Janet Sketchley's Blog: Tenacity, page 56
December 23, 2016
Christmas Blessings
(With thanks to the fine folks at picmonkey.com who make graphics fun!)
December 21, 2016
Residual Strongholds
When Simon saw that the Spirit was given when the apostles laid their hands on people, he offered them money to buy this power.
Acts 8:18, NLT*
Simon had been a magician and a man of great influence before Philip showed up and began teaching about Jesus and doing miracles. Along with many others, “Simon himself believed and was baptized” (Acts 8:13, NLT).
Old ways of life die hard, and his request here shows that he still doesn’t understand the power of God. Peter’s stern response points ou...
December 19, 2016
Review: The Christmas Angel Project, by Melody Carlson
The Christmas Angel Project, by Melody Carlson (Revell, 2016)
Abby Wentworth is the leader of a local book club, but more than that, she’s a significant influence in each member’s life. When she dies just after Thanksgiving, her four friends are devastated. They meet one last time and discover Abby has left them each a hand-made angel ornament.
What if each of them could follow Abby’s example of helping others? Could they overlook their own grief and make a difference?
The Christmas Angel Pro...
December 16, 2016
40% Sale: Secrets and Lies
Flash Sale! 40% off Secrets and Lies for Kobo Dec 15-19. Use promo code 40DEC at checkout.
Shop here: Secrets and Lies.
December 14, 2016
Reconciliation, not Rejection
Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away.
Acts 3:19, NLT*
Peter’s not being judgmental here, not waving a big stick or speaking condemnation. If we could hear his tone, we’d hear urgency. Longing.
In the Temple, he’s speaking to a crowd about Jesus. He has just put it to them plainly: Jesus is the Messiah from God, whom they and their leaders have rejected and killed.
He’s also declared that they didn’t know the full story, and their choices were part of...
December 12, 2016
Review: The Shattered Vigil, by Patrick W. Carr
The Shattered Vigil, by Patrick W. Carr (Bethany House, 2016)
Willet Dura is one of the most interesting characters I’ve “met” in a long time. He may be insane, and he definitely has something nasty locked up in his mind that at times takes control of his actions. But as a reader, I’m on his side and I know he’s one of the good guys. Even though the other “good guys” in the Vigil don’t trust him.
He treats even the lowest with dignity and compassion, he fights for justice, and he loves God. I...
December 9, 2016
Are You a Canadian Christian Writer?
That’s Life! Communications, the publisher of the Hot Apple Cider inspirational anthologies, has put out a call for submissions for a new book, to be called Christmas with Hot Apple Cider. If you haven’t seen these books, check them out online (A Taste of Hot Apple Cider is free in ebook format from online retailers).
As a contributor to the second and third books in the series, I can tell you that the editing is thorough and educational, the publisher and the team of authors are supportive a...
December 7, 2016
Love Obeys God
I reflect at night on who you are, O Lord;
therefore, I obey your instructions.
Psalm 119:55, NLT*
You can’t read Psalm 119 without sensing the devotion the psalmist has for God’s instructions. It’s not a dry list of rules that he loves, but the precepts and teaching of how God says he – and we – should live.
Why are these regulations so important? Because they teach us the way of true, abundant life. They keep us from straying away from God or allowing sin or self to distance us from Him.
...December 5, 2016
Review: YesterCanada, by Elma Schemenauer
YesterCanada: Historical Tales of Mystery and Adventure, by Elma Schemenauer (Borealis Press, 2016)
Author Elma Schemenauer has researched and brought to life 30 intriguing tales from Canada’s past, in a selection as broad as our nation’s geography. Stories feature First Nations tribes, visitors, and immigrants, in settings from British Columbia to Newfoundland, and range from as early as the 1200s to the 1900s.
Vignettes, with accompanying photos, range from the light-hearted to the tragic,...
December 2, 2016
New Releases in Christian Fiction (December 2016)
More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website.
Contemporary Romance:
Bella Natale! by Marianne Evans — An aspiring American artist and the widowed, Italian owner of a premier art gallery meet and fall in love in Florence when he champions her work, but there are her American family’s expectations and his five-year-old son to consider. (Contemporary Romance from...
