty deck with its picnic tables inches deep in snow. He reached for the door, found it unlocked and pushed it open. They stepped into the restaurant. It was empty and dark. Chairs were stacked upside down on empty tables.
As the door clicked shut behind them, a young man in a thick beard stepped out from behind it and pressed the barrel of a gun to the side of Liam’s head.
“Down on your knees.” The voice was low and mean. His face was lost in shadows and the click of the gun was unmistakable. “You’re about to learn what happens to someone who tries to lie to Bill Leckie, and it ain’t going to be pretty.”
“You tell Bill, I didn’t cross him,” Liam said calmly, raising his hands, “and I await his apology when he figures that out. Now, tell me, what exactly does Bill think I’ve done?”
Then, before the man could even formulate an answer, Liam struck, apparently more interested in distracting his attacker long enough to get the upper hand than hearing what he had to say. Kelly watched as Liam spun toward the gun-wielding man, grabbing the weapon before he could even fire and slamming him into the wall. She felt a gust of wind and heard the door slam and click shut again. She blinked. Liam had disarmed his attacker, thrown him out and locked the door behind him, without even breaking a sweat. Then she felt Liam’s strong hand on her shoulder, guiding her and the still-sleeping baby underneath a table, sheltering them with his body.
“Stay here,” Liam whispered, his voice urgent. His face was just inches from hers. Worry flooded his eyes. “It’s an ambush. That guy won’t be alone and just because I was able to catch him off guard doesn’t mean the others won’t put up more of a fight.” Not to mention the guy he just locked outside would be trying to get back in, no doubt. “There are other doors to this place, but we’d have to go through the kitchen or down the hallway, both of which are risky. This is an easier place to defend. Whatever Bill thinks I’ve done, he won’t want his goons hurting you or the baby. He’s got way too much honor than to allow a woman or child to get hurt on his watch, and has probably already told his attack dogs to leave you alone. I’m the one they’re after. I’ll get you out of here. Just promise me, if you get a clear path to escape, just take Pip and go, okay? Don’t wait for me and don’t look back.”
Before she could answer, his hand slid to the side of her face. His lips brushed over her forehead. Then he rolled back out into the room and leaped to his feet, knocking a table in front of Kelly and Pip’s hiding space as he did so, further shielding and protecting them.
“Like I told Bill, I have a woman and baby with me!” he shouted to the seemingly empty room. He tucked the gun he’d lifted into his belt. “If you’re Bill’s men you’ll know full well that hurting innocent women and children is against his code. Whatever his problem is, it’s with me, not them. And no weapon fire, please. The kid’s asleep and Bill won’t want you making things loud and scaring her awake.”
He sounded so calm and in control, as if he was the only person there who really understood what was going on. Kelly slid Pip’s car seat into the corner against the wall, sheltering it with her body and praying God
get back in, no doubt. “There are other doors to this place, but we’d have to go through the kitchen or down the hallway, both of which are risky. This is an easier place to defend. Whatever Bill thinks I’ve done, he won’t want his goons hurting you or the baby. He’s got way too much honor than to allow a woman or child to get hurt on his watch, and has probably already told his attack dogs to leave you alone. I’m the one they’re after. I’ll get you out of here. Just promise me, if you get a clear path to escape, just take Pip and go, okay? Don’t wait for me and don’t look back.”
Before she could answer, his hand slid to the side of her face. His lips brushed over her forehead. Then he rolled back out into the room and leaped to his feet, knocking a table in front of Kelly and Pip’s hiding space as he did so, further shielding and protecting them.
“Like I told Bill, I have a woman and baby with me!” he shouted to the seemingly empty room. He tucked the gun he’d lifted into his belt. “If you’re Bill’s men you’ll know full well that hurting innocent women and children is against his code. Whatever his problem is, it’s with me, not them. And no weapon fire, please. The kid’s asleep and Bill won’t want you making things loud and scaring her awake.”
He sounded so calm and in control, as if he was the only person there who really understood what was going on. Kelly slid Pip’s car seat into the corner against the wall, sheltering it with her body and praying God would protect Pip from realizing they were in danger. Then Kelly crouched up onto the balls of her feet and looked out through gaps in the chairs and fallen table that barricaded her from view. As she watched, two more men, of varying heights, wearing plaid jackets and with full-length beards, stepped out of the shadows. Liam had been so convinced that Bill would protect them and he’d been wrong.
Lord, please keep us safe.
She watched as Liam raised his badge high.
“I’m Liam Bearsmith!” he shouted at the approaching men. “RCMP. Stand down! Now! Or I’ll arrest you for assaulting an officer.”
This is the second book in the Pelican Bay series, and although I had no difficulty understanding the plot or the relationships between the characters, I wish that I had read the first book already in order to get the back story in Jane and Reid’s relationship. That being said, this book definitely left me wanting more of their story, especially the interference that Lauren is threatening to their discovery of each other. I enjoyed how the plot was complicated and woven around various characters. My favorite character was Will, a young man with a practical head on his shoulders who wants the best for both of his parents, regardless of whether they stay together or not. Jane is a strong and fierce heroine while Reid is not as strong but is a real brainiac who figures things out and has passed this trait on to his son. All of the characters work together to attempt to stop an attack on an oil platform that will also threaten the Gulf. This is a winning series, with an intense and intriguing plot and characters that are realistic and relatable.
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.”
Jonie Smitley was called to be a missionary from a young age and this book is the testimony of her life there. She spent time in Iraq, Afghanistan, Italy during the Covid-19 outbreak, Ecuador, and many other places. Basically, she traveled wherever and whenever she was needed, waiting for God’s call. I was fascinated with her close walk with the Lord and how she witnessed to His grace and love in each chapter. The love and dedication that she feels forward the Lord is portrayed in each chapter, with true stories of reaching out to those who need God in their lives. She definitely shows that she has a heart for serving God and the willingness to follow through. Her courage and love and skill are a wonder to behold. This is a very fast read, with short chapters and an amazing true story in each. Christians who want to feel uplifted and encouraged as well as challenged to serve will enjoy this book. And non-Christians can learn from its pages what unselfish devotion is like.
I purchased my copy of this book from Amazon. I was not required to write a positive review.
The opinions expressed are my own. I am happy to say that my daughter Hope is a personal friend of Jonie’s and is part of Jonie’s prayer team when Jonie is on the missions field. So, although I have never met this remarkable woman myself, I have heard many times to pray for Jonie because she is headed out again to do God’s work.
Please note that I am aware that there are various grammatical and spelling errors in this book. However, take it as a testimony of a dedicated Christian, one devoted to going to work for God no matter the cost, and enjoy the book! I know that I did!
I was beyond delighted when I was invited to review Debbie Macomber’s new Christmas book since I love her books, especially the Christmas ones that I look forward to each year. The story of Everly and Asher is an old as time, and so well-written that I laughed, I cried and I rejoiced as I read. Just the feelings I wanted as the holiday approaches! Everly is a real estate executive who is tricked into going on an Amazon River cruise. There she meets naturalist Asher, a young man dedicated to telling everyone about all of the mysteries of the Amazon. I laughed aloud at some of the escapades that Everly got into. She may have been a very capable real estate mogul, but she was definitely out of her element in the wilds of the Amazon. It was amusing to read about Asher’s attempt to thwart her getting seriously injured while also teaching her about the place he loved so much. The conflict comes when the two fall in love and they have no idea to believe that their love can continue since they live worlds apart. I always enjoy how Ms. Macomber resolves the conflict and I think that her readers will recognize her fine hand in this wonderful Christmas story. It’s all about family, love, talents and compromise. Fans of romance and Debbie Macomber will thoroughly enjoy this story. And, bonus! I learned a lot about the Amazon, too!
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.”
Lisa Jewell’s latest book is the story of misfits in society, the story of desiring acceptance and love, the story of betrayal and lies and deception, and the story of secrets. It is a multi-layered story told from the point of view of three main characters. Cat Fours, the wife of Roan and mother of self-centered Georgia and spoiled Josh, is a woman who knows something is wrong but chooses to ignore it rather than confront. Saffyre Maddox is a teen who was abused as a young child and is still suffering from that physical assault. She sat under the therapy of Roan Fours, but since he didn’t cure her, she has decided to stalk him. The final narrator was the most unreliable but also the most interesting. Owen Pick is a complete misfit, a thirty something who has yet to find his place in the world. Fired from his job as a geography professor, Owen lives with Tessie, a relative who seldom interacts with him. Owen is part of an online group known as the incels, a group of involuntary celibates, something that I had never heard of before and I’m not sure that I want to know more about them now. Dark! Very dark! When Saffyre disappears, Owen is naturally the first suspect and is picked up, questioned and finally charged. Owen continues to declare his innocence, Cat continues to turn the other way and refuse to acknowledge that evil may exist under her roof, and Saffyre is still missing. This is not really what I would call a thriller, but rather a psychological family drama. It was thought-provoking throughout, especially at the end, when I closed the book and continued to reflect on the deceptive appearances that are a central theme. Who is in my life who wears one face and hides the real person inside? I really enjoyed this book, but not with a happy feeling at the end. The book is too dark with multi-faceted themes to leave me with contentment at the end. However, it left me with a lot to ponder. Fans of Lisa Jewell and psychological mysteries will really enjoy this fast-paced book.
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.”
Vickie's Book Nook and Meditation Corner 