Month: November 2022

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What’s Over There?

A foggy dusk in Venice
What’s Over There?

On a foggy dusk in Venice, I wondered what was over there across the water. Shadowy images, vaguely visible, looked beautiful, and made me want to go see that nearby island in the daylight.

That’s the way we see heaven from our present vantage point. A beautiful place over there through the mist. The Bible gives us glimpses of it. Occasionally we get bits conveyed by people with near-death experiences.

Jesus told his followers that he was going to his Father’s house to build rooms for us. In Jewish customs, during the betrothal period, the father and son built a new room onto the father’s house. He promises to bring us there to live with Him.

The apostle John recorded visions of the future in the book of Revelations. Chapter 21 tells of a new sky and a new earth. God will live with people there. He will wipe away all our tears. Death, anguish, sorrow, mourning, grief and pain will be no more. He is making all things new, and He commissioned John to write ✍️ it down for us to know.

And He further said, It’s done! I am the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without price from the fountain of the water of Life (verse 6).

What’s over there? Like on that foggy dusk in Venice, we envision something beautiful. I look forward to going over there when the time is right, and experiencing heaven for myself.

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HONOR’S REFUGE, by Hallee Bridgeman, 2022, Revell (Baker Publishing Group

Honor's Refuge
Honor’s Refuge

Honor’s Refuge is the third book in the Love & Honor series. Personally, I liked it even better than the first one, Honor Bound, by Hallee Bridgeman, 2022, Revell (Baker Publishing Group). I didn’t read the second book, but they work as stand-alone novels too, so you don’t have to read them in order.

Whereas Honor Bound focuses on tribal warfare in Africa, Honor’s Refuge is all in America and focuses on a shelter for abuse victims. That’s a topic of special interest to me because I have both stayed in one and worked in one.

I appreciate the way the author skillfully balances suspense, better times, and romance. Important things happen during those better times between adrenaline and other hormone arousals. Things like other kinds of relationships, realizations, and God’s goodness.

This story continues with the life of Phil Osbourne, one of the characters in Honor Bound, and introduces Melissa Braxton, who runs the shelter. Melissa has been wondering where her younger sister ended up ever since they were tragically separated at an early age. I don’t want to give away spoilers, but trust me, the story is good. It kept me reading till I finished it, way past my bedtime.

At the end of the novel, there are thought-provoking questions to discuss with other readers or just think through yourself. And tasty recipes to try.

Connect with the author at HALLEEBRIDGEMAN.COM. Find this and other Revell books at www.revellbooks.com.

I chose and received this book from the publisher to give my honest review. Thank you, Revell.

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The Power of Sand

Have you ever thought about the power of sand? The prophet Jeremiah tells us that God placed sand for the boundary of the sea, a perpetual barrier which it cannot pass. Though the waves toss and shake themselves, they cannot prevail against the feeble grains of sand which God has ordained by nature sufficient for his purpose. Though the billows roar, they cannot pass over that barrier (from Jeremiah 5:22).

Isn’t that amazing? With all the tumult going on in the world today, each of us may feel as helpless as a grain of sand. Yet what power of resistance sand has–even to hold back mighty ocean waves 🌊. Individually, a tiny grain of sand is just a pretty speck, but all the sand on the beach sifts the water, effectively slowing and stilling it, preventing it from continuing onto the land.

What lessons can we learn from sand? Although we may seem insignificant and feeble, together we do have the power to resist the evils and tumults of the world. So take courage. God has placed you where you are for a reason. Together with His other grains of sand, YOU are making a difference.

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the SECRETS of EMBERWILD, by Stephenia H. McGee, 2022, Revell (Baker Publishing Group)

Horses, women’s rights, love and marriage in 1905 America.

Horses, women’s rights, love and marriage in 1905 America. A young woman and her horse. Family expectations, loyalties, needs and desires. Secrets brought to light.

Horses, women's rights, love in 1905
the SECRETS of EMBERWILD

What will become of Nora and her dearly loved horse now that her father has died? Her uncle takes charge, but something doesn’t seem right.

At the same time, Silas turns up, asking questions about his father’s death 15 years ago and the horse that went missing.

A series of suspicious accidents occur. Something is wrong, but what is really going on, and why? And who is the culprit?

In 1905, women’s roles and men’s roles were distinct. Men took care of horses. Women cooked and kept the house. But Nora’s horse is all she loves.

Bringing history to life

Horses, women’s rights, love and marriage in 1905 America. Stephania McGee brings to life the difficulties of an independent woman of the era. It wasn’t easy to step out and make choices. Women were expected to obey and fit into the lives cut out for them. Nora had to consider her mother, the reputation of her family, and her own needs for protection and provision. But what about the needs of her heart?

McGee has put a lot of research into the writing of this novel. We learn about horses and racing at the time, as well as the lives people lived. I particularly enjoyed the way she describes places, horses and people. The mystery combined with threads of romance is reminiscent of Agatha Christie’s style, with the real culprit revealed at the end.

Thank you, Revell, for sending me a beautiful copy of this book to review. I’m glad I chose it. I recommend it to horse lovers and readers of historical women’s fiction.

This book can be purchased at Chapters.indigo.ca, by clicking here.

Check out Goodreads reviews here.

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The Greatest Feast of All

A Church Feast

Recently in Geneva, I came across a picture on an outside wall in the old quarter, showing a church feast for all. A potluck, possibly to celebrate the harvest. People of all kinds participated and ate happily together.

This morning I read in Isaiah 25: 6, about another church feast, which will be the greatest feast ever. The Lord Himself will make this feast. It will be for all peoples. It’s the coronation festival inaugurating the reign of the Lord on earth 🌎.

What will he serve? Rich meat 🍖 full of fat and marrow, it says, and the best of well-aged wines 🍷.

What will he do when he reigns? Verses 7-8 tell us that he will abolish death forever and wipe away tears from off all faces. Wow!

This is God telling the world, long before the time of Jesus, through the prophet Isaiah, of his love for all people. That includes you, whoever you are, and me too. God loves us all, and he, when he reigns, will restore relationships and life, as we feast together at his table.