Sarah's Daughters

   I've been reading a lot lately, more than usual. Some books I read through and think of as kind of a once a week TV show...a way to pass the time. Some books, however, I read and they have a profound effect on me. In spite of the "chemo brain," I remember something and it won't let me go. This happened when I read Jeanette Windle's book Betrayed. It is definitely a thriller. I had a hard time putting it down. Two sisters, one working on behalf non-profits for children and one working for a wildlife rescue, cross paths in Guatemala. It's hard to tell who to trust in the midst of government corruption and past secrets surrounding the sisters' parent's deaths. Windle's experience growing up in the mountains of Columbia to missionary parents has brought realism to the writing. I'm looking forward to reading more of Windle's work and starting her newly released Congo Dawn.
   The part of the book I just couldn't forget was the missionary at the orphanage and her advice to live as "Sarah's daughters." I have been studying the Bible for years, but have never come across this term/idea. (I'm also constantly learning that the more I learn about the Bible, the more I don't know!) With the author's permission (Thanks, Jeanette!), I'm posting an explanation taken from a conversation the missionary has with one of the sisters who is trying to decide what to believe and do:

You see, we keep thinking that if we can just figure out how to manipulate the sistuation, if we can read the future and make the right decisions, we can make things turn out the way we want them.  The problem is, we don't know all the facts, and we can't read the future nor are we called to.   All you and I are called to do in any situation is to be Sarah's dauhters. Do what is right. Do not give way to fear.  If you just do that, believe me, the heavenly Father, your sister loved to sing about will take care of the outcome, just as He did for Sarah. It might not be the outcome we planned, but it'll be the right one.

    The concept of being Sarah's daughters comes from I Peter 3:6. When talking about Sarah, the verse says, " You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear."  Remembering to do what is right and not give way to fear is something that needs to become second nature to us all.
    Now if you're like me and have studied some about Sarah, you may be saying, "Hey, wait a minute. Sarah didn't always do what was right." The book addressed that, too. The missionary goes on to say, "It's when we forget- or figure the end justifies the means to get what we want- that we really mess things up." This was also demonstrated by Sarah when she was promised a child by God, but didn't wait for His timing. (See Genesis 16) Sarah's choice to do things on her own continues to affect the world today.
   Yes the book Betrayed is realistic fiction, but it does a great job of portraying how Biblical truth is woven into the fabric of our lives. Conclusion: Even though my mom's name was Shirley, I also want to live as one of Sarah's daughters.

Book Review- FULL DISCLOSURE by Dee Henderson

   If you know me, you know I'm an avid reader.  My favorite genre is suspense that I don't have to skip pages because of content I don't want to put in my mind. One of my favorite authors is Dee Henderson.  When I found the Facebook page for her latest novel Full Disclosure and received an Advance Reader's Copy to review, I was thrilled.  Here's my review:

Wow! Hard to put down!

Full Disclosure, Dee Henderson’s first novel in over five years will excite her loyal fans and create a new following of those who love great suspense.  “Midwest Homicide Investigator Ann Silver seeming appears out of nowhere and drops the best lead on a serial murder case that Special Agent Paul Falcon has had in years.”  As the two delve into their own cases, their paths cross and soon they realize they have something even bigger to work through…secrets and a relationship.  When I picked up the novel and started to read, I was pleasantly surprised to recognize the names of some of the O’Malleys from Henderson’s O’Malley series and felt like I was checking in with old friends.  The novel is a “stand alone” story, but those who read it and haven’t read any of Henderson’s previous books will want to read everything the author has out to date.  Yes, it’s a fiction book, but it also presents spiritual truths through the way the characters deal with life’s trauma without being preachy and giving the answers in a nice “everything is wonderful in the end” way.  Full Disclosure is on my gift giving list and has me getting ready to reread more of Henderson’s books.

   Check out the book trailer:

  Go to Dee Henderson's Website for a complete book list with summaries.

Born in the Wrong Century

     In The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck: a Novel by Kathleen Y’Barbo, Charlotte Beck is a headstrong, independent, often immature only child born in a time when women are suppose to get married, have children, and tend to family responsibilities.  This creates numerous collision points with her family and society in which she must sometimes strike a few bargains to achieve her goals.  At first, Charlotte was hard for me to like because of her selfish attitudes.  As I got into the book, it was evident that many of her escapades may have been motivated by selfish desires, but they also portray her as person struggling to find her way. I enjoyed the foreshadowing provided by the quotes by Miss Pence, Charlotte’s etiquette teacher, at the beginning of each chapter. 

     The book is an easy, fun read.  There isn’t really a deep spiritual content, but the importance of a relationship with Christ is important to Charlotte’s father as he “interviews” her prospective husband.  This questioning prompts the young man to examine his faith, and isn’t that what we all need to do daily? The discussions some of the characters have about arranged marriages, I feel, gave an accurate portrayal of some of the arranged marriages from the historical old west. Although this is the third in “The Women of the West” series, it doesn’t require knowledge of the first two stories to understand. 

     I received The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck: a Novel for free from Multnomah Publishing in exchange for my honest review.

Great Suspense

Indelible by Kristen Heitzmann is a suspenseful read in which finding a “good” stopping place is almost impossible.  Being a teacher, I wasn’t quite clear of the meaning of the word “indelible,” so I looked it up.  According to Webster, it means something that cannot be removed or washed away and is lasting.  Natalie has dealt with eidetic (similar to photographic memory) images since childhood.  She doesn’t just “see” people, she sees their innermost being and it sometimes overwhelms her to the point of temporary blindness.  To deal with her gift/curse, she sculpts to get the pictures out of her head.  These sculptures are not put on display, but acts as a type of release for her.  When her nephew is rescued from the mouth of a mountain lion by Trevor, the wilderness outfitter next door to her gallery, Natalie becomes the one person who may be able put the pieces together in order to figure out who is behind the bizarre and disturbing pictures of children in danger being sent to Trevor.  I love good suspense stories, but appreciated this one even more because of the depth of characters and how Heitzmann used excerpts from Milton’s Paradise Lost to let the reader glimpse into a mind waging the battle between good and evil.  Being introduced to several characters sometimes gets confusing, but in Indelible you are given enough information about the characters and see them interact so they become familiar and have you looking forward to another book in which one of them might be the main character. Although Indelible is the second book in a series, it is a great stand alone read.
I received Indelible by Kristen Heitzmann for free from Multnomah Publishing in exchange for my review.

Spiritual Abundance Through Abiding

   I hesitated to start this book because I thought I already was familiar enough with the vine and branches illustration.  While at a conference, I won a tour of a vineyard, so I thought, “Are you trying to tell me something, Lord?”  Before reading this book I knew a vineyard grew grapes and produced wine.  I was aware of the illustration Jesus used in John 15, but never really thought much about it aside from the branches needing the vine to survive and thrive.  Secrets of the Vine for Women by Darlene Marie Wilkinson provides an understanding of the levels of fruitfulness of the Christian walk and the way to truly abide in Christ.  Using portions of a fictional story of a vinedresser’s daughter and her visit to her father’s vineyard, Wilkinson draws the parallels between the development of a vineyard with the development of fruit in a believer’s life.  The book is an easy read, but I would suggest it be taken a chapter at a time in order to let the truths revealed in each page take root in your life.  There is a study guide provided that lends itself to both individual and group study.  The book discusses fruit, more fruit,and much fruit (There is a difference!); pruning and its benefits; and abiding deeply.  In practical terms, Wilkinson explains these “secrets” so each can be lived out daily to have a more intimate walk with Christ.  There is a chart that summarizes the three seasons in God’s vineyard.  This book would appeal to the woman just beginning her faith journey as well as the woman who has traveled with Christ for years and desires to walk closer to Him daily.
   I received thsi book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.