One Question Friday

One Question Friday is a post that the author of All In A Day's Thought creates each Friday.
The question for Friday February 5, 2010 is:
Wavering decision or confident indecision?

Actually I have been both. It would depend on how serious the decision is? what other circumstances might be going on? and if I am given time to think or does the decision need to be immediate?
I am a full time care giver of my eighty seven year old father. He has injured himself before, or had pain or other health problems; and I have needed to make a quick decision right then as to whether I needed to call the doctor, call for an ambulance, or take him to the hospital myself. He always tells me, "oh I'm just fine" or "it's just a little bit of blood." Of course my insides are ready to scream out "man your battle stations!" Instead I take charge and with as much confidence as I can muster make the decision.  
Or,
I can be in a bakery and cannot make a simple decision whether to buy and eat a scone, a muffin, or maybe a jumbo cookie?

Blissful Blogging!
Annette

A New Bible Reading Challenge

A new Bible reading challenge from Becky at Operation Actually Read Bible.
For the month of February read the book of Ruth.

Getting to Know the Almighty God: Who is God to you?

 

A new Bible study is at Titus2AtTheWell by Jennifer Jernigan
We are encouraged to join them in a discussion and Bible study each Monday for the next ten weeks.
There is a down-loadable Bible study packet available at the site and a video to watch.
The question for week one is "Who is God to you?"

I will need to give you my testimony in order to answer this question.

Once upon a time--no this is not a fairy tale. But once upon a time I believed in God because it was what I had been taught, yet I never remember a time in my life when I did not know God. From the very beginning of my life I was taken to Sunday school and Church, Vacation Bible school, my parents both taught Sunday school, Jesus was talked about in our home, on Saturday nights daddy would ask each of us kids what our lesson Sunday morning was on and we better be prepared to give an answer.
When I was nine years old and during the invitational time at Vacation Bible school, I accepted Jesus as my Savior and invited Him in to my heart.
My life changed little being nine years old. As I grew in to my older teen years I rebelled, my selfishness and arrogance grew. Through some tough life experiences that I brought on myself, God used them to get hold of my attention. It was at this time that He began to became more personal and tangible in my life.
At about the age of thirty I had a crisis of faith, the ground where I had been standing was ripped up from beneath my feet. I could have blamed God, I could have fallen in to sin, instead I clung to God and this was when I began daily reading His Word. During this same time I joined Bible Study Fellowship, also taking part in many other Bible studies throughout my thirties and continuing on today.
During this crisis of faith I learned that the ground I had been standing on was not on whom it should have been on, it was in another person, my husband. God used this experience to teach me that He alone is my rock and that I must depend on Him. My sufficiency is in Jesus, not another human. Where humans fail, God does not.
During my thirties and forties I had many experiences: breast cancer and a double mastectomy, sending a child off to war, a mother with Alzheimer's, caring for aging parents, sitting beside my precious mother as she passed from this life to the next, becoming a grandparent, watching my body grow older, menopause, and many other experiences. In all of these moments God has taught me that He is enough, He is my rock, my closest companion, my teacher, my counselor, my confidant, my heavenly Abba father, my Savior and redeemer, and He is the Great Love of my life--the lover of my soul, mind and heart.

Blissful Blogging!
Annette

Faith 'n' Fiction Saturday: Why Should Christians Read Fiction

 

"Today we're going to discuss why Christians should read fiction. If you are a lover of fiction, it's no doubt that you're heard all sorts of arguments against spending time reading it. In fact, a commenter just this week on my blog said she's heard it referred to as emotional porn. The very concept of Christian fiction had a huge battle to face in conservative circles and is, in my opinion, still facing those battles in its attempts to grow. Is there any value in reading fiction for Christians? Why are some people so resistant to the idea of reading fiction? If you DON'T read fiction, why don't you read it? (Please keep in mind we are talking about ALL fiction and not just Christian fiction)" Post from My Friend Amy's Blog.

Pure and simply I read fiction because I love a well-written--entertaining--uplifting or memorable--story!
I read Christian fiction because I do not need to worry about curse words, and sexual or macabre details.
Emotional porn is awfully strong for an opinion on Christian fiction. I suppose they are referring to inspirational romance Christian fiction. My definition of porn is what is defined in my dictionary, as explicit description or exhibition of sexual activity in literature or films, and this is intended to stimulate. I have never read, nor heard of any Christian fiction book as defined by the previous given definition.
Christian fiction stories are written with the focus on God, and of the building of character, and real life situations are given in the stories in order for us to relate to and give inspiration to a God led life.

Blissful Reading!
Annette

Review-"The Choice"

"The Choice, Lancaster County Secrets" Book One by Suzanne Woods Fisher
Revell a division of Baker Publishing Group Published 2010, 308 pages

Blog Tour at Litfuse:
http://www.litfusegroup.com/Blog-Tours/blog-tour-for-the-choice-by-suzanne-woods-fisher.html

http://ow.ly/W84r
The author's Talk Party on Facebook and Book Bomb:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=260692196018


Grab this button
This book was provided by Litfuse for the purpose of reading/reviewing.

"The Choice"

Suzanne Woods Fisher

Carrie Weaver is a young Amish woman living in Lancaster County Pennsylvania. Carrie has a younger brother Andy, father Jacob Weaver, step mother Esther and her older daughter Emma. After Carrie's father became a widow, he married Esther and they moved into her home and farm. Carrie's beau is Solomon (Sol) Riehl and he is a talented baseball player. Sol hides his activity with baseball because he is Amish, and his goal to play professionally is frowned upon by them. Carrie and Sol are in love, and they are planning to run away together when Sol leaves with his team the Lancaster Barnstormers. Early in the story a significant and sudden development happens that leaves Carrie with difficult and unexpected decisions to make.

There have been many books written with an Amish storyline and characters. I believe after reading the book "The Choice" that this is one of my favorites!

This is a great story full of twists and turns, and likable and unlikable characters. It is a story of love and forgiveness, patience in God's will and timing, and faith during sadness and heartache. It is also a story of unexpected blessings, and the joy of God's will over our own desires. 

I enjoyed the large mix of differing personality traits in the characters. 

The character Carrie is a genuinely likable girl. She is beautiful, yet does not hold herself in high esteem, she places God and family as first in importance, she is hard working, kind and considerate, and expresses herself well when needed. She is also just a young girl, and I was swept away with her maturity and steadfastness during the storms that engulfed her life. 

Sol is focused on baseball and his desires and mind is swept away with the game. In Sol I saw what is all too typical in people, they place things and desires above God and others. 

Carrie's step mother Esther is stern, solemn, stoic; and in the beginning of the story I found her to be indifferent, yet her life experiences equaled with her personality gave her reason to be so in temperment.

Yonnie is all that we hold in endearment in a grandmother, she is a sturdy patriarch, and she is wise in knowing just what to say and in words that are unforgettable.

"The Choice" paints a great love story, it is tender and passionate, yet mature and grounded.
There were surprise twists and turns in the story, many I did not anticipate and for this I give high regards to this book---many of its contemporaries have predictable storylines.
I cannot wait until book two in the Lancaster County series becomes available----"The Waiting" will be available October 2010!

Blissful Reading!
Annette

Church Fire

I have just heard that another Church burned this morning in Wills Point, Texas--Russell Memorial United Methodist Church. This makes eight Church fires in Texas since January 1.
I am asking that all of my readers be in continual prayer for the person involved in these fires---that they will be apprehended. Also, pray for all eight of the Church congregations and staff leaders. Most of all pray that whoever is involved in the burning of these Churches that they would come to know Jesus Christ as their Savior!
http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/Wills-Point-church-burns-other-church-fires-probed-83604882.html

Blissful Blogging!
Annette

Review-"Angels"

"Angels, Who They Are and How They Help...What the Bible Reveals"
By Dr. David Jeremiah

Please follow the link to see the book and order it online.
http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781601422699&ref=externallink_mlt_Angels_sec_1208_01

Published by Multnomah  2010, 237 total pages

The author's website: www.davidjeremiah.org

This book was provided by WaterBrook Multnomah for the purpose of reading/reviewing.

I read this book cover to cover, enjoying every bit of information that poured from it!
What I loved most about this book is at the turning of every page Angel's is the topic, but the Lord is always the focus!
Back in the 1990's Angel's seemed to be everywhere. When I would have a birthday or at Christmas, I could expect to receive another collectible Angel for my curio cabinet. It got to be too much and I have since parted with many of them. If you remember movies began to flourish, the movie "Michael" with John Travolta came out in 1996. Even now Angel's are displayed often in Hollywood movies as either a cutesy funny character, a seductress, an avenging Angel, a death Angel, or recently the movie "Legion" an apocalyptic sy-fi movie.
Enough about what the "world" states Angels are like.
What does the Bible say about Angels?
Dr. David Jeremiah writes that "there are over 300 references to Angel's in the Bible. No where in any of these references does it state that we are to pray to an Angel. Angel's do not serve us, they serve God. They are always in the presence of our Holy God."
Dr. David Jeremiah writes a detailed account of what Angel's are and what they are not, what their purpose and work is, what our response should be, definitions of the different Angel groups--such as Cherubim and Seraphim, Angel's at a believer's death, and Satan and his fallen Angel's.
I felt this was an absorbing read, the author's explanations are wonderful, Biblical references are always used.
The author had also in his research read other books on Angel's, such as the book Billy Graham wrote.
There was only two things that I disliked about the book; the type-font is to small, and it is to light. I felt the type-font should have been darker print and a little larger. I had to sit close to the lamp light in order to see to read.

Blissful Reading!
Annette