Child of Mine

Flight instructor Jack Livingston has been raising his eight-year-old adopted niece, Natalie, since the accident that took her parents' lives. When he travels, Natalie is tenderly cared for by her Amish nanny, Laura Mast, who loves the little girl as her own.

Eight excruciating years ago, Kelly Maines's baby was kidnapped. Determined to find her child, Kelly has tirelessly pursued every lead to its bitter end. And now, with the clock ticking, one last clue from a private investigator ignites a tiny flame of hope: Just a few miles away lives a young girl who matches the profile.

Can this be, at long last, Kelly's beloved daughter?

Themes in the book are heartache, unforgiveness, many sorrows, happiness, joy, forgiveness and trust. I have always enjoyed Beverly Lewis’ books and this book was no exception. I found the characters endearing and the storyline was well developed. I hope to see more books by this husband and wife team. I think you will enjoy this book.

I received this book through Bethany House Publishers, and was not required to give a positive review.

About the Author

David Lewis grew up in Aberdeen, South Dakota. He met and married Bev in Colorado, where together they make their home in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, enjoying their three grown children and one grandchild.

Beverly Lewis was born in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country. She fondly recalls her growing-up years, and due to a keen interest in her mother's Plain family heritage, many of Beverly's books are set in Lancaster County.

Sharing Christ With the Dying: Bringing Hope to Those Near the End of Life

A Loving and Compassionate Guide to Talking With Your Family and Friends About Jesus

Melody Rossi saw God work in the hearts of three close family members after she had nearly given up hope that they might believe before dying. As their hearts softened to the gospel message she witnessed their spiritual births.

These experiences inspired Melody to write this practical book filled with hope, joy, and wisdom. When your friend or family member is facing death, here is the help you need to share Christ in loving, non confrontational ways. It will show you how to

; Serve in ways that speak louder than words,

Respond to signs of spiritual openness;

Discuss matters of eternal importance;

Cope with the ups and downs of this difficult time

In addition, it offers you spiritual care, answering your questions about end-of-life issues, and addressing your grief and loss.

This book offers suggestions on how to serve the person who is dying as well as cautions readers on ways to avoid burnout, and also gives readers a look into what they might expect as the time of death draws near. This is a great resource book for someone who is dying or are just looking for information on how to minister to those who are at the end of life.  I found the book helpful, encouraging, and supportive though not a lot about sharing the scriptures with the dying. I expected to read about sharing the gospel with someone who was dying I was not looking for a book on hospice care. I think it is a great resource book but maybe not titled accurately.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

About the Author

Melody Rossi suffered a surgical error that nearly took her life. Her long recovery became a pivotal point in her Christian walk and gave her tremendous compassion for those with serious illnesses. Melody subsequently founded Cloud and Fire Ministries, an organization that evangelizes, disciples, and educates at-risk youths.
She and her husband live in Granada Hills, California. Learn more at www.cloudandfire.org.

And Life Comes Back: A Wife's Story of Love, Loss, and Hope Reclaimed

About This Book

“Now I know that every single day, the best and the worst, only lasts for twenty-four hours.”
—Tricia Lott Williford, And Life Comes Back

When your life falls apart—through a death, a lost relationship, a diagnosis—you want more than anything to know that your pain has a purpose. And that beyond your pain, a new day awaits.

Tricia Lott Williford discovered this in a few tragic hours when her thirty-five-year-old husband died unexpectedly. In And Life Comes Back, she writes with soaring prose about her tender, brave journey as a widow with two young boys in the agonizing days and months that followed his death.

And Life Comes Back documents the tenacity of love, the exquisite transience of each moment, and the laughter that comes even in loss. This traveler’s guide to finding new life after setbacks offers no easy answers or glib spiritual maxims but instead draws you into your own story and the hope that waits for you even now.

- See more at: 

http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?work=225285#sthash.FVZPjFNJ.dpuf

You can read chapter one here:

http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/SneakPeek_AndLifeComesBack.pdf

I have followed Tricia’s story through her blog at http://tricialottwilliford.com/. She writes in such a way that you feel her grief and also her strength. Her story to witness to us all about God's healing grace. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has walked the road of grief, to those just embarking on the journey, and to anyone who wishes to be inspired by one woman's beautiful rise from tragic ashes.  Tricia writes honestly sharing the strengths and weaknesses of both herself and Robb. She shares the struggle of raising two young boys after the tragic sudden death of Robb. Tricia also shares honestly her struggle with depression.

"I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review."

About the Author

 Tricia Lott Williford was an elementary school teacher before becoming a freelance editor and a stay-at-home mom. Tricia writes regularly for a loyal blog audience and is a sought-after speaker. She and her two sons live in Colorado.

- See more at: http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?work=225285#sthash.FVZPjFNJ.dpuf

https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Thoughts-and-Writings-of-Tricia-Williford/168216593222849

Finding Spiritual Whitespace: Awakening Your Soul to Rest

About the Book: 

Move beyond Coping and Surviving to a Rejuvenating Place of Soul Rest

How many of us find ourselves exhausted, running on empty with no time for rest, no time for ourselves, no time for God? Bonnie Gray knows exactly what that's like. On the brink of fulfilling a lifelong dream, Bonnie's plans suddenly went off script. Her life shattered into a debilitating journey through anxiety, panic attacks, and insomnia. But as she struggled to make sense of it all, she made an important discovery: we all need spiritual whitespace.

Spiritual whitespace makes room--room in one's heart for a deep relationship with God, room in one's life for rest, room in one's soul for rejuvenation. With soul-stirring vulnerability and heartbreaking honesty, Bonnie takes readers on a personal journey to feed their souls and uncover the deeper story of rest. Lyrical writing draws readers into Gray's intimate journey through overwhelming stress to find God in a broken story and celebrate the beauty of faith.

Guided by biblical encouragement and thought-provoking prompts, Gray shows readers how to create space in the everyday for God, refreshment, and faith. She also offers practical steps and insights for making spiritual whitespace a reality, right in the midst of the stress-frayed stories in every season of life.

Move beyond Surviving to a Rejuvenating Place of Soul Rest

How many of us find ourselves running on empty with no time for rest, no time for ourselves, no time for God?

Bonnie Gray knows what that's like. On the brink of fulfilling a lifelong dream, she saw her plans shatter into a journey through painful memories and anxiety. In her search for answers, she made an important discovery: we all need spiritual whitespace.

Whitespace. It's the space on a page left unmarked. Untouched. Whitespace makes art beautiful. It gives the eye a place to rest. Just like beautiful art, our souls need balance and beauty.    

With heartbreaking honesty, Bonnie guides you to discover a better story for yourself, one that feeds your soul and makes room for rest. Infused with biblical encouragement and thought-provoking prompts, this book shows us how to create space in the everyday for God, refreshment, and faith--right in the midst of our stress-frayed lives.

The book explores how our lives are like God’s artwork, exploring ways to create space for beauty, rest and soul care. Just as beautiful art needs whitespace, we need whitespace. Spiritual Whitespace makes room in our hearts for a deeper, more intimate relationship with God, room in our lives for rest, room in our souls for rejuvenation.  We need rest. Anyone longing for rest in today’s fast paced and stress-frayed schedules can take the journey to find rest, feed their souls, rejuvenate and make room for beauty, for God and rest.

Reading the first chapter of this book felt like Bonnie was speaking to me.This book will challenge you to look at memories and emotions that you may have been burying for a long time. I so need the whitespace in my life. It  is the story of finding space to breathe, feed your soul, and dream dreams. We need blank spaces in our calendars, in our days, in our hours–to rest, reflect, and make room for Jesus It is an invitation to come closer to Jesus, to let Him embrace you where you are. God is calling me to rest. I was greatly ministered to by reading this book and strongly recommend it, especially if you are finding yourself burned out and weary. This book was like water to my weary soul: quenching the deepest desire for more rest & more Jesus.  This book brought healing to my weary soul. Each chapter ends with a number of excellent prompts for reflection and journal writing.

Bonnie Gray is the soulful writer behind faithbarista.com, serving up shots of faith for the daily grind. Her work is featured on DaySpring (in)courage and nationally syndicated on Crosswalk.com. After graduating from UCLA, Bonnie served as a missionary, ministry entrepreneur, and Silicon Valley high-tech professional. She lives in Northern California with her husband, Eric, and their two sons.