Where Trust Lies by Janette Oke

Where Trust Lies was my first book to read which was co-authored by Laurel Oke Logan and her mom, famed author, Janette Oke.  It was obvious as I began reading this story that it was the second in a series and I was left in the dark about some previous happenings.  The book (or rather, this series), is also a companion story to another book by Janette Oke, When Calls the Heart, which was also made into a Hallmark movie.

The premise of this story is about a young woman named Beth Thatcher who came from a wealthy family from Toronto with three daughters--of which she was the middle daughter.  Beth was an adventurer and had traveled to the west (in the first book) to teach.  There she met a young man who was a Mountie and he'd stolen her heart.  Beth comes home only in hopes that she'll be called to go back to the West as the teacher when the school starts in the fall.  But for now, she has a summer to enjoy with her family.

When she comes home, a plan has been made for the women of the family to join friends on a luxurious steamship which will tour Canada and parts of the United States.  Beth finally agrees to go once her father agrees to forward any mail or messages she might get about the teaching position.  Beth's younger sister quickly takes up with some young women and a young man traveling with the less privileged on the ship.  This friendship gives Beth pause...and quickly turns into something more treacherous.

I'd give this book 4 out of 5 stars.  It was a sweet story.

Thank you to Bethany House for providing this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Against the Grain by Nancy Cain

If you're ready to venture into the world of gluten-free foods, this is the cookbook to get you started!  Nancy's son was diagnosed with celiac disease and she began using the foods ready-to-cook in her grocery store and found them gummy and tasteless.  The recipes she found included things like xanthan gum or guar gum or things with chemical additives.  She chose, instead, to create gluten-free recipes from her own beloved family recipes.  This cookbook is a result of that challenge.

In this cookbook, you'll find breads, cookies, pizza dough, cakes, crepes---all of those lovely things usually made out of gluten products.  The interesting thing is if you put photos of gluten-filled cupcakes up next to her photos of gluten-free cupcakes, you'd never be able to tell the difference!

Her recipes include light buckwheat flour, tapioca starch, quinoa flakes, potato flour...among others.  She includes a chart showing which flours work best for different things.  She includes instructions on how to create a gluten-free kitchen, building blocks on how to change a beloved recipe, and gluten-free techniques (which I had no idea were so significant).  

All-in-all, I think this is a cookbook which will delight you if you are turning into a gluten-free direction...and will be just as helpful for those who already have and want to adjust their old recipes.  Because xanthan and guar gum were so threatening to me as a newbie, I never dipped my toe into gluten-free cooking beyond packaged products.  I think this cookbook might win me over!

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars!  I received this book to review by Blogging for Books. 

Daily Painting by Carol Marine

You can pretty much surmise the content of the book just by the title.  Carol Marine encourages each artist (whether a beginner or professional) to paint each day.  In fact, the subtitle is "Paint Small and Often to Become a More Creative, Productive, and Successful Artist."  That pretty much sums up this book.  And it's a helpful book.  She doesn't stop at just suggesting you paint...she gives lots of artistry tips like subject matter, composition, color, drawing and proportion.  But she also gives tips on how to sell your art!

Carol grew up in a small Texas town--with art in her blood.  Even though her family had few means, her parents encouraged their children to follow their hearts.  They were told they'd always be happy if they did what they loved.  So Carol pursued art at UT of Austin but was sorely disappointed because the art classes were more about the political aspects of art rather than actually painting.  And it was implied that unless you painted large paintings, you were not a true artist.  Carol would spend weeks on a large painting and be unhappy with it at the end and then feel worthless at the end...a failure.

All of that changed when a friend sent her an article about daily painting.  The theory was to paint one small painting a day which wasn't overwhelming and much less time consuming--and which if you didn't like the painting at the end of the day, you hadn't lost much.  What she found was that she could play with new styles and techniques during a child's nap time and she wasn't filled with the pressure of accomplishing a huge piece of art.  It was a way to a new creative license!

I think anyone with art in their blood would appreciate this book.  It's full of  practical helps and techniques.  And she goes one step further in encouraging you to sell your art and exactly how to do that.  I'd give this book 5 out of 5 stars!

I received this book to review by Blogging for Books.

Blue Ribbon Baking from a Redneck Kitchen by Francine Bryson

I missed the program, but I got the cookbook!  Francine Bryson starred on the American Baking Competition and was quite a hit, according to Jeff Foxworthy.  She's also won three blue ribbons from the National American Pie Competition.  If you've ever wanted a secret recipe for a pie from a blue ribbon winner (few share!), this is it!

The first nine pages are recipes for pie crust alone.  Francine shares recipes passed down from her Great-Granny, Granny, Nana & Mama--and those that are all her own.  You'll enjoy her down-home humor, her South Carolina honesty, and her Southern charm.  She also includes a "Blue Ribbon Tip" after most recipes.  Now this cookbook isn't just about pies, you'll find mouth-watering recipes for every kind of sweet you can think of.  And you'll enjoy the beautiful photos.  I think I need to make the "Slap-Ya-Mama Fudge Cookies" and Francine's own tried-and-true "Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies."  The latter is a recipe she says she got from nowhere--her perfect best ever chocolate chip cookies she developed by trial and error.

I agree with Jeff Foxworthy (who wrote the forward)....this is a great cookbook and Francine is totally delightful!!  I give this book 5 out of 5 stars!
I received this book to review by Blogging for Books.

In Her Kitchen by Gabriele Galimberti

When I saw this cookbook and read the book description, I knew I wanted to review it!  Gabriele grew up in Arezzo, Italy and never ventured very far from home.  But after going to photography school, he appealed to an Italian magazine to let him travel to 50 different countries around the world and use his stories and photography in their magazine.  They took him up on it!  And then he only had two weeks to get ready to leave on his adventure.

He used those two weeks to get ready and to tell his close-knit family goodbye.  A week before he left, he was sitting at his grandmother's kitchen eating her comforting ravioli which she often prepared for her grandson.  He told her what he was about to do.  He would be traveling to 50 different countries around the world and would be gone for two years.  He began trying to reassure her that he wouldn't be in danger and that he had researched homes where he would stay.  Her only question was, "But what will you eat?"  He laughed and told her that other grandmothers would feed him their famous dishes and he would write their stories and get their recipes and bring them home to her.  That's how this cookbook came into being.

You'll love seeing the photos of grandmothers around the world, their kitchens, the ingredients they use in their dishes and their signature dishes.  I don't know that I'll ever cook an iguana or caterpillars, but some of these dishes sound amazing!  Since I have a granddaughter from Ethiopia, I was interested in seeing the injera bread and curry sauce--with the recipe!  The first featured recipe in the book is his own grandmother's ravioli.  An amazing book.

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.
I received this book to review from Blogging for Books.

A Kitchen in France by Mimi Thorisson

Earthy.  That would be my one-word description of this cookbook.  It's exactly what you'd expect from a farmhouse in France.  The stories are sweet, the photography is incredible, and the recipes are enticing.

Mimi grew up in Hong Kong with a Chinese father and a French mother.  She spent her holidays in France with her grandmother and aunt who were fabulous cooks.  Her father also took her to the many food stalls in Hong Kong where they experimented by eating different foods.  From these, her love of food and cooking grew.  But it wasn't until she was married with a growing family that she dove headfirst into cooking.  She and her husband moved from Paris to a farmhouse in Medoc--a remote part of France.  There she shops for, gardens, and cooks with organic and beautiful vegetables.

I love this cookbook because it is full of French recipes...in English.  She's an author/chef who has  lived in France for many years and understands French cooking because of her own history with her French grandmother and yet can relate to American cooks and kitchens.

This is a fabulous, beautiful cookbook.  Mimi features her own family, her own home, and herself in the photography.  The cookbook is even divided into different foods for different seasons. You'll find yourself lost in the pages.

I'd give this book 5 out of 5 stars.
I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

The River by Beverly Lewis

The River is another book based on Amish life by Beverly Lewis, the veteran authority on the subject--having grown up near Lancaster County.

In this book, Tilly & Ruth, two sisters who grew up in the Amish community, have departed from their Plain upbringing.  But their father's illness and their brother's phone call has brought them home for two weeks...which turns into more as they stay to help their parents move.  Of course, the trip reveals not only what happened at the river so many years ago, but the family conflict which caused Tilly and then Ruth to leave their home.  Tilly returns to Lancaster County with her husband's blessing and his hopes that Tilly will finally deal with her past.  Tilly's twins, Tavani and Jenya, have never met their Amish grandparents....which is just as well since Tilly doesn't feel loved by her own father.

Ruth has a former boyfriend and potential husband to deal with when she returns to Lancaster County.  Who is a better fit for her?  The new man in her new church who is showing interest in her...or a former Amish boyfriend who showed more interest in some wayward friends than her years ago?  Ruth will only return home and face her past if her sister, Tilly, returns with her.

Follow Tilly & Ruth as they return home, experience Amish life again, and deal with their past which involves a dark river.

I'd give this book 4 out of 5 stars.
Thank you to Bethany House for providing this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

The Skinnytaste Cookbook by Gina Homolka

Gina Homolka was one of those who could eat anything she wanted and not gain an ounce...until she had babies.  After gaining weight with pregnancies, she went to Weight Watchers to initiate a lifestyle of eating sensibly and losing weight.  The only problem she faced was tasteless foods.  Most of the light or healthy foods had no flavor and didn't entice her...at all.  So she started a journey (and a blog) dedicated to taking her favorite foods and turning them into healthy meals.

Her cookbook, The Skinnytaste, is full of not only wonderful looking recipes, but she's included reasons why you should follow in her footsteps.  She gives guides for shopping, remaking your kitchen into a healthy place, and all of the necessary numbers you're going to want from a recipe (fat content, calories, carbs, etc.).  You'll love the photos and stories in this cookbook.

These are not your typical "healthy, light recipes."  These are fabulous meals from breakfast to dessert which just may win you over to the light side.  In fact, as I perused the cookbook, I recognized several photos of foods I'd seen on Pinterest or Facebook.  Her recipes are highly shared in both forums.  Because her recipe list grew, and because she was a graphic design artist, she started the blog, Skinnytaste.com to house her recipes.  Her readership grew and began sending in their reports of how the recipes had helped their own weight-loss journey.

I encourage you to get this cookbook!  I'd give it a 5 out of 5 stars.
I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

MIracle in a Dry Season by Sarah Loudin Thomas

Miracle in a Dry Season by Sarah Loudin Thomas was a sweet story reminding me of the story of redemption found in Rahab's story in the Bible.  I'm not sure Sarah meant for it to mirror that story, but I thought it did.

It's the story of Perla Long who had a child out of wedlock and moved to Wise, West Virginia to get away from the talk of folks in her own hometown.  But she couldn't move to a new town with a small daughter and then lie about never being married.  So her story, and the judgment and rejection of people, followed her to Wise.  Casewell Phillips was a bachelor who became enamored with the mother and child.  He helped Perla feed hungry crowds of people with small quantities of food which always grew according to the size of the crowd.  A true miracle...but it wasn't enough to win the favor of the people.

I admired the way Sarah described the drought in Wise.  Having just gone through a 5-year drought in our own area, I thought she hit the nail on the head with her descriptions.  And the first rain after a drought?  Miraculous!!  I loved that John heard it on his way to heaven before it actually materialized in Wise.

A very sweet story.  I'd give this book 4 out of 5 stars.
Thank you to Bethany House for providing this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

A Beautiful Mess Happy Handmade Home by Elsie Larson & Emma Chapman

Who hasn't perused the blog, A Beautiful Mess?  Even this grandmother has!  These young women, Elsie Larson & Emma Chapman, sisters...have created their own business by creating beautiful things.  They even created A Beautiful Mess photo app--the #1 selling photo app.  Well, now they've created an inspiring book with some of their best ideas.  Think Pinterest in a book.

The book is filled with wonderful photography of their two homes and the creative ways they've been inspired to make their homes their own.  Throughout the book, you are encouraged to be creative in your own home and not to care if an idea is too trendy or overused.  You are to make your home your own and a place you want to come home to.

Some of my favorite ideas are hand-painted lettering on plates and mugs--and even a wall!  They take the ordinary and make it extraordinary.  It's pretty obvious these girls like color!  It's everywhere and done in such a fun way.  There are ideas for decorating for parties, dinners, and outdoor fun.  You won't go wrong purchasing this book!

I'd give this book 5 out of 5 stars.
I received this book for free from BLOGGING FOR BOOKS for this review.

The B.T.C. Old Fashioned Grocery Cookbook by Alexe Van Beuren

The B.T.C. Old-Fashioned Grocery CookBook by Alexe Van Beuren with recipes by Dixie Grimes is the first cookbook I've ever reviewed.  And I loved it!!  I enjoyed looking through the book and reading the story of how Alexe opened her grocery store, what it was like and how the cafe evolved...thanks to Dixie.  She'd hired 5 different cooks and was about to fire the 5th when Dixie walked in wearing jeans and a ball cap and Alexe hired her on the spot because she needed some meat sliced.  That was the best decision she ever made.  Dixie had been professionally trained and her recipes began drawing people into the cafe.

I loved the photos in the cookbook, Alexe's stories written midst the recipes and learning more about B.T.C. (Be The Change) Old Fashioned Grocery.  B.T.C. is in Water Valley, Mississippi...a small town of 3500 people.  Alexe's descriptions of her town and her grocery/cafe just made me want to jump in my car and visit Water Valley just to buy some of her beautiful, red tomatoes!  In fact, Alexe reminded me a lot of The Pioneer Woman with her writing and her vision.

Dixie sounds like a wonder.  There are recipes for biscuits and gravy (familiar to me) to Grillades (unfamiliar to me).  There are many recipes in this cookbook I'd like to try--and many, we're told, have become favorites of Water Valley.

Get the cookbook.  You'll feel like you've found new friends---in the small town of Water Valley, Mississippi.  I'd give this book 5 out of 5 stars! You can read the first chapter here.

I received this book for free from BLOGGING FOR BOOKS for this review.

The Holy Land Key by Ray Bentley

This book was not what I was expecting.  I expected it to be another end-times prophecy much like I've read many times.  But it wasn't.  Ray Bentley takes you on a Hebrew journey which begins with Abram.  And he doesn't just include the son of promise in this journey, but Abraham's other son, Ishmael, and his descendants as well.  Of course, these descendants are usually included in an end-times prophecy book as the enemy, but are talked about with respect in Mr. Bentley's book.

Early in this book, the author makes this statement, "For Jews living in Israel today, prophecy is their present as well as their future."  He makes his case with those words.  Using the events of our daily newspapers, Mr. Bentley shows how today's events are shaping our world for end-time prophecy.  He also exposes the paradigm most Jews and even Arabs live with--how those current events affect their lives today.

Ray Bentley also uncovers the church's lacking regard for both Jews and Arabs.  We may say we love the Jewish people, but do we really?  What actions prove that?  And the church can't seem to differentiate between Arabs and Muslims.  As a result, the body of Christ has little regard or love for Arabs--many of whom are believers.

This book has challenged me.  I give it 4 out of 5 stars.
Thank you to WaterBrook Press for providing this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Undetected by Dee Henderson

It's no secret that Dee Henderson is one of my favorite authors---and she didn't disappoint in her newest fiction book!  This book is about a submarine commander, Mark Bishop, who is a widower and ready to marry again.  He wants someone to come home to after a 3-month patrol on the USS Nevada.  He's known Gina Gray several years because she's the younger sister of a fellow-commander.  Gina is a genius.  She entered college at the age of 14 and holds several doctoral degrees--and she's determined to use her knowledge to keep her brother safe while he's at sea.  She's a civilian who has had several breakthroughs that changes the way the Navy operates.  Mark takes a second look at Gina and begins his greatest maneuvers in trying to win her heart.

I love reading Dee Henderson's books about the military.  I find it very interesting because she seems to have a grasp on all aspects--the military at sea and the loved ones at home.  The creative ideas Dee has in this book which Gina comes up with are so simple and yet seem substantial and viable.  And Dee also deals with the issue of the ideas which help our military can also be discovered by other countries and used against us in conflict.  I only hope Dee didn't give away any military secrets!

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars for content and readability.
Thank you to Bethany House for providing this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

101 Tips for the Smart Stepmom by Laura Petherbridge

I had no idea how hard it is to be a stepmom before I read this book!  Honestly!!  The only thing I can say is that the stepmoms I've known have made it look easy.  This is a concise, well-written, easy-to-read book that can be managed in one sitting.  Or take one tip at a time and meditate on it.  There's a very practical questionnaire at the end of the book for those considering marrying a divorced man with children.

In this book, Laura deals with practical things like loving your own children more than your stepchildren.  She's honest and forthright.  She raises the issue of dealing with the ex-wife--schedules, money, lies, and the emotional health of the children.  She's not afraid to touch the places that hurt most and teaches us to deal with them in truth and love.

The thing I came away with after reading this book (I was reared in a non-divorce home and I've never been divorced) is compassion for those trying to make a second marriage work.  There are challenges in a second marriage I'd never considered.  I'd never imagined how hard it would be to balance stepchildren and your own children--trying to make everyone feel received and loved--and to take care of your own emotional health in the process.  I'd never thought about a stepmom feeling left out because of a father giving so much to his children--or refusing to discipline his children--possibly because of his own guilt issues.  Or the devastation a stepmom can feel after a stepchild moves in with their mother after the stepmom may have invested so much in that child.  Laura also mentions how the church is ill-equipped to deal with stepmoms and may even bring on condemnation instead of healing.

Even though some of the issues are unique to a second marriage, I also saw how Satan uses whatever is at hand to destroy us all.  And even though Laura was speaking from the perspective of a stepmom, I saw that some of the issues she faced are some of the same I've faced--but just coming from a different perspective.

I highly recommend this book!  I give it a 5 out of 5 stars--for readibility and content.

Thank you to Bethany House for providing this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

The Last Bride by Beverly Lewis

The Last Bride by Beverly Lewis is #5 in the Home to Hickory Hollow series.  I didn't know that until I finished reading the book, but it explained a lot, in my opinion.

It's been a while since I've read a Beverly Lewis book--which I've always enjoyed.  I love her research, family history, and portrayal of the Amish lifestyle.  So I was eager to review this book.  Even though this book contained the usual great writing style of Beverly Lewis, I found it to be very predictable and "tired."  I didn't understand that until I found it was the last book of a series.  It felt hurried--like Mrs. Lewis was anxious to get to the end of the story.

The story is of Tessie, young girl who secretly marries Marcus, her beau who is subsequently killed in a building accident.  Tessie Ann doesn't realize that she's already pregnant at the time.  This brings about an inquisition by the Amish elders and Tessie Ann's family.  Sweet Levi quietly waits for the right time to declare his love and promise to help Tessie raise Marcus' child.

I won't stop reading Beverly Lewis' books!  I highly regard her as an author.  In fact, I'll probably read the earlier books of this series to give this book a fair shot.  I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Thank you to Bethany House for providing this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

The Auschwitz Escape by Joel C. Rosenberg

The Auschwitz Escape by Joel C. Rosenberg is a novel based on the true stories of those who were sent to death camps while Hitler was on a murderous mission to kill an entire race of people.  Not only were there Jews who waited to be exterminated in these camps, but others who had aided the Jews--trying to help them escape Hitler and his henchmen.  This is the story of those prisoners in Auschwitz who saw the atrocities there day after day and created a resistance group determined to escape and get the message to the rest of the world that these weren't labor camps as Hitler publicized, but death camps.  The resistance group saw trainloads of people brought to Auschwitz day after day, but it was the rumor that hundreds of thousands of Polish Jews were about to be captured and sent there--to die immediately upon arrival--that spurred a plan to escape and tell the world what was truly happening.

This is a difficult book to read at times because it's all too real.  But oh what a story that needs to be told!  It's also a story we mustn't forget.  I encourage everyone to get this book today and read it!  Thank you, Joel C. Rosenberg, for writing a hard story...with great style.

Ministering to Problem People in Your Church by Marshall Shelley

If you're new to my blog, you may not know that I review books for publishing companies.  This is a review of Ministering to Problem People in Your Church; What to Do with Well-Intentioned Dragons by Marshall Shelley.

I've always heard that if a young man desires to go into ministry, you need to try and talk him out of it.  If it's a true calling, you can't talk him out of it, but if he's not called...he better get talked out of it!  This book could do that.  Even after being on staff in churches for the past 33 years, this book was discouraging...but honest.   Marshall Shelley uses real-life experiences of pastors from every denomination (names changed to protect the guilty) to show that the largest battle we face as a church is from within.  Very sad.  There are dragons within the church--people who either don't know how to articulate what they want and just cause trouble trying to get it or are control freaks who want to usurp authority and take a church hostage.  These real-life stories may shock the layman but anyone who has been in church work very long will have stories of their own to add.

The encouraging part of the book is in the last four chapters.  Mr. Shelley, again using testimony from pastors, offers solutions and ways to tame the dragons...or to at least habitate peacefully with them.

If you're a pastor, about to become a pastor, or someone who loves your pastor...you may want to read this book.  I'll warn you:  you might become discouraged to know the state of the church.  But if you're a pastor, you can learn a lot from people who have gone before you.

I'd give this book 5 out of 5 stars.  It's informative and offers solutions and is an easy read.
Thank you to Bethany House for providing this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Strait of Hormuz by Davis Bunn

This is the third book in the Marc Royce series by Davis Bunn.  The first two you'll want to read are Lion of Babylon and Rare Earth.  But this one just happens to be my favorite of all three.  If you want to skip to my favorite, you won't be lost by missing the first two books.  It could totally be a stand-alone book.

Marc Royce is a former operative of the U.S. State Department but was fired by his mentor, Ambassador Walton.  But this same man has called Marc and sent him into a situation in Switzerland where art was being duplicated and money was being laundered.  Kitra Korban was asked by a man she didn't know but her Israeli father had told her to trust to go to Switzerland and protect Marc Royce.  Kitra wanted to see Marc one more time--since he'd disappeared from her life after his rescue of her brother during the rare earth discovery.  She'd fallen in love with him and asked him to move to her kibbutz all while knowing it wasn't fair to ask him to give up the life he loved.  

A small group of people from Persia, Israel, Iran and America end up together working with Marc Royce to find a shipment which has gone missing from North Korea.  The U.S. is fearful it will end up going through the Strait of Hormuz and cause an international incident...which Marc's small group intends to prevent.

I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars.  It will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat!

Thank you to Bethany House for providing this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Unspoken by Dee Henderson

In my humble opinion, this is Dee Henderson's best book to date.  And I would name Dee Henderson among my top 5 favorite authors.  If you are looking for a good book to read, run buy this book!

Charlotte Graham shows up behind Bryce Bishop's coin dealer's store with an offer he couldn't refuse--buying rare coins from a private estate that would make him a wealthy man.  Bryce's friend from the FBI made the introduction to Charlotte and the more Bryce learns of her, the more mysterious she becomes and the more Bryce wants to know about her.  He eventually learns Charlotte is really Ruth Bazoni--the girl who'd made national news with her kidnapping when she was 16 and her subsequent four year captivity.  She'd actually been kidnapped with her twin sister, but had kicked her sister out of the van door which saved her sister from the same captivity.  Even though her captors had been killed, Charlotte now lived under constant security and enough secrecy that Bryce needed to uncover the layers so he could pursue her.  In the course of discovery, he learned that Charlotte was a very wealthy woman.  She was liquidating her grandfather's estate (which is where the coins came from) and looked to Bryce to find places to give some of her money.  Charlotte maintains she is single for life and Bryce learns it's because of things that happened during her four years of captivity.  This case has definitely not been completely resolved.

In this book, Dee Henderson deals with relationships of these characters in a masterful way.  She deals with emotions, pain, and past in her character's lives that show a depth that must come from her own experience.  

I give his book a high 5 out of 5 stars!

Thank you to Bethany House for providing this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

A Couple of Young Bucks Teaching Me

I am absolutely loving how God is pouring out His Spirit with truth on a younger generation!  I am obsessed over two books I am reading.  They are changing my life.  Michael Kelley has written a new book called Boring; Finding an Extraordinary God in an Ordinary Life.  And Zach Neese has written How to Worship a King.  Both of these young men are young enough to be my sons....or at least a nephew.  ;)  Let me see if I can do both books justice by describing them a bit. But please...don't take my word for it. RUN out and get them both!!  You'll be so glad you did.  Both guys have a great writing style and the truth they're teaching is very similar.  But don't read one without reading the other.  I promise you won't be disappointed!

In Boring, Michael convinced me early in the book that God is in the ordinary.  How many of us are always looking for that one big next thing--the one where God will use us or appear to us?  Or we may be looking for one emotional spiritual experience after another.  But instead, we feel stuck in the mundane things of life--changing diapers, going to work day after day, picking up kids from baseball, working on a car, or cleaning house.  It's easy for us to believe that God is holding out on us.  (Which is the same lie Satan told Eve:  "Did God really say that you can't eat from any tree in the garden?")  When, in fact, Michael says, "God is not a miser.  He's not holding out on us.  There isn't anything else if you have been given Jesus...He's given us everything He has to give in Christ.  In fact, the very idea that there might be something else is a direct challenge to the love of God, and ultimately the subtext behind Satan's words in the garden in Genesis 3."  God is in the ordinary.  Wherever you are, God is there.  You carry the presence of Christ, so He is in the ordinary.  And do you realize (as Michael so aptly points out with his many examples), that every time God did something extraordinary in the Bible, it started out as an ordinary day?  When God says he works all things for our good, it means ALL.  Not just the big things.  He's using our conversation in the break room, on the playground with the kids, while getting our car serviced---all these things for our good.  How many times have you had a very normal conversation that turned into something life changing?  God uses the normal, boring things in our lives and can...one day...show up in a big way.  

How to Worship a King isn't unlike Boring.  Zach Neese uses the tabernacle to explain the protocol of worshiping the King of kings.  And through his video series based on his book (which I'm watching with a small group), he explains how we are priests and carry the presence of God with us everywhere we go.  Knowing that we carry the presence of God transforms the ordinary into a meeting with us, God, and the people we meet.  God tabernacles with us. He explains how we must enter through the gate with thanksgiving and praise in order to meet with God.  I love how he said in the third video that every time God meets with us, it's through the same triumphal procession as when Jesus came into Jerusalem on a donkey with people praising and waving palm branches.  Jesus is the gate...and we must enter the gate through praise and thanksgiving.  He goes through each step of the tabernacle explaining what it means for our lives today.  It's an exceptional book.  It's like David Dietz said, "I started out highlighting the things I wanted to remember...and now my entire book is highlighted!"

What God has taught me personally through these two men:  Be content.  Quit looking for the spectacular and divine moments.  Instead, praise, worship, and believe you're carrying the presence of God.  That makes each moment divine.  Can I give you an example?  Yesterday, Andy & I went to Amarillo to visit two people in the hospital.  We went in total awareness that we were carrying the presence of God with us.  We didn't know what that was going to look like as we went to minister to two families. Both visits were very ordinary.  But we carried the presence of God with us--which made it divine.  Then we went to lunch at Olive Garden and out of my mouth popped something to our waiter I'd never done before.  It wasn't premeditated at all.  I told him Andy & I were going to pray for our food and asked if there was anything we could pray for  him.  He told us several things going on in his life and we kept our word and prayed for him.  (Of course, we left a nice tip and a note to encourage him.)  It was an ordinary lunch that became a tabernacle between the three of us and God.

God has been in the process for years to bring me to this new understanding...taught to me by two young bucks!  I'm so grateful God is using a new generation to bring truth to me.