Oswald Chambers said, “The springs of love are in God, not in us. It is absurd to look for the love of God in our hearts naturally; it is only there when it has been shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.” This month the focus is on love; we can love because He first loved us (I John 4:19). Christian love is a gift from God, demonstrated in the cross.
This month in Book Buzz Marion Stroud in Dear God, It’s Me and It’s Urgent enriches our prayer life, Denise Hunter’s Sweetwater Gap and Tracie Peterson’s A Promise to Believe In each remind us that God loves us despite our imperfections. Wherever you find yourself this February, remember God is crazy in love with you, warts and all!
Sweetwater Gap
By Denise Hunter
Thomas Nelson
304pages
Josie has spent her life running away from Shelbyville. Even her father’s funeral could not bring Josie back home to face the memories she was running away from. It took a call from Nate, her brother in law, informing her that Josie’s sister Laurel was pregnant with twins and he needed help with the family apple orchard. If the apples were not harvested, Nate and Laurel could lose everything.
Josie’s love for her sister brought her back home to Shelbyville and back to the place she had been running from. Josie knew everyone in small town Shelbyville, but when she returned she was introduced to handsomely rugged Grady, the orchard manager.
Grady was well liked and respected around Shelbyville, but he was upset when Josie had been called in to help. After all, he viewed Josie as a person who ran away from her family. As the harvest season arrives and Laurel’s pregnancy progresses, so does the relationship Josie and Grady are trying to avoid.
Grady discovers Josie is struggling with an illness that she has kept hidden from her family. While Josie fights to ignore her symptoms, which she believes she rightly deserves, Grady ends up fighting for Josie life.
Denise Hunter does a beautiful job of showing God’s unconditional love, even when we turn away from Him. Sweetwater Gap captured me by the first page and had me soaking in the beautiful scent of apple orchards and small town life.
A Promise to Believe In
By Tracie Peterson
Bethany House
364 pages
While growing up the Gallatin sisters never had a place to call home. It was not until recently their father settled down and they began to make a home for themselves in Montana. Their father and the three daughters managed a roadhouse at the crossroads of two stagecoach lines. Suddenly their father is killed and the oldest daughter Gwen believes it is all her fault. Gwen says she is cursed and harm comes to anyone she loves.
While keeping the roadhouse in operation an unexpected visitor looking for his brother turns Gwen’s life upside down. Lacy is determined to find who is responsible for her father’s death and Beth is trying to protect Gwen from this new unexpected visitor. Does Gwen dare fall in love again? And is she cursed?
A Promise to Believe In is the first book in a new series called Brides of Gallatin. Book one is Gwen’s story. Each of the sisters had me laughing out loud and sometimes crying; I can not wait to read Beth and Lacy’s story. Tracie Peterson does a beautiful job in bringing each of her characters to life and reminding us of the hardships of 19th century life.
Dear God, It’s Me and It’s Urgent
By Marion Stroud
Discovery House Publishers
211 pages
Dear God, It’s Me and It’s Urgent is a beautifully written prayer book for every woman’s season of life. Many times when life is spinning we fail to find the right words to offer up in prayer. Marion Stroud does a wonderful job enriching our prayer life, while drawing us closer to God.
These are prayers that help us manage the clutter that surrounds our life, tantrums we experience, life changes such as weddings, to the various seasons of a woman’s life. Dear God, It’s Me and It’s Urgent helps us keep our perspective on where it should be during these trials of life.
©2009, Lori Kasbeer
Lori ’s personal blog can be found at Lori’s Reflections and additional book reviews at Lori’s Book Reviews