Nora’s Review of: Authentically, Izzy by Pepper Basham

Posted on June 30, 2023 by Vicki Hinze

Authentically, Izzy By Pepper Basham

Published by Thomas Nelson, 432 Pages

NORA’S REVIEW: I was drawn in from the start, “Dear Reader, this is a cautionary tale. A tale of family, literary classics, podiatry, matchmaking, Shakespeare, and distance.”

It’s all that and so much more. I loved the bookish setting, and the authors’ fresh voice in contemporary fiction. I found myself smiling all the way through the book because of Izzy, her love of books, her transparency, and her wit. I enjoyed how the author wrote this tale. It reminded me of how the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society was written through letters. This novel is written mostly through texts, and emails which included family chats that made the story endearing, different, witty, and downright hilarious and made me laugh out loud in parts. My family kept asking me what was so funny.

I’ve read other novels by this author, which were mostly historical, it was great to see her branch out to another genre. If you love bookstores, libraries, and bookish things, you will love this novel. I also liked the two main characters, and their loving families.  Izzy, who is caught up in a library job she likes, but her heart’s desire is to own a bookstore. I enjoyed watching her get the courage to chase after her dreams and pursue her chance for true love.

Brodie has dreams of his own. Could this person he knows only online might be something more than a friend? I loved every minute of this book, it’s fun, fun, fun. It truly is a wonderful escape that keeps your heart happy, and a grin on your face as you go on a grand adventure with Izzy, her quirky family, and Brodie.

 I highly recommend this heartfelt, joyful, uplifting story that includes discussion questions for your book club. This novel is a keeper.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I requested and received a copy of this book by the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 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”

Nora St. Laurent

TBCN Where Book Fun Begins! https://psalm516.blogspot.com/

The Book Club Network blog

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Humble pie or humble power?

Posted on June 29, 2023 by Ann Malley

There was a day when I believed humble meant self-effacing. Never stepping forward. And refusing leadership roles because, well, a humble person would never, ever believe themselves capable.

Wrong.

If I’d had a humbler attitude early on, I may have discovered the subtly of meaning and made better choices. How? By having the good sense to appear as if I didn’t know, because I didn’t understand many things.

How many of you have let what you don’t know lie while you fake it until you make it? I love that saying. But taken to extremes, faking whatever to save face leads to idiot mistakes.

Humility properly understood is balance in one’s assessment of self-importance, talents, and knowledge. There’s always room to learn. It’s the person who knows everything that stops learning. Translated: The person who believes he knows it all will never know more because his eyes and ears are firmly set against learning.

Not my idea???

Heaven forfend!

But humility also means accepting tasks for which you are equipped. False humility leads one to defer to others and fail to speak when one has a certain talent that’s integral to the wellbeing of others. To humbly accept being appointed to a position one may never have aspired to is a laudable act.

“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” Matthew 23:12

Translated: greatness comes from acknowledging our limitations and treating others with respect and kindness. It encourages us to let go of pride and arrogance, emphasizing the rewards that humility brings.

Have you ever shut down in the presence of a know it all?

If not, you’re more virtuous than me.

See how smart and gorgeous I am?

But in that instance, even a person with vast knowledge fails to transmit said knowledge because their delivery lacks humility. The know it all seeks to exalt himself, not help. That’s why some enjoy talking over people’s heads in order to maintain their sense of superiority. But the fall comes when the support structure all humans need to thrive is repelled. Wham. Who will prop up that ego now? The know it all may salve his conscience by laying blame elsewhere, but deep down, he or she knows.

If not, more’s the pity.

Humility is such an integral ingredient to wisdom that its extolled in other faiths:

The Quran – Surah Al-Hujurat 49:13: “O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you.” Note that nobility isn’t tied to wealth, prowess, or prestige.

The Bhagavad Gita from Hindu tradition has this to say.  Chapter 13, Verse 8: “Humility, modesty, nonviolence, forgiveness, and integrity; these qualities must be practiced by one who desires to attain divine knowledge.”

In Taoism, the ancient Chinese philosophy, humility is considered a cornerstone of wisdom and virtue. The Tao Te Ching states in Verse 39, “The supreme goodness is like water. It benefits all things without contention. In dwelling, it stays grounded. In being, it flows to depths. In giving, it is kind. In speaking, it is sincere. In leading, it does not control. In work, it is competent. In action, it aligns with timing. It is content with its nature and therefore cannot be faulted.”

Roman emperor and class-A stoic Marcus Aurelius had this to say “The pride which is proud of want of pride is the most intolerable of all,” in his Meditations. The one who prides himself on being SO humble is obnoxious. And how right he was. He continues, “We ought to do good to others as simply as a horse runs, or a bee makes honey, or a vine bears grapes season after season without thinking of the grapes it has borne.”

Freed are from ego-driven obstacles, a person’s pathway is clear.

By embracing humility, we learn to acknowledge our imperfections. We appreciate the worth of others and approach life with a sense of openness and learning. As we strive to cultivate humility in our thoughts, words, and actions, we can experience personal growth. Humility fosters understanding and contributes to a more compassionate world.

“If you ask me what the essential thing in the religion and discipline of Jesus Christ is, I shall reply: first, humility; second, humility, and third, humility.”—St. Augustine

 

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Pray Always? Are you kidding ?

Posted on June 29, 2023 by Ann Malley

How does one pray always in a state of increasing chaos?

The storm is raging.

Vice is oozing out all over.

Satan has left off prowling thanks to a steady buffet of willing souls who foolishly believe there’s a party in the pits of hell.

And while Christians may not be of the world, we’re neck deep in it until we’re called home. The demands of husband, wife, kids, home, careers, extended family, church, and community are ever present. Satan is having a heyday keeping the elect spun up with ongoing scandal, both inside and outside the home.

Once trusted institutions are falling into shadows at alarming rates. Masks are off. The more jaded of us may have adopted an attitude of disgust that borders on indifference. But come on. What can we do anyway?

Pray!

From the heart.

That’s the only answer.

It’s a small thing and maybe why we often leave off praying because we believe ourselves capable of bigger things. Like changing global weather patterns–global warming anyone? Honk if you remember the second ice age scare of the seventies. Good grief.

But Jesus is in our rocking boat. He may seem to be sleeping, but God never sleeps. If the Lord did catch a wink, he was likely plagued with nightmares of his willful children’s ongoing antics. Loving does that. I almost long for baby days. A cuddle, dry diapers, a wee jar of Gerber, and we’re done. I’d trade being sleepy for feeling utterly powerless.

God has the power, however. We only need to seek it. And one doesn’t have to kneel beside one’s bed to reach God. Elaborate soliloquies aren’t necessary, and neither is a chapel in the woods. Simply lifting one’s heart to Him will suffice. Words are often superfluous as he reads our hearts clearer than we do.

Working and praying is the best. We do our part. God does his. Praying makes work light. It soothes the spirit. Grasping the fullness of who Almighty God is and who we aren’t is the surest way to find that calm.

So, set your intentions. I praise you Lord with every sock I wash, every report I read, each paper I grade. Every time I pick the kids up from school is a song of praise. I trust you with ever step I take today.

Wrap you mind around the reality that God is everywhere. He’s listening. He’s waiting much like we wait when those we love wander far.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen had this to say back in the day: “It is better to pray badly than not to pray at all. As Chesterton once wrote: ‘If a thing is worth doing at all, it is worth doing badly. We may not breathe properly, but it’s is a good idea to keep breathing.”

The idea? Just DO IT! Pray. Always. It’s a little thing, but that’s what God has asked of us. This from the woman who used to fret about not breathing properly. No kidding.

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The Living and the Dead by James R. Coggins

Posted on June 28, 2023 by jrcoggins

Question:

I am sometimes asked: Why do you write murder mysteries? Why do you choose to write about death? Why do you focus on dead people?

Answer:

The question reveals a misunderstanding. Murder mysteries are not about the dead. They are about the living.

First, the victim. How did she live? What led to her being murdered?

Then, the murderer. How did he live? What led him to commit the ultimate crime?

And also the other people, the victim’s friends, family, and associates, the witnesses. How did they live? How are they living and coping now in the aftermath of death? What could have caused them to be suspects?

And then, of course, the police, the detective, the amateur sleuth. What motivated them to so passionately seek justice, truth, and understanding?

Life is a serious matter, and the reality of death brings into focus the value of life. Murder mysteries might ask how someone died. But the answer is often in how that person lived and in how other people lived. Murder mysteries are not written for dead people (the dead don’t buy books), but for living people—to offer them understanding and wisdom.

Note:

I called the murderer “he.” There is truth there. Most murderers are men (about 90% worldwide). “I called the murder victim “she.” There is less truth there. Contrary to popular opinion, most murder victims are men, not women—75% in Canada, 82% in the United States.

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Take Shelter in the Word

Posted on June 27, 2023 by Author Mary Alford

I must confess, until we went through the great Snowpocalypse of 2021 here in Texas, I never understood how difficult having too much snow can be.

Before 2021, if we had snow at all, it would be a dusting that rarely lasted more than a day, and rarely affected life beyond possibly the occasional snow day at school which most kids love.

Snowpocalypse was different. It put a strain on our power grid, created rolling backouts in some areas, and in others, the power was out for days. People were forced to take shelter in their homes in the darkness and try to stay warm. We were lost. This doesn’t normally happen to us. So, although our winter weather during Snowpocalypse wasn’t anything close to what those who live in the northern states go through every year, I can certainly sympathize.   

In Texas, we have a different weather period that forces us to take shelter at home. It starts around May and usually runs into October. It’s called summer in Texas. During that time, we complain about the heat, refuse to leave our houses, and basically hibernate until October.

As humans, we take shelter in our homes and with loved ones. We worry about things we can’t control—like the weather. But have you ever thought about taking shelter in the Word?

Hebrews 4:12 says, For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

God’s word is powerful. It offers hope and healing for those who read it. We see God’s love throughout the pages of the Bible, and we know no matter what we go through—whether heat or cold, of something far more devastating, He is there beside us.  

Many blessings!

Mary

www.maryalford.net  

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Creating Characters by Tara Randel

Posted on June 26, 2023 by tararandel

People are complex. That’s why it’s so much fun, and a lot of hard work, to create believable and interesting characters. Just look at the people in your lives. Don’t they come with different issues and baggage, joy and pain? In order for readers to fall in love with my characters, they need to ring true.

Any time I start plotting a new series, I come up with my cast of characters first. I’ll focus on romance today since I’ve submitted a new proposal to my editor and am waiting to hear from her, so I’m in creation mode. Developing characters includes finding out what makes them tick and what will make a reader turn the pages of the book.

In romance novels, we love to fall in love with our characters and cheer for them throughout the story. In the beginning, both the hero and heroine are at a place in their lives where they either don’t realize they need that special someone in their lives, or they don’t want to date anyone at all. So how do I decide how they will feel?

First, I need to uncover what has brought them pain in their lives. I need to know the character’s motivation before I can really dig deep. For instance, in my book, Always the One, the hero lost the love of his life when he was a teenager. Her family just up and moved away in the middle of the night. He’s never forgotten her or the future they’d planned together, so he doesn’t commit to any other woman because in his heart, he hopes to find his true love again, no matter how impossible it seems.

Once I’ve established that pain or hurt, I figure out how my character has created a life around that pain. How that pain has become so meshed with their identity.

To continue in Always the One, the hero finds a clue to his true love’s whereabouts. He goes to her, hoping against hope that this time, the lead is correct. He finds the woman, who has a new life far away from him. But just as the hero is elated to find her, she blames him for her family’s misfortune and doesn’t want him around. Is there any way these two can find common ground?

Throwing this couple together, with their past haunting them, makes for lots of tension. But it also cries out for a resolution. These two people know there is something missing in their lives. The question is, will they put aside the hurt from the past to walk together toward a future? Face some hard truths about themselves? Do they put aside what they thought they knew or felt about themselves and have the courage to make changes so they can enjoy a life of happiness?

Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Every one of us faces a crossroad sometime in our lives and we must make meaningful decisions. This is why my characters have to be sympathetic and truthful, because a reader will see right through them otherwise. If you can relate to a character in some way, it brings a connection from author to reader.

Throughout the story, the characters need time and personal growth to adjust their attitudes, which draws in a reader. We get invested in the characters, wanting the best for them. But will the best happen? Can they open their hearts to love? We read more to find out.

Discovering who these characters will be and how they will deal with opposition is the first step in plotting my story. It’s not a fast process, not if I want compelling characters in my book. Setting the foundation, with my character’s motivations and goals, allows me to then build the remainder of the story. It’s a fun process, but I feel kind of bad when I bring anguish to my characters. It’s necessary in order to give that satisfying ending.

You can probably think of a favorite novel off the top of your head because the characters resonated with you long after you closed the book. This is why authors take a lot of time and purpose in creating folks you’ll care enough to read about and remember. Authors always have the reader in mind, even when we’re busy creating the story.  

Tara Randel is an award-winning, USA Today bestselling author. Family values, a bit of mystery and of course, love and romance, are her favorite themes, because she believes love is the greatest gift of all. Look for her Harlequin Heartwarming romance, HER SURPRISE HOMETOWN MATCH, available now. For more information about her books, visit Tara at www.tararandel.com. Like her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TaraRandelBooks. Sign up for Tara’s Newsletter.

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Boundaries by Julie Arduini

Posted on June 23, 2023 by juliearduini

This isn’t a political post per se, but a visual on what life looks like when we move or obliterate our borders. What got me thinking on this was the open border policy. I read how many unaccompanied alien children, UAC, 150,000 crossed those borders last year. Of that number, according to the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women, 60% are captured by cartels and used for p*rn and trafficking. Source.

No wonder trafficking is a billion dollar plus industry. These aren’t children to the perpetrators, these are dollar signs.

At this time, they have access to these children. They literally have no boundaries.

When I talk to people who have not sought Christ into their daily life, the common reason I hear is because God doesn’t allow anything fun. I bought that lie for a long time until I looked at how miserable I felt.

I numbed myself with bitterness and alcohol and my fun only lasted a few hours. If that.

—Julie Arduini

What would marriage look like if we didn’t have borders? There are couples who remove those borders and allow dating or hook ups to enter the covenant. I’ve yet to read one case where both parties living this way are content with the arrangement.

We were created to need boundaries.

I remember years ago I took my step-son out and while driving, we talked about families. We knew of a family where the child had no rules. They watched what they wanted, said what they wanted, did what they wanted. That kid was not loved by their peers and looked miserable. My step-son thanked us for having rules. “I know you have them in place because you love us.”

And so does God.

God loves us so much He sent Jesus to live on this dumpster fire called Earth. Jesus did everything perfect, even when tempted. He ended up crucified, but thank God that isn’t where His story ends.

Or ours.

Jesus rose from the dead and is alive. When I entered into a relationship with Him by believing His life story and confessing my sin and need for a rescue only He can give, I learned the boundaries of life and I’m grateful for them.

Drinking for many is a stumbling block. I rarely drink alcohol because either the people I’m around it’s an issue for them whether they know it or not, or, my motivation to drink is not healthy, and I take that to Jesus for Him to not numb, but heal. That’s freedom, not the prison the world depicts.

There was a marriage that crumbled because the boundaries changed before they disappeared. When they married, they vowed never to be alone with someone of the opposite gender. Then it was they would never dance with the opposite gender. Then it evolved into not slow dancing with the opposite gender. Next thing the new rule was they would not be intimate with the other gender unless it was their spouse. The boundary was crossed, and removed.

Boundaries are good for us. They keep us safe. Do I know everything about what laws there should be about border crossings? I don’t, I know this, too many innocent children are being taken and abused in ways I can’t even type. Those kids need so much better.

And that’s what our Heavenly Father says. We need better than lawlessness, and that’s why we stop at red lights. Keep our marriage bed between a husband and wife. Not use addiction to numb our wounds in the name of recreation.

What about you? Has God showed you the importance of boundaries?

If you would like to know more about inviting Christ into your daily life, please email me at juliearduini@juliearduini.com or reach out to any of the bloggers on this site.

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Welcome Delores Topliff

Posted on June 22, 2023 by Patricia Bradley

Hi, Patricia Bradley here. I want to introduce my friend Delores Topliff who will be posting regularly to the Christians Read blog.

Over to you, Delores.

I’m new here and look forward to getting acquainted. As Patricia said, I’m Delores Topliff and live in Minnesota half the year and Mississippi the other half. Here’s my favorite MN farm photo–a sunset from our farm. Next time I’ll share my favorite Mississippi photo.

I started by writing prize-winning illustrated children’s books and moved on to publish historic novels, two of them based on true WWII events in the Pacific Northwest. I blog every 2nd Tuesday on Delorestopliff.com where you can read more about my books, life, and writing journey.


I began writing in the third grade by making up rhymed stories I sometimes told out loud when our teacher left the room. My classmates loved them so I began taking writing seriously. One of them became my popular children’s book, Little Big Chief and The Bear Hunt.

We also lived right across the street from a small library with the most encouraging grandmotherly librarian I’ve ever met. She said I read more books than any other member (true at the time) and asked what I wanted to do when I grew up. I said be librarian like her, but I felt sorry for people living along the Columbia River nearby who didn’t have libraries so would fill a houseboat with books to take to families up and down the river.

She was kind enough not to laugh; that story is told in Books Afloat where librarian-heroine Anne Mettles volunteers with an network to stops the invasion of a Japanese submarine that really did enter the river in June 1942. It sequel, Strong Currents, was released in February 2023.

I’d love to welcome you as new readers and hear your feedback. Until next time, I’ll leave you with my favorite tried and true Bible verse: Psalm 56:9 KJV “When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: This I know; for God is for me.”

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As the Father Has Sent Me by James R. Coggins

Posted on June 21, 2023 by jrcoggins

After His resurrection, Jesus told His close followers, “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you” (John 20:21). This raises the question of how the Father sent Jesus. What did God send Jesus to do? We often understand this passage as referring to witnessing, but that is not all that Jesus did. 

First, God sent Jesus in peace and in the power of the Holy Spirit, and that is what Jesus bestowed on His followers in this same passage, saying (twice): “Peace be with you!” Then “he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’” (John 20:19-22).

Second, Jesus spent the majority of His earthly life (about thirty years) in humble preparation and learning, becoming part of all that God had done up to that point.

Third, Jesus spent a lot of His ministry healing the sick, feeding the hungry, and meeting people’s other needs.

Fourth, Jesus preached the good news, offering forgiveness and life.

Fifth, Jesus confronted evil and exposed sin.

Sixth, Jesus spent a lot of time training His followers to carry on His work.

Seventh, Jesus came to be crucified, to be sacrificed to pay the penalty for human sin. In John 20, Jesus showed His followers the wounds of His crucifixion. This was a reminder to His followers that they would face opposition and suffering. The way of self-sacrificing love involves sacrifice. There is a price to be paid in following Jesus, and we need to be willing to pay it.

A specific example of the call of Jesus appears in the next chapter. In John 21:15-19, Jesus told the apostle Peter to “follow me” and “feed my sheep.” Then he indicated “the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God.”

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The Vanishing Good Samaritan by Peggy Webb

Posted on June 20, 2023 by Vicki Hinze

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Luke 6:31

In my last post I wrote about slipping and falling, face-first, onto the concrete apron of the pool at the Aquatic Center. What I didn’t tell you is that there were two people in the pool who saw me fall. Neither of them got of the pool. They didn’t try to help me or get the staff to help me or call 911. They stayed in the water. Offering nothing. Maybe watching. Maybe not caring. Maybe being glad it wasn’t them. I don’t know.

I attempted to get up twice but couldn’t. The blow to my head was severe. My entire body was in shock. My nose was pouring blood. I waved my arm, trying to get the attention of someone in the reception area, just beyond the glass doors, but was unsuccessful. 

I was in desperate need of help. I’m not young. I have a head full of silver hair and four grandchildren.

What were the people in the pool thinking? Earlier, I had chatted with them as I had done many times before, and yet they chose to remain in the waster without offering one iota of charity. 

Being helpless and knowing someone is passively and selfishly watching you lie on the cold concrete and suffer—or possibly die—is indescribable. It’s heartbreaking. It’s a tragic commentary on today’s society.

One question ran through my mind. Why? 

Truly, I say to you. As you did it to one of the least of my brothers, you did it to me. Matthew 25:40

Jesus said to him, Thou shalt love the Lord they God with all they heart, and all they soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and the great commandment. And the second is like unto it. Thou shalt love they neighbor as thyself. Matthew 22: 37-39

We need only study the story of the Good Samaritan to discover Jesus’ teaching about who is our neighbor and how we should treat him. Both a priest and a Levite passed by an injured man going down from Jerusalem who had been “set upon by thieves,” but the Samaritan, an outsider, stopped to bind his wounds, carry him to an inn, and even provide for his future care. 

Jesus was very specific in his instructions to us. 

Go thou and do likewise. Luke 10:37

During the endless five minutes I was lying at the poolside, injured, before someone in the front office happened to spot me and the ambulance carried me off, the two in the pool watched and still did nothing. 

My broken nose and bruised face and body are healing, but I’m struggling to come to terms with their inhumanity—a total lack of concern or action.  I’ve seen more compassion in animals. Our very humanity is defined, not only by intelligence, but also by our compassion, our moral responsibility, and our ability to foresee consequences and make good choices. 

This post is my battle cry to never, ever lose sight of our moral responsibility. Never lose our humanity. 

Be strong in faith. Be a warrior. Stand up and proclaim your Christianity, not just by your attendance in church or your prayers or the easy one-and-done phrase, I’m praying for you. Put legs to your prayers. Help the injured. Provide for those in need. Pick up the phone and call to see how you can help the sick. Care, truly care, for the injured, the lost, the isolated, the lonely, and the brokenhearted.  Be a good Samaritan.

Peggy Webb 

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Five-Minute Slices of Life by James R. Coggins

Posted on June 14, 2023 by jrcoggins

Five-Minute Slices of Life by James R. Coggins

Early one morning several years ago, Allen Unrau knocked on my door. He lived only three or four blocks away, but we had never met.

Allen had come to ask me to edit the short stories he was writing every week for the local newspaper. It was a Godsend because at the time I very much needed the work. The arrangement lasted two or three years, and, as well as a client, Allen became a good friend.

I quickly realized that Allen was a very good writer and a master storyteller. To be able to introduce characters, tell a story, and bring it to a satisfactory conclusion in 600 words (the word limit imposed by the newspaper) is a remarkable ability. To be able at the same time to expand understanding, tickle the funny bone, encourage the heart, turn on smiles, and bring the reader to tears is an astonishing feat. Yet this is what Allen Unrau achieved in his highly readable 600-word “slices of life.” His stories were polished gems, nuggets of truth.

Some years passed, I launched a small book publishing imprint (Mill Lake Books), and I asked Allen if he would like me to gather some of his stories and publish them as a book. The result is a book titled Five-Minute Slices of Life, published this spring. I could write more about how wonderful these stories are, but I would rather show you. Here is one of those stories.

An imperfectly discerned destiny

Troy Hamilton is a thirty-eight-year-old fast talker with no plans to get married.

Many matchmakers have schemed and failed. Dozens of women have set their scented traps, but he has sidestepped them all.

Acquaintances pepper him with questions: “Why are you afraid to get married? How do you cope with the loneliness?”

Troy shrugs. “I keep busy. I’ve got lots of friends.”

Troy is an auctioneer. Sales records show he’s a crowd favorite.

Sylvia Phillips, a local librarian, bought a small antique table at the auction last Thursday and fell in love. She’s mesmerized by his amazing voice, his dreamy blue eyes and the way he looked at her when he said, “Sold to the pretty lady in the dark green coat!”

At thirty-four, Sylvia’s biological clock is racing. Though not desperate, she’s very interested in finding a good man.

Troy Hamilton is sure to be a good man.

She must find a way to meet him.

Next Thursday, she arrives an hour before the sale. “Is last week’s auctioneer here? I have some questions for him about a table I bought.”

Clever.

In a few minutes, Troy appears. He smiles and offers her his hand. “I remember you. That little antique table was a classic.” He’s obviously busy, but takes time to chat.

His eyes distract her. She gets flustered, forgets the made-up question she’s planned and blurts out: “Does your wife like antiques as much as I do?”

Now, where did that come from? Her face is flushed, and her eyes fall to the floor.

Troy is quick to reply, “I’m single, never married. I love antique furniture. My house is full of it. I’d be happy to answer more questions after the sale, but right now I’m very busy.”

Embarrassed, Sylvia leaves by a side door.

All week, she can’t get him out of her mind. Next Thursday, she arrives late. When the auction’s over, she goes looking for Troy, her usual shyness forgotten.

“Can we go for a coffee? I want to talk to you about antiques.”

The office staff roll their eyes. Politely, he turns her down.

She tries several different tactics over the next few weeks, but nothing works.

She questions herself. “What’s wrong with me?”

Her questions are answered later at the library. Troy doesn’t know she works there. He checks out five books from the medical section. Sylvia looks up the titles after he’s gone.

Troy Hamilton has inherited an untreatable disease. He’s genetically marked for an early death. By staying single, he might have saved a woman from early widowhood.

Sylvia doesn’t care. She confronts him with what she knows and what she feels.

Four months later, she marries a dying man. His blue eyes fill with tears as she promises to be there for him in sickness and in health: “Marriage is an unconditional commitment, a leap of faith into an imperfectly discerned destiny, an opportunity to love in the present, whatever the future might bring.”

*****

The memorial service is a celebration of love. Troy’s father weeps openly as he reads the eulogy. “For five glorious years, Troy and Sylvia had one of the most loving, happy marriages I have ever seen. If they had had their wish, they would have had many more wonderful years and grown old together. But it was not to be. None of us could have foreseen the carelessness of a drunk driver, the tragic automobile accident that claimed their lives. All of us can be comforted with the thought that they died instantly, with no pain, and they are together forever.”

Five-Minute Slices of Life is distributed by Ingram and is available from bookstores and online retailers such as Amazon and Amazon Canada.

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Through the Storm

Posted on June 13, 2023 by Author Mary Alford

One of the hardest realizations is when you see that no matter what you’re going through, no matter how difficult or impossible it seems, life continues to go on.

A few years back, I lost my mother and my father-in-law in the same year. My mom passed away right before Easter and my father-in-law at Christmas. Needless to say, both those holidays were difficult ones. I still remember the empty place at the table. My world had come to an abrupt stop. The grief seemed to come in waves. It felt as if life as I knew it was gone. . .but people still celebrated Easter. There were Easter egg hunts for the grandkids. When Christmas came and we lost another dear one, the stores were filled with Christmas decorations. Advertisements still announced the number of shopping days left before Christmas. And I thought, how can this be?  How can the world go on as if nothing has happened.  

During that time, I was on a tight deadline to finish a book. It was hard concentrating on writing when everything else around me was in chaos.

Yet through it all, I felt God’s presence with me, carrying me through the pain. It’s been over ten years since we lost those precious loved ones. I still miss them both, but I know I will see them again one day. God brought us through the storm like He always does.

I love that about God. No matter what storm we’re going through. Even if others disappoint us, God is at our side through every struggle in life.

 Isaiah 25:4 says, For You have been a defense for the helpless, A defense for the needy in his distress, A refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat; For the breath of the ruthless Is like a rain storm against a wall.

Many blessings!

Mary

www.maryalford.net  

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Marketplace Prayer by Julie Arduini

Posted on June 9, 2023 by juliearduini

I have felt for the last couple years that the time when Christians would become more than customers and engage in active prayer while in line was upon us. I’m not afraid to pray—at church or with those who I know have a personal faith in Jesus and would be open to my prayer.

But in line at Dollar General? CVS? While at the mall? Home Depot? Or in the grocery aisle?

That felt vulnerable. Maybe the person says no. Maybe the person says yes but a crowd gathers. Then what?

After reading The Awe of God by John Bevere, I knew no matter what, if the opportunity came, I was going to obey. No. Matter. What.

Fast forward to last week. I was in line at Giant Eagle, a grocery store chain in NE Ohio (Wegmans, I miss you!) I was putting my items on the belt when I heard the customer ahead of me remark to the cashier that she looked like she was struggling.

The nudge started. That niggling that I knew was the Holy Spirit.

It was go time. Pray. For her. Out loud.

I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I was right there. I heard her reply that her shoulder hurt very bad. So bad that she had tests done and was going to get the results later in the day.

Any doubt I had that maybe the need to pray wasn’t her, wasn’t now was gone.

Only a couple minutes transpired between that customer and my transaction. Yet, when I reached the woman, she was in tears. Pain etched all over her face. I had to be obedient.

“Excuse me, but you look like you are having a very hard time. Would it be okay if I pray for you as I finish the transaction?”

She nodded and I kept my eyes open not only so I could keep the line moving by swiping my card, but to show anyone around that prayer is natural. It is powerful. And I’m doing this. No matter what.

I prayed for her healing and for peace. That whatever the rest of the day was about, may it be filled with abundant favor and blessings. That she feel glorious. When I said “Amen,” I put my card back in my wallet and told her I would keep praying.

She thanked me and I walked out. The woman who had bagged my groceries was now at her register and she saw me walk by. She called out a loud thank you and I turned and realized she directed her thanks toward me. I’ve been in her line before and I am certain she’s a Christian.

While I prayed, I believe the bagger did as well. And I believe where two or more are gathered, Jesus is there and on it.

Like I confessed, intercession comes easy to me in church settings. I’ve seen too many amazing things from Him to hesitate. But in the marketplace? Out in the world? That’s a steeper climb, but I knew, KNEW a time was coming when I’d need to obey.

I also know it won’t be a “one and done” deal.

I also believe it won’t be just me tapped to pray for strangers in non-church places.

Are you ready?

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Why I Write

Posted on June 8, 2023 by Patricia Bradley

I was speaking at a conference this past weekend and someone asked why I write. Ever since my first book, that’s been an easy question for me. Besides the fact that I write because I can’t not write, I received an email after my first book released.

In the email a reader told me she’d bought my book at a writer’s conference and really enjoyed it. Then she went on to tell me I’d made an error–I called a respiratory therapist a respiratory nurse.

Uh-uh! No way. But she went on to give me the page number and there it was–respiratory nurse. To this day I have no idea why I typed those two words. I’d never in my life called a respiratory therapist a respiratory nurse. Not that I’m in the medical field, but in the past, my husband and his mother had been in and out of the hospital enough that we probably owned a wing of the hospital. I know how hospitals work!

I thanked her, and she went on to tell me she’d been a nurse for thirty years. Lightbulb moment! My next book, A Promise to Protect, was about a doctor so I asked if she’d be willing to read my manuscript to make sure I didn’t make any dumb mistakes.

She graciously agreed, and caught several mistakes I’d made. After I turned the book in, I wanted to give the nurse something for her time and trouble, and since she’d met me at a writers conference, I thought I’d gift her writing craft book. She turned me down flat, saying that after she saw what I went through she would pass on being a writer.

Then she went on to tell me that she’d already received the best present I could give her. That she believed God had her to come to the conference just to meet me so she could help with the book she worked on.

It turned out that she had the same problem my heroine had. As a child, my heroine had overheard her mother tell her father: “I told you we never should’ve had that second kid.” My heroine was that second kid and from that day forward, believed she wasn’t wanted, that she wasn’t worthy.

The nurse went on to tell me her mother never loved her, but seeing how my character handled the problem let her know she could do the same thing. I’m sitting at my computer reading the email with tears streaming down my cheeks.My book had actually changed her life, and her family’s life.

And that’s why I write fiction. To change lives. To show the world that Christians have problems just like everyone else, but we solve them differently than the world (often after we’ve tried to fix our problems on our own.) In the end we know there’s no problem God can’t handle.

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1 This is one of my many favorite verses.

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Malchus by James R. Coggins

Posted on June 7, 2023 by jrcoggins

In 1731, the Spanish coast guard boarded an English merchant ship captained by a man named Robert Jenkins. The incident was not very serious, but in the melee Jenkins’s ear was cut off, and he apparently complained to the British Parliament. For this reason, and for a host of other ones, the two nations went to war. The War of Jenkins’ Ear lasted for almost a decade.

When Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, one of His followers tried to defend Him and in the process cut off the ear of one of the high priest’s servants. In his Gospel, John included an interesting detail that the other Gospel writers did not mention—the name of the high priest’s servant whose ear was cut off was Malchus (John 18:10). How John learned the name of the high priest’s servant is a good question. Perhaps by the time John wrote (scholars believe his was the last of the four Gospels to be written), Malchus had become a Christian believer. While Malchus was taking part in the arrest of Jesus, Jesus responded by reaching out and healing his ear. This must have made a profound impact on Malchus.

The other Gospels (Matthew 26:51, Mark 14:47, Luke 22:30) identify the man only as “the servant of the high priest.” This is perhaps a reminder that as long as we label people with an impersonal description—the high priest’s servant, the enemy, the communist, the capitalist, the immigrant, the boss, the Russian, the Jew—then it is easy to hate them. However, once we name them, recognize them as individuals, then they become our neighbors and our brothers and sisters, and we are obligated to love them.

As His followers, we know that Jesus has loved us and called us by name (Isaiah 45:3). We can be sure that He also knew Malchus by name, reaching out to touch him in love and to heal him where he hurt. Interestingly, John is also the only Gospel writer to identify the disciple who cut off the high priest’s servant’s ear—Simon Peter. In loving others, in according them the dignity of being individual human beings for whom Jesus died, we too become recipients of God’s love, children of God.

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