sunnyislandbreezes.com

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old…or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Illustrated by

Peg Lozier

and the book:

Mommy Whispers

Isaac Publishing, Inc. (December 6, 2010)

***Special thanks to Jenny Lee Sulpizio for sending me a review copy.***

Jenny Lee Sulpizio, M.S., is a mother of three, wife, business owner and author residing in Boise, Idaho. She is actively involved in her church, her children’s school and enjoys tapping into her creative side whenever possible. Mommy Whispers is her first publication in a series to soon follow.

Visit the author’s website.

Peg Lozier is an award winning portrait painter and illustrator whose work is known for color, whimsy, and a sense of fun. Raised in Boulder, Colorado, she now lives with a plethora of pets in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Visit the illustrator’s website.

Mommy Whispers is a children’s keepsake depicting the special relationship between a mother and her daughter throughout each stage of life and ultimately, the power of prayer and faith in God throughout it all.

Product Details:

List Price: $12.95
Paperback: 34 pages
Publisher: Isaac Publishing, Inc. (December 6, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1609200136
ISBN-13: 978-1609200138

ISLAND BREEZES

This is definitely a very special children’s book.  The illustrations are lovely, but it’s the whispers that are so special.

I never thought I would need that box of tissues for a children’s book.  Maybe it’s because I’m a mother.

AND NOW…

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old…or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

and the book:

A Cowboy’s Touch

Thomas Nelson (March 29, 2011)

***Special thanks to Audra Jennings, Senior Media Specialist, The B&B Media Group for sending me a review copy.***

Denise lives in Indiana with her husband Kevin and their three sons. In 1996, Denise began her first book, a Christian romance novel, writing while her children napped. Two years later it was published, and she’s been writing ever since. Her books often contain a strong romantic element, and her husband Kevin says he provides all her romantic material, but Denise insists a good imagination helps too!

Visit the author’s website.

Wade’s ranch home needs a woman’s touch. Abigail’s life needs a cowboy’s touch.

Four years ago, rodeo celebrity Wade Ryan gave up his identity to protect his daughter. Now, settled on a ranch in Big Sky Country, he lives in obscurity, his heart guarded by a high, thick fence.

Abigail Jones isn’t sure how she went from big-city columnist to small-town nanny, but her new charge is growing on her, to say nothing of her ruggedly handsome boss. Love blossoms between Abigail and Wade–despite her better judgment. Will the secrets she brought with her to Moose Creek, Montana separate her from the cowboy who finally captured her heart?

 

Product Details:

List Price: $14.99
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (March 29, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1595548017
ISBN-13: 978-1595548016

ISLAND BREEZES

A forced leave of absence for a summer in nowhere Montana babysitting an elderly aunt.  Not exactly what a workaholic would look forward to doing. 

This is a book of secrets which will keep you awake wondering how or even if Abigail and Wade will ever reveal to the other.  It seems as if there’s no way these two will ever get together, especially after the revealing of the secrets.

This tale of city girl meets handsome cowboy keeps the pages turning way past bedtime.  It won’t hurt to keep that box of tissues handy, especially towards the end.  You’ll need to sop up some of the heartbreak.

 

AND NOW…THE FIRST CHAPTER:

Beyond the screen’s glow, darkness washed the cubicles. Her computer hummed, and outside the office windows a screech of tires broke the relative stillness ofthe Chicago night.

She shuffled her note cards. The story had been long in coming, but it was finished now, all except the telling. She knew where she wanted to take it next.

Her fingers stirred into motion, dancing across the keys. This was her favorite part, exposingtruth to the world. Well, okay, not the world exactly, not with Viewpoint’s paltry circulation. But now, during the writing, it felt like the world.

Four paragraphs later, the office had shrunk away, and all that existed were the words on the monitor and her memory playing in full color on the screen of her mind.

Something dropped onto her desk with a sudden thud. Abigail’s hand flew to her heart, and her chair darted from her desk. She looked up at her boss’s frowning face, then shared a frown of her own. “You scared me.”

“And you’re scaring me. It’s after midnight, Abigail—what are you doing here?” Marilyn Jones’s hand settled on her hip.

The blast of adrenaline settled into Abigail’s bloodstream, though her heart was still in overdrive. “Being an ambitious staffer?”

“You mean an obsessive workaholic.”

“Something wrong with that?”

“What’s wrong is my twenty-eight-year-old daughter is working all hours on a Saturday night instead of dating an eligible bachelor like all the other single women her age.” Her mom tossed her head, but her short brown hair hardly budged. “You could’ve at least gone out with your sister and me. We had a good time.”

“I’m down to the wire.”

“You’ve been here every night for two weeks.” Her mother rolled up a chair and sank into it. “Your father always thought you’d be a schoolteacher, did I ever tell you that?”

“About a million times.” Abigail settled into the chair, rubbed the ache in her temple. Her heart was still recovering, but she wanted to return to her column. She was just getting to the good part.

“You had a doctor’s appointment yesterday,” Mom said. Abigail sighed hard.

“Whatever happened to doctor-patient confidentiality?”

“Goes out the window when the doctor is your sister. Come on, Abigail, this is your health. Reagan prescribed rest—R-E-S-T—and yet here you are.”

“A couple more days and the story will be put to bed.”

“And then there’ll be another story.”

“That’s what I do, Mother.”

“You’ve had a headache for weeks, and the fact that you made an appointment with your sister is proof you’re not feeling well.”

Abigail pulled her hand from her temple. “I’m fine.”

“That’s what your father said the week before he collapsed.”

Compassion and frustration warred inside Abigail. “He was sixty-two.” And his pork habit hadn’t helped matters. Thin didn’t necessarily mean healthy. She skimmed her own long legs, encased in her favorite jeans . . . exhibit A.

“I’ve been thinking you should go visit your great-aunt.” Abigail already had a story in the works, but maybe her mom had a lead on something else. “New York sounds interesting. What’s the assignment?”

“Rest and relaxation. And I’m not talking about your Aunt Eloise—as if you’d get any rest there—I’m talking about your Aunt Lucy.”

Abigail’s spirits dropped to the basement. “Aunt Lucy lives in Montana.” Where cattle outnumbered people. She felt for the familiar ring on her right hand and began twisting.

“She seems a bit . . . confused lately.”

Abigail recalled the birthday gifts her great-aunt had sent over the years, and her lips twitched. “Aunt Lucy has always been confused.”

“Someone needs to check on her. Her latest letter was full of comments about some girls who live with her, when I know perfectly well she lives alone. I think it may be time for assisted living or a retirement community.”

Abigail’s eyes flashed to the screen. A series of nonsensical letters showed where she’d stopped in alarm at her mother’s appearance. She hit the delete button. “Let’s invite her to Chicago for a few weeks.”

“She needs to be observed in her own surroundings. Besides, that woman hasn’t set foot on a plane since Uncle Murray passed, and I sure wouldn’t trust her to travel across the country alone. You know what happened when she came out for your father’s funeral.”

“Dad always said she had a bad sense of direction.”

“Nevertheless, I don’t have time to hunt her down in Canada again. Now, come on, Abigail, it makes perfect sense for you to go. You need a break, and Aunt Lucy was your father’s favorite relative. It’s our job to look after her now, and if she’s incapable of making coherent decisions, we need to help her.”

Abigail’s conscience tweaked her. She had a soft spot for Aunt Lucy, and her mom knew it. Still, that identity theft story called her name, and she had a reliable source who might or might not be willing to talk in a couple weeks.

“Reagan should do it. I’ll need the full month for my column, and we can’t afford to scrap it. Distribution is down enough as it is. Just last month you were concerned—”

Her mother stood abruptly, the chair reeling backward into the aisle. She walked as far as the next cubicle, then turned. “Hypertension is nothing to mess with, Abigail. You’re so . . . rest- less. You need a break—a chance to find some peace in your life.” She cleared her throat, then her face took on that I’ve-made-up- my-mind look. “Whether you go to your aunt’s or not, I’m insisting you take a leave of absence.”

There was no point arguing once her mother took that tone. She could always do research online—and she wouldn’t mind visiting a part of the country she’d never seen. “Fine. I’ll finish this story, then go out to Montana for a week or so.”

“Finish the story, yes. But your leave of absence will last three months.”

“Three months!”

“It may take that long to make a decision about Aunt Lucy.”

“What about my apartment?”

“Reagan will look after it. You’re hardly there anyway. You need a break, and Moose Creek is the perfect place.”

Moose Creek. “I’ll say. Sounds like nothing more than a traffic signal with a gas pump on the corner.”

“Don’t be silly. Moose Creek has no traffic signal. Abigail, you have become wholly obsessed with—”

“So I’m a hard worker . . .” She lifted her shoulders.

Her mom’s lips compressed into a hard line. “Wholly obsessed with your job. Look, you know I admire hard work, but it feels like you’re always chasing something and never quite catching it. I want you to find some contentment, for your health if nothing else. There’s more to life than investigative reporting.”

“I’m the Truthseeker, Mom. That’s who I am.” Her fist found home over her heart.

Her mother shouldered her purse, then zipped her light sweater, her movements irritatingly slow. She tugged down the ribbed hem and smoothed the material of her pants. “Three months, Abigail. Not a day less.”

Dan Walsh Returns With A Story of Love That Defies the Odds

“I’ve written you a note, inside the pouch,” John yelled. “Don’t read it…unless you hear word that I – that I did not…” Tears poured down his cheeks. He looked away. “John!” she screamed. “I must go back…”

 

Award-wining author Dan Walsh brings a powerful love story reminiscent of the Titanic to readers. The Deepest Waters (ISBN: 978-0-8007-1980-7, April 2011, $14.99) is a masterpiece of historical fiction set in 1857 when newlyweds John and Laura Foster set sail on the SS Vandervere for their honeymoon. Soon, their fairytale becomes a nightmare when a hurricane causes the ship to sink into the depths of the Atlantic. John and Laura are separated not knowing if they will ever see each other again.

Walsh was inspired to write The Deepest Waters by the true story of the sinking of a paddle-wheel steamship laden with gold from San Francisco, California. The SS Central America, bound for New York City ran into a hurricane which sealed her fate around September 11, 1857.

Walsh takes readers on a journey through troubled waters as they discover the treasure hidden in The Deepest Waters, a story full of action and suspense. Through the Fosters, Walsh creates an amazing love story about what happens when miracles do come true.

ISLAND BREEZES

Oh, man! I really didn’t want this book to end. I totally enjoyed Mr. Walsh’s first two books, but this was something special.

Being a former sea person, I’m always drawn to books related to the sea and sailing. This one definitely did not disappoint me.

You’ll find lots of surprises here – not all of them are pleasant, but most of them are. Be prepared to read this book in one sitting. I had only planned on reading a chapter or two, but got sucked up into the story and just couldn’t put the book down.

I wanted the book to go on and on. I’m very attached to all these people now. Please, Mr. Walsh. Please keep the story going. Please don’t tell me I have to let the Fosters and Micah’s family disappear from my life.

By the way, you all may need to keep that box of tissues handy for this one.

***Thanks to Donna Hausler for providing a review copy.***

Dan Walsh is the award-winning author of The Unfinished Gift, and The Homecoming. A member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Dan served as a pastor for 25 years. He lives with his family in the Daytona Beach area, where he’s busy researching and writing his next novel.

Revell,

a division of Baker Publishing Group, offers practical books that bring the Christian faith to everyday life.? They publish resources from a variety of well-known brands and authors, including their partnership with MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) and Hungry Planet.

For more information, visit

www.RevellBooks.com 

Available April 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

  Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Matthew 10:28-30

How Seven Timeless Principles Shaped the Life of the NCAA’s Most Winning Coach

A card with seven principles… a father’s encouragement to live up to them… Coach’s success with the principles… and how they can shape your life!

Join author Pat Williams (Senior Vice-President of the Orlando Magic) for a fresh look at the on and off-court success of John Wooden, one of collegiate basketball’s most revered coaches of all time. Much more than a book about sports, Coach Wooden shares the keys that transformed Wooden’s personal and professional life and can impact yours as well. Wooden led UCLA to ten NCAA national championships in a 12-year period – including seven in a row -a feat unmatched by any other college basketball coach. Within this period his team won 88 consecutive games and he was named National Coach of the Year six times. Yet for all his success, Wooden is remembered most fondly for his humility and strength of character by the players whom he coached; men like Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Bill Walton.

Williams discovered that the secret to Wooden’s success, both on and off the court, was rooted in the seven principles contained on a small card his father gave him the day he graduated from eighth grade. It was a simple creed he would in turn live out and teach to his students, players, friends, and family, leaving behind a legacy of a life well lived.

The small card, which Wooden kept in his wallet throughout his life, contained these seven principles from his father:

1. Be true to yourself – You must know who you are and be true to who you are going to be. 

2. Help others – Help others and don’t expect anything in return because it is the right thing to do.

3. Make friendship a fine art – Cultivate close, meaningful friendships.

4. Drink deeply from good books, especially the Bible – Be thirsty for the knowledge and wisdom that can be found only in good books.

5. Make each day your masterpiece – Make each day count and know you can never make up for a lost day.

6. Build a shelter against a rainy day by the life you live – You will never have to fear the storms of tomorrow.

7. Give thanks for your blessings and pray for guidance every day – An attitude of gratitude begins with a sense of humility.

 

With a foreword from former coach Tony Dungy, Coach Wooden offers a unique perspective on one of the winningest and most loved basketball coaches ever.

ISLAND BREEZES

I detest basketball. Really. I’m originally from the Hoosier state where a child has a basketball before he can even walk. Indiana lives and breathes basketball. Only two times did I ever manage to work up an interest in basketball and they were both school related. Once in high school when anyone who was anyone went to all the games and again in college. That was because Larry Bird, whose small hometown was near my small hometown, was playing for my college team.

That being said, I admire John Wooden, another person who started life in Indiana. I also admire Tony Dungy, who wrote the forward for this book. That’s why I read the book. I am so glad I did. This book is not about basketball. It’s about the admirable person of John Wooden.

This man didn’t just coach a super winning basketball team. He coached character. This is one terrific book about one terrific man. It will change your life.

***Review copy provided by Donna Hausler.***

For more information, visit

www.RevellBooks.com

Available February 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old…or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

and the book:

Get Healthy, for Heaven’s Sake

Harvest House Publishers; 1 edition (April 1, 2011)

***Special thanks to Christianne Debysingh and Aaron Dillon of Harvest House Publishersfor sending me a review copy.***

Lisa Morrone, PT, has helped thousands of patients and readers get free from physical and emotional pain. A speaker, physical therapist, and adjunct professor for doctoral programs in physical therapy, she has authored Overcoming Back and Neck Pain, Overcoming Overeating, and Diabetes. She graduated her university PT training magna cum laude and now practices in New York state, where she lives with her husband and two children.

Visit the author’s website.

An overall life plan for restoring readers’ energy and ability and helping them stay strong in usefulness throughout their lives. Morrone’s balanced, practical advice about weight loss, nutrition, posture, strength, flexibility, brain health, and rest fosters effective lifestyle changes that renew readers’ greater purpose of serving friends, family, and God.

Product Details:

List Price: $11.99
Paperback: 208 pages
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers; 1 edition (April 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0736927042
ISBN-13: 978-0736927048

ISLAND BREEZES

We pretty much already know that our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, and that we should take care of it.  Ms Morrone really opened my eyes to just what this means on a deeper level.

She touches on reasons for failure.  One of these is the fact that if your health goals are temporal (such as fit into your jeans or lower your cholesterol), your results will likely be temporary as you are relying on your own willpower.

After waking me up, she laid out a 7-step plan to renewing one’s health.

This is an exciting book.  I was involved in an auto accident in January, so I was particularly interested in the section on the 10 minute muscle makeover.  She reinforced what my physical therapist has been teaching me.

I also got excited about the chapter on keeping the brain healthy?  I mean, who really wants a long, physically healthy life if it means you have to muddle through with a brain which can’t keep up with the body?

AND NOW…THE FIRST CHAPTER:

Making the Most of God’s Gift of Life

Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise the Lord.

Psalm 102:18

It was the summer before I was to begin the fifth grade. On the very same day the world lost Elvis, the king of rock ’n’ roll, I lost my “second mother,” my Aunt Catherine, to breast cancer. She was only 52. And though that loss was devastating for me, God was true to His promise “to make all things work together for good, for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.” Within the very hour of my aunt’s death, my uncle—fresh in his grief—drew me into his arms and said, “Lisa, I want you to promise me that you will always take care of your body. Make sure you keep yourself healthy.”

At ten years old, I stood there stunned. Up to that point I had always assumed that sickness or disease was something that just “happened” to people. It had never occurred to me that humans had the power to positively (or negatively) influence their future health. Having watched my aunt suffer terribly throughout my childhood, and having seen how her longing to play a vital role in the Christian community went unrealized, I determined that, as far as it depended on me, I would walk a different road and make the necessary investments to ensure that I had a healthy future.

Investments of any kind are best realized when we use some forethought. As a rule of thumb, the sooner you begin investing, the better off you are in the future. For example, when it comes to finances, if you’re like me, you may feel frustrated with yourself for not having begun saving years earlier. Sooner or later it dawns on us that in order to achieve maximal return on our investments, we need to take advantage of the principle of compounding interest. In giving advice to those who’ve yet to begin investing, financial gurus always recommend that now is the best time to begin.

The same “compounding principle” holds true of your health. In order to achieve maximum returns, you must take care to invest in the wellness of your body today if you expect to reap great rewards tomorrow, next year, and in the years to come. The sooner you start, the more health you can have in the future, and the less disease and disability you will have to deal with.

Healthful changes implemented today will yield fabulous returns in this life—both short-term and long-term. For example, getting a good night’s sleep tonight will not only give you a better outlook tomorrow, but it will also help to prevent aging, improve brain function, and assist you in losing those stubborn extra pounds. Becoming proactive in your own health care is the very best way to preserve and protect your life. If you work at reversing the effects of neglect or abuse and then seek to maintain your physical well-being, you will be poised to do far more for the kingdom of God.

Investing in your wellness will yield great dividends for all eternity. One of God’s most precious blessings to us is the physical body we each have been given. The Bible tells us that we are the only part of God’s creation that was made in His image. Integral to His creation are our physical bodies, with which we worship and bring glory to Him through performing good works—or as my Southern girlfriends would say, “being Jesus with skin on.” With our bodies we serve the needs of other Christians and bring the gospel message to the unsaved. We’ve been created to bring God glory by using our physical strength.

Switching Plans

Before the introduction of sin into the world, the Bible tells us that these bodies of ours did not see decay. Amazing, huh? No wrinkle creams or walking canes were needed; no reading glasses or gray hair to deal with. As we age, however, we become all too aware that we aren’t the same today as we were last year—or the year before, for that matter. Disease and decay are part of Satan’s plan to destroy our bodies, one of God’s most precious creations. The systematic breakdown of a believer’s body effectively, and progressively, reduces his or her usefulness in serving Christ on this earth.

And you know what? From a strategic point of view, Satan has done well for himself. Today, the lifestyles of many of us have left us vulnerable to sickness and disability. At times we are even playing for the wrong side—helping Satan with his own game plan for our early demise. We’re abusing our bodies by overeating, not getting enough sleep, or by feeding our brains a steady diet of health-depleting
thoughts and food choices.

Well, this book presents a different plan, and it brings an entirely different outlook for your future! There is much that can be done to resist, reverse, and reconstruct the aging process. Getting older is irreversible—a result of the original sin—but the way in which we age, and the speed at which we deteriorate, are very much under our control. Because there’s a battle raging, a spiritual one, to participate fully we need to be ready, willing, and most important…able. Has the lifestyle you’ve chosen caused you to lay down your weapon of warfare (your physical body) on the couch to rest or on a doctor’s exam table? Isn’t it time to get up? You and I belong on the battlefield. It’s why we were created!

The Essential Components of Wellness

From the knowledge I’ve gained during my 20-plus years of patient care in the medical field (and my 40-some years of personal and spiritual life experience as a born-again believer), I see six essential components of wellness a person needs to pursue, restore, and maintain optimal physical health.

The first area to address is sleep—that is, the lack of it. Sleep is not simply downtime; it is repair and rejuvenation time for your body and your brain. Seventy-four percent of people report regularly getting less than seven hours of sleep per night, which places them (or you) at increased risk for early brain aging, muscle and joint breakdown—and even becoming overweight. (I’ll bet you never thought your weight problem could be related to your lack of sleep!)

The next two essential health components are the related issues of diet and nutrition. Two-thirds of our nation’s adult population is overweight or obese, and even though we don’t look like it from the outside, many are actually malnourished—living primarily on “empty calories.”

Most every common disease is somehow related to your food intake and weight distribution—so it is critically important that you know the best way to care for yourself in these areas.

The fourth and fifth areas address your body’s bone and muscle health, as these body parts are primarily responsible for moving you around in this life. Acquiring proper posture and possessing adequate strength and flexibility are crucial if you are to recover from, or avoid, many orthopedic-type physical disabilities, such as herniated discs, arthritis, and tendonitis.

Finally, you need to know how to maximize your brain health so you can guard against premature brain aging. I’m sure you want your mind to remain sharp and clear for as long as you live, just like I do. Research shows that brain deterioration actually begins after your thirtieth birthday!

According to studies conducted at Rush Medical Center in Chicago, roughly 50 percent of people who reach 85 will develop dementia. Yet here is the reason to have hope: There are many lifestyle changes you and I can make that are proven to support the health of our brains and positively impact our memory and ability to think analytically long into our golden years. Remember, Moses was 120 years old and he was still governing the nation of Israel. (And if you think that happened only in biblical times, my husband’s grandmother is still as sharp as a tack—and she’s 100.)

Making a Start

If we all could compare notes, we would find that each one of us struggles with different areas of our health—and to different degrees. Someone might need a simple tune-up, while another might require a major health overhaul. Many of you would admit that you could use some help in all six of these health components.

If you are in this latter group, determine not to become overwhelmed by trying to make adjustments in every area of your life all at the same time. To be successful over the long haul, you must view wellness as a journey, not a destination. And no one’s expecting you to turn into an Olympic athlete. Instead, this book is filled with straightforward, easy-to-apply health “nuggets,” which when put into practice, promise to make big changes in your health today, tomorrow, and throughout your lifetime.

In part 2 you’ll find these six wellness areas laid out smorgasbord style. This way you can pick and choose, digging in to the specific areas you wish to improve. As you make gains in one area, turn your attention to working on another component of your self–health care plan. And if an area where you’ve made progress begins to slide (as regular exercise does with me), simply begin again. Past failures do not predict future ones. Truthfully, failure can actually teach you what method doesn’t work for you. Let’s agree right here to not give up on our pursuit of better health!

Are you ready to invest in your future, my friend? Can you be described by the well-known phrase: “sick and tired of being sick and tired”? Or do you want to ensure that—as far as it depends on you—you’ll do everything you can to not become worn out as the years progress? If you are concerned that declining health, a depleted energy level, or a foggy brain might stand between you and what you believe God wants you to do, then take this invitation from me to rebuild and protect your health. I’ll be with you on the journey.

But before we get down to the actual business of rebuilding, let’s first get our firm foundation poured directly from Scripture. This way we can make sure our hearts, minds, and souls are rightly aligned with God’s will for our wellness.

Let’s Review

1. Investing in your wellness will yield great dividends not only in this life, but for all eternity.

2. We are called Christ’s ambassadors here on earth.

3. Yet the church has become indistinguishable from the world when it comes to obesity, disability, and disease-by-choice.

4. The systematic breakdown of a believer’s body effectively, and progressively, reduces his or her usefulness in serving as Christ on this earth.

5.There is much that you can do to resist, reverse, and reconstruct the aging process.

6. Past failures in improving your health do not predict future ones.

7. Are you ready to start taking better care of the wonderful gift God has given you—your body? If so…let’s go!

 

 I reprove and discipline those whom I love.  Be earnest, therefore, and repent. 

Listen!  I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me.

To the one who conquers I will give a place with me on my throne, just as I myself conquered and sat down with my Father on the throne.

Revelation 3:19-21

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old…or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

and

Kayla R. Woodhouse

and the book:

No Safe Haven

B&H Books (March 15, 2011)

***Special thanks to Julie Gwinn, Trade Book Marketing, B&H Publishing Group for sending me a review copy.***

Kimberley Woodhouse is a wife, mother, writer, and musician approaching life with a positive outlook despite difficult circumstances. Her previous book,Welcome Home: Our Family’s Journey to Extreme Joy, chronicles her daughter’s extremely rare health issues and how the Woodhouses received an amazing gift through the ABC television program Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

Kim and her husband have two children and live in Colorado.

Kayla Woodhouse is a teenage author whose life-altering medical condition (a nerve disorder that prevents the body from regulating its temperature or sensing pain) has not stopped her love for swimming. She is home schooled and has an adventure blog called Dragon Claws, Dog Paws, Swimming Laws.

Visit the Kim’s website.

Visit the Kayla’s blog.

A young widow and her physically challenged daughter survive a plane crash in the Alaskan mountains but must puzzle together how it relates to the recent death of their husband and father.

 

Product Details:

List Price: $14.99
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: B&H Books (March 15, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1433671166
ISBN-13: 978-1433671166

ISLAND BREEZES

I love these people.  I’ve cried with them.  I’ve smiled with them.  I’ve been scared with them.  I’ve been angry with them.

And they’ve taught me a lot about life in Alaska.

Dr. Fullerton’s visit was a needed break in the intense action.  That had me laughing out loud.

You’ll need that box of tissues before you finish this book.  As I got closer and closer to the end of the book, all I could think was, “Please don’t let this be the only book.”

It isn’t.  The next book to take us back into this special girl’s life will be Race Against Time.  Hopefully this talented mother and daughter are in a race with a deadline.  I really, really want to read that book now.

AND NOW…THE FIRST CHAPTER:

The plane dropped like a 3000 pound stone.

Jenna Tikaani-Gray braced herself with one hand, and held a warm, foam cup away from her body with the other as they jostled along. These pockets of air were turning the flight into a wild ride at the fair. Good thing she loved those rides almost as much as she loved flying, because they were dropping again. Down, then up, then down again, until the sky turned to silk and the plane sailed along.

At least the turbulence hadn’t spilled the coffee.

After a long, slow sip, Jenna released a sigh as their small de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver, left the bowl of Anchorage, Alaska, and lifted into the clear blue sky above. The mountains around Anchorage always produced a bumpy ride, but she’d managed to pass coffee to Hank and their other passenger without mishap.

Only one more leg of the journey and they’d be home.

A beautiful hand reached across the seat, welcoming her embrace, and she smiled at her twelve-year-old daughter, Andrea. Such a sweet kid. Jenna had definitely been blessed from above with her only child. Andrea had been through such trial and heartache, yet faced the world smiling.

Jenna squeezed her daughter’s hand as the radio buzzed and crackled.

“Juliet Kilo 3-2-6 November”–Departure Control came through the channel loud and clear.–“I’m getting no mode C on your transponder. Squawk 2-3-7-5 i-dent.”

Hank, the pilot, replied, “Roger. Juliet Kilo 3-2-6 November i-dent…”

“Negative radar contact. Maintain VFR. Do you have another transponder?”

“Roger. I’ll switch to backup.”

Jenna leaned over the side of her seat watching Hank flip the switch from transponder A to B. She waited for word from Departure Control.

“Still negative radar contact. Can you maintain VFR?”

“Roger that, Control. No problem.”

That was strange. How could both transponders be malfunctioning? She furrowed her brow. When they returned to North Pole, she’d have to get it checked out. Good thing Hank was an experienced pilot. Since Marc’s death, Jenna had hired him to pilot their plane, and knew he could handle whatever might happen.

Andie pulled on her arm, bringing Jenna’s attention from the cockpit back to her daughter.

“Mom?”

“Yeah, sweetie?”

“What does VFR mean?” Andie’s fascination was clear on her face.

Jenna felt the tension ease from her own features as she leaned close to Andie, a little thrill rippling through her body. How she loved talking about flying. “Visual Flight Rules. Hank filed an IFR flight plan—Instrument Flight Rules—but the transponders must be malfunctioning, so the tower is instructing him to fly VFR, meaning visually. If we didn’t have a clear day, that would make flying VFR trickier, sometimes impossible.”

“Is it safe to fly VFR?”

Andie must have noted her reaction earlier. Jenna had never been good at hiding things from her inquisitive child.

Jenna noticed the other passenger glance back at them from his seat next to the pilot, and she held back a frown. The rough flight could explain the man’s lack of a smile, but what caused the fierce look he shot them? Jenna cocked her head, questioning the man with her silent stare. A poke from Andie brought her back to the question.

“Yes, sweetie. It’s perfectly safe.”

“Just checkin’.” Andie giggled, squeezed Jenna’s hand, and turned to look out the tiny window next to her seat.

The man watched Jenna as she faced forward once again. Something in his intense gaze pulled at her, but she couldn’t discern what. She’d been so excited about going home that she hadn’t paid attention when they were introduced. His first name was . . . Cole? Ugh. Good job remembering the details, Jenna. Marc had taught her better than that.

Well, whether she could remember his name or not, something about this guy bothered her. She just couldn’t put her finger on what.

Forcing herself to break the connection, she slid her chin left and tried to focus on the scenery beneath them. Greens and blues melded with the white of melting snow. This was her favorite part of flying. Watching the beauty of God’s handiwork skim below her.

The two men up front spoke in hushed tones, bringing her attention back to their puzzling guest. Hank approached her before the flight asking if they could take another passenger, and she didn’t mind since the added income would be to her benefit. But who was this guy? And why, if he were just another tourist, was he so serious?

Closing her eyes, Jenna attempted to dispel her concerns. Think about the amazing news from Andie’s neurosurgeon instead. The results were far beyond her expectations, and for the first time in many years Jenna allowed herself to dream big for her precious child. So much tragedy and hurt could now be replaced with hope. The future was brighter than ever.

Instinctively, she reached for the dog tags around her neck. If only Marc could’ve been there. He’d been distraught when, as a toddler, their daughter was first diagnosed. But the additional diagnosis two years ago just about broke the man. He’d never quite recovered, and his demeanor had forever changed. The once crazy adventurer—a man full of life and laughter—closed himself behind a stone wall of protection.

She’d fought long and hard to penetrate his defenses, but taking care of Andie had become their focus, taken all their energy. When their daughter went in for brain surgery a year ago, the walls between them finally fell as they cried and held one another in the surgical waiting room. But Jenna never had the chance to discover what drove her husband to such emotional extremes. The accident happened before Andie was released from the hospital.

Opening her eyes, she blinked back the tears threatening to spill down her cheeks. Stop it! This is no time for tears. It’s a happy day.

They would move on from here.

She turned to gaze out the window. How long had she been lost in her memories? And, for that matter…where were they? Leaning closer to the glass, she searched for familiar landmarks. The scenery wasn’t right.

Before she could open her mouth to speak to Hank, brisk movement in the cockpit drew her attention to the two men up front. Seeing a tangle of arms shoved her heart into her throat.

Hank was fighting the passenger!

The man grabbed Hank’s arm and—a gun! Hank had a gun!

Before Jenna could move, Hank jerked his arm free, took aim, and shot the radio. Glancing at Andie, she ripped open her seatbelt. Her daughter’s eyes widened and her mouth hung open as Jenna yanked the belt off her and shoved her over the seat toward the rear of the plane. She climbed after her frightened child, signaling her to crouch in the floor. As Jenna hunched over her sweet daughter, she hugged her tight, whispering calming words in an attempt to shield her from the horror of the scene unfolding in front of them.

The plane plunged and veered to the west.

Heart thundering, Jenna monitored the scuffle through a crack between the seats and prayed for wisdom and safety. What was happening? And why? Arms wrestled and tangled—the passenger pushed upward, almost hovering over the pilot. What if he killed Hank?

As the plane teetered and shuddered, Jenna felt the panic rise in her throat. Surely God wasn’t going to let Andie die, not after all she’d survived already.

The man rammed a fist into the pilot’s face. Though Hank tried to fight back, he soon crumpled under the intense blows. Hank wore an evil smirk as he croaked out the awful words: “You’ll…never make…it…alive…”

The same fear that stole her breath rushed into the passenger’s face. What did Hank mean? Was it a threat to the passenger? Or to them all?

Determination stretched taut over the man’s rugged features as he threw Hank to the floor behind him, and climbed into the pilot’s seat. “Tie his hands!” He tossed a small cord to Jenna.

He fought to level off the plane, then glanced back in her direction. His breaths were ragged and his eyes bore a glassy sheen. He looked different… unfocused. Dare she depend on him? After Hank’s words, Jenna wasn’t sure about anything. It was all happening too fast.

Grabbing Andie, she hauled herself back over the seat and fumbled with the cording. It was a good thing Hank was unconscious, as her knots needed work. She darted a glance toward the cockpit, and decided to strap Hank back in. Their landing could be really rough if this guy didn’t know what he was doing, and she wanted their former pilot to be in decent condition to go to jail.

“Leave him!” Even though his upper lip was sweaty and he looked slightly green, his glare could burn a hole through steel. “You two buckle up!” He turned back to the controls.

Minutes passed.

Jenna bowed her head in prayer.

“This may be bumpy, I don’t know…what they did to…your plane…” The man’s words grew more and more slurred. “I’m not feeling…so… hhhoo…”

In a matter of seconds, he slid down his seat and slumped over the yoke, arms limp at his sides.

Time stood still. She could hear her lungs taking in air, watched Andie’s eyes widen in fear, felt the plane dive forward, but Jenna couldn’t move. God, Help me! Spare my daughter, please Lord!

Andie screamed. “Mom!”

In a split-second, Jenna’s survival instinct kicked in. Bolting up, she grabbed Andie. “It’s going to be okay, baby.” She slid a hand down Andie’s cheek. “I need you to help me move this guy, and then I want you to grab Hank’s headset and buckle up in the co-pilot’s seat. Can you do that?”

Without waiting for an answer, she squeezed Andie’s shoulder and climbed over seats into the cockpit. Adrenaline pumped pure strength through Jenna’s veins as she moved the bulk of the man who had tried to save them.

Or kill them.

She shook her head and shoved his solid, muscled frame over the seat. Jenna motioned for Andie to help strap him into another seat. Hank was sprawled, with his legs at an odd angle, but she had bigger concerns at the moment. Like landing the plane.

Andie grabbed Hank’s headset, dashed back to the front, and climbed into the seat next to her. .

Jenna took a deep breath and turned to the controls as Andie buckled in. She looked through the windshield–and gasped.

Denali—“the high one”—the tallest mountain in North America, loomed before her. They shouldn’t be anywhere near the Alaska Range, and yet here they were—flying straight into the South Face.

“Your seatbelt, Mom!”

Jenna’s hands gripped the yoke tighter. No time for a seatbelt. She needed control of this plane.

“Mom!”

“It’s okay, honey. Calm down.”

“But, Mom…” Andie gripped the headset. “Can you save us?”

Two weeks of flight ground school and one lesson didn’t quite give Jenna the know-how she needed to get out of this alive. “I’m gonna try, Sweetie.” Oh, God! Show me what to do!

Pulling up on the yoke, she tried to level out the small aircraft. “Honey, I need you to set those four dials on the radio controls to 1-2-1-5. That’s the emergency frequency. 1-2-1-5. Okay?”

Andie nodded and didn’t hesitate to obey. The kid had been through brain surgery and a lifetime dealing with a rare physical condition. Her hands shook as she sucked in a deep breath and started turning the knobs. “Okay, Mom.” Nervous blue eyes met hers as she handed over the headset. “It’s set.”

Slamming the headset onto her head, Jenna winced. Careful. Breathe. Andie’s relying on you. “Mayday! Mayday! Juliet Kilo 3-2-6 November needs emergency assistance. We have no pilot aboard capable of flying this plane. Mayday! Mayday!”

Crackling, hissing, static, and then silence.

“Mayday, mayday! Juliet Kilo 3-2-6 November requesting emergency assistance!”

Nothing.

Andie’s sweet voice filled the cabin as reality set in. “Mom, the radio’s dead. Hank shot it. Why would he do that, Mom?” Tears quietly streamed down her daughter’s face.

“Baby, I don’t know, but I have to try to land this plane. Put your head between your knees right now and cover your head with your arms.”

Her brave little trooper obeyed, and Jenna prayed for guidance. Taking a firm grip on the yoke, she tried to turn the plane. The rudder barely responded. Something was wrong with the ailerons. What had she forgotten?

Okay, Jenna, think. Cut your descent. Flaps down. What else can I do? Oh, God, help me remember! Help me think. There was no avoiding it: they were going to crash. She needed to strap herself in. Fumbling with one hand made it all the more difficult. “Andie, help me with the buckle.”

She had to steer away from Denali. Sultana stood to her left, towering in all her glory. If she could just get close to Kahiltna glacier, she might be able to land there. But they were too high on the mountain. She’d have to find a different place and soon. With all her might, she worked the yoke to turn west, but the mountain face rushed toward her at a terrifying pace.

Not much time left.

Lifting the nose up, she prayed for the snow to be deep enough to cushion their landing. It was all she could do. The plane barely responded to her attempts to turn it, and they raced toward the steep mountain side.

With one last cry for help, Jenna lurched as the plane dove toward the side of the mountain. Letting go of the yoke, she flung her arms over her daughter’s body inhaling Andie’s sweet scent: Citrus shampoo and a sweetness all her daughter. But she couldn’t tear her eyes away from the scene.

Metal crunched. Glass shattered and peppered her arms. The plane creaked and groaned as they impacted Sultana’s unyielding side. The sound of screaming metal surrounded them, and Jenna knew. The mountain had ripped the wings from the fuselage. Her breaths seemed hours apart as the plane pummeled the snow-packed earth underneath them.

Another desperate prayer formed in her mind—only to be blotted out when everything went from the brilliant white of the snow to deep black.

ANDIE

What’s that?

Air crossed my face like someone breathing beside me. Then something rustled next to my hand.

Wind. I feel wind. My thoughts began to clear. Why would I feel the wind inside an airplane? Memories flooded my head and chills raced up my spine. Something wasn’t right. I tried to shake off the foreboding, but the slight movement sent piercing pain screaming through my head.

Ow! Okay, that’s weird. I wasn’t used to feeling pain.

I placed a hand on my head and put slight pressure to it. Slowly, I opened my eyes.

Oh! Bright light. Wiggling within the tight confines of my seatbelt, I just about conked my head on some sort of thingy hanging in the air above me. Everything was a blur and I felt like I was spinning. Why am I spinning? The sun shone bright, and I rubbed my eyes. The spinning stopped.

Weird.

The seat belt straps were cutting off the circulation on my shoulders and squeezing the living daylights out of my stomach. I fumbled with the straps and wrestled with the buckles. Finally, I managed to unlatch them—and fell, landing on my shoulder.

Ow.

I was on the ceiling of the plane. Hanging . . . upside down? No wonder my head hurt. I was just glad I didn’t land on it.

I rubbed the sides of my head to try and clear my fuzzy mind, then climbed on my hands and knees through a hole that at one time must have been the windshield. Moving only made my dizziness worse.

“Ouchy!” My head started to hurt. Really hurt. What was the weird, zinging pain? Wait…pain? Fear swirled through me like a hurricane. The last time I felt pain, they told me I needed brain surgery. Tears slid down my icy cheeks before I could stop them. Lord, please no! No. No. Not again, God I can’t handle this, it’s too much.

Panic bubbled up inside of me. Stumbling, forcing one foot in front of the other, I kept going. I wiped away the tiny droplets feeling grit and dirt covering my face. I looked down at my upturned palms. They were covered in dirt—

And blood.

Lots of blood.

Oh, great. Spots danced in front of my eyes as the dizziness overwhelmed me.

And then there was nothing.

The stinging on the back of my head made my eyes pop open. The sky loomed above me, and if I hadn’t known better I would have said it looked threatening. How long was I out? The pain was still there, but at least my brain wasn’t so fuzzy.

Ok, Andrea, do something. Those words seemed to help me push myself to a sitting position. I took deep breaths to calm the shaking that had taken over my body. One more breath, then I reached my left hand back under my long black hair to touch the scar on the back of my neck to see if it was intact. The familiar bumpy groove greeted my fingers. I pulled my hand back with a sigh, but avoided looking at it. I didn’t feel the stickiness of blood…well, not on that hand. That must mean no blood or wounds were on my scar. But my sticky right hand haunted me, as if something fierce–like a giant, abominable snowman–lay on top of the blood, waiting to gobble me up.

The fainting happens every time. I hate blood!

Ok, Andie, just don’t think about it.

My surroundings came into focus. Snow, more snow, boulders, glass, the airplane… Uh-oh. The airplane. Hadn’t I been in the airplane? Or had I dreamed that? I glanced around—then wished I hadn’t.

Some sort of big, metal part was smashed against a rock face and the tail-rudder-thingamabob had completely fallen off and lay on the other side of the crash. There was no sign of the wings and the windshield was shattered in a million pieces that lay sparkling on the snow as they reflected the sun’s light. And lying in the middle of it all . . .

Mom!

I ran over to her. She was under one of the wings. Well, partly under one of the wings, covered in blood. Lots of blood. All over her legs. Her jacket was torn and had blood on it too.

“Mom! You have to wake up, Mom!” I shook her shoulder in an attempt to wake her. It didn’t work.

The blood… I pulled in air, then looked away before I threw up, and almost passed out again. That’s when I saw the man who fought Hank.

More blood.

Again, I jerked away, my stomach churning. Too much. Too much fear. Too much loneliness. Too much blood. I couldn’t do it. Walking away, I trudged through the snow, and sat—well more accurately, fell—on the ground. Tears spilled down my now soggy face, quickly turning to ice and sparkling on the snow as a scratchy voice inside my head said the most awful truth.

They’re dead. You’re all alone.

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old…or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

and the book:

God’s Healing Words: Your pocket guide of Scriptures and prayers for health, healing, and recovery

Siloam (March 1, 2011)

***Special thanks to Anna Coelho Silva | Publicity Coordinator, Charisma House | Charisma Media for sending me a review copy.***

With more than four million books sold, Siloam is the undisputed leader in Christian health publishing with over two hundred published books. The combined experience of Siloam’s authors represents more than three hundred years of experience, research, and wealth of knowledge. Now we are pleased to offer you this inspirational book on healing.

This insightful little book provides you with what the Bible has to say about healing, allowing you to meditate on healing scriptures, and then pray for yourself and your loved ones to receive the precious promise of healing God has given us in the Bible.

Product Details:

List Price: $14.99
Hardcover: 160 pages
Publisher: Siloam (March 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 9781616381554
ISBN-13: 978-1616381554
ASIN: 1616381558

ISLAND BREEZES

This little book is a winner.  It’s a good size to carry in your purse.  Most importantly, it’s a book that I will refer back to over and over. 

This book takes a holistic approach to healing.  It has verses from God’s Word to cover all aspects of life.  Not only that, I seem to see a little something more every time I sit down to read it. 

Consider reading this book many times so that you might hide it’s words in your heart.

AND NOW…THE FIRST CHAPTER:

—Exodus 15:26

The three-year-old girl was asked by the reporter to tell him her father’s name. She looked bewildered, grasped her father’s hand more tightly, and then replied softly, “Daddy.” Her father—a five-star army general and highly decorated, powerfully influential man—smiled tenderly at his daughter upon hearing her response. To her young mind, he was not a man in her life with auspicious titles, honors, or even a first and last name. He was only a very special person she called “Daddy.” In that title resided all she needed in her young life: love, provision, protection, fun, security, and comfort. To others he might be “General” or “Sir”; to this little girl he was simply “Daddy.” What’s in a name? According to Webster’s dictionary, a name is a “designated distinction of a person or thing.” It describes the character, quality, status, location, and significance of whatever it is attached to. Names of persons in biblical cultures had much greater significance of meaning than they do in our modern culture. They reflected an aspect of the nature of the person. Often a child was named “prophetically” according to a defining characteristic, divine destiny, or a significant event surrounding his or her birth.

The better we know Jesus, the more we are convinced of the magnitude of His redemption! We have done nothing to deserve it, and we can do nothing to repay Him for it. [His redemption] was born in Love, cradled in Mercy, and imparted in Grace. It covers body, soul, and spirit! It touches every part of man. It permeates his will. It transforms his nature. It converts his disposition. So wonderful is it in its operation that not in doctrine, but in actuality, we are made new creations in Christ Jesus! —Charles S. Price

For example, Jacob, which means “supplanter or cheat,”2 characterized the deceitful nature of this son of Isaac who stole the birthright from his brother and tricked his father into giving him the patriarchal blessing that belonged to his twin. God changed Jacob’s name to Israel (“God rules” or “a prince of God”) after Jacob’s redemptive encounter with God.

A son of Phinehas the priest was born when the ark of the covenant was being stolen from backslidden Israel in their defeat at the hands of their enemies. The ark was the habitation for the glory of God’s presence to live among them. So his mother named the baby Ichabod, which means “no glory.” His name characterized the tragic event that occurred at the time of his birth.

Joseph was a follower of Christ whom the apostles nicknamed Barnabas, which means “son of encouragement or consolation” (Acts 4:36). He sold a field he owned and brought the money to the apostles for those in need (v. 37). And he was the first to befriend Saul of Tarsus (later called Paul) when the other apostles were afraid of him.

Barnabas defended Saul and helped convince the churches that he had truly been converted and was no longer a danger to believers. Barnabas’s life reflected the meaning of his name; he was known for encouraging and consoling those in need.

In that same way, God reveals His character by the names He designates to Himself. His predominant name is Jehovah, which occurs more than six thousand times in the Bible.4 Jehovah signifies one supreme God and Lord, the one true God, the “existing One.”

When God told Moses to deliver Israel from Egypt, He instructed Moses to tell the people, “I AM has sent me to you” (Exod. 3:14). To our minds, “I AM” begs for a qualifier, a limiting description to follow the present tense of the “to be” verb: I am . . . what? Without that qualifier, we must understand that God has no limits; He is supreme over all—Creator, God, Lord, ruler of the universe, and a thousand other “qualifiers”

that reveal to us His character and nature.

Awesome is the only word that describes this great, infinite, all-powerful Lord God, Jehovah. As finite creatures we feel insignificant and powerless before such infinite greatness. Though God is the great I AM, without limitations, it may seem astounding that He prefers to be known to us as “Daddy.”

This revelation of God as our Father is the greatest insight we can receive into the nature of the loving heart of God. His entire premise for creating mankind, according to the Scriptures, was to have a family—sons and daughters who would learn to know Him as “Abba Father”:

For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.

—Romans 8:15–16, kjv

What caring parent does not suffer when they see their child in pain, sick, or distressed? Many have said they would rather be enduring what their child is enduring than to see their little one suffer. How much more does love Himself (“God is love”—1 John 4:8) suffer when He sees one of His children in distress? It stands to reason that the I AM would have a solution to the misery of His children. He desires to fill our hearts with His joy.

One of those wonderful qualifiers of I AM that God gave to His people Israel is Jehovah Rapha, which means “I am the Lord who heals you” (Exod. 15:26). Rapha’ means “to heal” in a broad sense and can refer to being the physician of men literally, as He meant it here when He first revealed His healing nature. It also refers to healing individual distresses, hurts of nations, restored favor, healing bitter waters, and any other situation that requires restoration to wholeness.

F. F. Bosworth explains the significance of the healing name of God: “Jehovah-Rapha is the name given to reveal to us our redemptive privilege of being healed. This privilege is purchased by the Atonement. . . . This is as sacred and binding on every church today as the ordinances of the Lord’s Supper and Christian baptism. Jehovah-Rapha is one of His redemptive names, sealing the covenant of healing.”7 Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God. —Corrie ten Boom 8 You cannot divorce God from His names and expect to know the living God, the I AM. He is who He says He is, or He is not God. And God never changes. This principle of His unchangeableness repudiates any false claim that He is one kind of God in the Old Testament and another in the New Testament.

Rather, we understand that God’s unfolding revelation of His person, character, and nature were partially revealed in the Old Testament. God’s nature was revealed perfectly through His Son, Jesus, in the New Testament. Jesus taught His disciples that He came to reveal the Father. He said, “If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!” (John 14:7).

We can only conclude that since the time God revealed Himself to Israel as Jehovah Rapha—“the Lord that heals”— He has continued to be the healer to His children. He has not changed His name. Jesus confirmed that fact by performing wonderful miracles of healing when He walked on the earth.

As our loving heavenly Father, God offers us His very nature, the divine attribute of His healing love. He cannot change His character. He declared through His prophet, “God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not a human, so he does not change his mind” (Num. 23:19). Today God says to you, “I AM Jehovah Rapha—the Lord, your healer.”

Smith Wigglesworth, world-renowned British evangelist known for his powerful healing ministry, is credited with raising at least fourteen people from the dead. He and his wife founded a mission in the poor part of town and reached out to needy people all their lives. Wigglesworth’s ministry took him to many nations, where the blind would see, the deaf were healed, people came out of wheelchairs, and cancers were destroyed.

As a believer, you will receive your ultimate healing in the context of being prepared as a bride adorned for her husband (Rev. 21:2). You will be fully satisfied with the greatest intimacy with your blessed Savior that is possible. —James P. Gills, MD

Wigglesworth, known as the apostle of faith, placed all his faith in the power of the name of Jesus. In his book, Smith Wigglesworth on Healing, he tells the story of a church leader who was very ill; he was bedfast and too weak to walk. The minister sent for friends to come and pray “the prayer of faith” for him (James 5:14–15). They came and anointed him with oil according to the scriptural pattern, but nothing happened. When they left, sadly, their leader’s condition was unchanged.

Once outside, one of the six said, “There is one thing we could have done. I wish you would all go back with me and try it.” They all went back and began to whisper the name of Jesus over this clergyman. At first, nothing seemed to happen. But as they continued to whisper “Jesus,” they saw that God was beginning to work. In a few minutes, the man rose from his bed and dressed himself, completely healed. Their faith grasped the power in His name. Smith Wigglesworth exclaimed, “Oh, if people would only appreciate the power in this name, there is no telling what would happen.”

As you rejoice in the fact that healing is available in the name of God and that His desire to heal is reflected in His very nature, you can live life as a recipient of God’s covenant of healing.

Principles for Your Healing

[God’s name, Jehovah Rapha, reveals His identity as the God who heals:] I am the Lord who heals you.

—Exodus 15:26

God is not a man, so he does not lie.

—Numbers 23:19

The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.

—Proverbs 18:10, kjv

Sing praises to God and to his name! Sing loud praises to him who rides the clouds. His name is the Lord—rejoice in his presence!

—Psalm 68:4

Promises for Your Healing

I am the Lord [Jehovah], and I do not change.

—Malachi 3:6

You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!

—John 14:13–14

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

—Hebrews 13:8

Prayers for Your Healing

You are my refuge, O God, and I rejoice in You. I will sing joyful praises to You forever. Protect me, so that I will be filled with joy. I will love Your name forever!

—From Psalm 5:11

Have compassion on me, Lord, for I am weak. Heal me, Lord, for my body is in agony. I am sick at heart. How long, O Lord, until You restore me? Return, O Lord, and rescue me. Save me because of Your unfailing love. Lord, for I am weak. Heal me, Lord, for my

body is in agony. I am sick at heart. How long, O Lord, until You restore me? Return, O Lord, and rescue me. Save me because of Your unfailing love.

—Psalm 6:2–4

Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but I will remember the name of the Lord my God. Save me, Lord: let the king hear me when I call.

—From Psalm 20:7, 9

Blessed be the name of the Lord forever and ever. Who can be compared with the Lord my God who is enthroned on high? He lifts the poor from the dirt and the needy from the garbage dump.

—From Psalm 113:2, 5, 7

Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!

—Mark 10:47

Praise for Your Healing

The Lord reigns, let the peoples tremble; He is enthroned above the cherubim, let the earth shake! The Lord is great in Zion, and He is exalted above all the peoples. Let them praise Your great and awesome name; holy is He!

—Psalm 99:1–3, nas

I give you thanks, O Lord, with all my heart; I will sing your praises before the gods. I bow before your holy Temple as I worship. I will praise your name for your unfailing love and faithfulness, for your promises are backed by all the honor of your name.

—Psalm 138:1–2

  Knox Blox were a big thing when my kids were young.  You just know that picking up Jello with your fingers is fun.  I had two recipes – one that used the unflavored gelatin and fruit juice and one that used the unflavored gelatin with fruit flavored gelatin.  I usually made the latter because it was always easier because I always had the needed ingredients on hand.

I’m not sure why I’ve been thinking about Knox Blox lately.  Maybe I’m in my second childhood.    Anyway, I’ve decided to make some in the morning.  In the mean time, I’ll share the recipe with you.  If you or your children haven’t experienced them, then jump in and make some with me.

KNOX BLOX

• 4 envelopes Knox unflavored gelatin
• 3 pkg (4 serving size) fruit flavor gelatin (can be sugar free)
• 4 cups boiling water

In large bowl mix unflavored gelatin with flavored gelatin; add boiling water and stir until completely dissolved.  Pour into 13″ x 9″ baking pan and chill until firm.  To serve, cut into 1-inch squares.  Makes 9 dozen Blox.