Review of UNKNOWN THREAT by Lynn H. Blackburn

On March 9, 2021 By vickleaIn Book ReviewLeave a comment

The first book in a new series is always exciting, but this book was far beyond that. It was an explosive, gut-wrenching thrill ride from beginning to end! The Secret Service agents in Raleigh, NC are being targeted and killed one by one by an unknown assailant. Faith is sent in from the FBI office to investigate and protect them, but she has more than an unknown perpetrator to deal with. She has to get past the shell-shocked agents who may or may not feel like being cooperative when their own members are being picked off. I really enjoyed the repartee between Faith and Luke, a secret service agent who has a real hang up against the FBI. I think my favorite thing about the book is that the protagonist is a strong female with unbelievable intuition and skills but also a soft side who needs to be loved just like everyone else. My favorite character was Hope, Faith’s sister, who offers timely and wise advice from her wheelchair. She does not pity herself because of her damaged body; she just moves on with life and is wiser for her choice to accept and continue in her faith in God. Faith is also dealing with a lack of belief in God, so there is that underlying theme. Damaged characters are realistic, since everyone is damaged in some way and we all have to overcome whatever obstacles life has thrown our way. That could be a theme of the book, but I think the real theme is forgiveness and hope and also finding one’s way back to God. The plot was well-developed with a lot of twists and red herrings and it winded its way to a nice conclusion. I look forward to seeing more of these characters in future books. Fans of Christian fiction and romantic suspense will want to read this book.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell as part of the Revell Reads Blogger Program. 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.”

*Totally clean Christian fiction with some intense scenes involving the murder of secret service agents. I would rate it PG.*

*Photo and info from the author’s website at* http://www.lynnhblackburn.com

Available Now! Here are your purchase links:

If you love Christian books, then this one will fit the bill for you! With action, suspense, romance and faith, it’s perfect! Buy it today!

How to Be Saved

On March 8, 2021 By vickleaIn Scripture4 Comments

Over four decades ago, a sweet neighbor explained to me how to be saved and gave me a Bible to read. Considering how lost our world is now, it seems relevant that I share these Scripture verses with you for you to ponder.

Note that this verse is from the Psalms. God always had a plan for redemption of sinners in place. In the Old Testament, the people made animal sacrifices and times established by God. In the New Testament, Jesus sacrificed Himself Once, for all. But confession of our sins remains the same, regardless of the time in which we live.

The reason it is so important to confess our sins is so that we can be cleansed. We don’t have to go to a place or a person. We just have to confess our sins to Him. He hears us, and his faithfulness and justice reaches down to us, forgives us and cleanses us from wickedness.

Nothing But the Blood of Jesus by Hillsong

May God bless you this day and every day with a cleansing of your heart and soul so that you can go out and bless others with the Good News that there is salvation available to all.

Praising God

On March 4, 2021 By vickleaIn Scripture4 Comments

We had some disturbing news this week and we are trying to work through a difficult situation with a property management company, so prayers are appreciated. In the meantime, God has called me to praise Him. When the circumstances are going well, praise Him. When everything is turned upside down, praise Him. Whether things work out or not, I’m trying to remain calm and focused on God who will take care of us, regardless.

My Scripture verses from my devotional this morning were just what I needed to start today. They are like a breath of fresh air to my soul. I had to remind myself today that nothing will happen that God and I can’t handle together. Of course, my husband is with me in this, too, but his constantly talking about the problem is wearing on me. I’m hoping that I can get him to take time to pray with me today about it, longer than a cursory, “God, take care of it for us” kind of thing. Anyway, I feel ready for a new day and I hope that you do, too.

O Lord by Lauren Daigle

I pray that each of you has a blessed and wonderful day, filled with His presence, His comfort and His love.

A Loving Eye

On March 3, 2021 By vickleaIn Scripture3 Comments

www.bible.com/111/psa.32.8.niv

Every parent knows that the best thing we can do for our children is to prepare them for life by consistently instructing them and teaching them, leading them in the right way. So this verse really touched my heart, especially the part about God’s eye being on us to counsel us. I remember my kids saying that I was giving them “that look” which they knew meant that whatever they were doing needed to stop immediately and they needed to make a choice to change their actions before I changed it for them. I also recall my students telling me that I had that look in my eyes that showed them that I meant business and that they needed to listen. They called it “the teacher eye.” With this Scripture today, it verifies that the look and the teacher eye were real and they are gifts from God, the One who loves us and uses that eye to counsel us. With just a look from the Father, we are advised to change our path, to go the right way, to choose wisely. Just as my children and my students knew exactly what I expected when I cast my eyes upon them, so do we when God looks at us and clearly speaks through His Word that we need to straighten up and fly right!

Review of FACING THE DAWN by Cynthia Ruchti

On March 3, 2021 By vickleaIn Book Review2 Comments

*A completely clean Christian read, but it does deal with some difficult topics*, *so I would rate it PG.*

*I would definitely give it more stars if I could.*

Goodness! This is the first book ever that I had to put away for a few hours after certain chapters and just let it settle in my mind before I could continue reading. The depths of emotion in this novel were real, in the book and in my mind as I read. Mara is almost a single mother, in that her husband is in Uganda on an extended missions trip, providing water for the needy in Uganda. Mara has problems with two of their children: Dylan who is on probation, with Chelsea who isn’t trying very hard to graduate, but not with Jeremy, the pre-teen who just loves his mom and is empathetic to her loneliness and stress. When the unthinkable and unimaginable happens, Mara has to dig deep just to survive. The author writes so well that I put myself right into the middle of the story and was feeling what Mara felt. I was as thankful as Mara when her best friend Ashlee shows up, having moved to town recently and is there for just the right time. It is Ashlee, a widow who has been through grief, who understands Mara’s anger, resentment and feelings of unworthiness. Sol and Logan are neighbors who pitch in to help out and Mara is overwhelmed with the circumstances and the aid that she receives. The book was so realistic that I wanted to just reach into the pages and give Chelsea and Dylan a good shake and an “in your face” lecture. With well-written dialog between the various characters and an extremely well-developed plot, this book was the first book that I have read by this author, but it will definitely not be the last. I enjoyed every minute that I spent getting to know Mara, her family and her friends. By the end of the book, I even considered her my friend, too. With the themes of resilience, forgiveness, acceptance and love for others, this book was one of the best that I have read that included a difficult topic. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to feel hopeful and faithful when not much is going the way you expected.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell via the Revell Reads Blogger Program. I was not required to write a positive review. 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.”

*Info and photo from the author’s web site at* https://cynthiaruchti.com

This wonderful book just published yesterday. Here are the purchase links:

A Prayer for Love, Knowledge and Insight

On March 2, 2021 By vickleaIn Scripture7 Comments

It has been almost twenty years since our youngest child left home for college. That was the beginning of the end of having children at home, the beginning of becoming an “empty nester.” When each child left, I gave them plenty of advice: finances, relationships, and finding a good church to go to. I prayed for them daily; in fact, their names and a prayer were never far from my thoughts and still are. But this prayer that I found in my devotional this morning is what I should have been praying for all of these years.

It is Paul’s prayer for the Philippians, but it is also a prayer that we can and should apply to all of our loved ones. For it is in this prayer that we find the love, the knowledge and the insight necessary to fulfill a life of promise in Christ. It is a prayer for making good choices and to one day be able to stand before the Lord “blameless.” It’s not enough to know God’s Word; it has to be applied to one’s life. That is my prayer for my children, for my friends, for other family members and for my lost loved ones and friends. Jesus saves. He left us the Holy Spirit to give us insight and discernment, His Word to give us knowledge. If we stay close to Him, we “abound in love.” How can we do any less than love others when He chose to die for all?

Yes, I pray for our children daily. I also pray for others whom God brings to my mind. Prayer is a powerful weapon in the hands of the saints of God. We need to use it as Paul did, to teach and to bless.

Have a blessed day filled with abounding love, knowledge and insight!

He Is Worthy

On March 1, 2021 By vickleaIn Scripture5 Comments

www.bible.com/1171/1sa.12.24.mev

This is an admonition from my devotional this morning. It’s one to memorize and keep in our hearts, Fearing the Lord is giving Him the reverence He deserves. He is a good Father. We are to serve Him daily. How? By following His Word. Jesus’s last commandment to His disciples was to “go…and tell.” If that is what Jesus told His followers then, isn’t He saying the same thing to us now? Finally, we are to think about all of the great things He has done for us. In doing that, we focus on thanksgiving and the positive things in our lives. There is so much for which to be thankful! This verse encapsulates what our relationship with the Lord should be on a daily basis.

God bless you as you go through today with fear of the Lord, serving Him with thanksgiving in your hearts. He is worthy!

Courage in a Post-Christian World

On February 26, 2021 By vickleaIn News Reports4 Comments

I have tears in my eyes as I write this post, for I honestly never thought that our nation would fall so far so fast. The Equality Act, passed by the U.S. House of Representatives yesterday, is a marker of how far we have fallen. There will no longer be protection for the Christians in our nation who do not want to bake for same sex couples or for pastors who do not want to perform same sex marriages. Being a Christian these days is thought to be some kind of racism because we stand against sin and immorality. But stand we must! If Jesus could go to Golgotha for us and pay the ultimate price, then we can stand for the truth and for righteousness.

The next years, and possibly for the rest of my life, will be difficult for those who believe in the truth and morals of the Bible. We believe that there is such a thing called sin. We believe in God who established laws and precepts for us to follow, for our good, always. We believe that God is not prohibiting behavior because He is a spoilsport, but because He knows what is best for us. Our nation has lost its moral compass, led by a man who is blinded by saying he is a Roman Catholic, so that makes everything he accepts “okay” for the nation.

I’m here, standing up to the unrighteous majority, and stating that what the national leaders are doing is a disgrace to this nation and will only lead to God’s judgment. For many years, I have heard, “If God doesn’t judge the U.S., then He will have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah.” Well, I don’t believe that God will end up apologizing to any sinfulness incarnate. The U.S. is following in the destructive steps of Sodom, Gomorrah and the Roman Empire.

I am saddened beyond belief because I don’t want this for my children and grandchildren. So, I am standing up for truth, in spite of the fact that I am aged and can only do so much. But I can do one thing. I can speak truth to lies, I can call sin what it is and I can refuse to accept that man is his own god. There is One Truth, One God and One Judge and He doesn’t reside in D.C. or any state capital. It’s time for Christians to stand boldly and say that we are not afraid of what man can do to us. Same-sex marriage is an abomination, period! The LGBTQ+ movement is straight from the pits of hell, because man wants to do his own thing instead of following God’s plan. Teaching school children to accept that they have no gender or that they can choose their gender is evil. God created two genders, male and female, period.

I’m sick and tired of hiding and not saying what I think. I see our nation headed straight to hell, literally, and I cannot stay silent. I am angry at our lawmakers who are supposed to represent us but who are instead legislating a morality that they themselves believe in and that they are forcing on ALL Americans. It is time to call your Senators…burn up the phones in D.C. and let them know that the Equality Act is not for equality; it stands for repression of the faith-believers. Let the Supreme Court know that your opinion is that they need to actually enforce the Constitution of the United States. The Equality Act strikes at the heart of the First Amendment. We may go down, but let us go down fighting against this tyranny. Let us stand with courage for what is right and not be afraid of the powers that stand against us.

To contact your U.S. Senator, go here: Senator Call List

To contact the U.S. Supreme Court, go here: Contact Supreme Court

I am not giving you a script to read as you call. Instead, I am trusting you to pray, call and speak. Be a voice for the Christians so that we at least try to stop the downhill roll to destruction. I leave you with today’s article from Dr. Denison, which is what inspired me to write this column today.

Dr. Denison February 26, 2020

Pray, Speak, Stand.

The Reward Is Life

On February 25, 2021 By vickleaIn Scripture9 Comments

www.bible.com/111/pro.10.16.niv

If we are the children of the Lord, the end result of our labors on earth is life, eternity with our Savior and our God. It is imperative that we teach the Gospel to as many as possible before we leave this earth because their end is death, an eternal separation from God. Many preachers today are saying that there is no hell, no judgment. The Word of God clearly points out repeatedly that hell does exist and that it was not made for man originally, but if man persists in sin, then death is the consequence.

What makes someone righteous? Belief in Jesus as their Lord and Savior! There is nothing, not one thing, that we can do to earn salvation and eternal life. Jesus already paid the price in full for each believer.

What makes someone wicked? A constant choice to sin. Note that word, choice. Sin is a choice. You don’t fall into sin. It doesn’t reach out and grab you. You make a choice to sin once. Then, as time goes on, the choice becomes easier, almost automatic. You look around and your life has changed because of your choices.

Each day, we all have choices to make. The righteous make choices based on our belief that Jesus died for us. For me, I don’t want to disappoint Him or cause Him any more suffering than what He already went through for me. So, I strive to please Him, often asking Him what I should do before I make a decision. Likewise, the wicked make choices, too, but they believe that the only one that they answer to is themselves. Humanism is rampant in earth today. It’s broadcast on every news channel, on every radio station, the evil choices that men are making without any consideration for the eternal consequences.

Our mission on earth, as Jesus’s followers, is to take as many people with us to Heaven as we can. We share the Gospel, tell the wicked that there is a different choice for them, a choice that means eternal life instead of eternal damnation. Sharing the Gospel is not a choice for us; it is a commission from the One who saved us. God is holding back His judgment on the earth so that as many as possible can be saved. He doesn’t want anyone to go to hell, but he will allow it to happen because He is righteous and just. Right now, I believe that He is showing His mercy, but that will not always be so. May He open the eyes and ears of the wicked to hear and accept His truth and may we be His willing servants to tell that truth to others.

God bless each of you that you may accept and go forth today with the Word of Truth in your hearts and on your lips, ready to tell those who need to hear.

Review of HIS SECRET STARLIGHT BABY by Michelle Major

On February 24, 2021 By vickleaIn Book ReviewLeave a comment

This is a funny, sweet romance that I just knew from the beginning would have a happy ending because I have read the other books in the series. But getting to the ending was so much fun as I read this delightful romance set in the little town of Starlight. Jordan Schaeffer is a retired NFL player who has opened a bar in the town and is relaxing into his new role. Then, Cory Hall arrived to town and threw a wrench into his plans since she has his baby, the one he knew nothing about, with her. The plot was well-developed with some sub plots about Cory trying to find her place in Starlight and being determined that Jordan get to know his son, even if he wants nothing to do with her. I enjoyed the interactions between Cory and the really grumpy cook Madison whom no one else would try to cross. Madison was my favorite character and I would love to see more of her in a future book, just because of her attitude showing that at some time she has been hurt badly. Jordan’s mom gives him the best advice possible about his situation, so all works out well, but there was some rough going there for a while.The conflict between Jordan and his teammate Kade, who suddenly shows up in town, added a little tension to the plot and a break from the conflict between Cory and Jordan. I think my favorite part of the book was the cooking classes that Madison gave and how the group grew to a bunch of misfits who seemed to not even know what a kitchen was. The cooking class meetings were filled with humor and fun and I could certainly place myself there since I have never been a good cook.The development of the characters was well-done, with realistic details that made them likable. I rooted for Jordan and Cory to get it together from the beginning of the book and was invested in their doing so by the author’s method of weaving the story to make it interesting. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a light romance.
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.”

*I would rate this book as a PG since there is extra-marital sex resulting in an infant.*

*Photo from author’s page on Amazon at* Michelle Major on Amazon

Author Bio

USA Today bestselling author Michelle Major loves stories of new beginnings, second chances and always a happily ever after. An avid hiker and avoider of housework, she lives in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains with her husband, two teenagers and a menagerie of spoiled furbabies. Connect with her at http://www.michellemajor.com.

Author Links

Website: https://michellemajor.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6468588.Michelle_Major

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MichelleMajorBooks

Twitter: https://twitter.com/michelle_major1

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