When the Soul Mends, Cindy Woodsmall

From the Publisher:

Returning to the home she fled in disgrace, will Hannah find healing for the wounds of the past?
After receiving a desperate and confusing call from her sister, Hannah Lapp reluctantly returns to the Old Order Amish community of her Pennsylvania childhood.
Having fled in disgrace more than two years earlier, she finally has settled into a satisfying role in theEnglischer world. She also has found love and a new family with the wealthy Martin Palmer and the children she is helping him raise. But almost immediately after her arrival in Owl’s Perch, the disapproval of those who ostracized her, including her headstrong father, reopens old wounds.
As Hannah is thrown together with former fiancé Paul Waddell to work for her sister Sarah’s mental health, hidden truths surface about events during Hannah’s absence, and she faces an agonizing decision. Will she choose the Englischer world and the man who restored her hope, or will she heed the call to return to the Plain Life–and perhaps to her first love?
When the Soul Mends is the third and final book in the Sisters of the Quilt series.

Would you like to read an Excerpt from Chapter 1?

I have enjoyed all three books from the Sisters of the Quilt series.  This book is from 2008 – it is not a new installment in the series.  I enjoy series that have a wonderful wrap up – a sense of closure.  I do so enjoy when you  follow a character that made decisions based on their perception of what happened, but then they get to see that they had the facts out of order.  Cindy Woodsmall is one of my top favorite authors, and I am truly enjoy an afternoon wrapped in a quilt while being transported into the lives that she creates. 

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

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Daily Gifts of Grace–A Review

Women of Faith speakers share insight, advice, laughter, and maybe even a few tears in this daily devotional. Voices from fiction, recognizable names from Christian conferences, and well-known Christian writers also are included.

Daily Gifts of Grace is a daily devotional designed specifically for women, with a beautiful hardbound case and a magnetic closure. Readers will be pleased to open it for a devotion that will help them face the day or for an inspirational devotion to close the day.

Contributors include Joni Eareckson Tada, Lisa Whelchel, Jenna Lucado, Sheila Walsh, Kim Cash Tate, Patsy Clairmont, Natalie Grant, Lisa Harper, and others.

What the photo doesn’t show, is that the curved mark on the cover, is actually a magnetized flap. This is a hard bound beautifully artistic book with a ribbon bookmark in pale yellow. The inside book cover paper is a beautiful pale green. The pages are not quite glossy, but not flat, and easy to read.

From one who has enjoyed the Women of Faith events, it feels like opening a gift, and sitting down to tea in a more personal way with my favorite encouragers. I keep a notebook next to my bible and write down thoughts as I study the word. It feels like Women of Faith asked these gals to submit a few of those private entries for us to enjoy.

I enjoy my mornings in the Word, digging deep in study – although these start out with a Bible verse for direction – this is more like the Daily Bread entries for ladies, and I really enjoy the little Daily Bread quarterlies.

This would make a beautiful gift for a Sunday School Teacher, Friend, someone in the Hospital, anyone needing encouragement, a new mom with little time for the Word, or, just a pick me up for yourself!

I received a free physical copy of this book from BookSneeze, in exchange for using the book and writing a review on my blog.

I Love Your Presence–Vineyard Music–A Review

 

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This weekend our Worship Team is at a retreat in Cannon Beach – a Vineyard Worship Retreat.  I am so excited for them.  Also this week – I received ‘I Love Your Presence’ to review.  I kept it on my two iPods and laptop, and listened as I had time.  Today, I had a block of alone time, so I just turned it up and let it rip as I quietly went through my tasks in my home.  Compared to the last album, ‘Furious’ this one has a completely different flavor.  Slower. Quieter. I might call it a Lingering.  There are more female led songs – which I enjoyed, sometimes the octaves following the boys is hard for me. This gathering of worship songs seemed so personal.  I think it is why it was easier to listen to when I was alone. I could picture these songs on a Wednesday  night – one after the other – for over an hour, as we indulge our selves by stopping our pace, seeking his faith – being thankful to the King.  I highly recommend it!

I was given a copy of this to give away  - and I am taking a departure from the contest – and in honor of the retreat this week – I am gifting it to a member of our Vineyard Worship Team.

About 'I Love Your Presence':

LOVE OF GOD was recorded live at the Burn Bright: Worship and The Kingdom Of God conference, hosted by Vineyard Worship. Several hundred worship leaders and worshippers gathered in the Arizona desert to explore the nature of God’s kingdom through music and teaching with some of the Vineyard’s most gifted communicators and musicians. This inspiring collection of songs recorded live at the The Vineyard Church North Phoenix will immerse listeners in the powerful worship that was the highlight of the event. LOVE OF GOD reminds us to not just think of worship as singing songs, but also laying down our lives for Him. 

"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."

A Mile in His Shoes–Movie Review–and Giveaway

From the director of "Angels In the Outfield" comes an inspiring story about a special boy with an amazing gift, and the coach who believed. Dean Cain and Luke Schroder star in the gmc movie based on the book "The Legend of Mickey Tussler".

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Synopsis

"A Mile in His Shoes" is the story of Mickey Tussler, a young man with Asperger's Syndrome--a type of autism--who is recruited by a passionate coach to pitch for his minor league team. The story centers on Arthur Murphy, who coaches a semi-pro baseball team out of a small country town in Ohio. The team he is coaching is starting another losing season, and Murphy is getting pressure from the owner for the team to improve or suffer the consequences. So Murphy is sent on a scouting trip to bring talent to the team. By chance, on his way to scout, his car breaks down and Murphy meets a young autistic country boy named Mickey Tussler. Murphy sees Mickey throwing some apples, and spies Mickey's arm as talent. So, Murphy persuades Mickey's overly protective father to let Mickey come to Clayton Ohio and have a tryout. Once in Clayton, Mickey proves his talent, and becomes well liked. However, Lefty, another pitcher on the team dislikes him; jealousy. In the end there is a final showdown between the two rivals and beforehand Murphy persuades Clarence to let his son play again.

From Petra School:

I am quite pleased to introduce you to the film – A Walk in His Shoes.  I sat at the edge of my seat watching this young man’s life change – watching a sheltered boy use the strengths he had to become a man. My heart would clinch as the young man would be exposed to life with his team mates. I think the film was well done. It held the attention of my boys. It is a good family film, that I think any of my readers would enjoy. 

I have been given the opportunity to give one copy away – comment on the blog, and we will pick one winner to receive their own copy of the DVD.

 

 

 

“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.”

As Silver Refined, Kay Arthur

As Silver Refined, Answers to Life’s Disappointments

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• Details and Publisher’s Summary -

    

I may be a bit biased. A long time friend of Kay’s. As she she shared, I felt like we were sitting side by side. Tea in hand. Talking of her disappointments in life – sharing her heart and stories with me. I have been with Kay since about 1997, when a dear friend prayed to the Lord to bring people to her home who wanted to study the word.  I was in the second study that gathered at that kitchen table.  Long since walking in my own will and power, I had been raised to love the Lord, love the Word, love His people. However, I didn’t know how to walk that out as an adult.  Kay’s studies taught me how little I knew of the Word. How many stories I had learned from Sunday School by well meaning moms who drew the short straw and had to keep a group of 20 sugar hyped up kids quiet while their parents sat through church .   . .never made their way as truth, set truth, in my heart.

Enter As Silver refined. As I read this book, I walked through a difficult relationship. Between November 18th and December 12th, I would turn on the e-book through Blue Fire on my iPod, and read more of how to get through discouragements. In the middle of this, I walked through a hard set of circumstances. I have about 30 book marks set in the book in the e-reader.  One of my favorite, is from page 61 – to React or Act. It has become something I have said aloud and in quietly to myself, many times since November 29th. It is my choice to act, or react. I have talked to the boys about this. It is changing my days! I wish I could just sit with you and go through the bookmarks. I would come home from a stressful situation, open the book to read, and find the Word and Kay’s words waiting to comfort, direct, and encourage me.  I would walk through a difficulty with a friend, and The word would be there to help share a word with her.

Although I received an ebook copy of this for free to review until December 30th, I will purchase a hard backed copy of this from our local Bob’s Beach Books as well. It will be the first book I’ve reviewed that I’ve bought copies of.

Are you walking through disappointments? Do you know the path of the deadly d’s and how to combat it? If you are walking through any of life’s struggles, or you have a friend neck deep in it, this is going to be an instructive and encouraging read.

Healing is a Choice, Steve Arterburn

Healing Is a Choice10 Decisions That Will Transform Your Life and 10 Lies That Can Prevent You From Making Them

By Steve Arterburn
Published by Thomas Nelson

My copy of this book is dog eared and over highlighted, I’ve been reading it for a couple of weeks. When I first started, it was as a followup to another Stephen Arterburn book, The Encounter, and I wasn’t sure that the book would apply to me. However, I think that this book would be great for anyone – whether you think you are hurting or not!  He gives ten decisions that will transform your life, and then shares the 10 myths that counter those choices. What I think you will find, as I did, is that you think you might “be over” an event, but what you’ve actually done is live in the zone of the myth, and then let time slip by. I recommend this book highly for anyone, but especially if you, or a friend close to you, is in the midst of hurt and pain. This book will remain on my reading table, as a reference and source of direction.  Thank you Stephen!

Get a copy today at Thomas Nelson HERE!

 

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Book Description

Do you want to get well?

The power to heal—physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually—is in God's hands. But the choice to be healed is ours. Everyone, at some level, needs healing. In this book, Stephen Arterburn outlines ten choices crucial to receiving healing and ten lies that can prevent us from making them. Readers will find the wholeness God desires for them in a practical and prayerful way through this book.

Now including the full workbook, this combined release emphasizes the fact that we must choose to let the hurt go and let the healing begin.

The book asks the participant, "Do you want to be healed?" If the answer is yes, then ten choices are provided to make the path toward healing a restorative experience.

Shadow in Serenity, Teri Blackstock

Summary:
At the age of 17, Carny Sullivan broke free from the traveling carnival and scamming visitors with her dad, and moved to the safe town of Serenity, Texas. Now with a house of her own, a young son and a new life with people who love her, Carny is very protective of her new hometown. But Carny still knows a con artist when she sees one, and when charming, slick Logan Brisco arrives to dupe her town, she is determined to reveal his greedy intentions to all. Carny may be Brisco's biggest match.

Never having had a real family, Brisco becomes comfortable in the quaint, welcoming town, and the lure of the townspeople love may be just what he needs to change his criminal ways. Despite Carny's anger towards Brisco and her attempts to expose his scam to the townspeople, Carny learns the truth about the man behind that suave smile. It would take a miracle to change him, but she's seen that kind of redemption firsthand.

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From Angie:

I have enjoyed Terri Blackstocks’s writing for many years.  What I didn’t know, is that she wrote under a different name before she came to be a follower of Christ. She shares that this is a re-write of one of her previous books, not set with redemption, and cleaned up for Christian Fiction readers.  I liked the book in the fact that it was a very different story line, the characters had a very unique set of circumstances, and even though I had a hard time relating to the characters or identifying with them, I still read the book to the last page to see what Logan Brisco was going to end up doing. I really wasn’t sure throughout the whole book which way it was going to go. Which, to me, is a good read. Because the story line did not hook my enjoyment, I would have a hard time highly recommending this to my Historical Fiction loving friends, but if you are looking for different – this is a good one. I highly recommend looking into Terri Blackstocks’s other books if you have not read her work before.

Vitals:
Publisher: Zondervan
ISBN-13: 9780310332312
Page count: 352 Pages
USD: $14.99
On Sale Date: September 27, 2011
Genre: FICTION/Christian/Suspense

 

About the author:
Terri Blackstock has sold six million books worldwide and is a ”New York Times” bestselling author. With over 25 years of success as a novelist, Blackstock's most recent novel, “Vicious Cycle,” debuted on the ”New York Times” bestseller list. The first book in the Intervention Series, “Intervention” is a “New York Times” bestseller and a 2010 Carol Award Winner. Other Blackstock favorites include ”Predator” and “Double Minds,” as well as the Restoration Series, the Newpointe 911 Series, the Cape Refuge Series and the SunCoast Chronicles series. For more information, please visitwww.terriblackstock.com.

I received this book for free through Zondervan and NetGalley in exchange for mentioning it on my blog.