Simply Love tees!

There are two days left to purchase a Simply Love/Children's Hope Chest tee in support of orphans in Haiti or human trafficking survivors in Moldova!  Check them out!!!

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The Maid of Fairbourne Hall by Julie Klassen

The Maid of Fairbourne Hall is the latest book published by Julie Klassen, and I have always enjoyed her books.  This one surely did not disappoint.  Margaret Macy is a proper lady in London with a nasty, greedy stepfather who wants to marry her off to a very improper gentleman.  To avoid this fate, Miss Macy flees her home and takes a position as a housemaid in the home of Nathaniel Upchurch.  The twist with Nathaniel is the fact that Miss Macy turned down his proposal of marriage years earlier in the hopes of winning the affections of his brother.  Dressed in disguise, Miss Macy has to work for the first time in her pampered life.  If she can keep up the act until her next birthday, she will inherit a great deal of money from an aunt and be free to marry the man of her choice.  The question is, can she keep up the pretense without giving her true identity away?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book!  It was a sweet love story with a lot of humor and suspense.  I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.  The details I learned about the "below stairs" staff of a big house in England were fascinating, too. 

I received this book from Bethany House for the purpose of being reviewed. 

No, We Can't: Radical Islam, Militant Secularism and the Myth of Coexistence by Robert Stearns

Every now and then I like to take a break from reading fluffy fiction to read something that is actually relevant to my life or the world at the time.  No, We Can't by Robert Stearns came across my computer screen and I found myself very interested in reviewing it.  The world is changing and as he says, "Tolerance is prized more than truth."  Our culture is so confusing to me, and reading this book helped me understand some of the problem.  No matter how much we want to believe that coexistence between radical Islam, militant secularism, and Judeo-Christianity is possible, the bottom line is that it really isn't.  Robert Stearns addresses these three sections of our culture in great detail and then explains what it means to the believer and how we should respond.  Some of the topics he covers are the power of radical Islam to reshape Western culture, why Judeo-Christianity is losing its strength, and what believers can and must do.  He says, "The ultimate dominance of any of these worldviews will create a tipping point in global culture." 

I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to understand more about the worldviews Christianity is up against in our culture.  It was a quick read and very easy to follow with a lot of extremely interesting and helpful information. 

I was given this book in exchange for a review by Baker Publishing Group.

Love on the Line by Deeanne Gist

Love on the Line is the latest historical fiction novel by Deaane Gist.  Georgie Gail is a switchboard operator in rural Brenham, Texas.  She is an independent woman who takes pride in holding her own in a man's world, so she is none too happy when the telephone company sends a man to work the lines (and look over her shoulder).  Little does Georgie know that Luke Palmer is actually a Texas Ranger working a case undercover to get inside a gang of train robbers who have the public's support.  He isn't exactly excited to be working on the telephone lines and taking orders from the likes of Georgie, so of course, sparks fly.   

I have always liked Deeanne Gist's books, and Love on the Line did not disappoint.  It was a little slow in parts, but overall an enjoyable read.  I found the workings of the early phones and phone lines interesting and that was a bonus to the plot.  I would recommend this book.

I received this book in exchange for a review from Bethany House.

The Doctor's Lady by Jody Hedlund

Jody Hedlund's book The Doctor's Lady follows Priscilla White's dream of becoming a missionary in the wild west of the mid-1800s.  At that time, the missionary boards determined the only way men or women could be missionaries was if they were married, but Priscilla had no interest in being a wife!    She finds herself torn between marrying in name only in order to live out her dream of telling the Indians about Jesus or staying single where she is.  Of course this is a book, so Priscilla marries Eli, a man who has big plans in the west but who also needs a spouse.  The majority of the book is their journey west and all that happens to them on the way, both spiritually and emotionally.

I really enjoyed this book.  Maybe it's because I love cheesy historical fiction, but I thought it was entertaining and had an interesting plot.  I would recommend this book.

I received this book in exchange for a review from Bethany House.

A Wedding Invitation by Alice J. Wisler

Samantha Bravencourt returns home from teaching English in a refugee camp in the Philippines to lead a quiet, uneventful life working with her mother in her boutique in Virginia.  Early in the story, she receives an invitation to attend a college friend's wedding in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, but the wedding isn't what Samantha was expecting.  Instead of simply attending the wedding and heading back to her mother's house, her life is changed when she runs into a fellow teacher from the Philippines who also broke her heart.  After reconnecting they have to work together to help a young Amerasian girl named Lien find her way.  The dilemma for Sam comes when she has to decide if she can forgive Carson for his past mistakes with her heart.

I found this book interesting because I didn't know very much about the Amerasian culture or about the refugees living in the Philippines.  The author does a good job focusing on the issue of the Philippine refugees and their struggle to fit into American culture.  The "love story" aspect also kept my attention, but the book had some dull moments.  However, I would recommend this book to a friend if they were looking for something light to read. 

I received this book in exchange for a review from Bethany House.

Red Light Prayer

...pray continually...  - 1 Thessalonians 5:17

The term ‘Modern Slavery’ sounds like a paradox, doesn’t it? One would believe that humanity has progressed and slavery had ended in the battlefields of the American Civil War. But, that is not the case as over 27 million enslaved people across the world are victims to human trafficking as it remains the battlefront of the century.

Regardless of nationality, victims are systematically stripped of their identity, battered into gruesome submission and made to perform humiliating sexual acts with multiple strangers every night. Held against their will, most are forced to take illegal drugs and are kept under constant surveillance. On average, victims are thrown into such ghastly oppression at age 13. Some are outright abducted, while others are lured out of poverty, romantically seduced, or sold by their families.

Kezia Hatfield, is the Director of Restoration for Exodus Cry (www.exoduscry.com ) which is a group that ministers to the victims of human trafficking. Their objective is to rescue victims, restore them physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, and reintegrate them into society. Their approach is threefold through local outreach, international missions, professional counseling, and micro-development. Prayer, awareness, and action is key to the fight to end slavery.

Human ( Sex ) Slavery Facts

· 27 million people are enslaved in the world

· Human Trafficking ( sexual, domestic, industrial, and agricultural ) is a $32 billion dollar annual industry

· 2 million children are involved in the international commercial sex trade

· 80% of trafficking victims are women and children who are forced into the commercial sex trade

· The average age of entry into commercial sex slavery in the United States is 13

  Facts from the United Nations, Unicef, US Dept of State, and US Sept of Justice

Many have heard of the ‘red light district’ in Amsterdam, Netherlands. This is an area where ‘legal prostitution’ exists in the streets and alley ways typically in single room cabins illuminated with red lights. Over the past several weeks, many across the country have viewed the documentary entitled Nefarious : Merchant of Souls (www.nefariousdocumentary.com) which is footage including interviews, dynamics of the sex trade, and focus on unveiling the sex industry.

 

 

Exodus Cry’s prayer request is this :WHENEVER STOPPED AT A ‘RED LIGHT’ PRAY FOR THE ABOLITION OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING, THE AWARENESS OF, AND FOR THE WORK OF EXODUS CRY.

A Christmas Challenge

Am I the only one who feels like Christmas has taken on a whole new meaning completely apart from the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ?  I am not a shopper, so Christmas has always caused me stress and panic with trying to find the perfect gifts for everyone on my list.  And the endless traffic jams and crowded stores don't do anything for my Christmas spirit. 
After talking this dilemma through with Janeena, we've decided this year to challenge ourselves to try something new.  What if every gift we give to a person on our lists actually helps someone in desperate need of love, help, aid?  Wouldn't that truly be the perfect gift?  I can't help but wonder if after the Christmas season has come and gone if I will look back and think about how much I enjoyed celebrating Jesus' birth with my family and friends instead of stressing over gifts.  That sounds so much better to me than standing in a line to return gifts I didn't need or want in the first place. 

If this is hitting home with you, too, check out this video about how you can take back Christmas and help change the world.  We're also working on a list of websites that offer ways to give "gifts" to those on your list while helping someone in need at the same time.  We hope you'll use the list and let's see what a difference we can make in the lives of others this year!


For more information about Advent Conspiracy, check out their website - http://www.adventconspiracy.org/.

• World Vision - Fund much needed items for children in need around the world. 
• Funky Fish Designs - Really, really cute jewelry that helps fund a Ugandan adoption.
• Wild Olive Tees - 10% of the sales by Wild Olive Tees goes to support 60 Feet and An Orphan's Wish.  Lots of cute tees!
• Given - Clothing line inspired by World Vision whose proceeds go to benefit the work World Vision is doing.
• MFG (Made for Good) - This is a website listing brands who are aligned with a non-profit partner and use their proceeds to help the global community.
• Bow in the Clouds - This website sells items to benefit Dube Bute, a village in Africa the Alexander family is raising money for through the Soli Deo Gloria blog.  They have committed to building up this village with schools, wells, doctors, etc., and are raising money for it.  Lots to see!
• Amazima Store - This website is a result of the labors of Katie Davis in Uganda.  It features beautiful, hand made paper bead jewelry.
• 147 Million Orphans - This website has so many great tees and other products to raise awareness.  I like the magazine bead necklaces the best!
• World Crafts - Hosted by the WMU, this is a catalog full of gifts made by artisans around the world who depend on their craft for survival. 
• Good News Goods - Buy fair trade products! 
• Samaritan's Purse -  Interactive online catalog.  Funding of some projects also includes a gift made by artisans in impoverished areas.
• Simply Love - Tees help adopting parents fund their adoption process.
• Ordinary Hero - This website has great tees.  Their sales go to support adoptive families and mission trips. 
• Rafiki Foundation - Shop the Rafiki Exchange and find handcrafts from East and West Africa.  The Exchange is in place to assist widows and impoverished women with a source of income.  Lots of beautiful things!
• Living Water - Great website with lots of info on the water crisis facing many around the world.  Donate!
• World Relief - This website gives the opportunity to give many gifts to show you stand with the most vulnerable.  Good ideas to check out with kids.  (For example, volleyballs to be sent to children in rural areas of Indonesia.)
• Gobena Coffee - Gourmet, fair trade, organic coffee!  100% of profits are reinvested into the lives of orphans in charitable programs. 
• Compassion - Donate to enrich the lives of those in need.
• Open Doors USA - Help support the persecuted church around the world
• Show Hope - Steven Curtis Chapman and his family started Show Hope.  They have several ways to donate by sponsoring a child, a surgery, or donating to where aid is needed.  Their online store has some really cute tees.
• Danita's Children - This website features a group working in Haiti to rescue and care for children orphaned and in need of care.  Lots of ways to help out this group!
• Project Hopeful - Buy tees to support and raise awareness for families adopting children with HIV/AIDS in Africa. 
• Neverthirst - Wonderful local group who is working to bring clean, safe water and the Gospel to those who need it most.
• Charity: Water - Very cool tees and water bottles to help raise money for sustainable clean water solutions in developing countries.
• One - Help this group fight extreme poverty and preventable disease, primarily in Africa, through raising awareness.  Tees, phone covers, bags!
• One Verse - End Bible poverty by translating verses for an untranslated people group.  Sponsor a verse in someone's name who is on your list!  They also have tees to promote One Verse available. 
• The Hunger Site - Help fight famine in the Horn of Africa and hunger in the US by purchasing fair trade items.
• International Justice Mission - Help give aid to the victims of human trafficking around the world.
• 58: Store - Resources for living out Isaiah 58.
• Hello Somebody - Purchase products to help feed and educate children to break the cycle of hunger and poverty.
• Noonday Collection - Fashion + Orphan Care
• Exodus Cry - A Prayer Movement to End Slavery
• NightLight - Shop jewelry and accessories to support this international organization committed to addressing the issues surrounding human trafficking and prostitution.

The Lightkeeper's Ball by Colleen Coble

I just finished A Mercy Falls novel by Colleen Coble called The Lightkeeper's Ball.  Socialite Olivia Stewart is an heiress in New York City at the turn of the century who finds herself in a difficult situation.  Her father has recently been killed, and her older sister has died under suspicious circumstances across the country in California where she was to marry Harrison Bennett, one of the wealthiest men in America.  She needs an advantageous marriage to keep her and her mother living well, but she also wants to find out what happened to her sister.  She leaves the city under the guise of her English title, Lady Devonworth, to learn more about Harrison and the cause of her sister's death.  What begins as a scheme to solve this mystery turns into an exciting novel full of drama, suspense, mystery, twists, and romance. 

I very much enjoyed reading this novel and was truly surprised by some of the twists Coble threw into the story.  I haven't read the other two titles in the Mercy Falls series, The Lightkeeper's Daughter and The Lightkeeper's Bride, but I am interested in giving them a chance. 

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Here Burns My Candle by Liz Curtis Higgs

Author Liz Curtis Higgs has always been one of my favorites.  She has a fascinating way of re-telling a Biblical story set in Scotland of old.  Here Burns My Candle is a take on the Biblical book of Ruth and is set in 18th century Edinburgh during the Jacobite Rising.  Lady Elisabeth Kerr is a Highlander by birth and a Lowlander by marriage.  She is caught between the auld ways and those of her husband, Lord Donald Kerr, and the novel follows this family as secrets come out amid Prince Charlie and his rebel army riding through the streets of Edinburgh in September 1745.  Due to circumstances, Lady Elisabeth is left with her mother-in-law, the dowager Lady Marjory, to sift through family secrets and pick up the pieces as they lose everything they hold dear. 

I would highly recommend reading Here Burns My Candle, and I am looking forward to reading the follow-up novel to find out how Lady Elisabeth and Lady Majory's journey ends. 

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.