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.

Verse of the Day

Don’t be so naïve and self-confident. You’re not exempt. You could fall flat on your face as easily as anyone else. Forget about self-confidence; it’s useless. Cultivate God-confidence. No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it. 1 Corinthians 10:12–13 msg

Verse of the Day

Yet I still belong to you; you are holding my right hand. You will keep on guiding me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny. (Psalm 73:23–24 NLT)

"I will always show you where to go. I'll give you a full life in the emptiest of places—firm muscles, strong bones. You'll be like a well-watered garden, a gurgling spring that never runs dry. You'll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew, rebuild the foundations from out of your past. You'll be known as those who can fix anything, restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate, make the community livable again."  (Isaiah 58:11–12 MSG)

Verse of the Day

And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. (1 John 5:14–15 ESV)

But anyone who needs wisdom should ask God, whose very nature is to give to everyone without a second thought, without keeping score. Wisdom will certainly be given to those who ask. (James 1:5 CEB)

Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it with good things. (Psalm 81:10 NLT)

Verse of the Day

"And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will be given what you ask for. Keep on looking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And the door is opened to everyone who knocks. (Luke 11:9–10 NLT)

"Here's what I'm saying: Ask and you'll get; Seek and you'll find; Knock and the door will open. Don't bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This is not a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we're in." (Luke 11:9–10 MSG)

The A – Z of C. S. Lewis by Colin Duriez

About the book: 

A Complete Guide to His Life, Thoughts and Writings

Published to coincide with the 50th anniversary of C. S. Lewis's death, this complete guide covers all of Lewis' works, from his literary criticism to Narnia.

C. S. Lewis's work is widely known and regarded, but enthusiasts are often only aware of one part of his work-his children's stories and his popular theology; and yet he wrote so much more, including science fiction and literary criticism. This volume brings together all aspects of C S Lewis's life and thought. Arranged in alphabetical order, it begins with The Abolition of Man-written in 1943 and described as "almost my favorite"-to Wormwood, a character in The Screwtape Letters. This book will delight anyone who is interested in C. S. Lewis and wants to learn more about him, his thought, his works, and his life.

Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/tzmgH 

About the Author: 

Colin Duriez was for many years a commissioning editor at Inter-Varsity Press UK. He has subsequently appeared as a commentator on DVDs of Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings, and BBC television's The Worlds of Fantasy. He is also the author of The Inklings Handbook (with the late David Porter), J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis: The Story of Their Friendship, and Tolkien and The Lord of the Rings, and has contributed to definitive reference works relating to Tolkien such as The Tolkien Encyclopedia (Routledge).

Margie's Comments: Wow! What an excellent resource for everything C. S. Lewis. This book is carefully and meticulously researched and compiled into an interesting, extremely readable volume on the life and work of C. S. Lewis. It includes 8 pages of bibliographical material for those who desire to extend their research into this fascinating, multi-dimensional man. This book is definitely a keeper. 

Verse of the Day—Life's Unexpected Turns

(The verses I'm posting today are from the ESV version of Daily Light on the Daily Path devotional.) 

Last week hubby got a text from our landlord saying he was "thinking" about selling the house and property we've been renting the last two years. He said he would call us the next day. No phone call, no text, nothing. 

Then Thursday a realtor put a For Sale sign up in our yard. 

Friday the realtor called to set up a time to see the house that afternoon. We couldn't do it then and finally we settled for a time Sunday. 

Saturday we found the listing online with this in the description (yes, I'm aware of the misspelled word: "Tennant in property now but will be vacant soon."

Hubby again tried to get a hold of our landlord. Hours later, our landlord texted that his house had burned down and he was selling all his rental properties. 

Okay. But does that constitute the 30-day written notice the state of Missouri requires? Not to us, but who knows what the landlord thinks? He's a little bit of a "strange duck," as my mama used to say. 

So we add one more difficult situation on top of several others. God certainly isn't surprised by any of this, though I'm beginning to understand how Job felt. Even more than I have identified with him at times in the past. I'm very thankful that God knows the path ahead; He has a "new" place prepared for us to call home; and He will never leave us to face what seem to be insurmountable mountains before us. 

Saturday, before we saw the online listing, the Lord gave me these verses from my reading in the Daily Light:

Who is the man who fears the Lord? Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose. Psalm 25:12

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Psalm 119:108

And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. Isaiah 30:21

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you. Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord. Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart! Psalm 32:8–11

I know, O Lord, that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps. Jeremiah 10:23

If you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Proverbs 3:24

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6–7

In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety. Psalm 127:2

This morning, these verses were in my reading:

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” Matthew 7:7–8

And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. 1 John 5:14–15

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. James 1:5

Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it. Psalm 81:10

And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. Luke 18:1

The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry. . . . The Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. Psalm 34:15–17

“Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” John 16:24


Yes, I'm thankful that the Word of God is living. It has the answers to anything life throws at us. It equips us for the battles and tasks we face. And its promises are as true today as they were when the words were written. 

I'm thankful that God is continually guiding me, that He never leaves me, He's always with me. His plans for me are beyond what I can even think or imagine. And as I keep my eyes on Jesus, He will enable me to run the race He has ordained for me. 

God is good. All the time. Even when our plans and tasks for the week include starting the search for our new place to live. 

Verse of the Day

So be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead, even though it is necessary for you to endure many trials for a while. These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold – and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold. So if your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. (1 Peter 1:6–7 NLT)

A Sky without Stars

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

A Sky Without Stars

Abingdon Press (February 18, 2014)

by

Linda S. Clare

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Linda S. Clare is an award-winning author and coauthor of several books and has also published many essays, stories, and poems in publications, including The Christian Reader, The Denver Post, and The Philadelphia Inquirer. Her most recent book is A Sky without Stars, the newest release in Abingdon’s Quilts of Love line. Born in Arizona, Linda and her husband now make their home in Eugene, Oregon, where Linda has taught college-level creative writing classes, and writes, edits, and mentors other writers. She also is a frequent writing conference presenter, a church retreat leader,
and mom to four grown children and five wayward cats.





ABOUT THE BOOK


Frankie Chasing Bear is caught between cultures. She wants to raise her son Harold to revere his Lakota heritage, but she also thinks he will need to learn the white man’s ways to succeed. After the untimely death of her husband, Frankie joins the U.S. Government’s Relocation Program and moves to Arizona. There she begins sewing a Lakota Star pattern quilt for Harold with tribal wisdom sung, sewn, and prayed into it.

A bed without a quilt is like a sky without stars, but neither the quilt—nor her new life—comes easily to Frankie. Nick Vandergriff, for instance, is the last man Frankie wants to trust. He’s half-Lakota but Christian, and Frankie can see no good coming from that faith after her own parents were forced to convert at an Indian school. Can Nick convince Frankie that white men and Christians aren’t all bad? And will Frankie learn that love is the most important ingredient—for her son’s quilt and life itself?


If you would like to read the first chapter of A Sky Without Stars, go HERE.


Review to come later.