Verse of the Day

Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise . . . and the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:8–9 NLT

Verse of the Day

You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal. (Isaiah 26:3–4 NIV)

Verse of the Day

God can do anything, you know--far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. (Ephesians 3:20 MSG)

Verse of the Day

The Spirit of God whets our appetite by giving us a taste of what's ahead. He puts a little of heaven in our hearts so that we'll never settle for less. That's why we live with such good cheer. You won't see us drooping our heads or dragging our feet! Cramped conditions here don't get us down. They only remind us of the spacious living conditions ahead. It's what we trust in but don't yet see that keeps us going. Do you suppose a few ruts in the road or rocks in the path are going to stop us? When the time comes, we'll be plenty ready to exchange exile for homecoming. (2 Corinthians 5:5–8 MSG)

Without wavering, let us hold tightly to the hope we say we have, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. (Hebrews 10:23 NLT)

Verse of the Day

O LORD, I have come to you for protection; don't let me be put to shame. Rescue me, for you always do what is right. Bend down and listen to me; rescue me quickly. Be for me a great rock of safety, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me. You are my rock and my fortress. For the honor of your name, lead me out of this peril. Pull me from the trap my enemies set for me, for I find protection in you alone. . . . My future is in your hands. (Psalm 31:1–4, 15 NLT)

Verse of the Day

Have you ever personalized Scripture? Today's passage lends itself nicely to this. It makes God's Word come alive:

[God]  found [me] out in the wilderness, in an empty, windswept wasteland. He threw his arms around [me], lavished attention on [me], guarding [me] as the apple of his eye. He was like an eagle hovering over its nest, overshadowing its young, then spreading its wings, lifting them into the air, teaching them to fly. [So has] GOD alone led [me]. (Deuteronomy 32:10–12 MSG)

Verse of the Day

God has given us his promise and his oath. Those two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can take new courage, for we can hold on to his promise with patience. This confidence is like a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain of heaven into God’s inner sanctuary. Hebrews 6: 18–19 nlt

Don’t get tired of doing what is good. Don’t get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time. Galatians 6:9 nlt

“The problem of getting great things from God is being able to hold on for the last half hour.” Streams in the Desert

Verse of the Day

But this precious treasure – this light and power that now shine within us – is held in perishable containers, that is, in our weak bodies. So everyone can see that our glorious power is from God and is not our own. We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed and broken. We are perplexed, but we don't give up and quit. We are hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going. (2 Corinthians 4:7–9 nlt)

So we're not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There's far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can't see now will last forever. (2 Corinthians 4:16–18 MSG)

Verse of the Day

For the word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes us for what we really are. Nothing in all creation can hide from him. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes. This is the God to whom we must explain all that we have done. That is why we have a great High Priest who has gone to heaven, Jesus the Son of God. Let us cling to him and never stop trusting him. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same temptations we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it. (Hebrews 4:12–16 NLT)

Dating, Dining, and Desperation by Melody Carlson

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Dating, Dining, and Desperation

B&H Books (March 1, 2014)

by

Melody Carlson

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Over the years, Melody Carlson has worn many hats, from pre-school teacher to youth counselor to political activist to senior editor. But most of all, she loves to write! Currently she freelances from her home. In the past eight years, she has published over ninety books for children, teens, and adults—with sales totaling more than two million and many titles appearing on the ECPA Bestsellers List. Several of her books have been finalists for, and winners of, various writing awards.

She has two grown sons and lives in Central Oregon with her husband and chocolate lab retriever. They enjoy skiing, hiking, gardening, camping, and biking in the beautiful Cascade Mountains.


ABOUT THE BOOK


Daphne Ballinger has learned to accept her deceased, eccentric aunt’s strange request that she marry in order to inherit her estate, along with taking over her aunt’s hometown paper’s advice column.

But knowing and accepting that God’s will be done becomes harder when a new neighbor, a divorced socialite, learns of Daphne’s predicament and takes on the task of finding her the perfect man, even if it includes speed dating. When God does open Daphne’s heart, it is instead to take in a young girl left parentless and in the care of her dying grandmother. It may be a temporary arrangement until the girl’s uncle returns from the Marines, but God uses Daphne to speak His heavenly love and protection into the life of the child—whom Daphne soon discovers has a very handsome and single uncle.


If you would like to read the first chapter of Dating, Dining, and Desperation, go HERE.


Margie's Comments: I have yet to pick up a Melody Carlson book and be disappointed. Dating, Dining, and Desperation is the sequel to Lock, Stock, and Over a Barrel, and picks up the story of Daphne inheriting her Aunt Dee's estate. Even the conditions. But her heart is taking a beating in the process. The author's development of her main character continues in this book. And Daphne is a wonderful person. Someone I would love to call friend in "real life." The book comes to another satisfying end, but with enough loose ends to make me want to read more. I hope there will be another Dear Daphne novel in the future.