Through The Deep Waters by Kim Vogel Sawyer, Blogging for Books Giveaway

About Book

A past filled with shame can be washed away with a love that conquers all 

Born to an unloving prostitute in a popular Chicago brothel, timid seventeen-year-old Dinah Hubley was raised amidst the secrets held in every dark, grimy room of her home. Anxious to escape, Dinah pursues her dream of becoming a Harvey Girl, waiting tables along the railroad in an upscale hotel. But when she finds out she isn’t old enough, her only option is to accept a job as a chambermaid at the Clifton Hotel in Florence, Kansas. Eager to put everything behind her, Dinah feels more worthless than ever, based on a single horrible decision she made to survive.

The Clifton offers a life Dinah has never known, but blinded to the love around her, Dinah remains buried in the shame of her past. When a handsome chicken farmer named Amos Ackerman starts to show interest, Dinah withdraws further, convinced no one could want a sullied woman like her. Despite his self-consciousness about his handicapped leg and her strange behavior, Amos resolves to show Dinah Christ’s love. But can she ever accept a gift she so desperately needs?

Read Excerpt Chapter One here.

See more at: http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/

Where to buy: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, CBD


About Author

Kim Vogel Sawyer is a best-selling, award-winning author highly acclaimed for her gentle stories of hope. More than one million copies of her books are currently in print. She lives in central Kansas where she and her retired military husband, Don, enjoy spoiling their ten granddarlings.

See more at: http://kimvogelsawyer.com/about/


My Review from April 2014

Dinah was not only born in a brothel but was raised there until she turned seventeen.  The cook at the brothel told her about advertisements for Harvey Girl waitresses in hopes of getting her out of the brothel before she became like the others.  To her disappointment she would have to be eighteen to be a waitress but to her great surprise they would hire her as a housekeeper at the hotel.  She will finally be able to put the stigma behind her of being shunned by the community as being tainted.  

She is determined to stay to herself and work hard at Clifton Hotel in Florence, Kansas so she can move on to becoming a Harvey Girl when she turns eighteen.  She catches the interest and admiration of a Florence local chicken farmer, Amos Ackerman.  She is flattered by the attention but stays in fear of someone finding out about being the daughter of a prostitute.  She avoids making friends with the girls she works with but takes up their invitation to join them in going to church.  She is shown nothing but love and respect from everyone.  She wondered why anyone, much less God, would care about the illegitimate daughter of a prostitute?  

The author has written a sad tale of an illegitimate girl searching to find respectability.  More so she yearned for unconditional love.  The character Dinah had little confidence in mankind and for good cause. She was shown little more love than an unwanted rodent.  This story reveals God had other plans for Dinah beyond anything she could ever have imaged.  It was a heart-wrenching tale turned by redemption and reconciliation. Then there is sweet tender love growing in the heart of a most unexpected young man for this lovely lost girl. 

I highly recommend this book.

I rated this book a 5 out of 5.

Disclosure:  I received a free copy of this book from Blogging for Books/WATERBROOK PRESS for an honest review.

Blogging for Books Giveaway

The contest starts on July 31, 2014 at 6:00am EST and ends on August 20th, 2014 at 11:59pm. One winner will be chosen at random on August 21st, 2014 and will be alerted by email. For a complete listing of the rules, please see below.

If you can not read the the details above you can click here for the rules.

Through the Deep Waters by Kim Vogel Sawyer

About Book

A past filled with shame can be washed away with a love that conquers all 

Born to an unloving prostitute in a popular Chicago brothel, timid seventeen-year-old Dinah Hubley was raised amidst the secrets held in every dark, grimy room of her home. Anxious to escape, Dinah pursues her dream of becoming a Harvey Girl, waiting tables along the railroad in an upscale hotel. But when she finds out she isn’t old enough, her only option is to accept a job as a chambermaid at the Clifton Hotel in Florence, Kansas. Eager to put everything behind her, Dinah feels more worthless than ever, based on a single horrible decision she made to survive.

The Clifton offers a life Dinah has never known, but blinded to the love around her, Dinah remains buried in the shame of her past. When a handsome chicken farmer named Amos Ackerman starts to show interest, Dinah withdraws further, convinced no one could want a sullied woman like her. Despite his self-consciousness about his handicapped leg and her strange behavior, Amos resolves to show Dinah Christ’s love. But can she ever accept a gift she so desperately needs?

Read Excerpt Chapter One here.

See more at: http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/

Where to buy: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, CBD



About Author

Kim Vogel Sawyer is a best-selling, award-winning author highly acclaimed for her gentle stories of hope. More than one million copies of her books are currently in print. She lives in central Kansas where she and her retired military husband, Don, enjoy spoiling their ten granddarlings.

See more at: http://kimvogelsawyer.com/about/


My Thoughts

Dinah was not only born in a brothel but was raised there until she turned seventeen.  The cook at the brothel told her about advertisements for Harvey Girl waitresses in hopes of getting her out of the brothel before she became like the others.  To her disappointment she would have to be eighteen to be a waitress but to her great surprise they would hire her as a housekeeper at the hotel.  She will finally be able to put the stigma behind her of being shunned by the community as being tainted.  

She is determined to stay to herself and work hard at Clifton Hotel in Florence, Kansas so she can move on to becoming a Harvey Girl when she turns eighteen.  She catches the interest and admiration of a Florence local chicken farmer, Amos Ackerman.  She is flattered by the attention but stays in fear of someone finding out about being the daughter of a prostitute.  She avoids making friends with the girls she works with but takes up their invitation to join them in going to church.  She is shown nothing but love and respect from everyone.  She wondered why anyone, much less God, would care about the illegitimate daughter of a prostitute?  

The author has written a sad tale of an illegitimate girl searching to find respectability.  More so she yearned for unconditional love.  The character Dinah had little confidence in mankind and for good cause. She was shown little more love than an unwanted rodent.  This story reveals God had other plans for Dinah beyond anything she could ever have imaged.  It was a heart-wrenching tale turned by redemption and reconciliation. Then there is sweet tender love growing in the heart of a most unexpected young man for this lovely lost girl. 

I highly recommend this book.

I rated this book a 5 out of 5.

Disclosure:  I received a free copy of this book from Blogging for Books/WATERBROOK PRESS for an honest review.

MY HOPE is Found, THE CADENCE OF GRACE, # 3 by Joanne Bischof ~ BloggingForBooks Review

My Hope Is Found by Joanne Bischof (Sneak Peek) by WaterBrook Multnomah

About the Book:

Gideon O’Riley has been given another chance at a life with Lonnie. But will the fight for her heart risk it all over again?

After finally finding love with his sweet bride Lonnie, Gideon’s heart was torn when a woman from his past claimed to be his true and rightful wife, forcing him away from his family. God’s merciful hand saw Gideon through the heartache, and with Cassie’s blessing, he is able to return home. Though his journey back through the Blue Ridge Mountains will hold a trial he never anticipated.

Meanwhile, Lonnie determines to seal off her heart from Gideon, convinced he is lost to her forever. Strengthening her resolve to move on is the fondness she has for the handsome Scotsman, Toby McKee the young reverend she has come to care deeply for. His proposal of marriage offers a bright future for her and her young son.

Yearning to allow joy back into her life, Lonnie must put aside the broken pieces of her heart that still love Gideon. When he returns to find her betrothed to another, he has to place his hope in God, trusting that the One who redeemed their love once can do it again. 

• ISBN-13: 9781601424259
• Publisher: WaterBrook Multnomah
• Publication date: 10/15/2013
• Series: Cadence of Grace Series
• Pages: 352

About the Author

Married to her first sweetheart, Joanne Bischof lives in the mountains of Southern California where she keeps busy making messes with their home-schooled children. When she’s not weaving Appalachian romance, she’s blogging about faith, writing, and the adventures of country living that bring her stories to life. Be Still My Soul is her first novel.

Website: http://www.joannebischof.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joannebischof
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2935695.Joanne_Bischof

My Thoughts

Lonnie and Gideon have a new found love for each other and their new son.  The Bennetts have become their family teaching Gideon what family really means when it is centered in Christ.  But is it the end of their trials and tribulation?  They are about to put this love and faith in each other and God because of a mistake in Gideons past.  He is married to someone else which makes his marriage to Lonnie invalid.  Will he be able to end the first marriage and make his second bound and legal.  

Is it really true out of sight out of mind? Not for Lonnie, she can not stop thinking of Lonnie and the heartache he has caused her, but she must.  She is forced to raise her son without his father.

Ever since the preacher, Toby McKee started visiting the Bennett's farm she has noticed the special bond between him and her small son.  Does she dare believe she could love again?  Her son would have a father! If it were not for the memories of her beloved Gideon and her lack of trust. God's will be done!

The author does not sugar coat life's trials and tribulations. She is putting it in your face that the past does catch-up  when you least expect it.  It is not particular who it falls upon.  Like the old saying, "you can run, but you can't hide."  There are harsh lessons to be learned in this story.  Does this story make Gideon accountable for his first marriage? You bet it does! You will be wanting to bop him upside his head for the pain he causes so many people.  Yet you will end up wanting to comfort him in his exile from Lonnie and his son.

I highly recommend this book.

I rated this book a 5 out of 5.

Disclosure:  I received a free copy of this book from WaterBrook Multnomah/Blogging For Books for review.  I was in no way compensated for this review. 

Road To the Christy's 2013 - Be Still My Soul - The Cadence of Grace series #1 by Joanne Bischof

BE STILL MY SOUL by Joanne Bischof

A 2013 CHRISTY AWARD NOMINEE 

for

Historical Romance

Visit the Christy Awards Website

About This Book

Night’s chill tickled her skin. Lonnie pressed her hands together and glanced up. He was even more handsome up close. Having grown up the shy, awkward daughter of Joel Sawyer, she’d hardly spoken to any boy, let alone the one who had mothers whispering warnings in their daughter’s ears and fathers loading shotguns.

Pretty Lonnie Sawyer is shy and innocent, used to fading into the background within her family, and among the creeks and hollows of the Appalachian hills. Though her family is poor and her father abusive, she clings to a quiet faith.  But when handsome ladies’ man and bluegrass musician Gideon O’Riley steals a kiss, that one action seals her fate.

Her father forces her into a hasty marriage with Gideon—a man she barely knows and does not love. Equally frustrated and confused by his new responsibilities, Gideon yearns for a fresh start, forcing  Lonnie on an arduous journey away from her home in Rocky Knob.

Her distant groom can’t seem to surrender his rage at the injustice of the forced matrimony or give Lonnie any claim in his life.  What will it take for Gideon to give up his past, embrace Lonnie’s God, and discover a hope that can heal their two fractured hearts?

Gideon only ever cared about himself. Now that Lonnie is his wife, will he ever be worthy of her heart?

Pages: 337

Published by Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing

Expected publish date:  October 2, 2012

ISBN13: 9781601424211

Where to purchase: Amazon, B&N, CBD

 Click here to download the first chapter of Be Still My Soul now.

About the Author

Married to her first sweetheart, Joanne Bischof lives in the mountains of Southern California where she keeps busy making messes with their home-schooled children. When she’s not weaving Appalachian romance, she’s blogging about faith, writing, and the adventures of country living that bring her stories to life. Be Still My Soul is her first novel.


My Thoughts

Appalachian hills.

Lonnie Sawyer can't wait to turn eighteen so she can get out from under her father's iron rule. She only has a few months to go hopefully she can deal with his emotional and physical abuse until then.

Gideon O'Riely turns all the girls heads he can have his pick of any of them.  He is asked to escort Lonnie home after a dance. She is young and pretty why hadn't he noticed her before? He figured it ways because she was so shy. As they neared her house he tried to steal much more than a kiss but she faught him off and ran into her into the house. Unbeknownst to Lonnie and the moonshine drunk Gideon her father saw what he assumed was Lonnie giving herself willingly to Gideon.

Lonnie and Gideon are forced to marry to protect Lonnie's reputation if Lonnie ends up with child even though they both told him nothing happened. Her father would not listen to reason. The young couple ended up living with Gideon's family until he decides for them to take off on foot for him to seek employment.

Lonnie prays to God to protect her from Gideon's anger at having to slow down because she couldn't keep up with him.

Excerpts:

"What will it take for Gideon to give up his past, embrace Lonnie's God, and discover hope that can heal their two fractured hearts?"

"She willed her heart to harden. To ice over so she wouldn't have to hurt anymore. But when her blurred, she knew it was useless to try."

I keep thinking about the way Lonnie and Gideon were raised.  Lonnie's father held no love for his family and showed his resentment to everyone in his family.  Then there was Gideon who was raised to believe that children were not to love but were no more than another mouth to feed.

How could anyone expect for a child in a home like Lonnie's and Gideon's to ever learn the real love of family? The only way of course is faith and trust in God.

It was hard to walk away from this book.  I wanted to spend more time with Lonnie and Gideon to see how their lives might change.  I am anxious for book two.

I highly recommend this book.

I rated this book a 5 out of 5.

Disclosure
I received a free copy of this book from Blogging for Books/Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing for review. I was in no way compensated for this review.  It is my own opinion.

Road To the Christy's 2013 ~ WILDFLOWERS FROM WINTER by KATIE GANSHERT

Wildflowers from Winter by Katie Ganshert

A 2013 Christy Award Nominee 

for

 Contemporary Romance SERIES, SEQUELS, AND NOVELLAS

Visit the Christy Awards Website

About Book

Like the winter, grief has a season. Life returns with the spring.

A young architect at a prestigious Chicago firm, Bethany Quinn has built the life she dreamed of during her teen years in a trailer park. An unexpected interruption from her estranged mother reveals that tragedy has struck in her hometown and a reluctant Bethany is called back to rural Iowa.

Determined to pay her respects to her past while avoiding any emotional entanglements, she vows not to stay long. But the unexpected inheritance of five hundred acres of farmland and a startling turn of events in Chicago forces Bethany to come up with a new plan.

Handsome farmhand Evan Price has taken care of the Quinn farm for years. When Bethany is left the land, Evan must fight her decisions to realize his dreams. But even as he disagrees with Bethany’s vision, Evan feels drawn to her and the pain she keeps so carefully locked away.

For Bethany, making peace with her past and the God of her childhood doesn’t seem like the path to freedom. Is letting go the only way to new life, love and a peace that she’s not even sure exists?

Release date: May, 8 2012
Publisher: Waterbrook Press
ISBN-10: 0307730387
ISBN-13: 978-0307730381

Where to buy: 
Amazon
Barnes & Noble 
ChristianBook.com

Wildflowers from Winter by Katie Ganshert (Chapter 1 Excerpt)


About Katie

Katie Ganshert was born and raised in the Midwest, where she writes stories about finding faith and falling in love. When she’s not busy plotting her next novel, she enjoys watching movies with her husband, playing make-believe with her wild-child of a son, and chatting with her girlfriends over bagels. She and her husband are in the process of adopting from the Congo.

You can find her online at her blog and on Facebook.

Wildflowers from Winter: A Devotional

He led you through the vast and dreadful wilderness, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock.

-Deuteronomy 8:15

I met a woman once who lived in Kibera, the biggest slum in subSahara Africa. She slept in a tiny shack with six kids, three of whom weren't her own. Her husband had left. She was sick with AIDS. Yet she was lit from within, beaming with the hope of Christ.

If I close my eyes right now, I can see her. And most likely, five years later, she’s no longer sick. She’s no longer living in a shack. She’s rejoicing with the One who gave her that hope.

I have a friend who struggled for three years with infertility. She and her husband were faithful and obedient to the Lord. So why wouldn’t He give them the child they yearned for? They had no idea God was using that time to lead them down a different path. A path toward adoption. A path toward their daughter.

When I think of that African woman, when I think about my friend, I picture wildflowers.

Do you know the harshest, snowiest winters produce some of the most beautiful wildflowers in the spring?

I love when truth reveals itself in nature.

Because this is truth.

God uses what the human eye sees as cold and harsh and lifeless, to bring about beautiful things. Breathtaking things.

Like a once-snowy field bursting with wildflowers.

Like an infertile woman who realizes she doesn’t have to get pregnant to be a mother.

Like a woman riddled with sickness, steeped in poverty, yet beaming with hope.

Lord Jesus, thank you for being a God who can redeem the most barren times in our lives. Thank you for being a God who brings beauty from pain. Help us to trust You, no matter our circumstance or season. Help us to trust that You are faithful and You are good.

Are you trusting God to bring water from the hard rocks in your life?

*   *   *

My Thoughts

Bethany Quinn is a fortress until disaster strikes.  That is when the memories of her tortured soul comes creeping out.  All she wants to do is push past memories back so she can continue with her successful career in Chicago as an architect.

She is no longer the penniless, pitiful little girl of her youth.  The memories she refuses to think about are as if they were yesterday. The only pleasant memory she has is of her loving grandfather, Dan and her best friend, Robin.  She has not seen them in ten years.

While Bethany is busy at work her cell phone rings and it is her mother whom she has no desire to speak with.  But the calls become persistent and so she calls her mother back.  Her mother tells her that Robin's husband was in an accident and is in a coma.  The doctor gives little if any hope.  After fighting the old memories and debating whether or not to go be with her friend she receives another call.  A man by the name of Evan Price calls with the bad news that her grandfather has had a heat attack.  Her decision has been made, she has to be with her grandfather.  While she is there she will consider visiting her old friend.

Arriving at her grandfather's farm there is a man she assumes as Evan Price standing in the doorway.  Come to find out he has been hired to help work the farm.  He looks worn out and as if he hasn't slept in days.

As the story continues it gets more stressful for Bethany and Evan. They have been thrown together and  are not too happy about the situation.  It seems they both have their own demons to deal with.  One of them has a strong relationship with God but the other does not acknowledge God at all.

If we keep sliding away from God, He sends his disciples to help nurture the seeds that had been planted in order that we can grow toward Him and away from our the demons we created in ourselves.

I want to share this from the book.
"The rational part of Robin's brain knew better. But grief had obliterated her ability to think rationally. Grief was the royal flush in a hand of poker.  It beat everything."   
Have you been there before?  I know I have.

This is a soul searching story of reconciliation, repentance, faith, hope and love.

The first part of this book is one traumatic event after another.  It even began to traumatize me.
But you have to know it was very well written. Had to be the way it had me all worked up.   When you are reading this book just be sure to have some tissues close by, you will definitely need them.

I highly recommend this book.

I rated this book a 5 out of 5.

Disclosure
I received a free copy of this book for review from Waterbrook Press.  I was in no way compensated for this review.  It is my own opinion.

GIVEAWAY 3 copies of Pope Benedict XVI ~ The Infancy Narratives ~ JESUS of NAZARETH

Photo of Pope Benedict XVI © Alessandra Benedetti/Corbis

Synopsis|Excerpt

The momentous third and final volume in the Pope’s international bestselling Jesus of Nazareth series, detailing how the stories of Jesus’ infancy and childhood are as relevant today as they were two thousand years ago.

In 2007, Joseph Ratzinger published his first book as Pope Benedict XVI in order “to make known the figure and message of Jesus.” Now, the Pope focuses exclusively on the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ life as a child. The root of these stories is the experience of hope found in the birth of Jesus and the affirmations of surrender and service embodied in his parents, Joseph and Mary. This is a story of longing and seeking, as demonstrated by the Magi searching for the redemption offered by the birth of a new king. It is a story of sacrifice and trusting completely in the wisdom of God as seen in the faith of Simeon, the just and devout man of Jerusalem, when he is in the presence of the Christ child. Ultimately, Jesus’ life and message is a story for today, one that speaks to the restlessness of the human heart searching for the sole truth which alone leads to profound joy.


JOSEPH RATZINGER, Pope Benedict XVI, born in 1927 in Germany, has been head of the Roman Catholic Church since April 2005. A prolific author, theologian, and university professor, Ratzinger served as an “expert” at the Second Vatican Council, and was appointed in 1977 by Pope Paul VI to lead the German Archdiocese of Munich and Freising. In 1981, Pope John Paul II called him to Rome to head the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, where he served until his papal election.

Read under News & Resources tab: POPE 101 PART 3: The Writings of Benedict XVI

Where to buy:  Amazon, Barnes&Noble, Christianbook.com

~ * ~ * ~ * ~  


GIVEAWAY

3 HARDCOVER copies of JESUS OF NAZARETH

provided by 

IMAGE BOOKS/Random House/WaterBrook Multnomah/BloggingForBooks

Giveaway will be from 

November 28th - December 4th, 2012

three winners, one copy to each winner

In four separate moments:

1.  Leave a comment  with your email.

2. Follow me, if you already follow me just note it in the comment

3.Tweet about giveaway.

4. Share on Facebook .

(Mandatory) Please leave your email address in the comment

 so I can contact you if you are the winner. 

example of email:  johndoe(at)yahoo(dot)com

I can not contact you without an email.

 The winners will be announced 

on December 5th, 2012. 

BE STILL MY SOUL - The Cadence of Grace series #1 by Joanne Bischof

About This Book

Night’s chill tickled her skin. Lonnie pressed her hands together and glanced up. He was even more handsome up close. Having grown up the shy, awkward daughter of Joel Sawyer, she’d hardly spoken to any boy, let alone the one who had mothers whispering warnings in their daughter’s ears and fathers loading shotguns.

Pretty Lonnie Sawyer is shy and innocent, used to fading into the background within her family, and among the creeks and hollows of the Appalachian hills. Though her family is poor and her father abusive, she clings to a quiet faith.  But when handsome ladies’ man and bluegrass musician Gideon O’Riley steals a kiss, that one action seals her fate.

Her father forces her into a hasty marriage with Gideon—a man she barely knows and does not love. Equally frustrated and confused by his new responsibilities, Gideon yearns for a fresh start, forcing  Lonnie on an arduous journey away from her home in Rocky Knob.

Her distant groom can’t seem to surrender his rage at the injustice of the forced matrimony or give Lonnie any claim in his life.  What will it take for Gideon to give up his past, embrace Lonnie’s God, and discover a hope that can heal their two fractured hearts?

Gideon only ever cared about himself. Now that Lonnie is his wife, will he ever be worthy of her heart?

Pages: 337
Published by Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing
Expected publish date:  October 2, 2012
ISBN13: 9781601424211

 Click here to download the first chapter of Be Still My Soul now.

About the Author

Married to her first sweetheart, Joanne Bischof lives in the mountains of Southern California where she keeps busy making messes with their home-schooled children. When she’s not weaving Appalachian romance, she’s blogging about faith, writing, and the adventures of country living that bring her stories to life. Be Still My Soul is her first novel.


My Thoughts

Appalachian hills.

Lonnie Sawyer can't wait to turn eighteen so she can get out from under her father's iron rule. She only has a few months to go hopefully she can deal with his emotional and physical abuse until then.

Gideon O'Riely turns all the girls heads he can have his pick of any of them.  He is asked to escort Lonnie home after a dance. She is young and pretty why hadn't he noticed her before? He figured it ways because she was so shy. As they neared her house he tried to steal much more than a kiss but she faught him off and ran into her into the house. Unbeknownst to Lonnie and the moonshine drunk Gideon her father saw what he assumed was Lonnie giving herself willingly to Gideon.

Lonnie and Gideon are forced to marry to protect Lonnie's reputation if Lonnie ends up with child even though they both told him nothing happened. Her father would not listen to reason.

The young couple ended up living with Gideon's family until he decides for them to take off on foot for him to seek employment.

Lonnie prays to God to protect her from Gideon's anger at having to slow down because she couldn't keep up with him.

Excerpts:
"What will it take for Gideon to give up his past, embrace Lonnie's God, and discover hope that can heal their two fractured hearts?"

"She willed her heart to harden. To ice over so she wouldn't have to hurt anymore. But when her blurred, she knew it was useless to try."

I keep thinking about the way Lonnie and Gideon were raised.  Lonnie's father held no love for his family and showed his resentment to everyone in his family.  Then there was Gideon who was raised to believe that children were not to love but were no more than another mouth to feed.

How could anyone expect for a child in a home like Lonnie's and Gideon's to ever learn the real love of family? The only way of course is faith and trust in God.

It was hard to walk away from this book.  I wanted to spend more time with Lonnie and Gideon to see how their lives might change.  I am anxious for book two.

I highly recommend this book.

I rated this book a 5 out of 5.

Disclosure
I received a free copy of this book from Blogging for Books/Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing for review. I was in no way compensated for this review.  It is my own opinion.

WILDFLOWERS FROM WINTER by KATIE GANSHERT

About Katie

Katie Ganshert was born and raised in the Midwest, where she writes stories about finding faith and falling in love. When she’s not busy plotting her next novel, she enjoys watching movies with her husband, playing make-believe with her wild-child of a son, and chatting with her girlfriends over bagels. She and her husband are in the process of adopting from the Congo.

You can find her online at her blog and on Facebook.

Wildflowers from Winter: A Devotional

He led you through the vast and dreadful wilderness, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock.

-Deuteronomy 8:15

I met a woman once who lived in Kibera, the biggest slum in subSahara Africa. She slept in a tiny shack with six kids, three of whom weren't her own. Her husband had left. She was sick with AIDS. Yet she was lit from within, beaming with the hope of Christ.

If I close my eyes right now, I can see her. And most likely, five years later, she’s no longer sick. She’s no longer living in a shack. She’s rejoicing with the One who gave her that hope.

I have a friend who struggled for three years with infertility. She and her husband were faithful and obedient to the Lord. So why wouldn’t He give them the child they yearned for? They had no idea God was using that time to lead them down a different path. A path toward adoption. A path toward their daughter.

When I think of that African woman, when I think about my friend, I picture wildflowers.

Do you know the harshest, snowiest winters produce some of the most beautiful wildflowers in the spring?

I love when truth reveals itself in nature.

Because this is truth.

God uses what the human eye sees as cold and harsh and lifeless, to bring about beautiful things. Breathtaking things.

Like a once-snowy field bursting with wildflowers.

Like an infertile woman who realizes she doesn’t have to get pregnant to be a mother.

Like a woman riddled with sickness, steeped in poverty, yet beaming with hope.

Lord Jesus, thank you for being a God who can redeem the most barren times in our lives. Thank you for being a God who brings beauty from pain. Help us to trust You, no matter our circumstance or season. Help us to trust that You are faithful and You are good.

Are you trusting God to bring water from the hard rocks in your life?

*   *   *

Wildflowers from Winter by Katie Ganshert (Chapter 1 Excerpt)

About Book

Like the winter, grief has a season. Life returns with the spring.

A young architect at a prestigious Chicago firm, Bethany Quinn has built the life she dreamed of during her teen years in a trailer park. An unexpected interruption from her estranged mother reveals that tragedy has struck in her hometown and a reluctant Bethany is called back to rural Iowa.

Determined to pay her respects to her past while avoiding any emotional entanglements, she vows not to stay long. But the unexpected inheritance of five hundred acres of farmland and a startling turn of events in Chicago forces Bethany to come up with a new plan.

Handsome farmhand Evan Price has taken care of the Quinn farm for years. When Bethany is left the land, Evan must fight her decisions to realize his dreams. But even as he disagrees with Bethany’s vision, Evan feels drawn to her and the pain she keeps so carefully locked away.

For Bethany, making peace with her past and the God of her childhood doesn’t seem like the path to freedom. Is letting go the only way to new life, love and a peace that she’s not even sure exists?

Release date: May, 8 2012
Publisher: Waterbrook Press
ISBN-10: 0307730387
ISBN-13: 978-0307730381

Where to buy: 
Amazon
Barnes & Noble 
ChristianBook.com


My Thoughts

Bethany Quinn is a fortress until disaster strikes.  That is when the memories of her tortured soul comes creeping out.  All she wants to do is push past memories back so she can continue with her successful career in Chicago as an architect.

She is no longer the penniless, pitiful little girl of her youth.  The memories she refuses to think about are as if they were yesterday. The only pleasant memory she has is of her loving grandfather, Dan and her best friend, Robin.  She has not seen them in ten years.

While Bethany is busy at work her cell phone rings and it is her mother whom she has no desire to speak with.  But the calls become persistent and so she calls her mother back.  Her mother tells her that Robin's husband was in an accident and is in a coma.  The doctor gives little if any hope.  After fighting the old memories and debating whether or not to go be with her friend she receives another call.  A man by the name of Evan Price calls with the bad news that her grandfather has had a heat attack.  Her decision has been made, she has to be with her grandfather.  While she is there she will consider visiting her old friend.

Arriving at her grandfather's farm there is a man she assumes as Evan Price standing in the doorway.  Come to find out he has been hired to help work the farm.  He looks worn out and as if he hasn't slept in days.

As the story continues it gets more stressful for Bethany and Evan. They have been thrown together and  are not too happy about the situation.  It seems they both have their own demons to deal with.  One of them has a strong relationship with God but the other does not acknowledge God at all.

If we keep sliding away from God, He sends his disciples to help nurture the seeds that had been planted in order that we can grow toward Him and away from our the demons we created in ourselves.

I want to share this from the book.
"The rational part of Robin's brain knew better. But grief had obliterated her ability to think rationally. Grief was the royal flush in a hand of poker.  It beat everything."   
Have you been there before?  I know I have.

This is a soul searching story of reconciliation, repentance, faith, hope and love.

The first part of this book is one traumatic event after another.  It even began to traumatize me.
But you have to know it was very well written. Had to be the way it had me all worked up.   When you are reading this book just be sure to have some tissues close by, you will definitely need them.

I highly recommend this book.

I rated this book a 5 out of 5.

Disclosure
I received a free copy of this book for review from Waterbrook Press.  I was in no way compensated for this review.  It is my own opinion.

GOD GAVE US LOVE by Lisa Tawn Bergren art by Laura J. Bryant

About Lisa

Lisa Tawn Bergren is the best-selling, award-winning author of over 35 books, with more than 2 million copies sold. She recently finished a teen series called River of Time (WATERFALL, CASCADE and TORRENT) and soon will release a follow-up e-novella called BOURNE. She's currently writing a New Adult series called The Grand Tour, and the first release is GLAMOROUS ILLUSIONS (June 2012). Lisa’s time is split between managing home base, writing, consulting and freelance editing (with a little speaking here and there). She’s married to Tim, a liturgical sculptor, graphic designer and musician. They have three kids–Olivia (16), Emma (13) and Jack (9). All five of the Bergrens make their home in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

About Book 

 As Little Cub and Grampa Bear’s fishing adventure is interrupted by mischievous otters, the young polar bear begins to question why we must love others…even the seemingly unlovable.

 “Any time we show love, Little Cub, we’re sharing a bit of his love.”

In a sturdy format, ideal for the littlest hands at storytime, bedtime, or anytime, God Gave Us You assures each child that he or she truly is a treasured gift from the Lord.

Board Book, 22 pages

Published December 20th 2011 by The Doubleday Religious Publishing Group

 (first published September 15th 2009)

ISBN 0307730271 (ISBN13: 9780307730275)

God Gave Us Love - Coloring Page

My Thoughts

Little Bear goes fishing with Grampa Bear but the Otters were so playful and mischievous that Little Bear just knew they would chase all the fish away. Grampa sensed that Little Bear was getting upset at the Otters. Grampa decided to have a talk with her about sharing the love of God.

The story is very endearing. I could almost hear the tone in Grampa Bear's and Little Bear's voices. Grampa being loving and patient, Little Bear being curious and sometimes confused. Grampa does a wonderful job getting God's message of love for others across to Little Bear.

The illustrations in this board book colorfully depicts the feelings shared between Grampa Bear, Little Bear and the rest of their family. Let's not forget the playfulness of the Otters that prompted  the  lesson of God's Love.

I highly recommend this book.

I rated this book a 5 out of 5.

Disclosure

I received a free copy of this book from Waterbrook Multnomah for review. I was in no way compensated for this review it is my own review. It is my own opinion.