My Daughter's Wedding

This last Saturday my oldest daughter Allison was married to Dan, a wonderful man. Allison was beyond beautiful ; as was my youngest daughter Ashley, who was in the wedding. My wife was radiant in her black, low-back dress, with a long black shawl. As father and husband, I was the proudest man there.

We were also truly blessed to have both of my sisters visit us, Judy from California and and Teri from Florida. My father unfortunately could not attend due to health reasons. So, while my family, my sisters and their children were all sitting in the family room at my home, we called dad and passed around the cell phone so he could talk with everyone there.

I also had a very unexpected surprise when my cousin Keith came as well. I have not seen Keith for 25 years, so you could only imagine how shocked I was.

Truly, God has blessed me and my family. With one daughter now married, I have one more to go when Ashley is married next March to another fine young man, Dan (yes, I will have two son-in-laws with the name Dan).

Get the "Scoop"

Want to read a great book, with characters who seem to be real people, funny lines, and a wonderful story? Then you have to read "Scoop" by Rene Gutteridge.

Scoop, is the first of the series and centers around Hayden, who was age 20 when her parents died. If you haven't yet guessed by the series title, this book is packed with many laugh out loud moments and great one liners.

Hayden is a strong Christian who, having been homeschooled, lacks some of the politically correct social norms...like not praying in front of everyone during a crisis. She finds herself in an internship at a television news station with a boss that takes stress pills, an aging news anchor that everyone wishes Botox on, a weatherman who wants to predict love for himself and Hayden, and a reporter struggling with his own politically correctness of being a good reporter and being a Christian.

Old School meets New School meets Homeschool. A smart and funny read.

You can check out more of Rene's books at her website http://www.renegutteridge.com/splash.html

The Cubicle Next Door

Check out the new book by Siri Mitchell: The Cubicle Next Door is set in a civilian's view of working on a military post. That in itself is funny enough...then add that the main character is a tree hugging, anti-SUV lover, with a thing for Bollywood movies. (Her favorite it Bride & Prejudice.) Suddenly this civilian hippie is thrown into a cubicle next to an Air Force Pilot/Teacher who drives...yep...an SUV. Can't you feel the love?

You can also visit Siri's website at http://www.sirimitchell.com/

Christina Berry and Sherrie Ashcraft

I want to introduce and invite you to visit the NEW website for two very close author friends, Christina Berry and Sherrie Ashcraft--mother and daughter writing team. Their first novel is now with an agent.

I first met these two wonderful ladies at a Saturday one-day conference for Oregon Christian Writers in February of 2005. This was my first time I had attended any writing conference, and ended up being asked to join their critique group. One thing that stands out with these two is their total support for other writers with words of encouragement, enthusiasm and willingness to help in any way they can. For that, I am grateful.

So, please take a moment and check out their website at http://ashberrylane.net/default.aspx and sign up for their newsletter. You won't regret it.

The Election by Jerome Teel

The Election written by Jerome Teel is an exciting, non-stop novel with a well developed plot that makes for a great story. You will need to start reading the book early in the day, because once you start, you won't be able to put it down. But if you can't, don't let that stop you from reading it. Check out his website at http://www.jerometeel.com/

Like Dandelion Dust

This week Karen Kingsbury's new book "Like Dandelion Dust" is featured on Christian Fiction Blog Alliance at http://christianfictionblogalliance.blogspot.com/

If you would like to read more reviews, please click on the link to Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1931722854,

or visit her website http://www.karenkingsbury.com/.

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance: Violette Between by Alison Strobel

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance: Violette Between by Alison Strobel

Violette Between

Between Here and the PAST,
THERE LIES A PLACE...a place of longing for what has been rather than hoping for what could be!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:Alison Strobel graduated with a degree in elementary education, and in the summer of 2000 she moved from Chicago to southern California where she taught elementary school for three years. It was in Orange County that she met her husband, Daniel Morrow, and the story developed for her first novel, Worlds Collide.
Violette Between is a poinant story of a true artist. When the love of Violette's life, Saul suddenly died, she died too. Then she meets Christian, who also is morning the loss of a loved one.As Violette and Christian begin to feel something that they both thought was impossible. Tragedy strikes again. Christian finds Violette on the floor of his waiting room, that she had been painting to look like a New York rooftop restaurant.As Christian holds a vigil at her bedside, begging her to come back to him, Violette is in a coma, traveling to a place where she meets her beloved Saul. And she finds that she may not want to come back!What would it be like to choose a place between the past and the present?Violette Between is a powerful character study of a woman finally relinquishing the past to move on, only to be thrust into the quandry of reliving that life and needing to make a choice.For Christians, this will definitely make you think about heaven and the consequences of eternal life."Delving into the underside of complicated relationships, Alison Strobel takes readers to unexpected places, but doesn't hesitate to deliver redemptiom when needed."---Melody Carlson, author of Finding Alice

A Pirate's Short Day

Arrr, today is a 'ery fine day, if you're a pirate. With the wind in our sails, the sea before us, we will ride the wa'es and scuttle us some ships for their treasures. My first mate is takin' the helm for the first time since comin' aboard last year. He's a young man and does a good job keepin' the other ingrates in line. Wait, I see a ship t' the starboard. Tis flyin' a British flag. Oh no! Mo'e o'er mate, let me take the wheel. We must outrun that lady, or she'll send us t' Davy Jones locker. Today we run for our lives, tomorrow will be a new day for pillagin' the ships on the high sea. Aye, me parrot concurs.

Squat by Taylor Fields

Taylor Fields book "Squat" is a slow-paced novel where the reader follows the lead character by the name of Squat, a homeless kid on the streets of New York. The story revolves around a conflict between Squat and the person he stole one hundred dollars from named Saw. The end is the most exciting part—I won’t divulge it to be fair. This book may be of interest for those involved in street ministry.

Summer? What Summer?

Boy, did this summer ever come and go. August turned out to be quite a busy month for me starting with the wonderful Oregon Christian Writer's Conference in Canby Oregon. It was packed with great workshops, including one taught by Karen Ball (which I attented). Karen's insight as an editor and author added so much depth to her class. I also met one of my favorite authors Randy Ingermanson, who just moved to the Portland area. His classes were awesome.
Besides the seminars and workshop at the conference, I thoroughly enjoyed meeting new friends, as well as deepening the relationships I have with those I already know.

The most wonderful thing also happened to me and my wife Barbara in the month of August: our two daughters are both engaged. Our oldest daughter Allison and her fiance will be married this December, yes I know, in three months. Ashley, our youngest, is at least taking it easy on her old man and mother by waiting to tie the knot next March. I was honored to have my future son-in-laws (both their names are Daniel) ask my permission first. They are such Godly men and treat our daughters like gold--what more could I say than yes.

Needless to say, we've been tearing the house apart, looking for anything to sell on Ebay, Craigslist, or at our upcoming garage sale this Saturday. It's been awhile since I've been part of a wedding (mine and Barbara's of course), and I sure didn't realize how much these things cost. Wow!! Yet, for my two daughters, there's nothing in this world that could stop me from doing everything possible to help make one of the most memorable events in their life unforgettable. Besides saying I have two of the best daughters ever, walking them down the aisle will be a moment of great pride for me (I sure hope I can get down the aisle without crying).

An Appointment With God

What if someone asked us to make an appointment with God? I’m sure you might think, “Why? I can talk with him anytime. I don’t have to make an appointment with God!” Well, that is true. We can talk to the Lord anytime, any day, and He is there. No waiting in line, no receptionists to greet us and ask us to sit in the waiting area, saying, “It will only be a moment, God will be right with you.” Thank God that is not how He treats us.
In light of that, we know God does not have an appointment book. But, did you know making an appointment is something necessary for us to do?
Whenever we make an appointment, be it with a doctor, dentist, a teacher at school, or a dinner date with some friends, the key to any appointment is commitment. When we have committed ourselves to be somewhere at a specific time, we have now obligated ourselves to follow through by showing up for the appointment. Sure, we can cancel and reschedule the appointment, but the key thing to remember, once the appointment is scheduled, we will make every effort to keep the appointment. So it is when we make a commitment to meet with God. Our lives can be so busy, yet we need to make spending time with God a priority. Therefore, by making an appointment, or commitment, to meet with God, and to do it consistently, it will force us to change things our lives and honor our commitment. One key to all of this is to be consistent. One thing to remember, we are not to feel condemned at any time if we miss an appointment with God.
So, what time can God count on us showing up for our appointment?

I just finished reading an incredible suspense novel called "Waking Lazarus" by T.L. Hines, which will be released July, 2006. The only thing I can compare reading "Waking Lazarus" to is shooting down a river with class six rapids. The ride is exhilarating, heart pounding, with a twist of events you don’t see coming until seconds before the collision. What a great “page turning” book. One thing to remember before reading Waking Lazarus; hold on to something, because you will be on the ride of your life.

What Are You Looking At?

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:18 NIV)

Are your bills overwhelming and all you see are the late notices? Is your body so sick all you think about is how bad you feel? Are the kids rebelling and all you want to do is scream? Well, it’s time to stop looking at the problems and focus on what God’s Word says. It doesn’t mean we’re to ignore the problem. I know, easier said than done. But if we’re to have victory over the circumstances and problems in life, we’ll have to take a stand and fight. To do that, we need to take God at His word and believe in his promise more than how deep in debt we might be or how sick we are.
That means we’re going to have to first find out what God’s promise is for us in any circumstance we may encounter. Then, meditate and speak it out. That way, we get our minds and eyes focused on what God says and not what the circumstances are trying to tell us. And the circumstances will always try to convince us we’re never going to get out of debt, or we’ll always be sick or even will kill us, or the kids will never change. If we continue to look at the problem, we are only setting ourselves up to let them win. However, the good news is God tells us we don’t have to be broke anymore and we don’t have to be sick.

So, what are you looking at today?

Jolie - A Sweet Dog

I’m not sure what it is that draws us humans to such an endearing relationship with our pets, but once we’re caught in the wave of emotions throughout the life with our pet, when it’s time for us to make the decision to put them to sleep, we fall apart. Today, I had to take our little Lhasa-poo girl, and have her put to sleep. It was one of the hardest things I ever had to do. I had a choice of either dropping her off and let the vets do what vets do, or choose to stay with her during the heart-wrenching procedure – for me, not her. Even though it broke my heart, I’m glad I stayed. Our family will miss her, but we all knew it was time for her to go. She was a sweet puppy and gave us over 15 years of fun, entertainment, love, and affection. It was a great 15 years. We will miss you Jolie. Thanks for being such a great little puppy.

Pruned to Grow

If you’ve ever gardened, there may have been times you had to prune a tree or two; or even thousands. Why? Because when you prune (cut back or cut off), you are removing branches that are stealing the food, nutrients and water from the other branches. If you don’t cut them off, they will prevent the other branches from developing to their fullest potential.

So it is with us, there are things (branches) that will crop up and begin to grow in our lives that are stealing the potential of those areas that need to grow spiritually. If we don’t allow God to prune us by His word, we will not be able to develop to our fullest potential. What things you may ask need to be pruned? Instead of making out a list of Do’s and Don’ts, I will give a few examples. It may be something as simple as what we’re watching on TV, or the amount of time spent watching it. Or, how we treat others on the job, home, school or church. Are we spending time to pray, or are we allowing things to steal that time from us?

How, you may ask, are we pruned? We’re pruned with God’s Word. As we read and study the Bible, God will show us areas that need to be adjusted or even cut off. Warning, you should never feel condemned when God shows you something in your life he wants trimmed or cut off. The Bible tells us in Romans 8:1, “There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ”.

Today, as you read your Bible, ask the Lord to show you what may be sapping away the abundant life He wants for you. As you do, you’ll grow stronger and produce fruit in your lives that others will see. When they see that fruit, I’m sure they’ll one day ask you about your life, and you will have the greatest opportunity to tell them about the Master Gardener Himself, God Almighty. So, go forth and be pruned today.

Thanks For What?

Thank [God] in everything [no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks], for this is the will of God for you [who are] in Christ Jesus [the Revealer and Mediator of that will]. (I Thessalonians 5:18, Amp.)

It’s so easy to say thanks when all our needs are met, kids are serving the Lord, marriage is heaven on earth, we have more friends than the house could hold for a summer BBQ, and the job is going great. Why is it so hard then to thank God when from out of nowhere, we or a family member gets really sick, or we end up owing on our taxes when we thought we’d get a huge refund, or one of the kids flunk a class.

One reason is we focus on the problem rather than the ‘problem solver’. Being a Christian doesn’t mean we won’t have any more problems in our lives. Jesus forewarned us about that, “In the world we have trials, tribulation, distress and frustration.” Now, if that were where he ended His statement I’d say we are in big trouble. However, he continues, “but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]”

The other reason is we haven’t made it a lifestyle to be thankful as it tells us in our key verse. No matter what the circumstances are – good or bad – we’re to thank God. We’re to have a thankful attitude. Now, let me say we’re not to thank God for the circumstances. Rather, we’re to thank Him for the answer he’s given us in His Word to overcome each and every trial, tribulation, distress and frustration we’re confronted with.

So, starting today, whether or not it’s a good one or not, take time throughout your day to thank God. Don’t know what to thank him for? Start off by thanking Him for Jesus. When you do that, you’ll be doing the will of God and heading in the right direction to victory.