Letting Go of the Past

Night’s chill tickled her skin. Lonnie pressed her hands together and glanced up. He was even more handsome up close. Having grown up the shy, awkward daughter of Joel Sawyer, she’d hardly spoken to any boy, let alone the one who had mothers whispering warnings in their daughter’s ears and fathers loading shotguns.
 
Pretty Lonnie Sawyer is shy and innocent, used to fading into the background within her family, and among the creeks and hollows of the Appalachian hills. Though her family is poor and her father abusive, she clings to a quiet faith.  But when handsome ladies’ man and bluegrass musician Gideon O’Riley steals a kiss, that one action seals her fate. 

Her father forces her into a hasty marriage with Gideon—a man she barely knows and does not love. Equally frustrated and confused by his new responsibilities, Gideon yearns for a fresh start, forcing  Lonnie on an arduous journey away from her home in Rocky Knob.

Her distant groom can’t seem to surrender his rage at the injustice of the forced matrimony or give Lonnie any claim in his life.  What will it take for Gideon to give up his past, embrace Lonnie’s God, and discover a hope that can heal their two fractured hearts?

Gideon only ever cared about himself. Now that Lonnie is his wife, will he ever be worthy of her heart?

 

Gideon feels wronged from people in his past and he can't give up his injustices. It's actually easier to hold onto all the hurt than letting go because you feel as though you need to hate them all your life. The hate is actually holding you back from God's blessings. I experiecnded that the hard way too. I wanted them to hurt as I hurt, but they don't feel it.

A quote I got from Pinterest said: Hating someone is like drinking poison and hoping that they feel the same way as you. 

 

It just doesn't work that way. Once I let go of all my hatred, my life has been stress-free from all the burdens and all the baggage that I have been carrying all those years in my heart. Once I cleaned it out with God, my heart felt light and it can hold much more important things. 

I got this book from: Bloggingforbooks.com

Losing Control

Seth Kincaid survived a fire in a cave, but he's never been the same. He was always a reckless youth, but now he's gone over the edge. He ran off to the Civil War and came back crazier than ever.
After the war, nearly dead from his injuries, it appears Seth got married. Oh, he's got a lot of excuses, but his wife isn't happy to find out Seth doesn't remember her. Callie has searched, prayed, and worried. Now she's come to the Kincaid family's ranch in Colorado to find her lost husband.

Callie isn't a long-suffering woman. Once she knows her husband is alive, she wants to kill him. She's not even close to forgiving him for abandoning her.

Then more trouble shows up in the form of a secret Seth's pa kept for years. The Kincaid brothers might lose their ranch if they can't sort things out. It's enough to drive a man insane--but somehow it's all making Seth see things more clearly. And now that he knows what he wants, no one better stand in his way.

Have you always felt as though you're riding on the edge? I know many people today are going through life like Seth. He was reckless and irresponsible for his actions. As I was looking at a TV show, a commercial popped up about texting and driving.

The person checked his text while driving and ended up with permanent brain damage. He had one reckless moment and ended up regretting it for the rest of his life. Others were not so lucky. One person lost her sister due to the text she checked right before the car flipped.

There isn't a lot of time in this world, even though we all think that we're not going to die anytime soon. One reckless choice is what it takes to cause you to go over the edge for eternity. This book reminded me not to frivolously waste my life on things that have no eternal value. 

I got this book from: Bethany House Publishers

To Believe or Not to Believe

You Believe God Can Still Do Miracles, But How Do You Know Which Stories Are True?

A blind man suddenly sees. A lame man gets up and walks. A little boy is raised from the dead. You believe the biblical accounts that these miracles happened, but do you believe eye-witness reports that miracles still happen today? Between shady faith-healers, weeping madonnas, and gimmicks like holy land water, it's difficult--even foolish--to believe every miracle account we hear. So how do we discount the fakes without missing out on the real miracles in the process?

Award-winning journalist Tim Stafford shares captivating stories of modern-day miracles, wrestling over what is credible and what isn't. But more than that, he offers wisdom and insight to help you figure out the role miracles should play in your faith. Should you expect miracles? Ignore them? Pray for them? How active is God in the world today? And could he be more active in your own life?

This book opened up my eyes to Bible-based miracles. There are many people out there that are enticed by the false prophets and their miraculous healing. This book differentiates the difference between the two. I would recommend this book to readers who doubt the whole miracle process yet is awed by the fact that miracles still exist in today's world.

I got this free book from: Bethany House Publishers