Sunday Devotion: Pray

 

"I failed to find the time, but You’ve been calling out

I let the days go as if I could live without."

Pray by Sanctus Real

(You can listen to the whole song here.)



I all too often find myself making excuses for why I can’t read my Bible or pray today. I always have something else I could be doing. Then, one day I look around and realize that I’m so far away from Him. The worst part for me, is that I didn’t even notice. I was so busy, caught up in my own little world, that I didn’t see how far away I was until I desperately needed something. God should be more than the person I go to when all else fails. So much more.

I love the next line of the song:

“But it’s gotta be here and now. I won’t be pulled away.

‘Cause it’s just You and I, so let the world around us fade.”

 

  That’s what I need. I need the world around me to just disappear. My to-do list, my schedule, everything I could or feel I should be doing - they all need to just take a hike. Quiet time with God is so important, but I fail almost every day to carve out time for it. I don’t take time to just stop and listen. Instead, I say a quick prayer while driving to work, or while I’m scurrying around trying to get everything done. That’s not enough. If I did that to any other relationship, I would have no friends and my family may have given up on me, too. So why do I do that to the most important relationship in my life? My goal this week is to take time every single day, regardless of what I have going on, and just pray and be silent before Him.

 

Father, please forgive me for neglecting You. Thank You that You never give up on me, no matter how far I may wander. Please help me to ignore all of the things pulling at me whenever I try to spend time with You and to just rest in Your presence. Amen.

 

Sunday Devotion: Psalm 77:1

 

 

"I cried out to God for help; I cried out to God to hear me."

Psalm 77:1 (NIV)

 

This verse caught my attention in my daily Bible reading a few days ago and I keep going back to read it again.  Have you ever "cried out to God"?  Fallen on your knees before Him and finally admitted you can't do it by yourself?  There's something beautiful in those moments of broken surrender, in remembering who He is and what He can do.  The walls you've built up against the world, against Him, have no choice but to fall.  When we finally stop trying so hard to be strong and keep it together, that's when He is most able to work in our lives, in our hearts.  Being vulnerable is not something we enjoy, in fact, we tend to avoid it at all costs.  Even the definition makes it sound like a weakness, but it's not.  Not with God. The freedom found in letting go and just resting in who God is, is so worth the discomfort we experience at baring our souls.  Because He loves, He protects, He would never leave one of His children, He would never abuse their trust.  There is safety in His arms.  It's only in releasing our burdens and giving them to God that we can truly rest and find peace in His presence. 

 

Father God, please teach us to surrender to You.  Please give us open hands and hearts. Give us rest in You when we are facing one of life's storms and remind us that You always hear us when we cry out to You.

 

 



My Review: A Most Inconvenient Marriage

May I brag for a moment on Bethany House's cover designers?  Because I love this cover!  It's beautiful!  And I love how the theme continues on the back (which you obviously can't see unless you buy your own copy).  The horse shoe intrigued me when I first picked it up and I was wondering how it would tie in.  I'm slow, so I figured it out about half way through the book. LOL  :)

Description:
Abigail Stuart Thought She was Jeremiah Calhoun's Widow.
But Jeremiah Calhoun Is Very Handsome, Very Alive, and Very Perplexed.
Most Inconvenient Indeed.

With few options of her own, nurse Abigail Stuart agrees to marry her patient, a gravely wounded soldier calling himself Jeremiah Calhoun. They arrange a quick ceremony before he dies, giving Abigail the rights to his Ozark farm and giving Jeremiah the peace of knowing someone will care for his ailing sister after he's gone--a practical solution for both of them.

After the war, Abigail fulfills her side of the bargain--until the real Jeremiah Calhoun shows up, injured but definitely alive, and wastes no time in challenging Abigail's story. Abigail is flummoxed. After months of claiming to be his widow, how can she explain that she's never seen this Jeremiah Calhoun before? How can she convince him that she isn't trying to steal his farm? And will she find a way to stay, even though this practical arrangement has turned into a most inconvenient marriage?

About the Author:
Regina Jennings is a graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University with a degree in English and a history minor. In addition to her own books, she contributed a novella to the novella collection A Match Made in Texas. Regina has worked at The Mustang News and First Baptist Church of Mustang, along with time at the Oklahoma National Stockyards and various livestock shows. She now lives outside Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, with her husband and four children and can be found online at www.reginajennings.com.
(Description, cover photo, and about the author copied from Christian Book.  No infringement intended.)

My Review: 4.5 stars
A new favorite author!
 A Most Inconvenient Marriage is the first book in Regina Jennings’ new Ozark Mountain Romance series. This is the first book I’ve read by her, not counting her novella in A Match Made in Texas. I’d heard great things about her books and was very excited to read this one. I am happy to say that I loved it!
Ms. Jennings does an excellent job with the descriptions and details. She brought the story to life and it seemed as though I was there with the characters. I was drawn into the story from the very first page and didn’t want to put it down! I also loved the setting being just after the Civil War, which is an era that is somewhat overlooked, especially in the “fringe” states that were just fitting to keep their homes and land. I found the history behind it fascinating and hope the upcoming books are set in a similar area. 
Abigail Stuart is a great heroine and I loved her almost immediately! I found her very relatable and realistic. Abigail has spent the past few years feeling alone in the world and unwanted, so when offered the opportunity for a forever home, a place to belong, she takes it. I was a little afraid that her convenient marriage would seem too farfetched, but it didn’t. It was actually quite sweet and touching. The man she marries asks for her hand so that he could be certain his loved ones would be cared for. I loved getting to know Abigail. She is strong, determined, and loves with all her heart. Even though she has been dealt a difficult hand, she does her best to make the most of it and she continues to trust in the Lord. I loved her faith, even when doubts attempted to kill her dreams.
Jeremiah Calhoun is an interesting hero. He isn’t someone you just instantly love, which I think is part of why I did care for him. He is stubborn, harsh, determined, and feels he must prove himself. He is also quite controlling, an aftereffect of all he faced in the war, plus the issues from his injuries. I actually found myself softening toward him, despite all of his faults. He invoked a surprising compassion in me and I just wanted someone to reach out to him. I really enjoyed getting to know him and find out who he is behind the hard exterior he presented in the beginning.
I really enjoyed Jeremiah and Abigail’s relationship. They start out as little more than enemies, then slowly become friends as they are forced to work together. They are both very stubborn and often butt heads over decisions concerning the farm or the people they love. They also sharpen one another and Abigail definitely keeps Jeremiah on his toes, and vice versa. The romantic tension between them was very realistic, and while it may bother some, I appreciated that Regina portrayed them as struggling with keeping their thoughts pure. It made them that much more relatable. 
The spiritual aspect was great, as well. Both Abigail and Jeremiah struggled with feeling forsaken by God and both have a lot of questions. I appreciate how Regina handles this rather difficult subject with finesse, not placating anyone, but instead answering the questions they had, or showing them learning to accept it. I found it to be very realistic and definitely relevant to my life.
The only negative comment I have is that the ending seemed a bit abrupt. I would have enjoyed it stretching over a couple more pages, though that may have caused to become tedious, so I can understand why Regina ended it as she did.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction and romance!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House Publishing for my honest review, which I have given. I was not required to write a positive review and have not been compensated for it in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you so much for stopping by!  I hope you enjoyed my review!  In case you're interested in learning more about the book, or perhaps purchasing your own copy, here are some links to get you started.  Have a lovely day!

Amazon

Christian Book

Barnes & Noble  

My writing: What If?

 

 

 

 

Fear is overwhelming me. It drowns out Your still small voice until the mountain in front of me is all I can see. It looms over me, casting my heart in shadows.
Your light seems unable to penetrate the darkness engulfing me. Tears fill my eyes, then escape and slide down my face, a silent testament to the distance between us. I know I’m the one who moved, but God, I don’t know how to get back to You. The divide appears too great for me to ever be able to cross it, the issues separating us too large to surmount. I have so many questions: my sins haunt me; my fears smother every hope. My heart has hardened . . . I’m not the same person I was. I don’t know how to go back or if I even want to. It seems impossible. But, I can’t seem to move on either.
Do I trust You, or walk away? Walking away is like losing piece of myself, but trusting You again seems like jumping off a cliff and hoping the ground isn’t too far down. Hoping I won’t shatter upon impact. I fear my faith isn’t strong enough to take that chance.
But, what if You’ll catch me when I jump?
What if the distance isn’t as great as it seems?
What if all I have to do is reach out to You and You’ll be there?
What if my questions and their answers aren’t as important as I think?
What if I’m just making excuses because I’m afraid?
What if faith isn’t blind trust, but rather stepping forward with my eyes wide open, confident in who You are? And
What if surrendering to You isn’t the weakness I’ve been led to believe, but rather a true measure of strength?
What if . . . ?

I read this for my church last Sunday and thought I would share it with you.  I hope you enjoyed it and that it has encouraged you in some way.  Please know that you are never the only one with questions - if nothing else, I will undoubtedly always be asking something.

My Review: Petticoat Detective

 

Description:

Pinkerton detective Jennifer Layne is no stranger to undercover work. But posing as a lady companion named Amy at Miss Lillian’s Parlor House and Boots is a first for her. She’s finally landed a high-profile case and is on the trail of the notorious Gunnysack Bandit, when one of Miss Lillian’s girls essential to her investigation meets an untimely demise. Only a handful of people are in the house at the time of her death, including handsome Tom Colton, a former Texas Ranger determined to clear his brother’s name. Amy has many reasons to suspect Tom of murder—and one very personal reason to hope that she’s wrong about him.

About the Author:
Bestselling author Margaret Brownley has penned more than thirty novels. Her books have won numerous awards, including Readers’ Choice and Award of Excellence. She’s a former Romance Writers of America RITA finalist and has written for a TV soap. Happily married to her real-life hero, Margaret and her husband have three grown children and live in Southern California.
www.margaretbrownley.com (Description, cover photo, and about the author copied from Christian Book.  No infringement intended.)

My Review: 3 stars
It was okay.
 Petticoat Detective is the first book in Margaret Brownley’s new Undercover Ladies series. I have really enjoyed Ms. Brownley’s previous books and was really looking forward to reading this one. I found that I enjoyed it, though not as much as some of her past books.
Margaret does an excellent job with the details and descriptions, and I could easily picture the characters and the town. The historical details were also great and I really enjoyed learning more about the Pinkerton Detective Agency. I did find the random details about the Pinkertons a smidge annoying once in a while. It almost seemed as though the author had found all of these interesting facts and felt compelled to throw as many of them into the story as possible, whether they fit or not.
Jennifer Layne is the heroine of this story, though we know her better as Amy, a lady of the night. She is in Kansas attempting to catch the notorious Gunnysack Bandit. I really liked Jennifer, though I didn’t connect with her very well. I appreciated her heart for the women she was living with and her desire to do the right thing not matter the costs. She has mistakes in her past that haunt her and she uses her job as a way to redeem them, I think. I liked seeing her character change and grow throughout the story, as she went from just doing her job, to finally understanding the ladies she lived with and forming real friendships with them. 
Tom Colton is an interesting character and hero, though I wished we knew more about him. The book is mostly Jennifer’s story, though he does get a chance to share from his point of view every now and then. He is an ex-Texas Ranger turned rancher, looking to find the truth about his brother. He was a fairly flat character in my mind, which frustrated me at times. While Jennifer is fully rounded and we know her quite well, it seemed Tom was overlooked with everything that was going on. Also, for a Texas Ranger, he was a pretty poor detective, letting Jennifer do all of the work. I did enjoy their relationship. I liked that it slowly grew and changed throughout the story, making the romance very believable.
While I enjoyed the spiritual aspect and how involved it was, it also became very overwhelming at times. It seemed to weigh down the storyline until I was struggling to remember where we were with the mystery. I appreciate the important points Margaret was trying to get across, things like redemption, trust, God’s will, and a couple others, but I quickly became annoyed with it. I found myself skipping over parts of it, wanting to move on with the story. It overshadowed the storyline so much that I had a hard time following it. 
I did enjoy the mystery and the fact that Margaret had me well and truly stumped. There were just too many suspects for me to guess correctly “whodunit.” I would never had figured out who it was, so that was very interesting for me. I also liked the humor that was mixed throughout and had me laughing aloud a few times. 
Another thing that bothered me was the number of secondary characters. Margaret did her best to create a whole town for this book and I really appreciate her effort, but I found myself getting lost so many times. I couldn’t remember who everyone was or how they fit. I finally reached the point where I just didn’t care any longer. She did include a little reminder for most of them, but it was still very difficult for me to keep up. I wish there had been a few less characters, so that I could have known the more important ones better.
Overall, I did enjoy this book. The humor was fun, the mystery compelling, and the characters interesting. I would recommend it for someone looking for a historical mystery set in the Old West.

Please note, I was reading an advanced copy and my opinions are based on that. The final edition may be very different.

I received an Advanced Reading Copy of this book from NetGalley for my honest review, which I have given. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are my own.
 
I would like to say that I am truly sorry I didn't enjoy this book more.  I do hope that it appears different in the final edition, because I believe many people will love it.
Thank you so much for coming by my blog!  I hope you will stop in again!

My Review: Hawk

May I just say how much I love this cover?  Because in my opinion, it's awesome!  The best part to me is that the guy on it is military.  I love that Barbour was able to do that with each of the Quiet Professionals books.  (deep breath)  Okay, I'm good now. :)

Description:

Raptor's communications expert, Staff Sergeant Brian "Hawk" Bledsoe is struggling with his inner demons, leaving him on the verge of an "other than honorable" discharge. Plagued with corrupted intel, Raptor team continues to track down the terrorist playing chess with their lives. Afghan pilot Fekiria Haidary is devastated when a systems glitch on her aircraft forces a weapons launch on a safe target. And when the deadly bombing separates Brian from the team, he must make an impossible choice: save his brothers-in-arms, or save the woman and children depending on him to survive a brutal snowstorm.

About the Author:
Ronie Kendig is an award-winning, bestselling author who grew up an Army brat. After twenty-plus years of marriage, she and her hunky hero husband have a full life with their four children, a Maltese Menace, and a retired military working dog in Northern Virginia. Author and speaker, Ronie loves engaging readers through her Rapid-Fire Fiction. Ronie can be found at www.roniekendig.com, on Facebook (www.facebook.com/rapidfirefiction), Twitter (@roniekendig), and Goodreads (www.goodreads.com/RonieK).
(Description, about the author, and cover photo all copied from Christian Book.  No infringement intended.)

My Review: 4.5 stars
What happens next?!
 Hawk is the second book in Ronie Kendig’s The Quiet Professionals series. I was very excited to read this one after finishing Raptor 6 and am happy to say that it was great!
As always, Ronie does an excellent job with descriptions and details. I love how her books pull me into the story and keep me on the edge of my seat. Her writing is so bold and unapologetic in its honesty. She doesn’t pull many punches and gives what I believe is a fairly accurate look into the life of our soldiers. She does, of course, take certain liberties for the sake of the story and to protect the same people she writes about, but it is still very eye-opening to read one of her books. 
While the story started out a little slow for me, with a lot of details and back story to catch up on, Ronie quickly captivated me. Her talents really shine in this series There are several different view points that build this incredibly complex storyline. I have to confess that one of my favorite ones to read is one of the villains’. The “voice,” which is very dry and sarcastic, is written so that it sounds as though he is talking to the reader. He has his own narration going on and I could picture him perfectly.  
This book picks up shortly after the first one left off, which was interesting. I actually wish I had waited to read them all at once, because they tie so closely together. I think this may be the most interconnected series Ronie has written to date. Some of her books I would say could stand alone, but this series doesn’t contain one. Reading them in order is highly recommended if you want to be able to keep up with everything that is going on. I also find it interesting how she manages to bring in characters from her previous books and tie them so smoothly. I love that her books are almost a continuous series where the characters step into and out of each one. 
Fekiria Haidary is one of the main characters and I have to admit that I didn’t like her very much at first. She seemed very self-centered and didn’t appear to care for anyone but herself. But, as I got to know her, I realized how much of that was to keep from being hurt again. She has fought her entire life to prove her worth and strength, and she has so many questions. We met Fekiria in the first book, but she was very much a background character. I loved getting to know her beyond the hard wall she has built. She became very real to me as I learned more about her and began to understand what motivated her and made her who she is. I also loved watching her grow throughout the story and begin to lose some of the weight she had been carrying around.
Brian “Hawk” Bledsoe is the lose cannon of the Raptor team. He has a temper and doesn’t follow orders well. At least, not when he believes he knows better. We got to know him a bit in Raptor 6, but there were still so many things to discover about him. I loved the layers in his character. He is so much more than the labels people had tried to place on him. He is a man of honor, even though his team doesn’t seem to always see it. He is also strong, kind, very sarcastic and blunt. He doesn’t hold anything back, whether fighting to protect his team, or giving his opinion. He is passionate about the things he believes in. He claims the title of Christian, even though for a while his life didn’t show that. He has so many questions, almost as many as Fekiria, and only begins to grasp some of their answers at the end of this book. I’m looking forward to seeing him continue to grow in Falcon.
I also really enjoyed Brian and Fekiria’s relationship. They start out as just short of enemies, what with Fekiria’s disdain and borderline hatred for Americans. They also both have such strong personalities that an explosion or two is to be expected. I liked following them as they figured out how to work together and slowly become friends, then maybe something more. I appreciated how they challenge each other and push one another to do their best. 
I always love the spiritual side of Ronie’s stories. She does a wonderful job of incorporating Biblical views and values into the storyline, without overwhelming the reader or having it seem unrealistic. Fekiria and Brian both have questions and neither is entirely sure what they believe. How do you trust in Someone you can’t see? Who seems so removed from the here and now? These are honest, real questions that people ask every day. Ronie does answer them to some degree, but she never deviates from the plot to “preach” to the reader. I also enjoyed the bits of wisdom throughout. There were several times when I would stop and just think about a sentence or two that struck my heart.  
I have to confess, I was pretty irritated with Ronie when I reached the last page - I didn’t want it to end! Also, she leaves us with a pretty major cliffhanger, which made me wish I could grab Falcon now and find out what happens next! Waiting is definitely not my strong suit when it comes to any of Ronie’s books!

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys military fiction, suspense, or just a great book with realistic characters and a great storyline.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for my honest review, which I have given. I was not required to write a positive review and have not been compensated for it in anyway. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you so much for stopping by and reading my review!  I hope you enjoyed it!  
If you're interested in looking into the book further, or perhaps purchasing a copy, here are a few links to help you out.

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Christian Book   

Sunday Devotional: Beyond His Reach?

 

 

“I’ve been the one to believe

that where I am

You cannot reach.”

-MercyMe, You Are I Am

 

Have you ever believed this? Have you ever thought that you were too far for God to reach you? I think almost every Christian has. I know I have. Which, when you think about it, seems a little arrogant. God of the Universe, Creator of everything, and you’re too far away for Him to reach you? How does that work? What could you have possibly done that He wouldn’t be able to reach you?

Anyway, have you ever noticed that even when you think that, there is some small part of you that seriously hopes you’re wrong? Because without that hope, you have nothing. If you’re too far gone for even God to care, the God who allowed His own Son to be brutally murdered for you, then what’s left? Pretty much everyone has heard Romans 8:38-39, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any power, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” [NIV]

I find it interesting that Paul starts with death and life, in that order. Death seems to us the ultimate separation, but according to Paul, even that cannot keeps up from Him. So if none of those things are able to pull us away from the Lord, then why do we seem to think that anything we could ever do would make Him cast us aside?

I read this quote from Amy Grant a couple years ago and it has stuck with me: “God is never more than an arm’s length away because that’s as far as we can push . . . Thankfully, He is always there within our reach!” Read that line in bold again. “. . . He is always there within our reach.” None of the things Paul listed can remove us from Him, but we can. We can push Him away and He won’t force us to come back. That isn’t the kind of God He is. He wants followers who are willing to give their all and love Him with everything they have.  

So if you are feeling distant from God, I pray that you will remember that you are never outside His reach.

 

Lord, please forgive us for our arrogance and help us to see that You are always there. You will never leave us. You will never abandon us to our own devices and we are never so far as to be beyond Your reach. Amen.