Archive | September 2021

The Unlikely Yarn Of The Dragon Lady by Sharon J Mondragon

Sep21

Of Hope And Love And Prayers

The Unlikely Yarn Of The Dragon Lady by Sharon J Mondragon is a most charming and beautiful contemporary Christian novel. The love of God is infused throughout the whole book. His love extends beyond the pages to encompass the reader.

The building is not the church. The church is the people. The disciples were commissioned by Jesus to go into all the world and to tell others about Him. We were never meant to lock ourselves away in a building and keep the Good News to ourselves. “To reach others for God, we need to take the church out into everyday life.” People need to see and experience the love, the hope and the care of God.

Too often people stumble in the darkness. They do not realise their need for Jesus. People need us to show Jesus to them by the way we live, what we do and how we love. “They don’t know they can find peace and love and hope here.”

The main characters have a prayer shawl ministry. They knit together, weaving their prayers into the shawls as they knit. Age is no barrier to this ministry. “I may not be able to live alone now… but I can pray. I can pray and knit those prayers into a shawl.”

As the ladies knit outside the confines of a church building, the lost and the lonely are drawn to the peace and love of Christ that surrounds them.

Jesus went to the people. Jesus wants us to go to the people.

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In From The Storm by Erin Stevenson

Sep20

As Far As The East Is From The West

In From The Storm by Erin Stevenson is the most delightful contemporary Christian novel. It is the second book in the Canadian Meadows series but can be read as a stand-alone.

The major theme of the novel is of forgiveness. We all need to receive it and we all need to give it or risk becoming bitter. “Your sin was forgiven the first time you asked.” God gives us the free gift of forgiveness. We don’t deserve it and we cannot earn it. Sometimes in life we find it hard to forgive others. When we do, we must ask God to help us to forgive in His strength. Forgiveness is not forgetting but it is freeing for us.

Prayer is important. “Did God hear the prayers of someone who was breaking a Commandment?” God hears all our prayers. He even hears the prayers of our heart when we cannot find the words. “He wanted to pray but couldn’t form the words.”

We need community. We need our church family. “Ben found himself being pulled away from his church family and didn’t know what to do about it.” If we fear we are moving away, we must make every effort to re-connect. We need people who will support us in our Christian walk.

At times life is hard. Being a Christian does not exempt you from the hard times. “I haven’t promised to take the storms away, just to carry you through them.” Jesus supports us through every season in life.

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Autumn Dreams At Mermaids Point by Sarah Bennett

Sep17

Embracing The Present

Autumn Dreams At Mermaids Point by Sarah Bennett is the most delightful contemporary novel. It is the second book in the Mermaid’s Point series but can be read as a stand-alone.

The novel has the dual themes of loss and new beginnings. No matter how much time has passed, grief is still raw. We have to learn how to live again and adapt to the new normal.

As a father of two, the lead character finds it hard to adapt to being the sole parent. His own grief and job as a busy London GP sometimes hampers his ability to deal with the grief of his children. A fresh beginning is what is required.

The fresh air of Mermaids Point contrasts with the closed atmosphere of London. The reader can almost ‘feel’ the salty air on our faces due to full descriptions by Sarah Bennett.

The characters were wonderfully and realistically drawn. Strangers receive warm welcomes as the hurting are held close to hearts. It is refreshing to have the lead characters in their forties.

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Since You’ve Been Gone by Tari Faris

Sep16

God’s Perfect Timing

Since You’ve Been Gone by Tari Faris is a delightful contemporary Christian novel. It is the third book in the Restoring Heritage series but can be read as a stand-alone.

There is the theme of dreams. We all have them. We need to pursue our own dream and not take on the dreams of others. We need to make our own paths.

Like-wise “she was no longer defined by her past or her father’s choices.” We are defined by who we are in Jesus.

We all have a past. Sometimes we view our shared pasts in a different way to others. We were so involved in our feelings and had a fear of rejection that we fail to see what is staring us in the face.

Friends are important. We all need friends who will support and encourage us.

There are some misunderstandings in life. We see something but fail to interpret it correctly. We judge when we should be loving. My heart broke for a character who as a teen wore make-up to disguise the bruises… and no one saw the hurting teen beneath.

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