May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13
1 Corinthians 13:13
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of
these is love.
While faith and hope may be more personal, love is meant
to be shared.
Growing up in the sixties and seventies I listened to a lot of music, mostly pop and soft rock. Songs like What the World Needs Now and Put a Little Love in Your Heart by Jackie DeShannon, and I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing by the New Seekers focused on spreading love in the world. In my bedroom as I belted out the songs, in front of the mirror and into my hairbrush, I believed I could be an instrument in sharing love with everyone. As you might guess, I was a bit naïve. I didn’t understand what loving the whole world entailed, until I understood how much Jesus loved me.
Most of the time when I hear 1 Corinthians 13, I’m at a
wedding where the pastor reads the passage and talks about what it means to love.
The other day I was reading 1 Corinthians 13 and I came to the last verse. Often
verse thirteen is skimmed over. Instead of flying past it, I paused and read
each word.
Faith, hope, and love remain. Three of the most important
words in my vocabulary stand out as three of the most important ideas in this
passage. My faith in Jesus is personal. Through my experiences and His grace,
my faith has become the springboard for my relationship with Him. My hope in
Jesus is also personal, without the hope of heaven and the hope of brighter
days ahead, I’d be—well, hopeless. Love is different. According to verse thirteen,
love is the greatest of all three, and I believe that’s because love is to be shared.
For people to understand my faith and my hope in Jesus, they need to see the
love He spills over me as I in turn pour love over others. What better way to share my faith and hope
than to model and live the love mapped out in chapter thirteen.
Share Jesus love with a world who still needs Him.
What It's About:
When Eli Ross left Prince Edward Island to join the NHL, he left a broken family behind. More than a decade later, he's broke and headed home to an uncertain welcome. He wants to make things right with the family he wronged, but his mom's business partner isn't making it easy. To top it off, the coaching job he's accepted turns out to be far more difficult than he anticipated.
My Thoughts:
I’ve read all of Liz Johnson’s books and enjoyed them, but this series, Prince
Edward Island Shores, is my favorite. And The Last Way Home is her
best yet. She has mastered the characters, their personalities and their flaws.
Her description made me feel like I was in the story watching the scenes unfold.
Violet and Eli are both broken in their own way, yet they are drawn together by
the very secrets they guard. If you enjoy excellent writing, an interesting
story, and wonderful characters, you’ll want to read The Last Way Home.
Thank you, Liz Johnson, for another wonderful story. I’m anxious to read book
three.
The Story:
After being forced to kill an FBI agent gone rogue in self-defense while
working in the violent crimes unit for the Investigative Services Branch,
ranger Madison Thorn is comfortable with her move to the fraud and cyber
division. At least numbers don't lie. So she's less than thrilled when a
white-collar crime investigation in Natchez, Mississippi, turns violent. She
could also do without being forced to work with
former-childhood-enemy-turned-infuriatingly-handsome park ranger Clayton
Bradshaw.
When a woman who looks just like Madison is attacked on the same night
Madison's grandfather is shot, it becomes clear that there is something much
bigger going on here and that Madison herself is in danger. Madison and Clayton
will have to work together--and suppress their growing feelings for one
another--if they are to discover the truth before it's too late.
My Thoughts:
If you enjoy romantic suspense, I recommend this series set in Natchez
Mississippi. Deception is book three in the Natchez Trace Rangers series
and can be read as a stand-alone, but the series is so good! I especially
enjoyed this one. Madison is a tough lady who focuses on her work, but has a
soft spot when it comes to her grandfather. Clayton is an officer with flaws and
a big heart. As the two of them work to solve a crime against her grandfather,
secrets unfold in unexpected ways as more crimes come to light. Bradley is a
top-notch suspense writer. If you enjoy Colleen Coble, you’ll love Patricia
Bradley’s books. I received a free copy of this book with no expectations. My
opinions are my own.
My Thoughts:
Murder Goes Solo is a well-written and fun mystery. Poor Piper is
faced with a terrible situation. The new and very expensive piano she ordered
arrives with a dead body. Not just any body—her lifeless ex-boyfriend.
Piper and her best friend Rosie work to figure out who killed him. In the
meantime, they have to avoid the press and work with the “Hunky” police officer.
Piper’s family tries to protect her, but she’s determined to bring the killer
to justice. Chapin does a beautiful job weaving in Piper’s love of music and
sets up a great cozy story. If you enjoy cozy mysteries, you’ll love Murder
Goes Solo. I hope there are more books about Piper, her bestie, and maybe
even the “Hunky officer.” I received a complimentary copy of this book.
Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Colossians 3:23-24
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not
for human masters, since you know that you will receive an
inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are
serving.
My grandson floated back to his seat on a cloud
of joy.
I’m a loyal fan of the Cincinnati Reds. Twenty-twenty-two hasn’t been their best year, yet they still show up and work hard. Due to decisions from management, we lost some good players, but the ones left on the team, like Votto, Farmer, and India put in the effort and play their hearts out.
They work out, practice, and show up, even through injury,
and use their God-given talent to play the game. Recently my daughter, Maggie,
and my grands, Dylan and Zeke, and I attended a game. Zeke loves baseball and
plays on a summer team. As he and I entered the stadium, he hoped to catch a
practice ball from the opposing team. He not only caught one, the player for
the Marlins signed it. Then when he saw the Reds players in the dugout, he
hustled over and thought he might have a shot at an autograph on the ball he brought
with him. He held the ball out and none other than Joey Votto autographed it. Votto and the Marlins player didn’t have to autograph anything, but they took their job beyond what was expected.
In Colossians 3:23-24, Paul gives a directive that whatever
we work at, whether at home, at a job, or in the church, work as if it is for
the Lord. God has given each one of us different talents. We can use those
talents to glorify Him by doing our best and going beyond what’s expected. It’s
easy to get discouraged in a job, but sometimes we have to choose to do our
best despite the circumstances. I worked for many years in libraries, where I
was challenged and frustrated at times. When that happened, I had to pray or
the discouragement would overwhelm me. The same with my writing. I doubt
myself, but have to remember God is the One who called me to write.
In whatever I do, I strive to work with all my heart and do
my best.
Work with all your heart to glorify God.