I’m going to give a big shout out to Lucky #13 for Tracers author Laura Griffin. This is absolutely the best one that I have read yet, and I have read all of them since I am such a big fan! This book is centered around Sara Lockhart, a top forensic anthropologist who works hard in the deep recesses of the Delphi Center. When she stumbles onto a case of missing women in the same area in which she likes to climb and hike, she is drawn into the case. She is also magnetically attracted to the local police detective Nolan Hess, so the stage is set for some fast-paced action and lots of fireworks in the romance department. I really enjoyed finding out more about the quiet and elusive Sara and what has made her into the introverted, driven worker that she is. Meeting Nolan was a bonus, of course! The villain was a real surprise to me, although the clues were all there to follow, albeit subtle. I liked being led to a surprise conclusion and knowing that the loose ends are all tied up in the end, although everything is not a happy ending for all involved. Fans of the Tracers series will not want to miss this one and those who read romantic suspense need to add it to their to-be-read-right-away pile!

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.”

Releases on Tuesday, March 26th, so preorder today or get it at your local bookseller or retailer.

I’m claiming this Scripture below as I struggle through this recovery process that my surgeon says will take 2-3 months to be complete. It sounds like a really long time, doesn’t it? Well, I have been on a restricted diet since my stroke in 2015. I went on a more restrictive diet because of my digestive issues that were discovered in December of last year. Now, I am even more restricted. Pictured below are the items I am allowed to drink, my nourishment for the next two weeks at least.

I am delighted to at least be on the road to recovery, after having survived a traumatic major surgery. Those of you who are squeamish can skip over the part in italics since I’m describing the surgery.

My stomach had moved up into my chest wall and was resting on my esophagus and next to my heart and lungs. The danger came in that the stomach moves to digest food and could strangle my heart. That didn’t happen, but that was why I needed the surgery. The surgeon used a robot to pull my stomach back into place, to put mesh to close up my diaphragm and to use mesh to wrap part of my stomach around my weakened esophagus. (I humorously tell everyone that there was no border wall, so my stomach just crossed over where it didn’t belong. Ha! Ha!).

End of yucky description! The surgery took just about two hours, but somehow I was in recovery for almost three hours. They had a bed all ready for me (my husband was waiting in the room there), but I was having problems with pain and pain meds since I have so many allergies. They finally found one to administer that would control my pain enough so that I could be moved.

Now, back to the real reason I am writing. Jesus died for my sins (and yours, too). Before His death, He was beaten harshly and every stripe that He bore on His back from the whips was a testimony to His healing that He has for us. I could not help but think of the pain that our Savior endured for us…for us! He expected nothing in return except for us to accept Him as our Savior and Lord. He didn’t have hard feelings, blame us or refuse to forgive those who placed Him on the Cross. In fact, He asked the Father to forgive from the cross where he suffered the final throes of death. I have wounds, but nothing like what Jesus had. I have pain, but nothing like what Jesus had. I can’t take pain killers because of allergies, so the pain is mine to own. I do breathing exercises every hour to help me to learn how to do deep breathing again. Do you remember Jesus’s agonized last breath? That puts everything into the proper perspective and lets me get up and face the challenge of each new day. He isn’t finished with me yet; after all, He brought me through the surgery. Now, it is up to me to share His love and His sacrifice to others so that those who are in pain can give that pain to Jesus and be healed…now and forevermore. Blessings for a day filled with His love and power!

Well, my friends, the time has come. I go in for my surgery tomorrow morning bright and early…well actually, I have to arrive at 9:30 and the surgery begins at 11:30. That is bright and early enough for me since I have to fast tonight and can have only a sip of water in the morning, with my medication. Anyway, needless to say, I have been a nervous wreck all day. I had two medical appointments this morning and neither doctor could do the regular tests that I undergo since I have surgery tomorrow. So, I fasted last night as kind of a practice for my surgery, I guess.

What better way is there to prepare for surgery than to talk to Christian friends and receive Scriptures from them? These verses are from my friend Carole. She stepped right up to the plate when my best friend passed away last March. She told me that she is my new best friend, and she has proven herself repeatedly by calling, texting and joking around with me, just as Heidi used to do. So, on Sunday, I told Carole that I was getting nervous. Later that day after we had come home from church, she sent me these Scripture verses.

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I have copied each of these verses on a notecard and plan to take the card back with me where I will be prepped for surgery. I am not sure how long I will be offline, but please know that you will be in my thoughts and prayers, dear friends. May God meet you where you are and show you the way to His secret place where there is peace and joy and love! Blessings!

In the Bible, we are called vessels, clay pots made by the Master and useful for whatever He wants to use us. However, many of us have decided all on our own that we cannot do anything for God. Like Moses, we may say that we can’t speak well. Or like Gideon, we may think that we are too weak. Nevertheless, God says that He can use us, no matter what our strengths and talents are. He has created each of us for a purpose, and we need to seek out that purpose and get busy doing it.

So, how do you become purified? Through God’s word and prayer and setting yourself apart for Him. You are already prepared for every good work! Jesus has made you righteous, so you are purified.

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This verse says to do whatever your hand finds to do. I think that means whatever you are capable of doing, with your mind, heart, soul and strength. If you have a talent to sing, then sing for the Lord, with everything that is in you. If you have a passion to build homes, then build them for others. There are so many worthy organizations that can use your talents. If you are like me and can speak two languages or more, use that to reach others with the Gospel. I remember going on a missions trip back in the 90’s. We were a team of medical missionaries going to Guatemala, to a remote village to serve those who had never had the chance to see a doctor. We had an ophthalmologist, a general surgeon and a dentist with us. We also had about a half a dozen nurses. And then there was me and one other lady whom I had convinced to come along because she also spoke Spanish well. I felt woefully inadequate because I did not know medical terminology in Spanish at all! I had been teaching high school Spanish and I can assure you that we did not address vocabulary for viruses or diseases. Once we got on the field, though, my friend and I became well acquainted with using a medical dictionary. We interpreted in a little circle. The people who were our patients were Mayan and spoke a local dialect. Then a local interpreter told one of us in Spanish what their symptoms were. We used our dictionaries frequently and then told the doctor in English what those symptoms were. The doctor told us what had to be done for the patient, and so the the circle continued. It was absolutely heart-breaking to see these natives with diseases like TB that we don’t even see in the United States. By the end of the day, my friend and I were both exhausted. (Our days began before daybreak and ended long after dark, with a break for lunch that the natives provided.). We stayed there for ten days and at the end of that time, I was ready to go back home to civilization, but I also had a greater appreciation for how God was able to use the small ability that I have. For a while at our current church, we had Hispanics attending and I interpreted for them. Once again, I was using my Spanish. Recently, I have been helping a teacher friend who attends our church to pass a test that she has to pass in our state in order to keep her certification. I helped her by explaining what her errors were by relating them to Spanish and showing her how English differs. I continue to look for ways to serve God right where I am and with the abilities that He has given me. Since God is no respecter of persons, He will meet and use you right where you are, too.

What is in your hand? Only seven loaves? That’s okay! In fact, it’s wonderful because in the hand of the Savior, it is more than enough! Whatever you have, God can use it. No matter how small you think that your abilities and talents are, God gave them to you for a reason. Just spend some time asking God to use you. Let Him open your eyes to the needs around you for someone just like you to meet that need. Then, you can know and fulfill your purpose. Blessings!

Put your brain on pause and just think bout the title of my blog today. God, the Creator of you and all of the Universe, is on your side. Do you recall in elementary school being chosen for teams to play kick ball or some other activity on the playground? I vividly recall always being chosen last because I was so bad at running. I would always lose my breath and end up walking around bases, that is, if I could even manage to kick the ball. But now, as an adult, I have been chosen to be on God’s team and He is always fighting for us. Yes, we have trials and tribulations. It’s called L-I-F-E. But even in the midst of whatever we are going through, we have to remember that God is FOR us. He wants us to win. (Hey, guys! Just a hint. Read the end of the Book…WE WIN!). Whatever we are going through is meant to make us stronger, not defeat us. I have been going through three months of trials as I await my upcoming surgery. One member of our church said I just need to pray for healing and then I wouldn’t need surgery. Honestly, he didn’t need to tell me that. I have been praying. But as I pray, I also pray, “Not my will but Yours be done.” So far, no healing has happened. However, I have met a lot of technicians and other medical personnel as I have undergone numerous medical tests. My hope is that I sowed a little of God’s seed in each of their lives. So, if that is part of the reason that I am going through this, I’m wiling to undergo the tests and the imminent surgery.

Some of us, including me, have to remind ourselves of this Scripture and its truth. No one can defeat you ultimately because God is for you. Let that WOW moment sink in! God is for you…no one can defeat you!

This Scripture is my prayer as I face surgery and whatever other trials may come my way. I want to continue to be able to delight in the Lord and to join Him in Heaven one day.

God is leading us, much as He led the Hebrews in the wilderness. He is a pillar of a cloud and a burning fire showing us the way. But where is it, you may ask. Inside you! You are being guided by His Holy Spirit and wherever He leads you, He will also lead you through it or out of it. God is truly on your side. He chose you to be on His team and He will never leave you.

And so we go through this life, comforted by God for the express purpose of being able to use our troubles that we survived or thrived during in order to comfort others. Our experiences are for a reason…we may never understand the reason, but I, for one, am always looking for the next person who needs an encouraging word. That is what a teammate does, after all…encourage someone to achieve victory. Are you encouraging someone today, or do you need encouragement yourself? God is for you…cheering you on with all of the Heavenly Host until one day He will welcome you to your eternal home and say to you, “Well done!” I hope that this post will encourage you to keep on keeping on…God is the captain of your team and He knows that you can do it because He has empowered you. Blessings!

Our God by Chris Tomlin

This is an amazing book that mixes fiction with Biblical truth. Jill Eileen Smith is noted for her fiction books about Old Testament women. In her latest book, she combines the stories that she imagines twelve women in the Bible lived and applies the lessons that they learned to our lives. I was particularly impressed with how real these twelve women became to me; the author indeed quickened their spirits to me as she wrote about the choices that they faced and their dreams that they had lost. The theme of the book is one of redemption and hope, knowing that we can trust our God to either fulfill our dreams or give us a better one. In her foray into non-fiction, the author has combined what she does best with true research from the Bible and produced a book that can be an inspiration to everyone looking for answers for a life that isn’t what you expected.

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.”

Available TODAY from your local bookseller!