WORD up!

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: Heather Gray and the book: Ten Million Reasons Astraea Press (July 25, 2013) ***Special thanks to Opal Campbell for sending me a review copy.*** ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Aside from her long-standing love affair with coffee, Heather’s greatest joys in life are her relationship with her Savior, her family, and writing. Years ago, she decided it would be better to laugh than yell. Heather carries that theme ...

Laodicea:   The Church Who Nauseated Jesus Reading this week’s chapter title actually brought tears to my eyes.   Another pretty name that deceives at first glance.   I think it’s sad that anyone would nauseate the Lord.   I certainly don’t want to be that person!   So I suppose I should pay really close attention to this chapter so I don’t behave as this church did. I don’t want to be lukewarm.   I want to be on fire and passionate for Christ.   Am I reading His Word and not allowing it to change me?   Half-hearted devotion to Him has to be more insulting than no devotion at all.   Do I misrepresent Him by not being on fire for Him?   Am I one of those people you’d never guess was a Christian because my life doesn’t reflect it?   Ouch. My goal through this lesson is to live in such a way that people KNOW I’m a Christian when they see me.   I wasn’t to be completely sold out for Christ!   I want to be more sel...

Please forgive this rough draft format, as these are my raw study notes on the Song of Songs (also known as Song of Solomon), although they are a bit better formatted than former efforts. 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. I’m not sure of the condition of the world at the time of this publication. But at the time of its writing, late spring 2010, things are looking increasingly bleak with the economy, health care and unemployment, there are allegations of racial profiling in Arizona and a major oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Are these the first stages of birth pains? The last? God only knows. And He is very busy these days. Seek His wisdom. Encourage each other. Pray. Jesus is coming to deliver His people and judge the wicked… Stacey Take a few minutes to pray and savor chapter 3 of the Song of Solomon. Then return here and ponder ...

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: Jerry B. Jenkins and the book: I, Saul Worthy Publishing (August 27, 2013) ***Special thanks to Leeanna Case for sending me a review copy.*** ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Jerry B. Jenkins is a New York Times best-selling novelist (Left Behind Series) and biographer (Billy Graham, Hank Aaron, Walter Payton, Orel Hershiser, Nolan Ryan, Joe Gibbs and many more), with over 70 million books sold. His writing has appe...

Philadelphia:   The Secure Church on Shaky Ground This was an amazingly encouraging letter.   Wasn’t it?   Isn’t it wonderful to know that Jesus opens doors that no one can shut and closes doors that no one can open?   What does this mean to you?   Apparently, this meant a great deal to the church of Philadelphia.   It is believed that these Jews were shut out of the synagogue and excommunicated.   Being shut out hurts.   Exclusion makes us feel as if we’re not valuable.   It makes us feel disposable.   Jesus’ words bring assurance that we are valuable to Him. I was greatly encouraged by the reading of 1 Thessalonians 5:1-10.   Believers were created to be part of God’s family, not the objects of His wrath.   This is wonderful news.   Isn’t it? I am thrilled that the overcomer will be made into a pillar in the temple in eternity.   He will never leave the temple.   Jesus will write God’s name and the...

Please forgive this rough draft format, as these are my raw study notes on the Song of Songs (also known as Song of Solomon), although they are a bit better formatted than former efforts. 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. I’m not sure of the condition of the world at the time of this publication. But at the time of its writing, late spring 2010, things are looking increasingly bleak with the economy, health care and unemployment, there are allegations of racial profiling in Arizona and a major oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Are these the first stages of birth pains? The last? God only knows. And He is very busy these days. Seek His wisdom. Encourage each other. Pray. Jesus is coming to deliver His people and judge the wicked… Stacey Take a few minutes to pray and savor chapter 2 of the Song of Solomon. Then return here and ponder ...

Sardis:   The Church Who Looked Good on the Outside Is it just me?   Or does this week’s chapter title remind you of the Pharisees of Jesus’ day?   After reading this study session, I realize that this is the exact picture Sue Edwards was trying to paint. Sue begins this week’s study with the video teaching about faith, hope and love.   She teaches that the greatest of these is love because God is love and love remains in eternity whereas faith and hope aren’t necessary in eternity. Love on the inside keeps us from being like the Pharisees.   But let this be a reminder that the one who is beautiful on the outside isn’t necessarily beautiful on the inside – and vice versa.   In other words, don’t judge a book by its cover.   Look at the fruit, not the tree.   Don’t sit with deceitful men.   Don’t consort with hypocrites.   Hypocritical liars will lead the church astray.   Avoid people who aren’t who they seem to be becau...

First, I would like to thank Serena B. Miller and her publisher for providing me with a copy of "Under a Blackberry Moon" to review for them.  I appreciate the time and expense required to provide me with a reviewer copy of the book. Moon Song and her nfant son, Ayasha, are returning to her Chippewa tribe.  With her friend Sky Pilot as a companion and protector, they embark on the treacherous journey that includes an ill-fated trip on Lake Superior.  Although this adventure leads to the discovery of true love, the real question is whether Moon Song or Sky Pilot will have to give up the life they love for the love they've only dreamed of or if they will allow true love to simply fade away. I enjoy Serena B. Miller's writing, but "Under a Blackberry Moon" is not my favorite of Serena's novels.  The story is a good one - it kept me reading.  But the execution of the story left me flat at times.  Parts of the novel that should have had my pulse racing ...

Please forgive this rough draft format, as these are my raw study notes on the Song of Songs (also known as Song of Solomon), although they are a bit better formatted than former efforts. 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. I’m not sure of the condition of the world at the time of this publication. But at the time of its writing, late spring 2010, things are looking increasingly bleak with the economy, health care and unemployment, there are allegations of racial profiling in Arizona and a major oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Are these the first stages of birth pains? The last? God only knows. And He is very busy these days. Seek His wisdom. Encourage each other. Pray. Jesus is coming to deliver His people and judge the wicked… Stacey Take a few minutes to pray and savor chapter 1 of the Song of Solomon. Then return here and ponder ...

Margaret Brownley's newest, Gunpowder Tea ( Thomas Nelson, 2013 ), will have you on the edge of your seat and biting your nails until the conclusion! In a case that could change her career, Miranda uncovers a love that will change her life. Praise for Gunpowder Tea "In the exquisitely intriguing finale to her Brides of Last Chance Ranch trilogy, Brownley blends faith and romance with a dash of mystery to serve up a cozy, fulfilling story set in the Arizona Territory of the 1890s . . . This enchanting account of the hardships and wonders of the Old West features many delightful characters. The story stands on its own merits, independent of the first two in the series, drawing readers into a world that is difficult to leave. " -Publishers Weekly   More about Gunpowder Tea When Miranda Hunt sees the classified ad for an heiress to the legendary Last Chance Ranch, she knows assuming the identity of Annie Beckman is the perfect cover. As one of the f...

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: E. A. West and the book: Battlefield of the Heart CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (April 1, 2013) ***Special thanks to Opal Campbell for sending me a review copy.*** ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Award-winning author of sweet and inspirational romance E.A. West is a lifelong lover of books and storytelling. In high school, she picked up her pen in a creative writing class and hasn't laid it down ye...