‘Mornings with Jesus 2012: Daily Encouragement for Your Soul’ by Various Authors – Book Review and Book Giveaway

I can think of no better way to start your morning than to spend it with Jesus. ‘Morningswith Jesus 2012: Daily Encouragement for Your Soul’ offers a fantastic tool to help readers to grow closer to Him.

Here is the synopsis of this wonderful book:

        Invite Jesus into your Day.

“Be Still and Know That I am God” is one of the most beautiful verses from the Bible. But it’s not easy to practice in this busy world. Mornings with Jesus 2012 will help usher you into the quiet that you crave, where you can experience more of Jesus’ beautiful and powerful presence.

In a year’s worth of devotions, Mornings with Jesus 2012 offers a fresh perspective of who this Healer, Comforter, Good Shepherd and Son of God is, and gives a deeper understanding of what that means for you.

The warm and friendly voices of seven women reflect on the character and teachings of Jesus, and encourage you to draw near to Him and invite His presence, truth and relevance into your life. Each devotion includes a Scripture verse, an insightful reflection on Jesus’ words, wisdom, compassion and comfort, and a faith step that will inspire and challenge you.

Spend time with Jesus in the morning, and experience His nearness and peace throughout your day.

Here is a short biography of each author:

Judy Baer was born on a farm and grew up in the prairies of North Dakota. Judy is married, lives in Minnesota, and has two daughters and three stepchildren. She is the author of more than seventy-five books.

Gwen Ford Faulkenberry lives and writes in the mountains of Ozark, Arkansas. She and her husband, Stone, have three children. Gwen teaches English at Arkansas Tech University – Ozark Campus and is the author of two novels and three devotional books.

Tricia Goyer is a best-selling author who has written more than twenty-seven books. Tricia’s intention is to serve ordinary women by encouraging extraordinary things with God’s help. In addition to writing, she enjoys sharing Jesus’ love through volunteering as a mentor for teenage moms in her community and ministering in the Czech Republic on missions trips. Tricia and her husband, John, have four children and live in Arkansas.   

Sharon Hinck is a wife and mother of four, who loves spending mornings – and all day – with Jesus. She has a master of arts in communications and her award-winning novels explore ordinary women on extraordinary faith journeys.

Keri Wyatt Kent is the author of many devotionals, including Simple Compassion and Oxygen. She writes and speaks to help people slow down, simplify, and rest so that they can listen to God. She and her husband, Scot, live with their teenage son and daughter in Illinois.

Erin Keeley Marshall is the author of Navigating Route 20-Something and The Daily God Book. She was raised in Chicago’s western suburbs and graduated from Taylor University in Indiana. In her spare time, Erin enjoys exercise, outdoor activities, lake living, decorating, traveling, reading and hanging out with her husband, Steve, and their two children, Paxton and Calianne.

Camy Tang grew up in Hawaii and now lives in San Jose, California, with her engineer husband and her rambunctious mutt, Snickers. She is a staff worker for her church youth group and leads one of the Sunday worship teams. Camy has authored many novels.

I like to review devotional books by focusing on significant dates in my life – February 21 (my birthday), my anniversary (June 10), and my husband, Fred’s, birthday (June 12).

February 21’s devotion was written by Judy Baer and feature Hebrews 6:17-18. I love this paragraph:

In God there is no variation or shadow due to change. There are no discrepancies or inconsistencies in God. People are fickle, changeable and unpredictable, but God is exactly the opposite. He never changes or takes back His offer of grace and salvation. Difficult as it is to imagine this great generosity, we can hold it as true. God does not – cannot – renege on His promises. What a comfort that is. Our salvation does not depend on a fickle God but one whose promises endure forever. (p. 52)

That is one encouraging paragraph!

June 10 was written by one of my favorite authors, Tricia Goyer and features Luke 5:18-20, about the paralyzed man. This inspired Tricia to write about her friends and her Lord:

I know now that when I’m facing a struggle I don’t want anyone to know about, that’s the time I need to seek support from the people God has brought into my life. It’s hard to admit weakness, but true friends are those willing to carry us when we’re too weak to take a first step. (p. 162)

The Faith Step (which is included each day) for June 10 is very impactful – and wonderful advice:

Think of a private struggle you haven’t shared with your friends. Consider a way you can confess to them and ask them to help you find Jesus even in your weakness. (p. 162)

Tuesday, June 12 features Exodus 3:14: “I Am Who I Am” (NIV). Erin Keeley Marshall asks the question, ‘Who does God think He is anyway?’ She provides her answer to this question:

After spending thousands of years showing His awesome character, God the Father introduced His Son, Jesus, to the world. Jesus, in turn, proved that He is just like His Father – knowing exactly who He is and what He is about. He said He has the authority to forgive sins (Matthew 9:6), He would be in the grave for three days (Matthew 12:40), He commands angels (Matthew 13:41), He is the Messiah, the Son of God (Matthew 16:16-17), and He would rise from the dead (Luke 18:31-33).

Imagine if any Person of the Triune God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – were not wholeheartedly confident of His identity. What kind of God would He be? Not one we could trust, that’s for sure.

Today be confident that Jesus will continue to be Himself. (p. 164)

I love finding a worthwhile devotional book; ‘Mornings with Jesus 2012’ is certainly that. I encourage anyone to spend the rest of their mornings in 2012 with Jesus and this heartfelt and encouraging book.

You can order this book here.

This book was published by Guideposts and provided by them for review and giveaway purposes.

As part of the LitFuse blog tour, I have a copy of this wonderful devotional to give to one person! In order to enter, please leave a comment telling me if you’d keep for book for yourself or to whom you would gift the book.

Please make sure to leave your email address in this format – yourname at domain dot com.

The deadline to enter is Tuesday, February 28, 2012 at 11:59 pm Eastern Time.  The winner will be chosen by the Random Number Generator on Wednesday, February 29, 2012. The best to all of you!

‘An Unlikely Blessing’ by Judy Baer – Book Review

I have been an urbanite/suburbanite all of my life. However, I have an affinity for country/small town living. The latest book I have read, ‘An Unlikely Blessing’ by Judy Baer takes me to a place that I don’t visit very often – but love just the same.

Here is the synopsis of this novel:

An Unlikely Blessing is a heartfelt story about a new pastor and life-long city dweller Alex Armstrong, who reluctantly accepts his first assignment, a two-point parish in the wilds of North Dakota. Hilltop Township, a farming community, blooms from the prairie like a wild pink rose—lovely and prickly all at once, much like the people who live there.

Alex quickly finds that this lovely place is in quiet peril. Farmers are struggling to make ends meet: Jonas Owens, a faithful member of Hilltop parish, is on the brink of losing the farm. Alex believes that part of why God called him to Hilltop was to help turn things around, and steps in with ideas for saving the Owens' land. But can even God's minister help save this rural community?

There are a lot of firsts for the new pastor—the annual Hunter's Breakfast, julebukking (also called Christmas fooling), King Oscar's fish balls, and the melody of the musical saw. And the new, single pastor creates remarkable excitement among the unmarried women in the community. If you could die of hot dish overdose, Alex would be a dead man. Whether performing weddings, counseling his flock, or herding cattle by snowmobile, Alex soon discovers that his new church home has as much to teach him as he will teach them. Day by day, he falls more in love with the people of Hilltop Church. People may leave Hilltop, but Hilltop never leaves them. 

Here is the biography of this author:

Judy Baer was born and grew up on a farm on the prairies of North Dakota. An only child, she spent most of her days with imaginary people—either those she read about or those she made up in her head. Her most ambitious conjuring did not succeed, however. She kept a clean stall with fresh hay and oats for the horse she imagined would arrive. Unfortunately it didn't come, at least not until she was an adult. After she was unexpectedly given three horses, she bought even more and began raising foundation quarter horses.

She graduated from Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota with majors in English and education and a minor in religion. At the time, she was simply studying what interested her, but she now realizes that she was educating herself for her future career as a Christian writer. Her first book was written with a toddler on her lap. Judy would type a few words and say "Now, Jennifer." He two year old daughter would hit the space bar so Judy could continue writing. It wasn't the fastest way to work but it was a very cozy time. 

In 2001, Judy became a certified professional life coach. In 2008, Judy completed her Master's program. She studied in the areas of writing and coaching. Now certified in three coaching disciplines, Judy coaches primarily professional and aspiring writers. She is also a faculty advisor in the Department of Human Development at St. Mary's University in Minneapolis, MN.

Judy is the author of over seventy-five books for adults and teens. She has won the Romance Writer of America Bronze Medallion and has been a RITA finalist twice. She grew up in rural North Dakota and has done many of the things her Hilltop characters experience. She currently lives in Elk River, Minnesota with her husband and two daughters and three step children. This is the first book in the Forever Hilltop Series. Follow the Hilltop characters on Judy’s blog and find out more about Judy and her books at http://www.judykbaer.com.

In ‘An Unlikely Blessing,’ Alex’s first view of his new home was idyllic:

        So this was it.

Alex Armstrong pulled his van to the side of the gravel road and stared at the panorama before him. He gazed across gently undulating fields, past a small, glittering azure pond painted brightly with late afternoon sun, and beyond a flock of marsh ducks coming in for a landing. The mallards’ glossy-green heads glinted in the sunlight, and a tawny deer streaked from its hiding place near a stand of plump cattails as Alex fixed his gaze on a white outline butted against the horizon.

He squinted slightly and the structure took shape. A rectangle, with concrete steps protruding from the prow and an added-on shanty jutting from the stern, rested atop a slight rise in the prairie. A spire rose from the roof near the front of the building and seemed to disappear into heaven but for a wink of metal, a cross, piercing the sky. (p. 4)

His life had taken a major turn of late:

Now here he was, a tenured professor turned inexperienced minister. His former fiancée married to someone else. Starting over at age forty-two. Gazing helplessly at his first assignment, a tiny, two-church North Dakota parish situated at a sparsely populated bend in the road. (p. 5)

This book is full of wonderful word pictures. Ms. Baer takes us into her story with these lovely descriptions. Here’s a description of the church parsonage

where Pastor Armstrong will live:

The parsonage was a sturdy two-story structure with a green shingled roof. It was painted bright white, its radiance broken up by deep green shutters surrounding double-hung windows.

Peonies, tiger lilies, hostas, and salvia grew around the concrete block foundation, making the house look as though it had erupted in the midst of a patch of flowers. There were several hanging baskets of petunias and begonias blooming on the front porch, and the grass had been recently mowed. The windows were partially open, and sheer curtains floated on the gentle breeze. It was as if someone was expecting them.

So this was his new home, the one God had planned for him. The flowers made it look like Eden. (p. 33)

Hilltop Township is full of interesting people whose families had owned land in the area for over a century. One of his favorites is his church secretary; here is their first meeting:

She was slim, energetic looking, and of indeterminate age. Alex guessed her to be somewhere between forty and fifty, but he’d been wrong before. It was difficult to tell from the lumpy pink sweater and multicolored beaded necklace she wore or to see beyond the dramatic sweep of thick brown eyeliner circling each eye. With makeup that was more subtle, she could be quite attractive.

She noticed him studying her and her hands flew to her head. “Don’t look at my hair!” she pleaded. “My hairdresser said it would grow out in six months. I’m never letting my sister-in-law touch my hair again, I’m telling you. It’s a wonder that we’re still speaking. I should have learned after that time she accidently colored it orange. Turning the other cheek should not apply to perms and color treatments.”

Without giving him time to respond, she thrust out her hand in greeting. “You must be the new pastor. I’m Gabriella Andrea Dunn, your church secretary. People just call me Gandy, for short.”

Alex took a deep breath, hoping Ms. Dunn had not sucked all the air out of the room with her introductory speech. “Alex Armstrong. It’s nice to meet you, Ms. Dunn.”

She scrunched her brows together. “It’s Gandy. We aren’t terribly formal here in Hilltop. We’re all God’s children, right? That makes us siblings. None of my siblings call me ‘Ms. Dunn.’” (pp. 79-80)

The residents of Hilltop like to feed their new pastor. Ms. Baer included some recipes in her book, including one for Puppy Chow, which I hope to make for me and my husband, Fred, soon!:

Puppy Chow

From the Kitchen of Gandy Dunn

·         ½ cup butter (some people leave this out)

·         1 cup creamy peanut butter

·         2 cups chocolate chips (sometimes I use semisweet chocolate, which is good too)

·         Crispy rice or corn cereal squares (9 cups or a box worth)

·         1 pound powdered confectioner’s sugar (experiment – you can probably use a little less)

Melt the butter, peanut butter and chocolate in a saucepan. Pour it over the cereal, tossing it gently until it is well coated. (Hint: I put the chocolate-coated cereal in a large paper bag, seal it and shake it.)

          * It’s hard to ruin, Reverend, and I’d be surprised if you could do it. 

        (p. 84)

Sounds yummy to me!

Pastor Alex’s two congregations included a lot of unique people with interesting lives, including Bucky Chadwick, Will Packard, and Red O’Grady. One person who has a lot of hurt and had given previous pastors a lot of grief is Alf Nyborg. Alf’s wife, Betty, gave Alex some background and perspective on her husband:

        “Are you familiar with termites, Reverend?”

“I’ve never had them in my home, if that’s what you mean, but I know what destruction they can do.”

“My husband is like a house with termites.”

She smiled at Alex’s quizzical look. “From the outside, he looks sturdy and strong, but inside he’s being eaten away by termites, these thoughts that just gnaw at him. His memories are eating him up inside; and when it happens, there is no way for me to reach him or to get inside his pain.

“The guilt, loss, and fear are with him as much today as they were the day of the fire. It made him a driven man. He needs to do something to assuage the guilt he feels. In his need to do something, he’s managed to take everything about All Saints onto his own shoulders and, in the process, taught its people to depend on him for everything.

“He’s tried to replace his son with All Saints and thinks if he can be busy enough, he won’t hurt. It doesn’t work that way, of course. He needs to forgive himself and to trust that God can forgive him. He’s a man of the church who doesn’t know God, at least not the loving, gentle God we know.” (pp. 190-191)

It was really interesting to see Alex adjust to life as a pastor, and to see how interested and caring he was toward his new flock. This book is the first in the ‘Forever Hilltop’ series; I look forward to seeing how Alex’s new friends grow closer to the Lord and each other. I really loved Ms. Baer’s writing style, and look forward to reading more from her fertile imagination in the future.        

You can order this book here.

This book was published by Guideposts. I am happy to be participating in the blog tour through the LitFuse Publicity Group with these other bloggers.