Archive | April 2019

You Say It First by Susan Mallery

Where Dreams Come True

You Say It First by Susan Mallery is a delightful fun filled contemporary novel that focuses on love and weddings.

Love is a complicated affair. There are some awkward family dynamics. “She’d been taught that love… had to be earned.” Love should be unconditional in a family but sometimes we try and try but never seem to be good enough. It may not be our ‘fault’ but the ‘fault’ of the person withholding the love due to their background.It is a heavy burden to carry.

There is the question of belonging. Finding out that you are not who you thought you were produces tension within a family.

Love may hurt. Love may fail but surely true love is a risk worth taking?

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The Stepper: God’s Relentless Pursuit by Jerrad Hardin

Champions Of Love

The Stepper: God’s Relentless Pursuit by Jerrad Hardin – wow what a beautiful, beautiful book about love and life and a God who relentlessly pursues us. The Stepper is a work that will really soothe your soul as you read about the beautiful relationship that the author had with his grandfather.

Jerrad Hardin’s grandfather was full of life and love and humour. He taught the author many life lessons. A diagnosis of lung cancer did not get him down. It merely gave him time to spread his love wider and deeper. The author however battled to see God. “If God is there, why is this wretched disease here?”

Many meaningful conversations happened. I loved the description of death. “ ‘Maybe it’s [death] like turning off a light.’ ‘No, Grandpa, death is when the light turns on.’ “

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Can’t Help Falling In Love by Jae Blessing

Charming

Can’t Help Falling In Love by Jae Blessing is a sweet Christian short story that will warm your heart and leave you smiling. It is the first tale in The Jubilee Series.

The town of Jubilee is built on the desires of the people to be faithful to and to honour God. The town can be seen as a motif for our lives. We need to keep our eyes fixed on God and listen to His promptings.

The characters are wholesome. There are some delightful verbal volleys between the two main characters. Match making comes from an unlikely source.

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Cross Of A Different Kind: Cancer And Christian Spirituality by Anthony Maranise

Earth Has No Sorrow That Heaven Can’t Heal

Cross of A Different Kind: Cancer And Christian Spirituality by Anthony Maranise is a comprehensive book  focusing on cancer and the Christian walk. At the time of writing the author is cancer free for twenty years having had childhood cancer aged just five years old.

The book is divided into three sections: those who have lost loved ones; those battling cancer; and the survivors of cancer. Each stage faces unique challenges. The overriding messages are that we are primarily a soul with a body and we have a God who loves us.

There are some difficult questions asked – why does God permit us to suffer cancer? The author gives us his answer and then talks about the two types of evil – natural and moral. It is a gut reaction to blame God but in order to blame Him, we must therefore believe in Him. Feelings of anger are perfectly normal. “If we are mad at Him, that means we acknowledge His Presence, His Power and His Supremacy.”

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