Book Review: Lovelier than Daylight

Title: Lovelier than Daylight
Series: The Saddler's Legacy

Pages: 358

Author: Rosslyn Elliott

Disclaimer: I received this book for free from Thomas Nelson Publishers through their BookSneeze program in exhange for an honest review.

Susanna, a woman of principles, is headed off to college at Otterbein College in Westerville, OH in the summer of 1875. She stops by her sister’s house to visit with her before arriving in Westerville and discovers her sister and children missing. Her sister Rachel’s alcoholic husband, George, tells Susanna that Rachel has left and taken the children to orphanages.

Susanna tries to get the children out of the orphanage to take them home with her while she searches for her sister. Her efforts in both areas are fruitless.

Johann is a brewer’s son and also writes for the German newspaper. He has an opportunity to go to New York and become a journalist. He struggles with loyalty to his father and staying in the family business and going on to pursue his own dreams and God-given talents.

When a saloon opens in the dry town of Westerville, OH, Johann and Susanna cross paths. Will Susanna be able to look past her preconceived ideas and balance righteousness and love? Will Johann make the right decision between duty and his dreams? In the hunt for her orphaned nieces and nephews and her missing children, will Susanna find them… and more?

Lovelier than Daylight is a story based on the real Westerville Wiskey War of 1875. The characters in it are based on real people from Westerville and their stories all rolled up into one.

This was a really good book! There are several other books from this author using characters in this book. I would love to read them all.

Each character was well-developed and strong… and different. It was easy to keep them separate because each had their individual personalities.

This book raises questions of real issues such as whether or not alcohol is acceptable to drink. It also presents real problems like abandoned children and the reasons their parents abandoned them. Many of the struggles that the characters faced are ones that we can all relate to in some way, such as Susanna’s stuggle with finding balance between righteousness and extending grace and trying to find the relationship between the two. Many of us can relate to Johann as he struggles to make a decision based on what he wants versus what his responsibilities are. We can relate to Rachel as she struggles with the consequences of her sin, because we have all sinned. And so many of us can admire Uncle Will and Aunt Ann and their gentle, quiet ways of standing for right but giving so much love and grace at the same time.

This was an excellent, well-written book with a fantastic storyline. I highly recommend reading this.

You can find more information or purchase the book by visiting the Thomas Nelson product page.

yum!!!

I was doing SO great this past summer eating a vegan diet. I felt good physically which helped me feel better emotionally/ mentally. I was loosing weight, which always makes a girl feel better about herself (unless you're one of those rare birds that needs to GAIN weight). Then I fell off that wagon.

So I decided that after the holidays it was time to reset my body and restart my healthy eating. I decided that I would do this by having a diet consisting mostly of smoothies for a week or so, just to make sure I'm getting a LOT of fruits and vegetables and all the vitamins that come with those. I knew it would give me a boost of energy, kickstart my diet, and also to help eliminate cravings.

When I make a smoothie, it usually is an entire pitcherful, so... about a quart. If I don't drink all of it, I put it in the fridge for later. I don't know how it would taste the next day, because they've never lasted that long.

The one I made this morning was so delicious that I just HAD to share it with you. I wish I could pass you my cup right now to let you have a taste... except ew. Germs.

Green Pineapple Smoothie

1 can of pineapple
2 small ripe bananas
1/4-1/2 cup oatmeal
1 small handful of kale
1 small handful of spinach
1 dash cinnamon
1 splash vanilla

Drain pineapple, but reserve the juice. Put everything in the blender and blend until smooth. Add pineapple juice as needed.

I had some frozen pineapple so I tossed a few pieces in my blender instead of ice, just to make my smoothie cold. You can use ice if you want.

This was truly delicious and VERY sweet. Almost too sweet. If I were to make it again, I would use less banana (or a less ripe banana).  I just have a plain Jane blender, but I let it run for quite a while (5 minutes?) until my smoothie was completely smooth.

Servings: 2
Calories: 285
Fat: 1.8 grams
Protein: 4.3 grams

Book Review: Waiting for Morning

Title: Waiting for Morning
Series: Brides of Last Chance Ranch
Book Number: 2
Author: Margaret Brownley

Summary:

Molly is no stranger to sorrow. She lost both her mother and father and is the only one left to care for her crippled brother. She maybe the one who was responsible for his accident and subsequent injuries as a child, but now she is the one responsible for his well-being. After narrowly rescuing him from the fire that destroyed their home and almost all of their belongings, she responded to ad for an heiress to a ranch in Cactus Patch, AZ. Should she be made heiress she must sign a contract agreeing to never marry. It seems like a dream come true -- provide a home for Donny and having the means by which to care for him. The little thing about marriage was no big deal since no man would ever want a woman with a crippled brother that required her constant attention.

And like any good book, things never go as the characters think they're going to go...

Dr. Caleb Fairbanks thinks he can help Donny, but Molly is skeptical. Her brother has seen a lot of kooky doctors. Can Molly trust Caleb with her brother... and her heart?

Reaction:

I LOVED this book. The characters were well-developed. Molly was sweet and kind and unselfish and strong. She struggled with real problems that each of us face. Caleb was kind and funny and interesting and patient. Patience is something Molly has a hard time with so Caleb's character balanced her. The other characters in the book weren't just names thrown in for filler, but truly well-developed supporting characters. From Aunt Bessy to Eleanor to Jimmy to Rosita, each character had a personality and I could picture them in my mind as I read the story.

This book was well-written and interesting and predictable but not too much. I wish I had another book in this series to read right now!

Where to purchase:
Thomas Nelson Publishers
Amazon.com
or your favorite Christian bookstore

*I received this book for free from Thomas Nelson Publishers in exchange for an honest review*

Old Before My Time: Hayley Okines' Life with Progeria

Title: Old Before My Time: Hayley Okines' Life with Progeria

Authors: Hayley and Kerry Okines

I received this book for free from Amazon.com because it was one of their free Kindle books offered at the time that I received it. I am not required to post this review in exchange for this book. I am simply reviewing it for your benefit.

Old Before My Time is a book written by Hayley Okines and her mother, Kerry, about Hayley's life with progeria. Progeria is a rare genetic condition that produces rapid aging in children. Children with progeria age, on average, about 8 times faster than someone without the disease. This results in the the person experiencing many of the same health problems that the elderly have and most of these children die before the age of 13 from heart disease or a stroke.

I learned in dental hygiene school that children with progeria have under-developed mandibles. This results in a bird-like or beak-like appearance. Due to the small size of the mandible they have dental crowding and hypodontia (fewer than normal number of teeth). Children with progeria also experience alopecia (hair loss).

Hayley and her mother wrote this book when she was 13 years old. It is interesting to see the difference in the writing "voice" between the chapters as Kerry writers some and Hayley writes others. In many instances Kerry may have written a chapter talking about her perspective of something, for example, Hayley meeting Steve Erwin, and then in the following chapter Hayley writes it from her perspective.

Hayley's cheerful spirit and positive attitude shine through in every chapter that she wrote. She does not see progeria as something that holds her back, but rather as something that has given her many opportunities that she would have otherwise not had such as meeting Steve Erwin, Kylie Minogue, and Justin Beiber.

Hayley is doing a drug trial to try and slow her aging process. She has seen positive results from this and these are also covered in the book.

This book is not a highly scientific read, but more of an emotionally gripping autobiography written by a girl with a 13 year old mind and a 100 year old body.

I highly recommend it!

Book Review: An Amish Kitchen

 

Title: An Amish Kitchen
Authors: Beth Wiseman, Amy Clipston, Kelly Long

The Amish Kitchen is three stories in one book: A Taste of Faith by Kelly Long, A Spoonful of Love by Amy Clipston and A Recipe for Hope by Beth Wiseman.

In A Taste of Faith Fern provides healing for others through medicinal herbs. She is insecure about her size. Good-looking, strong, and kind Abram wanted to be married to the land, not a woman. While caring for his younger siblings while his parents were out of town, he had to make frequent use of Fern's healing herbs due to various mishaps. And of course, they fell in love, but not without some conflict.

In A Spoonful of Love Hannah runs her parents bed & breakfast after her Daed's stroke. Stephen Ash is running from his past and finds refuge in Paradise. He makes himself useful at the bed & breakfast while staying there and he and Hannah become friends... and more.

In A Recipe for Hope, Eve and her husband and boys have to live with Eve's parents for a few months while repairs are being made on their house. Eve and her mother, who have never gotten along, build a relationship. Eve discovers that her mother does love her after all.

I enjoyed all three of the books. The first two were romances while the last was relationship-driven. My only complaint is that the characters fell in love too quickly. I guess that is due to the fact that each of the books is relatively short, but it was literally almost love at first sight in these books.

The cool thing is that the book contains recipes! There are recipes for natural remedies and there are also recipes of many of the dishes that the characters made in the book. I'd like to try a few of them out sometime!

The overall message was inspiring, but I wouldn't say that it was extremely spiritual.

*I received this book for free from Thomas Nelson Publishers through their BookSneeze program in exchange for an honest review*

Book Review: Grace

Title: Grace

Author: Max Lucado

The back cover of Grace by Max Lucado reads, “Have we settled for wimpy grace?” Then it states, “Max Lucado asks a deeper question: Have you been changed by grace? Shaped…? Strengthened…? Emboldened…? Softened…? Snatched by the nape of your neck and shaken to your senses by grace?”

I had great hopes for this book. I had hoped that Pastor Lucado would truly explore the life-changing, sanctifying power of God’s grace. I had hoped that this book would tell of the grace that goes beyond the wimpy grace that doesn’t threaten the way we currently live our lives and instead call us to repentance and challenge us to live obedient and holy lives because of what God has done for us. Had that been the only thing I had begun this book hoping for, I would have been greatly disappointed.

I also opened this book hoping for an easy read, good stories, and viewing bible stories in a new, fresh light. Those hopes were not disappointed.

For the first time, I saw that the story of the release of Barabbas by Pontius Pilate, well, really the Jews, was not just a release, but rather an exchange. Never before had I viewed that part of the story in light of my own salvation. I am Barabbas… the guilty one. Like Barabbas I have received the pardon I did not deserve while Jesus bore the punishment of death that I fully deserved. (Chapter 3)

I saw that the story of Ruth is the story of a God who offers grace though He is under no obligation to. I saw that in the story of Ruth is the story of a God who saves us even when we are in the depths of our sin. (Chapter 6)

Lucado, in chapter 10, assures us of our worth, not because of who we are, but because God has chosen us to be His children. “Rather than conjure up reasons to feel good about yourself, trust God’s verdict. If God loves you, you must be worth loving. If he wants to have you in his kingdom, then you must be worth having. God’s grace invites you – no, requires you – to change your attitude about yourself and take sides with God against your feelings of rejection.”

While the book disappointed many of my hopes, it also offered some positives things to me.

He did not disappoint with the quality and readability of his writing. The book was true to Max Lucado's voice and was written in a style that could easily be read aloud for a devotional thought.

All of this being said, I fundamentally disagree with Pastor Lucado’s theology regarding our assurance of salvation. Lucado states on page 133, “On-and-off salvation never appears in the Bible. Salvation is not a repeated phenomenon. Scripture contains no example of a person who was saved, then lost, then resaved, then lost again.” This chapter supports the once-saved-always-saved theological perspective. However, I do not believe that the Bible teaches that salvation cannot be lost.

When one chooses to follow Christ, does he then lose his power of choice in this matter? Can he not choose to NOT follow Christ. Would God force someone who once desired Heaven and now no longer desires to be in Heaven with God for all eternity to suffer all eternity in the presence of a God that he/ she wants nothing to do with?

What does the Bible teach? What does Jesus say?

In Luke 8:4-15 Jesus tells the parable of the sower who went out to sow some seed. The seed is the word of God. The seed falls in various places but I want to bring your attention to the seed that fell on the rocky soil. Verse 13 (NASB) says, “Those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away.” Jesus himself states that they believed but fell away!

Jesus tells the parable of the vine and the branches in John 15:1-l7. He stresses the importance of remaining in Him. You cannot remain in something unless you have first joined yourself to it. If it is not possible to be lost, why would Jesus emphasize the importance of remaining in Him? Jesus is teaching that to be saved, one must abide in Him or remain in Him. If we remain in Jesus, we will obey Jesus (v.10).

In the parable of the 10 virgins (Matthew 25:1-13) all of the young ladies were invited to the wedding, all of them accepted the invitation, and yet some missed out on the opportunity to attend.

Other passages to consider: Ezekiel 33:12-20; Roman 11:17-24; 1 Corinthians 15:1,2; Galatians 1:6; Galatians 5:2-4; Ephesians 4:20 and many others (see http://lithgow.adventist.org.au/once-saved-always-saved)

Finally I would like to end with this, “Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.” (Colossians 1:21-23) The passage says if you continue in your faith.

Salvation is a free gift that one can accept, but it must be daily lived and accepted continually. If one chooses that he or she no longer wants to remain in Christ, he/ she has that freedom of choice. No one can snatch us from the Father’s hand (John 10:29), but we can choose to remove ourselves from it.

Please do not accept the wimpy grace that is offered by saying that we can accept salvation once and then never lose it because in doing so you cheat yourself of the rich blessings that come from an living, giving, active, abiding relationship with Jesus and His magnificent power to transform lives.

Book Review: the Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck

Title: The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck

Author: Kathleen Y’Barbo

Charlotte Beck is a childish, self-centered, spoiled rich brat interested only in getting her way. Her looks and her manipulating ways help accomplish that. Alex Hambly is a rich, attractive, astronomer who can stand up to Charlotte’s manipulating and bratty ways. I knew how this story would end before I even finished reading the back cover. Forced marriage, they hate each other, they’ll come to love each other. The end.

I can’t complain about the predictability. I enjoy predictability because my own life is so unpredictable… it’s nice to pick up a book and know how the story is going to end and everything in between.

I liked the book, but it left much to be desired.

Questions still remain such as:

What happened to Charlotte’s mother??? On this point, readers were left with only sketchy details and a confusing story. Did she leave Edwin for Daniel?

Who is Charlotte’s real father?? Edwin or Daniel? The birth certificate said Daniel, but Daniel seemed shocked by this.

This book is classified as Christian fiction, but aside from being clean I fail to see what qualifies it as such. There were two, maybe three, mentions of faith in the whole book – Daniel asking Charlotte about her faith, Daniel addressing it with Alex following that conversation, and Alex asking Charlotte. I’ve seen more about God mentioned in non-Christian fiction.

I enjoyed the setting and the characters were well developed for the most part. If I had not read the acknowledgments at the back of the book, I might have thought that another book would tell the story of Charlotte’s mother; however, this being the last book in the series it doesn’t seem like that will happen.

This book accomplished exactly what I hoped it would… allow me to relax and read while taking some time off work and to get my mind off of more stressful things. That being said this is not a book that I would recommend, nor would I read it again.

*I received this book for free from WaterBrook/ Multnomah Publishers in exchange for writing a free review for their Blogging for Books program*