Set in Stone (Treasures of the Earth)

 

Set in Stone 

(Treasures of the Earth) 

March 12, 2024

by Kimberley Woodhouse (Author)

A dangerous scheme could bury their long-held dreams forever. . . .

From the time she was little, Martha Jankowski has been digging in the dirt, much to the dismay of her mother. Now she dreams of being a paleontologist and is determined to make her parents proud by uncovering the next big discovery. When Martha finds what she hopes to be a fully intact dinosaur skeleton--one that could win her an acclaimed exhibit--she learns another team is competing against her and could steal her chance at being recognized for this momentous discovery.

Paleontology student Jacob Duncan has fulfilled his dream of digging for dinosaur bones at last. In a race against time, he and his team are bent on unearthing a complete skeleton to claim a museum exhibit with their names on it. But when Jacob meets their charming competitor Martha and uncovers foul play within his team, love and danger grow hand in hand until a menacing ruse threatens to destroy it all.

My thoughts:   Ms. Woodhouse is one of my favorite historical writers. This one is a romantic suspense. I almost had the killer figured out, but couldn't decide between two people,  A great read, though I'd never want to dig through rocks to dig up dinasour bones! And a great romance.  Also a fantastic faith message.  i thoroughly enjoyed this book. Grab your copy today.  I was given a copy free and all opinions are my own

One Wrong Move (Jeopardy Falls)

 

One Wrong Move 

(Jeopardy Falls) 

February 6, 2024

by Dani Dani Pettrey (Author)

Taunting riddles.
A deadly string of heists.
Two broken hearts trapped in a killer's game.

Christian O'Brady was pulled into a life of crime at a young age by his con artist parents. Now making amends for his corrupt past, he has become one of the country's foremost security experts. When a string of Southwestern art heists targets one of the galleries Christian secured, he is paired up with a gifted insurance investigator who has her own checkered past.

Andi Forester was a brilliant FBI forensic analyst until her career was destroyed. She now puts those skills to work investigating insurance fraud, and this latest high-stakes case will test her gift to the limit. Drawn deep into a dangerous game with an opponent bent on revenge, Christian and Andi are in a race against the clock to catch him, but the perpetrator's game is far from finished, and one wrong move could be the death of them both.

Dani Pettrey captivates with . . .

"An intense blend of suspense, love, and faith."--Booklist

"Wicked pace, snappy dialogue, and likeable characters."--Publishers Weekly

My thoughts:  ONE WRONG MOVE is a kind of creepy read--a series of robberies and murders and you will never guess wwho-dudn-it.  Plus the clues...i never would've figured them out.   And who was the intended victim?  Good grief.  A great read, cozy mystery and romance.  I was given a copy free and all opinions were my own.

The Mysterious Amish Bachelor: An Uplifting Inspirational Romance (Indiana Amish Market, 4)

 

The Mysterious Amish Bachelor: An Uplifting Inspirational Romance 

(Indiana Amish Market, 4)

April 23, 2024

by Vannetta Chapman (Author)

Amish Romance

See all formats and editions

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He has a secret.

She’s set on discovering it.

After paying the price for a crime he committed ten years ago, Noah Beiler wants a fresh start—which means hiding where he’s been for the last decade from his Amish community. But Sarah Yoder is determined to uncover his past. As Noah and Sarah work together and grow close, Noah’s history is the only thing standing in their way. Will revealing the truth set them free, or are some secrets best kept buried?

From Love Inspired: Uplifting stories of faith, forgiveness and hope.

Indiana Amish Market

Book 1: An Amish Proposal for Christmas
Book 2: Her Amish Adversary
Book 3: An Unusual Amish Winter Match
Book 4: The Mysterious Amish Bachelor

Marilyn's Thoughts: 

The Mysterious Amish Bachelor is the fourth book in Indiana Amish Market series by Vannetta Chapman. This book could be read as a standalone, but I highly recommend reading the books in order to see the uniqueness of each of the five Yoder sisters and their father.

This is Sarah’s story along with Noah’s, who had return to their community. She is intrigued when her dad invited him to supper about Noah’s absence and his past. Her questioning became irritating but yet there was a connection between them while doing renovations at the Amish Market. What will it take for Noah to realize secrets shared can bring healing and freedom instead of loneliness?

Chapman always pens a delightful and touching story with messages of hope, forgiveness, faith, unexpected romance and new beginnings despite the past one may of suffered.

I received an early copy of this book from the author without any obligation to write a positive review. I have expressed my own thoughts.

An Interview with Jonathan Gibson, Author of My First ABC Book of Bible Verses

 

An Interview with Jonathan Gibson, Author of My First ABC Book of Bible Verses   It’s never too early to start sharing the big truths of the Bible with young children. In My First Book of Bible Verses, Jonathan Gibson helps kids ages 3–5 to learn key Bible verses along with their ABCs. Parents, grandparents, and caregivers will love using this book to teach foundational biblical truths in a fun, easy-to-remember way.   Q: Please introduce us to your new children’s book, My First ABC Book of Bible Verses.    The title of the book really tells you what the book is about. It’s an ABC book of Bible verses for children. When my wife and I were thinking about what verses we wanted our kids to memorize, we wondered if there was a book that had a short collection of foundational Bible verses for kids to memorize. We couldn’t find one, so I decided to write one myself.     We have two children under the age of five who love books and who love to be read to. I wanted to write a book that I hope that they love hearing read and one day will love reading for themselves. I also wanted to have a book with key, memorable Bible verses that they could memorize from a young age. I hope it will become a help to many parents who want to instill God’s Word in the hearts of their little ones from the earliest age. The motto verse for the book is Psalm 119:11: “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”   Q: Tell us more about the format for each letter and accompanying verse within the book.    Each verse is tagged to a letter of the alphabet, really to a word in the Bible verse that begins with that letter. The first verse is “All we like sheep have done astray.” The word “all” is linked to the letter A. The next one is “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” The word “beginning” is linked to the letter B. And so on. At the bottom of the page, I give a one- or two-sentence explanation of the verse. Simple, short, and sweet — that’s how I’ve aimed to keep things in this book.   Q: Would you give us a few examples of the verses you chose and the sentences that explain the verses?   For the letter C, I chose: “Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7) The word “care” links to the letter C. At the bottom of the page I explain: “When you are sad, tell God about it. He cares for you and can help.” And the picture is of a girl who’s just dropped her ice cream, which, as every parent can testify, is a very anxious moment in a life—and not just for the little girl!    For the letter L, I chose: “Love is patient, love is kind.” (1 Corinthians 13:4). The word “love” links to the letter L. At the bottom of the page I explain: “Love isn’t cranky or mean.” And the picture is one of a girl sharing her toy with her brother/friend. (I plan to read this page to Zac and Hannah over and over.) Q: Why is it important to introduce not just Bible stories, but actual Scripture to children at a young age?    It’s important that we teach our children the ways of the Lord and bring them up in his discipline and instruction, as Paul encourages the parents in Ephesians 6:4. This involves teaching them the basic “grammar” of the gospel—the facts of who God is, who Jesus is, and what he did for us in his life, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. But part of teaching the gospel is also introducing our children to the words of the gospel—Scripture itself. The Psalms speak of the importance of loving God’s Word, reading it, and meditating on it. Psalm 119 is big on this theme. One of the reasons for Scripture memorization is so that we might not sin against God; another reason is to ward off the devil when he comes to tempt us. The devil is after our children, and one way we can teach them to fight him off is to be like Jesus, who when he was tempted said, “It is written . . . ” If Jesus stored up God’s Word in his heart, then so should we (and our children). And there’s no better time to do so than when our children’s minds are like little sponges.   Q: How have you and your wife worked with your own children on memorizing Scripture? At what age does verse memorization really start to click?   We started memorizing Scripture with them when they were about two or three. We learned Genesis 1:1: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Also John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” Next was: “Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). When our son, Ben, was a bit older (five or six), we memorized Psalm 23 and Psalm 121 with him. Sometimes we did it through sheer repetition; other times we found a cool, funky song with the lyrics and memorized it that way.   Q: What advice do you have for parents when it comes to making devotional and worship time a regular part of their daily home life? How do you structure your Bible study time as a family when your children vary in ages?   Find the most conducive time of the day and KISS it—keep it simple, stupid. My wife is good at reminding me of this. Less is more, at least to begin with. When Ben was two or three years old, we worked on a Bible verse and a catechism question for a week or more, and that was it. As he got older, we did more—like reading through Catherine Vos’s The Child’s Story Bible—short sections at a time. When Zac and Hannah came along (eleven months apart), we kept going with The Child’s Story Bible for Ben, but we first did a Bible memory verse or a catechism question for Zac and Hannah, and then let them down from the table to roam. But we always finished with the Gloria Patri or the Doxology, and it was interesting to see the little ones want to circle back to the table to be a part of that. We also do songs at their age level.   Now that they’re a little bit older, we stretch them a bit more. On a “good” evening, we do a short paragraph from a Gospel, then I ask them five or six catechism questions, and then we do the Apostles’ Creed from memory, short prayers for others, and end with the Gloria Patri. This is on a “good” night! Other nights—of which there are many—we just about manage a memory verse and the Lord’s Prayer. As you can see, we didn’t begin with a lot, but built up to it. Interestingly, it has become such a part of our dinnertime routine during the week that if we don’t do a family devotion, one of the kids will remind us about it! We have not yet reached the heights of devotions on the weekends. We think Sunday is well covered as we worship together as a family at church.  Q: You are an Old Testament seminary professor who teaches adults about big theological concepts. Is it ever a challenge for you to present some of those big ideas in a way that children will understand?    Yes, it is always a challenge to keep things simple, but it is so important. When I was a minister, I set myself the task of including at least one section of the sermon where I would engage the children—often at the beginning. I tried to engage them again once or twice after that. I also did a children’s talk earlier in the service (as per Ephesians 6:1–3) and aimed to tie the sermon to that to keep the kids engaged. It was hard work, but something I grew to love. I think it was mainly because my son was 2–4 years old at the time and I wanted him to be as engaged in church as he could be.    What struck me when I did this was the number of adults who would engage with me after the service about how I’d explained things in the sermon. It was often the explanation I’d given to the children that was what helped them with their understanding of the passage. I soon realized that, at one level, you can never keep things too simple. I also realized that unless I could explain the passage or theological concept to a child, then I really didn’t understand it myself.   Q: Children often have big questions that adults never think to ask. Have your children ever caught you just a little off guard with some of their questions about God?   Just the other week, my son Zac (5) asked me if God can fly. As I was scrabbling to think what to say, a part of the Westminster Shorter Catechism that we had taught our children came to my mind. I said, “Well, Zac, think about your catechism question: “Where is God?” He replied immediately, “God is everywhere,” doing a big circle in the air with his arms. So, I said, “Zac, if God is everywhere, does he need to fly anywhere?” He looked at me and said, “No. If he’s everywhere, he doesn’t need to fly anywhere.” But then we spoke about Jesus, who did fly up through the sky in his ascension. Hannah piped up, “But if Jesus is God, then why did Jesus fly if God doesn’t need to fly because he’s everywhere?” I said, “Well, Jesus flew up to heaven, but God the Son was also present everywhere at the same time.” They were puzzled to know how that could be, but the look from my wife Jackie reminded me to KISS it! So I suggested we talk about that another time and we sang and prayed to close.    What I loved about that short conversation was how Zac and Hannah were connecting the dots of Christian theology in their little five- and four-year-old minds. This is an example of the benefit of catechisms, but the same can be said of Scripture memorization. Knowing Scripture helps to join the dots of gospel grammar for our children. Sometimes when we are outside with the kids and we see a beautiful part of God’s creation, I’ll ask one of them, “Who made that?” And they’ll say, “God did.” I’ll then ask, “What Bible verse tells us that?” “Genesis 1:1: In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth,” they say. Knowing the memory verse helps them to connect the big world around them to a big truth about God.   Q: My First ABC Book of Bible Verses is the first book in the Big Truths for Little Minds series. What can we expect from future books in the series?   I’ve written one on numbers called My First 1, 2, 3 Book of Bible Numbers. It will be a bit different but will teach children numbers through Bible stories. They will then be asked to find and count certain numbers of things on the page.   Q: This book was written for toddlers and preschoolers, but you also have also cowritten a series of books for middle-grade children. Would you share a little bit about the Acrostic Theology for Kids series?   The Acrostic Theology for Kids series is a four-book series I wrote with Timothy Brindle, a Christian hip-hop artist. We cover four areas of theology: the doctrines of God, Jesus, Salvation, and Scripture (Biblical Theology). In each book, following the alphabet as an outline, we wrote short 4- or 8-line stanzas to explain an attribute of God, who Jesus is, an aspect of our salvation, or some part of Scripture’s story. They are rhyming stanzas, as we wanted them to be memorable. In fact, Timothy has put them all into rap albums that can be found on Spotify (just put the title of the book into the search bar). If you’re looking for a fun way to teach your kids the great truths of Christian theology, the Acrostic Theology for Kids series is a great place to start.  My First ABC Book of BIble Verses Big Truths for Little Minds Book 1 by Jonathan Gibson Illustrated by Michael Mullan February 19, 2024 ISBN: 978-1-64507-409-0 Retail Price: $16.99 Juvenile Fiction/Religious/Christian/Learning Concepts

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About the Author and Illustrator

Jonathan Gibson, PhD, is ordained in the International Presbyterian Church (UK) and serves as Associate Professor of Old Testament, Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia.    Gibson served as coeditor with Mark Earngey of Reformation Worship and was a contributor and coeditor with David Gibson of From Heaven He Came and Sought Her. He is the author of 2 Peter: Living with the End in Mind, Isaiah: Good News for the Wayward and Wandering, Be Thou My Vision: A Liturgy for Daily Worship, and the children’s books The Moon Is Always Round and My First ABC Book of Bible Verses. He is also coauthor of the Acrostic Theology for Kids series.    Jonathan is married to Jackie, and they have four children.

Michael Mullan is an artist and illustrator specializing in bold design, hand lettering, and whimsical maps. Michael grew up in the Chicago suburbs. He studied graphic design and earned an MFA in illustration at the Savannah College of Art and Design. He lives and works from his home studio in Vermont. When he’s not creating art, he enjoys hiking, running trails, and being outdoors.

Where Am I? God, Help Me! #Devotional by Becky Van Vleet

 

“Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You.” Jeremiah 32:17 (NKJV)

My husband and I recently jetted across the country from where we live in Colorado to Indiana where I grew up and lived for a few years after we married. I was excited to visit family and friends. We stayed in a La Quinta and rented a car to be all set for our daily excursions. We took turns driving with a total reliance on our GPS to get us where we needed to be. After all, interstates had changed with new exits, added lanes, and the city had grown exponentially since we’d moved away.

On our third day, I was eager to meet my sister for tea. I stepped into my car with confidence and excitement. GPS, do your thing, I thought to myself when I plugged in the address. I pulled up to the restaurant right on time. A piece of cake. After a delightful tea and hugs and goodbyes, I sat behind the steering wheel once again, plugging in my GPS to return to our motel.

But this time was different. First, it was raining pretty hard. Second, the GPS did not automatically reverse the directions. This wondrous tool gave me new directions to return, but with the rain, I didn’t even realize I was on different roads. I simply trusted the GPS and kept driving and driving and driving. No La Quinta in sight. In fact, I ended up on curvy single lane roads surrounded by farm lands. My stomach tightened when I noticed the GPS eating up the charge on my phone, down to 20%. I had no charger with me. (Yeah, not smart.)

Heart racing, I called my husband. “Hey, I don’t know where I am. My phone is about to die. You might need to get an Uber and come get me to navigate us back to the motel, but I can’t even tell you where I am!” Talk about panicky embarrassment.

We hung up with my promise to try Google Maps instead. But this alternative tool did not help me either. I finally took a deep breath and prayed aloud, “Where am I? God, help me!”

I eventually got back to our motel with a dead phone and a palpitating heart. I raced to our room and sat down on the bed, composing myself. Oh my! What should have been a 30-minute drive back took nearly two hours.

When I settled down, I realized the GPS and Google Maps failed me. They are “human tools”, designed by mankind with margins of errors. It was my prayer to God that really got me back on the right roads. He directed me. No margin of errors with God. He knew every road and exit throughout Indianapolis because He designed it—He’s omniscient.

God never fails us. He will direct our steps and guide us on the right roads in life. He speaks to us through the Bible, the perfect GPS, and whenever we’re unsure of something, all we have to do is ask for His help. He knows when we’re lost. He woos us back to Him. I figure if He made the heavens and earth, He can certainly help me when I’m driving on unfamiliar roads—nothing is too hard for Him!

Are you trusting God for His unfailing help and guidance?

Becky Van Vleet is a retired teacher and principal and award-winning multi-genre author. She has been published in Guideposts, The Country Register, and Christian Devotions Ministry. Her children’s picture books are the recipients of the 2020 Excellence in Editing award as well as the Purple Dragonfly award in 2020 and 2021. She and her husband make their home close to Colorado Springs where she enjoys gardening, hiking, oil painting, power walking, and spending time with her family, especially reading books to her grandchildren.

Becky is the author of Unintended Hero, a true story about her father’s battles, experiences, and adventures in WWII aboard the USS Denver. She is passionate about sharing the values from the Greatest Generation and enjoys speaking to high school classes about patriotism.

A member of ACFW and Allauthor, Becky has devoted her website to creating and preserving family memories and sharing family stories for the next generations through her monthly blogs. 

You can find her at: https://beckyvanvleet.com. She would love to hear from you, especially if you have a family story to share!

 

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