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Life is never a stagnant pond. There are the good times. There are the bad times. In  A Tale of Two Cities Charles Dickens opens his novel, A Tale of Two Cities, by describing an era. He writes "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolish...it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us..." This is the way I would describe life in the Langston household. I met Evia, mother and wife. There is Adam, father and husband. There are the children, Alexa, Alana and Ethan. Alexa and Alana are twins as emotionally different as the taste of cake and  pie. There are the friends of the family and other members of the family. None have to fight this hail storm like the immediate Langstons. This one house is under siege because  the devil has touched their home much like the

trebleheartbooks This is Christian Western novel. It's very small. In the novel, I met Josh, a young boy, who sees first hand the ugliness of violence. When his mother, Agnes, tries to save a shot up man named Jack, two men come on the property for trouble. Josh witnesses what no young person should ever see. After this incident his whole life is changed. With nowhere to go he makes his home with the Cheyenne tribe. They are kind to him. He learns their way of life. Soon Josh wants to go away alone to become more in touch with the Great Spirit, the Cheyenne's Creator. When he leaves, Josh is known as Lost Elk. When he returns he is known as Standing Elk. Standing Elk is a seeker. He is always striving to understand where he belongs in life. An old dying Cheyenne man sings a song. It touches Lost Elk's heart. " Do you know who I am? Do you have answers to kingdom come?" When Standing Elk finds the William Bent family, he finds his way. Coming back to cons

I have heard Luis Palau speak on radio and t.v. broadcasts. He is always inspiring. When TYNDALE HOUSE offered his book, I felt surely his written words would not disappoint me. I was right. CHANGED BY FAITH by LUIS PALAU is very powerful and inspiring with personal examples from beginning to end. Luis Palau also includes a part of his life story in the book as well. All of these personal experiences along with scripture made me see that faith is an action verb not just an idea. I especially remember the author talking about God as a Father. When people hear a witness about Christ the Son and God The Father , it is not always easy to catch the drawn picture. If a person has not known or experienced the love of a earthly father, it is very difficult to grasp the love of the Eternal God . It is these types of examples that will remain with me and cause me to reread the book at a slower pace. The book by LUIS PALAU is like mountain fresh water. Each sip of the mountain water causes a

AMISH PRAYERS compiled byBEVERLY LEWIS is a beautiful, small prayer book for every moment of a life. I am certain to read and reread prayers over and over again in this book. At the bottom of the page of each prayer there is a scripture verse that fits the particular prayer. The prayers are wide ranging in theme.There are prayers for: unity, gratitude, guidance, praise, strength and for the evening  as well as other themes I have not named here. What I liked most about the prayer book is the illustrations on the pages. These pictures are delicately sketched in a light reddish brown, a tint, of some sort. The illustrations alone made me want to stay longer in a quiet place to meditate. My favorite picture is the one of the Amish doll. She is used to illustrate comfort. This book is a treasure chest of love and worship. The prayers are translated from the original German. It has been used by Amish and Mennonites for over 300 years. In the Foreword Beverly Lewis wrote "I am pr

Lazarus Awakening by JOANNA WEAVER is a very powerful and simply laid out Bible study about the life of Christ and the people whom he met during his life here on earth. The names were not unfamiliar to me. There is: Lazarus, Martha, Mary and Jesus. What is magnificent and inspiring about this book is that it took me deeper in to the lives of these ordinary people. Mary is more complex than the Mary who sat at Jesus' feet anxious to hear His words rather than do kitchen duties. Martha also is more developed than the busy, harried hostess preparing an evening meal for her LORD . Surprisingly there is more to tell about the events surrounding Lazarus' death. After being dead for more than a day or two days, have we ever thought about what his body must have smelled or looked like? What were the bandages like? JOANNA WEAVER also further develops the definition of "tomb." I just think of a big hole or grave. I have never likened it to my personal life. The book, Laza

The Thirteenth Gift by CHARLENE COSTANZO is a novella. While reading it, I was reminded of Aesop's Fables. This time instead of animals there are beautiful stones. The kind of stones we see every day. Temptation makes me walk and push one of these stones along the street. Then, I like to put one in my pocket or hold it tightly in my hand until reaching home. I did wish the author had spent more time talking about the stones and linking the spiritual gifts to the stones. I thought the stones became lost along the way. No matter the story is rich in meaning for daily living. The story is about Claire. Claire is a very busy woman. She is a mother and wife. She is also a journalist. I should say a workaholic journalist. She cares deeply about the current events happening around the world especially where children are concerned. There is a story told to Claire by an older lady. It's about a kingdom with a king and queen and the birth of royal children. These child

I have taken a trip to Scotland, Port Scarnose, Scotland. I enjoyed the companionship of Marie Buchan a harpist. Marie Buchan is the main character who travels from Canada to Scotland. Her main goal is to put the pieces back together in her life. With difficulty she has been striving to regather her wits after the loss of her husband. They were married for six years. While in Scotland Marie meets Gwendolyn, a sick little girl, Gwendolyn's aunt, Curate Iain and the  long ago friend, the Duke of Buchan castle and other villagers. Each person comes to meet Marie with more than a handshake. Each person has a personal problem. Marie strums the souls of these people as well she might her harp with love and care. The people pour out their problems over a cup of tea or while walking through the rooms of the castle. I enjoyed the Scottish novel. I found myself stumbling over the Scottish brogue at times. I also discovered people are alike around the world. People need a k