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!
***Special thanks to Ginger Chen, Marketing Assistant, Harvest House Publishers for sending me a review copy.***
ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
Jerry Eicher’s bestselling Amish fiction (more than 210,000 in combined sales) includes The Adams County Trilogy, the Hannah’s Heart books, and the Little Valley Series. After a traditional Amish childhood, Jerry taught for two terms in Amish and Mennonite schools in Ohio and Illinois. Since then he’s been involved in church renewal, preaching, and teaching Bible studies.
Tina Eicher was born and married in the Amish faith, surrounded by a mother and sisters who were great Amish cooks. At fellowship meals and family gatherings, Tina’s dishes receive high praise and usually return empty. She and her husband, Jerry Eicher, author of several bestselling Amish fiction titles, are the parents of four children and live in Virginia.
Visit the author’s website.
SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:
Jerry Eicher’s many devoted fans will be enthralled by this endearing novel in letters based on Jerry’s letters to and from his future wife, Tina, and their discovery that, indeed, absence does make the heart grow fonder.
When Eugene Mast leaves his Amish community in Worthington, Indiana, to teach in faraway Kalona, Iowa, he also must leave the love of his life, Naomi Miller.
For the next nine months of the school term, Eugene and Naomi keep their romance alive through love letters from his heart to hers, and from hers back to his.
Eugene writes of his concern that in his absence Naomi may find the attractions of another suitor to her liking. Naomi worries that Eugene may fall prey to the “liberal” Mennonite beliefs in the community where he now lives. Both can hardly wait until the school year is up and they’re finally reunited.
A poignant and tender love story that will warm the hearts of readers everywhere.
Product Details:
List Price: $12.99
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers (July 1, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0736939423
ISBN-13: 978-0736939423
ISLAND BREEZES
These are the kind of letters a woman in love wants to receive. They are not the flowery, romantic drivel that seems to abound. They are straight from the heart and filled with love, as are the reactions of Naomi and Eugene to them.
This beautiful love story is based on actual letters sent by the authors while they were separated for a season. It touches the heart.
AND NOW…THE FIRST CHAPTER:
Naomi Miller stood beside the buggy, the corner of the front wheel inches from her side. Eugene Mast’s fingers were wrapped around hers. She looked up at him, the shadows from the moonlight hiding his blue eyes, leaving only the sides of his face visible.
“Do you really have to go?” Naomi whispered.
“Yah,” Eugene said. “It’s something I need to do. But I’ll be back before you know it, and things will be like they always were.”
“Nine months is an awfully long time.”
“Yah, but Da Hah will be with us. He will help us bear the pain of absence. And we are promised, you know.”
“But what will Bishop Enos say about this? We are both members of the church.” Naomi’s hands shifted in his. “What if there is trouble?”
Eugene laughed. “I don’t think there will be trouble. Bishop Enos knows I have no plans to forsake the church.”
“Even though you are running off to Iowa to teach at a Mennonite church school? It’s a terribly long way from Indiana.”
Eugene leaned forward, kissing her cheek. “I will write often, and that will help with the loneliness.”
Naomi pulled away. “Will you miss me? Perhaps a little?”
Eugene laughed again, causing his horse to turn his head to look at him. “I will miss you terribly, Naomi. I just believe this has to be done. If I don’t take the chance now, I’ll always look back and wonder.”
She sighed. “But it’s so dangerous out there. And the Mennonites can put all kinds of ideas in your head. Then you’ll never come back.”
He shook his head. “Please, Naomi, don’t make this harder than it is. I’ll come back. I promise.” He glanced at the envelope she had given him earlier. “Thank you for the card. I’m going to save it to open when I get to Iowa.”
“Okay. I think you’d better go,” she said. “I can’t stand this much longer.”
“I’m not much at goodbyes anyway,” he said. “I will always love you, Naomi. Goodbye…for now.”
“Goodbye,” she said, stepping back as Eugene climbed into the buggy. He slapped the reins against his horse’s back, waving once on the turnaround in the lane, his hand a brief movement from the dark interior. Watching the buggy lights move down the road and fade out of sight, Naomi stared long into the darkness. She then turned to walk back toward the house, pausing to look over her shoulder once more.
AUGUST
Monday evening, August 30
My dearest Naomi,
Greetings from Iowa. This finds me installed in the upstairs bedroom of my new home. The time was a little past eleven o’clock the last I looked. We pulled into the driveway of this little farm around nine, but I couldn’t see much in the darkness. We were met at the front porch by Lonnie and Luella Hershberger, the older Mennonite couple I’m staying with. The school board members who brought me out said their goodbyes and drove off in their van. I was shown around the house by Lonnie and Luella. After the tour, we ended up in the living room talking.
They seem like very nice people even though I’ve only just met them. Their house is a white bungalow with everything inside neatly arranged and in order. The kitchen is by the front door, with the living room in the back. I’m in the front bedroom, upstairs, overlooking the lawn. They said I could see the schoolhouse from my bedroom window, but it’s dark right now.
I feel strange and a little frightened to be out here alone. I’m missing you, of course, and the community. This awful sensation is wrapped around me, as if all the familiar props are knocked out from under me. In the meantime, I have to act as if everything is okay and be full of smiles. I can imagine right now you’re saying “I told you so,” but then maybe not, being the nice person you are.
I can’t thank you enough for the card you gave me before I left. It means so much to me. If I didn’t have your love to fall back on, I don’t think I could stand it right now. I know part of my problem is that I’m just so dead tired I could fall off the chair. The trip was long and more tiresome than I expected.
I suppose I’d better be off to bed. I won’t even start unpacking tonight. The suitcase is still open on the floor with only the things taken out that I need immediately. And that’s good enough for now.
Tuesday morning…
Good morning. I awoke to Luella hollering up the stairs. We had decided last night she would be my alarm clock since I didn’t bring one along. There is an electric alarm clock sitting on the desk, but I told Luella I didn’t know how to run one. And I sure wasn’t going to take the time to figure it out last night. She laughed and said hollering would be the Amish method anyway, and that it should make me feel right at home.
I smiled and said yah, but I didn’t mention that any reminder of home causes more pain than comfort right now.
I came downstairs to a breakfast of eggs and bacon, which I ate quickly. Then I stepped outside for a look around. The weather is nice, and I can indeed see the schoolhouse down the road. It’s a large, white, wooden structure with tall windows on the side. There’s a bell tower on top, placed toward the front. There’s a single tree in the yard.
Back upstairs, I started to unpack until I saw your second card. That brought a halt to the unpacking for a while. Who would have thought being away from you would be this hard?
As of now, the plans are that I will take the rest of the week to settle in at the schoolhouse. They only have a half-day scheduled for school on the first day, Friday. Then no school on Monday, since it’s Labor Day. Beats me how I’m supposed to keep myself occupied all that time with so little work to do.
The chairman of the school board told me the teacher who taught last year will be at the schoolhouse today by 10:00. She will give me details on the lesson plans and other pointers she might have on how to do things around here. I’ve been told it shouldn’t be that different from the year I taught at our Amish school, but I shall see.
While I think to mention it, I forgot to give you the other dove from my farewell cake at our families’ going-away supper. Somewhere in all the goodbyes it slipped my mind. I have the one, and you were supposed to get its mate. My sisters have it now and are supposed to pass it on to you. Hopefully we can match them up when the school year is over.
Luella said the mailman goes past at quarter till nine, so I’d better get this letter out. Here’s my address and a little rhyme. I know it’s not much, but it lets you know how much I’m missing you.
In her powerful new book, Linda Evans Shepherd explains how to reach out to God and ask for a miracle. She shows how God’s miracles may not come packaged in the ways we would expect, but they do come in ways that will transform our lives. This book will be a comfort to those who struggle with faith yet still dare to believe that God cares. Through solid biblical teaching and real-life stories of answered prayer, Shepherd walks with readers on a journey to renewed hope and the assurance that God still works miracles.
Hurting people want a God who is big enough to rescue them from heartache and circumstances beyond imagination. But even if they believe that such a God exists, they may have no idea how to approach him, much less how to ask him for the impossible. Shepherd will help those struggling with feelings of hopelessness to ask for a miracle from God who truly loves and cares for us.
ISLAND BREEZES
I believe all the miracles in the Bible happened. I also believe that miracles still happen today. Just not to me.
This book has changed that. I now believe that miracles can be part of my life.
I was a little late receiving this book, so have not completely finished reading it. As I continue to read through this book, I’ve become a believer.
I know God can and will work miracles in my life.
How exciting is that!
***A special thank you to Donna Hausler for providing a review copy.***
Linda Evans Shepherd is the author of over thirty books including When You Don’t Know What to Pray: How to Talk to God about Anything and When You Can’t Find God: How to Ignite the Power of His Presence, and the co-author of the popular series the Potluck Club and the Potluck Catering Club. Linda is an international speaker and media personality and is the creator of RightToTheHeart.tv and appears as a frequent host of Daystar’s Denver Celebration.
She’s the leader of the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association and president of the nonprofit ministry Right to the Heart, which has seen over 500,000 people come to faith. She’s married and has two children. To learn more about Linda, her speaking, and her ministries, see VisitLinda.com.
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.
Available July 2012 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!
***Special thanks to Ginger Chen, Marketing Assistant, Harvest House Publishers for sending me a review copy.***
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Vannetta Chapman has published more than 100 articles in Christian family magazines. She discovered her love for the Amish while researching her grandfather’s birthplace in Albion, Pennsylvania. Vannetta is a multi-award-winning member of Romance Writers of America. She was a teacher for 15 years and currently resides in the Texas Hill country. Her first two inspirational novels—A Simple Amish Christmas and Falling to Pieces—were Christian Book Distributors bestsellers.
Visit the author’s website.
SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:
Amish schoolteacher Miriam King loves her students. At 26, she hasn’t yet met anyone who can convince her to give up the Plain school at Pebble Creek. Then newcomer Gabriel Yoder steps into her life, bringing his daughter, an air of mystery, and challenges Miriam has never faced before.
Product Details:
List Price: $13.99
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers (July 1, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0736946128
ISBN-13: 978-0736946124
ISLAND BREEZES
And they say females talk too much. One little lady didn’t. She didn’t talk at all.
Her new school teacher didn’t think that fact should be ignored, but Grace’s father didn’t want anyone to try to force speech upon her.
So, the school teacher and the father clashed. It took a near tragedy to change that.
Will Miriam and Gabe come to terms with what’s best for Grace? Will they figure out what’s best for them all? It looks as if they’re going to have to make some compromises. AND NOW…THE FIRST CHAPTER:
Pebble Creek, southwestern Wisconsin
Three years later
Miriam King glanced over the schoolroom with satisfaction.
Lessons chalked on the board.
Pencils sharpened and in the cup.
Tablets, erasers, and chalk sat on each desk.
Even the woodstove was cooperating this morning. Thank the Lord for Efram Hochstetler, who stopped by early Mondays on his way to work and started the fire. If not for him, the inside of the windows would be covered with ice when she stepped in the room.
Now, where was Esther?
As if Miriam’s thoughts could produce the girl, the back door to the schoolhouse opened and Esther burst through, bringing with her a flurry of snowflakes and a gust of the cold December wind. Her blonde hair was tucked neatly into her kapp, and the winter morning had colored her cheeks a bright red.
Esther wore a light-gray dress with a dark apron covering it. At five and a half feet and weighing no more than a hundred and twenty pounds, Miriam often had the unsettling feeling of looking into a mirror—a mirror into the past—when she looked at the young woman who taught with her at the one-room schoolhouse.
In truth, the teachers had often been mistaken for family. They were similar in temperament as well as appearance. Other than their hair, Esther could have been Miriam’s younger sister. Esther’s was the color of ripe wheat, while Miriam’s was black as coal.
Why did that so often surprise both Plain people and Englischers? If Miriam’s black hair wasn’t completely covered by her kapp, she received the oddest stares.
“Am I late?” Esther’s shoes echoed against the wooden floor as she hurried toward the front of the room. Pulling off her coat, scarf, and gloves, she dropped them on her desk.
“No, but nearly.”
“I told Joseph we had no time to check on his cattle, but he insisted.”
“Worried about the gate again?”
“Ya. I told him they wouldn’t work it loose, but he said—”
“Cows are stupid.” They uttered the words at the same time, both mimicking Joseph’s serious voice, and then broke into laughter. The laughter eased the tension from Esther’s near tardiness and set the morning back on an even keel.
“Joseph has all the makings of a fine husband and a gut provider,” Miriam said. “Once you’re married, you’ll be glad he’s so careful about the animals.”
“Ya, but when we’re married I won’t be having to leave in time to make it to school.” Esther’s cheeks reddened a bit more as she seemed to realize how the words must sound.
Why did everyone think Miriam was embarrassed that she still remained unmarried? Did it never occur to them that it was her own choice to be single?
“Efram had the room nice and warm before I even arrived,” she said gently. “And I put out your tablets.”
“Wunderbaar. I’ll write my lessons on the board, and we’ll be ready.” As Esther reached to pull chalk from her desk drawer, Miriam noticed that she froze and then stood up straighter. When she reached up and touched her kapp as if to make sure she was presentable, Miriam realized someone else was in the room.
She turned to see who had surprised the younger teacher. It was still a few minutes before classes were due to start, and few of their students arrived early.
Standing in the doorway to the schoolroom was an Amish man. Pebble Creek was a small community, technically a part of the village of Cashton. Old-timers and Plain folk alike still referred to the area where the creek went through by its historic name.
Miriam was quite sure she’d never seen the man standing in her classroom before. He was extremely tall, and she had the absurd notion he’d taken his hat off to fit through their entryway. Even standing beneath the door arch, waiting for them to speak, he seemed to barely fit. He was thin and sported a long beard, indicating he was married.
In addition to clutching his black hat, he wore a heavy winter coat, though not the type worn by most Wisconsin residents. The tops of his shoulders, his arms, and even parts of his beard were covered with snow. More important than how he looked standing in her classroom was the fact that he held the hand of a small girl.
“Gudemariye,” Miriam said, stepping forward and moving past her desk.
The man still didn’t speak, but as she drew closer, he bent and said something to the girl.
When Miriam had halved the distance between them, he returned her greeting as his somber brown eyes assessed her.
The young girl next to him had dark-brown hair like her father. It had been combed neatly and pulled back into a braid, all tucked inside her kapp. What was striking about her wasn’t her hair or her traditional Plain clothing—it was her eyes. She had the most solemn, beautiful brown eyes Miriam had ever seen on a child.
They seemed to take in everything.
Miriam noticed she clutched her father’s hand tightly with one hand and held a lunch box with the other.
“I’m the teacher of the younger grades here, grades one through four. My name is Miriam King.” The girl’s eyes widened, and the father nodded again. “Esther Schrocks teaches grades five through eight.”
He looked to the girl to see if she understood, but neither replied.
“And your daughter is—”
“Grace is eight years old, just this summer.” Almost as an afterthought, he added, “I’m Gabriel Miller.”
“Pleased to meet you.” Miriam offered her best smile, which still did not seem to put the father at ease. She’d seen nervous parents before, and obviously this was one. “You must be new to our community.”
“Ya. I purchased the place on Dawson Road.”
“Dawson Road? Do you mean the Kline farm?”
“Ya.” Not quite rude, but curt and to the point.
Miriam tried to hide any concern she felt as images of Kline’s dilapidated spread popped into her mind. It was no business of hers where this family chose to live. “I know exactly where you mean. My parents live a few miles past that.”
“It’s a fair piece from here,” he noted.
“That it is. Esther and I live here at the schoolhouse during the week. The district built accommodations on the floor above, as is the custom in most of our schoolhouses here in Wisconsin. We both spend weekends at home with our families.”
“I don’t know I’ll be able to bring Grace in every day.” Gabriel Miller reached up and ran his finger under the collar of his shirt, which peeked through the gap at the top of his coat.
Miriam noticed then that it looked stiff and freshly laundered. Had he put on his Sunday best to bring his daughter to school on her first day? It said something about him if he had.
“A man has to put his farm first,” he added defensively.
“Some children live close enough that their parents can bring them in the winter, and, of course, most everyone walks when the weather permits.” Miriam paused to smile in greeting as a few students began arriving and walking around them. “Others ride together. Eli Stutzman lives past Dawson road, and he would be happy to give your dochder a ride to school.”
“It would be a help.” Mr. Miller still didn’t move, and Miriam waited, wondering what else the man needed to say.
She looked up and saw one of the older girls, Hannah, walking in the door. “Hannah, this is Grace Miller. She’s new at our school. Would you mind sitting with her and helping her this week?”
“Sure thing, Miriam.” Hannah squatted down to Grace’s level and said something to the girl Miriam couldn’t hear.
Whatever it was, Grace released her dat’s hand and took Hannah’s. She’d walked halfway down the aisle when she turned, rushed back to where they stood, and threw her arms around her father’s legs.
One squeeze and she was gone again.
Though it was fleeting, Miriam saw a look of anguish pass over the man’s face. What could be going through his mind? She’d seen many fathers leave their children for the first time over the last eight years, but something more was going on here.
“She’ll be fine, Mr. Miller. We’re a small school, and the children look after one another.”
“It’s that…” he twirled his hat in his hands once, twice, three times. “Before we moved here, Grace was…that is to say, we…well, her grossmammihomeschooled her.”
“I understand. How about if I write a note letting you know how Grace is doing? I’ll put it in her lunch box at the end of the day.”
Something like relief washed over his face.
“Danki,” he mumbled. Then he rammed his hat on his head and hurried out the door.
Esther caught her attention from the front of the room and sent a questioning look toward the man’s retreating back, but Miriam shook her head. She’d explain later, at lunch perhaps. For now they had nearly forty children between them to teach. As usual, it would be a busy morning.
Gabe did stop to talk to Eli Stutzman. He wanted to make sure he trusted the man.
It helped when three girls and a boy who were the last to climb out of the long buggy stopped to wish their father a good day. The littlest girl, probably the same age as his Gracie, wrapped her arms around her daddy’s neck, whispered something in his ear, and then tumbled down the steps into the chilly morning.
“That one is my youngest—Sadie. Always full of energy, but she’s a worrier. This morning it’s about a pup she left at home in the barn.” Covering the distance between them, the older man removed his glove and offered his right hand. “Name’s Eli Stutzman. I take it you’re new here, which must mean you bought the Kline place.”
“I am, and I did. Gabriel Miller.” Gabe stood still in the cold, wishing he could be done with this and back on his farm.
“Have children in the school?”
“One, a girl—about your youngest one’s age.”
Eli nodded, and then he seemed to choose his words carefully. “I suspect you’ll be busy putting your place in order. It will be no problem giving your dochder a ride back and forth each day.”
“I would appreciate it.”
Stutzman told him the approximate time he passed the Kline place, and Gabe promised he’d have Gracie ready at the end of the lane.
He turned to go and was headed to his own buggy when the man called out to him.
“The Kline place has been empty quite a while.”
Gabe didn’t answer. Instead, he glanced out at the surrounding fields, covered in snow and desolate looking on this Monday morning.
“If you need help, or find something that’s worse than what you expected, you holler. We help each other in Pebble Creek.”
Gabe ran his hand along the back of his neck but didn’t answer. Merely nodding, he moved on to his buggy.
He was accustomed to people offering help. Actually delivering on it? That was often another story, though he wouldn’t be judging the people here before he knew them.
Still, it was in his nature to do things on his own if at all possible.
Was his new home worse than he had expected?
Ya, it was much worse.
The barn was falling in on itself, and the house was not a lot better, but he knew carpentry. He could make them right. At least the woodstove worked. He’d been somewhat surprised to find no gas refrigerator, but he had found out who sold blocks of ice carved from the river. The icebox in the mudroom would do.
Gracie would be warm and fed. She’d have a safe place to sleep and to do the drawing she loved so much.
He didn’t think he’d be calling on Eli for help.
He’d see that Grace Ann made it to school and church—he’d promised her grossmammisas much. But other than that he wasn’t looking to make freinden in Pebble Creek. He wanted to be left alone. It was the reason he’d left their community in Indiana.
He could do without any help.
His parting words to his parents echoed back to him.
“I can do it on my own.”
As he drove the buggy toward home, Gabe looked out over high ridges and low valleys. Dairy farms dotted the snowcapped view. Running through it all was Pebble Creek, no doubt a prime place for trout fishing most of the year. He’d heard the call of wild turkeys and seen deer. It was a rich, blessed area.
Pebble Creek ran through the heart of Cashton, the closest town. It also touched the border of the school grounds and meandered through his own property. It bound them together.
As he approached home, Gabe’s mind was filled with thoughts of the day’s work ahead of him. He wondered where he’d find the energy to do it all, but somehow he would.
For Gracie he would.
His parents had offered to send his youngest brother along for the first year, but Andrew was needed on the family place. And, truthfully, Gabe preferred to be alone—just he and Grace.
“I can do it on my own.”
“Just because you candoesn’t mean you should,” his mother said. She had reminded him as he was packing their things that pride was his worst shortcoming, though the Lord knew he had many to choose from when it came to faults.
Was it pride that scraped against his heart each day? He couldn’t say.
He only knew he preferred solitude to company, especially since Hope died.
Hope.
That seemed ironic, even to him. She had been his hope, his life, his all, and now she was gone. Her death had happened so quickly—it reminded him of one of the Englisch freight trains barreling around the corner of some bend.
A big black iron thing he hadn’t seen coming. A monstrosity with the power to destroy his life.
Which wasn’t what the bishop had said, or his parents, or his brothers and sisters.
He slapped the reins and allowed his new horse, Chance, to move a bit faster over the snow-covered road. He’d left Indiana because he needed to be free of the looks of sympathy, the well-intentioned words, the interfering.
So he now had what he’d wished for—a new beginning with Grace.
If it meant days of backbreaking work, so much the better. Perhaps when he was exhausted, he would begin to sleep at night.
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!
***Special thanks to Cathy Hickling, Whitaker House Press/Publicity for sending me a review copy.***
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Larry and Tiz Huch are founding pastors of DFW New Beginnings, a vibrant multi-cultural church in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. For over 30 years the Huchs have shared the message that God is good and His love has the power to transform, regardless of one’s past, through preaching, speaking, teaching, books, podcasts, and their weekly television outreach, New Beginnings, which airs worldwide via the Daystar TV Network. The Huchs have three children – all active in ministry—and three grandchildren.
God designed the family to be nurturing and empowering havens, but few can find time to share meals, let alone be the family God intends. In Releasing Family Blessings, Larry and Tiz Huch offer a biblical model for the family, examples from their own marriage, and wisdom gleaned from over years of counseling couples. Written in a “he said/she said” format, the Huchs candidly disclose conflicts that began for them day one as self-proclaimed “stubborn and sinful newlyweds.” Also covered are “15 Habits of Happy Couples,” how to develop positive and purposeful parenting skills, and how to transform one’s house into a haven of God’s peace.
Product Details:
List Price: $14.99
Paperback: 48 pages
Publisher: Whitaker House (July 2, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1603745548
ISBN-13: 978-1603745543
ISLAND BREEZES
This book isn’t just for parents. It’s for all married people. This is a “he said, she said” book, so one gets the viewpoint of both sides.
Larry and Tiz will help you see the plan that God has worked out for your life and your marriage, as well as help yor release the blessings.
AND NOW…THE FIRST CHAPTER:
WHAT THE LORD HAS DONE FOR US, HE WILL DO FOR YOU!
What greater thing is there for two human souls than to feel that they are joined for life—to strengthen each other in all labor, to rest on each other in all sorrow, to minister to each other in all pain, to be one with each other in silent, unspeakable memories?
—George Eliot
He said:
Tiz and I just celebrated our thirty-fifth wedding anniversary, praise God, and in our years of marriage and ministry together, we have learned a thing or two. Our relationship started out on a rough and rocky road, but, by the grace of God, as well as through our own personal growth, we learned how to build a strong marriage and a solid family. Today, we are happier than we have ever could have hoped to be, we’re enjoying life more than ever before, and our ministry is more fruitful than it has ever been. We also know that our best days are still ahead of us!
We share these things not to flaunt or brag, but to encourage you—what the Lord has done for us and our family, He will do for you, too! And we’re committed to helping that happen. For years, we have counseled couples and taught on breaking generational curses and releasing family blessings. We have seen hundreds of thousands of lives changed, marriages saved, and families helped and made whole by the power of God. That’s why we’re excited about this book—it’s a way to show countless more couples and families how to break the curse and unleash the blessing! Our intent is not to fill your head with teachings but to fill your heart with hope and faith that you, too, can transform your life, your marriage, and your family. Our hope is that you will view our experiences as a bridge over the rocky places of past mistakes and onto the smoothly paved Promised Land of God’s covenant blessings.
Worldly Advice Versus Biblical Wisdom
She said:
I know that most people want to be happy; to have the best marriages possible; and to raise happy, healthy children who rise up and call them blessed. Those who aren’t married yet probably hope to have a happy marriage someday. And these are some of the wonderful things God has in store for us! Yet we live in a world that gives us all kinds of alternative options. Some people say, “I have the right to do this or that,” or “I’m living in liberty. I’m just going to do what feels good.” The Bible says that there is a way that seems right to man, but it ends in destruction. (See Proverbs 14:12.) Unfortunately, secular values and worldly “morals” have bled over into the Christian faith, to a large degree. We rarely hear about anyone desiring to stay on the path, even in church. I don’t know about you, but if someone can save me from a lot of heartache, I want to hear what he has to say. I want to learn from those who have done it right and found success.
Now, Larry and I won’t claim to be experts in the realms of marriage and family. We have a great marriage and a wonderful family, true, but only because of the One who designed marriage in the first place. Our relationship is truly a living testament to the power of God. Sometimes, I just have to sit down and take a deep breath when I think about where God has brought Larry and me. We’ve proven that He can take two independent, stubborn, angry, messy people, bring them together in marriage, and create a beautiful relationship out of it. God has taken the traumas we’ve been through and turned them into a sense of compassion for others—a desire to see them through the same problems.
Even though Larry and I became Christians around the same time, our testimonies were completely unique, and our backgrounds could not have been more divergent. When we came together and tried to reconcile our differences, the process was often less than peaceful. We needed to practice forgiveness and learn some new methods of conflict resolution. In Larry’s family, “conflict resolution” was achieved through big brawls—whoever emerged with the least amount of blood on him was dubbed the victor. By contrast, in my family, we would talk things out and compromise, but whoever didn’t get his way would walk away with an attitude—one that lingered. Which is worse: a bloody brawl or a long-lingering attitude? Which one wreaks more destruction? I’m not even sure. They’re about even, in my estimation. When we got married, Larry and I both had to learn better methods—God’s methods—of resolving our differences, so that we could become one.
In addition, the Christian fellowship that we were a part of emphasized the sacrifice of self and of family for the sake of the ministry, and it took years for Larry and me to learn to put each other first. Thirty-five years later, we’re still learning how to do that. Even when we’ve been married to our soul mate for years and years, the process of two becoming one never quite ends. It’s a lifelong journey. On the path of marriage, husband and wife will either move further and further apart or move closer and closer together until they are one unit—indistinguishable from each other. The latter concept is how God intended marriage to be.
Basically, the only reason we can speak so boldly about building great marriages—the reason we can claim God’s ability to turn things around—is because we have experienced it ourselves. God has taken the traumas we’ve been through and turned them into a sense of compassion for others—a desire to see them through the same problems.
Blessings Come When We Follow God’s Plan
In order to bless us in every area, including our marriage, God has worked out a plan for us—a path that leads us to success in all aspects of life, including our relationships with our spouses. And His plan does not consist in a bunch of dos and don’ts. It’s a bunch of “get to’s” and “want to’s.” His plan, which is laid out in the Bible through the law, is really a path that leads us on the shortest route to the highest level of blessings possible. The law is meant to signify the pathway to all goodness and blessings.
When I first accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior and became a Christian, I didn’t just decide to act differently. In my heart, God gave me a whole new set of “want to’s.” And that’s what we want to develop in our children—a desire and a heart to do what’s right, so that, when they’re older, they will do it on their own. When Larry and I first became Christians, we came out of the world and stopped acting as we had because something changed on the inside. Our desires had been transformed. Instead of denying ourselves the things we had formerly desired, we started saying, “I don’t want to do that anymore, God. I want all that You have for me, instead.” This is why, if we’re going to raise our children God’s way and follow His plan for our families, we must have the living Spirit of God in our homes.
When we say no to God and say yes to junk, we’re only hurting ourselves and shortchanging our own futures. God loves us immeasurably, and He wants only the best for us. He accepts us the way we are, but—praise God!—He loves us too much to leave us that way. How many of us became perfect the day we said yes to the Lord and accepted Him into our hearts? How many of us have been perfect in the days since then? I’m not talking about perfection. I’m talking about saying, “You know what, Lord? I blew it. I made a mistake. I gave in to temptation. But I want to move forward. I’m not going to make excuses any longer. I’m going to change, through the power of Your total restoration.”
Again, the reason Larry and I are so open about the challenges that we faced early in our marriage, with anger and fighting and immaturity, is that we want you to understand that what God did for us, He’ll do for you, too! He is a good God who changes us from glory to glory. Larry and I weren’t perfect back then, and we’re still far from perfect today. But we see where we want to go, and we’re determined to move continually in that direction.
Blessings Come When We’re Willing to Change
Jesus said that we can’t put new wine in old wineskins, or they will burst. (See Matthew 9:17.) When we give our hearts to the Lord, we become new creations. The old person is gone; a new person has been born. (See 2 Corinthians 5:17.) And we continue to grow by renewing our minds through the Word of God, day by day.
Paul sums it up well in Romans 12:2: “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect” (nlt).
The same process must occur in a marriage relationship. When we give our hearts to our spouse, the old person is gone, making way for the birth, or formation, of a new “person”—a new couple. When husband and wife renew their minds together, their relationship grows and evolves so that it resembles more and more closely the relationship of Christ to His bride, the church. (See, for example, Ephesians 5:25–27.)
God’s will for us—His plans and purposes for our lives—are always good! He loves us with an infinite, never-ending love, and He wants the absolute best for us. We can trust Him with our eternity, and we can trust Him with our lives while we are on this earth!
Larry and I really do strive to build relationship and our family according to the Word of God. We know and we teach that the Lord is never pointing a finger of accusation at us but is always reaching out a hand to help us. If we will develop a sensitive, repentant heart and merely say, “I admit that I blew it. Forgive me, Lord, for being angry and crabby. Please make me a better person tomorrow, and please renew my mind so that I became more and more like You,” it makes a big difference.
Yet, some people just want to dig their heels in and say, “This is the way I am, and nobody’s going to change me.” The Word of God does a great job of getting past the symptoms and getting to the cause. The Bible says that the Word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword (see Hebrews 4:12), and it never fails to get in there and pull out the crud that interferes with our lives and adversely affects the people around us and put us on the right path—the fast track to success and fulfillment. Isn’t that good news?
Repentance is not the same as confession. Repentance is like a soul shower. I was raised in the Catholic Church. At my weekly confession, I would say, “Forgive me, Lord, for I have sinned,” and then—guess what?—I would spend the week doing the same things, only to confess them again the following week. But true salvation and repentance are different. You’re not just saying, “Forgive me, Lord, for doing such and such.” You’re saying, “Forgive me, Lord, and cleanse my soul. Change me, Lord, so that I don’t go back and do the same things again. From this moment forward, I commit never to go back there again. Please give me Your strength and Your equipping to be strong and committed to moving forward into all that You have for me.”
The God we serve answers prayers like that. His anointing, or the smearing of His abilities, is not just for Sunday mornings. His anointing goes with us out the church doors and into the world. He smears us with His abilities so that, no matter the temptations and difficulties we face, His moral compass will guide us in the right direction. His strength will enable us to do the right thing and to walk it out. And this is what we want to teach to our children. It’s the Master plan, straight from the Mastermind.
A Resource for All Walks of Life
He said:
You may be a newlywed wondering how to start your marriage out on the right path. You may have been married for some time, and you desire to go from good to great. You may be in a marriage that is struggling, and you don’t know how to get past the challenges you’re facing. You may have gone through a painful divorce and are wondering if there is hope for your future. You may be facing seemingly insurmountable conflicts with your spouse or with your children. Your family might be in need of a minor tune-up or a major overhaul. Or, you may have a wonderful marriage and family, but you know others who still need some help. You may be a parent searching for a way to raise your kids in the “training and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4)—whether they’re six or sixteen.
Regardless of your situation, it’s never too early to get your family going down the right path, nor is it ever too late to steer them back to that path. Our God is a God of hope, restoration, and second chances! Somebody once said that the church is like a body shop, with various wrecks in various stages of repair. Our God is in the business of taking every “wreck” of a life and completely renewing and restoring it! As He does this work in our lives, He is never pointing a finger of accusation at us. He is always reaching out a hand to help us!
No matter who you are, where you’ve been, what stage of life you’re in, or how daunting the challenges you’re facing, believe me when I say that God has a new beginning for you! With God’s help and a little coaching from Tiz and me, what might have seemed impossible is now within reach.
Get Ready for an Incredible Journey!
She said:
The object of this book is to lead you on the exciting journey of life. Whether you are single, married, divorced, or widowed—and whether or not you have children—God has established a pattern for your life, and He wants to use you to extend His mercy, grace, and healing throughout the world. It’s a lofty charge, but you’re up to the challenge!
Again, the key is to go step-by-step. Together, we will see the burdens and challenges dissolve and disappear as the blessings of God multiply in your life and family! What the Lord has done for us and for so many others, He wants to do for you. Remember that “nothing is impossible with God” (Luke 1:37 niv)! Place your trust in Him as you step onto the path toward bringing in blessings and being a blessing. Whatever the enemy may have stolen from you, God is going to multiply back to you, in an exponentially greater amount. Your best days are still ahead of you!
Points to Ponder and Apply
God is the Author of everything, including marriage, and He set out a plan for success in His Word, the Holy Bible.
When we enter into marriage, we are to become a “new creation”—two individuals who are at the same time one unit.
The key to improving your marriage and family is to move one step at a time. Practice patience as God does a great work in you!
Provocative New Book Suggests Living with Less is the Secret to Having More
The American way of life pushes people to constantly strive for more–more money, more stuff, more clout. Consumerism has taken over our culture. But how much is enough? And how do we know when we have too much of a good thing? How should Christians respond to the ever-present push to buy more? In this provocative, paradigm-shifting book, Will Davis Jr. challenges readers to discover the peace that comes through contentment with what we have and compassion for those in need.
Through surprising statistics, scriptural insight and real-life stories, Enough: Finding More by Living with Less encourages readers to examine their lifestyles and reevaluate what they truly need to live happy, spiritually-fulfilled lives.?Davis shares his own journey to be content with less – less stuff, less money and unfortunately, less pizza. What he, his family and his church discovered is a deeper, fuller life that isn’t bogged down by material possessions.
“Your purpose in life isn’t to make money,” writes Davis. “If you limit your life’s purpose to acquiring wealth or living comfortably, then you’ll never have enough, and you’ll never be satisfied.”
Davis isn’t asking readers to take a vow of poverty, but to consider the Bible’s promise to those who willingly choose to live with less. “The Bible says you’ll be richer if you scale back what you have. It says your life will be fuller. You’ll have less stress, more time for the things that matter, the potential for better relationships and more joy. Bottom line: in the language of our culture, you’ll be happier.”
Davis is the founding pastor of Austin Christian Fellowship in Austin, Texas, which has increased their giving from one percent to 30 percent in the past six years with a goal of giving away 50 percent of their income. The staff practices vision-based budgeting where the staff prays about their vision of their respective ministries, and they budget accordingly. For a church with a multimillion-dollar budget, they rarely have more than $100,000 in the bank, and often it’s significantly less.
ISLAND BREEZES
I’ve been yearning for a simpler lifestyle, but have been foundering when it comes to attaining it. A little over a year ago I decided to get rid of at least one thing every day.
Do you know how easily that can go from six books to one empty vitamin bottle just so I could say I got rid of something that day?
I don’t want to live with all this stuff in my house, but didn’t really have a clue as to how to separate myself from it.
That’s where this book come in. It all boils down to changing my thought processes. God has been using this book to open my eyes. When I really looked around what I thought was my enough, it turned out to be much more than enough.
Now I’m seeing ways to bless others with stuff I thought I needed. I just keep seeing more and more ways to turn all this stuff to enough rather than more than enough. Heading towards this simpler lifestyle is so freeing. It’s bringing much more peace into my life.
Do yourself a favor and use this book to find out what really is enough.
***A special thank you to Donna Hausler for providing a book for review.***
Will Davis Jr. is the author of?Pray Big,?Pray Big for Your Marriage,?Pray Big for Your Child,?Why Faith Makes Sense and?10 Things Jesus Never Said. He is the founding and senior pastor of Austin Christian Fellowship, a nondenominational church in Austin, Texas. He An avid hiker, mountain-biker and water-skier, Davis and his wife, Susie, have three children and live in Austin, Texas. For more information about Will and his blog, visit http://willdavisjr.com and follow him at @willdavisjr.
Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, offers practical books for everyday life.? For more information, visit www.RevellBooks.com.
Available July 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
Bestselling author Ann Gabhart, most known for her critically acclaimed Shaker fiction, pours her personal experience and story-telling ability into The Gifted (July 2012). Set in 1849 Kentucky, this stand-alone novel follows Jessamine Brady who loves her Shaker brothers and sisters, but longs for life and love in the outside world.
Jessamine has been in the Shaker Village for half her life, but in spite of how she loves her sisters there, she struggles to conform to the strict rules. Instead she entertains dreams of the world outside. When Tristan Cooper seems to step out of those dreams to entice her into the forbidden realm beyond the Shaker Village, her life turns upside down. Will Jessamine be able to survive the storms of the world? Or will she retreat back to the peace of Harmony Hill?
The thousands of loyal fans of Gabhart’s Shaker novels will love this entrancing story of learning to trust the gifts God gives us and let him guide us through life.
ISLAND BREEZES
I always enjoy Ann H. Gabhart’s Shaker books , and this one is no exception. These books just seem to gt better and better.
Jessamine really tries, but she just doesn’t fit the mold. She became part of the Shaker community as a young girl, and just don’t let go of the memories of her life outside.
Her gift with words and the creating of stories just doesn’t belong as part of a Shaker’s life, but it’s part of who she is.
When she finds an injured young man in the woods, she manages to get him back to the Shakers who tend his injuries. At the same time she becomes drawn to him and through him, the outside world.
Through a quirk of fate, Jessamine is thrown into that outside world. She encounters difficulties conforming to that world. In the end she must decide to remain or return to the Shakers as she watches the man she loves commit himself to another.
Get those tissues ready.
***A special thanks to Donna Hausler for providing a review copy.***
Ann H. Gabhart?is the bestselling author of several novels, including?Angel Sister,?The Outsider,?The Believer,?The Seeker and?The Blessed. She lives with her husband a mile from where she was born in Kentucky.
Available July 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
Saloma at About Amish is giving away a copy of her book, Why I Left the Amish, and one of her husband David’s handcrafted bookmarks. You have a choice of woods, and they’re all beautiful.
The drawing will be on Thursday, July 12. Hurry on over.