Book Nook

Where do you like to read?  Do you sometimes see pictures of a place and just KNOW that you could read there?  There are several places that do that for me... a chair on the beach.. a little nook in a home... a book stuffy chair!  It's not like it's really all that hard to be inspired to read.  I sometimes dream of the elevator getting stuck between floors for hours so that I can just sit and read my book.  The nightmare end of that of course involves too many people on the elevator, the need to use the bathroom, or not having said book with me at the time.

I found this picture of a perfectly dreamy place to spend the day relaxed and reading.  I'm imaging it next to the ocean with lots of cold seltzer water and fruit at my disposal.  Where do you dream of reading?

My First Book Review - Pearl in the Sand

Until recently I was not a big fan of Christian fiction. I found the genre to be predictable, simple, and not based in reality. Recently this has changed. I have been introduced to many new authors and books by my fellow book lovers Tanya and Leigh Anne and I've truly come to embrace the genre, almost to the exclusion of most other fiction.

For quite some time now I've wanted to review books and I think that "Pearl in the Sand" is the perfect one to start with. The book is the telling of the story of Rahab. We know the basics... she helped the spies hide, the Lord spared her life and blessed her with the distinction of being in his lineage. Within the telling of the lineage it mentions that she was married to one of the leaders of Israel. That is all that the Bible tells us, so this is truly a fictional account of what their lives may have been.

While at times I found I had to make a concerted effort to distinguish between Biblical reality and fictional prose, this book truly brought this story of the Old Testament alive! It makes the wanderings in the wilderness real as it walks you through what their daily life may have been. As I now read through the Old Testament I notice small details about the law because I can now think what that might look like.

This book is a story of redemption. We know that Rahab was a harlot and she ended up married to a leader of Israel. The Lord forgives and redeems for his purpose and for his glory. I love the picture of purity that her marriage brought to her life. Without giving too much of the story away, there was a line that brought tears to my eyes. "She learned purity in her husband's bed". What a beautiful thought when we are surrounded by sexual impurity, to be reminded that God created sex and it is a beautiful, pure thing when it is from Him.

I LOVED this book! Let me know if you have read it and what you think.

Another awesome tree...

After reading my last post, an avid hiker in California (and dear friend) send me this picture of a fabulous tree that I wanted to share with you all!!

I wish I could curl up in one of the roots with a cup of tea and a good book!

A new Ted Dekker.... Bone Man's Daughters

Ok -- so anybody who reads Ted Dekker should really be surprised that he has a new book coming out - well, because he has written 22 books already.  

This new book is with a new publisher though and so I'm excited to see if it has a new story line and a new tone ... so many of his books in recent times have started to run together.  

Just by looking at the cover I knew that something was different.  It's a new design and looks much closer to competing with the top authors in suspense right now.

The book comes out April 14th... I've requested an advance reader's copy so I'm hoping they grant my request and I can let you know what it's like before that.

Happy New Year

It's hard to believe that Christmas in Nashville has come and gone.  I looked forward to it for so long, made plans and was giddy... and now it's a memory -- but a beautiful, sweet memory!

The picture you see here is so perfect because it's so indicative of what any time with my family is like.  Even if you add the other half of the family that wasn't able to join us in Nashville, this would be what they would have been doing as well.  

There was a survey here at work about what my resolution for this new year will be... and I started thinking about it.  God gives us a new year... a time to start over.  Our calendar could have just been a list of days stretched out before us but God knew that we would need fresh starts, a time for renewal.  This year is a little different for me than others because I started my biggest resolution about 2 months ago.  I started eating healthy and have lost 23lbs -- I'd like to continue that, but on top of that I resolve to have a new year... one that's different than the old because it's full of growth and change.

I pray you are ready for a time of renewal as well!!