Seasons of Opportunities

Not too long ago, I posted a highlight on Alana Terry's new book Slave Again .   I just finished reading and it is wonderful. One of the things I love about Alana is her passion for North Korean Christians, refugees, and others who are suffering there. Her goal is to draw attention to this possibly over looked, shoved under the table issue, and also stir up prayer for brothers and sisters in Christ suffering persecution.

Leeana Tankersley, like so many of us, began to feel overwhelmed by life. And like so many of us, she assumed she was struggling not because life is inherently difficult but because she was personally failing in some way. She knows firsthand what it is to bully yourself, to put yourself down for not being able to keep it all together, to compare yourself to others and find yourself lacking. But she's also discovered that all of the hurt and hostility and pain only add up to a life of holding your breath. What if we could exhale and let go?   Breathing Room  is her beautiful release of self-condemnation, her discovery of the rest that comes when we give ourselves some space to breathe. She draws readers in through shared experiences of perfectionism, jealousy, and striving and shows them how to let go, how to be radically on their own team, and how to experience the broad grace that Christ has offered all of us.

Hunter Clarke wanted one thing for Christmas: to spend it with his dad and his brother. He misses being included in any guy trips since his parents divorced and he went to live with his mom. So he’s less than happy when his mother tells him that he won a contest to spend Christmas in West Monroe, Louisiana, with a family named the Robertsons. For some reason, they’re supposed to be a big deal. How did he win a contest he didn’t enter? Besides, he’s never heard of them and sure doesn’t want to spend Christmas in a swamp with a bunch of strangers. Korie Robertson is excited to open her heart and home to Hunter and show him what the Christmas season looks like for the Robertson family. And like it or not, Hunter experiences it firsthand. From duck-hunting disasters with the bearded guys, to learning to cook with Miss Kay, Hunter

In a steamy small town riddled with broken promises, one woman's secret could change everything. Acting Sheriff Ben Logan hasn't heard from Leigh Somerall in a very long time, but it doesn't mean he can get her--or their whirlwind romance of ten years ago--out of his head. When she calls out of the blue, it is with a strange request to protect her brother, Tony. But all too soon, Ben is charged with a different task--protecting Leigh from the people after her brother. With Leigh doing everything in her power to avoid Ben, it's no easy task. And the secret she is

Removing his icy gaze from Irene and Karl, the soldier began looking over their paperwork. They both sat, barely breathing, trying to quell the fear that was fighting its way to the surface. The soldier suddenly beckoned Irene and Karl to follow him. Karl Berger and his family have survived Hitler's Reich only to again be devastated by Soviet rule. His parents decide young Karl must have a better future than the one offered him in East Germany. With his mother at his side, Karl sets out to make a daring escape across the border. He is desperate to leave his life

There is hope, even on the darkest of days Katariina Rosenblatt was a lonely and abused young girl, yearning to be loved, wanting attention. That made her the perfect target. On an ordinary day, she met a confident young woman--someone Kat wished she could be like--who pretended to be a friend while slowly luring her into a child trafficking ring. A cycle of false friendships, threats, drugs, and violence kept her trapped. 

Do you dare risk unreservedly combining your Christian faith with your creativity? Could you be assured of thriving in the arts, or does that sound outrageously improbable? Creativity is like an unwrapped gift from God. Its contents are mysterious, begging for action. The benevolent Giver eagerly awaits a response. Yet it is often tossed aside after merely removing the outer wrapping. Too many Christians abandon their creativity, as if they were the hapless recipients of a toy with incomprehensible instructions. They walk away from their destiny— perhaps their very reason for being gifted in such a time as this. They remain oblivious of their God-authored potential, empowered by faith, to uniquely express the many nuances of their journey with Jesus. Sara Joseph, an artist in paint, clay and verse, testifies to God’s infinite interest in every aspect of her creative enterprise. What she discovered may surprise you. In Gently Awakened, she employs prose, verse, and art to

I received this book in exchange for an honest review. After a whirlwind romance, Taryn Young is preparing to board a plane at Houston International Airport, bound for a dream honeymoon, when a bomb decimates the terminal. Injured but still alive, she awakens to discover her husband is missing and they’re both considered prime suspects in the attack. Further, the FBI is convinced her husband isn’t who he appears to be. Agent Grayson Hall’s number-one priority is to catch those responsible for the day’s act of terror. All evidence is pointing to Taryn and her new husband. But his instinct tells him her pleas of innocence are genuine. Is her naiveté just for show, or could she truly be another victim of a master scheme, possibly linked to the software she recently developed for her company?

I received this book in exchange for my honest opinion. No other compensation given. The myth of love at first sight is real. If you don’t believe it, just ask Sara Baintree and Andy Anderson. They both fell hard when they first met and they truly believe the myth. As they begin to learn about each other, one had to reveal a deep, dark secret while the other has a deep, dark secret to find. The same individual was at the center of those secrets, but after two decades, proof is almost impossible to obtain. What can Sara and Andy do? They have a plan, but will it work?

This book has just been one more along a theme of books that seem to be falling in my lap lately - about getting involved in peoples lives - being Jesus' hands and feet to a needy, hurting world. The only qualm I had with it, It totally took me away from what I should have been doing!! The plot so captivating that honestly, I just couldn't put it down! Dinah Taylor has an orderly life, and that is just how she likes it. A perfectly furnished luxury apartment, a satisfying career as a scientist and CEO of her own company, and an uncomplicated personal life. But all of that changes when she meets seven-year-old Jonah. The boy shows up one day, a scruffy dog by his side, in front of her office building. Dinah knows nothing about kids and even less about animals, but after she buys him breakfast, he shows up the next day...and the next. She tries to learn more about him, to help him, but he's remarkably skilled at evading her questions. And then, late one night, he ca...

Put Your Faith Into Action Do you ever feel like something in your faith is missing, that going to church,  studying the Bible, and tithing just aren't enough? There has to be more, right? What would it look like to truly "follow" Christ and not just believe in him? David Nowell asked the very same questions, and was led to minister to the "least of these," whom God loves deeply. In "Dirty Faith," Nowell shares powerful stories of faith in action, and encourages us to move with him from the sidelines to the front line, to get our hands dirty helping the hopeless, the disenfranchised, and the poor.

FTC Disclosure: I received this book in exchange for my review. No other compensation was provided. Can faith build a bridge between their dreams? For two years, Allan and Michele have been trying to have a baby. The emotional ride has been taking a toll on their hearts--and their relationship. Michele is obsessed with researching fertility treatments while Allan seems content to spend his time--and their money--on supporting displaced children in Africa. Something's got to give. But they both hope it's not their marriage. Still, God has a plan for Allan and Michele that they could never have imagined. And all it takes to set it in motion is a change of heart . . .

In a Drought, It's the Darkest Cloud  That Brings Hope It's 1954 and Perla Long's arrival in the sleepy town of Wise, West Virginia, was supposed to go unnoticed. She just wants a quiet, safe place for her and her daughter, Sadie, where the mistakes of her past can stay hidden. But then drought comes to Wise, and Perla is pulled into the turmoil of a town desperately in need of a miracle. Casewell Phillips has resigned himself to life as a bachelor...until he meets Perla. She's everything he's sought in a woman, but he can't get past the sense that she's hiding something. As the drought worsens, Perla's unique gift divides the town in two, bringing both gratitude and condemnation, and placing the pair in the middle of a storm of anger and forgiveness, fear and faith.

FTC Disclosure: I received this book in exchange for a review. No other compensation was provided. We all have days that make us want to pull the covers back over our heads and eat a dozen cupcakes.  Thankfully, Jesus said we don't "live on bread alone"--that includes cupcakes--"but on every word that comes from the mouth of God" (Matt. 4:4). What we really need is truth. If you're tired, discouraged, or feel a little empty inside , my prayer is that by the end of our time together, you'll be refreshed and nourished in a way that will sustain you through whatever the future may hold.  Remember, you're not alone , my friend. 

FTC Disclosure: This book was provided in exchange for a review. No other compensation was given. About the Book: It's easy to feel worried and anxious as a parent. There are so many areas of your child’s life that can go wrong along the way. What's a mom to do? In I Need Some Help Here! Hope for When Your Kids Don't Go According to Plan , Kathi meets you in your moments of panic or despair with wit and wisdom. She offers the most powerful tools, from prayer to practical tips, for you and your child. The book covers all of the stages of your child's life from toddler to young adult and tackles the most common issues that cause stress and anxiety, sharing: Practical wisdom when your child makes poor choices How to pray when your child is running away from God Comforting words fore when your child feels left out  "been there" advice for when your child is different than other kids.

FTC disclosure: This book was provided in exchange for a review. Real hope and real solutions for every woman.   Have you ever thought or spoken these words? "I can't live this way anymore." "I've given up trying to change him." "I can't ever be good enough." "He won't listen to me anyway." Do you feel trapped, helpless, stuck in a situation with no solution and no way out? As a clinical psychologist, Dr. Ron Welch has heard many women in controlling marriages pour out their hearts. As a recovering controlling husband himself, he understands both sides of the issue. In this candid

I was compensated with this book in exchange for my review. Nicole Renard returns home to Galveston and finds her father deathly ill. Though she loves him, he's only ever focused on what she's  not . Not male. Not married. Not able to run Renard Shipping. Vowing to secure a suitable husband to give her father the heir he desires before it's too late, Nicole sets out with the Renard family's greatest treasure as her dowry: the highly coveted Lafitte Dagger. But when her father's rivals come after the dagger, she's forced to change her destination. Darius Thornton has been a man obsessed since the fatal boiler explosion aboard the  Louisiana  that nearly took his life. He will do anything to stop such disasters. Even hire a female secretary. Sure he can ignore the distraction of her pretty face, he's not sure how to proceed when drawn to her clever mind. Nicole is determined not to let her odd employer scare her off with his

Raised in an Old Order Mennonite community, Rachel Stoltzfus is a strong willed single woman, content living apart from mainstream society until whispers stir the moment her belly swells with new life. Refusing to repent and name the partner in her sin, Rachel feels the wrath of the religious sect as she is shunned by those she loves most and eventually coerced into leaving by her brother-in-law, the Bishop. But secrets run deep in this cloistered community, and the Bishop is hiding some of his own, threatening his conscience and his very soul. When the life of Rachel’s baby is at stake, however, choices must be made that will bring the darkness to light, forever changing the lives of those who call Copper Creek home.  

If you enjoy a bit of humor coupled with a little romance and God's amazing grace, love, and forgiveness, you will enjoy this book. On his way to interview for a position at a church in the Piney Woods of Texas, Crockett Archer can scarcely believe it when he's forced off the train by a retired outlaw and presented to the man's daughter as the minister she requested for her birthday. Worried this unfortunate detour will ruin his chances of finally serving a congregation of his own, Crockett is determined to escape. But when he finally gets away, he's haunted by the memory of the young woman he left behind--a woman whose dreams now hinge on him. For months, Joanna Robbins prayed for a preacher. A man to breathe life back into the abandoned church at the heart of her community. A man to assist her in fulfilling a promise to her dying mother. A man to help her discover answers to the questions that have been on her heart for so long.

I received this book in exchange for my review, a small amount of advertisement is included in the post. Do you live full of fear? This world is a very uncertain place, but... You Can Live Without Fear!   For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7 Everyone deals with fear; not everyone conquers it. Throughout our lives we all experience different kinds of fears. Unfortunately, many of us believe the lie that fear is something we have to live with. You don't! According to Scripture, God desires every one of His children to be free from fear-including you! In Do Not Be Afraid!, Rabbi K.A. Schneider shares personal testimony of how he struggled with, and experienced victory over fear-and how you too can walk in this same supernatural freedom.  This book shows you how to: