There is so much going on in the world, in my community and in my life. Some things are great and I can be thankful for them. Others leave me gasping, “What is this? A test, again?” For example, for those of you who have been living in a cave for the last week, there is Hurricane Dorian. It seems to be skirting the Florida coast, which is where I have two siblings living. So, I have been in much prayer for their safely. Now, our governor here in VA has declared an emergency for our state because we may be in the path of destructive winds and rain. “Oh, no!” Thinking back to Tropical Storm Isabel and eleven days without electricity, I started to panic. That is my response to this new storm, and then I had my devotional this morning. This is what I read.

This is a chorus that we sang for many years in various churches, so I know this verse. At least, in my mind I know it, but now I need to get it deep into my heart. God is the only One who matters. He is with me, no matter what happens…blurred vision, storms and demands from family members. Regardless, God is still on His throne. He didn’t move. Let that sink deep into your heart, just as it is beginning to rest in mine.

My hope is in God, in the promises that are in His Word. I may not like what is happening all around me, but I know that His Word is true and He will keep me until it is time for Him to call me home. So, I’m getting more relaxed now…more rested in my mind and my spirit. You see, I have discovered that once my spirit is focused on the compass that it should be following, my mind follows suit and I rest in the Lord. Nothing that happens in my life (or yours) is a surprise to God. Therefore, we can depend on Him. He will walk with us through all of the storms of life and we already know that nothing is impossible or too hard for Him. The same God who parted the Red Sea is my God (and yours, if you believe in Him). No fear! Think about it, and have a blessed day.

I came back from Maryland last week with a stye on my right eye. It didn’t bother me too much at first, but then it started itching, my eyes started watering and I couldn’t see clearly. On Thursday, I went to my doctor and got an antibiotic cream for it. Guess what? The cream makes my vision totally blurry. I can only see clearly as the cream wears off and then it is time for another dose. Ten days of blurred vision! Just imagine those in the time of Jesus to whom He restored their sight! Jesus is still today in the business of restoring sight to the blind.

Jesus wants us to clearly see our sins so that we can repent and turn to him. So many in today’s world are self-righteous, depending on their own abilities and thinking that they do not need a Savior. They think that they see clearly, but they are blind spiritually. Jesus came for a purpose, to save us from our sins and allow us to see His Kingdom clearly and know who He is and why He had to die for us. It saddens me that there are so many who think that they see so well and yet they are so blinded. I have many “blind” family members, and I continue to pray for them daily that Jesus will help them to see.

In about a week, I should be all better and be able to see clearly with my physical eyes again. That means that I can see the birds at the bird feeders again, I can see the things in my path that might cause me to stumble and I can see to read without having the words blur before me. I am heart-broken for those who willfully refuse to see. I hope that you can understand my analogy here. I pray blessings on your day and that you will see all that God has planned for you.

I had a mini-vacation planned during the time that I was reading this book, and I just have to say that it was very hard not to continue to read, even surrounded by family. This book is that good! Lila Bennett is an attorney for a prestigious law firm and is working hard to make a name for herself. But the reputation that she is getting may not be the one that she ultimately wants to have, as she finds herself kidnapped and apologizing for all of her wrong actions. This book is absolutely mesmerizing in the way that it goes back and forth from Lila in her free state and when she is captured. She is busily engaged in trying to figure out who has kidnapped her in every other chapter; in the other chapters, she is trying to straighten out her selfish life. This book teaches life lessons to all of us and makes us imagine what would happen if we were captured and forced to atone for all of our wrongdoing. Thought provoking doesn’t even begin to cover it! What a wonderful book for all readers, especially those drawn to women’s fiction with a twist. This is a fascinating book that will be hard to put down, so set aside some time to read and enjoy it!

Disclaimer

Disclosure of Material Connection: I purchased a copy of this book from Amazon. The opinions expressed are my own.

This fascinating tale is available now at your local bookseller and is free on Kindle Unlimited. Enjoy!

This is not the cozy mystery that it seems to be just by looking at the cover. Rather, it is a story of spying, politics and a possible Fourth Reich with the goal of world domination. When Fitz Donavan befriends his elderly neighbor, Mrs. W, all he expected to find was another bibliophile. Instead, she tells him that her life is in danger and asks him to return later so that she can reveal her secrets. Before she can do so, however, she is brutally tortured and murdered. Thus, Fitz, a retired NYC police chief, is pulled into discovering her secrets and why an old lady would be tortured and killed. Fitz calls on his daughters, granddaughters and their friends to help him discover Mrs. W’s past, the secrets that got her killed. The plot is unbelievable but very well-written so that I was quickly drawn into the story, feeling an urgency to discover the secrets that Mrs. W held so close. The book had the usual mystical and psychic elements of the author since Maeve, Fitz’s daughter, has a “second sight” and other abilities that lead to clues to solve the mystery. Fitz is helped by some really quirky and likable characters, many of whom have surreal abilities with science and computers, but all of which are necessary in order to solve the mystery of the elderly neighbor’s death. This book combines mystery with a conspiracy theory and is actually a very dark novel that leads us to a conclusion that is satisfactory but somewhat abrupt. I think that readers of novels with a lot of weblike elements that unravel slowly will enjoy this book. There were some slow parts in the book, but for the most part it was fast-paced and amusing, with a quality of “what the heck just happened?”

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.”

This is a very dark mystery novel and is not for everyone. I had trouble reading the parts with the psychic descriptions since I don’t believe in those abilities and believe that they are “dark arts.” Nevertheless, I persevered to read and write a review since I had promised to do so. The four-star rating is because the author wrote a good story, but the content was not really for me.

This is a romance, but it is so much more! It is a commentary on how we treat others who are different than we are. It is a book about family and relationships and the importance of encouraging our children to follow their dreams. It is a book to be read and savored, as one savors a fine wine. Thomasina Waycott, nicknamed “Hitch,” is different from others in so many ways. Her lip is malformed, her limbs are crooked and she has difficulty walking. What she doesn’t have difficulty doing is dreaming of a future that includes a home for herself and someone to love. When the story opens, Hitch is working at her family’s B & B, a young woman who has not yet found her place in the world. Grayson Potts comes to stay at the B & B, a young man who is also looking for a dream. Grayson and Hitch form a friendship that turns to romance. However, what we think is absolutely meant to be and will mean a quick ending to the story leads to more conflict as the two young people have to come to terms with their commitments to the past and their dreams for the future. The character development of this book is the story and made the whole thing realistic and heart-breaking. I loved the story of Thomasina and Grayson and hope to read more about them in future books!

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.”

This book is available now from your local bookseller and online.

Sorry, everyone, for my extended absence. I have been trying to post this review since I got back from MD and it would not upload. I had to get help from WordPress and ended up having to reinstall the app. Sigh!

I am not a Bible scholar, but I have studied the Scriptures about the building of the temple in Jerusalem by Solomon. I just read in my devotions today that David desired to build a temple, but God sent the prophet Nathan to tell David that he should not do so but that his son would. I looked up the facts online and found out that it took seven years to build the temple. For many years, the Israelites had wandered in the wilderness and had a tabernacle, a structure like a tent, that they used to offer sacrifices and worship God. Then, the great temple was built, with cedars from Lebanon, bronze and gold. So many riches were brought and presented to Solomon that he had all kinds of resources to make a wonderful temple. And so it was, until its destruction by the Babylonian Empire in the 500’s B.C. The Babylonians didn’t just destroy the temple, but they also sacked it, taking with them all that was of value inside it. What a travesty! But we must remember that God allowed this to happen because of the sins of the Israelites. Now, I have said all of this to say that today there is a temple for God. We are His temple!

So, whatever we do, we need to be aware that the Holy Spirit is right there inside us! There is nothing mystical about this experience, so I don’t want people who don’t believe in the sanctity of the Holy Spirit to misinterpret what I am saying. We are God’s children and have His Spirit residing in us, just as Jesus promised.

The Holy Spirit resides in us to teach us and remind us about the things of God. Sometimes, I feel like I need to just take a break from all of the noise and confusion in the world and just sit and relax in the presence of the Lord. That is when I hear the still, small voice of His Spirit speaking to me, giving me encouragement and blessing me with His Words of instruction for my life. He is alive inside me, but I can’t hear Him all the time because of the interfering noise of the world.

John the Baptist knew what was coming for the believers and told us plainly. First comes belief in Jesus as the Savior, the Only Son of God and then comes the Holy Spirit to reside in us. That’s a wow statement! It’s one that I have had to meditate on many times…God’s Holy Spirit lives in me and in you…in all believers. WE are His temple!

The Holy Spirit is a gift from the Father, our Comforter and Advocate, the One who leads us in the way we should go, if we would only listen to Him. He resides in us because we are the temple of the Lord. The building in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians, but our temple is not one built by the hands of man. We are His creation and are being built daily by the Lord God, from the inside out.

We must remember, though, that God is a gentleman and He does not come in or stay where He is not welcome. We are to daily seek Him and find His will so that we are following the Holy Spirit’s desire for us to love the Lord God and to show our love for Him in our regular lives. We are His temple, the replacement for the one that was destroyed in Jerusalem. Do you think for one minute that the destruction of the temple took God by surprise? Of course not! He charts the course of history and knew what was going to happen. Yet, He did nothing to stop its destruction. Why not? Because He knew that a better temple would be built, one created by the hands of God and one that can live eternally with Him. We are His temple!