Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Verse of the Day
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Verse of the Day
Monday, March 16, 2009
More Than We Can Bear
It's well worth reading, and addresses one of my "pet peeves" of how so many well-meaning Christians misinterpret 1 Corinthians 10:13 in their attempts to encourage others.
Verse of the Day
Friday, March 13, 2009
Journey to the Well by Diana Wallis Taylor
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Diana Wallis Taylor, San Diego resident, is an award-winning Christian author and speaker who shares her personal testimony to women’s groups. The Lord gave Diana a desire to write a book about the woman of Samaria who encountered Jesus at Jacob’s Well. It was at the edge of the well where the woman of Samaria found the living water of Jesus.
A native Californian, Diana Wallis Taylor graduated from San Diego State University. She has had many occupations—elementary and junior high school teacher, bookshop owner, and conference director for a Christian college. A poet since the age of 12, she published a book of poems, Wings of the Wind, in 1994, now republished with watercolor illustrations in 2006. She has received awards in songwriting and poetry and her writing contributions appear in various books and magazines. The author speaks on the woman at the well in conjunction with her own testimony. She also speaks on A Walk in the Darkness, on her family involvement in the occult and how it affected her life.
Diana lives with her husband Frank in San Diego, California, and between them they have six grown children and ten grandchildren. In addition to her speaking and writing, she serves on the board of the San Diego Christian Writer’s Guild and is active in Christian Women’s Fellowship.
ABOUT THE BOOK
She went to the well for water. What she found there would change her life forever.
Marah is a young girl in love with her childhood friend, Jesse. When she is forced to marry an older man, she must abandon her dreams of happiness. At the mercy of men who are often only interested in using her, Marah must fight for survival. Will she ever meet a man who can save her?
The story of the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well is one of hope, redemption, and a life changed in an instant through a remarkable encounter. Jesus told her "everything she'd ever done," but we are left to wonder at the circumstances that led her life on such a tragic path to begin with. Now from the creative mind of Diana Wallis Taylor comes the full story of the woman at the well.
This well-researched portrayal of a woman's life in the time of Jesus opens a window into a fascinating world. Taylor's rich descriptions of the landscapes, lifestyles, and rituals mesh easily with the emotional and very personal story of one woman who desperately seeks to rise above the difficult circumstances of her life.
If you would like to read the first chapter of Journey to the Well, click HERE
Margie's comments: Journey to the Well is the poignant story of what could have been the history of the Samaritan woman Jesus met at Jacob's well. While it deals with many dark issues, I saw a woman who wanted to obey God's law, but found herself caught in impossible situations. Throughout her ordeal, she often dreams of a stranger who comes to her bringing peace and calm that strengthens her for the difficult circumstances. Diana Wallis Taylor has captured the essence of this Samaritan woman, and I found the story rings true as the author portrays a strong woman within the rigid context of her times, a place where women were often considered merely as possessions.
The overall writing is good, and the writer's style quickly pulled me into the story. I did have a few issues with some word choices that were too modern for first century AD Samaria, and I was partially pulled from the story with subtle POV problems, but those were easily overlooked because of the authenticity of the characters.
I have long loved good biblical fiction, but I always approach a new author in this genre with reservation, wondering if the author will be true to Scripture and the culture of the time. Diana Wallis Taylor has done both. I enjoyed reading this book.
Verse of the Day
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Verse of the Day
"Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the LORD your God and disobey his commands, regulations, and laws. For when you have become full and prosperous . . . that is the time to be careful. Do not become proud at that time and forget the LORD your God. . . . Always remember that it is the LORD your God who gives you power to become rich, and he does it to fulfill the covenant he made with your ancestors." (Deuteronomy 8:11–12, 18)
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
The Passion of Mary Margaret by Lisa Samson
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Lisa Samson is a Christy Award-winning author of 19 books, including the Women of the Faith Novel of the Year, Quaker Summer. Lisa has been hailed by Publishers Weekly as "a talented novelist who isn't afraid to take risks."Her novel Embrace Me has been named as one of Library Journal's books of the year.
She lives in Lexington, Kentucky, with her husband and three kids.
She stays busy by writing, volunteering at Kentucky Refugee Ministries, raising children and trying to be supportive of a husband in seminary. (Trying . . . some days she's downright awful. It's a good thing he's such a fabulous cook!) She can tell you one thing, it's never dull around there.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Mary-Margaret accepts a calling that surpasses her wildest dreams . . . and challenges her deep faith.When Mary-Margaret Danaher met Jude Keller, the lightkeeper's son, she was studying at convent school on a small island in the Chesapeake Bay. Destined for a life as a religious sister, she nevertheless felt a pull toward Jude-rough and tumble, promiscuous Jude.
After sojourning as a medical missions sister in Swaziland, Mary-Margaret returns to the island to prepare for her final vows. Jude, too, returns to the island, dissolute and hardened. Mary-Margaret can hardly believe it when the Spirit tells her she must marry the troubled boy who befriended her all those years ago, forsaking the only life she ever wanted for a man she knows she'll never love.
If you would like to read the first chapter of The Passion of Mary Margaret , go HERE
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