Book Review: AFLOAT by Erin Healy

Great book!!
 

afloat, (click here) by Erin Healy combines suspense, mystery, humor, love, forgiveness, and faith all in one novel!  How did she do that?!  This is one book you want to read!

afloat, by Erin Healy is a great novel!  I became lost in the pages of this exceptional work to the point that no outward distraction could tear me away.  That, in my opinion, is the definition of a good book!  The narration and character development are phenomenal!  I chose to limit my information about this author and book before I read it to allow for a blank canvas to capture my imagination and therefore inspire a fresh review.      

As I moved through the pages of her story, I felt similarities in this author’s writing style to the works of Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker.  It was very interesting that I found out after reading it that she has coauthored two books ( KISS and Burn) with Ted Dekker.  The novel, afloat will take the reader on a journey of unpredictable adventure in addition to behind the scene looks at spiritual happenings.  In the middle of all of it, I also found myself pondering deeply personal questions of faith, forgiveness, and the true meaning of the word love.  There is a dual experience of entertainment, as well as, profound gems of truth sprinkled throughout the pages.  Again, how did the author do that?! 

Erin Healy’s book, afloat, ends with discussion questions to allow further reflection into the areas of security; confidence of God’s existence; reaction to adversity; levels of forgiveness; and the nature of life and death.  It becomes clear through her questioning, that she wants the reader to respond to the love of God and to search deeply within our heart for His truth.  The book goes well beyond the boundaries of entertainment and stirs a responsive state within the reader.  What a great job!!  I’m off to read some more books written by this great author, Erin Healy.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson Publishing through the Booksneeze program for providing me with this complimentary Review copy of afloat by Erin Healy.  I was not required to give a positive review.  The opinions within this review are strictly my own. 

Happy Father's Day!

Psalm 119:64(MSG)
Your love, God, fills the earth!  Train me to live by Your counsel.

My Daddy taught me well!

Happy Father's Day to all of you Dads out there! 

Once again, I find myself at a  place of thankfulness for the people that the Lord has placed in my life.  My father is one of those people.  He has provided such consistency throughout my life that I find his mere presence to bring stability to any situation that I might be facing.  He has trained me to live by God's Word and be strong and courageous.  His smile and laughter fill my heart with joy.  Hats off to my Daddy on this day and every other day throughout the coming years! 

Lord,
Thank You for blessing me with a father who has modeled grace, wisdom, and consistent love.  Thank you for his counsel and for guiding him to train me in Your ways!
In Jesus Name,
Amen

Commitment

Psalm 119:63(MSG) I'm a friend and companion of all who fear You;  of those committed to living by Your rules.



Celebrating our anniversary with a rainy walk along
 the shores of Cayo Costa Island.

 

Friendship and companionship.  What a great verse to ponder this week as my husband and I are celebrating our 25th year of marriage!  It has been so beautiful to spend these years with a man who lives with a deep devotion to God.  A man who stands firm in the face of adversity; stays consistent in his dedication to the Lord with a palpable reverence for His word; and models clear Godly leadership in our home.  I am truly blessed and so thankful! 

Lord,
Thank You for providing Your word and Holy Spirit to guide and direct our lives.  May Your name continue to be honored in our home. 
In Christ's name,
Amen

 

What To Do With A Sleepless Night

Psalm 119:62(MSG)

May snow storm?  Huh?  In the Midwest?!

I get up in the middle of the night to thank You;  Your decisions are so right, so true--I can't wait till morning!

Confession time here. I'm rarely thankful when I wake up in the middle of the night. I wish I could tell you that I am, but unfortunately, if I find myself coherent in the darkness of night when everyone else is sleeping, my mind is anything but thankful. First of all, this rarely happens, because I am a very good sleeper for the most part.  However, on those rare nights when I can't sleep, I will often succumb to a mind full of worry.  For some reason, the black stillness of the hour brings a deluge of thoughts and like a derailed train headed for catastrophe, if I don't reign those thoughts in, I'm headed for even more distress. 

This scripture gives clear direction for what to do the next time I find myself sleepless.  I will literally count my blessings with a thankful heart and meditate on the Word of God and His promises while I lift up every worry to a God who loves me.  I will not get my eyes on circumstances that I cannot change, but rather, I will choose to ponder on the promise that He will be with me in those circumstances.  In her book, Each New Day, Corrie ten Boom writes, "We are not called to be burden-bearers, but cross-bearers and light-bearers.  We must cast our burdens on the Lord."  Yep...good advice indeed. 

Lord,
Thank You for bringing the light of Your word to the dark and sometimes scary places in our minds.  Your peace will always overcome our anxiety as we remain in You.
In Jesus Name,
Amen

Book Review: The Sky Beneath My Feet by Lisa Samson

The Sky Beneath My Feet”, by Lisa Samson is a well written and entertaining book!

The Sky Beneath My Feet, by Lisa Samson is one of the first fiction books I’ve read in quite some time.  I generally am drawn to biographies, autobiographies, or general information gathering genres, but the title of this book caught my eye.  Stop and think about it for a second.  The sky does not belong beneath our feet, right?  The curiosity for where this book was going didn’t end with the title, either.  What a fun journey the author takes you on!

The Sky Beneath My Feet centers around a middle aged wife of a pastor and mother of two teenage boys.  The reader is drawn into her life and, in fact, her every thought, as she walks through her daily life of leading a strong Christ centered home.  The sometimes mundane and at other times perilous and confusing obstacles that she encounters along the way are what the body of this book is about.  The intrigue only grows as you read further into the details of Beth’s life (the main character) and see how the actions of one person can have a ripple effect on all those around.

The theme of this book begins to surface about midway through the chapters after a flurry of well written narration.  My take away on this book’s message is that our positive behaviors work for the good of all involved and on the flip side, our poor choices could inadvertently serve to be a harmful catalyst descending toward despair.  Either way, the decisions we follow in life are ours to make and will set us on a course for better or for worse. 

I enjoyed reading this book.  It was entertaining, thought provoking, and allowed a bit of escapism from the daily realities of life.  I would definitely recommend it to anyone wanting a good read! 

Thank you to Thomas Nelson Publishing for providing me with this review copy of The Sky Beneath My Feet by Lisa Samson through BookSneeze.  The positive review of this book was my opinion and not a requirement for receiving this review copy.