Yearly Archives: 2014

Tempest’s Course

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When Kelly Frost, a textile conservator, is hired to restore an old quilt, she’s surprised when she’s gets the bid for the project. Having to temporarily relocate to a new town, she meets Tom Pereira, the groundskeeper for her new home. Tom has been discharged from the military, and he’s dealing with a lot of problems. He makes a living tending the gardens and doing odd jobs, but his father thinks he’d do better by getting a college education. He is attracted to Kelly and Kelly is attracted to Tom. A foster kid, she can barely recall having a real family. Kelly’s on her own as she attempts to restore the quilt, however, spooky things are happening in her temporary house. She’s not sure why someone is lurking around, causing trouble.

I enjoyed this romance. I also liked reading about the heroine’s occupation as a textile conservator. It’s not a profession that I read about often. I’d recommend this book as a nice, heartwarming read.

Sunday Brunch – The Tower Of Babel!

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Can you imagine, building a tower that stretches all the way to heaven?

I’m doing my Sunday Brunch post a little differently today. I’m posting a Bible verse, with my random thoughts and questions. My random thoughts/questions are in parenthesis.

Genesis 11:1-9 NIV:

The Tower of Babel

11 Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. ²As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there.

³They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. ⁴Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”

(I find it hard to imagine grown people actually thinking they can build a tower that reaches to the heavens! I’m wondering if, back then, people weren’t conscious of boundaries since they didn’t have the luxury of science and technology? Did they look in the sky, see the clouds and not fathom how far away those clouds were? Did they think building to the clouds was the same as building to the heavens? Were the clouds much closer back then? Was heaven closer? If somebody, today, were to say they were building a tower to reach the moon – we’d be like, NO WAY! Just wondering what was going through people’s minds back then when they decided to build this tower.)

⁵But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. ⁶The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. ⁷Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”

(I’m assuming the Lord confused their language first, before they scattered? Did they wake up one morning and nobody understood one another? I’m wondering if families were broken, separated, because of a sudden language barrier? I guess the Lord did not want them to build this tower because the entire task was impossible, and besides, that would take massive attention from the Lord, people would be more focused on building this impossible tower, instead of focusing on God. )

⁸So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. (I’m wondering how the Lord managed to scatter everybody. I’m assuming the people who spoke the same language, gathered together and migrated to a different part of the world?) ⁹That is why it was called Babel—because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.

So, can you imagine, waking up one morning, and a whole city of people not understanding one another?

Sunday Brunch – Noah’s Ark!

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Did Noah take two of each kind of bird, or did he take seven of each kind of bird into the ark?

In Genesis 6:20, the Lord told Noah that two of every kind of animal would come to him to be kept alive:

Genesis 6:20

New King James Version (NKJV)

²⁰Of the birds after their kind, of animals after their kind, and of every creeping thing of the earth after its kind, two of every kind will come to you to keep them alive.

Later, in chapter seven, the Lord states that Noah should take seven of every kind of clean animal and two of every unclean animal. The clean animals included the birds:

Genesis 7:2-3

New King James Version (NKJV)

²You shall take with you seven each of every clean animal, a male and his female; two each of animals that are unclean, a male and his female; ³also seven each of birds of the air, male and female, to keep the species alive on the face of all the earth.

Why did the Lord specify two, and then seven later, for some of the animals. I’m thinking that initially, two of every kind of animal, regardless of clean or unclean, came to Noah to get onto the ark. Later, somehow, he obtained five more of each clean animal to take onto the ark as the Lord commanded. I’m not sure if Noah had to catch these other five unclean animals, or, if they came to him freely.

Why do you think the Lord initially specified two of each kind of creature? Why is Noah later told to bring seven of each of the clean animals?

My Author Interview!

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Check out my interview and book giveaway on Elaine Stock’s blog!

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Sunday Brunch – Cain And Abel

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Why did God accept Abel’s offering? Why did the Lord reject Cain’s offering?

That’s a question that’s always puzzled me. The scriptures do not really give us a reason as to why this happened. Someone in my Bible study group pointed out that Cain’s offering was not the right kind of offering. However, there are other agricultural offerings in the Bible. I know they mention agricultural offerings in Deuteronomy.

Cain became enraged that the Lord rejected his offering, he became so mad that he killed his brother Abel. I was thinking that it was Cain’s bad attitude that cause the Lord to reject his offering.

So, why do you think God rejected Cain’s offering?

Genesis 4:2-5

New King James Version (NKJV)

²Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. ³And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. ⁴Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, ⁵but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.

Congrats To The Christy Award Winners! :-)

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Join me in granting a hearty congratulations to the 2014 Christy Award winners!

CONTEMPORARY/

Stones for Bread
by Christa Parrish (Thomas Nelson, Harper Collins Christian Publishing)

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE/SUSPENSE

Dangerous Passage
by Lisa Harris (Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group)

CONTEMPORARY SERIES

Take a Chance on Me
by Susan May Warren (Tyndale House Publishers)

FIRST NOVEL

Burning Sky
by Lori Benton (WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group)

HISTORICAL

Burning Sky
by Lori Benton(WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group)

Burning Sky also won Novel of the Year.

HISTORICAL ROMANCE

Harvest of Gold
by Tessa Afshar (River North, from Moody Publishing)

SUSPENSE

Outlaw
by Ted Dekker (FaithWords, a division of Hachette Book Group)

VISIONARY

Dragonwitch
by Anne Elisabeth Stengl (Bethany House Publishers, a division of Baker Publishing Group)

Congrats To The Carol Award Finalists!

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Congrats to the 2014 Carol Award Finalists! The Carol Award is given by ACFW. The winners will be announced at the ACFW conference in September.

Debut Novel

The Heiress of Winterwood by Sarah Ladd (HarperCollins Christian Publishing, editor Natalie Hanemann)

Jasmine by April McGowan (WhiteFire Publishing, editor Roseanna White)

Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay (HarperCollins Christian Publishing, editors Becky Monds, Natalie Hanneman, L.B. Norton)

Contemporary

The Language of Sparrows by Rachel Phifer (David C. Cook, editor Tonya Osterhouse)

Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay (HarperCollins Christian Publishing, editors Becky Monds, Natalie Hanneman, L.B. Norton)

The Dance by Gary Smalley and Dan Walsh (Revell – A Division of Baker Publishing Group, editor Andrea Doering)

Historical

When Mountains Move by Julie Cantrell (David C. Cook, editors Ingrid Beck, John Blase)

Snow on the Tulips by Liz Tolsma (HarperCollins Christian Publishing, editors Becky Philpott, Julee Schwarzburg, Jodi Hughes)
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Claudia, Wife of Pontius Pilate by Diana Wallis Taylor (Revell – A Division of Baker Publishing Group, editor Lonnie Hull Dupont)

Historical Romance

Into the Whirlwind by Elizabeth Camden (Bethany House [Baker] Publishing, editor Raela Schoenherr)

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A Noble Groom by Jody Hedlund (Bethany House [Baker] Publishing, editor Dave Long)

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The Governess of Highland Hall by Carrie Turansky (Waterbrook Multnomah [Random House], editors Shannon Marchese, Karen Ball)

Mystery/Suspense/Thriller

Truth Stained Lies by Terri Blackstock (HarperCollins Christian Publishing, editors Dave Lambert, Sue Brower, Ellen Tarver)

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Dark Justice by Brandilyn Collins (B&H Publishing, editors Karen Ball, Julie Gwinn)
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Fear Has a Name by Creston Mapes (David C. Cook, editors L.B. Norton, Jack Campbell)

Novella

An Ever After Summer from A Bride for all Seasons by Debra Clopton (HarperCollins Christian Publishing, editor Ami McConnell)

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Love by the Letter by Melissa Jagears (Bethany House [Baker] Publishing, editor Raela Schoenherr)
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A Christmas Prayer by Linda Wood Rondeau (Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas, editor Amberlynn Noelle)

Romance

Silver Bells by Deborah Raney (Summerside Press [Guideposts], editor Rachel Meisel)

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Catch a Falling Star by Beth K. Vogt (Howard [Simon & Schuster], editor Jessica Wong)

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Undeniably Yours by Becky Wade, Bethany House [Baker] Publishing, editors Sarah Long, Charlene Patterson)

Romantic Suspense

Trapped by Irene Hannon (Revell – A Division of Baker Publishing Group, editor Jennifer Leep)

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Vanished by Irene Hannon (Revell – A Division of Baker Publishing Group, editor Jennifer Leep)

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Jungle Fire by Dana Mentink (River North [Moody Publishers], editor Deb Keiser)

Short Novel

Seaside Blessings by Irene Hannon (Love Inspired [Harlequin], editor Melissa Endlich)

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The Doctor’s Family Reunion by Mindy Obenhaus (Love Inspired [Harlequin], editor Melissa Endlich)

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Mending the Doctor’s Heart by Tina Radcliffe (Love Inspired [Harlequin], editor Rachel Burkot)

Speculative

A Cast of Stones by Patrick W. Carr (Bethany House [Baker] Publishing, editors Dave Long, Karen Schurrer)

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The Hero’s Lot by Patrick W. Carr (Bethany House [Baker] Publishing, editors Dave Long, Karen Schurrer)

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The Sinners’ Garden by William Sirls (HarperCollins Christian Publishing, editors Natalie Hanemann, Lisa Bergren)

Young Adult

A Simple Song by Melody Carlson (Revell – A Divison of Baker Publishing Group, editors Lonnie Hull Dupont, Wendy Wetzel)

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Captives by Jill Williamson (HarperCollins Christian Publishing, editors Jacque Alberta, Jeff Gerke)

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Project Gemini by Jill Williamson (Marcher Lord Press, editor Jeff Gerke)

– See more at: http://www.acfw.com/carol/2014_carol_finalists#sthash.3RiYktjs.dpuf

Sunday Brunch – Mandrakes!

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Do you know anybody who has eaten a mandrake?

According to my research, mandrakes are poisonous. They are a root plant, but, produces berry-like fruit. The only part of the mandrake that is not poisonous is the fruit. Supposedly, it’s an ancient remedy to help barren women produce children. This plant has also been used in magic and witchcraft practices.

I’m assuming, in the Bible, when Rachel barters with Leah, wanting some of Reuben’s (Leah’s son) mandrakes, that she was aware of the supposed remedy since Rachel was barren. I also assume that Leah and Rachel ate the berries, not the root since it’s poisonous. But, as I think about it, perhaps Rachel was NOT going to consume the mandrakes – perhaps she wanted to keep them as a symbol of fertility since she was a barren woman?

So, other than the biblical references, have you ever heard anybody talk about mandrakes? Have you ever known anybody who’s eaten the fruit of a mandrake? If so, how did it taste? Do you think Rachel and Leah consumed the berries of the mandrakes, or, did they keep the plants for another reason?

The reason why I’m writing this blog post is because, when I think of mandrakes, I think about the Bible. Then I’m led to wonder – why don’t I ever see mandrakes in the grocery store? Why don’t people ever mention eating them? For the longest time, I’d just assumed that they were a foreign plant, only sparingly available in the states, and that’s why I never saw them offered for consumption. But, now it makes sense as to why I don’t see them. They’re poisonous plants, and knowing this, I would not want to eat the berries even if they were offered. I guess you could call me paranoid, but, although the berries are not poisonous, I’d still be hesitant to eat them!

If somebody offered you a mandrake berry, would you eat it?

Genesis 30:14-16

New King James Version (NKJV)

¹⁴Now Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”

¹⁵But she said to her, “Is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband? Would you take away my son’s mandrakes also?”

And Rachel said, “Therefore he will lie with you tonight for your son’s mandrakes.”

¹⁶When Jacob came out of the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, “You must come in to me, for I have surely hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” And he lay with her that night.

Sunday Brunch – The Animals!

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Were animals domesticated before the flood? After the flood, God told Noah and his family that they could eat the animals, and that the animals would fear them:

Genesis 9:2-3 New King James Version (NKJV)

²And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be on every beast of the earth, on every bird of the air, on all that move on the earth, and on all the fish of the sea. They are given into your hand. ³Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all things, even as the green herbs.

When Noah took the animals onto the ark, I’m assuming the animals came willingly. He was able to easily capture the animals and lead them onto the ark.

If all animals were domesticated, then, I wonder about Abel. Abel was a keeper of sheep – I’m assuming the sheep were used for their wool and for their milk? If animals were not allowed to be eaten before the flood, then I doubt Abel (or anybody else) consumed any of his flock? Abel only killed his sheep as sacrifices to God?