An Endless Christmas

An Endless Christmas (Worthy Inspired, October 2015)

Author Cynthia Ruchti

Too many people, too much snow, and too little room should be a recipe for disaster.

Christmas takes a very different turn when the guests of honor break up instead of announcing their engagement. Trapped with his family, they learn that love looks different than either imagined. Both in their eighties, Dodie and Wilson Binder celebrate every Christmas as if it were their last. This year, their grandson Micah is planning to ask his girlfriend, Katie, to marry him so they can celebrate with the whole family. But things go very wrong when she says, “no.” Now they are stuck. Too many people, too much snow, and too little room should be a recipe for disaster. But sometimes too much is just enough. Especially when it’s Christmas.

My Review:

This is a wonderful Christmas story! It center around the Binder family that is the type of family we all wish we had. Love abounds through this family. When the oldest grandson brings home his girlfriend for the Binder family Christmas it is overwhelming for this young lady. Her family is nothing like this family and she doesn't feel worthy to belong.

As you read the story you will find a story of love, forgiveness and God's grace.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for this review.

Get Your Story Straight

Get Your Story Straight: A Teen's Guide to Learning and Living the Gospel Paperback – October 13, 2015

by Kristen Hatton  (Author)

What's your story?

We all tell stories to each other---stories about what happened when we were kids, stories about last night, and stories where we dream about the future. Some stories are funny, some are amazing, others are sad, but they all have something in common---each of us is the hero of our own story. Our thoughts, feelings, hopes, and dreams take center stage. But when it's all about you, it's also all up to you. You have to make life work, find meaning, and hope for the best even when you mess up or things go badly wrong.

But what if we were made for something different? What if the main character in our life story isn't us, but it is the God who became like us and is now with us? What if being fully human means knowing him and growing to be like him? What if the way to be fully alive is to be caught up in Jesus's story?

This 52-week devotional book and small group resource is designed to help you live with Jesus in his gospel story---the good news that your sins are forgiven, your future is assured, and following him is the only meaningful way to live. No matter your age, where you live, who your family is, or what your past, God wants you to experience the freedom that comes in being secure in his love.

Divided into three parts, starting with creation, each section progressively explores the idea that the whole Bible is the unfolding story of Jesus. Through this grid, who Jesus is and why we need him will shape your understanding of freedom and grace and how you grow to be like him. This yearlong study for teenagers and young adults is designed for individual devotional times, but a small group discussion guided by a mentor would help participants to absorb and live out the truths of each week's teaching.

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/1i9Ccq4

About the author:

Kristen Hatton is a native Texan now putting roots down in Edmond, OK with her church-planter/pastor husband and their three children. With a public relations background from Southern Methodist University, Kristen has a wide array of professional experiences, none of which she counts as important as the job of being a "present" mom. Through leading a small group Bible study of teenagers, she has discovered her passion for teaching and writing about God's grace.

Find Kristen online: website, Twitter, Facebook

My Review; This book is a devotional and study guide for teens. Each day it provides several related scriptures to read with question following. It helps you think how the Word of God applies to your daily life. For an example in the book it ask the question, " What does it mean that Jesus is your whole "life"?"  It also encourages you to keep a journal about how you used these scriptures in your own life and journal your prayers is also encouraged.

I like how you can use this bible study guide for devotional time for the whole family. Of course I would strongly encourage the study guide as a gift for the teen in your life. It would make a wonderful Christmas gift!

I was given a copy of this book by Litfuse in exchange for my review.

The Photograph

by: Beverly Lewis

About

He studied the picture more closely, finding it curious that the young woman looked so boldly into the camera while wearing a white prayer Kapp shaped like a heart--the characteristic head covering for the Lancaster County Old Order Amish. 
Why would a devout girl have her picture taken?

When her sister Lily disappears only months after their widowed mother's passing, Eva Esch fears she has been wooed away from the People. Yet Lily's disappearance isn't Eva's only concern: She and her sisters must relocate once their older brother takes over the family farmhouse. Then Jed Stutzman, an Amish buggy maker from Ohio, shows up in Eden Valley with a photo of a Plain young woman. Eva feels powerfully drawn to the charming stranger--but the woman in the forbidden photograph is no stranger at all. . . .

My Review:

The story revolves around 3 unmarried sisters who are uncertain about where they will end up after the death of both parents. The youngest son of the family is to inherit the family homestead. This means the sister will have to find new places to live or soon marry. The youngest of these three unexpectedly runaway leaving her family and community heart broken.

Meanwhile a young Amish man on the way by train to visit this community finds a book tucked in his seat. When he opens the book he finds a photo of a young Amish woman. Will this photo lead to the where about of the missing sister? What role will this young man play in the lives of these three sisters?
I always enjoy Beverly Lewis' books!

I received a copy of this book by Bethany House in exchange for my review.

SUMMER'S LIST

Summer's List (River North, June 2015)

A dying wish alters the course of a young woman's life.

Life hadn't been easy for Summer Snow. In acts of selflessness---caring for her ailing parents and running her grandmother's bookstore---she had forfeited her youth and dreams for the needs of others. And the only tries she had at love . . . didn't turn out. She had the bookstore, she had her beloved granny, but she was missing something---or someone.

Opportunity strikes when Granny sends Summer on an unexpected adventure with one Martin Langtree, a kind but gangly young man from Summer's past. A childhood friendship is rekindled, a romance is sparked, and mysteries are solved in one magical Texas summer. Will Summer strike out on love again, or will things finally go her way?

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/1GKqprL

About the author:

Best-selling and award-winning author, Anita Higman, has over thirty books published (several coauthored) for adults and children. She's been a Barnes & Noble "Author of the Month" for Houston and has a BA degree, combining speech communication, psychology, and art. Anita loves good movies, exotic teas, and brunch with her friends.

My Review:
Summer's Granny is sick and dying. Before she dies she  wants Summer  to experience things she missed out on by caring for her parents. Granny has a list of adventures for her.One of the request her Granny has is for her to do is find her childhood friend Martin and have him help her to complete the list. You will have to read the book to see how the list changes Summer's life.
The writing style of this book is not the best. I also found the story line of Martin's life a bit unrealistic. Still I think some people will enjoy this book.

I received this book from Litfuse in exchange for this review.

TWO ROADS HOME

About the book: 
Two Roads Home (Abingdon Press, June 2015)

What if it's too late for dreams to come true?

Minor---but-nagging setbacks continue to sour Grant and Audrey Whitman's initiation into the world of innkeeping, but larger challenges brew when an innocent flirtation leads to big trouble for the Whitmans' son-in-law, Jesse. Jesse Pennington's friendly, outgoing personality has always served him well, especially in a career that has earned him and his wife Corinne a very comfortable lifestyle. But Corinne and Jesse are both restless---and for similar reasons, if only they could share those with each other. Instead, too many business trips and trumped-up charges of harassment from a disgruntled coworker threaten their marriage and possibly put their three precious daughters at risk.

With their life in disarray, God is tugging at their hearts to pursue other dreams. Can Corinne and Jesse pick up the pieces of what was once a wonderful life before it all crumbles beneath them?

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/1BdaEcG

About the author:

Deborah Raney's books have won numerous awards, including the RITA, National Readers Choice Award, HOLT Medallion, and the Carol Award, and have twice been Christy Award finalists. She and her husband, Ken, recently traded small-town life in Kansas-the setting of many of Deborah's novels-for life in the (relatively) big city of Wichita, where they enjoy gardening, antiquing, movies, and traveling to visit four children and a growing brood of grandchildren who all live much too far away.

Find Deborah online: website, Twitter, Facebook

MY Review:
This book was interesting even though I did not read the first book in the series. The grandparents, Audrey and Grant struggle to adjust to running the Chicory Inn. One of their daughter's is struggling with infertility another is having marital problems. When problems arises at Jesse's job it changes the course of his family;s future. Audrey struggles with balancing  a career and worrying about her grown children.
To find out how God works in each of their lives you need to read the book.

I received this book from Litfuse in exchange for my review. 

AS WATERS GONE BY

About the book: 
As Waters Gone By (Abingdon, May 2015)

How can a marriage survive when separated by hundreds of miles and impenetrable prison walls?

Emmalyn and Max Ross may have to endure the fight of their lives to mend the tattered fabric of their marriage. His actions ensured she could never be a mother and put him in prison, giving their relationship a court-mandated five-year time-out. On a self-imposed exile to beautiful but remote Madeline Island, one of the Apostle Islands of Lake Superior, Emmalyn has just a few months left to figure out if and how they can ever be a couple again.

Nudged along by the exuberant owner of the Wild Iris Inn and Café, a circle of misfit people in their small town, and a young girl who desperately needs someone to love her, Emmalyn restores an island cottage that could become a home and begins to restore her heart by learning what it means to love unconditionally. Yet even as hope begins to find a place within the cottage walls, Emmalyn still wonders if she's ready for Max's release. She may be able to rebuild a cottage, but can she rebuild a marriage?

About the author:

Cynthia Ruchti has more than three decades of radio broadcast experience with Heartbeat of the Home radio and currently serves as Professional Relations Liaison for American Christian Fiction Writers.

Find Cynthia online: website, Twitter, Facebook

My Review:

In the beginning of reading this book it was hard for me to get into if you know what I mean. But then I started to really enjoy it. The way the author describes the people and place made me feel like I was there.

The author weaves a story not only about Emmalyn and her husband but of others on the island. I really enjoyed the stories of Cora and the owner of the Iris Inn. As you read you will find how God works in the lives of other and if willing we too can be used by God to do the same for others.

I would recommend this book to my friends. 

I received a free copy of this book from Litfuse in exchange for my review.

AMISH PROMISES

Amish Promises (Neighbors of Lancaster County) Paperback – May 5, 2015

by Leslie Gould  (Author)

Journey Down a Quiet Lane in Lancaster County Where Love and Heartache and Friendship and Healing Meet
When Joel and Shani Beck arrive at their new home, they're looking for peace. Shani is thrilled to have Joel back from Iraq, but he needs time to heal, and the quiet of Lancaster seems just the place. They can't imagine any trouble with their Amish neighbors, the Lehmans, but things get off to a rocky start when their son is involved in an accident that injures one of the Lehman boys.
 
Eve Lehman has run her brother's household ever since the death of his wife, but Tim's a stern patriarch. Despite his protests, she's drawn to the new neighbor, Shani, and the two begin to form a strong friendship forged on faith and family. Things seem like they've quieted down until Joel's single and handsome army friend Charlie catches Eve's attention--a man unlike any Eve has ever met. Suddenly life for both families becomes more complicated than any of them could have ever imagined.

My Review:

This book was a nice love story between an Amish woman and a English (non Amish) man. But it was more than that. It was a story of love, promises, death, war and PTSD. Life is not easy whether you are Amish or an Englisher. The book centers on two neighbors and their friends. The Amish neighbor is a widower with several kids. His never married sister lives with him to take care of the kids. She had promised her sister-in-law on her death bed that she would always care for her children.

The other neighbor is a family whose husband was injured while serving in Irag. He still recovering from his injuries and having problems coping with what happened in Iraq. His wife is expecting their second son and trying to work while caring for her family. 

While reading this book the story involves other people into both family lives. There are struggles and pain but loving your neighbor solves a lot of life difficulties. 

I received a free copy of this book from Bethany House for my review.

HUTTERITE DIARIES

HUTTERITE DIARIES BY LINDA MAENDEL

Author: Linda Maendel

Few outsiders know anything about the Hutterites, a Plain Christian group related to the Amish and Mennonites. Maendel’s story, Hutterite Diaries, invites readers into deeper understanding of this community of faith, calling us to take seriously the example of Jesus and the early church in our daily living. Hear straight from plain Christians as they write about their daily lives and deeply rooted faith in the Plainspoken series.

What would it be like to share all your possessions and live in Christian community?

In Hutterite Diaries, Linda Maendel offers a rare glimpse into the daily routines and communal faith of her people, the Hutterian Brethren. From stories of working together to bring in the fall potato harvest to laugh-out-loud tales of sisterly love laced with revenge, Maendel invites readers into her Bruderhof, or colony, nestled on the prairie of western Canada. Here children and adults work, play, eat, and worship together, crafting a community of goods and living out an alternative to the individualism and consumerism of mainstream society.

Few outsiders know anything about the Hutterites, a Plain Christian group related to the Amish and Mennonites. Maendel’s story invites readers into deeper understanding of this community of faith, calling us to take seriously the example of Jesus and the early church in our daily living.

My Review:

This book was interesting. I had never heard of the hutterites  before reading this book. The author lives in a Hutterite Colony. She shares the lifestyle and the ways of  the community life.
They do share everything in common but each family lives in their own homes. they share all meals together and have church services each day. They believe they are living the life of the early church as described in Acts of the bible..While the author goes in more detail of their way of life, I ways left wondering what was their true belief in Jesus and His Word.
I wish I had heard of the hutterites years ago because I found out I once lived close to one of the colonies.

I received a review copy of this book from Litfuse in exchange for my review of this book.

CALLED TO BE AMISH

Called to Be Amish: My Journey from Head Majorette to the Old Order (Plainspoken) Paperback – February 9, 2015

by Marlene C. Miller (Author)

Fewer than one hundred outsiders have joined the Old–Order Amish—and stayed—since 1950. Marlene C. Miller is one of them. In this rare memoir, Marlene recounts her unhappy and abusive childhood, how she throws herself into cheerleading and marching band, and how she falls in love with Johnny, the gentle young Amish man who helps her lace her ice skates.

Against the wishes of both sets of parents, Marlene and Johnny get married and begin a family. Follow the author on this unusual journey to find out how God’s love called her out of bitterness and depression and into the warm embrace of her new Amish community.

Accompany her as she dons an Amish dress and prayer covering and gets baptized. Learn how she endures the strain of ten children, a hundred-acre farm, and accidents and tragedy, and find out how she comes close to walking away from it all. Turning Amish has proven to be anything but plain and simple for this former majorette. But nearly fifty years later, Marlene is still living out God’s call as an Old Order Amish woman.

My Review:

This book is the real life story of Marlene and her journey to becoming an Old Order Amish woman. She grew up in a dysfunctional family. The only loved shown to her as a child came from a few christian relatives. As a teenager she meets her future husband, an young Amish man.Through the story you learn how they marry and later live as an  Amish family. While life is not easy for them you gain insight into their Amish way of life.

I received a copy of this book from Litfuse in exchange for this review.

The Heart of the Amish

Life Lessons on Peacemaking and the Power of Forgiveness

by: Suzanne Woods Fisher

About

"Powerful! That's the first word that comes to mind after reading this excellent book. You will be inspired to make changes in your life."--Chandler Gerber, featured in the film From One Second to the Next 
We have all been hurt and we all have someone we need to forgive. But sometimes it's hard to let go of our hurt and anger in order to truly forgive and move on.

For the Amish, forgiving others in order to live at peace is woven into the very fabric of their faith. From daily annoyances to heartbreaking tragedy, they exhibit an incredible capacity for forgiveness that often baffles us. How do they do it? And how can we have the same attitude and ability to forgive?

Through true stories gathered from a variety of Amish communities, bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher shows you how the Amish are able to release their pain and desire for revenge, and live at peace with others. Her in-depth, personal research uncovers the astounding yet fundamental way the Amish can forgive anyone from the angry customer at the grocery store to the shooter at Nickel Mines. You'll learn how to invite God into your story, apply lessons from the Amish to your own circumstances, and find the freedom that comes with true forgiveness.


"Fisher's stories of the Amish will arm you with tools to forgive and find the path to reconciliation as they draw you closer to God."--Elizabeth B. Brown, author of Living Successfully with Screwed-Up People

Suzanne Woods Fisher is the bestselling author of Amish Peace and Amish Proverbs, as well as many novels about the Amish, including the Lancaster County Secrets series, the Stoney Ridge Seasons series, and The Inn at Eagle Hill series. She is also the coauthor of an Amish children's series, The Adventures of Lily Lapp. Suzanne is a Carol Award winner for The Search, a Carol Award finalist for The Choice, and a Christy Award finalist for The Waiting. She is also a columnist for Christian Post and Cooking & Such magazines. She lives in California. Learn more at www.suzannewoodsfisher.com and follow Suzanne on Twitter @suzannewfisher.

My Review:
This is a wonderful and encouraging book on forgiveness. For most of us forgiveness doesn't come easily but for the Amish it is a way of life. This book is filled with stories of forgiveness given or granted both with which follows amazing grace by all involved.
I found myself underlining certain passages through out the book. Some of these quotes helped me to understand the forgiveness process. One such statement is, "The more often you practice forgiveness, the more forgiving you become." This book is transforming and I would recommend it to all my friends.

I received a copy of this book from Revell Books in exchange for this review.

The Love Letters

by: Beverly Lewis

About

Marlena needed time to let things sink in. It was beyond her how all this could possibly work out--adding the care of an infant to her daily routine. Fortunately, it would just be until Luella returned home from the hospital and was stronger.No more than a couple weeks, surely.

Marlena Wenger's life takes an unexpected turn on the day she learns she must care for her estranged sister's baby. Spending the summer in Brownstown, Pennsylvania, to assist her Mennonite grandmother, and miles from Marlena's Old Order Amish beau, she feels out of her element in nearly every respect. Yet Marlena determines to do her best and stay focused on her future, even as those hopes become drastically altered.

---

THE AUTHOR

1. 

   Photo courtesy of Gene Photography

   Beverly Lewis

   Beverly Lewis, born in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country, is the New York Times bestselling author of more than ninety books. Her stories have been published in eleven languages worldwide. A keen interest in her mother's Plain heritage has...

   Continue reading about Beverly Lewis
2. 
   

 


My Review:
I enjoy this book so much. Beverly Lewis knows how to tell a story while at the same time minister to our hearts and draw us closer to the Lord. The story lines centers on Marlena who is searching for more in her heart and life while struggle with her desire to stay Old Amish to please her boyfriend and Little Jake who struggles to measure up to his fathers standards.As the story unfolds both Marlena and Little Jake find that God answers their prayers in some tremendous ways.
I would recommend this book for all that love to read Amish fiction and for those who her looking for a good uplifting Christian fiction book to read.

I received this Book from Bethany House in exchange for this review.

Enough Already

Enough Already (Abingdon, March 2015)

Recognize your own outer and inner beauty as defined by God, not the media or others.

Most women know that God loves them, but might he love them more if they finally lost that last ten pounds, or got their hair to lay right, or finally found a pair of jeans that looked good and let them breathe? Well, maybe God doesn't care about jeans, but women do, and all the talk about inner beauty hasn't kept all of us from staring into a mirror and taking an inventory that never quite measures up.Enough Already will:

-Elevate the soul-freeing, spiritual truth that God is the Creator of beauty and that women are called to appreciate and care for themselves as his own.

-Enable women to accept God-given beauty so that when they look in the mirror they see his handiwork, not their flaws.

-Equip women to win the ugly struggle with beauty once and for all.

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/1Eqr5Tw

About the author: 

Barbara Roose is an African-American, wife, mother, and pastor with a passion for creatively communicating God's truths in a manner that is relevant and easy for people to apply to their lives. In February 2002, she joined the staff at Cedar Creek Church in Perrysburg, Ohio. Currently, she is the Directional Leader and Pastor of Spiritual Formation. For the past eight years, she has had the privilege to serve as periodic teaching pastor to 10,000 (average) weekly attendees. Since 2010, she has spoken at various women's conferences in the U.S. and Honduras. In October 2012, she was a guest speaker for best-selling author and former Women of Faith speaker, Nicole Johnson's Seasons Weekend Experience. Barbara and her husband, Matt, have been married 21 years and live in Toledo, Ohio.

MY REVIEW:

First of all we have all had those thoughts of if only i was prettier, skinnier, taller, shorter and so on. This is what this book speaks about. As a society that idolizes the celebrities and focuses so much on outer beauty the author urges us to look at ourselves as Christ sees us. While the world looks at us from the outer beauty God looks at our heart.
The author, Barbara Roose also encourages us not to compare our self to others. She shares practical advise for our outward body concerns while also sharing truths to adorn our true beauty of the heart.
I would recommend this book for ladies of all ages. It can be used for a bible study group or for self study. At the end of each chapter there our group discussion questions and personal journaling questions.

I've been given this book free from Litfuse  in exchange for a review. 

The Promise of Palm Grove

e Promise of Palm Grove (Avon Inspire, January 2015)

Leona must decide: Does she follow the path set out before her? Or take a chance with only the promise of what could be to guide her?

A young Amish woman finds herself torn between the man she's pledged to wed and the man her heart desires in this heartwarming story of chance, duty, and choice in the face of love---the first volume in the beloved New York Times bestselling author's new Amish Brides of Pinecraft series.

Amish bride-to-be Leona is thrilled to be in Florida, on a mini-vacation in the pretty town of Pinecraft. Her girlfriends think she's happy because she's away from the stress of wedding planning. They have no idea that Leona's real joy is in being away from her fiancé.

Edmund is a good man, and will make a decent husband . . . just not for Leona. The more time she spends with him and his overbearing ways, the less she wants to be his wife. Her cousins are sure Edmund is the right man for her---and their certainty makes Leona begin to doubt herself. But when a chance encounter with a wayward cat brings her face-to-face with a handsome, fun-loving Amish man named Zachary Kauffman, Leona's faced with two vastly different futures.

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/1aQJuw2 

About the author:

Shelley Shepard Gray is a two-time New York Times bestseller, a two-time USA Today bestseller, a finalist for the American Christian Fiction Writers prestigious Carol Award, and a two-time Holt Medallion winner. She lives in Southern Ohio, where she writes full-time, bakes too much, and can often be found walking her dachshunds on her town's bike trail.

Find Shelley online: website

My Review:
This was an enjoyable read. Love the way the author makes you feel like you are there in Pinecraft watching the characters in the story.You can easily change from the two major story lines without any confusion.
I would recommend this book to those who love reading Amish fiction like I do. Read this book to find out who Leona chooses to be the man for her. Also follow the story of Beverly.
Her life is about to change but how?

I receives a copy of this book from Litfuse in exchange for this review.