Sunday Brunch – From The Blog Archives – Clothing Filled With God’s Spirit

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Photo courtesy of Free Digital Photos

***This is a repeat of an old blog post!
Do you think the early Christians had deeper faith than the present-day Christians?

I’ve been talking about the early Christians. The church was so much different back then – at least different from the churches of which I’ve been a member. The miracles that happened within the early church were truly amazing. I’d like to take this moment and share some scriptures that show clothing filled with God’s spirit. I blogged about this first scripture years ago, but, thought it’d be good to talk about again since this scripture pertains to the early Christians, mainly, the Apostle Paul:

Acts 19:11-12
11 God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.

That’s so cool, awesome and totally amazing! Can you imagine, an apron or handkerchief that had touched Paul could be taken to a sick person and the item could cure his/her illness and drive out evil spirits! Man….like, wow!!!

Paul’s miraculous miracles, stored in clothing items that he touched….

Wow!

I was talking to my husband about this last night and he reminded me of the following scripture – when the bleeding woman touched Jesus clothing and was healed:
Luke 8:43-48
43 Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, 44 came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped.
45 And Jesus said, “Who touched Me?”
When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, “Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’”
46 But Jesus said, “Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me.” 47 Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately.
48 And He said to her, “Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”

I would like to witness something like this happening myself. Yes, I do realize that it’s still possible for this to happen today, people can get healed, but, I wish I could travel in a time machine and go back to the days of Jesus and the Apostle Paul and witness these healings as descibed in the above-mentioned scriptures.

So, do you think the early Christians had deeper faith than the present-day Christians?

Leave a comment.

I’d also like to mention that my novel collection, Chesapeake Weddings, is still available for a low price of $2.79 on Christianbook.com.

Also, my novel, First Mates, is available on Kindle as well as other e-readers for the low price of $3.99.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Love Finds You In Carmel-By-The Sea

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Love Finds You In Carmel-By-The-Sea by Sandra D. Bricker

Annie needs a job. She’s recently moved in with her grandmother, a retired film star, who lives in the California town of Carmel By The Sea. When she finds a job as a private investigator’s assistant, she meets Nick, who will be running the PI office since her boss, Deke, is having surgery. Nick is a cop and when he literally runs into Annie at the movie theater, he finds himself attracted to her.

Annie has a friend named Evan – Evan is kind of like an old, comfortable shoe. They’ve been dating for years, but, their relationship has not moved forward. Annie has a hard time deciding what she wants to do. She knows that Evan has always been there for her as a friend, and she enjoys his company, yet, she finds it hard to admit to herself that she’s attracted to Nick. She doesn’t have the courage to enter into a real relationship that’s based upon love. Annie’s and Nick’s feelings intensify as they work together each day. You also see Annie doing some PI work, investigating supposedly cheating spouses and boyfriends for her clients.

Annie feels somewhat intimidated by her perfect little brother. Her parents dote about her sibling because he’s done everything right – he has a high-powered job, a perfect wife, and a baby on the way. Why can’t Annie get her act together and find a perfect job and a perfect husband? Most of Annie’s friends and relatives don’t understand why she wants to be a PI assistant.

This book was light and refreshing. I’m not a huge fan of old movies, but, if you are, I’m sure you’ll enjoy the references to the old-time flicks. Annie even meets Doris Day, which proves to be a highlight for her. If you like light, sweet, funny romances, then you should give this book a try. The story proved to be charming and entertaining.

As an aside, I just wanted to point out that I visited Carmel several years ago and I enjoyed the quaint town. I have a vaguely good memory of my trip to Carmel and I felt this author did a great job with depicting the setting.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Promises To Keep – From The Archives

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Promises To Keep by the late Jane Peart

Can you think of a book that creates a strong, vivid response from you? If so, please leave a comment with the title of an emotionally-charging novel(s).

***Note, as a reminder, I’m still working on my writing project. Until I’m finished, I’ll be posting old stuff from the archives. Feel free to leave a comment! I love hearing from blog readers!

I read this book several years ago and I recall that the story stirred up lots of deep vivid emotions for me. I encourage all to download a copy onto their Nook, Kindle, or other e-reader.

When Valerie’s husband is imprisoned for a white-collar crime, she feels as if her world is falling apart. She must now learn to support herself, plus raise her young daughter alone. Garth, her handsome next door neighbor, is smitten with her, and he offers her love and comfort. She feels torn about accepting Garth’s love when her husband is still in prison. She is also struggling in dealing with her daughter’s gradual hearing loss.
When her husband gets out of prison, she has to make a choice, should she take her husband back, for better or worse, or should she pursue a future with Garth.

This book was highly emotional, and I was anxious to see what choices Valerie made when faces with big, life-altering decisions. I highly recommend this book for those who want to read an emotional tale.

 So, can you think of a book that stirs strong, vivid emotions for you? If so, please leave a comment with the title of the emotionally-charging novel. 

~Cecelia Dowdy~

The Shepherd’s Voice – From The Archives

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The Shepherd’s Voice by Robin Lee Hatcher – From the archives – this is a repeat of an old book review. I read this novel several years ago and recall really enjoying this story by Robin Lee Hatcher. I encourage you to give this book a try! Download it onto your e-reader today!

Convicted for a crime he didn’t commit, Gabe Talmadge returns to his hometown of Ransom, seeking the love denied to him by his father Hudson Talmadge. Instead of finding the love of his forsaken father, he finds the love of Akira Macauley, owner of the sheep farm, Dundreggan. Gabe also discovers the love of another father, his Heavenly Father. Akira teaches Gabe about love and faith, and he realizes his biggest mistake was forsaking the Lord, several years ago. When he’s again mistakenly arrested for a crime he didn’t commit, his faith in God is tested, and he learns that it’s imperative to always lean on the Lord.      

Have you ever read any novels by Robin Lee Hatcher? If so, which one was your favorite?

~Cecelia Dowdy~

The Ride Of Her Life By Lorna Seilstad

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The Ride Of Her Life by Lorna Seilstad

Lilly is a widowed mother who is financially struggling to raise her son (Levi) alone. Ben, her deceased husband, was a well-to-do lawyer from an upscale family. Ben’s parents are determined to take their grandson (Levi) away from Lilly. They even call the sheriff to help them get custody because Lilly is living in a tent at Lake Manawa with her son since she can’t afford her own house. Lilly makes other living arrangements, but, she’s determined to purchase a home of her own – it’s her dream to have her own house.

Lilly works hard at Thornton’s Lunch Counter, making breakfast, lunch, and dinner each day for Nick (the crew leader) and his rollercoaster crew. Nick hates that Lilly’s in-laws are trying to take her son away to send him to boarding school, so, he’s determined to help Lilly in any way that he can. He even becomes a father figure to Levi. Levi is a classic boy who enjoys climbing trees, chasing frogs and having pet snakes. However, Lilly finds herself wondering what’ll happen when the summer comes to an end and Nick’s roller coaster crew leaves when the construction of the roller coaster is done? Will Levi be crushed because Nick, his father-figure friend, will be leaving Lake Manawa? Lilly doesn’t want her son to get his feelings hurt, however, Levi is not the only person that Lilly wonders about.

Lilly finds herself becoming smitten with Nick. She enjoys his company a little too much. However, she’s hesitant on starting another relationship with a man since she’s still struggling to raise her son alone after the death of her husband. Does she really need to get emotionally involved with another man right now? Will Nick be dependable?

Nick suffers from his own scars. He’s spent part of his childhood in an orphanage and he’s lost his little brother. Plus, he had a broken engagement. It’s kind of hard for him to trust others, too. He’s out to prove his worth by making sure his roller coaster project is a success. He works hard to complete the roller coaster in time for the summer season. However, it appears that someone is out to sabotage his project and he’s determined to defeat whomever is trying to make him fail.

This story was refreshing and I found it interesting that the author showed a roller coaster being built during a historical time. I also liked the setting. Lake Manawa is a vivid, pleasant place to spend the summer. I also enjoyed reading about Lilly cooking food for Nick’s crew. I loved reading about the different meals she prepared and I also liked how she taught Eugenia, her kitchen assistant, how to cook. I enjoy reading stories that are set in a kitchen because food is one of my favorite subjects to read about in a novel! Overall, this was a good, intriguing, and slightly-suspenseful read.

Thanks to Baker/Revell for providing me with a free review copy.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Sunday Brunch! Locusts And Wild Honey? From The Blog Archives

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Locust photo courtesy of Free Digital Photos.

***This is a repeat of an old blog post.

Matthew 3:4 Now John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.

Locusts and wild honey? I’ve always wondered about this. I wish there were more details. John The Baptist wandered around the wilderness dressed in a garment made with camel’s hair, preaching the gospel and he ate locusts and wild honey? I’m wondering if the locusts were alive when he ate them, or if he cooked them over a fire before eating? How does one eat a locust? I’m wondering how easy it was to gather the locusts and wild honey for his meals? If you have any knowledge about this, feel free to share. It just doesn’t sound like an appetizing diet to me. I’m thinking he had other things to eat, but it appears that he may have eaten the locusts and wild honey quite frequently?

Share your thoughts with a comment! I hope everybody has a blessed Sunday!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Blogging Break

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Most of the blog posts that you’ll see over the next month will be pre-scheduled repeats from old blog posts. I have a project that I’m trying to finish up, so I have to focus on my writing for awhile.

I do have one book review that I’ve agreed to do, but, other than that, I won’t have time for regular blog posts for several weeks.

Are you enjoying this spring weather? Our household has been suffering from allergies this year – more than usual! I’ve also planted seeds earlier in the season and I’ve seen my pretty flowers popping out of the ground!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

How Much Should You Get Paid To Write A Novel?

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How much should you get paid to write a novel?

Read this insightful blog post by Steve Laube. Steve has also linked to the following articles. You should read these, too, if you want to know a bit about the financial gain from writing novels:
Eric Wilson’s blog post -Eric only made an average of $22,500 per year for ten years, which is not a lot of money and he’s made the NY Times Bestseller List.
Ann Von Peterson – She states she will never sign another contract with Harlequin. Read the blog post to find out why.

So, how much do you feel an author should get paid to write a novel? Leave a comment!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Predator By Terri Blackstock

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Predator by Terri Blackstock
Krista Carmichael wants to capture her sister’s murderer. Krista’s fourteen-year-old sister, Ella, was murdered by one of her friends on Grapevyne (a fictional site that’s similar to Facebook). She sets up a fake identity, posing as a teen, so that she can hopefully befriend the man who killed her sister. Meanwhile, her father, David, seeks revenge in his own way. He starts targeting male members at his church, wondering if some of the men in his congregation could’ve been Ella’s killer.

Krista finally targets Ryan Atkins, the person who invented Grapevyne. Can’t he make changes to ensure his site is safe for teens? Ryan suffers from fallout when Krista makes these demands, meanwhile, the killer is still on the loose, targeting other girls to kill.

This was a simple read that you could probably finish in a day or so. As with Terri Blackstock’s usual suspenseful style, there are times when you may get scared while reading the story. It was kind of hard for me to read this book because of the subject matter. It bothered me (a little bit) that it dealt with the death of a young teen. I guess I felt that way because I have a child, and I’d hate to see what the grief would do to me if something happened to him. Krista’s and David’s grief was very raw and fresh. It was extremely difficult for them to deal with their loss.

Overall, a good book. If you enjoy Blackstock’s writing, then you’ll enjoy this story.

~Cecelia Dowdy~