The Truth about Christmas

Wow! This book hits the mark with all the commercialism of Christmas and trying to take it out of the public areas. "The War on Christmas" by Bodie Hodge dispells many of the myths surrounding Christmas and how the American culture has become almost anti-Christmas!! Learn why Christmas is so important to Bible beliving Christians. Hodge wrties "Why in America is Christ being taken out of Chritmas?...The real reason many in this culture want Christ out of Christmas is because they don't want to believe and obey the Word." As Christians we need to stand up for Christmas-one way we can do this is to read this book and then give it families and friends. And, remember to say "Merry Christmas!"

The Heart of Christmas

Sadie and Levi are two single Old Order Amish who are intent on being friends only. Soured on having a romatic relationship both agree to be friends but to the community they act like they have a promising relationship in order to have their families stop their respective match making. Can this relationship grow beyond friendship? Or will they remain friends in name only? Christmas is full of surprises in Apple Ridge in Cindy Woodsmall's new book The Dawn of Christmas. An easy read to put you into the Christmas spirit of faith, family and forgiveness.

Growing where planted

   Rhoda is working to establish an orchard in Maine along with the two King brothers and in the process create a new Amish settlement. But the process has not been easy. In this third book, For Every Season, in the series Amish Vines and Orchards  Rhoda feels the strain of an impulsive kiss from her partner Samuel King and witnessed by her beau Jacob. So much so she moves in with her English neighbours in the hopes this will help the situation between Jacob and his brother. While living there her intuition, her God-given gift, begins to build up to the point where she tells her English neighbour what she has been hearing and seeing. Will this decision back fire or does it help? Will her decision about Jacob and the orchard be the right one? With the help of Samuel will Rhoda accept her God-given gift for what it is?
Cindy Woodsmall does a wonderful job in helping the reader to get further into Rhoda's head to understand her fears, her hopes, her dreams. The sad part is that we will have to wait for the fourth book to read how the orchard does at the first harvest, what happens between Leah and Landon, and the future of Rhoda's relationship with the Kings.

Thumbs Up for Amish Who-Done-It

I loved reading this latest novel from Amanda Flower. Although it was my first time it will not be my last. "A Plain Disappearance" had the right amount of drama, suspense, romance and humour to make me a new fan of this author. 
Part of the Appleseed Creek Mystery series, Chloe Humphrey is on her first date with Timoth Troyer, who has left his Old Order Amish to be an Englischer, when  they discover the body of a local Amish teenage girl near an abandoned barn. Not only that but inside of the barn they discover evidence that Timothy's friend Billy may be involved. As Chloe begins to investigate she discovers there may be more than one possible suspect. You will not be disappointed in reading this Amish who-done-it. If anything you will become a fan of Amanda Flower.

Nuggets of Wisdom

Personal growth or a women's Bible study, "The Blessed Woman" by Debbie Morris, is just the ticket. Morris was looking for a mentor to help her on her Christian journey but did not find one. So she turned to the women of the Bible to mentor to her. What she discovered is presented in this book. Some of the women and their stories are familiar but others are not. Take the story of Jeal who kills Sisera to save the Israelites as told in Judges. As Morris writes, "our personal victories over sin and Satan affect our husbands, our children...When we conquer the oppressor in our lives, we embolden other believers to do the same." Some other topics include overcoming insecurity, finding a purpose and learning to wait. Nuggets of wisdom are found throughout this book that will help women in their spiritual and personal growth. Become the woman that God wants you to be and read this book.  

An Amish Heart
The book, A Hopeful Heart, is in a new series by Amy Clipston. Hannah Glick, an Amish widow, is still recovering from the lost of her husband when she meets an Englisher is a recent widower. Through brief encounters, each learns of the others loss and the grief that has engulfed them. But the Amish community frowns on the friendship between these two. Hannah is torn between being a moral example for her children or continuing her friendship with the Englisher. To complicate matters, she receives a marriage proposal from her Amish brother-in-law. Hannah must make a decision but what is the right path? Although the material has been covered in other books this one is a bit different in that it is dealing with a grown woman with children and the impact her decision will have on their lives, not a young woman deciding her future. If you like the Amish genre then don't miss this book in the  Hearts of Lancaster Grand Hotel series.

A New Classic?
I finished reading "The Point: The Redemption of Oban Ironbout" by William E. Jefferson two weeks after starting. Yes, it was a slow start since I had a hard time with writing style and the first few chapters. I plodded on gradually increased my reading time as I began to get into the story. The story has a pleasantly surprising twist to it. Goodwin and Hollie Macbreeze have traveled to the Isle of Estillyen for inspriation, for rest and to see a place Goodwin's grandfather spoke fondly about-The Point. Once they have settled at Estillyen, Goodwin travels to The Point and meets Oban Ironbout first hand-a man who wants nothing to do with the monks or the nuns. But Goodwin does not give up, even taking Hollie to visit and showing Ironbout a picture that he drew as a child of the house on The Point. The mystery behind Oban Ironbout begins to unravel but be ready for an unexpected twist. In between the visits to Mr. Ironbout the couple attends the readings that the monks on Estillyen are well known for. These series of readings called Redemption are from the Bible. The monks present them in a most compelling way. 

This is a story one reads through to get the emotional impact, then read a second time for intellectual contact, and a third time for the spiritual impact and again and again because each time you read something you didn't notice the time before. So it's worth a try. If for nothing else then to discover the mysterious twist as Oban Ironbout is redeemed.