by Nicole Seitz
Three lives are bound by a single book . . .
and the cleansing waters of Molasses Creek.
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ABOUT THE BOOK:
Having traveled to the ends of the earth as a flight attendant, Ally Green has finally returned to the Lowcountry to bury her father as well as the past. But Vesey Washington is still living across the creek, and theirs is a complicated relationship—he was once her best friend . . . and also part of the reason she’s stayed away so long. When Ally discovers a message her father left behind asking her to quit running, it seems her past isn’t through with her yet.
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As Ally’s wandering spirit wrestles with a deep longing to flee again, a young woman on the other side of the world escapes her life of slavery in the rock quarries of Nepal. A mysterious sketchbook leads Sunila Kunari to believe there’s more to her story than she’s ever been told, and she’s determined to follow the truth wherever it leads her.
A deep current intertwines the lives of these three souls, and a destiny of freedom, faith, and friendship awaits them all on the banks of Molasses Creek.
ABOUT NICOLE SEITZ:
Nicole Seitz is the author of several critically acclaimed novels - The Inheritance of Beauty, Saving Cicadas, A Hundred Years of Happiness, Trouble the Water, andThe Spirit of Sweetgrass. She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Journalism, and also has a degree in Illustration from Savannah College of Art & Design.
FABULOUS FACEBOOK FRIENDSHIP PARTY
Nicole and her publisher, Thomas Nelson, are celebrating the release of Beyond Molasses Creek with a Fabulous “Friendship” Campaign! Nicole will be traveling state-to-state on a virtual book tour {2/1-2/16} and then wrapping up the festivities with a fun Facebook Party on March 16th. AND … she’s giving away a Kindle Touch and some of her own beautiful artwork - see below for details.
Nicole has woven a large story about faith, friendship and unexpected journeys.
One reviewer has said that Beyond Molasses Creek is “a little like Eat, Pray, Love meets The Help”.
Intrigued? Read the book and join us at the “Friendship” Facebook Party!
Join Nicole and friends on the evening of February 16th for a Facebook Author Chat Party. She’ll be talking about Beyond Molasses Creek, throwing out some trivia and giving away great prizes – including a Kindle Touch, some of her beautiful artwork and a Book Club Prize Pack (10 copies for your book club/small group and a SKYPE chat with Nicole)!
Mark your calendar for 2/16/12 {5PM PST / 8PM EST} and come by for an evening of bookchat, making new friends and story sharing.
MY REVIEW:
I hesitate to write a review of
Beyond Molasses Creek
today. I feel that my words are not enough to describe the beauty of this book but I will do my best.
This is the first book I’ve read by the author Nicole Seitz. I was a little surprised at first with one of the character’s values – Ally believed in stone gods to bless her. I kept turning to the back of the book to make sure that this is Christian fiction I’m reading. However, therein really lies the story.
Ally Green, a 60 year old, well-traveled woman due to her profession as a stewardess, has brought home all sorts of things from the different places that she’s visited. Many of those are different statues or sculptures of different gods. This is just one part of this character’s many faceted personality.
Kunila Sunari, a woman of the lowest caste in Nepal, has been carving statues all her life. She knows nothing except hardship in her life, knowing that she and her family will forever be in debt to the person who “owns” them.
Ally has been running away from home for much of her life. Now, she comes back to Molasses Creek to face the death of her beloved father and to see the one man that has affected her most of her life – Vessey Washington.
Kunila finally breaks free from the bonds of her family and the man who hold them slaves. She goes on an important trip to finally find out who she really is.
What I’ve written about is only the tip of this story. Nicole Seitz has written a masterful work of art (if it can be called as such) in Beyond Molasses Creek. I’ve gotten to know each of the characters very well. I lived with their pain and their joy. I cried as they finally discovered their truths. This is a beautiful story of love, self-discovery, friendship and family. Though the references to God are subtle, it is still woven throughout the story so that you really see how God finally works things out for good.
Find out what other people thought of this book, go here for more reviews.
Buy this book here:
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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by Dr. Bill Giovannetti
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Thou shalt tolerate every opinion… except the Christian’s. Today’s postmodern “prime directive” leaves many followers of Jesus tongue-tied. In the global village, isn’t it unreasonable, and even dangerous, to suggest that the Bible has a monopoly on truth?
The church needs a new breed of Christ-follower. We need Christ-followers who are alert to today’s touchy ideas, the truths that fire up more heat than light. We need Christ-followers who can make a clear case for the Bible’s worldview; who are ready to help our friends think through their beliefs; who can recognize inconsistencies and challenge them; and who can do all of this with humility, confidence, humor, and love. For more information visit http://fourletterwords.org.
THE AUTHOR:
Dr. Bill Giovannetti is a professor at A.W. Tozer Theological Seminary and the senior pastor of Neighborhood Church of Redding. An experienced speaker and author, Bill informs the mind in ways that touch the heart. He enjoys life with his wife and two kids in northern California. For more information about Bill and his other books, visit http://maxgrace.wordpress.com and http://fourletterwords.org.
Enter the Giveaway!
Bill is celebrating the new Kindle edition of
Four Letter Words (for only $4.99)! He’ll be traveling coast to coast over the next few weeks on a virtual book tour and he’s celebrating by hosting a great giveaway!
He’ll be giving away two gift certificates to Amazon (in the amount of $50 and $25) and free downloads of his yet-to-be-released title, Recession-Proof: Living a God-Blessed Life in a Messed Up World.
Here’s the Scoop:
To enter to win these fabulous, earth-shattering prizes:
1. One $50 gift certificate to Amazon.com
2. One $25 gift certificate to Amazon.com.
3. Copies of Bill’s yet-to-be-released title, RECESSION-PROOF: Living a God-Blessed Life in a Messed Up World.
Do 1 or more of the following:
1. Like Bill on Facebook
Here.
3. Everyone who purchases a Kindle copy of Four Letter Words (here:
http://amzn.to/yfGLHP) AND joins my
Facebook Author Page will receive an advance copy of my ebook:
Recession-Proof: Living a God-Blessed Life in a Messed Up World and be entered to win one of the gift cards!
Winners will be announced on 2/15/12. You’ll receive the link for a digital copy of Recession-Proof on that date.
MY REVIEW:
We are bombarded with so many different ideas every second of the day. Through television, internet, movies, and radios. Ideas conceived in the minds of people that seem right and true. If we are not careful, we may just accept these ideas as truth and not question it.
Reading this book is a learning experience for me. Even though this book is geared for the teenage or young adult reader, it made even me begin to question my own thoughts and beliefs. The title itself: Four Letter Words, is already thought provoking and makes one think of that four letter word that’s usually bleeped out on TV. However, these actually refer to the four letter word titles of each chapter such as TRUE, EVIL, OUCH, PAIN, DAMN. What I appreciate about the writer is that even as he dishes out the truth about the beliefs that challenge the Bible, he also offers up the Bible truths in a compassionate, easy to understand way so that you really get to know God better.
This book is a guide for everyone as it talks about the Christian faith and other religious beliefs that surround us. I think it would be great for use in a Bible study group. As for my teenagers, I wouldn’t just give them this book to read, I’d rather that we read it and discuss it together. This is the kind of book that you’ll want to read through thoroughly, it’s not just for one sitting.
If you would like to know what other reviewers thought of this book, go here.
Buy this book here:
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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SOMETIMES MIRACLES HAPPEN WHEN YOU
LEAST EXPECT THEM AND LATE IN THE GAME.
Only a miracle can help baseball coach Arthur “Murph” Murphy (Dean Cain) and his losing minor league baseball team. As Murph sets out to recruit new talent for the team, he stumbles upon Mickey (Luke Schroder), a young farmer with an incredible pitcher’s arm. However, Mickey’s parents are reluctant to allow him to join the team because he has Asperger’s syndrome, a form of autism. Murph convinces Mickey’s parents that life in the minor league will benefit their unique son, but he doesn’t realize just how much his new recruit will help the team’s game and, more importantly, their spirit. Based on a true story, A Mile in His Shoes
is an inspirational film that celebrates faith, determination and the power of friendship. (Taken from the DVD)
MY REVIEW:
I thoroughly enjoyed watching this inspirational movie about a baseball coach (Dean Cain), and his new recruit Mickey (Luke Schroder). At the start of the movie, I wasn’t really expecting much but I’m surprised that before the movie ended, I was watching it with mouth agape, excited about what the ending may be.
Coach Murphy or Murph, as he is fondly called, faces the challenge of turning his losing baseball team into winners. He is pressured by the team’s owner to make good and threatened job loss if the team doesn’t improve. As he went on a trip one day to find a player that was recommended to him, his car ran into a ditch. Which was fortunate because there he met Mickey. He soon realized that Mickey has a special talent in pitching and speaks to his parents about recruiting him for the team. The parents tell Murph that Mickey has aspergers and is needed on the farm to work. But he successfully convinces them to let Mickey try out for the team. The team’s acceptance of Mickey, their willingness to help him out, and Mickey himself overcoming many challenges, makes for a very nice, feel good and truly inspirational movie.
In a family-oriented film like this, it’s always nice to see values that are usually no longer made important in today’s movie world. The value of friendship and accepting someone different was seen in the team’s willingness to help Mickey out. Coach Murph showed that it is not only winning that is important to him, developing his team into better men and better players was more important. The relationship between Mickey and his parents is beautiful to watch, from the support and belief of his mother to the change in his father as he came to see his son’s true capability. The best thing to watch is how Mickey was able to overcome the challenges that came his way.
I highly recommend A Mile in His Shoes to all my readers. This is an inspiring movie meant to be watched by the young and old alike.
Buy it here:
GIVEAWAY!!!
My sponsor, FlyPropeller, is letting me give away one copy of A Mile in His Shoes DVD. This giveaway is open to all my blog readers. Here are the mechanics:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
<a href=”http://rafl.es/enable-js”>You need javascript enabled to see this giveaway</a>.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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RHEEA!
A big THANK YOU to all those who joined my
giveaway for
Cooper and Me and The Winter Adventure
Rheea, kindly email me your mailing address. Expect to receive this in 6-8 weeks time as
will be mailed from the US.
published by Guideposts – happening right now!
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About the book:
“Be still and know that I am God.” is one of the most beautiful verses from the Bible, but it’s not easy to practice in this busy world. Mornings with Jesus will help you do just that—“be still” in Jesus’ beautiful and powerful presence. For those who are seeking a deeper experience in their relationship with Christ, Mornings with Jesus
2012 Daily Encouragement for your Soul offers a fresh perspective of who Jesus is (the Healer, the Son of God, the Comforter, the Good Shepherd) and what that means for day-to-day life.
With a warm and friendly voice, 366 short devotional writings on the character and teachings of Jesus encourage readers to greet each day by drawing near to Him and inviting His presence into their day. Spend time with Jesus at the beginning of each day and experience His nearness and peace in a new way throughout the year. Each day’s selection includes: • a Bible verse • an entry based on Jesus: His words, miracles, and parables; His wisdom, compassion, and comfort; His mystery, power, divinity, and humanity • a “faith step” that will inspire and challenge readers to apply the day’s message to their lives.
MY REVIEW:
When I signed up for this review, I was excited to receive Mornings with Jesus 2012 Daily Encouragement for your Soul. The combination of authors Judy Baer, Tricia Goyer, Gwen Ford Faulkenberry, Sharon Hinck, Keri Wyatt Kent, Erin Keelye Marshall, and Camy Tang had me looking forward to this devotional. I’ve read books by Judy Baer and Tricia Goyer before and I know that they are beautiful Christian fiction writers with deep insights into the Bible.
I’ve been using Mornings with Jesus 2012 Daily Encouragement for your Soul since I got it this year. This devotional was written by women for women and this is one of the things I appreciated – that this devotional had women as its target audience. It is specifically for use for this year as the date and day is prominently displayed at the top of each page. It is followed by a Bible verse to meditate on then a devotion by one of the authors. What is particularly nice is that the authors write about their own personal experiences which any woman can relate to. It is ended by a Faith Step which encourages the reader to take a step or an action today in relation to the day’s devotion.
I was touched by one of the day’s devotion this February when I was going through some deep times of doubt and despair thinking through the many mistakes I’ve made in my life. The verse for that day was in Isaiah 42:3 “A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.” Here, the writer – Sharon Hinch – shares about her wedding ring that was bent out of shape. Even if the shape of the ring hurt her finger, she never brought it to the jeweler for repair thinking that it might cost them a lot of money – money that was not available at that time. One day, she and her husband were walking at a mall when they chanced upon a jewelry store. They inquired as to how much would be needed to fix the ring. The jeweler took the ring, slipped it onto a tapered post, and started tapping it gently. Soon enough, the ring was in the right shape and it didn’t cost them a cent!
Sharon Hinch continues to share how she realized that even with her attitudes and habits, she was unable to bring it all to the Lord for fear of the pain that she will have to go through. But the Lord promises His children forgiveness and all sins are paid for.
This was very powerful for me because I, too, was the same as the author. I knew I had made many mistakes and I knew that I had to rectify those mistakes. I held back from the Lord for so many years because I was afraid that it will cause me pain. But the Lord’s words are powerful in Isaiah 42:3, that He is gentle and will not break us. That “I can place my mistakes and failures into His hands and trust His gentleness.”
Mornings with Jesus 2012 Daily Encouragement for your Soul will help you to know the Lord better as you meet with Him every morning! You can read more reviews of this devotional by clicking on this link:
http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/text/13452857.
Read an excerpt from Tricia Goyer here.
GIVEAWAY!!!
Guideposts, the publisher for
Mornings with Jesus 2012 Daily Encouragement for your Soul has generously sent me another copy to giveaway on this blog. I already have this extra book with me and one of you will be blessed to win this copy here. This giveaway is for PHILIPPINE RESIDENTS only. Here are the mechanics for this giveaway:
“Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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After his parents were killed in a car accident, Colt McAllister was drawn into a world he thought only existed in comic books-one where mind control, jet packs, and flying motorcycles don’t even scratch the surface.
Along with his best friends Oz and Danielle, Colt is now training at the secret Central Headquarters Against the Occult and Supernatural academy. But strange accidents seem to follow him. . . even with the security of the school grounds. What first seems random soon turns deadly. But who is targeting Colt?
As the alien invasions increase in frequency and force, C.H.A.O.S resources are taxed to the limit and they’re forced to utilize the new recruits. In the midst of battle, Colt will discover some startling revelations . . . about himself, his friendship with Oz, and why he has been chosen to defeat this alien attack against earth.
Jon S. Lewis is the coauthor of the Grey Griffins trilogy (over 500,000 books in print) and the upcoming Grey Griffins Clockwork Chronicles. He also writes for the DC COMICS family of publishers. He resides with his family in Arizona.
Win an iPad from @JonSLewis and @NelsonFiction in the Alienation iPad2 Giveaway!
The invasion was only the beginning! Jon Lewis is celebrating the next adventure in his fast-paced C.H.A.O.S. series with an explosive giveaway!
One thrill-seeker will receive:
- iPad2 with Wi-Fi
- Copies of the C.H.A.O.S. novels, Invasion and Alienation
Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends at noon on February 7th. Winner will be announced at the Alienation Facebook Party on 2/7. Jon will be hosting an Author Chat, giving away copies of the books and gift certificates to iTunes and Amazon.com! Don’t miss a second of the intrigue!
Grab your copy of Alienation and join Jon on the evening of February 7th for an author chat, spy training (How much do you know about alien invaders?) and lots of giveaways.
Don’t miss a moment of the fun. RSVP today and tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 31st!
REVIEW by Guitar Babe, 16
Two weeks ago, one of my mom’s books arrived for her review. I was glad to see that it was something for me this time. It didn’t take me long to finish the Alienation (A C.H.A.O.S. Novel) because I found it very interesting. It reminded me a lot of another series that I love to read – the Percy Jackson and the Olympian series. They had some similarities in that both Colt McAllister and Percy Jackson were young boys close in age. Colt was injected by alien blood while Percy is the son of a Greek god and a human mother. Both boys used to live the normal lives of teenage boys until they found out the truth about their parents. 
Jon Lewis wrote a great story in Alienation. I was kept on my toes all throughout the book as if I was right there with Colt. I appreciated the light Biblical references which is just right for teenagers. I can only point to one thing that I didn’t like – that is when the characters are talking, it’s written in such a way that it’s not very clear who is saying what. However, I did find this book very interesting and am looking forward to the next books in the series. I would recommend Alienation (A C.H.A.O.S. Novel) to my friends and share with them that this is a highly enjoyable read.
Read more reviews here: http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/text/13451655
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my blog readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guidelines concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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I’ve been writing about Lorrie Flem and The Eternal Encouragement Magazine since last year, 2011. This year, I’m blessed to continue reviewing for Eternal Encouragement once more so you can expect to read about more great products designed for mothers. Whether, you are a homeschooling mom, a SAHM, a WHAM, or even a working mom, the teachings of Lorrie Flem will benefit each one of us in many ways.
Serenity for Your Soul is Eternal Encouragement’s newsletter that comes to your email inbox once or twice weekly. These are little bites of wisdom and encouragement for the mother.
I like Serenity for your Soul because it is short and sweet, it can be read in as little as five minutes – great for all busy moms out there who doesn’t have the luxury of time to read and read. Lorrie Flem will make you laugh as she looks at some funny items in her life. For instance, her new diet is to switch her body wash to her dishwashing liquid because it “dissolves fat that is otherwise difficult to remove.”
The newsletter, of course, includes a short devotion that includes a Bible verse for us to meditate on. I really like the devotions because it usually points to something relevant in my life as a busy mom. And when moms get together, don’t we usually share recipes that we love? Serenity for Your Soul includes an easy recipe that we can try out in our own kitchens.
If you feel like you need a shot of encouragement in the middle of the week as you live your life as a mom, sign up for this FREE newsletter to receive this in your email inbox. To sign up, all you need to do is:
1. Go to the Eternal Encouragement website http://www.eemagazine.com/
2. Scroll down to the middle of the site till you see “Sign Up for Our Newsletter”
3. Fill in your name and email and click subscribe.
That’s it!
Disclosure: This newsletter is free for everybody. I am writing this review as part of The Gabby Moms program for Eternal Encouragement Magazine.
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Today’s homeschool review is a Science book that Artsy Princess is currently studying – The Earth: Its Structure and Its Changes (Investigate the Possibilities: Elementary Earth Science) by Tom DeRosa and Carolyn Reeves published by Master Books, a division of New Leaf Publishing Group. I was given a free PDF copy of the textbook, the Teacher’s Guide and Student Journal. This review is for the textbook only. I will write another review for The Teacher’s Guide and Student Journal.
First off, I want to say that this Science book is unlike any textbook I have seen so far. Though I don’t claim to have seen them all, I know that this one is different because of the way it is arranged. Every chapter is called an Investigation thereby conditioning the child to think that this is not just mere studying of a textbook, it is learning by experience and discovery. Each investigation is only about 5 pages long. This book has 20 investigations that can be finished in 20 weeks. Every page is filled with colorful pictures that serve to pique the learner’s interest even more. Furthermore, the experiments always come with pictures of the procedure or the outcome, which is a big help to me and my student.
Every Investigation has seven parts:
Think about this (Engage) – Usually a very short excerpt of young children discussing the current topic. This arouses the child’s curiosity and reminds them of what they already know of the topic.
The Investigative Problem(s) – This part asks a question or two about the topic so that students know what they should be watching out for.
Gather These Things – Lists down everything needed for the experiment. I do wish that there is a central list for all the things needed to conduct all the experiments. The good thing about this is that most, if not all, of the things needed are easily obtainable from general stores.
Procedures and Observations (Investigate) – Here’s where the fun part begins – the experiment or science activity. The instructions given are very easy to follow. Here is where they will begin to observe what is happening.
Here’s one of Artsy Princess’ activity
The Science Stuff (Explain) – This section explains what just happened during the Procedures and
Observations part. The book is arranged so that the students always conduct the experiment or investigation first before reading The Science Stuff.
Making Connections (Apply) – This part explains further how this can be applied to real life situations. Learning cannot really be made permanent without learning its application in real life.
Dig Deeper (Expand) – This is an optional section that a student can choose to do if the topic is interesting for him. Another way to use this is to have the older student do more research on the project.
What Did You Learn? (Assess) – By its name, you know that this is the part that quizzes the student on what she has learned.
We have not yet finished The Earth: Its Structure and Its Changes (Investigate the Possibilities: Elementary Earth Science) but have learned so much already. We like that its format makes it easy to follow along. It is designed for students in Grades 3-8 so this is great material for those who have multi-level children. The authors have a creationist point of view which makes it ideal for Christian families.
You can see an excerpt of this book here.
You can buy this book here:
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my blog readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guidelines concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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Last Monday, I wrote about the best antidote to worrying that is found in Philippians 4:6-7. In meditating more about this, I came to realize that worrying is a sign of my distrust in the Lord’s sovereignty. We have to remember that even if we go through trials and distress in our lives, it is still all a part of God’s will for us.
Sounds unbelievable, right? But remember the story of Joseph? His brothers attempted to kill him. Failing to do this, his brothers sold him as a slave to be brought to Egypt. In Egypt, he worked for a successful man whose wife desired him. Because of his faith in God, he ran away from the wife when she tried to seduce him. In revenge, the wife accused him of trying to rape him. He was thrown in prison for so many years. After years in prison, he was asked by the Pharaoh to interpret his dreams. After he was able to accurately interpret the Pharaoh’s dreams, he was made Governor of Egypt by the governor, in charge of collecting goods for the coming famine. At the end of the story, when his brothers finally faced him and admitted their sin, Joseph told them that they are forgiven, that what they intended for evil, the Lord used it for good. You can read the whole story of Joseph in Genesis 37, 39-45.
I ended last Monday with Philippians 4:7 which says
And the peace of God,
which transcends all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (NIV)
As Dr. John MacArthur explains it in the MacArthur Study Bible, peace of God means “Inner calm or tranquility is promised to the believer who has a thankful attitude based on unwavering confidence that God is able and willing to do what is best for His children.”
I believe that Joseph had that peace of God in him as he went through years of hardship. That peace enabled him to do good work everywhere he went. When Potiphar bought him as a slave, he worked diligently until he became Potiphar’s trusted right hand. When he was thrown into prison, he again showed good attitude and leadership so that the chief of the prison guards put him in charge of the prisoners. Finally, when he was proclaimed governor by the Pharaoh, he did a very good job of collecting food and supplies so that all of Egypt did not suffer during the famine.
When we finally learn to accept everything, even our difficulties and trials, as part of God’s will, to rejoice and thank the Lord for all things, to be persistent in prayer, there will be such calm that will descend upon us. I’ve experienced this myself many, many times. Such peace overcomes me I can’t explain it. I only know that it is from the Lord. And this peace continues to guard my heart and my mind through many trials that come. Not only that, just like Joseph, this calm will also lead us to overcome our trials and even be victorious by the grace of our good Lord.
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SYNOPSIS (taken from the book):
The Ambition: A Novel by Lee Strobel
A routine mob hit lights the fuse on a an explosive collision of ambition and deception inside the Windy City’s corridors of power. Drawing on his years as a reporter for the Chicago Tribune, bestselling author Lee Strobel reveals an insider’s tale of power politics, and payoffs as current as today’s headlines.
When a down-on-his-luck lawyer is coerced into bribing a judge to fix an upcoming mob trial, he secretly tapes the exchange to protect himself. After the dirty judge becomes a finalist for an open U.S. Senate seat, the incriminating tape isn’t the only thing standing in his way. Pastor-turned-politician Eric Snow is determined to use his suburban megachurch as a launching pad for securing the Senate appointment. And newspaper Garry Strider threatens to uncover both candidates’ secrets in an investigation that may cost him his life.
Strobel weaves these edgy characters into an intricate thriller set within a gleaming suburban megachurch, a big-city newspaper struggling for survival, and the shadowy corridors of political intrigue. The riveting climax is as unforgettable as the contract killing that punctuates the opening scene.
MY REVIEW:
The Ambition: A Novel by Lee Strobel is one of the reasons why I love Christian fiction. Not only that, it is way better than other secular fiction books in this genre. Lee Strobel writes a novel woven with political intrigue, violence, deceit driven by ambition and greed.
What makes it the better fiction compared to fiction novels of the same genre are the Christian characters of this story. When I was younger, I used to wonder what a good book will be like if written from a Christian’s point of view. Let’s say some of the characters are Christians struggling in this world.
Here’s one novel that answers that question. The character of Eric Snow, a megachurch preacher who set his sights on a Senate seat, show the struggles of a man who used to be so zealous in serving the Lord, whose heart is now focused on achieving his ambition. He is surrounded by people who try to give him the ‘best’ advice.
Then there’s Garry strider, a cynical journalist who is living with a woman who decides to pursue her faith in Jesus Christ. In her desire to obey the Lord’s will, she makes major changes in their relationship that drives Garry Strider to Eric Snow’s church to investigate this newfound faith. His goal is to uncover some scandal happening in the church to prove that Eric Snow is a fraud.
Providing the suspense and violence of the story is dirty Judge Reese McKelvie. With the mob as his back-up, he runs after the same Senate seat that Eric Snow is after.
This is quite the fantastic story written by bestselling author Lee Strobel.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my blog readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guidelines concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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