To Whisper Her Name

The Civil War cost Ridley Cooper more, in some ways, then it did many others. Branded as a traitor by members of his own family, he decides to turn his back on the Southern way of life and fight for the Unions. Sent on a mission to uncover a Confederate General's thoroughbreds, Ridley makes a choice that will change the course of his future.
Years later, Ridley shows up at Belle Meade plantation to learn how to handle horses before heading out west to forget the war. Things never go as planned and Ridley must learn that God has a plan for him.
I enjoyed this tale, as it had a lot going on with the characters and dealt with the heartache of rebuilding the United States after civil war. If you are looking for a good, engrossing read, this is it!

Moon over Edisto

"Moon over Edisto" is the story of a beautifully flawed family who must find forgiveness and grace they didn't realize they need after one person's choice tears their family apart.
Julia Bennett chooses to deal with the tragedy of her college years by hiding in NYC, living life as a professor of art, enjoying acclaim that other artists only dream of. Her perfectly crafted world is threatened when her old roommate, and part of the cause of the tragedy, shows up out of the blue with a request for Julia to watch her three kids while she goes in for surgery to remove cancer from her lung. Does Julia have the courage to face her past and move on in order to fully live in the present?
I decided to review this book on a whim, and I am so glad I did! It is one of the best books I have read this year.

Every Perfect Gift

Ten years after "Beauty for Ashes", readers are again invited to return to Hickory Ridge, this time through the eyes of Sophie Caldwell, the grown up orphan who was taken in by the Wyatt and Ada. Having gone to school and encouraged to work in the newspaper business, Sophie buys the local paper and decides to try to resurrect it, making a name for herself in the writing business.
When Sophie meets Ethan Heyward, all she has worked for is threatened. Both Ethan and Sophie must work through painful childhood memories and experiences before they can choose love.
Like revisiting a favorite small town, the last book in the Hickory Ridge series does a wonderful job of bringing readers up to date on the goings on in this quaint town. I like that there was "catching up" to do with a lot of the secondary characters, that life has moved forward and changed for many of the residents, not just the leading characters. I like that this book has a lot going on, not just with Sophie and Ethan, but with progress coming to Hickory Ridge and another romance with the bankers daughter finding love as well.

8 Important Money Decisions for Every Couple

"8 Important Money Decisions for Every Couple" by Russ Crosson challenged my thoughts on money. President and CEO of Ronald Blue and Co. (a financial planning and investment firm), Russ Crosson uses a Biblical approach when it comes to money, saving, investing, and how a couple handles money can affect their marriage.
After laying a foundation as to how we should look at money (as a tool, not as something that is going to solve all our problems and make us content), the book goes into common money decisions that are made in a marriage and how to avoid pitfalls. Whether you are single, dating, engaged, or have been married for some time, this book is an excellent tool! It challenges one to budget, save, and find contentment in a relationship with the Lord rather than in something temporary. One of the best things about the book is that, even though it challenges a couple to possibly do without, the Crosson's practice what they preach in their own marriage.
Two thumbs up!

Firefly Island

From Capitol Hill to the small town of Moses Lake, Mallory Hale's life is turned upside down when she falls in love with a young researcher. Realizing that Daniel Webster Everson is her other half, Mallory marries him after just a month and moves to Texas, where he has accepted a job doing research for an eccentric millionaire. But all is not as it seems at Moses Lake, where cowboys and friendly neighbors have secrets. Can Mallory survive in a world so different from the one she was raised in?
I loved this book! Its told in first person, as Mallory is looking back on events, so at times the story will skip over chunks or gloss over parts as someone writing from memory would do. It took me a bit to get into the story, but once I did, I was hooked! The characters are life like, going through struggles and making mistakes along the way, so one can relate to them. I found it easy to relate to Mallory, as she learned to navigate through working on an old house and being married after a life of independence.
Two thumbs up!

Unbreakable

In "Unbreakable", readers can return to the small Mennonite community of Kingdom that was introduced in "Inescapable". This time, the small town is viewed through the eyes of Hope Kauffman, the gentle and kind hearted owner of the quilt shop in town. Life for Hope is predictable, she is engaged to her childhood friend, and leads a quiet life. When evil penetrates the town, targeting religious buildings and organizations with a raging hatred, the church elders and townspeople must choose for themselves if they are going to hold to their teachings of peace or pick up their guns and defend themselves.
While I liked the first book in this series, I thought this one was even better! The story is riveting and there is a very real debate within the book about whether it is trusting God to pick up a weapon when you are threatened, a question every person must ask themselves.
Two thumbs up!

Thanksgiving time

A while back, one of my friends came to visit me at market with an interesting challenge. "What if we would spend ten minutes a day praying for God's kingdom to come on earth? I tried to do it and had a hard time spending ten minutes just focused on praying for the Kingdom, so I spent the remaining time praising God."
Needless to say, that comment, which was actually just thrown out there as she breezed by to get some bread, stuck with me. What would happen if we became a praying people and hastened the coming of that New Jerusalem? I figured it was worth a try.:)
Have you every prayed for ten minutes about one topic? Can you be single minded for that long? She wasn't kidding, it's hard! I couldn't do it. So, I started praising God in the time that remained. You know what? It felt good to praise God. To think over those things that make Him omnipotent and all around wonderful. You know what else? It got me thinking "who am I?". Who am I, that the God of the universe would love me. I'm not a good friend to Him. I try to talk to Him a lot, but it's generally about things that I'm petitioning for. And yet, He loves me. And guess what? He loves you too. Praising Him doesn't change who He is, but it can change how we look at Him.
If you were to praise God and think of three attributes of His that really blow you away, what would they be? I know Him to be a just and merciful judge. He is my strong tower when the world's storms batter me. But most of all, He is my Savior. He sees the lovable when I am being anything but lovable. He gently speaks to me when I am unreasonable. When I think about that, I feel humbled.
So, this Thanksgiving, when you are thinking about all your blessings, take a second to praise God for what He is to you.