WORD up!

Lesson 4 of “1 Peter: Finding Encouragement in Troubling Times – A Sue Edwards Inductive Bible Study” talks primarily about servanthood. One of the blog study questions from the publisher was “What does it mean to entrust yourself to the one who judges justly? Is there a situation in your life that you need to give to God?” To entrust yourself to the one who judges justly is to completely and totally trust God. It is to trust that whatever our Heavenly Father allows to touch our lives, regardless of whether we think it is a good or a bad thing, is what’s best for His plan and His glory and also for us. He is not a cruel Father who would hurt His kids. Personally, I need to entrust every day to Him. I need to trust Him with my ministry, my health, my job, my relationships. I need to consciously stop doing things in my own power and allow Him to work through me. I think the situation I need to give to God is my health. I am a breast cancer survivor and I grew very close to Jesus

Please forgive this rough draft format, as these are my raw study notes on the book of Acts. I felt a great sense of urgency to publish them rather than waiting until I had the time to pretty them up. Thank you and I pray that God blesses and encourages you through this material. Stay strong. Live in the Spirit. Encourage each other. Pray. Jesus is coming… Stacey Take a few minutes to pray and savor chapter 16 of the book of Acts. Read it with the thought in mind that this is the first display of the power of the Holy Spirit working through man – aside from Christ, that is. Imagine what the Spirit can do through you if you let Him! Then return here and ponder the thoughts, answer the questions, and be sure to leave comments about your own revelations… 16:10 – we – Luke was with them. 16:15 – members of her household – no husband? • The book of Acts teaches us much about what the Holy Spirit is capable of doing through a mortal life. What have you learned about how He wants to work t

Lesson 3 of “1 Peter: Finding Encouragement in Troubling Times – A Sue Edwards Inductive Bible Study” talks primarily about our call as Christians to ministry as priests. What a fantastic honor and responsibility! That places us in quite an elite group with Jesus as our High Priest. I really can’t completely grasp all that this honor entails. Maybe when I finish this 1 Peter study, I will do my own study on the priesthood throughout the Bible so that I might know what my responsibility really is. My ministry has varied over the years. I’ve been involved in choir and drama. I’ve facilitated adult Bible studies and taught Sunday School. I’ve spent time in the nursery and taught children. I’ve maintained a Bible Study Blog for several years, and review books. I’ve encouraged others through cards, letters and emails of prayers that I’ve said for them. I’ve brought gifts to the medical professionals who treated me for cancer. One constant has remained through each of these activi

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book! You never know when I might play a wild card on you! Today's Wild Card author is: Ronie Kendig and the book: Firethorn, Discarded Heroes #4 Barbour Books; Discarded Heroes edition (2012) ***Special thanks to Ronie Kendig for sending me a review copy.*** ABOUT THE AUTHOR: An Army brat, Ronie Kendig grew up in the classic military family, with her father often TDY and her mother holding down the proverbial fort. Their family moved often, which left Ronie attending six schools by the time she’d entered fourth grade. Her

Please forgive this rough draft format, as these are my raw study notes on the book of Acts. I felt a great sense of urgency to publish them rather than waiting until I had the time to pretty them up. Thank you and I pray that God blesses and encourages you through this material. Stay strong. Live in the Spirit. Encourage each other. Pray. Jesus is coming… Stacey Take a few minutes to pray and savor chapter 15 of the book of Acts. Read it with the thought in mind that this is the first display of the power of the Holy Spirit working through man – aside from Christ, that is. Imagine what the Spirit can do through you if you let Him! Then return here and ponder the thoughts, answer the questions, and be sure to leave comments about your own revelations… 15:1 – This was an elitist viewpoint presented by the Pharisees (see v. 5) that placed Jews above Gentiles. see Galatians 2:1. 15:2 – Perhaps the issue couldn’t be resolved because the people now lacked confidence in the preachers. En

“Smitten” is an anthology of four romantic novellas about a small town and its inhabitants. Penned by four of the foremost Christian romance authors, each tale can be read independently, but complement each other perfectly. When the lumber mill in Smitten closes, the very survival of the town and its people is threatened. Then a few of the local ladies come up with the idea to capitalize on the town’s name and turn the community into a tourist destination for lovers and honeymooners. ***Colleen Coble’s tale, “Natalie: Birthday Wish” follows Smitten resident Natalie, part of the foursome who came up with the idea of turning Smitten into a lover’s paradise. She runs the local coffee shop with her mother and has her hands full raising her sister’s daughter, Mia. She believed when her sister claimed that Carson Smitten was Mia’s father, but now that Natalie is falling for Carson, she is having her doubts. ****“Julia: Small Town, Big Dreams”, Kristen Billerbeck’s contribution, is a

Lesson 2 of “1 Peter: Finding Encouragement in Troubling Times – A Sue Edwards Inductive Bible Study” provoked some intriguing thought. Challenged by the truth that the mind must be transformed for true change to take place, this week’s study has led me to glean an understanding that I must secure whatever might trip me up in my own thinking. Faulty thinking when it comes to God is not an option because it will taint everything we think and believe about Him. God gives us understanding through the Holy Spirit. Scripture tells us not to lean on our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5). Why? Because things of God cannot be understood with human wisdom. The gospel is foolishness to non-believers. God makes worldly wisdom foolishness. God chose the foolish things to shame the wise. Romans 12:2 says “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and per

First of all, I would like to extend a heartfelt “Thank you” to Kathryn Bechen and her publisher for sending me a copy of "Small Space Organizing" to review for them. I am truly grateful for this generosity. I really appreciate the time, effort and expense it takes to make a reviewer copy available to me. I am thrilled to be a reviewer for Kathryn Bechen’s book, “Small Space Organizing: A Room-by-room Guide to Maximizing Your Space”. I don’t live in a small home, but my family does have some unique challenges that make this book a valuable resource. First of all, our kids’ bedrooms are on the small side, so getting the most out of that space can be pretty important to a teenage girl. We’ve converted my oldest daughter’s bedroom into an office because she and her husband just moved into our basement/family room. So, using this book to create for them a defined space that gives them both living and sleeping quarters was essential. I love Kathryn’s quote at the beginning of the

Please forgive this rough draft format, as these are my raw study notes on the book of Acts. I felt a great sense of urgency to publish them rather than waiting until I had the time to pretty them up. Thank you and I pray that God blesses and encourages you through this material. Stay strong. Live in the Spirit. Encourage each other. Pray. Jesus is coming… Stacey Take a few minutes to pray and savor chapter 14 of the book of Acts. Read it with the thought in mind that this is the first display of the power of the Holy Spirit working through man – aside from Christ, that is. Imagine what the Spirit can do through you if you let Him! Then return here and ponder the thoughts, answer the questions, and be sure to leave comments about your own revelations… 14:1-4 – Paul and Barnabas were rejected because of their message – God’s message – but their dependence on God didn’t waiver. 14:5-7 – see 2 Timothy 3:10-11. 14:11-15 – Paul and Barnabas were misunderstood, but they had sufficient kno

Lesson 1 of “1 Peter: Finding Encouragement in Troubling Times – A Sue Edwards Inductive Bible Study” was quite a challenge. I was particularly intrigued by the “Summit” question about God’s sovereignty versus our responsibility on page 12. Here is the rough essay I wrote containing my thoughts on the subject: The references to “God’s elect” in 1 Peter 1:1 and “chosen” in verse 2 to describe the recipients of Peter’s epistle brings up intriguing questions on the topic of God’s sovereignty versus human responsibility. Why has God chosen some people and not others? Did those who were chosen have a part in their salvation by choosing God? Since I am resolved to work out my faith with fear and trembling, here are my thoughts on the subject. I do realize that full and complete knowledge on this subject is beyond my understanding and that any insight I glean on this topic comes directly from the Holy Spirit. My views on this subject are unimportant. Only the truth truly matters. One truth th

About the book: The Shadow of Your Smile A beautiful blanket of snow may cover the quaint town of Deep Haven each winter, but it can’t quite hide the wreckage of Noelle and Eli Hueston’s marriage. After twenty-five years, they’re contemplating divorce . . . just as soon as their youngest son graduates from high school. But then an accident erases part of Noelle's memory. Though her other injuries are minor, she doesn’t remember Eli, their children, or the tragedy that has ripped their family apart. What’s more, Noelle is shocked that her life has turned out nothing like she dreamed it would. As she tries to regain her memory and slowly steps into her role as a wife and mother, Eli helps her readjust to daily life with sometimes-hilarious, sometimes-heartwarming results. But can she fall in love again with a man she can’t remember? Will their secrets destroy them . . . or has erasing the past given them a chance for a future? Read the story behind the story here: http://www.susanmay

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book! You never know when I might play a wild card on you! Today's Wild Card author is: Denise Hunter and the book: The Accidental Bride Thomas Nelson (January 3, 2012) ***Special thanks to Audra Jennings – The B&B Media Group – for sending me a review copy.*** ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Denise lives in Indiana with her husband Kevin and their three sons. In 1996, Denise began her first book, a Christian romance novel, writing while her children napped. Two years later it was published, and she's been writing ever since.