Seasons of Opportunities

"You were not created to be a princess of entitlement, but a warrior, fighting to bring love and hope to the world." Kim Meeder When we think of beauty, many times we think of a persons appearance. But is beauty only skin deep? According to Kim Meeder in her book Fierce Beauty, there is so much more to becoming the beautiful woman God desires for us. I received a copy of this book to review from Waterbrook Multnomah blogging program. It is a inspiring look at the importance of us, as women, being beautiful on the inside vs the outside. I have really enjoyed reading it. Each chapter is a short story of some of Kim's adventures with love and loss, and her struggles with self-acceptance, knowing God and standing for Him. Kim talks about how we are constantly bombarded with the worlds lie that our outward appearance is more important than who we are. Real Beauty is found in living for the Lord and allowing Him to be LORD of our lives. We need to learn to serve Him with ou...

T his week we are featuring the last two books from Cladach for the month of March. These are two very different books, except that they both touch on the Middle East. And both stories tell what happened when the author walked the path of obedience to God. They both describe a life that is transformed by the presence and power of Christ. Come with John and Judy Pex as they hike the 600-mile Israel National Trail from the Egyptian to the Lebanese borders. During 42 days of trekking through spectacular scenery, Arab towns and villages, past Jewish, Muslim, Druze, and Christian holy sites, they discover: + Sights seldom seen by tourists + Physical challenges and spiritual tests + Cultural encounters and historical insights + Lessons about peace, faith, and endurance. This book will appeal to: 1) Students of the Bible 2) Middle-agers who want vigorous role models and new challenges 3) Christian believers seeking creative ways to test and share their faith 4) Young adults pursuing the gre...

When I think of her... my eyes fill with tears ( I miss her - we haven't had much of a chance to really sit down for a heart to heart lately )... my heart swells with pride because I can call her friend.  How blessed I am to have a friend like her! A true friend - the there-through-ups-and-downs, never-lets-you-down, knows-what-your-thinking, edifying and encouraging kind of friend. I know she came from GOD to me.  At a time in my life when I needed her.  Me, pregnant with a very attached young toddler, and she, doing such a fine job with three boys ( did I mention she is an amazing mom ). God hooked us up, at first mostly for play dates for the kids.  She would take my crying little boy, to play with hers so he would be used to being away from mom, long enough for me to go to the hospital to bring home the sister.  I am sure she has no idea how much of a blessing she has been to me over the years.  I wish I had...

This book by TV News Anchor Robin Marsh and Lauren Nelson, Miss America 2007, is a great devotional for girls with applications to every day life.  They talk about God, Parents, Friends, Peer Pressure, Problems, Correct Thinking and so many other subjects that our teenagers have to deal with today. Each section:  G od I dentity R elationships L ife begins with a question from a girl, then has a text from God - Bible verse, and a paragraph speaking directly to our girls about the matter. The day's reading ends with an application for their lives. I think that this book is a great devotional for new Christians girls, maybe some girls in the youth group that have just gotten saved and are really seeking to live their lives like the Bible says. It seems to be more for younger teens unless they have just recently come to know the Lord and are getting started having personal devotions.  My 17 yr old daughter, who has been having her personal devotion tim...

This is the first book I have read by this author.  It was captivating! I had the hardest time putting it down.  I just wanted to finish it, but now that I have finished it... I am wondering... when is the next one coming out? Surely there will be a sequel. The Captive Heart is about a young Amish girl whose family has moved to Mexico.  And while they are working hard starting an Amish community there, and new Amish are coming every year, they are in very dangerous territory.  The bandits seem to be relentless in stealing their possessions and even coming very close to endangering their lives, especially the lives of the daughters.  The Amish, a peace loving people, who do not believe in fighting have a difficult time figuring out how to deal with this new threat and not retaliate with anger or violence. Miriam, the main character in this story, is struggling with her heart, her possible love for a man who is not Amish, and whether he loves her enough to risk...

I am not sure how long this will last, but I was able to get a nice devotional e-book by Roy Lessin FREE by going HERE . ...the fact that God loves you, that He cares about you, & that He is on your side are three key reasons. Lessin's writings will help you focus your thoughts on what really matters - providing inspiration and encouragement for your day. Hope it works for you! Have a wonderful day serving the LORD!

This book is a true story of Forgiveness and Hope by McGill Alexander. A Christian family were taken hostage by Taiwan's most-wanted criminal, Chen Chin-hsing. Mac Alexander, a South African diplomat, and his family were held at gunpoint and seriously wounded in crossfire with the police. Demanding justice for his imprisoned wife, Chen threatened to commit suicide once his mission was accomplished. Besieged by media and police, confusion ensued; but several heroes rose above the danger; and through God's miraculous intervention, the Alexander's faith overcame and grasped the heart of Chen Chin-hsing. The Alexander's showed the world a stunning example of Christ's forgiveness in the midst of violence and revenge. Read Excerpt:    here . The Amazon Kindle version is FREE March 22 - 26 here Watch the TV docudrama of the Alexander's story here I usually don't put author interviews on here, because of the length of the post, but considering the testimon...