Review of THE CHRISTMAS TREE FARM by Melody Carlson

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About the Book

ISBN-13:9780800744724 Publisher:Baker Publishing Group Publication date:09/03/2024 Pages:176

Synopsis

When Madison McDowell returns from several years teaching overseas, she has high hopes of picking up where she left off at her family’s Christmas tree farm in Oregon. But between damage from a recent wildfire and the neglect due to her sister Addie’s unwillingness to invest, the farm is in sad shape. In fact, Addie is intent on selling the property. And to top it off, her former high school flame, the now-widowed Gavin Thompson, has plans to break Madison’s heart again by turning his neighboring property into a dusty, noisy dirt bike track for his daughter.

With the odds stacked against her, Madison decides there’s only one thing to do: double down on her dreams. It will take a ton of hard work—and some help from an unlikely ally—to save the farm she so dearly loves. But it may take a miracle to restore her relationship with her sister.

My Thoughts

Melody Carlson hits all the right notes in this story about a family Christmas tree farm and the daughter who wants to keep it running and in the family. Madison returns home from teaching in Mongolia and finds that her younger sister Addie just wants to sell the family farm, and the books look so bad that it may have to become a reality. Madison works hard to try to make the farm profitable, hoping to change Addie’s mind. In the process, Madison meets her boyfriend Gavin from her high school years and his rambunctious daughter Lily. With a dirt bike trail imminent for Lily and Addie’s determination to sell the farm, Madison’s plans to snuggle into her old home and relax are definitely put on a back burner. I really enjoyed the story, the family drama, the developing romance, the relationships between the sisters and the relationship that Lily and Gavin had. There are some really heartwarming scenes, like dinner outside by the fire pit and siting on a bench by the river. This book is one with a lesson in forgiveness and letting go of the past as well as moving forward. Faith is a part of the story but it doesn’t take over the plot but is woven into it as the families attend church and talk about their Christmas plans. I enjoyed getting to know each of the believable characters, but mostly I enjoyed visiting the Christmas tree farm where dreams can come true if you want to work for it.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16th CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

Rated G, Christian Fiction

About the Author

Melody Carlson has written more than 200 books (with sales around 6.5 million) for teens, women and children. That’s a lot of books, but mostly she considers herself a “storyteller.” Her novels range from serious issues like schizophrenia (Finding Alice) to lighter topics like house-flipping (A Mile in My Flip-Flops) but most of the inspiration behind her fiction comes right out of real life. Her young adult novels (Diary of a Teenage Girl, TrueColors etc.) appeal to teenage girls around the world. Her annual Christmas novellas become more popular each year. She’s won a number of awards (including Romantic Time’s Career Achievement Award, the Rita and the Gold Medallion) and some of her books have been optioned for film/TV. Carlson has two grown sons and makes her home in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and yellow Lab dog.

Purchase Links

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Baker Book House

Target

Christian Book

Audible

With great appreciation to Revell and their Blogger Program for the ARC to read and review!

The Will and the Power

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www.bible.com/reading-plans/1201/day/16

Everywhere I go and just about everyone I meet has excuses for why they are the way they are. Some blame genetics, others blame circumstances, and still others blame their childhood upbringing. Whatever the excuse is, it won’t stand up to God’s scrutiny when we stand before Him. He can give us the will to want to change, if we genuinely want to do so. And He has already provided the power through the Holy Spirit. There are a lot of things in life that we have no control over and cannot change. But we can change ourselves, one stop at a time growing closer to Jesus and becoming more like Him. God has provided all we need, but we have to come to the table and partake of His blessings.

Staying on the Path

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www.bible.com/reading-plans/1201/day/15

God’s Word is the exact thing that each of us needs in order to change to be more like Jesus. We don’t even recognize that we need to change unless we see the truth in His Word. Sharp like a sword, sometimes, the Word hits me deeply with a reminder of how I have fallen short. That is God’s Spirit gently telling me not to get off the path with the Lord, but to stay on that narrow way. Facing the truth about ourselves is not easy, but it’s necessary. I think it’s easier to see the truth about others and then point it out to them. But that is not what we are supposed to be doing. The only person we can change is ourselves, from the inside out. So, my prayer is to be open to the truth, even when it’s painful, because I know that god is still working on me and I want to be all that He created me to be.

Sinless v. Sin Less

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www.bible.com/reading-plans/1201/day/14

I feel like Paul sometimes who wrote that the things he wants to do, he doesn’t do and the things he doesn’t want to do, he does. And he added, “O, wretched man that I am!” That’s the problem…the whole human thing means that we are, well, human. We aren’t God and will never be God, but we are supposed to strive to be as perfect as we can, with every day being a new beginning for us. There would be no need for I John 1:9 if there were no sin, right? Thus, I am one of those imperfect Christians, under construction by the Holy Spirit and praying each day that I will sin less. I am made righteous before God, but I am not sinless and don’t think I will be until I reach my eternal destination. I hope this post makes sense because I feel as though I am rambling. Perhaps that is because I don’t totally understand the scriptures that say to “be perfect” and then to “confess your sins one to another.” I think it’s a work in progress. Jesus finished His work when He died on the cross, but my work on myself, to become more like Him, started the day I accepted Him as Savior and will continue until the day I did. My hope is in Him who helps me to sin less and love more!

Review of TARGET ACQUIRED by Lynette Eason

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Product Details

ISBN-13:9780800741204 Publisher:Baker Publishing Group Publication date:08/20/2024 Series:Lake City Heroes , #2 Pages:304

Synopsis

Tough-as-nails Kenzie King has finally earned her place as a tactical medic on a SWAT team. But not everyone on the all-male team accepts her. Rumor is, she didn’t get the position because of what she could do but because of who she knew. Which means she has to work harder and longer than anyone else to prove herself.

Cole Garrison is a man with deep faith who is finally ready to settle down and build a family of his own—if he can find the right person, that is. Kenzie sure has set off his interest meter, but trouble seems to follow in her wake. Since she joined the team, someone has begun to ambush and pick off team members, one by one.

It’s all hands on deck to discover the culprit and end the killing. Can Kenzie and Cole put aside their differences and work together as a team? Or will their budding attraction be snuffed out by a sniper’s bullet?

My Thoughts

The Lake City heroes are back in this second book in the series and this one explodes on the scene with non-stop action and a pace that is like a race car that is holding on to first place. Kenzie King is the newest member of the SWAT team and she is feisty and courageous, holding her own against the members of the team who seem to not want her there. Unfortunately, there is another threat, an unknown attacker who would just as soon kill her to get her off the team. Cole Garrison, her team leader, wants Kenzie safe but he is stymied about how to do that and keep the rest of the team safe too. The danger and suspense continue to ratchet up all the way until the surprising revelation of the perpetrator. I followed the clues and did my best to guess who was making the attempts on Kenzie’s life, but I didn’t guess right until the very end with a great clue that those paying attention will definitely catch. Filled with the author’s signature twists and intense suspense, this book is one not to miss that kept me turning pages and totally engaged in the story. With a brilliant twist at the time of revelation, this well-crafted book is intriguing as well as balancing faith with heroism. The characters all have complicated personalities that mesh well with the plot and they are realistically flawed. This is a satisfying and captivating romantic suspense that I recommend you plan to enjoy in one sitting because it will be impossible to put down.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16th CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

Christian Romantic Suspense, Rated PG

About the Author

Her books have appeared on the USA TODAY, Publisher’s Weekly, CBA, ECPA, and Parable bestseller lists. She has won numerous awards including the Carol, the Selah, the Golden Scroll and more. Her novel, Her Stolen Past was made into a movie for the Lifetime Movie Network. 
Lynette teaches at writing conferences all over the country and is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), Mystery Writers of America (MWA), International Thriller Writers (ITW), and Faith, Hope, and Love. 
Lynette can be found online at www.lynetteeason.com and www.facebook.com/lynette.eason and @lynetteeason on Twitter.

Purchase Links:

Christian Book

Amazon

Target

Barnes and Noble

Baker Publishing Group

Books-a-Million

Audible

Bookshop

Google Play Store

Walmart

Apple Books

Books in Series

Both may be read and enjoyed as a standalone.
Heartfelt thanks to the Revell Reads Blogger Program for including me in the blog tour for this amazing book!

Live with Eternity in Mind

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www.bible.com/reading-plans/1201/day/13

I am an obsessive planner. I plan what will be for dinner as soon as I get up every morning. I plan my lunch as I eat breakfast. I have always been a planner, thus the success I enjoyed as a teacher. Sometimes plans don’t work out, and what I am not is a good “punter.” I don’t like to fall back and punt and change my plans. Flexibility is not a strength in me, but I do try, especially when God is working on that skill in me. I am happy that I don’t have to have a plan B on the back burner for eternity. There is one plan…live for Jesus and spend eternity with Him. That is the only plan that really matters. So, choices are made based on whether they fit into the big plan of living for Jesus. Daily life can be a challenge, with a lot of choices, but if I always keep the goal in mind, I will succeed in God’s plan for me. And that’s my one big plan!

In the Family of God

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www.bible.com/reading-plans/1201/day/12

This devotional really tugged at my heartstrings and my memories. When I was a child and afraid of the dark, I called for my “daddy” and he always came, sang a little song and hugged me, telling me that he would be in the other room and I didn’t need to be afraid. Focusing on God keeps us from focusing on the fear. In reverse, focusing on fear takes our focus off of God where it should be. Whenever I am afraid, of a new medical diagnosis or changes in my life, I try really hard to focus on God. I tell myself that I have lived over fifty years with God as my Father and He hasn’t failed me yet!

The Power to Say No

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www.bible.com/reading-plans/1201/day/11

As Christians, we are still tempted and need to call on the power of the Holy Spirit to help us turn away from sin and say “no.” How often do we just give in because it is our natural way of acting or reacting? Our testimony would be so much greater if people saw us tempted and also saw us say no to sin and yes to God. That’s what life is…a series of saying “yes” to God and His ways and no to our natural inclination to sin, to fulfill our own appetites and desires for things that please us but that don’t necessarily please God. The next time you are tempted, whether it’s to watch a movie or lose your temper or show pride, whatever the temptation looks like in your life, take time to pray and ask for the Holy Spirit’s help to turn away from the bad choices and towards the good ones.

Jesus is the Word

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Establishing that Jesus is infinite and eternal because He is God just as much as the Father is God, the Bible gives us a firm foundation for our faith. Starting in Genesis and ending in Revelation, the Bible is God’s plan, unfolding for mankind. God sees and He saw. God created and said it was good. God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are the Trinity that make up the truth on which our faith is built. “In the beginning”…before there was anything that we know today, there was the Word and that Word was Jesus, destined to be our Savior and our Lord forever. Worship Him and let Him know how much you appreciate Him, even if you are like me and don’t totally understand the Trinity. He says He is the Word and that is good enough for me!

The Best Word

One of the most powerful verses in Scripture is found in John’s gospel:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
‭‭John‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬ ‭ESV‬‬

As you keep reading, it becomes abundantly clear that the author, inspired by the Holy Spirit, identifies Jesus Christ as the “Word.”

From the first sentence in the Bible, we learn that, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1) Now, John explains, “In the beginning was the Word…” And not only was Jesus there in the beginning, but “the Word was with God…” And not only was the Word with God, but “the Word was God.”

So if Jesus has existed from the beginning, if He was with God, and if He was God, then that makes Him much more than a good person, a moral teacher, or even a prophet. 

John claims that Jesus is fully man and fully God. This seems ridiculous—unless, of course, it’s true.

The truth is, God loved the world so much that He gave up His divine privileges, was born into human skin, and died a criminal’s death—so that the people He loves could have eternal life. He loves you.

Remember: He’s not just another name from history, He’s the very Creator of life.