Wildflower Thinking

Book Review: Once Upon a Prince

2013-05-21T16:19:00.000-04:00

Oh! Oh! Oh! Will Avery win Colin's heart next?

Wait. That’s hopeful speculation about the next book, not a review of the first. I just finished reading Rachel Hauck’s new book, Once Upon a Prince, the first book in The Royal Wedding Series. I’m ready for Book 2. And since there are only so many actual, factual princes in this world, I think it’s kind of fun that Hauck is making up her own for her characters to marry. (The only time I had trouble suspending disbelief was in the few scenes where Hauck had her pretend people hobnobbing with real royalty. That kind of broke the fairy tale spell for me.)

The strengths of this book were the characters and the settings. St. Simon’s Island, Georgia, where our heroine, Susanna, and her family are from, is a real place—one I’ve enjoyed visiting and loved finding in a story. Prince Nathaniel is from Brighton, a fictional country somewhere near England. Nate and Susannah meet the day her boyfriend of 12 years breaks up with her. On vacation on St. Simon’s Island, Nate comes to Susannah’s rescue when she gets a flat tire. He chooses to keep his royal standing a secret.

Scattered throughout the book are thoughts on trusting God’s plan instead of always clinging to your own and believing that He knows what He’s doing when He places you somewhere you’re not sure you want to be. The dominant theme is total surrender to God’s Will and, perhaps, remaking that choice daily.

Fans of happily ever after will enjoy this story. I thank Zondervan for sending it through BookSneeze for this honest review.

Book Review: A Noble Groom

2013-05-14T17:11:00.000-04:00

Jody Hedlund’s most recent novel opens with a woman finding her husband murdered only to be told by her community that she’ll have to marry again—just as soon as they can import a groom from their home country. At the same time, a baron’s son sits in his father’s dungeon in Germany praying he won’t be beheaded for a crime he didn’t commit.

And from this intense beginning, things only get worse.

Annalisa Werner is the ever popular widow whose land is being threatened by a powerful landowner. Carl Richards is the man who longs to be her hero, but finds himself restrained by his past. And Gretchen, my personal favorite, is the precious little girl who only wants a new daddy and to hear another story by the Brothers Grimm.

I’m looking forward to the next story by Jody Hedlund.

Hedlund’s equal strengths are her storytelling ability and historical presentation. I was especially fascinated by this particular setting in time because it sheds some light on why so many German people came to America in the mid-1800’s: the time my Bavarian ancestors came. I’d never thought to ask why, but now, maybe I know. And I learned through the perils of a fictional group of German settlers. Hedlund’s book provided a story to enjoy with a history lesson of personal significance. I’m happy to recommend it to you.

Bethany House Publishers sent a complimentary copy of this book for my honest review.

A Simple Thought

2013-05-10T07:29:00.001-04:00

I’m currently reading a book by Charles Haddon Spurgeon on prayers of the Bible. In the first chapter, he explains why God doesn’t change. I found this interesting. Maybe you will, too.

To change is to improve or to decline. But God is perfect! There is nothing for Him to improve on and He certainly wouldn’t want to decline. To decline would make Him less than perfect.

We humans are always trying to improve ourselves. Sometimes we slip up, become worse, and have to overcome. Yet God doesn’t struggle with this. He is perfect. That’s why God doesn’t change.

Unchangeable God, You are perfect as You are. And in that perfection, You work in our lives, creating in us what we can’t in ourselves. Thank You, Lord! Amen.

Book Review: The Winnowing Season

2013-05-02T09:11:00.000-04:00

In Book 2 of Cindy Woodsmall’s Amish Vines and Orchards series, The Winnowing Season, everything is changing for Rhoda Byler as she, with the King family, attempts to start a new Amish settlement in Maine. This book is full of obstacles for this group of determined young people to overcome, obstacles that go far beyond those that naturally come with merging and relocating two businesses and the people involved in this. Rhoda must convince her superstitious and fearful church leaders that they can trust her and her brother’s family to go. Jacob must overcome the mysterious past that is catching up with him at the worst time ever. Samuel, out of loyalty to his brother, must keep a professional distance from Rhoda, denying his own feelings for her. All must work to get along with each other—and with the Englischers they now live among, people who are curious, but know little about the Amish or their ways. Hardest of all, Rhoda must make peace with her gift, the intuition and visions that she’d hoped to leave behind. Will her new community come to fear her as her old one did? Or will she learn to hear God’s voice in her gift and follow wherever He leads?

I enjoyed reading the second part of this on-going story and am now eagerly waiting for the conclusion to be released. I thank Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers for sending a complimentary copy for this honest review.

For Teenagers Learning to Serve

2013-04-30T13:09:00.000-04:00

This past Sunday in church, I noticed that several teens from our congregation were helping out throughout the service. They were greeting people and handing out bulletins, singing and playing guitar with the praise team, setting up and helping with sound, taking up the offering, and playing the piano offertory. I know of many who also volunteer behind the scenes! This is so crucial—they are learning they have a place of service in the church now while developing habits of volunteering for a lifetime of ministry in God’s Kingdom.

Hopefully, these youth realize they are valued by God the Creator Who gave each one gifts to use. He loves them simply for who they are: His unique creation. But He loves it when they offer, as soon as they are able, to serve Him as they can. I loved seeing them do this on Sunday, scrambling all over the church!

And so, today’s Parachute Prayer regards these young people. When we notice them using their talents for God, let’s remember to pray for them. They are walking on the right path, with so much potentially ahead. Let’s pray that God will bless their efforts and reward them fully with the satisfaction and peace that comes from doing a job well. Let’s pray that they will know they are loved and valued by God and by His church. Then let’s take time to thank them for being faithful servants He can use—servants, brothers, and sisters in the Kingdom of our Lord.

Father, thank You for teenagers, children, and young adults who are already finding ways to use their gifts for You. Bless their efforts. Increase their abilities. Help them to work well with others in Your Kingdom, regardless of age. Most of all, please let them know they are living in Your Presence—the God Who Sees. Thank You for loving them, Lord. Help them to experience this love for themselves as they faithfully share it with others. Continue to lead them in all Your ways. In Jesus’ name, amen.

A Lesson in Guarding Our Hearts

2013-04-26T15:32:00.000-04:00

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” –Proverbs 4:23

According to Mark 14, on the night Jesus celebrated The Passover with His disciples, the meal we now call, “The Last Supper,” Jesus told His disciples that one of them would betray Him, one who was eating with Him at that time. Strangely enough, the disciples, one after another, responded by asking, “Is it me?”

It seems to me, if someone were sitting there who had no plans to betray Jesus or temptation on some level to do so, that person would respond by looking around the room to see which other person looked most potentially guilty. There would be no fear. Instead, that person would be asking everyone else, “Is it you?” Yet each of the disciples, apparently, looked inside instead of around.

Evidently, each of the disciples, at the prompting of Jesus’ statement, recognized his own capability to turn against his Lord. Had they taken this as a warning of weakness within their hearts, this could have been a positive thing—an opportunity to pray for strength and resolve not to do this terrible thing. Perhaps this is what Jesus was offering in making this strange announcement.

Unfortunately, the disciples didn’t pay attention to their internal warning bells. The books of Matthew and John both tell us that Jesus did identify Judas as His betrayer, which might explain the disciples' letting go of personal concerns except for the fact that John also notes the disciples didn’t understand that Judas was the betrayer. (If they had, I’d like to think they would have tackled Judas at the door to keep Him from leaving.) But, if the disciples truly didn’t understand that Judas was the betrayer, why they didn’t heed Jesus’ warning is still unclear to me. As John, in particular, seems to indicate, they must have been quite confused.

In any case, Jesus soon gave them another opportunity to look inside themselves, declaring in Mark 14:27 that soon they would all fall away.

This time, Peter spoke right up and told Jesus that He was just wrong. This is when Jesus told Peter he would deny Jesus three times. Peter could have seen this as a reason to put up his guard to be sure he wouldn’t do what Jesus predicted he would. Instead, he chose to deny the weakness in himself and simply carry on.

The slippery slope progression continues in Mark 14:38 when Jesus warns the disciples with Him at Gethsemane to watch and pray that they won’t fall into temptation. Instead the disciples sleep (v. 40), and then they run out of time (v. 41). Jesus is arrested; His disciples run for their lives.

The chapter concludes with Peter denying Jesus, just as Jesus predicted he would. In the final verse of the chapter, Peter “remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him: ‘Before the rooster crows twice you will disown me three times.’ And he broke down and wept.”

Thankfully, after His death and resurrection, Jesus forgave Peter. If ever we fail Him, He’ll forgive us, too. All we need to do is ask Him to. But how much better for us, if we can learn a lesson from this:

As soon as we recognize even a hint of weakness in our heart, Satan setting an enticing trap, rather than ignore it, we can stop to pray. This is what it means to guard our hearts, a positive action that helps to keep us from acting on temptation to sin.

If we’re feeling overconfident about where our loyalties lie, we might be wise to heed this as a warning that we’re about to be side-swiped. Overconfidence in our own strength to resist temptation is in truth a great weakness. We’re all capable of falling, and Satan wants us to. We must constantly depend on God to help us guard our hearts.

When temptation is lurking, we need to stay alert. We can ask God’s Spirit to help us with this. He’ll wake us up to help us watch and pray before the time of testing comes. As we pay attention to Him, He’ll keep us from doing something that we’ll quickly regret.

Everything we do flows from our hearts. Let’s pray that God will help us every moment to keep them in check.

Father, we know that we are weak sometimes. The enemy is lurking, watching for ways to exploit this. He’d love nothing better than to see us, like Peter, suddenly realize we’ve failed You, then break down and cry. Please help us to live in complete dependence on You. Send Your Spirit to alert us when danger is nearby. Teach us to guard our hearts, so we will live to honor You. And thank You for Your mercy should we grow weary and fail. Thanks to Your Son, there is forgiveness. We thank You for this as well. In His Name, we pray. Amen.

Book Review: Afloat

2013-04-23T08:50:00.001-04:00

I think I look forward to each of Erin Healy’s new releases more than any other author's. Her books are unique curiosities—totally unpredictable, full of supernatural elements, unclassifiable. They also contain clear, but not blatantly presented Christian Truth. Healy leads her readers along to who knows where, but once they arrive, they say, “Oh—I get it! Wow!”

This was perfectly true of Healy’s recent release, Afloat. Though the story started slowly and had me a little worried, it picked up pace quickly. As the characters’ dilemma worsened, Healy revealed their backstories, relevant to the plot, at a steady rate. Though I became totally engrossed in the story, I also found myself underlining well-worded statements that I found to be true.

Afloat is the story of a group of people stranded on a peninsula turned island after a bizarre series of unusual events. As they struggle to survive, they disagree about how to do so. What’s worse, they have reason to distrust each other—where loyalties lie is unclear. The result is an intense story about truth, love, self-sacrifice, and making choices that put eternity over right now. I’m happy to recommend this book!

Thomas Nelson Publishers sent me a complimentary copy of Afloat in exchange for this honest review. Fans of supernatural thrillers, suspense, and conspiracy novels will enjoy reading this book.

Redefining All

2013-04-22T10:20:00.000-04:00

When I woke up this morning, the song, “I Surrender All,” was playing in my head. I don’t know why. I haven’t heard that song in years. But it made me smile today:

All to Jesus I surrender;
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His Presence daily live.

I surrender all.
I surrender all.
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.

“Oh, yes, Jesus,” I prayed. “I do surrender all.” Then I happily proceeded to give Him a list of all the problems and challenges and tasks ahead of me this week.

The following thought popped into my head:

“That’s it? Your problems. That’s all you surrender to me?”

"Isn't that what You wanted?" I prayed.

I got the impression that Jesus replied, "I want you to surrender all."

Those few seconds were a sobering reminder to me of all God’s given that I must, sometimes daily, surrender back. I’ve been brainstorming ever since.

I started with resources. It’s easy to say, “I surrender my time, talents, money, and home.” But how often am I tempted to put limits on these? I’ll surrender my time—except for what I need to complete this list of tasks. I’ll surrender my home—so long as I’ve had time to clean it thoroughly this week. I’ll surrender my money—so long as I believe the person I’m surrendering it to will use it the way I expect that person to.

Nope. If I surrender all, I surrender all—no strings attached.

Next I thought of some more abstract possessions: dreams, goals, expectations, hopes, opinions, control, freedom, rights, perhaps even boundaries. Surrendering these doesn’t necessarily mean I lose them. Rather, it means I trust God with them. I let go when He wants me to; pursue aggressively if He so leads—and with Him in the lead.

I thought of emotions and attitudes: anger, fear, bitterness, grudges, misplaced trust, and possibly-wrong beliefs. When God brings these to mind, I have to let Him take them away. I ask Him to replace them with forgiveness, courage, dependence on Him alone, and biblical truth.

I also thought of health, reputation, self-esteem—or, sometimes, lack of such. These I must surrender, too. In God alone, I place my confidence.

What can you think of that we must surrender to God?

Father, thank You for leading me to think on this today. I truly want to mean it when I pray, “I surrender all.” If I’m holding anything back, please make me aware and help me to let go. In my hands all is meaningless. Surrendered, it’s safe with You. Help me trust You evermore with everything You give. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Book Review: Take a Chance on Me

2013-04-20T00:00:00.001-04:00

Take a Chance on Me is a spin-off of the Deep Haven Novels by Susan May Warren. It’s set in Deep Haven where we encounter familiar characters from the original series, but this new series focuses on members of the Christiansen Family. How fun is that?!

In this first story, we meet Darek Christiansen and his son, Tiger. Darek is the oldest of the Christiansen siblings, a former firefighter, now a widower, helping his parents run their Evergreen Lake Resort.

We also meet Ivy Madison, the new assistant county attorney, a former foster child, hoping to claim Deep Haven as a permanent, small town home. That hope quickly dims when she learns that Jenson Atwood also lives in Deep Haven. Responsible for Darek’s wife’s death, Jenson is the town pariah—and Ivy was the one who anonymously crafted the plea bargain which kept him out of jail.

Claire Gibson is one more significant character in this story. She grew up as a missionary kid, but moved to Deep Haven to live with her grandparents following a traumatic event. Ten years later, her parents are pressuring her to get on with her life, to train to do something big for God. But Claire wants to stay right where she is.

I enjoyed reading this story, watching characters develop, overcome their issues, and learn to trust God. Warren is gifted at fleshing out deep themes—asking for and receiving forgiveness, learning to forgive, looking deeply inside oneself to discover motivations, showing kindness and mercy, trusting God and believing that His character really is what the Bible says even when events tempt one to believe differently.

I am happy to recommend this novel by Susan May Warren and thank Tyndale House Publishers for sending a complimentary copy for this honest review.

Author Q & A: Susan May Warren on Take a Chance on Me

1. This is the first installment in a brand new six-book series. Can you give us a bit of background on this series?

I love stories about families – watching the members interact and grow together through challenges and victories – and I conceived this series as I watched my own children begin to grow up and deal with romance and career and futures. I love Deep Haven, and it’s the perfect setting for a resort, so I crafted a family, much like the families I know, who run a resort. They want to pass on their legacy to their children…but their children don’t know if they want it. It’s sort of a parallel theme to the legacy of faith we instill in our children. As they grow older, they need to decide whether it is their faith too. It’s a saga about family and faith and what happens when those collide with real life.

2. This Christiansen Family series is set in Deep Haven, Minnesota. Tell us about this setting.

Deep Haven, Minnesota is based in a small vacation town in northern Minnesota where I spent my childhood. It’s located on Lake Superior, surrounded by pine and birch and the sense of small town and home. Populated by everyone from artists to lumberjacks, it’s Mitford, or perhaps Northern Exposure gone Minnesotan. Quaint, quirky and beautiful, it’s the perfect place to escape for a vacation.

3. What was your inspiration for this particular book and the main character Darek Christiansen?

As I started to put together this series, I began to think about our culture and our children today. I started to take a look at the big questions we are faced with as parents – and as young people; the issues that affect us as a culture, as well as personally. I wanted these books to go beyond family drama, beyond a great romance to raise bigger questions and stir truths that we might pass along to others. This story is about our propensity in our culture to blame others for what goes wrong in our lives – and how this alienates us from each other, and ultimately, God. Darek is the oldest brother in the family; the leader and a real hero. He’s a wildland firefighter and a widower who’s had to give up his job to come home and run the resort and care for his young son. Darek doesn’t realize he has a problem – he lives with anger on his shoulder, hating the man who killed his wife (his best friend). His real problem is that he can’t forgive himself. In this first story, readers meet the family, hang out at the resort and discover that God can redeem even a heart of stone, if we take a chance on Him.

4. What lessons or truths will your readers find in the pages of this novel?

This book is for the person who feels they just can’t get past the anger they have for someone else to live in joy again. It’s for parents who see their children making bad choices and don’t know where to turn. It’s for people who believe that no one will ever really love them because of who they are, or the things they’ve done. It’s for people who need the courage to take a second chance on love and faith and family. I’m hoping readers walk away with a sense of how much God loves them, and that yes, He can heal the angry and broken-hearted.

5. How do you expect this new series to resonate with your audience? How do you want your books to make them feel?

Great question! I love a story that brings me on an emotional journey from anger to laughter to hope. But most of all, I want readers to be wrapped up in joy, that feeling we get when watch our football team win, or when we’re hands up in a convertible on a hot summer day, or digging our feet into a sandy beach, or hugging our loved one when they return home. Ah. The sense that, just for a moment, all is right in the world and everything tastes and feels delicious. I write romances, and in the end it’s worth the journey to the happily ever after.

To read an excerpt from Chapter 1, click here.

When Forced to Follow, Take Time to Pray

2013-04-19T09:51:00.000-04:00

As I was getting onto the freeway yesterday, I came up behind a car that was moving just a tad, well, actually, much too slowly.

Friendly Public Service Announcement of the Day: Just in case your driving instructor never told you or maybe you forgot, one must accelerate when getting onto the freeway, so that by the time one reaches the end of the ramp, one will be able to merge into traffic easily—and not cause drivers behind one lots of stress.

That said, this car was crawling up the on-ramp at a speed normally reserved for residential neighborhoods—or maybe just school zones. I started to become concerned about my prospects of actually getting to get on the freeway. Then I noticed the purple heart on the car’s license plate and the words “Combat Wounded” on the license plate frame.

Forgetting my frustrations and following at the slow car’s pace, I imagined some of the sights, sounds, traumas and experiences this soldier might have gone through. Then I imagined the fears, worries, and concerns of his family. (Yes. At the pace he was travelling, I had plenty of time to imagine all of this.) As I imagined each scenario, I let it prompt a prayer for this soldier, his family, and others like him.

Then, after I was safely on the freeway, around the slow-moving car, and into the steady, middle lane, I started thinking of other identifiers I often see on cars. Cancer and autism came to mind first. I realized that those magnets don't have to just make me aware. Seeing them can invite me to pray.

Next I thought of the happy, little stick figure people that identify the members of a vehicle’s family: mother, father, teenage girl or boy, younger children, children who play sports, babies, cats, dogs, and field mice. These don’t indicate problems to pray for, but they give me specific people for whom to pray—to a point. I may not know their names, but God does. He also knows their concerns. And so I can pray.

Let’s watch this week to see what identifiers we see on the backs of cars we must follow. Then, as we follow, let’s use the time to pray.

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Farming in God's Kingdom

2013-04-15T13:22:00.000-04:00

“Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.” –Mark 4:3-8

There are so many layers to this parable told by Jesus. He explains it to His disciples in Mark 4:13-20, but, even there, He leaves some elements open to interpretation. As I consider different possibilities, I wonder if He did this on purpose. Several do speak truth. Perhaps Jesus wants us to ponder them all over time.

For example, we know from Jesus’ explanation that the Seed represents God’s Word. Jesus doesn’t identify the farmer, though. If the farmer is God Himself, giving His Word to all people, then my place in the story, as a follower of Christ, is to work the soil, to love people in Jesus’ name, to represent my Father well, so that when the Word reaches them, they’ll be ready to receive it and produce a bumper crop! I can’t do this alone; the Holy Spirit works through me.

Perhaps I’m the farmer in the story, though. Jesus commanded us to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). He promised to be with us in this endeavor. Applied to Jesus' story, this parable gives me a task to complete, yet releases me from any other individual’s choice. My job is to tell other people about Jesus. Some with whom I share will embrace His story and begin to follow Him; others will reject Jesus, fall away over time, or become distracted by the cares of this world. Jesus told us to spread the Seed. If it fails to grow even though we’ve done our best to nurture it, the failure is not ours. People always have a choice. Free will is one of God's gifts.

Then again, maybe I’m the soil in the story. This possibility puts a huge responsibility on me! First of all, I have to do all I can to be sure I’m able to receive the Word well. I pray. I read my Bible. I worship and study with other believers. I keep my mind and heart open to God at all times. Second, I must nurture the Seed that comes, so that it will be sure to grow. If I allow thorns to grow in my garden, they might choke out plants that could produce seeds for someone else. In other words, I need to live a life that honors God, so others will want to live for Him as well.

Father, whether I’m cultivating the soil, spreading the Word, or cultivating growing plants, help me to work faithfully. Thank You for sending Your Son and Your Spirit and for the privilege of working in Your Kingdom with their help. Let the Seed land in fertile soil, grow up strong, and produce so much more. For the good of all people and the glory of Your name. We love You, Lord. Amen.

Book Review: The Icecutter's Daughter

2013-04-08T09:11:00.000-04:00

If it’s true that the reason people read novels is to worry, then The Icecutter’s Daughter fulfills its mission well. This story made me anxious! Actually, it was Svea, Rurik’s ex-fiance’, who made me anxious. Beware of petite and pretty, prissy things who desperately want their own way!

The story isn’t about Svea, though. Merrill Krause is The Icecutter’s Daughter for whom the book is named. Merrill is the youngest child of seven, and the only daughter. When her mother dies, Merrill dedicates her life to caring for all the men in her household. She cooks, she cleans, she helps with the ice harvest, she cares for the horses and delivers their babies. And in her spare time (?), she paints. (I’m still trying to figure out how she had enough spare time to bake and deliver treats to neighbors in town. Merrill puts the legendary Proverbs 31 Woman to shame!)

But Merrill is approaching age 21, and her father and adopted grandmother have begun to despair that she will ever marry and start a family of her own—especially with a bunch of older brothers effectively chasing all would be suitors away.

I enjoyed reading Merrill’s story and loved how everything worked out in the end—even for Svea. Readers who like Christian fiction in historical settings will enjoy this book, too. I received a complimentary copy of The Icecutter's Daughter from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for this honest review.

Book Review: The House That Love Built

2013-03-30T11:03:00.000-04:00

The House That Love Built by Beth Wiseman is a book packed full of fun surprises! She starts with two broken people: a young widow with two children who’d been abandoned by her father as a young teenager and a recently divorced man who chooses to act out his bitterness toward his ex-wife by purchasing a large home in the small town where she’d always dreamed of living: Smithville, Texas, the town where the movie Hope Floats is set. Because this home is in need of many repairs, Owen, the divorced newcomer, quickly meets Brooke, the young widow, who just happens to own and run the local hardware store.

As these two become friends and strive to help each other work through their brokenness and toward forgiveness, they encounter one person after another after another in need of their love and compassion. Hunter, the troubled 17-year-old, is my favorite of these. He complicates the story greatly when Owen attempts to help him turn his life around only to learn that Brooke was emotionally wounded by Hunter and wants nothing to do with him.

Love, forgiveness, and emotional healing are the beautifully-explored themes of this book that I thoroughly enjoyed reading and most definitely recommend. I thank Thomas Nelson Publishers for the complimentary eCopy I received in exchange for this honest review.

What I'm Learning from Deeply Loved: the Conclusion

2013-03-26T15:30:00.001-04:00

I finished my 40-day journey through Keri Wyatt Kent’s book, Deeply Loved, today. After 38 days of ideas for practicing the Presence of God in order to more deeply recognize His love, the book ended on a strong note with, first, a day of looking back to reflect on what I’d learned from the book, then, second, a day of celebration, joyful worship, and thanking God for all He’s done. I enjoyed reading this book and am confident that many of the lessons and practices introduced will stick with me.

On page 186, in the middle of Day 39, Kent says, “The goal of the spiritual life is not to become adept at spiritual disciplines or busy with religious activity. It is to become more aware of how deeply loved you are, so much so that you extend that love to others. It is to live a fruitful life.” Yet, practicing the disciplines and activities collected in Deeply Loved will certainly help readers to reach this spiritual goal. Experiencing the heart of Jesus and sharing Him with others is exactly what growing Christians strive to open themselves up for every day of life.

I received a complimentary copy of Deeply Loved for my honest review. It is a tool I’ll be reading through and studying often. I recommend it to you, too!

Romans 8:1—On My Mind

2013-03-25T13:07:00.000-04:00

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” –Romans 8:1

No condemnation. Not from God—once we’ve accepted Christ as our Savior, we are adopted into His Kingdom as His very own children! Not from Satan—though he loves to accuse us anyway. (Do not listen to him!) Not from other people—whom we might be tempted to hear, who might try to put expectations on us that God Himself does not. Not even, perhaps especially, from our own selves.

In his book, Life of the Beloved, Henri Nouwen says, “Over the years, I have come to realize that the greatest trap in our life is not success, popularity, or power, but self-rejection.” He goes on to show that rejecting oneself is, in essence, a rejection of God’s acceptance. If God has accepted us as His children, His beloved children, then we must accept ourselves as His beloved, too.

This does not mean that we ignore the Holy Spirit’s conviction. When we think He might be pointing out any kind of disobedience in our life, we must listen, evaluate, study, and pray. The Holy Spirit does not convict in order to condemn, though. Rather, he shows us what stands between our beloved life and a closer relationship with our Father God Who loves. He convicts us out of this great love. Our obedient response returns that love.

Romans 8:1 may be a short and simple memory verse, but it’s a powerful reminder of where we stand with God. When anything in the world, including our own mind, tries to convince us that we’re no good—condemned, Romans 8:1 is our defense. Those who are in Christ Jesus enjoy a growing relationship with the Father Who perfectly loves.

Thank You, Jesus, for making salvation possible—not only salvation from sin and for eternity, but also for a growing relationship with our Father Who loves us so right now. Remind us often that we are not condemned, but beloved. Help us to enjoy the peace that comes from knowing this and to respond to every prompting of Your Spirit with loving obedience. With gratitude, we pray. Amen.

Book Review: A Matter of Trust

2013-03-21T11:59:00.001-04:00

A Matter of Trust is Lis Wiehl’s best book yet. The first of her Mia Quinn Mysteries, written with April Henry, A Matter of Trust is a complex crime story, full of surprises and suspense. Mia Quinn is a newly widowed mother of two who has just resumed her position as a prosecutor. As she struggles to balance work and family alone, she faces unique challenges with both of her children and financially, as she discovers some secrets her husband had been keeping from her. When her best friend and fellow prosecutor is murdered, Mia is assigned to the case, but only accepts it on the condition that she can keep working another case, one she believes must be pursued, though her boss and others do not agree. As readers try to figure out who done it, they’ll also be wondering how Mia will manage all she must.

One theme subtly woven through the book is that people and circumstances aren’t always what they seem to be. Mia and the other characters in the book make all kinds of assumptions about the people they encounter throughout the book only to learn that they are wrong, for good or bad. What matters is doing the right thing as far as you are concerned and placing trust carefully where it has been earned. Forgiveness, compassion, and giving others the opportunity to make things right when possible are also stressed.

I enjoyed reading this book and will look forward to the next Mia Quinn Mystery. I thank Thomas Nelson Publishers for sending this one in exchange for my honest review.

What I'm Learning from Deeply Loved, Week 5

2013-03-19T14:25:00.001-04:00

In today’s devotional, Author Keri Wyatt Kent reminded her readers of the purpose of her new book: “Throughout this book we’ve looked at various spiritual disciplines or practices that can connect us with our identity as deeply loved children of God." From there she goes on to tell readers about the discipline of service, “the path to growth into Christlikeness.” Service is the discipline that helps us apply to life what we've learned, what God’s Spirit is developing in us. For the Christian, it’s a love offering to God that shows how we’re maturing as His children. I appreciated that reminder this week.

My favorite reading, however, was Day 31: Remember. I often write on this blog about learning to hear God’s voice, to recognize it in the object lessons He sends our way each day. He may use the misbehavior of another driver on the highway to speak to us about an attitude He’s trying to develop in our hearts. Or we may notice something unusual in nature and realize that it teaches a truth about our God. The thing is, we won’t recognize these daily object lessons unless we’ve first learned to know God’s voice by reading, studying, absorbing, and memorizing Scripture--every day! If we want to hear God’s voice, to recognize His Truth, we start by learning all we can about His Word.

Knowing God is teaching us something assures us we are deeply loved. Using what He's taught us to serve others is one way to return that love. We are God's deeply loved children! We listen and learn; we obey.

Psalm 59:16--On My Mind

2013-03-18T13:17:00.000-04:00

“But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.” –Psalm 59:16

One of the best ways to clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, along with all the other virtues of Colossians 3:12-17, is to remind ourselves early and often of God’s strength and love. I've discovered that it’s when I fear trouble or feel the need to protect myself from an earthly attack that I find it most difficult to act toward others as I wish them to act toward me. Yet, when I’m confident of God’s love and power and know that He is my refuge come what may, then I’m free to offer whatever I have, whatever others need as God leads. I forgive because I’ve been forgiven. I love because God loves me and lives in me. I care about other people, whether or not they care about me, because God is my refuge and strength. Without Him I am vulnerable. With Him, I’m enabled to offer what it is I have that others most need.

Lord, help us sing of your strength and love. May we wake with praise songs flowing out of our hearts, then continue to sing them with our mouths or in our minds throughout each day. Remind us Whose we are and Where our fortress is. Let the praises we sing fill us with confidence as we faithfully serve You, Lord. Help us represent You well. We're grateful for Your strength and love.

Book Review: Shattered

2013-03-13T12:37:00.001-04:00

Shattered by Dani Pettrey is the second book in her outstanding Alaskan Courage series. I’ve enjoyed both stories which revolve around the McKenna family—three brothers and two sisters who run an outdoor adventure business in Yancey, Alaska. Shattered is the story of youngest sister, Piper, doing all she can, against all odds, to prove brother Reef’s innocence in a brutal murder. Helping, along with her other siblings, are Deputy Landon Grainger, a long-time friend of the family, and Darcy St. James, a determined reporter who also believes in Reef’s innocence.

Author Pettrey describes herself as a writer of inspirational romantic suspense and says she loves this genre because it combines the” thrill of adventure” with “nail-biting suspense,” a “deepening of her characters’ faith,” and “plenty of romance.” This story definitely does all that while focusing on the relationships of an interesting family that promises to grow with each new book. I can’t wait to see which family member will find his or her life’s mate next—and what mystery or challenge the McKenna’s will have to safely solve in order for that to happen.

I thank Bethany House Publishers for sending a complimentary copy of this book for my honest review.

What I'm Learning from Deeply Loved, Week 4

2013-03-12T07:16:00.000-04:00

Yesterday’s devotional was my favorite from my on-going study of Keri Wyatt Kent’s book, Deeply Loved, this week. The title of the devotional was Hurry, but the discipline is the opposite. Kent presents an analogy of a jar of river water. When you shake it up, the water becomes muddy and unclear. If you set it down and leave it alone, however, the sediment sinks to the bottom, so you can see through the water again. Hurrying through life is like shaking the jar of river water. When we need clarity in our lives, we must sit still.

Each devotional in this book ends with an activity that Kent calls Presence Practice. I found this especially meaningful with this devotional. Along with reminding us to sit quietly in God’s Presence, asking Him for clarity, Kent reminds us to discipline ourselves to focus on just one activity at a time as we work our way through each day. When we strive to multi-task, juggling everything at once, we’re more prone to hurry and probably get less done.

To recover from the panic of hurry, we need to practice God’s Presence while practicing being present (not just physically, but with our minds as well) wherever we are.

Did You Know?

2013-03-09T07:11:00.000-05:00

I know I've mentioned the Tyndale Rewards program in the past, but did you know you don't even have to have a blog to participate in this program and earn free books? Unlike book blogging programs that give the reviewer free books in exchange for honest reviews posted on their blogs, Tyndale Rewards lets the reviewer post reviews on consumer retail sites like Amazon.com or ChristianBook.com. No blog required! And they'll let you review any Tyndale book you'd like to review, so, if you've read a Tyndale book in the past that you remember well because you enjoyed it so much, you can post a short review about it on any retail site that carries it, then earn yourself 10 points toward your choice of a free new book that you can review or not--your choice. I've earned four books since I joined the program in October--I happily recommend it to anyone who loves to read.

To join, simply click here and enter your e-mail above the nifty little promo code that will give you 25 free points to start with. Then follow the instructions to start earning great new books!

What I’m Learning from Deeply Loved, Week 3

2013-03-05T12:41:00.001-05:00

As I continue to read through Keri Wyatt Kent’s book, Deeply Loved, for Lent, I’m tempted just to offer you several quotes from the book to show what I’m learning, what’s standing out to me. Some of those quotes would be her quotes from other people's books. Kent has done her research—C.S. Lewis, Richard Foster, Brother Lawrence, Gary Thomas; in a lot of ways, her book is a collection of lessons Kent herself has learned. But, I think this is something that must be true of every Christian writer. We learn from the Bible and from those who’ve studied the Bible for themselves. We process the truths we glean from our studies. Then we write them out, first, to cement the new lessons in our own minds, and next, to teach others who read.

That said, if I only offer you quotes from her book, I’m missing out on the cementing-the-lessons-in-my-own-mind step. And today’s lesson, especially, is one I want to cement!

Today’s lesson was the discipline of simplicity. I’ve heard of this and have Richard Foster’s classic book, Freedom of Simplicity, sitting on my shelf waiting to be read. But Kent gave me a great head start on this concept today.

Simplicity is not about organizing our stuff in order to make it more manageable. It also is not about cleaning out the clutter and giving all but the bare minimum away. (These two common misperceptions of what simplicity is may be why I haven’t gotten around to reading Foster’s book yet.) What simplicity is, is getting our priorities straight.

Kent explains that we often try to fill empty spaces in our lives with either stuff or activity. But God creates these spaces within us, so that we can fill them with Him. When we realize this and fill those spaces with an awareness of God’s Presence, we lose our desire for too much to do or for too much stuff. We learn to be content with enough. In Kent’s words, “Simplicity shapes our desires—putting our desire for Jesus ahead of our desire for things and our desire for the approval of others.” (Note: Too much activity is usually a quest for approval from other people. You can read more about this in yesterday's post.)

To practice the discipline of simplicity, we can do two things. One, when we feel restless and are tempted to cure that restlessness by obtaining more stuff or engaging in more activity, we can use the restless feeling as a cue to spend some time with God. Two, when we’re tempted to buy or keep more than we need, we can practice using the word enough. Kent says we can even make a challenge of trying to get along with just what we have (for a time), letting the struggle to do this remind us to pray and praise. The more we’re thankful for whatever we have, the more we’ll recognize Jesus and the more content we will be.

Galatians 1:10--On My Mind

2013-03-04T14:04:00.000-05:00

“Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.” –Galatians 1:10

I love this verse! Whenever I stumble across it, it reminds me to do a focus check—especially if I’m struggling with the anxiety that often accompanies a desire to people-please. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to make other people happy, of course. But, if making other people happy is my primary focus, I will always be questioning myself, wondering what I could have done to make them happier or if I’d succeeded at all. I can’t read other people’s minds, so I’ll never really know if they are sincere when they express appreciation or angry at me if they don’t. And what if what makes them happy doesn’t please me—or worse, doesn’t please the Lord I love?! One causes great inner turmoil; the other can lead to sin. Living for the pleasure of other people can be a frustrating and fruitless, even perilous, pursuit.

Thankfully, living to please God is not this way. No—we probably won’t get verbal words of praise or feel encouraging pats on the back. (This may be why it’s so easy to fall into the people-pleasing trap. We like those words of affirmation and encouragement!) We can, however, know that God loves us unconditionally—so much so that He sent His One and only Son to die on the cross in order to make a personal relationship with Him possible! We also can know what kinds of attitudes and behaviors He expects from us. In fact, as we’ve been learning from Colossians 3:12-17, He’ll even help us clothe ourselves with these. We can read His Word and talk with Him in prayer whenever we’re unsure of what to do or how to react. And, when He is silent, we can live in confidence anyway. If we’re doing our best, according to the knowledge we have, our God is totally pleased.

I’ve chosen this verse to put on my mind this week, so that I won’t have to stumble across it by coincidence anymore. Once it’s in my head, God’s Spirit will be able to bring it to the front of my mind more easily—whenever I need a focus check. It’s Christ, I serve. It’s His approval that I crave.

Father, thank You for this apt reminder that You are the One we serve. We live for Your pleasure and find ours in pleasing You. Help us in this endeavor. We are completely dependent on You. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Rejoicing Inasmuch as All That

2013-03-01T16:04:00.002-05:00

“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.” –1 Peter 4:12-16

On Monday, I introduced 1 Peter 4:13 as my On My Mind verse for this week. At that time, instead of telling what I was learning from the verse, why I chose it, or what it meant to me, I got all tangled up in that crazy 3-in-1 word inasmuch. But I promised to come back to the verse, and that’s what I’m doing today.

If I want to be overjoyed when Jesus’ glory is revealed, it seems I must answer the question, “How do I participate in the sufferings of Christ?” And why? And maybe even to what degree? Where can I find a good persecutor? And how much am I willing to endure to rejoice inasmuch as all that?

Or, maybe, if I study the verses that surround 1 Peter 4:13, I’ll realize that I don’t have to figure those things out at all. If I do my part, as Peter is encouraging me to, the Bible assures me persecution will come to me.

Oh . . . yay?

When I was a little girl, our denomination published missionary books for children to read. These told the true stories of missionaries serving all over the world. I couldn’t get enough of these. The missionaries always died at the end of their own biographies, which led to me crying inconsolably over the loss of people who'd actually died close to fifty years before I even read of their existence. My poor parents. But I still loved to read those books!

My favorites were Daughter of the King: The Story of Missionary Fairy Chism and Esther of the Andes: The Story of Esther Carson Winans. I still remember that in Esther’s story, the author told of a time when Esther and her husband were taken captive. Though they didn’t know what their captors had planned, they rejoiced that they might be persecuted for sharing their beliefs. They thanked God that they’d be able to participate in the sufferings of Christ.

I was too young at the time to really understand what persecution and suffering for Christ were all about, but, evidently, the idea stuck with me. I still take it out to think on from time to time. That’s probably what attracted me to 1 Peter 4:13.

According to Peter, in verse 12, the Christians he was writing to didn’t seek persecution—to any degree! It came on them by surprise in the form of a fiery ordeal. Peter told them they shouldn’t have been surprised. They bore Jesus’ name!

It makes perfect sense. When we live as Jesus did, we’ll be treated as He was.

Whoa! Just typing those words takes my breath away.

Look at them again: When we live as Jesus did, we’ll be treated as He was.

Now think back over everything you know about Jesus and how people treated him when He lived as a person here on Planet Earth. Some people loved Him—this is true. But others questioned Him, insulted Him, misunderstood Him, plotted against Him, betrayed Him, threatened Him, tried Him, unjustly convicted Him, beat Him, and, ultimately, put Him to death on the cross.

I don’t want to suffer to that extent.

But Jesus didn’t want to either. Just take a look at Him sweating as if drops of blood were being wrung from His face in the Garden of Gethsemane. Hebrews 12:2 tells us that Jesus died on the cross for the joy set before Him, scorning the shame of the cross and sitting down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Jesus chose the cross. He suffered for the joy that would follow when His mission was accomplished—our salvation made possible, through His sacrifice.

We don’t choose suffering. But we choose Jesus. And when we do, His Spirit begins to make us over into His image. We live for Him. We live like Him. Suffering comes.

In this we can rejoice! First, it affirms God’s work in our lives. If people are giving us a hard time for following Jesus, we must be doing something right. Something that honors His name! Second, it gives us confidence that, when His glory is revealed—when He comes back for His people someday—we’ll be overjoyed to see Him. With Him, we will celebrate His eternal victory.

How’s the memory work coming? I’m struggling a little this week, but will keep working on it. In the meantime, I’m just thankful for the opportunity to ponder on this verse.

Jesus, thank You for the gift of salvation and all that You suffered to make it available to me. Help me to live a life that honors You—no matter what comes my way. For the glory of Your name and the hope of eternity. I love you, Lord! Amen.

What I’m Learning from Deeply Loved, Week 2

2013-02-26T13:14:00.000-05:00

As I’ve mentioned in a few previous posts, for Lent, I’m reading through Keri Wyatt Kent’s new book, Deeply Loved: 40 Ways in 40 Days to Experience the Heart of Jesus. This week’s disciplines, Days 6-12, were just as inspiring as last week’s. The one I’ve found most challenging, however, may come as a bit of a surprise.

Kent calls Day 10’s discipline, Quiet. Being as I am a very quiet person by nature, you’d think this would come easily for me. However, the idea isn’t to just be quiet. It is to quiet your mind, so you can pay attention to your surroundings and listen for God’s voice.

I do not have a quiet mind.

I discovered this most clearly early this morning when I woke at 2AM and couldn’t get back to sleep. I decided at that point that 2AM could probably be an opportune time to practice this whole quiet thing. But my brain would not stop talking to me! I prayed, but that’s my mind talking to God. Not a waste of time, but not quiet either. I think I ended up writing three blog posts in my head and listening to several of my favorite contemporary Christian songs which almost never stop playing in my head. Does actually paying attention to them at 2AM count as being quiet?

In her book, Kent tells of turning off the radio in her car in order to practice this discipline while travelling from one appointment to another. (I gave this a try a few months ago, too. Click here to see what I learned then.) In Kent’s account, she begins by noticing nature and recognizing Jesus’ Presence with her wherever she goes. She then talks with Him about her family, friends, and plans for the day. It’s when she runs out of things to pray about that the quiet becomes awkward, even frightening. Kent helps her readers understand that it is at this point that God allows our issues to come to the forefront of our minds where He can help us deal with them. We usually keep these issues, such as fear, anger, and doubt, squelched by filling our minds with noise: radios, television programs, busyness, and, as I’ve come to realize, even seemingly silent books.

I’m thankful Kent brought this to my attention. I’m looking forward to practicing this discipline more often—just, hopefully, not often at 2AM.