Reading, Writing & Pondering

  The Timeless Truths Bible from Thomas Nelson is a Bible founded on the unchanging truth of the Word of God. This Bible is designed to encourage Christians throughout the whole Bible with devotional notes and commentary from theologians and pastors through all the ages until now. This Bible has notes in the margins from notable figures throughout church history including Augustine, Martin Luther, Matthew Henry, John Wesley and C. H. Spurgeon. I really like these notes in the margins as they add to the text. I also like that there is wide margin space to write my own notes. The Timeless Truths Bible also includes many key creeds and confessions including: The Apostle's Creed, The Nicene Creed, The Augsburg Confession, The Heidelberg Confession and much more. There is also full-color artwork with explanation of who did the work in the back of the Bible. I like having all of this included with the Bible text. The text of The Timeless Truths Bible is easy to read. It is a 9-point comf...

  Have you ever read an epistolary novel? Do you know what that is? I confess that I didn't know what it was until I looked it up but I have read a couple of them before this book. Authentically, Izzy by Pepper Basham is primarily told through a series of emails, text messages and the like.  Isabelle Louisa Edgewood (Izzy for short) came to live with her Aunt and cousins as a young girl after her parents died in a plane crash. Izzy and her family live in a small town where she works at the library and spends spare time reading and dreaming of owning her own bookstore. Brodie Sutherland is part of a family that owns bookstores in the faraway land of Skymar. He is a quiet man who also enjoys reading in his free time. Josephine, Penelope and Luke are Izzy's cousins that are more like siblings. The oldest is Josephine and she has taken it upon herself to sign Izzy up for an on-line dating service. Brodie also signs up for the service and the two begin corresponding.  I don't ...

The Irish Matchmaker by Jennifer Deibel is the fourth Irish tale from this author that I have read--all have been stand-alones. At the back of this book, Diebel shares how she got this idea and the history behind matchmaking in Ireland. Be sure to read that as I think it will enrich your love for the story. The Irish Matchmaker starts out a well-known matchmaker and his daughter talking about the local matchmaking prospects at the local matchmaking festival held each spring. Along with her father, Catriona also makes matches for others--and this year she is hoping for one of her own that will get her away from this sleepy village and into a more exciting life.  At the same time, cattle farmer Donal Bunratty is considering going to the matchmaking festival. His wife died several years ago and he is struggling to make ends meet on a farm with his young daughter. Her birthday wish is a new mother. Will he go to the festival and try to make that wish come true? I'll be honest, at fir...

  All My Secrets by Lynn Austin is set during the gilded age and features women of three generations within the same family. There is Mimi Junie Stanhope, daughter-in-law Sylvia Stanhope and granddaughter Adelaide Stanhope. When Sylvia's husband passes away unexpectedly, the Stanhope ladies all must embrace changes in their lives. I have struggled to write this review because I enjoyed All My Secrets so much. I like how well the stories flowed from one woman to the next. I enjoyed each of their stories and watching them change and grow through their grief. I especially liked how well woven the faith element was in this story. I also enjoyed one of the young men that Adelaide dated. I liked how the women worked to solve their problems. Initially, they weren't working together but as time went on things changed between them. In All My Secrets , there were themes of forgiveness and redemption, overcoming challenges and making the best of circumstances, dealing with ...

  From Trophy Wife to Cosmetic Surgeon by Victoria Johnson, MD is an autobiographical look at a woman who freed herself from an abusive relationship and went on to become a trusted cosmetic surgeon. Dr. Victoria Johnson started out in a marriage with a spouse who was abusive and disrespectful. She shares in this book how she turned in life around. It didn't happen over night but it did happen in time as she took steps to free herself from her husband and went back to school to become a doctor. She started out as a family physician and then became a cosmetic surgeon.  Throughout the book she shares her faith and how her faith in God and certain books influenced her life to make changes. Her faith may not be the same as yours but it is clear that it influenced her life for the better. She also tried to help others and to share with those she met along life's way. I am not familiar with the books that influenced her along with the Bible but will look into those more. At the same...

  The Action Bible: Faith in Action edition by Sergio Cariello from David C Cook is a vibrantly illustrated Bible aimed at the nine to eleven year old age range--but I think it will catch readers both older and younger.  The Action Bible: Faith in Action edition is illustrated with bright vibrant comic book style illustrations. I brings the Bible to life for this age group and you can feel the energy leaping off of the pages, in my opinion. There are 230 spiritually-transformative Bible stories . A Faith in Action Badge corresponds with each story with one of seven biblical attributes: courage, faith, hope, love, service, trust, and wisdom.  Along with the print book, there are discoverable QR codes throughout the text, which can be used to further bring the Bible to life and learn more. This engaging on-line content include s videos, games, digital Scripture index, prayers, Bible facts, devotions, playlists, reading plans, interactive maps, Bible study sessions, and m...