Half the Battle By Jon Chasteen

 Half the Battle By Jon Chasteen

Do you ever feel the pressure to hide your struggles in order to look like a “good Christian”? The truth is, we all face battles and hurts in our lives. Scripture is full of God-fearing men and women who tried to cover up their problems. For Mary and Martha, the death of their brother, Lazarus, was the ultimate devastation. They put his body in a dark place and rolled a stone in front of it. But God knew where they buried their pain, and He knows where you bury yours too.

Jon Chasteen explores Old and New Testament examples of people whom God invited to begin the healing process by confronting their secret pain. Through this book with an included study guide, you will learn to:

• Acknowledge the struggles you’ve been avoiding
• Let go of shame and regret
• Partner with God in your healing
• Find freedom and lasting peace

God wants to visit the place of your pain, redeem your past, and set you free. Will you let Him?

My Thoughts:

Half the Battle is an encouraging read that I recommend you pick up today. This book gives the reader tools in how to heal from shame. The author recognizes that healing is a process and journey, one that should not be rushed, but rather the reader should take the invitation. This book is a great tool in helping people get free. I love freedom ministries and this book definitely has that flavor of thought behind it. If you are learning to break free from the past and partner with the truth of God's word, this book is for you! Grab a copy today, you won't regret it. This book is worth 5 stars to me! 

Dr. Jon Chasteen is president of The King’s University in Southlake, Texas. He and his wife, Michele, also serve as the lead pastors of Victory Church in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Jon’s greatest passion is to empower and equip the local church to live, move, and be in the fullness of Christ.

 

Jason Sautel, author of THE RESCUER

About The Rescuer: One Firefighter’s Story of Courage, Darkness, and the Relentless Love That Saved Him

Hardcover: 208 Pages

Publisher: Thomas Nelson (September 1, 2020)

He helped save people every day—but he had no idea how to save himself.

Jason Sautel had it all. Confident in his abilities and trusted by his fellow firefighters, he was making a name for himself on the streets of Oakland, California. His adrenaline-fueled job even helped him forget the pain of his childhood—until the day he looked into the eyes of a jumper on the Bay Bridge and came face to face with a darkness he knew would take him down as well.

In the following months, a series of traumatic emergency calls—some successful, others impossible-to-forget failures—drove Jason deeper into depression. Even as he continued his lifesaving work, he realized he could never rescue everyone, and he had no idea how to save himself.

In the end, Jason was forced to confront the truth: only the relentless power of love could pull him back from his own deadly fall. Action-packed, spiritually honest, and surprisingly romantic, The Rescuer transports readers inside the pulse-pounding world of firefighting and into the heart of a man who needed to be broken before he could finally be made whole.

My Thoughts:

The Rescuer is an incredible, inspirational story that is needed in a time like this. Jason does an amazing job of creating and inviting the reader into his career as a first responder. This book gives the reader insight to what our public defenders and hero's endure on a daily basis. While this book was very rewarding to read, the lifestyle of a servant comes with emotional heartache and redemption. This book is powerful and a great read. I think that those in the industry of public defending and service, can relate to this story. It is especially needed a in a time like this, where are public hero's need encouragement. I enjoyed this book and recommend it. You will learn a lot, including many responsibilities and duties firemen/women do on a daily basis. This book is a fascinating memoir and I highly recommend picking up a copy today! 

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

About Jason Sautel

Jason Sautel spent much of his early adulthood as a decorated firefighter in one of the toughest firehouses in the country and today shares Christ-centered stories and lessons from his time there to his 600,000+ Facebook followers. He loves his wife of sixteen years, Kristie, his four two-legged children, his two four-legged children, and appreciates God’s gifts of donuts, surfing, and Maui.

Connect with Jason

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

The Mockingbird's Song By Wanda Brunstetter

The Mockingbird's Song By Wanda Brunstetter 

Where Is the Hope in Grief for a Young Amish Widow?

Sylvia has been nearly paralyzed with grief and anxiety since the tragic death of her husband, father, and brother in a traffic accident. She tries to help in the family’s greenhouse while caring for her two young children, but she prefers not to have to deal with customers. Her mother’s own grief causes her to hover over her children and grandchildren, and Sylvia seeks a diversion. She takes up birdwatching and soon meets an Amish man who teaches her about local birds. But Sylvia’s mother doesn’t trust Dennis Weaver, and as the relationship sours, mysterious attacks on the greenhouse start up again.

My Thoughts:

The MockingBirds Song is the second book in the Amish Greenhouse Mystery series. I have read both books and could not wait to get my hands on this book to see what happened next. This book is written on how the women of an Amish community are dealing with the grief of loosing important men in their lives due to a buggy accident. For some of the family members, it is harder than others, but ultimately with faith and hope, they get through it. 

This series is a bit different than other ones by Wanda. She adds an element of mystery to each book and that keeps me interesting and wanting to solve the mystery, so the pages fly.  I really enjoyed this book and look forward to more from Wanda!

Wanda Brunstetter is an award-winning romance novelist who has led millions of readers to lose their heart in the Amish life. She is the author of almost 90 books with more than 10 million copies sold. Many of her books have landed on the top bestseller lists, including the New York Times, USA Today, Publisher's Weekly, CBA, ECPA, and CBD. Wanda is considered one of the founders of the Amish fiction genre, and her work has been covered by national publications, including Time Magazine and USA Today.

Wanda's fascination with the Amish culture developed when she met her husband, Richard, who grew up in a Mennonite church, and whose family has a Pennsylvania Dutch heritage. Meeting her new Mennonite sister-in-laws caused Wanda to yearn for the simpler life. In their travels, she and her husband have become close friends with many Amish people across America. Wanda's desire to explore their culture increased when she discovered that her great-great grandparents were part of the Anabaptist faith.

All of Wanda's novels are based on personal research intended to accurately portray the Amish way of life. Many of her books are well-read and trusted by the Amish, who credit her for giving readers a deeper understanding of the people and their customs.

Wanda's primary attraction to the Amish is their desire to live a devout Christian life that strives to honor God, work hard, and maintain close family ties. Whenever she visits her Amish friends, Wanda finds herself drawn to their peaceful lifestyle, sincerity, and close family ties, which is in stark contrast to the chaos and busyness that plagues so many modern "Englishers." Time and time again, Wanda loses her heart in the Amish life, and she hopes her readers will, too. For more information, visit: www.WandaBrunstetter.com

Well, Girl: An Inside-Out Journey to Wellness by Jami Amerine

Well, Girl: An Inside-Out Journey to Wellness

by 

Jami Amerine

If you’re skinny, fat, short, tall, or somewhere in between. . .
If you’ve ever thought that losing weight would lead to happiness. . .
If you’ve ever avoided a mirror because you didn’t want to see your reflection. . .
If you’ve found Jesus or you’re still searching. . .

Well, Girl, You’ve Come to the Right Place.
***

You’ll find a sassy, funny, authentic, and encouraging friend in master word weaver Jami Amerine, as she comes alongside you to share God’s overwhelming grace and patience in an inside-out journey to wellness. She’ll introduce you to a heavenly Father who adores you, right where you are. And she’ll let you have a peek into the insane ride of her life that led her to complete freedom after years of hating herself—while she was completely and utterly adored by Jesus.
This transformational read will set you free. Hilarious, raw, and somehow poetic, Well, Girl offers scriptural truths, honest and thought-provoking ideas about wellness, and an in-depth look at a life free from culture’s lies—with increased self-worth, better overall health, and more confidence in your physical appearance.


My Thoughts:

This book is incredible! Please pick up a copy today and don't delay. I was on a weight loss journey about 10 years ago, where I lost close to 100lbs and while the journey has been incredible, it's more about the person on the inside that shines through. THIS book is about a journey, not a weight loss program or diet plan. This is one that I have read two times. I have taken each chapter, word by word. Her words will bring a fresh breath on your journey as you learn to love yourself more and follow Jesus. I cannot urge you enough to pick up a copy of this book today! It has been the book of the summer for me. 

About Jami:

Hello! My name is Jami Amerine. I am wife of Justin, mom to Maggie, John (Marine-baby), Luke, Sophie, Sam & Charlie (the vandals.) I love words, chocolate, coffee, painting and Real Jesus. Justin and I have been married for 25 years... the original 4 babies are our biological children and then we started all over with foster care and adoption adding the new batch. We recently moved from our ranch in West Texas to the Houston area just in time for the launch of my first book with Harvest House, Stolen Jesus: An Unconventional Search for the Real Savior.

Other than that! Life is all, bills, babies, casseroles, cardio, a little yoga, blog posts, laundry, take out Chinese, Beastie Boys, homework, Seinfeld, laughter, tears, spilled milk, cheezits, Jesus, a walk around the block and another trip to Walmart. I love connecting with my readers and hearing all the ways our lives are similar... and completely different.

I actually wasn't a writer so I come from a place of wonder as I navigate all this insanity. In August of 2015, I had an unknown little mommy blog, I averaged about 69 views a month. In September of 2015 I put up a blog post, from my phone called An Open Letter to My Children You're Not That Great.... and that month I had 690,000 views, the next month I had a million, an agent, and a couple months later I had a two-book deal with Harvest House, so you just never know! But it has been such a fun ride. I have never had as much fun as getting to know the people that frequent my blog and social media sites.

I look forward to connecting with you too! Grace, love, and Real Jesus, Jami Amerine

Love and a Little White Lie By Tammy Gray

Love and a Little White Lie By Tammy Gray

January Sanders grew up believing karma was more reliable than an imaginary higher power, but after suffering her worst heartbreak in 29 years, she's open to just about anything, including taking a temporary position at her aunt's church. Keeping her lack of faith a secret, January is determined to use her photographic memory to help Grace Community's overworked staff, all while scraping herself off rock bottom.

What she doesn't count on is meeting the church's handsome and charming guitarist, who not only is a strong believer, but has also dedicated his life to Christian music. It's a match set for disaster, and yet January has no ability to stay away, even if it means pretending to have faith in a God she doesn't believe in.

Only this time, keeping secrets isn't as easy as she thought it would be. Especially when she's constantly running into her aunt's landscape architect, who seems to know everything about her past and present sins and makes no apologies about pushing her to deal with feelings she'd rather keep buried.

Torn between two worlds incapable of coexisting, can January find the healing that's eluded her or will her resistance to the truth ruin any chance of happiness?

My Thoughts:

Love and a Little White Lie is my first read by Tammy Gray and it won't be my last. This books is a quick and incredible read. I was surprised at how I could not wait, as I finished the book in one sitting. I ADORE January and can relate to her character so much, which is probably why I enjoyed this book. I also adored her aunt as well and wish we all had someone like her in our life.. Don't forget Dillon too.. This book is also setting us up for another one in the future, which I can't wait to read. Between humor, sarcasm and threads of redemption. This story is one not to be missed. 

About the Author:

Tammy L. Gray lives in the Dallas area with her family, and they love all things Texas, even the erratic weather patterns. Her nine modern and true-to-life contemporary romances include 2017 RITA award winning, My Hope Next Door, and show her unending quest to write high quality, culturally relevant stories with relatable and flawed characters.

When not taxiing her three kids to various school and sporting events, Tammy can be spotted crunching numbers as the financial administrator at her hometown church. Writing has given her a platform to combine her passion with her ministry all while sharing the messy, yet remarkable journey that is a faith-filled life.