On Our Own Terms

I was feeding my son's guinea pig a few moments ago. She's an antisocial pet, except with my youngest. Whenever he holds her, she loves to snuggle up next to him, or crawl in the pocket of his robe. She definitely has a connection with him. So when I went to feed her, she did what she typically does---runs and hides in her cage, trying to avoid my touch.

Since my son wasn't here to love on her, I made a point of petting and talking to her. She tolerated it, but I could tell she wasn't liking it one bit. As soon as I closed the door to her cage, she took one sniff of her food and then ran to the wire frame, standing on her hind legs, wanting attention. She desired affection on her own terms.

Her actions reminded me so much of how we often tend to be in our Christan life. We want things our own way, and on our own conditions. We want God to give us patience, and to do it right NOW. We desire to be changed, but then don't enjoy the trials we face to bring about that change. We need to turn our eyes to the Lord, and seek out His terms instead of demanding our own. Only then will we truly learn what He has for us.

Encouragement

I was working on cleaning off my desk before I start revisions on a writing project. I had a few reasons for my desire to do this household chore. One, I think better when I have a clean desk. Two, I was trying to find where I had written a scripture that I wanted to incorporate in my changes to my novel. Three, I was procrastinating a bit after pouring my heart and soul into a project only to have it not quite meet standards. Satan was doing his best to discourage me, and succeeding in some areas.

But then, my dear son sent me some encouragement. He didn't realize I was floundering. The short video he sent me, made me smile, laugh, and even cry. Most importantly though, it reminded me to keep on the race, and push toward the areas where I believe God is calling me.

"So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word." 2 Thessalonians 2:15-17

Is there someone in your life that needs encouragement today? What can you do to share God's hope and love with them?

And in case you are interested, here's the video my son sent to me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-gQLqv9f4o
 

The Tutor's Daughter by Julie Klassen

Julie Klassen weaves an amusing tale of Emma Smallwood in The Tutor's Daughter. Set in England in 1817, Emma is a stickler for details. Perhaps it comes as a result of being an only child, and lone female in her father's Academy for young men. But after the death of Emma's mother, her father no longer has interest in running the school. To Emma's surprise, he agrees to be a private tutor for a baronet's two sons. She has mixed feelings since they will need to live at the employer's estate, and she'll be in close contact with the two older sons - Phillip and Henry Weston, former students at her father's academy. Thoughts of Phillip make Emma's heart pound with excitement, while musings of Henry only bring about anger and annoyance.

The novel is riddled with mystery and suspicious acts. It's set against the backdrop of the coast of Cornwall during times of shipwreck and danger.

I especially enjoyed the fastidiousness of young Emma and her delight in making detailed lists, from books she wanted to read, to observations of those she came in contact. Julie Klassen has written a delightful book, which I highly recommend.

This book was provided free for review by Bethany House Publishers.

Book Info

About The Tutor's Daughter:    Filled with page-turning suspense, The Tutor's Daughter takes readers to the windswept Cornwall coast-a place infamous for shipwrecks and superstitions-where danger lurks, faith is tested, and romance awaits. Emma Smallwood, determined to help her widowed father when his boarding school fails, accompanies him to the cliff-top manor of a baronet and his four sons. But soon after they arrive and begin teaching the two younger boys, mysterious things begin to happen. Who does Emma hear playing the pianoforte at night, only to find the music room empty? And who begins sneaking into her bedchamber, leaving behind strange mementoes? The baronet's older sons, Phillip and Henry Weston, wrestle with problems-and secrets-of their own. They both remember the studious Miss Smallwood from their days at her father's academy. But now one of them finds himself unexpectedly drawn to her... When suspicious acts escalate, can Emma figure out which brother to blame and which to trust with her heart?

Link to buy the book: http://ow.ly/gI7qC    

 

Meet Julie:  

  

Julie Klassen loves all things Jane--Jane Eyre and Jane Austen. A graduate of the University of Illinois, Julie worked in publishing for sixteen years and now writes full time. She has won the Christy Award: Historical Romance for The Silent Governess (2010) and The Girl in the Gatehouse (2011) which also won the 2010 Midwest Book Award for Genre Fiction. Julie and her husband have two sons and live in a suburb of St. Paul, Minnesota. 

 

Find out more about Julie at http://www.julieklassen.com/. 

Blog Tour Schedule
Landing page:    http://litfusegroup.com/author/JKlassen

A Christmas Homecoming by MaryAnn Diorio

A Christmas Homecoming weaves a tale of regrets, forgiveness, reconciliation and hope wrapped up in this book by MaryAnn Diorio. It's a great reminder of the reason why we celebrate this Christmas season - Jesus.

Sonia Pettit finds it difficult to prepare for the holidays. Without her husband living anymore, and her daughter missing for the past seven years, it just doesn't seem like Christmas with just her and her son Ben.

Jody Pettit O'Dair has many regrets, the biggest is never letting her family know what happened to her. But now she lives half the world away and there is no hope of ever seeing them again. Besides, why would they want to?

I found this book to be a delightful read, and enjoyed the reminder of the reconciliation we can have with our Lord and Savior.

This book was provided free for review by Pelican Ventures Book Group-Harbourlight Books.


To learn more about the blog tour on this book http://litfusegroup.com/campaigns/achristmashomecoming

About A Christmas Homecoming: 

Seven Christmases have passed since Sonia Pettit last heard from her daughter Jody. Since Jody's departure, Sonia's world has been turned upside down. Her husband has died of a broken heart, and her son, bitter over his sister's destructive actions, has become rebellious.

Her greatest desire is to have her family together at Christmas, but after what Jody has put them all through, can Sonia truly forgive her daughter?

Jody Pettit O'Dair ran away to experience a life of adventure and excitement, but since her departure, her world has been turned upside down. She's been abandoned by the man she met and married, lost her job, and is unable to care for her two children. With nowhere else to turn, this prodigal daughter begins the long journey home and prays she will be welcomed after walking away so long ago.

Will Jody find forgiveness in the arms of her family as easily as she received it from God? 

Link to buy the book: http://ow.ly/fKkNc   

Meet MaryAnn:  

Dr. MaryAnn Diorio loves God, people, children, and dogs, in that order. She also is passionate about story and its power to transform the human heart. Dr. MaryAnn, as she is affectionately called, writes compelling fiction that deals with the deepest issues of life. She is Adjunct Online Professor of Fiction Writing for Regent University and coaches writers on their journey to publication. MaryAnn and her husband Dominic are the blessed parents of two wonderful daughters and a fantastic son-in-law.
Find out more about MaryAnn at http://maryanndiorio.com/.   

Threads of Faith by Andrea Boeshaar

Threads of Faith by Andrea Boeshaar is a mixture of adventure and romance.  Julianna Wayland is a young housemaid in 1877 London who is on the run. When the young master has designs for her, she flees, hiding in a crate on the docks. Before she can cry out, a lid is nailed to her hideaway and she gets loaded into the hold of a ship.

Captain Daniel Sundberg doesn't take kindly to stowaways, intended or accidental. But with a crew of all men, he feels obligated to protect the young miss. He needs to keep on schedule to sail to America, and doesn't have time to stop at a port to drop off Julianna.

Once they reach America he finds the desire to continue to provide for her confusing, but makes plans for her to help his mother with the family farm. As the couple journey they both are challenged to a deeper faith in God.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and am excited to find a new historical Christian writer.

This book was provided free for review by the author and Realms.

A Change of Fortune by Jen Turano

Jen Turano weaves a delightful tale in A Change of Fortune. Lady Eliza Sumner has lost everything - her family, her fortune, her fiance, and her faith in God. She travels to America from England with one thought - to find the man who ran off with her fortune and regain her inheritance and return to her homeland.

In New York City she must go under cover as a governess, so as not to reveal her true identity. At the insistence of her employer, she attends a dinner party and meets Mr. Hamilton Beckett. He is the much sought after bachelor in New York society. As Eliza seeks information about the thief who stole everything from her, she continues to bump into Hamilton Beckett.

The duo undergo many twists and turns as they join forces. Will they choose to have more than a dwindling faith in God, or will they seek Him with their future?

This book was provided free for review by the author and Bethany House Publishers.

A Merry Little Christmas by Anita Higman

What better way to prepare for the Christmas season than to snuggle down with a good Christmas novel while listening to music of the holiday. A Merry Little Christmas by Anita Higman is a sweet tale set in Oklahoma in 1961. It explores the world of Franny Martin, a pig farmer in her 30's with no prospects of marriage. She has a love of music and her farm. Set in an era of racial tension, Franny is unafraid to express her thoughts on the ugliness of the situation.

Charlie Landau has been raised in wealth by a distant father with whom he can never seem to find favor. He offers to buy Franny's farm. They discover a mutual love of music as he learns how to take care for the pigs.

Anita Higman created a tale of hope and love when you least expect it. It is sure to enrich your Christmas holiday.

This book was provided free for review by that author and Summerside Press.

What's Your Passion?

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men." Colossians 3:23

The topic of passions has been brought to my attention on numerous occasions over the past couple weeks, in different ways and situations. We talked about it during our first ladies Bible study of the season. Our group is studying Balance - Six Basics of a Balanced Life by Carol Kent & Karen Lee-Thorp. We were encouraged to write a purpose statement to include the things we are passionate about, and also our unique gifts.

Then a few days ago, a video we had on hold at the public library finally came available. It's called Seven Days in Utopia. It's the story of a discouraged golfer. Now I'm not usually overly excited about sports movies, but I found this one to be quite gripping. It too mentioned the topic of discovering what we are passionate about, and where our passions lie. It talked about the importance of finding the passion God has given us, and walking in it. Sometimes in order to move forward in our passion, we need to break free of the lies from our past that may be holding us captive.

Yesterday I was finishing up revisions on my current novel, and had to rewrite part of the ending to make it fit the editor's suggestions. As I rewrote that chapter, making it something totally new and different, I had such joy and pleasure as I wrote. You may have guessed by now, that writing is my passion. 

There used to be an old TV series, The A-Team, and I think one of the characters, Hannibal used to say. "I love it when a plan comes together." Yesterday while I was writing, I kept thinking, "I love when a book comes together." :)

Writing is my passion. What passion has God given to you? 

To the Ends of the Earth

 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:7-8

This scripture was used in a recent Our Daily Bread devotion. It may have even been this morning, I can't remember for sure. But as I read it, I was struck by it. With the advent of our current technology, we are able to reach the ends of the earth with the things we write.
 
I'm particularly aware of this with writing a blog. I can check the stats on my account. It's been amazing to see where I get hits. People from all over the world, in various countries, and also places in the United States, towns, cities, and out lying areas. Somehow they each have stumbled upon my blog, and the words that I have written. My prayer is for my words to somehow touch hearts, not because of me, but because of my Heavenly Father. He is my reason for existence.

Thank you for chosing to read the words I write. May they be a blessing to you, and help you on your journey of growing closer to the Lord.

When Hope Blossoms by Kim Vogel Sawyer

I was swept away as I began When Hope Blossoms by Kim Vogel Sawyer. I entered the world of young Old Order Mennonite widow Amy Knackstedt, trying to raise three young children on her own. The family settles down in a new town, hoping to get over the pain and loss of the husband and father.

Tim Roper, their nearest neighbor, doesn't want any reminders of the faith that he left many years ago. Nor does he want to be attached to anyone after the loss of his wife and son, but the neighbor children have found a way of sneaking into his heart. Will he be able to find a way to come to grips with his past, or forever remain alone?

This book moved me to tears and laughter. Kim has a unique way of weaving words that touch the hearts of her readers. I highly recommend reading this book.

This book was provided free for review by Bethany House Publishers.