Book Review: Once Upon a Prince

Oh! Oh! Oh! Will Avery win Colin's heart next?

Wait. That’s hopeful speculation about the next book, not a review of the first. I just finished reading Rachel Hauck’s new book, Once Upon a Prince, the first book in The Royal Wedding Series. I’m ready for Book 2. And since there are only so many actual, factual princes in this world, I think it’s kind of fun that Hauck is making up her own for her characters to marry. (The only time I had trouble suspending disbelief was in the few scenes where Hauck had her pretend people hobnobbing with real royalty. That kind of broke the fairy tale spell for me.)

The strengths of this book were the characters and the settings. St. Simon’s Island, Georgia, where our heroine, Susanna, and her family are from, is a real place—one I’ve enjoyed visiting and loved finding in a story. Prince Nathaniel is from Brighton, a fictional country somewhere near England. Nate and Susannah meet the day her boyfriend of 12 years breaks up with her. On vacation on St. Simon’s Island, Nate comes to Susannah’s rescue when she gets a flat tire. He chooses to keep his royal standing a secret.

Scattered throughout the book are thoughts on trusting God’s plan instead of always clinging to your own and believing that He knows what He’s doing when He places you somewhere you’re not sure you want to be. The dominant theme is total surrender to God’s Will and, perhaps, remaking that choice daily.

Fans of happily ever after will enjoy this story. I thank Zondervan for sending it through BookSneeze for this honest review.

Book Review: A Noble Groom

Jody Hedlund’s most recent novel opens with a woman finding her husband murdered only to be told by her community that she’ll have to marry again—just as soon as they can import a groom from their home country. At the same time, a baron’s son sits in his father’s dungeon in Germany praying he won’t be beheaded for a crime he didn’t commit.

And from this intense beginning, things only get worse.

Annalisa Werner is the ever popular widow whose land is being threatened by a powerful landowner. Carl Richards is the man who longs to be her hero, but finds himself restrained by his past. And Gretchen, my personal favorite, is the precious little girl who only wants a new daddy and to hear another story by the Brothers Grimm.

I’m looking forward to the next story by Jody Hedlund.

Hedlund’s equal strengths are her storytelling ability and historical presentation. I was especially fascinated by this particular setting in time because it sheds some light on why so many German people came to America in the mid-1800’s: the time my Bavarian ancestors came. I’d never thought to ask why, but now, maybe I know. And I learned through the perils of a fictional group of German settlers. Hedlund’s book provided a story to enjoy with a history lesson of personal significance. I’m happy to recommend it to you.

Bethany House Publishers sent a complimentary copy of this book for my honest review.

A Simple Thought

I’m currently reading a book by Charles Haddon Spurgeon on prayers of the Bible. In the first chapter, he explains why God doesn’t change. I found this interesting. Maybe you will, too.

To change is to improve or to decline. But God is perfect! There is nothing for Him to improve on and He certainly wouldn’t want to decline. To decline would make Him less than perfect.

We humans are always trying to improve ourselves. Sometimes we slip up, become worse, and have to overcome. Yet God doesn’t struggle with this. He is perfect. That’s why God doesn’t change.

Unchangeable God, You are perfect as You are. And in that perfection, You work in our lives, creating in us what we can’t in ourselves. Thank You, Lord! Amen.

Book Review: The Winnowing Season

In Book 2 of Cindy Woodsmall’s Amish Vines and Orchards series, The Winnowing Season, everything is changing for Rhoda Byler as she, with the King family, attempts to start a new Amish settlement in Maine. This book is full of obstacles for this group of determined young people to overcome, obstacles that go far beyond those that naturally come with merging and relocating two businesses and the people involved in this. Rhoda must convince her superstitious and fearful church leaders that they can trust her and her brother’s family to go. Jacob must overcome the mysterious past that is catching up with him at the worst time ever. Samuel, out of loyalty to his brother, must keep a professional distance from Rhoda, denying his own feelings for her. All must work to get along with each other—and with the Englischers they now live among, people who are curious, but know little about the Amish or their ways. Hardest of all, Rhoda must make peace with her gift, the intuition and visions that she’d hoped to leave behind. Will her new community come to fear her as her old one did? Or will she learn to hear God’s voice in her gift and follow wherever He leads?

I enjoyed reading the second part of this on-going story and am now eagerly waiting for the conclusion to be released. I thank Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers for sending a complimentary copy for this honest review.

For Teenagers Learning to Serve

This past Sunday in church, I noticed that several teens from our congregation were helping out throughout the service. They were greeting people and handing out bulletins, singing and playing guitar with the praise team, setting up and helping with sound, taking up the offering, and playing the piano offertory. I know of many who also volunteer behind the scenes! This is so crucial—they are learning they have a place of service in the church now while developing habits of volunteering for a lifetime of ministry in God’s Kingdom.

Hopefully, these youth realize they are valued by God the Creator Who gave each one gifts to use. He loves them simply for who they are: His unique creation. But He loves it when they offer, as soon as they are able, to serve Him as they can. I loved seeing them do this on Sunday, scrambling all over the church!

And so, today’s Parachute Prayer regards these young people. When we notice them using their talents for God, let’s remember to pray for them. They are walking on the right path, with so much potentially ahead. Let’s pray that God will bless their efforts and reward them fully with the satisfaction and peace that comes from doing a job well. Let’s pray that they will know they are loved and valued by God and by His church. Then let’s take time to thank them for being faithful servants He can use—servants, brothers, and sisters in the Kingdom of our Lord.

Father, thank You for teenagers, children, and young adults who are already finding ways to use their gifts for You. Bless their efforts. Increase their abilities. Help them to work well with others in Your Kingdom, regardless of age. Most of all, please let them know they are living in Your Presence—the God Who Sees. Thank You for loving them, Lord. Help them to experience this love for themselves as they faithfully share it with others. Continue to lead them in all Your ways. In Jesus’ name, amen.

A Lesson in Guarding Our Hearts

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” –Proverbs 4:23

According to Mark 14, on the night Jesus celebrated The Passover with His disciples, the meal we now call, “The Last Supper,” Jesus told His disciples that one of them would betray Him, one who was eating with Him at that time. Strangely enough, the disciples, one after another, responded by asking, “Is it me?”

It seems to me, if someone were sitting there who had no plans to betray Jesus or temptation on some level to do so, that person would respond by looking around the room to see which other person looked most potentially guilty. There would be no fear. Instead, that person would be asking everyone else, “Is it you?” Yet each of the disciples, apparently, looked inside instead of around.

Evidently, each of the disciples, at the prompting of Jesus’ statement, recognized his own capability to turn against his Lord. Had they taken this as a warning of weakness within their hearts, this could have been a positive thing—an opportunity to pray for strength and resolve not to do this terrible thing. Perhaps this is what Jesus was offering in making this strange announcement.

Unfortunately, the disciples didn’t pay attention to their internal warning bells. The books of Matthew and John both tell us that Jesus did identify Judas as His betrayer, which might explain the disciples' letting go of personal concerns except for the fact that John also notes the disciples didn’t understand that Judas was the betrayer. (If they had, I’d like to think they would have tackled Judas at the door to keep Him from leaving.) But, if the disciples truly didn’t understand that Judas was the betrayer, why they didn’t heed Jesus’ warning is still unclear to me. As John, in particular, seems to indicate, they must have been quite confused.

In any case, Jesus soon gave them another opportunity to look inside themselves, declaring in Mark 14:27 that soon they would all fall away.

This time, Peter spoke right up and told Jesus that He was just wrong. This is when Jesus told Peter he would deny Jesus three times. Peter could have seen this as a reason to put up his guard to be sure he wouldn’t do what Jesus predicted he would. Instead, he chose to deny the weakness in himself and simply carry on.

The slippery slope progression continues in Mark 14:38 when Jesus warns the disciples with Him at Gethsemane to watch and pray that they won’t fall into temptation. Instead the disciples sleep (v. 40), and then they run out of time (v. 41). Jesus is arrested; His disciples run for their lives.

The chapter concludes with Peter denying Jesus, just as Jesus predicted he would. In the final verse of the chapter, Peter “remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him: ‘Before the rooster crows twice you will disown me three times.’ And he broke down and wept.”

Thankfully, after His death and resurrection, Jesus forgave Peter. If ever we fail Him, He’ll forgive us, too. All we need to do is ask Him to. But how much better for us, if we can learn a lesson from this:

1. As soon as we recognize even a hint of weakness in our heart, Satan setting an enticing trap, rather than ignore it, we can stop to pray. This is what it means to guard our hearts, a positive action that helps to keep us from acting on temptation to sin.


2. If we’re feeling overconfident about where our loyalties lie, we might be wise to heed this as a warning that we’re about to be side-swiped. Overconfidence in our own strength to resist temptation is in truth a great weakness. We’re all capable of falling, and Satan wants us to. We must constantly depend on God to help us guard our hearts.


3. When temptation is lurking, we need to stay alert. We can ask God’s Spirit to help us with this. He’ll wake us up to help us watch and pray before the time of testing comes. As we pay attention to Him, He’ll keep us from doing something that we’ll quickly regret.

Everything we do flows from our hearts. Let’s pray that God will help us every moment to keep them in check.

Father, we know that we are weak sometimes. The enemy is lurking, watching for ways to exploit this. He’d love nothing better than to see us, like Peter, suddenly realize we’ve failed You, then break down and cry. Please help us to live in complete dependence on You. Send Your Spirit to alert us when danger is nearby. Teach us to guard our hearts, so we will live to honor You. And thank You for Your mercy should we grow weary and fail. Thanks to Your Son, there is forgiveness. We thank You for this as well. In His Name, we pray. Amen.

Book Review: Afloat

I think I look forward to each of Erin Healy’s new releases more than any other author's. Her books are unique curiosities—totally unpredictable, full of supernatural elements, unclassifiable. They also contain clear, but not blatantly presented Christian Truth. Healy leads her readers along to who knows where, but once they arrive, they say, “Oh—I get it! Wow!”

This was perfectly true of Healy’s recent release, Afloat. Though the story started slowly and had me a little worried, it picked up pace quickly. As the characters’ dilemma worsened, Healy revealed their backstories, relevant to the plot, at a steady rate. Though I became totally engrossed in the story, I also found myself underlining well-worded statements that I found to be true.

Afloat is the story of a group of people stranded on a peninsula turned island after a bizarre series of unusual events. As they struggle to survive, they disagree about how to do so. What’s worse, they have reason to distrust each other—where loyalties lie is unclear. The result is an intense story about truth, love, self-sacrifice, and making choices that put eternity over right now. I’m happy to recommend this book!

Thomas Nelson Publishers sent me a complimentary copy of Afloat in exchange for this honest review. Fans of supernatural thrillers, suspense, and conspiracy novels will enjoy reading this book.

Redefining All

When I woke up this morning, the song, “I Surrender All,” was playing in my head. I don’t know why. I haven’t heard that song in years. But it made me smile today:

All to Jesus I surrender;
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His Presence daily live.

I surrender all.
I surrender all.
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.

“Oh, yes, Jesus,” I prayed. “I do surrender all.” Then I happily proceeded to give Him a list of all the problems and challenges and tasks ahead of me this week.

The following thought popped into my head:

“That’s it? Your problems. That’s all you surrender to me?”

"Isn't that what You wanted?" I prayed.

I got the impression that Jesus replied, "I want you to surrender all."

Those few seconds were a sobering reminder to me of all God’s given that I must, sometimes daily, surrender back. I’ve been brainstorming ever since.

I started with resources. It’s easy to say, “I surrender my time, talents, money, and home.” But how often am I tempted to put limits on these? I’ll surrender my time—except for what I need to complete this list of tasks. I’ll surrender my home—so long as I’ve had time to clean it thoroughly this week. I’ll surrender my money—so long as I believe the person I’m surrendering it to will use it the way I expect that person to.

Nope. If I surrender all, I surrender all—no strings attached.

Next I thought of some more abstract possessions: dreams, goals, expectations, hopes, opinions, control, freedom, rights, perhaps even boundaries. Surrendering these doesn’t necessarily mean I lose them. Rather, it means I trust God with them. I let go when He wants me to; pursue aggressively if He so leads—and with Him in the lead.

I thought of emotions and attitudes: anger, fear, bitterness, grudges, misplaced trust, and possibly-wrong beliefs. When God brings these to mind, I have to let Him take them away. I ask Him to replace them with forgiveness, courage, dependence on Him alone, and biblical truth.

I also thought of health, reputation, self-esteem—or, sometimes, lack of such. These I must surrender, too. In God alone, I place my confidence.

What can you think of that we must surrender to God?

Father, thank You for leading me to think on this today. I truly want to mean it when I pray, “I surrender all.” If I’m holding anything back, please make me aware and help me to let go. In my hands all is meaningless. Surrendered, it’s safe with You. Help me trust You evermore with everything You give. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Book Review: Take a Chance on Me

Take a Chance on Me is a spin-off of the Deep Haven Novels by Susan May Warren. It’s set in Deep Haven where we encounter familiar characters from the original series, but this new series focuses on members of the Christiansen Family. How fun is that?!

In this first story, we meet Darek Christiansen and his son, Tiger. Darek is the oldest of the Christiansen siblings, a former firefighter, now a widower, helping his parents run their Evergreen Lake Resort.

We also meet Ivy Madison, the new assistant county attorney, a former foster child, hoping to claim Deep Haven as a permanent, small town home. That hope quickly dims when she learns that Jenson Atwood also lives in Deep Haven. Responsible for Darek’s wife’s death, Jenson is the town pariah—and Ivy was the one who anonymously crafted the plea bargain which kept him out of jail.

Claire Gibson is one more significant character in this story. She grew up as a missionary kid, but moved to Deep Haven to live with her grandparents following a traumatic event. Ten years later, her parents are pressuring her to get on with her life, to train to do something big for God. But Claire wants to stay right where she is.

I enjoyed reading this story, watching characters develop, overcome their issues, and learn to trust God. Warren is gifted at fleshing out deep themes—asking for and receiving forgiveness, learning to forgive, looking deeply inside oneself to discover motivations, showing kindness and mercy, trusting God and believing that His character really is what the Bible says even when events tempt one to believe differently.

I am happy to recommend this novel by Susan May Warren and thank Tyndale House Publishers for sending a complimentary copy for this honest review.



Author Q & A: Susan May Warren on Take a Chance on Me

1. This is the first installment in a brand new six-book series. Can you give us a bit of background on this series?

I love stories about families – watching the members interact and grow together through challenges and victories – and I conceived this series as I watched my own children begin to grow up and deal with romance and career and futures. I love Deep Haven, and it’s the perfect setting for a resort, so I crafted a family, much like the families I know, who run a resort. They want to pass on their legacy to their children…but their children don’t know if they want it. It’s sort of a parallel theme to the legacy of faith we instill in our children. As they grow older, they need to decide whether it is their faith too. It’s a saga about family and faith and what happens when those collide with real life.

2. This Christiansen Family series is set in Deep Haven, Minnesota. Tell us about this setting.

Deep Haven, Minnesota is based in a small vacation town in northern Minnesota where I spent my childhood. It’s located on Lake Superior, surrounded by pine and birch and the sense of small town and home. Populated by everyone from artists to lumberjacks, it’s Mitford, or perhaps Northern Exposure gone Minnesotan. Quaint, quirky and beautiful, it’s the perfect place to escape for a vacation.

3. What was your inspiration for this particular book and the main character Darek Christiansen?

As I started to put together this series, I began to think about our culture and our children today. I started to take a look at the big questions we are faced with as parents – and as young people; the issues that affect us as a culture, as well as personally. I wanted these books to go beyond family drama, beyond a great romance to raise bigger questions and stir truths that we might pass along to others. This story is about our propensity in our culture to blame others for what goes wrong in our lives – and how this alienates us from each other, and ultimately, God. Darek is the oldest brother in the family; the leader and a real hero. He’s a wildland firefighter and a widower who’s had to give up his job to come home and run the resort and care for his young son. Darek doesn’t realize he has a problem – he lives with anger on his shoulder, hating the man who killed his wife (his best friend). His real problem is that he can’t forgive himself. In this first story, readers meet the family, hang out at the resort and discover that God can redeem even a heart of stone, if we take a chance on Him.

4. What lessons or truths will your readers find in the pages of this novel?

This book is for the person who feels they just can’t get past the anger they have for someone else to live in joy again. It’s for parents who see their children making bad choices and don’t know where to turn. It’s for people who believe that no one will ever really love them because of who they are, or the things they’ve done. It’s for people who need the courage to take a second chance on love and faith and family. I’m hoping readers walk away with a sense of how much God loves them, and that yes, He can heal the angry and broken-hearted.

5. How do you expect this new series to resonate with your audience? How do you want your books to make them feel?

Great question! I love a story that brings me on an emotional journey from anger to laughter to hope. But most of all, I want readers to be wrapped up in joy, that feeling we get when watch our football team win, or when we’re hands up in a convertible on a hot summer day, or digging our feet into a sandy beach, or hugging our loved one when they return home. Ah. The sense that, just for a moment, all is right in the world and everything tastes and feels delicious. I write romances, and in the end it’s worth the journey to the happily ever after.

To read an excerpt from Chapter 1, click here.

When Forced to Follow, Take Time to Pray

As I was getting onto the freeway yesterday, I came up behind a car that was moving just a tad, well, actually, much too slowly.

Friendly Public Service Announcement of the Day: Just in case your driving instructor never told you or maybe you forgot, one must accelerate when getting onto the freeway, so that by the time one reaches the end of the ramp, one will be able to merge into traffic easily—and not cause drivers behind one lots of stress.

That said, this car was crawling up the on-ramp at a speed normally reserved for residential neighborhoods—or maybe just school zones. I started to become concerned about my prospects of actually getting to get on the freeway. Then I noticed the purple heart on the car’s license plate and the words “Combat Wounded” on the license plate frame.

Forgetting my frustrations and following at the slow car’s pace, I imagined some of the sights, sounds, traumas and experiences this soldier might have gone through. Then I imagined the fears, worries, and concerns of his family. (Yes. At the pace he was travelling, I had plenty of time to imagine all of this.) As I imagined each scenario, I let it prompt a prayer for this soldier, his family, and others like him.

Then, after I was safely on the freeway, around the slow-moving car, and into the steady, middle lane, I started thinking of other identifiers I often see on cars. Cancer and autism came to mind first. I realized that those magnets don't have to just make me aware. Seeing them can invite me to pray.

Next I thought of the happy, little stick figure people that identify the members of a vehicle’s family: mother, father, teenage girl or boy, younger children, children who play sports, babies, cats, dogs, and field mice. These don’t indicate problems to pray for, but they give me specific people for whom to pray—to a point. I may not know their names, but God does. He also knows their concerns. And so I can pray.

Let’s watch this week to see what identifiers we see on the backs of cars we must follow. Then, as we follow, let’s use the time to pray.


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