Category: christianity

Book Review: Undetected

Book Review Undetected
Dee Henderson
May 22, 2014

I hadn’t read a Dee Henderson book for several years. I eagerly anticipated this one and was not disappointed.

This author does an amazing job at developing her characters for her readers. They are relatable and likeable. They grow as the pages turn. This is particularly true of this book.

I lead a Bible study for the Widows Support Group at our church and I could definitely see reading this book together and discussing the process of dating and remarriage that Commander Mark Bishop goes through. But the struggle that Gina faces as she deals with her broken heart and then having to choose between two suitors would be healing and encouraging for anyone in the dating journey. This is a novel filled with valuable and usable lessons.

It is also a novel with some interesting science. I found myself wanting to learn more about the genius ideas that Gina was discovering. The way Mark encourages Gina to live into her gift is a message that could inspire many. I found it very encouraging that the “genius” was a woman, and that her area of expertise was science. I wish I could have found something like this when my daughters were younger to encourage them as they considered life careers.

The conversation that Mark has with Gina regarding contentedness is worth the price of the book.

The ending isn’t sad, but I was sad that it was ending. I highly recommend this book and am proud to have it on my shelf.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Lost & Found–Sarah Jakes

I hadn’t even made it out of the introduction and I was already in tears and convinced I would probably need to purchase a whole case of this book. For sure, I wanted to share it with my grown daughters who had experienced many of the struggles Sarah describes…and grown up under the microscope of being a pastor’s daughter.

This story is so much more than just the recounting of a “PK” gone wild…it is the truth of the gospel: there is grace. A contemporary Christian artist puts it this way:
You can never fall too hard, so fast, so far
That you can’t get back when you’re lost,
Where you are is never too late, so bad, so much
That you can’t change who you are,
You can change who you are (Who You Are by Unspoken)

The level of courage that Sarah Jakes demonstrates as she shares the gritty details of her choices and how far she feels she moved away from what she knew and the grace that could save and sustain her seems to come from someone much older than just twenty-five.

This book is gift of hope. Hope for the one whose made devastating life choices, and hope for those who love them.

When I started reading I purchased a little pad of sticky notes and started writing down the points that stuck out to me. I gave up somewhere in the second chapter–there were just so many. This would make an excellent women’s study, broaching topics and examining feelings that often stay hidden and do so much damage.

Sarah makes this statement in her conclusion: The chapters of my life I’ve shared with you within these pages reveal some of my darkest hours and most painful disappointments. But as a broken window acts as a prism, filtering sunlight through its cracks I hope that you can see the many beautiful moments of color dancing within my rooms.

I recommend this book very highly and am proud to have it on my bookshelf.

I received a copy of this book to read from the publisher in return for my review.

Book Review: Radical Forgiveness

If Christianity isn’t about forgiveness, it’s about nothing at all.

Goal: to become disciples of love who master the art of forgiveness.

If we enter the Christian faith to find forgiveness, we must continue in the faith to become forgiving people, because to be an authentic follower of Christ we must embrace the centrality of forgiveness.

When Christianity speaks of forgiveness, should there be an asterisk attached to the word to indicate that forgiveness is not applicable in extreme situations like the concentration camps of Nazi Germany, the ethnic cleansing, in the former Yugoslavia, and the tribal massacres of Rwanda?

These are just a few quotes from the book.

I don’t usually read other people’s reviews before I read the book and write down my own thoughts. I’m not sure why I scanned through the reviews on Amazon, but I did. I was immediately apprehensive when one reviewer described “Radical Forgiveness” as a difficult book to read.

I’m not put off by scholarly books, but I was afraid that was what I was diving into.

I couldn’t have been more wrong!

What makes this book “difficult” is that it is very simple and direct. It is not the kind of book a person can read and remain unchallenged. I think it would make an excellent small group study for groups who are wanting to take their faith to a deeper level.

From the back of the book: Pushing you beyond intellectual exercises, “Radical Forgiveness” will challenge your thinking by juxtaposing absolutely bottom-line examples with the simple question: What would you do?

There are pages of endorsements in the front of this book. On the front cover you’ll find an endorsement by Eugene Peterson. This author, and particularly this work, are well-thought of in the Christian community.

Bonhoeffer challenged believers to go against “cheap grace.” Brian Zahnd has done the same for forgiveness in this book.

I would strongly recommend this book. I am pleased to have it in my library.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in return for a review.

Book Review: Two Mothers And Their 60-Year Secret

Family secrets. What family doesn’t have them?

The secret in this family in many ways went to the graves with the women who made the promise never to tell. The story begins with an unwed pregnancy that was the answer to someone else’s prayers. Both women agreed to never speak of the arrangement they had made.

This is the story of one woman’s journey to discover her DNA, but resulted in so much greater a blessing. The journey takes many turns, and appears to often come to an end. It is not a quick journey, there are several detours and shut-downs along the way.

The book is not long and is written in a very engaging way. I can see how it would be a great encouragement to anyone on this kind of quest. All the way through, the author describes how her faith enabled her to persevere while she waited for answers and trusted when no answers were available.

I appreciated the pictures that the author included at the end of the book. It was like putting faces to friends. And it was particularly encouraging to see the smiles and obvious love experienced by all.

I would recommend this book.

You can purchase the book here
for your Kindle.

You can purchase the book here
in paperback.

I received a copy of this book to read and review.

Book Review: Raptor 6

Another “Rapid Fire Fiction” winner from author Ronie Kendig.

I have yet to pick up a book by this author and not love it! Reading a book by Ronie is like doing an Insanity workout: fast paced, intense, and completely engaging.

Have you read a novel and found yourself skipping pages to “get to the goodstuff”? You won’t do that with Raptor 6–or any book by this author because it’s ALL good stuff.

This latest story is the first installment in Ms. Kendig’s newest series, The Quiet Professionals. As with her other books and series, this author does an exemplary job of presenting a military suspense that is technically spot on and respectful. It is also enlightening as well as entertaining. In addition to her faithful handling of military stories, Ronie weaves a clear message of faith as her characters struggle with issues of trust in the ugly face of evil’s maleficence.

One of the things about this book that might not appeal to some readers would be the way it “ends.” All I’m going to say is that I’m really looking forward to the next book in the series!

This book is long on suspense and light on romance so it should find a broad audience of both men and women.

Book Review: The Turning

Not what I expected…but exactly what I needed.

And yet, as fresh and captivating as this book was…it is exactly what I should have expected from Davis Bunn.

The invitation on the back cover is “take the turning and walk the unlikely road.” From cover to cover that is what this book is. It is a non-stop invitation to turn from the familiar, to turn from the comfortable, to turn toward the One who calling his people to himself and to his work.

The big irony in the story for me was how God infused and used those who should be without hope to rekindle hope in others while the one who tried to convince others hope was dead was hanging onto hope the tightest…or so he thought.

Hope is not a dream. It’s God’s reality for his people and this book hands you that truth, page after page turning page.

My favorite part of the whole book was Aaron’s sermon from Isaiah. It’s worth the price of the book all by itself.

My favorite quote comes from Ruth as John is facing a task that he doesn’t feel qualified for. She tells him, “No one is saying you don’t have reasons to refuse. But God is asking each of us to stretch beyond what we think we can do. That’s what it means to be called.”

The message is simple, the challenge is life-changing. I give all the stars possible because it calls to reach for those stars…and for God. Turn the pages for yourself and delight yourself in the journey.

Read chapters 1-3 of THE TURNING by Davis Bunn for free: http://statictab.com/fvrrsxz

Sweepstakes:

Davis Bunn is a four-time Christy Award-winning, best-selling author now serving as writer-in-residence at Regent’s Park College, Oxford University in the United Kingdom.

Defined by readers and reviewers as a “wise teacher,” “gentleman adventurer,” “consummate writer,” and “Renaissance man,” his work in business took him to over 40 countries around the world, and his books have sold more than seven million copies in sixteen languages.

Visit Davis at davisbunn.com or theturningbook.com/

I received a complimentary copy of The Turning from River North Fiction in exchange for my honest
review.

Puzzle Pieces

Sometimes it feels like God dumps a thousand-piece puzzle in the floor of your heart. ~Susan Stillwell

I read this quote this morning and it resonated deep in my heart.

I have ADD. Literally and spiritually.

Here’s what I know about ADD and me. If I am presented with a very large task, I have to break it into small, manageable pieces or it won’t get done. For example, when I know I have to “clean the house,” instead of feeling overwhelmed by the vastness of the task, I consider each room individually, or even parts of each room (making the bed, cleaning the closet, dusting, vacuuming, etc.). I do the same thing when it comes to writing anything over a thousand words.

I’ve always done the same thing with puzzles. I’ve never been a big fan of jig-saw puzzles, even though I used them often as a counselor. In that setting they were a tool. I could learn a lot about a child by the way they went about putting a puzzle together. They were also useful with adults for group activities.

But to sit an work a puzzle was not enjoyable for me.

So when I read Susan’s quote…I felt a heaviness in my heart. My life looks a lot like a 5000 piece puzzle, spread out before me. And I don’t want to put it together…but I don’t want to leave it undone, either.

As I got quiet before the image of the pile, I remembered a verse in Psalm 139: You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me (verse 5).

The best way for me to begin to tackle a large puzzle is to find the edge pieces and assemble the frame. God wants to be my spiritual frame.

The next thing is to find blocks of portions that go together: a house, a tree, flowers, or a quilt. In my spiritual life this looks like finding the identifiable parts like fellowship, worship, study, prayer and making sure those parts are put together and active in my life.

Finally, I have to trust that the rest of the pieces will fit together. It works the same with God in my life. It often takes time and even trial and error to put all the pieces together–but nothing happens until I try.

Then, what seemed overwhelming at first, becomes something beautiful and amazing.

******************************************************************************************************************

I wrote all that but somehow I just couldn’t push the publish button.

I was so in my head…so Madame Counselor…so preachy…I nearly made myself sick. (Maybe that’s why I was throwing up in my dreams last night…and my house was overrun by cats…or maybe I should have taken my omeprazole.)

It was truth for me. It is how I do puzzles. When I do puzzles. But I don’t like to do puzzles.

And I don’t like when God dumps a puzzle in front of me. Especially not a 1000 piecer.

And the ones I really don’t like are the ones that are all one color, or designed on both the front and back so you can’t hardly tell where anything goes. And I can’t ever imagine tackling a 3-D one.

I want the 25 piecer, or better yet the wooden frame or cardboard kind that have the pieces outlined. You know, the no-brainer type.

That way I can’t mess it up…and I might get it done. God knows to do that, doesn’t he? He knows I get bored and tend to give up easy. He wouldn’t call me to something bigger than myself…would he?

To be continued…

Looking Out My Window

I have always loved having a window at my kitchen sink. Even if the view was the side of the church, I like looking out the window when I have to do the dishes.

In our present house the window looks out over the front yard at the street. I have lots of entertainment: Amish buggies taking pies to the nearby restaurant; groups of moms out with strollers and adult conversation; gangs of teenagers flying by on skateboards; and various dogs being walked or walking their owners.

Today the weather has gone from heavy rain to blustery snow. As I walked to the sink full of dishes, I wasn’t sure I really liked my window. It was snowing so hard I could barely see across the street. But since the dishes weren’t going to wash themselves, I dove into washing.

I realized I don’t always like looking at the things before me. Sometimes I don’t want to see what I have to look at…but not looking doesn’t make it go away.

As I pondered this thought, a FedEx truck pulled up and stopped in front of my house. Because I was looking out the window and saw him, I was able to go to the garage and open the door. Our garage is much easier to get to for delivery people than traipsing all the way to the front door. The delivery man plodded up through the snow. He was so pleasant and witty–really positive in spite of the lousy weather.

Walking back to my sink of dishes, I noticed I felt lighter, less discouraged by the weather and the tasks of the day. The view hadn’t changed, but my perception definitely had. How? Why? One man’s positive outlook and laughter seemed to make all the difference.

That’s what I want to do. That’s how I want to be. And I’ll never achieve that goal by refusing to see what’s there, what’s outside (and inside) my window.

So what’s the answer when we don’t want to see what’s before us?

Here’s what I do?

Psalms. I love the Psalms because they’re a glimpse into the heart and struggle of the writers. Not all of them, since they are written with different purposes in mind. Some begin with the writer expressing his heartache, hurt, or confusion and then then once it’s all out there he turns the corner. You’ll know he’s there when you come to the “BUT.”

Consider David in Psalm 13:
How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?
Look on me and answer, Lord my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death,
and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”
and my foes will rejoice when I fall.
But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
I will sing the Lord’s praise,
for he has been good to me.

Or Psalm 42. It’s a little longer, but worth the read. Go ahead, I’ll wait till you get back…

Did you catch it? Or them? Bottom line: life could go you know where in a hand basket, but I will put and keep my trust in God.

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I started writing this post yesterday. Today I am sitting in our Starbucks. I’m surrounded by windows. The sky is a perfect shade of blue. The sun is high and bright. I haven’t heard one word about yesterday’s storm. Those who are talking about the weather are hopeful for spring’s return.

Listening to them and looking out the windows, I feel full of hope, too. The sunshine today doesn’t erase the reality of yesterday’s storm–not any more than hoping for sunshine or denying the snow would have stopped the storm.

The window that will make a difference is the window of my heart. What will matter is what people see when they look there.

Jesus has a word for us on that: A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. (Luke 6:45, NIV)

At my house it’s time for spring cleaning. It’s also time to clean the window of my heart and be sure I’m putting in good stuff so good stuff will be shining forth.

Needing any spiritual Windex?

Praying on the Journey

Bill Hybles wrote a book entitled, “Too Busy Not to Pray.” I own it. It looks like a good book. I haven’t read it. The title is convicting enough. I am without excuse when it comes to my prayer life.

My spiritual theme for this year has been “never leaving the temple.” I confess I haven’t been as conscious of it as I need to be. To be honest, I lost it in the month of February. How fitting it should return to my focus on Fat Tuesday, the day before my Lenten journey begins.

So my busyness and my laziness have dimmed my focus. The result has been a pathetic lull in my prayer life. I pray for each prayer request the hits my mailbox or Facebook feed—at least once.

Somehow I have to do better.

Many years ago, I gave a talk called “Shooting Down Our Excuses.” My topic was study and my aim was to address many of the excuses people (including me) throw up to keep us from moving deeper in our relationship with God. Some of those same excuses fit when we think about our prayer life.

Pastor Hybles is absolutely right we’re too busy not to pray, but how do we find time to pray?

I believe part of the problem has to do with our image the person who prays. We all have someone, either in our families or early church experience who lived the prayer warrior life. They spent hours praying…and seeing results. We consider our own lives and schedules and we feel we’ll never measure up.

We’re probably right, but a seemingly unattainable image isn’t enough reason not to pray.

Scripture tells us to “pray without ceasing.” I don’t think Paul meant we’re to be consciously praying one hundred per cent of the time. Centuries ago, Brother Lawrence described the wonder concept of practicing the presence. Our prayer should be as close to us as our breathing.

In each of our lives there are ample unnoticed opportunities which could encourage us to pray. I thought of a couple just this morning as I was getting ready for my day.

First, as I washed my face, I was aware of a feeling of tension and stress leaving as gently rubbed my cheeks and forehead. My mind was pulled into prayer as I asked Jesus to help me to release the things I was stressing over. Hmm, this could work. I started to wonder what other tasks I mindlessly went through that I could be using to prompt and improve my prayer life.

My next idea came to me as I started to brush my teeth. I got excited. I could use the time I spent brushing to pray, asking God to use my words to encourage, comfort, and teach. I could be praying the psalmist’s words, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing in your sight my God (Psalm 19:14, my paraphrase).”

It didn’t go quit like I thought. Recently, my husband purchased me a Spin toothbrush. It’s battery operated. I am pleased with how clean my teeth and gums feel after I use it and my dentist is happy too. This morning I wasn’t quite as focused as I should be and I forgot to turn it on when I began brushing my teeth.

There I was manually brushing away. It felt odd, sluggish, as I pushed the potentially powerful brush across my teeth. As the awareness of what I was doing dawned on me so did the spiritual implication. I had all the power necessary for a good cleaning right in my hand, but I wasn’t connected. And spiritually, I have all the power of God available to me. Each moment contains ample opportunity to connect.

Many years ago a dear friend of mine was going through a particularly difficult time in her marriage. She kept her Bible in her car and each time she was stopped at a long red light she would either use the time to stop and pray, or pick up her Bible to read a few verses. She found both of these things strengthened and comforted her and as a result she was able to stand firm in her faith.

I think we might be amazed at how much time there really is in a day to pray if we will just look for it.
I want to be better connected. I want a prayer life filled with joy, coming from focused intentionality, not from a place of ought and should. I’m going to use this Lenten season to accomplish this.

The inevitable question of Lent is, “What are you giving up?” It won’t be chocolate, pop, TV or the internet…not even Facebook. I’m giving up my laziness. I’m giving up “leaving the temple.”

These next forty days I’m going to be more mindful of times when I can connect with God and intentionally connecting with others.

How will you be using this season to grow in grace and knowledge?

Hosting Ginger Murphy Solomon

Today is a very exciting day for me!

Today I am hosting my friend, and roomie from last year’s Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writer Conference, Ginger Solomon. And it’s a big day for her, too: it’s her birthday! (Follow the links at the end of this post and wish her a special day!)

Ginger Solomon is a Christian, a wife, a mother to seven, and a writer — in that order (mostly). When not homeschooling her youngest five, doing laundry or fixing dinner, she writes or reads romance of any genre, some sci-fi/fantasy, and some suspense. She’s a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, president of her local writing group, and writes regularly for three blogs. In addition to all that, she loves animals, horses especially, likes to do needlework (knitting, crocheting, and sometimes cross-stitch), and loves to sing in the choir at church.

I asked Ginger five questions so you could get to know her:

When you feel discouraged what song, scripture, and friend do you turn to?

When I was young, I went through a lot of things that made me hesitant to rely on people. As my aunt recently told me, I used to keep too much to myself. Not much has changed. So, I don’t really have a friend that I turn to. When I’m discouraged I have a number of songs that I love that help me remember who my Best Friend is. Chris Tomlin’s “Amazing Grace”, and Nichole Nordeman’s “Holy” are among the top. I heard a new-to-me song yesterday from Jesus Culture that made me want to close my eyes in worship, except I was driving at the time. I think “You Won’t Relent” is going to be a song I’ll listen to over and over.

I’ve learned that taking my eyes OFF my problems and putting them on the King of kings and Lord of lords reminds me that what’s happening around me or to me is temporary, but my worship is eternal. My Lord is greater than my problems or my disappointments.

Is there someplace you would love to visit and write about?

Scotland. I have already written two historicals set in castles in Scotland, but I’d LOVE to visit someday and see the places I’ve only dreamed about. When I was doing my genealogy I wanted to find some hint of Scottish in my ancestry, but alas there is none, so far. I am of Irish and English decent, maybe some Italian, but I can’t confirm that yet. Something about Scotland calls to my heart. I love Celtic music and jewelry designs. Those can come from Ireland, but the Emerald Isle does not call to me as much as the Highlands.

What drew you to romance out of all the genre you could pick from?

In real life, I’m practical. Instead of asking for jewelry or roses or candy, I request vacuums, or mattresses (which is what I got for my birthday this year). For Christmas I asked for and received a new food processor. I satisfy my less-than-dominant romantic side by writing about it, or reading it.

Since this is the season of romance, and you write in that genre, what is your best Valentine memory?

Well, I can’t remember any particular Valentine’s Day that stands out (remember, I’m practical), so instead I will tell you about the one time my husband brought me to tears with a single red rose. We were still newlyweds, living in an apartment. I was working full-time and my husband worked part-time and went to school full-time. I was probably pregnant (our first born was delivered one month before our first anniversary) and must have had a hard day at work. I really don’t remember. I think I was fixing dinner and a knock sounded on our apartment door. That in and of itself was unusual because the person would have had to have a key to get in through the locked exterior door. When I opened the door, thinking it was a neighbor, my dear husband was standing there with a single red rose (we couldn’t afford much). It was enough to make me start crying. I still get roses once in a while, just got some this past Valentine’s Day, but I remember that one rose with more fondness than any of the others.

Tell us five random things about yourself that might come up if we were sharing a cup of tea/coffee with each other.

I’ll have black tea, thank you, nothing fancy. I occasionally fancy a cup of Earl Grey. I’m not a coffee drinker, though when I was a child I used to eat sharp cheddar cheese that had been melted in a cup of coffee. Straight out of the cup. I’m not sure that would come up in conversation.

I love horses, always have. I find them to be majestic animals and enjoy watching them perform or simply run around a field. Shortly after we moved to Alabama my dream of owning my own horses came true. God fulfilled my dream even after I’d given up on it ever happening. I no longer own horses because that season has passed in my life, but I still love watching them.

I’d rather be outside reading or gardening than inside cleaning or cooking. When I was growing up I had the responsibility of cutting the grass, chopping wood for the woodstove, and cleaning out the chimney before we needed to use it for the season. I never wanted to learn to cook, sew, or any other domestic type stuff. My husband taught me to cook. I taught myself to sew, knit and crochet — though I have to admit I had a head start from watching my mom, at least on the sewing. She was a professional seamstress.

I’m a visual learner. Do not ask me to read a book to learn how to do something. Show me. Youtube is the greatest invention since the lightbulb, I think. At least for visual learners. Want to learn a crochet stitch – it’s on youtube. Change the door lock on your front loading washing machine — it’s on youtube. Don’t ask how I know that one – and yes, I changed it myself.

Partially because of my childhood and partially because of my temperament, I will NOT approach you unless I know you quite well. I am an introverted introvert. I’d rather sit and watch from the darkest corner than participate, but if you get me to talking/joking, I can keep up with the best of the extroverts. Just ask Tina.

When can we look forward to another book from you?

I have several manuscripts in various stages of progress. One is about ready to be sent to an agent who requested it, another needs a rewrite, and I have two that I’ve just started writing. When any of these will be ready for publication is only known by God at this time.

Here’s the official “blurb” about One Choice“
Cahri Michaels is American by birth, but Belikarian by choice. Being selected to participate in the Bridal March forces her to give up the independent life she’s created for herself. She’s not ready to be anyone’s wife, much less to a man she doesn’t know.

Prince Josiah Vallis despises the centuries old tradition—the Bridal March—that is forcing him to choose a wife from fifty women. Why does it matter that he’s twenty-five and still single?

When Cahri and Josiah meet, sparks fly. Will it ignite a godly love that can see them through or will they be burned, never to be the same?

Here’s my review:
I couldn’t put this book down. The story and the passion were captivating. The passion was more than mere romance—there was a passion for life, for love, and for God.

Happily ever never had so many twists or so much pain. If the Bridal March were on TV it would be a reality show to rival The Bachelor and Secret Princes. The main difference is that the author has made sure that her characters, while obviously dealing with their flaws, fears, and baggage, are also seeking to be honest and compassionate.

The story is called “One Choice” but there are many choices made throughout, with love and forgiveness being the most difficult ones to make and keep.

I’m not sure if the moral of the story is to be careful who you bump into at the grocery, or that love and morality aren’t just for fairy tales. Either way, this is a delightful read and I look forward to reading more from this author.

When I asked Ginger if we could do this she graciously offered to share a devotional thought with us as well.

Faith Without Trust?

Dictionary.com defines faith as “confidence or trust in a person or thing.” But how can you have faith without trust?
I think we’ve all had trust issues at one time or another. At least I have. I’ve doubted people – their motives or their words. And I’ve doubted God. I’ve questioned His love for me. I’ve asked why so many times I can’t even count them.

One thing I have come to understand is that God has always been with me. Even in the darkest moments of my life, and there have been a few, He has been by my side. When I’ve turned away, He has been faithful and remained steadfast in His love for me. No matter how I “feel” or how things seem to be falling apart, God is there.

But even with that knowledge, I have doubts when I’m in the midst of a new trial. I try to place God in a box. The size of which is conceived from what I’ve been taught and the experiences I’ve had, but as Isaiah 55:8 reminds us, “’For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,’ says the Lord.”

We are finite and He is infinite. He won’t fit in my box. Or your box. Ever. He will always be bigger and better than we can imagine.
Cahri, my heroine in One Choice, struggles with trusting God. In the beginning of the book, she wants nothing to do with God, though she continues to attend church so she can keep her job. She is angry and has lost her faith in Him. In her opinion, God no longer deserves her trust. BUT God (don’t you just love that phrase?), in His infinite grace, calls to Cahri even as she’s going through one of the hardest trials of her life. He speaks to her through art, creation, and through her memories. He won’t leave her alone. Toward the end of the book, Cahri finds herself in a situation that forces her to trust God. She has nothing left, but the small grain of faith that her parents planted in her as a child. A grain of faith that has grown because God is THERE. He is everywhere she looks, and she must acknowledge Him.

In the end, she must trust God because she, by herself, is helpless. She must trust Him with her very life.
But then, don’t we all do that every day? On some level, we trust God will continue to provide the air we need to breathe. We trust that the muscles and bones He created will provide movement and support. We trust that the cup we pour our drink of choice in to will hold said liquid. We trust that the laws of physics will remain in place, that the chair we sit in will hold us, that our cars will transport us to our destination.

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” (Heb. 11:6 NKJV)

I think many times we believe that God is, but we fail to believe that He rewards those that diligently seek Him. Okay, maybe you don’t, but I do. I know how bad I am, and how much I mess up (aka sin) daily. BUT God (there it is again) is faithful to forgive us and cleanse us from all of the bad stuff (1 John 1:9)

In my novel, God protects Cahri from herself, and from others. He is there for her, even when she doesn’t feel his presence. And, as in any novel I write, she has a happily-ever-after.

He’s there for you, too. Every day. And if you believe in Him, trust in Him, have faith in Him, you will have a happily-ever-after too.

Here are some other places where you can connect with Ginger–and I really encourage you to do so.
http://gingersolomon.blogspot.com/
http://writingpromptsthoughtsideas.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/writerGingerSolomon