Thirsty for More: Discovering God's Unexpected Blessings in a Desert Season by Allison Allen

Thirsty for More: Discovering God's Unexpected Blessings in a Desert Season

by 

Allison Allen

About:

When it comes to our connection with God, we dread "dry seasons," when we feel far from our life-sustaining Creator and redeemer. We want to dwell in lush valleys, not wander in trackless deserts. And yet, during the first three centuries of the church, many men and women purposefully moved into deserts to seek God. They understood something that we have missed: a desert is not a place of vast nothingness, but a place where we can truly experience God's provision, restoration, and intimacy.

Through Scripture and personal stories of her own times of waiting and struggle, Allison Allen offers a fresh perspective for women who dare to believe that God is doing something of eternal value in their dry seasons. She shows how God can use these times in our lives to reveal himself to us, to give us rest, to get our attention, to show us our strength, to experience his blessings, and more. Any woman who has been feeling spiritually sapped will welcome this refreshing message of hope.

My Thoughts:

I love this book! Thirsty for More by Allison Allen is a great book! The truths in this book are vast and noteworthy. We often spend so much time running from desert. Most people do not like heat or pressure. As humans, being refined isn't something we sign up for. Going through the desert is another place you will not find a lot of people willing to go through, but it is necessary if you want to grow in your faith. We need to stop running from the spiritual desert and start running into the arms of Jesus. The desert brings fruit into our lives that our faith journey would not have the capacity to produce otherwise. The battle in the desert is so much sweeter and richer because of the fruit produced. Personally, I found this book to be a huge source of encouragement and strength. Maybe you know someone going through a dry season or you are going through one yourself. If so, pick up a copy of this book! It is a huge encouragement to press on! 

A Fall Favorite: The Gift Of Love by Amy Clipston

The Gift Of Love by Amy Clipston 

Author, Amy Clipston is best known for her amazing ability to tell amazing Amish fiction. If you have never read The Kauffman Amish Bakery Series, I highly recommend it. It is my personal favor series on forgiveness, faith, hope, and grace. You will love the recipes Amy provides in each book and the characters, especially Rebecca in A Gift of Grace. 

However, aside from her amazing Amish fiction writing, my favorite story of Amy's is her own personal journey when she writes her memoir entitled "The Gift of Love," where she shares their families personal testimony to God's grace and healing for a miracle. 

Her husband, Joe began dialysis in 2003 when his numbers were not good. During this time, Amy was pregnant with baby number two and couldn't wait to give their other son, Zach, another sibling. However, Amy miscarried, and if this trial weren't hard enough, the transplant for Joe would be. Just as the Cliptson's were catching their breath, the nightmare was not over as Joe required a second transplant. 

One kidney transplant is a miracle and Amy knew a second kidney transplant would be a miracle in itself. Amy was willing to give her own kidney, but frustrated to find she was not a match. During this season, God was preparing Amy for his plan for her as she entered the writing industry and signed my favorite series, the Kauffman Amish Bakery Series. In "The Gift of Love" Amy gives the account of how God worked everything together for good, despite the long road in front of her and Joe. 

Their story doesn't just begin and end with transplants, but what it means to go through seasons of marriage hand in hand, despite the pain, loss, and believing in hope when all seems like it's gone. This book is for any Amy Clipston fan who doesn't know her remarkable story of faith, perseverance and hope. 

Grab a box of Kleenex and get ready to cry, laugh and find yourself trusting in a God who is bigger than what meets the eye. I think everyone should read this book! 

About the Author:

Amy Clipston has been writing for as long as she can remember. Her fiction writing "career" began in elementary school when she and a close friend wrote and shared silly stories. She has a degree in communications from Virginia Wesleyan College and is a member of the Authors Guild, American Christian Fiction Writers, and Romance Writers of America. She is the author of the bestselling Kauffman Amish Bakery series with Zondervan, which is part of HarperCollins Christian Publishing.

 An advocate for organ and blood donation, Amy donated a kidney in 2011 at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Through her donation, her husband received a second kidney transplant. Amy and her husband matched another couple and swapped kidneys with them. Amy's memoir, A Gift of Love.

The Victorian Christmas Brides Collection: 9 Women Dream of Perfect Christmases during the Victorian Era

by 

C.J. Chase,

 

Susanne Dietze

, 

Rita Gerlach,

 

Kathleen L. Maher

, 

Gabrielle Meyer,

Carrie Fancett Pagels, 

Vanessa Riley,

 

Lorna Seilstad

 , Erica Vetsch 

About:

Experience a Dickens of a Christmas

Faced with the daily extremes of gluttony and want in the Victorian Era, nine women seek to create the perfect Christmas celebrations. But will expectations and pride cause them to overlook imperfect men who offer true love?

Paper Snowflake Christmas by Vanessa Riley
1837 Framlingham, England
How can widow Ophelia Hanover give her son a perfect Christmas when his guardian, the Earl of Litton, arrives early to take permeant custody of the boy?

One Golden Ring by C.J. Chase
1855 Devonshire, England
Wounded soldier Tristram Nowell returns home to indulge his mother’s wish for a family Christmas—and encounters Marianna Granville. Can he forgive the former heiress who jilted him years before?

Love Brick by Brick by Kathleen L. Maher
1857 Elmira, New York
SarahAnn Winnifred overcomes orphanhood apprenticing with pioneering doctors. Rufus Sedgwick, relocating his English estate, seeks help for his ailing Mum. Christmas reveals the secret wish of both hearts—for love.

The Sugarplum Ladies by Carrie Fancett Pagels
1867 Windsor, Ontario, Canada and Detroit, Michigan
When Canadian barrister Percy Gladstone finds his aristocratic British family unexpectedly descending upon him for Christmas, he turns to American social reformer Eugenie Mott and her fledgling catering crew for help.

Star of Wonder by Susanne Dietze
1875 County Durham, England
This Yuletide, Bennet Hett, Viscount Harwood, offers Lady Celeste Sidwell matrimony and the Star of Wonder diamond necklace, as their fathers arranged. When the diamond disappears, will they find a greater treasure?

Father Christmas by Lorna Seilstad
Chicago, Christmas 1880
Widowed harpist Beatrix Kent believes love can only come once in a lifetime, but this Christmas, carpenter Hugo Sherman hopes to pull on the musician’s heartstrings and prove her wrong.

The Perfect Christmas by Erica Vetsch
1880s London
Melisande Verity might be in over her head trying to create the perfect Christmas window display, but if she succeeds, will she finally attract the attention of her boss, Gray Garamond?

A Christmas Vow by Gabrielle Meyer
London, England, Christmas 1899?
Lady Ashleigh Pendleton is hosting a houseful of guests for Christmas when railroad executive Christopher Campbell unexpectedly arrives from America with a mysterious agreement signed by their fathers before their birth.

The Holly and the Ivy by Rita Gerlach
1900. Small town along the Potomac near Washington DC
A glass ornament. Love letters tied in red Christmas ribbon. Lily Morningstar and British antiquities expert Andrew Stapleton are drawn into a family secret that binds their hearts together.
 

My Thoughts:

Overall, The Victorian Christmas Brides Collection is a wonderful book of Christmas novellas that will take you back to the 1800's where each author shares a Christmas story that will sweep the time away, along with your heart. The pages of this book are beautiful and you'll turn each page faster than the one before as you read a stories about a pre-arranged marriages, childhood friendships, misunderstandings, Christmas miracles and so much more! 

My favorite novella was The Sugarplum Ladies by Carrie Pagels! I loved this novella first because it was set in Michigan and Ontario. As a Michigander, I couldn't help but love this story. Second, I couldn't help but love how Carrie wrote the story. I felt like I was part of the novella and apart of it. I love that the ladies learn how to bake in this story. I can smell their bakes goods now as I am thinking of this novella. Such a good story! And, Percy! You must read it! 

The collection of nine novellas is simply delightful! Make sure you order a copy of the Victorian Christmas Brides Collection today! You will be glad you did! 

Love Like That: 5 Relationship Secrets from Jesus by Les Parrott III

Love Like That: 5 Relationship Secrets from Jesus

by 

Les Parrott III 

About:

Loving Like Jesus Just Got Doable

In this inspiring, utterly practical new book, #1 New York Times bestselling author Dr. Les Parrott writes a viable prescription for becoming more loving with family, friends, coworkers, and even strangers. In his trademark approachable style, Dr. Parrott takes the latest findings from psychology and sociology and blends them with biblical teaching to reveal five transformative ways of relating to people demonstrated by Jesus himself: being mindful, approachable, grace-filled, bold, and self-giving. With questions to ponder, self-assessments, and insightful quotations, Love Like That will revolutionize every relationship in your life—especially the ones that matter most.

My Thoughts:

Dr. Les Parrott is a fantastic writer! Love Like That is not what I had expected it to be! It was even better. This book is an easy read with concepts that all believers can understand and apply to their life. If we are to love God and love people, then this book is a perfect read to model those behaviors with 5 qualities that are explained in chapter by chapter. 

I love how this book looks at scripture and gives the reader a way to practically live out loving like Jesus, but doing it authentically, not out of doing, but out of being. This book really made me examine my heart and the why behind whether I would love someone like Jesus or why I may not. It helped me check my heart motives, which I loved. 

Overall, this book is a great read and has some great pointers that I have never though of! You'll be better for reading this book. Your relationships will never be the same and you will love Jesus differently after this book! I highly recommend this book! I give this book 5/5 stars! 

About the Author:

The Parrotts are New York Times #1 Best Selling Authors. Their books include the award-winning Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts, Love Talk, Real Relationships, The Parent You Want to Be, The Hour That Matters Most and Crazy Good Sex.

Each year Les and Leslie speak in over 40 cities. Their audiences include a wide array of venues, from churches to Fortune 500 company board rooms. Their books have sold over two million copies in more than two dozen languages.

The Parrotts have been guests on many national TV and radio programs such as CNN, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, The View with Barbara Walters, NBC Nightly News, and Oprah. Their work has been featured in USA Today and The New York Times.

Hope Your Heart Needs: 52 Encouraging Reminders of How God Cares for You by Holley Gerth

Hope Your Heart Needs: 52 Encouraging Reminders of How God Cares for You

by 

Holley Gerth

About:

Understanding more of God's character and how he loves us changed bestselling author Holley Gerth's life in beautiful, powerful ways. She realized that she didn't have to settle for "I'm fine" when there was someone whispering to her in every moment, "You're mine." The hope, joy, peace, and purpose she longed for were already there, in the heart of God.

Now in 52 devotional readings, Holley shares with women the answer to the restlessness they feel in their hearts that keeps them hurrying, striving, pushing. She shows them that "the God who scattered stars like diamonds across the velvet of the universe, the keeper of every sparrow, the maker of us all, is inviting us to draw closer to him. He is the place where our hearts can go on the hard days and the happy ones, in the highs and lows, when we are sad or frustrated or downright giddy. He is what we've been searching for all along."

My Thoughts:

I love reading all of Holly Gerth's books! They are always so encouraging, full of Godly wisdom and great for any season in your walk with God. This book can be used as a great devotional or gift book to gives to friends, co workers or a family member. Holly uses the character of God to draw into the reader into thought provoking, diving deep into the Bible. 

I was very encouraged by this book and thought of several people that I needed to purchase this book for. I really enjoyed reading this book and am going to pick up a couple of copies for a few friends. I give this book 5/5 stars. 

About the Author:

Holley Gerth is a best-selling writer, licensed counselor, certified life coach and speaker. She is cofounder of (in)courage, an online destination for women, which received more than one million page views in its first six months. She also reaches out to readers through her popular blog at www.holleygerth.com and a partnership with DaySpring.