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Lesson 8 of “1 Peter: Finding Encouragement in Troubling Times – A Sue Edwards Inductive Bible Study” led me to consider my own mortality and how I am serving Christ in light of the fact that my life is a fleeting vapor that appears for a short time then disappears. In Ecclesiastes 7:1-4, Solomon says that death comes to every man and is better than birth. I believe that very few of us acknowledge that we are going to die. We fear death. But we shouldn’t fear it if we’re Christian because death means being in Christ’s presence. Still, the point should be that we’re not dead, yet, so what does God want us to do with our time on earth? Peter places great priority on prayer. An authentic, consistent prayer life is greatly enhanced by clear-mindedness and self-control. Both of these qualities afford a discipline to my own prayer life that makes that part of my life engaging and satisfying. Discerning and serving the Lord and others in the realm of our spiritual gifts is another way w...

First of all, I would like to extend a heartfelt “Thank you” to Laurie Alice Eakes and her publisher for sending me a copy of "Heart's Safe Passage" 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. Laurie Alice Eakes’ “Heart’s Safe Passage” is a beautiful second novel in her Midwives Series. When Phoebe’s sister-in-law begs her to join her on an ocean voyage that she hope will lead to the rescue of her incarcerated husband, Phoebe is less than thrilled. Even after she learns that the reason Belinda wants Phoebe to come is because she is pregnant and wants someone she trusts to deliver the child if necessary. Captain Rafe Docherty is even less thrilled than Phoebe that she is aboard his ship. He is bent on avenging the murders of his wife and parents and doesn’t want to be distracted by a new love or the Lord. This is a well-written romantic adventure that wil...

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: Cheryl Moeller and the book: Creative Slow-Cooker Meals: Use Two Slow Cookers for Tasty and Easy Dinners [Spiral-Bound] Harvest House Publishers; Spi edition (February 1, 2012) ***Special thanks to Karri James, Marketing Assistant, Harvest House Publishers for sending me a review copy.*** ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Cheryl Moeller is a seasoned mother and a standup comic. She is also a syndicated columnist with her own blog ( www.momlaughs.blogs...

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 20 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… 20:7-12 – one of my favorite stories in scripture. We can hear the same message or messenger for so long that we fall asleep! See 1 Kings 17:7; 2 Kings 4:34; Genesis 35:6; Psalm 57:8 – each tragedy could’ve tainted their ministry and r...

Lesson 7 of “1 Peter: Finding Encouragement in Troubling Times – A Sue Edwards Inductive Bible Study” led me to contemplate my effectiveness as a witness. The Bible tells us that we should always be prepared to give an account for the hope that we have. In essence, this means that we should always be ready to share Christ with others because He is our hope. When I envision a godly woman witnessing for Christ, I see someone who lives sacrificially. She abundantly displays the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control) through her actions and her words. She has a genuine love for God’s people and sees the potential that everyone has to be one of God’s people. She looks for opportunities to share Christ with others. Personally, I don’t live very sacrificially. I still cater to my own desires more often than not. But I am improving: making choices that inconvenience me but make a situation easier on someone else. ...

First of all, I would like to extend a heartfelt “Thank you” to Cec Murphey and his publisher for sending me a copy of "Making Sense When Life Doesn't" 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. Cecil Murphey’s “Making Sense When Life Doesn’t: The Secrets of Thriving in Tough Times” is a very timely read. This work is inspiring and thought-provoking. It has certainly primed this reader’s pump to think and pray differently. In the beginning of this work, a phrase appears regarding what Mr. Murphey believes his audience’s attitude should be toward tough times: “I’ve been preparing for this.” I don’t completely disagree. But I do prefer to give God the credit for preparing me for the things that come my way. Jesus has prepared me for every event I’ve ever encountered. Hallelujah! “Making Sense When Life Doesn’t” engages the reader completely with shor...

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 19 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… 19:2 – I didn’t really learn about the power of the Holy Spirit until many years after I was saved. In such cases, we probably hinder the work of the Spirit in our lives. 19:3 – John’s baptism looked forward to the promise of the Mess...

First of all, I would like to extend a heartfelt “Thank you” to Babbie Mason and her publisher for sending me a copy of "Embraced by God" 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. “Embraced by God” is a 21-day devotional by Babbie Mason that really touches the heart. The lengthy daily readings get the Christian in touch with the Heavenly Father who loves us so deeply, He sent His One and Only Son to die on our behalf. This is not a quick little devotional read to start your day. It’s a sizeable read to begin your day, but well worth the treasure of scripture and life application contained within.

DeeAnne Gist’s “Love on the Line” is a Christian romantic suspense triumph! Georgie Gail is an independent woman with a career as a telephone operator. Determined to care for herself rather than be at the mercy of any man, she loves her job and her garden that is home to many of the birds that she adores. When Luke Parker shows up to be the troubleman and salesman for the telephone company, that suits Georgie just fine until half of her job is taken from her and given to him. And when feelings between them begin to emerge, Georgie must decide whether their differences are enough to keep them apart. Luke has his own issues. He is actually Texas Ranger Lucious Landham on the trail of a notorious outlaw. Believing that he can track down the Comer Gang and their infamous Robin Hood-esque leader, Frank, he poses as the telephone and telegraph troubleman to have access to the community where he believes the Comers to be hiding. He never planned to fall for Georgie. But now that he ha...

Lesson 6 of “1 Peter: Finding Encouragement in Troubling Times – A Sue Edwards Inductive Bible Study” led me to consider the meaning of harmony and how I strive toward living in harmony with others. One of the easiest ways for me to understand harmony is through musical examples. When musical performers sing and play instruments in harmony with each other, the result is completely moving. The sound is rich and multi-dimensional. It is beautiful to experience harmony as an observer and as a participant. Harmony is about agreement. It involves timing. It’s about fitting together, which involves striving toward common goals. It’s about supporting each other and complementing each other. It’s about being a beautiful example of Christ’s body working together in love for both the outside world and the body itself. The only way to achieve harmony is to be a willing participant in God’s plan and give up your right to do anything but what God wills. Personally, I’m frequently unsuccess...

After a brush with death due to equipment failure, smokejumper Alexia Allen is ordered to take time off while the incident is under investigation. She makes a last-minute decision to recuperate at her mother's home and attend her high school reunion. Yet trouble seems to be following her, and within hours of arriving home she is confronted with murder, arson--and a handsome detective. But the conflicts ahead are nothing compared to the ghosts of her past. As she struggles to accept and forgive her family's past, she must also decide if the secret she's been guarding for the last ten years must finally come to light. Chock-full of the suspense and romantic tension you've come to expect from Lynette Eason, When the Smoke Clears is the explosive first book in the Deadly Reunions series. Here is my review of this entertaining fiction read: First of all, I would like to extend a heartfelt “Thank you” to Lynette Eason and her publisher for sending me a copy of "When the ...

Here is my review of this Bible study resource: First of all, I would like to extend a heartfelt “Thank you” to Phil Moore and his publisher for sending me a copy of "Straight to the Heart of Genesis" 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. “Straight to the Heart of Genesis” by Phil Moore is an incredible study resource. These bite-sized and information packed chapters are the perfect accompaniment to the study of the book of Genesis. I cannot wait to use it when I study Genesis next year in BSF! This reference book may not contain commentary on every verse in the book of Genesis, but it is an insightful volume that will enhance your study of scripture. It contains helpful footnotes that refer to valuable background information or other source materials. The only drawback to this book is that it is very apparent that the book is penned by a British autho...

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 18 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… 18:18-28 – see 1 Corinthians 16:19; Romans 16:3-5; 2 Timothy 4:19. 18:18 – this ended Paul’s Nazirite vow. See number 6:1-21. 18:19-21 – He will return about a year later. See 19:8. 18:23 – Paul’s 3rd missionary journey. 18:25 – instructe...

Lesson 5 of “1 Peter: Finding Encouragement in Troubling Times – A Sue Edwards Inductive Bible Study” made me take a deeper look at submitting to authority, marriage and relationships in general. I’ve looked at the saga of Abram and Sarai several times. But I believe this is the first time I haven’t judged them for their actions or lack thereof, but instead examined their motivations as human beings. This new outlook has brought me through a season of soul-searching to a place of humility. I should not feel superior to people who behave like human beings! I may not have the same temptations they do, but I do have my own areas of weakness. And instead of looking down my nose at someone else’s bad behavior, maybe I should use my strength in those areas to encourage them out of their disobedience rather than getting in their face and making them feel judged. Maybe I should be praying for their success rather than privately gloating over their failure because it makes me feel better ...

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 17 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… 17:1 – see 1 Thessalonians 1:1-2:12. 17:3 – explaining – dianoigo – to open what was once closed (womb). The Word isn’t a weapon against people! Sin, Satan – YES! Help people hear. Don’t chop off their ears like Peter did to Malchus. 17:1...

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 authors are: David Bordon and Tom Winters and the book: Everything Romance: A Celebration of Love for Couples WaterBrook Press (December 20, 2011) ***Special thanks to Ashley Boyer, Publicist, WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group of for sending me a review copy.*** ABOUT THE AUTHORS: David Bordon and Tom Winters are partners in Bordon-Winters, LLC, a book concept and packaging company that produces successful books and gift products. Among their...