I will bless you, make your name great, and you will be a blessing.
Genesis 12:2
ARE YOU A BROKEN VESSEL?
Are you a broken vessel?
Have the cares, trials and hardships of life knocked you around
leaving behind unsightly cracks?
Me, too.
Are you also a mended vessel?
Has your Heavenly Father
healed, comforted, and
put you back together again?
Me, too.
Now, we are in the perfect condition
to allow these scars, these blemishes,
these very cracks
to be the very place
where God’s faithfulness
shines through the brightest.
Through our cracks,
others can see
God’s redemption,
God’s forgiveness,
God’s transforming power.
If you allow Him to,
God can take your deepest hurts
and in turn,
use them to touch others
with His love.
Are you a broken vessel?
Then shine, my friend.
Shine bright with the beauty of our God.
THE INN AT HIDDEN RUN – Olivia Newport
Shiloh Run Press, Barbour Publishing, Inc. ISBN: 9781683229940. Price: $12.99
“The Inn at Hidden Run” by Olivia Newport is a well-written, time-split story that arrests our attention, when a genealogist daughter and her lawyer-cum-mediator father sort out the baffling problems between Meri, the main character and her family. The story is split into two time frames, with a strong Christian theme, providing ample food for thought. It is a moving story about family relationships, reconciliation, depicting how the same family members are influenced by different family traits. An interesting, inspiring and immersive read, this book deftly portrays how to pursue one’s own dreams, in a love letter to the past, a romantic mystery in which Olivia Newport uses the “time slip genre” to root her story in the interesting art of genealogy, reaching back to past generations. The first book in the Tree of Life Series, “The Inn at Hidden Run” celebrates unforgettable family stories and interesting family histories that inspire readers to connect in unique faith journeys. Olivia Newport expertly examines the innate human desire for a sense of roots and belonging, creating a unique patchwork quilt of family histories, intricately woven into the daily fabric of human lives.
Miriam Jacob
Golden Apples set in Silver
A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.
Proverbs 25:11
(Graphic: Joy Lynne Whitman)
BEAUTIFUL DAY
Harps of Gold, Patrick Larley & Reading Phoenix Choir
British composer & Fellow of the Royal College of Organists, UK, Patrick Larley has composed a new choral piece for the Reading Phoenix Choir to celebrate its 50th Anniversary.
Patrick Larley has set Miriam Jacob’s poem “Harps of Gold” to music, one of the 193 entries from 28 countries to the Walter Hussey Composition Competition,
which promises to be one of the leading choral composition competitions of our time. “The theme of the inaugural competition is ‘Gold’ to coincide with the choir’s upcoming 50th season. Reading Phoenix Choir will perform the world premiere of the winning entry at their 50th year Annual Concert on 9th March 2019 at Reading Concert Hall. The competition is named in honour of Walter Hussey, Dean of Chichester Cathedral from 1955 to 1977, who commissioned many choral works throughout his lifetime. It was at Chichester that choir member Howard Jenner, and his brother and competition judge Anthony Jenner, were choristers under the guidance of Hussey. Inspired by the commitment of Walter Hussey to support the work of composers, musicians and artists, financially as well as intellectually, the idea for a composition competition evolved.”
HARPS OF GOLD
The sound of music
Fills the air,
As gentle winds
Strum softly
On the strings
Of harps of gold.
Words golden in tone
Can be heard
Sounding clear
As the music swells
And crashes around,
Sweeping on and on,
In a wealth of song,
Reverberating awesomely
Through the hall
In a crescendo of happiness.
It is eternal sunshine
In the soul.
Come, buoyant heart,
Let us storm
The gates of heaven.
Words: Miriam Jacob
Music: Patrick Larley
Patrick Larley likes the poem’s imagery, and the sense of crescendo throughout, starting with the ‘gentle strumming on the strings by the wind’ rising to the mighty climax at the ‘storming of the gates of Heaven’
Courtesy: Reading Phoenix Choir; Patrick Larley
JOYFUL SURRENDER – Elisabeth Elliot
Joyful Surrender
7 Disciplines for the Believer’s Life
by Elisabeth Elliot
Revell, Baker Publishing Group. Pub. Date: Pub Date 02 Apr 2019
ISBN: 9780800729479
Price: $14.99
Self-discipline is one of the most important virtues of a Christian. In Joyful Surrender, Elisabeth Elliot explains the concept of discipline and its immense value for Christians. She teaches us how to
discipline the mind, overcome anxiety, change attitudes, trust God in trials and allow Christ to have complete control of our lives.
Scripture verses, illuminating personal stories, and Elisabeth Elliot’s vivid observations of the world helps us to understand that our personal fulfillment depends solely on our obedience to God’s commands for a successful Christian life. God gave us intellectual powers, the gift of reason, a free will and invested us with the option to choose.
Everything in creation is connected and solely dependent on God, the Creator, the great Mastermind of the Universe, God Omnipotent, the One who flung the stars into space, created light by His express command, spoke the Word to create matter, time and space. All creation is solely at His disposal.
Elisabeth Elliot calls the Bible “a book about God and people” – God calling people who respond to Him obediently. God commands implicit obedience from people. Discipline is responding to God’s call in obedience. We must acknowledge our helplessness and obey God instantly. Unwillingness to obey violates our humanity and asserts our independence. It dishonors and displeases God. Discipline says ‘yes’ to God’s call. When we say ‘yes’ to God, we put ourselves wholeheartedly at His disposal to do whatever He says.
This book teaches us the awesome power of joyful surrender to God. It empowers us to live victoriously in the world. I strongly recommend it to readers worldwide.
Miriam Jacob
Morning by Morning – Charles Spurgeon
Morning by Morning
The Bestselling Classic Daily Devotional
by Charles Spurgeon
Barbour Books, Barbour Publishing, Inc. Pub Date: 01 Nov 2017
ISBN: 9781683223269
Price: $15.99
“Morning by Morning” is Charles Spurgeon’s bestselling classic daily devotional, from the heart of one of history’s most beloved preachers. Charles Haddon Spurgeon is known as the prince of preachers. This inspiring devotional has encouraged, motivated, challenged, and brought thought-provoking insight to the whole world for well over 150 years. It teaches us to travail in prayer constantly, trusting God to bring us through trials victoriously. We see a wrestling Jacob, a Daniel who prayed three times a day in the privacy of his home, and a David who called upon his God with all his heart. We see Elijah on the mountaintop, and Paul and Silas praising God in the prison. We have myriads of God’s commands and priceless promises to teach us of the sacred importance and utmost necessity of prayer. A prayerless person is utterly powerless. Prayer is the triumphant shout of the courageous believer and the last thought of the dying saint. It is the comfort, strength and honor of a Christian. A child of God seek the Father’s face, and lives in His love, to be a blessing to others, growing in grace, favor and in the knowledge of God. May this awe-inspiring devotional teach us to behold the beauty of the Lord all the days of our lives.
Miriam Jacob
WHEN LIFE DOESN’T MATCH YOUR DREAMS – Jill Eileen Smith
Revell, Baker Publishing Group, Pub Date: 19 Feb 2019.
ISBN: 9780800728670. Price: $14.99
What do you do when “Life Doesn’t Match Your Dreams?” Have you ever wished that your life could be different in every way? Jill Eileen Smith tells us the answer, giving us “Hope for Today from 12 Women of the Bible.” Jill assures us that God can be trusted and we can always hope in Him. God is our only hope in the twists and turns of life, when we are confronted with unwanted choices and difficulties.
Extensively researching women of the Bible, Jill Eileen Smith wields her pen with a flourish to teach us priceless lessons in trusting God from the lives of ancient women like Adam’s wife, Eve; Noah’s wife, Adah; Abraham’s wife, Sarah and her maid servant, Hagar; Lot’s wife, Melah; Isaac’s wife, Rebekah; Jacob’s wife, Rachel; and many others.
We learn what all these women did, right or wrong, when faced with deferred dreams and shattered expectations. We will confidently believe that our faithful God loves us and shapes us, through our trials and difficulties, into the people He intends us to be.
This book bridges the wide gulf between the ancient women of the Bible and the modern women of today. Jill Eileen Smith makes her characters spring to life, addressing the myriad problems that women of all time struggle with. This book inspires us to look to Christ and the Bible for a transformed life.
Jill Eileen Smith vividly details the life stories of women of the Bible, portraying each one from what might have been her own unique perspective. Just like us, all were imperfect women, with flaws of their own, facing unexpected situations in challenging circumstances. Yet, God loved them with a love beyond compare. Jill expertly connects these women of the Bible to women of modern times. Jill inspires us to reflect upon our own unique lives’ experiences and times of trials, gently reminding us that God is always with us, even on our darkest days and in our most difficult times.
Miriam Jacob
TOMORROW’S FIRST LIGHT – Naomi Rawlings
Publisher: Cedar Lake Press (February 25, 2019)
Publication Date: February 25, 2019.
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC.
ASIN: B07KXTF7MX
“Tomorrow’s First Light” by Naomi Rawlings is the first book in the Texas Promise Series. It is a heartwarming tale, brimming with hope and bright new beginnings. A mail-order bride, Ellie Spritzer marries Sam Owens, just to keep her eight siblings out of an orphanage. Ellie’s lifelong quest for love takes her, with all her siblings in tow, to Twin Rivers, Texas, where Sam Owen resides. An orphan, Sam never had a home or family to love. When Ellie and all her siblings appear on his doorstep, in dire need of his heart and home, Sam just cannot turn them away. Yet, as a new start-up rancher, he does not have the resources to care for such a large family. When evil threatens all that Sam and Ellie hold dearest to their hearts, they struggle to keep their precious, fledgling family together under one roof. When Ellie comes to terms with her questioning faith, and learns to trust God no matter what happens, the Almighty Father intervenes to vanquish evil and save all that Sam and Ellie cherish most. “Tomorrow’s First Light” highlights the great importance of having deep, interpersonal relationships that we can rely on in times of trials. Naomi Rawlings makes her characters speak from the heart and her books appeal to the hearts of readers worldwide. I highly recommend the Texas Promise Series. Excellent reading!
Miriam Jacob
LOVE’S EVERY WHISPER – Naomi Rawlings
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (September 7, 2015)
ISBN-13: 978-1517254049
“Love’s Every Whisper” by Naomi Rawlings is a Christian historical romance. It is the second book in the Eagle Harbor series. An ancient feud rages from childhood as the novel revolves around high-drama sea rescues. Amidst the warm feeling of a shared community, Victoria Donnelly finds a way to redeem herself in the eyes of her family but she has to return to Eagle Harbor, where forgotten romantic feelings can resurface alarmingly. Elijah Cummings, a fisherman’s son, has loved Victoria, a shipping baron’s daughter, for fifteen years. But everyone knows that the great difference in the complex pecking order of the social hierarchy prevents Elijah and Victoria from ever getting married. Meanwhile Elijah establishes a life-saving station, risking his own life to rescue sailors from horrifying shipwrecks in gale-force winds whipping off the roaring lake in the blinding, swirling snow. The foaming, ferocious, froth-ripped waves crashed into the beach with a vehemence that terrified even the most sea-worthy sailors.
Victoria is about to make an irreversible decision. Elijah can save save drowning sailors but can he save Victoria without destroying their love? The scenic town of Eagle Harbor, Michigan is the beautiful setting for this truly memorable story of love, courage, and high drama on the seas. I highly recommend this book and the entire Eagle Harbor series to all who wish to read clean, pure novels. Happy reading!
SUFFERING IS NEVER FOR NOTHING – Elisabeth Elliot
B&H Publishing Group.
ISBN: 9781535914154
Price: $19.99
“Suffering Is Never For Nothing” by Elisabeth Elliot teaches us that suffering always has a loving purpose. When trials and troubles come our way, we know the One who knows why. Suffering is a mystery that we cannot plumb. Through the deepest sufferings come the deepest lessons. We trust the One who knows to lead us through the dark into the light.
Suffering and love are inexplicably and inextricably linked. God’s love for us sent His Son, Jesus to die for our sins on the cross to give us eternal life. Jesus carried our sins, griefs and sufferings on the cross. We don’t have to carry the heavy burdens ourselves. Some burdens are so heavy that we will sink under its weight. That’s why Jesus carried our burdens for us. Christ died for our sins and won victory for us. We can bear suffering because we trust God to bring amazing good out of it. “Suffering Is Never For Nothing.”
Miriam Jacob
DREAMING IN CODE: Ada Byron Lovelace, Computer Pioneer – Emily Arnold McCully
Candlewick Press, Pub Date 12 Mar 2019
ISBN: 9780763693565
Price: $19.99
“Dreaming in Code: Ada Byron Lovelace, Computer Pioneer” by Emily Arnold McCully is an inspiring, illuminating and illustrative biography of Ada Byron Lovelace, the world’s first computer programmer.
Ada was the only child of England’s Romantic poet, Lord George Gordon Byron and Lady Anne Isabella Noel Byron. Ada had large dancing eyes, dark curly hair and a curious, eager and exploring nature. Vivacious and versatile, she was talented at drawing, passionate about music, proficient in languages, with a mind for logic and mechanics. Ada had a mercurial yet resilient temperament, a buoyant exuberance and enthusiasm, piqued with curiosity.
As a precocious child, Ada’s memory was unusually acute. An exceptional little girl, driven by deep urges and insistent voices, her sensibility was easily worked upon. Brimful of life, spirit and animation, Ada was a most happy and cheerful child, with a disposition to enjoyment, quick to learn, and when rebuked, she bounced right back like a rubber ball.
With a strong moral conscience and a well-developed sense of what was right and wrong, Ada could not rest at night without examining her conscience. She had a most unusual upbringing, tutored by the brightest minds. Ada developed a profound aptitude “for mental puzzles, mathematical conundrums and scientific discovery, that kept pace with the breathtaking advances of the industrial and social revolutions in Europe.” Ada gradually came into her own in thought and feeling, arguing very sensibly that virtue should be its own reward.
Aged seventeen, Ada met a kindred spirit in the mathematician and inventor, Charles Babbage. Their mutual collaborations produced concepts and ideas presaging computer programming by nearly two hundred years. Ada’s boundless energy and amazing boldness inspired Charles Babbage to develop his “Analytical Engine,” an early mechanical computer. Ada explained the invention to a world that was not ready to imagine computers processing information by themselves. Ada and Babbage realized that their innovative work would only be appreciated by future generations.
Ada was born well in advance of her times. Passionately interested in mathematics and scientific inventions, Ada Byron Lovelace is now recognized as a pioneer prophet of the Information Age. The author paints a fascinating, tragic and triumphant portrait of Ada’s singular intellect and insatiable drive for knowledge, as she cleverly maneuvered through the social norms of her life and times.
“Dreaming in Code: Ada Byron Lovelace, Computer Pioneer” is attractively illustrated with portraits and drawings to make it appealing. Ada springs to life as the unusually unique person she really was. Brilliant, mercurial and ambitious, born in an era that considered women’s minds to be incapable of serious reflection, Ada had innumerable barriers to overcome and hurdles to cross. Fiercely independent, Ada possessed unique, singular qualities of genius that made her stand apart. Extremely perceptive and intuitive, Ada was a “discoverer of the hidden realities of nature, with immense reasoning faculties, driving her toward an uncharted destiny.”
Miriam Jacob
NOT FORGOTTEN – Phil King
“For the one whose song we won’t hear
For the one whose voice disappeared
For the melody held in your heart
And for all of your dreams torn apart
You are not forgotten
We are fighting for you
We’ve answered your silent cry to be your voice
Your life was not for nothing
We celebrate your heart beat
The price that you paid is a fire that’ll change this world
We can’t go on like it’s okay
Turn a blind eye and just look away
For the sake of all that’s pure and true
We will lay our lives down just for you
Jesus heal our land
You’re the answer, You’re the answer
We return our hearts to You
You’re the answer
They are not forgotten
We are fighting for them
We’ve answered their silent cry to be their voice
Their life was not for nothing
We celebrate their heart beat
The price that they paid is a fire that’ll change this world”
151 Solitary Days at Sea Sailing Non-Stop Around the Globe – Abhilash Tomy and Lynn de Souza
Pub Date: 1 Jan 2014
Between 01 Nov 2012 and 31 Mar 2013, Commander Abhilash Tomy, an officer from the Indian Navy, sailed around the world alone, non-stop in an Indian-built sailboat, the INSV Mhadei. “151 Solitary Days at Sea Sailing Non-Stop Around the Globe” by Abhilash Tomy and Lynn de Souza is an eye-catching collection of Commander Tomy’s own musings and pictures of the voyage, compiled by Lynn de Souza.
Commander Abhilash Tomy, an Indian naval officer, yachtsman and maritime reconnaissance pilot, became the first Indian to complete a solo non-stop, unassisted circumnavigation of the world under sail in 2013. On 1 November 2012, Commander Tomy and the Mhadei started the voyage from Mumbai, India. After sailing a distance of 23,100 nautical miles, he arrived back in Mumbai on 7 April 2013. He became the first Indian, second Asian, and 79th person in the world to accomplish this exemplary feat.
In 2013, Commander Abhilash Tomy was awarded the Kirti Chakra, an Indian military decoration awarded for valour, courageous action or self-sacrifice away from the field of battle. It is second in order of precedence of peacetime gallantry awards.
In 2019, Commander Abhilash Tomy was awarded the Nao Sena Medal, a gallantry award for servicemen in the Indian Navy.
CHARACTER CARVED IN STONE – Pat Williams, Jim Denney
Baker Publishing Group, Pub Date: 05 Feb 2019. ISBN: 9780800728830. Price: $17.99
“Character Carved In Stone” by Pat Williams and Jim Denney is a remarkable book, right on target. On the beautiful campus of the United States Military Academy at West Point, twelve granite benches face the Hudson River, each inscribed with a key leadership virtue: compassion, courage, dedication, determination, dignity, discipline, integrity, loyalty, perseverance, responsibility, service, and trust. These key qualities crucial to victory and success in life remind cadets to cultivate them in their characters.
With enthusiastic wisdom and insight, Pat Williams tells of West Point graduates who imbibed these exemplary traits, from the Civil War to the War on Terror. He wisely explains to readers how to develop these twelve absolutely essential virtues in their own lives and careers.
There are different forms of courage. Physical courage, incredible bravery in danger, is being willing to risk life for others or for a noble cause. Moral courage stands alone to do the right. Emotional courage faces life bravely, enduring emotional pain with courage and fortitude. Intellectual courage seeks only the truth even if it conflicts with beliefs and costs a price to pay. It firmly believes that honesty is the best policy. Spiritual courage asks deep questions about God, life and death. It prepares to face everything bravely. It is “a training ground for leadership and a proving ground for courage.” To be a leader requires exemplary courage, fortitude and strength of mind. A true leader confidently stands alone, courageously makes difficult decisions and compassionately heeds the needs of others less fortunate.
This unique book portrays life lessons and principles well worthwhile to live by. We can learn to imbibe the leadership skills and character traits that are the basic foundation of the United States Military Academy. These time-tested values have produced the most outstanding leaders. This inspiring book is a great read, creating a memorable reading experience to lift your spirits sky-high.
Miriam Jacob
THE MOZART GIRL – Barbara Nickel
Second Story Press. Pub Date: March 18, 2019. ISBN: 9781772600896. Price: $10.95
“The Mozart Girl” by Barbara Nickel is the interesting biography of Maria Anna Walburga Ignatia Mozart, one of the finest pianists in Europe before her younger brother, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart overshadowed her. Born on 30 July 1751 in Salzburg, Austria, Maria Anna Mozart, called “Marianne or Nannerl,” was the first born child of Leopold and Anna Maria Mozart. She was the family’s first musical prodigy. Touring Europe as a pianist, Maria Anna took the world’s stage by storm in Munich, Vienna, Paris, London, the Hague, Germany and Switzerland. “My little girl plays the most difficult works … with incredible precision and so excellently,” her father, Leopold, proudly wrote in 1764. “My little girl, only 12 years old, is one of the most skillful players in Europe.” Nannerl’s playing became so brilliant, her technique absolutely perfect. She was an extremely talented young virtuoso. Nannerl quickly learnt that music was a unique way to communicate without words. Her famous younger brother, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, wrote to her in 1770: “I am in awe that you can compose so well… the song you wrote is beautiful.” But her lovely composition has been lost to posterity. Her father, Leopold wrote that she played with “perfect insight into harmony and modulations” and that she improvises “so successfully that you would be astounded.” In “The Mozart Girl,” Barbara Nickel portrays Maria Anna Mozart brilliantly, including the feelings common to all young girls that she might have faced as she struggled to compose the most astounding music in the male-dominated world of her life and times.
Miriam Jacob
CRY FOR A CHRIST LIKE MIND – Dr. K. Joy David
“Cry for a Christ like Mind” by Dr. K. Joy David issues a strikingly clear clarion call to all Christian believers to behold the beauty of the Lord and follow in His footsteps with zestful zeal. Every true believer aspires to become like Christ, to have a Christ-like mind, and to be conformed to the image of God’s only Son. As we yearn to be like Christ, the author gently guides us to imbibe the beauty of Christ’s mind, to transform us into Christ’s image, and to reflect Christ’s beauty in us, guided by the Holy Spirit.
This devotional book is born out of the author’s deepest heart’s cry to understand Christ’s mind and to be conformed to Him. It inspires and motivates us to discover an exuberant, exhilarating, life-transforming relationship with Christ. It satisfies the deepest yearnings of our hearts to understand the mind of Christ.
Rooted firmly in the rich, verdant soil of God’s Word, “Cry for a Christ-like Mind” inspires believers to know Christ as life and love. It is an insightful, doctrinally-sound devotional on Christian discipleship. It touches the hearts of all who read it.
Miriam Jacob
GOD’S GOODNESS
Happy Christmas
Happy Christmas. May Christ be born anew in your hearts.
Never Too Old for God’s Service
God sent Moses & Aaron, both in their eighties, to face the indomitable Pharoah. Age is never a barrier to be used by God to achieve great victories for Him. We are eternally young in God’s service. He can use us to help others in ways we cannot imagine. Listen to God’s voice from the burning bush. He might use you to achieve extraordinary exploits for Him. To hear clearly from God, we must live a life of purity, on holy ground. Our thoughts must be aligned with God’s Word. “The pure in heart shall see God” – (Matthew 5:8)
Miriam Jacob
MOSES
Moses was a basket case
As Pharoah sealed his doom;
But God had other plans
And took away his gloom.
Pharoah’s daughter lifted him
And placed him with his mother;
He grew up in pomp and circumstance
And was treated as no other.
Rising above his breeding
As the son of Pharoah’s daughter,
He identified with his people—
An Egyptian he did slaughter.
Banished to the desert
In order his life to keep;
Coming to the end of self
Meant tending mangy sheep!
When he had learned his lesson
And confidence in self was shattered,
He looked around the desert;
And God was all that mattered.
A bush burning but not consumed
Drew his undivided attention;
God spoke from the burning bush
And His own name did mention.
God heard His people’s cry
And sent Moses to their aid;
With self-confidence now at naught
The prospect made him afraid.
“Who shall I say has sent me?”
Was a logical question to ask;
Commissioned by the great I AM,
He was sufficient for the task.
But Pharoah’s heart He hardened
Not letting the people go;
Since all the plagues did not avail,
Losing his first-born he would know.
The Children of Israel were protected
And of their first-born knew no loss;
Since the blood upon the doors
Was a precursor of the Cross.
When all human hope was gone,
The Red Sea opened wide;
Their enemy obscured in darkness,
They crossed dry land to the other side.
The waters returning to their place,
Their safety was now assured;
And Moses’ place in Bible history
Was by God’s hand secured.
Charles R. Solomon
May 15, 2006
MOSES AND THE BURNING BUSH – (Exodus 3: 1-6)
“Moses led the flock of sheep to the west of the wilderness and came to Horeb or Sinai, the mountain of God. The Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked and saw the bush burned with fire, yet was not consumed. Moses said: ‘I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.’ God called to him out of the bush and said, “Do not come near; remove your shoes, for the place on which you stand is holy ground.”
Daily Wisdom for Women 2018 Devotional Collection – Barbour Staff
Daily Wisdom for Women 2018 Devotional Collection
Compiled by Barbour Staff
Barbour Books, Barbour Publishing, Inc.
Pub Date: 01 Oct 2017.
ISBN: 9781683222118
PRICE: $15.99
“Daily Wisdom for Women 2018 Devotional Collection,” compiled by Barbour Staff is a beautiful and inspirational daily devotion book for women. All women of God will be blessed by Him everyday through this awesome devotional book. We can experience a most intimate connection to God, our heavenly Father with this inspiring collection of devotionals. It provides inspiration and encouragement for our souls, giving us comfort and spiritual blessings all 365 days of 2018. This is a delightful, easy-to-read devotional book providing uplifting thoughts to enrich our days all through the year. I highly recommend this beautiful, soul-refreshing book to all women who love God and want to be blessed by Him.
COLORS OF CHRISTMAS – Olivia Newport
Shiloh Run Press, Barbour Publishing, Inc.
Pub Date 01 Oct 2017.
ISBN: 9781683223351
PRICE: $14.99
Colors of Christmas by Olivia Newport celebrates the Hope of Christmas with two heartwarming, contemporary stories in which the characters find healing amidst heartbreak. This novel has the true Christmas spirit, full of imagination and pure simplicity. Olivia Newport is an excellent wordsmith as she skillfully intertwines two inspiring Christmas stories with a message of hope and faith. Both novellas feature women coping with big changes, and dealing with heartbreak over the Christmas season. “Christmas in Blue” is true to its name. After a deep personal loss, Angela, the church organist, cannot ignore the Christmas season as she is in charge of the town’s celebration. A strange young man, Gabe, is the suspect for the collapse of the Christmas traditions. Yet Angela’s heart warms to him because they share a unique secret. With only some garish blue Christmas decorations to work with, Gabe helps Angela discover the hidden beauty of hope and joy. In “Christmas in Gold,” after eighty years, Astrid is used to momentous change. At twenty, she and her family survived the Nazis and moved to America where she lost her husband. She became a widow again at forty. Facing a move into an assisted living community, she meets a young woman in despair and revives hope in the face of tragedy. Carly, Astrid’s physical therapist at the apartments, is a single mother who cannot cope with work and her child’s daycare. “And hope, once lost, was found again.” I highly recommend “Colors of Christmas” to all who love the true Christmas spirit. Christ is the reason for the season. Have a blessed Christmas with this inspiring read!
Miriam Jacob
MRS. OSWALD CHAMBERS – Michelle Ule
Mrs. Oswald Chambers
The Woman behind the World’s Bestselling Devotional
by Michelle Ule
Baker Books, Pub Date: 17 Oct 2017
ISBN: 9780801075148
Price: $15.99
“Mrs. Oswald Chambers” is the woman behind the world’s bestselling devotional book, “My Utmost for His Highest” by Oswald Chambers. This very well-written and impeccably researched biography of his wife was published to commemorate the 100th death anniversary of Oswald Chambers in October 1917. It is one of the highest ranking Christian devotional books ever, with over thirteen million copies sold.
Oswald Chamber’s most famous work was compiled, edited and published ten years after his death by his wife, Biddy. Her true life story of living her utmost for God’s highest is unparalleled in the history of the Christian world. Michelle Ule skillfully brings Biddy’s story to life , from Victorian England to a World War I YMCA camp in Egypt.
Biddy returned to post-war Britain as a destitute widow with a toddler in tow. A woman of the highest principles, Biddy refused personal payment from publishers for the thirty books she published in her husband’s name. She lived on for forty-nine years after her husband’s death.
This is the deeply engaging life-and-love story of an awesome, remarkably courageous and devoted woman, well ahead of her time, dearly loved and deeply admired by all who brave incredible odds to carve a beautiful life out of almost nothing, in the service of God’s kingdom.
“My Utmost for His Highest” owes everything to the editorial skills and passionate dedication of Biddy Chambers. Her selfless willingness to use her talents for God’s glory and her steadfast faithfulness amidst heart-breaking sorrow and unending grief makes her contribution to the world even more unique.
Oswald Chambers was a British Chaplain in World War I, stationed in Egypt. After his early death at the age of forty-three, Biddy felt God’s call to transcribe her entire collection of shorthand notes of his sermons into books, articles and pamphlets, in Oswald Chamber’s name. What Oswald could not do in his lifetime, Biddy did for him, devoting her entire life to the cause for which he lived, labored and died for.
An amazing couple, Oswald and Biddy Chambers exemplified a deeply committed and dedicated life lived for Christ, which had such a profoundly powerful impact upon people. Over a hundred years after Oswald Chambers died, the best way to get to know one of the greatest names in the spread of the gospel during the late nineteenth century and at the turn of the twentieth century is through this awesome biography of “Mrs. Oswald Chambers” by Michelle Ule.
Miriam Jacob
CHRISTMAS – Voice of Love
“Christmas is usually a noisy party: we could use a bit of silence, to hear the voice of Love.”
Christmas is you, when you decide to be born again each day and let God into your soul. The Christmas pine is you, when you resist vigorous winds and difficulties of life. The Christmas decorations are you, when your virtues are colors that adorn your life. The Christmas bell is you, when you call, gather and seek to unite. You are also a Christmas light, when you illuminate with your life the path of others with kindness, patience, joy and generosity. The Christmas angels are you, when you sing to the world a message of peace, justice and love. The Christmas star is you, when you lead someone to meet the Lord. You are also the wise men, when you give the best you have no matter who. Christmas music is you when you conquer the harmony within you. The Christmas gift is you, when you are truly friend and brother of every human being. The Christmas card is you, when kindness is written in your hands. The Christmas greeting is you, when you forgive and reestablish peace, even when you suffer. The Christmas dinner is you, when you sated bread and hope to the poor man who is by your side. You are, yes, Christmas night, when humble and conscious, you receive in the silence of the night the Savior of the world without noise or great celebrations; you are a smile of trust and tenderness, in the inner peace of a perennial Christmas that establishes the Kingdom within you. A very Merry Christmas for all those who look like Christmas.
Pope Francis
MADE FOR THE JOURNEY – Elisabeth Elliot
Made for the Journey
One Missionary’s First Year in the Jungles of Ecuador
by Elisabeth Elliot
Revell,
ISBN: 9780800729462
Price: $13.99
Made for the Journey" by Elisabeth Elliot is the true life story of her first year as a missionary in the jungles of Ecuador. She describes her first lessons in the sovereignty of God, with the echo of His crystal-clear Word resounding in her ears - "Trust Me. The answer to 'why' is Mine." As Elisabeth says, ashes are not the end of God's story. From the ashes always springs a brand new life and a fresh new beginning. Faced with numerous physical and often baffling spiritual trials, Elisabeth vividly captures the puzzles, mysteries and striking realities in the starkly primitive world in which she lived and ministered day after day. She recounts her early days in a series of poignant, deeply personal reflections on the important questions of life. Elisabeth spent countless hours meditating on why she was there. Although she knew that it was important to have a clear-cut purpose and pursue it diligently, and she was absolutely certain about God's call upon her life, she still felt rather restless and strangely uncertain at times. Faced with the severe trials and tribulations of life in the Ecuadorian jungle, Elisabeth learnt that the familiar became like dreams, and the former dreams became familiar. Later, she realized that this was an integral part of the process of letting go of her previous life to embark wholeheartedly on a brand new God-inspired mission. Elisabeth prayed for divine wisdom, the power to understand and the grace to grow. She learnt that missionary work needs a very strong, resilient faith. That she persevered courageously is a remarkable testimony to her Christian dedication, commitment and unswerving obedience to God.
Miriam Jacob
MARTIN LUTHER – Eric Metaxas
Martin Luther
The Man Who Rediscovered God and Changed the World
by Eric Metaxas
Viking, Penguin Group, Pub Date: 03 Oct 2017
ISBN: 9781101980019
Price: $30.00
“Martin Luther” by Eric Metaxas is a brilliant, inspiring biography of the most influential man in modern Christian history, Martin Luther, Leader of the Protestant Reformation, 501 years ago. In 1517, Martin Luther nailed the Ninety-five Theses on the Church door at Wittenberg that ignited a conflagration to tear the Christian world apart. Eric Metaxas, a scrupulous chronicler and acclaimed biographer, paints a striking portrait of the monk “whose adamantine faith cracked the edifice of Western Christendom.” Impeccably researched and penned in riveting prose, Eric Metaxas tells the startling tale of a renegade monk who courageously presented ugly truths to the highest seats of power, causing the explosion that still echoes through five centuries to this day. “Luther’s monumental faith and courage gave birth to the ideals of liberty, equality, and individualism that today lie at the heart of all modern life.” As Eric Metaxas clearly states, Martin Luther saw everything in this world as beautiful and holy, where God sanctified and approved all man did. This world is redeemed through Christ. Everything in it is encompassed into the sanctified world of the spiritual, to be imbued with the divine presence of God and made beautifully new again. God created a good world and suffused it with His presence. But in Eden, sin snatched man away from the perfect union with God. This searing split between the material and spiritual worlds is the gaping wound at the heart of the world which only Christ can heal. Let us invite Him into our hearts, to complete the healing that He came to do, by dying on the cross of Calvary for our sins, to redeem us for God’s glory. This is the new world in which everyone partakes of God’s goodness, in which every person is a “priest,” living fully loved and approved of by God. In his own life, Luther lived what he preached and taught. A fast-paced biography of Martin Luther, this book will be enjoyed by general readers who wish to know about the incredible, mind-boggling events of the Protestant Reformation and the man who inspired it.
Miriam Jacob
TRUE YOU – Michelle Derusha
“True You” by Michelle Derusha helps you to “let go of your false self to uncover the Person God created.” God is after truth from the inside out. “Enter me, Lord, to conceive a new, true life” – (Psalm 51:6). We need to discard our false identities like a tree discards its dead leaves and like how the gardener prunes away unwanted branches to capture the enchanting beauty and gracefulness of the tree.
Pruning in gardening and in real life is a skill that requires discipline and insight. Pruning, the art of cutting back to open up, is absolutely essential for our souls to uncover who we really are at the core of our God-created selves and personalities. Pruning uncovers us to our bare essentials to reveal our truest, most authentic selves.
God wants us to live as the beautiful, unique people He created us to be. He does not want us to hide behind false identities. God wants us to know Him and be aware of His deep, abiding love for us. He wishes us to root our whole selves in Him. God longs for us to live in the freedom of Christ and to know our true, unique selves in intimacy with Him. Let us allow God to prune us from the inside out. He is the Master Gardener of our souls. May we relinquish and surrender our hearts and minds to God to allow Him to do His healing in us.
I highly recommend this book to start God’s divine pruning in you, to uncover and reveal the “True You” as God created you to be. As this book was born out of Michelle’s own experience, it is time-tested and true to life. I have experienced the pruning process in my own life and I bear faithful testimony to this. May God help you to discover the “True You” in yourself.
Miriam Jacob
ODD(LY) ENOUGH – Carolanne Miljavac
Odd(ly) Enough
Standing Out When the World Begs You To Fit In
by Carolanne Miljavac
Shiloh Run Press, Barbour Publishing, Inc.
Pub Date: 01 Nov 2018,
ISBN: 9781683227892
Price: $14.99
“Odd(ly) Enough – Standing Out When the World Begs You To Fit In,” by Carolanne Miljavac affirms what the world needs to hear. It’s time to embrace the real “you” God made you to be, as you passionately pursue your God-given purpose. You will find yourself walking with courage and confidence about God’s divine purpose for your life. Following the principles outlined in this book, Carolanne Miljavac, a person with all the odds stacked against her, emerged a much stronger person, honest, authentic and relatable, using her unique style of comedy and sincerity to deliver hope and healing. Carolanne believes that the past is what shapes us into the vessels God uses for His divine purposes. She has written a raw, painfully honest and humorous book about her past, detailing her life’s struggles and how she overcame it with God’s help. We won’t know how strong we are if our strength is never tested. As Carol tells her story, we feel a wide gamut of emotions from ranging from joy to grief. This book offers encouragement and hope, motivating readers to live a more transparent life for Jesus. Carolanne, a Christian shares the hope she finds in Christ. Because of who Jesus is and what He suffered for us, we find our worth in Him. We are encouraged to turn to God with our own struggles and heartaches. He has a plan for all of us and we just need to wait on Him to fulfil it. He can make everything work out for His glory. We don’t have to hide who we really are when we are exactly who God created us to be. This book is for all who love God and want a closer relationship with Him. I highly recommend this book for God’s glory.
Miriam Jacob
THIRSTY FOR MORE – Allison Allen
Thirsty for More
Discovering God’s Unexpected Blessings in a Desert Season
by Allison Allen
Revell, Pub Date: 04 Sep 2018
ISBN 9780800728205
PRICE $14.99
“Thirsty for More” by Allison Allen helps us to discover God’s unexpected blessings in the dry, desert season of the soul. A period of “dry seasons” makes us feel alienated from God our heavenly Father, our Creator and Blessed Redeemer. Lush, verdant valleys beckon us, not dry, trackless deserts. During the first three centuries of the Christian Church, people seeking God deliberately moved into deserts to pray and meditate on the greatness of God. They understood that the desert is not a wilderness but a place where we can truly taste God’s intimacy. Allison Allen offers a fresh perspective for all who believe that God is present in their dry seasons. In the difficult periods of trials and struggles, God reveals Himself to us, to experience His abundant blessings in an intimate way. “Thirsty for More” is a very inspiring, refreshing and rejuvenating message of hope. I highly recommend it to all people who thirst for God and seek to experience His presence in their lives.
Miriam Jacob
THE PORTABLE SEMINARY – David Horton
The Portable Seminary
A Master’s Level Overview in One Volume
by David Horton
Bethany House Publishers, Pub Date: 21 Aug 2018
ISBN: 9780764219658. Price: $39.99
“The Portable Seminary” by David Horton is a Master’s level general overview, all compiled into a single volume, specially designed to advance your Theological Education. You can enhance your Biblical and Theological knowledge in this unique portable seminary. In this extensive book you will be taught all the major topics in a Seminary Master’s program, by highly respected professors, authors, and ministry leaders. This introduction to a Biblical Studies degree is perfectly ideal for the average layperson or anyone involved in vocational ministry. Subjects include topics like Systematic Theology, surveys of the Old and New Testaments, Apologetics, World Religions, Church History and Homiletics. I highly recommend this “Portable Seminary” right at your fingertips, for the best Theological education you can ever get, at your own convenience.
Miriam Jacob
THE QUOTABLE TOZER – A. W. Tozer
The Quotable Tozer
A Topical Compilation of the Wisdom and Insight of A.W. Tozer
by A.W. Tozer
Bethany House Publishers, Pub Date: 21 Aug 2018
ISBN: 9780764230974. Price: $17.99
“The Quotable Tozer” by A. W. Tozer is a topical compilation of the insightful wisdom of a renowned Christian author. A.W. Tozer’s inspiring message resonates loudly with Christians today. This is an ideal resource work of the prolific author’s profound thoughts and ideas, organized around various topics like the nature of Almighty God, spiritual warfare, the Bible and heaven. This volume gives us a full and complete access to the true scope of Tozer’s work and thought. It opens our eyes in awe and wonder to the great depth and God-given insight of one of the most beloved Christian pastors in contemporary history. I highly recommend this book to all readers, students and researchers of A. W. Tozer’s prolific works.
Miriam Jacob
A CHRISTMAS BY THE SEA – Melody Carlson
Publisher: Revell (September 4, 2018)
ISBN: 9780800722715
PRICE: $16.99
“A Christmas by the Sea” by Melody Carlson is set in the quiet town of Seaside, Maine. Having just lost her husband to cancer, Wendy Harper and her son, Jackson, drive along the coast to the beach house she inherited from her grandfather. While she wants to sell the house, Jackson wants them to stay there permanently. Constantly torn between buoyant hope and nerve-wracking doubt, Wendy is unsure if selling the beach house is the solution to her myriad problems. Caleb Colton makes Wendy see the plethora of possibilities if they stayed in Seaside. Jackson encourages his mother to trust God for their needs and stay in Seaside. Melody Carlson explores the beauty of second chances through life in a small beach house with a budding romance and a renewed faith in God. The characters are perfectly ordinary, likeable and relatable people, set in a blooming love story, woven through subtle family history and seaside escapades. Quick, uplifting, warmhearted and lighthearted at the same time, I highly recommend “A Christmas by the Sea.” This clean, Christian romance is very well-written, with descriptive writing, beautiful imagery and excellent character delineation. The story is full of hope and joy in the true spirit of Christmas.
Miriam Jacob
WHEN GOD CALLS THE HEART AT CHRISTMAS – Brian Bird and Michelle Cox
Broadstreet Publishing Group LLC ISBN 9781424557288 PRICE $15.99
"When God calls the Heart at Christmas" by Brian Bird and Michelle Cox is a delightful and inspiring compilation of tasty recipes and biblical truth, interspersed with heartwarming stories to move us to tears. The devotions, Bible verses and meaningful questions help us to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas. It draws us into the love-filled, healing heart of Christmas. This inspiring book is a shining celebration of the Christ at the heart of Christmas.
Miriam Jacob
40 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS – Joseph Castleberry
Broadstreet Publishing Group LLC,
ISBN: 9781424557578, Price: $14.99
Let us celebrate the true spirit of Christmas with “40 Days of Christmas” by Joseph Castleberry. The pressures of the Christmas season often bear down upon us incessantly, with the urgent need to find perfect Christmas cards, perfect Christmas gifts, host perfect Christmas parties or create the perfect Christmas ambience in the home. It is so overwhelming and easily distracts us from the real significance of Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. With Bible verses, inspiring daily devotions and enriching, uplifting prayers, this book is specially designed “to prepare your heart during Advent, rejoice in His birth at Christmas, and reveal the light of Christ on Epiphany.” May the true wealth of richness of God’s divine presence fill your lives as you celebrate the glory of the Savior’s supernatural birth. The true spirit of Christmas flows from God’s Holy Spirit and will fill your hearts with His love, joy and peace.
Miriam Jacob
SILVER LININGS IN LIFE
“Every cloud has a silver lining. Don’t only see the cloud but see the beauty in the silver lining. And that’s the way we have to look at life too, because even though our lives might be cloudy, we must realize that the sun is always shining behind the clouds. Learn to recognize the silver linings in our life. Let’s thank God for being able to see the silver linings in our lives.”
© S. T. Mathew
Katharina and Martin Luther – Michelle Derusha
Katharina and Martin Luther
The Radical Marriage of a Runaway Nun and a Renegade Monk
by Michelle DeRusha
Baker Books, Baker Publishing Group.
ISBN: 9780801019104
PRICE: $19.99
“Katharina and Martin Luther” by Michelle Derusha is the riveting life story of the revolutionary marriage of one of the most extraordinary and intriguing couples in Christian history. Beating all odds and silencing all critics, this most unlikely and unusual wedding blossomed into the most tender of love stories, offering illuminating insights into Christian history, highlighting their profound impact upon Christian marriage, reverberating down the corridors of time until today, over five centuries later. It portrays Luther as a family patriarch and honors Katharina, a woman with a pivotal role in shaping the institution of Christian marriage as it is today. This legendary couple experienced supreme joy and bitter grief, moments of triumph and weary travail in the wings of time. This book shines the searching spotlight on their private lives and offers powerful insights into the twenty-first-century concept of Christian marriage. The impact of this marriage was said to be as great in the social sphere as the Ninety-five Theses in the religious sphere. Theirs is the story of the joys and sorrows of marriage, and faith in God’s providence. Michelle DeRusha portrays the passionate struggles in the Luthers’ private lives as well as their theological wrestlings in the religious sphere. In a penetrating, revealing, behind-the-scenes look at a legendary Christian couple, this book illustrates how God’s transforming grace leaves an eternal legacy in the lives of Christian believers in all ages. This is what God designed Christian marriage to be: an allegiance and obedience to Him that glorifies Him, and faithfulness to each other, a true picture of Christ’s relationship to His bride, the Church. This book introduces us to the customs and cultural context of the times, as well as the historical significance of Katharina and Martin Luther’s lives, the scalding opposition they faced when they got married and the bitter harassment the former nun, Katharina faced as Martin Luther’s widow. Martin Luther’s Ninety-five Theses charted a new course for the Church. This is a powerful glimpse of Luther’s life and ministry in Reformation Germany, sparking a Christian revolution lit by the flames of conviction. “Katharina and Martin Luther” is a living testament to the awesome power of surrender in a future in which courage and truth play a most important role. This book is well researched and entirely user friendly. In many ways, the Luthers’ story is our story, too. I highly recommend this inspiring book.
Miriam Jacob
DAY BY DAY, I THINK ABOUT JESUS
Day by day, I think about Jesus,
about what He has done for me,
how he came to earth, to bare my sins on Calvary’s tree.
Day by day, I think about Jesus,
who in heaven, our home prepares,
because of His love and grace, many people will live up there.
Day by day, I think about Jesus,
victory over Satan did win,
and because of that victory, we can be saved from sin.
Day by day, I think about Jesus,
how He is the Lord of Lords, and King of Kings,
…and as His children,
His praises we should forever sing.
Day by day, I think about Jesus,
how He came to set me free,
Oh! how much I love Him, because He first loved me.
Day by day, I think about Jesus,
and all He has done for me,
…and, I want to serve Him faithfully.
Day by day, I think about Jesus,
Oh! what He means to me,
He is my hope, joy and liberty.
Day by day, I think about Jesus,
Oh! what he can do for you,
Jesus wants to save your soul,
…then day by day, you can think, about Jesus too!
© Pamela Davis
John 14:6
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 12:46
I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.
John 8:32
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
♥ I pray this blesses someone for His glory. His good purpose, His will be done. God Bless us everyone. Thank You Jesus. ♥
* Everybody has God’s frequency within ~ Tune in *
~T~H~I~N~K~~~J~E~S~U~S~~ ~~T~H~I~N~K~~~E~T~E~R~N~I~T~Y~
Ecclesiastes 3:11
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
Romans 1:20-21
For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.
HANDBOOK TO HAPPINESS – DR. CHARLES R. SOLOMON
LOVE’S UNFADING LIGHT – Naomi Rawlings
Hi
Series: Eagle Harbor.
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 1 edition (March 20, 2015)
ISBN-13: 978-1508779247
“Love’s Unfading Light’ by Naomi Rawlings is the story of redemption of two people who learn from each other that their pasts do not define who they are. It’s hard to overcome sorrowful pasts wracked with bitter hurts and disappointments, but Mac and Tressa learn that they can overcome their lives’ painful experiences to reinvent themselves and find true love again. Laced with God’s truth and the powerful combination of love of family coupled with forgiveness, we learn why the pretty Tressa with her overwhelming burdens tugs at Mac Oakton’s heart, compelling them to face a decision affecting both their lives. Can strong, stubborn Tressa accept honorable Mac’s support to give up her independence and be obligated to a man again? Tressa, a young, complicated woman and a widowed mother, has an unending, selfless devotion to her son. Naomi Rawlings writes pure, clean novels that tug at our heartstrings. I highly recommend her books to all people who look for the very best Christian values and principles embodied in the characters of novels. Let the warm glow of “Love’s Unfading Light’ inspire people to read all the novels in “Eagle Harbor Series where Love finds its Anchor.”
Miriam Jacob
HOPE YOUR HEART NEEDS – Holley Gerth
HOPE YOUR HEART NEEDS
Holley Gerth
Revell, Baker Publishing Group. ISBN: 9781493415106.
Pub. Date: Sep 2018. Price: $13.99
Trying to understand the inherent nature of God’s character, exactly who He is, what He means to us, and how He loves us beyond compare, changes our lives in the most unimaginable ways. It sounds like music to our ears to hear God’s still small voice whisper to our hearts, “You’re mine.” It fills our hearts with the greatest hope, divine joy and priceless peace that is truly out of this world. In fifty-two inspiring, heart-to-heart devotions, Holley Gerth shares the God-given answer to the innate restlessness that keeps us trying to achieve in our lives what only a loving Heavenly Father can do for us. The Almighty God who painted the skies with joyous abandon by scattering myriads of twinkling stars like glittering diamonds across the sweeping panorama of the universe, the Maker of us all, invites us to draw close to Him in the only relationship worth having in this world. He is what our hearts have been searching for all our lives.
Miriam Jacob
CHRIST IN US
“With the Holy Spirit in us, we are never alone.
Christ in us, the hope of glory.”
Miriam Jacob
A FRIEND IN THE STORM – Cheryl Ricker
Book Review
In her book ‘A Friend in the Storm’, Cheryl Ricker delves deep into the dregs of human suffering, calming the aching hearts of people facing the most dire and distressing circumstances, leading them patiently, step-by-step through their sufferings into the ever-waiting arms of a faithful and compassionate God, with soothing words of poetic truth.
© Miriam Jacob
IN TIMES GONE BY – Tracie Peterson
IN TIMES GONE BY
Tracie Peterson
Bethany House Publishers. Pub Date 04 Sep 2018.
ISBN: 9780764219016. Price: $15.99
After the horror of being abandoned at the altar, Kenzie Gifford starts life all over again on its altered scale, with new friends and a good job, being finished with love forever. But Dr. Micah Fisher pursues her despite her rejection. When an earthquake strikes the city, the utter devastation makes Kenzie reanalyze her views of life. She is horrified when her ex-fiancé resurfaces, determined to marry her at any cost. Can she trust him again? And what of her feelings for Dr. Micah Fisher? Latent dangers expose the intentions of everyone involved, but it costs Kenzie dearly as her heart is wrung dry. What should she do?
Miriam Jacob
PRAYING WITH JANE – Rachel Dodge
Praying with Jane
31 Days through the Prayers of Jane Austen
by Rachel Dodge
Bethany House Publishers,
ISBN: 9780764232152
PRICE: $14.99
The fascinating life and gentle charm of Jane Austen and her novels is legendary for two centuries. Yet hardly anything is known about Jane’s vibrant, spiritual life. This inspiring daily devotional takes an in-depth look at her steadfast faith and strong Spirit-filled prayers. It is a inspiring resource of great spiritual nourishment, full of rich insights into the deep, time-tested faith of one of our greatest English writers. It offers an open window into her intimate relationship with God through her passionate prayers, revealing anecdotes and selected excerpts from letters and memoirs. Spiritual insights and practical applications to daily life explain the deep, enduring truths of Jane Austen’s inspiring, heartfelt prayers, illuminated by Scripture verses, making them applicable to our lives and times.
Miriam Jacob
NOT THE BOSS OF US -Kay Wills Wyma
Not the Boss of Us
Putting Overwhelmed in Its Place in a Do-All, Be-All World
by Kay Wills Wyma
Revell, Baker Publishing Group. Pub. Date: Aug 2018.
ISBN 9780800734770
Price: $14.99
Life often overwhelms us but the real truth is that life’s stresses and strains aren’t the boss of our lives. Truth triumphs in the sordid situations and difficult circumstances of our lives with all its grace, hope, peace, and love. Kay Wills Wyma shares how to confront life’s overwhelming pressures, unfair expectations and devastating circumstances with the liberating truth that God has made us to be more than conquerors. Through her inspiring stories sprinkled lavishly with lighthearted humor, Kay helps us to find satisfying fulfillment and exuberant freedom in a life lived in the glorious light of eternity.
Miriam Jacob
MARKED BY LOVE – Tim Stevens – review by Miriam Jacob
Shiloh Run Press, Baker Publishing, Inc.,
Pub. Date: 01 Oct. 2018,
ISBN: 9781683226550,
Price: $14.99
——————
When Christ was on earth, God spoke twice: “Jesus is marked by My love.” The only thing that marks Christ and His followers is love. View life through a filter of love. If Christ’s followers are marked by love, it will revolutionize the world the way He did.
Tim Stevens’ father, Ron Stevens, was the epitome of love. He loved his wife like Christ loved the Church. Ron loved his Coworkers like a true Servant Leader. Ron helped people by putting their needs above his own. Ron treated others with utmost respect and honor. Ron Stevens’ life was marked by love for seventy-seven years. His legacy lives on in his son’s life and through this book.
“Marked by Love” is a passion project, straight from Tim Stevens’ heart. The one and only way to make a profound impact upon the world is Love. When all our thoughts, words, actions, reactions and beliefs are processed through a filter of love, we will change the world, God’s way. Love is all that matters. The entire game of life is won or lost solely depending on how well we love others and serve them the way Jesus did. This inspiring book is a journey through life, “Marked by Love.”
Miriam Jacob
A Passionate Hope – Hannah’s Story – by Jill Eileen Smith
Series: Daughters of the Promised Land
E-Book: ISBN9781493412488. Publication Date: Feb 2018. SRP $15.99
Can a single, childless woman’s prayers change the world? Hannah and her husband, Elkanah loved each other deeply. They also loved God fervently. Passionately longing for restoration, they prayed for a deliverer. But as the long, wearisome years passed, nothing changed for the better. As Hannah was barren, Elkanah married Peninnah, who quickly bore children and cruelly taunted Hannah mercilessly. Hannah’s tearful prayers went unanswered. Would Hannah’s devotion and kindness amount to nothing? Will God answer her heart’s cries and agonizing pleas?
In the dusty streets of Shiloh, Jill Eileen Smith vividly brings to life a story of hope, patience, and deliverance. Even the most broken and irretrievably lost of all relationships can be mercifully restored by God’s benevolent love. A Passionate Hope is a novel about redeeming love, steeped in dramatic historical detail about real people, large as life, who suffering agonizing heartache, cry out to God and are transformed by the miracle of grace. Impeccable research and vivid prose brings the characters of the Bible to life. The themes of heartache, saving grace, fiery faith, redemption, and healing are excitingly interwoven into a dramatic finish. This is a well-drawn love story with wistful imaginings and soulful heart cries.
Jill Eileen Smith writes intriguing, spirit-filled fiction, about inspiring women of sterling character, drawn from the dusty margins of Biblical history, to illuminate their achievements like the sun shining in full strength. Her richly detailed settings and gift of graphic description give readers a strong sense of what life was really like in ancient Israel.
Miriam Jacob
Love’s Beginning – by Naomi Rawlings
Digital Book – 21 pages,
Publisher: Cedar Lake Press
Publication Date: September 28, 2015.
Amazon Digital Services LLC,
ASIN: B013PYQS3K. Price: $0.99
PUBLISHER’S SYNOPSIS
Read about the day Elijah first falls in love with Victoria in the Eagle Harbor short story, Love’s Beginning, a 21 page short story and extension of Love’s Every Whisper, which is Elijah and Victoria’s full length novel.
LOVE’S BEGINNING – by Naomi Rawlings
Love’s Beginning: Historical Christian Short Story (Eagle Harbor) Kindle Edition
REVIEW BY MIRIAM JACOB
In Love’s Beginning, Naomi Rawlings heralds the entry of two lovely little girls into the story. Rebekah enters in a swirling “flurry of white pinafore, dark blue dress, and brown hair”, while Victoria is “all prettily dressed up in white lace and pink ruffles, with cheeks turning pink, the prettiest thing, with flounces and miles of creamy lace.” This is where Love begins and has its start in Elijah’s heart. Victoria’s kindness in sharing her food and her delicate stammer make her appear all the more winsome in Eijah’s eyes. “Love’s Every Whisper” is first heard here, softly and silently, in “Love’s Beginning”, in the tender hearts of Elijah and Victoria. The look of love is sweet, as Elijah poignantly discovers at the very moment he falls in love with Victoria Donnelly. This is where it all starts – in a flurry of childhood love – in the age of innocence. You will hear “Love’s Every Whisper” ring out in “Love’s Beginning”.
Miriam Jacob
LOVE’S VIOLET SUNRISE – by Naomi Rawlings
LOVE’S VIOLET SUNRISE – by Naomi Rawlings
An Eagle Harbor Novella
Ebook: 100 pages. December 19, 2016. $3.09
The spiritual content in the Eagle Harbor and American State Flower Novella, “Love’s Violet Sunrise” by Naomi Rawlings is beautifully integrated, making the story inspiring and meaningful to readers. The two main characters, Hiram Cummings and Mabel Krause strive to secure the release of Dietrich, Mabel’s brother from jail by convicting the culprit who got him arrested on a false charge. This faith-based book by best-selling author, Naomi Rawlings has wide-spread appeal. The well-developed characters, intriguing storylines and surprise plot twists create a beautiful and captivating tale of enduring love that triumphs at all costs.
© Miriam Jacob
GOODREADS – Love’s Violet Sunrise by Naomi Rawlings
THE MOST MEANINGFUL TWO-LETTER WORD – “UP”
One word in the English language that could be a noun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition is “UP”. This two-letter word in English has more meanings than any other two-letter word. That word is, *’UP’*. It is listed in the dictionary as an [adv], [prep], [adj], [n] or [v].
It’s easy to understand *UP*, meaning toward the sky or at the top of the list, but when we awaken in the morning, why do we wake *UP*?
At a meeting, why does a topic come *UP*? Why do we speak ‘UP’, and why are the officers *UP* for election, if there is a tie, it is a toss *UP*, and why is it *UP* to the secretary to write *UP* a report ?
We call *UP* our friends, brighten *UP* a room, polish *UP* the silver, warm *UP* the leftovers and clean *UP* the kitchen. We lock *UP* the house and fix *UP* the old car.
At other times, this little word has real special meaning. People stir *UP* trouble, line UP for tickets, work *UP* an appetite, and think *UP* excuses.
To be dressed is one thing, but to be dressed *UP* is special.
And this *UP* can be confusing. A drain must be opened *UP* because it is blocked *UP* !!!
We open *UP* a store in the morning, but we close it *UP* at night. We seem to be pretty mixed *UP* about *UP* !!!
To be knowledgeable about the proper uses of *UP*, look *UP* the word *UP* in the dictionary. In a desk-sized dictionary, it takes *UP* almost 1/4 of the page and can add *UP* to about thirty definitions !!!
If you are *UP* to it, you might try building *UP* a list of the many ways *UP* is used. It will take *UP* a lot of your time, but if you don’t give *UP*, you may wind *UP* with, *UP* to, a hundred or more.
When it threatens to rain, we say it is clouding *UP*. When the sun comes out, we say it is clearing *UP*. When it rains, it soaks *UP* the earth. When it does not rain for awhile, things dry *UP*.
One could go on and on, but I’ll wrap it *UP*, for now…… my time is *UP*!
It is a SET-Up, for a STEP Up!
HAPPY WOMEN’S DAY
