Arkansas Mom Jailed for Breastfeeding

This infuriates me to no end! Because of a NOSEY server this mother was arrested and put in jail.
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2014/03/27/3419669/arkansas-mother-arrested-breastfeeding/

I breast fed all three of my girls and YES I had a drink now and then and they are perfectly fine. This mother was eating she wasn't just sitting at the bar throwing them back, she had a couple of beers. When the server told her managers what she saw they told her they weren't going to do anything, it was the NOSEY server who wasn't even working she was there for a meeting and she decided she knew best and called the police, after talking to her mother.
I remember being told to not nurse my daughter in a Denny's because an older couple didn't like it. I told the said server to tell them to leave, I wasn't. 
I am glad that there was no evidence to prosecute the mom and the server got her just deserts and was fired!

The ridiculous server says she'd do it again, if she does I hope she again looses her job!

Wildwood Creek by Lisa Wingate

About the book:
Allie Kirkland has never been one to take wild risks. But when she’s offered a costuming assistant’s job on a docudrama in the hills near Moses Lake, she jumps at the chance. She’s always dreamed of following in her director-father’s footsteps, and the reenactment of the legendary frontier settlement of Wildwood is a first step. The family expectations will have to wait.
But in 1861, the real Wildwood held dangerous realities. Town founder Harland Delevan held helpless residents, including young Irish schoolteacher Bonnie Rose, in an iron grip. Mysterious disappearances led to myths and legends still retold in the folk songs of Chinquapin Peaks. Eventually, the entire site was found abandoned.
When strange connections surface between Allie and the teacher who disappeared over a century ago, everyone in Wildwood, including Allie’s handsome neighbor on the film set, Blake Fulton, seems to be hiding secrets, and Allie doesn’t know who she can trust. If she can’t find the answers in time, history may repeat itself . . . with the most unthinkable results.

About this author

:
Lisa Wingate is a popular inspirational speaker, magazine columnist, and national bestselling author of several books, including Tending Roses, Good Hope Road, The Language of Sycamores, and Drenched in Light. Her work was recently honored by the Americans for More Civility for promoting greater kindness and civility in American life. Lisa and her family live in Central Texas.
You can learn more about her here:

http://www.lisawingate.com

My Thoughts:
Lisa sent me a copy of this book to review. I didn't know this was book 4 in the series, but it wasn't hard to follow. It can very easily read as a stand alone.
She tells the story in alternating points of view, between Allie and Bonnie. The alternating points of view added to the story and the mystery of what happened to Bonnie.
Lisa not only tells a good story, she incorporates the spiritual element nicely without it being over bearing.
I highly recommend this!

  

Maybelle in Stitches by Joyce Magnin

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Maybelle In Stitches Abingdon Press (March 18, 2014) by Joyce Magnin

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A word from the Author:

I am the author of seven novels. Five adult novels and two middle grade readers. I never wanted to do anything else but write and every day I wake up astonished that I get to do what I always dreamed about. My days are filled with words and images along with the usual family stuff. I have three children, Rebekah who is married to Joshua. They have three of the most adorable boys on the planet, Lemuel, Cedar and Soren. My daughter Emily Kate is a lovely young woman anthropologist and my son Adam is fourteen and a student--he's a genius who loves frogs and lizards and fish and plants. He amazes me.

I have never eaten a scallop. I love cream soda. Drink way too much coffee. I do not like elevators but I do enjoy needle arts and of course books. I prefer jazz over country (no offense), milk chocolate over dark, but not roller coasters although my life has often resembled a roller coaster ride.

One of my life's desires is to meet Amy Grant so I can tell her she saved my life.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Maybelle can’t sew. But when she finds an unfinished quilt in the attic of her mother’s house, she gets the crazy idea to complete it. At first, it’s just a way to fill the lonely nights while her husband, staff sergeant Holden Kanzinzki, is away fighting in World War II.

Yet when Maybelle discovers that the quilt is made from scraps of material that can be traced back through her family heritage, the project is suddenly much more important. Then word comes that Holden is missing in action, and with little else to do, Maybelle clings to the quilt as much as to the hope that her husband is still alive. As neighborhood friends gather around Maybelle to help her through the unknown days and nights ahead, it is the quilt that becomes a symbol of her unflagging belief that Holden will return—to her, to their home, and to their quilt-covered bed.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Maybelle In Stitches, go HERE.

Summer of Joy

About the book:
For Jocie Brooke, the summer of 1964 certainly was eventful, but it's nothing compared to what's coming to Hollyhill, Kentucky, and the Brooke family next. The past is coming to call, threatening to destroy the relationships that everyone thought were so strong. Two people--one thought to be gone for good and the other no one's ever heard of--are making their way to the small town. And it promises trouble for everyone.
This complex and beautifully written story is the perfect conclusion to The Heart of Hollyhill series. With true-to-life family drama, refreshing humor, and characters readers have come to love like dear friends, "Summer of Joy" will delight Gabhart's fans.

 About Ann:


Ann H. Gabhart grew up on a farm in Kentucky. By the time she was ten she knew she wanted to be a writer. She's published over twenty novels. She and her husband have three children and nine grandchildren. She still lives on a farm not far from where she grew up. She loves playing with her grandkids, walking with her dog, reading and, of course, writing. Her Shaker books, set in her fictional Shaker village of Harmony Hill in the 1800's, are popular with readers. The Outsider was a Christian Fiction Book Award Finalist in 2009. Her Heart of Hollyhill books are Small Town, America books set in the 1960's. Angel Sister, a Rosey Corner book set during the Great Depression, will be followed by Small Town Girl. Visit Ann's website http://annhgabhart.com or her two blogs, One Writer's Journal, www.annhgabhart.blogspot.com, and the Hollyhill Book of the Strange, www.hollyhillbookofthestrange.blogspo.... Giveaways several times a year.

My Thoughts:
I read The Scent of Lilacs and really enjoyed it. It was great to go back to Hollyhill and see what Joice was up to. Joice's English teacher, Mr. Hammond has singled her out and not in a good way. He also has his on Leigh, which is her father, David's girlfriend/fiancee. 
Someone is stalking the residents, people from the past show up and add more mystery to the story, and Wes who believes he is from Jupiter is absolutely hilarious.
While this is the third book in the series, it could be read as a stand alone, however I think you would enjoy it a lot better if you read the other books in the series.
Ann has a great way of adding a spiritual element without being overbearing and you will definitely see and feel what God has for these characters, and yourself.
Highly recommended!!

Win a Kindle HDX from @BillyCoffey in “The Devil Walks in Mattingly” Giveaway!

About the book: For the three people tortured by their secret complicity in a young man's untimely death, redemption is what they most long for . . . and the last thing they expect to receive.

It has been twenty years since Philip McBride's body was found along the riverbank in the dark woods known as Happy Hollow. His death was ruled a suicide. But three people have carried the truth ever since---Philip didn't kill himself that day. He was murdered.

Each of the three have wilted in the shadow of their sins. Jake Barnett is Mattingly's sheriff, where he spends his days polishing the fragile shell of the man he pretends to be. His wife, Kate, has convinced herself the good she does for the poor will someday wash the blood from her hands. And high in the mountains, Taylor Hathcock lives in seclusion and fear, fueled by madness and hatred.

Yet what cannot be laid to rest is bound to rise again. Philip McBride has haunted Jake's dreams for weeks, warning that he is coming back for them all. When Taylor finds mysterious footprints leading from the Hollow, he believes his redemption has come. His actions will plunge the quiet town of Mattingly into darkness. These three will be drawn together for a final confrontation between life and death . . . Between truth and lies.

Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/ux3hc 

About the Author: Billy Coffey's critically-acclaimed books combine rural Southern charm with a vision far beyond the ordinary. He is a regular contributor to several publications, where he writes about faith and life. Billy lives with his wife and two children in Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains. 

Learn more about Billy at: http://billycoffey.com

Billy Coffey is celebrating his new book, The Devil Walks in Mattingly, with a Kindle Fire HDX giveaway.







 



One winner will receive:




• A Kindle Fire HDX


• The Devil Walks in Mattingly by Billy Coffey


Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on April 5th. Winner will be announced April  7th on Billy's blog. Watch Billy give the backstory of the book here.







Don't miss a moment of the fun; enter today and be sure to stop by Billy's blog on April 7th to see if you won.

My Thoughts:
I had a hard time following this story. There are so many characters and story lines I couldn't keep up. I read and reviewed Snow Day, and really enjoyed it. I was very sad that I didn't enjoy this one. 
I plan on trying it again.

I am updating this review, because I have re-read the book, and I really enjoyed it. Billy Coffey writes a book about how the past not covered in grace haunts us. Jake, Kate, and Taylor live with guilt over what happened to Phillip twenty years ago. In re-reading it, I was reminded of The Oath by Frank Peretti. Sin and the guilt from sin has a way of eating us from the inside out. That is what is happening with the characters in this book. While the redemption thread is there it is not over powering. You will walk away from this book thinking not only of the characters, but the redemption we have received through Christ.  I highly recommend it!!

 

Egalitarianism Within the Church???

I just read this article, http://juniaproject.com/towards-a-deeper-theology-of-women/ and this shows me more and more why I don't want to have any ties with the Nazarene church. I was raised in the Nazarene church, and am sad to say that I see it deteriorating in the beliefs that they once held dear, and it is because of that, that I will not attend a Nazarene church.

This article speaks of Equality within the church, women being leading preachers, claiming that it is their duty . . really???  Dallas Willard goes on to say that it is misguided for women to not be in leadership, it is also their obligation since the spiritual gifts are not gender specific. He also says that women not fulfilling their leadership role says something is wrong with them.

If you are a woman in ministry, and you need a "human" telling you that your role within the church is "OKAY", then you may want to check your spiritual pulse. 
We all know that anyone can take a portion of scripture and fit it to their needs, and in my humble opinion that is exactly what is going on here. 

Don't misunderstand me, I have no problem with a woman giving a sermon, I just don't believe that God intends for a woman to be over a man in church leadership.

When it comes to being equal with men, I think women's rights have gone way too far the opposite direction...we should have the right to vote, get paid the same wage for the same job, those are given . . .do we really want to give up all of what makes us different? I like that my husband treats me like a woman not just one of the guys...opening my door, helping me with my coat; these are just a couple, I don't want to be treated like a man, I want to be treated like a woman. 

God made us different for a reason. We were created to help men ... Genesis 2:22 God created woman out of the mans rib...The LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. It is very clear that we are to work beside, not be above, and in my understanding this doesn't mean just in marriage, it is in all walks. 
As women we are more emotional by nature, which can be a positive and a negative. 

I will stick to a church where there is a man behind the pulpit ... thank you very much!

 

Tide and Tempest

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Tide and Tempest Bethany House Publishers (March 4, 2014) by Elizabeth Ludwig

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Elizabeth Ludwig is an award-winning author whose work has been featured on Novel Rocket, the Christian Authors Network, and The Christian Pulse. Her first novel, Where the Truth Lies (co-authored with Janelle Mowery), earned her the 2008 IWA Writer of the Year Award. This book was followed in 2009 by "I'll be Home for Christmas", part of the Christmas anthology collection, Christmas Homecoming.

In 2011, her second mystery, Died in the Wool (co-authored with Janelle Mowery) was nominated for a Carol Award. In 2012, the popular EDGE OF FREEDOM series released from Bethany House Publishers. Books one and two, No Safe Harbor and Dark Road Home, respectively, earned 4 Stars from the RT Book Reviews. Book three, Tide and Tempest, received top honors with 4 1/2 Stars.

Elizabeth is an accomplished speaker and teacher, often attending conferences and seminars where she lectures on editing for fiction writers, crafting effective novel proposals, and conducting successful editor/agent interviews. Along with her husband and children, she makes her home in the great state of Texas.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Two years ago, her fiance perished during their voyage to America.

Now she discovers it may have been murder...

Dreaming of a better life, Tillie McGrath leaves Ireland behind and, with her beloved fiance by her side, sets sail for America. But when illness robs her of the man she holds dear, she's left alone with only a handful of tattered memories. While forging on proves difficult, Tillie soon finds some new friends at her New York boardinghouse, and begins pursuing a new dream--to open a home for orphaned children.

Despite two years passing, Captain Keondric Morgan has never forgotten the lass who left his ship so heartbroken. When a crewman's deathbed confession reveals her fiance's demise was the result of murder, the captain knows he must try to contact her. But his attention draws the notice of others as well--dangerous men who believe Tillie has in her possession something that could expose their crimes. And to their way of thinking, the best way to prevent such an outcome is to seize the evidence and then hand Tillie the same fate as her naïve fiance.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Tide and Tempest, go HERE.