Linda's Lunacy

Faith, Home, & Family

Love Finds You in Mackinac Island, Michigan – Book Review

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As the Gilded Age comes to a close, Elena Bissette’s once-wealthy family has nearly lost its fortune. The Bissettes still own a home on fashionableMackinac Island, where they will spend one last summer in the hope of introducing Elena to a wealthy suitor. But Elena is repulsed by the idea of marrying for money.

Quickly tiring of the extravagant balls, Elena spends most evenings escaping back into Mackinac’s rugged forest. There she meets Chase, a handsome laborer who shares her love for the night sky. The two begin to meet in secret at an abandoned lighthouse, where they work together to solve a mystery buried in the pages of a tattered diary.
As Elena falls in love with Chase, her mother relentlessly contrives to introduce her to Chester Darrington, the island’s most eligible bachelor. Marriage to the elusive millionaire would solve the Bissettes’ financial woes, and Elena is torn between duty and love.
More about Melanie:

Melanieheadshot.jpegMelanie Dobson has written ten contemporary and historical novels including five releases in Summerside’s Love Finds You series. In 2011, two of her releases won Carol Awards: Love Finds You in Homestead, Iowa (for historical romance) and The Silent Order (for romantic suspense).
Melanie received her undergraduate degree in journalism from Liberty University and her master’s degree in communication from Regent University. Prior to her writing career, Melanie was the corporate publicity manager at Focus on the Family and a publicist for The Family Channel. She later launched her own public relations company and worked in the fields of publicity and journalism for more than fifteen years.
Melanie and her family enjoy their home in the Pacific Northwest. The entire Dobson family loves to travel and hike in both the mountains and along the cliffs above the Pacific.
When Melanie isn’t writing or playing with her family, she enjoys exploring ghost towns and dusty back roads, line dancing, and reading inspirational fiction.
For more about Melanie Dobson and her books, visitwww.melaniedobson.com. Here’s a link to buy the book. (Not my affiliate link)

 

MY REVIEW:

I’m wondering what rock my historical fiction loving head has been under in order for me to miss this series of books! I counted 51 books in the Love Finds  You In…… series. This series is unique in that the books in the series are written by different authors. The books are are titled Love Finds You In…..then the name of the place. As in the title of this book shown above. All the novels in the series are named after American towns, and each draws on the compelling history or the unique character of a real place. What a novel idea! (pun intended, lol)

I really have no idea how I missed this great series, but now I want to read them all!

In Love Finds You in Mackinac Island, Michigan, Elena’s family is on one last vacation to their home on Mackinac Island. They will be selling their vacation home, and a lot more, due to financial hardship. When your family is accustomed to high society, this is a major life change. For Elena, the fact that her mother wants her to marry for money is something she just can not resign herself to.

While returning to her favorite place on the whole island, an abandoned lighthouse, she meets a newcomer. She doesn’t tell him her real name, so he has no idea who her family is. Unbeknownst to her, he doesn’t tell her his real name, either. Over the course of the summer, they fall in love. They are both shaken when they find out who the other one really is. Well, I won’t tell you how it ends, you’ll have to read that for yourself.

Love Finds You in Mackinac Island, Michigan is a fun, heart warming read showing us that love is more important than money.


Celebrate with Melanie by entering her Kindle Fire Giveaway!

Find out what the reviewers are saying here!

Mackinac Island, Michigan

 

One grand prize winner will receive:

  • A brand new Kindle Fire
  • Signed copies of Melanie’s Love Find You books: Love Finds you in Nazareth,
    Pennsylvania, Love Finds You in Amana, Iowa, Love Finds You in Homestead, Iowa,
    and Love Finds You in Liberty, Indiana.

But hurry, the giveaway ends on
8/4/12. The winner will be announced on 8/6/12 at Melanie’s blog!

Just click one of the icons below to enter! Tell your friends about
Melanie’s giveaway on FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning.

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My Dearest Naomi – Book Review

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It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books.  A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured.  The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old…or for somewhere in between!  Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today’s Wild Card authors are:

 

 

and the book:

 

Harvest House Publishers (July 1, 2012)

***Special thanks to Ginger Chen, Marketing Assistant, Harvest House Publishers for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Jerry Eicher’s bestselling Amish fiction (more than 210,000 in combined sales) includes The Adams County Trilogy, the Hannah’s Heart books, and the Little Valley Series. After a traditional Amish childhood, Jerry taught for two terms in Amish and Mennonite schools in Ohio and Illinois. Since then he’s been involved in church renewal, preaching, and teaching Bible studies.

Tina Eicher was born and married in the Amish faith, surrounded by a mother and sisters who were great Amish cooks. At fellowship meals and family gatherings, Tina’s dishes receive high praise and usually return empty. She and her husband, Jerry Eicher, author of several bestselling Amish fiction titles, are the parents of four children and live in Virginia.
Visit the author’s website.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Jerry Eicher’s many devoted fans will be enthralled by this endearing novel in letters based on Jerry’s letters to and from his future wife, Tina, and their discovery that, indeed, absence does make the heart grow fonder.

When Eugene Mast leaves his Amish community in Worthington, Indiana, to teach in faraway Kalona, Iowa, he also must leave the love of his life, Naomi Miller.

For the next nine months of the school term, Eugene and Naomi keep their romance alive through love letters from his heart to hers, and from hers back to his.

Eugene writes of his concern that in his absence Naomi may find the attractions of another suitor to her liking.  Naomi worries that Eugene may fall prey to the “liberal” Mennonite beliefs in the community where he now lives.  Both can hardly wait until the school year is up and they’re finally reunited.

A poignant and tender love story that will warm the hearts of readers everywhere.

 

Product Details:

List Price: $12.99

Paperback: 336 pages

Publisher: Harvest House Publishers (July 1, 2012)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0736939423

ISBN-13: 978-0736939423

AND NOW…THE FIRST CHAPTER:

 

Naomi Miller stood beside the buggy, the corner of the front wheel inches from her side. Eugene Mast’s fingers were wrapped around hers. She looked up at him, the shadows from the moonlight hiding his blue eyes, leaving only the sides of his face visible.
“Do you really have to go?” Naomi whispered.
“Yah,” Eugene said. “It’s something I need to do. But I’ll be back before you know it, and things will be like they always were.”
“Nine months is an awfully long time.”
“Yah, but Da Hah will be with us. He will help us bear the pain of absence. And we are promised, you know.”
“But what will Bishop Enos say about this? We are both members of the church.” Naomi’s hands shifted in his. “What if there is trouble?”
Eugene laughed. “I don’t think there will be trouble. Bishop Enos knows I have no plans to forsake the church.”
“Even though you are running off to Iowa to teach at a Mennonite church school? It’s a terribly long way from Indiana.”
Eugene leaned forward, kissing her cheek. “I will write often, and that will help with the loneliness.”
Naomi pulled away. “Will you miss me? Perhaps a little?”
Eugene laughed again, causing his horse to turn his head to look at him. “I will miss you terribly, Naomi. I just believe this has to be done. If I don’t take the chance now, I’ll always look back and wonder.”
She sighed. “But it’s so dangerous out there. And the Mennonites can put all kinds of ideas in your head. Then you’ll never come back.”
He shook his head. “Please, Naomi, don’t make this harder than it is. I’ll come back. I promise.” He glanced at the envelope she had given him earlier. “Thank you for the card. I’m going to save it to open when I get to Iowa.”
“Okay. I think you’d better go,” she said. “I can’t stand this much longer.”
“I’m not much at goodbyes anyway,” he said. “I will always love you, Naomi. Goodbye…for now.”
“Goodbye,” she said, stepping back as Eugene climbed into the buggy. He slapped the reins against his horse’s back, waving once on the turnaround in the lane, his hand a brief movement from the dark interior. Watching the buggy lights move down the road and fade out of sight, Naomi stared long into the darkness. She then turned to walk back toward the house, pausing to look over her shoulder once more.


AUGUST
Monday evening, August 30
My dearest Naomi,
Greetings from Iowa. This finds me installed in the upstairs bedroom of my new home. The time was a little past eleven o’clock the last I looked. We pulled into the driveway of this little farm around nine, but I couldn’t see much in the darkness. We were met at the front porch by Lonnie and Luella Hershberger, the older Mennonite couple I’m staying with. The school board members who brought me out said their goodbyes and drove off in their van. I was shown around the house by Lonnie and Luella. After the tour, we ended up in the living room talking.
They seem like very nice people even though I’ve only just met them. Their house is a white bungalow with everything inside neatly arranged and in order. The kitchen is by the front door, with the living room in the back. I’m in the front bedroom, upstairs, overlooking the lawn. They said I could see the schoolhouse from my bedroom window, but it’s dark right now.
I feel strange and a little frightened to be out here alone. I’m missing you, of course, and the community. This awful sensation is wrapped around me, as if all the familiar props are knocked out from under me. In the meantime, I have to act as if everything is okay and be full of smiles. I can imagine right now you’re saying “I told you so,” but then maybe not, being the nice person you are.
I can’t thank you enough for the card you gave me before I left. It means so much to me. If I didn’t have your love to fall back on, I don’t think I could stand it right now. I know part of my problem is that I’m just so dead tired I could fall off the chair. The trip was long and more tiresome than I expected.
I suppose I’d better be off to bed. I won’t even start unpacking tonight. The suitcase is still open on the floor with only the things taken out that I need immediately. And that’s good enough for now.
Tuesday morning…
Good morning. I awoke to Luella hollering up the stairs. We had decided last night she would be my alarm clock since I didn’t bring one along. There is an electric alarm clock sitting on the desk, but I told Luella I didn’t know how to run one. And I sure wasn’t going to take the time to figure it out last night. She laughed and said hollering would be the Amish method anyway, and that it should make me feel right at home.
I smiled and said yah, but I didn’t mention that any reminder of home causes more pain than comfort right now.
I came downstairs to a breakfast of eggs and bacon, which I ate quickly. Then I stepped outside for a look around. The weather is nice, and I can indeed see the schoolhouse down the road. It’s a large, white, wooden structure with tall windows on the side. There’s a bell tower on top, placed toward the front. There’s a single tree in the yard.
Back upstairs, I started to unpack until I saw your second card. That brought a halt to the unpacking for a while. Who would have thought being away from you would be this hard?
As of now, the plans are that I will take the rest of the week to settle in at the schoolhouse. They only have a half-day scheduled for school on the first day, Friday. Then no school on Monday, since it’s Labor Day. Beats me how I’m supposed to keep myself occupied all that time with so little work to do.
The chairman of the school board told me the teacher who taught last year will be at the schoolhouse today by 10:00. She will give me details on the lesson plans and other pointers she might have on how to do things around here. I’ve been told it shouldn’t be that different from the year I taught at our Amish school, but I shall see.
While I think to mention it, I forgot to give you the other dove from my farewell cake at our families’ going-away supper. Somewhere in all the goodbyes it slipped my mind. I have the one, and you were supposed to get its mate. My sisters have it now and are supposed to pass it on to you. Hopefully we can match them up when the school year is over.
Luella said the mailman goes past at quarter till nine, so I’d better get this letter out. Here’s my address and a little rhyme. I know it’s not much, but it lets you know how much I’m missing you.
When the new moon hangs in the starry sky 

I think of love, of ours, of you and I.

With all my heart, 

Eugene

 

 

MY REVIEW:

My Dearest Naomi is based on letters written by the authors to each other. Jerry Eicher worked as a teacher in a Mennonite school. The letters in the book are addressed to Naomi and Eugene. There is a small prologue, a one page snippet of an in person visit, and a small epilogue. The rest of the book is comprised of the letters.

I really enjoyed reading this book. They letters tell the story of Naomi and Eugenes relationship, troubles, and excitements better than just regular dialogue could. The letters are sweet, funny, and really show the depth of Naomi and Eugene’s love for each other.

Inescapable by Nancy Mehl – Book Review

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174886684.JPGLizzie Engel is used to running away. At eighteen, she left her Mennonite hometown, Kingdom, Kansas, with plans never to return.

But five years later, the new life she built is falling apart. Lizzie knows she’s being followed, and she’s certain the same mysterious stranger is behind the threatening letters she’s received. Realizing she’ll have to run again, the only escape Lizzie can manage is a return to the last place she wants to go.

Once she arrives in Kingdom, Lizzie is confident she’ll be safe until she comes up with a new plan. In reacquainting herself with the town and its people–especially her old friend, Noah Housler–she wonders if she judged her hometown and her Mennonite faith too harshly. However, just as she begins to come to terms with her roots, Lizzie is horrified to discover the danger she ran from is closer than ever.

No longer sure who to trust and fearful for her life and the lives of those around her, Lizzie finds she has only one place left to run–to the Father whose love is inescapable.

Here’s the link to buy Inescapable. (Not my affiliate link)

 

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Nancy Mehl, the author of 12 books, received an ACFW Carol Award in 2009 for her novel For Whom the Wedding Bell Tolls. She has a background in social work and is a member of ACFW and RWA. She writes from her home in Wichita, Kansas, where she lives with her husband, Norman, and their puggle, Watson. Visit her website at www.nancymehl.com.

 

 

 

MY REVIEW:

In Inescapable, Lizzy has left her Mennonite community and moved to the big city with her illegimate daughter. Lizzy had her life on track, her daughter was doing well, she had a job she loved, and they lived in an apartment with loving neighbors.

Until her world fell apart around her and she is threatened with jail time. Jail time?!?! How did her life change so fast? Why is someone leaving her threatening notes?

Lizzy decides the only way to save her daughter is to move back to the Mennonite community that she was raised in. She told no one in the city where her community was, so no one could follow her. Or so she thought….

While she is reunited with family and friends, and finds a new job and place to live that she loves, she is being followed. Again. She also starts receiving the same threatening notes? How did they find her and what is she going to do now?

Inescapable is a great read! It is full of love for family, learning to trust God, mystery and intrigue. I didn’t want to put it down!
Celebrate with Nancy by entering her “Inescapable” Giveaway and connecting with
her during the Author Chat Party on 7/26!

Find out what readers are saying here.


One winner will receive: 

  • A Handmade Mennonite Quilt
  • A copy of Inescapable by Nancy Mehl

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the
giveaway ends on July 25th. Winner will be announced at the “Inescapable” Author
Chat Facebook Party on 7/26. Nancy will be hosting a book chat, testing
your trivia skills (how much do you know about the Mennonites?) and giving
away some great prizes!


So grab your copy of Inescapable and join Nancy on the evening of the July 26th
for a chance to connect with Nancy and make some new friends. (If you haven’t read the
book – don’t let that stop you from coming!)


Don’t miss a moment of the RSVP today. Tell your 

friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 26th!

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services
mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I
only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.
I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255:
“Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Releasing Family Blessings – Book Review

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It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old…or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today’s Wild Card author is:

 

 

and the book:

 

Whitaker House (July 2, 2012)

***Special thanks to Cathy Hickling, Whitaker House Press/Publicity for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

 

Larry and Tiz Huch are founding pastors of DFW New Beginnings, a vibrant  multi-cultural church in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. For over 30 years the Huchs have shared the message that God is good and His love has the power to transform, regardless of one’s past, through preaching, speaking, teaching, books, podcasts, and their weekly television outreach, New Beginnings, which airs worldwide via the Daystar TV Network. The Huchs have three children – all active in ministry—and three grandchildren.

Visit the author’s website.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

 

 

God designed the family to be nurturing and empowering havens, but few can find time to share meals, let alone be the family God intends. In Releasing Family Blessings, Larry and Tiz Huch offer a biblical model for the family, examples from their own marriage, and wisdom gleaned from over years of counseling couples. Written in a “he said/she said” format, the Huchs candidly disclose conflicts that began for them day one as self-proclaimed “stubborn and sinful newlyweds.” Also covered are “15 Habits of Happy Couples,” how to develop positive and purposeful parenting skills, and how to transform one’s house into a haven of God’s peace.

 

Product Details:

List Price: $14.99

Paperback: 48 pages

Publisher: Whitaker House (July 2, 2012)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1603745548

ISBN-13: 978-1603745543

AND NOW…THE FIRST CHAPTER:

 

WHAT THE LORD HAS DONE FOR US, HE WILL DO FOR YOU!
What greater thing is there for two human souls than to feel that they are joined for life—to strengthen each other in all labor, to rest on each other in all sorrow, to minister to each other in all pain, to be one with each other in silent, unspeakable memories?
—George Eliot
He said:
Tiz and I just celebrated our thirty-fifth wedding anniversary, praise God, and in our years of marriage and ministry together, we have learned a thing or two. Our relationship started out on a rough and rocky road, but, by the grace of God, as well as through our own personal growth, we learned how to build a strong marriage and a solid family. Today, we are happier than we have ever could have hoped to be, we’re enjoying life more than ever before, and our ministry is more fruitful than it has ever been. We also know that our best days are still ahead of us!
We share these things not to flaunt or brag, but to encourage you—what the Lord has done for us and our family, He will do for you, too! And we’re committed to helping that happen. For years, we have counseled couples and taught on breaking generational curses and releasing family blessings. We have seen hundreds of thousands of lives changed, marriages saved, and families helped and made whole by the power of God. That’s why we’re excited about this book—it’s a way to show countless more couples and families how to break the curse and unleash the blessing! Our intent is not to fill your head with teachings but to fill your heart with hope and faith that you, too, can transform your life, your marriage, and your family. Our hope is that you will view our experiences as a bridge over the rocky places of past mistakes and onto the smoothly paved Promised Land of God’s covenant blessings.
Worldly Advice Versus Biblical Wisdom
She said:
I know that most people want to be happy; to have the best marriages possible; and to raise happy, healthy children who rise up and call them blessed. Those who aren’t married yet probably hope to have a happy marriage someday. And these are some of the wonderful things God has in store for us! Yet we live in a world that gives us all kinds of alternative options. Some people say, “I have the right to do this or that,” or “I’m living in liberty. I’m just going to do what feels good.” The Bible says that there is a way that seems right to man, but it ends in destruction. (See Proverbs 14:12.) Unfortunately, secular values and worldly “morals” have bled over into the Christian faith, to a large degree. We rarely hear about anyone desiring to stay on the path, even in church. I don’t know about you, but if someone can save me from a lot of heartache, I want to hear what he has to say. I want to learn from those who have done it right and found success.
Now, Larry and I won’t claim to be experts in the realms of marriage and family. We have a great marriage and a wonderful family, true, but only because of the One who designed marriage in the first place. Our relationship is truly a living testament to the power of God. Sometimes, I just have to sit down and take a deep breath when I think about where God has brought Larry and me. We’ve proven that He can take two independent, stubborn, angry, messy people, bring them together in marriage, and create a beautiful relationship out of it. God has taken the traumas we’ve been through and turned them into a sense of compassion for others—a desire to see them through the same problems.
Even though Larry and I became Christians around the same time, our testimonies were completely unique, and our backgrounds could not have been more divergent. When we came together and tried to reconcile our differences, the process was often less than peaceful. We needed to practice forgiveness and learn some new methods of conflict resolution. In Larry’s family, “conflict resolution” was achieved through big brawls—whoever emerged with the least amount of blood on him was dubbed the victor. By contrast, in my family, we would talk things out and compromise, but whoever didn’t get his way would walk away with an attitude—one that lingered. Which is worse: a bloody brawl or a long-lingering attitude? Which one wreaks more destruction? I’m not even sure. They’re about even, in my estimation. When we got married, Larry and I both had to learn better methods—God’s methods—of resolving our differences, so that we could become one.
In addition, the Christian fellowship that we were a part of emphasized the sacrifice of self and of family for the sake of the ministry, and it took years for Larry and me to learn to put each other first. Thirty-five years later, we’re still learning how to do that. Even when we’ve been married to our soul mate for years and years, the process of two becoming one never quite ends. It’s a lifelong journey. On the path of marriage, husband and wife will either move further and further apart or move closer and closer together until they are one unit—indistinguishable from each other. The latter concept is how God intended marriage to be.
Basically, the only reason we can speak so boldly about building great marriages—the reason we can claim God’s ability to turn things around—is because we have experienced it ourselves. God has taken the traumas we’ve been through and turned them into a sense of compassion for others—a desire to see them through the same problems.
Blessings Come When We Follow God’s Plan
In order to bless us in every area, including our marriage, God has worked out a plan for us—a path that leads us to success in all aspects of life, including our relationships with our spouses. And His plan does not consist in a bunch of dos and don’ts. It’s a bunch of “get to’s” and “want to’s.” His plan, which is laid out in the Bible through the law, is really a path that leads us on the shortest route to the highest level of blessings possible. The law is meant to signify the pathway to all goodness and blessings.
When I first accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior and became a Christian, I didn’t just decide to act differently. In my heart, God gave me a whole new set of “want to’s.” And that’s what we want to develop in our children—a desire and a heart to do what’s right, so that, when they’re older, they will do it on their own. When Larry and I first became Christians, we came out of the world and stopped acting as we had because something changed on the inside. Our desires had been transformed. Instead of denying ourselves the things we had formerly desired, we started saying, “I don’t want to do that anymore, God. I want all that You have for me, instead.” This is why, if we’re going to raise our children God’s way and follow His plan for our families, we must have the living Spirit of God in our homes.
When we say no to God and say yes to junk, we’re only hurting ourselves and shortchanging our own futures. God loves us immeasurably, and He wants only the best for us. He accepts us the way we are, but—praise God!—He loves us too much to leave us that way. How many of us became perfect the day we said yes to the Lord and accepted Him into our hearts? How many of us have been perfect in the days since then? I’m not talking about perfection. I’m talking about saying, “You know what, Lord? I blew it. I made a mistake. I gave in to temptation. But I want to move forward. I’m not going to make excuses any longer. I’m going to change, through the power of Your total restoration.”
Again, the reason Larry and I are so open about the challenges that we faced early in our marriage, with anger and fighting and immaturity, is that we want you to understand that what God did for us, He’ll do for you, too! He is a good God who changes us from glory to glory. Larry and I weren’t perfect back then, and we’re still far from perfect today. But we see where we want to go, and we’re determined to move continually in that direction.
Blessings Come When We’re Willing to Change
Jesus said that we can’t put new wine in old wineskins, or they will burst. (See Matthew 9:17.) When we give our hearts to the Lord, we become new creations. The old person is gone; a new person has been born. (See 2 Corinthians 5:17.) And we continue to grow by renewing our minds through the Word of God, day by day.
Paul sums it up well in Romans 12:2: “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect” (nlt).
The same process must occur in a marriage relationship. When we give our hearts to our spouse, the old person is gone, making way for the birth, or formation, of a new “person”—a new couple. When husband and wife renew their minds together, their relationship grows and evolves so that it resembles more and more closely the relationship of Christ to His bride, the church. (See, for example, Ephesians 5:25–27.)
God’s will for us—His plans and purposes for our lives—are always good! He loves us with an infinite, never-ending love, and He wants the absolute best for us. We can trust Him with our eternity, and we can trust Him with our lives while we are on this earth!
Larry and I really do strive to build relationship and our family according to the Word of God. We know and we teach that the Lord is never pointing a finger of accusation at us but is always reaching out a hand to help us. If we will develop a sensitive, repentant heart and merely say, “I admit that I blew it. Forgive me, Lord, for being angry and crabby. Please make me a better person tomorrow, and please renew my mind so that I became more and more like You,” it makes a big difference.
Yet, some people just want to dig their heels in and say, “This is the way I am, and nobody’s going to change me.” The Word of God does a great job of getting past the symptoms and getting to the cause. The Bible says that the Word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword (see Hebrews 4:12), and it never fails to get in there and pull out the crud that interferes with our lives and adversely affects the people around us and put us on the right path—the fast track to success and fulfillment. Isn’t that good news?
Repentance is not the same as confession. Repentance is like a soul shower. I was raised in the Catholic Church. At my weekly confession, I would say, “Forgive me, Lord, for I have sinned,” and then—guess what?—I would spend the week doing the same things, only to confess them again the following week. But true salvation and repentance are different. You’re not just saying, “Forgive me, Lord, for doing such and such.” You’re saying, “Forgive me, Lord, and cleanse my soul. Change me, Lord, so that I don’t go back and do the same things again. From this moment forward, I commit never to go back there again. Please give me Your strength and Your equipping to be strong and committed to moving forward into all that You have for me.”
The God we serve answers prayers like that. His anointing, or the smearing of His abilities, is not just for Sunday mornings. His anointing goes with us out the church doors and into the world. He smears us with His abilities so that, no matter the temptations and difficulties we face, His moral compass will guide us in the right direction. His strength will enable us to do the right thing and to walk it out. And this is what we want to teach to our children. It’s the Master plan, straight from the Mastermind.
A Resource for All Walks of Life
He said:
You may be a newlywed wondering how to start your marriage out on the right path. You may have been married for some time, and you desire to go from good to great. You may be in a marriage that is struggling, and you don’t know how to get past the challenges you’re facing. You may have gone through a painful divorce and are wondering if there is hope for your future. You may be facing seemingly insurmountable conflicts with your spouse or with your children. Your family might be in need of a minor tune-up or a major overhaul. Or, you may have a wonderful marriage and family, but you know others who still need some help. You may be a parent searching for a way to raise your kids in the “training and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4)—whether they’re six or sixteen.
Regardless of your situation, it’s never too early to get your family going down the right path, nor is it ever too late to steer them back to that path. Our God is a God of hope, restoration, and second chances! Somebody once said that the church is like a body shop, with various wrecks in various stages of repair. Our God is in the business of taking every “wreck” of a life and completely renewing and restoring it! As He does this work in our lives, He is never pointing a finger of accusation at us. He is always reaching out a hand to help us!
No matter who you are, where you’ve been, what stage of life you’re in, or how daunting the challenges you’re facing, believe me when I say that God has a new beginning for you! With God’s help and a little coaching from Tiz and me, what might have seemed impossible is now within reach.
Get Ready for an Incredible Journey!
She said:
The object of this book is to lead you on the exciting journey of life. Whether you are single, married, divorced, or widowed—and whether or not you have children—God has established a pattern for your life, and He wants to use you to extend His mercy, grace, and healing throughout the world. It’s a lofty charge, but you’re up to the challenge!
Again, the key is to go step-by-step. Together, we will see the burdens and challenges dissolve and disappear as the blessings of God multiply in your life and family! What the Lord has done for us and for so many others, He wants to do for you. Remember that “nothing is impossible with God” (Luke 1:37 niv)! Place your trust in Him as you step onto the path toward bringing in blessings and being a blessing. Whatever the enemy may have stolen from you, God is going to multiply back to you, in an exponentially greater amount. Your best days are still ahead of you!
Points to Ponder and Apply
    • God is the Author of everything, including marriage, and He set out a plan for success in His Word, the Holy Bible.
    • When we enter into marriage, we are to become a “new creation”—two individuals who are at the same time one unit.
    • The key to improving your marriage and family is to move one step at a time. Practice patience as God does a great work in you!

 

 

 

Releasing Family Blessings is a great book for families of any size. It’s also appropiate for couples to read before they have kids. Releasing Family Blessings will help you establish godly discipline in  your home. Even if parents haven’t been very diligent in disciplining their kids, this book offers help.

Releasing Family Blessings will help you strengthen you marriage and your family. Then your family will be able to follow God’s plan for your lives.

If your seeking God’s will and blessings for your marriage and family, read Releasing Family Blessings.

The Harvest of Grace – Book Review

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Reeling from an unexpected betrayal, can Sylvia find relief from the echoes of her past…or will they shape her future forever?

Although Sylvia Fisher recognizes that most Old Order Amish women her age spend their hours managing a household and raising babies, she has just one focus—tending and nurturing the herd on her family’s dairy farm. But when a dangerous connection with an old beau forces her to move far from home, she decides to concentrate on a new start and pour her energy into reviving another family’s debt-ridden farm.

After months in rehab, Aaron Blank returns home to sell his Daed’s failing farm and move his parents into an easier lifestyle. Two things stand in his way: the father who stubbornly refuses to recognize that Aaron has changed and the determined new farmhand his parents love like a daughter. Her influence on Aaron’s parents could ruin his plans to escape the burdens of farming and build a new life.

Can Aaron and Sylvia find common ground? Or will their unflinching efforts toward opposite goals blur the bigger picture— a path to forgiveness, glimpses of grace, and the promise of love.

The Harvest of Grace is book three in the Ada’s House series. It is not necessary to read the first two books to enjoy this one. Of course, now I want to!

All Sylvia has ever wanted to do is to run the family farm. Instead, her father brings in someone else to run it. She can’t stay. She just can’t, she finally talks her father into letting her move to another town to help someone else run their farm.

She works on on the farm, to help the owners, as well as to make herself forget the past. Then the owners son comes home wanting them to sell the farm and move to the city with him.

There is much turmoil in the family, though, as Aaron has been in rehab for substance abuse. His father has not forgiven him for leaving the family when they needed him most.

I don’t want to give away what happens, so I’ll stop.  I have loved every Cindy Woodsmall book I have read, and The Harvest of Grace is no different. This is the first book, with an Amish story line, I have read that incorporates substance abuse and rehab. Substance abuse and rehab are, unfortunately,  a part of our lives now a days. Everyone knows at least one person that has had a problem. The author did an excellent job of weaving this story line into the Amish world.

You can read Chapter One of  The Harvest of Grace. Let me know what you think! For more information, visit Cindy Woodsmall.com
*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book  in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. My opinions are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Fiddler – Book Review

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Come home to Hickory Hollow, Pennsylvania – the beloved setting where Beverly Lewis’s celebrated Amish novels began – with new characters and new stories of drama, romance, and the ties that draw people together.

 

A wrong turn in a rainstorm leads Englisher Amelia Devries to Michael Hostetler–and the young Amishman’s charming Old Order community of Hickory Hollow. Despite their very different backgrounds, Amelia and Michael both feel hemmed in by the expectations of others and struggle with how to find room for their own hopes. And what first seems to be a chance encounter might just change their lives forever.

 

 

Because The Fiddler follows Englisher Amelia, a large portion of this book is set in the outside world. It’s interesting following the demands of a professional violin player.

When Amelia’s car breaks down, and she meets Michael, a young Amishman, she ends up going to his Old Order Amish community, Hickory Hollow, with him.

Amelia and Michael are both trying to make difficult decisions in their lives. Despite being from opposite worlds, they are drawn together. After staying in Hickory Hollow for a time, Amelia must return to her world, her parents, her manager and her music. She must go on a European tour, even though her heart isn’t really in it. While she’s touring, Michael spends his time helping work his families farm.

They find each other again after Amelia’s tour, and realize that even though they are from different worlds, they are meant to be together.

The Fiddler is another great Beverly Lewis book you won’t want to put down.

 

 

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book  in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. My opinions are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Hope Springs – Book Review

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Hope Springs is the epitome of small-town life—a place filled with quiet streets where families have been friends for generations, a place where not a lot changes . . . until now.

Janelle Evans hasn’t gone back to Hope Springs for family reunions since losing her husband. But when she arrives for Christmas and learns that her grandmother is gravely ill, she decides to extend the stay. It isn’t long before she runs into her first love, and feelings that have been dormant for more than a decade are reawakened.

Becca Anderson is finally on the trajectory she’s longed for. Having been in the ministry trenches for years, she’s been recruited as the newest speaker of a large Christian women’s conference.

But her husband feels called to become the pastor of his late father’s church in Hope Springs. Will small-town living affect her big ministry dreams?

Stephanie London is married to a doctor in St. Louis and living an ideal life. When her cousin Janelle volunteers to stay in Hope Springs and care for their grandmother, she feels compelled to do the same. It’s a decision that will forever change her.

As these women come together, they soon recognize that healing is needed in their hearts, their families, and their churches that have long been divided along racial lines. God’s plan for them in Hope Springs—and for Hope Springs itself—is bigger than they ever imagined.

“Kim Cash Tate draws us into a world where the dreams, desires, missteps, and matters of the heart we discover mirror our own. She is a master at crafting characters who make you forget you’re reading fiction. By the end of Hope Springs, you’ll feel as if you’re cheering on members of your extended family.” —Stacy Hawkins Adams, bestselling author of Coming Home and The Someday List

 

 

Kim Cash Tate is the author of Cherished, Faithful, He
Find out more about Kim, her other books and read her blog at www.kimcashtate.com.avenly Places and the memoir More Christian than African-American. A former practicing attorney, she is also the founder of Colored in Christ Ministries. She and her husband have two children.

 

 

 

 

My Review:

I really enjoyed reading this book. Hope Springs tells the story of two families that have been neighbors for a couple of generations. So they have a long history together. Even though one family is black and the other is white, in a town that still has a black church and a white church, their families have been close over the years. Their stories are intertwined. Even more so than the younger generation realizes.

As one family helps their matriarch during her illness, the family is drawn closer together. The family next door, going through their own difficulties, is there to help them with whatever they need.

The women start a Bible study in the local diner, that crosses racial and church lines. This Bible study unites the churches and the town, while while gathering around their hurting members.

Hope Springs is a story of love, forgiveness, and unity in Christ’s church, regardless of skin color.

 

Celebrate the release of Hope Springs with Kim Cash Tate by
coming to her Author Chat Party on Facebook.

Find out what readers are saying here.

Grab your copy of Hope Springs and join me for an Author Chat Party
on July 10th at 8:00 PM EST (that’s 7:00 Central, 6:00
MST, & 5:00 PST)!

During the evening Kim will be sharing the story behind her new book, posting book club
questions, testing your trivia skills, and of course, there will be plenty of chatting and
fun giveaways – books, gift certificates and (I’m so excited about this) – a
Kindle Fire!

But, wait there’s more – she’ll also be giving you a sneak peak of her next book too!

RSVP today and then come back on the 10th … and bring
your friends!

 

 

 

 
*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book  in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. My opinions are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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