“O that My people would listen to Me, that Israel would walk in My ways! Speedily then I would subdue their enemies, and turn My hand against their adversaries.” Psalm 81:13-14
Asaph wrote this psalm hundreds of years before the time of Christ. It was set to music, accompanied by a Philistine lute. There sure are all kinds of enemies in this world. What about the old saying, “He’s his own worst enemy.”? I know I’ve been my own worst enemy over and over again in life. Priscilla Shirer, author and worldwide Bible teacher, says that “the heart is the centerpiece of the soul”, and consists of mind, will, emotions and conscience. Getting these under control goes a long way in protecting your heart ❤️. Satan and his army of demons do their best to deceive us into believing lies about ourselves and God. They attempt to redirect our ambitions to focus on short-sighted goals. They get our emotions stirred up with runaway responses like anger, discouragement, revenge, or sadness to persuade us into making unstable choices. They influence our conscience to misalign it from God’s standards. Yes, God wants to subdue our enemies, and promises to do it when we listen to Him and walk in His ways. It starts with guarding our hearts. 💞
Cat Cranwell is famous for a living. That is, until disaster strikes. She and her business partner Bobby Braswell are launching Club, a new social media app. Bobby promises it will soon outdo Instagram and Facebook.
The extravagant celebration party is held on Cat’s 30th birthday, in her newly acquired posh Manhattan apartment. As it’s about to begin, her woodsy park ranger Uncle Terry and his assistant ranger Zaiah turn up at the door. Just as her best friend Selena sets off a calamity with the caterer. In the middle of Bobby urgently trying to convince her to sign an international contract written in several different languages.
Fast Paced
Yes, Melissa Ferguson really knows how to move a story along at a breakneck pace. The whole story is written in first person. At first, I felt uncomfortable in Cat’s skin, as she’s not much like me. But when she was compelled to leave the city and take refuge in the mountains of Montana with her uncle, I began to feel there might be hope for her.
Will Cat be able to remain famous for a living? Or will she even want to? I won’t spoil the story by telling you. There are a few twists and turns. I had to go back and re-read the beginning before writing this review. The first time I skimmed and missed the details that launched Cat into dire straits. You have to read slowly enough to take in everything going on in those first few paragraphs because it’s all important in the story.
This is the second book by Melissa Ferguson that I’ve read. I recommend it to readers who like a fast pace with humor and some underlying serious thought. Thanks to Net Galley for providing me the ARC to review. This is my honest opinion.
Famous for a Living is due to be published May 16, 2023, but is available now to pre-order at https://amzn.to/3JDF3Zp. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
The Rose and the Thistle is an intriguing romantic fiction of Scotch and English history in 1715.
Times were changing. The Jacobite Catholic Stuart clan had been ousted in favor of a Hanoverian Protestant King–a foreigner who spoke German rather than English. The Stuarts fled to France, but Catholic Jacobites in Scotland and northern England rose up to fight.
Blythe’s life is in danger, as the devout Catholic daughter of an activist Jacobite Duke of Northumbria. Her father sends her to the safest place he can–Protestant supporters of the king who are family friends in a castle in Scotland.
Friendship trumps politics and religion, at least in this case. The fathers scheme for their heirs to marry, but Everard wants nothing of it. “Tis a Scots lass I seek, Faither. Not a sassenach. Not an Englishwoman.” Haha! What will happen between these two opposites–a refined English rose forced to take refuge with this wild Scotch thistle?
This is the second novel I’ve read by Laura Frantz. She’s a lover of words, especially ancient colloquialisms, and she uses them well. I referred often to the glossary of eighteenth-century Scottish terms at the beginning of the book. She also paints fascinating word-pictures describing settings and characters.
I enjoyed learning this meticulously researched history that ultimately helped shape the British Empire. Thanks to Revell for sending me the Rose and the Thistle, with its gorgeous cover, for the purpose of an honest review. I loved it and would choose another Laura Frantz novel any day.
Red Carpet Summer waited in my TBR pile till I finally read it as my last book of 2022. I read the first two chapters a couple of years ago, then got distracted by other books and set it aside.
The plot takes several twists and turns. In chapter one, the main character, Addie, is working at an orphanage in Africa. In chapter two, she’s suddenly back in her hometown U.S.A., with her ordinary but not spectacular friends and family.
This has already been a major switch, but the next thing you know, she’s hired by a pop-star American musician as an assistant, travelling around the country in a bus. Why settle for the mediocre? That’s Addie’s motto, though she doesn’t realize it at first.
She can’t understand herself. With the great friends and family she already has, why can’t she settle down? One reason is that she’s determined to make a difference in the world. To do her best for the children in the orphanage, and others in need of help–even her new famous musician friend.
For me, the story got more interesting once I got further into it. As a woman in my late sixties, this isn’t normally a book I would have chosen, but I got it free from the author and wanted to read one of her books. I would recommend it more as a Young Adult novel. But I liked the writing and wanted to find out what Addie’s choices would lead to in the end. Given the opportunity I would read more books by Melissa Ferguson.
To find out more about Melissa Ferguson and her books, visit www.mlferguson.com.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, “Here’s a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.” Matthew 11:19a
Venice is a party place. It’s also a place that celebrates Jesus. 🍾 There are over 100 churches in Venice. All kinds of people from around the world visit Venice, eating and drinking 🍸 together and visiting churches ⛪️, observing amazing artwork depicting the history of humanity and Christianity.
Jesus loves people. All kinds of people. Despised people. Ordinary people. He didn’t attempt to hang out with the rich and famous. He didn’t care that people judged him for eating and drinking and who he associated with.
Jump in and celebrate with Jesus. Enjoy people. Have a meal and a drink with them. Praise God together for creating us and loving us all.
Medical missionary meets special forces captain in an African jungle. He kills to save her from a terrorizing warlord. That’s the mix.
Cynthia Myers, the missionary doctor, is first repeled by, then attracted to Captain Rick Norton. They’re on opposite sides of the fence; her side being love and mercy, his killing the enemy.
The author successfully explores the boundaries between the two. Must they stay on opposite sides, or is there a way they can meet in the middle? Is killing ever justified? Is there a place for Christian warriors to kill enemies?
Hallee Bridgeman, via the soul-searching heroine, clarifies these issues in the minds of readers. She speaks from first-hand knowledge as the wife and daughter of warriors. I personally found it helpful in sorting out my own stance.
Are they just too different?
Bridgeman also brings out the dichotomy between values and ways of thinking in different cultures and classes of people. The heroine struggles to find a place to fit in when she returns to America. Will this medical missionary resolve her own prejudices and acknowledge her love for Captain Rick Norton?
At the back of the book, the author provides a list of thought-provoking questions for a book club. This will surely lead to interesting discussions.
She also shares recipes for delicious-sounding home made hamburgers and potato chips, the favorite foods of the main characters.
I’m glad I chose this thought-provoking novel from the ones Revell offered me to review. Beautiful cover, too. Thank you, Revell.
when the morning glory blooms isn’t about morning glories. But they do thread through this novel. The morning glories represent life and seeds of life.
It’s about Single Mothers
The novel centres around unwed mothers from the 1890s to present times. Starting from the point of view of the mother of a teen mom in 2012, it jumps back and forth between that family and their friends, a young pregnant single woman in 1951, and an elderly woman telling her story of starting a home for unwed mothers in the 1890s. It’s interesting to see what has changed over time and what has stayed much the same.
The author
Cynthia Ruchti is an acclaimed author and speaker, and is now an agent with Books & Such Agency as well. I met her online a year ago when I attended the American Christian Fiction Writers Zoom conference, and I asked for an interview regarding the novel I’ve been working toward getting published. I didn’t know at the time that she had also written a novel centred around a teen mom. I’ve been meaning to read it ever since she told me about it. What a privilege and honour to have had that opportunity to communicate with her. Of course my first-time, as yet unpublished novel cannot compare with hers. But I so appreciate her feedback and tips, and am glad now to have read her novel along the same theme.
Sort of the same, but not exactly (as the saying goes)
when the morning glory blooms portrays lives of single mothers over three eras, whereas my novel sticks to the contemporary experiences of one particular teen mom. Both include the mother of the teen as one of the ‘pov’ (Point of View) characters, but in her novel the teen mother is not a pov character, whereas in my novel she is the Main Character. Both of our books portray the stress the family goes through, and the sometimes hypocritical reactions of the church.
While my novel begins with the Main Character as an adult reflecting back on her teen years, then goes back to tell her story, when the morning glory blooms jumps back and forth between three time periods and stories throughout the book.
I love desciption in a novel. Cynthia Ruchti uses many similes in this story to make the writing vivid. I’m not so adept at that; my description is pretty straightforward. Perhaps I need to use more similes, but they tend to throw my thoughts off the storyline.
We all got here through pregnancy
Since the beginning of time, pregnancy has been how the earth is populated, whether within the parameters of marriage or not. Every one of us has made mistakes and needs God’s grace. Unwed mothers and their babies particularly need the help and support of the church and their families. I recommend reading when the morning glory blooms to gain an inside view of such situations.
If you live here in Nanaimo and attend First Baptist Church, you can borrow when the morning glory blooms from the library. I asked if they had it, so they ordered it. Thank you Juanita.
For followers of the Bible, there are a few pills that are hard to swallow. At least for strong-minded individuals. Romans 13 is one of them.
What? We must subject ourselves?
Written at a time in history when the countries around the Mediterranean were subject to the Roman Empire, many likely objected to their rule and the taxes they imposed.
Yet, the chapter goes on to say more. Since governments are actually appointed by God, we incur his wrath by not respectfully submitting to them.
Romans 13, The Amplified Bible
But the government is no good 😕
It may at times be hard to believe that God himself has appointed and put in place those in government who we find ourselves subject to. But it says here that we must respect their authority to avoid God’s wrath. Strong words. God wants us to live as principled people, because we represent him to the world.
We must follow the example of Jesus, who respected and honored the rulers of the day, even paying the taxes they demanded of him.
The Roman Empire was not a democracy. They had conquered the surrounding countries. People were treated unfairly, often cruelly, and taxed heavily.
Hey, what about my rights?
Things are different now, aren’t they? We now vote in governments and have ‘freedom of speech’. Yes, even an obligation to speak out for what is right.
So let’s exercise our rights, bearing in mind these verses. That governing authorities have been appointed by God, for his own reasons. And we, as his followers, represent him. Speak and act with respect and honor. Pray for our rulers. Not just for their sakes, but also for our own.
With all the things going on in today’s world, it certainly can’t be easy to be in government. Rather than respect and honor, they are subject to daily ridicule, even threats, in the name of ‘freedom of speech’. But this is not principled behavior for followers of the Bible. Bear in mind that whether or not we agree with them, the authorities are appointed by God.
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