My Thoughts on the Future

As the daily news gets uglier and bleaker DAILY, it is time to fish or cut bait. So quite plainly, all that is happening is leading up to the Great Tribulation and it appears that it is in our VERY NEAR future. It is what has been building since the day that sin entered the world in the Garden of Eden. Even those who don't believe this realize that something very ominous is happening and either try desperately to push it out of their minds or tremble in fear of the future.

I personally believe in God, the Creator of Heaven and Earth. I have believed in Him since the day I was born (and maybe before that -- not sure of the theological standing of that idea ;-) ). I cannot remember NOT knowing that God was there and that He cared about me. I didn't always honor him as I should have. I went through a time of questioning and seeking and through all of that, it came back to the simple fact that HE IS! I cannot look at all the intricacies, the brilliant array of shapes and colors and wonder of the natural world without knowing there is a Creator. But beyond that, I have had conversation and fellowship with God all my life and have never, ever been alone because He has been there with me. I cannot even fathom how people can deny His existence.

If you are reading this and you don't have the same personal assurance of His existence or if you do believe He is there, but haven't engaged Him, please just stop and ask Him right now to show Himself to be real to you. If nothing happens then what did you lose? You don't even need to feel foolish if you were all alone when you asked. But I know that He will respond to you because He loves you and wants relationship with you.

Maybe you think you don't want anything to do with God because your experiences with Christians haven't been happy ones. Christians are all human and subject to human weakness, but I would just recommend that you find a different group of Christians and try again. The ones who really walk the walk can become the best friends you ever had.

If you have a Bible, open it and read it. If you don't have one, find one. They aren't hard to come by. I could give you all kinds of scriptures and formulas for becoming a Christian but none of them are a match for the leading of the Holy Spirit or just a genuine desire on your part to find out everything you can for yourself.

And the good news is, those people who have a relationship with the Father are not troubled by the all the impending doom in the news. We know that it all has to happen for the end to come. I personally cannot wait for the Bridegroom to come and all that has been laid out for the future to transpire. Come quickly, Lord Jesus!

Wings of Glass by Gina Holmes

Wow! I don't know what to say about this book. Anything I say won't do it justice. I couldn't put it down. It is the story of a young couple and the wife's journey through an abusive relationship. All the things she tells herself and others are typical of the skewed thinking of a victim of physical and emotional abuse. I have watched so many women struggle with this over the years and I think every woman should read this book. Even if it is not their story, it is the story of someone close to them and it will help them gain a better understanding of what that person is going through.

Alcohol and drugs are included in this story, but abuse in any form takes on the same characteristics. This book should be on the reading list of college classes for those studying to be social workers, counselors, attorneys, etc.

The story also stands alone as a good read. The story is told in first person by the abuse victim, Penny, to her infant son, Manny. She is telling him what happened after the fact.
The characters are interesting and compelling. The friends Penny makes along the way add to the story with their own journeys. The glimpse of their faith is honest and straightforward, not preachy. Her Sudanese friends are especially interesting.

I cannot recommend this book enough. Everyone should read this book.

I received a copy of this book from Tyndale to review. I did not receive any compensation for completing this review. All opinions are my own.

Julie Klassen’s The Tutor’s Daughter

This book was a yummy read from start to finish. Emma Smallwood is the daughter of a scholar who has been running a school for boys in his home for many years. Since the loss of Mr. Smallwood's wife, he has been depressed and no longer interested in his school. An opportunity comes for he and his daughter to go to Cornwall and tutor two boys whose older brothers were former students in the school. When Emma and Mr. Smallwood arrive in Cornwall, all is not as they had expected. There is a mystery afoot and even the brothers they already knew seemed to be different than their rememberance of them. What ensues is a wonderful mystery (you won't figure it out right away)and budding romantic feelings. It is like reading Jane Austin with spiritual undertones. Both Henry Weston, the eldest son, and Emma examine their faith in the process.

To see a trailer about the book, click HERE

This book kept me glued to it till I finished. The tale was marvelously wrought and I was fascinated with the location, the plot, the depth of the characters and the never boring story of redemption. I can't wait to see more by this author!

I received a copy of this book from Bethany House to review. I did not receive any compensation for completing this review. All opinions are my own.

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Book Review: If You Have A Craving, I Have a Cure

For a light, almost devotional-flavored take on everyone's penchant for getting their life under control for the New Year, try this book. It is full of pretty average, run of the mill advice that you have already heard -- not much new -- but it is enjoyable reading all the same. There are lots of recipes in each chapter that might be fun to try. The recipes are the main feature so this would make a nice gift for your friends who like to try new recipes. I was hoping for something more substantial from this book, but I did enjoy reading it anyway.

I received a free copy of this book from Tyndale for review. All opinions are my own.

Courting Cate by Leslie Gould

According to the cover of this book, it is book 1 of a series called "The Courtships of Lancaster County." If that is the case, I hope Ms. Gould is a fast writer because I can't wait to hear the stories of the other couples she will write about. This was one of the most interesting Amish tales I've read in a while. It shows the difference between the lives of the Amish in different areas of the country, but not only the differences but the "sameness" of their beliefs and traditions.

This is the story of Cate, loosely mimicking Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, but in a modern day Amish setting. Since The Taming of the Shrew has always been a favorite story of mine, that made it all the more fun to read. Cate is the eldest sister in the family and has raised her younger sister since her mother died giving the little girl birth. Cate feels that she is past the age of marrying and also feels that she is a laughingstock in the neighborhood thanks to some mischievous neighbor boys. Betsy, the younger sister, is quite popular in the neighborhood and has reached typical marrying age. Their father, trying to help out Cate in his own bumbling way decrees that Cate must marry before Betsy does. Enter Pete Treger from New York who decides he wants to court Cate. Of course, there are a whole plethora of misunderstandings before they realize they both wanted the same thing all along.

I found the characters and situations in this book intriguing and very "real." I will definitely be looking for more books by this author.

I received a copy of this book from Bethany House to review. I did not receive any compensation for completing this review. All opinions are my own.

Real Life Real Miracles by James L. Garlow & Keith Wall

I recently read a commentary by a well-known Christian writer that said God isn't doing miracles today. His belief was that the miracles in the Bible were just to establish authenticity for Jesus. I disagree. The apostles certainly did miracles after Jesus ascended into Heaven and we have heard of many miracles over the time since. I have even experience some myself. This book tells of experiences of people who have had their lives restored, been healed, received needed provision etc. These stories are amazing and the doctors and other observers involved have been forced to admit to themselves that there was no possible way but that a miracle actually had occurred. I have heard these kind of stories and even experiences some miracles in my lifetime. My grandmother used to tell me stories of her parents and grandparents and others she knew that had these kinds of things happen. How wonderful it is to know that our Heavenly Father is interested in our needs and intercedes on our behalf. Anyone reading these stories could not help but be inspired and encouraged in their walk with the Lord. I appreciate the authors' time in compiling these stories and making them available to the public. I hope there will be more coming in a sequel. This very uplifting book will be a page turner for anyone who picks it up.

I received a copy of this book from Bethany House to review. I did not receive any compensation for completing this review. All opinions are my own.