The Sinners' Garden by William Sirls

BOOK SUMMARY:

In the small Lake Erie township of Benning, someone is at work cultivating a supernatural garden …

Andy Kemp’s young life has been as ravaged as his scarred face. Disfigured by an abusive father, the teenager hides behind his books and an impenetrable wall of cynicism and anger.

As Andy’s mother struggles to reconnect with him, his Uncle Rip returns transformed from a stint in prison and wants to be a mentor to the reclusive boy, doing everything he can to help end Andy’s pain. When Andy begins hearing strange music through his iPod and making near-prophetic announcements, Rip is convinced that what Andy is hearing is the voice of God.

Elsewhere, police officer Heather Gerisch responds to a late-night breaking and entering in one of the poorest homes in town. She soon realizes that the masked prowler has left thousands of dollars in gift cards from a local grocery store.

As the bizarre break-ins continue and Heather pursues the elusive “Summer Santa,” Andy and Rip discover an enormous and well-kept garden of wildflowers that seems to have grown overnight at an abandoned steel mill.

Soon, they realize who the gardener is, and a spree of miracles transfigures this small town from a place of hopelessness into a place of healing and beauty.

MY THOUGHTS: 

WOW! I could just leave it at that and tell you to rush out and buy this book! This story is an amazing spiritual journey that leads us where we never could imagine. There are so many levels in the development of this book, that I had a very hard time putting it down. The characters are incredible in their depth and creativity.

I loved the "Summer Santa" story and couldn't wait to see who it was.  The author did a marvelous job at weaving the characters history into the story.  Learning about the authors own life story made the book that much more real to me. You can learn more about the author at http://www.williamsirls.com

This is a longer book, but once I started it was a fast read and kept me on my toes throughout.

You do not want to miss out on this exciting story of faith, love and forgiveness. I found myself laughing and crying till the very end.

You can find the book on Amazon.com

Disclosure: I received a print copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. My reviews are my own opinion and may differ from others

The Calling by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Book Summary(from Amazon)

Twenty-year-old Bethany Schrock is restless. Her love life has derailed, her faith hangs by a thread, and she is spending the incredibly hot summer days wading through a lifetime's accumulation of junk at the home of five ancient Amish sisters. About the only thing that holds her interest is the spirited and dangerously handsome Jimmy Fisher--and he seems bent on irritating her to no end.

When the sly old sisters and a guest at the Inn get Bethany involved in running the local soup kitchen and starting a community garden, she suddenly finds herself wondering, Shootfire! How did that happen? Despite her newfound purposefulness, a gnawing emptiness about a childhood mystery continues to plague her. Encouraged by Jimmy Fisher, she will seek out the answers she craves--and uncover a shocking secret that will break her heart, heal it, and point her to love.

My Thoughts:

This is the second book in The Inn at Eagle Hill series. Although reading the books in order is always my first choice, you can read this book as a stand alone. I know you will want to read more when you are done with this!

I love how Suzanne Woods Fisher can create a wonderfully written book with many twists and end up with something that leaves you wanting to know more. I love how the characters draw you in and bring you into their lives. I found myself relating to each one at some point in the story. I love Bethany's journey to find truth and a reconnect of faith in her life. We can learn about how the simple life of the Amish can help during the struggles of life and help us lean on what's important.

This shows an inside look at volunteering, connecting and being able to move into the future and leaving the past behind. I highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys a good, clean read with some twists and turns along the way.

Disclosure: I received a print copy of the book in order to do my review. My reviews are honest and my opinions are my own.

12 Pearls of Christmas (Day 1) with Giveaway!

Welcome to the 12 Pearls of Christmas blog series!

Merry Christmas from Pearl Girls™! We hope you enjoy these Christmas “Pearls of Wisdom” from the authors who were so kind to donate their time and talents! If you miss a few posts, you’ll be able go back through and read them on this blog throughout the next few days.

We’re giving away a pearl necklace in celebration of the holidays, as well as some items from the contributors! Enter now below. The winner will be announced on January 2, 2014, at the Pearl Girls blog.

If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info and see what we’re all about. In short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of Mother of Pearl, Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace, or one of the Pearl Girls products (all GREAT gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.

***

A Hibiscus "Hug from Heaven" by: Margaret McSweeney

The flurry of festivities during Thanksgiving weekend came to an abrupt halt as I began the first week of December 2013 with an empty nest. My husband was back at work. My daughters were back at college. And my brother, Claude, and niece, Mary, were back in Alabama and Tennessee. Bare branches accentuated the overcast gloom in the Chicago suburbs on what marked the third anniversary of my brother Randy’s passing. Randy had been feeding a stray cat on his deck when the fatal heart attack struck.

Walking downstairs, I whispered a prayer. “Lord, I am feeling really sad right now. Please help me experience your joy.” As I walked into the family room, my heart smiled. The pruned hibiscus plant balanced a solitary flower that had blossomed overnight! This was truly a hibiscus “hug from heaven.”

In her book <em>When Grief Is Your Constant Companion</em>, my late mother shared her poignant poem about a hibiscus plant. She wrote this following poem several years after losing my dad to a sudden heart attack while he was in Paris on a business trip.

TEARDROPS: EVERLASTING JOY
By Carolyn Rhea

My love, how can it be
That I no longer think of you
Almost every waking moment
And grieve for your loving presence?

There are small spaces of time
When my life is so absorbed in present living
That you are not in my thoughts at all.
How unthinkable!
How sad that I should forget you even for an hour!

But I have not forgotten you, my dear.
You are forever a part of me.
You helped God shape my life
Into my present self.
I carry your love in my heart.
I miss you so very much and always will.

But now I’m caught up in trying to reconstruct
With God’s guidance
A meaningful life for myself.
One in which I can help,
Serve, share, love, grow.

I remember the hibiscus plant
We bought at the annual show.
It was called Teardrops,
For several perfectly-shaped white teardrops
Spattered the broad expanse
Of its gorgeous pink blooms.
How we loved it!

Then later, after it had grown much taller,
We saw a different kind of bloom:
Multitudes of small, sturdy, happy pink blossoms
Swaying merrily in the Florida breeze!
Teardrops had been grafted onto a stronger plant!

We named it Everlasting Joy.

Teardrops still bloomed at the lower level,
But as the plant grew ever upward and outward,
Everlasting Joy bloomed in profusion!

Lord Jesus, when teardrops fall,
Help me remember that through faith
I have been grafted in You –
You, the vine;
I, a branch –
Eternally secure in God’s love through Thee!
Blessed with Thy fullness of joy on earth
And the promise of everlasting joy in heaven!

Thank you, dear Father for sharing your everlasting joy with me today in my solitude. We are not alone in our grief. You are with us. “Ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.” John 16:20

***

Margaret McSweeney is well-published author (A Mother’s Heart Knows, Go Back and Be Happy, Pearl Girls, Mother of Pearl, Aftermath), host of Kitchen Chat, and the founder of Pearl Girls™. Through Pearl Girls™, Margaret collaborates with other writers on projects to help fund a safe house for WINGS, an organization that helps women and their children who are victims of domestic violence, and to build wells for schoolchildren in Uganda through Hands of Hope. For the past twelve years she has served on the board of directors and leadership advisory board for WINGS. Margaret lives with her husband and 2 daughters in the Chicago suburbs. Learn more at Margaret's website.

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Unspoken by Dee Henderson

Book Summary: (from amazon)

Charlotte Graham is at the center of the most famous kidnapping in Chicago history.

The task force of FBI and local cops found her two abductors, killed them, rescued her, but it took four very long years. The fact she was found less than three miles from her home, had been there the entire time, haunts them. She's changed her identity, found a profession she loves, and rebuilt her life.

She's never said a word--to the cops, to her doctors, to family--about those four years. 
A family legacy has brought her back to Chicago where a reporter is writing a book about the kidnapping. The cops who worked the case are cooperating with him. Her options are limited: Hope the reporter doesn't find the full truth, or break her silence about what happened. And her silence is what has protected her family for years.

Bryce Bishop doesn't know her past, he only knows she has coins to sell from her grandfather's estate--and that the FBI director for the Chicago office made the introduction. The more he gets to know Charlotte, the more interested he becomes, an interest encouraged by those closest to her. But nothing else is working in his favor--she's decided she is single for life, she struggles with her faith, and she's willing to forego a huge inheritance to keep her privacy. She's not giving him much of an opening to work with.

Charlotte wants to trust him. She needs to tell him what happened. Because a crime cops thought was solved, has only opened another chapter...

My Thoughts:

This was such an interesting book! There were so many layers to the storyline which were well thought out and worked to make it an exciting plot. I was drawn in to the different characters, but especially with Charlotte in what she went through. Although she had a very hard life, her strength to go on, and how she learned to deal with everything was wonderful to read. 

I felt the story took me on a journey where I never was completely sure where I was going, but knowing I wanted to be there! 

Dee Henderson has a way of making you feel a part of the characters in a real and personal way. Details have a way of showing you the truth and encouraging you to follow alongside the characters. 

You can find out more about the author on her website.  

I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did!

Disclosure: I received a print copy of the book in exchange for my honest review. My opinions are my own,and may differ from others.

A Christmas Gift for Rose by Tricia Goyer

For the Amish faith, joining the military is just not something that is done. When Jonathan, the man Rose loves, returns from serving as a Medic in World War II, she breaks things off. She is concerned with how the Bishop will react and is also not sure how she feels herself.
To Rose's complete surprise, the nightmares that have been disrupting her sleep lately turn out to have some truth to them. Rose finds out that she was born English. Her family was unable to provide properly for her and sent her to live with the Amish family that has been the family Rose has always loved.
How will this newfound knowledge affect her relationships with her Amish family, and Jonathan? Life is about to change in ways Rose never imagined.


MY THOUGHTS:

I'll start by saying I would give this book 5 out of 5 stars! I loved the idea of the story. What would happen if we discovered our lives were not what they should have been? It's hard to imagine, but how much more difficult would it be for it to have actually happened?
It's intriguing to discover how Rose deals with this and the emotions involved. Her Amish family along with  Jonathan try and help her to rely on her faith throughout her struggles. That is an encouragement to me and I'm sure will be for others reading Rose's story.
I loved the creative ways the author brought people into Rose's life at just the right moment. Finding out the meaning of the title was exciting for me. It was a clever and unique situation which you learn about later in the book.

Except for a rest to eat, I finished this book in one sitting! I just couldn't put it down! It's a somewhat shorter book which made it easier, but it was the star quality of the book that kept me glued to the story.
I was invested in each character and the wonderfully drafted storyline that I couldn't let it go.


You can learn more about the author at http://www.triciagoyer.com
Follow her on Twitter and Facebook

Disclosure: I received a print copy of the book from booksneeze in exchange for an honest review. My reviews are always honest and my own opinion. My views may differ from others.

A Walk Through The Dark by Eva Piper

A Walk Through The Dark is a story of faith, trust and learning to rely completely on God.  This book is a companion book to her husband's book titled "90 Minutes in Heaven". If you haven't read that book, I suggest you do. It's also amazing! The two books can be read in any order.

In this book, Eva Piper has learned the hard way how things can change in a matter of minutes. One day she is a teacher, mother and wife going through daily life. The next day, her husband is injured in a horrible car accident and life is turned upside down.  Eva finds herself completely out of control. She finds the only way to survive is to put all her trust in her loving God. Her life already focused, her instincts take over. God speaks to her heart that things will be okay, and she trusts that. What she doesn't realize at the time is how long it will take to get to there and how hard the road will be. She faces situations which in hindsight make sense, but at the time are hard to accept.

Eva has to become the decision maker in what are the hardest times she has dealt with. Through the struggles she learns confidence in handling situations, which allow her to share with others and others to share with her. She finds a part of herself she never realized was there.

I can't imagine someone going through such trying times without the foundation resting on God. Eva Piper is a strong example of what a wife is supposed to be and what she should do. Love unconditionally. I find her to be a great inspiration with a wonderful testimony.

Although everyone struggles with different things, what she teaches us is how our faith deepens when we only have our faith. At times when we have no idea what to do, God shows us.

I highly recommend this book to everyone. I guarantee you will not read this and come out unchanged.

Disclosure: I received a free print copy of this book from www.booksneeze.com in exchange for my honest review. My reviews are my own opinion and may differ from others.

Your Daily Bible Verse by Rachelle Ayala

Another great book by Rachelle Ayala. For my previous post by her, search in my March archives under the title " Hidden Under her Heart ". For me, I wake up and plan on spending time in the word, and have the desire to do just that...then life gets in the way. What I really liked in this book, were the daily reminders. There is a verse for every day of the year. Each verse corresponds to the month and day that you are on.

For example, on February 8th, the verse is Ephesians 2:8 : For by Grace are ye saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.

Every day you have a different verse you can memorize.  Do you want a special verse on a certain day? Maybe for a Birthday, or a day to remember? This book is perfect.. It's easy to find the day and the verse to go with it.

The verses might not always be what you would choose for a certain date, but they are always a starting point and can help lead you to search the Bible for more verses.  All verses are in the King James Version. For me, I prefer a different version without the "ye" and "thou" but that's just me:)

I highly encourage you to get this book. While it's not a devotion with stories or anything, It is definitely worthwhile to have. It would make a great gift for someone, or a way for not only you, but maybe a family memorization time.

You can find the authors blog at: http://www.rachelleayala.com
Like her Facebook page at : http://www.facebook.com/rachelleayalawriter     

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Grace Given by Beth Shriver

      In this book, we find Elsie and her family trying to find their way into a new community. They have moved from Virginia to Texas only the previous year. While learning to follow the changes of the community, and dealing with vandals hitting the Amish farms, they also are dealing with a family issue.  

Elsie's sister Katie left the community with Jake, and Elsie finds this especially hard because she thought their was something growing in her relationship with Jake. 

      Thankfully Elsie has a good friend in Gideon. He has been interested in Elsie for a long time and enjoys being there for her, and also hoping that Elsie will grow to love him. 

      Through circumstances with the English vandals, Elsie and Gideon find themselves growing closer as they search for the truth.

      When Katie returns, emotions run wild. In an already stressful time, we find yet another situation that requires faith, grace and forgiveness. Choices must be made and struggles met to do what is right.

Amazing story of love and forgiveness.

My Review:

I would give this book 5 out of 5 stars. I find myself intrigued by the Amish culture and enjoy reading books which give insight into their lives and why they choose to do things the way they do. This is Book 2 in the series "Touch of Grace" by Beth Shriver.  I read this one realizing that I had not yet read Book 1. Although I plan on going back and reading Book 1, I don't feel that not reading it first caused any difficulty in understanding what was going on in this book. I would recommend reading in order though, but that's just how I usually like to do things:)

This book is well-written, and kept my attention well past times that I should have been sleeping! Beth Shriver always puts together wonderful stories and I am thrilled to have the privilege  of sharing this one with you.

You can find a copy of this book at amazon.com

Disclosure: I received a print copy of this book through thebooketeria.com in order to do this review. My reviews are always honest and are my own opinion. My opinions may differ from  others.

The Whisper Theory

The Whisper Theory

by Amber Swenson

Summary:

      Whisper Theory is a book that is part story, and part bible study. We follow the lives of three friends and roommates Meghan, Carol and Jeff. We learn about their college life, thoughts of the future, their remembering of the past, and the present difficulties mixed in. 

      Meghan is a Christian who is having a hard time living her convictions. Her roommates are not Christians and instead of her being able to witness positively to them, they pull Meghan in their direction of living life. She finds it difficult to stand firm in her faith, and finds herself dipping her toes in temptation and in love with the wrong person.     

       

      She deals with many circumstances and sins which lead her away from God. How far will she go, and how much will she have to suffer before she finds her way back to God and the relationship with him that she craves? You will learn this and more through reading the book.

Review:

    

      Initially, when I read the listing for this book to review, I found myself intrigued. I enjoy a good clean suspense book and that's what it looked like to me.  It was different than I expected, but still looked interesting.

      What I enjoyed about this book was how it included bible study questions after each chapter. The questions related to the previous chapter and allowed some in depth looks at the subject matter covered in the chapter. I liked how it gave direct links to what the Bible says about the topic. The questions were thought-provoking, and allowed time in the word.

      I felt like there were some parts of the story which were hard to follow. The story seemed to bounce around leaving sections confusing. I see it more as an informational story book rather than a work of fiction. There were many difficult subjects covered from sex, drinking, murder and more. In general it was handled well. To me I felt it focused somewhat too much on the actual sin details. I wish there had been more of seeing Meghan trying to live a Christian life instead of being so easily swayed to the world. I think more could have been done to show this.

      For me, the last few chapters were the best where we find redemption. I think this would be good for college age kids, who might be encountering the subjects and could learn from them.

     

      Overall, Whisper Theory is a worthwhile read. I felt by far the best part of the book was the bible study.

Disclosure:  I received a free ebook copy of Whisper Theory from booksneeze.com in order to do my review. I was not required to write a positive review. My opinions are honest and are my own. They may differ from others. 

Katie Opens her Heart

Katie Opens Her Heart

By Jerry Eicher

• Christian Fiction
• Amish life
• my rating is 5 out of 5 stars

  Summary:

   This book is the first in a new series called "Emma Raber's Daughter". In this book, Katie is a teenager living with her widowed mom, Emma. Due to the loss of her father and situations in her mom's past, Katie is kept from participating in the traditional Amish rumspringa. Katie and her mom are considered strange by the Amish community. Katie badly wants to be a part of the community and to have friends.

     One day, through a friend at work, Katie is invited to a mennonite birthday party. Although her mom is against it, Katie goes and had a great time. She feels comfortable and loved by the friends she meets and wants to continue to nurture the friendships by going to more get togethers with them.

      When Jesse comes to court Katie's mom, she sees this as a way for Emma to be happy, but also allow her to gain the life and freedom she deserves herself. Although there are many setbacks and obstacles  to overcome, this is the beginning of new life for them both.

     Review:

     I have always found books about the Amish lifestyle fascinating. The traditions have interested me in seeing how they live the simple life, not affected by all the trappings of the world. In this book again I was not disappointed. I had a hard time putting down the book. This is a great story with an interesting plot. I felt myself become a part of each of the characters and feeling how they felt in each circumstance. It was easy to put yourself in their place to see how each situation affected their life and their love.

      I look forward to the next book in this series, and can't wait to see what changes happen in Katie and Emma's lives and also watch new stories unfold in new characters. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a story of life, love and family.

Disclosure: I received an ebook in order to do this review. No other compensation took place. The opinions here are my own and may differ from yours.

Direct link to book: http://www.amazon.com/Katie-Opens-Heart-Rabers-Daughter/dp/0736952519/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1357170293&sr=8-1&keywords=katie+opens+her+heart